MARCH, 1985

VOLUME I
NUMBER 1

$2.95
 Here's
Front-Page
News:
ANOTHER
MR. SAWDUST BLADE
...FOR THE TWO - SAWSHOP!
We got fancy last Fall and did a survey.
Out of the hu ndreds who came to our shows. we han d-p ick ed
358 I'eI'.\' serious woodworkers and asked th em to fill out a
lengthy questionnaire . Her e's part of wha t we learned:
Of the 358, table-saws are used by 242. Radia l-arm saws by
212. And 124 own BOT H. So -- 35% ha ve TWO-saw shops!
What's more, they convinced us: My original Mr. Sawdust
blade is idea l fo r t hose " perfect. poli sh ed cuts" o n either
machine -- but t hey also wa nt an all -purpose. fast -feed.
planer blade strictly for their table saw. One that will give
them a GLUE-LINE cut right off the blade.
T hey least enjoy ripping heavy stock and cutting up la rge
sheets of material-- so they wa nt to get the job done as quick
and clean as possible. But more than that: Without changing
blades. t hey want to crosscut and miter with an equally good
cut.
So. fo r th e TWO-saw sho p. here's ano ther Mr. Sawdust
blade.

MR. SAWDUST I (For the ONE-Saw Shop) MR. SA WD UST I I ( F o r t he T WO-Sa w Shop)
This is my original M r. Sawdust blade -- most desired by the My new specia l-purpose blade -- strictly for your table-saw.
America n craftsma n. Ke rf: 3/32". 60 teeth. Mo d ified tr iple- 1/8" kerf. 30 or 40 teet h (see below). Modified alternate-
chip with micro-fi nis h gr ind. Exclusive Forres t 400 carb ide . bevel wit h micro-finish grind. Exclusive Forrest 400 carbide.
P erfect , polish ed cuts in ever y direction . The one blade that Designed for super-fast and planer action in ripping heavy.
does it all -- for as long as you'll cut wood or plastics. so lid stock with glue-line quality of cut. Slices ply-panels.
Designed for use on either table- or radial- particle-board and one-side laminates quick and clean.
saw. A M UST for your radial. Crosscuts and miters with equal quality and ease .
Gene ra lly. 1 recommend 40 teeth. Howeve r. if your rippi ng
Avai lable in 8".
includes a lot of heavy hardwoods , specify 30 teeth . See
9" and 10"
dampener information (*) pertaining to table-saws .
diameters.
Available in 8". 9" and 10" diameters.

* WHAT YO U SHO ULD KNOW ABOU T TH E FORR EST D AMP ENER!

lts a vital part of the Forrest blade design --
to suppress harmonics caused by motor.
belts. even change of grain in wood . For 10"
blades. specify 6" dampener. This allows a 2"
depth of cut. ( For ta blc-sa ws, if you cut a lot
of fu ll 2" stock. specify 5" dampener to
expose blade above material.) For maximum
J" depth of cut -- table-saw or radial --
remove dampener. (For 8" and 9" blades.
figure dampener size accordingly.) Want
some expert advice'? Our 800-number is toll
free!

PHONE TOLL FREE!

For information or to order ...
1-800-526-7852 (In N.J.: 201-473 -5236)
We honor Am. Ex .• Visa & Master Card.
Money Orders, Personal Checks and COOs.

FORREST MANUFACTURI NG COMPANY, INC., 250 DELAWANNA AVE., CLIFTON, N.J. 07014
MR. SAWDUST I MR. SAWDUST II
WAS NOW O NLY WAS NOW ONLY 6" Dampener $23.00
10" 60T. $162.00 $113.40 10" 40T. $156.00 $109.20 5" Dampener . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.00
9" 60T. 156.00 109.20 30T. 135.00 94.50 4" Dampener 20.00
8" 60T. 150.00 105.00 9" 40T. 146.00 102.20
30T. 125.00 87.50 8" 24T. DADO SET #3 $299.00
8" 40T. 136.00 95.20 10" 24T. DADO SET #3 362.00
30T. 115.00 80. 50
For complete information and prices. write for our 16 page brochure "The Cut is Everything."
(also includes Dado sets) and "Mr. Sawdus t II" folder on our (ULTRA SMOOTH PLANER SAWS).
Please enclose $1.00for Postage and Handling.
Guaranteed to cut to your satisf action or we'll buy it back ,
 • the.
l-llmencan
MARCH 1985 Wodworker VOL. I, NO.1

1M PUBLICATIONS IN C. .13 WALTON MALL. BOX 1408· HENDERSONVILLE . TN 37075

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Requests ...........................................•.................... 2
Editorial 3
Calendar of Events 4
DEPARTMENTS
The Answer
by Ernie Conover 6
George Frank Replies 10
Woodworking Techniques
by Jerry lyons 12

ARTICLES
Thomas Chippendale
by Dona Z. Meilach 14
The Ferd Sobol Editions
by Arthur Montes de Oca ..................•.......•.............. 19
Compensating for Movement
by Christian Becksvoort 25
Photosensitive Metal 29
Dovetail Joints
by Franklin H. Gottshall 32

PROJECTS
Beginning
Custom-made Yo- Yo's by lowell Converse 34
Tongue Drum by Frank Pittman 35
Wastebasket by Carlyle lynch 39
Rocking Dog and Uama by Richard Blizzard 40
Intermediate
Butter Churn Table by James M. O'Neill 46
Tenoning Jig by Rosario Capotosto 49
Advanced
Gun Cabinet by Franklin H. Gottshall 55
Chippendale lowboy by Franklin H. Gottshall 58
Mail Order Marketplace 63
Questionnaire 64

The American Woodworker is published four times a year in March , June, September, and December for
$ 10.00 a year by JM Publications , lru: ., 13 Walton Mall, Hendersonville , TN37077· 1408. Application to mail at
second-doss postage rates is pending at Hendersonville, TN and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to The American Woodworker, P.O. Box 1408, Hendersonville, TN 37077· 1408.

·1-
 4 the,
1\\merlCan
Wodworker JM PUBLICATIONS 'NC. • 13 WALTON MAllo BOX '40B • HENDERSONVILLE, TN 37075 • (615) B22-0857

OUR REQUEST FROM AUTHORS

If you would be int er est ed in writing an article for The American Woodworker, we would be honored to hear from you.Listed below are
some general topics you may want to use as a guideline.
ARTICLES OF GENERAL INTEREST
These should be interesting and easy to read; basically a non-technical article. The information can cover any woodworking subject.
An example might include an article on a woodcarver. It could describe the craftsman's ideas and techniques, and include
photographs of his/her work. The article need not try to teach the reader how to become a woodcarver. but it should show unusual
work and be int er est ing to read.
TECHNICAL ARTICLES ON HOW TO BUILD FINE FURNITURE
This should include advanced designs of furniture. Examples could include pieces such as highboys, roll top desks, secretaries, etc.
Enough material should be present to enable the craftsman to build the piece. It should include detailed, written instructions,
dimensioned drawings and/ or sketches. At least one high quality glossy 8" X 10" photograph should be included. A negative of each
photograph is desired. The photograph should be professional quality, highlighting the subject, and be free of other objects that would
distract from the main point of interest. The written material and sketches need not be professionally done. We will re-write and
redraw as needed. Designs may be of any nature or style.
SIMPLER PROJECTS
These should be technical in nature, only much simpler than those listed above. Basically the same requirements exist.
SPECIFIC ARTICLES OF INSTRUCTION FOR WOODWORKERS
These are articles that give instruction on any phase of woodworking. Examples might include anything from quarter sawing to
finishing.
ARTICLES ABOUT WOODWORKING TOOLS
These articles may include both hand and power tools. Articles could include such topics as tool construction, maintenance, history,
etc. Unusual tools and ways to use tools would be of interest. Articles could include both modern day and historical tools .
WOODWORKING TECHNIQUES
This is our "how to" section of "shop tips" etc. Submissions should be short and illust r at e some unusual or time-sav ing techn ique
that would be of help to the woodworker. They should include a photograph or a sketch that can be re-drawn.
HISTORICAL ARTICLES
These could include both people and/or furniture. We are interested in the history of famous cabinetmakers and the ir work.
SHORT STORIES
Any true story that would be of interest to woodworking may be used. It can be a personal experience or one known by you; non-
technical in content.
MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES
Articles could include any technique used by woodworkers for short run production and/or time-saving devices such as jigs and
fixtures. Articles should be of a craftsman nature and not descriptive of large industry.
The above are mentioned as general guidelines and do not necessarily include all areas of woodworking we are interested in. Articles
should be simply written, but complete, including drawings, sketches, photographs. etc.. if needed to better explain the subject
matter. Articles need not try to teach woodworking in detail, but should give an orderly procedure to follow.

If interested. please contact us for our schedule of payments . In addition to cash payment, recognit ion will be given to
authors and their respective books. schools. etc.

Please feel free to contact us regarding any questions you may have.

Respectfully,

Jim Jennings
Editor

·2·
.. the,
1l\merlCan
Wodworker 1M PUBLICAnONS INC. • 13 WALTON MALl' BOX 1408 • HENDERSONVILL E, TN 3707S • (61S)822 -08 57
Publisherand Editor
JIMJENNINGS
Woodworking Techniques
JERRY LYONS
Graphic Drawings
FRAN K PITTMAN
The Answer
ERNIE CONOVER
Design
UNIVERSAL TYPESETTING, INC.
Art Direct or : Cindy Part ain
Contributing Editors
FRANKLIN GOTTSHAll
DONA Z. MEILACH
CHRISTIAN BECKSVOORT
ROSARIO CAPOTOSTO
SUBSCRIPTION PRICES:
U.S.: $10 .00 per yea r
$18 .002 yea rs
Outside U.S.: $12 .00 per year
$20 .00 2 yea rs
Payment must be in U.s. funds.
The American Woodwo rker is pub lished four tim es a
yea r in March , June, Sep tem be r, a nd December by JM
Publications, Inc., 13 W alton M all, H endersonvi lle, TN
37077-1408. Phone 615-822-0857. Applicatio n to mail at
seco nd-class postage rates is pe nding at Hendersonville,
TN and additional mailin g office. Copy right 1985 by
JM Pub lications, Inc. All rights reserved. Postmaster:
Please send form 3579 to JM Publi cati o ns, ln c,
P.O . 80x 1408 , H end erso nvi ll e, TN 37077 - 140 8.
CON TRIBUTIONS: W e encourage co nt ribut io ns th at
would be of in terest to wo od wo rkers. Subject matte r may
includ e any topic that concerns the use of w ood. For
safe return please include a self-add ressed stamped
envelope. Articles should co ntain clear, unclutt ered,
glossy photographs, easy to follow instructio ns and
sketches and/or d rawi ngs if necessary. Schedule of
payments and guide l ines avai labl e up o n requ est.
ADVE RTISING : Adve rtising rates and mech an ical
requ irements available upo n request. W hen inquiring,
please address to : Advertising Dep t., The American
W oodw o rker, P.O . Box 1408 , Henderson vil le, TN
37077·1408.
CHANGE OF ADD RESS: To be sure that you do n't
miss any issues, please send your new add ress to Sub-
scription Dept., The American W oodw orker, P.O . Box
1408, Henderson ville, TN 37077-1408, six wee ks before
you move. Please include the address label from a recent
issue, or prin t the inform ation exactly as show n on the
label. The Post Office wi ll not forw ard co pies un less
you provide extra postage. Du plicate issues cannot be
sent.
INGREDIENTS: An Editorial
Sugar and spice and everything nice; snaps and snails and puppy
dog tails ; t he fairyland ingredients of w hat little girls and little
boys are made of. Sounds simple eno ugh, and the description
even fits w hen you stop to t hink about it. But what are the ingre-
dients of a good magazi ne? The re are several good magazi nes
availab le and a close exa mi natio n wo u ld revea l that each has its
ow n recipe.
We at The American Woodworker have estab lished o u r own
ph ilo sop hy as to what type of publication we want to be, We will
try to be rep resentative of all woodwo rkers: no matter w he re th e
locatio n o r w hat the subject matter is. We wil l strive to be un-
biased in o ur presentat io ns of all subject matt er. There w ill no
doubt be many tim es t hat our views wi ll not coi nc ide wit h t hose of
some of o ur authors. We are no t, however, establishing world
shaking po licies . We are ta lking abo ut people w ho li ke to work
w it h wood. The Ame rican Woo dworker will share va rio us exper-
iences and pro jects w it h yo u w it ho ut t rying to fo rce any ideas
upo n yo u .
Every Tho ro ug hb red t hat eve r ran t he Kent ucky Derby started
as a shaky-legged co lt. W e are no d ifferent. The America n Wood-
worke r is the effo rt of an in d ivid ual, not a corporat io n. W e do
not mea n to impl y t he re is anyt hing wro ng w ith being a large cor-
pora tio n, we just don't happen to be o ne. Th at's what is so good
abo ut t he A me rica n way. Th ere is roo m for everyo ne . It is t he
America n way and we love it! We ho pe th at yo u wi ll share you r
ideas w it h us so th at we can share t he m w it h ot her s. You can be-
gin by fill ing o ut th e questio nnaire in t his issue.
Wit ho ut be ing ove r-tec hnica l, we have divided o ur fo rmat into
six d ifferent areas. In brief, th ey are: 1) Gen eral inte rest art icle s
on non -techn ical sub jec ts. 2) th e projects wi ll be divided into
t hree levels of diffic u lty: begi nne r, interm edi ate and adva nced ,
3) Specific art icles of in stru cti on suc h as finishing, in layin g, etc. ,
4) A rti cles abo ut woodwo rking too ls, bo t h hand and powe r,
5) H istor ical articles abo ut both peop le and furn itu re, 6) M anu-
factur ing tec hniq ues, in clud in g how to make and use jigs and fix-
tu res. This is a general phi losop hy. It is, as eve ryt hing is, sub ject
to c hange . We ho pe to be ab le to p rod uce a publicatio n t hat has
somet hing fo r all woodworke rs, no matt er w hat t he ir status or
level of expertise.
A ny publ icatio n is o nly as good as t he people who w rite fo r it.
Wit ho ut good aut ho rs, pho tog rap hers and artists t he re wou ld be
no A me rica n W ood w or ker . W e in vit e yo u r part icipat io n. Write
o r call and tell us yo u r id eas and we w ill send yo u the info rmation
desc rib ing o ur int erests and sched u le of pay me nts. You do not
have to be an expe rt writer or artist. W e can redraw and rew rite
most material. O ne of t he most importa nt requirem ents is good
p hotograp hs.
Finally, we wo u ld lik e to hear fro m yo u. W e wi ll have a co lu mn
in future issues for reader's lett ers, as we ll as a co lum n for yo ur
q uestio ns, and ho pefull y some answe rs fro m us and ot her readers.
W e ho pe to be ab le to inspi re yo u, to mot ivate yo u, to instruct
yo u, and perh aps most of all to ente rtain yo u . O ur love for good
c raftsma nship is real and our int erest in woodworking is genuine .
It co mes fro m a lon g lin e of fami ly w ood w orkers.
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 W OObWORk€R'
FOR FUTURE ISSUES:
We will be happy to list any future shows, demonstra-
tions, club or guild meetings, etc. Listings will be free of
charge. They must pertain to woodworkers and be open
to the public. The June issue will include June, July and
August. The closing date is April 19.
Classified:
$.75 per word payable with order; minimum 15 words.
Count all words. numbers and initials. P.O. Boxes count as
three words. Closing dates are April 19. July 19, and Oct-
ober 18 for issues printed in June, September and Dec-
ember, respectively. Send typed copy along with check to
The American Woodworker. Classified, P.O. Box 1408,
Hendersonville, TN, 37077-1408.
The Woodworking Association of North America of -
fers its members a magazine titled International Wood-
working. Members also receive free classified advertising
in the magazine. The association conducts shows and
seminars across the country and in Canada. For more in-
formation write W.A.N.A., 35 Main Street, Suite 6,
Plymouth NH 03264.
March 16, 1985. Tage Frid, author and nationally
known woodworking teacher will discuss and demonstrate
the proper techniques of dovetail joinery, furniture con-
struction, finishing, and answer any questions on furniture
projects. Woodcraft Supply Corp., 313 Montvale Ave. , Wo -
burn, MA 01888. Pre-registration is requested by calling
(617) 935-5860.
The Dunbar-Conover Woodworking School offers
courses in Intermediate Cabinetmaking, Introduction to
Cabinetmaking/Joinery, and Windsor Chairmaking. For
more information contact them at 18125 Madison Road,
Parkman, OH, 44080.
The Guild of Oregon Woodworkers is seeking new
members. Write them at P.O. Box 1866, Portland, OR
97207.
Woodworkers in the Philadelphia area may contact
the Society of Philadelphia Woodworkers for membership.
The address is 4101 Lauriston Street, Philadelphia, PA
19128.
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Deer Isle, ME,
04627, offers summer workshops with the following
woodworkers: Jon Brooks, June 23 - July 12; Jere Osgood,
July 14 - 26; John Dunnigan, July 28 - August 16. Applica-
tions due April 15, 1985. Write for brochure.
-4-
5 Cal.€nbaR
Woodworking World - The New England Show will be
helped April 12 - 14, 1985 at the Springfield Civic Center,
Springfield, Massachusetts. Admission is $5.00, free
seminars with admission. Show hours are Friday, 5 - 9
p.rn. , Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.rn ., Sunday 10 a.m . - 5 p.rn .
This show features an added section on Wooden Boat
Building and is sponsored by the Woodworking Association
of North America . For show and seminar information con-
tact W.A.N .A. at 35 Main Street, Suite 6, Plymouth, NH
03264, (603) 536-3876.
George Frank will give a lecture/workshop on March
29,30, and 31 at Imported European Hardware, 3820 Schiff
Drive, Las Vegas, NV . For more information contact Chris -
tian or Jeri at (702) 871-0722.
There will be an INCA Power Tool demonstration on
May 10 and 11 at Imported European Hardware, 3820 Schiff
Drive, Las Vegas, NV. For more information contact Chris-
tian or Jeri at (702) 871-0722.
Souris Valley Woodworkers Association is looking for
new members. Their address is P.O. Box 3042, Minot, ND
58702.
Contemporary Furniture Design and Technique '85. A
conference which will examine the current trends in fur-
niture making today, through lecture and demonstration
by some of North America's leading woodworkers: Gary
Bennett, Paul Epp, Judy Kensley Mckie, Michael Fortune,
Alphonse Mattia, Steve Madsen. August 3-4-5, 1985. Con-
tact: Saskatchewan Craft Council, Box 7408, Saskatoon,
Sask. S7K 4J3. Phone: 653-3616. REGISTRATION FEE:
$150.00 . Deadline: June 1,1985.
You are invited to exhibit in The Woodworking Show
for craftsmen & hobbyists. Workshops - nine separate pro-
grams designed to give practical, usuable information.
Seminars - separate in-depth programs concentrating on
special subjects. The 1985 schedule is as follows: March
29-31, Dallas Market Hall, Dallas, TX; June 28-30, Mer-
chandise Mart, Denver, CO ; Sept. 13-15, Southfield
Pavilion , Detroit, MI ; Oct. 4-6, Santa Clara Fairgrounds,
San Jose , CA.
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-5-
The Answer CARBIDE TIPPED ROUTER BITS
PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION QUALITY
SPECIAL OFFER - SAVE 50% - 75% BELOW COST
1000's SOLD TO READERS OF FINE WOODWORKING
BEST CUT TEM LA RGE CUTTING

By Ernie Conover BEST PRICE NO. DESCRIPTION RADIUS DIAM . LENGTH PRICE

~,
COVE

#01 1/4 " R 1/4" 1" 1/2" $13.00

#02 3/8" R 3/8" 1% " 9/16 " 14.00
I want to b uy a large plan e r in th e near fu ture . I #03 1/2 " R 1/2 " 1'h " 5/8 " 15 .00
have heard that iron castings h ave to be aged before

~,
they are mach ined or they may warp . Is this true, and ROUND OVER

if so, how can I ascerta in if the company ' s casti ngs # 04 1/4" R 1/4 " 1" 1/2 " 15.00

are aged? # 05 3/8 " R 3/8" 1% " 5/8 " 16.00

stanley Zo rc, Hi nsda le, IL. # 06 1/2 " R 1/2 " 1'h " 3/4 " 19.00

~
ROMANOGEE
Most cast iron m ach ines, as we II as the engi ne block of
your car, are m ad e from grade 25 to 30 gray iron. Gr ay iron #07 5/32 " R 5/32" 1% " 15/32" 18.00
#08 1/4" R 114" 1'h" 3/4" 20.00
contains abou t 3.4 to 3.6% carbo n T his carbon tak es two
form s, gra phite and Fe 3C whi ch me ta lur gists call ceme nt ite .

