Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Popular Woodworking - April 2021
Popular Woodworking - April 2021
Timber Frame
Toddler Bed
DOVETAIL BOX
Refine Your Hand Tool Skills
BRUSHING SHELLAC
Master this Classic Technique
PURVEYORS OF
FINE MACHINERY ®
SINCE 1983
Quality Machines, Great Prices!
⁄ 2 HP BENCHTOP MORTISING
1
12" BENCHTOP DRILL PRESS MADE 14" HEAVY-DUTY FLOOR
IN AN
MACHINE WITH VARIABLE-SPEED & LASER
ISO 9001 DRILL PRESS
• Motor: 1⁄2 HP, 110V, single-phase, 6A • Motor: 1⁄3 HP, 120V, single-phase, 5.1A FACTORY • Motor: 3⁄4 HP, 110V, single-phase, 9A
• Spindle: 1725 RPM, JT #2, 31⁄4" travel • Swing: 12" • Swing: 14"
• Chuck size: 3⁄8" • Spindle taper: MT#2 • Drill chuck: 1⁄64"–5⁄8" MADE
IN AN
• Collar size: 5⁄8" • Spindle travel: 31⁄2" • Drilling capacity: 3⁄4" steel
ISO 9001
• Maximum stock width: 81⁄2" • Spindle speeds: • Spindle taper: MT#2 FACTORY
• Maximum stock thickness Variable, 400 - 2700 RPM • Spindle travel: 31⁄4"
without extension block: 41⁄4" • Drill chuck: 1⁄32" - 5⁄8", • 12 speeds: 140–3050 RPM
• Maximum stock thickness JT3, keyless • Collar size: 2.595"
with extension block: 6" • Drilling capacity: 5⁄8" mild steel • Precision-ground cast-iron table
• Maximum mortising depth: 3" • Max. distance from • Table size: 113⁄8" square
• Maximum chisel travel: 45⁄8" spindle to table: 131⁄4" • Table swing: 360º
• Maximum distance • Table dimensions: 95⁄8" x 95⁄8" • Table tilt: 90º left & right
column to chisel: 5" • Table tilt: 45° left/right • Overall height: 64"
• Chisel size range: 1⁄4"–1⁄2" • Table swivel around column: 360° • Approximate shipping weight: 171 lbs.
• Table size: 101⁄2” x 121⁄4" • T-slots: (x4) 1⁄2", X pattern
• Overall dimensions: 133⁄4" W x 29" D x 32" H • Overall dimensions:
• Approximate shipping weight: 76 lbs 13" W x 22" D x 36" H
• Approx. shipping weight: 93 lbs.
WARNING! †1 WARNING! †1 WARNING! †1
$
49 $
89 125
$
G0645 ONLY 355
$ 00 SHIPPING
lower 48 states
T31739 ONLY $
374 95 SHIPPING
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10" BENCHTOP TABLE SAWS 10" 2 HP HYBRID TABLE SAW 10" CABINET TABLE SAW
• Motor: 2HP, 115V, single-phase, C US WITH T-SHAPED FENCE • Motor: 3 HP, 220V, single-phase, 13A
60 Hz, universal motor, 15A • Motor: 2 HP, 120V/240V (prewired for 120V), • Rip capacity: 36" right, 18" left of blade
• Table size: 22" x 263⁄8" Table Saw 93K7
E98714 single-phase, 15A/7.5A 5012917 • Max. depth of cut @ 90°: 33⁄16"
• Arbor: 5⁄8", 2000-4000 RPM • Rip capacity: 31" right, 163⁄4 left of blade • Max. depth of cut @ 45°: 23⁄16"
• Blade tilt: Left, 45°; • Max. depth of cut @ 90°: 31⁄8" • Table size with extension wings: 481⁄4" W x 303⁄4" D
• Max depth of • Max. depth of cut @ 45°: 21⁄4" • Distance from front of table
cut @ 90°: 31⁄8" • Table size with extension wings: 401⁄2" W x 27" D to center of blade: 147⁄8"
• Max depth • Distance from front of table to center of blade: 151⁄2" • Floor-to-table height: 35"
of cut @ 45°: 21⁄8" • Floor-to-table height: 353⁄8"
• Rip capacity: 28" right • Arbor diameter: 5⁄8" 175370
• Arbor diameter: 5⁄8" • Arbor speed: 4000 RPM
• Dado capacity: 13⁄16" G0869 • Arbor speed: 3450 RPM 3
• Dust port: 21⁄2" • Max. width of dado: ⁄4"
• Max. width of dado: 13⁄16"
• Overall size: 27"L x 32"W x 21"H (G0869); • Dust port size: 4" • Dust port size: 4"
411⁄2"L x 371⁄2"W x 41"H (G0870 • Overall dimensions: • Footprint: 23" x 21"
• Approximate shipping weight: 72 lbs. (G0869); 64" W x 401⁄2" D x 36" H • Overall dimensions:
106 lbs. (G0870) • Footprint: 75" W x 44" D x 421⁄2" H
WARNING! †1 21" L x 191⁄2" W • Approximate shipping
W/ RIVING KNIFE
$
49 • Approximate shipping weight: 587 lbs.
$
39000
SHIPPING
*To maintain machine warranty, 440V operation requires additional conversion time and a $ 250 fee. Please contact technical service for complete information before ordering.
Some products we sell can expose you to chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and /or birth defects or other reproductive harm. For
TECHNICAL SERVICE: 570-546-9663 more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/product
• Almost a million square feet packed to the rafters with machinery & tools FREE 2021 CATALOG
• 2 Overseas quality control offices staffed with qualified grizzly engineers
• Huge parts facility with over 1 million parts in stock at all times OVER 736 PAGES OF HIGH
• Trained service technicians at both locations QUALITY MACHINES & TOOLS
• Most orders ship the same day AT INCREDIBLE PRICES
14" 1 HP DELUXE BANDSAW 17" 2 HP BANDSAW 6" JOINTERS WITH CABINET STAND
• Motor: 1 HP, 110V/220V,
• Motor: 1 HP, 110V/220V • Motor: 2 HP, 110V/220V (prewired single-phase, 14A/7A
(prewired 110V), single-phase, 220V), single-phase, 19A/9.5A • Prewired voltage: 110V
11A/5.5A • Table size: 17" x 17" x 11⁄2" thick • Table size: 473⁄8" x 65⁄8"
• Cutting capacity/throat: 131⁄2" • Table tilt: 10° left, 45° right • Table type: precision
• Max. cutting height: 6" • Floor to table height: 371⁄2" ground cast iron
• Table size: 14" x 14" x 11⁄2" • Cutting capacity/throat: G0814
• Table adjustment: Pictured
• Table tilt: 10° left, 45° right 161⁄4" left of blade dovetailed ways
• Floor-to-table height: 43" • Maximum cutting height: 121⁄8" • Cutterhead type:
• Blade length: 921⁄2"–931⁄2" • Blade size: 1311⁄2" long straight knife (G0814)
• Blade width: 1⁄8"–3⁄4" • Blade width range: 1⁄8" - 1" wide V-helical (G0814X)
• Blade speeds: 1800 & 3100 FPM • 2 blade speeds: 1700 and 3500 FPM • Cutterhead diameter: 21⁄2"
• Overall size: 27" W x 30" D x • Wheels: Computer-balanced cast- • Max depth of cut: 1⁄8"
671⁄2" H aluminum with polyurethane tires • Fence size: 4" x 291⁄8" FREE PAIR OF
• Approx. shipping weight: 246 • Wheel covers: Pre-formed steel • Approx. shipping SAFETY PUSH
lbs. • Overall size: 73" H x 32" W x 32" D • weight: 260 lbs.
