American Woodworker - 135 (May 2008)

8" Jointer w/Spiral Cufferhead!Versatile parallelogram

table adjustmenf system!

• Motor: 3 HP, 220V, tsingle-phase, TEFC

• Precision groundcast iron tables

• Total table size: 8" x 76%"__•__1. Infeed table size: 8" x 43%"

• 4 row spiral cutterhead I• Cutterhead speed: 5350 RPM• Max. rabbeting depth: W• Deluxe cast iran fence size:

35"L x 1lf.''W x 5"H• Approx. shipping weight: 597 Ibs. INCLUPES

r.. L ,-" d 11 ble FREE SAFETY ..'...,tra ong ..uee a PUSH BLOCKSG0490X & Extra Tall Fence

INTRODUCTORY PRICE $107500 WI! o:::ei~~~:a~;g.

• Motor: 3 HP, 220V, single-phose or5 HP, 220Vl440V', 3-phase

• Precision ground cost iron table• Table size w/extension: 27" x 753f."• Max. depth of cut:

30/16" @ 90', 2W' @ 45'• Arbor: %"• 52' rip capacity• Approx. shipping

weight: 514 Ibs.

See it on3 of the2008 Catalog.

•440V OPERAOON RfllUIRfSPURCHASE OF AIlOO1ONAlCOMPONEfITS. C.II.l CUST.SEIMCE fOR MORE INfO.

G0651 3 HP, singl&phase

INTRODUCTORY PRICE $169500 "G0652 5 HP, 3-phase Includes 10" Blad'.,

INTRODUCTORY PRICE $169500 andsi.de& rear ItIKUBlextensIon tables!~

",,}-A 'I\:- 10" Heavy-Duty Cabinet~,,,~ Table Saws w/Riving Knife

'f' Perfect for cuffing panels and wide stock!

INCLumfREESAfErYPUSII8LOCKS

Baudlel FoldIn For Added

Safety

G0609ONLY $159500

2 HP Cyclone Dust Collector• Motor 2 HP, 220V,

single-phase, TEFCCloss T,

• Amps: 12.5• Intake hole size: 7'• Impeller: 13'h' steel• Suction capacity:

1354 [email protected]"SP• Max. static pressure: .......lIIl,...

10.4"Filter surface area:96 sq. ft.

• Filter: 0.2-2 micron• Collection drum: steel,

35 gallons• Approx. shipping

weight: 359 Ibs.NEW! NOISE REDUCING KIT

Ha166 ONLY s39"

G0440 ONLY $74500

12" X 83W'Parallelogram Jointer

• Motor: 3 HP, 220V, single-phose• Precision ground cast iron table

size: 12%" x 83W• Cutterhead knives: (4) 12" x VB" 1%4'• Cutterhead dia.: 3%"• Cutterhead speed: 4950 RPM• Max.depth of cut: VB"• Max. rabbeting

capacity: %'• Approx. _-_.1

shippingwt: 1059 Ibs.

Includesmiter gauge& fence wihold-down

springs

17" Heavy-Duty BandsawGG51J • Motor: 2 HP, 11 OV/220V,

single-phose, TEFC• Precision ground cast

iron table size: 17" sq.• Table tilt: 10' L, 45' R• Max. cutting height: 12"

• 2 blade speeds: 1700 &~t'-...:B!"'- 3500 FPM

• Blade size: 131 W' L (lfa" -1'W)• Euro-style roller disc blade guides• Sealed & permanently lubricated

bearings• Approx. shipping weight: .342Ibs.

3 HP Shaper• Motor: 3 HP, 220V, single-phase,

w/reversing switch• Precision ground cast iron table• Table with standard wing attached:

30W x 28'!4'• Spindle travel: 3'• 3 interchangeable

spindles: 1/:,",

%"& l'• Spindle openings

on table: 1%',2%',4'&5W

• Spindle speeds:7000 & 10,000 RPM

• Apprax. shippingweight: 357 Ibs.

Inclades Fence, Miter GaugeQuick Change Blade Releasel

MAPE IN Tensioner & W' BladeISO 900 t fACfORY!

G0513 ~ONLY $75000 _

MAPEINISO 9001FACTORY!

-. mfIIG0444Z (right-tilt)

ONLY $62500

G0576 (lett-tilt)

ONLY $67500

10" Table Saws w/Casf Ifon Wings

• Motor: 2 HP, 11 OVl220V, single-phose• Precision ground cast iron table size

w/wings: 27" x 39 %"• Arbor: %"• 3VB" capacity @ 90'• 2lfs' capacity @ 45'• 30" rip capacity• SHOP FOX" Aluma-ClassicN Fence• Approx. shipping weight: 298 Ibs.

Foot Operated Built-inMobile Base ProvidesVersatile Positioning

15" Planer w/Spiral Cufferhead• Motor: 3 HP, 220V, single-phase• Precision ground cast iron tables & extension Wings• Table size: 15" x 20' ." I,~• Max. cutting height: 8' ~••~::::-• Feed rate: 16 & 30 FPM /'/'; •• Cutterhead speed:

5000 RPM• 2 speed gearbox• Magnetic safety switch• Heavy-duty cast iron

construction• Approx. shipping

weight: 675 Ibs.

~ozQ)

~ -G _

,52

American Woodworker MAY 2008 1

#135, MAY 2008

Plant Stand2 screws=l great project.

Greene & Greene MailboxMake large box jointsusing mating templates.

Do-It-AII-Combo Brushand Drum SanderInterchangeable heads do the trick.

Shaving HorseAn age-old tool goes modern.

21 Drum SanderTipsMaster a most versatile machine.

Natural BenchTurn inexpensive slabwoodinto a stunning seat.

Adirondack Love SeatCutting, drilling and screwingare all it takes.

Torben HelshojOne man's winding path fromcabinetmaker's apprentice tomanufacturer of high-end tools.

36

6270

56

52

4450

Features34

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~~~

Departments6 Question &Answer

Calculate board feet with a lumber rule,repair damaged veneer and enlarge aphoto to take. accurate measurements.

10 WorkshopTipsImprove a miter saw's dust collection,build a sled for cutting inlay, micro-adjust your router table and modify ahandscrew to hold round stock.

14 Tool Nut 28Discover a 1960's plow plane and aprinter's cabinet saw with a sliding table.

16 School NewsThe New England AssociationofWoodworkingTeachers100 instructors learn from each other.

20 Well-Equipped ShopRidgid miter saw stand, Milwaukee 12-volt Sub-Compact Drill, JDS 3 HP DustForce Dust Collector, Laguna PlatinumSeries Jointer/Planers, large ExcaliburScroll Saw, Irwin Parallel Jaw Clamps,Veritas Plow. Plane and Black andDecker Li-Ion light-duty tools.

28 Turning WoodHeirloom AwlHeat-u-eating steel is part of the deal.

73 BuildYour SkillslVIultipurpose Sliding Fence5 problems solved by asingle tablesaw accessory.

86 My ShopAir Force Woodshop12,000 people share one fine shop.

88 Oops!Spray adhesive makes a lousy finish.

2 American Woodworker MAY 2008

10" WET GRINDER KIT - 90 RPM

Ideal forwood turners,

wood workers &knife makers!

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIEST10023 Accessory Kit #1

Includes fixtures for sharpeningsmall knives, large knives, scissorsand axes. Made in Asia.

T1 0024 Accessory Kit #2Includes astone dresser and fixturesfor sharpening scrapers, screwdriversand hollow chisels. Made in Asia.

T1 0025 Jig fur Sharpening16" Planer Blades

Sharpens planer and jointer bladesup to 16" long.' Made in Germany.

Made in Germany, this 90 RPM Wet Grinder with leather stropping wheelwill sharpen just about any cutting tool to a razor sharp edge in no timeat all. It is so versatile and simple to use, you'll wonder why you everput up with dull edges before. Add the optional accessoriesfor even greater sharpening convenience.

SPECIFICATIONS: 1;;;;;""""""",,""""~~!!!~iF.~~~f\:220 grit grinding wheel is C~ _

specially made for wet grinding• 90 RPM wheel speed• Grinding wheel size: 10" dia. x 2" wide

Water bath keeps tools cool while sharpening• Leather stropping wheel size: 8" dia. x 1W' wide

Standard equipment includesa universal jig, angle guideand polishing/honing paste.

""'-I'}<J<A .'-

: 1.~~=---T-10-0-10-----,'f ""1", 10" WET GRINDER KIT

AMAZING INTRODUCTORY PRICEMADE IN GERMANY

$16995

MODEL T10023 Accessory Kit #1 forTl00l0 Grinder

MODEL T1 0024 Accessory Kit #2 for Tl 001 0 Grinder

MODEL T10025 Jig for Sharpening 16" Planer Blades

EDITOR.S LETTER

Rough Cuts with a Fine Edge

As a kid, one of my first woodworking projects was an ox yoke. That's right, an ox yoke. Itwasn't because I lived on a farm; in fact, it hadnothing do to with farming or oxen. My inspiration came from Foxfire 2, an interesting bookmy older brother had given me. It's still in printand is now part of a twelve-book series about

the people of Southern Appalachia and their culture. The bookscover topics as diverse as banjo-making to beekeeping and weaving to ox yoke-making.

I showed the ox yoke-making section to my dad. He said, "Gofor it." Most of our property was covered with a hardwood forest,which meant I had access to plenty of free timber. So I grabbedan ax and headed for the woods.

The article specified poplar as a good wood to use. I found anice tree that was about twelve inches in diameter and startedchopping. The ax was sharp and its fine edge made the rough cutting a pleasure. The next day, I used the ax to hew the log into abeam. The day after that, I sketched the yoke's profile onto thebeam and started shaping. There wasn't anything fine about myhacking, but it was a lot of fun. It was also about that time that mydad appeared and handed me a drawknife, saying, "Here, try

this." He'd been to an auction that day, and when the drawknifecame up for bids, he'd bought it. The drawknife was old, but itwas in great condition. The blade was sharp, so I put it to work,and discovered how having the right tool for the job improvesboth the quality of your work and your enjoyment of the process.

Mter shaping the yoke, I made the curved neck bows by bending a couple of saplings around a large tree, tying the ends together and waiting for a few days. The yoke never saw action on thenecks of real oxen, but it did grace a wall in my parents' livingroom for many years.

If you'd like to try your hand at "rough cutting with a fineedge," check out Tom Donahey's shaving horse on page 62 orGreg Wood's slabwood bench on page 52.

Keep the shavings flying,

[email protected]


AMERICANWOODWORKERe

EDITORIAL

Editor Randy JohnsonSenior Editor Tom Caspar

Associate Editors TimJolmsonDave Mtmkittrick

Contributing Editors Alan LacerSeth KellerSlIwat Phruksawan

Office AdminiSlrator ShellyJacobsen

ART & DESIGN

Creative Director Vern JohnsonPhotographer Jasoo Zentner

Category President/Publisher Roger CaseAssociate Publisher/

National Sales Manager James FordVice Presidcm/Production Derek W. Corson

Production Manager Dominic M. TaorminaAd Production Coordinator Kristin N. Beaudoin

Systems Engineer Denise DonnarummaCirculation Steve Pippin

Susan Sidler

ADVERTISING SALES1285 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 180, ~o-an, MN 55121

CHlCAGOJames Ford (219) 462-7211Oassified Advertising, The McNeill Group. Inc.

Classified Manager, Don Serfass (215) 321-9662. e.XL 30

NEW TRACK MEDIA LLC

Chief E.xecutive Officer Stephen J. Kent

Executive Vice Presidem/CFO Mark F. ArnettVice Presidenl/

Publishing DirecLOr Joel P. Toner

Issue #135. American 'Woodworker®, lSSN 1074-9152,SPS 738-710 Published bimonthly, except monthly

October and November by AW Media LLC, 90 Sherman St.,Camblidge, MA 02140. Periodicals postage paid atBoston. MA and additional mailing ollices. Postmaster:Send change of address notice to American Woodworker®,P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. SubsCliptionrates: C.S. one-year, 524.98. Single-copy, -5.99. Canada oncyear. 29.98. Single--eopy $6.99 (U.S. Funds); GST #R122988611. Foreign surface one-year, $29.98 (U.S. Funds).t:S n~ tand distribution by Curtis Circulation Company,LLC. Xew Milford, !'{J 07646. Canada Post Publications MailAgreement ~umber 41525524. Canada Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to: American Woodworker, PO Box 456,Xiagara Falls, ON L2E 6V2. Send returns and addresschanges to American Woodworker®, P.O. Box 420235,Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Printed in USA. © 2008 NewTrack \Iedia LLC. All rights reserved.

Al'1'It7U.an "OOdu},m~ermay share in1onnation about )'ou with reputable companies in order for them to offer you products andsel"\lces of inlercstto you. lfyou would nuher we not shareinfonnation, please write to us at: American Woodworker,Customer Ser\~ce Department, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast,FL 32142-0235. Plcase include a copy of your address label.

Subscribers: If the Post Office alerts us that your magazineis undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless wereceh"e a cOITccted address within one year.

SubscriptionsAmerican Woodworker Subscriber ServiceDept., P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL32142-0235, (800) 666-3111, [email protected]

Article IndexA five year index is available online atwww.americanwoodworker.com.Copies of Past ArticlesPhotocopies are available for $3 each. Writeor call: American Woodworker Reprint Center,P.O. Box 83695. Stillwater, MN 55083-0695,(715) 246-4521, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. Mon.through Fri. Visa, MasterCard, Discover andAmerican Express accepted.

Back IssuesSome are available for $6 each. Order fromthe Reprint Center at the address above.Comments & SuggestionsWrite to us at American Woodworker, 1285Corporate Center Drive, Suite 180. Eagan, MN55121. (952) 948-5890, fax (952) 948-5895.e-mail [email protected].

QUE S T ION & A N S W E R hyTOl1J Caspat'

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Lumber Rule

QMy local yardman uses a lumber rule to tally board feet.How does it work?

A Let's start with an example. The lumber rule shown at left has four'series of

numbers, or scales, on each side. On this side, you'll find the numbers 12, 10,

14 and 16 down near the rule's handle. Each of these numbers corresponds to a

board's length. (The other side of the rule has scales for boards that are 9, 11, 13 and

15-ft. long.)Let's say that the board in the photo is 12 ft. long. To calculate board feet (bd. ft.),

you place the rule across the board and look at the "12" scale. ote the number 6 at

the board's edge. If the board is 1 in. thick, it contains 6 bd. ft. of lumber. Let's say the

board is 16 ft. long and 1 in. thick. Then you look at the "16" scale and read 8 bd. ft.

OK, you get the general idea. A board foot is a unit of volume. One board foot is

equivalent to a board 1 in. thick by 12 in. wide by 12 in. long. In order to calculate bd.

ft., you have to know a board's thickness, width, and length. A yardman uses a lumber

rule to measure all three dimensions, then uses the numbers printed on the rule to cal

culate the board's volume. A lumber rule is just a manual calculatOl:

First, the yardman measures a board's length. He knows that the rule is exactly 3 ft.

long. He flips the rule end-for-end down the board and counts the number of flips.

Four flips equals a board 12 ft. long, for example.Second, he measures the board's width. The yardman chooses which side of the rule

to use, depending on the board's length, and lays the rule across the board with its

hook pulled tight against one edge. Then he reads the bd. ft. number on the appro

priate scale, as we did above. If the board is shorter tlun the scales on tlle rule, he has

to improvise. Let's say a board is 8 ft. long. In tllis case, he uses the 16 ft. scale, then

divi~es the number ofbd. ft. in half. Some lumber rules have scales for shorter boards

on them.Third, the yardman measures the board's thickness. He uses a scale at the rule's

hook end which measures tllickness to the nearest 1/4 in. If the board is 1 in. thick

(4/4 stock, or four quarters of an inch), he's all set. The length scale directly gives the

number of bd. ft. If the board is thicker, he performs a mental calculation using a mul

tiplier. For example, if the board is 2 in. thick (8/4 stock), he multiplies the number

ofbd. ft. by two. If it's 1-1/2 in. thick (6/4 stock), he multiplies by 1-1/2.

MAY 2008

QUESTION & ANSWER

BATTERY CHARGER DAMAGES VENEER?

Q The veneer on top of my plywood tool box is bubbled andsplit. I usually store my cordless drill charger there. Couldit have caused this damage?

A Yes, the heat from the charger has

probably caused the plywood's

glue to fail. Water causes this kind of dam

age, too, particularly wet glasses and mugs.

You can repair delaminated plywood by

re-gluing it. If the veneer has bubbled, but

not split, slice into it with a thin knife to

create a narrow opening. Slip the glue inwith a .003-in. or so automotive feeler

gauge (it can bend without breaking). Push

the glue in quite far, then cover the spot

with a piece of notebook paper to soak up

the glue that squeezes out. Place a block on

the spot to spread out pressure, then

clamp. When the glue is dry, remove any

stuck paper by dampening it with water.


ozOl.ei:3

lI:f 1 micron canister filter

-/ 6H inlet with two 4" adapter

e; Turn cleaning handle to removedust from the inside of the canister

"f 1.5 HP Thermal overloadprotected motor

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-" , micron canister filters

-,.; 8" inlet with three 4" adapter

-..- 3 HP Thermal overloadprotected motor

-.' Air-Flow adjustment knob todistribute dust between bags

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For more Informationvisit our website at:

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QUESTION & ANSWER

SCALING A PHOTO

SourceDick Blick, (800) 828-4548, www.dickblick.com. Architectural scale, #55409-1001, $4.50.Proportional scale, #55473-1005, $3.50.

How can I make a scale to get measurementsfrom a photo?

A One of the easiest ways is touse a copying machine. Enlarge

the photo so that you can use a triangulararchitect's scale and you're all set This method isn't perfect, but it's muchbetter than guessing! Photos that are taken head-on work best, becausethere's less distortion. It also helps if you know some major dimensions,

such as length and width. (If they aren't given, just take a good guess.)Let's walk through an example to see how this works using a postcard

photo of a classic Limbert table. First, we pick one major dimension. Let'suse the table's height, which is given on the postcard as 29-in. Next, measure the actual height of the table in the photo: 3-5/16 in.

Draw a line that's 29-in. long using the 1/4 in. = 1 ft. scale on the architect's rule. Measure this line with the regular inch scale: it's 7-1/4 in. long.

Now figure out by what percentage to enlarge the photo. You want tostretch a line that's 3-5/16 in. long to one that's 7-1/4 in. long, so youneed to know how much to multiply 3-5/16 to get 7-1/4. You can use a calculator, but the easiest way is to use a round proportional scale. You simply rotate a wheel on this scale to get the answer, which is 220%.

Conversion of fractions to decimals and back isn't necessary. (Architect'sscales and proportional scales are available at office supply stores.)

ext, enlarge the photo 220% and check the major dimension. Youmay have to go up or down a few percentage points and make anothercopy for the table's height to come out right. Once you've made an accurate enlargement, you can use the architect's scale to quickly measureparts and details, such as this table's leg, which is 4-in. wide (see inset).

Q


Cutting-Edge VersatilityOur selection of interchangeable bevel-up bladesallows you to use anyone of our Veritas® bevel-upplanes for a variety ofplaning tasks, even onthe most difficult woods, making them highlyversatile workshop tools.While each of the planes shown here has an adjustable mouthand a12° bed angle, their bevel-up configuration lets you vary the·cutting angle' as needed by altering the blade bevel angle. Having anextra blade of agiven bevel angle simplifies this process and eliminates thetime-consuming work of regrinding back to alower bevel angle when required.

