t

FOR YOUR TABLE

--

t
SAV
r':
7
.

..*...*
?.
.
.
.

,
~ %

:.
.:.. -<
~..
I
~ .

. . '*i
'_+
-
1 1 - p - W
Issue 62 March 2002
PUBLISHER DonaldB.Pescbke

ASOCIATE

CONTRIBUTING WITORS
EDITOR
EDITPRS
Temy J. Strohman
Bryan Nelson
Vincent Ancona
Soel Hess
H ave you ever stopped in the
middle of building a project
and heard a small voice say, "If only
Clamping Station - Another
project in this issue started out as a
simple wish, '1wish I didn't have to
this joint would fit better," or "I wish clear my bench to glueup a panel."
Craig Ruegsegger this jii was easier to use?" When this The answer to that wish is the
ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen happens I've found it's a good idea to Wall-Mounted Clamping Station on
OR. ORAPHIC DESIGNER K u $ehd&
~ pay attention to that voice. page 24. Not only did we reclaim
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Roger Reiland The reason is simple. Quite often workbench space, but we did away
Mark Higdon the inspiration for a new project with having to wrestle with individual
comes about when you're wishing clamps -the clamps are built-in.
for a better, safer, or more efficient To top it off, the entire projed
.
C r e a h v e t h ~ ~ ~TedKr&eek.Brql"f
tor Deuslopm-KenMunkei
Sr Meet D s s t g ~ l aKent Welsh, Ryan &m&. Pmject
Deswer Ghns Fltch Shop Ov@mm Stwe Stestee
way of building a project.
The Box Joint J i i (page 4) is the
only uses common materials and a
minimum amount of hardware.
J o ~ n . S e n z m CnsolaE"gIsnd
P ~
end result of listening to that voice
and then malrine - small vet s -i m -
-
~ & y w Assbaa E d t t a ~Crag Ruegsegger
JoelA Hess,JosephE I-
AS; Edzfme.
cant improvements.
First, to get aprecise fitwe wanted
One h a 1 note. We're looking for an
editor to join us here at August
to eliminate any rackjng in the jii. Home Publishimg. If you're enthusi-
Suborb?$&
Wayde J.
Scbl-er.
. Dimdm Sandy B a r n . Nclv Bvsinsss Dir:
. G i ? W % MbeilbeilWng 4av.a Kris
Ass- an.MarkdirtgAnalyst Paulanemteis .
Second, we wanted to reduce the
amount of set-up time involved when
astic about woodworking or home
improvement and enjoy working as

- .
R w m l M ~ n a g PaigeRogers.
c SS Crroshic DB&m~ss Mark making different size box joints. part of a team, we'd like to hear from
Hayes, Rohii Friend Billing & CoUdions A@:
C d g h m M d W &motion M m : Ri& Jwha
Em&AnaEyst-PatnckWdsh
CORWRITI senvtcEI
Rebecca
Box Joint J i -
g Our new Box Joint
Jig has an easy-tobuild, dual-runner
system, which prevents racking and
you. Send a cover letter and a
resume highlighting your experi-
ence to M. Siel, 2200 Grand Ave.,
e
~EofFi~i~i:Mnrysehe"~.C~1I1:RobinH~~ononS%
A@:LauraThmnas~.4cckPa~ie,W~.~.WW any sideto-side movement. Des Moines, IA 50312. Email:
M a w Petarm Pmd Dir: Geolge Chmieian. Elemonir h b . Butwhat I like best about this j ig is msigel@augusthome.com.
&.:D~W~~Ne~aQmimi:CnsSe6~10)ebeek~I!C.
M&Tooh.:RobOooX-Pm-Zrs-~rs-~rslmogs~nal~TmyClark, what you don't have to do -readjust
Mimbttte Jobson. q m @ M ~ : N p e n e C m uNBwMediaMgr:
.
Conion C.Gap.Multimedia&D(r:EmgegePdersers- Web it. A system of replaceable fences
Srnnr Admix: C m l Seho'pplu Web Content h!nq:.Dguid means that setup is now a one-time
BrimSueMMoe- W a b ~ G r a B I e ~ 1 m p m p P m f - D s u . D i % :
M i d d e l . a R. Asst: Ki.gtenRaele. Re&@&t Jeanne deal -no matter what size box joint
J~hn8ohn8o.MailRomnClmn:L~uWebber
you're making.
WAIL ORDEI
apamtluwDir~tu/:BobBdaier .GuatomerServicsMvrdMnie
E ~ W . Warehausa~vr-NananyJ~hnhnhn-~ind~c~~~baJm~~
Ad~<inAs8t.:NsncyDoumey-TechR$p.:JohnAudette- Cu8t
S m TsamLeadsr Tawny %&enbrod. S7 Cwi. S m Reg*.:
h a c o g DebmhRieh. &LSw.Repa:ApdRweU,Yalelie
Riley,EddieArthw* W44house;SyliiaCarey, ShqlKnon

woOD.*m.IOR.
-
M o w e r Dave Larson- Asslxgl: Tim Thelen S h Sl@
WwdeUstone.JimBmettttL"lyM~rri8on,
GregorjiKsuzLadth,
M&Jmh% JoeK"c~.o&M~:Y1&Eddardard

Sho~Notas@(ISSNlWB696)i96pub~ahedbimonthlyWwWW~,
&y, July, Sept, N o 4 by AugustHoie PubMhg, 2 M O Grand,
Des Bohes IAEQ312.
~hop~o~isamgti~trademsrk~f~~UputHorne~ub~8hing
O C o m ht2002byAugustHomePnbX%~ngg~right66ed
~~~eripR~m~~~eeepy:~~~~.~nOnyBv~ob~oipti~n~~i~ues~,
$27.95. Canad#International add816 per year, U.S.Amds.
ppriodmelsPostagpPaiddiDesMoines,IAsndaDadditiondrna-
ingo8ices.
Partmaster:Send~hsngeofaddresamShopNo~~.P.O.Btmx87108,
Bwne IASW37aloa.
s ~ ~ ~ ~ u c s tWnte i i nt ~ Ssh?
o p N o t oCustpmtwne
t Senice,
F.0. Bm 842, Oes Moinq IA 56104-8961. Or call l-%Q4455864,
8:WamtOSQOptg,CentralTima,weekdsy~.FAX515-28a-aMT
E-Mail: Sho~Notes@~hhmotts,css
Internet. http//m&opn~teteteam
PRINTED IN U.S.A.

ShopNotes No. 62
I
vv
.
":-I
1,' -
*
@+g.'.c'~.
#-&' ,.
Contents
I* ~.,

rt<pc.. - --.+**-~yc%% ;:.:

++
.J
- kLb
..,-
:,
:
: .:.Features
- , -.~,
EaA /3oxJoint JQ 6
Unlike most box joint jigs, this one uses runners In both miter
slots to make an extremely smooth-working jig. And
replaceable fences allow you to make different size boxjoints
without having to "retune" the fit

Making
- Box Joints 10
You can't help but appreciate the craftsmanship ofprecision
box joints. Learn how easy it is to make them with our simple
step-by-step approach

Carpenter's Too1box 14
W~thits classic lines, solid wood construction, andstrong box
joinis, this carpenter's toolbox will be around to use (and
admire) for generations to come. It also features a removable
tray for organizing smail tools and hardware.

1 Great Glue-Ups
Therek more to creat~naa wide, soi~d-woodpanel than lust

Clamping
gluing a bunch of boards together: Learn the step-by-step
process we use to glue up panels that lookgreat andstay flat.

- Station
Glue up a panel without taking up valuablebench space?And
24
u
~arpenter's~oolbox page 1h
withoutpipeclamps? This shop-built station makes itpossible.

Departments
Readers* Tips 4
Shop-tested tips to solve common woodworking problems.

Shop Talk 32
Weshare the 'kecrets" used in our shop for creating a smooth,
even profile with a router bit and a hand-held route,:

Too1 Chest 34
i Unconventional design, great results. Find out about an
I unusual bit that cuts perfect countersinks in wood or metal.

Mail-order sources and supplies to help you complete the

projects featured in this issue.
I
Clam@wStation page 2h
 Readers' Tips
Toggle Bolt Hold-Downs
W My portable workbench gets
pressed into service as a stand for
INSERT TOGGLE
several of my benchtop tools. But BOLT THROUGH
instead of breaking out the clamps
every time I want to attach a tool to WORKBENCH

the workbench, I came up with a

shopmade hold-down. It's faster and
easier to use than clams. - .and it can I
be made from a few pieces of com-
monly available hard-
ware and a wood doweL
The holddowns are
made using a '/4" toggle
bolt, a washer, and a wing
nut, see detail drawing at right
The toggle bolt has a couple of I lnJ+
A Hold-Downs. The wings that fold up, allowing it be
toggle bolts used for inserted through the holes in the top
these shop-made of the workbench. Once the wings
hold-downs can be pass through the hole, they sp*g
found at a local open. To keep the toggle bolts cen- base on which the tool is mounted.
hardware store tered in the holes of the workbench, All you have to do is tighten the wing
I made some spacers for the bolts by nuts to hold the tool down to the top
drilling 1/4'Cdia. holes through short of the workbench.
leagvls of3/~"dia.dowel stock Durn Crazg BENCH
The bolts pass through a plywood N o m o d , Massachusetts

W PEGBOARD
Pegboard Bit Holder
W I built the Sliding-Door Wall decided to put it to good use by
Cabinet in issue No. 59, Since I had making a router bit holder for one of
some pegboard left over from the drawers of the cabinet The bit
making the back of the cabiiet, I bolder can also sit on top ofashelf or
workbench for easier accqs.
To make the holder, I simply cut a
couple of pieces of the pegboard
to fit inside the drawer.Then I glued a
pair of spacers in between the peg-
board layers, taking care to keep the
holes lined up, see drawing at right
Fmally,I glued a piece of '/8" hard-
BITS TO KEEP
board to the bottom. PEGBOARD
LAYERS
Theholesin thepegboard arejust ALIGNED
DURING
the right size for my '/4"-dia. router ASBEMBLY
bits, seedetaildrawing at right
Daborah Vogt
D~wglas,Alaska
I-
Quick Tips .
