American Woodworker - 128 (April 2007)

7/30/2019 American Woodworker - 128 (April 2007)

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#128,MA Y2007Features10Y I J55

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69 TipsFor\r 'c Repairing inishes12 f ixcs for common f lan,s.

ToolTest6-in. ointers(r rt 'catPicks lurt viu'r nsize,price :rnclpon'er.Display abinetShou'of{- 'otrr prizcclco l lec t ib les .Kitchen toolHon'zr router can nra.kerrnrncl lees, r-otrncl trngszurcl r cl ishecl seat.

Turned iddedBoxLearn the secret to making:r tiq'ht-fi ttine l icl.Crosscut ledEven a classic clesigncan be ir-nplovecl.

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3/64

DepartmentsR O,uestionAnswerv' Choose a fence for your bandsaw,match 240-volt plugs to your big machinesand remove a stuck Allen-head setscrew.

L4 WgJ!r,h"pT!,p,rr__r__,_.__._,r_,.uild a clamp rack,/outfeed support, add a drain hoseto your compressor, protect your chisels with leathersheaths, make a marking gauge and swinging turning-tool rack, sharpen pencils on PSA paper, store glueupside down and keep glue offpipe clamps.16Win 2007'sHottestToolSend us your workshop tip and you could wina Festool Domino.92 Well-Equippedhopr'-t Wixey angle gauge, Freud plunge router, Festool Domino,Gizzly 14in. bandsaw and Lee Valley Scraper Shave.30 llv shooI squeezeda large shop

into my small basement. 22Z9 NEW!ToolNut\.r- r - lWo readers share their passionfor hand tools and vintage cast ron.34 ToolTalkOutdoorFinishesWhich type is the most long-lasting?BuildYourkil lsMasterYourMortiserll tips for improving yourmachine's performance.ModernCabinetmakerTips or ApplyingTeeMoldingThis durable edging is perfect for shopf,rxtures and kid's furniture.

82B6 82e2Oops!How not to glue58 oints at thesame time.

American Woodworker iS/'- vay zooz 5


4/64

V/hat's)fourStory?One the great things about working for a woodworking

magazine is that I get to meet a lot of other woodworkers, bothamateurs and professionals. It's fun to hear about their shops,their projects, or ajoinery technique they recently mastered.

I met a woodworker from Montana at a recent trade showwhose day job is surveying. On weekends he spends his timebuilding furniture for his new home and for his grandkids.\Arhen I asked him about his shop he cracked a big grin andsaid, "I wish I could build more, but I've got a walk-out base-ment shop with a terrific view. One wall slides open like bigdouble barn doors. The view of the mountains is so spectacu-lar that sometimes I spend more time gazing than woodwork-irg."

So, what's been happening in your shop these days?Do youhave a story that you'd like to share with other readers? If so,send it to us. We welcome submissions and suggestions for sto-ries. Fo r more information, see page 48.

\Me're also collecting photos for our Reader's Showcase ofprojects that you've built. To send us your brag pictures, seepage 48. And don't miss ourWorkshop Tips Tool Give Away onpage 16 . If we pick your ti p as one of the best of the bunch,you'll receive a valuable new tool.

EDITORIALEditor RandyJohnson

Senior Editor Tom CasparAssociateditors3iT.JiffiL*"*Tools and Procltrcts Editol George Vondriska

Contributing Editors Brad HoldenSeth KellerfliilH'fl"*"uOffice Administlator ShellyJacobsen

ART & DESIGNArt Director VernJohnson

Categon Presiclent/Publisher Roger CaseAssociatePublisher/National Sales Manager James FordVice Presiclent/Prodrtction Derek W. Corson

ADVERTISING SALES1285 Corporate Crnter Drire, Suite 180, Eagan, MN 55121

CHICAC'OJames Ford (219) 462-721IClassified Advertising, The McNeill Group, Inc.

Classified Manager, Don Serfass (215) 321-9662, ext. 30NEW TRACK MEDIA LLC

Clrief Executire Officer StephenJ. KentExecutive Vice President/CFO Mark F. ArnettVice Presiclent/Publishing Director Joel P. Toner

Issrre I28. Americatr {bodrvorker'@,SSN I074'9I52,USPS73&710 Publishedbimonthh', except monthlvOctober and November b,vA\4'Media LLC, 90 Sherman St.,Cambridge, MA 02140.Periodicalspostagepaid atBoston, MA and additional mailing offices.Postmaster:Send change of addressnotice to Americau \{[email protected]. Box 81.18,Red Oak, IA 51591-l148.Subscriptiou ates:U.S. one-r'e:rr,24.9tt.Single-cop1l 5.99.Canadaone-vear,$29.98 U.S.Funds); GST # Rl 2298861 . Foreign sttrfaceone-\'ear, 29.98 (U.S.Funds). U.S. neNsstand istributionbl ClrrrtisCirctrlation Companr', ,LC, New Milford, NJ 07646.In Canada: Postage paid at Gatervay,Mississauga,Ontario;CPM# 1447866.Send retttrns and address hanges oAmerican \4loodrvorker@,P.O. Box 8148, Red Oak, IA, USA51591-1148. rinted in USA. O 2007 Nerr Track Media LLC.All righrs resen'ed.Anaiean l4bodunt*a'ma,t'sharenfonnatiott abottt vottrvith reptrtable companies n order for them to offer 1'ottprcdttcts andsenices of interest o \ou. If you \\ottld mther $e not shareinfonnation. olease vrite to ts at: American \4bodrrorker,Crstomer Senice Departmelrt, P.O.Box 8148, Red Oak, IA51591. Pleroe nclude a copv ofvortr address abel.Subscribers: f t he Post Office arlerts s hat vortr magazineis undeliverable, vehave no further obligation unless vereceivea corrected address rithin one vear.

SubscriptionsAmericanWoodworker ubscriber erviceDept.,PO.Box8148, edOak,A 51591-11118,(800) 6e3111,-mailA\&Wservice meri-canwoodworker.comArticle ndexA fiveyear ndex s availablenline twww.americawoodworker.com.Copies f PastArticlesPhotocopiesreavailableor $3 each.Writeor call:AmericanWoodworker eprintCenter,PO.Box83695, tillwater, N 55083-0695,1715],246-4521,a,m. o 5 p.m,CSI Mon.throughFri.Visa,MasterCard,iscover ndAmerican xpress ccepted.Back ssuesSomeareavailableor $6each.Order romthe Reprint enter t he address bove.Comments& SuggestionsWrite o us atAmericanWoodworker,285Corporateenter rive, uite 80, agan, N55121'651) 54'9200'ax (651) 94-2250'e-mail [email protected].

Until next time.

[email protected]

6 American Woodworker MAY 2oo7


5/64

BandsawFenceitenunaAt , l'd like to set up my bandsaw /t You'vegot a choicebetween vokinds:a sin->< for making straight cuts. What I \ gle-point ence and a long, straight ence.

kind of fence should I use? Hereare heirprosand cons.

The surfaceyou get wil l be slightlywavy becauseyou'l l besteeringreehand.

All you need o makea single-pointence s a blockof wood3 or 4in. al l .Round necorner. l ign he block's osewith he rontof theblade'seeth.Drawa linedown he workpieceo guide ou rcut.Pivotth e workpieceeft or rightas you'recutting o stayon the line.Somemanufacturedenceshave single-pointccessor ieshat a lsoworkwell.Theyare ods hat bolt o a straightence.

A single-pointence s easy o make,set up anduse, bu t it 's not particularlyccurate.t 's the best

choice or quickly esawing smallnumber f boards.

A single-point ence s easy o set up forrough resawing.

A straight fence often takes more time tose t up than a single-point ence, but it 'smuch more accurate.A straight fence isgood for short, precise oinerycuts, ong ripcuts, resawinga largenumberof boardsan dresawing a precise hickness.The surface'youge t wil l be much smoother ha n usingasingle-point ence, assuming yo u us e thecorrectbladean d t 's cleanan d sharp.

Straight ences come in many forms. Youcan buy one from your saw's manufacturer,buy an aftermarket ence that adapts o many

saws, rmake ourown.Setupwith some encess easierhanothers.Manufacturedencesmounton a guide ail, o tweaking

them eft or right o positionhe cut s as simpleas nudging table-saw's ence.A shop-madeencewithouta guide ai l s hardero adjust.

Settingup for resawingwith a straight ence can be complicatedbecauseou mustcompensateor blade rift the endencyor the bladeto wander ff a straightine).Blade rift s easy o seewhenyou'reusinga single-pointence. n that situation,ou steer he wood o stayon theline. syousaw you'l l in d haton eparticularngle ieldshe straightestcut.Thisdriftangles usually few degrees ut of parallelo thebandsawtable'smiter slot. Obviously,ou can't steer he wood when usingastraightence. nstead,ouset he ence o match hedriftangle formoreinformation,ee "Bandsaw ence," W #118,November 005,p. 65).Forshortcuts, ou usually on'thave o compensateor blade rift.

A tall shop-made traight enceworks well fo rprecision esawing, uch as makingveneer.

A manufacturer's traight ence is easy omicro-adjustor joinery cuts.

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6/64

WHv Do Pt-ucs Vnnv?\r t l'm confused by the variety of 240-volt\ r , p lugs and out lets.Does t matter whattype I use wi th my machines?

A1 li. L Sure does.Each type is designed or a different/ __-t-L *L- amp load. To protect your machine's motor,you must match the amp ratings of the motor, plug, out-let and circuit breaker.

Most 240-volt woodworking machines designed forsmall shops run on 15,20 or 30-amp circuits. There's aunique plug and outlet configuration for each circuit.Amperage ratings are always printed or stamped on theplugs. If your machine already has a 240-voltplug on it ,install the appropriate outlet in your wall and the samesize breaker in your f use box. If your machine doesn'tcome with a plug,consult the owner's manual and installthe appropriate plug, outlet and breaker.

Allowing too many amps to be delivered to a motormay damage or destroy it. You shouldn't plug a motorthat's rated at 12 amps into a 30-amp circuit, for example.During a heaty cut, a motor calls for more amperage to

10 Americar.r Woodworker MAY 2oo7

maintain torque. A 15-amp circuit breaker would trip intime to protect the motor from overheating. A 30-amp cir-cuit breaker wouldn't offer the same protection. It wouldcontinue to provide amperage well past the motor's ratingand lead to excessive eating, a motor's biggest enemy.

TSSTABLEsAWThe ew agunaSSeriesssettingnew tandardnTableaws. ur SSeriesableaw omeompletewith10"or12'blade apacities,merican-madealdormotors,nd ptionalcoring.he SSable aweaturesaheavy-dutylidingable.!{--+ttF,!."!***___*

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DIGITALDISPLAY**The ew igitalisplayor our awprovidesrecisionositioningfyourrip ence,llowingepeatableccuracyto hehousandthfan nch,MITER TABLE*'*Fullyndexed/- to 45degreesith ive ndependentlyadjustableositivetopsneither irectionexceptionalfor epeatability,or se ith our xistingagunaaluminumut-offence, *.0ptionalAccessoriesFL/t{trFAhl Cnclm*.rc l'J t\f/A:T*m (m T,ffi * C(m h/a17101Murphyvenue lrvine California 92614 800.234.176 - s49.47.1200

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7/64

STnTPPED-OurAllrru Heend'\t r Kq F Do you havea f ixon a setscrew?

