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ORGANIZE YOUR SHOP THIS WEEKEND!

pAO

p.56

DAZZLING WHITE MACHINES THAT MATCH


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G0715P
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G1035P ,-+
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G0513P
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G0656P 8"
INTRODUCTORY PRICE

wtJl $728 00

G0656PX 8" JOINTER


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G0453P 15" PLANER


INTRODUCTORY PRICE

WJ,J $898
G0453PX 15" PLANER
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WJ,J $1398
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$3980

..

G0555P
ULTIMATE 14" BAND5AW
INTRODUCTORY PRICE
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WorldMags Digital Magazines

PROJECTS
20
24
28
34

Simple MiterGauge Stop for long Parts


Shop-Made Tape Dispenser
Easy Artsand(rafts Bench
Turned Bowl Set
Beautiful,and a great proje<:t for beginningturners.
54 Sc:rapwood Project:Candle Holders
62 Luminous Display Pedestal
66 Reader Projed: Bread-Dipping Tray

SKILL BUILDERS
14 Joinery: Through-Mortise and Tenons
38 How to Make Dead-On Tablesaw Crosscuts

40 Shape Up Your Shop!


Organization strategies you(anuse today.
49 Dado Duel: Bits V5. Blades
Ahead-to-head battle to learn the best method.

TOOLS & MATERIALS


26
56
71
74
84

Get the Gunk Out ofYour Tablesaw


Shop Test: Do-It-AII Routers
Wood-Buying Options, from Cheap to Easy
Wise Buys: Portable Mitersaw Stands
Shop-Proven Products
Slop-free jigguides andbenchtoptouter table.

DEPARTMENTS
6 Editor'sAngle
8 Sounding Board
10 Shop Tips
22 Shop Monke)': The Importance of Practice
16 Ask WOOD
92 What's Ahead

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54

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on our websitewoodmagazine.com

GET WOOD . FOR FREE ELECTRONICALLY


~

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WOOD magazine is FREE to print subscribers.
Signup at wcodmaqannerom/dicitalmac,
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device with aWeb browser.

GET A JUMP ON
HOLIDAY GIFT-MAKING
With more than 1,200 project plansat wocdmaqazlne.ccmzptans.
there's no reason to wait until the last minute to start
making holiday gifts.
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Kids' Toys: woodmaqazine.ccm/toyplans
Boxes and Baskets: woodmagazine.com/boxes
Kitchen Accessories: woodmaqazlneromzkttrhen
Turned Projects: woodmaeazlne.com/tumedproiects
Lamps, Candles and Vases: woodmagazine.com/lamps
Scrollsawn Projects and Puzzles: wocdmaqazlne.ccm/scoll

FREE
WOODWORKING
VIDEOS
See the drama of theDado Duel (page49} unfold in
the WOODcuts channel at woodmagazine.comivideos.
And checkout theseother free videos:

Fine-Furniture Accuracy from Any Tablesaw


How to Use a Router Dovetail Jig
Four Ways to Drill Accurate Holes for Shelf Pins
Quick and Easy Chisel Sharpening
Basic Finishing, Part 1: Project Preparation
l

VARIABLE SPEED PLANER/MOULDER with STAND

3HP LOW PROFILE CYCLONE DUST COLLECTOR


Motor: 3 HP, 22QV, single-phase, TEFC Closs ' F'

I.

Amps : 22 CyCle/RPM: 60 Hzl3450 RPM L _


Air suction capacity: 1489 CFM
Max. static pressure: 10,2'

Intake hole: 8'


Impeller size: 141f/
Sound level: 83 dB
Filter: 99.9% efficiency from 0.2-2 microns
55 gal. steel collection drum with casters
Remote controlled magnetic switch
Approx, shipping weight:
WI816
403100 .

Precision ground cast iron table & wings

Toblesizewithwings:36If.'lxlO"W
Max, cutting width: 7'

" ~ a l", c" ", ' u"

Max, planing height: 71f/ <Xlfmi,'/! .,..1/;'",


"I"",uMi"K'n i,'n
Max, planing depth: Ifa'
far/h;. ma<:ltj",!
Max, moulding depth : W
Knife size: 7'h' x 1W Xl// HSS
Cutlerheod speed : 7000 RPM

Dust Collector

4' dust port


Approx shipping weight:
330 1bs,

...

WI7..H 8" Jointer


W1741 S with Spiral Cutterhead

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3 HP, 22r:N, single-phose molar


Cast iron lable size: 27' x 40'.4'
Tabla size with extensoo: W1819 - 27' x 53%',
W1820 - 27' x 74'h'
1'1'<'1' 10"
Arbor: W, 4300 RPM
Carbide-Tipped Blade

Rabbeting
capacity: %"

PATENTED

Motor: 2 HP, 220V, single-phose

Max. rip copaci1y:


W1819 - 29'h",

W1820 - 50'

Max. depth of cuI:

3W@ 9lr,
2:Y,~ @45'

Built-ill
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\\'1819 10"Table Saw

B (N'

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stand length is adjustable from 19'h ' fa 54'
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VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL TOLL FREE TO FIND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER NEAR YOU,

WorldMal!S . Dil!ital Mal!azines


Be tter Homes and Garden se

WOOD.
woodm.J9oUine.com

EOfTOfI~N.Qt IH

..... L
........
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BlllKRltR

Editor

MARtEN KEMMT
Art Dirtot
KARt EHLERS

P.-wtighti

"'

Issue No. 200

Vol. 27, No. 5

Oc:tober 2010

T~

....

Editor

eoe WIlSON

Editor

LUCAS PETERS

~.(omtP"'iirijM:

DMign Edilor
JEFF MERTZ

Productioll/Ofla ~

MARGARfTClOSNER

Deputy Editor

--

DAVE CAMPBEU
SM;or ~n Editor

KMN IlO'l'U

Tool & Technique1 Editor


BOB HUNnR

Mo.J/tirTria Editor
CRAIG RUEGSl:GGER
Art Dndor
GRfG 5EWRS

Auoci;II~

AdmnwatM Assisbnl

8ol:l6nignH ..-I buill: doIfb lor his


dudl'sdloif-.

SHERYLMU!'tYON

Photogr.op/'lPr'l JASON DONNEllY. scan l.JTTU. JAYWIlDE


Contributing -...w.tor1 TIM (AHIU.lORN....IOHNSOH, ROltANNE UMOINE
ThniuI C ~ B08 BAKER,. DOUG HICKS
Contributing Cr.mnwn JIM HAYFf

Contributing

~adm

'ABS KUlH, IRA lACHER-JIM SANDfRS

Pu~

MARK L HAGfIrt
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
CHICAGO: 333 N. Michigan M v Suil.. 1SOO. Chicago, .. 60601

MoIrkHing

Ma~

~W>g ~

0irKt ~ AdYP!tising

AMANDA SAlHOOT
JACK CHRISTIANSEN

R~t.l I~

USA GREENWOOD

~ KEVIN lARRY
ATLANTA, NMgate Media
DETROIT: RPM Al.sodates

Joeff (raft" tI'ft walnUl


th~r,~f~oo~ t

B~MSS Managt'f JEff STILES


COOlOOWf M.lr1<e1.ing [li,rector rOOD SIERLE

fcu l'oome offb .

Retaillh nd MJr-.qer-Newtand JESSUDOlE


Production Ma na.gt'f SANDY Wi lLIA MS
AdYtonillog Oper~tions M~nqr JIM NElSON
(.(om~rce M anager MAn

SNYDER

Vl(e PresideotlGroup Publ imer TOM DAVIS


M EREOITH NATIONAL MEOlA GROUP
Preside nt JACK GRIFFIN
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTS
Pr~ldent

M~9azi nes TOM HARTY


Officer ANDY SAREYA N

of Consume r

Ch ief

B r ~n d

Sped~ l lnterest Me di ~

DOUG OLSON

Preside nt, M eredith Integr~ted Ma r~et; n9 MA RTIN F. REIDY


SENIOR III CE PRESIDENTS
Corpoi'~te M~rketiog Ollieer NANCY WEBER

Consumer M~rketing DAIII D BAll


COfPO'ate s,ales MICHAEL BROWNSTEIN
Ed itorial DirtOf, Des Moines GAYlE GOOOSOtl BunER
Editon.l Dirtor. N_ York SALLY LEE

VICE PRESIDENTS
DirKt Response &; Tr~vel PAnl FOLLO
New M edia &; Market ing Services ANDY WILSON
Newsstand DAVID ALGIRE
I'rodoction BRUCE HESTON
R_arch SoIutiom BRlnA WARE

fiNnc:e M IKE RIGGS


Mel"t'dith 360" JEANNIN E SHAD COLLINS
Meredith

Womfon's

High strength with a shorter


clamp time along with no dyes for
a natural finish makes Gorilla Wood
Glue ideal for your woodworking
and building projects.

N~ LAUREN WIENER

meredith
C~rman

and ClWf EMcUM OfficII'( STIPtfEN M.UCY

Voce Chairman

"'*'"

In ~

M El l MEREDfTH FRAZlEJt

- LT. ~ith Itt 11 9 3]...2011)1

0.. sumcri~Iisl: i:I CKU\ioniIy rNde ......WbIe to cdully ~ flmls...no- products IN)' ee 01 irltefet to)'Oll.
1I)'Ol1
not to <_ irlfotmabOn In>rn eese companies by mail or by phone, p1Nse let In know. ~ your
request Mong with your nwoling Iibelto ~ Cust_ SoII'l'W:e, P.O. Box 374$2 , 1IooJnlo. tA s003744S2 .
CI c."...1IIftMidI e-,.- 20'" AI rigIlIls -.M.,..... .tho tu.A.
SUBSCRIBE R SEIMCE
Go to ~;nuom/Mlp Of write 10
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Editor's Ang=--=Ie

Be a part of

WOOD'!
WOOD
MAGAZINE

WOOD Magazine Coniesl


Build any Crealive
Project with Extended
Tenons & Raised or Flat
Panels to Enter to Win!

"P rlzes to Win:


Grand Prize: 4 day/3 night Trip fo r 2
to Italy and $1,000 of Freud Prod ucts
Second Prize: $1,000 of Freud
Innovative Products
Third Prize: $200 of Freud
Innovative Products

Contest Runs:
Aug 1,2010 - Dec 31,2010
For More Oetails Go To:
www.WOOOMagaline.com/Fre udContest
Subject to Official rules al 'II'VIW.woodfTlilgazme coml1reudcoll1esl
No pu rchase necessary 10 erser or wio. To enter visit WNW
WOOOfTlilgazirlewmllreudcontest ilO(l clickthebuhon 10 erser Then
complete the r~i S ll at iC)fl all(llo llow the instructions 10 upload ore
(I) album 01 prolcs lup 10 six (6) photos) 01 a project utilizing flol

or raised panels and exteodoo tenons. 0110) album i5 one entry One
entry per person Opento legal residents01 the50 Unrted States. and
theDistrict 01Columbia.21 YIlilIS orolder. TheUllilTlilte Rail '" Stile
Photo t ortes eotry period belJ i~s OIl AUQust 1 2010, a~ d ends on
pecenter31. 2010 Entries must be eceeo by 11.59 p m CI,
on Decemer 31 , 2010 Void Whereplohibited, Sponsor Meredilh
Corporal ionand Freud
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This issue marks the start of several new ways


to see your best projects and ideas published.

he WOOD Magazine team of


ed ito rs, p roject designers,
artists, and craftsme n is a
talented lot for sure, but we
don't pretend to have a corner
on the ma rket for woodworking creativity. Just go to our
Web site, woodmagazme.com,
and yo u'll see what I mean :
Thousands o f woodwo rkers fro m
around the wo rld regu larly con tribute
fantastic p roject ideas and advice in t he
form o f gallery images, shop-shot
Videos, and fo ru m posts. I guara ntee
you , so me o f what 's on t he site we
cou ld not have d reamed up in a
hund red yea rs.
Of course, lon g before the Internet was
even a remote conce pt, we tap ped in to
ou r readers' creati vity (and rewarded it
wit h tool prizes and cash) by publishing your best shop tip s, iigs, and
orga nizers, and we sti ll do. But now we
also wa nt to publish in the magazine
you r best projects- everyt hing fro m
indoor and outdoo r furnit ure to toys,
gifts, a nd whatever else you ca n
imagi ne. And, we'd like to kn ow abo ut
any better met hods you've d eveloped
for mastering com mon woodwor king
tas ks such as preparing stock, cutting
joints, assembling cabinets, applyin g
fin ish, a nd so o n.
Kicking off t hi s new series of read er
pro jects is the b read -dipping tray a/Jove
and o n page 66, a design we purchased
from Ralph Bag nall o f Mu rfreesboro,
Ten ne ssee. (See more of Ralph's work at
ww w.consu lt ingwoodworker.com.) We
fou nd his p roject concept att ract ive,
fu nc tio nal, novel, and easy to makejust what we're looking fo r. Thanks,
Ralph ! In t he co ming mont hs, we pla n
to ru n more reade r-sup plied pro jects
and woodworking techn iq ues. So send
you r pro ject and techn iqu e idea s
(include a brief su mma ry a nd as ma ny
6

photos or illustratio ns as you see fit),


via e-matt to bttt. krteresmeredtt h.com,
or through t he USPS to:
WOOD Magazine, Reader Project
N Technique Ideas, 1716 Locust
sr., LS-221, I>es Moines, IA 50309.
[ ca n't wait to hear fro m you.
Somet hi ng tells me I'm
going to be impressed!

Woodworking writer wanted


And here's you r chance to be a par t
of WOOD in a full-time capacity.
We have an opening at our locat ion
in Des Moines, Iowa for a journalist
who's passionate about woodworking to join o ur team in producing
inspirational prin t, digit al, and
video con tent. For more details on
th is o pportun ity, and to apply, go
to www.meredith.com. click o n
careers, and sea rch for wood.

WOOD mllguln<;>

October 2010

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FUSION

HOW CAN THE BEST GENERAL


PURPOSE SAW BLADE GET
EVEN BETTER?

Sounding-=B--=-o.ar-==.= d

Our bulletin board for letters, comments, and timely updates

Readers create pieces to match WOOD" magazine projects


Bench adds seating for bedroom set

" Wove n" table complements oak rocker

I loved t he cherry-and-ma ple bedroom set in issues 135-138


(September to December, 2001), a nd built the sleigh bed,
d resser w it h m irror, and n ightstanct for my home. (Un fort unate ly, I d id n't have room for the armoire.)
I wanted a benc h to match the set, so I built one based on
the design a nd joinery of the nightstand. My benc h measures
18x36xI8". I had an upholsterer in stall the cush ioned seat.

After building the rocki ng ch air in issue 183 (May 2008), I


wa nted a side ta ble to go wit h it . So I designed one taki ng
eleme nt s fro m the roc ker's design , with rou nd tenons o n the
rails and stretch ers and tabletop slats that mi mic t he chair's
seat slats. It's 17'/2" square and 16" tall. To get til e wove n look in
th e tabletop, I joined each piece wit h altern ating half-laps .

- Keith Alberico, Round Lake Beach, III.

- john Graham,
Leesburg, Flo.

(Buy downloadable
plans for the
rocking chair at
(Buy downloada ble plans for the bedroom suite at
woodmagazine.comfsleighbedset.)

woodmaqazlne.

com/ctasstcrocker.)

Article updates
Issue 194 (November 2009)
The full-size patte rn for the Trad itio na l
Ame rican Blanket Ches t base on page
4 8, should be 4" tall rat her than 3%". To
use this pattern, align the bottom edge
w ith the bottom of part s C and 0, and
cut to size as specified in the article on
page 30.

Please work safely


In order to show you precise details in
photos, we frequently remove safety
guards. In your work, be sure to use all
safety devices, as well as wearing vision,
breathing, and hearing protection.
- WOOD magazine editors

Issue 19 7 (May 20 10)


In "Add Sto rage to Tool Stands " on page 24, there is an error in Section 2 of
customizing yo ur ow n stand . For Ste p B, the diffe rence in our exam ple sho uld be
1'; '", As a result, the new length in Step 0 would be 113; ' " ,

~DO the math (but just a little)


Ste p A
Ifyour stand measures 13"for dimension
cID, calculate the difference from our stand
(13" - l l'.4- = lW') .

====

Step 8
If your stand mea sures 8" for dimension
calculate the difference (9V4- - 8" = lW' ).

+fW

Step C
Cross out the original
dimen sion.

- f v."

Step 0
Add or subtract the difference between part
sizes and write in the new part dimensions.

HOW TO REACH US
For woodwortdng advice:
Post your woodworking questions (joinery, finishing,
tools, turning, dust ccfecnon, etc) on one of our
online forums at woodmagazine,comlforums,
To contact our editors:
Send your comments via e-mail to
woodmail@wolKlmagazine.com; orwriteto
WOOD magazine, 1716locust St., lS-221,
Des Moines, IA50309.

8
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Subscription assistance:
Tonotify us of an add resschange or to get help with
your rbscrlpncn, visit woodmagazine.com/serYice.
Or write to WOOD magazine, P,O, Box 37439, Boone, IA
50037-0439. Please enclose youraddresslabel from a
recent magazine issue.
To find past articles:
See our index atwoodmagazine,comlindex.

To order past issues and arndes:


Filr past sues of WOOD magazine in print or on
DVDROM, our newsstand-only issues, Of downloadable
artides, visit woodmagazine,comJstore,
Updates to previously published projects:
Filr an up-to-date listingof changes in dimensions
and buying-gUide seunesfrom issue 1through today,
go to woodmagazine.com/editorial.

W OOD m a g .....in..

October 201 0

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Lee-Blocks> make woodwork ing easy again by gripping both your work surface
as well as your project without the use of any clamps. Perfect for sand ing, drilling,
routing, fi nishing and a whole lot more. Loc-Block stv also function as a project
suppo rt by elevat ing your work , which provides easy access to every edge. What
makes them work? Anti-vibration , non-slip rubber pads on both the top and bottom
of the bloc ks. Our uniq ue design allows the blocks to be placed at each of the comers
of your material or they can be connected together by their interlocking do vetails.
Customize the layout of the bloc ks for your project - co nnect them together to create
a stra ight. sturdy base for working narrow stock, or you can config ure them to form a
full M:i" x 6W ' block for smaller project s. A must have fo r any size workshop .

Peachtree Woodworking Supply Inc:


" Your On e Stop Supply Sho p'"

Available at ptreeusa.com or call toll freel -888-512-9069

ShOR TiR-=--s

Helping you work faster, smarter, and safer

Top Shop Tip

Poor man's panel saw


Despite my sma ll sho p, I like to make
large project s (such as the ceda r-st rip
canoe shown with me). So to maxim ize
my sho p space, I bu ilt this inexpensive,
ma keshift panel saw for breaking dow n
sheet goods to rough size.
Fi rst, I bolted 2' fo ldaway sta nd-o ffs
to the bo ttom s of a-tong 2x4 legs, as
shown in t he d rawing. The bottom of
the legs have 'fl" ho les drilled every 8"
to hold the removable, doweled support
blocks, as shown. At the to ps of t he
legs, and in three wall brackets lagbolted to t he wall studs, I d rilled 1'14"
holes to accommodate a 1" d iameter
a-long iron pipe. After drilling the end s
of t he pipe for cotter pins, I slid the
pipe through the brackets a nd legs and
secured it with t he cotter pins.
To use it, I spread t he legs to support
t he outside edges of t he workpiece. For
crosscuts in full sheets, I stand t ile
sheet o n t he floor and clamp it to t he
legs above the cut line to preven t
binding. For pa rtial sheets or for rip
cuts, I rest til e sheet o n the suppor t
blocks, wh ich I position at a com fortable heig ht before clamping the sheet
to the legs.
To position the saw guid e, I fasten a
clamp about 9" below t he outline on
one side and rest t he end of my sho pmade straightedge saw gu ide on the
clamp while I position and clamp the
other end for t he cut. The n I go back
and position the first end of the guide.

"
Wall bracket
bolted to stud
2x41egs 8' long

Workpiece
8' st raightedge
saw gu ide for
lon g rip cuts

"

Str aightedge saw guide

Support b lock s

Vl " dowe l holes


S" apart

24" st and -off

- Bill Anders, GettY5bufg, Pa.

Editors' " ol e: For (l FREE video show ing


YOIl how to //l ake (I st miglltedgt' saw g /lide
(or your circular sow go to
wo{)(lIllago7. ill('.wl lll\trrligJItt'(lge

Tell us how you've solved a worksho p stumper. If we print it, you'll get $100 and a copy of 450+
Best-Ever Shop Tips (w ood magazine.com/ 450tips) . And, if your idea garners Top Shop Tip honors,
we'll also reward you with a tool prize wo rt h at least $300.
Send your best ideas, along with photos or drawing s and your daytime pho ne nu mber, to

Shop 'nps, WOOD Magazine, 171 6 Locust St., LS221 , Des Moines, IA 50J09 -J023.
Or, bye-mail: shoptips@Woodmagazine.com . Include your contact info in the e-mail.
Because we try to publish origi nal tips, please send your tips only to WO O~ magazine.
Sorry, submitted materials can't be returned.