~
#11 3/8" Deep 1% " 1/2" 14.00
The pockets of graphite give gray iro n its nam e and distinctive RABB ETING 3/8"
color. It is also one of the reason s th at gray iron produces #09 1/8 " IKERFI SLOT CUTTER 1% " 1/8 " 14.00
su perio r slow speed bear ing . # 10 1 /4 " IK ERFJSLOT CUTTER 1 %" 1/4" 14.00

The casting process starts by rna king an im pression of the

~
part to be cast in dam p sand (called" green" sand) . The imp res-
# 12 45° CHA MF ER 45° 1'h " 5/8 " 15 .00
sion is made by packing th e sand aro und a wood model or pat-
Angle
tern, of the piece to be du plicated. Because th e metal shrinks
during the cooling process the patt er n mu st be made oversized

~
to an exact formula. #15 RAISED PANEL 2C o 1-5/8 " 1/2" 25.00
Angle
It is this shrinkage th at can cause big prob lem s with warp -
age later on. Th e outside areas of t he casting are th e first to
DOVETAI L BITS
cool leaving the core molten , and great stresses are set up

11
# 16 3/8 " DOV ETAIL 9 ° 3/8 " 3/8" 7 .50
within the castings.
# 17 112" DOVETAIL 14° 1/2 " 112" 8 .50
These stresses will eventually re lieve th em selves through # 18 3/4 " DOV ETAIL 14° 3/4 " 7/8 " 10.50
the process of aging . At room temp erature most castings will
be stress relieved within a period 0 f about six months. The CORE BOX (ROUND NOSEJ

amo unt of time required for aging , h owever, varies greatly with
the size and cross-section of th e casting. Sma ll castings need
virtually no aging at all wh ile large h eavy ones, such as a join er & # 19

# 20
#21
3/8 "
1/2 "
3/4"
CORE BOX

CORE BOX
CORE BOX
3/16 "
114"
3/8"
3/8 "
112"
3/4"
3/8 "
11/32 "
5/8"
11 .00

14.00

18.00

,
tab le, which have to be ground to a precision flatn ess, req uire
GROOVE FORM ING OGEE
conside rable aging . As a rule of thum b though, six months does
# 22 1/2 " GROOV ING OGEE 1/2 " 3/8 " 16 .50
the trick.
#23 3/4 " GROOVING OGEE 3/4 " 7116" 21 .00
The enti re process can be spee ded up greatly at higher
temperatu res. Again, it depends greatly upon the size and
cross-section of the casting, bu t through a process called nor-
#2 4 1 14" Straight Bit 1/4 " 1" 7 .00

a
malizat ion. aging can be redu ced to a time span of as little as # 25 5 /16 " Straight Bit 5/16 " 1" 7 .00
two hours. During norm alizing th e casrings are placed in a fur- #2 6 3/8" Stra ight Bit 3 /8 " 1" 7 .00
nace and brought up to a rernperaru re of about twelve to thir- #27 1/2 " Straight Bit 1/ 2" 1" 7 .00

r
teen hundred degrees Fah renh eit and then very slowly cooled. # 28 3/4" Straight Bit 3/4" 1" 10.50

No rma lization times vary from about one and one-half hour to
as long as fifty or sixty hours. No rm alizing ofte n prod uces a Trim Hole
#13 1/2" FLUSH TRIM 1/2" 1" 8 .50

casting which has much greater q u ality assura nce tha n one
that has been naturally aged becau se so ma ny variab les are
Q"." 1
# 14 3/8 " KEY HOLE
IThis Bit on ly HSSJ
CUTS 3/ 8" KEY HOLE FOR
FLUSH MOUNTING
PICTURE FRAME S. ETC.
8 .50

removed . WHEN ORDERING ANY 3 OR MORE. DEDUCT $1 .00 EACH

There is little way that you can ascertain if a man ufacturer
ages or normalizes his castings, but few will stay in business
long if they don ' t. T he cost in term s 0 f economics and custome r
dissatisfaction of replacing or regrind ing of a large planer bed
or joiner table in th e field is im me nse . Enough so to rem ove all
profit from the sale. If you are ta Iking with a facto ry, It
wou ldn't hurt to ask, however. If you are talking with a local
dea ler or sales representative they qu ite frankly pro bably don't
. .
know what norm alization is let alone whet her It IS do ne or not.
-6-
ALL PRICES POSTAGE PAID
• Professional Production Quality • 1/2 " Ball Bearing Pilot
• 1/4 " Diameter Shanks x1 % " Long. One Piece Construction
• Two Flute Thick High Quality Tungsten Carbide Tips
To order by Master Charge or Visa Toll Free
7 Day - 24 Hour Order Service Call
1-800-523-2445 Ext. 56 (In PA 1-800-346-7511 Ext . 561
or send check to: MLCS, P.O. Box 53, Rydal, PA 19046
THE ANSWER...
In leafing th rough a gr eat number of mail o rder
catalogs I noticed th at a big em phasis is placed on their
tools being at a cert ain Rockwell hardness. Indeed, if I
were to believe som e of th e cat alogs, ever y tool they
sell is Re60. Just what does all thi s Re bu siness mean to
me as a woodworker?
John Calab ro, W est Point, NY
There are several systems for measuring hard ness, bu t
the two most commo nly used in the United States are the
Brinell and the Rockwell systems. Woo dworking tools fall very
nicely into the Rockwell "C" scale which is based up on the
hardn ess of a diamond . A d iam ond is 100 on th e Rockwell C
scale and becomes the benchm ark for further Rockwell testing .
In the test a specific weight is placed up on a diamond point
and the penetration into th e material being tested is measured .
This determ ines the hardn ess of the material. To give you an
idea, cold rolled steel has an R hardness of about 31, while few
steels will harden greater th an R 64 or 65.
Various tool makers and knife makers disagree violently
on optimum hard ness for cutting tools. It is gene rally agreed
that when you go much above Rc60 that the tool becomes so
hard to sharpen that sharpening times and problems are dis-
proportionate to the gain in cutti ng life. In fact, the famo us
Got a question you would like to ask? Address it to : The Answer, Th e
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MODEL SPS· 18A 5 HP MODE L RE-40V 3 HP
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120 Derry Court
WILKE MACHINERYCO. INC.
• R.D. #22 • York, PA 17402
knife maker Randal heat treats many of his knives to some-
thing around RC55 because he believes they are much easier to
sharpen in the field. Th e consensus has it that somewhere bet-
ween RC55 and 60 is the righ t hard ness for cutting tools such
as plane irons or chisels and this would be somew here around
pale-yellow or straw color if you were heat treating by eye.
It is not always desirab le, however, to heat treat a tool to a
very hard conditio n. In fact, someti mes it is even counter-
indica ted. Auge r bi ts are usu ally heat treat ed somewhere
around Re50. This m akes th em easily sharpened with a file and
since the cutting edges have thick sections and work at rela-
tively low speeds, dulling is not a major problem . Finally, a
scrape r bl ad e is ne ver harden ed mor e th an abo ut RC 50
and probab ly works bett er arou nd Rc45 . Because the edge is
burn ished, sharpening would be im possible at greater hard -
nesses. Also, as the scraper is burnished two or thr ee times, the
edge work harden s sufficiently that th e hardn ess at the edge
rises to a point where it can no longer be burnished and the
user mu st file som e of this material away to bring up the soft
subst raight below.
Heat treat of a cutting tool is always a fine balance bet-
ween abrasion resistance, which is a measure of the tools abi l-
ity to hold an edge an d toug hness, which is the abi lity of the
tool to withstand shock. As the hard ness of a tool is increased
so does it's abrasion resistan ce, bu t toughness and grind-
ability (the ability to sharpe n the tool) suffer.
• SEND $ 1.00 FOR OUR MACHIN ERY CATA LOG .
MODEL SHG -508A V MODEL R·500 5.5 HP
5 HP · 1 PH,3 PH 20 " x 9 " $4195.00
20 " x 8 " $3795.00 EU ROPEA N MADE
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MOD EL SHG·200A 5 H P 13"x 6" ST D$1595
20 " x 6 " $24 95.00 13 " x 6 " DELUXE $1 995
• Telephone (717) 846-2800
lW!9J
-7-
 I am re storing an antique
boat which was put together with
brass wood screws . Over the
years many of the screws have
corroded to the point where they
are almost impossible to remove.
I have tried drilling them out but
the process is tedious and the re-
sults are not always perfect. Have
you got any suggestions?
Royal leLand
Alexandria Bay, NY
Screws that have bee n in for ten
or twenty years in a marine environ-
ment can prove to be stu b born at
best. Compo u ndi ng this people often
use soap as a lubri cant and th e lye in
th e soap acts as a corrosive agent. For
this reason it is almost bett er to use
wax or oil.
Try heating each screw with .a
sold ering iron . You may have to re-
grind the tip , but with a lit tle care it
can be done easily witho ut burn ing
the wood . Get th e screws good and
hot - it may take several minu tes. Us-
ing a sma ll brass rod th e size of th e
are augmented by various grinding and buffing machines working both wet and dry.
Fortunately, all roads lead to Rome, because all of the systems will leave keen
edges whe n used p roperly. It is more a matter of picking a system that meets your
person ality and budget and learning to use it properly. There isn't really much dif-
feren ce whet he r you use Arkansas sto nes working up to black hard . use J apanese
water sto nes ending in a 6000 grit goldsto ne , or use synt hetic Carboru ndum stones
and buff the edge . Wh at cou nts is th at all of th e ang les be held correctly and the
edge be brought to a very high qualit y micro-finish . A well sharpened edge should
shi ne like a mir ror. All systems have thei r advantages and disadva ntages , but
mostly it is just a matter of learnin g to use one that suits your nat ure . Like most
other arts, skillful shar pe ning is a matter of practice.
I have to copy exactly a moulding in a Greek Revival hou se I am
working on. I cannot find shaper cutters to match. The mouldings look
machine cut but none of the mill hou ses in my area can match them.
T. Medhurst, Hiram, OH
MORITHAN
A CATALOG•••
Woodcraft is more than a catalog - it's one of the best sources
for quality woodworking tools you1l ever discover . We're
your source for everything from bit braces to wood borers ,
from saws to sharpening stones. Every item is crafted to meet
precise standards of excellence , and backed by our guarantee
1--
of satisfaction. Some people may call this a catalog, - - - - -- - -
but if you're a woodworker we think you1Jcall it 0 Please send me your FREE tool catalog. >-
indispe nsable. Send for your FREE Woodcraft Tool 1 ~
catalog today. I ~

screwhead give the screw several taps

with a hammer. If you are lucky you
~~
( I W<DDCRAFT8
~.~ Dep t. AW35. 41 Atlan tic Aven ue.
I:::.-.-
1
---
CIty - - - - - - - - - - - - -
have broken up the corrosive bond so Box 4000 . Wobu rn. MA 01888 State Zip
tha t the screw will now come out rela-
tively easy. Also. a device called an
impact screw drive r might help . This
is a too l that when hit with a ham mer
causes a screw dr iver at its tip to turn
violently. It is available at auto parts
Porch Svving & Glider
stores and will ofte n remove stu bborn
screws th at noth ing else can to uch .
Finally. if all else fails. go back to th e
drills.

I am highly confu sed when it

com es to sha rp en in g my tools.
One a rt icl e I ' ve read says that
natural Arkansas sto n es a re the
best while another claims that the
only way to sharpen is with Jap-
anese water stones. Finally , there
are seve ra l machine-t ype sharp -
ening systems on the market at
varying prices. What is the be st
way to sharpen my tools?
Dorcas Adkins
Washington, D.C.
Complete plan
Your observations are righ t on .
in that the re is a variable ple th ora of
with full scale
shar peni ng systems on the market to- templates $8
day . As you mention , the y run from Catalog $1
the good old stand by of natural Ark-
ansas to tried and tru e syn the tic
sto nes such as Bear Carbo ru ndu m, to (IL res . add sales tax)
Japa nese wat er sto nes and fin all y Cornerstone Design Inc., Dept. B1
space-age ceram ics market ed under
such nam es as " Moon Stones" . These
eo Box 300, Elmhurst, IL, 60126
-8-
 Your problem is a common one.
" Your Woodworking Supply Store"
From about 1820 on, machines of the
industrial revolution displaced hand- ORDER FORM
Qty. Note: C = 100 Total
tools, It is very probable that your BLACK AND DECKER INDUSTRIAL TOOLS
mouldings are machine cut. Over the 1165 X" Angle Drill $119.50
years the scale of architectural orna- 1179 X" VAR. Sp. Drill 69.95
1180 X" VSR Holgun'" 99.95
mentation has decrease d such that 1311 V2 "VSR Drill 119.75
modern mouldings are rath er puny 1575 X" VSR Scrudr lll'" 119.50
compared to classic ones. 1940 X" Cordless Drill
w/98060 Charger 99.95
Compoundi ng th e problem, up 1975 'Yo " Cord less Screwd river
until abo ut 1820 the orders in which w/98060 charger 129.50
2034 Drywall Screwd river 91.50
various mouldi ngs were put together 2054 VSR Screwd river 155.00
were strictl y dictated . They followed 2931 Cordl ess Screwdr iver
pedantically the orders of Greek Tem- w/98060 Charger 159.95
3027-09 7" Circu lar Saw 79.95
ples. Du ring the Victorian era the ru le 3030 7V. " Circular Saw 99.95
books were thrown out the window 3034 7V. " Circular Saw 118.65
3035 8V. " Circu lar Saw 129.50
and mouldings we re mixed a nd 3051 7V. " Wormdrlve Saw 149.00
matc hed in any way. Some would say, 3091 10" Miter Saw 189.95
even indiscrimin antly. 3103 2 Sp. Cut Sawk lt 99.95
3D-DAY FREE TRIAL! 3105 Var. Sp. Cut -Sawklt 109.50
All this leads up to the fact that Use this high-precisio n saw to make hundreds of 3107 Var. Sp. Orbita l
matching antique mo u ldings is the profitable. unusual items toys, name-bars, filigree Cut Saw klt 119.50
work, clocks , holders the list is nearly endless! 3141 Cordl ess Jigsaw
nemesis of many resto rers. In some Because the Model 1600cuts so smoothly, sanding w/98060 Charger 149.95
parts of the U.S . there are sti ll many is virtually unnecessary! 3157·10 Var. Sp. Ji gsaw 114.75
The new Woodmaster Model 1600 gives you a big 3265 Laminate Trim mer 145.65
millworks with large old moulding 16-in. throat capacity, 2-in. cutting depth. a generous, 3310 1V2 H.P. Router 139.50
mach ines (often called stickers). They oversize worktable, ball-bearing drive .. . and much 3335 3.5 H.P. Router 320.60
more! Made in U.S.A. Easy Terms.
often have cutters which closel y 3370-10 3 V." Planer 129.95
Send today for free information kit! 4010 Palm Sander 48.95
match desired shapes. Phone Toll Free 1-800-824-7888Oper. 642 4018 V2 Sheet Sander 99.50
If you are forced to cut the r--------------------------------,
I Woodmaster Tools, Dept. CY5 I
4247 4V2 " Disc
Sand er/Grinder 69.95
mou lding yourself you usually have to I 2908 Oak, Kansas City, MO 641 08 :
4260 Power File 189.50
grind your own cutters. Several com - II Name I 6750 Heat Gun 69.75
panies, Forrest City Tool an d Freud I Address I
among them , sell sha pe r heads with I
~ Clty/Slale Zip - - - JI SM·1 Birc h Mug Peg
SP·1 Birch Shaker Peg
$.221ea.
$.25/ea.
inserrable high speed steel blades. OS-1 Oak Shaker Peg $.26/ea.
Most of these heads are two-knife in S-6 Birch Splnd les-6" $.421ea.
design and blank knives are available S-7 Birch Spindles-8V2 " $.51/ea.
for them . This type of head :,; designed
S·4 Galley Splndle-2" $1.50/10
to run on a big shaper usua lly 1 - 11<1 "
WOOD WHEELS
sp indle. They should not be bushed TW075 ',4 " $3.5O/C
down to any spindle less than 1" for TW087 %" $4.5O/C
obvious safety reasons. TW100 1" $5.5O/C
TW125 1V. " $7.50/C
Wi tho ut too mu ch tro ub le you TW150 1V2" $10.50/C
shou ld be able to call a grinding hou se TW200 2" $18.OO/C
At last!
from the yellow pages. They sho uld be A complete, AXLE PEG
power·leed drum AP1 Fits 1 H to 2 " Wheel $4.OO/C
ab le to grind a blank set of cutters to sander priced for the
an exact match for your mo uldings. home shop l WOOD CARGO
Oil Drum $.23/ea.
This heav y-dut y, 12·in ch sande r comes read y to us e Milk Can $.181ea.
incl ud in g motor & stan d .. . nothing ext ra to buil d or bu y! Pickle Barrel $.23/ea.
A Finish Sander ... A Thickness Sander FREUD SAW BLADES 10" %" Bore =
You ca n use this high-tolerance ma chine for ligh t d im en - Carbide Tipped 12" = 1" Bore
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power-fed at a uniform rate, you 'll ac h ieve results impos- $35,00
LU72M10 10" 40 General
Build si ble to duplicate with hand methods or b and-held aa nd-
ers . Dimensions remain exac t . _ . no mor e low spots , LU73M10 10" 60 Cut·Off 36.00
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LU78Ml0 10" 80 Plastic
76.90
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Name _
To order, speci fy CORNER CABINET . : Wood master Tools, 2908 Oak , Dept. RV5 I
Kansas City , Missouri 64108 I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ City
Send check or money order fo r $ 12.00 I Please rush my FREE Inf orm ation Kit and I Address
(Canadian resi dents remit in U.S. fu nds.) I DYESI oeteue on your 3D-Dsy Free T,isl Gus,snt ee.
I State Zip Phone ( ) _
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HAMMERMARK ASSOCIATES, BENNY'S WOODWORKS
I Address I
Box 201·AW, Flora l Park, N.Y. 11002 I . I P.O. Box 656, Dept. AWl · Antioch, l N 37013 • (615) 331·8384
:__~l! :t~':.._=_=_:::_.=~ ~J