Veritas® Bevel-UpPlanes

Low-Angle Jack05P34.01

Bevel-Up Smoother05P36.01

Low-Angle Smooth05P25.01

Low-Angle Block 05P22.01(with optional knob and tote)

Convert the low-angle block plane into a#3smoothing plane by adding optional hardwood grips. Patent pending.

Choice of Cutting AngleThe three blade bevels we offer (25°, 38° and 50°) are idealstarting points, but can be changed to meet aparticular task.Blades are lapped and made of either A2 or 01 tool steel.Atoothed blade for working difficuttgrain (especially knots)is also available.

Used for end grain - no tearing25° bevel + 12° bed angle =37" effective cutting angle

York pitch smoothing -Type Ichip - starting angle38° bevel + 12° bed angle =50° effective cutting angle

High-angle cutting - Type IIchip - tear-out minimized50° bevel + 12° bed angle =62° effective cutting angle

30YEARSOF INNOVAJ1ON IN TllOLI

tLeeValley

Our Veritas® planes are well designed, built to last,comfortable to handle, and made in Canada.

For more detailed information on these planes and blades, or to request 1-800-683-8170our free 300-page woodworking tools catalog, call or visit us online. www.leevalley.com

iLeeValley&vet<ltas®

WIDE-MoUTH DUST COLLECTION

OUR READERS

The dust collection port on my sliding miter saw missed a lot of sawdust, so I added an additional portmounted directly behind the blade. The port is a piece of 3-in. ABS pipe that's cut at 45 degrees to create a wide mouth. The pipe is shaped to fit behind the saw's swiveling table, so it doesn't interfere withthe table's operation. The port fits into a 3-in.-to-2-in. reducer and a wye-fitting connects hoses from bothports to my dust collection system. A strap anchored by one of the blade-tilt scale screws fastens the portto the saw. Now, instead of missing 90 percent of the dust, my saw captures almost all of it.

Perham Rogers

Terrific Tips Win Terrific Tools!Send your best original workshop tips. We pay $100 forevery tip we publish (and send along a classy AmericanWoodworker shirt). In addition, we'll feature one terrific tipin each issue. The winner receives a 12" Leigh Super Jigwith VRS (Vacuum and Router Support), a $294 value.

LEI H.10 American Woodworker MAY 2008

E-mail your tip [email protected] send it to

American Woodworker Workshop Tips1285 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 180Eagan, MN 55121.

Submissions can't be retUITled and becomeour property upon acceptance and payment.We may edit submissions and use them in allprint and electronic media. One shirt percontributor, offer good only while supplies last.

WORKSHOP TIPS

CUTTING SLEDFOR INLAY STRIPS

This sled allows me to cut the lI8-in.wide strips of veneer that I often use forinlays. I can cut strips all day withouthaving to measure or reposition thesaw's fence. The sled consists ofa 13-in.by 24-in. piece of 1/2-in. MDF with ahardwood runner attached to the bottom. Battens and a fence are glued tothe top. The fence is parallel to a sawkerf that runs the length of the sled.

After attaching the runner and the1/2-in.-thick battens, I made a cut withthe blade height set at S/8-in., to createthe kerf without sawing through thebattens. Then I attached the fence 1/8in. from the kerf.

To use the sled, I set the blade at 5/8in. and install the sled's runner in themiter slot. I position a piece of veneerflush against the fence, secure it with a3/4-in. MDF cover and make the cut.

Jennifer Hammill


WORKSHOP TIPS

MICRO-ADJUSTFOR ROUTER

TABLE FENCE

Mter building the routertable described in your March2003 issue, I added this simplemicro-adjust fixture to thefence. It consists of two blocks.One has a T-bolt and locks inthe table's T-track; the otherhas a threaded insert and is fastened to the fence. A knobhead bolt connects the twoblocks. This bolt mounts on thetable-mounted block, where itfits through a hole in an Lbracket. A semi-tightened locknut (the kind with a nylon sleeve) holds the bolt in position, but allows it to spin freely. The L-bracket mustbe free to rotate on the base, so it's attached with only one screw.

To engage the micro-adjust, thread the knob-head bolt into the insert in the fence-mounted block. Slidethe fence-and the attached micro-adjust-into position. Tighten the lock knob on the opposite end of thefence and the T-bolt on the table block. Now, turning the bolt moves the fence in or out by tiny increments.When the fence is positioned exactly where you want it, tighten its second lock knob and you're ready to rout.

Don Decker

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Notches sawn into awooden handscrew providefour-point gripping powerto firmly hold hard-to-handie pieces for drilling

F. O. Kratz

STABILIZE HARD

To-HoLD PARTS


TOOLS OUR READERS LOVE

ANOTHER SIDE TO THE 60'sBack in the late 1960's, the folks who made Record tools in Sheffield,

England, redesigned their classic 044 plow plane (or plough plane, as theyspelled it). It's a tool used for making grooves by hand, and it's hard to imagine why Record bothered to redesign it, with everything going electric backthen. The 044 was pretty good to begin with-why spend the time and moneyto make it better?

Speaking on behalf of all hand tool nuts, I'm glad they did. The redesignedmodel, the 044C, is very comfortable to hold, easy to adjust, and has a han

dle that's virtually unbreakable. I love the way it looks. It comes with aset of 10 cutters (four of them metric, no less). I couldn't find one

on eBay, so I turned to a tool dealer in Scotland, InchmartineTool Bazaar (www.toolbazaar.co.uk). They had one in itsoriginal box for about $125, including shipping.

I also found a ton of information aboutthis plow plane, and all other Record

planes, in a venerable old book, ."Planecraft," by C.W. Hampton. He wrote

this manOal in 1934, and it's been updatedand republished many times. Now I've got

my sights on a Record 050C, a combinationplow plane from the same era that can also cut

beads and dados. Leads, anyone?David Lane

Editor's note: See page 24 for a new versionof this plane, by Lee Valley

a:i1.VJ«u::;;of-

a:of-oW

Are you a Tool Nut, :::; You'll get the ~ew Leathermani)~Charge AL aerospace aluminum multi-tool if we publish your story. .;1Send your tale to [email protected], Or mail it toAmerican Woodworker, 1285 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 180,Eagan, MN 55121. Please include digital photos ofyour tool jfpossible. For more on the Charge AL, visit www.Ieatherman.com

~ LEATHERMAN®

This wonderful 8-in. saw, equipped with a precision sliding table, wasdesigned to cut metal type to length. Years ago, you'd find HammondGliders in newspaper shops across the country, but computers have rendered them obsolete. The company that made them, HammondMachinery Builders of Kalamazoo, Michigan, recommends that these sawsnot be used for general woodworking (OSHA issues about guarding theblade, no doubt), but I only use my Glider to precisely crosscut smallpieces of wood for segmented turnings. I use the table as it is for squarecuts; for angled cuts, I build Jigs. It complements, but certainly doesn'treplace, my regular tablesaw.

As you can see in the photo, a cam-actuated pushrod, Just left of theblade, squeezes the workpiece against the saw's fence on the slidingtable. There's a lead screw, originally calibrated in picas (a unit of measurement used in publishing) for adjusting the fence's stop. The sawwas originally powered by a three-phase motor, which I've replaced.The blade requires a special set of holes to mount on the arbor, so Iturned to Forrest Tools, a sawblade manufacturer, for help. I first heardabout this amazing machine from Doug Sigler, of the Rochester Institute ofTechnology and the Penland School of Crafts. Thanks, Doug!

Keith W Johnson

THE HAMMOND GLIDER TRIM-O-SAW


THE NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATIONOF WOODWORKING TEACHERS

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Bryan Conklin (standing, inblack) leads NEAWT membersin a discussion of shop safety.

Teachers (NEAWT) represents an assortment of middleschool, high school, college and adult education woodworking programs located throughout New England.The association currently includes about one hundredteachers (representing more than sixty schools and nearly 10,000 wObdshop students) and fifteen industry associates. Membership is open to any individual or groupinterested in woodworking education.

NEAWT's primary goal is to nurture woodshop programs by sharing ideas related to curriculum,resources, professional development, student opportunities and employment opportunities. Currently, thegroup meets twice a year, in the spring and fall.

NEAWT members travel from shop to shop for meetings. The host organizes the agenda, gives a tour oftheir shop and fields questions about their program.Each meeting also includes a business meeting, opendiscussion and a presentation by one or more members. This format showcases the diversity of the group.Members may share a successful class project, teach anew woodworking technique or present methodsthey've developed to successfully market their woodshop program.

Between meetings, members communicate frequently bye-mail or through online forums such asWoodcraft's Teachers Network (www.woodworkingteachers.com). Smaller groups within the association meet independently as well.

Woodshop Instructors DiscoverStrength in Numbers

by Tim Johnson

I n the late 1990s,Jack Grube's woodshop programat Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire

was successful-well equipped, generously fundedand fully enrolled. But as a dedicated teacher, Jackwanted to make it better. So he visited other schoolwoodshop programs in New England, to see what theyhad to offer. Jack discovered some great teachers andinteresting programs, but each visit reinforced hisawareness of a nearly universal condition: Woodshopteachers worked in relative isolation; few of the teachers Jack visited were familiar with other programs.

During the same period,jack's involvement with theGuild of New Hampshire Woodworkers had made himaware of the benefits of networking with other woodworkers. So without much thought, he invited about adozen woodshop teachers to gIeet, for the purpose ofsharing projects and woodshop program ideas. Wordspread and over fifty teachers and individuals interested in woodworking education attended that first meet-ing, which was held in November of 2001. .

According to Jack, "The enthusiasm at that meetingconfirmed this was the right idea: Teachers were excited to be able to 'talk shop' with other teachers."

Today, the New England Association ofWoodworking


••KEEP IT SIMPLE

Jack designed a simple organizational structure, soone person could manage all the details. Membershiprequests and meeting announcements are made by email, so there's no secretary. No dues are collected, sothere's no treasurer. Programming is left to the host ofeach meeting, so there's no program coordinator.

A six-member board was established in 2003 to evaluate member suggestions relative to the association'sgoals and resources. Once the board approves a suggestion, its implementation is up to association members-the organization's success truly depends ontheir active participation.

NEAWT presents annualawards forProgram of theYear andTeacher of theYear. Phil Carle(at left) and BillMcKay werehonored in2006. JackGrube,NEAWT'sfounder, sweptboth awards in

Meetings often include hands-oJl instruction to helpmembers improve their teaching skills. Following hispresentation on bowl turning, Graham Oakes (at left)goes one-on-one with Steve Schultz.

A DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION

NEAWT's mission has grown with its membership.Its annual ''Teacher of the Year" and "Program of theYear" awards, presented to recognize outstandingachievements by members, are now widely publicizedto communities and school districts as part ofNEAWT's effort to increase public awareness 'of thevalue of all woodshop programs.

Important, difficult issues are being addressed.Bryan Conklin, current NEAWT director andEngineering and Design Instructor at Hull HighSchool (MA), focused last fall's meeting on shop safety. The discussion centered on how NEAWT couldhelp to establish comprehensive safe operating procedures as the cornerstone of every member's woodshop curriculum. It was decided that the associationwould approve, and members would employ, standardized safety instruction and tests for every woodworking machine, with perfect scores being requiredbefore students are allowed to operate each machine.How the instruction and tests are incorporated intothe curriculum is left to individual teachers. Forexample, one teacher may tailor a project to teachsafe operation of a single machine; another may introduce new machines as a project-and the student-

. progresses. The primary goals are to minimize shopaccidents and increase the credibility of each member's curriculum with regards to safety, by incorporating peer-approved procedures.

Relationships established with industry groups provide NEAWT members with a broad range of curriculum materials and student outreach programs.Industry associate members include WoodcraftSupply, the Technology Education Association ofMasssachusetts, the New England Association ofTechnology Teachers, the Furniture Society, theArchitectural .Woodwork Institute, the TemperateForest Foundation, Partnering Industry & Education,the American Association of Woodturners, the Guildof New Hampshire Woodworkers, the Granite StateWoodturners, Mount Wachusett Community Collegeand the ew England Student Woodworking DesignCompetition.

For information on starting a woodshop teachers'association in your area, contact Jack Grube [email protected]. For information on implementing shop safety standards, contact Bryan Conklin [email protected].

Tell us about a dynamic woodworking school or vibrant teaching program. What makes it work? Point out notable teachingstrategies and student accomplishments. Explain how the program excites students about woodworking and tell us how it helpsthem develop woodworking skills. Whether the program operates in a public school. community center or a private workshop, wewant to hear about its success. E-mail [email protected].


THE W E L L- E QUI P P E D S HOP

VERSATILE MITER SAW STAND

Ridgid's Miter Saw Utility Vehicle (M8-UV, available at Home Depot stores) offers a great solution for woodworkers who don't have room to permanently mount their miter saw. The M8-UV securely holds almost anymiter saw, including sliders, at a comfortable working height and folds compactly in less than a minute for storage or transporting to a job site. A wide stance makes the MS-UV stable during use; large wheels make for easymoving. Extension arms with adjustable rollers expand the support length to 9-1/2-ft. The rollers are removable, so you can position them both on one arm to support heavy stock. Each extension arm houses a telescoping support leg. The saw mounts on quick-release brackets that allow sliding the saw laterally on the stand, eitherto maximize the available support length or to aid the cart's mobility by lowering its center of gravity. A recessedwork surface keeps pencils, tape measures and other shop paraphernalia handy, with no chance of rolling off.

SourceRidgid, www.ridgid.com, (866) 539-1710, Miter Saw Utility Vehicle, MS-UV, AC9944, available at Home Depot stores, $179.

A LITTLE GUY WITH A LOT OF PUNCH

Milwaukee's new 2401-22, 12-volt Sub-Compact Driver really packs apunch. The diminutive, 7-in.-Iong, 2-pound driver easily fits in a pocket ortool belt. Because it's small, installing tiny hardware screws isn't like pounding a nail with a sledgehammer. At the same time, this driver can deliver 100in/lbs. of torque and easily drive 4-in. #10 screws to hang a cabinets on a wall.Additional features include an LED light to illuminate tight spaces, a built-infuel gauge that lets you know how much juice is left in the battery, a variablespeed (0-500 rpm) trigger and a 14-position clutch. The 2401-22 comes witha soft carrying case, two batteries and a 30-minute charger.

Source:Milwaukee Tools. www.Milwaukeetool.com. (800) 729-3878, 12-volt Sub-Compact Driver, #2401-22,$140.

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LAGUNA INTRODUCES

PLATINUM SERIES

JOINTER/PLANERS

Laguna's new Platinum Series makes European-stylemachines more affordable for small shops. Thesemachines are manufactured in Taiwan, and according toLaguna, use the same high standards as their European-builtmachines.

Laguna's Platinum Series combination jointer/planers areavailable in two sizes, 12-in. or 10-in. In addition to savingspace, these machines offer a couple of other big advantages.First,jointing-width capacity matches planing-width capacity, soyou don't have to rip wide boards for jointing before planingthem. Second, you only have one cutterhead to maintain.

According to Laguna, changing from one operation to another takesabout thirty seconds. The jointer tables are fully-adjustable and designed toremain dead-flat and coplanar following changes of operation. Slots in thetables near the cutterhead help to reduce noise.

The 12-in. machine shown above features a 60-in.-Iong bed for jointing and a 30-in.-Iong bed for planing. It'sequipped with a four-knife cutterhead, a 3-hp 230-volt motor and weighs in at 760 lbs. The 10-in. machine has a42-in.jointer bed and a 24-in. planer bed. It comes with a three-knife cutterhead, a 1-1/2-hp 230-volt motor andweighs 326 Ibs. Spiral cutterheads with indexed carbide-insert cutters are available as additional cost accessoriesfor both machines.

SourceLaguna Tools, www.lagunatools.com, (800) 234-1976,12" Jointer/Planer, A175005, $2495; 12-in. Spiral Cutterhead w/ carbide inserts, $300; 10-in.Jointer/Planer, A175003, $1495; lO-in. Spiral Cutterhead w/ carbide inserts, $250.

DUST COLLECTION WITH A TWIST

JDS' latest dust collector brings something new to the singlestage market, A unique airflow adjustment knob fine-tunes theairflow into the bag plenum. A twist of the knob controls a bafflethat assures both collector bags receive equal amounts of woodchips and fill at the same time, The 3hp Dust Force combines alarge l3-in, impeller with an 8-in. diameter inlet to deliver up to2500 dm of airflow, That's enough to collect from two machinesat once.

The I-micron bag filters are efficient enough to collect the finestdust-even from drum or wide belt sanders. Optional I-micron canisters are also available.

The two plastic collection bags provide 84-gallons of storagecapacity. That means more run time before you have to empty theco.llector,

Despite its size and heft, this collector is portable and can berolled to where it's needed. Or-it can be built into a central collection system,

Source:JDS Company, www.jdstools.com. (800) 480-7269, JDS 3HP Dust Force, #148528,1micron bag filters, $870; l-micron canister filters, $1,110.


WELL-EQUIPPED SHOP

SUPER-SIZED EXCAlIBUR

SCROLL SAW

The new Excalibur EX-30 scroll saw isfinally here. It's identical to the EX-21except bigger. It boasts a 30-in. throat andhas a large 14-in. x 32-1/2-in. table. A largertable means better support for your workand the deep throat gives you more swingfor larger projects. Of course, the EX-21also has lots to offer with a 21-in. deepthroat and a 13-1/2-in. x 23-1/2-in. table.Both saws have 2-in.-thick stock capacityand feature Excalibur's famous parallel linkdrive system that keeps the blade moving ina near-straight up-and-down motion.

Angled cuts are accomplished by tiltingthe head (top photo) rather than the table.If you've ever done a lot of scrolling on atilted table, you can imagine how nice it isto keep the stock flat while cutting.

Excalibur's lifting ar:m feature makesblade changes and pierced cuts a snap (bottom photo). Power, speed and blade tension controls are all within 2-in of eachother and right up front where you wantthem. Blade changes and adjustments areall tool-free. The machine's designers haveeven thought to include a series of holes inthe base to hold blade storage tubes.

Source:General International, www.general.ca. EX-30 Scroll Saw,$900; EX-21 Scrollsaw, $750.

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ADJUSTMENT ""'''>/""10",,,,,,1,,', ' POSITIVEKNOB STOPS

The tilting head mechanism makes scrolling at anangle a dream. A large knob on the front of themachine controls a rack and pinion mechanism for tilt-ing the saw up to 45-degrees left and right with posi-tive stops at 22.5-degrees, 30-degrees and 45-degrees.Release the lock lever and turn the knob to adjust,

The flip-up arm simplifies pierced cuts and bladechanges. Just unlock the lower blade holder, lift thearm and the blade out of the piece, move to the nexthole, lower the blade, lock it in and go.


