November 2003 Popular Woodworking - Woodtools

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popwood.com$4.99U.S. $7.99CAN

TOOLS RUN BETTER ON 240-VOLT POWER – WE PROVE ITSPECIAL BONUS SECTION: COMPLETE GUIDE TO PLUNGE ROUTERS

NOVEMBER 2003ISSUE #137

PERFECT TABLE SAW19 Simple Steps to Better-than-new Performance

Arts & CraftsOccasional TableCrazy Rabbet Joint isYour Secret Weapon

PLUS•Why You Need a Shoulder Plane• 5 Easy Finishes for Feisty Pine • We Make the Case for Wine

TOOL TEST:We Punish 12 Jigsaws;3 Live to Tell the Tale

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• 1 HP, SINGLE-PHASE, 110/220V, TEFC MOTOR• PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON 25" X 25" TABLE TILTS TO 45°• STROKE LENGTH: 11⁄2"• FLOOR-TO-TABLE HEIGHT: 351⁄2"• 1725 RPM SPINDLE SPEED• SPINDLE OSCILLATES AT 72 SPM• INCLUDES 100 GRIT SLEEVE

FOR EACH SPINDLE & GROUNDSTEEL TABLE INSERTS

• 10 TAPERED & THREADED SPINDLE SIZES• PERMANENTLY LUBRICATED BALL BEARINGS• BUILT-IN 4" DUST COLLECTION PORT• APPROX. SHIPPING WEIGHT: 300 LBS.

• 3 HP, SINGLE-PHASE, 220V MOTOR• PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON TABLE• TABLE SIZE (W/ WINGS ATTACHED): 401⁄8" X 27"• EXTRA-LARGE HANDWHEELS• CUTTING CAPACITY: 8" L & 26" R OF BLADE• MAXIMUM DEPTH OF CUT @ 90°: 3"

• MAXIMUM DEPTH OF CUT @ 45°: 21⁄8"• 5⁄8" DIAMETER ARBOR

ACCEPTS DADO BLADESUP TO 13⁄16"

• APPROX. SHIPPINGWEIGHT: 467 LBS.

MOTOR COVER& DUST HOOD

INCLUDED

• 1 HP, SINGLE-PHASE, 110V/220V MOTOR• PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON TABLE: 135⁄8" SQ.• SPINDLE TAPER: MT#3• SPINDLE TRAVEL: 43⁄4"• SWING: 17"• DRILL CHUCK: 5⁄8"• 12 SPEEDS: 210, 310, 400, 440, 630, 670,

1260, 1430, 1650, 2050, 2350, 3300 RPM• DRILLING CAPACITY: 1” STEEL• OVERALL HEIGHT: 641⁄2"• TABLE TILTS 90˚ IN BOTH DIRECTIONS• APPROX. SHIPPING WEIGHT: 275 LBS.

• 11⁄2 HP, SINGLE-PHASE, 110/220V MOTOR• PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON TABLE• TABLE SIZE (W/ WINGS ATTACHED): 271⁄8" X 405⁄8"• CUTTING CAPACITY AT 90°: 31⁄8" AND AT 45°: 21⁄8"• 5⁄8" X 11⁄4" ARBOR ACCEPTS DADO BLADES• MAXIMUM RIPPING CAPACITY: 24"

• APPROXIMATE SHIPPINGWEIGHT: 220 LBS.

• 5 HP, 220V DRUM MOTOR DRIVES 2 ALUMINUM SANDING DRUMS• 1⁄4 HP CONVEYOR MOTOR: VARIABLE SPEED• CONTROL PANEL WITH AMP LOAD METER• HANDLES STOCK UP TO 231⁄2" WIDE AND 41⁄4" THICK• HOOK AND LOOP SANDPAPER INSTALLS EASILY ONTO THE DRUMS• INDUSTRIAL RUBBER CONVEYOR BELT • 2 - 4" DIA. DUST PORTS

• APPROXIMATESHIPPINGWEIGHT: 495 LBS.

• MOTOR: 1 HP, TEFC, 110V / 220V SINGLE-PHASE

• PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON TABLE: 14" X 14"• 2 SPEEDS: 1500 & 3200 FPM

• CUTTING CAPACITY/THROAT: 131⁄2"• MAXIMUM CUTTING HEIGHT: 6"• QUICK CHANGE BLADE

RELEASE/TENSIONING

• TABLE TILT: 45° RIGHT, 10° LEFT

• FENCE: DELUXE EXTRUDED ALUMINUM

• WHEELS: FULLY BALANCED CAST

ALUMINUM WITH RUBBER TIRES

• BLADE SIZE: 921⁄2" - 931⁄2"(1⁄4" TO 3⁄4" WIDE)

• BALL BEARING BLADE GUIDES

• 4" DUST PORT

• INCLUDES ONE 3⁄8" BLADE

• APPROXIMATE SHIPPING

WEIGHT. 210 LBS.

• MOTOR: TEFC CAPACITOR START INDUCTION,2 HP, SINGLE-PHASE, 60 HZ, 110V/220V

• PRECISION GROUND CASTIRON TABLE: 17" X 17" X 11⁄2" THICK

• CUTTING CAPACITY HEIGHT: 12"• CUTTING CAPACITY LEFT OF BLADE: 161⁄4"• WHEELS ARE FULLY-BALANCED CAST

ALUMINUM WITH RUBBER TIRES• DELUXE EXTRUDED ALUMINUM RIP FENCE• BLADE GUIDES: EURO-STYLE ROLLER DISC• BLADE SIZE: 132" X 1⁄8" - 1" (STANDARD 1⁄2")

• 2 SPEEDS: 1600, 3300 FPM• 4" DUST PORT X 2• TABLE TILT 10° LEFT, 45° RIGHT

• QUICK CHANGE BLADE RELEASE/TENSIONINGWITH BLADE TENSIONER INDICATOR

• HEIGHT FROM FLOOR TO TABLE: 371⁄2"• APPROXIMATE SHIPPING WEIGHT: 321 LBS.

2 HP DUST COLLECTOR

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FREECYCLONE SEPARATOR!

• MOTOR SIZE: 2 HP, 220V SINGLE-PHASE

• PORTABLE BASE SIZE: 211⁄2" X 331⁄2"• STATIC PRESSURE: 12.3"• AIR SUCTION CAPACITY: 1550 CFM• STANDARD BAG FILTRATION: 30 MICRON

• MOTOR AMP DRAW: 12 AMPS (220V ONLY)• APPROX. SHIPPING WEIGHT: 130 LBS.

• MOTOR: 2 HP, SINGLE-PHASE, 60 HZ, 110V/220VTEFC CAPACITOR START INDUCTION,

• PRECISION GROUND CAST IRONTABLE: 19" X 19" X 11⁄2" THICK

• CUTTING CAPACITY LEFT OF BLADE: 181⁄4"• CUTTING CAPACITY HEIGHT: 12"• 2 SPEEDS: 1700, 3600 FPM• BLADE SIZE: 143" X 1⁄8" - 11⁄4"• QUICK CHANGE BLADE RELEASE/TENSIONING• WHEELS ARE FULLY-BALANCED CAST

ALUMINUM WITH POLYURETHANE TIRES• DELUXE EXTRUDED ALUMINUM RIP FENCE

• BLADE GUIDES: ROLLER DISC• BLADE TENSION INDICATOR

• MICRO ADJUSTING GEAR TABLE• 4" DUST PORT X 2• TABLE TILT 10° LEFT, 45° RIGHT• APPROXIMATE SHIPPING

WEIGHT: 383 LBS.

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• 2 HP, SINGLE-PHASE,110V MOTOR, 15 AMPS

• MAX. CUTTING WIDTH: 121⁄2"• MAX. CUTTING DEPTH: 1⁄16"• 2 HSS KNIVES

• FEED RATE: 25 FPM

• ON/OFF TOGGLE SWITCH

• MAX. CUTTING HEIGHT: 6"• MIN. BOARD THICKNESS: 3⁄16"• CUTTERHEAD RPM: 8,540• 57 CUTS PER INCH

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• MAX. CUTTING HEIGHT: 61⁄8"• MAX. CUTTING DEPTH: 1⁄8"• NUMBER OF KNIVES: 3 HSS• ALL BALL BEARING CONSTRUCTION


WEIGHT: 440 LBS.

• 2 HP, 220V, SINGLE-PHASE MOTOR

• PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON BED

• CUTTERHEAD SPEED: 5000 RPM• RATE OF FEED: 16 FPM & 20 FPM• MAX. CUTTING WIDTH: 147⁄8"

• 3 HP, 220V, SINGLE-PHASE MOTOR

• 253⁄4" X 20" PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON TABLE

• CUTTERHEAD SPEED: 4833 RPM• RATE OF FEED: 16 FPM & 20 FPM• MAX. CUTTING WIDTH: 20"• MAX. CUTTING HEIGHT: 85⁄8"• MAX. CUTTING DEPTH: 1⁄8" • NUMBER OF KNIVES: 4 HSS

• DUST EXHAUST HOOD

HAS 5" DUST PORT


WEIGHT: 785 LBS.

4 BLADECUTTERHEAD!

• MOTOR: HEAVY-DUTY 11⁄2 HP, 110/220V• 2 INTERCHANGEABLE SPINDLES: 1⁄2" AND 3⁄4"• TWO SPINDLE SPEEDS: 7,000 AND 10,000 RPM• TABLE SIZE: 201⁄4" X 18"• SPINDLE TRAVEL: 3"• SPINDLE OPENINGS:

11⁄4", 31⁄2", AND 5"• FLOOR-TO-TABLE HEIGHT: 331⁄2"• MAXIMUM CUTTER DIAMETER: 5"• APPROX. SHIPPING WEIGHT: 220 LBS.

• HEAVY-DUTY 3 HP, SINGLE-PHASE, 220V MOTOR W/REVERSING SWITCH• 3 INTERCHANGEABLE SPINDLES: 1⁄2", 3⁄4" AND 1"• TWO SPINDLE SPEEDS: 7,000 AND 10,000 RPM• 3" SPINDLE TRAVEL• SPINDLE OPENINGS: 13⁄8",

23⁄4", 4", AND 51⁄2"• PRECISION GROUND CAST

IRON TABLE• TABLE SIZE WITH STANDARD

WING ATTACHED: 301⁄2" X 281⁄4"• FLOOR-TO-TABLE HEIGHT: 34"• APPROX. SHIPPING WEIGHT: 353 LBS.

• 1 HP, 110/220V, SINGLE-PHASE MOTOR

• 6" X 47" PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON TABLE

• RABBETING CAPACITY: 1⁄2"• MAX. DEPTH OF CUT: 1⁄2"• 3-KNIFE BALL BEARING CUTTERHEAD

• SUPER HEAVY-DUTY, CENTER MOUNTED FENCE IS 4" X 291⁄4"• INFEED & OUTFEED TABLES HAVE HANDWHEELS FOR CONVENIENT

TABLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT

• POWDER COATED PAINT

• STEEL STAND HAS

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WEIGHT: 215 LBS.

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PUSH BLOCKS

• 11⁄2 HP, 220V, SINGLE-PHASE MOTOR• SUPER HEAVY-DUTY PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON BED• 3-KNIFE CUTTERHEAD IS 3" IN DIA. AND RUNS IN

SHIELDED, PRE-LUBRICATED BALL BEARINGS• MAX. DEPTH OF CUT: 1⁄2"• INFEED TABLE HAS RABBETING LEDGE• HEAVY-DUTY CENTER-MOUNTED FENCE

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15" WIDE-BELT SANDER(OPEN END)

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• SANDING BELT MOTOR: 5 HP• BELT FEED MOTOR: 1⁄4 HP• REQUIRES SINGLE-PHASE, 220V

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X 321⁄2"D X 35"W• APPROX. SHIPPING

WEIGHT: 922 LBS.

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8" X 75" JOINTERWITH 4 BLADE CUTTERHEAD

• 2 HP, 110V/220V, SINGLE-PHASE MOTOR• 8" X 75" PRECISION GROUND CAST IRON TABLE

• MAXIMUM DEPTH OF CUT: 1⁄2"• 3" DIAMETER CUTTERHEAD RUNS IN

SHIELDED, PRE-LUBRICATED BALL BEARINGS• 4-HSS CUTTERHEAD KNIVES ARE 8" X 1⁄8" X 1"• CUTTERHEAD RPM: 5,500• CUTS PER MINUTE: 22,000• MAGNETIC SWITCH WITH THERMAL OVERLOAD PROTECTOR• APPROXIMATE SHIPPING

WEIGHT: 461 LBS.

P

contents

popwood.com 3

Popular Woodworking (ISSN 0884-8823, USPS 752-250) is published seven times a year in February, April, June, August,October, November and December by F&W Publications Inc. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 4700 E. GalbraithRoad., Cincinnati, OH 45236; tel.: 513-531-2222. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork should include amplepostage on a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE); otherwise they will not be returned. Subscription rates: A year’ssubscription (7 issues) is $28; outside of U.S add $7/year ■ Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 40025316. Canadian returnaddress: 2744 Edna St., Windsor, ON N8Y 1V2 ■ Copyright © 2003 by Popular Woodworking. Periodicals postage paid atCincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box5369, Harlan, IA 51593 Canada GST Reg. # R122594716 ■ Produced and printed in the U.S.A.

28

IN EVERY ISSUE

18 Filtering Without FumblingTRICKS OF THE TRADE

A coffee maker inspires the perfect way to filter finishes.Also, find out the ideal way to make a zero-clearancethroat insert, and learn how to make the ultimate tool forcleaning the bottoms of your mortises.

26 Low-angle Jack PlaneENDURANCE TEST

This Lie-Nielsen tool is well-made, simple to set up andquite possibly the perfect plane.

28 Fisch’s Belt/Disc SanderTOOL TEST

This machine is designed for woodworking, not metal-working. Also reviewed: new Ashley Iles chisels andFestool’s mini-vacuum.

32 Heading for the HillsGREAT WOODSHOPS

After years of teaching at a prominent woodworkingschool, Lonnie Bird opened his own school at the foot of the Great Smokey Mountains.

36 Living on the EdgePOWER-TOOL JOINERY

The edge joint is simple to learn, easy to master and oneof the most fundamental joints to all woodworking.By Bill Hylton

40 Wooden SpokeshavesFROM THE BENCH

These tools are unbeatable at smoothing curves. Learnhow to buy a vintage tool and set it up properly.By Don McConnell

49 Plunge RoutersWOODWORKING ESSENTIALS

Our seven-part series on routers continues with every-thing you need to know about choosing and operating a plunge router. Second of seven chapters.By Nick Engler

1826

32

40

36

44 Limbert TabouretteThis historical reproduction of a rare table is easier to build than it looks, thanks to anunusual rabbet.

57 Table Saw Tune-upMake your table saw better than factory-freshwith our easy-to-use guide to tweak yourmachine to perfection.By Paul Anthony

64 Hanging CupboardMix an 18th-century design with some finelycrafted details and you have a great projectfor almost any skill level of woodworker.By Glen Huey

DEPARTMENTS

8 Out on a LimbCongratulations! You’re an Artist!

10 LettersMail from readers

14 Q & AWe answer readers’ most difficult questions

98 Flexner on FinishingThe Pine Problem

101 Caption the CartoonWin an Amana slot-cutting system

104 Out of theWoodworkHands and Mindby Gerry Holzman

ON THE COVER

The curves and cutoutsof the Limbert #238 occasional table suggest it’s a projectbest left to the masters.But don’t believe it. Adose of cleverness anda nail gun can take youa long way with thisfun project.

Cover photo by Al Parrish

44

POPULAR WOODWORKING November 20034

70 Essential Shoulder PlaneLearn to set up and use one of the greatestjoint-fitting tools ever made.By Lonnie Bird

74 A Case for WineUsing CAD software, dovetails and some creative half-laps, we found a way to get themost wine storage out of the smallest space.

78 The Truth about 240VFinally, the last word in the raging debate about240-volt power. This short article is all you’llever need to know. By Kara Gebhart & Greg Hyland

82 Orbital JigsawsWe took 12 saws around harsh curves anddown brutal straightaways to find thesmoothest, most-powerful tool.

90 Bowls Without TurningAn egg slicer and a little work in CAD inspirean easy-to-build and eye-catching bowl – allwithout a lathe!By Kara Gebhart & John Hutchinson

57

PROJECTS, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

74

82

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Or get a Biesemeyer fence and just cut.


November 2003, Vol. 23, No. 6popwood.com

Editorial Offices 513-531-2690

Editor & Publisher Steve Shanesyext. 1238 • [email protected]

Art Director Linda Wattsext. 1396 • [email protected]

Executive Editor Christopher Schwarzext. 1407 • [email protected]

Senior Editor David Thielext. 1255 • [email protected]

Associate Editor Kara Gebhartext. 1348 • [email protected]

Associate Editor Michael A. Rabkinext. 1327 • [email protected]

Project Illustrator John Hutchinson

Photographer Al Parrish

Contributing EditorsNick Engler, Bob Flexner, Glen Huey,

Don McConnell, Troy Sexton

Magazine Group Head David HoguetExecutive Vice President Magazine Advertising

Jim Gleim

CIRCULATIONLynn Kruetzkamp, Group Circulation Manager

PRODUCTIONBarbara Schmitz, Vice President

Vicki Whitford, Production Supervisor

ADVERTISINGDon Schroder, Advertising Director

331 N. Arch St., Allentown, PA 18104Tel. 610-821-4425; Fax 610-821-7884

[email protected]/Classified Advertising Sales

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Tel./Fax [email protected]

Advertising Production CoordinatorDebbie Thomas, Tel. 513-531-2690 ext. 1219

[email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES: Subscription inquiries,orders and address changes can be made at

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F&W Publications Products, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. Or call 800-258-0929. Please specify publication, month and year.

SAFETY NOTE:Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers placesafety devices on their equipment for a reason. In

many photos you see in Popular Woodworking,these have been removed to provide clarity. In

some cases we’ll use an awkward body position soyou can better see what’s being demonstrated.

Don’t copy us. Think about each procedure you’regoing to perform beforehand. Safety First!

®


CUT. GLOAT. REPEAT. INTRODUCING OUR TWINLASER MITER SAW

Your achievement. Our tools.

For precision and speed, nothing can touch our new TwinLaser™ Compound Miter Saw. Because the TwinLaser™

system shows the exact line of cut on either side of the blade kerf, at any angle, with or without the blade in

motion. It’s even bright enough for outdoor use. You might have even seen it on New Yankee Workshop with

Norm Abram. Call 800-438-2486 (US), 800-463-3582 (Canada) or visit deltamachinery.com for a free catalog.



OUT ON A LIMB

In case you don’t follow the New York mu-seum world, the American Craft Museum

recently changed its name to the Museumof Arts and Design (MAD). And that’s howI felt (MAD) when I read about it.

I always thought art was art and craft wascraft and there was a real distinction. I wasperfectly willing to accept my work as craft,even defend it, leaving art to reach for, if notalways attain, a higher plane.

But the people who now run MAD haveconcluded that art has evolved and thedistinction between art and craft has blurred.They may be right, and I’ll leave the aca-demic and semantic debate to those whoknow more about the subject than me.

But I think there may be other things atwork in the name change. I wonder if intoday’s world “craft” has come to mean some-thing a little too shabby, a little too “crafty”for the people operating the museum. Dothey believe a museum dedicated to art anddesign (even though the museum collectionsand exhibits won’t change) will sell moretickets? Unfortunately, they probably will.Not that it’s all their fault, but as an institu-tion supporting craft, they failed to defend“craft” as something worthwhile.

Some in our woodworking communityhave contributed to the demise of the termcraft, feeling the need to label their work as

“art” or “studio” furniture. At the very least,the new label has probably helped some com-mand a higher price for their work.

Interestingly, Sam Maloof, an Americanicon of finely crafted furniture, has openlyrejected the title “artist” or “art furniture”to describe his work. When referred to as an“artist,” Maloof respectfully expresses hispreference for the moniker “woodworker,”a modest title he wears with pride. (Maloofwas a long-time associate of the museum andexpressed dismay at the name change.)

Reading about the name change made mesad and mad because it’s another nail in thecoffin of the respectability of craft.

Instead of getting angry, perhaps we wood-workers also should “evolve” and adopt thetitle of artist. Some real good could come ofit. Strangers who learn that we are artistsmight wander up to us at parties or backyardbarbecues and ask our thoughts on impor-tant, esoteric subjects. Members of the op-posite sex might look at us in a whole newway. It could be great. But what I haven’t fig-ured out yet is how wearing black clothes allthe time will ever work in a dusty shop. PW

Congratulations!You’re an Artist

Steve ShanesyEditor & Publisher

Our Privacy Promise to YouWe make portions of our customer list available tocarefully screened companies that offer productsand services we believe you may enjoy. If you donot want to receive offers and/or information,please let us know by contacting us at:

List Manager, F & W Publications,4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236

CONTRIBUTORS

PAUL ANTHONYA woodworker for almost 30 years, PaulAnthony got his start making router-carvedwall mirrors and planter boxes on a showcircuit in San Diego. The Pennsylvanianis now working on a “hybrid traditionalbench” for his 700-square-foot shop be-

cause he not only worksthere, but he teachesclasses as well. He isputting an end vise withthe wooden jaw ex-tending completelyacross one end of the“heavy mother” of a

bench, and converting a face vise for theother end. For his students, though, hehas another project lined up. “One of thefirst things that I always have my studentsmake is a crosscut sled, because the stockmiter gauge that comes with most tablesaws just doesn’t do it.” Check out Anthony’sadvice about what every table-saw ownermust do to keep the machine in tip-topshape in “Table Saw Tune-up” on page 57.

LONNIE BIRDLonnie Bird, who specializes in period fur-niture, has been woodworking for about30 years. His first piece of furniture (a jun-ior high school shop project) was a little

stool built out of solidwhite pine with splayedlegs. Today, he’s build-ing a reproduction 1810turned-post bunk bed(yes, bunk beds exist-ed back then) for hisdaughters. He’s also

building each of them a chest of draw-ers. When asked how large his shop is, hesays “To be quite honest, I just don’t know.”[Editor’s note: It’s huge.] When buildingprojects, his favorite tool to work withis his Lie-Nielsen No. 41⁄2 bench planewith a York pitch (50°). “The EssentialShoulder Plane” begins on page 70.

Come Visit our Booth at the WoodWorks 2003 Shows this Fall and Winter

We’re packing our tools andheading to the WoodWorksshows. The first event startsOct. 10 in Indianapolis. Comeby our booth, check out somegreat deals on woodworkingbooks and then sign up towin a great prize!

What makes WoodWorksevents special (in addition to the great dealson tools) are the free demonstrations by the

country’s top woodworkers(such as Frank Klausz, left).Also, many exhibitors activelydemonstrate the newestproducts right in their booth.You can’t help but learn a lotand have a good time. Besure and bring a buddy. Visitwoodworks2003.com for a

complete rundown on the shows, dates andfree demonstrations. See you there!


LETTERS

Sure It’s a Nice Trick, But Didn’tSomeone Else Write About it Once?Your winning Trick of the Trade “Make YourTable Saw Double as an Edge Jointer” (August2003), submitted by Cory Torppa, was ac-tually first published in the January/February1992 issue of ShopNotes magazine. Assumingthis is merely a coincidence, I don’t thinkhe should profit by winning a piece of ex-pensive equipment. If I, as a casual reader ofwoodworking magazines, could spot this du-plication, then shouldn’t your editorial staffbe able to pick it out as well?

Keith FergusonVancouver, British Columbia

Editor’s note: You obviously have a sharp eyeand memory. If you’ve been reading wood-working magazines that long, you’ve probablyseen how few new “tricks” there are in the world.There is some duplication and repetition, but Idoubt there is outright plagiarization.

Mr. Torppa’s trick is one I’ve seen suggest-ed before. And as it is akin to offsetting the out-feed fence on your shaper or router table, it wouldbe no surprise if several people came up with thesame idea for their table saw independently. Itwas the best trick among the entries submittedfor that issue and we have no reason to thinkMr. Torppa lifted the idea from another maga-zine, so his winning entry stands as-is.

— Christopher Schwarz, executive editor

Yet Another Dumb Mistake – MakeSure You Know Top from BottomI have a 17th item to add to your article,“The 16 Dumbest Woodworking Mistakes”(August 2003).

A co-worker of mine (an engineer) wastelling me about his weekend project re-cently. He had new carpeting installed in hisliving room, but the front door dragged onthe carpet and, if left that way, it would even-tually wear on the carpet.

The carpet installer said he knew some-one who could modify the door at a reason-

WRITE TO USPopular Woodworking welcomes letters fromreaders with comments about the magazineor woodworking in general. We try to respond to all correspondence. Publishedletters may be edited for length or style. Allletters become the property of PopularWoodworking. How to send your letter:

• E-mail: [email protected]• Fax: 513-891-7196• Mail carrier:

Letters • Popular Woodworking4700 E. Galbraith RoadCincinnati, OH 45236

Haven’t We SeenThat Trick Before?

continued on page 12

able cost, but the engineer said he coulddo it himself. So he measured the depth ofthe carpet to see how much he would needto trim off the door, took the door down,measured the amount and drew a line.

He remembered that if you took a sharpinstrument and scored the line, the veneerwouldn’t splinter. He made his cut – no splin-tering this time. Good!

He re-hung the door and swung it open,but it still dragged on the carpet. He tookthe door down again and went through thesame procedure again and removed anoth-er strip of wood.

He re-hung the door again and guess what?It still dragged the same amount.

He stepped back and asked himself, “Whatdid I do wrong?” Then he noticed the gap atthe top of the door. He’s never lived this down.

Edward H. Daniel Jr.Davenport, Iowa

Drilling Correct Size in a Scrap Piece Can Help Enlarge that HoleI enjoyed your article “The 16 DumbestWoodworking Mistakes,” though I haven’tever made any of them. Here’s another wayto correct #9 (“You Drill a Large Hole thatis Too Small”): Drill a piece of scrap with the

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LETTERS

continued from page 10

CLARIFICATIONPopular Woodworking corrects all significanterrors. For a list of corrections to the magazine, or to report one, please visit our web site at popwood.com and click on“Magazine Extras.”

• In the “Lusting for Lumber” article (August2003) we mentioned a special paint thatreduces checking in wood as it air-dries. Thissealer is item #125305, available fromWoodcraft, 800-225-1153 or woodcraft.com.

larger size bit. Eyeball the new hole exactlyconcentric to the smaller hole and clampit to your workpiece. Then use the scrap asa “drill bushing” to drill your new bigger hole.This method avoids messing around with fit-ting a plug and marking the center.

Paul M. BurriGoleta, California

Editor’s note: This tip lets you fix the mistakerather quickly. We’ve even done it this way be-fore. But if you need your hole to be preciselylocated, we still prefer our method of cutting thesquare plug (which you can easily mark the cen-ter of) and pounding it into the hole.

My Jointer is Missing the Safety Guard;Is it Possible to Get a Replacement?Someone recently gave me an Atlas 6" join-ter built by Atlas Press Co. in Kalamazoo,Mich. I’m not sure when it was made, but itis old. The model number is 6001 and theserial number is O13640. To get it runningrequired only a new switch.

But it is missing the safety guard. Can Ifind an original safety guard or would onefrom another brand work? Also, are the knivesstandard or will I have trouble finding them?

Levon DoggettTifton, Georgia

Editor’s note: With the large number of oldermachines (and bargains) available, it’s nearlyimpossible to have information on all the brands.When a question such as yours comes up we relyon a large pool of your fellow woodworkers whofrequent a web site and discussion group calledOld Woodworking Machines. We’ve had greatsuccess finding information on obscure machinesand parts, and we’re sure they’ll be able to helpyou online at oldwwmachines.com.PW

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Q & A

Is There Any Reason to Buy a Left-tiltTable Saw Instead of a Right-tilt One?I’m finally taking the plunge and getting atable saw and have noticed many of the higher-end saws offer a left-tilt version.

What are the major advantages/disad-vantages of a blade that tilts left instead ofright? I assume there is a big safety advan-tage because the blade will tilt away fromthe fence, right?

Jay OppenheimColumbia, South Carolina

Tilting the blade away from the fence is oneadvantage, but it actually presents itself as asafer way to work because of where yourwaste piece falls when making a cut with theblade at an angle. When using the rip fence(and working on the left of the fence) to makea bevel cut, a left-tilt saw will allow the wasteto fall below the blade, while a right-tilt sawwill leave the waste resting on top of the blade,where it could get thrown back at you.

