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Get more from: •Routers •Tablesaws •Bandsaws •Jointers
basics Sharpen your skills Fast and easy dovetails 16 essential shopmade jigs Create unique moldings
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Bigger isn’t always better. Get your hands on a Colt Palm Router at a dealer near you or visit boschtools.com. boschtools.com. *Max. tool output ©2007 Robert Bosch Tool Corporation
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THE BEST OF
basics
contents MORE FROM YOUR
24
tools
Mortiser Simple tips for setup, sharpening, and cutting make the tool a joy to use
Tablesaw The best ways to equip and work with the most dangerous machine in the shop
30
52
BY ROLAND JOHNSON
56
Scrollsaw
BY GARY M. KATZ
It has more uses than you might think
Bandsaw
BY PAUL SCHÜRCH
Five no-hassle tips guarantee smooth, straight cuts on any bandsaw
BETTER
techniques
BY MICHAEL FORTUNE
60 36
42
Drill Press
Dadoes, Grooves, and Rabbets
The right bits, jigs, and techniques add versatility
The handiest joints are the easiest to make
BY ROLAND JOHNSON
BY ASA CHRISTIANA
Jointer
66
Use this shop mainstay to make straight, flat boards, plus tapers and roundovers, too
Use the router, tablesaw, and a couple of jigs to make them foolproof
BY J. SPEETJENS
48
84 4
BANDSAW JIGS
FINE WOODWORKING
Dovetail Jigs How to create a complex joint the easy way BY ANISSA KAPSALES
Mortise-and-Tenon Joints
BY JEFF MILLER
70
Raised Panels How to achieve great results at the router table or the tablesaw BY MATTHEW TEAGUE
Cover photo: David Heim
36
DRILL PRESS
24
72
TABLESAW
departments
Unique Moldings
6 Editor’s Letter
The secret is combining multiple router profiles in a stack of pieces BY ALAN CHARNEY
76
84
BY DOUG PETERMAN
BY MICHAEL FORTUNE
90
BY YEUNG CHAN
Featherboards These extra hands make cuts safer, cleaner, and more accurate
Router Jigs Get much more from your router with easy-to-make accessories
16 Setups
Bandsaw Jigs How to make precise tapers, circles, wedges, and curves
Router Templates These guides let you create elegant curves and furniture parts
80
8 Quick Tips
BY ROLAND JOHNSON
94
Sled Turns Planer into a Jointer
■
Tune-up kit for machines
■
Test cuts eliminate errors
■
Taming tablesaw tearout
98 Jigs & Fixtures ■
Shopmade push sticks are a cheap way to stay safe
■
Shopmade crosscut sled
106 Q&A ■
Molding curved panels with router bits
■
Keep a square edge while cutting with a jigsaw
Get a flat face on wide lumber
110 Shop Safety
BY KEITH RUST
Rule One: Avoid major injuries
112 Fundamentals Your tools may be telling you something’s wrong
72
UNIQUE MOLDINGS
p P
FineWoodworking.com www.finewoodworking.com
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
5
editor’s letter W Power Tool Basics Issue eDITOR Dvd hm
Making the Most of the Machinery
Issue ART DIRecTOR Ml Pv Issue cOPY eDITOR elzb hl cOnTRIbuTIng DesIgneR Ml amdz
Power tools are both a blessing and a curse. When they’re well-tuned and used
Fine Woodworking mz
with good fences and jigs, power tools let
eDITOR a c
you cut and carve wood with incredible
ART DIRecTOR Ml Pv
speed and precision. Even beginners can make shapes or create joints that require
mAnAgIng eDITOR M sld
skill and practice to cut by hand.
mAnAgIng eDITOR, OnlIne M B
But if you don’t have the right setup or the tools haven’t been properly tuned, they will seem to fight everything you want them to do. I know from experience how frustrating that can be.
AssOcIATe eDITORs tm g. Bl, sv s, tm Mk, Dvd hm, cl r AssIsTAnT eDITOR a kpl
It doesn’t have to be that way. As Michael Fortune explains (p. 30), he set up the bandsaw in his shop a generation ago—and it hasn’t needed any tweaking since, even though it’s seen daily use. If you follow his advice, you too can have a bandsaw that will easily cut curves, rip thick boards, or produce veneer-thin sheets. Other articles in this collection from Fine Woodworking will help you get the most from the tablesaw, drill press, jointer, mortiser, scrollsaw, and router. These are easy-to-follow tips, designed to let you spend more time working with wood, less time playing mechanic. We’ll also help you refine your woodworking techniques. You’ll learn how to make simple router jigs for cutting perfect mortise-and-tenon joints, shaping curves, even turning simple shapes without a lathe. You’ll also learn how to use the tablesaw for cutting dadoes, grooves, rabbets, and raised panels. Safety is an overriding concern. We’ve provided numerous tips that explain how to hold workpieces securely, how to keep your fingers safely away from moving blades, and how to prevent a piece of wood from kicking back at you with potentially lethal force. Even though we used “basics” in the title, this magazine isn’t just for beginners. Experienced woodworkers will find plenty of useful information here, too. —David Heim Power Tool Basics editor
AssIsTAnT eDITOR, OnlIne g ed cOPY/PRODucTIOn eDITORs Jul r, elzb hl AssOcIATe ART DIRecTOR kll J. Du AssIsTAnT ART DIRecTOR J tul sHOP mAnAgeR J W ADmInIsTRATIve AssIsTAnT B el cOnTRIbuTIng eDITORs c Bv, g rw, g h, rld J meTHODs OF WORK Jm r PublIsHeR al Bu mARKeTIng mAnAgeR Ml rb ADmInIsTRATIve AssIsTAnT c gl cIRculATIOn DIRecTOR D o’B sIngle cOPY sAles mAnAgeR M sm ADveRTIsIng sAles mAnAgeR P Bdu senIOR nATIOnAl AccOunT mAnAgeR Ld abb nATIOnAl AccOunT mAnAgeR J L AssOcIATe AccOunT mAnAgeR c Dum senIOR AD sAles suPPORT AssOcIATe Mj Bw WooDWorking Books & ViDeos eXecuTIve eDITOR hl alb copyriht 2007 y Th Tato Pr, I. no rprodtio withot priio of Th Tato Pr, I.
FINE
woodworkINg
how to contact us:
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The Taunton Press, 63 S. Main St., PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
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POWER
TOOL BASICS 2007
quick tips
edited and drawn by jim richey
INDEPENDEN PUBLISHERS SINCE 1975
Tablesaw fence extension supports a full sheet of plywood
AUNON, INC.
Founders, Pl d J Rm HE AUNON PRESS
President Sz Rm Executive Vice President & Chie Financial Ofcer imty Rr
Rip fence
Clamping block
s S
Executive Vice President & Publisher, Magazine Group J Millr C-clamp
Publisher, Book Group Jms Cilds Chie o Operations Tms Lxdr DIRECORS
Creative & Editorial Director Ss edlm Human Resources Director Crl Mrtti Technology Services Director Jy hrtly Controller Wy Rylds Advertising Director Dvid Gry Fulllment Director Ptrici Willims Auxiliary fence
Financial Analysis Director Kty Wrt Circulation Director Dis o’Bri Ledge he aunon PReSS Bks: Marketing: Melissa A. Possick, Audrey Locorotondo. Publicity: Nicole Salvatore, Janel Noblin. Editorial: Helen Albert, Kathryn Benoit, Peter Chapman, Steve Culpepper, Pamela Hoenig, Carolyn Mandarano, Nicole Palmer, Jennier Peters, Amy Reilly, Jennier Russell, Erica Sanders-Foege, Kathleen Williams. Art: Chris Tompson, Alison Wilkes, Nancy Boudreau, Amy Grifn, Sandra Mahlstedt, Wendi Mijal, Lynne Phillips, Carol Singer. Manuacturing: Tomas Greco, Laura Burrone.
o
n mst tablesas, cuttin a 4x8 sheet f ply is, at best, a icey ppsitin. The sheet is heavy, the ip fence is t sht, an, at the beinnin f the cut, mst f the sheet hans unsuppte in fnt f the sa. As a slutin, I ae a ip-fence extensin t my tablesa. It helps suppt the iht sie f the ply hen it’s vehanin the fnt f the sa table. The extensin has just thee pats: an auxiliay fence, a lee, an a clampin blc. The auxiliay fence seves as a substitute f the ip fence, extenin fa t pvie a lne, me psitive efeence f the iht ee f the ply. The lee pvies vetical suppt f the vehanin ply. An the clampin blc pvies a means t clamp the extensin secuely t the ip fence. when cuttin the auxiliay fence, mae sue its t ees ae st aiht an paallel. The clampin blc an lee attach t the auxiliay fence ith lue an a fe sces. T use it, clamp the auxiliay fence tihtly t the ip fence. Establish the cut ith by measuin the istance fm the blae t the ee f the auxiliay fence, an lc the ip fence in place. Place the fnt f the ply n the sa table, an eep the iht-han ee f the ply aainst the auxiliay fence uin the cut. — P h i l i P A . h o u c k , Boston,Mass.
FINE woodworkINg
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quick tips
continued
Tall fence
Minimalist router table Straight fence C-clamp
Workbench
Fence-pivot knob
Table
Plastic insert, screwed to table C-clamp
Recess for plastic insert
Straight fence Table Fence-pivot knob Hand-screw clamps attach table to the bench.
Bolt
This uncomplicated router table is at the other end of the scale from those ultimate router tables replete with bells and whistles. It is just a router mounted upside down on a piece of plywood. The simplicity of the design makes it far more flexible than most router tables. You can build it in about 20 minutes and add a simple fence in another 10. Additional fences are made easily for special purposes. To make the table, start with a piece of 3 ⁄ 4-in.-thick plywood about 2 ft. by 3 ft. Cut a hole in the center of the table. Make and install a plastic insert to fit around the bit. Make additional inserts as needed to provide a close fit around other bits in your collection. Also, to prevent the insert from lifting when the router
Dado-sizing board
runs, screw the insert to the table. Attach the router to the table by running machine screws through the recess for the insert. The fence is simply a 1x4 that pivots on one end and is clamped on the other. A small movement at the clamp end provides very close and precise movement at the bit, allowing for adjustment in the thousandths of an inch. When the standard flat fence does not fit the application, I just make a new fence. I use a tall fence for making lock miters and making raised panels. To use the table, simply clamp it to your workbench with wooden hand screws. When you’re done, just unclamp the whole fixture and store it out of the way to save space. — D O U G S T O W E , Eureka Springs, Ark.
Sizing board
A “sizing board” makes it easy to remember my stacked-dado setup for a given cut. Every time I cut a dado that has a width I’ve not used before, I take a minute to cut the same dado in my sizing board. Then, at the bottom of the dado, I note the arrangement of cutters and spacers. The next time I need to cut the same width, all of the pertinent information is there for the taking. — W I L L B R A U N , Lacombe, Alta.,
Canada
10
Router mounts to the table bottom with machine screws.
FINE WOODWORKING
Note dado setup at bottom of each dado.
quick tips
continued
1. To make the registration block, drill a 1 ⁄ 4-in.-dia. hole into a piece of hardwood. Then d rill into the chopsaw fence through this hole. Affix the block to the fence by inserting a metal pin into the hole, and make a partial cut at 45° in the block.
Chop mitered pieces to precise lengths Chopsaw
1
⁄ 4-in.-dia. steel pin
1
Left fence
⁄ 4-in.-dia. through-hole
Right fence
45°
Workpiece 1
⁄ 4-in.-dia. by 1 ⁄ 2-in.-deep hole for pin in left and right fences
Registration block
Partial cut in block
2. Mark a line on the block that intersects the sawkerf at the back edge, remove the pin, and trim the block to that line. Mark a 90° line where the far side of the kerf intersects the back of the block.
Registration block
with this easily mae eistatin blc, yu can avi the ticy pcess f cuttin mitee stc t the iht lenth. T use it, fist chp the pieces t the esie lenth ith the blae settin at 0°. Then set the blae t 45°, install the eistatin blc, an tim a mite fm ne en. The eistatin blc ensues that the mitee piece ill measue exactly the same lenth as the squae-cut piece. T mite the the en accuately, install the blc n the the sie f the blae. Yu n’t nee pecise measuements t mae the eistatin blc. Use a ill pess t cut a 1 ⁄ 4-in.-ia. hle thuh a scap f ha. with a ptable ill, tansfe that hle thuh the blc int the left an iht fences. The exact istance fm the sablae t the hle is nt imptant; just be sue t stat ith a blc that is ln enuh n each sie t velap the sa’s cut line. The next step is t pess a 1 ⁄ 4-in.-ia. steel pin int the blc, leavin abut 1 ⁄ 2 in. f the pin pjectin fm the suface. Afte enain the pin in the hle in the left fence, sin the chpsa t 45° n the iht sie an cut patay int the blc. remve the blc fm the sa an ma a squae pencil line acss the blc, beinnin hee the ef intesects the bac ee f the blc, as shn in the ain. retun the blc t the left fence an cmplete the 45° cutff. Finally, set the sa at 0°, emve the pin, an cut ff the aste up t but nt 12
FINE woodworkINg
To make the 90° cut, remove the pin and offset the block as needed.
3. For precise miters, first cut the workpiece to length, then butt the workpiece against the registration block and cut the miter. Workpiece
Registration block
Repeat the process for the other end of the block.
Cutoff
incluin the pencil line n bth ens. Then sin the sa t the 45° left settin an the same thin ith the blc n the iht fence. reinset the pin, an the eistatin blc is eay f use. Cut stc t the iht lenth fist befe installin the blc n the left an iht fences t cut the mites at bth ens f the piece. —Thomas KoszalKa, hickvie, N.Y.
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TOOL BASICS 2007
13
quick tips
continued
Simple stop backs up rip fence
Rip-fence deflection stop
Fustate by my cntact-mel tablesa’s ip fence eflectin une pessue, I evise an ecnmical, fast, an flpf slutin. Fist, I ille a 3 ⁄ 8-in. hle thuh the meium-ensity fibeba (MdF) sie table an insete a T-nut fm uneneath. If yu sie table is cast in, yu can just ill int the table an tap the hle. I then mae an elnate slit in a piece f ha 2 in. ie by 27 in. ln. A piece f 5 ⁄ 16-in. theae , a fixtue nb, an a fene ashe cmplete the evice. The lenth f the stp is abitay, but I ecie n 27 in. s that the fence can be ajuste fm ze t 24 in. F less than $3, the stp ill n any tablesa ith a sie table. when it is nt neee, I just sin it aay emve it.
Locking knob
—BoB Glascock, Rgu Rvr, o r.
Zero-clearance insert
Fill cavity with epoxy or auto-body filler.
Easy-to-make zero-clearance insert A ze-cleaance inset n a tablesa helps pevent teaut, cnfines sme f the saust, an maes safe by peventin small cutffs fm becmin jamme beteen the blae an the inset. The pblem is that mst facty insets fit the penin in the table petty ell, but have a slppy blae penin. Many es mae buy zecleaance inset blans, but I have evise an easie meth. I fix a piece f cmmn pacin tape ve the tp f the blae penin in the stc cast inset. Put the tape n smthly an mae sue the inset is clean an in shape. Tun the inset ve an pu sme epxy Bn in the ebbin f the cast inset. Set it asie n a ea-flat suface, an ait f the epxy t set befe yu peel ff the tape. replace the inset in the sa ith the blae lee, stat the sa an, ith a blc f clampe ve the inset t hl it in place, aise the blae t cut yu ne ze-cleaance slt. The maj avantae hee is that yu et t eep the levelin sces an the little nib that stps the bac f the inset fm flippin up. —keith PRice, cmp b Rvr, B.c., cnd
14
FINE woodworkINg
Bolt keeps the rail from sliding toward the back of the saw.
Rail extends 3 ⁄ 8 in. above table.
Adjustment screw Rough-cut workpiece
Miter slot
Hold-down
Creating a straight edge on a piece of rough lumber This jig is great for creating a straight edge on a rough piece of lumber. The main part of the jig is a 1x8 pine sled a few inches longer than 8 ft. The sled slides on an oak rail that locks into the miter slot on a tablesaw. Countersunk screws in the side of the rail can be adjusted in or out to ensure a snug fit in the miter-gauge track. A groove cut along the full length of the underside of the sled allows it to slide on the rail. On top of the sled I installed two 4-ft. sections of T-track (available at most retail or mail-order woodworking outfits) and a pair of hold-downs with T-bolts. — P a u l C o m i J r . , San Gabriel, Calif.
T-track
Sled
An additional T-track can be positioned to cut wider lumber. Groove slides on the rail in the miter-gauge slot.
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15
setups Tune-up kit for machines THREE BASIC TOOLS GET YOU STARTED B y
G a r y
r o G o w s k i
I
f yu in machiney aives neein nly t be unpace an plue in, I suest yu buy lttey ticets that ay. It’s a lucy ne. win machines alays nee tunin teain befe they eally pu. which tls yu nee t set them up ppely an t chec them peiically s they eep unnin smthly? Ftunately, the list is sht. Sme miht be in yu shp aleay: a staihtee, a cmbinatin squae, an a plune-style ial inicat. with these basic tls plus a set f feele aues, yu can a ln ay ta main yu machines un tue an yu in accuate.
A straightedge is the foundation In the shp, flat sufaces ae piceless. on them, yu can mill lumbe tue, jint an ee squae, an chec pieces f tist afte assembly. But h flat is flat? An h yu chec? Yu can’t use a piece f t chec f flatness unless yu ae sue it’s flat. Instea, buy a staihtee ith a uaantee tleance f 0.002 in. ve 24 in. This is me than aequate f settin up tablesa tables an checin the flatness f jinte tables an the castin steel sufaces. A 24-in. staihtee ill meet mst nees, but f lne jinte tables the especially lae sufaces, yu’ll be bette seve if yu can invest in a 36-in. staihtee. Use the staihtee n the tablesa t see that yu extensin tables an 16
FINE woodworkINg
straight
Check for flatness with a straightedge
Jointer tables should be dead flat. Measure any gaps with a feeler gauge. A variation of more than 0.002 in. on a new machine is reason to ask the seller for a replacement. Tables on older machines can be reground if necessary.
Level the table and wings. A tablesaw’s bolt-on extension wing may need adjustment or shimming to bring its surface level with the rest of the table. Lay a straightedge across the junction of the table and wing and look for telltale gaps underneath.
Phts: Steve Sctt
square
Keep machines in line with a combo square
Check the fence. Use the combination square to ensure that a jointer’s fence is set at 90º to the tables. Make similar checks on the tablesaw and bandsaw.
the main table fm a cntinuusly flat suface. Ees that appea flush hee they meet ae nt enuh. Stan the staihtee n its na ee an l f aps beteen the ee an the suface yu’e checin. Chec acss the table’s ith an lenth, then chec the ianals. Measue any aps uneneath the staihtee ith the feele aues. Acceptable tleance f a tablesa measuin 28 in. by 36 in. is 0.008 in. t 0.009 in. Yu miht nee t inset shims beteen the in an the table t ensue a cmpletely flat tp. Als chec yu tablesa fence. The piece f cmpsite mateial blte nt the fence is nt alays pefect, but yu can shim it t mae it flat. The jinte has thee maj cast-in sufaces: the infee an utfee tables an the fence. A jinte table shul be ea flat ithin 0.001 in. t 0.002 in. ve any f its lenths. Yu can etun a ne machine t the selle if the sufaces ae seiusly ut f flat misaline. on an le machine, a machine shp miht ein the sufaces f yu.
on a belt-iven machine, the pulleys attache t the mt an the ab shul line up ith ne anthe in a flat plane t minimize beain an belt ea. Use a staihtee t chec by layin the na ee acss bth pulleys.
Combination square is a versatile setup tool Just as imptant as checin flat sufaces is main sue that t machine sufaces meet up squaely. Yu n’t nee a specialize machinist’s squae. If yu use a cmbinatin squae f jiney layut, it ill if it is tuly squae. Hee’s a simple test: Hl the squae up t a flat ee an ma a line. Then flip the squae ve an see if yu ma aain lines up pefectly ith the blae f the squae. Any vaiatin means it’s ut f squae. Use the squae t chec the jinte fence. It can be ajuste an then lce int place. A tablesa fence ill nee ajustin shimmin if it’s nt squae t the table. A f anin: Simply checin ith the squae isn’t alays enuh. Squain a blae t a table
Adjust the miter slot. The combination square also can help check whether a table- saw’s miter slot is parallel to the blade. Mark a tooth at the front of the blade and measure the distance from the blade to the slot. Next, rotate the marked tooth to the back of the blade opening and measure again. If the readings are different, you need to adjust your saw’s tabletop or trunnions to bring the slot parallel with the blade.
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PowEr TooL BASICS 2007
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setups
continued
n a bansa, chpsa, tablesa ill mean main pactice cuts an checin thse. A cmbinatin squae als is hany f alinin a tablesa’s mite-aue slt paallel ith its blae. This is cucial f safe peatin an squae csscuts. with the machine unplue, hl the hea f yu cmbinatin squae aainst the aue slt an chec the istance t the blae at a sinle mae tth, tate t the fnt an then t the ea f the that plate. Yu can ajust all cabinet an cntact-style sas t mve the table int paallel ith the blae.
A dial indicator measures runout runut is a measue f h tue a tatin suface spins. If a suface bbles scillates, then this unut ill be manifie as yu mve aay fm the cente f tatin. on a tablesa, if the ab is bblin, then the en f its 10-in. blae ill be cin an llin. This tanslates int uh, inaccuate, aneus cuts. The mvement als eas n the beains, shtenin thei life.
Sources of Supply VERITAS STEEL 24-IN. STRAIGHTEDGE
$43; www.leevalley.com MAGNETIC BASE DIAL INDICATOR
$35; www.highlandwoodworking.com STARRETT 12-IN. COMBINATION SQUARE
$68; www.homedepot.com
A ial inicat measues mvement such as unut ith an am munte int a ial that usually eas 0.001-in. incements. The inicat itself must be hel in place; the best ay is t use a manetic base t lc it int psitin. Then, n the tablesa ith the blae an that plate emve, yu can chec the pesse-n ab flane f unut. Set the manetic base n the tabletp nea the that penin an tilt the ab t 45°. Anle the ial’s plune t meet the suface f the ab flane. Tun the ab by han t see hethe the aue eistes any vaiatin in the flane su-
face. A tablesa ab shul have ze unut, but 0.001 in. f unut n’t mean yu have t tash yu sa. Any me, thuh, an I’ sen a ne sa bac t the facty et a eplacement ab. on a use sa, I ul emve the ab an have it machine tue. A ill-pess chuc als shul have nealy ze unut. Set the manetic base n yu ill-pess table an alin the ial plune t tuch a ill bit a piece f staiht untheae munte in the chuc. Tun the chuc by tatin the ive-belt pulleys an atch f vaiatins eistee by the ial. Acceptable tleance is 0.001 in. less. Clean ut the tape that hls the chuc. If that esn’t euce unut, yu may nee t eplace the chuc. Yu als can use a ial inicat t chec hethe yu jinte nives ae all set t the same heiht. Set the base n the jinte table ith the plune iin the tps f the nives as yu tate the cuttehea by han. Nte an ajust f any vaiatins in the maximum heiht f the blaes.
sMOOth
Check runout and blade height with a dial indicator
Check for runout. Use a dial indicator to check the tablesaw’s arbor flange. Any varia- Blades should be uniform. The dial indicator also helps check whether jointer knives are set to tions in the flatness of the piece can cause the same height and are even with the outfeed table. blade wobble, which leads to rougher cuts.
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FINE woodworkINg
Test cuts check accuracy ELIMINATE ERRORS BY MAGNIFYING THEM
B y
D a V i D
H y a T T
B
uilin funitue the pjects ith stn, squae-fittin jints equies in machines that ae set up t mae accuate 90° cuts. Checin ith an accuate squae miht seem lie all that’s neee, but it’s eally just the statin pint. Usin a squae alne, vey small es can be ha t see. T be sue yu tablesa an jinte ae unnin tue, yu’ll nee t mae sme test cuts n scap stc. These cuts ae the final step in tunin up an checin the accuacy f yu shp machines. The cuts mae es me visible by multiplyin them. The phts n these paes sh hat t .
Tablesaw: Square the blade and miter gauge
Start with a square. An accurate square can help set the sawblade at a 90° angle. Keep in mind, however, that very small errors can be hard to see with a square alone. 1
2 A test cut is more revealing. Use two pieces of lumber or medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Stand the pieces on edge and cut them in the same pass.
3 The moment of truth. Butt the two cut ends together. Any error will reveal itself as a taper- ed gap between the two ends.
a vy lbl wy o cck blw bld fo n cc 90° nl o c wo p nd n cck n of c by plcn m nd o nd. r bld o mxmm . u wo p of ood (i pf MDF o ⁄ 2-n.-ck
1
mlmn) lly now n of bld nd 18 n. o
20 n. lon. hold wo p o on d nd m on nd of m n m . Opn wo p n book-mc (lk opnn book) nd plc m on known fl fc. any dvon fom 90° wll ow p pd p bwn nd y oc. Onc bld bn djd o 90°, 90° op cn b A similar test for crosscuts. Lay the boards flat to check the 90° stop on the miter gauge. 4
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nd lockd n plc. Ly m wo p fl, m nd, nd m m n o cck 90° op on m . if m xcly 90°, wll b no p bwn nd of p y m.
PowEr TooL BASICS 2007
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setups
continued
Tablesaw: Square your crosscut sled
Make a test piece. Number the edges on a square of MDF. With edge 1 against the sled fence, trim each side in turn, rotating the piece clockwise between cuts.
1
2 Make five cuts in all. Finish the sequence by taking a second, wider strip from edge 2.
L
pc c pnl lly coc on blw w opmd coc ld. t cccy of
c cn b cckd w l , b b nd mo cc mod o “fv-dd” c. Bn w pc of MDF o plywood oly 18 n. o 24 n. . Nmb d 1 o 4, on conclockw. Plc d 1 n fnc of ld nd m d 2. tn plc d 2 n fnc nd m d 3. Conn ond nl yo v mmd d 1. tn plc d 1 n fnc nd m
½-n.
p fom d 2. Lbl on nd of p “a” nd
o nd “B.” snp p n lf nd plc a nd B d by d on fl fc. if ld o bld, n p wll b xcly m ckn a nd B. evn vy mll dvon fom 90° wll ow p n mod. if ld do no podc 90° c, n yo old dj fnc on ld nl c ccly.
