Contents

Ultirnate
ToolStand
Do more woodworking in your shoP
than you ever thought possible.
48
Bookcase
Two-Part 56
Make it easierby making it in halves.

EuroHardware 64
Try this adjustable,German-engineered
hardware on your next cabinet andyoull
be hooked.

FarmTable 68
Buildthishugediningtableevenif your
toolsaresmall.

| 2Tipsfor 78
BetterSharpening
A dozen ways to help you keep your tools
razor sharp.

ToolTest:
Sanders82
Spindle
Oscillating
Theyreportable,storableandsurprisinglyuseful.

ToolTest:
Vises
We put the squeezeon this workshop essential.
88
 Contents
DEPARTMENTS

E D I T O RK e nC o l l i e r & Answer
8 Question
ASSOCIATE EDIT0RSTomCaspar,Timlohnson,
DaveMunkittrick

14 WorkshopTips
C0NTRB I U T I N GE D I T 0 R SM i c h a e D
l resdner,
GeorgeVondriska
ART DIRECTORSPatrickHelf,BarbaraPederson,
JoelSpies
G R A P H I CD E S I G NI N T E R NS h e l l e yM o e n
C0PY EDIT0R MaryFlanagan
F A C TC H E C K I N GS P E C I A L I S N
T i N AC h i I d S JOhNSON
20ffiil':'l,i::sare
PR0DUCTIONTEAM JudyRodriguez, Bill Sympson
SH0P ASSISTANTS JetfLarson,Al McGregor
R E A D E RS E R V I C ES P E C I A L I S R
T o x i eF i l i p k o w s k i
ADMI N ISTRATIVEASSISTANTSLOriCAII|SIET,
ShellyJacobsen
Design
2 A,- Practical
rlalao
P U B L I S H E RM i c h a e P
l .R e i l l y
GA L E SD I R E C T O R
A D V E R T I S I NS R | C KS I T A f A C E SizingaDiningTable
M A R K E T I N GD I R E C T O R R o b e fC t alandruccio
SH0W MANAGERJonathanFrank(215-862-9081)

34 SmallShopTips
A M E R I C A NW O O D W O R K ES RH O WB O O T HS A L E S
BobRyan(215) 321-9662 ext.31, KristinMetzner
(2 15) 32 I -9662 ext 42
PR0MOTIONMANAGERAndreaVecchio
PROMOTION C O O R D I N A T OJRO A N NNCO 6
A D V E R T I SNIG C O O R D I N A T OSRu s a nB o r d o n a r o
L? Woodturning
ADVERTISINS GA L E S Ir
260 MadisonAve.,NewYork,NY 10016; 212-850-7226
CHICAGO Jim Ford(312) 540-4804
Legs
TurningTable page 34

LOS ANGELESCarlMischka(949) 759-3450

N EW YORK DavidClutrer(2121 850-7124, Tuck Sifers
( 2 1 2 )8 5 0 - 7 1 9 7
SAN FRANCISCORonEvans(949) 759-3450
Reviews
96 Product
CLASSIFlEDADVERTI Inc.
SINGTheMcNeillGroup,
(215)321-562
PUBLISHEB D Y H O M ES E R V I CP EU B L I C A T I O NI S
a subsidiaryof the Reade/sDigestAssociation,Inc.
N ,C . ,
104 FinishingTips
E D I T O R - l N - C H I EGFa r yH a v e n s
O F F I C EA D M I N I S T R A T I VM EA N A G E RA I | C C
GAIIEII
V I C EP R E S I D E N T
.losephWilliams
U,. S . M A G A Z I N E
FINANCE
1 10 BlueHighwayTip
V I C EP R E S I D E N T C,I R C U L A T I O U NS, MAGAZINE
PUBLISHING C r a i gR e y n o l d s
DIRECTOR

RESEARCH
OFOPERATI0NS
V I C EP R E S I D E NG
T h o m a sT z o u c a l i s
T L O B A LA D V E R T I S I N G
W a y n eE a d i e
Q U A L I T YC O N T R O LM A N A G E RE I N | C SAITO
124Ifl'fl:lllscabin
PRESIDENT U,S M A G A Z I N E PUBLISHING
GregoryG. Coleman
C H A I R M A NC, H I E FE X E C U T I VOEF F I C E R
Thomas0. Ryder
American (ISSN
Woodworker@
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timesa yearin February,
seven
is
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August,
Apnl,June, Octo-
inquiries
Subscription
b e r ,N o v e m b ear ,n d D e c e m b ebry H o m eS e r v i c eP u b l i c a t i o n Isn, c . ,
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Backissues
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, e wY o r k N , Y
cles: photocopies are available for $3 each. For either,
10019, In CanadarPostagepaid at Gateway, l\4ississauga, Ontario;
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W e m a k eo u r m a i l i n gl i s t sa v a i l a b lteo d i v i s i o nos f R e a d e r 'D
sigest
and othercarefullyselectedcompanieswhoseproductsand services
m a yb e o f i n t e r e stto o u r c u s t o m e r sl f. y o uw o u l dl i k ey o u rn a m e
e x c l u d e fdr o mt h e s em a i l i n g ss, i m p l ys e n dy o u rr e q u e stto : R e a d e r ' s
Howto reachus
DigestN4ailing List, Attnr Circ. Dept.,Reader'sDigestRoad,Pleas- We welcome your comments, suggestions,or com-
, Y 1 0 5 7 0 . P l e a s ei n c l u d ea c o p yo f y o u ra d d r e s lsa b e l .
a n t v i l l eN plaints. Write to us at: American Woodworker,2915 page 124
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A m e r i c a n W o o d w o r k e r o c T o B E R2 0 0 0
E d i tbeydW i l l i s B o w m a n

Ouestlon&
Ansrcr
FinalRubout
Q. I alwayshave problems getting a smooth finish.I sand the
wood with 220 paper,wipe it with a tack cloth,applythree coats
of high-qualityvarnish,andstill get a rough surface!Whatcan t do
to get that "professional"look?
Jim Salas
Harlingen,TX
A. You'vegot dust problems,like everybody else.
Evenif you carefully tack the wood prior to
finishing, the air (and you!) are full of small
dust particles that settleon your finish
right after you've laid it down. To get
rid of the'hibsi'rub out the last dried
coat with a dab of wax and extra-fine
steelwool. This will polish the last coat
and scrapeoffthe nibs leaving a silky
smooth finish. GIYEYOURWORK a finalrubdownwith wax
andextra-finesteelwool.

Rub-JointGluing Q. My panelglueups drive me nuts becausethe boards I

slidearoundwheneverI clampthem together.ThenI end o

up beatingthem back into position.Whatt goingonl T
L
F

Brian Morgan d
:<
Rockford,lL t
T

A. Most likely you're putting too much glue on the joints F

and your boards are simply"swimming" around on the L

excessglue. Try the rub-joint gluing method instead.

4<
Apply glue to only one edgeof the joint, slide the two
=
o

boards back and forth until the glue becomestacky,and

z
then clamp the boards. Bonus: rubbing the boards <..
o
U
together distributes the glue evenly and producesa strong, L
an
J
U
thin glue line.
2
tr
BEFORECLAMPING, rub the boardsbackand U
o
forth for a no-slipglueup. F
 Q u e s t i o n& A n s w e r
ARM IS
TIGHT
AGAINST

Truinga EDGE

Framing GAP IS

Square DOUBLETHE
SQUARE'S
ERROR
TO TEST A
SQUARE, draw a line
on an MDF sheet.Flip
over the squareand
Q. I lust inheritedmy grandpa's fram- draw another line
ingsquare.lt'sbigand heavyand lU like next to the first.
to use it but it isn't square!How on
earth can I fix it?
SamO'Donnel
Peabody,MA

A. Get yourselfa hammer and a cen-

ter punch.Then:
1.Draw a line on a straight-edgedboard
(MDF works great)using the square.
2. Flip overthe squareand draw another
Iine just to the right of the first.
3. If the lines diverge,peen the inside
corner of the squarewith a hammer
and centerpunch.
4. If the lines converge,peenthe outside
corner.
5. Repeatsteps 1 through 4 until the P EE N IN GTH E OU TS ID EC OR N E R P E E N I N GT H E I N S I D EC O R N E R
linesareparallel. "closes"the square. "opens"the square.

RustyRouterCollets Q. Returningto my shop after working

outside this summer,I noticed a rusty
film on my router colletsand bits.What's
the best way to removethe rust without
damaging the colletsand bits?
Gary Hutchinson
New Haven,CT

A . U se a syntheti c steelw ool or 3M

Scotch-Britepad.To cleana ll2-in. collet,
wrap the pad around a ll4-in. dowel and
spin it inside the collet.Clean the rust off
the bit shanksby rubbing the padsaround
them.Do not usean emerycloth or sand-
paper;you dont want to removeanymetal
that could causethe bit to wobble later.
Wipe the collet'sinsideand the bit's shank
with a light, general-purpose grease,then
wipe offthe excess.Athin film of greasewill
CLEAN rusty router colletswith a dowel and syntheticsteel wool. remain in the surfaceto slowfuture rusting.

10 American Woodworker o C T O B E2RO O 0

 Q u e s t i o n& A n s w e r

Board Feet Calculation

Q. I usedto buy planedand jointed lumber (S4S)at a home center where it
was sold by the linealfoot. Now that I havea planerand joiriter,I want to buy
my lumber in the rough but I'm confused.lt's sold by the "board foot."What does
board foot (bd.ft.) reallymeanand how do I calculateit?
GeorgeRobison,Horicon,Wl

Prototype One board foot is | -in. thick x

l2-in.wide x l2-in. long.

NN A. Lineal feet is a measureof length.

Board feet is a measureof volume. In

Finished the same way that sand is sold by the

cubic yard, rough lumber is sold by the

Froduct board foot.

Calculatingboard feetfor 414(I-in.
thick) lumber is easy.Simplyfigure out
the board'ssurfacemeasure:
Full width in inchestimeslength in
feetdividedby 12.
"Full width" is rounded up or down
to the nearestwhole inch. "Length in
feet"is a whole number,too. Board feet
are rounded to the nearestwhole foot.
To calculatethe number of board
feet in a thicker board, multiply the
1@" surface measureby the thickness of
the board. Here'san examplefor a614
(I -l I 2-in.thick) board that's7-3I 8-in.
wide and 8 ft.3-in.long:
HEAVY trIUTY ETIOO"

llailMa$tet'"
ELECTFIIC
Grabholdof theall-new
EIFIAtrl GIUN
Boardfeet= (W x LxTH)lt2
- ( 7 x 8 x 1 -I 1 2 ) l 1 2
= 7 board feet
ARR0WET100- TheET100'. provides
naildrivingmuscle
andexperience thebeauty of eryonomicallywithouttheburdenof anaircompressor. For your calculations,be sure to
designed comfort.lts non-slipcushioned It shoots3 differentsizebrads.
gripandsuperbbalance assures effortless ask your l umber suppl i er i f t heir
work,evenduringlongjobs. Solidslatecircuitry,
a hardened cailon
steeldeliverysystemfor iam-proof 314-in.planed boards are considered
to performing
In addition routinenailing perlormance, andbothtriggerand
jobs,thispowerful10 ampbradnaiteris surlaceconlactsaletylockscombine
1-in. thick. Someare,somearen't.
speciallyangledto handle difficultcorner,to offerincreased
yearsof safe,accurate, For more information you can order
edgingandframingjobs.Noscratched or trouble-freeservice.
damaged surfaces. a copy of "Rulesfor the Measurement
The ETIOO" is available whetever fine tools are sold. and Inspection of Hardwoods and
:
Anow.Faslener
Co.,Inc.,271Mayhill
Street, Saddle
Brook,NewJersey 07663 Cypress"from The National Hardwood
Celebratingour Canad.ajJardel
Distributors,
Inc.,6505
Metropolitan Blvd.East,Montreil,
QuebecH.lp1Xg
Anniaersary
UniledKingdom:
ArrowFastener(U.K.)Ltd.,i4 Barclay
Road,
broydon, Surrey
CRO1JN Lumber Association,P.O.Box 34518,
/Qth @ 1999 Anow Fastener Company, Inc.
Memphis,TN 38134;(800)933-0318;
$7 plus shipping.rW

t2 American Woodworker oCToBE

2oRo o
 From Our Readers

rPs
2X4 BLOCK

TIGHT FIT ON PENCIL

C H A I RL E G

MASKINGTAPE
J

U
=
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\.
\
PatternTiansferTool z.
REMOVECORNERS When facedwith copying a curved leg for a broken chair I
TOTRACETIGHT
had a hard time making a pattern.I tried guiding a pencil ;

\/t
INSIDECURVES
tr
againstthe leg but the pencil wobbled and I couldn t keepit F
a
upright. I solved my tracing problem by making a jig to f
J

CUT CHISEL.EDGE transferthe profile. z.

U
ON PENCIL In the end of a pieceof 2x4scrapI cut a (tight) slot for a
flat carpenter'spencil.I cut awaythe pencil'sedgeto expose u
)
J

U
the lead. Then I sharpenedthe pencil, beveling only one I

Sandpaper
File side.Finally,I addeda strip of maskingtapeto protect the leg.
6
o
z

z.
Sorting through my sandpaperpile to find the right grit with the pencil in the block and pressedagainstthe leg I can a
u
was a pain in the neck,so I bought a file folder caseand traceany profile onto paper. o
L

hanging files,wrote the grit number on the tabs,and E

filed the grits in the proper folders.It'salsogreatfor car- 6

Iulian McFowI o

rying around in and out of the shop. Tllrr fX 2,

F
U
E

ElizabethSawyer o
F .
E
Portland, ME < i

E
a<
a

F
o
If you havean original vorkshop Tip, send it to us with a sketch z
z
or photo.'We pay $200 for eachbnewe print. Sendro:
Vorlchop TiFs, American Woodwo rkeg 2915 Commers =
Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55f21. Submissionscan'tbe o
6
I
\ returned and becomeour property upon acc€ptanceand payment. )=
=
6
E

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L4 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 I

WorkshopTips
JointerPushPads
My next-door neighbor borrowed my
jointer push blocks(he lost his...)and he
neverreturned them. I was under the gun
to finish a job and I neededto joint the
facesof some boards. I scroungedthe
garagefor somethingand came up with
some greatalternativepush blocks: con-
cretefloat pads.They'vegot a comfortable
handle and a solid, wide, no-slip pad on
the bottom-even largerthan my original
push blocks.Heck,now my neighbor can
StipplingTml keepmy old ones!
I cameacrossan old patternmygrandfatherdrewmanyyearsagoon a
big sheetof paper.I wasitching to build the piecebut I couldnt figure
out how to transferthe pattern onto boardsso I could cut them out on EricHoffstad
a bandsaw.I didn't want to cut up the paperbecauseof sentimentalvalue Stevens
Point,WI
and I dont haveaccessto a big copieiBtrrowing from mywife's sewing
expertise,Imadea stippling tool by snippingoffthe headof a needleand
pushingit into the eraserof a wooden pencil,sharp-pointedend out. I
tapedthe pattern on myboard and pricked through the paper into the
wood.I removedthe pattern and connectedthe prick marks with a pen- CONCRETE
FLOAT PAD
cil line. Slick!
Mike Huber
Fenton,MO

RECORDS
WEREMADE
TOBEBROKEN.
EXGEPT
THISONE.
Youcan Gounton our rucod of making
dependable
tools.Because
yourplanes
and vises need to be reliable and strong,

RECORD'tools are created from the finest

steel and crafted in our foundry in Sheffield,

England. We've been making woodworking

tools for over 100 years, which is why we

can promise you such high qualiff. RECORD

tools-planes, vises and clamps you can

-
I,

SANDINGDISK
WorkshopTiPs
I

START 1" BIT

AT 90 DEGREES,THEN
TILT 30 DEGREES
I

\/
v/
\
KnifeSander
Wallpaper QuickscrcwPockeb A})r-
\'{
After cleaning up glue squeezeout with a I dort't own a jig for making screwpockets |
damp rag I've alwayshad a real tough but I wanted to use pockets to fasten a
time sanding inside corners to remove plywood tabletop to a skirt. Here's my .d,
the raised grain. A sanding block is too simple way of making the pockets:First I ffi**
bulky to sand completelyup to the joint. I theskirt.I gro,rnd
drili a l-in. holeinsid-e tffi-'
wanted somethingstiff and controllable. the tip short on the l-in. spadebit so it \
DRILL5/32"HoLE
The solutionis quite simple:I layone 150- wouldn't blow through the other side. I
grit, self-adhesive sandpaperdisk on one followed that with a 5132-in.bit in the
sideof a flexible wallpaper knife and trim edge of the hole. The pocket is large
to fit. On the other sidegoes220-grit,self- enough to accommodatea countersink
adhesivepaper which getstrimmed too. bit for a flat-head screw.
Now I can sand cleanlyto all inside cor-
ners.I just peel off and replacethe sand- Mike Burton
paperwhen it'sworn. Ogden,UT

MattWeathers
Athens,OH

THESEGHISELS
WITHA
DON'TCOME
RETIREMENTPLAN.
Whenyou GrcatesomethingrYollwant
it to last a lifetime' That'swhatwe hadin
mind when we created MARPLES'chisels.

Forged in one piece from the finest quality

steel, they are hardened and tempered

to within an inch of the tang-unlike most

other chisels. We manufacture them for

long-term performance; in fact, you'll

probably retire first.

