A U GU ST 2 024 | #279

A LOOK AT THE NEW

ShopNotes
Magazine

DUST COLLECTION SMART PHONE AMP TORSION TABLE

DUCTWORK This Little Project is a Gift Doug Stowe’s Unique
A Guide To Hard-Piping Your Shop That Everyone Will Love Take on a Hall Table
for the Woodshop

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23173
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AUGUST 2024 | VOL. 44, NO. 4

Build
28 Smart Phone Amp
This little project is the perfect project to make in
batches, so you always have one on hand as a gift.
BY CHARLES MAK

34 Live-Edge Bowl
Showcase that extra special piece of wood buy turn-
ing a beautiful, live-edge bowl.
BY JIMMY CLEWES

42 Torsion Table
This table is inspired by the torsion sprigs out of a
vehicle, and boasts some interesting techniques.
BY DOUG STOWE

48 Tool Cabinet
This Heirloom tool cabinet was designed and built for 34
our new issues of ShopNotes Magazine. In this article,
you’ll see all the steps to building this cabinet.
BY ERICH LAGE

42 48

2 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 POPULARWOODWORKING.COM

04
06
Connect
04 From the Editor Number 279, August 2024, Popular Woodworking (USPS #752-
250) (ISSN 0884-8823) Canadian Agreement No. 40025316 is
A relaunch of a beloved title, published 6 times a year, February, April, June, August, October, and
and a sneak peak at its contents. December, by the Home Group of Active Interest Media HoldCo,
Inc. The known office of publication is located at 2143 Grand
BY LOGAN WITTMER Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312. Periodicals postage paid at Des
Moines, IA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER. Send
06 New Tools address changes to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 37274, Boone,
IA 50037-0274. Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2);
What’s new in power tools, NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Popular Woodworking,
Circulation Department, PO Box 37218, Boone, IA 50037.PRIVACY
accessories, and hand tools. STATEMENT: Active Interest Media HoldCo, Inc. is committed to
BY PW EDITORS protecting your privacy. For a full copy of our privacy statement,
go to aimmedia.com/privacy-policy.
14
14 Workshop Tips
Tips from our readers on
finishing, gluing, and more.
BY PW EDITORS

Craft
18 Dust Collection
All you need to know about
dust collection ductwork.
BY LOGAN WITTMER

24 Shop Flooring
Give your shop floor some love
and make it more comfortable
to work in.
BY LOGAN WITTMER

58 Tormek Sharpening
A spotlight on the Tormek
Sharpening System from an
issue of ShopNotes Magazine.
BY LOGAN WITTMER
18

■ POPULARWOODWORKING.COM 3
 FROM THE EDITOR
Yes, We’re Probably Dumb
Some of you are probably aware that I got my start in
the woodworking publication world as an assistant
editor at Woodsmith Magazine. Heck, even after taking
over here at Popular Woodworking, these fools still can’t
shake me (or is that the other way around?). I still
collaborate with them on various things, including our
TV show on PBS (The Woodsmith Shop), as well as our
podcast (The ShopNotes Podcast). About a year ago, we
collectively decided to re-launch the magazine that our
podcast is named after—ShopNotes Magazine.
Some of you may be familiar with the former Shop-
Notes magazine that was discontinued in 2014. Believe
it or not, many of the same staff that were behind the
original magazine are still here, working on this new
version. ShopNotes, as the name implies, is a magazine
dedicated to your shop. It’s loaded with pages of proj-
ects, techniques, and ideas for you to use in your shop.
Shop-made tools, jigs, tool cabinets, and the like are
all projects that you’ll find in ShopNotes. Now — we did
decide to bring ShopNotes back as a digital-only maga-
zine for now. Launching, or relaunching, a magazine in
a print format today would be nuts. (That’s not to say
it won’t ever be available as print— in fact, we do have
an end of year print version available.)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
DOUG STOWE: Torsion Table– pg. 42
Doug Stowe started his career in woodworking
in 1976. Since then, he’s published thirteen
books on woodworking, and teaches at various
venues across the United States, including the
Marc Adams School of Woodworking. Doug
has often been referred to as the Master of
Boxes, but his work expands far beyond these
little beauties he makes. Doug resides in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
with his wife Jean and golden-doodle Rosie.
CHARLES MAK:
Smart Phone Amp – pg. 28
A self-taught woodworker in Canada, Charles
has been a writer and teacher for some 15 years.
His key interest lies in furniture & cabinet making,
and making things in a production manner like
the batch of amplifiers featured in the current
issue. He uses hand tools whenever they are
the best tools for the job, while leaving the heavy milling tasks for the
power tools. Charles is also a prolific tipster, sharing his shop tricks
and solutions in various magazines, including Popular Woodworking. He
published “Woodworking Tips and Tricks” (Algrove Publishing) in 2022,
a collection of some of his unorthodox shop wisdom.
So, why am I
saying that we’re
probably dumb?
I’m saying that
because we as a
staff, decided to
bring this title back.
We did it because we
loved the content.
It’s much, much
more work for us.
This means that we
produce four extra magazine issues
per year, on top of everything else we do. We receive
zero incentive to produce it and added no staff. We put
extra time in to produce it. All because we had a soft
spot for ShopNotes content and we knew that our sub-
scribers did as well. Yes, I do believe we’re dumb.
With that said, I wanted to give you a look at the new
ShopNotes. In this issue, you’ll find a tool cabinet from
one of our re-launched issues, as well as an article I
wrote on the Tormek sharpening system. If you like it,
consider supporting us at ShopNotes.com. Cheers.
JIMMY CLEWES: Bowl– pg. 34
Hailing from England, Jimmy Clewes now
resides in Las Vegas with his wife Mary and
dog Seamus. Jimmy has spent the last thir-
ty-five years traveling the world teaching
and demonstrating woodturning. His quick
wit and straightforward approach have made
him a favorite of students from across the globe. When not hosting
students at his home in Las Vegas, Jimmy’s often found with a gold
pan in hand, prospecting in the Vegas desert.
ERICH LAGE:
ShopNotes: Tool Cabinet– pg. 48
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHORS
Erich Lage loves building stuff. For the past
29 years it’s been mainly focused around the
world of publishing. During his time at Wood-
smith, ShopNotes, and Workbench magazines,
Erich’s done everything from writing articles
and projects, to hand-drawing illustrations
and pictures. Of course, Erich’s been known to let a little saw dust
fly in the shop — it’s all good to him. “I’m grateful that I can provide
for my family, hang out in the shop, and help others on the journey
of woodworking.”
August 2024, Vol. 44, No. 4

EDITOR IN CHIEF ■ Logan Wittmer

SENIOR DESIGNER ■ Danielle Lowery
DIGITAL EDITOR ■ Collin Knoff
PROJECTS EDITOR ■ Dillon Baker
TECHNOLOGY EDITOR ■ Chris Fitch
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER ■ Chris Hennessey
SET STYLIST ■ Becky Kralicek
CONTRIBUTORS ■ Charles Mak, Doug Stowe,
Erich Lage, Jimmy Clewes
PROOFREADER ■ Rick Van Schoick

ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR ■

Julie Dillon; jdillon@aimmedia.com
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER ■
Jack Christiansen; Tel: (847) 724-5623;
jchristiansen@aimmedia.com

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT ■ Rob Yagid

DIRECTOR, SALES OPERATIONS ■
Heather Glynn Gniazdowski

CHAIRMAN & CEO ■ Andrew W. Clurman

CHAIRMAN EMERITUS ■ Efrem Zimbalist III
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ■
Brian Van Heuverswyn
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ■ Adam Smith
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER ■ Gary DeSanctis
SENIOR VP, MARKETING ■ Erica Moynihan
VP, MARKETING ■ Amanda Phillips
VP, CIRCULATION ■ Page Nordmeyer
VP, SALES OPERATIONS ■ Christine Nilsen
VP, EVENTS ■ Julie Zub
VP, DIGITAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ■
Ashley MacDonald
VP, STRATEGY & RESEARCH ■ Kristina Swindell
DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES ■ Scott Roeder
DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION ■ Phil Graham
DIRECTOR, RETAIL SALES ■ Susan A. Rose
DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ■
Andrew Shattuck

EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Logan Wittmer; lwittmer@ aimmedia.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS:
For subscription questions or address changes, visit
www.popularwoodworking.com/customerservice or call
(877) 860-9140 (U.S. only). U.S. subscription rate $24.95,
single price $6.99. Canadian subscriptions rate $34.95
USD. Canadian Agreement No. 40025316.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
P.O. Box 842, Des Moines, IA 50304-0842,
subscriptions@aimmedia.com

COPYRIGHT:
2024 by Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc. Des Moines, Iowa.
This publication may not be reproduced, either in whole or
part, in any form without written permission from the publisher.
 Connect
NEW TOOLS
Harvey’s TURBO T-60S
The fi rst time I heard of Harvey
International was in 2018, when
it was announced they acquired
Bridge City Toolworks. Within the
year, I started to see an offering
of power tools from Harvey that,
on the surface, seemed to be
priced very reasonably for the
features they included. Last year,
at AWFS in Las Vegas, I got to
visit with their founder, Mr. Jack
Xu, and that’s when I came to ap-
preciate the backstory and reason
behind Harvey.
Mr. Xu had been in the manufac-
turing industry for years, building
machines for nearly every manu-
facturer in the United States. Over
the years, tool companies kept
asking for cheaper tools, requiring
compromises during the manufac-
turing. With the end-user’s interest
in mind, Jack said “that’s enough”
and decided to manufacture tools
to his own standards and sell
directly them to woodworkers at a
lower price point.
6 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
■ TURBO T-60 S
HARVEY
HarveyWoodworking.com
Price: $4999.99
When I had an opportunity to
add a Harvey T-60 S lathe to our
shop, I knew it was one I wanted
to test out. In Short, the Harvey (at
nearly half the price of the other
high-end lathes) is every bit as You couldn’t ask for a better head-
good, if not better, than the others. stock/tailstock alignment out of the
Keep in mind, I’ve turned on almost crate (above).
every lathe that’s out on the market.
The design, fit, and finish of the
T-60 are impeccable. The indexing
system on the headstock is the
tightest of any I’ve used. While
not the heaviest lathe, its 726lbs
is plenty for out-of-balance blanks.
The 2 H.P. servo motor is small,
quiet, and powerful. Even with big
blanks and heavy cuts, I haven’t
been able to bog it down. Harvey
even includes a convenient swing-
away for the tailstock (right) as a
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHORS
standard accessory.
I’m a huge fan of the Harvey Big
Eye fence (that video is on our tools. I think we’re going to see
YouTube channel), and I’m glad the Harvey’s presence continue to
the same quality and thoughtful- grow in the foreseeable future.
ness carries over into their power — Logan Wittmer
 These are family heirlooms

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 Connect
NEW TOOLS

■ QUICK-LIFT
IRWIN Quick-Lift Irwin
Irwintools.com
It’s on a regular basis that we need a helping hand Price: $99.99+
in the shop. Often time, it’s something simple, like
holding a door in place while installing hinges. With
this in mind, Irwin recently released their Quick-Lift
lifting jack to lend a helping hand both inside the shop
and on the job.
The Quick-Lift will appear familiar to people that
have used the “trigger” style quick clamps. Instead
of having pads, this lift has a steel foot on the bar
and a small platform on the trigger assembly. The
squeezing action of the clamp spreads the two pads
apart, while a small secondary trigger lowers the
pad slightly. I think you can see where this is going.
As you can see in the photo to the right, this action
allows you to lift up and hold items in place while
you work on them. (Here, I’ve lifted up one end of my
lathe —much heavier than I can lift by myself.)
The Quick-Lifts are sold individually, but work best Each lift can lift (and hold) 330 lbs. In the month that
in a pair. Both the lifting pads and feet have counter- I’ve had them in the shop, I’ve used them at least half
sunk holes so that you could mount them on a base a dozen times to lift and hold items in place while I’ve
and install a stretcher between the two Quick-Lifts. driven screws or attached hardware. —Logan Wittmer