20
FINE woodworkINg
3 Mark the ends of the strip. This identifies the front and back of the final cut. Make corresponding marks on the MDF square for future reference. Snap the final strip in two, lay the pieces on their sides, and compare the thickness of the two ends. Any variation means the crosscut sled’s fence needs adjustment.
dains: rney diaz
Tablesaw: Set up for accurate miters
2 Tape the corners. This helps hold the pieces in place as you assemble the frame. 1 Make a series of cuts. Cut 45° miters at both ends of four pieces of stock, just as you would for a picture frame.
a
Look for the gap. If the final corner doesn’t fit snugly, it means the miter gauge isn’t set at precisely 45° to the blade. 3
ml of cn lp vfy cccy of 45° mcn p on blw.
C 45° m bo nd of fo pc of l ln. tp fo pc o o fom pc fm. any dvon fom 45° wll b ppn, l con wll no f o ly. adj yo p, nd c fo p nl y fom fm w no p con. Fo ndn m, c w bld 45° nl. Fo fl m, c w bld 90° nd m 45°.
Jointer: Check the fence t
fnc on jon lo cn b o 90° by n c.
tk wo 16-n. o 18-n. ln of 8/4 ock nd jon fc nd n n d of c pc. s wo pc on fl fc w jond d down nd jond fc o. if jon fnc no 90°, n pd p wll b vbl bwn wo fc. Yo cn lo cck jon’ cccy by clmpn wo pc w jond d o. Plc d co wo jond fc. if jon fnc no 90°, n d wll ock wn plcd co jond fc o wll ow Prepare test pieces. Joint the face and edge of two pieces of stock. On a flat surface, place the jointed edges down and the jointed faces together. A gap shows adjustment is needed.
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p w wo pc oc. t mod wll wok only f jon podcn moo c. if jon bld v bn nckd nd lvn mll d, pc wll no fl. Yo m olv poblm by movn on jon bld lly o on d.
PowEr TooL BASICS 2007
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setups
continued
Taming tearout on the tablesaw B y
s T E V E
L a T T a
O
ne maj fact that sepaates a piece f funitue fm a meice ne is h cleanly it is cnstucte. Nthin ill ill the l f a finishe piece me than teaut. Mst teaut n the tablesa ccus hen the blae exits the stc an beas the fibes athe than cuttin them. As a esult, splintes may sh up n the unesie, bac cne, an bac ee f a piece. This is especially elevant t csscuttin. But teaut is nt ha t eliminate manae. The fist item t l at is the sablae.
blaes have teeth ith altenatin bevels. The staee teeth n these blaes ae beneficial because they sce the fibes befe hin ut the stc. The correct blade is the first line of defense Avoid trim cuts— Smetimes teaut ccus by tain t A ull blae, ne cvee ith pitch, ill puce a pquality cut. Csscuttin blaes an many eneal-pupse liht a tim cut. It ften is bette t have mateial n bth sies f the blae; that ay, the fibes ae suppte acss the full ith f the ef an nt the ffcut. This tensin eeps the SHOP AIDS TO PREVENT TEAROUT fibes fm ippin aay. Teut mtl ccu n ccut hen the blde be the d fbe Raise the blade to reduce tearout— Safety the thn plttng them. once u undetnd the cmmn cue f teut, eclaes that the blae shul pject abve u cn fll fe mple gudelne t pevent t. the suface abut the heiht f a tth. reetfully, a l blae can lift fibes fm the iNsTaLL a ZEro-CLEaraNCE iNsErT suface. raisin the blae hihe than n malA zero-clearance insert increases the support area under the workpiece. ly ecmmene tansfes the fces f blae Inserts may be tatin s that the fibes ae pesse int the bought or shop- Zero-clearance suface, esultin in a cleane cut. In many Workpiece insert made. Several applicatins, I aise the blae at least an inch manufacturers make abve the piece an tae exta safety aftermarket inserts pecautins, such as clampin the piece that replace the one t a csscut sle. supplied with your saw. A wood insert also can be made in the shop.
UsE a CrossCUT sLED Another solution is to use a crosscut sled (see p. 102). If the original kerf becomes too wide, add a fresh auxiliary deck and fence and make zero-clearance kerfs in them.
Original wide kerf
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FINE woodworkINg
Auxiliary fence
Blade makes a new zeroclearance kerf. Auxiliary deck
Use a zero-clearance insert Anthe cmmn cause f teaut hen csscuttin is a tablesa inset ith a t-ie slt. It ceates an unsuppte suface f the mateial bein cut. The ha ee hee the piece finally becmes suppte seves as a chipbeae an alls the fibes t tea as fa as the ha ee. A ze-cleaance inset ensues that the piece is fully suppte as it passes acss the blae. Isolate tearout to hidden surfaces In my in cuses, nthin ncs n a stuent’s ae faste than visible Photos: Matt Berger; drawings: Kelly J. Dunton
ORIENT THE WORKPIECE TO HIDE THE TEAROUT taBLe Legs
DraWer FrONts Orient drawer fronts so that tearout is restricted to the inside face. Crosscut drawer fronts with the exposed face up (left). Then rotate, don’t flip the drawer face to cut the other end (right).
Place the hid- den sides of the leg against the fence and deck. Orient the leg on the tablesaw so that the blade exits the work- piece on a surface that won’t be visible on the finished furni- ture piece.
teaut n a finishe piece. I’ve ften seen this n the tp f a table le hen it has been imppely cut t lenth. Yu shul have a iea h the les ill be psitine n a table befe yu mae any c uts. As nte ealie, the bttm face, bac cne, an bac ee f a piece ae mst susceptible t teaut. Theefe, ient table les n the sa s that the utsie faces mae fist cntact ith the blae. (Stac the les ith thei expse faces uta an ma the tps t ientify the unexpse sies.) Cuttin the les this ay, any teaut n’t be visible nce the table is assemble. This same cncept can be applie t a cut n the mite sa. when timmin a ae fnt t lenth, psitin the fnt ith its insie face aainst the tabletp s that teaut is is-
late t the unseen face. Afte main the fist cut, tate the stc athe than flip it t cut the the en.
Cut end grain before long grain In eneal, hen a piece nees t be cut acss the ain an aln the ain, it’s best t cut the en ain fist. This ule f thumb hls tue f mst machinin pcesses, fm aisin panels t abbetin ae bttms. If teaut es ccu fm the blae ( cutte) exitin the en ain, the ln-ain pass ill scp aay any blut that miht have ccue. ORDER YOUR CUTS Scoring and taping can help reduce tearout TO ELIMINATE TEAROUT due ilience als ill pevent teaut. F Which comes first, the dado or the example, hen in n lae cabinet pjrabbet? The dado comes first, if you follow ects, I alays mae fame-an-panel s the general rule that end-grain cuts should slihtly vesize, then cut them t fit the exact be made prior to long-grain cuts. imensins f the penin. F clean cuts, I have t eal ith the bac ee f the stiles, hee the sablae cuts en ain. Use a nife t sce a line n the bttm sie an bac ee f the stile. That alls the fibes t bea cleanly, befe they have a chance t tea ut. Applyin clea tape t an ee that is t be cut als s ell t pevent teaut—if yu peel ff the tape in the iectin f the fibes. If yu peel in the the iectin, the tape ill lift the fibes. Smetimes a vey liht film f hite lue ill pvie enuh suppt t eep fibes fm teain. Just mae sue that A rabbet will scoop away tearout caused yu’ve sane scape ff all the lue beby the dado cut. Cut the rabbet deeper than • the dado to ensure a clean edge. fe yu apply a finish.
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PowEr TooL BASICS 2007
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MORE FROM YOUR TOOLS ]
Tablesaw The best ways to equip and work with the most dangerous machine in the shop B Y
G A R Y
A
short time ago, a good friend of mine cut off the tip of his thumb on his tablesaw. He’s a good guitar player, too. We’re the same age; both of us have been working in this business about the same amount of time. I felt terrible about the whole situation, but it just reinforced to me the importance of tablesaw safety. Reminders like this one have made me develop techniques to protect myself from mistakes. So far, those habits have saved me from disaster. Any article on tablesaw safety would be remiss if the issue of blade guards weren’t faced honestly. Of the carpenters I’ve met around the country, I’d say 99% never use a blade guard on their tablesaws. In more than 30 years of working on job sites, I’ve never seen anyone use a guard on a portable saw. But I’ve seen and heard about a lot of tablesaw accidents. Lots of numbers are batted around, but here’s a conservative estimate: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, tablesaws caused more than 2,000 reported injuries during 2004, and most of those accidents probably could have been prevented if a guard had been in use. Does that mean we’re all going to start using the guards on our tablesaws? I doubt it, although some blade guards definitely work better than others. The guard found on most saws—from portables to cabinet saws—makes it impossible to rip narrow pieces, or to cut dadoes and rabbets. It’s troublesome to take a measurement between the fence and the sawblade with the guard in place. A few saws, notably the SawStop (see “The safest saw gets smaller,” p. 29) and the Powermatic PM2000, come with a riving knife that minimizes kickback but that doesn’t interfere with your work. This article highlights some of the most important tablesawsafety techniques I use every time I turn on the tool. I start by listening to the little voice inside my head. When something feels wrong, I don’t do it. I go get some coffee and think up another method. At the end of the day, I count my blessings on all 10 fingers.
M .
K A T Z
ESTABLISH A SAFE WORK ZONE BEFORE YOU START TO CUT • Be sure that the area around your feet is clear of cords, debris, and other material. • Always use a saw stand coupled with an outfeed table or extension rollers (the continuous support of an outfeed table is better). It’s also important that the table and stand be the exact same height, in this case, about 341 ⁄ 2 in. • Make sure that push sticks are within easy reach before you start the saw. • Always wear eye and ear protection. • Have a dust-collection system in place.
Gary M. Katz is a contributing editor to Fine Homebuilding and a tireless advocate of safe and efficient trim carpentry.
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FINE WOODWORKING
Photos: Charles Bickford; drawings: Heather Lambert
PREVENT KICKBACK AT ALL COSTS Many tablesaw accidents are caused by kickback, when the blade catches and throws the stock back into your face or pulls your hand into the blade. Some major causes? When the rip fence isn’t parallel to the blade, stock being ripped can be forced against the back section of the blade (see “Kickback danger zones,” below). The same pinching can happen Keep the fence when an uneven edge runs against the parallel to the blade. fence, or when internal stresses in the wood cause the kerf to close as a board is being cut. The remedy? First, make sure the fence is p arallel to the blade by checking the measurements between the fence and the miter slot at the front and rear of the saw table. When ripping, make sure the board edge guided by the fence is straight. If it isn’t, you can cut a straight edge using a sled as shown on p. 28. F inally, always use a splitter or a riving knife to keep the kerf open.
A riving knife helps to eliminate kickback A typical blade guard consists Use a riving knife to prevent blade-pinching.
of a splitter, a blade cover, and antikickback pawls. I like a guard that can be removed and reinstalled quickly. The PorterCable 3812 and the Bosch 4000-07 portable tablesaws are two with guards that fill the bill. Even more important, these guards are mounted on the
Keep a push stick within reach.
blade-carriage assembly rather than on the s aw’s chassis, which allows the splitter to move up and down with the blade. On my own saw, I converted the splitter into a riving knife. Often seen on high-quality cabinet saws, a riving knife is a smaller splitter that follows the tilt of the blade; it always follows the blade into the stock, where it keeps the kerf from pinching the blade, a major cause of kickback. A riving knife is never in the way. To make the riving knife, I removed the blade cover and pawls from the splitter, then cut down the splitter so that when it’s bolted back onto the blade carriage, it’s about 1 ⁄ 4 in. below
KICKBACK DANGER ZONES As you move the workpiece into a spinning blade, the teeth push down as they cut. However, if the wor kpiece makes contact with the back of the blade, the force of the blade coming up out of the table can throw the stock back toward you. Because kickback can occur at any time, always stand to the left of the area between the rip fence and the blade. When ripping, always apply steady pressure against the fence.
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the height of the blade. This Keep the stock against the fence, and stand to the left of the blade.
modification means that I can no longer use my blade cover and antikickback pawls. But on the other hand, a riving knife is always in place to provide protection whenever I use the saw.
KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THE BLADE
1
If you’re using your hand to hold and press a board against the rip fence and kickback shoots the board across the room, in less than a microsecond your hand will be pressing on the spinning blade. The only way to avoid this situation is never to place your hand in the danger zone (right). When ripping a board, keep your hand in front of the blade, use a tall push stick as the board nears the blade, and never reach over the blade to grab the waste.
HAND DANGER ZONE
2
SHOPMADE PUSH STICK
3
Use the rollers behind you when cutting big panels Horsing a full sheet of plywood onto a saw table can be strenuous at best, if not downright dangerous. I set up a roller stand behind my standing position, then pick up the sheet on edge. Setting it onto the roller, I can ease it onto the table (1), then lay it flat (2). With the back end of the sheet supported by the roller (3), I now can position the sheet against the fence and turn on the saw safely.
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FINE WOODWORKING
Never turn on a saw without a push stick nearby. I don’t use a simple stick with a notch cut in one end (see drawing, right), and I never use my hammer handle or my carpenter’s square. Instead, I prefer a tall, wide push stick (see photo, above) that extends the reach of my hand by 12 in. and exerts pressure downward, forcing the stock against the table. The handle gives good control over the stock, whether I’m cutting a 10-in.-wide board or a 3 ⁄ 8 -in.-wide strip.
A notched stick can slip and lead your hand into the blade.
SHOPMADE FEATHERBOARDS
Position the featherboard in front of the blade.
Fingers about 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide, cut at approximately 30°
Shop- or factory-made featherboards greatly reduce the chance of kickback and help to m ake cleaner, straighter rip cuts. No matter which type you use, position the featherboards correctly. The flexible fingers should apply light, steady pressure on the workpiece, allowing you to push it through the blade without a lot of force. A t able-mounted featherboard should be placed in front of the blade; never position it even with the blade because it might close the kerf, causing kickback. Featherboards clamped to the fence as hold-downs (below) must be positioned in front of and in back of the blade. I sacrifice a thinner piece of stock as a push stick to move the stock past the featherboards.
Sacrificial push stick works with hold-downs in place.
FACTORY-MADE FEATHERBOARDS Sometimes I need to rip a narrow strip from a wider board, and to keep the cut smooth, I use both featherboards and hold-downs. In this case, shopmade featherboards attached to the fence act as hold-downs, while a model from Bench Dog applies horizontal pressure that keeps the workpiece against the rip fence. Magnetic hold-downs and featherboards are available, too. Because it’s so quick and easy to use, I prefer Grip-Tite, a magnetic hold-down system. A steel fence sleeve screwed onto a wooden auxiliary fence provides the attraction, so the holddowns can be attached anywhere fore and aft of the blade. As the stock is pushed through, the hard rubber flaps and rollers hold the stock against the fence.
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Bench Dog featherboards ride in the miter- gauge slot.
Grip-Tite magnetic hold-downs stick to a steel auxiliary fence.
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
27
JIGS AND FIXTURES HELP YOU WORK SAFELY With all the specialty tools available these days, it’s easy to forget how much you can do with a tablesaw. Dedicated jigs allow you to perform repetitive production tasks safely and accurately; they also transform riskier operations into a risk-free routine.
FENCE-REGISTERED STOP BLOCK If I have to cut multiple pieces of the same size, I can screw a small block to the auxiliary fence that acts as a gauge. (I never use the fence itself as a gauge.) I slide the stock over until it registers against the stop, then make the cut. The stop block is far enough away from the blade that the piece isn’t trapped between the block and the fence.
CROSSCUT SLED Outfitted with two fences, the sled’s guides ride in the miter-gauge slots and make wide crosscuts accurate and safe. A similar sled, used with a dado blade, allows you to cut wide grooves across the workpiece with no risk of kickback (see “Dadoes, Grooves, and Rabbets,” pp. 60-65).
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FINE WOODWORKING
RIPPING SLED Rather than run wany-edged hardwood through the jointer several times, I make a sled from a 16-in. by 96-in. piece of plywood. I screw two toggle clamps onto 3 ⁄4 -in.-thick blocks, then screw the blocks to the sled so that the wany-edged board projects an inch or so beyond and as parallel as possible to the edge of the sled. After clamping down the board, I run the sled along the rip fence, cutting just enough off the board t o make a clean, straight edge.
The safest saw gets smaller MITER-GAUGE FENCE AND STOP I rarely use my miter gauge, but when I do, I always mount a wood auxiliary fence to it; the face of the miter gauge is too narrow to hold a board securely. Attaching a stop block to the wood fence gives you a foolproof way to produce identical-length parts. I use my right hand to pull offcuts away from the blade as they’re cut.
It’s like an airplane that won’t crash or a boat that won’t sink. People were skeptical when SawStop’s manufacturers (www .sawstop.com) first came out with a cabinet saw whose blade, they claimed, would stop within 5 milliseconds of contact with an operator’s skin (see the demonstration video on their Web site). However unlikely, the SawStop works like a charm, and I’m going to buy one for my shop as soon as I can scrape up the money. Even better news is that the company is preparing to introduce a contractor’s
Adhesive-backed sandpaper gives the fence a nonskid surface.
saw that employs the same fingersaving technology. The 10-in., 1.5-hp model saw (below) is
Stop block for cutting multiples
TENONING JIG Cutting tenons and chamfering the end grain on a narrow panel are dangerous jobs I frequently face. I never freehand these cuts. Instead, I make a tenoning jig from scrap materials and a toggle clamp. My tenoning jig rides on the top of the wood auxiliary fence attached to the rip fence. SawStop’s contractor’s saw The handle rides atop the fence.
expected to have a cast-iron table with steel extension wings, a heavy-duty fence, a blade shroud to enhance dust collection, and a riving knife to prevent kickback. The company says it is finalizing some changes, based on feedback from A toggle clamp holds the workpiece in place.
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field testing, and production may begin in mid-2007.
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
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MORE FROM YOUR TOOLS ]
Bansa Five no-hassle tips guarantee smooth, straight cuts on any bandsaw B y
m i c h a e l
f o r t u n e
I
n my fist yea f esign schl in the early 1970s, I remember the shop manage telling me that the bansa as the mst useful piece f equipment in a shp. This stuc me as a ubius statement, given that e ee staning in a workshop filled with state-of-the-art European ing equipment. But time an again, he pve it. Afte I gauate in 1974, my fist puchase was a 15-in. General bandsaw. However, I soon realized I could achi eve the accuacy an vesatility I ha expeience at
Precise cuts are easier than you think. It doesn’t take a high- end blade, high tension, replace- ment guides, or a special fence to get excellent cuts.
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Phts: Asa Chistiana
schl nly if I set up the sa the ay my shp manage i. once I figue ut the eys t success, I came t ely n that bansa. with a single blae, I utinely cut smth tenons, spaghetti-thin stringing for inlays, and pefect venees that use the entie height capacity f my machine. I als all f my ipping n that 15-in. bansa. The tas is safe an equies less hsepe than the tablesa, an the narrow kerf consumes less wood. New emplyees an stuents ae supise at fist by my pefeence f ipping n the bansa, but they ae cnvete quicly. Althugh I have thee excellent inustial tablesaws in my shop, they are used almost exclusively f cutting aes, squaing panels, an cutting shules n jints. Thee ae thee ey elements t getting the mst fm yu bansa: blae type, blade alignment, and moderate tension. My approach contradicts some of the common advice for setting up bandsaws. It does not equie high blae tensin, special equipment, extic blaes, high hsepe, cntinual fence ajustments t accmmate blae ift.
Sa a as a duing teaching assignments, I un int many es expeiencing ifficulties ith thei bansas. They cmplain
tip 1
A Single blAde cAn hAndle moSt tASkS
A 1-in.-wide, 3-tpi blade—properly
ripping
set up—will handle general ripcuts, resawing, and even cutting curves in thin stock, not to mention cutting precise tenons.
Standard 1 ⁄ 2-in.-wide carbonsteel blade
3 tpi
Large gullets clear chips efficiently. Finer blades, with more teeth per inch, have smaller gullets where chips get packed, causing the blade to cut poorly and to flex sideways.
resawing
cutting curves
about the blade leaving a curved (cupped) ef, a blae that seems t mve ut f alignment, or a saw that seems underpowee. Thei bansas ae elegate t cutting cuves in thin stc. The numbe-ne culpit behin all f these ifficulties is a bansa blae that has t many teeth, ith small gullets in beteen. Saust geneate in the ef must be removed efficiently. A tremendous amunt f heat is ceate by the fictin fm the saust that is jam-pace in each small gullet ight at the pint hee the fibes ae being cut. The intense heat can cause the blae t lse its tempe an ull pematuely. The heat an pessue builup als can cause the blae t flex sieays an baca, ceating a ishe cut. A typical eactin hee is t tighten the tensin n the blae. But vetensining the blae ceates a hle ne set f pblems (see Tip 2). My bandsaw does everything, every day: cutting jints, esaing ie laminates in extic s, maing cuve pattens in www.finewoodworking.com
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tip 2
high blAde t enS ion iS not neceSSAry
High tension eventually will groove the tires, pulling the blade out of alignment (for more on blade alignment, see Tip 3). High tension can even flex the machine’s frame out of alignment.
Simply using a 3-tpi blade, with its larger gullets, ill eliminate many bansaing pblems. Even 4 tpi is t fine a tth patten f geneal ing an esawing. Although it seems counterintuitive, if yu ant a fine cut, use a case blae, even n thin stc. In my expeience, the l ule f thumb abut having t teeth engage in the stc at all times is bgus. The easn I use a 1 ⁄ 2-in.-ie blae is that it is stiff enugh t esa but flexible enugh t fll a cuve n t a 2 1 ⁄ 2-in. aius. A cautinay nte: Cutting paticleba is extemely ha n cabn-steel bansa blaes an can euce thei life by 75%. High horsepower is another myth—F mst 14-in. bansas ith a 1 ⁄ 2-in.-ie, 3-tpi blae, a 1 ⁄ 3-hp mt is
fine. The same sa ith a ise blc in the clumn cul use a 1 ⁄ 2-hp mt f big esaing tass, but anything lage is veill. If the mt is bgging n, yu ae eithe fcing the cut using a ull blae.
d’ vs a It is imptant that the ties n the bansa emain in excellent shape. Gves in the ubbe tie n eithe the uppe
Use less than the recommended tension. For a 1 ⁄ 2 -in.-wide blade, turn the tension gauge (above) to the setting for a 3 ⁄ 8 -in.-wide blade. The first step in overhauling a bandsaw is to check the tires for grooves (right). If necessary, replace them.
1 ⁄ 16-in.-thic
stc. It is nt pactical t change the blae an the guie blcs f each situatin, n is it necess ay. with ae exceptins, a stana cabnsteel 1 ⁄ 2-in.-ie, 3-tpi, sip-tth blae installe n my bansa pefms all f the abve tass. Blades are inexpensive, so keep a sharp one loaded—The blaes I use ae
mae by Staett but ae ele an istibute by BC Sa an Tl in Canaa (888-251-2236; .bcsa.cm). By elightful cincience, these blaes ae ela32
FINE woodworkING
tively inexpensive. It helps that I buy them in gups f 10, hich eans me a 25% iscunt. F example, at the en f 2006, 94 1 ⁄ 2-in.-lng blaes, hich fit a 14-in. bansa, sl f abut $10 (U.S.) each, $13.50 if puchase ne at a time. This is ne f the ae cases hen inexpensive equals g. Unftunately, nt all blae istibuts el bansa blaes ppely. A ply ele, misaligne sablae ill nt give you the smooth and effortless results yu ae afte.
the lower wheel will make it impossible to eep the blae n the centeline, in line ith the ip fence. An the mst cmmn cause f gves in the ties is vetensine blaes. Vey high tensin can flex the sa fame ut f alignment. I slightly unetensin my 1 ⁄ 2-in.-ie blae. Because f its excellent ability t clea saust, the blae is nt incline t flex, ane, heat up. I ajust the tensin scale t the setting f a 3 ⁄ 8-in. blae. If n scale is pesent n the machine, I tighten the ajustment nb (ith the machine ff an unplugge) until the blae eflects abut 1 ⁄ 4 in. t the sie ithut maing my fingetips g hite. A sie benefit f le blae tensin is that I selm have t elease the tensin on the saw, as is commonly recommended t plng blae life.
A a a when I bught my bansa in 1974, I set the fence parallel to the miter-gauge slot in the table, and I haven’t had to adjust it since. This is because I use the tacing ajustment on the upper bandsaw wheel t o align the blae (see aings, facing page). A daings: kelly J. duntn
tip 3
you cAn eliminA te blAde drift by AdjuSti ng the trAcking
Advice on blade alignment usually centers on the rip fence instead of the blade, but you
aDjust the alignment of the BlaDe, not the fence
can eliminate blade drift simply by adjusting
Fist, ig th ip fc p
the position of the blade on the upper wheel.
ith th mit-gug st v it th. Th imit ift y ctig th th upp h. Th upp h hs sight c it. Thf, if th is cs t th ft f th upp h, it i g th hs, cusig th s t cut t th ight. If th is cs t th c f th h, th vs i tu.
A simple adjustment. Adjust the angle of the up- per wheel so the blade rides at the center, which on most small bandsaws is crowned slightly.
CenTered blade
S i cut stight.
blade Too Far Forward
blade Too Far baCk
Th fc must g t th ight f stight cut.
Th fc must g t th ft f stight cut.
align the fence just once
Align the rip fence parallel with the miter- gauge slot.
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Now push gently and let the blade do the work. Push- ing too hard will make the blade flex sideways, which will cause it both to overheat and to drift off line. With the blade, fence, and guides prop- erly aligned and adjusted, the back of the blade should be centered in its kerf (inset).
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tip 4
replAcement guideS Aren’t neceSSAry
A set of metal guide blocks will keep your blades on track for many years. The key is to set them very close to the blade and just behind the gullets.
nightmae f fence ajustments ensues if each ne blae is alle t tac iffeently. Simply by eeping the centeline f the blae (egaless f ith) in line ith the centeline f the uppe heel, I can keep the blade aligned correctly at the blae guies. The elatinship beteen tacing the blade on the centerline of the upper wheel an having the fence aligne paallel t the mite slt shul puce a ef ith equal space n eithe sie f the blae. Much has been mae in bs an aticles of the alignment of the two wheels to each the. In my shp an in my tavels, I have neve fun this t be a pblem. Tacing the blae ppely n the uppe heel has alays been enugh, except in the case f a seveely amage bansa. Now square the table and align the fence—once yu have aligne the table
ith the cutting iectin, it als shul be ajuste s that it is squae ith the vetical line f the blae. Last, the fence shul be aligne paallel t the blae an squae t the table. I use a 31 ⁄ 2-in.-tall bich ply ip fence scee nt the metal fence. I have shimme the ply ith masing tape t get it pepenicula t the table. Talle ply fences can be scee t the existing ply fence, but I use these nly hen I am esaing t the maximum capacity f my bansa, abut 6 1 ⁄ 2 in.
