b

HOUeWRIGHT
18 t undryCabinet
Our birch storagecabinet
featuresstraighfforward
plywoodconstuction and low-
maintenanceplasticlaminate
work surfaces.
Laundry Cabinetstorage,page18. Swing-UpShelf,page25.

WerTEND PRoJEcT
z5Swing-UpShelf
It's ideirlfor gainingadditional
work area- in the laundry
room, shop,or home office -
and you can swing it out of the
way wheneveryou needmore
floor space.

WOoowoRKING
3O Pr"irieTreasure
Box
Inspired by Arts and Craftsera A classyhome for your collectibles- the Prai.rieTreasureBox, page30.
architecture,this elegantbox
will houseyour valuablesin
style. Make it for yourself, or
get going on a smallproduction
run for holiday gift gling.

WonrcsHoP
36 Highlightsfrom this
Year'sTool Shows
Here'sa look at someof
our favorite tools and home
improvementproductsthat
debutedat two nationalshows.

A2Vtit"r SawStation
By building this Miter Saw
Stationfor about half the cost of
most off-theshelfmodels,you'll
saveyour back, improve your
cutting accuracy,and speedup
Cut stocklike the pros with ourMiter SawStation,page42.
the building process.

'\il?'orkbench
I December1997
ftntents
6QuesrroNs&
Aruswens
lolps &
TecnNIaUES
OvenTnEFeruce
Sails
14USS Constitution
After undergoingyearsof
extensiverepairs,an historic ship
is seaworthyonceagain.
Inying La.minatesiseasyonceyou know a few techniques,page28.

TecnrureuEs
2Stuving laminates
For durability,price,and ease
of installation,nothing beats
plasticlaminatefor covering
heavi$ usedsurfaces.

Snop lupnovEMENTs
5ON"* ToolOfferings
WHAT,SNEw
page14. page10.
S4noauctsForYourHomeThe USSConsti.tutionSails, Tips & Techni.qua,

CnnprsMANsHrP
64nThe Craftsman
Stvle
When furnituremaking details
are craftedinto a home,you can
get spectacularresults.Thanks
to the brothers Greene.the
GambleHouseis one of the
finest examples.

In The CrafisrnanSfy/efeahres an Arts and Craftsmasterpiece,page64.

\?'orkbenchr December1997
TooManyTo
I admit it. I am a tool hound. I don't
believeit's possibleto havetoo many,
and I'm always hunting for the next
onethat I can'tlive without.
So you can imagine the sweat I
broke into when a group of us from
Workbenchattended this year's big
tool and hardware shows, held in
Anaheim,CA, and in Chicago.These
shows featured most of the wood-
wprking tools and suppliesavailable
on the planet,and in ChicagoI also
saw more home improvementprod-
ucts than I everknew existed.
The immensityof the showsis diffi-
cult to describe- there are so many
clever tools and products.Although
choosing was difficult, we've pulled
togethera displayofour favorites(see
page36), someof which we think will
knock your socksoff, and othersthat
will make you wonder,"why didn't I
think of that?" I'm sure you'll find at
leasta coupleof thingsyou, too,won't
be ableto live without.
Holidoy Gifts
The timing of this cutting-edgetool what projectsor articles you want to
and hardwarearticle couldn'tbe bet- seein the future.
ter for thoseof us who needto drop a
few gift-givinghints for the holidays. familya HappyHoliday.
No ties for me, please.I plan to leave
the issue open to the page with the
tool I want to add to my shop.
While you're waiting for your new
tools, you may want to get busy and ChrisInman.
SatetyRemlnder:Woodworking andhomeimprovement arerewarding
Usethe guardsandreadthe manualsthatcomewithyourtoolsandequipment. Andif you'reuncertain
abouta technique, withwhichyouaremorecomfortable.
findan alternative
W'orkbenchr December1997
take care of
? WmKBEI\([I
a
Voll.lrrae
53 NUMBER
6
EDITOR Christopher A Inman
some gift giv- ASSOCIATE EDITOR William IaHay
ing yourself. ASSISTANT EDITOR David E. Stone
For specialnameson ARTDIRECTORRobert L. Foss
SR. ILLU5TRATOR Erich Lage
your holidaylist, consider
ILLUSTRATORSusanJessen
buildingthe Prairie Treasure GRAPHIcDE5IGNERMinniette Bieghler
Box on page30. It was designedwith
EDIToR RobertJ. Settich
COIITRIBUTING
production setups in mind, without
sacrifcing any of the craftsmanshipof CREATIVEDIRECIORTed Kralicek
the results. PHoToGRAPHY DIRECIoR lark Smothermon
SENIORPHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England
Also, take a look at the Miter Saw
PROJECTCOORDINATOR Kent Welsh
Station (page 42). For any home SHOPMANAGERSteve Curtis
improvemententhusiast,this portable SHOPCRAFTSMANSteveJohnson
work centeris a must-haveaddition. PRoJEqI DEVELoPERKen Munkel
PROJECTDESIGNERKevin Boyle
ELEC.PUB.CooRDINAToRDouglasM. Lidster
4oth Anniversory
IMAGESPEC. Troy Clark
PRE.PRESS
This issuebrings the Workbench 40th
anniversaryyear to a close. Each of & PUBLISHERDonald B. PeschKe
PRESIDENT
the pastsix issueshasbeenan adven- ADVERTISING SALESMANAGERS
ture, and wete alreadybeen working Richard R Rainforth (515)282-7000ext. 2200
full throttle on many home improve- George A Clark (515)282-7000exl 220L
MARKETING CoMMUNICATIoNS MANAGER
ment projectsfor 1998. Tara Meier (515)282-7000 exl 2135
All of us here appreciateyour sup PUBLISHING CONSULTANT
port, and thank you for making our Peter H. Miller (202)362-9367
first year with this great magazinea
FORHELPWITHYOUR
success.Drop us a line anytimeto tell SUBSGRIPTIoN CoNTAST:
us how we're doing,or to let us know \{ORKBENCH
Customer Service
PO.Box842
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Until then, we wish you and your Phone:(800)311-3991
Fax (515)2830447
To ORDERWoRKBENGH PRoJECTSUPPLIES:
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Editor
FoR MoREINFoRMATIoN
ABoUT
HOMEIMPROVEMENT,
WOODWORKING,
GARDENING VISITTHE
ANDCOOKING,
WORKBENCHWEBSITE:
hW: / / www.augusthome.com
Audit Bureau
of Circulations
WORXBENCH0SSN00438057) is published bimonthly0an.,
Mar.,May,July,Sepl,Nov.)byAugustHomePublishingCompany,
2200 Grand Ave.,DesMoines,Iowa,50312.Worhbench is a reg;tc
teredhademarkofAugustHomePublishing. Copyright01997
Augnst Home Publishing
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Subscription ntes: Singlecopy,$3.95.Oneyer subscriP
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Printed in U.S.A"
Pleasetakesafetyseriously.
 &Ans\Mers
Questions
Support A Ceiling Fan Between Joists More Board Feet
(OI l, yourOctober Questions&
MDFplatespans E Answersyougaaetheformula
joiststosupport
the for fi.guringboardfootage.My lumber
weightofceilingfan. dealerusesa deuicethat lookslike a
Routed yardstick,but hasrnanymlre numbers
profile.
decorative Secure plate
toceiling
adhesive on it,for calculatingboardfootage.
withconstruction
'\ anO3" drywall
screws Canyou exPlainhowthis works?
Mountfanbybolting
fansupportbracket \ drivenintojoists. WayneCosgroue
to plate. Boston.MA
Coverscrewheads
withwoodplugs.
Imaginehow long it would
take to get through the check-
out line if your lumber dealerhad to
measureeveryboard and calculateits
boardfootageby hand.Using a board
foot scaleis a quick way to get a closq
approximationof a board'svolume.
I'tl li.keto replacea ceilinglight To makea plate,cut a roundbase Acrossthe width of a boardfoot
i.nmydenwi.tha fan. But the from r/att-lhi.Lmediumdensityfiber- scaleare columnsrepresenfinga
light sitsbetween two ioists,and isn't board MDF) that'slarge enoughto board'slength in feet.Vertical
mountedsoli.dly. How canI addsupPort spanacrossthejoists.MDF hasa columnshavenumbersindicating
withouttearinga holein my ceiling? smoothfacesoyou'llget a goodpaint boardfootage.
Kurt Statton finish, andit machineseasily. To usethe scale.
DesMoines,IA To dressup the plate,rout a deco- hold it acrossthe Usenotches to
rativeprofile in the edge.Drill a hole board'swidth,with findboard's
Youcan add the supportyou'll through the platethe samediameter the headtight thickness.
needfor the fan in a coupleof as the ceilingbox. Then paintthe againstoneedge.
differentways. plateto matchyour ceiling. Then sight to the
Youcouldusean adjustablesupport Ifyou havea texhrredceiling,scrape appropriatecolumn
bar (availablein home centers)that awaya flat areaso the platesits flush. that showsthe
slips through the existing hole and Then spreadconsfuctionadhesiveon board'slength.The
spansbetweenthe joists. the back side of the plate,and drive numberin that col-
Or, rather than purchasea supporl screwsthrough into the joists above. umn closestto the
you canmakea ceitng platethat will Mount your fan supportto the edgeof the board
supportyour fan, plus add a decorative plate,and pushthe wiring back up showshow many
accent to your ceiling. through the hole into the box. board feetthe piece
contains,assuming
the boardis il-thick.
YOUR
SHARE OUESNO}IS If the boardis 8
An
fi.-long
If youhavea question aboutwoodworking or homeimprovemen! we'dlike to seeif wecananswerit for you.
thicker than ilr. mul- boardat
Justwritedownyourquestion andmailit to WORKBENCH Q&A,2200GrandAve.,DesMoines,lA 50312'
tiply the numberon thiswidth
Please includeyourname,addresanddaytimephonenumberin casewehaveanyquestions foryou.Ifyou contains
the scaleby the
like,Far usat (515)28$2003or senda message to usatworkbench@workbenchmag.com ontheinternet 3 bd.ft.
board'sthickness.

t-
AucusrHol,m ;fi:ffi'"T,,*:';""H#1"/i*';TT:":#:tr"ff;trW:7::l:;::'#,:::,:t:f;'::I:tr:
r r -- -----
\ Pu BLIs HING c o M
Susm Dickmm . Production Artist: Jon Snyder . Neu Media Manager: Gordon Gupy. . 1t7s6SiteArt Dilector Gene Pedereon ' Nelw*
Administratnr NBxnes . L5. Srpportl$starri chris Htrriso n o Profsional DeuelofmentDirector:loyce Moore . IIR Asrltazt; Kireten Koele
.S'ecialProjechDirct0r:SavilleInmm.Admin^tratiueA$is'l,':JuliaFish.Receptionish:JenneJohnson'SherylRibbey.BuildingMaint.:KenGriffth
DirectorSmdyBawCNewBrinsDireclorGlendaKBattles.NeuBrinsManager:.|odd'Bier|e.PromotionAsistanfRickJunkins.RenewalManager:PaigeRogersrBilliMon4er:
Cuminghm r ,4sisla nt Subyrirtion Manager:Joy l(mur . Afciate Grafhic D&igi Direct7r: g$ie.Fder . Senior Gralhic Daigner: CherylSimpson Boks: EaecaliueEditor: Douglas
'
Hlcks . Art Dirutor Iinda Vermie . Sezr r GraphicDaigner: Chris Glowacki Produ cB Grotp2 OberutioreDirrctor: BobBaker . Mateiah Man\ger: Mrk Mattiussi Cwtoner SeroiceW:
t
Enos . Warehow Superorirl: NmcyJohns on. Buler: \ndaJones e Tuhniml Semie Re1.;MattTeRon de . O\eratiow Asisruzt; Tmmy Aldini o Teamlzader: KxlaBshnger Cretomet
I R rs.: Anna Cox, Mtrgo Petrus, Tmmy Truckenbrod, Nmcy Domey, Adm Besl Deborah Rich . Warehoree:Chtck Culson, Sylvia Crey, larry Prine ' Wodsmith Storet Manager:
l;mn . Asistant Maa4ger: Paul Schneider . Sal6 Staff, Patlawey,Wendell Stone,Jim Brnetl Kathy Smith, John Johnmn, JeromeHerf OfficeManqger:Vicki Edwds

'Workbench
r December1997
Stop Your Tools From Rusting Avoiding Warp
I mouedto Seattlefrom Denaer, arevery susceptibleto rust. But get- Irn gettingreadyto build a
and themoisturehascausedrust ting rid of the rust isn't too tough. table.A woodworker fiend told
on my jointer and tablesaw.How do I Use a sandingblock and l8Ggrit me whenI glue ap thetoP,I should
stopthe rust, and preaenti.tsreturn? paperor a syntheticsteelwool padto alternatetheorientationofthe boards.
RaymondLundgren scrub offthe rust. Tb keeprust from Anothertoldmeit down'tmatterwhich
returning,you canuse a productlike
Seattle,WA wayI placetheboards.Who'sright?
Boeshield?9,or BostikTbpCote.Or Keai,nMichaekon
Bare metal surfaceslike your use ordinary pastewax. Recoatingthe Inwrence, KS
castiron sawand jointer tables top occasionallywill keeprust at bay.

Actually,neither of your
friends is wrong. They're talk-
ing aboutorientingthe boardsso the
growth rings visible in the end grain
arc up on oneboard and downon the
next, or all arc consistentlyin the
samedirection.
If you alternatethe boards,your
panelshouldremainflat acrossits
overallwidth, as eachboard cups in
the oppositedirection.But the panel
surfacemay feel wavy.
On the other hand,if you glueup
the boardswith the growth rings all
orientedin the samedirection,the
wholepanelmay cup in one direction.
The surfaceremainssmoothto the
touch, but the entire panelmay take
on an archedshape.
I pay attentionto the growth ring
patterns,and try to alternateevery
other board.But I pay more attention
to eachboard'sface grain appear-
ance.If I haveto, I'll orient adjacent
boardswith the growth rings pointing
the sameway in order to get the best
lookingpanel.
Also, makesureyou applyan equal
numberof finish coatson both sides
of the table top. This helps keep any
moistureabsorptionor lossequal
on both sides,further reducingthe
likelihood of warping or cupping.
ProductInformation
Number186
'Workbench
r December1997
Tips & Tbchniques
Oudeed Table Supports Stock, T[cks Away for Storage
Like most table saws, mine lacks any
built-in outfeed system to support
long stock on the far side of the table.
So I built my own using inexpensive,
readily availablematerials. Mine can
also be pulled against the saw when
not neededor for storage,and extend-
ed when I need to cut long pieces.
My system centers around a pair of
ordinary drawer slides that allow the
outfeed roller to extend away from
the table to support long stock, or be
pulled up close for shorter stock or
compact storage.The slides I used
are rated to hold up to 70 lbs.
To mount the drawer slides on my
saw I attachedthe cabinet-mount
halves of the slides to two retaining
boards.These are:i/+'Lthickpieces,the
same length as the drawer slides
(20rr-long in my case),with l/zrr-thick
by lrr-widespacersglued to their lower
inside faces.I mounted these to my
saw cabinet with sheet metal screws.
Then I made my outfeed support. It
consistsof two 3,/+rr-thick
uprights
with dadoesthat receive upper and
lower cross braces.The drawer-
mount halves of the drawer slides are
mounted to the uprights.
Markhingelocation,
thenremovedoor
andmount
10 WorkbenchI December1997
Casters areheldin olace
withVelcro,andcanbemoved
for different -)
widthsof boards.'
20"long,70 lb.
Drawer slidesmount
slidessupport
to "f'-shaped
Spring clampholds outfeed rollers
retainingboard.
Attached to sawwith slidein position. andallow
sheetmetalscrews. I systemto
retract.
To support my stock, I used two VtrhenI needto supportlong stock,
castersmounted upside down on the I extendmy systemandusea spring
upper cross brace. Rather than attach clampto hold it in place.Whennot
them permanently,I hold the casters needed,I just tuck it againstthe saw.
to the upper cross brace with hook- Bestof all, I built it for around$20.
andJoopfastenersffelcro is one John T. Yates,Jr.
brand). This makes them adjustable. AllisonParh.PA
Two Cents Worth On Door Installation
I just finished updating my kitchen. In mounted to the doors, I set each door
the process,I refaced all the cabinet into its opening and slid two pennies
carcasesand built new doors. under the bottom edge.
The doors I made sit flush with the With my gaps set, I marked lines to
cabinet face frames. And I designed locate the hinge mortises in the face
them to fit with at/rc" gapon all sides. fi:ames.I removed the hinges from the
When the time came to position my doors and mortised the hinges into
doors and mark for hinges, I deviseda the frames at my layout lines. Then I
way to get consistentgaps all around. re-hung the doors.
I found that a penny is almost Jim Lwtz
exactly 1/rorrthick.So with the hinges Salt lnke Citv. UT
S]|ARE
Y()UR
iln Jrc$AilD
TDEAS
If youhavea uniquewayof doingsomething,
we'dliketo hearfromyou.Justwritedownyourtipandmailit
to W0RKBENCH TipsandTechniques,
2200GrandAve.,DesMoines, tA 50312.Pleaseincludeyourname,
addressanddaitimephonenumberin caseweneedto reachyou.If youlike,Faxusat (515)283-2003,
or
emailusatworkbench@workbenchmag.com We'llpayyou$5G$150
ontheinternet. if wepublishyourtip.
Using Carpet Tape An Easy Way to Chamfer Dowels
I've found countlessuses for double-
faced cloth carpet tape over the years.
Here are some of my favorites:
.Attach patterns made of plywood or
hardboard to your workpiece with
carpet tape. Rough-cutthe board
close to the pattern, then use your
router and a pattern bit with a bear-
ing that follows the template to rout
the boarclto final shape.
oStick carpet tape on the flaps of
hinges to keep them from moving
while you mark their location,drill
screw holes, and position doors.
In your October issue you ran an arti-
cle on drawbore joinery. I found the
article helpful, but I thought using a
belt sander for chamfering the ends of
the dowels was more complicated than
necessary.For chamfering small diam-
eter dowels I've got a simpler way.
I have an old wall-mounted pencil
sharpenerin my shop. It has a ring
on the front with holes ranging from
about 3/rorrto 7/ rcttin diameter.
I stick smaller dowels in the pencil
sharpenerand "sharpen"as much
chamfer as I need. Rotating the dowel
a couple of quarter turns while sharp-
ening keeps long chamferscentered.
JamesLarson
Ingleside, TX

