T 1l P S • T 0 0 L S • T E C H I N 1 Q U 1

E S

ShopNotes
$ 4.95 i Issue 4

Shop -Built Panel Saw a Thickness Sanding Jig

Hinge Mortising Jig a Sharpening Hand Saws
 EDITOR’S NOTE

ShopNoles
m
Issue 4 JULY 1992
EDITOR Donald B. Peschke
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
MANAGING EDITOR Terry
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Douglas L. Hicks

Richard
J.

Tim Robertson
Strohman
S. Peters Y ou can imagine
prise at the cost of the
panel saw
ing at purchasing for the shop
over $1000. It's a nice piece of
we were
my sur-

look-
—
hinges are misaligned.
Correctly
hinge in the
positioning
first place remains
the key. Then an accurate mortise
is cut to match the hinge. The key
the

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek

equipment, but that’s a lot of word is accurate If the mortise is
.

ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen

money to spend. off, you’ve got problems.
ILLUSTRATORS Kurt Schultz
Panel saws are used to cut That’s where this jig comes in.
Will Niskanen
Roger Reiland sheet goods (plywood, etc.) down We devised an adjustable jig that
to manageable size. It’s one of let’s you set the size of the mor-
DESIGN DIRECTOR Ken Munkel those tools that you don’t think tise to match exactly the size of
DESIGNER Jan Hale Svec you need . . . until you have the the hinge.
PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England chance to use one. Then it sure All you need is a router and a
SHOP MANAGER Steve Curtis would be nice to have in the shop. 'pattern bit to rout perfect hinge
The biggest benefit is that you mortises. (A pattern bit is a
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Liz Bredeson can easily cut 4x8 sheets down to straight bit with a guide bearing
SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Phyllis Jessen size — by yourself. on the shank instead of on the
,

CIRCULATION ANALYST Jim Woodson The cost of this type of saw end, like a flush trim bit.)
NEWSSTAND SALES Kent A. Buckton usually puts it out of range for SHARPENING. Sometimes the
most home shops. In almost idea for an article comes in a
CONTROLLER Paul E. Gray every instance like this, my first rather round-about way. Re-
ACCOUNTING Linda O’Rourke thought is, “Okay, let’s save cently, Ibrought a couple of old
BOOKKEEPING Julianne Spears money by building one ourselves.” hand saws into the shop to
NETWORK ADMIN. Douglas M. Lidster It took about five weeks to sharpen. (One of them appears on
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSTS. Cheryl Scott work out the design details for the back cover.)
Julia Fish
the Panel Saw. Hardware turned The sound of filing the saw
BUILDING MAINTENANCE Ken Griffith
out to be one of the key elements teeth brought several people into
in the design. the shop.
MARKETING DIRECTOR Robert Murry
It wasn’t that we needed spe- Their reaction seemed to be
SHOP SUPPLIES ART DIR.

CUSTOMER SERVICE MGR. Laura McNelly

Cindy Jackson
cial, hard-to-find hardware. The the same —
wouldn’t it be easier
tricky part was coming up with and faster to take the saw to a
PROJECT SUPPLIES Leslie Ann Gearhart
Linda Jones ways of using common hardware commercial saw sharpening shop?
TECHNICAL SUPPORT Jonathan Garbison in rather uncommon applications. Easier perhaps, but not faster.

SYSTEMS OPERATOR Linda Morrow worked out great

In the end it To prove the point, I gave a
RECEPTIONIST Keri Lee
— we got the panel saw we quick demonstration on how to

CUSTOMER SERVICE wanted for the shop. And only sharpen a handsaw.
Jennie Enos (Supr.), Jeff Janes, Joy spent about $250 ($100 for mate- All you need is a few simple
Johnson, Sara Johnson, Ami Blanshan rialsand $150 on hardware). tools and a little patience. The
SHIPPING DEPARTMENT HINGE MORTISES. While the trick is to let the saw be your
Jerry Carson (Supr.), Gloria Sheehan, panel saw
an impressive piece
is guide. And to let the triangular
Ronald Long, Don McVey, Chuck Carlson
of equipment, it may be too large saw file do all the work.
for some workshops. On a smaller Over the next few days our
ShopNotes is published bimonthly (January, March,
scale is the hinge mortise jig in workshop was full of people
May, July, September, November) by Woodsmith Corpo- this issue. bringing their dull saws back to
ration, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.
Printed in U.S.A. Setting hinges is one of the fi- life. The result of all this activity
ShopNotes is a trademark of Woodsmith Corporation.
©Copyright 1992 by Woodsmith Corporation. All nal critical parts of cabinetmak- is the saw sharpening article on
rights reserved.
Subscriptions: Single Copy, $4.95. One year subscrip- ing. It can break a project if the page 12.
tion (6 issues), $19.95. Two years (12 issues), $35.95.
Canada/Foreign, add $4.00 per year.
Second Class Postage Pending at Des Moines, I

and at additional offices.

Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes,
Box 11204, Des Moines, I A 50340-1204
Subscription Questions? Call 1-800-333-5854, Sam
to 5pm, Central Time, weekdays.

2 ShopNotes No. 4
 ISSUE NUMBER FOUR

• Contents
Hinge Mortising Jig 4
All it takes to make perfect hinge mortises is a router
and this simple jig.
Hinge Mortising Jig page Jj

Thickness Sanding Jig 8

Sanding thin wood so it’s smooth and uniform in thick-
ness is easy with this jig for your drill press.

Shop-Made Drum Sander 11

A bolt, some toy wheels, and a piece of PVC pipe are
all you need to make your own drum sander.

Sharpening Hand Saws 12

There's nothing mysterious to sharpening a hand saw.
All it takes is a few simple tools and a little practice.
Thickness Sanding Jig page 8
Panel Saw. 16
This shop-built panel saw allows one person to easily
crosscut or rip a full sheet of plywood or Masonite. It’s
made with common materials and hardware.

Panel Saw Tune-Up 24

Tips on adjusting the panel saw to make precise cuts
every time.

Motor Vibration 26
Some quick tips to reduce troublesome vibration in

belt-driven machines.
Sharpening Saws page 12

Shop Solutions 28
Five shop-tested tips: Saw Blade Storage Rack, Edge
Jointing Tip, Installing Threaded Inserts, Clamping Ir-

regular Shapes, and File Handles.

Combination Screws 30
A unique thread design and recess in the head make
these screws the perfect choice for the shop.

® Sources 31
Hardware, project supplies, and mail order sources for
the projects in this issue. Panel Saw page 1

No. 4 ShopNotes 3
l
 Hinge
Mortising
Jig
Y ou can rout perfect hinge
mortises every time using
your router and this mortising
step-by-step instructions on
to use this jig, see page 7.)
As the bearing
how

tracks along
can be adjusted to cut mortises
ranging in length from V2 " to 4".

jig. The key to making this jig these guides, the bit cuts a per- BASE
work is the router bit that’s used fect mortise, refer to photo on I started work on the hinge mor-
to cut the mortises — a pattern page 7.Note: When used with a tising jig by making a base (A).
bit, see box below. V2 " pattern bit, the end guides It’s just a “U”-shaped piece of
PATTERN BIT. A pattern bit is

similar to a flush trim bit except

the bearing is mounted on the
shaft rather than the end of the
bit (for sources of pattern bits,
see page 31). With the bearing up
on the shaft like this, the bit can
be plunged into the workpiece —
perfect for cutting mortises.
ADJUSTABLE guides. When a
pattern bit is used with this jig,
the bearing rides against a set of
guides that are adjusted to match
the exact dimensions of your
hinge, see Exploded View. (For

Pattern Bit

A pattern bit has the bearing

mounted up on the shaft instead of
below the cutting edge of the bit

4 ShopNotes No. 4
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES

V2 "-thick plywood that supports

the guides, see Fig. 1. The “U” is
formed by cutting a notch in one
side. This notch is the opening for
the pattern bit.

back guide. After the notch

the next step is to cut a
is cut,

back guide (B) from 3/4 "-thick

hardwood, see Fig. 1.
This back guide provides a sur-
face for the bearing of the pattern
bit to ride against as it cuts the
back of the mortise. And it helps
align the end guides (which are
installed later).
Once the back guide is cut, cen-
ter it on the base and glue it flush
along the back edge of the notch,
see Fig. 1.

