-'t

contents
WOOM magevine lssue 35 September 2001, 1

proiects & techniques

U stylishsleighbed
Usingour simpleapproach, build this popular bed design-the first projectof a five-piece matching set.

3-in-1work support
Youquicklycanchange no-frills this standto fulfillthree workshop tasks.

50 crown molding
Seehow easyit is to sawand install classytrim to your home'sinteriors. No compound cuts required!

displaystand 56 adaptable
Talkaboutoptions-you can personalizethis homeaccentto showcase yourfavorite items,largeor small.
Sleighbed coverphoto:Andy Lyons

66 6 jointerpointers
Discover secrets successful the to edging, surfacing, rabbeting. and

68 wipe out chip-out

Avoidmarring workpieces during machining theseproven with tips.

70 storybooklamp/nightlight
patterns scrollsaw to Useourfull-size panels thisdresser the playful of lamp that doubles a nightlight. as

74 frames of endearment
your photoswith Enhance favorite theseeasy-to-make designs.

78 how to mount pictures

photos Getthe lowdown installing on or artworkin yourwell-crafted frame.

contents
2001, lssue 135 September

tools

& materials

60 tried-and-true6" jointers
Findout whichmachines make the cut in ourtestof fivenewmodels.

departments
6 editor's angle 8 talking back 14 wood online 16 ask wood 20 router bit storage
of Cutanddrilla variety woodblocks to create handydrawerorganizer. a

joinery 22 low-techpocket-hole
joints Trythismethod securing for jig. without buying expensive an

24 shoptips 83 productsthat perform pine 86 longleaf

ThisSouthern findsits mostuse tree in pressure-treated products. wood 96 what's ahead in the next issue

..,,,i;,{jlillir$,

Better Homes and GardensoWOODv magazine(ISSN-0743-894X) publishednine times a year in is February,March, April, May/June,July/August,September, October, November, and Decemberby Meredith Corporation,1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. postagepaid at Des Periodicals Moines,Iowa, and additionalmailine offices.BetterHomesand Gardens trademark reeistered Canada in and Australia.Marca Registrada Mdxico. ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION pruCnSI U.S. and its posen sessions, PostPublications Mail SalesProductAgreement $28; Canada, $41; othercountries, $49. Canada No. 1369350.CanadianBN 12348 2887RT. CANADIAN RETURN ADDRESS: Better Himes and Gardens WOOD magazine, 2744 Edna Street, Windsor, Ontario, N8Y lV2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes Better Homesand GardensWOOD magazine, to P.O. Box 37439,Boone, IA 50037-0439.

WOOD magazine

S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

Better

editortsanste

let me tell you about the new guy

issueof the magazine,Iwas i I n the last I so excitedto fill you in aboutour i GREAT AMERICAN WORKSHOPS i by cosponsored DeWalt, CONTESTTM, to that I neglected passalongone important pieceof information.I'm new here. New to thejob of Editor-In-Chiefthat For magazine. the is, not new to WOOD@ past 13 years,I wrote tool-review,woodand working-technique, projectarticles. with the Now that I've beenentrusted overall editorial direction of your magayou zine,I'm guessing might wantto know more aboutwhat makesme tick. Like you, there'snothingI would rather beautifulout of do thanbuild something Although I've mademany projects wood. I've of from pastissues WOOD magazine, managedto producemy fair shareof also firewood from stock intendedfor other pu{poses, suchas furniture.Yes, I'm still by I'm surrounded a Fortunately, learning. writers, designers, staff of woodworkers, and artistswhosetalentsare second-toI none.In the monthsahead hopeto give you sneakpeeksinto how theseunique individualsdo their jobs. I'm always amazedwith the imaginative things they comeup with, andI think you'llfind it reading. interesting Besideswoodworking,all of us on the producingthe staff shareanotherpassion: and entermost informative,inspirational, anywhere. taining woodworking magazine We aim to bring you only projectsof good taste,onesthat you'll find useful and practical to build. Every issueshoulddeliver skills that makethe most of your tools and materials, and productreviewsthat help you squeeze maximum value from your

l,lo. 18, 6 2001 September . Vol. No. o lssue 135 BltL KRIER Editor-ln-Chief Editor Executive JIMHARR0LD KEMMET Editor Managing MARLEN PETER Editor/Features J. STEPHANO Managing Assistant SVEC Prolects JAl{ Editor HALE Editor CAMPBELT Products DAVE Editor P0LI0CK Techniques JIM BOYLE Editor KEVIN Design KEI{T WETSH Editor Design L HEDLUN0 Builder Manager/Project CHARLES Shop Ct()SNER Manager Production/0ffice MARGARET MUNY0N SHERYT Assistant Administrative Specialist V0llRUDEN Reader-Contact 8EN LeMO|NE, B0XAN]{E L0RNA lllustrators JOHNS0N, MIKE TIM CAHILL, MITTERMEIER MARTY Photographer BALDWII{ Contributing GARRY DAVE Technical Consultants HENDERS(IN, SMITH JIM Craftsman HEAVEY Contributing ProofreaderSAIIDERS JIM TIM ArtDirector ALEXANDER J0HN Art AssociateDirector MEEK A. CHERYLCIBULA Art Assistant Director MARK HAGEN Publisher
Ave., 0tlice:333N.Michigan Suite'1500, Adveilising FM: Phone: 312853-2890 312580-7906 lL Chicago,60601 Manager HUGHES JIM Advertising DAKIS Manager CAR()LYI{ MailResponse R(lN Executive G0LMINAS Account NEII Executive KIRBY Account LAC0MBE MARK Executive Account (Detroit 248/356-321 6) TRAVIS ASSiStANt MARGARET SaIeS IHERESA C00KS Assistant Sales

wooD.
Homes and Gardenso

cash.And, you'll gain hard-earned insights from other craftsmenthat you can put to immediateusein your shop.You nothingless. deserve in Now, I'm interested gettingto know you a little more.When you havea secjot ond, please down your thoughtsabout WOOD magazine,and how we can serve you better.How do you feel aboutour Is project selection? therea greatproject How aboutthe comwe've overlooked? plexity of our projects,tips, and techniques? Too hard,too easy,or just right? I promiseto readeachand every letter,pass your commentsalong to the staff, and due give your suggestions consideration Sendyour during our planningsessions. to correspondence me at 1716LocustSt., Or, GA3l0. Des Moines,IA 50309-3023. sende-mail to woodmail@mdp.com. Oh yes, about the GREAT AMERICAN WORKSHOPSCONTEST-Ihe entry is deadline October1, 2001,so you still haveplenty of time to enter.(Seepages 24 and25 of the August issue,or go to com/misc/wkshophttp://wood magazine. for contestrules and an entry contest/ form.) But don't delay-you could win in someof the $10,000 freetools.

R. UTILLIAMREED Director Publishing FEAR Director CRAIG Business Associate RICK Manager GR0W Product Senior g Services PAT Manager HE}IDERSH0IT Advertisin Director PRIEN KATHI Marketing Consumer DAVE Manager H(INOID Marketing Consumer
WARD Director JERRY Publishing President Vice

GROUP PUBTISHING MEREDIIH M.IACY STEPHEI{ President KAPLAN JERBY Magazine President Group BR0WNSTEII{ Group MICHAEL Sales DETATH0UDER ELLEN Services Creative BRUCE Manufacturing HEST0N KARTA JEFFRIES Marketing Consumer MAX and Finance Administration RUNCIMAN

Executive 0fficer President Chief and T. WltLlAM KERR,

Committee of lll, E.T.MEREDITH Chairman the Executive 2001 MeredithCorporation @Copyright Printedin the U.S.A. All rightsreserved. Customer Service Information: For service on your subscription, including change of address, c_ontactus at wwiv.woodmagazine.com/service or call 800/374-9663. Subscription mailing address: Better Homes and Gardens WOODhagazine, P.O. Box37439, Boone, IA 50037-0439. Pleaseenclose your addresslabel from a recentissue.Editoriat mailing addres: The Editor, WOOD magazine, 17l6 Locust Street,GA3l0, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023.For questions on editorial, questions about how to reach an advertiser, or to place an advertisement in our magazine call 8ffi/374-9663. To order back issues call 800/346-9663. Article reprints, send $5 per article (no phone orders), include issue and name of article, to WOOD Article Reprint Service, P.O. Box 349, Kalona, lA 52247, check or money order made payable to WOOD masazine.

t6
WOOD magazine

ilr^l
S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

talkin

back

updates and comments, timely board Our bulletin forletters,

could truck wood

in Touches article issue TheFinishing "How truck much woodcana wood 125, picprompted to digoutthese me truck?" in of tures taken 1950 myfathe/slogging The Oregon. near operation Eugene, are trucks thephotos gasoline-fueled in Whites. 1947 Douglas I thinkthatgreen Right: fir weighs about pounds winch, A I two per board foot.lf Al big logs, and a lot of wire guess the that Guenther's rope make login hispicture contains an on-site feetis right, crane for 28,000 board loading logs the logwould weigh and position224,000 approximately ing a trailer. pounds. 18-wheeler log Below: Logs An cafry more hauls a trucknormally logs over a load. 50,000-pound stream. Logs keptfromrolling are log by off a trailer's bunks (Loggers call caulk blocks. Notice themcheese blocks.) in thatin Al'spicture issue 125, cheese the blocks are at theendsof the bunks, set the which 8'wide, width are truck. Thenormal of the lengths logsare for sawmill 40'. 32'and An 8'-diameter log32'long, contains 14,560 board feet,and would weigh 116,480 pounds.question the I whether springs the We checl<edwith USDAForest handle even Products Lab in Madison, Wisconsin,and andtireson thattruck could theycorroboratedyourfigure of 8 pounds weight. thismuch private per boardfoot for greenDouglasfir. In Bytheway,the timberland grewbackwith in shown the photos fact the numbertheygaveus is 8.216 poundsper boardfoot. At this rate, a 6'fir in Douglas andwasreharvested years. wasreplanted is diameterlog, 32' long wouldweigh about recent lt and growing thirdcropof Douglas timits fir 65,000pounds,probably closer to the job now truth. Evenso, the limitingfactor would ber.Loggers do a better of not necessarilybe the carrying capacity of stream, wildlife, soilprotection, and and moreor the truch but the load rating of the roads utirize ":Y,;::i:::, Roseburg, and bridges. ore

lf a wood truck

The classic woody rides again

the another Aftergetting urgeto build 31, fromwaybackin lssue woody classic that spokedI discovered the laser-cut avaihble wheelinserts no longer are lfoundanother supplier. fromtheoriginal laser with company a computerized cutfor to terthatwaswilling cutthe parts me.Theymade a

Continued on page 10
WOOD magazine September 2001

talking

back Dust collection for the pocket-hole jig

I'moneof thehappy users David of jig pocket-hole Brunson's router table ldeas issue in 124. we As fromGreat
are all proneto do, I madea couple modifications, shownin the drawing at right. First,I enclosed the jig'send witha plywood paneland boreda holeto acceptmy shop hose.Then vacuum I addeda second stopin the miter gaugeslotto pre-

foranyone whowants resurrect else to project. thisgreat

-Bill Bomgaars, LeMars, lowa Wetalked to Mike Driscoll at Drico Productsin LeMars,Iowa, They'll provide a set of sixspoked-wheel insertsand a photocopyof the articlefor $7 ppd. (lowa residents add salestax.) Call toll888/577-3257 uedit card orders, free, for or go to www.dricoproducts.com.

cutting ventmefromaccidentally the through panel.

-Royall Clark, Brookings, Ore.

Borea holeto fit yourshop-vacuum hose.

Saw blade cleanliness is next to sharpness

I'd liketo add to the discussion the of whenripping causes burning of stockon yourtablesaw in that appeared Hot Off in the lnternet issue123.In my 22 years I've of running sharpening a service, learned that resinbuildup the sidesof on The the teethcan causeburning. teeth to on regular carbide blades ground are provide 5-.020"sideclearance, .01 in shownexaggerated the drawing below. Thin-kerf blades haveabout.010" lt takemuchresin clearance. doesn't to especially buildup losethisclearance, whenworking with softwoods. Oncethe is buildup the samewidthas the faceof the tooth, bladewill burn,evenif the the with toothis sharp.Periodic cleaning bladecleaner remove to this resinbuildup results smoother in sawing. -Clete Rhinelander, Wis. Gillis, Cleteruns Gillis SharpServiceand specializesin sharpeningcarbidetooling.

%o"clearance betweenpanel and router tabletop

#8 x 1t/a'F.H.wood screw s/q 3zlezx 12" stock x

Adiustment info for Delta drum sander

The is availin drip tray. product readily stores. ableat RVsupply

-Sam Shanman, CiU,Calif. Studio Intheissue toolreview drum 130 of you Delta's customer sersanders, listed vicephone number obtainingtechfor a nical bulletin adjusting table the Modification gives on the of I the Delta drum sander.called clamps even tension 31-250 number wastoldthatthere wasno A shoptip in issue125showshowto and I would to geta copy like m a k e a s i m p l ef o u r - c o r n efrr a m e such bulletin. forfuture reference. youhelp? Can -Duane, viae-mail Rather than calling Delta's customer service number, listed in the article, try Delta's technical assistanceline at

800/223-7278.
-Dave Campbel[ W00DoProducts Editor

Ready-made dehumidifier for your shop

W O O DF o r u mi n i s s u e1 3 1 m e n t i o n s h a n g i n g b u r l a p a gf u l lo f c a l c i u m a b c h l o r i de over a bucketto dehumi di fy rust on a n u n heated shop and prevent th e m achi nery. Therei s a handyprepackaged version this calledDrtZof Aire.I use it in my RV whenit is in storage.DrlZ-Aireis baggedcalciumchloridepellets a plastic in withbuiltbasket 10

I c l a m p .B e c a u s e m a k e a l o t o f t s m a l lb o x e s ,I d e c i d e d o m a k e t h e s ec l a m p s ,b u t w i t h o n e s o m eo f s m a l lc h a n g e .I i n s t a l l e d t h r e a d e d a i n s e r ti n o n e l e g o f e a c h c o r n e r , r a l i g n i n g t w i t ht h e t h r e a d e d o d . i Thi sgi vesme moreevenclam ping pressure and doesawaywith one wing nut in each corn "'' -rrr*un Reid, Trenton, nnt.
Continued on page I2 WOOD magazine S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

talking

back
Whole-shop air cleaner needs a bigger duct
feasystem The whole-shop air-cleaning turedin issue120 is a greatideaat a price.However, the very reasonable 31/qx12" you usedis lessthanhalf duct the of to the sizeneeded handle volume you specified. I by air pulled the blower duc t . bui l tmi new i tha 10x12" -GeorgeWhitney, Mills, Gravois Mo

Write Us!
criticisms, suggescomments, Doyouhave specifically even tions,or maybe a compliment in to that related an article appeared writeto: Please W00b magazine? Talking Back W00Dmagazine 1716Locust GA310 St., Des Moines,lA 5(B0g-3{I23 ore-mail attalkingback@mdp.com. us of Dueto the volume lettersande-nails we to receive, canonlyrespond andpublish we to those thegreatestinterest ourreaders. of

12 Introducing the New Delta Store.

W O O D m a g a z i n e S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

Thp into the Power of the Pros.

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you to How benefit going www.woodonline.com by

lmprove your skills and get free woodworking plans

If the bestthingsin life ruly arefree, you'll be one happywoodworkerafter visiting the WoodworkingBasicsSectionat WOOD ONLINE. You'llnot only find helpful, designprinciples,and dustcollectionto no-costarticleson everythingfrom abrasives, joinery, and sharpening, you'Il get access to finishes, dozensof free plansfor jigs, fixtures,and other shop p ,' ,, { {} t H F.ffir lt{*: : Frr.rnd sioo 3It go helpers. find this feature, to woodonline.com, To click on the WOOD MAGAZINE buttonon the left.$lilci!'sft vtlnr* l trv*eilft @ rrDb handsideof the page,as shownat left, thenclick on Basicson the drop-down menu. Woodworkin-q Visit often.We add a new article andprojectplan We'lleven remind everytwo weeks. to this section you automatically new offeringswhen you sign of It up for the free WOOD ONLINE newsletter. )Edo.hlE*s comesto you every otherweek via e-mail, and )tlfidcfifi.dl.h.n )ShqTotrs you on all the latesthappenings. get this To updates go and service, to woodonline.com click on the yel) Hrl ol Fr|||r )Bad(bcjac comer.By signlow starburst the upper-lefthand in ) FFEECIIIE ing up you'll alsoget free woodworkingtips, sweepupdates, notificationof manufacturers' and stakes specialtool pricing.

Get the scoop on nearly 3O important woods

you To build projectssuccessfully, have the to understand materialyou're working of with. Of course,variousspecies wood best differ greatlyin their appearance, uses,and machiningmethods.So, before you tacklea new wood, checkout the Wood Profilessection.You'll find inforand mation on identifying,purchasing, working with key domesticand imported hardwoods and softwoods. to Go woodonline.com, on theWOOD click side MAGAZINE buttonon the left-hand thenclick on Wood Profiles of the pa-qe, menll. on the drop-down

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Why shop online?

No matterwhereyou live, you won't find a storethat offers the variety of quality convenience of helpful advice,low prices,and unmatched woodworkingproducts, shoppingat WOOD ONLINE. Here's a sampling: .WOOD MALLo features more than two-dozenstoreswith more than 50,000products, including specials and closeouts greatprices. at .WOOD STOREo offers hundreds plans,downloadable seminars, books, WOOD of magazine back issues, and WOOD merchandise. .ClassifiedAds enableyou to buy or sell usedtools directly with otherwoodworkers aroundthe country. The adsare free and run for 60 days. .Woodworking Sources point you to hard+o-findhardware, lumber,projectparts,shop i for For tools, and other supplies. example,a search "hinges" will yield ' you more than 20 sources. f .Tool Comparison Chartshelp you get the right tool for your informationin the WOOD budget.You'll find comparison MALL areacoveringdozensof the most-used woodworkingtools. Go to woodonline.com click on and the SHOPPING button.
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WOOD magazine

Septem

askwood
ONL|NEo and e-mails, W00D

questions letters, from to Answersyour

Does spalting weaken wood?