-
m

A ;"RTTp lllY p v r l ~Robert

~ ~ ~
Phardel, of Ortonville, MI, uses Velcro to
-
, ucotfReichert, ofPittsburgh, PA, uses
short lengths of rain gutter material to
1 ,"y u ~ ~ n l y a d j u ~ t h i ~ o u f f e eJon
Philips, of Fridley, MN, marks the arm to
droll~

attach the pencils to his drill press and make convenient shelves for holding indicate the correct height for the different
other power tools around the shop. spray paint and other aerosol cans. power tools in his shop.
THICKNESS OF
="LA y,",";
Squaring Box Corners for Gluing
Whenever I'm assembling a box PLACE ONE
SQUARING BLOCK
or drawer, I feel like I need two pairs UNDER EACH
CORNERBEFORE
of hands -one to hold the assembly ADDING CLAMPS ilUE
r OLOCKS
square and another to apply the TO TOP
OF BASE
clamps. To make things a little easier, (%" PLYWOOD)
1came up with some squaring blocks
to help hold the pieces square while I
clamp them together.
I made my squaring blocks out of
plywood. The base is just a square
piece of 3/4" plywood. I b e top layer is
actually made up of three separate
pieces of plywood, see detail drawing To use the squaring
at &ht The trick is to glue these blocks, simply place one UL.
three pieces down squarely to the each corner of the assembly before
base so that the space in between clamping the pieces together.
WORKPIECE
them matches the thichess of the BEING GLUED
Las Vegas,N&
TOTHEBLOCKS Si n up to receive
workpieces you are clamping up.
1,
; 8,
a eshopUp!q j
:
. .~..
email WHY week
_,: :.:.~_i .
:
.,

Paint Can Lid

W Whenever I use a can of paint or
finish, the liquid always runsfrom my
brush into the groove around the rim
of the can, making a mess when 1
replace the lid. To prevent this from
happening, I cut a "donut" out of 1/4"
hardboard and simply taped it down
to the top of the can, see photo.
The donut keeps the ikish out of
the groove of the can and also pre
vides a convenient place to wipe off
the excess finish from my brush.
Melvin Ksssler
L z h , Michigan
Send in Your Shop Tips
If you have a unique shop tip, we'd like
to consider featuringit in one or more of
our print or electronic publications.
We'll pay up to $200 for a tip we pub-
lish. Just write down the tip and mail it
to ShopNotes, At& Readers' Tips, 2200
Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. Or
FAX it to 515282-6741, or send us an
e-mail at sbopnotes@shopnotes.com.
Please include your name, address
and daytime phone number in case we
'---re any questions.
.
.-
..
.-
,.
..
I.
..
.. *I-....,..,,.,.-..,- ~"
.!\,.f; ;,:>I.

No. 62 ShopNotes
Perfect box joints
A ccuracy. T b d s the key to suc-
cess for just about any jig, but
simply attached to a miter gauge. If
there is any slop in yow miter gauge
gers of the box joints. The problem
with this is thatyou have to finetuue

enevy the.? W f i
partidarb for a box joint jig.So
when we were coming up with the
this jig, now design for this box joint jig,we tried
elhimte as many of the variables as
'ti *"iblev possible that could reduce accuracy
And we did this by trying to '1,uild
id' as much of the accuracy as pos
sible from the start.
Take the runner system, for
example. Most box joint jigs are
bar, it can throw off the accuracy of
the jig. But instead of using a miter
gauge, this j g fits directly into the
i joint. Instead, this j
miter gauge slots of your table saw,
see l& photo below.The sides of the
jig serve as runners. And since the
jig travels in both slots, there isn't
any chance of racking.
Some box joint jigs use an
adjustableindex key to space the fin-
the adjustment every time you want
to switch to a different size of box i%
g uses a system
i
of removable fences with separate
keys for different sizes of box joints,
A simple stop on the end of the jig
allows you to return each fence to
the exact position it was in the last
time you used it, see rightphoto.
Carriage - These removable

A Two are Better Than One. The sides Having two runners gives the jig more A Stop. A screw in the end of the
of this jig form runners that ride in the stability and offers less possibility for fence contacts a hardboard stop
miter gauge slots of your table saw. error due to racking of the jig. for accurate set-up every time.

6 ShopNotes No. 62
started by making this assembly.
As you can see in Flgure 1,there
areoniythreepartstothe A

caniage of the jig - a

b m , apair of sides, and a
k e d fence. Making the
sides (A) is straightfor-
ward.Theyare cutto size
out of V4" Baltic birch ply-

is tapered and then a

termnlr wewholes are drilled in
each one (Figure 3).
Base -Making the base requires

can see in Flgure 2 that the base (B)

is nothing more than two layers of
plywood. But it has to be sized to fit
in between the miter gauge slots of
your table saw. And since this dis
tance will vary from saw to saw,
you'll have to custom fit the base.
Imademy base by cutting the two
lay& to width first.Then I cut them
a hair longer than the distance
between my miterslob. ms allows
you to sneak up on the hnallength.)

screwed together. Just make sure

that you locate the screws close to
the ends of the base, so that they
won't be in the ~ a t of
h the saw blade.
To deter&; the h a 1 length of
the base, Iset iton my table saw and
clamped the sides in place, just like
you see in Figure 4. This allows you
to test the fit ofthe jig. on your table
saw. YOUwant the carriage to slide
freely, but there shouldn't be any
sideteside pl;rg in the yip. Its better
to have the fit be aliffletoo snug than
too loose, since you can always sand
down the sides a liffle after the car-
riage is assembled.
My base was a little too longto
begin with, so I trimmed off a hair at
a time and tested the fit after each
,
pass. Once you are satisfied with the
& the sides can be glued and
screwed to the base. This is also
done with the help of the table saw.
After applying the glue, simply
clamp the base in between the two
sides,making sure that all the pieces
are flush at the front. me sides
should be resting on the bottom of
the miter gauge slots.) Then drive a
few screws through the holes in the
sides and into the base.
Fred Fence - Thefixed fanet
(C) provides a means of attaching
the removablefencesthatyouwillbe
making later. If you take a look at
F i e 1,you'll see that its just a
piece of 3/4" p1ywood. A hole is
dritled at each end of the fence for
the carriage bolts that will be used to
attach the removable fences to the
jig.The fixed fence is then screwed
to the front of the carriage.

No. 62 ShopNotes 7

The second part of this jig is the
fence. Or maybe I should say
"fences." Thafs because you11 want
to build a separate fence for each
- = II size of box joint that you want to
L Replaceable make. But this isn't as much work
Inserf.A hardboard as it may sound like. Except for the
backing insert can size of the index key, the fences are
be easily replaced
as it gets chewed
8 ShopNotes
identical, so you all you have to do
is make multiple parts for each one.
If you take a look at the box on the
opposite page, you11 see that I made
a total of five different fences for the
iive most common sizes of box joints
I use ('/8l1, l/p1l, 3/811, l/2!! and 3/4"'.
The fence consists of two main
'
SIDEVIEW
FENCE
?-ATE
I
(CrtOS5 SECTION)
-I'~-
ITHICKNESS I
%"HARDBOAI I
parts - a fence plate and a carrier
plate, see Figure 5. The f m e pEate
(D)starts off as nothing more than a
piece of 3/411 plywood, cut to size. A
shallow dado is cut in the front of this
piece to hold a replaceable backing
insert that will be added later.
In order to position this dado, I
installed a V4" dado bladein my table
i.
saw. Then the fence plate is placed
againat the carriage of the jig,
making sure the two are flush on the
ends. With a pencil, mark the laca-
tion of the dado blade on the edge of
the fence plate F i e 6).
Then with the jig removed from
the table saw, cnt a dado that is l/dl
wider on each side of the markings
(FYlgurea).By using the rip fence as
a stop, I was able to cutthe samesize
dado on all five of the fence plates I
was making.
Once the fence plates were fin-
ished, I made the carrier plates.The
carrier plate (E) is an important
part of the jig. It not only sup~orts
the workpiece while the box joints
are being cut, it also holds an index
key that is used to space the box
joints. This key will be fitted into a
shallow slot in the carrier plate.
As you can see in Figure 7, I cut
the slot for the key on my table saw,
using the jig to back up the carrier
a
plate. The width of the slot (and the
key) has to match the width of the
No. 62
kerf cut by your saw blade or dado
blade. I made the slot for the '/*'I
index key with a regular (I/# kerf)
saw blade. Then I switched to astack
dado setto make the slots on the rest
of the carlier plates.
In order to position each slot, all
you have to do is slide the carrier
plate to the left so that the end
extends past the left side of the &xed
fence, as shown in Figure 7. The
amount of this offset should be twice
the width of the slot you're cutting.
In other words, l/4" for a 1/8" slot, l/2"
for a l/4" slot, and so on.
After cutting the slot for the key,
the carrier plate is screwed to the
bottom of the fence nlate so the two
are flush on the ends. main, make
sure to keep the screws out of the dia.) pilot hole through each end of Index Key and Stop - Once the
path of the blade.) the fence, right where I had fenceis mounted to the carriage,you
Mounting Holes - Carriage marked the centerpoints on the can add the final touches. First, a
bolts, washers, and knobs are used back of the fence (Figure 9). Then hardwood indm key (G)is cut to fit
to attach the removable fence I used a Forstner bit to make the the slot in the carrier plate and glued
assembly to the carriage of the jig. counterbore on the front of the in place F i r e 10).Then a stop (If)
But in order to do this, you need to fence (Fgure 9a). Finally, I finished is made out of fxo small pieces of
drill a countersunk mounting hole at by enlarging the through hole with hardboard and screwed to the end of
each end of the fence. This is done in a 1/4"dii. bit m e 9b). the 6xed fence on the carriage, as
several steps. In F l e 8, you can Backing Insert - The b a c ~ n g you see in F i e 11.A screw in the
see how I used a brad point bit to insert (F) is cut from '/a' hardboard. end of the fence plate contacts the
transfer the hole locations from the (Make up some extras to have as re- stop and provides a means of h e -
carriage to the removable fence. placements.) The insert is attached tuning the fence setting. @or more
To drill the counterbored holes, I to the fence with a single screw on tuningthejig to cut boxjoints, see
started by drilling a small ?/16"- through the center Figure 10). the article on page 10.) 6 r,

. the^^^
uisjig miqwe is its
- use of removable
1
fences. lastpad
' having to readjust the
: fence and index key
whenyouwanttomake I

d'
INDEX KEY
(SEE FIGURE6
4b AND 7a)

ShopNotes 9
 Making
Box
Joints
Perfect fitting box joints
on your table saw - we'll
show you how.

