'iil

June/July 2003, lssue 149

10 fast-formingfaring stick
42 barrister's bookcase
Build this classicmodularstoragepiece,and
discoveran innovativeway to hang the doors.
50 the ultimate bandsawtable system
Rampup yourbandsaw for precision
resawing,
andcuttingcurvedparts.
circlecutting,tapering,
64 bandsaw table accessories
Taperjig, patternguide,and featherboard.
74 adirondack chair and footrest
80 gardener'stuteur for training plants

U markingtips for betterwoodworking

36 perfectplugsin 6 easysteps
56 put your bandsawsystemto work
68 low-tech,foolproofsharpening
Usesandpaper andour shop-made jig to
givechiselsand planeironsa razoredge.
92 13 workshopshortcuts
100 6 dead-ondrillingtricks

Ultimate
12 the hardfacts on Forstnerbits Bandsaw
86 mid-sizeplunqerouters Table
Seethetop-tool-and top-valuewinnersin 50 . System
models.
thistestof sevenfeature-packed
102 9 shop-provenproducts v
I collectingclassicold tools
trl lacewood:a figuredfavorite
61 guideto choosingsheetgoods
U yellowpoplar:a valuedhardwood
96 birdhouses/feeders contestwinners

4 editor'sangle
6 soundingboard
I at your seruice
16 shoptips
26 askWOOD
38 short cuts
120 what'saheadin our nextissue
Visit our Web site at u/u/u/-rnzoodonline-corn for free vvoodvvorking plans, tips, shop tours, and more.
 wooD.
Better Homes and Gardenso

June/July2003. Vol.20,N0.3 . lssue No.149

editortsanste ManagingEditor
BlLtKRIEB
Editor-in-Chief
JIMHARROLD
Editor
Executive
MARLEN
EditorDAV]D
Features
KEMMET
ST0NE
ProductsEditorDAVE CAMPBELT

Woodworkers: Projects
EditorJANSVEC
Projects
EditorOWEN
Editor
Technioues
DUVALT
JIMP0LL0CK

abreed apart lllustrators

Design
Senior
Design
Master
Editor
Editor
Craftsman

IORNA
JEFF
CHUCK
Manager
Production/0ffice
BOYLE
KEVIN
MERTZ
HEDLUND
MARGARET
Assistant
Administrative
JOHNSON,
SHERYL
R0XANNE
CtOSNER
MUtlYoN
LeMOlNE,
I recentlyhad the enjoyabletask For example,Donald Berardof Mission
TIMCAHILL, MIKEMITTERMEIER
Viejo, Calif., who built "The Best Technical JEFFHALL,
Consultants GARRYSMITH,
of callingthe winnersin our first Birdhousefrom Existing Plans,"told me PHILTIPGOODWIN, J(lHNCEBUHAR
Craftsman
Contributing JIMHEAVEY
birdhouse/birdfeedercontest,let- he worked "4 to 6 hoursa day, 5 to 6 days JIMSANDERS.
Proofreaders BARBARAKLEIN
a week,for 4 weeks"preparinghis entry. KARL
ArtDirector EHLERS
ting them know of theirgood for- Looking at the intricateandperfectlyexe- ArtDirectorGREG
Associate SELLERS
ArtDirectorCHERYL
Assistant A. CIBULA
tune.The ensuingconversations cutedcopperpanelson his entry's roof, I PublisherMARKHAGEN
fully believehis time estimate. 333N.Michigan
Office:
Advertising Ave., 1500,
Suite
only reinforcedmy firm beliefthat Then there'sJohn Stygaof Elmhurst, Chicago,lL60601Phone:
312853-2890 Fu:312580-7906
Sales Assistant
andMarketing NEILLEM0RRIS
woodworkersare amongthe N.Y., whoseincredibly detailed"Mother AccountExecutiveR()NGOLMINAS
Hubbard'sBoot" took the $5,000grand Direct
ResponseManager CAR0LYN DAKIS
most generouspeopleanywhere. pwe. SaidJohn,"A lot of time went into DirectResponse SANDY
Representative
Sales R0BlllS0N
AccountExecutive
J()HNTH0RNBURGH
it, more than I can calculate.I wasjust Phone:
Detroit, 248/356-1149Fax:248/356'8930
ike othercontestswe've had,in havingfun." AccountExecutivePATT0MLINSON
! Phone:
Northeast, 212/551 -7192
-7043Fax:2121551
which readerssentin their best Inspectingall of the entries,it's easyto Southeast:Lagomarsino,Dempsey& Dennis,
Inc.
I 1
fl toys, clocks,and workshoplay- seethat readersdevotedthousandsof 2951 PiedmontRd., 100,
NE,Suite GA30305
Atlanta,
Phone: -5400Fax:4041261'5404
404/26'l
outs,the recentlycompleted"For the hoursto this competitionto benefit The GroupMarketingDirector
CATHY E.SMITH
Birds" competitionjust blew us away.The NationalWildlife Federation's BackyarC Marketing
Senior Manager
Services ATEXANDER D.CLARKS0N
Phone: -7090Fax:
212/551 192
2121551-7
numberof entries(2ll), and the quality Wildlife Habitat Program.So, on behalf of
SeniorPromotionDesignerSARAH DIEELLA
and originality of the designs(seepage 96 the NWF, WOOD magazinq and, of GroupPublisherSTEPHEN B.LEVINS0N
for photos),was simply staggering. course,the birds, I want to say a big Business
Associate Director
CRAIG FEAR
As impressedas I and the otherjudges "Thank You" to all whoentered. g 0perations
Advertisin Manager PAT HENDERSH0TT
I must add that therewere many out- Consumer Director
Marketing JULIEMARTIN
were with the winning entries,I was espe- Manager
Marketing DAVE H0NOLD
Consumer
cially touchedby -y conversationswith standingentriesthat did not receivea R.REEO
DirectorWIILIAM
VicePresidenVPublishing
their makers.All were thrilled to have pize, but which nevertheless enabledus
MEREDITHPUBTISHING GR()UP
won, but none of them expectedit. They to raisemore than $8,000for the program. PreSidENt
STEPHEN M. LACY
just enjoyedthe chanceto contributeto a Basedon my phoneconversations, I'm Magazine President
Group JERRY KAPLAN
SalesMICHAEL
Group BR(IWNSTEIN
good cause(more on that later),and the guessingthat the newsof this generous ETLEN
Services
Creative DELATH0UDER
opportunityto put in someenjoyableshop donationis rewardenoughfor the winners BRUCE
Manufacturing HEST0tl
Consumer KARLA
Marketing JEFFRIES
time in the process. and nonwinnersalike. MAXRUNCIMAN
andAdministration
Finance
lUleredfth
Wetve hatched a new column. WILLIAMT. KERR,
I
Chairman
cenponartoru
andChiefExecutive
0fficer
Readershavetold us that the woodwork- Committee
of theExecutive
lll, Chairman
E.T.Meredith
ing termswe usein articlesoccasionally oCopyrightMeredithCorporation2003
Printedin the U.S.A.
All rightsreserved.
can throw them for a loop. So,on page Better Homes and Gardensa WOODa magazine (ISSN-0743-
110 you'll find the first installment 894X) is publishedseventimesa yearin March,May, June/July,
Septembdr,October, November, and December by Meredith
of "Wood words" to help you bet- Corporation,1716LocustSt., Des Mgineg,IA 50309-3023.For
subicription questions call E00/374-9663.Letters to Editor:
ter understandevery article in the WOOD maga2ine,1716 Locust St., GA-310, Des Moines, IA
50309-3023,or woodmail@mdp.com. Periodicalspostagepaid
magazine.Let me know how at Des Moines, Iowa, and additional mailing offices. Better
you like it. Homes and Gardens trademark registered in Canada and
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T^!Q{^^!rv' Product AgreementNo. 40069223.CanadianBN 123482887

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WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

soundin boardforletters,
Ourbulletin andtimelyupdates
comments,
boanC
A sirnple forrnula reveals the radius Protect tools with
Reading"A ShortCourseon Making organized records
Curves"in issue147 remindedme of a Inoneofyouronlineforums(WOOD Talk
mathematical formulaI learnedyears Arcof unknownradius at www.woodonline.com) | readabouta
ago for findingthe radiusof an arc.This manwhosetoolswerestolenoutof his
methodis handyfor creatinga smooth truck.I havea systemto helprecover my
layoutafteryou'vedrawna freehandarc. toolsif theygetstolenandfoundby police.
As shown al right,all you need to WhenI geta newpowertool,I firstwrite
know is the heightof the arc and its itsserialnumber intheowner's manual.
length.Then plugthose numbersinto ThenI engrave mydriver's license number
this simpleformulain the drawingto onthetoolin an inconspicuous spot.I also
find the radius,and you'redone. H=Height engrave expensive handtools.(l don't
L=1lzthelength
Once you have this number,it's R=Radiusof arc engrave rare or collectibletools,though,
simpleto set up a trammeland draw because it decreases theirvalue.)
a perfectlysmooth arc. Next,I takea pictureof thetoolso I
For example,if you want to draw an havesomething to showthepoliceor
arc that's 24" long and 3" tall at the insurance company should theneedever
center,here'swhat to do: FINDINGAN UNKNOWNRADIUS arise. I mark each photo to indicatethe
engraving location onthetool.
I First,plugthenumbers intothe I Now,makea trammel,as shown NowI placetheserecords, alongwith
formula. Inthiscase,L=12,H=3,so: below, that's Align
251/z'long. one end the owner's manual and purchase receipt,
withthe midpointof the arc on your in a firesafeinsidemyhouse,instead of
( 1 2 2 + s+21; z x s ; workpiece. Anchorthe otherend at a outin thegarage withthetools.Doingthis
= ( 1 4 4 + 9+) 6 pointthat'sin linewiththe midpoint,and alsogivesmea recordfor insurance pur-
or153+6 draw your arc. poses, and forces me to keep track of all
= 25.5or 25t/2" Harold
F.Leister, Pa. of my manuals
Chambersburg, andwarranty information.
Note:Manylawenforcement agencies
suggestusingyourdriver'slicense
numberbecausestolentoolsareoften
pawnedforcash.(Note:lf yourdrivels
Iicensenumberis yourSocialSecurity
number,don'tuseit.Requesta new
drivels licensenumber.)Mostpawnshops
collectthe drivels licensenumberof
anyonewhobringsin merchandise. lf this
numberdoesn'tmatchtheoneon thetool,
storepersonnel shouldrefuseto buythe
tool,thenalertauthorities.
BruceMoore,Eugene,Ore.

Doyouhavecomments, criticisms,suggestions,
or maybe relatingto a W00h
evena compliment
magazine Pleasewriteto:
article?
SoundingBoard
W00Dmagazine
Prciect update 1716LocustSt.,GA-310
r Baker'sTrio (issue147,p. 56): Des Moines,lA 5G109-3023
usedinthisproject
The%"dowel notwalnut.
isbirch,
ore-mailsoundingboard@woodmagazine.com.
Articleinformationonline Dueto the volumeof lettersande-mailswe
to pastW00Dmaguineprojects
You'llfinda listingof allknownupdates at uruvw.woodmagazine.com. receive,wecanrespondto andpublishonly
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WOOD magazine june{uly 2003

at your Sel.lflGc)

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Il.'earn more about
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Postyour most perplexingquestionsto
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June/July 2003

mean$no
Reducedchirigeover &
setup
o Tablesaw/Shaper/
stCIB@ Planer/ Jointei/ Mortiser
. Choiceof sliding tables
. Professionalprecision&
acfllracv
. I4eal for'small shops&
basements
 cgllegting'-
classics
fips on finding and buyrng old tools
ot an eyeout
for old tools?
Whether
you'relookingto buy
your first antiquetool
or adda few moreto
your collection,you
Martin J. Donnelly
needto know the ins
andoutsof smartbuying.Martin J.
Donnelly,an internationallyrenowned
antiquetool dealerof Avoca,New York,
really knowshis stuff, andnow shares
his besttips.
4 surefire wavs to
hunt downoldtools
r Check tool organizations. Looking
for a specifictool? Get in touch with any
of the dozensof regionaland national
tool-collectingorganizations. (Seebelow
for a list of several.)Their memberssell
and tradethousandsof tools and share
knowledgeaboutthem.
r Try an antique tool auction. Want
accessto a mind-bogglingnumberof
tools in one place?Then attendthe ulti-
mateclassictool extravaganza-an
antiquetool auction.Chancesare you'll
find what you want in multiples.For a
scheduleof suchauctions,go to
www.midtools.com.
Contacts for major tool organizations
Organization
r Mid-WestToolCollectorsAssociation
r EarlyAmericanIndustries
Association
r. South-West
ToolCollectorsAssociation
r RockyMountain ToolCollectors
Association
r TheToolGroupof Canada
r NewEngland ToolCollectors
Association
www.woodonline.com
r Search the Internet. Online auction
services,suchaseBay(www.ebay.com),
list thousands of toolsfor saleeveryday,
and havebecomehot spotsfor tool sellers
and seekers.Martin saysthey're worth
lookinginto, but be sureto checkthe on-
line buyers'feedbackon the seller.Also,
askthe selleraboutthe completeness and
conditionof the tool if the listingdoesn't
clearly stateit.
r took locdly. Many fine antiquetools
show up at garageand yard sales,Martin
says,so your treasurecould be next door.
Also, checkout areaflea markets,and
antiquesshopsand shows.No matterif
you f,rnda tool, you'll undoubtedlymake
valuablecontactsalong the way.
What tools should
be left on the shelf?
It's okay to put the majorityof
antiquetoolsto use. But certain
toolsare best kept unusedwhen:
r Theirprimaryvalueis basedon
their unusedconditionor rarity.
r The toolsare fragile.
r Thereare "modern"toolsor less-
expensiveantiquetools that can
do the samejob.
Web site Telephone
www.mwtca.org 919/828-2754
www.eaiainfo.org 508/993-9578
888/889-3340
505/344-9272
416/487-A995
413/586-2114
Martin'scomprehensive"Catalogueof
Antique Tools" contains descriptionsand
photographsof more than 6,500tools. lt
sells for $2S at www.mjdtools.com.
3 qolden rules for a
sudcessful purchase
I Know the toolts nalue. To be sure
you're gettingafair deal,determinethe
tool's valueup front. You canfind help
on the Internetby searchingfor "antique
tool values"or going to tool dealers'Web
sites.Also, checkout tool catalogs,like
the one shownin the photo,above,that
identify toolsand establishtheir values.
r Find out the tool's condition. Don't
be afraid to ask a collectoror dealerto
point out any problemswith a tool. The
antiquetool businessholdsitself to a high
standardof integrity, Martin notes,and
mostdealerswill revealany flaws to you.
Shouldyou be wary of reproductions?
No, Martin says.That'sbecausetool
valuesare quite low in relationto other
antiqueitems, so counterfeitersdon't find
it worth the effort, at leastfor now.
r Ask for the best price. Beforeyou buy
a tool, alwaysaskthe sellerfor his or her best
price.A discountwill certainlyfollow. *
great ideas for your shop
fast-forrnincl
fairing sticfi
The only thing simpler than making
this bowlike layout tool is using it.
hen he neededto lay out
smooth arcs on the Adirondack
chair on page 74, WOODa
magazineMaster CraftsmanChuck
Hedlund turned to his shop-madefairing
stick.Chuck'sversion,shownhere,fea-
tures an adjustablecord with a sliding
"toggle" that locks in the desiredarc for
hassle-freeuse.
To make your own, startwith a3/q"-
wide piece of Vs"temperedhardboard.
The length is up to you; but at 24", this
ohe handlesmost layout chores.Also cut
a piece to size for the toggle. Now drill
the four /e" holes,as dimensioned,
throughthe endsof both pieces.
Next, threada length of #18 nylon
mason'scord (oursmeasured38"), fol-
lowing the arrows in the drawing. The
cord getstied to one end of the fairing
10
FAIRINGSTICK
Tie knot in end.
Toggle
/ax3/+"
laxVqx2"
,
temperedhardboard tempered
' (Lengthto suit) hardboard
Nylon cord
stick, then goesthrough the holes in the
toggle, loops through the other end of the
fairing stick, and ties back to the toggle.
To use the fairing stick, start by figur-
ing out the endpointsand midpoint of
the arc you want to create.Here's where
you'll appreciateChuck's toggle device.
Insteadof using clampsor nails to hold Note:Allholesare't/a"
diameter,
located1/q"
ttomendsof piece.
the endsof the stick in place,just slide
the toggle to flex the stick until it
matchesyour desiredarc. Friction locks
the toggle in place,retainingthe correct "memory" settingin. If this happens,
shape.Now align the stick on your just adjust the cord and flex the stick in
workpieceand trace.If you have the oppositedirection.
multiple piecesto mark, you can pick Also, if you needa fairing stick
up the stick and move it without losing greaterthan 3' long, increasethe stick's
your setting. width to about lVz" to keep it from
When you're not using the fairing twisting sidewaysunder tension.For a
stick, slide the toggle to releasetension really long stick, switch to /+"-thick
on the stick. That minimizes any hardboard..l
WOOD magazine June{uly 2003
blades and bits

\Alhratyou need
to lcrow about
Forstner
bits
r! |! lhen it comesto boring holes,
tlt woodworkershavelots of
U U optionsat their fingertips.You
can cover the gamut of hole diameters
with inexpensivetwisrdrill bits, spade
bits, and-for the really big holes-a
drill-mountedholesaw.So, why spend
more money on Forstnerbits that cover
many of the samehole sizesas the others?
Therearetwo reasons,really. First, When is a Forstnerbit 0823,or www.convalco.com).Machined
Forstnersequal finesse:The cutting rim not a true Forstnerbit? from solid carbon steelrather than cast
scoresthe circumferenceof the hole first Most of the so-calledForstnerbits on the and forgedlike otherbits, a ffue Forstner's
so the bit entersthe wood with a mini- market today are really variations on the beefy body absorbsheat,reducingwork-
mum of tear-out,resultingin smoothwalls original designedby BenjaminForsbrer piece burning and the bit overheatingthat
and a flat bottom. And that's important almost 120 yearsago.All, though,cut in a can keep a bit from holding a sharpedge.
when,for example,you're boring holesto similar way. As the outerrim scoresthe It alsomakesthis style amongthe most
hold candlesor counterboringscrewholes circle, lifters radiating from the centerof expensivebits you'll find ($26 plus ship-
that will be plugged. ttre bit act like tiny hand planes,slicing ping for a l" bit).
Second,a Forstnerbit is guidedby its away material and ejecting the waste.The Thesebits are as aggressiveas any other
rim, rather than by a centerpoint like a drawing below showsthe four basic Forstner-stylebit we've ffied, yet they cut
spadeor twist-drill bit. So it bores accu- Forsfirer-stvlebits availabletodav. cleanly.The lack of a prominentcenter
rately in situationswhereotherbits can't, True Forstner bits, with an outerrim spur (seephoto on page 14) makesthem
suchas overlappingholes,in end grain, at interruptedonly twice by hand-sharpened good for boring into thin materials.
an angle,into the edgeof a workpiece, or lifters, have a vinually nonexistentcenter However, it also makesit more difficult to
wherevergrain direction or surfaceorien- spur,and are madein the U.S. exclusively centerthe bit on a mark-you must peek
tation would deflect the point of a non- by ConnecticutValley Manufacnning betweenthe lifter and the bit body, or
Forstnerbit. Company,or CONVALCO (8601827- Continued onpage14

BITS
4 TYPESOF FORSTNER
TRUEFORSTNER FORSTNER
IMPORTED CARBIDE.TIPPED
' Centerspur Carbidelifter with center

.J
Notchfor
machine
grinding

12 WOOD magazine June/fulY 2003

blades and bits
We bored these 1"-deep holes with (from left to right) true Forstner,imported Forstner,
and spade bits. Note that the center spur of the spade bit broke through the bottom of
the 1%"-thick board.
mark the outsidedimensionsof the hole
ratherthan the center.
fmported Forstners differ from true
Forstnersby the long centerspurand tell-
tale notch in the rim behindthe lifter. This
notchfacilitatesmachinesharpeningof the
lifter-a lesscostly methodthanhand
sharpening-helping make them the least
expensivestyle of flat-bottomedbit
($5-$10for a 1" bit).
Carbide-tipped bits resembleimport-
ed Forstners,but have a carbidelifter
brazedonto the bit body, much like a
routerbit. About as expensiveand cool
running as true Forstners,they should
outlaststeelbits many times over.
However,as you can seefrom the draw-
ing on page 12, the cutting rim comprises
onlv aboutone-fourthof the bit's circum-
Sharpening Forstners
Perhapsnobodyknows more about
sharpeningForstnerSitsthan Tony
Garro,presidentof CONVALCO,who
offersthese tips:
tForget sharpeningthe rim. The cut-
ting edge of the rim has to stay on the
same plane,and that'snearlyimpos-
siblewithoutspecialmachinery.
CONVALCOresharpensits own bits
(rimsand all) for $9 per bit if you
returnthem to the factory.
tFocus on the lifter. Use a small, fine
file,a thin stone,or a stripsander.
Sharpenthe flat face of the lifter,as
shown at right,then removethe burr
on the cuttingedge with a stone.
tGo easy. Don't abradeaway too
muchof the lifter,especiallynearthe
rim. Forstnerbits have a slight back
taper,and if you sharpentoo much,
you can changethe geometryof the
bit, which may cause it to overheat.
14
ference-so it chattersmore than other
stylesof Forstnerswhen boring at an
angleor into the edgeof a workpiece.
Multi-spur bits are similar to imported
Forstners.but with sawliketeethon the
cutting rim. Without a long rim continu-
ously contactingthe workpiece,they're
lessproneto overheatingthan other styles
of bits. That's especiallyimportanton
large-diameterholes,which is why you'll
often find this designon bits largerthan
l" in diameter.Like carbide-tippedbits,
they tend to chatterin angledand partial-
hole cuts.
The steel spiel
Most importedForstnerbits today are
madeof high-speedsteel(HSS)-a rela-
tively inexpensivematerialthat keepsthe
A strip sander quickly renews a dulled
Forstner bit. Use 100-grit abrasive and a
light touch, and keep the lifter flat against
the sander's platen.
bits affordable.If you've ever "blued" a
bit, you overheatedit to the point where
the steelsoftensand won't hold a sharp
edge.That occursat a lower temperature
in HSS than othermaterials.
Somemakerscoattheir bits with titani-
um, which helpsthe bits run cooler.We
found that Titanium-coatedbits tend to cut
lessaggressivelythan uncoatedbits, but
you can apply more pressurewithout fear
of overheatingthem.
Speedkills
The largerthe bit, the slowerit must turn
to prevent overheating.If the manufactur-
er providesa maximum speedlimit, don't
exceedit. And remember,you can run the
bit slower with no loss of quality or con-
trol. To be safe,follow theseguidelines:
(suchaspine)
Softwoods
Bit diameterI Maximumrpm
1/F5/e'
| 2,400
13/a-2' | 500
Hardwoods(suchasmaple)
Bit diameterI Maximumrpm
1/+-3/au | 700
Which should you buy?
If you needonly a few sizesof bits,
and you'11usethosea lot, true
Forstnersare your best bet. CONVAL-
CO makesthem in diametersranging
from Vq"to 3" in t/ro"increments.They
bore fast and clean,but they're not for
the checkbookchallenged.
If you needa variety of sizesfor occa-
sionaluse,and you have more patience
than money, opt for a set of imported
Forstners.You can buy a 7-pieceset
that coversthe most commonhole sizes
(/+" to 1" by Vs"increments)for about
the sameprice as a l" CONVALCO bit.
Clockmakersand otherswho routinely
bore larger-diameterholeswill be well
servedby multi-spurbits at proportion-
ally higher prices.i
WOOD magazine June/July 2003
sho youworkfaster,
Helping andsafer
smarter,
ti
l["g"..dust bag
tor mrtersaws
Collecting sawdustfromsomemitersaws
is aboutas efficientas catchinga thun-
derstormin a shotglass.But the "bigol'
bag"dustcatcherthat I builtfor my
mitersawcollectsabout90 percentof
the debr is .
I startedby makinga 1t/qx10x32"
frameout of t/2"hardwood,gluedand
screwedtogether,and stiffenedby cor-
ner blocks.To installthe frame,I made
a coupleof hardwoodmountingbrackets
thattilt the frameback20", and attached
themto the bottomof the frame.
lf you decideto makeone of thesefor
yourshop,you'llhaveto figureout the
bestmethodto installthe framebehind
yoursaw. For example,I C-clamped the
bracketsto my mitersaw's plywoodsub-
base,as shownat right,back when I
mountedthe saw on my poftableclamping
workstation. Nowthat I havea dedicated
mitersawstand,I permanently attached
the frame.
The frameshouldbe centeredbehind
the saw,and installedas closeto the
backof the saw as possiblewithout
interfering withthe saw'soperation. To
catchthe dust,I drapean ordinary
Simple router bit storage anyone can tackle
16
JoeGodfrey's
passionfor
woodworking
goesbackto
his father,
who built a
lot of furniture
in his day.
Althoughour
Top ShopTip
winner'sfirst
love is carving
decoys,he,
too, likes making furniture.Joe has
crafteda SamMaloof-inspiredrock-
ing chair,andrecentlycompletedthe
Hal Taylor-designed rocker,above.
Joe Godfrey
wins a Laguna
ToolsLT1414"
bandsaw for
submittingthis
issue'sTop
Shop Tip. Way
to go, Joe!
33-gallontrashbag throughthe frame
and secureit with binderclipsfromthe
office-supp'utto"
,, e Godfrey, city,N.c.
Forest
Describehow you've solveda work-
shopdilemma,and you'll earn$75 if it
I use a plasticfisherman's tacklebox to appearshere.And, if your tip garners
hold my routerbits,with one bit in each Top ShopTip honors,you'll alsowin
compartment to protectthe cutters. a tool prize worth at least$250.
Actuallyit's moreof a "routingcenter" Sendyour besttips,alongwith pho-
becauseit holdsprettymucheverything tos or illustrationsandyour daytime
I needfor severalrouters:bearings, telephonenumber,to: Shop Tips,
allenwrenches,screwsfor mounting WOODaMagazine,lTt6 Locust St.,
subbases,etc. GA-310,Des Moines,IA 50309-
Largertackleboxeshavea big open 3023.You canalsoe-mailtips to
area beneaththe compartmentalized shoptips@woodmagazine.com, or
trays,and that'sperfectfor storing postthemon theTop ShopTip forum
wrenches, templateguides,and oversize at www.woodonline.com.
bitsthatwon'tfit intothe compartments. Becausewe try to publishonly origi-
Someboxesevenhaveenoughroom nal tips,pleasesendyour tips only to
belowto stowa trim router.My advice: WOOD magazine.Sorry, but submir
' er ted materialscan't be returned.
Bu ya bi g boxand fi l l up!
-WayneVanCoughnett, NewMilford,
Conn.
WOOD magazine June/July 2003
Time to untie
the apron strings
I'min andoutof theshopall of thetime,
so I'mconstantlyputtingon andtaking
off my shopapron.To makeit faster
andeasier,I attacheda 4-ounce sinker
frommyfishing-tackle boxto oneapron
string,andan oldshower-curtain ringto
theother.Nowinsteadof tyingknots
behindmyback,I justslipthesinker
through thering,as shown,andI'm
readyto go to work.
-Gordon VanRoekel,Mission,Texas

lnspiredby your tip, Gordon,we noticed

a boxof inexpensive aluminumsnap a carabineralsomakesa dandyquick-
clipscalled"carabiners" at the hardware releasefor apronstrings.
store.Whencoupledwitha 2" key ring, -W00Domagazine

Detachablemount makes filling feeder easy

Hanging a birdfeederhighwhereour thenattachedthe wedge-wide face
feathered friendscanfeelsafeusingit out-to the feeder
makesit moredifficult for us earthbound -Joe Lehosky, pa.
Etdred,
creatures to fill it. ButI deviseda mount-
ingsystemthatyoucanmakein a few
minutes, andthatpermitseasyremoval
of a birdhouse or feederforcleaning,
refilling,or storage.
I tiltedmy bandsaw table15'when
cuttingthewedgefromthe holder.I

\ STEP2.
Determined t Start saw cut,
length of feer ./ and cut to
or birdhouse clearance hole.

Y4"

Determined by
roof overhang STEP3.
Rotateworkpiece
and makeexit cut.