1Ff I recently purchasedsPalted maple to make a sewing machine \J andr orange cabinet. Does the spalting process purpleheart, to' weakenthe wood enough so that it colors? change will no longer hold screws, plane ade' Arewe talkingabout quately, etc., for furnituremaking? -Ron Stewart, or N.C. days,months, years? Franklin, -DickWaEon, Molinos, Calif. Los "spalting" is actually the natural A processof wood decaying.In some A Dick, we checkedwith exotic wood A presidentof A expert Keith Stephens, light-colored woods, such as maple, the A Purpleheartseemsto last the Fl longest of the woods that change Woodworkers Sourcein Phoenix, and he fungi moving through the wood leaves noticeably.My purpleheartpiecesstill calligraphyJike marks also called "zone saysthat somewoods can changevery quickly. The rate dependson the amount look great after about four years.Osage lines." The strengthof the wood is orange still retains a lot of yellow but is of exposureto light, but Osageorange determined by how much decay has not nearly as bright as originally. It's can go from bright yellow to russet occurred.I turn lots of spaltedmaple taking on a real pleasanttan. Padauk brown in less than 6 months, even that I harvesthere in Iowa. Punkinessis seemsto go quite rapidly although I like more of a problem than loss of strength. indoors. Padauk,as anotherexample, can dim from bright orangeto a reddish- the deepburgundy it changesto. If the stock is cut thin (less than Vz"),it Ultraviolet (UV) light, which is present brown in just a few weeks. sometimescan crack at a zoneline if up As for purpleheart,the heartwoodactu- in sunlight, speeds the change,so enoughpressureis applied. avoid it if possible,or use a finish that ally is a dull brown while it's inside the I have seenlots of beautiful furninre provides more UV protection. free, then turns a vivid purple when cut madefrom spaltedwood. Becausespalt-,lohn C.Lucas, Tenn. Cookeville, and exposedto air. It darkensover time, ing is different in eachpiece of wood, you'Ilneed to make your own determina- but more slowly, as you can seein our I turned two decorative purpleheart samplesbelow. tion as to the snengthof the wood. l -{r,000 magazine A bowls about nine months ago. I Although I have never seenany medical sandedeachto either 1,000or 1,500grit evidenceabout the risks of breathingairWe laid a ruler on thesewood and did not put a finish on them, as I borne wood fungi, I recommendwearing and left them in the samples, didn't want to lose or deepenthe color. light.In a few weeks'time, a mask when working with spaltedwood, the exposedareas began On the foot of one of the bowls, I especiallywhen sandingit. to darkennoticeably. -MarlenKenmet, intentionally left one ring magazine W00D@ The vibrant color unsanded. of purpleheart has mainPunky spaltedwood sucksup the A tained itself on both of frl R*str, which makesfinishing diffithe pieces,exceptfor the cult. Getting a smooth surfaceon the part, which has now unsanded punky parts can be fficky, too. -Kenneth turned brown. Texas Anderson, Antonio, San About eight years ago, I bought an expensive,multitrayedjewelry box made of purpleheart and spalted maple. After a couHowlongdoesit takefor bright,

How lons do exotic cdlors last?

colorfulwoods,suchas Osage

Continued on page 18
WOOD magazine September 2001

ask wood
in teach baseball, startedturn- lcoachhighschool ple of years,the purpleheart thinkbat-turning the woodshop,and I ing brown.But to this day whenever wouldbe a fun andchallenging openup the box, it's still the beautiful purple color on the inside. -Jay Patel, Calif. Fremont,
Call Paxtonin Denverat souvenir! or 8001332-1331, checktheir otherstores the across U.S. -Gary Colo. Brighton, Kreutzer, Try www.kencraftcompany.com. The KenCraftCompanyof Toledo, Ohio, hasashbat blanksfor $10.95plus shipping. Sendan e-mail,and they'll shipthe blanksvia UPS.
-David Peebles, Lyons, 0hio

project' where "I:i: :l^l!,lJ* * u,,

Where can I find bat blanks?

I wouldliketo find some12l4 whiteashto usefor turningbats.

A I haveboughtashbat blanksfrom Fl PaxtonLumber Company.They are and about39" long. about3" in diameter The price is around$16.My brother of turneda bat from the dimensions a brokenbat used by Dante Bichette.He took it to spring training and it showed to Dante,who used it in batting practice, signed it, thengaveit back to my brother.What a

to looking ananswer a woodworkfor lf you're question, to:: Ask W00D, 1716 write ing lA Locust GA Des St., 310, Moines, 50309For or us 3023 e-mail ataskwood@mdp.com. get question, help to answer your animmediate it bypostingonone from fellow woodworkers groups Internet discussion at: ofour www.woodonline.com.

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qreat -for

your shop

ideas

routeFbit storage
lt'sas easyas 1-2-3
force systems t I ost router-bitstorage how manybits you'll t Y I you to guess in addto your arsenal the coming years. WOODvmagazine's DaveCampbell, that Editor, neatlysidestepped Products this modularstorage dilemmaby designing that fits in any drawerandeasily system bit growsto meetyour expanding collecof tion. A 1-2-3progression block sizes maximizesthe numberof possiblearrangements.Dave setasideone largesquare, and drilled it to hold rotary-toolbits. flP To build your modularstorage, %" into fiberboard) MDF (medium-density -widestrips, -, then lt/q"-, 2t/2" and33/q" Drill centered, theminto squares. crosscut

holesfor easybit slightlyoversized and removal;t1/ot" l3mm holesfor Vq"routerbits,and7/u" ande/ot" and %"-shank high-speed and holesfor 3/zz"- %"-shank bits. rotarytool Note: Finding a 3%t" bit to drill the simply to To add versatility this system, is holes t/2"shanks nearly oversized for of boreholesinto the module(s) your They Commonlyusedto install met- choiceand glue in craft magnets. impossible. hold smallsteelpartsiust great.Our Vieio, thanksto Jeff Hiltonof Mission in for California, sending this tip. ric hardware,a l3mm bit is a readilyavailablesubstitute. the Slightlycountersink holes'edges. on Chamferthe blocks' top edges your router.Hold the partswith table-mounted jointer pushblockto keepyour a padded fingerssafelyaway from the routerbit. PoursomeDanishoil-typefinish into a small container,and dip the blocks.After finish with a rag, wiping off the excess dry the blocks on a window screen proppedon sawhorses. the With the finish dry, arrange blocks in in your drawer.Fill in the extra space drawerwith snug-fittingpiecesof V+" the You can usethesetray-like hardboard. ll for storingaccessories. spaces
Written by Robert J. Settich ProjectDesign:Dave GamPbell Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson lllustration: Photographs:Douglas E. Smith

WOOD magazine

S e P t e m b e r2 0 0 1

tr5's'

Focket-hole folnery
here Olcay,I'll admit it. Myshop
h.a.s arWOOD" mngazine nearly every ever and accessory typeoftool, iig, drilling pockct holes in the invented.So bottom shelfframes of the display stand onpage56 didn't Presenta Problem. Now,thnt's easy me to saY,but I for lmow tlwt you may not own a pocket'hole jig. And usu.ally,that's not a problemanotherform of joinery, youjust substitute say biscuitsor dowels, in plnce of the as But sometitnes' with the pocketscrews. a pocket-holeioint will display stand, only do. Then,do as I did in my pre-pockethole-jig dnys.Simply drill a seriesof holes-without assistance ftom a iig-tlnt This doesn'tgofast, hole. form a poclcet but it sure getsyou bY. -Chuck Hedlund, WOOD ShoPManager

low-tech

from movingas A clampedpositioningblock keepsthe workpieces the screws. you drive in

First, drill the shank and screwhead holes

point. This is the path of the screw. Start the drill bit at the exit point, angle it to bit Select a t'wist bit-those with pilot points follow the path line, and drill until the just stghtty emergesfrom the face of the workpiece. work best-that matches,or is Centera 32" Forstnerbit on the hole larger than, the diameter of the screw you will be using. In this example, we used a where the bit emergedfrom the workpiece #8xlVz" screwrequiringa;/zz" shankhole. face. Drill snaight down to a depth of about Vq"to make room for the screwhead. Chuck the bit into a handhelddrill. On the end grain of the Pieceof wood that will be drilled for a pocket hole, mark the exit point of the screw.As shown in Photo A, we marked the exit point Vc" fromthe edgeof a3/+"-thickworkpiece. Then, mark a line on the edgeof the piece that angles 25o from the exit Followyour markedlines to drilltheshank hole.Startingthe hole in the end grain givesyou bettercontrol.

Assemble the ioint

Align the two workpieces,then clamp a scrapwoodpositioning block, as shown in Photo B. This stopsthe pocket-hole workpiece from sliding during assembly. to If you have access specialpocket-hole screws,you can drive them right into most woods.But, if you're working with a densewood, or using conventionalscrews, you'll needto drill pilot holes into the undrilled workpiece.To do this, simply align the workpieceswith the positioning block clampedin Place,then use the shankhole to guide the pilot-hole bit. Our #8 ScrewrequiresaT64"pilot hole in hardpilot hole in softwood.l wood, a3/32"
Photographs: Baldwin Photography WOOD magazine SePtember 2001

sho

ti

top , wnner
Many of Paul Engle's furniture p r oj e c t s c o u l d ri ghtl ybe cal l ed "Stickleypieces,"even though they're Gustav not in the craftsman-style Stickleymade famous. You see, our livespracTop ShopTip winner(above\ tically in the shadow of the Stickley factoryin Manlius,N.Y. And Furniture comefrom materials muchof his project woodfrom the plant. scrapand rejected Althoughhe dabbledsome before,he says he didn'tget deep intowoodworkBut Paul has ing until his retirement. to madeup for losttime,helping furnish homes,as wellas the his five children's Methodist Church. Manlius
Paul Engle receives a Makita 2 RD1101 V+hp router (left) for sending in this issue's Top Shop Tip. Thanks for your help, Paul!

you and faster, smarter, safer Helping work

#10 x21lz"F.H. ^

for C-clamp

\"\
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' *--

-\-t_

."..-. --'-\->

-/,;".--.:--_-4

1 x 2 1 l z "s t o c k , lengthto fit bench

l x5x6"blockfor intovise clamping

BEVEL DETAIL

Self-adhesive non-slip tape (twostrips)

Ovet'the-edge

clamping system
jigsaw, witha portable To cut out shapes my workpiece that it extends so I clamp Thatway, overthe end of the benchtop. I don'tcut intomy benchaccidentally. fumbling around But I grewfrustrated withC-clamps everytime I had to repor sitionmy work.To makethistask less I the aggravating,devised end-of-bench . jig clamping shownabove. : Here'show it works.Aftertransferring i I to the pattern my workpiece,clampthe : jig'sblockin the viseat the end of my : positioned that my workpiece : so bench, j u s tf it sunder he a rm .T h e nI p l a c ea t i in C-clamp one of the holeson the arm, i The , the as shown,and tighten C-clamp. securely, arm holdsthe workpiece 24

1/e" pilothole 13/+" deep

than ordinary Thisjig worksbetter First, for C-clamps a coupleof reasons. to a the 5" bevelprovides little"spring" the bar so that it holdsbetterand releasthe than a flat bar.Secondly, es quicker (thesamestuffyou can non-slip tape prevents workthe buy for stairtreads) piece w fromsl i di ng hi l ecutti ng. hol F i n al l y, shal l ow eskeepthe the wandering, I can apply so from C-clamp w i thone hand, the a n dti ghten cl amp withthe the whileI position workpiece holesto accommoother.I madeseveral workpieces. datewideror narrower -Paut Engte, N.Y Manlius,
on Corttinuecl puge 26

Tell us how you'vesolveda workshop puzzler, and we'll send you $75 if we printyour solution. And, if we choose your tip as the Top Shop Tip of the issue,we'll also send you a tool prize worth at least$250. Sendyour besttips, alongwith phoand your daytime tos or illustrations telephonenumber, to: Shop TiPs, WOODMagazine,1716 Locust St., GA-310,Des Moines,lA 50309-3023. on Or post your suggestions our ToP Shop Tip discussion group at www.woodonline.com. only origiwe Because try to publish nal tips, pleasesend your tips only to WOOb magazine.Sorry, but we can'tsendbackthe thingsyou sendin.
WOOD magazine S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

shop tips
Fancy frames from low-dough moldings
to Usingstockmoldings makepicture framesis a good way to savetime and a moneywhilestillgetting goodvariety by But of styles. the moldings, themthe are selves, too thinto accept rabbet material. for the glass,art,and backing to couldusethe samemethod area.You below/efl,showshow I The drawing, tableto vourtablesaw. attachan outfeed the solved problem. -7. B.Zalabak,0klahoma City the Before cutting framesidesto strip, I length, glueand tacka hardwood 1/q" than the moldingand at narrower thanthe glass,mat,art, leasttZ" thicker I to and backer, the backof the molding. to cut the framepieces sizeand then A themas usual. second assemble 1/+x1/q" to screwed the hardwood strip, in place. first,holdseverything -Don McLellan, Mills, Marstons Mass. Afterhooking tablestogether, tighten turnbuckle to drawtogether.

Reining in a mobile table

Add wood stripsto createframe.

table assembly To keepmy roll-around I work,I attachit awaywhile from rolling benchwitha pairof to my permanent on as turnbuckles, shownat right, the bothbenchtop two end legs.Because it are and tabletop at the sameheight, work T-shaped one large, creates

Ccttttirtued on page 28 WOOD magazine S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

26

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shop tips Need to keep proiects moving? Gall on dolly

and Make quick work construction the i around shopduring : finishing justplain work. of threaded inserts And hard was
use A lot of woodworkers a drillpressto inserts, largepieces but install threaded for or can be too awkward impossible dolly,shownat adjustable inexpensive I've this practice. usedthe jig shown 2' left.For my projects, lengthsof over 150threaded belowto install 2x4 and a 4' dowel work great, inserts the musicstandsand other in but you can scalethis idea projects build.I thinkit wouldbe a I to upor down suityour greataddition yourshop,and it takes to needs. specific -Andy Messner,i onlya few minutes craft. to 1 % 0 "h o l e Hitts,lhio: Startby cuttinga 6" lengthof 2x4 to Sagamore For the shapeshownin the drawing. a hole 7a"threadedinsert,centera13/sz"

a vary my large-i because projects in size, sinand cabinets other I enjoy building is gledolly do. wouldn't Thesolution the projects, wrestling them but scale

1" dowel 1sl+" swivelcaster

Gluecarpet scrapto 2x4.

of in the over opening thebottom thejig. yourdrillpress ensure holeis the to Use a3/ex4" exactly to thebottom.lnsert 90" the the and boltthrough hole, double-nut the endto capture bolt. you're to ready putin an insert, When the and onto bolt, posithe thread insert a Using socket tionthejig overthehole. pressure the to downward wrench, apply you into boltwhile turntheinsert your workpiece.
-C. Dean lowa Becker. Waterloo.
Continued on page JO WOOD magazine S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

shop tips
Gan somebody please get the foam?
inside irregular shapes, Forsanding youcan'tbeat edges, androunded cuts, foampipe wrapped around sandpaper about 8" insulation. theinsulation Cut of insert edgeof a piece sandthe long, and paper theslitin theinsulation, into with the Secure paper wrapit tightly. tape. masking

Mating holes meet i'n the middle

toys,suchas cars wheeled Formaking to I a andtrains, needed method ensure in thatan axleholedrilled onesideof out thetoy'sbodycame in thesame I place theother. the Here's solution on upwith. came a I Fora 3/ro" hole, clamped piece axle plywood mydrill-press and table to ol3/q" a hole asAa" in it. I theninserted drilled piece dowel, leaving aboul1/q" of short proud. standing
locaNext,I markedthe axle-hole and of my workpiece tionson both sides (maybe so Va-1/+'or a drilled shallow hole at one of those marks. deep)3/re" holeoverthe thatshallow Slipping positioned workpiece to my dowel,I then bored and opposite, drillthe hole directly the through.Flipping morethan halfway hole workpiece over,with the shallow hole now on top and the half-through

just I bored nowoverthedowel, again through. overhalfway

pipe insulation

provides for backing Theinsulation to enough folbut thesandpaper, "gives" lf of lowthecontour theworkpiece.you of insert piece a need bit morerigidity, a as diameter theinside the dowel same of theinsulation.
-Frank Ryan, Eugene, 0re.

the you to Although mayneed change works this length thedowel, technique of of of regardless theshape theobject As of or being drilled theangle thehole. the under is longas thedowel directly helpbutlineup. can't drillbit,theholes
-Stan Pulaski, Mich. SPrings, Cedar
Continued on page 32 WOOD magazine S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

16Sharpest Router
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precisely what you need ,l:ifr6m Visit Freud's Freud. : web site and ,now 'ichoose from more than r,5ooitems, router including bits,sawblades, power tools,dado *, sets,andshaper cutters.Extensive product information, including customer ratings and reviews, helpyou stayon the cuttingedge.

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Tool Caltfor your FREE Cribcatalogr-8oo'635'5t4o
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tr: And the Store to Make Them a Reality.

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Power to Shape Your ldeas.

shop tips
A tracing tool for hard-to-trace tools
tracethe shapeof an object Haveyou ever triedto accurately gauge?lt's hardto keep as a marking lie that doesn't flat,such pencil the correct at the go"-Yr'dowel with for angleto account the I offsetof the lead.But tool, madethistracing shownbelow.that creSand ates a perfectsilhouslight ette of nearlyanything bevel lessthan4" tall. on leading I startedby cuttinga edge. V]EW SECTION 45" bevelon the front edgeof two matching pieces hardwood. of
"stick"pen Ball-point

&-i#,*,.1*,"..":;*isl$d

wrffi{r:*i:"'- lrr.

and

:!-"',..'