.&l"& Fot'tttnatell', here is a sinplei k solution to this aggravatine

for ahead

probler-n.Pttt a little 5-rninute epoxv ol tthe end of an Allen wrench anclse t t i nthe str ipped ou t hole. Let theepoxy cul-e over night, so it'sgoocl ancl hard, then turnthe screw out as yolr ltor-rnall,v rvoulcl. Yott catr tosstl-re ftrsed rvrench andnut or, if you're chezrplike lne, take a blorv-torch to tl-re nut. Thel-reatwil l soften the epox,vand release the dar-nagedl ' )ut, leavi r-rg,vounvreuchreadv fb r ttse.

MA Y 2OO7

If you have a qnestion you'd like answered,send it to us at Question & Answer,Arnerican Woodworker, 1285 CorporateCenter Drive, Suite 180, Eagan, MN 55121 ore-mail to [email protected]',but the volume of rnail prevenls usfrom ansrvering each question individually.

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8/64

Fnov O: RTADERS

DoubleDutyClampRackOne sure thing about clamPs is

that they're never close enoughwhen you need them. That's whY Idevised this rolling rack. Is 4in.locking swivel casters easily plowthrough sawdust and over cracksand power cords (see Source,righ$. To make this rack doublyuseful, I designed it to work as atl

oufeed support for my tablesaw.ts2x6 top inclines at a Sdegree angleso it's top edge matches my table-saw's eight.I made the rackfrom 2x4s,a2x6and 5/&in. electricalconduit. Drill\\llGin. holes or the conduit inthe doubled-up 2x4 rails, spaced osuit your clamp lengths. Thln cut

the conduit in 18-in. to 24-,inlengths as needed and install them.To keep the clamps rom sliding oflcap the conduit support arms withrubber chair legcaps rom the hard-ware storesource Brian RniapskiGrizzly,www. grizzly. om, (800)5234777H06844l ' swivel ockingcaster,$7.50each

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9/64

WorkehopTipgTool Givehwdy!Wltt2007'sHorrEST ewToolTHEFESTOOLOMINO

Sendusyour bestoriginalworkshop ips:Tips hatsavemoney,imeorspace. ips orgluing,clampingndassembling.Tips ormeasuring,achin-ingor inishing.ook roundyourshop:Sendus everyipyouhave hatmakes ourwoodworkinguccessfuland un.16 American Woodworker MAY 2oo7

llrhe editors of American Woodworkerwill choose heirsix avorite ips.The submit-ters of the top three tips will each receive a com-pleteFestoolDomino package ncluding both acces-sory stops and a Systainertull of Domino tenons-a $990value! For complete informationabout the Festool Domino visitwww.americanwoodworker.com/domino.The submitters f the remaininghree avorite ipswill each eceiveheirchoiceof a FestoolOF14OOEQ outer($405value),a FestoolCl2 Cordless Drill ($3SOvalue) or a Festool CT Midi Dust Extractor ($330 value).All other tips that are pub-lished n ourWorkshop ips departmentwillearn he submitter 100.To enter: E-mail ouroriginaltips ithphotoso [email protected] hem oWorkshopipsToolGiveaway,merican oodworkeragazine,285CorporateriveCenter, uite180.Eagan,MN551 1 Submissionsustbe receivedyJuly31 2OO7Winners illbeannouncedn heOctober007ssue fAmerican oodworker.ubmissionsannot e etumedandbecome urpropertypon cceptancendpayment.


10/64

LgannrnToor- SHeanHsWhen I'm not using my chisels I keep them in a drawer, so I made a

set of leather sheaths to protect their sharp ends. I bought the leatherand some rivets from a hobby shop and made sheaths for all my chiselsin about an hour.

To make your own sheaths, cut leather strips tr,vice the length of thefinished sheath, and aboutS/4" wider than the chisel's blade. Fold theleather strip in half lengthwise and punch holes for the rivets with anawl. Split rivets are the simplest to install because all you need is a ham-mer and a piece of steel-I used the edge of my vise. MichaelDromE

3O-MTwUTE anKtNGGnuceMake this handy little gem for less than $5. You'll need one piece ofhardwood for the beam and another for the fence. You'll also need twol/4-20 threaded inserts and a thumbscrew. Drill a hole through the

fence for the thumbscrew,l-\/2-in. from one end. Then rip the fenceinto nvo pieces. Cut a dado for the beam in the center of the top piece.Enlarge the drilled hole in the bottom piece and install one threadedinsert. Glue the pieces back together and bandsaw a kerf up to thebeam opening. Install the other threaded insert in the beam, Z/4lin.from the end. The pencil threads into this insert, so it really stays put.on the beam's other end, I installed a hardened screw after grindingthe point sharp, to use for scribing. Rich Scud,no

Krurr-SavrrucCoMPRESSoRDnalnrCrouching to operate my com-

pressor's drain valve was no bigdeal until my football-ravagedknees started acting up. To keepfrom grimacing in the sawdust, Idevised a more civilized way toclear the tank. I replaced the drainvalve with a 90-degree elbow a200-psi-rated reinforced hose and aball valve. Barb fittings on theelbow and ball valve and clamps onthe hose keep everything air tight.I chose a ball valve instead of arr airnozzle so no one would mistake mynew drain hose for a regular airhose.

Richard Fenwick

American Woodworker MAy 2oo7 17


11/64

A Rrni - SwrNGtN'Toot- RncrcI t r t , to use everv square inch of'sl lace itr tnv shctlt,s< t tr lttcle2rstor-

aq e r-:rck or rny'ttrming tools th:rt su,it-tgsrt t u'hetr I neerl i t. \{ ' l 'rerl 'nrclone ttrnring, it stinqs back, courpleteh'()tl I of the \t 'a l ' .T\t 'o -r- i l-r.trziplr irrges nroultt tl-re "ack tc> 3/4-ir. x S-in. x 24-in. piece of'plnvooclthat's screu,ecl o the rvall. Plastic shields ou the fi-ont :urcl siclesgtrzrrclrtl ,hancls ancl protect the tools u,hile eavir-rghetn easv o iclerlti f\ ' . lt ebottom is open, so u'oocl shaviuss ir l l r ight throttqh. llhlt lheretl

Nrvrn ADul l PrrucuPrecise tnarks Are olte

k",u to 2lccurate ctlts.Ra t l r e r t l r an tno t t t t t i t r gpenc i l shzrrpeuers al larotrncl the shop, I .iuststick 120-grit PSA-backedsandpaper rvherever Ineed a sharp pencil; atboth ends of tny rvork-bench, right next to l t lYrniter 5214r, l1 top of ul'tzrblesan"s ip feuce, etc.'I-ltadBol,den

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12/64

lrusrnrurG luEI hate waiting

for the glue to getto the tip of thebottle, especiallywhen it 's almostempty. So I storemy glue bottleupside down in aplastic peanut but-ter jar. The glue isalways ready toflow and the tipnever gets pluggedwith dried glue.

Frank PenickaGIuE-FREE Clnvps

Dried glue used to make my pipe clamps hard tohandle and use. Now I give the pipes a light coat ofpaste wax from time to time. The wax makes driedglue pop right off. The bottom jaw slides more eas-ily, too.

Mandt Houston

\ b'll giveyou$1OO anda grcat-lookirgshirt foryourUOrkdrcpTip!Plus, your tipwill automaticallybe entered in ourWor*shop TipsTool Giveauuay(see page 16 for details).

Send your original tipto us with a sketch or photo.If we print it, you'll bewoodworking in sryle.F-mail your tip [email protected] send it toWorkshop Tips,Arnerican Woodworker, I 285Corporate Center Drive,Suite 180,Eagan, MN 55f 21.

Submissions an't bereturned and become ourproperty upon acceptanceand payrnent. We may editsubmissionsand use themin all print and electronicmedia.One shirt per contributer,offer good only while supplies last,

20 American Woodrvorker MAY 2oo7


13/64

Sources1 Wixey,www.wixey.com,WixeyAngleGauge,WR 300,$40.2) Woodcraft, 800) 25-1 53 ,www.woodcraft.com, ixeYDigitalAng leGauge, 147281, 4O.

hat woodworker hasn't lamented over the protractors on tablesawsand miter saws? f you've been disappointed, Wixey can makeyour life a lo t easier with it s Digital Angle Gauge, $40. It takes the

guesswork out of setting a blade to a precise angle.Using the Angle Gauge is easy.Tlrrn it on, set it on the table, and push the

Zero button. Then, using the magnets in the base of the Angle Gauge, stickthe gauge ro rhe saw blade. As you angle the blade the gauge will provide acontinuous readout of where you are within one tenth of a degree.

The magnets don'r need to stick to the table surface, only the blade. So the AngleGauge can be zeroed on cast ron, aluminum, or any other horizontal surface'

The table saw was the first application that sprang into my mind, but theAngle Gauge also works great on miter salvs,ointers, even bandsaws. It's agreat way to make sure you've go t the correct angle on lots of tools.

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22 Amelican \Abodn'orkcr MAY 2oo7


14/64

D- lToni CasparInrzrgine a spokeshzrve that lrevef te2rrs )u t the grain, r ' ro rnzlt-

ter l 'h ich c l irect ion vc)u go , and vou have the essel lce of ' th is \ \ron-d e r - f i r l n e l ' t o o l , t h e \ / e l i t a s Sc r -a p e r -Sh a v e ($ ;S ; .

The Scrnper Shave is a strzr isht-hancl l ecl spokeshave eqtr ippecll 'ith a scr2rperblacle. As rvithall sclapels, the cutt ins edgeattzrcks the u'oocl at 2r vervhigh :rnqle in order t() pre-vent teiu'out. Yrrrrcan nurkc rrcon t i n r r o t r s c r r t t he en t i r elcngtlr of ' :r ctrn'ecl sur-ftrcerv i thorr t having to \ \ ' ( ) l ' fvl r l >o r r t t ' t t i n l i l t ' t i o r t .

This tvpe of tool hzrs r onrrancl venerable historr ' .Bef i r le the nr i rchine erA,chainlaker-s rnacle heir orvr-rscf:rper shzn'esu,ith a r':rr-ietvof ' f lat, c() l lvex zrnclconczn'el r o l t o r t t s . . \ r r t i q r r e a l ' t i s : r n -nrurcle cr-zrper haves :rre clif-flt 'rrlt to flncl, horvcvcr. Vl:rss-pr'oclrrcecl scl-zrper sh:n'es,srrc'h rs the Stanlcr ' 62, arrever-\' -ill-e. lv set of artisan-tnzrcleshaves. rvlr ich t


15/64

Super SoupedI-JpBanclsawGrizzly has added some muscle to one of their best-

selling 14in. bandsaws and come up with the newmodel G0555X machine, $595. I like the large motor(7-1/Z-hp, 15-amp), I like the built-in light, I like thetall resaw fence, but what I like most is the large table.At 14in. x20-l/2-in. this is one of the largest tablesyou'll find on a lLin. saw. It's nice to have plenty ofreal estate to the right and left of the blade.