Double-faced
rape

. Make triangular clarnpingblocks

and stick then-rto the outside edges
of mitered corners with carpet tape.
Then use regular straight clamps
acrossthe blocks for the glue-up.
.To align false fronts on drawers,
push the drawer carcase into its
opening in the cabinet.Stick carpet
tape to the back face of the drawer
front. Then position the drawer front
in the opening,making sure you
have even gaps on all sides,and
push the drawer front against the
carcase.Pull out the drawer and
screw on the front. You can leave
the tape in place.
.Attach auxiliary fences to your table
saw or router table fence with carpet
tape. They hold tight, and there are
no clamps to get in the way.
Keith Hennessey
Des Moines, IA

Vorkbench t December1997
Cutting Wide Boards on the Table Saw Cordless Cure
Crosscuttingwide boardson
my tablesawhas alwaysbeen
a challenge.The piecesare
awkwardto handle,andifs
hard to control my miter
gaugewhen its headis off the
table.I know somesawshave
aT-slotin the tableanda
miter gaugebar with a plate
that catchesin the slot. But
mine isn't equippedthis way.
That makesit difficult to
hold everythingand guide
the board.IVe had cuts come
out crooked,and I got con-
cernedthat the blademight
bind in the kerl causingthe
boardto kick back.
To makecuttingwide
boardseasier,I turn my miter gauge
around,so the miter gauge headis in
front of my board,insteadof behind.I
hold the workpiecesnugagainstthe
gaugewith my left hand,andusemy
right to pushthe workpiecethrough.
Tocutwidestockmoreeasily,
turnmitergauge
aroundand
pushstockthrough.
On someboards,the miter gauge
headmay be off the sawtablewhen
you completeyour cut, so makesure
you keepa firm grip on the gauge.
Pat Ericksen
SanFrancisco.CA
I've decidedthat cordlesstools do
indeedhavemanyadvantages over
cordedtools.Unlessthe batterygoes
deadandwon't take a charge,that is.
I havea cordlessdrill. and after
using it for sometime, the battery
gaveout, andwouldn'ttake a charge.
Sincethe batterywasdead,I went
out andboughta replacement,at a
costof about$30.My drill cameback
to life, and I wasableto useit again.
But eventuallythat battery quit taking
a chargealso.
Not anxiousto spendanother$30
for a secondreplacementbattery,I
decidedto try a last ditch effort. I
usedsomefine steelwool andcleaned
up the contactpointson both batteries
(I'd neverrecycledthe originalone).
Then I unpluggedthe chargerand
cleanedthosecontactpoints.
Both batterieswork well again,tak-
ing a chargejust fine.
Ron Sitz
Tucson,AZ

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'W'orkbench
t2 r December1997 ProductInformation
Number202
 USSConstitution
Sails
Do your best to imagine The oldestcommissionedwarship a never-ending process. Prior to this
restoring a 2,0001on, 204-ft. *",i't theworld, setsail last effort, though, no restoration of the
constitution
ship has been so extensive,nor used so
enr"t't"r'-
pieceofantiqu :iJ:il-'[iT"iJ:i
:'ffiJli]:,fil:; many high-tech solutions.
leftout throughtwocenturiesoff the Massachusetts
coast.The two
voyages- a seatrial on July 8 and a
Every square foot of the hull was X-
rayed to diagnosethe condition of over
ofsun,snou),andsaltair - bonafide sailingexcursionon July 21, 150,000metal spikes, pins, and rods,
markedtheculminationof
a$l2million each ofwhich helps secureplanks and
And yOU'll begin tO UndefStAnd
restoration effort bezun in 1992 at the frame members together. The X-rays
what life has been like for the Naval Charlestown Navy Yard. alsorevealedrotted timbers,a common
Historical Center Detachment in problem on any large woodenvessel.
Boston. With other craftspeople and High-TechHelps Rebuild Pqsr Testing the ship's structural wood-
support personnel,this group of over From fixing battle scars and short- en members for soundness had
60 ship restorers had the daunting but sighted modifications done in years always been a problem. X-rays don't
enviabletask of bringing seaworthy sta- past,to repairing problemsbrought on reveal every defect, and questionable
tus back to the USS Constitution for the by normal aging, undoing damage to beams sometimesprove healthy when
historic ship's 200th birthday. the Constitution'swoodwork has been cut open, ruining them unnecessarily.
On this score, the restorationteam Aheod of Her Time with accessto untappedforests full of
got help from the U.S. Forest The restorationcrew also installed huge white pines (for masts)andwhite
Productslaboratory,which pioneered new wood braces,calleddiagonalrid- and live oaks (for frame timbers and
a nondestructive testing method ers, that had been removedwhen the planking),the fledglingAmericannavy
using metal pins to introduce stress Constitutionwas taken out of active enjoyed the best materials its ship
wavesinto the wood.Striking one pin service. The original placement of wrights could ask for. The Constitufion
sends the wave travelling, and the these curved timbers was an innova- boastsa hull thicknessof overtwo feet.
speedit travelsto the other end of the tion by JoshuaHumphreys,the ship's
beam is measured.Healthywood tis- designer.The rider bracesstrengthen
sue is a fast track, but voids and seri- the hull and minimizeits "hog," a dan-
ous rot act as roadblocks, so slow gerous distortion of the keel (the
wave travel indicates trouble spots. ship's long timber "backbone")that
Bad beamsget replaced,while good resultsfrom the unequalbuoyancyofa
timbers aren'tneedlesslyruined. ship'sendsand midsection.
Humphreys'design
getsmuch of the cred-
it for making the
Constitution such a
formidable fighting
ship. The strong and
stable frame could
carry up to 54 cannon
on two decks,and the
sleekhull profile gave
Cannononboththespar(main)andgundeck the ship the speedto Clewmemben "manthehalyard" b hoista
gave
theshipib firepower.
Therammer and outrun what she sailonthemizen(rcar)mast.Onesailorat
worm(inset)
wereused to loadandclealthem. couldn't outgun.And theendofthelinecoilstheropeonthedeck.

I.olkal
for less.
Gary it for nothingl

;!:'lii:ffi, Here's anofferthat's

hardto refuse.
ControLokTM - Stanett's
newergonomicallydesigned modelat anunbelievably lowprice
plusa FREE heavydutycanier.
O BladeautGlocks whenthumbpressure is released. Nosnapbacks! THE
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ProductInformation
Number187 ProductInformationNumber 176
 The Navybrass,wanting to savethe
fanfarefor the achralsailing onJuly 21,
reminded us that the stern (rear) of
the ship was still tetheredto a tugboat,
but nobodyseemedto mind. We were
under sail,pushedby the samesteady
winds that moved the Constitution
when shewas first launched200years
ago. It was a reminder, not entirely
nostalgic,that collectivehuman effort
sometimesperforms magic with sim-
ple tools and againstheavyodds.
The shipwrights and crew who
first built and fought aboard the
Theskylight habhabove quarbrc
fte captain's prcvided
ventilation,
butwas Constitution saw this firsthand. That
alsousedasa depository
br anonymous wdttencomplainbfiom$e crcw. the ship survives today is a testament
to their sweat, skill, ingenuity, and
a massiveshield that earned her the in surfaceareaand canpropelthe ship ability to work together when it
name "Old lronsides" when cannon at speedsup to 13 knots (16 mph); counted.It was great to see the same
shot from the British frigate HMS there's over 7 miles of running rigging spirit alive in those who now sail
Guerriere bounced off the hull and (the halyard ropes used to handle the andcarefor her.tT
droppedharmlesslyinto the Atlantic.In sails),and 27 miles of standingriggrng
all, the ship remained undefeated (ropesthat supportmastsandyards).
through over 30 engagementsat sea, The numbers were impressive,but
thoughnot unscathed. the real show was the activity on the
In an 1812battle,cannonfire from main deck. Officers and midshipmen
the British HMS Java destroyed the signaled, shouting directives as the
Constitution's helm (ship'swheel),but crew members took their stations,
the American crew prevailed. Before readyingthe halyardsor climbing rope
settingthe defeatedJavaafire,they sal- shroudsontothe yards (thecrossspars
vaged her helm and brought it on to which sailsare rigged).Then a burst
board.A replica (right) of that double of well-choreographed movement Linked viarcpeto therudder,fte helmkeeps
wheelhelm now steersConstitution. unfurled the sails, which billowed as $e shipsteercd oncoune. Thishelmrepli-
they caughtthe wind. cabsonesalvaged fiomtheBritishshipJava,
Bock Home, In the Woter
Today the USS Constitutionis among
our country'smost historic icons,but
not simplybecauseof her age.Shesur-
vivesby virtue of a superiordesignthat
still inspiresand deservesrespect.
With her wood scrubbedcleanand
brass gleaming, the ship got a clear
July morning for the first of her excur-
sions, a sea trial that included safety
drills, navigationalexercises,and the
riggrng of the six sail complementused
during seabattles.On board were her
crew and officers and their guests,
Navyofficials,and a pressentourageof
televisionand print journalists.
Weleft docksideat 0800(that's8 a.m.
to us civilians), with an escort of four
tugboatsto tow the ship safely out of
the harbor.Through variousannounce
mentswe got the vital statisticsfor this
historic ship - Constitution'sfull com- Clutching theyad,withonlya rcpefura perch,crcwmemben woftb gather thesailonthe
plementof 36 sailstotalsalmostan acre mainmast. Theplathm isa 'Tighting
top,'onceus€dbymarine shapshooten dudng battle.
'Workbench
16 r December
1997
 LaundryCabinet
I rank doinglaundryright up
therewith payingtaxes,and
I'ueneuerdoneeitherwith
muchenthusiasm. Theonly
good thing I can say is, at least
tax time comesaroundjust
once ayear. Although I have to face
a simple fact - I could sooner get
away with not paying taxes than I
could get by without doing laundry.
While no one can eliminate the
necessary evil of doing laundry,
it's easy to make the working con-
ditions more hospitable. With this
in mind, I recently applied the
same kind of organization and
storage strategies to the laundry
18 \TorkbenchI December1997
room as I alwayshaveto my shop. washer and dryer. This arrange-
The first phase of this home ment is ideal as it provides a handy
improvementprojectwasbuilding place for setting soap and clothes
a utility cabinet. while loading and unloading the
Besidesprovidingstoragefor all washer and dryer. You may want to
the bleach,detergent,andgeneral build a slimmer or wider version of
laundry supplies,the cabinetfea- the cabinet to fit better in your
tures a convenientcounter for space.But if you do, be aware that
sorting clothes. I covered the changing the size of one part can
counter with plastic laminate so affect severalothers.
it's easyto cleanand won't suffer
damageif it gets wet. Adding a Storr Cufiing fhe Pqrls
hanging rod to the cabinet Beginworkingon your laundry
relieved the laundry room door stationby cutting3/+'Lthickplywood
knob from doing double-duty. to size for the top, counter,
sides, dividers, fixed shelf, and
Customizing fhe Cobinet adjustableshelf (Plywood Cuting
Thewidth of this cabinetworkswell Diagrams).Don'tcut the doorsyet
in my basementlaundry room, - I'11show you a tip later that will
whereI havea longwall besidethe saveyou time bandingthe edges.
 I-aundry Cabinet Consfouction View LAUNDRY CABINET
A kit has beenassembledfor this pro-
OVERALL 42"Hx 48"Wx24"D
SIZE: ject that includesall the screws,hinges,
,.- lroningboardhanger and shelf pins. Pulls have been omitted
,-_-Door Fordetails,seelroningBoard
seeDoor
Fordetails, .$-J so that you can match your decor.
/t 'l
Viewon pagez+. I l.
Construction Hanger Detailon page24. o r d e r n u m b e r 3 3 0 6 1 0.0 . .. . .$. 4
. 1.95
:;j
To order, call Workbench at (aOO)31 f-3994.

Hangingrod

holes----\
Drillsixpairsol /4" shelf-pin
s/e"deep,2" fromedgesandspaced Adjustable shelf
Firstholes974"abovecounter.
2" vertically. 3/+"x'l#/a" x34/2"

a
Longdivider
Sidepanel

Backpanel
Drive#10x 3" FHWS Cutto fit from/+"-thick
throughcleatsto attach plywood.Attachwith
to wallstuds./
cabinet #6 x 3/+"FHWS.

