ShopNotes

Vol.4 BBi Issue 21

a AdjustableFeatherboard Table Saw Review

Avoiding Kickback Tongue & Groove Joinery
 : "

EDITOR’S NOTE

Donald B. Peschke
EDITOR
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Douglas L. Hicks
Cutoffs
MANAGING EDITOR Richard S. Peters
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Tim Robertson

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Phil Totten
Mark A. Williams
T he blink of an eye. That's all it takes
for an accident to happen in the
workshop. And unfortunately, safety is
someone he offered his letter for
else,
publication, see the box below.
I must admit, I was deeply affected

one topic that just doesn't get much by Richard's letter. After writing and
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek
ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen advance thought. thanking him for sharing his story, I felt
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Kurt Schultz Sure, most woodworkers wear some compelled to do something about safety.
ILLUSTRATORS Roger Reiland And often use a SAFETY. In this issue, you'll find two
type of safety glasses.
Mark Higdon
push stick. But that just isn't enough. It articles that can make your shop a safer
PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England
ELECTRONIC GRAPHICS Chris Glowacki has to be a part of everything you do. place to work. The first article gives a

DESIGN DIRECTOR Ken Munkel The problem is that safety is one of number of ideas to help prevent kick-
SENIOR DESIGNER Kent Welsh those things you usually don't do any- back —one of the most dangerous
SHOP MANAGER Steve Curtis thing about until something happens things that can occur in the shop.
SHOP ASST./FAC1LITI ES Steve Johnson
(often with disastrous results). And if The second is a set of plans for an
CIRCULATION
you wait for an accident to happen be- Not only does
adjustable featherboard.
New Bus. Mgr.: Sandy Baum
Mail Mgr.: Dir.
Troy Dowell, Asst.: Julie Greenlee •Newsstand fore you become serious about safety, it make work on your table saw or
Sales: Kent A. Buekton •Analyst: Shane S. Francis you could find your entire life changed. router table safer, adds precision
it also
CORPORATE SERVICES inner VOICE. That's what happened to every cut or joint you make.
Plan. Dir.: Jon Macarthy Controller: Robin to Richard Suabedissen, a reader from SAFETY FIRST. One final thought. The
Hutchinson Account. Laura Thomas Bkpr.:
Holly Lucas Prod Mgr.: Carol Quijano
. Pub.
Middlesex, New Jersey. He wrote to letter Richard sent spurred us into
Serv. Mgr.: Gordon C. Gaippe Artist: Cheryl L. me about the Cutoffs in issue 17 where making our shop a safer place to work.
Cynor Info. Serv. Mgr.: J oyce Moore Elect. Pub.
I talked about an inner voice that often I hope his letter gets you thinking
Cow'd.: Douglas M. Lidster Net. Adm .: Nick
Thielen •Admin. Assists.: Cheryl Scott, Julia Fish “speaks" to woodworkers about safety. about safety in your shop too.
Recpt: Jeanne Johnson* Bldg. Maint.: Ken Giiffith In it,suggested that the secret to
I
PROJECT SUPPLIES safety is listening to this voice every
AH Dir.: Cindy Jackson Catalog Products Mgr:
time you hear it. Richard didn't. And
Bob Baker Inv. Control/Prod. Mgr.: Mark Mat-
tussi- Pro?. Supplies: Linda Jones - Tech, SuppoH: with the hope that he could prevent an
David Stone Sys. Ope?\: Tammy Aldini Ship. accident like his from happening to
Supy'.:Nancy Johnson •Fulfillment Gloria Shee-
han, Chuck Carlson, Sylvia Carey, Lany Prine

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Mgr.: JennieEnos Team Leader: Karla Cronin
Customer Service Reps.: Jennifer Murphy, Joy
A Kickback Incident
Krause, Sara Kono, Anna Cox, Lonnie Algreen, Dear Don,
Adam Best, Kristi Andrews
I’ve been using my table saw for A split second later, the blade
over 45 years for all types of wood- kicked back the waste piece. Half of
COMPUTER BULLETIN BOARD FOR WOODWORKERS working and therefore am “experi- my left thumb was on the floor, and I

• Project plans and photos to download enced.” Late one day, I was in a was holding my totally severed left
• Woodworking HelpLine
hurry to rip a 2x4 in half to make index finger in my left hand.
• Indexes for Woodsmith & ShopNotes
• First month FREE for PC or MAC 1 V2" x 1 V2" x 9"-long
garden stakes. After thirteen grueling hours of
To log on to WoodNet, 1-615-245-9663. If
call I meant
a long length first
to rip microsurgery, the surgeons gave up
you have any questions, please give us a call:
(voice) 1-515-282-7000 M-F 9-5 CST. and then cut the pieces to size. But trying to save the thumb. There was

ShopNotes © (ISSN 1062-JK596) is published bimonthly with my mind on a later phase of the no chance at all for the index finger.
(Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.) by Woodsmith Cor-
Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.
poration, 2200
project, I cut them to length first. Please emphasize in your column
ShopNotes ® is a registered trademark of Woodsmith Corp.
©Copyright 1995 by Woodsmith Corporation. All
An “inner voice" told me that it again the need to “listen to the inner
rights reserved. wouldn’t be too wise to rip these voice every time you hear it.

Subscriptions: Single Copy, $4.95. One year subscrip-

tion (6 issues), $19.95. Two years (12 issues), $35.95. Can- short pieces. But I was in a hurry and I didn't listen. And it took that
ada/Foreign, add $5.00 per year.
Second Class Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA and ignored it. After all, I’ve done this a piece of wood (traveling at over 100
at additional offices.
thousand times before. feet per second), only .004 of a sec-
Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes,
Box 11204, Des Moines, I A 50340-1204
Subscription Questions? Call 1-800-333-5854, 8am
So I proceeded to rip a 9" piece. ond to tear off my fingers and
to 5pm, Centra] Time, weekdays. ,4s I finished the cut, I pushed the change the rest of my life.
E-Mail. Prodigy: EDJE97A, CompuServe: 75330,2301,
Internet: [email protected], America On- outside (waste) piece away from the Sincerely,
Shopnotes.
line:

PRINTED IN U.S.A.
blade with my left hand. Richard H. Suabedissen

2 ShopNotes No. 21
 ISSUE TWENTY-ONE

* Contents
Projects & Techniques
Avoiding Kickback 4 Featherboard page 6
Safety is no accident. Here’s a close-up look at some of
the causes of kickback and what you can do to prevent it.

Weatherboard 6
A unique design lets you adjust this shop-made feath-
erboard to use on many of the tools in your shop.

Tongue & Groove 8

Cutting a tongue and groove joint is easy when
tight-fitting

you follow our simple step-by-step approach.

Lap Peek. 11
This compact lap desk provides space inside to organize Tongue & Groove page 8
pencils and paper and a large stable surface to write on.

Thickneeeing Jig. 16
You don't need a planer to thickness stock accurately. All it

takes is a hand-held router and this easy to build jig.

Departments
The Small Shop
Fower Toole_ 14
Which power tools are best for the small shop? Full-size,
benchtop, or combination tools?
Great Tips
Thicknessing Jig page 16
Glue-Up Tipe 20
A collection of our best tips that includes everything from
choosing the right glue to the best way to apply it.