■ SPOKESHAVES
Melbourne Tool Melbourne Tool Company

Company Planes MelbourneTool.com

Price: $89.99

If you know a woodworker that

uses spokeshaves regularly... really
uses them, then you know that
they don’t have one. They have 10.
Spoke shaves are like rabbits. You
start with two, and all of a sudden,
you have 20. In the past, getting a
high-end spokeshave was a pricey
task. Today, thanks to Melbourne
Tool Company, you can get a
high-quality spokeshave at what I comfort, the cast iron body has spokeshaves with a blade as thick
consider a very reasonable cost. cork inset into the handle section. as these. The thickness helps
The spokeshaves from MTC It provides a great feel as you’re reduce chatter during a cut.
come in two flavors — a flat sole using the spokeshaves. The blade is adjusted with a pair
and a rounded sole. The body of On the business end, the of knurled knobs. Having an ad-
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHORS

the spokeshaves are cast stainless
steel, which add a great weight to
them. I love my handmade, wood
spokeshaves, but there’s some-
thing comforting about the weight
of a cast tool. Now, speaking of
spokeshaves are equipped with M2
blades — this steel alloy is high-
speed steel with high abrasion
resistance, so it will hold an edge
for a long time. In addition, you’d
be hard-pressed to find any other
justment knob on each side of the
blade allows you to slightly skew
the blade, allowing a heavier cut
on one side, while the other side
can be a finer finishing cut.
—Collin Knoff

8 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 Learn more
shapertools.com/origin

YOUR’E NEVER
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Design joinery directly on-tool then cut using
Works alongside other shop tools Origin’s auto-correct feature

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With Shaper Origin, you can bring digital precision

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custom inlays, install hardware, make custom templates
and more. Find out why more woodworkers like
Roland Johnson use Origin in their shops. Ready-made templates Easy fi xturing
 Connect
NEW TOOLS

Multi-Purpose ■ CASTER SET

Caster Set
Mobility. It’s the key of maintain-
ing a small shop. The ability to
move tools, workbenches, and
carts around are key to working
efficiently. And, to getting your
significant other’s car in the shop
... I mean garage.
Many manufacturers offer bolt-
on casters. The thing that makes
the Multi-Purpose Caster Set
from JessEm different is the weight
capacity. While other casters
are rated for up to one hundred
pounds each (400 lbs for a set),
the JessEm set of casters is rated
for a whopping 2000 lbs! This
means that you can add casters
to machines that were otherwise
hard to move.
The key to the weight rating
on the JessEm casters is the
construction. Immediately, you
can tell these casters are built to
handle heavy loads. The steel is
thick and the hardware stout. The
caster set comes with a pair of
fixed wheels and a pair that swiv-
el. Meaning, the item will steer
like a shopping cart.
JessEm
JessEm.com
Price: $161.99
For use on a workbench or cart,
you can attach these casters with
stout wood screws. However, for
attaching them to a tool, like the
lathe shown here, you’ll need to
drill the cast iron and tap it. The
casters include stainless socket
1/4 - 20 thread head screws, along
with nuts for sheet metal applica-
tions. —Collin Knoff

■ IQ VISE
Work IQ Vise Work IQ Tools
A picture can be worth a thou- WorkIQTools.com
Price: $279.99
sand words, but I was recently
reminded that it’s no substitute
for hands-on experience. When I
first saw pictures of the Work IQ
Vise, I assumed it was exclusively
for lightweight tasks. Any sort
of aggressive sawing or planing
would surely cause it to shake or
shift out of position. This was a
rather incorrect assumption.
In Work IQ’s own words, this is
a medium-duty vise. And in the
world of metalworking, I’m sure
it is. But for woodworking tasks,
especially the type of tasks that
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHORS

would involve holding some-
thing above the workbench like
this, I can’t think of anything I
wouldn’t feel comfortable using
it for. Using the Quick Cam on
the bottom of the vise to lock the
articulating ball in any position The icing on the cake is the
held it solidly in place despite replaceable jaws, with several
our best efforts. If I wanted to re- variations you can purchase for
ally apply some torque (up to 130 different tasks, including two
ft-lbs), there’s the IQ Lok with 8 different ones for woodworking.
different positions. — Collin Knoff

10 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
BESSEY EHKL360 Trigger Clamps... with a Twist!
BESSEY® ’s NEW rotating trigger clamp is unlike anything you have seen!
This innovative clamp has a handle that rotates 360° around the rail. The EHKL360 can be used in
clamping situations where a normal trigger clamp handle would get in the way! Move the handle
to the position that works best for you whether it is in tight spaces, above your head or across a
work piece. Nominal clamping pressure up to 300 lb., 3-1/8 inch throat depth, 6 to 36 inch lengths.

BESSEY. Simply better.

besseytools.com
 Connect
NEW TOOLS
■ GARAGE FAN
MULE
MULE 18-inch Garage Fan MuleProducts.com
Price: $219.99+
With summer looming upon us, I know a lot of us
will be looking for ways to stay cool in the shop. One
product that caught my eye recently was from a
company called MULE, and it’s their 18" garage fan
that you see here.
The thing that I appreciate about this fan is the fact
that it can be mounted from the ceiling. This means
that it’s up and out of the way. The pivoting rod allows
me to turn and angle it to direct the air right where
I'm working. The fan has three speeds and has flip-out
work lights that help illuminate where you have the
fan focused. Don't think that the fan is just for the
summer either. During winter, I point the fan straight
down, and it helps push the warm air from the ceiling
down to the floor. MULE offers the fan both with and
without remote.—Chris Hennessey

Revolution Miter Gauge

■ REVOLUTION
SawStop
SawStop.com
Price: $449

Last issue, Collin Knoff reviewed
one of SawStop’s new miter gauges
— the Scale Miter Gauge. The Rev-
olution is the second miter gauge
that SawStop released. And I have
angles the miter gauge either left
or right. As you spin the knob, you
can feel detents. Cool. But here’s
where it gets awesome.
When you change the lower
At the 1 mark, each detent is one
degree. At the 1/2" mark, each
detent is 1/2 of a degree. The
Revolution goes down to a 1/10
th degree resolution. I do believe
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHORS

to say, they hit it out of the park
with this one.
The Revolution miter gauge is
unlike any gauge you’ve ever seen.
The Revolution has two knobs.
The larger knob (right photo)
knob, you’ll notice a sliding scale
that goes from 0 - 1/ 10 th marks.
That setting corresponds with
the resolution the detents are
telling you. At 0 there are no de-
tents and it’s in free-spin mode.
that SawStop just changed the
game in accuracy. There are more
features than I can pack in this
small space, so keep an eye out
for a full video on our YouTube
channel. — Logan Wittmer

12 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
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 Connect
WORKSHOP TIPS

Thrifty Square
You can’t beat a 12" standard
drafting triangle for an extremely
accurate and inexpensive set-up
tool. It’s particularly useful for
adjusting a tablesaw’s miter gauge
at both 90° and 45°.
This precision tool is superior
to a combination square or a
framing square for setting up a
saw. While a combination square
has only one long arm, a drafting
triangle has two. A metal framing sibly damage your blade. Hang sion tool, even when you’re in the
square is unwieldy and can bang it under the saw or store it with thick of cutting on your tablesaw.
against the fragile carbide teeth your saw blades. Unlike a very expensive metal
of your saw blade. This plastic In addition, kid gloves aren’t square, this tool can take a beating
triangle is compact and can’t pos- required when handling this preci- and is easily replaced.

Tape Prevents Black Marks Oxalic Acid Makes

from Clamps
Black stains result when ferrous metal, moisture, and
wood come together. If your clamps have untreated
steel bars or black pipes, make it a habit to
cover their surfaces before you glue. The
tape insulates the metal from moisture
in the glue and damp
areas on the wood’s
surface. –Tim Johnson
Black Marks Disappear
Nasty stains can occur during glue-up if steel clamp
beams are left in contact with wood dampened by
glue. Removing them requires sanding or scrap-
ing... or brushing on a solution of oxalic acid (two
heaping tablespoons of crystals dissolved in a pint
of hot water). Let the surface dry. Apply a second
coat, if necessary. When the stains are completely
gone, flood the surface with water to remove any
acid that remains. Oxalic acid is available at paint
and hardware stores. The crystals are toxic, so wear
gloves when you handle the solution and a mask
afterwards when you sand. –Tim Johnson PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE OTHER UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

14 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 Connect
WORKSHOP TIPS

Parts Stands for Easier

Biscuit Assembly
Biscuit joinery is great, but with-
out an octopus for a shop assistant,
how do you hold all the parts?
These simple little stands can help.
Made of 3/4" melamine and some
3/8" dowels, they hold your parts
and allow you to easily add the
clamps. The dowel spacing allows
for either 3/4" or 5/8" material. As a
bonus, the glue won’t stick to the
melamine. —Randy Johnson

1" 4/4
1 1/4" 5/4

1 1/2" 6/4

2" 8/4

Drill Without Blow-Out 4

Avoid blow-out on round stock by resting it in a half-
2 1/2" 10/
round cradle instead of a V block. A cradle provides
continuous support for the material so the bit won’t
blast through the back, leaving a ragged exit hole. /4
3" 12
To make the cradle, drill a hole the exact size of the
round stock in a small piece of scrap and then cut in
half. Mount the two halves on a sheet of plywood to
cradle the stock on each end. —George Vondriska /4
4" 16
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE OTHER UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

Start Out Thick

Rough lumber thicknesses are measured in 1/4"
increments. The thinnest rough-cut boards, labeled
4/4, and called four quarter, are 1" thick.
It’s tough to get surfaced stock thicker than 13/16"
from 1" rough stock. Plan to lose 3/16" (1/4" on thicker
stock) when you plane a roughsawn board smooth.
PHOTO BY VERN JOHNSON Hardwood lumberyards commonly stock species
in 4/4 and 8/4 thicknesses, with additional sizes avail-
able based on supply and demand.— Tim Johnson
16 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 WORKSHOP TIPS

Drawing
Intersecting Rounds
Joining two pieces of round stock Is Back in Print
to make a “T,” such as where a chair
post joins a rail, requires a tricky
intersection. Your layout must be
precise so that you can fit one piece Get Yours at
to the other. To find this exact shape,
drill a piece of scrap as shown, and popularwoodworking.com/
use it to mark the correct curve. woodworking-magazine
—Yeung Chan (Millbrae, CA)

3 C3 31
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Common sense tells you to choose
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the drying process. In lumber lingo,
warp is defined as any deflection
from a flat, planar surface. Warped
boards can be cupped, crooked, or
twisted. A single board can contain a
combination of warps. Luckily, most
warped boards can be flattened if the
deflection isn’t too severe. Knowing
how to identify and deal with boards
that aren’t perfectly flat will give you
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 In The Shop
Hard-Line Dust Piping:
Best Practices
Follow these best practices to
get the most out of your dust
collection system.
I don’t think that there has been
something that’s increased my
enjoyment in the shop as much
as getting a good dust collection
system in place. I enjoy working in
a clean space, and any rogue dust
drives me nuts (let alone is a health
hazard and isn’t great for our video
and photo equipment). So, as we
moved into our new shop, I knew
that getting the right system in
place, and planning the proper lay-
out was a key part of this journey.
Having a lot of questions, I
started researching and planning
out this system. However, there is
a lot of information (and misin-
formation) out there. Luckily, I
know some people. So, I reached
out to Jeff Hill, CEO at Oneida Air
Systems to pick his brain on dust
collection layout and best practic-
es. Here’s what I learned.
18 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
By Logan Wittmer
BEST PRACTICES
Rule #1. The first rule is to do your
research and make sure your dust
collector is sized for your tools and
air requirements. Unfortunately,
for us, this meant upgrading from a
Supercell (which I loved) to a 5hp
Dust Gorilla Pro with Smart Boost.
We have bigger tools, with bigger
ports, and oftentimes have multiple
people working in the shop. We just
needed more air. I’m also going to
throw in here that you should place
your dust collector where it can
have as straight of a run as possible
into the dust collector — this helps
with the separation.
Rule #2: Place the tool with
the highest demand closest to
the dust collector. For most of us,
that is the planer and the jointer.
They produce the most shavings
and need the most airflow and
pressure to get everything to the
dust collector.
Rule #3: Do not under-size your
piping (ducting). Just because
your tool has a 4" dust port, does
not mean that entire run of pipe
should be 4". If you look at our
shop layout from Oneida on the
next page, you’ll see a majority of
the lines are oversized, and neck
down at the blast gate. This allows
PHOTOS BY LOGAN WITTMER & CHRIS HENNESSEY
maximum airflow. Remember, a 6"
pipe has over twice the area as a
4" pipe.
Rule #4: Straight shots and
long bends are your friends. Avoid
sudden “kinks” in the lines and
hard corners. Long sweep elbows
are best. Avoid t-fittings, instead
opting for wye-fittings. (Caveat:
new, modern dust collectors with
high pressure, such as the Super-
cell, break this rule.)
 Dust Collection

Part of Oneida Air Systems services

is to provide you with a layout and
recommendation based on your
shop setup. Here, you’ll see our
shop layout that Oneida worked up
for us, including a few of the details
of what happens at each tool.