Closer than you might think. Many people use a dollar bill for setting the blocks, which keeps them 0.003 in. away from each side. Cigarette paper (or a feeler gauge) will set each block closer to 0.001 in. away, resulting in smoother, more precise cuts.
The blade weld must be smooth. A good sawblade company will weld blades precisely and grind the welded area flat. After you have set the guides, turn the wheel by hand to be sure the weld passes through the guides smoothly.
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Other important guide settings. The guide as- sembly should be adjusted so that the metal blocks remain just behind the blade’s gullets. Then the thrust bearing is set 1 ⁄ 32 in. behind the blade, as shown, so it contacts the blade only during use.
us a s, s s Again, simple is the ay t g. when setting up my bansa in 1974, I t ut the metal guide blocks and squared their working faces against the sie f the heel n my bench gine, being caeful t chec the blcs f squae. I have nt ha t eplace them esquae them since. The sequence f setting the guie blcs is as flls. Unplug the sa, pull the guies ell bac, tensin the blae, and then spin it a few times backward and forward by hand. Now turn on the saw and ajust the tacing f the blae t cente it n the uppe heel. Next, tun ff the sa again, an bing the guie assembly fa s that the front of the blocks aligns with the back of the blade’s gullets. Then adjust each guide blc t ithin the thicness f cigaette pape, 0.001 in., f the blae. The Allen sce might pull the blcs in ut hen they ae tightene, s this pcess
tip 5
Add duSt co llecti on to keep your SAw running well
Sawdust extraction is very important. Wood dust will get compressed onto the lower wheel by the revolving blade. The resulting bumps will cause the blade to vibrate and wander off center. Many saws provide for some dust extraction directly below the cutting area, but that isn’t enough. Attach a s econd dust pickup at the lower left corner, where the air current generated by the lower wheel makes dust accumulate. Also, attach a wooden brush with stiff natural bristles to the frame of the saw so that it continually cleans off the lower wheel. The lower dust port will catch the debris.
Collect dust at two points. Many bandsaws have dust collection below the cutting area, but Fortune also recommends installing a vacuum port at the bottom left of the lower wheel. If dust and pitch build up on the tires, the blade will not track properly. Install a brush (right) to remove dust from the lower wheel.
cul equie ne t attempts. with pactice, yu ill be able t ajust the guies by eye, ling f the smallest cac f light beteen the blae an the guie blcs. Last, bing the thust beaing in the ea t ithin 1 ⁄ 32 in. f the blae. This beaing is the only part that requires replacing, when it becomes stiff or scarred. But it is a stana pat an can be bught in mst autmtive- beaing-supply huses. with the guie blcs set this clse, an ith the bac f the gullets just aligne ith the fnt f the blcs, thee is n m f the blae t tist f the teeth t hit the metal guie blcs. If I thought there was some advantage to eplacing the guies the blcs, then I www.finewoodworking.com
ul, but I fin the iginal system gives me excellent esults. with the blae an fence aligne ppely, the metal guie blcs ae nt ubbing cnstantly against ne sie f the blae the the an ceating fictin heat. The le guies ae set in the same ay as the uppe nes, thugh I ften leave them bace slightly aay fm the blae, unless I am esaing a paticulaly ifficult piece f . I have e in seveal shps in Eupe, an nne f the bansas I use thee ha le beaing assemblies.
f s ss with the sa ppely set up, it is necessay t place nly t f yu finges
against the workpiece: You should be able to use one finger to push the stock and the other to hold it against the rip fence. If you have t use the butt f yu han t push the stc, smething is ng—eithe the blae is ull it is n lnge tacing n the centeline f the uppe heel an is misaligne ith the fence, causing the t bin. Use mil but cnsistent fee pessue, alling the blae t the . The saust must have a chance t be cleae fm the ef. F safety, nce yu pushing finges ae ithin 6 in. f the blae, use a push stic. □ Michael Fortune designs and builds furniture in Lakefield, Ont., Canada.
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dill Pe The right bits, jigs, and techniques add versatility B y
o
R o l a n d
iinally eine a a tl f machinit, the ill pe ha ecme a tana fixtue in in hp. It i capale f illin th mall an lae hle me accuately an afely than a hanhel ill, an it ha a uilt-in epth tp. The ac-an-pinin pein actin f the machine give eay leverage for oring large hole in har material. Throw n a imple, hp-uilt tale an fence, an yu a the aility t uppt an tailize lae an mall piece in pecie, epeatale pitin. 36
FINE woodworkINg
J o h n s o n
Mt e ae familia ith the aic functin f a ill pe, ut nt eveyne n h t queeze the eatet veatility an pefmance ut f thi in maintay. The fit tep i t mae ue the machine i illin hle that ae taiht an tue, pepenicula t the tale. F aic tulehtin n a ill pe, yu’ll nee an accuate quae, a eal hamme, a ial inicat ith a manetic ae, an a length of rill ro (availale at machine hop an many harware te, a ell a y mail e). Pht: Aa Chitiana
Tune-up is quick but crucial
A wobbly chuck can be corrected. You’ll need a dial indicator and some drill rod to test for runout. If you find more than 0.005 in. of wobble, use a deadblow hammer to knock the chuck free. Clean any gunk off the taper, and reinstall the chuck.
The mot important factor for accurate rilling i the quarene f the tale t the it. Ue the quae t etemine if the tale i pepenicula t the chuc. If the tale i ut f quae fm ie t ie, fixin it i a imple matte f lenin the lt that ecue the tale, main an ajutment, an tihtenin the lt. If the tale i ut f quae fm fnt t ac, the auxiliay tale (an eential accey f any ill pe, hn n the next pae) can e himme t cmpenate. If you have a ial inicator, ue it an the length of r ill ro hel in the chuc t chec the chuc f unut. Any le hul e le than 0.005 in. meaue at 1 in. fm the ja. If thee i any me le than thi, it ill tea the im f a hle upn enty an e-enty. If the chuc i nt cncentic t the haf t, ue a eal hamme t nc the chuc fee f the haft, an chec the tape to make ure it’ clean an mooth. Ue a rag an ome olvent to clean the tape. Anythin me aaive than teel l ill chane the tape an eaen the n. replace the chuc an echec the unut. when eintallin the chuc, yu can anle the hamme l t et it t eat ppely n cente. At that pint, if yu ae till meauin t much unut, emve the chuc an chec the www.finewoodworking.com
Squareness is a must. Again, the piece of drill rod is helpful. Drill-press tables include a side-to-side adjustment. If the table isn’t square from front to back, you’ll have to shim the shop-built auxiliary table (see drawings, following page).
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Auxiliary table is a must
Fence, 3 ⁄ 4-in. plywood, 3 in. deep by 2 1 ⁄ 2 in. tall by 351 ⁄ 2 in. long
This simple, shopmade table supports long workpieces and offers a number of ways to locate and secure them. It includes a sacrificial backer board to eliminate blowout on the backs of workpieces. Ratcheting clamp handle Triangular brace, glued and nailed
Rabbet, 1 ⁄ 8 in. by 1 ⁄ 8 in., prevents debris from affecting workpiece alignment.
Sacrificial board, ⁄ 2-in. 7 8 in. sq., plywood, 4 ⁄ 14 ⁄ -in. radius at corners 1
T-track
Clearance hole, 11 ⁄ 2 in. dia.
End stop, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 2 1 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 4 in. long
Bolts, 1 ⁄ 4 in. dia., counterbored into table
Simple work stop, 3 ⁄ 4 in. dia. by 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick, glued onto 3 ⁄ 8-in. dowel
Numerous 3 ⁄ 8-in. holes for work stop
Table, 3 ⁄ 4-in. plywood, 18 in. deep by 36 in. wide
Hardwood support brace, 1 in. sq. by 33 in. long, near front edge, keeps table flat.
6-in. radius at corners
Attachment cleats are designed to fit a specific drill-press table and allow the auxiliary table to slide easily on and off. Clamp handles
using the ta ble
36 in.
18 in.
T-tracks, 12 1 ⁄ 2 in. apart, on center
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FINE woodworkINg
A pin is the simplest stop. It offers a quick way to keep a workpiece from spinning (above). The fence works well for holes in a row (right). The T-tracks and clamp handles make for quick adjustment and a secure grip.
dain: Jim richey
tape itelf. Yu miht have t cntact the manufactue t eplace that haft. If yu ae a it me amitiu, the et f the ill pe cme apat f cleanin an lurication, which will mooth out any ticky action. Alo, if you notice exceive viration hen the pe i unnin, it may e caue y p-quality l V-elt. Thee can e eplace ith emente elt. Nte t leftie: Many machine can e et up f left-hane can peatin imply y appin the etun pin an hanle aemly ie-f-ie.
Uually thi mean canin the tale up an n a ea ac n the uppt cldriig tip umn, an lcin it in place. Mt tale al can e tilte f anle hle. It al i imptant t match the pee to the it. For wooworking, thi oe not have to e an exact c ience. baically, you houl not run any it fater than 3,000 rpm, an yu hul l the pee cniealy for igger it. For example, a 1-in.-ia. it hul un at 300 pm t 500 pm in ha. on meately pice ill pree, you’ll have to turn off the machine t chane pee y mvin the elt() For greatest accuracy when using acro teppe pulley. some heavier-uty An auxiliary table is a must brad-point and twist bits, use a center Even thuh many ill pee ae ue machine ffe infinitely vaiale pee punch before drilling. excluively f in, they till that can e chane n the fly. ae equippe ith a machinit-iente Lat, yu ccainally ill ue the epth tale that ten t e t mall f many in ptp. on many ill pee, thi i a tatin clla lcate eeatin. An auxiliay tale that lt t the ill-pe tale hin the fee hanle. Hihe-en machine have a ette ytem: eatly enhance veatility an afety. A melamine a vetical that tavel ith the quill, ith tp clla ettin uface i al ine t piece. My vein cnit f a the epth. 3 ⁄ 4-in. piece of veneer-core plywoo, with aluminum T-track inet t accmmate a fence an vaiu hl-n. Safety: Spin and climb are the enemies Thuh-hle ill tea ut ithut a feh ace a eT naty event that can ccu hen illin hle ae pin an l the hle. I inet a mall, acificial piece f ply int the clim. If a it a the —fm t fat a fee ate, a ull auxiliay tale. F citical hle, flip tate the a t fin cuttin ee, a uen chane in enity f mateial (thin a clean aea, an eplace it hen it i ile ith hle. The ply)—the can fm ze t the ill’ pm in an eplaceale inet al all the ttm en f a anin um intant, a ptentially aneu ituatin. t e et el the tale uface (ee pht, el iht). Almt any type f tp ill pevent pin. I ille a eie f 3 ⁄ 8-in.-ia. hle in my auxiliay tale, int hich I imply p a Four basic settings ele tp. It quicly f piece f almt any ize an hape. Jut e ue that the i aaint the tp hen yu eThere are a few imple etting on a rill pre. The mot frequent in. A fence ill ive the ame ptectin, ut it metime i nt ajutment you’ll make i tightening an looen ing the chuck. Ue all thee tihtenin lcatin t e ue each ja i ell-eate, a quic cnvenient t ue, epecially ith -hape piece. epecially ith i it. Thi al can help t cente the it. drill-it clim i another anger. Thi occur a a large it reak T accmmate vaiu thicnee f piece an vaithuh the ac uface f the an jam in the hle, ceatin a evee ce actin. Thi caue the t clim the ou length an type of tool, you’ll ajut the tale quite ofte n.
T-tracks add versatility. Tracks in the table and fence make it easy to secure the fence, end stop, and various hold-downs.
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Sanding drums are good for curved work. The cutout in this table allows the drum to contact the workpiece properly.
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Other drilling techniques Make a V-block for round stock. Use a hold-down for even more stability and accuracy.
ill it until methin tp it. If the piece clea the tp fence, clim quicly can lea t pin. The cue i t clamp the piece t the taletp. I ue a mall tle clamp munte t the T-tac in my auxiliay tale. I al ue thee clamp n pecial illin ji that I mae f epetitive ta. They can e munte n tall lc f clampin thice talle item.
Drilling clean, accurate holes Expeience ill ive yu a feel f the ppe fee ate, ut a ith any machine, n’t puh t ha. Let the it cut, pullin n the can hanle jut enuh t eep chip cmin teaily. F eep hle an al f cetain it (uch a Ftne), it i imptant t clea chip ften. d thi y liftin the it until it almt, ut nt quite, leave the hle. Pullin the it all the ay ut f the hle can tea the tp ee n the ay ut in. F the ultimate accuacy in lcatin a hle, ue caeful layut ith a hap pencil, an then ue a cente punch t place a ivt hee the chai meet. on mt it, the tip ill avitate t the cente f the ivt. when thi happen, t avi enin the it illin a ce hle, all the piece t mve lihtly int a ette pitin. Use a V-block to drill round stock— A imple V-tuh cut int a piece f heavy tc ill eep un tc fm llin hile ein ille. Angle the table or make a jig for angled holes— If you angle
the tale, the mall cale ill ffe a faily accuate eain. If a pecie anle i neee, mae a etup lc n the talea at the exact anle, an ue it t et the ill-pe tale t the eie anle ith the ill it. Ftne it et f illin anle hle, ecaue the cuttin im ill eep the it fm anein. Pivot the table for end-grain drilling— T ill int the en grain of a long workpiece, uch a when rilling epot ection, pivot the tale to 90° an ue hol-own to attach the workpiece t the tale. Tit it ette than a-pint Ftne it f illin int en ain.
Tilt the table for end-grain and angled holes. To drill into the ends of long pieces, turn the table to 90° and use the auxiliar y table’s fence, stops, and hold-downs to secure the work (above). For angled holes such as through-mortises in the top of a stool (right), tilt the table and use the fence as a work stop.
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FINE woodworkINg
Use the fence when drilling mortises—T e the equential hle that uh ut a mtie, ue a Ftne it an velap each ucceive hle y aut 25% (ee pht, p. 36). Thi leave little t clean ut ith a chiel, ceatin a quic, accuate mtie ithut the nee f a hll-chiel mtie. Use hole saws for large diameters—T cut a lae hle eaily in mateial up t 1 1 ⁄ 2-in. thic, ue a hle a. Hle a ae pee teel cup ith ateeth cut int the im. They ae availale in many ize, tatin at 3 ⁄ 4 in. ia. an inceain in mall incement t ve 5 in., an they munt n an intechaneale a ith a centein ill it. The aemly chuc int the ill pe. Ue le pee f thee tl. The trick for plug cutters— Plug cutter work great for cutting ee-ain plu that cve ce hle. Thee ae aically t type: one cut a tapee plu an the the cut a taiht plu. The et ay t cut plu i t ue tc that i thice than the plu lenth, cut t the epth f the plu cutte, an then mae a eain cut n the ana t fee the plu.
a eeti et f bit For most drilling tasks in wood, use brad-point bits. They have a center spur for accurate location, outer spurs for cleanly cutting the wood fibers at the rim of the hole, and helical
BRAD-POINT
flutes that quickly evacuate waste, allowing deep holes without constantly backing out the bit to clear waste. They also cut a relatively flat bottom. With their straight leading edges and knifeedge or toothed cutting rim, Forstner bits cut even cleaner holes, with flatter bottoms, than
FORSTNER
brad-point bits. Because they register off their rim, these unique bits can enter angled surfaces and turned wor k cleanly and accurately. The only drawback is that they must be raised frequently to clear chips.
Drill presses are great for sanding sanin um ell f ee-anin, epecially hen the piece ha an irregular or curve ege. For a mooth, fair cur ve, ue a lae a um a pile, an eep the peue liht an the piece mvin teaily. dum ae availale in at leat a c uple f vaiatin, ne that tae cylinical anin leeve an anthe that accept flat anpape. □ Roland Johnson is a woodworker and tool enthusiast in Sauk Rapids, Minn., and a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking .
Twist bits are inexpensive workhorses that work well for boring end-grain holes and,
TWIST
when sharp, cut clean enough for many woodworking needs. They will keep a sharp edge when drilling hardwood, composite material, plastic, and soft or ferrous metals. One great feature of a twist bit is that it is relatively TAPERED TWIST
easy to sharpen on a bench grinder. Straight holes aren’t ideally suited to traditional wood screws. For better holding power, tapered twist bits also drill the countersink and even can drill a counterbore for plugging. For countersinking alone, a Weldon-style
COUNTERSINK
countersink gives the cleanest results.
DRill laRge, Clean hOles With a hOle saW
1
2
3
Drill from both sides. With the workpiece secured safely, drill partway through the first side (1) so that the center bit pops through the back. Then flip the stock and find the center (2). Finally, finish the cut and re- move the plug (3). Because it is only half-buried in the saw, the plug can be knocked free much more easily.
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Jointer
Use this shop mainstay to make straight, flat boards, plus tapers and roundovers, too B Y
Outfeed table
J .
S P E E T J E N S
Fence
Outfeed table adjustment wheel
Outfeed table lock handle
Blade guard
Depth-of-cut gauge
Base
How a jointer works
To reduce tearout, orient the edge grain so that it angles down toward the infeed end of the jointer.
Freshly milled section Cutterhead
Align the outfeed table with the apex of the cut. Too low and you’ll get snipe, a depression created when the knives dig too deeply into the wood. Too high and the work will bump the table and your hands could slip.
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FINE WOODWORKING
The height difference between the infeed and outfeed tables determines the depth of cut. A cut of less than 1 ⁄ 16 in. removes most sawmarks. Heavier cuts are more prone to tearout and, in the extreme, kickback.
Photo: steve sott; drwing: stephen Huthing
T
he firt tep in ny woodworking projet is to begin with stright, flt stok. It is the foundtion of qulity work. Tht’ why the jointer— mhine deigned to trighten nd fltten rough ord—i entrl to everything I do woodworker. a jointer onit of horizontl utterhed mounted etween two ded-flt, st-iron tbles tht sit end to end. a bord puhed lengthwie ro the mhine psses over the utterhed s it moves from one tle to the other. The outfeed tle i et to mth the height of the knive, with the infeed ide lightly lower. Thi height differene determine the depth of ut. The mhine quikly retes flt fe on rough ord or tright edge tht i qure to tht flt fe, oth ruil tep in milling tok to e flt, tright, nd qure. but the jointer hndle more thn these ore opertions. It offer onvenient Infeed lterntive to other tool tht table need peil templte, jig, or
Infeed table adjustment wheel
other lengthy etup to tper furniture leg, fit door, nd ut long hmfer, evel, nd roundovers. Here’s how to get the most from thi pivotl mhine.
The fundamentals of clean, safe cuts There re ome i guideline for operting the jointer fely nd for getting high-qulity reult. For fety, keep the gurd in ple nd ue puh pd nd puh tik whenever poile to keep your finger wy from the utterhed. I ue puh pd nd puh tik for ll fe-jointing opertion nd puh tik for ll edge ut on ord le thn 3 in. wide. The minimum sfe length tht n be ut on most jointers is 12 in. Use roller stnd or other support for long or hevy ord. For most mteril, orient the stok so tht the grin ngle down towrd the infeed ide of the utterhed. For wood with interled or urly grin, mke light tet ut to determine the et feed diretion. conentrte on pplying light downwrd pressure to the surfe of the bord s you feed it over the utterhed t moderte, onitent pe. apply only enough pre-
ure to prevent the ord from ouning on the utter. If you deflet the bow or up during the ut, it will remin fterwrd. Feeding tok into the utterhed too quikly will ue terout or wvy urfe. but if you go too lowly, you rik dulling the lde or urning the wood. stopping in the middle of ut will leve urnihed dimple or urn mrk.
Jointing cupped, bowed, or twisted stock after rough-utting tok lightly overize, the next step in reting dimensioned lumer i fe-jointing. The gol i flt urfe tht will ride on the plner ed when you ue tht mhine to ring the tok to the deired thikne. For mot ord, mke your firt jointer p with the ow or up fing down. To fe-joint bords shorter thn 4 ft., stnd ner the utterhed nd use your left hnd to pply light downwrd preure with puh pd ner the leding end of the tok. Hook puh tik over the triling edge if you n reh it omfortly. If not, trt the ut y feeding the ord with your right hnd nd then swith to push tik efore your right
keeP a sTaBle sTanCe anD ProTeCT Your HanDs Distribute your weight evenly and try to remain in one spot unless you’re working with an especially long board. Keep a push stick and a push pad near the jointer and use them often, especially when working with small stock that will put your hands near the cutterhead.
A push pad helps exert downward pressure as the board rides across the cutterhead.
A push stick with a cleat helps bring the rear of the board forward.
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Jointer basics: flattening the face and squaring an edge The jte y t e q t. af te y t t t h me, e the jte t ftte e fe t the . afte, e the jte t thte e ee befe the b t f th.
CuP c efe t the e the th f b mt e ft mbe. Y mmze te jt by h t befeh t the e th y’ e
Flatten a cupped board. Mill with the concave side facing the cutterhead so that the board rests on the two “lips” of the cup. Don’t press down hard in the middle. Exert just enough pressure to keep the stock from chattering as it crosses the cutterhead.
The first pass shows results. The edges that contacted the cutterhead are flat. Subsequent passes will widen this area until the entire board has been surfaced.
y jet.
Bow B the te f b’ fe t eth. Y ee b ee f t— mmze the te jt—by tt t t hte eth.
Bow, like cup, should face the cutterhead. To correct a bowed board, apply light pressure at the leading and trailing ends of the board. Do not press down in the bowed middle.
hnd gets ner the utter. Keep the push pd in your left hnd positioned over the first few inhe of the outfeed tle. For longer ord, I tnd t the triling end to trt. I feed the ut with my right hnd, swithing to the push stik s the ut progree. I keep the puh pd in my lef t hnd s fr forwrd s I n reh omfortly, exerting light downwrd preure. For piee tht re owed nd upped on opposite fes, mke the first pss with the owed fe down. Ue the puh pd to ontrol roking, removing the mot mteril from the middle of the ord’ width. 44
FINE WOODWORKING
Minor twists re not diffiult to del with, ut lrge twit—if improperly identified nd mnged—n prevent you from getting the mximum thikness out of piee. Ple the ord on len, flt urfe. With three orner touhing the tle, guge the height of the elevted orner. For twit of 1 ⁄ 8 in. or le, ue the puh pd to rok the ord o tht two digonl orner re touhing the infeed tle nd the other two orner re elevted eqully. Ple the puh tik t the rer orner tht i touhing the tle to void defleting the ried orner. Ree the twit fter the firt p.
The cutterhead joints the ends of the board first. On subsequent passes, the cutter will take more of the stock.
For bords with lrger twist, ple stk of mll veneer him, out 3 ⁄ 4 in. y 1 in., under the high orner t the ord’ triling edge o tht the two high orner re elevted eqully. Joint if you hd minor twit. Mke ure tht you don’t deflet the ried orner on the leding edge. One p hould redue the twit enough tht him re not needed for the remining pe.
Straightening crooked boards after you’ve jointed one fe flt nd ued the plner to mke the oppoite fe prllel, the next milling tep i to joint
The first pass yields two starting points. The low corners touching the table are sur- faced first. On subsequent passes, apply pressure on these corners to keep the board level and steady.
TwisT Tt hee the t ee f b e be t y eee e t e. T mxmze ye he jt tte t, ee the b ee be t e
A little shimming can help. Mill large amounts of twist out of a board by shimming the high corner in back to about the same height as the opposite high corner.
t t e.
Crook Ee-jt thte b’ ee by em , e e ee. The e me the ee qe t e fe. Y jt ee befe h-tt t t ete efeee fe f the ’ fee.
n edge to mke it qure with the two fe. Mot of the time, I joint the rooked or onve edge. For fety, I edge-joint tok tht’ etween 11 ⁄ 2 in. nd 3 in. wide uing the tip of my thum nd the ide of the index finger of my left hnd to guide the ord nd keep it gint the fene. I feed the tok with puh tik in my right hnd (ee photo, right). For wider ord, I feed nd guide the ut freehnd, ut I mke ure to hook few finger or thum over the top of the jointer’ fene to prevent my hnd from slipping towrd the utter. For piees www.finewoodworking.com
Edge-joint with the bowed or crooked side down. Use a push stick at the back edge for any stock less than 3 in. wide, along with a push pad in front for anything narrower than 1 1 ⁄ 2 in.
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Beyond the basics: wide boards, tapers, and profiles flaTTening wiDe BoarDs Fe-jt b e th y ttehe Clamp
eqe em f the be . cete e be befe ttemt th.
Shop-built blade guard
Wide board
Jointer fence Outfeed table
1 The task is half finished. An initial pass surfac- es one side of the board, but leaves the other rough. If the rough strip is narrow, clean it up with a handplane. 2 Joint the other side. The finished surface may still be somewhat uneven and require cleaning up with a handplane before it is ready for the thickness planer.
nrrower thn 11 ⁄ 2 in., I ue oth puh pd nd puh tik. The most effiient wy to strighten bdly rooked bord is with series of uts tht trt t the end nd go to the point where the edge of the bord lers the utter; then revere the ord nd joint from the other end. Do thi until mot of the rook i removed. Finish up with t lest one pss tht run the length of the ord. after one edge hs been jointed, you n trighten the eond edge with ripping ut on the tlew.
Make tapered cuts to shape or fit parts among other thing, tpered ut n e used to strighten onvex surfes, fit doors nd drwer fe to their opening, or mill tpered leg. Mke tpered ut y lowering the work onto the utter while the 46
FINE WOODWORKING
mhine is running. crefully pull the blde gurd k with your left hnd or puh it ide with the end of the ord. Ple the ord’ leding end out 1 ⁄ 2 in. over the ner edge of the outfeed tle nd feed the ut norml. The mount of the tper i equl to the depth of the ut. Depth settings of 1 ⁄ 16 in. or le redue the rik of terout. Multiple ut mke lrger tper. The type of tper nd the proportion of the piee to e tpered will determine the best wy to lower the work onto the utter. To mill tper on the fe of ord, on the edge of long, nrrow ord, or on ord tht will reeive only prtil tper, ple the leding end onto the outfeed tle. Lower the ner end of the ord onto the infeed tle. To tper the edge of wide ord or inet door, et the triling edge on the
infeed tle nd lower the leding edge refully onto the outfeed tle. Note tht even properly djuted jointer will leve smll divot where the work ws lowered onto the utter. If the divot i ignifint, len it up with light pss over the entire length fterwrd. You lo n ue tpered ut to trighten the k ide of ord tht is bowed or to strighten the onvex edge of rooked bord. Rok the bord bk wrd with the puh tik, elevting the front edge ove the utter nd onto the outfeed tle. Ee up on the downwrd preure on the puh tik nd lower the bord onto the utter. Feed the rest of the □ ut norml. J. Speetjens makes furniture and cabinetry in Greensboro, N.C.
