MARCH/APRIL 2008 r i$rea;t:.i,::ii
features A Portable BookRack Use a rollter template fbr perfect results BY GREGORY PAOLINI
ForstnerBits For unrnatchecl qr-ralityand precision in your drilling, yoll can t lreat these bits. We look at 18 brands to see which are best B Y R O L A N DJ O H N S O N
8 Tipsfor Flawless Moldings Smart rolrter setllp ancl techniqr.re yield crisp profiles ancl silky surfaces B Y S T E V EL A T T A
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BED 7 6 sLErcH Cover photo: Michael Pekovich
upfront 6 Onthe Web 8 Gontributors
5B llfill?oo*'
1O Letters 12 Methodsof Work Backerblockhandles cross-grain routing perfect The spray-gun holder
2OTools& Materials NewLeighdovetailjigs Rebuiltbatteries
26 What'sthe Difference?
42
planes Bevel-up vs.bevel-down
ARTSAND CRAFTS BOOKRACK
28 Fundamentals Getthe mostfromyour combination square
68 Tapered
58 BringOutthe Best in Mahogany
Laminations MadeEasy
Fill the grain and use shellac, but let the piece dictate the rest
A single jig tapers the plies on the bandsaw and then guides them through the planer
BY PETERGEDRYS
Designing Boxes
BY MICHAEI C. FORTUNE
The creative processis easier when you understand the options
74
BY DOUGSTOWE
TryThisVersatile Mortising Jig An adaptable clamping surface holds curved and straight parts alike BY MICHAEL C, FORTUNE
34 A CloserLook Advantages of hideglue
intheback 84 ReadersGallery
e oQ & A
'Overthetop'panelshaping Sharpening spokeshave blades
96 Master Class Sculptyourownhardware
108 HowTheyDid lt
76 NewTwist Ona SleighBed Curved slats and simple carving make this bed stand out from the crowd BY CHARLESSHACKLETON
The backcoverexolained
Back Cover A visionin white
TheThunton Press Inspiration for hands-on livingo
48
F'R.TNER Brrs
FineWoodworking.com
THrs MoNTH orrrFineWoodworking.com
freeonlineextras: Available
Rne @1ryo41tr* EDITOR AsaChrlstlana
b
ARTDIRECTOR MichaelPekovich
Box Making
MANAGINGEDITORMark Schofleld
Watchhow DougStowe("DesigningBoxes")resaws stockand cutsprecisemiterswith a tablesawsled. Plus:Readan excerptfrom his newbookon boxmaking.
Through-MortisesWith a Router SeehowGregoryPaolini(A PortableBookRack") usesa templateand routersto cut through-mortises with no tearout.
o
MANAGINGEDITOR,ONLINE Dav|d Heim ASSOCIATE EDITORS Thomas G. Begnal, Steve Scott, Thomas McKenna, Charlle Relna ASSISTANT EDITORAnlssa Kapsales ASSISTANT EDITOR,ONLINE Glna Elde sENroR coPY/PRODUCTTON EDTTORS Ellzabeth Healy, Julle Rlslnlt ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORKelly J. Dunton
Pro Portfolio: DavidEsterly
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORJohn Tetleault SHOPMANAGERRobert Nash
Take a narrated tour of this master's deep.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTBetsy Engel
relief carvings,done in
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Chrlstlan Becksvoort, Gary Rogowskl, Garett Hack, Roland Johnson, Steve Latta
the tradition of Grinling Gibbons.
CONSULTING EDITORJonathan Blnzen METHODSOF WORK Jlm Rlchey
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GAIIERY OF READERWORK READERTOOLREVIEWS WOODWORKING BTOGS
Wedding Chest JohnP McCormack, San Francisco, Calif. PHoToi l-ANCE PATTERSoN
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ADVERTISING SALESMANAGERPeteTBad€au SENIORNATIONAL ACCOUNTMANAGER Llnda Abbett NATIONAL ACCOUNTMANAGERJohn Lagan
GuttingDovetalls February13: Web contrlbutlngeditorAndy Raedemonstrateshis foolproofmethodfor laylngout and cuttlngthroughand half-blinddovetailsaccurately.
SENIORAD SALESSUPPORT ASSOCIATE Marlorle Brown
wooDwoRKtNG BooKs& vtDEos EXECUTIVE EDITOR HelenAlbert
NEW WoodworkingProjectsfor Kids February20: Introducing a newseriesof step-by-step instructions and free plansfor projectsthat kidsas youngas 5 can buildeverything from a pencilboxto a T-Rexfigure.
plus: I I
t I
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CURRENTISSUEONLINE ARCHIVESOF 1,30O+ARTICLES, AND PROJECT PT-ANS MORETHAN35O SKILL-BUIIDING VIDEOS ASKTHEEXPERTS:Peter Gedryson finishing FINE \TOOD\TORKiNG
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* Hundreds of table sa\Musersavoidedserious injuries becausetheywere using a SawStop saw at the time of their accidents.
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furnituremakers, Oneof Canada's mostrespectedcontemporary Michaef Fortune (faperecl LaminationsMade Easy")has designedand builtfurniturefor clientsacrossthe continentfor more than 30 years.Herecentlywascommissioned to builda dining tableas a giiftfor the outgoingGovernor Generalof Canada,andshe obliginglyordereda set of chairsto go with it. Harofd Greene (MasterClass)is a longlimefurnituredesigner and maker.Froma worltshopoverlooking the Portof Los Angeles, Greeneproducescustompieceswith personaltouches suchas casthardware. Youcanseesomeof hisworkat www. antiquesofthefuture.net. Healsohasmasteredthe Chapmanstick, an instrumentplayedbystrikingratherthan pluckingthe stringS.
W tulfillnnt Patrlch Sillimcon W Financc KethyWorth VB Cinlztion Dcmis O'Brid THE TAUNTON
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Bookst Marbcting Mclissa A. Posick, Audrey Incorotondo. Publiciry; Jmel Noblin. E/rraizl: Helen Albert, Pctcr Chapmm, St*c Culpcppu, Jessie DiDonato, CourtneyJordm, Crolyn Mmdumo, Jennifer Ruscll, Erie Smdcrs-Foegc,SharonZagatt. Art Alison Wilkes, Nocy Boudreau, Nora Fuente, Amy Griffin, Smdn Mahlstedt, Wendi Mi.ial, Lynne Phillips, Brookc Rmc, Cuol Singer.Manufrc*izg
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Whena Valentine's Daystormdumped3Oin.on centralVermont in 2OOT,snowing in mana$ngeditorMarkSchofieldandChades famous Shackfeton ('Newlwist on a Slei€hBed"),Shackleton's spentnearlytwo years ancestorcameto mind.Sir ErnestShackleton (191+16)maroonedin the Antarctic.Thistime around,though,the notsealblubber. survivalfoodwasheart€hapedchocolates,
Kamucyk. Gmrlation:
David Pond, Aldrry
Corson, Cathginc
Hmsen. Dictribution
Pau.lSeipold, Walter Apontc, Frmk Busino,
David DeToto,Icmne
Furlong, Deborah Greenc, Frmk
Melboune, Reinaldo Moreno, Raymond Prsuo, Drim Pettway,Michacl Savage,Alice Suton, David Rodriguo. Finucc./Aeoutingt
Fiwrce: Bren Muning
Richud
Rjvellese,'4ccounting: Patrick lamontagnc, Priscilla
Youmightthink this is a photoof our editorgettingreadyto log on to our onlineforum,Knots,and readcommentsaboutthe latest issue.ln fact,it's Peter Gedrys ("BrinS,Outthe Bestin Mahsanf). In winter,the Connecticut residentspendsa coupleof hourseach weekat YaleUniversity's Ingallslce Rinkstoppingslapshotsand tryingto $ve as goodas he gets.
Jcnnings, Lydia lGikoriu, Michelle Mendona, Judith O'Toolc, Elaine Ymin, Cuol Diehm, Dorodry Blsko, Sum Burke , lormine Pusons, larry Ric, Jm*
Twedle.
Fulfillmcnt
Dine Goulur Frlfllment S!tte%: lodl Klein, Kim Eads, Nmcy Knor, Thomm Kubski. Cunmer Seruice:Kathlen Baker, Bonnie Beudsley, Debomh Circio, Katherine Clukc, Alfred Dreher, Paula Feneri, Eileen McNulty, Pauicia Ptls, Dema Puke6 Patricia Pineau, Betry Stepney.Dau Entry: Mdisse Youngberg, Aane Chmplin,
MaryAnn Colbcrt, Caryne-
Lynne Davis, Maureen Peku, Debra Sennefeldcr,Andre Shorrcck, Marylou Thompson, Bubua Villims. Huu
FINE \TOOD TORKING
Roorc:
Christinc Lincoln, Dawn usery.
letters
fFrn
Thank you for the new, free video series for beginners (www. finewoodwor king. corn/
Spotlight
start). I've been looking for' a Lletter way to introduce my son-in-law to woodworking, and the box project is simply great. The vicleo fbrmat helps
lssuEN0.195 Wlnter2007/2008 p.86
SHAPERARTICLEJUSTSKIMMEDTHESURFACE
Itim r-rnderstanrl the steps in a logical nlanner. Vith one ploject, he now has some familiarity with jointing ancl
I operatea custommillworkshop,and I applaudyoureditorialdecisionto introduce more woodworkersto the shaper.However,
guide,we neglected to pointout that the cove cut wasthe culminationof two or threeprior passes,whichgreatlyreducedthe tendency
planing, layout ancl rlarking, finisling, ancl many of the basic tools. Better yet, he has
as versatileand usefulas the shaperis, it is also potentially the most dangerous machine
for the cutterto grabthe work (the initial passcan be seenat the top of p. 91). And you'llnoticea pin in the tablethat allowed
an appreciation for what is entailed in producing a fine piece of wooclwrtrk. - M A R KS A L O M O N ,
in my shop,and thereare a numberof proceduresshownby Mr.Speetjensthat I wouldnot permit. In the leadphotoshowinga covebeingcut
me to controlthe workpieceon the wayinto the cut.Thatsaid,you still havea point. WhileI am comfortable with this approach, it is lessthan idealand wouldhavebeensafer
on a curvedblock,the work will engagethe cutter beforeit hits the bearing.Fora deep with a templatelike the one I demonstrated cut in hardwood(thislookslike maple),the on the bottomof p. 91. work couldeasilygraband be thrown.I would As for custom-grinding knives,it's true that jig holdthe work in a whoseleadpointcan both knivesneedto be the samein order engagethe bearingbeforethe cutter engages to achievea balancedcutterheadand avoid the work.Exitingthe cut is equallydangerous, vibration,but I disagreethat the onlyway sincethe pieceis pulledawayfrom the to achievethis is with a profilegrinder.Eyes bearingwhilethe cutteris in the wood. havea greatcapacityfor accuracy. Pairsof grind Also,we customknivesfor shapers cutterscan be checkedagainsta pattern profilegrinder.I don't on a specialized for accuracy, and comparedface to face to recommend freehandgrinding(p. 87). The cuttingcircleof the cutterhead, the relief angle,and the preciseweightof eachknife all affect the geometryof how the knife shouldbe ground.Eyeballing cuttersthat spin at 6,000 rpm can leadto knivesthat don't cut,a headthat'sout of balance,or,worse,a thrownknife. -PETERLL0YD,president, WoodTech Corp.
J. Speetlensreplies:This beinga broad introduction to the shaperand not an indepth
10
FINE \rooD\(/oRKlNG
ensurethat the depthand widthof details are identical.Also,the lengthcan be checked at variousplaceswith calipers. Custom profiles. Althouth there are specialized machines for g,rindinEand balancint, custom shaper knives, Speetlens feels comfortable using a bench g,rinderand workinS, from a template.
Sacramento, Calif.
Two recent articles coverecl setting up sl-rop on a llrdget: tl-re first for $5,000 GWW *18i]), the seconcl for $2,000 Q;WIV #\95).Iloth of tl.rese articles r.nissthe lrcginning wooclwr>rker witl'r no lruclget at all, only the desile to start. I began with a l>otton-rof'-the-line tablesaw-all I cor.rlclafforcl-wl-ricl-r was probably tl're eqr.rivalentof some of today's benchtop saws selling for about $100. It was unclerpowerecl ancl hacl a miserably inaclequate f'ence, but I made it work fbr a number of years until I coulcl afforcl an upgrade. Over the years I've accumulatecl a ftrll line of meclir,rm-dufy tools that, together with quite a nnmber' of shoprnade jigs and fktr.rres, do everytl-ring I need them to. My point is to advise the beginner to start wtere he or she can and work up from there, always keeping safety as a prioriry. - D A V EB A K E RH, a l f w aO y ,r e . Photo: l)avici Heiirl
In'A CloserLook: Sharpening Services"GWIX/ #19r, the section on table- or radial-armsaw blades did not mention that sharpening shops do a light peripheral grind to removeside burrs.leaving the kerf slightly thinner by 0.015in. to 0.025in. This requires a number of adjustmentsor replacementsof tablesawaccessories, such as the splitter, a box-joint jig, and zero-clearancefences or throat plates, among others. - S A MS H A N M ASNt u , d iC o i t yC, a l i f . '. ..."i, . ' r' :
In "SilenceYour Shop Vac" (F'WW+19r, the author is addressinga problem that only exists becausesome vacuums are poorly designed.There are a number of very quiet shop vacs on the market. - L A U R E NP CA ER K E R , Brooktondale, N.Y. , i
.,
,i,
In the Q&A item "More on Shop Noise" (FWry/#D4), we neglected to explain that sound pressure,which is measuredin decibels and is a trLlemeasllre of danger and potentialclamage.is different from loudness,which has to do with human perception.So the fwo machinesthat each produce 90 db. will indeed produce 93 db. when running at the same time. And while this is only 30% lor-rder,the sound pressureis doubled and the acceptableduration of exposure is divided in half. Nonetheless,a good set of earplugs or earmuffs would reduce the sound to safe levels,as we stated.
In "ShopDesign:Passive SolarShop" (FWW #19r, the author takes winter and summer measurementsto check the sun's angle and design his new shop. But there is a way to avoid the story stick and having to make two observationsmonths apart. The U.S.Naval Observatory has a nice calculator Chttp:// aa.Lrsno.naq/ .miVdata/ docs/ AltAz.php) that allows you ro pick a date and place to get the altitude (angle above the horizon) and azimuth (angle In our test of benchtop planers (F\t/W #19r, we misstated from true north) of the sun. Then you just draw the angles the number of bladeson the on clear plastic and place it Ridgid R4330.There are three. over drawings to plan the orientation of the foundation, In Tools & Materials(F'WW #I95) we listed the wrong and then the window placement,roof overhangs,etc. phone number for Bosch - C H U CG K O O G O O I A Tools. N, The toll-free number is LaCafrada Flintridge, Calif. 877-267-2499.
Flndlt Hfast, Needhelpbuildingyourcurrentproject? Checkout ourWebsite. Here,onlinememberscansearchover 1,300articles, eventhoseout-of-print,to comparethe variousapproaches usedby the finestcraftsmen. Todiscoverthe fastest,easiestaccess to the entireFineWoodworkingarchive fromthe firstto the latestissue, go to:
FineWoodworki ng.com/ ad youneedit. Findwhatyouwantwhen
Workingwoodis inherentlydangerous. Usinghandor powertools improperlyor ignoringstandardsafetypracticescan leadto permanentinjuryor evendeath.Don'ttry to performoperationsyou learnabouthere(or elsewhere) untilyou'recertaintheyare safe for you.lf somethingaboutan operationdoesn'tfeel right,don't do it. Findanotherway.We wantyouto enjoythe craft,so please keepsafetyforemostin yourmindwheneveryou'rein the shop. www.finewoodworkin g.com
MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
L1
work methodsof
E D I T E DA N D D R A W N B Y J I M R I C H E Y
rrrn
Backeb r l o c k sw , h i c hc a n b e madeany size,are perfect f o r r o u t i n gt h e e n d so f l o n g , narrowstock.
IBestTip
Backerblock
handles all routing cross-$rain A retiredhumanresources professional, Serge Duclos spends mostof histime pursuing hlspassion forwoodworking, Heparticularly enjoysdesigning andbuilding iigs, flxtures, andtools forhisbasement workshop and hasbeena steady Methods ofWork contributor for years, several
12
pusl'r block, t>r'backel block as Thls rc>uter-t:rl>le like to call it, stabilizes tl.reworkpiece ancl recluces tearollt. It is hancly for backing up tl-recllt acr()ss the grain, such as when profiling a panel, btrt it's especially usefirl fbr rnilling tl're encls of narrow stock, such as when cutting stub tenons in a fl'ar-r-re. Macle of meclium-density fiberl>oarcl (MDF). it f-e:rtr"ues a skewecl hancile that's gluecl ancl screwecl to the basc'. Tl-re l-rancllekeeps fingels away frorr-rthe ctrtting action ancl, being skewecl, it ar-rtornatically applies pressLlre against the fcnce as yoLl push tl-re wolkpiece thlough the cutter. The two finger holes make lxrlcling long, thin workpieces much easier. To use, sirnply hold tl-reworkpiece against the l>lock ancl push thlough, keeping the block firmly against the f'ence. Tl-re block can be reversecl to make a new zero-clearance backer, and it's easy to replace when it gets worn out. - S E R G ED U C L o SD, e l s o nQ, u e .C , anada
FrNE wooD\roRKrNG
S k e w e dh a n d l eh e l p sk e e p jig againstthe fenceas stock is pushedpast the cutter.
I@forthe
BestTip
Sendoriginaltips to Methodsof Work,FineWoodworking, CT06470, or emailfwmow@ P0 Box5506, Newtown, lf published, we pay$50 for an unillustrated taunton.com. tip; $100 for an illustratedone.Theauthorof the besttip gets a Leigh1-8-in. withthe Superjig,
Medlcal standls perfect spray-gun holder
Hookshold oressure pot and gun.
Watchit Enow.
When spraying finish in my shop, I didn't have a convenient olace to set my spray gun and small pressure pot. I considered making a custom stand, but then I discovered this chrome-plated,rolling medical IV stand, which I could buy for less than the cost of parts to make one. Mastis The stand has hooks to adjustable. hold the gun and pressure pot, an adjustable mast, and four casterson a wide base, Widerolling which makes it very stable. I basewon't can roll my spray equipment t i p . to where I need it and have a convenient place to hang up my gun and pressure pot. New and used IV stands are available for less than $30 from eBay and other online salesand auctions.
Wantto learntradesecrets ongettingthe your mostfrom tools? Well,nowyoucan. Onlinemembers canwatchover350videos justforour site.(Andwe'realways created addingnewonesJSeehowa proevaluates a newbandsarydemonstrates a techniqug orturnsa chairleg. Andyoucanshare videotipspostedby ourviewers onGlueTube andevenpost yourown.Formorggoto:
-ALAN SHAFFTER, Washinglon, N.C.
FineWoodwo rking.com/ ad youneedit. Findwhatyouwantwhen
Easywayto caruy andstorespilngclamps Routa handhold for carryinEand hang,ing the caddy.
Rabbeting the lower edge allows you to attach clampswithout exertingtoo much force on the handles.
This caddy is one of the best ways to organize a collection of spring clamps. To make it, cut a l-ft.-long handle, thin the lower edge with opposing rabbets, and pop the clamps onto the caddy. You can carry the clamps from place to place, where they stay neatly out of the way until you need them. -JACKHEGARTY, Tottenham, 0nt.,Canada www. fi newoodwork i n g. com
MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
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mgthodsof work c.n,nued Mesh-bag vacuum filterkeeps parts small onthebench Horizontal surfacessuch as benchtops are great collecting areas,not only for wood dust but also for miscellaneoussmall parts and hardware, such as screws,that might be needed for a current project. Here's how I solved the problem of vacuuming that dust without devouring the small parts.I pr-rta small mesh bag, the kind used to hold practicetennis balls or useclfor sweater or lingerie laundry bags (www.handylaundry.com), over the husinessenclof my shop vacuum.The vacuum sucks up the r,rnwanteddust while the mesh keeps or.rtthe srnall parts. It really works well. -CHRISTOPH ER AM A NW , e b s t eNr..Y .
-/
'- \ ---\
My saber-sawblades were always rattling around in the tool case and dingingtheir edges. I found that the blades fit into a compact{isc jewel case perfectlyso they sit all in one level and are easy to see. I can tuck the case into my tool bag or the saw case for easy access.