Grizzly accomplished such a large table by makingit in rwo pieces. A 5-in. extension on the left side ofthe table is fastened to the bottom half of the saw. So,when you tilt the table, the extension remains inplace and only the main table tilts. Otherwise, youwouldn't have the clearance to tilt the table all theway to 45-degrees. This is a clever idea that I've onlyseen on one other 14in. bandsaw.

The G0555X uses ball bearing blade guides aboveand below the table. Ballbearing guides are especial-ly handy when using wjderesaw blades. The sawaccepts blades from 92-l/2-in. to 93-l/2-in long, an dI/8 to 3/4\n. wide. A riserblock, which increases thethickness capacity from 6 in .to 12 in. is available, $57.95.Adding th e riser blockincreases the blade's lengthto 105 in.

SourceGrizzlvndustrial,8o0J 23-4777,www.grizzly.com 0555X andsaw$595.6-in. iserblock.H3051$57.95

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16/64

Festool l-ras r-rtrodtrced a trtrlr, nerr .jclinen' nrachir-recallecl theDornino. It looks and handles like a bisctr it- joiuer,bu t the D


17/64

: . *:-t i ,Typically, it 's dif f icult to nse a plunge router in a router

table. That 's because vou often need to remove th e rotrterfrom the table in order to change bits. Sett ing the bit 'sheight requires f ight ing the plunge springs rvhilepushing the motor to the correct bit depth. Freud'snerv l5-amp FT3000VCE plunge router, $290, is aback-saving machine that allorvs )'ou to make allyour adjustments from above the table, from bi tchanges to height adjustments. Yes, other rolrtersoffer above-the-table adjr"rstments, br-rt rnost aresmaller, 12-arnp machines.

In addit ion to i ts easy above-the-table Llse, theFT3000 has a micro-adjust dial t l-rat makes it easl'to f ine tune bi t depth in 1/ 128- in. ncrernents. Thismachine has var iable speed (8,000-21,000 pm) ar-rd,l ike mall)/ variable speed rolt ters, soft start aucelectronic speed control. Variable speed is espe-cially important rvhen )/ou us e laree diarleter bitsin a rotrter table. I t comes n'ith both l/4-in. an dI /2-in. collets, and a dust port for l-rar-rdheldoutir-rs.The height adjustment knob required for rnakinsadjustrnents fror-n above the table is included rvithth e rnachine.

So u rc eFreudTools, 800) 34-417, www.freudtools.com15-ampouter, T3000VCE$290.

\ \ i roc l lo lkc l MAY 2oo7 29


18/64

RhodeIsland-SizedFlavenWhen I saw the "Texas-Sized Hideaway" in the

November 2006 issue, I knew that I had to writeabout my "Rhode Island-Sized Haven" (eventhough I live in Western NewYork!). I can onlydream about a big shop, but I love my basementworkspace.

AenS.*

When I se t up my shopI had to work around a metal supportpost, the washer and dryer and othertypical basement obstacles, so I usedgraph paper and scale cutouts of mymachines to get everything to fit andfunction effectively. The onlymachines that I have to roll intoplace to use are the drum sander andmy router table, which stores undermy tablesaw. My tablesaw has inter-nal casters, so it's easy to repositionwhen I have to cut large pieces. Imade most of the blast gates for mydust-collection system.

My cabinetmaker's bench, mod-eled after Tage Frid's design, is mypride andjoy. I started to build it 25

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19/64

years ago, but quicklyrealized that I had nei-ther the skills nor theequipment to completeit. Then, after my skillsimproved, I didn't wantto use my limited shoptime to work on a work-bench. I finally fin-ished it last winter andnow I wish I had doneit years ago! As muchas I love power tools,there is somethingvery relaxing abouthand-planing a niceboard.

Tell us abvtyour shop!Send us photos of your shop, a layout on graph paper and a description ofwhat makes your shop interesting, what you make in it and what makes yourshop important to you. lf My Shop features yourshop, you'll receive $100.E-mail your entry to myshop@americanwoodwod


20/64

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Casr InoruRulgs !This 1,700-lb. east s a circa1910Ne w Britain hainmort iser.I t usesa cutter similar o a chainsawbar and chain o cu t big orl it t lemort ises n one pass.My largest utter s 1/2-in.hick,3-in.wide and can cut a 6-112-in. eep mortise.The smallestcutter Ihave s 114-in.hick, 1-1l4-in. ide and can cut a 4-in.deep mor-tise. The table can be moved side-to-side o make a mortisewider and i lted or angledwork.There's n incredible et of beltsan d pulleys ha t operate hi smachine. t was originally esigned o be poweredby a large latbelt via an overhead ine shaft,but an electr icmotor was addedyears ater.I just love vintagecast iron and my crowded shop showsit . I just bought a circa 1920 Whitney#110 single-spindleshaper o add to the f ive other shapers own, but l 'm per-plexedabout how to rearrangemy shop to make room for it.

Hmm... didn't I see an old cast ron athe or sale somewhere?Maybe shouldsellone of those shapers. nyone nterested?Kirk Fox

Well payyou $150 to share your favorite tools, new or old, with fellowreaders. Contact us by email at [email protected], ormail us atAmerican Woodworkef 1285 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 180,Eagan, MN 55121. Please nclude digital photos of your tool if possible.

THe Tool WHTSPERERMy wife always steers me away from hard-ware stores.Despitehe r best efforts,whenever Isee a new hand ool or whacky gizmo I alwaysfind a way to get it home. My doctor says I haveNada-needt-gotta-getit ynd ome.My shop s f i l ledwith hundreds f tools hat Idon't use every day, but they sure do look gooddisplayedwith custom-madeholders.Each oolthinks t 's he centerof attent ion.When I bringa ne w tool home, love o figureou t just the rightplace or it . Not us t an y placewill do . lt 's he new kid on the blockan d needsspecialattent ion. hat is, it 's specialunti l nextweek when anothernew kid moves n.Some days canactually ea rmy toolswhis-pering o me , "Use me , pick me up, it 's beentoo long." I l ike o be needed, ven f only by acrescentwrench. You know, istening o toolsmakes me think I betterge t back o the doc-tor's office. Maybe I have a bigger problemthan Nada-needit-gotta-getit .uch bigger!

Phil Bailey

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21/64

ut( lo ( ) f f ln ishcs h:n 'c ' r r t ' t l r i r rc ' r r corr rnron:ther ' : t l l r cc l t r i r -e r l r in l t ' r r :u rc t ' . )1 ' c 'orr lsr ' .Puint is r r r req t r : r l t ' r lr t l ) l ' ( ) t ( ' ( ' l i r rg 'l r t ' u 'ooc l

f i ' on ' t t s tn ' o b i q ' ges t ' r r t ' r r r i t ' s : no is t r r l t ' anc l r r l t r ' : u o -l e t ( L ' \ r ) l i e l i t . \ l o i s t u l ' ( ' ( ' l r u s ( ' s l r c l ' o o r l t o l ' ( ) 1 .u r ( ls t u i l i g h t b l c ' l r c h c ' s r r l i t s n : r t r r l t r l c ' o l o r ' .S t i l l . u ' l t < r\ \ ' 2 l n t s ( ) c ( ) \ ' e r - u 1 tr c t r r r t i l r r l r o o t l r r i ( l r 1 t : r i r r t i { ' r ' o r rt ' : r t r t t he r r ' ooc l t< l s l ro r r l l r ro r rq l r ( ) r ] \ ' o t r r ou tc l r lo t 'p r o j e c t s , r ' o u t ' t c c ' c l c l t ' r r r l r r i s l r .

f 'he le z t t ' c h l t ' t ' b i r s i r r l cu r f l r r i s l t c s I i r r ' o r r t c l oo r 'I i t r t r i t u l c : c x t e r - i o l o i l . r ' r t c l i o r v l t l r r i s l r . : r r r c l u l lep()xv sca lc l n ' i t l r :u ) r ' x t t ' r ' i o l va r - r r i sh t ( ) l ) c ( )a t .. . \ pp l i ca t i r )n easc : tnc l sc l r i cc l i f c i u ' e t l r e n l o tn : r j o r 'cl i fl 'e -e ces bc trvcc n i I c'st' fl n i slr 's .

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22/64

An exterioroilf inish is definitely he simplest,quick-es t way to treat an outdoorproject.On the down-side, t wil l only give you about a year of protect ionf rom the ravages f outdoor i fe.Oi l in ishes on ' tprovidea protect ive i lm that sits on top of the woodl ikevarnish oes. nstead i l soaks nto he woodfibers and dries. Exterioroils have added rans-oxidepigments or UV protect ionan d mildewcides o pro-tect againstmold and mildew.You ' l l ind co lors ang-ing from dark brown to light amber.Applicat ions simple:a gardensprayerand a rag areal lyo u need. First, lood he surfaceof your projectwith oil. I us e an inexpensive an dpump gardensprayer. ts fast, easy and only costs about $8.00. Le tthe oil soak n according o th e manufacturer's irec-t ions, hen wipe it off . That 's t. Done! Depending nlocalcondit ions, ou'l l have o reapply bout once pe ryear.Th e built- inUV protect ion houldkeepyourwood lookingnatural or many years(a s ong as yo ukeepup with the appl icat ions).

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Exterior arnish r urethaneboth inishes re echni-cally varnishes")uilds protectiveayer ve r hewood. t of fers uperior rotectionnddurabil ityveranoi l inish. f ten,he erm"Spar" s ound n hename, ut hisdoesno t ndicate nyadditionalr spe-cial ngredient.he er m "Spar"originates ith tsus eas a coatingor he spars n sail ing hips. llexterior arnishesre ormulatedo protect gainstmoisture ndUV adiation.Exteriorarnishs applied it ha natural ristle rushin multiple oats.Manufacturersecommendightthincoatsor maximum rotectionnda deep us -t rous in ish. andhehardenedarnishight lybetweeneachcoat.Exteriorarnishesur e o a more lexibleilm hanordi-nary arnish. he lexible oat s not as ikely o crackfrom seasonal ood movement aused yhumidityextremesn anoutdoor nvironment.Exteriorarnish il l usuallyast 2-3years efore tstarts o lookchalky. s soonas yo useea chalkyfi lmstart o develop,t 's im e o freshenhef in ish. imply andhe opcoat mooth, ndapply newcoatof varnish. on ' t ut hisimportant aintenancetepoff too on gorcracks il l developn he inish l lowingmois-ture o penetrate nddegradehe wood.That wil l necessitate com-plete str ip and ref inish orestore he furniture.Yo udon ' twant to gothere.