Continuedon page 19
www.woodonline.com
shop tips

A jig for rounding turning squares

Beforeturningnarrowpieces,suchas i
chesspiecesor dowels,betweencen- i
ters,it's easieron the workpiece(and ;
the woodworker)to knockoff the four
corners,makingthe squarespindleinto I
T hiss imp l eg u i d ec l a m p sto i
an o c t agon.
yourbandsawtableto do the job.
i
-FranklinZiaandArthurMendel. Richmond. Calif.:

GUIDE

Use bevel blade for tablesaw tuneup

Aftermonthsof saving(andpleading), | : ing below.I raisedthe tablesawblade
finallygot my new tablesaw.But latein . fullyand set the bevel-gauge bladeso
the assemblyprocess,I accidentally . that its pointwas touchingone saw
knockedthe bladeout of parallelwith i toothnearthe backof the slot.Then I
the miterslot.I starteddiggingthrough i rotatedthe saw bladeby handso that
drawers,tryingto jury-rigsomekindof ' the sametoothwas nearthe frontof the
alignmenttool,when I stumbledupon . slot.By slidingthe barlbevelblade
my slidingbevelgauge.lt was thenthat l assemblyforwardto thattooth,I quickly
the solutionhit me. : saw how muchI neededto adjustthe
I tookthe bladeout of the bevelgauge i bladeto makeit parallel.The processis
and the washeroff the bottomof the . easy,accurate,and, bestof all,didn't
saw'smiter-gauge bar,and mountedthe i cost me a penny!
bladeto the bar.as shownin the draw- ; -Ray Vojtash,
NorthPtainfietd,
N.J.

Contintted on page 20

wrvrv.woodonline.com
Hanq tem hiqh-vour hangerontoa wirehungfromthe ceiling
proj6ct plans-,thartis (or a nailon the wall)neareachof my
Whenbuildinga project,I liketo keep workstations.
my planscloseat hand,whichmeans This methodhas two otheradvan-
draggingthemfromtoolto toolfor differ- tages:My plansneverget buriedin dust
ent operations.lt alsomeanshavingto or toolson the workbench, and they
huntthemdownfromtimeto timewhen I hangcloserto eye level,makingthem
forgotwhereI leftthem. easierto read.
The "brightidea"lightbulb
wenton one -Chris Clackamas,
Smrth, )re.
day when I founda spring-clip-style
pantshangerin the closet.Now,I clip
my plansto the hanger,and hookthe

$ave benchtop space

by going up
lf you'relikeme, you neverseemto
haveenoughshelfspace,so you end up
keepingmorethingsthanyou'dlikeon
your benchtop.I storelighterthings,
suchas boxesof tissue,latexgloves,
DRIVES 4 STZES and garbagebags,up undermy wall
cabinets.Hotmeltglue makesit easyto
OF NAILS r,yITH stickthem up there,and easyto pop

NO EFF RT them loosewhenit'stimeto replacean

emptybox witha full one.
-Jeff DiBattista, Alta.
Edmonton,
I Comfortable
Fgonomrc
Stylingwith
Cushioned
Iilon.Slrp
Gnp, ll/4"rort

sTrtgger
and
Surface
Safefyl,ocfts. I ltlew
HeayyDutv
NailDriviha
powuwifr
t{onlllaning Builtin
10'Cord.
Eunpen #&" F

ffiFlwr _r
tS If@ ff I o*,oo*arhomecenrenrumberyards
l*,Jffi andhadwanstorctwhercver
finetoolsaresold,
l?rllh#LLlandhadwanstorctwheteverrinitoor

Arrow Fastener€o., Inc.,271 Mayhill Street,SaddleBrook, New Jersey07663

Canada:JardelDistributors,Inc.,6505Metropolitan Blvd. East,Montreal, Quebec HIP 1X9
United Kingdom: Arrow Fastener(U.K.)Ltd., Unit 5 ZK Park,23 CommerceWay, CroydonCRO4ZS,Surrey
wwwarrowfastener.com Rev.l002 WOOD magazine 2003
June/]uly

Hanea face-to-facewith biscuits
Whilelaminating twopiecesof 3/q"
medi-
um-density fiberboard(MDF)to makea
router-table top recently,
I ranintothe
problem I alwaysrunintowhengluing
twolargepiecesface-to-face: Theslip-
perygluemakesit hardto keepthe
piecesaligned duringclamping.
I solvedtheproblem withmy biscuit
joiner,I madematching indexmarkson
twoadjacentedgesof the stackedwork-
pieces,as shownbelow,thencutbiscuit
Make a clean break
I hadto trimabout1"froma pieceof
glassI wasinstalling in a cabinetdoor,
butevenafterscoringtheglasswitha
cutter,it keptbreaking off in smallpieces. below.Usingtheclampas a handle,I
I wasn'tgettingthesnapped-clean edgeI gavea quickdownward
seeon professionally cutglass.
I figuredif I couldsnapthewhole
lengthat once,l'd geta nicecleanbreak. and it hasworkedeve*rrl)[rlo,*
So I sandwiched thewastepieceof glass
wrvw.woodonline.com
-!
slotsin the matingfacesof thepieces.
Afterspreading glueon thesurface, I
puta littlegluein eachbiscuitslot,
dropped a biscuitin eachslotin the bot-
tompiece,andputthetoppiecein
place,fittingit overthebiscuits.
Usingthistechnique, therewasno
slippage duringassembly. AndI saved
timeby nothavingto retrimtheedges
withmytablesaw'
, Morgan, Dickson,
Tenn.
betweentwoscrapsof hardwood as
longas thescoredlineandclamped
themin placeas shownin thedrawing
snap,andthe
piecebrokeoff perfectly.
I'veusedthis
techniquewithnarrowerstripsof glass
N.B.
John,
Continuedon page 22
 Smn*mpnffiJufi?'s
ffiHQU[HH shop tips
A tArfrffirfr
Hotry*T& sGffiK. Sanding-discshim cuts plugs close
I l i k eto usew oodenpl ugsto hi de I mi ni mi ze
bothdamageand sanding
screwsin my projects,but tediously ti meby sl i ppi ng
a w el l -w orn
r andom -
You'LL JUsr NEED s a n d i ngthe pl ugsfl ushw i ththe sur- orbi tsanderdi sc,gri tsi dedo wn,over
fa c ea r oundthemi sn' thi ghon my l i st the plug,as shownbelow,beforesaw-
Tf{[s t$TTtffi Am* o f fu n t hi ngsto do. E venw henI saw ing it off.The discprotectsthe work-
the plugsoff first,no matterhow care- piecefromthe saw'steethand leaves
ful I am, the teethof the saw oftenmar j ustthe shal l ow est
nubon the plugt hat
Protectand add lusterto your wood floors.
th e w orkpi ece, w hi chmeanseven sandsaw ayqui ckl y.
Do-it-yourself,
and do-it-with-ease. mo resandi ng. -John Hell.lnverGrove Heiohts,
Minn.

f Sandfloors
quicklyand easity
with Varathane's
revolutionary,
dust-free
ezV" Sander.
qufqr*somwrys{

lf you wish to,

add color to your
floors,applythe
stain color of, ,
your choice. ,i

n qq!ffietsf@. F6FFE
;i,
T-qa.rs

2. Stain(Optional) Scrap strips form a finish line

t ! . .
r\ nppVVarathane At the end of nearlyeveryproject,I end stripsto the top of a pairof sawhorses,
*'"_,
;b. \ -if up withstripsof stockrippedfromthe as shownin the drawingbelow.
"1r' Premium '" -
edgesof workpieces. I drive4d finish I recentlyhad a hugeprojectwithlotsof
.. ..'''. $ Polyurethane
nailsspacedat 4-5" intervalsthrough doorsand panels.So I stretchedmy 20'
$ fot Floors;over
\*I'$
-.,.. th e s escraps,pl acethempoi nts-up on extensionladderacrosssawhorses,
f twice as durable, , my fi n i shi ngtabl e,and usethemto sup- tapedthe stripsendto endon the ladder
-\
i
t
as other finisheshr 1l
p o rta proj ectw hi l eI appl yfi ni sh.For rails,andfinished12 panelsat a time!
f the ultimatein wood l a rg ep a nel s,l ' l lsometi mes
tapethese -RobertReed,RoamingShores,
)hio
p'*r'+rqxsqq.t"ffiffi*l
floor protection.
3. Protect :

Floorsthis beautiful ' ,

haveneverbeen so easy-r
Fora free brochure, , .
go to www.varathane.com.

Contirruedon page 21
22 WOOD magazine June/July 2003
O2OO3 Rust;OleumCorporation GircleNo,,tl8
 i,'';:: tipS

Enlarqe
?
a hole of almost
any shape accurately
Haveyou evercut a holein a work-
pieceonlyto find it neededto be just
a littlebit bigger?Here'sa way to
resizethat openingwhilestillkeeping
its shape.
Let'ssay you needto enlargea
hole'sdiameterby ,/r".Installa rab-
betingbit in your routerusingthe
.,t:',' Radisl Arm Mill Router bearingfor a 1/q"rabbet(/+" on both
il lt
TM .,,i,r.,,oi,-4.ti::;,!i.:i::,rii:,,;,r,.,
,,tl
sidesof the holeyieldsa total
RAMR
enlargemenl of 1/2").
Routa rabbet
aroundthe holeas deepas you can
whilestillkeepingthe routerbit's
bearingin contactwiththe edgeof
the hole.Finally,flipthe workpiece
overandfi ni shthe cut usi nga f lush-
trim bit,withthe bearingridingon the
rabbetyou cut first.
':,'-:1i: My rabbetingbit limitsme to 1/2"rab-
,.. .1::i. .
; t .,:;t;
r'.'t.
betsmaxi mum, so I can enl a r ge
lrr: rJ:rF
,.-r:i:.
al mostany hol eby 1" . l f I needm or e,
. r;;:' ' Pediry "i,.l.i+;:.,,
Fotents
ja:r'r:..j ...:i,;Ti
I simplyrepeatthe rout-flip-rout-again
rii::':'- -i',,,:-,:i,'.,:,1tt;,,:r.
processuntilthe holeis sizedthe wav
I wantit.
-David Kantor,EastMeadows,
N.Y.

24 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 Usg-alittlg glue,
hold a little-screw
Two thingsI loveto do in the woodshop
arecarvingsmallfiguresand building
smalltreasureor jewelryboxes.I getfrus-
tratedwhenattachinghingesto a box (or
a basswoodfigureto its base)because
the screwcan stripor splitthe wood.
To preventthis,I firstdrilla pilothole,
then'lap"the holewitha steelscrewthe
samesizeas the brassscrewl'llinstall
permanently. (l filea smallnotchin the
screwthreadsto makeit cut likea self-
tappingscrew.)
Whenit'stimeto installthe brass
screws,I firstadd a dropor two of cyano-
acrylate(CA)glueto the hole,theninsert
andtightenthe screw.Thisreallysetsthe
screwsin place.I find I stillcan backthe
screwsout, but it'sdefinitelymorework.
l'vealsousedthismethodsuccessfully to
screwintothe edgeof plywood.
-Ed Twilbeck,
)cean Springs,Miss
Sgeanewo..
. . . s h o pt i p d a i l ya t

'. :i:

-
I

A clean,shprphote
everyilme.
Nochips,
no splits,
ilo €t'IofS;
It takesskill
anoa snarp
t t , I

drillbit,
"And, {fni

www.woodonline.com
 askwood
toyourquestions
Answers fromletters, andW00DONL|NEo
e-mails,

Drawer insides
needfinish, too
fl.l boughta chestat anauc-
!r fion,cleaned it up,and
planto varnishtheinsidesof the
drawers. ButI'veseenlotsof fac-
tory-built
drawers lettunfinished
ontheinside.Whichwayis best?
-KeithAndrerynt,
Latayette,
La.

[ . Go a]readand start varnisir-

-- I ing, Keith. A drawerthat's
finished inside looks better, resists
wear, and is less likely to snagits
contents.Somefurniture factories
skip this stepto savetime, which
just gives hobbyists one more
opportunity to outshine the profes-
sionalswhen it comesto small
details. After you've finished the
drawers inside and out, allow them
to dry and cure before slipping
them into the chest,and you won't
have a problem with a lingering To avoid puddlesand runs,first brushfinish into the four verticalcornersof the drawer.The
finish odor. nextstep is to coat the bottom,then completethe job by doingthe sides.

Ghoosethe right sfird router bit

Woulda spiralrouterbitgive

(fu
flr the three styles can
mea cleaner cutthana straight handlethe task you
The ups and downs of spiral bits
!r
bitWhen I makecirclesandovalsin mention, as long as
solidwood?lf so,shouldI buyan you orient the work-
upcutor a downcutbit? piece appropriately.
-Boyd Ash,St.John9,Newfoundland, Canada For funue reference,

[
--
. Boyd, you do get a stightly
r cleanercut with a spiral bit. A
straightbit chops at the wood with its
here'sa brief goide.
rUpcut: Use this
bit for making mor-
tises in solid stock
f,
\
F \
Downcut Compression
vertical flutes, but a spiral bit's becauseit pulls out
corkscrew-shapedcutting edgesstay in the chips as it cuts. Here's a look at the way spiral bits cut wood. The anows
continuouscontact with the workpiece, You alsocan useit show the dircction of each bit's shearing action.
shearingthe wood fibers. for edgefteatnents
An upcut bit shearstoward the router with the face of the stock away from the i downcut bit tendsto pack the wastemate-
base,and a downcut bit shearsin the router base. rial into the cut.
oppositedirection. Combine the two rDouyncut: This bit style producesa rupqrYdowncut or compression:
designs,and you get an upcut/downcutor clean cut on the face closestto the router i Here's the bebtchoice for cleaning up the
compressionbit, which shearsupward base,so it worla well on rabbets,dadoes, ! edgesof hardwoodplywood or melamine-
and downward at the sametime. Spiral grooves,and shallow mortises.Make sev- ! coatedparticleboard.It preventschipping
bits ae madeof solidcarbide,andanyof i eralshallowpasses,
though,because
the I on bothfaces.
I i Conthuedot page28
26 WOOD rnagazlne June{uly 2003
ask rrvood

Esh a slider, pull a radial-arm

ff r Theexpertstell you to pusha , boardforwardupontheinitialcontact.
!. slidingmitersaw throughthe i Note,however,thatthecuttingaction
workpiece,but pull a radial-arm
saw a lifting force.
i fromthatpointon creates
toward you to make a cut. Why are : That's why you usea hold-down.(We
they used ditferently? ; removedthe hold-downin the photo for
-Chris Satow, Pa. 1 clarity.) Also use a blade with negative-
Walnutport,
hook teethto reducethe lifting force.
[ .It's a safetyissue, Chris,based i H.r.', one moredetailto consider:
fl r on one essentialdifferencein i Becausethe teethon a radial-armsaw
design:The sliding mitersawheadpiv- i bladecut down as they contactthe
ots up and down, and the radial-armsaw i workpiece,any tear-outwill be on the
headdoesn't.Let's considerthe radial- i bottom.To compensate, placeyour
arm first. As you noted,the properway i workpieceon the saw table with its
to crosscutwith this machineis to place i good face up-our preferredway to cut
your workpiecetightly to the fence,line i wood. However,the sliding mitersaw
up the cutline with the bladeedge,turn i bladecuts up at the point of contact,so
on the saw,and pull the blade slowly i any tear-outwill be on the top, and the
toward you, as shownin the top photo at : good face shouldrest on the table.
right. All throughthe cut, the teethforce
the workpiecedown on the
table and back againstthe
fence.The headofthe saw
can'tjump upwardin
response,becauseit oper-
atesin a fixed horizontal
plane.However,if you
startedwith the saw head
on the near sideof the
workpiece,and pushedthe
saw bladethroughthe cut,
the teeth would tend to
pick up the front edgeof
the board.
Now, for the sliding
mitersaw.Somemodels
allow you to lock the head
in variouspositionswhile
cutting,but there'salways
the chancethat it will be
left unlocked.If so, the
blade would tend to climb
up the workpieceif you
startedyour crosscuton
the far sideof the work-
pieceand pulled. The
propermethodis to place
your workpieceon the
table and againstthe fence,
secureit with a hold-
down. centerthe arbor
abovethe front edgeof the
workpiece, turn on the
saw,and lower the blade
into the wood, as shown Just follow the arrows shown here for safe results on the
in the bottom photo at radial-arm saw, top, and sliding mitersaw, bottom.
right. The teeth force the Continuedon page 30

28 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

#xnm tir{ed ask rrvood
te im*pind.. Kgepyour projects
clean, not taclqr o
f|. I wastaughtto tlean otf sand' thuh,tha
Y. ingdustwitha tackcloth
befdrefinishing,but someof my fel-
lowwoodworkers withthat
disagree #e
advice.Canyou shedsomelighton
the subject? Naphthaevaporates quicklyandwon't
-Larry Hall,lndePendence,
Mo. withyourfinishingsteps,so it
interfere
workswellfor givingyoursandedproject
a finalwipe-down.
[ . You're betteroff avoidinga tack
Il r cloth,Larry. For onething,it For betterresults,vacuumthe surface,
won't pull dustout of the pores.Also, the or blow it out with compressed air out-
It Y0U'RE forachanse
REA0Y sticky, varnish-likesubstancethat picks doorsor in a well-ventilatedarea.Then,
around thehouse, don'tbug up sandingdustcan leavea gurnmy moistena cloth with mineral spiritsor
new...renew! WithPainter's Tourh' residuethat interfereswith the bonding naphthaand wipe the wood. As you
and smoothness of your finish.That's a removethe last specksof sawdust,you'll
hgBust-Oleum, iti easg.Youcan alsohighlightany missedscratches or
particularproblemwhen you usewater-
hreathe newlifeintoangroom bornefinishes. glue splotches.
iustbgadding Take
a littlecolor.
a lookaround. Who sagswicker
hastobewhite? Pirtureachair Hqw to safely table-routwithout a fence
andtableinasoftshade ofSage f|r I noticethat a lot of woodwork- i small,/q" roundover bit.Thatwill give
ers rout "freehand" on.routel youa feelfor th3.fg1c1s at workbefo13
6reen. 0r,trgPainter'sTouch in !. i
usinga guide-bearing
taO-iEs, bit and i youtry a largerbit thatgeneratesmuch
inviting likeWarmYellow
rolors no fence. ls this Safe? ' moretorque.Always grip the workpiece
orTerra Whether
[otta. it'san -Louis Rebideaux, Nev. i well away from the router bit.
Sparks,
piere i Finally, Rick encourages the useof a
ordinarg otavintage
[ . With the right techniques,Louie, i plasticttti"tO like the one shown, to keep
treasure, PainteriTourhcanmake fl r it's a safeprocedure.But it does i your fingersout of harm'sway. Use a
it looknewandexciting. call for caution,becausea spinning : screwto mountacrylicor polycarbonate
It'llchangethewaggoulook routerbit can throw a pieceof wood or i plasticon a pieceof wood that'sslightly
yank your fingers toward it in an i thicker than your workpiece.Make this
atgourhome!
instant.We checkedwith Rick i wood baselargeenoughso that you easi-
Rosendahl,who appearson public tele- , ly canclampit to your routertable.
vision's "The RouterWorkshop"with i Positionthe plasticover the bit, andtight-
his dad, Bob, and got his advice. , en your clamp.Now your fingerscan't
-
Rick recommendsthe useof a safety i touchthe bit from above.
:
ffi

guide pin, or starterpin, when ..:,

ffiffiM you rout freehand.Use a Vq" ,.:, ',,

rod or dowel madeof steel,
brass,or a densehardwood,
and drill a hole of the same
size in your table,located
Touth
Painters bgHust-0leum is about2" from the bit, as
at
available home hard-
centers, shownbelow. The pin must fit
andrraftretailers.
ware,disrount snuglyin the hole, and project
aboveyour workpiece.Push
Foraftee0ream5pates the workpieceagainstthe Pin,
booklet,
inspirational and usethe pin as a fulcrum
visittustoleum.com point to supportthe wood as
atpaintideas.tom
Findmoreinspiration you carefully easeit into the
spinningbit. We cut a safety guide pin from a t/a"steel rod, and fitted
Rick suggeststhat a novice it into a hole we drilled into our router table insert.We
RUsTbfsoLEUM' practicefirst with a good-sized used a hole saw to cut a shield lrom 1/e"acrylic plastic.
BRANDS
scrapof wood and a nice, Continuedon Page 32
s t o p p i n gr u s t i s i u s t t h e s t a r t l .
30 WOOD magazine June/JulY 2003
CircleNo. 115
ask rrvood

Qoodwoodsfor cutting boards

f|. Whichwoodsworkbestfor
!. makingcuttingboards, and
whichonesshouldI avoid?l'veheard i
cancon-taminate one, such as maple, rather than an open-
! tfratsomespecies
: food andmakepeoplesick. pored species,such as oak. The lack of
-Barbara St.Louislarge pores meansfewer placesfor food
McKay,
particles to lodge, making the cutting
r Barb,you boardeasierto clean.Also, avoid oily
r don'thave exotics, which might affect the flavor
to worry about that of food.
kind of toxicity We recommendboiled linseed oil or
with any speciesof mineral oil as a finish for cutting boards.
wood. However, Allow the finish to dry and cure before
somewoods are using the board. When you want to
better candidates removescratches, just sandand apply
than othersfor cut- more oil.
ting boards.
Choosea dense

lf you'relookingforananswertoa woodworking
For a handsome question, writetoAskW000,1716Locust St.,
and durable cut- GA-310, DesMoines, orsendus
lA 503{19-3(123
ting board, try hard ane-mailat askwood@mdp.com. Forimmediate
maple. Add details feedback postyour
fromyourfellowwoodworkers,
with darker wood, question ononeofourwoodworking forums
at
like these walnut wwrY.woodonline.com.
stripes.
WOOD rnagazine June{uly 2003

ThlentedCreator.SkilledHobbyist.

O\7I\TER. Profrt
BLSII{E,SS you can becomeall three!
You're alreadvrwo. With GuardsmanFurniturePro@,

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Thc most ttustd w in lrnitare rcPair
degrEising,repairinsand potishing nfinisbing usingan eco.*hndty,
water-ba.edsyrtem
 rrvorkshop woods

lacewood
The down-under lumber
At a glance
rColor:Pinkto lightbrownwitha silvery
sheen.Fairlycolorfastovertime.
r Growtrrange:Australia,Europe
r Uses:Decorativeaccents,door panels,
rAvailability:
Manyhardwooddealerscarry smallprojects,veneer.
with over-the-top figure an excellentsupplyof 4/4 and8/4 boards. r Special
considerations:
Tear-outcan be
Findsmallpiecesthroughmail-order and a problemwhenplaning.Lacewood
ith its striking fleckedfigure, onlinesuppliers. sawdustis an initant,so weara dust
pinkishhue,and lustrous r Price:
Varieswidelyby supplierfrom$8 maskwhensandingand machining to
sheen,lacewood(Cardwellia to $13 per boardfootfor 4/4FASstock. avoidrespiratoryproblems.
sublimis)makesa greatchoicefor r Density:
Moderate r0fier names:
Silkyoak
creatingknock-'em-deadsmallprojects,
rWorkability:Good
or for addingaccentson furnitureand
cabinetry.The wood machineseasily,
holds a crisp edge,and acceptsglue well.
Lacewood'sfamousflecks run through-
out the log, and arevisible howeverit is
sliced.Quartersawing, however,produces
the tightest,most uniform pattern.Choose
your boardscarefullyand examinethe
grain on both facesto get the bestfigure.
To achievea surfacefree from tear-out.
sandlacewoodto final thicknessusing
60- or 80-gnt paper.Proceedthrough220
grit to impart a high luster.Oil finishes
bring out the bestin the grain,and aniline
dvescanbe usedto color the wood. Q

When the SawdustSettles.'.:

,-it. Premium Quality ZAR@Rises Above the Rest!
lyThether you'recreatingyour own masterpiece or wantto givenewlife to a treasuredfamil)fW
W heirloomonlythebestwoodstainwill do. ZARWoodStainis formulatedusingonlythe ;h
finestingredients.ZARWoodStain'scontrolledpenetrationformulaallowsyou to work at your Hk
r'; ownpace. ZARwipeson easilyandpenetrates evenlyfor uniformcolor tonewithoutstreaks,
lapmarksbr blotches.Z{R WoodStain'sefira rich formulamakesit idealfor all typesof wood;
, from Oakto Aspento Poplarto Pinewith beautifr.rl
resultseverytime. Sowhetheryou'rea \
professionalor justwant
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name ofyournearest
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1{,0-272€235, orvisitusat Tone.
www,ugl.com.
 workshop sawy
I For projects with
mke
I alphabetized pieces,
use letters to match the
materials list and draw-
ings in the article. Even
when you build from
your own design, it
youtmrk
helps to letter your
drawings and project
parts. Without such a
system, it's easy to cut a
part to the wrong size.
!)Sometimes, the grain
Er pattern dictates the
best orientation for plan-
ing or jointing a board.
After you determine
which face or edge you
wish to machine, make a
pencil mark on the end
grain near the face slated
for removal by the planer
or jointer.
and draw two lines to indicate the 90o intersec-
tion. Now, you're set to rip and plane the remain-
ing surfaces.
Edge
A line here, a letter there, f Each of these
and projects go together rJchalked arrows
points to the face side
more smoothly than ever. of a part. Work with the
face up during all
machining operations,
and everything (such as
these mortises) will align
s you cut the piecesfor a project, during assembly.
you often lay them down around
the workshop, and sometimes
don't return to them for a day or two. The
result?You forget which pieceshave been
planed,which boardyou intendedto become
Part A, and so on. To avoid this problem,
developa surefire systemfor marking your
piecesas you work. That way, you elimi-
nate any confusion whatsoev,er.
Here's a selection of useful marking
methods, the same ones we use when
building projectsin the WOODomagazine
shop.You canusea pencil on surfacesstill
to be sawn, planed, or jointed. Because
chalk removes more easily, it ranls as a Aner jointing and planing your
'ff
better choice for fully machinedparts prior boards, arrange them to get the best
grain match when you prepare to glue
to final sanding.l up a panel. Then, mark them as shown
above to avoid an assembly mix-up. lf
you're sorting stock for more than one
panel, mark the second grouping with a
double line, as shown below, a triPle
line for a third panel, and so on.
rltwnen squaringup a workpiece,keep
tftrack of your progresswith a few quick
marks.Makea distinctivemarkon the first
jointed face, such as the pigtail shown here.
With that face against the fence, joint an edge
WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003
 just-rightjoinery

BOSCH2-LI4HP Elecuonic
PlungeRouter

*-*'*1lS.5
steps
to perfect
plugs
Visible screwheads
really detract from any Find a spot on your scrap-
wood with the grain lines
woodworking project; you need, and clamp the workpiece to
the drill-press table. Select a plug cutter,
here's the easy way and bore at about 1,250 rpm.

to hide them.

hopmadewood plugs are quick and

fun to make,and do a greatjob of
#I6T3AEUS
dressingup your projectsby hiding
screwheads. Seethe photosand captions
***** at right for the keys to this technique.
Thisis likely oneof the nicesttools I'veever used.lt
is so smoothand quiet,I don't even haveto wear To get started,you needto choose
earplugs. amongseveralstylesof plug cutters.We
-An Amazon.com customerfrom Concord,CA preferthosethat producetaperedplugs
(like corks),which are more likely to give
Micro-finebit-depthadjustmentcanbe
you a perfectfit than snaightplugs.After
madeaftersettingplungeposition cutting the plug and removingit from the
Variablespeed,soft-start,constant cutter,flip it over and insertthe small end
responsecircuitrymaintainsdesiredrpm into the screwhole.
You can buy a setof threeVeritasSnug-
baseopeningwith 2-inch
3-5116-inch Plug cutters(for V4",3/8", andVz"holes) After drilling your plugs,
openingfor largebits and
sub-base from Lee Valley Tools for $27.95,plus mark the grain direction on
improvedvisibiliry each one with a pencil or pen. Cut them
shipping.Call 800/871-8158, andorder free on your bandsaw, and then transfer
Exclusive designfor
precision-centering item number05J05.10. the line to the newly exposed "top" end.
centeringtemplateguides Preparea home for eachplug by coun-
terboringa hole centeredon the marked
Includesdusthood, ll2- andll4-inch pilot hole locationfor the screw.A coun-
collets,andcomfortable
self-releasing tersinkingdrill setdrills a pilot hole and a
drop-forgedwrench counterborein one operation.Or you can
usea Forstneror brad-pointbit. Drill the
counterborefirst, then drill the pilot hole
in the counterbore'scenter.The counter-
boredhole must matchthe insidediameter
*\Ve will match our competitorsprice plus of your plug cutter.Drill it atleast V+"
beat it by l0o/o of the dffirence. Find out deep,but no deeperthan the capacityof
rnore at uuw. amazon.com/oice-match. your plug cutter.
Cut a plug from your project'sscrap-
Cdl for your FREE Tool Crib catalog You might not get a tight fit
wood to matchgrain and color. Spread
1-800-635-5140 yellow glue in the hole, and tap the plug when inserting a tapered
plug into a shallow hole. In that case,
into place.Use a mallet,or placea wood hold the plug with a spring clamp and
block on the plug and usea hammer.iF trim off the smaller end with a chisel.