-g-
 GEORGE FRANK
_REPLIES ...
Q. I find that when I stain a
piece of wood the end grain has a
tendency to absorb so much stain
th at it will become d arker than
the rest of the wood. Most of the
stain I use has an oil base. Can
you suggest a remedy ?
A. You are lucky. You r probl em is
fairly easy to solve. You mus t sand-
paper th e end grain well, and seal it
before stai ning . You can seal it with a
few coats of th in rabbit-skin glue, or
just plain hide glue th in ned down .
You can use cornstarc h, or plain sugar
(dissolve 3·4 spoo nfuls of suga r in a
ha lf cup of wate r), to seal the end-
grams.
Q. I would like to make my own
stain from walnut hu sks and cur-
rently have about 20 gallons of
black muck . If I can get my fur-
niture to look like m y hands I'll
be sat isfi ed . Would st raining it
hands by thi s time were as pleasantly
brown as yours, and th e " Brou de
Noix ' that she concocted was used all
year until the next harvest to enhance
the beaut y of man y wood s with th e
same elegant brown hu e.
Q. I am anxious to learn a rneth-
od of finishing cherry wood rifle
stock. Do you know of any shop
sp ecia li zi n g in fini shing gun-
stocks?
A. To my knowledge there is no
special branch developed in the wood -
finishing industry to finish rifle or
gunstock. If I had your problem , I
would do th e best sanding possibl e on
m y cherry rifle stock and would apply
on it thr ee or four coats of clear lac-
qu er witho ut an y stai n, filler or sealer.
Of cou rse, I would allow p roper drying
time between coats and resand the
stock with finer and fin er grit of sand-
paper. When the last coat is properly
dr y I would cut th e gloss with water
and pumice stone .
Q. Is there any special way of
but let thro ugh a clear, transparent
am ber colored shellac-liquid that we
used ma inly on mouldings and carv-
ings, where true French polishing was
rathe r difficult .
If I were you I would add ress my
complaint to the sup plier of the powd-
ered shellac, and u nt il I received proof
tha t it is better than the old fashioned
button or flake shellac , I would stick
with these . They will do your job
right.
Full size patterns for Packard Le
Baron and 1929 Chevy TrUCk. plus a
catalog of over 100 wooden toy pat-
terns. wooden wheels. axle pegs.
people. and other hardwood turnings.
Send check or money order for
$10.00 for both patterns and catalog ,
or $1.50 for catalog .
~ TOY DESIGNS · Dept . AW38S. Box 441 ~

through burlap and mixing with Newton. Iowa 50208

den atured a lco ho l be enough?
And is there a way to extract the
color from the shells?
A. Let me answer your last qu estion
first, since it is a straight No . You can-
not extract a dye out of the hard shell
of the walnut. Nor can you make a
dye ou t of th e ed ible part of th e wal-
nut. On e of the first known dyes used
in the woodwo rking tra de (in mod ern
times) is the famo us " Brou de Noix."
The brew is made with the outer layer,
the actual unedibl e fruit of the walnut
tree . This is th e green hu sk that covers
the hard she ll of the waln ut. (The ed-
ible pa rt of the walnut is th e seed, not
the frui t .) Wh en I was an app rent ice I
watche d th e boss lad y collecting th ese
hu sks and soaking th em in rainw ater
in hu ge earthe n jugs for about a week.
Each jar contained abo ut five gallons
of this "muck". She added a drinking
glass full of soda ash (dry sodi um car-
bonate) to a jug and the n she brewed
them, meani ng tha t she warmed up
these jars for hour s, bu t never to the
boi ling point. Wi th a lon g stick she
stirred this brew time and aga in, and
she let it cool off slowly on top of th e
stove where the fire di ed out. Th e
next morning she strai ned the brew
and put it in gree n bottl es, corked well
and stored them in a dar k cellar. Her
-10-
dissolving powdered sh ell ac In
alcohol? I put about one ounce of
refined , powdered , dewaxed shel-
lac in a pint of denatured alcohol ,
and although I kept shaking the
container frequently, three days
later I still had some undissolved
granules settled at the bottom of
the jar. What did I do wrong?
A. Prob abl y you did wrong tryingto
reach for th e moon . In my sixty years
in th e trade I used up several tons of
she llac, all kind s of it , but this is the
very first time I have heard of "re- 3B20 Schiff Drive
Las Vegas, Nevada 891 03
fined, powdered , dewaxed shellac" .
The kind th at was sta nda rd in my 871·0722
SEND 11 .00 FOR CA TAL OG
sho p was th e "supe rfine flakes" or the
TAW
" bu tto n" kind. Th ese button s were
about 3 inch disks abou t 1/ 8 of an inch
thi ck, mostly broken up . Th e rare un-
brok en ones had the mark of th e p ro-
duce r in the cente r, and I rem ember
well th at th e one I preferred had an
elephant for a trade ma rk. Th e solvent
I always used was plain den atu red Now . a pro-size. band saw priced for the home shop ! Big
alcoho l, and the approxi mate propor- :!4 lf1-in . throat easi ly hand les large scro llwo rk . comple x
cu rves . 4 x X ... hcct v. 9-in . vertica l c ut makes it ea ...y to
tio n was 3 '12 Ibs. in a gallon . We cut resuw valuab le hard wood s. Ba ll heari ng construction
th is solutio n furthe r as the job re- throughout . Easy Te r ms . Send for free boo k with com -
plete fOClS today!
qu ired . Incid entally, we did our own Phnn e Tull Free 1-111111-1124-7111111 Op er, 1M2
de-waxing (using th e word in a loose iW~dm~;w~~~~~Y 5-------------'
I 2908 Oak, Kansa s City, Mo . 64108 I
sense). W e strai ned the concent rated : Name :
solut ion thr ou gh paper filte rs, the I I
I Address I
kind we are using in making coffee, I I
I City/Stale Zip - - - I
and it arrested the waxy su bstances, ---------------------------
GEORGE FRANK REPLIES...
Q. Ad hesive ta pe used in th e
packing of some brand new fur-
niture left a mark on the finish of
it. How can I get rid of these
marks?
A. Your problem is a legal one. You
received furniture from a dealer, and
it is damaged . The dea ler should red-
ress the damage. However, it well
could be that the damage could be
repaired qu ite simply. Try wiping the
spots off with a clean cloth damp en ed
with ben zine or mineral spirits and
follow th is up by rubbing the areas
lightl y with water and rottenstone .
There is a great chance the spots will
disappear.
Q. Wh at kind of finish can I use
on Purple Hart, or Coco bola to
preserve the brilliant color of the
freshly worked wood? Both of
these woods turn dark as I finish
them, or later .
A. The closest you can come to your
goal would be if you would use - after
the finest possible sandi ng - eithe r
water white , or bleachin g lacqu er, and
not hing else for finishin g. No filler , no
sealer ... Then again, you need a cer-
tain amount of skill. At th e beginnin g,
you must spray th e lacqu er on your
wood so that it dries as it reaches th e
wood. This can be achieved by mist
coating, using far more air than lac-
qu er. Yo u mu st start with breath thin
coatings and give these a chance to
dry before you apply grad ually heavier
coats. Y ou will need two more ing re-
dients: care and patience, but you will
be well rewarded , and the fresh bril-
liant color of the wood will be pre-
served.
However, your wood will darken
somewhat with th e passing of tim e. It
ages, or ripens, but remai ns beautiful.
Q. Unwittingly I ap p lied a
household am mo nia to a wains-
coat ing to remove accumul ated
layers of shellac and grime. The
wood was beautiful mahogany
and the area where I used the am-
monia is now much darker than
the su rround ing paneling. Com-
plicating thi s, I applied " Watco"
oil on the wood so that bleaching
may be problematic. I have tried
to remove the oil with lacquer
thinner, and with alcohol, but the
dark color persist s. It seems that
the ammonia sta in is 'very deep.
Can you help?
A. Fill a jar halfway with oxalic acid
crystals. Next , fill th e jar almost full
with den atured alcohol. Let it soak
overnight , shaking frequ entl y.
Try and wash the dark areas of the
wood with the alcohol tha t absorbed
as mu ch oxalic acid as it could . It
prob ab ly will lighte n the wood, maybe
to th e original color. Next you will
have to neutralize th e acid wash . Best
for tha t is a solutio n of one part Clor-
ox in three parts of water .
Q. Two years ago I made an oak
coffee table which I finished with
Antique Oil Finish by Minwax .
Since then the table had been
cleaned with furniture oil, or a
mixture of turpentine and linseed
oil. This fini sh is not tough
enough to withstand the ab use
the table is su bjected to . I wish to
refinish the table with polyure-
th an e. What do I ha ve to do?
A. Your best bet is just plain gaso-
line. As a finishing produ ct it is rathe r
chea p but it is strong an d effective . It
is also extremely dangerous. Light a
cigarett e while working with it and
you 'll have no probl em , or coffee
tabl e , left.
W ash th e surface with gasoline two
or three times , using steel wool and a
good scru bbing brush to get the oil
out of th e pores. Th e gasoline will
dissolve the oil, therefore you will
have to wipe off the oil laden gasoline
from the wood with rags (and dispose
of th ese safely) and repeat the ope ra-
tion as many times as you have to un-
til your wood is, appa rently, pe rfectly
clean . At this poi nt re-wash th e wood
with some good laundry detergent and
warm water. Rinse , wipe off and let it
dr y. Sandpaper with 150 grit paper
and you are almost ready to start the
refin ishin g job. However , I would first
apply one or two ' •wash coats" of shel-
lac to bur y, or seal th e microscopic
amo unt of oil still rem ainin g at th e
bottom of the pores. Wh en this is dr y,
sand lightl y and start th e varnishing .
Use clean conta ine rs, clean bru shes in
a du st free area. Good luck.
GEORGE FRANK is th e autho r ofth e book Ad -
ventures in Wood Finishing. He is a consulting
editor to Fine Woodworking and frequently p ub -
lishes articles in vario us magazin es, including
England 's Wood working Craf ts. His kn owledge
and hu mor have made him a sough t-after speaker
on the woodworking lecture circuit. A ny qu es-
tion you may have concerning fi nishing or re
fi nishing of wood may be mailed to " George
Frank Replies, " The A merican Woodworker,
P. O. Box 1408, Hendersonville, TN 37077-1408.
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·11-
Woodworking
Techniques Illustrationsand text byJerry Lyons

PRESERVING TUNG OIL A GLUE SPREADER

The same chemistry that allows polymerized tung oil
products to harden to such a fine finish on the wood also
allows larger quantities of the stuff to gel and become un-
usuable if exposed to air - even the small amount of air left
in an only partly used container. The best way to solve this
problem is simply to top up the container with water every
time you use a bit of the oil. The water sinks to the bottom,
the tung oil product floats discreetly on top. The two liquids
do not otherwise affect each other. You can do this topping
up in the original tin container, or after the first opening you
can transfer the oil to a large wide-mouth glass jar (pickle jar,
peanut butter jar, quart canning jar), which lets you dip
your rag, sponge, brush, fingers, or whatever directly into
the top of the container.
Mark H . Robbins
Milford , PA

MACHINE JOINTING END GRAIN

A stiff plastic credit card makes a remarkably handy

glue spreader. Just snake a thick line of the glue from the
bottle somewhere near the middle of the areas to be glued,
then spread out evenly using the card. It is a smooth, neat ,
quick, and clean method of spreading. To clean card after us-
ing, just flex it back and forth a few times as the dried glue
will flake off. For security of your credit card, pass the card
over a candle flame to remove the numbers and impressions.
Mark H. Robbins
Milford, PA

The best method I've found to joint end grain using the
jointer is to size the given panel down to within 1/16 inch
oversize at each end and allowing an 1 /8 inch extra at the
back edge. (Usually there is an edge that is not seen as much
as the opposite edge or front edge.) After jointing each
"end" at the allowed 1/16 inch, you may then rip or joint
the back edge to remove whatever chipout that occured in
the jointing process. As you're jointing, slow down the feed
as you near the back edge and the chipouts will be minimal.
Of course, the knife sharpness as well as how steady you
handle the piece will affect the quality and accurateness of
this operation. NOTE: caution should be exercised in the
judgement of the smallest width pieces that should be safely
jointed . Your actual width dimensions will depend on the
size jointer you have available to use.
-12-
TheAmerican Woodworker pays $25.00 each for your Ideas used in Woodworking Techniques. Send photographs or sketches (we can
redraw, if necessary) along with text to: Woodworking Techniques, The American Woodworker, P. O. Box 1408, Hendersonodie, TN
37077-1408.

SPRAY GUN RUNS the surfacer, this operation will take care of the excess wax.

SA,uS I\ND
RUNS

Penetrating oil finishes such as tung, linseed or Watco will

dissolve the wax and sink into the wood as usual. Ifany wax
is left behind, it may cause problems with stains and finishes
such as lacquers and varnishes and removal using any clear
solvent including mineral spirits will be necessary.
Mark H. Robbins
SPRAY£D Milford, PA
PA~EL
EMERGENCY VISE

This is a trick I learned years ago while restoring auto-

mobiles. Sometimes when spray painting a panel , a run
would develop. I simply get a piece of 3/4 inch wide masking
tape and gently put the tape over the run . The tape should
be longer than the run. After gentle application with the
ends of the tape loose, pull away the tape and it will lift the
run right off your panel. A gentle misting from your spray
gun afterwards blends everything together. All this must be
done before the paint sets up and will work well on wood
panels when working with lacquer type finishes .
Harry G. Sommers
Wallace, ill

WAXING

Waxing all the exposed surfaces around your JOints

with Butcher's wax before gluing up will save immeasurable
time and labor when it comes to scraping off the dried glue
that has squeezed out. With most kinds of joints, especially
edge butt joints, a good time to wax is after you've got the in -
dividual pieces clamped together during your trial assembly .
One of the most important tools a woodworker has to
Be careful, however, as it is important not to slop any wax
work with is the parallel hand screw clamps. One applica-
onto the glue-bearing areas. If this does occur, you may take
tion for using hand screw clamps is for holding pans that
a light pass across the jointer.
might otherwise be difficult to hold in a regular vise or when
As for removing the wax, often by the time you've a vise is not handy or available . Two of these clamps can be
trimmed, cleaned, and sanded the piece, most of the wax clamped to a sawhorse, picnic table or even a stepladder.
will have been shed in one way or another. If your technique With a little imagination, hand screw clamps can be a real
of making wide panels is to use thicker boards and then asset and time-saver to the craftsman .
machining the glued uf panel down to finished thickness in Robert Brightman
Great Neck, NY
-13-
 THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
Something For Everyone
By Dona Z. Meilach

Woodwork, Furniture. English. XVIlI, ca. 1771-73. Maker: Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779), possibly. Commode. Shown
with doors closed. Wood, ivory, brassgilt. H. 37, L. 59 7/8, D. 253/8 in. Provenance: St. Gile 's House, St. Giles, Dorset.
The Metropolitan Museum 0/Art, Purchase, 1955, Morris Loeb Bequest. (55.114).

If you're looking for a good trivia question, try: "What
was the first furniture style to be identified by the name of its
creator rather than the name of the reigning monarch? "
The answer? Thomas Chippendale .
Having a furniture period named for the furniture maker
was quite an accomplishment for an 18th century designer;
previous protocol named furniture for nobility such as Louis
XVth and Queen Anne . Considering Chippendale's humble
beg innings, it indicates that opportunity existed during the
1700' s; the prolific woodworker shares credit for earning
tho se years the title of •' The Golden Age of Furniture. "
To help explain the reason for Chippendale's reputation
and continuing popularity of his furniture, Franklin H . Gott-
shall , as far back as 1937, wrote in his book, How To Design
Period Furniture, "Few styles that were deve loped before the
eighteenth century and as originally conceived , remain prac-
tical for present day use, and no really great style has been
devel oped since the close of that century."
-14-
Chippendale 's accomplishments and influence were far-
reaching. In any book dealing with European furniture of
the 18th and 19th centuries, Chippendale's name stands out
by the sheer number of indexed entries and by the amount
of copy devoted to him. Historians suggest that he wasn't a
great designer; what he did well was adapt and combine im-
portant features of other styles so successfully that he won a
distinction enjoyed by few others. He adapted from the
French Style of Louis XVth and the Queen Anne style
which preceded his own . He used Gothic. and Rococo, and ,
his later work was so influenced by Chinese artifacts brought
into England by traders . that the results are now called
"Chinese Chippendale" style.
Not mu ch known abo ut Chippendale him self -
There is little personal history available about Thomas
Chippendale; no illustrations to show us what he looked
like , how his shop was organized , and the tools he employed.

Woodwork, Furniture, English. XVIII, ca 1750-1760. Arm
chair: Chippendale. The Metropolitan Museum ofArt, Cad-
waladerFund, 1918. (18.110.46).
Woodwork, Furniture. English. XVIII, 1750·70. Chair,
arm: Chippendale style, Chinese manner. Mahogany. The
Metropolitan Museum ofArt, Kennedy Fund, 1918.
(18.110.43).
Books note that he was born in early 1718 at Otley, a York-
shire village . Young Tom learned woodworking from his
father, John, who was a "joiner." His mother Mary, was the
daughter of Thomas Drake, an Otley mason. In 1727, when
Tom was 9 years old, the family moved from Yorkshire to
London where John Chippendale opened a shop .
It was in 1748, when young Chippendale was thirty, that
he married Catherine Redshaw. Not long afterwards, he
struck out on his own in a small shop in Conduit Street,
Long Acres. Four years later he moved to St. Martin's Lane,
which, apparently , was not too different from areas where
contemporary craftspeople gather to open studios. By 1753,
as a result of many commissions, business flourished and he
leased two adjacent houses in St. Martin's Lane. A third
house was added later after the publication of his book in
1754, titled The Gentleman And Cabinet Maker's
Director: Being a Collection of Designs in Gothic,
Chinese and Modern Taste, Calculated to Improve
and Refine the Popular Taste. Because the title is so
lengthy, the book is usually referred to simply as "Director."
St. Martin's Lane attracted the discriminating clientele
from London for whom Chippendale was continually bring-
ing out new designs . Clients did not want pieces that dup-
licated those their friends bought, so each new piece re-
quired a different approach, different elements, or a re-
arrangment of those already developed.
As Chippendale's business flourished, he took James
Rannie as a partner. Rannie, referred to as an "upholder,"
died in 1766. In 1771, his bookkeeper, Thomas Haig came
into the partnership . Historians report that Chippendale
married again in 1777, Elizabeth Davis of Fulham, but there
is no indication of when or how his first wife died.
No records are known to substantiate his influential
clients before 1760, but there are surviving bills and letters
that document later sales of specific pieces of furniture.
These show customers as: Nostell Priory sold to Sir Roland
Winnat (1766-70), for Landsdowne House sold to the Earl of
Shelbourne (1770-72), and for Harewood House (1770-75) .
Furniture was also sold to David Garrick, the famous
manager of the Adelphi Theater (1771) . The bills indicate
that Chippendale had been supplying some of these houses
with pieces before and after the above dates and that he also
performed the service of complete decorator or "upholder"
and assisted with paperhanging and curtaining, as well. The
furniture itself is distinctive enough to be definitely credited
to Chippendale, according to historians.
Today's woodworker will emphathize with Thomas
Chippendale. John Kenworthy-Browne, in his book Chip-
pendale And His Contemporaries, says "Chippendale
did not make a fortune but was constantly pressed for money
as his patrons did not always deem it necessary to pay him
promptly .' ,
There is no question that Chippendale was enterprising
and ambitious, "but not necessarily the best furniture
maker," suggests Kenworthy-Browne. His business ability
may have been greater than his craftsmanship . There is also
evidence that he employed many artists and craftsmen of
high caliber. An article in The Gentleman's Magazine,
April 1755, reports a fire which broke out in Chippendale 's
workshop in which the "chests of twenty-two workmen were
burned ." Tool chests imply cabinetmakers but in addition
there were probably carvers, polishers or finishers, up-
holsterers, clerks and other people required to run what ap-
parently was a factory-like establishment.
There were several furniture makers of note working in St.
Martin's Lane and in other fashionable areas at the time, but
Chippendale, because of his book and his prolific output
seems to have had more published about him. There were
-15-