LOWER STOP. After gluing the

back guide in place, I added a
lower stop (C), refer to Fig. 3.

Once this stop is cut to size, it's

attached to the base with a pair of

machine screws and T-nuts. The
screws are mounted in slots to
allow you to position the back
guide for different width hinges,
see Fig. 2.
To make the slots, first drill stop for the T-nuts. To do this, In use, the stop is clamped to the
start and stop holes. Then clean center the base on the lower stop workpiece. Then the screws are
out the waste on the router table, and make a mark, see Fig. 3a. loosened and the base is adjusted
see Figs. 2 and 2a. Then drill holes and insert the so the back guide aligns with lay-
After the slots are cut in the T-nuts, see Fig. 3b. Finally, screw out lines for the hinge mortise.
base, locate the screw holes in the the lower stop to the base. (For more on this, see page 7.)

No. 4 ShopNotes 5
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES
End Guides
Once the lower stop is attached to
the base, work can begin on the
end guides, see Exploded View.
The end guides are L-shaped
pieces attached to the base with
machine screws. A slot in each
guide allows adjustment for dif-
ferent length hinges.
To make both the end guides
(D), start by cutting an extra
long blank from 3/4"-thick stock,
see Fig. 4.
STEPPED SLOTS. Then, to al-
low the base of the router to slide
over the screws and washers that
hold down the end guides, I
routed stepped slots down the
center of each guide, see Fig. 4.
To do this, adjust the fence on
"
your router table so a s/4
straight bit is centered on the
width of the blank, see Fig. 5.
Then clamp a stop block to the
fence 2 7/8" away from the back
edge of the bit, see Fig. 5a.
N ow push the blank into the bit
until it hits the stop. Turn off the
router. Then, flip the piece
around and rout the other end.
To complete the slot, just re- guides (D) to length, refer to Fig. with the end guide stops (E)
move the 3/4" bit and replace it 4. And then glue on an end guide against the notch. Then mark the
with a V4" straight bit — you stop (E) to each end guide (D), slot positions and drill counter-
don’t have to reposition the stop see Fig. 6. bored holes near the closed end of
or the fence. Just make a couple T-NUTS. Each slotted end guide the slot, see Figs. 7a and 7b.

of passes using the same proce- is mounted to the base with a ma- Finally, pound a T-nut in from
dure as before, see Fig. 5b. chine screw and a T-nut, see Fig. 7. the backside of the base and
CUT TO LENGTH. Now that the To locate the holes for the T-nuts, screw the end guides in place, see
slots are routed, cut the end place the end guides on the base Fig. 7b.

6 ShopNotes No. 4
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES
Routing Mortises Step-by-Step
The mortising jig is easy to use. SET depth OF bit. Once the
The first thing to do is mark out guides are adjusted, set the
the location of the hinge. I like to router bit to the correct depth
use a knife to mark a precise line and rout out the mortise, see Step
around the edges of the hinge. 3. (Note: This will also rout a
The next step is to clamp the notch in the lower stop.)
jig to your workpiece with C- SQUARE UP CORNERS. Finally,
clamps. Then, adjust the guides square up the corners. Just leave
tomatch the width and length of the jig in place for this, it acts as
your hinge, see Steps 1 and 2. a guide for the chisel, see Step 4.

Step 1:Adjust the Width. First clamp jig over

,
Step 2: Adjust the Length Position one end guide
.

layout lines. Loosen screws in lower stop and po- on the layout line. Then, place a hinge flap between
sition base so back guide aligns with scribed lines. the guides and adjust the other end guide.

Step 3: Rout the Mortise. Adjust a pattern bit to Step 4: Square up the Corners. Leave the mortis-
cut less than the thickness of a hinge flap. Make ing jig clamped in place and square up the corners
light passes until the desired depth is reached. of the mortise with a sharp chisel.

No. 4 ShopNotes 7
 Thickness
Sanding
Jig
A quick way to make
stock is to resaw a board and
then sand away the marks left by
thin The sanding jig consists
three main parts: a base, a fence
assembly, and a dust collector.
of larger than the sanding drum.

FENCE ASSEMBLY
the saw. (Resawing reduces the Once the base is complete, the
thickness of a board by cutting it BASE next step is make the fence
to
into thin pieces.) The trick is to To provide a smooth, flat surface assembly, see Fig. 1. It's made up
remove the marks and leave the for attaching the fence assembly of three pieces: a plywood fence,
stock uniform in thickness. and dust collector, I cut a square a micro-adjuster, and a fence sup-
To solve this problem, I built this plywood base (A), see the Ex- port, refer to Exploded View.
thickness sanding jig, see photo. It ploded View. By adjusting the space between
clamps to the drill press table A hole in the center of the base the fence and the drum you can
and uses a drum sander to sand forms a recess for the drum l,

sand stock up to 1/2 -thick. (Note:

the workpiece. (To make your sander, see Detail in Exploded The width of the stock is limited by
own drum sander, see page 11.) View. Note: The hole is sized V4" the height of the drum.)

EXPLOPEP VIEW 5A 6" WASHER

5A 6" THREADED STUD BASE BUST

BLOCK 5/i6" THREADED INSERT COLLECTOR

FENCE
5Ae“ T-KNOB BLOCK

#& X 3/4 m Rh
5A6" WASHER WOODSCREW

MICRO-- WASHER
5Ae" washer- ADJUSTER

DETAIL

DRUM SANDER
FENCE ©i
SUPPORT \ —
DRILL CENTERED HOLE
04" LARGER THAN
f
D1A. OF YOUR DRUM)

FENCE
SUPPORT
5A6"x2V2 " X NOTE:
CARRIAGE BOLT BASE AND FENCE
ARE 34" -THICK
PLYWOOD

8 ShopNotes No. 4
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES

DRILLHOLE TO
FENCE. To make the fence as- FITTHREADED
sembly, start by cutting a 3" tall INSERT. THEN
fence (B) to match the width of CUT BASE
the base (A), see Exploded View. BLOCK

MICRO-ADJUSTER. Next, to
“fine-tune” the space between
the fence and the drum, I added a
micro-adjuster behind the fence.
The micro-adjuster is made up
of two blocks — a base block ( C)

and a fence block (D), see Fig. 1.

A threaded stud passes through
the base block (C) and is held in
place with a lock nut. (For
sources, see page 31.) Note: You
could also use a 4" eye bolt in
place of the threaded stud.
The stud screws into a
threaded insert in the fence block
(D). When you turn the knob, it
moves the fence back and forth,
see Cross Section in Fig. 1.
To make the micro-adjuster,
first cut a blank to size, see Fig.
la. For the threaded stud to line
up in both blocks, drill the hole
first, then cut the base block (C)

off the fence block (D), see Fig. la.

Next, screw the base block to
the base. Then slide the threaded
stud through the hole and thread
on the lock nut. Now, install the
threaded insert into the fence
block (D) and glue this block to
the fence, see Fig. 1.

FENCE SUPPORT. To support

the other end of the fence, I added
a fence support (E), see Fig. 2.
It's just a piece of lV2 "-thick
stock with a notch cut in it. The
notch allows for rough position-
ing of the fence.
A carriage bolt and a T-knob
hold this end of the fence in place.
To locate the hole for this bolt,
turn the micro-adjust knob until
the fence block (D) pulls up tight
against the lock nut, see Fig. 3.
Now locate and drill a counter-
bored hole in the base for the bolt
in the fence support block (E).
Finally, push the bolt through the
base and thread on a T-knob, see
Fig. 2a. (I used a plastic knob, but
a wing nut will work as well.)