Another advantage of left-tilt saws comeswhen ripping bevels on two edges of yourmaterial. With a left-tilt saw, the rip will be

Left-tilt Table Saws:Are They Just Hype?

WRITE TO USEvery day we get questions from readers onall subjects about their woodworking. Someare letters; many are e-mail messages. Weare more than happy to share our wood-working experience with you by answeringyour questions or adding some clarity towhatever aspect of the craft you are unsureabout. In addition to the hundreds we an-swer privately every month, we want toshare the best questions here with readers.

Send your questions via e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to:

Popular Woodworking, Q&A 4700 E. Galbraith RoadCincinnati, OH 45236.

Illus

trat

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by H

ayes

Sha

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more accurate because the point of your bevelwon’t slip under your rip fence.

That said, when you use your miter gaugeon the left side with the blade beveled, thesituations are reversed, with the right-tilt sawbeing safer.

In all honesty, with the newest rip fences(the Biesemeyer-style, as well as theUnifence) available on almost every tablesaw, you can work from either side of the ripfence, though the rip capacity with your fenceon the left side is usually limited to about 12".

What it all really comes down to for me isthat I’m right-handed, which means that it’seasier for me to change the arbor nut on a left-tilt saw than on a right-tilt.

— David Thiel, senior editor

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Q & A

Questions About QuickCADI really enjoyed your article about AutoCad’sQuickCAD (June 2003) and I have pur-chased the software. I’m very computer lit-erate and also did some detailed drafting acouple of years ago, but I have no CAD ex-perience. I intend to learn to use QuickCADand create detailed plans of projects thatwill be somewhat complex, such as an ex-ecutive desk and credenza. I intend to mar-ket the plans, so they must be very profes-sional and a cut above the average in clar-ity and ease of comprehension.

My questions are:1. Is QuickCAD everything I need for

plans of this type?2. Is QuickCAD easier to learn than

AutoCAD’s higher-end software?3. Does QuickCAD print to large-format

printers as well as the small-format ones thatyou applauded in your article?

Ed HobbsHouston, Texas

QuickCAD is no more or less difficult tomaster in the realm of two-dimensionaldrawings than AutoCAD. You’ll have toremember, however, that QuickCAD is onlya 2-D program. You can create isometricdrawings that appear three-dimensional, butthey’re still just static 2-D illustrations. Theisometric drawings I did for the article weredone independently of the 2-D straight plandrawings. I’ve been bombarded with e-mailmessages asking where the magic button isthat will snap everything into a 3-D drawing.Unfortunately, there isn’t one. To get thatoption, you need to move up to somethingsuch as TurboCAD.

QuickCAD will print to any plottingdevice. The in-depth instruction manualshould be able to give you guidance there.

I can’t really answer your question aboutQuickCAD being “good enough” for whatyou want to do because the phrase “goodenough” is so subjective. I use AutoCAD2000 for all of my magazine illustrations. Theability to run 2-D and 3-D simultaneously isa delight. It does, however, come with a price.The cost of the current edition of AutoCADis $3,595. Yikes! I use it only because I’m anarchitect (illustrating is my second job andpassion) and AutoCAD is the universallanguage of architecture.

I’ll summarize by saying that theQuickCAD program will always be mysoftware-of-choice in its price range.

— John Hutchinson, project illustrator

Why are Some Planes So Expensive?I’d like the straight poop on handplanes. Iremember getting instruction on the use ofthem during woodshop class in junior highschool back in the early 1970s. I can guar-antee you the school system did not shell outbig bucks for those planes. When I go toLowe’s, I see Stanley planes for anywherefrom $20 to $50. In woodworking magazinesI see all these fancy planes selling for any-where from $60 to hundreds of dollars. What’sthe deal with these expensive planes? I thinkhaving a block plane for my projects wouldbe a good idea, but I sure can’t see spend-ing hundreds on one.

Why are the expensive ones so much bet-ter than a low-cost Stanley plane? I can’timagine it being worth the extra moneyfor occasional use on small projects. Whatis your opinion?

Lane WallaceKnoxville, Tennessee

A sharp well-tuned block plane is an asset inany shop. But if you’re not building a lot offurniture, your best bet is to find an olderblock plane at a flea market. Inexpensive newplanes are poorly made and require moretuning than vintage ones. Look for an oldStanley, such as a 601⁄2, with no chips, cracksor major rust. These are pretty common andinexpensive ($5 to $15). You can read aboutevery plane Stanley made at Patrick Leach’sexcellent web site, www.supertool.com.

For woodworkers who expect to use theirplanes a lot, a vintage plane is still a goodoption, though you have to learn to restore itbefore you can use it – which is an obsessionunto itself. I’ve brought a lot of old planesback to life in my time, but some years ago Idecided I liked woodworking more than fixingold tools. I switched to the more expensivenew tools and have never regretted it.

Tools made by Lie-Nielsen, Veritas,Clifton and others are better-made, better-machined and work extremely well. After acouple of years, you’ll forget what you paidfor it and just be glad you own it. PW

— Christopher Schwarz, executive editor


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TRICKS OF THE TRADECompiled by Paul Anthony

THE WINNER:I filter quite a lot of finishes to prepare themfor spraying, as well as to clean the shellacI make from flakes. I found it awkward hold-ing paper filter funnels over spray cups andcontainers, trying to direct the flow whilepeering into the cup to avoid overfilling itand making a mess.

While loading my coffee maker one morn-ing, the solution hit me. I grabbed some 3⁄4"-thick plywood and cobbled together this fin-ish filter holder. The top and bottom are 7"square and the back is 9" high. (You maywant to modify the sizes to suit your partic-ular needs.) I centered and then cut a 41⁄2"-diameter hole in the top and chamfered thetop edges to accommodate a funnel filter.To easily position my containers, I markedconcentric rings on the bottom piece tomatch the diameters of my spray cups andcommonly used jars. I also drilled a coupleof small holes through the top to hold thedowels I use for stirring finishes.

Keith MealyCincinnati, Ohio


Filter FinishesWithout Fumbling

Each issue we publish useful woodworking tips andtricks from our readers and staff members. Next issue,the reader with the winning tip or trick will receive aPorter-Cable 893PK router (shown). The 893PK isone of six router designs in the new 890 series de-signed for maximum performance and ease of useeither freehand or in a router table. The heart of theseries is the 21⁄4-horsepower, variable-speed motorwith soft-start and electronic feedback to maintainconstant speed during operation.

Runners-up each receive $75.

When submitting a trick (either by mail or e-mail) you must include your complete mailing ad-dress and a daytime phone number. If your tip is selected for publication, an editor will need tocontact you. You can send your trick by e-mail to [email protected], or mail it to: Tricksof the Trade, Popular Woodworking, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

CASH AND PRIZES FOR YOUR TRICKS AND TIPS!

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TRICKS OF THE TRADE

The metal throat plate that comes stock onmost table saws has a wide blade opening toallow the blade to tilt. Unfortunately, thisallows narrow workpieces to fall through theopening and doesn’t provide any back-upsupport for the workpiece, leading to un-necessary exit tear-out.

It’s easy to make your own auxiliary zero-clearance throat plate from any straight-grained hardwood. Begin by ripping a lengthof wood to a width that exactly matches thewidth of your throat plate opening. Thenplane it to a thickness that matches the depthof the opening. (If you overcut, you can sim-ply shim the underside of the plate with mask-ing tape later.) Using your stock throat plateas a pattern, trace the rounded ends ontoyour auxiliary throat plate blank; then cutjust a small amount outside the line with aband saw or jigsaw. Power-sand the edges toa snug final fit in the opening.

The tricky part is cutting the initial bladeslot. Because a fully lowered blade typical-ly reaches almost to the level of the table-top, you can’t just seat the new throat plateand raise the blade through it. One approachis to cut a preliminary slot using a smaller-

Shop Vacuum Accessory is Perfect forCollecting Dust from Your RouterI was looking for a way to outfit my routerwith dust collection for edge routing and cut-ting dovetails. It occurred to me that thefloor-sweep fitting on my shop vacuum wouldmake a nice dust pickup for those jobs, andI could attach the fitting to an auxiliary sub-base for my router. I decided to install theauxiliary base under my stock router sub-baseso I could still easily attach a template guideto the latter for routing dovetails.

To connect the fitting, I first made a U-shaped auxiliary router sub-base from apiece of 1⁄4"-thick scrap acrylic, tracing itsrounded half and its screw pattern from myrouter’s stock sub-base and cutting a gener-ous sized opening for collet nut access. I thenbolted this auxiliary sub-base to the edgeof the shop vacuum fitting, cutting a smallarc in the fitting to accommodate the router’s


diameter blade, then finish the cut with afull-sized blade. But there’s a better way. Ifully retract the height-adjustment screwsin my stock throat plate, then place it inits opening. With the screws retracted, thestock plate sits about 1⁄16" below the saw table,which is enough of a recess to hold the wood-

Tricks to Making a Zero-clearance Throat Plate

Spacer block

Spacer block

Saw table

Auxiliarythroatplate

Retract adjustment screwsto recess stock plate

Clamp board over plateto cut blade slot

Stock routersub-base

Shop vacuumfloor sweep fitting

Acrylic auxiliarysub-base 1⁄4" thick

en plate in place. I clamp the plate downwith a long piece of thick stock, then raisethe blade partially through the plate. I fin-ish the cut after placing the wooden platefully in its recess, again with it clamped down.

Paul AnthonyPopular Woodworking contributor

stock sub-base. At that point, it was a sim-ple matter of attaching the two sub-bases tothe router with machine screws long enoughto penetrate both.

Gabriel CastroVictorville, California



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Because I’m constantly hooking up myportable dust collector to different machines,I need a quick, easy way to remove andattach the flexible hose to the 4"-diameterdust port on each machine.

To do this, I first used tin snips to cut apiece of 4"-diameter metal duct 8" long, keep-ing the crimped end. I secured the crimpedend to my dust collector’s flexible hose usinga hose clamp. Now, to make the connectionto any machine, I simply slip the metal ductonto the tool’s dust collection port.

Paul AnthonyPopular Woodworking contributor


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A Story Stick for TurningI recently had a commission to turn a fairnumber of identical spindles. To do the jobmore efficiently, I made a story stick with allthe key measurements laid out along itslength. At each feature or change in diam-eter, I drove a nail through the stick so thepoint stuck out the other side. After round-ing the spindle blanks, I marked them bysteadying the story stick against the tool restwhile gently pushing the nail tips against thespinning workpiece.

Ken BurtonNew Tripoli, Pennsylvania

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Hand-drilling with Forstner BitsForstner bits and multi-spur bits typically have to be used in a drillpress because these large-diameter bits will wander all over theplace if you try to guide them with a portable drill. However, I’vefound that there are times when I need to drill a large diameterhole in the middle of a workpiece panel or some other locationthat can’t be reached using a drill press.

In those cases, I first use the drill press and my chosen bit tobore a guide hole in a 3⁄4"-thick scrap panel. I then secure thatpanel to my workpiece with clamps, screws or double-sided tape,locating the guide hole over my drilling location. After switch-ing the bit over to a portable drill, I can now bore the workpiecehole much more safely and accurately.

Susan SlutskeTucson, Arizona

Shedding Light on the Subject

Proper lighting can make all the difference when it comes to clean,careful results with some woodworking operations. For example,when hand-planing or sanding workpieces, a strong, glancing side-light placed almost parallel to the work surface will dramaticallyhighlight any machine marks, tear-out, glue spots or other defects.When hand-cutting dovetails, a light playing sideways across yourscored layout lines will create clear shadow lines to guide your cut.

Of course, the light will be most effective in an otherwise dimmedshop. To appropriately direct the light, I use a clamp-on light fix-ture judiciously located on a portable post.

Ric HanischQuakertown, Pennsylvania

Master spindlePush nails againstspinning work piece Story stick with nails

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Flexible hoseHose clamp

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TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Dowels Focus Your Clamping Pressure

A Mortise Cleaning ToolWhen making mortises I found it difficultto remove wood shards left at the bottomof the mortise by my hollow-chisel mortis-ing bit. Prying them out with a bench chis-el often damaged the shoulder of the mor-tise and was not particularly kind to the cut-ting edge of the chisel. I needed a tool witha right-angle cutting edge that would allowme to scrape the bottom of the mortise rightup to the corners, then pull the shavingsout. I figured out how to make one from a7⁄32" Allen wrench. Here’s how:

With a hacksaw, cut the short leg off at a45° angle, leaving about 3⁄4" of length on thatleg, then grind the face of the cut flat. Next,grind the top of the short leg flat to createa 30° cutting edge at the intersection withthe first cut. The exact angle isn’t critical.You just want it sharp enough to cut well,but sturdy enough to withstand the pryingaction. Go easy with the grinding, coolingthe metal frequently in water. If you over-heat it while grinding, it will lose its temperand dull quickly in use.

For a handle, drill a hole in a piece of3⁄4"-diameter hardwood dowel, then tap theAllen wrench into the hole. You now havea tool that works well for cleaning mor-tise slots 1⁄4" wide and up. If you cut a lot oflarger mortises you may want to use a larg-er Allen wrench. PW

Mike CallihanBurnsville, North Carolina

3⁄4"-diameterdowel

7⁄32" Allen wrench

Hacksaw shortend of wrenchat 45°. Grindcut face flat.

Grind top flat to createa 30° cutting angle

Tape Makes the Tightest Plane Mouth

Setting your plane for fine smoothing cutssometimes requires a really tight throat (theopening between the body of the plane andthe cutting edge of the iron). With mostbench planes you adjust this by movingthe frog of the tool forward. But how do youget really close (within a few thousandths ofan inch) without choking the throat withshavings? Trial and error can be tiresome

I picked up this tip on the Internet lastyear and it works great. First wrap a piece ofmasking tape around the cutting edge of theiron. Then install the iron in the planeand adjust the frog until the masking tapejust kisses the body of the plane. Screw thefrog down tight at that location. Remove theiron, take off the tape and reinstall the iron.Set the plane to take the finest cut possible.I think you'll be amazed.

Christopher SchwarzPopular Woodworking executive editor


Match dowel diameter toworkpiece thickness

Workpieces

Pipe clamps are great for panel-and-frameclamp-ups because they’re strong and rel-atively inexpensive. The problem is thatunless the clamp screw is aligned with thecenter line of the workpiece edge, the clamphead can cock the outer workpieces out ofline, causing the assembly to buckle underpressure. This buckling can be minimizedby alternating clamps over and under theassembly, but that isn’t always practical,especially when gluing up face frames andsimilar constructions.

A good solution is to place dowels be-tween the clamp heads and the edge of theassembly. Using a dowel whose diametermatches the thickness of the workpiececenters the clamping pressure on the edgeof the workpiece, keeping everything bet-ter aligned. It’s easiest to lay long dowelsacross the clamps rather than trying to bal-ance one short piece per clamp.

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SPECIFICATIONSLie-Nielsen Low-angle Jack Plane

Street price: $225

Nice features: Easily adjustable mouth;exceptionally durable ductile-iron body; andthe tool can be modified easily to do manydifferent workshop operations.

Recommended modifications: Buy acouple of extra blades to see what this tool iscapable of with different cutting angles.

Lie-Nielsen Toolworks: 800-327-2520 orlie-nielsen.com


ENDURANCE TEST

I’ve used many different planes, but noneis as versatile, easy-to-use and robust as the

Lie-Nielsen low-angle jack plane.This 14"-long plane is based on the col-

lectible Stanley #62 plane, which has notbeen manufactured since the 1940s. Unlessyou’re a collector, there is little reason toseek out the old Stanley version because it’smore expensive and less durable than theLie-Nielsen, which sells for $225.

Essentially the low-angle jack plane iswhat would happen if you wedded a blockplane with a bench plane. You have the massand length of a jack plane, but you also havethe simpler mechanism, adjustable throatand bevel-up blade design of a block plane.

For beginners especially, the combina-tion is hard to beat. Here’s why:

The standard Bailey-style bench planehas more adjustments than the low-anglejack. While these adjustments allow for morefinesse among advanced users, they also makethe tools more difficult for beginners to use.

For example, if you’re working with fig-ured wood and want to close up the mouthof a bench plane to reduce tear-out, you haveto adjust the plane’s “frog” forward. (The frogis the chunk of machined metal that sup-ports the tool’s blade.) This operation in-volves a screwdriver and sometimes requiresdisassembling the tool. With the low-anglejack plane, there is no frog to adjust. All you

Lie-NielsenLow-angle Jack PlaneQuite possibly the perfect plane.

ABOUT OUR ENDURANCE TESTS Everytool featured in our Endurance Test columnhas survived at least two years of heavy usein the Popular Woodworking shop.

do is unscrew the front knob a bit and adjusta lever to open or close the mouth.

Another advantage of the low-angle jack’sdesign is that the cutting bevel of the bladefaces up, unlike a bench plane where thebevel faces down and has a chipbreaker.

If you purchase a couple of replacementblades for this plane, you can grind differentcutting angles on the blades to make yourplane do some amazing tricks. The stockblade has a 25° bevel and sits in the plane at12°. Add those two numbers together andyou have a 37° cutting angle (also called the“pitch”). This pitch is great for end grain anddecent for most long-grain planing.

Grind a 33° bevel on the blade and theplane will have a standard 45° pitch (33°plus 12° equals 45°). Grind a 38° beveland you have a high-angle pitch of 50°, whichis great for planing difficult woods. Grind offthe bevel entirely at 90° and you have ascraper plane. There’s no way you could dothat with a Bailey-style bench plane with-out some major modifications.

So what can you use this plane for? In themodern power-tool workshop, this plane canhandle a lot of chores. It’s great for planingdown doors and drawers to fit (the low pitchof the blade is great for the end grain of doorstiles and drawer fronts). You can removesaw marks from the edges of boards.

You can even use it as a smoothing planeto remove the machining marks from thefaces of your boards. Hand-tool purists mightturn up their noses at this notion and say youneed a shorter smoothing plane for thisoperation because it gets into the hollows ofthe board. But I’ve found that if you surface

your lumber with a power jointer as well asa planer, it’s flat enough for this plane to workrather well as a smoother.

No matter how you use this plane, you’llfind that it exceeds your expectations. Themachining is impeccable. The cherry knoband tote are perfectly formed and comfort-able to use. And the exceptional way theblade has been heat-treated allows it to takeand keep a superior edge. The body is madeof unbreakable ductile iron (standard grayiron planes can shatter if you drop them) andthe blade cap is bronze.

With almost every tool I own there is al-ways something small I wish was improvedor a bit different. But that’s not so with thelow-angle jack, which I’ve been using formore than three years. As the handles of thistool patinate with age and the blade gets pro-gressively shorter, I find it more and moreuseful. And I occasionally wonder how I everdid without it. PW

— Christopher Schwarz

Phot

o by

Al P

arris

h

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TOOL TEST

Most woodworkers are familiar with thevalue of a belt/disc sander. They’re also

familiar with the problems of belt/disc sandersthat are designed for metalworking and runat speeds that are too high, burning the woodthey’re shaping. Fisch Precision Tools hasan answer that goes a step further.

The new BDS-612001 Multi Sander of-fers the traditional 6" x 48" belt sander and12" disc sander. But the designers also slowedthe motor down to woodworking speeds,making burning wood nearly impossible.They’ve also added a very nice innovationto the belt sander by including an oscilla-tion mechanism to move the belt 3⁄4" backand forth, further reducing the chance ofburning and extending the life of the belt.

There’s one other thing woodworkers ex-pect from a belt/disc sander – a lot of dust.While many manufacturers have added dustcollection ports, they don’t really seem to dothe job. Fisch has added two ports, positionedcorrectly to do the most good. While you dohave to move the hose connection from port-to-port or use two separate hoses, workingdust-free is worth the effort.

Of course, this is a quality sander in itsown right, with a 11⁄2-hp motor that doesn’tbog down under tough sanding. The beefycast-iron tilting tables are ample to sup-port the work, with the belt table measuring6" x 10" and the disc table is 7" x 16".

The belt sander transitions smoothly be-tween either a horizontal or vertical stance.A wrench is required to make the transition,and while we would have liked to have seenthis a toolless operation, the positive lock-down of the wrench will keep the arm frommoving out of position.

The base is an enclosed cabinet with themotor mounted inside (but still easily ac-cessible). At 189 pounds, you won’t have toworry about pushing the machine aroundyour shop while you are sanding.

The Fisch Multi Sander is priced to com-pete with other belt/disc sanders. But whenyou take into consideration the woodwork-ing-friendly speed, oscillating mechanismon the belt sander and the efficient dust col-lection, we see the Fisch as an obvious choice.

— David ThielFor more information, circle #175 on Free Information Card.

Fisch Oscillating Belt/Disc Sander – No Burns, No Dust

When we tested 20 brands of bench chis-els in 2001, the staff favorites – far and away– were the British-made Ashley Iles chisels.The steel took a keen edge and kept it throughmany abusive rounds of chopping out dove-tail pins in white oak.

The only complaint among some testerswas that the handle was a bit beefy and bul-bous. After two years of daily use in my shopat home, I sometimes wish the tools were abit shorter when doing fine work.

I got my wish. The new bench chiselsfrom Ashley Iles are made using the sametough steel, but these are a bit shorter andhave smaller-size bubinga handles. As a re-sult, these chisels feel better in medium- andsmall-sized hands and are well-balanced forprecision work, especially when removingwaste between dovetail pins and tails.

Like their bigger brothers, these American-pattern chisels are well-manufactured. The

face of the blade (sometimes calledthe back) required very little workto get it flat and mirror-polished.The chisels have obviously beencarefully heat-treated because theywere both hard (we measured 59on the Rockwell “C” scale) andtough – they hold an edge like aJapanese chisel.

The handles are nicely turnedand the bubinga is tough enoughfor the mild sort of mallet work that benchchisels are designed for. But perhaps mostamazing is the price of these beauties. Aset of six chisels (1⁄4" wide to 1") is just $100.82.A complete set of 11 chisels (1⁄8" wide to awhopping 2") is only $211.55.

You could pay more money and not getchisels of this quality. We’re impressed.

— Christopher SchwarzFor more information, circle #176 on Free Information Card.

Ashley Iles American-pattern Bevel-edge Chisels

SPECIFICATIONSAshley Iles American-pattern Bevel-edge ChiselsStreet price: Set of six costs $100.82Sizes available: 1⁄8" to 2"Hardness: 59 RcHandles: BubingaPerformance: ●●●●❍

Price range: $$Tools for Working Wood: 800-426-4613 ortoolsforworkingwood.com

SPECIFICATIONSFisch BDS-612001 Multi SanderStreet price: $700Surfaces: Belt - 6" x 48"; Disc - 12"Motor: 11⁄2 hp, 3,400 rpmOscillation travel: 3⁄4"Speeds: Belt - 1,570 square feet per minute;Disc - 2,000 rpmPerformance: ●●●●●

Price range: $$$Fisch Precision Tools: 724-663-9072 orfisch-woodworking.com

Experience Amana Tool’s® superior quality in your own workshop! Amana Tool® products are available at an authorized dealer near you. For Our New Catalog or a Dealer Nearest You

CALL 1-800-445-0077Visit our website atwww.amanatool.com

Experience Amana Tool’s® superior quality in your own workshop! Amana Tool® products are available at an authorized dealer near you. For Our New Catalog or a Dealer Nearest You

CALL 1-800-445-0077Visit our website atwww.amanatool.com

Please refer to your power tool ownersmanual before operating power tools.

Ash .............................. 4/4 Select 2.40 ........................................... $ 85.00Basswood ................... 4/4 Select 1.95 ........................................... $ 72.00Birch ............................ 4/4 Select 2.75 ........................................... $ 89.00Butternut ..................... 4/4 1C 2.30 ........................................... $ 77.00Cherry ......................... 4/4 Select 4.90 ........................................... $110.00Hickory - Pecan .......... 4/4 Select 2.85 ........................................... $ 89.00Mahogany (Genuine) .. 4/4 Select 3.90 ........................................... $100.00Maple (Hard) ............... 4/4 Select 3.15 ........................................... $ 96.00Maple (Soft) ................ 4/4 Select 2.30 ........................................... $ 79.00Poplar ......................... 4/4 Select 1.75 ........................................... $ 72.00Red Oak ...................... 4/4 Select 2.50 ........................................... $ 88.00Walnut ......................... 4/4 Select 4.00 ........................................... $100.00White Oak ................... 4/4 Select 2.50 ........................................... $ 88.00Cedar (Aromatic Red) . 4/4 1C+Btr. 1.80 ........................................... $ 72.00Cypress ....................... 4/4 Select 2.40 ........................................... $ 80.00White Pine ................... 4/4 F.G. 1.20 ........................................... $ 62.00Yellow Pine ................. 4/4 Clear 2.00 ........................................... $ 74.00

UPSSpecials

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TOOL TEST


NEW FROM RIDGIDRidgid stationary and benchtop machines havebeen available at The Home Depot for a fewyears now, but the company has justannounced an entire line of new portablepower tools designed to compete with thebest-known power tools on the market.

The new product line includes two levels –professional and consumer – of cordless tools(drills, circular saws and reciprocating saws) in12, 14.4 and 18 volts, with 20- or 30-minuterecharge times. The corded line includes 3⁄8"and 1⁄2" drills, hammer drills, circular saws,sanders, reciprocating saws and jigsaws (seeour review of the new Ridgid jigsaw in “OrbitalJigsaws” on page 82).

All the tools in the line are the result of twoyears of exhaustive research of marketplacetrends and extensive design and testing. Thesetools are designed to compete both in per-formance and price. From our initial brief lookat the tools, the time and effort spent haveproduced some rugged, well-designed tools.

Each tool will carry a 90-day satisfactionguarantee and a three-year warranty againstdefects. As an introductory offer, throughDecember 2003 each new tool sold will carry alifetime warranty against defects.

The entire line will be available in TheHome Depot (along with its existing line ofstationary tools, including miter saws, jointers,planers, table saws and more, all with plannedupgrades within the year) and also at a num-ber of national smaller retail outlets.

For more information on the complete line,visit Ridgid’s web site at ridgid.com – DT

TOOL RATINGSPerformance is rated on a 1-5 scale. Youwon’t see a low rating (“1” or “2”) becausewe don’t publicize inferior tools. A rating of“5” indicates the leader in the category. Fivedollar signs indicates highest price in thecategory. Three indicates an average price.If you have tool questions, call me at 513-531-2690 ext. 1255, or e-mail me [email protected]. Or visit our website at popwood.com to sign up for our free,e-mail newsletter.

— David Thiel, senior editor

Amana E-Z Dial Slot CutterIf you use splines, you’re going to love this tool.

Traditionally you would use your standard splinecutter to make the necessary slots, then you spend alot of time fitting the spline thickness to a snug fit.With Amana Tool’s new E-Z Dial slot cutter, it does-n’t matter what thickness your spline is, you just ad-just the slot to fit. And the adjustment is as simpleas loosening a nut and dialing in the proper size.

The E-Z Dial is available in two models offering1⁄4" or 1⁄2" thickness. Each full revolution of the ad-justing dial changes the thickness of the cut by 1⁄32",making precision set-ups easy.

The E-Z Dial isn’t the least expensive piece of routertooling you’ll buy for your shop, but the time and frus-tration you’ll save is worth a lot more. — DTFor more information, circle #177 on Free Information Card.

SPECIFICATIONSAmana E-Z Dial Slot CutterStreet price: $150Size: Model 55500: 1⁄8"-1⁄4"

Model 55510: 1⁄4"-1⁄2"Adjustment: One full turn = 1⁄32"Performance: ●●●●●

Price range: $$$$$Amana Tool: 800-445-0077 or amanatool.com

Festool CT Mini VacuumWhile some woodworkers simply need a vacuum topick up dust, for those who need all the bells and whis-tles, the Festool CT Mini is the one to choose.

The Mini features a tool-triggered or manual on/offswitch with a time-delay feature to clear the hose whenyou turn off your sander or router. The vacuum power(rated at 99 cfm) can be regulated by a variable switchfor finesse work. The 10-amp motor, in conjunctionwith the 1"-diameter, 10' hose, does an admirable (andquiet, 72dB) job of removing dust beyond what youwould expect from its size (weighing only 21 lbs.).

The CT Mini sports a replaceable two-gallonbag filter (rated at 3 microns) as well as an integratedfilter cleaner. So if you need the coolest vacuum onthe block, we suggest you get the CT Mini. — DTFor more information, circle #178 on Free Information Card.

FastCap’s AccuScribeLast February I told readers about the many wondersof the McGrath Scribe and Profile Gauge for installingbuilt-in cabinets. Then the product disappeared afterthe death of its inventor.