Edging
Counter
assembly
Fordetails.
seeCounter
Viewonpage22.
Construction

Plyrvood Cutting Diagram

(HaH Sheet)

Without an extensive supporting After cutting the plywood pieces

cast of infeed and ouffeed gadgets, to size (except the doors), rip solid
Counter cutting full plywood sheets on the birch to width for the cleats and
3/a"x233/e"x471/q" table saw is a challenging perfor- counter edgrng. I-eave all of these
mance. To avoid that clumsy role hardwood piecesa bit long for now,
on this project, I cut the full ply- so you can cut them to fit later on.
wood sheets approximately in half
3/t"x83/'rc" with a circular saw.The half-sheets
x131/+" WhatYou'llNeed
<- Grain-----> were then much easier to handle
when I got to the table saw. Ilmber
lVzSheetsof 34il-thickbirch plywood
Plywood Cutting Diagram (Full Sheet) 1/zSheetof Vril-thickbirch plywood
3 lin. ft. of lr/+il birch dowel
Sidepanel Sidepanel 4 bd. ft. of 3/lr'-thicksolid birch
3/q"x135/a"
x42" 3/t"x13s/e"x42"
Hardware
(34) #6' 3/nnFlat-headwoodscrews
Top Fixedshelf
3A"x135/a"
x47%" 3/+"x133/s"x351/q" (32) #8 2rrFlat-headwoodscrews
"
(6) #8x ltlunFlat-head woodscrews
(1) #10, ltlru Round-headwood screw
Longdivider Adjustable
shelf (4) Half-overlayEuro stylehinges
3/a"x133/a"x39A" 34" N133/e"
x34Y2"
(4) FulloverlayEuro stylehinges
(4) Adjustableshelfpins
NOTE:
Firstcutwithcircularsawapprox- Shortdivider f
imately
halvessheetforeasierhandlin$ sA"x1l3/a"x13Vq,'J (4) Door pulls

W'orkbenchr December1997 19
Carcase Construction View
ToP .._.-
3/q"x'135/e"
x 47Ya"

-_- --n{tn*
- Longdivider
Shortdivider \-
Cleats; 3/q"
x133/a"
x13%"
3/q"x2" x 46/2"
NoTE: Cutlength
to fit yourcarcase,

Plywoodsoldat 3/+"thickusuallymea-
sures%2"thinner.Useshimsbetween the
of yourdadosetfor a perfect
chippers fit.
Sidepanel/
3/4"x13s/s"x 42''
because plywood that's called 3/arl
thick usually measures only 2ir/rzu
Longdivider
3/q"x133/a"x393/q"
- thick (Figure l). To get a tight joint
between the piecesof plywood, you
need to cut dadoesexactly that size,
or undersized uery slightly.
Cut Dodoes ond Grooves If you own a wobble-fype dado
Side Panel I-ong Divider With the pl1'rvood carcase parts blade, simply dial in the width.
cut to size, lay out the dadoesand With a stack dado, start with cut-
Detail Dado Detail grooves on the sides, the long ters totaling 11/rorr, then insert
ts 13sl8,,f divider,the fixed shelf, and the top shims betweenthem. You can pur-
(Side Panel Detail, Long chase shims or make your own
Divider Dado Detail. Fixed from metal, plastic, or paper.You
19y4, dado
Shelf Detail, and Top Detail). could also take two passeswith a
{ Work on the sidesfirst, and set the narrow blade to achieve the cor-
{ \ N;t'' other parts in a safe place for now. rect dado width.
Dado in To get going on the side panels, Set the cutting depth at eTnttand
leftside 37rtt
put a dado blade in your table test the setup on scrap stock to zero
panelonly.
saw and prepare to cut the dadoes in on a snug fit. Be sure to note that
near the upper and lower ends the locations of the dadoes for the
s/e" (Side Dado Detail). These fixed shelf are not the same in the
dado\ dadoes will house the tongues side and the long divider.
from the top and counter. For strength and a clean appear-
Note:All dadoesare 3/a"
deep. Next, prepare to cut dadoes ance, I housed the back panel of
i n t h e l e f t s i d e a n d my cabinet in rabbets (Side
Side Dado Detail Side Rabbet Detail long divider for housing Rabbet Detail). To cut these rab-
the fixed shelf (Side bets, I used the 3,/a"dado blade,
SidePanel(Edge View) SidePanel(TopView)
Panel Detail and l-ong but partially buried it in an auxil-
Y2"=\ -t Divider Dado Detail). iary fence. That fence is simply a
v'"1 l{ Y4" Matching these dadoes pieceof scrapwood clampedto my
T__l-l; Ti to the thickness of table saw's rip fence (Figure 2).
the plywood introduces Cut these rabbets along the rear
3/a"3-
a slight complication. inside edge of the sides and top.

Fixed SheH Detail Top Detail Top Rabbet Detail

EdgeView

T
l-ZSlq,,+l
3/t" dado,
f -I
3/e"deep -\
135/e" l--,f
<- ,rr
L
41y4,'
1^'i
;If T-
1 ,

20 W'orkbenchr December1997
 Nolching the Dividers
lay out the notchesin the dividers
to match the thickness and width
of the cleatsthat you made earlier
(Carcase Construction View).
Although you could cut the
notches at the table saw working
with a wide dado blade, I felt more
confident and comfortable doing
this with a jig saw (Figure 3). f€t
the saw cut at a comfortable feed
rate, and try to avoid putting side
pressure on the blade - it will
causean out-of-squarecut.
Drill Honging Rod Holes
Drilling holes for the hanging rod
is the next order of business(Hole
I-ocation Detail and Hole
Drilling Detail). Drill a hole
through the right side panel, but
counterbore only halfway into the
long divider. To make sure that the
hole and counterbore line up,
clamp the parts together with their
front edgesflush and their top ends
offset by 37ntt
while you're drilling.
I got a bit discouragedwhen I
couldn't find my 11lqrrForstner bit
right away,but then I realized that
a spadebit would work evenbetter
for this operation. Its point auto-
matically drills the shank hole for
Hole I-ocation Detail
Sidepanel(right)
j knew that I had to find a solution
Hole Drilling Detail
A scrapboardprotects
yourripfencefrom
damage whileyoucuttherabbetsin the
sidesandtooto housethecarcaseback.
the screw that secures the hang-
ing rod to the long clivider.
I was ternpted to drill the holes
for the shelf pins now. But since
the ends of the long divider and
side are not flush, the layout start-
ed to get complicated. So I took
the safe route by postponing this
task until after I had assembled
the carcase.
Moke the Honging Rod
\\4ren I originally built this laun-
clry center,I rnadethe hanging rod
by simply cutting a dowel to length
and screwing it in place.
But the first time I usecl the
cabinet, I accidentally brushed
againstsome hanging clothes,and
my freshly launclered shirts slid
off the end of the rocl. As I was
replacing them, they fell again. I
- gravity is too persistentto beat.
Fortunately, the answer was
quick and easy - I sirnply cut a
kerf near the encl of the rod to
Cut/e"deep Screw]idij
grooue'/2
blockto miter
IfOm en0. /'
aftereachcutuntil
grooveisfinished.
A groove
cut intotherodwill catcha
hangerbeforeit slidesofftheend.This
simplesetupletsyoudothejobquickly,
\.
\\
First,
cutwidth
---\ ofnotch,
then
its length.
bladein yourjig
Usinga plywood-cutting
sawis a fastwayto notchthedividen,
Sizethenotchesto matchthecleats,
catch a hanger. After cutting a
piece of l\/ttt-dia. closet pole stock
1811,/+"long, screw a wood exten-
sion with a stop block to your table
saw's miter gauge (Figure 4).
Make repeated passes over the
blade, rotating the pole slightly
after each cut until you cornplete
the kerf aroundthe rod.
I also decided to add a decora-
tive chamfer to the kerfed end of
the rod. Clamping a piece of ply-
wood to your table-mountedrouter
will help you control the rod
(Figure 5).
When all of the machining on
the rod is completed, set it aside.
The best time to install it is after
you've assembledthe cabinet and
appliedthe finish.
Moke the Top qnd Counter
I covered the counter with plastic
laminate.If you've never laid lami-
nate before, check out the instruc-
tions that are provided in Laying
Laminatesbeginning on page 28.
hanging rodinto
bit,thenrotate.
A parallel
fencesystem safelycontrols
the
hangingrodduringrouting. Rotatetherod
intothebit to chamferitsend.
VorkbenchI December1997 21
Counter Construction View intentionally setting the blade too
---:
Adhereoversized
low for the first pass. I then com-
laminate
to pared the size of the tongue to the
\
plywoodsubsilat?.-
_ )-' dado, raised the blade slightly, and
made another pass.I repeatedthis
'"* -
Mitercorners procedure until I got the fit I want-
'--=--- ed. For me, this method works
Substrate much better than trying to set my
34"x233/a"
x47Vq"--: ,/
blade to a mark on a measuring
tool. When I've tried that, I've
always been frustrated by loose-fit-
ting results.
Routing78"chamfer
- isthelaststep.
Get lt Together
.L The key to assemblingthis cabinet
Frontedging
Sideedging 3/4"x1Y2"x 48'' is organization. There aren't many
3/q"x1lz" x10" parts, but each one is fairly large,
...-Houn trners NOTE: Applyedgingafter
after/
Routrabbet after so you need to rehearsewith a dry
gluing
laminate. gluin lging. installing in
counter
carcase assembly. assembly to make sure everlthing
fits just right. And unless you fol-
The top and the counter need You'll need to rout the edges of the low the right assembly sequence,
rabbets cut into their ends to form shelf and counter prior to assembly you may end up struggling to get
tongues that fit into the dadoes of the carcase. For details, see parts into position (Carcase
near the bottom ends of the sides Edging l,aminated Surfacesbelow. Assembly Sequence).
(Counter Construction View). I Your table saw still has the dado I used glue and screws to hold
decided to cut the rabbets in the blade and auxiliary fence setup all the parts together. Before glu-
top with the table saw and those in you used to cut the rabbets for the ing, drill countersunk pilot holes
the counter with a router. I chose back. With the blade set to cut a for the screws. I found that I need-
not to use the table saw for the rabbet 3/srrwide, adjust its height ed to put 1/+"-thickplywood shims
counter because the chopping to produce a tongue 3/s" thick under the back edge of some of
motion of a dado blade can cause (Top Rabbet Detail on page 20). the pieces to keep all the front
the laminate to chip. The sideways To sneak up on a perfect fit for edges of the carcaseflush.
shearing motion of a router bit pro- the rabbet in the top, I followed a After drilling the pilot holes,
duces much smoother results. multi-step procedure. I began by take the pieces apart, then start

Edging l^aminated Surfaces Edging Detail

You can use the following procedure
to cover the edges of the adjustable
shelf and counter for this project, as
well as the work surface in the com-
panion article Swing-Up Shelf.
The first step is to cut a rabbet
along the laminate-covered edges,
leavingo a 3/srlthick tongue (Edging
Detail). To do this, use a rabbeting bit
in your router. As always, several light
passesare better than one healy cut.
After sanding the top edge of the
banding, I use a dado blade to cut the
groove into its back surface. The
groove's width, depth, and vertical
alignment are each important. But I
don't try to set all three of them at
once. At first, I concentrate on getting
the width and depth of the groove
right where I want them.
The drawingsshow that the
width and depth of the groove
both measure3/srr.But I actual-
ly cut the grooveslightlywider
anddeeper(abit lessthan1/rorl
in each direction).That gives
me some room to adjust the fit
when I glue and clampthe banding.
After the width and depth are
locked in, it's a simple matter of
tweaking the location of the rip fence
to position the groove in the banding
When I glue and clamp the banding
into position, I like to set the strips a
hair below the level of the laminated
surface - just enough that my
thumbnail barely catches on the edge
of the laminate. Applying a couple bit in yourroutertrimsover-
A labbeting
coats of clear finish to the wood then hanginglaminate edges andforms the
makes up the difference. tongueforthebanding in oneeasystep.

22 'JforkbenchI December1997
 StepA Carcase Assembly Sequence
Clamp117a"-long spacer
to position
- /a"-thicksoacer
the assembly by gluing and screw-
ing the long divider to the fixed
shelf (Step A). Then add the short
divider. Now position the top on
the short and long dividers,gluing
and screwing it into place (Step
B). Add the sides next and clamp
them in place (Step C). Tacking a
wood strip across the front will
hold the assemblysquare.
Slide the counter into position
(Step D). Sincethere's no dado in
the counter to register the lower
end of the long divider, clamp a
spacer to the counter before dri-
ving the screws.
Check the entire assembly for
square by measuring for equal
diagonals. Correct any imperfec-
tion by clamping the carcase from
corner to corner. After you
unclamp the carcase,cut the cleats
to finished length, then glue and
screw them into place (Step E).
Bond lhe Cqrcqse Edges
For the sake of appearance and
durability, I banded all the front
edges of the carcase. Here again,
StepE
longdivider.
r _ _ - - - \ =
Banding
Sequence
=-;1
Framing
square
NOTE: pipeclamps
Forclarigol illustration,
sidesarenotshownin StepsCandD.
holding
following a specific sequence will
ensure your success (Step F).
Using tape instead of clamps to
hold the banding in place will
speedup this process(Figure 6).
To smooth the banding flush
with the plywood surfaces after the
glue dries, I decided to use a sharp
cabinet scraper (Figure 7). I didn't
use a belt sander becauseit's just
too difficult to avoid sanding
through the thin plywood veneer. tapewhen
Gentlystretchvinylelectrical
After scraping, I used a hand-held youuseit to securebanding to carcase
sanding block with l2Ggrit paper. edges.Followbanding sequence (above).
After you complete all the work
on the banding, drill the series of
1/4rrholes 3/srrdeep for the support
pins that hold up the adjustable
shelf (I-aundry Cabinet Con-
struction View).
\- -\-
Double-checkthe size you need
for the back, then cut it to size and Strive
forthin
not
) shavings,
screw it in place. Next, glue and
clamp the edging to the adjustable
shelf and counter. Sand a radius at
the corners of the counter, then
rout a chamfer along the upper to smoothbanding
Usea cabinetscraper
and lower edges of the counter flushwiththeplywood,Thistoolleb you
and the adiustable shelf. dothejobquicklywithmaximum control.
W'orkbenchI December1997 23
Door Construction View
Blumhinge
(Usehalf-overlay Door
3/+"-thick
plywood,
hingesondoors
attached to short 83/rc"x'l3lt"
divider.0therhingese
arefull overlay.)
Hinge Detail
Centerpoint
of35mm
is7e"from
dooredge.
- Rout/e" chamfer
alongfrontedges
of bandingafter
assembly.
NOTE:Hinge mountingdimensions
applyonlyto Blumhingessupplied
in kit.
Moking the Doors
Now that you have the shell of
your laundry room work station
complete, you can move on to
making the doors.
Here's the tip I promised you
earlier that will speed up the pro-
duction of the doors. First, cut a
piece of plywood to length that is
wide enough for all four doors
(Door Detail). Band the top and
bottom edges of the panel, then
slice the doors apart. Now all you
have to do is band the remaining
two edges of each door. When the
banding is completed, rout a l/srl
chamfer around the outer face of
each door.
For a neat appearance, I used
European-style self-closing con-
cealed hinges (Hinge Detail).
Use a 35mm bit in your drill press
to bore the hinge-cup holes in the
doors. As long as you're at the drill
press, you can drill the holes for
the door handles. Using a scrap
board under the door prevents
tearout on the back ofthe door.
S4ren I used my hand-held drill
to drill pilot holes for the hinge
mounting plates, I discovered a
problem. The mounting plates are
located directly behind each other
on the short divider. That means
24 \WorkbenchI December1997
Door Detail
Applybanding to thetopandbottomedges
of a 3/+"x 36" x 8slo"doorblank.
cabineta thoroughonce-overwith
a tack cloth. I followedthat with
four coatsof.Zar Wipe-Onoillvar-
nishfinish.
Mount the carcaseto the wall
beforere-installingthe doors.I put
the carcaseon a pair of sawhorses
to hold it level and at the right
height while I drilled pilot holes
Banding is 3/s"thick, through the cleats into the wall
flushwithplywood door.
studs.Positioningthe counterany-
wherein the rangefrom 32rrto 36rl
that the screw tips will run into abovethe floor shouldwork well.
each other. But you can easily Finally,I drovethe screws.
solve this by grinding 1/g" off the
screw tips. Use locking pliers to lroning Boqrd Honger
hold the screws while grinding, I know a few peoplewho are so
and give them time to cool off devotedto permanentpress that
before touching them. they have completelyrenounced
ironsandironingboards.
Finishingqnd Instqllotion But if you do need a placeto
The humidity generatedby a storean ironingboard,here is an
washing machine and the heat accessory for the sideofyour cab-
coming from a dryer team up to inet that's quick and easyto make
create a hostile environment for a and install (Ironing Board
wood project. So I took extra care Hanger Detail).
with the finishing. And before you say that I'm
After removing the hardware, I behind the times for clinging to a
gave everything a final sanding beliefin irons,let mepointoutthat
with 220-grit sandpaper. I vacu- I'm not that old-fashioned. After
umed off the dust, then gave the all. it is an electriciron.tffi
Ironing Board Hanger Detail
- 3/q"x3Vz"x8"
Rout78"chamfer on
endof 17+"dowel
beforecuttingto
3" length.
ozs-
Center holesin
widthof board,
1" fromends.
Drill3/8"deep,
Drillholesfor
angled5'upward.
#8x1lq"FHWS,72"
fromedgesandends.
 Swing-LlpSheH
Building tke laundry
Centeraccomplished rnypri-
mary goal - creatingspace
My laundry room arrangement Building The Frome
allowed for a shelf 5 ft. long. Most To help carry the weight of the
likely, you'll have to size the shelf shelf when it's covered with a load
for your circumstances.Just be of clothes, I made a wall frame

forstoring Butit ;ffi:"-'*:ff#TiJ#ilffi"i;

swppties.
soon became apparent there
stittwasn't
enough
room
for 3:fillln:T::i:f;"11#"':l
folding clothes. Knowing the laun-
dry room had no floor space to
devoteto a table, I built a swing-up
shelf that's hinged to the wall. It
swings quickly into position for
(Wall Frame Detail). The rails
and stiles of the frame are joined
theway,thisshelfcouldbeusetul together with half-lap joints and
screws. It's important to point out
that, on the stiles, the lower half-lap
basementshop. cutout is on the back face. and the
Wall Frame Detail
90- -- lr 3/8'\

use, or drops against the wall

when not needed.
The shelf is built of pl1'wood,and
covered with plastic laminate
I
'il
3"
{ rote/nar-rap
orientation.
Frontof
(Swing-up Shelf Construction T
View) for easyclean-upand mainte
nance.To improve their appearance
and durability, I banded all visible
ll
-l <-_
(FrontView)
3"
T (SideView)
wallframe.

pll.wood edgeswith solid birch.

