NO. 30
NOTES FROM THE SHOP
• ROUND DINING TABLE GALLERY (ROUND) CLOCK CHEVAL MIRROR SPECIAL REPORT: OIL FINISHES
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$2.50
W 'IX smith Number 30
Noy/Dec, 1983
Sawdust ABOI;T1'IIlS ISSUE. Alllhree projeet..
issue use spline joinery. The splinea arc used to join mitered pieces togelh,'r EditOl to form frames, which, for these project., Donald B. Puehko are then routed into circular shapes. DesIgn Director But we also used splines on the Cheval Ted Kntlleek Mirror stand to join the legs and stretcher AsslstaJ11Editors to the uprights. Steve Krohmer So what's the big deal! You make it MIc"-1 P.$cott sound like you discovered a new joint. A$$lstanl All DlrectOl Not. new joint, just a replacement (or Key Mulde, an old joint that I've always had trouble with. In the past 1might have used dowels Technic41 IlluatrarOf& to make joint..~ like this. But dowels can David KreyUng create more problems than they're worth. Mike Henry Granted, dowel joinery sounds easy Subscripllon Manager just drill two holes, stick a dowel in them Sandy J. Boum and the joint is made. Subscription A$$lSUinr. But using dowels to join two mitered Chr1$1e1Miner pieces is (in my opinion) one of the most VIcky Roblnse n d'Ulicult operations in woodworking. The Jockle Stroud problem is that either the ....ood or the drill Shirley Fellman bit has to be angled to drill opposing holes in each mitered edge. And these holes have Computer Operstlons to be perfectly aligned. Not just in one Ken Miner direction, but in a full 360-. And that's Clrculalion MaJ1ager what causes problems. Jeff Farri$ Question: So, if you don't like dowels, AdminlslJalM> Asslsuinl what's your alternative? Cheryl Scott Answer: I prefer to use splines. This joinery technique doesn't receive much BuIlding Malntenence attention. But it's an extremely versatile Archie Kreu.e joint that I find my,;elf using more and WOOOSMITIf (ISSN 0164-4114) Is published bimonll1ly (JaJ1uary, March, May, July, Sep- more - particularly to replace dowels. This all started about four years ago tember, November) by Wood5m1th Publishing Co., 2200 Grand Ave•• Des MoinB$,towa50312. wben 1was building an octagonal frame (or WOODSMITIf Is • regIStered Iredemart<01111. • clock, I used dowels to join the mitered ends of the frame . . . and had a lot of Woodsmith Publishing Co. problems. 'Copyright 1983 by Woodsmith Pubflshing Co. Imagine, eight pieces with miters All R/ghlS ReseMd. Subscription.: One year (6 Issues) 510. Two On both ends. That's 16 miters and each yoars (12 Issues) S18. 54nglocopy price, $2,50 miter with two dowel holes - S2 dowel holes that all had to be perfect, Igot that (Canada and FOIelgn: add S2 pet year.) Change Of Addresl: Please be sure 10inc:ltJde frame together, but I had to "cheat" more boIh your ok! and new addr.ss 101chenge 01 than once. Now Iuse splines. This requires grooves eddtess. Mail 10:Woodsmlll1. 2200 Grand Ave.. which can be cut with relative ease on with Des Moines, Iowa 50312. Second cl... postage paid at Des Moines. the new jig we're showing on page 22Once the grooves are cut, the splines are iowa. cut to fit, and glued in place. At this point Pootm_r: Send chango at address notice, FO
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that far off 1arJIe!. He was \l1Iing• finishing technique that 4>5t'entially relied on ull lin the case o( mayonnais«, • ""fl',tablc 011), some solids in the mayonnaise to ¢ve the finish some substanee, 1.111> ogarette ashes to add a Ilttl" ... Ior. Although I probably wouldn't use mayonnllillc (\'''Il''table oil will tum rancid), I :un "cry fond of oil finishes. This really hit home when I was ready to fmish the round table shown in this issue. In the past, Iprobably would bave used a "normal" polyurethane finish on this table. And there would have been the long wait ror the finish to dry before I could fIX all the usual problems: bubbles, brush marks. and drips. But instead of i'Aeingthose old problems, I decided to use Sutherland Welles' tung oil and polyurethane mixture. ~ Iapplied It, there were still bubbles and brush marks ... but Ididn't have to wait to fix them. Apply the oil. then wipe it off along with all the problems. I have a lot more confidence in the way the finish will turn out now. NEW FACES. B8A:kin October, on the day we moved out o( our old offices and into our new building, Mike Henry happend to stop in to see if we had a job opening in the art department. AL the time, there was much confusion, I was tired, and the only job we bad available involved moving box after box o( whoknows-what. We gave Mike a copy of Wood.m!itlt, and asked him to come back.in II few days when the dust settled. Mike came beekfour days later, By then he bad designed and built a trestle table, drew 16 pieces of artwork showing how the table was built, and managed to layout everything the way we need it (or an issue. w. hired him, and immediately put him to work on some of the art for this issue. Mike is already proving to be 8 good addition to the staff. ANOTHER NEW FACE. In the last issue we ran a picture of the outside of our new building. The inside is even nicer - thanks in large part to Kay Mulder who designed the office layout. It's an "open pian" arrangement or • modular offioe system (Herman Mmer). For six months, Kay worked with US on every detail of the new office. ~ soon as she was done, we asked her to join US full time. Now she's putting her skills to work on the artwork in the issue, photography, and will be in chnrge o( preduetlon (getting the issue to the printer on time). NEXT IOlAILING. II'ood.'Imi(h No. 31 will be mailed the week of February 20, 1984.
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T_ips & Techniqu_e_s __
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THREADING
THREADED INSERTS
1read with interest how you used threaded inserts on the modular storage units in IVoodsmitk No. 22. Sinee then, I've used them for several differeht projects - with \'arylng degrees of SUcee5S. The problem I'm always faced with is how to prevent the threaded inserts from veering off COUl'Se as they're threaded into the workpiece. By the Limethe inserts are completely embedded. they're angled so far off to one side that they can't even be used. Finallr, I came up with 8 method fOT installing threaded inserts that works every time - using a drill press. Fil'st, 1 chuck a a" long machine bolt in the Jacobs chuck on the drlU press. (Most Jacobs I
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Robert Drake Keysto". 813., Florida A SABRI SAW TABtE
Due to the limited size of my shop (and the limited size of my budget), [ need to have my tools perform multiple functions whenever possible. So after 1 built the router table in WoodsmUiI No. 20, I decided to add two metal brackets under the table top for attaching my sabre saw. Now, with the sabre saw securely anchored to the table top, Ican do many of the operations which previously could only be done safely with a jig·saw. AJthough the setup varies depending on the model of sabre saw used, the basic idea is the same. First, I nipped the router
chucks wiUopen wide enough to accept the head of the bolt. yet atiU allow the jaws to wrap around and tighten on the shank of the bolt itself. If not. simply cut off the head of the bolt.) To install the insert, thread it and a nut on the bolt, and tighten the two together. Then align the short unthreaded shaft of the insert into the pre-drilled hole in the workpiece. Apply tight pressure with the control arm of the drill press, and rotate the chuck in a clockwise direction to thread the insert into the workpiece. When the insert is completely embedded, look the spindle in place, and back off the nut from the top of the insert. Then unloek the spindle, and unthread the bolt from the insert while slowly releasing pressure on the control arm. Jim Knowles AUanta, Goorgia SIZING IT UP
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out unstaeking the entire pile above the piece in question. Mter my most recent episode of unstacking these random pieces, it finally occurred to me how to eaminate this problem. By ~imply writing down the usable measurements on the ends of each piece with a fell tipped pen, it becomes easy to locate a piece close to the size needed. And I've fOllnd that by using my own special codes, Ican even identify burls and other unique pieces.
I just recently completed stacking some of the random length pieces of wood that always seem to collect around the shop. Unfortunately. more times than not this effort is useless. As soon as the pieces are slacked, il's often impossible to detcnnine the actual size of any individual piece with-
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table top upside down, and positioned the basse of the sabre saw over the coUethole so there was enough room to easily change the blade. Then I used two I" x 10" mending plates (available from any hardware store J as brackets to sandwich the base of the sabre saw to the bottom of the router table top. The mending plates (and the sabre saw) are secured to the top with v... machine bolts countersunk in the surface of the table. Then the bolts are secured with wingnuts to make lightening the brackets easy. Since the router table was designed for a router, there's a V," deep recess for the base of the router. To mount the sabre saw, I shimmed out the recess so that it's Oush with the bottom surface of the table
top. This shim prevents the base from tilting as the brackets are tightened. Granted, this setup isn't much competition fora truejigsaw. But with only aS2 to $3 investment, and the space limitations in my shop, it works like a charm.
IIfo.,·k B1'1fcn Enid, Oklahoma ROUTER TABLE INSERTS
I've completed the router table shown in IVood81nith No. 20, and there's one change I've made to the original design that may be of interest to some of your readers. I've found that there are some projects and routing techniques that require a smaller opening around the router bit than the 1""," collet hole specified in lhe plans.
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To solve this problem, I cut a 3" square hole (located directly over where the router recess will be cut) in the Masonite top before gluing it to the "'I' fir plywood. Then the router table top was constructed in the normal manner. After the top is assembled, J cut out four y,,' Masonite inserts to fit the 3" square hole in the top, Preferably, tbe inserts should be CUI from the same piece of Masonite as the top, Then a different size collet hole is CUtin each insert. 1 U$C 1%"', 1~·. 1", and ~" diameter collet holes, but any size will work. Secure the insert. to the top by ccuntersinking' screws in each comer. Elvin Car~oll Topeka, Ka,,$os
1-------------1 SEND IN YOUR 'DfAS
Ifyou'dlikeID share a woodwo,'ling Upwitholhe< readers 01 Woodsmllh. send your Idea 10: Woodsmlth,TIps & TecIlniques. 22.00 Grand
Ave.. Des MoInes.Iowa 50312 Wa pay a minimumof SIO fortips. andS1Sor more for speciaJ techniques (that are accepled
lorpublication).Please give 8completoexplanation of your Idea. If a sketch is needed, send it along; we'" draw a new one.
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A NEW SLANT ON YOUR IMAGE One of the biggest problems with II full-lengtb mirror is that it's never at the right height. No matter where it's hung on the wall. it', almost impossible to keep from looking either "headless" or "legless," or both. To remedy this problem. I built a cheval mirror - a full-length mirror that swivels on a stand. This mirror consists of an archedtop frame that's attached to a twopost stand. But the fun part is building the frame for the mirror. THE ARCHED
\\'hen using a trammel attachment, the ph·"t puint must be at tbe same heIght as the workpiece itself. SQ I attached • ~mall piece of 514 scrap to the plywood to serve as a base, see Fig. 3. Then locate the pivot point by using a !
