Popular Woodworking - 016 -1984.pdf

8/17/2019 Popular Woodworking - 016 -1984.pdf

1/52

Paci

ic

oodwor

1 95

Inside this issue:

Guide

to

New Woodworking

Tools

The T Square Fence

Countertop

Assembly

Finishing Techniques

lder

oo

Craft

Shows

and

ore

New Technique: Through Lay

Special Issue ore Pages than Ever Before


2/52

ORDER TO YI

THE FIRST

L SS

POSTAGE IS ON US

DeCristofaro

signs

27 82 Horseshoe Lane

Los Altos Hills 94 22

T KE

THIS

ue

FOR

ONLY2 5 1

We ll send

you

a

complete set of FULL-SIZE

plans for this wonderful action

toy and

itwill

only

cost

you

2.50 Plus we ll

send

you

our

catalog

of power

too

l

accessory

plans

YESI SEND THE DUCK

Enclosed is my check /M O for

5

ame _

Street _

Town State

_

~

Zip

Pacific Woodworker


3/52

Volume 3, Number 4

December

1983/January

1984

Issue 16

PaCific

Woodwor-kpr

New Woodworking Machinery by Charles Harris

A Selection of

Itemsfrom

the LosAngeles Show

Letters

Focus

on

Carving

byWilliam H. McMaster

Carving Miniatures Part 2: Eight Steps

Reader Survey Results

Marketing

by Ray Jones

Crafts Shows: Displaying and Selling Your Work

Calendar

and

Announcements

Events

of

Interest to Woodworkers

Pacific Woodworker s

Shop Tip by Paul McClure

Drawing an Oval

The Biesemeyer Story

by Charles Harris

A ward Winning Saw Fence

Finishing Techniques

by Robert O. Briggs

Part

1:

Surface Preparation

The Del

Mar

Show

Brick Laid

Counter

Tops

by Patrick Warner

Widow s Lament by Linda A. Hynson

Humorous Essay

Store Review

Woodcraf ters in Bellevue Washington

The Fourth Corner

by BillFarnsworth

A Woodworker Comes Out of the Woods

Works

in

Wood

83

by

Paul

Gerhards

Williamette Valley Woodworking Show

ClassifiedMarket

Through-Lay

by Mary A. Cristy

A Pacific Woodworker Profile ofKathy Blair

Living with

Murphy

by Charles Harris

How To Fix Mistakes

Northern CaliforniaWoodworkers Association News

Wood Types by David Paul Eck

Alder

Books Reviews by Alan Marks

As I Was Building a Gazebo

by

Jeff

Taylor

24

38

50

51

33

47

26

28

31

41

42

45

22

32

18

13

14

10

11

Contents

e opinions expressed by the authors do not

reflect the policy

of Pacific

. Editorial correspondence is

uraged, and may be edited for publi

tion.

r Issue 17: December 23. 1983.

Staff

Davis Editor

ibuting Editors:

Bill Farnsworth

William H. McMaster

David Paul ck

ok Reviews lan Marks

rtoons Bill Atherton

Bill Horgos

rles Harris

AdvertisingManager

Nickels Graphics digi type

rlow Press Printing

rles Harris Publisher

t all advertising inquiries to:

vertising Manager , Pacific Woodworker

4881, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

) 525-8494.

lk mail postage paid at Santa Rosa, CA

ted in U.S.A.

licited manuscripts , photographs,

art

ork and other materials are accepted,

but

ific Woodworker

cannot assume respon

bility for these

mater

ials. Submissions

ust be accompanied by a self-addressed,

ed envelope for return.

ific Woodworker

(ISSN 0277-576X) is

lished six times a year by CharlesHarris,

4881, Santa Rosa. CA 95402.

yright © 1983by Charles Harris. Re

without

prior

permission is

ibited .

ription rates 9 .95 per year, 15.95

two years. Single copy: 1.95. Address

inquiries to SubscriptionDept.,

ci f

ic Woodworker

Box 4881,

Santa

Rosa,

95402.

Canada add

3.00 per year . Rates

subscriptions outside North America on

. Unless a claim is made for non

ipt

of

an issue within six months

of

ling date, that issue will not be replaced

of

charge. Allow 6 weeks for

add

ress

January 1984

Subscribe to Pacific Woodworker. See Reader Services

and

Back Issue Sales on page 46.

3


4/52

w oodworking

achinery

election

of

tems from the

os

ngeles

Show

Christmas . in September With more

than 300,000 square feet of the latest in

woodworking machines, hardware and ac

cessories, the Woodworking Machinery

show was a woodworker s delight. Aisle

after

aisle

of nifty

machines

which

automatically cut a dozen cabinetdoors in

a single pass, programmed finish spraying

systems, edge banders and

more the

show had enough to make any small pro

duction woodworker green with envy. f

course, the five- and six-figure price tags

on some of these machines might make the

woodworker a little green around the gills

as well.

Perhaps

less obvious than these

monsters, but impressive nonetheless,

were a wide range of tools and accessories

designed to facilitate and improve limited

production and individual woodworking.

by harles Harris

4

ble

Saw

es

sories

Large production table saws are often

equipped with a power feed machanism

which prolongs tool andblade life, reduces

waste, provides a more accurate and

reproducible cut , and (properly used)

decreases the chance of injury. But until

now, a power feed machanism was so

heavy that only the largest saws were

solidly built and heavy enough to support

the weight of the feeder.

Now Rockwell has produced a light

weight (44 lb.), inexpensivepower feedat

tachment for their popular Unisaw and

other 3 HP table saws. The feedratevaries

from20-90 feetper minute, and the height

adjusts up to I 5/8 Single phase wiring

simplifies installation. The Unifeederalso

fits shapers, when combined with an op

tional accessory kit.

Rockwell s Unifeeder TM) brings powerfeed

into the small shop.

Pacific Woodworker


5/52

anodizedblackguideof Rockwells new

TM slidesforwardand backward.

bothlargeand smallpieces.

rlier this year

Rockwell

introduced

Unifence (TM),a high-precision saw

efortheirU

nisaw.

(Thisnewproduct

similar to the Biesemeyer T-Square

elsewhere inthisissueofPacific

The

fence stays

squaretothe

asit slides acrossthetable,andlocks

lI64 accuracy withbothEnglishand

ric scales. The extruded aluminum

slides

forward

and

backward

through

locking

mechanism; this feature helps

minate kickbackby reducingpinching,

allowing a fulllengthfenceforlarge

cuts. Forcutting laminates, the

fence

flippedon itsside,so that itguides

veneer.

TheUnifence

Rockwell s

10 tiltingarborbench

and 10 contractor s saw. will sup

ttheUnifeederwhenequipedwithan

tional adapter. Priceof theUnifenceis

350.

98

Blackand Deckers PalmGriporbitalsander

extractsdusts throughsix holes in thebottom

the

sander.

A dust pick-up skin surroundsthe business end

Milwaukees orbitalsander.

ust less nding

Finish sanding produces quantities of

finesawdust,and preventing the spreadof

thisdust in the shopalways presentsprob

lems.A coupleofproductsdisplayed at the

sh0 f provide different approaches to the

dust problem.

MilwaukeeElectric Tool offersa Dust

Pick Up Kit: a plastic skirt and dust bag

which snaparound their new

6014

orbital

sander. The 12,000 orbit/min. sander

featuresball-bearingconstruction anda

4

1/2

x

sanding area.

Black and Decker uses a different

method tocollect thedust from their 4010

PalmGrip FinishingSander. Six holes in

the bottomof the sander extract the dust

from the actual sanding surface. The

12,000 orbit/min. sanderuses ,4 ofa stan

dard piece of sandpaper; a template and

punch included with the sander quickly

providethesixholesinanystandardpaper.

List price is 73.

s


6/52

he solidmetalstopon Mertesradialarm saw

gaugeflips outof the wayfor longercuts.

notherSawGuide

looks like woodworking manufac

turers have started listening to wood

workers, and begun producing a range of

durable, high-precision cutting guides for

table and radial arm saws. With a built-in

measuring scale, always-square operation

and quick resettablity, these saw guides

decreasethe 'time needed for the cut, and

improve the accuracy. No wonder their

popularity is growing. The latestentrant

the field is the Mertes Manufacturing

LG500gauge for cut-off and radial arm

saws. A calibrated rod slides along a

plastic guide fastened to the table top,

•

while

the stop rolls along

the

front

aluminum fence on bearings. Flipping the

rear lever locks the gauge as required. The

stop also quickly flips out the wayfor other

cuts. Contact Mertes Manufacturing, 7330

Ethel Avenue, North Hollywood, CA

91605 or 213)

765-1490.

Compressedair does the hard workof clamping

withMBD sPorta Pnuematicpipe clamp.

6

lampsand lamping

Do you do a lot of clamping? All that

twisting is tough on the arm by the end of

the day, isn't it? you have an air com

pressor, you can let

it

do the hard work,

with the Porta-Pneumatic Bar Clamp.