36 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 WnnnnilTv louursT
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wl-2noqtRPRIGOi|lY$l O9 r"t treil
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Tear-out ruins the look of a EqryIT
plug hole, so drill a clean
counterbore. A Forstner bit works best. f 5 Piecell2"
Next, drill the pilot hole, install a screw, SHAilK SET
and glue the plug in place. lncludes: 'rwt-tso5
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wurw.woodonline.com 37
ffi vertisment

short cuts
rJs
You'renottheonly
onewho putseffort
intomakingyour world
Newsandnotesfromthewoodworking
lawnlookgood.Your

ffi
#
mowerworkshard
too.Justanhourof
simplepreventative
maintenance oncea
Havea capital time at the Renwick
The next time you find yourselfin equally well represented.The museum's
*---t yearassures smooth Washington,D.C., scheduletime to see curator, KennethTrapp, saysthat visitors
typically will seebetween75 to 90
the specialpermanentfurniture collection
andactually
operation

ffi
at the SmithsonianAmerican Art exquisitefurniture piecesby post-World
extendsthe life of Museum'sRenwick Gallery.In addition War tr craftsmen.
yourmower. to exhibitsfeaturingitems madeof clay, You'llfind the Renwickon
fiber, glass,and PennsylvaniaAvenueat 17thStreet,NW.
metal,you'll be Admissionis free with visiting hours
pleasedto from 10 a.m.to 5:30p.m. everyday
TO
STEPS know that exceptDecember25. For more informa-
A HEATTHY wood is tion, call 2021357-2700,
www.AmericanArt.si.edu.
or go to

MOWER
ffi
ffi
CHANGE

prolong
Check
THEEIIIGI]IIE
OIL
Cleanoilcoatsandprotects
engine components andcan
thelifeofyourmower.
theowner's manualfor This Sam
grade. Maloof double
therightSAEviscosity

ffi
rocker made
REPLACETHESPARK PIUG of fiddleback
A wornplugwillmakeyour maple (lefi)
7 is just one
mowerhardto start. of several
re
REPTACE THEBLADE woodworking
rc*-*
or dullblade
A bent,chipped, masterpieces
notonlycutsyourgrasspoorly, found at the
Smithsonian's
butcanevenruinyourlawn. Renwick

ffi REPTACE THEAIRFILTER Gallery (right).

A dirtyfiltercanallowdirtto
getinside thecarburetor
and
mayrestrictairflow.
Byproperlyaddressing these Windmills of the mind

ffi maintenance

healthy,
prolonging
mower
points,notonly
areyoukeepingyourlawn
butyoumayalsobe
thelife of your

Searshaspartsandrepair
expertisefor all majorbrands
of lawnequipment-no matter
whereyouboughtthem.
THREE WAYSTOBUY
PARTS FROMSEARS:
o GALLl-800-4-MY-H0ME@
oGUGK SEARS.GOM &
VISITTHEPARTS PAGE
T V I S I T A P AR T S& R E PA IR
CENTER NEARYOU
FORTOCATIONS,
cAtL 1-800-488-1222
During the final days of WOODa maga-
zine's "For the Birds" Birdhouse/Bird
FeederContest,we receiveda well-made
entry from a7{-year-old woodworker
who facedone challengethat otherpartic-
ipantsdid not. Ed Pritchardof Fallbrook,
California,is blind.
Due to unsuccessfulcataractsurgery,
coupledwith a sffoke,Ed's vision deteri-
oratedto a completelossof sight by
1997.But thanksto his supportivefamily,
and their purchaseof a tape measurefor
the blind, mitersaw,drill-press,router, Over 13" wide and 15" tall, this windmill
and sander,Ed was ableto ply his birdhouse was made by blind woodworker
Ed Pritchard of Fallbrook, California.
favorite hobby.
Ed startedmaking numerousstylesof and holding parts togetherwith rubber
small birdhouses,using a miniaturebird bandsand pins. When the small bird-
houseas his model, somethinghe could houseswere no longerchallenging,he
feel. To work safely,he madejigs to keep turnedto.makingwindmill birdhouses
his fingers away from the bits and blades from memory,basedon planshe had
when machining parts.Assembly purchasedsome 15 yearsbefore.
involved spreadingglue with his fingers Continued on page 40

38 WOOD magazine June/fuly 2003

shorl cuts
Does your state have a champion tree?
While not everystatecan lay claim to
havingthe biggesttreein a selected
species,mostcan.Accordingto the
NationalRegisterof Big Trees,Georgia
has 15,for instance.Kansas,on the other
A contest
hand,hasnone.To discoverthe giantsin you can
your neckof the woods,or to reporta bond with
giant,go to the Web, andlook up Haveyou tried or regularlyuseFrankhn
www.americanforests.ors. andfi nd out International'sHiPURformerAdvanced
how to proceed. BondingSystemin your shopor around
the home?If so,you qualify to entera
new contestwheremonthlywinnerswill
comeawaywith a HiPURformer
AdvancedBondingSystem(worth$100)
or two casesof HiPURformercartridge
adhesives of your choice(retailvalue,
$160.)Whata deal!
A productof TitebondGlues&
Adhesives,HiPURformeris a polyurethane
hot-meltadhesivethat lendsitself to
countlessapplicationsin woodworking,
> l
crafts,andhomeimprovementandrepair
g:
oi
o:
assignments. Judgeswill evaluateentries
o:
cl
(Li
based on "practicality,
clarity,creativity,
- l

o)i and sincerity."Go to www.titebond.com

=l
5 i to enterandclick on the HiPURformer
coi
--i
E:
link to the contest.Hereyou'll find the
=i entryform anddetailedinstructions. Then,
;:
( 6 : fill out the entryform and submitit elec-
o:
o:
Oi
tronically,or makea copy of it and sendit
_ci
o _ : to: HiPURformerContestEntry,Franklin

This magnificent Maryland tree, named the "Wye Oak" after the surrounding town of International, 2020 Bruck Street,
Wye Mills, was the largestwhite oak, until tipping over in June of 2002.lt stood 96' high, Columbus. OH. 43207.Goodluck.
measured31 '10" around,and lived for more than 450 years.

Yes,Virginia, there is more than one Santa Hard facts on

For the pastfive years,the 46-member
LivingstonCountyWoodcraftGuild of
Michiganhaspulledits talentstogetherto
maketoys and other items for patientsat
children'shospitals.This pastyearalone,
the Guild craftedanddis-
tributedmorethan 1,000
Bob at LivingstonCountyWoodcraft
Guild,P.O.Box 1165,Brighton,MI
48114.He hasblueprintsof the toysanda
catalogof the silhouettes thathe canpass
along,as well asotherkey information.
c
(g
'E
hardwood usage
Accordingto the United StatesDepartment
of Agriculture(USDA),red oak leadsthe
packas the most producedhardwoodlum-
ber in the country.Here'sa look at the total
hardwoodproductionpicture:

woodentoys and 15,000 .9

woodensilhouettes to U;
Red Oak 37
suchlocationsasthe chil- WhiteOak 15
dren'shospitalsin Detroit (g
a Poplar 11
and Philadelphia, aswell o
0)

as Give Kids The World .>

Ash 5
'(!

in Orlando,Florida. o Cherry 4
Word of thesewise
o
f Soft Maple 4
men'sgifts havetraveled O
HardMaple 4
o
fast and afar. Guild vice o
o) Alder 3
presidentBob Penfil says
= OtherSpecies* 17
that additionalrequests i
(U
havecomein from hospi- *Otherspeciesincludebass-
o
talsacrossthe country. o
wood;beech,birch,cottonwood,
(L
To learnhow you can
From left: Gary Saum, Bob Penfil, and Tod Kovach display a
hickorypecan,
elm,hackberry',
helpcontributeto this samplingof the thousands of wooden toys and silhouettes tupelo,sapgum,wirlnut,and
worthy cause,contact made by their guild for children'shospitals. otherhardwoods..F

40 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 uild a base,a top, and as many
bookshelf casesas you wish to
go in between.All the partssim-
ply stackup and screw together.You'll
make your own wood door guides,and,
asidefrom wood screwsin varioussizes,
the only hardwareneededis the knobs.
Note: The Materials List and Cutting
Diagram showthe numberof parts need-
ed for a one-bookshelf-case bookcase.
Multiply the number of caseparts and
door parts by the number of bookshelf
casesvou wish to make.
E cnse EXPLoDED
vtEW
#20 biscuit
#4 x t/z" F.H.
woodscrE_-r
r/q"rabbet
Ta"deep
Build the case
I Cut theupperandlower panels to
(A)
I width, but about I " longerthan listed
in the MaterialsList.Rip the bandineG)
to width, but about I " longerthan listed.
Glue and clamp the bandingto the pan-
els. With the glue dry, sandthe banding
flush with the panels,and cut the assem-
blies to length,trimming both ends.
I Wittr the panels oriented so their
Cr good sides will face into the case,
rout l/r0"chamferson the banding,where
shown on Drawing 1. Finish-sandthe
assembliesto 220 gnt.
#B x 1" F.H.wood screw
\ end
QEor the casesides,cut the stiles(C),
tJrails (D), and mullions (E) to the
sizes listed. Install a 3/8"dado blade in
your tablesaw, and cut the centered
grooves,where shownon Drawing2.
Ato form the tenonson the endsof the
llrails and mullions, switch to a t/+"
dado blade. To set the tenons' length,
positionthe fenceto the right of the blade,
and3/s"from the blade'sleft side.Attach
an auxiliaryextensionto your mitergauge
so it just grazesthe fence. First testing
your cutsin scrap,form the tenons,where
shownon Drawings2 and2a,makingtwo
passesover the blade.
-: - : ,
%0"chamfer
3/a"
t/2" dowel
11/2"long Mitered

II tocationot@
/+" chamfers 1 31/2"

tc

I
l % 0 "c h a m f e r
For the boardfeet of lumber
and otheritemsneededto build
this project,see page 48.

21/2" h-gz"
pllreltoN DETATLS
(Case
sideshown)
th" rabbel s/e"deep

fl sroe 7e"grooves
.3/a" deep
(lnsidefaceshown)

5"

II 103/q'

l_
7e"grooves7e"deep

rvrvw.woodonline.com 43

l&',,,
With the mullionand railsassembled,slide in the panelswithout glue. Glue and clamp the
stiles to the rails, keeping them flush at the top and bottom.
f Resaw and plane stock for the side
tJpanels (F), and cut them to size.So
seasonalwood movementwon't expose
unstainedwood after the projectis com-
plete, finish-sandthe panels and apply
stain.We usedZAR no. 114Provincial.
f, Before assemblingthe case sides,
V apply piecesof maskingtape to the
rails (D), and mark on them the centered
location of the mullions (E). Guided by
the marks,glue and clamp the mullions
betweenthe rails. Add the.stainedside
panels (F) and stiles (C), as shown in
PhotoA.
7 With the glue dry, cut rabbetsalong
tr the casesides'insideback edges,for
the back (K). Rout t/te" chamfersalong
the sides' outside edges,and the front
top and bottom cornersof the front stiles
(C), whereshownon Drawing1. Finish-
sandthe side assemblies.
p oOOnGUIDE
(lnside
faceshown)
1 13/q'
7sz"shank hole,countersunk
+,:
2V4'
17/sz"gloove a4" deep
44
(l Adjust your biscuitjoiner to centera
[J slot in the thicknessof the t/q" ply-
wood. Mark their centerlines,andplunge
slots for #20 biscuits in the ends of the
case top and bottom assernbliesA/8.
Aligning the back edgesof the top and
bottom assemblieswith the edgesof the
rabbetsin the casesides.transferthe bis-
cuit centerlinesto the casesides.Plunge
the slots in the sides.Glue. biscuit. and
clamp the casetogether,making certain
it is square.
fI Planestock to s/s"thick for the door
llguides (G), andcut themto size.Cut
the grooveson your tablesawwith a dado
blade,whereshownon Drawing3. Chuck
a Vz"Forstnerbit in your drill press,and
drill the holes. Drill the countersunk
shankholes.Make certainyou have mir-
ror-imageparts.Finish-sandthe guides,
and clamp them in place, where shown
..- Front
-i
)'i'
r+
1"+
on Drawing1. The endsof the guidesare
flush with the edgeof the sides'backrab-
bets. Using the shank holes as guides,
drill pilot holes into the casesides,and
drive in the screws.Cut four lr/2"-long
oak dowels and glue two of them in the
guides' front holes. Set the other two
aside for the stops that will later be
installedin the rearholes.
I ftlPlane stockfor the bumperblocks
lllf(H), and cut them to size.Finish-
sandthe blocks.Glue and clamp them in
place,whereshownon Drawing1.
| | Cut blanksfor the sidetrim (I) and
I I the uppertrim (J) about I " longer
than the sizeslisted.With a chamferbit in
your table-mountedrouter,rout the cham-
fers, where shown. Miter-cut the side
trims to length.Finish-sandthe trims,and
glueandclampthemin placetight against
the end of the door guides (G) and the
front sides of the bumper blocks (H).
Miter-cutthe uppertrim to length.Finish-
sand the trim, and glue and clamp it in
place,aligningit with the sidetrims.
1D Cut theback(K) to size,anddrill
LOcountersunk shank holes, where
shown on Drawing 1. Finish-sandthe
back, and set it aside.
Build the door
I Cut the stiles(L), upperrail (M), and
I lower rail (N) to size. In the same
manneras in making the casesides,cut
the centeredgrooves.where shown on
Drawing4. Drill the t/z"holesin the stiles
for the dowels.
!) Form the tenonson the ends of the
A door rails in the samemanneras in
making the casesides.Glue and clamp
the door frametogether,makingsureit is
squareandflat. With the glue dry, cut the
/2" dowels to length, and glue them in
the stiles'holes.
2 To make the rabbetedopening for
rJthe glass,chucka3/s"rabbetingbit in
your handheldrouter.With the bit's pilot
bearing riding on the groove's outside
lip, rout away the groove's inside lip,
forming a eAs"-deeprabbet. For best
results,see the Shop Tip on page 46.
Squarethe cornerswith a chisel.
the knob locations, where
*!lllMark
shownon Drawing4. Drill the screw
holes,and finish-sandthe door.
f Resawand plane stock for the verti-
tJ cal stops (O) and horizontal stops
(P). Cut them to size.Clip the headoff a
#17 wire brad, and use it to drill pilot
holes in the stops,where shown. Sand
the stopsto 220 gnt.
WOOD magazine June/July 2003
@ OOOnffiewedfrombackside) 282/a"

13s/a'
I
I
I
-{
41/z' tZ" dowel1sl0"long
t/2" hole 3/4"deep

-^#1
7 xs/a" 21/+'
wire brad
I
2/+" l-_

r/6y $'ts/16x 283/q"si ngle-stren gth glass

91Aa

Note: The vertical and

E ense
horizontal stops (O, P) 7sz"shank hole,
are butted at the corners, #8 x 11/z'F.H.wood screw countersunk Miteredends
rather than mitered.
Once mitered stops are
nailed, one piece locks
the other in place, mak-
ing them dfficult t/a" chamler
to
36Y4"
remove without break-
age. Butted stops avoid
13e/a' I
interlocked corners for \
easy removal.
7%+"
pilothole
s/q"deep \
11/z'
t
0 3

dffi 10"
#20biscuits
1

0'm)
Biscuitslot
centerline Q Aaiustyour biscuitjoiner to centera

m
(Markon leg's tJslot in the thicknessof the feet.Mark
outsideface.)
)( the slot centerlineson the outsidefaces
1/a' of the feet, where shown on Drawing5.
On to the baseand top Plungethe slots.Align the rails with the
I Planedown thickerstockor laminate t/a" chamfer feet, keeping their top edgesflush, and
I thinnerstockfor the feet (Q), and cut transferthe slot centerlinesto the outside
them to size.Rout %" chamferson their ends and centers of the arches, where faces of the rails. Readjustyour biscuit
bottom edges. shownon Drawing5. Bend a fairing stick joiner to centera slot in the thicknessof
)Cut the front and back rails (R) and to these points, and draw the arches. the rails, and plunge the slots. Finish-
Er the side rails (S) to size. Mark the Bandsawand sandthem to shape. sandthe feet and rails.

wrvrv.woodonline. corn 45
 titii
e

Basepanel

Fit the mitered ends of the side and front bands around the panel's ...then using a sharp pencil and a ruler,mark the miter's heel on
first corne6temporarilyclampingthem in place... the front band at the panel's second corner.

Glue, biscuit, and clamp a pair of
'f1ll
less to the front and back rails. With
the glJe dry, form a frameby gluing,bis-
cuiting, and clamping the side rails in
place.Make certainthe feet/railsassem-
bly (Q/R/S)is squareand flat.
f Cut the basepanel(T) to the sizelist-
rJed. Rip the front banding (U) and
sidebandings(V) to width, but about 1"
longerthan listed.Miter one end of each
band. Fit and mark the front band. as
shown in PhotosB and C, and miter-cut
it to length.With all threebandsclamped
in place,mark the sidebandsflush with
the back edgeof the basepanel (T), and
trim them to length.Glue and clamp the
bands to the base panel. With the glue
dry, sandthe bandsflush with the panel,
androut chamfers,whereshown.Finish-
sandthe basepanelassembly.
complete the base assembly,
Afo
lJmark the centerpointsof the counter-
sunk shank holes in the base panel,
where shown on Drawing 5, and drill
them. Clamp the base panel assembly
(Trul$ to the feet and rails assembly
(Q/R/S), flush at the back, and centered
side-to-side. Using the shankholesin the
basepanelasguides,drill pilot holesinto
the rails. and drive in the screws.

Climb-cutting avoids tear-out

Whencreatinga rabbetfor the glassby removingthe door
framegroove'ss/0"-thickinsidelip witha rabbetingbit, it is
all too easyto tear out longsplinters,ruiningyourframe.To
avoidthis,employa routingmethodcalled"climb-cutting."
First,to provideclearancefor the routerbit'spilotbearing,
insertscrapspacersbetweenthe frame and the workbench,
as shownin the photo,right.Thenclampthe doorframe
securelyto yourworkbench.You'llhaveto stop routing
severaltimes,shiftingyour clampsas you workyour way
aroundthe frame.
Holdingthe routerfirmly,easethe bit intothe frameuntil
the pilotbearingcontactsthe outsidelip.Slowlymovethe
routerin a counterclockwise directionaroundthe insideof
the frame.You'llhaveto resistthe bit'stendencyto grabthe
woodand pullthe routeralong.Becausethe bit'sclockwise
rotationpushesthe wood fiberstowardthe frame members
as it cuts,ratherthantryingto pullthem awayas in normal
routing,tear-outis eliminated.
Onceyou'veworkedyour way aroundthe frame,makea
secondcounterclockwise passto cleanup the edge.

46 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 E exploDEDvtEW 35Y2"
/a" chamter
-113/+'

TOP
R=1/q" 14s/a'

7/aq"pilol hole s/q"

=>=
7gz"shank hole,
countersunk on bottom face 15/a"
t/r0"chamfer
383/q"
#4 x t/z"F.H. 17" bevelalong
wood screw Vz" dowel
front and ends 1t/2" long

)
CASE

t/2" dowel
'11/2"
long

t/2"-diametertack bumper

BASE

s/se"shank hole,
j countersunk
on bottomside
r\
\
#8x11/+"F.H.
wood screw

El rop PRoFILE
DETATL

lEnge-join an oversizeblank (lCut the crest (X) to the size listed.

I for the top (W). With the
glue dry, cut it to finished size.
With your tablesaw set up as
shown on Drawing6, cut bevels
along the bottom of the top's
ends, then front edge, where
shownon Drawing7. Sandaway
the saw-blade marks, backing
your sandpaperwith a firm block
to keep the bevels' edgescrisp.
Rout chamfers along the upper
front edge and ends, where
shown.Finish-sandthe top.
OUut. marks at the centerof the top
edge and l3/+" up from the bottom at
the ends, where shown on Drawing7.
Connectthe markswith a straightedge,
and draw the top profile. Draw the
radii at the ends.Bandsawand sandthe
crest to shape. Rout the chamfer.
Finish-sandthe crest.
(lCtue and clamp the crest(X) to the
r/top (W), centered,where shownon
Drawing7. Drill pilot and countersunk
shank holes through the top into the
crest,and drive in the screws.

wunn woodonline.corn 47
Apply [hp finish, and case'supperpanel (A) into the top (W), fiCtamp the back (K) in place.Using
assemJcre where shown, and drive in the screws. \f the previouslydrilled shankholesas
Standthe assemblyupright. guides, drill pilot holes into the case.
I Examine all the parts and assem-
I blies,and resandany areasthat need single-strengthglass cut V8" Drive in the screws.
t!/lHave
it. If you wish, apply a stain,and let it smallerin width and length than the lf Install the knobs.Drill pilot holesfor
dry. We usedZAR no. 114Provincial. door's rabbetedopening.Lay the door I the tack bumpers,positioning them
r| Apply a clear finish. To add an facedown,and install the glass.Position to leave3A"betweenthe bumpersand the
Ct amber tone to the stain's color, we the stops(O, P), and drive bradsthrough bumper blocks' front edges.Tap in the
brushedon oil-basedsatinpolyurethane. the previouslydrilled pilot holes.Setthe tack bumpers.Q
Ol-av thebookshelfcaseon its backon brads,and fill the holeswith a matching
Writtenby Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund
Oyour workbench. Clampthebaseto it, color putty stick. Projectdesign: Kevin Boyle
flush at the back and centeredside-to- E Apply wax to the groovesin the door Roxanne LeMoine
lllustrations:
side. Drill pilot and countersunkshank rJ guides (G) and their dowels. Install
holes through the basepanel (T) into the the door from the rear,sliding it over the
case'slower panel (A), where shownon door guide dowels at the front, and
Drawing7, anddrive in the screws.Clamp engaging the door's dowels in the
the top assemblyto the case,flush at the guides' grooves.Retrievethe two door-
andlower
A- upper
back andcenteredside-to-side. Drill pilot stop dowels, and tap them into the panels 3/qu 113/+" 34' OP
and countersunkshankholes through the guides'rear holes.Do not glue them in. B- banding a/.tl 3/qu 34' Q0
C stiles 3/q' 21/c', 15" Q0
D rails s/q, 21/2, 91/4' Q0

E mullions 3/q, 11/z' 103/q" 00

Gutting Diagram F sidepanels 3/a, 41f8tt1011a6" o0

G doorguides 5/s' 21/q' 11/q' Q0

H bumper blocks s/e, 11/t" 21/e' Q0
l- sidetrim 5/B' 5/a' 131/z' Q0

J. upper
trim s/ao s/eu 34' Q0
s/ax71/qx 96" Quartersawnwhiteoak (5.3 BF) back 15' 343/t' 0P

stiles 3/qu 21/q, 133/e', Q0

M upperrail 3/tu 213A6tt 287/Btt Q0

N lowerrail Vcu 21/q' 287/s' Q0

s/qx71/qx 96" Quartersawnwhiteoak (5.3 BF) *Planeor resawto the thicknesses
0 verticalstops 3/a' 3/a' 91Aa QO
listedin the MaterialsList.
horizontal
stops

feet 11/z' 41/4' LQO

3 / q x 7 1 / qx 9 6 " Q u a f t e r s a w n w h i t e o a k ( 5 . 3 B F )
R frontandback
rails 3/qu 3u 321/2' Q0
S siderails 3/t' 3" 10" UU

T basepanel 125/s'343/t' 0P
U- frontband 3/,, 3/q' 361/q' Q0
3/qx 51/zx 96" Quartersawnwhiteoak (4 BF) 3/t' 133/a' Q0
V. sidebands 3/to

W.top 3/q' 145/a'38Vq' EQO 1

X crest 3/q, 21/z' 351/z' Q0
-Partsinitially
cutoversize. Seetheinstructions.
Materials key: OP-oak plywood,QO-quartersawn
whiteoak,LQ0-laminated quartersawnwhiteoak,
EQO-edge-joined quaftersawn whiteoak.
Supplies: #20biscuits; 1/2"
oakdowel; #8x1",
#8x11/2",
#8x11/t", and#4xt/2" woodscrews,
flathead
1/ax24x 48" Oak plywood #17xs/a"
wirebrads; glass;
single-strength t/2"-diameter
tackbumpers; puttystick;paraffin
wax.
Blades and bits: Stack dadoset,%"Forstnerbit,
Seemoreoo. chamfer routerbit,% rabbeting router
bit.
furnttureI
...mrssron Buying Guide
plans at Knobs. Antiquebrass knobs
%"-diameter with1'
backplates
no.MS-8, each(2perdoor).
$4.75
un Brasses,
Horton
wt,l,tll|.tll|00dst0re.tlj00dmall.c0m/misf orgoto
call800/754-9127,
s/qx 48 x 48" Oak plywood www.horton-brasses,com.

48 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 tiltimate shop-made

ffi
CROSSCUT
parts to length
using your miter
gauge in one of
these duai,
smooth-gliding
T-tracks.

Kfl3-to widthwiththisrock-
s o l i d , s e l f - a l i g n i n gf e n c e .
.i

,j
'* r-- cur clRcLES
F uP to 32" i n di am et er
2 ----- with this adjustable
-- slider and Pivot Pin'
*\<---

i
t
,:E :
.).t
..

RESAW ..'
VENEERS t ' '
from wide . .
and narrow
stock with F i ts most 14" and 16" bandsaw s.
this bolt-on CHANGE
resaw fence, BLADES
which lets by removing only
you iower the slider-not
the blade the table!
guide to suit
the work-
piece. 19s/ax27"
table safely
supports
large work-
It does it all!
pieces.

r
$y',di rql
r-'; 'N p"
f'4'\.t:

{ !/

4
#
xmi
**-nfl q-
4ffir:.' X FEATHERBOARD/
TAPERING
JIG '
----.- -.cd S I N G L E . P O I NFTE N C E

m.ff
 -t
-l
!

