Download pdf - Popular Woodworking 2000-08 No. 116

POPULAR WOODWORKING August 20002

In This IssueTraditional SecretaryTroy Sexton’s gorgeous drop-front secretary is the culminationof a lifetime of professional wood-working experience and a briefstroke of luck at an auction.By Troy Sexton

Garden SwingEven people without porches deserve a porch swing. Our original design includes a simpleA-frame so you can swing anywhere in your yard.

www.popularwoodworking.com

22

®

28

34

44

20

28

49

America’s BESTProject Magazine!

Out On a LimbEvery Good Teacher Assigns Homework

LettersMail from readers

Ingenious JigsNick Engler shows you how tobuild and sharpen your ownscraper plane using parts you’llfind at the local hardware store.

Tricks of the TradeNibbling with your chop saw;makefinish cans easy to reopen

Projects From the PastFolding Lawn Chair

Endurance TestDeWalt’s 621 plunge router

Flexner on FinishingStripping finishes from wood

Caption the CartoonWin a set of Quick Grip clamps

Classifieds

Tool TestDeWalt’s new contractor saw,Metabo’s cordless drills and inex-pensive wooden hand planes

Out of the WoodworkTool Time for Toddlers

6

8

12

16

18

74

76

79

8284

88

On theCoverAfter years of build-ing furniture forclients, Troy Sextontook some time offto build this tradi-tional secretary forhis daughter.

Cover photo by Al Parrish

In Every Issue

Folding Plant StandWith less than a sheet of plywoodyou can build an ingenious half-round plant stand. And amazingly,it folds flat for off-season storage.

UltimateMiter Saw StandExpand your chop saw’s cuttingcapacity by building a miter sawstand whose design has evolvedover several years. This one evencollects its own dust. It’s foldingwings allow it to fit into a smallcorner when not in use.

Asian Coffee TableContemporary in design andsimple to construct, this maplecoffee table is designed to holdits weight in catalogs and books.

Secret ToadTip back the mouth of this cleverband sawn amphibian and itstongue flicks out to reveal asweet surprise.By John Hutchinson

What You Must KnowAbout ShelvingBuilding great bookcases re-quires more planning than realskill. Learn the essential rules toconstructing shelving that isstout, attractive and adaptable.By Troy Sexton

Nakashima-Inspired TableA cherry tree felled after a hardfreeze and the work of masterwoodworker George Nakashimainspired a modern yet rustictable and a personal journey.

The Case for Combo MachinesEuropean woodworkers are fondof machines that can be convert-ed from a table saw to a planer ora jointer. Learn why more Ameri-cans should consider this space-saving option.By Roger Holmes

34

38

44

49

54

60

66

www.popwood.com 3

38 54

August 2000, Vol. 20, No. 4 www.popwood.com

Editor & Publisher Steve Shanesy

Senior Editors David Thiel,Christopher Schwarz

Associate Editor Jim Stuard

Senior Art Director Amy Schneider

Contributing Editors

Technical Advisers:

General Manager Jeffry M.Lapin

Editorial Director David Fryxell

Design Director Nancy Stetler

CIRCULATIONDavid Lee, Director

Lynn Kruetzkamp, Single Copy Sales Mgr.Terry Webster-Isgro, Direct Sales Mgr.

PRODUCTIONBarbara Schmitz,

Director of ManufacturingMartha Wallace, Magazine Production Dir.

Matt Walker, Production AssistantRuth Preston, Studio Manager

ADVERTISINGNational Sales Representative

Bill Warren, Five Mile River Assoc. LLCRR1 Box 1400, Stockton Springs, ME 04981Tel. (207) 469-1981; Fax (207) 469-3050

Advertising SalesJoe Wood, Tel. (513) 336-9760

Fax (513) 336-9761

Classified Advertising SalesJoan Wright,Tel. (800) 388-1820Advertising Production Coordinator

Debbie Thomas, Tel. (513) 531-2690, ext. 219

Popular Woodworking (ISSN 0884-8823, USPS 752-250) ispublished seven times a year in February, April, June, August,

October, November and December by F&W Publications, Inc.Editorial and advertising offices are located at 1507 Dana Ave.,

Cincinnati, OH 45207; tel.: (513) 531-2222. Unsolicitedmanuscripts, photographs and artwork should include ample

postage on a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE);otherwise they will not be returned. Subscription rates: A year’s

subscription (7 issues) is $19.97; outside of U.S add $7/year.

Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 0546232. Canadianreturn address: 2744 Edna St., Windsor, ON N8Y 1V2

Copyright ©2000 by Popular Woodworking. Periodicals postage paidat Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster:

Send all address changes to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 5369,Harlan, IA 51593 Canada GST Reg. # R122594716

Produced and printed in the U.S.A.ATTENTION RETAILERS:

To carry Popular Woodworking in your store, call (513) 531-2690, ext. 327, or write: Dealer Program, F&W

Publications, Inc., 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207.Woodworker’s Book Club: 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati,

OH 45207; (513) 531-8250

Audit Bureau of Circulation membership applied for.

®

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Subscription inquiries,orders and address changes can be made at

www.popwood.com (click on Subscriber Services).Or by mail:Popular Woodworking,

P.O.Box 5369,Harlan, IA 51593 or call (515) 280-1721. Include your address with all

inquiries.Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.

Nick EnglerBob FlexnerGlen Huey

Troy Sexton

Bill AustinScott Box

Chris CarlsonDale Zimmerman

Makita USA. Inc. Delta International S-B Power Tool Franklin International


You’ve heard the expression about thedifference between giving a man a fish

and teaching him to fish. The man wholearns to fish puts dinner on his table for-ever, while the other man eats for one day.But what about the guy who says he wantsto learn but doesn’t want to bait his hook,or loses his patience when the fish aren’tbiting?

In woodworking, I sometimes wonderif the hobby is attracting more folks whosay they want to learn to fish but expectto be reeling fish in by the boat load assoon as the boat leaves the dock.

Anyone who really knows woodwork-ing or fishing can tell you it doesn’t workthat way. It takes dedication and patienceto learn the skills to routinely land big fishor complete satisfying projects. Until youreach that level it’s easy to get frustrated.

My concern is for those newcomerswhose expectations far exceed their skills.I fear they quickly conclude that all youneed to build a project is a drawing, cut-ting list and instructions. What is perhapsmore important is a foundation of basicskills. The fundamentals of construction,an understanding of wood movement andgrain direction are all navigation deviceson the road to a rewarding project.

Their unbridled enthusiasm has themtaking on projects that are too complicat-ed. And when they stumble, as most do,they sometimes write, call or e-mail us.Some have polite questions, some aren’tso polite.

“You tell me to use a tenon for the joint,but you don’t even tell me what a tenonis!” Or, “You say to square up the stock be-fore cutting pieces, but you don’t even sayhow or why.” Or, “You say to make an al-lowance for the saw kerf. What’s that?” Allthese are legitimate questions, and whenthe caller is working on a fairly simple pro-ject, we happily walk him or her throughit. But when they tell us they’re staring at$500 worth of hardwood and are ready tostart a Chippendale slant-front secretary,

it’s something else.Sometimes it makes me wonder if we

should rethink the mission of PopularWoodworking. Perhaps we’d be a magazinewith more subscribers if we did. As itstands, I believe our mission is to be ateacher who challenges the students. Andthat our students would one day graduateand not require the steady coursework ourpages offer.

We believe that giving readers everypossible bit of information keeps them inthe dark about the joy and satisfaction offinding their own solutions. The bestwoodworkers can adapt, create projects fortheir own needs and engineer and buildfurniture using techniques that suit theirwoodworking interests.

Or we could simply give our readers thefish, issue after issue.

But that’s not for me. I respect our read-ers too much to produce a magazine withsuch a cynical point of view. To do so un-dermines one of the joys of woodworking:the supreme satisfaction that comes fromfiguring things out.

However, I will give you this: If you area beginner, here’s what you should do tostart your hobby right.

• Buy a good book on joinery such asBill Hylton’s “Illustrated Cabinetmaking”(Rodale Press) or “The Encyclopedia ofJoint Making” (Popular WoodworkingBooks).

• Make sure your first projects requirea small investment in time and wood.