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The mirror &arne is built with nine separate pieces: a four-sided arched top. a three-sided bottom, and two straight sides. r started with the most difficult section, the arched top. The arched top coosists of (our pieces of6l4 oak (1 iii, thick) that ore mitered and joined with splines, see Fig. I. To assemble these pieces, rip a board Sv,' "ide, and 37"long. Then cut this board Into rour 9',long pieces. MITERING. To form the arch, miter both ends of all four pieces at 22Yc' so their final length is S¥,' from point to point, see Fig. 2. Cl'T GROQVF.;S. Next, eut grooves (for splines) in the mitered ends o(aU four pieces. To do this, rout a l'Y....long by y,'-deep slot in the mltered ends of all four pieces. see Fig. 2. (I used a Y,' straight router bit and the routerjigshown on page22.l Then hardwood splines are cut to fit the slots so the grain of the spline runs at right angles to the joint. (For more information about this joint, see Shop Notes on page 9.) LA..."SF:MBI,\'.After the splines are cut to fit, the four pieces are glued up, two seclions ata time. Apply glue to the miters, insert the splines. and hold two pieces together for two or three minutes. (Clamps are not needed; hand pressure alone will produce a good joint. TRIM ENDS.At this point, the arch should form a half circle, with mitered ends perfectly aUgned in a straight line, refer to Fig. 3. UnfortWl3tely, this rarely is the case. UsuaUy,when a straight edge is buttoo across the ends of the arch. only the toe or the heel ofthe miters touch the straight edge. Correcting any error on the ends of the arch is important. Unless they're perfedly
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THf MIRROR BOTTOM
After the top arch was routed. I worked on the three-piece bottom assembly. CUTl'lfleES. First, rip enough stock to form two 4',"ide corners (C), and the 2~'-·",;debottom (1). Both corner pieces are mitered to 45' SO they're 10*1' long from point to -' point. aligned, the long sides (B) of the mirror frame "ill either be toed in, or toed out. To correct the alignment of the miters, tack the assembled arch to a piece of ply. wood and use a table saw III remove only enough material to produce a fre,;h cut completely across the miters. (For more information, see Shop NOlA!s, page 9.) ROUTING THE ARCH
To round out of this mitered assembly, two radius cuts are made using a router with a trnmmel point attachment. When doinjr this, it's best to leave the arch tacked to the plywood. and clamp the plywood to a work· bench to seeure everything during lhe routing operation.
Next, determine the final length for the bottom piece. To do this, measure the outside diameter of the topareh (which should be 2OV,,,>,then subtract 9' «(or the two ·I",'·radius pieces used on the corners). see Fig. ~. The res ult "ill be the length of the bottom piece (II Va" in my (!....se). ASSEMDLl. Once these three pieces are c:tIl,join them by c:tItting slots on the both ends of the mitered cerner pieces and on the ends of the boltom piece. Then cut splines to fit the slots and glue the three pieces together, SCi! Fig. 5. TRI)! ~lITERS. Next, true up the mitered ends that will be joined to the frame's long sides (B). To do this, first use a hand saw to remove the extra "ears" extending below
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lhe bottom piece, _ f'ilr' .>. Then use • table ..... 10 trim the mitered ends (keepIng Ih. bcttcm preee ughl apinsl the (~nce)"" the ~mbly is 41!" wide, TE."pun; Alter the nutered ends are trimmed, Ih..y·", cut into rounded eom<:'" on a band ........ To do thi$, rul OUI a tern-
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plate ..~th an inside radius o( 2Yo" and an outside radius o( .j",,'. see Fig. 6. Then hull the bottom assembly against the top .roh (8A shown In ~'ig.7), and J)O$ilionthl' template so. 1) the outside edge of th,' template line. up with the oUI..idr cdj(e o( lb,· tOj) arch, and 2) so the t.emplate i. nUllh with the mitered edge that'a butted again,1 the top arch. Aft.r Ihe radiu. i.traced on both corner pieces. rut OUllh., roult
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All (OUT edlt(,. on the mirror Irame are molded wilh a router in (our ""paratc CU!>. nR"T (IT. The 1i""1 cut 1$ made TIDthe
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der (see St~1'I In rig. 9,. and rout the trame In a clock...1.,,! direction. sscovu ('IT. Then switch to • Y,· rounding-<>\'erhit" ilh a pilot to rout (in a C'oN"'tr·clork«·I~f' direction) the inside edltl' of Ih,' !'rame. leaving a ~. shoulder. _ Step 2 in ~·ig. 9. TlIIRII('I'T The out.ide lodgeon Ihe back side o( the frame i. also routed with. rounding-ever bit (moving clockll:i$el but this lime there', no shoulder, see Step
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At thi" point. the mirror frame looked sharp enough by ilbelf that I was tempted t~justhangitonthewoU. But itdidn't t.ake long berore 1ran into lh~"how high to hang it" problem. and dedded (apin) that the swivel stand was really a good idea.
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THE UPRIGHTS The first step in building the mirror stand
is to laminate two pieees of ·1/4 lumber ('v,•• thick) 10 produce the a~' thick
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stock needed for each upright. Then the laminated stock i. eut to the final size fot the uprights. see Fig. 10. si.or ~IIlKTIS.:S.A doubl.,.slot mortise and spline joint is used 10 join both the center stretcher and the legs to the upright.;. This joinl it; similar to a mortise and wnon. except 5101.< (mortises) are cut in both pi(!CCS being joined. rather than in only one piece. Then the two halves are joined with a spline. which aets as a tenon. Using the router jig shown on page 22. I routed two mortises (for attaching the legs) centered on the l%"'wide faces of the uprights, see Fig. 11. Then 1 cut another mortise (for the streteher) centered on the 2"-"ide face. MOLDISGTUE I.'PRICII'IS. After the mortises are cut. all four edges of the uprights are routed wilh a ""'- rounding-over bit. These molding cUU;stop 3" from the lOp end of the upright. and 6" (rom the bottom (mortised) end. and have a 'I"," shoulder on only the 2"-wide races. see Fig. 12. Making the uprights requires two different setups on the router table. The first step is to attach a long Lshaped auxiliary renee to the router table. see Fig. 13. Then slop blocks are clamped at both ends of the fence. One block is 2T' to the left of the center of a ~" rounding over bit. and the other is 30" to the right or th e bit. see t'ig. 14. With the stop blocks in these positions, the molding will slop 20/. from the top of the uprights, and Wo'- from the bottom. To rout the first edge, position the upright on the router table with the 2",wide edge race down. and the bottom end of the upright against the stop on the right. Keep the top (left) end oflhe upright several inches away Cromthe bit. and ~t.art the router. Then use a kiss and run movement so the router bit doesn't burn the wood. To do this. swing the top end of the upright into the bit, and immediately start sliding the upright toward the left stop. Next. rotate the upright so the opposite 2"-wide face is down on the router table, and rout this edge. At this point, only two diagonal edges have been routed. see Detail, Fig. 14. Routing the remaining two edges requires reversing the position of the stop blocks. and flipping the upri¢lt end for end, see the second setup in Fig. 14. Rout the .-emaining two edges in the same manner
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as the first two edges, again, keeping the 2"-,,;de (ace down on the router table. ROt7IlNDS. After the edges are routed, the top and bottom ends ef the uprights are routed using a ¥eo rounding-over bit. see Fig. 15. To help keep the upright st90· to the fence, I used a square piece of scrap stock to guide the upright through the bit. DRILL BOLES. The key to making the frame swivel is a fancy piece of hardware called a ';swivel mirror screw and insert.. " This is just an ornate thumb screw and threaded Insert, see Sources on page 24. In order to mount the screw, drill a Yo" hole on through the 2'-wide side of the uprights. see Fig, 16, While 1 was at it, I also drilled two ¥e" holes. Yo" deep at the bottom of the uplights for decorative buttons, refer to Fig, 16.
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A single stretcher is used to join the lWO uprights on the mirror stand. To determine the correct length of the stretcher. measure the outside width o( the mirror frame. and add twice ((or both aides) the thickness o( the flange on the threaded insert. The center stretcher is cut from 514 stock so it's 4" wide, and to the lengtb figured above (this should be 20V."). Using the layout shewn in Fig. 17, make a template and trace the curve al both ends of the stretcher. see Fig. IS, Then band saw the profile, and sand it smooth. AgainJ rout. Y.all x 2Yt" Riot mortises in the ends oCthe stretchers (see Fig. 19), and cut hardwood splines to fit. Then the lop and bottom edges on the stretcher are routed using a ". rounding over bit. producing a 0/.. " shoulder. see Fig. 20, ASSEMBLY. Finally, finish-sand the uprights and the stretcher, Then assemble these pieces SO the bottom edge of Lhe stretcher is "," from the bottom of both uprights, see Fig. 21.
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THE LEGS
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To help eliminate waste. and to prevent weak spots due to improper grain dlreetion. the four curved legs o( the min-or stand are cut at an angle on (our 5"-wide by 2O'·long pieces of 514 stock. Miter both ends on each piece at 45·, so they're IS" long from point to point, sec Fig. 22. Cutting all four legs to exactly the same shape requires using a template. To make the template, first copy the profile shown in Figure 22 onto a piece of cardboard. Then cut out the template and trace it on the leg blanks, see Fig. 22, Once the profile is transferred to the blanks. the legs are band sawn and sanded smooth, Then clamp the legs together to cheek the consistency of the legs where the curves will meet the upright. These ends must be of equal size so the legs can be positioned correctly later, \VOODSI-oUTH
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A.ftH the legs are cut to size, rout ~" x ~. slot mortises on the end of each leg that attaches to the uprights. see Fig. 23. (Again, I used the router jig 00 page 22 ~o cut the mortises.) 1IOLOINC. Then using a ~ .. rounding. over bit on the router table. rout only the top edge on aU four legs, see Fig. 23. ASSt;!II8LY. After the legs are routed, they're finished sanded and glued to the uprights. Then cut splines to lit the rnoruses, and glue the legs Cramthe bouem of the upri~hl, see Fig. 24. You can use hand screws and pipe clamps (see Tips and Techniques. Woodsmilh No. 29), or hand pressure to clamp the legs in position.
