- --w-IIa

September 1998
PUBLISHER Donald B. Pesehke
EDITOR Tim Robertson
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR
AFX DIRECTOR
ER. GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Tom Begnal
Bryan Nelson
Cary Christensen
Kurt Sehultz
W henever I have an idea for a
project, I like to get it down
on paper right away. Even if it
heavy, and the legs looked spindly
and out of place.
Although that table isn't around
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Roger Reiland means sketching out a rough any more, the lesson it taught me
Mark Higdon drawing on a napkin or the back of has managed to stick. Not that I've
an envelope. quit doodling on napkins. But now I
.
Cw~tititiDireclm Ted iiralicek Pmject D m l o p e :
. Now there's nothing fancy about don't even get near the lumber pile
Ken Munkel. Senior P m j ~ dD
*
:
.
Kevin Boyle
Pmject Comdh%tm Kent W a Shap M a w s r
skveC&-ShopCmftsmacSteveJ~hnr,hnr,hnr,.Smio~
these drawings. (And the coffee without a comulete set of accurate,
P h a B p a p h : crawin E n g h d
BOOKS
rawings is what got
me thinkimg about
clnwunou building a drafting
. .
Sub.SenrDi7.SandyBaum.NmBlLS.Da:CIendaBsttlsttl
Rezezml Mr.: Paige Rogers Billing Mgr. Rebeees

&phi2 D *
.
~hm.PmmMm:~kJ&im-NmBu.Mp~
mdd L. Bierie Aset Sub. Mp.: J a y %e.
hi:Susie Rider. S7. Oraphic -:
As%
the napkin shown
here gave me a be nice to have
Chel-yl L. Synpm good feel for the
0011PORliTE IERYIC6S overall proportions of a pro-
KFofP!a~n6~d-F6mnecJonMac&hy. Canhlls~:
Robin Hutchinson. Sr Acct L a m T h a w .Accfs. ject featuredin this issue -a
Payable Mary Sthuitz. Accfs. R e . : Margo Petrus. fold-down drafting table.
-.
prod. mr:Gemge Chmieian. ~ l e o t&b:~ouglas
. K
Lidstern Prud As&: Susan Rueve h e - P l e s s Image
Speo.: Tmy Clark, Mimdette BieghJer New Media
NAPKIN PLANS. While these bits
and scraps of paper provide a good
of drafting paper so I could make
drawings in the shop?
M y : GordonC.Gaippe. MultimedioA7tDir:Eugene
Pedmen. N-.". Admi"".: Chria Harrison E.R.
Asst: fursten Koeie.Admin. Asst.: Julia Fish.
. starting point, they've also man- There's only one problem. A
a
Recpt.:Jeawre Johnaan, Shetyl Ribbey Bldg Maid.: aged to get me in trouble, Like the table that's large enough to do that
KenGrifGth. SpecBlProjDi7:Sauiie H.I m time I built a table using some would just he in the way most of
YIILOIIDeR hastily sketched "plans" on anapkin. the time.
~Dir:BobBh.M&'kMm:~kMattitid. In theory, it sounded simple. I'd The solution was a wall-hung
CwtSDyiesM~1:JeMieEn06. W~ir&eue%p.:Nancy
aohnson r &yer ~ i n d a~ m e s .op ~sd.:- ~ d i i
jotted down all the important drafting table that folds down to
m h R + . : M a t I h ~ T e R o ~C~~,%mReps.:A""~cOx.
. dimensions. And as for the joinery create a large drawing surface.
T m y l i u k e n b d , Adam Best, Nmey Dawney,
DebmahRieh. W ~ m ~ 8 S y l ~ C a r q v . Q u a l ~ C R n h o l details, I planned to work those out Once the drawing is complete, you
~ m F r a n k J 0 ~ when I came across them. just fold the table back up. (In the
ShopNates@ (ISSN 10628696) is pubiished bimonthly
Not surprisingly, problems began closed position, it only sticks out 4"
(Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nou) by Augvst Home to crop up right away. I cut several from the wall.)
Pubhhing,2200Grand,DesMoines, 1.450312,
s h o p ~ ~ t e s anatered
ar trademark A D W S H~~~
~ pieces too short. And the joinery Besides the fact it saves space,
Publishinn m o ~ f i r h t 1988 bv
publishin; Allriihts & w e d .
-
. Aueust Home proved to be a bit more involved this table has a couple of other fea-
SubBeriptions:S h d e copy: Y.99.One year subscription than I'd expected. tures that are worth a closer look.
(6iaa-), $21.84. C-daiForeignaddSpery J.
Periodicals t'0~tage Paid at Des Moines, IA and at addi-
tional mailingoffices.
As it turned out, it wasn't fussing A metal rail along one edge guides
Postmastec Send change of address to ShapNotles, PO. around trying to get things to fit a shop-made T-square. And there's
Box 3110$, Boone, 1A S003721a?.
Subsoiption Questions?Wnte to: ShopNotas Cutomto that bothered me. O r even the time a compartment up above to hold
Su%ce,P.O.Box842,DesMaines, IA503M-9861. OresU and lumber that was wasted in drafting tools and supplies.
1-8003356854,800 am to 530 pm, CenhslTlme, week-
days. FAX 5 1 6 S M W 7
E . M ~ ~~ I : h o p ~ o t ~ ~ ~ h ~ ~ ~ ~
making the pieces over again.
t ~ . ~ ~
But as much as I like all that, the
Internet: hnplhvaw.shhvawpnnttt.com The worst thing was the sinking drafting table just wouldn't be com-
PRINTED IN U.S.A. feeling I got when I finally assem- plete without one more thing - a
Reprinted 2002
bled the table. Instead of the nicely bulletin board. After all, how else
proportioned project that I'd drawn would I tack up napkins when I sit
on the napkin, the table was top- down to make a drawing?
 Portable Hose Keel 5 muse Reel page 6
Build this shoo-made hose reel and vou'll never waste
time untanglihg the hose on your ai;compressor Just
give the hose a pull, then wind ~tup when you're done

Drafting Tools 12
Whether you're making a detailed drawing or a simple
cutting diagram, it pays to have a basic set of drafting
I
tools. Here's a look at the tools we recommend. I

Fold-Down Drafting Table

This wall-hung drafting table folds down to provide a
large drawing surface, With its built-in T-square and a
compartment to hold your drafting tools, it has
everyfhlng you need to make detailed shop drawings.
Lh"q
Scratch Stock

"
Looking for a way to add a subtle detail that will set your
next project apart? Try cutting a decorative profile with
this scratch stock. With a metal cutter filed to the desired
profile, just pull the scratch stock across the workpiece,
I
i
I
I

Birdk-Eye Maple

1
It's a mystery how the tiny "eyes"in bird's-eye maple are
formed. But they're certain to attract a lot of attentton
We offer tips on working with this highly-figured wood,

Dq3-B 30 D~.cifti~zg
Table page 16

Readers' Tips 4 1-
Shop-tested tips from our readers to solve their most
common woodworking problems. Plus two quick tips.

shop 5olu.t;ions 14
Here's a selection of tips from the guys in our shop that
will make it easy to build the projects in this issue.
I
Q) Sources 31
1i
Hardware, supplies, and mail-order sources for the
projects featured in this issue. Scratch Stock
No. 41
 Readers' Tips
BRACE
(6"x 11W

1 '
RAlL WEDGE)