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 19
 Dust Collection
1 2
Piping Options
There are many options for pipe/
duct out there. Most reputable
dust collection companies suggest
and sell three, as you see below.
The first type of pipe is spiral
pipe. This pipe is heavy-duty, and
is reinforced with a spiral rib. This
is an extremely stout type of pipe,
and is often required for collectors
over 5hp. Spiral piping requires
adapters and flanges to install it,
and will use fixed elbows. (More
on adjustable elbows in a bit).
In the middle of the photos is a
20 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
product called Quick-Clamp. This
heavy-gauge ducting has flanges
and connects together with a
quick-clamp and O-rings. Like
spiral, it requires special elbows.
Of the three options, it’s the most
expensive, but is the quickest and
easiest to install.
Finally, on the right is a product
called Snap-Lock. This duct-
ing comes in pre-formed tubes
that need to be locked together
when you get it (photos above).
This type of ducting is the most
economical and takes no special
1-2 Snap Lock joints first need to
be opened up a bit with a screw
driver. Then, the joint goes
together like a zipper.
3 Left to right —Spiral pipe,
quick-clamp, and snap-lock.
adapters. One end comes crimped
so that pieces slip together and
are held with sheet metal screws
through the joints. It also has the
ability to use an adjustable elbow
— a long-bend elbow that can be
adjusted from straight-90°. See
the photos to the right. This looks
similar to what you’d buy at the
HVAC aisle at a hardware store,
but this is much heavier gauge (26
gauge and up)— there are cases
where the light 30 gauge duct has
been collapsed by a dust collector.
This is the type of piping that we
chose for our shop.

What About PVC?

I know people will email me, asking
about PVC as an option. Oneida
does not suggest PVC for a few
reasons. First, code does not allow
PVC dust collection lines in most
places, nor does NFPA (National
Fire Protection Association).
PVC can hold a static charge.
There are no documented cases of 4
it causing an explosion in a small
shop, but it sure packs a wallop. If
it builds a charge, it can give you a
big enough zap to injure you. If you
have a pacemaker —watch out.
PVC 6" or larger can be hard
to get, and 5" doesn’t exist. Sure,
you can order 6" from a plumbing
supply, but at that point you’re
not saving a whole lot from one of
these other options.
Finally, PVC is an odd diameter.
Meaning, that while you can get
the pipes put together, you’ll be
ordering a bunch of random fit-
tings to get the pipes to hook up to
your machines. If PVC was a good
option, dust collection companies
would sell it.
5
Installation Tips
Hopefully, these rules and 4 Adjustable elbows can be finicky. A good trick is to mark a line down the
ductwork types give you an idea of outside of the elbow, and use that as a gauge as you spin the sections.
where to start. Plus, if you order
5 When working on a tall ceiling, putting as many of the parts together on
your system through a dust col- the bench (or floor) is a good idea. Notice the offset marker lines on this
lector company (not a machinery 45° elbow.
company), they’ll help you with
the layout. However, I want to of-
fer a few tips that I found helpful allowed sheet metal screws to be as you need. Each section rotates
as we installed this system. driven, joints to be taped, and any independently of the others.
With the snap lock ductwork stubborn ends to be crimped a bit Marking a line on the outside of the
we used, we found that it was best more with a crimping tool. elbow with a marker (Photo 4) gives
to put as many pieces together Adjustable elbows work won- you an easy reference to rotate each
on the ground as we could. This ders—you can line them up exactly section opposite its neighbors.

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 21
 Dust Collection

6 Strapping needs to be stout

enough to hold the pipes packed
with dust in case of a blockage.
7 Cinch down flex hose with pipe
clamps to avoid leaks.
8 Caulk is the only way to get a
good seal around a blast gate.

Plan your strapping to hang the

ducting. In photo 6, you’ll see this
strap getting hung. I mounted these
straps long. This allowed me to fit
the piping into the current run, and
use the strap to “sling” the loose
end. Then, I could adjust the strap
as necessary to make the run level.
What you don’t see is that this is 14 6
feet in the air, on a ladder!

The Biggest Tips

These final two tips are the best
in my opinion. Yes, they sound
obvious when you read them, but
I can’t overstate them. The first is
to seal everything. It sounds obvi-
ous. But, the amount of noise that
50 leaking joints can produce is
astounding. Plus, all of those tiny
little leaks really add up. You only
have one blast gate open? Well, all
of those leaks add up to two more
open blast gates!
For pipe joints, we used foil
“duct” tape. A down-side of the
adjustable elbows is that the joints
there need to be sealed as well. 7
Oneida suggests RTV caulk for
those, but we just taped them. Blast
gate joints do need the RTV caulk
(Photo 8). I’m sure someone will
ask about the Snap Lock seams...
those do not require sealing.
The final tip is to realize that
not every dust collection ductwork
layout is perfect, and to always plan
for expansion. As you grow in your
shop, you’ll probably be changing
tools, changing layouts, and maybe
even changing locations. And that’s
okay! Just keep these best practices
and tips in mind so that, as you’re
making changes, you can keep your
dust collection system performing
its best. PW – Logan Wittmer 8

22 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
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 In the Shop

Shop Flooring
Giving a little bit of attention to the flooring in
your shop can make your shop more inviting and
more comfortable to work in.
By Logan Wittmer

When’s the last time you took a

good hard look at your shop floor? I
know that’s an odd question. But if
you think about it, it’s the one thing
in your shop you’re always touch-
ing. If you’re like me, you’re used
to working in a shop with an old,
cracked, cold concrete floor that’s
unsightly and hard on the joints.
But, that doesn’t mean you have to
be stuck with it. Here, I’m going to
offer up a few options to brighten
up your space, and make it a bit
more comfortable to work in.

The Flooring Surface

Now, I’m going to make an assump-
tion to start that most of us are
working on concrete floors. If you
have something different, you can
skim over this part.
Concrete is a great surface. It’s
hard, durable, and can support the
weight of all your tools. However,
those same properties make it
not-so-nice to stand on. Plus, it can
get really cold in the winter. Just
because you have a concrete floor
doesn’t mean that you’re stuck
with it. working in the shop. The slight give bunch of options if you want to
A great option for some shops of the floor is a much nicer working add something on top of it. If I was
is the ability to lay sleepers and surface. The voids created by the going to build my dream shop, it
a sub-floor. Take a look at Photo sleepers also offer up a space to run would be covered in some wide-
1 on the next page. Sleepers are stuff such as electrical, insulation, plank, heartwood pine floors. And
basically two-by material, laid on and even dust collection lines (de- hardwood is certainly an (ex-
their face on the existing floor pending on sleeper orientation). pensive) option. Paint, vinyl tile,
(obviously, with proper moisture In addition, the sub-floor model laminate, and even carpet are all
PHOTOS BY LOGAN WITTMER

barriers in place, depending on
local codes). A sub-floor is then
laid over top of the sleepers.
Why, might you ask, would you
add wood over a concrete floor?
Well, first off the sub-floor is much
easier on your knees and back for
can actually help deaden sound
in your shop, especially if you insu-
late underneath.
Now, I wouldn’t say that a
plywood floor is the greatest
looking floor in the world. But, the
sub-floor route leaves you with a
options to go on top of a sub-floor
in the shop. Each has its own con-
siderations that the end-user needs
to weigh. The biggest downside to
running sleepers and a sub-floor
is the price and labor required to
install it.

24 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 Shop Flooring
¾" Sub-Floor
Sleepers
Moisture Barrier
1 2
3
Concrete, But Nicer
If you don’t like the idea of adding
a sub-floor, the next best option is
to give your shop floor a facelift.
Most often, this is done with
the application of some form of
concrete sealer, paint, or epoxy
coating. I think the most obvious
benefit of this is that it can really
brighten up your space, and add
a lot of light back into your shop.
In the last decade, the quality of
concrete covering options have
increased ten-fold, and offer
great visual appeal, as well as
protection. Metallics, solid colors,
vinyl-flake coverage — the possi-
bilities are endless.
You have the option of having
this type of floor professionally
installed, or purchasing a DIY
kit. Obviously, you’ll pay more to
have professionals come in and
install your floor. You’ll also need
to move all of your tools out of the
shop for several days while they’re
in there to work.
With a DIY kit, you’ll still need
to move your tools, but you can
do the shop in sections. Just be
aware that the surface prep can
make or break the flooring. Fresh
concrete floors may only need an
acid etch. Older floors may need
cracks repaired, settling fixed,
and mechanical grinding to cre-
ate a surface that is appropriate
for finishing.
With all of this said, this is the
type of floor that we chose to put in
1 A sub-floor is a great
option to make your shop
warmer, more comfortable
to stand in, and offers many
options for flooring on top
of it.
2 A painted concrete floor is
a good, inexpensive way to
brighten up your shop space.
3 The full-flake epoxy floor-
ing we installed is textured
enough that it's never
slippery, but it still is easy to
sweep up.
our shop. It’s a DIY kit from a com-
pany called Spartan Epoxies, and is a
full-flake coverage epoxy that looks
like granite. Not only does it look
great in person (and in photos), but
it’s non-slip, slightly “squishy” (for
accidental tool drops) and durable.
You can read more about it on page
27. In short, it’s a two-part epoxy,
with a full-coverage vinyl flake. The
top coat is two layers of satin clear
coat to seal it down.
As I mentioned, the biggest
downside of an epoxy or painted
floor is that everything hinges on
the surface prep. Epoxy floors can
range in pricing — anywhere from
$0.50 per square foot for a DIY
paint kit, to over $10/square foot,
for a professional install.
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 25
 Shop Flooring

4 5

4-5 Machine shops used shop-

made wood mats because oil and
chips could fall under your feet, and
they’re comfortable to stand on.
6 Old yoga mats are lightweight
and provide a bit of cushion.
7 Thick workout mats are heavy,
so they stay in place while work-
ing and sweeping.

What About Comfort?

Having localized anti-fatigue mats
in the shop can help reduce some
of the pains that I’ve mentioned.
While there are commercial mats
6 available, and I’m sure they’re
good, I tend to be a little thrifty
with my mats. A good option for
shop-made mats is shown in
Photos 4 and 5.
For my table saw, I use a thin,
rubber yoga mat (my wife seems
to get a new one every few years,
so I gain another mat). These are
lightweight and easy to move, but
they don’t have a ton of cushion.
Another good option is a used
workout mat. You can see mine
at the lathe in Photo 7. These are
heavy rubber mats and are usually
at least 1/2" thick. Often, these come
in rather large pieces, so you can get
two or three mats out of each one.
Be warned, they are heavy though!
7 PW – Logan Wittmer

26 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
■ DIY Floor Epoxy
A
Seen by many as the ultimate
shop flooring, an epoxy floor
looks great and is durable. For
our shop, we chose a full-flake
coverage epoxy from Spartan
Epoxy (SpartanEpoxies.com).
The HDPRO is a tough, DIY kit
that goes on smoothly with a
little planning.
With any epoxy, surface prep
is key. Grinding the concrete
is best, but because this was a
fresh slab, we chose to etch the
concrete with muriatic acid.
B C
You’re looking to open up the
pores of the concrete to allow
the epoxy to bind to it.
After drying for several days,
the work can commence. The
epoxy is mixed together and
spread out in about 200sqft
sections. Three people are key
— one mixing, one squeegee-
ing the epoxy out, and another
back rolling.
The final surface is covered
with vinyl flakes while the
epoxy is wet. Once cured, the
A The epoxy we used came
in a DIY kit, and took a few
hours to install.
B The HDPRO is a two-part
epoxy. The colored base is
mixed in batches.
C After mixing, the epoxy is
spread using a 12mil notched
squeegee, then back-rolled.
D We opted for a full-flake
coverage floor (see main
photo on the first page of
this article). With the epoxy
still wet, vinyl flakes are
broadcast over the entire
surface. Three hundred
pounds over our 1600sq feet.
After a final scraping, a clear
coat is applied.
flakes are scraped to remove
loose material, before applying
a top coat (the HPU Clear, seen
at right in the above photo).
The entire process goes
smoothly with proper plan-
ning. The durability has been
fantastic, as the surface is
scratch resistant, slip resistant
(even covered in saw dust),
and no chemicals we’ve spilled
have touched it. To see a video
of the install process, check
out our YouTube channel.
D
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 27