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At this point, both the mirror frame and the stand are basically complete. The only thing that needs to be done is to position the mirror frame on the stand and install the threaded inserts. POSITlO~ THE FRAME. To position the mirror frame, place a 'Y,- spacer block between the bottom of the mirror frame and Lhe top of the stretcher. see Fig. 25. \Vlth the frame in this position, mark th. location for the threaded insert on Oll~side of the mirror frame. see Fig. 26. To be sure the insert on the other side is located in exactly the same position, measure the distance from the mark to the bottom of the frame. Then use this disranee to lind the location for the insert on the other side. The ~. holes for the threaded in.. serts are drilled v,,' deep. centered on the flat spot on the outside edge of the frame ('Ii. from the back edge). see fig. 27. Note, As [ was inslAlling the inserts. [ decided to coat the outside threads with epoxy to help prevent them Cram rotating in the hole. TlUPIIRROR UACK.The IYi.. -deep rabbet that was routed on the back of the mirror frame provides room for. ""'",thick mirror, a v..'·thick Masonite back. and a nex· ible rubber stop. To make the Masonite back. rip a piece of Masonite to the same width as the dis, tance between the rabbetss On the back of the mirror frame. Then lay the frame over the Masonite. and trace the inside profile of the top arch and both bottom corners, see f'ig. 29. Using p sabre saw, cut the radii on the \i,' Masonite to fit the frame. At this point. [ took the unfinished mirror frame to a local glass store and had them cut a V.-·lhitkrnirror to fit the frame. PIXISlI. To [mish it off, I stained the frame and stand with two coats of Minwax Early American stain. Then 1 applied three coats of MjDWax Antique Oil finish. MOUNTINGTIlE MIRROR. Finally, I positioned the mirror in the frame, covered the back with the ~. Masonite, and tacked a flexible rubber stop in place to secure the mirror in the frame, see Fig. 30.
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MITERS
AlthoUJ(h cUllinJ( miter. seems like a .implc ollCrntiulI, thcl"'~ ",ally more to it than jU"t cutting the workpiece at the correct angle, In (net. even when the angle i. ""t correctly, lh., cut can "till be ofT. The probl('m i. that Ih., ... " blade often t~I\(!' to .ith~r pull ur push the workpiece. This erwping make, II IUll'oNlible to make a
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I eut .ach of the 1""""" for the framl: III roul(h ~ngth (u.",aUy liz' to I' lung"r than 1I('",1,'t barely skim> orr the end of the miter, This cut should be
l(Iluged so no more than one-half the thickneft. of th~ ~n"blade actualls make' th~ cut. Tlli. way there'. much less chan,.., of th" blad~ pulling "r pu>hinl( the workpit"" OUI of lin... tuniNG
GROOVES FOR SPLINES
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thl' mill'r.I are cut, the pieces ..... Joined and alw aIi~'Ilt...t\\;th the .._'" of ,plinL'$. To k....p the PI("'." aligned. th""" groo"e. mu~t be .,ther, IJ t be the .am..disWll'(' Crom the C...... ; on a router table. Thb method clnl" a nice job of keeping the groIl"._ th,' ....m. dc.tan"" from the face ,id,' of the mitered pit'Ce. Howe,'er. one groove on each pll't'" must be started ,,~th a plung~ cut. \VOOOSMITII
To 1«:, around this problem. I used the jiJ,t ..hewn un pag~22 in lhls issue to cut gJ'OO"OS that Ill'\' purtly centered on each miter. Th,. ehrrun.tc' the problem cf making a plunge cut, yet still provide>; perfect alignment fur thl.' ~1)linc~. CUnlNG
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hal\'es fit together perfectly. Ifyou'", "arking WIth a sis-sided frame. the open end. can be tnmmed on the table <3"', ~. Fil{. :la, If the ~ u, eil(ht·
SPLINES f(I"OOve~are cut. the
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For gI'\18te.t strengtb, the spline should be CUI110till' groin i. running across the joint line, see Fig. 2, This requires two cuts, The fin
it must be mounted to a pi~ or plywood fin;I, -ee t'il(, 3b, ROUTING ROUND fRAMES
The ~eCr\'t behind cutting a round frame i.< simpl,', UKe n router with a trammel attachment. I use a Sears router and Lhe Seal'>' 1\'0. 2S17!1 multi-purpose router guide a",1 trammel attachment WING NUl AND WA.SHE.
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If th(' spline fit, well, the mitered pieeeIIlll~ MIdi"" ••f the CIrcle is ~" (a.. on can be glul"(1 logt:'lher 1'''flrtJllt ('lnl"pitl!1. the round tahl~ in IhL< because the strength of SMOOTH ItAIIETS a .plin~ jllint i.between Lhespline and the side. of lh., ~"""\'c~ between the \Vh~n I ", .. building the frame [or the cheval rmrror shown in this i.. ue, [ CUt a t\\IO Inil<'rl~1 t.'(IJ{(!~. If the ."Ii"~ fits tight in the groove, it Mlboot on Ih(' back side of the frame with a will pick up moi.tu", a:< glue is applied, ruuter lind rnhllCt bit. However. t~ere's a .",eU, ItIl elm be trimmed so both until the tICOnngcut i~
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9
Round Clock Frame ROUTING 'ROUND THE CLOCK How do you make a round frame? This is one of the woodworking techniques that has always intrigued me. Although there are several ways to go about it, the method [used for this clock produces a sturdy. and quite handsome frame. One thai should stand up to the test of time. However, in order to build the round frame for this clock. it's best to first order the clock face and bezel (the gla;oa dome that fits over the face). because Ihey will aifect the final size of the frame.
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MAKING THE fRAME
The bezel I purchased (see Sources. page 24) has Q diameter of9Y... so 1 built a frame with a diameter of 13" to provide 3 Ii's" rim around the frame. This involves building a hexagonal (six-sided) frame first: then routing it (with the aid of a trammel attachment) into a circular shape. RIP STOCK. To build the hexagonal frame. rip a 6; are cut, the next step is to cut grooves in each mitered end for the splines that hold the joint. together. These y,"-wide grooves are Slopped so they don't show on the outside perimeter of the frame, see Fig. 1. (To cut stopped grooves, I used the router jig described on page 22.) ASSEMBLY. After the grooves are cut, V."-thickhardwood splines are Cut to fit the grooves. Then the frame can be assembled. I did this by gluing up two "half' sections consisting of three pieces each. Then I glued these two halves together to form the six-sided frame. (Shop Notes on page 9 describes how to join these halves to form a perfect frame.) SETUP fOR TRAMMEL ATTACHMfNT
After the frame is assembled, it's formed into its final circular shape using a router and trammel attachment. However. to hold the frame in place while routing. I
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fil'l\l tacked it to a circular piece of W' plywood (cut to a 6" radius), see Fig. 2. (Make sure the brads are placed where the router bit won't strike them.) Then I nailed a piece of scrap 2x.4 to the bottom of the plywood so the whole assembly can be held securely in a bench
vise. PIVOT POINT. In order to use the trammel attachment, th.. pivot point bas to be at the same height as the frame. I glued and nailed a piece of 514 scrap to the plywood- approximately in the center of the frame. see Figs. 2. 3. Then to locate the pivot point, place a straight edge across the three opposing joints and mark tines on the center block, see Fig. 3. The point where the three lines intersect is the pivot point for the trammel attachment. (The Sears trammel attachment I used requires a pivot hole at this point.)
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ROUTING THE fRAMi
At last, the frame can be routed into a
circular shape. Doing thi~ involves three basic steps and five different routing cuts. (Note: In aJJ cases, the routing is done by moving the router in a CO''''J....·docklUise direction.) OUTSIDE ClIiCU)IPEIiENCE. The first step is to rout the outside circumference of the frame to a radius or 6~"(diameter of 13").To do thiS, first mark a line 6~" from the pieot point and drill. pilot hole so it just touches the outside of the marked line, see Fig.~. Thi. pilot hole makes il easier to lower the router bit when routing the circumference. Then use a Y' carbide-tipped straight bit and the trammel attachment to rout through the frame in several (countereloekwise) passes, see Fig. 5. ROt;T RABBET. The next step is to rout a rabbet on the inside or lhe frame. (This rabbet is for a y." plyv.'ood insert which will hold the quartz clock movement and the clock face.) Re-set the trammel attachment so the outside edge of the router bit is 4W' [rom
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the pivot point. see Fig. 6. Then rout a groove as deep as the actual thickness of the plywood you want to use for the insert. (Since the depth of this cut is shallow, there's no need for a pilot hole.) After routing the gl"OOVC, there "ill still be waste sections left on the inside edges of the frame. To remove these areas, use the router (without the trammel attachment) and a ~- b"traight bit. This will leave 8 wide shoulder (or rsbbet) on the in_.qdeoi the frame for the plywood insert. see Fig. 6. MOLDINC C(,"!'S. The basic round frame is complete at this point. Now all it need. is a couple of molding cuts to dress it up. 1used a W' corner-round bit with a pilot to form a corner-round profile with an 'V.r sheulder.see Fig. 7. Because a pilotisused with the rou~ bit, this operation can be done ireehand (without the trammel attachment). 1 made two successively deeper passes to form this molded edge. CORE BOX BIT. Then I softened the square shoulder by switching back to the trammel attachment and used a \1," eore box bit to rout. cove tQ a depth of 'I.- (in two passes), see f'ig. 7. Wben finished, there should be a Vi· cove with a ¥d' square shoulder remaining below the cove. INSTALL BUn
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After the frame is routed, the bezel, clock face, and clock movement can be installed . PLYWOOD Il'ISERT.To support the clock movement, I cut a ""- plywood insert to fit the rabbet in the frame. (This circular insert can be made the same way as the frame: mount the plywood to the base used earlier and rout it with a trammel
auachment.)