BLOCKS
• Footprint: 27" L x 173⁄4" D x 21⁄2" H
WITH CAST-IRON WHEELS! • Approximate shipping weight: 342 lbs. W/ STRAIGHT KNIVES WARNING! †1 $
125
$
775 00 SHIPPING
1
WARNING! † 1
WARNING! † 1 WARNING! †
W/ V-HELICAL CUTTERHEAD $
125
G0555LX ONLY $
69500 $
125 G0513 ONLY 115000
$ $
149
177335
SHIPPING
lower 48 states
181721
SHIPPING
lower 48 states G0814X ONLY $
1175
00 SHIPPING
lower 48 states
8" X 72" DOVETAIL JOINTERS 13" PLANER/MOULDER 15" 3 HP PLANER WITH CABINET STAND
WITH BUILT-IN MOBILE BASES • Motor: 11⁄2 HP, 110V/220V (prewired • Motor: 3 HP, 230V, single-phase, 12A
175370
• Motor: 3 HP, 230V, single-phase 110V), single-phase, 15/7.5A • Maximum stock width: 15"
• Table size: 9" x 72" G0855 • Maximum stock thickness: 6"
Pictured • Max. cutting width: 13".
• Fence size: 45⁄8" x 38" • Max. lumber height: 6". • Minimum stock thickness: 3⁄16"
• Maximum depth of cut: 1⁄8" • Max. cutting depth: 1⁄8" (planing). • Minimum stock length: 6"
• Rabbeting capacity: 1⁄2" • Max. profile depth: 3⁄4" (moulding). • Maximum cutting depth: 1⁄8"
• Cutterhead speed: 5500 RPM • Maximum width capacity: 49⁄16" • Cutterhead diameter: 3"
• Cutterhead diameter: 3" (moulding). • Cutterhead type: 3-knife
• Cutterhead knives: 3 (G0855) • Knife size & type:
• Cuts per minute: 16,500
• Planing feed rate: 24 FPM.
• Number of cutterhead inserts: 36 (G0856) • Moulding feed rate: 12 FPM. 15" x 1" x 1⁄8", HSS
• Insert size: 15.0 x 15.0 x 2.5mm • 3 HSS knives at 13" x 5⁄8" x 1⁄8" • Cutterhead speed: 5000 RPM
• Power transfer: Poly-V belt drive
FREE PAIR OF • Cutterhead speed: 5000 RPM • Feed rate: 16 & 28 FPM
SAFETY PUSH • Footprint: 221⁄4" x 211⁄4" • Table size with extensions: 15" x 50"
• Switch: push-button BLOCKS
with large off paddle • Approximate shipping weight: 236 lbs. • Dust port size: 4"
• Approx. shipping weight: 450 lbs. • Footprint: 211⁄2" x 21" MADE IN
INCLUDES MADE IN AN ISO • Overall dimensions: 32" W x 50" D x AN ISO
WARNING! †1 9001
FLOOR STAND 9001 FACTORY 44" H
G0855 ONLY 119500
$ 199
$
SHIPPING 175370 • Approx. shipping weight: 517 lbs. FACTORY
lower 48 states
1
WARNING! †
W/ HELICAL CUTTERHEAD WARNING! †1 WARNING! †1
199
$ $
125 $
199
G0856 ONLY $
1595
00 SHIPPING
lower 48 states
G1037Z ONLY $
895 00 SHIPPING
lower 48 states
G1021Z ONLY $
162500 175370
SHIPPING
lower 48 states
15" 3 HP FIXED-TABLE PLANER 6" X 48" BELT / 18" OPEN-END DRUM SANDER
WITH HELICAL CUTTERHEAD 12" DISC COMBO SANDER WITH VARIABLE-SPEED FEED
175370
• Motor: 3 HP, 230V, single-phase, 12A • Motor: 1 HP, 110V/220V, single- • Sanding motor: 1.5 HP, 120V, single-phase, 13A
• Max. stock width: 15" phase, 1725 RPM • Drum surface speed: 2600 FPM and 3400 FPM
• Max. stock thickness: 6" • Belt table size: 7" x 121⁄2" MADE IN AN • Conveyor feed rate: variable, 0-12 FPM
• Min. stock thickness: 3⁄16" • Disc table size: 7" x 161⁄2" ISO 9001 • Maximum stock dimensions:
• Min. stock length: 6" • 21⁄2" and 3" dust ports FACTORY 36”W x 41⁄2”H
• Max. cutting depth: 1⁄8" • Base measures: • Minimum board
• Cutterhead diameter: 25⁄8" 161⁄2"W x 14"D length: 6"
• Cutterhead type: • 2500 FPM belt speed • Minimum board
4-row helical, 48 inserts • Approximate thickness: 1⁄8"
• Dust port size: 4” shipping weight: • Sanding drum size: 4"
• Footprint: 21” x 181⁄2” 149 lbs. • Dust collection port: 4"
• Insert size & type: 15mm x 15mm • Overall size: 351⁄2" W
x 2.5mm, 30° indexable carbide x 221⁄2" D x 50" H
• Cutterhead speed: 5200 RPM MADE IN AN ISO • Approximate shipping
• Feed rate: 16 FPM & 28 FPM 9001 FACTORY weight: 235 lbs.
• Table size with extensions: 15" x 49"
• Overall dimensions: 25" W x 49" L x 471⁄2" H
• Approximate shipping weight: 375 lbs.
3092372
WARNING! †1 $
149 WARNING! †1 125
$ WARNING! †1 $
149
G0891 ONLY
$
1950 00 SHIPPING
lower 48 states G1276 ONLY
$
895 00 SHIPPING
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$
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lower 48 states
Due to rapidly changing market conditions, our advertised prices may be increased at any time without prior notice.
DISCOVER HUNDREDS
OF PRODUCT VIDEOS
21516
grizzly.com
APRIL 2021 | VOL. 41, NO. 2 POPULARWOODWORKING.COM
Build
28 Plywood Lounge
Chair
A single sheet of plywood
yields enough parts for
two chairs.
BY DILLON BAKER
36 Timber Frame
Child’s Bed
Practice traditional building
joinery on a smaller scale.
BY JASON STEPHENS
48 A Dovetailed Box
A small storage project to
hone your skills.
BY CHRISTOPHER WALKER
36
28
2 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
48
FOR WHEN
ENDURANCE MATTERS.
3M ™ Ultra Durable Sanding Discs
3M™ Ceramic Precision Shaped Grain Technology takes on tough
surfaces and keeps on going. Cuts fast and lasts long for removing,
<5F5<9>71>4ɝ>9C89>7!E93;1DD138=5>D1>451CIB5=?F1<
with universal hole pattern for random orbital sanding tools.
Premium abrasives that last from one job to the next.
built to perform
Connect
06 From The Editor
Shop dreams.
12 Workshop Tips
Tips for accurate layout,
cutting small parts, clamping,
storage and more.
16 New Tools
Hearing protection, pocket
12 16 hole jigs, a cutting guide, a
powerful drill press and more.
Craft
20 Technology
Cutting and carving plastics
with a CNC router.
BY CHRIS FITCH
24 Book Excerpt
Learn to make this pizza
rocker, because your hand-
made pie deserves more than
a generic roller.
20 24 BY DAVID PICCIUTO
55 Finishing
Apply the classic shellac finish
like a pro.
BY MITCH KOHANEK
60 Spotlight
Chatting with Aspen Golann
and Loni LaCour.
BY COLLIN KNOFF
55 60
Number 258, April 2021, Popular Woodworking Magazine (ISSN 0884-8823, USPS 752-250) is published 6 times a year, February, April, June, August, October, and December,
which may include an occasional special, combined, or expanded issue that may count as two issues, by Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc., 5710 Flatiron Parkway Suite A, Boulder,
CO 80301. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 2143 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork should include ample
postage on a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE); otherwise they will not be returned. Subscription rates: A year’s subscription (6 issues) is $24.95; Outside of the U.S. add
$10/year. Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No. 40025316. Canadian return address: 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON N8T 3B7. Copyright 2021 by Active Interest Media Holdco,
Inc. Periodicals postage paid at Boulder, CO, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 37274 Boone, IA 50037-0274.
4 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Innovative Products
SINCE 1989!
