fine woodworking 202 january 2009.pdf

Upload: ciprian2008

Post on 28-Feb-2018

329 views

Category:

Documents


22 download

TRANSCRIPT

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    1/81

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    2/81

    wtNTER

    008/2009

    tssuE202

    48

    36

    Best-Ever

    Outfeed

    able

    Versatile

    workstation

    stores

    all

    your

    tablesaw

    gear

    and then

    some

    B Y J O H N

    W H I T E

    44

    Brighten

    our

    Sho

    Withan

    Epoxy

    lo

    Revitalize

    your

    old

    concrete

    floor

    with durable,

    easy-to-apply

    epo)ry

    paint

    B Y

    T I M D e K O R T E

    Who sGot

    he

    Bes

    Riving

    nife?

    Finally,

    this safety

    feature

    is

    required on

    tablesaws,

    but manufacturers

    approach

    it differently

    B Y R O L A N D J O H N S O N

    74w|sxa JXE .

    Cover

    photo:

    .fohn

    Tetr

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    3/81

    69|rffiigft',*

    4

    Bench

    igs

    for

    Handplanes

    Accurate

    handwork

    is

    easier

    with

    these

    clever

    jigs

    B Y N O R M A N

    I R O L L O

    Forget

    What

    You

    Know

    About

    Workbenches

    Simple

    system

    of beams

    and

    bases

    does

    everything

    a

    traditional

    bench

    can.

    and

    more

    B Y J O S H U A

    I N N

    Stop

    Suffering

    for

    You

    Craft

    A veteran's

    tool

    choices

    make

    woodworking

    easier on the body

    B Y

    A R T

    L I E B E S K I N D

    6 On

    he Web

    8 Contributors

    10 Letters

    16 Methods

    of Wor

    Knock-down

    orkbench

    holds

    wo tool

    chests

    Magnetic

    pring eeps

    benchdogs

    n

    place

    22 Tools

    Materia

    Mini-lathe

    as

    extra

    ap

    and

    power

    lmproved

    ountersink

    i

    New

    igsaw

    blades

    re

    smooth

    cutters

    28

    A

    Closer

    Look

    Not

    all carbide

    s

    created

    32

    Fundamentals

    Pencil

    nd

    paper:

    Work

    precisely

    y

    using hese

    si

    tools n

    unconventional

    a

    84 Readers

    Gallery

    90q A

    Trou

    leshootig

    he

    oi

    nt

    Why

    use

    a

    tablesaw

    molding

    ead?

    How

    o sharpen

    hisels

    with

    non-parallel

    ides

    101

    ShopDesign

    Hand-tool hopsaves pac

    Back

    Cover

    Just

    a

    handful

    f

    tools

    The

    Thunton

    P

    Inspiration

    for

    hands-on

    56

    62

    74

    68

    80

    ,ii'^Hg

    8

    1-5

    ips

    or

    Basement

    Workshops

    FWWs

    online

    audience

    weighs

    in

    on

    muffling

    noise,

    stifling

    dust,

    adding

    light,

    and

    reducing

    moisture

    B Y T H O M A S

    M c K E N N A

    6-in.Random-Orbit

    Sanders

    Do

    these powerful

    machines

    have

    the finesse

    to finish

    the

    job?

    B Y

    M A R K

    S C H O F I E L D

    A N D B O B

    N A S H

    6z

    siN;,*,

    FineWoodwork

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    4/81

    free

    online xtras:

    Avaiable Novem er 19 at

    www.f

    newoodworking.com/extras

    THrs oNTH

    ru

    FineWoodworking.com

    Fine

    \M\

    brking"

    EDITOR

    Asa

    Christiana

    ART DIRECTORMichael

    Pekovich

    MANAGING DITOR

    Mark Schofield

    MANAGING DITOR, NLINEDavid Hei

    SENIOREDITOR

    homas McKenna

    ASSOCIATE

    DITORS

    Thomas G. Begnal, Steve Scott,

    Anissa Kapsales

    ASSOCIATE DITOR, NLINEGina

    Eid

    ASSISTANT DITOR

    Matthew Kenney

    SENIORCOPY/PRODUCTION

    DITOR

    Elizabeth Healy, Julie

    Risinit

    ASSOCIATE RT DIRECTOR

    elly

    J.

    Dun

    ASSISTANT RT DIRECTOR ohn

    Tetrea

    SHOPMANAGER obe* Nash

    ADMINISTRATIVESSISTANT etsy Eng

    CONTRIBUTINGDITORS

    Ghilstian Becksvoort, Gary

    Rogowsk

    Garrett

    Hack, Roland Johnson, Steve La

    CONSULTINGDITOR onathan

    Binze

    METHODSOF WORK im

    Richey

    PUBLISHER natole

    Burkin

    SENIORMARKETING ANAGER

    Melissa Robinson

    ADMINISTRATIVESSISTANT hristina Gle

    CONSUMER

    MARKETING IRECTO

    Beth

    Reynolds,

    Pro0irc

    VICEPRESIDENI,

    INGLE

    COPYSALES ay

    BUSINESSMANAGER avid Pond

    ffi

    vroeos

    Why a RivingKnife Matters

    Dramatic

    ootage with

    contributing

    editor RolandJohnson

    ("Who's

    Got the

    Best RivingKnife?") hows how a riving

    knife can virtually eliminate

    potentially

    ethal kickback on a

    tablesaw.

    NEWWEBFEATURE

    You're n Charge

    in OurNewReaderGallery

    Our

    new online

    gallery

    s a community where

    you

    can easily

    share

    photos

    of

    your

    work

    and

    get

    design

    deas and comments

    from fellow

    woodworkers.

    Shop

    Tours

    Visit he shops of ChrisGochnour,

    Garrett Hack,and FWW

    publisher

    Anatole Burkin-plus a shop that a

    Canadianhobbyistburied underground.

    ^ l . . ^ .

    ptu) .

    READER OOLREVIEWS

    GLUE UBE:VIDEOS YWOODWORKERS

    DESIGN. LICK.BUILD:HOWTO USE

    THESKETCHUPD DESIGN OOL

    onlinexclusives:

    Become

    memberand accessmore han 30

    years

    of Fine

    Woodworhint

    articles,

    how-tovideos,

    and exclusive

    Web

    content.

    h

    vroeoPRoJEcr

    Build

    a SmallFrame-and-Panelabinet

    Only on FineWoodworking.com:Watch Tim Rousseau,an instructor

    at the Center or Furniture Craftsmanship, build a small cabinet

    that would work well

    as a

    nightstand

    or side table.

    You'll earn how

    to construct a drawer, how to hang a frame-and-panel door, and

    how

    to create tapered legS and other design refinements. See every

    stage

    from

    start to finish and download a

    project plan.

    fr

    vloeo

    Gopeandtick Basics

    Online contributing editor Andy Rae shows

    you

    how to make a

    strong

    and easy cope.and-stickdoor, rom router-bit setup through

    assembly and

    glue,up.

    plus:

    -

    GURRENTSSUEONLINE

    *,

    ARGHIVES

    F

    1,300+

    ARTICLES, ND PROJECT

    LANS

    MORETHAN

    5OOSKILL-BUIIDING

    IDEOS

    ASK THE

    EXPERTS: eter Gedryson ftnishin

    *-----:

    DIRECTOR F ADVERTISER ARKETI

    Kristen Lacey

    ADVERTISING

    ALES

    DIRECTOR eter Ba

    SENIOR

    NATIONAL CCOUNT ANAG

    Linda Abbett

    NATIONAL CCOUNT ANAGER ohn La

    SENIOR D SALESSUPPORT SSOCI

    Mariorie Brown

    wooDwoRKrNGooKs&

    vtDEos

    EXECUTIVEDITOR elen Albert

    Flne

    Woodwo*lng:

    (ISSN:

    0361-3453)

    s

    publishe

    bimonthly, ith a specialseventh ssue n the winte

    by The TauntonPress, nc.,Newtown,CT0647G550

    Telephone O342ffiL7 . Periodicals

    ostagepaid

    Newtown,CT 06470 and at additionalmailingoffic

    paid

    registration

    t232tO9AL

    SubscrlptionRates:

    U.S and

    Canada,

    $34.95

    for o

    year,

    $59.95

    for two

    years,

    $83.95

    for three

    years

    U.S.dol lars,

    lease).

    anadian ST

    ncluded.

    uts

    U.S and Canada,

    41.95

    for

    one

    year,

    $73.95

    for tw

    years,

    $104.95

    for three

    years

    (in

    U.S.dollars,

    plea

    Singlecopy,

    7.99.

    Singlecopiesoutside he U.S.a

    possessions,

    8.99.

    Postmastel: Send address changes o.

    Fine Woodw

    The TauntonPress, nc.,

    63 S.

    Main St., PO Box

    550

    Newtown.CT 0647G5506.

    Canada Post: Return

    undeliverableCanadian

    addres

    FineWoodworking,

    /o

    WorldwideMailers, nc.,2835

    Drive,Windsor. N N8T3B7, or email o mnfa@taun

    F I N E

    \ T O O D \ T O R K I N G

    Prlnted ln the USA

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    5/81

    HOW

    TO

    CONTACT

    S:

    FIneWoodworklnT,

    The

    Taunton

    ress,63

    S. Main

    St.,POBox

    5506,

    NeMown,

    CT

    0647G5506

    203*42ffiL71-

    www.fi

    newoodworking.com

    Editorial:

    Tocontributenarticle, ivea tip, or aska

    question,

    ontact

    FineWoodworkr'ng

    t

    the

    address

    above

    or:

    Cal l :

    Fax:

    Emai l :

    80009955

    203-270-6753

    [email protected]

    Customer

    Service:

    For

    ubscription

    nquiries,

    ou

    can:

    .Click

    on he

    Customer

    ervice

    ink

    at :

    www.fi

    newoodworki

    g.com

    .Emai l

    s :

    [email protected]

    .Call

    ourcustomer upport enter:

    To

    eport

    an address

    hange,

    nquire

    about

    an order,

    r

    solvea

    problem,

    all:

    8004778727

    Tosubscribe,

    urchase

    ack

    ssues,

    books

    or videos,

    r

    give

    a

    gift,

    call:

    80G88&8286

    Advertising:

    To

    ind

    out

    about

    advertising:

    Call:

    8O009954

    Email [email protected]

    Member

    Audit

    rn

    rh e

    Bureau

    f

    Circutation

    tD #fl1

    Retail:

    lf

    you'd

    ike

    o carryFine

    Woodworking

    n

    your

    store,

    call

    he Taunton

    rade

    Company

    t:

    86&5054674

    Mailing

    List:

    Occasionally

    e

    make

    our

    subscribers'

    ames

    and addresses

    vailable

    o responsible

    cornpanies

    hose

    products

    or

    services

    we

    feel

    may

    be of

    some

    nterest

    o

    you.