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Next, drill a Y," hole in the center of the plywood for the stem of the clock movement. And finally, glue the plywood insert in the frame, using "C" clamps to keep it nush with the race of the frame. BEZEL HARDWARE.for stability (and looks) I wanted to hinge the bezel at the top of the clock instead of the side. So I decided which part orthe frame was going to be "12 o'clock high. "Then I centered the bezel all the frame (with the hinge at 12 o'clock) and marked lhe location for the two hinge screw holes. I also marked the position of the slightly larger hole for the catch at the 6 o'clock position, see Fig. 8. Drill these hoIes, and eounterbore the backside of the frame for the fastening nuts. FINISH. After the holes were drilled for the bezel, J finish-sanded the frame and applied one coal of Sutherland Welles polymerized tung oil sealer. Then I rubbed in five coats of high gloss polymerized tung oil. INSTALLMO\,EME~'T.\Vhen the finish is dry, attach the clock face to the plywood insert, and install the bezel. And finally, mount the clock movement.. WOODSMlTH
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11
Oil Finishes FINISHING ISN'T AS BAD AS YOU THOUGHT Using oil to finish and protect wood isn't anything new - oil finishes have been around since the first woodworker spilled bear grease on the top of his table and watched the raindrop<>roll off. Even back then it was obvious that an oil finish was relatively easy to apply. provided some protection against water, and made the wood look better. Over the years, wood finishe"" have created thousands of variations in an attempt to improve on the fil't't crude oil finishes. Solvents such as turpentine or mineral spirits are added (0 give the oil better penetrating ability; driers are added to make the oil dry faster; resins and waxes are added for surface protection. and even the makeup of the oil has been changed by "cooking" itorcombiningit with other oils. The result of all these changes and enhancements is a type of finish that has struck a responsive chord with moderndsy woodworkers. Although the good 01' surface finishes (paint. varnishes, lacquers, polyurethanes) have their place. there's nothmg quite like the feel of a piece of wood that's been finished with oil. Whieh is eX8cLly the point. \Vith an oil finish. you can feel the wood. and not a layer of somet hing orer the wood. But. what exactly are oil finishes? The most common oil finishes in use today are linseed oil. tung oil, the so-called "Danish" oil finishes, and the relatively new oil and varnish combinations. Each of these oils and oil combinations has advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the biggest advantage (at leMt the one lhat's promoted by all lbe manufacturers) is lhe ease of application: Put it on. wipe it all, and you're done. But the best way to achieve the "hand rubbed, oil finish" everyone wants is to spend some time understanding how oil finishes work. HOW THEY WORK
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Not all can be used to finish wood. In fact, there are basically two kinds of oils: oils tbat dry, and oils that don't dry. Tung oil and linseed oil will dry or "CUJ'e"to a relatively bard finish. However, other types of oil (mineral oil and motor oil, for example) won't dry at all. It's all a matter of chemistry. Since Idon't know much about chemistry, I asked someone who does - Dr. Bill Feist, a research chemist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. Here's what he had to say about drying oils:
12
"The term 'drying' means that the oil reacts - usually with air - to form an essentially new material which is no longer dissolvable in the original solvent. ThL, is basically how a drying oil differs from a product like lacquer or shellac. "Lacquers or shellacs do not react chemically - they merely lose their solvent and the material is left behind in the form of a discrete film. That film can be redissolved by putting the same solvent right back on it. "The best example of this is when an alcoholic drink is placed on a shellaccovered table and it spills and leaves a white ring. The alcohol in the drink is partially di>solving the shellac again. "Linseed oil. tung oil or the other drying oils cannot be redissolved, in any way. with their original solvent after they have dried because they have changed their chemical composition. It's sort of like having a bowl of spaghetti dry out. Once it has done ita curing bit. you just can't do anything with it." PESETIUTION. There is another diCference between oil finishes and "surface" finishes. Most oil Ilnishes ate touted as being-''penctrating'' finishes. When an oil finish is applied to wood. Itsoaks in, dries. and becomes part of the wood. instead of Sitting on top of it. To some extent this is true. But the depth of penetration on the surface of the wood isn't .11 that much - only a few microns (a couple of cell Iayers) deep. Penetration on end grain is much greater anywhere from Ii,' to 2" depending on the type of wood - but that's not usually where you want or need protection. To get better penetration on the surface, the oil can be rubbed in by hand. or with fine-grit sandpaper. This creates heat. which lowers the viscosity of the oil and helps it penetrate a little better. At least, that's tbe "elbow-grease" way to do it. But. there are other ways to increase penetration. Most oil finishes are thinned with mineral spirits or other solvents to allow the oil to penetrate the wood. Then, after the oil finish is applied, the solvent evaporates, and the thin layer of oil that's left behind begins to react with the air and cures. When an oil finish has cured, it provides some protection for the wood. But the degree of protection can be increased by adding varnish or other resins to the oil. And this is when all the confusion begins. The type of oil that's used. the additives in the oil, and the method of application all
affect the :.mount of p....t<'Ctionthe finish provirl~~. PURE Oil FINISHES
o..tennining what an oil finish consists of, what it "iU do. and bow to use it can get a tittle
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about th.· .i'fl of •• hesmut, That pod eontain» • cluster of ..-naller nuts from "hieh the tunll oil is equeezed. TIlng trees ""'U;..., 'ery l!))et'ifk growIDII tondiuons (warm and moist). The trees nOllJ'Uh in p.uu of China, and (or thoul'aDd. of yt&r1l were grown only tbere. Now, however, several countries in South America are .upportinl( groves of tung trees for lhe commercial production of lung oil. For a whilo (from about 1904 to tOO!,) therv WIUI limit.d American produetion cf tung uil, but Hurricane Camille wiped out the tunll lorn"es and American production \\..... halted. M""t of the tW'1loil we use comes from South America, But before it hits the .heIVE'S,It'O cleaned. refined, processed, and then, If n"thlng L; addl'd, it's labeled I~ pure tun~ oil. \\'ben pure tung 011 i> poured from the can, it', th1rk~r than ) au might expect. )lost pt'Ople thm It "'th mill<'l'aispirits to help ita penetration. eopC
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DANISH OIL flNtSHES TIlng oil and linseed oil both are used to ereate a IIeCOndeRtegory of oil finishes the so-called "Ollni$h" oils and oil/,'arnish mixlures, WOOOSMITH
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The "Danioh" part of the name relates to the "right" eholee, Or. you may "-anI a the natural oil fini>h that was applied to relatively heavy preteeuve coat - which Danish~lodem(lln"wreduringthe 190&. probably lDI'ana choo'!lllg one of the oil Part of the "look" of Dani..h Modern fur· \·arnish mixtures. nitu",,, ao the hand·rubbed oil finish (nota It's really a matler or personal prefer. .urr~finl.h ouch"" varnish or lacquer). enee, and a little gue ...... ork. 'I\'ben I set AlthouJ.:hOani>h Modem furniture isn't out to finifoha proj~, the reason Ichoose a., popular u it 0_ wa.', there is no denyone product over another depends on the ing thatth.> "Dani>h" oil finishes are at the look I want the wood to have, how familiar height of their popularity With good I am ,,;th the product, and (to be real reason honest aboet it) how the spirit moves me at They're .lIlty to apply. almost foolproof. the moment. Even then, I may alter lhe they show off the natura! beauty of the method or appliCAtion and the number of wood, and they add a measure of pro- Oennls Corporation. says his ~t v.ith IheIT productJOw.ing preeedures finn "came out ..·,th 'Vatto Danish Oil batk and te<'hn'qut8 Ihl')· hadn't thought oi. in 1967; it'. baAed on a formula that came \\ 'bOe there to "" 8i~e answer to the f'r<>m En~nd. \\'ecalM!dthe product 'Dan- que.U()n ""'bieh rll1kb should I use~". in ish' oil, but it' •• trictly a generic term. the P""""'" of tl')ing 10"",,WCl' !.hi. que-. There'. no .tandard for 'Danish' oil" lion, I a.k my."lf (and with any luck. CO\1p(),t,,.,_ The "Danish" oils and oil! answer) a number o( questions about the \'ami.,h mixture. have three basic com- project I'm ~lIing ready to finish: What ponents: lhe oil (obviously), solvents or do I want the wood to look Uke when I'm thinners, and eesins, They also may eon- done? How do I want it to feel? Will the tain drying agen"', and sometimes a pig. project be exposed to moisture (spilled mem to adel color to the wood. water, coffoe, 8Icoho!)?Will it be 8ubjeeted In general, the addilion or resins and to rough wear and tear that may need solven," to the 011is what makes it a "Dan· frequent touehing·up? Do I want the wood ish" oil fmish. Adding resms te oil is fairly to have a "natura]" look. or have a little common practice. And resin. come in sheen' many rorllU!. Bill Fe;"l oay<. "There are E!<""nllally, lh. 6nilJ1 I seleet is deterliterally hundred. or po.sible resins 10 mined by my IlIIIIwer> to those questions chooo<.-f'r<>m.and rrom too.o;ehundreds. of and palOtexperience. Here's what I think coo....... there ...., million' of possible rom· about >'<>"'" of the oil fini-he> I've used and bmation.. boocau>!(l many fini,.hes may have ...hat kind of fm;"h I expect from Ihem. thn:to or (our diff.rent resms in Ihem." Lin.efll Oil. Idon't u.. combination. of oil. and resin.... oil bcca...., it dries very slowly and it has 'l'Myare pendrating oil finishes to which too mueh odor ••. and. I think there are enough reoina (in mo.t cases. varnish or better producl$ on the market. un>thane) ha\'e been added to gi~e the Pu~ TIlnK Oil. I've ."~tched to tung oil Oni.hed piece of "ood some surface when I "1II1t to \I.e a pure oil finish. The protectiun. only problem here IS knowing exartly what you're buying. Some of the lungoil6nishes WHICH TO CHOOSE ""ld today are thinned down. So, in effect, When you ~t out to choose an oil or oil you're getung lell8 oil. "lII'IliAhfinish. there's no way to say that ThUlisn't ~rily bad. (In fact. thinone is better than another, There are times ning the oil can help the oil penetrate the when you may want just a light proteetive wood better.) But, It doeo help to know (at coat on the wood. In lhill case. a pure oil or least (rom a price-comparison standpoint) one of the "Danish" oil finishes would be if there's only tung oil in the
13
lbinners have been added. Hope's I~