Hook your compressor up to the back of

the

clamp then gently increase the

pressure with the optional squeeze valve.

When you remove the air supply, the

clamp stays tight by means of an internal

diaphragm. The Pneumatic clamp also

comes in a band clamp model. List price

for the basic clamp is 129, plus

29

for the

air injector. Contact MBD Inc. PO Box

8548,

Grand Rapids, MI

49508

or 616)

957-1176.

he

A.H.Ottcornerclamppulistwo pieces of

woodtog th r endto end.

How do you pull two pieces of wood

together, edge to edge?The Comer/Cross

clamp from A.H.Ott is one answer. The

high-quality (and heavy ) clamp has foam

rubber jaw surfaces for the two side grips.

Between is a ratchet mechanism strangely

reminiscent of the VW bug tire jack. Just

crank the jack handle, and the two pieces

ofwoo slide together Beautifullysmooth

and very solidly made, list price for this

tool is 193 from International Wood

working Equipment,

11577

A Slater Ave.

ountain Grove, CA

92708

or 714)

549-3446.

Pacific Woodworker


7/52

Biscuit Jointer

Of the many ways to join two pieces of

edge-to-edge, the biscuit jointer is

e of the best. Traditional dowelling is

-consuming , and intolerantoftiny er

s. The biscuit method is very fast,

d allows some adjustment of the joint

final assembly.

Elu's DS 140jointer and groover uses a

5 HP, 220v motor to turn a 4 blade at

out 7500 rpm. Touse the jointer, set the

nce for the thickness ofwood used, rest

e DS 140 against the wood and gently

ress the motor housing. The blade ex

nds through the base plate , leaving a

ved groove. Water based glue causes

beech biscuits to swell, firmly lock

g the joint.

The Jointer lists for 395 with case, and

e biscuits sell for about three cents each.

ntact Elu Corp. , 9040 Dutton Dr ive,

, Ohio 44087 or (216) 425-3135.

1MElu Biscuit joimerdramatically reduces

dowelling time.

Is Craftsmanship Dead?

Afterattending the show in LosAngeles

artin Zschoche sent us the following

ofa small shop woodworker.

One

can hardly attend such

a

nomenal event without recalling The

oar of the Greasepaint and the Smell of

e Crowd, a classic play about show

ess. Indeed this Woodworking Fair

s complete with bright lights and pretty

rls. The technology was enough to bog

e anymind and cause a small town

wood-

orker like myselfto drool with envy at

capabilities packaged into highly com

zed hardware. There were robots to

your painting and massive contraptions

at would take any rough cut board and

m itintoa f n y moulding or cabriole leg

matter of seconds. Days of hand work

ere compressed into a mere fraction of

. One man with one machine could

any

master craftsman

a

usandfold. Frankly, I hadn't known that

is type ofequipment existed outside of a

ck Rogers version of woodworking.

Besides machinery from around the

rld, not to be ignored were the supplies

r/January 1984

of fastene

rs

hardware veneer and

upholstery, all displayed in the most pro

fessional way. Once knocking out all the

parts for your Queen Anne Highboy

y

the

computerized method, it would be no

problem to find high class polished brass

hardware that would defy detection as

copies.

After the initial country-boy shock

had worn off and I had become somewhat

acclimatized to the rarefied air of the mass

production world, I had to sit down for a

moment and ponder what my own place

was in the midst of all this carnival-likeat

mosphere. Where was the woodworking

craftsmanship and care

to be found?

Where was the master craf tsman who

poured his very life and soul into each and

every

piece he made?

Certainly

the

machinery had been carefully crafted.

Of

that there was no doubt. But did t have a

place in real woodworking, or

maybe it was who no longer had a place

in

our

advanced world of computers and

mechanization? The world has changed so

much from the days when all things were

made

y

hand. There are more people and,

therefore, more households than ever, all

of whom legitimately are in need of fur-

niture .

everything had to bemade

y

old

fashioned methods, admittedly, time and

expense would be prohibitive.

So, where is the answer? Perhaps there

are places for both ofus-the bigmachines

and the one man craftsman. Mass produc

tion woodwork does meet the needs of

many people. But I feelcomputerized copy

furniture can never equal the

feel

n

spirit

of handcraftsmanship. It may even be

because

ofmass production work that we

craftsmen still have a place. The contrast

still shows up and those customers with the

taste and ability to pay for the genuine

arti cle will grow weary of imitations.

Stapled joints are a long way from handcut

dovetails, and solid walnut is not even

comparable to a walnut colored plastic

coating over particleboard.

Our

greatest enemy in our continued

struggle to maintain craftsmanship is

discouragement when seeing how quickly

a s imil ar p roduct can be made by a

machine. There still is a valued virtue in

long hours

of

tedious work and unique

rewards available only to the few who try

it. I was fascinated by the marvels of

technology, but frankly, I'd rather do

t

myself.

7


8/52

h

Lyon lexPolyvalUniversalMortiser

a

gold medalfor best newtechnologyin Lyon

r nce

8

RockwellsSawbuckcombinesthefunctions ofa

powermiterbox anda radialarm saw

ulti Purpose achines

Universal woodworkingmachines oftop

quality attracted lots ofwoodworkers at the

show. Among the noteworthy pieces of

equipment was the Lyon Flex Polyval

Universal Mortiser Ins

tantly

inter-

changeable heads chisel, chain sawor bore

slots and mortises, with high precision, as

the table slides into the stationary cutting

instrument. A 3 HP motor provides plenty

of

cutting power. The machine sells for

5695 from International Woodworking

Equipment,

77

A Slater Ave., Fountain

Grove, CA 92708 or (714)549-3446.

ontractor ower Tools

Makita has added a new contractor

grade table saw to their extensive power

tool line. The Model 2708saw sports a 12

amp. 2 HP motor, holds an 8 1/4 blade,

and weighs only 35 pounds. Boththe saw

fence and the miter adjustment lock

quickly from the front of the saw. Sug

gested list price is 268.

Rockwell's new Sawbuck frame and

trim saw also attracted much attention at

the show.The Sawbuck combines manyof

the features of a radial arm saw with the

quick, accurate adjustments of a power

miter box. The amp motor rides ontwo

solid steel guides, above the work. The

motor tilts for bevel cuts, and the entire

head and grooved lower guide

tum

for

miters. A large 20 ring allows accurate

miter cuts. The 8 blade will handle 2

thick stock, as wide as 16 (in the 90

degree position) . The lightweight saw

folds into a compact package, complete

with wheels, for easy handling.

MakitaS contractortablesawfeatures quick

lockingleverson bothfence and bevel

Pacific Woodworker


9/52

DIVI

A Subsidiary of

Y V R M O N T M R I C N ORPOR TION

1350S.15thSt., Louisville,

y

40210

502

587 6851

r January 984

9


10/52

Lumber Mill Wanted

I have been able to obtain some Calif

ornia Walnut and need to find a lumber

mill that willsawthis timberinto slabs and

a fewboards. Also, unless I can finda kiln

that would dry the woodfor me, I will of

necessity have to air dry the lumber.

Marvin Smith

Castro

Valley

, CA

Most commercial mills won t touchan

individual slogs. because

of

the possible

nails. bits offence and other metal which

willdestroythesawmill sblades. The last

mill that we know of catering to the in

dividual woodworkerin the Bayarea has

ceasedoperations. an anyof our

readers

help fin a portable mil l or

oth r

assistancefor Mr. Smith?See also

Pacific

WoodworkerIssue I for plansfor a solar

drying kiln.

Where ToBuy Alder s

MAG-PAD

In our

st Report

of

the Alder MAG

PAD seePacific Woodworker, Issue 14,

August/September 1983) we neglected to

include the addresses

of

two Western

dealers whocarry the product. Th

ey

are:

D

D Saw

Supply. 6 6 Mission Gorge

Rd.•SanDiego,

C492120

7

4)

280-9320;

also The UbodTool Center. 545 Showers

Dr., Mountain View,

C4

94040

415)

948-3844.

McMaster Responds: Optii/isor is

manufactured by Donegan Optical Com

pany, 15549 10Bth

Street, Lenexa. KS

66219 andis carried by eyeglasssuppliers

such as Franklin Optical. jewelry supply

houses such as Otto Frei, and lapidary

supply houses. A similar viewerissold by

Brookstone, 127

~ s

Farm Road. Peter

borough , NH 03458 C

-3510

H

eadban

d

magnifier

15

.95). I personallypreferthe

OptiVisor I amsureyou canfind itat one

of

the companies referred to above inSan

Francisco.

Where To Find OptiVisor

I enjoyedWilliamMcMaster s first col

umn

Pa

cific WoodworkerIssue ). I do

mini-turnings, and I would likeinforma

tionon a source forOptit/isoras mention

ed in yourcolumn.

Alec

Yuill

-Thornton

San Francisco, CA

• •

tt rs

R.H. Grimes

Atlanta, GA

Reader Recommends Vicks

Reading Andy And erso n s letter re

cracks in fingersdue to loss ofoil working

with wood: I ve found rubbing in Vicks

Vapo ub notonly oils but seemsto aidthe

healing process faster than lotions.