    Most

    of

    our

    subscribers

    ind

    his

    o be

    a helpful

    way

    to learn

    about

    useful

    esources

    nd services.

    lf

    you

    don't

    want

    us o

    share

    our

    name

    with

    other

    companies,

    lease

    ontact

    ur

    Customer

    Service

    Department

    t:

    800477A727

    he

    Taunton

    uarantee:

    lf at

    any ime

    you're

    not

    completely

    atisfied

    Frne

    woodworking ou

    can

    cancelyour

    ubscription

    nd eceive

    full

    and mmediate

    efund

    of

    the entire

    subscription

    rice.

    No

    sked.

    008

    byThe

    aunton

    ress,

    nc.

    No

    eproduction

    ermission

    f The

    Taunton

    ress.

    Inc.

    *

    Pocket,

    abinet

    Finish

    crews

    *

    Yellow

    inc

    Screws

    '

    -

    14'

    *

    Lag

    Screws -112

    12

    *

    Stainless

    teel

    -1l4 4

    *

    ACQ

    Comp.

    Exterior)

    -114'

    6'

    *

    Trim

    Head

    tainless

    teel

    -518'

    4'

    *

    New

    Star

    Drive

    GufterScrews

    *

    New

    1-314

    omposite

    ence/Fascia

    crews

    * NewGement oardScrews Since1999t

    READER

    SERVICE

    NO.

    98

    READER

    SERVICE

    O.94

    READER

    ERVICE

    o.67

    T O O L S

    & S H O P S

    2 O O 9

    7

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    6/81

    contributors

    Tim DeKorte

    yerighten

    Your

    Shop With

    an

    EpoxyFloor")

    was

    introduced

    o woodworking

    nearly40

    years

    ago

    by

    his

    brother-

    in-law, .E.Beacham ll,a well-known lockmaker. eKorte, ho

    calls woodworking

    the

    perfectpastimej'

    iveswith his

    wife

    on the

    centralcoast

    of California,where

    he is

    a sales representative

    for

    an

    industrial

    aint

    and coatings

    ompany.

    On he subjectof furniture

    design,Norman Pirollo

    (4

    Bench

    Jigs

    for Handplanes")

    s an

    open book ...well, blog.

    Keen o

    share his

    insights,

    Pirollohas

    a

    weblog

    at wwwrefinededge.com,

    eaturing

    projects

    rom

    drawers o antique-car

    ashboards. his hand-tool

    enthusiast, ho specializesn

    boxes

    www.fineboxes.com)

    nd studio

    furniture,

    wnsa

    woodworking

    usiness ear

    Ottawa,Canada.

    The Thunton Press

    Inspiration for hands-on livingo

    I N D E P E N D E N T

    P U B L I S H E R SS I N C E I 9 7

    Foundcrs, Paul and Jan Roman

    President

    Suzanne Roman

    EW 6

    CFO

    Timothy Rahr

    SVE OPerations

    Thomas Luxeder

    SVP Creatiue & Editorial

    Susan

    Edelman

    SVE Technohgl

    Jay

    Hardcy

    SW & Groap Publisher,

    Home

    Paul

    Spring

    SW & Publisher Booh

    Group

    Donald Linn

    SW Aduertising

    Sales

    Karl

    Elken

    SW Enthusiat

    Group & ConsumerMarheting

    Janine

    Scolpino

    VP, Hutnan Resources

    Carol

    Marotti

    W & Controlhr

    Wayne Reynolds

    VE Fulfrllment

    Patricia

    \i4lliamson

    VB Finance

    KathyWorth

    VE Thunton

    Interactiue

    Jason

    Revzon

    W

    Single

    Copy Salzs

    Jay Annis

    THE TAUNTO N

    PRESS

    Books: Marhuing

    Audrey Locorotondo. Publicity:

    Ja

    Noblin. Editorial: HelenAlbert,

    Peter Chapman,

    Shau

    Devlin,

    Jessica

    DiDonato,

    CourtneyJordan, Catherine

    Levy, Carolyn Mandarano,

    Jennifer

    Russell,Erica Sand

    Foege,

    Sharon Zagata.Art: Alison

    7ilkes, Kary Binder

    Nancy Boudreau,

    TeresaFernandes,

    Nora Fuentes,

    Amy

    Griffin, SandraMahlstedt, Lynne

    Phillips, Brooke

    Ran

    Carol Singer. Manufactaring

    Thomas

    Greco, Laura

    Burrone.

    Business

    Office Holly

    Smith,

    Parricia

    Marinl Legal:

    Carolyn

    Kovaleski.

    Magazine

    Print Produaion: Philip

    V

    Kirk, Nicole Anastas,

    ennifer

    Kaczmarryk.

    Disribution:

    Paul Seipold, ValterAponte,

    Frank Bus

    David

    DeToto, Leanne Furlong, Deborah Greene, Fra

    Melbourne,

    Reinaldo Moreno, David

    Rodriguez, Mich

    Savage, lice

    Saxton.

    Finance/Accounting:

    Finance: Brett Manning,

    fuchar

    Rivellese. 4erounting Patrick l,amonragne,

    Priscilla

    Jennings,

    Lydia lGikorian,

    Michelle Mendonca,

    Judith

    O'Toole, Elaine Yamin,

    Carol Diehm, Dorothy Blasko

    SusanBurke,

    James

    Foster,

    Lorraine Parsons, arry

    Ric

    Fulfillment Diane

    Goulart. Fulfllment

    Systems:

    Jodi

    Klein,

    Mindy Ko&, Donna

    Capalbo, Andy

    Corson,

    Nanry Knorr, lnrna

    McAllisrcr. Customer

    Seruice:

    Kathleen Baker,

    Bonnie Beardsley,

    Deborah Ciccio,

    Katherine

    Clarke, Alfred Dreher,

    Paula Ferreri, Eileen

    McNulry

    Patricia Parks,

    Deana Parker,Patricia Pineau

    After

    John Nesset

    (Shop

    DesiSn)

    eganwoodworking

    n 1978,

    he

    usedan apartment

    bedroom

    and a foureason

    orch

    as shops.

    Today,

    e

    sharesa communal

    workshop n

    Minneapolis.

    is

    bench,

    "f

    Am Naturej'

    was featured

    on the

    back cover

    of FWW#155. He's

    at

    work

    on a

    commissionor

    a

    large

    dining

    able,but he

    still

    works

    part

    time as a meat

    cutter o subsidize is

    woodworking

    abit.

    You never

    know where

    you'll

    ind

    Art Liebeskind

    (Stop

    Sufferin{,for

    Your

    Craft).

    He ravels

    he world or his

    logistics

    onsulting

    business

    and has

    been known

    o

    go

    cagediving

    with

    great

    white

    sharks.

    f

    he's

    home,

    he'll

    be in his

    Baltimore

    woodshop,

    ursuing

    a

    craft he'senjoyed

    tor 45

    years.

    His

    work has helped

    urnish

    several omes, ncluding

    ne

    he

    built or

    himself

    on a barge

    n Baltimore'snner

    Harbor n

    the 1960s.

    F I N E

    \ T O O D \ O T O R K I N G

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    7/81

    Betty Stepney. ata

    Entry: MaryAnn

    Colbert, Caryne-

    Lynne Davis,

    Maureen Pekar,

    Debra Sennefelder,

    Andrea

    Shorrock,Marylou

    Thompson, Barbara' (/'illiams.

    Human Resources:

    Christine

    Lincoln,

    Vendy Tita,

    Dawn Ussery.

    Information

    Technology

    Servicest App

    icatio ns

    Deuehpment:

    Heidi

    W'aldkirch, Roberr Nielsen,

    Linda

    Reddington,

    John

    Vaccino,

    Daniel \(oodhouse.

    Deshtop

    and Networh Support: Adam

    Gregory PetreCotofana, Paul

    DelPadre,

    Michael

    Lewis.

    Operations:

    Joseph

    Morits,

    RobertaCalabrese,

    John

    Gedney,Marc

    Imbimbo,

    Jennifer

    Licursi,

    SusanNerich,

    Amy

    Reilly,SandySchroeder,

    im

    Sizemore

    Denise

    Zor. T Room:

    Michael Louchen,

    SarahJeffrey,

    nna

    Pendergast,

    nne

    Scheurer.Maintenance:

    Lincoln Peters.

    Promotion:

    Jane

    Weber, Promotion

    Creatiue:

    Jennifer

    ti7heeler

    Conlon, Kirsten

    Coons, David

    Grosso,Michele

    Mayernik,

    Sandra

    Moryka,

    lVilliam

    Sims.

    Promotion

    Operations:

    Kate Krentsa.

    Taunton

    Creative: MichaelAmaditz,

    Lucia

    Coccoli,

    Sarah

    Opdahl, Kat Riehle.

    Photography:

    SconPhillips. Video:

    Dariusz Kanarek,

    Gary

    Junken,

    Michael

    Dobsevage.

    Publishing

    Services: Deborah

    Cooper. Prepress:

    Richard

    Booth,

    Tilliam Bivona,

    David Blasko,

    Richard Correale,

    Villiam Godfrey, Brian Leavitt, Chansam Thammavongsa.

    Aduertising

    Prodttction:

    Laura Bergeron,

    Lisa DeFeo,

    Patricia

    Petro,Karhryn

    Simonds,

    Martha Stammer.

    TA UNTO N

    I N T E R A C T I V E

    Matthew Berger,

    Jodie

    Delohery,

    David Hall,

    Robert

    Harlow,

    Christopher

    Casey,Ruth Dobsevage,

    Lisa

    Durand,

    Erika Foreman,

    Mary Kate

    Grant, Shahul

    Kodakkadan,

    Geoff lGajeski,

    SteveLombardi,

    Sharna

    Sattiraju,

    Michael

    Stoltz,Dawn Vglione.