Selecting Tools
Table Sawe 22
Our team tests six popular table saws and offers practical
suggestions on selecting a saw that will suit your needs.
ReadersTips
Shop Solutiona 28
Shop-tested solutions from our readers on their most
common woodworking problems. Plus two quick tips.
Lumberyard
Softwood Grades 30
Building a project out of softwood? Understanding the
different lumber grades can affect its cost and appearance.
Finish Room
Water-Saeed Top Coate 31
A durable finish that’s easy to use. And no messy cleanup.
All this makes water-based top coats worth a close look.
Table Saws page 22

No. 21 ShopNotes 3
 SHOP SAFETY

Avoiding
Kickback
have a friend who has a piece getting pinched between the ure between the fence and one of
I of wood embedded in the wall blade and fence. Or the saw kerf the miter gauge slots — at both
behind his table saw. It's a re- closing up around the blade. In ends of the fence, see Fig. 1. (This
minder to others entering his either case, the blade grabs the assumes your saw blade is paral-
shop not to stand directly behind workpiece and propels it back- lel to the miter gauge slot.)

the saw when it’s in use. And it's wards —

quicker than you can Along with a properly set
a reminder to himself as to how blink an eye, see Cutoffs, page 2. fence, there are a number of inex-
dangerous kickback can be. But kickback on the router ta- pensive things you can do to re-
Kickback shouldn’t be taken ble occurs for a different set of duce your chances of kickback.
lightly. It’s as serious as an un- reasons. For more on this, see the PAWLS. One thing you should
guarded saw blade or an exposed box on the opposite page. ahvays do is use your blade guard
router bit. And the secret to pre- FENCE POSITION. On the table with its anti-kickback pawls, see
venting kickback (and an injury) saw, one of the simplest ways to photo above. As long as the pawls
is to understand where it’s most get a straight, bind-free cut is to are sharp and well-maintained,
likely to occur and what causes it. set the rip fence parallel to the they should dig in and “catch” the
TWO TOOLS. There are two saw blade. Having the fence par- workpiece if it’s kicked back.
tools in the shop where the poten- allel to the blade allows the work- SPECIAL INSERT. When I can’t
tial for kickback is high: the table piece to slide smoothly past the use the blade guard, I often use a
saw and router table (or shaper). blade without binding. special insert with a built-in split-
With the table saw, kickback is To make sure the fence is par- ter, see box below left. This splitter

often the result of a workpiece allel to the blade, I simply meas- prevents the saw kerf from closing

4 ShopNotes No. 21
 SHOP SAFETY

up around the saw blade. kickback rollers. It also keeps a

Another way to help prevent workpiece tight against the fence
kickback on the table saw is to or table top to help you get a
use a pair of anti-kickback rollers straight cut, see Fig. 2. And the
or a featherboard. fingers help prevent a workpiece
ROLLERS. Anti-kickback roll- from kicking back at you should
ers mount to an auxiliary fence the blade get a hold of it.
that's bolted or clamped to the rip A featherboard, like the one
fence, see photo at left. shown here, is available through
The unique thing about these many woodworking mail-order
rollers is they rotate only in one catalogs, see sources at right. Or
direction. And as a side benefit, you can make your own, see page 6.
the rollers hold the workpiece SAFETY TIPS. Whenever possi-
tight against the fence and table ble, it's also a good idea to use a push

top to ensure a straight cut. stick. It won't prevent kickback, but

Rollers are available through itjust might save a finger or two if

many woodworking mail-order something does go wrong.

catalogs, see sources at right. And finally, never remove the
FEATHERBOARD. A feather- waste piece until the power is off
board works much like the anti- and the blade has come to a stop.

Router Table Kickback Sources

Anti-kickback Rollers
Working with a router table can back bits, see photo at right. & Featherboard
be deceptive. It might have a Unlike standard router bits, Garrett Wade
300 - 221-2942
smaller motor and use a smaller these bits have less cutter sur-
Hartville Tool
cutter than a table saw, but a se- face exposed, see detail A below. 300 -345-2396
rious accident can occur here, too. As the workpiece passes through WoodsmithOhop
300-444-7002
A workpiece can kick back if it's the cutter, less wood can be re-
Woodworker’s Oupply
Or
fed into a router bit too quickly. moved per revolution of the bit. 300 645-9292
-

Anti-kickback Sits
you try to remove too much wood Less wood, less chance of kickback.
CMT Tools
in one pass. And even if the bit hits MULTIPLE PASSES. And one of 300 -531-5559
a knot. So it's a good idea to first the simplest ways you can reduce Anti-kickback Bits. A bit Leichtung
carefully inspect the workpiece kickback is to nibble away at the with less cutter surface ex- 300 - 321-6340
Woodworker’s Oupply
before turning on the router. wood by taking a series of shallow posed lessens the likeli-
300 645-9292
- '

Also keep in mind the other passes, see detail B below. hood of kickback.
rules for a router table. Rout in a
right-to-left direction — whether
you're using a fence or a bit with
a bearing, see drawing. Never
backrout —
this is very dangerous.
With backrouting, there's al-
ways a chance the router bit will
grab the workpiece and pull it,
along with your fingers, into the
sharp cutters.
Never rout with the workpiece
between the bit and the fence.
And always keep your fingers
safely out of the way.
ANTI-KICKBACK BITS. You can
also reduce your chances of get-
ting kickback by using anti-kick-

No. 21 ShopNotes 5
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES

Featherboard
OVERALL
DIMENSIONS:
4/2"Hx34"
1
L x2}/z"D

5/w"
THREADED
WASHER KNOI3

O ne of the simplest things

you can do to make a table
saw or router table safer for
Unlike

adjustable
most other feather-
boards, this one has two identical,
hold-downs. Each
slot or
Safety Note:
deep kerf or
the height of the base.

all
When
the
cutting a
way through,
yourself is to use a featherboard. hold-down attaches to the base don’t use the second hold-down as
Afeatherboard can help you by way of a pair of carriage bolts it can pinch the kerf closed.
hold a workpiece firmly against that fit in a T-slot in the base, see base. The base of the feather-
the table top or fence. It can also drawing above. board is just a piece of 34" ply-
prevent a workpiece from kicking By loosening two knobs, each wood with a piece of Vi'-thick
back at you if the blade or bit hold-down can be positioned any- Masonite glued to one side, see
happens to grab hold of it. where along the length of the T- Fig. 1. But before gluing the Ma-

Rip Fence Clamping

.

the featherboard to the

table saw rip fence will
press a workpiece firmly
against the table top.

Table Top. Or you can

clamp the featherboard
to the table top to hold a
workpiece firmly against
the rip fence.

Router Table. Just like

the table saw, you can
clamp the featherboard
to a router table top or a
router table fence.

6 ShopNotes No. 21
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES

sonite in place, a groove is cut in and rough length, see drawing at

the plywood to form the bottom right. Then so the hold-downs
half of the T-slot, see Fig. la. (I will grip a workpiece and prevent
cut this groove to fit the head of it from kicking back, cut the ends
n
a 5
/i6 carriage bolt.) of each blank at a 30° angle.
After the Masonite is glued in To create the fingers which
place (I used contact cement), the press against and grip the work-
T-slot can be completed. To do piece, the next step is to cut a
this, cut a second groove centered series of kerfs. To do this so
directly over the first groove. they’ll be evenly spaced, I made
You want the width of the second an indexing jig that attaches to
groove to just fit the square the table saw miter gauge, see
shank of the carnage bolt. box below\
HOLD-DOWNS. Now the base is Once the fingers have been cut,
ready for the two hold-downs. it’s just a matter of laying out and

Since these are going to take a lot drilling holes for the slots.
of abuse, I made them from V£'- Then remove the waste with a
thick hard maple. band saw or sabre saw and attach
To make' the hold-downs, first the hold-downs to the base with
cut two blanks to finished width the mounting hardware.

Indexing Jig
Cutting evenly-spaced kerfs on a gauge, it’s best to have the blade
featherboard hold-down is quick in this kerf so the jig is perfectly
and easy with this indexing jig. If aligned with the blade.
you’re at all familiar with how a To cut the first kerf, clamp the
box joint jig works, then you’re workpiece to the backing board
already familiar with how this so it’s tight against the pin, see
particular jig works. detail. Then make the first pass.
The jig has two saw kerfs that After the first kerf is cut, un-
are spaced Vg" apart, see drawing. clamp the workpiece and shift it
One kerf has a hardwood pin over onto the index pin. Then re-
glued in it. The other kerf lines up clamp the workpiece and take an- Perfect Kerfs The index pin makes it easy to
.

with the saw blade. Note: When other pass. Repeat this process to cut evenly-spaced kerfs. Just index the work-
screwing the jig to the miter complete all the fingers. piece on the pin between each pass.

THIRD: place saw slade

No. 21 ShopNotes 7
 TECHNIQUE

Tongue & Groove

Tongue Forming a tongue

. is just a matter of rout- Groove A . table saw makes quick work of cutting
ing a rabbet on each face. To ensure a consistent a groove to fit the tongue. Here, the featherboard
cut, a featherboard applies downward pressure. presses the workpiece tight against the rip fence.