Betty R. Truitt

~ o u n t L a g u n a

C

Georgian Found

Calendar Helpful

I picked up a couple issues of Pacific

Woodworker

while I was visiting Calif

ornia . Thanks to the information in your

Calendar, I droveup to Mendocino for the

woodworkingshowsand the schoolat Fort

Bragg. It really made my trip to the West

Coast.

Pacific Woodworker welcomes your

comments. pro orcon. aboutarticles and

informationwe publish. Sendyour letters

to

Editor, Pacific Woodworker.

PO Box

488/. SantaRosa.

C4

95402. Lettersmay

be editedfor publication.

-

10

Pacific Woodworker

•


11/52

byWilliam H. McMaster

o us

rving

i ht Steps in arving iniatures

issue Idiscussedthetoolsyou

find useful in carving miniatures. In

s issue I willoutline the eightsteps in-

in carving miniatures.

One: Choice of Wood

hen carving miniatures it is best to

se fine-textured wood without open

res. In general, the smaller the details

harder the wood should be. Strong

n variations should be avoided since

y will fight the details, making them

der to see. An open-pored wood is

desirable because a cut can open a pore

t where you are trying to carve fine

ail and require starting over.

mecommon woods which work well

th hand tools are boxwood, cherry,

rtle, and walnut. Open-pored woods

has padauk and teak are very difficult

carving small details.

Two: Pattern Making

hen making

standard miniature

it is useful to work

from

. Iflucky, youwill havemore

McMaster ofLivermore California

chief of the Education Division of the

lifornia Carvers Guild and a regular

of woodcarving classes.

Wood-

rvinghas been Bill s avocationfor the

st seven years; he has won numerous

ardsat juried shows held by the li f

a Carvers Guild.

/January 1984

than one view Knowingthe full size, make

a

1 12th scale pattern using the squares

method to transfer the design from the

photograph to your pattern. Transparent

grids of different scales are sold in art

supply stores and are indispensable for

transferring designs. Youcan also easily

make your own transparent grids using a

clear sheet of plastic and a permanent

marking pen .

When the pattern ismade, make a copy

of it on a piece of clear plastic. There are

several brands of feltpenswhich will write

on plastic. Two of these are Sanford s

Sharpie brand and the Pilot fine point pen.

This transparency will be used tocheck the .

results against the pattern as you proceed

with

the

carving .

hile

carving

periodically view your piece through this

transparent pattern to be sure you are not

deviating from your design .

Next, transfer the pattern to the wood,

using carbon paper. necessary, use a

pencil to darken the lines on the wood.

Neveruseinkor afeltpen since inkwould

be absorbed into the open grain and could

ruin your carving. When putting the pat

tern on the wood, be sure that the grain is

lined up with the thin sections of your

carving to give them more strength.

Three: Clay Model

Unless you already havea model or can

easily visualize three-dimensional form, it

is best to develop the basic form in clay

first. For this, use oil-based Plastilina

modeling clay.This claycomes inwhite or

grey-green. I recommend the white, to

avoidtransferring color toyour clothing. In

the white you havea choice of two grades

of hardness: 2 (medium) or 4 (firm).

The hardness you use depends upon the

amount ofdetail you plan to put in the clay

model. The idea here is to develop the

basic shape in the clay first before arriving

at Step 5.This procedure enables you to

make design changes which could not be

made if working inthe wood first. It is not

necessary tomake the claymodel the same

size as the carving. In fact, since you are

carving a miniature, itis better tomake the

11


12/52

MET L

P RTS

KITS

lOW

F TORY

DIS OUNT

PRICES-SAVE 50

TO

500

SEE You can build a Quali ty band saw

from .a kit m Sept .-Oct . 1978

WORKBEN CH.

12-IN . BAND SAW

• Ball beari ng

drive

. • Ball beari ng

blade guides. • Precision aluminum

wheels . • Big 2 ·in.•20 ·in . table .

18-IN. BAND SAW

• Ball bearing

drive

. • Ball bearing blade

Ruides. • Precision aluminum whH 'ls.

, • Cuts to c en te r

01 36·in

. circle . 12·in .

deep t hr oa t. • Big 26 ·in.•2S·in . table.

O-IN. TILT/ARBOR SAW

• Ball beari ng arbor . • 27 29 ·;n .

table . • Floor model 34·in. high .

Sold

lo r

37Yur• .

ALSO:

• WOOD SHAPER

• 9·IN . BENCH SAW

• COMB. LATHE·

DRILL PRESS

-IN . BELT SANDER

• Use 6· in.• 4S·in. belts .

• Sealed ball bearing drive.

• Belt operates eit her

vertical or horizontal.

KITS FROM

PLANS

00

with tl

*39.99 TO *194.99

FULL·SIZE PIan

With SoYear

Guarantee

PATTERNS

Deductible

Featured in Workbench,

Popular

Science,

Mechan

i. illus

trated. Step-by-step plans, photos, full-scale patternsshow

you how. No machining, no weldng. Send$5 eachfor

Plan

s

plus $1 for postage, stating tool plans wanted;

Catalog

in'

eluded. Or, send$1for catalogI

GILLIOM

MFG.

INC.;

Dept. PW·12

1700Scherer

kwy

St.Charlss MO 63301

12

clay

modellarzerthan

thecarving. During

carving, you can compare the twobyusing

a proportional caliper in the reducing

mode.

Four: Remove Waste Wood

Because you start with more wood than

the pattern will use up, youwantto remove

as much excess as you can before starting

to carve. The easiest and quickest way to

do this is by band sawing. Using the pat

tern, band saw out the shape , staying a

small fraction ofan inchaway from the pat

tern . Do not forget to leave some waste

wood for holding the block in your vise.

This is best done by leaving a square col

umn of wood below the main part of the

piece. This column is cut square to

facilitate turning it in the visejawswithout

needlessly changing their setting. It should

be located so that it provides sufficient

holding strength while you are carving the

extremities.

Internal voids can be removed using an

electric hand drill or, betteryet, one ofthe

power tools. However, if the voids are in

delicate regions , you should wait until you

begin carving the details in Step 6 .

Five: Carve the Basic Form

First, it is important to develop the

overall basic shape inthe wood. The whole

object should be shaped before any detail

carving isdone. Otherwise, it istoo easyto

make an irreversible error. For this step,

use the largest ofyour carving tools able to

make the cut you want. Large amounts of

wood are first removed using the deep

gouges. Then smooth surfaces are ob

tained using the large No 3 sweeps.

Six: Carve the Details

Details should not be started until the

basic shape has been achieved and the

various levels established. Otherwise you

may either waste your effort or make an

error

in the basic shape. While doing the

detailing, keep all parts of the carving

equally developed. This will greatly help

you obtain a coordinated piece. Hint: by

observing your carving in a mirror you

will get a new view which will help you

detect any errors

Seven: Prepare the Surface

Surface preparation requires a combina

tion of fine grades of sandpaper and fine

jewelers riffler files. Start with 180grit

sandpaper and proceed to the next finer

grades. Do not make a large jump in

grades from coarse to fine, or you will

leave a surface which takes the finish

unevenly, nomatter howsmooth the wood

feels to your touch. I find that open cut

garnet paper works best. The paper should

be reinforced with plastic tapeon the back

before cutting the sheet into smaller sizes.

Small, hard-to-reach regions can be

smoothed using riffler files.

As

with all

abrading, do not use a heavy hand or you

will cause scratches.

When finished, the carving should be

wiped clean with a lint-free cloth and then

vacuumed to remove all dust particles . A

hard toothbrush is useful in cleaning out

crevices.

Light-coloredwoods getdirty easilyand

readily absorb oils from your hands.

Therefore, in the final stages of preparing

the surface it is best to wear gloves. Thin

cotton photographers gloves or thin latex

ones used by painters work well for this

purpose.

Eight: Finishing

Most miniatures carved in light woods

such as basswood may be finished by

coloring with either oil or acrylic paints.

Remember not touse a heavy opaque coat

of paint , as this will obscure the fact that

you havedone a wood carving. The wood

grain showing through the colors greatly

enhances the appearance of the final

product .

A clear varnish suchas McCloskeyEgg

Shell works well both as an undercoat for

the painting or as the final surface coat by

itself.

In my next

column

I will discuss

specific carv ing techniques for miniature

work.

Parts this column have appeared

previously in

The Log,

a publication

the

California Carvers Guild

Pacific Woodworker


13/52

Reader

Survey Results

What are Pacific Woodworker s readers

?This past summerwe

asked a sample

our subscribers who you are and what

uwantto read. The results are in, and I'd

to tell you what we found out.

Slight ly more than half of you are

bbyist woodworkers or carvers; the rest

evenly divided between part-time and

woodworkers

,

plus

a few

hers, suppliers, and manufacturers.

the next year, the average

bscriber plans on spending 2 5 on

od and tools. The most popular tool

oices are band saws, table saws, sanders

all kinds, planers, router s, lathes,

wblades and jointers Most

of

you

eady own table saws, band saws and

, so many purchases will be to

lace or upgrade equipment.