Smartphone Amplifier
Plastic smartphone amplifiers
can be had for about $15 a piece,
but expect to fork out $100 or
even more for a fancy handcrafted
wooden one. They give a louder
and richer sound than the phones
by themselves. In a nutshell, they
are just a box with a front open-
ing and with a slot on the top to
accept the phone. I made mine out
of poplar and plywood scraps. In
this article, I will show you a well-
28 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
PROJECT #2412_
Skill Level:
Beginner
Time: 2 Days
Cost: $5
These stylish amplifiers not only boost
volume but can also improve the sound
quality of your phone’s built-in speaker.
By Charles Mak
thought-out process that guides
you through the making of a large
batch of amplifiers in as few as two
shop days. With literally every-
one—young and old—owning a
cell phone nowadays, these amplifi-
PHOTO BY CHARLES MAK
ers could well be one of the most
popular gifts you ever make.
1 The speaker can also do dou-
ble-duty as a coaster.
1
 Amplifier
2 3
5 6
Create the Design
Phone amplifiers can be made in
all kinds of shapes and sizes, but
a trumpet-shaped cavity will give
the best amplifying results. I prefer
a more compact design and the
whole box measures 1 3/4" x 4 1/2"
x 5". For a more stylish look, I
designed the box to be in a speaker
shape instead of a square or rect-
angle, as commonly seen. While
primarily an amplifier, I also use it
as a cup stand in the shop. You can
add any other desirable features
to your design, such as making it a
charging station as well.
Given the angled shape of the
amplifier, it would be quite a chal-
lenge to build it with any tradition-
al joinery such as a dovetail or butt
joint. My solution was simple and
easy to execute: first, I laminated
three pieces to form a rectangular
box with a hollow chamfer (refer to
page 31). Then, I cut the box into
its final shape.
4
2 Align the left center point with the drill bit. Lock the stop block in place.
3 Drill the top and middle pieces together as a stack placed against
the stop block.
4 Move the work to align the right center point with the drill bit.
5 Measure the spacing between the stop block and the work.
6 Place the stack against the spacer and stop block. Drill the right hole.
Drill the Top and 3. Stack the top and middle
Middle Pieces against the stop block and drill
Start with the rectangular pieces the left slot hole.
for the top and middle and mark 4. Reposition the top piece so the
the two center points for the slot right center point aligns with
holes on the top piece. To drill the drill bit.
those holes without resetting the 5. Measure the spacing between
fence and stop block, use what the top piece and stop block.
I call a “stop block and spacer” 6. Cut a spacer to the exact
setup, as described below: measurement of the spacing
and put it aside.
1. Install a 5/8" diameter drill bit 7. Place the spacer against the
in the drill press. stop block and the stack
2. Use the left center point on against the spacer.
the top piece to set up the 8. Drill the right slot hole through
fence and stop block. the stack.
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 29
 Amplifier

7 8

Cut Out the Slot 7 Using a scrollsaw will give

With the holes drilled, mark out
the slot and cut it out on the scroll-
saw. If you plan to cut out the slot
with a jigsaw, put masking tape on
the lines to prevent tear-out.
cleaner and straighter cuts than
a jigsaw.
8 Mark the start and end points
on the fence to prevent routing
beyond the slot ends.

Rout the Slot 9 Rout with the work going

If the slot you cut is in good shape,
you can sand its edges smooth and
leave it at that. However, I prefer
a more refined look and chose to
chamfer the slot with a router bit
on the router table. The routing
steps are as follows:
against rotation of the router bit.
10 Mark out the cavity on the
middle pieces.
9
11 Tape two or three middle
pieces together and saw out the
cavities on the bandsaw.

1. Install a fence and position it

so that the router bit chamfers
the outer edge of the slot.
2. Clamp the top piece upside
down in a handscrew and feed
the work from left to right
against the spinning direction
of the bit.
3. Reposition the fence to rout
the inner edge, feeding the
piece from right to left.

Cut Out the Middle Piece

To turn the middle piece into an
amplifying chamber, draw lines on
the piece to mark out the trumpet
cut-out. Use the bandsaw to cut
out the core in a stack of two or
three pieces together. 10 11

30 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
Laminate & Shape Box
Remove any rough edges on the
slot and cutout. Glue up the three
pieces to form the open-ended box.
After the glue is cured, lay out the
angled lines on the top piece, and
set up your miter saw to cut them.
With the use of a stop block, cut
the first angled side of all the boxes.
Reset the miter saw blade and stop
block for the opposite angled side 12 13
and make the angled cuts to pro-
duce the final shape of a speaker.
Lastly, round all the corners on the
oscillating drum sander.

12 Remove the saw marks on

the cutouts by hand or on a belt
and disc sander.
13 The rasp is the tool of choice
for removing burn marks.
14 Glue and clamp all the lami-
nated boxes in one go.
14

■ Exploded View
SLOT
(A) Top
7/16" thick

15 16

15 Position a stop block (B) Middle

3/4" thick
to cut one side of the
amplifier to an angle.
16 Pivot the blade to
the other side to the
desired angle and set
up a stop block for the
second cuts.
(A) Bottom
17 Round the corners 7/16" thick
for a nicer look and feel.
17

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 31
 Amplifier

■ Smartphone Amplifier
11/8"

11/8"
SLOT

18 5/8" DIA.

18 Sign and date the piece and

enjoy the moment of accom-
plishments and satisfaction.
19 A little art work can add a
13/4"
personal touch to the piece. TOP PIECE
TOP VIEW

4 1/8"

31/4"

MIDDLE PIECE
TOP VIEW
19

Add a Finishing Touch

Sign and date each amplifier and
attach self-adhesive pads on the
front corners for a slight tilt at the
front. Decorate the piece as you 13/4"
wish (my wife, Lorraine, made
the suggestion of using a patriotic
theme in the painting) before
applying a few coats of protective
41/8"
finish of your choice. 7/16"
Whether you are a beginner
or a seasoned woodworker, the
illustrated mass-production tech- Cutlist
niques will help you in any future
No. Items Dimensions (in.)
projects that are to be made in T W L
large quantities. So, there you 2 A Top/bottom 7/ 16 5 4 1/ 2
have it—an amplifier that enables 1 B Middle 3/ 4 5 4 1/ 2
you to enjoy an enhanced listening
experience in or out of your shop. *2 self-adhesive felt pads, about 1/ 2" dia.
PW – Charles Mak

32 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
EXCELLENT
ACCURACY
& RELIABILITY
Quality machines with
proven performance. grizzly.com/shopfox

TWO
YEAR
WARRANTY

Available at these fine retailers:

& MORE!
See website for details
 Turn a Natural
Edged Bowl
PROJECT #2414_
Skill Level: Turning a live edge bowl is the perfect way to showcase
Intermediate a special piece of wood, such as this Burr Elm.
Time: 1 Day
By Jimmy Clewes
Cost: $5-200

PHOTO BY LOGAN WITTMER

 Natural Edged Bowl

Turning a live-edge piece of

wood while keeping the natural
edge and bark intact can be tricky.
But, with careful planning and cuts,
you can be left with a stunning piece.

Prep & Mount

To mount the blank, I prefer to
drill a 1" hole into the top of the
piece with a Forstner bit and use
a 4-prong drive, driven in with a
mallet. This is relatively safe as the 1 2
4 prongs are in a hole in solid wood.
I mark the center of the base to 1-2 On an uneven surface, drilling a hole in the blank and driving in a
locate the revolving center. (Note: prong drive is a secure way to hold the blank.
I would advise against using a
center directly in the bark of any
natural edge. If the bark loosens or
gives when turning, the piece could
come off the lathe). The tailstock
and revolving center are used to
support the bowl blank between
centers. Be sure to avoid placing
the blank between the centers and
forcing the 4 prongs into the wood
with the tailstock. This could result
in damage to the bearings in the
revolving center and headstock.

True Up & Get Started 3 4

When the piece is mounted in the
lathe, I like to true up the blank
using a push cut with an Irish
grind bowl gouge. This particular
grind has several names: Irish
grind, Celtric grind, Ellsworth
Grind, and Swept-back wing grind.
They all basically have the wings
swept back to varying degrees.
In order to get a smooth surface
after the cut, make sure that the
bevel is parallel to the cut you are
making and the bevel is floating 5 6
on the surface behind the cut.
Photo 3 shows the appropriate After the blank is trued up on
tool position. the outside, I then start to use the 3 True up the outside of the
If the surface is not smooth draw cut with the grain. You can blank using a push cut.
after the cut, more than likley the see this in Photo 5. On a bowl 4 Remove some excess weight
bel is not rubbing. Even a hair will blank, that is cutting towards you by starting to shape the bottom.
make a difference. (cutting from the foot to the rim).
5 A draw cut removes a lot of
If the surface is spiraled after the This method removes some of the
material quickly, but is not a
cut and has a sheen, it could be that outside excess wood very quickly,
clean cut.
you are pressing too hard with the which allows me to then true up
bevel which will cause the tool to the base with more ease as there is 6 True the bottom of the blank.
“bounce” through the cut. less wood to remove.

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 35
 Natural Edged Bowl

Form the Tenon

Use a pair of dividers to get the
measurement of the inside diam-
eter of the jaws of your chuck. I
used a Vicmarc VM120 and the
measurement is 2 1/8" diameter.
Remove excess waste using a
draw cut until you start to get close
to your tenon mark. Then, use a
parting tool to make a plunge cut
to form the tenon. Remember to
cut to the left side of the line, as
otherwise the tenon will be too
small! I made my tenon 3/8" deep
for a stronger hold in the chuck.
Also, depending on your jaws, the 7 8
tenon may need to be dovetailed.
The Vicmarc jaws are slightly
dovetailed, so I angle the walls of
the tenon.

Shape the Outside

Now that the tenon is formed and
acting as a reference for the rest
of the curve, you can remove the
excess wood to the desired curve of
the bowl. Remember: The grain on
most bowls is always running from
the base towards the outside edge.
Some exceptions can be burls,
in that the grain could be running
in several directions in close
proximity. If this is the case like
in the piece I chose. As I was turn-
ing, I experimented with several
different cut directions and found
that the least amount of tearout
was caused by cutting from the
rim to the foot. You can see this in
the Photos on the next page, and
this goes against standard bowl
9
turning practices.
After completing the initial shape 7-8 Measure the diameter of
of the bowl, I then use a shear cut your chuck jaws and transfer
to refine the edge. This shear cut that measurement to your blank.
is done with the gently curved
wing of the tool, presented at a 9 Make a draw cut to remove
high angle, with the flute almost excess waste away from around
completely closed. It is critical that the tenon location.
the edge is honed before doing 10 A parting tool, plunged to the
this — a 1000-grit diamond hone left side of the line, will form the
gets a really sharp edge beforehand. tenon. If you have dovetailed
As long as you are cutting with the jaws, make sure to angle the
grain, this shear cut will remove walls of the tenon slightly.
any slight tear out. 10

36 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
11 12

13 14

11-12 After making several cuts,

and inspecting the surface, this
blank decided it wanted to be
cut from the rim towars the base.
13 As you get towards the
bottom, start to shape the foot
of the bowl.
14 A gentle curve lifts the bowl
shape nicely off the table.
15 This shearing cut is done
with a sharp edge and the flute
nearly closed. The whispy,
angle-hair like shavings tell
you you’ve got the edge at the
correct angle.
15

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 37
 Natural Edged Bowl
16
19
Sand & Finish Outside
After completing the outside, we
can now sand and finish it. I raise
the grain first by spraying the
surface with denatured alcohol and
allowing it to dry. I started sand-
ing with 180 grit through to 400.
Don’t miss a grit or you will leave
scratches from the previous grit.
The natural edge can be sanded
with the piece stationary, which is
safer and more accurate.
For a finish, I apply a thin coat
of Zinsser’s transparent shellac and
allow it to dry. When dry, I take a
small piece of 0000 steel wool and
with the lathe stationary, cut back
the shellac.
My favorite part of any wood-
work is applying the final finish
and watching the grain pop! For
38 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
17
20
this piece, I used Howard’s feed
and wax, a simple beeswax and or-
ange oil cream, which is available
from several large DIY stores. This
product feeds the wood and has a
very pleasant aroma. After leaving
it for several minutes, I used a soft
cloth to wipe off the excess.
Hollowing the Inside
With the outside completed you can
remove the piece from the 4 prong
drive and remove the tailstock and
revolving center. Attach the chuck
and mount the bowl in the jaws.
Make sure that the piece is run-
ning true in the chuck. If it’s not, it
could be that the spru (the nub left
from the revolving center) will not
fit through the middle of the chuck
and is pushing it off square.
18
16 Contrary to popular belief,
Denatured Alcohol will raise the
grain slightly.
17 Knock back the raised grain.
18 Apply a coat of shellac.
19 0000 steel wool is a great
way to buff out the shellac.
20 A final top coat of a wax and
oil mixture deepens the burl and
adds luster to the wood.
For most of the hollowing, I
used my “Mega Mate” Nano-car-
bide, cup cutting tool. The design
allows for a continuous cut and is
difficult to get a catch with. The
cup cutter is sharpened with dia-
monds and can be rotated 4 times
before needing replacing depend-
ing on the wood you are cutting.
I find you have more control
when hollowing by pushing the
tool into the wood as opposed
to drawing the cut out towards
the rim. If you do not have a cup
cutter like the Mega Mate, use tra-
ditional bowl gouges to hollow it.
I start hollowing from the mid-
dle of the bowl and work toward
the outside, pushing the tool into
the wood and using my left hand
as a pivot point. I hollow to about
 20 Remount the blank in the
chuck jaws.
21 Start hollowing from the
inside, working out.
21 Slow, light cuts will help
with the hit-and-miss of the live
edge.
23 A negative scraper can help
remove tool marks.
24 Work in sections, doing
1/3rd the bowl at a time.
21 22