B ox joints have a lot of things going for them.

They're strong. They don't require a lot of special
skills or equipment And they lookgreat. With theirrows . :
of evenly-spaced pins, box joints have a traditional,
almost old-fashioned appeal, making them perfect for a
e classic CarpentefsToolbox on page 14.
'
-
Interlocking Fmgers Box joints --
are made up of alternating pins and
slots, see drawing at left. The pins on
mating pieces interlock like tiny &-I
gem. This creates a lot of good, hce
grain glue surface and makes for a
.., - -
stronger joint. But for the optimum
joint, you still need a snug, accurate fit jig, you can build the one on page 6.)
between the pins and the slots. Of course, adjusting the jig is where the challenge lies.
The trick to getting a good fit with Most box joint jigs use an index key to determine the
- '
box joints is precision and consistency. size a d spacing of the slots and pins. The process is
The width of the pins has to match the fairly simple. You cut the k t slot in the workpiece, place
width of the slots. And each pin has to be same size that slot over the index key to cut the second slot, and
as the next one. The best way to achiwe this is to use a then keep working your way down until you've got a
jig. Once the jig is adjusted properly, cutting the joints is complete row of evenly-spaced slots and pins.
almost automatic. (3you don't already have a box joint But in order to get a perfect fit, you have to spend a
little bit of time adjustingthe position
of the index key in relationshipto the
blade of your saw. And the best way
to do this is to cut some box joints on
a couple of test pieces before moving
on to your adual workpieces.
Setting Up the Jig - The first
step to setting up the jig is to install
your saw blade. Whether you are
using a dado blade or a single saw
blade (for '/8" box joints), the width
of the blade needs to match the

2
width of the index key on your jig. If
To set the height of the bIdde, set it doesnPt,you'll have to shim your
one of your workpieces on thejig dado blade to make it match
'a
and raise the blade so it is slightly Before you can use the jig for
('132'7 higherthan the workpiece. the k t time, you need to make

10 ShopNotes NO. 62
 an initial cut through the carrier
plate and backing insert To posi-
tion this cut, see Step 1.
To set the height of the blade, I
use a piece of the same stock that
I cut my workpieces from (Step
2). The blade should be slightly
(about %$I) higher than the thick-
ness of your workpieces. This
way, the pins will stand a little
proud, and you can sand them Set the first test piece against the To cut the first slot on the second
down flush with the sides. 3 key and cut a slot. To cut re- 4 test piece, butt it up against the
Test Pieces - Rather than diving mainingsbts, move thepieceoverso bottom edge of the first test piece.
right in and cutting the box joints on theslotyou just cutstraddles the key Then cut the rest of the slots.
my workpieces, I like to start with a
couple of test pieces. But ifs impor-
tant that these test pieces be the
same thickness and width as your
actual workpieces.
Why? Because if your jig is offjust
a hair, you probably won't notice it if
you only cut one or two slots as a
test But a small error can add up to
a
a big one over the width of the work-
piece. And the onlyway to determine

g this is to make your test pieces the

same width as your workpieces.
Make Test Cuts - Cut the box
joints on the ends of the test pieces,
as shown in Steps 3 and 4. Once you Check the fit of the joints (see 'a'). If they are too tight, shift the
are done, try fitting the pieces 5 box below). If they are too loose, index key closer to the blade (see
together and compare the results shift the fence andlor index key fur- detail 'b7. Then make more test cuts
with the drawings in the box below. ther away from the blade (see detail to check the new setting.
If the pieces fit together perfectly
on the h t attempt, great You're the back and nudging the fence over each adjustment, make another
ready to move on to your actual a hit, as shown in Step 5. series of test cuts. Repeat this
workpieces. But chances are that The difference between a perfect- process as many times as necessary
you will have to make an adjustment fittingjoint and one that is too tight until you're satided with the fit
to your jig by moving the fence (or or too loose is only a few thou- Then you can tighten the knobs
the index key). On our jig, this is just sandths of an inch, so move the down and adjust the screw on the
a matter of loosening the knobs on fence in very small increments.After end of the fence to contact the stop.

No. 62 ShopNates 11
 butting the Box +I
I
lough adjusting the jg for
i
.~rfedtestfitis usually the most
challenging and timeconsuming
part of the process, there are still
CUT OVERSIZE
some things to watch out for when it BLANKS TO WIDTH
comes time to cut the box joints in
your actual workpieces. Foriunately,
there are a few simple precautions
you cantake to ensure success.
Visual Appeal - When building are extra wide
h AFTER MAKLNG
BOX JOINTS

with box joints, I typically shoot for
visual accuracy rather than dimen-
sional accuracy. For instance, the
toolbox on page 14 is supposed to be
8" tall (before the lid is cut om. But
whether it ends up exactly this
height or not, the important thing is
that there's a full pin (or slot) at the
top and bottom of each piece.
k - W i d e Pieces -To do this,
I typically start with workpieces that
r WASTE
and then trim them
down after the box joints are
a& see Step 6. This way, I always
end up with a full pin (or slot).
Of course, there are times when a
workpiece has to be a specsc
dimension, like when building a
drawer. But even in these cases I still
start with an oversize piece. I simply
trim the pieces so the pin (or slot) is
thesamesizeatthetopandbottom.
B
B
4 6
4
B
i-Iabel Pieces Another thing I
like to do is label the front, back, and
side pieces and number the joints so
I can cut the joints in sequence, see
drawing above and Step 4 below.
Consistent Pressure - When
cutting the box joints (see the steps

i:
pj.
c!

Tobegin, set the bottom of the first
1 workplece against the key and
hold it tightly against the fence and
carrier plate. Then cut the fint slot.
Now move the piece so the fint
2 slot straddles the key and cut a
second notch. Repeat this process
until all the slots on this end are cut.
3 . .
After all the slots are cut on one
. end-for-end,
end fllp the p~ece
keeping the waste edge on the same
side. Then cut the slots on this side.

Now rotate the fimpiece so the
waste IS outs,de and the firstslot
fitroverthe key Butt thematingpiece
against the fib9 and cut the first slot.
Now slide the slot you just cut in
5 the mating piece up tight to the
key Continue this procedure until
the box joints are cut on all pieces.
Before assembling the box, rip
6 the waste edge off each piece so
there's a full pin and slot on the top
and bottom of the piece.

ShopNotes No. 62
below), you still have to think about
consistency. Even shifting the pres
sure slightly can affect the fit of the
box joints. So I hold the jg with both
i
hands and perform each pass in
exactly the same manner.
Unfortunately, even if your box
joints fit perfectly, you may run into A 0 GLUE
another problem -chipout. ON
...-ALL
-.. . . -
Chipout - Our jig takes care of JOINTED END ONLY
this problem, but there are a few
other things you can do to minimize
i t First, make sure your blade is
sharp. And don't push the pieces
through the blade too quickly. If
you're getting a lot of chipout, try
1 First, Itry to avoid slopping glue
all over the box joints so that I won't
have a b g mess to clean up later. To
i
help with this, I tape the inside edges Also, to get the glue on quickly, I
slipping a scrap piece of hardboard of the pieces Figure 1).This way, use a small "acid" brush (available at
behind the workpiece so that each any glue squeeze-out can be care most hardware stores). You don't
cut is backed up completely. fully peeled away later. want much glue though. Even a little
Smooth Assembly -Aftercutting Time Savers - To buy myself bit creates a strong hold.
the slots on all your pieces, you're more time, I use white glue instead When it comes to clamping up the
ready to assemble the box. Here's of yellow glue. White glue sets up boxjoints, there are acouple of other

~ a & & ~~~;proj~up2fl?$ox if? tJa@ hpdmt.to: & -G .&&~m.k. 3

j*. can rte & 'W t?k&y: ,&at yo* WgSenty of s@'a;:t3w,$$@&pe@ :
Because the ends ol the bax clamps-onhand. Keep in mind that don't require much pres'

e*. &e %&Best me&.

B;lr & i + @ o ~ t % f~
f~ a @ ~ g

No, 62 ShopNotes
Toolbox !
A classic-looking toolbox that's ,
loaded with features.
i*

.."
<.*+"

0 ver the years, I've run across a lot of old car-

pentds toolboxes that look similar to the one you
see here. But there's something different about this
the toolbox with rabbet joints and nails instead of box
joints, see photo on opposite page. While not quite as
strong as box joints, rabbets offer more strength and
toolbox Most of the old toolboxes I've seen were quickly glue surface than butt joints. And to give the box an old-
slapped together with nails and butt joints. And over h e look, we used copper nails with square beads.
time, the boards had shrunk or cupped and pulled loose Wood - A lot of the older toolboxes I've seen were
from the nails. You won't have that problem with this made out of pine, probably because it was readily a d -
toolbox. That's because the corners are joined with able and cheap. But I decided to go with Douglas &
interlocking box joints. The individual 6ngers of the box instead. Ifs a little bit harder than
joints provide a large amount of gluing surface, resulting
in a much slronner - ioint
. that holds UD over lime.
C pine and takes on a nice,
warm color over time.
But the box joints aren't the only reason to
build this toolbox. It's also loaded with other
handy features. To start with, it's the perfect
size for toting around an assortment of your
favorite band tools. A sliding tray at the top of
the box has compartments for nails and fas-
teners. The underside of the lid is fitted with a
holder for a band saw. And aleather handle on
top of the lid makes it easier to carry the
toolbox around from job to job.
If for some reason you don't want to use
box joints, there's an easy alternative. We've
provided details on our website for building

14 ShopNotes No. 62
I F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

.. - .
. .. .
IN GROOM IN
LOWER FRAME

1 Matarials & Hardware

A Front/&lck (2) Yzx el/+ (rgh.) - 28 K Tray Bottom (1) 5'18 x 14% - '4 Hdbd.
11
B Ends (2) l/2 x 81/q (rgh.) 8- L Tray Dividers (2) % x 2% - 5'/a
C Tray Runners (2) V4x 27 -I/, Hdbd. M Tray Handle (1) % x 3% - 6%
-
x 21f/,6 84 (tyh.)