W1812
7" 2 HP PLANER MOULDER
W1742H
15" 3 HP PLANER
W/ BUILT-IN MOBILE BASE W/ STAND
AND HELICAL CUTTERHEAD
ELLIPTICAL JIG
D3393
• Motor: 3 HP, 240V, single-phase, 15A
FOR CURVED MOULDING
• Max. cutting width: 15" PRODUCTION
• Max. cutting depth: 1 ⁄ 8"
WARNING! †1
8" JOINTER
W1741H
W/ ADJUSTABLE BEDS
AND HELICAL 22" X 42"
W1852
CUTTERHEAD VARIABLE-SPEED
• Motor: 3 HP, 240V, single-phase, 15A WOOD LATHE
• Table size: 763 ⁄ 8"L x 8"W x 11 ⁄ 2"T
• Max. width of cut: 8" Made in an ISO • Motor: 3 HP, 240V, 3-phase
WARNING! †1 9001 Factory (with inverter), 8A Made in an ISO
• Distance between centers: 42" 9001 Factory
• Spindle threads: 11 ⁄4" x 8 TPI RH
WARNING! †1
10" 2 HP HYBRID
W1837
Shop
Dreams
By Andrew Zoellner
Working from home, my office
space overlooks my backyard and
garage. When those Zoom meetings
run a bit too long, or my eyes glaze
over after staring at a screen filled
with text and numbers, I find myself
daydreaming about my shop.
Not my actual shop, mind you.
My actual shop is a 1920’s one-car
garage that was expanded to a two
car some time mid-century. When
I moved in two years ago, the walls
were solidly out of plumb, the con-
crete floor was cracked and heaving,
it had two, 11-amp circuits, and the
roof had a few key leaks. Since then,
I’ve added a plywood floor on sleep- The view from my desk on a wintry day. Though by no means ideal, my garage
gives me space to make nearly anything and a way to unwind. It doesn't, how-
ers to one half, upgraded the electri-
ever, store any cars.
cal to a 60-amp sub panel, insulated
and sheathed the walls and added
better lighting. I’m always weighing frame structure. In that dream shop, From my own experience with
the pros and cons of improving my beams of pine and oak (readily avail- these joints, it feels like something
actual shop versus saving for the able in my climate) are joined with I could really build (if only I had
dream shop. And lately, that dream extra large versions of the joints we access to 20 or so good-sized logs
shop is where my mind drifts. use in furniture. and an extra large chisel).
I like living in the city, so my shop The pegs holding those joints And someday, that will be my
can only have a footprint of about together also function as places to shop. Hopefully soon enough that
700 square feet. I can only have hang a shop apron or coat, or maybe I’ll have a hand in building it. But if
one outbuilding on my property, so a saw or two. Posts supporting the you’re like me (and Jason Stephens,
the shop may have to have a car or upper floor provide the perfect loca- page 36), it’s never too early to start
snowblower stored in it from time tion for outlets and dust collection learning the fundamentals, though
to time. But more than anything, runs. The skeleton of the building is on a slightly smaller scale. For now,
I want my shop to be inspiring, a visible and apparent to anyone who it’s back to the reality of working in
comfortable place to create, to visits, at once both cozy and airy. an old garage, making it as nice as I
work, to relax and maybe build a Knowing that timber frame can, while my dream shop gets built
few things. structures have stood for hundreds (and rebuilt) in my head.
While there are a lot of advan- of years on this continent (and
tages to using modern building thousands across Europe and the
methods, for me, nothing beats the rest of the world), the building
charm and inspiration of a timber method feels very sustainable.
6 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
K5
or
K4
$70
1 Guide Block Automatically
Adjusts Depth. 1
2 Drill Big Stop Collar
Auto-Adjusts Credit To The
3 Auto-Adjust Clamp
Auto-Jig
4 Color Coded
Screw System
4
2
3
And Get The Only FULLY Self Adjusting Pocket Hole System
Trade In Your Jig & Get $70 Off The Auto-Jig
For More Info Or To Sign Up:
visit: https://armor-tool.com/ or ScanOpen
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Offer only valid at ARMOR-TOOL.com Offer available Jan. 1, 2021 - Mar. 31, 2021. Make The Trade Tool Exhange *Subject to other terms and
d conditions.
di i
Connect
WORKSHOP TIPS
APRIL 2021, VOL. 41, NO. 2
EDITOR IN CHIEF ■ Andrew Zoellner
SENIOR DESIGNER ■ Danielle Lowery
WALL CONTINUOUS
HANGER DIGITAL EDITOR ■ Collin Knoff
HINGE
PROJECTS EDITOR ■ Dillon Baker
TECHNOLOGY EDITOR ■ Chris Fitch
PHOTOGRAPHERS ■ Chris Hennessey, Jack Coyier
CONTRIBUTORS ■ Mitch Kohanek, Jason Stephens,
Christopher Walker,
LOCKING
TABLE LEG
BRACE
EDITORIAL CONTACT
azoellner@aimmedia.com
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
For subscription inquiries, orders and address changes go to:
www.popularwoodworking.com/customerservice
Larger Try Square 877-860-9140
subscriptions@aimmedia.com
Transform a framing square into a large try square by Copyright ©2021 by Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc.
adding a wooden head. The holes bored through the All rights reserved.
framing square to hold the head must be oversized to Popular Woodworking is a registered trademark of
Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc.
allow adjustment. Check the tool for accuracy and
adjust accordingly.
10 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
HIGH-SPEED MODULAR
HAND GRINDERS
60-GRIT
FLAP
SANDER
ANGLED
BOTTOM
SHELF
12 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Divide a Board
To divide a board into equal widths without complex
fractions, place a ruler diagonally across the surface
so you can mark off the number of segments in whole
numbers. For example, to divide a board into seven equal
parts, place the zero mark on one edge, and place the 7"
mark on the other edge. Make a pencil mark at each 1"
mark to divide the board.
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 13
Connect
WORKSHOP TIPS
Floor Drawer
Here’s a great space-saving tip. I first made “floor
drawers” like these for under-the-bed storage. They
worked so well I decided to use them in the shop.
Floor drawers work great for storing scrap wood or
infrequently used tools and supplies. Make the drawers
long but shallow so the contents are easy to get at. I
made mine with non-swiveling wheels and an oversize
handle so I can push them in a straight line with my NON-SWIVELING
foot. — Mike Fillipi WHEELS
CHAMFER ON BACK
EDGE ALLOWS SHELF
TO BE TIPPED IN
L-HOOK
SCREW A SUPPORT
BRACKET ONTO
DEEP SHELVES
BEVEL
BOTTOM
EDGE
Perf-Board Shelving
I use a perf-board over my bench to keep tools organized and within easy reach. These shelves take the concept one
step further and remove the clutter that tends to build up on a workbench. Use 2 x4s and 1/4" L hooks to make the
shelves. Chamfer the top back edge so the shelf can be tipped in and tighten the L hooks for a snug fit against the
perf-board. These shelves are surprisingly strong and can be sized to fit your specific needs. — Myron S. Levy
14 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Connect
NEW TOOLS
■ Multi-Router
The Multi-Router Woodpeckers
Returns woodpeck.com
Price: $2995
Woodpeckers recently acquired the
rights for the legendary multi-router
(originally brought to market by the
now-defunct JDS Manufacturing
nearly three decades ago). This ma-
chine excels at cutting all kinds of
joinery with a router, from mortises
and tenons, to box joints, dovetails,
rabbets and more.
The machine features 3-axis
movement. The router is mounted
horizontally and moves up and down.
The table (where you clamp your
workpiece), moves in and out and
side to side. Levers and stops control downs. You can
the parameters of the cut—most also upgrade to pneumatic
operations require working two le- hold downs to speed up production,
vers. Pair the right bit with one of the as well as add a digital readout. joinery machine, you won’t have to
multi-router templates, and you can With the full support of Wood- worry about spending your hard-
quickly batch out all kinds of joinery. peckers (and its dedication to earned money on a machine without
Angled joinery is easy to dial in, with high-quality, made in the USA tools) a support team to back it up.
the tilting table and adjustable hold behind this versatile, precision — Andrew Zoellner
Edge-Sanding Guide
Sanding the edge of a table or in-
terior of a face frame with a power
sander can be a fraught affair. There
is huge potential for tipping or los-
ing control. Festool’s edge-sanding
guide pairs with their 5" random
orbit sanders to make edge sanding
more precise.