While about half ofour subscribers earn

s than $500 each year from wood

ojects, some 13percent manage to make

0,000 a year or

more

from wood

king. (Please write in and tell us your

Yourfavoritearticles in themagazine are

nical features, test reports, and equip

ent guides, so you'll be seeing these

ore often in future issues of Pacific

. You'llbe pleased to note our

s on finishing techniques starting

this issue, as well as a new column on

types . And you should find our

port on newproducts exhibited at the Los

geles Woodworking, Machinery

&

rniture Supply Fair interesting reading.

also wantmore projects and how-to

. We'll try to provide them.

Because manyof you would like to hear

other readers on short-cuts, jigs, and

op hints, we've kicked off a series on

op tips with this issue (see page 21).And

r/January 1984

wewant your input for this regular feature.

Pacific Woodworkerwill pay for readers'

tips published in the magazine. Contact me

at PO Box 4881, Santa Rosa , CA 95402

with your shop hints and a diagram or

photograph, if appropriate.

For those

of

you who received and

answered the survey questionnaire, thanks

for your help with this project. And for

those who did not receive a questionnaire,

we'd still like to

hear

from you . One

, ( 2

• Justout -New 72page catalog .

•

Quartz

&

brass

movements . dials .

component parts . hardware .

• 25

clock

plans

designed

forthe

nov

ice

thruadvanced woodworker .

•

Catalog

is$2.50. refundable

on

5 .00

order. Add $2.00for first class

postage

.

Turncraft is known

for competitive prices

and excellent service

TURNCRAFT LO K

MPORTS

Dept. pw938

7912

Olson Memorial

Hwy. 55

Go lden Valley, MN 55427

especially gratifying finding from this

research was that almost every part

ofthe

magazine was appreciated bya percentage

of

the readers , and almost every article

we've published in the past year was men

tioned by someone as especially in

teresting or informative. f we didn't hear

from you, write and let us know what you

like, or don't like, and what you would like

to read in Pacific

Woodworker.

- Jean Davis Editor

CH€

CUCi: lNC;

€OC;€

NOW OPEN...IN PHOENIX

at 10844 N. 23rd Avenue

opposite Metrocenter

Phone: 602)

997-

TOOL

At all

CUTIING

EDGE

stores

superb hand &

power tools, books,

exotic hardwoods.

MAKITA * HENNIKER * HEGNER

CUTTING EDGE WORKBENCH KIT

WOR S OPS

BY: SAM MALOOF,

MICHAEL DUNBAR,

SIMON WATTS

Call for details:

LOS ANGELES 90066:

3871 Grand View Blvd.

(213) 390-9723

BERKELEY 94710 :

1836 Fourth St.

(415) 548-6011

SAN DIEGO 92126:

7626 Miramar Rd.• 35

(619) 695-3990

13


14/52

by Ray Jones

rketing

Getting Started in the

rafts ow usiness

isplaying n elling Your Work

In myprevious article about working the

crafts show

circuit

, I covered the

preliminary steps : finding and choosing

shows, applying successfully, and obtain

ing the necessary permits (see Pacific

Woodworker Issue 14,August/September

1983). Because many ofyou may be doing

your first show during the

hristmas

season , it seems appropriate now to

discuss some more of the basics involved

in displaying and selling your work .

ispl ys

A craftsworker s display is very impor

tant.

must present the work,to its best ad

vantage in order to

attract

potential

customers.

The

types of displays wood

workers build are as varied as the types of

woodwork they are selling. A furniture

maker may have no other display than the

furniture itself, whi le a craf tsman who

sells miniature turningsmay need a large ,

elaborate display

to

catch the eye and focus

attention on his work.

Often the design and construction of a

display is the last thing done before a show,

when, unfortunately, insufficient time re

mains to do the best job. is a common

tendency to spend too much time making

Ray Jones

of

Granada Hills alifornia

has

run his ownwoodcrafts business since

98

and

is a

frequent crafts show

exhibitor

things to sell and not enough time making

a display to sell them on, even though it is

the display that must first attract attention.

A good first step toward designing a

display involves visiting a few craft shows

toget ideas. Some criteria to keep inmind

while designing a display are: presentation

of the work, appearance, protection from

the elements, storage space, and portabil

ity.Probably the simplest type of display is

a table with a cloth covering. This provides

an elevated surface on which to display

your work, with a concealed storage area

underneath. But unless the pieces

are

fairly large , customers passing by may

look over and past your items, seeing what

is behind your booth instead. Also, the

typical card table used may be too low for

customers who will be standing when

viewing your work.

Alternatives to the covered table include

bookshelf-type displays , walls with can

tilevered shelves, or any number of com

binations and variations of these.

The appearance of your display is im

por tant not only in catching potential

customers attention, but also in gaining

entry into shows. Some promoters weigh

booth appearance quite heavily as an ac

ceptance criterion.

Woodworkers who participate in out

door shows may want to protect theirwork

from direct sunlight or the unexpected

rainshower bymeans of a roof or canopy.

Another danger at outdoor shows, often

overlooked by the novice, comes from

wind. What seems like a light breeze can

exert considerable force on a vertical sur

face, and strong gusts can do an amazing

amount ofdamage. So protection for items

which might topple easily should be pro

vided for in the display,and displayswhich

might blow over should be weighteddown

or otherwise secured.

The portability of thedisplay shouldalso

be kept in mind. The display must, of

course, fit into the vehicle which will

transport it, while allowing room for

carrying the work to be sold. The booth

should also be fairly easy to set upand take

down. At outdoor shows, displays are

usually taken down at the end ofeach day.

Since shows often run three or more days

in a row, this time can add up to quite a bit

of work.

Participants at indoor shows don t have

to worry about wind, rain, or sun and can

usually leave their displays set up for the

duration of the show. However, they may

be required to

provide their own lighting if

the promoters keep the auditorium dimly

lit in the interest of atmosphere. Also,

participants at indoor shows and even

someoutdoor shows may be required to

have any

clo th used

in

their

display

flameproofed.

Pacific Woodworker


15/52

Shelvesas well as verticaldisplayareasshow

GreggJonessmarquetryat the

1983

Crafts

in uscan Arizona Note that the

es raise the work a better viewing

ight than woulda table

Flameproofing companies can be found

the telephone book yellow pages. Some

mpanies sell a s olu ti on to spray on or

merse the fabric in; others will only do

e flameproofing themselves. It s a good

to check with a flameproofing

mpany for information about shrinkage,

reaking, and discoloration before pur-

fabric.

The effects of the

meproofing agent vary with the type of

te ri al . N at ur al f iber s g ene ra ll y are

r to treat than synthetics.

Youshould consider also the

surface

ad, ground, or floor-your display will

set up on. your booth is in a street or

arki ng lot, the s ur face may be cov ered

th oil and grease, and itmight be worth-

hile to use a carpet or mat for your

area

.

Use

of a

mat

may be

s ir abl e as well on hard but clean con -

ete floors at indoor shows, to minimize

e wear and tear on feet that comes if you

ll be standing on a hard surface for days

a time. Be advised that you may be re-

ired totape down the edges of your floor

vering with duct tape.

Doing Shows

Deciding how many items to make for

ch show and how often to do shows are

terrelated considerations. In general, the

ore you have at a show, the better.

The

ore work you

display the

more

oti ceable it will be and the mor e likely

ach s ho ppe r will be to find s om ethin g

ich suits his or her taste and price range.

h opp er s tend to want a s elect io n from

hich to c ho os e, and will s om et im es

ypass a booth offering only a few items,

ven if those items are of the highest

How often to do shows depends on how

A boothspecializingin one type

w pro-

ductora line

relateditems canappeal

customers HereEd Eberledisplaysa com-

pleteline laminatedkitchenutensils

January 1984

long it takes you to p ro du ce y our w ork ,

how much time you can devote to it, and

how much you can sell at each show, It is

nearly imposs ible to

determine

the

number

of shows you should do until you

have done a few. t mig ht be wise to s tart

out slowly, allowing plenty of time be-

tween shows , since it always seems to take

l on ger than ant icip at ed to s to ck up. Of

course, how often you attend shows also

depends on the availability ofgood shows .

A craftsperson may do only a few shows in

the first several months of the year, while

doing a show every weekend from Thanks-

gi ving until C hr is tm as . As with other

forms of retailing, it s probably true that

craft sp eo pl e mak e a large p ro po rt io n of

their sales during the holiday season.

Handling Money

Caution

is the most important concern

of craftspeople about handling money at

shows . Craftspeople are easy targets for

thieves , since a portable booth often lacks

a place to keep cash that is both secure and

easily accessible. At a recent show in

Southern

California

a

rash

of thefts

occurred where one or more people would

distract the seller with questions about the

w or k w hi le an accompl ice stole the cas h

box .