NEW PARALLEL JAW CLAMP

Irwin tools has expanded its stable of innovativeclamps with the introduction of the Quick-Grip ParallelJaw Clamp. Parallel jaw clamps are favored amongstwoodworkers for clamping boxes, frames and solidedge glue-ups. The Quick Grip parallel jaw clampsevenly distribute pressure across 2-in.-wide x 3-3/4-in.deep jaws. The resin-coated jaws repel glue and are lesslikely to damage your project than steel jaws. The soft,faceted ProTouch handle really lets you get a grip andput the pressure on (up to 1,500 pounds). The clamp

IT: also features a removable foot that helps balance thew~ clamps on your bench.z~ Source:is Irwin Tools, www.irwin.com. Irwin Quick-Grip Parallel Jaw Clamp, 24-in,

~ #35171, $36; 30-in. (available soon); 48-in., # 2026501, $48.

Order Online!

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Nationally and regionally accreditedPenn Foster Career School providesprofessional-qualiry tOOls and thetraining to use them. You choose thetime and place to study, and you decide

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PLOW PLANE

REVISITED

Here's really good news for all youhand tool enthusiasts: Lee Valley hasadded an updated version of theRecord No. 044 plow plane to their lineof Veritas hand planes. If you'vesearched eBay long and hard for a complete 044 (see Tool Nut, page 14), lookno longer. The Veritas plow plane is justas good-actually, it's better.

A plow plane is used for cuttinggrooves and rabbets that go the fulllength of a board, as in frame-and-panelconstruction or drawer-making. The Veritas is a pleasure to hold and works extremely well, provided youremember one odd thing about all plow planes: to make a consistent, straight groove, you start the cut at thefar end of a board and work your way backwards.

The plane comes with a 1/4-in. A2 steel blade. (A2 steel holds an edge longer than high-carbon steelblades.) Four other blades (1/8-, 3/16-, 5/16- and 3/8-in.) are available separately. Like the 044, the Veritashas an adjustable fence and depth stop, but no nickers to score the wood when cutting dados across the grain(those came with the Record 050 combination plane). The fence can be set 1-1/2-in. away from a 1/4-in.blade, while the depth stop can be set to make grooves up to 1/2-in. deep.

SourceLee Valley, www.leevalley.com. (8001871-8158, Veritas Small Plow Plane, #05P51.01, $199. Additional blades, $16 each.

All learning materials are sent directly to you.Study online, in print, or a combination ofboth. You study independently, but not alone.Expen instructors and a helpful suppon staff arejust a phone call or an email away.

WE L L- EQUI P PED S HOP

Dept. A2PS38T925 Oak StreetScranton, PA 18515-0700

PEN\l FoSTERCAREER SCHOOL

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SourceBlack and Decker, wwwvpxsystem.com, (8001 544-6986, Starter Set VPX1212X, includes 14-voltDrill/Driver, 2 batteries and dual port charger, $100; Starter Set VPX11 01 X, includes 7-volt Screwdriver, 1 battery and single port charger, $60;Starter Set VPX1301X, includes 7-volt Cutsaw, 1 battery and single port charger, $60; Starter Set VPX9031X, includes 7-volt screwdriver, 7-voltcutsaw, 7-volt flashlight, one battery and single port charger, $100; VPX Add-On Tools: 7-volt Drill/Driver, VPX1201, $35; 7-volt Flashlight,VPX1401, $20; 7-volt Inflator, VPX1501, $20; 7-volt ACjUSB Power Source, VPX31 01, $20; 14-volt Hand Vac, VPX21 02, $40; 7-volt Battery,VPX0111, $10, Single Port Charger, VPX031 0, $20; Dual Port Charger, VPX0320, $30.

Black and Decker's new VPX system brings lithium-ion technology to light-duty tools. Li-Ion batteries weigh less than comparable NiCad or NiMH batteries, so VPX tools are compact, light in weight and power-ful. Also, Li-Ion batteries don't lose their charge during periods ofnon-use, which is great for weekend woodworkers.

The VPX system revolves around Black and Decker's compact, rechargeable 7-volt Li-Ion battery. Most VPX tools use one battery; some of them, likethe 14-volt drillldriver shown at right, use two. Weighing just over 3 lbs., thisdrill is well-balanced and comfortable to hold, and it has plenty of power forwoodworking uses. It has a dual-range variable-speed transmission (0-350rpm and 0-1400 rpm), a keyless 3/S-in. chuck, and a 24-position clutch.

This drill comes packaged with batteries and a charger-it's one offour VPX starter sets. VPX batteries are interchangeable, so VPX add-ontools are packaged without batteries-you save money by buying only asmany batteries as you need. Batteries and chargers are also available separately. According to Black and Decker, the system will expand withadditional tools designed for a wide variety of uses.

POWERFUL LIGHT-DUTY TOOLS

Epilog Laser· 1.888.437.4564 • [email protected]

www.epiloglaser.com/amerww.htm

Epilog Systems Are Easy to Use machinesthat work like printers. The laser systems connect to yourcomputer just like most peripherals using either the USB portor an Ethernet connection. Set your graphic up on-screen,print it to the laser system, then press GO. It's that easy!

Expand Your Capabilities using an Epilog laser system.Customize and sell engraved and cut wood products quicklyand easily - from engraved plaques and cut logos to 3D patternsand gunstocks, our laser systems provide a wide variety ofadditional capabilities to your new or expanding business.

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excels with an EpilOg laser Svstem..

Contact us NOW to receive your freeinformational kit which includes:

Epilog's Full BrochureA CD demo featuring our machines in actionEngraved and cut samplesOur laser engraving wood workers guide.

~LASER

WE LL-EQU I PPE D SH OP

DYNAMIC DuoDremel's Driver (a cordless screwdriver) and Stylus (a cordless rotary

tool) are now available together in the Dremel Duo Two-Tool Kit. Theset also includes a docking station with a charger for one tool and asidecar for the other, 8 tips for the Driver and a 25-piece accessory kitfor the Stylus.

Both tools feature ergonomic designand 7.2-volt Lithium-Ion batteries. Li-Iontechnology packs power into smaller-sizebatteries. As a result, the Driver is theshortest cordless screwdriver on themarket, according to Dremel, and itcan gently set a No.1 screw as easily asit drives a No. 10 screw. The Driverfeatures a variable speed 0-300 rpmmotor and an electronic brake thatquickly stops the bit's rotation whenyou release the .trigger, to reduce stripping screw heads.

Dremel says the Stylus can handle most rotary tool tasks with-out the encumbrance of a flex shaft. You hold the Stylus like a pencil,for precise control. It's equipped with a nose-mounted switch for onehand operation, soft start and variable speed from 5,000-25,000 rpm.

SourceDremel, www.dremel.com. (800) 437-3635, Dremel Duo Two-Tool Kit, #1130-01, $100.


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Gougeon IInJthers Inc.866-937-8797 (toll flee)

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Available at these fine dealers: Highland Hardware· Lee Valley Tools· RockierWoodworking and Hardware· Woodcraft Supply. Woodworker's Supply

=1-leighjig6.COm 800-663-8932

Leigh Router Joinery Jigs

G/flex.EPOXYG/flex is a tough, resilient epoxy, engineered for superior adhesionto wood-resinous woods, hardwoods, exotic woods, even dampwood. G/flex is toughened to make structural bonds that absorbthe stresses of expansion and contraction, 'shock and vibration.And if you are bonding wood to something else, G/flex hasexcellent adhesion to metals, plastics, fiberglass, masonry andother dissimilar materials.G/flex is available as a versatile,easily-modified liquid or a convenientpre-thickened adhesive, both with asimple 1:1 mix ratio, No mat1er whatthe species, G/flex is the solution toyour toughest wood gluing problems.

CORDLESS BRAD NAILERDeWalt's new DC608 isn't the first cordless

brad nailer, but it is one of the best. The bigadvantage of going cordless, of course, is thatyou don't need a compressor or gas cartridges, and there's no air hose to deal with. TheDC608 employs a mechanical flywheel to drivenails. Unlike other flywheel-powered nailers thatrequire a second to ramp up to speed, the DC608fires instantly every time you pull the trigger, and itsI8-volt battery delivers enough oomph to drive andset 2-in. brads into all but the hardest hardwoodsthat's plenty of power.

The DC608 accepts I8-gauge brads from 5/8-in.to 2-in. It has a I2-stop drive-depth adjustment anda helpful task light. It offers sequential and bumpfiring modes and is equipped with a lock switch topr,event unintentional firing.

The downsides of going cordless are increasedweight and larger size: The DC608 weighs 7-1/2 lbs.,over twice as much as most air-powered brad nailers. And like othercordless nailers, the DC608 is significantly larger than its air-poweredcousins. The DC608K includes the nailer, one I8-volt NiCd battery and aI-hour charger.

Source

DeWalt, www.dewalt.com. (800) 433-9258, 18 Gauge 2" Cordless Brad Nailer Kit, DC608K, $279.American Woodworker MAY 2008 27

Call for Entries!

•

Woodworker's ShowcaseHere is your chance to share your bestwork with fellow woodworkers acrossthe country and around the world.As woodworkers, we love to build things, but we also loveto share our work and the ideas behind them. AmericanWoodworker Magazine is debuting a new departmentcalled "Woodworker's Showcase." We're looking forprojects that range from practical, everyday pieces toone-of-a-kind artistic masterpieces.

Here's how to submit your work! We ask that the piece you submit be made primarily of wood by your own two hands. Only high quality photos will be selected forpublication so make sure you put some time and effort into your photograph. Checkout our web page (www.americanwoodworker.com/phototips) for tips on takinggood photographs. Digital photographs are preferred but slides and color negativesare also acceptable. If you want your slides or negatives back, you must include a stamped, selfaddressed envelope with your submission.

Send your pictures along with a description of the piece that includes the wood(s), joinery andfinish that you used. It seems like every piece has a story behind it - please feel free to shareyours, We look forward to hearing from you.

Send entries to: [email protected] or mail to: AmericanWoodoworker Magazine, 1285 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 180, Eagan, MN 55121.

CherryCabinet

by Dave MunkittrickRiver Falls, WI

T URN I N G WOO D h .\LIll L1CCI

Heirloom AwlMetal and wood are the basic ingredients in most

woodworking tools. As woodworkers, we're familiarwith working wood, but what about metal? Actually,the level of metal working required to make somewoodworking tools is pretty basic. If you've nevermade your own tools, give this project a try. There'ssomething enormously satisfying about using a toolyou made yourself.

We chose the scratch awl for this article becauseit's an everyday tool that's easy to make. Making anawl will teach you the basic principles of heat-treatingsteel and turning a wood handle with a metal ferrule.


Perhaps this project will be the first milestone onyour custom tool-makingjourney.

Note: This project involves metal grinding andworking with an open flame, so be sure to followthese basic safety guidelines:• Thoroughly clean the work area of all wood shav

ings and dust before using the torch or grindingthe steel.

• Keep a fire extinguisher on hand for emergencies.• If possible, do the heat-treating outside.• Wear eye protection for all grinding operations.• Never use motor oil for the heat-treating process.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:• Fire extinguisher• 1/8-in., 3/16-in. or 1/4-in., diameter drill rod in oil

hardening steel• Propane or Mapp gas torch• Pint of olive oil and a can to pour it in• Locking pliers• 8-in. or 10-in. mill file• Electric drill• 10-in. grinding disc (120-grit) mounted on 3/4-in ply

wood or MDF backing.•' 2-in. x 2-in. x 4-in. piece of dry hardwood• Copper plumbing coupling, brass or copper pipe, brass

nut, or brass compression nut for the ferrule material• Metal can with a lid• Lathe tools: roughing gouge, detail gouge, parting tool,

and optional skew chisel• Scroll chuck." Sandpaper (usually 100-, 150-, 180- and 220-grit)• Jacobs style chuck for your lathe's tailstock• A drill bit that's 1/64-in larger than the drill rod• Epoxy• Optional: Tempilstik in 450 - 500 degrees range

TURN THE HANDLE

Pick any strOllg hardwood for the handle'; cherry,hard maple, oak, walnut, hickory, ash, rosewood,goncalo alves, purpleheart, etc. (Now, aren't you gladyou saved those little pieces of really cool wood?)Determine the desired diameter and length of the handle. Be sure to allow for the length of the ferrule.

1. Mount the wood into the scroll chuck and createa cylinder with the roughing gouge.

2. With the parting tool, cut a small cylinder on theend to" fit the metal ferrule (Photo I). Take care toachieve a tight fit. The ferrule stock can be a coppercoupling (I/4-in. to I/2-in., depending on the lookyou desire), brass nuts, brass or copper pipe. If you'reusing a brass nut, simply thread it onto the wood.

3. Shape the handle with the detail gouge or skewchisel (Photo 2). The possibilities are endless anddepend on the handle style, the size ofyour hands, andwhether the tool is meant for delicate or heavy service.I seldom make any two the same. Take the opportunity to add your own fine detailing to distinguish your awlfrom production versions. When satisfied with the

1Round thehandle blank

and fit the ferrule on the end.You can use different materialsfor a ferrule; thisone is a solid- I

brass nut with atapered end section.

2Rough in thebasic shape

of the handlewith the detailing gouge. Theshape and sizeof the handle isup to you.

3Turn awaythe flats of

the nut andshape the ferrule with adetailing gouge.Cutting brassand copper onthe lathe is similar to cuttingwood. "However,take light cuts.

40rill the holeto accept the

steel drill rod.Use bits 1/64-in.larger in diameter than the drillrod to allowroom for theepoxy.

.. American Woodworker MAY 200829

TURNING WOOD

5Cut a lengthof drill rod

with a hacksawfor the awl'ssteel shaft.

6Shape atapered

point on theshaft using adrill and a lathemounted abrasive disc. Withthe drill running, grind thepoint on thenear lowerquadrant of thespinning disc.Wear eye protection!

7Harden theshaft by

heating thepointed half toan even cherryred color. Holdthe shaft in apair of lockingpliers.

8When thesteel is even

ly bright redfrom the pointto the middle,quickly quenchand stir it in acan of olive oil.

shape, finish sand to 220-grit.4. Shape the ferrule with the gouge (Photo 3).5. Use aJacobs chuck to drill a I-l/2-in. (mini

mum) deep hole for the steel shaft (Photo 4).6. Part the handle off the chuck and hand- sand

the end. You can leave the handle unfinished oruse a drying oil.

MAKE THE STEEL SHAFT

The drill rod is annealed, which means it's toosoft for use as an awl. On the other hand, soft steelis easy to work so we'll leave it that way ~or now anddo the hardening later.

7. Cut the drill rod with a hacksaw to the desiredlength of the awl shaft (Photo 5). I nonnally use 3in. to 6-in. lengths. Choose a length and diameterthat fits the desired look and function of the awl.

8. To shape the point on the business end of theshaft, first chuck it in a drill. Then, run the drill asyou hold the shaft against a spinning lathe-mounted grinding disc (Photo 6). Run the lathe at low tomedium speed (400 to 800 rpm). Don't try andput a delicate point on the steel at the stage. It willjust get burned off in the heat-treating process.And don't worry if you "blue" the steel at this juncture as overheating is only a concern once the steelis heat-treated.

9. Get the torch and pour some olive oil in a can.With the shank held in a pair oflocking pliers, fireup the torch and apply heat to the steel. Twirl therod as if you were slow cooking a marshmallow(Photo 7). Try for an even, bright cherry-red colorfrom the middle to the point, then quickly dunkthe hot steel into the olive oil and agitate rapidlyfor about 30 seconds (Photo 8).

Note: Never use motor oil for this as it gives offnoxious fumes and can even ignite.

10. Use a mill file to test the shank tip hardness(Photo 9). If the steel does not pass the file test,reheat and quench again.

11. Hand-sand the shaft to achieve a clean blightsurface (Photo 10).

12. The second phase of heat-treating is calledtempering. This is where the degree of final hardness is established. Tempering involves reheatingthe hardened area to a specific temperature, thenquenching it immediately in water. The higher thetemperature the softer the shaft will be. As the enpuser, you are free to determine the degree of hardness you want in your tool. You may want an awlthat is very hard and can scratch deep lines in hardwood. The down side is a very hard shaft will havea brittle point that's prone to breaking. At theother extreme you can temper the shaft so the


~--~-~~-~~=======================~

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o FOR SLOPES, PLAY AREAS,V AND BARE SPOTSYou can't beat Amazoy as the low cost answer forhard-to-cover spots, play-worn areas, or to enderosion on slopes.©Zoysia Farm Nurseries 2008 3617 Old Taneytown Rd.• Taneytown, MD 21787 NOT SHIPPED OUTSIDE USA or into WA or OR.p------------------------------I Please send me guaranteed Amalay as checked: Mail 10: Zoysia Farm Nurseries General Offices and Store Dept. 5060 I

I 3617 Old Taneytown Road, Taneytown, MD 21787 II Wr~e price of order here Payment method II Md. residents odd 6% lox (check one) I

o Check 0 MOI Shipping & Handling (S&H) 0 MasterCard II ENCLOSED TOTAL 0 Visa II Cord # Exp. Dote II Nome II Address II ~ ~ II ZIP Phone I.. :.:h::lI~e:.:e.:.m:.:y~g:.:e =k::t:::I::'O::/=t~,~n =r:..

TURNING WOOD

gTestthehardness

of the shaft byrunning italong a file.The hardenedpart shouldskate off thefile, not bite in.

10sand thesteel to a

bright, cleansurface with220-grit paper.Wash it withsoap and waterto remove oilresidue first.

IlTemperthe shaft

with a torchheld just belowthe heat-treatedarea. Keep theflame there androtate the shaftuntil the hardened area is auniform darkgold or bronzecolor. Then,quickly quenchit in water.

12settheshaft in

the handleusing a bit ofslow-set epoxy.Put the epoxyin the hole witha toothpick.Rotate theshaft a bit asyou push it into evenly distribute theepoxy.

point won't break but it may bend so easily that theawl becomes useless. I suggest making a couple ofawls, each tempered to different temperatures tosee what best fits your needs.

The tempered "sweet spot" for my awls is a temperature around 450 to 50O-degrees. There arethree ways to achieve this:

A. Heat the steel slowly with a torch just back ofthe hardened area (Photo 11). When the hardened area turns a gold or bronze color, quenchimmediately in water to stop the process.

B. Use a temperature-indicating substance suchas Tempilstik. Choose a Tempilstik that fits yourdesired heat range. Rub the area around the pointwith the wax-like stick. Then, heat the shaft asdescribed in option A. When the steel reaches thedesired temperature, the Tempilstik will smoke andliquefy. At this point, quickly quench the shaft inwater.

C. The easiest, but slowest method is to bake thesteel in a conventional oven for about 30 minutesat 45O-degrees. Be sure to preheat the oven andplace the steel on a cookie sheet. Elevate the steelwith rolled up pieces of aluminum foil so it willheat evenly. Remove the steel from the oven and letit cool. There's no need to quench a shaft that'sbeen cooked in an oven.

WOOD + STEEL = AWL DONE

If you need a sharper point on the awl, place,itback in the drill and lightly shape the tapered areaon the disc mounted on the lathe (use a finer gritfor this, such as a I50-grit or finer). Do this slowly,as bluing the point may make the tool too soft foryour purposes.

Mount the steel in the handle (Photo 12). I puta small amount of epoxy down in the hole, andthen push the handle down over the steel with thepoint in a scrap piece of wood. Use the awl for awhile; you may find you want one harder or onemore flexible-you decide based on your tempering temperatures.