This guide uses the top of a
workpiece as a reference surface
in it’s fixed position to guide your
sander at 90° along the edge (or
any angle between 43° and 90°).
There’s also a soft mode, where
the angle of the sander moves to
accommodate changing surfaces.
The base of the guide has chang-
■ Edge-Sanding
able pads to keep finished surfaces
Guide
free of marring, and you have full
Festool
access to change paper on the sand- festoolusa.com
er with the guide attached. Keep Price: $99
those crisp lines and bevels that you
worked so hard to cut. — AZ
16 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
No-Fuss Hardware ■ Or
Original Cabinet
Installation Hard
Hardware Jig
True Position Tools
Installing cabinet pulls can be a bit truepositiontools.com
truep
Price: $189, extension set $129
Price
daunting. It’s usually one of the last
steps in the process, and when you’re
close to finished. Making a measure,
marking or drilling mistake this late
in the game can really be a bummer.
And installing a handle with two to use dedicated hardware jigs out jig tackles spacing up to 12" center
mounting points? That’s where a there. The genius is in its T-square to center, and additional accessories
dedicated hardware jig really shines. design. With the jig, you can dial in get you wider spacing. A separate
The True Position Tools original any hardware spacing from a single set of guides can be used for drilling
cabinet hardware jig is celebrating knob to a 3'-wide handle and perfect- standard 32mm spaced holes for
25 years since its launch, and it’s still ly place and align the mounting holes. shelf pins and other hardware based
one of the most versatile yet easy The standard cabinet hardware on the 32mm cabinet system. — AZ
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 17
Connect
NEW TOOLS
■ Crosscut
Station
Circular Saw Kreg Tool
Crosscut Station kregtool.com
Price: $59.99
It can be tricky to do precision work
with a standard circular saw, which is
why it’s usually relegated to breaking
down material before you do the
detail work with other machines in
the shop. But it’s often one of the Your circular saw rides on a pair of
first tools a DIYer purchases because rails (adjustable to securely fit your
it’s affordable and versatile. saw’s base) that guide the saw over
Kreg’s new crosscut station takes a cutting surface with integrated
the inexpensive circular saw and clamps and a miter fence. At 90° you
gives the tool a way to do accurate, get 12" of cutting capacity (more
repeatable cuts. than on a 12" miter saw). — AZ
Redesigned Pocket
Hole Jigs ■ Pocket-Hole Jig
720PRO
Kreg’s name is nearly synonymous Kreg Tool
with pocket hole jigs. This affordable, kregtool.com
easy-to-use way to mechanically Price: $149.99
fasten wood has inspired genera-
tions to start their journeys into
woodworking. These redesigned and
reengineered offerings from Kreg are
a more intuitive and faster system for
drilling pocket holes.
The core of the flagship Pocket-
Hole Jig 720PRO is the one-motion
Automaxx clamping, which automat-
ically clamps and sets the material
thickness setting for pieces 1/ 2" to
1 1/ 2" thick. (In previous jigs, setting
the material thickness and clamp-
ing the material in place were done
with two separate operations.) That
means you can switch material The automatic adjustment ■ Pocket-Hole Jig
thicknesses mid project and all of the and clamping is available on 520PRO
adjustments are made automatically. stripped down versions of Kreg Tool
Kreg has also improved dust col- this jig, too. The 720 model kregtool.com
lection ( just connect to your shop is the same as the 720PRO, Price: $99.99
vacuum) and really thought through without the support wings
the accessories. In particular, the and a couple accessories. The
support wings (which hold bits and 120PRO has three presets for
screws) detach to give more support material thicknesses married
on longer pieces. And, there’s an to a trigger clamp. All three
included clamp that lets you secure models work with the optional
the jig on just about any surface. plug cutter, too. — AZ
18 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
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POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 19
Technology
Plastics are amazing materials. resistance, good tensile strength. Once again, try to use a larger bit.
Their lightweight grain-less structure It’s also super slippery and wear In both cases use a spiral bit
gives them uniform strength in all resistant. HDPE polyethylene is for work on thick materials to lift
directions making it an ideal material almost as strong as UHMW, comes out the chips and clear the cut. A
for all sorts of parts and projects. in several colors and has the bonus straight bit is best for thin materials
Available in clear, translucent and of being outdoor rated. because it won’t tend to pull the
opaque plastics add a whole new Plastics are grouped as either hard material off the spoil board causing
level to your workshop’s repertoire. or soft. Cast acrylic is a hard plastic, chatter and a poor edge finish.
While there are dozens of different extruded acrylic, UHWW polyeth- Carving work requires two bits,
kinds of plastics, I recommend you ylene and HDPE polyethylene are one for the roughing pass and a sec-
try acrylic and polyethylene. soft plastics. ond for the finishing pass. A 1/4" two
Acrylic plastic is manufactured in So, let’s talk about how to work flute spiral “O” style bit will handle
either a cast or an extruded form. with soft and hard plastics. When the roughing pass. A good choice for
Both offer good machinability, im- machining plastics our goal is an the finishing pass is a tapered spiral
pact strength and tensile strength. efficient cutting operation with ball-nosed bit. I think 1/16" diameter
Extruded Acrylic is available in no welding of chips (the biggest is a versatile size that gives good
many thicknesses, mostly less than problem cutting plastics) and an ex- detail. A tapered bit for plastic will
3/8" and in clear or a wonderful as- cellent surface finish. This requires have two flutes, no more. (My best
sortment of translucent colors. Cast a few considerations: the right type advice for plastic carving is to carve
acrylic is typically clear and available of bit, the right size of bit, the right hard plastics which have higher
in much thicker dimensions, up to combination of feed and speed and melting points such as cast acrylic
4". Cast acrylic plastic is tougher good work holding. and stay away from soft plastics!)
and harder than extruded acrylic
while extruded acrylic offers more The Bits 1 1/4" bits seem to work best for
flexibility and formability. Soft plastic works best using a single plastic, though an 1/8" is sometimes
Woodworkers are already familiar flute “O” style bit. Use 1/4" bit when- needed for tight situations.
with UHMW polyethylene as it is ever you can and a 1/8" for tight situa-
2 Carving a soft plastic to make
commonly used for table saw and tions. Larger bits simply work better. gears. A single flute bit works best.
router fence faces and for various For hard plastics, choose a two
jigs. This type of plastic has very flute “O” style bit. The two flutes 3 Harder acrylic is easier to
good machinability, excellent impact will produce a superior edge finish. machine with a two-flute bit.
1 2 3
20 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Cutting & Carving Plastic
Chip Load, Feed and When cutting plastics on your of methods. One solution is to use
Speed and Depth of Cut CNC router increase the feed rate double sided tape combined with
Bit selection is important, but the first then try slowing the rpm to hold downs or screws. Just don’t
wrong chip load can spoil the cut. obtain a good cut. Remember for- rely on tape alone. With plastic that
Plastic is sensitive to heat and rout- mulas are a place to start— results comes with a protective coating
ing generates a lot of it. Maximizing will be the final guide. spray adhesive is a handy option.
the size of the chip (chip load)
transfers the heat into the chip and QUICK TIP: If you are having problems QUICK TIP: When using tape or spray
away from the workpiece. The right with melting on small parts, consider putting adhesive with very thin materials, it can be
chip load will help reduce knife the plastic in the freezer for an hour or more. a challenge not to damage the part when
marks and rough, cratered surfaces. removing them. Consider adhering the part to
The last parameter of bit set up is a small, sacrificial board. This can be removed
easily where you can use a solvent to soften
_ feed rate _ the depth of cut. Generally, 1/2 the
Chip load = bit diameter is a good place to start.
the tape's spray adhesive's bond.