Vorkbench I December1997
 Swing-IJp Shelf Construction View
OVERALL 24"Wx 60"1x 32"H
SIZE:
3 / q "x 2 3 Y a "x 5 9 1 / q "
FronVBack edging
3/q"x1lz" x60"
\S
continuous
hinge, -._E
60"lons ECA?|
I continuous
Wallframestile
3/r"x3" x12"
' Support
arm
3 / a "x 1 4 3 / a x" 1 1 3 / q "
upper half-lapcutout is on the front
face. This joinery arrangement
counteracts the force of the fully
loadedshelf pulling on the frame.
Rip your rails and stiles to width
and cut them to length. Then
clamp a stop block to an extension
on your miter gauge, and set up a
:J/+"dado blade to cut the half-laps
(Figure 1). But before cutting
your frame material,I suggestyou
make test cuts in scrao wood of
the same thickness.
After cutting the halfJaps,spread
glue on the joints and assernblethe
frame. Make sure the frarne is
square before drilling pilot holes
and driving two #6, s/s" screws
through the back of eachjoint.
Usea 3/+"dadobladeto cuthalf-laps
in the
fnme nils andstiles,Clampa stopblockto
anextensionscrewed to yourmitergauge.
26 WorkbenchI December1997
What You'll Need
E n de d g i n g
Lumber
Shelf
3 / q "x 1 1 2 " x 2 4 " 8 bd. ft. of rrl4rrbirch
1 4x8 sheet.of3/+rrpl)ryvood
Hardware
/"/
t ir. 1tl2rr-widecontinuoushinge
(8) #6" 5/s"flat-headscrews
Stopblock
! t (60) #4 * 1/zrrflat-headscrews
1 % "x 1 / 2 " x 4 "
(12) #10, 3rrflat-headscrews
10 sq, ft. plasticlaminate
1Yz"-wide Support Arm Detail
hinge,
12"long
A
Wallframerail
3/q"x3"x60"
l'13/4"
V
Support Arms > 2 3 / q "<
Begin making the support arms by
cutting a ply.wooclrectangle for Following the gluing sequenceI
each arm and laying out the 35' used will minirrize the number of
angled edge (Support Arm seamsthat show (Figure 3).
Detail). Then cut the angles on
your table saw Again, use a long Mochining fhe Sfop Blocks
miter gauge extension and stop To properly position the support
block to hold the pieces securely arms, I n'radetwo stop blocks and
during the cuts (Figure 2). rnounteclthern to the unclersicleof
Solid woocl banding on the for- the shelf. The notch in each block
ward-facingedgesthe support arms fits over the support ann, anclthe
neatlyconcealsthe edgesofthe ply- angleclenclhelps easethe arm into
wood. Rip the banding from solid position (Stop Block Detail).
stock ancl glue it to the plywood. I For safety,I machineclthe small
found using clamps on the angled blocks as one piece. Glue two
edges was awkward, so instead I :r/.r"-thickpieces together to make
used electrical tape, which stretch- a 1r,/,rr-thickblank. Then rip the
es enoughto pull the bandingsnug. blank to 1llsilwide and crosscutit
Usea longextensionandstopblockto Gluebanding to thebottom edgeof the
holdthesupportarmssecurely.Setyour armsfirst,thento theanglededge,and
mitergaugeto cuttheedgeat a 35"angle, to thefrontedgelastto coverthejoints.
 Stop Block Detail
Y2"
T
1316"13/4" I
| 3/4"|
Note:Blockis 1/2"-wide.
10rllong,which is enoughfor both
blocksplus a little extra.
Once you have the over-long
stockin hand,cut a 13/rorlwidedado
neareachend(Figure 4). Next,cut
the blocks to length and use a fine
toothedhandsawto cut the angled
endof eachpiece(Figure 5).
Moking rhe Shelf
I made the shelf the sameway I
madethe counterfor the laundry
center. Begin by cutting the
plywoodto size (Swing-up Shelf
Construction View), then bond
the plasticlaminateto the top sur-
face following the techniques
describedin lnying La.minateson
page28.
Once the laminate is secure,
rout a tongueon all four edgesof
the shelf (see Edging lnminated
Surfaceson page22).Tte tongues
providea solid connectionfor the
birch edging, which you can
machineto fit now.
After ripping the edging to
width,miter it to length.Then glue
the edgingto the shelf,and sanda
3/arrradius on the front corners.
Routing 1,/srrcharnfersalong the
edges is a safety feature, and
dressesup the edging.
Mounthingeb undenide of shelf,flushwitt Measurcdown13%"fiomdesircdshelf
rcard backed$ng,Mountb fiamesohinge lBightandnaila cleatb wall.&t fie frame
knuckleovefiangsfrontfaceof frame.
Insblla 13/ro"
dadobladein yourhble Usinga smallhandsaw,cuttwostoP
saw,andcuta 3As"deepdadoneareach blockfiomtheovenized piece.
Then
endof he wenizedpice. theleading
angle edgeofeachblock.
Assembling rhe Shelf for me. You may want to alter this
The backbonesof this project are height for your needs.
the continuous hinges used to To positionthe shelf 32rroff the
mount the shelf and arms to the floor, I marked a level line l3Yzrl
frame.Continuoushinges are very belowthat idealheight andnaileda
sfong, andkeepthe shelffrom sag- cleat to the wall, keeping its top
ging when ifs loadedwith clothes. edgeflush with the line (Figure 7).
First cut two l2rllong hingesfor Since the shelf assemblyis fairly
mounting the arms to the frame. heavy,I located three studs and
Hold eachhinge in position(flush securedthe cleatto them.
with the inside edge of eachframe Next, a friend and I lifted the
stile)anddrill the pilot holes.Then shelf assemblyand set the frame
screw the hinges to the frame. on the cleat.I drilled a pair of coun-
Repeatthese stepsand securean tersunk pilot holes through the
arm to eachhinge. frameat eachstud location.Driving
Now cut a 5 ft.Jong sectionof a screwthrough eachhole secured
hinge to attach the shelf to the the shelf assemblyto the wall.
frame. Screw the hinge to the After removing the cleat, I
undersideofthe backedgingonthe swung the support arms straight
shelf (Figure 6). Mount the hinge out from the frame (usinga fram-
to the frame so the knuckle over- ing square for accuracy), and
hangsthe frame'sface. screwed the stop blocks to the
undersideof the shelf.
Instolling rhe Shelf Without a doubt.the additionof
I found that installingthe shelf so this shelf makesit easierthan ever
the top surfaceis 32rroff the floor to keep the laundry room neat and
providesa good working position organized,especiallywhen com-
bined with the laundry center.And
it doesn'teat up
valuable floor
Tackcleatto wallto
holdframein position.
onthecleat,andscrcwfiameinb studs.
 IAyLngI-aminates
Woodal,wayranhsa,rnong nty leorning fhe Bcsics Even though the core of "plasdc"
The first hurdle you'll encounter laminate is really layers of lrraft
topmaterialchoi,ceswhenit with decorativelaminateis cutting paper (similar to brown shopping
cornestoprojects,butI often the material to size. For most pro-
bags, and also made from wood
addother
ingredi,ents or ,;Jj#*Jffi? ffh1",:1",::
- steet fiber), conventionalgluing meth.
ods don't work very well. Thaf,s
brasshardware,maybeeuen once ifs glued to the substrate becausethe kraft paperis impreg.
(the panel you use as a gluing
ceramictile, glass,or someni,ce base). I like to leave the laminate
granite or marble. Working with at least ilr oversize along each
most of these alternativematerials edge to give me a comfortable
requires tools and techniquesthat margrnfor trimming.
depart frr from my normal wood- You can cut the rough laminate
. worklng routine, but plastics and blank freehand with a router, as
highgressure decorative lami- long as you provide support to
nates are an exception.They can keep the laminateflat (Figure 1).
be machinedwith normal carbide The table saw also works fine, but
blades and cutters. The differ- you'll need a kerfed wood guide to
ences?I-dminatesare thinner and keep the laminate from sliding
more brittle than wood. Cutting under your rip fence @igure 2). Wft he rcughsirema*edonthefac ol
takes some care, and adhesives Your next challengewill be mak- fte laminab,suppoilhe mabdalnear:
and gluing methodsalsovary. tng the stuff stick where you wanl $e lineandruutit wiilra stalghtbit.

28 Vorkbenchr December1997
nated with phenolicplastic resin. Oncethe positioningis correct, blank to an oversize substrate,
large furniture and cabinetshops remove the center spacers and then cut the panelto size on the
with fuIl-sheet presses can use pressthe laminatedown,working table saw (always with the lami-
ordinarywhite or yellowglue,but towardeachendandremovingfhe natesideup to avoidchipping).
for the rest of us, contactcement spacersas you go (Figure 4). To High pressurelaminatesoffer a
works best. ensure a good bond, I also use durable and easy-to-clean surface
light hammer blows on a wood for a lot of projects,not to mention
Glue-up: One Shot block, or pressurefrom a J-roller, a wild variety of colors and tex-
You'll find contact cements with to seat the laminate completely fures. They're easy to apply, and
either solvent-basedor water- (nigure 5). Be carefulnot to crack you can opt for different edge
borne formulas, and application the overhanging laminate at the treatments,includingwood mold-
methodsincludebrushing,rolling, edges- you want b cleantrim. ing thatmatchesyour project.I
and spraying. On really porous
materialsyou may needtwo coats Trimming ond Edging
to provide adequatecoverage. With mostlaminatedpanels,you'll
The best substratesare engi- want to trim the excess laminate
neeredwoodpanels,suchasparti- flush with the edges of the sub-
cleboard, plywood, or medium- strate.A bearing-guidedflush-trim
density fiberboard (MDF), that routerbit is the surestwayto get a
don'tmoveasmuchassolidwood. clean edge (Figure 6). The bit s
Apply the adhesiveto both sur- carbide flutes shear the laminate
faces to be joined, but don't put from the edge so there's none of
them together right away.Allow the tearout commonwith sawing
the cement time to air-dry (the through the face.
sheenwill changefrom glossyto There'sanothertechniqueI use Laminates slideundelmostfences,soif
matte) and to developa slight tack. when I don't have a flush-trimbit youcutthemateilal onthetablesaw,use
Don't be fooledby the weak grab handy.I bond an oversizelaminate a kerfed woodfenceto guidetheedge.
-
on your finger,though contact
cementis designedto cling tena-
ciouslyto itself, bonding instanfly
when the two coated surfaces
make contact (hence the name).
You don't need clamps,but you
haveto get it right the first time.
After the cementhas set up on
both the laminateand the panel,
you can put the piecestogether.I
use thin wood strips as spacersto
hold the materialapartuntil I posi-
tion the laminate (Figure 3).
(V'enetianblind slats and wood Afteryouapplycontact cement to boththelaminate andsubstrateandletit dry,set
dowelsare alternatives.) cleanspacen Thenposition
onbthesubstrate. thelaminate in place.
rcughly

ofthepanel,remove A J-ruller
Sbrtingatthecenter helps
ensurc
a strcng cement Aflush-trim ruuterbit,guidedbya bear-
thespacen andprcss
thelaminab down, bond. rcller(inback-
A double.wheel ing,willshear
thelaminab offalong
he
Theconbctcement willbondinstantly. grcund)candotheedgesaftertrimming. edges.Watchforvoidsin thesubstrate.
'Workbench
I December1997 29
 PrairieTreasureBox
Eaeryyearat thistimeI try to Prairie Style was an offshoot of the way you decideto go, you'll end up

comeup with a projectthatI futsAlthough

and Crafts movement.
crisscrossing grids are
with beautiful results.
For the panels, I used three
caneasilymassproduce for one hallmark of the Prairie Style, materials that are closely tied with
they're optional in this project - a Prairie Style traditions (Panel
holidaygifts.SinceI uswally box without them is still very hand- Options). These are just sugges-
endup bwildingsix or senen, some. Making the grids isn't diffi- tions - I know there are other
cult, but it does take time. Either choices that will work just as well.
it'simportantto keepthe
machining setups simple and con-
sistent so that parts for every unit
G, Panel
HAMMERED Options
t f i l c 0 P P E R I experimented
#t with threepanelmaterials,
can be made at the same time.
This year I made treasure boxes
r'ft ' W$ #- 'fq"
lrt*rs
and I knowthereareothenthatwill cre-
f - atean appropriate lookfor this project.
for storing jewelry, photos, letters, -f
r" 1 'f
and other collectibles. As one i SII/NfD
GtAss
Copperis availableat manyhardware
stores.To imitatethe traditionallook of
friend pointed out, these boxes
hammeredmetal, I tapped my panels
look like a house. I supposethat's
natural since home designs are with, of all things,a trailerball hitch.Try
strikingyourcopperwith differentobjects
always on my mind. Inspiration for RICE
PAPER untilyou createa patternthat suitsyou.
this design came from Prairie
As for stainedglass,minecamefroma
Style architecture, made well-
localstainedglassshop,and I foundthe
known by Frank Lloyd Wright in
' '3!ft#"#6t ricepaperat an art supplystore.
the early part of this century. .d#;*#/-

30 W'orkbenchI December1997
 Prairie Box Consffuction View
SIZE:9"Wx14"Lx 57/a"H
0VERALL
/- ctossbal
x/2" x11/q"
Upright72" lz" xVz"x4"
/
upright)---
(halfofcompleted I n ,-fop
-+ffi t--rlfr U 3/4"xg"x14''
tf Stile
Front rail l z " x 1 % "x 4 "
# Panel / 2 "x ' l % "x 1 2 "-
screw l i z,,xro,,
Gridrail(side)
#6x1/2"
- ovalhead / variesdepending
/r" x/a" x5' Retaining
strips 0hickness
nl.st;;;---,-' on material
choice.)
%"x7,
(quarter-round
molding) /-t
-7 $l

-A
-|li
Gridstile -
Panel altJ Gridrail(front)
/q" x%" x2,,
2 "x 5 " \ Vq"x%" x'10"
(lhickness \ Brad
variesdepending ]
onmaterialchoice.) 17gauge,
72"long
l
Peg )
-/ \ siderail
1 A x" % " x l z
% " x 1 % "x 7 "
(Usethislengthuntil
pegsareinstalled.)