Good thing there’s the AccuScribe. This scribingtool does everything the McGrath did – plus it’s virtu-ally indestructible. The tool excels at fitting built-ins,backsplashes, mouldings and countertops. The manu-facturer plans to soon offer the tool with a small rabbeton the end of the “feelers” to allow you to mark off-sets on curved work. There are more expensive scribesout there, but most of us need only this tool. — CSFor more information, circle #179 on Free Information Card.

SPECIFICATIONSAccuScribeStreet price: $16Performance: ●●●●❍

Price range: $$$Fastcap: 888-443-3748 orwww.fastcap.com

SPECIFICATIONSFestool CT MiniStreet price: $250CFM: 99, 80" of water liftMotor: 10 ampPerformance: ●●●●❍

Price range: $$$$$Festool: 888-337-8600 or festool-usa.com

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Congratulations. Your MultiMaster just became a profilesander. Not just a profile sander, the very best profilesander available anywhere. And you thought theMultiMaster was already the most versatile powertool you could own.

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For 13 years Lonnie Bird was the head in-structor for southeastern Ohio’s University

of Rio Grande woodworking program. Hetaught, built furniture and wrote books (allfor Taunton Press) including “The ShaperBook,” “The Bandsaw Book” and “Taunton’sComplete Guide to Shaping Wood.” He wasrecognized several times as one of the bestcraftsmen in the country by Early AmericanLife Magazine. He led a good life.

Headingfor theHillsAfter years of teaching

woodworking in Ohio,

Lonnie Bird has moved

to the Smokies to teach,

write and build.

by Kara Gebhart

Comments or questions? Contact Kara at 513-531-2690 ext. 1348 or [email protected].

But about two years ago he and his fam-ily decided to chuck it all and build theirdream home at the base of the Great SmokeyMountains in Dandridge, Tenn., which wouldinclude a woodshop where Bird could starta woodworking school. A risky venture, yes.But today, Bird thrives.

Nestled on 12 acres of rolling farmland,the Birds’ home and woodshop seem far awayfrom the neon-infused roadside warehousesselling fireworks and billboards advertisingoutlet malls one sees while driving there.Directions to his house include lines such as“turn left after Grace Baptist Church” and“cross the creek at the bottom of the hill.”

Bird and his wife, Linda, chose Dandridge,which is about 20 miles east of Knoxville,for a couple of reasons. One, they love themountains. Two, Knoxville is within a day’sdrive for 70 percent of the U.S. population.The home and woodshop are remote, yet ac-cessible – an ideal location for a school.

Historical ContextBird, a furniture maker for almost 30 years,remembers clearly his first visit to ColonialWilliamsburg. He was 8 years old. The trip

sparked an interest in period furniture andfrom that point on, he started building things.He took a junior high shop class, which hesays he enjoyed tremendously. His parentsweren’t woodworkers, but they supported hisinterest, allowing him to transform theirbasement into what he calls a “dusty, dirtyshop.” In high school, Bird made moneyby repairing antique furniture that was, lit-erally, in pieces. Neighbors would buy oldchairs and tables for little money, knowinghe would be able to fix them.

Although his gig at University of RioGrande has ended, Bird’s prominence hasonly grown. He continues to write. His lat-est, “Taunton’s Complete Illustrated Guideto Period Furniture Details,” hits bookstoresthis fall. A book about tool techniques isscheduled to be released next year. He con-tinues to build furniture for clients and hisclasses book months in advance. Bird callshis shop a flexible shop. Always a woodshop,it also serves as a school and photo studio.

Lonnie Bird’s woodshop (front) is at the base of theGreat Smokey Mountains in Dandridge,Tenn., and isconnected to his home via a screened-in breezeway.

Phot

os b

y Al

Par

rish

GREAT WOODSHOPS

Bird stores hiscollection of handtools in a traditional18th-century wallcabinet (that hebuilt), complete withtombstone doors.

popwood.com 33

Home and Shop TogetherThe woodshop is connected to the Colonial-style home via a screened-in breezeway. Inthe office Bird shares with Linda is a stun-ning 18th-century reproduction slant-frontdesk, which Bird built. Next to this is an18th-century reproduction Pennsylvaniaarmchair, which Bird also built. They’re time-less pieces so beautiful you wonder why ac-cess to them is not limited by a velvet rope.

The furniture contrasts greatly to the grayOffice Depot-esque computer desk that holdstwo computer monitors and a split, ergonomickeyboard – perhaps the only mass-producedpiece in the Bird family’s home. CurrentlyBird is building an 1810 reproduction turned-post bunk bed. This replica of a museum-quality piece is where his daughters, Rebecca,11, and Sarah, 7, will sleep.

The outside of Bird’s three-story wood-shop is similar to his Colonial-style home.Inside, the first story is a shrine to modernmachinery and power while the second storyis a hand-tool woodworker’s dream. (Thethird story is used for storage.) Bird’s skillfuluse of powerful machines and quality handtools, along with his careful eye for line andproportion, allow him to create fine piecesof reproduction period furniture.

Bird purposefully designed his woodshopwith three floors, keeping the machine roomin a walk-out basement (the first floor). Thisway the bench room, which is on the secondfloor, stays quiet and clean – ideal when try-ing to carry on a conversation or teach a class.The third floor is used for storing jigs and fix-tures. There’s also a bathroom up there, which

Bird’s bench room features lots of windows, nine sturdy workbenches, a sharpening station and a few machines.

line the southwest wall and a large bay win-dow at the front of the shop. On a sunny day,the room fills with natural light.

Eight workbenches, each with its ownvise and anti-fatigue mat, face Bird’s bench,which is silhouetted by the bay window. Birdallows up to nine students in each class, oftengiving up his own bench for a student to use.Hand-screw clamps, calipers and spokeshavesframe the bay window, and chisels and carv-ing tools kept in a block of wood line thewindow’s seat. Examples of his work hangon the wall (as you can see below left).

Bird’s tool cabinet is a traditional 18th-century wall cabinet with tombstone doors.Inside is his collection of hand tools: benchplanes, shoulder planes, a set of hollows androunds, and dovetail saws.

There is a chop saw, mortiser and drillpress in the bench room – three excep-tions to the “no machines allowed.” Becausethe machine room is downstairs, these threemachines in the bench room help limitup-and-down trips. At the back of the roomis a complete sharpening station. Next to itis a small refrigerator, which Bird keeps stockedwith bottled water. Overhead fans, alongwith air conditioning, keep the room coolin the summer. A heater keeps the roomwarm in the winter.

keeps Bird and his students out of the house.Thousands of board feet of lumber stay dryin a large barn at the edge of the property,which is also where Linda keeps her horses.

The Bench RoomYou can climb a few stairs and enter the wood-shop’s bench room via the shop’s front door.Or you can enter via the breezeway, whichis part of the house’s wrap-around porch.There’s also a door at the back of the shop.There are seven windows in all, including awindow in each door, three windows that


GREAT WOODSHOPS

The Machine RoomThe machine room is downstairs. A garagedoor and a set of French doors provide easyaccess for lumber and new machines – Birdsays he’s constantly upgrading his machin-ery. The machines are arranged almost two-by-two in angled rows. There are two 10"table saws, a Delta Unisaw and a Powermatic66. There are two Laguna band saws, one18" and the other 24". There are two joint-ers, a Delta 12" and a World War II-era YatesAmerican 16". There are two shapers, a Deltaand a Jet. And there are two router tables, aBench Dog and one he built himself. In eachrouter table is a Porter-Cable router.

He has a Jet planer and a Performax drumsander. A Delta central dust-collection unit,along with Delta ambient cleaners hung onthe ceiling, keep Bird’s shop almost dust-free.Outside the machine room are several largeplastic trash cans – perfect for throwing awayunusable offcuts. He is a stickler for cleanli-ness, and it shows. Like the bench room, themachine room is temperature-controlled al-lowing Bird to work year round.

Chairs, Baseball and FamilyAn intimate setting for a woodworkingschool, the woodshop is quite spacious forBird’s personal projects. Although he sayshe enjoys building period casework, it’s ba-sically dovetailing and constructing boxeswithin boxes. Building chairs (like the onesbelow) is Bird’s true passion.

When discussing chairs, or any piece ofperiod furniture, Bird talks a lot about lineand proportion. He talks about sensuouscurves that flow the way they should, mak-ing two individual pieces of wood look likeone with no dead spots. He talks about tech-nically challenging pieces that require notonly a strong knowledge of joinery but alsocarving, inlay and creating curved shapes.

Bird’s understanding of line and pro-portion comes from studying period furni-ture in places such as Colonial Williamsburg,museums and books. His favorite book, pub-lished in the 1950s, is Albert Sack’s “FinePoints of Furniture.” Although it’s out ofprint, Bird says you can find some copies.

Of course, with a little pulling, Bird willadmit that natural ability does play a part inbuilding a quality piece of furniture. But moreimportantly than having natural ability isbeing able to develop that ability, he says.Using baseball as an analogy, Bird says study-ing and building period furniture is a lot likehitting a baseball. You might have a naturalswing and a natural follow-through, but youstill need a batting coach or whatever it takesto practice and develop your ability.

Bird likes baseball. He’s been known toto attend Smokies baseball games (a classAA minor league affiliate of the St. LouisCardinals) three times a week with his fam-ily. Bird values time with his family morethan anything else. They’re constantly to-gether. Bird and his wife home-school theirdaughters who also help out with lunchesfor students in Bird’s classes. The Birds spenttheir summer rafting in the rivers that flowthrough the mountains, traveling toCharleston, S.C., and, of course, hittingthe books. “We work together, play togetherand learn together,” Bird says. “I feel likewe’re really close-knit.”

Driving out his gravel driveway, over thecreek and keeping an eye out for Grace BaptistChurch, you begin to realize why Bird andhis family chose such an open, idyllic settingfor their home, woodshop and new school.It’s inspirational, a word Bird uses often whendescribing the area. A quick look at the spicecabinet Bird fetches from his home for ouropening shot, and you can see that the set-ting has inspired him, too. PW Bird’s classes (offered from early spring to late fall) are limited to nine students. Check out lonniebird.com.

Most of Bird’s machines come in sets of two (which means less waiting around for his students) and he keepsthem in angled rows for easy access.

Phot

o by

Lon

nie

Bird



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R03010



POWER-TOOL JOINERY

The edge joint may be the most funda-mental joint in woodworking. Any time

you need a solid-wood panel more than 6"wide, you likely create it by gluing boardsedge-to-edge. Casework, tabletops, door pan-els, drawer fronts, shelves, headboards andfootboards all require boards or panels of awidth that outstrips available stock and thecapacity of home-shop machinery.

The most widely used type of edge jointcouldn’t be simpler – just two boards withstraight, square edges and some glue. A prop-erly fitted glue joint is stronger than the wood,so if you assemble this joint correctly theboards will split before the joint ever will.

So why are there so many variations –splines, biscuits, interlocking profiles – thatadd complexity and additional parts? Well,sometimes woodworkers can’t accept that asimple joint is better than one with a bit moremechanics to it. Often, splines and biscuitscan be assembly aids.

Getting the stock flat, square and trueis the biggest task to making a good edgejoint. Master that and you’ll have no trou-ble constructing strong, simple edge joints.

But to do a proper job dressing stock, youneed three machines: a jointer, a thicknessplaner and a table saw. Together, they canrepresent a significant cash outlay.

The upshot is that you may be able towork around the lack of a jointer, a planer

Living onthe EdgeThe simple edge joint

is one of the easiest

to learn and one of

the most essential for

almost any project.

by Bill Hylton

Bill Hylton is the author of several books on routerwoodworking and furniture making. He will be giving

seminars at select WoodWorks 2003 shows. Seewoodworks2003.com for more information.

or both. You may not have the flattest stockto work with, and a spline or some biscuitscan help you line up a slightly bowed boardwith its mates during glue-up.

Butted Edge JointWhether it’s for a dining table’s top or a smalldoor’s panel, jointing the boards and gluingup a panel follow the same routine.

First lay out the dressed stock and findthe arrangement that pleases you. Mark thestock so you can remember the arrangement,then gather up the boards and joint the edges,making them straight, smooth, true and, ofcourse, square to the faces. Then put togetheryour panel on a flat surface. If your assemblytable is bowed or twisted, you’ll have diffi-culty creating a flat glue-up.

Do a dry-fit first. Set out the clamps, po-sition the boards and cauls, and run throughthe clamping. The joints must close withmoderate pressure. If you need to really crankto close the joints then you know you needto rejoint the edges first.

I use an odd number of clamps and begintightening the center one before I work out

to the ends, alternating from one side to theother. To keep the panel flat, I set alternat-ing clamps across the top surface of the panel.

Spread your glue, set the boards on thebottom-side clamps and move the top-sideclamps into place. As you tighten each clamp,make sure the faces are flush by rubbing yourthumb over the seam.

If you’re uncomfortable trying to moni-tor two or three seams at once, which youmust do if you’re gluing up three or four boards,you will need to do more than one glue-up.First do two glue-ups of two boards each, waitabout half an hour for the glue to set, thendo a third glue-up joining them together.

Using a Router TableIf you don’t have a jointer, you can substi-tute a router: Either set up a router tablefor jointing or you can produce an excellentbutted edge joint using a hand-held router.But keep in mind that router setups are notideal for handling rough lumber.

On the table, you need a fence with aslight offset between the infeed and outfeedhalves – just like the tables on a jointer – sothat the work will be supported before andafter the bit trims away stock. If you use afence with split faces, you can shim the out-feed half with cards or plastic laminate. Thiswould apply to most commercial fences.

I’ve made a simple fence that I can use

Glue up a panel with clamps across the top and bottom to keep the assembly flat. Make sure you use plenty ofclamps on your workpiece to spread enough pressure across the entire joint.

Phot

os b

y th

e au

thor

popwood.com 37

on any of my router tables. It’s just two stripsof 3⁄4" medium-density fiberboard glued to-gether with a piece of laminate attached tothe outfeed side. The bit cutout is large enoughto accommodate my glue joint bit, so I canuse it with that bit or a straight bit. Just se-cure it to the table with clamps.

Lock down one end of the fence, leavingthe other end free to allow for slight move-ment. Hold a straightedge against the out-feed side of the fence, extending it across thebit. Adjust the fence so the bit’s cutting edgesare even with the straightedge.

Then make a test cut by jointing the first5" of a 12" scrap. If the cut stalls when thescrap hits the edge of the outfeed section,increase the bite. If the jointed stock isn’tsupported – if you can slip a piece of paperor a feeler gauge between the stock and theoutfeed facing – you need to reduce the bite.

The ideal bit in these cases is a fairly heavybut well-balanced 1⁄2"-shank straight bit.

Using a Hand-held RouterIn this case, clamp a straightedge atop thefirst workpiece and, guiding the router baseagainst the fence, trim about 1⁄16" from theworkpiece. Then secure the second work-piece directly opposite the first. Adjust thegap between it about 1⁄16" less than the di-ameter of the bit. By guiding the router alongthe same fence – you haven’t moved it –trim the second workpiece and producean edge on it that’s a negative image ofthe edge milled on the first workpiece. Thetwo boards should fit together perfectly.

Because you’re cutting positive and neg-ative contours of the fence, it doesn’t needto be perfectly straight. In fact, you can pro-duce slightly curved edge joints this way.

To do this, you will need to elevate bothboards slightly so the router bit doesn’t grooveyour workbench. Both boards should be inthe same plane so the router can remainsquare to the edges throughout both cuts.

Make sure you work out a placement thatallows you to secure both workpieces, suchas orienting them across the benchtop.

Feed direction is important, and the di-rection that’s correct is different for eachboard. You’ll be cutting one board on thefirst pass, the other on the second. Don’t cutboth at the same time. If you stand wherethe fence is between you and your router, the

Rout the first half of an edge joint by guiding therouter along a fence clamped atop the workpiece.Thefeed direction here is right-to-left (moving away fromthe camera).

36"

4"

Glue plastic laminateto outfeed side only

Glue two stripsof 3/4" MDF

See detail belowfor bit opening

Align face of plastic laminatewith cutting diameter of bit

Bit clearance holeStraight bit

Jointing fence

Bit opening detail

Position the mating board opposite the first, with agap just smaller than the diameter of the bit betweenthe two workpieces.The feed direction when routingthe second edge is left-to-right.

feed on the first board is right-to-left, whileit is left-to-right on the second.

Biscuited Edge JointDespite the strength of the glued edge joint,many woodworkers opt to embellish it withbiscuits, splines or dowels. Machining theboards for these elements can be extra work,but when the assembly is complex or thewood is mildly bowed, biscuits and splinescan help create a flat glue-up.

Dowels, on the other hand, are not a goodoption. It’s difficult to drill matching holesin the mating boards. Unlike biscuits, dow-els offer no margin for error. On top of that,dowels introduce a cross-grain element to along-grain joint – if the wood shrinks, thedowels can push the joint apart.

Splining an edge joint was covered in theOctober 2003 issue (available online at pop-wood.com), so I won’t repeat that.

Biscuits are an excellent alternative, and

pretty easy to accomplish. Cut a series of slotsin the mating edges with a biscuit joiner. Asyou glue up the joint, insert a football-shapedbiscuit into each pair of slots. The biscuitsregister the surfaces, but allow a degree ofend-to-end adjustment. Accurate alignmentduring glue-up is virtually foolproof.

Biscuit slot layout is simple. Line up theboards as you want to assemble them andthen mark a line across each joint every 6"to 8" where your slots will go.

Routed Glue JointThis industrial joint was developed for high-volume production glue-ups. In that setting,the stock is propelled across a shaper witha power feeder and the cutter simultaneouslyjoints and profiles the edge in a single pass.One edge is milled with the face up, the otheredge with the face down.

Long ago, the cutter was scaled down foruse in a router table. Because it’s typicallyless than 2" in diameter, it can be run at fulltilt (22,000 rpm). But because it’s a substantialbit and removes a major amount of stock,lots of horsepower is a prerequisite.

The concept, of course, is that you havea single setup of bit height and fence posi-tion. One board is routed face up, the otherface down. If the setup is correct, the twoboards will come together with their faces


POWER-TOOL JOINERY

For the routed glue joint, mark the center of the workand align the sweet spot on the glue-joint bit withyour mark. It probably won’t be perfect, but it’ll getthe setup process started.

Align the outfeed side of the fence even with thecutting edges of the bit’s smallest diameter. Use astraightedge and turn the bit by hand to find thecorrect alignment.

Check the fit of the joint.You want the faces to beflush. If you are millingboth edges of a work-piece, alternate theprofile from edge to edge,as shown.

flush. Because of the interlock, the fit is acinch; the boards can’t shift up or down. Thegluing surface is expanded, too.

But the setup is easier explained thandialed in. (Once you’ve done it, it’s easierto repeat.) The center of the profile mustfall on the center line of the stock or thefaces won’t assemble flush. Also, millingthe stock’s full edge with the bit requiresthe infeed and outfeed halves of the fence

to be offset from one another (just as youset the tables on your jointer).

Setup Sequence• Eyeball a bit-height setting. I do this bymarking the stock center line on a setup sam-ple and setting it beside the bit. Then I raiseand lower the bit to visually align its cen-ter point as best I can with the mark. I usethis setting to set the fence, then come backto the bit and fine-tune its elevation.

• Next, shim the outfeed half of the fence.I usually use two or three thicknesses of index-card stock. The shims go between the fenceand its facings. If you use the jointing fence,shimming isn’t necessary, as the infeed-out-feed offset is established.

• Align the outfeed half of the fence withthe small-diameter cutting edge. Lock downone end of the fence and adjust it by swing-ing the free end back and forth. Align thefence visually, then check it with a straight-edge held against the outfeed side and acrossthe cutting edge. Clamp the free end. Confirmthe setting with a partial test cut. Begin thecut and feed several inches beyond the bit.Switch off the router and check if the edgecontacts the outfeed side of the fence.

• Finally make a test cut on a short pieceof the working stock. Cut the piece in halfand fit the parts together to assess the fit. Ifthe faces are not flush, you need to changethe bit height by half the offset. PW

Butted edge joint

Biscuited edge joint Doweled edge joint

Splined edge joint

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FROM THE BENCH

Many woodworkers might find the tra-ditional wooden spokeshave invalu-

able for working curved and shaped surfaces.But many others often overlook this usefultool, despite its having undergone somethingof a revival among Windsor chairmakers dur-ing the past several years.

The wooden spokeshave’s associationwith a fairly specific type of work (spindles,spokes, etc.) may help explain this oversight,but I suspect it’s mostly because of some un-certainty about how the tool is supposed tofunction and wondering how to sharpen andtune it. I hope to dispel some of the mysterysurrounding wooden spokeshaves and en-courage you to discover that they can be idealfor shaping and cleaning up a wide rangeof circular and curved work.

Chairmakers can use them to shape theirspindles and chair seats. Cabinetmakers canuse them to fair curves or shape complexwork, such as cabriole legs. In short, anywoodworker who does any curvilinear workwill find them useful.

How a Spokeshave WorksThough it has some unique features, thespokeshave has a key characteristic that iden-tifies it as a type of plane, albeit a very shortone. Namely, it has a blade secured in a wood-en stock (the body of the tool) and the stockregulates the cutting action.

Many of the tool’s more unique featuresare fairly obvious and require no addition-al comment. But the significance of some as-pects of the blade and its relationship to thestock may not be quite so apparent.

Wooden SpokeshavesPick up an antique

version (or make your

own). These tools

are unbeatable

for curved work.

by Don McConnell

Don McConnell builds furniture and does ornamentalcarving in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Formerly at the

cabinetmaker’s shop at The Ohio Village, he remainsan avid student of the history of the trade,

tools and shop practices.

At first glance the lower face of the bladeappears parallel, front to back, with the mouthplate, or sole of the shave. In fact, it could bemistakenly assumed that the lower face ofthe blade is intended to function as the rearsole of the tool. However, my examinationof little-used older spokeshaves reveals thatthe lower face of the blade is slightly cant-ed (I’ve observed 5° to 9°) from the sole ofthe shave (see the drawing on the next page).

This slight cant provides a clearance anglefor the blade, which is required of every plane.There is a slight compression of the materi-al being worked under the focused pressureof the cutting edge. The spring-back just be-

hind the cutting edge would tend to pushthe blade up off the material if there was norelief angle. While learning to use a spoke-shave, it is helpful to be conscious of regis-tering the sole, rather than the blade, on thematerial to maintain this relief angle.

This orientation of the blade also meansit has a low cutting angle – roughly equal tothe amount of cant, or clearance angle, plusthe angle of the cutting bevel on the blade.This unique feature results in a very sweetcutting action when working with the grain,especially on end grain. Predictably, this isless than ideal for working against the grainor if there are unpredictable grain reversals.

Luckily, in doing curved work, grain di-rection is generally more pronounced and thedirection you are working in can be adjusted.Because the spokeshave can be used by eitherpushing or pulling you can accommodate thesechanges in grain direction without having tochange position or turn the work around.

Spokeshaves excel at shaping curved surfaces and can be either pushed or pulled over the work.Wooden tools,such as the one shown here, can be constructed easily yourself, or you can purchase a vintage one.

Phot

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Par

rish


popwood.com 41

Buying a Vintage SpokeshaveIf you decide to look for an older spokeshaveto use, you will discover a number of varia-tions. The majority of older spokeshaves weremade from beech, though boxwood also iscommon. Spokeshaves also come in a vari-ety of sizes for different types of work.

The earliest form (which endured through-out the period when wood spokeshaves werecommercially produced) has simple taperedtangs that wedge into holes bored into thestock. These require some finesse becauseadjustment is achieved by hammer taps. Ifoverdone, the stock can split or the fit canbecome too loose to secure the blade inthe needed position. The latter can be reme-died with slivers of veneer or blunted setscrews inserted from the front of the stock(see the illustration below). When lookingfor an older shave, it’s probably best to avoidexamples that are already loose or showingsigns of splits in the tang holes.

Other spokeshaves have threaded tangsthat are held and adjusted with capturedthumbscrews at the top of the stock. Theseseem more user-friendly, though you have towatch for thumbscrews with noticeable wearwhere they are captured in the brass plate.Wear allows the blade to shift during use, re-sulting in erratic cutting action.

Some older spokeshaves have straightblades while many, if not most, have a slightbow, or curvature, along the blade. The pur-pose of this bow isn’t immediately obvious,but it may be to ensure that extraneous areasof the sole don’t interfere with the functionof the shave on irregular surfaces.

Another feature of older blades is the hol-low forged into the upper bevel, reminiscentof old straight razors. This provides guidancefor honing the bevel while minimizing theamount of steel needing to be moved.

Finally, older spokeshaves may have abrass mouthplate. It is assumed this was in-tended to reduce wear, though brass doesn’tseem to be a great choice for this purpose.Indeed, wear can be an issue for woodenspokeshaves because they are often used onnarrow surfaces, which tends to localize andaccelerate wear. People making their ownwooden spokeshaves today often prefer touse a small piece of hard, dense wood instead.

One unfortunate result of this uniqueblade arrangement is that the working por-

tion of the blade is shortened with repeatedsharpenings. This inevitably leads to theopening of the mouth, which can’t simplybe corrected, though one occasionally runsacross an older spokeshave that has had anew mouthplate installed to address this con-dition (and possibly to fix a shave where thestock has worn away from use).

Often, older shaves have seen hard use,with the sole or mouthplate showing signif-icant wear and the blade all but used up.While this is ample evidence of past utili-ty, it’s better to find a little-used one. Thereare still enough of these around that a lit-tle patience is usually rewarded.

Many people today are making their ownspokeshaves. Though not identical to theolder ones, there are new blades suitable forwooden spokeshaves that are available; andthe process of making one is an enjoyableand instructive experience.

The Trick to Sharpening the BladeIf you’ve acquired a wooden spokeshave touse the next task is to sharpen it. Obviously,the two tangs limit your options and you’llneed to work around them.

If the blade is straight, it’s possible to layyour sharpening stone on edge, providingclearance for the handles while you hone on

Wooden spokeshavescome in a variety of sizesand configurations. Fromthe top are: a traditionalshave with square tangsset into a wooden stock;

a shave with a blade thatis adjustable by the

thumbscrews on the top;a shave with a traditional

wooden stock; a newuser-made shave with a

piece of persimmon inlaidin front of the blade; a

vintage shave with abrass-wear plate.

Correct blade section Dubbed blade section

Blade

Tang Tang

BladeMouth plateMouth plate

Sections taken from centerof spokeshave body

Screws can be added totighten a loose blade

Cant angleClearance angle

Illus

trat

ions

by

Mat

t Ban

tly


FROM THE BENCH

the stone’s edge. Or you can elevate the stoneon another stone or block of wood so youcan hone on its face. At this point, you’ll ap-preciate the advantages provided by theforged hollow because it guides your honing.

If your blade is bowed, however, the bevelface will be slightly concave. That means youcan’t hone on the flat edge or face of a benchstone. The best method I’ve found for this isto trap the blade, bevel up, between the jawsof a handscrew – which, in turn, is being heldin my bench vise. This brings it up to a com-fortable working height and provides goodvisibility while I hone with a slip stone.

Honing and polishing the lower surface of

Wooden-bodied spoke-shaves have a very lowcutting angle, whichexcels at slicing endgrain. Shown here is aribbon of unbrokenwalnut end grain takenwith this shave.

Sharpening the blade ismuch simpler with it

secured in a handscrewclamp.The metal rib

behind the hollowthat’s forged into the

blade helps guide yourslipstone as you hone

the bevel.

SOURCESOlder wooden spokeshaves:Auctions, flea markets, antique dealers, yardsales, etc. Also, don’t overlook national andregional tool collectors' association meetingswhere members often have tools for sale.

Make your own wooden spokeshaves:New blades:Hock Tools16650 Mitchell Creek DriveFort Bragg, CA 95437888-282-5233 or hocktools.com

Instructions:John Gunterman’s online tutorial:www.shavings.net/teachshave.htm

New wooden spokeshaves, kits andblades:Dave WachnickiDave’s ShavesP.O. Box 980North Conway, NH 03860603-356-8712 orncworkshops.com/index.html

the blade is mostly straightforward. But it’simportant not to “dub over” or round overthe blade front to back in an effort to speedthe process. This would quickly compromisethe slight relief angle provided by the rela-tionship of the blade to the sole.

Unfortunately, this is an ongoing issue.The bottom surface, just behind the edge,comes in for a fair amount of wear. So whileyou will probably do your primary honingon the bevel, some secondary honing of thelower face usually needs to be done. It willbe tempting to concentrate your honing ef-forts toward the edge, which, if you’re notcareful, could easily result in dubbing it over.