applying a speciJl "Satin Oil," or "Satin Pure Tung Oil (the one we use most often) Wax" LO restore the finish. There are also versions of Watco Danish Oil finishes that is pure (not thinned) tung oil. Pure tung oil is easy to apply by rubbing have pigment added to color the wood. it on with your hand or with a cloth. Al· Minwax Antique Oil. Another product though it. can be applied straight from the I like to use is Mlnwax Antique Oil. This can, most of the time. I thin it down "ith also has a linseed oil base and has a higher mineral spirits (especially tor the lirst percentage of resins than \Vatco. Since coat) to help it penetrate into the wood there are more resins in it, the Minwax oil tends to give a little more sheen to the better. One or two coats otpure tung oil will dry wood - a sheen that seems to last longer LO a soft luster that's as close LO" "natural" than when \Vatco is used, but that also finish as you can get. By adding more looks like something iij "on" the wood. coats, you can get more of a "hand-rubbed" Hope's Tung Oil Varnish. This is 8 look, or even develop a sheen that looks combination of tung oil and varnish. The amount of varnish in Hope's product ;,; like 8 matte varnish finish. Polymerized Tung Oil. I've only used noticeably higher tban WalCOor Minwax. polymerized tung oil a couple of times. But In fact, I use it more as a thinned-down when 1did, 1was pleased with the results. varnish than an oil finish- but one that's a It can be applied by brush. cloth or hand whole lot easier to apply. rubbing. And, the resulting' finish is One or two coats of Hope's Tunj( Oil classy. Varnish gives tbe wood 8 low gloss. An If one or two costs of polymerized tung even greater sheen can be achieved by oil are applied. it's not.much dllfenmt than applying additional coats. Then the finish pure tungoil. But. as the coats are built up, can be buffed with steel wool to a matte it begins LO take on more and more of • appearance. sheen. In fact, it can begin LO look like a Danish Oils With Urethane. Ever since soft tustre varnish or lacquer. "Danish" oil became popular, there has The only brand of polymerized tung oU been a rash of new products. with new I've used is Sutherland Welles, which sells combinations of resins. Deft, Sutherland several different versions. Each version Welles, Bebiens, and even Homer Form shas an increased percentage of tung oil to by are all producing "oil finishes" (either solvents. tung or linseed) with urethane resins, My When I talked to Frank Welles about the experience with them is limited. but I difference between these versions. he said think they will be good finish es (or any that it just makes it easier to get the surface that needs a little more protection amountoflungoil you want.. Hyou want to than normal (such as a table LOp). apply a sealer coat of thinned-down oil, you fiNISHING TECHNIQUES can use his "sealer" version instead of thinning it down YOur.!eIf. For additional Once Ichoose the oUfinish. the only other coats, you can switch to low lustre, problem is how to apply it. Although this medium lustre or high lustre (the higher may sound dumb, I think the best the luster. the greater the the percentage approsch 10 using oil finishes is to follow of polymenzed tung oil), the instructions on the can. Afl.er trying One nice thing about the Sutherland whatever technique is suggested, then I \VeUes products is that the percentage of start experimenting. oil is listed on the label along with clear, However, there is sort of a universal concise, and complete instructions for its approach to applying an oil finish that use and application. works well for me. Prepare I}t~..xod. The first step is to OIL·VARNISH MIXTURES smooth the wood. On large flat surfaces. J [f! want more protection than the pure oil use a scraper blade Orplane LO smooth the finishes provide, I switeh to one of the wood because these tools leave the pores oil-varnish mixtures. open to accept the oil. On smaller surfaces. Wateo Danish Oil. WMCOoil is the fin- I use progressive grits of sandpaper. ish [ use a lot when Iwanlthe wood to have Without going into a lot of detail about • very natural look. This "Danish" oil is a this neceaaary chore, [ usually start with a mixture ot linseed oil and solvents, to llJO.grit sandpaper and an orbital sander, which a small amount ot resins have been and remove all the saw marks, planer added. marks. and burn marks. The amount of resins in \Vatco oil is Once the obvious marks and scratches apparently less than in some other "Dan- are gone, I switch to 150-grit sandpaper ish" oil finishes. and that aeceunts for its and a hand sanding block and finally go ''natural oil" appearance. Which is a nice over the surface with 22O-gril. way of sa);ngthat iL looks "dried out" after Apply thifl coats. After dusting off the a few months. This is why Wat.co recom- project with a tack cloth, I apply the oU mends maintaining the look otthe finish by finish. All oil finishes are designed to be reapplying the product periodically, or by applied inthi" coats. Tbisdoes not mean LO
14
apply the finish spanngly. In fact, it means just the OppOSIte. When applying the first coat of an oil finish, start by flooding thl' surface. Then, if ['m using one of thc pure oil finishes or the light "Danish" oil finishes, 1 rub the finUlhin with a rllg. (On small projects. it's nice to rub it In by hand. [1'$ aJso kind of messy, but you get more of a feel [or what you're doing.) \\'hen I'm appl);ng one of the oil/varnish mixtures Iusually use one of these polyfoam brushes to spread a slightly heavier coat. No matter what kind ofoil finish is used, I alway. keep the .urface of the wood wet (or whatever lenl1th of time the manufaeturer recommends. (This is usually from to minute.. LO one hour.) All of the. talk about noodingthe surface and keeping it wet may not sound like I'm appl);ng a thin coat. but the next step takes care of that. ~VipeillJJJ Alkr the finish has had time to soak into the wood. wipe it off. John MoseroIWood Finishing Supply Company says, "wipe It olT'tight' so tbere's no excess lell at, all. That'" n term used in .Wning. I apprenticed with a gentlellIan who was • stainer (or 50 years and that's a phrase he always used. 'Wipe it o!ftight' meant wipe it off clean: wipe it off completely." John's advice is J!ood. Initially, you want to flood the surface of the wood and keep it wet LO give the oil a chance to soak into the wood. Ailer the wood has absorbed as much o( the finish lIS it can. tbe excess should be wiped off "tight." This is what produces the "hand-rubbed" look. Iftheoil is not rubbed off, the excess left on the surface will dry to a sticky mess. Shop Note: AU of this wiping on and wiping' Q!Irequire. a lot of clean rags. I've long since exhausted my supply of old Tshirts. SO I finally had to break down and actually buy some rags. I looked in the Yellow Pages under "Rags" and found a company whose sole business is selling clean rags. The rags they were selling are really remnants of the same material used LO make T-shirts in the first place. I was able to get 15 lbs. (a Ufe-time supply) of rags for $21. Let il dry. After the excess oil is "oped off, give the soaked-In oil a chance to dry. The length of time the finish needs to dry ,,;II depend on lhe type of oil it is and weather conditions . 1 usually wait 24 hours before applying the second coat. But if the humidity is high. or the temperature is low, or there's no air circulating, you might want to wail -IS hours before applying another coat. Woldl for blcedback. During the lime the finish is drying, keep 3D eye out for excess oil which may seep to the surface. This irritating process is called bleedback (more aboutlbis later) and it always seems to happen when I usc an oil/solvent mix\VOODSMITH
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ture or "Danish" oU finish on open-pored woods (like oak and ash), but it can OCCur on closed-grain woods as well (cherry, maple. etc.) If bleedback occurs. keep wiping the excess oil away until itstops_pingtothe surface. After one or two applicatioJl.
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Essentially, I take advantage of the fact that this product is really a thinned-down varnish. First, I apply a coat of Hope's Tung-Oil Varnish in the normal way (Oood the surface, then wipe it tight). For the second and succeeding coats, [ use a polyfoam brush to spread the oil-varnish evenly over the surface. Then, instead of wiping it off. I allow each of the coats to dry without wiping them off. The result is a finish that looks like it has a coat of varnish on it (and. of course it does) bULmost of the problema usually associated with finishing "~th varnish are eliminated. Since the Hope's product has more oil and solvents than "normal" varnish, each coat leaves only a thin coat of varnish. Thus, the drying time is reduced, and the problem of contamination by dust is reduced. Also. drips and runs are easier to control (particularly on molded edges), and brush marks "Oow out" easier. In short, it's a whole lot easier to apply three or four thin coats of an oil-vamish. than two heavy coats oC regular varnish. 8LEE08ACK
Although the.re are a lot of advantages to Although the procedure described above is using oil finishes. one oC the biggest probthe one [ usually use. there are some vari- lems is something tbat's called bleed back. ations on thL, theme ... the kinds of thing>! This problem always seems to crop up when I'm finishing with a thinned-down oil that usually are not recommended. One variation is to apply the oil finish finish or one of the "Danish" oil finish". with sandpaper instead of rubbing or particularly on oak. brushing it on the surface. Any onhe pure When bleedback occurs, it leaves spots oils or the "Danisb" oil, can be sanded into of oil or varnish over the surface of the the surface on initial application with Wet- wood. But it doesn't always happen right Or-Dry sandpaper. (I usually use 320 or away. In fact, I usually don't discover the appearance oC those spots until an hour or 400 grit.) This procedure accomplishes two things: two after the first application - when the First. it creates friction which results in finisb has dried. beat. The heal helps the oil penetrate into No matter how weU I wipe the wood, the wood better than if it'. simply rubbed these spots keep appearing. I've tried to in or brushed on. lind an answer, or at least a reason Cor this Second. thc sandpaper creates a fine annoying problem. I've probably asked 100 sawdust which mixes with the oil and/or 'people why bleedback occurs, and I've oil-varnish to produce a sort of goop. Thls received about 200 answers, Some of the goop acts almost like a paste filler and fills possibilities: bleedback only occurs on oak the pores of the wood. grown in certain parts of the country; the When the first coat of goop is dry, n very tanins in the oak react with the chemicals light sanding with 400-grit sandpaper will in the finish; moisture in the pores oC the remove any roughness. The second and wood pushes the finish back out; dirt or succeeding coats can be applied in the dust in the pores keeps the finish out; normal way (without sanding during trapped air escapes from the pores and application.) pushes the fInish out ahead of it. The final finisb achieved witb this The answer which [ think is the most metbod is similar to what you'd expect plausible is that as the solvent in the oil Cramfilling the wood with a paste fillerfinish evaporates and escapes from the and it's much easier. The result is a very very large poresotthe wood (called vessels in oak), it "eats" through the surface film smooth, yet natural surface. OlU\'AR~1SH~UJ(ruRES.When I'm fin- (from underneath) which has already ;shing a project that needs a little more started to dry. After the solvent has protection, or that might look better with a escaped, the surface film has hardened too more glossy finish. I like to use Hope's much to now back over the openings and Tung Oil Varnish and a slightly different thus there are little erupticns that form procedure to build up, a thicker-thaneoncentrated spots of oil or varnish. Unfortunately, there's nothing mucb normal coal. WOODSMITH
you can do to prevmt bleedback unless the wood is filled with a paste filler. (But that kind of defeats the purpose of using an oU finish in the rlJ'St place.) The best thing to do is keep watching for bleed back to happen, and keep wiping the surface when you see little blobs of finish. If you miss any and find yourself with a hardened, pimpled surface. simply let it dry and then use fine steel wook to buff it
out. If bleed back occurs while you're applying 3 pigmented oil-based finish, the problerns are different. If there are pigments in the finish when it bleeds back. they can result in a discolored ny-specked appearance. In short. disaster, Again, all you can do is keep watching for it to bappen after you've wiped down the first coat. And then keep wiping the surface dry. In other words, don't apply 3 pigmented oil finish (or an oil stain for that matter) JUSt Wore you retire for the night. 1£ bleedback occurs overnight, you're in trouble. Wait until you can apply the stain during a time when you'll be able to watch it carefully. WHERE TO GET HELP
AU-ofthe people we talked to are nice folks. NOLonly were they helpful to me, they prorni1!edto help any ~Voodt"'itl.readers if you want some advice about how to use their products. Here'. where to write or call: The Hope Company, 100 Weldon Parkway. Maryland Heights. MO 63043. Telephone: (814) 432-5697. Sutherland Welles. Ltd .. 403 Weaver Street, Carboro. NC 27510. Telephone'
(919) 967-1972 Watco-Dennis Corporation, 1706 22nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Telephone: (21.8)870-4781. Deft, Ine., 17451 Bon Karman Avenue. Irvine, CA 9271~. Telephone: (711) 474-0-100. Minwax Company, Inc .• 102 Chestnut Ridge Plaza, l\Iontvale. NJ 076-15.Telcphone: (1-800) 526-0495. Wood Finishing Supply Co. (Behlens Products). 1267 Mary Drive, Macedon, NY 14602. Telepbone: (315) 986-4517. SPECIAL THANKS
We talked to a lot of people to get the information for this article. Special thanks to Dr. Bill Feist of the Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory; Hope Pinnegan, The Hope Company; Frank Welles, Sutherland Welles, Ltd.; Eric Dennis. Wateo-Dennis Corporation; Robert Floriani and Herb Croxton, Deft. lnc.: Robert Aunann. lIIinwax Company; John Ebels. Behlens; and John Moser, Wood Finishing' Supply Company. As they say on television, without their help this story couldn't have been written.