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A !

hard' attachments. to-find

r/

:*:it*:lr;:tl';;., \f
makecomparing reviews quickandeasy. products storeandsee Visitthe JET i s o n eo f t h e w h yJ E T growing in brands fastest the industry. Visit the f ETstoreat

azon vt/vtMf.am com|iet

r-8oo-635'5740 Tool Caltfor your FREE Cribcatalog
dust collectors iointers Ptaners store the JET wocd lathes saws shapers sanders planer'molders

( \ (

(r \ //, >=l-'-.---

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"stick" groovesto accepta ball-point Next,I routedmatching pen, starting from the bottomfrontcornerof each piece,then gluedthe pieces together. and at/z" holewhereshown, Afterthe gluedried,I drilled I dowel'Finally, of flat a sanded tapered alonga 2" length t/2" as a sanded slightbevelon the bottomof the tool'spoint, Viewdrawing. shownin the Section tool,inserta stickpen untilthe ballpoint To usethe tracing dowelinto is flushwiththe pointof the tool.Pressthe tapered holeto holdthe pen snuglyin place.Now,tracearound lhe 1/2" the keeping pointof the tracing as the object, shownabove, tool in contactwith the object. -Jay Wallace, )re. Ashland,

. Want to know how you can precisely placea biscuitslot in the middleof a free-formsurface?See how on page 40 of the project. sleigh-bed gives . lf standing panelon edgeto bevelit on the tablesaw a you the willies,learna safe (and accurate)methodto do it on page 46. . Learnhow to machineacrylicpanelsto exactsize with smoothedges.See the displaystandon page 58.

p,os n rrom l"#tlliffi,Tl,r"n

32

WOOD magazine

S e P t e m b e r2 0 0 1

Build bedfirst, the then addanyor allfourother pieces ourmatching in bedroom set.
little traditional,a little modern, this stylish bed lends a fresh look to most interiors. Its design features the graceful curves of a classic sleigh bed, while incorporating straightforwardconstruction.The timeless appearance the cherry raisedpanelsniceof ly complements bright and cleanlines of the the solid-mapleframe. Note: As you can seein the Bill of Materials, this project requiressomestock thicker than 3/t". Youcan buy thick stockif it's availablein your area, or laminate thinner material to meetyour needs-typically a more economical alternative.In either case,you'll need a planer to bring the stocktofinal thickness. To order the leg patterns,seepage37.

35

bed sleigh
FACE THECONVEX FORMING
srEP 1 CutA 10'bevel Cut B 20" bevel CutC 30"bevel
Adiustfenceas\\\\i' for nebessary each cut.

fence tuolesaw

2 STEP

CutD 10'bevel Cute \ 20'bevel

Cut F 45"bevel

Clamp the rails to your bench, and keep the random-orbit sander in constant side-to-side motion to remove facets.

THECOVE FORMING

saw blade

Auxiliary fence clampedto saw top Mitergauge set at 45'

Use a feather board and a slow, but steady, feed rate to cut a consistent cove with minimal sawtooth marks.

For smooth sledding, shape the upper rails first

Cut two upper rails (A) to lVzx3t/ex6ltA" and a lVzx3t/sx24" testblankfrom scrapstock.Theseblanks must be flat. Make all of the cuts describedin the following stepsin the testblank beforecutting the rail blanks. Copy three setsof the mirrored Full,,SizeUpper-Rail End Patternson the insert.With spray WOOD PATTERNSa mount an "End 1" patternto one adhesive end of eachblank and an "End 2" pattem to the oppositeend. Be sure to position and cuts the patternsso that their shapes align from end to end when you machine the rails. Cut slots for #20 biscuitsin the ends,where markedon the patterns. , .Tilt your tablesaw blade to 10". Sight ,down the fence length,and adjustthe fenceto makecut A in Drawing1, Step 1.

The blade shouldcut right up to, but not into, the pattern line. Remember,practice all of your cutsin the testblank first. Make cuts B and C, moving the fence and bladeanglewith eachcut. Note: The drawings show setupsfor a left-tilting blade. For a right-tilting blade,moveyourfenceto the blade'sleft are side.Yoursetups thenmirror images of the onesshown. . Flip the rail blanks end for end, and makecuts D and E, as shownin SteP the 2, adjusting fenceand sawbladewith each cut. Again, flip the rail blanks end for end to make cuts F, G, H, and I, as shown in Step 3, adjustingthe fence and bladewith eachcut. Smooth the rail facetsby moving a . random-orbit sander with 80-grit abrasivesideto side and along the length of the rails. as shownin PhotoA.

flexible-disc Keepthe drill-powered, and sandermovingo use light pressure gougingthe cove. to prevent to Setup your tablesaw cut a coveinto the opposite face of the rail blanks. See Drawings 2 and 2a and Photo B.

36

WOOD magazine

September2001

THEGROOVE
Auxiliary'oodenfence u STEP1

-L
!

lr.l,)rabtesaw .l
I t ,r'
ii ii

fence

Cut K

Cul a t/+" groove t/z" deep.

>E
I

ri:iil*911fl:i'n'\
Position the auxiliary fence with the blade raisedto 7/t6" then lower the blade , so it cuts %" deepand make a cut in your testblank. Make threemore cutting passes, raising the blade Ve" for the second and third cuts and Vto" for the final cut. Adjust the fenceasnecessary the cove so cut falls where marked on the pattern, then cut your rails. ' :'Remove the sawtooth marks in the , cove with an S0-gritflexible sanding disc in a handheld drill, as shown in Photo C. If you don't have this drill accessory,make a hand-sandingblock by bandsawingand sanding a 6"-long scrapof 2x4 to fit the cove's profile. Install a Vq" dadoblade in your saw, ' and tilt it to 35o. Cut a gioove the length of the rails, where shown in Drawing 3, Step 1. Replace the dado blade with a ripping blade set at a 35o bevel.Rip as shownin Step 2. : iRound the rail edge, as shown in . ,'Drawing4. Hand-sand rails with the 100-and 15O-grit abrasive. envelope,and handling. For your patterns,send$5 along with your nameand address to: Sleigh-Bed Leg Patterns, WOODo magazine, 1716 ktcust Street, GA-310,Des Moines,IA 50309-3023. Cut blanks for the headboard legs (D) and footboard legs (E) to the sizes listed. Trace the outline of the headboardand footboard legs onto the blanksusingthe templates. Bandsawthe legs to shape,staying just outside the traced lines. Joint a straight edge onto eachleg where it meetsa rail, and sand to shape other leg edges. the Make the shapely Adhere eachtemplateto a leg with a ,. . couple of small strips of doublesleigh-bed legs Adhere the full-size headboard leg faced tape. Using a drill press, drill pattern to a piece of %x8%x52r/2" alignment holes through the template hardboard.Use the long straightedgesof and into the legs, where indicatedon the the hardboardto align the patternhalves. patterns, and as shownin Photo D. Do the samewith the full-size footboard Becausethe legs on oppositesidesof leg patternand a piece of Vqx7V2x35V2" the bed mirror each other. vou need to hardboard. Cut and sand the hardboard to the pattern lines. Leave the patterns place. in Note: Due to their large size,thefullsize leg patterns will not fit onto the WOOD PATTERNSo insert in the center of the magazine.Becausethe exact placement of the biscuit slots andpanel grooves doesn'tallow us to show a reduced gridded pattern, we have arranged, at our expense, to havefull-size leg and upper-rail end patternsprinted. We will sendthem to you at a minimalfee to coverpostage, . ':Readjust the dado blade for a 0o ,. bevel. Cut a centeredV+"groevet/2" deep on the edgesand endsof the mullions (C). Bevel the bottom end of both mullions at a 10" angle, as shown on Drawing5b. ' From scrap, cut two t/qxrs/tox2Vz" loose tenons and two Vqxt/ex2t/z" loosetenons.Glue a tenon,centered, into the grooveson the endsof both mullions (C), asshownon Drawing5. The narrower tenonsgo into the bottom ends of the mullions.Removeexcess glue.

Next up, the lower rails and mullions

, Cut the lower rails (B) and mullions ' (C) to size.Install a Vq"dadobladein your tablesaw, it 10o,and adjustit to tilt Vz"high. Cut a groove along one edgeof two of the lower rails-see Drawings5 and 5c. Do not groove the headboard's bottom rail. Cut biscuit slots in the rail ends,where shownon Drawing5c.

How to select double-faced you tape. Whenever usedouble-faced tape td temporarily adhere template a workpiece, twoworkpieces a to or togeiner, usethe cloth-backed lt holdsmuchmorefirmlythanthe thinner type. plastic-film tape,especially yourpieces if haveanyfineduston them.
www.woodonline.com

37

bed sleigh

A iled fit fcr a queen

for We sizedthis project a mattress, 60x80"queen-size but you couldadaptit for a mattress 76x80"king-size by adding16"t o th e l e n g th s of t he upperand l o w e rra i l s . Y ou' llals o needto l e n g th e n each of the raisedpanelsby 8 " . lf y ou c hoos ea n ma k 8 4" - long ing- s i z e ttre s s , then add an extra4" to the of l e ngt hs t he be d ra i l s .

#20 biscuit slot

t/+" groove 1/z"deep on allfour edges

slot #20 biscuit alongbottomedge

l/ay15/16X21/2"

loosetenon

@
1/qX7/s X 21/2"

loosetenon /e" round-overs on all leg edges

#20 biscuits

5o \0
rails A upper
B lower rails C mullions legs D headboard legs E footboard rails F bed panels G raised
11/2',37/a' 61t/e', M 1' 1" 7u 611/q' M 31/2" 193/4' M 351/z' M 2 3 2 2 2 2 4
3/a x 11/2" 31/z'

1Vz' 6Vq' 521/z' M 11/z' 6n 11/z' 7' 791/2" M 3/tu 201/?' 293/4' c

0 0

1/a 11/z 11/2" x steel angle, x 61/a" long

#8 x 2" F.H.

613/a' P 2 H mattress supports3/q' 401/q' key: P-plywood, Materials M-maple, C-cherry, t/6ylt/2vlt/2" angle, long (4); 72" steel Supplies: panhead (30); wood flathead screws #8x2" #8x%" (28). (24); biscuits screws #20 guide Buying item fasteners: offour, 127456, Set $9.99 Bed*ail plus P.0. 1686, From shipping. Woodcraft, Box or Call WV26102-1686,800/225-1153, Parkersburg, gotowww.woodcraft.com. plus 690-602, bit: Vertical raised-panel ltem $59.90 Blvd., Tools, Mears 310 From shipping. Jesada orgo FL Call Oldsmar, 34677-3047. 800/531-5559, towww.jesada,com.

recesses, 7a"deep (3/a" belowdepth of mortise)

Bottomof bed rail location

diagraln cutting
A
1 e / a x 9 1 /x 9 6 " M q

11/ta x 71/q x

D
1s/q x71/a x 96"

13/q x 71/q x

s/+x7jAx 96" Cherry(4 needed) 1%ax7t/qx96"Maple *Planeor resawto thicknesses listedin the Bill of Materials. 38

s/ax48 x 96" Plywood(2 needed)

S e P t e m b e r2 0 0 1

WOOD magazine

n MULLTONS
1/q" 31/2"

tr-?

"/"",r\,"/t"

--l'11'l-t/+"grooves 1/2" deep

t/q"groove't/2" deep, stoppedwhereshown pattern on full-size

VIEW E EXPLODED
-J1 FRONT VIEW Bed-rail fastener

SIDE VIEW

/
# 8 x " / o "/ panheadscrews

1
pilotholes 7o+" s/a"deep
1/a 11/z 11/2" x x steel angles, 72" long (mounts flush with bottom eOge of @)

'--1
)Bed-rail fastener

#8 x 2" F.H. wood screws

1/aX11/2X11/2"

steelangle, 61rla" long

Bed-rail fastener

www.woodonline.com

39

bed sleigh
ING POSITION JIG EISCU|T..JOINER

Biscuit-slot centerlines

/ex6x18" plywoodguide

Biscuit centerlines

to cut 1. From/a" hardboard, a template the face' exactsize of the biscuit-joiner face 2. Adhereit to the biscuit-joiner with tape. double-faced joinerset for the appropriate 3. Withthe biscuit the cut size,makea full-depth through biscuit tempate. in and markcenterlines the 4. Remove template whereshown. bothdirections

STEP2 plywood 6x18". to 1. Cut a pieceof t/2" notchto fit the 2. Alongone edge,cut a centered temPlate. biscuit-joiner the intothe guideand transfer 3. Fit the template to centerlines the guide.

STEP 3 of 1. Lay out the locatton the biscuit on the workpiece. 2. Locatethe templateover the biscuit layoutlines.ClamPin Place. the 3. Position guidearoundthe ClamPin Placeusingat template, leasttwo clamps.

flip the templates (paper-patternside down) before drilling the alignment leg headboard and holesin theremaining

Grind the guide end of a /s"-O.D. router guide bushing to a length of %c". This allows the bushing (we used a

#42036) to work with the Porter-Cable Installthe bushingin /+"-thicktemplate. straight your plunge router. Install a t/,+"

footboard leg. Using the drilled holes as TEMPLATE PANEL.GROOVE guides, mark pencil lines that connect and extend Past the drilled holes, as shown on the leg patterns. Cut the biscuit slots by following the steps for making and using the template and guide shown in Drawing 6, Steps 1-5. t/+" hardboard From make the panel-groove template as shown in l* srz'u Drawing 7. To cut the 7s" drill %" holes at slot, first both of its ends where shown. Then, put a '%" straight bit in your router table, and place the template onto the table with the router bit sticking through the left-side hole in the template. Adjust the fence Lrp to the template and turn on the router with the template clamped to the table. as shown in Photo E. Remove the clanlp and roltt the slot, stopping at the ri-eht-sidehole. Drill 3/s" holes th" deep at the stopped-groove alignment holes in the legs. Place 7s" dowels in these holes, Above Clamp the panel-groovetemplate to the and use them to align the panel-,9roove router table to stabilize it when you raise the bit. template. Adhere the template to one of the legs with double-faced tape, as Right Use 7e" dowels, 1" long to align the panelgroove template on the legs. F. Remove the dowels. shown in Photo

3r%o'*l

40

2 W O O Dm a g a z i n e S e P t e m b e r 0 0 1

7e"{hickspacer (matches the BLck slot rows of biscuitslots) 1. Use the template alignthe guidewith one of to the back slots.Clampthe guidein place. 2. Cut the back slot, put the spacerin place,and cut the frontslot.Unclamp guide. the 3. Use the templateto alignthe guidewith the back slot that'sto the rightor left of the previously slots. cut Clampthe guide into positionand repeatStep 2.

4. Removethe clampfrom the template, then remove the template.

or downcut spiral bit, and rout the t/2"deepgrooveinto the leg in threepasses. Repeat the otherthreelegs. for , Make the bed-rail fastenermortise ' :templateshown in Drawing8. Rout rts 3/q"slot in the sameway you routed the 3/s" slot in the panel-groove template. Use the full-size leg patternsto transfer the rail centerlines the inside edsesof to

thefour legs.Clampthetemplate ontothe inside edge of a leg with its centerline alignedwith the rail centerlinemarkedon the leg, as shownin Photo G. Using the same bit and guide bushing as before, adjust bit to cut a3/o"-deep the mortise for the bed-railfastener. Remove the template, place the bed-railfastener socketin its mor-

tise, and mark the locationsof the screw holes and the hook recesses. Drill %" pilot holes 2" deep,where marked,and 3/a" drill and chisel the recesses deeper than the bottom of the mortise. Repeat thesestepson the other legs. Install the

Choose the right bit for reducing tearout. You'll dramatically graintearoutalongthe edge of a groovelike the ones decrease cut in the legs for the panelsif you use a downcutspiralbit like the one at right.That's becauseits spiral flutes shear wood fibers with a downwardmotion-oppositeof how a drill bit pullsfibersup and out of a hole. lf you must use a straightrouterbit for these cuts,you can lessenyour tearoutby takingmultiplelightcuts.

tt

*\

t . tl .

BED.RAIL FASTENER MORTISE TEMPLATE

16"
2u

3/q"

Thisedgeagainst insideface of leg

#8 x g/q"F.H. wood screws

I
33/q'

?-

3"/o"

41/2"

---l
Position the fence of the bed-rail fastener mortise template on the inside edge of the leg, and align the centerlines.

ehx 2 x 16"stripused as fenceclamped to insideedgesof legs and rails

www.woodonline.com

bed sleigh
socket halves of the bed-rail fasteners with #8x2" screws. Rout t/8" roundovers on the legs' edges.

AND THE nsseN4auNc HEADBOARD FOQIEQABq

marks alignment

And noq the bed rails

Cut the bed rails (F) according to the Bill of Materials. Rout t/,g" roundovers on all edges,but not on the ends. Mark centerlines on the ends of both rails, as shown in Drawing 5a. Place the fence of the bed-rail fastener mortise template on the inside edge of the rail, align its centerline with the centerline of the rail end, and rout bed-rail fastener mortises just as you routed the mortises in the legs. Chisel recesses %" deeper than the mortises to accommodate the backs of the hook plates. Mark and drill %" pilot holes, and attach the plates with #8x2" screws.

STEP 1 to Applyglue and biscutts one end of the lowerrailsand clampas shown.Use clamP pads to protectthe legs and p u t 3 / +s p a c e r l o c k s n d e r " u b bottomrail. the headboard

Let's glue up and rout the cherry panels

Edge-gluecherry boardsto make uP the four flat raisedpanels(G) specified in the Bill of Materials. Note: Make the following cut in 'th" scrop stock,and test the.fit of its tongue in the 1/t" rail grooves,beJbreroutirtg ),ourpanels. tableWith a 3-hp, variable-speed mounted router, raise both sides of the panels,as shown in Drawing9 and Photo H. Rout the ends first, then the to Make the cut in severalpasses edges. avoid srain tearout.