I
I
ooking to take your bandsawto a
a whole new level of performance
and versatility? Here's your
chance.After you build thejigs, seepage
56 for tips on putting the systemto work
How to determine if
the jig will fit your
bandsaw
@91/q'
BANDSAWTABLE

:T
(Top view)

o
83/a'
maximum

I
l
in your shop. Take four measurements
on your bandsaw where f
Note: Becausethebandsawtablesystem's shown on the drawing,
right. The table will fit Bandsaw -
@
1012"-
Tableslot
@
hardware comesfrom several suppliers, your saw provided your minimum 83/a'
frame
we'velistedconvenientkitsin the Buying measurementsstay with- maximum
Guideonpage55 so you canpurchaseall
of the itemsfrom a single soLtrce,saving
in the limitsshown. I
t
you time and money.You won't find the
hardware listed in the supplies section %"-thick aluminum bars, where shown longpieceandtwo 9"-longpiecesto fit the
due to the numberof piecesand sources. on Drawing2 on the next page.Square exactlengthof the table'sdadoes,where
the rabbetcornerswith a chisel. shownon Drawing2. Cut the 3/s"notches
Start with the table t/a" deepin the inboard ends of the 9"-
I Cut the table (A) to the sizelisted in Note:For safeoperatiortwhen usingthe sys- long pieces,where shown.Positionthe
I the MaterialsList. On the table'stop, tem's jigs, ensurethat all of the aluminum notchedpiecesin the dadoes.
lay out the l%xl8%e" slot,wheredimen- pansfit flush with the table'stop surface. t/sx2xl2" aluminumbar, cut
)nrom a
sionedon Drawing1. Jigsawthe slot to Lt four 2"-longpiecesfor the tableclamp
within %a"of the lines. Al,uy out the l3/qx2"enlargedthroat platesand a 2t/s"-longpiece for the table
I Chuck a top bearingpamernbit wirh Tarea at the end of the slot, where insert,where shown on Drawings 2 and
fa l" cutter length in your router. dimensionedon Drawing1. (This pro- 2a. Drill a 5/ro"hole through each clamp
Align a straightedgewith one of the vides clearance to facilitate blade plate where dimensioned.Set the plates
slot's long layout lines,and clamp it to changes.)Jigsawthe openingto shape. aside.Placethe insertin the table.(You'll
the table (A). Next, rout along the edge f Usinga dadobladein your tablesaw, cut the slotin theinsertlater.)
of the slot.Repeatthe processto trim the rJcut the ls/tz" dadoest/2" deepin the t/s,xvzx36"
QPosition a aluminumbar
slot'send and otherlong edge. table's top, where dimensioned, to fJin the rabbetalong one edge of the
QRefit your routerwith a 7s" rabbeting receivetheT-tracksshownon Drawing2. slot on the top of the table (A), flush
tJbit. Rout a j/a" rabbet Vs" deepalong against the table insert, as shown in
the slot'sedgeson both facesof the table, Gut the aluminum parts Photo A. Mark the bar for the exact
whereshownon Drawing1, to receivethe From a 48"-longpieceof l-7r:"-wide lengths of the pieces,where shown on
I
I aluminumT-track.hacksawa 19t/s"- Drawing2, so they'll fit flush with the
ll rneu
tZ" deep
,..- 15/sz"dado
/

3/'ta" Rabbet
@
'/':f Mlr-- -', {

W
r-'
t '
Notched
2', 3/qx 2" enlarged end
throat area
Materialremoved- I I
after routingrabbets
, l

'r
tfl \

t/
rabbet /a" deep
I l q "alongtop and
bottomface

1
Table
insert

inside corner
1s/sz"dado
t/z" deep
1/ax1/2x36"
aluminum bar

13/ax 18slro"slot----.
,:,

Using a fine-tip permanentmarker,mark the bar exactly at the inside

corners of the T-trackand at the table's end and crosscut to length.

www.woodonline.com 51
bandsaw table system
7s"notches T-tracks9" long
t/a" deep

1/ax 1/2"aluminum bars

vtEW
B rneu EXPLoDED crosscutto fit s/a+"
hole,countersunkon outside
face with a %+"pilotllple
7a"deepin'part@
T-track197a"long
193/e' . # 6 x 3 / q "F . H .
./ wood screw
7se"shankhole,countersunk

/ir"" 3/q X 3/q"

a l u m i n u ma n g l e ,
7e"thick,27" long
.!

I 7oa"pilot hole
I
1,,,h
7a" deep
%" rabbets
7e"deep
g/ro"deep 7sz"shankhole,
.-<-- & 2" countersunk
iH)l
+ex21/2" i

-\
\\ NooO screw g
t T s z "s h a n k h o l e ,
countersunkon
\
# Bx 1 " F . H .
l bottomedge with a
3/sz"pilot hole
2" t/2" deep in part
wood screw 7sz"shank hole Q!

7 s z "s h a n k h o l e ,
countersunk
T-track t
27" long 'l # 6 x 1 / 2 "F . H .
7sz"groove t
7Aa"deep,centered 1 6 "l o n g l:=_ wood screw

5/ro"counterbore1/q"deep on bottom
1 77/a'
,"I edgewitha 7sa"shankhole,
countersunk, centeredinsideand a
7sz" pilot hole 11/4"deeq 3/ez"pilolhole 1/z"deep in pad@

TABLEINSERT
Bandsawta;l;'"'*-,
21/8" ------>1

7sz..shankho|e,counte1s.'un[..|-N^b4.ya
ll::t:".8*""'yg;"2';pilotnole
t/z"deePin part
@ 1/q,
!
a1V i l-rir l -
o:r'
' II t/e"aluminumplate

#B x 1 wood screw
F.H.*ood..rJ
F.H. // h. ,/ | 2" Slotcentere
7a"counterborel/a"deep./ . . -<t
vr-t !--\ on the blade
witha s/ro" hole."nt"i"Einside ^ ^) .

inside cornersof the T-track. Crosscut

the piecesto length.Repeatthis process
on the oppositesideof the slot.
shank
rl oritiJounrersun*
tl
holes
*rough
th. fout bars where shown.Position
the ba$ in the rabbets.Using the holesas
guides, drilt pilot holes in the table.
Removethe barsandtableinsef.
f From a l/sxlx36" aluminum bar,
iJhacksaw two l6'-longpiecesfor the
rabbets on rhe bottom of rhe table.
Position the piecesin the rabbets,flush
with the end of the table. Mark the loca-
tions for the screw holes, making sure
they do not line up with any of the screw
holes for the top bars.Drill countersunk
shank holes through the bars. Placethe
ban in position, and drill the pilot holes.
Removethe bars.
r/a"aluminum
x" )x<,^-h'":i
clampprate-Xff-.'
{'...1*,
intopart
s/ro"
hole
x 11/c,
vq-2o R.H.machine
"Kl
f, Froma 32"Jongpieceof T-track. COmplete the table
llcur a 27"Jong piece for the lence
rail (F), shown on Drawing 2. From a
36"Jong piece of /txt/t" aluminum
anglerls" thick, cut a 27"Jong piece for
tlle backfencerail. Setthesepiecesaside.
lf Sand the table (A) to 180 gril.
I Abrade the bottom and sidesof the
thee T-track pieces for the table's top
with 40-grit sandpaper.Remove the dust.
Apply five-minuteepoxy along the bot-
tom and sides of the table's dadoes.
Install and clamp the T-tracks in the
dadoes. Screw the aluminum bars in
their rabbets. Set the table aside while
the epoxy cures.
@ I
(B) lo
I Cur rhe front and back rails
I the size listed. Positionthe ruils on
the bottomofthe table(A), whereshown
on Drawing 2. Drill mounting holes
through the bottom edge of each rail.
Glueandscrewthe railsto thelable.
!)Remove the round insert from your
Abandsaw table. Place the plywood
bandsaw table assembly (A/B) on your
bandsaw table. Align the plywood
table's /e" slot betweenits bottom alu-
minum bars with the bandsaw table's
slot. Locate the end of the aluminum
bars in the throat area %r" from the
blade,asshownin PhotoB. Inselt a piece

52 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

With the plywood table correctly positioned on the bandsaw table,
insert a /s" hardboard scrap between the tables' aligned slots.
of Vs" hardboardbetween the tables'
slots,as shown, to keep them aligned.
On the plywood table's bottom, scribe
alongthe bandsawtable'ssides.
QM . ut ut . t he th i c k n e s s o f y o u r
9bandsaw table. (Ours measured
lt/q".) Cut the side rail (C) and split
side rails (D) to the lengthslisted and
width equal to your measuredtable
thickness.Position the side rail (C)
under the plywood table, tight against
the side of the bandsawtable, where
shown on Drawing 2. Make a mark
acrossthe bottom edgeof the rail I " in
from the front and back edgesof the
bandsaw table. These marks locate
the centerlines for the clamp-plate
screw holes. Repeat the process to
mark the split side rails (D), holding
them tight againstthe front and back
rails (B). Removethe plywoodtable.
A At the marked centerlineson the
rlrails (C, D), drill a /+" counterbore
t/s" deep with a 5/ta" hole centered
inside,whereshown.Install a t/+"T-nut
in eachcounterbore.
Rwith the plywood tablebottomside
tfup. place the side rail (C) and split
siderails (D) in position,aligning their
insideedgeswith the scribemarks.Drill
counterboredmounting holes through
the rails, where shown. Drive the
screws.Use a screwlength appropriate
for the width of your rails. Note that if
the rails directly align with the T-tracks
in the table'stop, you'll needto attach
them from the top by drilling counter-
sunk shankholesthroughthe T-tracks.
fioritt pilot and counrersunkshank
lJholes throuehthefront andbackrails
(B) into the slde rails (C, D), where
shownon Drawing2. Drive the screws.
fReinstall and align the plywood
I tableon the bandsawtable.Measure
urww.woodonline.com
Find the width for the fillers (E) by measuring the space between
the front and back rails (B) and the bandsaw table.
betweenthe side rail (C) and split side holes, where shown. Position it on the
rails (D) for the lengthof the fillers (E). backrail (B) /8" below the top of the ply-
Measurefor their widths as shown in wood table, where dimensioned on
PhotoC. (The widthsmay be different.) Drawing 2. Drill pilot holes in the back
Cut the piecesto size.Placeeachfiller rail. Screwit in place.
in position. Drill mounting holes
throughthe fillers where shown.Drive
the screws.
,:"ff:
t ofiiy,.Jffi .:|",i:,:l
plywood table. When the finish dries,
()Cut the fence rail (F) to size. Cut a fit the table on the bandsaw.Screwthe
(OrsA:-" groove 7/ro" deep centered aluminumclamp platesto the siderails
along the front face of the rail, where (C, D) with W-20 roundheadmachine
shown, to receivethe 2J"-long piece of screws.You may needto usea different
T-track. Drill countersunkshank holes length screw than shown to suit your
throughthe T-track where shown.Place rai l s' w i dth.
the T-track in the rail's groove.(The
T-track sits /rr," proud of the rail's face.) Add the slider
Position the raiUtrackassemblyagainst I To enableyour systemto cut circles,
the front rail (B) with the bottom edges I you needto makethe slider (G). Cut
flush. Using the holes in the T-track as the part to size.Chuck a rabbetingbit in
guides,drill mountingholes throughthe your table-mountedrouter.Cut a Vs"rab-
fencerail and into the front rail. Glue and bet t/e"deep along the top edgesof the
screwthe assemblyto the front rail. slider,where shownon Drawing3.
(lRetrieve the aluminum-angleback flnsert the slider in the plywood
r/f'ence rail. Drill countersunkshank Atable's slot, flush with its rieht end.
S suoen
r/a,,
hexhead
bort fit- f"1i;1?,XJ'ii:""1"'"*
1rl2"lonq,cut =rfi T
perinstructions
perinsti.r'ctions V i ^-
ior pivotpin Aqr\r/-2"/""
,,-w ,( 13/a,
1/a"nul epoxied
-- /t
in counterbore ,,/ I
i
| // //
),,---ffi
,/-,
lZf;B
,'!;',',,
-2qo",
#10-32nut epo
in counterbore
t/2"counterbore
1/4"deep on bottomface with a
t/sz"hole centeredinside
1611/'ra"
bandsaw table
Scribe along the inboard ends of the
Vsx/2" aluminum bars to mark the loca-
tion for the slider's dado. Remove the
slider. Cut the 3A" dado 3/s" deep.
Bandsaw, with the slider resting on its
edge, the notches in the sides of the dado
at the bottom, where dimensioned on
Drawing 3a.
for the t/2"
Q Mark the centerpoints
9counterbores on the top and bottom
of the slider, where dimensioned on
Drawing 3. Note that the center of the top
counterbore and the front of the bandsaw
blade must be the same distance from the
plywood table's front edge for proper
circle-cutting operation. (You may need
HINGE
DETAIL
(Viewedfrom back of fence)
Four-armknob
with 1/q"insert
2 x 1s/e"
hinge
system
to adjustthe counterbore'slocationfrom PATTERNSoinsert.Mark the angledend
the dimensionshownto suit your saw.) on the stiffener,wheredimensioned,and
Using a /2" Forstnerbit, drill the counter- cut it to shape.Sandthe partssmooth.Do
bores t/q" deepat the centerpoints.Then, not drill the holesin them yet.
drill a l/tz" hole centeredinside the bot- I Position the stiffener against the
tom counterbore. Ct fence, where shown on Drawing 4.
a t/q" ntrt in the top counter- Drill mountingholeswhereshown.Glue
'frtEpoxy
bore and a #10-32nut in the bottom and screw the parts together.
counterbore. When the epoxycures,sand Q Cut the fence plate (J) to size. Lay
the slider.Apply two coatsof finish. tJout and cut the plate's angledsides,
(for wheredimensionedon Drawing5.
f Thread a #10-32x5la"setscrew
rf locking the slider) into the #10-32 Positionthe fence/stiffenerassembly
'l/
nut. To make a pivot pin, mark a V2" enl on the fence plate (J), where
length on a V+"hexheadbolt I Vz" long shownon Drawing4. Squarethe fenceto
that includes Vq" of thread and Vq" of the plate'sback edge.Clamp the assem-
smooth shank.Cut the length from the bly together.Drill two mounting holes
bolt, and file its endsand edgessmooth. through the bottom of the plate into the
Threadit into the t/q"nut. Now, insertthe fencewhere shown.Drive the screws.
sliderin the table. f Cut the clamp plate (K) to size.Drill
J as/ro"hole. centeredside-to-sideand
Time for the fences top-to-bottom,through the part. Set the
I Cut the fence(H) and stiffener(I) to fence assembly(HlIlJ) on the plywood
I size.Bandsawand sandthe Vz"radir table with the back edse of the fence
on the fence, where shown on plate (J) flush against the
Drawing4, and the stiffener,where table's front edge. Position
shownon Drawing5 on the WOOD the clampplateunderthe fence
Four-arm knobwithtZ"insert
@ rerucrASSEMBLY 1/q-20
x 3" F.H.machine screw
1/q"tlal washer

#8 x3/q"F.H.wood screw
s/ro"hole
# B x 2 1 / 2 "F . H . *)
wood screw */
2554e
2 x 1s/a"
hinge
7sz"shankhole,
countersunkwith a
7sz"pilothole
1/q-20x 21/q'F.H. 1't/+"deep
machine screw

R=1/2"
a*q*

7 s z "s h a n k h o l e , / s/ro"holes
countersunk
/" %"r-nut-r45
i R f
i
\/A # Bx 2 " F . H .
/
is
iS E/'
wood screws
*g x 1)/o,,
F.H.
e/sz"pilol hole 1s/+"dea? if wood
screw
iI
: t
fi ;p
2"i I
--i>i $ A,'@'\- r/+"hexheadbolt
7sz"shankhole,countersunk - l'/ |
i rul 2"long
on bottomface with a ,/'
7q"counterbore
7sz"pilothole
-'t
_ \ T^1,
ot nut /e" deep with a
1t/q"deepin partQ!) s/ro"hole centeredinside
7sz"shankhole,countersunk
with a 3/ez"pilol hole 1t/q"deep

1/+"tlal washer .--_,.. L

Four-arm knobwith * '--

t/+"insgrt E 5Aa"hole,centeredside{o-sideand top-to-bottom
&rb l

54
\
W &=- #8 x 2" F'H' wood screw
wooD magazine June/July2003
 plate, flush against the T-track in the
fence rail (F). Clamp the platestogether. firis stud's for you
Drill mounting holes through the top of Findingknobswith custom-length
the stiffener (I) and fence plate where threadedstudscan be a challenge.
shown.Glue and screwthe platestogeth- Here'san easyway to makeyour
er. Insert a Vq"hexheadbolt 2" long with own.ThreadaV+-20flathead
a T-slot nut throughthe hole in the clamp machinescrewof sufficientlength.
(cut it if needed)completelyintothe
plate from the rear. Securewith a tA" flat
knob.Markthe threadsimmediately
washer and four-arm knob having a V+" belowthe knobwith a permanent
insertas shown. marker.Backout the screwuntilyou
ftCut the rear top and bottom clamps see the mark.Applyfive-minute
lr(L, M) to size.Placeclamp L on top epoxyto the threadsabovethe mark.
of clamp M, aligning their back edges. Tightenthe epoxiedscrewin the
Drill a pilot and countersunkshankhole knob,and wipe off any squeeze-out.
through the bottom clamp, where shown
on Drawing 5. Glue and screw the parts
together.When the glue dries, mark the Gutting Diagrarn
Vz"radiuson the assembly.Bandsawand
sandthe radius to shape.
A table Tq' 19%" 27' BB
lfPosition the clamp assembly(L/M)
I at the rear of the fence assembly, B frontandback
rails {c' z', 27', BB
where shown on Drawing 4, aligning
C siderail 3/tu
I 177/e' BB
their back edges and Vz" radii. Clamp
D solitsiderails Vq' 1 8t/e' BB
the partstogether.Screwa2xls/s" hinge
to the back of the fence and clamp E fillers 3/"\ BB
assembly,where shown on Drawing4a. F fencerail Vc' 2', 27', BB
Drill a 3/q"counterbore Vt" deep in the 13/a"161Y1a" M
bottom clamp (M), where dimensioned
on Drawing 5. Now, drill a sAo"hole fence Vc* 25546" BB
centered inside through the clamp I stiffener /q' 2' 25s/rc"BB
assemblyand stiffener(I), where shown 3/+x24x 30" Balticbirchplywood J fenceplate 3/+, 313/ro" 5u BB
on Drawings4 and 5. Install a Vq"T-nut K clamp plate BB
in the counterbore-
L reartopclamp 3/r' 13/e' 24q' BB
CDtvtatea four-armknob with at/q-20x3"
(CDthreaded M rearbottomclamo7a" 2' 23/q' BB
studforthe rearclampassem-
bly. Seethe Shop Tip, aboveright.hstall N resawfence s/qu 5t/2, 141/4, BB

the knob with a V+"flat washerin the %0" tDimensions byyourbandsaw

hole in the stffiener (I), where shown.
QCut the resaw fence'(N) to size.
{Lav out its contour. where dimen-
sioned on Drawing 5. Bandsaw the
fence to shape, and sand it smooth.
Drill the needed holes. where dimen-
sioned. Position the resaw fence
against the right side of fence H, with
their front ends and bottom edges
aligned. With a backer board placed
againstthe left side of the fence to pre-
vent tear-out, and using the centered
holes in the counterboresas guides,
drill 5/16"holes through the fence.
Apply two coatsof finish to the fences.
I fllnstall /+" T-nuts in the resaw
llffence's counterbores.Epoxy two
V+-20x2%"flathead machine screwsin
two four-arm knobs. Securethe resaw
fence to the fence with the knobs and
Vq"flat washers.
| | Finally, placethe aluminumtable
I I insertin the table openingagainst
determined measure-
ments.
Seetheinstructions.
Materials key: BB-Balticbirchplywood,
M-maple,
Supplies: Five-minute epoxy.
Blades and bits: Dado-blade set,topbearing pat-
ternbitwitha 1"-long
cutter,
%"Forstnerbit,t/e"and7e"
rabbeting
bits.
Buying Guide
Hardware kit for ultimate bandsaw
3/ax24x 30" Balticbirchplywood table. Containsallhardware(screwsincluded)
required
foronetable.0rderkitno.UBT,$39.95ppd.,
fromSchlabaughandSonsWoodworking. Call800/346-
3/qx 1Vzx 24"Maple 9663,orgotowww.schsons.com to order.
*Planeor resawto thethickness
Lumber kit for ultimate bandsaw table,
listedin theMaterials
List. Enough birchplywood
Baltic foronetable.Orderkitno.
LP-UBT,$39,95ppd.Seeabovefor Webaddressand
teleohone
number.
the blade's cutting edge. Referring to Master hardware kit for ultimate band-
Drawing 2a, mark a %" slot lVz" long, saw table and accessories. Contains all
centered on the blade, on the plate. hardware (screws included)
required
foronetableand
Hacksaw or scrollsaw the slot, and allaccessories.
Orderkitno.MAS-BAN, $74.95ppd,
Address andtelephone above,
install the plate. Now, it's time to put this
awesomesystemto work. fl Master lumber kit for ultimate band-
saw table and accessories. Enough Baltic
birchplywoodforonetableandallaccessories
Written by Owen Duvall except
Projectdesign: Jeff Mertz jig.Orderkitno.LP-MAS-BAN,
theduplicating $49.95
Illustrations:Roxanne LeMoine ppd.Address andtelephone above.

wrYrv,woodonline. corn 55

The bandsawtable and fence system
on page 50 makesyour bandsawsuper
versatile.But you'll unlock its full
potential if you build the accessories
found on page 64.Here'sa guide to
getting the most from them.
56
Fence
To resawa thin slice(/a" or less)from any board,you need
rock-solidsupporton both sidesof your stockto hold it in position
verlically.This system'sbolt-onresawfenceand featherboarddeliver,
especially whenyou'reworkingwithstockmorethan about5" wide,
suchas you'duse whencreatingyour own veneer.
First,positionthe fenceand lock it down with the frontand rear
knobs.Slidethe featherboardend of the featherboard/single-point
resawfence intothe T-slotto supporlthe outsideface of the stock.
Now lock in the featherboardso the workpiececontactsthe laminate
just in frontof the blade,and flexesthe laminateto providesupport
withoutbinding.Makesureto crankup the bladetensionto keepthe
bladetaut,and push the workpieceslowlyas you cut.
UIOOD rnagazine June/July 2003
 -l

The standardfence
providessturdy
supporlfor ripping
boardsto width,or
otherpreciseopera-
tions,such as cutting
tenons.Just loosen
the frontand rear
lockingknobs,slide
the fence into place,
then tightenthe front
knob.This locksthe
fenceand automati-
callyalignsit withthe
blade.Then lockthe
rear knob for sure-
footedcuts.

Needto cut multiplecurved

piecesto the exactsame
sizeand shape?This dupli-
catingjig is just the ticket,
When resawingthickerslabs(./o"or greater),or with its hardboardguide
when workingwith narrowstock,verlicalsupport that'snotchedto fit snugly
isn'tas importantas keepingthe workpiece aroundthe blade.Attacha
runningtrue. Bandsawbladessometimestwist hardboardpattern,cut in
slightlyas you pushthe workpiece,meaning the exactshapeyou
you'llhaveto anglethe workpieceslightlyto require,to your workpiece
compensatefor this "drift."You can do this by usingdouble-faced tape.
guidingyour stockagainstthe bullnoseend of Then just feed the work-
the featherboard/single-pointresawfence. pieceintothe bladewith the
Alignthe bullnoseend withthe blade'steeth, patternridingagainstthe
leavinga gap equalto the thicknessof the piece duplicating jig. Adjustthe
you wishto cut.Tightenthe knobsto lockthe positionof the jig to control
fencein the T-slot.Marka layoutlineon the top how closethe bladecuts to
edgeof your workpiece,and pushthe piece the pattern.You can then
throughthe cut whilepressingone face againstthe sand rightup to the line
bullnose.Notethat the standardfencedoes not usinga drumsander,or
get used in this resawingtechnique.(To learn routto the patternusinga
moreaboutresawingsuccessfully, see issue147.) flush-trimming bit.

This systemfeaturetakesthe hassleout of cutting

circlesfrom 6" to 32" in diameter,thanksto its
adjustablesliderand pivotpin.
To use the circlecutter,starl by cuttinga square
workpieceabout tAa"largerthan the diameterof the
circleyou want to create.Carefullymarkthe exact
centerof the square,on the underside,by placinga
straightedge from cornerto cornerin eachdirection.
Then drilla t/+"-diameler hole t/+"deep.
----:* pivultpin Next,loosenthe setscrewthat locksthe slider
in place,pullthe sliderto
positionthe pivotpin,and
retightenthe setscrew.Now
loweryourworkpieceonto
the pivotpin so one edge is
againstthe blade,and turn
on the saw. Rotatethe work-
pieceto clipoff the corners
and createa perfectcircle.

www.woodonline.com 57
 u\
r "...

Sled
Fence

f-d/'

Hold-down s,ed
#
Sled Guide bar
Fence

/
' I Yo u mi g htnotthi nkof usi ngthe bandsawfor cutti ngtapers,butthi staper ing jig
makesthe processso effortless that you'llforgetabouttaperingon the tablesaw.
T h e j i g hol dsyourw orkpi ece securel yi n pl ace,and ri dessmoothl on y a g uide
b a r th a tsl i desi n one of the tabl e' sT-tracksl ots.
*
T o p reci selset y the cutti ngangl e,fi rstl ayout the taperon yourw orkpi e ce.
A l i g nth osemarksw i ththe edgeof the taperi ng j i g' ssl ed,thensl i dethe fe nce
i;b- fu a g a i n sthet w orkpi ece, and ti ghtenthe tw o knobsthatsecurei t to the sl ed.

a Securethe clampsto holdthe rruorkpiece

N o w ,w i thyourl eg bl anki n posi ti on,
in place.
l ow erthe j i g' sgui debar i ntothe ri g ht - hand
T -s l o t,w el laheadof the bl ade.Thensi mpl ysl i dethe j i g foruuard to cut the wast e
-@
fE|uF /
.-q{re away.Rotateyourworkprece for the secondtaper,and cut again.lf you needto
r r € Slededge taperfour sidesof a parl,suchas a tableleg,tapethe cutoffsfromyourfirsttwo
E'
F'
tapersbackto yourworkpieceas shims.Now readjustthe fenceas necessaryto
a a l i g ny o url ayoutmarksfor cutsthreeand four,and makethe cuts.
3 You'llalsofindthrs1ighandyfor puttinga straightedgeon rough-cut stocK.

F
3
[:
Ghange blades in no time
It's plainto see that ?
I this bandsawtable
systemoffersgobs
of featuresyou just 4frr
can't get with a
bare-bonesstock
saw.In additionto
ttI/
.ry all of thosegreat
accessories,
one impofiant
there's

featurethat'sa little
,,(,lt\
harderto see:You
can changeblades
withoutremoving
the table!Just
pop the blade
inserlout of the
tableand remove
the slider.This
exposesthe slot in
€., L. l

\ k
the stock bandsaw
,$!
table,allowingyou f
to easilyslip blades .'r./&
,86
in and out in
normalfashion.
# #r*le
small
A bandsawis the perfecttoolfor safelycrosscutting
parlsto size.The tablesystemmakesthe processeven Got more great ideas?
easierby offeringtwo slots--thealuminumT-tracks-for We've packed this system with features,but we know you'll
yo urmit ergauget o s l i d ei n . c o m e u p w i t h m c r e , a n d w e w o u l d l i k et o s e e t h e m ! S e n d
y o u r s u b m i s s i o n st o t h e a d d r e s sl i s t e do n p a g e 4 . l P
Written by David Stone

5B WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 wod rkerts
ofuidetochoosing, \
$leetWods
,rf'
l-
::',)

Do you know what sheet goods work best for shop fixtures? Or which ones excel
in furniture construction? Armed with our chart, you'll be an instant expert.
ost woodworkers know the
major virtues of plywood:
strength, stiffness, size, and
stability. You may not be nearly as famil-
iar, though, with the wide array of other
sheet goods available today. No matter
the project, you'll find a type of sheet
stock ideally suited for the task at hand.
Enhanced performance
through en-gineering
All sheetgoods,includingplywood,fall
into a broadcategorycalled "engineered
wood." Unlike solid lumber, which is
simplycut from the treeand dried,engi-
neeredproductsare further altereddur-
ing the manufacturing process to
enhanceor suppresscertainproperties.
Plywood,for example,consistsof mul-
tiple thin layers glued togetherwith the
grainof one layerrunningat a right angle
to the neighboringlayer. This enhances
strength,decreases dimensionalchanges,
and allows desirablewood to be placed
only on the visible outerfaces.
wwrin woodonline.com
While plywood remains prevalent, "high density" varieties made up of
more and more sheetgoodsareproduced ultra-thinplies.
from ground wood chips or wood pul- You can familiarize yourself with the
verrzedinto powder, mixed with adhe- uses,properties, costs,and sourcesof l0
sives and additives,then pressedinto contrastingsheetgoods using the handy
sheets.This, in turn, becomessuch charton the following two pages.
products as medium-densityfiberboard Note: Wepurposelyexcludedsomenxate-
(MDF) and parlicleboard.Even tradi- rials, suchas orientedstrandboard (OSB)
tional plywood has changed,with the and pressure-treated plywood,which are
addition of new core materials, face designedfor building constructionand
coverings, and increasinglypopular lnve lindted usefulnessin the shop.
Surefire steps to sheet goods success
1. Alwaysmeasurethe thicknessof sheet goods beforemachiningmating
pieces. Plywood,for example,is 1/sz"thinner than its stated thickness.
2. When cutting sheet goods on the tablesaw,placethe good face up to
preventtear-out.Placethe good face down if usinga handheldcircularsaw.
3. lf you work with particularsheetgoods often, investin saw blades
designedfor that materialto get the smoothestcuts and leastchip-out.
4. Ratherthan wrestlea sheet onto the tablesaw,lay 2" rigid foam insulation
on the floori placethe sheet on it, and rough-cutusinga circularsaw.
Continuedon page 62
61
 iliF:l:tlcli MF rYj lllf \V/E ;li m lr?iri FITI rlftL3

I\4aterial Description Uses .f,vailable sizes

PARNGEBOARII Woodshreddedintotiny chips(essen- Widelyusedas a substratefor SOfdin thu,t/2",s1r",

tiallysawdust,oftenfrcm wastewood),
combinedwith adhesives, then heated
and compressedto form sheets.
flooringand countertops,andfor 3/4tt,1",
and 1la"
buildinginexpensiveknockdown thicknesses. Half and
furnitureand cabinetry.Alsosuitable quarter sheets ate
for someshopfixtures. often available.

tutElAttill{E Particleboadfacedwith paper Greatfor makingcabinetcarcases Soldin 49x97"

impregnated with melamineresin,
a type of plastic.Paperon low-cost
typesis simplyadhered.Higher-cost
sheetsarethermallyfused(essentially
meltedtogether).
becauseit wipescleaneasily. oversizesheets
Useit, as well,for shopfixturesor to in1/q"rVzt',%tt,and
gZ"thicknesses.
makean economicalrcuter-tabletop.

