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    Woodsmith Magazine - 082

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    138 views32 pages

    Woodsmith - 082

    Uploaded by

    rsotoqp
    Woodsmith Magazine - 082

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 32
    NO. 82 NOTESFROMTHESHOP—s&9$3.95 a Heirloom eo BOOK TAND Shop Project : DRAFTING 4 CABINET £ EDD Ss COLUMN samrrinc oer DEPART Jesry Carson Supervise), Gloria Steehan, onald Long, Donnie MeVey, Chuck Carhen WOODSMITH STORE ‘Des Moines,1A Dave Larson, Mgr. 60 be eee sews aoe a a Ms Ad ai “ Sawdust then I say, “move the fence just a smidgen* or “sneak up on the ‘cul,” most woodworkers would know what Tmlalking about. Were often faced with the problem of making cuts that cant easily be measured. Even worse, actualy trying to move a fence avery smal increment and making the cut isnot an easy accomplishment So,how doyoumovea fencejustthatlithe smidgen? ‘The best solution we've found isto usea fence designed by a woodworking friend of sine, Mark Duginske. Mark worked with uuson the technique for cutting dovetails on the band saw (see Woodsmith No. 66). ‘The technique he developed requires sneaking up on the cut so the dovetail pins fitperfectly into the tals, One way to dathis ‘stocutinthe waste area with the workpiece against.a fence. Then, ifthe fit is too tight, move the fence avers hairand try een Mark ran into the same problems we all do. It's nearly impossible to move a fence justa staidgen with any accuracy. His solution sas todesignanew fence for the band saw — one that is very easy (0 ‘move in small amounts, Thats the fence we're showing on page 13. ‘The theory is simple, Just use two oppos- ing wedges. As the wedges slide against each other, the face ofthe fence moves. De- ending ontheangle ofthewedges,thiscan bean incredibly small distance, ‘The angle we chose allows you to slide the wedge 1"in orderio move the fence} Ms" Or, slide the wedge UV" to move the fence Viz", Now thatsjust a smidgea. haven't seen a fence lke this before. It addsagreat deal ofaccuracytousingaband saw. And it can easily be adapted toa drill press of other machines. I's petty easv to kknock one out. You may want to giveitatry tose how fine you can make acjustments. DESIGN OPTIONS, Whenever we design a Droject, we go through alot ofchanges. But the more options, the more confusion ... ‘uni itall comes together a the end ‘Aclassic example ofthe problems of de- sign options came up when we started on the Book Stand. It began as a dictionary stand with an angled top and tumed logs. ‘ike the initia sketches, butwe decided tolook atoptions. The fist option had todo wit the tumed legs, Turned ess recuir a athe, which fewer than half of Woademith readers own. So what about those readers who don't have a Tatheand still want to build this projec? ‘We decided to try another version with tapered legs you could make onatable saw. Tas glad we tied this option. Some of us evened the apered legs better than the omnediegs Nexi, we had (o decide ifthe top of the Book Stand would be permanenlly angled That’ the traditional ook, and i's what 1 thought like, But the angled to imited its usefulness. So we ted a version with a hinged top that could be tilted up ore At. ‘Again, Iwas gad we tried the second op- tion ...1 ike the loks ofthe Book Stand when the top sing lat t makes a great Side Table. Seepage ®2) Both of these design options had to do with the appearance ofthe project But just {Saflen, wemake fetional changes ‘Why allthese changes? Tht became te subject of quite a discussion one day" The result is the article on page 28 Here we decided to spend some tie talking about what was involved indesigningthe Drafting Cabinet shown on pase 2 ‘Youmay have wondered why we choose aacerain lok, or certs measurements, of Joinery. or hardware. In aimost every case ‘welook at many options Once decisions made, itmay be changed several times be cause ofother decisionsalng the way, This article on design should giveyou an idea of the process we go through ‘NEW FACES. Besides publishing two ma saazines on woodworking (Woedsmith and ShopNote), wesleahavearealstorc bere in Des Moines. One of our best customers ‘wasaguyby the sameotDaveLarson.Dave senso much time in the store, we bezan tothink he wasone ofthe employees. When Kent Welsh (who was then the store manager) decided to more to our de- sium department twas naturalto ask Dave to take over running the store, He was Aelghied, and soare we. Daveisiooking orwardtoconinuingthe sgreat job Kent cid in building the store to One ofthe most complete stores for wood ‘workersin the country. youre ever ia Des Moines, stop in and ay Hi" to Dave. Hel be glad to show you wae be | Woodsmith No. 82 A LOOK INSIDE Contents "Tips & Techniques [4] Five great tips. 1) Drillin L4! Mortises. 2) Carriage for Bevels. 3) Dimapled Splines. 4) Router Table Push Block. 5) Containers for Mizing. The legs are made on a lathe in [Boeke Le ri Saey-to-turn sections, And the top lies flat or tilts — thanks to a shop-made ratchet ayster. Square Leg Design| (12) Te Book Stand can also be buitt with square legs. No lathe needed. Micro Adjustable Fence| [13] Mis fence can be made to fit any ([MicronAcjustable ence) (13) 5.57 cave able. A eliding wedge system allows precise adjustments. [5] FG] ) A Template for Turning [ShopNotes | [16 Spindles. 2) Band Saw “Drift.” 3) Drilling inte the Bud of Long Stock. 4) Enlarging a Round Tenon. 5) Checking for Square ) fg] the results are in for our Shop 2S) Tips Contest. The winners: A Cireu- lar Saw Edge Guide, TSquare Router Guide, and an A-Frame Support. i i [Talking Shop] (20) 4"™ers to questions from rend- DAvoiding Blotchy Stain. 2) Steamed Cherry. 3) Saw Blade Selection. 4) Tempered Hardboard. Drafting Cabinet BD The front of this cabinet pivots down on steel pins to a comfort able height for drawing, What goes into the design of a Woodsmith project? Here’s a look atthe evolution of the Drafting Cabinet Soe Bil erdware and supplies needed for the projects in this issue. No. $2 Woodsmith Book Stand Adjustable Fence Drafting Cabinet page 13 FROM FELLOW WOODWORKERS Tips & Techniques DRILLING OUT MORTISES Recently, | had to cut anum- Every time drilledaholethat and {flatten the bottom. adjacenthole, see Fig.3 ber of mortises. So chucked a overlapped another hole, the To solve the problem, I tried _ Even though it takes lit brag point bit in my dail press drilbitwouldwanderorpullinto drlingza Vie pilothole between time to drill the pilot holes, this and drilled a series of holes the already drilled hole. So the otherholes,see Fig. 2.Then method saves more time than it along the layout marks on the coulda’ finish drilling straight when I switched back to the tales to chicel all that waste stock, see Fig. I Butwhealtried down to ihe bottom of the mor. larger brad point bit, the point materialoutof the mortise. toremovethewastebetweenthe tise. This