15
Round
g Table
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CONTEMPORARY DINING FOR FOUR (OR SIX) for some unknown reason. I'm auraeted to round table e, They seem in'iting and comCortable. When Ifinally got around to building this table. I decided to also malee it practical by incorporating a sliding systern 80 a leaf could be added to provide ""ating for slx people. I have to admil that this Will; not the easie-t projf<:t I've ever bullt. The round top i•••tudy in I.. iienee and care. It ha.. 8 IS'-diameter ..,Iid·"ood border with a veneered ;_11 an the center.
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THI IORD£. flAME
The out,ide bonier of table top starts out as a giant otUl!OnaI (eight-sided) frame. (I used Honduras Mahogan),.) To get the thiclmea Iwanted Cor the bonier. l rougheut 16 pieces of ,I I stock 6' wide by 21" long. and laminated (glued and clamped) pail'll together to Conn the eight sides for the Crame,see f'ig. 1. When the glue Us dry, trim the eight pieces to a final Width of 4't4". Then eut 22~· mlLen! 011 both ends of each piece so the final length Is 19~' fromlong point to
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long poinL. GROO' es, The eight pieces &rejoined by
cutting through grooVe.! on each mitered end and then cutlinlr splines to fit the greoves. To cut the j!TOO"eo. I used • rout .. r tabl~ and a V," straight bIt, _ FIg. 2, Adju.t the C.nee on the router table .0 the bit CUll a groove centered on the thiekn~$.' of the .took. Then mark the fare (top) side of each piece and keep this .ide against the router fence. (This will ensure that the top sides of aU plOtes will be flush when the hphnee are inserted. ) SPLI'F.~ Next. eigbt .plinetl arc cut to fit the grooves, I made these spli.,... long enough (S:;"; to .ti.k out of buth ends of the grooves. "'cl:lIBIS. Trying to join all eight p;e.,es atone time (whole makin!t.ureall tbejoint line!>meet perfettly) tan be a nighunare. Instud, I glu(od pain! together, and then glued lh(... assemblies to form two halves oCtheframe. Lay thesoas..-.embliesonallat surface while lhe glue sets up and dries. Then to make sure the two balf·frames lit together, I trimmed the open (mitered) ends so they Conned • straight line, see
16
mont and router PI\'O'T P<)1\T, To provide Cor the ph'ot
point Cor the tramm.1 attaehment. I cut a stretch.r twith point.od .neLI) to fit tight between two ol'l>"-,inl(joint. of the frame. see Fig. I. Note: The excess length of the splines (on til(' orlhe frame) must be pared off w~th a chi•• 1. I went ahead and did thi. on all ("ght joints. To find th,' pivot pomt, slide the frame over the enda ofthe.tr.tcher. Thenplace a ,tralght edgt' 011 op"""ing joint lines and mark Joneson the stretcher. \\'bere these Ii""" Intersect Is the center or the frame uhe pi\'(,t point). LMt~rin tim JlI"OOCSa. ) oull need to have pivot poin\$ on boUI W top and bottom sides of the 't~her. So, drill a small hole ,tnught do....n through the stretcher to m:.rk both ~id~. ~XTF.'SIO\ARM In order to rout a circle this ~, Ihad to add an extension arm to the trammel attachment (see Shop ~otes, page 9). Alter this arm '" mounted to the trammel attachment. drill a hole in the other end oC the arm and screw it at the
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f'ig. 3, To do thl.. tack each half-frame to a piece of ply" ood "" the open (mitered) enet. ju.,t be.n-Iy Wit o'er the edge. and run them through th."." tolrimtheends.. F'inally, glue th~ two bah ... together to Conn the eight·.ided frame. (! used a ...eb clamp to pull the two halves together.)
I
ROUTING THE flAME
This frame can no" be routed into its final (circulkr) ~hape with a trammel attach-
WOOOS~{)TH
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pivot point on the stretcher, see Fig. 5. PILOT HOLt:. Before rouLing the outside edge of the frame, I drilled a pilot hole $\' the router bit could be lowered to make successively deeper passes. The inside edge of this hole is 23' frqm the center of the pivot point, see Fig. 4. OL'TSIOIlCIRct:~n'ERt:S(·E. To rout the outside circumference, 1 used a ~ .. SLTaighlbit set to a depth of for the initial pass. Adjust the trammel attachment so the bit is in the pilot hole, and rout the perimeter of the frame. Alter the first pass i. made, lower the bit in the pilot hole and make successively deeper passes unlil you're about half-way through the thickness of lhe frame. Then Dip over this entire assembly (the frame and the stretcher). and rout the other side until the outside waste breaks free. rssms RABBET. Next, the inside edge of the frame is routed to form a rabbet to hold the table top's circular insert. To make this rabbet, the tirst step is 10 rouLa groove around the inside edge ofthe frame. This groove should be about v..." deeper than the thickness of the insert. Shop Note: The reason for this extra depth is to keep the surface of the frame above the surface ofthe insert. Then late r , the frame can be sanded down without sanding lhrough the thin veneer on the insert. This also means you have to know the exact. thickness of the insert before cutting this rabbet. The insert is discussed in the next section, but r want to finish this part about the rabbet first. When you've determined the depth of the rabbet. drill a pilot hole to this depth SO the out
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INSERT
There are two choices for the table Lop's center insert. The easiest VIla)' to make it it; to use ¥o" hardwood plywood. But since I wanted to use a quarter-saw white oak for the top (which is not usually available as plywood), 1 bought a flexible veneer and mounted it to a piece of particle board. (I used Pliant Wood Veneer, whieh is "cry easy to work with. One piece of veneer 30~x 00" is needed for the table lOp and the leaf, see Fig, 6.) 1f you want to make a veneered table top. cut two pieces (24" wide by 48" long) out of the sheet of veneer. (The "waste" is used to make the leaf.) Then cut a 4',,4' piece of ¥. particle board. Spread contact cement over the surface of the particle WOODSMITH
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board and the veneer with a roUer. Then roll out the veneer, pl't!ssing it down with • veneer roller (or a rolling pin). Cl,. L~SERT.\Vbether you use hardwood plywood or the veneered particle board, you should have a 4'x4' workpiece for th~ table top insert. To rout the insert, draw diagonal lines on the bock 8id., of the workpiece LOlocate the center point, see Fig, 7. Then drill a shallow hole for the pivot point of the trammel attachment. Next, set the trammel attachment to the radius of the rabbeted area on the frame (2114,,),and make a shallow trial cut on the back (bottom) side of the workpiece. Check this cut by la~~ng the rabbeted side of the border frame over the scored plywood to sec if the shoulder ofthe rabbet touches the outside edge of the scored groove, see Fig, 7, Make any adjustments necessary so the outside edge of the groove is just a hair less than the rabbet. \Vben you've got the right diameter for the groove, drill a V.- pilot hole OD the edge of the trial groove so the bit can be lowered to make successively deeper passes. Then rout the circular insert, ('Vben you're done, save the outer waste piece. IIwill be used later.) A5SE~IB\.\. AJ\er the insert is routed, glue it to the rabbet in the frame, using C-clamps I.<> secure it in place, see Fig. 9. Note: Be sure to align the grain of the insert with two opposing joint lines on the frame, see Fig. S. When the glue is dry, sand the Crame so it's flush with the face of the insert.
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CUT TABLE TOP IN HALF
MOUNT fJ.NI,f _".TO WASTt "lCf wffH FINISMNAIU
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NOTE: CUT T.utI
LEAF CONSTRUCTION
TOP
IN HALf ALOHG GlAIN LINES
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WASTE FIOM INSllr
Since 1 wanted to add 3 leaf to this table, r had to divide the top into two halves. To do this, use the outer waste piece left over from routing the circular insert. Mark lines on this waste piece so the lines divide it in two equal halves, see Fig. 10. Then tack the table top LOthis waste piec-e(tack from the bottom side), making sure two opposing joint lines of the frame are aligned with the lines marked on the waste piece. CUT IN ILIL.' This whole set-up can now be ripped in balf on a table saw, Set tbe renee so the blade splits the marked lines on the waste piece, see Fig. II. Adding a leaf to this table i. fairly easy, Rip a piece of hardwood plywood to a width of 181<>"and to length LOmatch the diameter of the insert, (If the insert is LObe veneered, cut a piece of particle board to size and laminate the veneer LOit.) JlQROF,R. This leaf receives the same laminated borders as on the table LOp. • Rough-cut four piece>;of 414 stock 18W long and 3" "ide, and laminate them to form the two borders, When the glue Is dry, trim tbem to a final "id!h of 20/.". WOOOSMITH
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Then cut a 1',wide rabbet on one edge of each piece, see Fig. 12. Glue and clamp the leafinto the rabbets of these pieces. Then rip t he entire leaf to final width of 18". (Here it's best to rip an equal amount from both edges to get two parallel edges.)
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TR,IJII. Off lOrn fOGlS-
ALIGNMENT SPLINES
Since the table top is split in half, some pro,ision must be made to align the two halves. and also to align the lea! (when it's used) with the table top. To accomplish this, 1used splines mounted in slots, Mark the positions of four slots on each exposed edge of the table top and the lea!, see Fig. 15. (There are 16 slots in all.) To rout the slots, Iused the jig shown on page 22. Clamp one of the sliding' winga to the edge of the table, and rout the slots see Fig. 13. Next, cut splines to fit the slots so the grain runs across (perpendicular) to the joint lines. Gluefour of these splines on one edge of the table top (to align the two halves of the table). and glue the other four splines to one edge of the leaf (to align it when it'. used). Bevel the leading edge of these splines so they slide into the opposing slots easily.