TaPering a leg F t te, e the e e the tfee tbe ety e the ee t the fee e befe the e the tte.
Tapering a leg. Begin the taper by resting the workpiece on the outfeed table and lowering it onto the cutterhead.
Take several passes. Begin each pass in the same way. Soon enough, the taper becomes pronounced.
CusTom Profiles Tt the fee t ey hmfe the ee f b t eth t m bee t 45°. cmbe bee t t me fe.
BEvEling narrow sTock Tilt the fence back to bevel narrow stock. This allows clear access with push sticks and push pads. Take care—very narrow boards tend to slip away from the fence.
BEvEling
BullnosE
widE Boards
proFilE
Tilt forward to bevel wider boards. In this way, the stock is less likely to be levered away from the cutterhead as you make the pass.
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Only a few passes are needed to create this bullnose. Adjust the fence back and forth as need- ed to cut the various angles that are required. The multifaceted surface can then be handplaned, scraped, or sanded smooth.
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MORE FROM YOUR TOOLS ]
Dovetail Jis How to create a complex joint the easy way B y
A n i s s A
k A p s A l e s
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’ve been known to spend hours laborin ove hand-cut dovetails. Fist, I fret over the layout, drawing half-pins at each end of the o and ceatin an attractive layout between. Once I’m satisfied, I move on to sain and pain the pins, layin out the tails as pecisely as I can, then more sawing and paring to sneak up on a ood fit. I enjoy the challenes and the satisfaction of cuttin dovetails by hand. So hen I decided to lean ho to cut dovetails ith a ji that uides a oute, I bean ith a definite bias aainst any shotcut. By the time I’d finished my fist dae, I could appreciate the advantages that dovetail jis offe. A ji’s eatest assets ae speed and ease of cuttin. Afte you o thouh a fussy initial setup, it taes vey little time to cut a lot of pefectly fit dovetails, moe than compensating for the setup time. A chest of daes, a un of box pats, o daes fo an entie itchen ae ideal applications fo one of these jis. Once you dial eveythin in, you could easily cut all the joints you need in a couple of hous. Thee’s a leanin cuve ith dovetail jis, and evey ji seems to have its on set of quirks. But in my experience, a careful trip through the instruction manual and a manaeable peiod of tial and eo ae all it taes to successfully cut tiht-fittin, attactive joints. If you’e a beinnin oodoe and haven’t mastered the hand-cut dovetail, a jig can allo you to use an extemely ston, attactive joint that you miht otheise have to leave out of you epetoie.
How they work Dovetail jis use one o moe templates that esemble the spead-out fines on a
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FINE wOODwOrkINg
Photos: David Heim
Half-blind dovetails
Lock up. Cams on an adjustable locking bar secure the workpiece for the dovetail pins. A piece of scrap the same thickness as the workpiece will keep the jig’s template in line.
Align the template. The small brass knob lets you align the template precisely over the pin board. The big knob locks down the template.
hand; uidin a oute into the spaces beteen the fines ceates pins o tails, depending on how the workpiece is clamped into the ji. Thee ae sepaate templates fo half-blind dovetails and thouhdovetails. Fo half-blinds, both boads ae cut at the same time; for through-dovetails, the tails ae cut fist. Some jis ae desined to cut only half-blinds, but I thin it maes sense to invest in one that also can cut thouh-dovetails. The Pote-Cable 4212 ji shon hee (steet pice, $150), eaned the Best Value distinction in a ecent Fine Woodworking evie. One of the easiest jis to use, the Pote-Cable has fast-actin cam clamps to hold the boads, and it has setup lines and instuctions etched into the oute www.finewoodworking.com
Centering pins. The pin board registers against an adjustable stop at the left edge of the jig. Once you center the board under the template fingers, you can slide the stop into place.
Aligning tails. The same stop that regis- ters the pin board also registers the tail board.
POwEr TOOL BASICS 2007
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Half-blind dovetails (continued)
Half-blind bit depth. An adjustable stop lets you set bit height precisely for cutting half-blind dove- tails. Labels on the jig provide useful reminders for adjustments that yield a tight-fitting joint.
A joint in one quick pass. A template cuts both halves of a half-blind dovetail joint at once. A guide bushing on the router base makes it easy to move the bit in a nd out of the fingers.
ADJUSTING THE FIT OF HALF-BLIND DOVETAILS
templates. It also has a useful aue to help you set the oute-bit heiht.
Sweat the details for a better outcome Simply usin a ji doesn’t ensue a ellmade joint the fist time. The ood needs to be positioned properly under the fingers of the ji, the template lined up evenly across the top of the wood, and the routerbit depth adjusted pecisely. Thee ae a fe thins you should pay attention to that ill ensue success ith a ji. Just as you do hen hand-cuttin dovetails, you should mark the boards and eep tac of thei oientation to the ji. Note hethe the outside o the inside of the boad oes aainst the ji, and then ma the boads so you don’t et thins mixed up. Otheise, you may ell ind up ith a boad cut so that the face you anted outside is no on the inside. Mill exta stoc to use fo the test cuts that ae a necessay pat of the setup. Settin the depth of the bit can be the most time-consumin and citical pat of usin a dovetail ji. with many jis (the Pote-Cable is an exception), you’ll have to esot to tial and eo. If you’e cuttin thouh-dovetails, fit a tail board into the horizontal position of the jig, set the router on top, and adjust the bit to the depth of the wood plus a hair more. That will leave the pins slightly proud; trim them flush ith a bloc plane. Setting the bit for half-blinds may involve moe tial and eo. Clamp the pin boad in the ji hoizontally, the tail boad vetically, and set the oute bit fo the depth of the half-blind—o hat you thin the depth should be. I found that even ith the Pote-Cable’s bit-depth uide, it taes seveal test cuts to et the depth just iht fo a ood, snu fit.
Expect the joint to look machine-made
Raise or lower the bit. Even with careful setup, joints can be too loose (top left) or too tight (left). The solution is to tweak the bit height (above)— lower to make the joint t ighter, higher if pins and tails are too tight.
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FINE wOODwOrkINg
No ji can poduce the slihtly ieula, supe-thin dovetails that ae the hallma of hand-cut joinery. However, machine-cut dovetails ae still attactive because they ae neat and odely, and they fit ell. Some jis let you adjust the spacin of pins and tails, up to a point. But most ae uniform and fixed, and none allows a completely customized layout. Jis also limit the idth and thicness of boads you can use. geneally, a dovetail joint should have a half-pin on each end. Because of the ji’s spacin limitations,
Through-dovetails
The wood guides the depth. The workpiece thickness determines bit depth. Set the bit a hair past the edge of the board, leaving the pins slightly proud. They can be trimmed flush later.
Through-dovetail template. Through-dovetails require a double-sided template and two router bits. The straight fingers guide the router to cut tails; the tapered fingers guide the cut for pins.
Finished tails. The dovetail bit supplied with the jig cuts the tails. To prevent tearout, use scrap to back up the workpiece.
you can begin and end with half-pins only on boards of specific widths. For example, the Pote-Cable ji I used oed best ith boads that measued 3 1 ⁄ 4 in., 41 ⁄ 4 in., 51 ⁄ 4 in., and so on. I also leaned fom expeience hat can happen when you use stock that’s too thin for a particular template and router bit. The half-blind joint as fittin toethe athe ell and the layout as nicely symmetical, but I had small cescent-shaped aps on the inside of the joint. I had to chec eveythin befoe I ealized that the aps ee the esult of usin stoc less than 1 ⁄ 2 in. thic. Once I ecut the joint usin • thice stoc, eveythin oed. Anissa Kapsales is an assistant editor
Beginning the pins. Once you’ve cut tails for all the pieces, you need to flip the template to get ready to cut pins.
Finished pins. The straight bit supplied with the jig cuts the pins. Here, too, scrap backs up the cut to prevent tearout.
A D J U S T I N G T H E F I T O F T H R O U G H - D O V E TA I L S
Move the fence. If the joint doesn’t fit well, the solu- tion is to use the locking knobs to fine-tune the position of the template: for- ward to loosen the joint, back to tighten it.
at Fine Woodworking .
www.finewoodworking.com
POwEr TOOL BASICS 2007
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Mortiser Simple tips for setup, sharpening, and cutting make the tool a joy to use B Y
R O L A N D
J O H N S O N
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mortiser, also called a hollow-chisel mortiser or mortising machine, cuts mortises remarkably quickly and accurately. Indeed, this machine can cut a typical mortise for a table apron in well under a minute. Benchtop models are most common, although larger, freestanding machines also are available. On the downside, mortisers define the word finicky. If yours isn’t set up and used correctly, you’ll wonder why you bought one. Fortunately, mortiser-induced headaches can be treated with relative ease. Simply follow the steps outlined here, and you’ll find that quick, clean, and accurate mortises become the norm, not the exception.
A sharp chisel and bit are a must A mortiser won’t work effectively when the bit and chisel are dull, so keep both parts sharpened (see photos, facing page). No need for a lot of tools, just a chainsaw file, a round and a flat slip stone, a little sandpaper, an abrasive pad, and some honing oil. Don’t expect a brand-new bit and chisel to be adequately sharp. Almost all I’ve seen needed extra attention out of the box. Hone the outside faces of the chisel—I begin sharpening by honing the four outside faces of the chisel. To ensure that I’m honing a flat surface, I use spray adhesive to mount P400- and P800-grit
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Mortisers require extra attention, but the payoff makes it all worthwhile. Don’t ignore any of these steps.
Install chisel and bit properly.
Adjust fence.
Set depth stop.
Adjust hold-down.
Sharpen bit. Sharpen chisel.
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FINE WOODWORKING
Bolt base to bench.
Photos, except where noted: Tom Begnal; this page (bottom left) and facing page (top left): Kelly J. Dunton
Cutters need sharpening Like any cutting tool, a mortising chisel and bit must be sharp to work well. A few minutes spent sharpening pays many dividends.
OR
Smooth the outside surfaces of the chisel. A chisel with rough outside faces can’t be sharpened and won’t be easy to plunge and retract. Use fine sandpaper on a flat surface to smooth all four sides.
sandpaper to a granite plate. A piece of plate glass glued to 3 ⁄ 4-in.-thick hardwood plywood also makes a good, flat sharpening surface. To reduce clogging, I spend time tuning up the bore. The smoother the bore, the easier it is for chips to slide up the auger bit. I use a chainsaw file to remove any internal burrs or machining grooves. A small, round, tapered slip stone works well for cleaning up the ejec tion slot. Hone the bevels— A round slip stone is all that’s needed to hone the bevels. Keep in mind that not all mortiser chisels have the same bevel angle. Clico, a British manufacturer, and Asian and Japanese sourced chisels use a 60° bevel angle, while Forest City, a U.S. maker, uses a 45° bevel. With the shank of the chisel secured in a vise, place the slip stone flat against a bevel and work it back and forth with a light touch. Be sure to wet the stone first with a few drops of honing oil. To avoid creating a groove, keep the stone moving from side to side along the bevel and don’t stay in one spot for more than a few strokes. Try to remove about the same amount of material from each bevel. If you prefer a process that’s somewhat less fussy, there is a special cone-shaped tool (available from Rockler; www.rockler.com) that allows you to sharpen all four 60° bevels at once. If the chisel has a 45° bevel, tilt the cone and sharpen only a portion of the bevel at a time. Honing the bevels will produce a burr along the outside edge of the chisel. To remove it, hold a flat slip stone flat against the outside face of the chisel and drag the stone lightly toward you. Sharpen the bit—Depending on the manufacturer, the auger-style drill bits for mortiser chisels are either a single spur/flute brad point or a double spur/flute without a centering point. I find that the single spur/flute with its higherhelix flute evacuates chips faster than the double-flute bits. But any type you use must be sharp and burr-free. In an auger-style drill bit, all the cutting gets done in just two places: at the spurs and at the flutes. So that’s where www.finewoodworking.com
Hone the bevels. A little work with a round slip stone (left) or a special, cone-shaped, diamond- coated abrasive (right) produces fresh, sharp edges that ensure a cleaner cut. Use a flat slip stone on the outer faces to remove the burr that results.
Sharpen the bit. Use a flat slip stone to hone the bit in two places: the spur and the cutting edge. If your bit has a center point (not all do), hone each of the three facets of the point, too.
Add some lubri- cant. To help reduce friction during cuts, spray both chisel and bit with dry lubricant after sharpening. Later on, when cutting mor- tises, an occasional squirt of lubricant on the chisel and bit will fight friction.
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Set the right gap A sharp chisel and bit are not t he end of the story. The two parts must be installed correctly to minimize friction and maximize chip removal.
THE CHISEL 1 TIGHTEN IN THE BUSHING Spacer
Slip the shank of the chisel into the bushing and the shank of the bit into the bit chuck. Add the spacer between the shoulder of the chisel and the bushing, and tighten the chisel in place.
Bit
Chisel
Bit is flush with chisel.
THE BIT 2 TIGHTEN IN THE CHUCK While holding the spur of the bit about flush with the points of the chisel, tighten the shank of the bit in the drill chuck.
READJUST 3 NOW THE CHISEL
Seat the chisel against the bushing.
Gap between tips of bit and chisel
Remove the spacer and raise the chisel until it butts against the bushing. A squar- ing board ensures that the chisel is square to the fence. Tighten the locking knob.
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FINE WOODWORKING
you need to sharpen. If the bit has a brad point, I usually sharpen the point, too. The machining process at the factory sometimes leaves ridges or burrs at the transition area between the spurs and flutes. Use a slip stone to smooth any you find. After that, polish the flutes with a mediumgrit abrasive pad to create a slick route for the chips to follow.
Install the chisel and bit correctly The installation of the chisel/ bit in the mortiser should follow a precise sequence. If you do it properly, the chips will eject easily and the hole will be square to the workpiece. Determine the gap— When installing the chisel and bit, it’s important to have the proper gap between the chisel bevels and the end of the bit. I vary the gap based on the size of the chisel and the material. Softwood typically produces large chips that can clog the chisel quickly. Large mortise chisels and bits also make large chips, even in hardwood. I like to leave a 1 ⁄ 16-in. to 3 ⁄ 32-in. gap when using small ( 1 ⁄ 4 in. and 5 ⁄ 16 in.) and medium (3 ⁄ 8 in.) bits in hardwood. A little more clearance, about 3 ⁄ 32 in. to 1 ⁄ 8 in., is adequate for small and medium bits in soft wood. For large bits ( 1 ⁄ 2 in. and larger) in hardwood and softwood, a full 1 ⁄ 8-in. gap works best. These clearances aren’t carved in stone, so if you find the going tough or your chisel plugging frequently, try increasing the gap between the chisel and bit. Set the gap—Knowing the gap that’s needed, you can go ahead and install the bit and chisel. Be aware that the points on the chisel are very sharp, so use care. I usually wear a leather glove on the hand supporting the chisel and bit. First, rip a piece of scrap stock to the thickness of the intended gap to use as a spacer. Then place a short length of board on the mortiser table to forestall any damage to the points of the chisel or the cutting flutes on the bit should either be dropped. Insert the bit into the chisel. Then slip the shank of the bit into the bit chuck and the shank of the chisel into the mounting bushing. (Some machines require a sleeve sized to fit the chisel shank.) At the same time, place the spacer between the shank of the chisel and the bushing. Then tighten the chisel. After aligning the spur of the bit with the chisel points, tighten the bit. To complete the gap-setting procedure, remove the spacer and raise the chisel until the shoulder is seated tight to the bushing. Tighten the chisel, and the offset will be correct. The chisel must be parallel to the fence—Slip a flat piece of wood—I call it a squaring board—between the fence and the chisel. Next, loosen the fence and chisel and, keeping its shoulder tight to the mortise-head, rotate the c hisel and pull the fence Drawings: Kelly J. Dunton
Start cutting mortises With the chisel/bit sharpened and installed, the general setup procedure is over. Now make the final machine adjustments for the mortise you want and follow a specific cutting sequence.
1 SET THE MORTISE DEPTH After marking the mortise depth on the end of the workpiece, lower the chisel and bit to the marked line and set the depth stop on the machine.
forward until the chisel sits flat against the board. Then tighten the chisel. Square the chisel to the table— Make sure the centerline of the chisel is square to the table in two directions; front to back and side to side. Use a square to do the checking. Don’t panic if all’s not well. Most mortisers have the mortising head and support column mounted to the table with bolts. It’s a simple matter to loosen those bolts and shim (I use automotive alignment shims) the appropriate side of the column base to get the chisel square to the table. Square the fence to the table— When the fence isn’t square to the table, the mortise won’t be square either. Check it with a square. If it’s off more than say, 0.005 in. over 3 in., you’ll need to shim the fence bracket where it attaches to the base or add a wooden fence that can be shimmed or beveled to square. Hold-downs keep the workpiece on the table— Position the hold-down so that there is just enough clearance to allow the workpiece to slide under the hold-down without binding. I keep a 1 ⁄ 64-in.-thick strip of stock handy as a spacer.
Avoid overlapping cuts In the first cut by a bit and chisel, all four faces of the chisel will get equal support, so the bit is sure to stay square to the table throughout the cut. But if the next cut overlaps the first so that one side is unsupported, the chisel will tend to bend slightly toward that unsupported side. That causes the outside of the bit to rub against the inside of the chisel, which leads to friction, heat, and noise. To avoid the overlap problem, make a pair of cuts, one on each end of the mortise. Then make a series of unconnected cuts to begin to remove the waste stock in between the ends. Leave a little less than a bit’s width between these cuts. That way, the chisel is always fully supported. After that, go back and make cuts as needed to clean up the mortise. □ Roland Johnson is a woodworker and tool enthusiast in Sauk Rapids, Minn., and a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking . www.finewoodworking.com
THE HOLD-DOWN 2 ADJUST A thin, wood spacer creates a slight clear- ance between the top of the workpiece and the hold-down, mak- ing it easy to slide the workpiece sideways.
EACH END OF THE MORTISE FIRST 3 CUT
Make two cuts, one at each end of the mor tise (left). Then make a series of cuts, leaving a web of wood in between each cut. Last, make cuts (above) to clean out the webs.
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
55
MORE FROM YOUR TOOLS ]
Scollsa It has more uses than you might think B Y
56
p a u l
FINE wOODwOrkINg
s c H Ü r c H
Photos: Asa Chistiana
T
he scollsa holds extemely fine blades unde tension, inlay pieces to add to you funitue. whethe it’s a bellfloe alloin it to do jobs that no othe motoized sa can do. on a peiod table le o a mothe-of-peal squae to be used as Unfotunately, many oodoes thin that a scollsa is a decoative element, the pocess is staihtfoad. Da the 16 in. and 1 ⁄ 4 in. only fo hobbyists ho mae feto, booends, hiliis, and desin onto the inlay mateial—usually beteen 1 ⁄ 16 thick—and cut it out on a scrollsaw with the table set at a slight 2° nicnacs. As a pofessional funitue mae, I’ve found the machine much moe useful than that, and I believe it maes a to 4° anle, bevelin each ede of the mateial inad a bit. This valuable addition to any oodoin shop. is called a conical cut. Then place the inlay onto the bacound, I use a scrollsaw to rough out dovetails, to cut mortise-and-tenon scibe aound the outline ith a nife, and hollo out the ecess templates, to mae small moc-ups of funitue I am desinin, ith a small oute and a small chisel. Clamp and lue the inlay and to make cuts particular to marquetry, such as cutting “packets” fimly into place, and then level it ith the bacound afte the of multiple layes of venee. I’ve also cut mateial such as shell, lue has set. The bevel-cut edes ill ensue a tiht fit ith the bone, sheet bass, pete, and coppe fo decoative hadae suoundin ood. and inlay. It is even possible to cut 1 ⁄ 8-in.-thic lass fo a cuvy with a decent scollsa, you can step past inlay into the old doo panel usin a babed diamond-ie blade, o to pefom of maquety, hich involves main detailed pictues by joinin detail sandin and polishin usin small belts attached to the multiple pieces of venee. Panels of maquety can elevate the look of your furniture and casework. Most midrang e saws will perscollsa lie a blade. It is tue that most scollsa uses don’t focus on funitue form the basic marquetry cuts well, including the packet, contour, contour, main. But decoative feto and intasia (a pictue made of conical, indo, indo, piece-by-piece, and boulle methods. vaious oods, of vaious thicnesses) cetainly qualify as oodOf all the featues on a scollsa, the most impotant ae the oin. Some pofessionals also mae a livin luin pictues quic-elease blade clamps and a tensionin system that you can access from the front of the saw. I don’t like saws that accept only onto seven-ply, 1 ⁄ 4-in. aicaft-ade plyood and scollin beaupin blades, because those blades aren’t well-suited for cutting very tiful puzzle pattens. If these aeas inteest you, thee ae clubs devoted to scollsain, and scoes of boos and maazines that intricate details. Also, look for a saw with an easy-to-reach speedcontain useful infomation, poject ideas, and pattens. contol nob; it’s much handie than a stepped-pulley system. Fo pacet cuttin, my pefeed maquety method, a ood scollsa and a vey thin blade mae the job as easy as stacin Inlay, marquetry, and beyond For inlay and marquetry, a scrollsaw is indispens indispensable. able. The machine and pinnin toethe all of the venees to be featued in the final ives you an easy and accuate means of cuttin hihly detailed pictue, spay-luin a dain onto the stac, cuttin out all of
Scrollsaw uses in the shop MArQUetrY
Indispensable for marquetry. A scrollsaw can cut through a thick packet of veneers (facing page) with a very thin blade, cutting out all of the pieces for a picture in one shot.
www.finewoodworking.com
JoINerY
Perfect for dovetails. After the initial cheek cuts are made, the tiny scrollsaw blade makes it easy to cut across the bottom of a dovetail socket and quickly remove the waste.
MoCk-UPS
An easy way to test designs. With a scroll- saw, it’s easy to cut small, intricate pieces quickly and assemble them using hot-melt glue. This 1 ⁄ 10 -scale model is a reading podium.
POwEr TOOL BASICS 2007
57
Scrollsaw Scroll saw uses use s (continued) fretwork
Endless options for pierced work. Schürch made this jewelry-box tray by cutting out small openings in solid wood and laying that fretwork onto a felt-covered plywood bottom. He detailed the carved leaf after the main vertical cuts were done.
the pieces in one shot, then pullin the pieces apat and tapin them into place. A #2/0 blade leaves only a 0.010-in.-ide ef, hich tends to close up in the final patten. Scaled moc-ups of funitue ae vey helpful in the desin pocess, alloin a 3-D pevie pio to dain and buildin the actual piece. Models also ae eat fo sellin a desin idea to a client. A scollsa is ideal fo the detail o involved in buildin a model out of thin mateials. The pieces can be put toethe vey quicly usin hot-melt lue. I sometimes use a scollsa fo cuttin dovetails, ouhin out the pins and tails befoe timmin them to the line ith a shap chisel, if need be. Othe times I mae the initial sacuts ith
a dovetail sa and then use a scollsa to cut squaely acoss the bottom of each socet, emovin the aste. If the blade is tensioned popely, the cuts ill be accuate and need vey little cleanup. I’ve seen othe oodoes mae the initial cuts on a tablesa, tablesa, then use a scollsa to emove the aste. Once you have a scollsa, you’ll find that lots of odd cuts become easie. I’ve used one to ceate matchin templates in 1 ⁄ 2-in. plywood for routing odd-shaped mortises and tenons where large funitue components join. The matchin inside and outside templates ae attached tempoaily to the matin opieces, hee they can uide a flush-cuttin oute bit. I use this technique often hen joinin solid-ood les diectly to a top piece. On
s adjust for drift to cut a straigHt line
How to turn a sHarp corner
I have found that the
ing sharp points and corners can pose a challenge. Essentially,
toughest techniques to
you need to pivot the workpiece around the blade while the saw
master are cutting straight
is running, reorienting it
lines and going around
toward the new direction.
sharp corners. Many blades
This is accomplished by
are milled in a way that
cutting up to the corner,
can leave the blade slightly
then slightly pressing the
sharper on one side, so
workpiece against the side
it tracks like a dull band-
of the blade. This method
saw blade. To cancel out
stabilizes the workpiece
blade drift when following
without any unwanted
a straight line, adjust the
cutting. Now maintain that
angle of the workpiece
pressure as you pivot the
When cutting marquetry or finely detailed fretwork, negotiat-
when pushing it into the blade. For best results, work in a series
workpiece into the desired
of short pushes, making small corrections as you go. As the
position, shifting the pres-
blade dulls, the drift gets worse; keep blades well tensioned and
sure onto the back of the
change them often.
blade as you go.
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FINE wOODwOrkINg
INLAY Inlay becomes straightforward. Tape the design to thin material and cut out the inlay. Then scrib e around the inlay piece to lay out the recess. When cutting fragile materials like this abalone, make a zero- clearance plate from a piece of veneer.
period furniture, I’ve used a scrollsaw to cut out carving blanks for applied decoative elements.
sound hen pluced and ill tend Blade to deflect in use, distotin the cut, Sources fatiguing the blade, and causing it to bea ealy. with too much tension, SCROLLSAW the blade ill snap moe often o BLADES slip out of the blade clamps. Wildwood Designs A few modifications—I ecomwww.wildwooddesigns.com mend main chanes and addin 800-470-9090 accessories to any scrollsaw. scrol lsaw. A wider Woodcraft Supply auxiliary table placed over the top of www.woodcraft.com the standard table will support wider 800-225-1153 o. To To tun the sa on and off, a BARBED foot-pedal switch (the electrical type DIAMOND WIRE that stays on only hen the pedal for cutting glass and is depessed) taes the panic out of other very hard materials scollin detail o and stops the Alpha Supply, No. J0510B noise when the blade breaks. brea ks. Also, I www.alpha-supply.com tape zeo-cleaance plates of thin 800-257-4211 cadboad, plastic, o venee on the sa table to suppot faile mateial and to keep small pieces from droppin thouh the thoat. I don’t like the blade guards on a scrollsaw—they only get in the way—so I remove them. In my classes, with students ranging in age fom 8 to 85, I’ve neve seen moe than a mino cut as a esult. •
Setting up your saw It’s impotant fo fist-time uses to ealize that scollsa blades bea eulaly, especially especially thin ones. A #2/0 blade, fo example, will break in five or ten minutes when cutting 1 ⁄ 2-in.-thick material. A boen blade can mae a statlinly loud noise, but it doesn’t necessaily mean you ae doin anythin on. Fo best esults, the blade should be tensioned to ouhly an octave above middle C on the piano, or until a clear musical plucking pluckin g sound is eached. If the blade is too loose, it ill mae a “thun”
Paul Schürch, a furniture maker and teacher in Santa Barbara, Calif., specializes in marquetry.
th STANDARD TOOTH The basic, cut-anything blade.