left me with a lot of stayed nthepilothole no matter 1.C. Dupuis holes there wasaprobiem, _chiselwork ioremove the waste _howmuchthebitoverlapped the Hort, Minnesota CARRIAGE FOR BEVELS DIMPLED SPLINES | Miesécleierd in cecal mais weniie. Hib way tke Mlieiadyiiegediind “ciate Beaiteamaiet Tees enna acto ere “ira ee ee ee Se eee er | Coa cgtn marates | Casa! mamereen | Eee tane “Tem aan aur Doce ranean: Meee ear Reesectie scarce ee pee Ts | Ree euctehrd or semmate Tiosmociamrets Gueieat eaters | | | u th that'swider than the workpiece. enough glueinto the joint sharply with the mallet, using ‘This prevents tearout along the ‘To getaround this problem, {the scrap to proteet the tools carriage, see Fig. The worke edge asyou cut the bevel dimpled the splines, see Fig. 1a. from being damaged. piece resis on the carriage, and ‘Roman D. Hershberger These litle indentations then ‘Howard B. Simpieins the two are pushed along the ‘Millersburg, Ohio carried enough glue into the Northridge, California eee 4 Woodsmith, No. 82 ROUTER TABLE PUSH BLOCK WRouting the ends of fong or thickpiywood) see Fig, 1 narrow pieces of wood can be The key is cutting the pieces tricky. Normally you'd use 2 of te sade wo Gt your router miter gauge on the router table table fence exselly, se Fig. 2. to hole the stock as it passes. They have tbe sized just ight through the router bit But | — loose enough to allow the did‘twanttoroutamiter gauze push block to side along the slotin my rodter table op. So fence, buttight enough sothere guides the workpiece through block. Andi backs upthe work ame up witha push block that isa any play. thebitSotheleadingedgeotthe piece iohelp prevent chipout. slides over my router table (Waxing the inside faces of block must be totbefenceto "Note: I used screws 30 it fence. see photo the saddle pieces also helps the getan accuraecut. would be easy to replace the “The most important part of pushblock lide smooth.) aloo serewedastripof scrap _stripwhenitgetschewedup. Be thispush block isa lasesiting "After making the sale. Iat- wood tothe leading edge ofthe sure the screws are well away “saddle” that slides over the tached asquare lock of 34" ply- push block, see Fig. 1. This from where the bit will ut. fence. The Ushaped saddie is wood, see ig. 1. Thisisthepart makesiteasierioholdthe work- Harry Rudin imade up of three pieces of 4" ofthe push block that actully piece tightly against the push Oberrieden, Switzerland 1 SADDLE PIECES Par POWOOD) GUIDE BLOCK CROSS SECTION CONTAINERS FOR MIXING Mvondwnjeratenneeton, pow. DES Medunmial, sopedunsice [SEND TAYOUR FIPS] ‘ainereto mix small amounts of Jr, offackson, Misscipplases| While at the drug store lo guid sach as when mixing I'oe, Ge) pawle deposable ingformedicinecupsyournekt_ | , yauwouldiete share an ‘medicine cups for this pur- come across another inexpea- | Orginal tip of Hla wih other tose. These litle cups ‘sive way to accurately mix small_ | wonéworkers, ust send ito ave raised graduation amountsofiquids—snoralayr- | Weodemath, Tips and Techy marks on the sides so _inge for infants, see drawing. mien 2) pe you can accurately sec This is normally used to Nel py ic and mixsmallamountsof measure and give liquid medi “4 Tiquids, sec drawing. cine to babies. Butitean also be | Hom)! Th doings "Sthebadnewsisthatyou usedto measuresmallamounis | te published length of the havetobuy atleast 100ata of diferent stains tomake acus-_ | HP. Please include an ex: time. The good news is 100 tom colorsiain sien ie oe cups only cost about $1.30. Thesyringesareeasytodisas- ie ee ete ae ‘They're available from medi- semble and clean, so they're re- ase cole ag cal Supply companies and useable. They costabout $2.00, ase we have some qu o Woodsmith 5 [ HEIRLOOM PROJECT Book Stand A clever shop-built ratchet makes the angle of the bookrest easily adjustable. And the legs are made in short, easy-to-tum sections, rather than one long piece I ypically, legs like the ones on this TOP. The top of the Book Stand is ad jook Stand would be turned from _justable from fat o 45" with single pieces of steck. But pieces this lang between, a shop ‘about 40"long. including wasteal heends) SELF. Another unique feature of the co lang to ft on most lathes. Instead, 1 Book Stand is the shelf — it's made like « ‘each leg fro four shorter pieces: two Tis design ets the soli wood sisand two square sections, sce id and contract with changes i ded View on opposite page humidity without damaging the stand fo connect the paris of the legs, round WOOD AND rants. but the Book Stan tenons on the turned sections ft in holes from soli grown Honduras drilled in the square sections. la addition to mahogany ke forest-grown making the legs easier to tura, this method mahogany. but ker. Rather than also makes assembly much simpler. (Noie: walla few year darken naturally Wevealsoinchued asquarelegdesign that used a deep, derk cherry stain to “age” doesn’t require turning, see page 12) And ae ane tp coal bread 6 Woodsmith No. 82 rt IN FRONT/BACK ‘OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 16"D x 24"W x 36"H UPPER LEGS (4) CUTTING DIAGRAM A ComerBiocks @) Whe 12x34 8 TopApronti/Bk @) Yax2iax2tNe Top Apron Silos). Yonex 12 > Smt : pel F DustPanel()). Apron Bead 1 Goon) i icmeene scimee na tien feria (M Cleats(2) x) @) tse, ie © Pred) Maxton P Rotenet@) xii SUPPLIES * Biosstanges 1212) + #8: Me Fh Woodscrews (4) #8x 114 Rh Woodscrews (| ++ Table Too Fastenes (@) 1 #81 VaFh Woodscreun @) Z e CORNER BLOCKS 1 built the Book Stand in four main sections, beginning ‘with the top frame and the shelf frame. (ater, I added the legsand thetop) q ‘The top and sheif + frames start with fourcomer blocks (A). Alleight blocks are the same size, see Fige. Land 2. The maio difference between the top blocks and the shelf Blocks isthe length ofthe mortises cut in them for the tenons on the aprons. see Figs Jaand 20 ‘MOISES. Tout outthe mortises used thedrillpress.Butit's difficult tohold short ‘lock while mortsing. So instead ofeuting the blocks o finished length before moti ing, I made up four 7¥9"long blanks, each Tong enough for two corner blocks with wastein between, sce Fig. 3. Tocutoutthe mortises frstclampa fence to your dill press table and adjust it so the ‘width ofthe blank willbe centeredunder the Grilli. For atip on hew todo this, see the ‘boxatright) Then clamptwo stop blocks io the fence, see Fig. 2. The left stop block de- {ermines the right end of the mortise, the right stop block is forthe leftend. ‘Once the stop blocks are in pestion, dell bole ateach end of tue mortise. Then drill ‘ot the waste in between. Now, rotate the blank 90" tocutamortise onan adjacent face. Next turn the blank endfor-end, and ‘without changing the setaap, cut mortises at the otherend ofthe blankto formthe second comer bleck. ‘Since the mortises onthe shel blocks are shorter than those onthe top blocks, you'll hhave to change the position of the stop blocks after