Clamppadsheldwith tape masking

SETUP PANEL RAISED

Routoanelon both sidesin passes. severar

Routertable

_\-<,

(Jesadabit

42

2 W O O Dm a g a z i n e S e P t e m b e r 0 0 1

<\ ,#
jaw Clampprevents of longclampfrom slipping upperrai'. off Clampholdsdown longclampand aligns mullion withupperrai,.

STEP3 A p p l yg l u ea n d a biscuit one end of the to u p p e rr a i l .G l u ea n d c l a m p t h e m u l l i o no t h e u p p e rr a i l . t Havea helper support upperrail the whileyou slipunglued panelintoposition. panel Slipunglued intooosition.

"f
Mount featherboardson a wood bar to bear on the panel above the bit.

Time for this sleiqh to cross the finish line

Note: You'll need four 6'-long clcunps, one 3' clcunp, ond a helper to assentble the headboard and footboord. Apply one coat of clear' finish to the raised panels, then glue and clamp together the headboard and footboard following the stepsin Drawing 10, Steps 1-5. Use masking tape to align the rails and mullions during clamp-up, and tape t/+" clamp pads in place to prevent marring. It's a good idea to first do a dry assembly to make sure that everything fits. After removing the clamps, apply one more coat of clear finish to the raised panels, and two coats to all other surfaces,sanding between coats. Cut the t/sxll/zxlt/2" steel angles to the lengths shown in Drawing 5. Drill 3/t6" holes about every 10" into the angles. Clamp the angles flush with the bottoms of the rails, with the 72" angles centered lengthwise. Drill 7/64" pilot holes 7s" deep, through each of the holes in the angles. Secure the angles with #8x3/+"panhead screws. Connect the rails to the headboard and footboard. Cut the mattress supports (H) from 3A" plywood. Add a queen-size mattress. (We recommend the thick ones that don't require box springs.) Sweet dreams! * Written BillKrierwithCharles Hedlund by l.
Project Design: James R. Downing lllustrations: Kim Downing; Roxanne LeMoine Photographs: Baldwin Photography; Andy Lyons

<=: @
STEP4 Remove clamps all and slidethe otherraised panelinto position.

4x4s usedto space

preventassembly fromtipping off bench.

STEP5 Applyglueand biscuits and clampas shownto complete headboard footboard or assemblv.

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43

g-ln{
" ". 1,Platform top
Great as an assemblY stand,this toP is or finishing also a handy place to stack partswhile machining. Use this top when You need to supportthe end of a on long workpiece your drill press or mitersaw.

uo
t

/1r,-T
tr

_t

\-/l

2 . G l i d gt o P" " " " " ' ;

toP ...3.Roller
...' .." "

Adjustthis toP's heightto catchthe outfeedfrom Your tablesawor planer.

pieces of , ,Cut four z/qx4V+xl6V+" stock, and glue and clamp them togetherin pairs to form two lVz"-thick blanks for the feet (C). Joint and trim them to size. Make four copies of the Foot from the WOOD PATTERNSa insert, and cut them out along the lines. Tape the half-patternstogether to form the whole foot. (Half of eachpatternwill First, build a sturdy base be face down.) Adhere the patternsto the '*i Cut four z/qx2Vqx29" piecesof stock, foot blanks with spray adhesive. * and glue and clamp them togetherin ,.;' Form half laps, where indicated on 'i pairs to form two lVz"-thick blanks for the pattern,to mate with the laps at the uprights (A). Joint and trim them to the bottoms of the uprights. Now bandthe size listed in the Bill of Materials. saw and sandthe feet to the patternlines. Install a dado blade in your tablesaw, Removethe patterns.Glue and clamp the and plow groovesin the uprights, where feet to the uprights.When the glue dries, shown in Drawing 1, Step 1. Cut the sand the joints smooth. Set the leg fillers (B) to size, and glue and clamp (A,B,C) aside. assemblies ,. 'Plane two z/+x4Vzx96" them in place, where shown. The fillers' boardsto Vz" '.,.,rthick.From one, cut the six rails and the uprights' bottom endsare flush. ,t"";iWith the dado blade in your table(D) to size. Set the other board aside *jl*saw, form the dadoesand rabbetsin (G). From 1"-thick for the top supports the uprights' edges, where shown in (E) stock, cut the spacers to size. Make Step 2. Now form the half laps and drill the spacerjig, shown in Drawing 2. the hole, where shown in Step 3. Glue and clamp spacers each end of to three rails, as shown in UPRIGHT Photo A. Then glue and clamp a third spacer at the rails' centers, where shownon Drawing4. . ..'Stand the two legs i. .,upright on your workbench. Spreadglue in the lower dadoesin one edge of eachupright, and slip in one raiVspacers assembly. Spreadglue in the dadoes in the uprights' other edgesand on the spacers, and clamp a secondrail in place, as shown on Drawing 4. Repeat this processfor the other two raiUspacer/rail assemblies. Make sure the rails' ends areflush with the uprights' 2" dadoes outside faces and that the 31/z' whole assembly square. is
lap on outside

r hetheryou're machininglong t, ,i,, ',,; stockor simply looking for a 1,i i;l' "+f place to rest your workpiece, you'll find this versatile stand ready to help. With adjustableheight and interchangeableglide, roller, and platform tops, it's a perfect match for any number of tasks.

PACER JIG

tZ" hardboard

Glampingthe spacer jig to the rails helps you accurately position the end spacers.

Chuck a 3/q" straight bit in your tablemounted router, and in %" increments, rout the stopped grooves, as shown in Photo B. Squarethe ends of the grooves with a chisel. sAo"hole. where shown on " ,Drill the ;,.' Drawing 4a. Bandsawand sandthe rounded corners. (The bottoms have only one rounded corner.) Cut two piecesof aluminum mini-track (a type of T-track) to length,drill screwpilot holes, and screw the tracks in place. See the Buying Guide for our mini-track source. . -,i Retrieve your previously planed Vz" ,,..;rstock cut the top supports (G) to and size. Drill counterbores near the ends of three supports,where shown on Drawing 4b. Tape a second support to the ones just counterbored,and, centeringthe bit in the counterbore. drill 5/t6" holes through the paired supports. Mark the radius on the corners, as shown, and bandsawand sandthe corners.To ensure

STEP 2 Outsideface

STEP 2 face Outside

'i From l" stock. cut the ' extensions(F) to size. Mark a stop line for the groove's end on one edge of the extensions,where shown on Drawing 4a.

Now add extensions and interchangeabletops

Mark the bit location on your fence. Stop routing when the stop line on the extension aligns with the mark on the fence.

WOOD magazine

S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

45

l / a x 2 x 2 8 " U H M Wp l a s t i c

GLIDE OP T

2" groove tla

--e'--e

t/c" T-nut

5/ro" hole r/q"tlal washer

2"<" <\st/ou

ROLLER TOP

Tq"counte /e" deep,

with a s/0" hole centered inside 1/q 2" T-knob x

V|EW El EXPLODED

Aluminum mini-track
21t/q" long

r
t/q" tlal*".n"r1ff \1 \
TOPSUPPORT
t/q" T-knob 11/z' t/+"hexhead bolt 1s/q"long \

EXTENSION

63/q'

Il--:-;'rc Lvri
7+" counterbore t/a"deep, with a s/e" hole centered inside

GL ID E TOP
l/ex2x 28" UHMWplastic double-faced tapedin place
247/a' s/ro"hole

th" tlat washer

1/t" T

W,rL@
1/q 2" T-knob x s/q"groove 7e" deep on inside face

3/q 4/z x 96" Maple *Planeor resawto the thickness x listedin the Bill of Materials.

3/qx 41/zx 96" Maple

1 x71/a 96" Maple (5/4 stock) x lc x 141/2 28" Birchplywood x

www.woodonline.com

Aluminummini-track t/q" 21

47

with giveyour roomthe royaltreatment

likeand molding, you're crown Walk into a rOOm thatfeatures

(1) ly to have a couple of reactions: Boy, that stuff looks great! and(2) How hard could it be to install? Peoplehave delightedin the look of crown molding for untold years,so you'll get no argumentthere.But let us give you someguidancebeforeyou startputting it up. of We sortedout the detailsfor you in the process installing crown in a typical family room. Cabinetmakerand veteran trim carpenterDoug Guyer took us throughthe paces. You don't needmuch equipmentto do the job, but a power mitersaw is by far the most practical tool for making the cuts. We'll show you Although a pneumaticnail gun also how it's doneat simple45osettings. comesin handy,you can do the fasteningwith a hammerand nails. 50
W O O D m a g a z i n e S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

You'llget terrificresults with simple 45"settings a mitersaw. on

_**.1*... , ., ,n -_

Gheck out that profile

Crown ntolding contes in clifferentprofiles and wiclths. ou can useit as is. or Y a d d p i e c e so f n t o l c l i n st o o t h e r p r o f i l e s to make the eff'ectrtroreelabrtrate. W e i n s t a l l e crll o l c l i n _ ic a t y p i c a l l l r n n i l y r o o r l . ' u v i t h c e i l i n - ct h a t ' s s l i g h t l y a l o r v e r t h a n t h e s t a n d a r c8 ' . A m a s s i v e l c r o \ \ r t r i o L r l c lo l e n v l i e l n t l i r o o l n l i k c t h a t . s o n , e u s e c la s t y l e t h a t ' s . j L r s2 % " t wicle. You can Lruy thc sante profile in severalwiclths.Lr1'r to;l/s". We also Lrsecl % x l - y ' r " c o l o n i a l s t o p i , r sb a c k i n g t r i n t alon,ethe wall and ceilin_e. fbrntin-ethe profile shown itbot'e. We optecltbr oak to ntatchthe existin_g w o o d w o r k . i n s t a l l e di t u n f i n i s h e d .t h e n s t a i n e di t t o n t a t c l r .I f y o L rp l a n t o p a i n t the crown moldin-u.buy pine or poplar and save lnoney.

Locate the u,all stuclsancl c e i l i n g. j o i s t s . n c ln t a k e p e n a c i l n r a r k st h a t w i l l b e h i c l d e n b v t h e r n o l c l i n gN o w . c u t 4 " . s a n r p l e so l - a l l t h e t y p e s o f ntillwork that will _gointcr your finisltecl installation. Glue thent to-gcther rtrakeir to tenrplate thlit ntatcltcs the profile. clesired After the _ulLre clries. hold this tentplate gitinst he wall a and ceilin-uanclmake a ntark Backing trim provides a flat surfacefor the crown at the ceiling anclwall ecl_ues.m o l d i n g .A n y g a p s a l o n g t h e w a l l s o r c e i l i n gw i l l b e Our bLrilt-Lrp ntolclinl assent- filled with caulk as the last step in the installation. bly extencls 23A" ollt olt the ceilin-gand 3" clown on thc wall. Malk the upper trint piece "ceilin_g" and niark t h e l o w c r t r i n t p i e c c" w a l l . " N o w g o a l o n - ut h e w a l l s a n c l c e i l i n c witli these tentplatesancl make a li-uht. h o r i z o n t a lp e n c i l n t a r k e v e r y c o L r p l e f o f'eet. Those ntalks will help yoLrkeep the backin,u trint ali_enecl dLrrin-s installathe tion of yollr crown rnolclin_l. pLrfposcs. aclclition building Lrpthe In to c r o w n p r o f i l e . t h e y h e l p t o h i c l er r i n o r burnps ancl clips in thc wall and blicl-ee o \ I e ra n y c e i l i n g t e x t u r e . L r rc e i l i n - g a c l O h a "knock-clown" tcxtLrre that wasn't tcto t r o L r b l e s o r n e f. y o u r e d e a l i n - ew i t h a I ' rou_gl.r"pollcont texture. carefLrlly s c r a p ei t s n t o o t hw h e l e y o L r ' l li n s t a l lt h e c e i l i n ct r i m . Ali-gnthe wall trint with your pencil n r a r k s .a n d n a i l i t i n t o t h e s t r " r cw i t h 2 " ls f i n i s h n a i l s .i f v o r , r ' r e s i n - u n a i l g u n . I f u a you do the .job witlt a hartrrler. r-rse 6d r r a i l s a n c lc l r i l la s l i g h t l vu n c l e r s i z ep i l o t . d h o l e i n t h e t r i n i f b r e a c hn a i l .

Prep the room

M e a s u r et h e t o t a l l e n g t h o f t h e i n s t a l l a tion. and fi-eure the leastwastcful \\ av tn use yollr rnoldin-e.Keep in ntincl that moldin-r corlrnonly colres in l6' len-gths. some rLlns If exceedthat. plan to One piece at a time jl p u t t h e e n d - t o - e n c o i n t s i n i n c o n s p r c u - B e f o r ey o u - e e t o t h e c r o w l t i t s e l f .i n s t a l l t o u s l o c a t i o n s .A s t a i r w e l l a d c l sa n o t h e r t h e c e i l i n - ea n c l w a l l t r i n r p i e c e s a l l t h c e l e m e n t .a n d w e ' l l s h o w y o u h o w w e way arouncl the l'ooll. ils shown in handledthat in our project. Photo A. These piecesser\/ea couple o1'

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51

crownmolding
To fit wall trim into an inside corner, run one piece clear to the wall, then miter and cope the adjacentpiece. Hold this piece vertically on your mitersaw, flat against the fence, and cut a 45o miter. Seethe "Learn to cope" sectionof this article for instructions about coping that mitered end to make a tight joint. The ceiling trim can pose more problems becauseyou might not be nailing into any framing lumber when you're working parallel to the ceiling joists. Nails set near to one another, but at opposite angles, should hold well enough. Or, use some glue or a small amount of constructionadhesiveto hold these pieces up. The crown piece will help hold the ceiling trim in place. Ceiling trim requires just a simple 45o miter joint, like a flat picture frame, where it goesaround a corner. You'll use |tl+" brads to fasten the crown molding to the trim pieces.Brads provide all the holding power you need, while leaving tiny holes that are easyto hide. Place one every 16". Use tV4" brads if you're hammeringthem in, and predrill the holes.

A simpleguideclampedto the mltersaw keepsthe crown moldingfirmlY in placewhile you makeeachcut.

Upside down & backward

Perfect miters hold the key to a topnotch crown molding installation.You'Il cut them for outside corners,inside corners,and for any spot wherethe molding must come to an end on the wall. We prefer to cut crown molding as shown in Drawing 1 and Photo B. Place

powered a smallair by A bradnailer, speedsyour work and compressor, won't split the wood.

that's the areathat will Foltowthe profileexactlywith your copingsaw, because show in the finishedioint. Installthe bladeto cut on the push stroke,avoidingsurat and hold the saw approximately a 45'angle as you makethe cut. face tear-out,

52

WOOD magazine

SePtember 2001

the molding at its installationangle,but upside down. The bottom edge goes againstthe fence and the top edgerests on the mitersaw table. We clamped a pieceof scrapon the tableto supportthe molding while we madeour cuts. Set it backward,too. If the cut angle will point to your left on the wall, it pointsto your right on the saw.With this method,you can cut the miters for any 90o cornerat one of the two 45o settinss on your mitersaw.

Learn to cope
Outside corners,those that project out into a room, require only the two 45o cuts on the mitersaw.The point on each piece will be on the top edge of the molding, forming the completedshape shownin Photo C. Disguiseslight gaps by rubbing them with the side of a nail set,burnishingtool, or the like. An inside corner calls for a different technique.Form a joint that staystight by runningone pieceof molding clearto the wall, then coping the adjoining piece.Don't nail the first piecewithin 2 feet of the wall, so you can adjust it slightly as you fit thejoint. Cut the piece to be coped at 45o, this time forming the point on the molding's bottom edge. Run the edge of a pencil along the face edge of the profile to highlight it, then carefullycut along that line with a coping saw, as shown in Photo D, opposite. Hold the saw at about a 45" angle to the faceof the molding, and removeany material that might causea gap on the exposedsurface.Test the fit, then use a

file or rasp to remove more stock if necessary,as shownin Photo E. Keep testing the fit until it's tight. Put the pieces together as shown in Photo F, then pin both pieces to the backingtrim. In most cases. you'll start at one corner and work your way aroundthe room, fitting each corner as you go. But if a wall is short enough to be spanned a singlepieceof molding, by anothermethodcomesin handy. Install the molding on both adjacent walls, cut a piece%0"longerthanthe gap,copeboth ends,and "spring" it into place.

A few points about joints

joints in crown moldAvoid end-to-end ing whenever possible. However,you'll haveto usethem if any of your walls are longer than the piecesyou've bought. Here's how to make those joints as unobtrusive possible. as Angle mating ends cin two pieces of molding without changingthe settingon your mitersaw between cuts,and they'll match as shownin Photo G. Apply yellow glue to one piece, fit the ends

together, and nail into the backingtrim. Careful as you might be, you still could find slight discrepancies the in profile when you run your finger across the joint. After the glue dries, lightly sandany high spots. A good sandingjob, combined with the angledjoint line, disguisesa field joint quitewell. Still, planthese joints so that they aren't in the most prominentor brightly lit point in the room.

Now, address the return

Our crown molding runs around the lower-level family room until it comes to a stairwell leading up to the main floor of the house. We stopped moldthe ing wherethe ceiling ends.SeePhoto H. Measureyour ceiling from the cornerto the ceiling's edge.Miter-cut the ceiling trim to length and nail it in place. Next, run a shortpieceof miteredceiling trim to the neighboringwall to make the return. Now, cut the wall trim the samelength as the ceiling trim and temporarilytack it in place.Positionyour crown moldingon the trim. Beforedoing so, cut one end to fit againstthe oppositemitered or coped corneras needed. Using the ceiling trim as a guide, mark the upper edge of the crown molding. Cut the molding at a 45" angleas shownin Cut #1 of Drawing 2. Place the molding against the trim and mark the wall trim piece.Set the crown molding aside,and removeand miter-cut the wall trim to length. Nail up the wall trim and follow with the crown molding.
continued on page 54

Stock removal behind the coping cut doesn't have to be precise. Take off enough to be sure of a tight fit.