SKIP TOOTH Runs cooler in harder material.
MatcH tHe Blade to tHe tasK Scrollsaw-blade sizes range from the smallest #8/0 (pronounced eightaught) to the largest #12 (sometimes called #0/12), with the most common for woodworking between #3/0 and #8. Thinner blades have more
REVERSE TOOTH Bottom few teeth are reversed to reduce tearout.
teeth per inch. The orientation of the teeth also is important (see chart at right). For more blade information, check out the excellent chart at www.olsonsaw.com/scroll_chart_1.html. AN ESSENTIAL BLADE KIT These are the blades Schürch uses most often, with Olson item numbers in parentheses.
PRECISION GROUND More aggressive and straighter cutting. Available in #5, #7, and #9, in skip tooth or double/reverse double/reverse tooth.
DOUBLE TOOTH Slow cutting, but smoother results.
#12 skip tooth (453): Heavy-duty blade for cutting straight lines in thicker material such as plywood. #5 precision ground, reverse tooth (495RG): Used for straighter-line fretwork. #5 skip tooth (446): Thinner depth than the precision-ground #5; turns tighter corners. Good for more detailed fretwork, as well as dovetails. #2/0 skip tooth (440): Used for marquetry and other very finely detailed work. Kerf is only 0.010 in. #1 metal-cutting (479): For metal, shell, and bone.
www.finewoodworking.com
CROWN TOOTH Cuts on both upward and downward strokes; slow, but minimizes tearout. Good for plastic.
SPIRAL Cuts in any direction but leaves rougher, wider kerfs.
POwEr TOOL BASICS 2007
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better techniques ]
Dades, Grves, and Rabbets The handiest joints are the easiest to make B y
A s A
C h r i s t i A n A
DaDo
GRoove
Rabbet
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FINE WooDWoRkING
D
ades, grves, and rabbets are humble jints, all variations of a simple square recess. But they are also extremely versatile and, with the right tehniques, very easy t ut aurately. Fr thse reasns, yu’ll find dades, grves, and rabbets almst everywhere in furniture, bxes, abinetry, and arpentry wr, jining everything frm big plywd ases t diminutive drawer bxes. Dades and grves are atually the same in rss-setin. Grves run alng the length f a bard, ging with the grain; dades run arss a bard r panel, ging arss the grain. A rabbet is lie a dad r grve, but pen n tw sides. The uts fr all three jints an be made either n a tablesaw r with a ruter. The ends f the ut an help yu deide whih tl t use. In general, the tablesaw is best fr thrugh-uts—dades, rabbets, and grves that g frm end t end n a wrpiee— and the router is best for stopped cuts. The small rounded corners at the end f a stpped ut an be squared up easily with a little hisel wr if need be. Like any woodworking joint, dadoes, grooves, and rabbets need to fit precisely. The best way to fine-tune the fit is to make test cuts n srap st befre utting int yur real wrpiees. Watch out for bowed stock when cutting these joints on a tablesaw or router table. It doesn’t take much of a b ow to raise the stock away frm the table, maing the depth f the slt vary widely. If that happens, use a push sti t try t press dwn n the panel Phts, exept where nted: David Heim; faing page (ruter table): kelly J. Duntn
where it passes ver the blades. or, set up a featherbard t d the jb mre nsistently (see “Featherbards,” pp. 90-93). As an alternative, use a handheld ruter. The shrt ruter base will fllw the bw in the wrpiee, eeping the depth f the cut consistent. Any slight curvature usually disappears when yu glue and lamp the piee int an assembly.
Grooves cut thRouGh-GRooves on the tablesaw
Grooves are the easiest Grves are the easiest t ut, fr tw reasns. They usually are very lse t a parallel edge, and beause they g with the grain, they dn’t tend t hip ut r blw ut at the end when yu are utting them. Through-grooves? Use the tablesaw—
If a grve is nt stpped, suh as dwn the bttm edge f a drawer side, ut it n the tablesaw, simply running the bards against the rip fene. The tablesaw blade, with its large diameter and dzens f teeth, cuts much more efficiently than a router bit. Hwever, it’s nt well-suited fr stpped cuts because it leaves a long curved section Steady pressure. When cutting grooves or rabbets, press down on the workpiece t o ensure t be leaned up. that the cut has a uniform depth. Keep hands away from the blade’s exit point. If you have a dado set and lots of grooves t ut, it is wrth the time t sta the blades and fine-tune the width with test uts. otherwise, just use a RouteR table foR stoppeD GRooves mae multiple passes with a standard sawblade. The bttm f the groove won’t be as smooth as one cut with a dado set, but this area is usually hidden and isn’t an imprtant glue surfae. For smooth and accurate results, get a high-quality stacked dado set, the ind with separate flat blades and thin s hims that g between them t fine-tune the width (see pht, next page). Avid the heaper, wbble-type dad sets. When yu mae any f these blind uts n the tablesaw— whether fr grves, dades, r rabbets—the blade will emerge suddenly frm beneath the st. S be very aware f that exit pint and eep yur hands well away. Stopped grooves? Use a router—Use a standard straight bit with straight flutes. In sme appliatins, the runded rners at the end f the ut wn’t be seen, s just ut the slt a little lnger t allw a square-edged piee t fit in. Mst f the time, a handheld ruter is yur best bet. Yu an see exactly where to stop, and with a plunge-type router, you can mae a series f shallw passes withut shutting ff the tl. If the workpieces are very short or narrow, clamp down a workpiece of identical thickness nearby to support the router base. Use the ruter’s edge guide t set the distane between the edge f the wrpiee and the edge f the slt. Router-table tips—The router table is especially good for cutting grooves in narrow or short pieces, but it’s best used only for grooves that are open at one end. With grooves stopped at both ends, you’ll have t lwer the wrpiee nt the spinning bit. Start and stop. A pair of blocks clamped to a router-table fence In mst ases, yu shuld mve wrpiees frm right t left makes it possible to begin and end a stopped groove. The blocks help on the router table, so the cutting action of the bit keeps the work steady the work as you lower and then raise it. pressed against the fene. (A featherbard als helps eep the www.finewoodworking.com
PoWER TooL BASIcS 2007
61
Dadoes
wr in line.) Mind yu, nt all grves stp at the mre nvenient end.
a DaDo blaDe Makes fast woRk of DaDoes on the tablesaw Go wide. To use the rip fence when cutting da- does on a tablesaw, be- gin with wide stock and rip it to size afterward. To avoid kickback, keep the workpiece tight against the fen ce. Also, keep your hands clear of the exit point.
Dadoes are trickier Beause they run arss the grain, dades are prne t hiput at the end f the ut, whether yu’re using a tablesaw r a ruter. Yu an always use a piee f srap wd t supprt the fibers as the utter exits the wrpiee, leaving a perfet ut. But smetimes yu an leave the wrpiee wider than yu need and ut away the hipped-ut edge n the tablesaw. Be aware that sheet gds lie plywd usually run a bit thinner than their stated nminal dimensin, s standard ruter bits will ut versize dades. Frtunately, slightly undersize bits are available. Tablesaw is faster but can be unsafe—
Go sledding. Use a dedicated cross- cut sled to dado narrower pieces. It eliminates the risk of kickback and also backs up the cut to minimize blowout.
The best type of blade. A stacked dado set is best. Thin shims let you fine-tune the width of the cut, and the specially designed blades produce a smooth, flat-bottomed cut.
Make a siMple t-squaRe JiG foR RoutinG DaDoes
A quick router guide. Two pieces of straight stock, joined at a right angle, make a simple but effective router guide for cutting dadoes.
62
FINE WooDWoRkING
Easy to align. A dado cut into one arm of the router guide makes it easy to align the jig. Just be sure to line up the dado on the correct side of your layout line.
Fr auray’s sae, I lie t ut dades in ne pass with a dad set, withut mving the fene. The safest way is t use a rssut sled (see pht, left), the type that runs in the miter slts n the saw table. A sled will supprt very big wrpiees, and it is a muh safer way t guide the wrpiee than running the far end against the rip fene. of urse, the dad will ut a big slt in yur sled, s yu’ll prbably need t dediate the sled t the tas. The sled’s fene als prevents blwut at the end f the ut. Just ta a new piee f wd nt the fene befre utting. The ther ptin is t run the end f the bard r panel against the rip fene. This invlves less hassle, but beware: Unless the conditions are right, this approach an lead t atastrphe. If the end f the wrpiee is shrter than abut 12 in. r
Quick passes. Routing dadoes is a simple matter with the T-square jig clamped in place. Router bases aren’t always concentric, so don’t rotate the router as you cut.
Phts, this spread: kelly J. Duntn (dad set); William Duwrth (rssut s led); Thmas Mkenna (rabbeting a frame)
better techniques ]
Router Jigs Get much more from your router with easy-to-make accessories B Y
Y E U N G
C H A N
Pin
F
ew woodworkers enjoy the luxury of a spacious shop, and I’m no exception. Lacking the space for many large machines, I rely on my router when building furniture. However, used on its own, the router is limited in its abilities. More often than not, I use it in conjunction with various shopmade jigs that increase its ability to quickly and accurately cut circles, make edge profiles, and trim edge-banding. The four jigs illustrated here are all made from plywood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF)—both are inexpensive and stable—and require only a few pieces of ha rdware. You can obtain any specialized handles or bolts from retailers such as Lee Valley (www.leevalley. com; 800-871-8158) or Rockler (www.rockler. com; 800-279-4441). And these router jigs are as easy to use as they are to make.
Crosspiece, 5 in. wide by 12 in. long
Guides, 21 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 5 in. long
Runner
Two mounting holes let you work around breaks in slot.
Nut
Cutout, 2 in. dia.
Yeung Chan builds custom furniture in Millbrae, Calif.
A 1 3 ⁄ 4-in. break in the slot maintains the jig’s strength.
Machine screw
80
FINE WOODWORKING
Photos: Mark Schofield; drawings: John Hartman
Trim or cut large panels I
t can be difficult to cut a large panel on a tablesaw. This simple
jig can be used to cut out a section from a full sheet of plywood or
MDF or to clean up a rough cut made by a jigsaw or a circular saw. Once you’ve assembled the jig, run the router along the straight edge of the fence to create a matching straight edge on the base. To use the jig, clamp it at both ends of the workpiece with the edge of the jig aligned with the desired cut. Always use the same-diameter router bit with this jig. A smaller bit will cut wide of the jig’s edge, Fence, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 21 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 50 in. long
while a larger bit will eat into the jig.
Straighten edges. Rough-cut the panel, then clean up the cut with this straight-edge jig.
Before use, trim the base parallel with the fence.
Base, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 50 in. long
Rabbet, 1 ⁄ 8 in. deep by 1 ⁄ 8 in. wide, collects sawdust.
Trim edge-banding quickly and cleanly O
ne of the hardest parts of using solid
align the bit so that the carbide tips
wood to edge plywood or laminate
extend just a hair over the plywood. Clamp
panels is trimming the edge-banding flush.
the guide block tight, and you’re ready to
If you use a plane, you risk cutting through
start routing.
the thin plywood veneer, and sanding can
To avoid tearout, you want to do a
leave cross-grain scratches on the ply-
climb-cut with the leading edge of the bit
wood. This router jig enables you to quickly
rotating toward the workpiece. This can be
and flawlessly trim the banding flush.
dangerous if the bit pulls the router forward
Mount the router on the jig, and set the
uncontrollably. But because the amount of
depth of the bit so that it just clears the
wood being removed is so small, you should
plywood surface. Adjust the guide block to
be able to control the router easily.
Guide block, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 21 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 71 ⁄ 2 in. long, with spacer, 1 in. thick by 11 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 71 ⁄ 2 in. long Cutout, 2 in. dia.
Flush-cut edge-banding. This jig allows you to cleanly cut solid-wood edge-banding flush with a plywood panel.
Top and bottom, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 71 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 17 in. long, overlap by 11 in.
Trimming jig
Plywood panel Guide block
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FINE WOODWORKING
Edge-banding
Make turnings with a router T
his jig allows you to shape round columns and posts using a router. To use the jig, first drill a 5 ⁄ 16-in.-dia. hole, 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. deep,
in each end of the workpiece, then insert a steel rod to hold the workpiece inside the jig. Lock a drill stop on each end of the rod where it enters the jig to prevent the workpiece from shifting as you cut. Clamp two wood guide pieces to the edges of the router subbase to restrict the router’s side-to-side movement. Turn on the router, slowly plunge down, and move the router halfway up and down the jig as you slowly rotate the workpiece. As you increase the depth of cut, you’ll create a cylinder. Then repeat the process on the other half of the workpiece. Throughout the process, make small cuts for a better finish and a safer operation. You can adapt this jig to create different turnings. Offset the hole at one end of the jig to make tapered turnings, or clamp blocks to the long sides of the jig to produce stopped turnings. If you design the jig with gently curving sides, the workpiece will become football shaped as it is turned.
Router-cut turnings. By guiding the router back and forth while turn- ing the workpiece, a square blank gradually becomes a cylinder.
Guide pieces, clamped to subbase Router subbase Workpiece
Steel rod, 5 ⁄ 16 in. dia.
Drill stop is tightened with hex key.
Tapered turnings. Lower the hole at one end of the jig to taper the turned workpiece.
Workpiece
Stopped turnings. Clamp a stop block to the side of the jig to leave a square section on the turning.
The dimensions of the ends and sides will vary according to the diameter and length of the turning.
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
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better techniques ]
Bandsa Jis How to make precise tapers, circles, wedges, and curves B y
m i c h a e l
f o r t u n e
T
he all next t my bandsa is festned ith jis that expand the versatility f the basic machine. Thuh simple t build, each ji quicly and safely delivers the precise results I depend on. This vervie presents five f my favrites. Build these jigs from Baltic-birch plywood r medium-density fiberbard (MDF), and adjust dimensins t fit yur bandsa. Fr the jis t r crrectly, the bandsa’s blade must cut parallel t the fence. T achieve this, I chec that the bandsa’s tires are in d shape (n rves r rides), then set the fence parallel t the miter-aue slts. Next, I adjust the anle f the upper heel. If the blade’s centerline alins ith the centerline f the upper heel, it ill cut parallel t the fence. Chec by rippin sme scrap. Yu’ll n it’s riht hen the bac f the blade is centered in its erf. Fr mre n bandsa setup, see pp. 30-35. Michael Fortune designs and builds furniture in Lakefield, Ont., Canada.
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FINE wooDwoRkINg
Phts: Marcia Ryan; drains: Jim Richey
Rip tapers at any angle A
Threaded knob
1
Adj ustable stop, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 in. wide by 5 in. long -20 hanger bolt, 21 ⁄ 2 in. long
Adjustable fence, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 3 in. wide by 25 in. long
a tablesaw, but I think it’s safer
unlike a tablesaw, a bandsaw allows for stopped tapered cuts. My adjustable jig slides between the bandsaw’s fence and
One jig makes tapers in a range of lengths and angles.
1 ⁄ 4
lot of woodworkers cut tapers on
and just as fast on the bandsaw. And
ADJUSTABLE TAPER JIG
Tenon, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 ⁄ 4 in. deep, notched for hanger bolt
Slot, centered, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 3 ⁄ 8 in. long
Pivot hole
a plywood guide, which is attached to the table and prevents the jig from wandering into the blade. Two similar jigs, one 24 in. long and one 48 in. long, accommodate different-size workpieces. Toggle clamps can be used to hold any length of workpiece securely. When tapering four sides of, say, a table leg, always rotate the stock so
Cutout for blade
Adhesive-backed sandpaper
that the newly tapered side faces up. This way, for the first two cuts, the workpiece’s flat sides bear on the
Plywood base, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 8 in. wide by 24 in. long
jig and its fence. Rotating the leg Slot, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 6 1 ⁄ 4 in. long, recessed on the underside for carriage bolt
for the third cut places a taper against the fence, but an offcut between the two will keep the leg straight. For the fourth cut, an offcut at the fence and
Plywood guide, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 9 in. wide by 13 in. long
another placed between the leg and the bed of the jig will support the leg. The offcuts are taped into position slightly forward of the stop
1 ⁄ 4
-20 carriage bolt, 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. long
Cutout for tabletop adjuster Rabbet, to fit table edge
to accommodate the wood lost to the bandsaw kerf.
Jig setup. Adjust the rip fence so that the jig is almost touching the blade. Then clamp down the plywood guide, which should just allow the jig to slide.
Clamping block, 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 12 in. long
Locate the taper’s end. Marks on the stock align with the edge of the jig, which is the cut line. After fixing the outfeed knob, adjust the stop to clear the blade.
Locate the taper’s start. Align the beginning of the taper with the edge of the jig and tighten the infeed knob.
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(312-666-0640; .adjutableclamp .cm), ecue the kpiece t the bdy. with the hld-dn in place, the ji accept tck up t abut 2 3 ⁄ 4 in. ide. T k ith ide tck, imply emve the hld-dn and ecue the kpiece ith a cuple f C-clamp. Yu’ll al need t make a den auxiliay fence t attach t the ede uide f the ute. The fence fit int a ve ceated by the pace and the uide tip. It pevent the ede uide fm hiftin aay fm the bdy, and that mean the ute can’t ande fm a taihtline cut. Using the jig to cut mortises— start by layin ut the lcatin f the mtie n the orkpiece. Then clamp the orkpiece t the bdy f the ji. Make ue the tp uface f the kpiece i fluh ith the tp f the ji. Adjut the plune-ute depth tp t etablih the final depth f cut. Place the ute n the bdy f the ji, ith the auxiliay fence f the ede uide in the ve. Adjut the ede uide until the ute bit i centeed in the mtie.
u m a Butt the end of the piece to be tenoned against the mortise, then mark the tenon length (below) and thickness (right).
cut tenons last 1
cut the first cheek
2
reMove the spAcer And cut the second cheek
Workpiece
Tenoning jig
Spacer Tablesaw blade
Clamp the spacer in the jig and against the scrap stock in back. Adjust the jig to line up with the tenon mark, then cut the first cheek.
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Spacer-free second cut. After making the first cheek cut, remove the spacer and slide over the workpiece to clamp it directly against the jig.
Cut small wedges safely T
3
TENON WEDGE JIG Sliding on an MDF base and gu ided by the saw’s fence, this jig makes quick work of wedges.
his simple and safe jig allows the cutting of identical wedges. The
Wooden knob
jig rides against the fence, which is
Kerf for bandsaw blade
set so that the blade just misses the jig. Notches the size and shape of the wedges are cut in the jig, and they hold the stock as it’s cut. As a new size of wedge is needed, I add a new notch to the jig. For repeat projects, each notch is labeled with the project name and
Plywood jig, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 41 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 21 in. long
the dimensions of the wedge. I start with a piece of stock that’s crosscut to the length of the wedge, and flip the blank over with every
MDF base, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick
cut. The MDF base serves as a zeroclearance throat plate that stops the wedges from binding in the bandsaw’s more open throat plate. When the stock gets too small to handle safely,
Countersunk screw
Adhesive-backed tape secures base to table.
I switch to a new piece or use a push stick. The Wedge-o-matic. Place the long-grain end of the stock against the long edge of the notch. Flip the stock forward with each pass.
Cut notches on the jig freehand. Draw the wedge on the jig, by tracing it or by determin- ing its angle or its length and width. Clearly mark these measurements on the jig.
Small wedges require a zero-clearance throat plate. Attach a piece of 1 ⁄ 4 -in. MDF on the table with double-sided tape to prevent pieces from getting trapped in the throat plate.
better techniques ]
Raised Panels How to achieve great results at the router table or the tablesaw B y
F
rame-and-panel cnstructin is amn the wdwrker’s reatest inventins. Nt nly des it slve many f the prblems we encunter with wd mvement, but it als lks d, creatin visual interest by adding shadow lines and reflecting light acrss different planes. There are almst as many ways t cut raised panels as there are tls in the wrkshp. While the shaper is prbably the mst efficient, many wdwrkers dn’t wn a shaper. Dependin n the
M a t t h e w
piece I’m buildin and the number f panels I have to cut, I use a rout er table or a tablesaw utfitted with a panel-raisin ji. Whatever methd yu chse, start with a panel that is sized t the penin in the frame plus the depth f the rves—minus just a little in the width t accunt fr wd mvement.
Two methods at the router table Raisin a panel with its face n the table usin a hrizntal ruter bit is safe and efficient, but it calls fr a variable-speed ruter.
t e a g u e
two types of tongues
Beveled TongUe
When cut with hand tools or on the tablesaw, the tongue is an extension of the bevel.
FlaT TongUe
Raise a panel at the RouteR table P-risi rutr bits cm i tw stys, bth f which crt ft tu b. With ch bit, tk mutip psss icrs th pth f th cut with ch pss.
Fence
Featherboard
Workpiece
Horizontal router bit
Ths r-imtr bits rquir rib-sp rutr st t 10,000 rpm. Us fthrbr t kp th p ft ist th t b.
Vertical router bit
Ths bits shu b ru btw 18,000 rpm 22,000 rpm. Us fthrbr t kp th p su ist th t fc.
Cut the long-grain sides after the cross-grain ends to clean up any tearout. Use a push block and a steady feed rate on the final pass for a smooth finish.
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A raised panel cut with a router bit has a flat tongue, which allows the panel to shrink and expand more freely inside the frame.
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Fence Workpiece Featherboard
Take light passes with a vertical panel-raising bit. They tend to produce a rougher surface than a horizontal bit, but a card scraper or sandpaper will clean things up.
Phts, except where nted: Matt Berer; this pae (tp left): Kelly J. Duntn; drawins: Vince Babak
Safely reproduce curved shapes F
4
JIG FOR SIMPLE CURVES A notched plywood finger clamps to the table to guide a pattern, which has the workpiece clamped onto it.
inger jigs are used to guide carefully made patterns on the band-
saw. The finger spaces the pattern just slightly away from the bandsaw blade,
Adhesive-backed sandpaper
leaving a small amount of material to be worked by hand, or as I frequently do, shaped by a router outfitted with a flushtrimming bit. The pattern works with both the bandsaw and the router. This is a great technique for making multiples of curved chair parts such as rails or stretchers.
Stop
The blade is positioned within the notch at the end of the finger. The
MDF base, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick
Hardwood strip, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 2 1 ⁄ 4 in. 7 8 in. long wide by 23 ⁄
Slot, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 in. long
distance the finger protrudes past the blade determines the amount of wood overhanging the edge of the pattern
Plywood finger, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 9 3 ⁄ 4 in. long
when the cut is complete. The ends of the finger should be curved slightly tighter than any curve on the pattern. Simple, shallow curves can be band-
Hardwood clamping block, 11 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 131 ⁄ 4 in. long
sawn by clamping the finger jig directly to the table, and affixing the stock above the pattern (see photos, below). For complex curves, it is better to position the pattern and the finger jig above the stock so that the contact between the finger and pattern is visible (see facing page). It’s a little trickier to secure the stock to the pattern in this case. If you don’t mind the holes, screws through the face of the stock can be used. If holes are a problem, hold the stock to the pattern with wedges or dowels.
The notched finger jig surrounds the blade. For simple curves, the finger rests on the table, and a short bolt holds it in the dado of the clamping block.
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Rabbet, to fit table edge
-20 hanger bolt, 2 1 ⁄ 2 in. long 1 ⁄ 4
Dado, 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 ⁄ 4 in. deep
5
JIG FOR COMPLEX CURVES Raising the guide finger and the pattern ma kes complex curves easier to cut. 3 ⁄ 8
-in. dowel
1-in. dowel
Plywood pattern, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick, rides against the finger.
Slot, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 3 in. long
Wooden knob 1 ⁄ 4
-20 hanger bolt, 21 ⁄ 2 in. long
Plywood finger, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 2 1 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 11 in. long
Raise the finger to cut complex curves. Adding a block to raise the finger jig, and placing the pattern atop the workpiece, makes it easier to keep the pattern on track.
Hardwood block, stock thickness by 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 6 in. long
Blocks (of stock thickness) and dowels hold work.
Clamping block, 11 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 11 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 131 ⁄ 4 in. long
Rabbet, to fit table edge
Dado, 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 ⁄ 4 in. deep
Quickly clean up the bandsawn edges. A pattern-routing bit rides along the pattern, trimming the workpiece to its final shape.
Toggle clamps secure the work. The pattern rides along the finger jig to guide the cut. The notch in the finger jig accommodates the blade and protects the pattern from damage. The finished cut overhangs the pattern (above). The distance from the end of the finger to the teeth determines the width of the overhang.
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better techniques ]
Featheboads These extra hands make cuts safer, cleaner, and more accurate B Y
K
R O L A N D
eeping my finges attached to my hands and in good working order is a high priority in my wood working shop. Featheboads help me do it. A featheboad is simply a boad with a seies of slits cut into an angled end, forming a row of flexible fingers that move much like the barbs of a feather. The fingers povide constant pessue to hold stock fimly against tabletops and fences, and the angle allows stock to pass in one direction but esists movement in the opposite
J O H N S O N
diection. They do this especially well at the tablesaw and oute table. But featherboards also increase the quality of oute, tablesaw, and even shape cuts. They maintain pressure exactly where it is needed to keep the workpiece moving in an unwaveing, staight line. They ae especially helpful for controlling thin stock safely, a paticula poblem when feeding stock by hand. This guide will show you how to make a featheboad, and then outline some
Shopmade or store-bought? I like making featherboards because I can do so quickly and cheaply and I can tailor boards to specific tasks. That said, the manufactured featherboards offered by popular woodworking catalogs offer their own advantages. Ease of adjustment and setup are the biggest assets. Most models are made of high-grade plastic and lock quickly, anywhere along a standard miter slot. A slot cut into the featherboard allows rapid adjustment for stock width and finger pressure. Some models (left) also offer an optional hold-down attachment, a feature that varies in usefulness depending on the width and thickness of your stock. The Bench Dog Feather-Loc (center) preserves its setting when removed from the miter slot. Magnetic featherboards (right) offer the added advantage of infinitely adjustable setup without the need for clamps or miter slots, although a metal surface is necessar y.
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Store-bought models offer ease of use. Some attach with miter-slot adapters (left) for easily repeatable setups. A magnetic featherboard (right) can be placed anywhere on a metal tabletop.
Photos: Steve Scott; dawing: Vince Babak
A simple setup for ripping narrow stock Position the featherboard slightly ahead of the blade, and tightly enough against the stock that the fingers flex as the stock passes.
Start by marking the fence. Use a pencil line to indicate the front end of the blade. Align the featherboard so that it doesn’t reach beyond this line, where it could pinch the blade.