cutting the mortises in two of the blanks. Once tie mortises are complete inallfour blanks, cut the blocks olength. HOLES FORROUNDTENONS. The nextstep is to drill holes in the eads of the comer [blocks to accept the round tenons on the legs, see Fig.4. The top comer blocks have hholesinthebotiomend only, see Fig. 4a, The ‘heli blocks have holesin both ends. Todrilltheholes, sed a feaceand three ‘s1ops blocks om the drill press table. To do this, center a corner block directy under the dill bit, then clamp the fence and stop ‘Blocks around it, see Fig. 4 After dilingahole,youneed totakeaway ‘only one of the stop blocks to remove the ‘workpiece and replace it with the nex QUICK TIP ‘CHaMrERING. The last step in making the ‘comer blocks is to chamfer the ends, see Fig. 5. Bat there's a difference between the top blocks and the shelf comer blocks. “Theshelfblocksare chamfered on allfour edges at both ends. On the top comer blocks all four edges on the bottom end are chamfered. But only two ofthe edges on the topend need tobe chamfered: the twoat the frontedge ofthe tront blocks, see Figs. 1and 5. Mhisallowsclearace forthe opto ipat_| anangle, refer to Fig. 22a) TOP FRAME/SHELF FRAME Once the corner blocks are finished, the next step is (9 make the four top aprons (B and ©) and the four shelf ‘aprons (D and E), Allthe aprons are the same thickness and length Gncluding tenons), see Fig. 6 ‘Theonly difference stheir width —the top aprons are wider than the shelf zprons, So begin by cutting the top and shelf aprons tofinished size. TTHNONS. Next, Fused the table saw to cut the tenons on the ends ofthe aprons. ‘Tobegin,cutatenon on atest pit ty caftng the torn ae too thick and ‘checking the fin the morse, Thea I reset the sawand recutthetenoa. This way, ean sneak up on the size foratight-fting tenon, Once you've determined the correct size, ‘cuttenonsonbothendso!theaprons.Allthe tenonsare¥#'longand ut ofthe mortises inthe comerblocks, see Figs, 7.8. and9. ‘TOF FRAME. At this point, I set aside the parts forthe shelf frame and focused on the {op frame. Begin by cutting a groove om the inside face ofthe top apronsto accept a Vi" plywood dust panel, see Fig. 7. Size the _Rroove to fit the thickness of the plywood. (Actual thickness of ¥4" plywood varies.) Now measure for the dust panel. To be sure of a good fi, first dry assemble the frame and measure the opening, including the depth ofthe grooves, see Fig. 6. Now cut the dust panel (F) to fit in the ‘grooves. Then, notch out the comers ofthe ‘panel to it smugly around the comer blocks, see Fig. 10, HINGE MOKTISES, There's one more step before gluing the top rametogether—mor- {ising the frontapron or the hinges thathold the top of the Book Stand, see Fig. 11. The hinges are fully morised into the top ede of the apron — there isn't amortise inthe bot- tom face ofthe top. To do this, [*nibbled” outthe mortises in series of passes on the table a Now you can glue up the top frame. Start by gluing the side apronsand corner blocks together. After the glues dry,assemble the sides tothe front and back aprons with the ‘dust panel in place, and check the frame for square, see Shop Notes, page 17 ‘SHEL FRAME. The next step isto glue up the shelf frame. If assembled in the same ‘way as the top frame, except there isnt a ‘dust panel, see Fig. 6. BEADING. Once the top and shelf frames. ‘are glued up, add a decorative bead (G) to the bottom edge of the aprons, see Figs. 6 and Ga. Cut the beading to fit between the ‘corer blocks and glueittothebottomedge ofthe aprons. No. 82 Woodsmith SHELF aN When the shelf frame is completed, you can start work ‘onthe shelf (H). It's inade like a bread board — a i | with ends caps 1 ud 1 | chosetnisacsienbe- cause it allows the stelftoexpandand contract withchangesin humidity without damaging the stand. ‘Most wood mavement occurs arvast the sgqroin.Takealook at Fig. 12 The shel panel Sanexpund andcontrac—i'snot ited by the corner blocks The end cape lin the space between he comer blocks, And since wood expands ery litle along de grain, te ‘end cape can safely abt the corner blocks. SHELF BLANK. Star by cutting a shelf blank tofinished width (fromthe front of the front apron to the back ofthe back apron, plus 12) and length (rom comer block to omer block, plus 7 fortwo tongues), see Fig. 12.Now,catatongueon cach endofthe seit see Fig. 12a. Then, toalowtheshelto ft between the comer blocks, tim 154" off eachend othe tongues see Fig 13. EXD CAPS, The next step is to make the ‘end caps (I) to fit between the corner Blocks, see Fig, 12. Each end cap has a sroove centered on one edge 10 accept & Tongue. Give theend capsto the shelf with a couple of dots of giue in the center only. EDGE PROFILE Next, rou! around over withashoulderontheedgesofthe shelf and fend caps see Figs. 14nd 14a [STTACHING Te SHELF. The last tepis to attach the shelf to the frame, see Fig. 1.1 ‘sed tabletop fasteners screwed in shallow ‘mortises dried inthe aprons, se Fig. 15a LEGS & ASSEMBLY ‘Aftercompletingthe selfandthe top irae, the next sepis to make the upper legs) and the lower legs (K). I turned the legs, tapering the lowerlegs, referto the Leg Dia- ‘on pase 12.) “The upper legs have s tenon turned on ‘each end. The Tower legs have a tenon tumed enthe“opend only. These tenons are Sized tofiti thehoes inthe comer blocks. “ASSEMILY. After turingthelegs,you can assembiethe tp frame. shell and legs, see Tig. 16.Ithoughtthis wasgoing tobe ticky. [But since the tenons ft stugivin the comer lock oles, the parts were easy to glue up without clamps. ound it easiest to assemble the pieces upside down on a fat surface. To begs apply glue whe tenons on both ends of the ‘Uppers. and insert them int the corner blocksin the tp frame, see Fig. 16:Then put the shelf on the leps: Now, use a framing ‘square to check thateverythingis square, Finally, glue the lower logs to the shelf frame. To help align the leg, I made a ply- ‘wood template with holes drilled in itto ac- cept the legs. see Fig 17. Itholdsthe legsin the correct position in relation toeach other, and makes it easy to see and correct any "racking or twist in the legs. 16 10 Woodsmith TOP panel and cut it to finished size (16" by 24"), see Fig. 18, EDGE PROFILE. Neat, rout a profile along all four edges. Tused the same setup ‘ontheroutertableas whenrouting the edge profile onthe shell, refer to Fig. Vda BOOK REST. Ater the profile is complete, ‘youcanserews 1/\"stripasabook rest (N) {othe topnearthe frontedge, see Fig. 18 ‘cuexTS. To flatten the top, and to keep it flat over time, I screwed two cleats (Mf) t0 the underside ofthe top, see Fig. 19. ‘Screw (doat glue) the cleats 10 the top through counterbored oversized shank holes. The oversized shank holes allow the top to expand and contract with changes in ‘humicity. Uf the cleats were glued on, the top might eventually spit) RATCHET SYSTEM. The angle ofthe top is changed by adjusting a simple two-part ratchet