No. 4 ShopNotes 9
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES
Dust Collector
Once you've attached the fence
assembly to the base, the next
step is to add the dust collector.
The dust collector is basically a
box with an open end that faces
the drum sander. A hole in the
back is sized to fit the hose on
your shop vacuum, see Fig. 4.
The bottom of the box extends
beyond the sides so slots can be
cut in the bottom to allow the
collector to be easily positioned
or removed.
EXTENSIONS. To help concen-
trate the vacuum suction and al-
low a clear view of the workpiece,
I added a pair of Plexiglas exten-

sions, see Fig. 5.

These extensions also act as
guards to keep your fingers away
from the rotating drum.
FEATHERBOARDS. By making
one extension longer than the
other and mounting the collector
at an angle, the extensions work
like featherboards. This way they
press the workpiece tight against
the fence, refer to Fig. 4a.

Using the Thickness Sanding Jig WORKPIECE

FENCE

FIRST: FIRST: DRUM

CENTER DRUM IN HOLE ADJUST FENCE
AND RAISE TABLE TO DESIRED
THICKNESS
THIRD: AND ATTACH
SANDING POSITION DUST VACUUM
DRUM COLLECTOR SO HOSE
EXTENSIONS
PROTRUDE
V&" PAST DRUM

SECOND:
USE A STEADY.
SLOW FEED RATE
AND PUSH
WORKPIECE
INTO DRUM

SECOND:
CLAMP BASE TO
TABLE OF DRILL PRESS

Step 1: Start by centering drum over the

the sanding Step 2: Now you can adjust the fence to the desired
hole in the base. Then raise the table and clamp the
base thickness by using the micro-adjuster. Attach the vacuum
toit.Next, position the dust collector on the base so the hose, and then feed the workpiece slowly into the drum.
extensions protrude about Vs" past the drum sander. Use a constant, even feed rate.

10 ShopNotes No. 4
Shop-Made
Drum Sander
Most drum sanders have a body
made out of flexible rubber. When
a sanding sleeve is slipped over the
rubber body and the drum is tight-
ened, the center of the drum bows
out. As the workpiece is fed be-
tween the fence and the drum, this
bow “dishes out” the workpiece.
To solve this problem, I use a
shop-made drum sander. It’s just
a piece of PVC pipe with a strip
of adhesive-backed sandpaper
wrapped around it, see photo.
THE SHAFT. The shaft of the
drum sander is a 6 "-long, 3/8 n
car-
riage bolt with the threads cut FIRST: ATTACH THIRP:
SANDPAPER TO FEED
off, see Fig. 1. MASONITE
MASONITE
THE CORE. For the core ,
I used INTO DRUM
five 2 "-diameter flat toy wheels.
These wheels fit perfectly inside
2" PVC and have a center hole
that fits the shaft, see Fig. 1.
THE PIPE. The PVC pipe pro-
vides straight walls that won't
bow out. Cut it to match the com-
bined height of the wheels, see
Fig. 1. Then epoxy the shaft in : SECONP:
CLAMP JIG TO DRILL
the core, and the core in the pipe, PRESS AND ADJUST
see Fig. 1. FENCE FOR GAP
TRUE UP THE DRUM. To true
up the drum, first attach a strip
of sandpaper to a piece of V4
"

Masonite. Then adjust the fence

on the sanding jig to V4 " and feed
the Masonite (with sandpaper fac-
ing out) into the rotating drum, see
Fig. 2. Repeat as necessary, ad-
justing the fence between passes
until the drum is round.
SANDING SLEEVE. The sand-
ing sleeve is just a piece of adhe-
sive-backed sandpaper that's cut
to match the height (width) of the
drum, see Figs. 3 and 3a.

No. 4 ShopNotes 11
 TECHNIQUE

Sharpening
HandSaws
T he only thing more frustrat-
ing than trying to cut with a
dull hand saw is waiting the week

Sharpening a or twr o it takes to get one sharp-

hand saw is
ened. Many people think there’s
something mysterious about
easy All . it
sharpening a saw. But that’s not
takes is a little
true. All you need are a few sim-
practice and a ple tools and a little practice.
few simple TOOLS. The first thing you’ll
tools. need to sharpen a hand saw is a
vise to hold the saw steady (see
page 13 to make your own).
Then you’ll need a tool called a
saw set to bend the tips of the
teeth, see center photo below.
Finally, you’ll need a triangular
file to bring the teeth to a sharp
point, see bottom right photo.
(See page 31 for sources of saw sharpening tools.) SETTING. After jointing a saw, the next step is to
set the teeth. Setting the teeth widens the kerf the
THREE STEPS
blade cuts. This prevents the blade from binding. To
There are three basic steps to sharpening a crosscut do this, a special tool called a saiv set bends alternate
saw: jointing, setting, and filing, see photos below. teeth in opposite directions. Note: You don’t need
JOINTING. To start, all the teeth on a saw should to set a saw every time you sharpen it. It only needs
be the same height. If they’re not, some teeth will to be done about every third or fourth sharpening.
stick out and end up doing most of the work. These FILING. Filing sharpens the teeth and is the most
teeth will dull and tear the fibers of the wood. important of the three steps. The teeth on crosscut
To prevent this, the saw is “jointed” with a file. saws are filed to fine points with a triangular file.
Basically, you just knock off the points of the teeth This way the teeth cut like knives and sever the
so they’re all the same height. fibers of the wood as they cut across the grain.

Jointing: To ensure all the teeth on k Setting: Next, a tool called a saw
a saw are at the same height, a file is set is used to bend the tips of the teeth, to sharpen the teeth of the saw once
run lightly across the tips of the teeth. This keeps the blade from binding. they’ve been jointed and set.

12 ShopNotes No. 4
 TECHNIQUE

Jointing
The main reason for jointing a
saw is to get all the teeth the
same height. But there’s also an-
other reason.
The “flat” that’s created from
jointing is a great visual refer-
ence. When you sharpen the saw,
these “flats” will disappear as the
teeth are filed to a point.
A VISE. Jointing is simple. All it
takes is a sharp mill file and a vise
to hold the saw. If you don’t have
a saw vise, you can make one (see
the box below), or just clamp the
saw between a pair of wood jaws
in your bench vise.
FILE GENTLY. To joint a saw,
grasp the file with both hands so
your thumbs are on top and par-
allel, see Fig. 1. Then, to keep the

file perpendicular to the blade,

press your knuckles against the need to take is one pass. teeth may need to be reshaped or
sides of the saw blade. Now run Note: If the teeth are very un- even recut. In this case, I’d sug-
the file gently across the teeth, even (or broken) and more than a gest you take the saw to a shop
see Fig. 1. Sometimes all you’ll light jointing is necessary, the and have this done professionally.

Shop-Made Saw Vise

A traditional metal saw vise does
two things. First, it clamps a
large section of thesaw blade to
hold it steady. Second, it makes

sharpening more comfortable by

raising the saw up off the bench.
This shop-made vise does both.
It’s just a pair of hardwood jaws
with a spline near the bottom.
The spline acts like a hinge to
keep the jaws parallel to each
other, see drawing.
A carriage bolt and a wing nut
provide the clamping pressure.
The wide, shallow dado that’s cut
in the longer jaw helps concen-
trate the pressure at the top of
the vise, see drawing.
To use the vise, first clamp it in
your bench vise or screw it to the
front edge of your bench. Then,
loosen the wing nut, insert the
blade between the jaws, and
tighten the nut.