Clamp the featherboard in place. Lower the blade and place the stock between the fence and the featherboard. Snug the featherboard against the stock as you tighten the clamp.
A brace keeps the featherboard from pivot- ing. Push this board snugly into position against the featherboard as you tighten the clamp.
essential featheboad setups on the machines whee they ae used most often.
Featherboards are easy to make Thee ae a huge vaiety of stoe-bought featheboads, but I like to make my own. Scrap hardwood provides a ready source of mateial. Flexible woods like ash o hickoy make the best featheboads, but any defect-fee hadwood will wok well. You could use a softwood like pine, but www.finewoodworking.com
you’d want to make the finges slightly thicker. Avoid plywood or medium-densi ty fiberboard (MDF); thin fingers of these mateials beak too easily. I make most of my featheboads fom 3 ⁄ 4-in. stock. This is thick enough to support most workpieces that require a featherboad. I sometimes use 1 ⁄ 2-in. stock fo lighte-duty applications. I vay the length and width of the boads accoding to my specific needs, but I aely need a boad
wider than 8 in. Longer boards are good for mounting to a table—you’ll want the board to reach to the far side of the table so you’ll have access with a standard clamp. Shorter boads wok bette in applications whee they’ll be clamped to a fence. The bandsaw is ideal fo making the stopped cuts needed fo featheboads, because you can back wok easily out of the cut. A tablesaw blade ceates a wide kef than I like between the feathes. Of POWEr TOOL BASICS 2007
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Holding stock against a fence Simple side pressure helps keep the workpiece secure against the fence on the router table (below) or the tablesaw. To raise feather- boards off the table for panels or other tall stock (right), secure them with wood screws to a long clamping block. Make sure the boards sit no higher than the top of the auxiliary fence.
course, you can cut featherboards by hand: Just mount the boad in a vise and use a backsaw to cut a seies of paallel kefs. To make a featheboad, stat by cosscutting the business end of the boad at an angle. I find that an angle of about 30° offes the best combination of continuous side pessue and kickback esistance. Cutting the feathes into the boad’s end gain gives them long-gain stength and flexibility so that they don’t snap unde pessue. Make the feathes no longe than 3 in. Keep the feathes thin and the spaces between them naow. Expeiment with what woks best fo you; I find that the thickest pactical feathe is about 1 ⁄ 8 in. If the feathes ae made any thicke, the bending action becomes too stiff, and it is difficult to feed the stock past them. A thinne feathe doesn’t give you as much pessue, but on most cutting opeations the pessue doesn’t need to be geat. It just needs to be consistent.
Proper setup yields smooth, safe cuts On any machine, stat by placing the stock against the fence o on the tabletop. 92
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Position the featherboard firmly against the stock, with the angled end pointing in the feed diection. Secue it to the fence o tabletop with clamps o a mite-slot holddown. The featheboad should be placed fimly enough to keep the stock against the fence o tight to the tabletop, but not so fimly that it makes it difficult to feed the stock into the cutte o blade. Give the stock a test push to be sue. Position featheboads as close to the cutter as possible without putting pressure on the cutter itself. In most cases, placing a featherboard directly opposite the blade or cutte can cause the piece to jam dangeously o even kick back, o the cutte to take too deep a cut. Hee ae some essential featheboad setups. The tablesaw—Featheboads allow staighte, safe cuts when ipping long, naow stock, when cutting abbets o plowing dadoes in naow stock, o when cutting tall stock like doo panels that might ock against the top of the fence. Fo ipping, I apply side pessue with a long featherboard that I clamp to the tabletop. Downwad pessue comes fom a
push stick. Apply side pressure only on the infeed side; pessue on the outfeed side will cause the stock to pinch the blade. When cutting abbets, I clamp two featheboads onto an auxiliay fence to apply downward pressure at the dado cutte (beaking the diect-pessue ule) and on the outfeed side of it. If you saw has a Biesemeye-style fence, be sue to clamp down its back end, because the fence’s tendency to lift slightly will elieve pessue on the featheboads and could esult in a cut of uneven depth. Fo dadoes (acoss the gain) o gooves (with the gain) in narrow stock, I use a single fence-mounted featheboad to apply downwad pessue on the infeed side of the cutte. I also use a table-mounted featheboad to keep the stock tight against the fence. Stock that is talle than the fence needs side pessue both befoe and afte the cut to pevent it fom pivoting away fom the blade. But applying that pessue with tabletop featherboards can cause the stock to tip away fom the top of the fence. The solution is to lift the featherboard s a couple of inches above the table with a clamping block (see photo, above).
Holding stock against a table
Fence-mounted featherboards apply pressure from the top down. This keeps stock firmly against the table for tasks like rabbeting an edge on the tablesaw (right) or cutting a molding profile or edge treatment on the router table (above).
The router table— If the stock is too nar-
row, wide, or short to work comfortably—in short, if controlling the stock will put fingers close to the cutter—featherboards can make the setup safe. Of couse, it’s best to make router cuts on wide boards, and then rip off the pieces you need. But sometimes narrow o thin stock is unavoidable. Attach the featheboads to the tabletop and fence to apply downwad pessue and side pessue on the infeed side of the cutte. Apply eithe downwad o side pessue afte the cutte, depending on how well the table o fence suppots the stock. Keep the infeed featheboads as close to the cutter as possible. The outfeed pessue can be less than on the infeed side; just keep the stock fom vibating o “fluttering” after the cutterhead. If a second pass is needed on a oute table to cut a molding pofile, such as a aised panel, don’t apply downwad pessue nea the cutte on the second pass, o you’ll tip the □ wok into the cut.
Small stock needs both types of support Top and side featherboards increase safety and accuracy when working with small, narrow stock. The setup ensures a straight, flat-bottomed dado on the table- saw (right) and a cleanly cut molding or edge detail on the router table (below).
Roland Johnson is a woodworker and tool enthusiast in Sauk Rapids, Minn., and a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking . www.finewoodworking.com
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better techniques ]
Sled Tuns Plne int Jinte
The sled supporTs warped boards A jointer is the proper tool for flattening a single face of a board. But many woodworkers lack a jointer that can handle wide boards. This sled supports a cupped or bowed board so the planer can act like a jointer, producing a flat and straight surface. The board then can be flipped over and planed conventionally to mill it to final thickness. Bowed or cupped board
Adjustable support block
Get a flat face on wide lumber B y
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K e i t h
R u s t
W
in with wide lumbe is jy: The fiue nd l e semless, just s it me ff the l. But mny wdwes fe pblem when it mes t flttenin ne side f wide bd. We n ip the bd int narrwer pieces, use a 6-in. r 8-in. jinter, nd then ejin the pts, but pefet mth is nt lwys pssible. The ltentive is t hndplne ne side flt. Nw, I lie hndplnin s muh s the next uy, but I pefe t sve my eney and let machines make lumber flat, straight, nd sque. S I desined n djustble sled tht llws me t fe-jint lumbe with a thickness planer. The sled is reliable nd qui t set up nd djust withut usin ny tls. T me it, yu fist need t detemine the mximum width the bed Phts: M Shfield; Dwins: Jhn Htmn
Alternate-facing hooks guide the bungee cord.
jointer sled for the planer
Tighten screw to secure wedges.
Bungee cord helps to secure support blocks.
Support blocks, 1 in. sq.
Stair-tread material applied to top of support blocks and bottom of wedges Wedges
1
⁄ 2-in.-thick plywood
3-in. recess for handling
Dowel secures each end of the bungee cord.
1
⁄ 2-in. recess for handling
Frame pieces, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 in. wide, are glued and screwed to both pieces of plywood. Underside is surfaced with plastic laminate.
T y f t t , ft, t t vy, tx t t . T tt ftt t f t tt jt t ft t .
f yu plne will ept nd hw ln sled yu want. My 12 1 ⁄ 2-in. prtable planer culd handle a sled f the same width, but t vid hvin t tiht fit, I pted f 12-in.-wide sled.
The sled’s body must be flat and rig id I had a sheet f 5-ft.-sq., 1 ⁄ 2-in.-thick Balticbih plywd, s I ipped tw 12-in. wide piees the full lenth t ete the uppe nd lwe bed setins. If yu wrk alne, resist the temptatin t make www.finewoodworking.com
15° angled slot
3
⁄ 4 in.
15°
7
⁄ 8 in.
31 ⁄ 4 in.
making The wedges and supporT blocks Cut support wedges. A simple jig with a notch in it allows Rust to band- saw multiple 15° wedges.
wedge deTail
the sled t ln nd unwieldy. Build it n flt sufe, suh s wbenh utfeed tble, t ensue it will be flt. The fme piees, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thi by 1 in. wide, wee ut fm uple f dy 2x4 studs. I eessed the piees 1 ⁄ 2 in. n the sides nd 3 in. n eh end s I uld ip the sled esily. The fme piees e lued nd sewed t the uppe nd lwe bed setins. The tp f the sled has a series f supprts mde f hdwd milled t 1 in. sq. T
Cut angled slots in the support blocks. Use a sled angled at 15° to cut a slot in the underside of the support block.
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sled setup Place the board on the sled. If it is cupped, rest it with the concave side facing down. Rock the board to locate high spots.
Adjust the support blocks. Slide the wedge until the block just touches the board. Then tighten the drywall screw by hand to lock the wedge in place.
determine their length, measure yur plane’s inside lene, eepin in mind tht the suppts will hve but 1 ⁄ 2 in. f dywll sew stiin ut eh end. My plne llwed f 111 ⁄ 2-in.-ln suppts with n dne f sew hed tuhin nythin n the wy thuh. In use, the supprts are raised r lwered usin 15° wedes mde fm 1 ⁄ 4-in.-thi medium-density fiberbard (MDF). T keep the suppts pllel t the sled’s sufe s the wedes e inseted, ut slt 3 ⁄ 4 in. fm eh end f the suppt bls, ls with 15° slpe. This is dne n the tblesw with dd set, usin sled tht ries the supprt blck at a 15° angle. While the dd set is n the sw, ut sque dd in the tp f eh suppt f bunee d. The d seues the suppts when the sled is in use nd when it is sted vetilly. I steth the d ss the tp f the sled, seuin it t eh end with dwel (see dwin, p. 95). T hld the wedes in ple, dill hle in eh end f the suppt bls f 11 ⁄ 4-in. dywll sew. Just tihtenin the 96
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sews by hnd eeps the wedes fm mvin ne they e in psitin. When I fist built the sled, I hd pblems with the plne pullin bds ut f psitin s the sled went thuh. T slve that, I put self-stick plastic stair-tread mteil n tp f the suppts. I vided sandpaper because f the likelihd f grit bein ff nd ettin in the plne. I ls put se sti-ted mteil n the bttms f the wedes t eep them fm slippin. Lst, I put plsti lminte n the bttm f the sled t edue d thuh the plne.
Setting up the sled for use Lsen the suppt sews by hnd nd slide the wedes b s tht the supprts all rest n the sled. orientatin f the bard is imprtant: If the bard is cupped, ple the nve side dwn s tht the edes est n the suppts. D this even thuh yu my nw hve bd tht bws up t eh end. Spe the suppts t hve ne t eh end nd tw thee ln the est f the bd.
Find the hih nes f the bd by puttin pessue n ppsite nes nd in it. Use the wedes t ise the suppts tht need it, tyin t ise eh ne an equal amunt, and tighten the screws by hnd. It tes nly little pessue f the fine pint f the dywll sew t bite int the MDF nd seue the wede. Test t see if the in is ne. Nw dwn the length f the bard and find lse supprts. Use the wedes t ise the nes tht need djustin, but dn’t me up t hih. Din s n use the ps t ppe. rlle stnds t eh end f the plne nd emvble suppt m tthed t the bx my plne sits n help suppt the sled. The arm has a tp f heavy plasti tht edues the fitin f slidin the sled acrss frm the utfeed t the infeed side. Sevel pduts e vilble fm Wdft nd the etiles, inludin ulthih-mleul-weiht plsti.
Using the planer as a jointer one the bd is stble, ise the uttehed hih enuh t ept the entie
package and, withut turning n the pwer, slide eveythin int the plne t find the highest pint. Pull it back ut, crank dwn bit, nd yu’e edy t jint the bd. This is ne f thse ses whee desibin the pess tes f me time thn din it. It’s esy t put bd n the sled, djust the suppts, nd be plnin in 30 t 45 sends. It helps t nw the mbined thiness f the sled nd supprts s that yu can have the planer penin set t the ppximte thiness. afte the fist pss, he t see if nythin hs shifted nd djust the wedes s neessy. Send the sled ve the fixed m nd b t the input lle, lwe the hed, nd me nthe ut. I eently built hest f dwes with bent-lminted dwe fnts nd hd n truble using this sled t flatten 11-in.-wide hd mple t me dwe-fnt plies. This is ji tht hs pven t be wth f me thn the iinl time invested in desinin nd buildin it. □
using the sled With the planer turned off, slide the sled through to check for obstructions and to deter- mine the highest point on the board (above). After the first pass, check and adjust the wedges (left), if necessary. Once you have flattened one surface of the board (below), you can dispense with the sled and run the other side of the board through the planer to thickness it.
Keith Rust is a woodworker in Arlington, Texas.
www.finewoodworking.com
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jigs & fixtures Using push sticks Shopmade helperS are a cheap way to Stay Safe
B y
P E T E
S c h l E B E c k E r
A
t the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, where I teach and also manage the woodshops, showing students how to safely operate power equipment is one of our first tasks. The lesson always includes push sticks.
A push stic is a shape lenth f w the mateial that helps cntl the mvement f a wpiece. It is mst neee at the tablesaw, jinte, ute table, an bansaw. Usin a push stic eeps hans away fm blaes an c uttes. It als helps maintain an even pessue an fee ate, eucin the is f icbac an pucin a smthe cut. In u
TABLESAW: ShoE-STyLE puSh STick Tis sti is made fom 1 ⁄ 2-in. pwood, and te sape is ut on te bandsaw. Edges ae ounded ove wit a asp o
51 ⁄ 2 in.
oute. ⁄ in.
1 2
11 in.
Always keep a push stick handy. Store it within easy reach (above). Push between the blade and the fence (right) and make sure that the workpiece clears the blade when the cut is finished.
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FINE WoodWorkINg
13 ⁄ 4 in.
shps, we eep exta push stics hany, an thee is always ne sittin n tp f a machine table hun n a h neaby. We encuae stuents t et in the habit f lin f the push stic befe they tun n the machine. Thee ae many well-esine push stics f sale, but shpmae stics ae easy an inexpensive t mae fm scap. A well-mae push stic will hl the w secuely with a ntch, cleat, nnslip suface. It will feel iht in the han—an aw wa hanle can be unsafe if it fces yu t shift yu han f a bette ip. An it will be easy t mae, because shpmae stics ae meant t cntact the blae at times an eventually t be eplace. Hee’s a l at a vaiety f shpmae push stics in use whee they’e neee mst.
A simple plywood cutout for safe ripping Many pjects equie ippin stc t with, a tas ne mst quicly an cleanly n the tablesaw. But ippin stc n the tablesaw als can be aneus. A wpiece that’s nt ppely uie thuh the cut c an vee int the bac sie f the blae an be ice bac at the peat. This is especially tue if the splitte is nt in place. When ippin naw stc, the fines can cme t clse t the blae, leain t taey in an instant. F these easns, we teach stuents t use a push stic when ippin t a with
Don’t spare the stick. If the wooden push stick won’t fit between the blade and fence, it’s safe to drive it through the blade (observe precautions on blade height) and complete the cut. Phts: Steve Sctt; awins: kelly J. duntn
JoiNTER: puSh BLockS Te eated design is used in te igt and, at te boad’s taiing edge, to feed te wo into te ut. Te eated bo’s ande an be ve simpe, but te soping sape pitued ee sows wi end as te eat on it. Te padded bo is used in te eft and, to eep te boad fom bouning as it osses te utteead. Fo te ubbe-gip sufae, Sebee used spa ontat adesive (3M Supe 77) to atta a piee of an inexpensive oga mat. Bandsaw te ande fom a sap of soid wood.
Bk
hn, 1 1 ⁄ 4 in. ik
21 ⁄ 2 in.
⁄ in.
5 8
6 in. Bk
31 ⁄ 2 in.
c 23 ⁄ 4 in.
⁄ in.
78
12 in.
f 6 in. less. With the stic in yu iht han, place the ntche en at the ea f the wpiece between the fence an the blae. Use the stic t fee the piece all the way past the bac f the blae. If yu nee t ive the push stic int the blae, be sue t eep the push stic paallel t the fence, an be pepae f incease esistance as the blae cuts thuh the bttm f the stic. T minimize this esistance, an f safety easns, set the blae heiht s that it esn’t cut vey eeply ( 1 ⁄ 4 in. s) int the stic. once yu’ve cut thuh yu push stic in this way a few times, it’s a iea t tim bac the faye suface with a bansaw isca the stic an mae a new ne. T ip lne pieces that exten past the leain ee f the table, leave the push stic within each n tp f the ip fence. Stat the cut by pushin the ea f the piece by han until it eaches the ee f the table. If yu use the stic befe this pint, yu may place wnwa pessue n the bac en f the ba, liftin the fnt en away fm the blae.
When flattening boards, use a broad, flat push block Usin a jinte t flatten a ba’s face t staihten an ee n naw stc can bin the peat’s hans aneusly clse t the machine’s hizntal cuttehea. guiin the w with push stics helps eep yu hans ut f ane. It als helps achieve a clean cut by ensuin that the w esn’t bunce “chatte” as it csses the cuttehea. F face jintin, a flat style f push stic nwn as a push blc ws best; we as that stuents use them n matte www.finewoodworking.com
4 in.
Easy to assemble. A cleated push block can be made in less than 15 minutes. Because the glue joint is long grain to long grain, screws are not needed.
Use a pair of push blocks for face-jointing. It’s best to have a non- skid block at the board’s leading edge and a cleated block at the rear.
The shoe-style stick is excellent for edge-jointing. It works especially well with narrow stock that is tall enough to clear the blade guard but too short to clear the fence. PoWEr TooL BASICS 2007
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BANDSAW: puSh STick Tis sti is made fom 1 ⁄ 2-in. pwood, and te sape is ut on te bandsaw. Edges ae ounded ove wit a asp o oute. p, 1 ⁄ 2 in. ik b 21 5 ⁄ 8 in. ng b 3 1 ⁄ 2 in.
hw lae small the wpiece. A push blc is a flat ba with a tp-munte hanle that allws the use t maintain wnwa pessue. Thee ae tw basic esins, each with a istinct functin. one uses a cleat n the bac t ip the tailin en f the stc. The the, use at the leain en f the wpiece, has n cleat but ips the stc with a nnslip ubbe pa. T use them, tae the cleate stic in yu iht han an the ubbe-sle blc in yu left t maintain wnwa pessue at the leain en f the wpiece.
A notched board with handles helps guide stock on the router table The safest way t et a ute pfile n a naw wpiece is t cut the pfile n the ute table fist, befe ippin the stc t final with. Win with wie stc allws yu t fee the w past the bit withut puttin yu fines in ham’s way. occasinally, thuh, yu miht nee t ut a shape nt a piece that’s aleay quite naw. Feathebas will help hl the piece fimly t the table suface, but yu’ll nee a push stic t uie the w snuly aainst the fence. An effective push stic is a simple piece f plyw with a ntch cut int ne en. The stip lies flat n the ute table, with the ntch at the tailin en. Tw vetical hanles, munte with cuntesun ywall scews an lue, mae
Use a long push stick at the bandsaw. This allows the user to push the workpiece from behind the fence without risk of running thumb or fingers into the blade.
the push stic easy t ab. F the hanles, I use scaps fm u w-tunin stui, but a lae wel une squae stc will fine.
A long reach keeps fingers safe when resawing resawin— slicin stc aln its face t mae thinne bas—is a eat easn t have a bansaw. But the peatin equies cae, especially when the fence is clse t the blae. The tic is t push the stc fm the ea at an even ate all the way thuh the cut, an eep yu fines ut f the way as the blae emees fm the tail en f the wpiece. Almst any lenth f scap will w as a push stic f this tas, but it’s nice t have ne with a cmftable ip neaby. The eicate stic we use in u shp is easy t mae— just anthe shape cut ut n the bansaw. Mae sue the stic is ln enuh s that the fnt en eaches just past the blae while the ea is still a cuple f inches behin the fence. This way, the fence wn’t intefee with yu ip as yu finish the cut.
RouTER TABLE: puSh STick Tis sti is made fom 1 ⁄ 2-in. pwood, and te sape is ut on te bandsaw. Edges ae ounded ove wit a asp o oute.
N, 3 ⁄ 8 in. b 3 in. ng
Bk, 1 ⁄ 2 in. ik b 4 1 ⁄ 4 in. i b 22 3 ⁄ 8 in. ng
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FINE WoodWorkINg
hns, 11 ⁄ 2 in. i. b 2 3 ⁄ 4 in.
Rout narrow stock without fear. This notched stick keeps hands away from the cutter. Featherboards apply downward pressure.
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POWER
TOOL BASICS 2007
101
jigs & fixtures
continued
Build a simple crosscut sled for the tablesaw ESSENTIAL JIG ENSURES SQUARE CUTS
B Y
G A R Y
R O G O W S K I
I
t’s a euclidean world, darn the luck. Woodworking goes better when angles are precise, true, and above all, consistent. “Consistently off” may be how your work has been going until now, but making a tablesaw sled can fix many crosscutting woes.
Every saw needs one. A shopmade sled makes it easier and safer to make accurate crosscuts on the tablesaw.
ANATOMY OF A SLED
A crosscut sled is a versatile tool with just a few carefully assembled parts. Its accuracy relies on close-fitting runners and a square fence. BOLTS
FENCE
5 ⁄ 16
Hardwood, milled foursquare to 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. or 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 3 1 ⁄ 2 in. or wider. When assembled, it must be taller than the full height of the blade.
in. by 3 1 ⁄ 2 in., with 3 ⁄ 4-in. washers at bolt head and nut. Bolt holes are 3 ⁄ 8 in. dia. to provide room for adjusting the fence.
My sled is a focal point of my shop. With it, I can produce square ends on stoc. I can clamp on a stop bloc or mae a pencil mar for repeat cuts. I can use the sled as a platform for other jis to cut precise anles and to cut a variety of joints. And I can do all of this wor safely and with reater accuracy. A crosscut sled provides support from two directions (behind and underneath)
1. Attach the fence Use bolts, not screws. This makes it easier to adjust the fence so that it is square to the blade.
BASE MDF, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 16 in. wide by 24 in. long
RUNNERS Quartersawn hardwood, 3 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide, trimmed to fit snugly in miter-gauge slots
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FINE WOODWORkINg
FRONT RAIL Hardwood, 3 ⁄ 4 in. or 7 ⁄ 8 in. thick, and taller than the highest point of the blade. It is glued or attached from underneath with four countersunk wood screws.
Photos: Steve Scott; drawin: Vince Baba
and so holds a worpiece more securely than most stoc miter aues. This is especially helpful when crosscuttin wider pieces, where a sled is a much safer option than runnin a worpiece aainst the rip fence, a recipe for icbac. The sled is accurate in part because its twin runners ensure that the stoc moves in a straiht line past the blade. The stoc is reistered aainst a bac fence that is carefully set at 90° to the blade. The fence is adjustable, so it can be reset and retihtened if it ets noced out of whac.
Start with a square piece of MDF You can build any size sled, but I stronly recommend startin small. I’ve learned that it pays to mae your first sled for 99% of cuts, that is, boards less than 13 in. wide. The sled will be easier to mae, easier to move, and easier to adjust. For any cut wider than 13 in., I have another sled at 37 in. wide. There are several eys to an accurate sled: a flat base, straiht runners that fit snuly in the miter slots, and a flat and square fence. Mae the base out of 3 ⁄ 4-in. medium-density fiberboard (MDF) about 16 in. wide by 24 in. lon. Attach a front rail that is taller than the fullest heiht of the sawblade. Its job is to hold the front of the ji toether.
2. Install the runners Make the runners of quartersawn hardwood. With the grain oriented in this way, seasonal wood movement will cause the runners to shrink or swell in thickness, as opposed to width. This means the runners won’t bind.
1 Bandsaw to rough dimen- 2 Joint two faces. These will 3 Trim to final width. Take serve as reference surfaces for light cuts and check the fit in sions. Set the fence using measurements taken from the final trimming of the runners to the slot as you go. You also can tablesaw’s miter-gauge slot. fit in the miter-gauge slots. use a planer or a handplane.
Make fence and runners of hardwood I mae the fence out of hardwood, milled foursquare about 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. thic and taller than my tallest cut. I mae it this thic so I can fasten it to the baseplate with bolts and washers. I built my first sled with screws, and they
just don’t hold up to the banin around this ji ets in an active shop. If your MDF is relatively square, bolt on the fence so that its rear face is alined with the bac of the base. You’ll adjust it later to square it with the blade. For this sled, I used 5 ⁄ 16-in. bolts and drilled 3 ⁄ 8-in.-dia. holes. This ives me room to adjust the position of the fence. The runners are critical to the success of the ji. They need to move without play in the miter-aue slots. If they don’t, your ji will ride sloppily, your www.finewoodworking.com
4 Attach the runners. Assembling the sled with the runners in their slots helps ensure they’ll be parallel and properly spaced when you’re done. Attach the runners with wood screws driven into countersunk holes.
5 Trim the high spots. Push the completed sled back and forth in the slots a few times. Any places where the runners rub against the sides of the slots will darken. Trim these areas with a scraper, then wax the runners and the bottom of the sled to reduce friction.
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
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jigs & fixtures
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3. Square the fence to the blade The sled won’t make accurate crosscuts unless the fence is precisely perpendicular to the b lade. The oversize bolt holes in this fence make it possible to adjust t he angle until test cuts yield square results.
3 Check the cut with a square. Any gaps will help you determine the direction and amount of adjustment the fence requires. 1 Make the kerf. Set the blade 2 Make a test cut. Crosscut a piece of wide stock to to its full height and cut through gauge the fence’s accuracy. the sled.
cuts will be inconsistent, and your salty vocabulary will row at an alarmin rate. I recommend main the runners of hard-wearin quartersawn stoc such as oa or maple, about 3 ⁄ 8 in. thic, or slihtly thinner than the depth of the aue slots. You don’t want the runners bottomin out in the slots and liftin the baseplate off the saw table. Mae the runners to fit snuly in width, trimmin them with a handplane to fit into the aue slots. Next, drill four countersun holes in each runner for flat-head screws to hold it in place.