system. The prop (O) is hinged to the underside of the top, see Fig. 19. The ratchet (P) i installedinside the top frame, see Fig. 20. To start, cutthe prop to size and cut a 45" bevel atone end. Then screw one leaf f the ‘hinge tothe prop atthe square end, see Fig. 19. The other leaf ofthe hinge is screwed the bottom face ofthe top. Locate the barrel ‘of the hinge 954" from the back edge, and ‘eater it on the length ofthe top. ‘To make the ratchet, cut the stock to length for a close ft between the front and back aprons, see Fig.20.To cut the teeth, T used a34"“wide dado blade tipped at a 15° anglein the table saw, see Fig. 20a. Alter cuting the teeth give the ratchet 10 the dust pane in the top irame, contered on the length ofthe frame, see Fig.20. ATTACHING THE TOP. The list siep is to hinge the top to the front apron of the top frame, see Fig. 21. odo this, first serew the hinges into the mortises in the apron. Then ‘um the top and the stand upside down, and position the stand onthe topevenly entered ‘between the front, back, and sides. Now mark the position of the hinges on the bottomface ofthetop. Thisiseasierthan ‘you might expect since the hinges stick out 49 in font ofthe apron, see Fig. 21. Marke around the sides and barrel ofthe hinge. Next, remove the stand and take the hinges off the apron. Now align the hinges with your marks on the top and drill the screw holes, see Fig. 21a, Finally, serew the top othe stand, see Fig. 2. ‘The angle of ie top is easily adjusted, see Fig. 22. Note'The standalso makes anatirac tive at toptable, see photo on page 32 a sooc Rist” No. 82 u BOOK STAND After finishing the Book Stand with round legs, I decide to build a second one wih scquae legs (hat woulda’ require tanning on the lathe). Even thcug | only changed ne feature ~ the legs — it changed the ‘hole ook othe Book Sand JomIERY. | also had to re-design the method used io join the pieces ofthe lex ‘The round legs had tenaas tamed on the ens that tito oles in the corner blocks. Butwithouta athe that'snot possble onthe squareleg.So| imply created round tenons by gluing dowels into holes died ia the end ofthe legs refer to Fig 8. ‘MAKING Tite LEI, Te frst stepin bull ing the legs is to ext eight blanks of 1 are stock (finished length, see Fi ‘Aterthe blanks are cut to length, dlithe holes inthe eads oe legs to accept i" dowels, see Fig. 1. To do this on the dil press, see Shop Notes on paze 17. (No ‘There's no hole in the bottom end of the Iowerlegs) Shop Note: You need a good ft between the dowel andthe hole. but the diameter of commercially available dowels is rarely fxact Ifyou cant find dowels exactly 12° in diameter itsbetterto buy themalitle over ‘siaeand sand them down to tin the holes CHAMEE THE ENDS. The next step is 10 chamier oth ends ofthe upperlegs,btonly the op end of tuelower legs see Fig 1 TAPER LOWER LECS. To give the Book Stand a moredelicate appearance, Idevided {to taper the lower legs, and create adecora- Live “foot” atthe very botiom, see Fig. 1. iro, [eut the taperusing tapering jizon the table saw. Set the ito beginthe taper at the top end othe lower legs. FEET. To create the look ofa footon each leg, I sed the table saw again to cut a V: ‘groove 2" fromthebottamend, see Fig. 2.10 cul tilt theblade to45', and setit tocut ¥0" deep. lusedthe ripfenceasastop, setting i 2" from the blade, see Fig. 2a. ‘You can't use the miter gauge set at 90° when cutting the grooves — the ends of te ‘grooves on the adjcining faces won't align Instead, tithe miter gauge sothe bottom of the leg lat against the rip fence, see Fig. 2 ‘This is an angle of about 142’. Now the V- ‘grooves.can be cut in the lower legs. ROUND OVER THE EDGES. After the V- ‘grooves are cut, the upper and lower legs ‘can be softened by rounding over the edges: ‘with a 44" roundover bit mounted in the routertable, see Fig. 3 Once the legs are rounded, the corners of the Vgroowes need some work to look just right, see Fig. 4.1 used a chisel to cut the cchamfers evenly around the comers. CUE DOWELS AND ASSEMBLE, The fnal step is to cut a "dia. dowel into lengths, see Fig. 5. They're cut a shorter than the combined depth of the holes sothepieceswillcome together tight) Now the legs are ready to assemble tothe other parts ofthe stand, referto Figs. 16and 17 on pase 10. No. 82 SHOP PR OPE CT Micro-Adjustable Fence 1" the top slides along the base, the fence moves Mis" closer to or farther from the blade. That's What makes It so easy to move the fence in small increments. (For more on “How It Works.” | seethe box below.) | DRIFF. But what if your band saw blade doesn't cut ina straight line? It might lead or iif a little to one side or the other. Then you want to mount the fence parallel to the line of Arif rather than parallel to the side of the blade. (See Shop Notes, page 16.) Wiih this in mind, I built this fence eo it can be positioned on the band saw table to compen- sate for as much as 6” of drift. That's about 2" off square irom ‘ofa 14 band saw table tothe other. | A acter deretotee hand cee. But Sestees cake Challenge using a bard sw for cutis sight lin, euch as feos of aewiag To make abi sgh lean ey bad pewetier ed mee act iit spec fence Ur even Morison il pes abe) "The fencehas wo unique ey tavern itenceadea Sa mee eane tearoom bso ‘ayaa inctement, St eeesieniierls builtin clamping system at wit worconjstabou any band Zev table: does reautre Se eee stare (Completeintructonstor Tilding tusaewoatieaatic eace ween teeesod guide siparccutatiughimele ened adjustable top with an angled guide siripon The angie on the base and guide strip correct it the front edge. The adjoining edges of the translatesinto a ratio of 15101. So forevery Fortis onusing the fence, see page 15 EXPLODED VIEW ‘The twomain pats fthe fence (he base, and the top with ~ its guide strip) have angled eciges that slide against each. other. As the top slides along the base, it's similar to driving awedge against the base ....it moves the top away from (or closer (o) the base. ‘The angle is the key to controlling the amount of move- ‘ment. The 3¥2" angle produces a 16 to 1 ratio. By moving the top 1", you increase or decrease the distance between, ‘the fence and the blade by only 16". 