No. 4 ShopNotes 13
 TECHNIQUE
Getting
After the saw is jointed, the next
step is to “set” the teeth. Setting
bends the tips of the teeth alter-
nately to the right and to the left,

see drawing at left. This way they

cut a kerf wider than the blade —
which reduces friction and the
chance the blade will bind.
The goal is to set the teeth so
the kerf doesn’t pinch the blade
Setting a saw (not enough set) or allow it to

bends the tips wobble (too much set).

SAW SET. Setting a saw re-
of the teeth al-
quires a special tool called a saw
ternately to the
set , see Fig. 2. (For sources, see
right and left to page 31 .) Squeezing the handle of
create a wider the set pushes a hammer against
kerf the saw tooth and bends the tip
over an anvil, see Fig. 2a.
How much set you’ll need de-
pends on the number of teeth per
inch on your saw. This is where
things can get a little confusing. FIRST: SECOND:
PLACE RULER AT ALIGN RULER WITH GULLET AND
TEETH PER INCH. To deter- BOTTOM OF GULLETS COUNT THE NUMBER OF TEETH IN 1"

mine the number of teeth per

inch, first lay the edge of a ruler
flush with the bottom of the gul-
lets (the space between the
teeth), see Fig. 3.
CROSSCUT SAWS TYPICALLY
Then align the ruler with a gul- HAVE & TO 10 TEETH -
PER INCH
let and count the number of teeth
in one inch. (Most crosscut saws
have 8 to 10 teeth per inch.)
SETTING A SAW. To set the saw,
first adjust the anvil on the saw
set to match the number of teeth
per inch on your saw, see Fig. 2 a.
Then clamp the saw in a saw
vise, see Fig. 4. Start at one end
of thesaw and set the first tooth
that bends away from you. Just
center thehammer on the tooth
and squeeze the handle, taking a
full stroke, see Fig. 4a.
Nowskip a tooth and set the
next one. Continue like this, skip-
ping every other tooth. When you
reach the end of the saw, turn it

around in the vise and set the other

side, skipping every other tooth.
Note: You don’t need to set
your saw each time you sharpen
it —every third or fourth filing
will provide plenty of set.

14 ShopNotes No. 4
 TECHNIQUE

Filing
After a saw is set, the only thing
left to do is sharpen the teeth
with a file. Filing the teeth of a
saw is easy if you remember two
things. First, let the saw teeth
guide your file. And second, let
the file do the work.
To start, clamp your saw in a
vise so the bottom of the gullets
are about Vs" above the vise. This
prevents the saw blade from vi-
brating or chattering.
THE FILE. I use a 6" triangular

smooth mill file for sharpening.

To find the filing angle, just seat
the file in a gullet and press down
gently, see Step 1. The teeth will
guide the file to the correct angle. Step 1: Let the gullet guide between the teeth, it’ll tilt forward
The corner of the file should sit the as you gently push it
file about 15° and skew at a slight
in the gullet at a slight angle straight down. As it seats itself angle to the side of the blade.
(about 15°), see Step 1. And the
sides of the file will rest against
the bevel that's ground on the
teeth (around 65°), see Step 1.

FILING. Once you've found the Triangular

angle, let the teeth guide the file
files come in a
as you push it forward, see Step
variety of cuts
2 Use a light touch and let the file
.

do the work. The file will sharpen

and lengths. I
the back of one tooth and the use a smooth
front of the next tooth at the cut 6"-long mill
same time. file to sharpen
Take three strokes. Then skip
hand saws.
a tooth, and take the same num-
ber of strokes, see Step 2. Repeat Step 2: Now file three smooth tooth as you file. And make sure
this for the entire length of the strokes, lifting the file between to keep the angle and number of
saw, skipping every other tooth. each stroke. Skip every other strokes the same.
When you reach the end, turn
the saw around and work from
the other side, see Step 3. This
step should bring the teeth to a
fine point.
IS IT SHARP? Sight down the
blade. If any of the tips of the
teeth reflect light, you'll need to
file them to a point.
When the saw is sharp, the
teeth will feel “sticky" when
touched with your fingers (be-
cause of the burr that's left from
filing). But the real test is how it

cuts. Grab a piece of scrap wood Step 3: When you reach the siteend. Once again, use the
and give it a try —
you'll be sur- end of the saw, turn the saw same filing angle and take the
prised at how effortlessly is cuts. around and work from the oppo- same number of strokes.

No. 4 ShopNotes 15
 Panel Saw
This shop-built panel saw allows
precision crosscutting and ripping
of large sheet goods. And it costs
only a fraction of professional saws.

or warp after it’s assem-

bled. So I made the bed out
of A
3
" birch plywood. And
for the rails that support
it, I chose Douglas Fir for
its strength and straight grain.
CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY. Another feature of the
panel saw is the carriage assembly. This assembly
provides a way to slide the saw smoothly on a pair
of guide tubes. Note: This panel saw requires a
circular saw with a TVf' diameter blade.
ripping. The panel saw can also be used for
ripping. Just lock the carriage in place, rotate the
always been impressed
've saw 90°, and push the workpiece through the blade.
Iwith panel saws. They make it To provide additional support when ripping a full
easy for one person to accurately cut a full sheet of sheet of plywood, I added two removable “wings”
plywood into manageable pieces. to the sides of the saw.
The basic principle of these saws is simple. A MOBILE. Since the panel saw is about 10-feet long
sheet of plywood slides in and rests against a verti- (with the wings in place), I attached casters to roll
cal bed. Then a circular saw is pulled down a couple it around to wherever need it. When I'm done
I

of guide rails to cut the sheet. cutting, the panel saw folds up flat and rolls against
The only drawback is the cost —
over $1000 for a the wall for storage.
full-sized model. So I decided to build a shop-made hardware. To build the panel saw, you'll need
version with all the features I liked, see photo. quite a bit of hardware, see Hardware List below.
VERTICAL bed. First of all, there's a large A- But don't let that scare you. I found all the parts I
shaped vertical bed to support a full sheet of ply- needed at the local hardware store. (There's also a
wood. The trick is to make sure the bed won't twist source of hardware on page 31.)

Hardware List
5
#3x j'/4" Fh Woodscrews (21) W' Washers (13) /w” Plastic T-Knobs (3)
n
#&x l'/z" Fh Woodscrews (94) V4 " Hex Nuts (3) 1
/4 x Y/4 " Pender Washers (4)
5 n
W’xlW’ Lag Bolts (&) /i6 Hex Nuts (13) W‘ T-Nuts w/Brad Holes (7)
s 7 5
/a" x 5" Lag Bolts (3) /&" Nail-On Plastic Glides (5) /w n T-Nuts (4)
5 5
/e" Washers (3) /w" x 1V2" Eye Bolt (1) 2 " Swivel Casters (2)
5
3" Butt Hinges w/Screws (3) /w“ x 2" x 3V4 " U-Bolts (4) #6xlW S-Hook (1) l

1V2" Conduit Straps (4)

5
5
5
/w" x 2" x 3W l
Square U-Bolt (1)
3
3
/32 " Wire Rope (7 ft.)
/ie" x 3" Hanger Bolts (2) /i6" Lock Nut wJ Nylon Insert (1) /32 " Crimp-On Clips (2)
5 n
/i6 Washers (14) W’ Nylon Spacers -.375 x .562 (34) W'x4 u
Hex Bolt (1)
n 3 n
1 V2
1
" eliding Glass Poor Wheels
(2) /4 Round Knobs
x /4 Threaded (7) 3" x 13" PVC Pipe (1)
5
W'xlW' Hex Bolts (2) /w" x 2 !/4 " Threaded Star Knobs (4) Weight (see page 23)