% "x 6 % "x 1 1 % "

(hardboard)
Geiling Frqmed
With simplicity of construction in
mind, I designed each wall of the
box as a frame (Prairie Box
Construction View). The four
pieces in each frame are held
together with half-lapjoints, which
you can cut easily on your table
saw with a dado blade.
Becausethe joinery is identical
in all the frame pieces,and the size
of the pieces is rather small, I
decided to machine extra-wide
stock - a kind of gang-cutting
operation. I machined the half-lap
joints into 6rLwide stock, then
ripped this stock into 1tl4tt-vi6"
pieces for the rails and stiles. This
practice increases safety and saves
a lot of time.
So to begin, joint one edge of
some 6llwide, r/ztt-thick stock for
the frames, then crosscut pieces to
length for the rails and for the
stiles. In addition, you'll want to cut
some extra material to use for test-
ing your half-lap setups.
Now install a 3/+rr-widedado
blade in your table saw and, using
your miter gauge and a wood
WhatYou'llNeed
(per box)
extension, cut sample half-lapsin
pieces of the extra frame material Ltrmber
(Figure 1). Once the blade height 2 sq.ft. of l/2rr-thick
hardwood
and fence setting are perfect, cut a 1 sq.ft. of l/4rr-thick
hardwood
half-lap in both ends of your rail 1 sq.ft. o:fr/4tt-thickhardboard
and stile stock. ll/zbd. ft. of 3/nrr-thick
hardwood
Once you're done cutting the
halfJaps, replace the dado blade Hardware
with a standard saw blade and rip (2)#6* 1%rrbrassovalhead
your rails and stiles to width woodscrews
(Figure 2). Be sure to use a push (2) 2tt" 10rrpanels*
block so you can keep your hands (2)2tt" 5rrPanels*
well away from the blade while rip- *materialof your choice
ping these narrow pieces.
Makeseveral passes
to forma half-lapat Aftermachiningthehalf-laps,ripthewide
eachendof the5"-wide piecesof stock stockintotherailsandstiles.Test-fit
the
you'vecutto lenghhr therailsandstiles. piecesbgetherbefuregluinguptheframes.

WorkbenchI December1997 3r
 Frame Details SideFrame
> 11/q"* (OubideView) > lVn"F

I
1Y4" -t 'K
t
l%'
l-=\
Jtt ln'
\7/,
lLr

T I --/l
-r'1
t T
l+2" +l
(lnsideView) (lnsideView) I
I
4" 1A"deepxl/t" wider with a chisel.
Souare allcorners
witha chisel.
lVq"

T
yl'
-J/ )
i 'J

Rqil ond Srile Assembly ought to be square.After fine tun-
Now you can put the rails and ing, glue the rails andstilestogeth-
stilestogetherto makethe frames er (Figure 3). You'llwantto clamp
(Frame Details). Don't use any each corner to press the halflap
glue until youVecheckedthe fit of surfacessnug.Srhenthe squeeze-
each assembly- if the machine out becomesrubbery, shearit off
setupswere accurate,the half-lap with a chisel.
joints will be tight and the frames
Mochining Smoll Stock
Sincethe fit of so manyupcoming
steps dependson the l/+rrstrips
usedfor the grids and pegs,I sug-
gestyou makethis stocknow
First set the bladeand the fence
on your table saw,and rip into the
edge of your r/zrlthick stock
(Figure 4). Continueraising the
blade and making several more
passesto cut the kerf deeper.
Whenthe kerf is about234rrdeep,
Spreadglueoneachhalf-lap
andclamp lower the blade,set the fence23/ttl
thejoinbtogether.
Make suretheassem- from the blade, and cut the thin
bliesan quarebefure
leavingthemto dry, stockfree of the board.
Moking the Grids
As with the frames, making the
grids is all about half-laps(Grid
Details). And this is another
instance when I preferred to
machinethe stock before ripping
it into the narrowstrips.
Measure your frame openings
- in caseyour dimensionsvary
from mine - and cut your stock
Yzrrlongerto allowfor the half-laps
at the endsof the grid pieces.
Next,installar/+ttdadobladein
your table saw and clamp a setup
block to the fence. Cut l/srr-deep
dadoesin the stock at the appro-
priate locations (Figure 5). To
check your setup,I suggestmak-
ing cuts in scrapstock first. Cut a
rabbet in both ends of eachpiece
aswell (Figure 6).
Replacethe dado blade with a
standardblade and rip r/att-*i4"

Youcaneasilymake%"-thick stockfrom Working withthe %'-thickx 231+"-wide Onceyou'vecutthedadoes, resetthe

thickermaterial
by rippinga deepkerf, stock,cut %"-deepdadoes at theoverlap fenceandsetupblockto cuttherabbetat
onthegridpieces.
thenrippingthethinstockflomtheboard. locations eachendof the gridstock.

32 \TorkbenchI December1997
 Grid Details FrontandBackGrid
,'--r%'-t
t\y2!L y2'irl
\"\*-{ 3tu+"
rT--
T- /4
-
strips for the grid pieces and for
the pegs (Figure 7). To ensure
that these strips can't be kicked
back, use a push block that passes
through the blade with the strips.
Now carefully glue each grid
assembly together.
Squore Peg Holes
Forming square holes for the pegs
is a snap if you have a hollow chisel
mortiser. This tool drills out most
of the waste and squares the sides
of a hole in one step. Fortunately,
you can get the same results with
a drill and sharp chisel.
Iay out the peg hole locations
on the frames (Frame Details).
Then draw lines from corner to
corner to mark the center of each
layout.Chuck a1/qt'bitin your drill
and bore a r/arldeephole at each
layout (Figure 8). Square the
holes with a very sharp l/+rrchisel,
taking your time to keep every-
thing crisp and even (Figure 9).
As you proceed, dry fit a peg
strip in the holes - you want a
snug fit, but not so tight that you
need a mallet.
/+" Chisel
Square upthepegholeswitha sharp
chisel.Asyouworkon eachhole,testits
sizewitha %" Pegstrip,
*
1r.,Tl\f).
flf
?'tl
Iril,
Grid Mortises
Now that you have the hang of
forming square holes you can
move on to forming mortises in
the frames for the grid installation.
Before you can form these mor-
tises, however,you must rabbet the
back of each frame opening
(Frame Details). Use your router
table and a rabbeting bit, making
sure the bit's bearing limits the
width of the cutto 1/+rr
(FigUre 1O).
Rout the rabbets and square the
corners with a chisel, then lay
each grid into its frame and outline
Usea pushblockthatcantravelthrough
thebladewhilerippingthegridstockto
width.Thiswill prevent
kickbacks.
Rout/4" deepx 7n"
Setupyourroutertablewitha rabbeting
aroundthe
bit,thenrouttherabbets
openingon thebackof eachframe,
T|L+-
ILI',
tl
]LII
tr+
t l%"
the mortise locations (Figure
l1). Drill out the mortisewaste
with a r/qnbit, but this time drill
only 1/6rrdeep. Squarethe holes
with a chisel, making sure to
checkthefit ofthe gridsasyougo.
When everythingfits, put a spot
of glue in eachmortiseand press
the grids into position.After the
glue sets,rip l/srr-deepgroovesin
the framesfor holding the bottom
(Frame Details). You'Il need to
make two passeswith a standard
bladeto cut grooveswide enough
for the |/ 4n-thickhardboard.
Drillholes7a"
deep, centered
Tq"Forstner
i.;;;;i;
orbrad ,^.:^..:^
Beginformingsquareholesforthe pegs
bydrillingwitha %" bit. Besureto align
thebit withthecenterof eachlayout.
Theeasiestandmostaccurate wayto
locatethegridmortises
is to position
each
gridanddrawaroundtheends.
W'orkbenchr December1997 33

Sothateachpairof framesis exactly
the
samesize,clampa stopblockto thewood
extension
beforemiteringtheframeends.
Mitering the Fromes
Simplici[' is the key to this project,
and one of the simplest joints I
know is the miter. That is how I
joined the corners of the frames.
Even though mitering is sirnple,
accuracy is essential. Set up the
miter gaugewith a wood extension
and a stop block, then take plenty
of time to tilt your blade precisely
at 45". Make test cuts in pairs of
scrappiecesuntil you can set them
together to form a 90' angle.Once
you're satisfied,miter the frames
(Figure l2). But don't glue them
together just yet.
Instolling the Ponels
Because the box is rather small,
installing the panels can be diffi-
cult after the frames are glued
together. Instead, I recommend
installing the panels now.
The method for installation
dependson the panel material you
choose.To hold in the copper and
rice paper, I used 1/+rrquarter-
round purchased from The
Woodworkers' Store (l-800-279-
4441).Since stainedglass is thick-
er than copper or rice paper, and
doesn't leave room in the frame
rabbets for retaining strips, I used
very thin beads of clear silicone
caulk to hold them into the frames.
If you do use quarter-round
strips, miter the piecesto fit in the
frames. Then set the panel and
pieces into position and drill very
small pilot holes for 1/2tt-1eng
brads You'llhavea perfectcutoffgaugeif you
- don't drive the brads just yet.
Since finishing will be difficult whileyoucutthepegsto length.
34 VorkbenchI December1997
Clamping Detail
Besureassembly squareasyoutightentheclamps.
remains
once the brads are driven and the
frames are assembled,apply a cou-
ple of coats of wiping oil varnish
on all the parts now. But definitely
avoid getting any finish on the
miters or in the grooves for the
bottom. Finish in these areas will
prevent the glue from bonding
well with the wood or hardboard.
Assembling the Frqmes
Install the panels and quarter-
round molding, and cut the bottom
to size. Then glue the frames
together.I found that band clamps
worked well for clamping the
frames together (Clamping
Detail). Spreadglue on eachrniter
and put a small amount in the
groovesfor the bottom, then apply
pressurewith the band clamps.
Shearoff any glue before it hard-
ens,then give the box a good sand-
ing to 180-grit after the glue dries.
Be careful sanding the grids -
aggressive sanding can cause a
depressionin these fragile areas.
protecttheframeswithplasticlaminate
Now you can filI the square
holes with pegs. Cut \/')tt-long
pegs, and glue them into position.
later, after the glue sets, use a
fine-toothedhandsawto cut off the
excess,leaving the top of each peg
just proud of the frame surfaces.A
pieceof plasticlaminateis ideal for
positioning the saw for these cuts
(Figure 13).
File and sand the ends of the
pegs to remove the saw marks,
then use a rag to apply several
coats of finish to them.
Moking rhe Top
Choosing stable wood for the top
reduces the chance of warpage
over time. hok for quartersawnor
rift sawn (straight-grained) stock,
and use material you know is dry.
To further reduce the chanceof
warpage, make the top with two or
more piecesglued edge-to-edge.
After sandingthe glued-uppanel
and cutting it to size,tilt your saw
blade 26" and bevel each edge
to yourtablesaw
Clampa tallextension
fenceandripthebevels,firstontheends,
thenontheedgesof thetop.
 (TopView) Handle Details
Tbp Details
V (SideView)
l\ crossbar upright
26" 1/0"r
bevel -.-r-l---\--L- {
T[ l--___l [ur
LLI U A
(End Y4'-\ ,-tY2"
View) (BottomView)
l< 4" tY
Y T-l rl:-
Y2"
T
(EndViews) iv/'
'N'F<
t/4 alil Ir: E-]
lll ll Yr"ll ll
u_r-t Tll li
]| F!>l \ ,' /, 4, ,
1rr
ff
.r_ /a,, NOTE: piecesfor uprightsto do all machining.
Cutextra-long

(Top Details). Always cut bevels and, using your miter gauge, a
or.rthe ends first, where tearout iswood extension and a stop block,
lnstallingBrassScrews
rnost likely to occur (Figure 14). cut the dado in each upright. Fine-
Following with the edge grain cuts tune the fit of the uprights around Brassscrews are
should remove any tearout. the crossbar stock, then cut the soft and break
Sandthe bevels,then use a dado uprights to length. Use the miter whenbeing
easily
blade to rabbet the underside of gauge setupfor this operationtoo. drivenin hard-
the top so it nests nicely into the Cut the crossbar to length and wood.To avoid
box (Figure 15). glue the uprights into pairs around thisproblem,drill
it. After the glue dries, mark X's on yourpilotholes,
Moking rhe Hondle the bottom end of each upright, thendrivein and
Prairie Stylists drew inspiration then carefully measure the dis- remOve steel
screws thatmatch
thesize
frorn Oriental architectureand fur- tance from one center to the other andthread count ofyourbrass
screws.
niture. Although this box is not an (it shouldbe 3'r),and transferthese Thepathcutbythesteel makes
screws
authenticreproduction,the handle locations to the top (Top Details). toinstall
it easy thebrass screws.
picks up on this traditional theme. Now drill pilot holes for #6
To make the hanclle,rip rnaterial screws in the uprights, and drill cardboard that fits down into the
to width for the crossbar and generously sized pilot holes in the box. The felt protectsjewelry and
uprights, and leave all the pieces top. Countersink the underside of other precious collectibles, and
long for now (Handle Details). the top for the screws. increasesthe "elegancefactor" of
The extra length makes machining Sand the handle to ease all the the completedproject.
safer and easier. sharp edges, then apply several Not that this project needsmore
Next, install a r/2" dado blade coats of finish to it and to the top. elegance.Simple lines and a classic
Screw the top to the handle with appearanceare more than enough.
#6" lt/ztt brass oval head screws And even more imporlantly, I know
(I used oval head screws because your family and friends will appreci-
they are more attractive than ate your craftsmanship
flat-head screws). Since brass when a Prairie
screws break so easily, I always Treasure Box
follow a two-step procedure to shows up
drive them, as described in the among their
Pro Tip above. holiday
9fits.'rm
Finol Thoughts
If you intend to keep delicateitems
Usea %" dadobladeto cuttheshallow in your box, you might want to add
rabbets
on theunderside of thetop.Make one more detail. I sometimes use
lipfitsinside
suretheresulting yourbox. black felt to cover a piece of stiff
 Highlightsfrom this
Year'sTbol Shows

For a lot ofAmericans,theend equipmentcostingupwardsof half ownersand small-shopwoodwork-

a million dollars- all there to see ers like you and me. Trouble is,
of summermeanssqueezing i,n and samplein the flesh. not everytooljunkie getsa chance
that long awaiteduacation, Oneweeklater,Chicago'snewly to seethem.We knew we couldn't
scrambling expandedMcCormick Placecon-
to preparefor the vention centerhostedthe National
arrange for all of our deserving
Workbench readers to attend the
comingschoolyear,or maybe Hardware Show, where manufac- events (imagine the parking and
finishingoutdoorprojects turers from acrossNorth America
showcased wares even more
name tags, for starters), but we
did do the next best thing - we
beforethe fall weatherturns cold. diverse- hand and power tools, combedthrough severalthousand
But for a coupleof long weekends building materials,electrical and exhibitor's booths, pens in hand
in August, two of the biggest plumbing supplies,paints and fin- and cameraspoised,to round up
woodworking and tool trade ishes,lawn and garden products, the latestand greatestthesecom-
showsin the country hostedover andmore.If it goesinto a home,or panieshaveto offer.
50,000 people intent on getting a home shop,odds are it was dis- Some of our favorites are fea-
down to business. The 1997 played somewhereamidst those tured in the following pages,but
Woodworking Machinery and miles of aisles. we'll be bringing you more details
Furniture Supply Fair, held in Although these shows cater to on theseand other new toolsfrom
Anaheim,CA,featuredeverything industry professionalsand retail- the shows in upcomingissuesof
from dime-a-dozen dowel pins to ers, both feafure new tools and Workbench, so staytuned.For now,
computerized manufacturing other oroducts aimed at home- here are somenewsmakers.

36 \Torkbench
r December
1997
ReiTbchEasy-OffPowerControlSwitch
Havinga tablesawbladebind or a
workpiecejam againstthe fenceis
an unnervingexperience, no mat-
ter how skilled you are. If you're
fortunate enough to capture the
workpiecewith both handsbefore
it becomesa missile,you still have
to deal with a spinningsaw blade
or cutterthat makesno distinction
betweenflesh andfir.
The obvioussolutionis to turn
the machineofl but do you want
to let go of the wood now?This is
the scenario that inspired
ReiTech'sEasyOff PowerControl.
The oversizepanelhousesa stan-
dard pushbuttonstart switch,but
shutoffis accomplishedby a knee
bump to the large STOPsign.
For l2Gvolt machinesup to 15
amps, the #CR ($89.95)accepts
the machine cord plug directly
and plugs right into a wall outlet.
This is a nice safetyboostfor both
stationaryand benchtop tools.
Call ReiTechat (800)385-6161.