 WorkshopTips
Extension
Cord
Hanger
SCREW I've got a small garageshop but I use
EYE HOOK
INTO RAFTERS every square inch if it. That means
NYLONCABLETIE pulling an extensioncord from my one
outlet to all my projects. I was always
tripping over the cord and getting it
snaggedon stuff. Then I cameup with
this ingenious,simple cure. I hang the
extensioncord from the ceiling!A steel
cableruns from one end of my garage
shop to the other.The extensioncord (I
usea very flexible,outdoor cord) is hung
from the cableusing metal showercur-
tain rings. Now I pull the cord to where
I need it and it staysout of the way.Best
yet, it cost me under $25, including
the cord.

lerry Glazman
Winstead,CT

# When the SawdustSettles-.:*"$!

u*&""n"-inm .
Quality ZAR@
RisesAbove the Restt $
you'recreatingyour own masterpiece or wantto givenewlife to a treasuredfamily
lyThether
W heirloom only the best
uLur wood
rvvvu stainwill
JKrr do. Ifl\
wu uv, ZARWood wvuu StainrJ
drul is rullllulzllEu
formulatedusing
UJIIIB only
UIUy the
tllc *,...
6:,!
,';-
finestingredients.ZARWoodStain'scontrolledpenetrationformula allowsyou to work at yourl s..*
own [Efe. ZARwipeson easilyand penetratesevenlyfor uniform color tonewithoutstreak,
lapmarls or blotches,ZARWoodStain'sextrarich formula makesit ideal for all typesof wood; :e
from oak to Aspento Poplarto Pinewith beautifulresultseverytime. so whetheryou're a
professional
or iustwant
DustBagHangerc
'# professional -
lookingresults When it came time to rehang the bag
useZARWoodStains and on my dust collector I alwayswished I
ZARVood Stainwipes on evenly. ZAR'scontrolled penetrationallows
had five hands.One day I had an idea:

;tm
Its controlledpenetrationgives you to applythe samestainto
you a unitormcolor tone differentspeciesofwood and get
withoutstreak or lap mark. matchingcolor tones.
I made five hooks out of a wire coat
hanger.I simply pull the bag over the
dust collector'sflange,slip the hangers
through the bag'sbelt loops and then
adjust and tighten the bag belt. fW

JohnKing,Jr.
ZAR Other Brands Match ColorTone on Thomasville,
GA
Forafuebrmfiure
andthename of Wipes on LeaveUneven, Different Kinds oflVoods.
y$r:nsatest&aler
call1{I}?2.385, Evenly! Blotchy Color
Tone.
or,vf$t
usatwwwugl.com.

t8 American Woodwo rker o c t o g e 2n o o o

 O n e. D ay P ro j e ct byRandy
Johnson

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FoodSafe
2
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more smashedfrosting, cracked This safe lowing how-to containsspecificinstruc- o2
F
I \ crusts or capsizedcasseroles.You tions for the food safepictured here.) c)lrJ
can take your culinary creations any- featurestwo sliding The four sides are wide so you may 6
E

wherewith this portable food safe.You doorsand two have to glue up some stock. Plane the
F
E

a
can adapt the design to accommodate
removabletrays. material to 5/8-in. thicknessand mill to :<I
two pie plates,a deep casseroledish or width and length (Fig.A).I like to cut F
E
F

a 9 in. by 13 in. baking pan.If you'rea Pine's a good choice for wood the parts about 1/16-in. long so each z.
=
f
bread baker, size the safefor two loaf because it's easy to work and light in box joint protrudes about 1/32 in. It's =UJr
pans with a pull-out cutting board on weight. Acrylic doors allow for peeking better to sand the pins flush to the sides ?
o
the bottom. Whatever you're toting, it and the brass handle is 6n easy grip. than the sides flush to the pins! Once . FoE
will arrive in style and in one piece! Total cost:around $35. (Note: The fol- the box joints are milled (Photo 1), take oUJ

20 American Woodworker O C T O B2EORO o

 One-DayProject
t he t wo s ide p a n e l s a n d m a k e th e
dadoesfor the two sliding doors.The
acrylicI usedcamea little under thick-
nessso it worked well to make the
way: Dry clamp the four sides,pull the
top offthe sidesand brush glueonto the
mating surfacesof the exposedpins.
Replacethe top and clamp (Photo 2).
a MASKINGTAPE
dadoesright at Ll4 in. Next make the Make surethe top is squareto the sides. ALONG JOINT
dado for the upper sliding tray.Now is When dry, flip over and repeatthe glu-
a good time to finish sand the inside ing processwith the bottom panel.
surfaces. When the glueis dry, you can sand
Gluingand clampingall four sidesat the joints flush. Cut the tray bot-
once takesfour hands; here'sa better toms from 1/8-in. hardboard.The
upper tray bottom is wider than the TAPE
CAULS IN
lower traybecauseit needsa lip to slide PLACE
in the side dado. Cut and attach the
rim boards.
Your hardware store can cut the
acrylic doors for you. If you chooseto
Clamp up the box usingcaulsto clear
cut them yourself,usean 8O-tooth,car-
the protruding pins.Taping
the caulsin
bide-tippedtriple chip designor a fine- placemakesthe job easier.For easy
tooth steelplywood blade.To remove cleanup,linethe cornerswith masking
sawmarks on the edgesof the acrylic, tape to catchglue squeezeout.
use a sandingblock. The wood trim
on the doorsservesasa fingergrip and Peel off the tape when the eporyis still
Routingbox joints with a dovetailjig is
very fast (this one is by Keller).Thejig is is attachedwith epory.Scuffthe acrylic semisoft.
easyto set up,reliablyaccurateand can with sandpaperand tape off any place Stain and finish to your liking. Add
also be usedto make dovetails. you don't want smearedwith epoxy. the handle and you're ready to go.
 O n e - D a yProject
F I G .A

CuttingList*
O v e r a fD 2 "x I l - 1 3 / 1 6 " Wx I l - 1 3 / 1 6 "D
l i m e n s i o n s T - l 1H 114"x
114"
Ref. Qtv Dimensions Part DADO
IS SET SLIDING
A 2 5 / 8 "x 1 1 - 1 3 / 1 6x"7 - 9 1 1 6 " * *Sides BACK ACRYLIC
5/16', DOOR 9/16" BOX
B I 5 / 8 "x 1l - 1 3 / 1 6x" 11 - 7 l 8 " * Bottom FROM
EDGE
C t 5 / 8 "x l 0 - l 1 / 1 6 x" I 1 - 7 l 8 " * *
D 2 x5l8" x l0-5/8"
5116" Door trim/handles
E 2 l/4"xIl-l/8"x6-718" Acrvlic doors
F t l/8"x11"x10-5/8" trav bottom
G I l/8"xl0-5/8"x10-5/8" Lower tray bottom
H 4 314"x718"x 10-5/8" Front and back rim boards
4 314"x718"x8-5/8" Siderim boards

*Designedfor two 9-in. pie plates,Corning Ware

P-3099" xl-114." Boxjoint pins are9/16"wide.
**Includes1/16"extra(1132"eachend)for sanding
pins flush after box is assembled. 3/16" x 3/16"
SIDE DADO
CENTERED
ON BOTH
SIDES
Sources
Woodworker's
Supply
(800)64s-e2e2
Brasshandle:ltem # 94l- 183;$7
Keller 15" journeyman dovetail s),stem: LIP SLIDESIN SIDE
Item#934-385;$140. DADO (BOTTOMTRAY
DOES NOT HAVE A LrP) AJt/

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sffiffi
 Practical Design byrom
Caspar

rrzlng a
cro

DillngT*,,*
ew projects are more personally
satisfying than building a dining
table for your family. To size it
right, follow the guidelineswe'vegath-
ered'here.We'll cover the amount of
room eachdiner and their chair needs,
give you pointers on figuring out the
height that best suitsyour needs,cover
the hidden benefitsof trestletablesand
look at fitting a table into a typical din-
ing room.We've even included a chart
of typical table sizes.
Theseguidelinesare not hard and
fast rules. Your personal preferences
come first, so here'show to test the
guidelines in order to figure out the
dimensions of a dining table that'sjust
right for you and your family.

Elbowroom F I G .A
Let's start with the overall size of the Sizeyourtabletopbasedon the amountof elbowroom you'recomfortablewith. lf
youdon'tmindsittingcloseto yourneighbor, allow24 in. for eachperson.lf you
tabletop.Answer thesequestionsfirst: likelotsof room,or planto usethe tablefor formaldining,you'llneedup to 30 in.
how manypeople will usually sit at the Theheadof the tablerequiresadditionalspace.Thewiderthe table,the lessaddi-
table?;howmuch elbowroom doeseach tionalspacemaybe neededbecause there'smoreroomat eachcorner.
person need?The first question is easy,
unlessyour kids are like mine and you FlG. B Typicalsizesfor rectangular,
squareand roundtables.
never know if they'll be home for din- Number of People Rectangular Square Round
ner! But let's assumethat youll want a E
lrJ

table for four or six or eight peopleand 2 24"x 30" 30' 30'!
4 30"x 48" 36' 36" z
tackle the harder question of making 6
-
36"x 60'1 48" 2
room for everybody. 8 42"x86" 48" 62' tr
Thkeyour choice of trarocommonly F
a
agreedupon numbers for determining mal dining room where you'll set it this fieldwork have come up with a set
f
J
J

the sizeof a placesetting (Fig.A). Two with your bestchina,expandto a 30-in. of standard sizesfor square,rectangu- r
a

feet for eachdiner is considereda bare spacefor eachdiner. lar and round tables (Fig. B). we've tr
-
:<
minimum, but you can allow more if To really settlethe matter,take a tape assembledthese numbers from many a
your room can accommodateit. measurealong the next coupleof times differentsources,none of which exactly k(L
Consideryour familys dining style. you eat out. Seewhere you and your agreewith one another,so usethem as 2
If your place settings are minimal and family settlenaturally at different-sized a reality checkagainstyour own calcu-
F
IrJ

informalityrules, usethe two-foot stan- tablesand jot down some numbers. lation of the perfect table size. =
F
daid. But if your table is going in a for- Hundreds of table designersdoing

24 American Woodworker o c T o B E2Ro o o

 P r a c t i c aD
l esign
Il
F I G .C
Basethedistance
betweenthe legsof
yourtabl eon t he num -
berof chai rsy ou'llbe
using.No onewantsto
a leg,so plan
straddle
ahead!

Table Widths Room Between Table Legs

Narrow tables,from 30 to 36-in.wide,dont havemuch room Haveyou everbeen stuck straddling a leg at a dining table?
in the middle for servingdishesand centerpieces.You mayhave You can avoid subjectinganyoneto that torture bybasing the
to servefrom a buffet if you havea lot of dishesto pass.But it's distancebetweenthe legsof your table on multiples of n,rrofeet
a practical width for an averagedining room and brings every- (Fig. C). That is the bare minimum for side chairs.Thirty
body closertogether.Wider tables(from 36 to 42 in.) have inchesis a more generousdistanceand alsoa minimum for
more room in the middle, of course,but it becomesharder to armchairs.Usethesenumbers for the distancebetweenthe
passdishesacrossthe table asyou add width. legsat the end of the table,too.

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 PracticalDesign
Table Helght
Factory-built dining tables representa consensus
on comfortable table heights and are typically
29-ll2 in. or 30 in. from floor to tabletop.Experiment
to find the right height that best suits your family.
Build a small prototype table from 2x4s and ply-
lfl wood (Fig.D), try it out and yodll havemadethe best
I 30" investmentyou can to be sureyour table is well sized.

.|"l
The height that feels best depends on the chair
you're sitting in. Build or buy your chairsfirsr. youll
MIN.I probablyfind that a top at the lower end of the height
range feels more relaxed and informal. you ll defi-
nitely notice a difference in how the table feelswith
everyhalf-inch changein height.
tl
Yl
Floor to Rail Clearance
Clamp test rails of different widths to the prototype
table to checkthe clearanceaboveyour knees (Fig. D).
The bottom of the rail should be no lessthan 25-in.
from the floor. Dining tableswith lower rails can feel
FIG.D
Builda prototype of yourtableto establishits height.There'sno very confining, especiallywhen sitting in a chair with
magicheightthat'srightfor everyone. lt's a veryplrsonaldeci- a high seat.
sion,anddepends largelyon the chairs.Buyor makeyourchairs
first,thensit downin frontof the prototype andtest ii out.

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 P r a c t i c aD
l esign
Trestle Tables
If you like a low dining table, or the
freedom to place chairs anywhere
FIG.E around your table to handle a crowd,
Trestletableshave considera trestletable (Fig.E).
fewerlimitationsthan
standardfour-legged There's plenty of knee clearance
tables.Youcancrowd under a trestle table becausethere'sno
chai rsaround the rail under the top.You can havea thick
t a b l ea n dn oo n ew i l l
haveto straddle a leg. top that's fairly low to the ground and
still haveroom to crossyour legs.And
you can squeezein an extra chair along
the side of a trestletable without ask-
ing some poor soul to straddle a leg.
In designinga trestletable,you dont
FIG.F have to worry about fitting chairs in
A trestletable
limitskneeclear- betweenlegs,but the person sitting at
anceat the ends. the end facesa new problem. Theywill
A largeoverhang bump their kneesand feetinto the tres-
9'' MINIMUM maynot lookas
tle base of a table with a small over-
FOR CHAIR wellpropor-
ti oned,but i t hang (Fig. F). (Many trestletablesare
15" FOR affordsplentyof designedthis way and dont work well
AMPLE legroom. for diners at the end of the table, but
KNEE
ROOM they're fine if everybody sits along the
sides.) Although it changesthe pro-
portions of the table, one answeris to

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Classic
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. Microadjustablefence 45" & 67.5'
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30 American Woodworker o c T o B E2 R
000
 PracticalDesign
increasethelength and the overhangof room to pull out chairs and you should
the ends,so your kneeshave plenty of be able to walk around the table when
room. people are seated(Fig. G).
Draw a one-quarter scaleplan view
The Dining Room of your room and include the doors,
Finally,sizeyour diningtableto fit the windows, ceiling light and other furni-
dining room.Thereshouldbe enough ture. Trycenteringyour ideal table with

FIG. G
Planfor clearance aroundyourdining
II
tablebeforeyousettleon the dimen-
sionsof the top. Adequate
spacearound ,t
yourtableis justas important
asthe
theoretical
amountof elbowroom.

the light and a window and see if it

works. Do you havethree feet of clear-
anceall around?You mayhave to resize
your top.
Dining rooms are often not large
enough for a spacioustable,which is
why most traditional tables are built to
expand with additional leaves.Size
your table without leavesso it fits in
the room with adequateclearance.
With leavesadded,dont get too hung
up on clearance.Come Thanksgiving,
with lots of guestsmilling about and
all the leaves groaning under the
weight of a big feast,everyoneexpects
a tight fit!
I
Bon appetit! Aftl II

Note:Most of the measurementsin this

I
article havebeencollectedfroma stan-
dard referencebook usedby architects.
Architectural GraphicStandards"is
publishedby theAmerican Institute of
Architectsand is availableat
www.bar nesandnoble.com;
$50paperback.

32 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

4

Hold ltl Roll lti Hangltl Store lt! Edited

uyDave Munkittrick

lsnop
fips'
I
I ,fii,Tffiil"*r
I
7 Jt
secondworksurface,until I madethis one
fromasalvaged
pre-hung
door.Lookfora
flush, so/id-coredoor with the jamb (door
frame) attached. A solid-core door is
FLANGE sturdy,provides strong attachment for the
\ bench legs and is heavy enough to take a
\ pounding. I reinforced the jamb with
screwsand added stockwhere the thresh-
old used to be. Then I screweda I in. x
4-in. flange onto the back edges of the
ja-b with #8 x2-rn. screws.The jamb is
h*g on the wall at a comfortable working
height with #10 x 3-in. screws.For conve-
nient tool and accessorystorage,screw
perf-board to the
flangethat'sinsidethe
door opening.Make UJ
Y
J
two legsfrom 314-rri'.- r lrl

threaded pipe and N

J
I
screwthem into two o
o
314-n.pipeflangesto z
o
supporttheworkbench z lrl
E
when it's down. Sup- o
=
port the bottomjamb z
o
=
with anglebrackets E

andaddahaspto hold .I
o-
ANGLE the door shut. E
(9
BRACKETS o
F
o
I'
Pickwell
Joseph o-
a

Camloops,
B.C. z
UJ
o
=
UJ
J
J
lrJ
?
a
6
z

PowerDrillStation -.E
z
o
a
My driils, chargersandall their wirestook up too muchpreciousbenchspace.Thiswall- lrJ
o
lrt
G
h*gdrill stationreallyclearedthe clutter.Nowallmydrillingneedsarewithiheasyreach E.
, in onelocation.Withthepowerstrip I onlyuseoneoutletfor all mychargersandI dort't (rt
E
haveto messwith an extensioncordwhenI'm usingpowertoolsat my bench. 6

2
f
o
'b
Pat Grant IJ
E
SpringValley,WI o
F

34 American Woodworker o c r o B E2
Ro o o
 S m a l lS h o pT i p s
Heads-Up
I
ShopRagStorage
I could never find a rag when I needed

z-$tnctTrGltlt0l0cY one until I discoveredthoseboxed rags.

But I got tired of kicking the box around
B1ISTSITIROUGH the floor and I suredidntwant it to take
IIIEBOUTIIARIES up valuablebench space.Iwaschanging
a light bulb when the solution hit me.I
CraftsmanProfessional 175max PSI
built a simple plywood box, mounted it
2-stagecompressorproduces
higherpressurerangesmore between the floor joists and added a
efficientlythan sin$e stagemodels. coupleof retainer clips to keepthe box of
Air is compressedin a largebored rags from falling out. Now a rag is at my
cylinderand cooled. lt's then fingertips wheneverI need it.
compresseda secondtime in a
smallercylinderto the achievethe Ben Downey
maximumamountof pressure. Plainfield,IL

Tuck-Away
Sandpaper
Dispenser
This sandpaperdispenserholds four
rolls of self-adhesivepaper. Mount the
box 3/4-in. below the joists, put mea-
suring sticks out from either end, and
fastena pair of old hacksawbladeswith
a singlescrewon one end. Slip the paper
through the blade and pull it to the
desired length. Clamp the blade down
with your thumb and tear offthe paper.
Check out the Craftsman
twostage advantage
BiIl Schmoll
20'14" 60{at 60{d Sioux Falls,SD
ho-s@ oillne olless
cilpn$s0r compffisol c0npr0ssor
PSI
t45-L75 9G135 9G135

BridgeYourRadial-Arm
range

Power
source
12GV 240-V 24GV
15amp 15amp 15amp
SawTable
Requires My radial-arm sawtable was a handy placefor my benchtop power tools. Unfor-
specialwiring? No Yes Yes
tunately,I had to move a tool or two whenever I needed to cut a long board. I
Portable? Yes No No solved the problem bybuilding a bridge over one side of the table.Nowwhen I
Runs30% quieter go to cut a long board I simply slip it under the bridge without having to touch
than standard Yes No No
compressors mybenchtop tools.If I everneedto cut anything reallythick,which rarelyhap-
Pumpdesign 2-stage 1-stage 1-stage pens, I can easily remove the tools
Maintenance Verv Very Very and the bridge.
titil6 little freque
Continuous
operation of Yes Yes Yes
air tools PeterLundebjerg
Item # #t6777 #16650 #L8476 Greeley,CO

sElttRs THE GOOD LIFE

ATA GREATPRICE
GUARANTEED'"

36 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 S m a l lS h o pT i p s
TurnYourDustCollector
on lts Head
!
I usemy 2-hp dust collectorasa centralunit. Turning the collectorupside
down and hangingit from the ceilingallowsme to hook up mytrunkline
without any elbows.It alsosaveson floor spaceand becausethe barrel
handlesthe chips,there'sno lossof cFM from a full bag.But best of all,

this system eliminates the dust storm

createdwhen removing a full bag.
Replacethe metal basewith 314-in.
plywood sizedto spanyour floor joists.
(The old basemakesa greatshop cart!)
With the help of a couple friends, bolt
the whole assemblytoyour floor joists.
To h"lp dampen vibration, drill out the
centers of six l-Il2-in.-thick rubber
stoppersto useaswashersbetweenthe
base and the bottom of your joists.
Finally,removethe fabric bottom of one
bag and usea cinch strap to attach it to
a barrel with an approximately 20-in.-
diametertop.
Rubber stoppersare availableat most
hardware stores for about $4 apiece.
You can pick up used barrels for $6 to
$10. Look under "barrels" in the
YellowPages./W

@
professiond,the Leigh Jig will mortise & tenons easilvwith
help you createyour best work. Leigh attachments.And our RossPeterson
Versatilirywith precisionmake easy-to-follow user guide will Hanover,MN
the kigh Dovetail Jig bener than help make it happen fast! Call
T he Worldts Best tJrerest. Rout through and half- toll free now to learn more.
Rorrter lig Systern blind dovetails,wi*ivariable

Thinking Jig? Think Leigh.