]IARDBOARD Groundwoodpulpcombinedwith Excellentfor shopfixturesandjigs Availablein two

resinsand pressedinto sheets. (especially
the varietywith two thicknesses: /s" and
Maybe smoothon oneor bothfaces. smoothfaces)and benchtops. t/q"in 4x8' sheets.
Useperforatedhardboardfor
hangingtools.

MEDIU]TI-DEI{S]TYCellulosefiberscombinedwith Excellentfor shopjigs andfixtures, 1/4",{8", Vz", s1g'rs1o",

(MDD syntheticresinandformedunder cabinets,paintedprojects,molding andt/g"thicknesses

FTBERBoARD pressure.
heatand and millwork,furniture,and as in both4x8'and
a substrateunderveneerand 49x97"sheets.
plasticlaminate.

PTYWOOD Face-gluedlayersof thin softwood

SOFTWOOII Outdoorprojects(exteriorrated), 1/4"
,5/16" ,11/3ztt, lzt' ,
veneer. carpentryand construction,shoP 5/s",2%2",
and{c"
cabinets,substrates,underlayment thicknessesin
for floorsand countertops. 4x8'sheets.

for highwaysigns, 1/4tt,V16t',{8", t/z"r s1r",

&
tulEDturrl-DEllsrYExterior-ratedsoftwoodplywood Usedextensively
greatfor outdoorprojects,siding, and%" thicknesses
OI'ERIAYcoveredon both faces
HIGH.DEI{SITY with
fiber (papefl. paintedprojects,watercraft,cabinets, in 4x8'sheets.
resin-impregnated
(MD0/||D0)
PrYW00D shopfixtures,and concreteforms.

Thetraditionalsheetgood of choice 1/4",1/2",ands/c"are

PTYWOODVeneers(soft-or hardwood)gluedin
IIARIIWOOD
layerswith alternatinggrain,and for everythingfromfurnitureand mostcommon.
coveredwith hardwoodveneer. cabinetsto wall panelingand boxes. Occasionally, you'll
find /a", 3/s",ands/s"
in somespecies.

BAING AilD Madefrom ultra-thin(t/ro"),void-free Useto createshopjigs andfixtures, ln millimeters:

birchveneers.Finnishbirchis like cabinets,drawersides,fumiture, 4 (/e"),6.5(%),
FII{TIISH
BIRGH and as a substrate. 9 (%"),12 (Vz"),
Baltic,but is madewith exterior
adhesivefor outdooruse. 15 (%"),and 18 (s/c")
in 60x60" sheets.

APPIEPtY Americanversionof Balticbirchwith Sameusesas Balticabove,plus inl+",a1r",

Availabfe
alderand birchcore pliesand quality wherea f ine-hardwood
applications 1/2",3/4",1 ", and 1/rtt
veneerfaces.Birchface is standard, faceveneeris needed. in 4x8'
thicknesses,
otherwoodsavailable. sheets.

Usedmostlyas a substratefor t/s"and s/8"arecom-

PTYWOODPlywoodwith a singlefaceveneer
BEIIDABLE
andcoreplieswithallgrainrunning
perpendicularto faceto allow
cross-grainbending.
buildingcabinets,etc. with rounded mon,thoughthicker
corners.Sheetswith clearface sheetsareprcduced.
veneersaresuitablefor furniture. Soldin 4x8'sheets.

62 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 Gommon gnrades
PBU-for floor underlayment.
M-S,M-l, M-2,M-3 industrial
gradesarebestfor making
shelvingand countertops.
Thereareno standardgradesfor
melamine,but thereare "vertical"
and "horizontal"types.Higher-
pdcedsheetsgenerallyfeature
thermallyfusedcoatingsand are
madewith thickerpaper.
Selice (2 greenstripes)
Standard(1 greenstripe)
Service-tempered (2 red stripes)
Tempered(1 red stripe)
51S (smoothone side)
S2S(smoothtwo sides)
Onemaingrade:Industrial.Lower
grades,whicharen'tcommonly
available,carry"B" or "shop"grade. easily,has machinable edges.
Alsoclassifiedby density:Medium-
density(MD)isstandard;low-
density(LD)is a lightweightversion.
Veneergrades:A, B, C, D.
Panelgrades:includesheathingand
"Sturd-l-Floor."
Exposure:Exterior,Exposure1,
Exposure2, lnterior.
Followssoftwoodplywoodgrading.
Faceand backplies(whichare
coveredwith paper)rate as B grade
or bette[ innerpliesareG grade.
Face:AA,A,B,ClDlE,Special.
B a c k : 12,, 3 , 4 .
Core:J, K, L, M.
Paneltypes:Technicaltype,Typel,
Typell (Iype ll mostcommonfor
interioruse.)
No standardized grades,but manu-
facturedwith void-freepliesand
face veneerscarryinga gradeof B
or better.
No standardized grades,but manu-
facturedwith void-freepliesand
faceveneerscarryinga gradeof B
or better.
Ableto conformto tight radiiwith-
out splittingor crackingwith no
needfor kerf-bendingor steaming.
wrvrv.woodonline.com
Pros
PBUgradeis readilyavailable Low stiffness,heavy,
and inexpensive. Particleboard holdsfastenerspoorly,
cuts easilyand is fairlystable. not moistureresistant.
Inexpensive, readilyavailable,
easy-cleansurface,avaihble
in a varietyof colorsand in
wood-grainpattems.Also
availablewith kraftpaperor
rcal-woodveneeron oneface.
Readilyavailable,easyto cut,
relativelystiable,availablewith
two smoothsidesor one.
takespaintwell.
Flat,no faceor corevoids,
consistentthickness,glues
Cheaperthan hardwoodply,
readilyavailable,faceveneers
can havea niceappearancein
highergrades.
Resistantto weatherand
wateqflat, smooth,surfaceis
easilypaintable,machines
easily,and is verydurable.
Morestableand less
expensivethan solidwood,
widelyavailable,madein a
varie$ of species,and with
manychoicesfor veneer
matchingon faces.
Stiff,stable,consistent
thickness,no voids,
nice-lookingedge,holds
screws.
Stiff,stable,void-free,
nice-looking edge,holds
screws,offersa varietyof
faceveneers.
Flexibilityallowsradiused
corners,decorativeshapes.
Gons Where to find it kice (/cux4,x$,
sheet irnless noted)
Homecenterscarry $12+per sheetfor PBUgrade.
PBUgrade."M"
Y4-Y4n "M" gradepricesrangeabout
grades(mostlyM-2)are 20 percenthigher.
foundat building-material
and millworksuppliers.
Not moistureresistant, HomecenterscarryVz" $25+for adhered-surface,
heavy,edgeschip easily and 3/" sheets,shelves, vedical-grade whitesheets
whencuttingunlessyou and closetparts.Colors commonin homecenters.
usebladedesignedfor otherthanwhiteand Colorsand wood-grainpattems
cuttinglaminates. patternedpapersarc cost slightlymore.$40+for
availableby specialorder. thermallyfusedsheets.
Standardand Service Homecenterscarry $10(/0"4'x8',tempered).
gradesaresusceptibleto 4x8'sheetsplushalf Perforatedsheetsare also
moisture,can't sand and quartersheetsin availableat a similarprice.
faces,flexible,edges standad andtempered
easilydamaged,holds grades.Lookforthe
fastenerspoorly. edgestripes.
Heavy[100lbs.per Homecenter carry $20+for both MD and LD.
sheetin MD grade; medium-density (MD)%"
low-densityversion(LD) sheets.Low-density(LD)
weighsapproximately is availablethrcugh
60lbs.l,standardwood millworksuppliersand
screwsholdpoorly. somehardwoodretailers.
Builtmorefor perfor- All homecentercand $25+forA-C sanded,variesby
mancethanappearance; building-supplystores type and material.
thick pliesreducestiff- carryan anay of
ness;interiorpliesmay softwoodplywood
havevoids,faceveneers for construction.
oftenpatched.
Notwidelyavailable, Somehomecenters, $35+for MDO,HDOcosts
heavy. wood specialtystores, slightlymore.
signshops.
Thicksheebarcheavy, Homecenterscarrya $35to $100+
exposedplyedgesmay few species,suchas Pricesvarygreatlydue to
meanyo.r'llhaveto band oak,birch,maple.Turn species,faceand backgndes,
wih solldwood,trin face to buildingsuppliers ply count,and cut of veneer.
veneem(t/sz')areeasyto and hardwoodretailers N2 or B/2 is rcasonablypriced
sandfiroughanddamage. for otherspecies. andsuitablefor furniture.
Had to find,costly, Woodworking-supply $45+for standard-size
odd (60x60")sizesheet, storcs,hardwoodretail- 60x60"sheets.
availableonlywith ers,mail-ordercatalogs
birchface. (smallsizes).
Difficultto find,costly, You'llfinddistributor
$50+
requircslargeorderto informationat
get optionalveneers. www.statesind.com.
Not designedfor Building-supply
stores $35+(/a" 4'x8'sheet)
structuraluse,quality and hardwoodrctailers.
of face veneervaries
grcatly.
63
 \rf*
o

accessorres
forthe bandsawtable systent *'
Mr.

AdC even more versattlity with

these hardworking jigs ,;

q"#
'

v;,
,r/' .,,.::"'
Start with the sled
Cut the sled (A) to size from Baltic birch
Tapering Jig plywood. Drill a'l+" hanging hole. where
shown on Drawing 1. Bandsaw and sand
th" radii on two coffters, and rout %"
chamfers along one side and both ends of
both the sled's faces and around the hang-
ing hole, where shown. Cut dadoes,where
dimensioned,to acceptthe T-tracks.
Measure the distance fron-rthe side of
your bandsaw's blade to the edge of the
miter-gauge slot in which the ji-9's miter
-euidebar will run. Cut a'7+" groove Vta"
deep at this location in the sled's bottom
..;, face..Resaw and plane the guide bar (B)
to size, and shape its end. as shown on
rl
Drawing 1a. Clamp the guide bar in the
groove. Drill pilot and countersunk
shank holes through the guide bar and
Duplicating Jig into the sled. Drive in the screws.

Note: Do ttot glue the guide bar irtplace.

Bt' renroving the guicle bar, \'otr also curt
use the taper.iig otl rour table,satr,u'sirtg
the savt"s.fenceto guide tlte iig.

Feather Board/
Single-Point Fence

Note: To build the bandsawtable,

see page 50; for instructionson
usingthe accessorieswiththe table,
Draw lines tangent to the two 5/ro"holes,
see page 56. and saw out the slot with a coping saw.

64 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 E rnpenrNc
Jrc

R=1/2"

3u

t/2"counterbore
V+"deep on the
bottom face with a
V+"hole 910'1
centeredinside
t/a" hexhead bolt
2t/2" long

t/e" chamfers
3\l .2-
/ \1"
Cut the guide (E) to size. Bandsaw and
t/+"hexheadbolts - - i
t/+"hexhead sand the 2" radius, where shown on
2r/z"long i...- bolt Drawing 2, then file the blade notch. Cut
t/a" chamfer .2/+" long

,-l-r' the riser (F) from stock that is Vrc"thick-

er than the parts you will be sawing with
the duplicatingjig.
No chamfer ------- R=Vz"
N
hole, countersunkr---..-
%o+"
Note: You may want to make several
duplicatin7 jiss to accommodatecom-
-\
on bottom face $5- \ mon stock thicknesses.

Glue and clamp the guide to the riser,

keeping their endsand edgesflush. Drill
pilot and countersunkshank holes, and
#6 x3/q"F.H.wood screw
drive in the screws. Drill 3/8"holes to
form the endsof the slots. Saw them out
in the same manner shown in Photo A.
GUIDEBAREND Bandsaw and sand the Vz" radii. Apply
polyurethane.Install the hardware.

E ouplrcATrNc

Cut two piecesof aluminum T-frack to
the length shown. Mix quick-setting
epoxy, and epoxy and clamp the ffacks
into the dadoes.To prevent the possibil-
ity of the blade coming in contact with
the tracks, position the tracks flush with
the fence. Drill the counterbores and
holes. Mark and drill a Vq"hole for the
first clamp knob. Drill two %e" holes for
the secondclamp knob's slot. Form the
slot, as shown in Photo A. Cut the stop
(D) to size, and glue and clamp it to the R=lz"

the sled's chamferededge. fence.Bandsawand sandVz"radii,where

Add the fence
Cut the fence (C) to size. Mark the cen-
ters of the four counterboredholes for
the hold-down clamps on the bottom of
shown, and then rout %" chamfersalong
all the top and bottom endsand edges.
Sand the sled and fence to 220 git.
Apply two coatsof satinpolyurethaneto
the parts.Install the hardware.

www.rroodonline.com 65
Cut the base (G) to size, and plow the
centered dado, where shown on
Drawing 3. Drill 7s" holes to form the
endsof the slots,and saw out the waste.
Bandsawand sand Vz" radli on all four
corners. Cut the upright (H) to size.
Rout a pair of 3/e"round-overson one
end, forming a full round. Bandsawand
sandthe Vz" tadius, where shown, then
finish-sandthe parts.Glue and clamp
the upright into the base'sdado with
the featherboard end flush with the
E renrHER
BoARD/
FENCE
SINGLE.POINT
base'sedge.Drill pilot and countersunk Withthe base (G) and upright(H) assem-
shank holes through the base into the bled, bandsawa centeredked for the
plastic-laminate
feather.
upright, and drive in the screws.
Form the groovefor the plastic-laminate polyurethane. With the finish dry, rein-
feather,as shownin Photo B. Cut a piece sert the laminate, drive in the screws, and
of laminateto the size shown, and sand install the hardware. lP
the Vz"radii. Insert the laminateinto the Writtenby Jan Svec
kerf, aligning its bottom edge with the Projectdesigns:Jeff Mertz
lllustrations:
RoxanneLeMoine
upright's bottom edge. Drill pilot and
countersunk shank holes. Materials List
Remove the laminate and
apply two coats of satin
sled
B guidebar s/qu
7e"round-overs 3/q'
37'
BB
C fence 21/z' 36'
stop 3/^u

71/z'
guide
th" llalwasher ---.-@
t/ra"kert 1" deep
G base 3/q, 51/tu 83/q, BB
3x 41/2" H upright s/qu 5u 71/z' BB
plastic laminate
varies.
tThickness Seetheinstructions.
%o+"shank hole't/q"deep, birchplywood,
Materials key: BB-Baltic M-maple,
countersunkwith a centered H-temoered
hardboard.
7sz"pilothole t/2"deep Supplies: Quick-setting
epoxy.
s/o+"holes
Blades and bits: Stackdadoset,chamfer
and%"
#6 x 1/2"F.H.wood screw
round-over
router
bits.
7/aq"pilol hole 17e" deep Buying Guide
Hardware kits. Kitscontain allthehardware
shown onDrawings 1,2,and3,including theplastic
laminateforthefeather board.Tapering jighardware kit
no.BTJ,$18.95 ppd.; jighardware
duplicating kitno.
DUP, $13.95 ppd.; feather fence
board/single-point
hardware kitno.FB-SPF, $15.95ppd.Schlabaugh &
SonsWoodwo rking,720 14thStreet,Kalona,lA 52247 .
Call800/346-9663,
s/a"slot Hardware plus lumber kits. Kitscontain all
thehardware shown onDrawings 1 and3,including the
plastic
laminate forthefeatherboard, plusenough Baltic
birchplywood andmaple lumber
tobuild thetapering jig
R=1/2"
all corners andthefeather board/single-point
fence. Tapering jig
hardware pluslumber kitno.LP-BTJ,$24.95 ppd.;feath-
€n-^T-stot nut fence
erboard/single-point hardwarepluslumber kitno.

E---.,
%l'hexhead
bolt2" long
LP-FB-SPF,
ohone
$16.95
number
ppd.Seetheaddress
listedabove.
andtele-

66 g WOOD magazine June/July 2003


o you postpone sharpening
until your tools will barelycut
balsawood?We havea way to
make it so quick, simple, and inexpen-
sive that you'll find yourself whipping
those chisels and plane irons into shape,
and keeping them that way.
It's worlh the effort because sharp
tools make your work easier,more accu-
rate, and even safer.When a chisel slices
neatly through wood, instead of requir-
ing brute force, it's less likely to slip and
nick the project or a finger. And, with the
right technique, sharpening doesn't take
long. Although the time involved
6B
tr
r-*
h.
dependson the hardnessof the steeland
the condition of the edge,you can take
the typical chisel from banged-up to
extremelysharpin l0 minutesor less.
Get hicrh-mlalitv results
with bisiimateirials
You have many choices for sharpening,
including natural, synthetic, and dia-
mond stones, as well as horizontal and
vertical grinding wheels. However,
sandpaperoffers several advantagesover
all of these. It cuts steel efficiently, pro-
vides a consistently flat surface, and
costs relatively little.
#
s
' .'rl#
$-:'ir':
:.*yi
ft*
;"\,\,
For bestresults,rely on siliconcarbide
sandpaper,the black, wet/dry type.
Silicon carbide is harder than the abra-
sivesfound on othertypesof sandpaper,
suchasaluminumoxideandgarnet,so it
does a betterjob of removing steel,and
lastslonger.
Stockpilea seriesof grits-I00, 150,
220, 320,400, and 600-and you'll be
readyfor practicallyany tool-sharpening
task in your workshop.Look for silicon
carbidepaperat a homecenter,hardware
store, or auto supply outlet, or call
Klingspor's Woodworking Shop at
800/228-0000.
WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003
I R=1/2"
carrier----i-
/ l"lo,
,u)
\
4" dado%o"deep
1e/q"g(oove g/ro"degp
You also needa can of scouringpow-
der for final honing.We got greatresults
with BarkeepersFriend, which contains
oxalic acid, feldspar,sodaash,and other
proprietaryingredients.Look for it at a
supermarketor hardware store, or order
it online at www.barkeepersfriend.com.
You'll need a flat, hard, work surface,
such as medium-densityfiberboard, on
which to placethe sandpapersheets.If you
usea slickersurface,suchasglassor plastic
laminate,and your sandpaperslips, wet it
with waterto hold it in place.
Thoughoptional,you alsomight bene-
fit from a magnifying loupe of the kind
www.woodonline.corn
SHARPENING
JIG
ging into the paperwith the cuttingedge.
To begin the sharpeningprocess,let's
first makethejig.
Build our side-to-side
sharpening jig
The jig detailedin the explodedview,
left, rs suitablefor any chisel or plane
iron with a blade at least 3" long. It's
designedto sharpentool edgesat a 25"
angle.You might decideto makeone for
" flat washer
eachanglethat you need.
To build one for yourself, first make
t/q"
, the base(A) from a pieceof hard maple
longer than the completedjig. Startwith
a workpiece measuring approximately
=-1 th.x3xl}". Install a dado set in your
1" tablesaw,andcut a groove%0"deepand
l3/+"wtde,3/q"from the rear edge,where
shownin Step 1 of the Making the base
/io" hole
drawing. Now, install a ripping blade,
o/ra"hole with a and set rt at 25". Use double-facedtape
7a"counterbore to fasten your workpiece to a slightly
';,+
t/q"deep on bottomface larger backer board. Now, place this
assemblyas shown in Step 2, and rip a
bevel. Return the blade to 90o, and cut
)+
the baseto its finishedlengthof 7t/2".
au
V
13/q"
e A ax 1 1 / qR
' .H.
machine screw
Base
commonlyusedto examinephotographs
and negatives. Use it to check your
sharpeningresultsasyou move from grit
to grit. We stoppedby a camerastore,
and for just $7.95 bought a loupe that
magnifies objects to eight times their
actualsize.
Finally, becausesharpeningtool edges
with sandpaperon a flat surfacerequires
precisiongrinding,we developeda stur-
dy hard maplejig to help you every srep
of the way. When using the jig, you'll
find it holds the tool at the perfecrangle
without rocking or ripping.And it allows
for a side-to-sidemotion to avoid die-

Make the carrier (B) from a piece of
t/+xl3/qxl}" hard maple. Tilt your blade to
25o, and bevel-rip the bevel on the carrier,
again relying on a backer board and dou-
ble-faced tape, as shown in Step 1 of the
Making the carrier drawing. Return the
blade to 90o, and crosscut the carrier to its
'7t/2"
finished length. Drill two counter-
bored holes from the bottom, as shown in
Step 2, for the machine screws that pro-
vide clamping power. Locate each hole
1t/+" from the carrier end. Drill the coun-
terbore first, and then follow with the %0"
through hole. Reinstall your dado set, and
use your miter gauge, equipped with a
long auxiliary fence, to cut a t/ro" dado 4"
long, as shown in Step 3. This dado helps
you clamp tools at a right angle to the
work surface.
You can place the chiselagainsteitheredge of the dado. Just make As you beginto removesteelfromthe chisel,a lineappearson the
sure that it's flush with that edge, flat on the carrie[ and has its sandpaper.Move the jig away from the line to place the chisel on fresh
beveled edge flat on the work surface.
70
EEIEI
7a"Forstnerbit
\
Drill-press
table
Cut the hold-down (C) to the dimen-
sions shown, and drill holes for the
machine screws. Locate the holes I /+"
from the hold-down ends, and centered in
the width of the hold-down. Cut the han-
dle (D), and glue it to the hold-down.
After the glue dries, add the machine
screws, washers, and wing nuts to make
the carrier/hold-down assembly. Apply a
coat of furniture paste wax to the groove
in the base so that the carrier slides easily.
From dull and dinqed
to shiny and sharp-
To begin the sharpeningprocess,dig out
a dull chisel-or select a brand-new one,
like the one shown in the photos, and
you'll still see dramatic improvement.
Place the jig on a sheetof 100-grit sand-
abrasive.Your pressureon the jig helps keep the sandpaperin position.
paper. Insert the chisel bevel side down
into the canier (B), under the hold-down
bar (C). Now, adjust it so that the blade
aligns against one edge of the dado, and
lies flat on the carrier, while the bevel
rests flat on the work surface, as shown
in Photo A. Firmly tighten the wing nuts
to clamp the chisel in place. The tool
now sits perpendicular to the sharpening
surface and its tip extends ever so slight-
ly lower than the bottom of the jig base.
Now, place the jig so that its base and
the tool's bevel contact the sandpaper.
Press on the coffrer of the sandpaper with
one hand, and grip the carrier with your
other hand, as shown in Photo B. Slide
the carrier and chisel away from your
body while also pressing down. Draw it
back with little downward pressure.After
WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003
After only a few strokeson 1OO-gritpaper,the scratchesleft by the Beforechangingto the next grit of sandpaperin your sequence,rub
manufacturingprocessbegin to disappear.Keep working at the the flat side of the chisel on the paper.This step helps to assure
same grit untilthe entirebevel shows an equal shine. that the cutting edge is sharp as can be, with no burr.

several such strokes, lift the carrier from
the base and inspect the chisel bevel,
as shown in Photo C. Whether the chisel
is new or used,your -eoalis the same.You
want to place a fresh, r"rnifonn pattern of
fine sclatches parallel to the cutting edge
acrossthe entire bevel. If more strokes are
necessaly to accomplish that, move the
jig back slightly to place the bevel on an
untouched surface.
Remove the chisel fr"omthe jig. lay its
face f-lat on the sandpaper.as shown in
Photo D. and rr-rbit from side to side.
Again, yoLl want to replace coarse
scratcheswith finer ones. Also. tnany
chisels come fiom tl-re factory with a
sli-ehtlydished face, so spend some time
on the coarser grits to make it f-lat.
Repeat these two steps with each -erit
that you r"rse.refinin-e both facets of the
cLlttingedgeequally.Rely on your loupe
to inspectthe steelfor a uniform scratch
pattern,zrsshownin Photo E, anddecide
whetherit's timeto moveto thenextgrit.
Of course.you can keep going with
finer and finer -erits-consider2,000 as
the maximum-but we suggeststopping
at 600 -qritand honingthe edge.You'll
havea chiselthat'splentykeenenough
fbr all of your woodworkingneeds.

High-tech analysis of low-tech sharpening.

We sharpenedsomechiselswith our jig
and sandpaper,and took them to Iowa
State University. John Verhoeven,
retired professorof metallurgicalengi-
neering,photographedthe edgeswith a
scanningelectronmicroscope.As a final
step,he stroppedthe sampleson leather
chargedwith abrasivecompound.One
of those samplesis shown below lefi.
Verhoeven also sharpenedone of the
chisels on an expensivehollow-grind
system,and then stroppedit. That result
is shown below right. The final verdict:
our low-techmethodproducedcompara-
ble resultsat a fraction of the cost.

Here'sone tiny section of a chisel edge that was sharpenedwith Also magnified150 times,this chiselwas sharpenedon a high-endsys-
the side-to-sidemethod.The view is magnified150 times.At that tem. The scratches run perpendicularto the edge, and arc less promi-
extreme,you can see slight scratches left even after stropping. nent than those at left, but therc's little differencein sharpness.

wwrrv.woodonline.com 71
Most of us need a little magnificationto examinethe chisel edge Sprinklesome scouring powder on a flat surface,such as this
for a consistent scratch pattern. This simple loupe allows plenty of medium-densityfiberboard,and proceed as you did on the
light to reach the subject, and magnifiesit eight times. sandpaper.lt doesn't take many strokesto thoroughlyhone the edge.