H avi ng a h el per at y ou r b oo th can h el p

avoid this situation. Working with a helper

also makes it possible never to leave your

booth unattended. And many craftspeople

prefer to keep their cash on their person, in

pocket or pouch, rather than a cash box.

15


16/52

Many crafts show shoppers want to pay

for their purchases with credit cards. You

may be hesitant at first (as I was) to obtain

credit card service because of the added

complexity and cos t. But then you will

realize that yo.u a re losing bus ines s,

especially in the form of impulse buying of

more expensive pieces.

Most

banks offer

credit card

services.

Some, however, do not provide this service

to merchants who work at

their

place of

residence, as many craftspeople do. In any

case, this

service

is not free. Besides a fee

for initiating the service, the bank charges

a percentage of gross credit card sales as a

Displaysincorporatingsheltersfrom sun or

rainprotectcraftsarticlesandprovidesome

comfortfor exhibitorswhoput in longhourson

the craftsshowcircuit

Customers

Ateach show you will come into contact

with hundreds or thousands ofpeople of all

ages and from all walks of life. You will

find that people like to touch woodwork.

you don t want your work to be handled,

you shouldmark it accordingly, or place it

out

of

reach.

If

you do allow handling of

your work, keep a watchful eye on it, not

only to avoid shopl if ting, but to prevent

damage by scratching fingernails, burning

cigarettes,

and-especially among

children-dirty,

sticky, or clumsy fingers.

Setting the

Pr

ice

When

pricing your work, you should

consider not only the materials and t ime

involved in making it, but also the

cost

of

selling it. Your costs include the entry fee

to the show, traveling expenses, and the

forth. Take the list along with you and

you ll probably find a number of items

you l l want to add to your list as you gain

experience.

The Rewards

After considering all the details, plans,

and potential hassles involved, you may

wonder ifthe crafts show business isworth

the effort. There s the obvious monetary

incentive, of course, but there are other

benefits as well. Woodworking tends to be

a sol itary occupat ion, and crafts shows

give woodworkers a chanceto rub elbows

with their peers. Besides, there are many

wood lovers who do not themselves work

with wood, but who appreciate fine crafts

manship when they see it. The strokes

these people give are nice to receive.

Crafts shows also give woodworkers an

opportunity to see how the general public

fee. In addit ion, an imprint ing machine

must be purchased

or rented.

Your best bet for setting up this service

is to deal with the

bank

that normally

handles your other bank services. Once set

up, as long as the

bank s

instructions

are

followed carefully, depositing credit slips

into your business accoun t is

just

like

depositing cash.

Personal checks are also often used to

pay for crafts purchases. When receiving

a check, make surethat it is filled out com

pletely and correctly, and write down the

purchaser s dr iver s l icense , check

guarantee card or credit card number on

the back. While I ve heard lots of horror

stories about bad checks, I haven t received

one yet in working the crafts show circuit.

16

time spent at the show as well as travel

time.

Many crafts show shoppers are looking

for bargains and may ask you to sell your

work at a lower price. Youcan handle this

by

padding

all your prices to allow for

haggling, or you can refuse to haggle at all.

Whichever extreme you choose, or if you

choose

to handle each case on an in

dividual basis, you should decide on your

approach before you open for business.

Organization Is y

Those who do shows often recommend

keeping a list

of

all the regular items you ll

need each time you go to a show. As you

pack, you

can

then easily make

sure

that

you haven t forgotten any of those little

details: tape, charge slips, change, and so

Rubbingelbowswiththepublic and fellow

craftspeopleprovidesmotivationfor someto

workthecrafts ir uit ommentsfrom

customersalsoprovidevaluablefeedbackfor the

oftensolitarywoodworker

reacts to their products. This exposureand

important feedback may lead to changes,

improvements, or even ideas for new

products.

While crafts shows Can be financially

rewarding, in most cases it would probably

be easier to make a living working for

someone else. But the satisfaction of being

one s own boss and controlling one s own

livelihood is difficult to put a pr ice on.

And, even if a fu ll-time wood crafts

business is not your goal right now, doing

a few crafts shows might at least pay for

those tools you ve always wanted.

Pacific Woodworker


17/52


18/52

alendar nnouncements

w

Events

o

Interest to Woodworkers

. .

New Woodworking Gallery

The

Wood

Merchant

has recently

opened in La Conner, Washington. The

gallery specializes in handmade furniture

and gift wooden items. Stuart Hutt , pro

pr ieter of The Wood Merchant, seeks

quality woodpieces for sale on a commis

sion basis . Contact him at Box

5

,

La

Conner, WA

98257

or

(206) 466-4741.

Pacific Woodworker will publicize

events

o

interest to woodworkers

Send complete information to Pacific

Woodworker Calendar PO

ox

4881 Santa Rosa CA 954 2

Woodworking Shows in 1984

The Working Wood Show, originally

scheduled for Feb 3, 1983 at the San

Mateo fairgrounds , has been cancelled.

The WorkingWithWoodshow set for the

San Francisco Trade Center April 6-8,

1983

is still on.

Southern California s newentrant in the

field of consumer-oriented woodworking

shows is the Woodworking Show for

Craftsmen and Hobbyists, scheduled for

Apr il 3-15 at the Pasedena Convention

Center. For more information , contact

Ellen Sandler,

1516

S. Pontius Ave., Los

Angeles, CA 90025 or

213

) 477-8521.

through Dec. 1. San Rafael, CA.

BaulinesCraftsman s GuildShowMarinCountyCivic

Center, Box 4159, San Rafael. CA 949 3 or

415

)

499-7348or (415)499-7331.

through Dec.31. Los Angeles, CA.

Exhibit

, Tools ofthe

Wood Mlrker The Cutting

Edge

store.

3871

Grand ViewBlvd., LosAngeles 90066or

(2

13) 390-972

3.

Dec. 4 Tempe, AZ.

OldTownTempeFall Festival juriedinvitationalcrafts

show.

Dec.2-4 9-11,Alameda, CA.

Finishing\\brkshop. Contact

\\bodline, 73

1Clement

Avenu

e, Alameda, CA94501or (4

15)

521-

8

10

Dec.3. Alameda, CA.

Router Seminar. Contact Woodline.

173

1 Clement

Avenue

, Alameda, CA

94501

or (415) 521

810

.

18

Looking

or

That

ardTo ind

umiture

ardware

Part

The answer 's

elementary:

Send fo r Kemp Hardware 's

extensive

furniture

and woodworking

hardware

catalog. A supplier to furniture

fac tories for over 60 years,

Kemp

Hardware inventories over 2300

special ized furni ture hardware i tems,

until now

only avai lable to the

large furniture manufacturers.

In stock : tab le

slides, furniture

lights . trim hardware grills. industrial

woodworking

glue

, European

hardware,

table locks

.

waterbed

hardware and much more . Send 3.00 fo r a complete catalog, and

we ll refund your 3

.00

with the

first

order .

PacificWoodworker


19/52

c. 3. Berkeley, CA.

stmas Woodcraft exhibit and sale, The Cutting

,

1836

Fourth Street, Berkeley

94710

or

415)

.

. Alame

da

CA.

Tool MakingWorkshop. ContactWoodline, 7

Avenue

, Alameda,CA

94501

or 415) 521-1810.

c. 3. Los Angeles, CA.

istmas Woodcraft exhibit and sale, The Cutting

,

3871

GrandViewBlvd., LosAngeles

90066

or

390-

972

3.

Alameda

CA.

Template

SeminarContact

\\bodIine,

7 Cle

Avenue,

Alameda, CA

94501

or

415)

521-1810.

. Alame

da

CA.

Seminar. Contact Woodline 1731 Clement

Alameda,CA

94501

or

415)

5211810.

c. 3. Phoenix, AZ.

stmas Woodcraft exhibit and sale, The Cutting

store,

10844 N.

23rd Ave, Phoenix or 602)

1OOL.

c.3. Alame

da

CA.

ture Design

andConstruction. Contact

\\bodIine,

ClementAvenue, Alameda,CA94501 or 415)

1810

.

Woodworking Trip to Japan

A group ofAmerican woodworkers will

tour Japan fromApril l7-May 4, 1984. The

group will show their work in Japan and

attend workshops in Japanese furniture

design,

jo i

nery, lacquer finishing, temple

building and timber home construction.

For tour details, contact Doug Beckstein,

San ta Cruz Woodworkers Association,

406 DakotaAve., Apt. D, Santa Cruz, CA

9

5060

or 408) 423-0351. App lication

deadline is Jan . 15, 1984.

Dec.3-4. An

aheim

, CA.

5thAnnualAnaheimGiftFaire. 104 inLaPalmaPark,

Anaheim, CA. For informationcall 714) 999-5191.

Dec. 3, to. Berkeley, CA.

Workshop, Building Simple Musical Instruments

ContactThe Cutting Edgestore, 1836FourthStreet,

Berkeley

94710

or

415)

548-6011.

Dec.3-18.

Point

Reyes

Station,

CA.

3rdAnnualWestMarinWoodworkers Associationex

hibit and sale. AdraskandGallery, 5 Route

I,

Pt.