Mesh bag le d u s ti n b u t leavessmal parts and hardwareon the bench.
- E R I KA N D E R S O N , Salem,0re.
jig precise Simple, tapering Tl-ristapering jig startswith a base of 3/+-in.-thickplywzood,about 8 in. wide by 5 ft. long. Attach a 1,lz-in.-sq.by 1O-in.-longstop to one end. Then install a flatheaclscrew in the plywood base r/z in. from the stop. To use, mark where you want the taper to start on the workpiece ancl cleterminethe amount of taper you need. If yor.rwant a t/z-in. taper,for example,Lrnscrewthe screw Vz in. Placethe jig againstthe rip fence with the bottom of the leg againstthe stop and the screw.Slide the rip f-ence over until the blade just touches the mark where yor.rwant to start the cut. The 5-ft.-longjig gives you plenty of support againsrthe rip fence, plus it will handle legs of virtually any length. -DAVID S U T T EW Ri,l b r a h aMma, s s .
3. Flat side of jig rides rip fence.
7. Mark where taper begins.
-----2;t
2. Dial in degree of taper by adjusting screW' -,---t-"-'
FINE
ITOOD\flORKIN6
No-clamp veneering with glue yellow Notched plastic paddle
ffi
Spreadglue evenlyon back side of veneer and substrate.
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l?lmi'tsi"'llii# lI:!t:iJJffi"",i;il;,, t;'^:1J*9 d ----:i;;;ffiilij';Iii:i:;i,is*
I was making an end table and wanted to use a nice piece of walnut veneer on the top. Unfortunately, the substratewas too big to use a sandwich-and-clampmethod, and I did not want to buy a veneer press for one job. A friend, Neil Artman, told me about a method that doesn'trequire clarnpsor a press. First,I bought a plastic paddle, the kind used ro spread dryvall mud. and cut kerfs into it about 7s in. deep and 1/+in. apafi. I then sprayedthe show side of the veneer with water. I flipped it over and used the paddle ro spread a liberal, even amount of Titebond Original Vood Gh-reon the other side of the veneer,being sure to cover the edges.As the glue soaked in, the veneer startedto flatten out. Next, I spread an even layer of glue on the substratewith my altered paddle. At this point, I let both the glue on the substrateand the veneer dry separatelyfor at least an hour. Once the glue dried, I carefully placed the veneer (glue side down) on the glue side of the substrate.Once I had it in position, I used an iron set to medium heat to reactivatethe glue and adhere the veneer to the substrate.I startedin the middle and worked toward the edgesto cover the entire veneer.I first tried this on a samDle piece and was shocked at how well it worked. -CHAD H U S T t NMGa,s o on h, i o Editor's note: Although the process worked well with Titebond Original, a cllstomer-selice representativeat Titebond saysTitebond II will work better becauseit tends to have better grab and provides more strength in the wet form.
i::illT,,.1:i'*
Looking for reliable advicein a hurry? Seehowouronlinemembers gethelpfast with ourAskthe Expertfeature. Whetherit'schoosing the rightfinishor fixinga mistake,your questions specific will bequicklyanswered byoneof ourseasoned woodworkers. Toexperience allof ourexclusive online - archive, features videos, Askthe Expert, blogs, andmore- go to:
FineWoodwo rking.com/ ad Findwhatyouwantwhen youneedit.
Set to mediumheat. Let glue dry, place veneeron substrate, and use iron to reactivateglue.
Start in middleand work toward edges.
www.finewoodworki
n g. com
MARCH/APRIL
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$
methods ofwofk..n,,n,". Durable carbide scraper reaches tightspots I make scrapersusing 374-itr.-rq. carbide inserts for machining metal. These scrapersexcel in corner and edge work becausethe scraper head is small enough to get into tight areas. The solid carbide is sharp, longJasting, and maintenance-free.These carbide inserts, which come in different shapes and sizes,have a predrilled mounting hole and feature four separatesharp sides on the same blade. Carbide Depot (www.carbidedepot.com)is one source.
Screw a blade to a homemade handle and you're ready to scrape.Angle or skew the blade if you wish. Although sharpening a dull carbide blade is next to impossibleunlessyou have the right diamond hones, one carbide cutting edge will last a long time if you are scraping only wood and wood glue. Steel scrapers,on the other hand, constantly need tuning up. I've been using the same four-sided carbide insert blade in one of my scrapers for three years. You iust cannot kill one of these tools. -STUARTLIPP.Astoria, N.Y.
I buy PVAglueby the gallonand pourlt Into reusableplastlc squeezebottles.But the squeeze-bottle cap ls oftendlfflcultto removedueto bulldup of €llueIn the threads. Tosolvethls problem, I cleanthe threaded portlonof the cap and bottle wlth water,dry, andthenapplya blt of pastewax to the threadsof boththe cap and bottle.Nowl'm ableto unscrewthe cap wlth handpressure alone,everytlme.
*.e Shopmade handle
-MAX PETERSON, BethelPa*, Pa,
Solidcarbideinserts arepredrilled.
iri
RXADERSERVICENO.94
L6
FINE
]iTOODITORKING
j,i;? ir '.}r;?.,iiL,.i;{1i:: i
tools&materials rrrn r
DOVETAIL JIGS ,4 Brutal test.Io test the rcbuiltbatteries,we useda spadebit to drill llc-in.deep holesinto whiteoak. r
CORDLESS
TOOLS ?
Dovetall cuftehThe Leig,hSuperJiS,comesin threelengths;72 in.,78 in.(shownwith optionaIVRSvacuumand routersupport),and 24 in.
NewLeighiigsotfergfeatvalue
Adlustable taits arut pins. Slidintfingers allow users to create any dovetail spacing.A sq uare-dr ive scrcwdriver (supplied)secures them.
Extra ti0nline To post ratingsand reviewsof the tools you own and to browse our free archiveof tool reviewsfrom the last five years of Fine Woodworkingmagazine, go to Finewoodwolking ,comlfoolcuide. ,
20
RELEASED RECENTLY EIGHINDUSTRIES a new seriesof dovetail jigs. The Leigh SuperJigs are availablein three srzes !2 in., L8 in., and 24 in. The size representsthe maximr.rmboard width they can accommodate. The jigs are similar to Leigh'sflagship D4R model, but their constructionhas been changed to make them availableat a lower pric€. I tested the 18-in. model to evaluateits performance.The dovetail spacing and the width of the tail are fully adjustable. However, a one-piece finger assembly(unlike the two-piece assemblyon the D4R) means all pins must be the same width. \7hen it comes to cutting half-blind dovetails, Leigh took a new approach here. Like the D4R, these jigs can cut half-blind dovetailswith variable spacing, but Leigh also adopted the more common and faster procedure of cLlttingeqr,rallyspaceddovetailsin both the tail and pin boards in the same operation. The SuperJigs accept stock up to 73/t6in. thick for through-dovetails,1 in. thick for half-blind, while the D4R accepts17
FINE TTOOD\TORKING
cordless. ABOUTREBUILT I WASSKEPTICAL tool batteries.However,since the two 12-volt batteriesthat came with my lGyear old PorterCabledrill couldn'thold a chargeanymore,I didn't havemuch to lose. I sent one battery each to two companies that put replacementcells into old battery and packs.Both Primecell(www.primecell.com) (www.voltmanbatteries.com) Voltman Batteries charged$40, includingshippingand handling. To make it a threeway comparison,I bou$ht a new 12-volt Porter{able battery for $56, the lowestpriceI couldfind. After charging and dischargingeach batterythree times to conditionthem, I testedthem usinga new 1-in.dia. spade bit for each battery. The rebuiltVoltmanbatteryran out of juice after 8,4 holes,the new Porter4able battery lasted811 holes,while the Primecellrebuilt battery went for 991 holes. lf you havean old tool whosebatteryhas died, and you'reput off by the cost of a new battery or one is no longeravailable,this is a cheaper way to get the tool back to work. -Mark Schofield is the managing editor.
Belter than new. Rebuilt batteries typically cost less than new ones and perform just as well. Photos, except where
nored: Staff
n,"0 ..n, tools& matefials r
HAND TOOTS
Quickrabhets and groCIv#s ERITAS HASINTRODUCED a small plow plane that is ideal for plowing grooves up to 3/8in. wide in drawer sides, door frames, and cabinet backs. It also can cut rabbets up to 3/ain. wide for shiplap joinery or for preparing a flat panel for insertion into a grooved framework. I've used several plow and combination planes over the years. Often they are a bit finicky and require time to set up. This is not the case with the Veritas plow plane-it was ready to use right out of the box. A minute spent honing a microbevel on the blade made things even better. It takes a minute or less to install and set the blade, and less than a minute more to set the fence position and depth of cut. The whole process is quicker than setting up a router or a tablesaw with a dado blade. I used the plane on walnut and cherry, plowing grooves in a tange of sizes and rabbets with and across the grain. (Crossgrain rabbets must be scored first with a marking gauge.) In all cases,the plane performed flawlessly. Granted, if you have a mountain of grooves to cut, a router or tablesaw will do the job more quickly. But if you have just a small batch of grooves, the ease of serup and use make this small plow plane a practical option. The plane sells for about $200 with the l/s-in. blade. Go to wwwleevalley .com for more information. -Cbris Gocbnour builds furniture in Murray, Utab
r
New plow plane fs easyto ad|ust Lon{,beforeyoud havea routeror tablesawset up to cuta dado,(,roove,or rabbet,you'dhavethe job donewith this new versionof a classictool.lt comeswitha /+-in.A2-steelblade,wlth ty'*in., 3/tin.,s/telin.,and 3/*in.bladesavailableseparately.
BI ade adtuslnent. Adjustin€,the bladedepthis simplya matterof turninga knob.
Depth stop. Thanksto spring, tension,the stopstaysputwhen you releasethe lock knob.
MACHINES
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I HAVEA TINYSHOPIndeed,in good weatherI often movetools outsideto gain some elbowroom.That'swhy the new Bosch4100DG-O9portabletablesaw caught my eye. The 1$amp universalmotor ran relatively quietlywith little vibration.lt cut briskly plywood,showingno sign through3/c-in.-thick of boggingdown.To my surprise,it handled hard maple almost as easily. 13l+-in.-thick The bladeis easyto tilt, onceyou unlock a sticlry,somewhatclunky blade.locklever. Bladechangesare a snap with a lift-up
arbor lock and an arborwrench, Boschdesigneda Smart GuardSystem on the saw which incorporatesthree safety systems--a blade guard,anti-kickback pawls,and a rivingknife.The threefeatures are easilyremovableand can be used or in combination. independently The 41OODG49has a maximumblade heightof 3 in. and a 2$in. rip capacity. It sellsfor around$680. Formore or information,go to www.boschtools.com call877-267-2499. -AnissaKapsales is anassistant editor.
..n,,n,". tools& matefials r BLADES AND BITS
Newrouter-bitdesign makescleancuts REUDRECENTLY INTRODUCED A NEWLINEof uniquely designed router bits called Quadra-Cut. Unlike rypical bits, which have fwo cutters, QuadraCut bits have four. Two of the cutters work like those on any other bit, skewed forward to slice downward while cutting the profile. The extra pair, however, are shorter and cut only along the lower edge of the profile. And they skew backward to cut upward. Effectively, the fwo pairs work as a team; with two cutting down from the top surface of the stock, and fwo cutting up from the bottom. The idea is to reduce tearout on both the top and bottom faces. To find out if the concept worked, I used a router table to test a Quadra-Cutt/z-tn.-radius roundover bit against Freud's regular Vz-in.-radiusroundover bit. Both bits were brand new and had r/z-in.-dia. shanks. To use the entire profile, I cut a stepped roundover. I used poplar and walnut, making both long-grain and end-grain cuts in each. On long grain, both cutters made very good cuts. Tearout was nonexistent. Washboarding (chatter) was minimal and only visible when a bright light was raked across the surface. I judged
culten Unlike a
typlcal two+utter router bit, the new fourtutter QuadraCutfrcm Freuclproducecl no visible encl-graintearout. the Quadra-Cut bit as the better of the two by only the slightest of margins. However, on end grain, the Quadra-Cut bit really showed its advantage.\7hile the standard bit made very good cuts, the Quadra-Cut made better ones. Indeed, along the entire surface of the 1/z-in.-radiuscurve, the Quadra-Cut showed no significant tearout or washboarding. At the step, when compared to the standard bit, the Quadra-Cut made an exceptionally clean cut. You may still need to do some sanding to get perfectly smooth moldings, But a Quadra-Cut bit can reduce sanding time to a minimum. Curently Freud offers Quadra-Cut bits in about a dozen profiles, with more to come. To get more information, go to www. freudtools.com or call 800-334-4107. -Tom Begnal is an associate editor.
r AccEssoRtEs
Tablesaw extensions I WORKALONEAND MYSHOPIS SMALL,so it's a chore to muscle a 4-ft. by 8-ft. sheet of plywoodor MDFonto my tablesaw.Recently,I Knucklewhacker' Onsomesaws, the Ezee-Feecl tried infeedand outfeedtablesfrom Ezee.Feed like this Powermatic, Manufacturing. Theymade the task a lot easier. T-trackleaveslittle rcom to comfortably turn the elevationcrank. Thetables,sold separately, are sturdily constructedof tube-and-channel steel,they can be addedor removedin seconds,and the foldinglegs make them easierto store. On the downside,the outfeedtable only has enoughrollersto adequatelysupportone offcut,not both.So if I centeredthe table with the sawblade,only one row of closely spacedrollerswas giventhe task of supportingeachoffcut.lf I offsetthe table to one side or the other,then I was supportingonly one part of the offcut.ldeally,I'd want two outfeedtables,side by side.But if you alreadyhavea wide outfeedtable,the infeed extensionwould be an excellentoptionfor thosetimes you are handlinglargesheets. The tablesare sold in two lengths:40 in. and 58 in. Infeedtablesare pricedat $310 and $330 respectively; outfeedtablessell tor $27O and $290. Formore information,Eio to www.ezee-feed.com or call 267-784-9600. -Contributing editorRoland Johnson livesin SaukRapids, Minn.
24
FINE \fOOD\TORKING
Photos, this page (bottom two): RolandJohnson
thedifference? what's rrr.n Bevel-up vs. bevel-down planes BY
JOHN
LEKO B E V E L . U PP L A N E
he tip of a plane iron or blade is beveled on only one face, and handplanes can be classifiedbased on whether the blade is mounted with the bevel facing up or down. Until recently, bevel-down planes were the rule. only small block planes were bevel-up. Now, a variety of bench planes have this bevel-up configuration, which makes them more versatile.Here's why: In a bevel-down plane, the blade (along with a chipbreaker,which attachesto it) rests on a frog-rypically, a 45o bed screwed to the plane body. Because the bevel is behind the edge, the cutting angle is fixed at 45", That'sa good angle for most tasks,but not for end grain or graln prone to tearout. In a bevel-up plane, the bevel leads into the cut, contributing to the cutting angle.The bed is molded into the plane body at a low angle, usually I2o. So a bevel-up plane with an iron ground to 25o has an effective cutting angle of 37o.
Bevel-up
A 25' bevel resultsin a 37" cuttingangle.
Thecuttingangleis determined bythe bedangleandthe bevelangle.
However, you can change that angle easily-by changing blades or grinding a new bevel angle on the existing blade. This versatilitymakes bevel-up planes especially handy for working a vatiety of woods and/or grains.You can make the angle low for end grain and softer woods, steep for difficult grain in dense or highly figured woods, or medium for everl'thing else.(SeeA CloserLook, "Handplane blade angles,"FWIY/#186.) A11in all, bevel-up planes are more "woodworker friendly." \7ith fewer
BEVEL.DOWN PLANE Bevel-down
Thecuttingangleis determined by the frogangle.
parts-no frogs or chipbreakers as on bevel-down planes-they are easier to set up and maintain. Their adjustable throat plates quickly set to the desired mouth opening to support the wood fibers and prevent tearout. (On bevel-down planes, you need to move the frog forward or back to change the mouth opening, a longer and trickier operation.)In short, their ability to work any grain situation makes bevel-up planes more versatile. ! -Jobn Leko is afurniture maker in Huntsuille, Ala.
B E V E L . U PP L A N E
BEVEL-DOWN PLANE
A low-angle for end lrain,This bevel-upplane Steeper anlle for touther grain. Thesame planewith a 38obladeprovidesa 5Oocuttin!, is equipped with a blade beveledat 25o on a t2o bed, for a cutting angle of 37o. anSlefor this titer-mapleboard.
A good an(le for gneral use, Ihe 45o cutting anfle of a standard plane makes fast work of surfacin!, th is poplar board.
26
FrNE \7ooD\roRKrNG
Photos: Charlie Reina; drawings:
Michael
Pekovich
fundamentals
rrr.n
Areyougetting themostfromyour combo square? BY
PHILIP
C.
LOWE
elling new woodworkers about the combination square is a little like being the announcer in those old commercialsfor the Ronco Veg-O-Matic.No, the square won't slice and it won't dice, but it will excel at so many woodworking jobs that it's tempting to say "But waitl There's more!" A good combination square (Starrett or Brown & Sharpe brands are recommended-see a review in FWW *I59) can serve as a machinist's square, a straightedge, an adjustable try square, a miter square, a marking gauge, a depth gauge, and a ruler. You'll use it to set up shop machines, to true workpieces, and to lay out and perfect joinery. In short, if you're starting out and looking for a basic tool that will help you improve your woodworking, the
the ilgffi ange.The combinationsquarecanbe usedln a varlety of waysto set up shop machinesfor 9Oocuts.Here,Loweuses,t to set a fabresawblacleat a ilght angleto the table.Besurethe rulerls againstthe saw plate,not a tooth.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO TAI(E IT APART
Some reassembly requlrcd. Because the ruler is lraduated differentlyon eachedge,you will sometimeswant to removeand reorientit for easiermeamounilngpostinsidethe suring,.The square(left)is machinedto fit inside the slotin the ruler.Toinsertthe ruler (above),push on the spilng-loaclednut and turn the post untilit alignswith the slot.Thenslidefhe ruler into place.
28
FINE \TOODTTORKING
45o face
Look for finely incised /ines, not thick,stampedones. Photos: Steve Scon; drawings: John Tetreault
Checksawblade and mfter slotfor palallel. Use the inside edSeof the miter srot as a reference surtace and acljust the table if necessary.
Sefttnt up for squarc crosscut3. Hold the combination squarewith its head againstthe mitet gau$e.Adjustthe gau$euntilthe square'srurerrestsflush againstthe sideof the sawblade, Ihis ensuresa 90ocrosscut
PuftIntthe mlter In mtter &uee. Usejustthe headofthe combination squareto set a mitergaugefor an accurcte45ocut.
combination square is what those old ads called an"amazing offer."
Set up machinesaccurately To start, a combination square will help ensure that your shop machines are set up precisely.On the tablesaw, for example, the square can be used to check that the sawblade and miter slot are parallel to each other. Set the square's head against the inside edge of the miter slot and adjust the ruler until it touches one of the front teeth on the sawblade. Rotate the sawblade so the same tooth is now at the back of the throat opening, and use the square to check whether the tooth is still at the same distance from the slot. If so, the blade and slot are parallel. If not, check the manual to find out how to correct this problem on your saw. To set a tablesaw blade at a right angle to the table, recessthe ruler slightly into the 90o side of the head. place the head flat on the table so the ruler is standing vertically beside the sawblade. Now adjust the sawblade until there is no light \ befween it and the ruler's edge. Lock down the blade. \ :., This also works to set a iointer fence at 90o. A miter gauge won't deliver square crosscutsif its fence is not at 90o to the blade. To adjust it accurarely,hold the combination square with its head against the fence of the gauge. Adjust the gauge until the square's ruler rests flush against the side of the sawblade. The square can be used as a height gauge for adjusting the height of sawblades or rourer bits. Adjust the ruler in the head to the desired dimension. Then hold the end of the ruler against the table or router base and raise the blade or bit until it touches the head without lifting the ruler off the rable.
An adtustable harem geuga.Set the headat the desiredmeasurcment.Holdthe endof the ruler flat againstthe router'sbaseand rcisethe bit untilit touchesthe headwithoutliftinS,theruler. H O W S Q U A R Et S Y O U RS Q U A R E ? Tochecka square'saccuracy, extendthe rulerfully and score a line perpendlcular to a stral6htedge(left).Thenreversethe headand alignthe sameruleredgeto the knlfellne (rlght).lf the rulerand llne afe parallel,the squarels accurate.