16 ShopNotes No. 4
 FEATURE PROJECT

R Mat’/. Rest- Ext. (2) f/4 x 2 - 22

Bed 5 Lips-Extensions (2) 2 V2 x 22 - V4 Masonite
7 s
A 3ed Pieces (2 11 /ex36-72 -
/4 Ply
3 Center Pails (2) 1%x3-72 Pulley System
3
C Edge Rails (2) l'/2x3-73 T Pulley 3ase Plate (1) 6x9 ~ / Ply
3 3
D Top Rail (1) l'/2 x 2 /e - 3Cf/e U Pulley Support (1) 2 x6- /4 Ply
3 7
E 3ottom Rail (1) l'/2x2 /e-77 /e

Back Support Cutting Diagram

F 3races (2 l'/2x3-4&
3 4 x 40 96
3 - BIRCH PLYWOOP 34 x 24 - 40 BIRCH PLY.
G Top 3race Plate (1) 6x!5'/2- /4 Ply
H 3ottom 3r. Pit. (1) 6 x I5V2 - 3/4 Ply
I Foot (1) 3x & - 3/4 Ply
3
J 3a se Pieces (2) 1Sp/4 x 32 rgh. - /4 Ply

Carriage Assembly
3 3 f
K Insert (1) 7 /4 x 11 /4 - /4 Masonite
L Carriage (2 pieces) 1&/4 x 19 - 1/4 Masonite V4 x 24 - 46
TEMPERED MASONITE
M Guide Tubes (2) EMT conduit - 72
j'/2
h
Material Rest and Wings
1*/4 x 2 - 33</4 K 2
N Material Rest (2) NOTE: 1
0 Lips-Mat’l Rest (2) 2 V2 x 25'/4 - */4 Masonite ALSO NEED FOUR
3 8-FOOT 2x8 s ,

7ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ2Z.
P Ext. Supports (2) 7 x 43 - /4 Ply
7 3
Q Extensions (2) 7 /s x24- /4 Ply

No. 4 ShopNotes 17
 FEATURE PROJECT

Bed
I started work on the panel saw

by making the bed. The bed is

built in two sections. Each sec-
tion consists of a triangular piece
of plywood with two support rails
screwed to the long edges, refer
to Fig. 2.
CUT PIECES. To make the bed
by cutting two bed
sections, start
M
pieces (A) from a blank of 3/4
plywood, see Fig. 1.
Next, cut the center and edge
rails ( C) to length, see Fig. 2.
,

Note: The edge rails are cut 6"

longer than the center rails. I
used straight-grained IV2 "-thick
stock for the rails and ripped
them to a finished width of 3".
ATTACH RAILS. Now the rails
can be clamped and screwed to
the bed pieces. The edge rails (C)
extend past the bottom edge of
the bed and act as two of the “feet”
for the panel saw, see Fig. 2b. To
ensure the feet extend an equal
distance, position the top inside
corner of each edge rail flush with
the top of the bed, see Fig. 2a.
CONNECT SECTIONS. After
the two sections are complete,
they're connected with a top and
bottom rail (D, E)> see Fig. 3.
Here again I used IV2 "
thick
stock to make the but this
rails,
time the rails are ripped to a fin-
ished width of 2 3/8".
CUTTING TROUGH. To prevent
the saw from cutting into the bed,
a space (cutting trough) is left
between the two sections, see
Fig. 3. 1 used a 6"-long scrap 2x4
as a spacer to position the two
sections before screwing the bed
pieces to the rails, see Fig. 3.
Note: This spacer will be used
later to position the guide tubes.
For added strength, I lag
bolted the ends of the edge and
center rails to the top and bottom
rails, see Fig. 3a.
CASTERS. Finally, to roll the
saw around the shop, I screwed a
pair of 2" swivel casters under the
bottom rail, see Fig. 3b.

18 ShopNotes No. 4
 G &

FEATURE PROJECT

Back Support _

Once the bed is complete, the

next step is to make the folding

back support. In the “down” posi-
tion, it holds the bed upright. To
move the panel saw, the back sup-
port folds up, and the saw can be
rolled around on the casters.
The back support consists of
two main parts: a brace assembly
and two base pieces, see Fig. 4.
BRACE ASSEMBLY. The brace
assembly is just a simple wood
frame, see Fig. 5. The braces (F)
are IV2 " thick stock cut to a fin-
The frame is
ished length of 48".
completed by screwing a 3/V ply-
wood top and bottom plate ( H) ,

to the braces, see Fig. 5.

To secure the brace assembly
to the vertical bed, cut slots in the
top plate, see Fig. 5. The slots fit

over hanger bolts installed in the TOP PLATE SCREW TOP AND BOTTOM BOTTOM PLATE
m
(6" x 15 1/2 ”) BRACE PLATES FLUSH (6 x15V'2
,,

) v
center rails, see Fig. 4a. ^WITH ENDS AND EDGES
Tightening a plastic knob (or
# x 11/2 " Fh
wing nut) on the end of each bolt BRACES
x 3"
locks the bed in place. Note: A
(11/2 ” -

43" LONG )
counterbore at the end of the
FIRST: prill 1"
slots prevents the knob from slid- COUNTERBORE DEEP >
!
ing as it's tightened, see Fig. 5 a. j
FOOT. To complete the assem- k 1"
(W)--r~
TOP
PLATE
NOTE:
bly, screw a plywood foot (I) to EXTEND FOOT
SECOND: f 2" PAST BOTTOM
the bottom plate, see Fig. 5. With CUT 3/&" WIDE SLOT TO
BRACE PLATE #3 x IV4 " Fh-
the ends of the two edge rails, this
v_ END OF COUNTERBORE J WOODSCREW
foot creates a “tripod” that stabi-
lizes the panel saw, see Fig. 4b. from racking, see Fig. 6. the base pieces and the center rails.
BASE. The last step is to build The base pieces (J) are hinged turnbuckles. Finally, screw
the base. The base is just two to the bed and braces, see Fig. 6. a turnbuckle to each center rail to
triangular-shaped pieces of ply- To allow the back support to fold secure the back support in the
wood that keep the panel saw up, I left V4 " clearance between “up” position, see Fig. 4.

No. 4 ShopNotes 19
The heart of the panel saw is the crosscutting, the insert fits into
carriage assembly. This assembly CARRIAGE one of the two recessed open-
provides a way to mount the saw Like its name implies, the car- ings in the carriage. To make the
for accurate crosscutting or rip- riage “carries” the saw up and carnage (L), start by gluing to-
ping. It consists of three main down the guide tubes. Depending gether two pieces of V4 " Ma-
parts: an insert, a sliding car- on whether you’re ripping or sonite, see Fig. 8.
riage, and a pair of metal tubes.
FIRST: LOCATE AND
INSERT DRILLTHREE 5/16 " HOLES
IN BASE OP SAW

The base of the saw is attached to

an insert (K) made of V4 " Ma-
sonite that fits into a recessed
opening in the carriage, see Ex-
ploded View above.
MOUNTING HOLES. The saw is
to the insert with V4
"
mounted
threaded knobs and T-nuts. This
PIVOT
requires drilling three holes in POINT HOLE
the base of your saw, see Fig. 7.
After drilling the holes, center
the saw base on the insert, and
transfer the location of the holes
and the blade opening onto the
insert. Now you can drill the
holes and cut the slot in the insert.
ADJUSTMENT. Next, to pro-
way to adjust the
vide a saw, en-
large the two holes at the end of
the insert, see Fig. 7a. The single
hole at the end of the insert will
be used later as a “pivot point” to
help position the blade.

20 ShopNotes No. 4
 FEATURE PROJECT

Creating the recessed open-

ings is a simple two-step process.

First, a V4" deep recess is routed

to match the shape of the insert.
Then a lip is created by removing
the waste with a sabre saw.
The trick to making the recess
is to use the insert as a template
and rout the recess with a pattern
bit. (For more on this, see page 4.)