As to setting the blade for use, peopledoing spindle/spoke work seem to prefer cock-ing their blades so that one side takes a heav-ier cut than the other. For general curvedwork, I find a uniform set to be more useful.

Whether you decide to buy or make a newspokeshave or refurbish an older one, I be-lieve you’ll find it a satisfying and versatileaddition to your woodworking. PW

View ofbevel sideof blade

Blade has a forgedhollow behindcutting edge

Blade

Tang

Escapement area

Mouth plate

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Tite-Mark™




Phot

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The curves, cutouts and captured shelf of thissmall table make it look like a daunting proj-ect for the beginning woodworker. But thanks

to some sharp design work from our project illus-trator, this tabourette actually is duck soup.

Or, should I say, “rabbet” soup.At the core of this table is an unusual rabbet

joint that joins the four legs of the table. The rab-bets nest inside one another and, when assembled,look like a pinwheel when viewed from above. Asa bonus, this joint allows you to make all four legsfrom one simple template.

But how do you clamp such a curvy form withthis unusual joint? If you own a nail gun, then youalready have the answer.

This noteworthy joint might be the only thingthat separates my reproduction from a museumoriginal. Using historical photographs, we wentto great pains to ensure this tabourette looks ex-actly like the table that appeared in Charles P.Limbert Co.’s 1905 furniture catalog. If you areunfamiliar with Limbert furniture, you should knowthat this Grand Rapids, Mich., company producedArts & Crafts furniture with a European flair.Instead of straight lines and massive propor-tions, Limbert preferred curves. The furniture re-

by Christopher Schwarz

Comments or questions? Contact Chris at 513-531-2690 ext. 1407 or [email protected].

Limbert Tabourette


This historical reproduction

is easier than it looks,

thanks to a tricky rabbet.

popwood.com 45

mains popular to this day. The#238 sold for $7 in 1905; a re-cent example fetched $1,600at auction. Constructing thisreplica, as you’ll see, is easier thanaffording an original.

Start With the LegsYou can build this project withjust two 8'-long 1x8s, making itaffordable and easy to build – evenif you don’t have a jointer or aplaner in your shop. Limbert’scompany built this table in quar-tersawn white oak, though we’vealso built it in walnut and cher-ry for a more contemporary look.

The first order of business is,as always, to get your stock flatand true. Cut all your pieces tolength and true one long edge ofeach board. Set aside the fourboards for the legs and glue theremaining boards edge-to-edgeto create the panels you will needfor the top and shelf.

You’re going to make the legsusing a plywood template, a routerand a pattern-cutting bit. But be-fore you start cutting curves, youshould first cut the 3⁄8" x 3⁄8" rab-bet on your four legs that will jointhe four pieces together.

This rabbet is the most criti-cal part of the project. It needsto be precise to ensure the legsnest together seamlessly, so checkyour work carefully as you go. Aninexpensive dial caliper will makethe work easier.

I like to cut my rabbets on thetable saw using a dado stack that’sburied in an accessory fence. Thisallows me to cut my rabbets inone pass and has given me con-sistent results – especially whenI add a featherboard to the setup,as shown in the photograph.

With your rabbets cut, fit thefour pieces together to check yourwork. Tweak your saw’s settingsuntil everything fits. You’ll beable to tune up your joints by handlater if you know how to use a

shoulder plane (see “The EssentialShoulder Plane” on page 70).

One Template, Four LegsWith the rabbets cut, it’s time tomake the plywood template thatwill shape the legs. You can usethe scaled diagrams we’ve pro-vided, or you can download a full-size drawing of one from our website at popwood.com. Click on“Magazine Extras” for details.The file will allow you to print

out the legs on three sheets ofletter-sized paper and stick themdirectly to your plywood with aspray adhesive. (There also is afull-size pattern of this table’sshelf on our web site.) To makethe template, you can use thin1⁄4" plywood if you like, thoughthicker plywood, such as 1⁄2" or3⁄4", will make your routing eas-ier, as you’ll see later on.

Using your band saw or jig-saw, cut slightly wide of the line.

When trimming your pattern to rough size, cut as close to the line as you dare.The closer you are now, the less you’ll labor your router later. But if you go overthe line, you’ll be in trouble.

An accessory fenceallows you to cutrabbets on yourtable saw with justone pass.And afeatherboardmakes this jointaccurate and safe.

With the patterns taped together, attach itto a piece of plywood using a spray adhe-sive.This 3M product is available in the gluesection of most home-center stores.

251/4"

87/8"

11/16"

3/4"

3/8"x3/8" rabbet

Leg pattern1" grid

Accessory fence

Dado stack

Featherboard


Leave a small nib of waste at thefoot and the top of the leg thatwill allow you to screw this tem-plate directly to your lumber.

Clean up the curves on yourtemplate using sandpaper or files.Make the curves as smooth as pos-sible. To ensure your curves arefair, I recommend you shape apiece of scrap with your templatebefore you move on to the realthing. A trial run will point outrough spots or bumps that needmore attention with the file.

To rout the shape of the legs,first lay the pattern on your workand line up the long, straight edgeof the pattern with the rabbetededge of the piece. Trace this shapeonto your wood.

Remove the pattern and trimyour leg close to this line usinga jigsaw or band saw – get with-in 1⁄16" to make it easier on yourrouter and pattern-cutting bit.Save your fall-off pieces becausethey can help you clamp the legstogether later in the game.

I nailed my pattern to a piece of scrap plywood and clampedthat to my bench.This made routing the leg a simple opera-tion that could be done in one pass.

A template for the shelf can simplify things if you’re making several tables. I cut thenotches on each edge of the pattern with a table saw and cleaned out the interiorwaste with a chisel. Double-sided tape held the shelf on the pattern during routing.

Move the router around the piece ina counterclockwise pattern.As thegrain changes direction in the piece,you might want to climb-cut a bit inplaces (cutting clockwise) for acleaner cut. Just keep a firm grip onthe router when you do this.

There are a couple of ways torout the legs. You can do the op-eration on a router table, if yourtable is big enough. Or you canclamp the work to your benchand use a hand-held router.

The real trick is the router bititself. There are two kinds of pat-tern-cutting bits: One has thebearing at the end of the bit; theother has the bearing above thecutting flutes. I generally preferbits with the bearing on the end,especially when working with ahand-held router. That’s becauseyou can work with the patternclamped to your workbench (ifyour pattern is thick enough).If this is the route you choose,

clamp the pattern to your benchusing a vise and bench dogs –make sure your bench dogs don’tinterfere with the bearing on theend of the bit. Affix the work tothe pattern with screws and dou-ble-sided tape and rout it to shape.

With the shape routed, you’llimmediately see that the notchthat holds the shelf will need someadditional work. The round routerbit won’t cut that area square, sosquare out this section with a jigsaw, band saw or even a handsawand chisels – whatever works foryou. This also is the time to re-move the small pieces of wastethat you used to screw the workto your template.

Leg

Pattern

Scrap plywood

Bench dog

Pinwheel rabbets

Top attachment plate

popwood.com 47

NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS ( INCHES) MATERIALT W L

❏ 4 Legs 3⁄4 8 26* White oak❏ 1 Top 3⁄4 16 16 White oak❏ 1 Shelf 3⁄4 101⁄2 101⁄2 White oak

* Item is slightly oversized for pattern-routing

LIMBERT TABOURETTE

Nail one leg to the other so that the nail holes will not show when the piece istogether. It’s easy to do, but it’s also easy to make a mistake. Use the diagram as aguide and an extra set of hands helps immensely.

101/2"

11/2"r.3/4"

11/8"

16"

251/4"

Shape the other three legs inthe same manner. Remove all themachining marks with sandpa-per or hand tools (a spokeshaveand smoothing plane would beappropriate). Then move on tothe shelf, top and assembly.

The Other CurvesAfter shaping the legs, the topand shelf are pretty simple. Thelower shelf requires notches onthe four sides and round corners,as shown below. You can make atemplate for this operation, too.Cut the notches with the same

tools you used to clean up thenotches in the legs.

You can round the top in a va-riety of ways depending on whatsort of tools you have. A circle-routing jig like the one featuredin our October 2003 issue (“TheMagic Trammel Jig”) is ideal. Youalso could cut it close on a bandsaw or jigsaw and sand it roundon a disc sander.

This is the best time to finishthe table’s parts. Begin by sand-ing all the surfaces. Start with#100 grit, then move up to #180or #220. I’m a hard-core hand-

Elevation

Plan, top removed

Exploded view


tool enthusiast so I skip the sand-paper and use a smoothing planeand a card scraper to prepare mywood for finishing. Either way isfine. Once your wood is perfect,tape off all your glue joints withblue painter’s tape.

I use a tried-and-true finish-ing process we’ve developed inour shop that emulates the deepreds and browns of a fumed am-monia finish without the down-sides of that dangerous chemical.We explained the entire processin detail in our June 2002 issue(“Arts & Crafts Finish,” avail-able for sale at our web site).

Essentially, you dye the proj-ect with a reddish half-strength

water-base aniline dye. After that’sdry, wipe on a coat of Valsparwarm brown glaze. Then add atopcoat finish – we spray lacquer.The finish takes some time, butit’s worth the effort. See the“Supplies” box for ordering whatyou’ll need for this finish.

AssemblyPutting the base together is eas-ier than it looks; the trick is to doit in stages. First study the pin-wheel rabbet in the diagram. Thentake two of the legs and join themat a 90° angle as shown in the il-lustration. Here’s how: Put gluein the rabbet, put the lower shelfin place and nail the two pieces

together. You read that right, nailit. I’ve used a 23-gauge pinnerand an 18-gauge nailer for thisoperation. Both fasteners work,but the smaller pins are less like-ly to split the wood.

Place the fasteners so thatwhen you assemble the entiretable the nail holes will be cov-ered by the other rabbets.

Now add a third leg to yourfirst assembly in the same way.

What you have left is whatyou see in the construction draw-ing: A three-legged table with agroove running down the assembly.And you have a fourth leg withits mating rabbet. Attaching thisleg is a bit of a trick. I recommendeither band clamps or makingclamping cauls.

If you want to make clampingcauls (as shown above) you canuse the fall-off pieces from band-sawing the legs to shape. Thesework, but they won’t mate per-fectly. The better way is to printout another copy of the leg pat-tern and use that to saw and sanda set of cauls. To make the caulseasier to clamp to your project,tape the cauls to your clamps’heads. This allows you to assem-ble the project by yourself.

Using your cauls, clamp thefourth leg in place until the glue

is dry, then attach the top. I usedbrass mending plates that havetwo screw holes bored in them.These simple bits of hardwareallow the top to move with theseasons. To install them on thetable’s base, use a chisel to makea notch that’s just a little biggerthan the mending plate. The plateneeds to pivot a bit when the topexpands and contracts. (If youdon’t want to use mending plates,the “Supplies” box tells you whereto get desktop fasteners, whichfunction similarly.)

The notches shown in thephoto are 3⁄32" deep x 5⁄8" wide andare 11⁄8" in from the outside edgeof each leg. Screw each plate tothe base. Once you install all four,screw the base to the top.

Now that you’re done, be sureto save your templates and clamp-ing cauls. Because you’re readyto go into production. PW

SUPPLIESWoodworker’s Supply800-645-9292 orwoodworker.com

1 oz. • J.E. Moser’s goldenamber maple water-based aniline dye#W14901, $6.29

Woodfinishingsupplies.com866-548-1677

1 qt. • Valspar warm brownglaze, $10.99

Rockler800-279-4441 or rockler.com

1 pkg. • 8 desktop fasteners # 21650, $3.99

The shallow notchat the top of each

leg holds themending plates

($1.50 for a set offour from my local

home-centerstore). Make the

notch a bit widerthan the plate toallow it to pivot.

This allows the topto expand and

contract with theseasons.

I made clampingcauls using thepatterns for the

legs. Sand theedges of the cauls

to avoid marringyour finished

edges. I also tapedthe cauls to myclamps, which

made them easyto get in position

without help.Cauls

WOODWORKING

BY NICK ENGLER

While a fixed-base router is a veryversatile tool, there are stillsome operations that require

different abilities. This is where aplunge router proves valuable.

For example, some operations re-quire you to rout the interior of a boardwithout cutting in from the edge. Whenyou rout a mortise, it’s best to first makea small hole in the interior of the work-piece, then enlarge it. To make thisstarter hole, you must lower – or“plunge” – the bit into the wood. Whileyou don’t need a plunge router to dothis (woodworkers have been plungingwith standard routers for years), it doesmake the operation safer and can beaccomplished with greater precision.

The main difference between plungeand fixed-base routers (which were dis-cussed in Chapter One of this series) isthat plunge routers can make interiorand stopped cuts much more easily. Theplunge-base motor is mounted on twospring-loaded posts above the base,which let you position the motor abovethe work, then lower the bit straightdown into the wood and begin cutting.

Most larger plunge routers have foundhappy homes in router tables (we willdiscuss router tables in Chapter Three),and that’s where they belong. They’rehonestly too large for convenient hand-held routing operations. They can beused this way, but the smaller plungerouter is more likely the better choicefor hand-held routing.

The smaller plunge routers are easier

Similar to fixed-base routers, plunge-base routers are available in multiplesizes and power. Most will accept both1⁄2" and 1⁄4" collets.

Choosing the Right Size For Your First RouterPlunge routers are available in two mainsizes: either a 2-horsepower (or slightlyless) or a 3-hp (or slightly more) model.

Plunge Router2C H A P T E R

PRO TIP:How Much is Enough?To make sure the collet is safely gripping a router bit,insert 3⁄4" of the length of a 1⁄4" shank bit into thecollet and insert a full 1" of every 1⁄2" shank bit.

ESSENTIALS

TIPS & TRICKSPRO TIP:Use Ball-bearing Guided BitsInstead of Template Guides to Protect the Wood

Metal template guides can burnish thewood, crushing the fibers. This preventsstains and finishes from penetrating thewood evenly. To prevent this, purchase aset of ball-bearing guides, available fromany router-bit distributor.

GREAT TIP:Make Sure You Use Plenty of ProtectionAlways wear eye and ear protectorswhen routing. The need for eye protec-tion should be obvious – the routerthrows wood chips everywhere. But theneed for ear protection is just as neces-sary. A high-speed router motor gener-ates high frequency noise, which candamage your hearing a tiny amount witheach exposure. You won’t notice anyloss after just one routing session, butover time your hearing will grow worse.

GREAT TIP:Make Sure You Get Good Up-and-down MovementWhen plunging, some routers will jam ifyou grasp only one handle, which is OKbecause you should always use twohands. But if pushing both handles doesnot result in a smooth glide to full ex-tremes, you should pass on that router.

to use hand-held and will provide anastonishing amount of power for almostall operations. Today’s plunge routersoften come equipped with variablespeed. This is good because the larger-diameter bits cut better when run atslower speeds. Also, many variable-speedrouters now offer a type of turbo-boostcalled electronic feedback control. Thisfeature allows the motor to maintain therevolutions per minute when the routeris in use, meaning there’s no slowing orstalling during a cut.

So smaller is best when the tool isused outside of a table and larger is likelybetter for router-table use.

Choosing the Right Size For Routing Specific ProjectsAs mentioned above, certain diameterbits perform better at certain speeds.While variable speed can give you acertain amount of leeway in your routingabilities, there are places where the sizeof your router makes a difference.

In particular, when performing anyprocess that removes a large amount ofmaterial in a single pass, a larger plunge

router will better meet your needs. Thisalso will indicate that the operation isbest performed in a router table. Theseoperations include rail-and-stile applica-tions for doors, panel-raising for doorsand frame-and-panel cabinetry, andlarge profile work, such as in crownmoulding, base moulding or banisters.

In fact, the design of the tool willhelp you make that decision, too. Mostsmaller plunge routers will not have anopening in the base that is large enoughto accommodate a large-profile bit. If thebit won’t fit, you’ve probably grabbed thewrong router for the application.

Height-adjustment FeaturesWith fixed-base routers, the depth of cutusually is set and adjusted manually bysliding the motor up and down in thebase. Some motors will rotate to adjustthe height, while others slide straight upand down. When the height is set, themotor is locked in the base and the workproceeds. With plunge routers, the depthof cut also is set by sliding the motor inthe base, but there are a variety of waysto set, adjust and fine-tune that height.

There is quite an array of router choices.At left, originally designed as a laminate trimmer, thissmaller router is used very effectively for a variety of applications. Offering good power andusing standard 1⁄4"-diameter bits, it offers many of the benefits of a larger router with easiermaneuverability and convenient size. Kits for the trimmers offer fixed- and beveling-base op-tions. The standard fixed-base router in the 11⁄2-horsepower range (middle) will accept 1⁄4" and1⁄2" bits and do almost everything you could need out of a router. The plunge router in the 21⁄2-hprange (right) is able to do everything a fixed-base router can do and more, with extra torque forlarger profile work such as frame-and-panel doors.

POPULAR WOODWORKING

Ball-bearingguide

Because the plunge router is designedto slide out of the cutting position andthen return to the proper depth with aplunge, a repeatable and reliable depthstop is required. The most common andsimplest repeatable depth stop on plungerouters is called a “turret stop.”

A height-adjustable rod is mountedto the motor housing and aligned paral-lel to the direction of the plunge.Mounted to the base is a rotating dialwith usually three (but this can vary)stepped-height stops. The depth rod isplunged against the lowest position forthe proper height, then locked in place.The other two stops come into playwhen you are making deep cuts in multi-ple passes to reduce the strain on the bit

and the motor by taking no more than a1⁄4"-deep cut at one time.

There are a variety of designs for theplunge-rod/depth-stop arrangement, butturret depth stops are the most commonheight-adjustment system. Many newerplunge routers also offer fine adjustmentto the depth setting.

This is accomplished either by addinga fine-thread screw mechanism to thedepth rod or by adding a fine-threadscrew adjustment to the top of one of thedepth rests on the stop itself. Fine adjust-ment can be very helpful during theinitial depth setup, as you frequently canfind yourself fighting a balancing actbetween gravity and the tension of theplunge springs to get the setting right.

The fine-adjustment feature alsomakes plunge routers a good choice foredge routing and profile work, applica-tions typical for a fixed-base router. Infact, many woodworkers when facedwith using only one router (thankfullythat’s not too often) will choose a plungerouter, since it is more versatile.

But can’t a fixed-base router be usedto make plunge cuts? Sure, but it’s notrecommended. It’s a hazardous operationbecause the base is supported on onlyone tiny edge while you tip the tool toplunge. If all you have is a fixed-baserouter, there are ways to get the jobdone, but for most people who will bemaking more inside cuts, it’s well worthit to get that plunge router.

Should You Buy Two Routers?Considering the versatility of a plungerouter, why should anyone buy a fixed-base router? Simply put, with fewer mov-ing parts and a less-complicated depthadjustment, it’s a simpler tool. A fixed-base router is best used for making edgecuttings of a single depth, while theplunge router is built for depth changesand is best for multi-depth interior cuts,such as mortises.

Certainly, a plunge router can bemodified or placed in a jig for nearly anycut that you’d want a fixed-base router todo, but that doesn’t always make sense.When in doubt, just keep it simple and,in the best of all worlds, both a fixed-base and a plunge router should find ahome in your shop.

The 11⁄2-hp router, left, has a base opening that is sized for bits appropriate to that size motor.The larger plunge router, right, has a 3-hp motor, appropriately sized for larger bits for panelraising or large profiles. This base has a larger opening to accommodate those bits.

The turret stop is the most common depthstop in plunge routers.

Turret stop withfine adjustments

The fine-adjustment knobs make the depth asaccurate as possible.

Fine adjustment knobs

Fine adjustment rod

Turret stop

popwood.com

TIPS & TRICKSPRO TIP:Precise Setups with Feeler GaugesOne of the difficulties when setting upyour plunge router for a cut is fine-tuning the setting in small increments.The most precise way to change yoursetting is to use a set of automotivefeeler gauges. These thin strips of metalare marked with their precise thickness-es. When you want to adjust your bit up.005", simply place the appropriate feelergauge between your turret depth stopand the tool’s adjustment rod. Plunge thetool and lock it in place. Remove thefeeler gauge and move the adjustmentrod down until it contacts the turretdepth stop again. Bingo. Now your cut is.005" shallower.

GREAT TRICK:Use a Thick Scrap to KeepYour Router in Balance

If you’re routing the thin edge of a workpiece, or if the workpiece is toonarrow to balance the router easily,clamp a thick scrap to the work to provide more support.

Base-mounted Guides andTemplate GuidesBase-mounted guides are available asaccessories for most fixed-base andplunge routers. The guide follows theedge of the wood and you can use itrather easily. Instead of holding bothrouter handles, grasp one handle andhold the end of the guide with yourother hand. As you cut, keep the guidepressed firmly against the edge of theworkpiece. Then just feed the routerslowly and easily for a smooth cut.

Template guides attach to the base orsole of the router and follow a straight orcontoured edge. These round guidessurround the bit and the bit protrudesout through the hole. While templateguides can be used to follow along theedges of a workpiece, they were designedto follow templates.

When using template guides, makesure the bit does not rub the inside of thecollar. That wear could ruin both the bitand the collar. Also, keep the guidepressed firmly against the edges of thetemplate as you cut.

Don’t forget the most simple of routerguides – a straightedge clamped to thematerial you’re cutting. This can be asimple piece of scrap found in your shopor one of a number of commerciallyavailable guides that have built-inclamping, making their use a lot easier.

Most base-mounted guides will follow eitherstraight or contoured edges, depending on theshape of the guide. Here, a straight guide –which looks like a small fence – rides alongthe edge of a board.

Template guides are designed to follow templates.As the guide traces the shape of the tem-plate, the bit cuts a similar shape in the workpiece. The routed shape may be a little larger orsmaller than the template, depending on the relative diameters of the bit and the guide.

TemplateWork

Template guide

POPULAR WOODWORKING

Scrap

Illus

trat

ions

by

Mar

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vorit

e

How to Rout a MortiseRouting a mortise with a plunge router isan easy operation. First mark the loca-tion of the mortise and set up whateverguide system you choose. Your guidesystem can be as simple as an edge guide,as shown at right, or a jig, as shown inthe photo below.

Begin the mortise by making a start-ing hole. Just position the bit over thework, then push down. Next, enlarge (or elongate) the hole to complete themortise by moving the router.

Cutting a mortise with the standardfixed-base router is more difficult be-cause you must “rock” the bit into theworkpiece before you can cut. You alsocan cut a mortise with a table-mountedfixed-base router, but the procedurerequires careful layout work. You have tomark both the router table and the work-piece to know when to start and stopcutting. That’s why the plunge router isperfect for this job.

Other ApplicationsAlong with mortising, there are someother operations that plunge routers areideally suited for:■ Circles and Ellipses

Because cutting these pieces is usual-ly a multi-stage task, the plunge routerworks best because it can be loweredgradually to make the cuts. You coulduse a fixed-base router, but it usuallytakes up more time, or even a band saw,which can be more efficient but won’tgive you the precision or finished quali-ty of a plunge router.

■ Deep or Large CutsIf you have a deep cut that is going to

be more than one pass or is larger thanyour bit, break out the plunge router.Even if it means building up support onthe outboard side of the router’s base toprevent tipping, it’s almost always betterto use the plunge router.■ With a Router Table

Plunge routers are the most popularchoice with a table because there aremore options in the 3-hp range thanfixed-base routers. They’re also relativelyinexpensive, but there are some prob-lems to be aware of. Because the router’smotor is inseparable from the rest of thetool, you can’t change the bit easily ifthe tool is fixed to the tabletop.

To rout a mortise with a plunge router, clamp a straightedge or guide to the workpiece andadjust the depth stop. (You also may use a base-mounted guide attached to the router.) Positionthe router over the work, holding the base against the straightedge (or the guide against thework). Release the height clamp and push the bit into the wood.

The depth stop will halt the bit at the properdepth. Secure the height clamp and rout themortise, keeping the router against the guide.

A mortising template can be nothing morethan a hole cut in a piece of plywood or

particleboard. The size and shape of the holedepends on the size and shape of the mortiseyou wish to cut, the diameter of the templateguide in your router and the diameter of the

bit you are using.When you make the template, cut it large enough to support the

router base.You also may want to fasten it toone or more mounting boards to help position

the template and provide an easy way toclamp it to the workpiece.

popwood.com

TIPS & TRICKSPRO TIP:Sharpen Cutting Flutes byUsing a Diamond Stone

If your cutting edges seem dull, touch upthe carbide flutes on a diamond stone.Sharpen only the inside (flat) surfaces ofthe flutes, leaving the outside (curved)edges alone. If you try to sharpen those,you might change the diameter of the bit.

GREAT TIP:Wax That Tool; Don’t WorryAbout Wax on WoodThere is a common misconception that ifyou wax a woodworking tool the wax willrub off onto the wood and interfere witha finish. This is not true, as long as youbuff the wax after it dries. Once buffed,the layer of wax remaining on the tool isonly a few molecules thick – enough toprotect and lubricate the metal but notenough to ruin the finish.

GREAT TIP:Remove Your Plunge SpringsWhen Routing in a TableOne of the most frustrating things aboutusing a plunge router in a router table isthat the plunge springs work against youas you try to increase the height of thebit. Many plunge routers allow you toeasily remove the springs. Give it a try.

Router MaintenanceLike many modern portable power tools,the router is a mostly maintenance-freetool. There are, however, a few thingsyou must do to keep it in good workingorder. In particular:

• Keep the motor free of dust. Usecompressed air or a vacuum to clean outthe housing. Otherwise, the dust will getinto the bearings – even permanentlysealed bearings – and cause them wearprematurely. The dust also can damagethe commutator (a part of the router’suniversal motor that conducts current)and field of the motor.

• Keep the collet dust-free. Dust in acollet is the most common cause of bitsslipping. If you don’t keep it clean, thecollet also can show wear prematurely.

• Replace the collet immediately if it shows signs of wear. A worn colletchanges the shanks of router bits. Thismay ruin the motor shaft, requiring youto replace the entire armature.

• Wax and buff the base plate and the surfaces of the tool that slide to-gether (such as the plunge bars). Thissimple act will help these parts movefreely and keep the router glidingsmoothly across the work.

• Specifically with the plunge router,you need to make sure that the plungebars and sleeves are correctly aligned. Ifthe router is dropped, these parts mightneed to be inspected. In some routers,the return springs are inside the plungebars; in others, the spring is fitted exter-nally. Either way, the springs need to be

seated properly and cleaned regularly.• Brushes are blocks of carbon that

ride and wear against the commutator inall router motors as part of the motorfunction. Over enough time, the brushescan wear down enough to require com-plete replacement. Some, but not allrouters, make this a simple task by mak-ing the brushes accessible from the out-side of the router housing.

Sparking from the motor that is onlygetting worse is a good indicator that itmay be time to replace the brushes. Thisusually is a simple task that requiresremoving the brush cover, removing thebrush, spring and wire and inserting anew brush. Properly aligning the brushesand leaving proper “play” in the springwill ensure a good fit.

There likely will be a short periodwhere sparking will continue as the newsquare brush shapes itself to the surfaceof the round commutator, but after thatthere should be no problem.

• Many switches included on routerstoday are sealed against dust. This makesmaintenance on them unnecessary. Ifyou happen to have an older or less-expensive router, you may want to take a look at the switch occasionally as well.After unplugging the router it’s simpleenough to remove the switch from thehousing and use a soft toothbrush toclean any accumulated dust from theswitch and the switch terminals.Compressed air is another option forcleaning out the switch. Put things backtogether and you’re ready to go.

At right is the motor’s brush withspring and connecting wire, the cap

and the hole in the housing wherethe brush goes.You can see that

the surface of the brush is slightlyconcave to form to the cylinder ofthe commutator.When replacing a

brush that is already broken in, theshape should be properly oriented

to match the motor’s round commutator.

Mounting hole

Brush

Spring

Connectingwire

Brush cap

POPULAR WOODWORKING

A BIT OF ADVICEA router bit consists of a cylindricalshank (usually 1⁄4" or 1⁄2" in diameter) andone or more flutes or cutting wings,usually comprised of a piece of carbidebrazed to the metal body of the bit.Throughout this series, we will be pro-viding a closer look at a many of themost common (and some specialized)bits that you can use with your router.These four bits are great for makinginterior patterns.

Bit MaintenanceClean and maintain the router bits, notjust the machine itself. After all, a bit isthe most important part of your routingsystem. Here are some tips:

• After each use, remove dust andbuilt-up pitch. Then polish the shaftwith a piece of steel wool or 3M Scotch-Brite. This will not affect the diameter ofthe shaft – the tool materials are a lotharder than steel wool and Scotch-Brite.