'\il?hether
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spacing of pins and tails, on one
jig. Createdecorative.Isoloc
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ffi.
Joining Tledition With Today

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38 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 Woodtu rn ing byAran
Lacer

Iurninsbble
Legs '\ jirh
";:,r,".,.
"QlEu',

FIRSI,turn a
prototype leg.
Placeyour
prototype leg
directly behind
the blankfor
each final leg.
By sighting
alongthe upper
horizonsof
both pieces,
you'llsimplif
the processof
repeating
T
specificshapes.
co
four table legs that match
furning I
I may sound impossible,but it'snot.
:<
With thesetried and true tips, and a lit- z

tle practic€,Iou can successfullyturn Beforeyou start turning tablelegs, blank on the lathe. Learn to look at
4

;o
even the largestlegs.And thesesame here are some insights on making the upper horizons of the prototype leg k
E
techniquesapply when you're copying multiples that I've picked up over and blank and not the wood itself. F
a
:l
a broken chair spindle or producing a the years: This helpsyou to really"sed'and dupli-
J
J

setof balusters. I Perfectioncan be very boring and catethe form (seephoto above). TU
a

:<
Here'swhat we'll show vou: needlesslytediouswhen making match- I Make at least one prototype before
J
T
lrJ
I Safer ways to mount i.rg. stock. ing parts! I usedto obsessabout mak- you commit to four legs. Even if you
f
N

(This reducessome of the intimida- ing an exactcopy.NowI settlefor sim-

=
have an accuratedrawing to scale,the m

tion if you're new to turning on this ilarity.If you getthe layoutright and the transition from two dimensionsto three I

scale.) diameters and shape close,you ll do will surpriseyou.

I How to work pommels (areasleft fine. As duplicated pieces get further I As you make the prototype leg, F
I
square). apart (such aswith table legs),approx- remove it often from the lathe and view a
I How to mark the blank for key details imate diametersand shapesstart look- it in an upright position, as it will be
L
J
UJ
T
and diameters. ing identical to the eye.Plus,slight vari- viewedmounted on the table.The tran- :<'

I How to accuratelyand quickly size a ti o n s a dd w armth and a human sition from horizontal viewing to ver- c
kL
diameters. elementthat machine-madeparts lack. tical is also astonishing,and may lead 2
f How to repeatthe sameshapefrom I Learn to trust your eye.After mak- you to changesin design. F

one Ieg to another. ing the first leg to your satisfaction, lrJ

o
place it immediately behind the next E

42 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 Woodturning
LAY OUT the -3.- PARTDOWNTO
I- CUT l/8 in.to the
EF- CREATEA CYLINDER
pommel (areato -- \ right of the layout
remainsquare)with -:- line with a parting
'-
a squareand pencil. - tool. Make sure the
O n l y o n e l i n ei s +f,f .,
edge is keen;the
necessaryat the - l -z
- handleis low: take
shoulderof the - /

only lightcuts;and
pommelbecausethe widen the cut as you
spinningwood will go deeper to prevent
show the line clearly. binding.Cut to the
left until you reach
the layoutline.

TURN the areato YOU CAN ALSO

the right of the use a skew chiselto
pommel to a do both square-
cylinder.lf you're shoulderedor
makingrounded roundedpommels.
shoulders, turn the The long point (toe)
corners of the of the skew is down
pommel with a and leadingthe cut.
I l2-in.detail gouge. Skewsleavethe best
The line to the left of surface,but require
the shoulder more skilland
indicatesthe top of
Practiceto use.
the roundedportion.

USEa layoutboard THE PINSare simply

with cut pins to bradsor finishnails
accuratelylay out driven into the edge
the placementof of a3l4-in.-thick
elementsbelow the board at the critical
pommel.Securely points and clippedoff
placethe board on about l/4 in.from
the tool rest and the surface.On
push it into rhe longer work it's often
cylinderbelow the easierto manipulate
pommel. the layout board by
makingit in two or
three sections.

TIP:Driving
witha Dead
Center To use the dead center for driving,file the shoulder
ofthe deadcenter to a sharp edge.Youcan cut
severalshallowscallopsalongthis edgeto increase
Although normallyused in the tailstock,the
its grip on the wood.This shapingis easilydone with
deadcenter is a good alternativeto a spur
a rotary tool and a smallstone or a chainsawfile.
center for drivingthe work at the headstock.By
Prior to mountingturning stock on the lathe,drive
controllingthe pressureon the tailstock
the center into the headstockside of the blankwith
handwheel,you can determinethe amount of
a deadblowmalletto make an indentation.
slippagein drivingthe work-a real benefitin
caseof a catch or if you are intimidatedby a
largespinningsquare.Youalso can remove and
accuratelyremount the leg severaltimes,which
is important for viewingthe leg verticallyduring
the designprocess.

44 American Woodwo rker ocroarR

zooo
W o o d t ur n i n g
USEa calipersand ROUND the ends of
parting tool to size the outside calipers
criticaldiameters. with a fine mill file or
The calipersmust rotary tool before
haverounded edges usingon the spinning
and make contact wood. I finish off the
'only
on the side processwith 220-grit
oppositethe cutting sandpaper.The goal is
tool.There must be to eliminateany
no gap between the sharp edgesor
wood and tool rest. corners that might
Hold the partingtool catch on the wood.
handlelow,tucked
under your forearm.

CUT detailswith the

detailinggouge.For
long,gradualcurves,
10 USEthe skew chisel
(long-pointdown) to
add shadow lines,
cylindersor straight crispnessand
tapers,use the emphasisto beads,
roughinggouge.After shoulders,filletsand
turningthe pommel, other details.Be sure
work from the to check the leg by
headstocktoward the removing it from the
tailstock until the leg lathe and examining
is finished.Control it in a vertical
the shapeby watching position.Complete
the upper horizon of the leg with final
the piece rather than sanding.
the tool tip.

Wood to Turn to speedthe processalong.)

Youll needfour piecesof 3-ll2 in. I A double-posted24-in. tool rest.(This is optional,but very con-
by 3-l 12in. by 30-in.squaredstock venient if you plan to do longer spindle work on a regularbasis.This
cut exactly to the same length. rest alsorequiresan additional tool restbaseor banjo.)
(Note:We usedtwo piecesof 814 I Turning tools:a roughinggouge(any size);all2-n.detailing gouge
ash,gluedand squaredon the join- ground to a fingernail shape(seeAW #80, June2000,page 16);
ter.) Having squaredstock is crit- a ll2 in. or largerskewchisel;and a parting tool (any size).
ical when leaving pommels on the I A squareand a pencil.
finished piece. Cutting all the I Layout board materials:6 in. wide by 28 in.long 314-in.poplar,
blanks the same length greatly l-in. brads or finish nails,a hammer and a nippers.
simplifieslevelingthe table. I Sandpaper;four sheetseachof the following grits: 100,120,150,
180,and 220. tt'l
Tools and Supplies
f A spur or modified deadcenter
(highly recommendedif you area
sources
novice turner) for the headstock
Dead center,#2 Morse taper, (PackardWoodworks sells a tool rest
side,and a live centerfor the tail- #l 146-439,$22, plus shipping. basefor latheswith a l- l/2-in.gap in
stockside. 24-in. Double-posted tool rest (for ways,and a l2-in. swing-on lathe,ltem
lAn outsidecalipers,at least4-in. basesthat hold l-in. stems and lathes #l 146-707,$73,plus shipping.)
with | 2-in.swing),#l 146-694,993,
capacity.(I keepa number of pairs plus shipping. PackardWoodworks, (800) 683 8876;
sizedand labeledfor the different Tool rest base (banjo) to use with www. packardwoodwo rks.com
diameters.For a project of this 24-in.rest.Check with suppliersof
your brand of lathe.
kind eventhreepairswould suffice

46 American Woodworker o c r o B EzRo o o

 by Dave Munkittrick

Downdraft
Sanding
Table GlueUpTable
48 American Woodworker ocroBER2ooo
GhopSawStand lable
HugeRoutet Poftable Stand
Planet

lable
System Outfeed
I.SlotGlampin$

r l ;! '
t , I

An easy-to-fise
l|'
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l,
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[ , {"'
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1-:

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with more
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functionsthan a 2
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Swissarmy knife. t
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a
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T-ror thoseof us who share shift from a chop sawstation =

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F{
I'shop spacewith a caror a to a huge router table and E
(J
o
w asher and dryer, el bow - then to a portabl e planer F
o
=
room is alwaysa problem. stand with infeed and out- F

This tool standis the answer. feedsupport. E

:<

A2 ft.by 6-ft.sectionof floor A dead-flattorsion box is t

=
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spaceis all you needto store the foundation of this tool t
(5
it. When you're ready to stand.This torsion box is a o
F
o
work, just roll it out, lock it sandwich made from two =
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down (thesecasterswon't skinsof medium-density a

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budge)and plug it in. It not fiberboard(MDF) and a grid o-

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only storesthree benchtop core(Fig.A).lt offersincred- LrJ
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working platform that actu- sagging.It simplywon't twist F

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out of shapeno matter how

E.
ally improves their perfor- o

mance.In secondsyou can unevenyour shop floor is. t

American Woodworker ocToBER2O0O 49

 GETTING STARTED THE SQUARE TEMPLATE
$300 buys all the material you need to Here'sa recipeto guaranteesquare,per-
construct the ultimate tool stand.We fectly sizedparts:
used3/4-in. MDF to build ours. First,rough cut the tops,bottoms and
The onlytools you needarea circu- sidesaboutll2-in.oversize with a circu-
lar saw,a router, a drill, a tablesawand lar saw(Photo l). Then rip all the pieces
an accuratestraightedge.A pneumatic to finish width on your tablesaw.Organize
nail gun makesassemblya lot easier. your work so thefence is setjust oncefor
Butt joints, screwsand glue make for each dimension.This guaranteesthat
simple,sturdy construction. every piece is exactly the samewidth.
Eachpiecemust be crosscutperfectly
D I ME N S ION IN G TH E square.One surefire way to get a square
TOOL STAND end is to usea straightedgeand a router
The chop saw stand
There are two things to considerwhen with a flush-trim bit (photo 2). Once
handles long stock with ease. dimensioningyour tool stand: you'vecreateda perfectlysquare24in.by
A portable chop saw begsfor 1.The height of the bed on your chop saw. 72-in.piece,useit asa templatefor rout-
additional bed support and fence 2.The height of your tablesaw. ing the other three24in.by72-in.pieces.
extensions.Theultimate tool The tool stand consistsof naroboxes perma- Simply clamp the finished pieceover the
stand does both, and set-up is as
nently fixed to the top to form a tool well (Fig.A). rough one making sure the edges are
simpleasABC.
The 4-ll2-in. height of eachbox wasdetermined exactlyflush and the endsto be cut over-
by the height of our chop saw'sbed mounted on a hang about Il4 in. Then trim the ends
I I 2 -in.plywood base.Adjust the width of the ribs with a router and a flush-trim bit.
(C5) to match the height of your own chop saw. Use a 24 in.by 24-in. pieceas a tem-
The 34-in.heightof the tool standis just belowour plate for trimming the ends of the other
tablesawso it canbe usedasan out'eedtable.If you 24 in.by 24-in.pieces. The smallerparts
need a dif;ferentheight for your saw,adjust the can be accuratelycut on your tablesawor
length of the sidesand dividers (C2) accordingly. chop saw.

A. Pull the saw from its ACCURATE MACHTNING USE THE CARCASS AS AN
compartment and set it
OF PARTS ASSEMBTY TABTE
in the well.
Any part that's a little bit out of square or not There are two problems with building a
exactlytheright sizewill havea ripple effecton the largetorsion box:
outcomeof this project.Sidesand dividersthat are 1.It will onlybe asflat asthe surfaceyou
not squareor exactlythe samesizewill resultin an build it on.
uneventop. Out-of-squaretops andbottoms make 2.It canbe a bearto clampup.
for poor-fitting inserts. We've solved both of these problems
for vou.

B. Align the front edge of

the basewith the front edge
of the tool stand and secure
with T-knobs.

ROUGH CUT sheet stock down to a MAKE A PARTTEMPLATE FROM

manageable sizewith a circularsaw.A piece MDF. Squarea straightedgeon a rough-cut
C. Butt the fencesup against of l- l/2-in.foam board makesan excellent end,then rout a perfectly square crosscut
the stop blocks and secure backer.Make sure the bladeis set to cut only with a flush-trimbit. Once you haveone 24 in.
with clamps. slightlydeeperthan the thicknessof the stock by 24-in.piece perfectly squareyou can use it
you're cutting! Remember,MDF is dusty stuff, as a templatefor makingother squarecuts.
Elapsed times 55 secondst use dust control wheneverpossible.

50 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 FIG.A Exploded View
72-112"

t
8-5/8"
I
-T+ 3:4"
--_-J

8" CrYP.)

1-114"
72'112"

5-1/8"
-Ls+"
-T
5" (TYP.)

t
8" CryP.)
I
-T*
8-5/8"

1-1l8" HARDWOOD e t E
B
I

3/4" PLYWOOD

MDF is prone to splittingwhen screwsare

driven into it.To minimizethe problem,keep the screwsin
about l -l 12 in.from the front and back edgesof the top and
bottom.This keepsthe sidesand dividersfrom splitting.Also,
the pilot holesshouldbe madea little deeperthan usualand
countersunkfor the screw heads.

American Woodworker o c r o e r zRo o o 51

 Create a flat surface on which
to build the torsion box by build-
ing the carcassfirst. Assemblethe
carcass top,bottom(Cl) and sides
(C2) using glue and screws.The
dividers (C2) are fastenedwith
screwsonly, so the interior divi-
sions can be altered for future
needs.Be sure all the edgesare
flush asyou build. Usea perfectly
squareback (Da) to squareup the
c a b i n e t. Lai d on i ts back, the
assembledcarcassnow provides
the dead-flat surfaceneeded to
GANG ALL the torsion box core pieces
build the torsion box.
together and notch them on the tablesaw.Mark
Planing large stock is a breeze the common ends of eachcore pieceso they
THE TORSION BOX can be assembledin the sameorientationthey
with this setup.Perfectlyflat
infeed and outfeed support The torsion box is designedto resisttwisting. were cut.
dramaticallyreducessniping.The It consistsof a web core made up of MDF
plywood baseis securedto the strips notched for easyassembly(Fig.A).
table with clamps.Note: Height To ensureeach piece is notched the same,
of the support blocks may be
gangcut the notcheson the tablesaw(Photo
alteredto suit your machine.
3). Glue and screwthe sides(T2) and ends
(T3) first to createa frame. Assemblethe
coregrid (T4 and T5) insidethe framealong
with the cornerblocks (T6) (Photo4). Place
the torsion top (Tl) over the core grid and
tack it in place.Be sureall the edgesare flush
(Photo 5). Then weight the top for clamping
pressure(Photo 6). Once the glue has set,
gAacAss
removethe weights,flip over the torsion box
assemblyand glueon the bottom (T1).
An optional pullout shelfmakes With the torsion box complete,add the
for easy-accessstorate. SPREAD GLUE on all the edgesof the
castersand the levelers(T7). The carcassis torsion box core.The torsion box can only be as
then screwed down onto the torsion box flat as the surfaceon which it is built.Build it on the
(Fig.A). carcasslaid on its back (which will be dead flat). Lay
the bottom of the torsion box on the carcassand
assemblethe core grid.The corner blocksare
B U IL D I N G TH E B OX E S attachmentpoints for the casters.
There are four boxesthat complete
the tool stand.TWoof the boxesare
permanentlyfixed to the top to form
the tool well (Fig.A). The other rwo,
the downdraft table (Fig.C) and the
router tablebox (Fig.D) are usedas
insertsbetweenthe fixed end boxes.
Assemblethe fixed boxeswith glue
and screws(Photo 7). Add plastic
laminatefor a durable top. Oa skip
this step and simply treat the sur-
The downdraft table insert
capturesfugitive dust and keeps facewith a couple coatsof polyurethane (it's
your shop ond your lungsclean. a greatway to useup that old can that'sbeen
Flip it over and you havea openeda few too many times).
continuous top with slotted ,t#tsF%ffiry:: '-n '.S
Cut the 3/8-in. T-slots in the top with a [llc
channels. for machiningand gluing. i I recKTHETop ontothe
dado bladeon your tablesaw.Attachthe fixed sure all the edgesare flush.

52 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 €

This router table is huge!The

router table insert can be set up
or stored in secondswithout
havingto remove the router.Just
slide it out (seebelow),drop it
into the well and clamp it to the
top.The slotted top allows the
FIG. B fence and featherboardsto be
clampedwith ease.Therouter is
Electrical pluggedinto a convenientpower
Gonnections switch below (Fig.B).