.i2)
D Lid 5$0p (1)
E Baee Molding (1) -
% x 13/4 84 (rgh.) (2) 5mall Brass Trunk Hinges
F B o m m e n e l (1) 6 % ~ -
26% '/n Hdbd. (1) Leatherliunk Handle
G id ~ 0 l d 1 (1nj~ ' 3/4 x 19/4- 06 Brass-Plated Draw Catch-
H LId Fgnel(1) 3 / 4 6f/8
~ - 261% (18) #6 x %'I BWS Fh Woodscmws
I Tray Fmnt/Baok (2) % x 5 (rgh.) - 15 (6) # 8 x 3/q" Brass Rh Woodscrews
J Tray End4 (2) %x3(tyh.)-6.78

NO. 62 ShopNotes 15
 'P-DEEP
Whenever I build a box with a GROOM
hinged lid, I usually 6nd it easier to TRAY
RUNNERS
glue up the sides of the box first and
then cut the lid from the box. This BACK
Z8U -
toolbox is no exception. It starts out ~ ' " T H ~5TOC"'
K
as a four-sided box that gets cut into
two sections: a case and a lid.
f .
Blsmbs - I started by
gluing up some '/211-thick
surround~ngthe blanks for the fiwzt and back
bottom of the (4and the ends (B).There's
toolbox creates a a couple of things to keep in
base and supports mind here. Fit, make sure
the bottom panel that the blanks are extra wide.
(I
made my blanks about 8l/a"
wide to start with.)
Second, make up a couple of
extra blanks to use as test piecesfor
setting up your box joint jig.These
test blanks should be the same thick- END
ness and width as your workpieces. pv,"rqh x 8" -
M -THIC STOCK)
Once you have the blanks cut to
length, you can cut the box joints
lc) . The iingers of the box the next step is to cut a groove on the
jointsare1/4"widebyWlong. (Refer inside face of the front and back
totheboxjointjigarticleonpage6and pieces, as shown in Figure 1. These
the techniquearticleonpage12.) grooves are for a couple of tray rm-
After cutting all the box joints, you ners that will be added later. Make
can trim the pieces to iinal width. sure the grooves are positioned in
The exad width of these pieces will between two pins. This way, you
vary depending on the width and won't see them from the outside can be sanded smooth so that they
spacing of your box joints. The once the case is assembled. are flush with the sides of the box.
important thing is that you have 16 Assembly - After cutting the Cutting Iid from Case -To cut
pins and 16 notches on each piece. grooves, you can glue up the case. the lid from the case, I used my table
Once the pieces are cut to width, Once the glue is dry, the box joints saw to cut through each side of the
box. But if I simply cut the lid off
with a single cut on each side, the
box joints on the lid wouldn't match
up with the box joints on the case.
The trick is to cut out a narrow
section of the box behueen the case
and lid - a section equal to the height
of a full pin and a full notch. To do
this, I6rst set my rip fence to make a
cut through the front and back of the
box, about 5l/2"frornthe bottom, see
Figure 2a. Then, I lowered my saw
blade so it was about 1/3211 lower than
the thickness of my stock and made
a scoring cut on each end, shown in
Flgures 2 and 2b.
After this was done, I moved the
rip fence over for a second set of cuts
using the same techiique. Then a
utility knife can be used to cut
through the remaining material on
the ends of the box that connects the
lid to the case iJ3gure 3).
Tray Runners -With the lid set
aside for the time being, you can
tinish up the work on the case. To
start with, a couple of l/n" hardboard
h y runners (Cj are glued into the
grooves in the front and back, as
shown in Flgure 4.
lid Stops -Next, you11 need to
make up some lid stqp (D)for the
inside of the box These create a lip
around the inside of the box
opening, aligning the lid when it is
closed. These stops are cut from l/41t-
thick stock that has been rounded
No. 62
m-. LID 5TOP
(CUTTO FIT)
A
,RAY RUNNER
(%" x 2T'
W HARDBOARD)
-
GLUE RUNNERS
INTO GROOVES IN CASE
FRONT A N D BACK ONLY
over on two edges. They are mitered
to length and glued in place around
the inside of the box.
Base -The base of the tool box is
a little unusual. It's really a frame
made up of four pieces of molding.
The case fits into a groove cut in this
molding. And a hardboard panel
completes the base of the toolbox
To make this base, start by cre-
ating the base m o l d i (Ej.
~ This is a
three-step process. After cutting the
blanks to size, rout an ogee along
one edge, as you see in Figures 6
ShopNotes
%" ROUNDOVER
NOTE: LID STOP
IS %THICK
AND MITERED
TO LENGTH
and 6a. Then cut a groove to match
the thickness of the walls of the case,
as shown in Figure 6b. Fially, cut a
rabbet to hold a hardboard bottom
F ~ g u r e64. Once this is done, the
molding pieces are mitered to fit
around the bottom of the case. Then
the frame can be glued together
around the case.
After the glue on the frame has
dried, you can cut a piece of '/a1'
hardboard for the bottm panel
IF). This is simply glued into the
opening in the base molding frame.
17
 Lid and Tray -
With the lower half of the toolbox tin-
ished, you can now turn your atten-
tion to completing the lid
The lid is built much like the
bottom of the toolbox. It features a
) mitered frame surrounding a
solid wood panel. To allow the
)anel to expand and contract with
.hanges in humidity, the panel
floats" in a groove that is cut on
he inside edges of the frame. You
.an see what I'm talkhg about in
F Agures 7 and 7a.
A Lid.
I started by making the lid
The lid of the
moldzng (G) for the frame. After cut-
toolbox features a
ting a couple of blanks for the
soiid-wood panel
molding, an ogee profile is routed
that "floats" in a
along one edge (Figure 8a). Then a
mitered frame.
roundover is routed along two other
edges @gure 8b).
To allow the frame pieces to fit AROUND LID
over the lid section of the box, a
%'!-wide groove is cut on the face
of each blank. To do this, I the lid section frame, less '/16" on all four sides. (l
switched over to the table saw and that you set aside earlier. Just cut the made my panel 6l/a'I x 261/a".)
used a dado blade, as you can see miters so that the frame pieces fit After cutting the panel to size,
in Fig. &. Then a 1/4"-wide groove around the case, but don't glue the you11 need to cut a groove along
is cut on the edge of each blank to frame together just yet You still each edge to create atongue that fits
hold the lid panel (Figure ad). need to make the panel. in the groove of the h e pieces, as
Once all the profiles and grooves Panel - The lid panel (H)is you can see in Figures 7aand 9a
have been cut, you can start mitering glued up from solid, 3/4"-thick stock Before assembling the lid frame
the individualframe pieces to fit over It's sized to fit in the grooves of the and panel, a chamfer is routed along

A Saw Storage. Mount-

ed fo the Inslde of the
l ~ d ,a custom-f~tted
wood block and turn-
button secures the saw
handle And a leather
'pocket" holds the end
of the saw blade

18 ShopNotes No. 62
the top edges of the panel. Then the
frame and panel can be glued up
around the lid. Note: I used just a
drop of glue on each end of the panel
when gluing it to the frame. Tbis
holds the frame in place while still
allowing for wood movement
Hardware - To complete the
toolbox, all that's left is to add the
binges, catches, and handle. Before
attaching these items, however, I
"aged" the hardware by placing it in
a special darkening solution (see
page 35 for more information).
If you want to store a hand saw in
the lid, you can add a convenient
holder and leather "pocket" to the
underside of the lid. See the photos
in the margin on opposite page.
Tray-Nowthatthetoolboxiscom-
plete, you can build the tray that fits
inside it. Like the toolbox, the tray is
also joined with box joints. Start by
cutting out blanks for the t m y
frmt/back (I)and the tray ends (J).
These pieces should be cut a little bottom edges of all four tray pieces can cut a pair of t m y dividers (L)
wide so they can be trimmed to size for a bottom ( F i i e lob). and a tray hamile (Mi, which you
aftertheboxjointsarecut(Figure 10). Bottom - After you've glued up can see in F i e 10.A dado iscutin
After cutting the box joints ont the four sides of the tray, you can cut each tray divider to hold the tray
he tray pieces, a couple of dadoes a piece of hardboard to serve as the handle. Then a notch is cut on each
are cut on the inside hce of the
front and back to hold a pair of
-
tmw b o t h (Kl. This is cut to fit in
the opening in the bottom of the tray
end of the handle to allow it to fit into
thedadoesinthedividers( F i i e 11).
dividers, as shown in Figure 10. and simply glued in place. To make the openingin the handle,
Then a rabbet is cut along the With the bottom attached, you acouple of holes are drilled as shown
in F i e 12andthewaste inbetween
them is cut out with a jig saw or scroll
saw. Then the upper corners of the
handle are radiused and sanded
smooth @ a r e 12a). When this is
done, the inside of the handle
opening and the top
edges of the han-
dle are rounded I
over on a router
table, refer to
Figure 10. Then
the dividers and
handle are glued
into the tray.
To complete
tray, some small wood plugs
are glued into the ends of the
tray to conceal the rabbet for the
tray bottom ( F i l e 10d). Finally,
all the outside edges of the tray
are rounded over. 8
 Great Glue.
aglued-uppanel seems
like such a simple process.
Just take a bunch of narrower
boards and glue them together into
the size you need. But as you may
have guessed (or experienced your-
Take the self), there's a lot more to i t
mystery out of Ending up with a panel that's not
only great-looking but starts out and
gluing up a stays flat, isn't just luck. It's a delib
solid wood erate stepby-step process that starts
panel by long before you squeeze out that
first bead of glue.
following a
simple step-by- SELECTING & ARRANGING
BOARDS
step process.

I
Making a panel starts with selecting
the boards youll be gluing together.
And unless you have a large supply
of lumber in your shop, seleding the
boards starts with a trip to the store.

go through-a mental checklist as Grain - Now that the boards are way, the boards will "melt" together
you look at each board. Fist, make matched, youll want to take some to form a panel that looks like a
sure the boards don't exhibit any t h e to study the surface grain of single, wide board.
warp O i e cup, twist, or bow). each board. This way, you can visu- The one tbing you don't want to
There's no point in starting out alize the overall grain pattern the do is rush this process. Spend some
with problems that might show up panel will have once the boards are time turning the individual boards
later in your panel. glued together. over. I even like to tlip them end for
Color - Once I have apile of suit- What I look for here is to match end. This way, I'll be sure to "see" all
able boards, the next t h i I look for the grain that runs along the edge of the possibiities.
are boards that are close. in color. each board so one curve flows into Wood Movement - 16ke most
There's notbing worse than a panel another, like the photo at the lower woodworkers, I try to alternate the
where one board stands out from all left shows. Or straight-grained lines end grain of adjacent boards as I
the others because it's lighter or on one board match those on the make up the panel. The thought is
darker th-- the rest. h?ard next to it (right DO-"' -'- that this will minimize anv chance of
the wood moving and the panel cup
ping after it's been glued up.