Move the other piece of molding as needed to get a perfect match with the coped piece. Pin them close to the joint.

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53

crownmolding

DRITLING AWESOME YOU POWER GAN ANYWHERE DRIVE

Simply turn the collar to adiust torque from 150 to 55Gin. lbs. clutch adjustable The 24-position lets you performa full rangeof tasks, to intohardmasonry fromdrilling precise into soft woods. driving

2-speed gleartox lets you effectively wofi at both high & low speeds for Workin the low ranges higher for overto a highrange torque.Switch of in fast drilling a variety materials.

Designed to keep you in complete control as you wotft Mid-handledesign provides balance and control. Overmoldedhandle improves grip & minimizes slippage.

From a length of wall trim, miter cut one end.Next, make a straightcut to createa small wedge to fit betweenthe wall and the miteredend of the wall trim applied in the previous paragraph. Now, glue this piecein place. Finally, cut the crown molding returnfollowing cut #2 and cut #3 in Drawing2. Gluethis in place to complete the corner. Use maskingtape to hold the piecein place.Later, press the taperedend of your nailset over the miteredjoint to close any gaps. Finish carpenters call this a Frenchroll.

Finish with care

Jusil to show off its vetsatility' we've included a 3O+c. drill accessory kit It features drill bits, screwdriver bits, spade bits and even masonry bits, all organized in one deluxe fitted case.

at Available Sears,SearsHardware, Catalog and the Craftsman at 800-437-9686

SEARS

THE COOD LIFE ATA CREAT PRICE CUARANTEED."

We choseto install the crown molding first, then we carefully appliedstainand lacquer.If you prefer,you can finish the molding before installation,but you'll run into a refinishing problem every time you haveto sanda joint. To finish installedmolding,protectthe walls and ceiling with masking tape. Test your stainon a scrappieceof moldyour home's ing to make sureit matches existingwoodwork.Apply the stain to the molding,usinga brush,andlet it dry. We followed that with two coats of

water-basedlacquer, also brushed on. Then, we filled the pin holeswith putty tinted to match the stainedwood, and brushedon a final coat of lacquer. Finally, apply a fine bead of caulk along the exposededgesof the backing trim. The caulk will coverany remaining wood and drywall.If your gapsbetween white, to wall doesn'thappen be painted you can go back and touch up the caulk with a small brushand paint that matches your wall color. JF
Written by Jim Pollock with Doug Guyer Baldwin PhotograPhY Photographs: Kim Downing lllustrations:

54

WOOD magazine

S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

Lookingfor a pieceof furnitune can personalize? you Hereit is.

ound-for-pound, inch-for-inch, you'll be hard-pressed find a to piece of furniture that works harder at displaying your plants, art objects, and collectiblesthan this stand.It eatsup lessthan a squarefoot of floor space, yet provides two platforms for medium-size objects.Four t/+"-de 3Vz"-square ep, cubicles in the top let you show off smaller objects,such as coins, photos, seashells, buttons,stamps, pins, or souvenirs, under clear-glass acrylic panels.Or, you can or swap out the clear panels for ones of wood, stainedglass,or other materials. We built our stand of ash, and applied only a clear finish. But this stand's style lends itself to nearly any wood or stain. (B) to size.Form rhe QCut the aprons LJapron tenons using a tablesaw,dado head,and the setupshown in Photo A. ,o{ From 4/4 stock,cut the bottom shelf u-'t'frames(C) to size. Drill pocket holes in the bottom faces of the bottom shelf frames,where shown on Drawing 2. We used a Kteg Jig (800/447-8638, www.kregtool.com), shown in Photo as jig, B.If you don'thaveapocket-hole try the low-tech approach describedonpage 22. T\en cut a V+"rabbet %" deep (the thickness of the bottom shelf panel) along the inside edgeson the top faces. the corners, and rout spline fiMiter L*-islots, where shown on Drawing 2. Use a router table with fence and a Vs" slot cutter centeredon the thickness of the workpiece.SeePhoto C. -{ll"Use the full-size spline pattern on t"*i|page 59 to cut eight splines from %" (You'll needfour splineseach hardboard. for the boffom shelf and top.) "'] Glue, spline, and clamp togetherthe * bottom shelf frame. Then glue and clamp togetherthe legs and aprons.With the glue dry, clamp the bottom shelf frame, where shown on Drawing 4, then secureit with pocket screws.

SHELF VIEW fl-OP

First, a base for the stand to stand on

Cut the legs (A) to size accordingto I the Bill of Materials.You'll needto thickness-plane 1" leg stock from5/4 the material,or laminatethinner stock. lay I Using Drawing 1 as a reference, {,-out and cut mortises in the upper inside faces of the legs. We used a drill pressto make a seriesof Vc"holes, then chiseledthe walls square. {

Pocket holes part@ into

A stopblock clamped to a miter-gauge auxiliary fence helps ensure consistent tenon cuts.

n.}.]1.'d:\E

Use a jig to cut the pocket holes in the bottom shelf frames. No jig? See the fow-tech approach on page 22.

Cut the spline slots in the bottom shelf frames with a t/a" slot cutter in a tablemounted router with fence.

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57

stand display
Tips for making the top
Cut the top fi-ame pieces (D) and dividers (E), I " lon-eerthan specified in the Bill of Materials. CuIt/+" rabbets -7+"deep in parts D and E, as shown on Drawing 3. Step 1. Note in Step I that we used an auxiliary wood fence attachedto our rip fence. Miter the top fl'ame pieces to 12" a long. usin-e stopblockto ensurethat all of them are the same length. Rout spline slots in the rnitered ends just as you did rn Step 5 of the previous section. Then, using the fbur remaining splines yoLl cnt previously, glue and clamp together the top fiarne. Check the inside dirnensionsof the top frame. and crosscut the dividers (E) to flt within the frame. Follow Drawing 3, Steps 24 to cornplete the machining of the dividers. Assemble the two dividers by -eluin-e and clarnping the center joint, as shown in Drawing 4b. Place the dividers with glue on the matinto the top frar-r-re in-e surfaces,and clamp in position. To help hold the dividers sqlrare. we positioned t/sx4x4" temporaty spacersbetween them durin-ethe clamp-Llp.

How to cut multiple,preciselysized acrylic panelswith clean edges. with acrylic Saw bladesslicethrough ease,but the edgesthey leavebehind roughand chipped. are usually routerbitscut extremely Fortunately, you provided cleanedgesin acrylic, take lightcuts. acrylicpiecesto the Cut slightly oversized acrylic panels To cut multiple to exact size with a wood temPlate exactsame size,firstcut the pieces and flush-trim bit. Then,usi ngdouoversi zed. s l i g htl y that wood template tape,centerand attachone pieceto a t/2" ble-faced the matches finalwidthand lengthof the acrylicpanel.Routthe edgesas router. bit shownwith a flush-trim in a table'mounted
of Rout the outer ed-ge the top fiame usin-ea t/2" beading bit, as shown in Drawing 3, Step 5. To avoid chip-ottt, make the cut in several passes. Center the top assembly on the base, apply -9lue,and clamp. Measure the four openings between openthe dividers as well as the lar-ee ing in the bottom shelf. With a 60- or 80tooth blade, cut the acylic bottom shelf panel oversized by t/rd" rn width and length. To prevent chipped edges. outflt your tablesaw's throat with a zero-clearance insert. Set your jointer for a light cut. jtrst /c+" or so, and joint the sawn edges until the panel fits perfectly. Because you'll need eight panels for the top. it's easiest to make a template for cutting them cleanly and pre-

Gut the panels

Note: As shov'n at the beginning o.f this article, \'ou con use panels oJ' various materiul.s. Here, urtd itt the Shop Tilt makirtg above, v'e'll cover the steps.f'or t/s" ucrtlit: pattels.

TOPAND DIVIDERS
STEP 1 Cut rabbets on both dividers as shown. Cut the rabbet in the top frame pieces using the same tablesawsetur Auxiliary wooden fence STEP 2 Cut rabbets on both ends of both dividers. STEP 3 Cut a 1" dado th" deep on the bottom face of one divider.

woodenfence Auxiliary

Vq','

-T
I 3/+" I

t/+" dado blade r

STEP 4 Cut a t/2" dado s/q" deep on the top face of the other divider.

STEP 5 Rout a'r/2"bead on the outer edge of the top frame.

t/q"rabbet%" deep l-.,

\-

| o

[fr,,,

Zz', beadingbit

3/q"

58

W O O D m a g a z i n e S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

1/ax4x 4" panel

CUBICLE FRAMES

1/ax4x4"panel

Mitered ends

DIVIDERS
1/q"rabbel s/q" deep /z" bead

/e" splineslot r/2"deep 1t/2" long

1/sy t5/16 X 11/2"SOline

w
1/sX61/qX61/q"

lF)
12"

VtEW El EXPLODED

t/+" rabbets g/q"deep

t/2" dado g/q"deep

acrylicpanel

cisely. Cut the templatefrom 1/2" stock that's %2" smallerin width and leneth thanthe panelopenings. Cut the eight acrylic panelst/s"larger in width and length than the template.The ShopTip on thepreviouspage showsyou how to trim the panels.

29
t/q" rabbel t/e"deep

Make the cubicle frames, and finish up the proiect

Placetwo acrylic panelsin one of the four openings in the top. Measure from the panelsto the surfaceof the top. Use this measurement-it should be about ry'"-yfien cutting cubicle frames (F) to width according to the Bill of Materials. Cut the parts to size and miter their ends,as shown in Drawing4a. The length of thesepiecesshould match the smallacrylicpanels. Glue andclampthe frames.Set aside. Sandall surfaces smooth,and apply the finish of your choice.We sprayed on three coats of lacquer, sanding between each coat with 320grit paper. Then, we applied Minwax PasteFinishingWax to give the projectthe look and feel of a fine, hand-rubbed finish. Assemble components the of the top.Q
Writtenby Bill Krier with Charles l. Hedlund lllustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson Photographs: Baldwin Photography; Wm. Hopkins

1tZ"pocket screws
t/6yts/16 X 1tl2" Spl

t/a" splineslot r/2"deep 1t/z" long

A legs B aprons

3/qu 21/z' 9"

Ash 4

C bottom frame shelf %"

2u

81/q'Ash 4

cutting diagrann
1x7t/a x 48" Ash

D-topframe 1" 12' Ash 4 E.dividers 1 " 1" 81/z' Ash 2 F cubicle frames 1/qu 1/z' 4' Ash 16 .Cutthese parts oversized accordinginstructions, to and tofinished trim size. 1/ax4x4" (8),1/8x61/4x61/4"('l), supplies: acrylic acrylic pocket (4). 1%" screws vnuw.woodonline.com

e/+x5y2 48" Ash *Planeor resawto thickness x listed in the Bill of Materials.

59

We put 'em togethern then put 'em to the test

After assembling the jointers and cleaning the machined surfaces of protective coatings,we carefully checked the tables and fences for straight, flat, and parallel, 4rru ltrlll-eb rur btrallBrrt, llat, aIlU pAIallel,

L-

Dr.]

using a combination of straightedges,dial indicators,and feeler gauges.If neeeded,we corrected V any misalignments. also examWe ined eachjointer's tablesand fencefor twist usinga machinist's angleblock 90o and feelergauges. Next, we madethe chipsfly by removing a hefty t/s"from the facesof a forest of 6"-wide ash boards,and observing eachjointer's power under load. With sharpknives,all of the modelstackled this task with power to spare,and with no significantslowdownin the number of cutsper minute. We then edge-jointed sameboards the and examinedthe quality of the cuts, comparingthem to both a straightedge and each other. Finally, we used each machine's rabbeting ledgeto cut Vzxl,/2" rabbets, again noting the quality of the cut produced. provedup to the task. All

Table talk their uFS, downs, and more

As a rule of thumb,you can successfully straightena board up to twice the total lengthof thejointer's bed.(The bed consists of both the infeed and outfeed tables.) With thatguidelinein mind, most jointers can handlea board of the tested between 92" and94"long.Give Sunhill's CT-60L the advantagehere: Bolted-on extensions boostthe lengthof stockyou can work to more than lO5"-almost a foot longer than the nearest competitor. The three infeed-tableelevation systems are shown in the drawings at the top of pages 62-63, and the side handwheel (left drawing)is the simplesrand most commonstyle.Rotatingthe handwheel turns a leadscrewthat pushesor pulls the infeed table along its dovetail

ways, raising it or lowering it. Grizzly, Ridgid, and Sunhill use this methodfor both infeed and outfeedtables. Jet's infeed-tablefront handwheel (centerdrawing)is easierto access and operatesalmost as smoothly as side handwheels. it's alsoeasier bump But to when moving stock from infeed to outfeed. To keep from accidentallychanging the critical outfeed-table height,also adjustedwith a handwheelon the front of the machine,we set the table height and removedthe handwheel. Ratherthan a leadscrew system,Delta employsa half-nut release system(right drawing) that allows you to adjust the cuttingdepthin precise%2"increments. Pulling the cablerelease disengages the half-nut from the threadedrod so you can step the table up or down or freely

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61

triedandtrue

ELEVATION HANDWHEEL SIDE move the table to any height with the positioninglever. Let go of the cable release,and the table stays put. This designworks fast for grossadjustments, but we missedbeing able to tweak the depthof cut just a nip, as we could on jointers. the handwheel-equipped As for table flatness, we're quite impressedby most of the machinesin our test, as you can seeby the chart on page 64. And, exceptfor the Jet infeed table, which sagged .012" at the outboard end and requireda little shimming to correct, all of the jointers arrived with their tables in near-perfect alignment. (John Otto of Jet Equipmentand Tools told us that the .0I2" misalignmentwas far beyond their acceptabletolerance,and that the jointer likely was damaged in shipping.)

FRONTHANDWHEELELEVATION

to limit the fencetilt. This designtended to changethe bevel angle-up to 2o in our tests-when we locked in the 45" bevel (see photos below). And, those two nuts are surounded by the fencebase casting, making them difficult to and adjust. access When we calledthis to the attentionof setmost suggested the manufacturers, ting the stop so it is accurate when locked, regardlessof the angle when unlocked. However, Ridgid's Dave

Hazelwood told us that engineerswill add a third stop bolt for the 45" setting and eliminatethe double-nutstopon the centerrod of the JP0610. Delta also scorespoints for its 5"-tall fence-a full 1" taller than the restin the test.The extraheightoffers betterworkpiecesupportfor edgejointing, especially on wide workpieces.

More features that make jointing a ioy

NoW factor in the fence

When edge-jointing material, the fenceprovidesthe vertical stock support and holds the bevel angle.Most of the time, that angle will be 90' from the table,but the fence also can material at any be set to edge-bevel angle from 45-135', with stops at both endsof the scaleand at 90o. The 45o,90o,and 135obevel stops on the Delta are pretty simple, each consisting a bolt and a nut to lock of the stop once set. We found these stops solid, accurate,and easy to adjust.The other four jointers usethe sametype of stopsfor their 90' and 135"settings. But the 45' stop on those models consists a pair of nutson the endof of the fence'scenterbevel-lockinsrod

We used Ridgid's angle-settinggauge to position a jointer's fence at 45' (above). But when we tightened the locking knob, the angle opened up to just over 47" (below).

.Depth-of-cutscalesand stops.Let's face it: If you use a jointer primarily lumfor flattening and straightening scaleisn't a high priber, an accurate ority (althoughit might be if you plan to do a lot of rabbeting).All of the machines have an easy-to-calibrate the WOODa magazine scale-in shop,though,we just rarely find ourusingit, exceptas a guideline. selves However,it's worth noting that the Delta, Jet, and Ridgid jointers have a maximum safe depth stop at t/g"-111s depth of cut you shouldtake in most circumstances-that you can bypass if you chooseto. Sure,you can stiltake a deepercut, as you might for rabbeting, but you have to make a to decision do so. We like conscious this safetyfeature. .Dust collection. As much as we harp on the benefits of good dust collection in the shop,we won't go to battle the here. Why? Mostly because dust chutes on these machineseject the chips harmlesslyjust inches above the floor. And frankly, the volume of waste produced largeprojectscan quickon bag. That's ly fill a dust-collector why for big jobs, we like to let the

62

WOOD magazine

S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

cutterhead eositioninffiMA. -5.-\i-Y

rink

lA Y/ [\

tw o thumbscrew s, though, R i dgi d' s innovative dustport slidesup and out of the way for the big lllqgo jobs table or to clear a chipjam, thenslides back into place for those tasks where you' d l i ke a l i ttl e suction assist. Every other machine we tested requires a wrench or screw-

tuho-up tips:
The order of business
lf you'renot gettinggood results fromyourj oi nter, maybei t just needsa goodtw eaki ng. Follow thesefi ve steps,i n order, br ing to yourjointer'sperformance back up to snuff: 1. Parallel the tables. 2. Squarethe fence to the table. 3. Parallelthe knives to the outfeed table. 4. Match the outfeed-table height to the knives. 5. Test and readjust if necessary. N ot everymachi ne' s owner 's manualcoverseverystep,so we've created dow nl oadablse m inar a e at our W OODON LIN E o eb sit et hat W describes processin detail.To the access semi nar, mplygo t o the si w w w .w oodonl i ne.com, on cl i ck S hoppi ng, then on W OODSTO REo i n the drop-dow n menu,th enselect D ow nl oadablS emi nars. nce e O there,choose" Tuni ng p Your U jointPowerTools Part.2." Besides ers,thi s semi nar expl ai ns ow t o h keepyour tablesaw and portable pl aneri n top shape, too. lf you don't haveaccessto the you can get a reprintof Internet, the articleas it appeared issue in 9 1 . S e n da $ 5 c h e c kt o : WOODArticleReprint Service ToolTune U p #91 P .O.B ox 349 K al ona, A 52247 l

HALF.NUTLEVERELEVATION chips fall where they may (ahem), where we can simply scoop them into the trash at day's end. A dust-collection port comes in handy to save cleanup after small jobs, though. You can buy a dust-collection port for any of the machines that don't offer them as standard equipment (see the chart). With only a couple of twists on

driver to remove the dust port. ,Power switches. Instead of a basemounted switch that can be hard to find, Delta placed the power switch for all the world to see: high above the tabletop on a stalk (seephoto on the next page).We also liked its covered toggle switch that turns off with a press of the cover. .Knife changing/setting. Unlike the 6" jointers of even a few years ago, all of

yet?Herens great Can't atford jointer a one alternative

If you buy lumber pre-planed thickness, to your craving for a jointer probably popsup only whenit comestime to edge joint boards. Here's a methodfor making perfectedgejoints with a router andt/2"straightor downcutspiralrouterbit. (Note: The router bit is cutting in both directions at the sametime, making it grabby during this operation. Proceedwith caution and removeas little material as possibleon the climb-cuttingside.)