T
still
here's a good reason
many hardwood
why so
floors are
as strong and flat today as
additional glue surface.
STRENGTH. Even without glue,
a tongue and groove joint offers
the lap desk on page 12), the
breadboard ends help keep the
panel from warping.
the day they were laid down — plenty of mechanical strength. TWO TOOLS. While there are a
they're held together with Take the back of a cabinet that's number of different ways to cut a
tongue and groove joints. Even made up of a number of wood tongue and groove joint, I use a
though I don't install a lot of hard- slats for instance. To keep the simple method that's as depend-
wood floors, I still find a tongue slats flush, tongue and groove able as themorning paper.
and groove joint useful on many jointsform a strong, interlocking All it is two tools: a
takes
of the projects I build. panel, see drawing B. router to cut the tongues, and a
alignment. For example, when BREADBOARD ends. Another table saw for the grooves, see
gluing hardwood edging to a ply- way to take advantage of this photos above. The nice thing
wood shelf, it automatically strength is to attach a “bread- about this method is it doesn't
aligns the two pieces, see draw- board” end to a panel, see draw- require a special router bit or saw
ing A below. And it provides me- ing C. Whether the panel is solid blade. (I use a Vz" straight bit and
chanical support as well as wood or plywood (like the top for a combination saw blade.)

A Alignment A tongue and groove B. Strength Even without glue,

. the C. Flat To ensure this table top stays
a ‘breadboard ” end is attached
'

joint automatically aligns strips of strength of a tongue and groove joint flat,

hardwood edging on a plywood shelf, keeps the slats on this cabinet flush. with a tongue and groove joint.

8 ShopNotes No. 21
 TECHNIQUE

The Tongue
I usually start
by cutting the
tongue. Typically,
it's centered on
the edge of the
workpiece by cut-
ting two rabbets —
one on each
face. In most cases, you can do
this quickly and easily on a
router table. But for large work-
pieces, a hand-held router
works best, see the left-hand
box below.
THICKNESS. Either way, youTl
need to adjust the depth of cut to
establish the thickness of the
tongue. A simple rule of thumb is
to make the tongue about one third
the thickness of the workpiece.
LENGTH. Another considera-
tion is the length of the tongue. ness and length of the tongue, tongue. Once you're satisfied
This is determined by the posi- more thing to do. To
there's one with the setup, you can make the
tion of the fence. The exact length hold the workpiece down flat on tongue on the “real” piece. Just
isn't critical. I usually make the the table and ensure the tongue rabbet one side of the workpiece,
tongue so it's not more than twice isa consistent thickness, clamp a see Fig. la. Then flip it over and
as long as it is thick. featherboard to the fence, see rabbet the opposite side, see Fig.
featherboard. Before mak- Fig. 1. (Plans for this feather- lb. Note: For a tip on making clean
ing a test cut to check the thick- board are shown on page 6.) cuts, see right-hand box below.

Large Panels Clean Cuts

When routing a tongue on a large panel, it’s easier to One problem have when routing a rabbet in plywood
I

use a hand-held router and a rabbet bit than to man- (or cross-grain in hardwood) is I don't always get a
handle the workpiece on the router table. clean cut. Scoring the shoulder of the rabbet with a
Here again, the idea is to cut a rabbet on each face. knife helps, but it's hard to make this cut accurately.
But instead of a fence, the router is guided by a bearing To do this, I make a simple guide. It's just a scrap
on the bit that rides against the edge of the workpiece. piece that's routed with an identical rabbet. This rabbet
By changing the size of the bearing (or bit), you can positions the edge of the scrap along the shoulder so
vary the length of the tongue. you can score an accurate line on the workpiece.

No. 21 ShopNotes 9
 TECHNIQUE
The Groove
With the tongue
complete, the
groove can be
cut to fit. In most
cases, the groove
is centered on

the edge of the workpiece.

While you’d expect this to
make the surfaces flush, slight
variations in thickness can ex-
pose one of the edges. So I use a

workpiece that’s slightly thicker

n
(about 1/32 ). This way, it will
stand a bit “proud” when the
pieces are assembled. And the
surfaces can be sanded flush later.
DEPTH OF CUT. Before cutting
the groove, you’ll need to set the
depth of cut. To allow room for
excess glue, I adjust the blade
height so the groove is about Start by roughly centering the ond pass, see Fig. 2b.
V32" deeper than the length of edge of the workpiece on the TEST FIT. Although this pro-
the tongue. blade and locking the fence. Now duces a centered groove, it may
fence. Now it’s just a matter it’s just a matter of making two not be wide enough to accept the
of positioning the rip fence to lo- passes. The first pass is made tongue. So you may need to
cate the groove, see Fig. 2. To cut with one side against the fence, ‘‘bump” the fence a bit and make
a groove that’s centered exactly see Fig. 2a. Then flip the work- two more passes. Just continue
on the edge, I use a simple trick. piece end for end and make a sec- like this until you get a perfect fit.

Assembly
There are several ways to assem- SOLID WOOD. But when join- by “pinning” a small dowel
ble a tongue and groove joint. ing two solid wood pieces, you’ll through the tongue. (I glue an Vs"
PLYWOOD. The simplest way is need to allow for movement dowel in a stopped hole.)
when one of the pieces is ply- caused by changes in humidity. SAND FLUSH. Now just sand
wood. To attach a hardwood strip To do this, apply glue only to the surfaces flush. A sanding
(or breadboard end) to the ply- the middle third of the tongue, block gives good control to avoid
wood, just glue the pieces together. see Fig. 3. Then lock each end in cross-grain scratches, see Fig. 4.

10 ShopNotes No. 21
 Lap
Desk
This easy to build lap desk
organizes pencils and paper
and provides a sturdy
uniting surface as well.

C
desk.
ompact yet functional. That's
what I like about this lap
A shallow tray organizes
enough to make it comfortable to
write on, but not so steep that
paper slips around on the desk.
stand getting knocked around.
The
pieces of
solution is to combine thin

hardwood (I used V4"

,,

writing (or drawing) materials, Finding the best writing angle and 1
/2 -thick maple) with V4"-
see Exploded View below. And a was just a matter of experiment- thick plywood. While a single piece
top serves as a writing surface. ing abit. But the real challenge of plywood provides plenty of
To provide access to paper and was making the desk lightweight strength for the bottom, the top
pencils, the top is hinged to the so it's easy to carry (even for a isbuilt up from two layers to pro-
tray. And it's slanted — just child). Yet sturdy enough to with- duce a stable writing surface.

No. 21 ShopNotes 11
 W E E K E N

Tray
The tray is just a simple wood box
that'sused to store writing and
drawing materials.
SIDES. To provide a comfort-
able writing position when the
top is added, the sides (A) of the
tray are angled, see Figs. 1 and 2.

But before cutting the angles, it's

easiest to rabbet both ends of the

sides now to accept a front and
back piece added later, see Fig. la.
Next, to make both sides iden-
tical, carpet-tape them together

before cutting the shape with a

sabre saw or band saw, see Fig. 2.
Then shave off the remaining
waste to the line with a hand plane.
FRONT/BACK. The sides are
held together with afront (B) and
back ( C), see Fig. 1. To allow the
lid to sit down tight, I beveled the
top edge of each piece on the table
saw to match the angle of the
sides, see Fig. lb.
The simplest way to do this is to
dry assemble the tray and mark
the bevel. Then rip a straight edge
first so the pieces are Vg" wider
than finished size. Now rip the
pieces to width as you cut the bevel.
BOTTOM. All that's left is to cut
grooves in each of the tray pieces
for a 1/4 '-thick plywood bottom
,

(D). After cutting the bottom to

fit, just glue the tray together.

With the tray complete, the next

step is to add a top. What I
wanted is a solid (yet light-
weight) writing surface.
So I started off looking for V2 "-
thick maple plywood. But since
that was hard to find, I decided to
make my own out of two oversize
top pieces (E) made of VT’-thick
birch plywood, see Fig. 3.

These pieces are held together

with contact cement (with the
“good" faces out). Then simply
square up the panel and trim it to
final size, see box on next page.

12 ShopNotes No. 21
 WEEKEND PROJECT

BACK STRIP. To cover the ex-

posed edge on the back (the front
edge is covered later), I added a
hardwood back strip (F), see Fig.
3 It’s a thin, narrow piece that’s cut
.

longer than the panel. After gluing

it in place, just trim the ends flush.

BREADBOARD ENDS. Next, to

make the top more rigid, I added
two wide “breadboard” ends (G),
see Fig. 4, These hardwood ends
are held in place with a tongue
and groove joint. (For more on
this,see page 8.) After gluing the
ends in place, I chamfered the top
and bottom edges on the back and
sides of the panel.
STOP. Now, to create a lip that
keeps pencils from rolling off the
desk, a stop (H) that’s taller
(wider) than the thickness of the
top is glued on, see Fig. 5.
CLEAT. There’s only one more
strip — a cleat (I) for hinge
screws that secure the top to the
tray, see Detail 'a’ in Exploded View
on page 11. The hinges are screwed
into mortises cut in the back (C)
of the tray, see Exploded View.
Finally, I sanded chamfers on
the stop and cleat and wiped on a
couple coats of tung oil.