10
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WOOD m ag azine

October 2010

Cranky routers raise without a fuss


In t he course of testing t he do-it-a ll routers on pase 56, I
found myse lf ma king hund reds of turns of the Included
router-ra ising wrenches. Ha nds crampi ng, I decided to speed
the process by converti ng the hex-head wrenches to cranks.
To ma ke on e for your router, start wit h two square Ill"
MOf blan ks with sides equal to the ha ndle's length (o r, in
the case of an t-sbaped wrench, do uble the shor t leg's
length). Cut a centered slot in each of the blan ks to snugly
fit the wrench ha ndle, and d rill a centered hole in the
bottom blank for the wrench. Then d rill an d counters ink
the botto m blank and secure the two blan ks toget her with
screws, as shown. Handsaw t he joined blanks rou nd . Finally,
disassemble, d rill a %" hole t hrough the top bla nk to fit a
2"-lon g do wel, and reassemble with t he wrench in place,
gluing the dowel in to its hole.
- Jan SVt'(, Des Moines, Iowa

'Is' doweI2'long~:=,--_-;:;;-

Ro uter lift
speed
wrench

'1;, ' MDF diameter

to match handle

v ',.

F.H. wood screw

Cut slot to fit wre nch.

NO RESIDUE

No Residue Duct Tape.

To find out where to buy, go to


ScotchToughTape.com
continued 011 pllse 12
woodmagazlne.com
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11

Cl200'1 3M.SC(}{'h, .... ScOld, Toog!l O"'t T_


o...~ ' M <h. PbOd 0 " ;1" . ... '''Oeomrl<' or 3M

, 3l1li

Shop Tips
Magnetic attraction opens your

eyes to the blind hole

If you've ever bu ilt a bed using t raditional bed bolts, as


shown below, you know how di fficu lt it is to b lind ly ma tch
the bolt-access hole to t he holt hole in the rail . M isa l ign the

two holes even slightly, and the nu t won't slip over t he bolt
threads. Here's my method to perfectly ma rk t he centerpo int of t he bolt access hole.
After d rill ing t he holt hole in t he end of the rail (but
before boring t he access ho le), slide the bed bolt into it . Now
roll a cylind rica l rare-eart h magnet, or a stack of flat, round
o nes, over the ins ide face of the rail. The magnets will be
drawn to the i n ternal bolt and " fi nd" it by co m i ng to a rest

directly over t he bolt . Mark that locat ion and repeat,


movi ng the magnets farther from the end unti l t hey no
longer att ract. You have located the end of the bolt. Mark a
center point there and drill t he access hole.
- Mike Schupp, Prairie Village, Kan.

Bed rail

Bed bolt hidden


inside rail

Trace hole
location on
inside of rail.

leg
Bed bol t cover screw hole

Bed rail

leg

Order online at

oneida-air.com
Call for your FREE catalog!

800.732.4065

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12

WOOD m agazine

October 2010

lO-minute microadJuster
This simple route r table microadju ster ta kes o nly m inutes to
make, and pays huge dividends in accuracy. It consists of a
rabbeted backstop that hooks over t he rear of the rout er
table and locks into the sa me Ti trac k that the fence rides in .
The backstop houses 6 ':~2 pro nged 'r-nut s in through holes
to hold 6-32 threaded rod. I added a jam nut and couplers
to act as a ha ndle and a reference
to indicate the adju stment
ROD MOUNTING DETAIL
a mount. Each full turn of t he
Tnut
cou pler nu dges t he fence '/J2".
- Richard Lacey, Rome. Po.

Backstop

Concealed cord catcher


Those plastic cases that tools com e in never seem to fi t the
tool's cord once it's unfu rled for the first time. However,
there seems to be ample "filler" space in the molded top. I
ta ke advantage of that space by d rilli ng and cutt ing out a
large slot in the top of t he case, as shown. The cord stores
easily inside a nd stays contained while I d ose the case.
- Dave Jenkins, Cuba, N.M.

8
Slot cut in
case top

Transparent Due t Tape.

To find out where to buy, go to


ScotchToughTape.com

~2009 I N. SCot<h. tn" S<ot<h T"'-'P


~ """ .... Ploid ~ign .."

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13

D ID

3M

a ll it a nod to woodworkin g
history. Call it a skill stretcher.
Hey, call it showing o ff if you
want to . Cutt ing t hrough-mortise-a ndtenon join ts and pegging t hem wit h
do wels gives you r project a d istinction
you do n't get with ti me-saving screws
and biscu its. As its n ame implies, thi s
joi nt features a tenon that goes t hrough
t he mor tised workpiece, wit h t he end of
the tenon protruding slightly.
If you're up for t he cha llenge of
ma kin g this joint, try it as an alte rnati ve to t he biscu its in t he Ha ll Benc h
p roject o n pose 28. Here's how.

To join parts of equa l th ickness, cut


both the mortises a nd tenons o ne-th ird
t he pa rt t hickness. On a joint using
:j4" th ick parts, for example, t he mor tise
widt h a nd tenon t hic kness both
measure lAo,
(@) Quick Tip! Allow seme wiggle
room, If your smallest ch isel
measures lAo wide, layout mor tises
a ha ir wide r tha n t hat to simplify
chiseling out waste later.

continued 011 P"S(' 16

SIZE MORTISES AND TENONSTO SUIT YOURWORKPIECETHICKNESSES

14
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Joining parts of unequal thic kness

Joining parts of equal thic kness (..... )

Maxi mu m; \'; thickness of the mating piece ('1;,")

Joint-sizing pointers
Through- mo rtise-a nd- tenon jo ints
ty pically go together one of t he t wo
ways shown at right. Either bot h pa rts
are t he same t hickness-a W rail
mating a Va" stile, for example- of t he
tenon fi ts into a mortised part of
greate r th ickness, such as a :j4"-thick
table apron aga inst a l W sq uare leg.

For parts of uneq ua l t hickness, ma ke


the mortise and tenon u p to a th ird t he
th ickness of the larger pa rt. To join a
:j4"t hick table apron a H~t-t h ic k leg, for
exa mple, cut tenons %"-W t hick on t he
apron en ds.
Make the teno n Ij,z" longer t han t he
widt h of the mat ing pa rt if you' ll sand
the teno n end flush with t he mortised
part afte r assembly. For beveled-end
tenons, like the one shown above, make

'1,\

Vo"

,... ..

'. .

Face cheek

'I.

Length oftenon equals


width of stile +

Minimum;"'- )

YiI,'

chamfer
Face cheek

tw

1'1:1"

Shoulder

Length of tenon equals


width of stile + 'I.'
WOOD m ag azine

Oc tober 2010

Give your next project


the perfect finish.

skiltools.com
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Challenge Skill

'A."-diameter
drill bit

,
r3 ~~..
Overlapping holes drilled with a brad-point

(]

bit should leave evenly spaced scallops and


rounded corners.

The guide holds the chisel90"to the workpiece and prevents cutting outside the layout lines.

CHISEL GU IDE

Miter-gauge
extension

'110 " stock

--.
'"

'"

Fence

'"
'"

/
,Face :
' cheek

the ten on s lfl " longer tha n t he mating


part width.

cheek
Edge

-'-~~""-"' ..............

Begin with the mortises


Tenons ca n be fine-tuned easier than
mortise widths, so cu t your mortises
firs t a nd match t he te nons to them .
First layout a mortise on two o pposite
faces of t he workpiece a nd check that
t hey're equal d istan ces from o ne end.
On your d rill press, mount a bit about
l1i6" smaller than t he mortise width and
attach a fen ce to t he drill-press table.
Clam p the workpiece to the fence and
drill th rough the workpiece along t he
lengt h of the mort ise IPhoto A].
To clean up the mortise, first use a
narrow ch isel to sq uare the ends. Then
assemble a ch isel guide as shown above.
Slide the flat face of a chisel t h at 's 1" or
wider dow n the edge of t he guide and
just dee pe r tha n ha lfway t h rough t he
mortise to smooth t he scallops left
from drilling [Photo B]. Switch the
guide to the opposite side and clean up
16
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

~n~y~o~"~,:t e~"~o:"~P~,~,,:.~,o~ver the dado blade

I!]

that mortise wa ll, t hen flip t he wor kpiece and do the same from the
opposite side .

gauge. Cut tenon passes with minimal


overlap to reduce scoring on the face
cheeks [Photo C]. Th en turn the wo rkpiece o n edge to cut the edge cheeks.
To fine-tune the tenon , remove
material fro m each face cheek equally
using a scrap bloc k with IOO-grit
abrasive on one face (not the edges) or a
rab bet block plane IPhoto 01. Stop when
the teno n slides th roug h the mortise
wit h o nly ha nd pressure.
Insert the tenon t hrough the mort ise
and lightly scribe a line around t he

to avoid leaving a score tinewhere you'll later


bevel the end of the tenon.

Cut tenons to fit


In stall a dado blade as wide as you r
tablesaw accepts a nd set the h eight to
leave tenons slightly t h icker than your
mortise widths. Test the settings on
scrap t he t hic kness of your tenon pa rts.
Set the rip fence a d istance from the
blade equal to t he ten on length and
mount an extension o n the miter

To fine-tune a tenon with a rabbet block


plane, shave away equal amounts on both
faces. Checkthe fit after everytwo passes.

cont il/ ll ed 011 page 18

WOOD m"911Zlne

October 2010

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Challenge Skill
exposed end of t he tenon [Photo El,
Separate the joint pa rts, a nd sand or
plane a 45 bevel o n each ten on face
a nd edge until it reaches the scribed
line [Photo Fl.

To assemble t he joint without


smearing glue on the ex posed
tenon, ligh tly glue t he center of t he
face chee k, insert t he te non, and
clamp u ntil dry. To mecha n ically
rein force t he joint, drill 1,4" holes 1"
in from the mortise ends and d eep
enough to pass th roug h the tenon .
You ca n a lso drill through bot h
faces of the mortised pa rt jf you ta ke
ca re to avoid blow-out whe n driving
dowels t hrough.
Bevel th e ends of t wo LA" dowels
a nd drive them into the h oles, as
shown at the top of pllge 14. Cut t he
dowels flush a nd sand the surface
smooth up to 180 grit using a fir m
san ding bloc k.

Il

::----;,.,J

A m arking k nife with a sing le bevel helps


you sco re around th e tenon fl ush wit h the
surface of the mortise.

Plane fro m t he edge to the center to avoid


t ear-ou t when beveling te no ns. Then
sa nd th e bevels and end to 180 g rit.
18

W OOD magazln<;> October 2010

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S10PblOCk o n your mi ter-gauge


extension provides a simple,
foo lproof way to crosscut

mu ltiple par ts to equal length without


measu ring each one. Ru t what if you' re
cutt ing ext ra-long parts, suc h as table
legs? In th at case, clamp on a tong-part
stopblock like this one.
Start by attaching a n MDF or
plywood miter-gauge extension to your
miter gauge. Make it at least 1" wider
t han the th ickn ess of your workpteces
and long enough to reach fro m just
past the blade on o ne end to 6" or so
past the end of the mi ter gauge o n the
other end. Mou nt it to your saw's stock
miter gauge, and cu t a kerf t hat ma rks
the blade pos ition .
Subtract the len gth of t he extension
from t he final leng th of the workpiece,
and cut a st rip of %"-th ick MDF or
plywood about 10" longer than th at
d ista nce . Next crosscut a }lh"-long piece
off t he strip and screw it to one end of
t he st rip, where shown at riS/lt.
To use the stopblock, measure the
lengt h o f the pa rts you'll cut and clamp
it t hat d istance fro m the kerf. Butt the
20
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

wo rkpiece end agai ns t the sto pbloc k


(wit hout ben d ing t he ex tension) and
crosscut t he pa rt.
If the sto pblock slips or wobbles, add
a second clam p or adhere 100-grit
sa ndpaper to the hack side of t he
m iter-gauge extens ion whe re it overlaps
t he long-part stopbloc k.

To cut pa rts with mitered end s,


replace the stopblock with one that's
mi tered the same angle as your pa rt .
Co mpletely capturing t he m itered
workp iece end adds dead-on repeatability to t hose cuts. Always chec k to ma ke
sure there's no sawdust between you r
workpiece and the stopblock.

LONG-PART STOPBLOCK
Cut 10 the desired length. --.......

~11
/w
.... I ".. I-J

Miter-gauge extension

Kerf

Long -part stop block

ANGLED STOPBLOCK

WOOD m a g azine

Oc tober 2010

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The ShoR Monkey


Don't be afraid.., he'strained.

Practice Makes
Proficient
a n na become a star th ird ba seman for a Majo r League
Baseba ll tea m? It's easy. Go buy a baseba ll glove a nd show up
at t he stad iu m. How about a talent ed heart su rgeon? Piece o f
cake. Buy the board game Operation and sign o n at the Mayo Cli n ic.
Is th is how you ma ke it in t he real world? Of cou rse not. In
the real world, success comes o nly a fter developing your skills
through hard work, practice, and study. W hy, then, do so few
woodworkers see t he va lue of practice? Or do you "practice by

bui ld i ng" pro ject s?


Th in k about it . Say you have a project that begs for dovetails.

The last ti me you cut a set-by ha nd or mach ine- was a litt le


more t han a year ago. Even if you're su re the chisels are honed o r
the jig is pro perly set up, wou ld you have t he co nfide nce to put the
blade or bit to a stack of gorgeously figured ma ple, quartersawn
wh ite oak, or flawless mahoga ny boards?
Some woodworkers do; others don't. So me succeed; ot hers rea lize
that someth ing was not qu ite righ t o nly a fter gaps, ch ip-out, or
complete mtscuts turn t ho se precious ti mbe rs into scrapwoo d. It's not
carelessness o r a lack of skill. More o ften t han not, woodwor kers who
fait simply need to be more co mfortable wit h t he task.
That's why I advocate practicin g your woodwor king skills, even if
for o nly a few m inutes a d ay. Wit h just a few pla in, low-cost boa rds o f
po plar, pine, or whatever is cheap and plenti fu l, you can vastly
improve t he q ua lity of your work.
In my shop, I'll freq ue ntly clam p a poplar board in the vise and cut a
row of stra ight lines with a doveta il saw. I'm not building anyt hin g,
just t rying to get the feel for the saw cutt ing, focusing on my a rm
movement to ensu re the saw follows the layout line. The first five or
ten minutes o f shop ti me go toward wa rm up, and then I spend
another ten o r fifteen m in utes at the end of a shop session readying
boards for the next pract ice round.
It may seem bor ing and repetit ive at first (and my wife sometimes
looks aska nce at th is "u nproduct ive exercise") but once I get t he feel of
th ings, the practice helps sharpe n my conce ntration, d evelo ps muscle
memory, and puts me in t he right fra me of mi nd to work in the shop.
No matter how ta lented t hey a re, good performers always ta ke t he
time to practice. Ath letes put in tra ining ti me, even in mid-season . to
hone their skills. Musicians tu ne t heir inst ru men ts and pract ice ch ords
and progressio ns every day between co ncerts. Even professio nal
airli ne pilots spend ti me in a simu lator to stay sharp and keep the ir
certificat io ns curren t.
Once you u nderstand t his essentia l need for practice, taking t he
time to hone your woodworking skills doesn't sound odd at all. In
fact, t he on ly t hings t hat should be sharper t ha n you r chisels are
your woodwork ing skills.
The Shop Monkey (oka Tom Iovino of Tampa, Flo.)
blog5 prolifically at woodmagazine.com/5hopmonkey.

22
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..

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Plug In
Anywhere.
SawStop's Professional Cabinet Saw
Now in 120v, 1.75HP

Great Ideas for Your Shog

IS enser
-

Clean lines and


crisp cuts make
this shop helper
attractive and
functional.

ake quick work of d ispen sing


painter's tape for masking o r
cla mping tasks by converting a
few o f your shop scraps into th is ha ndy
accessory. Ad he re the fu ll-size patt ern
on page 48 to th in hardboard or
plywood. Cut the template to shape,
including the ta pered groove. Drill a ,/,..
hole th rough each marked centerpo int.

Cut t he two side bl an ks and t he front

and rea r spacers to t he sizes noted on


t he d rawings. Use the template to
t ransfe r outl ine, hole cen terpoints, and
the ta pe red groove location to the inside
face of eac h side blan k. Drill t he t wo
holes on the inside face of eac h side
bla n k where mar ked . Drilling the %z"
hole first provides a perfectly round en d
to t he bottom of t he tapered groOVE'.
Ad here the rectangular side blan ks to
you r workbenc h wit h double-faced tape.
Fit you r router with a IA." stra ight bit,
and freeha nd rout a '/K"-deep groove o n
the inside face of each bla n k.
Glue and clamp the space rs between
the side blan ks, wh ere shown on the
fu ll-size patt ern , keeping the grooves
d irectly across from each ot he r. Later,
remove the clamps and trace arou nd the
templ ate to transfer the d ispen ser
ou tli ne to t he outside face of t he
lamination. Band saw and sa nd t he
24
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

d ispe nser to shape. Rout a 'h" rou nd d isc to fit sn ugly ins ide a roll of tape.
ove r alo ng all but t h e botto m edges.
Cut a piece o f W dowel I W long a nd
Ma rk a zvtong sec t ion on a hacksa w
glue a nd cente r it inside t he d isc.
Appl y a finis h, avo iding the section
blad e. Use a ha m mer a n d cold chisel
to inde nt t he b lade wh ere ma rked .
d irectl y behind t h e blade. Tape will
Bend a n d b reak t he blade at th e
stick bett er if left u n fin ished .
indentation s. (We
h eld o n e end in a
1lI" d~p groove
vise and held t he
other wit h plter s.)
,/," hole
Cu t a kerf in t h e
l4" deep
~-:;?:;~;- 'A" hole, cente red
dispenser for th e
blade section. The
@~~!VfT '/' dowell V' long
blad e shou ld
exte nd 'A." beyo nd
t he fro nt end of
No finish
t he d ispenser. Sa nd
t he d ispen ser
smoot h and us e
epoxy or instant
V," round -over
glue to glue t he
blade in t he kerf.
Ma rk a
No round-over
3"-dia mete r d isc
on bottom edges
on a p iece of
It-thick stock.
FINISHED SIZE
At th e centerPart
T W l Qty.
po int used to
side blanks
V," 4'1," 10 '/.0" 2
Projett delign:
ma rk t he ci rcle,
front spacer
1'/,. 1'1" 3 Y> 1
Mlltt Selle r
drill a Iii" hol e.
rear spacer
I 'h. tw 4"
Ba nd saw a nd
3" diam.
tape dlsc
d isc-sand t h e

..

Materials List

'"

,
,

WOOD m llgazlne

October 2010

f;

WOOD.

MAGAZ IN E

,1,

/)

Issues 119S

Septtm be f

..-~ -

--.J

Why this massive archive deserves a place in your shop:


The userhiendly searchable index of all back issues makes it
easy to find any project plan, shop tip, or skill-builder from this huge
collection. (lick on the indexed article and go to it instantly! Or

browse through the issues using the prominent bookmarks, linked


covers, and table of contents. There, too, one click takes you to the

.-"'-

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1984 _~J"n lOO9" /"

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295 Furniture Projects


230 Shop Projects
900 Weekend Projects

525 Tool Reviews and Features


1,515 Shop Tips
765 Skill-building Techniques

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AD#WDl010

While spraying th e cleaned pa rts with a


lubricant, tu rn th e han dwh eels thro ug h a full
range of mot ion to d istri but e the coat ing.

t's iron ic Tablesaws create dust with

every cut, but that same debris ca n


rest rict t he saw's abi lity to ti lt,
elevate, and make more cuts . Even with
effective du st collection in place, gunk
tends to build up on t he gears, tru nnions, bea rings, a nd moto r. Here's how
you can beat the dus t gre m lins .

Make a clean sweep


Begin you r cleanup by sucking out as
much debris as possible from ins ide t he
saw cabinet with a shop vacu um,
preferably with a narrow nozzle. Be sure
to wear eye a nd breat hing protect ion.
Next, close the access door an d remove
t he blade from t he arbor. With your
dust collecto r ru n ning, blow compressed air into the t hroat opening to
clear as much dus t as possible, d irecting
it toward the dust port .
26
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After you've blown off all t he d ust


you can th roug h the blade th roat, o pen
or remove all t he access doors an d
panels. Now blowout as much dus t as
possible by shooting co mpressed air
th roug h a ll t he openi ngs. You'll likely
have to do th is severa l times from
above and below to completely evacuate the dust.
Next, use a steel or brass wire brush
(top ,isllt ) to dislodge g rime from your
saw's gears, threaded rods, tr unn ions,
and bevel stops. For tough grease-a ndgun k deposits, dip t he brush in mineral
spirits and scrub. Just keep any such
solvents well away from bea rings to
avoid damaging t hem.

them with more grease will on ly att ract


gu n k-bu ilding dust again. Instead, coat
them (ahoY(' p hoto) wit h a penetrating,
self-drying lubricant such as ProGold's
I'G2000. (See So urce below.) Th is
prod uct soa ks into t he pores of the steel
and cast iron to provide the muchneeded lubrication without att racti ng
du st. Squirt some o nto t he clea ned
parts, and then turn the handwbeels to
spread the lube even ly. Have a rag
handy to wipe up a ny excess lubricant.
Wa it for the PG2000 to d ry before
cutt ing wood again. Make sawdust
while it's wet and you'll just create t he
problem aga in. You might need two or
th ree applica tions fo r best results.