The desigln allows precise layout This square is also a highly useful layout tool. The flat edge milled onto a combination square's thick head acts w w w .f i n e w o o d w o r k i n g .c o m
MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
29
fundan:entalsc.n, nued
An etched ruler enhances accuncy.The fine lines on a qualitysquare are etched into the ruler,so the tip of a markin! knife can be re{istered inside them.
Layrng out dadoes. A square with a lon! ruler is great for layin{ out dadoes across a wide panel. Layint out a miter. The 45" head makes it simple to lay out for a miter cut. Fin€er holes help the user hold the square tightly against the stock. as lt fcr-tcc.liolclir-rgtltc lulcr' pcr'penclicr.rlll' t() lllty re'fclencc srrllrrcc To scolc rur :rccunrtc linc. lxrlcl the hclcl ti.qlrt:Ltuinst thc lcfclcncc Like a matuing Eauge with a built-in ruler, The combinationsquare allows marking parallel to an ed$e at adjustable distances.
sr.rltuceuncl use thc ltrlcr"s cclgc us a guiclc firr vor-rrltcncil rtr nlrrkrns linif-c. If votr lr:rvc thc 2+-ir-r.ur-rcl3(r-ir-r. nrlcls, voLr c'lrrrnt:rrk tlre loclttions of cllrclocsfrorn the cncl of l boalcl uncl tllrrrsf'eltlrc slnre locutror-rsto u nrating piecc. Ar-rcllrccuuse thc nrle-r is ucljr-rstlblc,thc scluxrc c:tn lrc usecl as a marking gauge, striliing pulullcl lincs ut vulving clistanccstirnr the lcfelcncc slrrircc. An exunrplc is u'hctr vou ncecl t() llry ()ut a rnoltisc ir-rtlie n'riclclleof u ltoercl flu'thcr alvay than a uralkir-rggrrugc vn'illrcuch. '[ir clo so, ucljustthe-nrlc'r so thut its cncl rcsts ut tlte col'rcct clistancc.Nrxl'holcl e pcr-rcilto tlic r,volk ul the nrlcr"s cncl ancl slicle thc- s<1r,ralc's Iicacl lrlor-rgthe lcfclcnce surfuce. keepin.q thc pcncil lrgainst the rtrle'r"scncl us it urovcs. A sinrilar tcchnicltre cen be trseclto tllr-rsf'cru luvout fhxn
b, the sqlrllc crrn lre acljlrstcclancl lockecl in position alrcl thc' same position cen be ntarkccl on cach ch'awe'r.
Pefectingworkpiecesor joinery Onc of the sc1-rale'sntost intport2u-ttLlsesis checkir-ig that the eclgcs ancl encls of r,rrrkpieces are sqltarc. When ckting so. h
30
FINE \OOOD!TORKING
fundamentalscon,nued
Checkint for square and the trueness of a miter. First, set the heaclof the square ag,ainstthe refercnce surface, then lower it until the ruler touches the hiEihestpoint (left). Face a li!,ht source and look for a gap under the ruler.
A thickness gauge. Adjust the ruler to match the thickness in one corner, then compare at the other three to see if the stock is consistently thick.Your fingertip will feel the slr'ghtestdifference.
head of the square against a face. Adjust the ruler to match the thickness of the stock. Then use this setting to check the other corners-if the ruler protrudes beyond or is shy of the opposite surface on any of these corners, the thickness is not consistent. A variation on the technique for gauging stock thickness alloq's yolr to check the depth of a mortise. Start by adjusting the ruler to the desired depth. Insert the ruler into the mortise; if the sqr-rare's head doesn't touch the surface, the mortise is too shallow. The square also can help check the end walls of a mortise for square. Slide the edge of the ruler against the end wall. If there is a void between the ruler and the top edge of the mortise, it indicates the mortise is not square. Tenon cheeks can be checked to make sure they are parallel with the face of the workpiece by placing the head of the square against the surfaces and extending the ruler to touch the cheek of the tenon. Since the end of the ruler is ground square to the edge, being able to view light under it will indicate how parallel the cheek is to the surface. 32
FINE N(/ooD\(/oRKING
n
Check mortises and tenons. Adjust the ruler to the desired depth and set it into the mortlse (left); if the head doesn't touch the surface, the mortise is too shallow.A square can also help check whether tenon cheeks are parallel to the face of the workpiece (ri{ht).
look acloser
ITTN
Hideglue T E C H N O L O GHYA S AGE-OLD U N M A T C H EA DD V A N T A G E S BY
W.
PATRICK
EDWARDS
fhe rifht stufLsotidat ,oo^ t"rp"riture, with a very tong, shelflife, hideglueis sold in granulesand pearls.Edwards recommends theg,ranulated type,madein the UnitedStates.
your grandfather,he would have patiently shown you which end of a handplane is the front, the right way to use a chisel (not for opening paint cans),and how to cook glue. Unfortunately, the traditional glue pot disappearedfrom woodshops and trade schools soon after Vorld \WarI when synthetic adhesivestook over, leaving iater generationsof woodworkers to learn this secret of the craft on their own. Hot anirnal-proteingllles have many advantagesover synthetics.They are very quick-setting;transparentto stains, oils, and other finishes;easy to clean up; and reversible,rnaking repairs possible.They are also organic in natlrre,and are not toxic to hurnansor pets. If you doubt the strengthof animal glue, check out the recent test \n FWW #792 ("How Strong Is Your Glue?"),where hide glue stood shouider-to-shoulderwith yellow glues and epoxies. And of course,witness the host of antique furniture that has survived for hr.rndredsof years.
Host forhotglue ofuses
34
FINE \TOOD\TORKING
All wood glues createa mechanicalbond by penetrating the porous surfaceand solidifying there. But animal glues also createa strong molecular bond with wood (and other animal glues), due to the attractionbeNveencertain molecules and atoms. The glue sets initially by losing heat, and then cures fully by losing moisture.As mentioned earlier,this processis always reversible,and can be repeatedeven after a century or more. The right animalglue fol you Although there are many excellent organic glues-frorn fish, milk protein, rabbit skin, horse bone and hide, and vegetable compounds-I'll focus on hide glue, the most versatile type for furniture making. Today, hide glues are sold either in pearl or granulated form; I recommend only the latter, which turns to gel very quickly when cold water is added. Hide giue can va(y in qualiry, and it can go bad if exposed to moisture.Some people have sworn off hide glue after buying
No other glue has hide glue's quick tack, easy cleanup,and transparencyto stains and clearfinishes.Youcan apply veneer(left),rub on glue blocks (below),and apply inlay(right) in minutesand with no clamps.
Photos:Asa Christiana
recipe forsuccess Simple glue pot with a meatthermometerand natural-bristle glue brushes Edwards'setup is a double-boiler inside.Unlessyou reheatyourglueeveryday,justcookup a freshbatchwhenyou needit,
:lJ.i
No meaaufing, necessary. Add
just enoughcoldwaterto cover the granules.You'll havegelin aboutan hour(left).
poorly made or poorly stored animal glue from indiscriminate sources all around the world, and then experiencingjoint failures.Others complain about the smell. Goodquality glue has a very mild animal odor. If it smells rancid, it is bad and should be thrown out. Milligan & Higgins is the only American company still making these glues. Becausethey make the glue themselves,they can guaranteeits formulation and strength.Also, their glue's qualiry is controlled by the Food and Drug Administrarion. Glues are graded according to a pressuretest that is measured in grams. The lower strengths are more flexible and have longer open times, while the higher strengths are more rigid and set up very quickly. I recommend Milligan & Higgins I)2-gram hide glue for all furniture-making tasks;I've been using it for 40 years.It actually is a mix of bone and hide glues, and has an open time of 1 or 2 minutes at normal room temperatureand humidiry levels,setting up as it cools. You can order hobbyist quantities of Milligan & Higgins !92 from Tools for \Torking \[ood (www.toolsforworkingwood. com; w w w . f i n e w o o d w o r ki n g .c o m
llvo tests. Hot {,lue loses moisfure as it cooks, so check the viscosity from time to time. A brush should ttail a long,,even stream of flue (left), up to a foot lon{, before it breaks into droplets.lf not, stir in some hot water. To be sure you have goodElue, or to see if old glue needs replacing, try a little hot glue between your finger and thumb.The g,lueshould be$in to gettacky and make lon9strands as it cools (right).
I
Putoffbythepot? Tryliquidhideglue Edwardsproducesa urea-modified hide glue, called Old Brown Glue (http://wpatrickedwards.com/ gluepage.htm),which is liquid at room temperature and has a longeropen time than yellowglue.
Allqurpose glue. For standard woodworking,tasks like this panel Slue-up,liqukl hide glue allows plenty of assembly time. rt stirl needs to be warmed a bit to thin it out, but a simple bath of hot tap water does the trick. MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
35
look..n,n,"o a closer veneering Hammer isquickandeasy Hide glue lets you press beautiful veneers onto almost any flat or curvedsurfacein minuteswithout clamps or cauls.The veneer hammer is used like a squeegee.Movevery quickly,as the glue starts to set up after a minute or two.
lo movefast,wotk smart. Brushglue onto the substrate(right),then taythe veneeron top of it,€luesideup.Thiskeeps the substratewarmand putssomegue ontothe veneer'sshowface.Now brushflue quicklyonto the veneerbeforeflippin!, it over(top ri{,ht).
How to "hamme'." There will be enou$h glue residue on the top side to lubricate the hammer. Start from the center, Iocking,that down first so the veneer stays put as you beg,into push (or pull) the excess gflueto the outside.
800-426-467r, or call Milligan & Higgins at 5t8-762-4638for a surppliernear you.
R E P A I R SA R E S I M P L E Where to use it If you still are stuck on syntheticglues, consider this: Almost all furniture needs repair at some time in its life. Syntheticglues don't bond well to themselves,so you'll have to remove all of the yellow glue from a joint belore regluing it. \fith hide glue, not only can the joint be r-rnlockedwith heat and moisture,but new hide glue will bond to any hide glue left in the joint. So the first places to start using hide glue are the areasmost likely to need repair, such as feet, drawers,veneer work, and all chair joints. \7ith its short open time, hot hide glue also allows hammer veneering,rub joints, and many other tasks *'here clamping is difficult. After being held still for a minute or rvvo,the joint can be left to cure. By the way, all hide gh,recreatesa very rigid glueline, for laminationswith no springback. Reheat it, or mix a new batch? In the dry state,animal glues have an infinite shelf life (longer than humans). And proper cooking does not weaken the glue, but makes it stronger.The light amber color will darken to a strong brown within days. You can just let the glue cool and gel up at the end of the day, with the bn-rshesstill in it. It doesn't hurt to cover it. However, when left wet but not heated daily, these glues attractmold. So cook your glue every day, or just make what you need and empty the glue pot afterward. A thin layer of hard glue left in the pot will not get moldy. 36
F r N E\ r o o D N r o R K r N G
Tounlockany hicle-glue bond,evenone decadesold, use steamto applyheatand moisture. Mold, even a fine layer, means the glue is bad. Also, if the glue is heated for any length of time above 180oFor reaches 272oFat any time, it is dead. In either case,simply take the glue pot, brush, and thermometer,and clean them completely by boiling them in a pan of hot water. Start over with fresh glue. A better glue pot-I don't recommend electric glue pots. They are expensive ($100) and can't be controlled precisely.Instead,I use a small double-boiler gl,re pot (about $30 on eBay), heatedby a simple hot plate that you can get for $10 or $20.The outer pot holds water. The inside container holds the glue, the
a closer look..n,n,"o Instant inlay
Appty hot gue andpress ft ln place. Be sure the inlay is slzedcorrectly,and then brushgfue onto lt.
Prcs€ 13In place. Edwardsusesa veneerhammer to pushstrln€ing,eventyinto its groove.
brushes, and a meat thermometer to ensure the glue is kept befween 140'F and 160'F.An old trick is to put a small amount of glue into the water bath in the outer container, which will alert you if it runs out of water: It will stink! Making the glue is no more difficult than making oatmeal. No measurement is required; just put the dry glue into a plastic cup and add enough cold water to cover the surface of the glue by r/t in. or so. It doesn't matter how much glue you mix; just add enough water to cover it. The glue will quickly absorb the water completely. After about an hour, put the gelled wet glue into the glue pot. Vhen the glue is at the proper remperature (I40"F ro 160"F), it is ready to use, but you need to monitor the viscosify on a regular basis during the day as it cooks (see photo, p.3r.lf it is too thick, add hot water (roughly the same temperature as the glue-very hot tap water will do the trick) to adjust the viscosity. Each day, when you start work, add a little cold water to the glue pot before it starts heating to replace the moisture that evaporated the day before. Remember: cold water to cold glue and hot water to hot glue. How to use hide glue Use natural-bristlebrushes and just leave them resting in the glue pot. I use two round brushes, one around 3/+in. dia. and the other under r/z in. to fit into joints. For very large areas,I use the two brushes together, held like chopsticks. 38
F r N Er r o o D r v o R K r N G
Easy cleanup. Aftera few minutes,dampena scrubbing,pad with warm water and removethe excessglue.
Removing squeeze-out is not as big a problem as with other glues, since soaked-in hide glue is transparent to oil- and alcohol-based finishes, even on light-colored woods like maple. You will need to remove visible globs or beads, though. The best way to do this is immediately with warm water and some kind of scrubbing tool: a toothbrush, scrubbing sponge, even a paper towel. Another way is to leave the glue to gel for three or four hours, and then peel it off. If you have to wait until the glue is rock hard, you'll need a sharp chisel to remove it. Give high-quality hide glue a try. Then, remember to teach your kids and grandkids how to use it. !
Book Rack Usea routertemplate for perfectresults BY
GREGORY
PAOLINI
ears lt.q().u'hilc rcscurching Arrtc't'icltn Arts ancl (,nrtts clcsigns,I took an in.unccliatclikinll t() ClLrstevSticklry's No. 74 ltottk rack. I t ' s s h o r t c r t h a n n r o s t l r o o k c : r s c s ,w i t h s l u t s t l ' r a t fil'ln a V-shapccltror-rghto holcl lroolis spinc up. Its l)-shapccl hancllxrlclsmukc it c:tsy t() ltt()vc. I'r,c rraclc a clozcn lacks busccl ()n that clcsign, firrm small clcsktop vcLsions t() cxtrx-tall oncs tltat lxrlcl courpect cliscs ancl DVI)s. I'vc also n'roclificcl Stickley's clesign, Simplc thror-tgh-tct-ronsleplace thc weclgccltenons. I aclclccla seconclV-shapccl trotrgli in tlic n-riclcllc'tonukc thc rack urolc fitnctional, ancl I tepcrecl the encl pane'ls.rcf'lectingthe look of thc l{oycroft clcsigns that I furor'. l)cspitc thc changes, the book rack retains its Alts encl Crafts charactet'. This vclsior-r, mucle from (lLlxrtersa\\'n white oak, is sizccl to sit bctrvcen a couple of Morris chairs.
Makethe endpanelsandroutertemplate Since the cncl panels ale the fircal point, yoLl \ .ant boarcls with r.naximr-rmfigure. llsc single wicle boarcls if yon have thern, or eclge-glue nurrower boarcls. '$(rhile tl-repanels are clrying, r.nakea lor-ttet'template from T+-in. mecliur"rr-clensityfibelboarcl (MDF) or pllnvrrocl, whicl'r you'll r.rse to cut slots fbr the shelf r.uortises. The ten.rplate (see f:rcing page) simplifies constt'ttction in several ways. It locates tl-rcsl-relfrroltises, of course. Ancl bec:rttse I clarnp the ter.nplate to thc insiclt: ftrce of one encl piecc ancl the otttsicle f)ce of the other', it ensurcs tl-ratthe u.rot'tisesn'ill line up. 'When laying olrt the slots in the tcrr.rplate.all yor-rhave to clo is clraw tl-re clirrensions fbr tl're 3/<-in.-thick shelves ancl cnt a skrt that w.icle. 'Wher-rusing those slots to cut the throtrgh-mortises. ttse a bit ancl
42
FINE
\flOOD\(/ORKING
Irhotos. e\ccpt thcre
notcclr l)rvicl Heini
tllis prgc: -lohn'lcrrerult
V . S H E LT FE N O N S Tenons,T: in. thick by 37+in. wide
S I D ET E M P L A T E
Y4-in.plywood O TM D F
'8 in.
Sides, 3/ain. thick by 77lzin. wide by 29 in. tall 450 triangle
V-shelves, % i n . t h i c kb y 4 i n . wide by 32 in. long
29 in. Bottom shelf, 3/ain. thick by 10 in. wide by 32 in.long
Routs/ots with a 3/t-in.dia. straight bit.
S H E L FT E N O N Bottomshelf mortise, Vz in. by 73/t in.
plans Full-size for this bookrack and otherprojects are availableat FineWoodworking .com/PlanStore.
Tenons,7z in. thick by 732in. wide
I
f=__
8rzin._
F-1-Lrzin.
MAKING THETEMPLATE The 3/c-in.-wide slots in the template will guide a router bushingfor making the il-in.-wide mortises in the workpieces.
Lay outthe stots. Alig,nthe templateanclthe triang,leagainst a straightedge clampedto the benchto draw the shelfoutlines.
www. finewoodworki ng. com
First trim edge of jig with router, then align jig with layout lines.
Make the cutouts. Use a straig,ht bit and a fence jitto cut the 3/e-in.slots for the shelf mortises. Use a jigsaw for the other cutouts.
MARCH/APRIL
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tocleanthrough-mortises Secret
-') it L i-ii. " ' ir'
;t'::{i,ii,iI rp ili
j';, j
,'
#
-"{
J:-15
"+
r.r'icltlrof thc riglrt krcutior-r.
fin'r
the cncls. These cleflne the starting lncl stopping points firr
So I r'out Make thc tcr-nplate17Vz in. r"'iclebv 29 in.
./ a
kl-rg.l)ran'thepanelsicletapels,hanclle , ancl I lon.crarch.Thcn cL'anrectangles rcplcscnting thc firll size of tlie encls of thc nalloq' v shelves ancl the vn'iclcbottorn shc-lf.with
+4
F'I r--E \\'() () I) \\'O lt K I -\ Cl
|r
t
,
ancl clcan np the san'marks u.ith sanclpaper'.
U n ll n e EXtfa watchPaolini demonstrate his routertechnique Fora video'go to Finewoodworking'com/extras'
Mill the oak and cut the mortises Ncrt. I mill all the oak shelves to size encl clrt ,rr,,"gr.".r-rp encl pancls to lcngtlr. Howcr.cr'. I
I ) r x \ \ ' i n g s :( l l r r i s l o p h c f ] l i l l s
DrilJ, ilip,arrdcleartup
Starter ,rores for the next step. Drill a hole to allow the flush-trimmint bit to enter the mortise. Start with a small pilot hole to locate the center. To prevent blowout, follow with a larger bit from the other side.
won't taper the panels until I've finished making all the cutouts with the router. I make the mortisesand cutouts on one panel at a time. Rather than clamping them together and cutting everything at once, I set up the template so that the panels are oriented as copies,not mirror images.In other words, the template goes on the outside face of the left-hand panel but on the inside face of the righthand panel. Registerthe template to the side and bottom of the end panel. You can use a long scrap of wood as a fence to help align the template with the side. Clamp the assembly to the bench and mark a small dot on the bottom of the right foot. You'll use that mark to reference how you laid out the panel. Set up the router and bushing. The 3/<-in.-wideslots in the template will produce a 7/z-tn.-widemortise in the oak, using a 7/+-in. spiral bit and a l/z-in. bushing. You could also use a 3/a-rn.bit and a S/a-in.bushing. However, the smaller bit leaves a tiny ridge dead-center in the groove, which comes in handy later on. Rout the outlines for the D-shapedhandle, the lower arch, and the shelf mortisesin severalpasses.Don't cut all the way through. 'When the cuts are about 5/sin. deep, stop and remove the template. Use a jigsaw to remove most of the waste from the handle and the lower arch. Drill a hole through each shelf mortise.This is where you can use that ridge left by the l/+-in. bit. I like to use it to center a lAe-in.-dia.pilot hole. Then I flip the panel over and enlargethe pilot hole with a 73/tz-in.bit. This gives me a starting place for the router bit I use next. Flip the panel over, and finish all the cuts with a 3/e-in.flushtrimming bit. I chuck the bit in a l,aminate trimmer. It's easy to control and lets me easily see what I'm doing. These extra steps guarantee that you won't have any tearout. Square up the mortises with a chisel, working from each face toward the middle to avoid tearout. Finish the panels by tapering the sides on the bandsaw, cutting iust to the waste side of the www.finewoodworkn i g .c o m
7e-in.-dia. flush-trimming bit
Fllpthework and finishwith aflushtrimmingbft. Finish the mortises and othet cutouts with a s/*in. flush-trimmin€ bit, workin{ from the opposite face.To clean up the Dshapect hanctte and the cutout at the foot, cut away most of the waste with a jigsaw, then use the same bit to smooth the ed4e.