Sources:MSC, www.mscdirect.com (800) 645-7270,Oil hardening Drill Rod 3-ft., 1/8-in., #06000087, $2; 3/16-in.,#06000160, $2.50; 1/4-in., #06000160, $3; Tempilstik in 450degree temperature, #06831515, $12 each; 10-in. Abrasive Discfor Steel in 120 grit, #88592480, $4 each.

Home Centers and Hardware Stores, Propane or MAPP gastorch, locking pliers, brass nuts and copper couplings and epoxy.


- -----_._~._-

TorbenHelshoj

by Randy Johnson

Torben Helshoj's passion forwoodworking started when he

was a boy watching the skilled craftsmen in the boatyards of Denmark.But his path to becoming an accomplished woodworker, tool designerand co-founder of Laguna Toolsincluded a number of interestingdetours.

After graduating from highschool, Torben started college as amechanical engineering major. Butat age 19, he took a break to do a little traveling, and hitchhiked fromDenmark to India. Upon returning,he decided to pursue a traditionalwoodworking apprenticeship.

The first woodworking shopTorben approached was in theprocess of closing down, butTorben's sincerity impressed theshop's owner, so he recommendedTorben to a friend who ran one ofthe best custom furniture shops inDenmark. Torben was accepted asan apprentice; becoming a journeyman took four years of hard work.

As Torben recalls, "The only tools Iused for the first year and a half weresandpaper and a broom. When myfingers got sore I put masking tape onthe tips and kept sanding. But Ilearned a lot as an appretice and theguys I worked with were great.

"Every year I was sent out for sixweeks of specialized training.Eventually, I was hand-cutting dovetails. But even that was an apprentice'sjob, because it was so time consuming: I was paid 70 cents an hour;the journeymen were making atleast ten times that amount. Butthey treated me very well and I hadthe chance to work on some amaz-

ow~ozwV)

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"The only tools I used forthe first year and a half

were sandpaper anda broom."

ing furniture."We worked closely with several

prominent architects and built mostly modern Scandinavian-style furniture for wealthy Danes, oil sheiksand royalty. We'd bandsaw as muchas possible and then hand-sculpt therest with rasps and files. We workedwith all kinds of fine hardwoods,including Cuban mahogany. Theshop had a large inventory of thisfantastic wood up in the attic. Darkred in color, very dense and stable,it's one of my favorite woods. We alsoused Oregon pine. This wood iscalled Douglas fir in the U.S., whereit's commonly used to build houses;we used it to build fine furniture."

To complete his apprenticeship,Torben was required to build a finalproject and have it judged by theleaders of the woodworking tradeunion. As Torben puts it, "It was abig deal, and took place at the center of Copenhagen. The Queen ofDenmark attended and personallycongratulated the winners.

Torben's finely crafted Brazilianmahogany desk earned a silvermedal. This was a prestigious honor,considering gold medals were notawarded (because "nothing is perfect") and it had been twenty yearssince the last silver medal was awarded in the woodworking category.

After Torben completed hisapprenticeship, the travel bug bitagain and he decided to take a tripto America. "My big dream was tosail to America," Torben says,"because going by boat is the onlyproper way to get to there. I went toPortugal and made arrangementswith the owner of a schooner for passage to America the following year.

But their schedule changedand I missed the boat. So Iflew to America and landedatJFK International instead.

"After spending a coupleweeks on the East Coast, Idrove to California: I had abusiness card for a woodworkerin Laguna Beach. He offered meajob and before I knew it, a year hadpassed. I came as a tourist but endedup staying!

"The woodworking business wasgood, but the shop was modestlyequipped, so we borrowed moneyand imported a container of woodworking equipment from a companyin Denmark. We were only lookingto upgrade our shop, but the company was interested in setting up a distributorship in the US, so prettysoon we were" building furniture andselling woodworking equipment.Both businesses flourished.

"But in the early 90s, the dollarwent soft. That made it tough to profitably import equipment, and mypartner decided to move on to otherpursuits. I didn't set out to become awoodworking machine importer, butI wanted to give it one last shot. If itdidn't work, I'd go back to being awoodworker, as southern Californiais a great market for custom woodworking. By this time I'd metCatherine, my future wife and business partner. She helped me get themachine business rolling. We decid

"ed to make a video featuring ourcombination machine, to familiarizeAmerican woodworkers with the benefits of its European design. We distributed the video by mail and business started to pick up. Laguna Toolshas continued to grow ever since."

Torben was the firstperson in over 20 yearsto win the Queen of Denmark'ssilver medal for woodworking. The inscriptionreads "Woodworking Trade Graduation TestCommittee"on one side and "Effort and AbilityPromotes Wealth and Happiness" on the other.

Torben Helshoj, president of LagunaTools,inspects a "shipment of new 18-inch SignatureSeries bandsaws. Laguna is best known for itshigh-quality bandsaws. Torben has spent yearsimproving their design.


I

~tI)a:Iaa:

""z«a:LL

za~a:f(f)::J...J=!

by Tom Caspar

A dirondack chairs represent allthat's best about American

design: they're practical, with no unnecessary parts; they're accessible, because justabout anyone who can cut wood can makeone; and they're perfectly suited to their setting, the great outdoors.

An Adirondack's low seat and broad armsinvite you to slow down and take it easy. MostAdirondacks are single chairs, of course. Atwo-seater is something special. Sharing theAdirondack experience with a friend makesit all the better.

MATERIALS AND TOOLSThis project is built from western red

cedar construction lumber, which is commonly available at home centers and lumberyards. You'll need two 2x6 boards, 8 ft.long, and nine pieces of 5/4 lumber-1 in.thick, 5-1/2 in. wide and 12 ft. long. Dustfrom cutting western red cedar can be irritating, so wear an appropriate dust mask andwork in a well-ventilated shop or outdoors.Use rust-resistant deck screws to assemblethe project. You'll need about 100 1-1/2-in.screws and 50 l-l/4-in. screws. You'll alsoneed two inside-corner braces and 100screw-hole plugs (see Sources, page 40).

You'll use a tablesaw, bandsaw (or jigsaw),router table, 3/8-in. roundover bit, 30degree chamfer bit, cordless drill and a filefor the project. A miter saw is also handy.

MAKE THE LEGS AND SEAT1. The love seat sits on three back legs:

two on the sides (AI, Fig. A, page 42) andone in the center (A2). They're virtuallyidentical, except for one important detail:

About This ProjectOur Adirondack two-seater is based

on one built by Jack Priest as a centerpiece for the deck outside his son'srestaurant, The Tin Fish, overlooking LakeCalhoun, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ourdesign is slightly different from his.We've changed the arms and their supports a bit, as well as the back's profile,but that's what Adirondacks are all about.Once you've got the basic structuredown, it's easy to customize anAdirondack any way you want.

1Begin building the love

seat by sawingout the backlegs from awestern redcedar 2x6.You'll get themost accuratecuts by using abandsaw, butyou could usea jigsaw,instead.

2JOinery issimple: just

screws and glue.You'll coverevery screw holewith a plug lateron. As you buildthe love seat,drill holes for theplugs and screwssimultaneouslywith a combination bit.

3Assemble theseat. Fasten the

first four seat slats,which are madefrom 5/4 cedarboards. Check forsquare as you go.Temporarily add aslat to space thelegs the correctdistance.

4screwandglue together

the front legs. Usea water-resista ntglue to assembleall the parts of theproject.


5GIUe andscrew the

front legs to theseat assembly.Then add the restof the seat slatsand the lowerback rail, whichsits in the notcheson the back legs.Assembly ismuch easier ifyou work on alarge, flat surface,such as a door.

6GIUe the armstogether from

two pieces of 5/4material. To make atight, invisiblejoint, first removethe rounded edgesof this constructionlumber by rippingthe boards on thetablesaw.

7Rout a 30degree bevel

on the upperback rail using arouter table. Thelove seat's backslats leanagainst thispiece; with anaccurately madebevel, you'll gettight, stron~

joints.

8Add the armand upper

back rail assembly. Stand it ontwo supports andadjust its position until thebevel you routedis in line with thelower back rail.Check this with astraightedge.

the notch for the lower back rail (A5) ispositioned farther back on the center legthan on the outer legs (Fig. H). To ensurethat all the legs come out the same, make

one paper pattern based on the measurements given for the outer back leg (AI).Trace around the pattern on three legblanks cut to the same length, omitting thenotches. Then draw the notches directly onthe legs. In addition, set your miter saw toIS degrees and cut a miter on a scrap piece

of Ix6. Use this piece to draw the angledlines that indicate the location of the front

legs. Draw these lines on both sides of eachouter leg.

2. Saw the legs (Photo 1). Smooth thesaw cuts with a file or SO-grit sandpaper

wrapped around a block.3. Make the seat slats (A3). Discard

pieces with large knots-they'll weaken theslats. Drill holes for screws and plugs in theends and middle of all the slats using a 3/Sin.-dia. combination countersink/counterbore bit (Photo 2). Make the plug holes

about I/4-in. deep. Round the top edges oftlle slats, and all other exposed edges as youbuild the project, using a 3/8-in. roundoverbit mounted in a router table.

4. Line up the front edges of all threelegs. Temporarily fasten a slat to the middleof each leg. Glue and screw the first fourslats (Photo 3).

5. Make the two pieces that comprise eachfront leg (BI and B2) from one long board.

Rip the board to remove its rounded edges.This makes a better-looking joint when you

glue the pieces together. Cut one end of theblank at 18 degrees, then cut the inner leg toexact length (Fig. E). Cut the outer leg to

length, then glue and screw together the legpieces (Photo 4). Note that the two front legsare mirror images of each other.

6. Apply glue to the front legs and clampthem to the back legs. Use the lines youdrew in Step 1 to position the front legs.Drill holes in the front legs for screws andplugs, then run in the screws (Photo 5).

7. Make the back seat slat (A4, Fig. F) andlower back rail (AS, Fig. G). Note that the

inside curve on each end of the lower backrail consists o(three flat sections, to receivethree back slats. The straighter these sections are, the stronger your joints will be.

After sawing, use a file to straighten thesecuts, if necessary. Use a file to flatten the,

rail's center straight section, too. Drill holesfor screws and plugs in the back seat slat andlower back rail, then round over the edgesof both parts with a 3/8-in. router bit. Don'tround over the inner edge of the lower backrail, where the back slats (Dl, D2) go.

8. Remove the seat slat you temporarilyscrewed to the back legs. Glue and screw thelower back rail in position. Screw the back

seat slat next to it, but don't glue it. Add therest of the seat slats. Space them about 1/4in. apart. Temporarily clamping some slatsin position makes it easier to space them.

9. Remove the back seat slat.

ADD THE ARM ASSEMBLY10. Rip two 5/4 pieces for each arm (Cl)

and glue them together (Photo 6). Cut eachblank to length, then saw out the curves

(Fig. J). Sand the glue joint, then round overboth sides of the arm with a 1/4-in.roundover bit. Don't round the curved section where the arm overlays the back rail.

11. Make the upper back rail (C2). Thispiece has three straight sections on eitherside (Fig. M), like the lower back rail. Tracethe curves of the arm pieces on the ends ofthe rail. Cut out the rail using a bandsaw,

with the table set at 90 degrees, and straighten the flat sections with a file. Rout a 30degree bevel on the inside edge of the rail(Photo 7). Leave a 1/8-in.-thick blunt edgeto guide the bit's bearing.

12. Glue and screw the arms to the upperback rail. Note that the inside edge of each

arm is square to the back rail (Fig. C), andthat the screws go from underneath the backrail and into the arms (Fig. A).

9Taper theback slats

using a jig foryour tablesaw.Mount toggleclamps on thejig to keep yourfingers awayfrom the blade.

10spacingthe love

seat's backslats requirescareful measuring andmarking. Beginby temporarilyinstalling thefou r slats thatdefine the twohalves of theback.

11 Fastenthe mid

dle slats next.Then install twoslats betweenthe middle andouter slats.Adjust theseslats up ordown to makethe spacingeven.

12Drawacurve

across the backusing a shopmade trammel.That's just astick with a nailat one end anda pencil stuckin a hole onthe other end.Remove.theslats and cutthe curve oneach piece.


13. Cut two temporary supportpieces (C3) to hold and level the arm

assembly. Prop the assembly on thesepieces and the front legs (Photo 8).Once the assembly is correctly posi

tioned front-to-back and side-to-side(Fig. D), clamp it to the front legs, soit can't shift.

FIT THE BACK SLATS

14. Make a set of back slats (D1


and D2). You can rough-cut two slats

from one 5-1/2-in.-wide 5/4 boardusing a bandsaw. Build a tapering jigand cut each slat using the tablesaw(Photo 9 and Fig. K). The exa,ctangles on the slat's ends are notimportant.

15. Drill screw-and-plug holes in

the lower ends of the outer slats(Dl). Mark the positions of theseslats on the lower back rail (Fig. B).

13Routgrooves

on the endsand inneredges of thecorbels, thewing-shapedpieces thatsupport thelove seat'sbroad arms.These grooveshide metalbraces underthe arms.

14Fastenthe

corbels to thelegs withglue andscrews. Thebrace allowsyou to safelylift the loveseat by itsarms.

150nceevery

part is in place,glue plugs ineach screwhole. Cut theexcess with aflush-cuttingsaw.

Clamp the slats in position (the top endsof the centermost slats touch each other)and mark locations for the screws that willgo into the upper back rail. Remove theslats, drill the screw-and-plug holes, thenattach-but don't glue-the slats in place

(Photo 10).16. Install one of the inner back slats

(D2) midway between the outer backslats. It should be vertical. Fit the remaining slats (Photo 11). Make the gap

between them about 1/4-in. Mter theseslats are fitted, mark their screw-and-plug

holes and cut off any excess length at thebottom. Then install the slats with screws,

but don't use glue. Repeat this process onthe other side of the back.

17. Make a trammel and find the center point of each half of the back (Fig. L).

Turn the trammel around and draw eachcurve (Photo 12).

18. Mark the position of all slats andremove them. Bandsaw their top endsand round over all their edges. Glue andscrew the slats back in place. Cut a piece

of paper to fit the gap between the twoback sections. Fold the paper in half anduse it as a pattern to make two pieces(D3) to fill the gap. Install these pieces.

SUPPORT THE ARMS19. Connect the arms and legs with

inside corner braces (Fig. A). Use #10 or

#12 pan head screws to install them.20. Cut two corbel blanks (B3). Rout

stopped grooves on the inside edge ofeach blank to accommodate the cornerbrace and screw heads (Photo 13). Sawthe corbel's shape (Fig. N) and round

over its outside edges. Make sure eachcorbel's top fits tight under the arm. Drillscrew-and-plug holes through the frontlegs and screw and glue the corbels to the

front legs (Photo 14).

FINISHING STEPS21. Install the back seat slat. Glue plugs

in all the screw holes. Cut and sand themflush.

22. Apply two coats of exterior oil finish. It's best to do this outside, for goodventilation. Sit and enjoy!

SourcesHamilton Marine, www.hamiltonmarine.com. (800)639-2715,3/8" Dia. Bung Cedar (plugs), #FSW-05C, $10 per 100.Rockier, www.rockler.com. (800) 279-4441, 30degree Chamfer router bit, #24805, $34.

C1

D1

FIGURE CARM AND BACK RAIL ASSEMBLY

90°

4-518"

FIGURE B SLAT LOCATION

1----7"'''''---19-314''----------1

FIGURE F BACK SEAT SLAT

FIGURE G LOWER BACK RAIL

~12"

~5-3/8"~1-3I4,II A4

RIGHT

81

FIGURE EFRONT LEG

LEFT

_-"-",~_._ 3/8" PLUG

J....0~(TYP.)

#8x 1-1/2" FH(TYP.)

FIGURE A EXPLODED VIEW

6-3/4"

D1

FIGURE H BACK LEGS

83

13-1/4"

3/8"ROUNDOVER

(TYP.)

FIGURE 0CROSS SECTION

1------------------- 31-3/8"42 American Woodworker MAY 2008

5-112"

1------- 12-7/16" --------1

78°

1/4"

A2CENTER

BACKLEG

AiOUTERBACKLEG18°

\

LINEOF~\FRONT LEG

1-1/4"

t----- 8-7/16" -------1

FIGURE J ARM FIGURE K BACK SLATS AND TAPERING SLED

1/8"

~lED III ~1=======;28~"iD(01i1)-=-~~~~~~=-=-=-=-=-=-=--jlf---------32" (02) --------------,

2. Draw an arc of the sameradius from the center point.

1. Mark the two outer slats,then draw an arc from eachmark to find the center point

FIGURE L DRAWING THE BACK'S CURVE

SLATNEAREST

ARM

I V -,.-

-1 " / -- 6-

I :-

~5-5/8"

Ii Li=

d -, - ~:

1!I

Ii

~~

I----I~

-I--f--

'-I-

-l-

IGLUE

f--I- JOINT

_l-

I~

l- I- iI

I- 2-1/4"I~ !

16-114"-\-.. I2"

RAO. AI I I I

Outer back slat

Center slatInner back slat

la) Cut 81 and 82 from 30" long blank.Ib) Glue up from two pieces, 5" and 3" wide.Ic) Cut two pieces from one 5-1/2" x 28" blank.Id) Cut two pieces from one 5-1/2" x 32" blank.

GROOVE FOR BRACE

FIGURE N CORBEL

F,GURE M UPPER BACK RAIL


MAXIMIZEYOURDRUMSANDER'SPOTENTIAL

DrumSanderTips

1 . SKIP THE SCRAPEEliminate laborious hand scraping of dried glue: contrary to

popular belief, you can take glue-ups directly to your drum

sander. The secrets are to use a coarse abrasive (24-grit to 60

grit, depending on the amount of glue and how uneven the glue

up is) and feed the wood at a skewed angle. Set the sander so

it just hits the elevated gluelines. Take light cuts until 90-percent

of the glue is gone, then switch to a finer grit.

Remember, your drum sander's greatest enemy is excess

heat. This is especially true when you sand off glue. Finer grits

(SO-grit and above) and heavy cuts can generate enough heat to

melt the glue and gum up the abrasive. Skewing the work fur

ther reduces heat build-up, because it keeps the gluelines mov

ing across the drum, rather than remaining in one spot on the

abrasive.

2. IT'S OK To SKIP GRITSSOMETIMES

It's OK to skip grits below 1DO-grit. However, it's best

to move through finer grits sequentially. It's harder for

these grits to remove the scratches left by an abrasive

that's more than one step coarser.


3. INCREASE BELT LONGEVITYGet 20 to 30 percent more life from your aluminum

oxide sanding belts by changing the orientation of the grit.

It's easy to do. Simply alternate the end of the belt you

install first. You can accomplish this automatically by

removing the belt from the same side of the drum it was

installed on. That way, what was the trailing end of the belt

gets turned around and bec;omes the starting end.

Switching the abrasive's orientation changes the direction

the abrasive particles hit the wood. This causes the parti

cles to wear more evenly, so they last longer.

4. START WITH THE RIGHT GRITThe most common mistake people make is to start

with a grit that's too fine. Here are some good rules of

thumb to follow when choosing a starting grit: For abra

sive planing or glue-ups, start with a 24-60 grit belt; for

sanding boards from a planer or jointer, start with BO-grit

or finer. If you have to make more than three passes with

your starting grit, you probably started too fine. (The

exception to this is abrasive planing where many passes

with a single coarse grit are sometimes needed to joint

the board flat.)