NOTE:
LEGS AND
WEDGES ARE
MADE FROM
W e ; RAlL

/
vides sturdy support, I angle the LEG
legs in Cwo directions. They
splay out from side to side, and
they tilt forward from each end
of the sawhorse.
The only problem is this from a scrap 2x4, see detail the wedge and rotated forward.
requires cutting compound angles above. Then they're glued and (Thiscreates the compound angle.)
which can be time consuming to screwed to the rail, see drawing. After serewing the legs in
set up. So instead, I use a wood The next step is to miter the place, I also added a plywood
wedge to angle each leg in both legs to length and attach them to brace for extra rigidity.
directions, see photo above. the wedges. The idea here is to Adolph Pesehke
These wedges are bandsawed position each leg so it's flat against Des Moines, Iowa

Lacquer Thinner Collector

I. use a spray gun to apply a lac- opening cut in the side. The

b
quer finish to many of my pro- opening is covered with a plastic
jects. When I'm done, I clean the scouring pad that's attached
gun using the method suggested with hot glue. (You'llfind the pads
by the manufacturer. That at any grocery store, see margin.)
requires emptying the canister, Now I just spray the thinner
pouring in lacquer thinner, and into the bottle instead of my
spraying it through the gun. backyard. The pad filters out the
But I don't like the idea of lacquer thinner while allowing
spraying lacquer thinner into the clean air to escape. And after 1 CANISTER -> 1 k \!
An ord~naryplast~c the air. So I use a simple col- the excess lacquer settles to the
scour~ngpad filters lector that lets me recycle most bottom, I pour off the thinner
the lacquer thinner: of the thinner, see drawing. and reuse it.
Basically, the collector is just Thomas K. Hultmeyer
an empty bleach bottle with an Peoria, Arizona
Q u i d Tips
If you don't protect your w This hand countersink is ideal
hands when staining, they'll end if you're working with metal -
up the same color as the project. or if you only have a few holes to
^illthough plastic
your hands clean, they don't
keep

come free. But my "gloves" don't

cost a penny. I just slip my hand
into the plastic bag that the
newspaper came in, see photo.
countersinkinkinwood.
The countersink bit is attached
to a dowel that's shaped to pro-
vide a comfortablegrip. To secure
the bit, the shank is epoxied in' a
hole in the end of the dowel.
4
Stanley Rulapaugh Robert Adams. r
Phoenix, Arizona Newark, New Jer:t$
=. .
Shop-Made Clamp
.When assembling a large cab-
inet recently, I ran short of pipe ADJUSTABLE
CLAMP HEAD N m : ALL PIECES WOODSCREW
clamps. But rather than buy EXCEPTPIN ARE MADE
FROM W-WICK STOCK
more clamps, I made my own.
What's nuusual about these SPACE HOLES
2" APART
clamps is how the pressure is
applied. Instead of tightening a
threaded screw, a simple wood
wedge is tapped between the
clamp and the project.
@ The clamps are easy to make.
Each one consists of along, wood
rail with two clamp heads, see
drawing. Note: Just cut the rail
to whatever length you need.
Afixed clamp head is screwed
to one end of the rail. And to
accommodate different size pro-
jects, an adjustable clamp head
is positioned along the length of
the rail. adjustable clamp head. (I used a detail. The farther you tap in the
To make this work, you'll need dowel for the pin.) wedge, the more pressure it
to drill a series of holes in the In use, this pin allows the applies against the workpiece.
rail. These holes accept a pin adjustable clamp head to pivot Peter M. Rath
that's glued into a hole in the as you tap in the wedge, see Alamogmdo, New Mexico

Plans Hanger fend ln Your

To shafe yoworigind tips and. 801
w When my bench gets clu tions problemsyou'vefaeed, s
tered, the plans I'm using often them to: ShopNotvs, Attri.: Read
get buried under tools and dust. Tips, 2200 Grand &e,, Des M
But screwing a steel shelf LA. 50312. COr if it's easier,
standard to the wall and adding them to us at: $15-28%6741.)
a magnetic clip solves that We'll pay.up t'cr $2D@dep
problem, see photo. Now I just thepublished length.Please,*
hang up the plans in full view. davtime~hone,numbwso we em
R. B. Him&,
Vienna, Ohio
 Portable
Hose
Reel
Made of eornrnonly available
materials and hardware,
this hose reel is inexpensive
and easy to build.

A s usual, the hose for my air com-

pressor was tangled like spaghetti
on the shop floor. And as I struggled to
untie the "knots," the same old thought
crossed my mind. Perhaps it was finally
time to break down and buy a hose reel.
The only drawback was the cost. The
least expensive hose reel I could find

I
was $79. And many of them cost more
than $200. (At that price, I figured I'd just get iron pipe fittings come in. They work together
along with a tangled-up air hose.) to form an airtight shaft that's connected to the
SHOP-MADE REEL. But about this same time, I hose. (Pipe fittimgs are available at most hardware
received an idea for a shop-made hose reel from stores. We've also put together a complete hardwar
Tom Aeeuntius of Sidney, Ohio. With just a few kit to build the hose reel, see page 31.) BQ
scrap pieces of plywood, dowels, and some stan- CRANK. Besides serving as an air channel, the
dard pipe fittings, he made a hose reel for a frac- shaft of the hose reel has a simple wood crank
tion of the cost of a store-bought version. mounted to one end. Tnrning the crank spins the
Using a similar idea, I set about building a hose reel so you can quickly wind up the air hose.
reel of my own, see photo above. I t holds a 50-foot PORTABLE. One final note. Although the hose
length of 3h" air hose. But the size of the reel can be reel hangs on the wall, it's not permanently
easily modified for longer hoses. attached. Instead, it rests securely on two wall-
AIRTIGHTSHAFT. Regardless of the length of the mounted brackets, see photo on page 7. This
hose, the compressor supplies air to it through makes it easy to remove the hose reel when
the shaft of the reel, see photo below. That's where the working outside the shop.

Alrtight Shaft. A flexible hose directs a s from the stick~ngout that's used
compressor into the shaft of the hose reel Made Turnfng a crank on the end of the shaft sp~nsthe
up of standardp~pefittings, the shaft has an elbow reel so you can quickly w~ndup the air hose

ShopNotes No. 41
NO.41 Shapi'Jotes
 Keel & Housil
HOUSING
A

CONNECTOR

.-
The hose riel ismade up of two with Teflon tape before assern- An easy way to make two
main parts. A circular reel holds bling the shaft, see margin. identical disks is to start by
the air hose, see drawing. And a DRIVE DISK The next step is to carpet-taping a pair of square
triangular-shaped housing sup-
ports the reel.
add a plywood drive disk (A),
see Fig. 1. I t transfers the rota- proper alignment of the holes iCi
blanks together. This also ensures

tion of the shaft to the reel. To that are drilled next.