    T A U N T O N

    T R A D E

    John

    Bacigalupi,

    Brett DeMello,

    AllisonHolleu.

    Single

    CopySales:Valerie

    Droukas,

    Mark

    Stiekman.

    TA UNTO N

    MA G A ZINE S

    Fine lVoodworhing

    .

    Fine

    Homebuilding

    Threads . Fine Gardzning . pirt Coohing

    Our magazines

    re or

    peoplewho arepassionate

    bout

    their pursuits.W'ritten

    by practicingexperts n

    the field,

    Thunton Press

    magazines

    provide aurhenric, reliable

    information

    supported

    by

    insrructive

    and nspiring

    visuals.

    T A U N T O N

    B O O K S

    Our booksare illed

    with in-depth

    information

    and

    creative deas

    rom the finest

    aurhors

    n rheir fields.

    '$Thether

    you're

    practicing

    a craft or engaged

    n

    the creation

    of your home,

    Taunton

    bookswill inspire

    you

    ro discover

    new levels

    of

    accomplishment.

    TWW.TAUNTON.

    COM

    Our website s a place

    where you

    can discover

    more about

    the interests

    ou enjoy,

    converse ith

    fellow enthusiasts,

    shop

    at our convenient

    on-line

    storeor contact

    customer

    service.

    E M P L O Y M E N T

    I N F O

    R M A T I

    O N

    To

    inquire

    about career

    pportunities,

    please isit

    our

    website

    at careers.taunton.com.

    You may also

    write

    to

    The

    Thunton

    Press,

    uman

    Resources,63

    . Main

    St., Box

    5506,

    Newtow

    n,

    CT 06470.

    C U S T O M E R

    S E R V I C E

    'W'e

    are here

    o answer

    any quesrions

    you might have

    and to

    help

    you order

    our magazines,

    books

    and videos.

    Just

    call

    us

    toll-free

    at 800-477

    8727

    .

    TheThunton

    Press, nc.,

    Taunton Direcr, Inc., Taunton

    Tiade,

    Inc., and Thunron

    Interacrive,

    Inc., are all subsidiaria

    ofTaunton,

    Inc.

    Mortise

    Pal*

    Turn

    our lunge

    cubr

    nto

    a

    prccision

    lotmofiiser

    LmseTenon

    oinerv

    Sj$pl',1 g$_:o

    '///

    lHii*?i[iY,**i^

    Mad'enu.s.A.

    V

    /,

    READERSERVICE O.

    1OO

    9

    O O L S

    & S H O P S 2 O O 9

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    8/81

    Spotlight

    tssuE 0.201

    November/December

    008

    p . 3 6

    STRUGGLING

    ITH

    A

    SKILL?

    THE DOCTOR

    S IN

    I found

    "A

    Trip

    o the

    Dovetail

    Doctor"

    o be really helpful,

    t filled

    in the

    gaps

    ...

    so

    to speak. I'tl

    bet mistakes

    and

    bad

    habits

    "r"

    .orron

    among

    self-taught

    woodworkers,

    nd I wouldn't

    mind seeing

    hat type

    of article

    as a regular

    eature. By

    the way,

    f

    you

    need a

    struggling ookie

    on, well,

    any

    subject, 'm

    your

    guy

    -SCOTTADGER,ackson,.H.

    Editor

    replies:

    You'renot

    alone,

    Scott. We've

    had

    a

    lot

    of

    positive

    eedback

    on that

    article,

    and

    on the video

    of that

    troubleshooting

    ession.As

    you

    sugglest,

    we are

    planning

    o repeat

    he formula,

    sending

    other frustrated

    eaders

    o our favorite

    teachers

    (and

    teachers

    o readers

    n

    some cases) or

    similar one{n-one

    clinics,

    while

    we record

    he

    action

    and highlight

    he discoveries.

    So listen

    up,

    desperados:

    Like

    the

    producers

    of TV reality

    shows,we're inviting

    you

    to send

    in

    your

    audition

    apes. Whether

    you

    can't

    get

    your

    handplane

    or

    bandsaw

    o

    work

    right,

    or have

    rouble

    milling umber

    straight

    or dialing n

    a

    furniture

    design, et

    us know.

    we'll choosea few

    guinea

    pigB

    and line them

    .

    up with

    a tailor-made

    utorial.This

    should

    be fun.

    :1.

    Send a letter,

    email,

    or

    short

    video

    hat explains

    which

    skill

    or

    technique

    you

    are

    struggling

    with

    and where

    thingS

    seem

    to be

    going

    wrong.

    nclude

    photos

    if they

    help

    to

    illustrate

    he

    problem.

    -Asa

    Christiana

    Direct

    our

    eary-eyed

    ntreaties

    o:

    Fine

    Woodworkin{,,

    Doctor

    s In,

    63

    S. Main

    St.,Newtown,

    T06470,

    or email [email protected].

    How to sharpen

    mortise

    chisels

    The

    articles rn FIX/W

    #198

    ("Grind

    Perfec

    Edges

    tVithout

    Burning")

    and

    *199

    ("Cu

    Your Honing

    Time

    in Half") were perfec

    companion pieces.

    However,

    thick morti

    chisels

    pose

    a

    problem.

    A

    hollow

    grind

    with

    a

    3-in.

    radius

    (6-in.-dia.

    wheel)

    on

    such a long bevel creates a shockingly

    deep hollow

    and a

    perilously

    thin

    edge

    on a tool

    that needs a

    chunky

    profile

    to

    withstand pounding

    and

    prying.

    Do the

    authors

    have any

    suggestions?

    _STEVE

    AWYER,ivon ia .

    Joel Moskowitz

    replies:

    On regular

    mortise

    chisels,

    grind

    the

    primary

    bevel a

    22"

    to 25; the

    hollow will

    make it a little

    shallower. This will give you

    the

    penetratio

    angle

    you

    need. Then

    grind

    and hone a ti

    secondary

    bevel

    at

    35

    to add

    the necessa

    toughness. You can also just hone the

    secondary

    bevel

    without grinding

    it.

    On

    thinner

    sashmortise

    chisels, wou

    make

    the

    primary

    bevel a

    bit steeper-sa

    30"-and

    then

    add a

    5o

    secondary

    beve

    to arrive

    at the

    35o

    effective

    cutting

    edge.

    Grind t 25"

    Hone

    t

    35 '

    Hendrik

    Varju replies:

    I agree with

    Joel,

    and I would

    add that

    the smaller

    the

    grinding

    wheel,

    the

    more severe

    the

    hollowing,

    especially

    on

    a thick tool.

    So

    switching

    from

    a

    6-in.

    wheel

    to

    an 8-in.

    even a 10-in.

    wheel

    will help

    a lot.

    Tip

    on

    zeroclearance

    inserts

    When I make

    zero-clearance

    inserts for

    tablesaws, I do one thing differently from

    Tom

    Begnal

    ("Get

    Safer, Cleaner

    Cuts

    on Your

    Tablesaw,"

    F\tr/W

    #200).

    When

    making

    the final

    cut through

    the

    blank

    insert,

    instead

    of holding

    it

    down

    with

    a

    ' : j ] i ,.

    tr ii'r.

    a

    t -

    J

    About

    your

    safety

    Working

    wood

    is inherently

    dangerous.

    Usinghand

    or

    power

    ools

    improperly

    or ignoring

    standard

    safety

    practices

    an lead

    to

    permanent

    injury

    or even

    death. Don't

    perform

    operations

    ou

    learn

    about here

    (or

    elsewhere)

    ntil

    you're

    certain

    hey are

    safe for

    you.

    f

    something

    about

    an operation

    doesn't

    eel right,

    ind another

    way.We

    want

    you

    to

    enjoy he

    craft,so

    please

    keep

    safety oremost

    n

    your

    mind.

    1 0

    F r N E

    \ 7 o o D \ r o R K r N G

    Drawing:

    Kelly

    J.

    Dun

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    9/81

    lgttefs

    ."., ued

    push

    stick as he does, I

    slide the rip fence

    over the insert, staying clear of the line

    of

    cut. The

    fence holds down

    the

    insert

    safely

    and

    securely as I raise the blade.

    -JlM

    BARRETT,

    est

    pringfield,

    ass.

    Rule oints need clearance

    I was interested

    n Michael Zuba's

    article

    on using a router to

    cut rule

    joints

    ("The

    Rule

    Joint

    Done

    Right,"F\VW

    #200),

    not

    least because wrote

    on the same subject

    28

    years

    ago

    (FWW

    #80).

    I

    agree with

    Zuba

    on

    just

    about every

    point,

    but I

    would

    add a footnote

    on hinge

    placement.

    Over the

    years,

    even the

    most

    well-

    cured wood

    can develop a wiggle.

    If the

    rule

    joint

    is

    laid out as Zuba suggests,

    with little

    or no clearance, t

    can begin

    to

    bind as the leaf is raised and lowered.

    This can produce a squawk worthy of

    a haunted house,

    stiffness n the action,

    and, after a while, rub-throughs

    in the

    finish. My

    suggestion s to follow

    Zuba's

    layout

    precisely,

    hen move the hinge

    toward the leaf

    slightly. For most woods

    29Y,

    26%

    2%

    2%

    2I%

    Separate

    ui ld ing

    rc%

    Detached

    arage

    Which

    hrase

    est escribes

    your

    hoppace?

    Attached

    garage

    Basement

    2%

    A roomn myhouse

    Sharedor rented

    shop

    Other

    2%

    None

    In

    our eletter, we

    poll

    readers

    on new

    questions

    achmonth.Signup or he

    free newsletter

    t FineWoodworking.com.

    and climates, moving the hinge

    rAe

    in.

    will produce plenty

    of space between

    the thin edge of the leaf

    and the

    tableto

    when the leaf is lowered,

    but

    will retain

    the snug fit when it is raised.

    -MAC

    CAMPBELL,ake eorge,.B.,C

    Gollect dust at

    its

    source

    Although I agreewith the headline,

    "Protect

    Yourself From'Wood Dust"

    (FW

    #z}t),

    the subtitle is incorrect:

    "Masks

    and

    respirators

    are the best defense

    against

    harmful

    dust." It is a well-known

    industrial-hygiene

    principle

    that

    the

    bes

    defense s to collect the

    dust as

    close

    to

    source as

    possible.

    Masks and respirator

    are acltally the last line of defense.