5. DUST COLLECTIONIS A MUST!

Do not skimp! Removing sanding debris quickly and

efficiently is critical to effective sanding. Make. sure yourmachine is getting all the cfm (cubic feet per minute)

called for in the manual. Be wary of inflated cfm rates tout

ed by some dust collector manufacturers. Sanders are

cfm hogs because they need to pull dust off the spinning

drum before it gets carried around and deposited back on

the material being sanded. Fugitive dust will load belts

faster, reduce sander efficiency and could cause the mate

rial to slip on the conveyor belt and possibly even kick

back at the operator. If you are getting any residual dust

left on the wood as it emerges from the drum sander, you

need a more powerful dust collector. Note: If your sander

has two 4-in. ports, you will need a 6-in. line to carry the

required cfm to the machine. Divide this6-in. line into two

4-in. lines It's a mistake to divide a single 4-in. or even 5

in. line in two because it will starve your machine of the

airflow volume it needs.

6. START AT THE RIGHT HEIGHTHeavy cuts are hard on both your machine and the abra

sive. The first cut is the hardest to get right. Here's the trick.

Unplug the machine, and slide the board into the sander so

the thickest portion is under the drum. Then lower the drum

as you spin it by hand. Stop when the sandpaper starts to

make contact with the wood. You're good to go. Remember,

it's much better to have a very light first cut then one that

bogs down your machine.

Once you have the initial setting, subsequent adjustments

between passes should be very small, especially with fine

grits. Shoot for cuts that are less than 1/64-in. for fine finish

work and up to 1/B-in. for abrasive planing. Also, keep in mind

stock width; glue ups that approach the machine's capacity

require lighter cuts than a single B-in. board. It's a good prac

tice to occasionally run the stock through a second time with

out adjusting the depth. If you still hear the abrasive cutting

on the second pass, the sander was probably set too deep on

the previous pass.

7. CLEAN PAPER WORKSBETTER AND LASTS LONGER

Use a rubber belt cleaner whenever the dust build-up

on the abrasive can't be swept off with a brush. A loaded

belt will not cut efficiently, because the abrasive particles

are partially buried. Loaded belts build up heat rapidly,

making them prone to scorching the wood. When a

loaded belt hits a pitch pocket or a knot, the excess heat

can melt the pitch and leave a hardened streak of baked

on sanding debris on the abrasive.

With the dust collection on, hold the cleaning stick

against the spinning drum. The soft rubber scrubs out

the embedded debris. Be sure to sweep off any debris

left on the drum and conveyor belt. Always wear eye

protection when cleaning a belt.


8. CLEAN UpSTUBBORN STREAKS

Use a length of l/4-in. Plexiglas to remove

streaks of fused sanding debris. These

streaks are typically caused by pitch pockets

or knots and can ruin a belt. A rubber abrasive

cleaner won't touch these baked-on rings.

Instead, hold the Plexiglas edge on the

streak. If that doesn't do the trick, try soaking

the belt in mineral spirits or a product like

"Simple Green", overnight. Note: Always

wear eye protection for cleaning operations.

9. CHOOSE THE RIGHT FEED RATEThere's no foolproof formula for calculating optimal feed rates. A

good rule of thumb is this: the coarser the grit, the faster the feed

rate. Slower feed rates yield more drum rpm's per inch and that helps

create the ultra smooth finish you're looking for from the finer grits. If

you start to get some burning on the stock, bump the feed rate upuntil the burning stops.

Heavy stock removal with coarse abrasives does not benefit from

a slow fed rate so it makes sense to go as fast as the machine can in

order to get the job done quickly.

When in doubt about the right speed, set the feed rate between

40 and 50 percent for your first pass. This will get you safely in the

ballpark where you can fine-turn the optimal speed for the task at

hand. Finally, listen to your machine: it will tell you if it's working too

hard and you need to slow down.

10. DON'T SKIMP ON ABRASIVESUse high quality abrasives; you'll avoid all kinds of headaches and in the long run, save money.

Look for a backing material made of cloth, polyester or a combination of the two-cloth will stretch

a bit more than polyester. Avoid paper-backed products; they're too fragile and tear easily.

Besides selecting the correct backing material, you should also select the correct backing

weight. For a drum sander, look for an X, Y or XY weight rating on the back. This weight

range is the best compromise between dura-

bility and flexibility.

Inexpensive abrasives tend to

use lower quality bonding

material (the stuff that holds

the grit to the paper) and

won't last as long. Also, the

grit on inexpensive paper can

be inconsistently sized, which

can cause annoying scratch

marks on an otherwisesmooth surface.

It's best to stick with rep

utable abrasive brands like

3M, Norton and Klingspor.


11. SAND REALLY THIN BOARDSIt's easy to make your own veneer from resawn boards with a drum sander. Furniture repair shops love this feature because it

allows them to match the thick veneer used on period furniture. Som~ drum sanders can sand wood all the way down to 1/32-in.

Note: Drum sanders that use compressible materials such as hook-and-Ioop fasteners, soft backing under the abrasives or a soft

rubber conveyor belt cannot sand this thin.

12. AVOID BURNSBurn-prone woods like cherry, maple

or pine need special care when sanding

to avoid burn marks on the wood. Try the

new zirconium or ceramic abrasives.

Both abrasives are harder than alu

minum oxide and run cooler, to help min

imize burning. This is especially useful

during abrasive planing, when heavy

cuts and coarse grits are more the norm.

As you progress to the finer grits, take

very light cuts.

13. ALWAYS FINISHWITH ANORBITAL SANDER

Don't expect a sanding machine to

give you a surface that's ready for apply

ing a finish. Always finish the sanding

sequence with an orbital or random-orbit

sander. It's best to back up one grit size

when you start your orbital sanding. So, if

you drum-sand to 180-grit, start your

orbital sanding at 150- or even 120-grit.

14. SKEW THE WORKFOR BEST RESULTS

Feed the wood through the sander at an angle. This creates an

efficient shearing cut on the wood fibers that generates less heatthan a cut that's parallel with the grain. Less heat means less belt

loading, and that means less burning on your wood or melting of

glue lines.

A 30-degree angle gives the best shearing cut. If the work is too

wide to skew 30 degrees, do what you can; any amount of skew is

better than no skew. Finish with one or two straight-line passes

with your final grit to eliminate any cross grain scratches.


15. SAND Box SIDESDrum sanders work great for sanding assembled boxes

and drawer sides. People pay a lot of attention to the width

of their machines, but often ignore the depth capacities. In

general, wider machines have larger depth capacities.

16. HOLD THE GAPWhen you install a belt, it's important to leave a gap in the

take-up slot at the end, of the drum. The take-up pincher

inside the drum is spring-loaded, so it's always pulling on the

end of the belt. The gap allows the belt to be pulled further

into the drum as it stretches during use. This keeps the belt

tight on the drum. Failure to provide this gap Jocks the belt in

place and renders the take-up pincher ineffective. It's OK to

leave a slight gap or no gap where the belt winds around the

rest of the drum.


17. SAVE YOURFINGERPRINTS

Avoid skin abrasions by wearing leather

gloves whenever you handle the abrasives. I

learned this lesson when I first started using a

drum sander. At the end of a job that required

several belt changes, my fingertips were really

sore. On closer inspection I saw that my finger

prints had been completely abraded away.

A pair of tight fitting leather gloves really

does the trick.

18. JOINT WIDE BOARDSUse a drum sander to joint boards that are too wide for

your jointer. Unlike a planer, some drum sanders (typical

ly ones with adjustable pressure rollers) exert very little

downward pressure on the board. That allows them to

take the cup or crown out of a board (Photo A) without a

sled or support. Take light cuts and run the board concave

side down.

If your board has a severe twist (Photo B) use some

hot melt glue to attach skids to keep the board from rock

ing as it passes through the sander. Once one side is

planed flat, knock off the skids and plane the other side.

HERE ARE SOME OTHERDUST COLLECTION TIPS:• Ground your machine to a plumbing run

or a ground screw on an outlet. Sanders

can generate a lot of static electricity that

cause the sanding dust to cling to the

machine and hamper collection.

• Be sure to use at least a 2-micron filter onyour dust collector. Many single stage

collectors come with dust spewing 35

micron bags.

• Use the least amount of flex-hose possi

ble for more efficient airflow.

Thanks to Warren Weber ofSuperMax Tools for lending us hisexpertise in all things drum sanding.

19. SURFACE FIGURED WOODWITHOUT TEAROUT

Run a bookmatched, quartersawn oak panel through your

planer and I can guarantee you'll be dismayed at the nasty

tearout. Try the same thing on a drum sander - perfect

results. You just can't beat a drum sander when it comes to

surfacing figured wood. It does a great job no matter which

way the grain runs.-

20. DECIPHER THE BACK'SALPHABET SOUP

It's best to know what you're buying. Most of us

are familiar with the grit number on the back of an

abrasive, but what about all those other numbers

and letters? Manufacturers use proprietary codes

on the back of their abrasives. Some of the codes

can be cracked by visiting their website. For the

Klingspor belts in the photo at left, for exam

ple, I went to www.klingspor.com/prod

ucts/MtlAvail.html and found that the CS311

belt is a Y-weight polyester-backed belt, open

coat, resin bond, with aluminum oxide abra

sive, and is available in 36P- to 180P- grit

sizes.

The CS411 belt is an X-weight cloth

backed belt with a resin bond and a longer

lasting alumina zirconia abrasive, available

in 24P- to 120P-grit sizes. There's lots

more info on Klingspor's website and on

other manufacturer's websites as well.

21. SAND MULTIPLESTo A UNIFORM SIZE

Drum sanders excel at surfacing to a precise dimension. Face

frame parts can be clamped together and sanded at once. The drum

sander removes all the saw marks and leaves you with parts that are

exactly equal in width.

American Woodworker MAY 200849

The SBI3's dual contour/flat-sand

ing capability is popular with small shopsthat specialize in products such asmoldings, picture frames and musicalinstruments

A variable speed lever lets you set thebrush speed from 400 rpm to 1200 rpm.Variable brush speed combined with variable

conveyor speed allows the operator to set theoptimum brush strokes-per-inch for the taskat hand. The SBI3 is equipped with a 1-3/4hp motor that runs on a standard 20-amp,I20-volt circuit.

Like its larger SuperBrush stablemates,

the SBI3 can be equipped with a number ofdifferent brush heads. The heads most commonly used for woodworking include a flatter-style head (Photo 2), an abrasive-impreg

nated nylon brush head (Photo 3) and awire brush head (Photo 4).

Do-It-AllComboBrush andDrum Sander

2A flatter-style brush. head has strips of

serrated sandpaperbacked by bristlebrushes. Thisbrush excels atsanding profileor contouredwood surfaces likemoldings, or frameand panel doors. Thebrush is available with 50-gritto 400-grit abrasives.

Brush sanders excel at sanding contoured or profiled wood, such as mold

ings. SuperMax's new I3-in. SuperBrush(SBI3) has a truly unique feature: an accessory drum sander head (Photo 1) that allows

you to flat-sand boards, panels and veneers.The sanding drum is easy to exchange it withany other head. Just remove four bolts andthe head lifts right out.

3An abrasive-impregnated nylon bristle

brush is primarily used toscuff sand sealer coats onmoldings. This brush practical-ly eliminates the need for timeconsuming hand-sanding betweencoats.

1The ability to mounta drum sander

head in the l\5813 sets itapart from otherbrush sanders.

4The wire brush head isused to distress wood

surfaces. It can make newwood look like weatheredbarn wood or like theboards used in 50uthweststyle furniture.

SourceSuperMax Tools(888) 454-3401, www.supermaxtools.com.SuperBrush 13, SB13, (Includes Nylon Or Wire BrushHead), $3500;

Flatter-style Brush Head $1100;Wire or Nylon Brush Head $800;Drum Sander Head $500.


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Circle No. 22

-

Natural BenchHow To MAKE STRONG JOINTS IN SLABWOOD

When I need wood for a project, my first stop is a smallmill near my shop that specializes in local hardwoods. On

one particular visit I noticed a pile of offcuts sitting out inthe rain. As I pawed through the pile, a slab of white oakcaught my eye. The sawn surface was wet and the grain justpopped. The bark was almost completely gone on the flipside, leaving a smooth, natural surface that was miraculously free of damage from chainsaws and harvesting equipment. Turns out the slabs were free for the taking so I took

several slabs back to my shop to dry.For months I kept wondering what to make with the

slabs. Other than a few wormholes, the grain and naturaledge were quite interesting. The undulating line where theflatsawn surface met the natural edge of the log intriguedme. From some angles, the plank's thickness was almost

invisible. Eventually, I decided a bench would be the bestway to retain the natural look of the slab and highlight itsbest features. The slab's 14-in. width was wide enough toprovide sufficient stability, and at over 1-1/2-in. thick, it was


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plenty strong. That inherent strength and a unique joint Icame up with allowed me to eliminate the typical stretcherbetween the legs and help keep the design as clean and natural looking as possible.

I still had to figure out how to orient the legs to the slab.I chose to turn the natural sides of the legs inward. Thatkept all of the natural surfaces facing one another.

Leg position was another big decision. I once had a badexperience with a cantilevered bench like this. There werethree of us on a bench, two got up and guess who ended upon the floor? The lesson was that there are limits to how faryou can safely cantilever a bench seat. I wanted to avoid the"teeter-totter" effect I fell victim to. I'm sure there's a formula somewhere for finding the point of stability, but I'mno engineer, so I used trial and error. I adjusted the legs ona prototype bench and made some test sittings until I founda point where the legs were offset enough to look visuallypleasing without making the bench tippy or unstable.

1The first step is to create a smooth, flat surface onthe roughsawn face of the log. I used a hand plane

and power sanders.

2Saw the legs from the plank. Then fine-tune thecuts until each leg stands on its own at 90 degrees.

3A flap sander quickly removes oxidation and loosedebris from the slab's bark side. Don't try for a per

fect surface. Just sand smooth to about lBO-grit.


PREP THE SLAB

The first step is to flatten and smooth the sawn face of theslab (Photo 1). You can use a hand plane to remove millingmarks and any twist or warp. If there's a lot of material toremove, a handheld power plane is easier. Sand to ISO-grit,using a random orbit sander. This provides a flat referencesurface and establishes the plank's final thickness.

The next step is to cut the legs off the slab. I turn theplank flat side down on my radial arm saw to make the cuts.Due to the curvature of the log's edge you'll have toapproximate a square cut. This first cut doesn't need to beperfect. Once the legs are removed, fine-tune the cut untileach leg stands square (Photo 2). Next, make a 20-degreeangle cut on either end of the seat blank (Fig. A). If youdon't own a radial arm saw, you can make all these with acircular saw or jigsaw and a straightedge.

Lightly sand the bark side of the slabs by hand with 100grit sandpaper. Sand just enough to remove the oxidationon the surface and smooth any rough edges. Sand up toabout ISO-grit. Then switch to a flap sander chucked in anelectric drill (Photo 3).

CUT THE JOINTSCutting a stepped mortise III a natural edge sounds

daunting. I found a pretty easy way to get the job doneusing a simple router jig and some chisels. First, build a simple jig to bridge the width of the seat plank and provide alevel platform for your router to ride on (Photo 4). Thenlayout the location of the legs on the plank with a paperpattern of the leg's top (Photo 5). Set the jig to removemost of the wood in the first step of the mortise (Photo 6).Stop routing short of the natural edge of the mortise anduse a chisel to pare to the pencil line.

Next, tap the leg into the mortise until it bottoms out.Then calculate how deep the notch must be to bring theoutside edges of the leg flush with the top of the seat

II APROX.1/2i TOTAL LEG

~APROX.1/2

TOTAL BENCHTHICKNESS

FIGURE AJOINERY

6Rout the center portion of the mortise with a topbearing flush-trim bit. The stepped ends of the mor

tise will be finished later. Use the edge of the bridge toguide the bit along the mortise's straightedge. Movethe bridge slightly to rout the rest of the mortise.

4BUild a bridge over the seat to rout the mortises.The bridge acts as a straightedge to guide the cut

and a platform to support the router.


7The next step in fitting the joint is to cut a correspondingnotch in the leg. With the leg set in the mortise; mark the

notch's length. Then determine the notch's depth by measuringthe gap between the leg and the curved surface.

(Photo 7).A crosscut sled on a tablesaw

works well to cut the notch (Photo8). By tapping the leg into the seatplank once again, you can see whereto begin the second and third stepsof the mortise. Use a chisel to chopthe steps in the seat plank. Return tothe tablesaw and sled to finish thenotches in the leg.

ATTACH THE LEGS

Layout and drill holes in the mortises for the 3/4-in.dowels. Insert dowel cente~s in the holes and tap the leg inplace (inset Photo 9). The centers transfer the hole locations to the top of the leg. Drill dowel holes in the legs andthe joint is ready to assemble (Photo 9).

Use epoxy to glue the bench together. Epoxy is gap-filling and slow-setting, perfect for a glue-up like this. First,glue the dowels into the legs, then the legs in the seat. Tapthe legs in place with a mallet until they bottom out.Carefully rotate the bench upright and use two cauls andfour clamps to apply clamp pressure (Photo 10). Allow theepoxy to dry overnight.

Finish sanding the flat portions of the bench to about220-grit.Apply your favorite finish. I used four coats of SamMaloof's Poly/Oil Finish on the flat surfaces to give thesesurfaces a satin finish. I used one coat of paste wax on thenatural surfaces to give them a flat finish.

Greg Wood has been a custom studio furniture builder inHoward Lake, MN for fifteen years. Some of Greg's workcan be viewed on his website, gregwoodfurniture.com, andat Xylos Gallery in Minneapolis, MN.

8Cut the stepped notch at the top of each leg using atablesaw sled. Secure the leg to the fence with

clamps and wedges. Use your marks to position theleg and set blade height.

9Use dowel centers to transfer the hole locations tothe leg. Drill the dowel holes in the leg and glue

them in. Now you're ready for the final glue-up.

1OGIUe the bench together on a flat surface, so itsits properly. Use cauls to transfer light clamping

pressure.


56 American Woodworker

~

z$

W e needed a new mailbox, but I couldn't find an

off-the-shelf version that I liked. So I decided tobuild my own. AB I've always admired the work of Greeneand Greene, the architect brothers who fused ABian design

with Arts and Crafts style during the early 20th century, Ithought it would be cool to include some of their signatureelements in my mailbox: Pronounced joints with heavilyrounded edges create the structure, stepped profiles accentuate the lid, and faceted pegs add visual interest and over

all balance. The pegs also hide the screws used to assemble

the box.I built my box of mahogany-a favorite of the brothers

Greene and a wood perfectly suited for exterior use. Whiteoak, cyprus or cedar would also be good choices. You'llneed 7 bd. ft. of 4/4 stock; plan to spend about $50. Finishyour box with exterior oil as I did, or leave it unfinished.Unfinished mahogany turns silver-grey when it's exposed to

the elements.

EXTENDED Box JOINTSThe joints may look exotic, but they're really just box

joints with extended, rounded-over fingers (Fig. A, page60). The inside corners of the sockets are also rounded, sothey nest perfectly with the rounded fingers. These jointsare easy to make with a router and a router table. You'llneed two templates, a I/4-in. roundover bit and a I/2-in.flush-trim bit with the bealing mounted above the cuttingflutes (also called a pattern bit, see Sources, page 59).