Apply lube-but do It right

Source

Once you've blown and brushed clea n


all the intern a l components, lubricati ng

ProGoldPG2000: product#147403,16oz., $10,


Woodcraft Supply. 800225'1153 or wcodcrettccm.
WOOD m ag azine

October 2010

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WorldMags . Digital Magazines

M41 teria ls: W ., W ., and l 1,?"thick

quartersawn white oak, a quarter-sheet


of 'h" plywood.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Overall dimensions:
43" long " 20 deep " 27 ~ high.
Learn to cut biscuit slotsqui<kly and

accurately.
Create a wrinkle-free upholstered seat.
..

- ::--.~
28
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>J.;;;

WOOD mA9Bz1ne OCtober 2Ol0


>

uthen tic Arts & C rafts fu rnit u re


once required advanced joine ry
skills. But yo u can assemble th is
bench using easy-to-make biscu it joi nts
and t he sou rce o n page 32 for q uarte rsawn wh ite oak.
If you're ready for a bigger challenge,
b uild it wit h rea l th rough -moruse-andtenon joi nt s. I.earn how to master t hat
joint on page' 66.

Two sides to the story

Cut the legs (Al to size from IWthick stoc k [Materials List, page 32J.
_(Wj Quick. TIp' Gille lip YOllr OWl. l 'lz"
stock. Rip W -t h ick stock at least 4"
wide down the center. Glue and damp Set a square to check the outside slat (El
o ne ha lf back-to -back to the other wit h offsets from the rail (8 . C) ends. Align innerslat (D) center markswith the rail centers.
o ne edge flush. Later, rip t he glue-up to
width for llh "-square leg blanks.
Cut t he bottom end rai ls (B) about DBENCH SIDEASSEMBLY
W oversize in width, the n t he top
end rails (C). inside slats (D), and outside
slats (E) to size. Sand them to 150 grit.
Using masking
tape, mark the
centers of t he in sid e

slat (D) and t wo


#0 biscuit
slots,
'\ I
o utside slats (E).
centered
Th en transfer t ho se
marks to t he bottom
'i l A
I
(B) and top (C) en d
,
#10 biscuit
I
ra ils
[Drawing 1,
,
slots
Photo AJ. O n a flat
I
I
'
E

surface, al ign the rail 27lA" I I


14V,"
2Yl"
.
,
and slat marks, and
,,
check the slat in sets
'
,
from the rail end s.
\' ,
Set your b iscu it
joiner to cut #0
I
slots
cen tered
in
:j4"-th ick stoc k. (See

the Shop Tip be/ow for

help.) Cut slots whe re


marked o n t he edges
o f t he bottom (B) and
top (C) en d rails. Then

II

I,

,1

..,

..
.,

Bull's-eye your biscuits


To accuratel y cen ter b iscuits o n th e
thickness of your wor kpreces. use a
rule instead of th e jo iner'S b uilt-in
scale. First unplug the tool. Place
your ruler on the biscuit-joine r
fen ce and center the blade mark at
ha lf t he t hickness of the part. For
exam ple, center the blade W from
th e fen ce for ~"- t h ic k parts.

wQOdm19"z1ne .com

. .

>"
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& PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

29

Trace an accurate arc

Cutoff

To mark an even curve on


the bottom end rails (B) and
front and bac k rails (F), cut a
v.. xl " strip of plywood ab out
6" longer tha n your part .
Attach sp ri ng clamps to your
workpiece to position th e st rip
flus h wit h t he arc start and
sto p marks at t he workpiece
end s. Then pull the st ri p up
and aga inst the clamps un til it
meets the arc ce nt er m ark on
the workpiece. Trace t he arc
and re move th e spring clam ps.

[J~

cut one #20 biscu it slot on each end of


t he top ra ils, and cut two #10 biscu it
slots on each end of the botto m end ra ils
[Drawing 1[. Now reset the biscuit joi ner
for In"-th ick stock a nd cut #0 slots on the
ends of t he in side slats ( D) and out side
slats (E).
Refer to t he Shop Tip above to lay out
the a rc o n t he bo tt o m end rails (B).
Jigsaw on t he waste side (save t he cutoffs) an d sa nd to the lin e.
GIUe the biscu it slots and cla m p a
bottom end ra il (B) and to p end ra il
(C) to a n inside slat (D) an d t wo out side
slats (E) [Photo B], ma kin g sure t he ends
of t he rails align. Repeat for the other
side assembly.

EJ LEG BISCUIT LAYOUT


(Front right and
back left legs)
20" be ves
I "

,J.

1"
I

Lk

I
2W

12\1:,"

,1-;
2W

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1
(

1\

biscuit slots

3'1:1"
"j'

-I

L-

lYl"

3
4

G lue an d clamp two legs (A) to a side


assembly (B-E) [Photo 0 [. Re peat for
t he other side assembly.
C ut t he fro nt and bac k rails (F) abo ut
\n " ove rsize in widt h . Layout th e

11

30

"

o biscuitslot

27JA"

Get the sides on their legs


Tilt your tabtesaw blade to 20. Then
attach a m iter-gauge extension that
reaches past yo u r blad e and cut an
angled kerf in the extension. Place a leg
(A) agai ns t the extension with one end
just tou ch in g t he kerf, a nd clamp a lo ngpa rt sto pb lock to t he extensio n. (See
"Long-Part Stopblock" o n paSt' 20.) Ma ke
two cuts o n opposite faces of the leg and
check where they meet (without CTOSSin g) on the end . Graduall y slide t he leg
and stopblock clo ser to the blade unti l
t he cuts meet in the middle. Then cut all
fou r faces [Photo C1. Repeat for eac h leg.
Lay o ut biscu it locat ions on two right
and t wo left legs (A) [Drawing 2J.
(@j Qulck Tip! Flllsl, "rose [leeks, Quartersawn white oak d isplays distinctive
flecks you'll want to show off. When
orga nizing t he legs into left, right, fro nt .
and back, m ark the biscu it slots on the
faces o pposite the m os t attractive faces.
Then cut ce ntered bisc u it slots and sand
the legs to 150 grit.

The bottom end rail (8) cutoff creates a


straight surface for clamping. Set a square for
2V," to check the outside slat (E) offsets.

~ -:-'

Adjust the miter-gauge stopblock exte nsio n


until bevels on all four sides of each leg (A)
meet in the cente r.

biscu it-slot location s IDrawings 3 an d 4 J


and cut the slo ts in t he ra ils. Th en lay
out t he curves. cut o n the waste side,
and sand to t he line.
Tem porarily clam p the fron t and
back rails (F) to the side assemblies
(A-E) and measure between t he inside
faces for the length of the seat su pports
(G). Cut the supports to size and d rill

DFRONT/BACK RAIL

L :==1"
,=---'-- o"

11'
- ."

2Yl" :

r .;--

"'- - - - - - -l

20"

--

#10 biscuitslots

-; 1

#0

biscuit slot

iJ

l v.,"

I
WOOD m ag azIne

October 2010

rn

Dry-fit th e bottom end rail (B) and to p end

rail Ie) to t he legs t o check biscuit-slot

alig nme nt s before adding g lue to the slots.

and cou ntersi nk lh" mounti ng ho les.


Glue a nd clamp the supports to the fro nt
and back rails [Photo E]. After the glue
d ries, sand to 150 g rit.

levate o ne of t he side assemblies


(A- E) off the floo r [Photo Fl. Glue the

fro nt an d back rails (F), add the second

side assem bly, and d amp. Finish-sand


the completed bench fra me to 150 grit.
TD stai n t he qua rte rsaw n white oa k
flecks and su rrou nd ing wood even ly,

D~_

Tape clamps to prevent squeeze-o ut f rom


d iscol oring t he wood . Then cant clamps to
alig n the screws wit h the seat support s (G).

apply Lockwood no. 144 Ea rly America n


Maple Golden Amber dye. (Keep a wet,
feathered edge as you work an d avoid lap
marks.) After t he d ye dries, sta in wit h
Va rathane Traditio nal Pecan no. 218 to
even o ut the dye color. Apply two clea r
coats of water-based satin fin ish. (We
used Old Masters acryuc.j

D _~_ ~_~ _~

Elevating th e bottom side assembly p rov ides


clam p clearance. After clamping, rest all four
legs on a level surface and check for sq uare.

ID EXPLOOED VIEW

#\0 biscu it
slot
#0 biscuit
slot

2'1>"

4{)"

Written by Bob Wil son with k evin 60)l l e

#10biscuit
slots

Project design , Jeff Mertz


Illustrations: Ro xa n ne LeMoine; l o rn a Jo h n son

wood m1l9" zl n e .c:om


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31

Add a soft seat


There's not hing tr icky about this simple
upholstery job if you:
Work o n a dea n surface.
Avoid wrin kles in t he batt ing t hat
will show t h rough t he fabric.
Pull the fabric t ight a rou nd t he seat
an d between staples as yOll work.