Now voutre in the
hone'stretch
Honing removesthe last tiny sandpaper
scratches,and gives you the smoothest
possiblecuttingedge.We honedour sam-
ple chiselson a leatherstropchargedwith
green chromium oxide compound. You
can buy both items from Woodcraft by
calling 800/225-1153.A 2x8" leather
strop mountedon maple is item 18H21
and costs$22.99:a 6-ouncebar of com-
poundis item 85H28andcosts$6.95.Or,
you can substituteany piece of available
leather for a strop, and use household
scouringpowder as the abrasive.
We also got fine resultswith an even
simplerapproach.Sprinklescouringpow-
der on a flat pieceof densewood, suchas
maple, or a piece of medium-density
fiberboard (MDF). Now, as shown in
Photo F, use the jig one more time.
Removethe chisel from thejig, and hone
the face, too. The fine abrasivesin the
powder remove most of the remaining
scratchesto produce a gleaming edge.
Storeeachsharpenedchiselin its own slot
or compartment,so the edge can't get
dinged. Put each plane iron back in its
planewith the edgeabovethe sole.
Once you have your cutting tools up to
snuff, get in the habit of keepingthem that
way with frequentresharpening. You won't
have to stafi at 100 grit; you might be able
to start at320, and go from there.lF
Written by Jim Pollock with Steve Oswalt
lllustrations:
Roxanne LeMoine

To grind, or not to grind? ()urcufting-edge

expert
Steve Oswalt
By itself, the sandpaper has been
sharpeningmethod createsa honing his
sharpening
flat bevel. Every time you
and wood-
sharpen,you have to remove working
steel from the entire bevel. skillssince
As long as you resharpenon a his first high

r#
regular basis, that's really not school shop
class more
a problem. than 30
If you start the sharpening years ago.
processwith a grinding wheel, He has test-
you produce a hollow-ground ed products
tor WOODa
edge, as shown in the drawing
magazinefor more than 15 years.
at left. You can go this route,
then follow your grinding
with the sandpapermethod.
But we recofilmend doing all Seemore.oo
of the work on sandpaper.A
hollowed-out bevel results in ...shop-tested
a weaker edge. techniques at
tll|tll,tlll.tll|00dsloF8.tll|00dl||all.c0l||/d0tlJ.ill

72 WOOD magazine June/July 2003


ere are two projectsthat let you
spenda lot more time relaxing
than building.But don't let the
easy deck-screw-and-bolrtogether con-
structionfool you. This duo is both sturdy
and supremelycomfortable.
Assemble the
chair frame
Cut the rear legs (A) to the size list-
ed in the Materials List. Make two
74
copiesof eachhalf of the chair rear leg
full-size half pattern on the WOOD
PATTERNSoinserl. Adhere them to the
legswith sprayadhesive,matingthehalves
where shown on the small-scaledrawing
on the pattem.Bandsawand sandthe rear
legsto shape.Rout the chamfers.
Cut the rear rail (B) and front rails
(C) to the sizelisted.Lay out the cen-
terpointsof the shankholesand the end-
points and midpointsof the arcs,where
For the lumberand other
itemsneededto buildthis
project, seepage 79.
shownon Drawing1. Use a fairing stick
to draw the arcs, as shown in Photo A.
To make the adjustable fairing stick
shown, seepage 10. Drill the counter-
sunkshankholes,andbandsawand sand
the rails to shape.Set asideone front rail
for the footrest.
Glue and clamp the rear and front
rails (B, C) to the rear legs (A),
where shown on Drawing 2. (The front
edge of the rear rail aligns with the end
WOOD rnagazine June{uly 2003
 I nnls
--l
11/z"l

r
51A',
,1"
31/q'
T-
51/q'

__] , il i_ ---------l 21/a'

s/0" shank hole,
23/ra"/ countersunk
REARRAIL F R O N TR A I L
(Top view) (Frontview)
t/e"round-overs

3/e"gaps

/
t
1 7 e "d e c k
screws
l
\
\ h_

Ta"carriagebolt
3l/2" long

,.ornJtu",,.
fl 7e" hole

To draw the rail's arc, bend a

narrow strip of hardboard to 3" deck screw
t
connect the marked endpoints I I
I
and midpoint. I
I

e/ro"shank hole,
countersunk
s/a"tlaI washer
7o+"pilot hole
2" deep 3/e"nut

E exploDED
vrEW

s/0"shankhole. 3/re"chamfer
countersunk
1\
3" deck screw 7sz"pilothole 7+"deep

9' 17a"deck screw

1 1/q'

17e"deck screws
7e" hole
/io" chamfer 7/aq"pilol hole 1 t/2" deep Tsz"shank hole,
countersunk
1 1" -r-
of the seat'scurve, where noted on the front rail (C), flush with its top edgeand
|3"
pattern.)Use a water-resistant glue, such centered side-to-side.Drill pilot and 193/q'
as Titebond II. With the rails' shank countersunk shank holes through the Ta"carriagebolt
holesas guides,drill pilot holes into the cleatinto the rail. Drive in the screws. ) 3rlz"long
3" deck
rear legs,and drive in the screws. : Cut the front legs (E) to size. Drill
, Cut the cleat (D) to the size listed. . the carriagebolt holes and counter- V s/0" shank hole.
, Glue and clamp it to the back of the sunk shank holes, where shown on 31/2"
countersunk

75
E spmr RAILASSEMBLY
21/8"
I
3/e"hole,witha
t/z"counterboreon bottomface
of part@
Location
WEDGESL
-) 2"6"1
E nnnlt
Drawing 2. Make sure you have a mir-
rored pair. Rout the chamfers.
Note: Chamfers at the bottoms of the
front and rear legs prevent their edges
from splintering as the chair is moved
around on your patio, porch, or deck.
ffi Make two copies of the brackets(F)
rc# on the patterninsert. Adhere them to
|Vz"-thick stock, and bandsawand sand
them to shape.Drill countersunkshank
holes, where shown. Glue and clamp the
bracketsto the legs' outside faces,flush
at the top and centered side-to-side.
Using the shank holes in the bracketsas
guides,drill pilot holes into the legs, and
drive in the screws.
ffiMeasure up 12V4"from the bottom
# of each front leg (E), and make a
mark on its inside face. Working on a
flat surface, glue and clamp the front
legs to the rear legs and rails assembly
(AlBlClD). Position the face of the front
rail (C) Vz" back from the front legs'
front edges,and align the top of the front
rail with your marks, where shown on
Drawing2. Using the shankholesin the
76
SPLATRAIL
(Top view)
Cutline
I-
3'tA"
I-rs
3lz"hf-ffD
Lr$-
--|rf
-!tlr, ;".,*".i. tailTi:li::iffi
Position your drill-pressfence 13/c"lrom
\1/2" the bit's center.With assembly G/H sup-
ported on a scrap board, drillthe lz"'deep
(Top view) (Endview) counterbores.
front legs as guides,drill pilot holes into
the front rail, and drive'in the screws.
Using the 3/s"holes as guides, di.II 3/8"
holes through the rear legs. Insert car- Clamp a scrap stock straightedgeto your
riage bolts, and fastenthem with washers workbench. Apply double-facedtape to
the back of one center splat, and stick it
and nuts. to the bench so it is square to the scrap.
(l Cut the splat rail (G) to the size list-
{Jed. Once again using your fairing
stick, lay out the curves,where shown on
Drawing 3. Bandsaw and sand the splat
rail to shape.
flcut a lVzx3Vqx23/s" piece of stock
llror the two wedges (H). Draw the
diagonalon one end, where shown in the
EndView on Drawing3. Bandsawon the
line to separatethe two wedges,and sand
the sawnfacessmooth.Apply glue to the
wedges' sawn faces, and clamp them to
the splat rail (G), where shown on
Drawings2 and 3.
l flChuck a lVs" Forstnerbit in your
fllJdrill press,and drill counterbores
in the splat rail for the bolts that hold the
splat rail and wedges assembly to the
arms (I), where shown on Drawings 2
Insertingg/e"spacers, position the other
and 3, and as shown in Photo B. Switch splats. Adhere the tree patterns with spray
to a3/s"brad-pointbit and drill holescen- adhesive.Apply masking tape, and mark
tered in the counterbores. the hole locations.Draw the radius.
WOOD magazine June{uly 2003
p ancr SPLATS
@ nennsLAT
fiop view)
Make the arms,-
back, and seat
i: Plane lVz"-thick lumber to 1" thick,
,",oild cut the arms (I) to the size listed.
Using a beam compass,mark the front
radii, and then mark the taperedoutside
edges, where shown on Drawing 4.
Bandsaw,joint, and sand the arms to
shape. Lay out the centerpoints of the
countersunkshankholes.Make sureyou
have a mirrored pair of arms, and then
drill the holes. Rout VB" round-overs
along the top and bottom edges.
: Cut the back splat blanks (J) to the
, ,,sizelisted.Draw the 43/s"to 2" taper
alongone edgeof eachof the six blanks,
where shown on Drawing 5. Bandsaw
THENosE
E snnprNc
t/a"round-overon frontand back ends
(routedafter the top curve is cut)
Cutline
7se"shank holes,countersunk
21/2"
lil" shank
hote,
countersunk
I
andjoint the splatblanks to shape.Make
5o cutson two blanksand 9o cutson two
blanks,where shownabove.
. Make a copy of the tree cutout pat-
' 'tern on the insert. To locate the
cutout and shank hole centerpoints,and
draw the seatback's top radius,lay out
the splat blanks on your workbench, as shape.Rout /s" round-overson the top
shownin PhotosC and D. edges.Drill the countersunkshankholes.
',i Bandsaw and sand the ends of the
r: : Cut the noseblank (L) to the sizelisted.
- splatsand the tree cutouts.Drill the ',.. Make a copy of the two nosepafferns
countersunkholes.Rout t/a"round-overs on the pattern insert, and adherethem to
on the splats' front and back edges, the ends of the blank. Rough out the pro-
including the cutouts,and their top ends. file on your tablesawby making the four
, I Cut the rear slat (K) to the sizelisted. cutsshownon Drawing7. Refinetheshape
Lay out its shape,where shown on with a block plane and sandpaper.Rout
Drawing6. Bandsawand sandthe slat to the Vs"round-overs.whereshown.
77
Using the holes in the splat rail assembly (G/H)as guides, drillTs"
holes through the arns. Backing blocks prevent splintering.
I Cut the slats (M) to the size listed.
I Rout Vs" round-overs on the top
edges. Drill countersunk shank holes,
where shownon Drawing2.
Note: Sixof the slats (M) will be usedon
thefootrest.
Applv an outdoor finish
thbt protects for years
I Easethe edgesof all the parts with a
* sandingblock, and sand all surfaces
to 120 git. Apply an exterior water-
repellent oil finish. We used Wolman
Rain Coat Water Repellent with cedar
toner, fully saturating all the surfaces.
Wherever possible, dip exposed end
grain in the finish, especiallythe bottoms
of the legs and the tops of the back
splats.Let the parts dry for 48 hours.
!} Apply a color to the frame assembly
k(NBlClD/ElF), splat rail assembly
(G/H), and the tree cutouts on the back
splats. We used Olympic acrylic latex
solid color deck stain in the Faulkland
color. Wipe away any finish that gets on
the rounded-over edges of the tree
cutouts.Set the parts asideto dry.
Assemblethe chair
I To support the arms (I) during
& assembly,cut two I93/q"-longtempo-
rary supports from scrap. Clamp them
vertically to the rear legsjust forward of
the rear rail @). With their ends resting
on the supports,position the arms on the
front legs, where shown on Drawing 4.
Using the shank holes in the arms as
78
With a center splat in place, insert 3/e"spacers, and add the rcst of
the splats, one at a time, drilling pilot holes and driving in the scrcws.
guides,drill pilot holes into the legs and
brackets,and drive in the screws.
!! Inserting scrap blocks between the
6l clamps and the arms,clamp the splat
rail assembly (G/H) to the arms. The
arms overhangthe back and inside edges
of the wedges (H) by Vq".The distance
between the arms is 21V2". Drill 3h"
holes through the arms, as shown in
Photo E. Fastenthe arms to the splat rail
with carriagebolts, washers,and nuts.
{Vtart the centerlines,ofthe rear rail
tJ(B) and the splat rail (G). Position
one center splat3Ad"from the marks with
its bottom end flush with the bottom of
the rear rail, and clamp it in place.Using
the shank holes in the splat as guides,
drill pilot holes into the rear rail and splat
rail, and drive in the screws.Add the rest
of the splats,as shown in Photo F.
3/a"spacersbetween the back
,1d Insert
-Isplats
andthe rearslat(K). Drill pilot
holes into the rear legs (A), and drive in
the screws.
f Clamp the nose (L) in place, over-
ghanging the front rail (C) by V4",
@ roornEsTsrDERAIL
rI
I
t/4
l_
where shownon Drawing2. Drill pilot and
countersunk shank holes through the
cleat (D) into ttrenose.Drive in the screws.
ALuy four of the slats (M) in place,
lJseparated by 3/s"spacers.Make any
adjustmentsneededfor uniform spacing,
drill pilot holes, and drive in the screws.
f,ssemble and finish
the footrest
I Cut the side rails (N) to the size list-
* ed. Make two copies of the footrest
side rail partial pattern on the pattern
insert, and adherethem to the rails with
spray adhesive, where shown on
Drawing 8. Make the 15' angle cuts on
the ends. With your disc or belt sander,
form the two angled flats where the two
top slats(M) will rest.
$ Retrieve the previously cut front rail
ft(C). Glue and clamp the side rails
(N) to the front rail, flush at the sidesand
top, where shown on Drawing 9. Using
the shankholesin the front rail asguides,
drill pilot holes into the side rails. Drive
in the screws.
15'
--\
[..-_---
WOOD magazine June{uly 2003
 Te"gaps
t/a"round-overs
p roornesr
I '/!'
VIEW
EXPLODED r.'---"

s/ro"shankhole,countersunk
7sz"shankhole,countersunX 15' bevel
11/z'
1
121/z'
Ta"washer
3" deck srcrew deck screw
r,z
Y7 51/a' ,21/2"

{
t/+"overhang
-L
s/0"chamfer r'\/
7',
t,/
re />N 3/e"hole
,/
z/o+"
V
pilothole s/0" shank hole.
Cut the front legs (O) and rear legs ,/ 1t/2"deep countersunk
(P) to the sizeslisted. Make the 15'
anglecutsat the top endsof the rearlegs, rbz"-{
where shown on Drawing 9. Drill the rear legs. Drill pilot holes, and drive in 21/z' -------\
countersunkshank holes and :/s" bolt the screws.Positionthe rest of the slats.
holes. Rout the chamfers. Glue and inserting 37/"rr spacers between them.
clamp the legs to the front and side rails Make any adjustmentsneededfor uni- \
assembly.Using the holes in the legs as form spacing,drill pilot holes,and drive 3" deck screw
guides,drill pilot holesinto the front and in the screws.?
siderails,and bolt holesthroughthe side
rails. Drive in the screws,and fastenthe Writtenby Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund
Proyectdesign:Jeff Meftz
bolts with washersand nuts.
lllustrations:
Roxanne LeMoine
Finish the footrest frame assembly
(CN/O/P) the same as you did the
chair parts. After 48 hours, give the
frame assemblyits color coat.
A rearlegs 11/z' 51/q' 307/s'
With the finish dry, retrievethe six
slats(M). Positionone slatflush with projects at B rearrail 11/z^ St/a' 22'

the front edges of the front legs, and .. ::rir;iir1: C- frontrails 11/z' 5Y4' 22'
rit,;ririiili;.rii.fi0lni0[|lll|rac.hlml 3/q'
anotherflush with the rear edsesof the D cleal 3/,u 171/2" C

E frontlegs 11/z' 31/z' 19Vq' C

Gutting D ragraln F brackets tf2 ,J

, ___
___.-._-_..
r^.r, ,._.:.....
''-:--'---'--"--"-
. . 4t.. .
--' G splatrail 11/2" 51/q' 263/q' C

H wedges 11/2' 31/q' 23/a"

11/zx 51/zx 96" Cedar (2x6) I arms 1" 51/z' 28'

J backsplatblanksr/+" 43/a"27'
K rearslat Vtu 51/4' 22'
L noseblank 11/2" 31/2' 22'
x 96" Cedar(2xO)
11/2x51/z
M-slats
",-O
i ",:g'.:':".,::.:::.: ::':.'t'-':;.--'-....--
N siderails
1t/zxSt/zx 96" Cedar(2x6) *Planeor resawto the thicknesslistedin the MaterialsList.
11/2" 41/q' 161/8' C

0 frontlegs 11/2' 31/2' 121/z' C

P rearlegs 11/2" 31/2' 97/s' c
.Onefrontrailand6 slatsrequired
forthefootrest,
3 / a x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " C e d a r ( 1 x 6 ) ( 2 n e e d e d )
Material key: C-cedar.
glue;
Supplies: Water-resistant spray
adhesive; 1%",
2t/2",
and3"deckscrews; %"carriagebolts3tl2"long;
11/zx 51/zx 96" Cedar(2xG) %"flatwashers;%"nuts.
Bits: 1tle"
Forstner
bit,%"brad-point t/e"round-
drillbit,
overrouter router
bit,chamfer bit.
3/+x 51/zx 72" Cedar (1 x6)
Buying Guide
Double settee plan. Planno.WP-OFS-1075,
Toorder,
$13.95. or goto
call888/636-4478,
3/qx 51/zx 72" Cedar (1 x6) woodstore.woodmall.com/outproj,htm
l,

79
 reate a LlniqLle-qardenfocal
point and give climbin-eplants
an upscalehome with this -qeo-
metric gem. The rou-qhly 5O"-tall tllteur
can be used freestanding or moLlnted
atop its companion planter, f-eaturedin
the May 2003 issue and shown on the
oltpositepoge, bottont. Need sug-eestions
for suitable plants? See the sidebar,
"Vine ideas."

For the l umberand otheri te m s

neededto bui l dthi s proj ect see
,
page 82.

Start
'ffi
with the sides
From a lt/:x5t/2x48" cedar board
. tZ" Olpl anedto l " thi ck.cutt helegs
(A) to the size listed in the Materials
List. Mark the locations for the rail
blanks(B, D, E, F) on the legs,where
dimensioned on Drawing1.
ffi Plane a lt/zx5thx24" cedarboardto
&# l " thick. Rip sixteen/+"-thick, I "-
wide stripsfrom the edgeof the boardfor
the rail blanks (B throughF), refening
to the Cutting Dia-eramfol layout.
Crosscutthe stripsto the listedlengths.
3/1" plywood, make a
ff From scrap
# 5x t 9-7x"spacer, andmiter-cutits ends
at llt/zo.whereshownon Drawing1.
(A) on your workbench
F,# Lay two legs
% with the markings visible,and posi-
tion the spacerbetweenthem with the
bottom edgesflush. Clamp the legs to
the spacer.
(B) to the
ffi Glue and nail a rail blank
n# legs, where shown on Drawing1,
aligning it with the marks and roughly
centeringit end to end.Use an exterior-
type adhesive,such as Titebond II or
polyurethaneglue. In the same way,
attacha rail blank (C) to the legs with
the top edgesflush and the legs spaced
3" apartat the rail's bottomedge,where
shownon Drawing1a. Now, attachthe
other rail blanks(D, E, F) to the legs.
Whenthe gluedries,trim the rails' ends
flush with the legs' outsideedges,as
shownin PhotoA.
# Froma lt/:x3t/:x32"cedarboard,rip
ffi fou, %"-thick, I %"-wide strips for

W'h;x€is e*.tffittlatc':b
l,:i''lr r' ir i
i r r i r r tl i ; t t j ' . ) , t l

ii; liiir;t r i ' , 1 ' , ; ' . t rI ;

,'ill ;l i l].','' i ' t 1 i : ' . t1t

I r i l r : i r ii : ! i ) t \ i i t t l i ' 1 " '

WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 -t

1
p venrcAlTRIM I
l r l
I (y"
t
Trimends .
flushwith(!
afterattaching.
@ @ Attachfull-size
vertical
trim pattern
l[roe RAILDETATL at both ends.

E sroeASSEMBLY
Drawlines
to connect
Place the side assemblyfacedown on # 1 8 x s / + "g a l v a n i z e d n a i l trim patterns.
scrap boards. Using a fine-tooth saw,
trim the rails' ends even with the legs. \
the vertical trim (G). Face-join the sh'ips
to-getherr.rsinga few pieces of double-
faced tape. Make two copies of the vertical
trim pattern on the WOOD PATTERNSa
insert. Adhere the patterns to the ends of 81/z'
a strip, and draw lines to connect them,
where shown on Drawing 2. Bandsaw Trimends^
the strips to shape, and sand the curved flushwithQ)
ed-ees smooth. Carefully separate the afterattachino.
strips, and remove the tape. B1/2"

lf Gtue a vertical trim strip (G) to the

I side assemblv. where shown on
Drawings 1 and 3. Center it side-to-side

w7
4"
in the assembly with an equal overhan-e
above rail F and below rail D. Note that 193/a'
the trim fits behind rail E and in front of
rails D and F. /)","
Q Repeat the process to assemble the
|[Jopposin-e side.

Add the tuteur Vine ideas

to the planter Wonderingwhat vineswill work best with this
tuteur?The selectionsbelowenjoyfull sun and do
For a winningcombination, con- well in most areasof NorthAmerica.You'llwant to
sider mountingthe tuteuron the tie miniatureclimbingrosesand clematisto the
planterfeaturedin the previous
tuteurfor support,and helpvinesthat have tiny
issue(May2003,page 94), as rootlets,such as ivy, get a footholdby twining
shown at right. First,trim the them aroundthe structure.ln areaswith cold win-
tuteur'slegs (A) flushwith the ters, bringtendervines indoorsin fall beforethe
bottomedge of the railsB. firstfrost.
Then,cut two mountingblocks
(K) to the size listedin the Annuals:Sweetpea, hyacinthbean,climbing
MaterialsList.Gluethe blocks snapdragon,moonflower(specificallylpomoea
to the insideface of two oppos- alba),morningglory,cardinalclimber,Spanish
ing railsB, whereshownon flag, cypressvine,and nasturtium.
Drawing3. With the tuteur
placedon the planter,drilla Perennials: Clematis,miniatureclimbingroses,
countersunkshankhole in each and E ngl i shi vy.
mountingblock,and screwthe
Tendervines:Mandevilla,passionflower,
black-
blocksto the planter'stop trim.
eyed Susan,and jasmine.
www.woodonline.corn 81
 chamfer

and
7sz"shankhole.countersunk
centeredon bottomwith
7/a+"pilol hole 1" deep in part
i--:9#B x 1rl2"staintess-steel

%" chamfers 33/q'

Clamp the spacer betweenthe assemblies' vtEW

legs at one end. Attach the rail blanks, fl rxeloDED
aligningthem with the adjoiningrails.

#8 x 1tl2"stainless-steel
F.H.wood screw

7sz"shank h"l)
countersunk.I

Trimends r
flushwith$)
afterattaching.
Using a sanding block with 8O-gritsand-
paper, flatten the top edges of the rails
(C) to receive the top assembly. Trimendsflushwithbottom
ot@it mountingto planter.

Assemble the sides. and (H) and cap (I) to the sizes listed. screw.Centerand glue this assemblyto
top off the tuteur Chamfer their edges,where shown on the base(H).
I Position the two side assemblies Drawing 3. f Sand the top of the tuteur flat, as
I upright and oppositeeachother.As O Cut the finial (J) to the dimensions rJshown in PhotoG.Thencenter,glue,
shown in Photo B, clamp the sPacer t)UsteO. Make two copiesof the finial and clamp the top assemblyH/I/J to the
betweenthe assemblies,and attachthe patternon the insert.Adhereone pattern rails(C).|F
rail blanks (B throughF) to the legs in to the finial. Bandsaw to the pattern
Writtenby Owen Duvall
the sameorder as before.(An air nail- lines. Adhere the other patternto one of Projectdesign:Kevin Boyle
er is ideal for this.) Repeatthe process the curved sides, and bandsawagain. Mike Mittermeier
lllustrations:
on the opposite side. Trim the rails' Sandthe finial smooth.
ends, and install the remaining verti- and glue the finial to the top
'flllCenter
cal trim (G). of the cap (I). Drill a pilot andcoun-
f) From a 3Ax5t/zxl2" cedar board tersunk shank hole through the bottom
A planed to t/2" thick, cut the base of the cap, where shown,and drive the legs 47"
B- railblanks 1" 22',
C. railblanks t/4 1
D- railblanks v4 1" 18',
E- railblanks 1/tu 1u 14',
F- railblanks f4 1" 10'
G verticaltrim 1/e' 11/z' 32'
11/zx 51/zx 48" Cedar (2x6)
H base Vz' 33/4' 33/4'

I cap I/zn 21/2, 21/2, c

*Planeor resawto the thickness
listedin the MaterialsList. J finial 11/2', 11/2" 6u c

blocks Vq'
K mounting 3/q' 31/2' C
11/zx 51/zx 24" Cedar (2x6) -Parts
initially Seetheinstructions.
cutoversize.
-$-:.= .(p ' ' , l, Cd . .@ Material key: C-cedar.
l.e Supplies: #18x%" galvanized
nails,
woodscrews
flathead
stainless-steel
#8x1%"
(3),spray
x 32" Cedar(2x4)
11/2x31/z 3 h x 5 1 / xz 1 2 "C e d a r( 1 x 6 ) adhesive.
exterior-type
adhesive,

82 WOOD rnagazine June/JulY 2003

 *
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striking grain to ituc tlrc cve. ttor is it
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shop. thor"rgh.1-roplarllro\ cs ecortor.tti-
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T h c t r c c i s n ' t a c t L [ i l l Yu " t t ' L t c "1 - l t l 1 l l l t l ' .
Fleartweod I t ' s a n r e n r b c ro l ' t h e T u l i p t r e c l ' a r t t i l r ' .
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behinil the sc-enes
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t i o n . b u t i s L r s c cclo r t t t t t t l t t llri r l r t t a k i r r S
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t h o L r g hi.t ' s L t s L r a l lhri t l c l c no r t l i s g L r i s c c l .
s o t h c u o o c l t ' c l n l i i n sl c s s k r t o u t i t l t l t r l
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H o n r c b u i l d c r s .t h o L r g l t .l . . l t o \ \ 'l t o l l l l t t '
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n ' o o r l p r o d u c c sh i g h - c l u a l i t rn t i l l t r o t ' kl t t
a c o n r l . r c t i tci r p r i c c .

A towerinq tree that A workable wood

yields loa1s of lumber at a popular price
P o p l a ri s n a t i r e t o t n u c h o l ' t h c e l t s t c r l l T h o L r c hs o l ' t e tt'h l t n t h e l u t t ' t l u o o t l st i i t l l
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h u l l ' t h c i r ' h e i g h tn. r c a t t i n gn o k t t t t t st o c L l t Y o u c a n c x l l c c t c x c c l l c n tr c s l t l t st h c l l
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furnitureparts.lt machinescleanlyto t a k c sp a i n t .i u . t csl o u i l l v o L r T . hc u oocl's
producetight-fittingjoinery. c o n s i s t c t i t . L u t o b t t ' L t s i rg c t ' L t i t lc l o c s t l ' t

WOOD magazine June/Ju1y 2003

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June{uly 2OO3
lf, Fid-size routers-those that
I It I draw from l0 to 12 amps-
- V -pack enough punch to
knock off all but the most daunting
duties in your shop, such as full-depth
cuts with big panel-raising bits. Add
plunging capability for making field
cuts (see"7 Reasonsto Take the Plunge,"
on the nextpage), and you wind up with
the ultimate wood-machiningtool with-
out busting the budget.
In preparation for this article, we
gathered up a raft of mid-size plunge
routers with prices ranging from $100
to $250, and put them through a
battery of tests. A11 offer variable-
speed, soft-start motors, and most
accept both Vc"- and Vz"-shankbits in
self-releasing collets (with these, an
extra turn of the collet pops the bit
loose, preventing both stuck and
free-falling bits). But that's where the
similarities end, as you'll soon see
when we separatethe best from the rest.
Kev comparisons
of perforftrance
r Gontrols. When you have a razor-
sharp bit spinning at 23,000 rpm, you
want total control of the router at all
times, which meanskeeping your hands
on its handles.On almost all of the test-
ed routers, we could reach the critical
controls-the power switch and plunge
lock-without letting go of the tool.
Makita's switch, though,locatedon top
of the motor, proved unreachablewith-
out removing one hand from a handle.
The DeWalt DW621's conffols are a
mixed bag: We like the location of the
power switch (it's a trigger on the right
handle, typical of these tools), but we
found cumbersome the sequence of
eventsrequired to lock the switch "on."
On the other hand, DeWalt's unique
plunge lock is the easiestto engage.A
twist of the left handlelocks and unlocks
the plunge motion-you needn't lift
even a finger to use it.
r Depth-setting ease. Here's where
theseroutersdiffer themost,andthe photos
below show three depth-setting systems
we like. Use them as a referencewhile we
refreshyourmemory on settingthe cutting
depth with a plunge router.
With the bit in the router and the motor
off, lower the motor gently until the bit
just touchesthe work surface.Unlock the
stop rod and lower it until it touchesthe
stop (usually, but not always, a turret with
a seriesof stepsfor making progressively
deepercuts),then slide the movablecursor
to"zaro" on the depth scale.Finally, raise
the stop rod so that the cursor overlays
your intendedcuning depth, lock the stop
rod in place, and raise the motor.
All are accurateas far as their scales
go, but we prefer depth-settingsystems
with a microadjust feature for fine-tuning
the depth. Our least favorite system is
found on the Skil 1845-02: It lacks
microadjustability, and its fixed cursor
can't be "zeroed," so you have to add

GOOD BETTER BEST

Ryobib engineersone-uppedthe othor mod€lshavingsimplo stop rods by adding a micrcadjustmechanismon th6 stop its€ff (b:n).Each
quarterhrrn ol the stop clicks in a 144"adiu8tn€nt. Dewaltb rack-€nd-pinionsystem(cenq l€quiles two steps to set the cutting depth:
Tumingthe coarseadjustmontknob gets you to lh€ n€af6t 1.f0";the micrcadjustknob thGads the tip ot the.stop rcd in or or4 and its
scale is markedin 1t5."incrementstor makingsup6rfin6changG in depth. W€ llke the depth-€etfng systemon the Bosdr 1613AA/S
(dght)best for a couple ol reasons.FiFt, the microadjustknob worl(s€vEnwith the plungolock €ngaged,ard, like the Dewdt shows
.004' (14!G)incEmenta.Second,the tunet stop ofiers eight i/6"stepe-the most ot arryrcut€r in th€ t€at,

wrvw.woodonline.com 87
 PRESSUREREQUIREDTO PLUNGE
We tested the ease of plunging each router by gradually adding sand to a container attached to the top of each router. When the
motor dropped 1", we removedthe containerand weighed it. This chart shows the weight required.
your cutting depth to the reading shown
on the scale when the bit is bottomed
out. (Quick-add Vz"tos/to"t)
r Plunge action. Overly stiff return
springson a plunge router only increase
the difficulty of alreadychallengingfield
cuts.To learn how much pressureit takes
to plunge each router, seethe "Pressure
Required to Plunge" chart, above. We
found that routersrequiring 12-15 pounds
of pressuregaveus the bestcontrol.
Also, a sloppy fit between the plunge
posts and the motor housing contributes
to inaccuratecuts if the bit doesn't come
down in the exact samespot every time.
Although some routers felt looser than
others, the best strayed y64" at most
(Bosch and DeWalt), while the worst
were off V32" (Skil and Ryobi).
Remember, these numbers are the
extremes:You can minimize the effect
by always plunging with equal pressure
on both handles.
I Power. To measurethe mettle of the
tested routers, we plowed 3'-long V2"
Waffling between a
plunge and fixed-base
router for your next
portable power-tool purchase? lt's
true that a fixed-base router costs
and weighs less.than the same size
plunge router, and will handle at
least 80 percent of your routing
. chores. But for only a little more
money,a plunge router can do
everything a fixed-base machine
can do and morc.
88
t3 12
grooves Vz" deepin red oak in a single
pass, pushing the motor as hard as we
could. After timing the cuts and averag-
ing the results,we discoveredonly a few
seconds' difference in the time it took
each tool to complete the cut, proving
that eventhe lowest-pricedroutersin this
category are up for tough tasks, if only
occasionally.
r Dust extraction. Onceconsidereda
luxury, four of the tested routers now
include dust-collectionports as standard
equipment; one manufacturersells it as
an accessory;and two make no provi-
sion at all. By far, the most effective is
the through-the-postcollection system
on the DeWalt: When connected to a
shop vacuum, it gatHereda spectacular
93 percentof the debris from a Vz"-wide,
Vz"-deep,3'-long groove (seephotosat
right). That high number leaves the 70
percentrate of the Bosch and the 40-ish
percentagesof the Black & Decker
RP400K, Makita RP1101, and Porter-
Cable 8529 in its (ahem)dust.
A plunge rcuter is worth the extra
money if you want to:
I Make stopped flutes and dadoes.
? Cut mortises with a router.
3 Use keyhole slots in your projects.
,l Routinely rout deep slots requiring
several progressivelydeeper cuts.
5 Create signs with rccessed letters.
6 nOOan inexpensivethrough-the-table You'll spend less time cleaning up after cuts
made with the DeWaltDW621 hooked up to
lift to your router. (See "Tabletenants" a vacuum (top photo). Compare that to the
on page 90.) mess left after making the same cut (bottom
7 Buy only one router. photo) with a router that lacks a dust-
extraction port.
WOODmagazine June/July2003
Highpoilrils portdoesn'tftsnugly
? Dust-collection torouterandfell
I Lowprice-abouthalffiat oftre "premium"
routers offrepeatedly,
especially
whenconnected toa
inthiscategofincludescarryingcase. vachose.
I l-argepistol-grip
handles. ? Noself-releasing
collet.
Lowpoirils ' ? Ina router
hble,treonlyheight-adjustnent
? Requires 221b,s.offorceto plunge1"-tre most
mechanism isfte plungeibelf,whichisdfficult
infie tesl
tosetaccurately.
? Accepbonly%"-shank bib,andcolletrunout(wobble) Morcpoints
measured */-.008",hehighest offte toolswetested. ) Large 3"subbase openingallows view
excellent
? Thechipshieldis difficutttoremove forchangihg
bib, ofbit,butwon'tacceptguidebushings and
discouraging ib use. offersreduced
supportonccjmers ofworkpieces.
) Easyto-userack-and-pinion
depftscale, butno
microadjustmentsystem.