1. Make both templates from I/2-in. MDF (Fig. B). Onetemplate is used for the back and front pieces (Parts A andB, Fig. A). The other template is used for the sides (C). Thefingers and sockets on these templates must fit togethersnugly. I cut my templates on the bandsaw, using the miter

gauge and the fence to assure straight cuts.2. Cut the front and back pieces to final dimensions.

Then use ,the front/back template to layout the fingers andsockets.

3. Cut out the waste between the fingers, using the bandsaw (Photo 1). Don't cut too far into the corners-remember, they'll be rounded to fit the fingers.

4. Fasten the template with screws or double-faced tape.If you use screws, mount the templates on the inside face ofeach piece, so the holes won't show on your completedmailbox. Rout the sockets with a I/2-in.-dia. flush-trim bit(Photo 2). This leaves a I/4-in. radius on the inside corners. Later, the fmgers will be rounded over at the sameradius, so they'll fit perfectly.

5. Cut the sides to final dimension. Use your I2-in. miter

saw with the blade swiveled 6 degrees to cut the angledfronts. Attach a stop block to make sure both side pieces areidentically cut. Ifyou don't have a large miter saw, you coulduse a bandsaw to make these cuts and gang the piecestogether to sand the edges smooth.

6. Mark, rough-saw and rout fingers and sockets on theside pieces. Carefully position the template to mark the

1Start by marking and rough-sawing the sockets. Their insidecorners will be radiused by routing in a later step, so leave

sufficient material.

2Rout the fingers and sockets using templates and a flushtrim bit. This template creates fingers at the top and bot

tom of the front and back pieces. The fingers and sockets arereversed on the template used to rout the side pieces (below).

3Carefully position the template on the sides' angled frontedges. The template's fingers and bottom corner must both

be flush.


4Cut stopped square holes in all the fingers with your mortiser. To assure that the holes are precisely centered, use a

clamped-on indexing block to position the workpiece.

5Round the fingers and sockets on a router table. First, holdthe piece on edge and rout clockwise around each finger.

Then lay the piece flat and rout full length on both faces.

6Cut the top of each side piec'e at a 45-degree angle for thesloping lid. Leave a 3/4-in.-wide flat section on the top.

Clamp on a stop block to assure both pieces are identical.


front fingers (Photo 3). Before you rout these narrow

pieces, add a board of equal thic~ness behind, to fully sup

port the template.

7. Cut stopped square holes in all the fingers (Photo 4).

Make sure to cut the holes on opposite faces of the two

sides; otherwise you'll have a pair of left (or right) sides.

8. Drill ~hank holes for the screws through the stopped

mortises.

9. Round the fingers and sockets with a 1/4-in.-rad.

roundover bit (Photo 5). When you round the ends of the

fingers, rout clockwise and make several shallow passes, to

minimize tear out.

10. Dry-fit the front, back and sides to check the fit of the

fingers and sockets.

COMPLETE THE Box11. Cut the sides at a 45-de,gree angle to accommodate

the lid (Photo 6). Use a stop block to guarantee identical

parts.12. Rout end-to-end grooves in the sides and stopped

grooves in the front and back pieces for the bottom. Cut the

bottom (D) to final dimension, rout a rabbet all around and

drill drainage holes. Dry-fit the box with the bottom

installed, to make sure it fits.

13. Disassemble the box for sanding. Sand the flat sur

faces up to 220-grit with a random orbit sander. Soften the

rounded-over edges and ends of the fingers and sockets by

hand sanding, so they look organic, r.ather than machined.

14. Assemble the box (Photo 7). Drill pilot holes to make

sure the screws don't break or split the wood. Remember to

install the bottom before you fasten the last piece.

MAKE AND INSTALL THE PEGS15. Rip a 2-f1. length of 1/4-in. by 1/4-in. stock.

16. Shape the end to form a pyramid with slightly round

ed sides and a dulled point, by rubbing it on 220-grit sand

paper adhered to your bench. Use a handsaw to cut each

peg to length. The pegs must be slightly shorter than the

mortises, so they don't bottom out.

17. Add a bit of waterproof glue when you insert each

peg. Then tap it lightly in place (Photo 8). Immediately

remove any squeezed-out glue.

MAKE THE Top AND LID18. For a good grain match, make the top (E) and lid (F)

from the ~ame piece of wood. Rip the top at a 22-1/2

degree angle. Turn the remaining piece over and adjust the

fence on the tablesaw to cut the lid.

19. Using the tablesaw, cut a centered 1/4-in. by 1-5/16

in. groove in the front edge of the lid. To make a centered

cut, set the blade 3/16-in. from the fence and make two

passes-rotate the lid 180 degrees to make the second pass.

20. Shape the ends of the top and lid on the router table,

using the 1/4-in.-rad. r~undover bit. Be careful not to let

the bearing disengage when you reach the bevels.

21. Rout mortises for the hinges (see Sources, page 59).The hinges must be positioned slightly lower than normal-

with the barrels partially hidden-so the hinge screws won't

break through the angled lid. The mortises are deeper than

the hinge leaf thickness" to minimize the gap between thetop and lid. You can hand-chop the mortises, or remove

most of the material with a straight bit chucked in a lami

nate trimmer, and then clean up the corners with a chisel.

22. Install the hinges, so you can check the gap and their

operation. Brass screws break easily, so drill pilot holes

before installing them. Remove the hinges for the next step.

23. Mark the handle profile onto the lid (Fig. D). This

stepped profile, with its elongated S-shaped curves, is commonly called a "cloud lift." Cut the profile on the bandsaw

and smooth the faces by sanding.24. Plane the spline blank (G) to fit the groove you've cut

in the lid.25. Install the spline and transfer the cloud lift profile,

using a washer with a liS-in. rim to create the 3/I6-in. lip

(Photo 9).

26. Remove the spline, cut the profile on the bandsaw

and sand the sawn edge smooth. Install the spline to make

sure the profiles are complementary. Then remove the

spline again, for final shaping.27. Round over both edges of the lid's cloud lift profile

on the router table, with the I/4-in.-rad. roundover bit low

ered I/I6-in. During this process, the bit's bearing will ride

the edge on the opposite side of the groove.

2S. Create a half-round edge on the spline's cloud lift

profile by sanding or filing, or both.

29. Glue in the spline, using clamps to make sure it seats

completely in the groove.

30. Mark and mortise stopped square holes on the lid

and top and drill shank holes for screws (in the top, only).

31. Attach the hinges. Center the top/lid assembly on the.

box and fasten it with screws. Sand the edges of the top andlid while they're attached, to smooth the transition between

the two parts. Then remove the lid for final sanding.

32. Install the remaining pegs: two in the top and three. in the lid.

FINAL DETAILS33. Apply an exterior grade finish to accentuate the

wood's color. Exterior oil finishes are easy to apply, but they

must be renewed annually. Spar varnish lasts longer, but it

takes longer to apply and must be removed and replaced if

it's allowed to deteriorate.

34. Re-attach the lid when the finish is dry.

35. The top and fingers extend beyond the back of the

box, so install spacers (J) to facilitate mounting it. Drill

mounting holes through the back and the top spacer. Then

mount the mailbox with fasteners appropriate for the exte

rjor walls of your house.

SourcesRockier, www.rockler.com. (800) 279-4441, Roundover Bit with Bearing,

, 1(4"radius, 1(2" shank, #91309, $20; Pattern Flush Trim Router Bit, 1(2"diameter, 1" flute length, 1(4" Shank, #80021, $19.Woodcraft, wwwwoodcraft.com, (800) 225-1153, Drawn Brass BroadCabinet Hinges, 2" x 1-1(8", #16032, $13.

Brass wood screws are available at hardware stores and home centers.

7Assemble the box one corner at a time. Square the jointand clamp the parts firmly. A squarely-milled 4x4 makes

this easy. Pre-drill, then install the screws.

8Set the pegs with the tap of a hammer. Use a washer toguarantee they protrude uniformly.

9Use a washer to create a complementary profile when youtrace the lid's handle onto the spline blank. The groove for

the spline was cut in the lid earlier, before the handle profilewas sawn.


FIGURE A EXPLODED VIEWCUTTING LIST Overall Dimensions: 6" D x 11-1/2" Hx 15" W

I10-1/2"

1

22-112°:

1/4" x1-5/16"DADO

114" ROUNDOVER(TYPo)

2 3/8" x 1-1/2" x 10"

2 5/8" x 10-1/2" x 5-1/2"1 1/2" x 3-1/8" x 13"1 5/8" x 2" x 15"

1 5/8" x 10-1/2" x 14-1/2"1 5/8" x7-1/2" x 14-1/2"

1 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 15-1/4"1 5/8" x 5-7/8" x 15"

21 1/4" x 1/4" x 1/4"

at 0 Dimensions

FIGURE B ROUTING TEMPLATES

F

c

J

E

H

D

B

G

A

15" ------------

Part

1/4" x 5/16" DGROOVE (TYP.)

4·7/8"

, ,..~,,;.,..;.;.-;;-j::=:==:;:===;;L~~!_~!~~ ...._.._...._.. ...._, .. .,_..,...._.,..,. ..~..~ __ ~_~__.._.._.,.J::::::;:::::::L-, .. _~_

FIGURE D LID DIMENSIONS

11-1/2" I 2"

3/32" x 9/16" x 2"MORTISE (TYPo)