Cotton

II

batti ng

Fabric

SEAT UPHOLSTERY
SECTION VIEW

~~~"""""""""~

Allow 3" elCtra


batting o n
eac h side,

2" foam

Use t he seat (H) as a patt ern to cut iii piece of


2"-t hick upholstery foa m using a utilit y knife

-%" staple

Beg inning on iii long side, pu ll th e fabri c up,

fold th e edge und erneat h, and st aple it to t he


seat every 2 ".

Add the seat and sit a spell

1
2

or an elect ric carv ing knife.

Cut batting to fit a ro un d t he foam an d seat


(H). Pull t he batt ing sn ug a nd fa st en it to t he
seat ab o ut eve ry 2" using $" st a ples.

Pull the fa b ric t ig ht and st a ple the o pposite


side a nd bot h e nds, The n beg in ga t hering
the fabri c at the corners.

Pull and fo ld the fa b ric to red uce t he numbe r


of wrinkle s alo ng t he sides. Cut off exce ss
fa bric a nd st a ple each co rner,

Cutting Diagram

Materials List

Cut the seat (H) to size and follow


I0
the instr uctions ooove to make
an upholste red seat IDrawing 51.
x 7'/.0 x 48" Oak (2.7 bd. ft. ) (2 needed)
Lay the bench cen tered on th e
upholstered seat (H) and screw it
IX' )
to the seat supports (G). Now plant

your newly completed be nc h a ny'l4 x 7'/.0 x 48- Oak (2.7 bd. ft .) (2 needed)
where yOli need a h and y seat. .
Plane o r resew to the thickness listed in the Materials List.

MORE RESOURCES
FREE VIDEOS
Bask Finishing (in three parts)
woodmagazine.comlbaskfinish
FR EE ARTICLES
For more finishing advice on using dyes,
woodmagazine.comlfinishes
RELATED ARTICLES
"ShowOff Figure with Dye" is~e 157
(September2004) S
woodmagazine.com/Wooddye
"Howto Get Started in Biscuit Joinery"
issue 128 (November 2000) S
woodmagazine.comlbiscuil
S=Download lhisankle for a I m~11 f.....

32
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!
I

* x S'!:I x 48" Oak (2 bd. ft.)


* x 7'1. x 48" Oak (2 7 bd ft ) (2 needed)

Vi x 24 x 48, Birch plywood

1:1

FINISHEQ SIZE

Part
A

,W

''9'

B' bottom end rails


C

top end rai ls

insideslats
outside slats

F'

front/backralls

seat supports

seer

Mati. Qty.

,.'

27*"

5""

17'

17"

14 v.,"

14W

40'

17*"

,
z
,
z
,
z
,

39 ~"

Be

" "
"
"'W ' W
sw
" 'W
"
"'
4'

18l'l "

' Pam in ilial~ wt O'Ierlize. See the in\UuOk!n\.


Materials key: o -cee (quartersawnwtliteoakis
preferred), BP-birch plywood.
Supplies: #8xl',I0" flathead wood screws (6~ #0, #10, end
#20 biscuits, ~" staples. Upholstery foam, baning, and
fabric ava ilable at fabric shops.

Source
Quartersawn white oak: We obtained the wood
to build this bench from the FrankMiller Lumber (0.
(all 800-345-2643 orvisit frankmiller.com to arrange a
mail-order delivery. Lumber may be ordered machined
to thickness. see thecutting diagram for quantities. For
a guide to otherha rdwood soede, visit the American
Hardwood Information Centerat hardwoodinfo.com.
WOOD mag azIne

October 2010

-,
~

Shape 3 sides per pass!


Over 500+ Molding Patterns!
RISK FREE 3().Day Trial Offer!

Highest Profit
MAKE CURVED
MOLDING!

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E~L~~

PhotoLaser Plus

Vievv on online demonstration

of PhotoLoser Plus and see how it w ill provide

stunning photo engraving results at www.eplloglaser.oomlbhg.htm

he b road , sweeping cu rves o f t hese


bowls a llow plenty of room to see
what you're do ing as you turn,
ma kin g this an ideal project for even
beg inners. Using a four-jaw chuc k [More
Resources, //(/ge 37) leaves no trace of
how the work was held on th e lath e.

Prepare the bowl


and base blanks
For each bow l and base, band saw blanks
1Jl" la rger t ha n t he fin ished d imens io ns
(Materia ls List]. Drill a pilot hole cen tered
on one face o f each bla n k to accept your
lathe's screw center.
34
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Note : The W -decp IlOk required for till'


screw-celltt" insert o( our (ouf-;mv chuck
wouut naveout tile 11011' close to the {iI/iS/led
depth of tile 51111/// bowl. So ins tead, we
dri lled a '>fI".deep Iw/(' ill tnc small- bow!
blank {/l1d slipped a W ptvweod spac{'f ova

tile .screw centerbefore mountingtnat blank.


Photocopy the bowl patterns from the
WOOD Pattl'rl/S$ insert, spraymou nt
them to card stoc k, a nd cut them to
shape. The procedure for tu rn ing each
bowl and base is t he sa me; on ly the
d imensions cha nge. The patterns contain the di mensions referenced by lett ers
in t he drawi ngs and text.

Materials List
FINISHED SIZE

Part

Diam. Mati .

la rge bowl

l ro"

I I"

large ba se

l ro"

3ro"

medium bowl

II'.!"

S"

medium base

1\'1"

31'1"

sm all bowl

1\4"

6"

sm all base

1\4"

3W

Note: Parts inrtiallycut oversize. Seethe instructions.


Materials key: A-ash.

WOOD magazine

October 2010

1 Shape the outside of the base


Tools : s" bowl gouge, parting tool
Speed: 600-1,000 rpm

Mount a screw center in your fou r-jaw


ch uck and t hread a ba se blan k onto t he
screw center. W it h t he lathe runn ing,
mark on th e face o f the blank the A
radius listed on the Base EKterior Pattern.
Using you r bowl gouge, reduce the bla nk
d iameter to t he ma rk. Move the tool fest

perpendicula r to t he lathe bed and t rue


the face of the blank. M ark the :t\6"

heig ht of t he sp igot, t he B d imen sio n


(base height), and the C radius (spigot
dia meter).

Re posit ion t he tool fest parallel to t he


bed . Cutting in from t he edge wit h your
par ti ng tool, form the spigot. To create a
flat shoulde r, keep the side of t he tool
against the fresh ly cut portion as you

wor k. Stop the lathe an d test the flat ness


of t he spigot shoulder [Skill Builder,
bt'/owl. With th e lat he ru n ni ng, ma rk
t he shoulder widt h (Yl" ). Wo rking from
t he base bottom towa rd the spigot, shape
t he side of t he base, tctt, Check you r
progress with the Base Exterior Pattern .
After reac hing the final shape, sa nd t he
cu rved por tio n fro m ISO g rit through
320 grit . Don't sand the spigot .

Mark the spigot height and the


base height (B dimension).

. -~-~-r...0
,~

Turn the blank to the


base dia meter (A rad ius).

(A rad ius)

Spigo t
! f ) True the bottom face.

Mark the spigot diam eter


radius).

(C

Note: For the small base only, mount a 'I"-t hick


space r between the screw chuc k and blank.

A rule for checking


flatness and depth
Use a 6" metal rule to chec k your
progress when trueing faces or
hollowing. Place t he rule across a
face to check its flatness, right. If
you cut in at an angl e, the ruler
will either rock o n the hig h spo t
near the spigot o r show a ga p at
the low spot nea r t he spigot.
As you hollow a base or bowl,
the full-size pattern helps you
chec k the shape and depth as
you near completion. To chec k
your progress along the way,
bridg e the opening with a
straight scrap, far right. Measure
fro m the bottom of the scrap to
determine the d epth and
compare it with the fi nal d epth
(0 o r H dimension) shown on
the pattern.

woodm llgllzlne.c:om
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35

2 Hollow the base


Tool: %" bowl gouge
Speed: 800-1 ,20 0 rpm

Remove the base from the screw center


and remove the screw cent er. Gr ip the
spigot in you r four-jaw ch uc k. True the

base bottom, brin ging the base to fina l


height . Mark th e \4" th ickne ss of th e
base rim and beg in hollowing the base,
worki ng from t he outside to t he center,
left . Stop the lathe occasionally and

the excess with paper towels. We t hen


sto pped t he lat he a nd b uffed with a
cloth, repeati ng t his process to build
four coats.) Remove t he base fro m t he
lat he a nd set it aside .

gauge your progress, measuring th e


o d imensio n and
checkin g the shape
against t he Base

f ) Mark the base


wall thickness.

Int erio r Pattern .

After reaching
the fina l shape,
sa nd the interior to
320 grit. Stop the
lat he and apply a
fini sh in sid e a nd
out. (We liberally
bru sh ed on bo iled
lin seed o il; the n,
with the lat he fun n ing at its slowest
speed, wiped off

O True the bottom face.

\ \.'~::';
\\i;J10 HolioWthe bottom.
,

;1

r------::::; w
1

3 Shape the bottom of the bowl


bowl go uge, parti ng tool,
skew chisel
Speed: 600-1,000 rpm
Tools : ~"

Reins ta ll t he screw center and mou nt a


bowl blan k to it. Mark the centerpoint of
t he bla n k's face and use t he Bowl Exterior
Pattern to layout the E radius (out side
diameter). Tu rn the blan k to t his mark,
t hen true the face. Lay out the recess (F
radi us). With you r parti ng tool, begin
for ming t he recess, working inside the
layout lin e so the recess is slightly u nde rd iameter. Switch to a skew chi sel and
t rue the recess bo ttom, below; t he n test

the fit of t he base spigot in the recess. arc. Ma rk the G dimension to ind icate
Increase the diameter of t he recess to the end of the are, and mark the th ickachieve a p ress fit o f the spigot in the ness of the rim YJ6" above the G dimenrecess. Quick Tip' EstuMI.d' puper- (@). sia n. Shape the bottom of t he bowl,
Oil .. tolerm,ces, Cove r t he top of below eel/ter, work ing between the first
the spigot wit h two layers o f painter's
two mar ks, checking you r work aga ins t
tape, and use the spigot as a d ept h gauge. the pattern. Sand the boltom to 320 g rit
The recess is the proper dept h whe n the and apply a fin ish, as you did o n the
spigot shoulder just rests on the bowl base. Do not apply finis h in t he recess.
botto m. Remove the tape after completing the recess.
--_---,+-:0 Turn the blank to finished
Layout t he shape of t he bot tom by
diameter (E radius).
marking \4" from the outside of the
recess to ind icate the begin n ing of the
-

~
Top ofrim

E radius e

True the bott om face.

' 1,,~ O Ma rk the recess diameter


(F radius).

i19

Skew
chisel

:i

Shape bowl
bet ween lines.

r rue the recess bottom.


" O Form the recess diameter
slightly undersize.

tv. -

:T

..

O lncreasethe recess to fit


the spigot on the base.

~J Fmm the bowl bottom.

'JDJ
~ 8

Mark the bowl height (G dimension)


and rim thickness.

36
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WOOD magazine

October 2010

4 Hollow the bowl


Tool : ~"

bowl gouge
Speed: 800- 1,200 rpm

Reverse the bow l, remove the screw center, and grip the recess
in t he four-jaw ch uck. True t he blan k face, bringing it to final
th ickness (the rim th ickness marked in t he previou s step).
Begin hollowing the bowl, cutting towa rd the center, gradually
en larg ing the interior dia meter, until you reach the outside
d iameter. Keep working from t he outside toward the center
unti l t he curve matches t he Bowl Interior Pattern. (See the Skill
Builder tetow for tips all shaping the large bowl.) Sand t he bowl
wit h ISO-, 220-, a nd 320-grit sandpaper.
Apply a finish as before. After the finish d ries, glue each base
to its bowl, placing weigh t (such as a one-gallon can of paint)

O True the face.

in the bowl to apply pr essure. Once t he glu e d ries, brush on a


fina l coat of oil, wipe away the excess, and allow it to cure
thoroughly before placing food in the bowls. "

,- - ----- ----

~eROU9h
:0

the hollow.

Sha pe remainder
of bowl.

Bring outer third to


thickness and
finish-sand .

Produced by Cr..ig RuegJegger with 'eU Me."


Proje<! design: Jeff Mert,
ruoureucns. Rox..nneleMoin e; lorna John son

MORE RESOURCES
Keeping a large bowl stable
Hollowing and sanding the largest of
the t hree bow ls requi res worki ng in
stages from the outside in. If you turn
the full diameter of the bowl to
thickness, the bowl may flex as you
sand the outside edge.
To work around t his, turn only
one-third of the outer diameter of the
bowl to final thickness [photo). Then
sand this area to 320 grit, keeping
your left hand behind the bowl to
provide support. Finish the large bowl
by cutting from the just-completed
area towa rd the center, bringing the
remainder of the bow l to final
thickness. Take light cuts to blend the
outer area with the inner area, then
sand the inner area through 320 grit.

woodm .. g .. llne.c:om
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Read and download a free article


about using a lour-jaw chuck at
woodmagazine.com/4 jawchuck.

37

e all strive for clean and accurate tablesaw cut s. In chasing perfection, though,
we often spend much more tim e setting
up a cu t tha n actua lly making it. Here's how to
safe ly get great crosscuts in less time.

Extend your miter gauge


A bare-bones, standard-issue m iter gauge benefits fro m the additio n of an extension, a straight
scrap of plywood or M DF screwed to the gauge so
it ex tends past t he blade. Th is provides a couple
of adva ntages: A saw kerf cut into the extension,
as shown, shows precisely whe re t he blade will
cut, and t he wood around t he kerf provides zeroclea ra nce protectio n against tear-out.

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

;:lIIII!Measure from the kerf

"*"............~:

for
fast, precise cuts
Clamp on a simple self-squa ring

stopbloc k for
cutt ing mu ltiple pa rts to precisely t he same
length . Using a steel rule for its hyper-accurate
prec ision , position the stopbloc k qu ickly by
measuring from the edge of t he kerf. Leave a W
gap beneat h the sto pblock to prevent dus t
bui ld up from affecti ng your cuts.

WOOD magazine

October 20 10

Lock in mitered parts

For pa rts wit h m itered ends, such as


pict ure-frame sides, use a stopblock
wit h t he complementary angle. Th is
provides a more positive "loc k" than a
rectangula r block. Apply 120-grit,
self-ad hesive sandpape r to the m itergauge extension for bett er gr ip o n
your workpieces. (See a not her angled
stopblock example on past' 20.)

Sel f-adhes ive


I sandpaper

IJJ!
Someti mes the dimensions of a wor kpiece preAdd a stopblock to your rip fence

vent you from us ing a stopblock o n a m iter-gauge


extension. For example. cutting multiple parts of
eq ual length fro m a 6'-long board mig ht be a
problem. Or cutt ing short pieces would place
your hands too d ose to the blade.
The solutio n: Use your rip fe nce as a gauge, as
shown at the top of the opposite page. To prevent
workpiece binding and kickback, always position
the sto pblock several inches in fro nt of the blade.
That way t he cutoff falls away freely instead of
becom ing t rapped between t he blade and stopbloc k. And to ma ke setups easier, make your
stopblock's widt h a who le number, such as 2",
a nd then use your fence scale to set the cutoff
length-plus t he 2".

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III Do the dado two-step

To cut dadoes wit hout switching to a


stacked dado set, ma ke a two-step
gauge bloc k with its two steps offset
by the desired dado width. Cla mp it to
your fence as shown. Then, using your
crosscu t or general-purpose blade,
make a cut using each step . Finall y,
nibble away the m idd le with repeated
passes over the blade.

Cut made using


long ga ug e block

Written by Bob Hunte r with Jeff Mert! and


Kevin Boyle

39

.... .
. .

..
~ ; : :: : :
..... .

~: : :

.
.
.......

...

........
...
... .

THE FRIDAY BEFORE..

..THE MONDAY AFTER!


To see how this shop was
transformed over a wee kend, go to
woodmagazine.com/organlzing.

~
I

magine a workshop where you can


fi nd every tool, jig, and board almost

without

lo ok in g. Whether you're

mach ining lumber, assemb ling parts,


sanding, or finishing, everyt hing you
need is situated within easy reach.
Who owns th is aweso me sho p? You
do, if you d rop t he indecision, bad h ab its, and sloppy housekeeping that lead to
clutter and frust ration. We'll show how
to do t hat and reorga nize your shop to
foc us o n woodworki ng .

Start with a
thorough thinning
Fi rst round up some 30-gallon heavyduty ga rbage bags, several plastic tubs
with lids, a nd a perma nent marker.
Inside your shop, empty waste cans and
40
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

t hrowaway chunks of wood less than l '


long a nd any t hing t hat 's obviously
trash or bro ken beyond repair.
Toss o r recycle em pty tool cases you'll
neve r use again. Stri p reusable ha rdware
from jigs custom ized for tools you no
longer own, and toss what's left.

Tools: Don't use 'em?


Then lose 'em
Keep t he cleanup momentum going by
focusing on tools t hat see little use.
Then divide t hem into three categor ies:
Tools not worth selling can be donated
to cha rity.
Item s too valuable to give away, but
not worth the hass le of a classified ad,
can be sold in the next garage sale.
Tools wort h $50 or more can be sold

th roug h a newspaper ad, a n on line ma rket such as cratgsust.org (no-fee, local


buyers pick up the tool), or euaycom
(small seller fee, you 'll likely have to sh ip
the tool).
Now find a new place for home-repair
items t hat inter fere with your woodworking. For exa mple, label one of your
plastic tubs "electrical" and fill it with
switches, outlets, and electrical tools. Do
the sam e for your plumbing supplies and
tools. Fill the t hird tub with painting
supplies, such as rollers, br ushes, and
paint pa ns. Then put in tubs a ny other
DIY stuff, such as d rywalling tools. If
you work in a garage shop, move lawn
and garde n tools outside the shop a rea.
Toss into a anot her tub that hodgepodge
of project pa rts, includi ng T'.track for jigs
WOOD magazIne

Oc tober 2010

This garage shop's storage systemorganizes lumber over a cutt ing


center with space belowto parkthe jointer when it's off-duty.
you never built, m iscella neous ha rd ware, a nd pa rts for unbu ilt projects.
Turning you r focus to fin ishes, cu ll
the water-based fini shes d isco lored by
ca n ru st, and oil-based pol y wit h a t h ick
layer of dried fin ish o n top. Then set

Organize your work areas


Now use ex isti ng storage and d ivide
the stu ff t hat 's left ove r into work a reas,
even if your tools ride on mo bile bases.
1. The workbench/assembly area. If
you build mo stly sma ll to medium-size
pro jects or furnit ure smaller th an your
ben ch , posit io n t he work bench against a
wall to ope n u p floor space for stat ionary tools. Use nea rby wa lls to hang t he
tools you use most, as shown at right,
and bins to h old screws or ot he r fasten ers, far right. (See More Resources o n pllge
44 for on line bin plans .)
Sing le out your favorite clamps and
hang them nea r your workbe nc h. Th en
add a shelf fo r glue, cla mping cau ls, and
squa ring braces.
If you build la rge projects, you'll n eed
access to all fou r sides of the ben ch , so
move the bench closer to t he cen ter o f
your shop. lf t hat places it near the tablesaw, ma ke the ben ch do dou ble d uty as
an outfeed ta ble by ra ising or lowe ring
the bench heigh t.
2 . Machining area. Set up your n ext
work a rea for sizing, join ting, and planing stock. Create a work t riangle, right,
woodmllgllzlne .c:om
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

Space beneath this mitersaw bench houses short to medium-length


lumber, keeping it flat and off of the floor.

aside a ny sta ins you won 't use again. Ask


you r waste-di sposal service about the
n earest hazardo us-waste d ispo sal site.
Fin ally, gather up all th ose cutoffs,
scraps, a nd leftover sheet goods that
survived your ea rlier clea nup. Sort th em

by t ype and place eve ryth ing on overhead racks, as shown a/mve tett, in some
corner away fro m too ls and wcrkspaces,
u n der sta irs (in a basement shop), in t he
rafters of a ga rage shop, o r under counters, as shown above right.

WORK THE WALL SPACE


Screw
binS )

Put this on your to-do list: Removable shopmade bins keep your most popular fasteners
organized, dust-free, and accessible.

......

oW

Apply the 80/20 rule to your shop and keep


the 20 percent of tools and fasteners you use
80 percent of the time within arm's reach.
that lets you move stock qu ick ly bet ween
the jointe r, planer, and rabtesaw, In a
garage shop that n eeds to convert bac k
into parking space, store mach in es on
mob ile bases close to the tria ng le.

Size and square project parts quickly by


placing the tablesaw, jointer, and planer
within steps of each other.
41

SHOP TIP
Build three versions of one cab inet
Building th ree sto rage cabinets doesn't take much lon ger
t han bu ild ing a sing le on e. So w hile yo u're b uild ing the
san ding supplies cab inet (lower far left), make duplicate
case and d oo r part s to create cabinets for hand and power
tools or finishing supplies. (Go to woodmaqazine.com/

sandpapercabinet to obta in pfans.) Each uses hanging


cteats for quick sho p reo rganization. A cleat with a beveled

bottom edge mo unted to the cab inet back g rips a mating


w all-mounted cleat wi th an ident ical bevel. Gravity hold s
the two cleat s together un til you lift off the cabinet.

~ WiJ ll deat

:....!'i.!!!i!!!;;;;;o;,.- ,:1:

Perforated hardboard

Now fin d places for tool accessories. If


you h ave a cabinet saw eq uipped with
an extension tab le, add shop-made or
store- bought shelves underneath it to
keep jigs, hold-d owns, m iter gauges , a nd
blades . Store accessor ies a nd jigs for a
be nc hto p or contractor-st yle saw on
she lves or u nused lu mber racks.
3. Sanding and fInishing center. Even
if you sand parts and apply fin ish at
you r workbe nc h, storing sandin g and
fin ishing supplies o utside t he im med iate shop a rea o pe ns up tool-sto rage space
where you n eed it mo st. For n ow, store
abrasive sheets in t he ir sleeves and hang
the pac kages fro m a hook or na il. For
boxed san d ing d iscs, pu nc h a hole in a
bottom of t he box at o ne corner, secure
t he top wit h a rubber ba nd, a nd hang it
on a peg hook. Later, add a cabi net to
hold sa nding supplies. (See the Shop Tip
allove.) Leave room nea r the cabinet to
park a sho p vacuu m.
For finis h ing supplies, cons ider a
ready-to-assemble cabine t fro m a h ome
center or d iscoun t store. If you're concerned about child safety, attach a hasp
and lock to the cabinet doors. We've
even see n a no n-funct io na l freezer
t urned into fin ish storage, f iSht .
Postuon t he finis hes cabinet as far
away as possib le fro m you r water heater,
furnace, or ot her o pen-flame applia nces.
Date each can o f fin ish (Wit h esti ma tes,
if yo u have to) a nd sort t hem by film
fin ishes, sta ins, and solvents. If t he re's
room left, add brus hes and accessor ies.
4 , Peripheral storage. Now th at you've
bloc ked out spaces for woodworking's
42
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

t hree key areas, d iv ide up t he remaini n g


space for everyth ing else. Begin with
storage for benchtop and portable power
tools. Rank each tool from I to 3 acco rdin g to how often you use it. Fo r exam ple,