23 24

half way, leaving the guts of the

bowl intact for support. I’ll get the
walls to the final thickness, and in
this case, its approximately 3/8".
When used correctly and with
good tool control, the finish from
the Mega Mate can be adequate
to start sanding, however, I prefer
to make a final finishing cut (push
cut) with the 1/2" bowl gouge.
With a wavy live-edge, the tool
may bounce and leave ridges. If
this is the case, a sharp negative
rake scraper can be used to re-
move the ridges.
When you are happy with the
surface left from the tool on the
top half of the bowl, you can
keep working down deeper. Don’t
worry about sanding yet, you can
do the whole bowl at once. As you 25

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 39
 Natural Edged Bowl

26 27

26 Spritz the inside of the bowl

with alcohol.
27 Sand back the raised fibers.
Dust will pack into the burl, so
blow it out with compressed air.
28 Apply shellac to the inside.
29 A soft brush will help push
the finish down into the uneven
surface of the live edge.
28 29

■ Live-Edge Bowl
get deeper, you may need what
is known as a bottom-feeding
bowl gouge to complete the curve
around the bottom of the bowl.
This tool has a more obtuse bevel
9 1/2" DIA angle and will generally have the
heel ground away slightly so it
does not crush the fibers behind
the cut. The obtuse bevel angle
will help to keep the bevel in con-
tact with the wood whilst not in-
terfering with the rim of the bowl.
The angle on the bottom-feeding
gouge is approximately 80° as
7" opposed to 60° on my standard
gouge. The tool is generally thick-
er as well, at 5/8". This extra mass
means less flex as it’s hanging off
the toolrest.
After sanding there may be dust
caught in the natural edge and any
of the voids that are within the
Wall Thickness: blank. Once that dust has soaked
1/2"
up finish, it can be very hard to
31/2" remove. So, I use compressed air
to blow away any dust, then apply
the shellac to the bowl surface.

40 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
30
32
Don't put shellac on the natural
edge. When the shellac is dry,
finish the piece as before. To finish
the natural edge, I use a soft brush,
dip it in the Howard’s finish, and
gently work it into the bark and
natural edge. You may need to
make stabbing motions to get it
down into the nooks and crannies.
To remove the tenon, use a
sacrificial “jam chuck” to wedge
the bowl between the chuck and
tailstock. I keep several of these
blocks around the shop for this
purpose. They’re simply a domed
over piece of wood (in different
radius for different applications).
On top, I have applied some
31
33
adhesive backed strips of foam.
This adds a little cushion, as well
as grab to the surface. Position the
bowl over the jack chuck and bring
up the tailstock. You’ll notice that
you still have the original tailstock
mark from initial shaping. Now
you can start working the tenon
away. Take small cuts and leave a
small nubbin where the tailstock
is holding. A pull saw with a thin
kerf will remove the last of the
material. You’ll have a little bit of
a rough area where you cut away
the nub — just sand it out.
Turning a live edge bowl is a
great way to showcase a special
piece of wood, like this burl. How-
30 This jam chuck is a dome of
wood with foam strips on it.
31 The tailstock pinches the
blank against the foam and
wood dome.
32 Use light cuts to remove
the tenon.
33 Once you get down to just a
small nub, cut it away.
ever, don’t think that you cant use
a regular piece of wood for this
either. Using a fresh-cut, green
section of log with the bark still on
is a good bit of fun. If you turn it
thin, the bowl will warp and distort
as it dries, which can lead to some
spectacular organic shapes. Once
you do several, you can start to pre-
dict the way in which the blank will
start to move. (Growth rings will
try to straighten out as they dry).
The biggest thing to remember
with green wood is that the entire
bowl needs to be a constant thick-
ness. Otherwise, the bowl will
want to crack as it dries. Of course,
you need to have access to green
wood, which is a little hard if you
live in the desert like me!
PW — Jimmy Clewes
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 41
 Torsion Table
PROJECT #2413_
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Time: 2 Day
Cost: $150

PHOTO BY LOGAN WITTMER

This table design is reminiscent of

suspension style bridges, and is easy
to build in a weekend.
By Doug Stowe
 Torsion Table

I built the first of these “torsion

tables” for my book “Making Ele-
gant Custom Tables,” and it wasn’t
until years later that I realized that
the engineering is unique, leading
me to revisit. One of the things I
like about this design is that it is
visually light and airy while actual-
ly being quite strong and stable.
I named this particular table a
“torsion table” due to the resem-
blance between the way its various
parts are given stability and the
suspension on my mother’s old ’62
Volkswagon that relied on torsion
rods in place of springs to cushion
its ride. That may be a stretch, but
then the way this table gets its 1
strength is unique and deserves a
name. It has none of the parts you
would normally associate with a
table other than legs and a top.
Making the table involves mak-
ing front-to-back cross pieces with
round tenons on each end. The
legs are mortised for those tenons
to fit and torsion rods connect
the front-to-back pieces together.
Short tenoned pieces connect the
top and elevate it over the table’s
structure, allowing it to float while
also allowing the underlying struc- 2 3
ture to be seen and admired. This
is a great project for a woodworker
who, in addition to the common
shop tools, has access to a lathe.

Front-To-Back Stretchers
The first step is to mill the parts.
Then using a drill press and 5/8"
Forstner bit, drill holes in the
front-to-back stretchers for the
torsion rods to fit. Drill the holes
1" deep, centered in the stock and
using the drawing as your guide.
There are 6 total front-to-back
stretchers. The top front-to-back 4
stretchers receive holes for the 3
tenoned pieces that connect to
the top. The other 4 stretchers 1 At the drill press, drill a series of holes in what will become the
receive the torsion rods. Two stretchers.
of these stretchers receive two
mortises spaced about 3" from 2-3 Turn the parts into octagons by nipping off the corners.
the end and the other two receive 4 Two stretchers have two holes, two have one.
holes dead center measured from

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 43
 Torsion Table

one end to the other. To drill

these holes, I place a fence on the
drill press and use a stop block to
make certain the various holes are
drilled to their precise locations.
Next, use the table saw to cut
the square stock into octagonal
stock by making table saw cuts.
The octagonal stock will be easy
to mount in the lathe and will
provide a head start on turning
the tenons on the lathe. If you’ve
tried to turn square stock on the
lathe, you’ll have already noted
the reason for it.
Mount the stretcher stock in
the lathe and turn 3/4" tenons
1 1/8" long on each end. I use a 5
3/4" open-end wrench to check
the size of the tenon as I proceed.
5 At the lathe, turn tenons on the
When the wrench slips onto the
ends of the stretchers.
tenon, it’s time to stop, so stop
the lathe regularly and check 6 After tapering the legs, drill the
when you start to get close. After holes for the stretchers.
forming the tenon on one end, 7 Cut a bevel on the top of the leg.
reverse the stock to form a tenon
on the other side. If you like, you
can turn the whole piece round
from one end to the other for a
slight variation.

Onto the Legs

After cutting a 1 3/4" white oak
stock to length, I tapered the legs
first, from a point 12" from the
top down to 1 1/4" square at the
bottom. This was done to lighten
the look of the table adding to the
idea of the floating top. 6 7
Next, you’ll need to mortise
the leg. Carefully mark the
locations for the various mortis-
es and use a 3/4" Forstner bit to
drill the holes. I use a drill press
to make certain that the holes
are vertical and aligned and a
stop block to make certain the
holes are aligned from one leg
to another. Each leg will require
three mortises. An easy mistake
to make at this point is to lose
track of how the legs are to be
arranged with each other. Put
them together in pairs, remem-
bering that the tapers are to be 8

44 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 9
8-9 A chamfer bit run along all
the edges creates a nice detail.
10 A tenon cutter in a drill forms
the tenons on the end of the rods.
on the inside of the legs, not the
outside. It is easy to get them
mixed up and end up with one
leg out of sync with the taper on
the outside, not the inside.
You will notice in the photos
that I cut an angle at the top of
each leg. This is because with the
top floating above the frame, the
angle provides a more finished
look. Use a chamfering bit in the
router table to chamfer all the
edges of the leg.
Torsion Rods
After the mortises in the legs are
formed, it’s time to make the
torsion rods. Use the table saw to
turn 3/4" square stock into octag-
onal stock as shown in forming
the front-to-back stretchers. Cut
the stock to length as described
in the illustration and cut list
and then use a Veritas 5/8" round
tenoner to form 3/4" long tenons
on each end. Make enough extra
stock for making the pieces that
connect the base to the top. Form
tenons to those parts as well. I
have a simple way to make sure
the Veritas tenoner cuts only
tenons of a set length. Cut a short
dowel to put inside the tenon
cutter. This will restrict its depth,
allowing it to cut no further than
you desire.
10
Begin Assembly
Sand all the parts prior to assembly,
then after putting a dab of glue in
the mortises of the front-to-back
stretchers, spread the glue with a
dowel and insert the torsion rods.
The round joints in this table can
allow parts to go together while
twisted, so use a flat surface to
make sure that the front-to-back
stretchers are parallel, and both flat
to the table as the glue sets.
I used Gorilla glue to attach the
front-to-back stretchers to the
11
12
legs to provide a bit more open
time for adjusting the parts. I can
rotate the round tenons in their
mortises so adjusting things and
keeping things in a just-so posi-
tion as the glue sets is important.
Spread Gorilla glue in the joint
and use a damp paper towel to
dampen the tenons. Just a bit of
moisture activates the glue. Take
your time in assembly. Check care-
fully to see that the leg’s tapers are
to the inside. Assemble either the
front or the back and then begin
adding the additional legs. Make
sure the top front-to-back stretch-
ers have their tenons pointing
straight up.
Use a carpenter’s square to
make certain that the legs stand
straight up. And then once you
are assured of that, temporarily
11-12 Test fit all of the parts so
that there are no surprises when
you start to assemble.
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 45
 Torsion Table

13

15

14

13-14 Glue the stretchers into

the legs. Polyurethane glue
requires moisture to activate.
15 Assemble the torsion rods
laying flat to ensure alignment.
16-17 Carefully drive the re-
maining leg in place.
18 Flip the assembly upside
down and check the legs
for square.
16 17

insert the pieces that connect the

table base to the top making cer-
tain they are also pointed straight
up. An easy way to do this is with
the use of a short level. When
the glue has set holding the legs,
stretchers, and torsion rods in
a rigid form, attach the tenoned
part for holding the top to the
structure. Glue them in the upper
front-to-back stretchers. Once
dry, turn the base upside down
on the top.
To locate where you must drill
holes connecting the base to
the top, requires positioning the
base upside down on the top and
marking with the pencil where the
holes must be drilled. The holes
must be drilled exactly vertical us-
ing a Forstner bit. Do so with care 18

46 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 ■ Torsion Table
E
A
5/ 8"
x 3/4" tenon
on each end
B
C
19 D
5/ 8" x 3/4" tenon
on each end NOTE : Parts C-E
are octagon-shaped.