Mount the runners and adjust the fence Place the runners in the slots, lay the assembled base and fences on them, and push the pacae to the rear of the saw table so that one set of countersun holes is visible. Mae sure the ji’s fence is relatively parallel to the saw’s bac ede. Mount two screws into the sled, one in each runner. Then slide the assembly bac to the front ede of the saw table so that two more holes are visible. Mount these screws, flip the sled over, and drill and mount the four remainin screws. 104
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Place the sled in the slots and try to push it. The runners will probably be too tiht. Wax them and the bottom and see if the sled will slide. If not, chec for blac spots on the runners that show where they’re rubbin. Use a scraper or shoulder plane to trim those areas, rewax, and try aain. The sled should move effortlessly in the slots with no side-to-side play. Now you’re ready to start worin. Mae the first cut in the sled by raisin the blade just enouh to slice throuh the baseplate. Then raise it for a hiher cut. Place a piece of scrap on the sled and crosscut it, checin the results with a square. Adjust the fence accordinly. You can also mae a throuh crosscut and flip the pieces to see if they line up perfectly (see p. 20 for the technique). Loc down the fence with the bolts when you’re cuttin square. Remember to always set the ji down so that it’s not restin on its fence. You don’t want it noced about. Also, be very aware of the sawblade’s exit point. Mar this zone to remind yourself never • to place your finers close to it.
4 Mark your starting place. Before adjust- ing the fence, mark its original location as a reference point.
5 Tighten the fence. When you’re done adjusting, crank the bolts home and you’re ready to make crosscuts.
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© 2007 The Taunton Press
Q&A Don’t shape curved panels with vertical bits Q: I have been using a vertical panelraising bit for safety for many years, and now I’d like to make a panel with the top curved. Can I make a jig that would work for this? —RobeRt RedingeR,
Shrw, i.
A: Routing a cuRved panel with a vertial panel-raisin bit isn’t pratial or safe. The fixture for this appliation is so ompliated and risky that it does not justify itself. The work has to be rotated past the utter while on its ede aainst the fene. It’s unsafe at any speed beause there’s poor workpiee ontrol. However, urved panels an be raised with a router usin a horizontal utter. It requires bearin-uided panel-raisin bits of 3 in. dia. or more. With these lare utters, makin deep uts in one pass is hazardous. So ut in staes by movin the bit up in inrements. Note: Larediameter bits must be run at muh slower speeds. —Pat Warner is author of The Router Book (The Taunton Press, 2001).
veRtical bits WoRK FoR stRaight edges
A tall fence and featherboard support the panel in the vertical position. M ake the cut in several passes by gradually moving the fence backward.
shape cuRved panels With hoRizontal bits
The curve of the panel rides against the bearing on the router bit as the bit is raised gradually for successive cuts. The pin in the table allows the workpiece to be pivoted into the cutter to begin the cut.
Cutting round stock on the bandsaw
Safe cuts in round stock. Clamp the stock in a sled screwed to a miter gauge. Be sure the clamp sits below the stock’s centerline.
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Q: As I was pushing a 12-in.-dia. pillar through a 1 ⁄ 2-in. bandsaw blade against the fence, the blade suddenly went off track, chewing up the table insert and part of the door that covers the bottom wheel. What happened? —bill balleza,
A: Most liKely What happened Was the pill aR Rotated a bit as you were uttin, snain the bak of the blade and pullin it forward out of the uides. For safety, you should stabilize the pillar by fastenin it to a plywood sled; for lon pillars, support the outboard end of the sled on a roller stand. On a bandsaw, there is nothin restrainin the blade from bein pushed forward and out of the uides. It takes only a small amount of pressure on the trailin ede of the blade for it to shift forward. And a 1 ⁄ 2 -in. blade needs to move forward only about ⁄3 8 in. for it to push lear of the side bloks and damae the mahine. That’s why you should never try to bak out of a ut with the blade movin. —John White is shop manager for Fine Woodworkin.
Hus, txs
Photos, exept where noted: Maria Ryan; this pae (top): Kelly J. Dunton; drawin (fain pae): Vine Babak
Tablesaw-blade tightening technique Q: It’s hard to get a lot of leverage on the blade of my cabinet saw when I’m tightening it to the arbor. What technique should I use to tighten the blade so that it won’t fly off while spinning? —aaRon gRaHam ,
Jc P, mss.
A: JaMMing a blocK oF Wood aainst the blade’s rim or lampin the blade an Steady the blade with slight hand pressure. Then a few quick raps on the free end of the permanently distort a preisely made wrench with a piece of hardwood are all that is needed to tighten the nut solidly (left). Loosen the blade. The method I use doesn’t put any blade the same way, but protect the tabletop from the loosened wrench (right). stress on the blade. After you et the nut finer-tiht aainst the blade, plae the wrenh on the nut, hold the blade with one hand, and strike to fly off. The diretion of the threads on the arbor run in the the wrenh with a blok of hardwood, takin two or three opposite diretion of the arbor’s rotation; so even a loose nut moderate blows. This method simulates the ation of an impat wouldn’t spin off the shaft while the saw was runnin. wrenh, usin the inertia of the saw’s drive system to keep the To remove the nut, reverse the proedure. Plae a shop ra arbor still while the nut is tihtened. Beause of the way a saw on the ede of the table-insert openin to prevent the wrenh is desined, you don’t have to worry that undertihtenin the handle from dinin the table when the nut omes loose. nut reates a risk that it will ome loose and allow the blade —J.W.
Keep a square edge while cutting with a jigsaw Q: When using a handheld jigsaw, my cuts often deviate from perpendicular, especially when cutting curves in thick stock. What do you recommend? —laRRy andeRSon,
S, Wsh.
Choose the right blade. A nar- row blade allows for cutting tight curves, and the more teeth per inch, the smoother the cut. The 20-tpi Bosch T101A0 (top blade) is designed to cut tight curves in stock up to 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick.
www.finewoodworking.com
A: cutting accuRate cuRves with a jisaw requires the riht blade, saw settins, and proedure. One you’ve heked that the sole of the jisaw is square with the blade, math the width of the blade to the radius of the ut: the tihter the radius, the narrower the blade. For tiht urves in stok as thik as 3 ⁄4 in., I use the narrow Bosh T101AO. If your jisaw has an osillatinblade feature, use the lowest settin to ut urves. Durin the ut, apply pressure to the saw only in the diretion of the ut. Side pressure will fore the blade to tip or tilt, and the ut will not be square. Moderate to hih blade speed and a fairly slow feed rate will help prevent side pressure. —Roland Johnson is a woodworker in Sauk Rapids, Minn., and a contributing editor to Fine Woodworkin.
pRobleM
solution
Sideways pressure causes the blade to bend and cut at an angle.
Pressure applied in the direction of the cut keeps the blade straight.
Angled cut
Straight cut
POWER TOOL BASIcS 2007
107
Q&A
continued
Smoother cuts on the tablesaw Q: When ripping with a carbide blade and a Biesemeyer fence, I cannot keep the rear of the blade from recutting what has already passed through the front of the blade. Is there a solution? —denniS WalSH,
tw Pks, Cf.
A: tablesaWs need accuRate alinment to perform well. The miter-aue slots must be adjusted parallel with the blade, and the rip fene should be adjusted slihtly out of parallel by referenin off the miter slot. To keep the rear of the blade from reuttin the stok when rippin, the rip fene needs in. to to be out of parallel by 1 ⁄ 64 1 ⁄ 32 in. over its lenth. In addition, use a splitter in the table insert or attah one to the arbor assembly to prevent the work from omin off the fene and into the blade (ausin danerous kikbak) should it deide to bow on you durin a ut. Most importantly, remember to reset the fene parallel to the blade whenever you move the fene to the left of the blade. If you don’t, the work will bind in the ut. —Gary Rogowski runs the Northwest Woodworking Studio in Portland, Ore.
OFFSET THE FENCE AND ADD A SPLITTER
Fr fr f r wmrk, j r f f r w mr- . a r k k frm rf .
Splitter prevents kickback.
Miter-gauge slot, parallel with the blade
Offset between the fence and miter-gauge slot at rear of tabletop, 1 64 ⁄ in. to 1 ⁄ 32 in.
Fence
Keep bandsaw tires clean Q: How do you clean embedded sawdust off bandsaw tires and minimize the dust from building up on the tires? —mel HalPeRn,
Rchr, P.
A: With the saW tuRned oFF and unplugged, srub off embedded sawdust with a brass brush. Spin the wheel by hand and hold the brush in plae aainst the wheel. Avoid usin oil-based solvents suh as paint thinner beause they may damae the rubber of the tire. To avoid the buildup in the first plae, you an make three simple modifiations.
Install a dust deflector below the table. Use a piece of flexible cutting board, found at hardware stores, and align it with the dust-collection port.
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Install a brush in the lower housing, against the wheel. Iturra Design (888-722-7078) carries a brush that fits the Delta 14-in. bandsaw.
First, install a defletor that will hannel the dust toward the pikup hute. A piee of stiff rubber or flexible plasti an be attahed with self-tappin srews or double-sided adhesive tape. Seond, install an additional dust pikup in the bottom left-hand orner of the lower housin, where a pile of dust tends to ollet. You an use a metaluttin hole saw to drill the hole. A sawdust pikup hute available from tool suppliers an be attahed with srews over the hole. Finally and most important, any remainin dust an be kept off the wheels by installin in the lower housin a stiff brush that leans the lower wheel as it rotates. I use a wooden srub brush with stiff natural bristles that I ut to size and attah with wood srews, inserted throuh holes in the metal astin. With these modifiations, I haven’t had to replae the tires that ame with my bandsaw 30 years ao. —Michael Fortune is a furniture maker in Lakefield, Ont., Canada
Drawin (this pae): Kelly J. Dunton
shop safety
B y
m i c h a e l
d u n B a r
Rule one: Avoid major injuries
B
ein a woodwoe uaantees that peiodically you ae oin to et hut. You cannot attend any woodwoes show o club meetin without noticin hands that ae shot a couple of diits. You hea stoies of hoible accidents, even fatal ones. Accidents ae inevitable. So you oal should be to ensue that any injuies ae sliht, the sot you can teat with bandaes and salve athe than a tip to the hospital. Amputations and othe seious accidents ae not inevitable. Most woodwoes manae to eep thei bodies intact. Afte 30 yeas of woodwoin, I have numeous small scas on my hands but can still count to 10. I also have a sca on my foehead whee I was hit by a piece of wood that flew out of the lathe. I wish I had stated usin heain potection a lot soone. My docto tells me I cannot eain my heain, only potect the little I have left. Othewise, I am as complete as when I enteed the wold. Afte 21 yeas of teachin some 3,500 people, only two have cut themselves badly enouh to equie a docto’s attention. I lie to thin it is because of the safety lectue I ive at the beinnin of evey class and the einfocement we ive befoe evey demonstation. Althouh thee ae lots of safety ules fo woodwoin, safety is a state of mind. In othe wods, you best potection is leanin to behave safely. Developin this state of mind equies embeddin it in you bain so that a little voice sceams evey time you flit with dane. You should ceate this state of mind while still a beinne, but it neve huts seasoned woodwoes to efesh and stenthen it. The best emindes ae simple, lie the jinles Madison Avenue uses to embed poduct names in you mind. A fome staff membe, Dan Faia, neve foot the annoyin little adae his hih-school shop teache used: “A clean shop is a happy shop. A happy shop is a fun shop. A fun shop is a safe shop.” Althouh this cony ditty eneated a lot of scon fom the teenae students, Dan is still influenced by it. A local indeaten teache bins he class to ou school evey yea fo an intoduction to woodwoin, and we set up 110
FINE WOODWOrkINg
simple pojects fo the students to do. My safety instuctions fo them ae the same I ive to adults: 1. Tools ae not toys. In othe wods, use them only fo thei intended pupose. 2. Neve use a tool until you have been shown how to handle it popely. Fo adults, tae time to lean to use a tool. Have the salesman ive you some instuction, ead a boo on the topic, o tae a c lass. 3. Always use a tool the way you wee shown. Obviously, thee ae othe impotant safety ules, but the point is that you neve outow the basic tuths, and you’e neve too smat to slip up.
Rules to live by While each tool has its safety ules, hee ae some eneal pactices that you should epeat until they become inained habits. Don’t hurry, and don’t work tired —Most accidents happen because the woodwoe was in a ush and did not want to tae the time to pepae fo just one quic cut. The peson new the is but fiued it wouldn’t happen this one time. When you ae fatiued o othewise impaied, et out of the shop. If it makes you ner vous, don’t do it—Afte all the effot you o thouh to tain that little voice in you head, listen to it. Tust it to wan you when somethin is unsafe. Heed the manufacturer’s warnings —We all now those safety instuctions ae thee pimaily to potect the manufactue fom liability. Howeve, liability means someone has otten hut, so the wanins ae thee to potect you as well. This also applies to blade uads and shouds. Sue, some of them ae a pain, but an injuy is wose. Wear eye protection—Put on safety lasses wheneve you ae doin anythin that can send even the smallest piece of wood o metal into the ai. Don them wheneve statin a machine o swinin a hamme o mallet. My wost eye injuy was tempoay, but it sue hu t. It happened five yeas ao when I was timmin the end of a tenon with a oue and mallet, and a chun of wood popped upwad. Fo 25 yeas, I had otten away with doin this tas without eye potection. With a hand ove my thobbin eye, I Dawin: Linda Fennimoe
swore if I was still able to see when I took the hand away that I would wear goggles ever after. Protect your hearing and lung s—The injuries we risk are not always as immediate as being hit in the eye or trimming a digit off a hand. You lose your hearing so slowly you don’t notice, but eventually you end up as I have, cupping your hand behind your ear to hear even a normal conversation. Newer earplugs and muffs are designed to let harmless levels of sound through, blocking only sounds that are dangerously loud. Some muffs even come with a built-in radio. There’s no excuse for not using them. Wood dust and other products we use can do cumulative damage to our lungs. Install dust collectors and air cleaners, and wear a quality dusk mask when doing anything that creates a lot of fine dust. Remember, the dust is there, even though you cannot see it most of the time. In the winter, when the sun is low and shines directly through your shop windows, notice the ever-present cloud of dust hanging in the air. The memory of this cloud should set off a little voice in your head that prompts you to turn on the air cleaner and put on a dust mask whenever you pick up s andpaper. Keep the shop clean and uncluttered—I have heard of lots of accidents that involve tripping over clutter or tools falling into machines. These incidents are a lot less likely if you clean regularly. At our school, each student is instructed
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to immediately pick up any small pieces of wood that fall to the floor and place them in the burn barrel. Because the staff walks around the woodshop c onstantly, we have a vested interest in this. I have nearly fallen several times stepping on small cutoffs. We have students put away their tools and c lean the benches after every operation. We stop the class and clean the shop several times a day and before leaving for the night. Clean and uncluttered also applies to your person. Remove jewelry, roll up sleeves, and tie up long hair. Any of these can get caught in a moving blade. Prevent accidents, but prepare for them—This sounds a bit contradictory, sort of like the old Roman s aying, “To preserve peace, prepare for war.” But a quick response can head off a true disaster. Keep emergency numbers by the phone. Keep a medical kit in the shop. Display and maintain your fire extinguishers. Install a master kill switch for all of your machines. Keep hearing, eye, and dust protection at every workstation. Protect your property —Finally, safety applies to your property as well as to your person. I know numerous people whose shops have burned to the ground. Dispose of oil-soaked rags properly. Keep flammables tightly capped and in a metal cabinet. Unplug battery chargers and portable power tools before leaving the shop for the night.
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
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fundamentals
B y
A i m é
O n t A r i O
F r A s e r
Listen to your tools they may be telling you that something’s wrong
L
isten closely to your tools, and they’ll speak volumes. The sounds a tool makes can alert you to a dull blade, an incorrect setup, or a faulty technique. If you learn their language, your tools will tell you about issues so you can set them right before they become problems.
Bandsaws should hum The bansaw is ne f the mst vcal tls in the shp, s hear what it has t say befre yu start sawin. If all’s well, yu’ll hear nthin but the mtr’s hum an the whirlin wheels. If yu hear scratchin, smethin’s tuchin where it shuln’t. Chec fr ebris in the lwer uie, r see if the blae uar is rubbin n the upper wheel r if the uies are t clse t the blae. When the blae tensin is inaequate, yu’ll hear a slappin sun just abve the table n the left-han sie f the machine. A rhythmic ticin means that ne spt n the blae is hittin the uies. If it’s a sft tic, it’s liely nthin mre than a ruh wel n the blae; fix it by tain a file t the spt, but be careful nt t amae the teeth r chane their set. A lu tic means there’s a in in the blae that cul brea at any m112
FINE WoodWoRkINg
ment. The in may have frme when yu trie t saw a raius tihter than the blae cul manae. Next time yu cut a tiht c urve, listen fr the blae’s wailin man that says, “The blae is jamme aainst the uies. Yu’ve turne t far!” Frcin the turn beyn this pint will amae the blae. Learn when t ajust the fee rate by listenin t the mtr’s pitch as yu cut. When the pitch starts ettin slwer an eeper in tne, yu’ve exceee the spee limit. Bac ff the cut. Ajustin the fee rate base n pitch hls true fr all saws—an just abut every ther pwer tl as well.
Tablesaws should whir smoothly, whether cutting or not When all’s well with the tablesaw, runnin it withut la will pruce a steay, breathy whine that varies in pitch fr each blae. If the blae is sharp an true, the tablesaw barely will sun any ifferent when sawin w. A cheap r baly balance blae esn’t sun smth when the saw is runnin withut la, an it clatters when sawin. If yur tablesaw maes a lu thun when yu turn it n, the belts prbably nee tihtenin.
Jointer and planer complain when you go against the grain The jinter r planer will tell yu when yu’re runnin the w thruh the machine aainst the rain. Rather than the usual ticin nise f the nives, yu’ll hear smethin that suns mre lie tearin, a in f kkkkkrrrrriiiick
as the chuns rip ut. It’s a drawins: Chuc Lchart
Alternate-facing hooks guide the bungee cord.
jointer sled for the planer
Tighten screw to secure wedges.
Bungee cord helps to secure support blocks.
Support blocks, 1 in. sq.
Stair-tread material applied to top of support blocks and bottom of wedges Wedges
1
⁄ 2-in.-thick plywood
3-in. recess for handling
Dowel secures each end of the bungee cord.
1
⁄ 2-in. recess for handling
Frame pieces, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 in. wide, are glued and screwed to both pieces of plywood. Underside is surfaced with plastic laminate.
T y f t t , ft, t t vy, tx t t . T tt ftt t f t tt jt t ft t .
f yu plne will ept nd hw ln sled yu want. My 12 1 ⁄ 2-in. prtable planer culd handle a sled f the same width, but t vid hvin t tiht fit, I pted f 12-in.-wide sled.
The sled’s body must be flat and rig id I had a sheet f 5-ft.-sq., 1 ⁄ 2-in.-thick Balticbih plywd, s I ipped tw 12-in. wide piees the full lenth t ete the uppe nd lwe bed setins. If yu wrk alne, resist the temptatin t make www.finewoodworking.com
15° angled slot
3
⁄ 4 in.
15°
7
⁄ 8 in.
31 ⁄ 4 in.
making The wedges and supporT blocks Cut support wedges. A simple jig with a notch in it allows Rust to band- saw multiple 15° wedges.
wedge deTail
the sled t ln nd unwieldy. Build it n flt sufe, suh s wbenh utfeed tble, t ensue it will be flt. The fme piees, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thi by 1 in. wide, wee ut fm uple f dy 2x4 studs. I eessed the piees 1 ⁄ 2 in. n the sides nd 3 in. n eh end s I uld ip the sled esily. The fme piees e lued nd sewed t the uppe nd lwe bed setins. The tp f the sled has a series f supprts mde f hdwd milled t 1 in. sq. T
Cut angled slots in the support blocks. Use a sled angled at 15° to cut a slot in the underside of the support block.
PoWEr TooL BaSIcS 2007
95
WOODWORKERS MART
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POWER
TOOL BASICS 2007
113
fundamentals
continued
different sound from the fwack-fwack-fwack slappin of dull nives. This dull sound is similar to the sound the jointer and planer mae when cloed with chips. If the dustcollection system isn’t worin, the slappin sound of the blades will be muffled by the chips loded between the nives and the wood.
Routers change pitch when there’s a problem Routers whine a lot, but a screech or a wail means somethin’s wron—liely a bad bearin. A lower pitch means the router is tain too bi a bite and boin down. You should reduce the cut or feed rate. When approachin a corner on the worpiece with an ede-trimmin bit in the router, you can avoid tearout by listenin for tearin undertones and bacin off the instant you hear them. Tae a liht pass around the corner in the wron direction to stop or at least reduce tearout. These bacward, or climb, cuts feel funny—be prepared for the r outer to buc and squirm a little. Once you have cleared the way, o bac to routin f rom left to riht and complete the corner. If you’re usin a router ridin aainst a template to shape curved pieces, eep the amount you cut to less than the radius of the bit. If it’s more, the router won’t necessarily slow down, but you will hear tearin noises as the outer ede of the bit rips away little chuns of wood (thouh not always so little—watch out for debris).
Drills have their own language Even a cordless drill has a distinctive vocabulary of noises. You probably now how it sounds when the battery is fully chared or when it’s nearly dead. But can you tell when the bit is about to punch throuh the wood? Listen closely next time, and you’ll hear a sliht lowerin in pitch as the drill labors throuh those difficult f inal rotations. In metals or hardwoods, you’ll also hear a little screech that means it’s time to ease 114
FINE WOODWORkINg
off on your pushin and to prepare for that wrist wrenchin ic. Drills mae other helpful sounds. A poundin noise when drivin screws means that the driver’s not fully enaed—it’s bouncin in and out of the screw head. Push harder to eep the driver enaed in the slot. A choppy whine means the speed switch is stuc between hih and low. And, of course, there’s the brrrrrripp of the clutch release, which means the screw is in as far as it can o on that settin.
Hand tools tell you when they’re happy When all’s well with a handplane, it emits a smooth whooooisssssh, lie the tearin of sil. A dull blade maes a series of kwooooochhhh noises, similar to the sound of someone ettin ready to spit. When the iron is sharp, but you’re planin aainst the rain, you’ll hear an undertone of rippin as the fibers brea off rather than et cleanly sheared. If a handsaw is dull or is the wron type for the job (such as rippin with a crosscut saw), you can hear it in the cut. Rather than the businesslie voo-ba of a ood saw (or the ba-voo of a Japanese saw), you’ll hear a less-accented huff-ha. If your saw is cuttin well, maintain a steady rhythm. You may have to alter your stance and alinment until you et that sound for several seconds. Then you can let loose and saw riht throuh. Each tool has its own lanuae, and with a little experience you can understand what each one has to say. You’ll enae in a dialoue with the tool that can’t help but mae you a better woodworer. □ So listen up!
WOODWORKING TOOLS BUILT BY WOODWORKERS. IMAGINE THAT.
A band saw constructed with heavy-duty steel ribbing and gussets that prevent vibration and flexing under heavy loads. A bench mortiser with a reconfigurable ratcheting handle that eliminates the need to reposition work for better leverage during cuts. A table saw with a titanium top that reduces friction and helps prevent galling, scratching and corrosion. We didn’t just imagine them. We made them. This is what happens when woodworkers build tools. Visit steelcitytoolworks.com to find out more.
BY WOODWORKERS. FOR WOODWORKERS.
Make turnings with a router T
his jig allows you to shape round columns and posts using a router. To use the jig, first drill a 5 ⁄ 16-in.-dia. hole, 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. deep,
in each end of the workpiece, then insert a steel rod to hold the workpiece inside the jig. Lock a drill stop on each end of the rod where it enters the jig to prevent the workpiece from shifting as you cut. Clamp two wood guide pieces to the edges of the router subbase to restrict the router’s side-to-side movement. Turn on the router, slowly plunge down, and move the router halfway up and down the jig as you slowly rotate the workpiece. As you increase the depth of cut, you’ll create a cylinder. Then repeat the process on the other half of the workpiece. Throughout the process, make small cuts for a better finish and a safer operation. You can adapt this jig to create different turnings. Offset the hole at one end of the jig to make tapered turnings, or clamp blocks to the long sides of the jig to produce stopped turnings. If you design the jig with gently curving sides, the workpiece will become football shaped as it is turned.
Router-cut turnings. By guiding the router back and forth while turn- ing the workpiece, a square blank gradually becomes a cylinder.
Guide pieces, clamped to subbase Router subbase Workpiece
Steel rod, 5 ⁄ 16 in. dia.
Drill stop is tightened with hex key.
Tapered turnings. Lower the hole at one end of the jig to taper the turned workpiece.
Workpiece
Stopped turnings. Clamp a stop block to the side of the jig to leave a square section on the turning.
The dimensions of the ends and sides will vary according to the diameter and length of the turning.
POWER TOOL BASICS 2007
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better techniques ]
Bandsa Jis How to make precise tapers, circles, wedges, and curves B y
m i c h a e l
f o r t u n e
T
he all next t my bandsa is festned ith jis that expand the versatility f the basic machine. Thuh simple t build, each ji quicly and safely delivers the precise results I depend on. This vervie presents five f my favrites. Build these jigs from Baltic-birch plywood r medium-density fiberbard (MDF), and adjust dimensins t fit yur bandsa. Fr the jis t r crrectly, the bandsa’s blade must cut parallel t the fence. T achieve this, I chec that the bandsa’s tires are in d shape (n rves r rides), then set the fence parallel t the miter-aue slts. Next, I adjust the anle f the upper heel. If the blade’s centerline alins ith the centerline f the upper heel, it ill cut parallel t the fence. Chec by rippin sme scrap. Yu’ll n it’s riht hen the bac f the blade is centered in its erf. Fr mre n bandsa setup, see pp. 30-35. Michael Fortune designs and builds furniture in Lakefield, Ont., Canada.
84
FINE wooDwoRkINg
Phts: Marcia Ryan; drains: Jim Richey
Rip tapers at any angle A
Threaded knob
1
Adj ustable stop, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 in. wide by 5 in. long -20 hanger bolt, 21 ⁄ 2 in. long
Adjustable fence, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 3 in. wide by 25 in. long
a tablesaw, but I think it’s safer
unlike a tablesaw, a bandsaw allows for stopped tapered cuts. My adjustable jig slides between the bandsaw’s fence and
One jig makes tapers in a range of lengths and angles.