• If there are any burrs or galling(rough spots) on the shaft of the bit,sand the entire shaft smooth withemery cloth. Carefully check the colletfor dust or any signs of wear. Burrs andgalling are sure signs that the bit hasslipped while you were cutting.

• Lubricate pilot bushings and bear-ings after every one to two hours of use.Wax and buff the bushings. Apply a drylubricant, such as powdered graphite, tothe bearings – do not use oil or sprays.These mix with sawdust, forming agummy paste that can ruin the bearing.

Using Piloted BitsA piloted bit has either a ball bearing ora bushing to guide the cut. These pilotsfollow the surface of the work (or thetemplate) and keep the width of the cutconsistent, just like you do when using abase-mounted guide.

Usually they’re mounted to the endsof the flutes, but some are positionedbetween the shank and the flutes (called“over-bearings”).

When using piloted bits:• Remember that the pilot is meant

to follow the contour of the board.

When you set the depth of cut, the pilotmust solidly contact the wood surface.

• Anticipate the curves and cornersof your work to keep the pilot pressedfirmly against the board’s edge.

• Treat the pilot as if it was a smallstraightedge or fence when trying todecide which way to move the router orfeed the work. With a hand-held routerright-side up, cut counterclockwisearound the outside of your workpiece.(With the router mounted upside downin a table, feed the work clockwisearound the bit.)

• The diameter of the pilot controlsthe width of the cut. Some piloted bitshave interchangeable pilots for you tochange the diameter, but not all do, somake sure you’re prepared for this.

Beading BitA bead is different than aroundover in that it has ashoulder that transitionsinto the round. Used fordecorative edges, it can beused on one side (oftenwith a bearing guide) ortwo sides to make a double bead.

V-groove BitThis decorative bit allowsyou to cut deep or shallowgrooves by adjusting thecutting depth. Ideal formaking signs and addingdecorative accents tofurniture and plaques.

To remove the pitch from a router bit, soak itin lacquer thinner or spray it with oven clean-er. Give the solvent a moment or two to work,then wipe off the bit with fine steel wool.

For best results, use pilotbearings, rather than bush-ings or pins, which turn at thesame speed as the bit andrub the edge of the work-piece. The friction causesthem to heat up and burn thewood. Bearings turn inde-pendently of the bit andwon’t rub or burn the wood.

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Round Nose BitProvides a perfect radiusgroove and is most com-monly associated withproducing fluted millwork,signs and decorativedesigns in cabinet doors.

Cuts access hole andspace for the nail orscrew head Cuts space

for the shank

Keyhole BitThis is a very specialized bitthat allows you to cut keyholeopenings for hanging picturesand plaques. Perfect for use inplunge routers.

Chapter 3The Router TableWhich routers work best in a table? Plus lots of table tricks.

Chapter 4Router JoineryA great tool for joinery, wetell you how to rout all kindsof tight joints.

Chapter 5Use Your Routerto Build DrawersAn excellent application fora table or hand-held router.

Chapter 6Edge & SurfaceTreatmentsSpice up your projects withthese special edge shapes.

Chapter 7AdvancedTechniquesWe comb our resources togive you some special tipsand projects to work on.

Everything you needto know about the router in our special series!For many woodworkers, one of theirfirst tools is the router, but thereoften isn’t enough instruction abouthow to use it. This series aims to fixthat by giving you everything youever wanted to know.

Many woodworkers use a router, astraight bit and a circle-cuttingjig to make circles. And, natural-

ly, there is an easy-to-build and easy-to-use jig that will help you make theseperfect pieces. This jig is just an elongat-ed router sole that you can attach to yourhand-held router’s base. Make the jigfrom plywood, hardboard or clear Lexan.

Circle-cutting Jig

The distance from the pivot hole to the nearest edge of the router bit determines the diameterof the circle. Put a scrap of plywood under the workpiece so you don’t cut into your workbench.

Chapter 2Plunge RouterAn in-depth look at versatileplunge routers and loads ofinformation about routermaintenance and more.

Chapter 1Fixed-baseRouterThe basics of router set-up and rules everywoodworker shouldknow.

COMING IN FUTURE ISSUES

JIG JOURNAL

Circle-cutting jig

IN PAST ISSUES

To cut a circle, drive a nail or screwinto the workpiece to make a pivot –make sure you drive the pivot nail intothe bottom or inside surface of the work-piece, because you don’t want the holeto show on the assembled project. Thenjust drill a hole in the small end of thejig, place the hole over the pivot andswing the router around the pivot.

Variable

1" dia. thru

3⁄16" throughwith countersinkto fit router

Radius to fitrouter base1⁄4" plywood,

hardboard orclear Lexan

11⁄4" radiusCL

Drill pivot holes anywhere along centerline

POPULAR WOODWORKING

popwood.com 57

headlinedeck

For little money down and

a few easy installments

of elbow grease, you can

turn your table saw into a

powerful and precise

cutting machine.

Photo by Al Parrish

TUNE-UPTable Saw

Do you suspect that your table sawisn’t producing the kind of qual-ity of work that it should? Are

you getting rough, burned cuts that aren’tperfectly straight or square? Does yoursaw vibrate or bog down? Do you sufferfrom “kickback anxiety?”

If so, you’re not alone. The truth is thatmost table saws are not operating as wellas they should. In fact, many miscuts and

accidents are caused not by operator error,but by poorly set-up, ill-equipped machines.We’re not talking just about old ones –you can’t trust a brand-new saw to be tunedup and aligned properly.

But not to worry: Tuning up your tablesaw isn’t difficult, and it can make a worldof difference in the quality and enjoymentof your woodworking. In just a few simplesteps, you’ll learn how to fine-tune your

by Paul Anthony

Paul Anthony is a 10-fingered woodworking author and teacher living in Riegelsville, Pennsylvania.Anthony will give seminars on table saw tune-up and techniques at the WoodWorks 2003 shows inIndianapolis; St. Paul, Minn.; Fort Washington, Penn.; Columbus, Ohio; and Springfield, Mass.

CHECKING PARALLELISM OF BLADE TO TABLE SLOTS

None of the tools needed to tune up your table saw are expensive. Here I’m check-ing the parallelism of the fence to the miter gauge slots using a $14 dial indicator.

Mark the blade and rotate it fully forward topre-load the dial indicator plunger against it. Thenzero out the dial indicator.

Rotate the blade mark to the rear, then slidethe dial indicator back until the plunger rests againstthe mark.

As a low-tech alternative to a dial indicator, youcan use an automotive feeler gauge to check the gapbetween the blade and a screw driven into the jig.

1 2 3

saw to bring out its maximum po-tential. All the adjustments de-scribed here apply to portable“benchtop” saws, contractor sawsand cabinet saws.

You might not need to per-form all the adjustments we talkabout here because you may findthat in some cases, no fix is nec-

essary. But to be on the safe side,you should perform all the checksto determine where you may haveproblems. And please be sure tounplug your saw before you start.

Arbor, Bearings and FlangeThe first thing to check is the in-tegrity of the blade arbor and bear-

ings. Firmly pull up and down onthe arbor shaft, then try to pushit in and out. There should be noplay in the shaft and no clunk-ing sounds. Also, turn the arborslowly by hand while listeningfor any grating sounds that mayindicate worn bearings.

A loose arbor or worn bear-ings are unlikely except on oldsaws. But mistakes can happen.If your saw has this problem, you’llhave to replace the bearings tocorrect it – a fairly major repair.There’s little sense going aheadwith the tune-up until that is fixedbecause you’ll get rough cuts fromthe resulting slop in the blade.

Once the arbor is OK, checkthe arbor flange for runout (wob-ble caused by a flange that isn’tflat). Whatever runout exists inthe flange translates to increasedrunout at the blade’s perimeter.For example, .001" (one-thou-sandth of an inch) of runout atthe edge of the flange can resultin several thousandths of an inchof runout at the rim of the blade.

No flange is perfectly flat, butyou’ll want to make sure yours iswithin acceptable limits. The bestmanufacturers aim for less than.001" of runout. To check therunout, you’ll need a dial indi-cator and some way to secure it

in place near the flange (See “DialIndicators” on page 60). The eas-iest way to do this is to use a mag-netic base, but you also couldscrew the indicator to a length ofwood clamped to your table.

Remove the saw blade, thencrank the blade carriage to 45°.Use steel wool to clean any crudfrom the flange, then position thedial indicator near the perime-ter. “Pre-load” the plunger by ap-plying enough pressure againstthe flange to ensure it will main-tain contact throughout rotation,as shown on the previous page.

To measure the runout, turnthe arbor slowly by hand whilewatching the movement of thedial needle. If the runout is ex-cessive, sorry about your luck; it’snot a simple repair. You’ll haveto either live with it or replacethe arbor, which is a lot of work.

Align the Blade & Table SlotsFor clean, accurate crosscuts, yourworkpiece must travel exactlyperpendicular to the blade.Otherwise the front and rear teethattack the piece at an angle – acondition called “heeling,” whichresults in rough cuts that may beout-of-square. To correct this, themiter gauge slots must be alignedexactly parallel to the blade.

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The easiest and most accurateway to check this is to use a dialindicator screwed to a simpleshop-made, cross-shaped jig thatrides in the miter-gauge slots (see“Checking Parallelism of Bladeto Table Slots” on the previouspage). The jig consists of a 3⁄4"-thick crossbar glued to ahardwood run-ner that fitssnugly in theslot with noside-to-side play.

Wax the runner,as it needs to slide to takethe measurement. If you’reone of the lucky few whosestock miter-gauge bar fits snug-ly in its slot, screw the dial indi-cator to a stick clamped to themiter-gauge head. Then positionthe dial indicator on the cross-bar so the plunger is slightly pre-loaded against the blade.

Raise the blade all the way.Make a mark on the blade bodybehind a tooth. Rotate the bladeso the mark is 1" above the table.Place the plunger against the markand zero out the dial indicator byrotating the dial face to align the“0” increment with the needle.

Rotate the saw blade so yourmark is 1" above the table at theopposite end of the blade. Positionthe dial indicator against the markthere and note the difference inmeasurement from the first loca-tion. The reason for rotating theblade like this is to eliminate anyblade warp from the equation.

A low-tech alternative to usinga dial indicator is to use a round-head screw and an automotivefeeler gauge. Drive a 11⁄2" x #8roundhead screw into the end ofthe crossbar, which should ex-tend to within about 3⁄4" of theblade. Adjust the screw in or outso it’s about .005" from the blade.Using the feeler gauge, measurethe gap, positioning the screw attwo points as before. If the dif-

ference exceeds .003", you shouldadjust for parallelism.

To make the adjustments ona contractor saw or a portable saw,you’ll need to change the posi-tion of the trunnions, which arebolted to the underside of thetable. Loosen all four trunnionbolts, leaving one of the bolts inthe front trunnion snug but nottight. This is your pivot point.

Next, use a plastic or rubbermallet to tap the rear trunnionbracket right or left as neces-sary to bring the blade in align-ment with the miter gauge slots.

Making the adjustment on acabinet saw is easier because thetrunnions are attached to the cab-inet itself. Therefore, all you haveto do is loosen the four bolts thatattach the saw table to the cor-ners of the cabinet, then shift thetable by tapping it with a mallet.

When retightening the bolts,snug them up gradually in turn.

If you fully tighten one bolt at atime, you risk shifting the trun-nions or tabletop. Be sure torecheck the parallelism after tight-ening all the bolts.

This can be a fussy procedureand it may take you a while tomake the measurements matchat the front and rear of the blade.But be patient – it’s worth it. Yourcuts will improve and you shouldonly have to do this once. (If youintend to clean the internal mech-anisms of a cabinet saw, you maywant to adjust for parallelism aftercleaning the interior, as remov-ing the top allows for the best ac-cess to the internal mechanisms.)

Cleaning Out the Internal MechanismsFor the easiest and most accurateoperation of your saw, the pivotpoints, trunnions and gears needto be cleaned, lubricated and keptfree of oily sawdust that can gumup the works.

Begin by blowing out the in-terior of the saw using compressedair if you have it. If not, brushaway the sawdust as much as pos-sible. To access the internal partson a contractor’s saw, remove themotor and lay the saw on its sideor upside-down on a low bench.

The easiest way to get to theguts of a cabinet saw is to remove

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INTERNAL MECHANISMS OF A CONTRACTOR’S SAWRegardless of the type of table saw, the internal mechanisms are basically the same.The blade carriage consists of a pair of tilting trunnions and an arbor bracket thatraises and lowers the blade. On contractor saws and portable saws, the trunnionsattach to the saw table. On cabinet saws, they attach to the cabinet.

Splitter

Drive pulley

Rear trunnion

Front trunnion

Trunnion gear

Trunnion bolt

Arbor bearings

Drive belt

Arbor pulley

Extensiontable

Saw table

Arbor flange

Arbor

Arbor bracket gear

Worm gear

Worm gearMiter slot

Motor

Stop bolt

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Adjust the bladeangle stop by

loosening its jamnut, then turning

the screw in orout as necessary.

After retighteningthe jam nut, make

a test cut.

the saw table. But if yours is alignedto the blade, you may not wantto do this. Instead, work throughthe access door below. You cantemporarily remove the motor toget it out of the way.

Use mineral spirits to cleanaway dirt and grease. To clean thegear teeth, I use a stiff-bristletoothbrush, continuously dippingit in mineral spirits. To expose thetrunnion brackets for cleaning,crank the blade carriage all theway one direction, then the other.

Use a thin penetrating oil,such as WD-40, to lubricate thearbor shaft, the arbor bracket pivot

and the points where the hand-wheel shafts enter the cabinetwalls. Don’t use oil on the gearsor trunnions, as it can collect saw-dust. Instead, use a silicone-basedlubricating spray or similar prod-uct. Graphite also works well.Avoid getting lubricant on thebelts or pulleys.

Improve Extension Tablesand the Throat PlateLevel the extension tables usinga straightedge. First flush up thejoints where the side extensionsattach to the table. Then makesure the far ends of the extensions

are level with the main table. On a typical contractor saw,

the extensions usually are bolt-ed to the saw table and the fencerails. If necessary, just loosen thebolts, level the extension andretighten the bolts.

The solid cast-iron extensions

on cabinet saws typically are bolt-ed only to the main table. If anextension droops at its outer edge,raise it the necessary amount byinserting a couple of shims at theunderside of the joint. You canmake your own shims from paper,plastic or even from aluminumcut from soda cans. If the outeredge of the table is too high, justinsert the shims inside the jointnear the top edge.

If you use an outfeed table be-hind your saw, make sure it’s setabout 1⁄8" below the surface of themain table to prevent a workpiecefrom catching on it. Use your longstraightedge to ensure that theentire surface of the outfeed tableis parallel to, but below, the maintable. I drove 1⁄2"-diameter lagscrews into the bottoms of myoutfeed table legs to allow per-fect leveling all around.

Adjust the height of your throatplate using its leveling screws.Lay a small ruler or other short

DIAL INDICATORSWhen it comes to checking the accuracy of yourtable saw, drill press, jointer or other machines, it’shard to beat a dial indicator. This simple tool con-sists of a spring-loaded plungerwhose in-and-out movement isindicated by thousandths of aninch on the face of the dial. Itcan be used to determine theconcentricity of shafts, flanges,blades and drill press chucks,as well as the height of jointerand planer knives.

To use the tool, fix it inplace next to the part you’remeasuring. A lug on the backallows for attachment to anadjustable boom arm on a

A long jointed board serves as a great straightedge to help you level the extension tables.

magnetic base for convenient use on metal surfaces.Alternatively, you can screw through the lug hole intoan appropriately sized piece of scrap wood that you

have clamped in place.You don’t need an expensive dial

indicator to measure most equip-ment. You can get a 21⁄4"-diameterdial indicator with 1" of travel for$12.95 from Grizzly Industrial (800-523-4777 or grizzly.com – item#G1479). You should get a magneticbase, too, because of its convenience.Grizzly sells a good-quality combina-tion kit that has both a dial indicatorand nice magnetic base for just$19.95 (item #G9849). It’s a smallprice to pay for accuracy.


Jam nut

popwood.com 61

straightedge over the plate open-ing as you make the adjustments.Better yet, make yourself a zero-clearance throat plate. [Editor’snote: For details, check out “Tricksof the Trade” on page 18.] This willminimize exit tearout and pre-vent narrow strips of wood fromfalling into the saw.

Adjust the Blade Angle StopsMost saws include adjustable stopsfor setting the blade at 90° and45°. These stops typically con-sist of a bolt or screw that is lockedin position with a jam nut. Referto your manual for the locationof the stops on your saw. If youdon’t have a manual, don’t worry– the stops should be evidentwhen you crank the blade over.

Begin by measuring cuts madeon a piece of thick scrap about

A 45° drafting triangle, which you can find easily and is affordable, is a great tool foradjusting blade tilt stops.

Replacing the stock rubber belts on a contractor’s saw or cabinet saw with a linkbelt (available from Woodworker’s Supply, 800-645-9292 or woodworker.com) canreduce vibration, as can replacing die-cast pulleys with machined ones.

18" long that you’ve dressedstraight and square. This is a bet-ter initial test than measuring theangle of the blade to the table.

To check the 90° position,make sure the blade is verticaland fully cranked against its stopwithout using excessive pressure.Using your miter gauge, crosscutabout 1⁄4" from each end of thetest piece. Don’t simply shave aslight bit from the end, as this cancause the blade to deflect slight-ly, yielding an inaccurate cut.

Next, check the cuts using anaccurate square. Don’t trust yourstore-bought combination square;it’s likely not very accurate. Youcan buy a good 4" machinist’ssquare for about $10 from manywoodworking supply catalogs.

If neither of your test cuts aresquare, you need to adjust the

blade stop. Loosen the jam nuton the stop and place an accu-rate square on the saw table againstthe blade. Drive the stop screwin or out as necessary to correctthe blade angle, then crank thecarriage against the stop againand recheck the blade angle withthe square. When the stop is setcorrectly, tighten the jam nut.Then make another test cut.

To check the 45° stop, crankthe blade carriage against its 45°stop and cut a bevel on each endof your test piece, feeding theworkpiece with your miter gauge.If you don’t have an accurate mitersquare to check the cuts, you canplace two bevel cuts together andcheck the resulting 90° angle witha regular square. If the bevels aren’taccurate, adjust the 45° stop inor out in the same manner as be-fore. To set the angle of the blade,I use a 45° drafting triangle.

Reduce Vibration Misalignment of the arbor andmotor pulleys on a contractor’ssaw can cause vibration and powertransmission loss. To check thepulley alignment, hold a straight-edge against the outer faces of thepulleys to make sure they’re in

the same plane. If necessary, ad-just the motor position to bringthem in line with each other.Don’t try to correct the problemby simply moving the motor pul-ley to the end of its shaft, as thiscan strain the shaft.

Excessive saw vibration oftenis the result of “belt slap” causedby the rubber drive belt’s “mem-ory” of its oblong packaged shape.Replacing the rubber belts with“link” belts greatly reduces vi-bration on contractor’s saws andcabinet saws. The die-cast pul-leys that are included with con-tractor saws can cause vibrationbecause of non-concentricity.They can be replaced by machinedsteel pulleys available from mostsupply catalogs.

Also, if your saw isn’t stand-ing solidly on the floor, shim it asnecessary to prevent rocking.

Align the Splitter A properly aligned splitter is anabsolute necessity to prevent kick-back, which is the primary causeof table-saw accidents. Kickbackis the result of the workpiece wan-dering away from the fence andinto the rising rear teeth of theblade, then being thrown upward,

To align a splitter, place a straightedge against the teeth on the right side of theblade, then adjust the splitter side-to-side to bring it against the straightedge. Use asmall square for vertical alignment.

Straightedge

Splitter


A properly adjusted fence will result in a cut with cross-hatched tooth marks.Theboard in front was cut with a 24-tooth rip blade.The board in back was cut with apremium-quality 40-tooth blade.

After adjusting the miter gauge square to the blade, set the stop on the gauge foraccurate repeatability.A sandpaper-faced auxiliary fence allows for greater controlwhen crosscutting.

Align the Rip Fence andMiter-gauge StopsFor clean rip cuts, the rip fencemust be adjusted parallel to theblade. Measure this parallelismusing your dial indicator jig.

Place the jig in the left-handmiter gauge slot, with the fenceto the right of the jig. Bump thefence against the plunger slight-ly to pre-load it. Now slide thedial indicator jig to the frontof the saw table and zero out themechanism. Then slide the jigto the rear of the table to com-pare the measurements.

Align the fence to the tableslots using whatever adjustmentmechanism your particular fence

incorporates. As a test, rip a lengthof wood, then inspect the cut edgeunder a strong sidelight.

The cut should show inter-secting arcs from the saw blade’steeth. If the arcs run in only onedirection, that means that yourfence is not in proper alignment.

With the fence adjusted, turnyour attention to the miter gauge.For accurate crosscutting with amiter gauge, its bar must fit snug-ly in the table slots with no side-to-side play. The miter gauge headalso must be aligned perfectlysquare to the blade.

The time-honored trick thatI use most often to correct the fitof a loose bar is to dimple its edgeswith a metal punch to expandthe metal a bit. If you pound tooaggressively, causing the bar tostick in its slot, you can simplyfile back the edges to fit.

Once the bar fits well, justuse a drafting triangle to set thehead so that it is perpendicularto the blade. Then adjust the 90°stop on the miter gauge head.You also can use the triangle toset the 45° angle stops.

Work Surface MaintenanceClean the saw table and fencerails with mineral spirits. Scrubaway any light rust using fine steelwool lubricated with mineral spir-its. For heavier rust, use the finestgrit of silicon carbide wet/drypaper possible, again lubricatedwith mineral spirits.

After wiping away the min-eral spirits, apply a coat of pastewax to the tabletop, the rails andany areas where the fence con-tacts the rails. Also wax the facesof the saw’s fence.

After the wax hazes, buff itwell with a soft, clean cloth. I’vetried various sprays marketed asa protectant for machine surfacesand they seem to work fine.However, I’ve not found them tobe any better than paste wax. PW

over the blade. A properly alignedsplitter denies the workpiece ac-cess to the rising rear teeth, ef-fectively preventing kickback.

It’s no secret that stock split-ters are a pain. They don’t removeand attach easily. A variety of eas-ily removable aftermarket split-ters are available for many sawsand are a great improvement.

Regardless of the type of split-ter that you use, it needs to beproperly aligned. Place a goodstraightedge against the right-hand face of the teeth, then alignthe splitter against the straight-edge. Use a small square to en-sure that the splitter is squareto the tabletop, too.

THE IMPORTANCEOF GOOD BLADESJust as you wouldn’t mount cheaptires on a Ferrari, you don’t wantto use a second-rate saw blade ifyou’re looking for ultimate per-formance from your saw. Even aperfectly tuned saw will not yieldexcellent cuts when outfitted witha poorly manufactured blade.

Without getting into theintricacies of design, a premiumblade is made from a flat platewith very little warp, or “runout.”The best manufacturers maintaina maximum .002" runout toler-ance on a 10"-diameter blade.Slowly rotate the blade against adial indicator to check runout.

The teeth are precisely groundfrom fine-grain carbide and thearbor hole is machined to anaccurate diameter, preventinggalloping on the arbor. Expect tospend about $60 to $100 for agood-quality 40-tooth all-purposeblade that will do a fine job whenripping or crosscutting mostwoods you’ll use.

To produce the best cuts, cleanyour blades regularly to keepthem free of pitch, which canoverheat and burn your wood. Iuse a citrus-based cleaner/de-greaser available at most homesupply stores. Just spray or brushthe cleaner on the blade, let it sitfor a few minutes, then lightlyscrub away the softened pitchwith a brass-bristled brush.

Quality Blades for America’s CraftsmenSerious woodworkers demand perfection.That’s why so many of them choose Forrestsaw blades.

Forrest quality is legendary. Our proprietary manufacturing process, hand straightening, and unique grade of C-4 micrograin carbide give you smooth,quiet cuts without splintering, scratching, or tearouts. In fact, independent tests rateour blades as #1 for rip cuts and crosscuts.

Forrest saw blades are simply the best thatmoney can buy. They’re made in the USA bythe same family-owned business that’s beenproducing and sharpening them for over 55years. And they’re backed by a 30-day moneyback guarantee. It’s no wonder that seriouswoodworkers give them such high praise!

“Your blades are without question thebest by miles, and I have tried them all.”Bob Jensen–Fridley, MN

“These are the finest blades I have everowned and you should be proud of yourquality product.”Patrick T. Hankard–South Windsor, CT

“[Forrest blades] cut true, with no vibra-tion. I was a carpenter by trade for over60 years and continue to be an activewoodworker. So, I can say with confi-dence that Forrest blades are the best.”Carl Stude–Burbank, CA

The message is clear. If you’re looking forquality, performance, and value, it pays tochoose Forrest blades every time.

Our Most Popular Blades:Woodworker II – Thisaward-winning, all purposeblade is the finest of its type. It turns big jobs intoeasy-to-handle ones.

Dado-King – The world’sfinest multi-tooth dado set.It works effectively in alldirections—with the grain or across it.

Chop Master – Producesperfect miters every time—with no bottom splinters.You get smooth edges on all types of wood.

Woodworker I – Great fortable and radial saws. Ittrims and crosscuts allwoods up to 2" and is ideal for plywood.

Duraline Hi A/T – Our bestblade for birch and oak plyveneers. It also delivers aclean cut on melamine andvinyl over particle board.

Forrest blades come in a wide variety ofsizes and are available for practically every application. Call or send for our complete list of products.

Three Convenient Ways To OrderWe back our blades with a 30-day moneyback guarantee. So, choose the methodmost convenient for you and order today:

• Visit one of our fine-quality dealers or retailers.

• Call us toll free at 1-800-733-7111.(In NJ, 973-473-5236) Ask about special discounts, free shipping on orders over $275, and discounts for blade sharpening.

• Contact our internet store:www.stores.yahoo.com/forrestman

Code PW© 2003 Forrest Manufacturing


through-dovetails at the corners.It’s up to you to decide whichmethod you use to complete thedovetails, but I opted to go thehand-cut route.

If you look closely at Photo 1,you’ll see that I’ve actually thinneddown the pins on the top and bot-tom pieces to 5⁄8" and made a rab-bet on the inside surface of boththe top and bottom that is thelength of the pins. I do this fortwo reasons: When I apply themouldings to the case, they tra-ditionally cover the dovetail.With a smaller piece such as this

T his piece first caught myeye a few years back. I wasparticularly captivated by

the tombstone style of the doors(the arched glass panels) thatdraw you to the display area be-hind – perfect for showing off oneor two prized antiques.

Believed to be from the firsthalf of the 18th century (circa1730), this wall cupboard has arevered history. Although thisis a rather beautiful piece, it ap-pears to be one of a kind.

The simplistic design andsome challenging constructiondetails make this a piece that youwill want to create, but this proj-ect requires a certain amount ofskill. The joinery is tradition-al, using through-dovetails, mor-tise-and-tenon joints, somehaunched tenons, a couple ofraised panels and a few rabbetstossed in for good measure.

If you’re well-versed in these

HangingCupboard

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techniques, you’ll have no prob-lem. If you’ve been looking foran opportunity to try some newtechniques, this can be a valu-able learning project.

Dovetailing the CarcaseStart the cabinet by selecting yourwood. The cabinet shown here issolid walnut, with the exception

of the backboards, nailing stripsand shelf. The widest lumber need-ed is 91⁄4", so if you’re a carefulshopper you may be able to makethe piece without having to glueup any boards. If not, choose yourwood carefully, matching grainand color to make your cabinetas dramatic as possible.

The case is assembled with

by Glen Huey

Excerpted from "Building Fine Furniture" copyright 2003 by Glen Huey. Used with permission of Popular Woodworking Books, an imprint of F&W

Publications Inc. Visit your local bookseller, call 800-448-0915 or check out theBookstore at popwood.com to obtain your copy.

Mix a basic

design with some

ambitious details

and you have a

great project for

any skill level

woodworker.18th Century

HangingCupboard


popwood.com 65

Step

pho

tos

by th

e au

thor

Using the pins, lay out and then cut the correspondingtails into the side pieces.

With your dovetail joints complete, cut the 1⁄2" x 1⁄2"rabbet for the backboards, then locate and create the 1⁄4"-deep x 3⁄4"-wide dado for the shelf. Once you have thesecomplete, you should be able to assemble the dovetailed box.

cupboard, a full 3⁄4" revealed dove-tail forces the moulding to over-lap the sides by almost an inch. Ican make the moulding more del-icate-looking by reducing thethickness of the pins. In addition,adding the rabbet makes this strongjoint even stronger.