ReyesStation, CA 94956 or contact Richard Vacha

415)

663-1 iQ4.

Dec.to.

Alameda

CA.

FacePlateThming. ContactWoodline,

7

Clement

Avenue , Alameda, CA94501 or

415)

521

1810

.

Dec.tO-n .

Anaheim

C

A.

ChristmasGift Fair, GanahlLumberCo., 1220East

Ball

Rd.,

Anaheim.Open9amto4pm.ContactValerie

Bloomat

714)

772-5444.

Dec

. Alameda CA.

TheStickyPoints ofGluingUpwithDonBraden. Con

tact Woodline, 7 Clement Avenue Alameda, CA

94501

or

415) 521-1810

.

Dec.n . Berkeley, CA.

Christmas Woodcraft exhibit and sale, The Cutting

Edge, 1836 Fourth Street, Berkeley

94710

or 415)

548-6011.

Dec.U. Santa Cruz, CA.

RegularmeetingofSantaCruzWoodworkers, open to

all.ContactGary Benaquisto, WhisperingWindsHard

woods,565B7thAve ., SantaCruz, CA95063or 408)

476-9030

Dec.t7. Alamed

a

CA.

Advanced

TableSawSeminar. Contact

Woodline

,

7

ClementAvenue, Alameda,CA

94501

or 415)521-1810.

Dec. t7. Al

amed

a

CA.

BasicTableSawSeminar Contact

Woodline,

7 Cle

ment Avenue, Alameda, CA94501or

415)

521-1810.

continued

t

c \ ason

ullivan

GRE T CLOCK

FROM THE

INSIDE OUT

Any good clockbuilder knows that when you're

building an heirloom you start with a great movement.

Mason & Sullivan has been selling the finest

movements available since 1947 and we back that

statement up on our best brass movements with a 36

month guarantee against defects in workmansh ip.

After 35 years in the business, Mason & Sullivan has

the know-how to assist you in every phase of your pro

ject , from initial planning, to movement installation.

We want to make you a great clockbuilder too.

So whether your requirements are massive nine tube

or mini-quartz, Mason & Sullivan has the movement to

design your case around.

r-------

- - - - - - - - -

-

--

Send 1 today for our 4S-page color catalogue.

Includes clock kits, dials, movements, hard

ware, tools, books, and accessories.

~ a s o n u l l i v a n

Fine Clo makers Since 9 T

Dept. 4403, W. Yarmouth, Cape Cod,

MA

02673

cember/January 1984

19


20/52

Dec.l9-21. San Diego, CA.

BeginningWoodworking for kids. ContactWoodline,

11844

RanchoBernardoRoad, SanDiego, CA

92128

or 619) 485-7907.

Jan

6.Los

Angeles, CA.

Japanese\\bodworking100ls

workshop

, Fridays

to

Jan.

71. The Cutting Edge, 3871 Grand ViewBlvd., Los

Angeles, CA90066or 213)390-9723 .

Jan 7. Berkeley, CA.

SimpleMusicallnsuument workshop Sats. to Jan28.

The

Cutting

Edge,

1983

4thSt.,

Berkeley,

CA

947lO

or

415)

548-6011

.

Jan 7. Berkeley, CA.

Carving a Rocking Horse workshop with Anton

Lignell. Sats.

to

Jan. 28.The Cutting Edge, 19834th

St., Berkeley CA

94710

or 415)

548-6011.

J

an n

Los Angeles, CA.

Dry BentLaminationworkshopwithMartha Rising.

\\eds. to Feb. I. TheCutting Edge,

3871 Grand ViewBlvd., LosAngeles,CA 90066or

213

)

390-9723.

J

an

.n . San Diego, CA.

Panel Discussion on Wood Finishing. Contact

San

DiegoFineWoodworkers, Box99656,

San

Diego, CA

92109

Jan. 13and 15.

Berk

eley, CA.

Traditional African Wood Carving workshop with

Geoffery Nwogu. The Cutting Edge,

1983

4th St. ,

Berkeley CA94710 or 415)548-6011.

Ja n . 14. Alameda CA.

\\bodworking demonstration. ContactWoodline , 1731

Clement

Avenue

, Alameda,CA

94501

or 415

521 1810

Jan

. 14.

Los

Angeles, CA.

A Day with SamMaloof. The Cutting Edge, 3871

Grand ViewBlvd., LosAngeles,CA90066or 213)

390-9723

.

Jan

26.

Berkeley, CA.

Untraditional Furnitureworkshop withGarryBennett

The utting

Edge, 19834thSt., BerkeleyCA947lO or

415)

548-6011.

Ja n . 3O-Feb.

3.Ber

keley, CA.

Buildinga LapstrakeSailboatworkshopwithSimon

Watts.

TheCuttingEdge,

1983

4thSI., Berkeley CA

94710

or

415 548-6011.

Feb.

6-10. Berk

eley, CA.

Buildinga LapstrakeSailboatworkshopwith Simon

Watts

. TheCuttingEdge,

1983

4thSI., Berkeley, CA

94710

or

415 548-6011.

Feb.7-Apr.lo.

Oakland

, CA.

eginning

woodworking class. ContactCaliforniaCol

lege of Arts and Crafts,

5212

Broadway at College,

Oakland, CA

94618

or

415

653-8

118

Feb.9-Apr.12.

Oakland

, CA.

Continuing woodworking class. Contact California

Collegeof

Arts

andCrafts,

5212 Broadway

atCollege,

Oakland, CA

94618

or

415

653-8

118

Feb. 18-19.Berkeley, CA.

Grew-SheridanChairmakingSeminar.The Cutting

Edge, 19834th St. , Berkeley, CA

94710

or 415)

548-6011

.

Feb. 20-24. Los Angeles, CA.


Watts.TheCuttingEdge,3871 GrandViewBlvd, Los

Angeles,CA 90066or 213 390-9723.

Feb. 2S.San Diego, CA.

DryBentLaminationworkshopwithMarthaRising.

The

utting

Edge 7626MiramarRoad

San

Diego,

CA

92126or 619) 695-3990

Feb. 2S-Mar. 31. SanDiego, CA.

Comprehensive Cabinetmaking with UCSD.) The

Cutting Edge, 7626Miramar Road, San Diego CA

92126or 619) 695-3990.

Feb. 27. Berkeley, CA.

Shaker BoxesworkshopwithJohn

Kassay

. Mons. to

Mar. 12

The

CuttingEdge, 19834thSI., Berkeley,CA

94710 or

415

548-6011.

Feb. 27-Mar. 2. Los Angeles, CA.


Watts

.The

CuttingEdge,

3871

GrandViewBlvd., Los

Angeles, CA90066 or

213

)

390 lJ723

Mar.lo.

San

Francisco, CA.

Applicationdeadline for AceCraftfairfor Sept. 84.

ContactAmericanCraft Enterprises,

Inc.,

256Main

Street, New Paltz, N.Y, 12561 or 914 255-0093.

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

SEND ONE OOLLAR FOR

FULL COLOR CATALOG AND

NAME OF NEAREST DEALER.

schel pach

woodworking

machm.

Un6eatable

value

for

m o n y

When you compare Scheppach specifications, the choice of attachments and the price Wth any

other you ll understand instantly, why they are recognized as America s finest-value-for-money

machines. Put one in your workshop

Planer Attachments to drive off the HM2

VARIABLE SPEED Vertical Thicknesser Kombl PlanerlThlcknesser.

Bandsaw Spindle Moulder HMO

; : :

Sio l

l I I ~ ~ ~ ~ ; : :

Attachmenl

-

SCHEPPACH, U.S.A.

: J: llill

P.O. BOX

222827,

CARMEL, CA

93922 . (408) 625-4239

GERMAN PR

E ISION

PORTABLE

POWER

TOOLS

20

Pacific

oo wor

ker


21/52

by

Paul McClure

Shop Tips

Drawing an Oval

A

Simple Way

to

rawthe Perfect

Oval

Figure

2.

Connect correspondingly numbered

marksforyour P

r

ect Oval

overall length of oval 2 A 2)

Ideas Wanted

Do

you

have a time- or money-saving

hint, idea or jig? Share it with

Pacific

Woodworker

and win a free subscription,

a set of back issues or a woodworking

book. Send your previously unpublished

suggestions to Box 4881, Santa Rosa CA

95402. (Thanks to Gene Kampa of Sun

nyvale, California for this idea.)

marks as on the long side. (See Fig..I.

Finally, connect marks with the same

number: 1to 1, 2 t o 2 , etc. with a straight

line. (See Fig. 2.) The result is a smooth

curve l/4 of your perfect oval.

Youcan lay this drawing out on a scrap

of wood, cut out the resulting curve and

use it as a pattern to cut the actual oval.

C

., D

.,

.,

Figure

1.