BesseyPowerGrip Freud RaisedPanelBits

What is the soundof one hand clamping?Try out
Bessey'snew PowerGripclamp and you'll know.
Granted,one-handedclampshave been around a
few yearsnow,but earlierversionssacrificedsome
powerfor the convenience. Only recentlyhaveman-
ufacturers thought to combine the one-handed
adjustmentwith a screwjaw,and Bessey'sversions
(12rrand24rrlong)yield a hefty 1,000lbs.pressure.
Featuresinclude a quick-releasesliding jaw, an
adjustmentlever you can operatefrom either the
handle or rail side of the clamp, and a tempered
one-piecesteel rail. Retail cost?fuound $35-$39.
CallAmericanClampingCorp.at (800)82&1004.
Every sawy woodworkerknows that table-mount-
ing a router doublesits versatility,and new cutter
profileshavereallymadean impact,too.Now Freud
has adaptedthe patenteddesign of its 2+2 shaper
cuttersinto a line ofraised panelrouter bits.
Freud developedthe geometryof the 2+2cutters
to leavea clean,splinter-freeedgewherethe panel's
bevelandfacemeet.Two largeup-cutwingsremove
mostof the bevel,while the down-shear actionof the
small wings clips the fuzzy edgescommonon the
end grain of raised panels.No more sanding!
Offeredin sevenprofiles,the Yzrlshankbits list for
$100-S125. CallFreudat (800)472-7307.

\TorkbenchI December1997 37
 JacobsHand-TiteRouterChuck
Changingrouter bits isn't a horrif-
ic ordeal,but most woodworkers
can tell tales of pinched fingers,
scrapedknuckles,andmissingcol-
let wrenches.Won't it be awful to
give all that up?
You'd better brace yourself for
just that, becauseJacobs Chuck
Mfg. Co. debutedits new Hand-
Tite RouterChuck in Chicago.
Unlike a conventionalthreaded
collet system, the RouterChuck
features a snaplock collet that
requires just a firm push (toward
the motor) to lock the bit in place.
Tb release,just pull the collet cap
until'you feel the lock snap open
and relax the steelsleeve'sgrip.
According to Jacobs,the tool-
free colletswill arrive first as com-
ponents on new routers (demos
were done with Porter-Cableand
DeWalt routers, but no brands
have been specifiedyet), then
later sold as retrofit accessories.
We saw onlyar/tttcollet, but Vsrl
andr/znversionsare in the works.
Costand releasedateschedules
are still being sorted out, we were
told. CallJacobsat (864)654.5926.

Award-WinningKnife MilwaukeeSharp-Fire
Developedby a Canadianmanufacturer,the Nack Marketed almost exclusively to contractors, auto-
Ifuife is a new addition to the Tim Allen Signature feed power screwdriverssavea lot of hassleand
Tools line, and it has to be the trickest utility knife time fasteningdrywall, assemblingcabinetsandfur-
designalive. Inside the ergonomichandlelurks a niture,andscrewingdowndeckingandsubflooring.
retractableblade systemthat lets you get up to 30 Home.shopwoodworkersmight considerthem a
fresh knife edgeswithout evertouchinga blade. luxury item only,but if you haveprojectsgoing on
A rotary magazine stores 15 double-ended year-roundlike we do, they really earn their keep.
blades.You simplyretractthe dull bladeand dial in Milwaukee unveiled four versions of its new
a new one.Useup 15 edges,then reversethe mag- SharpFire system- with low rpm (G2,500)and
azine to get the hrgh rpm (G4,000)driver motors,andwith compact
other 15 blades. (shown)and extendeddriveshafthousings.Usable
The knife is $20; fastenerscurrenfly rangefrom lt/tu to 2rrin length,
a replacement with longer sizesto be addedlater. The screwsare
magazineis $5. collatedin strips of 50. The nose of the gun has
For info, call depth-of-drivecontrol and lets you install a full plas-
(888)24S5536. tic collationstrip in just a few seconds.Costfor the
systemswill start at about $300retail.
The companyalsohad new l&volt cordlesstools
on hand - ar/2ttrotary hammer,andVzt D-handle
NewPorter-Cable
Tbols and right-angledrills - and 12other new tools.
Porter-Cablelaunched additions to several tool For more info, call Milwaukee at (800)4l+6527.
groups this year, including pneumaticfastening
tools (a new medium-crownconstruction stapler
and a roofingnailer),three newJetStreamportable
air compressors, newcordlessdrills andflashlights,
and severalrouter accessories.Among the latter are
two dustcollectionfittingsfor Porter-Cablerouters.
These bases install on
the routers and divert
chips and dust into a
vacuumhose.Retailcost
is about $39 for the
smaller unit and about
$46 for the larger. For
information call Porter-
Cableat (800)487-8665.

38 \W'orkbenchr December1997
New Quieter
ShopVacuums
Wet/dry vacuums can really help
improve the breathing conditions
in your shop, but the noise they
make is almost as annoying as all
that airborne sawdust. Enter two
new machinesto change that.
First is the German-made SQ
from Wap International. The 10-
gallon polyethylene tank features
an offset intake port that creates a
cyclonic effect, separating heavy
dust and debris. Noise level from
the 1.Ghp motor is only 58 deci-
bels (dB), versus the more typical
75-80dB. With hose, filter, and six
attachments,the SQ sellsfor about
$500. Auto-start tool feature is
optional. Call (800) 237-2368.
Hitachi also introduced a new
7.5-gal. industrial shop vacuum,
rated at just 66 dB. The RP3OSA
features both wet and dry filters, a
stainlesssteel tank, roller base, a
10.Gamp motor, plus a 10-ft. flex
hose and eight attachments. Retail
cost is expectedto be around $230.
Other newcomers at the Hitachi
booth included a 10rr bench-top
table saw, a 12rr portable planer,
and a prototype cordless power
plane. For info, call Hitachi/Koki
U.S.A.at (800)54G1666.
Helpfor the HomePlumber
Most people who tackle home
plumbing jobs learn that these
- fire danger - the company
offers the Flame-Gard, a 9n l2r
"
projects aren't difficult, but few heat shield made from woven
of us feel confident soldering ceramic fiber ($9.98).
copper pipe joints. It's actually Other favorites are the Pipe
pretty easy,but we found a great Slice(s),three self-adjustingtub-
idea at the Hardware Show that ing cutters (for 3/e", \/2", or 3/q'
makes it just about foolproof. copper pipe; $tg.gS each)) with
SoldOmat Rapid Solder Rings spring{oaded cutting wheels,
give you a pre-measuredamount and the Red Line S-Function
of lead-free tinlsilver alloy, i"evel ($15.95), which provides
formed into a ring that sticks to standardreadingsplus 1%and2o/o
the flux-coated end of a copper slope for setting drain pipe.
pipe. You simply press the fitting For info, call (800) 327-3552.
on over the solder ring and heat
the joint with a propane torch.
The ring melts and solder flows
through the joint, starting at the
inside, where the seal is critical.
It's simple, but oh-soclever.
The rings, sold in t/2",3/,+",and
|r diameters, start at less than
10Qeach, dependingon quantity.
ManufacturerPaceMachinery
Group of Wasco,IL, also has
other products designedto make
life tolerable for the plumbing-
impaired.To handle another con-
cern about soldering copper pipe
BoschCompactBelt Sander
The Skil-Boschbooth featured a Bosch has offered only larger
number of new power tools, but models of random-orbit sanders.
the newsmakerswere from one The full-featured model (S90
group especially - sanders. retail) has two speeds,a soft-grip
These included a line of palm- top, and through-the-pad dust
grip random-orbitsanders,a new extraction with a canister.
half-sheet finishing sandeq and Also new? A digital protrac-
one very different entry - a torlanglefi nder/level ($99.95).
compactbelt sander. Call SB at (800)301-8255.
This new sandersharesits size
and basic shape with Bosch's
corner detail sanders, and it's
designed to get into the same
kind of tight spaces. The belt
sanding action makes stock
removal a lot faster though.
Belt size is 172'r 12rr.Ten of
"
them will come in a kit with the
sander,a side handle. and a car-
rying case,for about $150retail.
The palm-grip sanders aren't a
new category, but until now
WorkbenchI December1997
 Well-balancedHammers Drill SharpeningSystem
With all the electronic-controlpowertoolsandother If you suffer from chronic DTDS (Dull Twist Drill
high-tech fare at these shows, it was nice to see Syndrome),there's a cure for what ails you. It's a
there'sstill room for traditionalhandtoolsthat have self-containedsharpening system called the Drill
been rethought or reinvented.Two new hammers Doctor,andit tunesup drill bits withoutguesswork.
were amongthose offerings this year. The systemhas its own motor and three separate
TakagiToolsgrew ports that automaticallyindexthe bit, grind itwith a
its line of Japanese- diamond wheel, then
style woodworking "split" the point so it
tools (they make the stays on center. The
Shark Saw line) to #500SP($129)handles
include several nail bits from 3/zz"to t/2";
pullers and a hybrid the #750SP ($169)
hammerdesign. sharpens drills from
The Homing ham- 3/pt'to 32rrin diameter.
mer (top photo) has For info, call Darex
a fiberglass shaft Corp.at (800)547-0222.
and cushionedgnp,
but the businessend
is the traditional
Japanese "duck's Talking TapeMeasure
head"shape.The 23- DrCrtaltape rules offer high-tech help with measur-
oz. head feels much ing, but Zirconpushedthe envelopefurther still to
lighter, and has side make one that actuallytalks back to you - or more
faces for tight nail- accurately,lets you talk back to yourself.
ing. List price is $36.CallTakagiat (800)777-5538. The Repeateris a 2Sft. tape rule with a built-in
The othernewcomeris from HartTool Co.,devel- digital voice recorder.You take a reading,but say
oper of the California Framer. Called the 'TV'oody," the dimensionout loud rather than memorizeit.
their new hammerkeepstheir trademarkhickory Press a button and it
handle, but sports a stainlesssteel head with a plays back. You can also
square face (for a bigger "sweet spot) and an record/listen in a stop
extendedtang. The tang adds strength, plus has and-startsequence(upto
shouldersthat protectthe handlefrom oversfikes. 20 seconds),and rewind
They alsoaddeda sidepull clawto the head.Costis to repeat the messages.
about$60for the 22-oz.;a 17-oz.versionis planned. Cost is under $30. Call
For info, call HartTool Co. at (800)3314495. (800)245-9265.

New ClassicEdition Unisaw

Showgoersused to Delta's stan-
dard green-gray and black color
schemegot an eyefulof something
unusualat the company'sAnaheim
booth. A ClassicEdition Unisaw.
deckedout in a coatof Biesemeyer
white, drew a lot of stares.
The white Unisaw actuallygot a
test debut last year at the
InternationalWoodworkingFair in
Atlanta. But then it wasjust a teas-
er to get the crowd'sreaction,and
this yearthe color schemewill see
daylighton productionmodels.
Delta is promoting the sawwith
a package that includes a carbide
'\Torkbench
r December1997
tipped blade, Biesemeyerfence,
and extension table. It sells for
$1,699(minusa $100rebate).
Also new for the companyis a
12rrcompound miter saw (retail
around$429)with a sliding fence
and a base design that allows
direct mounting to 2x lumber
(suchas a sawhorserail).
Other new products carrying
the Deltanameare a compactvari-
ablespeed stock feeder, a 121/ztl
portableplanerwith a cutterhead
lock to control sniping,and a cart-
mounted lr/z-hp dust collector.
Call Delta at (800)43&2486.
"CabinetClaw"Clamp& Guide Starrett"Oops"
It's morethanfrustratingto have let you drive the assembly
installation problems undo the screws.Retailcost is $60a pair.
HoleSawArbor
work you put into making cus- For info, call (312)66G0640. If youVeevergoofedup by drilling
tom cabinets. Now Adjustable too smalla clearancehole for pipe,
ClampCo.offershelp for this job or had to enlargean existinghole,
- the PonyCabinetClaw. you know how criticalthe pilot bit
This tool not only clampsadja- is for a hole saw.The L.S.Starrett
cent cabinetframes together,it Co.has a solution- an arbor that
aligns them flush and has a lets you mount two hole saws
retractableguide for drilling the simultaneouslyand use the small-
screwholes.The guide pivotsto er sawto pilot the larger one.
The "Oops"arbor lists for $6.98
and accepts Starrett hole saws
from7/s"through 6rrin diameter.
Home FiremanSystem Call Starrett at (508)249-3551.
Whenfires start,reactiontime is
critical, but most homes aren't
equippedwith real safeguards.
The Home Fireman ($199)fea-
tures a between-the-sfuds cabi-
net, installationkit, and a valve
that connectsto a supply line.
Inside is a 40-ft.hose and a S-lb.
extinguisher. Call SafeHome
Industriesat (888)662-3473.

Micro-F'ence
VacuumCircleJig More to Come!
As far as precision,engineering is $399with the 6rrto 48rrcircle Much as we'd have liked to, we
qualiff, and ease of setup, the guide, or $299 without. Call couldn'tdo justice in one issueto
Micro-Fenceedge-guidesystem Micro-Fenceat (800)48U6427. all of the new items featured at
for routers still occupiesa class theseshows,sowe hadto settleon
by itself. This Vacuum Center a few of our favorites.
accessory hasthe samegenes. Don't panic,though. Workbench
Using the company'scircle- will continueto bring you newson
routing guide, the vacuum cen- the othertoolsandhomeimprove-
ter has a venfurivalveand a suc- ment productswe sawin Anaheim
tion-ring hold-downthat leaves and in Chicago.Still to come:Jet's
no mark on the workpiece.Cost new Shopline - sevenaffordable
machinesfor the home shop;new
hand tools from Veritas/ke
Valley;precisionrouter table and
Makita ElectricChainSaws table saw fences from JoinTech;
Ifyou usea chainsawaroundthe an electricmodel.There'sno fuel DeWalt's new miter saw stand;
yard morethan out in the woods, to mix and no engine to keep cordlessdrills from Ryobi; Dutch
nothingbeatsthe convenience of tuned- just sharpenthe chain. Boy's new exterior house paints
Makita introduced gas chain forrnulatedfor regional climates;
saws last year, and now offers an awesomeheavy-dutylathefrom
two electric versions (14rrand Powermatic;Keller's 1500 single
16rr),also made by the same template dovetail-routing system,
German subsidiary. Look for and much more.
retail cost around $199-S219, For now, though, this should
with availabilityby year'send. providea good start on your wish
Call (800)462-5482. list for the holidays!tE

\Torkbench I December1997 4r
 Miter SawStation
When I'm getting started on a
prOjeCt,A trip tO the IOCAIlUm-
beryard, iti p"r,of Hffiij:.'n*,lll.H: H:
i, usuotty
theroutine,a stoptopick up
thematerialsI'll need.But
sometimes I getmorethan
a truckloadof wood- sometimes
I get inspiration for ideas that
might improvemy projector even
changethe wayI work in my shop.
One of those revelationscame
as I watcheda yard-handcrosscut
some framing stock for me. He
threw a long 2x10 onto the radial
'Workbench
42 r December
1997
armsaw,slammed oneendagainst especiallyif you splurge for one
thecutoffstop,andhadtheboard with a slidingheadfor wider cuts.
measure.This is not exactlyunap-
pealing,I thought,but I knewa 16rl
industrialsawand a20-ft.support
tableweren'tin my budget.
Still,I wasa changedhandyman.
I knew that a modestupgradein
my tool arsenalwould let me work
faster and more accurately,so I
went shoppingfor a power miter
saw. With compound mitering
capabilityand blade diametersup
to 72t, thesemachinescan match
someradial arm sawscut for cut.
Because they're designed for
portability, though, miter saws
don't provide much support for
long boards,and they don't have
cutoff guide rails with adjustable
stops.I've seena numberof after-
market saw stands designed to
give miter saws a little help with
these features, but most of the
goodonescostasmuchasthe saw
itself. I figured I could design
something for less money, and
maybeevenaddsomefeaturesthe
store-boughtunits don't have,like
a built-in tool trav.
Miter Saw Station Consfruction View Starknob
OVERALL 101/a"H
SIZE: x 28"Wx 96"1 5l^'r :
Plywood top Holddownblock
*''o J 3/q"x181/2"x261/2" 3/4'1
x1y2"x3''
Stopblock