First, center the insert on the car-

riage, see Fig. 8. Then, to guide
the router, tape strips around the
edges of the insert with carpet tape.
rout RECESS. Now you can
remove the insert and rout one
recess, see Fig. 9a. Then repeat
the process, and rout a second
recess 90° to the first, see Fig. 9.
LIP. To complete the openings
holes in the
and form the lip, remove the waste
“ears” of the
with a sabre saw, see Fig. 9b.
HARDWARE. All that’s left is to conduit straps
drill holes and install hardware to make the
on the carriage. To make the guide tubes
carriage slide smoothly without adjustable .

a lot of “play,” I slipped nylon

spacers over four U-bolts like
beads on a necklace, see Detail
in Exploded View.
And to reduce the friction be-
tween the guide tubes and the
carriage, I added furniture glides
between the ends of each U-bolt.

GUIDE TUBES
1/4" THREADED KNOD^
The next step is to attach the car-
FENDER
riage guide tubes (M) to the top WASHER
and bottom rails. These tubes are HOLDS INSERT
"
IN PLACE
just 6-foot long pieces of IV2 CARRIAGE
“thinwall” electrical conduit. INSERT
MOUNT CARRIAGE. Before at-
taching the guide tubes, slide the
ends of the tubes through the car-
riage U-bolts. Now the carnage
assembly can be located on the of the carriage and extends into straps and lag bolts, see Fig. 10.
top and bottom rails. the cutting trough, see Fig. 10. But first, to make the tubes ad-
The key is to center the car- As you slide the carriage to the justable, slot the holes in the
riage on the cutting trough and top and bottom of the tubes, the “ears” of the conduit straps.
position the guide tubes parallel spacer centers the carriage on ATTACH INSERT. Finally, the
with each other. An easy way to the cutting trough, and positions insert can be attached to the car-
do this is to use the same spacer the tubes parallel with each other. riage with threaded knobs and
that was used earlier to form the INSTALL TUBES. Now the top T-nuts, see Fig. 11a. The knobs
cutting trough. Just clamp the and bottom ends of the guide tighten against fender washers
spacer so it’s centered on the back tubes can be secured with conduit which hold the insert in place.

No. 4 ShopNotes 21
 FEATURE PROJECT

Material Rest and Wings

The panel saw is designed with a
material rest to support sheet
goods during a cut. Why not just
use the bottom rail as a rest? Be-
cause the carriage “bottoms out”
on the rail before the saw can cut
all the way through a workpiece.
The material rest (N) is made
of two lVT'-thick blanks (one for
each half of the bed), see Fig. 12.
A number of deep dadoes create
openings in the rest that allow
pieces to slide
sawdust to fall through.
easily, rout or
CHAMFER EDGES. To prevent
file the top sheet goods from “catching” on
edges of each the material rest, the top edge of
opening and each opening is chamfered, see
the edges of the drawing at left. I also chamfered
the edges of the bed next to the
bed next to the
cutting trough.
cutting trough.
LEP. Before attaching the rest,
glue a V4" Masonite lip (0) to the
front of each blank. This helps
“track” workpieces along the ma-
terial rest, see Fig. 12. Note: Cut
the lip shorter than the rest to when ripping, I built two match the diagonal edges of the
allow clearance for the carriage. “wings.” Each wing consists of an bed, and the pieces are screwed
ATTACH REST. The last step is extension support (P) and an ex- together, see Fig. 13 a. To make
to clamp and screw the material tension (Q), see Fig. 13. the wings removable, I drilled
rest to the bed, see Fig. 12 a. The The support is made from a two holes for a threaded knob and
key here is to position the pieces 48"-long piece of plywood that’s T-nut in each extension support.
so the top edges are level and are ripped to width to fit between the MATERIAL REST. Finally, build
at 90° to the cutting trough. material rest and the bottom rail. another material rest for each ex-
WINGS. To add extra support Next, the extension is cut to tension, see Fig. 13.
Pulleye and Counterweight
All that’s left to complete the leys to connect the pipe to the
panel saw is to add a pulley sys- carnage. Each end of the cable has
tem and counterweight, see a loop made witha crimp-on clip.
photo. The idea here is for the An S-hook in one loop hooks
saw carriage to return easily to into an eye bolt installed on the
the top of the guide tubes when carriage, see Fig. 15. The other
you finish a cut. end slips over a bolt which passes
through the top of the pipe, see
PULLEY SYSTEM Fig. 16a. Note: To keep the loop
The pulley system consists of from slipping to one side, file a
three parts: a pulley base plate notch in the middle of the bolt.
(T), pulley support (U), and a
couple of IV2 "
wheels used for
sliding glass doors, see Fig. 14.
The base plate and the pulley
support are both made from
plywood, see Fig. 14. After drill-
ing holes and bolting the wheels
to the pulley support, the two
pieces can be screwed together to
form a T-shape, see Fig. 14 a.
Note: Locate the pulley support
so the pulleys are centered on the
length of the base plate.
To complete the system, the
base plate is screwed to the top
rail so the pulleys are centered on
the width of the cutting trough.

COUNTERWEIGHT
Now that the pulley system is in
place, the last step is to add a
counterweight. The secret is to
make the counterweight roughly
equal to the combined weight of
your circular saw and carriage.
(In my case, this was 16 pounds.)
This lets you pull the saw down
the guide tubes without exerting
a lot of pressure. And it allows the
saw to travel easily back to the
top of the tubes.
LEAD SHOT. To make the coun-
terweight, I filled a length of 3"
PVC pipe with lead shot, refer to
Fig. 16. But sand, concrete, or
any other weight would work as
well, just as long as it clears the
back support. To hold the shot, I

cut a scrap piece of wood to fit

inside the pipe, see Fig. 16b.

WIRE CABLE. After settling on
a counterweight, I ran a 7-foot
length of wire cable over the pul-

No.4
 FEATURE PROJECT

Panel Saw
Tune-up
To make perfect cuts with the panel saw, you need
to take afew minutes to tune it up. The idea is to
adjust the guide tubes so they’re 90° to the material
rest, see Steps 1 and 2. Then adjust the saw blade
so it’s cutting straight, see Steps 3 and 4.

To make these adjustments, place a sheet of ply-

wood (with a “factory” square comer) on the mate-
rial rest so one edge extends into the cutting trough.

Step 1: Clamp a block to the carriage to align the Step 2: To adjust the guide tubes, loosen the top
guide tubes. Then push a sheet of plywood against or bottom conduit straps. Then tap the tubes into
the edge of the block, and slide the carriage up and position. Cut a block to fit between the tubes to
down to check for a gap. keep them parallel while they’re adjusted.

Step 3: The next step is to check the alignment of Step 4: If the distance between the marked tooth
the saw blade. To do this, mark a tooth on the back and the plywood edge varies, the saw needs to be
side of the blade. Then rotate blade forward until adjusted. Loosen the knobs that hold the saw to the
marked tooth aligns with plywood edge again. insert. Then pivot the saw to align the blade.

24 ShopNotes No. 4
 FEATURE PROJECT

Using the The panel saw is designed for preci-

sion crosscutting and ripping. And

Panel Saw when you’re finished cutting, it

folds up flat for storage.

Ripping
When ripping large sheet goods, Then slide the carriage to the
the carnage is locked and the desired position and lock it in
workpiece is pushed through the To do this, just tighten the
place.
blade, see photo at right. Setting T-knob against the strap on the
up the saw for ripping requires a square U-bolt, see Fig. 1.
few simple steps. If your saw doesn't have a lock
First, mount the saw in the switch, use a spring clamp to hold
carriage so the blade is perpen- down the trigger switch during a
dicular to the guide tubes. cut, see Fig. 2.