Highpoints low points

l Spring-loadedplunge lockretumsautomaticallyto portmounbonfie flatsideoffie
? Dust-exFaction
lockedposition,
soyoualwaysknowwhereto findit. D-shapedbase,soyou'llneedto remount
it for
I Satin-smooth plungeaction. cub (orusea fencelowerftan %"),
fence-guided
I Ourfavoritedepfi-settingsystemwift micro- ? Plungelockcan'tbedefeatedforrouter-hbleuse.
adjustability
toYzn",and evenwifirtre
functionality Morepoinls
plungelockengaged.
I Guide-bushing
adapter
comes wift he route[but
I Hinged chipguardflipsontoffte wayfor bitchanges. quick-release
guidebushings(or
accepbonlyBosch
Poder-Cable
bushings-treindustrysbndard-witl
anoptionalaccessory).

Highpoirtts I Mushroom-shaped handles

arelesscomforhble to our
i Bestinfte testfordustexfaction witr a shop hands ftan pistol-grip
style.
vacuum athched. ? Theclearplastic dusthoodtendsto cloudwifrrdust,
I Rack-and-piniondeptr-setting system witr evenwhenusedwitr a vacuum, limiting
viewof
microadjustworKwellandisadjushble h l/zn". fie bit.Youcaneasilyremove it.
I Lefthandle rchtesto engage anddisengage plunge
Morcpoinb
lock,sohandsremain infullgripof routerat alltimes.
I Verysmootrplunge action. ) lf youtumofffie moto[andfien st]t it againbefore
it stopsfuming,it won'trestartuntilit slowsto a low
I Thequietest routerinfte test,at 88dB.
rpm.Thisfeature mayaddlifeto fie motorbutwe
low poinb foundit annoying; whencombined
especially wifi fie
? Locking powerswitchrequires a clumsy
firee-step already awkwardpowerswitch.
process fiat takessomegettingusedto,andis ) Thisrouterrunsa closesecond b fte Bosch for
dfficultto engage wift routerhble-mounted, TopTool.

Highpoinb comforhble to ourhands fian pistol-grip

style,and
I All-mehlconstuction (exceptfor
caponmotor)makes confibuteto ilrisrouterfeelingtop-heavy.
fiis a durable
tool. ? RoundbaselacKa llatedgeforguiding alonga fence.
i Spring-loadedplunge lockretumsautomatically
to I Plungelockcan'tbedefeated forrouter-hbleuse.
lockedposition,soyoualwaysknowwhereto findit.
Morcpoinb
I Verysmootrplunge action.
i Extemally replaceable
motorbrushesfor I Requires
twowrenches forchanging bib.
I Togglepowerswitchontopof motorcan'tbe
easymaintenance,
reachedwiilrbofrrhandsonfie router'shandles,
but
low poilrts worKwellwift fie routerhble-mounted.
I Threaded stoprodis microadjustable,butfte micro- ) Smallsubbase opening fitsP-Cguidebushings,but
scaleandzeropointbofi tumwih eachadjustment, resbicbviewof bit.
s0youcan'ttellhowmuchyou'vechanged. ) Dusthoodisanoptionalaccessory.
I Thequick-release buthnforfte stoprodrequires 1 ) Mobralsofib inMakih'saccessory fixed-base
andD-
tumto release,butwitr 1llztums,itfallsoff. handlebases.Thisinterchangeability
leadsb manyof
? Painted,mushroom-shaped handlesareless fte RP1101'sshortcomings plunge
asa dedicated mubr.
89
 Highpoinb {l lt takes20lbs.ofpressure
to plunge thebit1"-the
l Spring-loaded plungelockreturns to
automatically second mostinthetest.
locked s0youalwaysknowwhereto findit.
position, I Theclearplastic dusthoodtendsto cloudwithdust,
It alsocanbedefeated forrouter-table
use. evenwhenusedwitha vacuum, viewof
limiting
I Toggle-style powerswitchworkswellbothhandheld thebit.Youcaneasilyremove it,
andwithroutertable-mounted. Though notonthe
Morcpoints
handle, it'swithinaneasythumb's reach. turretstop,thestoprodrotates to
) Insteadofa rotating
I Externally motorbrushes
replaceable foreasy whichofthethreestopsyou'lluse.Theknobfor
select
maintenance. turningthestopis sosnugtotherouterbodythatwe
I Whenusedwiththeoptional router-table kit
accessory
foundit easierto rotateit usingthe"foot"onthe
(shown bottom right),youcanadjustcuttingheight bottom offte rod.
fromabove thetable,making thisrouteruniquely thatmakethisa goodrouterfortable
) Thefeatures
suitedforrouter-tableuse. mounting seemtoworkagainst it inhandheldmode.
Lowpoints useyourrouter
lf you'llprimari$ thisis
ina table,
I Althoughthisrouterhasa microadjust it
system, thebestinthetest.
a lotof knobfurningandissoconfusing
requires that
thesixstepsto useit arewrittenontherouter.

Highpoints I Nodustextraction collet.

orself-releasing
I At$100,thisistheleastexpensive inthetest
router I Slopin plungeactioncancausebitto beoffitsmark
thataccepts72"-shankbits. byasmuchaslu".
stopchanges
I Microadjustable for
cuttingdepth7on" I Ina router theonlyheight-adjustment
table,
%turn.ltsfullrange
euery is%". mechanism istheplunge to
whichisdifficult
itself,
motorbrushes
replaceable
I Externally for setaccurately.
easymaintenance. Morcpoints
Lowpoinb ) Large3" subbaseopening allows viewof bit,
excellent
I 15,000 rpmlowspeed thanthe
faster
issignificantly butwon'tacceptguidebushings andoffersreduced
othertestedrouters. supportoncornersofworkpieces.
) Plungelockandpowerswitcharebothactivated by
therighthand,whichmaycause in
confusion
anemergency.
provides
of 7+"collet,Ryobi
) Instead anadaptersleeve
to accommodate7+"bits.

Table tenants Porter-Cable's

router-table
So, how well does this class of machine work when accessorykit
hanging upside down in a router table? Frankly,the (partno.75301,$30)
answer in many cases is a qualified "not very well." includesa height-
adjustmentknob
One major factor prevents most plunge routers from for through-the-table
working as well in a router table as fixed-base settings,and an
machines:the ability to accuratelyadiust cutting otfset wrench that
permitsbit changes
depth. In fact, on four of the seven tools in our test, throughthe table's
the only height adjustmentyou have when table- bit opening.(One
mounted is the plunge action itself. of the two otfset
wrenchesshown
Of the three models that do allow for fine height comeswith the
adjustmentswhen table-mounted,Porter-Cable's router.)
system (shown at rightl is arguably the best, with its
through-the-tableadjuster.(Bosch and Skil require
fiddling beneaththe table with a small knob; tested routers-DeWalt and Makita-with a relatively
DeWalt'sbelow-tableadjuster is optional.)You can inexpensiverouter-liftingaccessory called RouterRaizer
also add through-the-tableadjustabilityto two of the ($gO,5151266-1293 or www.routerraizer.com).

90 WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 Highpoints microadjustability.
Andtheknobitselfcrowds the
+ $100pricetagincludes caseandan
a carrying routerbody,making to adjustwiththetool
it difficult
guidebushings.
thatfitsPorter-Cable-style
adapter table-mounted.
i Largepistol-grip
handles.
Morcpoints
l 0nboardstorageforbit-changing
wrench.
) Although it requirestheleastamount ofweightto
Lowpoints plunge 1",theplunge actionfelta littletooloose to us.
I Nodustextraction. Justplacing ourhands onfie unlocked router caused
accepts
I Collet only%"-shank bitsandis notself- it to plunge.
releasing. ) Justbefore wewentto press, welearned of a new
I Slopin plungeactioncancausebitto beoffitsmark lineof routers slatedto beinstoresbyearlythisfall,
byasmuchasln". oneofwhichwillreplace the1845-02. According to
t Depfiscalecan'tbe"zeroed," s0youhaveto addyour Skilproduct manager Marcus Buzynski, thenew
cuttingdepftto thefractionshownonthefixedscale. 1820plunge willadda tunetstop,"zeroing"
router
? The"fine-adjustment knob"citedinthe1845-02's capability onthedepthstop,anda worklight,andwill
owner's manual ovenides theabilityto plungethe sellforaround $80.However, it willonlybeoffered in
router, making
effectively it a fixed-baserouterwith a fixed-speed version.

I 1,. I penronnanruce(3)
GRADES ESSORIES

'/f/s
//F/t
/!,
t>t I
I

ffiffiff 3%
fo/|
8/ll

f/td#
1/s/
-tl I I

'ill s-e

H
I u l!
* / 5 l! y5/_E
:a / e* /
lE /
P l9 'lglil
af
BLACK&DECKER RP4OOK1 0 1 l + 8,000-25,0002 1 3 3 D-B- B D 96 "c /8* ,
CC,D,X CG,E 1 0 2 c 8.8 $105
BOSCH 12
1613AEVS 1l+,1lz 11,000-22,000
21lq 8 21lz 3Ve B 93 C , D , Glc, cG,E I 1 U 1 0 . 4 200
DEWALT DW621 1 0 1 l q , 1 l z8,000-24,000 2 1le 3 21lz 21lz B D 88 C , D , G BT, E 8 1 E 9 . 1 200
MAKITA R P 11 0 1 1 1 1 l + , 1 18,000-24,000
2 21slsz3 1 1 l q II D 92 c D,E,SB 31lt 1 U 1 0 . 3 250
PORTER.CABLE 8529 12 1It,1lz 10,000-23,000 21lz 4 31lz 31/zI B+ 94 C , D , G E, AT 1 0 1 U 0.8 220
RYOBI R E l S O P L1 0 ' t 2 ' 15,000-23,000
2 1 3 3 B+ N/A B D r00 S 1 0 2 U 8.6 100
SKIL 1845-02 1 0 1lq 8,000-25,0002 1 31lz 31lz D l e N/A B 98 cc, G E 6 2 U 7.9 100
NOTES:
1. (.) Adaptersleeveprovided s.l Excellent (AT) Through-the-tableheightadjuster 7. (C) China
for 1/c"-shank
bits. (BT) Below-the-tableheightadjuster (E) England
E Good
(C) 1/+"collet (U) UnitedStates
2. Withoutguide-bushing
adapters I Average (CC) Carryingcase
if so equipped. E Belowaverage (CG)
(D)
guide
Circle-cutting
port
Dust-collection
Pricescurrentat time of article's
productionand do not include
M Featurenot available
on this router.
(E) Edgeguide shipping,whereapplicable.
(G) Guide-bushing adapter
(S) Adaptersleevefor 1/+"bits
4. (.) Testedwithoptionaldust hood.
(SB) Clearsubbase
5. Measured2'aboveand 1'behind (X) Extra1/a"collet
routerrunningat top speed.

Shareyouropinion
It was neck and neck betweenthe Bosch 1613AEVSand DeWalt DW62l, but in ofthesetoolsin
the end,Boschwins by a nose.Although DeWalt's dust collectionprovedsuperi- ourPlungeRouters
or, the 1613AEVSis easierto usein a routertable,so we ultimatelynamedit our furum
at
Top Tool. If you're buying a mid-size router specifically for table-mounting,opt
insteadfor the Porter-CabLe8529 and its optional router-tableaccessorykit. tl|Jtll|tl|J.tlJ00dmaualine.c0l||/pll|l|$0l'0
The Top Value award goesto the $100 Ryobi RE180PL. Good power, microad-
justability, replaceablemotor brushes,and the Vz" collet are features typically
found only on routerscosting twice as much.i Written by Dave Campbellwith Phillip Goodwin
lllustration:Tim Cahill

rrvrw.rrYoodonline. corn
.l:;r-1_.:, ,, ,..

rl"
"'
i: :,r;
"i$ ,i.
.;,*-
".r. "$.
.i .F
jt:

-***nt#e

Come along with

me and learn
the simple I my out your shop for effective workflow.
.l This 12x20' shop makes the most of every square foot
timesaving techniques / use in the WOODo with logicallylocatedworkstationsand tuck-awaytool storage.
magazine shop every day. I guarantee they'll Machines are positioned with infeed and outfeed room,
make you more productive and help you build and can be moved to
accommodate work-
every project better. , ing with long boards.
Mount machineson

Cil^,,cK[\tDLurrb mobile bases to sim-

plify adding a new
tool or temporarily
hether you spend an hour a week or every waking
relocatingequipment
hour in the shop, chancesare you feel like it's never
while working on a
enoush time. While I can't createmore time for vou. big project. You can
I canmaximizeyour woodworkingtime.You won't needfancy buildyour own bases,
toolsor complicated jigs. As you'll see,you just needto effec- or buy models to fit
tively setup your shop,and approachprojectswith a plan. most any tool.

92 WOOD rnagazine June/July 2003

 Rn"y anotherrouter. tf
lJthere's any tool you can justify
two of, it's a router.With two routers,
you won't have to undo setups
or waste time swapping parts. For
maximum versatility,
?b
get both a
fixed-basemodel
and plunge router.
) Cet organized and stay that way. Fewthings lf you have a
IJ cause more frustrationthan being unableto find a partic- router table, you
ular tool or bit when you need it. Router bits, as an example, can dedicate
seem to sneak away easily,so I give them dedicatedstorage. one machine
This holder(foundin issue 139)mountsto the wall near your to it. A fixed-
routertable to cradle bits safelywithin easy reach. base model
Not alltools and accessoriesneedto be in plainview allthe works great in most tables.
time. To prevent losing track of those you store behind cabi- This leavesthe plungerouter
net doors or in drawers,apply labelsfor instant recognition. availablefor freehandwork.
Cleaningisn't a chore most of us enjoy,but you'll reap great Some manufacturersoffer an
rewardsif you spend just 10 or 15 minutestidying up at the extra base, which you can mount
end of each shop session.lt lets you collect your thoughts as to the table, then simply swap the motor.
you organizeyour tools, and gives you a head start when you
returnto the shop.
ftStoay the plan before you start. Evenif you're
lJproficient at allthe operationsinvolvedin a project,read
2Cottect dust at through any plan com-
rJits source. A pletely, and take notes
dust collector removes as you read. Doingthis
most, if not all, of the helps you to translate
dust and chips, mean- someone else's plans
ing you don't have to. into the way you work.
This results in huge Recordand locate all
time savings by drasti- of the tools, lumber,
cally reducingthe time and suppl i es you' l l
you spend cleaningup. need. Study the mate-
You can create a cen- rials list (where the
tralized dust-collection sizes of all the individ-
system with ducts to ual parts are stated)
every machine, or just and jot down the com-
move a collector from mon measurements
tool to tool as needed. for quick reference
when it comes time to
set up your machines.
'flllfaXetime to fune. Don'twaituntilyoucut intoyour
preciousprojectstock to find out your tablesawblade is
misaligned.Check all your machines before you get under 7H..re vour lumber on hand
way. Also check the condition of your chisels, blades, and I when you begin. Go
bits, and sharpenany that need it. throughthe plan'smaterialslist,
or make one up for projects
you design, and add every-
thing up to determine your
lumber needs. Then, get all
of your lumbe6 plus at least
20 percent extra, at one time.
Doing this allows you to
match grain and color.
Don't think of the extra
you buy as waste. I don't
discard any decent-size
cut-offs until all the
parts of a project are cut
and assembled. This
wood is perfect for testing
setups and techniques, and
trying out finishes.Plus, having identical
stock on hand can save a project if you need to
re-createa spoiled piece or make an inconspicuouspatch.
93
 ':!-?

flCo with what you know. You needto experimentin

lJorder to learn new skills.But if you're working with a
deadline,it may not be the time to try somethingnew.Go with
techniquesyou know, such as simple biscuitjoinery instead
of makingthis the time you learnhow to hand-cutdovetails.

Have your hardware when you start. Thelast

thing you want is to cut all your project parts based on
specific hardware,only to find it unavailable.You may have
to substituteif you can't find the exact item specified.lf so,
expectto alterdimensionsaccordingly.
| flft"n your steps before each session.Before
Ilf you head for the shop, plan what you want to accom-
plish.This reduceserrorsby focusingyour concentrationon
specifictasks,and reducessetupchangesby groupingsimilar
operations(moreon this later).Plus,planningeliminatestime
wasters,such as findingout one pieceisn't sandedto finalgrit
when you havewet finishon everythingelse.
lrMinimize setups on similar operations.
EWhen you begin a project, start by thicknessingall
your stock at the same time to make sure your parts match
exactly.Then determinewhich parts requiresimilarjoinery.
Tenons,for example, often share the same dimensions
throughouta project,even if the piecesthey'recut into are of
differentsizes.Pefformthose cuts at one time so you're not
constantlyredoingthe same setup.
Even with carefulplanning,duplicatingsetups is inevitable
on some projects.Make it easieron yourselfby taking notes
and keeping your test pieces to use as templates.These
approachesdon't only save time, they ncreaseaccuracy.

I I Build a prototype. lf the project includesnew I ?Cut mea-

lumber to size early. Doubte-check
I t techniquesor a modifiedplan,or if you needto get a llJsurements (and whether any parts need to start out
glimpseat a new designof your own creation,prototypeit, oversize),and then precut all the parts you can. This saves
as I did with the candlelanternin issue148.You'llkeep the you from tripping
mistakes off your real project. Your cut-off bin is a great over long boards
place to find prototype stock, but if you need to buy wood, w hi l e you w ork.
try poplar.lt's inexpensiveand easy to work. While you're at it,
cut an extra of any
piece that requires
testingtool setups.
Mark each paft
w i th i ts name or
letter using chalk.
It shows well, yet
sands away easily
withoutstaining.
lf pads will sit for
a long time before
bei ng used, bi nd
them with plastic
stretchwrap, found
in about any office-
supply store. This
organizesthe parts
and inhibits wood
movement caused
by changingmois-
ture content.Q
theiudgeshavespoken',
I1{TRODUGIl{G
2003
*FORTHE BIRDS''
feeder
bildhouse/bitd
GI|ilTE$Wil]IERS
Readerslet their woodworking
talentssoar in a contestthat
helps our fine featheredfriends.
ew things spark a woodworker's
creativity as much as being
issued a challenge. And chal-
lenge we did when we askedour readers
to build the best birdhouses and bird
feeders in America for the WOODa
magazrnelChevy Silverado 2003 "For
the Birds" contest.
Sure, we expected a big response.
There were, after all, $8,000 worth of
cash and prizes on the line. But the
contest also offered participants a way
to help out birds and other wildlife.
How so? After the contest ended, we
auctioned off all 27L atnazing entries
and turned the proceeds (more than
$8,000) over to the National Wildlife
Federation's "Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Program." (Visit www.nwf.org to learn
more about the program.)
We were overwhelmed by the variety
and creativity exhibited in the birdhouses
and bird feederswe received.Our judges
(see the sidebar,oppositepage) praised
the workmanshipdisplayed." I just wish
we had about 50 more prizes to give
away," said Editor-in-Chief Bill Krier,
as they sorted through the field.
Now, in honor of the best of the best,
we give you the winners.
96
THE
BestOverall Birdhouse/
Bird Feeder
tDs,oooGrand Prize Winner
John Stygaof Elmhurst,N.Y.,wowed
the judgeswith "MotherHubbard's
Boot," a2'-tall masterpieceof bird-
housefun and function."l'm an
artist and have illustrateda lot for
'To me, the
children,"John says.
themewas a natural."The realistic
boot featuresthree separate
dwellingsunderits arched,shingled
roof.Latcheddoorshingeopenfor
cleaning.Moreimpressivedetails
includethe partiallylacedfront,with
the tonguehangingout to serueas a
perch.The caruedbrickchimney,and
'Windows"with hand-painted curtains
completethe design.
Best Original Outdoor
Species-SpecificBirdhouse
A $425 Frcud router setup
MikeJagieloof Almond,Wis.createdhis'Wren
Castle"from recycledold-growthredwood,and
finishedit to a satinylusterusingspar urethane
over tung oil. To completethe theme,each tower
is toppedby a brassflagpoleand copperflag.
Severalwindowsfeatureventsto keep the residing
birdscomfortable,and an openingin the bottom
makescleaningthe birdhousea breeze.
II|OOD magazine June/July 2003
 Best Original I\rrned Outdoor
Birdhouse/Bird Feeder
Best Original A S650 14'r Delta lathe
OutdoorBirdhouse It's easy to see the beautyof the
$7OOworth of Gampbell- turnedacornhousecrafted
Hausfeld air tools by J. StanJohnsonof
The "PurpleMartinHotel," Lexington,S.C. lts spalted
made by MichaelSosebee maplebody and walnutcap
of Newton,N.C.,provides (withrealistictexturecourtesy
first-classaccommoda- of a chattertool)displayfault-
tionsfor eight martin lessquality,Eventhe stem
families.The maincase. (madefrom a r/2"bolt) is ham-
madefrom redwoodstaves, meredand coloredto look real.
is impeccably finishedwith Butwhatpushedthisentryto
high-glossenamel. thetopwasthecleverthreaded
A paintedfinialtopsthe cap that allowsfor cleaningand
cedar-shingle roof,while the vent holesunderthe cap and at
decorativebrackets the bottomto provideclimatecontrolfor
underneathgrip a 4x4 the home'sluckyresidents.
mountingpost.A removable
base allowsthe
interiordividersto be
removedfor easy cleaning.

BestBird feeder from

Existing Plans BestOutdoorBirdhouse
$3OOworth of Gorilla Glue from Existing Plans
and Lutz Tools A $330 DeWalt router fiom Woodcraft
DonaldHopkinsof Salem,Ore., DonaldBerardof MissionViejo,Calif.,worked
likeshis "PyramidCanopy" about 100 hoursto craft his award-winning
feederso muchthat he built entry.His effortand uniqueskillsappear
eightof them.'Two hang everywhere,but especiallyin the copperroof.
in my yard,"says Donald. "'l sandwichedeach coppersheet between
'The otherswent to
blocksshapedlikethe shingles,and then
grandchildren and carefullypoundedthe edgeswith a polished
friends."This one fea- ball-peenhammer.Then I gluedeachto
tures a cedar roofwith a woodenshingle,"Donaldsays.The
compound-angle-cut pan- resultsare a study in perfection.
els suspendedovera
handcraftedcoppertray.

Picking a few winners from all

the great entries wasn't easy, -L t
but our judges proved up
to the task. Editor-In-Chief b E

T
t,*
Bill Krier and Senior Design
Editor Kevin Boyle were
joined by another seasoned C
woodworker: Scott Phillips, I
the host of "The American t
Woodshop" on PBS. Joe
Wilkinson, President of the
Iowa affrliate of the National The 271 entriesfilledthis room and another
Wildlife Federation, brought ScottPhillips,and KevinBoyleare allsmilesas they posewith to overflowingwith every imaginabletype of
his insightinto what birds like. the eightwinningentriesaftera longday of judging. birdhouseand bird feeder.

www.uroodonline.com 97
 Best Originat Indoor
(decorated/painted)
Birdhouse
$gOOworth of Rust-Oleum
paint prcducts
Johnny Johnson of Lindale,
. Texas, used old cast-iron
parts left over from his
days in the fencing
business,cut nails,
Best Oriqinal Bird Feeder and even a door-knob
A $52Ot "fiammer drill from Makita perch to lend a distinc-
Russ Deiterof Omer, Mich.,incorporatedloadsof tive thematiclook to his
conveniencefeaturesinto his beautiful,functional church birdhouse.With its
"RustyBridge"bird feeder.Most notable-the easy-loadingbin accessed toweringspire and
by removingtne top of the roof. Seeds pour into both sides at once and patinaedshingles,this
'The entry has the look and
spreadbelow for accessfrom eitheroutside or within the bridge.
best featureis the copper-screenbase,which allowssnow and rain to charm of an antique
run otf withoutcausingrot," Russ says. right out of the box.

There'sno way to showyou everycre- The messageover

ative, well-craftedentry in this contest. Richard Starr of the door of this
While only eightcouldwin prizes,many Burton,Mich., charmingbird-
more thoroughlyimpressedthe judges. craftedthis whimsi- house reads
Herearejust a few: cal entry almost "homesweet
entirelyfrom scraps. home"in
The roof is glued up Japanesechar-
from piecesof floor acters.Charles
joist, the worm-holed Chaplinof
trunk was cut from a Miss.,
Waynesboro,
2x12 header,and createdit by gluingup smallpieces
the bases are from of mahogany,fir, and sPanish
cedar trim boards. cedar,and then turningthe assem-
bliesto createthe body and roof.