But to be honest if it comes down
to making a choice between alter-
nating the boards or not I select the
best color and grain match h t.This
way, I know I11 end up with panel
thaOs looks good. And as for flatness,
I haven't noticed much of a problem.
What's more important to me is
how the e&e grain matches. As you
A A,opearance. Toget a good-looking, wide panel, it's best to avoid drawing attention can see in Figure la, I do my best to
to a joint line. To do this, arrange boards so curved patterns merge (left) and straight- orient the edge grain so each board
grained boards are positioned to create an "invisible"joint (right). is going in the same direction.

20 ShopNotes No. 62
 The reason is simple. When you
glue up a panel, youll probably have
to do alittle smoothing.And whether
you use a hand plane or planer to do
this, having the grain going in the
same direction on all the boards will
minimize any tendency for chipout
on the face of the panel.
CUT TO ROUGH SRE
Once dl the boards are selected
you're ready to cut them to rough
size. I like to cut the boards 2" to 3"
longer than the final lengtb of my
panel. This way, I don't have to
worry about keeping dl the ends
perfectly flush as I glue them up.
With the boards cut to length,
you're ready to size them to rough
width. As you do this, you%need to
keep a couple things in mind.
Fit, you want to leave enough
extra material to prepare the edges of
each board. And second, the overall
width of the panel should be about 1"
wider than required. This way, you'll
have a little "cushion" when it comes
time to trim the panel to h a 1 size. To
account for both these things, I leave
an extra 3/d1or SO on each board.
At this point, you've spent a good
deal of time getting t h i i just right
CUT BOARDS AT
-
LEAST 2" 3' LONGER
THAN FINISHED LENGTH
OF PANEL
REFORM PANEL
NOE
COMBINEDWDTH OF
BOARDS IS I" WIDER THAN
FINISHED WIDTH OF PANEL
You sure don't want to throw out all
that hard work by gluing up the
boards in the wrong order.
A good way to avoid this problem
is to take a minute to draw a large
T" across the face of the panel with
a piece of chalk like you see in
Figure 1above. This way, reassem-
bling the pane1 is just a matter of
reformingthe '"Y."
PREPARE EDGES
At this point, you're almost ready to
thii about gluing up the panel. But
fist, youll need to be sure that the
-
boards will form a strong glue joint.
For that, the edges of each board
need to be smooth and s-ht But
to ensure the panel isflat, each edge
need to be square to the face. To pre
pare these edges, you can use either
a jointer or a table saw, as yon can
see in the box below.
Regardless of the method yon
choose, its important to set the
machine up correctly. When using a
jointer, I make sure the f a c e is
exactly 90" to the table. And when
I%nusing a table saw, I double check
that the blade is 90" to the table.

FOR BEST El
JOINT IN LIC
A big step towards making a flat panel SMOOTH PP
is ensuring the edges of each work-
piece are square to the face.
-
Jointer My first choice for doing
this is to use a jointer F i e 1).A
join& takesa uniform amonntoff each
workpihe. I slowly feed the workpiece
with the gmi~@7gure la). After a few
light passes, the workpiece has a
smooth edge thafs ready to be glued.
Table Saw - Another method for
jointing edgesis to use a table saw and
a good combination blade. To do this,
I use a d o u b l a t method. Start by

- ripping the boards straight (Figure 2).

Then repeat the cut but only remove
about half the thickness of the saw
blade (Figure 2a). This second cut
results in avery smooth surface.

No. 62 ShopNotes
 Gluing & Clamping
With the boards carefully
selected and arranged, the
AMP5
BOTTOM
FLAT PANEL
*
vanel is poine to look meat
And w i t h allthe edge; pre
pared smooth, straight, and
square, the boards will fit
together just as good as they
look. Now's the time to net
'
'

-,
your work area and clamps
A br'stle ready to glue up the panel.
brush is a quick and
easy way to spread
Work Area - One thing I've
CHECKi
learned over the years is that if you FLATNESS
a smooth, even layer WITH 5TRAlGHEDGE
want a 8at panel, you need to give
of glue along the
yourself plenty of room to work So
edge of a board.
take the time to clear off vour work-
bench (or even the shop floor).
-
Clamps When gluing up
a panel, I've always used pipe
clamps. But other types of
clamps will work just as well.
C Regardless of the type of
clamps you use, the key is to A dry run is a simple process of Tighten Clamps - Now you can
have the right number on clamping up the panel- without the tiphten the clampsjust enough so any
hand. You'll need enough to glue. This gives you a chance to pin- gaps between the boards disappear.
space them evenly across the point any problems and resolve 'Ibis shouldn't take a lot of pressure.
panel about 6" to 8" apart them -before its too late. Just a little e x h turn on the clamp
A clamp in^. A thin once its snug should be enough.
Start by laying out a few pipe
bead ofglue DRY BUN clamps on your worksurface and set- Now's the time to give the panel
jndicates good With everything at hand, you might ting the boards in place To help dis a good going over. For me that
pressure along the
be ready to grab the glue bottle and tribute the pressure more evenly and means getting down and sighting
joint 11ne.
go to work But instead of pressing prevent the panel from cupping, I like along the top surface (a straight-
ahead at full speed, its agood idea to to alternate the clamps on the top and edge often helps here). What
make a "dry run" first bottom of the panel ( F i e 2). you're looking for is to see whether

Oc~asionallyI'll need a little help to

keep the boards in a panel aligned.
WSwhen I turn to splines or bis
1 d t s to keep the outside mtrfaces of
the boards as flash aspossible.
?b cutasktforaspline, I u s e a
" hand-held xouter and a slot cutter
P l l r ~ Figures
~ ~ 1 md ~ la).
~ ButifIdyneed
-
alittle help here andtherewith align-
ment I'll u w a biscuit joiner to cut
slots for s o m e b i i t s @
&m
e 2).
Regardless of the method you
use, if the ends of the panel will be
$=; exposed, be sure to start and stop
BJWUK- -
the slotfor the spline or biscuit 211 3"
short of the ends of each board.

22 ShopNotes No. 62
the surfaces align with each other.
If the boards aren't too far out of
alignment (?/16") you can clamp or
tap any boards back into alignment
2a and 2b). But sometimes
that's not enough. That's when I turn
to splines or biscuits for a little help
(see the box on the opposite page). and creating black marks on the panel.
Besides surface alignment, I also Tighten Clamps - Nowit's just a
check a few other t h i s . For more matter of tightening the pipe clamps. What I like to do now is wait a
on this, take a look at the box below. I like to start at the center and work couple hours until the glue sets up.
toward the ends, alternating between This allows you take the clamps off
GLUING UP THE BOARDS the top and bottom clamps. But don't and use a scraper to "pop" the glue
With a dry run under your belt and overdo it here. You only wantto apply off the surface (see photo above).
any problems taken care of, you're enough pressure so there's an even Even though the excess glue is
ready to start gluing up the panel. bead of glue along thejointline (bottom removed, the glue in the joints needs
Glue - To speed things along, I margin photo on opposite page). to cure completely before you can
squeeze out a bead of glue on one Align Boards - Here again, if work with the panel. But you don't
edge only of each board and brush it you aren't using splines or biscuits, want to lay it flat on a bench or floor
to an even fi, as you can see in the check the surface of the panel with a to dry. Smce air isn't free to circulate
upper margin photo on the opposite simightedge. Then tap (or clamp) evenly around both sides of the
page. Note: I like to use yellow glue any boardsflush (Figures2aand 2b). panel, it could end up cupping.
when making panels. Excess Glue - At this point, I Instead, set the panel on one end
What you want here is the "wet" zlsed to wipe away the excess glue and lean it against a d so it's as
look. If the glue looks dull and flat, with a damp cloth. But this often straightup and down as possible. This
squeeze on a bit more and spread forced the glue into the pores - keeps the panel flat and allows the
the glue back along the edge. causing finishing problems later. glue to fully cure from both sides. 6

Dry damping a panel is a great way to dis.

cover problems befbre you start appbjfig any
glue. Here are a few thingsI cheek for.
Artaagement - One of the &st thi
verify is that the arrangement of the boar
correct, A quick Eheck for the "V'' makes it
easy ta seeif any boards are out of order.
OF e
Joint Iines - Then I check the joint lines. GAP
One thing you might notice is a gap at the
a d s o f theboards because of snipe,as shown
in detaa 'a'To solve this problem, it's best to
tune up yourjointer and rejoint the edges.
And if I've used a .tablesaw to square up the
edges, I check them for saw marks, like the
onesin detail %.'An edge with saw marks isn't
smooth and can result in a weak - .
due ioint.
gr 7 - - FKE55UKE LAN
RAISE BOAR05 OFFPIPE

Here again, you11want to retrim the edges.

lJ1Bt &Flush - F d y , check that the
panel is flat and the surfaces are fIush (details
'c' and 'd7. Here again, squaring the edges will
remove any cup. And if the surfaces aren't
flush,you ran clampthe ends or tap them down

I
EDGES
ARENT E
againstthepipe clamps.If you need some extra w
help, see the box on the opposite page. c.
. ~ . . . v--

No. 62 ShopNotes 23
 - SHOP PROJECT

Wall-Mounted
Clamping
Station
Gluing up a panel is a breeze
with this space-saving
clamping station that mounts
to the wall of your shop.

C lamping up a panel is a series

of challenges. The first is
clearingyour bench to create a large
enough area to work. The next chal-
lenge is setting up the pipe clamps to
do the job. And finally, to reclaim
your bench, you need to wrestle the
panel (and clamps) off the bench
a n d h d a alate to set itwhile it dries.
Clamping Station - To meet
these challenges head-on, I built this
wall-mounted clamping station. It
I
comb'mes the glue-up area, clamps,
and drying
. - area into a s k-l e loca-
tion. So there's no need to worry in the Exploded View on the oppe the handwheels across the top of the
about cleaningoffaworkbench when site page, the lower clamp bar is clamping station. F d y , you won't
it comes time to glue up a panel. positioned to accommodate the have to lug the clamped up assembly
You won't have to run around overall width of the panel. away from your bench and h d a
looking for pipe clamps either -the Once you've placed the glued up place to "store" it until it drys. You
"clamps" are built in. As you can see boards in the station, simply tighten simply walk away and wait for the
assembly to dry right on the station.