Squarc upthe corners. Cut away the waste in the corners with a chisel.Chopabout halfwaydown,then flip the work and finish by parin(, from the opposite face toward the center.
MARCH/APRTL 2oo8
45
I
Cuttenons 0nthetablCSAW
line. I clcan r-rpthe cr-rtsn-ith a roLrter. r,rsingtr-iy shopmacle eclge g t L r t l tl t t t r l, r \ l r ' : l r g l tl l) i t .
Cutthetenonsonthetablesaw The thr'or-rgh-tcn()nson the sl.reh.-esploject 7+ ir-r.tl'orn the sicle on their q'iclc taces, ancl cleep p:rnels. Ther. have narro\\' shor.rlclet's siclcs. The shoulclet's hiclc some impelf-ectior-rs shoulclers on thc glr-re-up I the tenons on thc tablesaw'. much casicr. cr-rt ancl nrake clefining tl.rc shor,rlclersu'ith a cotnlrination blacle to tninitnizc teurout. thcn su'itcltir-rgt() e stackeclclacloset to finislt. J
I
,l J
makc the shor-tlclercuts a heit too cleep. \irr-r shoulcl pnr'1-rosely have tct shich prevents a liclge at thc irrsicle'comcr tl-ratyctr-r'cl cle:rn otrt lutcr'. J'r':rcletl're cor"nbination blacle'tirr l stackecl cluclo set to flnish the tenor-rs,Cr.rtthc u.'iclccheclis tl'st. Set thc ltlrtclclou, ancl raise it grlclualll' thlough a scrrcs of cuts to sneak r-rpon the propcr 'lest tcr-ron tliiclir-ress. thc fit rrficl cech cut. Oncc thltt filst tcnot-t fits thc r.r-roltisc iust right. cut tlrc rcst. Follou, the santc ptoceclttrc t o c r . r tu l l t l r c s l r o l t c l t c c l i s . \cxt, clururlcl tlre cr-rclsol'tlir tct'tons.Nlluli u lirtc 7.1.:irt. lhrrtr t l r c c n c l s .t h c r - rp l u n e t o t l l r t l i n c l t t l o r . r g h l lu . + 5 ou n g l c . l ) l : t r t ct l t c krng crlgcs filst. tlrcn plunc thr short eclges. F i n r r l l r 's. o f i c n t h c r c n l r i n i n g s h u r p c c l g c so f t l r c s l r c l v c sr t r r csl i c l c 1-xrnclsu,ith l 7i-irr. roLrrrclovcllrit in thc r()utcr.
;$(f,
Fitandfinish
;
Define the shourders. Usea combinationblade to make the initial cuts for the tenon shourders.Make these cuts about l/ezin. deeperthan the tenon.to define the shoulderscleanlv.
I ) r ' v - f i tt l r t p i e c c . ' [ ' h c t c l r ( ) n ss l t o r - r l csll i p i n t o t h c i r r t t o l ' t i s e su i t l t lilncl prcssulc. If vor-rncccl lt nutllct. thc joir-rtsllrc t()() tigltt lrncl
Finish with a dado set, Use a stacked dado set to cut away the waste on each tenon. Check the first tenon often against its mortise to creep up on the right blade height.
ntni .):/
{
t i
The result. You i:..ir, ir't_ .. should have '; ;i"!p-.:,:, ' ' ,1 tenons with :. even shoulders, i ii;1r;'; smooth cheeks, . ::,l;:11'tr.; ,- IDil".l:lirl'.' and a nice fit. '.|, :: . ."rii ':- ,..:1::,i? r. , l.i.,_,:,' ,. I'
Chamfer the tenon ends. Use a block plane to chamfer the portion of each tenon that will be proud of the side pieces,working to a layout line Tominimize tearout,plane the wide cheeksfirst, then the narrow ends.
46
F r \ n \ \ ' ( ) ( ) r ) \ \ ' o R r\ icr;
p Fit,finish,andglue-u Fine-tune the fit. The tenonsshould fit into the mortises with hand pressure. At the end,you may need to removea small amount of excess with a coarse file (left) or a shoulderplane.
Dye, then stain. A brownish dye, followed by a darker oil stain,producesa finish that's very closeto fumed oak. Mask the tenons to keep finish off glue surfaces(above).When applyin{ the finish, work carefully to keep the stain out of the mortises (riSht).
trlr'll nt'c'clt() l)ilre clou'n thc ten()lts s itlt lr slrotrlclcr'1tllu-rcor- rr r'oltr-st'lile. S r t r o o t l rt l r c ' y ' r i t c ' c u s i t l t l r r l r n c l o n r< > r l r ist l r n r l c r 'l.' i n i s l t i l t us i t l t 'l'lre l)lfi0-glit. n i r u n r l s l r n c lr r l l t l t c p r t ' c c ' su i t l t I ) l f i O - g l i t l l r l t e r ' , * o r l i i n g r i t t l r t l r t g l u i n . t o n t i n i n t i z e l r n y s l t n c l i n gs r r i l l s . I lrlit' to clo sonrc of tltc fir-rislring l r c l i l ' c r r s s c n r l r l r u, . l t c n t l t c p i c c t ' s r r r r r l r s V t ( ) I l r r - r c l l c . ' l i rI i c c P I ' i r - r i sol tl ' f t l r c t c , r ' r o n sI , n r ' : r 1 r t l r c n i n i t l r 7 " 2 - i nn. l r s l i i n g t u l ) r . 'l'o siniuletc tlic ltxrli of lunntoniu-l'unrcclrxrl<.I tirlkru .lcff .Jeuitt's tccltnrclut'firl using clr.euncl ltiuntcnt strrin("Slrtc lt-rclSintplc Alts rtncl()'rtfis Iiirrish, Ill'11"#157) Fol rr snrPler l'ir.risli, I Iil,c \,lir.ru'l.r E u r l t ' A n r c r - i c r r n2 3 0 s t a i n f i r l l o u e r l b t c l c r u ' s l t e l l a c o r v r r l n i s h . uliiclr l
Paolini Gregory makesArfsandCraftsfurniturein Waynesville, N.C. n u ' r . v .f i n e r . v o o d w o r k i n g . c o l t l
I
Glue, then shellac. Torcduce squeezeout,put most of the {lue on the tenons and only a dab in the mortises. When the tlue has cured,apply several coats of thinned she,,ac.As a final step.rub out the finish.
u A l t c H , / A P R r r .r o o r i
47
tr
Sharp rims, smooth walls' No other type of bit can matchthequalityof cut aroundthe rim and sidesof a hole. Forstnerbits also leavea flat bottom, with the exception of a small indentation left by the central sPur.
Drlllin9 at an anfle'The sharP rim makes it easy to start the hit in a steeply angled workpiece,as when cutting pocket holes in a table apron.
Overlappingl hotes. Again, the rim desi$n allowsyou to drilt ctean overlapping,hores,as when excavatinga mortise.
Photosr Mark Schofield; drawings: John Tetreault
ew woodworking tasks are as frustrating as trying to bore the perfect hole-accurately sized, accurately located, and with a cleanly cut rim. Standardwoodworking twist bits, originally designed to cut metal, often leave ragged, inaccurate rims, are difficult to place accurately,and can wander off course resulting in uneven holes. Brad-point bits are better, creating accurate, clean holes, but they don't make it easy to bore overlapping holes or enter the wood at a sharp angle. The best design for boring high-quality holes is a Forstner bit. Since it was patented by Benjamin Forstner in1874, this bit has been helping woodworkers cut clean holes with precision (see photos, facing page). Today, Forstner bits come in a variety of designs. To find out which ones are best, I tested 18 brands. The top nine bits are listed on the following pages;the rest are shown on Fine'Woodworking.com.
HowtheForstner bit has changed overtheyears The original Forstner bit did not have a center spur and was guided solely by the rim. The design left a clean-sided, flat-bottomed hole, but the bit was hard to position. Most of today's Forstnerbits have a center spur and a partial rim. The center spur positions the bit precisely on the workpiece but leaves a small dimple in the center of the hole. In a stand-alonehole, the spur makes the initial contact with the wood, but in other casesthe rim alone can be in contact with the wood, guiding the bit.
AilATOIIY OF A FORSTI{ER Althoughtypesvary,the cuttingactionis similar: Thespurtouchesdown, the rim keepsthe bit on track,and the chippers createa flat bottom.
cut overlapping holes and holes drilled at an angle. As I mentioned already,bits with the largest rim did best at this test, while those with little or no rim and only outside spurs were at a disadvantage. Bits choked with chips don't cut well-\(zith smaller Forstner bits, the proper procedure is to lift the bit out of the cut during deep boring to evacuatethe chips. If this isn't done, chips may become compacted behind the bit, locking the bit in the hole and making it difficult to extract.If the chips plug in the bit, you must stop the drill and clear the www. finewoodworkin
g. com
/-{
Clearance notch
T I T A N I U M - STAINLESS CARBIDE VS. COATED STEEL DIFFERENTSTEELS CARBIDE STEEL STEEL The majority of Forstner bits are steel. which usuallystarts out sharper than carbidebut has a shorter edge life. Other choices includetitaniumcoated steel, designed to increasedurability, or stainless steel, ideal for working with green wood,treated material,or any other high-moisture applicationsthat would pose rust problems for standard steel bits.
STANDARD RIM
Testing foraccuracy, design, andendurance I tested l/z-tn.-dia.and 1-in.-dia. bits. The former represent rypical smaller bits used for drilling mortisesand pocket holes, while the latter allowed us to test the toothed rims that most manufacturers use for larger bits. I measuredthe diameter of each bit to see how close it was to the specified size, and then I measured the diameter of the hole itself. Most of the holes were less than 0.005 in. larger than their respectivebit, an acceptableamount. The next seriesof testswas to see how the l/2-in.bit
Center
TOOTHED RIM
C U T T I N G RIM SWLES VARY SPURS Longer rims provide better guidancebut tend to overheat.On this highcarbon-steel bit (far left), heating may have removed the temper. To overcome heat, many manufacturers give 1-in.dia. and larger bits toothed rims. Others, particularlyon smaller bits, use cutting spurs only. Whilefine on stand-alone, horizontalcuts, spurs can't cut overlappingor angled holes with the same finesse as bits with extensiverims.
CENTERSPUR OR FLAT BOTTOM? All of the bits in the review are good at boring flat-bottomed holes with small dimples created by the spur. MLCS uses a screw for its spur, which can be slid back into the bit to leave only a slight bump in the bottom of the hole.
FIXED SPUR
ADJUSTABLE SCREW SPUR
MARCH/APRIL
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I bitsmade thecut
/6
t4t .JiJ
4p
After all the tests rcre done, sevensteel blts stood out. Alsoshownarc the best carbldeblt (Fleud),andone wlth a rctractabletlp (MLCIS).
FAMAG
www.traditional woodworker.com; com www.woodcraft. $t2 Exadtythe.ttameter claimecl?The actual diameter of every bit was measured (above)ancl the discrcpancy with the statecl diametet recotded. Most holes were slightly lar€er than the bit that dillled them, indicatinS, sliEht runout (ri9.ht).
$16 .500 1.005 .500 1.006 Clears Clears 150
Ptugged up. Many of the Vz-in.-dia. bits became badly pluq4eclwhen the head went below the woodb surface. Johnson uses a pencil to eject the plug.
Excellent Excellent
Excellent Excellent Excellent
Friction causes heat. While cutting lOO holes in hickory, the temperaturc of each bit was recorded 7O times using,a digital infrarcd thermometer. Bits tfiat cut cleanly 6enerated ress heat
50
FrNE rirooD\roRKrNG
blockage,a time-consumingand annoying task. Plain and simple, a plugged bit won't cut well and may increasefriction and burning. Severalof the l/z-in. bits got plugged as soon as the rim was fully enclosedin the bore. The large bits had an easiertime evacuating chips becausethey have larger gullets between the chipper, or cutter, and the back edge of the rim. These bits can take the heat-To test their longevity, I mounted each 1-in.-dia.bit in a drill press.I chose the larger bits for this test becausethere is a greaterarea in contact with the wood, and therefore more friction. I set the speed to 480 rpm and drilled 100 holes 1 in. deep in hickory a wood known for its abiliry to dull a sharp cutter. I used a digital infrared thermometer to check each bit's temoerature every 10 bores. An increasein temperature could
$7.50 $14 .499
L.001_ .507 1.003 Plugs Clears roc
Very good
Exce ||ent Very good Excellent Very good *s/e-in.bit smallest size in set
Grizzly gets the nod for best value. These bits did a fine job of boring, cleared chips well, and stayecl at moderate temperatures. At less than $2 apiece for a set of 16, they are a great value.
signal a dulling clltting edge. \fhile the average temperatllre ranged from 134"F to 268"F,none of the bits showed any significant elevation in temperatllre or cleterioration in hole quality towarcl the end of the borings, indicating that they were still clltting as well (or
The chart lists five other brands of steel bits that were a cllt above the rest, as well as the best carbide bits. I didn't find an
as poorly) as at the start. In general, bits that made cleaner cuts generated less heat.
advantagewith carbide over steel in my limited endurance test, br,rt carbide should hold an edge longer, so a production shop might want to go with the Frer-rdcarbide bits. If a truly
Thebestbuyandthe bestbet I chose Famag bits, sold by Traditional
/ A ,. 'woodworker and rwooclcraft, as the best l: Online overall. They have the longest rims but tight machining tolerances. As a result they cLlt accuratery, run cooi, and are easy to operate.
www. finewoodworki n g.com
;
* *if more lhan 3/+in. deep
,
flat-bottomed hole is the deciding factor, the MLCS bits
EXtfa
Toseehowtheotherninebrands of Forstnerbits performed'go to Finewoodworking'com/extras'
with the removablecenrerspur are rhe ones
n
to buy. Roland Johnson is a contributing editor MARCH/APRIL
]OO8
57
Tips for Flawless Moldings Smartroutersetupandtechnique yieldcrispprofllesandsilkysurfaces BY
STEVE
LATTA
crisp molding lends the same touch of elegance to a wellmade cabinet that a silk tie bestows on a sharp-dressedman. But in order for their magic to work, neckties and moldings both must be treated with care. A molding with torn-out grain or fuzzy edges will spoil the effect-like a soup stain in the middle of your chest. I don't have to fuss with a necktie very often, but my students and I do run plenty of molding. I've adopted several techniques for making sure the results fit well and look their best, Creating molding safely and cleanlv requires careful attention in three areasi cutting profiles, cleaning them up, and, finally, ripping the individual molding strips.The suggestions here touch on all of these ate s. ContibutingeditorSteveLattateacf,es cabinetryat Thaddeus Stevens Pa. Collegein Lancasten
4
fence totametearout I Useasacrificial
T o e l i m i n a t et e a r o u t ,I l i k e t o b u r y t h e bit in a wooden fence, creating a zetoclearancecavity that lets the fence serve as a chipbreaker.There are two types of this fence that I make most often; both start with a good scrap of wide 2x stock with a jointed face and edge, The first is a very simple fence that I make by using the bit itself to cut the zero-clearancecavity. Clamp one end, bury the bit a little deeperthan you need, then bringthe fence back to the appropriate setting and clamp the free end. lf you are raisingthe bit into the fence,go only as high as necessary.Creatinga cavity taller than your final bit height reduces the chipbreakingeffectiveness. For complex bits or those that can't cut their way into the fence, such as bearing-guided bits, I drill the fence opening with a Forstnerbit. This also makes it easierfor me to joint the infeedside if I needan offset fence. I also cut a channelin the back of the fence for chip removal. To preventchipout in heavilyfigured stock, I reorientthis fence so that the bit is literally buriedin the infeedside. To do this safely,clamp a stmight backer board behindthe fence. Loosenthe clampsthat hold the fence and, with the router running,slidethe infeedside of the fence into the bit. The movementis very controlled becausethe rotationof the bit pushesthe fence againstthe backerboard.After setting the fence, reclampand continue runningthe molding. Another advantageof any sacrificial woodenfence: I can quickly screw guards ot hold-downsin place. Of course,a good table and router are a l s o i m p o r t a n t .R e i n f o r c ea n M D F t o p with angle iron or G-channel,if needbe,to preventsag, As for routers,I recommend a fixed-basemodel with at least a LLbhp motor.See "Routersfor RouterTables"in FWW#L89.
Photos. exccpt shere
A S I M P L EF E N C E F O RS I M P L EB I T S A bit with no bearingor post on top can cut its own deep,zeroclearancecavity.Start with a jointed piece of 2x stock.
X?:"bi:'":----/ Bit
a' ll
I
Clamp o.ne e n d o f tence.
I
t.------rl
| ,:-,
Bury the bit. Clamp one end of a wooden fence to the router table and, from the other end, carefully pivot the fence into the rotating bit.Then clamp it down.
A F E N C EF O R C O M P L EP XR O F I L E S
5&
IF
D r i l l i n gt h e o p e n i n gi s e a s i e rf o r t a l l ,c o m p l e x orofiles.To createzero clearance.burv the bit on the infeedside.
Cut away a shallow dustchute on the underside.
Drill a bitclearance hole.
I Pusrr t re fence into the bit. The infeed edSeof the bit is buried, so the workpiece fibers arc futly supported where the bit exits the cut.
7. Clamp a backer board
to the table. I
I 2. Move
fence into A i + ^ t ^ ^ < +h^__._____-____z bit along the fixed board and clampit in place.
notecl: Steve Scottr inclivitlual llrarcls: Kcllv J. l)unton
@J
b
(h-d.ryDD
MARCH/APRTL 2oo8
53
q Usethetablesaw Z to hogoffwaste Molding profile
2 Cutmolding J onawideblank Choosea piece ofstock that is wide enoughto run a profile on each edge while leaving a few inches in the mlddle.A bigger workpiecemeansless vibrationand better results. lt also lets you run the moldingmuch more safely,keepingyour handswell clear of the spinnlngbit while controllingthe stock, It's also much easierto clean up moldingswhile they are part of a wlder piece that can be clampedeasilywhile the profile
W i d eb l a n k
7'
Saw awaythewaste. Doin$ so saveswear on router, bits-and ears.
After drawing the profile on the end of a piece, I use the tablesaw to cut awayas much waste materialas I can, making sure the blade is tiltlng awayfiom the fence. Roughingawaythls extra stock allows lighter passes with the routel.
is scrapedor sanded. Pay close attention to the feed rate. Too fast leads to chlp ping;too slow can cause burns. Wax the table and fence to keep resistanceto a mlnlmum, After the moldingis done,rlp it awayon the tablesaw(Tip 8).
Keep finters safe. A wide workpiececan be fed into the cut with handswell clearof the bit.
Glue upyourownstock A -F toproduce awidemolding Whenyou want to cut a wlde moldingin figuredwood like bird'seye maple,you might not find stock thick enough.My solution is to make my own. I do this by rippinga thinner boardinto strlps a little wider than the thickness I want. Standthese strips on edge and laminate them facetoface to create a glued-upboard ' with enoughthickness for the deslred mold-
ings. Glueup the blank with a piece of scrap stock as a backer board.This lets you cut multiple moldingstrips in the reoriented face grain while keeping your hands safely away fiom the bit. Assemblethe blank so that each glue joint falls in a tablesaw kerf when the moldingsare rlpped.You'llneedto account for the kerf width, the amount of stock removedin cutting the profile,and the thickness of the finishedmolding.
CREATEA THICK BLANK FROMTHINNERSTOCK Rip 1Yz-in.stripsfrom 4/4 sIock,flip the stripson edge,and glue them together,face-to-face.Use a scrapofjointed pine as a backerboardin the centerof the glue-up.Afterthe glue is dry,surface the stockto the necessarvthickness. 1Vz-in.strips
Cut from a wlde board. This keepsyour hands safe and, becausea wide board is more stabre, ensures that the work doesn't chatter as you cut.