Cut all your dovetails and test-fit the pieces, but don’t assemblethe case. You still need to cut rab-bets in both sides of the case toaccept the 7⁄16"-thick backboards.You could cut rabbets in the topand bottom to house the back,but I opted to add backboard nail-ers. They give you more room toattach the backboards and dou-ble as hanging strips when mount-ing the cupboard to your wall.

Before assembly, use the il-lustration to locate the dado po-sition for the shelf. The rabbetsand dados can be made on thetable saw or with a router andguide, as I’ve done in Photo 2.

Traditional Face FrameWhile the dovetailed box is like-ly stout enough, the design of thiscabinet calls for a face frame ap-plied to the carcase. The faceframe serves two functions: itkeeps the box square and it addsextra strength and rigidity. Afterall, it holds heavy dishes, right?

The best way to make theframe strong and square is by usingmortise-and-tenon joints at thecorners. I cut 3⁄8"-thick x 1"-longtenons on the face frame rails(11⁄8"-wide for the top rail and21⁄4"-wide for the bottom rail).Mill the mortises in the stiles andassemble the face frame.

With the face frame assem-bled and sanded, simply applysome glue to the front edge of thecarcase and clamp the frame inplace, as shown in Photo 3. Theframe should be flush to the cab-inet on all four edges. Check tomake sure the cabinet is squarewhile clamping up the front.

When the clamps come offthe case, slide the shelf in fromthe back of the cabinet and lockit in position by drilling 1⁄4" holesthrough the sides into the shelf,then pegging the shelf with 1⁄4"square pegs, seen in Photo 4. Adda little glue for good measure.

Making Fancy DoorsThe doors on this cupboard re-ally make the piece, so it’s not toosurprising that there’s a lot of workinvolved to get them just right.Start by milling all the piecesto size as given in the cutting list.

Essentially, the door is a mor-tise-and-tenon frame similar tothe face frame on the carcase, butbecause of the middle rail and the

coped moulding on the insideedge of all the door pieces, someextra steps are required.

After milling the pieces, setaside the top rail for each door.These two pieces need to be cutfor the cathedral opening before

you go any further. Use the illus-tration to lay out the radius, thencut and sand the shape.

Now it’s mortise-and-tenontime. Refer to the illustrationto mark, then cut the mortises forthe three rails in each stile. With

Slide the shelf intoplace and, using1⁄4" square pegs,affix the shelf. Iprefer to use redoak for the pegs.

Using glue andplenty of clamps,attach the face-frame assembly to thedovetailed box.

Dado for shelf (started)

Rabbet for back

1

3

4

2


Top (B)

Backboard (Q)

Side (A) Bottom (B)

Door top rail (H)

6"

13"

Door middle rail (J)

Door bottom rail (J)

Door panel (K)

Door stile (G)

Backboard nailer (P)

Backboard nailer (P)

Face-frame top rail (E)

Face-frame stile (D)

Crownmoulding (L)

Basemoulding

stage 1 (M)

Basemoulding

stage 1 (M)

Basemoulding

stage 2 (N)

Basemoulding

stage 2 (N)

Shelf (C)

10 1/4"

6 3/4"

61/8"

2 1/8"

21/8"

21/2"

2 3/16"radius

Rabbetedarea for

glass panel

Face-framebottom rail (F)

Cupboard - exploded view

Door elevation

Moulding profiles

Door - exploded view

Illus

trat

ion

by L

en C

hurc

hill

the mortises cut, use a 3⁄ 16"roundover bit to shape the frontinside edge of the door pieces,then head back to the saw.

Because of the roundover de-tail, the stiles need to be trimmedflat at the roundover to make theappropriate mating point withthe rails. Follow Photos 6, 7 and8 to first notch the stiles at a 45°angle, then trim the roundoverfrom the stiles.

The tenons on the rails arenext. Use the mortises in the stilesand the illustration at left to layout the tenons, then follow Photos9 and 10 to create them. Don’tforget that the top and bottomrails will require haunched tenonsto hide the groove for the panelyou’ll cut next.

The grooves for the glass inthe upper section and for the pan-els in the lower sections are 1⁄4"wide x 3⁄8" deep. They run on theinside edge of all rails and stilesand on both edges of the center rails.

The door panel is best cut tofit the actual doors, so go aheadand dry-fit the doors, fine tuning

NO. LETTER ITEM DIMENSIONS ( INCHES) MATERIAL COMMENTST W L

Case ❏ 2 A Sides 3⁄4 91⁄4 24 Walnut 1⁄4"-deep shelf dado❏ 2 B Top and bottom 3⁄4 91⁄4 241⁄2 Walnut❏ 1 C Shelf 3⁄4 83⁄4 231⁄2 Poplar❏ 2 D Face-frame stiles 3⁄4 2 24 Walnut❏ 1 E Face-frame top rail 3⁄4 15⁄8 221⁄2 Walnut 1" TBE❏ 1 F Face-frame bottom rail 3⁄4 23⁄4 221⁄2 Walnut 1" TBE

Doors❏ 4 G Stiles 3⁄4 21⁄8 195⁄8 Walnut❏ 2 H Top rails 3⁄4 21⁄2 81⁄2 Walnut 11⁄4" TBE❏ 4 J Middle and bottom rails 3⁄4 21⁄8 81⁄2 Walnut 11⁄4" TBE❏ 2 K Panels 5⁄8 65⁄8 73⁄8 Walnut 5⁄16" TAS

Mouldings❏ L Crown moulding 3⁄4 3⁄4 5 lf Walnut❏ M Base moulding, Stage 1 5⁄8 13⁄4 5 lf Walnut❏ N Base moulding, Stage 2 5⁄8 1 5 lf Walnut❏ 2 P Backboard nailers 5⁄8 13⁄4 227⁄8 Poplar❏ 1 Q Backboard 7⁄16 24 221⁄2 Poplar Multiple pieces❏ 1 R Door catch 1⁄2 3⁄4 3❏ 1 S Lock catch 1⁄4 3⁄4 2

Note: TBE = tenon both ends;TAS = tenon all sides; lf = lineal feet.

18TH CENTURY HANGING CUPBOARD

Use a tenoning jig to remove thewaste material where the top andbottom rails meet the stiles.

Set the saw blade to 45° and cut to the shoulder of theroundover location.There is one cut each for the top andbottom rail and two cuts for the middle rail. The area for themiddle rail is nibbled away and cleaned up with a chisel.

Create the same 45° cut in eachrail at the required location, then resetthe blade to 90° and complete the cutthat defines the shoulders.

Cut the door pieces to size, lay out the radius on the toprail and create the tombstone effect. To do this, you will wantto use a 3⁄16" roundover bit on the inside edges of your pieces,making sure to run both edges on the middle rail of each door.

SOURCESHorton Brasses800-754-9127 or horton-brasses.com

2 • pairs of 2" x 2" wrought-iron butterfly hinges #HF-12, $29/pair

1 • Brass half-mortise cabinetlock #LK-9, $9

1⁄4 lb. • 11⁄2" clout nails #N-7, $2

Bendheim Restoration Glassbendheimrestorationglass.com800-221-7379 (East)800-900-3499 (West)

2 • pieces of full-restorationglass, cut to fit

Olde Century Colors800-222-3092 or oldecenturycolors.com

1 qt. • Brierwood Green acrylic latex, $13.60

Woodworker’s Supply800-645-9292 or woodworker.com

1 • Button lac shellac#848-824, $18.99

Woodcraft800-535-4482 or woodcraft.com

1 • Behlen Wool-lube#18y61, $6.99

Prices as of publication deadline.

popwood.com 67

45° cut

90° shoulder cut

5 6

78

Return to the tenoning jig to complete the cuts for the tenon.

With all the mortises and tenons finished, set the blade to cut a 1⁄4"-wide x3⁄8"-deep groove on the inside of all pieces and on both sides of the middle rail.

Next, adjust the blade height to 3⁄8" and make the cut that defines the shoul-ders, remembering that this is a haunched tenon (offset the tenon by 3⁄8").

Dry-fit the door pieces and make any necessary adjustments.Take the meas-urement for the panels and cut them to size, adding 5⁄16" on all sides. Moving thefence to the left side of the blade, set the blade angle to 12° and make the cut thatcreates the raised-panel effect.You can see that I raised the blade through a scrapof plywood for safety.The lower edge has to be able to fit into the 1⁄4" groovecreated in the stiles and rails, and not fall into the saw’s throat plate.


the joints as you go. Then takethe measurement for the panelsections and add 5⁄8" to both di-mensions to accommodate forthe panel’s “tongues.” Cut thepanels to size, then set your tablesaw blade to a 12° angle. Run allfour edges of the panel to form the“raised” effect.

Glue up the doors (withoutputting glue on the panels; theyneed to float in the grooves toallow for wood movement fromhumidity). Once the glue is cured,use the illustration and Photo 13to help you rout the back of thedoors for the glass. Essentiallyyou’re making a rabbet to fit theglass into, but rather than go tothe trouble of shaping the glass

to fit the cathedral opening,straight lines are used.

With the glass space routedin the doors, you can now moveon to the rest of the project. Theglass can be installed after the fin-ish is applied. Use either a waterputty to glaze the panes of glassin place or strips of wood nailedin behind the glass.

Trimming Out the CabinetWith the doors complete, turnyour attention back to the cabi-net to add the trim. The lowertrim is a two-piece moulding, heldflush to the bottom of the cabi-net, while the upper moulding isa single detail piece.

Take a look at the illustration

to match the mouldings, or usewhatever router bits or shaperprofiles you have on hand to cus-tomize your cabinet.

The mouldings are mitered ata 45° angle at the front cornersand are cut flush to the back edge.Use nails to attach the mould-ings. This is done to help youavoid any wood movement prob-lems that may arise.

Hardware and Hanging the DoorsI used traditional hinges and alock set for this cupboard. If you’reusing the same hardware I did,follow Photo 15 and the instruc-tions provided with the hardwareto notch the stiles for the lockset. The door latch and handleare explained with more detailin Photo 17. The hinges are

9 10

11

12

Using a 1⁄2" beading bit to form the edge ofthe Stage 2 base moulding, create the piece andnail it to the Stage 1 moulding.

The backboard nailers are glued and nailed to the top and bottom of the case.Here you can see a groove cut into the bottom of the nailers, which will make sureto eliminate any glue squeeze-out.

Install the lock into your door, then fit bothdoors into place and install the hinges, making sureto allow equal spacing around the doors.

Install the glass. Reattach the hinges, reinstall the lock and apply a coat ofpaste wax.And with that, your cupboard is done.

This is how the glass area should look after routing.

popwood.com 69

Using a biscuit joiner, make a groove in the bottom edge of the shelf, justbehind the stile and 1⁄4" from the shelf front, to accept the door catch. Next, markthe location of the lock strike and create a catch. It is also possible to purchase anangled strike plate from the lock supplier to eliminate this procedure.

13

14 15

16 17

18

Catch nests intoslot in shelf

wrought-iron butterfly hinges andthough the doors should be care-fully spaced while hanging, they’renot too complicated.

Adding a Back and a FinishThe back is made up of threeshiplapped boards. These arenailed into the rabbets on the sidepieces and into the added nail-er boards at the top and bottomof the cabinet. The back shouldnot be glued in place; rather, asingle nail in each board (top andbottom) should be used to holdthe boards in place.

If you’re painting your interi-or, or if you’re applying a clear-coat finish, you should leave theback pieces out until after fin-ishing. It makes things a lot eas-ier in the long run.

I used a clear-coat finish forthe exterior of this piece. Thewalnut was just too pretty to evenbother adding a stain. The in-terior is finished with two coatsof a green latex paint.

And there you have it – anice-looking cabinet that notonly looks good, but also can teachyou a thing or two. PW

Phot

os b

y Al

Par

rish


It’s hard to imagine woodworking without planes;I use a variety of planes on almost every jobfor smoothing, shaping and fitting. A sharp,

finely tuned bench plane will smooth away the millmarks left behind by machines and create a dis-tinctive surface that says “handmade.” A set of hol-low and round planes will shape a large crownmoulding that would otherwise require a heavy-duty industrial shaper and a power feeder. Andwhen carefully fitting tenons to their respectivemortises, I reach for a shoulder plane.

The shoulder plane is the only tool that willtake thin, delicate shavings from the tough end-grain shoulders of tenons. But it’s not limited totrimming shoulders. The shoulder plane’s opensides, fine mouth and low bed angle make it usefulfor a variety of tasks – essentially anytime you mightwant to take fine, controlled cuts into a corner.Whether it’s shaving the cheek of a tenon for asnug fit within a mortise or fine-tuning a drawerrunner deep inside a case, a shoulder plane is up tothe task and will give you good results every time.

THE ESSENTIAL

ShoulderPlane

Learn to set up and use this great joint-fitting tool.

For fine-tuning joints, the versatile shoulder plane is a must-have tool in your shop.

by Lonnie Bird

Lonnie Bird is the author of “The Complete Illustrated Guide to Shaping Wood” (The Taunton Press)and teaches woodworking. You can learn more about his woodworking classes at lonniebird.com.

It’s Not a Rabbet PlaneI’m not one to get stuck on ter-minology, but it’s pretty easy toget confused when shopping fora shoulder plane because manywoodworking catalogs label thesetools as rabbet planes. While rab-bet and shoulder planes both haveopen sides for cutting into cor-ners, there are some distinct dif-ferences between the two that af-fect how they are used.

Basically, rabbet planes are de-signed for cutting rabbets whileshoulder planes are designed fortrimming. Rabbet planes usual-ly come equipped with a fenceand a depth stop to guide the planeand control the dimensions ofthe rabbet. Embedded in the sidesof most rabbet planes is a “nick-er” or spur that severs the fibersahead of the iron when cuttingacross the grain. Shoulder planeslack these accessories. Becausethey are used for trimming, shoul-der planes are guided by surfacespreviously created by other tools.

However, the shoulder planeis a much more refined tool thanits coarser cutting cousin. Don’tforget: These finely tuned planesexcel at trimming and refiningsurfaces. To perform these func-tions well, a quality shoulder plane


Because the sides of a shoulder plane are open, it’s easy to trim into corners of rabbets.

Some shoulder planes, such as the Stanley #92 shown here,feature a removable front piece, which transforms the toolinto a chisel plane.

Your iron shouldbe .006" to .010"wider than thesole.To get youriron to this width,carefully work thesides of the ironwith a coarsebench stone.Check yourprogress with adial caliper.

has features that most other typesof planes lack. First, the sole ofshoulder planes are ground ex-actly 90° to the sides. This helpsensure square, accurate cuts. Theiron is usually bedded at about20° and ground between 20° and25°. This yields a cutting angleof 40° to 45°, effective for thincuts on end grain.

Of course, like a rabbet plane,the sides of a shoulder plane areopen. This unique feature allowsthe plane to trim into corners

of rabbets, tenon faces, shouldersand practically anywhere else afine, controlled cut is required.Some shoulder planes, such asthe Stanley #92, also feature a re-movable front piece that quick-ly transforms the tool into a chis-el plane, another useful tool.

To eliminate chatter, the bedof a shoulder plane supports theiron almost to the cutting edge.This feature, combined with theextremely narrow mouth, allowsthe plane to remove thin, deli-

cate shavings – just what is need-ed when fine-tuning joinery.

Tuning a Shoulder PlaneFor any plane to perform as ex-pected it must be tuned proper-ly and the shoulder plane is noexception. However, because ashoulder plane doesn’t have near-ly as many working parts as a benchplane, it’s not quite as time-con-suming to tune. Also, most shoul-der planes are manufactured tomore precise tolerances than

bench planes, so they don’t re-quire the extensive reworkingthat many new bench planes do.

To begin tuning a new shoul-der plane, first check the body ofthe plane to see that the sides are90° to the sole. Fortunately mostare, but if yours isn’t, return it andrequest a new one. As you mightimagine, reworking the sides tocorrect any deviancy from 90° isextremely difficult and labor in-tensive. Let the plane manufac-turer correct this problem.

Next, check the sole for flat-ness. If the plane has an adjustablenose piece (which allows for ad-justments to the mouth of theplane) make certain that the screwthat fastens this piece is securebefore checking the sole. If thesole is slightly out of true, you cancorrect the problem by lappingit on a diamond plate.

The next step is to sharpenthe iron. It may be necessary togrind the iron; check to see thatthe edge is 90° to the sides. Unlikebench planes, shoulder planesdon’t come equipped with a lat-eral adjustment lever so there islittle you can do to compensatefor an edge that is out of square.

Although you can loosen thelever cap and pivot the iron slight-ly, this technique will allow foronly a small adjustment. You’rebetter off grinding the iron squareto begin with. Grind the edge to25° and, as always, make sure youdon’t let the steel overheat.

Before honing the edge, com-pare the width of the iron to thebody of the plane. The iron shouldbe slightly wider than the sole,at the most .006" to .010" wider(.003" to .005" on each side). Ifthe iron is too wide (as it some-times is) it will gouge the face ad-jacent to the one you’re planing.If necessary, slowly and carefullywork the sides of the iron witha coarse bench stone. Be carefuland don’t overdo it. Otherwisethe iron will not cut into the cor-ners. A dial caliper works well tocheck your progress.

After honing, install the ironand adjust it for a very light cut.Next, sight down the sole of theplane and slowly advance the ironuntil you can see only the edge.Finally, adjust the mouth of theplane so that only the thinnestof shavings can pass through. Yourshoulder plane is tuned. Using Your Shoulder Plane

Most shoulder planes, small orlarge, can be used one-handed. Iuse my other hand to grip theworkpiece and position it againsta bench stop. When planing longgrain, such as when fitting theface of a tenon to a mortise, youcan effectively plane all the wayacross the stock. However, whenplaning end grain, such as theshoulder of a tenon, planing allthe way across risks splinteringthe grain at the trailing corner ofthe stock. Instead, plane fromboth directions and allow the cutsto meet near the middle.

When planing a wide shoul-der, such as the end of a tabletopto receive a breadboard end, Ireach for a large shoulder plane.Clamp the work to the benchtop

and grasp the plane with bothhands for the best control.

After a short time, you’ll findthe controlled, precise cuts youget with your shoulder plane tobe addictive – and you’ll find your-self using it often. PW

Once your iron is ready for cutting, install it in the plane and adjust it for a very light cut. Simply sight down the plane and slowly advance the iron until you can see just the edge.

When planing end grain, as I’m doing here, be careful of splintering the grain at thetrailing corner of the stock.To avoid this, simply plane from both directions andallow the cuts to meet near the middle.

SOURCESLie-Nielsen Toolworks800-327-2520 or lie-nielsen.com• Large shoulder plane

#073, $225

Highland Hardware800-241-6748 ortools-for-woodworking.com• Stanley #92 shoulder plane

#031804, $84.99

Prices as of publication deadline.

popwood.com 73

Once upon a time, I was abeer guy. Most wood-workers are, I suppose,

and I still enjoy a good brew. Butrecently I’ve also learned to ap-preciate a glass of good wine.Usually a bottle or two of red winein the house is adequate, but asmy interest in wine has grown,so has my interest in having a se-lection of wines available. So Idecided I needed a wine rack.

I don’t have a lot of room inmy house, so I turned to my computer-aided design program.After carefully measuring a vari-ety of bottles (between sips) I cal-culated the best way to maximizemy bottle storage in the smallestamount of space. The rack shownhere is my best effort, with stor-age for 24 bottles (two cases) ina 20" x 20" x 14"-deep space.

Phot

o by

Al P

arris

h

Most boxes of

wine aren’t a good

thing, but we’re

sure this project is

of good vintage.

By David Thiel

Comments or questions? Contact Davidat 513-531-2690 ext. 1255 or

[email protected]

ACase forWine

popwood.com 75

This design allows for an effi-cient cutting list and an efficientuse of space. I was able to de-sign the rack using 11 pieces ofwood in only four sizes. Maybethat’s why I decided to compli-cate it by adding dovetails to thesolid mahogany box. That, andthe need for reliable strength –24 bottles of wine are heavy.

The interior dividers areeggcrate-joined Baltic birch withveneer tape applied to the frontedges. Designed to hang on a wallwith a hidden French cleat, thebox could be easily adapted forfloor use with a simple base andmaybe a drawer added above thebox itself. It’s a reasonable week-end project with some time leftover to have a glass of wine andappreciate your work.

Building the CabinetStart construction with the out-side of the case. The four piecesare exactly the same, 14" x 20",but because this is a simple piece,an attractive grain pattern cango a long way to make it moredramatic. I was lucky to have aslab of mahogany tucked away inthe shop that was actually 141⁄2"wide, which allowed me to avoidany glued-up panels.

After choosing the most at-tractive faces of the boards forthe exterior, start laying out thedovetails. Everyone has their ownmethod of making dovetails, andyou may choose to cut yours byhand to get a more unique spac-ing pattern. I chose the easyplugged-in route and used a model2200 Keller Jig (kellerdovetail.com,$219) to cut through-dovetails.

Keep On Groovin’With the dovetails cut and fit,you will need to cut grooves forthe back in all four pieces. BecauseI was hanging my rack on the wall,I allowed a 3⁄4" setback from therear of each piece and used a 1⁄2"

router bit in my router table tomake the 3⁄8"-deep grooves.

With the spacing I used on mydovetails, the grooves in the topand bottom pieces are able to runthe entire length of the piecewithout interfering with the dove-tail pattern. However, on the sidepieces I had to use a stopped grooveto avoid seeing the groove in theassembled box.

After running the stoppedgrooves, use a chisel to square outthe ends. Next dry-assemble thebox with the back in place to makesure everything fits well.

An Interlocking ComplexityThe divided interior of the boxis formed from just six pieces of1⁄2" plywood, notched to inter-lock with one another.

Start by measuring from oneinside corner of the box to theopposite corner. While a meas-urement for the length of thesepieces is provided here, it’s a goodidea to double-check the di-mensions against your project.

Your dimensions for the twolong dividers should be the same,but if they’re not, cut the piecesto the required lengths, then useyour table saw to bevel both sidesof each end at 45° to form a pointon each. Cut them a little longat first, then fit the pieces so theyslide snugly into the case.

When the pieces fit, slide oneall the way in, then slide the otherin against the first. Mark both toindicate the intersecting spot, asshown in the photo at right.

Take the pieces out and use atry square and the intersectionmarks to lay out the 5" x 1⁄2" notch-es on each piece. Then head tothe band saw and cut out thenotches. Don’t worry about beingtoo neat, but cutting close to theinside of the lines allows for fine-tuning the fit. Test the two piecesin the case and move on to thelast four dividers.

To locate the four smaller di-vider locations, start by markingthe center line on each of the foursides. This mark is where the pieceswill meet at 45° angles. Measurethe necessary lengths of the fourpieces (hopefully these lengthsare the same) and then cut thefour pieces to length, adding 45°bevels at all the ends.

Next, remove the front diag-onal divider and fit two of theshort dividers in place at the topleft and bottom right corners ofthe rack, parallel with the re-maining long divider. Place thefront long divider back in its place,and again mark the notch loca-tions on all the dividers.

The notches should be cen-tered on the short dividers, butit’s best to check the locationagainst the actual pieces. Makeyour notches, then repeat the

The box itself is dovetailed together.When laying out your dovetails, makesure the back groove falls between thetails and the pins on the sides so thegroove won’t show at the top. I had torun stopped-grooves on the sides toavoid the groove showing from theoutside.All you have to do is stop thecut, then use a chisel to square out theend of the groove.

To fit the interlocking dividers to one another, start with the two long dividers. Firstfit them between the corners of the box, then mark the overlapping locations of thetwo pieces.The eggcrate notches are cut at the mark. Follow this same process to fitand notch the four smaller dividers.

Stoppedgroovefor back


5"

263/16"

10"65/16"

131/16"

1/2"1/2"

5/8"

15/16"3/8"

10"1/2" 3/4"

20" 14"

20"1/2"

3/4"

Attach cleatto case

Attach cleatto wall

process with the short dividersfor the bottom left and the topright corners. With everythingfitting snugly in place, I addedsome birch veneer tape to thefront edges of the dividers to hidethe layered plywood.

This photo (with the dividers removedfrom the box) gives a better example ofhow the dividers all fit together. If youlook closely at the right edge of the piecebeing dropped into place, you’ll see atrick I had to use to fix a “too-loose”divider. By adding veneer tape to thebeveled end I was able to fix the fit.Veneer tape added to the front of thedivider after the fix made the fix virtually invisible.

Elevation

Long divider plan & section Short divider plan & section

Profile/section

Color and CharacterBefore gluing up the case, decidehow you’re going to finish it. Iopted to leave the birch plywoodpieces natural, but I used Moser’swater-soluble Light SheratonMahogany aniline dye (Woodwor-ker’s Supply, 800-645-9292 orwoodworker.com, item #W13301,$6.99 for 1 oz.) on the mahoganybox. Because the back is birchplywood, I’d have trouble dyingthe box after assembly withoutcoloring the back, too.

My solution was to give theback a few coats of a clear lacquerfinish prior to assembly. Then,when the dye is applied to themahogany, any errant dye that

Veneer tapeadded totighten fit

popwood.com 77

STORING WINESo now you have this great winestorage box, but what do you needto know to properly store all of yourwine? Well, wine is perishable, soyou must keep it at a stable temper-ature and serve it at a temperaturethat best shows off its specificcharacteristics.

As you can tell, temperature isthe most important factor whenstoring wine. The “golden tempera-ture” for storing wine is 55° Fahren-heit, although a range of 45°-65°F isfine. But what hurts wine the most isfluctuation. If the temperaturewavers, the cork gets pulled in andout, giving air a good chance ofgetting into the wine and ruining it.

A colder storage temperaturewill cause the aging process to slowdown, preventing proper aging,while a warmer temperature cancause premature aging.

Also, don’t just store a bottle ofchampagne in your refrigerator,waiting for the perfect day to drinkit. When that day comes, the winewill be too cold to enjoy. You cantemporarily store wine in the fridgeto cool it off, but if you need it storedlonger, keep it out of there.

Humidity fluctuations aren’tnearly as bad, but they should bewatched. A high humidity hurts thelabels, while a low humidity driesout the cork, letting oxygen in, evenif the bottle is properly stored on itsside to keep the cork moist.

So throw out the old “refrigerateall whites, drink all reds at currentroom temperature” adage.According to wine.about.com,generally accepted wine-servingtemperature guidelines are: vintageport (66°F), bordeaux and shiraz(64°F), burgundy and cabernet(63°F), pinot noir (61°F), chiantiand zinfandel (59°F), beaujolaisand rose (54°F), chardonnay (48°F),riesling (47°F), champagne (45°F).

Remember, though, the roomtemperature is usually higher thanthese “ideal” temperatures. A refrig-erator can cool the wine, but towarm it, just hold it in your hands.

— Michael A. Rabkin


❏ 4 Sides 3⁄4 14 20 Mahogany❏ 1 Back 1⁄2 191⁄4 191⁄4 Birch plywood❏ 2 Dividers 1⁄2 10 263⁄16 Birch plywood❏ 4 Dividers 1⁄2 10 131⁄16 Birch plywood❏ 2 Cleats 3⁄4 21⁄2 181⁄2 Plywood

WINE RACK

gets on the back simply can bewiped off the lacquer finish.

After sanding the interior ofthe project, it’s time to move onto the glue-up stage. Make surethe dovetails are pulled up tightand the case is square.

Measure from corner to cor-ner in both directions and makeany necessary adjustments.

After the glue is dry, take thecase out of the clamps and flushup the pins and tails. This mayrequire sanding or you may chooseto use a sharp low-angle blockplane to flush the sides.

Marrying the Rack to a WallTo hang the rack, I used a Frenchcleat. This is so simple I’m sur-prised it doesn’t get used moreoften. The cleat is made by cut-ting a 5"-wide piece of 3⁄4" ply-wood to fit between the two boxsides. Then simply set your table-saw blade to a 45° angle and ripthe piece in half lengthwise.

By attaching the top half ofthe cleat (widest-width facingout) to the case and the lowerhalf to your wall (use drywall an-chors if that’s not possible) yousimply can slide the case downonto the wall cleat using the 45°angle and lock it tightly in place.

A Strong,Woody FinishRemove the dividers one last timeand finish the box as you see fit.A coat of clear lacquer on the di-viders will protect against time(and unsightly red wine spills)and make it easier to slide thebottles in and out of the rack.

When the dividers are againreassembled in place, a couple ofaccurately placed nails throughthe back into the dividers willhold them firmly in place.