Clamp the boards you want to join to the jaws of a clamping workstation (such as a Workmate), leaving th" or so of the workpieces overhanging the jaw opening. Close the jaws until the boards are edge to edge, and make witness marks across the joint. The straightedge is set to remove fess than lsz" trom the right board.

Open the jaws of the workstation so that the gap between the workpieces is paraflel and zAe"wide. Rout the mating edges of both pieces with one pass of your router, guiding it along the straightedge. Both sides of the cut will match as long as you align your witness marks when gluing up the assembly.

You don't need a long, precision straightedgeto parallel your jointer tables. A pair of inexpensivedrafting trianglesdoes the trick, as you'll learn in our power tool tune-up seminar at WOODONLINE.

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63

triedandtrue
THE STRAIGHTSCOOPON 6'' JOINTERS
T/rBLEs

| |

tifr?f|$lliE

(4: lnccrssoRrEs

DETTA

7-% %=/"-# $/r "-""--A #

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TABLES/ FI:NCE

!*i f/"-F i/s *=u/=s

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COMMENTS

G G G G

D,P

pack adjustment, table-height withunique from 225 $550 A departure therestol the power mechanisms, stalk-mounted switch, and fence
zuJ

1 GRIZZLY G1 82HW 47

G G G G G

10

The .001 checked within " of flatandparallel. out The tables fence thisiointer and on 325. base to makes easy it but at requires assembly rattled times, lowprice and cabinet overlook shortcomings. these 499 witha knee. to to but handwheels easy access alsoeasy bump are Front-mounted change. to accidental setting table prevent the the wheel after Weremoved outfeed

JET RIDGID

JJ-6CSX 4s3lt FH

D,P

2 258

0 JP061

4s3lq S H

G G * G G

A,D,P

10

213

port, pushblocks, gauges, wrenches. angle and for tool 449 Nice onboard storage dust lock t0 quality value thelongest in thetest. fence-tilt tended pull The bed with and at thefence of alignment 45' position. out contact FormoreInforma$on,

sullHlLL cT-601
t{0IE$

s23lq

SH

tt2

220 359. Good

1. (FH) Front handwheel (HN) release Hallnut withcable (SH) handwheel Side z. I Excetlent

on discussion page62. 3. (-) See gauge 4. (A) Angle-setting port (D) dust-collection 4" (P) Pushblocks

against defects warranty 5. (L)Lifetime in materials workmanship. and where shipping applicable. 6. (.)Plus

Delta 800/438-2486 wwwdeltamachinery.com Grizzly 800t523-4777 www.grizzly.com Jet 800t274-6848 www.jettools.com

Ridgid 8001474-3443 www. ridgidwoodworking.com Sunhill 800/929-4321 www.sunhillmachinery.com

@ cooo

!r . i,

types tools, of Forspecificationsother on at www.woodmall.com. click "Tool on Comoarisons"

Jet JJ-6CSX

Grizzly G1182HW

64

WOOD magazine

S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

the models in our test come equipped with jackscrewcutterheads. Thesecountersunk set screws in the knife slots make it easy to finely adjust the blade height, and to return freshly sharpened knifesto the sameheightwithout fussing with a knife-setting gauge. Grizzly's jackscrew-equipped cutterhead also includesspringsto use if you choose. (We simplyremoved them.) .A placefor your stuff. All of the jointers we testedcome with pushblocks for safely moving material over the cutterhead.Only the Ridgid jointer provides on-tool storagefor the pushblocksand knife-setting wrenches.

Two more too fresh to test

During the courseof our testing,we learnedof two new 6" jointers, from Craftsmanand Powermatic, slatedto be off the drawing board and on the market aboutthe time you readthis.Hard as we tried,we couldn'tget the modelsin time to testthem for this article.We'll testthem for a futureissueof WOODa magazine, here'swhat the manufacturers you haveto look forward to. but say
Powermatic 54A

e*t
,/:S*k"
-E

\1*_

Which model would we have in our joint?

You might not expect much from a machinethat costsonly $325, plus $48 shipping, but Grizzly's G1l82HW arrived with the fence and tableswithin .001" of being perfectly flat and parallel-the bestin the test. If you're like us, you rarely use your jointer for anything but makingboardsflat and square, we so can overlook (or compensate for) the slightpulling of the bevelangleat 45". Ridgid's redesignedJP06l0 comes nicely featuredwith on-boardtool storage,quick-swap dustport, and-with the change the45ostop-solid bevelstops. in Only you know if those features are worth another $100or so to you.i
Craftsman 2170G

r@

;a

>

'Craftsman21706.Due in August 2001,this machinehas 6%"-wideknives,a jackscrewcutterhead, a 46"-longbed. Insteadof the handwheels and found on the model it replacesthe 21706usesa lever for settingthe infeed-table , heighta stepbackward,in our opinion. It also offers onboardstorage the included for pushblocks, is expected sell for $400. and to 'Powermatic54A. The first featureDoug Kullmar of Powermatic boastsof this newjointer is its uniqueinfeed-table adjustment system. Besides havinga lever for making coarsedepth-of-cutadjustments quickly, the 54A also has a second fine-tuning adjustment precision for whennecessary. And this 6" jointer measures one way like an 8" model:Its bed length-a in whopping66"-is more than 13" longer than the longesttablesin this test. Kullmar expects 54A to sell for about$750whenit debuts the latethis summer.

Written by Dave Campbell with Dave Henderson Photographs: Baldwin Photography lllustrations; Cahill Tim

We'd like to know what you think

We've had our say, now we'd like to know what you think about the 6" jointersin our test. So we've set up a specialonlinediscussiongroupwhere you can speak your peace.First,log on to www.woodmall.com, then clickon the Tool Comparisons to tab see how other woodworkersand the jointermanufacturers themselves respond.

Sunhill CT-60L

Ridsid JP0610

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65

techniques These simple that willensure yourjointer You'll its really earns keep. this notonlyappreciate more, workhorse workshop get you'll better results and greater production, too.
: When you have to read the I edge-jointing, I srain for the correctdirectionto feed As the Jtockto avoid tear-out. shownin DrawingA, feedingstock with the grain running "downhill" from the outfeed tableand away from the knive's rotation J

produces bestresults. grain runs in If the severaldirections,position the board so that most of it runs in that direction.End grain generally should not be jointed becausethe knives will shatter anv portionof it. unsupported

in outfeed tableresults t/ n misaligned f- lessthan perfectcuts. Set too high, you get a concave Too low, and surface. the cut will be heavierat the back end of the stock.But it doesn'ttakemuch effort to set the outfeed table to match the heightof the knivesfor a perfectcut. As shownin DrawingB, first lower the outfeed table slightly, next turn on the jointer. Set the infeed table for a light cut, then slowly feed a piece of scrap-

66

an accident, alwayskeep the following important safetytips in mind. r Wear safetyglassesand adequate protection. ear r Be sure the knivesare sharp. r Tightlysecurethe fenceand table-adjustment locksbeforeusingthe machine. And checkthem occasionally duringoperation, with the jointeroff. r N e vermakeadj ustments henthe j oi nter s runni ng. w i o Don'ttry "freehand" manipulations do not requireuse of the fence. that r Avoidheavycutsthat mightjam the cutterhead. Take off no morethan l/ta"per pass on softwoodsand even less on hardwoodstock. r Neverjointworkpieces lessthan s/+" wideor 1/+" thick.Use pushblocks or hold-downs wood narrower on than 3". r When surfacing stock,keep both handson top of the workpiece, a n d use pushbl ocks.

Joint safeIyffiUlilTl,l?",1i"#'ffi,1""Y.111

----T-(1 4-;" _ pao. \ # FOam Remove last/ ll

l ^ l

/_r--rL

,_'

Pushblock

3/q" loam of

/Af

3/ax 3/q"cleat wood screw

P3g.fru,!h",i", pushblock. /I- #dx"/0" ,z r.n. brass

FACE.JOINTING

stockon edgeacross knives.Cut into the the stocka few inchesuntil about 1" Drojects over the outfeedtable.Now, shut off the machine.Raisethe outfeedtable until it touches bottom of the stock's the jointed portion,then lock it in place.To checkthe new setting, finishjointing the edgeandmakea second pass, pausing2" into the cut to see if the outfeed table now fully supports wood. the

..'. .......:.--. t.'":--:::-: :-l-r

.r.

''- --:::::j-::::-:::-:r-..S ' ' *

.-.. :.--.-.-:------

--

Afterface-jointing

{ jointed edge that's squareto rhe \r/ face of a board,you shouldjoint the face first. Then, with the newly jointed face againstthe fence (with the grain runningdownhill),joint one edge squarewith it. This gives you one flat surfaceas a basefor further milling and a true edgefor ripping. :;rl;:'-l;..01.,, :',1.r . To edgejoin boards without minute Q I gapsin the glue lines caused a by slightly out-of-square fence, try this. Select goodfaceofeach board.Then the edgejoint one board with its good face awayfrom the fence.Run the next board through with its good face againstthe fence.The two edgesof the joint will mateperfectly,evenif the fencewas not perfectly squarewith the jointer table. Glue-up, thenrepeat more width. for A

Togera

Take at least half of the cup out of warpedboardson your jointer. To do it, first flatten the concave side by face-jointing. Then remove the convexsideof the warp by running it throughyour planerwith the new flat side down. As shown in Drawing C, a shop-altered pushblock helpsget thejob donesafely.

precision rabbets, you can choosea tablesaw with a dado set,or a routerandrabbeting But bit. do you ever think of rabbetingwith your jointer? Of course, your machinehasto havea rabbeting ledgeon the outfeedside.And you must remove the guard.Do so, and you'll get smoothsurfaced rabbets with minimal set-up time. The width of the rabbetwill be limited to the lengthof the cutterhead its and depthby your machine'smaximumcut.

Make an initial cut to the width and depth of the rabbet at the tablesaw. Then setthejointer fenceto the rabbet's width, and start plowing away in shallow passes, shownin DrawingD. lP as
Photograph Baldwin Photography : lllustrations: Roxanne LeMoine.Tim Cahill

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67

wipeoUtL r
hen fibers, splinters, or even sizable chunks of wood break away from your workpiece while you're cutting or shapingit, that's chip-out. Fortunately, you can avoid neady all of that surface damageby tak= ing a moment to prepare before you cut, rout, or joint a piece of wood. Follow two basic rules to prevent chipout: Use sharp cutting tools, and provide solid backing for surfacesthat are likely to be damaged.We'll describehere some of the best ways to lend that support, no matter which cutting tool you use.

cnl

IO
Preparebeforeyou cutnand producesmooth,cleanedges.
use to add an auxiliary fence. If you have an exfuded-aluminum fence on your miter gauge, use double-stick tape to attach a temporary wooden fence.

the stock. Also, shallow cuts produce better results than deep ones because you're not forcing. as much sawdust through the kerf. When crosscutting with a miter gauge, use an auxiliary wooden fence to back the workpiece in line with the blade, as in Photo B. Most traditional miter gaugesinclude screw holes that you can

Router know-how
The best way to avoid chip-out when routing an edge profile is to make several shallow cutsorather than cutting the

Tablesawtactics
Stafi with a "scoring" cut on furnituregrade plywood or solid wood that shows a tendencyto chip out. Set the bladejust %" above the table, as in Photo A, and run the workpiece through. Then raise the blade and make the final cut. in You'll get cleanerresultsbecause a 'scoring cut the blade's teeth meet the wood at a shearing angle, rather than pushing down bn the bottom surface of

on Whenhandlingtop-qualitymaterials the tablesaw,start with a scoring cut.

Use a backer board and zero-clearance time. throat plateto saveon clean-up
WOODmagazine SeptemberzoOt

68

trim all of the first stile, then pick it up, flip it around,and finish the cut from the opposite end. These same principles apply to handplanes, too.

Basic baseplates
Bandsaws, scrollsaws, jigsaws, and ponable circular saws will give you a much smoother cut if outfitted with a zero-clearancebaseplate to provide backing on both sidesof the kerf. As an example,here's how to preparea circular saw. Cut a piece of Vq" hardboardor plywood to the size and shapeof your saw's base.Drill holesin the boardto matchthe base'sexisting holes and attachit with countersunk machine screws and nuts. Our sawhasholesonly alongone edgeof the base, so we securedthe other edge with cloth-backed, double-sticktape. Retractthe blade, and set the saw on a doublethickness 3/q" of plywood so that you don't saw into your workbench. Switch on the saw,lower the blade.and you'll get the resultshownin Photo F. You can't guide the saw by eye with this baseplate attached, you'll haveto so rely on edge guides.Or, you can make the baseplate with clear Plexiglas or polycarbonate plastic.|l

Alwaysprovidesupportat the end ot the passwhenroutingacrossend grain. finished shape in one massive,woodchewing pass.If you're working on the end grain of a solid board or a rail-andstile assembly, which also requiresyou to handle some end grain, clamp a backer board alongsidethe end grain, as in Photo G. Or, rout the edges that include end grain first, then do the ones that are all edgegrain.That way, if you knock some slivers loose while pushing acrossthe end grain, you'll cleanup that spot with the edge-grain pass. If your workpiece displays a tendency to splinter when you begin routing an edgeprofile, it's time for climb-cutting. This can be a tricky operation, so exercise extracaution.Here's how it works. Typically, you rout an edgeprofile by pushing the router forward with the workpieceto your left. Becausethe bit spins clockwise, this action pushesthe cutting edge into the wood. To climbcut, keep the workpiece at your left, but start the router at the far end of the cut and pull it toward you, as in Photo D.

lf the wood'sfacegrainruns at this angle,usea climb-cut rout a profile. to Now the bit's cutting action pulls the grain down, insteadof lifting it up, and that reduces likelihood of chip-our. the The router thrusts toward you when you climb-cut, so clamp the workpiece securely,take a balancedstance,grip the router firmly with both hands,and make light cuts. Removeno more than %" of stockper passwhen usingsmall bits and only about t/re"with larger ones.Don't climb-cut with bits over 2" in diameter, which create a tremendousamount of torque. Don't make climb cuts on the router table, either, where the workpiece is likely to shootout of your grasp.

Jointer tricks
Sometimesyou need to trim the ends of a rail-and-stile frame,and thejointer can do that in a jiffy. But it's almostcertain to splinterthe edgesof the stilesunless you take precautions. One methodis to hold or clamp a block of wood against the rear edge of the workpiece. We show another approach in Photo E. Pushthe piece far enoughto

To trim a frame, start one end through the jointer, then turn it around. www.woodonline.com

jigs, like this one, hold Zero-clearance wood fibers in place as you slice them.

Different situations call foi differ6nt measuresto beat chip-out.Here are some moretips: .Score the top side of plywoodwith a utilityknife and a straightedge before cuttingwith a circularsaw. The side of the saw blade againstthe "keepef' edge should run in the scoredcut. .When routinga hinge mortise,first make a knifecut at the point where the bit will emergefrom the wood. .lf you do get minorchip-outwith the tablesaw,clean it up at the router table.The ideal bit for this step is an up/downcut spiralbit. .Apply a thin coat of the finishyou'll use later. lt hardensthe surfaceof the wood, and can be scrapedor sanded off if necessary. .Use a backerboardwhen usingthe drill press,and move the board along with the workpiece multipleholes. for That way, you'll alwayshave solid supportunderneath.
Photographs: Baldwin Photography

Moreanti-chip tips

69

his enchanting tabletop lamp not only looks great sitting on a child's dresser. it also features unique lighting options. A special lamp socket operates the main and nightlight bulbs separately, or both together. For those of you who want to build this project but do not wish to scrollsaw the back-lit panels, we provide a source for precut panels. It doesn't get any easier than that! Note: To save you the trouble oJ'tracking clown all tlte parts vou need to build this lemtp, we provide a ntuil-order source for most of it. Check the Buying Guide before purchusing cut\- hardware.