• In the shower or on your way to work,build your projects in your head two orthree times before you cut your first pieceof wood.

And by all means, don’t stop calling orwriting us. We make it easy for you to getin touch because we want to help and wecare about your woodworking. PW

Every Good TeacherAssigns Homework


OUT ON A LIMB

David ThielSenior EditorSpecialties: Projects,new products and tools,tricks of the trade513-531-2690 ext. [email protected]

Christopher SchwarzSenior EditorSpecialties:Authorliaison,website, projects,photography513-531-2690 ext. [email protected]

Jim StuardAssociate EditorSpecialties:Projects,carving, turning, project illustrations513-531-2690 ext. [email protected]

Safety NoteSafety is your responsibility.Manufacturers place safety devices on theirequipment for a reason. In many photosyou see in Popular Woodworking, these havebeen removed to provide clarity. In somecases we’ll use an awkward body positionso you can better see what’s being demon-strated.Don’t copy us.Think about eachprocedure you’re going to perform before-hand. Safety First!

Contact InformationSteve ShanesyEditor & PublisherSpecialties: Projects,techniques, article and project selection513-531-2690 ext. [email protected]

Got Questions or ProblemsWith Your Subscription?To report problems with your subscriptionvisit our website at popwood.com, call oursubscription offices at 515-280-1721,orwrite to Popular Woodworking, P.O.Box5369,Harlan, IA 51593.

Our Privacy Promise to YouWe make portions of our customer listavailable to carefully screened companiesthat offer products and services we believeyou may enjoy. If you do not want to re-ceive those offers and/or information,please let us know by contacting us at: ListManager, F & W Publications, 1507 DanaAve., Cincinnati,OH 45207

Amy SchneiderSenior Art DirectorSpecialties:Magazineand cover design, photodirection513-531-2690 ext. [email protected]

LETTERS


Magazine is Not Fooling Anyone With its Silly TestsJust a note to tell you how thoroughly Ienjoyed the April 2000 issue (#114).

However, I do have to comment onyour test of the four-way screwdrivers onpage 74.

While there were some gaffes in thetesting process (everyone knows it’s poly-carbonate-impregnated graphite, notgraphic-impregnated poly) no goof was ashuge as attempting to test the screwdriv-er four ways. Even a junior-high shop stu-dent knows that there are only two waysto turn a screwdriver: clockwise andcounter-clockwise. To test one to de-struction by attempting to turn it four ways(as the name implies), simply goes beyondthe bounds of editorial propriety.

I certainly hope your testers conductfuture tests in a manner more suitable tothe usual high quality of PopWood!

Ben BorokNovato, California

P.S. Happy April One!

When Did Alfred E. NeumanBecome Editor of PW?I have been enjoying your magazine for Idon’t know how long. I always read “Outof the Woodwork” first thing. After hav-ing read the Endurance Test on four-wayscrewdrivers in the April 2000 issue it hasbecome apparent to me that I have wast-ed a lot of time and money reading Madmagazine when I needed some entertain-ment.Thanks for the laugh.

Michael J. HonerClemmons, North Carolina

Reasons We’ll All Miss R.J. DeCristoforoWhen I subscribed to Popular Wood-working a couple years ago and began read-ing R.J. DeCristoforo’s editorialcontributions, I thought, “How nice. R.J.’sson is also a woodworking writer.” Afterall, how could the guy that wrote a bookI bought in 1956 for use with the 3⁄4hpShopsmith Mark 5 that I bought in 1953still be writing? He had to be older thanI was, and I’m 79.

Glad to see it’s still the original you,R.J., because I’m still using that old Magna(Menlo Park, Calif.) Mark 5. Not so muchas a table saw; I finally bought a cabinetsaw about 10 years ago after I retired andmoved to a new shop where I didn’t haveto keep all my power tools at the front ofone side of a two-car garage.

Over the years since 1953, I’ve addedthe Shopsmith jointer, band saw, thick-ness planer, biscuit-cutting attachmentand, recently, the oscillating sander (asmy dad would say, now there’s a “BossTool!”). The planer and band saw are nowon their own power stands, but I still runthe jointer on the basic machine and stilluse it as a drill press (where else can youbuy a horizontal borer for home use?),lathe and disc sander.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend thismachine, used or new, to anybody who isstarting out in woodworking and has lim-ited space for tool storage. It’ll last you therest of your life and probably a lot longer.

Barney HowardSisters, Oregon

We Want to Hear From YouPopular Woodworking welcomes letters from readers with questions or com-ments about the magazine or woodworking in general.We try to respond toall correspondence.Published letters may be edited for length or style.Allletters become the property of Popular Woodworking.

How to Send Your Letter:• E-mail:[email protected]• Fax: (513) 531-0919• Mail carrier:Letters • Popular Woodworking • 1507 Dana Ave. Cincinnati,OH 45207

Continued on page 10

Procedures used to testscrewdrivers are suspect

LETTERS

Editor’s note: As many of our readers mayhave noticed in the last issue, contributing ed-itor R.J. DeCristoforo passed away. Allwoodworkers (particularly Shopsmith own-ers) owe R.J. a debt of gratitude for how muchhe taught us about our tools and all the amaz-ing things we can do with them that isn’t cov-ered in the manuals.

Article on Death RowWoodworkers Doesn’t BelongI was disappointed with your article aboutdeath row (April 2000 #114). What placedoes an article about the lowest form ofpeople in our society have in a wood-working magazine? Although you triedto walk on eggshells about their charac-ter, I feel you really missed the boat onthis one.

Quite frankly, I don’t care how inge-nious convicted killers are. It seemed al-most that you wanted to glamorize theirexploits. What about the victims? Ifyou want to write about the seriousnessof our society go write for Time or Newsweek.I for one read your magazine for enjoy-ment, not to be reminded of the terriblethings in the world.

Mark AdamsCharlotte, North Carolina

Death-Row WoodworkingArticle ‘Despicable’I just purchased the April issue of Popu-lar Woodworking. It is my opinion that thearticle on death row woodworkers was de-spicable journalism. These inmates lostthe privilege of recognition for their workthe day they took a life.

I’ve taped those pages together so asnot to have to look at them again. Thereare thousands of woodworkers in the Unit-ed States that are far more deserving.

James PozorskiMilwaukee, Wisconsin

I Was Suspicious of Your ToolReviews, But Not Now A few months ago your staff chose to re-view a particular sliding compound mitersaw in your Tool Test column.

Earlier in the year I had purchased adifferent brand and had really put itthrough its paces. Much to my satisfac-tion it performed exceptionally well. It

struck me that my choice of saw must havebeen omitted from the group you tested.This lead me to wonder about the valid-ity of your procedures. In fact, I almostwrote to you on this matter to share myexperience.

Then your April 2000 issue arrived.Within your current tool test a specificcordless drill/driver was shown. I was veryimpressed with the price, features andbrand of this unit. After examination ata local dealer, I purchased it and am mostpleased with its performance and balance.My choice to use your guide actuallycaused me to cancel an order for a unit ofa different brand. PW

Ralph H. MeinelWilliams, Oregon


Continued from page 8

Corrections andClarificationsIn the November 1999 issue (#111),Popular Woodworking inadvertentlyviolated a patent when publishingthe plans for the Miter Sled on page30.The method for setting theangle of the miter cut was patentedby Jerry W.Cole, the inventor of the“Dubby” table saw fixture.Anyonewho uses this method without Mr.Cole’s permission will violate theCole patent and be liable formoney damages. If you are interest-ed in purchasing the Dubby mitersled for your table saw,contactJerry W.Cole at 800-533-6709 formore information.

In the Ice Box Entertainment Unitin the April 2000 issue a coupleitems were incorrect or missing.Attach the mitered base pieces tothe front of the case with screwsand glue.Use a biscuit in themiters.Attach the base pieces tothe sides with screws in slottedholes to allow wood movement.

On the face frame, there’s noshoulder on the top of the top rail.So the mortise on the stile is openon the end of the stile.