    -PAUL

    RAMER,.D., vansvi

    Editor replies: Don't blame the author

    on this one.

    Editors

    attach headlines o

    articles,

    and as

    you point

    out, we

    goofed

    You are absolutely

    coffect.

    That's why

    an effective dust-collection

    svstem s so

    important.

    Tlend

    Airshield

    Pro

    o

    A built-in

    uiet

    ankeeps constantlow

    of iltered

    iracrosshe

    ace

    o

    Provides

    xcellent

    rotection

    from nhalation

    f harmful ust

    with win ine

    dust ilters

    o

    0ptimum

    enter f

    gravity

    for balancend omfort

    r

    8 hourN|-MH

    atteryncludesharger

    Airuvare

    America

    Call us or visit

    our

    website

    today

    80()-32A-1792

    www.ai

    nrvareamerica.com

    Personal

    ervice Fast hipping

    Keeping oodworkers

    afe or over30

    years

    READERSERVICE

    O.71

    EADERSERVICE O.69

    Built n

    Multi-P

    Sysf

    Variable Fe

    Mo

    GS1 Gui

    Sysfe

    Vaiable Fe

    Control

    WMagne

    Dropout Sw

    SteelWelded

    Sta

    Heavy Duty

    Co

    ct)

    o

    tu

    rlr,

    G

    o

    o

    o

    L

    lL

    lntroducing

    he

    Quick

    Release

    by CarterProducts

    Our

    new

    gtaOe

    Gage bandsaw

    lade ensionmeter.

    Lenox Pro Master

    carbidetippedand Bimetal

    blades

    Bandrollers, rip

    and

    re-saw

    fences, improved tension

    springs, ires,

    able nserts, ircle

    igs,

    and much

    more.

    History

    and comparison

    etweenDelta and JET

    bandsaws.

    CALL

    1

    866-883-8064

    r

    1

    904-3713998

    7 Year

    Warranty

    READER

    SERVICE

    O.

    115

    t2

    F I N E \ T O O D \ T O R K I N G

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    10/81

    methodsof

    ork

    Center

    panel

    outed

    out after

    assembly.

    7a-in.- th

    ck

    cleats

    make

    pocket

    for one

    set

    of legs.

    holds

    wo

    ool

    chests

    For

    rnany years.

    my wooclworking

    shop was

    locatecl

    in

    an

    unheatecl gzlrage

    n Micliigan.

    This

    2lnangement

    workecl

    fine

    until winter

    colcl

    fc>rcecl

    ue

    to lnove

    try

    entire shop

    insicle

    he

    house.

    To

    rrake

    the

    anntral

    rnove

    easier,

    I ltuilt

    tl-risknock-clown

    workbench.

    The bench consists of six parts: two tool chests

    (with

    clrau'ers

    ancl built-in

    carrying

    hanclles),

    two

    leg

    sets,

    a stretcher

    that

    connects

    the

    legs,

    ancl

    the

    top. Insicle

    tl-re eg

    sets

    are pockets

    for

    the

    stretcher

    ancl

    tl-re

    wo tool

    chests.

    The

    unclersicle

    of the

    top

    has pockets

    that

    flt

    the legs

    ctn

    one

    encl

    ancl weclge

    blocks

    on

    the other

    encl. \{hen

    the

    top is

    pushecl

    clown,

    tl-re

    weclge

    blocks

    lock

    it

    in

    place.

    To ltreak

    clown

    the ltench,

    just

    remove

    the

    top,

    slicle

    tl-re

    ctol

    chests

    np

    :rncl out

    of

    their

    pockets,

    then

    loosen

    tl-re tolts

    that

    attach

    tl're stretcher

    to

    E D I T E D

    A N D

    D R A W N

    B Y

    J I M R I C H E Y

    C l e a t s ,%

    i n .

    h i c k

    Cleats

    provide

    extra

    support

    for

    tool

    c h e s ts .

    Leg

    s e ts , a m in a te d

    f rom

    three

    pieces

    of

    7a-in.

    p lywood

    Hardwood

    dowel

    h a n d l e s ,

    i n . d i a .

    Vert ica

    s, 7a-in.- th

    ck

    hardwood,

    screwed

    to

    too lchest

    Su

    pport

    b lock

    tl-re

    egs.

    It 's

    all clone

    in rninutes.

    Tl-re

    bencl-r

    s

    quite

    eflcient

    and

    sturcly.

    use it

    to store

    tny large

    collection

    of

    hancl

    tools-all

    6iO llt.

    of

    rhern.

    -J0HN

    CAVERLY,

    oca

    Raton.

    @fortheBestTip

    Send riginaltips

    o Methods

    f Work,

    ineWoodworking ,

    PO

    Box

    5506,

    Newtown,

    T06470,

    or emailflrumow@

    taunton.com.

    f

    published,

    e

    pay

    $50

    or

    an unillustrated

    tip;

    $tOO

    or

    an llustrated

    ne.The

    author

    f

    he best

    ip

    Nu t

    an

    wasne

    Sd

    for.

    an

    00t t

    )

    To p ,

    wo

    p ieces

    o f

    % - in . - th i c k

    MDF

    So l id -wo o d

    dg ing ,

    7 + n .

    th i c k

    Pockets

    upport

    tool

    chests.

    Stretcher.

    wo

    oieces

    of

    3/+in.

    plywood

    0o\

    LEG

    POCKETS

    RE

    UNDER

    TOP

    TOP

    VIEW

    it

    f i

    FRONT

    IEW

    When

    op s

    pushed

    own

    ver

    he eg

    sets,

    the wedge

    lock ocks t securelyn place.

    Tip

    Knock-down

    orkbench

    JohnCaverfy vas

    bitten

    by

    he

    woodworking

    ug

    almost

    5

    years

    go,

    when

    he

    ook

    a shop

    class n

    school.

    Now

    retired,

    e

    spends

    gOod

    ealofhis

    ime

    building

    urniture

    and

    oolsat

    hishome

    in

    sunny

    lorida.

    Tool

    hest,

    %-in. - th

    ck

    plywood

    L6

    F I N E

    W O O I ) W O R K I N G

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    11/81

    methods

    of

    work c.n,nued

    Magnetic

    pring

    eeps

    enchdogs

    n

    place

    Benchclogs

    are

    shop helpers

    that

    sit in holes

    in

    a

    workbench

    top.

    The

    dogs

    are raised

    above

    the

    benchtop

    so

    that a

    board

    can be

    secnred

    against

    them for

    handplaning,

    for instance.

    'When

    not in

    use, the

    dogs

    slide

    down

    below

    the benchtop.

    Most dogs are held at the correct height witl-r a metal or

    woocl

    spring

    built

    into

    the sides.

    When

    I was

    rnakinl

    *d*fidj*:r11fl$***

    1,

    the dog

    at the

    desired

    height.

    My

    solution

    was

    to inset

    two

    rare-earth

    magnets

    into

    the side

    of each

    rectangular

    dog. I

    arranged

    the pair

    to repel

    each

    other,

    which

    callses

    the outer

    magnet

    to

    press

    against

    the

    side of

    the

    dog hole,

    holding

    the

    dog ar

    the height yolr

    wanr.

    Don't pull

    the

    dog out

    too

    far, though,

    or the

    magnets

    could

    pop

    ollt.

    It helps

    to locate

    the

    magnets

    as

    low

    as

    possible,

    so

    yolr

    can maximize

    the

    height

    of the

    dog.

    -J lM SHAPIR0,anFrancisco

    Rare-earth

    magnets,

    alignedwith

    opposing

    polar i t ies

    To

    prevent

    work

    from

    slipping,

    used

    o

    glue

    sandpaper

    o

    the face

    of my

    miter

    gauge

    and to

    other

    jigs

    and fixtures.

    Now

    I

    use

    skateboard

    grip

    tape

    instead.

    t

    is

    '

    tough,

    ong

    asting,

    and

    comes

    with

    a

    self-adhesive

    acking.

    You

    can

    ind

    this

    abrasive

    ape

    at any

    skateboard

    shop

    or

    online

    at www.tactics

    .com.

    Jessup

    nd

    Shorty'sBlack Magic

    (under

    $5

    for

    a

    33-in.

    roll)

    are

    two

    good

    brands.

    - J O I I N

    A . H A S S E ,

    Fort

    Gollins,

    Colo.

    Nesting

    rames

    elp

    with

    glue-ups

    nd

    more

    These

    nesting

    square

    frarnes,

    which

    I call

    multitask

    shop

    helpers,

    take

    up very

    little

    space

    but

    pack

    several

    functions

    into

    a

    small

    package.

    The

    frarnes

    are

    great

    for

    both panel

    and

    carcase

    glue-

    ups. They

    are

    notched

    to

    hold

    bar

    clamps

    on

    one

    side

    and

    pipe

    clamps

    on

    the other,

    which

    makes

    them

    handy

    for

    panel

    assemblies.

    And

    the

    frames

    can be

    used

    to help

    keep

    a

    carcase.

    a box.

    or a

    drawer

    sqllare

    during

    assembly.

    The

    frames

    are handy

    for

    cutting

    stock,

    too.

    I

    use

    two of them to elevate a

    board

    above

    my

    bench

    for

    crosscutting.

    In

    addition,

    each

    frame

    is

    the same

    height

    as my

    miter-saw

    bed,

    so

    they

    can

    be

    r-rsed

    as outfeed

    sllpport

    there.

    - S E R G E

    U C L O S .

    Delson,

    ue.,

    anada

    The

    hree

    f ram es , 2

    22- in. ,

    nd

    24- in.

    qua

    nest nsid

    one

    anoth

    for storage

    Notches

    or

    p ipe

    lamps

    3/+-in.- th ick

    MD F

    Frames

    help keep

    a s s e mb l ie s

    a t

    r ight

    angles.

    Magnets

    us h

    against

    ideof

    mort ise

    o hold

    do g

    at

    desired eight.

    18

    F I N E

    \ 0 f l O O D \ T O R K I N G

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    12/81

    methods

    f work c.n,nue.

    Space-saving

    ork

    able

    olds lat

    against all

    I have

    replaced

    he

    paper-towel

    ispenser

    at my

    workstation

    with

    a napkinholder,

    the kind

    diners

    use o dispense

    apkins

    one

    at a

    time. This

    approach

    s more

    economical

    han

    paper

    owels

    when

    wiping

    up

    glue

    and

    spil ls.