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MOUNTING
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EXTENSION SLIDES
The last step on the table top is to mount the extension slides. (J used a set of wooden slides, see Sources, page 24.) To mount the extension slides, place the two halves of the table top face down on a work surface, and push them together. Then align the slides so they're 24' apart and exactly perpendicular to the joint Jine. see Fig. 16. The slides J bought have pre-drilled mounting holes. J marked their position on the bottom of the table top, drilled pilot holes, and then screwed the extension slides in place. Note: As the slides are screwed in place, make sure they're parsllei and exactly 90' to thejoint line. rr slides at>! OUL of kilter, they will bind as tbe table halves are pulled apart . As a final check, insert the lea! and close the table halves. I had to a<\just the slides a little to get the top halve. to close light against the lea!. WOOOSMITH
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ROUND THE EDGES
To complete the table top, I rounded all the edges. Position the lear between the two halves of the table and draw them together. Then lay this assembly face dow" on a work surface. Now rout the inside edge of the frame with a %' round-over bit and pilot. see Detail in Fig. 15. Next. switch to a 1'0' reund-ovar bit and pilot to round over the outside edge of the frame. Then flip the table top over and rout the top edge of the border, aIi'O with a V? comer-round bit.
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Aim 'An RHCl TO"fINCl u.G UNIT tIDU
AlOHO THISfOG' UO UNIT
20
shaped I"!runi!.' that an' Joined together in pain; and then euacbed to the two halves Ofth.l~bl( l<>p.refer til rig. 2.3.\Vhenlhe table toJ>i,plI.hl'd together, the legs form 8 (our-Iell pt- 17" (m.""uring to the long point of tho miter). ~'or the Upnghts, out In miters on both end• so the finol length is 28 from long point to lOJlg Ikli.lt. GROO,F,!I \'" S'·LI'~S.Then. to assemble th~ (;'fnun,.,., juin tbe mitered end. o( Ihe arm' and I"K' w the uprights with 'rlines. f',,.,.I. (Ill .-wide through gt'OO' ..... «'nItreieee. cOne<' agam. 1 marked the faee .ide or _b pil'<'<' and (Ilt the jmlO\ .es on a rout e r t&bIe. k,'tl'tnlo! lhtaga;n,.'t tbe (enCl' (or ('\'('1') rut. ",IeI' to Fig. 2.) Then the 'phn,·. are cut to fIt tbe groove' !l;oll· Cut th~ splines so the groin run» JIt''1"'nrl,cular to the joint line.) HOLt:.'"AR". B.fore assembling the C.fralllt'><.I c:ount.rbon.-d holes in the arms (or (III' machine ""n'w, and w ashers, see Fig. 17. (The machine screws will be used later to hold Ih" table top to the base.) ASSt:'"I1, \ Now the C·(mmes can be assembled. Th. importan; thing here is to make .ure Ih. arm, and (''<'t are parallel, To do thi •• CUI A 'llIICl>rpi...,. to fit between the ann and leg, see F,It. 11'After lesttnlt Ihp fit (and the clamping I preeedure), _"I,ly Irlu~to the miters and j .phnes and use • band damp to hold the
,
aVo·.
I·..~
OUlfl. )
•
CtAMI" C-SHAPfD RNClIO
T.......
S,AW
-1"'''-
I
•
r""".ide
L.... sembly
•
lOKl:IIM'rwhile the glue dries.
<,\.U:G,stHPt: Aner the jZlueis dry on the (our 1C',Il' uniu, I out them to their ftna1
prol\le, Th;' is .imply. mattero!roonding the inside corners (\\he~ the splines are) to a radius of 3~", And I....n tapering the arms and r~1 down to a width of 11'.', see Fig. 17. To ensere all four c·rrames would be the same. I drew lh" rounded comers and WOODSMITH
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tapers on a piece of cardboard. cut it out, and then traced the pattern on each Gframe. Then cut the pattern on a band saw and sand the edges smooth. Finally. round over the edges on the in$ideofthe G-frame with a 'iii' corner-round bit and pilot. CONNECTING THE LEG UNITS
Now comes the tricky part. The Jeg units are joined together to form twe 90' assemblies. Thi. is accomplished I
flush.
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Il&VEI. EDGE. The last step is to bevel rip
the connectors at 45'. This simple operation creates a real headache. Making ~ cut requires the use of an au;dJiacy fence to guide the G-frame. On a Rockwell saw (where the blade tilts to the right) an L-shaped fence is attached to the rip fence, see Fig. 21. On a Sears saw (where the blade tilts to the left)a~epanlte C-shnped fence is clamped to the left of the blade, see Fig. 22. After the auxiliary fence is attached, the connector is bevel ripped at ~5' so the blade jusL touches the corners of the uprights, see Fig. 20. ATTAcn LEGS. Now the two leg assemblies can be joined to the table-top, \\lith the table top upside down and the two halves pushed tightly together, center the two leg units on each half of the top. Then mark the position of the mounting holes (that were drilled in the arms earlier), see Fig. 23. Remove the leg units and drill holes for y.. threaded insert", see Fig, 25. Then mount, the leg unit;, to the Lop with 11(,'machine screws and w.. shers,
MATERIALSLIST for Tabl. Top: A Tabl. ,",me (16) • lAoaf
•
VlOODSMITH
(4)
l'
For 80... :
£ Fool (8)
'¥t. x 3¥. _ 17
F Uprighb (8)
'V••• 3"% .. 28 I~. lit 3Y. - 11 ,~. lit 1S,~- 28 1hz llh·SYt '",.2 .. 1''';
G Alms (I) H Conn4Ki"cm (4) I Ftame Spll.... (16) J Tobl. SpUn•• (16)
CUnlNG
DIAGRAM
e
FINISHING
I used Sutherland- Welles '!\tng Oil Polyurethane mixture to finish the table top and base. If t here's a void between the table top's border frame and the insert, it can be filled with a mixture of fine sawdust and the tung oillpolyurethane finish. Then 1 applied three coats of the finish to the entire table according to the instructions on the can.
f",,""
C Tab'. Top In... " D t..of InN'11
'V. ... 4V. - 19'.4 '-VI. lit 2V.. 0/.. )C '. - 48 V•• 18-48
~4'"•
Air
'A. net( IOARO
E<"!_IZI'U.~JJ.~:'j:' ~zl?i:J r ...:•, .! •• I ,•£ Ie I 1 F E r l' C ' I I I1".•- .. F I • I : : I • 1 E =!2: t==riulOI~ F
F
F
o
,
F
:
~,
,
7Vi' • 12·
21
Router Jjg
_
A JIG FOR ROUTING CENTERED GROOVES All three projects in this issue use miter and spline joinery. The key 10successfully making this joint is to cut the grooves (or t.he splines in the proper leeatien, To do this accurately. I used a simple routing jig that can be adjusted to tit stock from 'f," to 3" thick and automatically centers the groove on the workpiece.
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FIGURE I
BUILDING THE JIG
The routing jig can be broken down into Iwo rruijorparts: the plywood base, and the two aQjustable wings, see Fig. I.
The plywood base is constructed with 'h"-thick plywood cui Jy," wider than the diameter of the router base, and 13" long. Then o/."·widefences are attached to three sides of the plywood base. Note; When attaching the two side fences. they must be parallel to each other, and the distance between them must be equal to the diameter of the router's base. Next, rout a double-stopped 'h"·wide groove in the plywood base. To do this, plunge the router 80 the groove starts 4' from the open end, and continues until the router base contacts the back fence. WINCS.Next, the two adjustable wings are added to the bottom of the plywood base. These wings are constructed with W' plywood, and solid wood "pinchers," see Fig. I. The plywood pieces are sloued by drilling end holes, and using a sabre saw to remove the waste. Then they're glued and screwed to the solid wood pinchers, Finally, screw threaded inserts ill the base, Fig. 1. and attach the ....ings with I" pan head screws and washers. THE
snup
Before the jig can be used, the wings have to be adjusted for the thickness of the workpiece, while at the same time. keeping the workpiece perfectly centered under the ~" groove in the plywood base. To accurately set up the jig. I used a setup block (mode from th.esame stock as
• 1M uwkpiece it.self) that has a perfll"lly centered tongue on one edge. Cut this tongue by placing ahernate sides of the block agsinst lhe fence of t.he table saw (see Fig. 2). Sneak up on the cuts until the tongue fits the groove in the jig. Then to set the adjustable wings of the jig, place the setup block between the wings. with the tongue in the ~. wide groove, see Fig. 3. Pinch the w>jngsagainst the sides oflhe setup block with C·clamps, and tighten the four screws, USING THE JIG
Once the jig is built, make a trial CUtin a piece of scrap to see where the router bit
stops when the router base contacts the back fence. Marl< the end of this stopped groove on the base, and position the workpiece using lhis mark. Then clamp lhe entire assembly in a vise, see Fig. 4. Filially. position the router on the jig with the router bit in the groove, just ahead of the workpiece. Start the router and feed it into the workpiece until the base contacts the end of the jig. IJOlIlIl.E-Sl'OPPED CRooVES. To use the jig for routing a double-stopped groove. clamp an additional stop to the open end of the plywood base. Then make a plunge cut to start the cut, and slide the router back and forth to complete the groove.
ALtEINATt SIDES AGAIN$! FENCl TO CUT TONGUE CENTEREO ON STOCK
1
2 -,
3 RNCf
• 22
WOODS)'flTH
Talking Sho~ ---------------------------------------------
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AN OPEN FORUM FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
ncr
SHRINKING TIME MACHINES
llt-' .·rlllreaders have written to tell
U$
thl' ('iu(.'kmovements we recommended
that for
Illuseclod< (IVood"mit/, No. 21) ,,,.11 hr· Mantel clock (lVood8lnith No. 24) .". I.,., IJIrge (aeeording to the dimensions 1(" "Il In the eatategs), MOIIIor Ihe confusion about whether or ""I 111~movements will fit comes from the r.rt the catalogs don't always provide t,h" ""mel minimum "inside dimensions" Some of the measurements in Ih, ('lIlaJogs are stightly exaggerated to ~·""r."le'" n.• shown in our plans. ~or the Schoolhouse clock. we listed two 'bllrc~s: the Klockit catalog. and the )1"'",n and Sullivan catalog. The Kloekit mevernent is a small battery operated 'I".ttl movement. #CS-16. with a 1614" ,••ntfulum (which was ol'iginally listed as I""). priced at $26.95. Th e Mason and Sullivan movement is a k,'y wind "Bim Bam" calendar movement. ':I:14IX, that comes with a 14\1:" pen,Iulum. and is currently priced at S67.00. ~'or the Mantcl clock, we used Mason IUId Sullivan's Westminster Chime move-, ment #3600X, (S89.00). Again, according Ur the dimensions listed in Lhecatalog. this movement shouldn't fit. But it does ... v.ith room to spare.