RPM x # of flutes
Experience is the best teacher to
For plastics the ideal chip load Workholding get the feel of cutting and carving
falls between .004 and .012. Faster For the bit to operate, clear the plastics. As you gain confidence,
feed rates help reduce the heat of chips while producing an excellent you’ll find a whole new world to
friction, however, small parts, carv- edge, the work must be secure. For explore. PW
ing and hobby sized machines will thick sheets of plastic this is not a
limit the feed rate. Here are some problem. Screws and various hold Chris Fitch is Popular Woodworking’s
combinations to test: downs will work fine. Thin mate- resident CNC routing expert and
rials often require a combination co-host of The Woodsmith Shop on PBS.
.005 chip load = 80 IPM
16500 RPM x 1 flute
4 5
22 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
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POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 27
Plywood Lounge
Chair A Single Sheet of Plywood Yields Enough
Parts for Two Chairs. By Dillon Baker
PROJECT #2104_
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Time: 2 Days
Cost: $100
During my senior year of a step further by designing a piece
design school, I was presented where two chairs can be assembled
with the challenge of creating a piece from a single 4' X 8' sheet of plywood
of furniture using a single sheet of using mostly handheld power tools—
Baltic-birch plywood. The objective you are welcome, Professor Martin.
being: utilize as much of the sheet Let us get started.
as possible with minimal amount of
waste. Easy enough—or so I believed. Create a Cutting Diagram
Here we are, a whole decade later An essential component to this
and the substance of this objective project is establishing the layout of
continues to fascinate me. Part of each piece in relation to one another 1
this allure could be attributed to on the plywood sheet. This begins
nostalgia, or just sheer frontal lobe with a process known as “nesting”
engagement; however, I am con- which aids in not only eliminating
vinced it’s a bit more idiosyncratic waste, but also helps establish the
and applicable than that. procedure in which each piece is cut
One of the unique elements of from the sheet.
this assignment is the nature of its To make the pieces more man-
framework, which forces one to ageable, cut the plywood into three
design within the limits of spatial separate sheets. Here, a track saw
availability; thus, presenting its was used, but a circular saw along
own set of inherent challenges. The with a cutting guide will work just as
material is limited, high scores in well. Once this is complete, proceed
Tetris are valuable (although not to cut the individual pieces to their
requisite), and if you are not using final dimensions (with the excep-
the aid of a CNC machine, feasible tion of the stretchers – leave these 2
cut paths for handheld tools are long by 1/4").
imperative. It’s like designing a giant
jigsaw puzzle—oh, and by the way, A Master Template for All 1-2 Lay out the stopped dadoes
you have to create all of the pieces. Begin by laying out the locations of first. A couple of bevel gauges
To expand upon this original the stopped dadoes along with the help nail the angles. I use a dado
concept, and to make good on any mortises on all four sides. Once the template to mark the dado (and cut
it later).
past failed collegiate attempts, I went joinery layout is established, I went
BACK STRETCHER
SEAT R
STRE TCHE
TCHE STRE
SEAT R SEAT E R
STRE TCH
TCHE STRE
R SEAT
BACK STRETCHER
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 29
Plywood Lounge Chair
3 4
5 6
ahead and built a couple of jigs to base and a 1/2" diameter pattern bit made, square up the ends of the
help assist with the two types of (bearing towards the shank). Make grooves using a 1/2" bench chisel.
joinery which will be implemented. sure that the bearing has plunged Now, swap out the stopped-da-
This not only aids in joinery expedi- below the surface of the jig before do jig for the one created for the
ency, it ensures repeatable accuracy you begin to make passes; any mortises. Draw a line (13 7/8" from
when making your cuts. contact the flute of the bit makes the panel’s back edge) through the
Using the reference lines, apply with the walls of the jig without the center of the groove created for the
the stopped-dado jig to one of guidance of the bearing will render seat pan. You will notice there is
the side panels using double- your cut inaccurate—just remem- another line drawn at 80º on center,
sided tape. For this process, I used ber, slow and steady wins the race. between the two mortise slots on the
a handheld router with a plunge Once the stopped dadoes have been jig—use this reference in conjunc-
30 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
8-9 I used a flexible metal ruler to lay out the curves on
the chair side, starting with the bottom curve.
10 Then drew the curve on the arm rest of the chair using
the same technique. Both curves are just cut with a jigsaw
and then refined with some sanding.
9 10
12
11 13
tion with the one drawn on the panel. seat pan groove, screw the jig down,
Again, using double-sided tape, apply and begin to rout the cutout remov- 11-12 The mortises are cut with
the jig to the panel and start creating ing about a 1/4" material at a time. another jig and the router. For ease
the mortises. Proceed to create the NOTE: Do not route all the way of use, I spaced the two mortises for
the seat supports directly on the jig.
mortise for the back stretcher using through the thickness of the material;
the pre-applied layout marks. half to three-quarter the way will do. 13 Then cut the upper mortise for
Now that the joinery is complete, Once this is achieved, follow the path the back rest support.
it’s time to create the circular cutout. created with the router using a jigsaw
With a scrap piece of 1/4" plywood, I to dislodge the cutout—clean up any
created a makeshift trammel for the irregularities left with the pattern/
palm router. Locate center on the flush-trim bit.
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 31
Plywood Lounge Chair
14 15 16
Next up is creating the arcs that 14 Lay out the circular cutout in
make up the profile of the sides. the chair side. You'll use the center-
It’s worth mentioning that I will point to attach a router trammel.
do just about anything to avoid the
15 The router trammel (just a board
introduction of an extra hand; even with a center point and the router
if the process to achieve the same mounted to one side), you can cut
result (solo) takes twice as long. This the circle. Take shallow passes.
character flaw is well exhibited in the
16 When you're close to breaking
proceeding steps. Using a couple bar
through, switch to a jigsaw to finish
clamps, an aluminum ruler and a cen- the cut. You can use a pattern bit in
ter point, rest the ruler between the the router to clean up the cut.
two clamps. Start bending the ruler
17 Last, I cut the front edge of the
towards the designated center mark
side. With one side completed, use
and follow the contour of the curve
this as a template for the other.
with a pencil. Repeat this process 17
for the shallow reveal at the base of
the panel. Following the profile lines subtle contrast between construc-
created, use a jigsaw to remove the tion and aesthetic. Start by creating perfectly safe as you are removing a
waste and then clean up any irregu- the shoulders of the tenons at the minimal amount of material.
larities with a sanding block. table saw. If feasible, you can pro- The last detail to address is the 10°
With one fully completed side, ceed to cut the cheeks here as well. bevel on the backrest stretcher. Since
you can begin to use this as both If not, a hand or band saw will work all of the mortises are aligned with
the template and the mortising jig just as well. the angle of the seat pan (which is at
to complete the remainder of the As I am sure you have already 20°), a small bevel is created on one
side panels. noticed, the mortises were left with side to couple with the correspond-
radiused corners so, we will need ing angle of the backrest.
Strength and Aesthetic to create a profile on the four edges
With the four side panels complete, of our tenons to accommodate this Oblique Angles and the
it is time to turn our attention detail. Using a 1/4" round-over bit, Goldilocks of Comfort
towards the three stretchers. start applying the profile by pushing The designing of a chair is much
As mentioned previously, these the tenon into the bit from the right like the designing of a shoe: it must
were left extra-long as they will side. Flip the piece on end and repeat be visually appealing, structurally
be trimmed flush once the chair this step. During this process you sound, and of course, comfortable.
is fully assembled. This exposed will have to back-rout four of the It’s these three ingredients that
tenon will reveal the even layers of eight total edges by feeding the tenon will help ensure a successful end
laminated veneer, thus providing a into the bit from the left side. This is product. Now, one could argue that
32 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
18 19
anyone of these three elements tion process. Second, drill four 1/4" by in and loosely fit the tenons into the
are subjective, thus rendering an 1/4" counterbored holes in each panel, mortises. This process will free up
endless discussion of what makes a followed by a 1/16" through hole both hands so that you can continue
chair “great,” however, fortunately (spacing listed in the plans). These to place the seat pan and backrest
for us, there is a litany of references holes are created to accommodate into their designated grooves. Now
that already exist when it comes to an optional, upholstered backing for that everything is placed, use some
furniture dimensional standards. the seat pan as well as the backrest. persuasion from a rubber mallet and
It’s this framework from which we Once this is complete it is onto the get everything clamped together.
can begin the design process with a assembly process. Once the glue has dried, take this op-
certain level of confidence. portunity to flush-trim your tenons
Now onto the construction of the Assembling the Puzzle and do any necessary sanding prior
seat pan and backrest. These two With the pieces complete, it’s time to to applying finish.
pieces would have been cut to their bring it all together. I found that lay-
final dimensions in the beginning, ing one side of the panel flat on the Finishing Indecision
although there are a couple more al- workbench is the best place to start. As with any project, the end is im-
terations that need to be done. First, Apply glue to all of the joints and be- minent—and you if you are like me,
create a 10° bevel on one side of each gin to insert the three stretchers (not you put off finishing decisions on
panel using the table saw. This angle fully seated) into their respected all projects until there is absolutely
should correspond with the stopped mortises and tilt the side panel up on nothing left to confront. As both
dado created earlier in the construc- end. Bring the opposing side panel an act of defiance and a remedy
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 33
Plywood Lounge Chair
7" dia.