Storage
Although the panel saw is a large ers, see Fig. 1. Then you can roll
easy to move and store.
tool, it's the saw to another place in the
That's because the back support shop, push it out to the driveway,
can be folded up flat into the back or store it flat against a wall.
of the bed when you're finished To hold the back support in an
cutting, see photo at right. upright position when moving or
When it's folded up, the saw storing the saw, lock the braces in
lifts off the rear foot and the two place with the turnbuckles on the
edge rails and rests on the cast- center rails, see Fig. 2.

No. 4 ShopNotes 25
 ?

IN THE SHOP

Motor
Vibration
The secret to a smooth
running machine is quality
parts and alignment.

Recently I purchased a used before doing any adjustments. repair or replace the motor.
“contractor’s style” table saw. (A ARBOR shaft. The arbor shaft Once the basic components
saw where the motor
belt-driven is the business end of the saw. On check out, the next step is to
hangs from the back.) It seems one end is the saw blade, see Fig. make sure they’re aligned.
like a sturdy well-built machine.
,
1. At the other end is a pulley.

But when I turn the saw on, it Examine the shaft. If it’s worn or MOTOR ALIGNMENT
shakes like a wet dog. damaged, it should be replaced. For the saw to run smoothly the
Is there anything I can do to ARBOR BEARINGS. The next saw arbor and the shaft of the
correct the problem thing I check are the arbor bear- motor need to be in alignment.
ings. They hold the shaft in place ALIGN SHAFTS. This means
Any tool that shakes, bounces, or and allow it to spin freely. aligning the motor from above the
vibrates is not only inaccurate — To test the bearings for wear, saw and from the rear of the saw,
it can be downright dangerous. remove the belt from the arbor refer to Figs. 3 and 4.
Fortunately, there are several pulley. Now, spin the arbor shaft There’s nothing complicated
things that can be done to reduce by hand. It should spin freely about aligning the motor. All it
vibration problems. without “catching” or grinding. requires is installing the belt and
At the same time, check that repositioning the motor on the
WORN PARTS the shaft is held securely in place. mounting plate.
Since you’re dealing with a used If it feels “sloppy,” the bearings
machine, the first step is to check probably need to be replaced.
PULLEYS
for worn parts. There are three MOTOR. The component
third Once the motor shaft is aligned
basic components that need to be that should be checked is the mo- with the arbor shaft, the next
ingood working order: the arbor tor. A pulley that wobbles when step is to check the pulleys.
shaft, thearbor bearings, and the the motor is turned on could ZINC-CAST. A very common
motor itself. mean a bent shaft, see Fig. 2. If type of pulley is a zinc-cast pulley.
Safety Note: Unplug the saw this is your problem you’ll need to Because the metal is soft in this

26 ShopNotes No. 4
 IN THE SHOP

STRAIGHT

pulley, the sides are often bent. ley. As the name says, these pul- the straightedge should touch
Or the center hole (bore) is de- leys are turned from a solid piece the outside edge of both pulleys.
formed so it no longer fits tightly of steel and are well balanced. If the pulleys don’t line up, try
on the shaft. CAST IRON. It’s impractical to adjusting their position on the
Even if a zinc-cast pulley ap- turn large pulleys from a solid shaft. If you still can’t get them
pears in good condition, I’d rec- steel blank. So when replacing aligned, you’ll need to reposition
ommend replacing it. The reason large pulleys, I use cast iron. the motor.
is balance. The only draw back to steel and
For a pulley cast iron pulleys is they cost more
V-BELT
to turn smoothly,
itneeds to be balanced, just like than zinc pulleys. There’s one last thing to check
the wheel of a car. Zinc pulleys Regardless of the type of pul- out — the V-belt. Over time this
are not very well balanced. A bet- leys you use, they have to line up. belt can stretch, crack, and be-
ter choice would be a turned steel ALIGN PULLEYS. To deter- come hard. Simply replacing the
or cast iron pulley. mine if the pulleys are aligned, I old belt with a new one can im-
TURNED STEEL. If possible, I use a straightedge, see Fig. 5. prove the saw’s performance and
prefer to use a turned steel pul- When held against the pulleys, reduce vibration.

New Products
While you’re tuning up your saw,
there’s a couple of new products
worth looking at: Power-Twist V-
belts, and vibration pads.
POWER TWIST BELT. This belt
is made of interlocking sections,
so you can make any length belt POWER
you need, see Fig. 1. And it’s de- "TWIST
v BELT
signed to help reduce vibration.
VIBRATION PAD. This is basi-
cally a sheet of rubber-like ma- MOTOR
terial. The idea is to isolate the FRAME
motor, which helps reduce noise MOTOR CUT PAD
TO FIT ABOVE
and vibration, see Fig. 2. (See AND BELOW MOTOR MOUNTING
PULLEY PLATE
Sources on page 31.)

No. 4 ShopNotes 27
 TIPS & TECHNIQUES

Shop Solutions *
Saw Blade Storage Rack
It lets me see at a glance which
blade I need. And it keeps the
blades from banging into one an-
other and chipping the teeth.
The storage rack consists of
two sides and a back that form a
“U” shape, see Fig. 1. Diagonal
slots cut in the sides hold the
blades at an angle.
The only tricky part is getting
the slots to match up. To do this,
tape the sides together with dou-
ble-sided carpet tape, and mark
the slots on one piece, see Fig. 2.
Then drill a V4 " hole to locate the
end of each slot and cut the slots
with a sabre saw.
To make it easier to insert the
I have several different blades blades, cut off the comer of each
for my table saw. Instead of hang- slot, see Fig. 3. After gluing and
ingthem on a nail, I built a stor- screwing the sides to the back, I

age rack that doubles as a filing hung the storage rack on the wall
system for the blades, see photo. near my saw.

Edge Jointing Tip

When making a pass on a
jointer, I’mnever sure when I’ve
got a straight edge along the en-
tire length of the board.
So I scribble a line on the edge
I’m going to joint. Then I make a
pass and check the edge. When
the pencil line is gone, I know I’ve
got a clean, straight edge.
Tom Hamer
Woolstock, Iowa

28 ShopNotes No. 4
 TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Installing Threaded Inserts
I’ve used your tip about install-
ing threaded inserts with a drill
press on a couple of different oc-
casions. (Editor's Note: This tip
appeared in Issue No. 1 of Shop-
Notes on page 23.)
Sawing off the head of a bolt
that fits the insert, and then
chucking it in the drill press lets
me drive the insert in straight
and square.
The only problem is sometimes
the bolt slips in the chuck, espe-
cially if I’m driving the insert into
a piece of hardwood.
To prevent this, I grind three
“flats” on the shank of the bolt,
see Fig. lb. The jaws of the chuck the end of the bolt, see Fig. la. the drill press, press the threaded
tighten against the flats and hold Then, after tightening the nuts insert into the hole while rotating
the bolt securely in place. against the insert, chuck the bolt the chuck by hand, see Fig. 1.