Ignore the door’s mortise di-mensions in the photo caption.Actual mortise dimensions are: 1⁄4"x 13⁄4" x 21⁄8" for the upper rail and1⁄4" x 21⁄4" x 21⁄8" for the bottomrail.These are 3⁄8" in from the stileend.Tenon sizes are stated on page65 of the article.The notch dimen-sion is wrong. It should be 3⁄8" x13⁄4".

Once upon a time when I was new towoodworking, someone showed me

how to cut my sanding time in half by usinga hand-held scraper. I thought to myself, “Itjust doesn’t get any better than this.”

But it did. A few years later I was in-troduced to a cabinet scraper — a castmetal frame that holds a scraper at a fixedangle. This reduced my scraping choresconsiderably, and I thought, “It really can’tget any better than this.”

But it did. A few more years went by,and someone let me try out their old Stan-ley scraper plane, an adjustable holder fora scraper. A scraper plane, I quickly learned,is to a cabinet scraper what a Ferrari is toan Astrovan. “This,” I thought to myself,“is as close to heaven as I am going to get.”

And I was right. Scraper planes are notonly one of the best smoothing tools everinvented, they are unfortunately as rare ashen’s teeth. The old Stanleys are a collec-tor’s item, and they are priced according-ly. The reproductions that are beginningto appear aren’t much less expensive.

Well, if you can’t find it or you can’t af-ford it, you can always make it. Not so verylong ago, it was common for woodwork-ers to make their own planes — they aren’tparticularly difficult tools to make. Andthe scraper plane, it turns out, is one of thesimplest. In fact, you can make one fromscrapwood and a scraper or a worn-outplane iron.

The plane holds a scraper against awooden support. By turning the adjustorwheels, you can change the angle of thesupport to compensate for the angle of theburr on the edge of the scraper to get thecut you’re after.

Building the PlaneI made this particular scraper plane fromsome scraps of exotic and figured woods

Scrapwood Scraper PlaneThis plane helps takesthe work out of handwork.


INGENIOUS JIGS

Coupling NutDetail

1/4"

5/16"radius

1/4"diameterthru 1"

5/8"

1/4" x 3 3/4"steel rod(3 required)

Sandpaper

3/8" x 5"dowel

#10 x 1"thumbscrew

and #10 T-nut(2 sets required)

5/16" washer(2 required)

Hex nut(2 required)

3/8" x 3" threaded

rod

3/8" I.D. x 1"compression

spring

Nick Engler is the author of over 50 books on wood-working, plus countless articles and project plans.He makes many of his own tools because he’s nevermade enough money at it to afford real ones.

Photos by Al ParrishIllustrations by Mary Jane Favorite

Shape the plane handlewith a cabinet rasp,rounding over andblending the surfacesuntil it fits your handcomfortably (far left).

To round the couplingnut, use the pivot toswing it back and fortharound the pivot holeas you grind away theend with a sander orgrinder (left).

Top view

Side view

1/8" x 3/4" dowel(four required)

3"

12"

6"

1/2"

2 3/4"

1 5/8"diameter

3/4"diameter

5"

#10 x 1 3/4"flathead woodscrews

4"radius

3/8"

3/8"

1/2"

1/2"

1/2" 1/2" 1/2"1 1/4 x 1 1/4" x 2" loose tenons(four required)

1"2 7/8"

1/4" x 2 3/4"steel rod

3/8"connecting

nut

Adjustor Bar Layout

2 7/8"1/2"

1"

3/8"diameterthru

5/32" x 5/8"deep hole

3/8" diameterdowel plugs(2 required)

C L1/2"

Adjustor Wheel Layout

3/8" diameterthru with 9/16" x3/8" countersink,sides chiseledto fit 3/8" hex nut

1 1/2"diameter

22 1/2° 1/2" thick stock

1/16" deepband saw kerfs

Cap Bar Layout

3/4" 3/8"

3/16" 3/16"

1/8"diameterthru1/4"diameterthru

7/16" 7/16"1"1 7/8"

INGENIOUS JIGS

that I just couldn’t bring myself to throwaway. (Like most woodworkers, I have anoveractive packrat gland.) The sole re-quires an extremely hard wood to be asdurable as possible, so I made that fromCocobolo. But any dense wood will do —rock maple was the traditional planemak-ers’ choice. The other parts are made fromcurly maple and cherry, but any clear hard-wood will work well.

Before you cut the parts, adjust thewidth of the plane so it’s 1⁄8" wider thanthe scraper between the sides. I used theblade from my cabinet scraper, which is23⁄4" wide, making the plane 27⁄8" wide.I’ve also made these planes 21⁄8" wide, using2" plane irons as scraping blades. The planeirons work like gangbusters, by the way.

Because of the loads applied to this toolwhen you’re using it, several of the partsmust be reinforced. I drilled a long holethrough the back handle and inserted a3⁄8"-diameter dowel to prevent it from split-ting. I also used dowels to reinforce theends of the cap bar and the adjustor bar.The cap bars are under considerable ten-sion, and the steel rods will split out of the

ends if they are not strengthened. I putdowels in the adjustor bar at right angles tothe wood grain because screws do not holdwell in end grain.

I also reinforced the joints between thesoles and the sides with loose tenons be-cause Cocobolo is an oily wood and doesnot form an especially strong glue bond.If I had made the soles from rock maple,the tenons would have been unnecessary.

When gluing the sides to the soles, re-member that you must put the support,support pivot, coupling nut and couplingnut pivot in position as you do so. Thepivot rods are captured by the sides; youcannot insert them after you assemble theplane body.

Using the Scraper PlanePlace the plane on a flat surface. Insert thescraper blade between the support and thecap and slide it down until it touches thesurface. Tighten the thumbscrews to lock

it in place — I adhere a piece of 100# sand-paper to the back of the support to keepthe scraper from shifting in use.

Loosen the back adjustor wheel. As youmake passes over a piece of wood, turn thefront wheel until the blade begins to bite.Then tighten the back wheel and makeanother pass over the wood. The planeshould be resting flat on its sole. If it’s not,or you’re not getting the cut you want, re-adjust the vertical position of the blade orthe angle of the support. This takes a littlefutzing around until you get the hang ofthe tool and how it cuts. Tip: Use a rawhidemallet to tap the blade, making tiny ad-justments in the vertical position. PW


1/4" diameter thruwith 3/4" x 1/16"counterbore forT-nut

2 7/8"1/2"

1/2"

1/8"

1"

3 1/4"

1 1/2"

1 3/4"1/4"diameterthru

2"

Cap Layout

1/2"

SuppliesCabinet scraper bladesGarrett Wade161 Avenue of the AmericasNew York,NY 10013800-221-2942

Blade Support Layout

1/4" x 1/8" round- bottom groove

1/4"diameterthruFor

1/4 x 2 7/8"steelrod

2 7/8"

1 7/8"

1 1/8" 1 1/8"5/8"

1 1/2"

1"

1 1/4"

4 1/2"

4°

1 5/8"

1"

Front view Side view

To change the angle of the scraperblade, turn the adjustor wheels.Steeper angles (as the blade ap-proaches vertical) leave a smoothersurfacer, shallow angles remove stockmore quickly (far left).To sharpenthe scraper blade, grind and file theends at 30 degrees. Roll the burrwith a burnisher.Don’t apply toomuch pressure; a small burr is lesslikely to grab and leaves a smoothersurface than a large burr (left).


TRICKS OF THE TRADE

WINNER!High Precision Miter Saw TrickI’m currently installing interior door andwindow trim, and I insist on near-perfectmiter joints. In the past I’ve taken themeasurement, made the initial cut a bit long,and “nibbled” off an end until I achieved the desiredfit. Recently I stumbled on an idea to remove just a hairwith my chop saw. After measuring the workpiece andmaking the rough cut a bit long, I sneak up on the finalcut as follows. Position the workpiece against the fence,and then lower the blade to its lowest position, with-out turning on the saw. Then slide the workpiece untilit touches the side of the non-moving blade (not theteeth). While holding the workpiece firmly in place, raise the sawblade, still without turning on the saw. Still holding the workpiece securely,turn on the saw and make the cut in a normal manner. The amount of wood re-moved is simply the amount of the teeth’s offset from the blade. Repeat the hair-cut-ting process until the desired fit is achieved.