1 1 No. 82 ‘Woodsmith B CUTTING THE PIECES [began building the band saw fence by cut ting the three tapered pieces: the guide strip %, base (B), and top (©), see Cutting Die ‘gram at right All the pieces are cut from a S4"thick plywood blank that’s 24" wide. I's ‘wider than needed to provide exira support when cuiting. (Note grain direction) ‘The length ofthe blank is determined by adding 44" tothe maximum depth (frontto bback) of your band saw table. This exira lengthallowsthefenceto overtang the table fon cach end for clamp blocks, refer to Fig 9a. The table on my Delta band saw isone of themore common sizes: 1144 deep. Sol cut my blank 1854" long. AUXILIARY FENCE. To support the whole width ofthe plywood blank whilecutting the tapered pieces, Tscrewed a 24"iong auxil- ary fence to my miter gauge, see Fig. 1 ‘Gutpe star. Now you're ready to cu the pieces. This is done in a series of steps starting with the guide stsip (A), see Fig-1 Firat se the miter gauge tocuta3L angle (9612. Now start the fest cut 2" from the camer ithe blank The narrow cutaffpicce isthe guide sp, ASE. Butthit cut does semething else. It creates the aged side ofthe secon piece, the base @). To cutoff the base (B), you could change the miter rauge setting to 90 and cut this piece off the end ofthe Blank But the third piece (ihe top, see Fig 3) alsa needs tobe cutatexactiy 312° And I dat Wwanttohaveto re-establish that angleonthe mitergauge Sol used the p feacetoculthie base Gi), see Fie. 2 “To do this, frst rotate the blank so the upper leteorner (marked with an Xin the ‘rawings) becomes the lower right corner, see Fig 2 Then, set the fence to ct off the Correct size piece, and rip the base off the Site ofthe blank CUTTING DIAGRAM = coe Ss 2, a : is a o 2 = es! USE wine nian fo ExreA supper "wna cure TAPERS Peces ‘Tor. The lest tapered piece to cut is the top (C). Since the bank has parallel sides again, switch back tothe mie gauge and make an angled cut, see Fig. 3 Savethe remainder ofthe blank iocutthe spacers and clamp blocks used later. 1 eae 2 = 3 Te TOP ‘Once the pieces are cuto'size,thenextstep isto cuta "wide slot in the top (C) for the ‘bolt that locks the top om the base. This slot iscut parllelto the angle edge. soe Fig. 4 DRILLED HOLS. To cuthiesiot, [started bby driling Y"-diameterstartand stop holes al both ends, see Fig. 4 ROUTSLOT. Nex tocataslot between the hnoles, [used ay’ straightbitmountedin the router table, see Fig. 5. To align the router table fence, drop one hole over the bit (vith the router tumed off) and center the bt in the hole. Then pall the fence up against the ‘workpiece and lock the fence in place. Trouted the slot in three progressively deeper passes. First, setthe height ofthe bit te cut about one third the thickness of the top. Then position the top so the bit is ‘centered in the left-hand hole, Turn on the router and routthe slots, see Fig. 5, GLUE UP. After the sot is eut, glue the suide strip (A) to the bottom side ofthe top piece (C), see Fig 6 Align the pieces so their ‘Straight edges (nottapered edges) are flush Shop Note. To keep the pieces algned while gluing, apply only a thin layer of glue. ‘Then, rub the glued surfaces together until thepiecesfeellike they're sticking together. Thenclamp unl the glue dries. HANDLE. To make the fence a litle easier toadjust, I cut and glued a ¥2"-wide strip of Ya"thick plywood to one endl of the topas a handle, see Fig. 6 14 Woodsmith BASE After the topscompleted, youcan build the base (B). The tapered piece is aleady cut But youneed to rip two Zvide strips olf the plywood blank — one to build up couple of spacersand one foracouple of clamp blocks, see Cutting Diagram on opposite page SPACERS. To make the spacers (D). fist ccut one of the strips in half and glue the pieces together. This makes 2 blank 119" thick (and longer than needed), see Fig. 7. Thethicknessofthe spacersshould equal the thickness ofthe band saw table minus Ye" (140 in my ease). So resaw the blank. tw finished thickness, see Fig. 72. Then cut the spacers to length (2"), see Fig. 8. [9] Neatyluethe spacers tathebouiomotthe | hace along the “square” edge, see Fig, 9 BOREHOLES. After the glue dries, step is to bore three holes in the base to accept 716" carriage bots. Begin by drilling a 1"diameter counter bore near the ends ofthe base to accept the head of the carriage bols, see Fig. 9. Then bore the Ms" shank holes, see Fig a Thethird boleiscentered onthe length of the base, andholdsa carriaze bolt that locks the base to thetop. Tobeiplocate the hole, used the slotin the top, see Fig. 10. Note: I offset the hole so the bolt rubs long one side ofthe slot, see Fig. 10a. This the top still move Dut is held ightly against the bas Alter driling the 6" hole, drill a. diameter counterbore on the bettom ofthe base, see Fig. 10a ‘CLAMP BLOCKS. Next, cut to 2 lamp blocks (F) rom the remain ‘wood strip, see Fig. 9. Then bore a3 ineach for the carriage bol. ASSEMMLY, Finally, assemble the fence using the carriage bolts, washers and T- ts). Note: For sources of ‘a, CROSS SECTION mu courts © Touse thefenceforripping,clampit to @ For resowing, first eremahighaurili- @ Tout tenons, first postion the fence to the band sa table at approzimately the ary fence tothe front edge ofthe adjustable cut the tenon a little thick. Cut both sides ‘desired distonce from the blade. Then tlide fence. (Makoweroity00"tothetable.) Then and check the fit. Sneak up on the exact rward or back to set exactdistance. adjust the fence as yourwouldforripping. setting byadjustingfence betweentest cuts. fonce No. 82 Woodsmith 5 SOME TIPSJFROM OUR (SHOP Shop Notes ‘MVheatuming espindl onthe isapieceof4*wideposterboard PATTERN SIDE. The pattern ofthe template works as an in- lathe to match patter, allyou cut the same length as the side of the template shows dicalor gauge. It shows when really need isaruler andcaliper. finished leg, sce Fig. 1. What where the different contours of you've reached the correct out- Bul, ifyou're making muliple makes this template a little the leg pattern are to be posi- Side diameter of beads, tenons, spindles, like the four legs for diferentis tat there are marks tioned along the length of the and tapers, and the correct in- the Book Stand on page 6, i's along both edges workpiece. By holding thisside Side diameter of coves, filets, simpler and more accurate to Along one edge of the tem- of the template against the spin- and V-grooves, see Fi. firstransferthe pattern oafull plateisaline of ck” marksthat ning blank, the position ofeach A template like this helps en- size template. Then tum each serveasaruler‘orlaying out the contour can be marked with a sureall spindles tumed fromthe leg following the teraplate, and pattern. The other edge of the pencil, sce Fig.2. ‘same pattem look identical. Be- they wilal be identical, suide has a series of cut-out CALIPER SIDE. AS the spindle cause they'reall made using the TEMPLATE. Thetemplateluse notchesusedlike acaliper. is being tumed, the other edge same template. BAND SAW “DRIFT” Sometimes the blade on a Now, as you feed the piece pushing the workpiece across (In Fig. 3, we're showing the band sw wl “rit” when you through the ble, ewing the the fle ata fais consistent” micro adjustable fence irom resaw a board into thinner end of the workpiec angle. Once the cut follows the page ISwith tall auxiliary fence pieces Thiscanhappeaifyoure drectosortheathertokeepthe pencil line foc'a coupe inches. tached ot) usingafence enthetable,ornot. blade cutting along the pencil turn off the saw and hold the Next, try cutting another ‘MEASURING DRIFT. To deter. line, see Fig. |. ‘workpieceatthenewangle.This piece of scrap along