    The napkins

    dispense

    easily,

    ven

    f

    you re

    wearing

    rubber

    gloves,

    nd the holder

    akes up

    less

    space

    and

    can be

    brought

    o the

    work

    spot

    or mounted

    on a wall.

    You ll

    find them at restaurant-supply ouses.

    -J0E

    ESP0SlT0,

    oster ,

    . l .

    Oolor-code

    our ower-tool

    ords

    I plug

    many

    of rny tools

    into

    a six-outlet power

    strip in

    the

    center

    of my

    shop.

    At any

    given

    time,

    I have

    several

    tools plugged

    in wirh

    the cords

    invariably

    tangled.

    In

    the

    past,

    when

    I needed

    to

    unplug

    a

    tool to

    plug

    in

    something

    else,

    I

    would

    trace

    the

    cord

    through

    the rangle

    all

    the way

    back

    to the tool-a hassle, to say the least.

    I

    eliminated

    this problern

    by buying

    a

    package

    of five

    different

    colors

    of electrical

    tape.

    For

    each tool,

    I wrapped

    a color,

    or

    combination

    of colors,

    near

    the

    plug

    and

    wrapped

    the

    same

    color where

    the

    cord enters

    the

    machine.

    Now,

    if I want

    to unplug

    a tool,

    I

    check its

    color

    code

    on the

    tool.

    and then

    unplr,rg

    he rnatching

    cord

    at the

    power

    strip.

    U

    _/?

    is

    much

    quicker

    and

    safer.

    - J IM

    B U C K N E LL ,

    ow , as h .

    F I N E \ 7 O O D \ T O R K I N G

    Table

    n

    router

    mode

    My shop i.s

    a one-car garage

    where

    wooclworking

    has

    to

    coexist with

    motorcycling,

    bicycling, ancl other farnily

    interests.

    I needecl

    a sl-rop

    worktzible

    tl-rat

    could

    double

    as

    a

    router

    table and

    disappear

    when

    not in use.

    The

    clesign shown

    is

    made

    of tlrree

    glued

    layers

    of

    3/+-in.-

    tl-rick plywood

    with

    a

    plastic-

    laminerte

    op

    and a solid-wood

    eclge.

    I installed

    a router-

    support

    plate

    in

    the rniddle

    of

    the table

    ancl a wooclworking

    vise

    along

    tl-re

    ront

    edge.

    Tl-re table is

    attached

    to the

    wall

    via

    a

    cleat with

    three

    hear,lz-ch-rty

    -ence

    hinges.

    The

    legs pivot

    and

    unfolcl on

    th e

    same

    type

    of hinges.

    Folded

    up,

    the table

    is helcl

    in place

    with

    a slicling

    cloor lock

    that

    fits a hole

    in

    the front

    apron.

    To

    protect

    tl ie lanrinate

    snrface while

    I m

    using

    it as

    a work

    table,

    I

    cover it with

    a slreet

    of

    r/+-in.-thick

    l-righ-

    density

    fiberboarcl.

    _ D A N I E L

    U C E P P E ,

    Sherbrooke,

    ue.,

    anada

    Table ocks

    in

    p lace

    wi th

    s l id ing

    door bol t

    l ock .

    4x4

    legs

    swing

    on ence

    h inges .

    Heavy-duty

    fence

    hinges

    Color-coded

    ords make i t

    eas

    to f ind

    the matching

    plugs.

    :)

    D

    -T

    i

    I

    Colored

    electr ical

    ap e

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    13/81

    tools&materials

    I

    Mini-lathe

    as

    extra

    capacityndpower

    Mini in name

    only.letb

    new mini-lathe

    weighs

    725

    Ib.,makin , it more

    of a midi-lathe.

    GRAMERCY

    OOLS

    AS NTRODUCED

    new

    line

    of hand-cut asps.

    Unlike he evenly

    spaced eeth

    on machine+ut rasps,

    he

    barbs

    on hand+ut rasps

    are randomly

    spaced.When

    it comes

    o rasps, andomly

    spaced teeth

    cut smoother

    and faster.

    Gramercy

    offers seven

    cabinetmaker's

    rasps

    and a handle'maker's

    asp.The

    handle-maker's

    asp

    (top

    right) s unique:

    RECENTLYESTED NEW

    MINI-LATHErom

    Jet,

    the model

    7220VS.It

    eaturesa

    3/'-hp

    variable-speed

    motor

    (270

    rpm

    to 4,200

    rpm), a 7-in. by

    8-threads-per-inch

    tpi)

    spindle,

    and No. 2 Morse-taper

    centers. t also has a 72-in.

    swing

    over the bed

    (9Vz

    n. over the tool

    rest) and a 20-in.

    capacity befween

    centers.A sister

    mini-lathe, model

    7220,has a six-speed

    500

    rpm to

    3,900

    rpm) motor.

    A 24-position ndex pin doubles as

    a spindle lock, a real

    time-saver

    when

    removing faceplates

    and chucks.

    Jet

    has also included

    a

    plastic

    tool caddy,

    a flexible work lamp,

    and both a 6-in.

    and a 10-in. ool rest.

    Other standard

    equipment includes

    a faceplate, a

    spur center, a knock-

    out bar,

    and a

    live

    center. All that

    good

    stuff adds weight;

    the 1220VS s

    about

    I25 lb., so it won't

    be

    portable

    for everyone without

    help.

    Options include

    a bed extension that increases

    he

    capaciry

    berween

    centers o 48 in. and

    a steel stand that

    adjusts

    rom 43 in.

    to 45 in. tall. Both were

    sturdy and well-made.

    I

    $ * . $ $ * #

    E # # t , S

    Hand-cut

    asps

    work

    smoother

    nd aster

    The

    blade s curved

    along ts length

    and has

    teeth

    only on its half-round ide (the back is

    smooth). Those eatures

    make it ideal

    for

    sculpting

    he

    inside

    edgesof closed

    pistol-$rip

    ool

    handles.

    All

    the

    rasps

    have nicely

    shaped

    ash handles.The

    bladesare surgical-

    grade

    stainless

    steel,so

    they are tough

    (the

    teeth won't

    break), ong-wearing

    (the

    teeth stay sharp),

    and won't rust.

    Stainless steel doesn't

    take

    quite

    as

    Accessories

    add capacity.An optionalbed extension

    llows

    onger

    turnin$s,while

    a sturdy tand s heightadjustable.

    Once fired

    up, the 7220YSwas

    a

    pleasure

    o use. I turned

    spindles

    and bowls with very

    good

    results.

    t ran

    quiet

    and

    smooth, with no

    noticeable vibration.

    And it had

    plenty

    of

    power

    throughout

    the entire speed range, with no

    drop-off in

    torque at the lower speeds.

    The 7220YS

    ells or

    around

    $550;

    he 7220 or about

    fi445.

    For

    more information,

    check out www.jettools.com.

    -Andy

    Barnum

    teacbeswood turning at tbe

    S

    Uniuersity of New York

    at Purcbase

    Random,

    not rows. Rasps with

    hand+ut te

    have

    a random

    pattern.As

    a

    result,they

    cut

    faster

    and smoother than tfiose

    with machine-cut teeth

    set in rows.

    keen an

    edge

    as carbon

    steel.

    Evenso, I was more

    than

    satisfied

    .

    with

    the

    performance

    of the rasps.

    The

    cabinetmaker's rasps

    range in

    pr

    from

    $54

    to

    $110;

    the handlemaker's

    rasp s

    $5O.

    More nformation

    can be

    had

    at www.toolsfonrorkingtrvood.co

    -Chris

    Gochnouruilds

    ustom

    urniture

    teaches

    oodworking

    n Murray,

    2 2

    F r N E \ r o o D \ r o R K r N G

    Photos:

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    14/81

    tools

    matenal

    .n,,n,".

    lmproved

    ountersink

    its

    COUNTERSINK

    ITSARE

    GREAT

    IME-SAVERSecause hey drill

    a

    pilot

    hole and countersink

    (or

    counterbore

    f needed) in

    one step. These bits typically include depth stops, oo.

    On

    the

    downside,

    they tend to clog

    quickly.

    If

    you

    don't

    stop regularly to clear the chips,

    you

    can

    burn the

    wood

    and

    Set of

    four. The bits come

    in four

    sizes,so

    you

    can drill

    holes for the common screw

    sizes

    of #6, #8,

    #70,

    and #72.

    stays

    ixed in

    place,

    so

    there's no burning.

    After

    giving

    the bits a workout, I concluded they

    have exce

    chip-clearingcapability. was able to drill deep holes

    without

    having to

    withdraw

    the bit to clear

    heavy clogs. Every hole w

    drilled

    cleanly n one shot, and the non-marring stop

    collars

    didn't char the workpiece surface.A four-piece set sells

    or

    $5

    Bits also are available ndividually. Go to

    www.woodworker.co

    -Mario

    Rodriguez teacbesa

    Pb lade

    ph

    a Furniture

    Works

    No more burn marks.The depth

    stop stops spinningwhen

    t

    con-

    tacts the workpiece, so it won't

    leave

    a burn

    mark in

    the

    wood.

    overheat

    the bit. Also, since

    most

    depth

    stops spin

    with

    the bit, they can create a disk-

    shaped burn on the

    wood.

    'Woodworker's

    Supply

    has

    worked to solve those

    problems

    with its new

    CleanStopCounter-

    sink Bits. Large lutes

    on the countersink

    cutter

    help keep clogging to

    a

    minimum. The depth stops

    have a couple of channels to

    allow chips to exit

    freely. At

    the same time, the depth stop

    acts like a bearing, allowing

    the bit to spin

    while

    the stop

    ffifi

    I

    Fresh hellac n he cheap

    GROWINGUMBERS FWOODWORKERSave discovered he benefitsof shellac. t seals

    n

    almost

    anythingand, when dewaxed, s compatiblewith almost any subsequent inish.

    But

    shellac

    must be fresh,or it won't

    dry

    properly.

    So

    a lot

    of

    finishersmake their own, dissolvi

    shellac lakes in denaturedalcohol.One drawback:You must remember o dissolve he

    flake

    day or two before

    you

    use them.

    A new companycalled Shellacfinishes laims o havesolved he dissolve-time

    ssue. t

    imports

    shellac

    lakes directly rom India

    and says

    hat its flakes

    are

    fresher han those offe

    elsewhere.