54
FrNE 'orooDriroRKrNG
bycutting chipout E Reduce sequence \, intheright PROFITE MULTIPLE-BIT
SINGLE.BIT PROFITE
Sequencethe profilesto remove tearout,starting at the bottom and insideon the molding.
Multipleruns with a core-boxbit yield a customcove.Eachcut removestearout from the previouspass. Last cut
1, STARTON THE INSIDE
Pencil desired
Start w'-t t the lower quarterqound. bit first will causesome Running,this Thislineof tearout tearoutat its top edEie. will be removedwhen the corc-boxbit the cove. estabrishes
{D
Second the ridges cut srnootn.
Cwer yow tacks. Whenusint, multiplepassesto cut clifferent sectionsof the sameprofile, seguencethe cuts sothat each passremovesany tearcutleft by the previouscut,
Sometimesa slmple profilerequlresmultlple passesof the same bit. The simple cove shownaboveis a case in point. BecauseI don't havea speclflc bit that cuts the proportlonsI need,I run thls moldlngwlth multlple passes using a cor+box blt. In thls sltuation,I flnd that I can reducechlpout dramatlcallyby maklng the fltst pass with the blt set at the polnt farthest fiom the fence. I then ralse the blt and move the fence toward the workplece wlth each successivepass. In this way,the chipout created by each pass ls removedby the subsequent passes. Forthe final run. I make sure the blt ls burledIn the fence, reduclngthe llkellhoodof any chlpout. This technlquealso helpswhen cuttlng complex proflles uslng a comblnatlon of dlfferent blts. This ls sometlmesnecessarybecausemanycomplex-proflle blts don't qulte flt speclfic deslgnrequlrements.By combiningcutters, you can match older moldlngsor
Quarterroundbit
Tearout
2. THENWORKIN THEMIDDLE
Core-boxbit
Run the cove in multlple passes. Raise the bit a little each time. Any chipout abng, tlre outside ed(e will be removed when the fillet is cut.
3. FINISHAT THEOUTERMOST O FT H EM O L D I N G PORTION Straightbit cuts fillet.
create odginal deslgns. The dellcate crown moldlngat right-for a small chest-is made by comblnlng three cutters: an ovelslze beadlng bit fiom Eagle America (www.eagle america.com),a corebox bit, and a straight blt. Start by cuttinE a sample section of the proflle to use as a setup piece. Creatingthis piece also brings to llght any unforeseenproblems in the process. lf you create the moldingoften, hangthe sampleon the wall for future use. Photo, facing page (boftom right): Mark Schofield; drawings: KellyJ. Dunton
Finish wfth the fillet Use a staight bit buried in a fresh fence to prevent tearout.
M A R c H / A P R T Lz o o 8
55
$
molding fence when anentire edge Umanoffset T H EP R O B L E M : N OO U T F E ESDU P P O R T
Profilingan entire edge is very much like jointing the edge of a board:all of the originalsurfaceis removedto create the profile.With a standardsetup,this means the profiledworkpiecewon't ride against the outfeedfence. For propersupport,the outfeedfence shouldbe set flush with the cutter while the infeedfence steps in about Vgzin. Make passeson a scrap piece to dial in the offset, Althoughthis might sounda little complicated,it's actually quite simpleto set up. Takea jointed piece of 2x stock and drill an openingfor the bit. Set the jointer to aVszin. depth of cut and joint the edge
Routerbit
Workp
1
I /
ofthe fencejust to the cutout. Lift it off the table and ... shazam!Youhavean offset fence.
and outfeedfence
@
No fence support, When the bit removes the entire bearin(, surface,a standard fence can't support the outfeed side.
up 7 Clean
I before ripping
Moldingsgenerallyneedsome cleanup,especiallyif the profilewas generated by a combinationof bits. Still, if the milling was executedproperly,that cleanup shouldrequireminimaleffort. A vatiety of tools come into play for taking off tearout,tool marks,chatter, or burn marks. The list includesscrapeis,a shoulderplane,files, and varioussandingblocks. Scrapefirst, using scrapersfashionedto a variety of profiles to fit the need.Shapecutoffs from card scrapers into an assortmentof beadsand rounds.For moldings like bracket feet, grind a scraperclose to the profile.Don't go for an exact :, match becauseyou'll needto attack fiom variousangles. Detail files work well for small radii and leavemarks small enoughto be removedquickly with sandpaper.Sanding,howevel,shouldalwaysbe kept to the essentialminimum.I tell my students that after just a few minutesof sanding, the only thing they are reallysandingawayis their grade. I tend to use aluminum-oxidepaperrangingin glit fiom P15Oto P220. Most times, I use a sandingblock or a piece of dowelstock for an appropriatecurve. Gontoursandinggrips are available,but these seem like one more thing I don't really needto accomplisha basic task.
56
FINE WOOD\TORKING
fhis should be light duty. With proper cuttingtechnique, moldings should need only minimal cleanup. Latta grinds custom shapes in card scraper stock.
T H ES O L U T I O N : M A K E A N O F F S E TF E N C E
r5.EE. I'fi
W
r
lF
,d;i :7
"f'
the O Ripbetween O bladeandfence forconsistency
An offset fence in one easy step, Simplyjoint the infeed edge,stoppinl at the bit cutout.
,'zl /-\
l(t"
/--1 ll
lt rl
Infeedside is cut back o nj o i n t e r .
I
/
\\ Outfeedside n o ws u p p o r t s workpiece.
I Running, smoothly, The oFfsetfence supports the work on the outfeed side and makes for a smooth cut.
Rip to a consistent width. When ripping thin strips like this, a notch in the end of the stock provides a secure(rip for a narrow push stick (right).
Whencutting moldingfrom a blank,standard safety practice calls for setting the tablesawfence so that the rippedmoldingfalls to the outsideof the blade.The fence is then reset and the process repeatedfor the moldingon the other edge. But repeatedlyresettingthe fence can lead to variations in the thickness of the differentpieces.This problemcan make it harderto install the molding properly.
Use a shoulder plane for flats and fillets, The StanleyNo.92 works great at gettinginto corners.
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Sand sparintly. Dowe/s of different diameters work well for covesand other hollows.Be careful to avoid rollinf, the dowel over any hard edges.Doingso takes away essential detail.
To avoidthis, I rip off the moldingbetweenthe bladeand the fence. The distance betweenthe fence and the blade neverchanges,so the thicknesses atelar more consistent.And because you'renot resettingthe fence after each cut, the work also goes more quickly. But this methoddemandsextra precautions. Use a splitter to preventthe moldingfrom curling into the back ofthe bladeand causingkickback. Stub splitters stay out of the way but get the job done. Pushsticks and hold-downsare also important. A small bandsawcut in the end of the molding stock lets you hook a narrowpush stick into it. A hold-downclampedto the fence keepsthe stock from lifting off the table. NIARCH/APRTL 2oori
57
Bring Out the Bestin
Mahogary Fillthe grainanduseshellac, but letthe piecedictatethe rest BY
PETER
GEDRYS
Harmonize the color. TomerEe the pale face frame with the rest of the piece, Gedrys applies a waterbased dye usint a folded paper towel.Look ahead of your hand to get a nice, straight line.
Readint the wood. To tet an idea of what the wood will look like under a clear finish,wet the surface with denaturedalcohol.
cfolc I stlu't x finishing projcct. I Irls'uvs let tlic u,'oocltcll ntc n'hat it neccls.I rvipc tl're surfuce u'itli clcnatllrc(l rrlcolrolto plcview tltc appcunrncc of u clcul fir-rish.Therc xrc tintcs wlicn clyes rrncl stair-tsare callccl firr, pcrlurps to enhur.rcc()tlierwisc' plain ltr'csancl tltcn apply l thin c()llt of shclllc lirl a warm, cvcn gkrrv. Lelve ()Lrtthc grrrin filling. altcl y()Llget u hungry,
into a cor-rccntlatccl()l' "s:rtLlriltccl"cctl<>r': l, lclyc to a pint of very hot rvatcr'. Oncc c<;olcclancl liltcrccl tl'u'ough u finc paint ol cof'fLc flltcr. just lclcl it increnrcr-r-
This nashcoat acts as a ltarlicl so color in thc flllel clocsn't stain thc woocl. The goal is to scal the woocl yct still leave the p
tallv to clcar watcl fix'the clcsilcclstfcngth. For the' firce h'uurc. I usccl thc clyc at u1-rpr'oxir.natelvhalf stlcngth. Ile sure t() tcst
Zinsser"sSealCoat, a clervaxcclcleal shellac conrpatiblc with any t()pc()at. I pref'er thc speecl ancl contr
tlrc clye on screps flont the suntc lttxrrcl. An inclustriel-stfengtlt p:lper t()wcl ltrxkcs lun cttbctivc lp;llicltion tool. F
u'ith u lrrtrsl.r.I usc a firirly llrge pacl tl'rat will covel thc slu'fuce-quickly. It consists of lu liigh-qLrality cheescclotlt cole nrappccl in u piccc of sr-nooth c()tt()n suclt as a
Fillthegrainwithpastefiller
wcll-usecl beclslicet or a piece of linen. \(/hatcvcr size pacl, the one lulc is to h:rve
Pliol to filling tlrc p()rcs, y()Ll ncecl to scal thc woocl witlt a thin waslic
no wrinkles on the lx)tt()111tl.rat will leave lines on the surface-of thc q'oocl. T
l.ralf-finishecl look. Pr,rtI thick fihtr finisl-r evelvwhc-r'e. uncl thc topc()at is thc star', n()t thc $()()cl. Hou'ever. likc all pieces, this one hacl spccific r-reecls. A charactelistic of ntahogeny is its wiclc trngc of colols. Aftel wiping thc surfucc n'ith clcnaturecl alcoltol. the facc t}ame rru'asn-ucl'r lightcr than tl'rc rich. walr-n tc)nc slu'l'()Lll-lclingit. Thc solution [,,us t() (lye it t() l-natclt. Finallv, sor.nc varnish orr thc to1-rwolrlcl give that r-nost'u'trlnclultlc sr-rlfirccsonre aclcleclwater lesistance. One of the big lessor-rshere is thet n()t all perts of a picce neeci the same flnish.
Harmonize colorinconsistencies To give tl-re face flar.ne a subtle color change. I staltecl l:>yclarrpening tltc rv
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Seal tDe wood. Go over the surface a coupleof times with a pad to apply a thin coat of shellac.Keep tfie pressure light to avoid fillinS the pores.,t is easier to get into corners,carvings, and moldings by applyin$ the shellac with an artist's brush(above).
]VIARCH/APRIL 2OOg
59
Cotor the grain filler. Use artist's oirs to color the filler to match or to be sliShtly darker than the wood.
the pad, wet it with a little alcohol first and then add the shellac, which becomes slightly dih-rted. Go over the wood with the pad once or fwice but no more. \W'hendry, sand lightly with P320-grit sandpaper or a gray abrasive pad, and clean the surface and pores thoroughly with a vacuum. In the past, most commercial paste fillers were made with quartz as the main filling component. Many fillers on the market today contain cheaper and, in my opinion, less-effective ingredients. Sherwin-\Tilliams still trses \00o/oeuartz, but it's sold only in gallons. Pore-O-Pac Llsessome quartz, but is cheapel and comes in quarts. Both these fillers are oil-based, which I fincl easier to apply :rncl control than water-basecl filler. In either case, buy the uncolorecl or "natural" filler'; it enables yoLl to clrstomize the color to suit the wood. Stir the filler tl-roroughly to get the solicls off the bottom. Pour some flller into a small container ancl irclcl mineral spirits to get it to the consistency of hear,y cream. Tl-re filler's cokrr is a fi)atter of pers
Wlpe on,scrape otf. Usean old brush or a cottonpad to cram the filler into the pores(aboveleft). Thenpusha plastic scrapercliaEonally acrosstlre Erainto removeas muchfiller from the surfaceas possib/e.Thefiller is rcadyto be removed whenit wrinklesup ontothe scraper (aboveright).A white pad(www.woodwork er.com,#85o578) removesresidual filler from the surface but leavesthe pores filled (riEht).
60
FrNE NrooD\(/
way, when I mix the color concentrate into the flller, they will readily incorporate. On large, flat sr-rrfaces,apply the fillel with a pad, sqr"reegee, or brush, working in small sections. For carved or curved surfaces,use an olcl brush and apply filler sparingly. For this bookcase,I fillecl all the outside surfaces (except the back) and the tops of the shelves. As the solvent evaporatesand tl-re filler begins to clry, it will change from shiny to dull. Run a plastic scraper across the surface, slightly diagonai to the grain, to see if the surplus is ready to be scraped off. ff it hasn'tset enough, it u'ill be slightly mnny. If it's too dry, it will come off in flakes.\fhen it rolls r-rpin wrinkles onto the scraper,it's just right. You need to get all the filler off the surfaceor the residuewill show through the topcoat as unattractive gray spots. After removing the bulk of the sr,rrpluswith the scraper,wait
Photosr Mark Schofielcl
SHELLAC
V A R N I S HA D D S PROTECTION
l tr"."r,""i-r"^,;;;;; Endwith shellac.A few thin coatsgivethe filled maho€anya beautifulglow.Thiscan be donewith a pad or a brush. about 10 minutes (less on a hot, dry day), and then do the second removal. I7iping the surface witl-r burlap is the traclitional way, but I prefer a white woven pad. Again working slightly diagonal to the glain and using moclelatepressllre,remove the filler left on the surface. As the pad starts to load, switch to a clean section. I also use the pacl to remove all the surplus filler from the molclings. The object is to remove only the sr-rrplus,not pllli filler out of the pores. \Whenfinishecl,wait about an hor,rrand inspect the sr.rrface. If there are areasnot cornpletely filled, reapply the filler. If everything looks good, lightly wipe the surface with a dry cotton rag going with the grain. If there's any driecl filler on the surface, lightly clampenthe rag with miner.alspirits to rub it off. \Whenthe rag comes up ciean, all the filler is lcrnoved.
the shellac will protect the top of the bookcase from spilled liquids.
Rub out yalnish for a low luster or a high gloss
Low-luster look After the varnish has cured, you can rub the surface with O0OOsteel wool. Then apply a coat of paste wax, wait 3O minutes,and buff the surface with a soft cloth.
t-_*_
for an effective finish. This is where filling the pores ftrlly pays ofl You can keep the coating thin, maintain a close-to-the-grain look, and still have the wonderful glow
To give the top added protection and water resistance,I used an alkyd varnish such as Pratt& Lambert's38. I used a foam brush to apply two thin coats,lightly sanding between the coats. Once the varnish has cured for a few weeks, you can refine it by rubbing it out. For a soft sheen, rub the sr-rrfacewith 0000 steel wool going with the grain.,and then apply some paste wax. For a irigher sheen, lighrly abrade the surface with some 600-grit (CAMI) wet-and-dry sandpaper lubricated with water. Then rub the surfacewith a finecut alltomotiverubbing compound, and finally.apply sornepasrewax.
that shellac produces on a smooth surface. I brushed the interior with a couple of unthinned coats of SeaiCoat.
PeterGedrysls a professlona I finisherin East Haddam, Conn.
Twotopcoatsfor onepiece I give filler at least two days to clry, longerif necessary, before appiying a topcoat. If the piece smells of oil, wait. For this bookcase, I again reachecl fbr the SealCoat to be the body of the finish and applied it with a pad. you only need to go over the surface a few times
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n
For a Etossy surface. First sand away any dust nibs using, 60ilg,rit (CAMI)paper lubricated with water (top).Thenuse an automotive compound to rub the surface to an even shine before applying wax (above).
\
've
been making boxes for over 30 years. Indeecl, I've macle tl-tousandsof them and I l.rope to make a few thousand more in the years to come.
I can't cover clecadesof box-r.r-raking knowledge in a single article, but I can share some of the things I consiclerwhen designing a box-wood, corner joints, lid, bottom, feet, pr,rlls, and dividers.Armed with a few good options for each element, yoll'll have no trouble designing all sorts of beautiful boxes on youf own. Box making appealsto me for many reasons.I enjoy the processof design.And becauseboxes come together more quickly than many other woodworking projects,I have more opportllni6z
FrNE .lflooDwoRKrNG
ties to try new designs and learn new woodworking techniqr-res. Consider, too, that yoLl can make a box from bits of lumber left over fi'om larger projects, so wood costs are minimal. Not only can they be bear-rtifr-rlto look at-rnasterpieces in lniniatllre-but boxes are perfect for storing everything from jewelry to stamps, ancl keepsakes to odd change.
DougStowelivesin EurekaSprints,Ark.His latestbookandDVDis (Ihe BasicBoxMaking Taunton Press,2007)
Extra / Online Watcha video of Stowe resawingand mrteringwoodat FineWoodworking.com/extras.
Photos, except sJrere noted: Michael Pekovichr this page: Tom Begnal
i"p!,
Contrast adds interest Unlimiteddesign possibilitiesopen up when you vary the texture and color of the wood or introducecontrastingmaterials such as stone, metal,or fiber.
Mlxthewoods. Stowe often makes tie sides and top from two different woods,playint with the contrast in color and (1ain.
Vary the texture. Don't be afraid to explore differ- , +' ent textures. Knots, knotholes,and tive edges accentuate the natural look of the wood. Roug,h-carved surfaces encourage both lookint and touchinE. Rou(hsawn sides married to finished tops and bottoms create inter-
estint,visualconflicts.
Resawfor continuous grain I llke small boxesto havethin sides,in proportionwith the overallscale. Ratherthan runnlng stock through a thickness planer and wastlng a lot of beautlful wood, I get thlnner stock by resawing. Resawingalso means I can get all of the parts for a box fiom a single board,with matchlngglain at all four corners.
1. On the bandsaw,resaw stock to producea pair of book-matched halves.
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2. Openthe halvesto put the resawnsurfaces on the outside of the box. Cut at the dotted linesto createfour sides.
3. Thenmiterthe ends and assemblethe box as shownfor continuousgrainaroundall four sides.
MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
53
jointsearlyon Choose corner
Most corner-joint options are more than strong enough to hold together a relatively light box. And joints with minimal strength, like butt joints and miter joints, are easily reinforced.So, most timesnI base my choice of cornerjoint on appearanceratherthan strength. Splinedmiters add interest to the corners,especiallywhen the spllnes are made fiom a wood that contrasts with the box sides (left). A hidden,vertical splineworks well if you don't want to disturb the appearanceof the grain as it wraps aroundthe corners.lf the stock is thick enough,you can make the job a little easiel by substituting biscuitsfor splines(center). A more rustic appearancecan be had by addingdowel plns to a
SPLINED MITER Slot for spline
B I S C U I T EMDI T E R PINNED RABBET
lladitional
favorites
The classlc dovetall lolnt (left) never goes out of style. Feel fiee to vary the dovetail angle and spaclng to get the look you want. Flnger Joints (rlght) are also eye catching, and easy to make on the tablesaw uslng a shopmadecrosscut jig.
64
FINE
IiTOODNTORKING
Drawings: Stephen Hutchings
Don'toverlook thefeet
Rounded disk. A sing,tecountersunk screw driven throu(,h the bottom of the disk secures it to the corner of the box.
Cutaway sides. By cutting, away the bottom edge ofthe sides, tl,e boxeffectively ends up with four feet.
Add feet to a box and you immediately create a different look. Feet can be as unassumingas small, roundeddisks (top left). Youalso can make feet simply by cutting away some of the bottom edge of each side (bottom left), or mountingthe box to a mitered base fiame with the bottom edge cut away(top dght). Sometimes,to give a box a more balanced look, I make an oversizebottom (bottom dght) that gives the look of a continuousmoldingaroundthe perimeter. Generally,I simply roundoverthe edges of this base,and attach it with screws to the bottom edge ofthe sides. Oversize holesfor the screw shanks allow the baseto expandand contract in width due to seasonalchangesin humidity.Countersink the screw holesso they sit just below the surface.
ior'"1
..1 '" . ',1../
./ni
t,z
Cutaway base frame, CuttinS, away the bottomedgeof a baseframe also producesfeet.
Dividers andtrays addversatilitv .J
Some boxes becomemore usefulwhen you add dividersor trays. A box I make for holding stationery (left) has a slidingtray with three routed recessesfor stamps and paperclips, plus a grooveto hold a favoritewriting pen. My jewelry box (below left) has a fully dividedbottom with additionaldividersin a slidingtray. A keepsakebox (below dght) has a mix of six small and three large compartments.