David TheriaultBrewer, Maine

Be an Innovative Thinker and Win!Turn your woodworking knowledge into a truly tricked-out tool from the SimpsonMachine Tool Co. (www.smtco.com).Your best trick or shop tip can earn you a repro-duction of the 19th Century Stanley Odd Job #1 — the original multi-tool — and acheck for $50.The Odd Job is an inside miter and try square,mortise scribe, layouttool,depth gauge,beam compass and bubble level,with a 6" and 12" brass-linedmaple rule.This re-creation of a classic tool is cast from solid manganese bronze andis machined to within .0015 tolerance.One winner will be chosen each issue;pub-lished runners-up receive $25.

To make things easier, you can e-mail your trick and daytime phone number to usat [email protected] or mail it to:Tricks of the Trade • Popular Woodworking •1507 Dana Ave. • Cincinnati,OH 45207. All entries become the property of PopularWoodworking.

Sponsored by

Illustrations: John McCormick

Anti-LockBit Trick

Reading an old routerproject article, the writer

tells of beating on bits to getthem out of the collet. A simple way to keepthe bits from locking up is to never tightena bit that is bottomed out in the collet. Allowthe bit to hit the collet’s bottom, then raiseit 1⁄16" or 1⁄8" before tightening. When re-moving, loosen the nut and push the bit allthe way in to loosen it, then remove it. Thisworks with all tools that have a collet.

John GouldRamona, California

Beating Woodworker-Proof CapsI have always had trouble with those cans of finish withthe “push down and twist” caps. You can never open themeasily a second time after they glue themselves shut fromthe residual finish on the neck and cap. I invariably ruinthe cap trying to remove it with a pair of pliers. To solvethis problem, I simply cut a 2" x 2" piece of plastic shop-ping bag, place it over the mouth of the open can andscrew the cap back on. The bag material is quite strong andthin, and it allows a good seal while still letting you eas-ily reopen the can several times. When necessary, cut anew piece of shopping bag to replace the torn old one.

D. DehnUnion, Illinois

Nuts To Straight Circ-saw Cuts Rip guides come with most new circularsaws and work great until the materialwidth is smaller than your saw’s bedwidth. That’s when I use a framingsquare nut to act as my guide. The nutoffers accuracy with consecutive cutsthat can’t be beat. Usually I’ll onlymark the first 6" of the board andbegin my cut without the nut. Thenwhen blade placement is establishedin the wood I screw the nut on andrip away. Gang rips and plunge-cutrips are no problem with practice.Also, scribe the location of thenut with a pencil, remove thenut, then confidently and sim-ply go back to your mark laterfor a fast duplicate cut. PW

Chris J. McLoughlinDecatur, Georgia

www.popwood.com 17

Shopmade Depth Gauge for Lathe WorkA depth gauge with a long stock is a valuable lathe accessory when turning large bowls.This shopmade one uses a piece of dowel rod that can be locked with a captive wedge— a useful method of locking a sliding part, much used in the past, but not so often seennow. Sizes can suit your needs, but stock 1" square and a 1⁄2" piece of dowel rod wouldbe suitable. Drill for the rod and make a wedge that will pass through the hole. Thewedge need not be more than 1⁄8" thick and a length of 3" will do. Give it a moderateslope and make the knob on the small end the same height as the thick end. Cut a slotso, with the wedge in place, the rod is free to move when the thin end of the wedge iswithin the thickness of the stock, then hand pressure or a light tap with a hammer se-cures the rod.

Percy W. BlandfordStratford-on-Avon, England

From Volume 14,Issue No. 4, 1945

A nostalgic look back at plans published by Delta

Machinery shortly afterWorld War II.

FoldingLawn ChairThe advantage of this design is the folding ac-

tion which allows you to fold the chair into acompact space for storage. The back pivots on a 3⁄4"dowel, while the arms, front legs and seat unit pivoton carriage bolts. The curved rails for the back areband sawn from 2 x 4 stock and the slats are screwedto these. A 3⁄4" dowel is bolted to the bottom rail forthe pivot. The chair is finished with two coats oflinseed oil and then outdoor paint. PW


Back in 1989 a local sawmill ownerpassed away in these parts and hisfamily went about auctioning off all

his personal possessions, including a largequantity of lumber. Before the auction Iwent through the wood and found some20"-wide curly maple that apparently hadbeen milled in 1954. I wanted that wood,and so I went to the auction with $1,000in my pocket ready to to bid, but also readyto be disappointed.

When the curly maple lot came up, theauctioneer put one leg up on that pile ofwood, spit out a huge wad of tobacco andsaid the words that would lead to the lum-ber purchase of a lifetime.

“Who wants to bid on this pile of oak?”he says.

Well, a few minutes and $200 later thatpile of the most amazing and wide curlymaple was mine. For more than 10 yearsthat lumber has sat in my shop. I’ve useda couple small pieces for important pro-jects, but mostly I’ve been saving it forsomething very special: a drop-lid secre-tary for my daughter.

Now I’ve been a professional cabinet-maker for a long time, and have built justabout every piece of reproduction furnitureimaginable. But I’ve got to tell you that

some aspects of this project were a real chal-lenge. The beaded mullioned doors requirea lot of tricky cuts that are dangerous if notexecuted carefully. If you’re squeamish, I’drecommend you make the mullions flat in-stead of beaded. Most of all, don’t get intoa hurry with this project. It’s going to takeyou a lot longer than you expect.

Lower CaseSome cabinetmakers build a separate basethat the case rests on. After years of build-ing Shaker and 18th century Americanfurniture, I’ve found it’s better to build thelower case and base as one. Instead of aseparate base, I make my side pieces ex-tend to the floor and attach the ogeefeet to the sides and a build-up block onthe front. We’ll get to the feet later, butdon’t look for parts for a separate base.

The lower case is held together by mor-tise-and-tenoned framed panels that areattached to the two sides using slidingdovetails. The writing surface is also at-tached to the sides using sliding dovetails.And the top of the lower case is attachedusing half-blind dovetails. The lid is sup-ported by two pieces that slide out besidethe top drawer. The back is shiplappedand nailed into rabbets on the side pieces.

www.popwood.com 21

by Troy Sexton

Troy Sexton designs and builds custom furniture and is a private woodworking instructor in Sunbury, Ohio, for his company, Sexton Classic American Furniture.

Troy is a contributing editor for Popular Woodworking.

As I watched my daughter grow,I waited patiently for more thana decade to build this secretary. This year both

she and I were ready for this ultimate heirloom.

Secretaryt r a d i t i o n a l

Begin by roughing out your partsand gluing up any panels you mightneed. First cut the sliding dovetailsin the side pieces. These cross theentire width of the cabinet side.Build a jig from two pieces of ply-wood to do this. The jig, as shownin the photos, has a long slot in thetop that is exactly the same widthas the template guide on my router.The second piece of plywood keepsthe jig square to the side. Chuck a3⁄4" dovetail bit with a 14-degree slope intoyour router and set the router to cut 7⁄16"into the sides. Lay out the locations ofall the sliding dovetails on the sides andmake your cuts. Now cut the slant onthe sides and top as shown in the diagramsand cut a 1⁄2" x 1⁄2" rabbet on the sides tohold the back pieces. Do not cut a rab-bet on the top piece.

Now turn your attention to the stuffthat goes between the sides. Start by cut-ting the material for the mortise-and-tenonpanels that run between the sides. Thesepanels (sometimes called dust panels ordividers) are much like a door, with rails,stiles and a flat panel that floats inside.The tenons are 1" long, and the groove tohold the panel is 3⁄8" x 3⁄8". When you as-semble the frames, glue the front mortis-es but not the rear ones. When you attachthe assembled frames to the case, the di-vider fronts should be flush to the front ofthe case and the divider backs flush to theinside of the rabbet. This allows the caseto expand with the seasons.

Fit your panels, then cut the male partof the sliding dovetail on the ends of thewriting surface, the rails and the ends ofthe stiles. You’ll need to use a router in arouter table for this operation. Go ahead

and cut the sliding dovetails for the verti-cal dividers that house the lid supports.

Now sand the back section of the malepart of the dovetail as shown above.