ELECTRICAL
Part Description
Redwire connectors
# l 2 TH H N bl ackw i re.stranded
or sol i d

# l 2 TH H N ereensol i dw i re
# l0-32
Groundscrews.
"li,;..-TK
4-in.squarex | - | /2-in.deep
| 6 I cuMPTHEToP ontothe gridwith
weights and extra sheet stock.The extra metaljunctionbox
sheetstock helpsdistributethe weight of
the blocksevenly.
4-in.squarex | -l /2-in. deep metal
junctionbox with an attached
Well
Grosscut
3 4-in.sq. raisedcoverfor one-duplex
receptacle
cover for two-duplex

plasterring,raised| /2-in.
| /}-in. flexiblemetalconduit
| /Z-in. flexibleconduitconnector
| /2-in. flexibleconduitstra
D upl ex l 5-amp 12O-volreceptacl
t e
l2/3 SJcord set, round cord
(removefemaleend) Cut sheet stock down to size
usE A t-3/8tN.BY I tN.BY 24-rN. Strainrelief cord connector over the open well. No more
SPACER STICK to help layout the ribs on all Plasticpush-inconnectorfor wrestlingwith largestock on the
the boxes.Use the l-3/8-in.sideto spacethe tablesawor trying to cut it down
two cords on a pair of wobbly sawhorses.
doubleribs on all the boxesand the l-in. sidefor
Router switch
the overhangon the two insefts (Figs.C and D).
American Woodworker zooo
ocroarn 53
 boxesto the top and besureto keepall
flush (Fig.A).
the edges

FIG. G
DOWNDRAFT BOX
Assemblethe downdraft box from the Downdtaft Box
insideout (Fig.C). First,glueand screw
the two inside ribs (C5) to the filler
pieces(C6) to createthe interior struc-
ture. Then attachthe bottom. Usethe
spacerstick to attachthe outsideribs.
Note:The sidesof the insert boxesare
inset l-in. so they will clear the chop
sawfencestop blocks (C8).
Drill a 3-in. hole into the centerof
Accurate glue ups are
guaranteed on this dead- one filler piece for a dust collector fitting. Perf-
flat surface.Saygoodbye to board makesa greattemplatefor drilling the ll4-
twist'ed assemblies. in. holes in the top. Use a countersink to widen
the opening of eachhole.

ROUTER TABLE BOX

Assemblethe router tablebox. Note:The bottom of
the router tablebox is cut 2-in. narrower than the
top, making it flush with the outsideribs (Fig.D).
This allowsthe router table to be lifted in and out
of the well with the router attached. FIG. D
The router is mounted onto a tableinsert that sits
Router Table Box
flush to the top. This allows you to lift the entire
A self-storingdrip shield router out of the table for changingbits. Make two
keepsyour tool stand clean. 8 in. by 16-in.accessholes,one in the bottom of the
router table and the other in the top of the
carcass.Theseholesallow room for a pair of
2-1l4',DUSTPORT
handsto adiustthe router.

TOOL BASES
T h e c h o p s a w i s screw edto a pi ece of
Il2-in.plywood sizedto fit inro the well. To
makepositioning of the sawand the auxiliary INSERTCUTOUT
fenceseasier,lineup the front edgeof the saw
basewith the front edge of the tool stand
well. Behind the saw,drill two 1/4-in. holes
through the baseand the carcass.Mount T-
nuts to the undersideof the carcasstop (Fig.
A) and securethe sawwith T-handleknobs.
Clamp a straightedgeto your saw'sfenceand
Slots in the top allow you position the chop sawfencesagainstit. Nail
to clamp anyrhing,anywhere the stopblocksto the fixed boxes.The planerbase
on this table.Machininghas ACCESS HOLE
is made from a pieceof 314-in.plywood.The two
never been easier.Here the
l-5116 in. by 24-in. supportsbring the planer
clampshold straightedge
guidesand the piece being bed up to the sameheight asthe fixed end boxes.
machinedfor cutting Your planer bed may vary, so size the supports
multipledadoes. accordingly.
That'sit. You'redone! Now your shop will seem
two sizeslargerwithout moving a singlewall!

54 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 A rock-solid outfeed Heavy-duty casters
support that sets up in and levelers can handle
minutesis like havinga unevenshop floors and
secondset of handsat make this tool stand
the tablesaw. mobile and stable.IW

CUTTING LIST S H O P P I N GL I S T
O v er allDim e n s i o n s3:4 -| /4 ' H x 7 7 " W x 2 5-3/4" D Sheetgoods
4 3/4in.x4ft. x8ft. MDF $80
Part Description Qty. Dimensions | |/4-in.x4ft..x8ft.hardboard $8
CARCASSandBOXES{C} 3/4" VDF 4 | /2-in. x 6-in. eye bolts $27
CI Too and Bottom 2 7 4 "x 7 2 " 4 | /Z-in T-nuts $3
C2 Sidesand Dividers 4 24"x20" 4 | /2-in. x 3 in. lagbolts $2
C3 Box Tops and Bottoms 7 24 " x 24"
C4 Router Box Bottom | 22 " x 24" Electrical
C5 Ribs 70 3" x24" Redwire connectors
C6 Fillers 4 3"x|6-l/4'
5 ft. # l2 THHN blackwire, strandedor solid
C7 Router Box Slides 2 2 X24"
' 5 ft. # l2 THHN white wire, strandedor solid
| /2 sheetstocl<
C8 Chop Saw FenceStop Blocks 4 l-3/4'xl-3/4" 5 ft. # l2 THHN greensolidwire
' 3 Ground screws,#l'0-32
| thick squared up 2x4 stocl<
C9 Cord Cleat Face 2"x3" 7 4-in.squarex l-l /2-in.deepmetaljunctionbox
C l0 Cord CleatBase l-l /4" x2" I 4-in.squarex | -l /2-in. deep metaljunctionbox
TORSION BOX {T} 3/4" MDF with an attachedmountingbracket
Tl Too & Bottom 7 74" x72" | 4-in.sq. raisedcoverfor one-duplexreceptacle
f2 Sides 2 7-l /2" x72" | 4-in.sq.raisedcover for two-duplexreceptacle
T3 Ends 2 2 -l /2 " x 2 2-l/2' I Single-gang plasterring,raised | /2-in.
T4 LongCore 3 2-l /2" x70-l /7" 3 ft. | /Z-in. flexiblemetalconduit (or lengthas needed)
T5 Short Core 7 7-l /2" x72-l /2' 2 | /2-in. flexibleconduitconnector
3 / + ' p l y w o o d a n dh a r d w o o ds a n d w i c h 2 | /2-in. flexibleconduitstraps
T6 C o r n e rB l o c k s 8 2-l /2" xl-l /8'x 8-518"
3 Duplex l5-amp, 120-voltrecePtacle
f7 Levelerblock 3"x6"
25 ft. 17/3 S)extensioncord set, round cord
CHOP SAW FENCES{F} 3/4" YDF
I Strainrelief cord connector
F2 Bases 2 3-l /4" x24" I Plasticpush-inconnectorfor two cords
F3 Brackets 4 3 -l/4 " x5-3/4" TOTALCOSTOF ELECTRICAL $3s
TABLEFENCE 3/4' MDF
-ROUTER
F4 Face | 4 ' x 2 5 -l / 7" (800)74t-6748
HIGHLANDHARDWARE
F5 Base | 3-| /4" x24"
F6 Brackets 2 3 -l/4 " x 4 " RouterSwitchwith CordSet
F7 Dust Port | 4 -5 1 8x" 5" Item#W 2001 $ 13
FB Blocks 2 2 -3 /1 6 "x7-3/ 16" RouterTableInsert,ltem#RM-3509 $33
DOOR AND DRIPSHIELDTRACKS{D} 3/4" hardwood I lnseftTemplate,ltem #10.20.23 $ts
DI Door Tracks 2 3 / 4 "x 7 2 " wooDCRAFT SUPPLY(800)22s-| 153
D2 Drip ShieldTrack 2 3/4" x29-l /4"
4 Casters,ltem # 140639 $s8
D3 Drip ShieldBottom Stop
I Knobs,ltem #27R | 6 $4
R I PS H I E L D 4" sheetstock
2 | /4 in. T-nuts. ltem # 130226 $2
D5 D r i pS h i e l d | 2 4 "x 7 l "
D6 Door | 20-| /7' x28' (800)s33-e2e8
MLCS
D7 Door | 20-| /2" x l9-l /4' I Flush-TrimBit, ltem #7808 $ls
Dtr BackTrackFillPieces 2 3/4" x3-l /4"

TOOL BASES{B} Sheetstocl<

El Choo SawBase | 19"x74"
BZ PlanerBase I l2'x24'
d p 2 x 4 s t o c k ,l - 3 l 8 " t h i c l <
S q u a r eu
83 SuooortBlocks 2 l-5/ 16"*x24"
*Adjustfor your planerbed height
American Woodwo rker o c r o B E2Ro o o 55
 T\n/O-IZART

Here's thatyoucanbuildin asmallshop.

abigbookcase
limits of a small
12 uilding a tall bookcasecan stretchthe
I-Dshop.Weall know that big boardscanbe a bearto han-
dle andglueup,so I'vetakenan old Scandinavian designand
slicedit up into bite-sizepieces.My solutionis to breakthe
bookcaseinto two interlockingsectionsthat requireonly
short and narrow stuff.Not to mention,that'sthe only way I
couldgetit out of my shopand up the basementstairs!
Biscuitsjoin the shelvesand sides.It'sa snapto put together
wide boardsat right angleswith a platejoiner.But biscuits
alonearen'tenoughto makea stiff case,so I've addedback-
boardsthat lock the wholebookcaseinto a rigid unit.

I
o
f
F
a

2
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a
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F

TRIM LONG ANDWIDE BOARDSon your tablesaw o_

2
with a crosscutsled.A sled is easierto use and more accurate
F
than a standardmiter gauge.Clamp a hooked stick onto the fence SIDE L!
E.
to act as a stopper arm.Thisensuresthat all your boardscome V I E WO F -
F
out the samelength. BOOKCASE E

American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 MO.PART

RIPTHE STEPPEDBOARD (C) on the bandsaw. GLUETHEUPPER

CASESIDES
from l-in.-thick
A simple fence helps you make a straight cut. Stop the cut rough boards that are planedto 7/8-in.thick.This leaves
at the top of the ogee curve and withdraw the board. some untouched low spots,but that's OK. Align the
Removethe fence and cut out the ogee. outside boards so their bottoms are even.

Materials and Tools

Ratherthan splurgeon the best qualitylumber simplyto
make shelves,you can savemoney on this project by
using a lower grade of hardwood, No. I Common. you'll
Do you havea poftable planer?
find many good boards that are too short or narrow to
Great,because we'vekepteverypart lessthan
make the best grade but are perfect for this bookcase.I
12-in.wide. That meansyou canflatten the
usedNo. 1 Common birch becauseits inexpensive(about sidesand shelveswith your planer.
$1.75per bd. ft.), a light color (the caselooks lessmassive)
and stiff enough to support heavy books. Youll need
about 7sbd.ft. for a total costof $130.
As an alternativeyou can use 3/4-in.-thick boards
from a home center.Pick straight ones,glue them together
and plane them to 5/8 in. I built a prototype bookcasethis
wayand it workedjust fine.To tell the truth,I preferredits
slim look to one madeof thicker wood. However,I found
that 5/8-in. thick shelvesbend under a lot of weight, so
theywouldnt be suitablefor a setof encyclopedias.(For
more on designing strong shelves,seePractical Design,
AW #7s,October 1999,page75.)
Youll need the three basic machines for processing
solid wood to make this bookcasefrom rough lumber: a
tablesaw,a jointer and a planer. (If you build with pre-
planed,3/4-in. boards that haveone straight edge,you can
getbywithout a jointer.) A crosscutsledfor your tablesaw
isnt required but it sure makeslife easier(seeAW #75,
page38 for plans).In addition, you'll need a router,plate
joiner, bandsaw or jigsaw, an accurateframing square
(seeQ&A, page10)and eightpipe clampsto hold the case
PLANETHE
GLUED-UP
CASESIDES
untitthere
tbgether during glue up. are no low spots left. All the parts of this bookcaseshould
Any white or yellow glue works fine for the biscuit be the same thickness,which can be anywherefrom 3/4 in.
jolnts, becauseboth glues contain the water needed to to a minimumof 5/8 in.

American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

BOOKCASE

CUT BISCUITSLOTSin the ends of the shelves. CUT MORE BISCUITSLOTSin the caseside.
You cant go wrong if you clamp eachshelfin position,right Standthe platejoiner up on end and butt it againstthe end
abovethe double lines.Set the shelfin from the back edge of the shelf.Align the center mark on the bottom of the
by the thicknessof one backboard. machinewith the pencilmark on the bottom of the shelf.

F I G .A
BiscuitPlacement
areplenty
#20biscuits
's
strongto hold a shelf
weight.Theywon't shear
off undera load because
t h e g r a i no f a b i s c u i tr u n s
diagonally.

swellthe biscuits.Usea specialyellowgluewith a

Do you buy lumberat a homecenter?
long open time (seeSources,page 63) if youte
Go aheadand buypre-thicknessed
3/4-in.boards.Our
goingto glueup the casesbyyourselfand dont like
ptan
swork
finewith'#:.';T:"##:f
working like a speeddemon!
#:;f,f;#;'*
Preparing Rough Lumber Gluing the Sides
For the sidesand backboards,selectboardsthat don t havea The upper and lower sidesarecomposedof threeboardsthat
pronouncedtwist. Twistedwood isnt worth the hassle.Rough form a tongueand notch (Fig.F). There'sno trick to getting
cut your boards 1 in. over final length and Il4 in. over final the sidesto nesttogetherperfectly.It'ssimplya matterof being
width. Setyour jointer to remove| 132in. Run one faceoverthe careful at glue up.
jointer only a coupleof times.It's OK if this doesnt cleanup Start with the upper sides.Lay out the ogeecurves on
the whole board. boardsC and the cutoutson the top end of boardsB (Figs.
Run the other faceof the boardsthrough a portableplaner C and D). Cut out the curveson the bandsaw(Photo2).
until most of the rough spotsaregoneand the boardsare all Dry clampboardsA, B and C together.BoardsA and B are
about 7|8-in.thick. Don t sweatit if they end up a bit thinner. flushat the top.BoardsA and C areflushat the bottom. Check
Then joint one edge,rip the boards ll32-in. over final width both endswith a straightedge,then draw an alignmentmark
and joint the secondedge.Payattentionto boardsB and F- acrossall threeboards(Photo3).
they'vegot to be exactlythe samewidth. Squareone end and Glue the upper sidestogether.Getting a perfect align-
trim the boards to exactlength using a crosscutsled and a ment end-to-enddroveme nuts until I adoptedthe method
stopperarm (Photo 1). of rubbing the boards togetherfirst, beforeclamping (see
(textcontinued
onpage62)

American Wo odworker o c r o B E2Ro o o 59

 M0.
F I G .C
Detailof TopCutout
It's easierto cut this with
a jigsawthan a bandsaw
becauseit's hard to --t- **\____.-"_*_
balancethe board on a
bandsaw's table.

F I G .D
Detailsof Ogee
Curueand Shelf
Molding
This is a SO-percent
reduction.Makea copy,
double its size
on a photocopy
machine,
pasteit onto an index
card and cut it out.

1/8" R

30-3/8"

3/g" t >
\+_s.l- __.__
f

F I GE
.
Detailof BottomCutout
Scribethe back ofyour bookcaseto fit
around your baseboardmolding.Theback of
the bookcaseshouldfit tight againstthe wall F I G .B
so the bookcasecan be firmly anchored. ExplodedViewof Tall Bookcase
Safety Note:
Anchor this bookcaseto the wall with screws through
the backboardsso it cant accidentallytip over.

60 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 BOOKCASE
OA F I G .F
-.-*-..-\ ConnectionBetween TRAPPEDBETWEEN
Topand Bottom
The top half of the bookcase
fits snuglyonto the bottom
half.The lower backboards
(H) prevent the top half from
o/ shiftingside-to-side,and the
notched sideslock in the top,
front-to-back.

OA

F I G .G
Detailof Shelf Slots
Screwingthe backboards
to the shelvesstiffens
the bookcase,but an
allowancemust be made
for the backboardsto
shrinkand swellin width
with the seasons.That's
why the screw passes
through a slot rather
than a hole.The
backboardis dadoedso
the head of the screw
doesnt stick out.

CUTTING LIST
H x 36"W x I l" D
OVERALLDIMENSIONS:88"
Part Name Qty. Dimensions Comments

I
I
7/8" x3-l /2" x52-l /4"
7/ 8 " x 5 - l / 2 " x 5 l "
Glue together, thicknessto
3/4" and trim bottom end
7/8" x2" x28-l /2" so overall length is.52."
3/4" x5-l /2" x50"
Lower Unit
7/8"x3-l/2" x36"
Glue together-,thicknessto
7/8" x5-l /7" x37-l /4" 3/4" and trim middle boaro
7/8" x2" x36" to fit notch in upper unit.
3/4" x5-l /2" x32-l /2"
Shelves
thicknessto 3/4"and trim
to l"ngtt't.

American Woodworker o c r o B E2R0 0 0 6l

 TWO,PART
Workingin a smallspace?
Noproblem.Wdvedesigned thisbookcase
from short
and narrowpieces.Twostackinghalves
makeit easier
(fewerdampsj andeasierto move.
to assemble

(continued
from page59)

Q&A, page8). Glue the lower sidesthe sameway.Here all dl\ree

boards are flush at the bottom.