REEL make this work, the tee fitting To accept the ends ofthe shaft,

m
To direct air from the com- and elbow of the shaft fit tightly there's a centered hole in each
pressor to the air hose, the reel in a slot cut in the drive disk, see disk. You'll also need to drill a
starts out as an assembly made Fig. la. Note: Yon may have to series of holes in a circular pat-
I produce an up of iron pipe fittings, see Fig. 1. file the slot to get a good fit. tern for the screws that will be
airtight seal, wrap SHAFT. Besides acting as an END DISKS. Now you can turn used to assemble the reel.
the threads of the air channel, these fittings form your attention to the two end Now it's just a matter of cut-
pipe fittings with the shaft of the reel. To prevent disks (B), see Fig. 2. These are ting the end disks to rough shape
Teflon tape. air from leaking, it's important large plywood disks that keep the and sanding the edges smooth,
to wrap the threads of the fittings air hose from slipping off the reel. refer to page 14.
SPACERS. While I was at it, I
also made two spacers (C), see
Fig. 2. These are large hardboard
"washers" with a hole in the
center. The spacers prevent the
end disks from rubbing on the
housing as the reel spins around.
CONNECTORS. All that's left to
complete the reel is to add a half
dozen connectors (D)made from
314"-dia. dowels. Besides con-
necting the end disks, the dowels
form the hub of the reel that the
air hose wraps around.
To determine the length of the
e
dowels, you'll need to measure the

ShopNotes No. 41
 I SHOP P R O J E C T
, . 2 ..,
. distancebetween the outside ends
of the tee and the coupling, see
(giFig. la. (In my case, this was 5lhM.)
ASSEMBLY. Now you're ready
to assemble the reel. Start by
.. ,. screwing the dowels to one end
~ , :

' . . of the reel. Then slip the drive

.3;i
.-, disk and shaft between the
, . :., . dowels and attach the other end.
~

. . : To secure the drive disk, I drilled

: .:
. ~

, , a pilot hole in each dowel and

1; .,
< ~ - ..
; drove in a finish nail, see Fig. 28.

HOUSING
With the reel complete, all you
need is a way to support it so it
can spin around. That's the job of
the housing.
SIDES. The housing starts out CONNECTOR
( % x 5W DOWEL)
simply enough. It's just a pair of
,
., .= triangular-shaped sides (E) made
- .c> from lh" plywood, see Fig. 3. To
<

.. accept the ends of the shaft over each end of the shaft first. Each spring is screwed to a A The flat springs
.,% : there's a hole drilled in each side. At this point, the reel should hardwood support block (H), see used to 'brake" the
BASE &HANGER ROD. The sides spin easily. The problem is it will Fig. 4a. I started with an extra- hose reel are
are joined with ap1ywood base (F)
and a hanger rod (GI made from
continue to spin after you stop long block that's mitered on one
pulling on the hose. (This would end so it fits below the end disk. .
available from:
smallparts,lnc.

&. dowel. Besides serving as a con-

venient handle, the dowel is used
to hang the hose reel on the wall.
tangle up the hose like fishing
line on an old bait-casting reel.)
To apply just the right amount
of pressure, the idea is to posi-
SPRINGS. TO prevent this, I tion the block so the spring
(Part NO FS-a)
800-220-4242

Both the base and hanger rod added a pair of flat springs, see bends back just a bit, see Fig. 4b.
are screwed to the sides with the margin. These springs act like After marking the block and
reel sandwiched between. Just brakes by pressing against the trimming it flush, simply glue
don't forget to slip a spacer (C) end disks, see Fig. 4. and screw it to the housing.

m 1
IEW
To-CE~TERSPRING
ON EDGE OF DISK,
IT5 ATTACHED FLUSH
""TH SIDr "C

JPPORT

.OCK
"x5".
THICK
)WOOD
I
Crank Assembly
i t this point, the reelis enclosed
oy the housing. But it's not
ready to use yet. It still needs a
:rank so you can wind the hose
)nto the reel. The crank consists
)f two pieces: an arm that fitt
I #@xi%"~h
)ver the shaft, and a handle thai WOODSCREW
turns the crank, see Fig. 6.
MORE PLUMBING. But first
there's a bit more plumbing to
do. To prevent air from escaping
from the end of the shaft where
the crankis located, you'll need to
thread on a coupling and install
an end plug. Note: I threaded a
male plug that accepts a femdc
coupler to the opposite end oftht
shaft, see Step 1on next page and
Exploded View on page 7.
ARM. With the fittings in place,
you're ready to add the arm. (I).
It's norbing n1ol.c: than a piece of
Y4' -thick hardnoorl. ( Iwed maple.'
To allow the handleto sPir
freely once it's attached, there's
an oversize hole drilled near one
end of the arm, see Fig. 6. And a
large (7J8"-dia.) hole near the arm will "pinch" the coupling as HANDLE. Before attaching the
opposite endis sized to fit tightly you tighten the lock nuts. arm, it's easiest to add the handle
around the coupling. All that's left to complete the (J), see Fig. 5. This is just a
But even with a tight fit, the arm is to cut it to %al shape. dowel that's screwed to the arm.
arm could still slip as you turn The narrow end is formed by Why doesn't the handle come
the crank. So it's held in place with cutting a gradual taper on each unscrewed? Because the screw
machine screws and lock nuts. edge. Then I sanded a gentle passes through the oversize hole
The screws pass through holes in curve on both ends, see Fig. 6. in the arm. But it threads tightly
the edge of the arm,see Fig. 6. Now it's just a matter of into a pilot hole drilled in the end
To allow the screws to apply attaching the arm. To provide of the handle. As a result, the
clamping pressure, I cut a long extra insurance against slipping, handle spins freely (without
kerf in the arm. This way, the it's held in place with epoxy. loosening) as you turn the crank.

m P2
CUTKERFCENTERED
ON WIDTH OF BLANK

10 ShopNotes No. 41
 Hanging
- Bracket5 -

&he hose reel is designed to hang

securely on the wall. Yet it's
easily removed if youneed to use
your compressor outside theshop.
To accomplish this, the hose
reel is supported by two hanging
brackets. An upper braekst cra-
dles the hanger rod (dowel) at
the top of the housing, see Fig. 7.
And a lower bracket holds the
base (F)in place.
W P E R BRACKET. The upper
bracket is a simple, U-shaped
assembly. It consists of a hard-
wood back (K) and two end
pieces (L) made from lh" ply-
wood, Bee Fig. 7.
Before gluing and screwing
the bracket together, it's easiest
to cut a curved notch in each end
piece, see Fig. 7a When the
bracket is screwed to the wall,
these notches form a "saddle" for
the hanger rod.
The upper bracket provides
plenty of support for the hose
reel all by itself. But the housing
would tend to "kick" away from pin (N) glued into a hole in the wall as you crank the reel.
the wall on the upward stroke of top edge. (I used a dowel.) When HANG REEL. The two brackets
the crank. That's where the the cleat is screwed to the wall, make it a snap to hang (orremove)
lower bracket comes in. the pin fiitsin a hole drilled in the the hose reel. Just lower it down
LOWER BRACKET. Basically, it's base (F), see Fig. 7b. Tkis holds onto the brackets. Or lift it up
just a hardwood cleat (M) with a the housing tightly against the and away from the wall.