23/64

, ,, varnisho adhereo., ' . . : ; .': ;6thooh$ sandedepoxywith cleanwater anddry' Withpaper owels.The insewatershould ot bead. " ' ] , ^ - r L ^ ^ - : r , - n ^ ^ ^ r : - ^ - : - ^ r : ^ ^ a ^ ^ r L ^ a ^ ^ - ^ r ^ - ^ - :'' ,, eo.-th,surfaee.eadingndicatesha tcontaminants",.from'the poxy uring rocess restil lon he sur-facg'and puld nterferewith the varnish ond.To: . t - - - - . r - , 2 ' - . -1,,1'emoVehe:contaminants,ip edownwith mineralspir i ts nddr ywith paper owelsor a rag.Follow hi s:. , fi$Sfgtit.Uoatsof exterior arnish, andingightlyl' t6t*een coats.

an areabefore he epoxy ets.Also, or optimallowout andpenetrationnto he wood ibers,makesurethe epoxy ou us edoesn't ontain ny hickeners.Always eadand ollow he nstructionshat comewithyourepoxy. f possible, pply he epoxyunder-coatprior o assemblinghe parts.Youcan ecoatwithoutsanding hile he previous oat s stillsoftbut not sticky. f the epoxy eemsuneven r bumpy,allow t to harden. hen, and t smooth ndapply henextcoat.

, Beforeapplyinghe varnish opcoats, use a card: ' " ., Fcfaper r" anding lockwith100 120gritsandpaperto level he curedeljoxy (seephotobelow eft).The,,,,,,-anded urface lsoprovides ome ooth or the sparAn epoxy sealerwith exterior yarnish opcoats s themostdurable, ut also he most abor-intensiveinishyo uca napply o outdoorurniture. his s he inishfavored y boatbuilders oyou know t'sgoing o ",,,.,.1;.;lasta long ime.Epoxy ndexterior arnish njoy 'symbioticelationship:heepoxy ormsan mpene-trablemoisture arrierha tprevents easonalswelling ndshrinking f the wood.Thisdimensionalstabil ityn urngives ongerif e o the exterior arnishbecauset no on ger as o stretch ndshrinkwiththe wood Theexterior ar.nisheturns he favorbyproviding Vprotection, ithoutwhich he epoxywould apidly eteriorate.Apply hree hin coatsof epoxy. hebestway o getthin,evencoats s to usea foam oller ut n half. tworkskindof likea squeegee. poxy ure imesvarydependingn heir ormulationnd he ambientem -perature. esure o usean epoxywith a longenoug$*open ime (approximately0 minutes), o it doesn't1irii;i$' ra-t'. r:set upbefore ou're on eputtingt on .For arge roj-' 'ects,mix he epoxy n small atches oyou can inish

Sandout any unevenness nd defects n the curedepoxy before applying the exterior varnish opcoats.

SourcesEpoxyheads,866)3#7710$33.00/qt,pumpset #7801$1wwul.penofin.com,Finish, 15/qt.www.homedeoot.model 1002$8 .or urethane.

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American Woodworker


24/64

OI rSreat machines for 12Ov shops40 American Woodworker MAy 2oo7

Dy imJohnson


25/64

ame two of wood-working's mostbasic tasks and

you'll see why a jointer is a shopessential. No other tool can level aboard's surface or square its edge asquickly or accur ately. Whether youwant to process rough lumber, per-fectly edge-glue boards or preciselymake tiny adjustments in width fora custom fit, a ointer does the jobbetter than any other machine.

Our recommendation has alwaysbeen to buy the biggestjointer yourshop will allow, but most 8-in. oint-ers require 240-volt circuits. SmallerGin. jointers run on 120 volts. Theyalso cost less and require less space.The market is loaded with Gin.jointers that vary widely in size,design and price. That meanschoosing the right one can be con-fusing, especially when jointers thatappear to be identical are pricedhundreds of dollars apart. Todefine the differences and learnwhich features are most important,we tested seventeen machines, arepresentative sample of currentlyavailable Gin. jointers. (see Chart,page 46)

SLIDINGMECHANISM

3 BasrcLrrucrHSAlthough heir

exact lengthsmay slightly vary,most6-in.ointersit nt oone of three groups:Standardbed (46- in. ) ,long bed (56- in.) andextra-longbed (66-in.).Asa rule of thumb, it 's diffi-cult to joint a board hat' s onger han a machine's ed .joint 4-ft. boardson a standard ointer,5-ft. boards on aboardson an extra-longointer.

RACK.AND.PINIONMECHANISM

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.G20" G27-112" {e{er1 9 ;ffi

WIDTHS ARE SIGNIF ICANTLYDIFFERENTlf you'replanningo place our ointer gainst wall,con- are the most compact left).Rack-and-piniontyle mecha-

siderhow muchspace t wil l require. om e ence mechanisms right) xtendmuch arther ehindhe machine. thernisms eedmore oom. factors uchas protrudingdjustment heels r a wide base

Mechanismshat simply l ide he fenceacross he table canalsoaffect ointer's verall idth.

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That meansyo u ca nlong ointeran d 6-ft.

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26/64

FEnTURES WE LIKESrvrp le FENCEME C H A N IS MS

Fence mechanisms allow yo u to t i l t thefence and adjust t laterally. or lateraladjust-ments, we prefer sliding mechanisms.Justrelease he lock handlean d pullor push. Rack-and-pinionmechanismsmove the fence moreprecisely, hich makes hem great or rabbet-ing, but this precision sn't essential or gener-al o in t ing .

Every ence-ti l t ingmechanism s equippedwith adjustable stops at 90- and 4S-degrees.Some feature fl ip-up stops, others use anindexed pin. We recommend keeping yoursquarehandywhen yo u ti lt the fence; none ofthe mechanismson our test machineswouldconsistently return the fence to 9O-degreesafterwe ti lted t to joint a bevel.

Easv TABLE ADJUSTMENTSTwo lever-operatedmachineswere our favorites(see "Benefits of a

Parallelogramed , page43).We also iked he dual-actionever oundon the Powermatic 4A.The remainingmachineswere equippedwithconventionaleversor wheels.We prefer argewheels:They'rebest ormakingprecise djustments. ront-mounted heels aremarginally as-ier o operate, ut their handles tick out and ca n ge t in th e way.

We prefer depth-of-cutscales that directly face the operator.Onmost machines he scalesare somewhat hard o read because heyslopeaway from the operator.You have o stoop down and bend side-ways to read hem.

DrsposABLE KNTvESDisposableknives make

knife changes super-easy.They're ndexedon the cutter-head so you don't have o gothrough the tedious processof adjusting heir height-youcan changeall hree knives nabout en minutes, omparedto a half hour or more withstandardknives.

Each knife has two sharp-ened edges, so when on eedgegetsdull, ou us t urn t around. isposablenives restandardequipment n he Jet JJ-6CSDXnd he Powermatic4Aan davailableas addit ional-costccessoriesn other6-in.ointers.

A reu FENcEHalf of the jointers we

tested are equippedwithfences taller han 4 inch-es. These all ences offerbetter support when yo uedge-jointwide boards.

RlKot t 'sINNOVATIVE FENCE

The fence mechanismon the Rikon 20-110offers both precisecontroland compact s ize. Th ishybr id design combinesslidingan d rack-and-pinionadjustments o move thefence laterally. he fence-t i l t i ng mec han is m a ls oooerates with rack-and-p in ionprec is ion.



27/64

UsrR-FRTENDLYwr rcH BoxESWe l i ke t he conven ienceo f pos t -m oun t ed

switch boxes, as long as the box is of fset farenough eh ind he ence .On som e m ach ines ,hebox s i ts so c lose t can get in the way. The Rikon20-110's witch box can be mounted behind heinfeedor out feed able.We also ike argepaddle-sty le OFF switche s. Some b oxes are equippedwith a bui l t - in r rcui t reaker n d resetbut ton.

Carbide CutterheadsSegmented arbide ut terheads

ar enow availableactory-installedor as an addit ional-costccessory 1on several 6-in. jointers. Thesecutterheads ontain ndividual ar -bide cutters indexed n a spiral orchevron pattern. Segmentedcarbide cutterheadsproduce super-smooth surfacesand are n oticeably ess noisy than straight-knifecutterheads. hey also reduce earout.Carbidecutters stay sharpmuch onger hanhigh-speed teel HSS) n ives nd hey' l l tandupto manufacturedmaterials, uch as plywood,part icleboardnd plas-t ic laminate.Bladechanges re easybecause achcarbide egmenthas 4 sharpedges.

However, arbidecutterheads re an expensiveupgrade, ddingnearly$300 to the cost. They also requirea much slower eed ratefo r face-joint ing ide boards-up to three imes longeron a typical1-hp.machine.We exper ienced simi larpowerdrainwith carbidecutterheads n 8-in. ointers see CarbideCutterheads or Jointers,A W # 1 1 6 ,S e p t . 2 0 0 5 ) .

lf you primarilyus e your 6-in. ointer or edge oint ing,a carbidecutterhead's urabil i ty nd versati l i tyma y make he upgradeworth-whi le. Straight carbide knives ($75-$150) re another opt ion.Carbide nivesallow oint ingmanufacturedmaterials, nd becausethey mount in a tradit ional utterhead, here'sno signif icant educ-t ion in feed rate. However, hey won't leavesurfacesas smooth orreduce earoutas much as a spiral utterhead oes.

We were impressedwith the two parallelogrambed jointerswe tested. Ina para l le logram oin ter ,each able s supportedbyfour eccentriccams. Theeccentric cams make iteasy o adjust he tables obe co-planar uring set-up(photo, ight). us t removethe fence and rotate thecam to raiseor lower eachcornerof th e table.On other ointers, hetables are supported by gibs and dove-tailedways.

Another notableadvantage f parallelo-gram design s on e you'l lappreciate veryt ime yo u adjust he infeed able. t feelsaslightas a feather!The everson these wo par-allelogramointersmove he tableeasily nd pre-cisely.They were clearly he best infeed table adjust-ment systems in the test.

ffi:e

Sr:r r , rEJorNTERs ut- FASTERTo est eachmachine, e t imed how long

it took o joint he 2-in.-wide dges and5-112-in . -w ide f aces o f 24 - in . - l ongwh i t e oakboards.We made mult ip lepasses, eedingeachboard t a fast but reasonableate,onethat produced good in ishwithout bogg ingdown the motor . Af ter making numerouscutsat both 1/ '16- in.nd 1/B- in. eepon eachmachine,we computed he average imes.

When we jo in ted dges, l l machines er-formed equal ly . ut when we jointed aces,we noteddif ferences. achines i th motorsof equal- r ated orsepowerdid not de l iverequal esul ts .On some machines, eep u l l -width cuts slowed feed rates by more than50 percent . he resul ts re is ted n he charton page46.

BenefiBof aParallelogramBed

Likc a wor'l


28/64

RECOMMENDATIONSEvery Gin. jointer we tested delivered smooth surfaces,

but we found noteworthy differences. For example, somemachines power though deep cuts, others labor. Somemachines operate more smoothly than others. Somemachines contain user-friendly features that go beyond bedlength and fence design.

Everywoodworker has different priorities, so we won't rec-

ommend onejointer as he verybest. nstead,we'vegroupedthe jointers into different categories. To make your pick,select the category that most closely suits your needs.