To install an insert, just thread in the drill press. Joe Plyler

a couple of nuts and the insert on Next, using the control arm of Charlotte North Carolina
,

Clamping Irregular Shapes

Clamping an irregular shaped
INSULATION CONFORMS TO
workpiece in a bench vise can be SHAPE OF WORKPIECE
WHEN VISE IS TIGHTENED
a problem. If you exert enough
pressure to hold the work, you
POLYSTYRENE
may end up marring its surface. INSULATION
One solution is to use scraps of
polystyrene insulation as “vise
WORKPIECE
pads,” see drawing. When you
tighten the vise, the insulation
conforms to the shape of the
workpiece without damaging it.
Bob Heidenreich vise

Columbia Missouri
,

File Handles Send in Your Solutions

Here’s an easy way to install a
If you’d like to share original solu-
handle on a file, see photo. All you tions to problems you’ve faced, send
need is an old dish brush with a them to: ShopNotes, Attn: Shop So-
plastic handle. lutions, 2200 Grand Ave., Des
Clamp the brush in a vise and Moines, IA 50312.
pull off the handle. Then heat the
We’ll pay up to $200 depending on
tang of your file and plunge it into '
the published length. Send an expla-
the handle. The melted plastic nation along with a photo or sketch.
grips the file in the handle. Include a daytime phone number so
Ed Quigley we can call you if we have questions.
Belmond, Iowa

No. 4 ShopNotes 29
 HARDWARE STORE ’

Combination
Screws
A unique The best thing about square to use a Phillips screwdriver, the
drive screws is that it’s almost tip will probably slip out.
thread design
impossible for a screwdriver to Why had even been
cross-slots
and recess in
slip off the head as you drive added? To find out, I talked to Jim
the head make them into a workpiece. Ray, president of McFeely’s, a PITCH. Another key difference
combination That’s because these screws company that specializes in com- is the pitch or angle of the
screws worth a are designed for a screwdriver bination and square drive screws. threads. On a combination screw,
closer look. with a square tip that fits snugly He said combination screws the bottom or leading edge of the
in a square recess in the head of had originally been designed for threads rises up the shank at a
the screw, see drawing below. the furniture industry. If a piece sharp angle. As a result, it slices

You can apply a lot more torque of furniture needed repair after into the wood quicker, with less
without the screwdriver slipping. leaving the factory (and a square chance of splitting a workpiece.
CROSS-SLOTS. These screws drive screwdriver wasn’t avail- You’d think a steep-angled
are also available with “cross- able), combination screws could thread would pull out easier. But
slots” in the corners of the re- still be easily removed with a it’s just the opposite. The reason

cess —a combination between a Phillips screwdriver. is the top or trailing edge of the

square drive and a Phillips head Jim also mentioned a couple of thread is almost perpendicular to
screw, see photo. other advantages they have over the shank of the screw. So it re-
This seems like the best of both “standard” woodscrews. sists pullout like a barb on a hook.
worlds (especially if you can’t al- DEEP THREADS. First of all, BRANDS. Combination screws
ways find a square drive screw- combination screws have deeper are available through several com-
driver when you need one). threads than a standard wood- panies. As a result, there’s a vari-
You can drive in combination screw. Each thread takes a big- ety of brand names like Combo,
screws easily with a square drive ger “bite” so there’s more holding Recex, and Square-X. (For a list of
screwdriver. However, if you try power, see drawings below. sources, see page 31.)

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER FITS SQUARE DRIVE SCREWDRIVER

EITHER PHILLIPS HEAD OR SQUARE DRIVE
FITS EITHER
COMBINATION SCREW OR COMBINATION SCREWS

SQUARE CROSS-SLOTS
RECESS

COMBINATION
SCREW

DEEP THREADS
INCREASE
HOLDING POWER

TO RESIST
PULLOUT. TRAILING
EDGE IS NEARLY
PERPENDICULAR
TO SHANK

SQUARE
PRIVE SHARP ANGLE
SCREW OF LEADING EDGE
CUTS INTO
WORKPIECE ,

30 ShopNotes No. 4
 PROJECT SUPPLIES

Sources
ShopNotes Shop Supplies is of- S6804-200 Drum Sander Note: This kit does not include
fering some of the hardware and Hardware Kit $2.95 the guide tubes, the PVC coun-
supplies needed for the projects ShopNotes Shop Supplies is also terweight container, or the wood.
in this issue. offering rolls of self-adhesive S6804-400 Panel Saw
We’ve also put together a list of sandpaper for the Drum Sander. Hardware Kit $134.95
other mail order sources that These rolls are 4 V2 " wide and
have the same or similar hard- 10 yards long. ANTI-VIBRATION PAD
ware and supplies. S768-310 80 Grit $14.95 The rubber anti- vibration pad is
S768-320 100 Grit $14.95 available through Shop Supplies
PATTERN BIT S768-330 120 Grit $14.95 and from the mail order sources
The Hinge Mortising Jig on page S768-340 180 Grit $14.95 listed below. The pad is 12" x 12"
4 is designed to work with a pat- S768-350 220 Grit $14.95 and l/8 H thick.
tern bit (V2 " dia. cutter). Shop- S5503-370 Rubber Anti-
Notes Shop Supplies is offering a SAW VISE Vibration Pad $13.95
V4 "-shank pattern bit. To make the shop-built Saw Vise
S1514-160 Pattern Bit..$22.95 on page 13,1 used a plastic wing V-BELT
nut, a carriage bolt, and a A 4 -foot length of Power-Twist
washer. belt is available from Shop Sup-
THICKNESS SANDING JIG S6804-300 Saw Vise Hard- plies. This belt isan “A-section”
If you would like to purchase the ware Kit $1.95 (W-wide) belt.
hardware that we used to make A triangular file is also being S6804-500 Power-Twist Belt
the Thickness Sanding Jig on offered. This is a 6" file with a 4-feet long $29.95
page 8, there’s a kit available. sturdy plastic handle.
This kit contains the hardware S5001-121 Saw File $4.95 COMBINATION SCREWS
only, not the wood. ShopNotes Shop Supplies is of-
S6804-100 Thickness Sander PANEL SAW HARDWARE KIT fering a kit of Combination
Hardware Kit $7.95 ShopNotes Shop Supplies has a Screws. This kit includes 100 each
complete kit of all the hardware of the following screws: No. 6 -
DRUM SANDER needed to build the Panel Saw. V4 "
and No. 8 - 3/4 ", 1", ll/4 ",
1";

Shop Supplies is offering a kit of The kit includes a phenolic car- 1 2 ". The screws come in a divided

the hardware to make the Drum riage and insert. The carriage is storage box along with a power
Sander shown on page 11. pre-drilled and routed for the in- driver bit and a screwdriver.
This kit contains the wheels, sert. Allyou have to do is attach Note: The No. 6 screws are
carriage bolt, and the PVC pipe. the insert to your saw. square drive only.

MAIL ORDER SOURCES ORDER INFORMATION

Similar hardware and supplies may be found in the
following catalogs. Please call each company for a catalog BY MAIL BY PHONE
or for ordering information. To order by mail, use the For fastest service use our
form enclosed with a current Toll Free order line. Open
McFeeley’s Woodcraft Woodworker’s Supply
800 -443-7937 800 - 225-1153 800 -645-9292
issue. The order form in- Monday through Friday, 7:00
Pattern Hardware,
Bit, Pattern Bit, Hardware, Pattern Bit, Hardware, cludes information on han- AM to 7:00 PM Central Time.
Combination Screws Adhesive Sandpaper, Adhesive Sandpaper, dling and shipping charges, Before calling, have your
Garrett Wade Saw File, Combination Combination Screws and sales tax. Send your mail VISA, MasterCard, or Dis-
800 -221-2942 Screws Shopsmith/Wood- order to: cover Card ready.
Hardware, Adhesive The Woodworkers’ working Unlimited
Sandpaper, Saw File, Store 800 - 543-7586 ShopNotes
Anti-Vibration Pad 612 - 428-2199 Hardware, Adhesive 1 - 800-444-7527
Trend-Lines Pattern Bit, Hardware, Sandpaper Shop Supplies
800 -767-9999 Plastic Knobs, Combina- In-Line Industries P.O. Box 842 Note: Pnces subject to change
Pattern Bit, Hardware, tion Screivs 800 - 533-6709
Des Moines, IA 50304 after Sept 1,1992.
Sandpaper Screws
; Power-Twist V-belt

No. 4 ShopNotes 31
 Scenes From the Shop
This old Disston hand saw ivill take as keen an edge the years — a cast iron saiv vise to hold the blade, a saw
today as it did when it was made years ago. Likewise, set tobend the tips of the teeth, and a triangular file to
the tools used to sharpen a saiv have changed little over create a razor sharp cutting edge.