Squaring Up a Panel

Edges. With an overhanging edge running against the rip Ends. To trim the ends square, carpet-tape a framing square
fence, the first step is to trim the oppositeedge straight. to the panel so the short leg is flush with the back edge and
Then, after repositioning the fence, use the edge you just the long leg overhangs the end slightly. Once one end is
cut as a guide to trim the panel to final width. squared up, remove the square and cut the opposite end.

No. 21 ShopNotes 13
 THE SMALL SHOP

Power Tools
for the small shop

F itting a full complement of power tools into a

small shop can be like packing a dozen sardines
into a small tin. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
2. Dust Collector. When working
closed shop, you should be concerned about protect-
in a small, en-

ing your lungs from sawdust. Since a table saw kicks

If the tools are selected and organized properly you up a lot of dust, your next purchase should be a
can have the tools and still have room to work. two-stage dust collector to hook up to the saw.
The key to selecting a power tool is to first deter- Most small two-stage dust collectors come with a
mine how much use it’ll get. If it’s used a lot, go with quick-disconnect hose that
a full-size stationary tool. If it’ll only be used now makes easy for you to con-
it

and then, go with a bench-top tool that can be stored nect to other tools with the
out of the way when not in use. same mated connector. And
Shown here are the power tools I’d buy (in order) many dust collectors also
if Iwere outfitting a small shop today. Note: For come with castors so you can
those working in a really tight space, you might easily roll it out of the way
consider a multipurpose tool, see box on next page. when it’s not being used.

1. Table Saw. If I could only have one power tool 3. Router Table. I never realized how much of a
in my shop, would be a contractor’s table saw
it necessity a router table was until I started using one.
(refer to the table saw review starting on page 24). The router table in our shop gets used eveiy day.
The table saw in our shop is used all the time to Not only is it used for routing decorative profiles,
rip, crosscut, and miter workpieces. It’s great for but it’s also great for routing rabbets, dadoes, and
cutting rabbets and dadoes. And the large table top box joints. And with special router bits, you can
makes it easy and safe to cut even rout raised panels.
a full-size sheet of plywood. Although in many cases a
Note: From time to time hand-held router could also
you may need to move the get the job done, I’m more
saw around to make certain comfortable with the control
cuts. So it’s a good idea to also the router table offers with
invest in a set of castors or a its larger table top, adjust-
mobile base. able fence, and miter gauge.

14 ShopNotes No. 21
 THE SMALL SHOP

4. Drill Press. The next tool I’d buy would be a drill 6. Compound Miter Saw. A radial arm saw is a
press. And there are a couple of ways to go here. great power tool for crosscutting and mitering. But
If you’re only going to use a drill press for drilling they take up a lot of space. And they’re not portable.
holes, you might consider a small, bench-top model. A compound-miter saw on the other hand is both
When it’s not in use, you’ll be able to store it out of portable and compact. Miter saws have been used
the way in a corner or down under a workbench. primarily by trim and finish carpenters because of
But if you’re going to drill their portability and accu-
a lot of holes, mortises, or use racy. But they’re starting to
it for sanding, you might con- find their way into many
sider a larger, full-size model. workshops —
for the same
It won’t take up much more reasons. Although smaller,
space, and have a large
you’ll you’ll find that a compound-
table top and bigger motor to miter saw will cost about the
handle the extra work. same as a radial arm saw.

5. Thickness Planer. In the past few years, the 7. Band Saw. My final tool of choice for the small
cost of owning a thickness planer has dropped like shop is the band saw. A band saw is great to have
a tackle box sinking in a lake. around if you’re going to cut a lot of curves and
For less than $400, you can choose from a number circles. Or resaw lumber —
which can save you
of quality 10" and 12" bench-top thickness planers money when you’re working with thin stock.
that should handle most of your planing needs. Again, like the other power tools, determine how
A planer in the shop means much use a band saw will get.
you won’t be limited to the If you think you’ll use one a
lumber thicknesses available lot, go with a full-size model

at your local lumberyard. with a mobile base. If it’s only

And you can save money by going to be used occasionally,
buying rough stock directly a bench-top model will work
from a sawmill and planing it just fine, and it will cost a lot
to thickness yourself. less than a full-size band saw.

Multipurpose Tools
Another space-saving measure
when you’re working in a small
shop is to select a power tool that
does multiple jobs.
Many of these machines, like
Robland TotalShop, Shopsmith
, ,

and Kity combine five tools into

,

one, see photo at right.

They all provide a lot of wood-
working in a small space. But set-
ting up the different operations
isn’t as efficient as it can be with
individual power tools.
Another small shop option
that’s worth considering is a com- A multipurpose tool such as this Kity k This Hitachi P12RA planer/jointer
bination tool, see far right photo. K-5 combines a table saw, edge jointer, combines a 12" thickness planer with a
With this type of machine, you’ll thickness planer, shaper, and mortiser. 6" edge jointer. A combination tool like
combined
typically find a jointer It has many of the advantages that simi- this takes up less space than two simi-
with a planer. Or a disk sander lar stationary tools have,but takes less lar, separate bench-top power tools.

combined with a belt sander. space. (Farris Machinery: 800-872-5489) (Hitachi Power Tools: 800-362-7297)

No. 21 ShopNotes 15
 FEATURE PROJECT

Router
Thicknessring Jig

A
skeptics
new
will
our workshop
jig in
always draw some
—
and this thicknessing
scraping, orheavy belt sanding.
special BIT. The secret to
such a smooth finish is the special
be thicknessed down to V4 ", see
photo A below.
WIDE PANELS. Another thing I
jig for the router was no excep- router bit we used. It’s a l"-dia. like about this jig is it can be used
tion. But all it took was a couple bottom-cleaning bit, see box on to thickness glued-up panels and
of passes of the router for every- opposite page. Though the jig is wide boards, see photo B.
one to realize that not only did it designed for this bit, you could FLATTEN STOCK. One last sur-
work — it worked better than we use a normal straight bit you — priseis how effective the thick-

had hoped. just won’t end up with a surface nessing jig is at flattening a
Sure, we
expected the jig to that’s quite as smooth. cupped or warped workpiece, see
quickly thickness a board. But we THICK & THIN. The jig is also photo C. Just create a flat on one
were really surprised at how designed to thickness both thick side of the workpiece as a refer-
smooth and flat the board was. So and thin stock. It easily handles ence. Then flip the workpiece
smooth that light sanding is all stock up to 1" thick. And with the over and rout the board to the
that’s necessary — no planing, workpiece shimmed up, stock can desired thickness.

A Thin Stock You can thickness thin

. . B. Wide Panels. The thicknessing jig C. Flattening. In addition to smooth-
stock as well as thick stock by adding can handle glued-up panels and wide ing stock ,
this jig can also a
flatten
a shim under the workpiece. boards up to 153/4 in width. cupped or warped workpiece.

16 ShopNotes No. 21
 FEATURE PROJECT
#0 X %" Fh CARRIAGE
WOODSCREW
BACKING
BOARD
HOLD-DOWN BAR
CARRIAGE CARRIAGE GUIDE
RAIL (P)

V4"\
WASHER FIXED RAIL
(ET

THREADED FIXED PLATE

v KN OB^- ROUTER BASE

Va" x 4"
HEX BOLT
ADJUSTABLE PLATE
Va"
THREADED'
V
\knob— #0xV2 " Fh
WOODSCREW

(D
ADJUSTABLE RAIL
PLATFORM

EXPLODED VIEW #& x Wz Fh

OVERALL DIMENSIONS: WOODSCREW
36y2 " W x 47%" L x4,5/i6 " H

Hardware
• (3) Va"- 20 Threaded Knobs
• (4) Va" x 4" Hex Bolts
• (4) Va" x 2" Carnage Bolts
• (4) Va" T-Nuts
u
• (4) Va Hex Nuts
• (4) Va" Flat Washers
• (3) # x V2 ” Fh Woodscrews
• (70) # x %" Fh Woodscrews
• (<9) # x F/i Woodscrews

Materials Bottom-Cleaning Bit

Platform
A Bides (2) 3/4 xf/2- 47^/4 This bottom-

B Btretchers (4) 3/4 x IV2 - 22'/4 cleaning bit is

C Top (1) 253/4 x 47^/4 - V4 pegbrd. similar to a

D Fixed Plate (1) 3/3x4- 473/4 straight bit. But it has an addi-
E Fixed Rail (1) 3/4X1V3-473/4 tional set of cutters on the bottom
F Carriage Guide P/16 x 473/4 - V4 Mas. that are designed to “plane” the
(1)

G Hold-Down Bar 3/4x2/3-473/4 surface smooth and flat. What

(1)

H Adjustable Flate 3/3X4-473/4 you end up with is a surface that

(1)
Adjustable Fait 3/4x1/3-473/4 requires very little sanding.
1 (1)
The l"-dia., V2 " shank bit I use
Carriage BOTTOM-CLEANING BIT is available from Cascade Tools
J Carriage Rails (2) 3/4x1/2-36/2 PLANES SURFACE SMOOTH
(800-235-0272). Ask for part
K Router Base (1) 9 x 36/2 - V4 Mas.
C1259 ($14, plus shipping).
L Backing Board (1) 7/2 x I 6/4 - Z4 Mas.