a freq uen tly used cord less d rill may ra n k
a I while a pneu matic stapler you've
only used twice merits a 3. Store the Is
near or ben eath your workbench .
Devote t he corners o f t he shop to storin g tools on mobile bases, such as a
hand saw, or tools that do n't need la rge
tnreedzoutreed areas, for example a
scrollsaw or sharpen ing station. (After

you're organized, consider glvmg frequen tly used portable ben ch top tools
their own mob ile sta nds or carts to
reduce setup time.)
Store the zs just outside you r th ree
ma in work areas, and t uck away the 3s
on shelves or just outside the shop.
W hatever its ra n k, eac h tool ca me
wit h a ma nua l th at you' ll need someday
to fin e-t une its set up, order replacement
parts, o r fin d t he nea rest service center.
Store these ma nua ls in a heavy-duty
th ree-ring binder filled with p lastic page
protectors, as show n t etow:

A COOL IDEA FOR FINISHES

,_.

_. ~
,----"
HAZARDOUS

ElilJ

---

Cl

<:l

CHEMICALS"
COMBUSTIBLE

r>

/,'

LlQUID~
...

,tf'

~
.

'

0 .

r
-.,....,..,*

A d iscard ed freez er, minus its refrigerat ion


un it, provides lockable, insulated, and airt ight sto rage fo r fin ishes.
WOOD m agazI n e

Oc tober 2010

No heavy lifting required

Power

_ + - - - -jl--- 'ool
storage

W hen o rgan izi ng yo ur sh op eq uipment,

it's easier to push a button or piece of


paper t ha n hund reds of pounds of tools.
To test and visualize different workspaces, use a n online sho p layout tool,
such as t he o ne at grizzly.com, shown
be/ow. For a low-tech alternative, photocopy the paper tool symbols shown at
bottom and cut them out. Then move
them arou nd on a piece of graph paper
marked to represent your shop space.

, l,

wall
cabinet

,, ~,

Supplies
wall
cabinet

...

FIND PLANNING HELP ONLINE

---. --.

6rlzzly fndu!ItrllII

...

.-

1100'" LAYOUT

1--- -t-

t_

Bench
with
storage
below
Wall

1~!r~:1_cabinet

---

(reate router
table in tablesaw
to save space.

Cu toffs
under
mitersaw
stand

Vehicle space

This on line shop planner lets you e xperime nt


with positio nin g tools close in size t o the
o nes in your shop.

' Parked"

Radial-arm saw

tools
roll into
position
when
needed.

Jointer/planer store
under lumber rack .

12x20' Garage

This shop provides a place for everything, Including a car!

4x8 '

You can still create wo rkstat ions, even if t hey're not perma nent, Storing lumb er high o n
th e wa ll of t his garage shop leaves roo m underneat h fo r a planer and join ter. The t ablesaw
extension ro uter tab le allo w s t he r ip fence to serve both t ools,

Plywood s heet

10" Table saw


wit h 30" fence
14" Ban dsaw

M~ ~
16"

16" Scro llsaw

16Y.M
Drill Pres s

Drum sa nder

14~

Lathe

1,100 CFM dust


co llector

6" Belt, 12"


Disc sa nde r

Osc ill ating spindle


sander

Router/sh ape r
24x30" tab le

6" Joi nter

12" Port able p laner


on stand

20-g all on ve rti cal


air comp ressor

24x60"
Workbenc h
6x96~

Board
Outline your shop dimensions on '1..'t-sq uare grap h paper whe re each sq uare equals 1'. Then photocopy and cut o ut t he symbo ls that repr esent
t ools yo u'll position within your shop. Positi on sy mbo ls to all ow infeed and o ut feed spaces wit hin your layout.

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

43

CHOOSE STORAGE THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS


STORAGE
Cont aine rs

PROS

CONS

SAMPLE USES

Keep s similar items together.

You still need a place to store

Sizes range from bins to tubs.

the containers. Each con tainer

Fasteners (using small,


open containers, left);

No assembly required .

requ ires its own label.

plumbing, electrical, and


p ain ting supplies (large,

lidded tubs).
Perfora ted
hard bo a rd, wa ll

Cheap , versatil e, and f lexible.


Tailo r shop-made racks to fit

peg -hook capacities. Racks take

Hand tools, power-tool


accessories, clamps. Tool

rac k s

groups of tools or accessories.

time to plan and make.

storage near a workbench .

Shelves

Inexpensive and easy to


install; fi xed or adjustable shell

Can look cluttered, even when


organized.

Portable power tools,


lumber, benchtop tools,
jigs, and small containers.

Combines the storage of dustfree shallow drawers and deep


cabinets. Base-cabinet tops
become work surfaces.

More expensive and timeco nsuming to make than


shelves. May only hide clutter.

Portable power tools, fin ishes ( left), and hand tools.

Perfect for garage shops to


make room fo r cars. Tops
doub le as assembly surfaces.

More costly than cabinets. Require time to design and make.


Use up floor space.

Benchtop tools, clamps


and tablesaw accessories.
Some can be turned into
router tables, left.

Storage dep th is limited to

support options; allow s rollin g

storage underneath.
Ca binets

Carts

Now keep things In order


As you upgrade your storage arrangemen ts using containers or o pen bins,
invest in an inexpensive label maker to
identify th eir contents, be/ow. Rem ember: Hardwa re or tools you ca n't fi nd are
t he same as ones you don't own .
Next prioritize th e shop organ izers
you'd like to build. Start with th e easy
ones that give you t he most efficiency
for your time a nd money. For examples
of storage cabinets and cart s, go to
woodmagaztnc.com/shopsto ragc.
Many WOOJ)<!l magazine shop-sto rage
project s rely on mating cleats screwed to
cabinet backs and walls, rig/It , that you

can apply to yo ur own wall-hung projects. Th is makes it easy to rearrange


organi zers as t he shop layout changes.
Then develop rules for ma int aining
your shop, such as th e ones at right. If
you slip up, don't give up. Simply make
time to put th ings back in order before
your next project. Treat clutt er like you'd
t reat rust : Don't wait for it to cover
everyth ing before you elim inate it.
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lo rna Johnson

Workshop Rules of Order


v' If you can't decide where to store something,

ask yourself if ithad a purpose in the first place.


v' If you don't want a mess waiting for you

when you enter you rshop, don't leave one


when you go.
v' There's no sin in leaving emptyspaces inside

your shop. You're not loading the dishwasher.


v' Maintain your shop by wor\( zones. Tidying

the sanding area sounds a lot more doable than


straightening the shopwhen you 0fI1y have a
few minutes to spare.
v' Respec t the wor\( zones you've created and

store everything in its place.


v' Forget multitasking. When two projects

occupy you r workbench at the same time, one


ofthem im't getting done.
v' You can't build a project unless you can find

its plan. So file patterns and plans by broad categories, such as "furniture," "boxes," or "toys."
v' Store only the lumber you need for an up-

coming proiect, orfind lumber storage outside


the shop. Let the lumberyard store the rest.
v' If clutter begins to spread, reverse it by

Ad hesive labels o n t hese open bins make the


contents easy to spot and encourage you to
keep hardware sorte d by size and type.

Ge ets with matinq beve ls let you add or


move cabinets, perfo rated -hardboard
panels, and racks to reorganize your shop .

making a habit of putting away three things for


every object you pull out of storage.

MORE RESOURCES
STORAGE PROJECT PLANS
"TakeAnywhere Hardwa re Bins"issue 165 (October
2005)woodmagazine.comlhardwarebin. S

"RollingWorkshopStorage"issue 167
IDecember/Janua ry2005120(6)
woodmagazinl!.comJwoodplugs.5

"BenchTool System"fssue 179


(December/Ja nuary 2005/20(6)

"ShopCartlWorkber.ch"issue 185 (September20(8)

(S=Oownloadthis artkle forasmall fee.)

woodrnaqaztneccrrvbencbtoolsystem, 5

woodmaqazme.com'certbench. S

44
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

WOOD magazine October 2010

WorldMal!s - Dil!ital Mal!azines


Better Ho m es and Ga rde n s"

PATTERNS.
Issue 200

October 201 0

---------

Dear Reader: As a service to you, we've included fu ll-size


patterns on this insert for irregu lar-shaped and intricate
project parts. You can mac hine all other proj ect part s using
t he Materials list and the drawings accompanying the project you're building.

,,- -:
\ '''- '

c Copynqht Meredith Corporation, 20 10. All ri g ht s reserved. Printed in

the U.S.A. Mered it h Ccrp., the publishe r of WOOD Patterns !'. enows
the purchaser of this pattern insert to photocopy these patterns solely for

personal use. Any other reproduction of these patterns is strictly prohibited.


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Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

hen you need to cu t dadoes, grooves, or rabbets, you want to do it cleanly and quic kly,
You can make these cuts w ith a tablesaw or
router, hut whic h proves best? Well, as you'll see, that
depends on several fact ors.

The Dado Challenge


Kevin Boyle and jeff Mertz- the guys who des ign and
build most of the WOOl)" magazine p rojects-were
d iscu ssing o ptions (or cutt ing bookcase dadoes one
d ay, and bega n debat ing wh ich tool would be best:
t he tablesaw or rou ter. Soo n, more of our editors were
d rawn into the d iscuss ion, and we decided that on ly
a showdown could settle t he debate once and (or a ll.
woodm"9"zlne. com

"

So we gave Kevin and Jeff t he sa me assignment, but


on different mach ines. Kevin chose the tablesaw, Jeff
t he rou ter, a long wit h a self-squa ring straightedge
and a gu ide bu sh in g. The contest: to s~e wh o could
finis h first- wit h accurate resu lts, of course.
The ground rules: Each had to create a pair of
lIx42" bookcase sides wit h t hree dadoes for Y!"
she lves, a rabbet for a i" top, and a rabbet for a W
back o n eac h p iece. Nothi ng co uld be set up ahead of
time, a ltho ugh the project par ts a nd any jigs or au xilia ry fences cou ld be cut to size. Both chose to ma ke
all cuts in one la rger panel, and t hen rip it in h alf (or
perfectly matchin g sides. Now, let's get ready to
ru mble...

49

JEFF ROUTS HIS WAY TO CLEAH DADOES WITH AMODEST TOOL INVESTMENT----

'I. scra p
l eft jig arm

After in st alling a % guide b ushin g and Yl

down cut spiral bit, Jeff sets t he bit's cutting


dept h w it h a reliable com bin at io n square.

"")
Scrap
ply wood

Right Jig arm

Wit h the rig ht jig arm screwed to th e fences,


Jeff d amp s t he left jig arm to it, sp acing it

Jeff makes a test cut in a spare piece of --~


plywood: routi ng one pass aga inst t he right

with a pi ece of 0/<" plywood and a st rip of ~'

jig arm and a secon d agai nst th e left t o

scra p (t o match th e bit-and -bu shing offset),

compl ete th e dad o.

Router Dado Jig

When the dust cleared,


here's what we learnea

Arms

Fences

1\:::~:::::::::~"'~G:'~P:'P~I YWood thic kness


plus Ill"

Kevin and his tabtesaw fi nished about a


half a m inute ahead of Jeff a nd h is router.
We stopped the clock when Kevin reinstalled the 10" general-pur pose blade,
ready for both woodworkers to rip their
pa nels in half.
As a result oft his showdown, we learned
that wit h either a stacked dado set or a
spiral (or straight) carbide router bit you
ca n cu t dadoes, grooves, and rabbets in
about the same time. Each tool has its

KEVIN MAKES SHORT WORK OF HIS CUTS WITH ATABLESAW AND PREMIUM DADO SET - -

Kevin staCKS the aaao c lades an a chippers


next t o a scrap of shelf stock to ge t a close
est imate o n t he righ t com bination . (Place t he
blades gently on t he t abl esaw to p to avoid
damag ing th e ca rbid e teeth.)

50
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After Installi ng the aad o set ana rna ing a


test cut , Kev in checks the fit. Dang, it's too
wide! He measures t he overcut by inserting
shims; he'll re move the o ne (or ones) from his
set up that fits t ightly in th e gap.

With an au xiliary fence cla mped to t he ri p


fence and set aga inst t he da do blad es, Kevin
ma kes his first cut , th e 4" top rabbet.

WOOD magazine

October 20 10

Jeff begin s his thi rd dado in th e act ual - - J


work piece . (He cut the ~' t op rabbet earlier
using th e g uide bu sh ing and jig.)

After removing the gu ide bus hing and


insta lli ng t he router's edge guide accessory,
Jeff sets t he bit's cutting dept h for t he 'A"
back rab bet .

advantages. Once you have a tabiesaw set


up with a stacked dado blade, you can
ma ke mu ltiple dadoes q uickly by sim ply
repositioni ng the rip fence. Go with the
tablesaw for product ion-type ti me savings. But the router offers you the advantage of a lightweight tool that you move
around t he workpiece, saving you fro m
repeated lifting and repositionin g heavy
panels. And one good downcut spiral bit
(Y.!" is a good first choice) works for mu ltiple everyday tasks-mortises and in lays,
fo r example.

There will be times, however, when


your workpiece dictates the best method.
For exa mple, if you're build ing 6'-ta ll
bookcase sides, go wit h the route r.
Maneuvering pa nels t hat size across a
tablesaw will prove unwieldy and could
result in in accurate cuts.
O ur advice: Use the method that ma kes
you the most comfortable and yields the
best resu jts.H you can't afford a prem ium
dado set, or a tablesaw to powe r it, you
can get super-clean cuts with an affordable router and a single router bit.

Afte r resetting ttie rip fence, Kevin cuts tiis


f ir st d ado, seco nd cut overall.

Because ttie stacliei:l dai:lo set ana auxili"" ,..'


fence nullify the fence scale, Kevin uses a
measuring t ape t o set t he rip fence to the
correct positi on for t he t hird dad o.

woodm19"zlne.com
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Jeff rou ts th e fi rst of t he t wo Yo' back rab bets.


Job completed at 19:44.

Watch the Dado Duel


in real time for FREE at
woodmagazine.com/dadoduel.

CO/ltilllled 011 p l/St'

52 ....

After setting ttie aux ilia ry fence over ttie


blade and making a relief cut-something he
d id not do for th e fi rst rabbet- Kevin makes
his fi nal cuts, the t wo back rabbet s.
Job comp leted at 19:16.

51

More help in choosing a tablesaw or router


In our Dado Duel we grabbed a stac ked dado set a nd downcut
spira l route r bit-both sharp- from o ur sho p, so we got clean,
tear-aut-free cuts. Use anythi ng less, and you r projects could

Stacked Dado Set Pointers

suffer. Below are so me cut sa mples to show you the kind o f


resu lts yo u could expect to get, depending on the quality and
shar pness o f you r blad es and bit s.

HIGH - UALITY VS. lOW- UALITY STACKED DADO PERFORMANCE

Price range: $75-$250


~ By mixing outer blades, chippers, and

shims-often a time-consuming
process-you can cut any width from lJ."
to H/16", although some sets go up to
nearly 1'. (The lengt h of your tablesaw 's
blade arbor could lim it maximum widths.)
rr Small, bencbtop tablesaws with
universal, direct-drive motors mi g ht

strugg le to power a wide dado setup. So


opt for a 6"-diameter stacked dado set,
which requires less power, for these saws.

<L You can make a full-depth cut in one


pass on most tablesaws. (Some benchtop
saws str uggle with channels wider t han
lj~ " and dee per than 1/ 4".)
<L O nce you've set up the des ired width,
you can quickly cut multiple channels by
simply repositioning your rip fence, miter
gauge, or crosscut sled.

When sharp, better-q uality sets (cost ing $150


and up) produce f lat-bottom channels w ith
no surface t ear-o ut .

Dull or lesser-quality sets ten d to tear out


surface f ibers and leave channel bottom s
wi t h rid ges and sco ring marks.

<L

a tablesaw-workpieces can be
damaged or kicked back at you with
alarming force and speed.
~ Steer clear of dado sets that come
with paper shims tha t tea r easily and
others that do n't include shims at all.

Nearly all the dust and debris from


these concealed cuts gets whisked away by
the d ust collector, or falls below the saw.
<L If you need to cut beveled channels,
it's much easier to tilt a stacked dado set
than to make a jig for a router.
~ We do not recommend cutting
stopped dadoes, grooves, or rabbets with

Freud m -prece metal shim set;partI SS100, S12,


amazon.com.

Straight or Spiral
Router Bit Know-How
Price r ange: $10-$75 a pie ce,
$40-$150 for sets
<L It's easy to rout stopped dad oe s,
grooves, and rabbets, by either using
stcpblocks o r by eyeballing a mark.
~ Odd p lywood sizes usually require you
to make multiple pa sses with a smaller
bit to cut a perfect-fittinq channel.
<L Whe n used with a jig or fence p reset
to a des ired width you can qu ickly rout
multiple channels of eq ual size simply by
reposi tioning the jig.
~ Spiral bits, espe cially those made of
solid carbide, can cost 2 to 4 times as
much as straight bits, and prove more
difficult to sharpe n when dull.
e- Set your router's speed co ntrol near
the fastest setting- based on t he
diameter of your bit-for best results.
~ Whe n routing with a hand held rou ter,
dust and debris spew everywhere.
Dust-collection shields and attachments
can be effective, but can be cumbersome
with a vacuum hose attached.
<L Whe n routing wit h dust-collection
shields in p lace an d hooked to a shop
vacuum, nearly all dust gets sucked up so
you don't have to breathe it.

52
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Straig ht bit

Sharp, prem ium bits produce clean, t ear-o ut free channels w it h f lat botto ms and square
should ers.

l esser-qu alit y bits- som etimes right o ut


of th e box-c-prcd uce fuzzing rat her th an
cleanly sheari ng surface fi bers.

DOWNCUT OR UPCUT SPIRAL BIT? THEY BOTH HAVE ADVANTAGES

Downcul

Upcul

A sharp downcut bit- the pr eferred cho ice


for routin g dad oes and groov es- pro d uces
clean, tear-o ut-free channels, bu t d oesn't
clear debris as well as upcut bits.

Upcut spira l b its quic kly rem ove chips f rom a


channel, pr eventing heat buildup and dulling.
But upcut b its t end to lift surface fiber s, so
reser ve t hem fo r ro ut ing morti ses.

Written by Bob Hunter with Jeff M ertz and


Kevin Boyle

Photos by Dean Schoeppner and D",vid Purdy

WOOD magazine

October 2010


Fully-indexed, searchable, printable, and in super-high-resolution
Quicklyfind exactly the projectyou're looking for,
then build it in a weekend, guaranteed!
The complete collection-all 52 issues-of
Weekend Woodworking Projects Magazine.
All projects were built and proven in the WOOD
Magazine workshop, though you've never seen them

in the pages of WOOD. That's because Weekend


Woodworking Projects was a
sister publication to WOOD
Magazine that enjoyed a

t
\

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looking for beautiful

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Projects are nearly impossible

to find anywhere, but this disc


makes all of these projects avaiiable to
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See more of the projects on this disc and order your own copy at
woodmagazine.comjWeekendCD Or order by phone: 888-636-4478

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

AD#WDl010

Cut perfectly square blocks (Al without


measuri ng by using the blank as a gauge
when setti ng the rip fence and spacer.
Butt t he end o f the blan k aga inst the
scr ap, t hen crossc ut six bloc ks (Al from
th e blan k.
Set up a v." dado blade in your ta blesaw, Y4" above the table. Wit h the rip
fence 116" from the blade, cut four
grooves in each block (A) IPhoto C].
Ch UCk a W Forstner bit in your drill
press. On t hree bloc ks (A) draw
d iagona l lines fro m co rner to co rner.
Clamp one of the ma rked blocks in a
wood hand screw, ce nter t he block u nder
the bit, and clamp the ha nd screw to the
d rill-press table. Dril l a Vl-deep counte rbore. Repeat t h is for t he other two
marked blocks. Sand t he blocks to 220
g rit, slightly rou nd in g the to p edge o f
each co u nterbore so t he lip of t he brass
ferrule seats against the b lock [Drawing
1]. Test the fit of the ferr u les, t hen
remove t he m.

, Elegant and easy

Shape the legs

Candleholders
.

. , I ',.' .
.,".,..

hiS made-in-a-weekend gift will


brigh ten the day of the rec ipie nt ,
but you get somet hing o ut of it,
to o: a use for t hose small scraps too goo d
to t hrow out. In our stash of cu toffs, we
found maple and wenge.

Make the blocks

For t he blocks (A) [Drawing 11, prepare a 'Ylo<l%xlS" maple bla nk. To

54
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

safely cut blocks from t he blank, place a


2"-wide scrap against t he tablesaw's rip
fence, and place t he block bla nk between
t he scrap an d the blade [Photo AI. Slide
the rip fence over until t he blan k just
touches the teet h (not t he body) of the
blade and lock the fence in place. Using
double-faced tape, stic k t he scrap to the
saw table in (Wilt o f the blade [Photo BJ.
Att ach an extensio n to your m iter gauge.

Cut Y4"-t h ick stock to size for each leg


(B, C, D) [Materials List [. Make a copy
of the Short, Medium, and Tall Leg Patterns from the WOOD P(/ttt' fIlS '1> insert.
Stack like-size leg blanks together with
d ouble-faced tape between each p iece.
Spray-adhere a pattern to the top o f eac h
stack and ba nd saw or scrollsaw the legs
to wit hin %6" of t he lines. Sand up to the
lines wit h a sa nding drum; then remove
the pattern s w ith a bit of m ineral spirits.
Ca refu lly separate t he legs, a nd sand
them to 220 grit.
scrapwood spacer blocks sim plify
assembling the cand leho lders. Fro m
a Y2x:2x16" blank, cu t six spacers: two W
long, two 2 \07" long, a nd two 4 \07" lon g.

WOOD m ag azine

October 2010

Because of t he ope n area betwee n th e blad e


and fence created by t he spacer, t he blocks
(A) fall away fr om the blad e after bein g cut .

Butt each block (A) agai nst the rip fence


a nd d a mp it t o t he miter-gau ge ext ensio n.
Notch each end and edgE' of each b lock.

m
Sp ace rs below th e low er bloc k (Al se t it at t he

t : : } - -Brass ferrule
'10" cou nter bor e v.."deep.

pro per height. Spacers bet wee n t he le gs (B)


pos ition t he upper block. Cla mp with tape .

centered o n lo p blocko nly


',10 "

grooves

Yo " dee p, ce ntered

\'-t~m7.~ ~?1 1 w
--'.

Materials List

f iNISHEDSIZE

".

Part
' A bloc ks
B

tall legs

C medium legs
D

7" part
5" part
3" part@

short legs

.'
T

l Jil"

I ',i,"

"

W 'W
W 1 ~"
W

m"

"

MatI. Qty.

' PartH ul fromlargerblank.See the inslructionS.


Materials key: M-maple,W-~nge.
Supplies: Spray adhesive.
Blade and bit: 5taek dadoset. ~" Forstnerbit.
Source: Brass ferrules (3)no.21766, SO.59. Rockier,
600-279-4441, rockler.ccm .

DEXPLODED VIEW
Produced by Crai g Ruegsegger with Jeff Mertz
Project de$i gn ' Jeff Me rtz
Ill ustrat ions, Ronnne LeMoine; l orn a Johnson

From a second blank, cut t welve %><2)(2"