15/8" 7/16"

4 3/16" 2"
2 1/2"
5 7/8" 12"
20 6"

11/4" 2 15/16"
19 Line up the top connectors 3/ 4"
x 11/16"
and mark their location.
STRETCHERS tenon on each end
20 A drill guide helps drill plumb SIDE VIEW
holes in the top.

to avoid going all the way through. 13 1/2"

A drill press set to the right depth R 53"
is the best and safest option. TOP VIEW
You have noticed the unusual
shape of the top… the gentle TABLE TOP
rounding of the ends and that the
front is recessed in the middle. Cutlist
This is not only to create a more
distinctive design, but one that No. Items Dimensions (inches)
welcomes you to step forward and T W L
1 A Top 1 14 3/ 4 44 11/8"
to engage with it. The underside is 5
4 B Legs 1 /8 1 5/ 8 31 1/ 2
chamfered to thin the visual edge, 6 C Stretchers 1 1/ 4 1 1/ 4 10 1/ 2 LEGS
lightening the appearance without 3 D Torsion rods 3 /4 3/ 4 32 1/ 2 SIDE VIEWS
loss of strength. The top surface is 6 E Top connectors 3 /4 3/ 4 3 1/ 2
chamfered only lightly to ease the
touch. PW – Doug Stowe

POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 47
dream shop project

Tool
Cabinet
The tool storage you need for the
type of woodworking you do is
a personal thing. It takes time to
figure out what warms your soul
and makes you want to spend
time in the shop. That’s when
you’ll know you’ve arrived in
your woodworking journey and
want to graduate from the mish-
mash of cabinets that house your
tools (old kitchen cabinets can
only be modified so far).
OPTIONS. This is a two-part
cherry cabinet that sports frame
and panel joinery for the doors
which enclose storage spaces
that will meet all your needs. As
you see in the photos here there
is an array of drawers and trays
that allow you to choreograph
not only the storage of fine tools,

Written by: Erich Lage; Project Design: John Doyle; Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg
but the ability to take them on
the road to the workbench, or
project at hand.

 around.
Drawers with slides handle the heavy stuff that you don’t want banging
Trays that ride on shop-made runners provide space for smaller,
more often used tools.
Exploded NOTE: REFER TO SOURCES
ON PAGE 214 FOR

View Details HARDWARE INFORMATION

OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
22"D x 36 1⁄2"W x 70"H TWO MOLDINGS
(A ROUNDOVER
AND A COVE)
ADD A
CROWNING
DETAIL TO TOP
OF CABINET
FRAME AND PANEL
DOORS ADD DISTINCTION MID-SIZED
TO THE LOOK OF THE DRAWERS ADD TO
CABINET THE STORAGE
TRAYS ALLOW YOU
TO TAKE A SPECIFIC OPTIONS
SET OF TOOLS TO AVAILABLE
NOTE: MATERIALS AND THE PROJECT
HARDWARE LIST SEPARATES
THE TWO CABINETS, GIVING
YOU THE OPTION TO BUILD
ONE AT A TIME. TRAYS ARE PERFECT FOR THICK BASE
STORING AND PROTECTING CABINET TOP
OFTEN-USED HAND TOOLS EASILY
SUPPORTS
LARGE DRAWERS ARE UP UPPER CASE
TO THE TASK OF STORING
SMALL POWER TOOLS

materials & hardware

BASE CABINET
A Sides (2) 2012 x 35 - 34 Ply.
B Dividers (2) 1912 x 33 - 34 Ply.
LOTS OF SPACE IN
C Drawer Dividers (2) 1912 x 578 - 34 Ply. THE BASE CABINET
D Mounting Cleats (2) 3 x 33 - 34 Ply. TO STOW AWAY
ARCHED APRON THE BIGGER TOOLS
E Front Stiles (2) 3 x 3 - 35
4 ADDS SUBTLE
F Apron (1) 3 4 x 4 - 30 CHARM
G Edging 3 3
4 x 4 - 95 rgh.
H Back Stiles (2) 3 x 3 - 35
4 UPPER CASE
I Center Stile (1) 3 x 3 - 23
4 A Sides (2) 1512 x 3714 - 34 Ply. T Door Center Stiles (2) 3 x 21 - 131
4 2 8
J Back Rails (2) 3 4 x 612 - 29 B Dividers (3) 1412 x 33 - 34 Ply. U Door Rails (4) 3 1 13
4 x 2 2 - 9 16
K Back Panels (2) 1 x 133 - 23
2 8 C Small Sides (2) 1412 x 1638 - 34 Ply. V Door Panels (4) 1 2 x 4132 - 1318
L Base Shelf (1) 18 2 x 3238 - 34 Ply.
1
D Small Dividers (2) 1412 x 2812 - 34 Ply. W Drawer Sides (4) 1 x 31 - 14
2 2
M Door Stiles (4) 3 x 21 - 235
4 2 8 E Drawer Divider (1) 1412 x 412 - 34 Ply. X Drawer Fronts/Backs (4) 1 2 x 312 - 1218
N Door Center Stiles (2) 3 1
4 x 2 2 - 19 8 5
F Tray Divider (1) 1412 x 318 - 34 Ply. Y Drawer Bottoms (2) 1312 x 1218 - 14 Ply.
O Door Rails 4( ) 3 4 x 212 - 91316 G Case Stiles (2) 3 x 3 - 371 Z False Fronts (2) 3 x 33 - 1313
4 4 4 4 16
P Door Panels (4) 12 x 4132 - 1958 H Case Rail 1
( ) 3 1
4 x 2 2 - 30 AA Large Tray Fronts/Backs (6) 34 x 212 - 2778
Q Drawer Sides (2) 1 x 41 - 18
2 2 I Edging 3 x 3 -155 rgh. BB Tray Sides (10) 1 x 21 - 141
4 4 2 2 2
R Drawer Front/Back (2) 1 2 x 4 2 - 2612
1
J Case Shelf (1) 1358 x 3238 - 34 Ply. CC Large Tray Bottoms (3) 14 x 2714 - 14 Ply.
S Drawer Bottom (1) 1712 x 2612 - 14 Ply. K Back Stiles (2) 3 x 3 - 371 DD Tray Fronts/Backs (4) 3 x 21 - 131
4 4 4 2 2
T False Front (1) 3 x 5 - 273
4 4 L Back Center Stile 1
( ) 3 3
4 x 3 - 28 4 EE Tray Bottoms (2) 14 x 13 - 14 Ply.
U Top (1) 1 x 2134 - 3512 M Back Lower Rail (1) 3 x 61 - 29 FF Tray Runners (10) 1 x 1 - 141
4 2 4 2 2
N Back Upper Rail (1) 3 x 3 - 29
4
• (1) Pair 18" Full-Extension Drawer slides • (2) Pair 14" Full-Extension Drawer slides
• (2pr.) 2" Hinges O Back Panels (2) 1 x 133 - 283
2 8 4
• (2pr.) 2" Hinges
• (4) 14" Shelf Pins P Case Top 1( ) 1 3
16 2 x 35 - 4 Ply.
• (12) Drawer Knobs
• (4) Drawer Knobs Q Roundover Molding 34 x 34 - 75 rgh. • (2) Door Catches
• (2) Door Catches R Cove Molding 3 x 3 - 75 rgh.
4 4 • (4) 14" Shelf Pins
• (6) #8 x 114" Panhead woodscrews w/Washers S Door Stiles (4) 3 4 x 212 - 1718 • (20) #6 x 58" Fh Woodscrews
1 3⁄8
3⁄8
FIGURE 3⁄8
3⁄8
D
MOUNTING
C CLEAT
DRAWER D (3" x 33")
DIVIDER C
(19½" x 57⁄8") 6
½" INSET
FOR CLEAT
B

A A
SIDE NOTE: ALL PARTS A ½" INSET FOR
(20½" x 35") ARE MADE FROM DIVIDER
¾" PLYWOOD SIDE 17¾
¾
NOTE: DIVIDERS VIEW ¼"-DIA. HOLE,
SHELF 3⁄8"
3⁄8"" DEEP
3⁄
AND CLEATS ARE PIN
CENTERED ON HOLES
SIDES
13⁄
3⁄8
13⁄8

1
B DIVIDER
(19½" x 33")

¼
b. c.
a. D
3⁄8 C
3⁄8 3⁄8
B C
A
FRONT A 6
VIEW
37⁄8 D
FRONT A
VIEW 1½

¼ 3⁄8 ½
B
TOP
start with a ¼
VIEW

Solid Base BASE ANATOMY. We’re at the point where we can

The base of the tool cabinet provides storage for the larger
tools in your arsenal. As you see in the Figure 1 above
there’s a large opening where an adjustable shelf will
reside behind a set of doors you’ll make in a little while.
The cavity above that space will hold the tool cabinet’s
largest drawer. The building process starts at the table saw.
The bones of the base cabinet are all plywood parts.
After you’ve wrestled the big sheets into the more man-
ageable sizes of the sides and dividers, it’s time to change
out the blade for a dado set.
DADOES. The sides of the base have three dadoes.
The lowest dado (detail ‘a’) holds the divider that is the
bottom of base. The upper two that you see above in the
Side View are next in line. The one in the middle is for the
divider that’s the bottom of the drawer cavity. The upper
dado is for the mounting cleats you’ll use to attach the top.
There are a couple of dadoes left to do in the upper
divider for the drawer dividers — detail ‘b’ shows their
location. Also, drill the holes for the shelf pins, they’re
shown in the Side View.
glue up the base, so there’s something I need to bring
to your attention — how the front and back assemblies
join to the base. If you take a gander at detail ‘c’ and the
Side View, you’ll notice that the narrower dividers are
centered on the sides. This is to accommodate the rabbets
that you’ll cut into the stiles on the front and back assem-
blies. This joinery lets the front and back nestle into the
body of the case, providing more glue surface.
The wide stiles — especially on the front assembly,
provide extra rigidity to the overall structure. On the
inside edge they’re glued to the drawer dividers, creating
the opening for the drawer, and a wee bit more rigidity
for the base.
DEALERS CHOICE. So to address this challenge and
make sure that the dividers are centered on the sides
during glueup, you can do one of two things. You can cut
some 1⁄2" shims to act as spacers when clamping up the
base. Or, you can make the stiles and use them as fillers
for the glueup. Either way, when you glue up the base,
it’s critical that the dividers are centered in the sides.

50 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 2 NOTE: GLUE OUTSIDE
FIGURE
HALVES OF RAILS ONLY
J BACK RAIL
(6½" x 29")
H

K
K BACK
PANEL
G (133⁄8" x 23")
EDGING
(¾ x 28)
NOTE: BACK
PANELS ARE MADE
NOTE: EDGING FROM ½"-THICK
PIECES ARE GLUED HARDWOOD. ALL
TO DIVIDER AND OTHER PARTS ARE
J
E MOUNTING CLEAT MADE FROM I
¾"-THICK CENTER STILE H
FRONT HARDWOOD (3" x 23") BACK STILE
STILE (3" x 35")
(3" x 35") E

a. K H SIDE 9⁄16
J
b.
¼ VIEW
(CROSS- 9⁄16
SECTION)
5⁄8 ½

APRON 5⁄8
½
(4" x 30") I
F K K
¼ FRONT
c. J
VIEW
TOP VIEW
¼ ¼
H ¼ J 1
¼ d.
¾
½ FRONT VIEW
(CROSSSECTION)
3 F
CL
¾ ¼
E
E G 7⁄8 5⁄8

e. ¼
TOP VIEW

FRONT & BACK
Moving on to the parts that will close up the case, I started
with the front. As you see in Figure 2, the front is made
of two stiles that are joined at the bottom with an apron.
Along the top they rest next to some edging that’s glued
to the divider and the mounting cleat. Start by cutting all
the parts to size.
MORTISES. Details ‘c’ and ‘d’ show the location of
the mortises in the front stiles. If you have a mortising
machine go for it. Otherwise get out your Forstner bit
and chisel, head over to the drill press, and show us what
you can do. Then cut the rabbets along the edge like you
see in detail ‘e.’
The apron is next in line. Start off by cutting the tenons
to join to the stiles (detail ‘d’). Then shape the arc along the
bottom edge (Figure 2d). For the sake of proper spacing
I cut the top piece of edging to size and included it in the
glueup of the front frame assembly (do that now). But
don’t rely on that union — it won’t stand the test of time.
It will last long enough to glue the front frame to the base,
which is what you can do when the frame is dry.
Apply glue to the rabbets of the stiles and the back
side of the top edging, then clamp it to the case. Also
add the edging that’s glued to the divider. Now you can
make the back.
FRAME & PANEL. The back is a frame and panel
assembly that gives you the visual option of placing it
anywhere in the shop and looking good from all sides.
Cut the centered grooves in the stiles and rails (Figures
2a and 2b). Then cut the tongues in the center stile and
rails. (Don’t forget those rabbets on the edge of the stiles.)
PANELS. The panels are glued-up hardwood rab-
beted along the inside edge. Notice in Figure 2b that the
vertical rabbets are wider than the horizontal versions.
Later we’ll visit about why the rabbets on the panels
are different widths. When gluing up the back, use just
a dab of glue in the center of the panels, and only the
outside halves of the rails. When the back assembly is
dry, you can glue it to the base.
3
FIGURE