20˚
3 4 /"
15"
/"
34
/"
12
1 1/2"
round
LEFT SIDE 1/4" RIGHT SIDE
3/
4"
17" 20 1/2"
/"
34 / "
5 16
/"
34
BACKREST 14"
2 1/2"
211/2"
NOTE: The backrest 2 3/4"
and seat stretchers are
the same except the
2 3/4" backrest stretcher has
a 10˚ miter on one end.
3 1/2" 3"
C
Cut List
No. Item Dimensions (in.)
T W L 21/2"
4 A Sides* 3/4 23 30
2 B Seat pans** 3/4 17 20 1/2 /"
34
A
2 C Backrests** 3/4 14 20 1/2
2 D Back stretchers** 3/4 2 1/2 21 1/2 /"
12
B
4 E Seat pan stretchers 3/4 2 1/2 21 1/2
E
Upholstery Boards
2 F Backrest board /
1 2 11 17 E
2 G Seat pan board /
1 2 14 17
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 35
Timber Frame
Child's Bed
Practice Traditional Building
Joinery on a Smaller Scale
By Jason Stephens
PROJECT #2104_
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
Skill Level:
Advanced
Time: 2 Weeks
Cost: $300
During my 14 years living in that it be knock-down, so it would biggest challenge of this project.
Europe, I marveled repeatedly fit through a standard doorway. But This joint connects the roof with
at how these beautiful timber at the same time, I wanted to keep the rest of the frame, so it’s a good
framed structures had withstood this as traditional as possible— one to start with. After construct-
the test of time—I remember one I didn’t want a bunch of metal ing the first of the six examples
awe-inspiring timber framed house hardware diluting the effectiveness of this joint I realized with a bit
near Wiesbaden, Germany, with a and beauty of mechanical joints. of horror that, due to my slight
placard on it that indicated it had The construction of an actual house misunderstanding of one of the
been built approximately 500 years using timber frame methods doesn’t Benson book’s illustrations, I had
ago. Unlike modern structures built have this particular challenge, since missed a small but important
with manufactured materials, this to my knowledge there is no giant detail in the joint’s anatomy during
one actually grew stronger with doorway through which a full-size layout. There’s no decrease in the
age. It incorporated the fantasti- house must fit. functional strength of the joint, but
cal attributes of trees—nothing I found a way to incorporate as a result of my criminal malfea-
less than one of the world’s most knock-down hardware into the joints sance there is now an eternal visual
awe-inspiring materials in terms of that would need to be disassembled reminder, which I chose not to
engineering potential and beau- when moving, such as the shouldered correct (see image 5).
ty—which, under the direction mortise & tenons, as well as in the I did revise my layout technique
of master craftsmen, ensured the collar ties. The hardware allows for for the subsequent examples.
building’s natural settling caused breaking down the bed when needed, Although I don’t intend to ever
the joints to grow stronger as grav- without diminishing the strength of disassemble these particular joints
ity worked upon the structure over the joints. for moving, I chose not to use
time. If there is a more profound The structure of the bed isn’t very glue here. Instead, these tenons
example of form following function complicated. It’s the joinery that’s are draw-bored with a walnut peg
in craftsmanship it doesn’t come the real fun, so we’ll focus on that. to keep the joints tight, while the
immediately to my mind. I knew I brilliant anatomy of the joint itself
had to build one eventually. Bird’s Mouth with easily deals with the worst shocks
Our son was growing out of his Tenon at Post and stressors an energetic boy
infant bed, so my wife asked me For me, getting the angles in the can conjure.
to make a bigger one. “Just make bird’s mouth and in the top of the The rather complicated layout of
it simple,” she said, naively. Thus rafters correct was probably the timber framed structures is greatly
far the time hasn’t been right to
timber frame our dream house, but
it occurred to me that this might be
an opportunity to build a tiny house
as my first real foray into the art of
timber framing. Any mistakes I made
on this first attempt would therefore
be restricted to a much more man-
ageable (and correctable) scale.
My main source of reference was
Building the Timber Frame House
by Tedd Benson. Over the years
I’d pored over the pages of this
book but had never put any of the
author’s techniques into actual
practice. I did a lot of planning and
double-checking of dimensions, as 1 2
this particular point was continu-
ously stressed in the book. As the
process unfolded it became clear 1 A template for the bird's mouth. Once I dialed in the exact angles, this tem-
why this was so vital. plate helped me mark out and cut the joint on the six rafters.
One of the main challenges I had 2 I left about a third of the thickness of the rafter for the tenon. The tenon is
to overcome was the fact that the di- laid out separately after the bird's mouth is cut.
mensions I chose for the bed require
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 37
Timber Frame Bed
3 4
38 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING 5
6 7
8 9
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 39
Timber Frame Bed
12
40 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Collar Tie becomes apparent what a vital pur-
16 The collar ties prevent the rafters Half-Dovetail Joint pose this serves. In this case, my son
from sagging and spreading. This joint ties the two rafters to- eventually hanging from the rafters
17 The joint combines a half dove- gether, helping to resist the rafters like a monkey is a stand-in for the
tail and a lap joint, pinned sagging or spreading. With a piece of weight of snow on a roof. As is the
with walnut. furniture of this size there might not case with dovetails, the complemen-
18 The collar ties and purlins work be much call for a collar tie, but when tary geometry of the male and female
together to create a very strong considering the amount of force an portions of this joint means that the
roof frame. actual roof must withstand, espe- more force that acts against the joint,
cially when laden with snow, etc., it the stronger the joint becomes.
16 17
COLLAR TIE
HALF-DOVETAIL JOINT
Tying the two rafters together
HALF-LAP DOVETAIL
AT PURLIN
Tying the three "bents" together
18
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 41
Timber Frame Bed
19
42 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
20 21
22 23
24
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 43
Timber Frame Bed
11/2"
1"
231/2"
40"
28"
29"
23"
24" 3"
/"
34
57"
SIDE VIEW
57"
32 1/2" 11/2"
/"
14
11/2"
/"
12
2"
BOTTOM VIEW
44 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
2"
21/2"
18"
/2"
24 1
12"
24"
Cut List
No. Item Dimensions (inches)
T W L
6 A Posts 2 2 40
28" 4 B Long beams 2 2 29
2 C Short beams 2 2 24
6" 5 D Beams 2 2 32 1/2
6 E Rafters 2 2 24 1/2
2 F Purlins 11/2 2 57
/"
34
3 G Collar ties 11/2 2 18
32 1/2" 7 H Floor joists 11/2 2 31 1/2
2 I Short girts 2 2 32 1/2
2" FRONT VIEW 2 J Long girts 2 2 57
Timber Frame Bed
B
C
E
D
C BIRDSMOUTH TENON
*PICTURED ON PREVIOUS PG
46 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
25
26
27 28
25 All of the pieces ready for assembly. You would find a Assembly and Finish
similar stack of parts on a real timber frame job site. With all the joinery cut, assembly can begin. And, like
a timber frame structure, this one can go together
26 The floor frame is joined with single through-dovetails.
without clamps. I did a dry assembly to plan out which
27 I rehearsed the assembly process in the shop pieces I’d glue, and which were getting mechanically
before heading into the house. The floor and all three fastened to come apart in a future move. Then I gave
bents can be assembled (and each individually fit through the whole structure a final sanding and applied my
the doorway). child-friendly finish. PW
28 As a final touch, I added a small cutaway to the
bottoms of the posts where they meet the floor/bed frame. Jason Stephens is a woodworker, drummer and aspiring
welder based in North Carolina.