Woodwork, Furniture. English. XVIII, ca 1760. Desk cabinet.
Mahogany. H. 92, W. 77//1, D. 19 in. The Metropolitan
Museum 0/Art, Bequest ofBernardM. Baruch, 1965.
(65. 155.24}.
William and John Linnell, William Ince and Thomas May-
hew, Robert Manwaring, ThomasJohnson, William Vile and
John Cobb .
Style characteristics - Any serious student of antique
furniture styles learns to identify the characteristics of each
furniture maker and which appear at various times of the
craftsman's career. Generally, Chippendale furniture has the
following features which help identify, and classify the styles
and periods.
1. Mahogany was the dominant wood although rose-
wood was sometimes used as part of the decoration; in late
pieces, more rosewood appears as it increased in popularity .
2. Elaborate carving was the main decorative process.
Sometimes the carving was combined with gilt, or richly
chased brass and silver mounts. There were also copper
mounts, or brass castings. Some work was made of a soft
wood and japanned or painted and partly gilt. Later work
had ingeniously wrought marquetry or inlay.
3. A cabriole leg, ending in a ball and claw or a scroll
foot was common . (Generally, by the end of the 1700's the
cabriole leg design disappeared to be replaced by straight,
tapered legs.) No stretchers or underbracing on cabriole-
legged pieces but light, either straight flat, fret sawed or
carved stretchers on straight legged pieces .
4. A quandrangular leg also appeared in some pieces .
5. Splats were intricately carved and pierced . The chair-
back flared outward at the top, most backs were similar in
-16-
shape and with ladderlike stretchers. Pierced splats were
joined directly to the seat stretcher.
6. The top rail of the chairs had distinct shoulders.
7. The chair seats were wide and upholstered.
8. Pilasters or quarter columns appeared on the corners
of case furniture.
9. Tall pieces, such as cabinets and clocks, utilized
broken pediments that were carved and remarkably rich in
design.
10. Richly carved aprons and skirts appeared on tables,
chairs, and cabinetry.
11. There were serpentine, bowed or kettle base con-
struction on some of the richest pieces.
12. An absence of turning .
13. Upholstery fabrics were chiefly damasks and bro-
cades exquisitely woven . Some plain fabrics were used on the
simpler upholstered pieces.
The cabriole leg - In any discussion of Chippendale
pieces, the cab rioIe leg is emphasized. Varying carved de-
signs were among the major identification marks of the style
(although cabriole legs had been used in early work by
French and English designers). Chippendale carved the ex-
panding part of the cabriole richly with acanthus leaves or
other motifs adapted from the rococo period . The feet of the
cabriole were most often carved with a ball and claw, but oc-
casionally a dolphin's head or a richly carved scrolled foot
were used.
The straight leg appeared in simpler furniture and to-
ward the end of the period. These were almost plain, except
for a touch of molding on the outside corner. Those inspired
by the Chinese influence were carved with Chinese fretwork
or a wider molding.
The "Director" - The "Director" is an impressive vol-
ume for many reasons, points out Kenworthy-Browne . It is
comprehensive . It illustrates nearly all kinds of furniture,
there is a range and fluency of designs moving in style from
classical through French rococo, chinoiserie and gothic.
Finally, the engraving and production were excellent. The
etchings were engraved on copper and the original folio sold
for 2:8:0 Pounds, which was a hefty price in those days. His-
torians believe Chippendale financed the book's production
by pre-paid subscription from influential sponsors to whom
the book is dedicated.
Why did Chippendale compile the book? Kenworthy-
Browne believes his purpose probably was to gain clients and
a large volume of business. At that time it was a masterpiece
of advertising because no one had published that type of
book before. Chippendale showed courage , technical knowl-
edge and organizing ability.
The "Director" consists of designs that Chippendale
collected from work that preceded his own. The examples
were not the actual pieces that he created. This book and its
subsequent editions were widely used for design inspiration
and emulation all during the 19th century. The result was
that the word "Chippendale" was adopted as a generic term
for much English furniture produced in the mid-eighteenth
century. (Actually, very few pieces exist that can be definit-
ely attributed to the Chippendale workshop .)
When the "Director," was first published in 1754, it had
161 folio plates; which were increased to 200 in the third
edition of 1762. No book on this scale had appeared in En-
gland or elsewhere, before. Rival publications appeared , but
nothing with the range of patterns matched it until George
 Woodwork, Furnitur~, English. XVIII, ca. 1760. Maker: William Vile (d. 1767). Library Table.
H. 32, L. 76, W. 63 tn, Three-quarter view showing side with drawers. The Metropolitan Museum
ofArt, RogersFund, 1924. (24.103.3).

~epplewhite's Cabinet Maker and Upholster's Guide, ings of acanthus leaves, festoons of flowers , combined with
In 1788, two years after Hepplewhite's death. the serpentine contours of the rococo style .
. Almost ev~ry preface in an 18th century design or arch-
itectural book Included this division of the Greek order in
Th eo ries in The" D irector" the same way one might think of Standard Operating Pro-
Based on Classical Space D ivisions cedure (SOP) today. The designs that appeared in the book
had little or nothing to do with the Preface; rather the fur-
Chippendale historians generally concur that the impor-
niture displayed often opposed classical designs . Th~ reason?
tance attached to the' 'Director" is exaggerated. They point
O~~ author suggested that Greek architecture was the pre-
?ut that asso~iating. the "Chippendale Style" with the plates
vailing theory of the day, but that it applied to architects.
In the book IS a mistake. The designs in the Director serve
Furniture makers were not architects so did not feel a com-
more. as a valuable guide to the variety of styles used during
pulsion to follow those theories closely.
t~e elghte~nth century; they are of little help for establishing
With the designs in the book, Chippendale often offered
with certainty the products of Chippendale's workshop. The
alternatives such as: "If any of the small ornaments should
designs were ~vailable and were used, with modifications, by
~e thought superfluous they may be left out without spoil-
the many cabinet makers and furniture factories of the time
Ing the design," or .. If the seats are covered with red morocco
and until the early 1800's.
they will have a fine effect. "
~he .theories that Chippendale offered regarded spatial
One of the paragraphs in the book states a pur-
orgaruzanon based on the proportions offered by the classi-
pose as: ... .. being calculated to assist the one in the
cal orde.rs of archite~ture. These orders were "the very soul
Choice, and the other in the Execution of the
and basis of the cabinetmaker's art and appeared in the first
Designs; which are so contrived, that if no one
plates in the "Director." They were theories that had been
d rawing should sing ly answer the Gentleman's
handed down from the Greek orders in the Tuscan, Doric,
Taste, there will yet be found a Variety of Hints ,
Ionic and Corinthian columns along with a parallel of the
sufficient to construct a new one . "
ancient architecture with the modern . Because of this En-
glish f~rniture consistently retained practical and ple~sing
Eciecti.cism - Many critics have avoided tossing bouquets
proportions . Based on the proportion of capital, entablature,
at Chippendale despite his lasting reputation . They have
column , pedestal , and base, Chippendale divided the pro-
bee n cynical and critical. One author believes that the con-
portions of furniture as top, body, legs, feet. A bookcase, for
struction of his furniture was "sturdy, sometimes ponderous
instance, might be constructed like a building and the decor
and not always graceful or well proportioned."
might have portions of columns and entablatures, all in their
prop~r classical proportions. However, the magnificence and Although some pieces were nearly identical with Queen
heaviness were tempered after the 1760 's by using light carv- Anne pieces the lines and contours were often improved by
-17-
Ch ipp endale . Still , some of his chair seats, for example, were
so wide, that the chair appeared square and somewhat
clumsy. Seat rails or legs appeared too large in scale. Som e
highboys were extra broad and aprons on them were occa-
sionally too low, makin g the short cabriole suggest an after-
thought rather th an bein g well integrated with the design .
Along with the above was criticism that he mixed motifs
ind iscrim inately; Gothic, Renaissance , Classical and Or ien-
tal details were ofte n found on the same piece of furniture .
Yet another writer upholds Chippendale's designs as
satisfacto ry and states: ". . . for all products, details were
worked out with great pre cision , ususall y from scale models ,
and complicated meth od s of calculations were used to ensure
perfect proport ion s, particularl y in the design of highly elab-
orate Chinese and Gothic ornamentation ."
Types of pieces - There was no de arth of types of pieces
to execute; th e variety is astonishing. Probably most well-
known are chair legs with th e claw and ball and the rib-
band-back dining chairs. Other pieces produced in the
Chippendale worksho p were upholstered chairs, wing
chairs, double chai r settees or love seats, stoo ls, sofas, a
variety of tabl es includ ing gate leg , swing leg, card tables,
sid eboard table s which seldom have drawers, piecrust tilting
table s, and din ing tabl es. There were also lowbo ys, high-
boys, (which may not have been called that at the time),
chests of drawers, desks, secretaries, mirrors and bed s.
Chippendale in America - Given the pr emi se that
Chippendale furn iture pervaded the tastes of the English
aristocracy for man y decad es in the 18th and early 19th cen-
tury, it is not sur prising th at wealthy American s of th e
period derived some furniture styles from tho se with which
they were fam iliar. Colonial American furniture was open to
interpretation so ide as and materi als were im po rted. There
was, in the sta te of Philadelphia , a Chippendale Style
created by designers Savery and Go stelow . Despite the pre -
vailing Am erican Federal styles, European Neo-Classic and
Neo -Gor hic design s in the Americas always reflected the
Euro pea n scene. However , th ey were trul y individual , with
regard to materials used and execution .
There is one peculiar feature that distinguishes the
Ameri can from th e English chair, and that is almost in-
variably the stum p form of the back legs. While the appear-
ance is less handsome than th e back legs normally associated
with Chippendale chairs, the stu mp was actuall y more costly
to mak e th an th ose of the English chairs. A 1929 book,
English and American Furniture, written by Herbert
Cescinsky and George Leland Hunter, expla ins that th e
fashion is borrow ed from the Queen Anne walnut models
from th e Midland Counties. The American term " side " chair
accounts for the Style .
" The dining room chair, when not in use, was
placed against th e side wall of the room , a posi-
tio n in which the back legs would not be noti ce-
able . When placed up to the ta ble, it is only th e
servants who see the back view of the chairs,
and th ey did not matter. The back of the chair
was, th erefore , left plain (no t to say ugl y) of a
del iberat e purpose. It was a trad ition of the tim e ,
in Ame rica, especially in states where Negro
help was th e rule . A similar idea has pertained
in all period s, one which is seldom remarked. A
cha ir is th e only pie ce of furniture which is in-
tended to be viewed from all sides, but where the
back is left pla in of deliberate purposes. A Chip-
-18-
pendale chair is never carved at the back, it is a
walnut chair veneered. If the covering of the
front be of silk, velvet or needlepoint, then a
simple and inexpensive material is invariabl y
selected for the outside back. This is one of the
little things which is never noticed - perhaps
becau se it is so obvious. "
His son carried on the business until the style died
- After Chippendale 's death in 1779 , his eldest son,
Thomas, (1749-1822) inherited the busine ss which prospered
until 1796 . The changing fashions moved away from the
Chippendale designs and in 1804 Tom Chippendale Jr.
declared bankruptcy.
During the 19th cent ury, a firm was established that
copied Chippendale's designs exclusively and since then the
name Chippendale has become synonymous with the style
of the 18th Century . The majorit y of genuine Chippendale
pieces that still exist can be seen in the Victoria and Albert
Museum , London , and in the Metrop olitan Museum of Art ,
New York .
GLOSSARY
cabriole - a curved furniture leg ending in an ornamental foot.
Japan Work - An English imitation of Chinese lacquer work.
neo-classic - a style relating to the revival of th e classical style.
Chinoiserie - designs influ enced by Chinese art and design.
rococo - a late phase of the Baroque period ; the term was app lied from
about 1720 to 1770 / 80 . Rococo designs were generally light er and more
fluid th an those of Baroque ornament ation .
shoulder - th e port ion of the chai r resembling the hum an shoulder.
splat - a single. flat . thin. often ornamenta l mem ber of a chair back.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cescinsky, Herbert and George Leland Hunter. English and American
Furniture Garde n City Publi shing Co. Inc., New York 1929
Cescinsky, Herbert , English Furniture From Gothic to Sheraton.
Ga rden City Publishing Co. Inc., New York 1937
Chippenda le. T .. The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director,
first editio n 1754, third edi tion 1762; redu ced facsimile of third edition ,
Dover Publications Inc., New York 1966
Coleridge . A. Chippendale Furniture, Faber & Faber . London 1968
Gotts ha ll. Frankl in H ., How to Design Period Furniture. Th e Bruce
Publi shing Co., Milwaukee WI 1937
Kenworth y-Browne ,J. A.. Chippendale and His Contemporaries,
Wo rld Publi shing , New York 1973
New International Encyclopedia of Art Vol. 4, 5, Greystone Press, New
York . 1978
Run es. Dagobert D .. and Harry G . Schrickel, Encyclopedia of the Arts,
Philosop hical Library. New York 1946
Strange, Th omas Arthur. English Furniture Decoration, Woodwork
and Allied Arts, Bon anza Books. New York 1950
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dona Z. Meilach is the author of five books about wood-
work including : Contemporary Art with Wood,
Creating Modern Furniture, Woodworking: The
New Wave; Creating Small Wood Objects as
Functional Sculpture, and Contemporary Art With
Wood (Crown Publishers) . She has authored over 40 books
about cont emporary crafts in various media and is a
frequent cont ributor to a variet y of art and craft
publications.
Ferd displays and sells his limited editions at miniature shows nationally as well as by direct contact with satisfied collectors who
have purchased his p ieces and who share th e excitem ent ofth eir' 'Artist find" with other collectors.

The Ferd Sobol Editions

By Arthur Montes De Oca

When I first became aware of the woodworking efforts of
Ferd Sobol, it was by means of viewing a number of photo-
graphs of his work. T he pieces were exq uisitely detai led and
obv iously made by an art ist with a well developed skill and a
demandi ng eye for the pe rfectio n of his craft. It was only
afte r furthe r exam ination of th e accom pa nying text that I
learn ed th at th e furniture wh ich I was viewing was m ade in
an incred ible 1/1 2th scale. Th e sets of furn itu re were mere
inches ta ll, could be held in th e palm of your hand , and the
red uced scale proved th e"workma nship eve n more rem ark -
able .
Nothing I had see n in the ph oto graph s however , p re-
pa red me for th e sight I witnessed in his worksho p in Car-
pi nteria, Califo rn ia . Ferd , sho rt for Ferd ina nd, has a variety
of wha t he calls, " my ada pte d ma ch ine s" in h is shop . He ex-
p laine d tha t the templat es and jigs which were han gin g from
th e ceiling joists and were neatl y stacked on she lves along
two of th e walls, were th e m ean s by whi ch he was capable of
attai ning such incredible accu racy in his work. "Those
stra nge contra ptio ns are m y hands whe n I am working in
m in iature . I have to crea te interme d iate rigs to obtain the
delicat e to uch that th e scale of th e word dem ands. "

-19-
VACUUMIZED SAW FENCE
ATTACHED TO f~~TJ~~
CROSS-CUT GUIDE
ATOP 10" ~CH SAW 3/4"'B!RCH PLY PERPiNDICULAR
BACK PLATE

----- 1/4"'BIRCa PLY FLOATI~ BASi

EI(;CJRE I

VACUUMIZED SAt' FENcE

ATTACHED TO AUXILIARt
TOP, ATOP SAME SAw

J/4"'lRCH PLYJIOOD
AUXILIARY TOP
bQ~~~~ IN PLACF.

F I Gru RE 1..
 "Nothing I had seen in
the photographs prepared
me for the sight. .. ' ,

He hadn 't always worked in such

sma ll scale, and he to ld me of th e
many years he spe nt as a general con-
tr actor , bu ild ing schoo ls, ch urc hes
and hom es in the midwest. As his
hands had been badl y frostbitten in
the Korean war, the severity of th e
Wisconsin wint ers made it increas-
ingly more d ifficult for h im to handle
th e finer tools outdoo rs, so he moved
his family to southern California in
th e early 1960 ' s. He conti nue d h is con-
tractorship until just a few years ago
when , upon the advice of his doctor
who had becom e alarmed at the res-
pirator y cond ition , Ferd was told to
give up work ing with wood . The result
of the sudde n cha nge in his health
necessita ted th e dissolu tion of his bu si-
ness. But he sorely missed working
with wood . " It was quite d ifferent for Exactingly authentic Dining Room Emsemble in perfectly proportioned 1/12 scale
me to give up someth ing th at had al- to the Hepplewhite style ofthe 1780 era, includes: all hardwood extendable table,
most become second nature. W orking ladies and gentlemen's upholstered and hand carved chairs, and serpentine front
with wood had been a joy, and yet it sideboard with fully compartmentalized silverware drawers.

In his workshop Ferd is surrounded by the numerous templates, jigs and clamping devices, which allow him to handle and ac-
curately createand assemble such tiny components into his miniature limited editions.
·21-
 had to be put aside." This situation
however , did not last for long . Being
the improvisor that he is, Ferd soon
found a way to fulfill his doctor's or-
ders and yet at the same time retain
his woodworking . He eliminated the
hazardous fumes and dusts that at-
tributed to his health problems, by an
elaborate series of vents, fans and
vacuum ducts throughout his work-
shop . He also reduced the amount of
timber from truckloads to toothpick
proportions, by turning to miniatures .
The miniature limited editions
which he now creates are truly a de-
light to the eye. There is a pride of
design in his handcrafted pieces that
please from the first glance on through-
out a carefully scrupulous examina-
tion of the piece. Each piece is accu-
rate to the smallest delicate detail of its
full size counterpart, mostly 18th and
19th century museum quality furnish-
ings. Ferd's editions have also found
their way into a number of museums
where they are on display, and verify The dowel making machine automatically feeds a stock of square wood (partially
themselves as true works of art . The hidden inside brass tubing) and twists the stock past the disc sander, resulting in a
national miniature shows where he twenty-seven tbousandtbsofan inch dowel throughout. Finished dowel emerges at
also displays his work never fail to right.
bring alcolades and awards.
In addition to an extraordinary at-
tentiveness to the fine decorative de-
tailing of his pieces, he also designs
and engineers his furniture for Ferd holds in his right hand the floating cross cut guide which results in accurate
strength . Obvious to the discerning square cuts, and in his left the T shaped rip fence which assuresa parallel cut every
eye is his very unusual method of us- time. A knurled round nut serves to clamp the fence guide to the saw table top.
ing real dowels in critical joints of This design aids in sUli/tness andguarantees accuracy.
delicate furniture, for example the pie
crust table. The durability of so in-
tricate a piece of furniture is un-
doubtedly attributed to the infusion
of the doweling. Ferd makes his own
dowels from sturdy hardwoods such as
black acacia and olive wood, and
when the situation merits, he uses
metal doweling in place of wood . The
woods used are made on the attributes
of strength , texture density, and grain
patterns as they apply to the reduced
1112th scale. After some extensive re-
search, as well as much trial and error,
Ferd found that wood such as cherry,
boxwood , olivewood, callistornen, the
ebonies, and some rare African and
South American finds were superior
for his purposes. Although some of
these woods are readily available,
others have caused him many hours of
investigation. His search and efforts
have been rewarded however by the
incredibly realistic results these woods
allow him to obtain .
The "dowel making machine"
shown in the photo, depicts the in-
novative capacity of a craftsman to
create the means of obtaining the solu-
tion to an unusual problem. To ac-
quire the smaller than toothpick sized

-22-
 dowels, which in fin ished form meas-
ure twent y seven th ou sandths of an
inch , Ferd employs an adap ted mach-
ine which feed s a sq uare stock of wood
past a disc sander until th e pre cise
diameter required , tr iggers an elec-
troni c shut off switch . Thi s switch
was adde d after far too man y dowels
disint egrated with a split second too
mu ch sanding. His p ast cont racto r
days had in no way prepared Ferd for
such split second timing requirements,
but when th e need arose , th e " do wel
making machine " slowly evolved to
it's present pre cise state . The re-educa-
tion required to switch from full scale
to miniature building has offered quite
a few insight s and draws forth the best
of Ferd ' s inventive nature.