No. 21 ShopNotes 17
 FEATURE PROJECT

Construction _
The thicknessing jig consists of
two main parts: a platform that
holds the workpiece, and a car-
riage that supports the router, re-
fer to Exploded View on page 17.

PLATFORM
The platform consists of a rectan-
gular-shaped base with two jaws.
One jaw is fixed; the other is ad-
justable, see Fig. 1.

BASE. The base is just a hard-

wood frame consisting of two
sides (A) that are drilled and
screwed to four stretchers (B)A I
used hard maple.)
To make it easy to position the
adjustable jaw anywhere on the
base, I used V4 pegboard for the
"

top ( C). Shop Tip: Instead of drill-

ing extra holes to screw the peg-
board to the frame, cut the
pegboard so the existing holes port for the carnage. And to move and press against the work-
are centered over the frame guide the carriage, a carnage piece, it isn't screwed to the base.
pieces, see End View in Fig. 1. guide (F) made from V4 " Ma- Instead, it's held in place with a
fixed jaw. The next step is to sonite is glued to the rail (E). hold-down bar, see Fig. 2.
make the fixed jaw. It’s made up After you’ve glued and The hold-down bar ( G) sits on
of three parts: a plate, a rail, and screwed the jaw together, it can top of the plate (H). Bolts pass
a carriage guide, see Fig. 2. be mounted to the base, see Fig. 1. down through it (and slots in the
The plate (D) is beveled so the ADJUSTABLE JAW. The adjust- plate) into the pegboard. Plastic
jaw can grip a workpiece better. able jaw also has three parts. But knobs (or wing nuts) lock the bar
The rail (E) is screwed to the each is a bit different. In order for and plate securely to the base.
plate to form an L-shaped sup- the plate on the adjustable jaw to Then, to allow the plate to be

18 ShopNotes No. 21
 .

FEATURE PROJECT

adjusted, a second set of longer BACKING BOARD. To support

bolts run through the width of the the grooves that are cut next, a
hold-down bar into T-nuts and backing board (L) is cut to fit
press against the rail (I). between the rails and is glued to
Counterbores in the rail accept the top of the base (K), see Fig. 3.
the bolts and keep the jaw from After the glue dries, the index Grooves in the bottom of the carriage
sliding when pressure is applied. grooves can be cut. These are just fitover the carriage guide on the platform
n
The clamping pressure comes from a series of 14 grooves on the bot- to produce overlapping passes.
threaded knobs (or wing nuts) and tom of the base (K) to fit the car-
jam nuts threaded onto each bolt. riage guide (F), see Fig. 3a. different bit, you may need to
Once the adjustable jaw is com- The grooves are spaced for the space the grooves differently.
plete, attach it to the base, see Fig. bottom-cleaning bit, see page 17. MOUNT ROUTER. After you’ve
This provides a V4 overlap on
"
1 and Exploded View on page 17. cut the grooves, cut a hole for the
each pass. Note: If you’re using a router and mount it to the carriage
CARRIAGE
The carriage supports the router
above the workpiece as it rides
across the platform. It consists of
a pair of rails with a base for the
router.Grooves in the bottom al-
low you to “index” the router over
the workpiece in even incre-
ments, see photo above right.
rails. I began work on the
carriage by making the rails (J) y

see Fig. 3. They’re both cut extra

long so the carriage can reach the
jaws no matter where it’s indexed.
The rails are glued and
screwed to a router base (K)
"
made of V4 Masonite, see Fig. 3.

Safety Note: Don’t screw into the

section of the base that will be
grooved later on.

Using the Jig

Setup. To secure a workpiece in the Thickness. Place carriage on plat- Flatten. To flatten a workpiece, start
jig, first position the adjustable jaw. form and rout in a left-to-right direc- with the crown side up. Once you've
Then tighten the hex bolts to move the tion. Pull carriage back to clean up “leveled" the crown, flip it over and
jaw as you lock the hold-down bar. pass. Then index router and repeat. thickness the other side.

No. 21 ShopNotes 19
 GREAT TIPS

Glue-Up
Tips
There's more to applying glue than
squeezing it out of a bottle. Here are a
few tips to make the job go easier.

Glue & Storage

White Glue. Use white glue in- Tether Cap. To avoid misplacing Glue Bottle. A clean, empty
stead of yellow glue to provide on the end of a glue
the tiny cap mustard bottle makes a great
more assembly time when work- bottle, tether it to the bottle with a glue bottle. It’s free, airtight,
ing with a complex project. wire brad and a piece of string. and has a handy twist cap.

Applicators

Forcing Glue. Getting glue into Glue Spreader. An old tooth- Glue Roller. To quickly and
a tight spot can be a problem. brush is the best tool I’ve found evenly spread glue out over a
To solve this, blow through a for spreading glue. It spreads it large surface, I use a small,
straw to force the glue in place. evenly and cleans up easily. short-napped paint roller.

20 ShopNotes No. 21
 GREAT TIPS

Squeeze Out

Mask Comers. Taping off inside Glue Scooper. A straw works Glue Scraper. Use a plastic clip
corners before gluing and as- great for scooping away skinned- from a bread bag to scrape
sembly reduces the time spent over beads of glue that are away skinned-over beads of
later cleaning out the corner. trapped in tight corners. glue from a flat surface.

Contact Cement
There’s really no great mystery in working with
contact cement. All you basically have to do is

apply an even coat on the two surfaces that are

going to be joined. Let the glue dry until it’s
skimmed over and dry to the touch (about 20
minutes depending on the humidity). And then
place one piece on top of the other.
Application of most brands of cement is about
the same. But to be sure, always read the instruc-
tions on your particular brand before you begin. Trowel. The key to a good bond when working
Also,make sure you work in a well ventilated with contact cement is to spread the cement

area since many brands of contact cement con- evenly. To do this, I use a small, hand-size piece
tain solvents that can cause respiratory problems. of plastic laminate as a trowel.

Non-Stick Barrier. Waxed paper between Emergency Release. In the event of a disaster,
workpieces gives you a chance to make last you can separate the two workpieces by flowing
minute adjustments. Once the pieces are a liberal amount of lacquer thinner between them
aligned, pull out the paper and apply pressure. and gently peeling off one of the layers.

No. 21 ShopNotes 21
 Table Saws
Our team of testers includes
three people. Ken (left) is a
professional carpenter and
cabinetmaker while Steve (cen-
ter)spends most of his time
building projects for hishouse
and shop. Cary (right) is just
setting up his shop.

the way the saws were packaged?

Steve:The Delta and Jet were
packaged the most securely —
like somebody cared that every-
thing got here in good condition.