Cost - Although the clamping
station is large in size, building it
won't cost you an ann and a leg. The
mediumdensity fiberboard (MDF),
plywood, maple, and few pieces of
hardware cost much less than an
equivalent set of pipe clamps.
As a matter of fact, many of the
parts could be made using scraps
you probably already have in your
shop -reducing the cost even more.
One last thing, don't get the idea
that this clamping station is just for
& Multiple Panels. This wall-mounted shown above) is just as easy. Just large panels. It works just as well for
clamping station isn'tjust for large panels. readjust the lower barand then tighten the gluing up smaller panels, as shown
Gluing up smaller panels (like the pair clamp heads individually for each panel. in the photo at left

24 ShopNotes No. 62
 Materials 1 Hardware
I ..
clamp dad support d~ P/atfmrn I 1 (12) #B x I%" Fh Sheet I
A ~ & e r Rail (I) -
1'/2 x 3 46'/2 L Bar Face (1) - 5/0x la/& 48
Metd Screws
(107)#0 x lfli'Fh She&
0 Upper Rail (1) 3/4x3-46%
C Kail Spacer6 (7) %x3-3
Clamp Had# & HandwhmIe h&%d SG~EWS
M Bases ( 6 ) 6'46 x 6 - 3/a Ply. (65) #0x Z1/2" Fh She&
D Back (1)
E Bmces (4)
40~40-~hMDF
11x485/10-~1+MDF N Clamp Bodies ( 6 ) --
5% x 4 2% Ply. Metal Screws
F Mounting Rails (2) 6 x 46 - 3/4 MCF 0 Retaining Strips ( 6 ) 2'/4 x 5% 3/4 P(y. * (6) 3/." O.D. x 5/0" LD. x 1"-Long
P Handwheek (6) 7 x 7 (yh.) -314Ply. Bronze Bushings
Y&l Raitd & Clamp Bar -
- i6
Q a m p Head Face+ (6) 5/s x 1% 5"h6 (24) 5/s'' Hex Nuts
G Vertioai Rails (7) '/4 -
x ?fz 413/4 f l 6 ) 5/fi"Flat Washers
H Guide 5t1ips (12) V4x 3/4 - 12 Note: You'll need (1) sheet of Medium- j 9 2 NU~S
3/4~4-40 Densiw Fiberboard (MDFJ, approx;mately 16 (3) '/+"x 9%"Quick Release Pine
J Clamp Bar Guides (6) '/4x 1% - 0 bd. ft. of 8/4"-thi~khardwood, and (1) 2'x 4' ( 6 ) 5/s"-D;a. x ISu-Lon#
K 6 a r Stiffener (1) 3/4x2-4B piece of3/6 plywood for this project. ALEthrnd Steel Rods

No. 62 ShopNotes 25
To provide 6rm support as clamping
pressure is applied, I started by
building a rock-solid frame for the
clamping heads at the top of the sta-
tion. This frame is then attached to a
large platform, as shown in Figure 1.
Clamp Head Support - The
clamp head support is built like a
miniature wall with short "studs"
26
sandwichedbetween long rails at the extra thick hardwood (I1/$"'. Now
top and bottom ( F i e lb). This the easiest way to make this rail
W e is then mountedto the top of a would be to use a piece of 11/~"-thick
large panel that formsthe foundation stock But you can also glue up the
of the clamping station v i e 1). lower rail (A) from two layers of
The h t step is to make the rails 3/41'-thickstock (FIgwe 1).
for the clamp head support To pre- While the glue dries on the lower
vent the lower rail from bending as rail, you can sizethe uppwmil(B)to
pressure is applied, its a piece of the same width and length from 3/4"-
thick stock p i e 1).
Holes -The next step is to drill a
series of holes through both rails.
These holes provide a way to anchor
the threaded rods that make up part
of the clamp heads.
To prevent the clamp heads from
binding as you adjust them its
important for the holes to align with
each other. So its a good idea to drill
all the holes at the same time. To do
this, I used a few pieces of carpet
tape to hold the two rails together, as
youcanseeinFie2.
Start by drilling a deep counter-
bore in the bottom of the lawer rail
v i e 2a). This counterbore will
accept a large hex nut that the
threaded rod feeds into, allowing the I)
clamp head to adjust up and down
(Figures l a and lb).
Once thats complete, all tbat's left
ShopNotes No. 62
 to do is drill a smaller through hole
0. m hoth pieces. To prevent wear on
the sides of the holes in the upper
rails, these holes are sued to accept
bronze bushings (Rlgure 1).
After drilling the holes, you can SCREWS
cut the rail spacers (C) to h a 1 sue
and screw the clamp head support
together (Figure ib). Finally, glue
the hex nuts in place with epoxy and
press the bushings into the top rail.
Platform - With the clamp head
support complete,you're ready work
on the platform. The first step here is
to cut the back (Dl to size. It's
nothing more than a 48"-square
piece of 3/4" MDF.
Attaching the clamp head support
to the hack is just a matter of
screwing it in place (Rgure la). To
ensure the screws are located prop
erly, take some time to lay out each
location. M e r clamping the support
to the hack drill the pilot holes and
then screw the support in place.
Braces - Now you're ready to
@ complete the rest of the platform. To
keep the hack rigid as clamping
pressure is applied, its attached to a of rails (Fi~gures3a and 3h). Here again, they're attached to the
set of hraces V i e 3). These Now that the notches are cut, you hraces with sheet metal screws.
braces (E) are tapered pieces of 3/4" can screw the hraces to the hack. Mount Platform - Now's agood
MDF. The taper positions the back at Smce the screws will he going into time to attach the platform to the
a slight angle to make it easier to the edge of the MDF, I like to use wall.This solves a couple problems.
keep workpieces in place as you glue sheet metal screws. First, you don't have to worry
up a panel (13gures 3a and 3h). Unlike a tapered wood screw, the about moving around a heavier
Because of their size, I found it eas- shanks of sheet metal screws are assembly later. And second, it posi.
iest to cut the hraces using a circular straight. So they're less likely to split tions the clamping station at just the
saw and straight edge (Figure 4). the edge of the MDF. right height for adding the
After cutting the braces to sue, you11 Mounting Rails - Once the remaining parts.
need to cut apair of notches along the hraces are screwed in place, you can Even so, the clamping station still
hack edge of each one to accept apair cut the mounting rails (F) to size. weighs quite a bit So you2 probabl)
want a little help from 2
friend when you're ready tc
mount it to the wall. And tc
make the whole procesr
easier, I screwed a cleat to A Cleat Support A
the wall (see margin). temporary cleat
I attached the cleat so makes it easy to
the top edge was about 16" keep the clamping
. * ~ . . from the floor. This puts the station level when
handwheels (added later) you attach it
at a comfortable height. to the wall.
Fimally, be sure to screw
through the mounting rails
into at least three studs at
hoth the top and bottom.

ShopNotes 27
 I S H O P PROJECT

Clamp Bar

you're ready to start

adding the vertical rails
that support the work-
pieces and guide the
clamp heads and clamp
bar (Figure 5).
Vertical Rails -The

I
&aI rails (G) are long
strips of 3/4"-thick hard-
wood that raise the work-
pieces off the back of the
A Clamp Bar
clamping station.Thisway, the they're
A @ u s M .A
aligned with thedamping pressure.
simple quick-release
To allow the clamp bar to adjust up CLAM
pin holds the clamp BAR
and down, three rails have holes
bar in posftion once
drilled in them to accept quick
it's been adlusted to
release pins. To enswe the clamp bar
match the size of the
is even across the platform, these
panel befng glued up.
holes need to be in h e with each
other. Here again, I held all three rails
together with a few pieces of carpet
tape and drilled the holes (Figure 6).
Then to allow the pins to slide easily -VERTICAL
- RAILS
(MAKE SEVEN)
in place, I chamfered the outside
edges of each hole v i e 6a).
Once the holes are drilled, you're matter of gluing and mewing them head support at the top and they're
almost ready to screw the rails in in place, as you can see in Figures 7, spaced evenly across the back, as
place. But first, you11 need to add 7a, and 7b. Note: The two vertical illustrated in Flgures 7a and 7b.
some short hardwood strips to the rails on the outside only have a -
Clamp Bar At this point you
top of each rail, as you can see in single guide strip attached to the can turn your attention to the
Figure 7. Theseguide sfnps (0will inside face Figure 7a). adjustable clamp bar shown in
keep the clamp heads against the Now that the guides strips are F i e 8. The clamp bar is made
back as they move up and down. attached, you can glue and screwthe from three separate pieces of hard-
After cutting the guide strips to vertical rails to the back The rails fit wood attached to three pairs of
length (12'3, attaching them is just a tight against the bottom ofthe clamp guides. These pieces work together
to form a rigid beam that prevents
the bar from flexing as the clamp
heads apply pressure.
Bar Rail - I started by c u
m
the bar rail (0to final size from a
wide piece of 3/4"-tbick hardwood.
Then I cut a set of guides to size, as
shown in F i e 8.
These bar guides (I)are identical
pieces of 3/4"-thick hardwood with a
single hole drilled near one end
@ i e s 8 and &). These holes
allow you to use a quick-release pin
to position the bar at different
heights along the vertical raiI.

28 ShopNotes No. 62
 SHOP PROJECT

Assembly - Once the holes are

drilled (and chamfered on each side
as shown in F i e 6a), you can
attach them to the bar rail. The trick
is attaching the guides so they don't
"pinch" too tight against the vertical
rails. What you're looking for here is
a smooth, slidiifit that doesn't b i d
as you move the rail up and down.
The solution is fairly simple. All
you need to do is assemble the
guides and bar rail right on the plat-
form. To do this, start by "pinning"
each pair of guides in place. Then
slip a strip of paper between each
guide and the vertical rail. This pro-
vides just enough "play" to allow the
guides to slide easily.