Seeing so many interestingopportunities for taste-bud tit-illation tastefully displayed in myhouse is almost as gratifying asthe project itself. PW

To hang the box on a wall I used a French cleat. The photo shows the two parts ofthe cleat pulled away from the recessed back of the box.Trés simple!

Exploded view

Mountto box

Mountto wall

Cabinet vs. contractor, metric vs. English,hand tool vs. power tool (yawn). Whenyou’re in the mood for a real debate, just

bring up 120 volts vs. 240 volts among a group ofwoodworkers. Tempers will flare, arguments willensue, indignation will linger.

We’re passionate about our voltage and rightlyso – it’s the lifeblood of our motors. Its importancenecessitates you know the facts. So here you go:You won’t save a dime and your motors won’t bemore powerful if you switch to 240V. But, if you’rerunning multiple motors at the same time or you’reusing the pre-existing wiring in your house, switch-ing to 240V will eliminate voltage drops and stalling,as well as lengthen the life of many of your motors.In almost all cases, 240V is the better deal.

Before you pick up the phone, ready to give usan earful, read what we have to say. We’ve doneour homework – the information here is backed upby facts, experts and experience.

The TRUTHabout 240V

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Electricity 101Before we dig into the debate, you must first learnhow electricity reaches your home. Check out theglossary at right to make sure you understand theseterms before we move on.

Now then, your utility company distributes elec-trical energy in your neighborhood through high-voltage conductors (what many people call wires)that terminate on step-down transformers. Thesetransformers change the voltage to single-phase,three-wire, 120V/240V electricity, which is whatyou need in your home. From the transformer, threeconductors (two hots and one neutral) supply yourhome with electrical energy.

In a residential electrical service, the two hotconductors are designated L1 and L2 and can beany color except white, gray or green. L1 and L2each have 120V potential. The neutral conductoris intentionally connected to the ground and alsocan be referred to as the grounded conductor. Neutral

by Kara Gebhart & Greg Hyland

Greg Hyland is president of Cincinnati-based Cooper Electric. He has been in the electrical trade for 33 years and holdsElectrical Contractor licenses in Ohio and Kentucky, as well as Master Electrician licenses in five local jurisdictions.

Comments or questions? Contact Kara at 513-531-2690, ext. 1348 or [email protected].

Frankly, we’re tired of the debate. So, we’re ending it here.


popwood.com 79

GLOSSARY• amps: Measurement of the amountof electrical current flowing throughthe circuit or conductor. (Comparable togallons per minute in a water-systemanalogy.) Amps = watts/volts.

• cable: Conductor covered by anouter metallic or non-metallic jacket.

• circuit breaker panel: Breaker boxor load center.

• conductor: Material that carrieselectricity; often called wire.

• current: Flow of electricity measuredin amps.

• equipment ground conductor:Safety wire that keeps non-current-carrying metal parts of an electricalsystem from being accidentally ener-gized. Bare with no insulation or col-ored green. Doesn’t carry current undernormal operation.

• general-purpose branch circuit:Supplies two or more receptacles oroutlets for lighting and appliances.

• hot: Supply conductor that carrieselectricity. In residential electricalsystem, designated L1 or L2. Can beany color except white, gray or green.

• load: Anything that utilizes electricity.

• neutral: Conductor that is intention-ally grounded or connected to theearth. Carries zero V of potential. Neverconnected to a circuit breaker orswitch. Colored white, gray or bare.Combines with one hot conductor (L1or L2) to create 120V potential.

• ohm’s law: States that it takes 1V ofpressure to push one amp of currentthrough one ohm of resistance.Volts = amps x ohms.

• potential: Electrical pressure, whichdetermines the flow of current througha given load.

• power equation: Watts = volts xamps.

• resistance: Opposition to flow ofelectrical current; measured in ohms.Current flows through path of leastresistance. Ohms = volts/amps.

• voltage: Force that pushes electronsthrough a conductor. Referred to aselectrical pressure. (Comparable topressure in pounds per square inch inwater-system analogy.) Volts =watts/amps

• watts: Measurement of the amountof power used in a circuit. At 100 percent efficiency, there are 746 watts in one horsepower.1 kilowatt (kw) = 1,000 watts.

conductors can be white or grayand in some limited uses can evenbe bare. It has zeroVof potential.

The neutral shouldn’t be con-fused with the equipment groundconductor, which primarily is usedfor safety. The equipment groundconductor connects the metalparts in the electrical system thatdon’t carry current to the neutralconductor. The equipment groundconductor can be bare or green.

The voltage, or electrical po-tential, measured between L1 andL2 is 240V. The voltage meas-ured between L1 or L2 and neu-tral is 120V. The voltage meas-ured between L1 or L2 and theequipment ground conductor is120V. No voltage should be ableto be measured between the neu-tral and the equipment groundconductor because they aregrounded to the earth, which isconsidered to be at zero V.

Note: Even though L1 and L2have the same 120V potential tothe neutral conductor, they arestill different. To avoid going intolots of detail here, think of L1 andL2 as siblings: A brother and sis-ter have the same parents but yetthey’re different.

Now take a look at the pic-ture below. Three conductors (L1,L2 and neutral) enter the circuitbreaker panel via the service en-trance cable. L1 and L2 connectto the main circuit breaker insidethe service equipment load cen-ter. The neutral conductor con-nects to the solid neutral bar.

A Switch of a WireThe difference between 120Vand 240V in your circuit break-er panel is, literally, a switch of awire. In this panel, there are sin-gle-pole and double-pole break-ers. Single-pole breakers serve120V loads, while double-polebreakers serve 240V loads. Thebreakers in the panel are arrangedlike this:

L1 L1L2 L2L1 L1L2 L2

A single-pole breaker is pluggedinto either L1 or L2. A double-pole breaker plugs into both L1and L2. The 120V circuits haveone conductor connected to asingle-pole breaker and anoth-er conductor connected to theneutral bar. The 240V circuits

have two conductors connectedto a double-pole breaker and noneutral conductor.

You don’t need the neutralwire for a 240V circuit becausethere’s already a difference in po-tential. (Remember the siblinganalogy?) But, you must have theneutral wire in a 120V circuit tocreate a difference in potential.

Let’s Talk AmpsThe difference between 120V and240V has almost everything todo with amps. Amperage is themeasurement of the amount ofcurrent flowing through a con-ductor. The National ElectricCode (NEC) requires all homesbuilt today to be equipped with aminimum 100-amp main electricservice. Some new homes haveservices that are 200 amps or more,while older ones can have as lit-tle as 60 amps. In your home, ageneral-purpose branch circuitprovides 120V and 15 amps.

The size of a conductor de-termines the number of amps itcan safely carry. A #14 AmericanWire Gauge (AWG) copper con-ductor will carry 15 amps. A#12AWG copper conductor willcarry 20 amps. A #10AWG cop-per conductor will carry 30 amps.Unless you or someone else hasrewired your shop, we’re bettingyour cables aren’t #10AWG cop-per or larger.

Common 240V MythsThis, you should know: You won’tsave a watt of energy or a single

Pictured here is a typical residentialcircuit breaker panel – what manypeople call their breaker box.We’velabeled several of the conductors so thatthey’re easier to distinguish.

Groundingelectrodeconductor

L2 conductor

Service entrance cable Neutral or grounded conductor

L1 conductor

Solid neutral bar

Main circuitbreaker

Single-polebreaker

Double-polebreaker

Equipment groundconductor


dime by switching to 240V, peri-od. Whether you’re running amotor using 120V or 240V, thehorsepower of the motor stays thesame. Remember: One horse-power equals 746 watts and watts= volts x amps. If your volts goup, your amps go down. If yourvolts go down, your amps go up.(Watts always stays the same.)The utility company charges youfor the number of kilowatt hoursyou use – not amps or volts.

Whether you’re running amotor using 120V or 240V, themotor’s revolutions per minutewill stay the same. The only wayyou can change the speed of analternating-current (AC) motoris by adjusting the frequency ofthe sine wave of the electrical en-ergy supplying the motor.

Why 240V is BetterIf you’re not going to save ener-gy or make the motor more pow-erful, why switch to 240V? Hereare five good reasons:

• By connecting a motor at240V you’ll evenly distribute theload across both L1 and L2. Forexample, let’s say your electricservice provides you with 100amps. If you connect a 10-ampload at 120V, you’ve taken up 10percent of either L1 or L2.

(Remember, 120V requires L1and a neutral or L2 and a neutralwhile 240V requires L1 and L2,and no neutral.)

Now, if you connect the same10-amp load at 240V, five ampswould flow through L1 and fiveamps would flow through L2 –you’ve only taken up five percentof the capacity of your electricalsystem. Distributing the currentlike this keeps the load on theelectrical service balanced, whichis good engineering practice.

• Switching to 240V reducesyour current flow (remember, ifvolts go up, amps must go down).If you’re running a 20-amp ma-chine at 120V, you’re using 2,400watts of power. If you run thatsame machine on 240V, it willonly draw 10 amps, which is also2,400 watts of power.

Reduced current flow createsless heat, which permits the motorto run cooler. Heat is a motor’sdeadliest enemy. A common ruleof thumb in the motor industryis that a sustained temperaturerise of 18° Fahrenheit in the wind-ings of a motor will cut the ratedmotor life in half (no joke).

• Reduced current flow lessens

the effect of electrical sags in yoursystem. (If your lights have everdimmed after starting up a ma-chine, you know what we’re talk-ing about.) An electric motorstarted from rest creates a demandon your electrical system of 6-7times the magnitude of the full-load running amp capacity.

For example, let’s say your bandsaw’s 11⁄2-hp motor has a name-plate rating of 11.5 amps at 115V.

When started, the motor can puta draw on your system of a whop-ping 80.5 amps. When you dothis, a sag is created in the rest ofthe system because the system isbeing deprived of power. Yourlights blink, your computer locksup and your family begins hol-lering. Now, if you connected thissame motor at 230V it will draw5.8 amps at full running load andonly about 40.6 amps when it

This nameplate is on our band saw’smotor. Note that at 115V, this motordraws 11.5 amps.At 230V, it draws halfthe amps: 5.8.

This is a circuit breaker panel set up for a 120V circuit.

Single-polebreaker

Neutral conductor,white

L1 conductor,black

Neutral conductor

L1 conductor

120V receptacle

Electrician Greg Hyland is changing the above 120V circuit to a 240V circuit. He hasreplaced the single-pole breaker with a double-pole breaker, which L1 is nowconnected to. He removed the neutral conductor from the neutral bar and re-identified it with red electrical tape. Here he’s ready to connect what is now the L2conductor to the double-pole breaker.

Double-polebreaker

L1 conductor

L2 conductor (what wasonce neutral conductor,re-identified with red tape)

Bare equipmentground conductor

Bare equipmentground conductor

popwood.com 81

starts – that’s a big difference.One thing to keep in mind:

Manufacturers use nominal volt-age ratings on their nameplates.If you consult the equipmentspecifications you will probablyfind an operating voltage rangeof 115V plus or minus 10 per-cent, which would mean theequipment will operate on anyvoltage from 103.5V to 126.5V.Some manufacturers do this be-cause the voltage in the systemconstantly changes based on theload in the electrical system. Alsokeep in mind that just as the volt-age changes constantly, so willthe current flow.

• Using 240V helps eliminatevoltage drops. The NEC recom-mends that a branch circuit shouldhave no more than a 3 percentvoltage drop at the farthest out-let of power from the source.

Voltage drop is a combinationof four factors: the load in amps,the voltage, the length of the cir-cuit and the size of the conduc-tor supplying the load. Rememberthe 11⁄2-hp band saw motor witha nameplate rating of 11.5 amps

at 115V and 5.8 amps at 230V?Let’s say the saw is 100' away fromthe circuit breaker panel and issupplied from a #12 AWG cop-per conductor good for 20 amps.

Using the formula from theAmerican Electricians Handbook(we won’t bore you with the de-tails) you would calculate thatthe motor at 115V would have avoltage drop of 4.54V, or 3.95 per-cent. If the same motor is con-nected at 230V the voltage dropis 2.29V, or just less than 1 per-cent. The band saw will performbetter and last longer connectedat 230V with less than 1 percentvoltage drop. Period.

• 240V’s lower current flowwill frequently permit you to savemoney because you’re able to in-stall a smaller, less expensiveconductor to feed the load. Inthe previous example the motorwas fed with a #12 AWG copperconductor good for 20 amps. TheNEC would permit the use of asmaller #14 AWG copper con-ductor good for 15 amps to feedthe band saw.

Using the smaller conductor

the voltage drop at 115V reallystarts to get ugly at 7.22V, or 6.3 percent. However, the volt-age drop at 230V is 3.64V, or 1.58 percent, which is still with-in the recommended NEC limitof 3 percent. The money yousaved on cable could buy an extrasaw blade or two.

The Switch is EasySwitching from 120V to 240V issurprisingly easy, but if you’venever dealt with electricity(rewiring a lamp doesn’t count),you need to contact a local elec-trician who knows what he or sheis doing. An electrician will beable to make the switch safely atboth the circuit breaker paneland at the equipment. He or shemust properly re-identify everyexposed conductor along the

branch circuit. (Proper identifi-cation allows future homeown-ers to know what voltage to ex-pect from their receptacles.)

The truth: Switching to 240Vwill increase your electrical sys-tem capacity, reduce heat, length-en the life of your motors andin general make your shop moreefficient. Make the switch. You’llbe glad you did. PW

Special thanks to Franklin M. Barkerfor his assistance with this article.Barker, a curriculum and instruc-tional specialist at Cincinnati-basedGreat Oaks Institute of Technologyand Career Development, previ-ously served as an electrician for 30years. He taught electricity at GreatOaks for 22 of those years.

This is a circuit breaker panel set up for a 240V circuit. Receptacles use differentcolored screws to help with proper identification. Hot conductors always connect todark or brass screws.The equipment ground conductor always connects to a greenscrew.The neutral conductor always connects to a silver or light-colored screw.

Sine waves are a mathematical representation of electrons’ movement.The bluesine wave represents an L1 conductor and the red sine wave represents an L2conductor. Even though both carry 120V, they are always out of phase with eachother, meaning there’s a difference in potential.

Most motors have a label that showsyou how to switch it from 120V to240V, as shown here.

x axis (time)

y axis (magnitude)

+

–

Double-polebreaker

L2 conductor,red

L1 conductor,black

240V receptacle

Switching from120V to 240Vinstructions

Where theswitch takesplace

Illus

trat

ion

by M

ary

Jane

Fav

orite

by David Thiel

Comments or questions? Contact David at 513-531-2690 ext. 1255 [email protected].

Orbital JIGSAWS

The circular saw is thepower tool that belongsin every contractor’s tool-

box. In a woodshop it’s the jig-saw. For straight, curved, fine orrough cuts, the jigsaw makes everytask manageable. And you canuse it for a variety of projects, fromcrosscutting a 4' x 8' sheet of ply-wood to shaping a scrolled archon a Chippendale highboy.

For this test, we selected 12jigsaws that have orbital cuttingaction, which means the blademoves forward during the upwardcut, then returns to a straight up-and-down motion on the return

cut. The aggressiveness of the orbitcan be adjusted as the needed.

There are many jigsaws thatdon’t offer orbital action, but thisflick of a switch allows you tochoose either a quick-cutting toolor a fine-cutting tool, so we thinkit’s an important attribute.

Different FeaturesPrices and features vary acrossthe 12 saws, but there are manysimilarities, including the fact

that they all have a 1" stroke (thedistance the blade moves up anddown). The one feature thathelped separate the crowd is theblade-changing mechanism.

Interestingly, many of the sawsowe their blade-changing designsto Bosch, the inventor of the jig-saw. The Grizzly saw uses an oldBosch system that requires a screw-driver through the saw body.DeWalt and Craftsman have atop-knob system that clicks when


There are a bunch of quality saws out there,

but not all can pass our test.

the blade is locked – a systemBosch still uses.

Other manufacturers havemoved beyond to what we referto as a lever release. Dependingon which design it is, this systemcan be good, somewhat con-founding or, in a few cases, per-fect, thanks to the assistance ofan extra lever. (See “ToollessBlade Releases” at right.)

Also, many manufacturersoffer saws with both a top-han-dle and a barrel-grip design. Wefrequently find the barrel-gripsaws easier to control because ofthe lower center of gravity, but

Orbital JIGSAWS

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this is a personal preference. Whilewe tested barrel-grip models whenwe could, we didn’t skew our re-sults by body design. We includ-ed pricing on the alternative bodystyles in the individual listingswhere applicable.

You also should note a coupleof dopplegängers in the crowd.The new Ridgid saw is built inconjunction with its Europeanpartner, Metabo, making the toolsvery similar. And the Craftsmansaw owes a significant amount ofits parentage to Bosch.

The TestingThree things are important in de-termining a jigsaw’s performance:its power during a cut, the amountof vibration and the blade de-flection during curved cuts.

While all of the jigsaws comecomplete with their own blades,we decided that to be fair we’duse one brand of blade, selectingBosch Progressor T234X blades.

We tested for power by tim-ing repeated 4" straight cuts in3⁄4" plywood made by multiple ed-

itors, both at the most-aggressiveand least-aggressive orbital set-tings. We then averaged the re-sults and included them in theattached chart on page 86.

For vibration we went a bitmore unscientific, relying on thefeedback provided by the testersand a black felt-tip pen. Wemounted the pen on the noseof each jigsaw, then let it run (atthe least-aggressive orbital set-ting, without a blade and at thehighest speed) on a sheet of 11"x 17" paper. We tied the cords di-rectly above the saws to removeinfluence from them and stoppedthe test after 30 seconds. We thenrecorded the linear distance trav-eled by each saw. In more thanhalf the cases, the saw made itsway off the paper before time ranout, so we noted the “time in thering” in the chart as well.

For blade deflection, we pushedthe tools to their limits by cut-ting 3"-radius S-curves in 15⁄8"-thick white oak. This is a toughtest for a jigsaw, and we’d usual-ly turn to a band saw to cut thick

white oak. We ran the saw at itstop speed with a first-position or-bital setting and measured thedeflection from perpendicular onthe furthest points of the interi-or and exterior turns.

Some Favorite FeaturesWe prefer a toolless shoe-beveladjustment because we just hatelooking for a wrench. The bestshoes in the test were those thatoffer positive stops at the variedangles and a design that allowedyou to slide the shoe back forclose-to-the-wall work.

When considering a barrel-grip or top-handle design, onefeature to consider is the locationof the speed control. On barrel-grip saws it is typically on the rearof the motor housing; with top-handle models, the speed controlis frequently located on or nearthe trigger. While this places thespeed control within easy reach,it also leaves open the possibili-ty that you could change the speedaccidentally during a cut.

Most of the saws tested use a

split-bearing guide to support therear of the blade and help main-tain a perpendicular position.Two of them use what we refer toas side guides, in addition to arear-bearing guide, offering su-perior blade control.

We found it difficult to de-termine if dust blowers are real-ly vital to any jigsaw. In someof the designs they can be an-noying, and some saws withoutblowers perform just as admirably.You’ll have to make that deci-sion for yourself, but one thingwe can recommend using is a vac-uum connection to keep yourworkpiece clean as you cut. PW

The one area that quickly defines how much we like ajigsaw is how easily we can change the blade. Jigsawshave made great strides in the past few years, butthere are still a variety of styles to consider. Seen hereare the three most-common – the top-knob, the lever-style and the dual-action lever-style. (With one modelthat we tested – the Grizzly – you need to use ascrewdriver included in the package through the bodyof the jigsaw to change the blade.)

LEVER-STYLEThe Ridgid (left), Freud, Porter-Cableand Metabo models use a simple lever-style release.A spring-loaded levernear the jaws is pulled away from theblade to release the jaw mechanism.That mechanism differs from model tomodel, but all are essentially the same.This is a much-faster design than thetop-knob system, but you might needto practice a few times to get comfort-able with it.

DUAL-ACTION LEVER-STYLEThe Festool (left), Makita, Milwaukeeand Hitachi jigsaws all use a leverrelease with a twist – literally. They allhave a plastic arm mounted to thefront of the saw to add a lever-assist tothe mechanism.When you pull thelever the blade moves forward, makingit easier to grasp. In some cases, acollar twists over the blade’s tangs tolock it in place in the saw, too.We likedthis design the best.

TOP-KNOB The DeWalt (shown),Craftsman and Boschmodels all employ ablade change that worksby turning a knob at thetop of the housing untilyou hear a click to openand close the jaws on theblade.While not a badsystem, it is slower thanothers tested.

TOOLLESS BLADE RELEASES

While not totally scientific, we got aninteresting indication of the vibrationexhibited in each jigsaw by attaching amarker and letting them run.

Lever moves the action to amore convenient location

Lifting the leveropens the jaws

Top knob rotatesto open andclose the jaws Jaws

popwood.com 83


This saw made nice cuts in the speed tests, but requiredmore effort than expected and we noticed surprisingvibration in the rough cut. It handled the curve cuts wellenough with acceptable blade deflection. It’s a shamethat Bosch’s latest design wasn’t ready for testing (see“Looking Ahead” on page 86), because the 1584AVSsuffered from its outdated blade-changing system. Wealso ran into some problems with the knob on theblade-changing system popping off the saw – it’s

The Festool is a nice saw, and it’s priced accordingly.Available in a barrel-grip or top-handle (PSB300EQ,$250) design, the saw proved smooth and strong in thespeed tests, but fought with us a little in the corner test.The forked-guide system with its adjustable carbidepads and rear-bearing support gives superior bladesupport. The lever-assisted toolless blade-changesystem is our favorite, requiring little effort and nolearning curve. The detachable 13' rubber cord is high

quality, extra long and isa nice upgrade forreplacement concerns and evenfor storage and blade changes. The shoe, which wasdifficult to adjust, is marked (but has no positive stops)for 15°, 30° and 45° and requires a wrench to make thechnage. The Festool is the lightest saw in the test andwas one of our favorite tools to use. That’s why it getsan Editor’s Choice award. (festool-usa.com)

Similar in design to the Craftsman, the DeWalt adds atoolless shoe-bevel adjustment and a three-positionblower. The blade-change system is similar to theCraftsman, but the locking mechanism is a retractingclamp system rather than the turn-and-lock system,keeping the blade oriented straight ahead. The DeWaltdid well in the speed cutting tests, but showed somedifficulties in cornering and worse deflection scores. Wenoticed some problems with the blower sending dust

toward the operator, which is a pet peeve with us.Variable-speed controls are on the trigger. The shoe ismarked (but there are no positive stops) for 15°, 30°and 45° bevels and employs a toolless adjustment lever.One nice thing is the ability to lock the shoe in a set-back position for close-to-the-wall cuts. In the end, theDeWalt is an acceptable tool that is comparable withthe Bosch in price, offering better performance and acouple of extra features. (dewalt.com)

The Freud is a strange mix of good and not-so-good at anice price. It performed well in the corner tests and haddecent cutting speed. It did vibrate a bit much, had adrift problem during the cut and was fairly loud. Itfeatures a lever-style toolless blade change, but againthere’s a good/bad mix: The blade must be pushedagainst a spring in the holder to engage the lock,allowing it to be ejected when changing, but the neces-sary “push” isn’t mentioned in the manual, making it

frustrating until you figure it out. The shoe adjustment isaccomplished with a wrench and offers a single positivestop at 0°. The air exhaust seems excessive and poorlydirected at times, but a dust wand attachment is includ-ed for use with a vacuum. There are some slight fit andfinish concerns (the guide was off-center to the blade inthe tool we tested), but the saw provided a good cutwith a nice blade change at a reasonable cost.(freudtools.com)

Made for Craftsman by Bosch, the 27719 essentially isthe top-handle version of the above saw. There were noproblems with the blade-change system, but it’s stillawkward compared to the newest lever designs.Performance was good with worse deflection scoresthan the Bosch. The Craftsman performed comparablywith the Bosch through the curves and registered one of

the quietest noise levels in the test. It uses the sameshoe and beveling design as the Bosch and shares thesingle positive-stop location and necessary wrench. Thevariable-speed control is mounted on the trigger. It’s agood tool but if you check prices, the top-handle Bosch(1587AVS) costs about $20 less than the Craftsman foressentially the same tool. (craftsman.com)

designed that way, but it comes off a little too easy forour taste. The saw is sold in a top-handle (1587AVS,$127) or barrel-grip design, so there’s something foreveryone. The shoe is marked for bevels at 15°, 30° and45°, but includes a positive lock only at 0° and requiresa wrench to make the change. The Bosch is a workhorseand the progenitor of many of the tools tested here, butwe’d suggest waiting for the next generation.(boschtools.com)

Bosch 1584AVS

Craftsman 27719

DeWalt DW321

Festool PS300EQ TRION

Freud FJ85

popwood.com 85

Even though the Grizzly didn’t perform remarkably wellin any category, it’s very affordable and does an ade-quate job for the occasional user. Built on a 10-year-oldBosch design, the blade change requires a special screw-driver inserted through the top of the saw and is awk-ward.The shoe is a reinforced stamped-steel plate,unlike the majority of cast aluminum/steel shoes on theothers. It performed slowly in the speed test and had

tear-out problems. It alsoproved to be seriously under-powered in the curve test. The variable-speed motor(trigger-mounted switch) had trouble maintainingtorque and fought the curves.The shoe requires an Allenwrench to adjust and can interfere with the blade whenset to 45°. So it’s not great, but if you need a jigsaw onlyoccasionally, it’s a bargain. (grizzly.com)

The Metabo also sports the nice lever-style blade-changesystem, but it hasn’t been updated with the dual-actionsystem to make it even nicer.Available in a barrel-gripand top-handle (STEB105, $174) design, it has a soft-start motor that incorporates the electronic feedback,assisting with torque maintenance during heavy cuts(though it didn’t test that way). Performance in thespeed test was good with little vibration.We had some

trouble handling the saw through the curves.The shoe(adjusted using an Allen wrench) is the most unique thatwe saw, offering positive stop locations for 0°, 15°, 30°and 45° bevel settings – very nice. No blower is includ-ed, but a dust collection wand is. The Metabo also offersa five-position orbital setting, as with Ridgid, giving usmore choices for aggressive cuts. This is a good saw, butnot good enough to pull top honors. (metabousa.com)

The Makita has a great dual-action lever-style blade-change system, a soft-start motor to avoid accidents andelectronic feedback to maintain torque in the cut. It’salso available in a top-handle design (4340FCT, $160). Inour tests the Makita offered a smooth cut and handledthe curves with little effort.Also included is a task light,mounted to shine on the cut. This might sound like athrowaway feature, but it actually proves very beneficial.The shoe is marked for bevels at 15°, 30° and 45° but

includes a positive lock onlyat 0° and requires a wrenchto make the change. It does offer a set-back stance for tight cuts. The variable-speed control ismounted at the rear of the motor housing and the tooloffers no blower, though a dust wand is an optionalaccessory. It’s priced a little higher than most of the restof the pack, but the features and performance made itour favorite in the affordable price range. (makita.com)

Milwaukee has put together a nice jigsaw.We tested thebarrel-grip design, but it’s also available in a top-handle(6266-22, $140) design.The performance of this sawwas OK in the speed test (with some vibration) but didbetter in the cornering test, with a nice cut and not muchhesitation. It offers a toolless shoe adjustment that welike, with positive stops at 0° and 45°.The tool includesa 10-position blower (nice!) and a wand for vacuumconnection.Variable-speed adjustment is in the motor

housing. It offers a very easy dual-action lever-styleblade change. It had one of the best quality cord sets,but also tested out as the loudest one. Priced competi-tively with the Metabo and Makita, we think the fea-tures and performance make this a saw worth seriousconsideration (even more so in the more affordable top-handle version ). But taking everything into considera-tion, it finishes a whisker away from our top honors.(milwaukeetools.com)

The Hitachi proved to be a better-than-average per-former with low vibration, very good performance in thecurve test and an amazingly good time in the speed test,but at the cost of some terrible tear-out. It has a nicedual-action lever-style blade release.The one-piece castshoe has a positive lock at 0° with a set-back stance fortight cuts. The variable-speed control is on the trigger in

the top-handle model and at the rear of the pommel onthe barrel-grip model. The saw doesn’t have a blower,but includes a vacuum wand attachment.The saw ispleasant to use, performs well and has no serious flaws.Unfortunately, it has some tougher competition in theMakita and Milwaukee that shine slightly brighter,keeping this one from our top accolades. (hitachi.com)