His involvement with rmru ature

furniture building has pre sented Ferd
with th e consta nt opportunity of meet-
ing new challenges. It is thi s cha lleng-
ing aspect of the work th at keep s him
most int erested , and incites him to
create inn ovative method s of solving
eac h woodwork in g probl em as it
arises. On e such challenge was th e need
to produce very th in shee ts of wood of Close up ofthe suction relief valve used on the vacuumized saw fence call be adju sted
a .0 10 uniform thi ckn ess, to be used to give' 'just the right amount" ofsuction to assure an accurate. 010" thick cut.
in marqu etr y on a very sma ll scale. He
found th at the hobby too ls wh ich are
available and are sometimes used for
such work just did not result in work
to his sta ndards or satisfaction . Thi s
situ ation was one of many which en-
couraged Ferd to improvise devices to
give him the de sired accura cy which
he sought. These devices allow for an
accurate and repe atable solution, and
each of his editions has it' s own set of
adapted machines. One such device
which was thoroughly demonstrated
for me was his vacuumized saw fence .
It is a unique blend of existing tech-
nology and improvisation , and is used
in conjunction with his floating cross-
cut guide or auxiliary top fitted on his
10" bench saw. (See illu strations 1
and 2).

The vacuumized saw fence which Ferd

designed has air slots through which
suction from his shop vacuum cleaner
grasps the wood to be cut. With the saw
fence in action, the entire floating base,
fence and stock, move together through
a 10" 60 tooth carbide saw blade.

" .. .surprised to witness the
astonishing .010" thickness
throughout the length... "
The application demonstrated for me invo lved the use of
the floating cross-cut guide, and the results were really
amazing. He started with a 1;4 inch birch plywood floating
base, 16" wide and 54" long. When I questioned the reason
for the length, he explained the occasional need to cut
through a 48" width of pkywood . "This way, cutting a bit
piece like that is a breeze, and finished up perfectly square
too ." He attached a metal bar, obtained and shaped to fit at
a welding shop, into the bench saws miter-guide keyway
slot. In order to make the cut through which the blade
would run , the saw blade is lowered . The uncut 16" x 54"
plywood base is placed on the bench saw, and the running
blade is elevated through a portion of the base, leaving the
leading and trailing edges uncut. Laying a two foot steel
square in line with the new cut gives a perpendicular at the
leading and trailing edges. The forward and rear crossmem-
bers are placed precisely perpendicular to the cut. It is im-
portant that these cross members be attached perpendicular
vertically, fastened by screws and glued into place. Ferd
claims that the floating cross-cut guide gives him more con -
trol and accuracy than the miter guide provided by the
manufacturer of the bench saw. When the saw blade is used
in the vertica l position, the uses of this floating cross-cu t
guide are myriad.
"Ferd claims that the floating
cross-cut guide gives him
more control and accuracy ... ',
One of the most impressive uses is in conjunction with
the vacuumized saw fence and 60 tooth (minimum) carbide
saw blade to produce veneer type sheets of wood , previously
mentioned , for use in marquetry and inlay. He uses this par -
ticular blade because it produces a smooth finish requ iring
only a light sanding to obtain the desired result . The
vacuumized saw fence (figure 2) is a rectangular shaped box
constructed of 1/4" birch plywood and meas uring 2 liz by 2 liz
by 17 inches. Partitions within the box are p laced at 1 inch
intervals for rigidity, and each is perforated by a 1 1;4 inch
hole . Saw kerfs, two inches up the face side vertical surface
are CUt by a 1116" thickness saw blade at liz" intervals to act
as suction slots . The face side of the fence extends above the
rest of the rectangular shaped box, to provide a surface unto
which accessories, such as a hold-down featherboard may be
clamped. A 1 1/4 " plastic pipe connects the suction relief valve
(located above) onto the vacuumized saw fence . It is a relief
by-pass device to reduce the vacu um to the surface of the
stock being cut. Too much vacuum when used with the aux-
iliary top (figure 3) results in the stock "freezing" to the face
of the fence .
-24-
It can be noted in the illustration that the auxiliary top
and the vacuumized fence are stationary and do not travel
past the saw blade, as does the floating cross-cut devices
shown in figure 1. Too little suction will fail to keep the
stock securely against the vacuumized grid face, while too
much suction will "dead-load " the motor. Unless there is
just the right amount of suction, the very thin stock being
CUt is in danger of drifting alongside the saw blade, vibrating
into it and being destroyed by the running blade . The suc-
tion relief valve is a box 2 liz" square and 4 liz" tall, and has
three openings: One outlet at the bottom , an outlet at the
top, and a relief port at the side . This port is restricted by a
spring compression door. A vacuum cleaner hose is attached
to the top of the suction relief valve box, and the vacuum-
ized saw fence is ready for action. I really was looking for-
ward to seeing this contraption put to use.
, , .. .was able to achieve results
far superior to those with
~ensive pieces of eq!!!Pment' ,
Within just a few minutes , Ferd attached the saw fence
onto the floating cross-cut guide by means of two bolt -ad-
justed wooden clamps. He adjusted the fence to the desired
thickness, a mere .0 lD" outside the blade, clamped it into
place , and ran a piece of stock through the speeding blade.
The result was an amazingly thin slice of 2" wide by 15"
long , and after checking with the micrometer he handed me ,
I was surprised to witness the astonishing .0 10" thickness
throughout the length of the wood. "A little 320 grit sand-
ing, " he said, " and that paper thin piece is ready to be
shaped and g lued into place on whatever project I'm work-
ing on ." The problem which most miniaturist/woodworkers
face in finding exotic special veneers, is not a problem for
Ferd - he just goes to the workshop and makes them.
This was one of his improvisations that Ferd thoroughly
shared with me , showing me how he used standard tools
with a few modifications , and was able to achieve results far
superior to those available with supposedly specialized ex-
pensive pieces of equipment. This is JUSt one of the man y
modifications which he employs to produce the collector 's
pieces in the Ferd Sobol Editions . I hope to visit Ferd again
soon , and ask him to share more of the secrets he uses to
create his specia l type of miniature magic in wood.
Compensating For Movement
By Christian Becksvoort

Gluing Panels most rap idl y at the ends of the boards . Now suppose that the
panel is glued up in a heated shop in the middle of winter
The days of single-plank table tops are gone forever. when no further possible shrinkage is likely to occur. The
And so, after a piece has passed the planning stage , panels center of the boards, under pressure when clamped , is likel y
mu st be glued up . A panel is nothing more than a series of to undergo additional pressure as the ends of the boards take
boards of the correct length glued together edgewise to give up moistu re and expand; this can lead to sp lits near those
the correct width . Stock should be cut to the req uired glue joints. The moral here is to use the moisture meter in
length, with enough boards to make up the width, allowing the center and the ends of the boards (especially after a long
enough for jointing . Grain and color should be matched to or severe humidity change) before leaving any kind of a gap .
give the appearance of continuous grain across the entire sur- Anticipation of future humidity conditions can go a long way
face. When gluing panels one must choose which side of the in preventing checks and splits.
board faces up . If all boards are q uartersawn, this presents
no problem - either side will do . However, p lainsawn lum-
ber (with its wide, wavy pattern) has a tendency to warp; all
conditions being equal, the growth ring s have a tendency to
cup away from the center of the tree . Therefore , most texts
will recommend that the growth rings be alternated; one
board up, one board down. Then, as the individual boards
in the panel cup, the worst that can result is a wavy panel.
Gluing together all boards with the rings running in the
same direction will result in an eventual cup much more
pronounced than the small waves of the previous method .
But, assuming that both panels will be used as tabletops , the
1 A panel 1 j 1
more pertinent question may well be: which pa nel is easier to
keep flat? To keep the small waves in panel 1 flat, almost
every board in that panel would have to be screwed down;
whereas only one or two screws would be sufficient to hold
down Panel 2 (figure 1). What is more important is that by
placing all growth rings in the same direction, with the olde r \ ~p
\ ~p
wood (that which grows toward the center of the tree) up,
any sapwood can be left on the board and be put under the
table . This saves quite a bit of wood, especially in cherry and
walnut or wherever the appearance of sapwood is not
desirable.
Jointing boards is a quick process with a powe r jointer
or, after a little practice, with a long hand plane . A crisp,
4 panel 2 4
clean butt joint is all that is necessary for optimum strength
:fig. I lL ll.
in panels . Fancy tongue and groove joints are used in in-
dustry so that boards can be aligned by machine, but add no Alternating growth rings result in a wavy top , while
more to the strength of the joint . Doweled joints are not boards glued with the rings running in the same
worth the effort either; again, they help to align the mem- direction form one gentle cup, easierto hold down
bers but add little, if anything , in strength . Moreover, since with fewer screws.
the dowels are inserted at right angles to the boards, this can
result in crossgrain gluing if glue finds its way into the holes,
and can actua lly lead to cracking along that joint . The ho le
itself has only two sma ll areas of lon g-face grain, the rest be -
ing end grain and contributing to a weak joint. This explains
why dowels are not advisable in tables or chairs as replace-
ment s for mortise and tenon joints , which are much stronger.
Some texts also recommend leaving a 1I64-inch "The days of single
(.35-cm) gap at the center of two boards about to be glued,
but this technique is recommended on ly when the boards are
plank table tops
expected to shrink further. The assumption here is that are gone forever... ',
clamps will close the gap until the glue dries (which they do),
and then as the boards dry the ends will shrink across the
grain, relieving the pressure at the center. As noted
previously, moisture exchange between wood and air occurs
-25-
GRAIN DIRECTION IN CASES
Bureau s, kitchen cabinets, cupboard s, de sks, stereo cab-
ine ts, dressers, blank et boxes, and display cases are all con-
side red "case goods ." Whether an y of the six side s are open
is not import ant. The out er box , without its variou s draw ers
or doors, is called th e carcass. From th e cabinetmaker's
point of view, one of the pr im ary consid erations in cons-
tructi ng the carcass is wh ich way to run th e grain around it.
By maxi mizi ng the amo u nt of grain runn ing in one direction
or pl an e, cross-grain construction is minimized . That leaves
o nly two or three cho ices, as figure 2 indicates. The most
com mo n method in case con stru ction is to have the grain
run up one side , across th e top to the other side, and down
to the bot tom (A). With thi s method th e carcass expands
from the fro nt to th e back, while its height and width re-
mai n consta nt. Th is front-to-back movement en sure s that
A ment of th e wood . Figure 4 shows the basic steps in case
Casegrain
direction options.
the size of th e front remains th e sam e, making drawers and
doo rs easie r to fit. Th e second method (B) is usually most
su itable in blank et box construction . Here the grain run s
aro und th e left side, front, right sid e, and back, like a bel t.
This means th e top and bottom remain th e same size, but
the box itself get s taller or sho rt er as the seasons change .
Tha t crea tes no problems, since there are no doors or
d rawers to fit. The lid , however , is an other matter , since it
shrinks and expa nds in width , espe cially as it is usuall y
hinged in the back ; all the mvoement will th erefore be mo st
apparent in the fro nt. Th e third op tio n is to ha ve the grain
run front to back on both sides and th e to p, whi ch aestheti-
cally and structurally is th e most un satisfactor y (C).
CASE CONSTRUCTION
Once th e grain dir ection has been de cided and th e
pa nel s glued, the actual building pro cess can begin. Sand
both sides and the top, joint one ed ge , and cu t to width . Cut
sides , perfectly sq uare, to height, and the top to length .
Select the best sides of all three panels and mark as the out-
side s. Next , rabbet or groo ve th e back edg es to accept the
back. Dep en d ing on the type of joint used o n th e to p and
-26-
whether or not a molding is to be used , th e rabbet in th e top
ma y have to be stop ped . Now cut the joint used to fit the top
to the two sides. This could be a screwed butt joint, a single
or double rabbet joint, dovetails, or a splined miter. A little
planning is in order for the next step, since it is now time to
make the dadoes and grooves for any int erior dividers,
shelve s, doors, or draw ers; it is mu ch easier to accomplish
thi s before th e pieces are glu ed . Now the top can be
screwed, glu ed , or clamped to the sides. A te mpo rary space r
will keep th e bot tom of the sides parallel. Wh ile the glue is
drying , you can construct the bottom and any divid ers. If
solid shelves, dividers, and bottoms are used , thi s present s
no problem , since they will slide into the dadoes and the
grain will be in the sam e dire ction as the top and sides, assur-
ing that all movement will be fro nt to back. In some in-
stan ces drawer dividers are merel y fram es that allow th e
drawer to slide in and ou t, yet save a conside rable amount in
weight and raw material (figure 3). These frames , however,
will not move in the same manner a solid divider would ,
since the sides of the frames run at 90° to the grain of the
case sides. Becau se of thi s potential movement, frame s can-
not be glued int o place, but are best att ached by nailing .
The case is turned upside down , and th e fram es slid int o th e
dadoes, starti ng at the to p (which is the bott om dado , now
that the case is up side down ). Finishin g nails are dri ven at a
slight diagonal through the fram e and into the case side.
They must not show underneath the fram e or on the outside
of the case side. Two or three nails will suffi ce to hold the
fram e in place, yet will allow th e sides to move. Nailing
across the grain is allowable, since th e nails perm it move-
assembly.
Thi s pro cess is continued until all frame s are in place.
The last one, the bottom, should be solid wood if it is to
house an open com part ment. If it is merely the last drawer
frame , then it mu st be constructed with grooves and float ing
du st panel s. If desired , all frame s can have du st panels.
Squaring the case pri or to attachi ng the back is most im-
portant. Place the carcass face down eithe r on the floor or on
sawhorses. Assuming th at both sides were cut to the same
length and the top and bottom of the case are -the same
width, a potentially sq ua re box exists. Measure from th e top
left corner to th e bottom right , and from the to p righ t cor-
ner to the bot tom left. These measurements sho uld be ide n-
tical. If the y are not , a clamp can be used to pull the lon ger
of the two opposing corners int o position . Th e carcass is
now read y to accep t the back.
In solid wood construction, backs are usually loosely
fitted individual boards, rather than one solid glued-up
panel. By using smaller ind ivid ual pie ces, th e to tal shrinkage
and expansion of the back will be distr ibuted across th e en-
tire width , rather th an at both sides of th e back, as each
board is allowed to move independently. One of thr ee com-
monl y used joints can be chosen to allow movement yet ex-
clude dust and light from the case: spline, sh ip lap , or to ngue
and gro ove (figure 5). Under no circumsta nces should any of
the se joints be glued ; th ey must rema in loose in order for
th e back to move. The choice of joint s is not tot ally arbi-
trar y. If the back is to be made of expensive pr imary wood (if
it is an open case or if glass doors are used ), th en a spline is
called for , since up to 'Iz inch ( 1.25 cm) is lost in overlap on
the tongue and groove and sh ip lap . If the back is to be thin-
ner (on a small display case or de sk), then a ship lap is less
subject to breakage during assembly than either an ex-
tremely thin tongue or sp line. Ton gue and groove joint s can
be used o n th icker backs.
 In determining the amount of gap to leave between the
individual boards, common sense and a moisture meter are
both helpful. Kiln -d ried wood used in the middle ofJan ua ry
will expand in a few months , so leave a bigger gap . Wood at
14% M.e. used inJ uly can usually be butted tig htly. Now
nail the back across the top and all dividers, and down both
sides with finishi ng nails. It is good practice to countersink
the nails.
Turn the case over and recheck for sq uareness . It is now
ready for face strips or a full front frame to cover th e drawer
dividers . The face strips are made of primary wood, dove-
tailed into both sides, and glued to the secondary wood
dividers . No problems here , even though two different
woods are glued, since the grains run in the same direction .
glued its full length , since the top and an y face frame are run-
ning side to side also .
Another alternative is not to add molding, but rather to
shape a mo lding pattern directly into the front and two sides
of the top (fig ure 7) . The top mu st be wider and longer th an
the case to allow for the overhang and can be attached with
screws and cleats . This works especially well on blanket box
tops . Trying to apply molding to thr ee sides of a single board
to p (or p an el) is cha ncy at best ; mold ing m ust be anchored
along bot h sides (which are end grai n), and neith er nails,
glue, nor screws can hold it. The "integrated molding" is
much easier to constr uct, an d movement ceases to be a prob-
lem .

MOLDING

The case can now be sanded and is ready for any mold - Case assembly procedure: (A) After topis attached
ing that needs to be applied . In app lying the mo lding, a dif-
ficult situation is encountered. A top mo lding must be flush
to sides, turn case upside down, and naii drawer
to the surface , remain tight at the miter, remain the same frames into place from below. (B) Square the case
width as the case, and be strong eno ugh to serve as an occa- to adjust a-c to equal bod. (C) Nail back into place.
sional handle to lift and move the case. Obviously, a sma ll (D) Apply face frame, either a partial frame (top
piece of wood attached across the grain of a case cannot half) or full frame (bottom half). (E) Case is ready
meet all these requ irem ents at the same time . A look at al- for sanding on all surfaces. (F) Apply moldings.
most any piece of ant iq ue case work will attest to that. All Construct andfit doors and drawers.
too often, glue is used in the vain hop e of sto ppi ng th e in-
evitable movement of the case side . Mold ing on antique fur -
niture was almost always app lied with finis hing nai ls. This
served the purpose, but just barely : whi le the mo lding was
he ld in place and the nails d id allow movement, the m itered
corner opened and closed at the whim of the weather, and
eventually the mo lding worked itself loose . A slight improve-
ment over this met hod is to glue the mitered joint and th e
first inch of mo lding, use finis hing nails on the rest of the
length , and then sink a screw as close to the miter as pos-
sible. This can be don e from the inside , if there is room to
work, or di rectly int o the mold ing . A plug cut from the
waste material of th e m iter can be used to fill the hole (fig-
ure 6) . With this method a sma ll amount of glue and a screw
keep the miter closed year-round, the finishing nails allow
for movement, and all the expansion and contraction of the
case side is limited to the back - a compromise at best, bu t
one that works well. The front mo lding can of course be

Drawer divider construction and cross section show-

ing dust panels.

-27-
 Back jointing options
(left to right): spline, .ship
lap, and tongue andgroove.

This article excerptedfrom the book In

Harmony With Wood. Copyrigb:
1983 by Christian Becksvoort. Used by
, / permission of Van Nostrand Reinhold
Co., Inc.

Molding can be screwedandplugged at miter. Molding shaped directly into top.

III ES MOVE IN FUNNY WAYS

Even the casual observer wi ll notice that some-
thing has happened to this piece, causing a change
to occ ur betwee n each end . The change, of co urse,
was caused by the draftsman's pen and not to be
confused with the movement of wood.

(Editor's Note): I am sure that there are many of you

who have seen this drawing before, but we cou ld
not resist presenting it one more time. If by cha nce I
there is a beginning woodworker out there some-
where who has not had the opportu nity to try to
make one of these, try at least o nce. If yo u suc-
ceed, please send me a samp le. I have been trying
more years tha n I have gray hairs, but all I have to
show for my effort is more (or less) gray hairs.