o

F

~~~UNDEDG EDGE

11116"

#4 x 1"Iil"I BRASS F.H.liU SCREW (TYPo)

,~,I

114" x 114"TONGUE

22-112° I

BEVELS:IIIII

""'""

IIIIIIII

FIGURE C SIDE DIMENSIONS

I 5-112" Ir------- ----- ---~-------------T-:

: 3/4 45 840"-Ii'" l


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ACKTOOLS

Circle No. 154

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orseEXPERT CRAFTSMANTOM DONAHEY SHARES HISPLANS FOR AN ESSENTIAL TOOLTO WORK GREEN WOOD.

by Tom Caspar

Few woodworking experiences are as sweet as working wood that'sjust been split from a recently felled tree. Green wood is much easierto shape with hand tools than wood that's been dried. It has a pungentodor and soft texture that make it all the more pleasurable to handle.Simple utilitarian items, such as chairs, benches, rakes and so on, havelong been made from green wood. All you need are a few basic toolsand one essential device for holding the work: a shaving horse.

I've always wanted to build a shaving horse. When I started thinkingabout how to make one I turned to Drew Langsner, an expert in greenwoodworking (that's Drew, at left). Drew has been an inspiring instructor of the craft for over thirty years, and runs Country Workshops, a

school in North Carolina (see Country Workshops, page 66). Drewintroduced me to Tom Donahey, who makes shaving horses for students at the school and also sells them on the school's website.

Tom has created an elegant design. "When I got into green woodworking, I already had a shaving horse," Tom said. "It was the old style,big and clunky. I took a class from Brian Boggs, the well-known chair

maker from Berea, Kentucky, and he had brought along his own shaving horse. It was much better than mine. With Brian's permission, Itook photos of that horse, went home, and studied its construction."

Brian had developed a new feature: an adjustable, ratcheting worksupport (see photo at right). Drew suggested a futher change: use atreadle instead of the traditional cross bar for applying foot pressure."It's much more comfortable," he said. Tom built a few horses, withBrian's permission, and started refining the design. Over the years,Tom has built more than 100 horses and streamlined their production.Tom has graciously allowed us to publish his design.

How THIS SHAVINGHORSE WORKS

A shaving horse is a workbench, vise andchair all rolled into one. It's plimarily usedto work green wood with a drawknife,which cuts on the pull stroke, or a spoke

shave, which you can push or pull. Thedesign of this shaving horse is rather unusual, mixing traditional elements and modernengineering. Here's how it works:

To set up the horse, place your'workpiece on the work support. Then, raise the

work support up to the clampingjaw, whichis free to rotate. The work support will clickinto one of eight different height positions,to accommodate thick or thin work. It'slocked by a pivot that engages a series ofratchets on the work support's column. Toclamp your workpiece, push the treadle forward with your foot. This swings the leverarms, squeezing the clamping jaw againstthe workpiece.

All that sounds quite complicated, but this

shaving horse is as easy to operate as steppingon the brake in your car. It only takes a fewseconds to release tlle clamping pressure ona workpiece, reposition it, and go back tomaking those glorious, huge curls.


64 American Woodworker MAY 200B

1All of the p~rtsfor this shav

ing horse can becut from southernyellow pine construction lumber.It's a durable,strong woodthat's relativelyinexpensive, butyou could substitute many otherhardwoods, suchas maple or oak.

2Cut both backlegs from one

long blank. Adjustyour miter saw to a15-15 compoundangle, then placethe blank to the leftof the blade andcut the right end.Slide the pieceover to cut themiddle, then cutthe left end.

3Stand thetwo back legs

together as amating pair, thenlayout the samecut on each leg,going in opposite directions.

4Turn over thelegs and

bandsaw them.This is a simple,straight cut, withthe table set at90 degrees. Itlooks odd fromthis anglebecause the endof the leg is acompound miter.

CHOOSE YOUR WOOD

You can make this shaving horse out of any.strong wood, such as oak, ash, hard maple orDouglas fir. Tom Donahey uses southern yellow pine construction lumber because it's eco

nomical, strong and relatively lightweight.He's figured out a way to get virtually all theparts of a shaving horse from one 10 ft.-long2xl0 (Photo 1, left, and Fig. L, page 69). Tomselects clear, straight-grained stock for maximum strength.

Southern yellow pine isn't his top choicefor the horse's ratcheting mechanism, however. These pieces take a lot of stress, so he useshard maple for the pivot piece (K) andsycamore for the ratchet (F). Any wood that's

hard to split is suitable for these pieces,though. A wood that's hard to dent, such asmaple or white oak, is preferable for the rotating jaw (L), which clamps down on a workpiece.

You'll need a small amount of 3/4-in. Baltic

birch plywood for the work support (Q), seat(R), treadle (S) and treadle cleat (T).

START WITH THE BACK LEGS1. If you're making the horse from a 2xlO,

it into three pieces: 4 ft., 4 ft. and 2 ft. long

(Fig. L). As with any project, parts are easierto mill and join if the wood is flat and straight.If you use southern yellow pine constructionlumber, chances are that it's neither flat nor

straight. Run these pieces through a planer ordrum sander before making any further cuts.It's OK if they end up less than 1-1/2-in.thick, as specified in the cutting list (page 69),as long as they're all the same thickness.

2. Layout and cut all the solid-wood piecesto size. The back legs (C) require specialattention. It's a good idea to make a couple

practice ones first to get the hang of it. Makeboth legs from one blank (Photo 2). On your

5Glue the offcut onto the opposite side ofthe leg it came from, and you're all set.

miter saw, tilt the blade to 15 degrees androtate the table to 15 degrees (Fig. D). Makethree cuts at this setting to obtain both legs.

3. Stand both of the legs together and orient

them so they make a matched pair (Photo 3).In order to make the legs splay out and rakeback, you'll saw off a wedge-shaped piece fromone side of a leg and glue it back to the opposite side. The cutting is easy-it's the layoutthat's hard. Draw the wedge all around the leftleg, as shown in Fig. D, then draw the right leg

as a mirror image.4. Saw the legs (Photo 4). It's fast using a

bandsaw, but you could also use a handsaw. Ifyou orient each leg so that its angled top end

leans forward, all you have to do to make thecut using a bandsaw is to follow the one line onthe board's top edge. There's no need to tiltthe bandsaw table, even though the layoutlines seem to call for it. It's a 90-degree cut.

5. If the wedge-shaped cutoffs cup or distort,sand them until they're flat. Glue the pieces to

the opposite sides of the legs they came from(Photo 5). To prevent the pieces from slippingwhen you clamp, nail some short brads intoone piece and clip off their heads near the sur

face. Press the pieces together by hand, todrive in the brads, before applying clamps.

DRILL HOLES6. Temporarily screw the two rails (A)

together. If your stock is a full 1-1/2-in. thick,plan on drilling shallow holes on both rails toaccommodate washers for the bolts that hold

on the front leg (B, Fig. B). Without theseholes, the bolts will be too short to fully threadthrough the nuts (although you could uselonger bolts and skip the washer holes). Layout these washer holes on both rails and drillthem before drilling the smaller dia. bolt-holescompletely through the rails. If, after planing,your stock is 1-3/8-in. thick or so, you can omitthe large dia. washer holes. Layout and drill allthe 1/2-in. holes for bolts and 5/8-in. holesfor dowels all the way through both rails

(Photo 6).7. Separate the rails, then clamp each back

leg to the appropliate rail and drill throughthe leg, using the holes in the rail as a guide(Photo 7). Use the same method to drill holesthrough the rear spacer (M) and front leg.Temporarily assemble the horse and test the fitof the backup bar (H) between the rails. Glue

the backup together (H, J, Fig. F), clamp it toone rail, and drill the dowel holes through it.Use a drill press to make the 3/8-in. bolt hole

6The mainbody of the

shaving horseis composed oftwo rails running side-byside.Temporarilyscrew theseboards togeth-er, then drillholes for theleg-mou nti ngbolts and otherparts.

7separate theboards, then

use the holes asguides. Drillthrough the railsand into the legsto complete theleg-mountingholes. This horseis easy to disassemble and storewhen not in use,as all the partsjust bolt together.

8After attachingthe rear legs,

install the "backup" piece withlarge dowels, butno glue. This partprevents the worksupport from tipping forward whenyou apply clamping pressure.

g lnstall awedge-shaped

pivot piece behindthe backup. Itrotates on adowel passingthrough the rails;an elastic cordprovides springtension, allowingthe pivot to clickinto the ratchetson the work support column.

Ame,ican Woodworker MAY 2008 65

Country WorkshopsThere's a special home for woodworkers nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Here, in a secluded hardwoodcove just off th\=l Appalachian Trail, master craftsman DrewLangsner has offered intimate classes on working green woodat his school, Country Workshops, since 1978. It's an inspiringenvironment for woodworkers of all levels.

At Country Workshops, you'll find yourself splitting out project parts from a recently felled oak log, sitting at a shavinghorse learning to use a drawknife and spokeshave, or crouchingin front of a hot steam box ready to pull out parts for bending.Typical classes include ladderback chairmaking, making a postand-rung rocking chair (see the class photo, below, with instructorTom Donahey), carving bowls and spoons, AmericanWindsor chairmaking, Japanese woodworking, and woodworking for women. For more information about class schedules andtuition fees, visit www.countryworkshops.org.


that passes through all three pieces of the

back-up.8. Rout a 5116-in.-wide chamfer on all the

exposed edges of the rails and legs.

BEGIN ASSEMBLY9. Support the rails with boxes or blocks

and assemble the rear end of the horse.

Install the backup (Photo 8). Note that it's

not glued, so you may remove it later for

modifications, if necessary.

10. Make the pivot (K and Fig. E). It

should be 1/8-in. thinner than the front leg

and rear spacer, so it may swing freely. Drill

its hole using the drill press. The pivot is

spring-loaded with an elastic shock or

bungee cord so that it will automatically tip

forward into the ratchets (Photo 9). Attach

a 6-in.-long cord halfway up the pivot's front

face using a large electrician's staple. Place

the pivot between the rails and pound in the

dowel on which it rotates. Clamp the pivot

in a horizontal position. Grip the free end

of the cord and stretch it back underneaththe pivot an extra inch or so to some point

on the underside of one rail. Mark the

point, then release the cord and remove the

dowel and pivot. Fasten the other end of the

cord to the rail, then re-install the pivot.

Make sure the pivot rotates easily; you may

have to sand the middle of its dowel to

achieve the proper fit.

MAKE THE LEVER ARMS11. Drill holes in the levers (D) and notch

their bottom ends to receive the treadle sup

port (N). Chamfer all four sides of both

levers. Note that the distance between the

levers is about 1/4-in. greater than the width

of the horse's body, so the levers are free to

swing without binding. In addition, note

that the length of the rotating jaw is about

I/~in. shorter than the distance between

the levers, so it, too, is free to'swing. Glue a

piece of thick leather to' one side of the

rotating jaw to help it grip a workpiece. The

rotating jaw may be placed in one of three

positions; install it in the upper position for

now. You may move it later, as needed, with

out taking the horse apart. The treadle (S)

slides in between the treadle support (N)

and the treadle cleats (T). To fasten the

treadle in place, just use a loose-fitting

duplex head nail in a pre-drilled hole or a

screw (Fig. A). This arrangement makes the

treadle easy to remove.12. Bolt together the lever arm assembly.

There are two washers that act as spacersbetween the lever arms and the backup. Toinstall these washers, tape them to the insidefaces of the lever arm assembly. Slide theassembly over the horse's front end (Photo10). Install the bolt through the levers andbackup, then remove the tape. Bolt on thehorse's front leg.

BUILD THE WORK SUPPORT13. Glue together the ratchet bar (E) and

ratchet (F). Plane them 1116 to 1I8-in. thinner than the space between the horse's rails.Test the fit of this assembly between the

horse's rails. It should easily slide up anddown. Layout the ratchets (Fig. G) and cutthem on the bandsaw (Photo 11).

14. Screw and glue the ratchet cheeks (G)to the ratchet bar. Glue and screw the lowerpart of the work support to this assembly.Saw a v-shaped notch in the upper half of

the work support, then glue and screw it tothe lower half. The notch will help hold

rounded workpieces.15. To install the work support, tilt the

lever arm assembly forward. Push down onthe pivot's back end and slide the supportdown between the horse's rails (Photo 12).When you release the pivot, it will springinto one of the ratchets and secure the worksupport in position.

ADD THE SEAT16. Build the seat using plywood, foam

rubber and leather or other durable upholstery material. Make the cle~t (P) 1/16-in.thinner than the distance between the rails,

so the seat is free to slide back and forth.You're ready to make shavings!

DESIGN ALTERNATIVESThese plans are easy to modify to suit

your needs or style of work. The seat isabout 20-in. high, so you may want to

change the length of the legs ifyou're tall or

short.Tom Donahey' uses bolts and dowels to

fasten together the major parts of the horse,which allows the user to take it apart forstorage, transportation, modification ormaintenance. Alternatively, you could gluethe parts together for a classier look, butthat would limit your options for makingmodifications.

1OInstallthe

lever-armassembly. Itswings on abolt that passes through thebackup piece.There's a washer betweeneach lever armand the backup, so the armswill swing free.Tape thesewashers inplace before-

11 Saw ratchets on the

column thatholds the worksupport. It'smade from twopieces gluedtogether. Use ahardwood that'shard to split, suchas sycamore orhard maple, forthe piece thatreceives theratchets.

12Assemblethe work

support, theninstall it by tippingback the springloaded pivot piece.

13when all isassembled,

add the seat. It'snot fasteneddown, but slidesbetween thehorse's rails. Thisway, you can easily adjust the seat'sposition to a comfortable distancefrom your workpiece.


SELFLOCKINGNUT (TYP.)

5/16" JCHAMFER

(TYP.)

DUPLEXHEAD NAIL

A

1/2" x 5"MACHINE

BOLT (TYP.)

5/16" x 3·1/2"LAGSCREW~

(TYP.) ~@

3/4" DENSEFOAM RUBBER

5/8" x 4-3/8" ,/DOWEL(TYP.)~

3/8" x8-1/2'~MACHINE

BOLT (TYP.)


1-1/4" DIA. COUNTERBORE,1/8" DEEP (TYP.) //// II~""""""~

.........',... '

FIGURE B RAIL1

-------18"'-------------1, 17"

1---- 9-3/8"-----!

FIGURE C FRONT LEG

1) CUTTHETOP ENDAT A 15° BEVELAND 15° MITER.

2) LAY OUT AND CUTA WEDGE-SHAPEDPIECE.

3) GLUE THE PIECEBACKONTHELEG'S OPPOSITESIDE.

c

20-1/4"WASTE

FIGURE D BACK LEG

15°

B22-1/2"

/" " 2"

-$--1-1/2"

-$--

-$-11 "

FIGURE H LEVER

D

3ri'..-$--t------LDIA.

(TYP.)

1-1I2"IINj

1/2" CHAMFER)

E(~2-112" #8 F.H.

SCREW (TYP.)

FIGURE G WORK SUPPORT

H

FIGURE F BACKUP

FIGURE E PIVOT

1----- 6"-----1

5/8" DIA.HOLESFROMRAIL

FIGURE J TREADLE FIGURE K SEAT

s

FIGURE L CUTIING DIAGRAM

24"

EN

~ 0.",,11 0",,,",", 5< L, >TW,33'!TT

Part Name Otv. Th x W x LSolid Wood

A Rail 2 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" x 48"B Front leo 1 1-1/2" x 4" x 22-1/2"C Back leo 2 1-1/2" x 4" x 20-1/4"0 Lever 2 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 32"E Ratchet bar 1 1-3/8" x 2-3/4" x 16"F Ratchet 1 1-3/8" x 3/4" x 16" (a)G Ratchet cheek 2 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 3-1/2"H Backuo bar 1 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 8-1/2"J Backup cheek 2 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 3"K Pivot 1 1-3/8" x 3-1/2" x 6" (b)L Rotating jaw 1 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 4-1/2" (clM Rear spacer 1 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 5-1/2"N Treadle support 1 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 7-5/8"P Seat cleat 1 1-7/16" x 1-3/4"x6"

PlvvvoodQ Work support 2 3/4" x 4-1/2" x 11-1/2"R Seat 1 3/4" x 10" x 16"S Treadle 1 3/4". x 9" x 12"T Treadle cleat 2 3/4" x 2-1/2" x 3"

HardwareFront leg bolts 2 1/2" x 5" with 2 SAE washers and a nut

Rear leo bolts 2 1/2" x 8" with 2 SAE washers and a nut

Lever arm and iaw bolts 2 3/8" x 8-1/2" with 4 washers and a nut

Treadle support lag bolts 2 5/16" x 3-1/2" with 2 washers

Backup and pivot dowels 3 5/8" x 4-3/8"Shock cord 1 3/8" x 6"

B (a) Hard maple or sycamore(b) Hard maple(c) Hard maple or white oak



Mission

antby Dave Munkittrick

H ere's a great project for displaying house

plants and adding a little charm to any cor

ner of your house. The tripod leg design is rock

steady, even on a tiled or uneven floor. The

wide bottom shelf can hold a large potted

plant and anchors tlle stand botl1 visually and

physically. The open top shelf can handle a vari

ety of plant or pot shapes and sizes.This stand is made witl1 riftsawn white oak.

The oak fits tl1e stand's quasi-Mission style and tl1e

straight riftsawn grain emphasizes the vertical thrust

of tl1e long tapered legs.Don't let the angles scare you; tl1is stand is easy to

build. First glue up blanks for the top and bottom

shelf (A and B, Fig. A, page 71). Take care to keep

the joint flush during glue-up. Use a belt or orbitalsander to sand the blanks smooth. Cut tl1e leg

blanks (C) to size, but leave them rectangular for

now. Next, head to the tablesaw and cut the angled

dados on the leg blanks (Photos 1 and 2).

Note: The photos show a right-tilt saw. For a left

tilt saw, the fence positions are just tl1e opposite.

Install a crosscut blade and cut tl1e 8-degree bevel

on tl1e bottom of each leg. Taper tl1e legs on tl1e

bandsaw (Photo 3). Then, head to tl1e router table

and rout a 22-1/2-degree chamfer around tl1e two

long inside edges and tl1e top of each leg. You'llneed to use tl1e fence for tl1is step instead of tl1e bit's

bearing, because of tl1e dados in tl1e legs.Finally, layout and cut tl1e two shelves (Photo 4).

Assemble tl1e stand and pre-drill shank and pilot

holes for the screws. Secure witl1 panhead screws

and finish with polyuretl1ane varnish to protect the

stand from overzealous watering.

2Move the fence over to the left side of the blade to cut thetop dado. Set the fence 1-1/2-in. from the blade for this cut.

4Cut the tri;ngular shelves using a miter gauge set to 60degrees. Nip off the two small corners on a miter saw.

1Cut the bottom dado with the blade tilted at 8-degreesand the fence set at 7-in.

3Taper the legs on a bandsaw. If you use a tapering jig,remember to double the angle when you cut the second

taper. If you saw the tapers freehand, clean the edges with a. hand plane or on the jointer.

14-9/16"

1

c

4-3/4"

,

,

4-311"/\, ,

,/ \\

l------ 5"=.....i

3 5" x 30-3/4" ,

1 8-1/4" x 12"1 14-9/16" x 21-1/4"

21-1/4"

Overall Dimensions: 56"l x 17' W x 33-1/2" T

Qt. ThxWxL

22-1120

CHAMFER

--"'- ...

CUTTING LIST

Bc

APart


FIGURE BSHELF DIMENSIONS

~~l#6 x 1-112"

ROUNDHEAD

SCREW


AMEmfANWOODWORKER.

Invites You toShare Your TalentYou know the rewards and frustrations of designing, buildingand finishing a project. Here's your chance to help othersbuild their skills. Tell us what you've learned and we'll put itin print (some conditions apply). For more information onsubmitting your stories for publication, email us [email protected].

Here's what we're looking for:• Woodworking Tips,Tricks and Jigs

We've all learned a few great shop tips or tricks.Send us yours!

• Project andTechnique StoriesShare your skills with fellow readers.

• Photos ofYour WorkHave a project you're particularly proud of?Show it off in our Woodworkers' Showcase.

• Photos of Your ShopShow others how you make things workin a big or small space.

Visit www.americanwoodworker.comfor more great tips, techniques andproject stories. While there, sign up for ourFREE American Woodworker Extra e-newsletter.

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TALL(FENCE

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The old saying, "necessity is the mother of invention" is certainly true when it comes to woodworking jigs and techniques. The "necessity" for mymultipurpose fence came in the form of a ciga~

humidor I recently built (see, "Asian InspiredHumidor," AW #134, March, 2008, p. 76). I firstbuilt the sliding tall fence to cut slots for the decorative splines in that project. Then I added thehold-downs to cut the raised panels for the humidor lid. With a few more modifications, I was ableto use my new sliding fence to safely resaw padauk& Spanish cedar used for the box liners.

The final result is the Multipurpose SlidingFence featured in this article. The fence acts like asled and safely holds the stock through the cut as itslides along my saw's stock fence. For operationsrequiring a fixed tall fence, like cutting grooves inplywood edges, the multipurpose fence can belocked down so it doesn't slide.

SIZING YOUR FENCEThe cut list gives specs for a tall fence that fits

over my Ryobi BT3100's existing fence. Since eachtablesaw is different, you must first determine theproper dimensions for the sled parts (B and C, Fig.A, p.75) based on your saw's fence. The sled fitsover the rip fence and needs to be as snug as possi-

1Build the tall fence to fit over your tablesaw's fence.The fit should be snug but still allow the fence to

slide easily.

2AddT-nuts, knobs, and bolts to lock down the fencewhen you make grooves or mount featherboards.


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ble yet slide smoothly. Keep in mind that the length ofthe fence dictates the length of the stock you can resaw.That said, a fence that is too long can be awkward to handle. Play around with the length and shoot for a compromise between capacity and ease of use on your saw.

BUILD THE BASIC FENCE1. Determine the best dimensions for your fence and

cut the fence and sled pieces (A, B & C) accordingly.Assemble the fence and give it a test ride (Photo 1). Ifnecessary, shim the fence so it is perfectly square withthe saw table.

2. Drill two holes on the backside of the sled side (B).Install T-nuts (Photo' 2). I used a pair of shop-madewood knobs with a carriage bolt glued through the center for the locks.

3. Layout the 45-degree reference lines for the miterspline fences on the face of the tall fence (Photo 3).

4. Cut two pieces of T-Track about 8-in. long and setthem into the face of the tall fence (Photo 4).

BUILD THE SPLlNECUTTING CRADLE

5. Cut the sacrificial fences (H, J) and bases (K). Theback sacrificial fence is slightly longer so it almosttouches the tablesaw top. The shorter front fence isheld up above the tablesaw surface to allow for adjustments to the saw blade and rip fence.

6. Attach the sacrificial fences to their bases withscrews only so the fences can easily be changed.

7. Temporarily secure the spline supports to thefence with screws (Photo 5).

8. Mark the hole locations for the T-track knobs.Remove the supports and drill holes for the knobs a bitoversize. This will make it easier to adjust and remove thesupports.

9. Reinstall and align the supports on the 45-degreemarks. Drill holes for an alignment dowel (Photo 6).

10. Remove the supports and glue dowels into thebases (Photo 7).

RESAW AND THIN STRIPRIP ACCESSORY

11. Attach the resaw hold-down side (D) to the bottom (E). Lay the hold-down across the tall fence andmark the center of the T-track. Drill two slightly oversized holes on the side for th.e T-track knobs.

12. Cut the sacrificial piece (F) and drill counter boreholes and through' pilot holes along its center for thescrews (Fig. A).

13. Attach the sacrificial piece to the bottom of thehold-down base with brass screws. If your sawblade doeshit a screw - brass will be much more forgiving.

Note: Eventually, the sacrificial piece will get wornout. You can remove it from the base and plane or rip it


to get a fresb surface. This can be done several timesprovided it leaves enough material to avoid cuttinginto the brass screws.

14. Draw a red line on the side of the sacrificial fenceto indicate where the screw heads start (Photo 8).

15. Add the hold-down "heel" (G, and Photo 9).Make sure the bottom of the heel is about 1/4-in. lowerthan the bottom of the sacrificial piece. Also, ifyou usesolid wood, make sure the grain runs vertically.