T—
shops
here’s one thing I’ve noticed
about most woodworking
a table saw usually occu-
we bought six table saws, see pho-
tos below. Then we asked three
woodworkers with different in-
Much better than having loose
parts rattling around in the box
like the Grizzly and AMT saws,
pies center stage. Not just its terests and skill levels to test [gj Did you find any damaged or
physical location. But the fact them. This way, you can identify missing parts?
that a table saw is at the heart of with one of these people based on Steve: The worst damage I
almost every project built. the type of work you do — and found was on the AMT. The shaft
That’s why selecting a table choose the saw that’s best for you. that controls the angle of the
saw issuch an important deci- To ensure reliable results, we blade was bent. And the threaded
sion. After all, it’s a big invest- bought identical carbide-tipped end was ‘"filed”down by a cast
ment in money. And a good blades for each saw. Then we had iron extension wing that rubbed
quality saw provides the ground- the same person (Steve) assem- against it in shipment.
work for making straight, accu- ble and tune up all the saws. As far as missing pails, both
rate cuts and tight-fitting joints. O First impressions count For AMT and Jet forgot to pack a mi-
To make this decision easier, example ivhat did you think of
,
ter gauge along with the rest of

Model G1022
AMT $375
Model 4572
$445

22 ShopNotes No. 21
 .

SELECTING T

the saw. And the belt and pulley from vibrating loose. Maybe
guard was missing from the Jet. that's why it's so sturdy.
Fortunately, customer service But with the heaviest gauge
was helpful, and it only derailed metal of all of the stands, the
me a few days. Delta is also rock solid. (See photo
That gave you some extra time below.) At first, I thought the the Sears saw is much more complicated
to look over the manuals. Were closed panels on the Grizzly and to assemble than the other saws.
some more helpful than others? AMT stands might compensate
Steve: Some manuals (like the for their thinnergauge metal. sides the fact that adjusting the
Jet and Delta) were like having a But these stands wiggled even linkages on these arms is like
good road map —
clear illustra- after I'd assembled the saws. wrestling an octopus, they block
tions and easy-to-follow direc- ES One thing 1 noticed is the blade my sight of the blade.
tions. But using the AMT manual guard on the Grizzly is different The plastic guards on the other
required a lot of guesswork — than the rest? Is different better? saws are easier to see through.
especially when wiring the motor. Steve: Don't count on it. The And with the exception of the
Even was as
a manual that Grizzly guard has two metal arms Delta, they stay up out of the way
thick as a book didn't make it any that move independently. Be- when I'm changing blades.
easier to assemble the Sears saw.
(See photo above.) In fact, it took
me twice as long as the other saws.
One thing I appreciated is the
straightforward approach in the
Grizzly manual. It makes no bones
about the fact you might be short
a piece of hardware (as it turned
out, I wasn't) or that you may
have to file the sharp edges and
bun's (plan on doing some filing).
What about the metal stands
on the saws?
Steve: What sticks in my mind
is is held together
the Jet stand Stands Heavy-gauge metal and a wide stance create a stable
.

with forty bolts. And each bolt base for the Delta saw (left). But the Grizzly stand (right) tends to
has a lock washer to keep the nut wobble, even with solid panels on the front and back

Sears
Model 29336
$499
Model TWT5 10JF
$579
Powermatic
Model 63 $679

No. 21 ShopNotes
 SELECTING TOOLS
Saw Tab\e
B&Each saiv has a heavy cast ,

iron table. Besides weight what ,

do the tables have going for them?

Cary: One thing is the bevel on
the front edge of the Jet
and Delta saw tables.
Delta
(See photo at right.) At
first, I couldn’t figure out
why it was there.
But when I used the miter
gauge to crosscut a wide panel, Bevel The miter gauge slides
. Flatness Dollar bills slipped un-
.

the reason hit home. Instead of smoothly over the beveled edge der a straightedge reveal a
clunking against the edge of the on the Jet and Delta saw tables. “dish” in the Grizzly saw table.
saw miter gauge rides
table, the
smoothly over the bevel. 08 Speaking ofinseHs what ivere
,
screwed in place. But it drives me
05 Did you check out the flatness you looking for? nuts getting a screwdriver out
of the table top? Steve: One that’s sturdy and every time I change blades.
Ken: That’s not some- won’t flex — like the heavy- Cary: Something that bugged
thing that drastically gauge Delta and Jet inserts. me when I changed blades on the
AMT affects a cut. But a table These inserts also had more rib- Jet saw is the opening for the
that’s absolutely flat does bing for support than the AMT, insert is V4 " narrower than the
give me an idea of the overall Grizzly, or Powermatic inserts. other saws. So I had to scrunch up
quality of the saw. And I’m al- (See margin photos.) my hand to thread on the arbor
ways using my saw table as a ref- Cary: Another thing about nut — especially when I put on a
erence for establishing the flat- both the Delta and Jet inserts is full width dado blade.

ness of a workpiece. there’s a finger hole that makes it 05 One thing we haven't talked
So I like the dead on
flat tables easy to lift them out when I about is the extension wings that
the Jet and Sears saws. While change blades. The AMT and bolt to the saw tables.
there’s a slight hump in the Delta Grizzly inserts don’t have finger Steve: Originally, I was leaning
table, the other tables are holes. And they fit so tight I had toward the cast iron extension
“dished” in the middle. to poke a stick up through the wings on the Sears, Grizzly, AMT,
(See the right-hand back of the saw to pop them out. and Powermatic saws. (See pho-
Sears photo above.) Ken: My pet peeve is an insert tos below.) After all, the more

Steve: Also, the grind- that rattles when you turn on the mass the better when it comes to
ing on the Jet and Delta saw. The AMT and Powermatic dampening vibration.
was smoother than the
tables solve that problem with spring But when I pinched my finger
other saws. Especially compared clips that press against the sides in one of the openings as I was
to the AMT and Grizzly that were of the saw table around the open- sliding the rip fence, I started be-
gouged around the opening for ing. And there’s no vibration with lieving in stamped steel
the
the insert. the Sears insert either since it’s wings on the Delta and Jet saws.

Extension Wings. Heavy-gauge provide plenty of support when wings on this Sears saw (right),

stamped steel extension wings crosscutting a long board. And there are no sharp edges to ae-
on the Delta and Jet saws (left) unlike the open-grid cast iron cidentally “catch” your fingers.

24 ShopNotes No. 21
 SELECTING T

Miter Gauge

Slots . A straight slot like on the Sears and AMT saws (left) makes it
easy to insert the bar on the miter gauge. But it doesn lock the miter
’t

gauge in the slot like the T-shaped slot on the other saws (right).

E8 At a glance all the miter

,
But when I adjusted the bar to Delta. A metal tab and an Allen screw make
gauges look a lot alike. So what remove all the play, it stuck in the the 45° and 90° preset stops on the Delta miter
separates one from another? middle of the cut. gauge accurate and easy to adjust
Steve: One thing I noticed was What this boils down to is the
the bars on the Sears and AMT width of the slot varies from one
miter gauges fit in a U-shaped end to the other. And even worse,
slot. (See photos above.) That’s when I switch from one slot to the
okay if I’m crosscutting a work- other, the miter gauge won’t even
piece that doesn’t hang over the fit unless I readjust the bar. So

edge of the table. But with a large there’s no consistency from one
workpiece, the T-shaped slot on slot to the other either.
the other saws is a big help. 0 What about the adjustments
That’s because there’s a special /or the preset stops at 45° and 90°?
washer attached to the end of the Steve: Except for the Sears, all

bar that locks the miter gauge in the miter gauges use a metal tab
the T-slot —
even when I pull it as a stop. (See right-hand mar-
all the way back. As a result, I gin.) But there’s enough flex in
don’t have to worry about sup- the tabs on the Grizzly, AMT, and
porting the miter gauge and the Powermatic that it’s hard to re- screws on the AMT miter
workpiece at the same time. turn to the same setting over and gauge aren’t as handy. And a flimsy metal
Cary: I think the T-slots are a over again. The sturdier tabs on stop makes it less accurate.
hassle. Every time I use the mi- the Jet and Delta produced a
ter gauge, I have to slide the bar much more positive stop.
into the slot from either the front Ken: The Sears miter gauge
or back of the saw. So I’d just take has a different stop system —a
off the washer. pin that slips into a slot in the
ES Regardless of the shape what ,
back of the miter gauge. It’s a
did you notice about the fit of the good, solid stop. But I can’t adjust
bar in the slot? one stop without affecting all of
Ken: I was impressed by the fit them. And if I’m cutting miters
of the bar on the Grizzly miter for a frame where accuracy is
gauge —
like a well-machined critical, that’s a real headache.

tool. Although there’s some Cary: At least with the adjust-

“play” in the bars on the Jet and ment screws on the other miter
Delta miter gauges, they’re bet- gauges, I can change the stops
ter than the loosefit of the Sears independently. On the Delta, I

and Powermatic. just have to tweak an Allen

Cary: At first, I thought AMT screw. That’s handier than fid- A pin in the Sears miter gauge pro-
had a great idea with its miter dling with the adjustment screws vides a positive stop. But the 45° and 90°
gauge —
to make it adjustable. and nuts on the other saws. stops can’t be adjusted independently.