spacers. W it h four 'lit-t hick spacers
under a n u nd rilled block (A) [Photo OJ

put a dot of glue in each notch and press


the legs in place. Glue the top block in
place, then slide two Y:!"-th ick spacers
between t he legs an d bloc ks.
_(@j Quick Tip! CI,eup tmd effective
h,pe clumps. Wrap t he assembly
wit h painter's tape and let the glue dry.
Remove the spacers an d apply fin ish
to each candfeholder. (We sprayed
o n th ree coats of aerosol lacquer, sa nding lightly bet ween coats with 320-g rit

sand pape r.j Press the brass ferrules into


the to p blocks (no ad hesive needed ).
Now brighten you r next celebration
with t hese beauti ful candteholders.

Cutting Diagram

~E~~~~
Yo x 3'h x 24" Mapl e (.7 bd. ft.I
' Pla ne o r resew to t he thicknes s listed in t he Materials Lisl.

w o-odmagazlne .c:om
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'I. X3'12 x 36" We nge (.3 bd. ft.)

55

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6 requirements of
e'd a1110v(' to have a fleet of routers at our disposal, but few of us can afford
that luxury. So we went on a ques t for the ultimate router: one mach ine
that does it alL After compilin g a list of what's required for a do-everyth ing
rou ter, show n at righf, we rounded up every router that meets those criteria- three
d ed icated p lunge routers and six mu ltibase kit s- a nd put t hem t h rou gh extensive
testi ng. Here's how each router scored from 0 to 5 in each of t he six requirements.

1. Power

2. Speed

To compare the routers, we challenged


eac h of t hem in these sho p tasks using
new Freud bits in red oa k:
Wwide p lunge mortises l Y.!" deep;
th ree full- depth profiles (two di ffere nt
cove-and-bead bits and a profile-a ndgroove bit from a rail-and-st ile set) and a
'li6"XY.!" rabbet wit h br isk hand-fed rates;
an d usi n g a 3\1"-d iameter raised -pan el
bit in a router table.
All the routers impressed us by plowing t h rough the ha ndheld tasks without
bogging down, even whe n we fed th em
faster than we norm ally would. Next
sto p: t he route r table, whe re we d ivided
the 1\1"w ide ra ised-pa nel profile into
th ree equal passes. Once aga in, all t he
rou ters hand led the IO-feet-per-m inute
feed rate.
So we u pped t he a nte for the next
rou nd, cutting t he profile in two equal
passes. Th is time, o n ly t he Rosch
MRC2 3EVS, Freud FT300 0VC E, and
Trito n TRAOOl - a ll wit h test-topping
I S-amp motors-could do it wit hout
boggin g down.

Slow speeds work better for big bits, a nd


most route rs' low speeds bott om out at
8,000 or 10,000 rp m. Ru t C raftsma n's
lowest speed was 12,0 00 rpm . Alt houg h
it d id not create a problem in ou r tests,
we still prefer slowe r speeds when ro uting woods prone to bu rn ing or tear-o ut.
Por ter-Cab le and Ridgid ea rn kudos
for showi ng actual rpm markings on
their variable-speed d ials. Almost as
h andy, t he Cra ftsman, Freud, a nd Milwaukee routers have a speed cha rt o n
the motor housin g, shown at ris" t, t h at
co rrespo nd s to nu mbers on the speed
dia l. We h ad to refer to t he owner's
manual to decipher t he numbered speed
markings o n the rema ining routers.
Once you dial in the correct speed, it's
v ita l that t he router maintai n t h at speed
d u ring t he cut. Using a phototac hometer, we eva luated each model's ability to
do that wh ile routi ng raised pa nels.
None dropped more t ha n 1,500 rpm,
wit h a ll but one varying o nly a few hund red rp m once in to t he cut. The Ridgid
wowed us by never varying more than
35 rpm once it got into the cut. Impressive, considering its t r-a mp motor ran ks
smallest in the test.
However, t he Ridgid co nsisten tly
pu lled 12 to 19 am ps dur ing t hose cut s,
cau sing it to warm up an average o f 3
wit h eac h pass. Operating at these levels
over ti me could shorten the life o f th is
router. By comparison, t he Bosch
MRC23EVS, rated at 15 amps, drew only
9 to 13 amps to ma ke t hose same cuts
wit h ha lf t he tempe rat u re gain.

Power scorecard (0-5)


Bosch MRC23 EVS
Freud FT3DDDVCE
Trito n TRADDI
Milwaukee 5616-24
Triton MOFDOIC
Bosch 1617EVSPK
Crafts ma n 28084
Porter-Ca ble 895PK
Rid gid R29302

5
5
5
4
4
3Y2
3Y.>
3Y.>
3

a do-it-all router

1.

Ample power to run any bit, even the


largest panel-raisers.

2.

Avariable-speed motor with soft-start


and electronic feedbackfor maintaining
speed under load.

3.

Good balance and features for handheld


fixed-de pth routing.

4. Smooth, easy-to-use plunge act ion


and features.

5.

Through-the-base bit-height adjustability


for router-table use.

6.

Helpful included accessories: edge guide,


dust-collection attachments, multiple subbases
with different-size openings, guide-bushing
holder or adapter, subbase centering cone, and
a carrying case or bag for storage.

With the Milwaukee, yo u determine the best


spe ed for your bit and th en set the sp eed dial
as indica ted on its chart.

Speed scorecard
Ridgid R29302
Triton TRADDI
Freud FT3000VCE
Milwa ukee 5616 -24
Trito n MOFOOlC
Bosch MRC23 EVS
Crafts ma n 28084
Bosch 1617EVSPK
Porter-Cable 895PK

5
5
4
4
4
3
3
2Y2
2Y2

Bosch 1617EVSPK, $220

Craftsman 28084, S220

877-267-2499, boschtools.com

800-383 -4814, craftsman.com

woodm llgllzlne.c:om
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57

Detents

You push Porter-Cable's quick-relea se l ever

to reposit ion its pinio n gea r a nywhe re o n t he


rack and st ill get t he full range of adjust m ent .

Coarse threads o n t he Ridg id adj uster make


for ra pid movem ent up an d dow n, a nd th e
qu ick relea se let s you slid e even faster.

You'll get more adju st ment ra nge from


th e bot tom dete nt , shown on t he Bosch
1617EVSPK, t han with t he ot her t wo.

3. Fixed-depth routing
Big or small, fixed base or plunge, you 'll
appreciate a router t hat ad justs up an d
down quickly for fixed-depth routi ng.
Among t he fixed bases in the kits, we
prefer Por ter-Cable's rack-a nd- pinion
ad juster, show n top left, best because it
has a q uick release for coa rse adjustments a nd a fine -adjust ment knob that's
easy to use. Milwaukee a nd Ridgid,
shown top center, also have quick-release
mecha nisms that proved effective.
Fi xed bases o n bot h Bosch models, as
shown top right, a nd the Craftsma n
engage one of t h ree detent s on the motor
body. You then get a limited amount of
up-a nd-down movement before you
must switch to a nother detent . If you
select t he wrong detent and ru n out of
fi ne-adjust ment ra nge, you'll have to
move to t he next detent and t hen th read
t he rod all t he way to t he othe r end .
The Triton plungers have a rack-andpinio n coarse ad juster- a d ual-mode
handle, shown near rig/It- fo r controlling fixed-dep t h ad justments as well as
plunge action . We found this feature
clu msy and difficult to use.
Ease of ha ndling proves as im portan t
as bei ng able to quickly ad just t he bit
depth . The two beefy 3-hp plunge routers-t- Freud and Trito n's TRAOO I-weigh
13 to 14 lbs a nd prove bulky, top-heav y,

Push t he Tritons' ce nte r b utton in t he han dle


fo r p lunge action. Release it to e ng age the
rack-and -pin ion he ight-adjustment syste m.

Conta ct st rips on t he Bosch motor body


and ea ch ba se supp ly power t o t he handle
switches for easier onloff con tro l.

and more tippy than the ot hers, especially when routing a long edges and
co rn ers. The Bosch MRC23EVS, in either
base, weigh s about 2 lbs more than the
other 8Y.!- 11 Ib kit rou ters, but its lower
center of gravity makes it less cumbersome than the big plunge route rs.
And th is Bosch has another adva ntage
on its fixed base: a ha nd le-mounted
power switch. With ot her kit routers you
have to remove or ad just your grip on
one hand le to t urn it on or off. The
Bosch MRC23EVS, above rigllt, has a t rigger just like t he t hree dedicated plu nge

rou ters; it's easy to engage without


changing your gr ip.

Fixed -routing $e;ore(ard


Porte r-Cable 895 PK
Bosch MRC23EVS
Milw aukee 5616 -24
Ridgid R29302
Craft sm an 2808 4
Tri ton M QFOOlC
Triton TRAOOl
Bosch 1617EVSPK
Freud FT300 0VCE

4 Y.z

3Y2
3Y.z
3Y.z
3

2112
2Y.z
2
2

Freud FBOOOVCE. $350

Milwaukee 561624, $240

Perter-Cable 895PK, $260

800 -334-4107, freudtool s.com

80 0-729-3878, mi lwa ukeetool.com

888-848-5175, delta por tercable.com

58
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WOOD magazIne

Octo ber 2010

The best plunge lo cks can be easily reached

With some routers, such as the Freud , you

from th e handle and depressed to unlock. as

must loo sen much of you r grip from the

o n the Milwaukee.

handle to secur e the plunge lock.

4. Plunge action
We prefer models t hat plunge smoo t hly
without stde-to-stde play and wit h
plunge locks easy to reach wit hout a lso
cha nging you r grip on the handles. We
like locks t hat you depress to plunge and
return to locked when released, such as
all t he Boscbes. Craftsma n, a nd Mil-

S. Router-table use
Switching any of the th ree dedicated
plunge routers in our test from ha ndheld use to t he router table and back
typica lly req uires more work t han with
the mult fbase kits. For kits, you can
attach the fi xed base perma nently to the
table and simply swap t he motor into
the plunge base for ha nd held work.
When installing any of the routers in
a table o r to an insert plate, you want t he
access hole for the height-ad just ment
tool closer to the front of t he table where
the fence won't cover it. But sometimes
a n upfront height-ad justment access
hole dictates t hat other router cont rols,
such as the var iable-speed dial, power
switch, or base lock, be located towa rd
the back of t he table where it can be di ffi cult to see or operate. The Bosch
161 7EVSPK, Milwaukee, and Ridgid have
the best table-mounti ng geomet ry for
access to a ll features.

waukee, show n abuVI' tctt. Freud (aboVi'


rig/It), Porter-Cable, and both Triton s
stay in plunge mode, locking o nly when
you push t he lever. The Ridgid's lever is
not spring-loaded, SO you have to change
your grip slightly to engage it.
We tested each router's ability to
plunge mu ltiple holes of equal de pth,

Although all the routers have


through-t he-table elevatio n capability
-c-effectlvely, a built-in route r liftthree perfo rm this function bette r t han
ot hers. Only the Freud and both Trito ns
let you easily change bits above the
table, than ks to integrated spindle
loc ks. These engage an d lock the spin d le, letti ng you loosen the collet nut
wit h o ne wrench above t he table.
To cha nge bits wit h t he kit routers,
you have to eit her lift the router and
insert out of the table or remove the
motor from the base. To change bit
height in the fi xed bases, you have to
unlock the base before making changes;
th is requires reachi ng below the table.
With the dedicated plun ge route rs and
Cra ftsman's plu nge base, you simply
insert t he adjust ment tool t hrough the
table a nd turn. Triton's adjust ment tool,
at righr, worked quickest at ra ising and
lowering bits because its hand le swivels

a nd on ly t he Milwau kee's stop-rod


slipped in its lock: \.16" ove r 25 ho les. We
liked the de pth scale best o n t he Freud
because it's easy to read a nd has coa rse
a nd fine ad justers. Trito n's routers have
no de pt h scale, so you have to measure
plunge dept hs by ot her mea ns. A m icroadjuste r on t he Bosch MRC23EVS lets
you twea k a de pth setting even after
cinching the loc k, a helpful feature.

Plunge-ac:t1on SC:Qrec:ard
Bosch MRC23EVS
Freud Fn OOOVCE
Bosch 161 7EVSPK
Craftsma n 28084
Porter-Cable 895PK
Ridgid R29302
Milwaukee 5616-24
Triton MOF001C
Trito n TRA001

5
4
3V2
3Vl
3V2
3V2
2 Y:z
1
1

t .
Triton's plun ge routers ha ve the best heightadjustment tool, a swive ling cran k that lets
you make changes q uickly.

1<

'-- -

Ridgid R29302, $200

Triton MOFOOlC, $200

Triton TRA001 , $270

866-539-1710, ridgid.com

800-624 -2027, t ritontools.com

800-624-2027, triton tools.com

wood mllgllzl ne.c:om


Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

59

on an easy-to-use cra nk. Freud's palmgrip knob, at rigllt, an d fine-th read


adjust ment rod requires wrist-fatiguin g
partial-tu rns . For an easy way to get
better use from a com mon T- or t -shaped
hex wrench used by most routers, see
t he Sh u l' Til' on page 11 .

Height-adjustm en t '
a rbor lock t ool

' -- -

.
)

Table-routing scorecard
Bosch MRC23EVS
Freud FT3000VCE
Triton TRA001
Milwaukee 56 16-24
Porter-Cabl e 895 PK
Bosch 1617EVSPK
Ridgid R29302
Triton MOFOOlC
Crafts ma n 28084

4 Y2

4Y.1
4Y.1
4
4
3Yl
3
3
2

"'Hei9ht-adjustme~
access hole
ABOVETHETABLE BIT CHANGES AND AD USTMENTS ARE BEST
With Freud's rou t er t ab le-m ounte d, you raise t he co llet nu t fu lly a nd t hen lock t he spindle
wit h the sam e heig ht-adj ustme nt t ool fo r easy one -wrench bit cha nges.

MOTOR
FIXED BASE (3)

-a,

Where to put your money


If you ca n buy only one router, make it a mulnbase
kit. The power ful Bosch MRC23E.VS proved to be a
versatile, feature-packed route r kit wit h lots of
accessories, topping our six-category showdown
and ea rn ing Top Tool honors.
If Bosch's $325 price tag keeps you at bay, consider
the Ridgid R29302, a W()()V@magazine Top Value,
for $200. Despite its motor being rated at on ly 11
amps, this router kit stu nned us with its steady
power, even during tough, conti nuous tasks.

Final scores:
Bosch MRC23EVS
Porte r-Cable 895PK
Ridgid R29302
Milwa ukee 5616-24
Freud FT3000VCE
Triton TRC001
Craft sma n 28084
Triton MO FOOlC
Bosc h 1617EV$PK

Written by Bo b

60
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

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O ctober 2010

6. Accessories
The Bosch MRC23EVS a nd Crafts ma n
come with t he most sta ndard accessories, addi ng value because you do n't
have to buy t hese later. With t he Bosch
you get a centering con e (to center t he
subbases to the spindle), t hree dust-collectio n hoods, t hree of its proprietary
gu ide bushin gs (shown r('{lIt) , a nd an
ada pter for Porter-Cable-st yle gutde
bushings. The Cra ftsman co mes with
th ree du st hoods, an edge guide, and a
D-ha ndle fixed base- a nice option if
you ded icate your regu lar fixed base to a
rou ter table.
All the routers except the Bosch
161 7EVSPK come with at least o ne dust
hood that connec ts to your shop vacuum. (But few of the ports on tested
models were t he same size, requ iring

Bosch g uide bushing s f it only Bosch rout ers,


locki ng int o a special ho lder (p hoto at r ight ).
P-e-sty le bushings tighten with a t hreaded ring
in to prem old ed subbase openings.

adapt ers or duct tape.) Craftsma n, Milwaukee, and Ridgid gobbled dust best .
The Craftsma n an d Ridgid kits co me
in canvas bags t hat are easy to repack
and store accessories, but don't offer t he
protect ion of a hard-plastic case. Both
Bosch routers, t he Milwaukee, an d the
Porter-Cable come in plast ic cases. We
like Porter-Cable's best because t he
motor stores easily in either base a nd
there's roo m for optiona l accessories.
The rest do n't include a ca rrying case.

Accessories scorecard
Bo sch MRC23EVS
Po rter-Cable 895 PK
Ridgid R29302
Craftsm an 28 084
Milwaukee 5616-24
Triton MOF001 C
Triton TRAOOl
Bo sch l 6l 7EVSPK
Freud FT3000VCE

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61

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By day, it's a display table with


clean, simple lines. It really
shines after dark, though.

oodworkers ta lk abo ut fin ishing wood to make the gra in


glow. But whe n you tu rn on

the light inside th is d isplay table, t he

grai n litera lly shines as the q uilted maple


veneer pa nels co me to life.

Clearly It's time to start

Mount a general-purpose blade and


zero-clearance insert on your tablesaw and raise the blade to II!", Cut four
12x32 Y.!" panels from .oat-th tck clear

polycarbonate. (We used texan polyca rbonate instead of less-expensive plastics


for its added impact resista nce an d rigidity.) Peel the protective plastic off one
side of each pa nel a nd sand t he surface
wit h ISO-grit sandpaper until it looks
frosted. Later, t hat w ill provide a "tooth "

to improve t he epoxy's bond.


Trim four veneer sheets to the sa me
size as the potyca rbonate panels.

SHOP TIP
Flatten veneer for
perfect panels
Until you're ready to use t he venee r
sheets, sto re them pressed between
two sheets of lj,," MDF weighted
with two concrete blocks. To avoid
bub bles or gaps between the venee r
and the polycarbo nate shee ts, start
by flattening your veneer. To fl atten
the veneer, spray it with a commercial venee r softener (see Sources
o n page 65), place paper towels on
bot h sides, and press the venee r
and towels betwee n MDF sheets
until dry.

-....

WOOD m ag azIne

October 20 10

Pourthe epoxy down the center ofthe panel immediately after mixi ng.
The hardener we used causes the mixture to gel in 15 minutes.

Working outward from the center, distribute epoxy across the


polycarbonate panel until you have an even, thin layer.

Begin at one end of the polycarbcnat e panel and carefully lower the
veneer in place. Press out air bubbles using a roller.

Allow yourself plenty of clamps to generate th e pressure necessary to


bond veneer to the polyca rbc nate panel.

1 7 ~ ---

(We used quilted m a ple veneer.) If you r


veneer h as a wa vy text ure, see the Shop
Tip, left fo r a way to flatten it. Th en c ut
two sheets of %xI2x32Y.z" MDF to create
a press for bondi ng the ve neer to the
polycarbonate. Lay a sheet of wa xed
paper on one MDF sheet, t he n a polycarbo nate panel w ith the sa nded face up.
Mix one o un ce of epoxy resin (see
Sources, Pi/gi' 65) to o ne-h alf ounce
o f h ard en er in a d ispo sable container
and sti r. Pou r t he mix tu re on the polycarbo nate pa nel IPhoto AI. Safety note:

D EXPLODED VIEW
r

<

- 17:'-

~~ >
~" !
'
FigureSfastener
.:..:
#Sx "
iV wood screw
rl
"

F.H.

.OS x 11 x 31'1:>"lexan

likely mix more epoxy tlWII YOII 'lIl/si'


for Cdc!' panel. Leftover epoxy am reacn
temperatures too lIot to touch, so ImV(' tile
(UP of.mrpills 011 a noncombustibte surface'
until it cures and cools.
YOII 'II

YO" groove

v.." deep,
centered

'>.--'

4<)"

USing a wood scrap, spread the e pox y


to the edges a nd corners of t he polycarbo nate [Photo 81. Then im m ed iately
lay th e veneer over t he polyca rbona te
[Photo Cl an d cover it wi th a sheet o f
waxed paper.
Lay on t he second sheet o f MD F and
clam p t he stack [Photo 01. Re pea t
steps 3, 4, a nd 5 to veneer the remai ning
th ree pa nels. Let the epoxy cu re overn ight, rem ove the MO F and wa xed
pape r, a nd carefu lly sand t he ve neer
from 180 to 220 grit.

31'1:>"

woodmllgllzlne.c:om
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

I
1'.4"
'h"

'I. x 1'1:>" mortise


" 6" deep

,
:

\::.

('
#S x 1'.4" F.H.
wood screw

#S X '1:>"
panhead screw
'.4 x 'I."

notch

Inline switch

63

Cut legs to hold the panels

Cut t h e legs (A) to size [Dra wing 1,


Materials List[. Ce nter the morti se
locations [Drawing 21 o n t he t wo inside
faces of eac h leg. Note: The mortises mea.\ 11f1' tile same distance f rom each ('II/I.

1n 5tall a

lA o

Forst n er bit in yo ur dr ill

press a nd drill overlapping hol es Ylo"


dee p to for m mortises in the legs. Then
chisel square the mortise comers and walls.
Measure the t hic kness of the
ven ee red pol ycarbonate panels. (OUf
panels measure a ha ir less tha n 1,1;" thick.)

In stall a Vi;" st raig ht bit in yo u r ta blemounted router, set the de pt h to lfl", and

rout a centered groove between t he mortises o n each leg [Photo E]. If you need
grooves slightly wider than lh", see the
Shop Tip below rigllt.

Begin the groove bydropping the mortise


over the straight bit.Stop when the bit
reaches the opposite mortise.

EJ lEG DETAil

u se a 2"-d iameter object or roundhole template to mark a 1" rad ius on


t he inside faces of both ends of each leg
[Drawing 2, Photo FJ. Ba ndsaw and san d
to the lines. Finish-sand t he legs to 220
grit and set them aside.

*'

You're ready for the ralls

Cut t he ra ils (B) an d cleats (C) to size,


and cham fer bo th ends of each cleat
[Orawing 3J. Then cut lAn_th ick tenons
centered on bot h ends of each rail. Using
a W straight bit, rout a centered groove
on t he inside edge of each rail. Sand the
rails and cleats to 220 g rit.
Dry-assemble two legs (A) and t wo
rails (B), t hen double-check the measurements between the grooves in the
legs for the size of t he veneered panels. If
necessary, recut the panels to Vlb" sma ller
than your measurements. Remove the
second protect ive sheet from t he polycarbonate a nd insert t he sheet into a leg
groove with t he veneer facing out . Glue
an d clamp the fra me/pa nel assemb ly
[Photo G], restricting t he glue to the tenons. Re peat for the second assembly.
Apply glue to tenons on the remaining four ra ils ( B) and ins ert them
into t he mo rtises on a framed pa nel
(AlB/F). Add t he other two polycarbonate a nd veneer panels and the secon d
framed panel, and clamp [Photo HI.
Glue a nd clamp cleats (C) to the bo ttom rails (B) with t he top edges fl ush.
Edge-glue stock to make a blan k for
the top (DJ; then cut it to size. On
t he underside, drill fou r co unterbo res
for t he ttgure-s fasteners IDrawing 4J.
Then fi nish-sand t he top a nd pedesta l
to 220 grit and ap ply three coats of clear
fin ish. (We used General Finishes ArmR-Sea l sati n, sanding with a 320-grit
sponge between coats.)

r):1"
..
i

Yo"

.. deep <,

1'h"

W groove

___ '/.0" d eep,

cente red

4
S

64
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

" "",~ ,
! '$: 2!"

'1. ,, 11h"
mort ise
~

availableat art and office supply stores, help


youquicklydrawaccurate quarter-circles.

EJRAll AND STi lE DETAil

w___-- p'I.

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~"

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Let there be light

Cut t he bottom (E) to fit between


the four bottom ra ils (B), and cut a
l,4" I,4" notch at each corner. Drill a centeredb" hole for t he elect rical cord. We
bought an 8 ' la mp cord with a plug on
one end and an in-line switch at a local
hardware store.

Run the wire th rough the centered


hole in the bottom (E) and attach
the ends to a light socket [Photo II. Screw
the light socket to t he bottom using
#8 xlh" panhead screws and install a
co mpact fluore scent lamp. Note: We
opted{or tile compact {1uOf('S({'I/t equivalent
O{II ."WO-watt incandescent {amp bemuse it

Rout grooves In two passes


If your veneered potycarbonate panels
measure slightly thicker than W , rout