    Fresher lakes, they

    say,dissolve

    aster,

    and the

    finish dries faster.

    In

    an informal est,

    we

    compared he dissolve ime

    for

    garnet

    shellac

    lakes rom

    Shellacfinishes

    ith the J.E.Moser br

    sold by Woodworker'sSupplyand Jeff Jewitt'sHomes

    .

    Finishing

    brand.

    We began

    at

    midday,and despite

    swirling each

    ar

    about once an hour,none of the

    samples

    had

    completely

    dissolvedby 10

    p.ffi.,

    ,-

    *

    aithougn he

    Homestead

    and the Shellacfinishes

    samples

    were

    close.

    Both

    dried

    hard

    equally

    ast w

    a

    drop

    was

    put

    on some

    glass,

    another

    sign of freshn

    Shellacfinishes ells

    ive

    types of dewaxedshellac,

    plus

    a

    four-type

    ampler

    pack.

    Prices an

    from

    $12

    to

    $21

    per pound,

    ower

    han

    most

    other online sources

    www.shellacfinishes.biz)

    -Mark

    Schofields he managing

    dissolvin ,,

    lowe.r

    cost.

    ;

    Sheflacfinislres

    shellac flakes dis-

    solved

    and dried as

    fast

    or faster

    than other

    quality

    flakes,

    and

    cost

    less, too.

    2 4

    F r N E \ r o o D \ r o R K r N G

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    15/81

    Much

    fess

    tearout.

    A

    recenily

    introduced

    jissaw

    btade

    rom

    Bosch

    made

    clean

    cuts

    in

    a

    variety

    of materials.

    New

    igsaw

    blades

    aresmoothcutters

    BoscH

    ls Now

    OFFERING

    JTGSAW

    LADE

    wirh

    some

    fearures

    that

    make

    it

    an

    especially

    smooth

    clltter.

    Traditional

    jigsaw

    blades

    cllt

    only

    on

    the

    upstroke,

    so

    the

    top

    surface

    of

    the

    workpiece

    is

    more prone

    to

    chipout.

    This

    new

    blade

    from

    Bosch-the

    T308B

    Xtra-Clean

    for

    \Wood-is

    designed

    to

    cut

    on

    both

    the

    upstroke

    and

    downstroke,

    and

    th

    helps

    to

    reduce

    chipout

    on both

    faces.

    Also,

    unlike

    most

    jigsaw

    blades,

    which

    are

    made

    on

    a sram

    ing

    machine,

    the

    T308B

    Xtra-Clean's

    teeth

    are ground.

    That

    makes

    them

    much

    sharper;

    all

    else

    being

    equal,

    sharp

    teeth

    c

    faster

    and

    produce

    less

    chipout.

    I

    used

    the

    Bosch

    blade

    and

    a

    typical

    stamped

    brade

    to

    mak

    straight

    and

    curved

    test

    cuts

    in

    oak,

    walnut,

    cherry pine,

    birc

    plywood,

    and

    melamine.

    The

    Bosch

    consistently

    produced

    cleaner

    cuts.

    A

    package

    of

    five

    T30SB

    blades

    sells

    for

    $14

    (it's

    available

    only

    with

    a T-shaped

    shank).

    Look

    for

    the

    blade

    at

    Lowe,s

    an

    woodworking

    speciality

    stores.

    For

    more

    information,

    go

    to

    www.boschtools.com.

    -Tont

    Begnal

    is an

    associate

    edit

    Mix

    and

    match.

    This

    sample

    box

    makes

    ft

    easy

    to

    choose

    awood

    for

    a

    project,

    or

    combine

    woods

    gracefully.

    I

    Wood

    samples

    good

    eference

    woNDER

    WHAT

    uMAc

    LooKS

    L|KE,

    r chinkapin,

    lippery

    elm,

    or

    hackberry?

    A

    company

    rom

    Maine,

    cailed

    wood

    smart,

    can

    help.

    They

    seff

    sample

    boxes

    of 46

    North

    American

    wood

    species

    commonly

    used

    to

    make

    furniture.

    Each

    unfinished

    sample

    measures

    Lhin.

    thick

    by

    3 in.

    wide

    by

    6 in.

    long.

    As

    we

    discovered,

    hat's

    enough

    room

    to

    test

    a finish

    or

    two

    on

    the

    back

    side.

    Each

    sample

    is labeled

    with

    the

    common

    and

    botanical

    namesof the wood.Also noted s informationon weight (shownas

    specific

    gravity)

    and

    shrinkage

    characteristics.

    n

    addition,

    he

    box

    includes

    a table

    that

    allows

    you

    to

    determine

    how

    much

    a

    board

    will

    expand

    and contract

    due

    to

    seasonal

    changes

    n

    retative

    humidity.

    The

    set

    sells or

    $fgO

    and

    is

    availabte

    rom

    Lie-

    Nielsen

    Toolworks.

    For

    more

    informatior,

    go

    to www.

    lie-nielsen.com.

    2 6

    F r N E

    \ r o o D r o R K r N G

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    16/81

    acloser

    ook

    m

    l ?

    'Eg

    Not

    all

    carbide

    iscreatedqual

    THE

    HARDEST

    AN-MADE

    ATERIAL

    HAS

    REVOLUTION

    ZED

    WOODWORKI

    G,

    BUT

    QUALITY

    ARIES

    B Y

    M A R K

    S C H O F I E L D

    et used

    to honing your

    bits

    each

    time

    yoLl

    use

    them,

    as

    dull

    ones

    tend

    to

    chip,

    splinter,

    and

    burn

    the work."

    This

    advice,

    from

    the first

    issue

    of

    Fine'Woodworking,

    is

    a reminder

    that

    some

    things

    have gotten

    a lot

    easier

    over

    the last

    30

    years.

    The

    author

    was

    referring

    to

    steel

    rollter

    bits,

    and

    the

    reason

    tl-ris

    advice

    is

    no longer

    needed

    is

    sumrned

    up in

    one word:

    carbide.

    Invented

    in

    Germany

    in

    the I92Os,

    ungsten

    carbicle

    is

    a

    dense,

    hard,

    wear-resistant

    material

    that

    now

    is

    everywhere

    from giant

    mining

    tools

    to

    the rolling

    ball

    of

    your

    pen.

    In

    woodworking,

    it

    has

    revolutionized

    sawblades

    and router

    bits,

    increasing

    exponentially

    the

    length

    of

    time

    between

    sharpening.

    It's

    easy

    to take those carbide tips for granted, but after doing

    soffle

    research

    I've gained

    a

    new

    respect

    for

    them.

    There's

    a lot

    of technology

    in

    each

    tip.

    -

    F

    rp

    IP

    C

    e2'

    w|

    unfortunately,

    not

    all

    carbide

    is

    created

    equal,

    and

    there

    is

    national

    or international

    standard

    for well over 5,000 differen

    carbide

    grades.

    But

    there

    are ways

    to increase

    yollr

    chances

    o

    buying

    tools

    with premium-qualiry

    carbide.

    I

    also learned

    how

    to

    prolong

    the

    life

    of carbide-tipped

    blades

    and

    bits,

    and

    how

    to

    tell

    when

    they

    do need

    sharpening.

    Garbide

    varies

    by

    quality

    and

    type

    Tungsten

    carbide

    is the

    hardest

    man-made

    rnaterial

    known,

    wit

    wear

    resistance

    about

    100

    times

    that

    of

    steel.

    In

    addition,

    it has

    21/z

    times

    the

    rigidiry

    of steel,

    is

    dimensionally

    stable,

    retains

    its

    hardness

    at high

    heat,

    and has

    an

    impact

    resistance

    similar

    to

    hard

    tool

    steels.

    In

    short,

    it is pretfy

    amazing

    stuff.

    You

    may

    have

    seen

    tool

    rnakers

    refer

    to

    their

    carbide

    as bein

    C7, C2, etc. These gracles,originally developed for classifying

    carbide

    by its

    ability

    to cut

    metal

    (they

    run

    from

    Cl to

    CI9),

    a

    clefined

    not

    by

    its

    chemical

    makeup,

    which

    can

    vafy

    widely,

    p

    il;

    o

    Molded

    under

    pressure,

    M

    etal-i

    njection

    mol

    d ng

    (MIM)

    is

    used

    to

    form

    the

    powder/binder/wax

    mix-

    ture

    into

    more

    complex

    shapes.The

    equipment

    s

    similar

    to

    that

    used

    or injection

    motdin{,

    of

    ptastics.

    Attached

    as teeth.

    Carbid

    tips

    are

    brazed

    onto

    the

    ste

    plate

    of

    a sawblade.

    Repair

    broken

    teeth

    are

    done in

    the

    same

    way.

    From

    i

    ne

    powder

    o

    power

    ools

    C A R B ID E

    S

    MA D E

    IN

    THREE

    STAGES

    Carbide

    egins

    as

    a mixture

    of very

    inely

    ground

    ungsten

    and

    carbon

    black

    1).

    After

    a

    binder

    uch

    as cobalt

    and some

    waxareadded, he mater ia l s

    molded

    nto

    ts

    rough

    shape

    an d

    g iven

    an in i t ia l

    bak ing .

    Known

    as

    green

    carbide,

    he

    material

    at

    this ntermediate

    tage

    s

    soft

    and

    crumbly

    2) ,

    which

    a l lows

    t

    to be

    machined

    easily.

    inally,

    it

    is baked

    a second

    ime

    at

    high

    emperature,

    hich

    causes

    the

    material

    o

    shrink

    L8o/o

    o

    24o/o

    o create

    he hard,

    dense

    carbide

    used

    on tools

    3) .

    F I N E

    \ 7 O O D \ T O R K I N G

    Photos:

    \' ltl lti-Metals

    (this

    page.

    botton.r

    center):

    Case \{' 'estern

    Resen.e

    University

    (nticroscope

    imag

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    17/81

    but by the

    style

    of work it

    can

    do. C3 is

    defined

    as finishing,

    C4

    as

    precision,

    for

    example,

    but

    there is

    no

    agreement

    on what this

    means.

    Like

    steel makers,

    carbide manu-

    facturers

    face

    a

    trade-off

    between

    toughness (the ability to resist

    fracfure),

    and hardness

    (wear

    resistance).