Starting witha scrap board with length

and widthonehalfo final oval, mark equally

spacedpoints on two sides. then number them as

shown.

smaller in the same proportion as the

sides. D

=C

x (B/A). In the example ,

therefore, the marks on the shorter side are

I x 15120 = 3/4 apart. Number these

s an easy way to draw a visually

singovalof anydimension, using only

ncil and straight edge. First determine

overall size of the oval (A long x B

). Nowdivide each of these dimen

s by 2, producing a rectangle A/2 x

f the finished ovalwill be40 x30 ,

template will be 20 x 15 . Next,

ide the longer side into 10-20 equal

(C). For example, mark the 20 long

at I intervals. Number these marks

one end .

rk theshorter side w t

thesame

o

marks

as used on the longer

. f you used 20 equal marks on the

side, use 20 on the short side. The

ance between each

mark

will be

, 10

f 11 I J I 4 «r

, , ,

q

Woodworker

C A T A L O G

SAVE VAST SUMS. Build. restore. re

finish anything of woodl Here 's ev

erything you need. Fine woods,

veneers . special ly tools. Cab inet

hardware. period

modern . Pro fin

ishes. Cane. Lamp parts . Uphol . supplies. Picture moldings.

Clock klls .

l00 s

of plans. Instruction books. Thousands of

hard-to-find woodworker products in b ig new catalog. Mall

ad for Catalog 20 beauti ful Wood Sampies .

CONSTANnNI Est. 1812

2061 Eastchester Road, Bronx, N.Y. 10461

o

Here . 51.

SeM

104

er

C la1oI .

O

52 eaclosed.

SeDd

er Cala10l

.....

:Ill Wood

Samples 51 lO ref oa

ht

C. t

order.

Name _

Address _

ZIP __

ber/January 1984

21


22/52

h iesemeyer tory

ward Winning Saw en e

by harles arris

For 35 years Bill Biesemeyer worked in

cabinet shops, and for 35 years he cursed

the inaccurate, time-eonsuming fences that

re

standard equ ipment on table saws. I

was f up with trying tocut wood with the

old fences, he remembers. Bill finally

found time to build a saw fence which

eliminated some of the problems with a

standard fence ,

but

even this was not

enough to satisfy Bill's exacting demands.

A second version ofhis custom saw fence

22

proved more useful , and he used it in his

shop for a few years.

he

story may haveended there, except

that about five years ago a back injury

sidelined Bill. With this enforced break

from woodworking, Bill spent the time

perfecting his T-Square saw fence, then

started to sell the new fence in the Phoenix

area.

At first , he sold each fence

person lly-

making each sale, installing the fence, and

checking back later to handle any prob

lems . A few woodshops recognized the

value of the fence for improving accuracy

and speed , but for the most part , wood

workers remained unconvinced oftheneed

for a better saw fence. Woodworkers were

so used to the old system of measuring,

squaring up, measuring again and then

cutting (and measuring once more , to

check); they simply didn' t believe you

could set the hairline, lock the fence down

with a single motion, and cut.

Bill, however, w so certain of the value

of the T-Square fence that he offered a uni

que marketing pledge: customers were in

vited to buy a fence, install it, and try itfor

a while.

the customer

w

notcompletely

satisfied

with the fence, he could return it

for a full refund , including shipping both

directions. Once a woodworker got the

fence on the saw and used it a few times, I

knew he'd never take it off the saw

Bill

said confidently. Apparently his faith was

well placed; no customer has ever re

quested a refund

ill iesemeyerescapes thepressures of

businessby building radiocontrolled model

airplanes in his shop

Pacific Woodworker


23/52

Old habits died hard, however. Bill still

und resistance to the ideaof the T-Square

nce, evenamong woodworkers who had

one .

They

would set the

irline, then take out their tape measures

d measure top and bottom. After the cut,

wouldmeasure again Bill recollects.

y justwouldn't believe you could set

hairline, lock itdown and cut , perfectly

uare and accurate to 1/64' One wood

orker said he had to leave his tape

asure on the other side of the shop, to

sist the temptation to measure again and

Bill's perseverance finally began to pay

f. News of the improved accuracy and

se of operation of the T-Square fence

wly filtered through the woodworking

. Business began to grow.

I

alized that we needed a talented person

market the fence Bill explains. We

und him in Roger Thompson, nowpart

r and part owner. Roger set up a dealer

twork throughout the United States and

We re

picky

about

choosing

ou r

lers, explains Gloria Lorts, Roger 's

This company is very service

ented, and we look for dealers that will

ke the time to really help the customer.

This commitment to quality and ser

ce is a trademark of the company. We

rt with the highest quality ofmaterials,

d Bill personally supervises the opera

on a day-to-day basis, Gloria

If

a customer is having dif

lty with the fence, weask him to send

k, and we'll replace itwith a new one.

we simply gave him a 'quick fix', he

ight have problems again later, and we

uld rather havea satisfied customer.

part such as the locking handle fails

probably got hit with a fork lift truck,

llmurmurs) Biesemeyer will replace it,

Biesemeyer T quare fence

Biesemeyer inventorof the T quare per-

oversees theproduction ofthefences

98

without charge. But thanks to good design,

quality materials and careful attention to

detail , problems seldom occur.

O ur

fences really hang in there, Bill explains

proudly.

The internat ional woodworking

machinery industry thought somuch ofthe

design that the group recently awarded its

coveted Chal lenger Award to Biesemeyer

for the T-Square. This award isgiven to the

woodworking machine or process which

has made the greatest contribution to the

woodworking machinery industry over the

past two years. The T-Square fence com

peted for the prize with more than 300

other entrants from around the world , in

cluding automated machines with lots of

whistles and be lls tha t

cost

tens

of

thousands of dollars. The judges selected

the T-Square fence because of its simplic

ity of design and because it provided so

many benefits for the woodworker with

such a small investment. (The T-Square's

list price is in the 300 range, less if pur

chased as part of a saw package.)

This formal recognition by the wood

working machinery industry ofthe value of

a fast, accurate fence has spurred a host of

othermanufacturers to put auxiliary fences

on the market , such as Rockwell's new

Unifence. But Bill Biesemeyer isn't wor

ried about the imitations. Well aware that

imitation is the sincerest form

of flattery,

Bill is confident that the T-Square fence

can hold its own against all competition.

The

T-Square fence has already proven its

reliability and strength over several years .

And its track record is not the only ad

vantage of the T-Square fence. We have

to 80 patterns out in the shop for all kinds

of new and old table saws. Or a customer

can send inthe dimensions of his saw, and

we'll engineer a T-Square fence to fit Bill

says confidently. Woodworkers can in

stall the T-Square on other types of sawsas

well: radial arm saws, band saws. There's

a guy who wants to add a T-Square guide

a large panel saw, to aid in cutting smaller

pieces.

Besides the T-Square, Biesemeyer also

manufactures a stop gauge for radial arm

saws, auxiliary tables for the fence and

miter stop, and will soon marketlaminate

covered throat plates for table saws, for

precision work. For more information on

Biesemeyerproducts , or for the location of

the dealer nearest you, contact Biesemeyer

Manufacturing Corp. , 216 South Alam

School Road, Mesa, Arizona 85202, or

(602) 835-9300.


24/52

inishing echniques

rt ne

Surface Preparation

by obert O. Briggs

The finish will hide nomistakes. Every

scratch is amplified, every dent becomes

more obvious

,

every tool

mark

is

highlighted when the stain goes on. The

more care that is taken in the sanding

phase, the better will be the final finish. No

amount of extra effort in the later stages

can be as productive as good care taken in

sanding.

While planing and scraping produce a

fine quality surface, these techniques are

not sui table for all ci rcumstances and

wood types . Nor has every woodworker

acquired the specialized skills required.

So

most

woodworkers use sandpaper to

prepare thewood for finishing. When san

ding , choose the right paper for a quick,

clean job.

Leveling Uneven Joints:

50-60 grit

I havea lot ofwood to move, for exam

ple when I level a glued up panel , I use a

hand plane or 50-60 gri t belts on a 4 x

24 belt sander.

A belt sander is useful, too, to level mis

aligned panel joints. Uneven laminations

can be leveled quickly and efficiently.

I ll take you through the process as I do

it. First, I start at one corner and sand in

parallel, overlapping strokes on a diagonal

to the grain , keeping the sander inmotion

at

all

times. Then I start at the other corner,

sanding on the otherdiagonal. I repeat the

process until the panel is flat.

he

criss

crossing marks I then take out with the

Thisarticle beginsa series onFinishing

Techniques byRobert

O.

Briggs, toappear

in the next several issues

Pacific

Woodworker.

About the author: RobertBriggs is a

professional woodworker from Rancho

Santa e California.

orm

erly a wood-

working instructor, Robert now designs

andbuildsfurniture andalsodoes restora-

tion workfor museums. An article about

him appeared in Issue

December

January 983 Pacific Woodworker.

same 50-60 grit paper, sanding with the

grain.

With practice, you can learn to handle

the sander soas not togougethework. Just

spend some time, and you ll get it.