Be aware that street prices can vary from the suggestedretail priceswe list, so shop around. Also, be sure to includeshipping costs(usuallyabout $100) when you consider mailorder and internet prices.

If the ability to joint long boards tops your list, consider the Powermatic 54Aand the Steel City 40615. Both are equipped with extra-long tables and 5-yr war-ranties. If you're willing to step down one size in table length, the GrizzlyG0604X,Jetlf-6CXDS and General-International 80-100Ldeservea look.PowenMATrc 54A . $899Pros:Ou r test machineoperatedwith virtually no vibrat ion and it easilypoweredthrough every ull-width cut. lts cutterhead otatesat 6000 rpm-the fastest n thetest-and its l-hp. motor has enough power o drive t without boggingdown. Dis-posab le nives restandard.This achine asa s l id ing encemechanism i th user-fr iendlycontrolsan d a cool dual-act ionnfeed able ever:Raise nd lower o makecoarseadjustments,wist its handle o make ine adjustments.Cons:The angleddepth-of-cut cale s somewhathard o read.Source WMHToolGroup,nc.,800) 14-6848,ww.wmhtoolgroup.comSruel Ctrv 4061 5 r $699Pros:This ointer has an extra-long nfeed able o providemore support or long,unevenstock,a sliding encemechanismwith user-fr iendlyontrols, largediame-ter wheel or precise nfeed able adjustments, 1-112-hp. otor and built- incasters.Its depth-of-cut cale aces he operator,so it's easy o read.We like he post mount-ed switchbox, ts paddle-style FFswitchan d built- incircuitbreaker.Cons:The witchbo x post nterferes ith lockingan d unlocking he infeed able.Thebasesticksou t too far in front of th e machine.Source SteelCitv oo lWorks,877124-8665,ww.steelcitytoolworks.com

1\*il"-

If you plan to face-joint wide boards, you need a machine that does the jobwithout bogging the motor. In our tests, he standard-bed Craftsman 21705, thelong-bedJetlf-6CSDX and the extra-long-bed Powermatic 54A made the fastestfull-width cuts, followed closelyby the Steel City 40600 and 40615 and the GrizzlyG0604X.CnnrrsMAN 21705 . $48OPros:The Craftsman s one of only two standard-bedointers n this test equippedwith a 1-112-hp. otor. lt s depth-of-cutscale aces he operator,so it's easy o read.We like ts all ence,post-mounted witchbox, paddle-style FFswitchan d built- incircuitbreaker.Cons:Th e fence mechanism s light ly built , compared o the other recommendedmachines.Thenfeed able adjustswith a lever;a wheel s betterfor precise djust-ments.Source Sears raftsman,800) 77-741,www.sears.com/powertoolsJr r JJ -6CSDX . $579Pros:This ointer's eed rate s outstanding nd ts overallperformances excellent.I ts cutterhead otatesat 6000 rpm-the fastest n the test-and its 1-hp.motor ha senoughpower o dr ive t without boggingdown.Thismachine, longer ers ionofthe standard-length J-6CSX, s equippedwith disposable nives.Our est machineexhibited ery l i t t levibrat ion,even during heavycuts.Cons:The ence controlsar e hinT-handle ods hat aren't part icularly ser-fr iendlyand the angleddepth-of-cut cale s somewhathard o read.Source WMHToolGroup,nc., 800) 14-6848,ww.wmhtoolgroup.comM American Woodworker MAY 2oo7

T


29/64

If your shop shares space with a car, or if you work in a small space, stowabliltymay top your list. To be stowable, a ointer must be easy to move or compact insize. We recommend the Gnzzly G0452,which comes with built-in casters and theJetlf-6CSX, which has a very small footprint. Both of these machines have stan-dard-length beds (4Gin.). The Craftsman 21705 and the Rikon 20-1f0 are near-ly as compact as theJet. The Shop Fox Wl745 has built-in casters, ike the Grizzly,and the same footprint. Several ongerjointers also feature built-in casters.GanzzwGO4S2 o $355Pros:This standard-lengthmachine eatures built-in casters hat make it very easyto move. lt also comes with a tall fence, a post-mountedswitch box, a 1-hp. motorand an attract ive rice. t performedbest during shallow(1/16-in. r less)full-widthcuts. Heaviercuts caused some vibration.Cons:The rack-and-pinionence creates a wide footprint.The infeed table adjustswith a lever;a wheel is better or preciseadjustments.The witch box post nterfereswith lockingand unlocking he infeed able.Theangleddepth-of-cut cale s some-what hard to read.Sou rce Grizzlyndustrial,800) 234777, ww. ri zly.comJer JJ-6CSX r $+zgPros:The Jet is one of the narrowest machines less han 21-in.wide), thanks o itscompact sliding fence design.This is a no-fr i l ls ointer,but it 's solidly built and itworks well. We felt very litt le vibration on our test machine,even during full-widthcuts.Thismachine s equippedwith a 1-hpmotor.Cons:The encecontrolsar e hinThandle rods hat aren'tpart icularly ser-fr iendly.The angled depth-of-cutscale s somewhat hard to read.Source WMHToolGroup,nc., 800) 74-6848,ww.wmhtoolgroup.com

If value is most important, the Gizzly G0604X, the Steel City 40615 and theSunhill SM-150 rise to the top. T}re Gizzly and Steel Cityjointers score well inseveral categories. The Sunhill provides long-bed capacity at an attractive price.Of the standard-bedjointers the Gizzly C,0452 and theJetJI-6CSX offer the mostbang for the buck.SUwHn-L M-150 . $359Pros: This jointer's best features are its price and its 6-year warranty. t 's depth-of-cut scale aces he operator, o it 'seasy o read.Thismachine s similar n appear-ance o the Jet JJ-6CSDX. t has the same table length and sliding fence mecha-nism. lt 's equippedwith a 1-hp motor.Cons: We recorded slow feed rateswith this jointer, and some vibration.The fencecontrolsare hinT-handle ods hat aren't part icularly ser-fr iendly.Thenfeed ableadjustswith a lever-a wheel is betterfor preciseadjustments.The ngleddepth-of-cut scale s somewhat hard o read.Theowners manual we receiveddidn't matchthe machine.Source Sunhill achinery800) 294321, ww.sunhillmachinery.comGanzzw GO6O4X o $575Pros:This ointer featuresparallelogram esign (see Benefitsof a ParallelogramBed;' page 43) and a four-knifecutterhead,which providesmore cuts per inch at agiven feed rate. lt 's equipped with a tall sliding fence, a 1-112-hpmotor, a post-mounted switch box, a paddle-styleOFF switch and built-in casters.The able locklevers are largeand easily accessible nd the depth-of-cutscale aces he operator,so it 's easy to read. Our test machine exhibited very litt le vibration, even duringheavy cuts.Cons: We'd prefer to have the switch box offset fafther away from the fence,Source Grizzlyndustrial,800) 234777, ww. rizzly.com

Americah Woodworker ly'AY 2oo7 45


30/64

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32/64

r GLUEBLOCKBn UEYESCREW--.t

LIGHTS \. *318"x314"RABBET TYP.)

#4 x 314"SCREW(rYP.) \.1/ #8 x 1-3/4",-.4 SCREW(rYP.))

^ l** - . SELF-CLOSINGH|NGE)Ry't" ' lSl i'i#t''roFLASSIDOOR

F4\.--

t"t314"DADOkfillj s4

IOcoccIotYztL2o=t_FU)lJJ

ozLLJccozoCCIo_taoFoILzoU)zIo-ztuzoFOUcf-FcfazoazIo-FEoFoU

3/4" CLASSTCOGEEPROFILE

5M MDIA.

114"W 'l l2"D

1/g"wX1t4"DRABBET

3/g"wX'v2"D

114"

3/16" x 3/8"GROOVE TYP.)

TI6"I

50 Arrrerican \Abodrvorkel rvlAy2oo7


33/64

4.

Burlo Tur FnnvrsThe cabinet's basic structure consists of tl-rree

flramesoined together. The frames and the cabinetmust all be squareso the glass vill fit.1. Rip the boards for the frame stilesaboutT/Lin.

oversize in width (Photo 1) . To preventheadaches when installing the glass t' s impor-tant for all the stiles to be straight and flat. Letthese pieces sit overnight to stabilize. Thenjoint and gang-plane them to final width.

2. Using a3/7!in. slot-cuttingbit, rout grooves orsplines n all the stilesand rails (Photo 2, Fig. A'Parls F1-F3and S1-S4,page 50 and Sottrces,page54). Al l the grooveshave th e sameoffset,a5/7Gin. lip at the front and a \/{in.lip at the back

3. Cut the arch ou the front frame toprail (F2) and sand it smooth.Cut the splines (Fa) by ripping pieces slightlyoversize n thickness and then planing them tofit the grooves.Assemble the front and side frames. After theglue is dry trim flush any splines that protrttde.Rout rabbets in the frames for the glass (Photo3 and Fig. A, Detail 3) . The rabbets go on theback of the front frame and on the front of theside frames. The spline grooves that yott've rotlt-ed automatically define the depths of all the rak>bets: Because the splines aretl't centered, therabbets in the side frames are 1/1&in. deeperthan the rabbet in the frout frame.Rout rabbes in both side frames for the top(C1). Rotrt dadoes fo r the fixed shelf (C2) inboth the side frames and the bottom rail (C6)'Cut stepped rabbets in the back of the sideframes for the mirrors and the back. (Fig' A,De ail 3).Use a dado set to cut rabbets in the side framecenter rails (S5). Glue these rails to the sideframes, rnaking sure they are parallel to andexactly the same height from the fixed shelfdado on each frame.

10. Drill holes for the shelf supports in the sideframes (Fig. A, Detail 1). I made a drilling tem-plate and used my cordless drill and a self-cen-tering drill bi t (seeSources).

11 . Measure for the glassafter the frames are com-pleted. Measttre for the mirrors after the cabi-net is assembled. Ask yor-rrglasssupplier to rec-ommend how much to reduce th e dimensionsto make sure the front glasspanel fits the open-ing. I made this panel l/B-in. smaller than theopening in both length and width. I also gavemy supplier a full size template of the arched

1 Startby cutting he sti les or the three rames ha t form th eI cab ine t .R ip hesepieces vers izen wid th .Theex t raw id thallowsyo u to straightenpieces ha t developa crook.

Q nort rabbets or g lass n the f rames .Theabbets o onJ tfre ront facesof the side rames,but on the back ace ofthe f ron t rame.

5.6.

7 .

9 .C) nout grooves or sp l ines n the s t i lesand rai ls .Most of the4 s t i leshavemore han one groove.A l l the grooves re rout -ed from the same setting.

Arnericatr lVooclrvorker MAY 2oo7 51


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7l Ctue he frames ogetherafter nstall ing he splines.Work on a-f ftat surfacean d makesure he ends of the frames ar e lush.Shop-made 0 degree lamping igs keep he corners quare.