'M'
.....,">ro·d.
uu.n
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PLYWOOD TIPS
Could 11011 tell me wllal til lookfor whe" lmyi1tg Iw.rd,oood Illywood? David K/Q.tt Uplalld. Indiana There are several different things to look for when buying hardwood plywood: the rKCeveneer, the core construction, and the ""tual thickness. But after all the different r~rtol'S have been weighed, choosing a I,UU'IofU!n comes down to the quality of Ih. face veneers. • \('.: \'8~'EERS.The veneers used on the rIO" o( Ihe plywood are graded with a
w oons "11TH
standard grading system. The highest quality veneers commonly available are "AH grade. The next lower grades are called #1. #2. #3. #4. respectively. Usually. even the highest quality hardwood plywood has only one side that'. raced with an "A" grade veneer. Then the opposite side is faced with 8 veneer in a sligbtly lower grade. "Good one side" (GIS) is another desig-
nation that's commonly used on thin (usually Vo" or less) plywood. This designation is most often used on imported ply. woods that haven't been graded to U.S. standards. In this ease. the quality of the "good" side can vary (rom good to excellent. The back face veneer i usually the biggest concern, the interior core is also important. THe CORE COSSTRU('''l'IOS. There are
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several common methods of core construetion; veneer core, lumber core, partide. Veneer con>construction consists of laminating individual layers of veneer W build up the core. And generally. the more plys (layers) thaI an> used, the more stable the panel. This method of construction by far accounts ror the majority of the plywood sold.
rarely the aelltal thickness that's designated. There are two reasons Cor this. First, tbe industry has created a act of standards that allows a certain amount of variation in the actual thickness of hardwood plywood. This is usually the reason for any variation in the thicker (0/."and up) panels. The second reason for variation in thickness is that most of the thinner plywood (in f3C1.,75% of aU plywood) is purchased from oriental manufacturers who designate the thickness in millimeters rather than inches. Although they're close to the inch
designations. the variation can drive you batty if it hasn't been taken into account. So to be safe, always measure the thickness of the actual piece of plywood that's going to be
used, before it's too late.
FLYING CANISTERS?
After reading Ihe aTticle 0" stave con.t),'IlctU))I ilt Woods",ith No. f5, J feel tlw.t you should tca1'1t yOltr Te4der8 IIU1t1M" is an eo:t'N!mety dOllgerrnl8 method of·gl,Ung "pH "ock for ,,'00<1 (uTlring . The joi>!/$ Iw..., I;) b. well modt «"d p'l'Operlll c/ampM. not just held together by hand. IU yo" 81l{10eBt. Although sta.., constrt",tio" prod""". beautiful pieces. and saves materio! and "''''tell. the -risk of injury is very high. Fred ZlIald Gnnul Rapid$, ,\1/
Stave eonsrrucrion, in ow- opinion, doesn't pose any excessive danger to a wood turner. as long as a Cewbasic precautionary steps are taken. And the first step is to
Another common core construction
all/Jays wear a (ace shield. This alone can
method is called "lumber core." This method uses narrow strips of solid wood to build up the center. This type of core is more likely to warp, and is more expensive than veneer core plywood. There's an advantage to using lumber core plywood when the edges of the panel need to be shaped. The solid-wood COn> that's exposed is much easier to stain and finish than the layers of veneer Cound in veneer core plywood. Another, even lower quality core eonstruction method is called particle board core. This method consists of using one or the many forms of particle board as the con>.The problem with this method of core construction is that it has very tittle stiffness. strength, or screw holding power. TB1CKNJ>SS. The biggest problem with buying hardwood plywood is that it's
prevent serlous injury if the staveconstructed cylinder happens to separate. The other precautionary step is to be sure the cylinder is built with good solid joinl$. For stave construction, that means wit/Will clamps, The problem is that if the individual staves are clamped together, the clamping action can actually pul! the joints apart if the bevels aren't perfectly cut. This can cause a serious problem if it goes undetected. I feel the best way to produce a solid joint using stave construction is to use hand pressure to glue the individual staves together, because you can feel ifthejointis off as the glue takes hold. But the bottom line is this; Always be prepared Cor the worst. I'm comfortable with stave construction ... but 1 alwags wear a face shield.
23
Sources Wllh tNsissue, forthe.akeofconveni~
and spat'<, we've sl.arted printing the com· plere addre~.es for mail order supply hou.
.,nishing
Garrett "'ade and Th.. Yt'ood Supply Company. Ir you're haVlnP:• hard ume Ioc:oting A speeifie brand, you can c:all the manu· r~urer or wholesaler - tbdr _ and
addre_.
an' Ii"~on paj(e 15.
ROUND TAllE
WOODWORKING CLUBS
I ordered all of the hardware for the round table from the Woodworker's Store.
\\,ORLII O~' II ('011 ASSOCIATIO," CIt· WOOUIIORKIl
The 2O"L x 2"H (26' maximum opening).
the Ganahll,umber Company or AnahI'lm, California, for its eustome ..... ~!embe ...h,p in W.O."'.A. """1.8 $10.00 per year and the benofits of mcmbc>rshil' include dio
wooden extension slides arc tatalog number 0-1500 (wood), $12.75 per set, The nylon glides for the feet arc catalog number C-1404·"·, 3b
arc~edl. I purtlwed the 36" x 96" flexible white oak \ eneer at • loea! hardwood store, but similar prod~u arc a\'ailable from The Woodworker's Store. Craft$man, and Constantine's. C"!VAL MIRROR The hardware for the cheval mirror is
TM n'orld of Il'ood s~
BrK/.
For information about joinill£, contact Jim :oIL.h. Ganahl Lumbo-rC>mpany, 1:!20 Ea.t Ball Road. P.O. Box 31, Anahe,m, CA 9'biOS or call 7H ..772-Ml-t. YETTO lit;
',,-"ED WOODWORKI:>OC CI.l'II:'.
We"'e heard from three woodworkinp: from the Woodworker's Store. The order clubs 60 newlyfonned they hadn't bad tinll' number for the :W. long Swivel Mirror to pick 8 name ~'ct. screW8 i. 0·7480, $5.95/pair. 811r/illglo .., IA. Dwight Mulch. PreslI also used a flexible plastic panel dent or the club in Burlington, Iowa, retainer strip (the staple type) to mount in\'ite~ woodworkers in Southeast low. the mirror. The order number is D·27().1for and \Vc.t Central llIinol$ to the group'. Fruit wood. The panel retainer costs meetin~ every third Thursday at the Bur251! foot and you'll need about 12 feel. Iinp:lon Public Library. The rmrror it",,1( eest $32.00 at a loea! D,.ight would alllO like to hear from glAg.,",orc; \\ e thoUght it was worth $l2.00 other clubs 800Ut any .. r,tooLl, and olher re1ated items is trying to find cnouflb members to form a OIL flNISHlS "'oodworking club. Bruce ... ~.. if wood· Oil finW.~ arc easy to find - the~...... workersln tbe Il't'8 arc intHes~, bell be ""'d in hard",ood. lumber. and unfinished glad to h~lp ~t the dub .tarted. furniture .tore~, a;; weD as national and For morc Information, contact Bruce at regional di""""nt centers. But, in a couple The Wood & Shop, 5605 North Lindbc>rgh, of cue_, the oil finishing products we St. Louis. MO 63042 or call 31.1-731·2761. talked about are not generally avallable at CREEl< COL":'oTIlY WOOI)WORKetI$ CLL'll. retail outlel.ll. 'rbb Tuba, OK, club 11118 about 90 memo Sutherland Welles tung oil products are bers, many of whom are Shopsmitb available from the Garrett Wade Com· ownen. There are eleven meetings and pany. Bchlcns products arc available from newsletters each year -all included in the
v.
24
SII. annual mcmbc,..h1p fee. The group ~U the fourth Thursday of the month 01 tbe Tuw. \' <>- Tech School.
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For m..re i"formallon evntact Dean HawIcy, 1'n'l"I~lIt, 111211 );outh Birmingham, Tuw. 01{ 711116or call ~18-7-13-2024. "OCIIM.It.~T~'1
"."M.Y.'."I\t::.a. ... t Ll 8 OF HOCSTOS~
IIIDlleW
18 I~nt f this club v.'bich is '- than a y..... old, but has already grown from 23 to III()ft\ \han 40 ~mbers. Annual 0111< arc $7 00, and th group's monthly m~etlnl:8 f,·#tur~ A cia.. or a demonIttatlOlI p ";uod,,orking wcimique.
or
......r tn"r,
Informallun,
contact
Bill
1l<.~I(',7:l
c·c.,
k.It.""t \\\ '1 \ "'KlI.\\O,'I\'"ERS AS$(). (·I.TII" lI"b S\
"'·... ·I.ry1..'........r "r thi. group of 46 "",.1" urk"n! wbo KI'lI..;:,·ther monthly at th,' eou nt) \·,,,,,,t
also Il' I to ..
oil'" to'ntl'r (where
tbey
III< to .. ll) IIob 101'" h~'d tikc to h,'lIJ' from other dub. 81."'t 1:",.11 TOI:rBm 1,leas. And ifyou ","nl to JOIn, ~taet Bob Stamm, 2109 Rach,u'll_ rt~,('amd,n, SC 29020. fURf-ST IIlI
"',NIIN II ,nt:RS.
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Bryan
" orthlDl!\OD ..."t.,. to aay thlll his 'iledg. ling" ol'J:llllW1UOnof .. cod.... rkers in the Rockford, IWoo ,area Is In """" of memo bera and ututr IMIde,.., plus suggestions for but frft JlTOJn'llllI material If you'... puy o(the th~, c"nlM! Bryan at 52.11 M~ri"" ,~\t"U', Roc:kford, IL 61lo.~ or rull ~Ir.·::""'.(,,>;&1
1:<"'"
ADDRISSIS
TI,., l\'r,l()(/uv/rk,.,.,' ."'.''''. trial Boul"\'ard, Hog"rs,
~l Indu,s. ~I:-: 05374.
612-42.'<-4101.
CraflI·".d.d. ('"" I"'R~, Mail Order Di\;,10n, 221.1 U
ern/I.ma.
1\'00,1 :>rrt'l<' Co., 1735 \Veon, lL 60101,
3 12..w.1·:11110.
Co".t,,,,t.,,"'., ~~J:'.o b"-'t~ler Road, Bronx, r-;y 1I~lIll, 1·!
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