Removing ToolMarks:

80 grit

80 grit paper on a belt or orbital sander

will remove marks caused by any of the

following: 50-6Ogritsanding marks, table

saw marks, hand saw and hand plane

marks , router marks and loads of others

caused by well-operated tools.

Although 80 grit on an orbital sander

will leave visible swirls, these will be

sanded away in the next step. And it is

much faster to use 80g and then 120gthan

to try the frustratingly slow process of

removing tool marks with the finer paper.

Removing 80 grit Marks:

120grit

I use 120grit only to remove 80g sand

ing marks. Years of experimenting have

taught me that it is not worth the time to

sand out toolmarks with this grit.

It

can be

done, but itis too slow. Go to80 grit, then

come back here to remove 80 grit marks.

120 grit will leave visible swirls in wood

used on an orbital sander.

Removing 120grit Marks:

220 grit

When used on an orbital sander, 220g

seldom leaves visible swirls in the wood.

Pacific Woodworker


25/52

Fine Sanding:

400 and 600 grit

final finesanding,which

thegrainclear,

unrnuddied

look

a goodfinish.

and Tricks of the Trade

ring sanding, some of the grains of

od compress into the surface. These

ll sometimes swell when stain is ap

d. A once silky smooth surface turns

-tongue rough. By flaringoffbetween

paper grits you can eliminate the

. Wipe the entire surface of the

dwith a clean rag soggy with fresh

This causestheoffending grains to

themtobesandedoffwith

Wait tillthe

wood

driesbefore

, so thepaperdoesn tdisintegrate.

sand byhandwithmy final grit

er I haveused it on the sander just to

any stray swirls which may have

eaked onto my otherwise perfect

t waste yourtimetryingtosqueeze

last bit ofgood from a worn piece of

per.When itgetsdull, throw it out and

toa newone.

AWord About

Hand

Held

Power Sanders

Like many a poor but honest wood

, I don t wantto spendmore money

haveto.Ontheother hand, I hateto

yfor a tool, then find it isn t adequate.

yousaveyourmoneylong enoughto

4 x24 belt sander,youwon thave

annoyance of a smaller tool which

ecember January

1984

spends most of its time simpering on a

shelfeatingchocolates. Likewise selectan

orbitalsanderwithat leasta 3.0ampmotor

and

10 000

orbits per minute. Makita,

Black

Decker, Rockwell, and others

make a good tool, and my favorite

is the

Bosch20,000o.p.m. The Sears DualAc

tion4,000o.p.m. isso slowthatI can sand

fasterby hand.

Last Step

Before Applying Finish

Havingsanded thoroughly, I clean the

wood witha tackrag,a slightly stickycloth

available at paint and hardware stores

which

removes

thesmallesttracesofdust.

youfollow thestepsI veoutlinedhere,

youshould havea finelyprepared surface

ready for the next stage, applying the

finish. In the next issue ofPacific

od-

worker I willtalkaboutsomeof the types

of products you maywant to use: stains,

dyes, bleaches, wood filler, lacquer, and

varnish.

r

1

I

~ ~ ~

I

I

I

I

iv

a

Gift

I

it hat

asts

II I

II

ear ~

I

Give

a

Subscription

of

I

fi

p t kef

I

Iw ~ ~ ~ o r i t e

I

I

woodworker I

I I

One Year

II

S Issues)

it

I

n y 9

95

I I

I I

Tw o Years S

S 2 Issues) S

I

only 5

95

I

I

I I

We ll send a card S

n

your

name,

I

R of charge.

I

I

See coupon

on

page

46

I

~ I I I I I I I I I

25


26/52

Nick Disparti s roll top desk featured inlays

of

walnut. olive and nectarine burls constructed

otherwise

of

avocado wood with lacquerfi nish.

Nick. who teaches woodworking at a local com-

munity college. has also developed a film strip

on the desk s construction.

Oval cabinet

by

Lee Covill.

A

cific l

o

h ~

San iego ine oodworke

ent Johnson ssculpted stereo st n wasan in-

triguing use offlowi ng sculptural elements to

create a piece verys trictly defin ed by its fun c-

tion. Thewalnut piece wasdesigned to ac-

comodate albums . receiver and turntable. with a

drawer for accessories. These square elements

are housed efficiently between the curves ofthe

skeletal structure. Thepiece used stack lamina -

tion techniques and wasfinished with an oil/var-

nish

mix.

For the second year in a row, wood-

workers in San Diego County, California,

have staged a highly successful exhibit.

This year saw several changes in the ex-

hibit , which was sponsored by the San

Diego Fine Woodworkers Association at

the Southern California Exposition in Del

ar

. After its initial success last year (see

Pacific

oo wor

ker Issue 9), this year's

show moved to larger, more

central

quarters. A panel of three juried the show,

awarding cash prizes in four categories.

Last year pieces were selected by a sole

juror

and no prizes were offered .

he sixty pieces in the 1983 show

covered a wide spectrum of functional

work from table s, seating pieces, ac-

cessory items and turnings, to cabinets and

chests and even two boats. The award

categories were: best p

contemporary piece; best turning

of show. Although there were f

in the turning and historical c

competition was keener in the

I

categories, and the jury chose to

the prizes. The 100award for be

went to Larry Breedlove for hi

porary wall hung cabin

photograph).

The show was dramat ically I

this year by the use of a dozen

and white photos of selected era

work . The 16 x 20 photogra

mountedand hung nextto the ap

pieces along with a quotation

art ist. Personalizing the woo

creations in this waygave the sho

Pacific Woodworker


27/52

LarryBreedlove'scontemporarywallhung

cabinetwonthe Best Showaward.

Mar Show

i

n

andcreatedasenseofgroupenergy

indtheentirebodyof work on

display

bitalso included a display board

turingabout sixty wood samples from

und the world.

the whole the quality of work ac-

was quitegood thisyear.The show

d several well conceived original

signs several impeccably crafted

ces and a few works which achieved

. Visitor reaction as well as the

ponse from the Del Mar Fair Board

reboth quite positive.

h this second successful

show

the

Woodworkers Association

nstratedthatthe localareahouses

menproducingenough high

work to sustainan ongoing effortto

nsor thisannual exhibit.

anu

ary 984

Infonnationfor thisarticlewasobtained

withthekindassistance SheldonHarris

andKentJohnson.

PeterTao s end table of CentralAmericanZura

wasbeautifullyproportionedandexecuted. It

wasmadealmostentirelywitha router withim

provisedtemplatesand jigs. AccordingtoPeter,

thedesigngrewout ofa desireto find an in

terestingwayto attacha topona smalltable

piece. h top floats on tenonsthatpenetrate

the two side-supportpieces. Finishwastungoil.

Del Cover'srocker Windsorinfluencefeatured

delicateand elegantlines in rich. darkcocobolo

wood. Builtat thesame time as two other varia

tionson a theme,this piece soldfor 950andat

tractedsomeother commissions.

7


28/52

rick aid Counter Tops

y

Patrick Warner

On several occasions I ve made long,

wide, thick surfaces for desks, bars, and

general counter service. There are two

waysto approach these counter tops: full

length planks or shorts (less than

pieces). I usually choose short lengths

because flat, first-quality, thick, long

lengths are both uncommon and hard to

prepare. On the other hand, short lengths,

because they are less desirable for many

other purposes, are plentiful, cheap, and

easy to machine. A surface built up with

these shorter boards laid on end like

bricks, i.e. brick-laid, can be striking

and beautiful. And, if the joinery is crisp

and the parts well-milled, the counter will

be sound; in fact, it probably will be

stronger than a full-length plank assembly

surface.

Four factors contribute to top quality

counters: excellent surfacingand jointing,

scrupulous edge glue joint treatment,

some means of end squaring, and use of a

panel glue press.

Getting Started

I begin by determining the length, _

width, and thickness ofthe bricks. The

number of bricks per total length is ar

bitrary, but some considerations include:

jointer-planercapacities, quality of stock,

size ofglue press, methodofedgejoining,

and length of time available for the job. I

havelearned, from a practical viewpoint,

touse as fewbricks as possible. ypically

5. completed brick-laid countertopmakes

gooduse of smallerpieceso lum er Notethe

useofdecorativesplineson thefrontedgeof the

counter, to eliminatetwisting

1. The

assembledpressframeof

6/4

ash.

The

centerbeamsare tenonedanddowelledintothe

side rails.

The

endbeamsaregluejointedand

throughdowelled. Thickpadsofash toppedwith

plastic laminatecoverall but theclampscrew

side. Detail: thenotchesfor theclampscut

primarilythroughthepads; thenotchesonly

er

tend

1/2

into

the

frameitself.)

28

Pacific Woodworker


29/52

5

I

/6

1

/7

I

/2 .

I

I

/

8

I

9

I

10

I

5

I

6

I

7

i

/

I

2-

I

3

2 he pressframeloadedwithI beamclamps

Notethatthe counterrestson theplastic

laminatepads not on theclamps

se two basic lengths, computed by

ding the overall counter length

by

2, 3,

I alternate the number ofbricks i

Documents

Popular Woodworking - 016 -1984.pdf