3To make the cradle for cutting spline slots, layout45-degree reference lines on the fence. Use them to

position the stock supports.

4Rout stopped dadoes in the face to house theTtrack. Use a chisel to square the ends.

5Align the spline supports on the 45-degree reference lines on the fence. Temporarily secure them

with screws. Mark the hole locations for the T-trackknobs on each support's base, then remove the supports and drill the holes.

SourcesRockier, www.rockler.com. (800) 279-4441, 2-Hold Down Clamps,

#21912, $6 each; 2-foot-long, 1/2-in.-deep Aluminum T-Track,

#21739, $8; 2- Five-Star Knobs 1/4"-20, #23804, $2 each; 2- 1/4"-20T-Slot Bolts, #37295, $6 per pack of five; 1/4"-20 Teenuts, #26054,$2 per pack of 8.

Part Name Qt Th x Wx LA Tall fence 1 3/4" x 10" x 20" (AjB Sled side 1 3/4" x 2-7/8" x 20" (A)C Sled to 1 3/4" x 1-9/16" x 20" (AjD Hold-down 1 3/4" x 3" x 20"

sideE Hold down - 1 Ply 3/4" x 2" x 20"

bottomF Hold-down Scrap 1-1/2" x 2" x 20"

sacrificial ieeeG Hold-down heel Sera 3/8" x 2" x 2-1/4"H Front miter Ply 3/4" x 2-1/4" x 12-1/2"

s line fenceJ Rear miter Ply 3/4" x 2-1/4" x 13"

s line fenceK Miter spline 2 Ply 3/4" x 2" x 11-1/4"

base

(A) The actual dimensions should be adjusted to fit the size ofthe tablesaw's depth and the rip fence.

E

F

3/8" x 1"COUNTER

BORE

#6X1"RH~JBRASS SCREW

FIGURE AEXPLODED VIEW

FENCE_ FACE

CUTTING LIST

BUILD YOUR SKILLS

Overall Oimensions: 20" W x 5" 0 x 10" H

6Reattach miter spline supports along the 45-degreelines using T-track bolts and knobs. Drill a hole for

an alignment dowel through the support's base andhalfway into the face of the tall fence.

8The hold-down is used for ripping and resawingsmall parts. Draw a warning line along the hold

down's sacrificial base to indicate where the screws areset in the counterbored holes below.

7GIUe dowels into the alignment holes so they protrude about 3/8-in. The dowels help to quickly align

the spline-cutting supports on the fence.

9Add a sacrificial heel at the back of the hold-down.The heel pushes the stock through the cut and pre

vents kickbacks. If you use solid wood for the heel,make sure the grain orientation is vertical, as shown.

American Woodworker- MAY 2008 75

BUILD YOUR SKILlS

USING THE SLIDING FENCE

Large panel stock can be clamped directly tothe tall fence. With small stock, clamps can'talways reach so it's best to use hold-downson the T-track.

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Use the stock clamped onto the support toadjust the blade height and fence positionfor each cut.

Use a square to set the rear support at 90degrees. Then layout the tenon on yourstock and clamp it onto the support.

CUT TENONS

CUT RAISED PANELS

Set the saw's fence for the desired spline slotposition. Then set the blade height for thedesired slot depth.

To cut spline slots, first attach the spline supports. Slide the bolt in the T-track and insertthe dowel into the predrilled hole. Align thefence to the guidelines on the face of thefence and tighten the T-track knob.

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Clamp your project in the cradle created bythe two supports and you're ready to cutspline slots.

CUT SPLINE SLOTS


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BUILD YOUR SKILLS

THIN RIPS

To cut thin strips, set the saw fence for thedesired strip thickness. Set the blade a little higher than the stock to be cut. Note: Use 'a zeroclearance throat plate to prevent offcuts fromjamming between the blade and the throat plate.

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STOCK-~

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Attach the hold-down to the tall fence andlower it onto your stock. Tighten the knobsand you're ready to rip. Note:The stockneeds to be wider than the hold down so itcan be held against the fence as the cut ismade.

CUT DADOES/RABBETS

RESAW NARROW STOCK

The setup for resawing is identical to rippingthin strips. If the stock is taller than your sawblade, make one cut, then flip the board endfor end and cut again. Place a featherboardin front of the blade, to hold the stockagainst the multipurpose fence, and a zeroclearance throat plate.

CUT GROOVES

To cut a groove on the edge of a long, wideboard, lock the tall fence to the rip fence.Then, adjust the blade height and fence position and start grooving. Use featherboardsfor additional stability.

The tall fence can also be used as a base for verticalfeatherboards. Use this setup to guarantee a uniformdepth on dadoes and rabbets. Simply clamp the tallfence to the saw's fence and add two featherboardsusing the same bolts and knobs as for the holddowns.


Ripsaw Attachment lets you gangrie with power feed in a fractionof the time.

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AM~~RICi\.NWOOO\VORKER FREE PRODUCT INFORMATION

BITS, BLADES & CUTTING TOOLS

AMANA TOOL Amana Tool - Offers the broadestrange of industrial grade carbide cutting toolsin the industry. Immediate delivery of router bits,spiral/CNC bits, saw blades, panel saw blades,coring bits, shaper heads, etc. For more information, call 800-445-0077 or visit www.amanatool.com. Circle 2.

FEIN POWER TOOLS For over 130 years Feinhas researched and developed better solutionsto take the place of time consuming manual labor.Superior quality is in every tool we make. Formore information, call 800-441-9878 or visit www.feinus.com. Circle 47.

FREUD, INC. Freud Router Bits - This 84-page,full-color catalog includes detailed information onFreud's extensive selection of high quality routerbits and sets. For more information, call 800-3344107 or visit www.freudtools.com. Circle 12.

G&G INDUSTRIES, INC Saw-Jaw makes sawblade changes more hassle-free than ever. Itsecurely holds blades while they are beinginstalled or removed. Available from many finedealers. For more information, call 800-998-2423or visit www.saw-jaw.com. Circle 147.

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CATALOGS

GRIZZLY Free color catalog of over 12,000woodworking and metalworking machines, toolsand accessories all at incredible prices! For moreinformation, call 800-523-4777 or visit www.griz·zly.com. Circle 14.

JET EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS JET family brandsPerformax, Powermatic and JET machinery catalog provides complete information with availableaccessories. Circle 17.

LEE VALLEY The Lee Valley Hardware catalogfeatures over 250 pages of cabinet hardware in awide variety of styles and finishes. The Lee Valleyand Veritas Woodworking Tools catalog providesa large selection of quality and hard-to-find handtools, woodworking supplies and power tool accessories. For more information, call 800-871-8158or visit WWW.leevalley.com. Circle 9.

LOWE'S WOODWORKERS FREE Membership inLowe's Woodworkers! Sign up and you'll receiveThe Woodpost - seasonal newsletters via U.S.Mail. project plans, advice from experts, and muchmore. Go to www.lowes.com or www.amerieanwoodworker.com to sign up! Circle 46.

M.L. CONDON CO. Handy catalog featuring fullcolor photographs of 40 woods, a complete listing of available species and sizes, and selectedmoulding profiles. Circle 171.

PACKARD WOODWORKS Specializes in products for Woodturners. Our 88-page catalog haspenmaking supplies, tools, books, videos andmuch more. For more information call, 800-6838876 or visit www.packardwoodworks.com.Circle 148.

RIKON POWER TOOLS FREE CATALOG ContactRIKON Power Tools for a free catalog at catalogre[email protected], 877-884-5167 or visit www.rikontools.com. Circle 52.

GENERAL TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTSPOCK'IT JIG KITS for easy pocket hole joinery.DOWL SIMP'L KITS for easy doweling joinery.JOINT'R CLAMP KITS for jointerless joinery andeasy STRAIGHTLINE RIPPING of crooked boards.Our credo: "Keep it simple, easy to use, low cost,and WORKS EVERY TIME." Circle 44.

WOODCRAFT SUPPLY CO.RP. Our free catalogfeatures over 6,000 woodworking tools, books,lumber, and hardware. Same day shipping and anunconditional guarantee. Circle 165.

DUST COLLECTION

JDS COMPANY - AIR FILTRATION JDS offersquality air filtration units for all size shops. Ournew, Model-ER, is equipped with an LCD remotecontrol with speed and timer functions - for largerareas our Models 8-12, 10-16, and 2400 are available. "Put the Force to Work in Your Shop". Ournew 1.5 H.P. dust collector is the perfect additionto our award winning line of filtration units - powerful (1250 CFM) portable and ready to work for you!For more information, call 800-480-7269 or visitwww.thejdscompany.com. Circle 18.

ONEIDA AIR SYSTEMS Provides cost effec-tive, state-of-the-art dust collection techhology tawoodworking shops. We design and m~nufactureindustrial grade dust collection systems, 1.5 hpto 20 hp and will provide an engineered ductworkdiagram along with a complete parts list- For moreinformation, visit www.oneida-air.com.lj:::!rcle 27.

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HANDTOOLS

BRIDGE CITY TOOLS WORKS Serving woodworkers worldwide for over 24 years. Hand planes,chisels, Japanese saws, squares and many moreessential tools for the serious woodworker. Formore information call 800-253-3332 or visit us atwww.bridgecitytools.com Circle 104.

COOKS SAW Get Into Wood! Increase profits bycutting your own lumber with an Accu-Trac portable sawmill. Free catalog, demonstration videoalso available.For more information, call 800-4734804 or visit www.cookssaw.com. Circle 114.

LEE VALLEY Our annual full-line WoodworkingTools catalog, now over 250 pages, displays alarge selection of quality and hard-to-find handtools, woodworking supplies, and power tool accessories. For more information, call 800-871-8158or visit www.leevalley.com. Circle 21.

LUMBER

GROFF & GROFF LUMBER Supplier of premiumgrade domestic and imported lumbers. 4/4through 16/4 thickness. Kiln dried. No orders toolarge or too small. Shipping anywhere. For moreinformation call 800-342-0001 or email [email protected]. Circle 125.

MISCELLANEOUS

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RECHARGEABLE BATTERY RECYCLING CORPORATION You can help protect our environmentby recycling the rechargeable batteries found inyour cordless power tools. To find a participatingdrop-off location visit www.caIl2recycle.org or calltoll-free 877-2-RECYCLE. Circle 49.

VILLAGE ORIGINALS INC. U.S. distributor ofSeiko battery clock movements and all accessories. For more information, call 800-899-1314 orvisit www.villageseiko.com. Circle 162.

ZOYSIA Want a better lawn? Start with great grass- Zoysia Farm Nurseries, saving customers time,work and money since 1952. For more information call 410-756-2311 or visit www.zoysiafarms.com/mag. Circle 48.

POWER TOOLS

CRAFTSMAN TOOLS Available at Sears andSears Hardware Stores; or call 800-377-7414 toorder your free copy of the "Craftsman Power andHand Tool" catalog. visit us on the web at www.sears.com/craftsman. Circle 7.

DELTA MACHINERY Manufactures the world'smost complete line of woodworking machineryand accessories for use in home workshops andconstruction trades. For more information, call800-438-2486 or visit www.deltamachinery.com.Circle 8.

FEIN POWER TOOLS For over 130 years Feinhas researched and developed better solutionsto take the place of time consuming manual labor.Superior quality is in every tool we make. Formore information, call 800-441-9878 or visit www.feinus.com. Circle 11.

LAGUNA TOOLS Laguna Tools imports qualityEuropean woodworking machines, many of whichare designed for the American woodworker.We feature an extensive range of combinationmachines, award-winning bandsaws, lathes,table saws, jointers, planers. Find out how we aretaking the woodworking industry by storm with ourinnovative designs that will help you make the bestcut every time. Or learn more about our patentedResaw King blade and Laguna Guide system thatmakes cutting on a bandsaw a delight. Call today800-234-1976 for our FREE demonstration video(DVD's available on some machines), or visit ourwebsite at www.lagunatools.com. Circle 20.

NORWOOD INDUSTRIES INC. Sawmill $4,690. Allnew Super Lumbermate 2000, larger capacities,more options. Manufacturers of sawmills, edgersand skidders. Call 800-661-7746 ext. 348 or visitwww.norwoodindustries.com. Circle 144.

PORTER-CABLE Receive a free 128-pagecatalog featuring Porter-Cable's full offering ofpower tools, air nailers and staplers, compressors,and related accessories. For more information, call800-465-TOOL or visit www.porter-cable.comCircle 29.

WOODWORKING SUPPLIES & ACCESSORIESRIKON P-OWER TOOLS RIKON manufacturesa variety of stationary woodworking power tools.Listening to our customers' needs and expectations helps RIKON to provide the best productfor the woodworker. RIKON strives to not onlyhave excellent quality products but outstandingcustomer service and satisfaction. RIKON products are designed by woodworkers and customerfeedback and include: Bandsaws, Drill Presses,Jointers, Sanders, Table Saw and Lathes. Formore information, call 877-884-5167 or visit www.rikontools.com. Circle 52.

RYOBITOOLS Ryobi's 18V Super Combo Kitcomes with a drill, circular saw, reciprocating sawand flashlight ...all for just $199. For more information contact us at 800-525-2579 or visit www.ryobitools.com. Circle 32

TRADESMAN Where Great Projects Begin! Introducing our newest line of innovative Bench PowerTools and Pneumatics. Our products provide quality performance and features at an exceptionalvalue. For more information call 800-243-5114 orvisit www.tradesman-rexon.com. Circle 43.

STEEL CITY TOOL WORKS Not the new kids onthe blockl We are using our 250 years of experience to bring you tools with meaningful features.a fair price, and the longest warranty in thebusiness. For more information, call 615-225-9001.Circle 50.

. WOODMASTER TOOLS - DRUM SANDER Seewhy Woodmaster's 26", 38' & 50' Drum Sandersare rated #1 by independent experts. Free reportFor more information, call 800-821-6651 or visitW\!'lw.woodmastertools.com. Circle 38.

WOODMASTER TOOLS - PLANER Sae how youcan quickly turn $5 rough soc into 75 worth ofmolding with a Woodmaster Molder/PlanerlSanderl Saw. Free facts. For more informa ion, call800-821-6651 or visit www.woodmastertools.com.Circle 39.

WOODSTOCK INTERNATIONAL, INC. ShopFox Woodworking Machines offer industrial levelquality, proprietary features, and very affordableprices. Ask about them at your local woodworkingsupplier. For more information, call 800-840-8420or visit www.shopfox.biz. Circle 37.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP COMPANY The Adjustable Clamp Company has been manufacturingqualityhand tools and accessories for almost 100 years.Jorgensen, Pony and Adjustable products havebeen preferred worldwide by fine woodworkers,shop experts, professionals and do-it-yourselferssince 1903. For more information, visit our websitewww.adjustableclamp.com. Circle 1.

THE CRAFTSMAN GALLERY The CraftsmanGallery - Demonstrates and supplies WoodRatjoinery machines and accessories throughout theUSA and Canada. Develops products that enhance WoodRat capabilities. For more informationvisit www.chipsfly.com. Circle 115.

EPOXYHEADS EpoxyHeads brand resin,hardener and additives are the tools you need tobuild or fix just about anything in your home neatlyand permanently. EpoxyHeads epoxy adheres towood, tile, masonry, plastic and more. For moreinformation, call 866-376-9948 or visit www.epoxyheads.com. Circle 10.

GORILLA GLUE The Toughest Glue on PlanetEarth"". Gorilla Brand Premium Glue is the finestglue available for bonding wood, stone, metal ceramics, plastics, and more. Incredibly strong and100% waterproof. For more information, call 800966-3458 or visit www.gorillaglue.com. Circle 15.

JDS COMPANY - ACCU-MITER The Accu-Miter isthe ultimate professional miter gauge. Built to lastthrough years of serious work, demanding craftsmen love the precision, accuracy and convenientfeatures. Tapered shotpin mechanism assuresdead-on accuracy. Adjustable bar providesperfect fit to your saw. Telescoping inner fenceand micro adjusting flipstop makes cross cutting abreeze. For more information, call 800-480-7269 orvisit www.thejdscompany.com .Circle 19.

LEIGH INDUSTRIES Leigh offers router joineryjigs, including the D4 Dovetail Jig, which cutsThrough, Half-blind and Sliding dovetails up to 1"thick. They also make jigs for mortise & tenons, finger joints and Isoloc™ joints. For more information,call 800-663-8932 or visit www.leighjigs.com.

L1GNOMAT Lignomat offers two lines of hardwoodmoisture meters, with and without pins. Ask aboutou~ free brochure to find out which instrument bestsuits your needs. For more information, call 800227-2105. Circle 134.

MLCS MLCS offers a huge selection of carbidetipped router bits and boxed sets, raised paneldoor sets, shaper cutters, solid carbide bits,Forstner bits, plus our unique line of clamps, tools,& supplies. Free shipping and excellent qualityguaranteed I Visit www.mlcswoodworking.com orcall toll-free 800-533-9298. Circle 22.

OSBORNE WOOD PRODUCTS, INC. Manufacturers of stock and custom wood parts such as tablelegs, tapered legs, balusters, newel posts madefrom alder, cherry, maple and oak. Free catalog.For more information, call 800-849-8876 or visitwww.osbornewood.com. Circle 146.

PENN STATE INDUSTRIES Penn State Industriesoffers quality woodworking equipment and supplies. For a FREE catalog visit us on the web atwww.pennstateind.com or call toll-free 1-800377-7297 Circle 28.

ROCKLER Rocker is the #1 resource for hinges,slides and other hard-to-find hardware. We featurean exclusive line of jigs, shop tables for bandsaws, drill presses, routers as well as exotic anddomestic hardwoods. For more information, call800-403-9736 or visit www.rockler.com. Circle151. .

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WOODWORKERS SOURCE Over 25 years ofexperience supplying woodworkers more than 100woods from around the world - lumber, turningstock, and veneers. Quantitydiscounts, worldwideshipping and guaranteed satisfaction. Comprehensive website includes detailed information oneach wood and provides for ordering exotic anddomestic hardwood online. For more informationcall us at1-800-423-2450, Extn. 110 or visit www.woodworkerssource.com. Circle 168.

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AMERICAN WOODWORKER'" MAY 2008 83

The 8' x 15' EndlessPool® fits into existingspaces such as basements,garages, decks and patios. Nocrowded pools, no heavy chlorine, no flip-turns.

Already own a pool? Ask about the FASTLANE'by £MIen Pooa_l~c.

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Above prices are for 100' Above prices are 20 bd. ft.quantities of kilndried rough bundtes of clear kilndried iumlumber sold by theBd. Ft. FOB ber3"·10"wide·Mayodan, NC. Can for quan· dom widths & ItitydisCQunts.Othersizesand 2sJdesorrough. PSgrades available. prepaid in the Continental U.S.

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AMERICAN WOODWORKER'" MAY 2008 85

The Offutt Air Force Base woodshop is locatedin the historic Martin Bo~ber Building.

Lt JonSward builds furniture during off-duty

. ' n to all ser-hours. Military woodshops are opevicemen and women.


WHERE OUR READERS LIVE

Air Force WoodshopI share my workshop with about 12,000 others. It's the mil

itary woodshop at Offutt Air Force Base (AFB), near Omaha,Nebraska. Military woodshops exist on large bases and postsaround the world. They're open to all military personnel(including dependents and retirees) on a pay-per-use basis.

Offutt AFB is home of the "Fightin' 55th" Wing andSTRATCOM (Strategic Command). The Offutt woodshopoccupies part of the basement in the "bomber building," inwhich Martin B-17, .13-26 and B-29 bombers were manufactured during WWII. In another building across the runway,the Enola Gay and Bockscar B-29 bombers were preparedfor their historic missions over Japan.

The Offutt woodshop has spacious work stations andduplicates of every major stationary tool. Routers, sanders,and other portable tools can be signed out for use in theshop. The shop has a separate finishing room and anextensive library of woodworking books and magazines.Large stocks of lumber and plywood are maintained andoffered for sale.

When my wife and.1 were first married, we couldn'tafford to buy any furniture. So as a young airman, I spentevery evening at the base woodshop. We slept on thefloor until I made a bed, sat on the floor until I made acouch and so on. We've been married for more thantwenty-five years now, and I still build most of our furni-

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ture. I also yolunteer as a teacher at the base woodshop.The Offutt hop attracts many young airmen who are new

to woodworking, so we offer classes on basic woodworkingand tool use. Completing a shop safety class is required. Moreadvanced classes include cabinetmaking and woodturning.Military items are popular projects, of course (plaques, flagboxes, shadow boxes for retirements, squadron coin holders,etc.). The largest item buill here was a houseboat, whichalmost didn't make it through the wide-open bay door!

One certain thing- about the military is that we moveoften! And when we move, things get broken. When I wasstationed in Germany, we offered furniture and antiquerepair through the woodshop, and it was a thriving business.We're planning to add furniture repair to our services atOffutt in the near future, because making the woodshopmonetarily self-sufficient is one of our primary goals.

Jeff BruceOffutt APB, Nebraska

Tell us about your shop!Send us photos of your shop, a layout drawing and a description of what makes your shop interesting. Tell us what you make in it and what makesyour shop important to you. If "My Shop" features your shop, you'll receive $100.

E-mail your entry to [email protected] with digital photos attached. Or mail your description with prints or digitalphotos on a disc to My Shop, American Woodworker, 1285 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 180, Eagan, MN 55121. Please include your phonenumber. Submissions cannot be returned and become our property on acceptance and payment. We may edit submissions and use themin all print and electronic media.


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AMERICAN extraWOODWORKERHere's vvhat you'll get:

• quick tips• skill-building and technique articles• shop-improvement ideas• free project plans• tool news and buying advice

CRAZY MISTAKES WOODWORKERS MAKE

EGG-OH!My fiancee and I

planned an April wedding. To celebrateour marriage, I decid-ed to turn a very spe-cial Easter egg on mylathe. In addition tosegmented rings ofmaple and ebony, this eggwould have a laminatedband that matched ourwedding colors. Tiny bellsplaced inside the egg's hollow center would mimicwedding bells whenevermy bride-to-be shook it.

This egg took forever to make, but I enjoyedevery minute. I chose spray-on urethane for the finish and polished the surface with fine sandpaperafter each coat. The egg looked absolutely gorgeous-until I sprayed on the final coat. This timethe finish looked milky white, and it was tacky-really tacky. I was mystified until I looked at the can, andthen I nearly fainted. I'd used spray adhesiveinstead of urethane! Both cans were the samecolor-I'd grabbed the wrong one and hadn't bothered to check the label. Doh! Fortunately, I was ableto remove the adhesive by scrubbing the egg withmineral spirits and fine steel wool.

Jack Welch

STAR STRUCK

Even though I had very little woodworking experience, I managed to gethired by a local cabinetmaker. One of my first jobs was to help him installnew kitchen cabinets at a customer's house.

My employer asked me to mount drawer slides on all the drawers. I hadmounted slides before, so I felt reasonably confident-until the homeownerpulled out his video camera and pointed it directly at me. I tried to look cooland collected as I installed tlie first pair of slides. But the camera's brightlight completely unnerved me, especially when I noticed that I had mounted the slides at the top of the drawer, instead of the bottom. Ack! Althoughmy stomach was churning, I smiled confidently into the camera and reachedfor the next drawer.

Fortunately, the customer turned the camera-and his attention-to myemployer. I furtively removed the slides from the first drawer and mountedthem the correct way. Then I quickly learned how to use wood putty.

Philip Gebbia


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Make your woodworking mistakes pay! Send us

your most memorable "Whatwas I thinking?" blunders.You'll receive $100 for eachone we print E-mail tooops@americanwoodworker.com or send to AW Oops!,American Woodworker,1285 Corporate Center Drive,

Suite180, Eagan, MN 55121.Submissions can't be returnedand become our propertyupon acceptance and payment We may edit submissions and use them in all printand electronic media.

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American Woodworker - 135 (May 2008)

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Transcript of American Woodworker - 135 (May 2008)