FINAL HOOK-UP

I To attach the hose, first twist it countemlockw~se

A (looking at the end of the hose) like you're
wringing out a towel. Then thread it into the elbow.
 've known woodworkers who T-SQUARE. A T-
can take a rough sketch and square serves as
uild a project without making a straightedge A
any mistakes. But it doesn't fordrawingall the -,
work that way for me. horizontal lines.
To help anticipate construction But what's more important, it 111a~ make a difference. A pink,
problems and avoid any "sur- ensures that these lines are par- plastic triangle makes the pencil
prises," I like to have an accurate,
allel to each other. lines on the drawing easier for
detailed drawing of the project in One thing to look for when me to see than one made of clear
hand beforemakingmy k t cut. selecting a T-square is that the or gray plastic. Plus, it's not as
Sometimes that means modi- blade is long enough to extend apt to get lost in the shuffle.
fying a plan I've seen some- across your drawing board. Also,
where else. Other times, I'llmake it's a good idea to get one with a DMWIM CURWS
a shop drawing from "scratch." plastic edge that you can see Although straight lines provide
~ i t h e way,
i it-pays to have a through. This makes it easy to the &undwock of a &awing,
basic set of drafting tools.
u line UD on anoint (or line) below. it's the curved lines that refine
Note: For a look at a shop-made the design. So you'll need sev-
T-SOUARE& T-square with a Plexiglas blade, eral tools for drawing curved
It's hard to imagine even sitting refer to the article on page 16. lines as well.
FRENCH down at a drawing board without TRIANGLES. Regardless of the CIRCLE TEMPLATE. A quick
CUR% two basic tools -a T-square and type of T-square, you won't get way to draw a small circle or arc
set of drafting triangles, see much drafting done without a is to use a plastic circle template,
couple of Criangles to go with it. see photo at left. (And it sure
A 45" triangle and one with a heats trying to find a jar or lid
30"and a 60" angle will take care with the correct size radius.)
of most of the angled lines you Once again, you don't need
need to draw, see photo above. every size of circle template
But where a triangle is really available. The one I use has cir-
indispensable is when drawing cles that range in size from $164"-
vertical lines. With the triangle dia. up to 2". And the size
"c0MPA6s resting on the T-square, all the increases in such small incre-
vertical lines you draw will be ments that I can usually find the
L
pe?-pendzcular to the horizontal radius I need.
lines (and parallel to each other). A circle template usually ends
L
You'll find triangles in a wide up doing double-duty in the shop
range of sizes. For most draw- as well. The eenterlines around
ings, an 8" triangle works fine. the circles make it a snap to find
(It's also a convenient size for the center of a dowel. And it's a
Betting up the miter gauge on quick way to lay out a radius on @
your table saw.) the corner of a workpiece (if you
Even the color of a triangle don't happen to have a dime).
L
.2 ShopNotes No. 41
 COMPASS. In addition to a with a series of curves
mrcle template, you'll also need a that make it look like a
@' compass for drawing large cir-
cles and arcs. To produce accu-
plastic scroll saw project,
see lower photo on page
rate results, the important thing 12. The important thing
is to get a compass with legs that about this template is that
adjust easily and lock in place. the radius of the curves
I'd recommend the type that changes continuously &om one
has a threaded rod connecting point to the next. So you can
the legs and a center adjustment use it to draw keeform curves.
wheel, see bottom photo on page The idea is to draw one section a triangular "ruler." Each face of
12. The center wheel lets you of the curve at a time. What the ruler has measurements
"tweak" the compass to the works well is to draw the curved drawn to a different scale.
exact radius that's needed. And line freehand f i s t (very lightly). For example, if you want to
the threaded rod keeps the legs Then find a portion of the tem- make a drawing that's half as
from spreading farther apart (or plate that matches the shape of large as the project, measure
squeezing together). the line. After darkening that directly off the half-scale ('h). If
As simple as it sounds, the part of the line, move the tem- that's still too large, you could
way the lead in the compass is plate and repeat the process. use the quarter (I/&)or eighth-
sharpened can affect the quality scale (lls). (There are twelve
of the line. To ~roducea fine line. mu & PRomcmR scales altogether.)
I sand the lea; to a "chisel edge" All it takes to round out a basic ~ e ~ a r d c of
s s the scale, the
instead of a point. set of drafting equipment is a nice thing is there's no arith-
FRENCH CURVE. A circle 'Gem- scale and a protractor. metic involved. You simply mark
plate or compass works great for SCALE. It's a cinch you won't be the length of a line directly off
drawing a simple curved line (one able to draw every project to xtd one of the scales.
with a single radius.) But you size -some are just too large to PROTRACTOR. Finally, it seems
may need to draw a line that's fit on the paper. So a scale pro- there's always a project that
made up of a series of flowing vides an accurate way to reduce requires drawing an "odd" angle
muyes - each one with a dif- the size of the drawing without (one you can't draw with either of
ferent radius. changing the proportions. the drafting triangles). So I
That's when a french curve The type of scale I use is called always make it a point to keep a
comes in handy. It's a template an architect's scale. Basically, it's protractor I on hand.&
A

1 ::--:;&
I .
Thebast way to end up with a crisp, cleandrgwing
to start with suppliesused especially far drailhg.
PAPER. One important thing is a high qualit-
paper. I use a 100% ragpaper called m r k e r .
mpm Ifs mmare expensive, but it erases
well. Bnd K ysu get the type that's
tmnslucent, you can trace through it.
T-. The paper is attached to a flat
rmrPaceWboawlisfine)with~gbpe.
.
Thie tape has anough %tack"' to hold the paper
 adjust the position of the
pivot pin for different
size disks.
The pivot pin is glued
into a counterbore in the
SANDING JIG runner. In use, the
w After cutting each of the disks workpiece fits over the
for the Hose Reel @age 6) to pivot pin. But there's a
rough shape, the edges are problem. The center
sanded smooth. To make quick holes in the disks are
work of this task (and to end up 9/18 diameter. And I
with ~erfectlyround disks), I couldn't find a dowel
a
used simple"sanding jig and a that size.
disk sander, see photo. So instead of a g/16"hole, I drilled face of the disk sander, see Fig. 1.
JIG. Basically, the jig consists a counterbore in the runner to fit a SAND DISK. Then simply fit the
of three parts: an MDF base, an lU-dia. dowel. Then, to get a snug workpiece over the pivot pin and
adjustable hardwood runner, fit, I wrapped the dowel with slide the runner forward until the
and a pivot pin made from a several layers of masking tape. edge contacts the spinning disk.
dowel, see Fig. 1. s ~ Usingm the sandingjig is a At this point, clamp the runner in
The runner slides in a groove simple process. Start by clamping place and sand the disk by
cut in the base. This way, you can the base of the jig %6" kom the rotating it clockwise, see Fig. 2.

DRllllWG CEHTERED HOLES IN DOWELS

Drilling a hole is usually a This way, when you slip the matter to drill a hole through the
simple task. But when it comes dowel into the counterbore, it's dowel, see Fig. 2. Note: To keep
to drilling a centered hole in a perfectly centered under the tip the dowel from spinning, clamp a
L
round workpiece, it's easy to be of the drill bit. After installing a handscrew around it to hold it
just a hair off. smaller drill bit, it's a simple securely in place.
So when it came time to
drillthe centered holes
in the dowel guides
for the Drafting Table

J (page 16), I used a

simple trick to center the
holes perfectly, see photo at left.
Start by clamping a scrap to
the table of the drill press, see
Fig. 1. I first drilled a counter-
bored hole to match the diam-
eter of the dowel.

14 ShopNotes No. 41
i).When working on the alu- the overlapping hole. This pulls
minum sole plate for the Scratch the bit off course and chews up
Stock (page 241, I reached a point the edges of the opening. So to
where I needed to cut a long slot produce a clean cut, I used a
and a rectangular opening. slightly different approach.
Now if the piece was made of WEB. Instead of drilling over-
wood, I'd just drill a series of lapping holes, the idea is to leave
overlapping holes and clean up a narrow "web" between each FILE EDGES. To complete the
the edges with a chisel. one, see photo at right. Since slot, an ordinary flat fde will
But with metal, it's not that there's not much material, it's make quick work of cleaning up
simple. That's because a twist bit easy to break through the web the edges so they're smooth and
will tend to "catch" as you drill with a small round file, see Fig. 1. straight, see Fig. 2.