Jaime Fuskoof Canton,Ohio, made
and assembled1,358woodenbricks,
343 stone-lookblocks,and 380 cedar
shingles,and then added 1,450
shrubsand flowersto createhis vision
of a bird'sdream cottage.
William
Fischerof
Norfolk,Va.,
madea big hit,
literally,with this
hammerbirdhouse. lt
featurestwo separate
homes.Onehasa clean-
out door.Accessto the
othercomesby releasing
a spring-loadedretainer
andremoving the head
fromthe handle.
Three uniquely-A
styledhouses
Bill Oakleyof Rancho perch on
Santa Margarita, a "grass"
Calif.,threw a vari- base in this
ety of woodworking birdhouse
skills into the pot colony
to createthis stun- enteredby
ning birdhouse. Lawrence
The teapot body Jenkinsof
is a hollowturning Shellsburg,lowa.
made up of stacked He formedthe lap sidingusinga dado
rings and paintedto bladetiltedto 10o,and cut each cedar
resemblean old-styleenameledfinish. roof shingle.All three housesfeature
vents and removableroofs.
HowardClementsof Knox,Pa.,createdthis Noah'sArk that springsto life with a
battery-drivenhomemadeworks that raisesand lowersthe giratfes'heads,movesthe
rooftobowl up and down, and makes Noah and his wife wave. i
WOOD rnagazlne June{ulY 2003
 developyour shoP skills

dead-on
li
*
drilling
I
I
4
Get accurate, trouble-free results
from lrour drill press by following
these simple guidelines.

JJlh.
- drill press seemssimple compared to a
-*orkshop's
I other stationarymachines.But
I when it comes to setup and use, many of the
same operating principles apply: You need to align
it properly; add some basic accessories;and stick
with safe, sensibleprocedures.
To help you along, we've collected six surefire
tips and techniques to guaranteeyour drill-press
success.They're simple, quick, and require only
items that you already have in your workshop.

I Line it up at 90o
I B"ruur" *r tllt drill-press tables for angled drilling from time to time, or
becausethey may not be perfectly set at 90o when purchased, we sometimes must
reset the table for perfect right-angle boring.
To do this, get hold of a L0" piece of heavy wire like that found in a coat hanger.
Bend each end into a right angle, and chuck one end in the drill press. Set the height
of the table so that the free end of the wire contacts the surface. Turn the chuck by
hand, keeping an eye on the wire to make sure it maintains consistent contact with
the table without flexing. If so, the table sits at 90o to the chuck. If you find that one
side is lower than the other, adjust it as shown in your owner's manual.

D Call for backup

6 Wotut your bits whilJexpanding your work surface with a 3A" plywood auxil-
iary table clamped or bolted to the metal table, as shown in the photo at the top of
this page. When you need to drill several through holes, go one step further-place
a backer board on top of the auxiliary table. Use any handy scrap, such as the parti-
cleboard shown at right. The backer board prevents tear-out on the bottom of your
workpiece by supporting wood fibers around the hole, while keeping your auxiliary
table intact. Move the backer board to place solid material beneath the next hole.
j
i
I
I
I
I
100 WOOD magazlne June{ulY 2003
I
I

t. ;,-*-"
Q Setthe depth
lf After you mount the bit and adjust the table height, set the depth stop to control
the depth of the hole. On the typical depth-adjustmentassemblyshown here (your
drill pressmight have a different stop design), lower the bit alongsideyour work-
piece to the chosen depth, hold it there, turn the depth-stop nut until it contacts the
top of the bracket, and then tighten the jam nut against it.
If the depth-stoprod is calibrated, like the one shown here, you have another
choice. Lower the bit until it contactsthe workpiece, note the location on the
gauge,and then move the depth-stopnut up the desired distanceand hold it in
place by turning the jam nut againstit.

A
tt
trdda dust-relieving fence
n simple fence comes in handy when you need to drill more than one hole at
the same distance from the edge of the workpiece. Make a fence by cutting two
straight piecesof 3/c"stock to a length that matchesthe width of your auxiliary table.
Use your tablesaw to cut a r/sxvl" dust-relief channel at the edge of one piece. This
channelpreservesaccuacy by keeping sawdustand wood chips from lodging
betweenfence and workpiece. Screw the piecestogether at a right angle, as shown,
and you have a fence that's easily clampedto the table.

f, Get a grip
tf Twist bits can drift off course when drilling into irregu-
lar grain, especially small-diameterbits like the Vro"bit BIT
TWIST
shown here. Limit this tendencyby inserting the bit well into
the drill-press chuck when you mount it. Leave enough of
I t - L I
the bit exposedto bore the hole to the desired depth-and I t-
lll€r
il |
I
'lil|
make sure that it's centeredin the chuck, not trapped I E{f |
betweenjust two of the threejaws. You also can improve
your accuracyby using brad-point bits.
BRAD-POINTBIT

fi Drill a dowel end

lf One of the trickiest drill-press tasks
is boring a centeredhole into the end of a
dowel. Try this quick and neat solution.
Clamp a2x3" scrapof 3/q"wood to
your drill-press table, and bore halfway
into it with a Forstner bit that's the same
diameter as your dowel. l,eave the scrap
in place, replace the Forstner with a bit
the size of the hole you want to drill in
the dowel, and drill the rest of the way
through to make the centering guide
shown atlefi. Placethe larger hole on the
end of the dowel, and clamp the dowel onto a holding jig, such as the V-groove ver-
sion shown. Lower the bit to align it with the smaller hole. Clamp the holding jig to
your drill-press table, and carefully drill your hole, as shown above. Q

www.woodonline.corn 101
sh passed
roducts
These wares
woodworking ourshop
trials '
- tG-'%

eo555

$3ZSbandsawdelirrcrsbig-time
After testinga whole bunchof bandsaws
priced from $500 to $9ffi for a recent
issueof WOODamagazine(issuelM),|
didn't expecttoo much out of a stationary
sawcostingonly $375.But the GizzIy
G0555isn't somestripped-down,under-
powered,ugly machine.In fact, it's quite
the opposite.
Standardfeaturesincludeball-bearing
bladeguides,4" dustport, a quick-release
tensionerthat allowedme to change
bladesin about8 minutes,a miter gauge,
and a really good rip fence.You'd have
to spendhundredsof dollarsmore to find
anotherbandsawwith this many standard
accessories.
The fenceis probablythe bestI've seen
on a 14" bandsaw.It adjuststo compensate
for blade drift, and featuresa magnified
As for power,the G0555's1-hpdual-
voltagemotor packsenoughpunchto
resaw6"-wide red oak boardseasily.If
I'd had this saw for the test a few months
ago,it would havefinishedaboutin the
middle of the pack for resawingpower.
You canrun92-93V2"bladesfrom /s"
to 3/q"wide on the G0555.Its 6" resaw
capacitybumpsup to 12" with the addi-
tion of a riserblock ($SO;.Add that and
an optionalmobile basefor $70, and
you're still paying less-a lot less-than I
paid for a 14" bandsawjust two yearsago
with noneof the features.Is it too late to
get my moneyback?
-Tested by Jeff Hall
GrizzlyG055514" bandsaw
Performance *****?

cursorfor easyreading.And, unlike many

otherbandsaws,it lifts right off the rail
without having to partially disassemble
lndustrial
CallGrizzly al8001523-4777,
orvisit
the saw. www.grizzly.com.

Rout dadoesthat fit first time, e\rcry time

As the yearsgo by, I've noticedthat I wind up with ill-fitting joints. But with Next, spreadthe two halvesof the
keep gettingfatter while plywood keeps the AccurateGuide,you can rout perfect- AccurateGuide and insert a coupleof
gettingthinner.That meansthat routing ly fitting dadoesfor Vq-I" materialswith scrapsof shelf stockbetweenthe two
dadoesto ffi3/q" plywood (actuallyabout only half as many fencesetups(andno halves,as shownat left. Without moving
23/tz"thick) requiresa Vz"bit and two lousymath!). the fence,makethe cleanupcut. The shelf
passesfor eachdado.And if you don't Let's sayyou're buildinga bookcase scrapsindex the guidepreciselyfor a
measure,calculate,or clamp your fence with t/+"-thick plywood shelves.After dead-ondado.
correctlyfor the cleanupcut, you can installingthe AccurateGuide in your The AccurateGuide works equally well
router'sedge-guide and in the samemannerfor routing slots
mountingholes,lay for perfectly fitting sliding dovetails.If
out the shelf location you havea Makita 1100-or 1lOl-series,
and clamp on a fence or Porter-Cable100-or 690-seriesrouter
to guide the router. (exceptfor the D-handlebase),order
With the two halves modelno. P2001.The B1001modelfits
of the Accurate all Boschroutersand DeWalt's 600-series
Guide closedand routers.
held againstthe -TestedbyGarry Smith
fence,make your Accurate
Guide
first cut usinga Vz" Performance *****
straight(or downcut *****
spiral)bit. For Vz"or
thinnerstockusea CallAccurateWoodworking
Toolsat 920/589-
4010,orvisitwww,accuratewoodtools.com.
Vq"bit.

WOOD magazine June/July 2003

 Casterset puts wheels
where you want them
No matter how large or small your
shop,you'll benefitfrom
theflexibility of having
heavy stationarytools
on mobile bases.But
somemobile bases
are a pain to
assemble(can
you say "bag
of bolts"?). More important, you
can't changethe wheel locations to best
seryethe tool they'll hold.
If you own closed-basestationarytools,
there may be an answer.Jet's Clamp-on
Castorsmount individually to suchtools
so you can place them anywherearound
the base.The installation insfructions
make severalsuggestionsabout where to
best place the wheelsfor tools with differ-
ent centersof gravity, whether low (oinf
er), high (bandsaw),or off-center (cabinet
saw or shaper).
The Clamp-on Castorsinstalled easily
on both my bandsawandjointer, especial-
ly becauseI only neededto tilt those
heavy tools slightly during installation,
rather than muscle them onto a mobile
base.The casters'magneticfacesheld
them in place while I tightenedthe J-
shapedclampsthat grip the wrap-under
flange on most closed-basetools. (Oddly,
my Jet 14" bandsawlacks that flange, but
the castersheld fast anyway, althoughthe
cabinetflexed more than on my jointea
which has a flange.)
In use, the casterslocked and rolled
easily, even over broken concrete.Clamp-
on Castorsetscome in trvo configurations:
Model JMB-CTR includes two fixed and
two swivel casters;the JMB-CTM set
comeswith four swivel casters.Neither
set works with open-standtools.
-TestedbyDaveStone

JetGlamp-on
Gastors
Penormance *****
modelJlrlB€IR;
$611,
$70,modelJI|B-CTR2
Value *****

CallJetEquipment
& Toolsat800/274-6848,
or
visitwwwjettools.com.

Continued on page 104

www.woodonllne.corn 103
 shop-proven products
Spiff up your hardwoodfloor in a day
If you've ever wishedyou could put a new face on your light$
worn hardwoo{ floor, but didn't want to endurethe hassleand
expenseof sandingand recoating,here'sanotheroption: the
Renewal systemfrom Varathane.
To start the process,I scrubbedthe surfaceof my 75-year-old
oak dining-room floor with a woven-abrasivepad dipped in
Renewal's"no-sandingformula." The manufacturersaysthis liq-
uid removeswix and "chemically etches"the existing flooring.
This stepwas easyenough,but mopping up with rags pnd clean
water gave me about an hour on my handsand knees.After let-
ting the floor air dry for about half an hour, I applied Renewal's
"interloc bonding formula," in the samemanneras stepone.
After 30 minutes of scrubbing,anotherhour of mopping, and 30
minutes of drying, I applied the top coat.
Using the lambs-wool applicatorthat comeswith the product
left me with a lot of bubblesin the water-basedfinish, even after
following the manufacturer'sstir-and-1et-settle instructionsto the
letter. I endedup sandingthe entire floor with a random-orbit
sander<nly about a 20-minute chore in my l2xl2'room-and
reapplying the finish. This time, I usedmy own painter's pad,
and reducedthe number of bubblesto an acceptablelevel.
Besidesthe bubblingproblem,the larnbs-woolapplicatorisn't
very precise.Fortunately,I had maskedoff all of the basemold-
ing aroundthe room to protect it from stepsone and two, and
that savedme from slopping fresh finish on the old molding.
Eight hours later, I could walk on the floor in stocking-feet,but
we'waited 72 hours before replacing the heavy furniture or walk-
ing on it with hard-soledshoes.
Renewalisn't designedfor use on floors with stains,deep
scratches,or gougesthat go all the way through the finish: You'll
still needto sandand refinish thosefloors. But, armedwith a
painter's pad and a full
day, you can rejuvenate Varathane Renewal
your gently worn hard- Performance *****
wood floor for about
what it coststo rent a Value *****
floor sander. CallVarathane orvisit
at800/635-3286,
-TestedbyBillKrier www.varathane.com.
lf you're tired of ointments anclcreamsthat are messy,hard
to apply and, worst of all, don't get results,then you owe it
to yourself to try AcadiaSklnCare.oAcadiawill help relieve
the lrritation and embarrassment of Psorlasis,Eczema,
seborrheic Dermatitis,rough, dry skln and Danclruff.
No burning,no prescriptions,no sterolds,no alcoholand best
of all,it's easyto applv even in those hard to reachareas.
Callnow ancl put AcadiaSkin Careto work for you.
AcacliaSkin Care'sactive ingredients are FDA approved
and dermatologist recommended, so you know it's safe,
and it works. Don't suffer any longer. Acadlaskln Care is
odorless,easyto apply and very effective.

tsnt lt flme you lookedand felt your best?All lt takes ls a phon€callt

call ]uowFor Your 30-DayRisk-FreeT?ial!
f -8OO-84O-8O20 Ext. 5-6578
Menfionthis ad and receivea FREEbottle of our therapeutlcbody wash wlth
your purchase.ncflve hgredlent FDAApprovecl)

FORBOil ACflE AIID ROEACEI"

ACADIAALSOOFFERSREYOLTMOilARYT{ET PRODUCTS WOOD magazlne June/July 2003
Slash knife-changing time by 70 percent i

Nothingcutslike a new blade,but few thingsfrustratelike i ffiru$*y

snffi-$t#p sh*pplmg
changingknivesin a jointer or stationaryplaner.I've long been
a fan of Esta-USA'sDispoz-A-Bladesystemthatbringsthe fmr y$n"f;r
rsfft#r$
convenience of quick-change, self-indexingknivesto stationary
Rockler'snew web site haseverything
planersandjointers.But, unlessyour tool's cutterhead came
equippedwith jackscrews(screwsin eachbladepocketthat you
for your router needstincludingrouter
raiseor lower to adjustthe knife height),you couldn'treally take tables,bits, accessoriesand more.
advantage of the systemuntil now.
Forjackscrew-less jointersandplaners,Esta-USAnow offers
Exclusive
Posi-Setmagnets-rare-earthmagnets,custom-sized for your RouterTable
tool-that rest in the bottom of the cutterhead'sknife pocketto Package
fix the heightof the Dispoz-A-Bladebladeholder.You simply
measurethe depthsof your knife pocketsand give the measure- ffinly $$#S.##
mentsto the manufacturer. (Or, Esta-USAwill sendyou a free
measuringcardif you call.)Then,they'll sendthe right magnets. Includesr
o PorterCable 2 H.P.
Onceinstalled,the knivesdrop in at the perfectheightevery
PlungeRouterwith
time. Usingthe Dispoz-A-Bladesystemwith Posi-Sets, I Micro-HeightAdjustment
swappedthe threeknivesin our Jet 8" jointer in lessthan 10 . Table& FenceSystem
minutes-a job that previouslyrequirednearlyan hour and a . AluminumRouterPlate
few unprintableexpletives.
At about$150to equipa 6" jointerwith theDispoz-A-Blade
Legs& occessoriessold seporote. Price Expires713I 103
system,plus another$45 for the Posi-Setmagnets,the startup
costisn't for the faint of heart.Onceyou bite the bullet,though,
it costsaboutthe sameto Visitwww.Ro
uterlvlania.com
now!
replacethe double-edged Posi-Sets andDispoz-A-Blade
knivesasit wouldto Performance *****
haveconventionalknives Price Posi-Set, $7.50permagnet;
sharpened twice.But how Dispoz-A-Blade
system: $153for6" joint-
er,$180for8"jointer,
$223 for15"planer
muchis your time-and
sanity-worth?
-TestedbyChuck
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Continuedon page 106

wwwwoodonline.com 105
shop-proven products
, _3._*_,_.*
Powermatic 544: A longer, =}+--

stronger6rriointer
As a rule of thumb,you can successful-
ly straightena boardup to twice the
lengthof yourjointer'sbed(thecom-
binedinfeedand outfeedtables).With the
Powermatic Model54A, its 66"-long
bed-the longestof any 6" jointer on the the fine control of a
markettoday-allows you to work stock handwheel.Raise or
up to I I' in length.I rarelyjoint stockthat lower the lever to set
long,but welcomethe extrasupportit pro- the rough cutting depth,
videsshorterworkpieces. then push the lever's
While bed lengthis important,it means handlein and twist it to
little if thejointer lackssufficientpower. fine-tune the depth.
That'snot a problemwith theModel 54A. In my tests,the
After edge-jointingsomestockat a Vs" Model 54A's fence
cuttingdepth,I face-jointedsome5"-wide proved both flat (with-
cherry,forgettingto resetthe cuttingdepth in .004" from end to end) and
to a morereasonable %t".The l-hp, dual- rigid, with a massivecenter trunnion. And Powermatic Model54A6" iointer
voltagemotor slowedwhenmakingthis the tilt stopsat 45o,90o.and 135'angles Performance *****
brutalcut,but didn't stall. are positive, accurate.and repeatable:I
Value ***rii^i
Speakingof cuttingdepth,the Model switched from one to the other and back
54A hasa uniquesystemthat combines with complete confidence. CallPowermatic orvisit
at800/248-0144,
the quick-and-dirtyactionof a leverwith -Tested by GanySmith www.powermatic.com.

106 WOODrnagazine June/July2003

/**
We offermani' builcl-it-;'ourselfkiLs:
buckboardbench,irish mail handcar,
wheelbarrows, halltree,sleigh,bakerscart,
garclencart,& park bench.All liits comc
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ry irmfi[, a ntr
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ffi
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Iferrrsshowlu
1901 Buckboard Wagon
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a u t h e n t i lco o k r n gp l a s t rrei r r g . ' nr i h c c l s . 2
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t
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Antique Wheelbarrow : extremeoutdoor exoosure.

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: i
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 FinaIIy...fl, EOMPI'NTN
Pooket-HoleJig l{it!
These circle jigs cut no corners OURCOMPLETE
When it comesto cuttingperfectcirclesin wood,I've resortedto KITINCLUDES:
shop-made routerjigs with mixed success. (Frankly,I usually . PocketJigwithClamp
spendmoretime buildingthejig thanusingit.) That'swhy I was . 3/8"StepDrillBit
. StopCollarforDrill
intriguedwith the JasperCircleJigsthatboastaccuracythrougha .
widerangeof circlesizes. HexWrench forCollar
. SquareDriveScrews
The conceptisn't new: Replaceyour router'ssubbasewith an . Shownhere
6" SquareDriveBit
oversizedauxiliaryplateandput a pivot pin in the centerof your in our kit,are
workpiece.Mark the radiusof the circleon the auxilizuyplate, A LLTH IS allthepieces
FORONLY (withyour drill)
drill a holetherefor the pivot pin, and startcutting. thatyou'llneed
$39.95 suss.ret
Insteadof a one-offjig, though,eachJasperjighasa seriesof S E N DFOR to execute
pelect joinery.
pivot-pinholesat preciseincrementsfrom the router-bithole.For DEALERLIST
example,the Model 200jig allowedme to rout any diametercir-
cle from 2t/q-l83Ao"rn t/r6"increments. That's 256 different
sizes,andeveryhole I cut wasright on the money. USETHISPOCKETJIG KIT TO MAKE: Heavy-duty aluminum

ffiilw
Becausemanyof the Model 200'spivot holesarefor diameters extrusion withhardened
steeldrillbushings.
smallerthanthe router'sbase,all of the incrementsaremarked
Shownherein use.the
on the bottomof thejig. That makesit moredifficult to locatethe
pin for any diameter.But Bill Jasperof JasperAudio, the maker holdsthewood
of thejigs, suggests puttingthe pivot pin into thejig first, then Faceframes,
tablelegbraces,flushjoints firmlyin placefor
pluscornerandanglejoints. accurate drilling.
usingit to find the centerhole in the workpiece.
For cuttingcirculartabletops,or otherlargearcs,the Model
300jig providesthe sameaccuracyin Vq"incrementsfrom SIMP'L PRODUCTSlnc,
21 BertelAvenue,MountVernon,NY 10550
7-5234".In suchcases,you alsowill wantJasper's Model 350 Web Site:woodjigs.com E-Mail:info@woodjigs.com
pivot pin. It's a shorlpin on a thin platethat attacheswith Availablethroughmostfine woodworkingoutlets.
double-faced tape,so you needn'tdrill a hole in your workpiece.
CircleNo.2085
Model 600 (shownbelow,andthe bestvaluein the bunchat
$31)cutscirclesfrom 7-183/+" in /+" steps,andthe smaller
Model 400 providest/ta"incrementsrangingfrom l-7V2".Each
JaspcrCircleJig comespre-
drilled with countersunk
holesfor mountingvirtually
JasperCircleJigs
ffetRid
ofthe[ust!
everymajorbrandof plunge
router,so within a minuteor
300; Model
$36, 400;$31,
(allprices
Model
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so of openingthe package,I Value *****
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design
CallJasper
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C i r c l eN o . 2 0 3 9
shop-proven products

Meet the self-centered

pen-boring clamp
If you're a pen turner,chancesare
you've let a few choicewords slip
after blowing throughthe sideof a
pen blank while accidentallydrilling
the centerhole offcenter. The
Drilling CenterVise helpseliminate
the heartbreakof bungledblanks.
Beforeusing the vise,I first cen-
teredit underthe drill-presschuck,
and clampedit to the drill-press
table.(A largerwoodenbasewould
havemadethejob a little easier.)
Oncesecured,all I had to do was
drop in a pieceof pen-blankstock,
and turn the crank to centerand
clamp.Both jaws openor close
simultaneously,automaticallycenter-
ing the blank beneaththe bit. The money savedfrom botchedboring DrillingGenterUise
I usedthe Drilling CenterVise to hold (andfrom being able to salvagemarginal- Performance *****
varioussizeblankswhile boring 7mm and sizescrapsof exotic woodsand burls) will
lOmm holes.I evenboredholesin odd- help this accessorypay for itself in no Value *****
shapedblanks,suchas 3/qxl", all without time flat. CallPennStateIndustries or
at800/377-7297,
fail and without repositioningthe vise. -TestedbyRichBright visitwww,pennstateind.com.

108 WOODmagazine June/July2003

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il ff
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 No-dust chalk line is on the level
Chalklinesdon't alwaysmark well on unevensurfacesand
sometimes requirea helperto hold the otherend,not to mention
the dustymessthey leavebehind.Strairline's LaserLine
Generator(LLG) givesyou a temporaryline, evenon roughsur-
faces,for hangingcabinetsor pictures,or layingout floor tile.
Ratherthancreatinga singledot like a laserlevel,the LLG
castsan actualline from the centerof its height,allowingit to
"look" aroundmanyobjectsin its path,suchas a window casing,
a wavein the wall, or my finger,as shownin the photobelow.
Althoughthe %"-widebeamgenerated by the LaserLine
Generatoris clearlyvisibleindoors,full daylighteasilyover-
whelmsit. I measured the width of the beam10'awayfrom the
unit, andfound it had spreadto t/t", at 30',the beamwas/+"
wide. Evenat thosedistances, the beamwasclearlydefined,and
still accurateas long as I remembered to mark in the centerof
the beam.
Spirirlevel vials mountedon the caseshowboth level and
plumb,andtheir tight markingsmakeit easyto assurea dead-
levelline. A pair of steelpinspop out the bottomof the LLG's
case to affix it to Strait-Line
LaserLineGenerator
drywall. flooring,
or a wooden wall Price $45
stud for hands- Value *****
free operation'
callAmerican
Toolcompany atg00/g3g-7845,
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orvrsitwww.strait-line.com.
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Wetesthundredsoftoolsandaccessories,
butonlythosethatearnat leastthree
starsforpedormanceandvalue
makethefinalcutandappearinthissection,
Ourtesters
thisissueinclude:
high-school
industrial
afisandwoodworking
teachers
RichBright,JeffHall,andKirkHesse;
machinistGarrySmith;and tndosed (tr 526.39
tr 524.90 PAresidents)U Jusf
sendfieecotolog
W00Damagazine staffmembersChuckHedlund (mastercraftsman),
BillKrier Chorge:
tr Viso tr Mo$er (ord
[ord tr Amextr Distover
(editor-in-chief)
andDaveStone(featureseditor).
Allareavidwoodworkers.i Signolure
(redit(ordNo. Exp.
Dote
0nlygood Nogifiees.
infte USA. Originols photocopies.
only-no
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www.woodonline.com 109
 All lhe QUAIIIYol premium
ttstand.alone"shopmachines
in IESSFLOOR SPACE,..
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When I thonone-funcfion
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Circle No. 924 CircleNo. 1766

woodrrvords
A quick guide to must-tarqwterms
used throughout WOOD' magazine.
Auxiliary fence: A temporary(some-
times sacrificial)fenceattachedto a table-
sawrip fenceor miter gauge,or to some
othermachinetable,to protecta cutteror
bit while providingfull workpiecesupport.
Gollet runout: The amountof deviation
from center(wobble)in a routercollet,
measuredin thousandths of an inch.
Climb cut: A routing operationduring
which the routermovesin the samedirec-
tion asthe bit's rotation,ratherthan against
the rotation,as is normal.The resultis a
cleaner,but harder-to-control,cut. Always Mullion: A vertical memberof a cabinet
makelight cutswhenclimb-cutting. or door frame that forms a division
betweentwo units,suchaspanels.
FAS: An abbreviationusedin hardwood-
lumbergradingfor Firsts-and-Seconds: Rail: A horizontalmember,most typical-
the bestboardscut from a log. An FAS ly in a cabinet'sface frame or door, and
boardmeasures at least
6" wide by 8' long, running betweentwo vertical pieces.
andyields a minimum of 83 percentclear
cuttings(areasfree of knots and defects). Stile: A vertical memberof a cabinetor
Theseareasmustbe at least4"x5'or 3"x7'. door frame.

Blade runout: Runoutin circular-saw

bladesis measuredby the amountof side- .T
to-sidemovementin the bladebody. BasicYield for FA.S

110 WOOD rnagazine June{uly 2003

-a
a

rrvhatts ahead
Yourpreview on sale July22
issueofW00Domagazine
oftheSeptember

pww$emwffim
ffi€sffiffims*ffi"#;Smm
ffiwruw& ffimffi
Wffiffi*ffiffi

Turnedboxwith lid
Fastandfun{o-make theturning
describes ofthis
Enjoy!
littlebeauty.

F f,
rl

Heirloom
curiocabinet holder
Cookbook
It'sallhere:classic
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Delight chefwiththisfunctional A stylish bird's-eye
cherrybaseandsmooth-as-glass
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kitchenaccessory. mapletopmakea woodworking wherever
statement
full-viewglassfronts/idesopenforeasyaccess. theholderfoldsupfor easystorage. piece.
youplacethisstunning

*ffwqxemm#ffiw,s,,$r.ffis
Wwsmffim* q"m
ffi ffii*m,,gm'ffi:
;#'$ffi*# Howto dealwith
woodmovement
tools William
Tune-up H.Macy:
Actor,woodturner It'sa fact:Woodexpands
foryour Visitthework- andcontracts with
woodworking shopof oneof seasonal changes in
machines Hollywood's humidity. the
Discover
Wecutthrough finestandstar keysto buildingfurni-
themyriadof of Fargo, turethatallowsforthat
choicesto letyou Pleasantville, inevitable movement.
knowwhich andJurassic
gaugesyoureally Parklll.We
needto adjust guarantee you'll
yourtablesaw,
Dadosets
learna thingor
Findoutwhichgive
mitersaw,jointer, twoabout
youthecleanest cuts
andplaner for lathe{ool
withoutemptying
top-notchresults. sharpening and
yourwallet,
bowlturning.

WOOD magazine June/July 2003