½
TOP VIEW
DOOR CENTER (CROSSSECTION)
STILE
(2½" x 195⁄8") DOOR STILE
N (2½" x 235⁄8") O M M ¼ O
2" BUTT
¾" x 4½" HINGE M
MOUNTING BLOCK MAGNETIC CL
LATCH
O
a.
BASE
SHELF
NOTE: SHELF (18½" x 323⁄8")
IS ¾" PLYWOOD.
DOOR PANELS
L 3¼
b.
ARE ½"-THICK 1" KNOB
HARDWOOD. ALL
REMAINING
PARTS ARE 1⁄16
¾"-THICK G 23⁄8
HARDWOOD M P
EDGING
(¾" x 28") O FRONT
VIEW
P M
2
O THICKNESS OF
P HINGE LEAF
DOOR PANEL DOOR RAIL
(41⁄32" x 195⁄8") (2½" x 913⁄16")

c. NOTE: MOUNTING BLOCK IS

CENTERED ON CABINET d.
11⁄32
FRONT VIEW NOTE: RABBETS ON PANELS
(CROSS SECTION) ARE THE SAME SIZE AS
½ RABBETS ON BASE BACK.
M
O
MOUNTING M
BLOCK
½
SIDE VIEW
(CROSSSECTION) N
P ½ P
MAGNETIC LATCH

TENONS. The next task is cutting the tenons on the

trim it out with ends of the center stile and the rails. You can see both

Simple Style
Now it’s time to sub-divide and tidy up the big space that’s
the base cabinet. As you see in the figures on these two
pages, this is all about adding a pair of doors, a big drawer,
and a thicker than normal top that’s an appropriate crown
for the base.
Let’s kick off by making the shelf that lives inside the
base. The front is edged with the same edging material
that you used on the base front. That was easy, now let’s
move on to the doors.
FRAME & PANEL DOORS. If you take a gander at
all the visual info above in Figure 3d, you’ll see the
joinery details for the two doors. The joinery of doors,
(like the back panels on the base) make for a strong,
and appealing accent to the surface of the cabinet. The
shadowline created by the recessed panels that are
held in the stiles and rails break up the surface in an
interesting way. The process starts at the table saw by
making centered grooves in the stiles and rails.
tenons in Figure 3d. After installing a dado blade in your
table saw, it’s just a matter of attaching a sacrificial fence to
your miter gauge and using your rip fence as a stop to cut
the shoulders of the tenons. Then nibble away the cheek
waste by backing the workpiece away from the rip fence.
Cutting the rabbets on the panels are the last detail to
be done before gluing up the doors. They are the same
configuration as the rabbets you cut on the back panels
earlier. When they’re cut, you can clean off the appropriate
worksurface and gather up the clamps and supplies to glue
the doors together.
DOOR DETAILS. After the glue has done its work on
the doors, you can focus on the details required for
integrating them into the base. This starts with attach-
ing the hinges — first to the doors (Figure 3b), then to
the base cabinet.
Drilling holes for the knobs is next up. Figures 3 and 3a
provides the information needed. Attaching the magnetic
catch and installing the mounting block on the underside
of the drawer divider is the last thing to do in this phase,
Figure 3c gives you insight on what to do.

52 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 NOTE: BOTTOM IS ¼" PLYWOOD.
FALSE FRONT IS ¾"-THICK
4 TOP VIEW
FIGURE
HARDWOOD. ALL OTHER PARTS
ARE ½"-THICK HARDWOOD (CROSS SECTION)

18" FULL EXTENSION R 3⁄8

DRAWER SLIDE
FALSE FRONT
(5" x 27¾" )
Q 1⁄8
T R
S ¼
DRAWER BOTTOM
(17½" x 26½") Q S a.

CL b.
67⁄8 Q
DRAWER SIDE
T SIDE VIEW
(CROSS SECTION)
1" KNOB (4½" x 18")

Q
Q R
c. ¼
S R
S
DRAWER FRONT
1⁄8 (4½" x 26½" ) ¼
TOP VIEW 1⁄16
(CROSSSECTION)
3⁄8 R ½
1⁄16 T

A BIG DRAWER d.
Now you can turn your attention to the opening in the drawer. You’ll need Q
upper portion of base cabinet where a big drawer lives. to confirm the loca-
FRONT VIEW
(CROSS SECTION)
This is the biggest drawer in the cabinet and it’s meant to tion specifications of
¼ R
hold heavy stuff — if you choose to store it there. This is the hardware you
why we decided to attach these to the base with full-exten- have on hand. ¼
3⁄16 ¼
sion drawer slides, the heavy-duty kind of slides that can Once the slides
take a beating. Since the slides are going to be doing most are in place on the
of the heavy lifting, we chose a simple, yet sturdy joint to cabinet and the side
S
use on the drawer box. of the drawer box,
TONGUE & DADO. Figure 4a and 4c shows the joinery you can slide the
employed for the drawer box. After cutting all the parts box in the opening
to final size, you’ll start the joinery process on the sides. (with double-sided tape affixed to the box front). Now
The sides require a narrow dado cut in the ends to mate it’s time to center the false front in the opening, Figure 4c
with the front and back drawer parts. shows the reveal you’re looking for. When you’re comfort-
What follows this is making the rabbet on the ends of able with the spacing, press the false front firmly against
the front and back pieces (they are shown in the same the box. Now you can remove the drawer and screw the
details as the tongues). Lastly, before gluing up the box, false front to the box from inside. Adding the knobs is the
cut the groove along the bottom edge of all four drawer last bit of work to do on the drawer (Figures 4 and 4b).
pieces for the drawer bottom, Figures 4b and 4d shows THE TOP. Making the top is the last order of business
where it’s located. for the cabinet base. As you see in Figure 5 below, the
FALSE FRONT. It’s time to install the false front. The eas- top is thicker than normal. We felt the top was deserv-
iest way to do this is to first install the drawer slides in the ing of a little more prominence so we beefed it up to
case and on the sides of the drawer box. Figure 4d shows 1"-thick material. It’s attached to the base with screws
where the set we used attaches to the cabinet and the through oversized holes.

5 #8 x 1¼" Ph
FIGURE
a. SIDE VIEW WOODSCREW
U (CROSS SECTION) W/ WASHER
TOP
(21¾" x 35½") U
¾"-RAD. ¾
BULLNOSE

b. U FRONT VIEW

NOTE: TOP IS MADE OF ¾

1"-THICK HARDWOOD
6
FIGURE
B

SHELF PIN A
3⁄8
NOTE: EDGING IS ¾"-THICK
HOLES SIDE 3⁄8
HARDWOOD. ALL OTHER 91⁄8 VIEW ½
PARTS ARE ¾" PLYWOOD A
A B
S
SIDE
IDE ¼"-DIA.
(15½
½" x 37¼")
15½" HOLE, 3⁄8" DEEP
TRAY 1
DIVIDER F
(1
14½" 1⁄8")
4½" x 31⁄
31⁄8"
D
197⁄8
13⁄8 13⁄8
C

SMALL DIVIDER
DIVI
VIDE
DER
DE
ER
(14½" x 28
2
28½")
8½"
½)
D

E
DRAWER DIVIDER
R
a. B
(14½" x 4½"
4½" )
3⁄8
C FRONT
SMALL
SMALL SID
SIDEE VIEW ¼
(1
14½"
4 ½"
½ x1 6 33⁄⁄8")
163⁄8"
B
DIVIDER
(14½" x 33")
c. CL
¼
D
CL D
b. C 17
B ¼ D 12¾
4 E
¼ FRONT FRONT A
25⁄8
F VIEW VIEW
3⁄8
B 4¼
D B

up above there’s a
1¾

Sturdy Case
While the base cabinet is cooling off in the corner, you can
turn your attention to what’s going to live on top — the
upper case that you see flowing across these pages. It starts
out fairly similar to its older, larger sibling with the ply-
wood construction you see above. But to provide storage
for the variety of smaller tools you’ve gathered over time,
the infrastructure is quite different.
You see at the bottom center of the case there’s an open-
ing for a pair of drawers that are slightly smaller than the
one in the base. This is a perfect space for your mid-sized
gadgets. Just above these two are five trays that will let you
dial in your access to your fine hand-tool cache. Above the
trays you’ll have more open space for middling size items.
Let’s jump into the case parts.
54 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
PLYWOOD PARTS. Figure 6 above shows all the parts
required for the body of the case. Once you’ve ripped and
cut them to their final sizes, we’ll tackle the dadoes where
they’re required.
All the dado locations are shown in the drawings on this
page. The case sides get three for the dividers that form
both the case itself and the case within the case. In esoteric
woodworking circles this configuration is referred to as
the “Russian doll construct,” just so you know. It will either
impress your friends, get you thrown out of your own shop,
or leave you with being the buyer at the next happy hour.
The next set of dadoes are cut into the inside faces of the
bottom and middle dividers, Figures 6 and 6a show these.
There are centered dadoes that need to be cut in the small
dividers, Figures 6b and 6c show them in detail. Now that all
the dadoes are done, you can focus on the mating tongues.
All of them are on the ends of the dividers of both cases.
 Drilling the shelf pin holes are a detail that’s more easily
done before the case is glued up — so do that. Speaking
of keeping things easy, we’ll tackle the glueup of the case
in a couple of stages.
TWO-STAGE GLUEUP. For me, keeping things simple
means gluing up the nested section of the case first (the
section that holds the drawers and trays) then the case
sides and top divider. As a reminder, this case, like the
base before, has dividers that are narrower than the case
sides to allow for the rabbeted front and back assemblies.
So all the parts involved in the first glueup are flush
to each other. It’s when you bring in the wider case sides
that you’ll need to consider using shims to center the top
divider and the glued up drawer/tray assembly. Then it’s
on to making the front and back of the case.
MORTISE & RABBETS. The marching orders are the
same for the mortise in the top of the stiles. After drilling
the holes at the drill press, square them up with a chisel
(Figure 7c and 7d). Next, it’s a trip to the table saw to rab-
bet the edges as shown in Figure 7c. Then change the setup
at the saw and cut the tenons on the rail (Figure 7c and 7d).
Gluing up the front presents the same challenges as
before. You can temporarily clamp the bottom edging piece
in place while the glue dries.
THE BACK. The back is a rinse and repeat of the pre-
vious panels. Cut the grooves in the stiles and rails, then
rabbet the stiles. Cut the tenons on the center stile and the
rails. Then cut the rabbets on the panels (Figure 7a and
7b). Glue up the back now, but don’t install it until the tray
runners are in place.

FRONT & BACK b. SIDE VIEW

The front and back of the case are similar to N
the ones that adorn the base, but not exactly
a. M TOP VIEW ½
alike. On the front, the location of the joined
rail is at the top, whereas the apron is on ½ ¾ 5⁄8 ½
the bottom of the base. And the back rails
¼ K
on this case are two different sizes, not uni- O O O
½
form widths like the base back. That being
9⁄16 9⁄16 L
noted, cut all the parts for the front to size.

N BACK UPPER RAIL

7
FIGURE (3" x 29" )
K
BACK STILE
EDGING (3" x 37¼")
(¾" x 323⁄8" )
I

H NOTE: GLUE O
CASE RAIL BACK TO CASE
(2½" x 30") AFTER TRAY
RUNNERS O
ARE INSTALLED BACK PANEL
(133⁄8" x 28¾")
EDGING
(¾" x 28") L
I J BACK
EDGING CASE SHELF
(¾" x 25⁄8") (135⁄8" x 323⁄8") CENTER STILE
(3" x 28¾")
I

M
EDGING
(¾" x 28") BACK LOWER RAIL
(6½" x 29")
I K
NOTE: BACK PANELS ARE
½"-THICK HARDWOOD. CASE SHELF IS
¾"-THICK PLYWOOD. SHELF EDGING
IS ¼"-THICK HARDWOOD. ALL OTHER
PARTS ARE ¾"-THICK HARDWOOD
G
I G e. I
EDGING
CASE STILE
(3" x 37¼") FRONT VIEW
( ¾" x 4")
½ ¾

c. TOP VIEW d. H SIDE VIEW

(CROSS SECTION) G (CROSS SECTION)

¼
G
¼ H I ¾
1
G ½
8
FIGURE
a.

d.

e.
c.
b.

populate the case with f.