No. 21 ShopNotes 25
 SELECTING TOOLS
Rip Fence

Guide Rails. Regardless of the shape, the rails that aluminum channel on the Jet (left) and the round tube
guide the fence should be rigid and strong. In
rip on the Powermatic (center) provided a smoother
addition to being the most solid guide rails, the action than the angle rails on the Sears saw (right).

SI The rip fence can make or fences across the rails sounds like the saw table?
break a saw. So how do the fences you’re dragging a piece of iron Ken: That’s something I look at
stack up against each other? across concrete. And the Seal’s closely —
especially since I resaw
Cary: That’s where I noticed a fence lurches like a beginner learn- a lot of thick stock into thin boards.
big difference. Starting with how ing to drive a stick shift. And I can’t do it accurately if the
smoothly the fences on the Jet Steve: Even more important to fence isn’t square to the table.
and Powermatic glide across the me is whether the fence locks par- What I found is all the fences
guide rails. (See photos above.) allel to the blade. There’s nothing are flat and square except the
Although the fence on the more frustrating than having to Sears and Grizzly. Adjusting the
Delta saw doesn’t slide as easily, measure the distance from the guide rails is supposed to square
it’s definitely a step above the fence to the front and back of the up the Sears fence. But it’s a
AMT and Grizzly. Sliding these blade every time I make a cut. chore. Especially compared to a
The only fences I simple, built-in adjustment on
found that locked paral- the Powermatic.
Locking Mechanisms lel consistently are the [3 Hoiv accurately can you posi-
Jet, Delta, and Power- tion the Hp fence?
Some fences (like the Jet and Powermatic) lock only matic. There’s so much Cary: I got spoiled by how easy
on the front guide rail, see top drawing. While you’d slop in the locking mecha- it is to read the indicators on the

expect these fences to deflect when making a cut, nism on the AMT and Jet, Powermatic, and Sears fences.
they’re rock solid. And unlike most of the other fences Grizzly fences, I can’t rely (See photos below.) The pointers
that are secured on the front and back (bottom
rails on them. And it’s like spit- on the other saws aren’t quite as
drawing), they lock parallel to the blade every time. ting in the wind trying to accurate. And on the AMT and
keep the Seal’s fence ad- Grizzly, I can’t even see the num-
justed to lock parallel. bers on the scale because they’re
O What about the face of hidden by the casting that holds
the fence? Is it square to the fence on the rail.

Indicators. When setting the rip fence, a cursor with a hair-

line indicator on the Powermatic (left) is more accurate and
easier to read than the pointer on the Delta fence (right).

26 ShopNotes No. 21
 SELECTING TOOLS

Controls & Motor

E2 The controls on a saiv make a
big difference in hoiv easy and
comfortable it is to use. What did
you think about the controls?
Steve: For starters, I liked the
big, beefy handwheels on the
Powermatic that control the
height and angle of the blade.
(See photos at right.) They're
easy to find and comfortable to
grasp. And they provide more Handwheels The . large handwheel that controls the height of the
leverage than the cookie-sized blade on the Powermatic (left) is more comfortable to grasp. And it
handwheels on the AMT. provides more leverage than the small handwheel on the AMT (right).
Ken: Besides the size of the
handwheels, I liked the smooth E8 What about the on/off switch? also have plenty of muscle for
action of the Powermatic and Jet Ken: It's hard to get used to the most of the work I do. But to keep
when adjusting the blade. While toggle switch on the Delta saw. the motors on the AMT and Griz-
the Delta and Grizzly aren't as (See photos below.) The rail- zly saws from bogging down, I
smooth, at least they're not as mounted switches on the Jet and had to ease up on the feed rate.
stiff as the Sears and AMT saws. Sears saws are handier. Ken: One concern I have is that
Cary: One problem I noticed 22 One last thing. How would you the open motors on the Delta and
is the knob on the AMT that's rate the performance of the saws? Sears saws can draw in dust —
supposed to lock in the height of Steve: Just by how easy it is to which can significantly shorten
the blade just doesn't work. And plow through 2"-thick hard ma- the life of the motor. (See photos
when I tighten the lock knob on ple, I'd say the Powermatic has below.) The other saws have to-
the Delta, the blade creeps the strongest running motor. And tally enclosed fan-cooled motors
about V4". the Jet, Delta, and Sears saws to seal out the dust.

Switches. Unlike the small toggle grope around to find the rail- Motors. An enclosed fambdbled motor
switch mounted on the Delta saw mounted switches on the Jet (left) protects against dust that can cause
cabinet (left), you don’t have to (center) or the Sears saw (right). overheating in an open motor (right).

RECOMMENDATIONS
Ken: Picking one table saw out of Steve: All through the test, two Cary: That's a tough one. I was
the bunch is easy for me —
I'd go saws kept coming to the top — impressed with the fence, the
with the Jet in a heartbeat. the Delta and the Jet. strong-running motor, and the
I especially liked the smooth The fit and finish of these saws dust-hookup on the Powermatic.
action of the fence and the alumi- is excellent. And the heft and ma- But the Jet has all that and
num guide rail. And since it locks chining of the parts told me more, so I chose it instead. Mainly
parallel to the blade every time, I they're built with quality in mind. because of its attention to detail.
can rely on it for accurate setups. But when push comes to shove, A sturdy base. The beveled front
Finally,with all the plywood I cut, the smooth, accurate fence on the edge on the saw table. Even a
its 30" rip capacity is a real bonus. Jet makes it my first choice. handy rail-mounted switch.

No. 21 ShopNotes 27
 TIPS & TECHNIQUES

Shop Solutions
Small Piece Miter Gauge
I make a lot of small picture The runner rides in the miter
frames for gifts —
the challenge gauge slot for accuracy. And the
is mitering the ends of these workpiece can be clamped to
small pieces accurately. It’s diffi- either of the sides closest to the
cult to hold them when using my blade, see photo.
standard miter gauge. To make the jig, cut four pieces
To solve this problem, I’ve of stock for the sides. Simple rab-
made a jig designed for small bet joints help align the pieces
pieces. It’s nothing more than a during glue-up, see drawing.
shallow box attached to a runner. (Note: Size the box so it clears the
blade when it’s attached to the
runner, see detail in drawing)
SEE DETAIL
To strengthen the sides of the
box, glued a piece of V4 " Ma-
I

sonite to the bottom. Finally, glue

and screw the box to a wooden
runner. Note: To cut accurate mi-
ters with this jig, it’s critical to
make sure the box sits at a 45°
angle to the blade.
Shop Tip: The workpiece may
vv
DISTANCE \
MASONITE
BETWEEN N shift when making the cut even
BLADE AND with clamps. To prevent this, glue
CENTER
OF RUNNER sandpaper to the sides of the box.
NOTE: GLUE AND SCREW DETERMINES
BOX TO RUNNER SIZE OF BOX Shenvood Cook
Tenants Harbor Maine ;

Centering Dadoes
The wobble type dado blade I width (usually V4 "). Then use a measurement to the insert and
use with my table saw does a combination square to measure mark or file a notch to indicate
great job of cutting dadoes. But from the miter gauge slot to the the centerline.
setting the rip fence to accurately center of one of the saw teeth, see Rex Lawrence
position the dado can be a real drawing. Finally, transfer this Heber City Utah ,

hassle. That’s because the indica-

tor for my rip fence is set for a
single blade — not a dado.
To solve this, I use the center
of my dado blade as a reference
and align it with the exact center-
line of the dado I want to cut.
Then it’s easy to measure (or ref-
erence) from the center of the
blade to the fence and set the ex-
act location for cutting your dado.
Finding the center of a wobble-
type blade is simple. Start by ad-
justing the blade to its smallest

28 ShopNotes No. 21
 HililllT
Drill Preee l-3eam
Drilling holes in small pieces is couple of wing nuts. Make sure
a problem on the drill press. you bolt it in at least two slots to
Small pieces are difficult to prevent the table from twisting.
clamp, and if you try to hold them Note: When the top gets chewed
with your hand, they want to spin up with use, just flip the table
when the bit breaks through the over and use the other side.
back side. To prevent injury, I Charles Broivnold
made an auxiliary table to hold Davis California
,

small pieces securely.