Now all you need to do is clamp
the guides against the rails. Then Besides stiffening the rail, it also saw blade and making
simply screw the bar rail in place so provides support for the bar face a long rip cut, as illuo
it's centered across the platform and that's added next. The barface (L) is h-ated in Figure 8a.
flush with the bottom edge of each a piece of 5/~"-thkkhardwood that All that's left to
bar guide, as illustrated in Figure 8c. rests on top of both the rail and stiff- complete the clamp
Bar Stiffener - To provide addi- ener (Figure 8c). bar is to attach the bar
tional strength and "beef up" the You'll notice that the bar face is face. Since the clamp face can be
clamp bar, I added an extra strip of slightly beveled ( F i e 8c). This marred by the workpieces as you
hardwood. As you can see in Figures bevel forces the workpieces flat apply clamping pressure, I didn't
8 and 8b, the bar stifinw (K) is against the vertical rails as clamping glue it in place. Instead, it's attached
nothing more than a piece of 3/41" pressnre isapplied. with a few screws, as you can see in
thick hardwood that's glued and Cutting a smooth, even bevel on a Figure 8. This way, you can replace it
screwed to the face of the bar rail. long strip is just a matter of tilting the easily itnecessary.

No. 62 ShopNotes 29
 Clamp Heads -
At this point all thats left to com-
plete the clamping station is to add
the six clamp heads shown in Figure
10 and the margin. As you adjust
them with a shopmade handwheel,
the clamp heads apply pressure
smoothly and evenly against the
workpieces that make up the panel.
As you can see in Figure 10, each
clamp head consists of four basic
parts alongwith a fewpieces of hard-
ware. Note: I purchased all the hard-
ware from a local home center.
Clamp Head - The clamp head
starts out as base (M) of 3/4tt plywood
that's sized to fit between the vertical
rails. It's important that the base
slide easily, so I sized each piece to
provide '/16" clearance overall.
The next step is to add the body of
the clamp. Here again, the clamp
body (N) is made from 3/411 plywood.
But this time it's glued up from three
layers. I found it easiest to start with
long strips of plywood and glue them
A Clamp Heads. up into an extra-long (30") blank
Individual clamp After rounding over the two top
heads are used to edges, all yon need to do is cut each
applypressure body to size by "slicing" off short
evenly across the top (4") sections v i e 11).
edge of the panel. To completethe body, chill a small
counterbore in one edge, as illus
trated in the Front View shown in
P i e 10.As you can see, this coun-
terbore provides room for the end of
the clamp rod (added later).
Once each counterbore is corn
plete, you're ready to position it on
the base. This is just a matter of
30
NOTE: DO ~ o ' r
AmACH CLAMP HEAD
FACE U N n L LATER,
SEE FIG. 19b
1 i
gluing and screwing it
to the base so it's cen-
tered sidetc-side and
flush with the bottom
edge. Just be sure the hole for the
threaded rod facesup.
Retainihg Strip - To hold the
clamp head to the threaded rod, I
added a retainingstrip (0) along the
top edge of each base, asyou can see
in Figure 10. This piece is just a
narrow strip of 3/4't plywood. A hole
drilled through it allows the clamp
head rod to pass through.
Smce it can be tricky to add the
hardware with the retaining strip
attached to the base, I found it best
to do that lirst. So I threaded a pair of
ShopNotes
FRONTYIEW
CLAMP BODY
hex nuts on the end of the rod until
there was about a '/2" of thread
showing. Then I locked them in place
by "jamming" the nuts together.
Now you can slip the rod through
the retaining strip. Before attaching
the strip to the base, slip a washer
over the end of the rod and fit it into
the counterbore in the body (see
Front View in Fignre 10). Then you
can glue and screw the strip to the
base so it's centered sidebside and
flushwith the top edge.
Handwheel - At this point you
can set the clamp heads aside and
work on the handwheels. The hand-
wheels make it easy to apply pres-
sure with the clamp heads.
HANDWHEEL LAYOUT
No. 62
 After repeating this process for
each clamp head, all that's left to do
is add the clamp headface (Q). Iike
theclamp bar v i e 8a),amatching
bevel cut along the face v i e 3b)
forces the panel down against the
vertical rails. Here again, the clamp
*1
A Apply Wax.Topreventglue (and the
panel) from sticking to the station, rub
paraffin wax on the vertical rails.
No. 62
head face is only screwed in place.
And it's centered side-to-aideon the
clamp body and rests against the
guides ( F ' i e s 13aand 13b).
Glue Up A Panel - Now that
the clamping station is complete,
A Add Glue. After adpsting the lower
clamp bar, apply glue to each
workpiece and stack to form panel.
ShopNotes
1
you're ready to glue up a panel.
There's nothing tricky here. It's a
simple stepbystep process, as you
can see below. After tightening the
last clamp head, allyou need to do is
wait for the panel to dm&
A CIamp. With the workp~ecesin place,
applypressure evenly across the panel
by tightening each clamp head.
3
I Shop
I%&
Want to make your hand-
held rout& &able-fiee?
Tty the shop-tested tips below.
f
I f you asked me or just about any
other woodworker to run a
workpiece through the jointer or
But put a router in our hands, and
it seems like we always have to
pause a second or two to figure out
table saw, we wouldn't have to give the proper feed direction - that is,
it a second thought which direction we should move the
When it comes to working with a router along the workpiece.
stationary machine, the feed direc- Since the router isn't stationary,
tion of the workpiece comes natu- you can move it along the workpiece
rally. There's a distinct front and either left or right So how do you go
back to most machines, and there- about figuring out whafs "right?"
fore, the feed direction is automatic. Right Hand is "Right" - The
- simplest method I've found
1 -
land Orientation Detail for determininn the orooerA .
routing direction (no matter
what I m routing) is some-
' Frames drawing.
t h i i I have with me all the
time -my right hand. Take
a look at the detail at left,
and you11 see what I mean.
Start by making an 'L'
CLOCKWISE KS AGAINST FENCE
ShopNotes
with the thumb and forefinger of
your right hand so the knuckles face
up. Then with your 'U "in hand," all
you need to do is point your thumb
towards the edge of the workpiece
you're routing. A quick look at the
direction your linger points tells you
which way you need to move the
router along the workpiece.
What's really nice is this method
works whether you're routing the
inside (clockwise direction) or out-
side counterc clock wise^, of a work-
piece, as shown in the Routing
And if you need to move the
router along a fence to rout a groove
or dado, itworks just aswell (Routing
with a Fence drawing). But instead
of your thumb pointing to the work-
piece, it will point to the fence. Here
again, your finger will point in the
proper direction to move the router.
Breaking the Rules - This
method works for most situations.
But like most rules you've prob
ably learned, this one is made
to be broken. Sometimeswrong
is "right" For more on this, take a
look at the box on the opposite page.
Preventing Chipout - Even
you're routing in the "righf
direction, you'll inevitably run across
No. 62
 one of the more kustrathg prob
I) lems in woodworking- chipout. It's
happened to me more times than I
care to remember. And if you look at
the left drawing in Figure 1 below,
it's eaeasp see why this happens.
As yau rout along the edge, the bit
has the support of the uncut profle
to prevent the wood from chipping
out-untilthe hiit exits the cut atthe
end of the workniece. This h a m s
most often when you're r&ting
across theendgrain of a workpiece.
hrds First - So what's the solu-
tion? The one I like to use is to raut
the ends of the worlpiece$&. Sure,
STEP1
ROUTING
ACROSS
END GRAIN
SPLINTERS
CORNER
I stiu get splintering at the end of the
pass. But once I rout the profle
along the sides of the workpiece
(which are edge grainand rout more
smoothly), the chipped-out areas
"disappear," as you can see in the
right drawing of F i e 1.
Support Scrap - That sounds
great But what if you're not routing
all the way around a workpiece?For
instance, I tcpically don't rout the
back edge of&p where it'sgoingto
be againsta wall. wood against the edge that isn't
If thafsthe case, there's still a way going to be routed, as shown in
to prevent chipout All you need to F i e 2 above.
do is temporarily clamp a scrap of The scrap backs up the wood
fibers at the corners if the work-
piece. So when the end grain is
routed, any chipout will end up on
the scrap- not on the workpiece,
However, when routing end grain,
it's still a good idea to minimize
chipout. So don't set the bit for a full
depth cut Instead, take a series of
shallow Dasses. 6nishinrr UD with a
1 very lightfinalpass. &- '

Illhaveto yon canmake the rest of the cuts to

SowPlatexactl~~is~ u t w f i e n I h a v e t o r o u t a p ~ e
the name implies, ontheedge d a n o d a c j r c l e . Since

EIereagain,ym'fi want

wood normal diction.

- F ~
&&el- thelasttbbgI want to w#l bo& and skip along the edge,
d up with2s chipout Soiostead of making the router cult to control.
ukhg in the normal dbeetion, I To m b h k this problem, 1 Eke to
~and make t shallow, a e tight passes and keep a h n Newer on
u a very
cut v i e I). slip,Then I take a final cut in the the workpiece
This lightly &scores"the edge of proper M o n to clean up the edge.

No. 62

Tool
Chest
Looking to put a new twis'
on countersinking? Try a
Weldon countersink bit.
0 ne of the things that sets a
goodprojectapartfiom agreat
one is the details. And one of the less
obvious details is drilliog the wun-
tersink for the head of a screw.
Asmooth, even counter-
sink not only looks better,
butit allows the head of the
m t o seatrn. So its
less likely to project above
the surface or lookoffset
in the counterink,
That's a problem I've
had with most of the countersinks
I've used in the past They tended to
leave behind a rough, uneven sur-
facein the workpiece.
Weldon Countersinks - But
that all changed when I discovered a
set of countersinks made by the
Weldon company. The cutting edge
works like a miniature plane to
smoothly remove the waste as it
cuts the countersink.
r mum v v u r n arrruoth countersinks ~nson
metal, like brass or the aluminum shown above,
are a snap with a Weldon countersink
34
I
I
Design - So what makes these
countersinks so diierent? The main
difference is that a traditional coun-
tersink hit is 'fluted." These flutes
remove material by "ieaming" out
small chis. The problem is they
tend to "chatter," leaving a wavy sur-
face. This prevents the head of the
screw from fully seating.
But instead of flutes, the Weldon
bits have an angled hole drilled
through the middle of the bit (see
drawing below). Drilling this hole
through the sideof the bit resultsin a
single cutting edge. And since
there's only one cutting edge,youget
% super-smooth countersink with
curly shavings and chips, much like a
hand plane (see the photo above).
BITS ARE
AVAILABLE
IN VARYING
ANGLE'
-"Y
ShopNotes
This makes a WeMon bit the per-
*
fect choice for counteminking -
whether you are working in wood or
metal (lower left photo). And I seem
to be working with both materials a
lot more often these days.