( Cr t an d fit the miters on the basepiecesbeforeyo u lay out therl arches.First,miter he side piecesand clamp hem in place.Then miter he front piece o fit bet ween he sidemiters.

f t nout the crown molding with dedicated rown molding bits.\ , f First out the top half with one bit.Then nstall he secondbi tand l ip he workpiece o f in ish he ob.A ta l l enceand eather -boardsecurely o ld he workpiece hi le us ing hese al l b i ts .52 American \A/oodrvorker MAY 2oo7

top. Another, even safer option would be toprovide your supplier with a full-size plywoodor hardboard template (if this template fitsthe front opening, the glass will surely fit).To work with the hinges, the sides' glassdoors must be \/{in smaller than theiropenings in both length and width.

AssEMBLE THe CnerNET12. Glue the frames together (Photo 4). Thesplines perfectly align the edges. To ensure a

square glue-up, I made 90degree plywoodclampingjigs for each corner and went crazywith the clamps.

13. Glue on the top (C1) after drilling 1/2-in.-dia. accessholes for the lights. Install an eye-screw for tethering the cabinet to the wall, sothere's no chance it can tip over.Glue in the fixed shelf (C2).Then glue thecleat (C3) that supports the shelfls frontedge.Glue and screw the top and bottom cabinetrails (C4 and C6) flush with the inside edgesof the stepped rabbets-make sure the crownmolding will hide the top rail's screws.Fastenthe bottom cabinet rail to the fixed shelf andto blocks (C10) glued to the side frames.Don't install the middle cabinet rail (C5) yet.Affix spacers (C7-Cg) to all three back rails.They create the top and bottom rabbets forthe mirrors.Cut blanks for the base molding pieces (Mland M2) oversize in length. Then rout thetop edges with a Classic Ogee router bit (seeSources).Cut miters on the side molding pieces, trimthem to length and clamp them in position.Then miter the front piece to fit (Photo 5).Remove the base pieces and cut slots n theirmiters for biscuits.Use the patterns (Fig. A, Detail 4) to createthe legs and arches on the base pieces. Cutthe profiles on the bandsaw and then sandthem smooth.Install the biscuits and then glue and clampthe base moldings to the cabinet.Install the back cabinet rail (Cl 1 after fasten-ing blocks (ClO) inside the base moldings.Remove the lips from the side frame cornersto make room for the door hinges (Fig. A,Detail 2). Install the hinge mounting blocks(C13 and C14) flush with the stiles' edges.

Mnrcr THe Cnowru MolorNGI used specialized router bits to make the crown

molding (M3 and M4, see "Router-Made Crown

t4.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.20.

21 .22.23.


35/64

Molding, page 53). These bits must be used in arouter table.23. Mill the crown molding blanks l/!in. wider

than their final width. Make extra blanks fortest cutting, to get the hang of using the bits.Install a tall fence on your router table to fullysupport the blank and a featherboard to holdit securely against the fence during each rout-ing pass.

24. IJse one bit to rout the top half of the moldingprofile and the other bit to rout the bottomhalf (Photo 6). The bits are designed so theirprofiles overlap. To shorten the molding'swidth, I lowered the bottom bit below thetable, so I didn't use its full profile.

25. Using the table saw, rip the molding to finalwidth. Then install a tall fence and tilt theblade away from it at 38 degrees to cut the bot-tom bevel. Stand the molding on edge, with itsface against the fence to make this cut.

26. Attach the crown molding in stages. First, tackeverything in position (Photo 7). Then installglue blocks to fortify the joints (Photo 8).Calculating perfect angles for the cornerblocks can be a nightmare; they're easier to fitby hand.

ApPLYFrrursH rronrYou lrusrnl l THEGlnss27. Finish the cabinet now. Don't forget to finish

the back middle rail. which is added after the

J Ctr" on the crown moldingafterdry-fitt ing he miters.Brad nailsI in the cornerspi n eachpiece n positionbeforeyo u apply heclamps.Fasten he top of eachmiteredcornerwith a singlebrad.

Q neintotce he crown moldingwith glue blocks.Cut he wedgedLJ blocks n your ablesaw.The ide-angled ornerblocks re hardto cu t precisely.t' seasier o sand or hand-planehese blocks o fi t .

ROUTER.MADEROWNMOLDINGYoucanmakecrownmolding everal ays:with a molder-planer,fo r example, r on atablesaw r by stackingroutedand sawnpieces. nd of courseyou canbuy t ready-made. discoveredanother ay . . .Th isimeI used wo bits romFreud'sWideCrownMolding ystem se e

Sources, ag e54).Si xbitsar eavailable.he ycombineo create in edifferent ro f les.Thesebitsar edesignedocreate uper-wide eil-in gmoldings, utfound t easy o reducethe molding's ize o f itthisslender abinet(seeprofile,eft).Thesebitsareveryeasy o use,and hey

makegreat-lookingmoldings mazinglyfast. finishedmymoldings y cutting hebevel ngles n mytablesawbut Freudalso offersa 38152-degreebevel-cuttingitas partof the system,so he molding angofrom start o finish ighton the router able.Very lick!

American \Abodrvorker MAy 2oo7 53


36/64

1 n Install he mirrors afterattaching he middle rail and spacer.I \ , t Then nstall he back o protect he mirrors.The abinetsideshave wo stepped abbets, ne for the mirrors and one for the back.

* Mahogany plywood ** Plywood ** * Final length, after miter ing54 Arnerican Woodworker MAY 2oo7

glassand mirrors are installed. My mahoganywasn't a uniform color, so I chose a dark gelstain to minimize the differences and appliedtwo coats. Then I wiped on three satin varnishtopcoats.

l rusrnl l THE LIcHTS,Glass AND MrnRoRS28. Install the lighs. I chose xenon lights because

they produce bright, warm light similar tohalogen bulbs, without generating nearly asmuch heat.

30 .

Install the front glass hrough the back of thecabinet (Photo 9) . Because of the weight andsize of the glass, his is a two-person job.Nail in the retainer strips (F5 and F6) with7/Z-in.-long 20-ga.wire brads. Be careful: Theedges of tempered glass panels are fragile.One nail nick and there goes a very expensivepiece of glass. To avoid disasteq predrill theholes in the support strips and install thebrads, then position the strips. Lay a piece ofcloth on the glass.Slide the hammer back andforth on the cloth to drive the brads home.Screw the middle cabinet rail (C5) to the sideframe center rails (S5). Don't glue this piece.If the front glass panel ever breaks, this railwill need to be removed.Install the mirrors (Photo 10). Secure themwith dabs of silicone caulk.Screw on the back (C12) after carefully pre-drilling holes on the edges of both sides andacross the three rails.Stand the cabinet upright to install the self-closing hinges. Position the hinges so that thebacks of the glassdoors close flush against thetop and bottom rail lips.Install the glass shelves. Each shelf can sup-port about 15 lbs.

SourcesRockler, 800t' 79-4441www.rockler.com rassno-bore lassdoorpu l l , 29140, 2.39 a.Self los ing lass oo rhinges,#37228, 12.79 er pair.Smm brass helfsupports, 22252,$3.09pe r 16-pack.mm self-centeringit ,#22515, 20 .3/16"3-wing lotting utter, 92189, 21 .Classic geeRouter rt,#91680,$33. PegasusAssociates, 800)392-4818, ww.pega-susassociates.comenon ow voltage uc k ightki t (3 ights),#PALPX-60-BK-PALTR60,30.99. FreudTools,800) 34-41 7,www.freudtools.com ide CrownMoldingSystemBits:Upperprofile#3, #99-416, 70. Lower profile#2, #99-415,S70.* Van Dyke'sRestorers,800) 58-1234, ww.vandykes.comBartleyGe lStain, et Mahogany,02236854,16.99 er quart.o The GlassMan Inc., 877) 36-9080114-in.lear emperedfrontglasspanelwith arched op and 1-in. evel, pprox. 8-318in .x 67-314n. ,$153 $120without he bevel). wo 1/4-in. leartempered lass id edoorpanelswith flat-polisheddges, pprox,8-314in. 66-in., 40 each.Seven1/4-in. lear lass helveswithflatpolished dges, pprox. 2-in. 30-3/8-in., 39 each.On e1/8-in.mirrotapprox. 0-718n. x42-318n. ,$69.On e 1/8-in.mir-ror,approx.24-314n. x 30-7 8 n. ,$41

Lower he front glasspanelpieceof glass s heavyan d through he back.Thisawkward o maneuver,large emperedso get help. 90

3 1 .

32.33.

34.

35.

Oveneu,DnranNgoNs:5-y4"x 37"x 82"

314" 2-118"x77-314"314" 7-114" 27-3/4"314" 5" x27-314"3/16" 11/16" cut o length114" 318"x66-114"

F1F2F3F4F5

Front StileBackSti leTop RailBottom Rail

314" 1-314" 77-314"314" 2-112" 77-314"314" 7-114" 8-114"314" 5" x8-114"

c1c2c3c4c5c6c7C8c9c10c1 1c12c13

TopFixedShelfCleatTo p RailMiddleRa i lBottom RailTop SpacerMiddleSpacerBottom SpacerGlueBlockBackRailBackTop HingeBlock

314" 12-1 2"x 31-114"*314" 11-314" 31 114"3/4" x 1" x 30"314" 3-314"x30-112"314" 2" x30-1/2"3/4" x 5" x30-112"1/8"x 3-5/8" 28-112"118" 1-314" 28-112"118" 4-314"x28-112"314" 1" x3-114"3 / 4 " x 3 " x 3 2 '1/4"x31-112'3/4" 1" x7-112"314" 1" x2-114"314" 6" x33-112il*x*3 / 4 " x 6 " x 1 4 ' r * * *314"x4-114"x37"***3/4" x 4-1 4" x 15-3/4"***


37/64


38/64

3/4" DlA.x 1" DEEP

(9c.UcoY[tuz:L!(,zLL]

314" 1-114"1 " D E E P

Part Name Oty. Material Dim. (Th x W x L)A Rung 2 Beech 314" 1-114" 14uB Rung 2 Beech 314" 1-114" 13-3/4"C Rung 2 Beech 314" 1-114" 12-314"hLJ Rung 2 Beech 314"1-114"12-112'E Rung 2 Beech 314" 1-114" 11-9/16"

$pecialTools: PlungeRouter G Stretcher 2 Beech 314" 1-114" 1G5/8"Lumberqty.and pricer 4 bt. 814Beech,4 bf 4/4 Beech,3 bf Cherry.Approxcost: $65.00

H Leg 4 Beech 1:/116. 1-7116"28"J Seat 1 Cherry 1-114" 13"x 13"

Th is project w i l l keep your router humming and usessome very clever igs to simplify and speed up construc-t ion. I t 's almost as easy o make half a dozen stoo ls asi t is to make one. Our stool is s ized or a 36- in . count-er he ight .

There will be a lot of parts floating around your shop asyou build this stool and a lot of mortises to keep track of.So take my advice and mark yorlr parts clearly asyou go toavoid mix-ups.Nlort ise he [,cus1. Mill the leg blanks (H) and cut them to length.2.Lay out the mort ises (Fig. A, above)(Photo 1) . Th e

mortises are offset so one set of rungs (B,D and F) are56 American \4bodlvorker MAY 2oo7

positioned higher on the leg than the other set (A,C, Eand G). Mark the higher mortises first, then rotate thelegs and mark the lower ones (Photo 2) .