The auxiliary table is shaped
an I-beam
like —
the top and bot-
GLUE PLYWOOD PIECES TO 2x4
tom pieces extend out as clamp- SMALL
WORK-
ing platforms, see photo. PIECE
To build the table, start by cut-
ting an identical top and bottom
piece from plywood, see drawing.
Then use a dado blade to cut a
groove down the center of both 30 LT AUXILIARY W- HOLE
TABLE TO DRILL
pieces to a 2x4. Finally, glue
fit
PRESS TABLE
and clamp the pieces together.
Now to finish the table, drill
holes in the top and bottom. This
DRILL PRESS
allows you to attach it to the drill TABLE
press with carriage bolts and a

Glue Moat
Cleaning up excess glue from a
project can be time consuming.
Especially around molding. To
solve this problem, Til use a glue
“moat.” It’s just an extra saw kerf
cut on one of the strips of mold-
ing. This way when the pieces are
clamped together, any glue
squeeze-out collects in the moat.
David Dale
Murrieta, California

Quick Tips Send in Your Solutions

A quick and easy way to clamp Using a rubber or no-mar mal- If you’d like to share your original
odd-shaped projects together is let is a good idea when assem- solutions to problems you’ve faced,
with an inner tube clamp. To bling furniture. But instead of send them to: ShopNotes, Attn.: Shop
make one, I’ll cut the valve stem buying one, I converted my regu- Solutions, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des
off a bicycle inner tube and tie a lar hammer into a rubber mallet Moines, IA 50312. (Or if it’s easier,
knot with the ends to make a rub- by slipping a rubber cane tip FAX them to us at: 515-282-6741.)
ber clamp the size I need. For over the head. Note: Bring your We’ll pay up to $200 depending on
bigger projects, two or more can hammer along to the hardware the published length. Please include
be tied together. store to get the right size. a daytime phone number so we can
T. J. Shipman Arne Sax call you if we have questions.
Buckhannon, West Virginia Hubbell Michigan
,

No. 21 ShopNotes 29
 L U M B E R Y A R

*
Softwood Grades
I’m having a tough time making that there are seven organiza- beryards carry only two or three
sense out of all the different soft- tions softwood rules
writing grades of softwood lumber.
wood “lby ” lumber grades. One which regulate over 20 grading GRADES. Softwood that’s gen-
local building center cames Se- inspection agencies throughout erally knot-free with a consistent
lect , Quality and Standard pine.
,
North America. color is assigned one of the “Se-
Another sells D-Select , #2, and #3 These inspection agencies pro- lect” or “Finish” grades, see top
Common pine. Their prices are vide a standardized system for photo below. Depending on the
competitive ,
but I’m confused. grading forest products pro- mill where the lumber was proc-
Am I missing something here? duced in their particular region. essed, you might see boards
C. M. Houghton This system keeps the saw- graded B& Better, Clear, Select,
Boston Massachusetts
,
mills in each region on the same C& Better, D-Select, or Finish.
playing field to ensure their cus- If you don’t mind knots (or
sounds to me like they’re
It tomers get a consistent product. that’s the look you’re after), then
both selling the same three For the most part, each agency go with a board graded “Com-
Softwood grades of lumber —
they’re just mon.” Of the “commons,” a #1 or
lumber grades going about it differently. The #2 Common board will have the

can be confus-
ing — unless
first building center is probably
attaching their own marketing aw fewest number of knots, see bot-
tom photo below. A #3 Common
name to each of the three grades. will have more knots, and so on.
you know what The other is selling the same (or (For more on softwood grades
to look for. similar) product under the grade send $2 to: Western Wood Prod- 1
name it was given at the sawmill. Grade Stamp. This Western Wood ucts Assoc., Dept SN, 522 5th Ave.
STAMP & TAG. What you’ll have Products stamp indicates this is S.W, Portland, OR 97204-2122.)
to do is compare the lumber your- a #2 & Better Common board SPECIES. Another thing to con-
self. The lower grades should that's ponderosa pine or lodge- sider is all softwood isn’t the same.
have a grade stamp on the face of pole pine. It came from mill #422 The stack at the lumberyard
each board, see photo at right. and was planed after it was dried. might be ponderosa pine, larch, or
Higher grades aren’t stamped, Douglas fir from Oregon or Wash-
but they might have a grade tag follows the same basic rules. But ington. It might be white pine
stapled to one end. many assign their own names to from New Hampshire. Or south-
Comparing the stamps (or the different grades. Also, each ern yellow pine from Georgia.
tags) and appearance, allows you uses a different grade stamp, In fact, the stack could be a
to compare apples to apples. which might explain why there’s mixture of different softwoods.
rules. But there is a catch some confusion at the retail level. It’s common for western sawmills
here. You need to keep in mind The good news is, most lum- to mix ponderosa pine with lodge-
pole pine. Lumber marketed as
SPF lumber can be a combination
Select or Finish (B&Btr., Clear, C&Btr., or D-Select) of spruces, pines, and some true
firs. And “white wood” can be a

mix of just about any western

softwood (excluding Douglas fir,
larch, cedar, and redwood).
The point is, you’ll want to pay
particular attention to the color
Common (#1, #2&Btr ., #2 and #3) and grain of each board. By se-

m lecting similar-looking boards,

•a > > .

m you’ll end up with a more uni-

—
form, consistent project which
will make a big difference when
BHH you apply a stain or finish.

30 ShopNotes No. 21
 FINISH R

* Water-Based
Top Coats
W hen water-based top coats
first came out, I
an old dog learning new tricks.
After all, they looked and acted
was like
walnut or cherry. To get this am-
ber color, you can add small
amounts of water soluble aniline
dyes to the finish.
use a paint pad, see photo C.
thin coat. Whether you use a
brush or pad, the key is to apply
as thin a coat as possible. (If
differently than the solvent- RAISES GRAIN. Another thing you’re used to solvent-based
based finishes I’d been using. to be aware of is water in the products, it will feel like you’re
What surprised me the most is finish will raise the grain of the working too “dry.”)
water-based top coats dry incred- wood and leave a rough surface. The idea is to lay the finish on
ibly fast. Depending on the But easy to minimize this by
it’s in the direction of the grain.
weather, I can apply two or even sanding with finer grit sandpaper Then go back over it (one time
three coats in one day. Yet they than you normally would (up to only) in the same direction.
still produce a hard, du- Although it’s tempt-
rable finish. All it takes are a few simple tricks ing to continue to work
Another thing I like the finish, it’s best to
Sources
to get a professional-looking finish
about water-based top leave it alone. Any brush Woodworkers’ Store
coats is they don’t smell with water-based top coats. marks or bubbles that 300 -279-4441
JDad. And you can apply a form will soon disappear Woodcraft
fenish in a basement without wor- Then, after the first coat
220-grit.) as the finish levels out. 300 -225-1153
rying about the risk of fire. Even dries, knock off the “whiskers” ADDITIONAL COATS. After the Wood&mith Shop
300-444-7002
clean-up is easier — just use with 320-grit sandpaper. finish dries, I use an abrasive pad
warm water and soap. FILTER. Before applying the (like a Scotch-Brite pad) to re-
While I appreciate all these finish, it’s a good idea to filter it, see move any dust “nibs.” (Steel wool
things about water-based top photo A below. That’s because the can leave tiny splinters that will
coats, they do have a few quirks solids in the finish can form small rust.)Then wipe the surface with
that I had to get used to. lumps like curds in cottage cheese. a damp rag and apply another coat.
COLOR. Even though the finish APPLICATION. Since the finish BRANDS. There are a number of
appears milky when you pour it sets up fast, it’s important to brands of water-based top coats.
out of the container, it dries clear. work quickly when applying a Two brands that work well for me
The fact that it doesn’t “yellow” water-based top coat. A syn- are Carver Tripp (available at
light coloredwoods (like pine or bnish works well on
thetic bristle many hardware stores) and Envi-
maple) is great. But I miss the small projects, see photo B. But ronmental Friendly water-based
“warm” color on dark woods like to cover large surfaces quickly, I finishes, see margin for sources.

A. Filter. To strain out any lumps in the B. Brush. A synthetic bristle brush C. Pad. For large surfaces, a paint pad
finish, pour it through a paper paint (nylon or polyester) helps lay down a works best. It loads well and lets you
filter into a plastic (or glass) container. smooth coat of finish on small pieces. apply the finish quickly and evenly.

No. 21 ShopNotes 31
 Scenes bom the Shop

A Can't decide which table saw to buy? Our team of A This adjustable featherboard attaches to your
woodworkers tests sixpopular models under $700 and router table (or table saw) to ensure a precision cut.
offers practical suggestions on what to look for. At the same time it reduces the chance of kickback.
,

A With a sturdy writing surface that as a handy drafting table. And its

lifts up to provide access to supplies compact size makes easy to store

it

and materials, this lap desk doubles the desk conveniently out of the ivay.