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 47
Mitered Dovetail Box
A few key elements push your hand tool skills.
By Christopher Walker
PROJECT #2106_
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Time: 2 Days
Cost: $50
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
When my wife asked that I
build her a box to contain a growing
collection of aroma oil containers
and associated accouterments
for her piqued interest in aroma
therapy, I was thrilled. Besides the
house smelling great, I had spousal
approval to build something — a
win-win proposal.
Design
The requirements were a single box
with enough space to store current
aroma oil bottles and any new items
acquired. My wife purchased a draw- 1
er pull that caught her eye and asked
that I incorporate it into the build.
The final design was a single drawer
carcass with a handle on top.
This project was a perfect oppor-
tunity for dovetail practice. The out-
er carcass design was well-suited for
a first attempt at a mitered dovetail
while the inside drawer was perfect
to hone my half-blind dovetails. For
the carcass, a groove was to be cut in
to support a back panel. The bottom
panel for the drawer was to be a
panel set into a rebate.
Lumber Selection
Black walnut is a rarity in Japan. It
Is imported from the United States
and I was lucky enough to get my
hands on some through an auction.
This felt like the perfect project to
use it. Prior to this project, I pur-
2
chased several Japanese ash slabs
with the intent of milling them up 1 A design session with my life led to the choice circled in green.
for drawer parts. The ash would 2 Stickered and stacked black walnut, a rarity in Japan.
provide a nice contrast to the dark
tones of the black walnut while
being softer which would perform Outside of the standard tool Then mark both faces of the pin
favorably when knocking the dove- requirements for through dovetails, board, skipping the edges, just like
tails together. you may also need a second marking in through dovetails. It is important
gauge that will be set to the width of to note that for this joinery method,
Cutting a Mitered the mitered portion of the dove- the material for both tail and pin
Dovetail Joint tails. A 45° chisel guide block cut to boards must be the same thickness.
Stepping up to the bench, a mitered precision on a table saw or similar Different thickness will create a
dovetail can seem intimidating. How- machine will also be useful. misaligned miter.
ever, if you have experience with a To begin marking out the joint, You can reuse the same gauge
standard through dovetail, you will be set a marking gauge to the thickness setting to set the width of your
fine. With proper planning and a well of the material and mark the base- mitered portion but if the width of
sorted layout, it becomes a simple line all the way around the tail board your mitered area will differ how-
matter of finessing away the waste. except for the edge to be mitered. ever, use a second marking gauge. I
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 49
Mitered Dovetail Box
50 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
5 6
7 8 9
10 11
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 51
Mitered Dovetail Box
The Drawer
The drawer front is a thicker
piece of black walnut perfect for
half-blind dovetails. It has a bark
inclusion in one of the corners
which provides visual appeal. Once
the outer carcass had finished
drying, I sized it to fit perfectly
into the carcass, leaving it a little
snug to allow for play room later. I
milled up a portion of my ash slab
and cut the tails into the ash pieces.
The contrasting ash with the black
walnut made marking the tails on
the pin boards easy to follow.
I applied the same technique for
12 the outer carcass back panel for the
drawer bottom. This time however,
If attempting to cut a perfect 41°, take great care when cutting the the raised portion sits inside rather
this is a good opportunity to execute edge wall against the pin. The saw than outward. To simplify the draw-
a first-class saw cut. Instead of a pen- should tilt at 41° so as to not cut er, I used a simple rebate to house
cil, use a marking knife to scribe the into the front face of the pin board. the bottom, making sure to not cut
line from the baseline to the corner. Once the cut is established, rotate all the way through to accidentally
Start with a shallow stroke followed the workpiece 90° in the vice and expose the rebate in the pins.
by a few progressively harder strokes. cut the miter just like the tailboard, When marking baselines for
With a sharp chisel, pare away the taking care not to cut into the pin. dovetails, it’s common to aim for
waste area to begin a wall to use as a To finalize the miter, use a 41° the pins to remain proud. How-
guide with your saw. Make the wall as block to assist with the paring. It is a ever, for this drawer, I made the
deep as you are comfortable with and simple piece of scrap cut at 41° with tail boards proud of the pins. With
then saw away the waste. a long enough edge to support a chis- the drawer front sized to fit the
On the pin board, using the edge el for paring downwards. Aligning the carcass, it was easier to plane the
to be mitered as reference, with the guide to the baseline can be tricky. I whole tail board rather than risk
same marking gauge settings (for use my widest plane blade (my No. accidentally resizing the drawer
this particular project, the 11mm 7), and lightly set the blade into the front. It involved some forethought
setting), score a line on the end marking line. I then butt the guide into the layout but after cutting the
grain and the inside face only. Using block into the blade and secure it final through dovetails on the back
blue tape for contrast, I transferred with clamps or holdfasts. Use a fresh- and finalizing the glue up, sizing
the tails and removed the waste. ly sharpened chisel against the guide was much easier and the drawer fit
For the miter on the pin board, block and pare down the miter to fit. like a glove.
52 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Mitered Dovetail Box
112mm
20mm 6mm 8mm
30mm
42mm
17mm
8mm
12mm
155mm
121mm
17mm
196mm
17mm
230mm 155mm
21mm 10mm
196mm
6.5mm 6.5mm
50mm
10mm
112mm
20mm
186mm
Cut List
No. Item Dimensions (mm)
T W L
2 A Carcass sides 17 155 155
2 B Carcass top/bottom 17 155 230
1 C Carcass back 12 137 212
1 D Drawer front 21 121 196
1 E Drawer back 10 120 196
2 F Drawer sides 10 112 186
1 G Drawer bottom 10 112 186
1 H Handle 30 40 112
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 53
Mitered Dovetail Box
Woodworking in Japan
Living in Japan as an American can be a struggle when
pursuing a woodworking hobby. Western-style woodworking
is what I enjoy but to set up shop, I have had to make some
sacrifices in house space and push my language skills so I
can build my projects. The wood gets worked the same as
in America and several species are comparable, but where
to work and how to acquire it were the two biggest hoops
to jump through.
Most houses in the United States have a garage that can
convert into a workshop—typically not a feature in most
Japanese homes. Here, houses are smaller including the
land that they sit on. I am lucky to have a home with space
My shop (beyond a few
enough for a shed to store my power tools and wood collection. power tools in a shed) is
Despite limited size, the workbench is still the center of my a spare room in our home
3.5m x 2.5m spare bedroom workshop. (above). My hardware
I slowly try to conquer the language barrier. The first time store carries a full selec-
staring down the tool store aisles four years ago, wondering tion of Japanese hand
where to get started, was daunting. Fast-forward to now, tools (left).
I'm still learning but it has become easier to find the wood
and supplies I need to begin new projects. With every new
project, material acquisition is less of a hassle.