To attach the top to the sides, I usedhalf-blind dovetails. I cut the pins using ahomemade jig that was featured in theSeptember 1999 issue. The pins should be7⁄16" deep. Cut your pins and then dry-fitthe case together. Now cut the tails on thetop and knock that into place. When every-thing fits, disassemble the case and sandthe inside of the desk. Glue up the caseand clamp it.

Top CaseThe top case is built similarly to the lowercase. The top is attached to the sides usinghalf-blind dovetails. The two shelves andbottom are attached to the sides using slid-ing dovetails. Then you build and nail aface frame to the case.

Cut your sliding dovetails in the sidesin the locations shown in the diagram usingthe same dimensions and jig from the lower

case. Then cut the pins for the half-blinddovetails in the sides and cut the 1⁄2" x 1⁄2"rabbet on the sides to hold the back.

Fit the top case together and then cutthe top piece to size and cut the tails onthe end to fit into the pins on the sides.Sand the interior, glue up the top case andbuild the face frame.

The face frame is built using mortise-and-tenon construction. Cut 1"-long tenonson the rails and 11⁄16"-deep mortises onthe stiles. Glue up the face frame and at-tach it to the top case with nails.

Finish sand the exterior of both cabinetsbecause the next step is the moulding.

MouldingThere are custom mouldings on this pro-ject that require skill to cut, especially theogee feet. Begin working on the feet bygluing a long block to the front of the lowercase (below the lowest divider). You’regoing to nail your feet to this.

To make the ogee feet moulding, firstmake a cove cut down the middle of your


Here you can see the jig that cuts the female part of the sliding dovetails.What you can’t see is the boardattached to the back of the jig (next to my stomach) that keeps the jig square to the side (left). Unlessyou taper the male part of the sliding dovetail, it’s going to bind up as you knock it into the case. I made alittle sanding block for just this purpose.One edge has the same angle cut on it as the dovetail (14degrees).Wrap sandpaper around the block and sand both edges of the dovetail.Don’t sand up near thefront where the dovetail will show.You want that part of the joint to be tight (right).

Cut the pins in the case sides using a custom-made jig and a template guide in your router.The jig isexplained in the September 1999 issue (left). After the pins are cut, dry-fit the case and mark thetails for the top piece (right).

7/8"

1/2" knob

Open to back of

case

7/8"

7/8"

7/16"dovetail

3 1/4"

Lid Supports

www.popwood.com 23

1/2"

5 5/8"

1/4"

1/2"

2"

2"

1/4"

1/2"5 1/4"1/4"5 1/4"3/8"1 1/2"

3/8"3 9/16"

3/16" deep dadoes on outer joints and thicker parts 1/16" deep on inner joints

CL

11 1/8"

17 1/16"

2 1/2" 2 1/2" 2 1/2" 2 1/2"1/4" 1/4" 1/4"

Plywood bracebehind base foot

34 1/4" 7/8"7/8"36"

See detailof base

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

5 1/2"

6 1/2"

5 1/4"

4 1/4"

3 1/4"

11 1/4"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

13 1/4"

10 3/4"7/8"

34 1/2"

3/4"

10 1/4"

8 3/8"36"

41 1/4"

1 1/8"1 1/8"2 1/4"2 1/4"

10 3/4"2 1/4"

35°77 1/4"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

5 1/2"

6 1/2"

5 1/4"

4 1/4"

3 1/4"

11 1/4"

7/8"

7/8"

7/8"

13 1/4"

3/4"

36"

41 1/4"

1/2" 16 3/4" 3/4"18"

1/2" 8" 3/4"9 1/4"

See detailof crown

1/4" overhang onall fronts and lid

7/8"

10 1/4"

8 3/8"

stock using your table saw in the same wayyou would cut cove moulding. It helps todraw the profile on the end of one of theboards to help guide your cuts.

After the cove cut is complete, roundover the top of the moulding by runningthe moulding on edge against your rip fence,changing the blade’s bevel as you nibbleaway at the edge until you can smooth thecuts with a sander.

Sand the feet and then miter the pieces.Trace the profile of the scrollwork fromthe diagram onto the glued-in block. Cutthe scrollwork profile on the block usinga jigsaw (it doesn’t have to be pretty). Cutthe scrollwork on the ogee feet on yourband saw or scrollsaw and sand your cut(these have to be pretty). Nail the feetto your case sides and front. Then miterand nail 3⁄4" cove moulding on top of the

Elevation Profile

Insert


ogee feet moulding.You’re done with the feet. Now put the

top case on top of the lower case. Centerit and attach 3⁄4" cove moulding to thelower case around the base of the top case.

Attach cove moulding to the top case (Ibought mine off the rack) and then add a 1⁄2"-thick cap as shown in the diagrams.

DoorsThe doors are real tricky. In fact, you should-n’t feel bad about modifying the doors tosuit your taste or skill level. The joints forthe door are formed using a custom cope-and-stick shaper profile. The rails and stilesare attached using loose tenons. The mul-lions are coped on the ends and glued be-tween the rails and stiles. Coping thesetiny pieces is the tricky part.

Begin by cutting the cope-and-stick pro-file on the rails and stiles. Now cut the copeon the mullions. Here’s how: Take a blockof wood that’s about 4" wide and cope theends, then rip your mullions from this widerboard. Use a really wide pushstick to pro-tect your fingers during this dangerous cut.Cut the beaded profile on the edges of themullions and cut the 1⁄4"-deep x 5⁄16" widerabbet on both back edges to hold the glass.Because this cut is so tricky, I recommendyou use a special pushstick that you can seein action in the photo at right.

Fit the rails and mullions between the

stiles and get ready to cut the loose tenonsthat hold the doors together. I cut the mor-tises in the rails and stiles using a straightbit in a router. Each mortise measures3⁄8" wide x 1" deep x 11⁄2" long. Cut yourtenon material from shop scraps. Glue andclamp your doors.

DrawersThe drawers are built entirely using solidlumber. The drawer fronts lip over the caseand are rounded over on the front. Thesides attach to the front with rabbeted half-blind dovetails and through-dovetails atthe back. The bottom, which is a panelwith beveled edges, slides into a groove inthe sides and front.

Begin by cutting your parts to size andcutting a 5⁄16"-wide x 7⁄16"-deep rabbetall the way around the back of the drawerfronts. Then cut a roundover on the draw-er fronts.

Cut your half-blind dovetails usingthe same type of jig you used for buildingthe case. Now cut the 3⁄8"-wide x 1⁄4"-deepgroove in the drawer front and sides for thebottom panel. Cut your bottom panel tosize and bevel the edges so the panel will fitbetween the side pieces. Glue up your draw-

ers and slide the bottom panel into place.

Drop LidThe drop lid is built using traditional mor-tise-and-tenon breadboard ends. Begin bycutting three 2"-wide x 1"-long tenons oneach end of the panel. Use these to lay outthe mortises on the breadboards. Cutthe mortises a little wide, glue the centertenon in the mortise and peg your tenonsthrough elongated holes in the tenons.

Now cut a rabbet on the sides and topof the lid and roundover the front edgelike you did the drawers. Attach the lid tothe lower case using the hinges listed inthe supplies box.

Build the slide-out supports for the lid.They are simply a piece of maple with asecond piece of maple tenoned on the endto hide the end grain. Slide these into theirholes and move onto the back pieces.

Back PiecesI made a traditional shiplapped back forthis piece using 1⁄2"-thick material. Cut1⁄4" x 1⁄2" rabbets on the edges and thencut a bead on the edges using a 1⁄4" bead-ing bit in a router table. You’ll nail theseboards in place after finishing.

InsertThe pigeonholes add a lot to this piece.You might want to customize yours withmore secret spaces than I did. First buildthe dovetailed box that slides into the desk.I used through-dovetails because the ma-terial is thin. Now use the diagram to layout and cut the dadoes for all the dividers.I used a dado stack in my table saw for this.

Glue the dividers in place. Cut the pi-geonhole scrollwork on a scrollsaw and

2"

7"

2"

1/4" radiuscove onplinths

11"See detailfor column

profile

1 1/2"

2"

Columnbacker

Cut the tails on your band saw and clean themup with a chisel if necessary.