-28-
Photosensitive Metal
A New Tool For The Woodworker

here are many occasions where the woodworker is The photo below illustrates the artwork as it is first
T called upon to combine other materials besides wood
in to his work. There are, of course, the more func-
tional and necessary items such as screws, nails, etc. In addi-
laid out at the typesetters.
..- :- \." .. , "
....
~ , " .. '!" ... , ", ' ", ,," ... '1"'* 't;", ". .. ~", ',", \j.... . ij", t,·.. \,' . ", ': .. \,"... ';" "J ': ;~•• ',.... t,· :"'.
.. .
e:
tion to the required items there are also items designed to
playa decorative role. This can be seen in the many exam- NATIONAL
ples of colorful tiles used on serving trays, coffee tables, and
' -"
'J
·· MODIFIED MIDGET
other wooden items. Various shapes of copper and brass
have been incorporated in to the design of many wooden
'-"
'-" · ASSOCIATION
items. More prevalent in colonial days was the use of iron
for both functional and decorative uses with wood. We have
all seen common uses of these examples.

Perhaps there is one combination that is not so com-

monly known to the average woodworker and that is the use
of a photosensitive metal. The metal used in our examples is
manufactured by 3M Company and comes in a variety of
colors. The ones most commonly used are black/ gold and
black/ silver. It is used by trophy shops to produce plaques REGION POINT
for a variety of awards . It is also used by industry to produce
short run signs and identification plates for various parts,
CHAMPIONSHIP
such as motor plates.

The process is different from that of silkscreening in

that it can produce halftone pictures on the plate. It requires
the use of original artwork, a negative, an exposure unit and
developer. The entire process is performed in normal room
light.

riginal art work can be any type of photograph, The photo below shows the negative producedfrom
O sketch , drawing, etc. In fact, anything that can be
photographed or drawn can be reproduced. Once
the original art work is obtained, the next step is a visit to
the original art layout.

the local typeset shop. Here you can have a negative pro-
duced at a nominal cost. You may also want to have type set
in conjunction with your original art . After the negative is
produced it is a simple matter of exposing and developing
the metal.

Our samples used here show the metal being used on

plaques . However, with a little imagination the woodworker
can find a variety of uses for the process . Clock faces could
easily be produced. Various inserts such as "Coffee" , "Tea",
or "Flour" for canister sets could be made. Many different
designs could be used for inserts in bread boxes and other
types of wooden boxes.

The metal is made of a .014 thick aluminum coated with

a photosensitive material. It is easily cut with a shear, scis-
sors or any standard metalworking tool such as tin snips . It
has a pressure sensitive back that sticks to most surfaces
when the protective cover is removed.
-29-
Extra Income
f interested , the woodworker can use the exposure sys-
I tem to generate extra income. The process is very popu-
lar in the awards field . Our samples show various
plaques that have been made and sold using the 3M expo-
sure unit. Since it is a relat ively simple procedure for the
average woodworker to make small wooden p laques, all that
remains for an attractive award is the black and gold plate .
The wood used alm ost exclusively is black walnut. A good
fini sh and true surfaces are a mu st.
Sources for sales are almo st endless . Anyone who bu ys
trophies would be a potential customer. Among them are
schools, all types of businesses, little leagues , city leagues,
ch urches, clubs and sporting associations. A good way to
ge ne rate sales is to make several samp les and contact the
potential customer personally.
Th e basic cost of the equipment is moderate considering
the potential income th at could be derived from it. The
machine itself is $3 79.00 while the metal is $84.60 per box of
five 12" x 24 " sheets. This computes to $.058 75 per square
inch for th e met al. There will, of cour se, be waste , but one
shou ld design each plate to be cut to provide the minimum
amou nt of waste. The developer is $5.18 per bottle and
sho u ld be considered nominal in calculating cost.
A list of popu lar plaque sizes with their retail price is
given below. Also included is the cost of the plate using the
ph otosensitive metal.
-30-
To compute any profit one may realize , the cost of pro-
ducing the walnut plaque must be considered . Also, any cost
of the advertising and/or sales of the product must be con-
sidered . The best advertising is the recommendation of one
customer to an other, com monly known as 'word of mouth ' .
Another inexpensive means of advertising is to place a label
with your name, address and phone number on the back of
the plaque . The final COSt to consider is th at of th e original
art work . The typesetting and negative charge should aver-
age about $10.00 each. If the customer orders 20 plaques,
this charge would be fift y cent s per p laque .
One disadvantage the individual ma y find is th at the
customer may require individual names or engraving to be
placed on the plaque. Th is is not always the case, but it is
sometim es required . A local engraver might be the solution
if a small amount of work is required. If the user becomes in-
volved with larger orders or customers on a regular repeat
basis, the investment of an engraver may be justified .
DEVELOPING PROCEDURE
Cut the metal to be used slightly smaller than the nega-
tive. Thi s will insure th at th ere are no black edg es on the
metal due to improper exposure . The part of the negat ive
that is transparent will produce a black image. The darker
part that prevents the metal from being exposed will develop
in to a gold color. Thus, th e black and gold image . The pro-
cess can be reversed , if desired , th at is, gold on a black back-
ground .
Raise the glass on the exposure unit and place th e met al
on the cush ion. Lay the negative on top of th e metal. Be
sure that it is centered properly . Lower the glass and close
the unit. Set the timer for 3 minutes and expose the metal.
Do not look dir ectly at the ultraviolet light com ing from th e
perimeter of the unit.
Once the piece is exposed it can be remo ved and dev-
elop ed. W e used the 3M develop er No . 8022 along with cot-
ton pads. Wet the surface comp letely with develop er, wait
about 10 seconds and rub the area with the wet cotton pad .
Use a light pressure with a circu lar motion . Once the plate is
comp letely developed, rinse with tap water. Allow th e plate
to air dr y. A protective coating also made by 3M can be used
if desi red . Once dry , the protective backing can be removed
and the plate adhered to a plaque or other wooden item.
For further inform ation contact Decorat ive Produ cts
Division, 3M, 223-1S, 3M Center, St. Paul , MN 55144 .

The finished product. The black and gold plate has
been developedfrom the negative andplaced on the
plaque. The bottom plate is usedfor engraving.
The basic exposure unit shown with the door open.
The Year
Of The
Fly
In California 1981 will be rememhered as a
year of devastation caused by the tiny
Mediterranean Fruit Fly. Agricultural bank-
ruptcies, interstate and international quaran-
tines, political implications all part of the vast
problems caused by the minute pesty insect.
Our project was designed in black walnut
wood to commemorate the damage done to
the nut and fruit industries. By working dir-
ectly with the walnut log instead of using
dressed lumber, custom milling could be
utilized to facilitate the maximum grain expo-
sure and to produce a figure for our specific
use. By cutting tangent to the longitudinal axis
of the log exceptional results were obtained.
The light tan sapwood was utilized to frame
the dark chocolate brown colored heartwood
to form the wing of the insect. A unique figure
was created due to the unmasking of pro-
nounced rays and a wavy grain.
Our "Med" fly measures six feet in height
and adorns the office wall as a historical com-
mentary expressed in wood.
By Clement Konzem
-31-
How To Lay Out and Make Dovetailjoints
By Franklin H. Gottshall
ovetail joints are an essential and important part of
D fine cabinetmaking. In figure 1 a method for deter-
mining the angle of dovetails is pictured. This angle
of about ten degrees is not an arbitrary angle, and slight
variations will be found on furniture pieces, as well as on
antiques you may see . The sliding T-bevel can be set to th is
angle to draw the dovetail angles; this step is being done in
figure 3.
figure 2 shows the first step in making layouts for dove-
tail joints. Since tail members vary greatly in width and since
dividing the spaces equally is a desirable requirement, figure
2 illustrates a practical method of going about it. Because
dovetail joints are made on boards of various widths and
because these widths are not always easily divided into the
number of tails and pins needed , lay a ruler across the board
at an angle, which permits you to divide the width of the
board into the number of equal spaces needed. These spaces
are not necessarily an inch apart; spacing units can be any
convenient size .
Because my sliding T-bevel square is fairly large, I find
the protractor shown in figure 13 easier to use than the
T-bevel for setting the ang le. My protractor has a blade ad-
justable to any angle, which makes it a very convenient tool
for this purpose .
In the drawings from figures 1 to 8 inclusive, I show the
steps to layout and make a through-dovetail joint in chron -
ological order. These operations entail the use of a band saw
to remove the waste in both tail and pin members of the
joint. figure 4 shows how to remove the waste from the tail
member. If this waste is carefu lly sawed out without crossing
over the guidelines, very little trimming with a chisel or file is
needed to true up the saw cuts.
When the saw cuts on the tail member are smooth
enough to use as a pattern for laying out the ang les on the
pin member, place the tail member over the end of the pin
member and mark these angels as in figure 5. Some cabinet-
makers prefer to make and cut out the pin member of a
dovetail joint and then layout the tail member from it , but I
greatly prefer doing it as I show it here. To me this method is
much easier. After marking the ang les using the method
shown in figure 5, true up the lines with the protractor, and
then draw the remaining guidelines with a try square to re-
move the waste from the pin member. Although I've seen in-
structions for laying out gu ide lines [X] in figure 5, which are
drawn across the grain with a marking gauge, I never use a
marking gauge to draw these lines. Gauge lines here are dif-
ficult , if not impossible to remove after the joint is made,
while pencil lines can be erased or sanded to remove .
-32-
ost of the waste to be removed from the pin member
M
can be cut out with a band saw. Study the procedure
used in figure 7. Before removing the waste, how-
ever, use a dovetail saw (see fig. 6) to start all angle cuts. Be
sure when sawing these angles to saw down on the waste side
of the line, so the pins will not be reduced in size. Do step 6
before step 7, and the remaining small wedges can then be
removed with a coping saw as done in figure 8. If you do not
h ave access to a band saw, you can remove all of the leftover
waste with a coping saw, after the angle curs have been made
with the dovetail saw.
A half-lap multiple dovetail joint, like the one in figure
9, requires a little more time and care than a through-dove-
tai l joint . In this type of joint, the waste must be chiseled out
on the pin section, as shown in figure 11. I use a 112 -inch-
chisel with a bevel-edged blade to do most of this trimming,
and on work where these mortises are smaller, I do most of this
trimming with a % -inch-woodcarving chisel with its thin
blade . The beveled blade is better than a square-edged
socket-firmer chisel to do dovetail work, because its thin
edges make it easier to trim the sharp angles . In figure 11 I
have put numbers on the chisels to indicate the sequence to
be followed when trimming out the waste .
Drawer fronts with protruding lips, like those shown in
figure 12, require still greater care. With patience and time,
you should have no difficulty making these joints . Be very
careful when making these joints to figure measurements and
drawer clearance very accurately so the drawer will slide
easily into its opening when put together. The chances to
plane drawer sides to get a better fit are practically nil after
the drawer joints have been glued together. Notice too that
no lip is made to protrude on the lower edge of the drawer
front on such drawers, even though all four edges have
molding on the drawer face.
ABO UT THE AUTHOR
Franklin H. Gottshall is a contributing editor to The
American Woodworker.
Excerpted with permission from Masterpiece Furniture
Making - Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. Copyn ght 1979
by Franklin Gottshall.
 fir
Good A n ~ l .
Dov. to;! lo~out
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 be helpful in keeping the cross-sections the same so the yo-yo
Custom Made will balance properly. The sides are then removed and a
finish applied. I use spray polyurethane varnish for durabi-
lity which I let dry and then polish by putting the side back
Yo-Yos on the lathe and buffing with 0000 steel wool and a coat of
paste wax.

For the center pin of the yo-yo itself, I use a piece of 1/4
inch diameter aluminum rod . Each end is bevelled and the
sides near the end slightly grooved by grasping with a pair of
By Lowell Converse pliers so it will hold solidly when glued in the hole . The
yo-yo is assembled (glue on both sides) and a 1/16 inch to
1/8 inch gap left between the two sides . Yo-yo strings can be
readily obtained from most local variety stores .

Remember in grade school when yo-yo season would

come around and suddenly the playground would erupt with
you and your friends "walking-the-dog," "rocking-the-
bab y, " doing "Ioop-rhe-loop ," and "around-the-world"? "'AU- IJAI£.~
(, ...." . .. ;d ~)
And the Duncan Y0- Yo man would come around and do
unbelievable tricks? Well, kids are still playing with yo-yos
and Duncan still makes them. But have you seen any
wooden ones like we had in the fifties? My son told me he'd
never seen a wooden yo-yo! He has now, and it is even
fancier than those from the "good old days." Much fancier yo-yos can be made by cutting the sides
I've been making yo-yos for gifts and for sale off-and-on- from laminations of different woods, turning unique shapes,
for eight years, forty or fifty of them all together, and they're or by in-laying coins or stones in the face of each side . Care
always a big hit . They're also simple and inexpensive to must be taken in these cases to maintain balance , but the
make, and the variations in appearance are unlimited . effect is worth it.
I've made a simple hardwood jig which fastens to a face-
plate to hold each half of the yo-yo as it is turned . This jig Try one! With a little practice (and maybe some advice
was turned from a piece of maple and a 1/4 inch dowel piece from a D uncan Yo-yo man if you can find one), you'll be
centered and glued. The two small nails shown in the dia- amazing the kids in no time . Or better yet, give one to your
gram keep the yo-yo half from slipping while being turned. kid or a friend and watch the look on his face!
For a simple plain yo-yo, cut two 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
circles about 2 inches in diameter from any hardwood. Drill
a hole in the center of each 1/4 inch diameter by about ABOUT THE AUTHOR
1/4 - 3/8 inch deep . Each of these is then tapped in place on Lowell Converse is a career mtfitary man in the U.S. Air
the faceplate fixture and turned and sanded. A template may Force. He worksin wood asa hobby.

-34-
Tongue Drum _

By Frank Pittman

The historical deve lopment of musical instruments such

as the tongue drum actually began thousands of years ago.
Early cultures in the Americas and Africa made instruments
such as this from hollowed out log or limb sections . These
early drums were called slit drums. Early people soon real-
ized that different musical pitches could be obtained from
objects of varying sizes and densities. Actually the modern
day xylophone is based upon the same musica l concept as
the tongue drum.
Six musical pitches are possible with the tongue drum
described in this article . The pitch of each tongue is changed
by varying its length. The pitch could be changed further by
changing the tongue thickness . It would be possib le to tune
each tongue to a specific pitch, but no attempt was made to
?e that precise since the instrument is basically a novelty
Item rather than a precise musical instrument.
MATERIALS
Materia ls used to construct the box and sound board
(top) could vary. The dovetai l box cou ld be made from al-
most any convenient hardwood such as: cherry, maple (hard
or soft), pop lar, or birch . The type of material selected for
the top will tend to change the tonal properties of the drum
most, since tone is effected by density. Medium density
hardwoods such as black walnut, cherry, and mahogany can
be used. Higher density hardwoods such as East Indian rose-
wood, bubinga, or padauk could also be used with differing
tonal effects. Black walnut produces clear mellow tones and
was used to make the top of the drum pictured in this article .
It would be desirable if the wood used to make the top ,
was quarter-sawed to improve its stability. You will find,
however, that it is difficult to obtain wide quartered pieces .
The top could be made by gluing book-matched quartered
pieces together like a guitar or violin top if you wanted to go
to the trouble . The top of the drum shown in this article did
not have a quartered top .
CONSTRUCTION
The construction of the drum is begun by making the
dovetailed box which supportS the top . The four pieces
should be squa red to width and length. It is important to
a~d approximately 1132" extra length to the ends of each
prece.
-35-
" - -
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IL- se.e "TOP DETAIL

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SEC.TIOt-J A.-A

et: 7"
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DRAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR
 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - /7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -
~
'8
I "O~H.. L. TYPICAL..

If /'6 "8

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iA
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TOP DETAI L... o 2.,

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SCA... e. - TOP Oe.TA'L..

The length dimensions shown in the bill of material include stri ps should be cut wit h a portable router, straight bit , and
this extra length allowance . gu ide. The inlay slots sho uld be cut to a depth that would
allow the inlay to exte nd slightly above the top surface.
The through dovetails can be hand cut or router cut if After the inlay strip is glued in p lace and allowed to dry over-
you have a jig similar to the Leigh dovetailing jig . A proce - night it should be sanded flush with the top surface.
dure for hand cutting dovetails is described in an article of The top can now be glued to the dovetailed box. It is
this issueof American Woodworker. important that this butt joint be a good one . It may be neces-
sary to true up the edges of the top of the box with a plane to
It is important in thro ugh dovetail construction that achieve a goo d fit. Severa l ha nd screw clamps or c-clarnps
the pins extend past the tails on each corner as shown in
shou ld be used during this glu ing procedure.
Figure -1 . This 1/32" projection is sanded off after the box is
glued up to produce a flush dovetailed corner. Forming the chamfer around the top of the drum is the
next operation. This could be done in a variety of ways
depending upon your available equipment. It could be hand
After the dovetailed box has been glued and rough p laned, router cut, shaper cut (with a special fence set up), or
sanded, the rabbet is cut for the plywood bottom. This rab- cut on a ta ble saw. You cou ld act ua lly use a mo u lding here
bet can be cut with a portable router and an 1/4" x 1/2" inst ead of a chamfer if you des ire.
rabbeting bit.
The bottom is made next from 3/16" plywood and cut
to fit inside the router cut rabbet in the base of the box.
The top of the drum is surfaced to thickness and
squared to finished size. Next the holes and lines which form
the tongues should be carefully laid out. Drill the eight 1/4"
holes th rough the piece. The slits (saw kerfs) between the
ho les can now be cut with a jig saw or a ha nd held sabre saw.
These cuts should be as straight as possible . You may be ab le
to follow the line freehand, however, it is also possible to set
up a fence or guide block to help guarantee straightness.
After the straight cuts are made, the curved ends of each
tongue can be cut.

Inlay strips for the top can be obtained from a number

of suppliers or you could make your own. Slots for the inlay

-37-
 BILL OF MA TERIALS
Dimensions
Quantity Des crip tio n Wood Tx WxL

1 Top Walnut V2 x 7 x 17

2 Sides (long) Hardwood 13/16 x 5V2 x 171 /16

2 Ends Hardwood 13/16 x 5V2 x 71 /16

1 Bottom Plywood 3/16 x 5 7/8 x 157/8

Inlay strip 1/32" x 1/4" x 14" total length

Dowe l rods 1/4" x 12" , 2 eac h

HARDWARE:
Rubber bumpers with screws , approximately V2 " diameter, 4 each
Wood screws #5, 5/8" flat head , 12 each
Rubbe r balls, approximately 7/8" diameter, 2 each
Cloth or leather covering , approximately 18 square inches

FINISHIN G
The entire drum sho uld be sande d th rou gh 220 on th e
outside sur faces in pr eparat ion for fini shing . Several dif-
ferent fini she s cou ld produce sat isfacto ry results on the
d rum but it is probabl y best to choose a penetrating oil fin-
ABOU T TH E AUTHO R
ish since the d ru m is act ually struck on the top when it is
p layed . It is a good ide a to coat the insid e of the box with at Frank Pittman is th e grap hics edito rfo r The A merican
least one coat of fini sh before attaching the bottom. This Woo dwo rke r
will he lp sta bilize th e wood .

Afte r th e fin ish has dri ed , th e bottom can be installed

with screws or nails and glue . Small rubber bumpers sho u ld
be screwed to each corn er of the base. These bumpers will
lift the d ru m bo x sligh tly off of the surface on wh ich it rests. CLO,H 02. I..6.Ail-tall
c.ove.a.
D RUM STICKS
The two drum sticks are made from 12 inch lengths of f _
1/ 4" dow el and two sma ll hard rubber ball s. You sho u ld be
ab le to find the rubber ball s at a local toy counter. The ball s
are drilled and th en glued to the end of the sticks. It is best
to cover th e ball with cloth or leather. (Figure - 2.) The cov-
ering can be held in place with tightly wrapped rubber band s
or string.
-38-
 Wastebasket

By Carly le Lynch

As every woodworker knows,

scraps tend to accum ulate in a shop .
Sometimes they represent a fair
amount of money and deserve to be
used . After one project, I had left over
strips of 1/4 inch white pine plywood
that I used to make this wastebasket.