one pass between the leg mo rtises just
a hair off-cente r. Then fli p the leg end
for end and make a second pass to
create a centered groove that's slig htly
wider than the straight bit. The panels
shou ld fit snugly, but not tig ht enough
to damage t he venee r edges and ends.

Test scrap

WOOD mll911Zlne

Oc tober 2010

o pposit e t he m ort ise-and-ten on j oi nt s. Then

Measure diago nilily betwe en t he out side


corners of t he legs. Eq ual measure ments

chec k for sq ua re and flat ness.

mean you've squared you r glue-up.

Position clamps t o ap ply pressure d irectly

D TOP MOUNTING OETAIL

MORE RESOURCES

l lri1" co unterbore

YaH deep

Go to woodmagazine.m m/woodvisionand look

RELATED ARTICLES

woodrreqenre.comzveveneennq. $
"Easy no-russVenre ring"issue 179 octoeer lOOn
woodmagazir.e.<:omlnofussvenreri ng. $
($=Download this artklelO1" aIffiiIII fee. )

.....-

-:::-:;:; B ~

II

'''"'_1"'_i , 1-1__,_ ",,, I

Drill and screw the bott om (E) to t he


cleats (C). Then place t he to p (Dl o n
your bench with the counterbores u p.
Screw figure-S fasteners to t he tops of
the legs (Al and place t he legs in the

f iNISHED SIZE

Part

"Very Easy Veneeri ng" tssua 193 ()(;Iober 2009)

potycattonate.

Materials List

FREE VIDEOS
under "veneering:

generates less ll caf IIl/ d siwi/hi fast 6,000


hours. Avoid incandescent O ( lla/oxen temps
that call (ft'ate t'llOlIg" heat to damage the

St rip abo ut 'h" from t he e nds ofthe co rd,


t wist t he m a ro und t he li g ht socke t screws,
a nd tig hte n them in place.

counterbores [Dra w ing 4J. Drill a nd


screw the ftgure-x fastene rs to the to p.
Now find a ho me for your completed
d isplay pedesta l and, after the sun goes
down, fill your room wit h t he soft light
of glowing wood.
Written by Bob Wilson wilh Kevin Bo)'i<;>
Project design: KevIn Boyi<;>
lllustratlcns: Ronnne LeMoln<;> ; Lorna Johnson

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rails

deats

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F' veneer

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' Pa rtsinitiallycut oversize. See the instructions,


Mat<;>rials key: (-cherry, E( -edge-glued cherry.
BP-b4 rchplywood, MV-mapleveneer.
Supplies: Figure8 tabletopfasteners (4), #8xlllo"(4)
and #8x'll"(8)flathead wood screws. and #8xY.," penteed
screws (2).
Electrical: Plastic light socket, 8' lam pcord with in -l ine
switch, and 65-watt compact fluorescent lamp (equalto a
3OOwall oceooesceon al lavailable at homecentersand
hardwarestores.
Bits: }\"straig ht routerbit, 110"and H. "Forstnerbits.

Sources
Quilted maple veneer:Orderfourslicesat least 12"
wide at their narrowest and 321h"IOIlg to avoid joining
strips,CallsuppliersfOf availabilityand price infonnation plus photos ofspecific veneers.M BRare Woods.
303-986-2S85, wood-veneers.com.(ertainly Wood,
7166550206, certainlywccdromJoe Woodworker,

veneerscppies.com
Veneer Softener: Pro-Glue veneersoftener no.
828924. $15 for aquart Woodcraft, 8002251153 or

wcodcreft.ccm.
EpOllY: System Three epoxyresin J'lO. 124520. $27 fOf
a quart and.1 hardener no. 12452 2, $22.50for a pint,
Woodcraft.
Polycarbonate sheet stock: OearLexa n, .08"x3x4',
$65-$68at mosthomecenters and hardwarestores.

Cutting Diagram

.fuN "

JI:I x 12 x 12" Birch plywood

) ~J

1JI:I x 3'1, x 96" Cherry (5.3 bel. ft.)


Plane or resaw to the th ickness listed in theMat erials List.

~_@(g@;~~I~~co::~::~::E~
!- !-
'to x 7'1. x 96" Cherry (5.3 bd. ft.)

woodma9azlne.com
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65

Satisfy your craving for a quick project


hese serving t rays, designed by reader Ralph Bagna ll o f
Mu rfreesboro, Ten nessee, were inspi red by a po pular
ap petizer: fresh ly baked bread served with a dish of
seasoned olive oil.
Using Ralph's techn iques, we made two-dish and singledish versions, each usi ng Ly ptus and ba mbo o. (Ot he r good
woods would be t ight-grai ned spec ies such as ma ple, beec h,
che rry, a nd wal nu t.) Ra lph shares h is methods for cra fting
them below.

-Craig Ruegsegger, Projects Editor

Buy dishes, make a tray


Before sta rting, I have my oil d ishes on
hand to ensure accu rate layout o f the
recesses for them. Also, the trays require
Y.!"-th ick stock; I create mi ne by resawing
thic ker stock [Skill Builder, 0PI1Osite IJIIs4
Cut bla nks for t he top, middle, and
bottom layers of the tray (A) W longer and wider than listed [Materials List,
Drawings 1, 3a].
e ut two platens of :W-th ick MDF or
plywood just larger t ha n t he t ray
blanks, and cover the face o f one platen
with a glue-resistant material such as

66
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

waxed paper or painter's tape. Using


water-resistant glue, la minate t he th ree
tray layers IPhoto A] .
After the glue dries, cut t he t ray (A)
blan k to size [Drawing 1]. Lay out the
sha pe, but don't cut it yet .

Build the routing jig

Cut t he jig pa rts to size fro m Yi"


hardboard and }4" MDF or ha rdwood
[Drawing 2]. To determine the rad ius of
the rou nd hote, add \4" to one-half the
d iameter o f the dip ping dish's base. Lay
out the hole, and cut and sand it smooth.

screw the two endpteces and one


middle ha rdboa rd piece to a cleat
[Drawing 2]. Place this assem bly ove r the
tray (A) blan k. Wit h the remain ing cleat
against t he blank, pos ition t he last ha rd boa rd piece, a nd screw it to t he cleat.
Mou n t a 1" guide bushing in the
base of your router and install a Y1;"
st raight bit. Quick Tip' For d eull cuts, {@j,
rout wltll U twist. I use a sptral upcut
bit to eli m inat e grain fuzz ing a nd tea rout . From \4" hardboa rd or plywood,
make a 6xl6" auxil iary subbase for your
rou ter. In the center of t he au xiliary sub-

WOOD m ag azIn e

October 2010

Simple resawing
for thin stock

Platen witl\,;
painter 's ta~ -

fJ-,.,--..;

Thorou ghly cover th e face of eac h tray (A)


layer with glu e. Fi rmly clam p the layers
betwe en t he p lat en s for at least t wo ho urs.

To make the \4"-thick top and bottom


layers of the tray (A) lamination, resew
a piece of Y4" -thick stock at least 7"
wide . I prefer to do my resawing on
the tablesaw- at least partially. Raise
the blade l Y2" above the table. Then
position t he rip fence to center t he
blade on the thickness of the board.
Standing the board on one edge, run
it over the blade, th en flip the piece
end for end and, keeping the same
face against the fence, ri p the o pposite
edge. Raise the blade as high as it will
go and repeat this proced ure. Slide
spacers into the kerfs to hold them
open, and cut throug h the th in
connecting piece with a handsaw,
right. Saw half the length, then flip the
board around to complete the cut.
Plane t he boa rds to \4" t hick and you're
ready to beg in building your tray.

Y. spacer
Oildish

DTRAY OPTIONS

DOUBLE-DISH TRAY

Spiral bit set


'1.." bel ow t op
of dish base

1-- ---,. ,.-- - - --r- - - 7" - - -

"r diam. recess


~" d eep

Auxiliary router
subbase

R= Y. "

Stac k your o il dish an d a !A" spacer on the


subbase. Adjust t he route r bit to match the
he ight ofthe dish's ba se, then retract it

-- - - - ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~ ,

MI' .

~"-d eep

3'1.2 "

recess

base, drill a hole to fit t he bush ing.


Adhere t he subbase to your router wit h
dou ble-faced tape.

1----------22~" ----------_1

" Diameter and depth based on ava ila ble


serving piece; see the instructions.

Time for recess

To set the router-bit height, use the


oil dish as a gauge !Photo 8[.l'osition
the jig over t he tray (A) with their ends
flush and clamp t he assembly to your
bench [Photo 'I. Starting in the center
and working out to the edge, rou t t he
round recess. (I have a helper hold a
vacuum hose nea r t he recess to clear t he
ch ips.) Lower the bit 11.12" for a cleanup
pass. Fo r the dou ble-d ish t ray, flip t he
blank end fo r end, raise the bit 1/12", and
rout t he ot her recess in t he same way.
Without cha nging t he bit height,
rout the center recess. Lower the bit
th" or less for each successive pass until
yo u reach the ~6" depth of the center
recess [Photo CI. Aga in, remove Yu" or
less on the fi nal pass.

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

"3"d iam. recess w' deep

-+"r
fl
C--

O
-

SINGLE-DISH TRAY

- , - - --

17" --,----,.-- - - -1
-

'A. -deep recess

%"

"3"-diam. recess
16" deep

67

Leave t he jig in place, and cut t wo


spacers to assist wit h chi seling the
corners sq uare [Photo OJ.

Make a groovy grid


Brea king bread causes crumbs. Ide signed
the inser t (B) so cru mbs fall t h rough ,
t rapping them in the recess. Simply
remove the inser t for easy cleanup.
From lh " stock, cut the inse rt (B) to fit
the recess in t he tray (A) [Drawing 3J.

DEXPLOOED VIEW

Hole diam. is
\I:I" targerthan
base of bowl.

set up a III" dado blade in your table- blade; then attach to your miter gauge an
saw and, making test cut s on scrap extensio n that reaches past the blade.
the same thickness as t he insert, raise the 3 With t he insert (B) facedown, cut
blade until its height is exactly one-half
two grooves by running each long
the thickness of the insert . Quick Tip! Wj.edge against the fence . Flip t he insert
Fllllilralfwitlwllt measuring: I do V faceup and, guiding t he piece with your
this test by mak ing a cut on one face,
miter gauge, cut dadoes wit h each end
then flipping th e piece a nd ma ki ng a cut against t he fence. Move t he fence tou"
on the opposi te face . Whe n t he second fro m the blade (I recom me nd measuring
cu t just removes the remaining th ickness, wit h a steel rule for accuracy) and repeat
I'm ready. Set your rip fence lA" from the th is process [Photo EI. Keep movin g the
fence in Y.!" increments u nti l you have a
~"-w ide a rea rema in ing in t he center o f
the grooved face. Center the blade in
th is area a nd make a fina l pass on th is
face o nly.
1f necessary, reset t he fen ce to the
n ext Yz" increment and con ti n ue cutti ng dadoes on t he opposite face. W hen
W rema ins in the center o f the face,
dadoes '14" deep
cen te r t he fin al dado as before.

'I.

(@) Quick Tip! Clem . h ,g lip Made I"""

V marks. I wrap a n arrow scrap in sa nd-

paper and sand the sides a nd bottoms


of the dadoes a nd grooves.

Diameter and depth based onavailable


serving piece; see the instructions.

E!lTR AYSECTIO N VIEW


\4"

\1:1" Lyptus

,-_

'no" cove along straight

bottom-side edge only


'I,"

68
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round-overs

round-over

'no" cove along W bamboo

straight
bottom-side
edge only

'c- - - - - - - - - - -

WOO D m ag azine

October 2010

SHOP TIP
Reverse routing tames tear-out
When routing the edges of a round piece, the grain direction changes as you
rot ate the workpiece. This ca n result in chip-o ut at certain points. To prevent
this, Ifeed the workpiece in t he op posite directio n, known as a "cl imb-cut," in
th ese problem areas.
To know where to
climb-cut, imagine a clock
%" round'over bit
face on the round piece
with the 12 and 6 lined up
with the g rain direction.
Rout as shown in the
drawing, rotating the
Climb-cut
piece counterclockwise
this quadrant.
from 9 o'clock to just past
th e 12 o'cloc k position
and from 3 o'clock toward
Climbcut
6 o'clock. Rotate th e
th is qu~dr~ nt.
workpiece cloc kwise to
rout t he remaining areas.
The clockwise rotation
creates a climb-cut, and
th e bit will want to g rab
Router table
the workpiece. I hold th e
tray firm ly and take very
light cut s.

Jig

-f',,;;;';

I1J

Cut YoxW spa cers to fit bet wee n the jig and
th e edges of th e recess. Pare st raight down
along t he spacers to sq uare up t he corner s.

Shape the tray

Using a 14" blade, ba ndsaw t he tray


(A) to rough sha pe, stay in g VJb" o utside the marked cu tli ne. Sand up to t he
line wit h a spind le sander, o r a d ru m
san der mou nted in your drill press.
At t he router table, machine t he LA"
rou nd-overs around both faces of the
tray (A) [Drawing 3; Shop Tip, obove rigllt l.
Switch to a %" cove bit and make three
successively deeper passes to rout the cove
along t he bottom straight edges only
[Drawings 3, 3a].
sand t he t ray (A) an d insert (B) to
220 gr it, easing the edges and ends
of the recesses a nd t ile insert.
TO reach all t he nooks and crann ies
in the insert (B), I brush o n three
coat s of a wate r- based polyuret hane finish. Between coats, bu ff lightly wit h
320-grit sa ndpaper, wrapping it around
the edge of a scrap of W hardboard to

3
4

reach into t he gr id of t ile insert. After


the fi nish d ries fo r 72 ho urs, it is safe for
serving food. Drizzle olive oil and season ing in a dish, wa rm some bread, and
boll

Produced by Cra ig Rueg.eg g er with Jeff Mertz


and Ralph Ba gnall
Project de~ign, Ralph Bagnall
I llu~tralions: Roxann e LeMo ine ; Lorna John son

appeut.

Materials List
(Double-dish tray)

Materials List
(Single-dish tray)

FINISHED SIZE

FINISHED SIZE

Part

Matt Qty.

"A

double-i.1ishtray

1"

6~"

22Y."

Bil

insert

1'J"

4~"

8 ~"

"laminated part initi~ l ly cut ceersne, See theinltructionl.

Part

I"

6~"

16\'/

Mall. Qly.
6/L

insert

'laminated part initi~ Ilycutoversee. See the irstnc tons.

Materials key : a-bamboo, l - l yptus.Su p p lies: Double-faced tepe, I" guide bushing.
Blades and bits: Stackdado blade; \'/ spiral upcut \4" round-over. M,"cove router bits.

Cutting Diagram
(Double-dish tray)

Cutting Diagram
(Single-dish tray)

kS : ::]
:;io

x 7'1, x 24" Bamboo (1.3 bd. ft.)

.." ,

'"~_ r~ )i'0
"

:;io x 7'1, x 36"

Lyptus (2 bd. ft.)

"Pla ne or resaw. See t he instructions.

~'
:;io x

;"J8

f~t .~,;;~

7% x 36" Bamboo (2 bd.


"Plane or resaw. See the instruct ions.

Wit h a Yo" dad o blade set to o ne -ha lf t he


t hickne ss of t he insert (B). pe rp end icular cuts
o n opp os ite faces create a g rid.
woodmagazlne .c:om
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69

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Take your pick: On one extreme, lumber is locked away


in log form, waiting for you to slab it free with a mill
and some muscle. On the other, you drop it into a shopping cart, surfaced, edge-glued, and shrink-wrapped.
he long journey wood ta kes from

/lCxr pas,e for a rundown o f

log to project-ready lumber affords

your d rying options.

you plenty of pu rchase po ints.


Alon g t he way, you'll fin d a d irect relatio nship between convenience and cost
per board foot ; as o ne goes up, so does
the ot her. So where does your budget
and a mbition place you in t he cost/conven ience con tinuum? Read on to learn
all about you r lumber-buyi ng optio ns.

Personal/Portable SawmIll
J( you have access to wood in tree form,
and the muscle/ mac hinery to move it,
co nside r buy ing a backyard ha ndsaw
m ill to satis fy your lumber add iction.
Don't let t he en try pr ice tag of $3,00 0
to $6,0 00 scare you away from investing
in o ne of t hese burl y ha nd saws. For
most woodworkers, t he wood savi ngs
will quickly cove r the mill cost. And you
ca n speed the savings by selling some o f
the lu mber you produce. But even if a
m ill isn't in your future, you ca n sta rt
saving money now by h iring a portablem ill operator to b reak down your logs.
Buy or hire, be sure to take d rying
o ptio ns into consideratio n when you
step into the green-wood world. See the
w oodm llgllzlne .c:om
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Commercial Sawmill
Even if the nea rest com mercia l sawmill
is hal f a state away, t he wood a nd the
savings make the drive wort hwhile.
Expect to find warehouses full of
expertly kiln-d ried , graded lu mber at
nea r-wholesa le costs. Sawmills generally
a ren't set up to hand le retail shopping;
you wo n't get to pick t h rough the piles
for the perfect board . So, be sure to call
ahead wit h yo u r orde r-species, grade,
a nd quantity- to ensu re it is available
and will be waiting. Expect a min imum
order requirement or a sliding price scale
that encourages larger orders.
Hardwood Retailer

Not lim ited to local logs, your wood


retailer brings to the table a smorgasbo rd
o f species both dom est ic a nd exotic. If
you're t he t ype of con noisseur who likes
to see, feel, even smell the wood before
you take it home to you r shop, head for
the hardwood store.
In ma ny cases, you'll find wood in a
more finished state: surfaced on bot h

sides (525) and st raight-line ripped o n


o ne edge (Sll E). Of cou rse, you pay
mor e for those addi tional operations,
b ut you also come home with wood that
is just short of fully d ressed, wit h on ly
final squa ring and th tckn essr ng needed.

Big-box Store
If you r pro ject need s to be finished
before kickoff this weekend , look no
farther than t he wide a isles of your local
home cent er. There, you'll find wood
t hat has been squa red and surfaced on
a ll four sides (545). If you' re selective,
you ca n pick o nly the clearest, straightest boards, saving t he t rouble of further
dressi ng wit h a jo inter a nd plane r.
Remember, you pay a boa rd-foot
prem iu m for that machi n ing (and
shrink-wrappi n g, and inventory management). But whe n conve n ience matters, the home center delivers.
Now let's lo ok at t he p ros and cons of
each wood -shopping met hod.
71

Chainsaw milts, like t he Alaskan MKllI f ro m


Granberg Intern atio nal (800- 233 6499,
gra nberg .co m), cut much slowe r t han
bandsaw mills, b ut co st far less, mak ing t hem
a portabl e, if tabor -intensive, altern ative.

saving hyd raulic mod els and t railer


packages for additiona l portabilit y push
the price even higher.

:iIt

.. _. .. "

If you're not ready to buy yo ur own sawmill, Wood -Mizer (800553-0182, wood-mizer.com) or
TimberKing (8009424406, ti mberking.com) will provid e you wi t h a list of local sawyers for hire.

Pros:
o Mill wood to any t hickness.
o Walnut a nd cherry cost t he same as
pine and poplar.
o You won't pay a pre mium for riftsawn
and qua rtersawn stock.
o Wider availabi lity of species (pin ktinged box elder, sycamore, a nd many
others depending on your locatio n)
offers options not typically sold at reta il.
o Wit h a top rate of 125 board feet per
hour, a solid I6-hour weekend of work
could net you as much as 2,000 board
feet of lumber.

Lumber Drying Options


If you choose to mill your own lumber,
you're not quite done. Newly slabbed
(green) wood needs to be dried down to
a usable moisture content (typica lly
between six a nd twelve percent). First,
coat t he ends with latex paint to slow
uneven release of moisture that causes
checking. After that, you have op tions:
Alrdrylng. Pick a shady spot ex posed to
the preva iling wind . On a bed of level,
ctnder-block-supported, sticker-toppe d
4x4 run ners spaced 2' on center, stack
you r first layer of lumber. Keep t he lumber layers of equal th ickness, wit h the
t hickest boards on the bottom. Add a
row of I"-squa re stickers o n 2' centers;
t hen stack the next layer. To p the stack
with a sheet of plywood to keep t he rain
off a nd cinder blocks for weight. Now

72
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o You'll have a forest-to-finish story to


tell of each project you build.
Cons:
o Hefting heavy logs is labor-intensive.
o Selection is lim ited to local woods.
o Great-loo king logs could yield plain
or even unusable lumber.
o More ti me milllng means less ti me for
act ual woodworking.
o Drying takes months-do it wrong
and you'll wind up wit h firewood.
o The initial invest ment is la rge: $3,000
to $6,000 for ent ry-level models. Labo rwa it. As a rule of t hu mb, it ta kes I year
per 1"of th ickness to air-dry green wood
to a usable moisture content. A moisture
meter ta kes some of the guesswork out
of the process, tho ugh.
Solor kiln. You can sho rten drying t ime
from yea rs to weeks by building a solar
kiln-a cross between a greenhouse and
a garden shed. Fans an d baffles keep the
air moving t hrough t he stack of stickered lumber. And t he temperature
diffe rential speeds the drying.
Custom drying. Many sawm ills offer the
use of their kilns for a fee. You gain the
peace of mind that comes from professional kiln-d rying a nd low moisture
content. Expect to pay $0.25-0.50 per
board foot. Also, a custom d rier needs
enough of a load (at least 300 board feet)
to keep itself weighted against curling

Price for Red Oak: FREE! (after investing


in the eq uipment) or $ OAO~ O.60/bdft
(hiring a portable sawmill owner at a
rate of $SO-75/h r).
insider Secret: If you h ire a sawyer, volunteer as a laborer. Ma nhandle logs,
pull boa rds off t he mill, sticker, stackdo everyt hi ng you ca n to make sure t he
saw keeps cutting, logs keep getting
loaded, and your cost per boa rd foot
keeps d ropping.

More Resources:
FREE V IDEOS:

Wood-Mizer bandsaw mill demo


woodmagazine.com/woodm izer
Granberg cha insaw m ill de mo
wood magazine.com/gra nbe rg

and cu pping. And boards of equal


length ensure that a stack dries evenly.
Depending o n the type of kiln and
wood species, t he mill may requ est t he
wood be ai r-d ried for a short time first.

More Resources:
Build Your Ow n Solar Kiln
woodmagazine.com/solarkiln

WOOD m ag azine

Octobe r 20 10

These fres h-from -th e -Iog boards are


graded and st acked to be ki ln-dried a nd
wa reho use d for wholesale customers.

Pros:

Talk about convenience: At a hom e cent er,


you can sho p for lumbe r at t he same place
you bu y t he tools to work with it.

Prices come close to wholesale costs.


o Professio nally m illed and kiln -d ried
wood is likely to be free from checks and
d rying stresses.
e Additio na l services, such as skipplan ing (see be/ow) , surfacing, and
straight-line ripping a re often available- for a n upcharge.

Careful stock se lect io n at t he ha rdwood


store nets you just t he right grai n
patte rns with minima l waste.

Pros:

You'll find a wide va riet y of wood species, bot h domestic and exotic.
o A reliable, on -ha nd supply means no
pausing your project to wait (or wood.
e Experts are on location for hel p.
o You choose t he size, grade, a nd grain
that suits your project.

Price for Red Oak: $1 .80-2.IO/ bd ft

Cons:
o Surfacing and straight-line ripping
often come as part of the package and
raise the price.
c Qua nti ties (as well as grain-pattern,
widths, a nd lengths) are often lim ited to
what you see.

Cons:

Availability of species could be


affected by region , ma rket trends, logtruck-ha lting weat her.
o The mi n imum order size m ight
exceed your projects req uirements.
o Yo u're rarely allowed to choose your
own wood.

Insider Secret: Purchase No. I Com mo n

graded stoc k if you r project allows. You