De.Staco
#201clamp
(Mayrequire
modification
forothersaws.)
vQI

Cutoffstoprail
%" x1%" x1lz" x96" - Riserblock
(aluminum -
angle)
Hex-headbolts (laminated
sla"-18x2%"-. plywood)
\
Riserbase

cap
0utrigger
Support rails 3/q"
x3Y2"x17"
% "x 1 V zx"1 / 2 "x 7 2 " (plywood)
(aluminum angle)
Tooltray---
(74"pegboard)
0utrigger
base
Guideblocks lVz"x3/2"x163/q"
3/4"x2y2"x3''
(uHMvv)

Center
beam

0utrigger post
support
1Y2"x3Y2"
x31"
Legleveler-.. (for30"sawhorse
height)
M e n S A WS T A T I O N
A kit has beenassembledthat includesall the necessaryhardware,the toggleclamp,
and the three aluminumrails requiredfor this project.
h
q,
or(lcr numb(.r:13{rriZrlr.
. . . $85.95 plrrsshippinganclhanrllirrg.
(Note: t)ue to thc long rails, therc is a shippingsurchargeof $8.00over the nonnal shippingcosts.)
To order, ell Workbench at (aOO)31 l-3994.
WhatYou'llNeed
Build Around Your Sow long rails through the plafform (a Lumber
The features and basic layout of cantilevered design) provides (l) 3/t' x 48rrx 32rrpieceof fir plywood
this portable miter saw stationcan more support at the ends, anlrvay. 16lin.ft. of 2x4fir
work with virtually any saw, but 10lin. ft. of 1x4pine
the overall dimensionsand mount- No Foncy Mqferiols (l) t/tux gtt 23ttpegboard
"
ing bolt locations may have to be The lumber list for this project is
adjusted for the make and model so short you can probably salvage Hardware
you own. (l designed this one for all the materials from leftover (10)s/ra'rStarknobs
my Milwaukee #6490 saw.) stock in your shop. And you've (10)s/rorrT-nuts
First, figure out a comfortable probably noticed already that this (10) 5/ro"Flatwashers
plafform size, one that has room saw station is just a work plafform, (1) DeStaco #201hold-downclamp
for at least the saw and two riser designed to rest on sawhorses.I (4) #6, \/zttPan-head sheetmetalscrews
block assemblies (Miter Saw thought briefly about building in (1) Adjustable leg leveler
Station Construction View). some folding legs, but didn't want (1) 3/ail,2r/zu24rrUHMWplastic
"
r/Bttx l1'/2tt
I chose aluminum for the sup- to add the extra weight and bulk. (q x ll2rrAluminumangle
port rails for the same reason (Plans for the sawhorses shown (turo72ttlong;one96rrlong)
most of the commercial miter saw can be found in the August 1997 (10)5/16rrx 18tpiHex-head boltswith
stands use it - it's lightweight, issue of Workbench.) full-threadshanks:(four 2r/2ttlong;
strong, and rigid. At first I thought Start by cutting the3/s" plyrvood four 4frlong;two l/zttlong)
a telescoping rail system would be for the top, making sure you get (88) #8 Flat-headwood screws: (eight lVrrl
nice, but it's a bit impractical for a the corners square.Alignment of long; forty lr/ztt Iong; forty 13/+rrlong)
shop-built workstation. Extending the other parts dependson it.

'VorkbenchI December1997 43
Box & Rails Consffuction View Tool Tray Detail
N0TE:
Plywood top(shownin Plywood
top
Fastener
LayoutDetail) Support rail Tray
removed
for clarity. % "x 1 % x" 1 / 2 x" 7 2 "
(aluminum)
7/- Rightendcap
Rearbeam
3/q"x3lz" x28
1/2"x3/2" x2612"

1/2"x3/z"
x Fastener I-ayout Detail
.i" l< Go" y- Plywood
top
174-

o o
Leftendcap #8 x 172"FHWS
3/+"x31/2"x2B") ! Frontbeam spaced every
6", 18Y2'
1Vz"x3/2" x26/2" 3/e"fromedge.
Tooltraybottom o o
% "x 7 % "x 2 7 % "
(pegboard) V

For the wood frame that sur-
rounds the plywood, cut the two
end caps from 1x4 stock, and cut
the rear. center. and front beams
from a length of 2x4 (Box & Rails
Construction View). I should
point out here that the front beam
Makesecond
cutwith
Torabbetthebeams fortheplywoodtop,
makea cutwitheachbeamonedge,then
rotatethemendforendforthefacecut.
Frontandcenter
beam$,
plusendcaps,gettraygroove.
Twopasses witha standard bladewill cut
thegrooveforthetooltray.Usethesame
bladeandfencesettingsfortheendcaps.
(and the extra length on the end
caps) is necessaryonly ifyou want
to build in the tool tray. It's a fea-
ture I really recommend - it lets
you keep a tapemeasureand other
layout tools close at hand.
Cut all three beams to the same
length as the plywood top, then
rabbet the top inside edges of the
rear and center beams so the ply-
wood will nest flush (Figure 1). If
you're including the tool tray, cut a
groove in the center beam and the
front beam to accept the tray bot-
tom (Figure 2). Run the 1x4 stock
for the end caps through the same
setupwhile you're at it, sincethose
piecesalso need the groove for the
tool tray (Tool Tray Detail). Don't
worry that the groove runs the full
length of the end caps - those
inside faceswon't show.
Clamptherearandcenterbeams to the
plywoodtop,checktheendsforalignment, corners of a triangle. Then use a
andfastenthetopwith woodscrews.
Before you glue the rabbeted
beams to the plywood, drill and
countersink screw holes along the
front and back edges of the ply-
wood face (Fastener Iayout
Detail). Making sure you align the
ends,glue and clamp the beams to
the plywood, then fasten with
wood screws (Figure 3).
Moking the End Cops
Srtrilethe plafformassembly
is in
the clamps,mark the 1x4 end caps
for the guide rail cutouts (End
Cap Details). These openings
provide clearancefor the support
rails. Keep in mind that the right
and left end caps are mirror
images,not identical pieces.
I found the aluminum angle at a
local building supply center, and
settledon ysrr x\rf2ttx lVzrrstock.
I got two 6 ft. lengths for my sup-
port rails, plus an 8 ft. piece for the
cutoff stop rail. (If these materials
aren't available from retailers in
your area, you can order a com-
plete hardware kit for this project
from WorkbenchProject Supplies
(see page 43). Note: the dimen-
sions shown work for this size bar
stock. Adjust them if yours differs.
The easiest way to create each
support rail cutout in the end caps
is to drill three holes to form the
jig saw or keyhole saw to cut from

44 \TorkbenchI December1997
End Cap Details
Support
railcutouts

{a
4{l-< 27o,' Leftendcap(FaceView) ts- 83/q"--1 "/0,,1,
.-.
1"

1
lVB"
Rightendcap(Face
View) s/e"
'" -:>

t
o :7
av
::::::::::::::::::::::::]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::E::
\: vo

ts- 93/e" 4 \_ centerto center

1s7r,,

corner to corner and release the long blankfirst, then cuttingit into fin wax along the inside corners
waste part (Figure 4). Remember, individualblocks(Figure 5). Drill where the rails travel (Figure 6).
these cutouts allow the support two screw holes through each This will help them slide a little
rails to slide back and forth block,just belowthe rabbet.Add a easier.Then feedthe rails through
through the platform, so make countersink. too - the screw the cutoutsin the endcapsandfas-
sure there's plenty of clearance at heads won't compressthe hard ten the guide blocks in place -
those corners. Then drill and plasticthe way they do wood. one in the centerand one at each
countersink the screw holes, Three guide blocks along each corner (Figure 7). Don't apply a
spread glue on each end of the supportrail turned out to be plen- lot of pressureto the guideblocks
plafform assembly, and fasten the ty, and I found it easierto position or overtighten the screws - it
end caps. Once they're secure, them with the rails in place.To doesn'tadd any critical precision,
slide the pegboard tray bottom in installthe blocks,flip the plafform and anythingmore than a snugfit
and fasten the front beam in place. upside-downand rub someparaf- will makethe rail travelstubborn.

Fitting the Support Rqils

At this stageyou've still got the
riser blocks and other accessories
to make,but detourfor a few min-
utes to cut and install the plastic
guide blocks for the supportrails
(Guide Block DetaiD. I chosea
high-density polyethylene called
UHN/ilV (for ultra-high molecular
weight) becauseit slidesso easily
against other smooth surfaces.
Though it's denser than most Usea jig sawto cut between thethree Cuttheshallow rabbet ona 20"+piece of
woods, it cuts well with regular holesandfreethewastepiece.Prccision UHMW plastic
first,thencutit intoshorter
carbide blades. Besides cutting isn'tcritical- justleaveclearance
room. lenghstortheindividual guide blocls.
the blocks to size, the only
machining required is adding a
shallowrabbeton one face,where
the aluminumrail will nest. I felt
safer machiningthis rabbet on a

Guide Block Detail

Wih thewoodplatftrmupsidedown, rub Lettheguidebloclsrcstnaturally

in place
someparaffin
waxalongtheinsidecornen asyoufastenthemto thebeams.Too
whercthesupprt railswilltrack. muchprcssurewill bindtherailaction.

\Torkbenchr December1997 +>

 Outrigger Details tops of the support rails. You can't
afford a sloppy fit here, becausethe
cap t outrigger baseswon't help keep the
fop View) rail assembly square if they don't
a1/^n

lock tightb in place.

L Other details to add to each out-
-#8x13/q"
rigger base include the notch for
FHWS
the support post (cut with a dado
0utrigger blade on the table saw), the coun-
Assembly
terbore in the outside edge, and the
(Side
View) 3,/srrhole drilled through for the
post bolt (Figure 9). This hole
acceptsa bolt, T:nut, and star knob
- 7e"-deep assemblyfor mounting the support
rabbetsat post - an easy-to-addoption that
en0s keeps the outriggers from deflect-
>l ing under heavyboards.
Once you have the outrigger
Outriggers Tie the Roils By fitting each outrigger base bases machined, cut and drill the
For the support rails to work prop flush with the support rails and cap plywood caps for them. Tb install
erly, they must stay aligned as they ping it with 3/a'rplywood, I kept the these, work on one end of the plat-
slide. Tb make sure this happens,I outriggers level with the main plat- form at a time. First, slide the rails
added outrigger plafforms that help form. This saved me some setup so that just over 3)'/zttis exposed
keep the ends square to each other. time later by keeping all the riser where you're working. Spreadglue
With riser blocks attached, these blocks the same height. ([he two on the outrigger base, then clamp
outriggers support the cutoff guide center riser blocks do require a the cap on top of it. Now tap the rails
rail and any long stock you cut. longer bolt for the hold-down hard- in until they're flush with the side of
ware, though - see note with the outrigger (Figure 10).
Riser Block Assembly Details.). With the clamps still holding the
Begin building the outriggers by assembly, extend the cap's 3/yrJL
cutting two sections of 2x4, each diameter holes through the top of
just long enough to fit between the the aluminum rails (Figure 11).
rails where they exit the main plat- Then switch to a smaller (3/.t2ttor
form (Outrigger Details). If your less)bit for the pilot hole in the out-
main plafform assemblyis accurate, rigger base. Even though I often
these two pieceswill be exactly the drive screws into softwood without
same length. Then, using a scrap drilling a pilot hole, I can emphati-
2x6 push block to guide them along cally warn againsttaking that short-
the rip fence, cut a shallow rabbet cut here. Fastening so close to the
Theoutriggerbases rabbet on each end (Figure 8). This cre- ends of the outrigger bases, you'll
needa shallow
oneachendwhere thealuminum support ates an offset so the tops ofthe out- likely split the boards if you drive
nils nest.Usea pushblockforsupport. rigger bases will be flush with the the screws without pre-drilling.

Drill3le" hole
through aluminum
support
rails.-

pointbit j
-\ r\ *-Notch

Modiffeachoutriggerbaseto acceptthe Withglueandclamps holding

oneoutrig- Continue thescrewclearance holes
supportpost:cuta notchforthepostend, gercapto ib base,tapthealuminum through therails,thenswitchto a smaller
thencounterboreanddrillforthebolt. suppodrailsflushwiththeoubideedge. bitforthepilotholesin theoutriggerbase.

46 WorkbenchI December1997
 Riser Block Assembly Details
Approx.23l+"of
above
boltexoosed
sAa',x 4lz,' twomainriserblocks.
bolt
(full-thread)-

5lo" T-Nut 5/rc"

starknob
3/s"Through
hole----\

l " dia.counter- (EndView)

bore17+"deep 3Y2"
sla" tlat
wasner

#rr L
TFE N0TE:Use472"boltsonthetwo
mainriserblocks(onplatform);use
4" boltson riserblocksonoutriggers.

Build the Riser Blocks riser block assemblies, position riser block notches (Figure 14).
Like the saw's mounting bolt loca- the saw on the platform, then Mark the placementof each riser
tions and the platform size itself, mark and drill for the mounting block base plate on the platform,
the height of the riser blocks must hardware. Bolt the saw down, and then fastenthe assembliesin place
be matched to the height of your place the cutoff guide fence or a with screws.Follow the same pro-
miter saw table. The average straightedge against the saw fence cedure for installing the riser
seems to be between 3rrto 4" (my so you can align the front of the blocks on the outrigger supports.
Milwaukee measured in at 3l/z'r),
and the stacklaminated construc-
tion of the riser blocks lets you tai-
lor them to fit (Riser Block
Assembly Details).
I started by gluing up a pl1'wood
sandwich (four layers of 3/+rr)into
a l0rlsquare block. Then I set up
the table saw to dado the shallow
notch for the cutoff fence, and cut
the block into individual sections
afterward (Figure 12).
You'll also need to counterbore Laminate a plywood sandwichfortheriser Counterbore theriser
anddrillthrough
and drill each riser block for the bloclsanddadoa shallow notchforthe blockforthehold-down hardware.
The
cutoff fence's hold-down hardware sections. boltslockin placewithhelpfroma T-nut.
cutoffrail,Thenrip intoindividual
(Figure 13). Install the bolts, flat
washers, and T-nuts before you
Placestraightedge
complete the assembly of the riser againstsawfence.
blocks, becausethe base plate will
block accessto the hole later.
Using solid wood base platesfor
the riser blocks allows you to fine-
tune the height to match your saw
table. Fasten them to the riser
block laminations with screws
only. If you ever want to mount a
saw with a different table height,
you can simply remove the base
plate and substitute a thicker or Afteryoumountthesawandmarkib position, to alignib fencewith
usea straightedge
thinner one. Before you install the thenotches andscrewthemin place.
in theriserblock.Ma* theriserbasepositions

WorkbenchI December1997 +/
 Hold-down Block Details Cleat Details
3/e" dia. (SideView)
hole
(BottomView) 1r/r"
OopView) t\<;;7Y2'
' -/4
18y2"-.->

| ^.. Approx.
%0"
3' --------> round-over
Y l+
-t-l Fasten
with#8x /2" FHWS
u,"l ii onedses'
I
^ (SideView)

Hold-down Blocks Cinch lr Stop Block Details

Using someof your remaining1x
stock, cut and drill the four hold-
down blocksthat clampthe cutoff
fence to the riser blocks (Hold-
Down Block Details). These
securethe fenceto both the main
plafformand either outriggersup-
port, giving you a repeatablestop
setting of over 8 ft. in length.
They'll alsohold the fencein place
if you're not using the workstation
and want to store it out of the way
or hang it on your shop wall
(minusthe saw,of course).
The last built-in components-
the 1x2 cleatsmountedunder the
pladorm- alignthe sawhorsesso
they'll both sit underneaththe
workstation with plenty of clear-
ancefor the legs (Cleat Details).
I alsousedsome1x stockanda
small toggle hold-downclamp to
make a stop block for the cutoff
rail (Stop Block Details).
Support Post Details
1,/^tl
Holeaccepts
5Ae"x4"
hex-head
boltand
flat washer
If I'm cutting framinglumber or
other heavy stock, I use the 2x4
supportpost as a boosterunder-
neath the outrigger (Support
Post Details). Thin moldingsare
light and flexible enough to do
without this added support, but
the extra strengthhelps keep the
stationaccuratefor cutting heavy
materials.If the outriggersdeflect,
they can throw the cutting angle
off by allowing the workpieceto
lift off the miter sawtable.
To fit the notch in either outrig-
ger base,I cut a rabbetinto the top
end of the post,then drilled for the
mountinghardware.A leg leveler
adjusts the height, and two 3ftrl
holes makeit easyto store on the
platformriser blocks,onceyou've
FF_ 2,' +l
removedthe saw This is why you
need the slightly longer bolts in
the main (center)riser blocks.
Compared to some of the
anodizedaluminum work stands
I've seenon the market,my shop
built miter sawstationis decidedly
low-tech.Still,the basicfunctionof
all theseworkstationsis a simple
one,and I got a reliablesystemat
a totalcostof well under$100.It's
still portable enough to hang on
the wall or tossinto the backof my
truck, and it gives me a little
bench space when I'm working
away from the shop. The miter
sawmaybe the starwhenit comes
to providingdead-onaccuracy,but
this workstationsure has a great
supportingrole.tffi