Milling the Sides and Shelves

Planeboth facesof the sidesand backboardsso they're 314-in.
thick (Photo 4). Congratulations if you've removed all the
GLUETHEBACKBOARDonto the caseside.Make low spots,but don't hang your head if you haven't.You can
sure it's squarealongthe entire length.Check opposite each plane all the boards thinner, down to 5/8 in., if that'swhat it
clamp as you tighten it down. Shift the head of the clamp in takes.Removeall the mill marksbysandingwith 100-and 120-
or out to changethe angleofthe backboard. grit paper.
Here'show to use the crosscut sled to trim the top and
lower sidesuntil they mate:First,sawoff ll4in.from the bot-
tom of both upper sides.This guaranteesthe bottoms are
square and straight, leaving a l-in.-deep notch. Then trim
the tonguesof the lower sidesuntil theyfit the notches.Because

w! the middle boards (B and F) are exactly the same width,

everything should fit tight as a glove.
Finish the lower sidesby sawing the cutout at the bottom
(Fig.E). It's easierto usea jigsawthan be a hero and try to bal-
ancethe board on the small table of a bandsaw.Make a pattern
of your baseboardmolding and cut out the back corner of the
sideso it will fit tight up againstthe wall. (For more on custom-
fitting cabinets,seeAW #78,February 2000,page56.)
Layout the positions of the shelveson both the upper and
lower sides(Fig.B). The shelveswill be setin from the back of
the sidesbythe thicknessof the backboards.Drawthis back-
board layout line on the sides,too (Photo 6).
Glue up the shelves,thickness and sand them, then rout the
molding on their front edges(Fig.D). Trim them to length with
the crosscutsled.Finally,lay out centermarks for the biscuits
on the bottomfaces.
Now for the easyjoinery. Cut biscuit slotsin the sidesand
NutslWe forgot to remove some squeezed-out
shelvesat the same time (Photos 5 and 6). Use a framing
glue before it dried!
Finishwont stick to it, so the glue has tq be removed squareto make sure'theshelvesare clamped in the right place.
before we can move on. Fortunately,yellow glue can be
softened with hot water and scrapedoff with a sharp Fitting the Backboards
chisel daysafter it has dried. Hot water turns the clear If it weren'tfor the backboards,this bookcasewouldnt last a
glue back to its original yellow colon so it's easyto see
week. These hard-working boards help lock the upper and
what must be removed.After scraping,wash the area with
a rag dampenedwith hot water,let the wood dry and
lower sectionstogether,but more importantly they stiffen the
sand off the raisedgrain. case(Figs.F and G). Cut the backboardsto length,placethem
in position on the. casesides and lay out the slots for the

62 American Woodworker o c T o B E2Ro o o

BOOKCASE

MARKTHE POSITION of the shelveson the with cauls

GLUETHELOWERUNITTOGETHER
backboardswith light pencillines.Thesereferencelines and pipe clamps.Thethick caulsdistributeclamping
help you glue up the entire casesguare.Clamp each shelf pressureover the entire width of the side.Use short
in place,without glue,and adjustit until it's squareto the clampsto pull the shelvestight againstthe backboards.
caseside. Align the shelveswith the referencelines.Thentighten the
pipe clamps.

screws(Fig.G). Cut the slotson the tablesaw.Standthe 1il1s,align it with the referencelines on the backboardand
backboardson edgeagainsta miter gaugeand make two clamp it in place.Onceall the shelvesareupright,place the
overlapping cuts with a standard saw blade. Then cut other caseside on the ends of the shelves,clamp the
the dadoesfor the screwheads. shelvestight to the backboard and finally add the
Cut biscuit slotsto join the backboardsand casesides. pipe clamps.
Thesebiscuitsalign the backboardflush with the side,
but do not add strength. GIue the backboardsto the Finishing and lnstallation
sides(PhotoT). After gluing both cases,sandthem with 150-gritpaper.
Avoid dyeing or staining birch, becauseit hasa tendency
Final AssemblY to unevenly soak up color and becomeblotchy.Evenan
The backboardsalsohelp you squareup the whole book- oil finish canlook bad,so stick with shellac,brushed-on
casewhen you glue the sidesand shelvestogether.Thank varnish or lacquer.
goodness!Youcan get into lots of trouble bygluing things This tall bookcasestandsquite well on its own,but for
out of square,butthis systemis slick.Dry clampeachshelf safety,fastenit to the wall through the backboards.Then
in placewith the biscuits loose in the slotsand mark the there'll be no chancefor it to tip if a pet or rambunctious
shelf'sposition on the backboard (Photo 8). Make the kid tries to climb the shelves!/W
pencillinesvery light becauseyou wort'tbe ableto getinto
the cornerswith an eraserafter the glueup. That'sthe one
downside of this easymethod.
Thke your time and walk through a dry run of the
glueup beforeyou attemptthe realthittg (Photo 9). Here's
the bestway to do the glueup, alone,without going crazYi Sources
Supportone sidewith a narrow (7-in.),woodenbox that GarrettWade
(800)22t-2e42
leavesroom for the clamp heads.Insert one shelf at a
Slo-Set
Special I pt.,$7.
Glue,62J04.0l,

American Woodworker o c T o B E2 R
ooo 63
 Eqqgpean
Gernanengineering
predictable
insta
results
llation
andthree-way
illiges
ina cleanlook,sinnp/e
and
adjustability,
/\nce I discovered
the sirnplicityof hang- With the helpof a simpledrill presstableand
Ving doorswith Europeanhinges,lwas a rnarkingjig, you canhanga door in just a
hooked.Unlikebutt hinges,Europeanhinges f-ewmir-rutes.
Soundsood?Readon.
aretotallyadjustableand very easyto install.
-
C)

I
F I G .A
:<
z
Partsof a
European Hinge
2 Thesesophisticated
tr hingesallow complete
&.
F adjustmentof a door
a
-
J
ofterinstallation. In
J
a addition,doors can be
U
:< quicklyreleasedfrom
I
L! the cabinetwithout
N removinga single
6
s c r e w ! T h eh i n g e s COVER
t keeptheir settings PLATE

J
I
A- H'NGEcup
when reattached-a
<t wonderful feature.

(]l I
I

L!
J
l{l
r
:<
a

&
#6 X 5i8" WOODSCREW
E,
F
o_

2
F: Background
Europeanhingesare part of a standardized construction
6
F
systemdevelopedover 50 yearsago in Germany.lt radically
a
changedcabinetmaking by streamliningproductionand
reducingcosts.TheresultingEuropeanhingeis a beautifully
o engineered precisionproduct (Fig.A).Thereia hingefor nearly
.E everyapplication.I'veusedGrassbrand hingesfor yearswith
:F flawlessresults.Major brandssuchas Grass,Blumand Mepla
make a great product that lastsfor years.Expectto pay about
$8 to 9l 3 per pair.

64 Amegican Woocl *'orlicr o c r o B E2Ro o 0

,::1 :
' . ."j :
F I G .B
Drill PressTable
This easilymadejig savestime and helpsyou achieve
consistentresults.

Tools Required
Setting up for Europeanhinges is very simple and quite
inexpensive.You only needa drill press,a boring bit and
Drill a hole for the hinge cup. Clamp the drill press
a screwdriver.The drill press is a must for drilling a table in position (Fig.B).Hold the door againstthe fence,
straight hole.While you could drill the holesbyhand, it's butt it up to the pin and drill the left hinge-cuphole.Pull
riskier.A drill pressensuressuccess. out the dowel pin and insert it into the right hole of the
If you havea lot of doors to hang,I recommenda 35 jig.Thendrill the right hinge-cuphole.

mm carbide bit, a self-centeringdrill bit and a mag-

netic-tippedscrewbit.A $25,35mm carbidebit keepsa
sharperedgeand outlastssteelbits, especiallyin tougher
materialssuchasMDF.An $8,self-centeringdrill bit, such
asaVix bit, is greatbecauseit centersthe screwhole and
controls the drilling depth. In addition, the bit's outer
housing protectstemplateholesfrom damage.A mag-
netic-tippedscrewbit ($+to $5) holds screwsso well it's
the next best thing to an extra hand. Finally,consider
spending $10 on a PoziDrive screwdriverfor the adjust-
ing screws.It deliversmuch better control than a standard
Phillips screwdriver.
If you have only a few hinges to install, you can save
some money.Use a 1-3l8-in. Forstnerbit or a 35 mm,
high-speedsteelbit (costslessthan half the carbide).A
Phillips screwdriver is fine for installing a few screws
and adjustingthe hinges.

lnstallation
I alwaysapply finish to the cabinet and doors beforeI
install hinges.For an inset application (asshown in these
photos),cut the doorsleavinga 1/8-in.gap at the top, bot- Screw the hinge to the dooa First,insert the hingeand
tom, sidesand at the centerdivision betweentwo doors. use a squareto alignthe hinge'sarm perpendicularto the
door. Drifl pilot holes into the door usinga7164-in.Yixbit.
fust follow Photos 1 through 8. With all the parts (AVix bit automaticallycenters the pilot holes at a fixed
readyto go, installation of Europeanhingesis aseasyas depth,so you won't accidentallydrill through the door.)
eins,zwei,drei! Installthe screws.Thesoft pad under the door protects
the finish.

American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o 65

 Euro ean Hin es
FIG.C
Baseplate
Template
for InsetDoors
Insteadof measuringand marking the cabinet for
each doo6 make a template to locate the
baseplateholes.Thisone is for inset doors. For
overlay doors, the first hole wciul{ be about
3/4 in. from the front edge,with tire other
distancesremainingthe same.
This template is dimensionedfor Grass hinges.
However, each application and each brand can
have a different drilling pattern, so be sure to read
the specsfor the hingeyou are installing.

Drill piloq holes,for the baseplate. A simple

templateautomaticallylocatesall four holes(Fig.C).The
Vix bit centersthe hole,withoutdamaging the template.

I
3 -1/8"

3-1/8"

Fasten the baseplate to Ghe cabinet lnstallthe

baseplatewith all four screws. A t'nagneticbit makes it
easier to hang on to such a small screw!
I

Clip the door onto the baseplates. Attach the Engage the front ofeach hinge first.Then push on the
upper hingefirst.This allows the door to hangso it's back of the hingearm until it clicks in place.
easierto handle.

American Woodworker o c T o B E2Ro o o

 European hinges make on-site adjustments a
snap. Uneven floors ahd walls can move doors out of
line when cabinetsare installed.lmaginetrying to fix
these misaligneddoors if they had butt hinges!

Sideto Side
Adjust the door left or
right with the front
screw.Thischanges the
gapbetweenthe door and
the cabinetside.
This is a direct-action screw,
movingthe door l/ l6 in. per turn.
Clockwise rotation decreasesthe gap between the
door and cabinet.

Up and Down
Loosen the middle
screw.This adjusa the
gap between the door
and the top and bottom
ofthe cabinet-
Loosen this screw on both
hinges.Move the door to the
desired location. Retightenboth hinge
screws.

ln andOut
Loosen the back screw.
This adjuststhe door so it
will be even with the side
of the cabinet.
Move the door in or
out,then retighten the
screw.

Sources
Europeanhingesare availablein I l0-degree openingsand
165-degreeopenings.Thehinge used in this article is a I l0-degree
Grass 37M clip-on hinge with a winged baseplate (Constantine's ltem
# CH3700).This hinge and its overlay versions, along with the other
necessary items, are availableat Constantine's, (900) 28-9087.
I l0-degree opening hinges: PoziDrive screwdriver: CH9800,
CH3700,full overlay,$3.75each; $10.
CH370I, half overlay,$3.95 each; Sep-centeringhinge bicVlX l,
CH3702 (lnset),$4:20 each. 74'4 in.,$g.25.
l-651egree opening hils-e-s: othei sources for European
CH3900,full overlay,$5-95 each; hinges and hardware: Mepla
overlay,$6.20 each; bra-rid,McFeely's,(g0O) 443- Ganzgetan(all done!). Ai,
9Hl?9!,half
CH3902 (lnset),$6.40 each. 7937; Blum brand,
All include hinge and baseplate. Woodworker's Hardware, (800)
35 mm drill bits: DB35, high- 383-0130'
speed steel,$ 10.75;CDB35,
carbide,$24.

American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o 67

 By Tim )ohnson

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 Youdon't bauea
battleship -sized j ointer?
This table is made from white jointer.Youdort'thave Fine! Getperfect edgejoints
ash,a hardwood that's beautiful, to own a planer either,
durable and affordable.The top becausemost hard- on theselong boards using
floats on a basethat'sbuilt to last. w o o d l u m b eryards
Strongjoinerybetweenthe legsand
aprons is accomplishedusing an
will mill rough lumber for you. a ror,Jterinstead,
Youll need a lathe if you want to
innovative and inexpensivecom- turn your own legs.Thereareready-
mercialjig. Internalsupportingrails madealternativesif you dont (935
are dovetailedto stiffen the struc- to $75each,seeSources,pageTT).
ture, yet you can make and install
them in minutes.And dont worry C H OOS I N G A N D U S IN G
about the huge top. I'll show you YOUR LUMBER JOINTINGWITHA ROUTER
howto managegluing it all together, The top, apronsand internal support
StepL: FlushTrimCut
but onlyafter I've shownyou howto rails are made from 8-ft. long 514
edge-jointits long boardsperfectly boards,about 80 bd. ft., milled to
withoutusinga jointer! 1-in.thickness.If youle havingyour
lumbermilled at theyard,havethem ROUTER
WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD alsomakea straightcut on one edge
Youll needa tablesaw,a router that (called SLIE or "straightlining").
acceptsll2-in.bits, four router bits, Milling and straightliningcostonly
an electricdrill (a drill pressis very about 30 centsper ft. and saveyou
helpful, but not absolutelyneces- the trouble of doing it yourself
sary), a BeadLOCKdowelingjig (Photo1).
(seeSources, page77),a jigfor rip- If 514boards aren't available,
ping a straightedgeon rough lum- substitute100 bd. ft. of 6l4.you
ber,sawhorsesand assortedclamps. could alsouse4/4 stockand rework
In addition to the lumber ($+SO;, the dimensionsfor 3I 4-in.material.
b u y t w o 4 x 8 s h e e t so f 3 1 4 - i n . A3l4-in.-thicktop will be lighterin
medium densityfiberboard(MDF) weight and appearance(maybetoo
($s01.One servesasa work surface light for your taste),and the splines THEFIRST GUTis an ordinary
and the other providesthe straight- will haveto be no wider than3ll6- fl ushtri m (P ho t o
3) . The
edgesfor jointing and squaring in. The thinner,6-ft.-longaprons trickis that bothedgesof the
jointareroutedfroma single
operations(seeFig. H, Photos 3 will be more likely to sag.You'll
straightedge set-up.That
through 5 and 10).Youwon't needa alsohaveto usesmallerloosetenon way,the twoedgeswill mate
(continuedonpage72) perfectly, evenif the straight-
edgeisn'tperfectly straight.

RIP STRAIGHT I
EDGES easilywith CUTTING
FLUTE
inexpensivestraightlining jigs A BIG PATTERN.
(seeSources,page77).One CUTTING BIT works
thumbscrewon eachjig holds BEARING best for jointing edges.lts
the rough-edgedboard,the largecutting diameter
other grips an 8-ft.long by leavessmooth, chatter-
7-in.wide MDF straightedge. free surfaces.
After straightliningone edge,
remove the board from the
jig and rip the other edge
parallel.(You can also have
.A
straightliningdone for you at 1/2''SHAFT
the lumberyard.)
70 American Woodrvorker OCTOBER
 JOINTINGWITHA ROUTER
Step2: Cuttingthe MatingEdge
WHILEMAKING the
secondcut,the
ROUTER oatternbit bears
agai n st t hesam e
straightedge, but
DIRECTION it cutsthe second
OF CUT boardwhich, has
beenmovedinto
\ posi tion on t he
oppositside e
(Photo5). Keep
ROUTTHE FIRST EDGE of each
joint, usingthe pattern-cuttingbit and an
i n m i n dt h a tj o i n t -
i ngthet op boar ds
8-ft.-longMDF straightedge.Afterlayingout reduc es t hewidt h
the boardsfor the top, draw a line across of the top about
eachjoint, halfiaayfrom the end.Aligning 1 / 1 6i n . p e rj o i n t ,
theselineswith a similarline at the midpoint so layit out
of the MDF guaranteesthat the jointed oversized.
edgeswill fit together.
sEcoNDcur,
REMOVING1/32"

SpWnesahgn the boards in the toP,

soyou don't spendhours sanding
thejoints flash later,

USETHREESPACERBLOCKSto
positionthe secondboard for routing and
clamp it in place.Makethe spacersll32-in. R OU TTH E I/2.IN. . DEEP
narrower than the cutting diameterof the GROOVE for the splinein several
pattern bit, so the secondrouting passwill passes,usinga l/4-in.-wideslot-
remove only | 132in.from the board. cutting bit (above).Tip:To avoid
tear-out,makea couple light
scoringcuts,about l/8-in. deep,
moving from right to left.Then
move left to right,full depth.Stop
the cut 2-in.from eachend of the
board,so it won't show

TEST FIT the spline.lt

shouldslip into the groove
freely,but without beingloose.lt
can be one long pieceor several
short ones.Roundedends
match the ends of the slot. Dry
fit eachjoint to make sure the
splinefits insidewithout binding.
eachjoint, while keepingthe router firmly
held againstthe straightedge. Becausethe
cut is made oppositethe bearingpoint,the
edgewill be ruined if the bit wandersaway. American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro 0 o 7l
 Threepairs of cauls
makegluing tbe huge
toP ma,na,geable
and
(continued from page70)
stock and a difierent BeadLOCK
guara,nteetbat it
drilling jig that requiresdrilling
more,albeit smallerholes. will beflat.
Us e 8/ 4 s to c k fo r th e l e g s , CENTEROF
CLAMPING
milled to 1-3l4-in.thickness,cut PRESSURE
into 30-in.lengths,and glued up.
Youll needabout 25 bd. ft.
White ashlooks similar to oak, CAULSFOR
with one noticeable difference. GLUINGTHETOP
Its heartwood is a dark brown
THELOWER GAUIliftsthe top
color that contrastssharply with
off the pipeandcentersit at
its light-coloredsapwood.When the pressure pointof the
choosing or ordering lumber, c l a m pT. h euppercauli s
look or ask for piecesthat are all extrawideso it'sstiff enough
to holdthetopflat asthe
sapwood,especiallythe8/4 stock p i p ec l a m psareti ghtened.
for the legs.The 5/4 stock must PLACE CAULS
have one good sapwood face. DIRECTLYOVER
SAWHORSES
Hear t wood o n th e b a c k s i d e (3 REOUTRED)
wont show,excepton the edgesof
the top.
Youll need twelve 5/4 boards
that are at least 7-in. wide. Use
t he s ev en t ha t l o o k th e b e s t
together,consideringgrain pat-
tern and color, for the top (seven STACKTHE BOARDS asyouglue
boards 6-in. wide after jointing them. Put a beadof glue at the bottom of
will makea 42-in.widetop).The the groove ofthe first board and add the
four aprons,including their add- spline.Roll a layerof glue onto the edgeof
the adjacentboard,add a bead in its groove
on half-round details,require and assemblethe joint. Dont put any glueon
three of the remaining boards the splines.
The glue causesthem to swell
(you can get the four piecesfor and makethe joint impossibleto fit. Glue
bot h s hor t a p ro n s fro m o n e the top together in stages,two to four joints
board). Use one of the two at a time.

remainingboards for the internal

rails and the other for splinesand
testpieces. CLAMPTHE CAULS to the
Make the top first. Don't worry work surfacewith the top sandwiched
between (see Fig.C).Then tighten the
about making it to exactdimen- pipe clamps,startingat the center and
sions.Justuseyour best-looking working out to the ends.Removethe
boards and come as closeasyou glue squeeze-ourat the joints after it
can. (My top turned out to be sets up, but before it hardens.After
4l-Il2-in.wide). Then adjustthe gluing,trim the long edgeswith the
router and straightedgeso they're
size of the base,changing the
straightand parallel.
lengthsof the apronsto maintain
the overhangof the top.