It pays to plan. lf you?e buildin(, a box for a specific use, plan any dividers and trays early in the process. Their size,number, and location will have a lot to do with the ultimate size and shape of the box.
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MARCH/ApRrL2oo8
65
Lidchoices abound ?Iwepafilid. Stoweusedshop madewooden hingeshere. Thehingepins are brass,
Deslgn posslbllltles eoar when you start thlnklng about the lid. CholcesIncludetwGpart llds (top left), slldlng llds (center left) and rabbeted llftoff llds (bottom left). Lids can be made fiom a slngle piece of solld wood or some varlatlon of a fiame and panel. I commonly use an overlappingralsed panel that locks Into the sldes of the lld (below tlght). Space inslde the grooves allows room for wood movement caused by seasonal changes In humldlty. To allow that move ment, lt's lmportant not to glue the panel In place.
RAISEDPANEL
Sawn off.The top, bottom,and sides are assembled,then the lld ls cut off about7 in. below the top edge.
Slldlnt You open and close the top on this pencil box by slidint, it. Rabbeted llftoff. Gravity holds this lid in place.A rabbet around the undercide of the lid keeps lt centercd.
A pullcanpush theenvelope A welldeslgnedpull looksgood whllemaklnglt easlerto open a box.Shownherearesomeof myfavorltes.Thereare as many posslbllltlesas thoreale typos of b
66
FINE WOODITORKING
nrmed. Smaillatheturningsmake wondertil pulls.A singlebrass screwhordseachonein place.
l-shaped.This profile quietly invites the thumb and forefingers, and is good for heavier lids.
Fanshaped. Rounded ancl softened edges give this pull a clelicate look that works nicely with lightweight lids.
Hinges, fromhidden to handmade Slidingand rabbetedlift-off lids can become awkwardto use when boxesget around 12 in. square01bigger.At that size,I generallyfind that hingedlids work better. Dependingon the box design,there are severalhingetypes that I commonlyuse. Eachtype adds a distinctive look.
Wood. Shopmade hin€esadd to the handmade appeal.Theflat version (above) is screwed from the bottom. Wood pins secure an L-shapedhinge (right).
Specialty hinges A butt hinge (left) with a built-instop at 95o lets the lid tip back enoughto keep it from falling closed (www.brusso.com). Barbedhinges(below) slip into thin kerfs. They need no screws and are almost invisible (www. rockler .com).
Bent-wire. A single bent wire Sivesa unique look.This one is from Horton Erasses (www.h or to n -brasses.com ).
www. fi newoodworki
Flat. FIat stock doweled to a pair ofposts adds an Asian flavor. Scale the size up or down dependin{ on the box dimensions.
n g. com
Frcnt mounted. Mounted to the front of a hinged lid, the pull serves as a liftin{ point.
*
Live-edSe. The natural cur ve of a live edge works perfectly as a Iift for some boxes.
N , r A n c r { / A p n r2Lo o s
67
A singlejig tapersthe plies andthenguides onthe bandsaw the planer themthrough BY
Bent and split. Fortune sawed into the tops of these bent, tapered le$s to insert stretcfiers.
MICHAEL
C.
FORTUNE
ncorporating tapered, curved laminations in your furniture opens up an incredible range of designs. However, tapering the component after it has been If too many laminateclhas two disadvantages. gluelines are broken, then the part will begin to straighten.Also, the severedgluelines are likely to show as a seriesof ugly lines. A better way is to taper the individual plies, so that when they are glued together,both the inside and outside cllrves are continuous wood with no disfiguring gluelines. I have a jig that makes creating tapered plies a snap. It works not only to cut the tapered plies on the bandsaw,but also to clean them up on the planer.
Determine thedimensions oftheplies Nter creating a full-scale drawing of the piece, the first step is to figure out the number and thicknessof the plies. This is a balancing act: The bond between thick, culed plies with only a few gluelines might weaken, letting the part slowly straighten, a process known as "cold creep."Conversely,too many plies introducestoo much glue, increasingthe risk that the piece will contract or warp as it dries. As a guide, a 1-in.-thicklaminatedpart bent around a l2-in. radius should r\r comprise about 10 plies. Yor,r Mitered toferthcr. He should be able to bend the plies t made eachtegfromtwo around the form by handr if not. t pered, t laminatedparts make them thinner and add more. I 'When mitercdtogetheralong, I calculating the number of I thet length.A miterreinplies, start at the thin end of the finforceclwith,oosetenons ished part. maintaining a mjnirnum joins registo aprons. 68
FrNE N(/ooDwoRKrNG
li
thickness of 1Aein. at the tapered end of each ply.Any thinner and they may not survive being passedtfuough the planer. Then divide the thick end by the number of plies to get the maximum thicknessof each ply. I recommend making the plies l+ rn. wlder than the finished part, and 1 in. longer (measured along the outside of the lamination) at both ends, to allow for cleanup and final sizing.
Makethebandsa{planer taperiig
Gracelul chain Fortuneusedbent, taperedlaminationsfor the ,egsandstretchers of this armchair.
The dimensionsof the jig can be changed to suit the project. I've used these jigs for making tapered parts from I ft. to 1,4ft. long. Make the jig 2 in. longer at each end than the length of the plies.This 2-in. spaceaccommodatesend stopson the jig and any planer snipe. Make the jig wide enough to accommodateyour plies, but be aware that the width of the jig is limited by rhe resaw
TAPER T H EP L I E SF O RA C L E A NL O O K pliesbeforetheyaregluedintoa lamination, Bytaperingthe individual the taperedoutersurfacesremainsolidwith no visiblegluelines(left). lf youtaperthe pieceafterit hasbeenlaminated, youwill cutthrough the gluelines, spoilingthe appearance and potentially weakening the piece(right).
Tapered pty
Straight ply
Tapered pliescreate a tapered lamination with continuous grain on its face.
,'
,r-'
Slicingthrough ctraidhf
plies leaves gluelineo sn the face.
GOOD
Photos. except where
BAD
noted: Mark Schofield
MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
59
plies Makethetapered
I -
JIG B A N D S A WA N D P L A N E RT A P E R I N G Thickstop block dlr ra.i tn iid
Stop blocksare rabbeted;a spacebetweenthem and the runnersallowssawdustto escape.
T h i ns t o p b l o c k
G I u ej o i n t s Bed madefrom s o l i dw o o d , p l y w o o do,r M D F
Locatingbradsfor glue-up.Removethese beforeusinEthejig. Solid-wood runners 2 i n .- - \
z-2in.
Lenethneeded________________ F)=l
k/=]=_
capacity of your bandsaw.The jig is made up of three pieces: trvo solid-wood palallel runners (3/+in. thick is best) and an inclined solid-wood or pl1'wood bed that provides the taper. The three pieces should be jointed and planed as straightas possible. Two inches from each end of the runners, carefully measuredown from the top edge and mark ' I the thin dimension of the ply on one end and the thick dimension on the other. Draw a line connecting the two points. Align the top surface of the bed with this line and clamp the parts together without glue. Drive in two or more small finishing nails on each side so that they penetratethe bed by l/a in. Leavethe nail heads proud so they can be pr.rlledout later. Separatethe parts, apply glue, and reassemblethem, aligning the nails in the holes to stop the parts from sliding as clamps are applied. Removethe nails when the glue is dry. Positionthe end stopsso the blank,Llstslips in and or-rtbetween them. If more than one blank is involved, all must be cut to the same length. To keep sawdust from accumulatingand affecting the fit, the stops are rabbeted on the inside with space on either sitlc next to the rtrnners.
Setup the bandsaw andmaketapers R u n n e r sa r e p a r a l l eal n d waxedtop and bottom.
Make sure your bandsawis tr-rnedup and ready for resawing(see "Five Tips for Better Bandsawing,"FWW #I7r. Set the fence so that the blade is ln in. to the right of the jig and cutting paral-
Positionbed to provide the taperfor the plies.
BANDSAWING Stop bfocks secure the blank. On either end of the jiS, glue and clamp a stop btock.You should just be able to slip a piece of paper in between the blank ancl each stop block. To keep sets in order,mark a triangle on the stock beforebandsawing.
rr.rlrE
EErlf:!!:
I a I I.
70
FINE \(/OODNTORKING
I,
tl,vo sets of piies. After cuttin{, each tapered ply, joint the face, flip the blank end over end, and cut the next one. Note the simple Euide platformthatkeepsthe workpiece tevet.
PLANING
Run each ply thrcugh the planer. Glue a piece of veneer to one stop block (left), causingthe ply to bow upwardabout 1/8in. When pusheddown by the infeed rolter of the planer,this bow greatly reducesthe risk of the ply bein! pickedup and shredded by the planer knives.With straight-Erainedwood,feed the thick end of the ply into the planer first (above)so that the knivesare cutting downhilland not againstthe grain. V e n e e rc,u t f l u s h b e f o r ep l a n i n g
T h i c ke n d o f t a p e r F e e dd i r e c t i o n
) I
I
l c l t o t l r c l c ' n c r , .i l l x r t l t r r r r r n c l sr l o r ' r ' tc o n t l r c .ttl t c l c n r . r ' .l r l t l r r . ]ltr t l t l l e r - l r r r x i l i l r rlvt n c r ' . l J r i n g l r g L r i c l cl t l : r t f i r l n tr v i t l t l t s n l l l l ( . u t ( ) L l t l t l o r r n r tl l r c l r l l t c l t , L ltl () ) t l t c j i u : r n c li t t t i l c l i) 1 t o t l t t , l r : u t c l s l rtu: r l t l r . 'l l r i s c : r r rl r c c l o n r u i t l r c l o r r l t l e , s i c l ct,rrrl l - r ro. l u i t l t s c r c \ \ ' ss ( ' t i n t ( ) r r l r l o t ' l i o l u . o o c l c l r r n t P e ctlo t l t e e r l g c o l ' t l t c t r r l t l c .' l ' l r c l t l l r t l i r r . n t l r r ' l p st o s u l ) l ) ( ) r tt l r c l r l l r n l i u l t i l c i t i s c u l l i c r l I ) r t s tt i l e l r l r r c l c I. i o r . t l r i s l c r L s o n .t l t e t l t i c l i r - r c sos f t l t c l t l u t t i r r n t s l r o r r l c lu t r r t ( l l t l t i t t ( ) f ' 'fltc tlrc jig's rLlnncrs. g L t i c l cl t l u t l i r r u rs l t o t r l c lc _ x t c n cl lr c r . o n c lt l t e t l o n t u r r c ll r r r c ' loi f t l t c l t l r r c i cl r v r r l i t t l c o v c r .l l r l l ' t l t c l c n s t h o l ' t l r e l r l l n k . \ \ ' l t t . r -cr u t t i l t , qk r n g l t l i e s . t l t c e n r l s o l ' t l r c y t l l t l i r r - l n( . l l u r c s t o r - rt r cjlr r s t r r l t l cs t u n c l s , 'fhc t i l l . > c r t ( ll t l i c s l r l c c L l t f l 1 ) u t : r l r l u n l i o l s o l i c l u o o c l . I t i s r r goocl icltlr to cltru lt tt'ilut.qlr()n tltr tolt srrr'1'lrcc of tltc ltllnli to liccp thc llrnrrrlrtrs in orrlrr. 'l'hc b l r r n l i n t r r s tl t c f 1 i 1 ' l p c c nl c l - l i r r - c n rtl , r r c . itri n t c r r t u p c r . c cpl l v rs cr.rtlrn'u\'.If nJ'u' nill llrvc nrolc lncl tnolc nclrk cr.oss-gr-:rrn. -[hc lrl:rnk shor-rlc] bc u'iclc cnnur-cl\r()Lls() the blenli is less ir-rcll-recl to slil-roff. Attet'elclt puss. lightlr, joint
I ) r i l \ \ i n g s : . l i r ) r l l i ( l l c \ i f L l i l l i t u r c l ) l t ( ) f t ) s( ) n I ) l ) ( ) S ( ) ( ) :c o u r l c s t o l \ l i L . l L r e l( . [ , o r r L i l t (
,r.
l,
One board, two sets of plies. Afterplanin( the plies,use the triangle drawn on the original blank to stack the two groups in their correct sequencefor {rain-matchedlaminations.
\1.\li( ll
\1'l(ll-
l0()fi
7I
Glue-up A FORM TO SIMPLIFY LAMINATING Apply wax to any surface glue may contact.
A form that allows easy clamping and preventsthe pliesflom slidingout of positionwill reduce a lot of stress when racing against the clock to clamp a lamination, Applyclear packing tape to the main contactsurface.
Battens keep p l i e sa l i g n e d .
Formmadefrom sectionsof particleboardor MDFgluedtogether
the bandsawn face of the blank, then flip it end-for-end so the triangle is pointing down, reinsert it in the jig, and cut another taper.Pile the tapered plies in these two groups accordingto the triangle marks as they come off the bandsaw.
Shimthe pliesandrunthemthroughthe planer The bandsaw leaves surfaces too rough for making tight glue joints,so you'll need to plane thesesurfacessmooth.GIue a piece of veneer or thick card to the face of the thicker end stop on the fig. Vhen inserted, the plies should bow up al>outle in. at the center point. The infeed roller on the planer will press the bow flat, which in turn will jam the ply againstthe end stops,greatly reducing or eliminating shredding. The l/la-in. gap you set between the jig and the bandsaw blade will provide enough material to plane before yoll get down to the tops ol the jig's runners. Install a ply in the jig, bandsawn face r.rp.The thick end of the ply usually enters the planer first so that the grain slopes away from the rotating planer knives, reducing tearout.The exception is plies with crooked grain, so examine the grain first. Run the sled through the planer, carefully lowering the clltterhead until it begins clltting the taper.One passmight do it, but be calltiousabout taking off too much materialat once. Also, be certain that the plies retain their desiredthickness.
A betterformforbending '",,,,,nFor all my laminatingand steam-bending,I use a one-piece"male" bending form (the plies are bent over the form rather than into a concave
Apply the tlue. With a timitecl open time, it is important to apply the glue quickly. Tapethe plies to a piece of cardboard and use a metal spreader with a serrated edEieto apply an even coat of glue.
'".{ .:4:. f : ';ili
'lf i'l
Clamp frcm one end, Place the plies and the packing, strps on the form, and keep them parallel by clamping them to a batten (above).Then be{,in ctamping,them to the body of the form, workint, from one end to the other (right).
72
FrNE \(/ooD\roRKrNG
tolnt one ed1le.Run the eclgethatwas scrapedacrossfhe jointer.
Saw salelytowtdtlr. Using,a bandsawto ilp the lamination to width is safer than using,a tablesaw and riskin(, kickback.
) , : \ . . \'i, $i.,;.1'.
i' ,.
t ^ . , t' r , '
Clean upthe squeezeout Usea paintscrapel to removethe hard glue that hassqueezed out from betweenthe plies.
;\-''" \\
ili..',,'l ..:,1
.\
form) made from particleboard or medium-density fiberboard. The shape is bandsawn and the inside curve runs parallel to the outside so the clamps won't slip off. Attach battens long enough to guide the unclamped plies as they are brought around the form. The form's surface should be smooth and true. you can either remove the bandsaw marks with a stationary disk or belt sander, or surfacethe face with a 7e-in.-thicklayer of Masonite,taking into account the extra thickness when designing the form. Cover the surface with packing tape, and apply paste wax to all the other parts of the form to resist glue adhesion.
youapplyglue,doa dryrun Before Pressure radiates from a clamp's pad at about a 45 angle. To achieve uniform pressure but avoid having clamps placed almost next to each otheq you need to position the clamp pads farther away from the workpiece so that the cones of pressure overlap. I use at least a 1-in.-thick stack of padding strips made from 7e-in.thick plywood, and apply packing tape to the face of the strip in contact with the plies. For most woods I use ureaformaldehyde glue. Its rigidity and lack of cold creep make it ideal for laminations. I always do a dry-clamping run and time it to ensure I am within the adhesive,s open time of about 30 minutes, depending on temperature.I use a metal mastic spreader withlhz-in. curved notches stamped along www. finewoodwork i n g. com
Plane to thlcknees. Runthe lamination throughthe planerto rcmovethe bandsaw marksanclbring,the laminationto flnal thickness.Trimthe endson a miter saw usinga jig,,or on the tablesawusinga sled.
the edge (Hyde Co., part No. 19120;www.hydetools.com).The notches deposit the perfect amount of glue (for veneer work, too), and the spreader is easy to clean with a damp cloth. Tape the ends of the plies down to a piece of cardboard on a bench, paying attention to the triangle mark sequence. Leave aside the top piece, which isn't glued. Pour the glue onto rhe plies and spread it with the notched spreader.Draw the glue down the length of the plies to avoid forcing it between them. On oily tropical woods I use an epoxy, applying the glue to both sides of each laminate. After gluing one face using the above procedure, I take the strips off the cardboard one at a time and glue the second side with a 2-in.-wide piece of spreader. Gather the plies and the packing strips together and move the entire assembly to the form. Starting at one end, clamp the lamination to the batten, then clamp it to the form, and then repeat these steps until you reach the far end, alternating clamps front and back of the form. Let the lamination dry overnight. Remove the dried glue from one face with a paint scraper, run that face across the jointer, and then finish the cleanup as shown in the photos above. You are now ready to use my mortising jig (see pp. 74-75) to do the joinery on these curved parts. ! MichaelC.Fortuneis a nationally recognized woodworker who lives nearPeterborou 0 nt., Canad a. th, MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
73
Tiy This VersattleMortisingJig clamPing Anadaptable surfaceholdscurvedand straightpartsalike BY
MIGHAET
C.
Jeitt;.t l.rr3 :iE;lg Clamp the piece to the iiE. Center the mortise in the viewing port and tighten the hold-down clamqs. lf more than one Piece is being,cut, a stop block aiclsrepeatabilitY.
FORIUNE
ne of the challenges when working with curved parts is how to cut ioinery on them. \0hen tapering solid stock, it's best to cut the ioinery before cutting the taper, but this is not possible with laminated work, such as the bent, tapered laminations described in the previous article (pp. 68-73).A few years back, I createda simple jig that enablesme to cut mortises in a variety of curved pieces. I've since discovered that the iig works equally well when mortising straight pieces, or cutting mortisesin end grain. The iig consistsof a mounting block, a fixed vertical piece, and a sliding top surface.The mounting block is secured to the front edge of a workbench berween fwo benchdogs.AlternativelY,it can be screwed to a longer Piece of pllvood that is clamPedto the top of the workbench. It is important that the dadoes in the top surface and the mounting block are in matching Iocations to receivethe 3/<-in.-thickultrahigh molecular weight (UHMtIf) plastic slide bars. The plastic and other hardware is available at www.rockler.com' Lay out the mortise on the workpiece and then clamp it to the front vertical surface of the ;ig, touching the underside of the top' Now slide the top forward until the mortise is centered in the large viewing slot. Eyeballingit is sufficient,as once set up, the lig will cut matching parts identically. Now place the router on the jig and lower the bit until it iust tor.rchesone end of the mortise.Slidethe adjustablestop up to the base (round or square) of the router and tighten the wing nut. Repeatthese steps at the other end. Although you can use any straight bit, I use fwo-flute (three- or four-flute bits won't plunge) high-speed end mills available at www.wttool.com. Yott will need to buy a collet adapter for the 3/e-io. dia. shaft. The bits work perfectly at t2,000-20,000 rpm. I plunge in a maximum 7/ain. and do a medium-fast pass from side to side, not hesitating at the ends. The bit's spiral upcut design clears the chips from the mortise and a vacuum attached to the router removes tnem.
tr
Viewport, 3/4in. wide b y6 i n . l o n g
Five-starknob Top,plywood,7z in. t h i c kb y 1 0 i n . w i d e by 12 in. long
G u i d eU , HMW plastic,74in. sq. bY 3Yzin. long,screwed to mountingblock
Stop,plywood, Yzin. thick by 6 i n . l o n g ,s a m e width as the routerbase
@ lD
g E
M o u n t i n gb l o c k , hardwood,1% in. thick b y 3 l z i n . w i d eb y 1 2 i n . long,routedto receive two plasticguides
H
t
I
0
c .i
Carriagebolt,%o in.
The holeson the back to side are counterbored leavethe T-nutsslightly belowthe surface.