the fence. mineifyourbiade's driting, try Note: I' your blade is cutting isthe drift angle” ofthe blade. Even though the fence is at an resawing a piece of scrap wood. perfectly, you won't have to Now draw pencil ineoa the angle, the blade should cut Firstdrawapencilineaiong the Swing the end ofthe piece ata tablealong theinsideedge ofthe straight along the line. The im- top edge of the scrap picce to ELIMINATING DRIFT. If the workpiece, see Fig.2.Then pull portant thing here is to find the five yourself cut line to follow blade sdriftingin onedirection, the workpiece off the blade and correct angle. ciamp down the with the blade, see Fig. 1 you'l notice that you will be clamp afence down on the line. fence,and stay witht. DRILLING INTO THE END OF LONG STOCK Without a horizontal boring machine, i's difficult to drill straight hole into the end of a long workpiece, That'stheprob- Jem I faced while workiag on the legs of the Book Stand shown on page HOLDING 5G, So Lmade a jig {or the dril press table. The ig holds the leg off one side ofthe tables its straightup and down uunder the bit, see Fig. 3. HOW TFs MADE. The jig com sists ofablock that'sattoched to the frontof fence andbase, see Fig. 1. The block and fence are made from a length of 2x6. Firstripesch piece to widihto produce flat, square edges. ‘Then, glue and screw the fence to the top of a square plywood base, soe Fig. 1 Next, cut a brace from a 2x6 and glueitto one endofthe fence land base, see Fig. 1. This holds thefence perfecly ertcalas he hole is being bored, Now, to create a corner “pocket® where the workpiece is clamped, glue and screw the block tothe fence, see Fig. la SETTING UP. Before using the fig, check that the drill press table is perfectly perpendicular tothe dail bit To do this, swing the table from under the chuck and place the ig onthe table. ‘Now adjust the table so your Shs longest drill bit ages vertically with tot the fence and the block, se Fig. Neat, replace the dil wh 2 Por siner (or whatever Bit youll be using), and clamp the work Diets inthe pocket, “Hialiy, position | Tonae the holding ia on. beehstop dri tneizontetablese | Pech fiateiel the head overtheedgeof the centerpoint on | Mlbmeh Thensetpas described ate the bit aligns with Accenteroftheworkpicce. holes the same depth in ote aligned, clamp the ig t thetable on the drill press and align each ‘and drill the hole. Note: To dell workpiece with the top ofthejig DRILL HOLES, After the bit is workpieces, set the depsh stop 1 ener XN ENLARGING A ROUND TENON When turning a round tenon om the lathe, is easy to turn the tenon e litle too small, But thea thetenon wor'the a perfect tin themortice (hoe). WRAP WITH A SHAVING. So how do you make a round tenon larger after youve turned ittoosmall? First, plane a thin shaving from a piece of scrap. Then spread some giue on the tenon and wrap the curled shaving around i, seedrawing, ‘Whenthetenonis luedinthe mortise, the shaving becomes partofthejoint CHECKING FOR SQUARE WM Recause of the way they're built, the frames on the Book ‘Stand onpage 6ean'tbe checked for square in the usual way. The problem is, the comer blocks Retin the way ofa iy square. “To get around this problem, I first set up the miter gauge on ny table saw tocat aperfect 4". Then cut a small phece of ply- wood to act as a substitute fora try square. “Thea you have to tim off one ‘comer at an angle, Now, the ply ‘wood will easily clear the block the frame as you check the ‘comer for square. No. 82 ‘Woodsmith SHOP TTLPRS CONTEST Cutting Plywood ie ‘e recvived quite a few wood (48" Jong), the other for toleave 142" ofthebase Ifyou intend to use a blade cetries for the Cutting cutting the length of a sheet of stickingoutonthelefthandside that cuts a kerf of a different Plywood Contest that was an- plywood 25" long) as a wing for the clamps, see width, then youll have to build nounced in Woodsmnith No, 78. CUFTHEPIECES. Rip the pioce Figs. land2. another cutting guide fort. And surprisingly, one-third of for the base to a width of 12". CUTTOFITYOURSAW.Nowthe _USINGTHESAWGUIDE. Touse themwere simiariothecireular (This piece will betrimmed nar- saw guide hasto be customized the saw guid, first measureand Saw guide submitted by John rowerlster) 1 fit your circular saw.'To do mark the sheet of plywood at Nehring ofGrevette, Arkansas. _‘Todetermine the width ofthe this, trimoofthe righthand side bothedges. Nex aligntheright- But, John's had one small im- fence, measure the distance be- of the hase using the saw and handedge ofthe basetothe pen- provement overthe others. tweenyour saw’s base plate and blade you'l use when cutting cilmarksand clamp te guidein The nice thing about circular the motorhousing, see Fig. plywood, see Fig. 2. Note: This place, Place the saw’s base plate saw guides tke this is they're ASSEMBLY. Now, glue and willcusiomizethesaw guide for againstthe fence and cat across ‘quick toset up.You simply align screw the fence tothe base But that particularsaw and blade. the sheet of plywood, see Fig. 1. the edge of the guide with your layout line, see Fig. 1 1 2 Bulshe reason we liked Jolin's " was the clamping wing on the 3 lefthand side ofthe fence. This wing encures that the clamps used to hold the guide in place are far enough out of the way 20 thecircular sw'smotorhousing won't bumpinto them. -MAKETWO. The guide has two. parts. a base and a fence. Both Diecesarecatto the same length from ¥2" plywood, see Fig If you're going to build this circular saw guide, I recom- mend building two — one for culting across a sheet of ply- T-SQUARE ROUTER GUIDE ‘mWhen you think of cross-cut. noich routed into the head that ting plywood, you usually don't allows you to quickly postion think of using a router. But,a the Pquae Séraightbitintheroutercan pro- “To rout the notch rst clamp duce a crep, clean edge. The the Tequare toa picee of serap entry we received from Ronald plywood. Then, rout across the Graham of Salem, Oregon plywood and continue into the helps you do jus that Ron's T= head w cutthenotch. Nove Use square router guide isalso great it you plan to forcutting datoes. " BUILDING THE GUIDE. The USING MHE GUIDE To use the router guide is built fom two guide. frst mark layoutline an bieces of xt dock, see Fig. 1. the plywood. Then, positon the {Cutahead 30"longrand fence notch on the ine see Fig. 1a. 54" long) Nowclampthefence atte otier Oncethetwoiccesarecutto side of the plywood, making size, drill and screw them to- surethehead istightagainstihe sethorto formaT."Shop Note: edge ofthe piywood. {sea squarete poston thetwo To rout across the plywood, boards, and dont glue them to- hold the router's base plate gether —youmayhavetoadust agains the fence. Stat rom the forsquare late on. ‘Side oppesite the head and re- {ALIGNMENTNOTCH. The thing lease the routers power switch that makes setup quick is a justasthe bitentesthe notch. 