72 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 112"#10 SHEET
METAL SCREWS

VIEW
EXPLODED

CuttingList
OVERALLDIMENSIONS86" Lx 42"W x 30" H
BASE79" L x 38-l/2"W x 29" H

Part Qty. me Dimension

A Top 1"x42"x86"
^-.
B 6 S pl i nes l 1 4 x" l 5 / 1 6x" 8 l - l / 2 "
- SQUARETHE END c 4 Legs 3-112" x 3-| 12"x29"
of the top, usinga pieceof | " x 3 -| 1 2 "x 7 2 "
D 2 LongAprons
MDF with a factory corner as
a template.lf you havemore
E 2 Long Beads l12"x l-114"x72+
than I 14 in.to remove,use a F 2 ShortAprons l " x 3 - l 1 2x" 3 l - 1 1 2 "
sawfirst,to get close.Align G 2 Short Beads |12"xl-l14"x3l-|l2+"
one edgeof the MDF with H t 6 LooseTenons l12"x l-114"x2-718"
the long side of the top. l 6 Corner Blocks l - 1 1 4x" l - 1 1 2 "
Clamp a block againstthe
oppositeedgeof the top to
K 2 lnternal Braces | " x 3 - | 1 4x" 3 5 - 3 / 4 "
avoid blowout.Thentrim the L 8 MountingBlocks | " x 3 - l / 4 "x 5 "
edgesquare,makingshallow M 4 Runners x f " x 10-314
passeswith the pattern- N 22 MetalTopFasteners
cutting router bit.

American Woodworker o c t o a t n2 o o o 73
 Don'twotry aboutchoppans
mortises or trying to cut tenons
on the endsof tbe 6-Jfr.-long
Aprons.
LEGPROFILE With tbe new BeadIOCKsystem,
ANDDIMENSIONS
all you needfor mortise-and-tenon
l<- 3'1/2"-->l
1,,'i
-f stylejoinery is a driU and a bit,
{ :'
I
I
5-112"

1-314"

/4
1" EXPLODEDVIEWOF
ffi3/8"

5/16" I LEGANDAPRON SETBACK

v*
tt
JOINERY
t00SETEN0NS, cut fromspecially
t-t t"--*
madedowelstock,fit scalloped
mortises createdbythe BeadL0CK
d o w e l i njgi g,w hi chadj usts
to dri l l
o v e rl a p pi nghol es.

2-1116"

5/16' I
v
1-119"

TURN THE LEGS from

laminated3-l l}-in. squareblanks,using for the BeadLOCKjig on the legsand
the dimensionsfrom Fig.E,or order the aprons.Offset the centerlineson the leg
legsthrough the mail (seeSources,page by the thicknessof a credit card.This
77).lf you want to turn them yourself, slightlyraisesthe rail abovethe top of
see"TurningTableLegs" on page42. the leg,allowingyou to planethe apron
flush after assembly(see Photo l6).

74 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 DRILLTHE APRONS from the
made l/2-in.-thickspacerin the end so you can be sure the holesgo in
BeadLOCKjig to locatethe holes straight.lf the holes aren't straight,the
properly.A drill pressworks great for tenons will be angledand the ioint won't fit.
this operation.lt's easier,faster and more Center the drill on your body and sight
accuratethan drillingby hand. down the apronwhile drilling.

PLANE THE APRONS flushwith

FIRST. Avoid a twisted glue-upby clamping the top of the legs,working from eachend
the legsflat to the MDF before you tighten to the center.lt'sOK to leavethe apron
the pipeclamps.Usea spacerto keepthe slightlycrowned at its center,so the top
apron from saggingunder the weight. doesn'tappearto sag.

squarethe baseafter final assembly. Do reinforceeachjoint.The upper blocks

this before the glue sets.Shortenthe leaveroom for top fasteners.Thelower
longer side by addingtension until both blocksextend and serve as stops for the
diagonalsmeasurethe same. half-rounddetail.

American Wo odworker o c r o B E2Ro o o 75

 Douetailedbraces strengtben
the base,support tbe top
I
: l:
I\I
and keep the long aprons
from bowingand twisting.
I t
t :,
l :
t:

i,'
fll
!i I
in
,n
,. Il

MAKEANGLED CUTS on the end

INTERNALRAIL 26'' FROMEND

of the rails,usinga tenoningjig,with the blade ASSEMBLY

heightslightlylessthan the thicknessof the
mountingblock.Thenraisethe bladeand
crosscutthe mountingblocksat the sameangle.

1/8" R ON ALL
EXPOSEDEDGES

LOCATETHE SHOULDERof the

rail'sdovetailby usingthe mountingblock.Then
cut the shouldersquare,keepingthe bladelow
enoughso it doesnt cut into the dovetail.

^-.
-A)
- GLUETHE
CAPTURE
RUNNER in place
THE DOVETAILED
after the first
RAIL between rhe
mountingblock has
mountingblocks.After
beengluedand
applyingglue,set the
screwed squareto the
rail on the runner and
apron.lt'llhold the rail
snug it againstthe first
at exactly the right
block.Thenslidethe
height.Therunner
secondblock tight
extendsbelow the
againstthe rail and
apron,f ust like the
fasten it.
corner blocks.

76 American Woodwo rker O C T O B2E0 R

00
 c,i
MAKE - GLUETHE
HALF.ROUND HALF.ROUND
molding for the MOLDINGS to the
aprons.Round the aprons.Cut them
edgesof l/2-in.- slightly long and
thick stock with a spring them between
I l4-in.round-over the legs,pressed
bit. After routing, againstthe corner
rip the stock into blocks and runners
separate | - l/4-in.- that hang below the
wide pieces. apron.They'llstay in
placewhile.you reach
for the clamps.

ROUT ATTACHTHE
SLOTS for the BASE. Allow for seasonal
tabletop movement of the top by
fasteners,usinga usingscrews at the center
l/8-in. slot cutter of each short apron and
(see Sources, suPPort brace and s-
below). Make a shaped metal fasteners
wider surfaceto everywhere else (see
suPPortthe Sources,below).To
router by position the basefor
clampinga fastening,align centerlines
second board to drawn on each of its sides
the apron. with correspondinglines
drawn on the top.Then
clamp the basein place.
Artt
SOURCES
WhiteAsh (Askfor lightcolor.) Jigs and Hardware
SteveWallLumberCompany WoodcraftSupply
FORMDF
DIAGRAM
CUTTING (800)633-4062; (800) 22s-r rs3
Onesheetyieldsbothstraightedges neededfor jointingandsquaring www.walllumber.com
the top, as well as spacersanda worksurfacefor jointing. BeadLOCKdowelingq/stem:
'Groff andGroff Lumber,lnc. For l/2-in.tenons,#l 40354,$33.
(800)342-0001 For 3/8 in.and l/2-in.tenons,
e-mail:[email protected] #140355, $47.
Extra l/2-in.tenon stock
AW FarmTable Legs #140357,$6(needone extra pack).
turnedin whiteash; TabletopFasteners, #27N | 0,
$75,plusshipping. $l/bagof l0 (3 bagBrequired).
Also availablein other woods. Joint-R-Clamp Straightlining
Jig
'
Alan Lacer #15J50, $ 15.
(6st) se2-4421
Router Bits
Factory-turned legs MLCS
(similarsizebut shaped (800)533-e2e8;
differently) www.mlcswoodworking.com
Availablein severalwoods,
but not ash.$30to $60 plus l - | /8 in.patterncutting,#8809,$?4.
shipping. l/4-in.slot cutterwith l/2-in.shank .
AdamsWoodProducts arbor andassembly, #7648,$ | 6.
(423)s87-2e42 l/8-in.slotcutter,#305,$ 12.
www.adamswoodprod ucts.com I/4-in.radiusround-over; #6602,$ | 7.

American Woodworker o c T o B E2Ro o o 77

 '|-'PS
by Ed Krause II
; FORBETTER
ISsHARPENING

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Getbetterresults
in Hand tools are a joy to use,but only when they'resharp.]ust as

lesstimewiththese learning to walk is the prerequisiteto running, successfulsharp-

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z ening is the key to "unplugged"woodworking.Tiy thesetips and

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greattips. you'll be surprisedat the stridesyour sharpeningskillstakeand by
the quiet satisfactionyou get from your hand tools.
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78 American Woodworker octoBrn

zooo
This anglechecker,made from a plasticlid, is a simple There'sno getting around it-waterstones are messy.
(and free) way to check the bevel on your chiselsand Here'sa simpletip for keepingthat messcontained:Pick
planes.It only takesa few minutesto make. up a heavy-gauge, 13in. by 19-in.cookiesheet(about$7)
Simply cut a 4- to 6-in. diameter plastic lid in half. at the grocery store,hardwarestore-wherever. It's large
Then, using a protractor,mark the desiredangleson a enoughto easilyhold three stones.Usea 314-in.board
pieceof paper.Cut out the trianglesand usethem as a pushedagainstthe stonesand clamp down the board and
templateto mark the angleson the lid. Cut out the angles the cookie sheeton your bench.Whenyou'redone,just
Drill a hole at the top and
on the lid with a pair of scissors. wipe the cookie sheetdry and hang it on the wall.
hang it on the wall nearyour grinder.

Everloseyour temper?I meanyour chisel'stemper.Dont Yodveprobably heard other woodworkerstalk about what
getburned by a clogged,unevengrinding wheel.Dress- a great tool the scraperis, but maybe youve never had
ing your grinder wheelsperiodicallyto keepthem clean much luck with one yourself.Usingthem is easy;getting a
and flat helpspreventthe excessheat that leadsto bluing good edgeon them is the tough part. The hardeststepin
and lossof temper(s). sharpeninga scraperis the first one-filing the edgesquare
Single-pointdiamond wheeldressersdo a greatjob but and flat. Start offrightwith this easy-to-makefile holder:
they're difficult to use freehand.Try a flat-tip diamond Cut a kerf equalto the thicknessof an 8-in. mill file in
dresserinstead.It has 36-grit diamond stone particles a l-ll4-in thick by 4-in. wide by 6-in.-longpieceof
imbedded inall2-in wide by 3l4-in.-longface.Simply wood. The kerf shouldbe a little deeperthan half the width
placeit on your grinder'stool restand make contactwith of the file. This allowsyou to setthe file at differentdepths
the wheel. to avoid dulling it in one spot. Clamp the scraperin a
Flat-tip diamond dressersareavailablefromWoodcraft wood-jawvise.Pushthe scraperfirmlyagainstthe holder
Supply,(800)225-1153,#124670,$ I 8. while filing for a perfectlysquareedge.

American Woodworker o c r o B E2R0 0 0 79

 Getting a mirror finish on the contoured profiles of Dont keepyour sharpeningskills confined to your shop
carving gougescan be a real hassle.The curved sur- tools. Why not tackle that dull set of kitchen knives
facesdort't lend themselvesto polishing on a flat stoneor you'vebeen crushingtomatoeswith? Here'sa greattip:
strop.Making a custom strop is easy.Usethe chiselto cut Go to any officesupplystoreand buy one of thoseloose-
its own contour in a pieceof poplar or basswood.Rub leaf folderswith a plasticspline (about40 cents).Cut and
chromium oxidepolishingcompound in the contour and trim the spline to fit over the back of the knife. The
you havea custom-madestrop. spline raisesthe back of the knife just enough to put a
r.' Chromium oxide is availablefrom LeeValley& Ver- consistentbevelon the cutting edge.Nowyour kniveswill
ft= it as ,( 800)8 7 1 -8 1 5 8#,0 5 MO8 .0 1$,7 . glide right through thosetomatoes!
t'2,
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Lesstime sharpeningmeansmore time woodworking.Isnt Chiselsand planes have bevel anglesfrom 25 to 35

that what we all want?Honing guidesget the job done fast, degreesdependingon their intendeduse.Youcan buy a
but setting the blade in the guide to get the right bevelangle jig for grinding theseangles,or make your own angle
can be time consuming. blocks at no cost!
Here'sa quick trick: Mark the appropriateblade exten- Make one block for each angle.Glue up a block
sion for eachbevelangleon your benchtop,or a wood scrap, 2-Il2n.deep by 4-in.wide by t0-in. tall.Mark the desired
for convenientreference.Hold the edgeof the blade to angleon the top of one side.Drill a l-in. hole through the
the desiredbevelmark, butt the guide to the edgeof the sideof the block at the halfi,vaypointof your anglemark.
bench and tighten.The side-clamphoning guide,shown Then cut the angle on your tablesaw.The remaining
above,automatically squaresthe blade and preventsit groovemakesan excellentguide foryour fingers.Cut the
from rocking or shifting in the jig. This guide is available block to length so the top is equalto the centerheight of
from GarrettWade,(800) 22l-2942,Item# 10M0701,$12. yourwheel.To securethe block,drill a l-ll4-in.hole near
the bottom of the block for a bar clamp.

80 American Woodworker o c T o B E2 R
ooo
 The edgeleft after filing a scraperis a little rough for fine Waterstonesaregreatfor sharpeningbenchtools,but their soft
work. Use a piece of wood to align the scraperwhen binder makesthem prone to dishing out and grooving.Fortu-
moving it againstthe stoneand youll retain the square nately,flatteningthem is no big deal.An 11in. by l2-in.piece of
edgeyou achievedwith your file jig. Il4-in.plate glassand a sheetof 180-gritwet/dry sandpaperpro-
An extra-fine(1,200)diamond stoneis a good choice vide a cheap, perfectly flat abrasive surface for flattening all
for this becausethe scraperwon't wear a groove in the your waterstones. The glasswill costyou about six bucks (be sure
stone.Youcan getone from Tiend-lines,(800) 767-9999, to havethe edgessanded)and the wet/dry sandpaperabout 70
Item # DM6E, $45. centsa sheet.Both are availableat hardwarestores.Usewater to
hold the paper on the glassand to flush awaythe slurry.

3 Waysto Testfor SharpnesslL2

1, If you can seelight

on the edge, it's not
sharp.A sharp edgeis
too fine to reflectlight.

2. A sharp edge
catcheseasilyon the
side of a plastic pen
It would be greatif chiselsand planescamefrom the fac- barrel. A dull edge
tory ready to use,but they dont. A perfectly flat, mirror- slidesright off.
like finish on the back is essentialfor a truly sharp edge.
Flatteningalwaysrequiresa large doseof elbow greaseand
patience.The fastestmethod is to use an extra-coarse
diamond stone.It won't dish out the way oilstones and
waterstonesdo and it can easilybe clamped in a vise.
Onceyou havea flat surface,.move on to finer stones
until your chiselsand planesshine like a mirror.
Extra-coarsediamond stonesare availablefrom Lee 3. A sharpblade slicessoftwood end
V alley & V er it a s ,(8 0 0 ) 8 7 1 -8 1 5 8 8
, " x 2 -5 l 8," Item grain cleanly(left).A dull bladetears
#70M04.01, $66. the end grain (right). rw
j

x American Woodworker o c T o B E2R0 0 0 8t

I
 A n oscillating spindle sandermay not be the first tool you should alwal'susethe largestpossibledrum for eachcurye.
fLyoubuyforyour shop,butif youdo a lotof curved It's much easierto follow a shallow curve with a large drum. For
work the time yor/ll save sanding is well worth the pieceswith different-sizedcurves,this requireschanging drums
investment.Unlike a drum sander on a drill press,the frequently. The Clayton had the best system for quick and
oscillating spindle sanderis designedfor sidewayspres- easydrum changes,
sure. AlSo, the drum moves up and down as well as We preferred the simplicity of the fixed spindle system
around. The oscillation of the drum gives you a found on all but two of the machines.Howeve! the replaceable
smoother edge,more aggressivecutting,longer life for spindle systemon the fet and the Bridgewood (even with its
the sleevesand lesschance of burning the wood. The spline,clips, and three wrenches)had an advantage;namely the
benchtop models are easy to store when not in use. smallestdiameter (l/a-in.) sleeveavailable.
Oscillating spindle sanders are fun to use, too. The Tip: Occasionallywe foundthe rubberdrumswould
wood seemsto melt away as you sand precisely to a stick onto the metal spindles.A little baby powder
line. The feeling of control you get with thesemachines sprinkledinto the insideof the drum eliminatesthis
is impressive. problem.
Some tool testsreveal noticeable differencesin tool
performance and qualiry Not so with these sanders. DUST COLLECTION
All the machineswe testedperformed well; producing Power sanding is a dusty business.The health
z asmooth,even surfacewithout scorching.But, therewere and housekeepingissuessurrounding wood dust
z
= differences in other areas,and each machine had at make effective dust collection an important fea-
E
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ct
leastone outstanding featurethat may form the basisfor ture. If nothing else,it's annoying to be blowing
- your buying decision.Here are the featureswe consid- sawdust off your piece in order to see the line
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= ered most important you're cutting to. We tested all the machines
T using a standard shop vacuum with a 2-ll2-in.
o-
E D RUM CHA NGES hose. The Clayton, Craftsman, Delta and Ryobi
(J
o
F A drum that's easyto changemakes for more enjoyable were the best at dust collection.
o
o- and productive work (seephoto below). For best results
a

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AGGRESSIVENESS OF CUT
This is more or less.afunction of motor power. The
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Bridgewood,Clayton and fetwere the clearwinners in this
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category.Theexceptionwasthe 3.5-amp induction motor
o
z on the Delta B.O.S.S.that seemed far more powerful than
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the 3.5-amp universal motor on the Ryobi and the Craftsman.
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Bridgewood{et
Bridgewood{et With all the drums and parts that go with spindle panders,
z.
Typical single-spindlesystem
o
We found the three spindle, three wrench, screwdriver, self-storageis a welcomeconvenienceand is offered on all
F
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clip and spline system used by the Bridgewood and Jet a bit the machinesexceptthe Bridgewood and the ]et.
F
cumbersome.The other machinesall have a fixed spindle
onto which the drums are fastenedwith a singlebolt or nut

American Woodworker o c r o B E2
Ro o o
TOOL TEST Munkittrick
byDave
Portable and storable,
these sanderswill
smooth all of your
rough edges.
a
 CLAYTON
strengths: The Clayton was our Editors'Choice. This thing's built like a
truck.In fact it usestruck bearingson its spindleshaft.At 78 lbs.,the Clay-
ton provides a very stablework platform. There'sno castiron usedin its
construction so most of its heft is due to its heavy-drV components.The
d*..
clayton has excellentdust-collection and changing drums is a breeze.
Clayton also offers the best range of accessorydrum sizes.