48 'Workbencht December1997
 NewToolOfferings
A New Look at Circular Saws
For 50years,portablecircularsaws
havebeenwidely usedby professionals
andhome improvemententhusiasts
alike.Many smalldesignchangeshave
beenmadealongthe way,and the lat-
est entry belongsto the folks at Black
& Decker,who haveintroducedthe
WoodHawkCircularSaw.
Accordingto Jeff Cooper,Black &
DeckerProductManager,"market
researchrevealedconsumerswant a saw
that givesthem greatercontrol and con-
fidence."He saidmanypeoplefind circu-
lar sawsintimidating,loud, andhard to
handle,making straightcutting dfficult.
To makethe saweasierto use,the
WoodHawkhas a windowon the blade
guardthat lets you seethe bladeand
cutting line while the sawis operating.
I recenflyhad a chanceto try out the
saw,sideby-sidewith a taditional circu-
Television's Tool Man Introduces line of Real World Tools
The first time I sawa Tim Allen
SignafureTool, I wasskeptical.
After all. on televisionTim Tavlor
doesn'texactlycomeacrossas
the man I'd mostwant tool
advicefrom.
50 'WorkbenchI December1997
lar saw.I had to get usedto
usingthe window,but
foundit did makecutting
easier.Insteadof cock-
ing my headto one
sideandwatchingthe blade,I could
look straightdownon my cut andfol
low my layoutline.
OtherWoodHawkfeaturesintend-
ed to solveconsumerfrustrations
includea 2-lb.weight reduction
(comparedto competitors'saws),
and a 40%quietermotor.The large
handleis designedto makethe saw
easierto hold. Eachsawcomeswith
a carbidetippedblade.The blade
alsohas an anti-stickcoating.
The Woodhawksellsfor under
$70,and comeswith a hard plastic
case.For more informationcontact
Black & Deckerat (800)544-6986.
But like the characterhe plays,Tim fits a varietyofbolt and nut sizes.
Allen is a big fan of qualitytools.So Unlike a standardsocket,this oneis
he hasgatheredtoolsfrom various filled with spring-loaded pins.When
manufacturersandbrought them you pushthe socketonto a bolt, any
togetherunder the Tim Allen or all of the pins retractas needed,
SignatureToolsname. leavingthe remaindersurrounding
Two new items in the bolt. Otherwise.it functionslike
Tim's line caughtmy any other socket.One limitationof
eye-anewratchet the universalsocketis that the pins
set calledthe retractonly aboutl/4", so the socket
RoboticWrench,and can'tbe slippedover the end of a long
the Megapro1$in-1 bolt to reachthe nut.
Screwdriver. If you needto turn screwsinstead
The Robotic of bolts,you canusethe Mega Pro
Wrenchcomesin a l$in-l Screwdriver.Bits with straight-
set with a 3,/arr
ratch- blades,Phillips,Torx, and square
et, extensions,a drivesare all storedinsidethis
drill adapter,and a driver'shandle.The double-ended
uniqueT-barhan- bits snapsecurelyinto the driver'stip.
dle, all in a carry- You'll find the RoboticWrenchfor
ing pouchthat can around$30andthe Mega Pro
be attachedto your Screwdriverfor about$20in hardware
belt. storesandhomecenters.A portionof
In addition.the profits from Tim Allen SignatureTools
set includesa uni- is donatedto children'scharities.Call
versalsocketthat (888)862-5536 for more information.

CraftsmanWrenchesHave a New Twist
It never fails. Vlhenever I'm working
on my car, the nuts I need to loosen
are the most difficult to see or reach.
With a typical open-endedwrench,
this kind of situation means I have to
tediously slip the wrench on the nut,
turn the nut a bit, then reposition the
wrench again.
Tb make tasks like this easier,Sears
has introduced the Craftsman Quick
Wrench combination wrenches.Their
specialdesign on the open end allows
them to "ratchet" around the nut. A
recessedarea in one lobe lets the
whole wrench slide around the nut on
the backstroke. Then the wrench
grabs again on the power stroke.
The new design works well. But
since the wrench has to be oriented
differently for tightening than for loos-
ening, I found myself sometimes start-
ing out backvrards,then having to flip
the wrench over.After I learned to pay
attention to how I held the wrenches,
I found them easy to use.
The wrenches are designed to help
reduce the likelihood of rounding off
a nut or bolt head. Both the box and
open ends of the wrenches grab more
of the fastener's flat sides, instead of
the corners. And, for increased lever-
age these wrenches are up to 30%
longer than other wrenches.
Quick Wrenches come in standard
and metric sizes.A Gpiece set is about
$20,an &piece set sells for around $30.
You'll find them in Searsstores or the
Craftsman catalog. Call (800)377-7414.
r "J- : ,'"..i.:;$lt
. iri)
:
PowerGrip Knife
Fiskars Incorporated has intro-
duced an improved version of their
PowerGrip Utility Knife. It features
an ergonomic design and the ability
to change blades without using
tools or disassembling the knife.
The PowerGrip's handle positions
your hand at a natural angle, and
the wraparound guard provides pro-
tection. The knife's tip flips out of
the way for blade changes with the
press of a releasebutton, and extra
blades can be kept in the handle.
The PowerGrip Utility Ifuife is
widely availablefor around $9. Catt
Fiskars Inc. at (800)500-4849.
'WorkbenchI December1997
WindowShield
Paintingwindowsis not one of my
favoritechores.Keepingpaint off
the glassusuallymeansmasking
beforehand,otherwiseI end up
scrapingafterward.
The WindowShieldis designedto
makepaintingeasy.By puttingpres-
sureon the tool'shandleyou flex its
plasticbladeto conformto the win-
dow'sshape,evenif the sashisn't
perfectlysquare.A sharpedge
keepsthe bladeagainstthe glass.
The tool sellsfor around$3.99in
paintandhardwarestores.Or call
WindowShield at (800)46&7704.
ATTIIRIIABII.
HTGH+NEGETOII
rru0DMllllltGGEImR!
Revolutionary IRONWOOD ItrLL. RIGHT
3-AxisRbuter Milling Center!
Mountvirtuallyanyrouter- eventhemostpowerful
or plunge
standard
MILL.RIGHT Router
t).pe- in thenew.heavy-dutv
MillingCenter,
Shape,
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freedom,totalcreativity.
. Fast,repeatableset-up
withoutjigs,fixtures,
guides.
templates,
I
rout,
. High-qualitycastIron for stabilitv,
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. Yougetcontrol& accuracywithprecision
ACMEleadscrewsandGuideRods.
o Simply attach your router in bitdown
or bifup position.
ProductInformation
52 \i(rorkbench
r December1997
V/A Master Blades
VermontAmericanhas introduced
a new line of MasterSeries
blades,eachdesignedto offer
optimumperformancein specif-
ic woodworkingapplications.
The engineersat Vermont
Americansurveyedsawusers
and did extensivetestingto
determinewhat attributesare
importantin a goodblade.
They realizedtrim carpenters
with circularsawshavedifferent
requirementsthan cabinetmakers
with tablesaws.
For example,a portablecircular
sawis oftensubjectedto moreabuse,
so thosebladeshaveexpansionslots
to preventwarpingandto speedcool-
ing. Differenttoothgrindsandangles
allowyou to choosebladestailoredto aremadefrom a newpatentedcarbide
fastcuttingor to smoothedges. designedto staysharplonger.
The bladesall sharea thin-kerf MasterSeriesbladepricesrange
designthat reducesdragandwaste, from around$12to $90dependingon
anda "GoldKote"finishto minimize the bladesizeandstyle.CallVermont
frictionandpitchbuild-up.The teeth Americanat (704)73*7 464.
Professional quali ty tool
at h homesh6ppn-ce!
lmffiN
ItW Product
Information
Number
191
--Eq.lXeJeedwerlct:-
problems
Moisture such
asshrinking
orwarping
canruinlhebestpiece
everbuilt.Measure
lhemorsturewitha
moisluremeterlo
besurethewood is
dry.Callfornew
colorbrochure.
- Lignomat
USA-
PoBox301 45
Portland,
0R
Number185 ProductInformation
Number188
 Products
For)burHome
Vinyl Floors witfi Real Wood I-ook
If you'd like the look of real wood
floors.but want the convenience and
easycareofvinyl, CongoleumCorp.
may havea solutionfor you.The
companyhas addedColonialCherry
and American Pine to its Forum
Vinyl Wood Plank flooring line.
Real Wood Grid Covers Dress Up a Suspended Ceiling
A suspendedceilingis a suspended
ceiling. There's not much more to say are in place,you can
about it. Except that recenfly I ran
acrossa systemwith a new twist.
ChicagoMetallic Corp. has intre
ducedits ExecutiveCollectionfor cre- There are two profiled
ating droppedceilings with real wood wood panel styles avail-
grids and panels.
With this systemyou don't haveto
removeyour old metal grid. Each pre,
cut wood strip slips directly over your ExecutiveCollectionis
existing metal grid. The wood stips
comeprecopedto fit togetherat the
joints.You canalsopurchasewood
trim to cover thq intersectionof the
ceiling with the walls.
54 \Torkbenchr December1997
Forum flooring is designedto look
like real wood,and comesin 3rrx36rl
planks,rather than the large sheets
that are typicalofvinyl floors.Each
wood type is availablein a variety of
"finish" colors.In cherry, for exam-
ple,you'll find four colorsranging
from deepred to bleached.The pine
flooring has knots to give a nahrral,
rustic appearance.
The synthetic planks are made
with a variety of grain patterns,and
they're cut randomly so the grain
variesfrom plank to plank. Small
tone variationsare also allowedto
further simulatenaturalwood.
Planksalsoallow more versatility in
floor designthan sheetflooringdoes.
You can run planksin any direction
andevencut miteredcorners.
This flooring featuresa satin sheen
finish, and is warrantedfor five years
againstpermanentscuffs.The floors
also carry a ten year warranty
againstmanufacturingdefects.
Forum Wood Plank flooring retails
for around$4 per sq.ft. For more
information,or to find your closest
Forum flooring retailer, call
CongoleumCorp.at (800)934-3567.
Oncethe grid strips
installstandardfiber
tiles, or Chicago
Metallic'swood panels.
able, and one plain flat
panel style.
Currently,the
availablein oak. All systemcompo-
nents are prefinished in one of three
shades.Otherwoodscanbe custom-
orderedat additionalcost.
You can find ExecutiveCollection
Watertiglrt Outlets
Tb meetnew NationalElechic Code
requirementsdemandingthat out-
door oufletsbe watertightwhile in
use,leviton Mfu. Co.hasintroduced
RainfuhtWhile
In-UseCovers.
They're avail-
ableto fit sin-
gle, duplex,
and GFCI
(Ground
Fault Circuit
lnterrupter)
outlets.
To makeinstalling
the coverssimple,
they canbe mountedto standard
boxeswithout removingthe ouflel
RaintightWhile-In-Usecoversare
madeof impactresistantpolycar-
bonatein clearor gray.To ensure
watertight installation,they havea
gasketon the back of the cover.A
cord pluggedinto the outletpasses
through an openingin the cover's
underside,wherewatercan'tenter.
The coversare availablefor
around$15to $20at elecfricalsupply
stores.Call LevitonManufachring
Co.at (800)32X8920.
ceilings at home centers.Grid covers
sell for $1.30per lineal.ft. Panelsare
$2$$79,dependingon the styleand
size. Call ChicagoMetallic at
(800)323-7164.
 ':: a1 :.
r'{ :r
Sears Offers Home Security Systems
Like it or not, there seems to be an
increasingneed (or at least demand)
for home security systems. Many
home security systems, though, are
hampered by complex installation and
operationprocedures,or expensive
monthly monitoring fees.
Two new Honeywell Home Security
Systems sold through Sears stores
offer simplified installation and use.
Plus, these "smart" systemscan be
programmed to notify the homeowner
or authorities if the alarm is tripped.
Both systemshave sensorsand
remote controls that send radio fre-
quency signals to the control panel, so
there's no wiring to run. The control
panelsfeature an electronic voice that
talks you through installation and sys-
tem use, and notifies you of any sensor-
equipped doors or windows left open
when you activate the system.
The voice capability also enables
the system to notify you or others if
an alarm is set off. You can program
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\Torkbenchr December1997
different phone numbers that the
system dials automatically if a break-
in, power failure, or other predeter-
,.
mined alarm triggering event occurs. C\
{tt
With the system's latch-key mode,
ir{
you can also keep track ofkids arriv- *a **
ing home from school.If a sensor-
lt
equippeddoor hasn't been opened
by a certain time of day, the system
will call an assigned number.
For 5399.the basic unit comes with
the control panel, two window/door
sensors,and a keychain remote. You
can arm and disarm the system, and
control lights, from outside your
home. This unit can dial up to four
phone numbers for notification.
An even more sophisticatedmodel
shares all the featuresjust mentioned, You can purchaseadditionalsen-
plus has a computer interface and soft- sors and appliancecontrol modules
ware that allows the use of any for both units, allowing you to protect
Windows 9$equipped computer to more doors and windows.
automatically control lights and appli- Both systemsare availablein Sears
ances,as well as manage a wider array stores. Check your local yellow pages
of phone numbers.It sellsfor $599. to locate a store in vour area.
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EachBookFeatures:
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t rJigs and lbchnique$Specialsectionshelpyoubuild
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il "tric$'spots,
."Iay-Flat" Binding:Pagesopenfirlly andlayflat on
. $39.95 t yourworkbench for easyreference.
Classic Desks,Tables
Cabinets & Chairs
Oursecond book,Classic Desks. TbblesandChairs, the
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The GambleHouse
Architecturalwoodworkingis alwaysa bit more complicated
than furniture-making - the scale is larger, and the
demandsof climate,setting,and sfucfural integTityrequire
an engineer'scritical judgementas much as a designer's
imagination.As a tradeofl the detailedjoinery commonin
fine furniture is often simplifiedor absentin buildings.
The GambleHouse,a 1908futs and Craftsresidencein
Pasadena,CA" is the definitive exception.It offers a look at
howtwoAmericanarchitects- brothersChadesandHenry
Greene- managedto blend both fine joinery and living
spaceinto onemasterpiece.
Like their contemporaries, the Greene
brothersdepartedfrom overlyorna-
mentalarchitecture,but their useof
organic forms, and of design ele- !Y)
ments from Japan and Switzerland,
softened the austere
geometry
of Mission-stylewoodwork.The result is 8,100sq. ft. filled
with teak, mahogany,ebony,and other woods- all milled,
sculpted,and joined with the precisionof a master cabinet-
maker. Built originally for David and Mary Gamble (of the
Procter & GambleCo.), the house also featuresGreene
designedfurnihrre, hardware,light fixtures, andglasswork.
Though once offered for saleby family heirs, who nixed
the dealuponhearingthe would-bebuyervoiceintentionsto
"paint all of this [woodwork] white," the house was later
deededto a tust heldjointly by the City of Pasadena
andthe
Universityof SouthernCalifornia'sSchoolof Architecture.
Publictours - a must for any seriouswoodworkervisiting
the Ins Angelesarea- are offeredyear-round.For details,
callthe GambleHouseat
(818)793-3334.