3. Rout the mortises ttsing a ji g and a 3/4in. plungerouter bit(Fig. B, p. 57) (Photo 3). Orient each leg inth e ig in the same manner: the top of each leg shouldst ick out of the ig 's indexed end. Make the round seatstretcher mortise with a single plunge.

4.Roundover the edges of the legs with ^ 3/4-in.roundover bit (Photo 4.) Round over the ends of eachleg with a 3/8-in. roundover bit (Photo 5. )

Rtlrtus rrxd 5{-r '1t:}r{,*x-s5. Round over four 5-foot long pieces of rung stock with


39/64

I Begin building he stool by layingou t mortiseson theI legs.The mortisesare offsetwith one set higher than theother.Clamp he legs ogetherand lay out all the high mor-tises irst. I like o shade each mortise o avoid mistakes.

I fo layout the lower moftises, rotate he two outside egs4 9O-degrees way from the center.Then oll the two cen-te r legsaway rom the centeras well.Thisautomaticallypositions he correct ace of each eg.

A Roundover all four cornerson the legs.When you're-I done, hey'l l almost ook l ike hey were turned.A feath-erboard maintainsconsistentpressureagainst he fence,Q Cut he angled mortiseswith a j ig and a plunge router.t-,1 To position the leg, line up the top of the mortise withth e top of the index notchon the ig .

American Woodworker MAY 2oo7 57


40/64

( Roundover he ends of each eg. Hold he leg ightr,f against a stop block as you feed it into the bit. When theleg contacts he bearing, rotate t slowly to complete heroundover.

? Sfr"p" he seatstretchers n the bandsaw. t'sbest o/ make wo cuts.Cut heshortangle irst, henmake helongstraight ut.

a 3/8-in. roundover (Photo 6). The ends of eachstretcher fit like tenons into the leg mortises. As youmill the nrngs, use some extra stock to test and fine-tune your cuts by adjusting the bit height or fenceposition. You should be able to insert the rungs intothe mortises by hand.

6. Cut the rungs and seat stretchers o length and labelthem. Shape the seat stretchers on the bandsaw(Photo7) .

7. Create the 3/4t-in round tenons on the seatstretchers(Photo 8). Drill pilot holes for the screws hat attachthe seat (Fig.A) .

Assemble he Base8. Dry fit all of the base parts.9. Glue up the base n s tages Photo 9). Place a straight-58 American Woodworker MAY 2oo7

Q Cut the round tenons on the seat stretchers.When thet J cu t hits the wide part of the stretcher, et it ride on thebearing until it contacts he fence on th e outfeedside.

edge on the seat stretchers oto support the seat(Photo 10.)top diagonally for square.

Make the Seat10. Glue up a cherry blank. When the glue is dry trim

the blank to 13" square.ll.Draw diagonal lines from each corner on the under-sideof the seatand drill a | / {in. hole in the center forthe index pin in the seat-scoopingjig Fig.D, p. 60).l?.Lay out the top of the seatblank (Fig. C, p. 59).13.Drill the leg holes n the seatblank (Photo ll).14.Cut the seat o shapeon the bandsaw: and t smooth.15.Place the seat blank in the seat-scoopingig (Fig. D)

and screw the rails into place so they put firm pres-sure on the seat.

make sure they lay flatBe sure to measure the

ft Uitt oundoversn ong engths f rungstock. ut he\-l rungsand seatstretcherso lengthafterward. his smore efficientand safer han shapingshort engths.Feather-boardsproducea clean,consistent ut .


41/64

{ } Ctr" up the base n sect ions.Havea l l of your par ts- f labe led nd a idout n sequence. lueup the wo halveswith he hreemof t ises i r s t .When hey 're ry ,g lue he who les too l ogetherw i th the seats t re tcher nd remain ing ungs .

1/4 'HOLEON BOTTOMSIDEOFBLANKV

To ayout he leg holes, raw diagonal ineson theseatb lankand measure " f rom the centerout toeach orner .This arks he centerof eachho le .Measure -518 o mark he our corners f the f in -ishedseat .Usea f lex ib le t i ck o mark he 1 /2"bow on the four edges .

I f ' | C tampup the baseon a f la t sur face. ngledblockswi l l 1 1 Bore eg holes hrough he seatblank.Clamp he blank-L \J prevent he c lamps rom s l ipp ing .Usea s t ra igh tedge -I- f to a sacr i f ic ia lable o preventb low out . Cut heto makesure he wide sect ion n the seatstretchersies lat. curvedsideson the bandsaw f terdr i l l ing he ho les .Anrel icarr Abodurrker MAy 2oo7 59


42/64

tri$*''

$I+E$iI C) Scoop he seatwith a routerand a s imple ig . S l ideI L your router across he curvedramp. Rotate he seat arouter bit 'sworth aftereachpass.Keep he cuts shallow.

1 ? lt 'sbest o pre-f inish he seatand basebefore inalIL t assembly.Then imply attach he seat o the stretcherswith screws.16. Scoop out the seat using a long straight bit (Photo

12 ) (seeSources below).17. Round over the edges of the seat around the leg

holes with a 3/8-in. roundover bit. Use a 3/4-lin.roundover bit on the outside edges of the seat.

18 . Sand the entire stool to 180-grit if you'll be finishingthe stool with varnish or lacquer. Use 220-grit if youplan on an oil or a wipe-on varnish finish.

19.Attach the seat to the base (Photo 13).

SourcesWoodcraft upply,800) 25-153,wr,rrw.woodcraft.com112" 4-118"traight utDouble lute it ,#815761, 25.00.MLCS,800) 53-9298,ww.mlcswoodworking.com3/4"Plunge outer it,#7755, 14.00.3/4"Roundoverit ,#8656, 21.00.3/8"Roundoverit ,#8654, 16.00'l-5/8"Forstnerit ,#9223, 12.00.

;q*-,+qs*dt#3.4FJ:

Set he seat blank on the dowel. Screw he two ends(C) o the base A).Then old he ramp (B)down onthe seatand screw n place.The ampsshould putenoughdownwardpressure n the seat o hold twhi le ts routed,but looseenough o rotate he seatbetweenpasses.

Part Name Oty. Material Dim. Th x W x LBase 1 Plywood 314'x18"x 18"Ramp 2 Plywood 314" 2-518" 18"

C End : : 2 Plywood '314 'x3-314"x5-1 /8"D Sub.base 1 Plywood 1/2"x 6"x 8"E Runners 2 Plywood 3/4"x 1"x 8"

60 American \Aroodworker MAY 2oo7


43/64

Tips for oRescuebatt le-scarredf in sheswith ordinarymater ia ls.

Rgvrovr Frrr-Trp PErrrManrsFelt-tip en nkalmostalways issolvesn alcohol, cetone r lacquerthinner. ny of thesesolvents an be used o removemarkson a wood

finish, ut because cetone nd acquerhinner amagemost inishes,it 'sbest o usedenaturedlcohol. hellacs the only inish his solventwill damage.'To remove n nkmark, imply ampen clothwith denatured lcoholandwipe t lightlyover he colored rea.To reduce nychance f dam-age, voidmakinghe inishwet withalcohol. l ightwipeor wo shouldremove ll of the nk.62 American Woodworker MAY 2oo7

o

)ilrl ngFinishesyBob FlexnerzazI-zELIJ;Io_E(9F=ozztruJE.oa

Ed


44/64

Rus Our WHrrr MnnrsWhite marks may be causedby water or heat.Water-creat-

ed marks are easier o repairbecause he damage usual lydoesn't go very deep.

Water marksare usually ausedby sweaty glasses.They're almost always conf ined o the f in ish'ssurface, othey'reeasy o removeby rubbingwith an abrasive.f the sur-face is glossy, ry rottenstonean d mineraloil on a cloth, ortoothpasteon your f inger . f these abrasives on't cut fastenough,use #0000 steel wool to cut through he damagequickly, he n restore he finish'sglossby rubbingwith rotten-stoneandmineral i l . f the surfaces sat inor lat ,abradewith#0000steelwool and mineral i l . f you can ' tget he sheenofthe damagedarea o match the rest of the surface, ub theent i re ur facewith the sameabrasive.

White markscaused y heatdamage o deeper ntothe finish han hose createdby water.They'remore dif f icult ,and somet imes mpossible,o removeby abrasion. ou mayhave o st r ioand ref in ish.

Revrovr CnavonrAND CNruOITWnxWax dissolves in

mineralspir its,naphthaand turpent ine-noneof whichdamage inishwhen used sparingly,othey're the best solventsfor removing rayonmarks.Mineral pirits s less expensivean dmorewidely vailablehannaphthaor turpentine.To removecrayonwax, simply dampen aclothwith mineralspir itsan d wipe it over he sur.face.

Candledrips are usually oo thick or a solvent o beeffective. lt 's much faster to freeze or scrape off mostof the wa x and then clean up any remainderwith sol-vent. To Ireezewax, hold'an ce cube on it for a shortt ime, then po p off the wax with your f ingernail.Toscrapewax, use a credit card or any hard-edged tensilor tool, but be careful o avoidcutt ing nt o he finish.

Yo u can also use a blow dryer or heat gu n to softenwax. Be very carefulwith a heatgu n because t ca n blis-te r th e f inish.Cleanup any remainingwax residuewithone of the solvents.

Touch {-JpA ScuffedE,dgeSharp dgesare easi ly craped. scrapemay not damage

th e wood, bu t t often removes he wood's stained olor, eav-ing a l igh tarea hat stands ut ikea sore humb.To repair hedamage, implydragan appropr iatelyolored elt - t ipmarkerover he damage. f the marker s pointed, se ts s ide.Th is ixalsoworks wel l wi th new f in ishes f you'veaccidental lyand-ed througha stained dge.

Felt - t iomarkers n var iouswood tone s are avai lablerommost woodworking uppl iers nd home centers seeSource,be low) . Magic" markers arelymatch wood tones so theyare seldoma good choice.

Af ter he marker epair s thoroughly ry,app ly ome in ishto protect he color ro m being rubbedoff. Wiping varnish seasy o applyand won't smear he color .Youcan makeyourown by h inning ny regular r polyurethanearnish i th min-eralspir i ts .Mix equalpar tsof varnish nd hinner.Dampena

Mnrcu Colons Oru GLASSReplacing iss ing olorusua l lynvolves o lormatching,which most

people ind di f f icul t . o make t easier , o the colormatching n a smal lpieceof glassor r ig id, learplast ic laced n a partof the surface ou ' rematching.Use an ar t is t 'sbrush o mix several olors unt i l he blendmatches he color underneathhe glassor plast ic .Brush he colorantonto he damage nd protect t by apply ing f in ish.