    There

    are two main

    ways

    to vary

    the

    properties

    of carbide:

    the

    size

    of

    the

    grain

    and the percentage

    of

    binder

    mixed

    in.

    Grains:The

    trend is

    smaller-You'll

    often

    see

    carbide tools

    listed

    as having

    submicron

    carbide

    or micrograin

    carbide.'This

    means the

    individual grains

    of

    carbide are less

    than

    L

    micron

    in diameter.

    Fine-grained

    carbide

    is listed

    as being

    1-2

    microns,

    medium

    as 2-5 microns,

    and coarse

    as

    over

    5

    microns.

    \fith

    the

    exception

    of fine-grained

    carbide

    found

    on

    construc-

    tion-grade

    tools

    such as

    circular-saw

    blades

    or cheap router

    bits,

    most woodworking

    carbide

    is submicron

    because t gives

    greater

    wear

    resistance.

    Unfortunately,

    this

    also decreases

    he

    toughness

    of

    the carbide.

    To

    try and

    reach

    the sweet

    spot

    of

    greater

    lon-

    gevity

    without

    excessive

    chipping

    or

    cracking,

    some

    manufac-

    turers

    change

    the

    composition

    of their

    carbide

    by adding

    boron

    or

    titanium

    carbide.

    Binder:

    the

    trade-off-The

    percentage

    of cobalt

    binder

    for

    most woodworking

    products

    ranges

    from

    3o/o

    o l0o/o.

    As

    you

    in-

    crease

    he

    percentage,

    he

    hardness goes

    down,

    decreasing

    wear

    resistance,

    but strength goes

    up for

    better

    fracture

    resistance.

    Manufacturers

    use this

    to adjust

    the

    carbide's properties

    for

    dif-

    ferent

    uses.

    Freud,

    alone

    among

    the woodworking

    tool

    makers,

    manufacturesall of its own carbide and makes 22 grades.lt

    might use

    an

    ultrafine

    grain

    (less

    than

    0.5 micron),

    high-cobalt

    carbide

    for

    the

    exposed

    sawteeth

    on a high

    top-bevel

    blade,

    Used In

    solld

    form,While

    some

    bits

    and

    blades

    have

    carbide

    pieces

    attached

    to a steel

    plate

    or

    shaft,

    oth-

    ers, such

    as

    this

    spiral

    cutter,

    must

    be

    machined

    from

    solid

    carbide.

    Tale

    f

    2

    bits:

    hard

    s.ough

    We were

    curious

    o see and

    compare

    he wear

    on two ro

    bits tested

    in FWN

    #191

    ( Tool

    Test:

    Router Bits ).

    David

    Matthiesen,

    a

    professor

    n the

    Department

    of Materials

    Science

    and Engineering

    t CaseWestern

    Reserve

    Unive

    placed

    he winning

    and losing

    bits in

    a scanning

    electron

    microscopeand lookedat the damage o the straight ed

    on each, irst

    at

    350x resolution

    and

    then at 2,500x.

    We

    noted

    the finer

    sharpening

    ob

    on the better

    bit.

    Hardqyearl

    n

    but brlltle.

    Some

    gpes

    of carbide em-

    phasize

    hardness

    and wear-

    resistancg

    but they

    tend to be

    more

    brittle

    and can chip

    away.

    This

    bit was

    still cutting

    cleanly

    despite

    the microchips.

    louh

    but malleable.

    This

    carbide

    esisted

    racture

    better

    than

    he bit

    shown

    above ut

    $ot

    blunt aster.The

    ounded-

    over

    edgemade

    poorguality

    cutssoon

    after he

    eststarted.

    2 , 5OOx

    2 , 5OOx

    www.

    f inewoodwork

    i n

    g.

    co m

    T O O T S

    &

    S H O P S 2 O O 9

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    18/81

    acloser

    ook

    con,nued

    Brush

    yow

    teeth

    rctulaily. lf

    pitch

    and residue

    are allowed

    to

    build up on the

    sawteeth,

    they will

    increase

    friction.This

    extra heat

    will shorten

    the

    Iife

    span

    of the

    carbide.Apply

    a mild

    household

    cleaner or

    bladeand-blt

    cleanen

    allow t

    to

    sit

    for

    a few minutes,

    and then

    scrub

    the teeth with

    a

    brass-or nylon-bristlebrush.

    but on a

    triple-chip grind

    blade

    designed

    to cut

    more abrasive

    melamine,

    more

    wear-resistant

    carbide

    is used.

    What

    to look

    br

    As one

    manufacnrrer

    of high-end

    blades ruefirlly

    explained, you

    can't

    tell

    good

    carbide

    from

    bad with

    the naked

    eye.

    you

    have

    to rely

    on the

    old

    saying

    You

    get

    what

    you

    pay

    for. There

    is

    plenty

    of

    cheap

    carbide

    around,

    much

    of which

    contains

    recycled

    mateial,

    but most

    professional-quality

    tools

    use

    only

    virgin

    carbide.

    \[hat

    you

    can see with

    the

    naked

    eye is

    how finely ground

    the carbide is. A tooth or flute with visible coarse grind marks

    will

    be less

    sharp

    than

    one with

    a more polished

    appearance.

    A manufacturer

    trylng

    to

    cut costs

    by using

    cheap

    carbide

    is

    unlikely

    to invest

    more

    than

    the bare

    minimum

    sharpening

    it.

    \fhen

    comparing

    similar

    types

    of blades,

    choose the

    one with

    thicker

    carbide

    because

    t

    probably

    will

    be

    more durable

    and

    can

    be resharpened

    more

    often.

    The way

    the

    teeth

    are

    brazed

    to the

    sawblade

    or router

    bit

    .

    is also

    important.

    Steel's

    hermal

    expansion

    during

    brazing

    is

    two

    to three

    times that

    of carbide.

    so with

    conventionalbraze

    alloys,

    as

    the steel

    cools,

    it

    shrinks more

    than

    the

    carbide

    and

    wants

    to

    draw

    the latter

    into

    a

    bow shape,

    creating

    stresses.

    ff

    possible,

    choose a

    tool

    that

    claims to

    be made with

    tri-metal

    brazing shim using silver-copper-silver braze, as this reduces

    the

    joint

    stress

    caused

    by brazing.

    Last,'go

    t6 a manufacturer's

    \7eb

    site

    and look

    around for

    information

    on the

    carbide

    it

    uses. f

    the

    site

    goes

    into

    detail

    about

    the carbide,

    there

    is a

    better

    chance

    the company

    is

    concerned

    about

    quality

    and

    matching

    the carbide

    specs

    to

    the tool's

    use.

    How

    to make

    it last

    longer

    High

    levels

    of

    pitch

    and residue

    buildup

    should

    be avoided

    because,

    as

    the residue

    is pulled

    away,

    t can

    take small

    microchips

    from

    the

    cutting

    edge

    with it.

    Eventually

    this

    will

    3 0

    F r N E

    r o o D \ r o R K r N G

    blunt the

    comers

    and cutting

    edges.

    Also,

    buildup increases

    friction

    and

    heat,

    shortening

    the life

    of the

    carbide. To

    overcom

    this

    problem,

    clean

    your

    carbide regularly.

    There

    arc many

    recommended

    dos and

    don'ts when

    it

    com

    to cleaning

    sawblades

    and router

    bits. Freud

    recommends

    soaking

    the

    blade in

    kerosene

    and then

    removing

    the

    buildup

    with a

    bristle

    brush. Products

    the

    company

    has found

    that

    attack

    carbide are

    those very

    high

    or low

    on the

    pH

    scale.

    Forrest

    Manufacturing

    recommends

    cleaners

    such as

    Formula

    409

    or Fantastik

    in conjunction

    with

    a brass-

    or nylon-bristle

    brush such as an old toothbrush. Don't use a steel wire brush

    as

    this will

    damage

    the

    carbide. Forrest

    doesn't recommend

    oven

    cleaner

    because

    t tarnishes

    the

    steel

    plate

    of

    the blade

    and.removes

    any

    plastic

    film

    including

    the logo.

    Last, t is

    mu

    easier

    to remove

    slight

    buildup

    on the

    blade

    or bit frequently

    than it is

    to wait

    until a

    thick layer

    of residue

    is

    baked

    on.

    Materials

    that

    wear

    doqm cadrid{arbide

    is

    strong

    stuff,

    but

    there

    are one

    or two

    uses that will

    shorten

    its life.

    Anv

    wood

    high

    in

    phenolic

    acid will

    corrode

    the

    cobalr

    binder. Fornrnately

    this is

    mostly

    found

    in green

    or wet wood,

    and in

    particular

    ce-

    dar-not

    something

    fumiture

    makers

    are likely

    to

    encounter

    ofte

    \foods

    containing

    silica

    or salts,

    such

    as teak,

    also are

    more

    abrasive,

    as are

    man-made

    materials

    such as

    medium-density

    fiberboard and plywood. If you are going to be cuning large

    amounts

    of

    plywood

    or teak,

    put

    on

    an old

    carbide blade

    and

    save

    your

    best

    one for

    less-abrasive

    cuts.

    '-

    When

    to

    sharlren-How

    can

    you

    tell when

    it's time

    to shar

    en

    your

    carbide?

    Bumt cuts

    is

    one waming

    srgn;

    increased pre

    sure required

    to

    make

    the cut is another;

    deteriorating.

    cut

    qua

    such

    as chipout

    when

    crosscutting

    plywood

    is a

    third.

    Finally,

    should

    you

    sharpen your

    own

    carbide

    tools?

    n alm

    all cases,

    t is

    better

    to let

    a

    professional

    sharpening

    service

    d

    the

    job;

    after

    all,

    you

    no

    longer

    need to

    sharpen

    these tools

    each

    time

    you

    use

    them.

    Photos, except where

    noted:

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    19/81

    frindamentals

    fi

    Pencilndpaper

    WORK RECISELY

    YUSING HESE

    SIMPLE OOLSN

    UNCONVENTIONALAYS

    B Y H E N D R I K V A R J U

    ou don't need to be high-

    tech to achieve

    high

    precision.

    Vhether

    you

    need to move

    your

    tablesaw

    few thousandths of an inch or craft a

    perfectly

    fitted

    mortise-and-tenon

    oint,

    you

    can see and control

    nearly invisible

    differences by using two

    of

    the most

    a.

    o t

    r rtl ot

    iey

    t

    n

    lzt,

    tt

    l;

    7r1

    t u

    177

    r,

    b:,

    *q$r

    rr,

    rar

    h:{

    .rLX;#J,l?,

    corrunon and ancient

    tools around-a

    pencil

    and

    paper.