18 ‘Woodsmith No. 82 A-FRAME SUPPORT Our favorite entry is this A Frame Plywood Support sub- mitted by Robert CalvertofSan Jose, California. The nice thing aboutthisentryisitallowsyouto cut full sheet of plywood while you're standing up. Albo, it can be set up and broken down by ‘one person injustafew minutes If there is one drawback 10 this support, its that you can't stand fullsize shestof plywood on end if your shop has a low ceiling. But, because it’s so portable, it can easly be moved tothe driveway. ‘PAKS, To build the plywood support, youll need six 2xt studs and a length of ¥4"-dia, owel rod (16" long). YouTalso eed two 312" carriage bolts with nuts and washers, and four rubber bumpers pris. Begin by building theuprights—thesearethe two sections the plywood leans against, se photo and Fig. 1. Each upright is constructed from two 2xt legs bolted to- getheralthe op. see Fig. 2. First cuta 75° miterat the bottomend ofeachleg. ‘Then drill « 7#dia, hole into the bottom for a dowel pin, see Fig. 3. (Thehole is oversized so 4.34" dowel pin will easily it in it) These dowels hold the "prighisto the base. ‘fer the holes are dried in thebottom ofthe uprights, cuta otc in the back legs to accept astretcher, see Fig. 1. “Then, drill Mi-dia, holes through the tps or the bls see Fig? 1HASE RAMS. To build the base rail, Grstcuttwo2x'stolength, see Fig. Then, lay out and cut a notch in each for the base Stretcher, see Fig. 1. Now, dil and glue the dowspin inplac ‘Tohelpprevent the rails rom siding onthe floor, add worab- bberbumpers othe bottom ends ofeach rll see Fig. 3 SIRETCHERS. Lateral support forthe A-rame is provided by a Stretcher across the hack les, sceFig. The distance betweea the base rails is matntained by a base stretcher. (The piecestock. tegether ike Lincoln Log.) ‘ASSEMBLY. Now the whole thing can be assembled. But there's one final step before the ‘support canbe used “Toallow a sheet of plywood to lic Hat agains the uprights, trim the “ears” off the hack legs see Fig 2. USING THE AFRAME. To cut a sheet of plywood, lean it against the uprighte with the bottom edge of the plywood resting on the baserails, see phote, ‘Note: You can crosseut and ipa sheet of plywood using this support. But always position the plywood so the waste side ofthe Sheet isat the top and your saw iscuttng parallel tothe floor. After the plywood is posi ned, clamp the waste (op) side to the uprights, sce photo. This does two things: it makes the support miore rigid, and it prevents the waste fram collaps ing down on the saw blac asthe cut ismade. Once the plywood is cut, un lamp and remove the waste ‘Then, lit away the good piece. 1 {2 COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS BLOTCHY STAI WL just finished building pro Jjeclout of maple. Todarkenthe ‘vod, Fused a stain on top of a stain controller. The finish turned out terribly Blotchy. 1 ‘thought stain controllers were ‘supposed to eliminate blotches. Whathappened? Kris Hall Las Cruces, NM Ws not unusual fo end up with a Dlotchy finish after staining ‘maple —evenifyou first used a ‘tain controller. Stain contrat Jers are only intended to min- imize blotches, not eliminate ‘them completely. WI came across some cherry that really caxght my eye —it vas a lot darker than the sal | mon-colored cherry Pm usedto seving.[-astold the cherryhad been through a steaming process. Why is this dome and twhat’s the process all about? ‘Andre Albert Fort Wayne, Indiana Up until recently, steaming was limitedto walnut. Butnow,some lumberprocessors are steaming cherry. Isa process that blends the pigments from the darker heartwood in with the lighter sapwood. Steeming cherry pro- ces a darker. cherooking wood, with an even color ‘throughout the beard—ithelps ‘maskthe sapwood. STEAMED CHERRY If you looked at a piece of ‘maple through a microscope, you'd see end grain where you ‘don't nomally expect it — on the surface of the Board HOW STAINS WORK. The pig mentsin stain dont ecakcintothe ‘wood fiver, they actually setle inthe pores of the wood. When stain swiped away, some of te pigments are trapped in the oresand lett behind. ‘Thedeeperthe pore,themore slain it holds. Some areas, such as end grain areas on the sur face, hold more pigment. This causes bloiches. bloiching is to be more selective what boards | use. ‘Whea selecting ‘wood, look on the edge ofthe board for a tight, even grain pattern throughout Ideally, look for ‘boards with straight BYE aprEaL. “Cherry pro- duced in one partof the country Ssnotnecessarily the same color as what's produced in other Darts ofthe country —it doesa't have the same eye appeal,” ac cording to fim O'son, a profes- sori the Forestry Department atthe University of Kentucky. ‘Typically, cherry from the warmer growing regions (south- cem[ndiana and Kentucky) hasa ‘wider band of sapwood and a ‘ayer color than cherry from the colder growing regions (Pennsylvaniaand Wisconsin), By teaming cherry to even ‘out the color, processors have ‘been able to turn loge into lum ber that in the past may have ‘only madcitto the frewood ple. Talking Shop rain — they take stain better. ‘Avoid boards with sisting patierns or grain that seems 9 {ake off in an odd Aicection — this is ‘where surface end grain can show up SANDING. After Even with a stain controller, maple can careful wood selec turn out blotchy. The key t0 minimizing tion, another impor- blotchiness is wood selection and sanding. tant step to prevent blotchinessistosandtheproject thoroughly. Sand the entire sur- face with progressively smoother grits of sandpaper tantil you reach 120 grit. (If you're working with 2 porous ‘wood, go up to 180 grit. The higher the grit, the more you'll seal upthe pores) “The final sanding (using the same grit sandpaper) must cover the ontire project. If you don't. some areas will take the stain differently than others. Once youre through with the inal sanding, finish up with the STEAMING. Stee ingtakesplace while the wood is sill ‘green. Itwoa't work ‘nn dried wood. next higher grit on any exposed fend grain (areas such as the tends of shelvesand door stiles) ‘This wil fil inthe pores ofthe end grain with finer particles of ‘wood dst Then when the stain is applied, it won't penetrate theve areas as deeply ‘STAIN CONTROLLER. As final step, apply 4 stain controller ‘such as Minwax Wood Cond toner or MeCloskey's Stain CContrller. These products are made to partially ithe pores of the wood and prevent the stain frombuilingup, “Steaming usually Steamed cherry (on left) is darker than lasis about 72 “regular” salmon-colored cherrs. It looks hours," according to as fitealready developed a warm patina, ‘Tom Koetter of Bor- den, Indiana. Tom, who's been Steaming cherry for years says, “It all depends on how much lumber is being steamed at one timeandhow thick thelumberis you're working with.” Steaming takes place i a chamber thatactslike big pres- sure cooker. The boards are Stacked on a rack suspended over a vat of water. Then the water temperatureisbroughtup so the room is saturated