FlLE EDGES OF SLOT

WITH ROUND FILE AND OPENING SMOOTH

w The T-square on the Drafting any irregularities will be trans- FLUSH TRIM. Then. to trim the A
Table (page 16) has a long blade ferred to the edge of the blade. Plexiglas to the exact size and
made of l/4" Plexiglas, see ATTACH TEMPLATE. After the shape of the template, I used
margin. Since this blade serves template is completed, it's a flush trim bit in the
as a straightedge for drawing all attached to an oversized piece router table, see
the horizontal lines, I wanted the of Plexiglas with carpet tape. Figs. 2 and Za.
edges to be smooth and straight. Note: To ensure the T-square is BEVEL. The on13
'
TEMPLATE. TOaccomplish that, oriented properly once it's com- problem is this leaves a
I used a '14" hardboard template plete, attach the template to the square edge that's difficult
and a table-mountedrouter. When Plexiglas as shown in Fig. 1. to set a pencil against. So 1 '
making the template, it's worth ROUGH SHAPE. The next step followed up by using a chamfer
taking the time to sand the edges is to cut the Plexiglas to withm bit to rout a bevel all around t h ~
nice and smooth. That's because 1/811of the template, see Fig. 1. blade, see Fig. 2b.

No. 41 ShopNotes 15
 Drafting
Table
Fold-Down

This sturdy, wall-mounted

I
drafting table won7 take u p a lot
of space in your shop. It folds into
a cabinet that's only 4"deep.

I 've always wanted to have a large drafting tahle

in the shop. I just couldn't justify giving up the
floor space it would require.
That's why I like this drafting table, see photo at
right. It takes up no floor space. Yet it has a large
drawing surface -big enough to make drawings on
a 19"x 24" piece of drafting paper (or spread out an cutting diagram, I can get right to work.
entire section of the morning newspaper). STORAGE. And there's no need to search for my
FOLDING TABLE. But as much as 1like the large drafting tools, They're stored in a convenient com-
size of this table, there's something else about it partment directly above the tahle, see photo A.
that's even better. When I'm done working on a T-SQUARE. One of these tools is a T-square that's
drawing, the tahle folds up neatly into a wall- designed especially for this drafting table, s e e m
mounted cabinet, see photo C below. photo B. I t rides in a track that keeps the head of
This cabinet only sticks out 4"from the wall. But the T-square tight against the tahle. So there's one
as slim as it is, it's enough to house a simple pivot less thing to worry about when making a drawing.
system that lets you slide the table down and swing BORCO. Finally, to produce a smooth drawing
it out at the same time. surface, we covered the table with a sheet of vinyl
The whole process only takes a few seconds. So material called Borco. (For more information
if I need to work out a joinery detail or draw a about Borco, refer to Sources on page 31.)

A. Storage b
A flip-up door
provides easy
access to a storage
compartment that
holds all your
draft~ngtools.

6.T-Square b
To keep this shop-
made T-square
perpendicular to
the edge of the
table, it rides
in a metal track.
housed in a compact, wall-mounted cabinet. To make a drawing, a
special pivot system lets you swing the table out of the cabinet (right).

No. 41
No. 41 ShopNotes 17
Case
The drafting table starts out as a
tall, U-shaped case that's open
on the bottom A pair of long
sides provide support for th
table as it's opened and
closed. And there's a
compartment up above
to store drafting tools.
SIDES. To guide the
table as it folds out,
there's a long slot down
each side. This slot is
formed by gluing up
several strips of hard-
wood, see Fig. 1.
A narrowfront stvip (A) and a
wide back s t q (B) ruu the
length of the sides. And a t q (C)
and bottom filler strip (D)are
sandwiched between.
JOWERY. Once the strips are
glued up, the top end of each side
is rabbeted to accept the top of
the case. You'll also need to cut a
dado in eachpiece to hold a shelf. %"-THICK HARDWOOD
TOP & SHELF. Like the sides,
the top (E) and shelf(F) are made
from 3/4"-thick hardwood, see It's held together
drawing. Both pieces are identical with glue and screws.
in length. But to provide clear- To cover the screw
ance for a mounting panel, the heads, I drilled
shelf is narrower than the top. counterbored shank
POCKET. Before assembling a bolt that secures the holes and glued in wood plugs.
the case, it's easiest to drill a arms of the table, refer BACK. Next, to enclose the
large (1"-dia.) counterbore near to Fig. 6 on page 21. back of the storage compart-
the bottom of each side. Later, it ASSEMBLY. Now it's just a ment, I added a plywood buck
forms a "pocket" for the head of matter of assembling the case. (G). It's cut to fit the opening
 and screwed in place so it's flush

a'. ulth the hack edge of the shelf,

see Side View on page 18.
DOOR. NOWall that's left is to
add a flip-up door to the front of
the compartment. Note: It's
identical to a lower panel
assembly that's added later. So I zw / UPPEK~LOWER
made the door and the lower EDGING DETAIL
panel assembly at the same time.
Each one is a plywood panel EDGING I THICKNESS
O F % PLY
(H) that's wrapped with strips of (CUT LENGTH TO Fin
hardwood, see Fig. 2. A tongue
on one edge of each panel fits a
groove in a wide rail (I). The
other three edges are covered
with thin strips of edging (J).
PULL. TOcreate a finger pull, I
cut a curved notch in the rail.
Attaching the door with a piano
hinge and adding magnetic
catches completes the case.

Table
With the case complete, you can wood, see Fig. 3. But this time, ALUMINUM CHANNEL. Next, to
@turn your attention to the table. all four edges are rabbeted to guide the T-square, I added the
Bes~des providing a large form a tongue all the way around. aluminum channel to the lej? stile.
drawing surface, the table has a a s & STILES. These tongues It fits in a groove in the stile and
built-in metal channel on one fit in grooves cut in the mzk (L) is screwed in place, see Fig. 3a.
edge to guide the T-square. and stiles (M). Youll also need to PENCIL STOP. Finally, to keep
Here again, the table is made rabbet the ends of the rails to pencils from rolling off the table,
up of a plywood panel (K) that's form a short (stub) tenon that fits I glued a pencil stop (N) to the
surrounded with strips of hard- into the stiles. bottom rail, see Fig. 3b.