Weaknesses:
It's too heavyto be truly portable.
!?
,$
OutstandingFeature
Built for heavy-dutn continuous
use, the Clayton offers the power and
durabilityof large industrialmachines.
Heavy-duty V-belts, machined-steel
BRTDGEWOOD/IET
pulleys,large ball bearings and a high Strengths: The Bridgewood and the fet
quality,7.6-ampAmerican-mademotor. are very similar in design and con-
A cam-and-follower assembly creates struction. These are the machines to
the oscillationand is sealedin its own oil buyif you needextra-smallspindlesize
bath housingfor maximumdurability.
or a tilting table. They both feature a
powerful 7.S-amp motor that can cut
aggressivelywithout bogging down.

Weaknesses:Dust collection seemed

to be an afterthought in thesesanders.
The dust port is too far from the drum
to be effective.The 18-1/2-in. table
height requires an unusually low bench
for comfortable operation. Despite all
DEITA the parts and tools required for drum
strengths:The Delta is our choicefor BestBuy.It offersthe best com- and spindle changesthere is no built-in
bination of performance,featuresand price ($zoa;.Dust collectionon storagefor accessories.
the Deltawasunbeatable.Its3.5-ampmotor is surprisinglypowerfi.rland
drum changesare quick and easy.Its large,round, castiron top provides Outstanding Features
good support and is heavy enough for stability but light enough for
portability. Complete onboard storagefor accessoriescomeswith the
optional accessorydrum kit ($50).

weaknesses: The dust collection fitting is too small for a standard

2-lll2-in. shop vacuum.Universaladapterscost about $10.

Outstanding Feature
An internal fan boosts The only machines that offer a l/4-in. spindte
the dust collectioncapability for small-diameterwork, the Bridgewoodand the Jet
of the Delta B,O.S.S.ahead also feature tables that tilt from 0 to 45 degrees
of all the others.Hook up a allowing for beveledcontours.
shopraorumfor unsurpassed
dust collection.

84 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 RIDGID
Strengths:The Ridgid comeswith an oscillatingbelt sander
attachmentthat makesthis machinethe most versatileof all
light and easyto moveand includesonboard
the sanders.It's
RYOBI/CRAFTSMAN storagefor all its accessories. Drums are fastenedto the
Strengths:If you want a machineto pull out of storagefor spindlewith rubber-knobbedbolts eliminatingthe needfor
occasionaluseand you don t expectto be sandinga lot of 814 a wrench.Be carefulnot to overtightenthe knobs or you ll
stock,then the Craftsman and the Ryobi are hard to beat. be reachingfor the pliers to get them offl
They arethe lightestand leastexpensiveof all the machines
and their dust collectionsystemsarevery effective. Weaknesses: The tilting tableis designedfor the belt sander
attachmentnot the spindlesander.Drums tighten down onto
Weaknesses: The universalmotor is noisyand bogsdown in a snap ring on the spindle rather than a welded plate.The
a heavycut. dust collectionwasa little weak. /$/
0utstandi rtgl reature
The oscillating belt
At 26 lbs. the Ryobi
and the Craftsmanoffer sander attachment
expands the Ridgid's
exceptionalportabilityat
capabilities to includeconvex
a most affordableprice.
Perforated table inserts curvesand straightedges.
Designedfor wrench-free
help both machines
d r u m c h a n g e st,h e R i d g i d
a c h i e v ee x c e l l e n td u s t
usesrubber knobs in place
collection.
of hex nuts.

+ ACCESSORIESTACCESSORIES
MAKE INCLUDED ./ AVAILABLE COMMENTS 50uRcE
18-1/2', 1 l 4 ',,1 l 2 ',,5 1 8 " Widebase stance isverystable. WILKE
x 1 45 / 8 " G F E NO spindles plus1-112" Plastic areflimsy.
inserts MACHINERY
BRIDGEWOOD$229 7 . 5 6U
(800)23s-2100
I x 1 45 / 8 " and2" drums

18" , 1 4,'2, " a n d3

1 / 2,' 3 1 ', 1 - 1 spindlerotation
/ 2 ", Counterclockwise
t 4 ', 1 - 1 HTC
CLAYTON s638 7.6 78 x 14-5/8" E E E YES* drums 2 - 1 1 4a"n d 2 - 1 1 2 "eliminatesreversethreadon spindle. (800)624-2027
' orums
m o d e1l 4 0 I x 14-518

13/34', plusa
1/2"spindle 3/4', ,
,1-1t2" Counterclockwise spindlerotation SEARS
-7414
eliminatesreversethreadon spindle. (800],377
CRAFTSMAN $160 3.5 16 x14" E E F YES 1 " d r u m 2"and3"drums
x20" Plasticlaminatetoo.
U
12"x18" 1 / 2 "s p i n d lpel u s 1 ',,1 - 1 1 ,22' , Sounddesign.Lookscool and works DELTA
E E G YES 3/4"drumand 3"drums welt. (800)438-2486
DELTA $208 3.5 4 5 diameter
I uu)r uog

18-1/2', 1 t 4,"1 t 2 ,' ,5 / 8 " 3" drum Baseis narrower

Metalinserts. than IFT

E notasstable.
the Bridgewood, (800)274-6848
JET $279 75 66 x 14-518" G F NO spindles plus1-1l2"
x 14-518" and2" drums

13-3/8 1 / 2, 3 / 4,'1, ',,1 - 1 1 2 ' , Easyto overtightenthe spindle RIDGID

E G G YES and2" drums plus knob.Drumstightendown on a (800)474-3443
RIDGID $239 4 . 6 43 x 16-5/8
x19" oscillating beltsander snapring ratherthan a weldedplate

13-3/4', plus
1/2"spindle 3/4'* ,
,1-1tz', Counterclockwise spindlerotation RYOBI
x14" E E F YES a 1 " d r u m 2",3"drums eliminatesreversethreadon spindle. (800)
s25-2s79
RYOBI $160 26
x20" Plasticlaminatetop,
U
* Separate benchtop rack
| = lnductionmotor U = Universalmotot F=Fak G=Good E=Excellent

OTHER SANDERS TO CONSIDER: Porter-Cableand Grizzlyare bringingnew oscillatingspindlesanderson the market this
fafl and winter. See Product Reviews,pages96 and 98 for more details.Plus,severalcompanies(including Grizzly and Bridgewood)
offer floor-modelspindlesandersfor $500 and up.
American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o 85
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A goodviseis tool money

E.
Here'sa quick comparison: hardware and make the front jaw, an F

Fl well spent.It's a solid Metal-jaw vises are easyto install optional lower rearjaw and turn or buy I

(Photo l). To drop the jaws slightly the handle. If you want a traditional a

investmentin your work- E

below the top of your bench, make a look to your bench,this is the way to go.
bench that pays off every wooden plate that fits betweenthe bot- The front edgeof your bench must be ;
time you needto hold a piece tom of the bench and the vise body. If straight and squarebecauseit serves o
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of wood. you want the inner jaw of the vise to be asthe rearjaw. a
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flush with the edgeof your bench (the o--'

J
set-up we prefer),you'll have to cut a Features U

Two llpes of Vises notch out ofyour benchtop.In any case, Vises are built to last. Every vise we 2
Everybody's familiarwith thestandard add wood cheeks. testeddeliveredplentyof clampingpres- F

metal-jawvise,but there's
a secondtype Wood-jaw vises generallycome as sureandwasrobustenoughto hold up
tiJ
E.

o
of viseto consider:thewood-iawvise. starterkits (Photo 2).Youbuy the metal to a lifetime of service.Ifyou'regoing to F

88 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 A METAL-JAW VISE is ready to go right out of the Makeyour
A WOOD-fAW VISE requiresassembly.
bo2<.Add wood cheeks,bolt it to your bench and you're own jaws and turn a handleof any length (or buy one).The
ready to clamp. front of the bench doubles as the uPPerhalf of the rear iaw.

spend your woodworking careerwith o faw Opening. Rarely will you open Most of the wood-jaw visesdo not
one vise,it makessenseto buy one that's your vise all the way,but a deep caPac- have a quick release,but two (seethe
a pleasureto use.Here are the features ity givesyou more clampingversatility. chart, page92) offer the reverseaction
we feel make the most difference: The day will come when you ll need it! type (Photo 4).
ofawSize. Largejawsoffermore surface Some metal-jaw vises have a huge o Vise Dog. Youcanhold workon topof
areato hold your workpiece.More sur- capacity,but wood-jaw visesgenerally your bench with the vise dog that's
face area meansmore friction to keep have shorter openings after allowing found on every metal-jaw vise (Photo
your work from slipping. You can for the thicknessof the jaws. 5). Friction-fit, spring-loadeddogsare
increasethe effectivesurfaceareaof any r Quick Release.Sliding the front jaw the easiestto use.
metal-jaw vise by adding oversized in and out without turning the handle You'll have to make your own dog
cheeks,but we prefervisesthat start out is convenient but not a feature you're hole in the front jaw of a wood-jaw
with largejaws. likely to useoften.Almost all the metal- vise.One pre-madekit includesthe dog
For a wood-jaw vise you can make jawvisesoffer one of trwotFpesof quick hole (seethe chart, page92).
virtually any sizejaws.Usea.stiffwood release.They all work well. It's a matter o Handle. You'll be using it a lot, so a
suchashard maple and make the front of personal preference,but we like the handle ought to be comfortable.Some
iaw 3-in. thick. lever action best (Photo 3). metal-jaw vises have large-diameter

REVERSETHE HANDLE one-halfturn for another

mechanismto slidethe front jaw in or out.The spring-loaded type of quick release.Thisaction releasesthe nut.To engagethe
lever is connected to a bar that releasesthe nut from the nut,turn the handleclochnise.One metal-iawand two
vise'sscrew. We prefer this type of quick release. wood-jaw vises havethis feature.

American Woodworker o c T o B E2Ro o o 89

 OURRECOMMENDATION:
Get the largestvise your benchand
wallet allows. The essenceof a
great vise is even pressureapplied
over a large area.

Types of Handles
LARG E.DIAMETER HAN DLES LONG METAL-ROD HOLD A BOARD ON TOP of
are comfortable to grip. One metal- HANDLES giveyou more the bench with a vise dog. All metal-jaw
jaw vise comeswith a short metal leverageand a more sensitive visescome with dogs.Make your own
handle(below left),while two others adjustment (below,right).We find dog hole in a wood-jaw vise.
havelonger wooden handles(below short metal-rodhandlesor those
right),similarto what you'd add to a with capscrewends (below,left)
wood-jaw vise. lesscomfortable. handlesthat are easierto grip than the
rod-type handles.
To fine-tunethe amount of pressure
a vise is exerting, a handle should
havea long"throw" (the distancefrom
the center of the screw out t o t he
handle'stip). Regardlessof the amount
of throw, all the vises have plenty of
clamping power.
Chooseyour own handlelengthwith
a wood-jaw vise.The handle must be a
fairlylarge diameterto fit into the socket.

souRcEs
GarrettWade,(800)221-2942

GrizzlyTool,(800)823-4777
(Grizzlybrands;Record)

HighlandHardware, (800)241-6748
(Record;Veritas
lg.#01.97.01
and
sm.#0 |.97.02)
The lVilton Vise TWofeaturesset this vise
apart from the others: LeeValley,(800)267-8735
o Pivotinglaw.It's perfect for Canada(800)267-8761
holding tapered work. Raiseup (Veritas;
Record)
the pivotingjaw to make a Sears,
(800)349-4358;
(Wilton)
huge dog. Removea pin, slide
offthe jaw and you've got a Toolson Sale,(800)328-0457
standard vise. florgensen;
Pony;Record;Wilton)

o U-Channel Guide Bar. You Trend-Lines,(800)767-9999

can placeyour workpiece very
WoodcraftSupply, (800)225-| 153
closeto the screw minimizing
florgensen;Record;Woodcraft brands;Veritas
side-to-sideracking. The chan- lg.#0 | E22andsm.*f0| E22;handlefor wood-
nel also protects the screwfrom jawvise#17E52,$4.50)
damage.
Woodworkerl Supply,
(800) 645-9292
florgensen;Woodworkerl
Supplybrands)

90 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 ttYhatts the Deal
with Rackingl
When your workpiece sliPsin a vise,
blame"racking." Beforeyou tighten a
vise,the jaws are more or lessparallel,but
when you applypressurethe front jaw
can noticeablytilt or twist. That'scalled
racking, and it resultsin unbalanced
pressureon your work (Figs.A and D).
Someamount of racking is presentin
everyvise, but some suffer more than
others.Vise manufacturershavetwo
tricks up their sleevesto combat racking
(Figs.B and E). |ust asgood arethe solu-
tions that woodworkers haveused since
the daysof sloppy fitting all-wood vises
(Figs.C and F).

The Problem Manufacturerts Solutlon Shop Solution

o0
E
vI
.I

G
&
E
o
t,
+r
o Unevenpressure Createyourowntoe-in
@l,]ff;'ilJ,1H'l;?i:'
!o EE;ff:1l,il,Tlllln.,,n. causingit to top-to-bottom
to counteract
by makingtapered
racking. cheeks.Experimentto find the right
f bottomof yourworkpiece
n s lipor v i b ra teT. h ec u l p ri its th efi t Thejawsbecomeparalleltop-to-bot- amountof taper.Thissolutionworks
g between theguidebarsandtheirsup- tom whenpressureis aPPlied. for bothmetal-andwood-jaw vises.
' ports.Themoreplaythereis,the
m or et h ev i s ew i l l ra c k .

OFFSET SCREW SPACERBLOCK

o0
E
.r
I
t
G
&
o
U
rI
oI
Usea spacerblockon
o
trI
Unevenpressurepinches Placingthe screw
anyviseto defeatside-
oneedgeof yourwork- closerto the right
o piece.The moreyou tightenthe han- guidebaris onesolutionadoptedby to-sideracking. Theblockmustbe
It
.I
dle, the worsethe rackinggets!This somewood-jaw visemanufacturers. the same thickness asyourwork-
6 pi ece.H ol di t i n pl acew i tht aPe.
rackingis also causedby play in the
guidebar system.

American Woodworker o c r o B E2R0 0 0 91

 Metal-faw Vises

E dit or s ' C h o i c e E di tors' Ghoi ce Best Buy

Record# 53 is a robustvise.It has The GarretWade9-in., quick-releasevise Woodcraft's9-in. vise combines
hugejaws,greatfeaturesand very hasan extra-longhandle,amplejawsand good features,smooth action and
little play in its smooth-actingguide a unique plasticdog to protectyour cut- an excellentprice ($001.
system. ting tools from accidentaldamage.

Wood-faw Vises
Editorst Best Buy
Choice Startwith the
Woodcraft GarrettWadelarge
Supply's#I7 AII visekit (or the kit
featuresboth an distributedby
offsetscrewand VeritasTools)to
a quick release. build a big, econom-
icalvise($0S;.

Grizly(G9850) 2-12x7^ 8" Lever Thumbscrew 7-1f2"Rod Yes Handle

hascapnutends
Grizly(G9851) D0c 2-5l8x9" 10" Lever Thumbscrew 7-112"
Rod Yes Handle
hascapnutends
Grizly(G2780) $80 2-314x9' 12'^ LEVCT Thumbscrew 7-12'Rod Yes Handle
hascapnutends
(129849)
Woodcraft $50 3"x7" 8" Lever Thumbscrew 6-1/2"Rod Yes
(129850)
Woodcraft $60 3-'12" x9' 10' Lever Thumbscrew 7"Rod Yes
Woodworkers (817-575)
Supply $85 4 " x1 0 ' 12" Lever Thumbscrew 5l/2"Rod Yes 0uickrelease
ison/offlever
a Woodworker's (801
Supply -801) $55 3-114" x7" 10-112 LEVET Thumbscrew
o 5"Rod Yes 0uickrelease
ison/offlever
.9 GarrettWade 0uickRelease $100 4"x9' 13-112" LEVET Handle 10-1/2'
Rod Yes
;o Record#52 $e0 3"x7" 8', Lever Thumbscrew 6"Rod Yes
3(E Rword#52-112 $125 4 " x9 ' 13" LEVET Thumbscrew B"ROd Yes
o
Record#53 $130 4"x10-U2" 15" Lever Thumbscrew B"Rod Yes
= Jorgensen 40709 $100 4"x7" q"
Reverse Friction 8"19.Dia.Wood No
Jorgensen
4i012 $115 4"x 10" 12-112" Reverse Friction B'Lg.Dia.Wood NO Editors'
Choice
Runner-Up
Pony27090 $33 4"x7" 9" None Friction 8"Rod Yes
Wilton
78A $100 4"x7" 10" Reverse Friction 6"Lg.Dia.Metal NO
(JTJ7)
Trend-Lines $63 2-314" x9" 7-112" Lever Thumbscrew 7-112"
Rod Yes Handle
hascapnutends
(JTJ9)
Trend-Lines $72 2-314" x9" 9-1f2" Lever Thumbscrew 7-112"
Rod Yes Handle
hascapnutends
(JTJ12)
Trend-Lines $st 2-314" x9" 12', LEVET Thumbscrew 7-112"
Rod Yes Handle
hascapnutends
Woodcraft
Supply(17Al1) $135 Makeyourown 8', Reverse YouMakeHole Variable Offset
tightening
screw
o Woodcraft ('17D04)
Supply $95 Makeyourown g"b None YouMakeHole Variable 0ffset
tightening
screw
po Woodcraft Supply(17D03) $65 Makeyourown 60G None YouMakeHole Variable
WoodworkersSupply(907379) $150 Makeyourown g,,b Reverse YouMakeHole
3 Variable
G Veritas
Tools-large soJ Makeyourown None
? 84p',b YouMakeHole Variable tightening
0ffset screuv
I

tt VeritasTools-small $45 Makeyourown ^nc

None
o o YouMakeHole Variable
o Ganett Wade (70G04.0'l yourown ^"n
) $60 Make o None YouMakeHole Variable tightening
0ffset screw
GanettWade(70G03.01) $40 Makeyourown ^ilc
o None YouMakeHole Variable
Garrett
Wade ('10H03.01) $170 2-114"
x14-314"e 6-1n', None HoleProvided 10" Comes
withiawsandhandle
a b cBasedon dDesignedlorl-3/4"thickbenchtop
Distance
fromscrews
cenler
t0end0fhandle. Based
on3"thickfrontjawandi-3/4"thicklowerreariaw 2-l2"frontjawonly. TW

92 American Woodworker ocroern

zooo
 New and Interesting Shop Stuff Edited
byGeorgeVondriska

roduct
rcvbws
Hand-Held
Oscillating
Sander
Yep,that'sright-a hand-held oscillatingspindle
sander.Brand new from Porter Cableand totally
unique, this sander can be taken to your work,
insteadof taking your work to the sander.
The variable-speed,6-amp motor runs from
2,400rpm to 3,600rpm. You'llget 40 to 60 oscil-
lationsper minute with a ll2-in.oscillatingstroke.
I really like this hand-held design.Thbleson
oscillatingsandersare pretty small,so when I've
tried to use them for bigger work,like apronsor
case'sides, I've had to build auxiliary tables.This
sandereliminatesthis problem.
Haveyou evertried using a portablebelt sander
to sand a straightedge?It ain t easy.porter Cable
addresses that too.You can usethe included edge
guide to preciselycontrol how much material
you're taking off. The edgeguide has two fences
that work like infeedand outfeedtableson a join-
ter.Setone flush with the drum and setthe other
to the amount of material you want to take off.
If you want the bestof both worlds,mount this
sanderin your router table.Youll need a router
table insert just for the sander.The 5-ll4 in. by
9-314-in.basefits in your table. z
A dust port is included and dust collection is
good.A 2-in.drum and optional ll2 in., 314in, z

I in., and l-Il2-in.drums areavailable. E

t
If you only work with small parts, a drum L

E
sanderin a drill pressor a stationaryoscillating
F

sanderwill probably be adequatefor you. But if I

L

your woodworking includesa mix of big and small z

parts, you'll like Porter Cable'slatest innovative

tool. Youcan buy it for $250. J
J

-
U
a

2
The fenceson the edge Porter Cable,(800) 487-8665 =
guide can be offset, &
makingsandinga long, o
F
E
straight edge easy.