, 'The lace also

acts as a stop for your
fingers when picking
----!!p the basket ... "

WASTEBASKET The drawing and material bill

shows that sixteen strips of plywood
are nailed to a square base with nails
U\l Ii
", "
i~
~ whose heads can be hidden by driving
brass ornamental furniture nails over
them . Holes drilled as shown allow a
Rawhide lacing. rawhide boot lace to hold the pieces
s mooth s ide out:
together at the top in an attractive
pattern . The lacing also acts as a stop
for your fingers when picking up the
basket to empty it .

r-II-i
CliiCIiiI
Sca l e U se a fine tooth (plywood) saw
blade to cut the strips . Drill the holes
Con strt/Ction
a t corners. in them while the strips are clamped to
a piece of scrap to prevent splintering .
Carefu lly sand all arises to soften the
edges . Sand the face sides to remove
any mill marks and finish all pieces
No. 9 A:Jl ished
or antiqVf!d I:n:zss before assembly .
TVI71/flni! nal/.

2 e1. A n . 17<7// vnder

ornamental brass n ail.
Mqtqcjqls '
apes. ply. ;;f x 2:fx /4j corners .32 cel. f/'nl.shing n ails
a I • ;;f x 2;J-x 1.3.f cent ers .32 No . 9 brass Tvrnlt'v/'f? /7I211s Carlyle Lynch is a retired teacher
I' :J x8i-xa;fbottorn 8 / (O,qe>rA;) IT'am'7id.. boot' /arcing.
Jiving in Broadway, VA.
E.C.LYNCH

·39-
Rocking Dog and Llama
By Richard Blizzard
R ocking animals are always popular wit h chi ldren.
The secret of animal maki ng is to ma ke sure th at the
' beasty' has a friendly face.
The dog is a lovable hound while th e llam a has a
majestic face with ears that give him a jaunty look.
Both creatures have identical bodies and rockers, th e
only d ifference being the necks and hea ds.
1 Start by cutting out the ends of the body or seat sup-
ports. Th e body is barrel shaped and extremely strong. Cut-
ting th e rounded sh apes of the two ends can be done with a
bow or coping saw.
2 Th e ends are held together by slats. The slats are held
onto the ends by gluing and screwing . In order to give the
barrel shape an all wood fini sh I counterbored the slats to
allow th e screw heads to go well below the surface . A short
len gth of dowel rod is then cut off and glued into the slat
over the screw head . This gives the body of the animal a
mu ch better look.
3 Th e first slat to attach to the two ends is the top one. It
is helpful to have a pencil mark in the middle of both curved
pieces. This helps tremendously when attaching the first slat .
4 At this stage of construction it is essential to have
someone to hold the two ends while the first seven or eight
battens are attached.
5 Work from the middle of the top down both sides
sim ulta neously until all battens are fixed . Now glue short
lengths of dowel rod into the counterbored holes .
6 When the glue is dr y, chisel off the odd lengths of
dowel and round off th e slat ends. Work over the bod y with
glasspa per mak ing sure that all rough edges have been
remo ved .
7 Following the diagrams mark out the rockers on a
shee t of paper or card . Th e shap ing of the rocker itself is
fairly critical; too mu ch rock and the animal will turn over,
too littl e and it 's not much fun. The best tool to fini sh off the
rocker is a spokeshave. Fix both rockers together in a vice
and shape them up as a pair.
8 Dr ill and counterbore the sides of the rockers and then
screw them onto the animal's side s.
9 Up to this point making a dog or a llama is the same,
' woodworkingly' speaking! If you wish to make a llama then
a lon g neck is necessary. If on the other hand you wish to
make a ' Baskerville' a sho rter piece of wood is needed. Necks
-40-
and heads have the same cutting and shaping techniques, so
I will describe this part in general terms .
10 Draw a cardboard template and from thi s mark out
the neck shape on the wood . Cut it out using a coping or bow
saw. Remove the saw cuts with a spokeshave or glasspaper.
11 Using a large flat bit the same diameter as the dowel
rod handle, drill a hole in the neck . Push (or tap with a ham-
mer) the dowel rod into the neck. Just before the dowel rod
is ha lf way in, apply some glue to the rod, th en cont inue
tapping it into the neck. A screw fixed from the back of the
neck will hold the (rod) handle very firmly in place .
12 Shaping the head is not quite such a daunting task as
it may look at first sight. If possible , get a piece of p ine with-
out knots or splits. Using a copy saw, cut off the snout por-
tion and around the mouth. Now cut down either side of th e
mouth, removing thinner pieces of wood . Obviously you will
need to keep moving the head around in the vice as you cut.
Once all the rough shaping has been completed , fine
shaping can start . A spokeshave is the best tool for this task
or alternatively a Stanley surform tool can be used . Finish
off with glasspaper.
13 The eyes and nose can be purchased from shops th at
sell soft toy making materials. Drill holes in the block to take
the eyes and nose . It is extremely important th at the y are
fixed using epoxy resin glue otherwise eyes and nose could
become detach ed and swallowed by a child. Epoxy resin glue
is very strong, but a check should be kept on these parts just
to make sure that after several months of use the y are still
firmly attached .
14 In the top of the dog 's head bore a large hole and glue
a short length of broom handle (if you can cut six inches off
the kitchen bru sh it won 't be noticed !) into the head . The
mop attachment is then secured to the handle . Do check
that there are no metal parts that can scratch or dam age
hands or faces. Some mop heads have plastic fixtur es and
these are obviously the ones to choose .
15 All that is necessary to complete the dog is a length of
rope knotted through a hole in the back upright for the tail.
16 The llama head is cut in much the same way as th e dog
head . The onl y difference is that two ears are cut, shaped
and screwed onto the llama 's head.
17 The dog and llama heads are secured to the necks by
gluing and screwing. It is best to use very long screws as the
wooden heads are quite heavy. Use three screws, two
through the back and one through the neck . On the llama it
is possible to get one screw up under the chin through the
underside of the neck .
 18 The llama has a woode n tail glued onto the back end 20 Several coats of matt varnish will finish off these toys
prece . rather well and give them a good protective coating .

19 Once all the woodworking is finished, run your hands

over the toy and check for splinters, sharp edges etc. If your
hands don't find the rough pieces, be sure a child 's little Excerpted with permission 0/ Sterling Books from
fingers will! Blizzard 's Wonderf ul Wo ode n Toys.

Cutting list
Seat support 2 off 330 x 200 x 22mm (13 x S x 7/ain) Timber
Seat battens 13 off 360 x 25 x 20mm (14 x 1 x %in) Timber
Rockers 2 off 1000 x 140x 22mm (39% x 5112 x 7hin) Timber
Llama's head 1 off 210 x 150 x 70mm (S1f.I x 6 x 2¥4in) Timber
Llama's neck 1 off 7S0 x 120 x 22mm (30¥4 x 43,4 x 7hin) Timber
Llama'sears 2 off 200 x SO x 22mm (S x 3% x 7hin) Timber
Llama'stail 1 off 1S0 x 70 x 22mm (7 x 2¥4 x 7/ain) Timber
Handle 1 off 230mm(9in) long x 16mm(S/ain) diameter dowel
Reinforcing blocks 2 off 32mm (1 1f.1in) old x 16mm (S/ain) ild x 16mm (S/ain) thick
Dog's head 1 off 270 x 150 x 70mm (1OSh x 6 x 23,4in) Timber
1 off 76mm(3in) long x 22mmChin) diameter dowel
Dog's neck 1 off 343 x 127 x 22mm (13112 x 5 x ~i n ) Timber
Handle 1 off 230mm (9in) long x 16mm (S/ain) diameter dowel
Reinforcing blocks 2 off 32mm (1 1f.1in) old x 16mm (S/ain) i/d x 16mm (S
hin) thick
Ancillaries
1 off Mop head for dog

NOTE:
SEAT,ROCKERS, HANDLE
AND REINFORCING BLOCKS ,
COMMON TO BOTH ANIMALS

HANDLE
REINFORCING BLOCKS

HANDLE
16(5/1) DIAM X
13 SEAT BATIENS 230(9) LONG
2Ox25 x 360
(3/4 X 1 X14)

-41-
 _ ._j
i> r-...
/ " ~
I (
\
,I '"'"
~J
,\
"' '\
r- i-> r-,
1\
" "I

"' 1\
,
v
L.--' """' -I'
"""'"
~

10 X 10(3/8 X 3/8)GRID

LLAMA'S HEAD

~ ._~
R.
rt\ .
- ~ 22(7/8) DIAM HOLE
__
X 25(1) DEEP
. -----ja. ~
I .---------

I. 51(2) .I
n-
- I
22(7/8) DIAM DOWEL X 76(3) LONG

, " - -
I i""'-
r-,
1'-0...
.....
I.--' t-- r--.. .....
( ~~ \ .... 1- ~
\ 1\ J r-
~ t::::'" I
II

- """'"
II
~
~ I""- ~
1/
~

"
DOG'S HEAD 10 X 10(3/a X 3f.)GRID

·42·
 I~
~
1\
,
\

, ,
\ ~ ,1
\ \
200(8)
~I ~ •
SEAT SUPPORT rY 11
22(7/8) THICK MAKE TWO ,
\

I
J
~-
127(5) (J-
w-
57(2V4)
1'1\ :.r-
SP- ~
c-
:1;-
tJ)
a: \
:5..J
W T
~ \
g
a: 1\
,
Ii
l...I
If

-l
I ~

II
lI'"
tJ)
I I a:
I I j
I IJ tJ)~ 7
I
C 1 fl7 j
'I
:E
II II
:5 J
I/' .....
~ ~ "'"""

DOG'S NECK
22(7/8) THICK

-43-
-44-
-45-
Butter Churn Table
ByJames M. Q'Nelll

T he Butter Churn is not only reminiscent of colonial

living, but has remained on the American rural scene
until the very recent past. This piece can be used
as an end table (legs can be shortened to fit sofa or couch
arms as needed) or used as a table for a lamp placed in the
corner of a room as shown here.

Butterfly hinges are recommended for the top. They

have been placed near the back to allow for lamps that might
have large bases.

CONSTRUCTION NOTES
Use care in assembling the crank shaft; it was pur-
posely made with a long shaft. Curious hands are bound to
turn the handle and with a short shaft the mechanism would
be soon damaged . Note that the retaining pin (13) is placed
close to the inside wall of end panel (4) so that the shaft can
not be pulled out. All slats are nailed in place except for two
or three at the bottom to allow for working space to assemble
the shafting.

To make a full sized layout of the end view, draw a

rectangle 11 3/8" wide and 12 3/4" high . Draw the bottom
curvature with a radius of 5 11/16" . Then draw in the side
panels and slats . It will be necessary to file a series of flats
into the curvature of the end panels so each 1 1 / 2" slat has a
spot on which it fits. Locate upper pieces first, beginning
with the side panels (5) and working downward. The bottom
slats are fitted to the space remaining . The edges of each slat
are beveled inward slightly for a snug fit around the rather
short radius .

The churn shou ld be rather heavily "distressed ." Care-

fully strike the nail holes with slag (after nails have been set)
to make them inconspicuous. The holes could also be
covered with filler or with antiquing. Another option is to
sink the nails about 1/ 4" and cover with 1/ 4 x 7/16 plugs.

Excerpted with permission ofMacmrllan Publishing Company rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced in
from Early American Furniture by james O'Nerll. Copyright any form without permission in writing from the publisher.
1963 by McKnight and McKnight Publishing Company . All

-46-
 BILL OF MA TERIALS

PART QUANTITY DESCRIPTION DIMENSION

1 1 Stationary Top 3/4 X 3112 X 15112

2 1 Movable Top 3,4 x 107/8 X 15112
3 1 Cleat For Top 1 x2x8112
4 2 End Panels 3/4 x 11 3/8 x 12 3/4
5 2 Side Panels 3,4x7x14
6 1 Bottom 3,4 x 11 3/8 x 12112
7 12 Slats 3,4x1112x14
8 4 Legs 1 3/8 x 21/4 x 25112
9 2 "A" Frame Stretchers 1 3/8 x 2114 x 14114
10 1 Center Stretcher 1 3/8 x 21/4 x 14
11 1 Collar 1112 x 2 3/8 d ia.
12 1 Shaft 1 dia. x 167/8
13 1 Retaining Pin 3/8 dia. x 11/4
14 1 Crank Pin 3/8 dia. x 2
15 1 Crank Arm 1 3/8 x 3114 X 7114
16 1 Crank Handle 11/4 x 1114 X 3 3/4
A 1 Butterfly Hinges 1 3,4 x 2
pair
B 3 Flat Head Wood Screws 1112 x 12
C 48 Finishing Nails 1 112 (4d)
0 8 Flat Head Wood Screws 1 3,4x12
E 8 Flat Head Wood Screws 3 x 10
F 4 Flat Head Wood Screws 2 x 10

-47-
 o
131. x 2 BUTTERFLY
4 HINGE

I" SQUARES

"END PANEL
"FLATTEN S TO FIT.
FOR SLAT

®
2-1% X 12 F HWS 1/4
LEGX 5/8
PLUGS IN EACH'

2-2x10 FHWS,1/4X%
PLUGS EACH END

~utteY Chuyn Lable

·48·
TenoningJig
By Rosario Capotosto

The tenoning jig is one of the most important acces- joint cut s. Some of the procedures may be unsafe as well as
sories for the table saw. If you have not purchased a com- time-consuming ; possibl y they produce results that are not
mercially available jig due to the high cost, you undoubtedly quite satisfactory.
have been relying on makeshift methods for making various

Tongue-and-groove and numerous other joint cuts are made safely with speed and precision.

This homemade jig will enable you to cut mortises,

tenons, grooves, bevels, and other precision cuts qui ckly
and safely. The d im ensions shown ap p ly to a lO-inch Rock-
well Unisaw. This has a 3/S-by-3/4-inch miter gauge groove
4 11z inches from the left side of the blade . The size and pos i-
tion of the miter groove bar will likely have to be alte red for
other saws. Also , if you plan to make the jig for a 12-inch
saw, it will be necessary to increase the blade clearance
under the " bridge."
The slots in the clamp bar and the sliding p latform are
made by using a brad point or spur d rill bit to bore a series of
slightly overlapping ho les. The webs are then clea ned out
with a chisel.

The jig can handle stock up to 12 inches witte;

maximum thickness of stock that can be held is
3% inches.
-49-
 % "SQUARES

PART 7 FRONT VIEW ~/Vz-13

.." HOLE WI
THREADS
r-- 5Y," 2"1
---

PART 21 PART 6 FRONT VIEW

1 1"""~
" 1 0

~ " .1...- , 1'5/ "

-...
L
3
j. '"
150

PART 6
END VIEW

27
HOLE WI
/ .."
Vz-13 THREADS HOLE
%" DIA x 1" HOLE
TO CLEAR NUT
so CLAMP PAD
TURNSFREELY
'I," DIA HOLE WI
1"DIAx'f, "
COUNTERBORE
(SEE DETAIL 1)

LOCKBOLTIN
PLAN VIEW 45° ANGLE GUIDE PLACE WI EPOXY

DETAIL 1

-50-
 The dovetail slot for the clamp bar is made with re-
peated saw cuts . The blade is tilted and several cuts are mad e
TENONING JIG from each side; the blade is then zeroed and the height ad-
MATERIALS LIST justed to clear out the waste (the blade will project more
when it is brought back to vertical).
ITEM QTY DESCRIPTION To function properly it is essential that the work-bearing
1 1 wall be perfectly perpendicular and the carriage must track
2 3 11116" X 3" X 5 1/a" ash at a precise right angle to the blade . Check these critical rela-
tionships by dry-assembling the pans with screws before
3 1
4 1
5 1 314" X 3/4" X 73Ja" ash
6 1 11/16" X 3" X 13/6" ash
7 1
8 2 8-32 X 1" rh machine screw
9 2 8-32 hex nut
10 1 7/a" X 4" dowel
11 1 1/2- 13 X 6314" threaded rod
12 4 3/4" brad
13 1 3/a" X 13/4"-dia. ash
14 1
15 1 1/2" hex nut
16 1
17 1 1/2-13 X 23/4" threaded rod
18 1 112" X 1" flat washer
19 1 1/2" X 1114" flat washer
20 3 11/2" finish ing nail
21 1
22 2 11/4 " # 8 fh wood screw
23 6 3/a" X 2" dowel
24 1 3/4" X 8" X 15" plywood
25 2 3Ja" X 111e" X 7314" ash
26 1 11/a" X 4 5/e" x 71/2 " ash
27 1 1" x 1" x 45/a" ash
28 1 3/a" X 314" x 153/4" ash (or to suit)
29 1 ~/e " x 21/2" hex-hd bolt
30 1 3Ja" flat washer
31
32
1
1
3Ja:.wing nut
7/a" x 2" dowel
1
33 7 1" nails Chisel is used to clean out the webs between the
34 1 112" X 4 1/2" X 911e" plywood overlapping h oles in clamp bar.
35 1 314" xl" x 9 1/a" pine
Note: 1",." Is the usual thickness of "I. stock . final gluing. To obtain accuracy in positioning the sliding
carriage guide strips, raise the blade to maximum height ,
then butt the vertical wall up to it.
It is important to bore the hole to the proper size to tap
lasting threads in hardwood . Use a 27/ 64-inch drill bit and
cut the threads in the clamp assembly with a liz - 13 NC tap .
Assemble the two pans of the clamp pad in place over a nut
that is pin locked on the threaded rod . The holes in both
sections must be slightly oversized to allow the clamp pad to
This sturdy homemade jig is as efficient as any com- rotate freel y.
mercially made coun terpart. Finish the wood with a clear satin polyurethane coating ,
then buff with extra-fine steel wool. Apply paste wax, well
rubbed in , to the sliding surfaces.

Excerpted with permission 0/ Popular Science Books from

Capatosto's Woodworking Wisdom, Copyrigb: 1983 by
Rosario Capotosto .

-51-
Repeatedbeveland straight kerfcuts are made to form the dovetail. The scrap block
taped to the workpiece prevents it from tipping as it passes through.

Work-bearing wall is butted against the raised blade to align the platform guide
strips accurately.
Coarse threads cut in hardwood will hold up very When using a brad point bit it is necessary to drill
well. the counterbore hole first, then the screwbody hole
andfinally the screwshank hole.

'tenoning jig is one of the most

0
000'

m_portant accessories for the table saw 0"

_ _ _1_

Precision in assembly is important. Parts are trued Clamp pad is assembled in place over the pin-locked
with a square and clamped together to drill the nut. The parts are held together with brads after
screw pilot holes. glue is applied.
-53-
 A 45-degree-angle guide is an optionalaccessory.

Guide is used to position the work in a true 45-degree angle. When clamped in
place it provides a more positive method of aligning the work than is possible by
using a hand-held T bevel or combination square.

·54·
Gun Cabinet

By Franklin H. Gottshall

A gun cabinet can be a piece of

furniture as attractive as any in the
house. This handsome cabinet of
yellow poplar could be put in the rum-
pus room or den, but it would also be a
decorative asset in the living room or
bedroom. For safety, sturdy locks are
recommended wherever It may be
located.

First glue up the two ends (A), as

shown in Figure 4. Rabbet the rear
edges to accornodate the plywood
back. Then glue up the floor (B), the
table board (C), and the top (D), and
plane and sand these to size. Rabbet
the rear edge of the top to hold the
back. This rabbet extends to within
2 liz inches of each end.

Make the front frames to which

the two pairs of doors are fastened (Fig .
2). The lower frame consists of two rails
(I and]) and two stiles (H) put together
with mortise-and-tenon joints. The
upper frame is made of rail (K) and two
stiles (G) , also joined with mortises and
tenons . Cut mortises on the stiles first,
then cut the tenons with a dado head .
Glue up the frames and clean all joints.