with Steam. Once the chamber's temperature reachesabout 180°, its held af that temperature for the entire steaming period. ‘As steam penetrates the ‘wood, condensation begins to form. Then the pigment flows fromthe heartwood intothe wood. Once steaming is complete, the wood is loaded into the dry cin. 20 ‘Woodsmith, No. 82 ‘Over the years, most of my projects have boon buil from Fed'eand tes's Now Text to start building come of he pro jects shown tn Weodemith Which saue blades shout atari outwith for my 10 table saw? ‘Allen Brandtt Liberty, eas When it comes to outfting 2 shop with saw blades, t usually boils down to one ting — how ‘much money youwantto spend. ‘Whether youre jus staring out or have been woodworking for Sometime. lalwaysrecommend buying the best blades you ean aifor I's ike anything else — the best usually pays for iselh ver time ‘COMBINATION BLADE. The first Made I recommend fr the slop Is a good carbidesipped combination Bade. Tn the Woodamitk shop we ase a Forrest Woodworker I SAW BLADE SELECTION (about $110 etaiD. But another sgood choice would be a Freud SAN about $50). (Note: See page3t for sources of blades) ‘A combination blade is de- signed for ripping and croseeut ting wood. As your budget per- mits, would adda 24s001h car- bide ip blade (particularly ood for ripping thick hardwoods), and a 6DMooth erosscut blade (dis use for cuting miter) PLYWOOD BLADE. My next choice is a plywood blale, You cancutplywood withacombins tion blade but it will probably lewearnughedge ‘eally what you're looking for isa blade with alot of small teeth. Large teeth will tear out big pieces of wood. Smaller teeth will nip out small pisces producingacieaner edge, Forplyweod usea Wisconsin Kafe Works WKW-PL (8000). Its an 80 tooth carbidesipped blade (about $80). But I've got- ten good results inthe past with Sears 200tooth stee! plywood blade (about $13) “The big difference between these two blades is how long. ihey stay sharp, We cut a fot of plywood in the Woodsmith shop, and the carbide teeth on the WKW-PL stay sharp longer. But this is one time T'é recomm- mend spending less. ‘Many woodworkers dontt cut largeamounts of plywood. you don't, you might consider the Sears steel blade (or one similar tot). One nice thing about this saw blade is that when it be. comes dull you can spend around $6 to have it sharpened, just buy a new one. [STACK DADO SET. Next you should consider a stack dado SeUThisisasctotblades thatare ‘Used to cut rabbets and dadees “Theyre not cheap—a goad set sls for 81000 more There are less expensive “wobble” type dado blades on the market, but F don't recom mead them — they dos't pro- duce afat bottom. Tn the Woodemith shop we use a Forres 8” ack dado Set (about $270), There are others that are amostasgood ut ot cosas much Freud and Delta both make excellent 6" and 8 sets (110- $140). The 6 set cuts 4 11 ‘deep groove. This is more than adequate for most projects WMany jige in Woodemith call Jor tempered” hardboard suck ‘as Masonite. But I'rehaving a hard time locating it. It xeems the local suppliers Im dealing with are selling regular hard. board jor temprored kandboard. Isthere any sure way of telling one from the other? Henry C. Tunesi Si Louis, Missouri Other than taking the sales- man's word fort, the only way to tell if is tempered or not isto look for yourselt. To do this, you'll have to walk out into the lumber yard and look at the stack of hardboard. (By the way, Masonite is just ane brand of hardboard — there are many other brands available) Tithe manufacturer of the hardboard is a member of the American Hardboard Associa- tion (AHA), you're in huck. The [AHA has adopted standards set by the American National Stand- ards Institute (ANS) for labe! ing and marking the ive differ cent“classes” of hardboard Of the five classes, “service tempered” and “standard” are the two most often found in 4x8 sheets, “Service tempered” fs what we use most often in our jigs — it's been treated with additives to ‘make it harder and sistant than “stand- ard" hardboard. WHAT TO LOOK ror. Hardboard is shipped from the factoryin big stacks. to what clase it is. These mark ings can be found running down thesides ofthe stack, see photo, (tsa litte hard to see the mark ingon the edgeofe single sheet. ‘That's why you have to look at thewholesiack) Prior to shipment, Its easier to sve hardhoavd “class” mark- each stack is marked according ings by looking at the whole stack, The ‘markinge should be onat least teo comers “Service tempered” hard- Doar is marked with two red stripes, and “standard” is marked with one green stripe. ‘The location and exact color of the stripes may vary slightly be- tween manufacturers, fo tka Solving a problem (or avoiding one inthe firs place) is part of every project. But the best solutions area't ak ‘ways obvious — they often ‘come from one who's faced the problem before. Uyouhaveaproblem, sok tion, question, oreven agripe. smaybewe (oranother reader) fhe Jat wie o Wend, No. 82 ‘Woodsmith, a WEEKEND PROJECT Drafting Cabinet There never seems to be enough clear space for making notes in the shop. That’s what this Drafting Cabinet is for — to add a place for drawing and storing plans. Without taking up floor space. oovtworkers tend to think with their hands, When I getan idea aboutabet ter way to build a project, I draw a picture. If ‘thereisn'tany paperaround, Midraw onaserap piece of wood, or even the wall ‘That's what this Drafting Cabinet is de signed for. Ita dedicated work station for de- Signing in the shop. Fold down the door and there's awork surface large enough for a 14" x 17* piece of drafting paper and 3 24" T-squate. ‘Whenthedoor’sciosed, the cabinetonly sticks ‘out 7" from thewall. (takes up nofloorspace.) ‘OPTIONS. A bulletin board can be installed inside to hold drawings for projects that are ‘underway. Also, there's rack that can be b to keep things organized inside (see page 27) MaTERIALS. I built the cabinet from birch, ‘Thedoorhasabirch plywood panel with a solid birch frame. Birch isa good material for shop fixtures —its strongand clean looking. “Tofinish he project wiped ontwo topcoats of General Finishes’ Am-I¢-Seal (satin) ‘SUPPLIES. Ifyou use the Drafting Cabinet a Jot, youshould consider gettingasetofdrafting tools such as a Tsquare, and some triangles But most important isa good drawing surface. “The inside of the door should beenvered by material you can draw on easily. (You dont ‘want to poke through the paper) A sheet of Doster board works fine, Butte best surface is «4 Boroo cover: See page 31 for sources of draft ‘ng equipment, andalsoakitwith thehardware needed to build this Drating Cabinet. [NOTESONDESIGN. To learn more about what went into the design of this project, see the article beginning on page 28 Woodsmith No. 82 EXPLODED VIEW a ‘CLEAT CROSS SECTION Syn star 7 ia7s ead Te + G0) #8x 117 Pn Woodscrews + 28)! 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