96 American Woodworker o c r o B E2Ro o o

 ProductReviews

BigSandor,
SmallPrice
GrizzlyIndustrial is working on a new oscillatingspindlesanderthat shouldbe
availablein fanuary,2001.Itlooks like a heckof a deal!
$175will get you a floor-model sanderwith a U2-hp,4.6-amp induction
motor.The castiron table (14-l12 in. by r4-U2 in.) tilts to 45 degrees. A
5-ll2-in.-long spindle spinsat 3,450rpm, with 64 oscillationsper minute
and a l-in. strokelength.
As we went to press,Grizzly was still finalizing production of this
tool, so final specsand pricing could change,but this soundslike a sander
that'll be worth a good look!

Grizzly Industrial,(800) 523-4777

Bry Our Best Seller Peels Plus

10" x 40T only $107 16 oz,can
may be
or $l0l on 2ndblade \MOODWORKER II CHOPMASTER BI-ADE purchasod
sspa.alsly
EXTRA BONUS: 3 AT $5 [A(;H: St/a" to 14" diameter available 6t/2" to 15" diameter available t 56a + $st{
Buy a blade or dado and get $15 worth of All purpose-tablesaws and Specially desimed for slidine comoound
p:ortable circular saws. -
sharpening discount coupons from Forrest, mitei",mitdr-chop, and ra"dialsaiws.
good on any make blade or dado set you
Special-10%
- Discount! Take lSVo off
second blade ofyour choice. Sale lllo/oOff 1b%Olf
own. The first 100 customers will receive a Pfice1slBlade2ndBlade
EDrroR's Cgotcr aNo Top RarrNc 61/z"x40T
IREE Picnic Table Plan and Router poster!
ovEn l8 CoMpETTNGS,rw Braons. $94 Sag S84
'l'fu Delta,Sidekick,& Others
10" t 10'l'rurnul.tht liditu.'s Olnice 8t/a"x60T 1F 9a 93
ntE 01tEBtlltE ,|unnl for lht ht.stlnrJbrtnanrcrtgarrlles.s
of tlu'pirc. ScrAmerican Wooduorker
Sears, Delta, Ryobi
8r/z"x 60T 1O7 1Ol
TIIATIIAUESA nugazinc, April 1998,pp 68-6q. 7F
Hitachi,Dewalt,Ryobi,FreudTRl25
Select one of these items trREE when placing
Sate 1tp/o0ft tb%0tt e"x80T
SMOOTH-AS. price1stBlade2ndBlade Delta & Others
7p 116 11O an order for any saw blade or dado ptirchasE
from this ad in' AW magazine. Cho6se from
14"x 40Tx f " gtF
sAiltED 'f4"x30Tx1"
t;p
i134
125
$127
118
10"x80T 7p
Detla,Bosch,Mitachi,
125
Makita, Ryobi,
118
AEG,& Atl
the eight book titles shoin, imprinted cap, or
l6 oz. can ofsDrav blade clearrer.
Outperformed 36 other premium btades, 12"x40Tx1" lp 116 11O 12"x80T tF 134 127 Hurry! This sulcial offer is limited while supplies
both foreign and domestic, WOOD - 1 2 "x 3 0 T x1 " tp 1O7 1O1 Dewalt, Hitachi,
Makita,B+D,Sears,& All last on ordersplaced by September 30, 20001
magazine fesf, Sept. 1998, pg. 45. It0"x40Tx'/a"r "Jp 1O7 1O1 14"x 100T 7F
-:i; 17O 161
10"x30Txl/s"a "P 89 g4 Makita,Ryobi
9"x407 tF 98 93 15"x100T tb tzg 169 FORREST DADO-KING
Hitachi,Ryobi
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*8'A"x40Tx3/gz", { ' 8 9 8 4
Unnatched Precision on Every Dado Cut!
The Forrest Dado-King gives you flat-bot-
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This award-winnlnq sei iomes with six 4
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*Sears Sale 10YoOff l5yo Off J& Sale 10%0ff 150/60tf
10"x 80-T glEg $143 s135 NEW for & Makita Table Price lstDado 2ndDado
Price lst Blade 2nd Blade l-
('/a"0r %2" K) **Saw ***Dewalt 6" Set$2€9 $242$229
Saws Boss Cordless 8",814',7'A"x60Tgl9!f 998 $87 -l
12'x80T .81 163 1S4 1 0 " x 6 0 T ( % " h of lre ) 1 1 6 1 O 3 f 8" Set Zall 260 245
( %" or t " hole,'/r" K) II.F]q 10"Set 3143t 314 297
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1 2 " x 6 0 T ( % " o r.t*" t)! t 1 2 5 1 1 1 12"Set f€ 4O4 382
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STIFFENER o 4"...$21
14"x100T 326
(1"hote)
rc 192 Make all your o 5"...$24 CANADASALES:CMRRONCOLL|ER *EASY.FEED" STANDARD DADO

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 Product Reviews

HandyLayoutTool
Here'sa greattool for only $16.The Tri Scribeis a well-machinedpair of pencil hold-
ersthat attachto a ruler or square.They can be usedthreeways:like a pencil gauge,
to layout circles,or to make parallellines.
Both headscome with scribe points, which
can be used insteadof a pencil if you prefer a
scribedline.
Clamp the Tii Scribeto a ruler (2-in.wide or
less)usingthe brassknobs (included).Inserta
pencil and you're ready to lay out. My fav.orite
wayto usethis tool is on a combinationsquare.
It's remarkablyeasyto adjust.You can alsouse
the Tri Scribe to lay out mortise-and-tenon
joints.
If you want to usethe Tri Scribelike a cutting
gauge,get the optional Tri Blade for $7. It's a
small, snap-off razor knife that replacesa
scribepoint.

Woodcraft Supply,(800) 225-| 153,

www.woodcraft.com
Tri Scribe,ltem # l4l al6
Tri Blade,ltem# l4154l

Heoting
0nHome
UpTo5070
Sove Cost
And neverhove to buy fuel-
wood, oil,gos,kerosene-
ever ogoln,
Hydro-Sil iso uniqueroomheotingsys-
tem thot con sove you hundledsof
dollorsin homeheotingcosts,
It con reploceor supplement
yourelectricheot,oilor gosfurnoce,
keroseneheotersond woodstoves,
Hydro-Sil isdesignedforwholehouse ORDERTODAYAND SAVE . TWOMODELSTO CHOOSEFROM
or individuolroomcomfort,Hydro-Sil PORTABLE 1I O VOLT- PERMANENI22OVOLI
heotingworkslikethis:inside theheoter
cose is o seoledcopper tube filled Sove with Hydro-Sil: Mony fomilies ore benefitting 220VolI Approx,
' Areo Discount
Permonent ToHeot Price Quontiiy
with o hormless siliconefluidthot will - you con loo!
neverspill,leok,boilor freeze,ll'spel- . Consumel Digest Buying Guide rotes Hydro-Sil
2000
.1500wotts SUU so,tt, s259
monent.You'llnevelrunoul.Running "Best Buy" for heoting- o product thot offers out- 6' .|250 wotts 250so.ft. s239
throughthe liquidis o vodoblewotl stonding volue for its price. 5' .|000wotts 200so,ft. s2t9
hydroelectricelementthot is only . 4' wotts .l00 150sq,ft, sl 99
beingsupplied o proportionolomount Gronl M. (Accounlonl): "With no insulotion or 3'750wotts sq.ft, st79
windows, I soved 5l% when chonging from
of power on on os-neededbosis. storm oilto Hydro-Sil."
2'500wotts 75so,ft, sl69
Whenthethermostot isturnedon,the Ihermostots- CALLfor options
silicone liquidisquicklyheoted,ond . Williom C. (Generol Conkoclor): "l reploced ortohlesf i l0V) Thermostot lncludec
with itsheot retentionquolities, con- electric heot with Hydro-Sil,I om pleosed to report 5' Hvclro-Mox 750-1500 wotts s2t9
tinuesto heot ofter the Hydroele- thot your units hove provided comfort, sofety, ond
consideroble sovingson electricifu."
d' Conrrcr-tor - Dr rol wotf st79
ment shutsoff, soving you money. l'750 wotts - Silicone sr69
Thisexclusivetechnologygreotlyin- . R. Honson: "l connot begin to tell you how
creosesenergysovingsond comfort. pleosed I om with Hydro-Sil.Firsttime in 25 yeors our $.|5,00shipping per heoter $-
electric bill wos reduced - Soved 5635 - over 40%!" TotolAmount S
@
Order by Phone or Moil,Credit Cord or Check ' MosterCord-VISA
CREDIT ORDERS AccT. #
|'800-627 -9276 EXp,
DATE PO BOX 662, FORTMILL,SC 29715
MAlt TO: HYDRO-SIL,
 P r o d u c tR e v i e w s

THE JAPAN WOODWORKER

1731Clement Ave.. Alameda,CA 94501. 1-800-537-7gZO

Bandsaw
Duplicator
Cuttinglots of identicalcurvedpartsis
easierif you usea templateand a tem-
plate follower. This $20 setup from
Woodworker'sHaven, is one of those
"Geez,why didn't I think of that..?"
tools.Attachthe duplicatorto the upper
g u i d e o n y o u r b a n d s a wu s i n g t h e
included hardware.The guide pin that
projectsdown off the duplicator fol-
lows your template.You can setthe pin
to the left or right of the sawbladeand
control how much wasteyou leaveout-
sidethe templateedge.
Unlike shop-madefollowers,noth-
ing gets clamped to the table,so your
work isn t bumping into a tableful of
obstructions.I'vebeenusingmy shop-
made duplicator for years (AW #74,
August 1999,page 43), but now I've
traded it in for this one.
When you'renot usingthe duplicator
you can remove it, or just raise the
upper guide so the pin is aboveyour
work. To changeblades,it only takesa
few secondsto pop off the duplicator.
The duplicatorsaresaw-specificand
are availablefor most models.

Woodworker's Haven,(888) 994-2836,

www.woodworke rshaven.com
 Edited
byTim Johnson& Dave Munkittrick

TheBestBrush
for Waterborne
II
Flnlshlng Polyrrethane
Readthe labelon most cansof waterborne

nps
polyurethaneand it will sayto use a syn-
thetic brush. That'sbecausewater causes
natural bristlesto splay,making the brush
useless.What they don t tell you is that syn-
thetic bristlebrushesaremadefrom either
nylon or polyester.Alwaysgo for the nylon.
Thesesofterbristlesare lesslikely to leave
brush marks in a clear finish. Polyester
bristlesarestifferthan nylon making them
bettersuitedfor usewith latexpaint.

UseTwoBrushes
to ControlDrips
A big brush that holds a lot of finish is greatforcovering coat on the edge,removing any sagsand drips as you go.
a largeflat surface.But that samebig brush often leavestoo Oncethe edgeis finished,switchbackto the big brush,feather
much finish on its thin front edge.The remedy:Usetwo in whereyou left off and finish the top. E
z
brushes.First,usingthe big brush,quickly coverthe front (/)
o
u
edgeand an adjacentsectionof the top with finish.Tip off E
o
this swathof finish on the top with the big brush. Then U

switch to a secondsmallerbrush and smooth out the =

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USE A SECOND BRUSH-small, disposable foam ones
a
work great-to get rid of drips and sagson edges.The U

U)
secret is to keepthis secondbrush fairly dry-only dampened J
u
with mineralspirits-so ir can wick up excessfinish.Hold this o
2
brush at an angleso it cradlesthe bottom lip of the edgeand o
DRIPS AND SAGS on the front edgeof a board are =
make one long end-to-endstroke.lf you need to makea second U
E.
hard to cleanup with a big brush becauseit leavesa pass,put on a plasticgloveand squeezeout the brush with o
F
heavycoat that'slikelyto sag. your fingers. E

lO4 American Woodworker o c r o B E2RO O 0

 F i n i s h i nTgi p s

ApplyingBright-
ColoredStains
Ground pigment stainscan now offer you bright, transparent
colors that are clear and colorfast-a combination of the best
featuresof stainsand dyes.They'rehighly concentrated-as the
tiny bottles attest.
Here'sa trick for evenlyapplyingtheseconcentratedcolorsto
a large surface:First, wet the wood with mineral spirits. This
makesit easyto add and spreadthe color which won't soak in
right awaybecause the surfaceis saturated.Instead
the color mixes
with the solventand slowly soaksin asyou spreadit
d
around. To deepen the color, work in more of the
conCentrate. -E
t|CE

Sources
WoodburstWood Stains
S i xc o l o r s e t , 9 2 3
EmeraldCity Color Company
3234 Ocean Gateway
C a m b r i d g eM, D 2 l 6 l 3
(4t0) 22t-8700;
www.woodburst.com

o Premium mobile basesin Over l00O Custom.fit

sizes
o Capacitiesto 1,500 lbs.
. Exclu_sive
3-point self.leveling_design
. Seamlessweldingwith all-steel %
tubular construction
o Lifetime warranty
FREEColor Catalog
Call: 1-800.02+-ZOZZ
"W"'U put thesebasesuniler our
machines antdpt"
'WoodMagazine,bec
1998
HTC PRODUCTS, INC., ROYAI OAK, MI 48068.0839

105 American Woodworker ocroaEnzooo

 F i n i s h i nTgi p s

RemoveWater-
Soluble
Dye
It happensto everybody.On your sam-
ple,the color wasperfect,but on your
piece, it doesn't look right. Don't
despair.There'san easywayto remove
water-solubledye color so you can try
again.Spongethe surfaceliberallywith
regular household chlorine bleach.
Almost instantly the color will lighten
and begin to disappear.Two coats of
bleach may be necessaryand the
processmay slightly changethe color
of the raw wood. Rinse everything
with watet sandthe raisedgrain, and
yodve got a secondchance.lW

www.wwhardware.com

We hove the ,./",y''o t) 'i

fu\ lorgestselecfionof a. "'"reproductions

\\ cobinethordwore i of your;
7J-"{ -e-----'---r

\S inthisindusrry. paperpatterns
\ Over6000itemst Mounts
intdeOde
1-2hproutfrs
guidesof most
I
i i l'Tacethe line
*1.. k/ of the pattern

ru- !'''.,:l1J!=:-'-{-'
'
therouteris'guided
to faithfully
carve
the
Woodworker's
.
HARDWARE workbelow.15FREE patterns
to getyoustarted.
included
PO Box 180 Souk Ropids,MN 56379
retailpriceunderStOO.
Suggested
24 HOURFAX:888-81t -9850 Distributor:
TheBigHornCorp., Wy82854ph:307.6M.7292
Buffalo,

900-393-0130
 Blue Highway TipS uysamsatrerwhite

Slmple
TableSarnr
Sled
InAW issue#75, October l999,we showed
{ sawopsr
i CLEARAil{CE you how to build the ultimate tablesawsled.
5. slot
For small jobs,build this simple and
versatile,scaled-downversion of a tablesaw
sled invented by Frank Gregg.Frank'ssled
has five sterling qualities:
1. With only threemajor pieces,it's easy,
fastand inexpensiveto build.
2. Youcanmakeaccuratecrosscutson smaller
stock.
3. It doublesasa tenoningjig that uses
FIG.A Use it for cheek cuts.
your rip fencefor a rail and guide when
making cheekcuts.
4. It canbe usedwithout removing the
bladeguard.
5. It storeseasilyand compactly.

To build the jig, you'll need:

A flat 14x 18-in.pieceof ll2-in.plywood
(g-ply Balticbirch is ideal);a straightpieceof
14x 2 x L-l | 2-n.hardwood;an I 8-in.plastic
FENCE runner that fits your miter slot (availablefrom
ACTSAS WoodcraftSupply,(800) 225-1153,or
.GUIDE
www.woodcraft.com).

STEP1. Placethe plasticrunner in the miter

slot and attachthe oversizedplywood base
with threecountersunk3| 4-in.wood screws.
FlG. B Use it for cross cuts. STEP2. Tiim the right sideof thejigbyrun-
ning it through the left miter slot, then usethe
other miter slot to trim the left side.
STEP3. Usingyour largetablesawsled,
squarethe endsof your jig.
STEP4. Cut the rabbets(Fig.C) on eachside
of the push block/rail.
STEP5. Cut a l/8-in.-deep dado acrossthe
plywood base.Make the dado aswide asthe
narrowshoe of the push block/rail and posi-
tion it so thejig floats 1/8-in.abovethe table-
sawtable when it's usedasa tenoning jig.
i , HOLE FOR
r:-L-%{"rt HANGTNG STEP6.Attach the push block/rail to the
basewith 3-3| -in.countersunk wood
FIG.C Constructedfrom three simple screwsand trim the ends by running the jig
pieces. through both miter slots.

110 American Woodworker ocroBER

2ooo