Canada' nearPeterborough,1nt., isa woodworker C.Fortune Michaet 74
FiNE .lrooDrJroRKING
Photos: Michael Fortune; facing page (bottom right): Steve Scott; drawings: Jim Richey
Adjust front to back and side to side. Slide fhe top so the view port is centered on the mortise (above).With the router bit just touching one end of the mortise (ilEht), move the slide until it touches the router base and tig,htenthe wing,nut. G u i d er a i l sa n d s t o p sa r e rabbetedto avoidtrapping s a w d u sw t h i l er o u t i n g . Slot,V+in. wide b y2 i n . l o n g
t)Js"rji"ie 'J itit;1a On straight pieces. With the workpiece securc and the jig aligned, use a straig,htcutting bit to excavate the mortise, increasing the depth l/e in. with each pass. You can either square up the moh tise with a cfrise, or use a rounded loose tenon.
G u i d er a i l s , lz in. thick by 1 in. wide by12 in.long
,
o Hold-down cramps
@r*
\f
Verticalclampingsurface, birchplywood,% in. thick by 8 Y zi n . w i d eb y 1 2 i n . l o n g , g l u e dt o m o u n t i n gb l o c k
www. fi newoodwork i n g. com
% a - i nh. o l e s , s p a c e d1 Y 2i n . apart tnto end grain. Theji{, is flexible enough to allow end-g,rainmortises to be cut, such as for slip tenons.
Curved pieces, too. Theji!, allows clean, accurate mortises to be cut on all sorts of curved pieces.
MARCH/APRIL2OO8
/>
MF'-Y T r\ ',\ r \,rf\,,1.., t\
r\'
\\ \\
ilt
on a SlerghBed Curvedslatsandsimplecarving makethis bedstandoutfromthe crowd BY
CHARLES
n I776, my great-great-great-grandfather (great-grandfatherof the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Sl-rackleton) started the Anna Liffey flour mill on the banks of the river Liffey near Dublin, h'eland. After I emigratedto Vermont in 1981 and starteda handmadefurniture business, I enjoyed returning to visit relativeswho still lived in the old mill house.In their dininp;room, I spotted some beautifr.rlchairs. Known as Irish fork-backsbecauseof their 76
FINE wooD\iloRKrNC
SHACKLETON
X-shaped back slats, these chairs were a wonderful combination of simpliciry and sophistication.I thought that with a few changestheir classicdesigncould translate into more contemporalypieces. The chair I designed was very popr-rlar with customers,who requestedother pieces like it, spawning a family of furniture I call the Anna Liffey range. This bed is a member of that grollp. Besides the X shapes,the bed has another subtle design
A desitn with lrish ancesfiy.The Xslraped srats were inspired by old chairs Shackleton found in lreland. He uF dated the look and incorporated it into beds. tab,es. and chairs like this one.
Photos. except rvhere noted: Mark Schofield;
this pagc: Michael
Pekovicll
takeshape
element, simple hand-carved cuds on the ends of the legs, a whimsical trademark of my work. Making the bed requires a nice combination of machine work and handwork. To simplify the steps, I'll demonstrateseveralhandy jigs and templates. I prefer cherry for this bed because of its attractive color and grain, but walnut, maple, or mahogany would work as well.
Lay out tfie fegfs.Useplywood templatesto lay out the regison the 2-in.-thickcherry.
Thefourlegsarethefoundation Begin by creating templates for the legs on pieces of 7a-in.thick plywood. This will simplify laying out the legs on rhe t0/4 cherry, which has been flattened and milled to 2 in. thick. Try to get all four legs from the same board to keep color and grain uniform. If the board is at least 7 in. wide, it can be just over 8 ft. long. Cut out the legs on a bandsaw. Next, use the leg templates to lay out the mortises for the side rails and the lower cross rails, and then cut them using a router, a drill press,or a hollow-chisel mortiser. Remove the bandsaw marks on the curved parts of the legs using a bench plane, a compass plane, a spokeshave,or just sandpaper Lay out and then carve the curl on the outside of each lee. All the other
Mofiise the fegfs, Usea hollowchiselmortiser,a router,or a drill p/ess.
Garvea soft eurl in 4 steps
1. Layout the curl.Designthe templateto matchthe sweepof the gougesyouown,and thentransferthe designto the leg. 2. Carvethe curl.Aftermakingverticalcuts aroundthe curl,comein ffom the sideto relievethe design. 3. Roundthe edges.Usean invertedcarving gougeto roundoverthe outsideedgeof the leg and the sharpedgesof the curl. 4. Cleanup with sandpaper. lt's a personal choicewhetheryouwantto leavethe curl smoothof still showingthe facetsleft by the gouges.
www. finewoodworkin g.com
MARCH/APRIL
2OO8
77
BED QUEEN-SIZE Themanycurvesmeanthat you'll requirea considerable amount of woodto buildthis bed,but the finishedresulthasa delicate lookthat is light on its feet.
7e-in.-dia.dowels L-bracket
13 headboardX slats; each blankis 172in. thick by 315/te in. wide by 21 in. rong.
Lowerheadboardcross rail, 1slsin. thick by 572in. wide by 62Vzin. long,including tenons Centersupport stretcher.3/4in. thick by 1 in. wide by 61 in, long;two side pieces,o%in. thick by 7lz in. wide by 61 in. long,taperedat ends
14 footboardX slats; each blankis llt in. thick by 33lein. wide by 17 in. long Headboardleg, 2 in. thick by 48 in. long
Side rails,1% in. thick by 5Yzin. wide by 82 in. long, includingtenons
rlT|ETT KING.SIZE BEDDlMENSIONS All of the dimensionsfor the queen-slze bed remalnthe sameexceptfor the following: Thenumber of headboard X slatsincreases to 17 andfootboard to 18. Thegapbetween each X is 1elrein. on the headboard and2 in, on the footboard. Thecrossrailsare79lz in. long;the centersupportstretchersare78lz in. long.
Footboardleg,2 in. thick by 34 in. long
Lowerfootboardcross rail, 7s/ein. thick by 5Yzin. wide by 62Vz in. long,includingtenons, % i n . t h i c kb y 2 i n . wide by 1 in. long
S P A C I N GT H E X . S H A P E DS L A T S Toensureprecisespacingof the slatsand the dowels,usea thin templateto maintainaccufatelayoutand work outwardfrom the centerlineof the bed.
HEADBOARD (13slats)
78
FINE II(/OOD'VTORKING
FOOTBOARD (14slats)
LVrc in:
Dmwingsr Bob La Pointe
L E GC U R L
Uppercross rails, 1Vzin. thick by 2Yt in. wide by 60% in. long
Feel free to change the geometry slightly to match your carving gouges.
uppercrossrarl '4.-in.reveal
TEMPLATES Positionof X slat
HEADBOARD LEG Scale lsquAre=1in.
FOOTBOARD LEG Recessfor bed-boltnut
Positionof uppercross rail
Position of X slat
\e0 )
Bed-boltcover LOWer CrOSSrail mortise, % in. thick by 2 in. wide by 1Y8in. deep
X . S L A TT E M P L A T E S The headboardslats are longer and wider than the footboard ones.
Lowercrossi . rail mortisei ,.9/o.in. thiekby r 2 i n . w i d eb y :1YB'ln;deep
Flaton legs for rail connection
22!c in.
Side-railmortise, % in. thick by 2 in. wide by 1Vein. deep, centeredon the leg
2OVzin.
!4%in.,
-lrin.!FOOTBOARD www. fi newoodworki n g. com
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HEADBOARD MARCH/APRIL
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79
Make theXslats A JIG FORANGLED HOLES Thepurposeof thisjig is to drill dowelholesinto the endsof the X-slatblanksat 8o.tomatchthe ' angleat whichthe slatsmeetthe crossrails.Becausethe headboard Xs are widerthan the footboard ones,an insertis placedin the jig whendrillingthe footboardXs. a Edgeguides attach to L-fence
Cleat Drill-press table, angled vertically
v
6t/e in.
Ve-in.-thick plywood back' Edge-guide spacers
L. Hold slat to ri4ht side of jig and drill.
SLUte in.
Bolt to table. Backer blockcut at an 8o angle
S I D EV I E W
corners receive a7/a-in.roundover; the bottom of the leg gets a V+-in.roundover. Last, sand the legs to P320-grit.This may seem excessive,but because I use a linseed-oil finish, it minimizes blotching on cherry.
Insertfor drilling footboardslat blank
2. S,ide s/at to left and drill secondhole.
Preclslon drllilnll, lf you lay out the railscarefully,and buildan accurate jig,for drillingtheslats,the dowelswill Iineup pertecily.
SHAPE THEX SLATS
Bandsawn andbeaded, theXsare dynamlc andattractive It mayseem a complication to have differentsize Xs for the headboard and footboard, but this keeps the two sections in visual harmony because the headboard is taller. rU(hetheryou are making a king- or queensize bed, make a couple of extra blanks for both the headboard and the footboard X in case you damage one. Before you start, build the first of three simple jigs. This one (see drawing, above) bolts to a drill-press table tilted vertically and is used to drill holes at an 89 angle into the ends of the X blanks to receive the r/q-in.-dia. dowels. The jig is used with an insert when drilling each narrower footboard X, and without it for the wider headboard X. Cut the blanks for the footboard and headboard Xs to their widths and thicknesses,but leave them about 1 in. long. On a miter saw or tablesaw,cut one end of 80
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Curue the atats. Cut the curvedside profileof the slatson the bandsaw (left).ThenbandsawtheX designon eachof the srats(above).
Beadlnll by ro.rleh Simplejigs attachedto a router baseallow you to beadthe )G quickly ancl cleanly.
Rails takeshape Shape the ooss rat s. After drillingforthe X-srat joinery, profile the top of the uppercrossrails using a tJn.4la. roundoverblt ln a routertable;
Dowek connect rallsto legs, too. Drlll g/*ln.4ia. holesln each endof the uppercross rails (eft). lnsert dowelcenter poin|6(above), and usetheseto markthe locatlon of the holesln the legfs(below). each blank at an 8" angle and then, using a stop block to achieve uniform lengths, cut the same angle on the other end, Before drilling the holes, I lay out the curve on a side of each blank and then make sure that the concave side of the curve is always facing the inside of the jig. This ensures that the pair of Vz-in.-deep holes in each end are angled the correct way. Now cut the side profile on the bandsaw and clean up the surface using a compass plane or a sander. Lay out the X profile and cut it on the bandsaw, using a spokeshave to smooth the outsides and a chisel or sandpaper to work the insides. There are a number of ways to bead each X: You can use a beading tool such as one made by Lie-Nielsen; you can make your own scratch stock; or you can use a lAe-in. beading bit in a router attached to a jig (see photo, facing page). Even though you'll need two jigs to match the different profiles for the two groups of Xs, they are simple to make and the beading is done quickly and cleanly. The footboard Xs are beaded on both sides, but the headboard is beaded only on the convex side that faces the bed's interior. Use a chisel to cut a r/s-in. chamfer on the V sections at the end of each X. Finally, sand all the pieces delicately to P320-grit.
Thesideandcrossrailscomenext Mill the wood to 1y4-in.thickness and rhen cut the side rails to length and width. Cut www. finewoodwork i n g. com
1. Dry-fitby puttingsome of the X slats into both railsand clampingthe assembly. 2, Placedowelcenter ooints into the drilledholeson the upperrail.
3. Markthe locationson the legbyplacingit ontothe lower railtenonandpressingit into the dowelcenterpoints.
Driil the holestn the leg at the drlll press.
M A R C H / A P R T L2 o o 8
81-
Drillforthebedbolts
Markthe spot. Attach the legto the side rail, place the bolt in the hole drilled in the le(,,and use a mallet to mark where to drill the rail.
Counterbore ffrst Use a !-in.-dia. Forstner bit to create a hole big, enough for the head of the bed bolt and the wrench used to tighten it. Followthrouth with a bit the diameter of the bolt and complete the hole.
and dry-fit tenons on each end, and put a 7e-in. roundover on the long edges. For the lower cross rails, mill the wood b tt/8 in. thick and cut them to length. Next, cut the tenons,using a tablesawor a router. Finally, give the long edges a ls-Ln. roundover and sand to P320-grit. Before the next step, cut the upper cross rails to width and the same length as the lower cross rails minus their tenons. Don't shape the top of the upper rails yet. Dritling holes for the Xs-The Xs are joined to the upper and lower cross rails with dowels, so the next step is to use a template to mark the location and then drill the holes. Use the plans on pp.78-79 to make a thin layout template, and spacethe Xs along the top of the lower cross rail and then along the matching underside of the upper crossrail. Mark off the center of each hole using an awl and then drrll eachlA-in.dia. hole to just over 3/ein. deep. Shaping the upper cross rails-After drilling holes on the underside, shape the top sides of these two pieces using a 1-in. roundover bit on the router table or by taking severalpasseson the tablesaw with the blade at different angles.Then plane by 82
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hand to the desired rounded shape. Even though I sand lightly with P320-grit paper after planing, I leave the subtle lines where the handplane has done its work. It leaves a rippled surfacethat your fingerswill reach out to touch each time you pass the bed. Bed bolts connect the side rails to the legs-Traditional square-headedbed bolts (www.horton-brasses.com; www.wood worker.com), combined with small tenons, are the best way to connect the legs and the side rails, creating a strong joint that can be disassembledto move the bed. The side-rail and cross-rail tenons are offset so the bolt can pass berween them. On a drill press, use a Forstner bit to drill a hole 1 in. dia. by t/t in. deep. Complete the hole by drilling through the leg with aihe-in. bit. Dry-fit the leg to the side rail, place the bed bolt in the hole, and use a mallet to imprint the point of the bolt on the end of the rail. Transfer this location along the inside of the rail, calculate the point the tip of the bolt will reach in the nil, and then use the 1-in. Forstner bit to drtll a rsAe-in-deep hole at this location. Using the jhe-in. bit, drill a hole in from the end of the rail from the point marked
Drlll down the llne. Usecarefullayoutto clrill a holeon the insideof the siderail wherethe nut will be located;then sigft downthe layout lineto drill in from the end of the siderail and break into the first hole. by the bolt, following the line drawn on the inside of the rail, until you break into the l-in.-dia. hole. Last,on the side of this hole in the rail nearestthe end, createa fTat spot for the bed bolt's nut to bear against. Test-fit by connecting the leg to the rail.
Dry-assemble beforeusingglue Ifith up to 18 Xs and 72 dowels, assembling the head- and footboards requires a dry run and several pairs of hands. Beginning with the headboard, clamp the lower crossrail in a bench vise or onto the benchtop, and dry-assemblewith an X at each end and one or two in the middle using 3/+-rn.-Iongdowels. '],3/s Drill rwo 3/s-in.-dla.holes about in. deep in each end of the upper cross rail. Place dowel centers in the holes, put the rail on the Xs, attach the legs, and transfer the dowel points onto them. Remove the legs and drill 13la-in.-deep holes.
Assemble andfinish
- : i -
Assernble with help. You'llneed a secondpair of hands when attachin1 the upper cross rail and aligning all the dowels with the slats (teft). When you are gluin(, the cross raits to the s/ats, attach the iegsto keep the railsali(ned but don't g,tuethem at this time (above).After the rait and slat assemb/y has dried, remove the legs,apply !,lue, and ctamp in place.
]t After a final clry mn with all the Xs in place, gh-rethe clorl,'elsinto both cross rails ancl :lttach the Xs. Apply glue to the clowel holcs in cach X as yoll attach it. Fit ltut clcr not glue the legs, ancl apply plenty of long clamps l>etween tl-reupper ancl lower cross r:rils. Let the hcaclboarcl ch-yover.night ancl then rc'peat u'itli the firotlt<;ar-cl. Final assembly and finishing-\Xritl-r the clantps fl'om the prcvious step ()ut of the way, y()u clln n()w glue ancl clamp the rwo pairs of legs to their heacl- ancl fitcttltoarcls lrsing the tenons on the l
tr
CharlesShackleton ownsa furniture-making business in Bridgewater,Vt. www. fi newoodwork
i ng. com
kr '' | .:-,
Extr# | .}nl,ine Shackletonwipeson a coat of
b o i l e dl i n s e e do i l t o b r i n go u t t h e warmglowof the cherry.Fora step-by-step finishingrecipe,go to - FineWoodworking,com/extras.
@rsgallery I G A R R E T TH A C K I
Thetford Center.Vt.
Thistable,called"Takin'a Shine"because a small of itsfinesilverfeet,features drawer withina drawer, andsideaprons thatdeepen fromfrontto back.Hack usedthreetypesof ebony-Macassar, withbird's-eye Laos,andGabon-along burl,cherry maple,rosewood, amboyna Hefinished aspen,holly,andmahogany. thepiece(17 in,deepby23 in,wideby 29r/zin.tall)withshellacandvarnish. P H 0 T 0B : I L LT R U S L 0 W
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# J O H NG L E N D T N N T N G ff
M o n t r e a lQ , u € . ,C a n a d a
Glendinning madethiswalnut vessel(7 in.deepby L7L/zin. wideby8% in.tall)froma treedestinedfor thefirewood pile,milling thelumber himself on a chainsaw mill.Hesteambentthesegments, andthen coopered thembeforeassembling andshaping thevesselbyhand. Thebowlhasan oil finish.
84
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ReadersGalleryprovidesdesign inspirationby showcasingthe work of our readers.Forconsideration, send entry forms (availableat www. finewoodworking.com) and photos (unaltereddigital images,prints with negatives,or slides)to Readers Gaffery,FineWoodworking,63 S. Main St., Newtown,CT06470. lf you want materialsreturned,you must includea self-addressedenvelope with appropriatepostage.
WILLIAM N. MOORE St. Augustine. Fla. - Moorecreated thislowbov fromtheJohnTownsend 0riginal intheMetropolitan Museum ofArtin New YorkCity.Because heis a hobbyist woodworker, hesayshehastheluxury ofworking on projects "onlywhenthespiritmoves" him,sothepiece tookaboutfiveyears t0 make. Theprimary wood (used iswalnut, withsecondary woodsof cherry parts)andpoplar. forthedrawer Thecheststands 2 1 i n .d e e pb y3 7 1 /izn .w i d eb y3 6 i n .t a l la n di s finished withhand-rubbed tungoil.
ANDREW MAISEL M i s s o u l aM , ont. T h i st a l lS h a k ecru p b o a (r 1 d 6i n .d e e pb y6 6 i n .w i d e piecebuiltin by102in.tall)wasinspired bya Shaker Massachusetts around1840.Maisel madeit entirely from solidwood,usingchenyfortheexterior andbirchandpoplar pullsareebonized, fortheinterior. Thecherry drawer andthe f i n i s hi so i la n dw a x .
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MARK BRATTON V i s a l i aC. a l i f . Bratton builtthisjewelry box(17 in.deepby17 in.wideby giftforhiswife.Hedesigned 43la in.tall)asa Christmas the (3 in.sq.by boxaround a smallpieceof Macassar ebony 14 in.long)thathadbeenkicking around hisshopforsome time.Bratton resawed theebony into%-in.boards to glueinto Therestoftheboxis a panel. Australian silkyoak,and thecorner blocks are redwood burl. Thefinish iswipe-on polyurethane an0wax. -
n u s .f incw ooclu,ork in g. ct>nr
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85
nued rcadersgallery..n, I J A S O NK L A G E R f
PrinceGeorge,B.C.,Canada
pear,andimbuya (14 in.deep cabinet-on-stand Thisrosewood, frontanda by26 in.wideby44 in.tall)hasa slightlyconcave The convex backandsides,withcurvedglassandpearpanels. cabinetopenson bothsides,andthepieceis finished doweled spirits, tungoil,andWaterlox of equalpartsmineral witha mixture T:N G A B osR uG zANNE O r i g i n aPl ,H o T o
j,'',]'* I ffif,], Because a room,Reitendesigned a largedeskcanoverpower thisone(28 in.deepby76 in.wideby29 in.tall)to havea lighterfeel.Heraisedthe look.These drawerbankandaddednegative spaceaboveit,givingthelegsa moreslender and bubinga elements combine sothedeskcan"sit in a roomwithouttakingit overl'The withanoillvarnish mix,as isthewalnutchair. curlymapledeskis finished
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FINE \7OOD\TORKING
C R A F T S M A N 'C SH A L L E N G E Since 2OO5,VeneerTechnologies Inc. has held a juried competitionto recognizeexcellencein woodwork that features veneer.The pieces shown here are a few of the 2007 award winners. To enter this year's competition, go to www.veneertech.com/cha.llenge.
qqilmlmiil
TRISH McGULLOGH Toronto, Ont.,Canada H O N O R A BM LE ENTION
PAULSCHURCH SantaBarbara, Calif. GRANDPRIZEWINNER
Withdecades ofmarquetry under hisbelt,Schiirch saidthatthisbuffet (24Vzin. deepby78in.wideby40 in.tall)wasa piece ofcake, including creating thebow-front shape. Thebigchallenge wasworking withthe pearveneeni, unstable hesaid.Schtirch usedmahogany forthecase, Nigeriansatinwood fortheribbon inlay, walnut burlfortheborders, andtulipwood banding. A lapislazuli tackinlaidintothefrontleftfoot"holds" theflowing pH0T0: ribbon inplace. Thefinishisconversion varnish. wAyNE MccALL
Mc0ulloch callsthispiecea "modernhopechest" because it combines thetraditional formwith moderndesign, materials, andtechniques. The interior walnutchestis a traditional frame-and-panel construction finished withoil,whiletheexterior shell plywood is moldedcurly-maple witha lacquer finish. Thebottomis unfinished aromatic cedar. Thechest is 20 in.deepby44 in.wideby 16 in.tall.