can work around any defects, and you' ll
save up to 30 percent compared to prem ium-p riced Firsts and Seco nd s (FAS)
and Select (SELo r SAH), priced above.

More Resources:
A Sawyer's Secrets to Buying Hardwood :
woodmagazt ne.com/sawyersccrets $3.S0

Planed
area
Rough-sawn
area

Pros:

Co nvenience: There's a big-box hom e


center in every city of any size.
o Time-savings: No need to plan ahead
for your t rip, and careful sho pping can
net you project-ready wood.
Cons:
e The premium price does n't always net
you prem ium wood.
o Species selection is often lim ited to
pine, maple, and red oa k.
e No extra ma rgin of t hickness for correcti ng cu pped o r bowed wood.
o Edge-glued panels may not gra inmatch as well as yOli could do it yourself.
Price for Red Oak: $6.20-6.80/bdft
Insider Secret: Ma ny ho me centers t hat

Price for Red Oak : $3.I 5-4.1S/ bd ft


Insider Secret: 4/4? 6/4? 8/4? Those mea-

sureme nts aren't new math . Hardwood


is sold by its pre-surfaced thickness,
measured in q uarter-inches. In ot her
words, a so-called l t-t h ick board is
referred to and sold as 4/4 (pronounced
"(ou r-quar ter"), but could range in
thickness from 1-Y16" to %", afte r bot h
faces a re surfaced.

dea l in lumber offer free break-down


services, so t hey also produce offc uts.
Make your fi rst sto p t he bargain bin to
snag unexpected dea ls.

More Resources:

More Resources:
FREE Download; Wood-buyi ng Basics
woodmagazine.com/woodbuying
FREE Article: Hardwood Buying Tips
woodmagazine.com/hardwoodtips

Ask your sawye r fo r skip plan ing to get a


glimpse of t he g ra in t hat is obscured behind
a rough-sawn board 's mill ma rks.
w ood m19" zl n e .c:om
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

FREE Download; Mail-order Wood


woodmagazine.com/mai lorder
7l

Wise Buxs
Why buy?

Our Experts Test

In the shop, a portable workb ench can serve as a


tem porary worksurface, tool stan d, or as a large
damp holding yo ur workpiece. It s light weight
and com pact size let you bring a w orksurface to
fix-it jo bs aroun d t he house. After use, it folds up
for easy storage. We tested eight wo rkbenches
looking at damping capacity, d urability, stabili ty,
and value. These four each offer a twis t on t he
trad it ional split-ta ble vise design.

Portable
Workbenches
SKIL XBENCH 311 S, $60

CRAFTSMAN 65796, $80

BLACK & DECKER WM425, $120


Front jaw tilt s90'. ~

Tilt adjustment

'----..
Removabl e
benchtop piece

...
.' L ~
/

Removable
benchtop piece

MilK. t able size Ij Clw$ ope n): 19'1.><26"


Max. j aw opening : 6'/.
Ta ble he igh t: 3 1'/ ," Weight: 271bs

MilK. table size (jaws open): 2 0 'l.x30 '1.~


MaK. jaw opening: 4'''"
Table height : 30 '/." to 4 1 '/.0" Weight : 40 Ibs

MilK. tabl e size (jaws open): 22x 29"


Max.jaw opening: 8'''"
Table height: 24" or 3 1 ~ Weight : 311bs

Test-drive:

Test-drive:

Test-drive:

Although I like the clampin g speed of the


quick-release rear jaw, this bench too k

Two unique featu res set this workbench


apart: a ti lting to p (up to 70 f rom horizontal) and adj usta ble height . Wo rking at
the raised table was much easier on my
back. The height adjustment also made it
useful as an outfeed support for several of
my stationary tools.
A rem ovable benchtop piece f ills t he
space between t he jaw s creating a large,
gap-free tabletop, but with slight ridg es
at t he seams. W ith no on-board storage
for t he fi ller piece, I t hrew it on the floor
between t he legs w he n it wa sn't in use.
The shelf attached to t he leg brace is
usef ul for holding a few small hand t ool s.
The workb ench folds easily, and its
weig ht helps it stay put w hile p lani ng o r
sandi ng a workp iece. A m olded plastic
hand hold on t he leg br ace p rovides a
comfort abl e grip fo r carry ing t he bench.
M y m ain concern is t he lo ng -term
dura bility of t he M DF top-during use,
several p laces along the ed ge s chippe d .

some getting used to. Inst ead of spinning

the handles repeatedly to open and close


the tabl e, the rear jaw slides up to the
workpiece. Then you ti gh ten t he jaws wi t h

just a twist of the han dles.


Th e lo ng edges of th e M DF jaw s are
clad in durable aluminum with an

integ ral T-track. The plastic d og s have a


screw m echani sm tha t locks th em into
the r-trac k anywh ere alo ng its lengthmuch more versatile than dog ho les.
Sm aller T-t rack o n th e jaw 's inside faces
accept four plastic pad s wit h notches fo r
g ripping round stock vertically or
horizontally. Two m etal arms rotate f rom
under t he fro nt jaw to suppo rt a
workpiece in th e opening w hile you
posit ion and secure it .
The sta nd is lightw eig ht, but sturdy,
and easy to carry. It sets up and fo lds
easily w it h just a tug o r push on t he

The WM 425 offers the w idest jaw opening, th e most t able surface area- and
a front jaw t hat pivot s up 9 0 to clam p
items down to t he rear jaw. The front jaw
release-and -p ivot mechani sm feels a bi t
rickety, but it d amps it em s securely.
I'm not sold o n t he three-piece
tabletop, t hough, with rem ovable rear
and cent er sections . To use t he vertical
d amping feature, you remove t he center
section and position t he rear one in t he
second of t hree sets of key ho le slots. I
spend a lot of ti me moving table parts.
A perfo rated pla st ic belt t ies t he
handles toget her for one-handed
operation . A m echanism behind each
handle let s t he belt slip so you can move
just one end of t he f ront jaw . But w ith no
exp lanation of t his in t he m anual, wh en I
fi rst tightened t he jaw s and t he be lt
slip ped, I t hought some thing broke. Still,
t he W M 425 does t he basics we ll and it s
wi de sta nce m akes it a st able table.

benchtop.
- Tested by Jeff Mf!rtl ,
Df!!ign Editor

-steuea by Bob Wilson,


Techniques Editor ' '',,",

-steaea by Kf!vin Boylf!,


Sf!nior Df!sign Editor

To learn more:

To learn more:

To learn more:

877-754-59 99

800-383-48 14

800-544-6986

skiltools.com

craftsman.com

blackanddecker.com

74
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

WOOD

magazIne October 2010

Wise Buys
ROCKWELL JAWHORSE
RK9000, $228 (AS TESTED)
-~

....
ElECTRIC

Foot peda l

Max. t able size (jaws op en): 18 'h x 24"


Max.jaw op ening: 4'1."
Table height: 35v." Weight: 58 1b s

Test-drive:
Compared to other workbenches, this
is a horse of a different color-and the
price reflects it. S178 buys the Jaw-

horse, a three-legged sawhorse with a


foot-pedal-operated, 37"-capacity vise
at one end. It's built to withs tand life on
a jobsite. An optional split-table work-

surface ($50) attaches to the vise jaws.


( jawhorse offers add itional accessories
aswell.) The l oot pedal provid es d amping power in spades and lets you hol d a

workpiece with both hands while tightening the jaws. Release the foot pedal
and the jaws lock in place. Flip a frontmounted lever to unlock t hem.
The moderately sized bam boo
t able should pr ove more durable t han
an MDF surface and includ es a hole
t o park t he nose of your co rdl ess drill.
One gripe : The p last ic dogs fi t too
t ight ly in t he bencht op holes; I had to
pry t hem out wi th a screwd rive r.
When the job fi nishes, t he stand folds
into a com pact foot print w ith the leg s
locked below t he upper beam. And
while it's heavier t han t rad it ional
portable workbenche s, a roller at one
end g lides over smooth surfaces for
easy t ransport. .
-Te5/ed by Doug Hkb,
former shop teacher and
woodworking magazine editor

For AFree Catalog Or To Find Your Local Woodcraft Store, Visit woodcraft.com Or CaIiSOO-225-1153.

Easy Wood Tools Minis


Easy Wood Tools has done it again! These mini tools feature all of the
same benefits and qualities as their full-sized parents. The cutters are
designed so that you do not have to "find the bevel" when turning. Simply
advance the tool slowly into the workpiece and begin cutting straight in,
or sweep the cutter from left to right. or right to left. You will find these
tools invaluable for those smaller. more intricate turnings, such as pens,
ornaments and smaller bowls, and also ideal for roughing, finishing and
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845506

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10WlIOR

75

QUALITY WOOOWORKING TOOLS SUPPLIES

AOVICE~

Ask WOOD
Answersto your questionsfrom
letters, e-malls, and WOOD Online-

HAVE A QUESTION?
For an answer to your woodworki ng q uestio n. write to ASK
WOOD, 1716locust se, lS221, Des Moines, IA 503093023
or e-mail us at askwood @wood mag azine .co m. For immediate
feed back from your fe llow woodworkers, post your questions on
one of our woodwor king forums at woodmagazine.com /forums.

The good and bad sides


of two-faced tape

_ I find double-faced tape handy


e f cr everything from template

routing, to stack cutting, to attaching carrier boards for planing


undersized stock. It's after those
operations that the tape becomes a
problem. Often, I can't pry the wood
apart without damaging my template or workpiece. Am I using too
much tape or what?

After routing wit h a template, sli p the t hin, broad, ste el blad e of a putty-knife between th e
workpiece and th e tem plate, and t he n twist to pop t he m apa rt.

- Alan Price, Saint Louis

We go th roug h a lot o f double faced maskin g tap e in t he


WOOJ)~ magaz ine shop, Alan. And we,
to o, have learned to respect its power.
The tr ick: use it st rategically {/IU/
spa ringly.
For template routi ng, where inline
"shearing" forces are mi nima l, use
small, wide ly spaced pieces o f tape.
When you've completed the routi ng
operation, p ry t he pieces apa rt wit h a
putty kn ife; then sa nd the workpiece to
remove a ny marring. For smaller pieces,
t ry twisting apart the template and
workpiece li ke a jar lid or wiggling it
side to side.
That st rategy a lso works well when
stack cutting o n the ha ndsaw. Or, yo u
can strategica lly place t he tape in t he
waste portio ns of t he pattern . Plan your
cu ts to remove the taped portlons last.
When you're plan ing t hin pieces on a
carrier boa rd, the cutter head exerts
much greater shea ring forces. To
mi ni mize the risk of slippage, glue a
backsto p to t he ca rrier board to keep
t he wor kpiece (rom moving backward.
Use only a small piece of tap e in t he
center of t he work piece to ho ld it steady
side-to-side on the ca rrier. The do wnward pressure o f t he planer rollers does
t he rest.
Once you've sepa rated t hose pieces,
use a shop clot h and mi neral spirits to
clean up any adhesive resid ue.

continued VII page 78


76
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

Workpiece

8ackstop--------

,.

Carrier board

The backstop p revent s slipping, while the plane r's ro llers hold th e workpiece against th e
carrier board. All t hat's needed is a small piece of t ape to preven t side -to-side motion.
WOOD magazine

October2010

A BIG ASS FAN FOR MY SHOP?

ABSOLUTELY!
You 've got this great shop with high ceilings. It's too hot
in the sum mer and too cold in the winter. The solution is

the all new Shopfcn" from Big Ass Fens", eng ineered
w ith our paten ted airfoil technology to improve conditions

in workshops up to 5000 square feet.


The monthly operating cost of a ShopFa n is less than a
dollar per month... ye! it does the work of more than twenty standard ceiling
fans. It's an investment thai will pay dividends for a lifetime.

QUIRKY NAME. SERIOUS FANS.


For over a decade, Big Ass Fans ha s been engineering
lorge, high-performance ceiling fons for tens of thousands

of satisfied industrial customers worldwide. like a ll of our


fans, ShopFon is engineered, precision balanced and
hond built wi th aircraft-grade aluminum an d industrial
components rig ht here in Lexington, Kentucky. You can
have this fan up and running in a couple of hours. And
best of all , it's a genuine Big Ass Fan.

TRY A SHOPFAN IN YOUR SHOP


FOR 30 DAYS
CONTACT US FOR DETAILS
877-326-0599
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trBIGASS FANS
877BIG FANS I WWW.BIGASSFANS.COM
An ISO 9001 :2008

cer1 i ~ed

company

Na Equal.
Moy be ~ br """ 0< """" of rI>e fo/hw;og us Po~ .. 6.244,821; 6.589.016, 6.817;8J5; 6.939; 108,
7,252,478, 7,284.960; DS87,lW; D607,988 g,.J athe< po"'!> pondiog

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

Ask WOOD
Scribing a perfect fit
for curves

_ llm making a wooden tool-

_ box for my pickup bed, How


do I make a template to fit over
the curved wheel well ?
- Jeremy Ryan, Anacortes, Wash.

_ Sta rt by cutti ng posterboa rd


_ to rough ly t he sha pe you will
need, Jeremy. Hold the template in
place on t he wheel well where t he
project part will sit; t hen set t he legs
of a compa ss a litt le wider than the
largest gap bet ween t he template
a nd t he curve. Kee ping the co mpass
points perpendicular to the su rface
of t he curve, t race the cur ve with
t he compass point wh ile tra nsferring the line of t he curve to the
board wit h the pencil, as show n
below. Cut a long the ma rked line
an d repeat the process, twea king
until you have a pattern wit h a tight
fit. Use your template to layout and
cut t he workpiece to shape.

As t he ga p na rrows, close up the co mpass


legs to match and scribe t he curve agai n.

Large Deer "S' tall WP-OFSl003 51 3.95


MedlSmall Deer 28"and 9" tall WpOFSl018 513 .95

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

continued
78

ADHWDl 010

wooo m agazine

011

pag{' 80

October 2010

(719) 676-2700 fax (719) 676-2710 www.plasmacam.com


PO Box 19818 Colorado City, CO 81019

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Ask WOOD

RELIEFFOR
DST
T
CRACK AND SPLIT.

Buy t oda y or find a st o re n e ar yo u


1-800-275-2718

WWW.OK88ff8.Campany.cam

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

Sweet Spot

Straight talk about


flat tabletops

_ I am building a tabletop
and wond ering if I should
alternate the boards' growth rings
50 the top remains st a b le. Also,
should I use 6" boards and narrow-

er, or is it okay to use 8" boards?

.
A

- Nancy Southall, Baltimore, Md.

For stability, alte rnating t he


d irectio n of the growth rings
helps but matters less t han choosing
your grain ca refully, Nancy. Straigh t.
grained riftsawn o r qua rtersawn
wood proves more stable than
fl atsawn, cathed ral-g rain patterns.
Start wit h properly dried woo d and
let it acclimate to you r sho p (or a
couple weeks before mach ining.
Likewise, the widt h of the planks
won 't a ffect the stability of a glue-up
i f you've chosen your grai n carefully.
(Keep in lnind,t hough, t hat the
wide r the boa rd, the more likelihood
it will conta in a mixture of stable
riftsawn and war p-prone f1 atsawn
wood; see photo be/ow). When you
a re able to acq uire ideal, wide
expanses of stable grain, you ca n size
the boards (or aesthetic s and for the
capacity of your machines. For
instance, if you have a 6" jointer a nd
a 12" planer, 5 11.." boards allow you to
glue up sub-panels that won't exceed
your mach ines' capacities. If you
prefer flatsawn gra in pattern or are
unable to wor k a rou nd it, 4" or less
serves as a good rule-of-thumb board
width for a stable glue-up.

This ruby red cut-g lass


hummingbird feeder has a
gracefu l profile and large

capacity, and is easy to


hang and clean. Fill with

sugar-water nectar and


wat ch the fun begin! It
measures 13" tall ,S Y2" in
diameter. Great gift idea.

To order Call

~78-5752

or visit readershopping.com.
Please specify item
W LH7-WOOD. $37.95

p lus shipping.

Riftsawn

Flat sa.....n

I Ri fts a.....n

Riftsawn grai n offer s more stab ility, but


wide board s, such as t his one, often also
conta in warp-pro ne f1at sawn wood.

continued oll/Jase 82
80

WOOD mllgazln<;>

October 2010

We Can Only Find One


A rare chance to claim a unique piece of watclnnaklng history for under $IOO!
igh ty-six yea rs ago, a watchmaker
in Paris famo us for build ing the
magnifice nt d ocks at Versailles created a
legendary tim ep iece. He invent ed the fi rst
watch with an au to matic mechanical
d rive. These in novativ e moveme nts
required no batt eries an d never needed
to be manu ally wound. Only seven of
these ultra- rare watches were ever made
an d we've studied t he one surviv ing
mas terpiece in a watch history museum .
Inspired by h istory, classic de sign and
tech nology, our Stauc r Mcistazcit has
been pai nstakin gly handcrafted to mee t
the dema nding standards of vintage
watch collectors.
Why the new "a n t iq ue" is hetter
than the original. The origi nal timepiece was truly in novative, but, as we studied it closely, we realized that we cou ld
engineer ours with a much higher level of
precision. The zz-ruby-jewel movemen t
utilizes an automatic self-wind ing mecha nism inspired by a patent from 1923, but
built on s:n million in state-of-the-art
Swiss-made machinery. With an exhib ition back, you can S('(' into the heart of the
engi neering and view the rotor spin-it's
powered by the movement of your bod y.

This limited ed ition Ste uer Meisumcit


allows you to wear a watch far mor e
exclusive than most new "upscale" models.
Here is your cha nce to claim a prcce of
watch making h isto ry in a rare design that
is priced to wear everyday.
Elegant and accurate. This refined
beaut y has a fastid ious side. Each movement and engine-turn ed rotor is tested for
15 days and then certified before it leaves
the factory.
The best pa rt is
that wit h our
special price, you
can
wea r
a
su pe rb
classic
h istorica l reproduction watc h
and laugh all the
way to t he hank.
Ste ue r specializes
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in classic timeTlIo v"lll" n l of t il"
less watches and
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made for t he m illio na ires who wan t to keep th eir
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to he irloom status in your ho usehold .

Try it for 30 days and if you are not


thrilled with th e beauty and co nstruction
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Extremely limited availability.
Since it takes about 6 mo nt hs to bu ild
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Ask WOOD

WOODLINE USA

The multi-talented
low-angle block plane

e 11m a lifelong power-tool


ej u nkie w ho wa nt s to try
hand tools. I've heard my first tool
should be a block plane, but I'm
confused about the differences
between a standard block plane
and a low-angle block plane. Can
you sort them out for me?

QUALITY CARBIDE ROUTER BITS ,


SHAPER CUTTERS & MUCH MORE!

- John Gutierrez, Coshocton, Ohio

If yo u have to start with just

e one. go with the low-angle


block plane, Joh n. The 4S a ngle of
the standard-angle block- ty pically
a blade with a 2S cutting-edge
bevel and held at 20 by the plane
body- works well o n edge a nd face
grain, parting the layered fibers of
wood grain .
The low-angle block plane holds
the blade at about 12 for a shallow
37 cu tting angle. The sha llow angle
add s t he abi lity to effic iently cut en d
grain as well as ma ke cross-grain
cuts, making it t he more versatile of
the two.
Q

Woodline USA is the official


~l."WOODLlNE.::CM
manufacturer of Maloof router bits!
These bits feature a unique tapered rabbet with tapered bearings
developed specifically lor Sam Maloof to make the fabulous joints
of the Maloof chair . All have a 1" diameter and 5/8" cutting depth.

PART #

SLOPE

PRICE

Wl-6220

5 2 pc Set

$75.00

Wl -622 1

75.00

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Gift Certificates available


The st anda rd-angle b lock p lane's
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ofthe b lade.

Have a woodworking question?


Post it in the forums at
woodrnagazine.com/forums.
It's like having 100,000 experts
at your fingertips.

EA SY OR DER ING ! 2 4 H OU R S A DAY , 7 DAY S A W EEK

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Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

82

WOOD mag azine

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ShoR-Proven Products
These woodworking wa respassed our shop trials

About our product tests


We test hundreds oftooh and accessories, but only those that earn atleast three
stars forperfurmance makethe final rutand appearin this section. Prices are current
atthe time ofarticle production and do not incl ude shi pping. where applkable.

Build accurate jigs with


slop-free guide bars
I've made cou ntless tabl esaw jigs and sleds ove r the years,
usi ng h ard wood gu id es t h at fit i nto the miter slot . But

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I also like t hat you plug t he router into an accessory power
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exte nsion cord.
- Tested by Bob Saunders, owner and teacher,
Prairie Rose Woodworking Studio, Indianola, Iowa

84
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What's Ahead

Coming up in the November 2010 issue (on sale October 12)

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Built-with-a-tilt book nook


Angling books makes it easy to find and grab the book you need-almost as
easy as building this display shelf using readilyavailable wood and tools.

Arts & (rafts


Clock
Heirloom Tool Chest Organize tools and supplies in a cabinet handsome
enough for the house, but meant 10work hard in the shop.Simple drawer
and door joints, rut on the tablesaw speed construction.

No-Fuss Mortises & Tenons Impact Drivers


Learn four ways to machine
each, using tools you likely
already have in your shop.

92
Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

Discover why woo<lworkers everywhere are


adding this tool to their shops. One reason:
leads of torque in a small package.

Minutes fly by as
you admire this
classic timepiece.
Ouroffice-supply
solution forcololing
(heaccent strips
and plugs may
make you chucklebut it works.

Wood :R.i!!er

Tenoning Jig

Cut perfect straight, beveled, or mitered tenons on your table saw safely and easily! Oversized
feed handles provide positive, safe operating control while the large crank-style handle quickly
secures stock up to 314" .
fits Most left And Right Titting Table Saws
Adjustable Guide Bar Rts W' X 3,1.- Miter Channel
Machined Cast-Iron Body Parts For Minimal Vibration
Oversized Feed Handles And Multi-Position Control Levers

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

Extra Large Clamp Handwheel


Guick-Belease Mechanism Reduces Setup Time
Adjustable Bevel Angle From 90"To 45"
Backstop Adjusts For Miters From90' To 45"

Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

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