For the colorant,yo u can use concentrated i l, acrylic,universal rJapan olors, vai lablerom woodworking uppl iers nd pa in tand hobbystores.Or yo u ca n blend eady-made tains.

c lo thwrappedaround our ingerwith th is mixture nddrag talong he repaired dge.Source: Minwax,800) 23-9299,ww.minwax.comWood ini sh tain arkers.bout 5ea.


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Revovr CneztNGAND LtcHr ScnnrcHESFilm inishescrazewith age.That s, they developa tight pat-

tern of cracks similar o what you'd see on an ol d oi l painting.lf the cracksar e shallow,and don't penetrate hrougha layerofcolor, hey ma y be sandedout. Light scratches an be removedin the same way.

Choose a sandpapergrit coarse enough to efficiently cutthrough the damage but not so coarse that yo u create largescratches r r isksanding hrough o the wood. The best choicesare usually320- or 400-gritstearated andpaper 3M Tri-M-ite rNorton 3X), or 600- or 1000-gritwet/dry (black) andpaper.Us estearated andpaper ry and weVdry sandpaperwith a lubricantof mineraloil or mineralspir its.Dry sanding et s yo u se e yourprogressbetter so yo u ar e ess ikely o sand hrough.

Beginby sanding smallpartof the surface o test that you'reusing the correct grit. Then sand the entire surface. Back thesandpaperwith a f lat blockonly f the surface s flat, or yo u maysand hroughhigh spots.When yo u have emoved he crazing rscratches, ub out the finish or apply new finish (see "ReviveAD u l lF in i s h " , age62 ) .

Rrvovr Dtnw Drscot-onATtoNDiscolorationrounddrawerand cabinet-doorulls,

or on chairarmsand backs,may simplybe dirt hat'seasy o wash off with soapand water.On the otherhand, t may be dirt mixedwith deterioratedinish. nthat case, he finish may have to be removedandreplaced.

The irst hing o do is to wash he dirtyareawith amildsoap ndwarmwater.Ordinaryiquid ishwashingsoaps rebest. f thisdoesn't emove he discoloration,th e inish s probably eteriorated.any inishes reakdown underextended ontactwith acidicbodyoils. naddition o being discolored,he finish may be softenough o scrape waywithyour ingernail.

Sometimes ou can emove he top ayers f a dete-rioratedinishusing ine sandpaperr steelwool,but fthe inishhasdeterioratedo thewood, ou usually aveto strioand efinishhe entire urface.

RemoveStickersand Tup.Stickersand tape may not neatlypeel of f if they've been stuck to afinish or a long ime. Here are severalmethods or removing hem.

lf a sticker s made from paper,wet it for a few minutes an d tr yrubbing t of f with your finger. f this doesn't work, or i f you're

dealingwith tape, try heatingwith a blow drier or heatgu n to soften he adhesive. Be very carefulwith aheat gun because t can b l is te r he f in ish . )Oncethe bulk of the stickeror tape s gone, emove heremaining adhesive wi th naphtha, to luene orxy lene. Don ' tuse acetone r lacquerh inner ; heymay damage the f in ish . ) P roduc tsdesigned o

remove atex paintspatter, uch as Oopsl and GoofOff, may also work. None of these solventswil l dam-

age any finish except a water-basedone, but try themou t on a hidden area first. l f the sticker or tape is very

stubborn, ry workingone of these solventsunder t.lf these methods don'twork, you'l l have o sand or scrapeof f

the st icker r taoe and reoair he f in ish .



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RrparnCouonDnvrecEThere reat east ourmethods f repairingolordamagen inishedwood.The irststep s o deter-minewhichmethodworksbest.Todo his,applyliquido the damage ndseewhathappens.Th ebest iquido use s mineral pirits.t won'tdamage ny inish, nd t penetratesnywa x ha tmight be on the surfaceo givea more accuratediagnosis.iquidro myourmouth ls oworkswell,so I call his he "spit est."Whenyo uda ban yofthese iquids, neof four hingswill happen:1)Th ecolor omesback. hat's reat, ecausethe solutions merelyo apply ome inish.

2) The color only partially omes back.You'l lhave o stain efore utting n more inish.

3) Thecolordoesn't hange. tainwon't work.You'l lhave o "paint" n the colorwith a coloredmarker r artist'sbrush beforeapplying inish.4l The color gets too

dark. The best fi x is toapplyclearpastewax, orseal he damagewith afast-dryinginishsuch asshellac,he ncoatwith hefinish f yourchoice.

Fill GougesWith EpbxyThe easiestmethod of f i l l-

ing dentsand gouges s us ingan epoxystick.Sticksare avail-able in a varietyof colors rommost woodworking suppl iersand home centers (see Source,below).Here'show to do it .

First, evel the surface.That is ,remove al l roughness at the topedgeof the gouge.Thencut enoughmaterial rom the epoxy stick to dojob. You can blend dif ferent colorsmatch your wood. Knead he epoxy

th eto

un t i li t 's a uniformcolor.

Press he epoxy into th e gouge leavinga slight r ise above hewood's surface.Dampen he epoxy with water, hen remove heexcessby scraping he f i l ledareawith a creditcard or plast icputtyknife. You can also level the epoxy by sanding after it hardens,back ing our sandpaper i th a smal l la t block.Sandingusua l lydamages he f inisharound he f i l l , hough.Source: Woodworker'supply,800) 45-9292,ww.woodworker.comWoodFilpoxy t icks,12 ach.

American Woodworker wAY 2oo7 65

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MAKEMONEY 9Oo/oASTERhan hand-sandingSAVEMONEY I/3 LESSCOSThan widebelt sandersfOP EARNINGS Efficient, ffordable, ighestqualityATLAST-aFAST,PRACTICALAFFORDABLEsandingolutionorcabinetmakersproductionshops! lash and-sandingto a minimum.etwidebeltperformancequalityatI/3 thecost.PAYSORTSELFt0501

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"W(XTDMASIER [tuum Sarlder]Gets My Top Vote!' - Hne WoodworkingMagazineeview s. Performaf & Grizlf .ENDORSED BY CAB'|NEIMAKERS!"l calleda cabinetmaker ho'downedsince 91 with no problems. hatsold me."- Robert Prueher,Ramsey,MNFINEWqrDWm$I{G OOltIWl{Cffi HIM"The eview f Woodmastern FineWood-workingMagazine ndcommentson internetwoodworkingorumswerealways ood."- Gary Newby,Boise, lDnearnings savings.

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f all the different forms of woodturning, I find the mostdelight in creating lidded boxes. The satisfyingsnap of a wellfit lid as t closes, he beauty of the shape and the wood com-

bined with the usefulness of a lidded containerjust do it for me. Turning alidded box is a demanding project, but:rnyone with a few bowls and somespindle work under their belt can produce these wonderful objects. All ittakes s a methodical approach and sound technique.

A lidded box presents two unique challenges. One is creating the perfectfit benveen the lid and base. Think of it as a precise oint that's designed tocome apart.

The other challenge is hollowing end grain. End grain can be up to fivetimes harder than side grain and is prone to tear oul Even experienced bowlturners are surprised when they fint try hollowing end grain. Fornrnately, theseproblems can be overcome by switching from a gouge to a scraper when hol-lowing end grain. If you fall in love with lidded boxes, you might consider pur-chasing a ring or a hook tool that's designed specifically for cutting end grain.

Why hollow end grain when you can make a box from face grain? Theanswer s simple: an endgrain box is more stable.That means your lid will fitwell all year long. Facegrain turnings change shape more dramatically withchanges in humidity causing the lid to fit perfectly one day and fit too tightthe next. If you want a loose fitting lid and a different grain look, then a face-grain box is acceptable.

For this story I will take you through the entire processof making an end-grain box with a snug, friction-fit lid. We'll cover chucking the parts in differ-ent manners, cutting end grain, tight tolerances, hollowing in a narrowspace, creating the desired "perfect fit," and dealing with ajoint designed tocome aPart.

What you'l l need:Turning ools:A. A spindle-roughingouge or shaping;I prefer 1-114n. or boxes.B. Partingool:either3116" r 114".C. ning Tool or inishcuts on endgrain.D.llZ in. sideprofileheawduty scraper.E. Skewchisel; 1/2in.or 5/8 n. s bestF. Spear oint craper;3l4;in.r.1-in.G.g/g n.or 112in. hallow ouge;alsocalled detai l , pindle rfingernailouge.H. Thin-kerf artingool.Source: PackardWoodworks,www. packadwoodworks.com,or (800)683-8876.

Accessories:l. A scroll huckwith serratedawssuchas h e OnewayTalon r Strohghold r aVicmarc M100or VM120.J. R Orill huck o fit the atheailstock.K. A 5/8" to 1" indiameter wist or brad-pointdri l l i t.L. Outside alipers ith a 4"capacity.lmportant: e sure o roundoverthe points.M.6" steel uler.N.Vernier r dial al ipers.


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I t rn your blank ntoI a cy l inder hen cuttenonson eachend witha parting ool. Use acaliper o size he tenonto f i t your scrollchuck.

Q Ur" a thin-kerfpartingh tool to separate he lidfrom the base.This oolremovesas l i tt lematerialaspossible nd he lpsmain ta inthe grain matchat the joint.

Q Mount he id b lankonr- l your scrollchuck.Pushthe tenona l l he way in sothe shou lder i ts i rmlyontop of the aws.

f Roughout the nside-T of the lid with a 112-in.side scraper.Hollowingend grain s best donefrom the center out tominimize ear-out.

Editor's note:The dimensionsfor the box Alanturned for this storyare approximate.Keep n mind thatfo r a turner, exactdimensionsar e es simportant ha n theoverall ook andproportion.Eachpieceof wood isuniqueand husdictates ts owndimensions.

1-5/4"RAD. .---.---**"pl I

CHoosrNGYoun WooDIf you are new to box making I sug-gest using walnut, soft maple or cherry.These woods are easy o turn and makefine looking boxes. Select a piece that's3-in. square and 5 to &in. long. Thewood needs to be dry throughout, asyou can afford very little dimensionalchange as you turn these boxes. Moveup to exotic domestic or importedwoods as you gain experience.

A perfect fitting lid is bestachieved y roughing ut thelid and base interiors irst,then ettinghem sit or a fewdaysor more before inishingthe box.Almostal lspecies fwoodwillchange hapewhenextensively ollowed, o mat-ter how well heyaredried.

Pnrpnnr THr Blarur FonTHr Criucr . t

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FrrucEFLue .FI upgraded my tablesaw with an aftermarket miter gauge. It had an

adjustable fence that could be extended to support the workpieceright up to the blade. I tried a few 90-degree crosscuts-they weresmooth, like cutting butter with a hot knife. Then I extended thefence and tried some angled cuts-they were just as smooth. "This iswhat woodworking should be like," I thought as I reset the mitergauge to 90 degrees and started making another crosscut. Whoa!!\rhat's that funny sound? Where did al l those shiny flecks come from?

Make yourwoodworkingmistakespay! Send us your

most memorable 'lilhatwas Ithinking?" blunders. You'llreceive $25 for each one we print.Bmail to [email protected]

Documents

American Woodworker - 128 (April 2007)