Start with the base

I t/zxl8" board to t/2" Plane a 3/+x7 I thick to make a blank for the rop and

(C). Cut the bottom(A) andthe brackets parts to the sizes listed in the Bill of Materials.Set the brackets aside. /-) Chuck a t/2" straight bit in your Lnde-mounted router. and adjust it to cut t/s" deep.Position f'ence%" the from the bit andclampstopblocks the to fenceto limit your cuts.Lowering the parts onto the running bit, rout the top and bottom perimetergrooves,where shownon Drawings and 2. 1 Drill the 7r:" cornerholesin the top Q Uand bottom(A) andthe I7r:" holesin their centers. the partsaside. Set Rip a t/+xt/+x28" blank for the A t p o s t s ( B ) , t h e nc u t t h e f o u r p i e c e s to l e n g th. D ri l l t/8" hol es i n both e n d s , w h ere show n on D raw i ng 3, S te p 1 . W i th your tabl esaw bl ade ra i s e d t/ 8" cut the grooves, w here , shown in Step 2. The tA" Baltic birch p l y w o o d for the panel s(E ) vari esi n th i c k n e s s, and al so w i l l have a l ayer o f ri c e paper gl ued to i t. C heck the

pl yw ood' s fi t i n your groo ves,and leave someextraroom. Now use your miter gaugefitted with an auxiliary fence and stopblockto cut rabbets around both ends, forming a shorttenon,whereshownin Step 3. Pare the tenons'outside corners with a chisel to fit the roundedcornersof the grooves in the top and bottom. Finally, cut piecesof threadedrod to length, and epoxy them into the posts' end holes,as shownon Drawings and 4 4a. Seethe Buying Guide for the threaded rod. Setthe postsaside. holder(D) to size.Use fiCut the socket tJa Forstner to drill a centered bit 1%" hole, whereshownon Drawings4 and 5. Retrievethe brackets(C), and glue and clamp them to the socket holder. With the glue dry, glue and clamp the bracketsftrolderassemblyto the top, where shownon Drawing 1. f* Use your drill pressto drill the holes i*/in the wood balls. as shown in
s/sz" hole

TOB VIEWED FROMBOTTOM

BO TTOM, VIEWED FROMTOP

--__4

I
7"

hl

3/a"

L
POST
Step 1 7e"hole 1" deep, centered both too on and bottomends

I l

1/2"groove 14" deep, stopped 1/a"trom edges

tI
|[

1 / l l

stopped t/a"trom edges

t/2" groove /a" deep,

'/a

,/2

_A
*\
13/sz" hole, centered

@
7"4

Step2 /e"grooves deep Ta"

Step3 Chisel corner fit into to

grooveon top and bottom.

;H,tr{t l.llffi;
www.woodonline.com

t/a" rabbel /e" deep along all four sides

. rl)t' -.

A wood handscrew holds the balls

71

lamp storybook
2" wood ball %" (OD) lamp nipple 37+"long threaded coupling s/+" wood ball

6-32threaded insert

Lock washer (internaltooth)

1/2" groove t/a"from edge

Lamppipenut hole.centered 1tla"

VIEW E EXPLODED
7/sx3/e" Screw eye

rod, 6-32threaded
!" 11/z' l o n g e p o x i e d o intoh o l e
1 / a'' Ihole

t/a"rabbet t,/a"deep '/a

1" deep -.--.---.-

'grooves t/a" t/a" g deep R i :e paper glued \ ce outside face -t IO Ot

Drawings4 and 4a andPhotoA. Seethe Buying Guide for the threadedinserts and wood balls. Rather than trying to thread the inserts into the 3/+" and 1" slip balls,drill the holesso the inserts in, then epoxy them in place. Drill all the way throughthe 2" ball. you are scrollsawingyour own 7If I panels(E), cut four %" Baltic birch plywoodblanksto size,and four matchSet ing pieces acrylicsheet. theacrylic of aside. Copy the patterns from the insert,and adhere WOOD PATTERNSo them to the plywood blanks with spray adhesive.Drill blade-startholes, and Removethe patscrollsawthe designs. terns. See the Buying Guide for the Baltic birch plywood or our sourceof precutpanelsand the acrylic sheet. of QCut four pieces rice paperslightly LJlarger than the panels.(We bought our rice paper at an art supply store.) Apply spray adhesiveto the panels. Adhere the paper,as shown in Drawing with a utility knife. 4, and trim the excess Note: Theprecut panelsare sealedwith lacquer and cut w'itlt a laser. The laser cr,ttting leavesa thinfilm of soot on the surface. Wipe the panels with a damp the cloth beforeaclhering rice paper.

Now apply the finish

Finish sand all the parts except the (E) I panels to 220-gril Mask the posts' threaded rods.Apply a clearfinish, sanding lightly with 220-grit sandpaper coatsof between coats.(We usedseveral Deft satinlacquerfrom a spraycan.) f)Spray-paint the 3A" balls red and l the l " bal l s bl ue. D on' t pr im e t he nick in the painted balls-the slightest surface can expose the primer. We simply applied extra color coats until we got a smoothglossyfinish. I

insert 6-32threaded into epoxied hole

7sz" hofe s/a"deep 1" wood ball

\ )
l / a x 5 3 / + x G 7+"clear acylic

Wire and assemble the lamp

Drill screw pilot holes in the inside I cornerof one of the posts(B), where 4 shownon Drawings and5, andinstallthe screweyes.Seethe Buying Guidefor the in Place posts thebottom's the screweyes. themwith the 1" balls. comers, andfasten f)Slide the acrylic panels into the Z-posts' outside grooves, and the scrollsawn panels into the inside grooves.The rice papersidefacesout. QRemove the bottom cap from the Ulamp socket,screwin the lamp nipi

How to smooth round obiects

To holdthe 2" ball for sanding, drop it onto a /e" bolt and bolt secureit with a hex nut, then chuckthe protruding into your drill press.Turn on the drill pressand hold sandpaper againstthe ball,as shown,right.To holdthe 3/q" and 1" balls, chuck a piece of #6-32tpithreadedrod ' into your drill press.Threadon a hex nut, then the ball, and tightenthe hex nut down onto the ball.

72

WOOD magazine

S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

-\

Finial

Insulated cover

Goldscrew Silver screw (neutral) Socket bottomcap

Bottomview of 2-circuit lampsocket Blackscrew 8" lampharp Harpcradle 2" woodball Lamppipenut and lockwasher

3/s'OD lamp nipple--\ 37a"long

z/o" threaded brass coupling

1/z'

/a" Balticbirch@ Ricepaper applied to outsidebefore assembly t/a"clearacrylic 7t/z-watl clear candelabrabasebulb \.'-% x Te"screw eye

Pull the extra cord from the lamp base, leavingenough slack to allow lifting the top for lightbulb replacement. The front panels have been removed for clarity.

billofrnaterials
A-top/bottom B**posts C-brackets
D socket holder
1/z' 3h' 7' 3h'

7',M2
61/q, M 4

Vz' 1' 21/2', M 1/a' 21/z' 21/z' BP

2 1

E panels VBn 53/q' 61/4' BP 4 .Pafis from single t/z'-thick cut a oversized blank. ..Multiple cut parts from same the blank. Materials M-maple, Key: BP-Baltic plywood. birch

ple,andsecure with the setscrew. it Slip on the lamp harp and the 2" wood ball. Screwon the threaded coupling.Secure this assembly the top (A) with a lock to washer and lamp pipe nut, as shownon Drawing5. f Thread the power cord up through Tthe bottom's center hole and the screweyes. Pull enough cordthroughto allow you to lay the top/harp/socket assembly your workbench. on Feedthe cord through the lamp nipple, pulling about4" out the top. Feedthe snap-in socket's pigtail cord throu_eh holder the (C,D) and the lamp nipple. assembly Pull thecordthroughthe nipple.andcut off all but about4". f,Strip the wires' ends, and attach r*,/them to the socket'sscrew terminals, where shown on Drawing 5. Carefully pull the excesscord back

down through the lamp nipple until the lamp socket nestles in the socket's bottom cap. Replace the socket cover. Screw the Jt/z-watt bulb into the pigtail socket, and snap it into its holder. Lift the top assembly,and pull the extra cord back out the bottom hole. as shown in Photo B. Position the top on the base, and secure it with rhe 3/+"balls. your lampshade and fasten f---*Purchase L- iit to the harp with the finial. We chose a royal blue shadethat has a lower diameter of I I ", an upper diameter of 5", and a height of 7t/2". Look in your local Yellow Pages under "Lamps and Shades" fbr a store near you. lF Written Jan HaleSvecwithKevinBoyle by
Prolect Design: James R. Downing lllustrations: Kim Downing; Lorna Johnson Photographs: Baldwin Photography; Wm. Hopkins

Supplies: adhesive, paper, Spray rice epoxy, clear paint, finish, and red blue spray lampshade. Buying Guide Note: %"plywoodnotincludedthehardThe is in panels theplain ware Order kit. either precut the or Baltic plywood birch separately. Hardware 3-wire Kit: turn-knob socket, lamp snap-in pigtail 7l/z-wall candelabra-base socket, clear bulb, z/ro" threaded coupling,lamp with brass 8" harp lamp nutand finial, threaded 3gl+" nipple, tight lock washer, 8-foot sel,7/sv3/s" eyes %"wood cord screw (2), balls (4), wood (4),2" 1' balls w00d ball,6-32x12" threadedrod, threaded (B), 6-32 inserts 12x12" acrylic clear (2). plus Order no. kit 6302, shipping $29.95 $7.99 and handling, residents $1.95 Meisel MN add tax. Hardware Specialties, Box P.0. 70W, Mound, MN 55364-0070. 800/441-9870, theU.S. 0r call outside call 952/471-8550. t/ax12x12" birch Baltic Birch Plywood: Baltic plywood 9559, no. each Add $1.40 (2). tothehardware kitabove. t/a" panels cuttrcm Precut Panels: offour Set laser ppd. Baltic plywood, no.LZ-LAMP, birch Kit $20.00 Drico Products, 888/577-3257. Call Inc.,

www.woodonline.com

picyour to Whenit comes displaying favorite presentation to Designed fit three counts. tures, precut these two mats, sizesof standard, and of feature minimum material sima designs pleconstruction maximum As effect. the for woods grain and contrasting show, examples frames. to unique figure combine create

prairie frames
Flat surfaces and simple bevels, rather than intricate molding profiles, put the wood's grain and figure on display in these frames. Shown far left and above, fiddleback maple is enhanced with a dark aniline dye. In the other two frames, flatsawn and quadersawn woods combine for a subtle contrast in white oak, near left, and Honduras mahogany, below.

beaded frames
Simple beaded bands flanking a flat field are a perfect vehicle for showing off contrasting wood species. Bubinga beads sandwich lacewood, above. The wenge beads complement the dark streaks in the spalted maple field, right. At tar right, straight-grained ash bordered with cherry looks better and better with age.

Making the beaded frame

J Selectyour speciesand prepareyour I stock.You'll needa VzxlVa" piecefor the outside band, a /qx7/8"piece for the field, and a VqxT/e" piece for the inside band.Seethe Sizing Guide for the stock length neededfor each size of frame. QChuck a VB"round-overbit in your C*table-mounted router. and rout the edgesof the inside band strip, as shown in Drawing 1 and Photo A. Then change to a V+" round-over bit, and rout the edges the outsidebandstrip,as shown of in Drawing 2. Finish-sandthe strips to 220 grit before assembly.

ffi,
'*##:'

::,";&

For safe operation and uniform results, use featherboards when routing the band round-overs.

Cut rabbetdepth to fit single strengthglass with mat board and /a" hardboard 5/6"). | (aPProximately Mat Back

www.woodonline.com

75

With the end of the standflat on your tip benchtop, the frameagainstit, adhering the standto the tape on the back. to a piece of Vz" stock with spray adhesive, and saw and sand the stand to shape.Mark the center of the hardboard back and the top of the stand. Stick a piece of double-faced tape to the back, and temporarily adherethe stand to the back, as shownin Photo B. Removethe back and attachedstand from the frame, and drill pilot and countersunk shank holes for the screws. Separatethe stand from the back, remove the tape, and screw the stand in place, as shown on Drawing 3. QPrime the back with spray primer, LJthen finish with two coats of satin black spray paint. Remove the turnbuttons and apply two coats of clear satin finish to the frame, sandinglightly with betweencoats. 220-git sandpaper

QGlue and clamp the inside band strip ulto the field strip, as shown on Drawing 1. When the glue dries, chuck a rabbeting bit in your table-mounted router, and rout the 3/r"-wide rabbet, where shownon Drawing 2. A Cut the assembledinside band/field al-strips into lengths about 1" longer than the dimensionsshown under Inner Frame Size in the Sizing Guide. Mitercut them to the inner frame dimensions. Glue and clamp the inner frame togethWe er, checking for squareness. used a band clamp. When the glue dries, reinforce the cornerswith wire brads. fiMiter-cut the outside bands to fit u,laround the inner frame, and finishsandthem.Lay the inner frame on your

workbench with /s" spacersunderneath it. Glue and clamp the bands in place, creatinga t/s"recessat the frame's back. ftCut glassand /s" hardboardto fit the Llrabbeted opening. Stack the glass, precut mat, and hardboard in the frame. Drill screw pilot holes, and attach the turnbuttons. See the Buying Guide for our furnbutton source. We used two turnbuttons on only the long sides of the small and medium frames,and two turnbuttons on all sidesof the large frame. JFor a wall-hung frame, attach a sawf tooth type picture hanger to the frame's back after the finish is applied. To make your frame freestanding,make a copy of the appropriatestandfrom the WOOD PATTERNSoinsert. Adhere it

Try the prairie frame

PRAI

CROSS SECTION
rA" chamler

fI
11/e'

I I l_
76

Cut rabbetdepth to fit single strengthglass with mat board hardboard and 1/8" 5/6"). | (aPProximately Mat

-{ Select your speciesand prepareyour I stock.You'lIneed a r/zxlVt" piece for the outsideband and a3/+xlVs"piece for the field. See the Sizing Guide for the stock length needed for each different size of frame. f)Chuck a chamfer bit in your tablef*mounted routerandrouttheedgeof the field stip, where shown on Drawing 4. Then change to a rabbeting bit, and rout the3/s"rabbet.Finish-sandthe field strip. {)Cut the field strip into lengths about \*r l " longer than the dimensionsshown under Inner Frame Size in the Sizing Guide. Miter-cut them to the inner frame dimensions. Glue and clamp the inner frame together, checking for When the glue dries, reinsquareness. force the corners with wire brads, as in Step 4 of the beadedframe instructions and the shop tip.

WOOD magazine

September 2001

I
t/+" round-overs # 1 6 x 1 " w i r eb r a d Sawtoothpicturehanger (forwall-hung frame) 7o+" shankhole s%+" hole pilot s/a" deep

I
!'i"'.'J;t r.l( frame)
l" | \
) stano

21/z'

II I I
L

I I
Ta"rabbets s/ro" dggp Fieldstrip 5 x7" photo Inside bandstrip t Z " b r a s sR . H . 7#4x wooo screw 8 x 1 0 "m a t Outsideband strip
l/ax8x 10" glass

#4 x s/q" brassF.H wood screw

111/z^

/ex8x10" hardboard

lrr"r,

turnbutton

VIEW El EXPLODED
(Medium beadedframeshown)

Mitered ends

Miter-cut the outside bands to fit aroundthe inner frame,testingthe fit of eachpieceasyou proceed. Finish-sand them to 220 gnt. Lay the inner frame on your workbenchwrth 3/ro" spacers underneath it. Glue and clamp the bands in place.The spacers createa 3/ra" recess at the frame'sback. Now, to add the glass, mat, back, turnbuttons, hangeror stand,and finish to your prairieframe,follow Steps6, JF 7, 8 of the beaded-frame instructions.
Written by Jan Hale Svec with Kevin Boyle Prolectdesigns: Kevin Boyle lllustrations: Roxanne LeMoine;Lorna Johnson Photographs: Baldwin Photography

LARGE

11 14" x

8 x 1 0 " 71lzx91lz"131/2161i2" 121lzx151lz" 65' x

5x7"
31/2x5" 41lzx61lz"101lzx121lz"g1lzx111lz" 5 1 ' 3x41l z" 71lzx9tlz" 61lzxgllz"

MEDIUM 8x 1 0 "
SMALL 5x7"

39-

Supplies: #4xtl2" roundhead screws, brass wood Buying You order 6293 Guide: can no. brass. plated #4x%" brass flathead screws, wood #16x1" wire turnbuttons, or$9.95/100 from $2,49/20 picture brads, turnbuttons, sawtooth hanger, hard- Meisel %" Hardware Specialties. 8001441-9870. Call glass, primer, paint, board, single-strength glue, finish. Precut mats standard areavailable artsupin sizes at plyandcraft supply stores frame and shops,

Do you havea specialpicture to frame, one that won'tfit into a standardframeand precut mat? Thearticle "Mount Up" on page78 givesyouallthe informationyouneedto aprofessional of job do mattingand mountingyour artwork, no matterwhat size frame you make.
We even share the techniquefor cutting your own glass.
www.woodonline.com

77

ick Smith, a custom picture framer at the Tandem Brick Gallery in Des Moines, Iowa, saysit costsabout$25 to $35 to have an 8x10" photo or piece of artwork professionally mounted in a frame that you provide. "There are many options, though, such as type of mat, non-glare glass,and archival material, that can run up that figure," he notes. "For instance, ultraviolet tUVl filtering glass costs twice as much as regular glass. For a pieceof art, it's rare photo or expensive well worth the cost." Becauseyou're probably not going to frame Picasso sketches,you just may want to savesomemoney and do it yourself. It doesn'ttake specialskills, and the tools and materials are readily available. If you're planning to make the frames shown on page 74,here's what you need to know to follow through.

lf you make yourown why frames, not do the mounting, too? Here's allyou need to knowto get started.
Getting started
Do-it-yourself framing requires some Let's take a look basictools and supplies. at them, then seehow they go together. . Mat cutter. A handheld, bladed tool that cuts the image window in the mat. It can be as simple as an X-acto knife or more precise, such as the angled-blade model shownin the photo below.It costs about$15. . Straightedge.Athick, straightlength of metal with a non-skid back to guide the mat cutter. Or you can use a metal ruler. . Ruler.A standardflat rule with legible markings for measuring . Pliers.Use the adjustable-jawtype for pushing in brads. . AwL. A pointed tool for piercing a wood frame for brad starter holes. The awl also can be used for burnishing (smoothing)bevel edgeson mats. . Glue. A glue stick works fine for mounting the kraft paper dust cover when closing up the picture package. You also can use double-facedtape. . Mat. Made of a heavy paperboard, usually in a variety of colors and textures, mats surround the image area of the photo or artwork and protect it from touching the glazing (the glass or acrylic). Normally, mat material contains a high rag content to make it acidfree (labeled "ph neutral"). Acid-free material prevents deterioration of the photo or artwork. Art supply storescarry precut mats in a variety of traditional sizesand colors, or will customcut a mat to fit the image you have. . Mounting board. The same heavyweight paperboard as mats, mounting boards can be acid-free as well because the photo or artwork is mountedon it. . Backing board. Usually made of a stiff cardboard to strengthen the mounting board, backing boardsmore recently are made from rigid foam-core stock approximatelyV+"thick or thicker. They come in white and many colors, and in full sheetsor pre-cut sizes. t Dust cover. Cut from kraft paper (like a grocery bug), dust covers are adhered to the back of a frame to keep out dust and give it a finished look. It also comes in black. . Acid-free tape.Small pieces of this tape adhere the photo or artwork to the mat ormounting board,so it's normally of acid-free, linen cloth. There also is acid-free,double-facedtape.