Grizzly G8994Z

Hitachi CJ120V

Makita 4341FCT

Metabo STE105 Plus

Milwaukee 6267-21

Best Value

Manufacturer Bosch Craftsman DeWalt Festool Freud Grizzly Hitachi Makita Metabo Milwaukee Porter-Cable RidgidModel 1584AVS 27719 DW321 PS300EQ FJ85 G8994Z CJ120V 4341FCT STE105 Plus 6276-21 9543 R3120

Price $148 149 139 250 108 60 138 169 174 174 148 159

Weight 5.5 lbs. 7.0 6.4 5.1 5.4 5.5 5.5 5.3 6.2 5.7 6.5 5.7

Speed* 500-3,100 500-3,100 500-3,100 1,000-2,900 500-3,000 0-3,100 850-3,000 800-2,800 1,000-3,000 500-3,000 500-3,100 1,000-3,000

Cord length** 14'-R 8'-R 8'-R 13'-R 7'-P 7'-P 8'-P 9'-R 14'-R 13'-R 10'-R 11'-R

Dust blower 3 positions 3 pos. 3 pos. No No 3 pos. No No No 10 pos. 1 pos. No

Decibels*** 95 91 96 95 95 94 94 93 96 97 95 91

Stated amps 5.0 5.0 5.8 6.0 6.0 5.0 5.8 6.3 6.0 6.2 6.0 6.0

Amps no load 3.07 2.86 3.05 3.29 3.60 2.40 3.27 3.70 2.90 3.18 3.10 2.90

Amps load 3.86 3.77 3.68 4.24 4.57 3.00 3.96 4.86 3.58 3.65 3.78 3.83

Speed (0)† 5.69 4.88 3.40 3.12 4.21 5.04 3.66 4.50 4.26 5.11 5.59 4.95

Speed (3)† 3.38 2.59 2.14 2.78 2.78 3.38 1.79 2.78 2.11 2.61 2.67 2.84

Deflection†† 5⁄32, 3⁄32 3⁄16, 5⁄32 3⁄16, 1⁄8 3⁄16, 1⁄16 7⁄32, 5⁄32 1⁄8, 1⁄32 5⁄32, 0 1⁄8, 1⁄16 1⁄8, 1⁄8 1⁄8, 1⁄32 5⁄32, 1⁄8 3⁄16, 1⁄16

Vibration††† 10" 19" 8"/:13 13"/:12 11"/:10 12"/:20 14"/:14 4" 131⁄2" 10"/:05 24"/:28 14"

Ridgid is a new name in portable power tools, butthere’s good pedigree behind this saw. Made in con-junction with Metabo, there are a number of similaritiesbetween the saws. The performance in testing was OKin speed, but it had some difficulty in the curve test,wandering more than expected. The lever-style bladechange is fairly easy, but it could benefit from a dual-action release. As with the Metabo, the shoe (Allenwrench required) has a nice positive stop design at the

0°, 15°, 30° and 45° bevel settings. The cord is good-quality rubber and includes a nice hook-and-loop cordwrap and an illuminated plug to indicate when thepower is on. No dust blower is included, but a wand forvacuum hookup is. The Ridgid is only available as a top-handle design and is a nice jigsaw that offers a tadmore features than the Metabo for $15 less. There’snothing bad about this saw, but it’s edged out by a fewcompetitors. (ridgid.com)

The Porter-Cable model 9543 jigsaw is a victim ofprogress, just like the Bosch. Introduced as an innova-tive design a few years ago, the toolless blade system isnow cumbersome and not all that user-friendly com-pared to its rivals. The toolless shoe adjustment is stillthe best, with preset detents at 0°, 15°, 30° and 45°and a lever that locks down very positively. The sawperformed average in the speed test, but better in thecurve test, with little deflection concerns. It incorporates

a split-rod blade guide with rear-bearing support,similar to the Festool, for very nice blade guidance. Oneannoying problem is the dust. Even with the three-position blower (with a knob so small it’s difficult toadjust) the dust managed to always be blowing right inour face. Moderately priced, the Porter-Cable cuts well,but needs an upgrade to improve the blade changesystem and the blower problems need attention.Though a good saw, it falls short. (porter-cable.com)

LOOKING AHEAD ...Set for a February 2004 introduction, the Bosch 1590EVSK jigsaw will be thenext generation. It will feature a 6.4-amp variable-speed motor (500-2,800spm) with soft-start and constant-response circuitry to resist stalling. Boschrepresentatives tell us that it has a precision-control blade-guide system tovirtually eliminate any blade wander. The One-Touch Blade Change systemis expected to provide simple one-handed blade insertion and lever-bladeejection. The saw also will feature a toolless shoe bevel. Expected to weigh6 lbs., the 1590EVSK will retail for about $170. We can’t wait to see it.

Porter-Cable 9543

Ridgid R3120

* Speed in strokes per minute (spm)** R = rubber; P = plastic*** Decibels recorded from 2' away

† Cutting speed settings – (0) = no orbit, (3) = maximum orbit; speed is in seconds†† Blade deflection in inches from S-curve test; exterior is listed first††† If the jigsaw vibrated off the piece of paper before the 30 seconds was up, we note how long it took


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KAL03PW

Because my duties at Popular Woodworking include ensuringthe construction drawings match the photos and text, I usu-ally know what to expect from John Hutchinson, the mag-

azine’s project illustrator. But occasionally he slips in one of hiscomputer-generated brainstorms along with the projects scheduledfor publication. His latest “slip” was the fruit bowl shown here.

An egg slicer and a little

work in CAD results

in an interesting

and easy-to-build bowl

(without a lathe).by Kara Gebhart & John Hutchinson

Comments or questions? Contact Kara at 513-531-2690 ext. 1348 or [email protected]. Contact John at [email protected].

Fruit BowlPhoto by Tim Grondin; step photos by Al Parrish


popwood.com 91

John was in a kitchen supplystore, spotted an egg slicer andthought it could be transformedeasily into an interesting bowlwith a little help from his com-puter-aided design software (see“Creating the Fruit Bowl withCAD” online at popwood.comby clicking on “Magazine Extras”).Although he quickly rejected thenotion of building a soup tureenthis way, the ventilation provid-ed by the open slats made thisbowl a natural for storing fruit.

After crafting it electronical-ly, John asked me if I’d be inter-ested in translating it into reali-ty in the Popular Woodworkingshop. I liked the contrast of thestraight lines and curves, so Iagreed to the joint venture.

As I worked my way throughthe project, I found that it hasmany things going for it:

• It’s functional art. • Building the project requires

little material: one 2' x 4' sheet ofBaltic birch plywood, two scrapsof plywood or hardwood for thebase and some clear finish. (Onebowl will set you back about $12.)

• You can build the bowl, startto finish, in one day with littlewoodworking experience.

• It’s ideal for production runs,so it’s a great gift for loved ones.

This project requires only onetype of joint, coincidentally calledthe eggcrate joint (think modi-fied lap joint). A band saw and aspindle sander are all you reallyneed, but a table saw makes cut-ting the notches in the slats andbottom rails a little easier. Cutthe curves with your band saw,nibble away the notches with yourtable saw, dry-fit the project andfinish. It’s that simple.

Curves Over EasyFirst cut the parts to size. This in-cludes 17 slats (cut a few extra,just in case) and two bottom rails.Cut the rails 1" longer than stat-

ed in the cutting list to allow forregistration holes in the corners.Organize the slats into eight pairsand let the ninth, or center slat,sit by itself. Because the #1 slatsfor the ends of the bowl are uncut,set that pair aside. After makingnine photocopies of the slat pat-tern using the drawing on page93, glue them with spray adhe-sive to the top member of pairs#2 through #8 and the solitary#9. Clamp the stacked pairs to-gether on the drill press and borethe registration holes in the notchwaste area where indicated onthe patterns. I used 3⁄16" dowelsfor registration pins – use what-ever you have.

To keep the slat pairs alignedduring the cutting and sandingoperations, and to provide a backerboard to prevent tear-out, Johncame up with a simple jig, seenin the photo at right. Build thejig by applying a slat pattern to ascrap of flat stock. I used 1⁄2" medi-um-density fiberboard. Now drillthe registration holes and glue inthe dowels, letting them standabout 3⁄4" proud.

Stack the #2 pair of slats onthe jig and head to the band saw.Follow the #2 path, cutting slight-ly short of the line. You’ll be re-moving a chunk of your jig as youcut but it will continue to serveyou well through successive cutsbecause the registration pins re-main intact and you’ll always havebacker material below. After you’vemade the cut, take the whole as-sembly to the spindle sander andsand to the line. When you’re sat-isfied with the smoothness of thearc, remove the pair from the jig,number it and repeat the processon each successive pair. Althoughslat #9 is a loner, it also should becut on the jig to avoid tear-out.

Eggcrate JointOnce all the slats are machined,it’s time to cut the eggcrate joint.

A pattern and jig allow you to cut smooth arcs on your slats. Cut slightly wide of theline – a spindle sander will clean things up, as shown below.

93/8"Registrationdowel

Slat pair

Backerboard

Applied pattern

Slat alignment, cutting and sanding jig

might be a better choice. If yourjoints are tight, the maple rail’shorizontal grain direction cancause the joint pieces to snap offduring assembly. With plywood,grain direction isn’t an issue.

First, hold the oversized stripstogether, drill 3⁄16" registrationholes in the top corners and threadin two dowels. The dowels willhold the strips together and en-sure alignment of the notch pairs.

Enlarge the half-size rail ele-vation drawing and use it to layout the notches. With the back-ing board still attached to yourmiter gauge, begin cutting awaythe notches on your strips.

Be careful: Cut too big of anotch and you’ll end up with someconversation-piece kindling. Cuttoo small of a notch and your bowlwon’t go together – especiallyafter you add a finish. Don’t relysolely on your pencil marks. Cuta 1⁄2"-wide x 21⁄2"-long spacer fromsome of your leftover Baltic birchplywood and use that to con-tinuously check the fit of yourjoint. Once all your notches arecomplete, cut the bottom rails totheir final size.

No Scrambling Required Once your bottom rails are com-plete, dry fit everything togeth-er. If you’re happy with the fit,take the bowl apart, sand all yourparts and break the edges.

I like the natural look of wood(even Baltic birch plywood) so Isprayed my bowl’s parts with threecoats of lacquer. A paint job alsowould look nice. Do yourself afavor and cut two strips of 1⁄s" scrapwood that fit in the notches onthe slats to hold the slats uprightwhile finishing – this cuts your

Grab one of the #1 slats and ad-here a pattern. The hatched areason the pattern indicate the sizeof notch you need to cut. Nowgang all your slats together andclamp them tight. Make sureall your parts are square and flush.

Attach a backing board to yourmiter gauge to minimize blowout.Carefully nibble away at the slatsuntil the appropriate amount ofmaterial is removed.

Now you need to cut thenotches in the bottom rails. I usedmaple, but Baltic birch plywood

Assembly simply requires a rubbermallet (be gentle).A little filing insidethe notches helps tight joints, and a littleglue helps loose ones.

The spacer shown at right allows you tocontinuously check the back rails’ fit.

It also keeps the back rails aligned while cutting future notches.

You can cut these notches on your bandsaw but it’s much easier to gang all theslats together and nibble away at thenotches using your table saw.

Spacer

Backingboard


popwood.com 93

1/4" typ.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1/2" 1/2" typ.

131/4"

1"

1/2"

1"

21/2"1"

1"

1/2"1"

6 5 4 3 2 1

9 8 7

37/8"

1/2"

117/8"

3/16"plateregistration hole

Notch hatched areas

Notch hatched areas

Half-size rail elevation

Half-size slat elevation


❏ 17 Slats 1⁄4 37⁄8 117⁄8 Baltic birch❏ 2 Bottom rails* 1⁄2 21⁄2 131⁄4 Maple*Cut 1" long to allow for registration holes.

FRUIT BOWLfinishing time in half because youcan coat both sides at once.

Once the finish dries, it’s timefor final assembly. The bowl shouldgo together without glue, so there’sno need to rush. However, if someof your joints are loose, a littleglue will tighten them up. Andif your joints are too tight, file the

notches in the slats. Take yourtime and use a rubber mallet ifsome joints are being ornery.

And now your bowl hasreached fruition. I keep mine filledwith fruit on my kitchen table.And every time I grab an apple,I wonder what John’s next shop-ping trip will inspire. PW

BUILD YOUR OWN KITCHEN CABINETS 2ND EDITIONby Danny ProulxSuperbly detailed, this fully updated guide walks you through allthe stages of planning, design, construction and installation ofkitchen cabinets. #70626-K $24.99 pb

BUILDING THE PERFECTTOOL CHESTby Jim StackGet clear and easy-to-followinstructions for building 15 tool chests. Each practical andstylish design is adaptable to individual needs and provides aconvenient place to store all of a woodworker’s tools.#70598-K $24.99 pb

PRECISION TRIMCARPENTRY by Rick WilliamsSave money and gain satisfactionas you learn to craft your own precision trim carpentry. Projectsinclude trimming a door, installingwindows and wainscot panels,hanging drywall, patchingSheetrock and more!#70584-K $24.99 pb

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BUILDING WOODSHOP WORKSTATIONSby Danny ProulxWhether you’re fighting cramped quarters or looking to be more organized, you’ll want these 11 detailed plans for buildingcompletely self-contained units for every tool and accessory inyour shop.#70585-K $24.99 pb

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PRODUCT INDEX

PAGE # CIRCLE # WEB ADDRESS

ADHESIVESGorilla Glue 14 120 gorillaglue.comPolymeric Systems 103 164 epoxysticks.com

BITS, BLADES & CUTTERSAmana 29 102 amanatool.comCMT USA 35 108 cmtusa.comForrest Mfg. 63 116 stores.yahoo.com/forrestmanFreud 9 117 freudtools.comInfinity Cutting Tools 18 122 infinitytools.comLibrawood 102 162 librawood.comOlson 87 137 olsonsaw.comRidge Carbide 102 165 ridgecarbidetool.comRouterbits.com 102 166 routerbits.comWoodline USA 6 154 woodbits.com

BOOKSCambium Books 103 158 cambiumbooks.comWoodworker's Book Club 88-89 — woodworkersbookclub.com

FASTENERSArrow Fasteners 12 105 arrowfasteners.comDowelMax 35 112 dowelmax.comMcFeely's 27 133 mcfeelys.comMiller Dowel Co. 27 134 millerdowel.com

FINISHES & SUPPLIESWaterlox 102 170 waterlox.com

FURNITURE & PROJECT PARTSAdams Wood Products 16 100 adamswoodproducts.comOsborne Wood Products 97 139 osbornewood.com

HAND TOOLSAdjustable Clamp 39 101 adjustableclamp.comAdria Toolworks 102 155 adriatools.comAmerican Clamping 35 104 besseyclamps.comE. Emerson Tool Co. 39 113 allinoneclamps.comGlen-Drake Tool Works 43 119 glen-drake.comJapan Woodworker 39 123 thejapanwoodworker.comLie-Nielsen Toolworks 12 131 lie-nielsen.comTools For Working Wood 102 168 toolsforworkingwood.com

HARDWAREWhitechapel Ltd. 35 148 whitechapel-ltd.comWoodworker’s Hardware 87 152 wwhardware.com

KITS & PLANSShortridge Co. 102 167 shortridgeltd.comU-bild.com 102 169 u-bild.comWoodcraft Plans 103 171 woodcraftplans.comWoodprojects.com 102 172 woodprojects.com

MISCELLANEOUSDakota Alert 103 160 dakotaalert.com

POWER TOOL ACCESSORIESBeall Tool 102 157 bealltool.comBench Dog Tools 87 107 benchdog.comBiesemeyer 5 110 biesemeyer.comCraftsman Gallery 102 159 thecraftsmangallery.comJointech 21 127 jointech.comKeller Company 16 128 kellerdovetail.comLeigh 27, 43 — leighjigs.comSimp’l Products 23 146 woodjigs.com

POWER TOOLSAshman Technical 35 106 woodworktools.comDelta Machinery 7 111 deltamachinery.comFein Power Tools 31 114 feinusa.comFisch 39 115 fisch-woodworking.comGeneral Mfg. 23 118 general.caGrizzly Industrial C2-1 121 grizzly.comJET Tools 15 125 jettools.comJET Tools 17 126 jettools.comLaguna Tools C4 129 lagunatools.comLegacy Woodworking 103 161 legacywoodworking.comMakita 13 132 makitatools.comRB Industries 18 140 rbiwoodtools.com

PAGE # CIRCLE # WEB ADDRESS

POWER TOOLSRB Industries 35 141 rbiwoodtools.comRidgid 2 142 ridgid.comRyobi 19 144 ryobi.comSears Craftsman C3 145 craftsman.comWilke 21 149 wilkemach.comWoodstock Int’l 25 151 woodstockinternational.com

SAWMILLS & KILNSNyle 97 136 nyle.com

SHOP ACCESSORIESAirware America 103 156 airwareamerica.comJDS Company 23 124 thejdscompany.comModine 29 135 modine.comOneida Air Systems 29 138 oneida-air.comWoodpeckers 103 172 woodpeck.com

TURNING SUPPLIESCraft Supplies USA 43 109 craftusa.comPackard Woodworks 102 163 packardwoodworks.com

WOOD & VENEERSNewton Woods 102 — walnutwoods.netWall Lumber 29 147 walllumber.comWest Penn Hardwoods 29 — westpennhardwoods.comWoodfinder 102 — woodfinder.com

WOODWORKING CATALOGSAmazon 87 103 amazon.comLee Valley Tools 43 130 leevalley.comRockler 21 143 rockler.comWoodcraft 10-11 150 woodcraft.comWoodworker’s Choice 102 173 thewoodworkerschoice.comWoodworker's Supply 29 153 woodworker.com

WOODWORKING SHOWSWoodworks 2003 95, 100 — woodworks2003.com

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FLEXNER ON FINISHING

Pine is the first wood used by most begin-ning woodworkers. It is widely available,

relatively inexpensive and one of the easi-est woods to cut and shape using commonwoodworking tools.

But pine may be the most difficult woodto finish. So what begins as an enjoyable craftexperience, making some type of decorativeor useful object, all too often ends up as anightmare. It doesn’t have to be this way, ofcourse, but it does require some knowledgeof the peculiar characteristics of pine andhow to handle them to avoid it.

Pine is difficult to finish nicely for thefollowing five reasons:

• The near-white, spring-growth wood ismuch softer than the orange, summer-growthwood. So hand-sanding without backing thesandpaper with a flat block “grooves out” thespringwood and creates ridges that aren’t eas-ily visible until after the finish is applied.

• Because of its lower density, the spring-wood absorbs much more finish than thesummerwood, so an extra coat or two of fin-ish often has to be applied to get the sheeneven – especially when you are using non-film-building finishes such as oil.

• As it ages, pine darkens to a warm or-ange color, so colored wood-putty and waxfillings that originally matched perfectlystand out noticeably after a year or two.

• The different densities of the spring-wood and summerwood impact the color-ing of a stain. The soft springwood absorbsstain easily and can become quite dark,while the dense summerwood absorbs al-most nothing and stays about the same color.The result is “grain reversal” that can bequite unattractive, depending on the spe-cific boards or veneers being used.

• Uneven coloring shows up much worsein the form of “blotching,” which is unevenstain coloring spread randomly over thewood. Blotching is easily the most seriousproblem in wood finishing because it’sthe only problem that can’t be fixed – evenby stripping and starting over. And pineis one of the worst woods for blotching.

The SolutionsThe solutions to the first three problemslisted above are pretty obvious.

• To avoid grooving, use a flat cork, rub-ber or wood block to back your sandpaper,or use a pad or random-orbit sander. On non-flat surfaces that have to be sanded by hand,use the thickness of folded sandpaper to helpavoid grooving out the springwood.

• To get the sheen even between spring-wood and summerwood, you may need toapply more coats of finish than you do toother woods. If you sand the early coats smoothusing fine-grit sandpaper, you’ll achieve aneven sheen quicker.

• Unfortunately, there’s no good solu-tion for avoiding the development of colordifferences between pine and a filling, otherthan to not fill at all. Even stained pine willdarken some. You can always color your fill-ing a little darker so it won’t stand out asmuch after a few years, but then it will standout at the beginning.

The last two problems, grain reversal andblotching have similar causes – the stain pen-etrating more in some areas of the wood thanothers – so they have similar solutions. Thethree best solutions are to use a gel stain, wash-coat the wood before staining or spray a tonerafter sealing the wood.

Use a Gel StainFor all non-production situations, using agel stain is, by far, the easiest and most pre-dictable method for avoiding blotching andmost grain reversal.

Gel stains are regular stains that havebeen thickened so they don’t flow readily.As a result, all of the stain stays near the sur-face of the wood so the coloring comes outfairly even. You still need to wipe off the ex-cess, of course, just as you do with liquidstains, or you’ll get an uneven coloring causedby the stain itself rather than the wood.

The PineProblemStrategies to make this

blotchy wood behave.

by Bob Flexner

Bob Flexner is the author of “Understanding WoodFinishing” and a contributing editor

to Popular Woodworking.

Pine is notorious for the uneven way it takes stain. Here we hand-planed a board of Southern yellow pine toperfect shimmering flatness and applied a walnut stain.This board experienced both grain reversal and signifi-cant blotching. In other words, the problems occur with even the most careful preparation.

popwood.com 99

Gel stains have an interesting and amaz-ing history. They’ve been around for half acentury, but the few manufacturers that madethem didn’t realize their benefit. Despite thesestains being relatively messy to use (com-pared to liquid stains), they were marketedas “easy to use” and that was it – never a men-tion about avoiding blotching.

About a decade ago, some woodwork-ing magazines began publishing articles pro-moting gel varnishes and gel stains as beingeasy to use, creating a large market for theseproducts. Many more manufacturers thenbegan making gel stains, and they’re nowwidely available. But, incredibly, there’sstill not one manufacturer that states ontheir containers that this stain solves theblotching problem!

To add confusion to the issue, a numberof magazine articles have suggested severaladditional steps be taken before applying thegel stain. These steps don’t hurt anything,but they aren’t needed. Unless you have areason to use one of the methods describedbelow, you’ll find that a gel stain used by it-self is your best bet for staining pine.

Use a WashcoatA washcoat is any finish that is thinned fair-ly significantly and applied as a first coat topartially seal the wood and retard stain pen-etration. Commercial products called “woodconditioners” are washcoats.

In the furniture industry, washcoats areusually thinned lacquer or sanding sealer.Experimentation is done to determine howmuch to thin and how much to apply so thestain produces the desired appearance. Ifyou don’t also experiment yourself, you won’tbe successful at preventing blotching usinga washcoat. If you’ve ever used a wood con-ditioner, especially if you’ve followed thedirections, you know what I mean.

Wood conditioners aren’t necessary be-cause they’re designed for non-productionsituations, and gel stains work much bet-ter. Many finish manufacturers now makeboth products. I believe they should removewood conditioners from the market andpromote gel stains instead.

Spray a TonerA toner is a finish with a little pigment ordye added. Toning is always done over a sealed

With some experimenta-tion using a wood condi-tioner, I was able toprevent most of theblotching (right), but Ialso lost most of mycoloring. I applied thesame stain over the woodconditioner and directlyto the wood (left).

Blotching can be avoidedentirely by toning thewood, but toning (right)produces a very differentappearance than staining(left) because toningplaces the coloring abovethe wood, not in it. I usedthe same colorant onboth sides.

Liquid stains penetrateunevenly into pine andproduce a blotchy ap-pearance (left). Gel stainsdon’t flow or penetratereadily, so they stay nearthe surface and produce amore even coloring(right).

surface – that is, over at least one full coatof finish. (If you were to apply a toner di-rectly to the wood, it would be staining.)Toners cause no blotching or grain reversalbecause all of the color is blocked from thewood, but toning looks different than stain-ing because the figure of the wood is hiddento some degree, rather than highlighted.

You can make your own toner by addingpigment and/or dye to any finish and thin-

ning it enough (usually about four-to-six partsthinner) so you have control and can buildthe color slowly. Otherwise, you might coverso quickly that you are, in effect, painting.

Toners usually have to be sprayed becauseit’s very difficult to avoid noticeable brushmarking. If you don’t have a spray gun, youcan use an aerosol toner (see “AerosolFinishing” in the October 2003 issue ofPopular Woodworking). PW

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This issue’s winner receives Amana Tool’snew Patented E-Z Dial Slot Cutter. This carbide-tipped slot cutter has no shims and no spacers.Simply dial it, lock it and cut it. One full turn ofthe dial changes the slot width by 1⁄32". The slotcutter is valued at $150! Runners-up each win aone-year subscription to Popular Woodworking.

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OUT OF THE WOODWORK

“Don’t be afraid to toss it around,” Ginosaid. “That’s the best way to shape

hair. Create flowing curves that chase eachother and graceful lines that dance.”

Gino Masero, a member of the EnglishAssociation of Master Carvers, was my teacher,mentor and friend. In addition to teachingme the ordinary, everyday skills such as carv-ing hair and sharpening tools, he bestoweda much more important gift – he generous-ly opened a window into his soul. And whatI saw there, combined with what I learnedat his workbench, made it possible for me tobecome a professional woodcarver.

The first thing you noticed about Ginowas his hands. They were massive, strongand competent with fingers so thick that hisson can recall a time when he was unable toencompass any one of them with his fist.They were hands that knew what they wereabout and they showed not the slightest hes-itation while doing their work. His handswere so proficient and confident that I some-times imagined them coming to the shop bythemselves, fully capable of meeting the day’schallenges without Gino being there.

At my first lesson, Gino had me place myshort, stubby hands on the workbench. Hestudied them for a moment and then solemn-ly told me that I had “carver’s hands.” Hepronounced them large enough to comfort-ably grasp a carving gouge and strong enoughto control it. That was one of the reasons hetook me on as a student, he said.

“But you won’t become a woodcarver,”he continued in his serious tone, “until thegouges become extensions of your hands.When that moment comes – and you’ll prob-ably not even be aware that it has come –when the carving tool becomes a part of yourhand and you forget that you are holding atool – then you’ll be a woodcarver.”

Gino was right; that moment did even-tually come – and yet I don’t remember it.There was certainly no drum roll or flashinglightbulb. It just seemed part of a natural pro-

gression. One day I was guiding the gougethrough the wood and the next day the toolseemed to know the way by itself. I belongedto the gouge as much as it belonged to me.In a near-mystical transference, which per-haps only a fellow craftsman can understand,the tool had become me.

After I had crossed that extraordinarythreshold and Gino was satisfied with myhands, he then concentrated on a far moredifficult task – he went to work on my head.

He set standards, confident now that Ihad the physical skills to meet them. “Andit has to look right no matter where you stand.Don’t be careless with one spot just becauseit’s on the bottom or in the back. It doesn’tmatter if other people won’t notice it; you’llknow it’s not right, and so will your God.”

He wanted me to see what he saw whenhe looked at a piece of wood. He wanted meto see what Michelangelo, TilmanRiemenschneider and Grinling Gibbons hadseen. Books, museums and cathedrals be-came as important a part of my life as thegouges and sharpening stones.

One afternoon, as we were finishing up,he gently chided me. “You’re soon going to

become a link in an ancient continuity soyou have a responsibility to learn from thosechaps who were here before us. I think it’stime you got to know some of them.”

The next morning, we caught a train toLondon and spent the day at the Victoriaand Albert Museum. He stood me in frontof Gibbons’ relief masterpiece, The Stoningof St. Stephen. “See how subtly Gibbonsguides the viewer’s eye by carving those di-agonal lines. And see how he adds interestto the lines by gently beveling them. He com-mands us to look at St. Stephen. Gibbons isdead some 300 years but he’s still commu-nicating. Never forget that, Gerry – com-municating, that’s what we’re about.”

Gino died in 1995 at the age of 81. Hiswork, including a seven-foot tall Christ inLondon’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, can be foundthroughout England. He loved to carve andhe communicated that love to all those whoworked with him and even to some who sim-ply watched him. I still remember the dayhe explained how he felt about his profes-sion. He graciously used that explanation towelcome me into the carving brotherhood.

“It’s a grand job, isn’t it? You get to dosomething you love to do and …” He pausedwith a look that somehow combined be-musement and bewilderment, “… and, theypay you lots of brass to do it.” Then, with acharacteristic twinkle in his eye, he lookedme full in the face and said, “Gerry, we’relucky fellows, us carvers, aren’t we?” PW

by Gerry Holzman

Gerry Holzman, a specialist in the creation andrestoration of carousel art, has just finished a 20-yearproject – the carving of a full-size, operating carouselbased entirely on the theme of New York state history

and culture. Check out empirestatecarousel.org.

Hands and MindThe art of becoming a master carver.

If you’re one of those guys who’s getting by with

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November 2003 Popular Woodworking - Woodtools

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