54 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Finishing
Brushing Shellac
Apply this Classic Finish Like a Pro
By Mitch Kohanek
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 55
Brushing Shellac
without worrying about ridges. I use seconds, leave it alone. Going back that it forms a run, but do maintain a
the fast and thin method on the top will only make it worse. A minor consistent wet look. End the stroke
of the table because it’s less prone to amount of sanding with 320-grit by exiting off the edge of the table
leaving ridges and brush marks. sandpaper will get rid of the brush like an airplane taking off. Return to
For this table I will use a 1 1/2 mark. A holiday will disappear when the corner where you began and land
lb. cut of shellac and a 2" Taklon you apply the next coat. your brush in the opposite direction
bristle brush. Set up a raking light Charge the brush with some like an airplane touching down.
so it washes across the area you are denatured alcohol. Then brush Aim for a few inches inside the wet
brushing. Shellac sets up fast and some clean paper to draw out the shellac and run the brush past the
is pretty unforgiving if a brushing excess alcohol. Dip your brush into corner, taking off as you did in the
defect goes undetected even for a the shellac 3/4 of the way up to the first stroke. Work your way around
minute. The light will illuminate ferrule. Hold the brush with your all four edges, taking off and landing
any runs and “holidays” (missed fingers firmly on the ferrule. When as you go. If you should accidentally
spots) before the shellac has time to brushing a tabletop, I do the edges hit the top, immediately wipe it off
set. If you notice a brush mark or a first using the gravity feed technique. with a clean rag. Switch techniques to
holiday, and it’s been longer than 10 Don’t lay down the shellac so heavy brush the flat part of the top and use
small rapid strokes to lay down a thin
coat. Start the stroke by landing your
brush near an edge. Brush on the
shellac with a rapid back and forth
motion. Shoot for three 10" strokes
FILET every second. When the brush begins
to empty, recharge the brush and
land it in the dry area just ahead of
where you left off.
Do the airplane takeoff stroke once
START HERE you reach the table edge. Don’t let
3 5
the brush hit the edge of the table on
a return stroke or you will create a
drip for sure. Brush with the grain all
the way across the table. On a large
surface it is necessary to overlap your
strokes. Unlike the gravity feed meth-
od that lays down a heavy coat in one
continuous motion, this technique
lays down a thin layer of shellac with
multiple brush strokes. A thin layer
sets up fast and does not leave brush
4 6 marks. By the time the first coat is
done the shellac will be dry enough
to apply a second coat.
3 Set up a light source at a low angle so it rakes the work area. A raking light You can take advantage of shellac’s
will show defects like drips and “holidays” (places you missed) before it’s too fast drying time to apply three coats
late to correct them.
one after another with no time for
4 Charge the brush by soaking it in denatured alcohol for a few minutes be- dust to settle in and ruin the finish.
fore use. This helps the shellac flow better from the brush. With a 1 or 1 1/2 lb. cut of shellac it
5 Shellac the edges first. Start the brush stroke an inch or two from the end. will take about three coats before you
Move the brush slowly to lay down a long, consistent wet layer of shellac. start to develop a noticeable build. I
Nestle the edge of the brush in the fillet to keep excess shellac from accumu- generally try to give the object three
lating and running when your back is turned. light coats for the first setting to seal
6 Come back to finish the bare spot where you started the stroke. Think of the wood. I like to lay down a mini-
your brush as an airplane. Land the brush near the unfinished end and then mum of 9 layers in 3 or more settings
lift off right at the edge to avoid snapping the bristles over the edge. Lifting off for a good build. The time frame for
prevents pools of shellac from being left at the edge and turning into drips. additional coats is dependent on
temperature and humidity.
56 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
If your bristles seem to be drag- With enough practice, you will
7 A different brushing technique is ging while applying another coat, develop your own preferred blend
used on the top surface. Instead of a then the previous coat has not yet of shellac and alcohol, your own
long and slow stroke, use short fast
cured—give it more time to dry. speed for brushing and your own
strokes. Land the loaded brush in
The first setting will leave the sur- feel for how wet and thick to lay
a dry area and with rapid back and
forth strokes work the shellac back face of the wood rough. A light scuff down the shellac. Eventually,
into the wet area. Aim for a thin, even sanding with some 600-grit sandpa- you’ll get into the different types
layer of shellac. per will remove the whiskers. After of brushes and shellacs that are at
that, sanding is not necessary until your disposal. Trust me, it’s a lot
8 Finish the stroke at the edge. Lift
after the final coat has cured and of fun.
the brush as it passes over the edge
just like an airplane taking off. This it’s time to rub out the finish. Allow
prevents the brush from pushing the shellac to fully cure for a few Brush Cleaning
shellac over the edge and dripping days. Then, do a final rubout. Shellac A few sloshes in some clean alcohol
down the freshly finished edge. can be rubbed out to any sheen you will get 95% of the shellac out of the
want, high gloss or matte. brush. Pad the brush with a paper
towel or clean rag. Then form the
9 Overlap your strokes on a large bristles in their proper shape and
surface. Any time you re-wet the you’re done. The next time you need
brush, land the brush in a dry area. to use the brush, place it in some
WET AREA Use a back and forth stroke to blend clean alcohol for a few minutes,
the new stroke into the wet shellac wipe off the excess on a paper towel
DRY AREA ahead of it and beside it and lift off and rock and roll. Finishing with
right at the edge to avoid snapping shellac is like any other aspect of
the bristles over the edge. Lifting off
woodworking—it takes time and
prevents pools of shellac from being
practice to develop the skill.
left at the edge and turning into drips.
Ultimately, you will find yourself
10 When the brushing is over, joining the ranks of those who enjoy
cleaning your brush is a breeze. using a finish that is safe, fully re-
7 Just swish it around in a container
pairable and has a proven historical
with clean denatured alcohol. This
track record for stability and beauty.
will clean out most of the shellac
from the brush. Unlike varnish or That’s something really nice to pass
water-based finishes, it okay to on to future generations. Good luck,
leave some residue in the brush. and have fun! PW
11 Pull the brush across a folded
Mitch Kohanek is a member of the
paper towel or rag to remove the
excess alcohol. Form the bristles so American Institute of Conservation
they dry in their proper shape. The and has interned at the Smithsonian
brush will dry stiff from the shellac Museum Conservation Institute in
left in the brush. To use again, soak Washington, D.C. Visit his website for
8 brush in alcohol for a few minutes. more at www.woodfinishing.org.
9 10 11
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 57
Woodworker’s Marketplace
Classified
Finishing Supplies and Equipment
BLOXYGEN SAVES LEFTOVER FINISHES–Prevent Oxygen or Moisture Damage.
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PopularWoodworking.com/subscribe
Spotlight
Aspen Golann
Marrying traditional and conceptual work.
Interview by Collin Knoff
How did you get started and make things from raw materials
woodworking? Who were and with hand tools, then I could
your mentors? make anything I wanted.
I didn’t start woodworking until a NBSS is all about traditional
few months before my 30th birth- skills —dovetails, curved veneers,
day. I have always been an artist and acanthus leaves, hand planes,
a maker but never a woodworker Windsor chairs, etc. I arrived not
and certainly not a furniture maker. knowing what a hand plane was and
I did take a few functional sculpture left with a powerful skill set, strong
classes in college which were really community of makers, and amazing
eye-opening for me, but nothing mentors. I met my first real mentor,
that dealt with hardwood or joinery. Peter Galbert, the famed Windsor
My commitment to woodworking chair maker, while I was in school. niques. After school I’ve been able
began when I enrolled at The North After I graduated, I had the privilege to cultivate an incredible network of
Bennet Street School (NBSS) in of working out of his shop in NH for weirdos and nerds who support and
Boston, Massachusetts back in a few months. Working alongside inspire my work—artists, historians,
2018. I wanted total immersion in a maker like Pete was inspirational restorers, architects, timber framers,
traditional techniques, and I got it! and provided me with an extended toolmakers, and of course other
I figured if I learned how to design education in woodworking tech- furniture and object makers.
60 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Join the
Furniture Society
Become a member of the Furniture Society community and join us in
supporting art, excellence and creativity in the field of furniture making.
■ ASPEN GOLANN'S
SHOUT-OUTS TO
FOLLOW
62 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
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Spotlight
Loni LaCour
Starting with Dad's tools.
Interview by Collin Knoff
"Don't be afraid to ask for help really start with a full-proof plan
but somehow it all works out. Don’t
if you're just starting out. overthink your designs, sometimes
As a young woman in woodworking, it can get discouraging—you feel your best work comes from less
as if your work is constantly being compared to the work of men. planning and more doing! PW
I often get so frustrated with myself, some projects take me extra-long
because of the mistakes I make. It makes it easier when you speak up Loni LaCour is a designer and wood-
and ask other woodworkers for their tips and tricks. No question is too worker from Missouri. See more of
simple and YouTube Tutorials are extremely helpful." - Loni LaCour Loni’s work at lonilacour.com or on
Instagram @lonilacour.
64 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
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