Here you can see how I build my bases. I add ablock at the front and attach the moulding to that.It’s much like a kick on a traditional cabinet,exceptit’s flush to the front of the case.Cut out the scrollpattern using a jigsaw (top).After you’ve cut outthe scroll pattern on the ogee feet,nail them inplace to the sides and the block at front (right).

www.popwood.com 25

3/8"1/2"1 3/8"

2"

12 7/8"

2 1/2"

7/16"30 5/8"35 1/8"

17 1/2"

1 13/16"7/16" 1 13/16"

1/8"

Divider back is loose, leavinga 1/8" gap for seasonal movement

Front

Tenon layout7/16" long sliding dovetailcut on both ends of panel

Dust panel set into3/8" x 3/8" grooves

1"1/4" x 1 3/8" x 1"

tenon on end of rails

1 1/4" thick stock

3/8" radius on edge of top

1/2"

4 1/8"

7/8"

5/16"

5/16"

4 1/4"

Half scale of base foot and crown moulding assembly

Here’s a close-up look at the loose-tenon con-struction. Cut the mortises in the rails and stilesusing a spiral bit in a router.

Before you cut your loose tenon joints,make sureall your mullions fit between the door rails andstiles.

When it’s all said and done, this is what yourmullion should look like.The cope for my set ofknives is 5⁄16" deep.

The mullions are tricky.Here you can see thespecial jig I rigged up to cut the rabbet on themullions.One edge is shaped to hold the beadedside (far top).Then you simply put the mullionin the jig, set your table saw to make your cutand be careful (top).

1/4" 1/4" 1/4" 1/4" 1/4"1/16"

1/8"1/8" 1/4"

1 1/2"Column Detail

Case Dividers


glue it in place using spring clamps.Build the eight horizontal and two ver-

tical drawers using half-blind dovetails.The vertical “drawers” open to the insidefor hanging jewelry. Cut the column pro-files and attach them and the plinths tothe backer, then glue the whole assem-bly to the drawers.

To build the little door in the center I

used a cope-and-stick set in my router table.Then I band sawed out the curve in thetop rail and cut the profile using the samerouter setup. The 1⁄4" panel is flat (notraised) and slides neatly into the groovecreated by the router cutters.

DetailsAttach all the hardware and hang your

doors. I used an aniline dye to color thepiece followed by three coats of spray lac-quer. After finishing, attach the back boardsand add the glass using either silicone ortraditional water putty.

The good news was that my daughterloved the new secretary. I’m sure she’ll trea-sure it for years to come. The bad news isthat now my wife wants one. PW

Lower CaseNo. Item Dimensions T W L Material2 Sides 7⁄8" x 18" x 411⁄4" P1 Case top 7⁄8" x 101⁄8" x 351⁄8" P1 Desktop 7⁄8" x 171⁄2" x 351⁄8" P4 Divider fronts 7⁄8" x 21⁄2" x 351⁄8" P4 Divider backs 7⁄8" x 2" x 351⁄8" P6 Divider rails 7⁄8" x 21⁄4" x 147⁄8" P2 Divider rails (top) 7⁄8" x 31⁄2" x 147⁄8" P2 Vertical rails 7⁄8" x 3⁄4" x 41⁄8" P4 Lid suppt guides 7⁄8" x 3⁄4" x 12" S3 Lower panels 3⁄8" x 135⁄8" x 313⁄8" S1 Top panel 3⁄8" x 135⁄8" x 287⁄8" S1 Drop lid panel 7⁄8" x 137⁄8" x 323⁄4" P2 Breadbords 7⁄8" x 2" x 137⁄8" P2 Lid supports 7⁄8" x 31⁄4" x 17" P2 Support ends 7⁄8" x 2" x 31⁄4" P1 Feet support strip 3⁄4" x 51⁄2" x 341⁄4" Ply

Back 1⁄2" x 35" x 411⁄4" SOgee feet 11⁄4" x 5" x 7' PCove mould 3⁄4" x 3⁄4" x 14' P

Upper Case2 Sides 7⁄8" x 81⁄2" x 36" P4 Shelves and top 7⁄8" x 8" x 335⁄8" P2 Face frame stiles 3⁄4" x 2" x 36" P1 Face frame top rail 3⁄4" x 4" x 321⁄2" P1 Face frame bot rail 3⁄4" x 11⁄2" x 321⁄2" P

Back 1⁄2" x 331⁄2" x 36" SCove mould 7⁄8" x 41⁄2" x 61⁄2' PMoulding cap 1⁄2" x 41⁄4" x 61⁄2' P

Upper Case Doors4 Stiles 3⁄4" x 21⁄4" x 301⁄2" P2 Top rails 3⁄4" x 21⁄4" x 113⁄8" P2 Bott rails 3⁄4" x 23⁄4" x 113⁄8" P2 Vert mullions 3⁄4" x 3⁄4" x 261⁄8" P8 Horiz mullions 3⁄4" x 3⁄4" x 55⁄8" P

Lower Case Drawers1 Front A 7⁄8" x 7" x 343⁄4" P

No. Item Dimensions T W L Material1 Front B 7⁄8" x 53⁄4" x 343⁄4" P1 Front C 7⁄8" x 43⁄4" x 343⁄4" P1 Front D 7⁄8" x 33⁄4" x 311⁄4" P2 Sides A 1⁄2" x 63⁄8" x 171⁄4" S2 Sides B 1⁄2" x 51⁄8" x 171⁄4" S2 Sides C 1⁄2" x 41⁄8" x 171⁄4" S2 Sides D 1⁄2" x 31⁄8" x 171⁄4" S1 Back A 1⁄2" x 53⁄8" x 341⁄8" S1 Back B 1⁄2" x 41⁄8" x 341⁄8" S1 Back C 1⁄2" x 31⁄8" x 341⁄8" S1 Back D 1⁄2" x 21⁄8" x 305⁄8" S1 Bottom 1⁄2" x 171⁄2" x 301⁄8" S3 Bottoms 1⁄2" x 171⁄2" x 335⁄8" S

Insert2 Sides 1⁄2" x 81⁄2" x 111⁄8" P2 Top & bott 1⁄2" x 81⁄2" x 341⁄8" P4 Large vert dividers 3⁄8" x 81⁄2" x 101⁄2" P4 Shelves 1⁄4" x 81⁄2" x 111⁄8" P6 Dividers 1⁄4" x 81⁄2" x 57⁄8" P4 Dividers 1⁄4" x 21⁄8" x 81⁄2" P8 Pigeonhole arches 1⁄4" x 2" x 21⁄2" P

Column drawers4 Front & back 1⁄2" x 17⁄16" x 10" S4 Tops & botts 1⁄2" x 17⁄16" x 81⁄4" S2 Sides 1⁄2" x 73⁄4" x 93⁄4" S2 Column backer 1⁄4" x 2" x 111⁄16" P2 Beaded boards 1⁄4" x 11⁄2" x 7" P4 Plinths 5⁄8" x 2" x 2" P

Insert drawers and door8 Fronts 1⁄2" x 115⁄16" x 53⁄16" P8 Backs 3⁄8" x 15⁄8" x 53⁄16" S16 Sides 3⁄8" x 115⁄16" x 81⁄8" S8 Bottoms 1⁄4" x 413⁄16" x 8" S2 Door stiles 11⁄16" x 11⁄2" x 101⁄16" P1 Bott rail 11⁄16" x 11⁄2" x 51⁄4" P1 Top rail 11⁄16" x 3" x 51⁄4" P1 Panel 1⁄4" x 51⁄8" x 73⁄4" P

P=Maple • S=Poplar

Schedule of Materials: Traditional Secretary

The insert is merely slid into the desk afterfinishing.You don’t need to attach it to the lowercase if you don’t want to. Here I’m fitting thepigeonhole scrollwork into the cubbyholes usingspring clamps.

The support end on the lid support, (attachedwith a haunched mortise), is a nice way toconceal the end grain.