RAIL
(1V2" x 30Va"
%"-THICK
-
HARDWOOD) HARDWOOD)

RAIL TO FORM
W x WTONGUE

No. 41 ShopNotes 19
 ..,

provides solid support for upper end only provides clear-

L the table when it's open.
To make this work, the
ance as the arms pivot.
A'FTAGH ARMS. Now you can
pivot system consists of attach the arms. This is easy for
two main parts: a pair the upper (curved) end of each

suppm-ts (0)are of the arms. That's bemuse

narrowpieces ofhard- they're attached to the lower
wood attached to the bottom panal that was made earlier.
of the table, refer to Fig. 4 on To create a uniform l/s'' gap
next page. Two holes in the sides between this panel and the table,
of each support are used to con- I slipped l18" hardboard shims
neet it to the case and the arm. between the two parts. Also,
To provide clearance as the plating scraps of l/&hhardboard
table folds up and down, you'll under the assembly keeps it level
also need to cut a radius on the and "snugs" the lower panel
'IVM BY'*Ed outside corner of each end of the against the arms as they're
@ THREADEDROD SLIDE5 DOWN supports. Then just glue and screwed together.
AND lABLE s c m the supports -In place. N I O ~ I N GBLOCKS. The ne*
6UPPORT PIVOTS ON ARM
TO EXTEND TABLE OUTWARD ARMS. Next, I added the two step is to add two hardwood
ARM FOLDS PROYIDE a m (P),see Fig. 5. The arms mountiw blocks (a, see Fig. 5.
dB5OLlD eUPP0R-r PORTABLE pivot at each end. So you'll need These blocks are attached to the

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the armsfirst. Later, thefre used TABLE
ASGEMBLY

a
to connect the arms to the case.
To prevent the lower panel
from binding against the
I

mounting blocks, you'll need to

cut a radius on the lower inside
comer of each block, see Fig. 5b.
As before, the mounting blocks
are attached to the arms with
carriage bolts and lock nuts. But
this time, I slipped a 3/8"-long
Y
F$'g
RADIUS ON
EACH OUTSIYk
CORNEROFSUPPORT
nylon spacer in between. The SUPPORT
space that this creates will allow
I'M" x 22"
w-rAcn HARDWOOD)
-
the mounting blocks to fit tight
against the sides of the case.
RNM IZSSEMBLY
At this point, it's just a matter of
making a few final connections.
TRREADED ROD. TO "tie" the
supports to the case, I used a
long piece of threaded rod. I t from chewing up the slots). the inside face of each support. I
passes through the slots in the To preveut the table from also added a knob to each end of
sides of the case and the holes in racking, I also slipped a guide the rod to lock the table in place.
the supports, see Fig. 6. (R) between each support and MOUNT ARMS. Now all that's
As you open and close the the side. It's just a dowel with a left is to mount the arms. Here
table, the rod travels up and down hole drilled through the ends to again, it's a good idea to use '/8"
shims to get everything aligned
@
the slots in the sides. A nylon fit over the rod, see page 14.
spacer that fits on each end of Finally, to keep the rod from &st. Then simply screw the
the rod guides it smoothly up and moving from side to side, two mounting blocks (Q)flush with
down (and keeps the threads "jam" nuts are tightened against the back edge of the sides.
 Mounting 5y5
Once the draft'mg table is assem-
bled, it's just amatter of mounting
it oa the wall. It's held securely
in place by two interlocking
panels, see drawing at right.
MOUNTING PANELS. Both of
these panels are made from
plywood. A top mounting panel
(S) attaches to the back (G) of
the case, see detail 'a,' And a
bottom mounting panel (T)fas-
tens to the wall, see detail lo.'
One thing to note about the
panels is there's a bevel on the
edge where they come together.
By orienting the bevels so the
long tips point in opposite direc-
tions, the two panels ‘%oak"
together when you hang the case.
BULLETIN BOARD. But the
bottom mounting panel is more
than just a hanger -it also acts
as a bulletin board. The bulletin
board is built up from two layers:
of two layers - foam board on the bottom and
foam board on the cork on top, see Fig. 7 and margin.
boffom and cork One thing to be aware of is
on top Both are there's a strip near the top and
available at art bottom of the panel that's not
suppiy stores covered. It keeps the screw holes
from getting covered up. And it screw the mounting panel board an; cork against the
provides clearance for the shelf to the waU and mark a line under straightedge as you glue them in
as you hang the case. the shelf, see Fig. 7%Then remove place. (I used white glue,)

22 ShopNotes No. 41
@1t$ not a difscult thing to hold a
- -
T-sauare aeainst the edge of a
drafting table. It's just easier if
you don't have to think about it.
That's why I like the T-square
on this drafting table. I t slides
up and down on the aluminum
channel which automaticallyholds
it square to the table.
GUIDE BLOCK. The T-square
starts off as a hardwood guide
block (U), see Fig. 8. To keep the
T-square aligned, anarrow groove
in the guide block fits over the
exposed leg of the aluminum
channel, see Fig. 8a.
The goal here is to get the
guide block to slide smoothly tape are all that's
without any "play!' I cut a single needed to attach
kerf and waxed the aluminum to the Borco cover
get the guide block to glide to the table.
smoothly on the channel.
BLADE. The next step is to add
an L-shaped blade, see Fig. 8. It
serves as the straightedge of the
m T a q u a r e . The blaie is a-piece of
l/4" Plexiglas that's cut and ATTACH BLADE. Now it's just a blade &om corning off the pins.
routed to shape, refer to page 15. matter of attaching the blade to HOLDERS & COVER. Finally, I
Note: The orange Plexiglas we the guide block. It's held in place made several holders for my
used makes it easier to see pencil with two metal pins and a screw. drafting tools, see photos below.
lines underneath. We purchased The pins ensure that the blade And I added a vinyl cover to the
ours from a local plastic manu- remains square to the guide table to create a smooth drawing
facturing company. block. And the screw keeps the surface, see margin.&

Tool Holders
". . .. .
.

A 1r1eprasirti uatin UI
brush rests in a rabbeted
block that's screwed to end provides a simple
the back of the case. hanger for a compass.

To hold the T-sauare. the

blade is supported at each
end by a thick block of
hardwood with a kerf in it,

ShopNotes
A scoooed out block acts
~~ ~ .b .
as a pencil tray. Setting the
block in from the back lets
you slip triangles behind it. - ~

23
 k k4
It only talces a few hours to m k e this
scratch stock. But the decorative
details it adds to a project will
attract attention for generations.

e
Scratch Stock
W hen it comes to a classic old piece of furni-
ture, it's the details that set it apart - a
delicate bead, a shallow flute, or maybe just a
WOOD & ALUMINUM. The unusual thing is this
scratch stock combines the look and feel of a tradi-
tional, wood-bodied tool with a modern twist -an
shadow line formed by a V-shaped groove. aluminum sole plate. (I used an ordinary piece of
aluminum angle.) It provides a simple,
tool called a scratch tforward way to attach the fence of
scratch stock, see Exploded View
was filed to the desired on page 25. And it provides a stable
base as you make a cut.
CUTTER. But before making any
the surface. shavings, you'll need to have a cutter.
As you can imagine, making a dec- Basically, it's just a piece of metal
orative detail like this required that's filed to the desired profile. We
some elbow grease. (You wouldn't made our cutters from rectangular metal
want to make all the molding for blanks that are already cut to size, see
your house with a sc photo a t left. But you could also use an old
Nevertheless, it was a scraper or hacksaw blade. (For sources of pre-
add a special touch to a s cut metal blanks, refer to page 31.)
To make it easy to USES. AS simple as they are, these cutters can
detail, I decided to make my own scratch stock, see produce an amazing variety of decorative details,
photo above. Like an old-fashioned scratch stock, see photos on page 25. In fact, you'll find that some ()
it provides a way to create a unique, decorative of these details are difficult (or even impossible) to
detail. But it uses a slightly unorthodox approach. produce with a standard router bit.

24 ShopNotes NO. 41
 8-32 x 1" BRA55
MACHINE SCREW

m 8-32 x I ~ ~
Ma~hineScwe
B ~ z ~

(3)5-32 Baes
Knurled NUB
* (3)8-32 B w a Washers
(Zf #6 x %' S m s - P I M
Fh Woodsorews

#6 u%"
Fh WOODSCREW

\
FENC
5L0

BRASS
MACHINE
SCREW

Repair. To repair a piece of furniture, just Multiples. By using several cutters,

were shaped with a single cutter- yet file a cutter to produce a detail that you can produce a complex molding
they can?be duplicated with a router bit. matches the one on the damaged part. like the one on this picture frame.