Doors & Drawers

56 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
the top and bottom makes for an interesting look on
the inside of the cabinets. There’s no reason not make
the whole project look good inside and out.
So now you can proceed to making the doors and
attaching them to the case in the same way you did on
the base. Notice in Figure 8c that the mounting block for
the magnetic catch is larger to accommodate the wider rail.
THE DRAWERS. The drawers here are modest in size
compared to the one in the base. But they’re just as sturdy
and well-connected to the case. The full-extension drawer
slides used here are a little shorter, but just as strong (Fig-
ures 8 and 8f). Again, read and follow the instructions
that come with your slides. As you see in Figures 8d, 8e,
and 8f, the joinery for these two drawers is the same as
their big brother.
TRAYS
Here’s where we’ve upped the ante on this tool cabinet.
I’m talking about the trays you see in Figure 9. The addi-
tion of these five trays expands the use of the tool cabinet
beyond merely a place to store tools. As you see in Figure
9, the grooves in their sides ride in and out of the case
on hardwood runners that are attached to the inside of
the case.
NEW JOINERY. This detail lets you easily bring any
of the trays with tools of your choice to the place you’re
working. Pretty slick indeed. Since there’s no hardware
to contend with, the joinery used here is ideal for these
on-the-go trays — locking rabbets. Often this joint is only
applied on the front of a drawer (Figure 9a), and a tongue
and dado is used on the back end. But since the drawer
box will be seen in its entirety, we repeated the joint on
the back side as well. After cutting all the pieces to size,
the journey starts at the table saw with the front pieces.
THE STEPS. You have to stand the workpiece vertically
to make a groove along the end. To do this safely you’ll
need a zero-clearance insert and a square backer board
to hold the workpiece safely against the fence. Take your
time doing this cut on all the ends of the fronts and backs,
as this is the toughest part of the process.
Next, you cut the rabbeted tongue on the ends to com-
plete these parts. As for the sides, cut the mating dado in
the ends of the boards (Figure 9a). Next up are the grooves
for the plywood bottom in all the parts, then the wider
grooves in the sides (Figure 9c). After cutting the bottoms
to size, glue up the trays. While they’re drying you can
make the runners and install them in the case (Figure 9b).
When you’ve slid the last tray in place you’ve got one nice
cabinet on your hands.

a. b.
CC 1
BB 1⁄16 EE
¼
FF FF
¼
61⁄8

TOP VIEW FRONT VIEW 35⁄8

(CROSS SECTION) 1
AA D D

9
FIGURE TRAY
TRAY BOTTOM
BOTT
BOTT
OTTOM
OM F F TRAY RUNNER
R
(14" 13" )
14"" x 13"
13 (½" x 14½" ) FF BB
EE AA
½
BB
BB DD ¼
3⁄16
CL
DD CC
TRAY
A FRONT
TRA CL BB
(2½"
#6 x 5⁄8" Fh
2½" x 13½")
WOODSCREW
BB

CC
LARGE TRAY BOTTOM FF FRONT VIEW
CL (14" x 27¼" ) BB
(CROSS SECTION)
1"
1 KNOB
KNOB
KNO
AA AA
LARGE TRAY FRONT
(2½" x 277⁄8"
7⁄8" )
277⁄ 6½ BB
BB ¼ CC
TRAY SIDE
(2½" 14½")
2½" x 14½"
1
NOTE:
N TE: TRAY FRONTS AND BACKS ARE
NO
¾"-THICK
¾"-THICK HARDWOOD.
HARD
A WOO BOTTOMS
OD. BOT TTOMS ARE ¼"¼" ¼
PLYWOOD.
PLY
P W D. SIDES
YWOO SIDES ARE
DES AR ½"-THICK
RE ½"-T
- HIC
-T HARDWOOD.
CK H A WOO
AR
ARD WOOD.
OOD
D..
RUNNERS
RUN
RUNNER
UNNER
NERSS ARE
R ¼"-THICK
ARE ¼"-T
"-THIC
HICK
HIC K HARDWOOD
HARDWO
HAR DW
DWO
W OD c.
great gear

Razor-Sharp Edges with a

Water Sharpening System
Leather Driving through the countryside or stopping at flea
strop Grinding markets, you’re bound to come across large white
wheel Wheel
sharpening wheels. You know, the big ones that you
Water
reservoir imagine a cartoon character sitting at, sharpening an
axe. In reality, there’s a reason that these water-trough
Angle stones are so common — they simply work. That’s
setting as true today as it was a hundred years ago. A water
jig sharpening system, like the Tormek shown here, is still
a great way to get a razor sharp edge on a variety of
Flat tools. In this article, I’ll give you the basics of a water
blade Wheel sharpening system, and some of the jigs and attach-
holder dressing ments that I find useful.
jig

The T8 comes with a wheel dressing jig, flat blade jig,

angle setting jig, and a leather strop for a final honing.

58 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 1 2
Fill the
reservoir with
water and
add more
as the stone
absorbs
 The water reservoir holds several cups of water. However,
once you start to add water to a dry stone, you’ll need to let  The angle setting jig features an angle gauge to measure
the stone saturate itself before topping off the water tank.
The system I’m using here is one made by Tormek,
a Swedish company that’s known for making some of
the highest-quality sharpening systems and jigs around.
The T8 grinder comes with various accessories in the set.
You can see these in the photo to the left. Older models
of the Tormek grinders, such as the Supergrind 2000, are
quality machines and can be picked up secondhand for
a reasonable price.
SETUP
Now, sharpening with a wet grinder takes different setup
steps than other systems. You can see these steps shown
here. Once you have the steps figured out, the entire
process goes quickly.
H20. Obviously, with this being a wet grinding sys-
tem, there’s some form of water bath. With this partic-
ular system, the water bath is under the wheel and is
raised and lowered with a knob. When you first fill up
the water bath, you’ll notice the stone starts wicking up a
lot of water. I continually add water until the water level
stays close to the “Maximum Fill” line in the trough.
Once you flip the grinder on, you may notice that the
water level drops a bit more —that’s okay, just top it off.
SET YOUR ANGLE. The Tormek, and other wet grind-
ers, utilize an adjustable support arm to help you guide
your cutter. The height of the support, combined with
the protrusion of the tool out of your jig, will determine
the angle that your bevel is sharpened at. The included
angle setting jig will help you get a consistent angle
every time. As you can see in Photo 2, you first start by
measuring the current angle of your tool (30°). Then,
you dial in the two knobs on the angle setting gauge.
One knob is set in accordance with the current wheel
diameter (this compensates for the wear that takes
place on the grinding wheel). The second knob is dialed
Next, set the dial
to the proper angle
First, determine
the bevel angle
with these
notches
existing angles, as well as two dials — one for setting
the diameter of the stone, and the other that’s set to your
desired bevel angle.
3
After positioning the bevel jig
on the wheel and the back of
the blade, adjust the blade
rest height until the bevel is
flat against the stone
 The angle setting gauge packs in a lot of features. It helps you
find the current angle of your tool, and gives a visual reference
that the angle you’re grinding is what you wanted. As the
stone wears, you’ll need to readjust the stone diameter knob.
to your desired angle (30°) and has a foot that extends
below the angle setting jig.
At this point, you can insert your cutter into the proper
sharpening jig (more on that in a bit), and fit it over the
support arm. Resting the edge of the tool on the stone,
place the angle finding gauge on the wheel, and check the
angle between the “Angle foot” and the back of your tool.
The goal here is for the foot of the angle jig to rest flush
with the back of the cutter/tool. Photo 3 shows what it
looks like when it’s set up properly. An alternative is to
color the bevel of your cutting edge with a marker and turn
the wheel by hand. The stone will wear away the marker,
revealing which direction you’ll need to adjust the angle.
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 59
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FIVE

SPECIALTY
CHISELS
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 1 2
Mineral
oil

Buffing
compound

 With the grinder running, apply mineral oil to the leather

strop (Tormek supplies some with the kit). The oil helps  The buffing compound is applied to the oiled strop. The
paste is spread with the tool you’re honing before turning
soften and open up the grain of the leather. the wheel on. Just a small amount (2" line) is all that is
needed for the entire wheel.

All of the adjustments are done with a thumb nut

that’s on the support arm. Adjusting it up or down
3 Stropping
away from
will adjust the distance between the support and the edge
the wheel. Now it’s a matter of turning the grinder
on, letting the wheel pick up water, and grinding your
tool. Some grinders have a direction switch, but most
experts agree that sharpening to or away from the
edge doesn’t really make a difference.
One of the cool things about a wet grinder is that you
can re-grade the stone for different grits. (This is different
than truing up the stone as it wears). The included grad-
ing stone allows you to get as coarse as about 220-grit,
and as fine as 1000-grit. The 1000-grit finish is perfect for
almost everything in my shop. For those woodworkers  Asto remove
you strop the edge of the tool, the compound will begin
a small amount of steel and turn the compound
that want to get an even finer edge, you can hone the grey. I occasionally stop and smear any built-up compound
freshly-ground edge using the leather strop on the oppo- back onto the wheel from the edge of the tool.
site side of the grinder.
As you can see in the photos above, the strop is first
soaked in mineral oil — this opens up the grain of the GRINDER ACCESSORIES
leather a bit and makes it more accepting of the stropping
paste. The stropping paste is applied and spread around The wet grinders on the market today have a variety of
the wheel. Now, you’ll flip the support arm around so jigs available for them. From axe grinding and scissor
that your stropping is away from the edge (trust me on sharpening jigs, to kitchen knife jigs, you can sharpen
this). The honing process only takes a few seconds, but almost anything with a wet grinder. Here are a few of my
sure makes a big difference in the edge produced. must-have jigs for my shop sharpening needs.

Light downward
pressure
Angle is set
on the jig

The multi jig has a few functions, The flat blade jig
but I’m guilty of setting it up for will be most peoples
my skew chisel only. go-to jig. It’s the ticket for
accurate chisel and plane iron sharpening.
62 ■ POPULAR WOODWORKING
 FLAT BLADE JIG. The jig shown on the previous page
and above is the one that is included with the T8 — the
flat blade jig. This is what is used for sharpening chisel
blades and plane irons. It clamps the blade between two
jaws and slides over the support arm. Sliding the tool
back and forth as the grinder is running will hone the
entire edge, and keep wear on the stone even.
THE MULTI JIG. The Tormek SVS-50 is a universal jig,
that allows you to sharpen standard “gouge” shaped
tools, such as a bowl gouge or spoon carving gouges.
However, my favorite feature of this jig is the ability to
pivot the blade within it. With this, I can get a razor-sharp
edge on my skew chisel for turning (see bottom left photo
on the previous page). The skew chisel is the one turning
tool that needs to be as sharp as possible (not that they
all don’t, it’s just more critical with this one). The SVS-50
stays set at 30° in my shop to always sharpen my skews.
SMALL TOOLS. Speaking of gouges, my carving tools
are one thing that I’ve always struggled to sharpen. I’m
sure it’s because I don’t actually carve enough to “need”
to get good at it. The SVS-32 small tool jig (shown to the
right) covers almost all of the common carving tools that
I use. It’s simply a collar that slips over the tool, and the
rings of the collar slip over the tool support. You can use
this jig to grind carving tools, but I mainly use it for hon-
ing. The rule of thumb is for every one sharpening of a
carving tool, you should hone it 20 times!
SWEPT GOUGES. If I had to choose only one tool to
sharpen on my wet grinder, my bowl and spindle gouges
1 and right as you’re sharpening. Sharpening with this jig is
 The SVD-186 is designed to sharpen the “nose” and swept
back-wings of turning tools. Start with the tool rolled to
one side. Then, with the grinder running, rotate the tool
up and over, finishing with the tool on the opposite side.
Repeat this motion back-and-forth.
2 3
Tool Tool length
is locked in
Clamp
 the
The SVS-32 is a small tool jig. This simple jig lets you to hold
tool at a fixed length but still allow you to roll the tool
left and right, sharpening the complete bevel. This is a must-
have jig for sharpening many of my carving tools.
(for turning) would be it. These swept-wing tools are tra-
ditionally sharpened at a high-speed grinder. However,
this can quickly overheat the tool, and it’s easy to mess
up the profile of the tools if you’re not careful. Because
the grinding wheel on the wet grinder is soaked in water
and moves slower, you cannot overheat your tool. Plus,
it produces a much keener edge, which I appreciate
when I go to make my final cut on the lathe.
The SVD-186 is the jig for these type of swept-wing
tools. You can see the jig below. The jig slides over the
support arm and has two pivot points. One allows you
to adjust the “pitch” of the head in relation to the stone.
The other is the pivot that allows you to roll the tool left
similar to other style sharpening systems for high-speed
grinders. You can see the steps in photos 1 through 3
below. In short, you start with the tool rolled to one side.
As the grinder turns, you roll the tool from left to right
and back. This sharpens the entire profile of the cutting
edge. I will often, especially when making a finishing cut
on a bowl, take the time to use the SVD-186 on the leather
strop as well. There is never such a thing as too sharp.
Sharpening always seems to be a hot topic with wood-
workers. The number of times I’ve been asked what’s the
simplest, most universal sharpening system is unbeliev-
able. A wet grinding system like this ticks more boxes
than most other setups. I think that making the switch
over to a wet grinding system in your shop will save you
time and get you more consistent results.
Tool
holder
Sweep
adjustment
POPULARWOODWORKING.COM ■ 63