D O NG R E E N D e l h i ,N . Y . HONORABLE MENTION Greendesigned thischestof drawersto havea modern look,buthisconstruction methods weretraditional. He hand-cut allthedovetails and usedmortise-and-tenon and joinery. half-lap Thestandis ebonized mahogany, andthe chestis sapeleandmaple. Thepiece,finished with lacquer, is 21 in.deepby 34 in.wideby72 in.tall.
www.finewoodworki n g.com
KENTTOWNSEND S a l i d a ,C o l o . HONORABLE MENTION Townsend estimatesit took500 hoursto makethisRuhlmann-inspired sideboard (22 in.deepby60 in.wideby31 in.tall). Hesetoutto makea difficultpiecebecause he enjoyscomplicated work;it forcesa high levelof involvement withhiswoodworking. Thepieceis Macassar ebony,withpearwood usedin thedrawers. Thefinishis lacquer.
MARCH/APRTL 2oo8
87
0&A s-I'-7,--a
'Over thetop'panelshaping acquired a 5-hp,lr/t-ln,spindle shaper. I Q: I recently panels intendto makea setof raised onit usinga very latgecuttinghead,andI amconcerned ls it aboutsafety. acceptable to mountthe cuttersothat the headis above theworkandlowereddownto makethe cut? -STEVE ctAZl ER. Wlnston-Salem. N.G. A: r s MUCHSAFERtN GENERAL ro run the cuner below the table because of the reduced exposure. However, if the finished stock must be a critical thickness, such as a panel edge to fit snugly into the groove in a frame, mounting the cutter above the table is more efficient. By setting the correct distance between the cutter and the table, you guarantee that the thickness of all the panels will be uniform. Unlike router bits, shaper cutters can be installed face up or face down and the rotation can be reversed. Panel cutters are designed to run face down with a typical right-toJeft feed (or face up, under the panel, from left to right with the rotation reversed). For above-the-panel shaping, start by mounting a stock Lexan guard with a center bearing over the cutter. Do not mount a plywood disk or a piece of Lexan or Plexiglas with a hole cut into it directly on top of the cutter. Doing so would turn what was intended to be a guard into a spinning weapon. I also use a shopmade hold-down that presses the panel flat against the table. There should be enough downward pressure to keep the panel from lifting, but not enough to make it hard to push the panel through. Remember that with the cutter mounted above, catastrophic consequences can occur if the panel should lift up from the table. For a large, raised-panel cutter, I run the shaper somewhere around 4,000 rpm. I ride my panels on an auxiliary table that has a small clearance around the cutter to prevent the panel from dipping into the table opening. Back up the stock with a push board. Start by shaping an end-grain side and go around the piece counterclockwise. That way, your final pass will be along the face grain, reducing the likelihood of blowing out the corner details. One final safety rule: As with all power-tool operations, if you don't feel comfortable doing this task, don't do it. Period. -Steue latta is a cofirtbuilng editor.
Do you havea questionyou'dlike us to considerfor the column?Send it to Q&A,FineWoodworking,,6S S. Main St., Newtown,CT06470, or [email protected]. 90
FrNE\irooD\roRKrNG
Don't shape wfthout the proper guarcl,The bearing,on this Lexan guardkeepslt from splnnlng,with the cutter.A spinning, euardcan cut or burnyou seriously, S H O P M A D EH O L D . D O W N IS CRUCIAL Makethe hold-down from plywoodby drillingand cutting alternatingspringcuts.Clampthe holddownwith a spacerblock between it and the fence to clear the shaper blt and avoid tilting the workpiece.
Safety first Withthe hold4ownagainstthe fenceand a pieceof sc/ap servingfas a pushblock,your handsstayfar frcm the cutter.lt is safer andyou'll geta cleanercutby making,severa,slrarrowpasses.
Photos, this page: SteveLatta; drawings: John Tetreault
Q&Acontinued
blades spokeshave Sharpening Q: I'm havlng troublesharpenlng myspokeshave blades.Ihe blade frommywooden shavels thewrong shapefor my and sharyenlngllg, fiom my the blade metalshave ls too shortfor lt.Any advlce?
A: rxrnelne SHARPENING
metxoosfor both typesof blade desoite
their unusual sizes and shapes. The drawknife-like blade of a wooden' shave has two built-in sharpening aids, the tangs on its sides. Holding both of them, work the back of the blade on a stone. A perfectly flat back isn't critical; in fact, a very small back bevel strength- M I K E M c D 0 N A L D , ens the edge and gives a little added control coming out of a cut. Belfast.Maine The exact bevel angle isn't critical either (around 20o is fine), but it should be a consistent angle. To achieve this, rest the blade in a shallow "V" groove in a scrap block. Hold one tang, and slide a sharpening stone across the bevel. The short blade of a high-angle, castiron spokeshave is sharpened as you would any plane blade-at a 25obevel, with a flat back. Put a slight curye on the edge if you want to use the shave for smoothing. To use a sharpening jig, tape the blade to the end of a standard plane iron-or to a 1/s-in.-thickscrap of wood that's the same size as one. The idea is to "lengthen" the blade so it fits in the jig. Then you can sharpen it as you would a plane iron. -Garrett Hack is a contributing editor.
Start wlth abackrub. Holding,both tangs,rub the backof the lowanfle spokeshave bladeon a sharyenlng, stone.
Faceofthe blade lies horizontalto, andjust proud of, the top of the holdingblock.
V-groove,sizedto seat blade at properdepth
End wll{n help from a holdlnt block Fftthe bladelnto aV-growein a wooden block,and run a sharpeningstoneoverthe beveleded$eto completethe job.
lape lvo blocks to(o;then To sharpen the blade of an all-metal spoke shave,begin by taping itjust ahead of the front edge of a plane blacle, wlth the bevel faclng outward. Placethe "elon€ated' blade into a sharF enlng,Jtg, and work it over a stone as you would a standard plane blade.
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Photos. exceDt where noted: Saff
Q&Acontinued
planersnipe Howto getaround I run Q: Whenever a boardthroughmy planer, it thlckness windsupwithsnipe at oneor bothends. Thelnfeedand outfeedtablesare levelwlththeplaner bed.What canI do? -JIM ASHTON, S t . P a u l ,M i n n .
A: rxe sTMPLE soLUTroN is to size your workpieces long and then cut off the snipe. Or, you can run strips of wood along the sides of the board being planed. Make the strips at least 1 in. wide and the same thickness as the workpiece. To determine the strips' minimum length, measure the distance between the planer'scutterheadand either of its drive rollers (with
the machine unplugged).Add 1 in., multiply by 2, and add that number to the length of your workpiece. Cut the strips and attach them. centered. to the workThinner encls.Snipe piece with glue or sides marsthe endof a cheryou If use brads, make brads. ry boardthatb beenrun sure they're far enough below througha planer.
the surface to avoid damaging the planer knives. During planing, the strips reach the cutterhead first, sustaining any snipe, and are held flat under the outfeed roller by the time the workpiece reaches the knives. This virtually eliminates the unsupported lift that causesleadend snipe. Then, as the board exits, the strips'tail ends are secured by the infeed rollers, keeping the back of the workpiece from tipping up into the cutterhead. If your board and side strips are less than l/q in. thick, they could flex and still leave the board with snipe. -RolandJobnson is a contributing editor.
Oneway to avold snipe iswith side strfps. Makethemthe samethicknessas the board beyondbothends. bein(,planed,but extending, lf there'ssnipe,the stripstake it. A D D S T R I P SO F W O O D T O A V O I DS N I P E Workpiece Side strips
Attach strips with glue or brads.
figUre Understandi ngquartersawn Q: Afterresawing plecesof old, quartercawn oak, I foundthatsome of the boardswith ringsthat were 50 to 10ooff perpendicular to the surfaceshowed evenbetterfigure thansomewith fullyperpendicular rlngs.ls therean industry-standard fangedeflnlng quartersawn? And howlmpoftant is it to staywithinthat rangewhenbuylng oakfor its ray-fleck potential?
LUMBER AssoctATtoN A: rue NATIoNAL HARDwooD growth rings quartersawn wood as having defines I that are 60" to 90'to the surface. use that as a starting point when choosing white oak for my Arts and Crafts chairs, but it's not the final word. Think of growth rings as undulating waves running the length of a tree, not as rigidly straight structures. (They're essentially a history of the stresses put on the tree as it grew, varying in shape and direction as those stressescame and went.) \7hite-oak rings can be dead-on perpendicular at a board's end READMORETHAN THE END GRAIN Youhaveto inspectthe faceof this white-oakboaldto find out howwellfiguredthe whole board is.
RIFT-SAWN The rift-sawn - J O H NG A N S A U E R ,end grain signalsthe Moneta,Va. poorfigure.
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but change as much as 10" in just a foot or two. As a result, the figure at the surface of quartersawn wood can change dramatically. I've seen many boards with prominent ray-fleck that peters out, only to return several feet down the board. \(hen buying quartersawn wood, a better way to determine how good its figure will be is to "read" the surface of the rough-sawn wood, looking for rays all along the board's length. A raking light helps bring out the figure. -Keuin Rodel makesfurniture in Brunswick, Maine.
FINE \TOODIJTORKING
QUARTERSAWN 1ft. away,the grain is perpendicular and the rays are prominent.
lake a flashtightto the lumberyard, Rakingthe beam at a low an$le along a board's surtaces might brinS,out the fiSure you can't see in overhead light.
master class rrr.n
F R O MW A X T O B R O N Z E Thereare severalmethodsof castingbronze,the simplest of whichis the lost-waxprocess.Createa designin wax, and thenship it to a foundry.There,the designis dipped in plasterjikeslurry,whichis bakedinto a shell.Thewax originalis meltedout andmoltenbronzepouredin to make an exactcopyof the original.Afterthe roughcastingis returned,youcan giveit a numberof differentfinishes.
1) CARVE THE WAXORIGINAL Meltmicrocrystalline wax into a roughmold, and then sculptthe designthat you want.
Sculptyourown hardware C A S TI N S O L I DB R O N Z E H A V EY O U RW A XD E S I G N BY
HAROLD
GREENE
began creating my own bronze hardware after I *'o looked in vain through various catalogs for a large, decorative pull for a cabinet that would attach to one door. vet be centered on both doors. The bronze oull I ended up making complemented the piece so perfectly that I've since made dozens of designs using this simple yet cfeauve process. Worklng wlth wax After drawing front and side elevations of the hardware (in this case two eucalyptusJeaf pulls for the drawers of a desk), I often make wooden mock-ups and use hot-melt glue to attach them in place to get the proportions just right. I use microcrystalline wax to make my original model. It's readily available from art-supply companies or Amazon.com and usually comes in a t-lb. to 3lb. block. Break some off and melt it at around 180oFin a double boiler (the wax is flammable). Pour it into a container formed from aluminum foil that is roughly the shape of the casting. Once the wax hardens, it's ready to carve. lVood-carving gouges and utility knives are gteat for roughing out the shape, while a variety of tools including dental instruments are excellent for fine details. Mistakes can be fixed easily by adding hot wax and then reworking the area. You can smooth a rough arcaby applylng a propane torch for a split second, and minor blemishes can 96
FrNE rJrooDwoRKrNG
2) SENDrTOUT The piece you get back from the foundrywill requirefiling and cleaning.
3) CHOOSEA FTNTSH Youcan leavethe oiece with or an antiqueappearance, give it a bright polish or a chemicallyinducedpatina. Photos: Mark Schofield
Sculpt thevvax
Make the blank Melt somewax ln a containersetln heatecl water and then pourthe wax into a foll form slightly larger thanyour clesiredcastlng,.
Sculpt tDe ehape. Usea utility knife to shapethe outlineof the waxofiginal.You can use almostany cutting,tool to refine the shapeandadd detalls.
Create a moldoftheoriginal
Apply llquld laaox,Use melbd wax to stick the oilglnalsto Plexlgas,and brushon lO coa|.6 of liquicllatex,allowln9eachcoatto dry.
A plaxter uadle.To createa supportfor the mold,pourplasterof parisoverit and then flatten the top of the plasterwith melamlne.
Gleanup tlrc mold. After the plasterdiles, removethe originalfrom the mold,and trim any latexoverhant,beforeusin(,the mold,
Make copies andaddposts
Pour wax copi€€.With the latex mold surportedby the plastercast,pour in liquid wax to createnew pairsof leaves.
www. fi newoodworki n g. com
Pour some posb. Tocreatewaxposts for the pulls, seal one endof a pieceof copperpipewith masking tape andthenpourin somewax(left).Heatthe cop perto extract the posts.Cutthe post material into suitablerengthsand attach them to the backof the pullsusing,hot wax(above). M A R C H / A P R T L2 o o 8
97
masterclass.on,n,"o Atthefoundry Whdnyourwax scirlptureeget to tts leui*S sffarrods and poudhgGupsare ettachedto ensurethet ths hsnze wlll be abletof,orv thloughthe mold.Thewaxsucture ls dlpped Into a greonlhuld (1), veryflne potrderls pouredovel lt (2)' and th6n lt ls hungup to dry, Thesesteps are repdatedslx or .leyen tlmos uslngInoreaslngpcoarsesandto bulldup a oe ramlcshell.Tte ehellls placedlnto a stoamshmlbcrb melt out the wax, bakedIn a klln' andflnally haemoltsn bruue at 2,1O0oFpouredInto lt (3). Whenthe bronzeoools'ths moldls crackedopen(4), the bronzesuppottsare cut away'andthe castlngsare returnedto you.Youcan look for a foundrynear youor go to www.theorlglnalcastfoundry.com andcontact them for an estlmate.Thlspah of leaveecosi about$qO, be removed by rubbing the surface with your warm fingers. Maklng multlples of the same deslgn You could stop here and mail the wax original to the foundry, but even if you only want a single casting, I urge you to make a copy in case the original is damaged or the casting goes wrong. Of course, some pieces, like chests of drawers, require a set of four, six, or eight pulls, and the same number of wax copies. To make a copy you'll need some liquid latex rubber (Mold Builder from www. eti-usa.com) and a piece of Plexiglas or melamine. Attach the wax original to the Plexiglas with melted wax. Make sure there are no voids under the piece. Brush on a thin coat of latex, making sure no pools form in the crevices.Efiend the latex about an inch around the original to form a kind of flange. You want the latex to contact the entire surface of the wax, so use a hair dryer to blow out any bubbles on the wet surface. Let the latex dry until it appe rs translucent, and then repeat this step nine or 10 times. Next, make a support for the mold, which will be quite flexible. Mix up some thick plaster of paris and pour it over the latex mold while it is still attached to the Plexiglas. \0hile the plaster is wet, flatten the top with a piece of melamine or plastic to make a flat bottom for when the mold is flipped over. \7hen the plaster is dry remove it from the larcx, peel the latex mold from the Plexiglas, remove the wax original, and place the mold into the plaster support. Now you can make multiple wax forms. Spray the surface of the mold with silicone lubricant or cooking spray. Then pour some melted wax into the mold. Let the wax cool thoroughly before removing it from the mold. Check the mold for any wax residue, and then repeat the process until you have as many wax copies as you need plus a sparc or two. The final step is to allow for the posts that will be drilled and threaded to connect the pull to the cabinet. I pour melted wax into a section of copper pipe, and when it is hard, heat the outside of the pipe with a propane torch until the wax stick can 98
F r N E\ r o o D \ r o R K r N G
masterclasS.on,nu"o
upthecasting Clean
Cleanup t''/e castlryl,You'll needto removethe remainsof pourin{,rods attached at the foundry.Usea hacksaw,and then flatten the baseof the purt'spost on a grinder or with a flle.
lap a hole. Afterdrillint a holein the endof the post, use taps to preparcit for a 7O/32 threadedscrewthat will securethe pull to the drawerfront.
be pushed out. Attach a short section to each pull using melted wax. Clean up and flnish the bronze \fhen the casting returns from the foundry you'll need to remove any metal spurs and flatten the ends of the posts using files or a grinding wheel. Then drill andtap the post for a standard 10/32 screw thread. Now remove the oxidation using steel wool, wire brushes, and fine sandpaper. You can stop at any time, leaving an antique ^ppearance with the recessesstill dark, or you can proceed to the buffing wheel and polish the surface to a bright bronze finish and lacquer it. A third choice is patination, or the enhancement of bronze by the chemical application of color. Two chemicals I use are ferric nitrate to produce reds and browns, and cupric nitrate for greens and blues. You can buy these and find more information on chemical patination at www. sciencecompany.com. After heating the polished pull with a propane torch, spray L tsp. of the chemical diluted in 8 oz. of water onto the hot surface. Continue to alternately heat and spray the surface until you achieve the color you want. After the pull has cooled, buff the surface with 0000 steel wool and then add a coat of paste wax to give it a mellow gloss and protection. n 100
FINE riuooDrlrloRKrNG
An antlque took Usesteel wool and fine san& paperto removecasting,oxidationfrom the pull, Leaveso/neareasdark for an agedlook.
Bumlshed bronze. Using,compoundon a buffinS,wheelgivesthe puila mirror finish.
Aquflckpailna. Heating, the pull with a propane torch andthen sprayin!,on diluted chemicalscan give the metala range of colors.
howthevdidit Thecaruing demystified
frrT-a
BY
ANISSA
l
KAPSALES
aviclEsterlyhas lreen carving in the style of 17th-centurycalver Grinling Gibbons for over 30 yeals.The key to his carvings(seen on the back cover) lies not in carefi.rllyguarclecltechnique,lrtrt in the patienceand cleclicationneeclecl to clevelop a feel for thc tools ancl motion of carving. In his book Grinling Gibbonsand the Art o.f C'aruing(Halry N. Abran-rs,199iJ),Esterlywrites, "Thc secretof Gibbons'scarving is this: there is no secret.The sanctLlrnis empty. Vhat is l-ricldenthl.n view is not any trick of the traclebut the carver's n-riclnightstn-rgglewith his rnaterial." This is n()t to say that Esterly'spr'ocessis clevoicl As he shows here, he has clevelopecl of techniqr"re. proven methods fbr clesigning,holding workpieces, ioinery, ancl flnal surfacetreatment.
Many become one
Locate for dowels. Ester,ys,ides the head of a sewing pin between two adiacent pieces (left).Then he presses the pieces together to mark them simultaneously for their matin{ dowel holes (ri!,ht).
Onepiece atatime Drill the dowel holes. Using,the imprint of the pinhead as a center point, Esteily drirts ho,es for the dowels (left), ran(,int from la in. to l/t in., dependin+ on the size of the items. He uses white (,lue to secure the dowe/s and join the pieces (ri..ht).
Thefinal touch labs are small handles.The tabs allow each delicate piece to be raised,flipped,and clamped onto blocks (above),permitting,the carver to attack the g,rainfrom different anglesand undercut the backs for clearance. Once the carvinp,is finished, Esterlycuts off the tabs with a chisel (riSht) or bandsaw. 108
FrNE \flooD\(/oRKrNG
!7th+entury sandpapeL Esterly discovered that Gibbons used Dutch rush,a leafless,bamboo-like plant, to surface his carvin(s. Esterly stuck with the method becausethe result offers texturc and character that sandpaper cannot match. PhotosrAnissaKapsales
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I t
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ily Y'rt \
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