No. 41 ShopNotes 25
 8-32x 1" BRASS
I began work on the scratch MACHINE SCREW

stock by making two of the main

parts: a hardwood body and a
sole plate made from a piece of
aluminum angle, see drawing.

The body of the scratch stock

fortable grip by incorporating

two curved handles.
BLANK. The body (A) starts
out as a single blank of 314"-thick
hardwood, see Fig. 1. Although
any hardwood would work, it's a
perfect opportunity to use a
small piece of highly figured
hardwood you've been saving for
a special project. (I used bird's-
eye maple.)
WEDGE. Regardless of the
type of wood, the body is shaped
like a wedge. The reason for this
is simple. In use, the cutter is
held against the angled side of
the body. This orients the cnt-
ting edge at an angle to the
workiece. As a result, the cutter
peels off shavings instead of
scraping dust.
All it takes to form the wedge-
shaped body is to rip a bevel

set the blade on my table saw to

15" and made a single pass over
the saw blade, see Figs. 1and la.
PATPERN. After cutting the
wedge, the next step is to attach
/
a pattern that shows the basic
shape of the body, see Pattern on
page 27. It's simply spray-
mounted to the angled side of
the wedge.
CUT DADOES. with the pattern
in place, you'll need to cut two
dadoes, see Fig. 2. A narrow
dado on the angled side holds the
cutter. And a wide dado on the
opposite side accepts the alu-
minum sole plate, see Fig. 2a.
Note: To ensure a good fit, it's
best to have the cutter in hand. I

26 ShopNotes No. 41
 also cut the piece of aluminum

eangle to length that I planned to

use for the sole plate.
Besides the different widths,
the dadoes also vary in depth. To
allow the sole plate to sit flush with
the body, the depth of the wide
dado matches the thickness of the
aluminum angle ('is"), see Fig. 2a.
But with the narrow dado, the
idea is to cut it to depth so it's
half the thickness of the cutter
(%z" in my case). This means that
the cutter will sit just a bit
proud. As a result, when you
tighten a machine screw (added
later), it holds the cutter in place,
see Cross Section on page 26.
ROUGH SHAPE. After com-
pleting the dadoes, the next step
is to cut the body to rough shape.
I used a band saw to cut the
sweeping curves that form the
handles, see Fig. 3. And a drum
sander chucked in a drill press
makes quick work of sanding the
edges smooth.
F ~ A SHAPING.
L Although the
'as are smooth, the corners of
the body are still too sharp to pro- need to cut a long slot near the to sit flat against the body.
vide a comfortable grip. So I outside edge, see Fig. 4. There's ATTACH SOLE PLATE. NOW
rounded the edges with a rasp. also a rectangular opening near you're ready to attach the sole
Note: I "stopped" the roundover the inside corner of the angle plate. This requires drilling two
114" from the shoulders of each that allows the cutter to stick countersunk holes through the
dado, see drawing on page 26. down through the sole plate. sole plate and screwing it to the
To ensure that the cutter aligns body of the scratch stock.
SOLE PLATE with this opening, I temporarily INSTALL CUTTER. All that's left
With the body complete, you can assembled the body and the sole to do is install the cutter. It's held
turn your attention to the sole plate. Then I marked the location in place by two machine screws
plate. I t forms a stable base to of the opening, see Fig. 4a. and a pair of knurled nuts, see
prevent the scratch stock from Now it's just a matter of cut- Cross Section on page 26.
rocking. And it provides a way to ting the opening and the slot, The only problem is drilling the
attach the fence. refer to page 15. After filing the holes for the screws in the angled
ALUMINUM ANGLE. The sole edges smooth, there's one more body can be tricky. So to provide
plate is already cut to length. thing to do. That's to file a slight support as I drilled the holes, I
(It's the piece of aluminum angle (15") angle on the inside edge of beveled the edge of a scrap "two-
that was cut earlier.) But to the rectangular opening, see by" to 15" to match the angle of
make the fence adjustable, you'll Fig. 4b. This will allow the cutter the body, see Figs. 5 and 5a.

4 Pattern.
To create a full-size
pattern of the
body, enlarge the
pattern at left
200% on a photo
copy machine.

No. 41 ShopNotes 27
 8-32WASHER

At this point, the scratch stock is SECOND:

almost complete. All you need is a t&?g%ehtE

sole plate, see drawing. By

sliding the fence along the sole
plate, you can adjust the dis-
tance of the cutter from the cBIDE
edge of the workpiece. '
To ensure an accurate cut, the MEW
fence has to remain square to the
cutter as it slides back and forth.
the edge of a That's accomplished by cutting a
workpiece, an dado in the top edge to accept
angled kerf m the
fence allows you to
"bury" the cutfe,:
the sole plate, see Side Xew.
KERF. In addition to the dado,
there's also an angled kerf cut in
<
CUT 1 9 KERF
J
the fence. The kerf lets you "bury" ATTACH FENCE. After cutting passes through a counterbored
part ofthe cutter, see margin. By the kerf, the last thing to do is hole in the bottom of the fence
using only a small portion of the attach the fence. It's held in and the slot in the sole plate, see
cutter, you eau work right up to place with a machine screw and Side View. Tightening the nut
the edge of a workpiece. knurled nut. The machine screw locks the fence in place.

Since the design of the scratch

stock is based on a traditional
tool, I wanted it to have the soft
lookand feel that comes with use
and time. But I didn't want to '
pl
wait half a century to get it. So
to speed things up, I used a spe-
cial finishing technique.
DARKEYES. It starts by dark-
ening the "bird's-eyes" of the
! After dampening the wood to raise Once the dye dries, sand the body
maple. To do this, I brushed on a
coat of aniline dye, see Step 1. (I
1 the grain, sand off the "whiskers"
and apply a coat of aniline dye
2 until the color remains only in the
"eyes." (I used 220-gr~tsandpaper 1
used a honey amber maple dye.)
SAND & SHELLAC. But I didn't
want that color across the entire
surface. So Isauded the body until
the dye remained only in the
eyes, see Step 2. Then I applied a
few coats of shellac to produce a
nice, warm color, see Step 3.
STEEL WOOL. Finally, to gi\
the body the soft patina of a I
well-worn tool, I buffed the - produce a warm, ambe! -. JC ter the last coa. -. -. --ff
finish with fine (410) steel wool, 3brush on several coats of orange 4 'the finish with fine steel wool (4/0)
see Step 4. shellac, sanding lightly between coats. to bring out a nice, soft sheen.