SuppliesHorton Brasses Inc. 800-754-9127H-42 1⁄2" interior knobs (10)H-34 exterior pulls (8)H-34SE escutcheons for drawers,

slant top (5)H-38 interior escutcheon (1)H-551 top door escutcheon (2)LK2 lock (2)

Rockler 800-279-4441#29157 hinges for slant top lid

$2.99/pair (1 pair)#25700 hinges for interior door

$1.99/pair (1 pair)#31495 hinges for top doors

$5.79/pair (2 pair)#15190 lock, interior door

$18.99 (1)


by David Thiel

When lunch is served at the garden swing, simply popup the center section of the seat to turn

it into a handy built-in table.

Nothing says summer like a glass of lemonade, relaxing in the shade andhoping to catch a breeze – or creating your own by giving your swing akick. Of course, I always get so comfortable I’m looking for a place to put

my drink down and close my eyes. Now I’ve got a swing designed to help. Integratedinto the seat is a simple pop-up table that sits level to the ground while the swingkeeps your back at a comfortable angle.

The swing is simple to build. Joinery consists of some simple tongue-and-grooveconstruction, biscuits and screws. Most of the pieces are dimensional lumber sizesyou can buy right off the rack. You will, however, need a planer to run the slatsdown to their proper thickness.

Start the project by heading to the lumber yard. The six-foot swing as shownrequired one 2x8, one 2x6, five 2x4s, and 10 1x4s all in eight-foot lengths. I chosewestern red cedar because it’s a durable, lightweight, outdoor wood and is less ex-pensive than redwood. At Midwest prices, the lumber cost about $120.

Seat FrameOnce back in the shop, start construction by cutting the seat rails and stringersfrom the 2x4s. As you probably know, dimensional lumber comes with roundededges. You’ll need to get rid of them. Cut the pieces for the rails and stringers totheir 3" thickness by first running one edge over the jointer until they have asquare edge, then rip them to 3" wide. To give the seat a comfortable backangle, set your saw blade to an 7-degree bevel and run the back rail on edge to givea 7-degree angle to the back.

garden

Phot

o by

Al P

arri

sh

Now cut the pieces to length and screwthe stringers between the rails, spacingthem as shown. The center section spac-ing is critical because the pop-up tableneeds to be square so it can be lifted outand turned in place and the legs low-ered. Use 2" galvanized deck screws whenscrewing the seat frame together.

Mill all the slats at the same time be-cause they are essentially the same size.Cut the 1x4s into 24" lengths, and plane

the boards to 5⁄8" thickness. Then rip themto their 21⁄2" width and crosscut the seatslats to 20". To give the swing a finishedlook, cut an 1⁄8" roundover on all four topedges of each seat slat using a bit mount-ed in a router table.

Attach the slats for the permanent seats,running the slats from side to side. Theyshould flush up in length to the outsideedges of the stringers, and the front slatshould be flush to the front rail. Use about

3⁄8" spacing between the slats.I decided to attach the slats tothe frame using finish nails andan air nailer. This left a muchsmaller hole than screws, andit was very quick.

To finish the seat I decidedto build the top surface of the

table at this point. The spacing works thesame as on the side seats, but run the slatsfrom front to back. The slats are attachedto two table battens (3⁄4" x 11⁄2" x 197⁄8")that are held 1⁄16" or so away from the in-side face of the front and rear rails. Thisgap should allow the table to lift out with-out binding, but some slight fitting maybe necessary. Don’t worry about the legsyet, we’ll do that later.

Build the BackNext, turn to the back of the swing. Millthe bottom back rail and two stiles to sizeas described earlier to leave crisp edges.Run the bottom edge of the bottom backrail and both stiles through the saw at an83-degree angle to match the bevel on theseat. Then take the 2x8 top rail and lay

out the top arch of the swingby marking the center of therail, then mark 21⁄2" downfrom the top at the center.Tap a small brad nail intothe board at this spot, thenput two more brad nails intothe board at the bottom cor-ner of the board at eitherend. Then take an eight-footstrip of 1⁄4"-thick wood andbend it across the top nail,attaching the strip to the twolower nails with springclamps. The arch formed bythe strip can then be markedwith a pencil, and then a sec-ond line (21⁄2" above the firstline), marked. Jigsaw thepiece to the outside of these


26" 20 7/8"

5 1/8"

90°

23 1/2"

7 degree angleon A, B, & E 1 1/2" 17" 1 1/2"

1 1/2"

1 1/2"

Seat slats "G"spaced equally

5/8"

3"

19°

13°7°7"

B

C

E

H

I

A F

Holding the arched top rail steady was the mostdifficult part of routing the top groove for the slats.Remember to make the cut in two passes on eachside. In this photo you can see that the rail hasn’tbeen cut for length yet, allowing extra support for therouter at the beginning and end of the cut (at left).

With the miters cut on the top rail and back stiles,space the slats and use the top rail to mark the angleand length of each slat, (adding 1") (above).

With the seat frame assembled, nailing the slats in place was a cinch with apneumatic finish nailer and stainless steel nails.Note the 7-degree bevel onthe rear of the back seat rail.

Profile

lines, then sand the piece smooth.To determine the length of the top rail,

lay the bottom rail and side stiles flat withthe bottom rail between the stiles. Clampthese pieces in place, then lay the top railacross the tops of the stiles, flush to thetop outside corner of each stile. Withthe top rail in place, mark the point wherethe inside curve of the rail intersects theinside edge of the stiles. Connect the twopoints and this is the angle to cut on thetop edges of the stiles and on the ends ofthe top rail, to form mitered joints. Theback frame will be held together with adouble helping of biscuits, but first youneed to cut the groove in the top and bot-tom rails to hold the slats.

Running the groove in the bottom railis fairly simple. Set up a router with a straightbit (or an up-spiral bit) of either 3⁄8" or 1⁄2"diameter. Next set up a fence on the router7⁄16" from the bit, and set the bit for a 1⁄2"depth. (The final depth is 1", but take itin two passes.) By running the router onboth long edges of the rail, the groove willbe centered on the piece. Check the fit ofthe back slats in the rail (or better, a testpiece), then make the groove.

To cut the same groove in the archedtop rail, see the photo at left. You will needto adjust the depth of the final cut a bit tocompensate for the curve of the arch.

Miter the top rail to length, then checkthe fit of your slats in the grooves. Thespacing between the slats should be about21⁄4", but double-check your dimensions.

After cutting the double biscuits at thejoints, place the slats in the bottom grooveand locate the top rail in position on theslats. Mark the height and curve on each

slat. Remove the slats,numbering them as youdo. Now add 1" in lengthto the marks on the slatsand cut them to their fin-ished length using theband saw. You’re nowready to glue up. I usedpolyurethane glue for allmy glued joints. Thepolyurethane adhesiveprovides a strong water-resistant bond in evenlong-grain to short-grainjoints. Don’t glue the slats in place, how-ever. Place them in the grooves in their ap-proximate positions, then after the framehas dried, use a brad nailer to tack the slatsin place with a single brad at top and bot-tom, from the back. To protect the lower

rail from rot from standing water in thegroove, cut blocks (called fillets) the size ofthe spaces and glue them in place.

You’re now ready to glue and bolt theback to the seat. I used four 1⁄4" threadedbolts with washers to bolt the bottom railof the back to the back rail of the seat.Hold the bottom edges of each flush, andagain use polyurethane glue on this joint.

Next cut the two arms and arm sup-ports from 2x4 material and cut them toshape using the scaled drawings on thenext page. You may want to cut the angleon the bottom of the support and on theback end of the arms, then fit them in placeand confirm the location and angle of thetop end of the supports. Attach the armsto the back with a long deck screw throughthe back stile. Glue the support to the armand to the seat with 1⁄2" dowels between.