    The

    next time

    you

    want to dial in a higher level

    of accuracy,

    don

    reach

    for

    your

    credit

    card

    to

    buy the

    latest

    alignment

    gadget

    Instead,pull

    a few businesscards rom

    your

    wallet and a

    pe

    from

    your

    tool belt.

    Pencil

    trokes

    ighlight

    our

    rog

    Whether sharpening,

    planing,

    or routing, sometimes the amount

    that

    needs

    to b

    removed is

    so little i t's hard to

    see

    with

    the

    naked

    eye. Drawing

    pencil

    lines on t

    workpiece

    or the tool can make

    your progress

    easily visible.

    G E T A W A T E R S T O N E

    TRULY

    FLAT

    A waterstone

    needs to be

    per-

    fectly flat

    to

    work well,

    but it

    is

    hard to tell when this has been

    achieved.To rack

    your proS-

    ress,draw li$ht

    pencil

    strokes

    on the

    face

    of the stone before

    flattenin ,

    it.

    (A

    number

    of abra-

    sives can be used;

    pictured

    at

    right

    is

    silicon+arbide

    lapping

    Srit

    on

    grass.)

    The marks will

    disappear first

    on the hish

    points,

    so keep rubbing,until

    all

    pencil

    strokes are

    gone.

    Photos: Mark Sch

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    20/81

    A V O I DT A P E R I N G

    TOO

    FAR

    A jointeror handplane

    is used to refine

    table-

    sawn

    tapers on a leg,

    with

    each

    pass

    extend-

    in$ the

    taper farther

    up

    the

    Ie{,.

    But stray

    into the

    desiSnated

    flat

    area,

    and

    you'll

    see a

    Sap

    when

    the

    apron is attached

    to

    the

    Ie ,.

    A few

    pencil

    strokes near

    the start

    of the

    taper hihliht

    when

    to stop

    planin{,.

    F I T A M O R T I S E

    A N D T E N O N

    When fittinS

    a tenon

    to its mortise,

    it

    can be

    difficult

    to

    assess where

    the

    tenon s too thick.

    Pencil

    strokes

    on

    the tenon

    cheeks

    will rub

    off where

    the fit is

    too tight,

    showin(, where

    to

    pare

    the tenon for

    a

    proper

    fit.

    S E E W H E R E Y O U ' R E

    P L A N I N G

    lf

    you?e

    flattenin ,

    a

    Slued-up

    panel,

    start by findin{,

    all of the

    hiSh

    areas usinga strai{hted{e

    and

    marKin{,them

    with

    pencil

    strokes. This way

    you

    can concentrate

    on the areas that need

    the

    most wood

    removed.You'll

    also be able

    to track any

    places

    you

    missed.

    Usea different

    pattern

    of

    pencil

    strokes in the low-

    est

    spots as a

    warnin{,to

    avoid

    planing

    these areas.

    S E T A R O U T E R ' S

    D E P T H P R E C I S E L Y

    When

    brin$in$trim or

    a

    plu{,level

    with its

    sur-

    roundin{s,

    you

    need

    to

    set a strai$ht bit

    to cut

    exactly

    level with

    the

    sufface.

    Mark

    a

    piece

    of

    plywood

    with some

    heavy

    pencil

    strokes,

    then

    gradually

    lower

    the bit until the

    pencil

    marks

    $et

    liShter but

    are

    just

    visible.While

    this mi$ht sound dif-

    ficult

    to attain, a

    good

    microadjust

    system on

    your

    router will

    easily

    allow

    you

    to dial in

    just

    a couple

    of

    thousandths

    of an inchat a time.lf

    you

    So

    too deep,back

    off, draw some

    more

    lines,

    and try a{ain.

    www.

    fi newoodwork

    i n

    g.

    co m

    T O O L S & S H O P S 2 O O 9

    3 3

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    21/81

    fundamenta\s..n,n, o

    Paper

    hims

    I

    constantly

    need

    o adjust

    a

    setup, ence,

    or workpiece

    by a few

    thousandths

    of an inch

    o

    achieve

    perfect

    accuracy.Paper

    s

    a

    great

    way

    o make

    precise

    adjustments.

    A non-embossed

    usiness

    ard s

    typically

    .011 in.

    o 0.012

    n.

    hick,standard

    4-tb.

    printerpaper

    s

    0.OOSn.,and phonedirectory aper0.002 in. o 0.003 in .

    lf

    you

    need

    to widen

    a dado

    or rabbet

    by

    a

    very

    small

    amount

    (7),

    movin{,

    he

    tablesaw

    ence

    a few

    thou-

    sandths

    of

    an

    inch

    isn't

    an

    easy ask.

    Clamp a strai{,ht

    piece

    of milled

    stock

    behind

    the fence,

    but with

    a few

    business ards andwiched

    between

    hem

    (both

    at the

    front

    and back

    of the fence

    to keep

    t from

    racking)

    (2).

    After

    making

    a test

    cut, re-

    move

    or add

    business

    ards

    or

    paper

    shims

    to move

    the

    fence

    one way

    or the

    other

    by

    precise

    mounts,

    nd

    make

    the

    cut

    (3).The

    width

    of the

    dado

    or rabbet

    will

    be

    perfect

    (4).

    Adjusting

    he tool

    resf

    to a

    specific

    anfle

    on a

    Srinder

    can be an

    ex-

    perimentaltask.

    Now

    change

    he

    ang,te

    y

    ptacingshims

    etween

    the

    tool

    rest

    and

    the tool.

    On my

    6-in.

    grinding

    wheel,

    ,ve

    found

    that

    addinf

    seyen

    business

    cards owers

    he

    {rindinS

    anSle

    by about

    2.5..

    I have

    my

    tool

    rest

    set at a

    standard

    30

    angle,

    but when

    need

    25.

    for

    my low-angle

    block

    plane

    iron,l

    simpty nstalt

    14

    business

    ards

    and

    ti{hten

    the clamping

    mechanism,

    and the

    ob

    is

    done.

    - - . . t

    ,

    - . , .- i :

    Youneed

    a space

    tween

    he chisel

    a

    its matinS,

    uSerb

    Place

    business

    ca

    between

    he top

    o

    the mortisin{

    bit a

    its holder

    when

    in

    in{,

    both

    au(er

    bit

    chisel.

    With

    the

    au

    secure, release

    he

    chise/ holder,

    emo

    the business

    ards

    and raise

    he chis

    before reti(,htenin

    it.

    Use hree

    cards

    for

    the /z-in.

    chise

    two for

    the

    3/a-in.

    s

    and

    one

    for

    the /t-

    chise/.

    7,

    3 4

    F r N E

    \ ' ; , o o r ) \ \ , o n K r N G

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    22/81

    -l

    F L U S HJ O I N T S

    S T A R T W I T H S H I M S

    Where

    he

    face

    of one

    board must end up flush

    with the end

    grain

    of an-

    other,

    place

    a couple

    of

    businesscardsunder

    the

    face-$rain

    board when

    cutting the

    joint

    either

    with biscuits or

    dowels.

    Thiswill

    $uarantee

    hat

    the end

    {,rain

    ends

    up

    frac-

    tionally

    proud.

    Now

    lush

    the

    joint

    using a low-ang le

    block

    plane.

    S N U G - F I T T I N G A P J O I N T S

    A lap

    oint

    must be

    cut to

    precisely

    the width

    of its matin{,

    part.

    Set

    a stop

    block on the

    auxiliary

    miter

    Eauge

    so

    that the

    cut

    will

    end up fractionally

    wide, but then placea number of paper

    or business-card

    hims n front

    of the

    block

    so that the cut will be

    too

    narrow.

    Remove

    he

    shims one at a time until

    the cut matches

    the

    desired

    width.

    J

    i ly:

    *-$F

    :\{itl

    Basic

    7

    pc.

    Router Bit

    Set #401

    Tested#1,by

    Fine Woodworki

    $,

    Magazine

    in

    a head

    to head router

    bit

    test

    of L7

    different brands.

    "American Made for

    the

    American

    Woodworker"

    READER

    SERVICE O. 103

    www. f i n e wo o d wo r k i

    n

    g .

    co m

    lnnouatiueeailres

    .

    2 Pocket-Hole

    igs

    n I

    complete it

    Benchtop

    nd

    Portable

    igs ncluded

    .

    Dust

    Collection

    hroud eeps

    ou r

    workspace

    learof woodchips.

    .

    Front

    SideClamping

    reatly

    peeds

    thedrilling

    rocess.

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    23/81

    ffi

    fu* H

    &{' -ila

    b

    Versatieworkstation

    tores

    allyourablesawear

    and hen

    some

    r

    B Y

    J O H N

    W H I T E

    Shefve

    your

    sled.

    A dedicated shelf

    keeps he

    crosscut

    sled out of the

    way

    but easily

    accessible.

    l\lo wasted space,

    Youcan do {,lue-ups nd

    other bench tasks on this

    table,

    so

    you'll

    need

    tools

    and supplies earby.

    Blades

    at the

    ready,

    The bottom

    drawers are

    deep

    enou{,h o sfore

    blades vertically,mak-

    in{them

    easier o

    identify

    and

    pull

    out.

    F i N I . ]

    W O O D \ f l O R K I N G

    Stow

    your

    fence. A well-

    placed

    rack

    keeps the rip fence

    closeat hand.

    36

    l ) l to tr>s. xccpt

    u 'hc lc

    r. to tcc l :Nlett I ienncr ' : t l t is

    p lrgc :

    . fo l tn

    Tct

  • 7/25/2019 Fine Woodworking 202 January 2009.pdf

    24/81

    good

    outfeed

    table

    is

    essential

    for

    safe

    woodworking, because

    it

    al-

    lows

    you

    to control the

    work-

    piece

    as

    it

    moves

    past

    the blade and

    off the back of the

    tablesaw.

    \Without

    it,

    you'll

    have to

    push

    down

    hard on the back of

    long

    boards,

    which makes t difficult to

    guide

    them safely

    past

    the

    blade.

    An outfeed table

    also naturally

    doubles as a

    work

    surface

    for

    assembly

    and finishing.

    B