28 ShopNotes No. 41
 Making the Cuttzert5 -
&ady takes a few minutee to niake a cutter for the
ser&tch stock. All you need is a file and a metal
blank, see page 31 for sources. Note: 'Ib make two
cutters from one blank, just file each end, see pho.to. smooth, straight strokes acroas the end of the
PATTEEN. The first step i8 to simply draw a pat- cutter. Remember, you don't have to wony about
tern of the profile on the blank. (I used a perma- filing a bevel (the body of the scratch stock will
nent marker.) The thing to keep inmind here is the automatically establish the angle of the cutter).
pattern is the opposita of the shape you want. To REMOVE BURR. Filing the cutter will leave a
make a bedfor example, draw a coveon the blank. ragged bun" on the hack of the cutter which could
FILING.Oncethepatternismazked,you'rereadyto end up producing a rough surface. So you'll want to
Ble the cutter to shape. To prevent it &om chattering, removethe burr. To do this, just sand the face of the
s t a t by pladng the cutter between a couple of scraps cutter on a flat surface, see Fig. 7:

m-
aCutting a Profil
The secret to cutting a crisp, cleanpro6l
CY

with a light touch. In fact, the first pass barely

scratches the surface, see photo A at right. Then
you just make progressively deeper cuts (photo B)
until the final profile is revealed, see photo C.
SETUP. It's this final profile that determines the
initial setup of the scratch stock. Start bq
adjusting the depth of cut, see Step 1below. Then
simply position the fence, see Step 2. just make progressively deeper cuts, see Step 3.
SCRAP PIECES. Before cutting the profile on your EXTRA-LONG PIECES. Now it's time to cut the
project pieces, it's a good idea to practice on a profile on the "real" piece. It's easiest to start with
scrap first. Once again, a light touch on the first an extra-long piece. Once the profile is completed,
pass will help establish the line of the cut. Then cut as many pieces as needed to final length.&

--..3.
-

Start by adjusting the cutter for the

desired depth of cut. Then tighten
2 Nowposit~on
. ' ' the fence to establish
the distance that the cutter is set 3 To cut the profile, hold the fence
agalnst the edge of the workpiece
the knurled nuts to lock it in place, in from the edge of the workpiece. and pull the scratch stock toward you.

No. 41 ShopNotes 29
 3ird's-Eye
Maple
With its dramatic swirl marks, bird's-eye
maple presents a special challenge to
work with. . . and a satisfying rewa~d.
'hard Rt&Wifi
maple at the lumberyard. One of the boards I After taking the time to get the surface of bird's-
picked up was peppered with tiny swirl marks. Is eye maple nice and smooth, you'll want to apply a
this what's called bird's-eye maple? And why was finish that will make the eyes "pop."
it in the same stack as the rest of the maple? FILMFINISH. One way to do this is to build up sev-
Thomas Billings eral layers of a film finish. This adds depth to the
Lincoln, Nebraska finish that makes the eyes look like tiny, sun-dap-
pled raindrops on a window pane.

F irst of all, "bid's-eye" describes thefigure in

the wood -not the type of maple. The pat-
tern of swirls that you're describing is found most
ANILINE DYE. To bring out this striking figwe
even more, I use a water-based anilinedye. Unlike
a pigment stain that lies on the surface and
often in hard maple. That explains why they both obscures the grain, a dye penetrates thewood and
happened to be in the same stack of lumber. highlights the eyes.
Even so, I'd say you stumbled on a lucky "find."
Usually, bird's-eye maple is sorted and soId sepa- AUAILILB1Ul"r
rately. That's because the tiny "eyes" that give it Although it's possible to find bird's-eye maple at
its name are a real prize for many woodworkers. the local lumberyard, you may have to order it by
When a finish is applied, these eyes appear to mail. Depending on the quality of the bird's-eye,
shimmer and take on a three-dimensional look. expect to pay from $5 to $15 a board foot. Another
This dramatic figure can turn a fairly ordinary pro- alternative is to use bird's-eye veneer. It ranges in
ject into something special, see photo below. price &om $2 to $8 a square foot.&
..

r &f@rt85
WORKMIUN
=am-6270 But the same thing that makes bird's-eye maple
WWI appealing to look at also makes it a challenge to work
.Mnkww*y: with. The biggest problem is the eyes have a f r w
%64e5DZOB
Y~~SSP b t i n p tendenw to ehi1~out -e m e d -v if "you run a
A boardardthrough the planer.
One way to get around this is to buy lumber
that's close to the final thickness of the project.
But if that's not possible, it's best to sand it to find
thickness. I've had good luck renting time on a
thickness sander at a local cabinet shop.
JOINTWG & ROUTING.There are also some things
you can do to prevent chipout when jointing or
routing bird's-eye maple. As a rule, the lighter the
pass, the better. I limit the depth of cut to lhz" and
use a slow, deliberate feed rate.
SCRAPING. Finally, if you're working with bird's-
eye maple, don't overlook an ordinary hand A The shimmerfna swirl marks and creamy white 0
-
scraper. With a sharp burr, it will slice off thin, wood of bird's-eyemaple make it a perfectchoice
wispy shavings without causing tearout. when you're building that special project.

30 ShopNotes No. 41
 j OuttrwsfrrsfitabcaXtodc~
j To make the cuttersfor the Scratch Stock (page 241, it's
) just a matter of filing a profie in a metal blank. The blanks
i we used are available h m the sources listed m the margin.

Garrett Wade
OrafXSq tam D- 800-221-2942
The Fold-Down Drafting Table fea- Blanks for ObL&m
tured on page 16 provides a com-
nlete workstation for making vour
V "
Woodcraft
detailed shop drawings. 800-225-1163
ShopNotes Pmjeet Supplies is Blanks for C @ m
offering a hardware kit to build the
The Art S t w e
Drafting Table. All you need to supply
800-652-2226
are the foam board and cork for the B m o CmerZmg
bulletin board. a Bono cover for the

i
table, and ~ l & ~ l aforthe
DRAFTING TABLE KIT
6841-ZOO.,
s ~kquare.

................$23.95 u .
Ap0rtaQlr-W i B o m f h r & M ~ W ~
We're offering a hardware kit to j To provide a smooth drawing surface for the Draftiug
build the Hose Reel (page 6). All Table (page 16), we used avinyl board covet (Borco is
you need t o supply is the air hose, i one brand of material.) It cuts easily with a utility knife.

4 exible air line, and the connectors

ed to hookup the flexible air line.
i
i
But before you cut it to final size, it's a good idea to
unroll it and let it "relax" for a couple of days. This way,
it won't pull away from the edges of the table once it's
HOSE REEL KIT
6841-100...................$24.95 i laid down. Borco is available at many art supply stores.

, .

A straightforward design makes Since the blade &ends in front of This Scraper Plane uses an ordi-
this Hand Plane easy to build. And the body,this ChiselPlane is aperfect nary hand scraper to produce a
an extra-thick blade and matching tool to cleanup hard to reachplaces, nice, smooth surface - without

*
chipbreaker help reduce chipout. We're offering a complete hard- wearing out your thumbs.
A complete hardware kit (with ware kit to build the Chisel Plane. A hardware kit (with plans pro-
plans provided inShopNo&s No. 11) ShopNotes No. 14 is also included to vided in ShopNotes No. 27) is avail-
available to build this Hand Plane. provide step-by-stepinstructions. able to build this scraper plane.
HAND PLANE KIT CHISEL PLANE KIT SCRAPER PLANE KIT
681 1-125 ...................$26.50 6814-225 ...................$27.95 6827-125 ...................$19.95
 Dortable Hc 'eel.Helping a fr lrafting Table. Hang this fold-down di
take your air compressor an( a studio or the shop. Either way, its large table,
with you. (Step-by-stepinstr~ a handy work surface. (Our plans begin on p

A Scratch Stock The ~nspiratfonfor our scratch stock shape. Wrth a fence rldmg ag,
(background)came from this old Stanley No 66 Hand ork, the cutter "scratches"a de
Beader (foreground). Each tool uses a metal cutter rface (See page 24 for cornplet