1 ⁄ 4
lot of woodworkers cut tapers on
and just as fast on the bandsaw. And
ADJUSTABLE TAPER JIG
Tenon, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 ⁄ 4 in. deep, notched for hanger bolt
Slot, centered, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 3 ⁄ 8 in. long
Pivot hole
a plywood guide, which is attached to the table and prevents the jig from wandering into the blade. Two similar jigs, one 24 in. long and one 48 in. long, accommodate different-size workpieces. Toggle clamps can be used to hold any length of workpiece securely. When tapering four sides of, say, a table leg, always rotate the stock so
Cutout for blade
Adhesive-backed sandpaper
that the newly tapered side faces up. This way, for the first two cuts, the workpiece’s flat sides bear on the
Plywood base, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 8 in. wide by 24 in. long
jig and its fence. Rotating the leg Slot, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 6 1 ⁄ 4 in. long, recessed on the underside for carriage bolt
for the third cut places a taper against the fence, but an offcut between the two will keep the leg straight. For the fourth cut, an offcut at the fence and
Plywood guide, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 9 in. wide by 13 in. long
another placed between the leg and the bed of the jig will support the leg. The offcuts are taped into position slightly forward of the stop
1 ⁄ 4
-20 carriage bolt, 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. long
Cutout for tabletop adjuster Rabbet, to fit table edge
to accommodate the wood lost to the bandsaw kerf.
Jig setup. Adjust the rip fence so that the jig is almost touching the blade. Then clamp down the plywood guide, which should just allow the jig to slide.
Clamping block, 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 12 in. long
Locate the taper’s end. Marks on the stock align with the edge of the jig, which is the cut line. After fixing the outfeed knob, adjust the stop to clear the blade.
Locate the taper’s start. Align the beginning of the taper with the edge of the jig and tighten the infeed knob.
PowER TooL BASICS 2007
85
2
Make circles of all sizes T
his is a useful jig that’s also fun.
CIRCLE-CUTTING JIG The sliding pivot arm on this jig allows cutting circles of any diameter your shop and your back can handle.
Sharp pivot point
Hardwood sliding arm, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 1 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 29 in. long
Arm slides into dovetailed track. Hardwood track, 3 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 22 in. long, glued to plywood base
The workpiece turns on the jig’s
pivot point and cuts circles and arcs with a wide range of radii. I thread the jig with a
⁄ 4-20
1
Dado, 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 ⁄ 4 in. deep
tap, so
it will accommodate any size pivot point I care to grind from a bolt. They can range from the full
⁄ 4-in.
1
diameter
for heavier pieces to a needle point for delicate work. To avoid a center mark on the stock, attach a sacrificial sur-
Stop block with adhesive-backed sandpaper is clamped to sliding arm.
face to the underside of the workpiece with double-sided tape. The pivot point is in a sliding arm
Plywood base, 3 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 12 in. wide by 20 in. long
dovetailed into the body of the jig. This arm can be moved gently forward while you rotate the stock into the blade, initially creating a spiral-shaped cut. A stop block clamped to the outboard end of the arm hits the body of the jig when you reach the corr ect radius, and only then does the
Interchangeable pivot points. Pivots can be as small as a sharp point, or larger for heavier workpieces.
blade begin to cut in a circle. Make the track and sliding arm of a hard and stable wood. The sliding arm and track are dovetailed so that the arm does not tip out of the track, and the bearing surfaces are waxed. The track could be dovetailed directly into the body of the jig, but it is easier and will remain more accurate if a strip of hardwood is dovetailed, then set into a dado.
Attach the stop. After measur- ing the distance from the pivot point to the blade (circle radius), clamp the stop on the underside of the arm at the end of the guide track (above left).
Keep in mind: The bandsaw blade must be narrow enough to cut the desired radius, and the cutting edge of the teeth must align with the centerline of the pivot point on the sliding arm. If the pivot is forward or back of the teeth, the blade will not cut freely and the circle will not be true.
86
FINE wooDwoRkINg
Spiral into the circle. With the saw running, gently push the arm forward while rotating the stock into the blade (above right). Once the stop reaches the end of the guide track, the blade starts to cut the actual circle (right).
Clamping block, 15 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 1 5 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 12 in. long Cutout for tabletop adjuster
Rabbet, to fit table edge
Cut small wedges safely T
3
TENON WEDGE JIG Sliding on an MDF base and gu ided by the saw’s fence, this jig makes quick work of wedges.
his simple and safe jig allows the cutting of identical wedges. The
Wooden knob
jig rides against the fence, which is
Kerf for bandsaw blade
set so that the blade just misses the jig. Notches the size and shape of the wedges are cut in the jig, and they hold the stock as it’s cut. As a new size of wedge is needed, I add a new notch to the jig. For repeat projects, each notch is labeled with the project name and
Plywood jig, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 41 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 21 in. long
the dimensions of the wedge. I start with a piece of stock that’s crosscut to the length of the wedge, and flip the blank over with every
MDF base, 1 ⁄ 4 in. thick
cut. The MDF base serves as a zeroclearance throat plate that stops the wedges from binding in the bandsaw’s more open throat plate. When the stock gets too small to handle safely,
Countersunk screw
Adhesive-backed tape secures base to table.
I switch to a new piece or use a push stick. The Wedge-o-matic. Place the long-grain end of the stock against the long edge of the notch. Flip the stock forward with each pass.
Cut notches on the jig freehand. Draw the wedge on the jig, by tracing it or by determin- ing its angle or its length and width. Clearly mark these measurements on the jig.
Small wedges require a zero-clearance throat plate. Attach a piece of 1 ⁄ 4 -in. MDF on the table with double-sided tape to prevent pieces from getting trapped in the throat plate.
Safely reproduce curved shapes F
4
JIG FOR SIMPLE CURVES A notched plywood finger clamps to the table to guide a pattern, which has the workpiece clamped onto it.
inger jigs are used to guide carefully made patterns on the band-
saw. The finger spaces the pattern just slightly away from the bandsaw blade,
Adhesive-backed sandpaper
leaving a small amount of material to be worked by hand, or as I frequently do, shaped by a router outfitted with a flushtrimming bit. The pattern works with both the bandsaw and the router. This is a great technique for making multiples of curved chair parts such as rails or stretchers.
Stop
The blade is positioned within the notch at the end of the finger. The
MDF base, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick
Hardwood strip, 3 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 2 1 ⁄ 4 in. 7 8 in. long wide by 23 ⁄
Slot, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 in. long
distance the finger protrudes past the blade determines the amount of wood overhanging the edge of the pattern
Plywood finger, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 9 3 ⁄ 4 in. long
when the cut is complete. The ends of the finger should be curved slightly tighter than any curve on the pattern. Simple, shallow curves can be band-
Hardwood clamping block, 11 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 1 1 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 131 ⁄ 4 in. long
sawn by clamping the finger jig directly to the table, and affixing the stock above the pattern (see photos, below). For complex curves, it is better to position the pattern and the finger jig above the stock so that the contact between the finger and pattern is visible (see facing page). It’s a little trickier to secure the stock to the pattern in this case. If you don’t mind the holes, screws through the face of the stock can be used. If holes are a problem, hold the stock to the pattern with wedges or dowels.
The notched finger jig surrounds the blade. For simple curves, the finger rests on the table, and a short bolt holds it in the dado of the clamping block.
88
FINE wooDwoRkINg
Rabbet, to fit table edge
-20 hanger bolt, 2 1 ⁄ 2 in. long 1 ⁄ 4
Dado, 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 ⁄ 4 in. deep
5
JIG FOR COMPLEX CURVES Raising the guide finger and the pattern ma kes complex curves easier to cut. 3 ⁄ 8
-in. dowel
1-in. dowel
Plywood pattern, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick, rides against the finger.
Slot, 1 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 3 in. long
Wooden knob 1 ⁄ 4
-20 hanger bolt, 21 ⁄ 2 in. long
Plywood finger, 1 ⁄ 2 in. thick by 2 1 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 11 in. long
Raise the finger to cut complex curves. Adding a block to raise the finger jig, and placing the pattern atop the workpiece, makes it easier to keep the pattern on track.
Hardwood block, stock thickness by 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 6 in. long
Blocks (of stock thickness) and dowels hold work.
Clamping block, 11 ⁄ 4 in. thick by 11 ⁄ 2 in. wide by 131 ⁄ 4 in. long
Rabbet, to fit table edge
Dado, 1 3 ⁄ 4 in. wide by 1 ⁄ 4 in. deep
Quickly clean up the bandsawn edges. A pattern-routing bit rides along the pattern, trimming the workpiece to its final shape.
Toggle clamps secure the work. The pattern rides along the finger jig to guide the cut. The notch in the finger jig accommodates the blade and protects the pattern from damage. The finished cut overhangs the pattern (above). The distance from the end of the finger to the teeth determines the width of the overhang.
PowER TooL BASICS 2007
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better techniques ]
Featheboads These extra hands make cuts safer, cleaner, and more accurate B Y
K
R O L A N D
eeping my finges attached to my hands and in good working order is a high priority in my wood working shop. Featheboads help me do it. A featheboad is simply a boad with a seies of slits cut into an angled end, forming a row of flexible fingers that move much like the barbs of a feather. The fingers povide constant pessue to hold stock fimly against tabletops and fences, and the angle allows stock to pass in one direction but esists movement in the opposite
J O H N S O N
diection. They do this especially well at the tablesaw and oute table. But featherboards also increase the quality of oute, tablesaw, and even shape cuts. They maintain pressure exactly where it is needed to keep the workpiece moving in an unwaveing, staight line. They ae especially helpful for controlling thin stock safely, a paticula poblem when feeding stock by hand. This guide will show you how to make a featheboad, and then outline some
Shopmade or store-bought? I like making featherboards because I can do so quickly and cheaply and I can tailor boards to specific tasks. That said, the manufactured featherboards offered by popular woodworking catalogs offer their own advantages. Ease of adjustment and setup are the biggest assets. Most models are made of high-grade plastic and lock quickly, anywhere along a standard miter slot. A slot cut into the featherboard allows rapid adjustment for stock width and finger pressure. Some models (left) also offer an optional hold-down attachment, a feature that varies in usefulness depending on the width and thickness of your stock. The Bench Dog Feather-Loc (center) preserves its setting when removed from the miter slot. Magnetic featherboards (right) offer the added advantage of infinitely adjustable setup without the need for clamps or miter slots, although a metal surface is necessar y.
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Store-bought models offer ease of use. Some attach with miter-slot adapters (left) for easily repeatable setups. A magnetic featherboard (right) can be placed anywhere on a metal tabletop.
Photos: Steve Scott; dawing: Vince Babak
A simple setup for ripping narrow stock Position the featherboard slightly ahead of the blade, and tightly enough against the stock that the fingers flex as the stock passes.
Start by marking the fence. Use a pencil line to indicate the front end of the blade. Align the featherboard so that it doesn’t reach beyond this line, where it could pinch the blade.
Clamp the featherboard in place. Lower the blade and place the stock between the fence and the featherboard. Snug the featherboard against the stock as you tighten the clamp.
A brace keeps the featherboard from pivot- ing. Push this board snugly into position against the featherboard as you tighten the clamp.
essential featheboad setups on the machines whee they ae used most often.
Featherboards are easy to make Thee ae a huge vaiety of stoe-bought featheboads, but I like to make my own. Scrap hardwood provides a ready source of mateial. Flexible woods like ash o hickoy make the best featheboads, but any defect-fee hadwood will wok well. You could use a softwood like pine, but www.finewoodworking.com
you’d want to make the finges slightly thicker. Avoid plywood or medium-densi ty fiberboard (MDF); thin fingers of these mateials beak too easily. I make most of my featheboads fom 3 ⁄ 4-in. stock. This is thick enough to support most workpieces that require a featherboad. I sometimes use 1 ⁄ 2-in. stock fo lighte-duty applications. I vay the length and width of the boads accoding to my specific needs, but I aely need a boad
wider than 8 in. Longer boards are good for mounting to a table—you’ll want the board to reach to the far side of the table so you’ll have access with a standard clamp. Shorter boads wok bette in applications whee they’ll be clamped to a fence. The bandsaw is ideal fo making the stopped cuts needed fo featheboads, because you can back wok easily out of the cut. A tablesaw blade ceates a wide kef than I like between the feathes. Of POWEr TOOL BASICS 2007
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Holding stock against a fence Simple side pressure helps keep the workpiece secure against the fence on the router table (below) or the tablesaw. To raise feather- boards off the table for panels or other tall stock (right), secure them with wood screws to a long clamping block. Make sure the boards sit no higher than the top of the auxiliary fence.
course, you can cut featherboards by hand: Just mount the boad in a vise and use a backsaw to cut a seies of paallel kefs. To make a featheboad, stat by cosscutting the business end of the boad at an angle. I find that an angle of about 30° offes the best combination of continuous side pessue and kickback esistance. Cutting the feathes into the boad’s end gain gives them long-gain stength and flexibility so that they don’t snap unde pessue. Make the feathes no longe than 3 in. Keep the feathes thin and the spaces between them naow. Expeiment with what woks best fo you; I find that the thickest pactical feathe is about 1 ⁄ 8 in. If the feathes ae made any thicke, the bending action becomes too stiff, and it is difficult to feed the stock past them. A thinne feathe doesn’t give you as much pessue, but on most cutting opeations the pessue doesn’t need to be geat. It just needs to be consistent.
Proper setup yields smooth, safe cuts On any machine, stat by placing the stock against the fence o on the tabletop. 92
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Position the featherboard firmly against the stock, with the angled end pointing in the feed diection. Secue it to the fence o tabletop with clamps o a mite-slot holddown. The featheboad should be placed fimly enough to keep the stock against the fence o tight to the tabletop, but not so fimly that it makes it difficult to feed the stock into the cutte o blade. Give the stock a test push to be sue. Position featheboads as close to the cutter as possible without putting pressure on the cutter itself. In most cases, placing a featherboard directly opposite the blade or cutte can cause the piece to jam dangeously o even kick back, o the cutte to take too deep a cut. Hee ae some essential featheboad setups. The tablesaw—Featheboads allow staighte, safe cuts when ipping long, naow stock, when cutting abbets o plowing dadoes in naow stock, o when cutting tall stock like doo panels that might ock against the top of the fence. Fo ipping, I apply side pessue with a long featherboard that I clamp to the tabletop. Downwad pessue comes fom a
push stick. Apply side pressure only on the infeed side; pessue on the outfeed side will cause the stock to pinch the blade. When cutting abbets, I clamp two featheboads onto an auxiliay fence to apply downward pressure at the dado cutte (beaking the diect-pessue ule) and on the outfeed side of it. If you saw has a Biesemeye-style fence, be sue to clamp down its back end, because the fence’s tendency to lift slightly will elieve pessue on the featheboads and could esult in a cut of uneven depth. Fo dadoes (acoss the gain) o gooves (with the gain) in narrow stock, I use a single fence-mounted featheboad to apply downwad pessue on the infeed side of the cutte. I also use a table-mounted featheboad to keep the stock tight against the fence. Stock that is talle than the fence needs side pessue both befoe and afte the cut to pevent it fom pivoting away fom the blade. But applying that pessue with tabletop featherboards can cause the stock to tip away fom the top of the fence. The solution is to lift the featherboard s a couple of inches above the table with a clamping block (see photo, above).
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POWER
TOOL BASICS 2007
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Holding stock against a table
Fence-mounted featherboards apply pressure from the top down. This keeps stock firmly against the table for tasks like rabbeting an edge on the tablesaw (right) or cutting a molding profile or edge treatment on the router table (above).
The router table— If the stock is too nar-
row, wide, or short to work comfortably—in short, if controlling the stock will put fingers close to the cutter—featherboards can make the setup safe. Of couse, it’s best to make router cuts on wide boards, and then rip off the pieces you need. But sometimes narrow o thin stock is unavoidable. Attach the featheboads to the tabletop and fence to apply downwad pessue and side pessue on the infeed side of the cutte. Apply eithe downwad o side pessue afte the cutte, depending on how well the table o fence suppots the stock. Keep the infeed featheboads as close to the cutter as possible. The outfeed pessue can be less than on the infeed side; just keep the stock fom vibating o “fluttering” after the cutterhead. If a second pass is needed on a oute table to cut a molding pofile, such as a aised panel, don’t apply downwad pessue nea the cutte on the second pass, o you’ll tip the □ wok into the cut.
Small stock needs both types of support Top and side featherboards increase safety and accuracy when working with small, narrow stock. The setup ensures a straight, flat-bottomed dado on the table- saw (right) and a cleanly cut molding or edge detail on the router table (below).
Roland Johnson is a woodworker and tool enthusiast in Sauk Rapids, Minn., and a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking . www.finewoodworking.com
POWEr TOOL BASICS 2007
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better techniques ]
Sled Tuns Plne int Jinte
The sled supporTs warped boards A jointer is the proper tool for flattening a single face of a board. But many woodworkers lack a jointer that can handle wide boards. This sled supports a cupped or bowed board so the planer can act like a jointer, producing a flat and straight surface. The board then can be flipped over and planed conventionally to mill it to final thickness. Bowed or cupped board
Adjustable support block
Get a flat face on wide lumber B y
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K e i t h
R u s t
W
in with wide lumbe is jy: The fiue nd l e semless, just s it me ff the l. But mny wdwes fe pblem when it mes t flttenin ne side f wide bd. We n ip the bd int narrwer pieces, use a 6-in. r 8-in. jinter, nd then ejin the pts, but pefet mth is nt lwys pssible. The ltentive is t hndplne ne side flt. Nw, I lie hndplnin s muh s the next uy, but I pefe t sve my eney and let machines make lumber flat, straight, nd sque. S I desined n djustble sled tht llws me t fe-jint lumbe with a thickness planer. The sled is reliable nd qui t set up nd djust withut usin ny tls. T me it, yu fist need t detemine the mximum width the bed Phts: M Shfield; Dwins: Jhn Htmn
sled setup Place the board on the sled. If it is cupped, rest it with the concave side facing down. Rock the board to locate high spots.
Adjust the support blocks. Slide the wedge until the block just touches the board. Then tighten the drywall screw by hand to lock the wedge in place.
determine their length, measure yur plane’s inside lene, eepin in mind tht the suppts will hve but 1 ⁄ 2 in. f dywll sew stiin ut eh end. My plne llwed f 111 ⁄ 2-in.-ln suppts with n dne f sew hed tuhin nythin n the wy thuh. In use, the supprts are raised r lwered usin 15° wedes mde fm 1 ⁄ 4-in.-thi medium-density fiberbard (MDF). T keep the suppts pllel t the sled’s sufe s the wedes e inseted, ut slt 3 ⁄ 4 in. fm eh end f the suppt bls, ls with 15° slpe. This is dne n the tblesw with dd set, usin sled tht ries the supprt blck at a 15° angle. While the dd set is n the sw, ut sque dd in the tp f eh suppt f bunee d. The d seues the suppts when the sled is in use nd when it is sted vetilly. I steth the d ss the tp f the sled, seuin it t eh end with dwel (see dwin, p. 95). T hld the wedes in ple, dill hle in eh end f the suppt bls f 11 ⁄ 4-in. dywll sew. Just tihtenin the 96
FINE WooDWorkINg
sews by hnd eeps the wedes fm mvin ne they e in psitin. When I fist built the sled, I hd pblems with the plne pullin bds ut f psitin s the sled went thuh. T slve that, I put self-stick plastic stair-tread mteil n tp f the suppts. I vided sandpaper because f the likelihd f grit bein ff nd ettin in the plne. I ls put se sti-ted mteil n the bttms f the wedes t eep them fm slippin. Lst, I put plsti lminte n the bttm f the sled t edue d thuh the plne.
Setting up the sled for use Lsen the suppt sews by hnd nd slide the wedes b s tht the supprts all rest n the sled. orientatin f the bard is imprtant: If the bard is cupped, ple the nve side dwn s tht the edes est n the suppts. D this even thuh yu my nw hve bd tht bws up t eh end. Spe the suppts t hve ne t eh end nd tw thee ln the est f the bd.
Find the hih nes f the bd by puttin pessue n ppsite nes nd in it. Use the wedes t ise the suppts tht need it, tyin t ise eh ne an equal amunt, and tighten the screws by hnd. It tes nly little pessue f the fine pint f the dywll sew t bite int the MDF nd seue the wede. Test t see if the in is ne. Nw dwn the length f the bard and find lse supprts. Use the wedes t ise the nes tht need djustin, but dn’t me up t hih. Din s n use the ps t ppe. rlle stnds t eh end f the plne nd emvble suppt m tthed t the bx my plne sits n help suppt the sled. The arm has a tp f heavy plasti tht edues the fitin f slidin the sled acrss frm the utfeed t the infeed side. Sevel pduts e vilble fm Wdft nd the etiles, inludin ulthih-mleul-weiht plsti.
Using the planer as a jointer one the bd is stble, ise the uttehed hih enuh t ept the entie
package and, withut turning n the pwer, slide eveythin int the plne t find the highest pint. Pull it back ut, crank dwn bit, nd yu’e edy t jint the bd. This is ne f thse ses whee desibin the pess tes f me time thn din it. It’s esy t put bd n the sled, djust the suppts, nd be plnin in 30 t 45 sends. It helps t nw the mbined thiness f the sled nd supprts s that yu can have the planer penin set t the ppximte thiness. afte the fist pss, he t see if nythin hs shifted nd djust the wedes s neessy. Send the sled ve the fixed m nd b t the input lle, lwe the hed, nd me nthe ut. I eently built hest f dwes with bent-lminted dwe fnts nd hd n truble using this sled t flatten 11-in.-wide hd mple t me dwe-fnt plies. This is ji tht hs pven t be wth f me thn the iinl time invested in desinin nd buildin it. □
using the sled With the planer turned off, slide the sled through to check for obstructions and to deter- mine the highest point on the board (above). After the first pass, check and adjust the wedges (left), if necessary. Once you have flattened one surface of the board (below), you can dispense with the sled and run the other side of the board through the planer to thickness it.
Keith Rust is a woodworker in Arlington, Texas.
www.finewoodworking.com
PoWEr TooL BaSIcS 2007
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jigs & fixtures Using push sticks Shopmade helperS are a cheap way to Stay Safe
B y
P E T E
S c h l E B E c k E r
A
t the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, where I teach and also manage the woodshops, showing students how to safely operate power equipment is one of our first tasks. The lesson always includes push sticks.
A push stic is a shape lenth f w the mateial that helps cntl the mvement f a wpiece. It is mst neee at the tablesaw, jinte, ute table, an bansaw. Usin a push stic eeps hans away fm blaes an c uttes. It als helps maintain an even pessue an fee ate, eucin the is f icbac an pucin a smthe cut. In u
TABLESAW: ShoE-STyLE puSh STick Tis sti is made fom 1 ⁄ 2-in. pwood, and te sape is ut on te bandsaw. Edges ae ounded ove wit a asp o
51 ⁄ 2 in.
oute. ⁄ in.
1 2
11 in.
Always keep a push stick handy. Store it within easy reach (above). Push between the blade and the fence (right) and make sure that the workpiece clears the blade when the cut is finished.
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13 ⁄ 4 in.
shps, we eep exta push stics hany, an thee is always ne sittin n tp f a machine table hun n a h neaby. We encuae stuents t et in the habit f lin f the push stic befe they tun n the machine. Thee ae many well-esine push stics f sale, but shpmae stics ae easy an inexpensive t mae fm scap. A well-mae push stic will hl the w secuely with a ntch, cleat, nnslip suface. It will feel iht in the han—an aw wa hanle can be unsafe if it fces yu t shift yu han f a bette ip. An it will be easy t mae, because shpmae stics ae meant t cntact the blae at times an eventually t be eplace. Hee’s a l at a vaiety f shpmae push stics in use whee they’e neee mst.
A simple plywood cutout for safe ripping Many pjects equie ippin stc t with, a tas ne mst quicly an cleanly n the tablesaw. But ippin stc n the tablesaw als can be aneus. A wpiece that’s nt ppely uie thuh the cut c an vee int the bac sie f the blae an be ice bac at the peat. This is especially tue if the splitte is nt in place. When ippin naw stc, the fines can cme t clse t the blae, leain t taey in an instant. F these easns, we teach stuents t use a push stic when ippin t a with
Don’t spare the stick. If the wooden push stick won’t fit between the blade and fence, it’s safe to drive it through the blade (observe precautions on blade height) and complete the cut. Phts: Steve Sctt; awins: kelly J. duntn
JoiNTER: puSh BLockS Te eated design is used in te igt and, at te boad’s taiing edge, to feed te wo into te ut. Te eated bo’s ande an be ve simpe, but te soping sape pitued ee sows wi end as te eat on it. Te padded bo is used in te eft and, to eep te boad fom bouning as it osses te utteead. Fo te ubbe-gip sufae, Sebee used spa ontat adesive (3M Supe 77) to atta a piee of an inexpensive oga mat. Bandsaw te ande fom a sap of soid wood.
Bk
hn, 1 1 ⁄ 4 in. ik
21 ⁄ 2 in.
⁄ in.
5 8
6 in. Bk
31 ⁄ 2 in.
c 23 ⁄ 4 in.
⁄ in.
78
12 in.
f 6 in. less. With the stic in yu iht han, place the ntche en at the ea f the wpiece between the fence an the blae. Use the stic t fee the piece all the way past the bac f the blae. If yu nee t ive the push stic int the blae, be sue t eep the push stic paallel t the fence, an be pepae f incease esistance as the blae cuts thuh the bttm f the stic. T minimize this esistance, an f safety easns, set the blae heiht s that it esn’t cut vey eeply ( 1 ⁄ 4 in. s) int the stic. once yu’ve cut thuh yu push stic in this way a few times, it’s a iea t tim bac the faye suface with a bansaw isca the stic an mae a new ne. T ip lne pieces that exten past the leain ee f the table, leave the push stic within each n tp f the ip fence. Stat the cut by pushin the ea f the piece by han until it eaches the ee f the table. If yu use the stic befe this pint, yu may place wnwa pessue n the bac en f the ba, liftin the fnt en away fm the blae.
When flattening boards, use a broad, flat push block Usin a jinte t flatten a ba’s face t staihten an ee n naw stc can bin the peat’s hans aneusly clse t the machine’s hizntal cuttehea. guiin the w with push stics helps eep yu hans ut f ane. It als helps achieve a clean cut by ensuin that the w esn’t bunce “chatte” as it csses the cuttehea. F face jintin, a flat style f push stic nwn as a push blc ws best; we as that stuents use them n matte www.finewoodworking.com
4 in.
Easy to assemble. A cleated push block can be made in less than 15 minutes. Because the glue joint is long grain to long grain, screws are not needed.
Use a pair of push blocks for face-jointing. It’s best to have a non- skid block at the board’s leading edge and a cleated block at the rear.
The shoe-style stick is excellent for edge-jointing. It works especially well with narrow stock that is tall enough to clear the blade guard but too short to clear the fence. PoWEr TooL BASICS 2007
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