Cut out strips U and V, which

support the floor and table board (Fig .
5). Drill and countersink for wood
screws. Also make the doorstop strips
(Wand X). Screw strips U and V to the
ends. Then nail the floor and the table
board to the strips.
N
Nail the top and the upper and
lower frames to the ends with sixpenny
finishing nails . Drill holes through the
stiles for the nails beforehand.

Cut out stock for the base (L and

M). Cut molding of base on a shaper or
with a portable electric router, and
miter the pieces for front corner joints.
Nail to the cabinet with fourpenny
finishing nails, using glue only on the
N
mitered corners .

Make cleats C-l, miter them, and

nail with sixpenny finishing nails to -----..
the ends of the tab le board, as shown
in Figure 5. Glue the miter joints, and
drill nail holes before nailing .

·55·
cit I-- 12 r----1
en
. ------n

- -.- I Isf
Back '>:'1

" I I

%J n.~

C§J)

~ ....
\I)
Cut out the plywood back (Y) and nail it to the cabinet with
twopenny lath nails . Cut, plane, and sand the gunstock
holders (E) to the widths required for your particular guns .
Drill and countersink for wood screws. Countersink so that
screw heads will be level with the surface for a neat appearance.
Cu t out the gun-barrel holder (F). Lay it on top of the
gunstock hold ers, mark center lines for th e notc hes th at hold
the gun barrels, and saw out the notch es on a jigsaw. Do th is
carefully and on ly littl e smoothing with files or sandpaper
will be necessary afterwards. Secure with sma ll wood screws
driven through the plywood back and with a fourpenny
finishing nail at each end .
Glue the door stops Wand X to frame rails K and], as
shown in Figure 5. Hold in place with small clamps until the
glue is dry.
Prepare the crown molding (Z) , which goes aroun d the
cabi net top . The back of this molding is rough ly p arallel to
the shaped face (Fig. 6) . The back is cut to an ang le that gives
the molding the pro per cant whe n fastened into p lace. Saw
the ends for the corne r joints . Place the mo lding, bottom
edge up , in the miter box with the one angled edge resting
flat upon the rniterbox floor with the other angled edge
resting flat against the back of the box . Most miter boxes
have lugs which may be tighte ned with a screwdrive r to ho ld
the molding in position whi le sawing. Set the saw to an ang le
of 45 deg rees.
Make the doors. Cut out stiles N , 0, P, Q and rails Rand
S, and plane an d sand th em . Lay ou t and cut mortises on the
stiles and tenons on the rails. Rabb et th e inside edges of the
upper door members (N an d 0) to ho ld the glass. No te that
the rab beting on the stiles is stopped at the mortises whi le the
rabbeting on the rails goes the who le length. Run grooves on
the inside edges of the lower doo r mem bers (P and Q) to ho ld
the panels. Grooves run the who le length of these stiles and
rails because haunched tenons are cut on the rail ends (Fig .
5). Cut out the pan els and raise the m.
POPLAR
2 Ends (A) 3/.1 x 16% x 73
1 Floor (B) 3.4 x 16 x 34 V2
1 Table board (C) 3.4 X 17V2 x 37V2
2 End cleats for table board (C-1) 3/.1 x 3/4 x 17
1 Top (D) 3/4 x 15% X 40V2
Gun stock holders (E) 3.4 x des ired widths x 12
1 Gun-barrel holder (F) 3.4 x 2 x 34 V2
2 Stiles (G) 3.4 x 13.4 x 53 3.4
2 Stiles (H) 3.4 x 1 3.4 x 18V2
1 Bottom rail (I) 3.4 x 4 x 34 V2
1 Rail (J) 3/.1 x 1 V2 x 34 V2
1 Top rail (K) 3.4 x 2V2 x 34V2
1 Baseboard (L) 3.4 x 3V2 x 37V2
2 Baseboards (M) 3.4 x 3V2 x 18V2
3 Door stiles (N) 3.4 x 2 x 51%
Cut rabbets on the outside edges of the two inside stiles
of the upper and lower doors so that they overlap . After
cleaning the joints and fitting the doors , put on hinges,
latches, and a lock.
, ,A gun cabinet can be a piece
of furniture as. attractive as any
. the house ... "
In
A natural finish will enhance the beauty of thi s piece ,
but the builder may wish to stain it first. Thin the stain and
wipe off excess so that the grain markings will still show
thro ugh. This is especially important if dark oil stains are
used . If good judgement is used in thinning and mixing
stai ns, it is possibl e to nearly dup licate more expensive
cabi net woods. Birch , for examp le, can be stained to look like
mah ogan y. Popl ar can be stai ned to look like black walnut, a
cabine t wood now in very sho rt supply.
Finish witho ut staining to bring out the full natural
beau ty of the wood. First ap p ly a sealing coat of thin white
shellac. Allow this to d ry for a day in warm room , and then
rub it down with fine steel wool. Carefull y remove all du st
and apply two coats of a high- grade clear floor varnish . Al-
low to dry in a warm room. Ru b the first coat with fine steel
wool, and rub down the fina l coat with pumice stone and
rubbing oil. After another day of drying, apply wax, and
polish . In the summertime the finishing may be done in a
well-ventilated, dust-free room . Avoid varnishing when the
humidity is high .
Excerpted with permission ofMacmillan Publishing Company
from How To Make Colonial Furniture. Copyn'ght © 1971
by Franklin H. Gottshall with photograpfhs by Bruce Gottshall.
1 Door stile (0) 3/.1 x 2 3/8 x 51'.4
3 Door stiles (P) 3/.1 x 2 x 13
1 Door stile (Q) 3.4 x 2 3/8 x 13
4 Door rails (R) 3/.1 x 2 x 143/.1
4 Door rails (S) 3.4 x 2 % x 14 3.4
2 Door panels (T) 3.4 x 9 3/.1 x 13
2 Supporting strips (U) 3.4 x 1 V2 X 15V2
2 Supporting str ips (V) 3.4 x 1V2 x 16%
1 Doorstop IY'J) V2 x 2 7/8 x 34 V2
1 Doorstop (X) V2 x 1 7/8 x 341/2
1 Back (plywood) M '.4 x 35 V2 x 70
Crown molding (Z) 2 5/8 x 6 ft. (approx .)
2 Pieces glass 13 x 47V2
HARDWARE
Hinges and latches
-57-
Chippendale Lowboy
By Franklin H. Gottshall
Philadelphia Chippendale Lowboys of the type shown
here can be numbered among the finest gems of the cabinet-
maker's art made in eighteenth-century America. Their
design was inspired to a considerable extent by Chippen-
dale's designs portrayed in his drawing books. Phi ladelphia
cabinetmakers were able to simplify both structure and
ornament on these pieces, and in the process they evolved
masterpieces greatly in demand at the time . Surviving ex-
amples of eighteenth-century work, being quite rare and
highly prized, have steadi ly increased in value, unti l few ex-
cept wealthy private collectors and great museums can af-
-58-
ford to own eighteenth-century originals as good as the low-
boy shown here.
To build the lowboy, first saw out four legs. These are
made of mahogany 3 inches thick. The pattern for these is
shown in figure 8, which is also the pattern for laying out the
carving . Three stages in shaping the legs and feet are shown
in figure 9. The legs on the left and center are front legs and
have the front corners cut out to hold the quarter-columns .
The leg on the right is a back leg . When the knees have been
carved, make layouts for mortises on all four legs, and cut
these mortises.
 Get our stock for ends (D); rails (E), (F), and (G), and
stiles (H). The stiles separate the three lower drawers. Plane
and sand these to the sizes given in the bi ll of material. Lay
our and cut the tenons and the dovetail on rail (F) to join
these to the legs. Also cut rabbets on the two rear legs for
the plywood back. Cut two mortises on rail (G) to hold the
tenons on stiles (H), as shown in figure 2 and 4 . Tria l assem-
blies of all these pieces sho uld now be made before proceed-
ing with other work .

Rail (E), which is still to be carved, was made thick

enough to carve the design. After the design has been
marked on the wood, the carving should now be done. The
background area above the carving is removed with an elec-
tric hand-router. Smooth up the background surface care-
fully with a scraper blade and sandpaper.

"Lowboys can be numbered

among the finest gems of
t h e cab met mak'
o
er s art... "
Frames to support the drawers and hold the top are the
next task . The mahogany rails have already been made and
fitted to the legs, so all that remains to be done is to make
the inside rails from yellow poplar. Details for making and
putting these together are clearly illustrated in figures 4 and
5. Glue up the two upper frames. The bottom frame is com -
posed of three smaller frames, which are first glued together
and then joined to each other and to the drawer guides be-
tween them with wood screws. In this way a single support-
ing frame for the three sma ll drawers is made . See figure 5.

The two top frames, the glued up legs and ends, the
carved rail, and the stiles should be glued together before the
bottom frame is added to the main frame.

Quarter-columns should be made next . Four scrips of

wood 1 1/8 inches x 1 1/8 inches x 14 5/8 inches are glued
together with heavy brown wrapping paper between each
scrip, as shown in figure 10. The column is then turned and
fluted . After the flutes are cut, the column can easily be split
into four pans with a wide chisel. Two of these can then be
glued into the corners which have been cut out on the front
legs to hold them .

D rawers are made next. Figure 12 shows the construc-

tion and dovetai ling on a small drawer, and figure 6 shows
the dovetailing and the pattern used to layout the carving
on the middle drawer above the apron. Once these drawers
have been made and fitted into their respective places, the
back can be sawed to size and na iled on .

Make the top. For your last construction step, fasten the
top with wood screws to the upper frame, as depicted in
figure 4.

Excerpted with permission of Stackpole Books from Master-
piece Furniture Making. Copynght 1979 by Franklin H.
Gottshall.
Fig. 9. Detail sh owing the three stages of shaping
legs andf eet fo r Chippendale Lowboy.
·59·
I - ~ - ----- -~----------------~---
_ ---.----. -_ . - • _ _ •• M ••• • _-- •• :

.
I
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D(Q UJ£Y PuII

41" ------- ---~- 24·- - - - - - ....,

Mol 1~9 'i x
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,...,

1-0- - - - -11'-'- - - -....;

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wood
T~qln.(
\\Illh fbp«
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( alum n .

I.
 BILL OF MATERIAL
Mahogany
(A) 4 Legs 3" x 3" x 321/4 "
(B) 8 Brackets on knees 2 V2" x 3" x 3"
(C) 2 Quarter-columns 11/8" x 11/8" x 145/8"
(D) 2 Ends 7/8" x 181/8" x 183/4 "
(E) 1 Bottom rai I 1" x 5 3,4 " x 36 3/4 "
(F) 1 Railaboveupperdrawer7/8"x2V2"x35 3/4 "
(G) 1 Rail between upper and lower drawers 7/8" x
2 V2" x 36 1/4 "
(H) 2 Stiles between lower drawers 1" x 2 V2" x 12"
(I) 1 Upper drawer front 7/8" x 61/16" x 34 3/8"
(J) 1 Carved drawer front 1 3/8" x 8 3/16" x 123/8"
(K) 2 Small drawer fronts 7/8" x 73/16" x 103/8"
Cove molding under top V2 " X V2" x approx. 80"
Top (made from boards glued together) 7/8" x 24" x
41"
Poplar
(L) 1 Back rail in upper frame 7/8" x 2" x 361/4 "
(M) 2 End rails in upper frame 7/8" x 2 112 " x 191/4 "
(N) 1 Back rail in middle frame 7/8" x 2" x 361/4"
(0) 4 Short rails in middle frame 7/8" x 2V2" x 191/4"
(P) 6 Rails in lower frames 7/8" x 2" x 1915/16"
Detail ofdrawer ofa Chippendale Lowboy
-62-
(Q) 4 Rails lower end frames 7/8" x 2" x 10"
(R) 2 Rails lower middle frame 7/8" x 2" x 11"
(S) 2 Drawer guides lower frame 1" x 23/4" x 181/4"
(T) 1 Support strip for lower frame 3,4 " x 2 5/8" x 34"
(U) 4 Drawer guide strips 7/8" x 11/8" x 16 3/4"
2 Drawer sides, upper drawer 5/8" x 5 3/4" x 203/4 "
2 Drawer sides, carved drawer 5/8" x 77/8"
X 20 3,4 "
4 Drawer sides, small end drawers 5/8" x 6 7/8"
X 20 3,4 "
1 Drawer back, upper drawer 5/8" x 5 3,4 "
x 33 7/8"
1 Drawer back, carved drawer 5/8" x 77/8"
x 11 7/8"
2 Drawer backs, small drawers 5/8" x 6 7/8"
x 9 7/8"
Birch Plywood
1 Drawer bottom , large drawer V4" x 20"
x 331/8"
1 Drawer bottom , carved drawer 1/4"x 111/8"
x 20"
2 Drawer bottoms, small drawers 1/4 " x 91/8"
x 20"
(V) 1 Back 1/4"x 181/8" x 36"
Detail ofdrawer ofa Chippendale Lowboy
 The
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)IJ\ltI{)~'I'I)I~J\(~)~

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FULL-SIZE FURNITURE PLAN I Name I cherry, walnut, butternut, ash , oak,

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Cleveland, OH 44120. (216) 751-5963.
TOP
DESK I MAIL ORDER MARKET I
Moil order customers may
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Authentic double pedestal desk. viding that all ods request the
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CATALOG Top Unit adds 14" to height. Both sale of a product, catalog , or
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luxurious decor to any room . A ods are 2 Y4" wide. Available
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Plan #139 ~Dou ble Ped~stal Desk) •• . .. . . .. . li80.75 Rates are $35.00 for I "; $70.00
Plan #140 RolHop Unit) 10.75 100's of plan s, kits, colored & unfinished h.rdwood
Complete esk Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .00 perts for toys, cr.fts & furniture (Colon I. I, Sh.k.r, for 2", and $105.00 for 3".
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FURNITURE DESIGNS, Dept.ND·35 L Color c.t.log $1. (614) 464·4363 ~
1425 Sherman Ave., Evanston, III. 60201 Cherry Tree Toys , Box 369·35, Belmont, OH 43716

Don a Z. M eil ach is we ll kn own fo r her co ntr ibutio n of ove r 60 books

in many areas of arts and c rafts. In Woodworking: The New Wave, she
has presented so me of the most u nu sual works in wood to be found any-
whe re. Most woodwo rki ng books d eal with so me spec ific area of in struction
o r some fo rm of dr aw in gs and plans. Wo odworking: The N ew Wave is neith er of
th ese. It is, how ever, a co llectio n of superbly ph ot ograph ed o bjects of wood repr e-
sentative of many different approac hes to design . Contempora ry in nat ure, the book
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will , no doubt, cause th e average woodwo rker to re-exami ne hi s own techniqu es. Hard-
bound. the book co ntains 276 pages. 600 photog raphs and 24 co lo r plates. It is recommended
to all w ho app recia te th e beauty of wood .

Crow n Pub lishers, In c., O ne Park A venue. Ne w York , N Y 10016 $25.00.

-63-
Questionnaire 7. How much do you anticipate spending on woodworking in
the coming year?
_ _ Under $100.00
_ _ $101.00 to $250 .00
_ _ $251.00 to $500 .00
_ _ $501.00 to $1,000.00
We would like to have your opinion on the articles contained _ _ Over $1,000 .00
within this first issue. Our format is based on a desire to have
something of interest for everyone, regardless of their expertise 8. What is your age?
in woodworking. We are striving for a compromise between _ _ _ 18to25 _ _ 46 to 50
projects and general interest articles. If we used only our own _ _ 26 to 35 _ _ 51 to 60
experience in woodworking as a guide, then the end result would _ _ 36to45 ___ Over60
probably be a reflection of our own biases. We realize that in
order to achieve a balance, there will be projects too simple for 9. What is your family income per year?
some and projects too complex for others. This, however, may - - Under $10,000 .00 _ $25,000 to $34,999
be a small price to pay for the best interest of all. Your input can _ _ $10,000 to $14,999 _ $35,000 to $50,000
be most helpful to us and therefore to yourself. Please take a few _ _ $15,000 to $24,999 _ _ Over $50,000.
minutes to answer our questionnaire. We would sincerely ap-
preciate your help. 10. Education:
_ _ _ Grade School _ _ _ College graduate
_ _ _ High School ___ Graduate work
1. Rate in order of preference , from one to eight, the non- _ _ _ At least 2 years college _ _ _ Graduate degree
project articles in this issue - one being best, eight being worst.
_ _ _ Photosensitive Meral- A New Tool For The Woodworker 11. Is any of your income derived from woodworking?
_ _ _ Yes
_ _ _ George Frank Replies
_ _ _ No If yes, what percent annually? _
_ _ _ Compensating For Movement
_ _ _ Thomas Chippendale - Something For Everyone 12. Do you:
_ __ The Ferd Sobol Editions _ _ _ Rent a house
_ _ _ How To Lay Out And Make Doverailjoinrs _ _ _ Rent an apartment
_ _ _ Own a house
_ _ _ The Answer
_ _ _ Other; please specify
_ _ _ Woodworking Techniques
13. Would you consider yourself a:
2. Would you like to see more or less projects than what this _ _ _ "Blue collar" worker
issue contained? _ _ _ "White collar" worker
_ _ More _ _ Less _ _ About the same _ _ _ Amateur woodworker
_ _ _ Professional woodworker
3. Rate from one to three your preference in the level of dif-
ficulty of projects you prefer - one being the one most preferred. 14. Sex:
_ _ _ Beginning _ _ Male _ _ Female
_ __ Intermediate
_ _ _ Advanced
15. Where do you·buy the tools used in woodworking?
_ _ Department stores _ _ Home supply centers
4. Rate in order of preference, from one to eight, the project
_ _ Hardware stores _ _ Mail-order
articles in this issue - one being best, eight being worst. _ _ Chain discount stores _ _ Other; Please specify:
_ _ _ Rocking Dog and Llama
_ _ _ Gun Cabinet
16. How long have you been active in woodworking?
_ _ _ Butter Churn Table _ _ _ _ years
_ _ _ Chippendale Lowboy
_ __ TenoningJig 17. Generally speaking. was The American Woodworker:
_ _ _ Tongue Drum _ _ _ More than I expected
_ _ _ Custom Made Y 0- Yo' s _ _ _ Less than I expected
__ . _ Wastebasket _ _ _ About what I expected
5. List in order of preference any material you would like to see
included in future issues: 18. (Not Required)
1. 6. Name
2. 7. Address _
3. 8. City St _ _ Zip _ _
4. 9.
5. 10.
6. How much do you spend on woodworking per year?
_ _ _ Under $100.00 MAIL TO:
_ _ $100.00 to $250.00 THE AMERICAN WOODWORKER
_ _ $251.00 to $500 .00 Questionnaire
_ _ $501.00 to $1,000.00 P.O . Box 1408
_ _ _ Over$l,OOO.OO Hendersonville , TN 37077-1408
·64·
'ewel Bo~ _
~belt ~ 'oaItIte Hetzoq

c!\.ngicO case, walnut doors,

cocobolo hinges, zebrawood drawer
front. Fourteen inches high, nine
inches wide, six inches deep.
The handcarved wood hinges
are shaped to become
part of the door handle
elements. Carved
and shaped
drawers
within.

(PHOTO: AHTISTS)

Courtesy: Don a Z. M eilach from Woo dworking The New Wave (Crow n Publ ishers)
Hubbard ~ Broeknlan
Double-Manual Harpsichord
with carved and gilded
stand; painted case and
soundboard. Copy of a
French 18th century
instrument built in 1756
by Henri Hemsch, Original
is now in the Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

.: .. ,

GOURTESY:
DilUte Hubbard