Note: I&e most other counter-
sink bits, you will need to drill the
pilot hole for the screw before cut-
ting the countersink.
Weldon countersinks come in var-
ious sizes and styles depending on
the type and size of screw you're
using. And they also come in da-
fering cutting angles. (For wood-
screws,you'll need the 82" angle.)
Price - Depending on your
needs, you can buy a single counter-
sink for as little as $8.00. But if you
use a number of different screw
sizes like I do, a three or four-piece
set is a better value. I paid $30.00 for
a four-pieceset that will handle coun-
tersinks for #4 to #10 size screws.
(See margin for photo and smces.)
As you may have guessed, I'm a
big fan of Weldon countersinks.
They're easy to use and cut flawless
countersinks in both wood and
metal. So if you're looking to make
your woodworking a "cut above" the
rest, add a set of Weldon countersink
hits toyour tool collecfion.8
No. 62
a
Carpenter's Toolbox
To give the Carpenter's Toolbox
(page 14) a classic look, I used some
traditional trunk hardware, as you
can see in the photo at the upper
right. This type of hardware is avail-
able from a number of different
sources. I ordered mine from Lee
Valley Took, but the margin at right
lists other sources as well.
The 1/41'-thi~kleather trunk
handle is S3/4I' long and comes with a
nail to secure the handle inside the
brass loops. The draw catches are
'.
' 'tion, be sure to read the instructions
A Aginghtudware. ~ i v i the
n ~brass
an aged look requires time - or a
little help with a brass darkening
solution (refer to margin for sources).
Hardware Canisters
As I was looking through catalogs to
k d just the right hardware for the
Carpenter's Toolbox, I ran across
these handy storage canisters.
They're made from stainless steel,
so they're pretty tough. And the lids
have a piece of clear plastic
on top. So you don't have to
remove the lid to see
what's inside - a qnick
glance is all it takes.
And unlike a lot of small
@ containers where
fits loosely, the lid on this
canister pops on
and off with a satis-
No. 62
trunk h i e s are ll/s" wide and 2" darkening process begin. I only kept
long. One thing to keep in mind with the hardware in the mixture for afew
all these parts is that you11 need to minutes to get the look I was after,
supply your own screws. You'll need When you have the look you wanf
six #8 x 3/4" Rh brass woodscrews remove the hardware and rinse it off
for the handle and a total of eighteen with water to stop the process. Then
#6 x '/2" Fh brass woodscrews for to preserve the 'look," I sprayed on a
MAll
the draw catches and binges. few thii coats of lacquer (Def). ORDER
Aging Hardware - Regardless Leather - If you like the look of SOURCES
of where you get your hardware, ifs the leather trunk handle you can use Constantine's
going to come with a bright brass it as is. But I decided to "age" it too. 954561-1716
wwa.consVmtine8.com
6nish. To "tarnish" the brass and No need for a fancy solution here. I Toolbox Hardware
give it more of an aged look, I k n e d simply picked up some shoe polish
to an antiquing solution that darkens (brown) at the grocery store, wiped Lee V d e y Tools
800-871-8158
brass. (A couple somes are listed in it on, and then buffed it out m.1edey.com
the margin at right.) lbolbox H a m a r e ,
Before using the darkening solu- O W U N E EXTRAS StainIessStd
You don't have to build the Canisters
thoroughly. S i c e they're mildly cor- Carpenter's Toolbox with box RockIer
rosive it's a good idea to cover your joints. We've also designed another 800-279-4441
work area with apiece of plastic. And version that uses simple rabbet Illlrw.mlrler.com
Toolbox Hardware
be sure to wear safety goggles and joints. You can find more informa-
rubber gloves. tion about this version at our web VanDyke's Restorers
In order for the the solution to site at www.ShopNotes.com. 800-558-1234
m.vmdykes.eom
work, you'll bave to remove the pro Or you can bave the information
Brass Darkening
tedive coating from the hardware mailed to you. Just send a stamped, Solution
first. To do thaf simply soak the self-addressed#I0 envelope to:
hardware in lacquer thinner. ShopNotes Drawings Woodsmith Store
At this point, aging the hardware is PO. Box 842 800-835-5084
Brass Darkening
just a matter of dipping it in the solu- Des Moines, 14
. 50304 Solution
fying "snap." So you don't have to
worry about knocking a lid off and 8 "o*e-=- B$ns,-,.8riMo1%
spilling the contents on the floor (or = over l o o v ~ M w r ~ ~ ~ a *
inside your toolbox). ~ ~ f o r W o o & o ~ l d n g ~ ~ ~ ~ & ~ &
Each canister is Z3/s" in diameter %itch.aWoodmrking
and 33/s" tall -perfect for storing all %~pTbuts&@e~y
sorts of small pieces of hard- 4 Pr0JectFkw Yon Cl~ckon~ubwnberServices ot
ware (or other small items). GWDoWoad www.shopno~.com
*Atmyour urmuntstulus
I ordered these canisters *
hueyourmaiing aremoiIoddr~s
from Lee k l l e y Tools.
LinksO Other Poy your bill
Besides these canis w~~~~~~~~
ters, they also have *Tell us if you've m~rredon i w e
a wide assortment Oxder%~Xotes(&
of other storage con-
for
ShopNotes
 .-
I-.

A Here's an opportunity
to build your own antique
toolbox. With its traditional-l~ok-
ing box joints and aged brass hard-
ware, this classic toolbox is the perfect
place to house your favorite hand tools. It's
just the right size to set on a workbench or carry
to a jobsite. Plus a convenient, lift-out tray makes a
handy tote for hardware or smaller tools. Complete
plans for this project begin on page 14.
 Cutting Diagram

Clamping Station

Materials
Clamp Head Support & Platform
A Lower Rail (1) 11/2 x 3 - 461/2
B Upper Rail (1) 3/ x 3 - 461/
4 2
C Rail Spacers (7) 3/ x 3 - 3
4
D Back (1) 48 x 48 - 3/4 MDF
E Braces (4) 11 x 465/16 - 3/4 MDF
F Mounting Rails (2) 6 x 48 - 3/4 MDF

Vertical Rails & Clamp Bar

G Vertical Rails (7) 3/ x 11/ - 413/
4 2 4
H Guide Strips (12) 3/ x 3/ - 12
4 4
I Bar Rail (1) 3/ x 4 - 48
4
J Clamp Bar Guides (6) 3/ x 11/ - 8
4 2
K Bar Stiffener (1) 3/ x 2 48
4 -
L Bar Face (1) 3/ x 13/ - 48
4 4

Clamp Heads & Handwheel

M Base (6) 611/16 x 6 - 3/4 Ply.
N Clamp Body (6) 53/16 x 4 - 21/4 Ply.
O Retaining Strip (6) 21/4 x 53/16 - 3/4 Ply.
P Hand Wheel (6) 7 x 7 (rgh.) - 3/4 Ply.
Q Clamp Head Face (6) 3/ x 11/ - 511/
4 2 16

Note: Youll need (1) sheet of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF),

approximately 16 bd. ft. of 3/4"-thick hardwood, and (1) 2' x 4' piece of
3/ " plywood for this project.
4

Page 1 of 2 ShopNotes No. 62 2002 August Home Publishing. All rights Reserved.
 48" x 96" - #/4" MDF

E E E E F F

#/4" X 7!/2" - 96"

A B
B C C C C C C C

#/4" X 7!/2" - 96" G

G H

#/4" X 7!/2" - 96" K L

I

J Q

24" x 48" - #/4" MDF

N N N N N N N N N
N N N N N N N N N
M M M M M M

P P P P P P

Page 2 of 2 ShopNotes No. 62 2002 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.
 LEATHER END VIEW
EXPLODED VIEW HANDLE (CROSS SECTION)
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
28#/4"W x 8#/4"D x 9!/4"H

LID PANEL
FLOATS IN
FRAME

TRAY IS DIVIDED
INTO HANDY STORAGE
COMPARTMENTS

BRASS-PLATED
LID STOPS DRAW CATCH
KEEP LID
ALIGNED

SLIDING
TRAY
a.
TRAY
RIDES CASE
ON END
RUNNERS
!/4"
CASE FRONT

!/2"
CASE OF TOOLBOX TOP VIEW
IS CONSTRUCTED SOLID WOOD
OUT OF !/2"-THICK FRAME SURROUNDS
DOUGLAS FIR HARDBOARD PANEL
b. CASE
BACK
BOTTOM CASE
PANEL END
CASE SITS
IN GROOVE IN
LOWER FRAME

This version of the Carpenters BASE

MOLDING
toolbox is constructed with rabbet
SIDE VIEW
joints and nails instead of box joints.
In order to keep the overall dimen-
sions the same, the ends of the box
and the ends of the tray are slightly
Materials & Hardware
shorter on this version than on the A Case Front/Back (2) 1/ x 81/ (rgh.) - 28
2 4 K Tray Dividers (2) 1/ x 21/ - 57/
2 2 8
box-jointed version. (Refer to the B Case Ends (2) 1/ x 81/ (rgh.) - 71/
2 4 2 L Tray Handle (1) 1/ x 31/ - 83/
2 2 4
material list.) C Tray Runners (2) 3/ x 27 - 1/ Hdbd.
4 4 M Tray Bottom (1) 57/8 x 141/2 - 1/4 Hdbd.
D Lid Stop (1) 1/ x 211
The nails we used are copper, 4 /16 - 72
E Base Molding (1) 3/ x 13/ - 96
4 4 (2) Small Brass Trunk Hinges
rose-head boat nails from Lee Valley F Bottom Panel (1) 61/4 x 261/4 - 1/4 Hdbd.
(1-800-871-8158). Because these 3/ x 13/ - 96
(1) Leather Trunk Handle
G Lid Molding (1) 4 4 (2) Brass Plated Draw Catches
nails are copper, they are rather soft H Lid Panel (1) 3/ x 61 - 261/
4 /8 8 (18) #6 x 1/2" Brass Fh Woodscrews
I Tray Front/Back (2) 1/ x 23/ - 15
and bend easily. So we found it nec- 2 4 (6) #8 x 3/4" Brass Rh Woodscrews
J Tray Ends (2) 1/ x 23/ - 57/
essary to drill holes for the nails 2 4 8 (30) #13 x 11/2" Copper Rose-Head Boat Nails
before hammering them in place.

Page 1 of 1 ShopNotes No. 62 2002 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.