WOOD magazine

September 2001

. Glass.Window glass works fine. It's sold in common thicknesses 3Az"to of t/2". The t/zz" thicl<ness-standardwindow glass-performs okay for the glazing in picture framing. (Seethe sidebar "Glass cutting-it's slick!" on the next page.) Special picture-framingglass is %0" thinner than regular glass.You'll find it available (at framing shops and glass suppliers)in severalgrades:standard clear, premium clear or ultraclear, non-glare,conservation clear (it blocks ultravioletlight rays),and a specialconservation non-glare. . Clear acrylic. It also comes as nonglare.Costis abouthalf that of top-grade picture glass,but it does scratch. also It attracts dust,so don't useit over artwork done in pastel, pencil, or charcoal because will deteriorate work. But it the it reducesthe weight when used over large postersor other sizableartwork. . Brads.Thesesmall nails,up to 1" long, arepushed into the rabbeted recess the at back of the wooden frame to hold the contents in place. A commonly employed sizeis #18, s/a" long. . Glazer'spoints.Exactly like the points usedin window glazing, thesepointscan be set with a screwdriver.Another version, called framer's points, are flat metal tabs, often flexible. To use these. though, you need a special tool. Professionals a point driver-similar use to a staplegun-that costsabout$70. A simplerpoint insertingtool is about$40. . Turn buttons.Screwedinto the back of the frame, these flattened, tear-drop shaped buttons(shown on page 77) can be pivoted back and forth for quick placementand replacement the conof tents without tools. Use of these precludesa dustcover.

Glazing tops the image

H:i':fr;"lTn"T A

t* il'?il':.ff"ffiffi
wood screwsabout 6" tr '.

Sawtoothed

Hardware to hold

down from the top frame edge,you string picture wire betweenthem and secure it. . Saw-toothed hangers. Metal bars with Strap hanger/ a notchededge,saw-toothed hangers are D-ring usedin placeof hangingwire for lighter frames.They're the easiest install and to adjustfor level. . Hook hangers. These metal hangers are installedon a wall with a small nail, Screw eyes and incorporatea hook over which you loop the frame's hangingwire. It's best to usethesein pairs,stringingthe picture the framed piece. io not use wire to wire over each to distributethe weight hang a mirror or a very heavy picture. and keep the picture from shifting. . Picture wire.This twisted,small diamThese should be hung on strap hangers eter wire stretches betweenthe hangers directly over hook hangers. and goesover the wall hook to suspend

How to assemble a picture-package

THE HINGEMOUNT
Step 1 Adhere tape (adhesiveside Step 2 Place2" strip of tape (adhesive side down)as close to artwork as possible.

What framers refer to as the "picture package" (see the drawing below) consistsof the glazing,the mat, the photo or artwork, the mounting board, a backing
continued on page 80

Mounting board Photo or artwork Acid{ree tape

Kraftpaper dustcover

EXPLODED VIEW

. Screw eyes. Traditional hardware, screw eyes (typically 3/q" long) are looped,threaded screwsto which you tie hanging wire on frames up to 16x20". One goes on either side of the frame aboutone-thirdof the way from the top. You'll want to use self-adhesive rubber bumpers the framebottomto keepthe on pictureparallelwith the wall. . Strap hanger/D-ring. Able to carry more weight than screw eyes, strap

Hardware to hang

Mounting board

Backing board Photo or artwork

Mat (t7"" wider at bottom for large artworkor verticalimages)

Note: Kraft paper,various boards, and acid-free linentape available from art supply and framingsupplystores.

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79

up mounting
co\ lts boalcl.anclkral't pi.tl)cl' a clLtst cl' to 's t s e a l i t . H e r e h o u ' t o 1 . r Li t tl l l t o g c t h c r ' .
t o p o l ' r t . T h c r t 1 t o : i t i o t t l t c r t t i i to r c t ' t h e t ; i n r : . L g ct t ' c i ti t n c l p t ' c s : i r t l t l a e c . l - t t t ' r l t l t t a b l c a r - t t l r t r c u : L t t ' c c ll t l t t t t o : . I t \ c t h c "hingc" nrcthotl shou n tn tltc rlritttitiu

Gut the mat

. S c l e c t a n u t t s i z e c lt o f i t r o L t t '1 l ' l t t t t co r tltc cut onc I'r'onrlltrgct'stock. N'lcltsttrc ' i n r a g ea r e o l ' y o L ua f t \ \o t ' k .r t l l o ui t t g l o r ' a a s r n a l l b o r c l c r i t r o u n c li t i l i o t t u i s h . W i t h u p e n c i l . l i - u h t l r 'c l r a u t h e c u t o L t t t l i n es o n t h e l r a c k o f ' t l t c l n u t ( c t ' a s eh c t t l o later). Depenclirtu n tltc sizc ol' t'oLtr inra-gearea ancl \'oLu' ltrcl'ereltcc.\ oLt

t o r t t h c 1 t t ' t 'tt' d i t t . qT r t t q r t t i s c c L l l ' c l t c t t t t t t ' t o t h c n r ( ) L u r t i n ! i r o u r t l . t l t c n s u n c l r ti c l t the artuorl.. [rctticcn thcnt. Ncrt. bLrrlcl U p t h c 1 ' c s tr ) l t h c l ) i c t U l ' c l l l r c l \ i . t s r .L i l l r [ . s c t t h c l l - u n r eo r c l t t t o e l t c ek l i r i l r t . l i 1 \ t i l ' r , r k l r r . t i l r ' n l l c 1 1 1 1 ir1 r ' 1 .

Secure it
t c U s i n g . i t t l . l L r s t a l - r lp l r c r - s i i r t c l l t : c t ' r - t 1o l n r a t b o a r c l 1 o t 'u . j i t t p i t t l . i r e g i r t i t t s c r t i t t g thc bnrcls into thc ll'lttnc itboLtl .3 itllu't a n c l l " r n 1 l ' t l r nc l t c l ' tc o t ' n c r ' .K c c p t l t c t t t a s t i g h t i t s \ ' o I t c r . t t tl t s l i i n s t t h c [ l t e k i r r g boat'rl. (11' \IoLl like. \ ott itlstt cltll "prcclrill" bracl holcs riith thc till ol lt sharp uu'1. )

mucht o real l ynothi ng There' s gl cutti ng assi n yourow n wor kshop.To startw i th,you' l lneeda gl asscutter(a servi ceable is one l a b o u t$ 5 ) a n d m i n e r as p i r i t s . Thenyou musthavea str aight e d g e ,s u c ha s a m e t a lr u l e r ; gl asscl eaner; and tw o spr ing cl amps-pl useye protec t ion N F i r s t c l e a nt h e g l a s s . e x t , , p l a c ei t o n a f l a t ,c l e a n , u s h c t i o n e ds u r f a c ea n d c l a m p h e , rul erto the gl assw hereyo u want a to makethe cut (actual l y scor e l i ne;.N ow ,see the photosbelow.

Glass cuttingit's slick!

'=

ft
:

\, *
' ;"ti nright want to rnakea f'! u itler trot'clct' t h e b o t t o n ro f t h e 'n r a t .T l i i s i s c s l t c c i l l l l t l L r c f i r r l a r q c '( g r c a t c r t l l r n I l x l - 1 " ) o r ' v e r t i c a-l i n r a g ep i c t L t t ' e s . N o w . c l a n r p c l o i i ' t .o t t c c r . t r lo l ' t o t t r ' t r s s t l a i u h t e c l g eo t l t a t t h e t n a t c u t t e 1 o l I o w ' st h c p c r t c i l l i n c . B c g i n t l . t cc u t r ' " " l b c l , o n c t h c i n t c f s c c t i r t gi n c s . i t n d c t t c [i t l p t h c s a n r cc l i s t a n c c a s tt i r c n c x t i l t t c l ' s c c s t i o n . ( W i t h a n r a t c L r t t c r "u t t g l c cllt l u c l c . s t t h i s c o r r t p l c t c sh c eL l to n t h c f ' l t e c i t l c . ) F o l l o v r .t h i s n r o c c c l u r cI o l t h c t h t ' c c r e n r a i n i n -s i c l c s u

clamped in With the straightedge place.brush mineralspirits on the g l a s s .H o l d i n gt h e g l a s s c u t t e ra s shown and startingat one edge of the glass, draw it firmly across to the other edge.

Seal it up
F . , t ' t h c r l u s l e 0 r c r ' . ( ' u t ; - l n( ) \ c r ' \ i , / c l t i c ec o l ' 1 . . r ' u l l' lta l ) c r ' .l { L u t u i i i c l c s n t e r t t 'u i t l t u g l L r c s t i c k r t l l l t t ' o u n r lt l t c f r a n r c l l t c k ( t r t ' u s c d t i L r [ l l c - t ' a e c rl l i l ) e) . T h c n l l t r c l o u t t
Jirl^q:''

You're ready to build the picture package

L a v t h c a r t u o r k l ' a c cL r po n l t c l c l t n u o r k r,u"l(l ittcxpertsit c snrfacc. Fur snalrshots w o r k . s i r n p l l a c l h c l ct i t ' o p i c c c so l c l o L t thc ble-flcecl tapc sevclitl inchesaput'tr.tt

'";

r-n

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=\R, c t h e d L r s t o \ c r ' . b c i n g c a r c l ' u lt o l \ c c l ) i l t o t a L r tA l ' t c r ' \ o i r t ' i n r f l ' t h ee\ e c s \ u i t l t l . r k r a z t i rb l a c l c r c r i t l ' t n i l . c . ' t t u ' l l l r c t ' c u t l r o i t o i n s t a l lt h e h l n g i r t ch a r c l ut r c . Q

,.i;i*' d

To easily and safely separatethe glass, first turn the piece over and set it down carefully.Then, turn the cutter handle down, and use it to tap edge to edge on the visible score line. The glass will separate c l e a n l ya s y o u m o v e a l o n g .
W r , t t e r rb y P e t e r J . S t e p h a n o R lliustr'aiiorrs:oxanne LeMoine Plrotoqraplrs Baldwin Plrotography S e p t e n rb e r 2 0 0 1

WOOD magazine

These woodworking passed shop wares our trials

roductsthat
i ! i i i handlesso you confrol the amount of clamping pressure. usedthe ratcheting I actionto pick up a blown-glass figurine. A spring clamp would have crushedthe fragile knickknack, but, much to my wife's relief, the clamp gaveme just enoughpressureto graspit harrnlessly. The only testtheseclampsdidn't pass with flying colors was clamping stopsto a tool fence, such as on a radial-ann saw or mitersaw.Play betweenthe jaws allowed the stop to shift as much as Ve"when bumped,resulting in less-than-absolute repeatability.
-Tested by Jeff Hall

erform

If you've ever tried to clamp an auxiliary table or jig to your drill-press table or oscillating spindle sander,you know the gussets under the table rarely match up with where you want to put your clamps. Quick-Grip Handi-Clampsmight solve the problem. The pivoting jaws of theseclampsopen to 2", but the real improvementover spring clamps lies in the shapeof the throat. Like a C-clamp, the opening behindthejaws is about IVe" larger,per jaw, than thejaws themselves. That made it easyfor me to reacharoundthe rim of my drill-presstableto attacha jig.
www.woodonline.com

Ratcheting clamps Quick-Grip Handi-Clampsalso usea that reach-around i steelrack-and-pawlsystembetweenthe

Handi-Clamps 0uick-Grip
Performance *****

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American Company847/478-1090, Call Tool at or visit www,americantool,cbm,

Continued on page 84

products

that perform
But mount Drill Sargent. the accessory hasits own builrin depthstopto do the job instead. Settingthe deviceto the most effective height(or removingit completely) wrench,andthat'smy requires hexhead a only real beef aboutthe Drill Sargent. and adjustment, the That's a frequent to losethana chuckkey. wrenchis easier You may not want to takethe time to the readjust hold-downfor only oneor two holes:Clampingis quickerin those But cases. whenyou needyour drill press to drop and give you twenty (plugs,shelfetc.),this Drill Sargent pin holes,mortises, general. is a four-star -TestedbyRich Bright

Salute the Drill Sargent

call your drill In the Army, yoll never "sir" because title is reserved that sergeant reminds If fbr offlcers. you slip up, Sarge you."l u'or* fbr a livin-e!" doesthe So hold-down. drill-press Drill Sargent to Oncemounted the quill of your drill (you loseabout3A"of quill travelto press springset thebracket), Drill Sargent's loaded foot a hair lower thanthe tip of the drill bit. Whenyou lowerthequill, the to the fbot presses workpiece the table into whilethebit continues thewood. while the To testits limits,I used device hole boringa 2"-diameter in walnutat rpm-not a taskfor the faint of 1.250 whichwasnot heart. The workpiece, only a little.If slipped backed a f-ence, by you needa lightertouchfor softerwoods, from its 180-pound the adjust pressure maxdownto 30 pounds. depth I hadto renlovethe threaded-rod to drill press stopfrom rny old Craftsman 84

DrillSargent
Pedormance
Price
****ii

About our tool testers

woodworking RichBrightandJetlHallteach $90 students skills andother technical to high-school in Des Moines,lowa.

Value

*****

153, Woodcraft Supply 800/225-1 orvisit al Call www.w000crail.c0m.

WOOD magazine

S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

t;.tr:'t

anecdote

wood

longleal pine*
the deepSouth's fast-growing, do-everythihg"'tr
only to Douglasfir in the Qt.ond lvfnation's storehouse ftees,longleaf of pine (Pinus palustis) has for centuries beenthe mainstayof the southernforest productsindustry.In ideal conditionsit attains100'with a runk up to 3'in diameter. In a rangethat extendsfrom North Carolinato eastTexas,longleafpine grows quickly. At five yearsof age, saplings begin a 35- to 5O-year surgethat produces ffeesto 80'tall. True to its name,this ffee has the longestneedles any conifer-up to 20" ! of It's longleafpine's wood, though,that atfiactedloggers' attention.Hard, heavy, sffong,and durable,its yellowish-orange heartwood(which promptsthe common title "yellow pine") hasbeenusedfor i everythingfrom building beamsand bridge girdersto flooring, ship masts, spars,and railway ties.Togetherwith slashpine, longleafpine alsohasbeen, a major confributor of its resinousgu for suchproductsas turpentine,printing ink, varnish,and paint. Today, however, a great percentage of longleafpine, as well as loblolly, shortleaf, and slashpine-all commercially groupedas "southernpine"-are harvested to becomepressure-treated lumber and timbers.In fact. because their easeof of neatability, longleaf pine and its three cousinscompriseabout85 percentof all pressure-ffeated lumber. In spiteof this, the fast-growingand versatilelongleaf pine hasnot lacked nat- i
' ,t)' ..

#
Where longleaf pine grows, wild hogs prove one of its worst enemies.

ural enemies. Among insects, southern the pine beetleratesas EnemyNumber One. Fire, too, can lay wastea longleafpine forest,especially its neeshavebeen if tappedfor gum-the dried resin covering the scarseasilyignites.And surprisingly-although naturally enough-wild hogs display an appetitefor the roots of young longleafpine trees.One "razorback" canravage100or more in a day.*
WOOD magazine S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 1

"'Powermatic G old. ffi.e$'1"*

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ild""a the Best,Go for the Gold.

lffiu don't haveto go to the end of the rainbowto find .the gold.Thenew Powermatic storehasgold shapers, goldsanders, goldjointers, goldplaners, more. and We havethe biggestselectionwith over 1oo Powermatic machines accessories choose and from.Powermatic to sets the Gold standardfor woodworking and metalworking machinery.

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rrvhatts ahead
issue in ournext

Goming in Oetobg;--lvsrll show you how to upgrade your homeb most active noom,.,thekitchen!
Here's a high-style window treatment
Transformho-hum a into window a standard A fashion statement. gives falsetransom more height a and whole newlook.

Ready new for cabinets?

You'll surprised be by howeasyit is to build frameless andinstall when kitchen cabinets youdo it likethe pros.

a Graft classy countertop

Why for settle thecommonplace it'sso when to a simple createcustomlook? go You'll through countertopthe process making from AtoZ.

Whynot make 'emmatch?

you Would believe there's dishwasher a We this behind panel? showyouhowto camyour ouflage dishwashas er andrefrigerator And cabinetry. it'sa whole easier lot than youmight think.

Also included in the October issue:

0ur bedroom set continues
lf youlove sleigh the bedin thisissue, you'llfall head over for heels it's matchingnightstand.

Drill presses anyone?

Get in-depth, an honest at sevlook floor eralpopular models. how See we ratethem.

Historic Chippendale mirror

Build mahogany this from reproduction home theone-time War of Revolutionary patriot Patrick Henry.

96

WOOD magazine

September 2001