The last step is to put the legs on thetable, and to notch and fit the support

www.popwood.com 31

35°

55°

5/8" x 1" deep groove in top railfor back slats

1 1/2"17"20" 1 1/2"1 1/2" 17" 1 1/2"60"

5/8"3"

Seat slats "G"spaced equally

2 1/2"5 3/8"

B

C

D

E

H

I

F

Schedule of Materials: Garden SwingNo. Ltr. Item Dimensions T W L Material1 A Bottom back rail 11⁄2" x 5" x 55" Cedar2 B Back stiles 11⁄2" x 21⁄2" x 207⁄8" Cedar1 C Top back rail 11⁄2" x 8" x 60" Cedar11 D Back slats 5⁄8" x 21⁄2" x 201⁄2"* Cedar2 E Seat rails 11⁄2" x 3" x 60" Cedar4 F Seat stringers 11⁄2" x 3" x 17" Cedar21 G Seat slats 5⁄8" x 21⁄2" x 20" Cedar2 H Arms 11⁄4" x 3" x 231⁄2" Cedar2 I Arm supports 11⁄2" x 4" x 12"** Cedar2 J Table battens 3⁄4" x 11⁄2" x 197⁄8" Cedar2 K Table legs 1" x 11⁄4" x 61⁄2" Cedar2 L Table legs 1" x 11⁄4" x 81⁄4" Cedar2 M Table leg braces 5⁄8" x 11⁄4" x13"** Cedar2 N Table support cleats 1" x 2" x 20" Cedar

*Longest slat, cut to fit. **Length oversize to allow fitting.

The back of the arm is simply screwed in placethrough the back stile, while the support isattached to the arm and seat with dowels andpolyurethane glue.Notice the foamy squeeze-outof the glue at the joints.

With the notches cut in the support cleats, thetwo pieces can be glued in place in the seatframe.

Elevation

cleats. Start by cutting the leg pieces tothe sizes given in the Schedule of Materials.They are two different lengths to allow thetable to sit parallel to the ground, eventhough the swing itself is angled back.Round over the top end of each leg to allowit to swivel without catching, then drill1⁄4" clearance holes, 1⁄2" down and cen-tered on the legs. Drill clearance holesin the table battens 1⁄2" up from the bot-tom edge, and 1" in from the inside cor-ners. Attach the legs using 1⁄4" x 21⁄2" boltswith two washers on either side of the legand a nylon-lined nut to hold the legs tight,but not immobile.

Check the spacing between the legs(near the bolts) then cut the leg braces tofit, and screw them in place between thelegs.

Now head back to the saw and cut thetwo table support cleats to fit between theinside stringers. Clamp these in place, cen-ter the table in place left to right and markthe location of the legs.

Remove the cleats and cut 7⁄8" x 1"notches on the leg locations. Then use ahandsaw to trim the ends of the legs toform tongues to fit into the mortises you’vejust created in the cleats. Glue the cleatsin place, and once dry, the table will dropinto place in the cleats, holding the tablesteady.

After adding 3⁄8" x 4" eye bolts to thefront and rear of the swing seat, the swingis ready to hang. If you’ve got a porch, finda sturdy joist and get the lemonade. If youhappen to be missing a porch, use the in-formation at left to build a simple A-framestructure to let you swing in style anywherein your yard. PW


No Porch? No ProblemWhile most of us enjoy a porch swing,not all of us have a porch.So we de-signed this swing for the porch-chal-lenged reader by including an A-framestructure that can be placed anywherein your yard.

Rather than spend a lot of valuableswinging time notching the timbers,we went to the local home centerstore and picked up some playsethardware from Swing-N-Slide andsome treated dimensional lumber.

The wood and hardware cost alittle more than $150,making it moreexpensive than the swing.So you maywant to consider that in your planning.The pre-made brackets make assem-bly very easy. Screw two 96"-long 4 x 4posts to the leg braces using 2" deckscrews.By following the angle of thebrackets, the 25-degree angle of theposts is simple to determine.Next cuta 96"-long 2 x 6 into two 48"-longpieces with 25-degree miters on eachend.Screw these supports to the legs,measuring from the bottom of the legsto keep the supports parallel to theground.

The top rail is the last piece,andthe frame brackets will fit 6" betweenthem,so I screwed a 2x4 to each sideof a 4x4 post, finishing out at 6".Therest is simply laying the top rail on theleg assemblies, centering and squaringthe legs to the rail and screwing andbolting the braces in place.

Last,but not least,drill 1⁄4" holes,6"from the inside of each leg assembly,through the top 4 x 4 and insert the 6"eye bolts.Use washers and nuts tosecure the eye bolts, then hang thechains with the “S” connectors.

Some swings will use one chainsuspended from the top rail whichdivides into a “Y” close to the swing.However, the swing is much morestable by using individual chains foreach attachment point on the swing.

Last, but not least, boltthe table legs in placeto the table battens.Note the notches onthe ends of the legswhich drop into thepreviously cut notchesto stabilize the table.

Schedule of Materials:Swing A-FrameNo. Item Dim.T W L Material4 Frame legs 4 x 4 x 96" PTP1 Top center rail 4 x 4 x 96" PTP2 Top outer rails 2 x 4 x 96" PTP2 Leg supports 2 x 6 x 48" PTP4 Swing-N-Slide EZ Frame Braces4 Swing-N-Slide Leg top braces2 3⁄8" x 6" eye bolts4 3⁄8" flat washers4 3⁄8" nuts8 S- connectors4 6-foot lengths of chain

PTP = pressure treated pine

1/2" x 1/2"notches

cut into legs

M

L

J

G

CL

2 1/2"

3/4"

K

1/4"-20hardware

Table back

Each square = 1"


www.popwood.com 35

hen you have a lot of plants to display, you are always look-ing for ways to show them off to their best advantage. Or

maybe you just want to cover that hole where a gopherdug under the house. Either way this plant stand is a great wayto make a few potted plants look like a huge display. Andhere’s a bonus feature: the whole thing folds up flat so you canhang it on a garage wall in the off-season. You can make it usingabout three-quarters of a sheet of 3⁄4" CDX plywood, which is es-sential for outdoor use. The term CDX refers to the quality ofthe two face veneers and the glue between the plys. So CDX hasa “C” and a “D” side (“A” being the best grade) with the “X” re-ferring to the exterior-grade glue. The plys themselves are thesame as in any other pine plywood. The shelves are designedto hold 6" pots, but with care, larger pots are also okay.

Start with two four-foot square sheets of plywood, andbegin construction by cutting out the back and supports fromone sheet and the shelves from the other. Use the diagrams tolay out your cuts. To cut the shelves and supports from the ply,use a drill with a 3⁄16" bit to drill two overlapping holes for thejigsaw blade. Drill clearance holes at the outside corners of theback and supports to start the saw blade. If you clamp the partsto a table, you can cut the shapes in short order. Once you getthe back and supports cut, you’ll notice that the steps on the sup-

by Jim Stuard

f o l d i n g

Less than one sheet of plywood and a long afternoon are all you need to

build a functional and foldable

floral display.

plant standw

Phot

o by

Al P

arri

sh


port are 3⁄4" shorter than the back. Thishelps everything fold flat for storage.

The next step is to cut 3⁄4" x 4" notch-es in the tops of the steps, at the back, toreceive the hinge mounting blocks for theshelves. Use screws and water resistantglue to attach the mounting blocks.When installed, the blocks stickout 1" from the edge of theback and 3⁄4" from the surface.These locations line up withthe shelves and give an offsetto clear the supports when every-thing is folded. Adjust the fit until thesupports fit into the notches on the back,then mount the supports to the back. Takefour butt hinges and place them wherethey will be mounted. Mark the locationswith a pencil and then take the supportsoff the back. You need to rout a recess inthe support and the back for the hinge.Otherwise, there won’t be enough clear-ance for the shelves to come down. Mount

the hinges and check the fit of thesupports to make sure they clear the mount-ing blocks. At this time, go ahead andpaint the back/support assembly. This iseasier now than when everything is as-sembled. Also fill any voids and knots witha waterproof filler. I used a two-part autobody filler. It sets up quickly and sandseasily.

The last thing to do is cut and mountthe shelves. Begin the layout with a set oftrammel points, with a pencil on one end.From the center of the other plywood panel,lay out concentric semi-circles at 5", 10",15" and 20". Now rip the panel at about21" to keep it manageable. Cut the shelvesout using a jigsaw, taking it slow and stayon the line. When you’re done, you’ll havefour concentric shelves ready for mount-ing. After filling the voids and knots, paintthe shelves. Lay out and rout a recess onthe bottom of the shelf ends to acceptthe hinge leaf, flush to the shelf. This alsohelps for the close tolerances when fold-ing everything together. Go ahead andmount the shelves to the back. When you’reall done, lay the unit on its back and foldthe shelves so they’re sticking straight

up. Fold up the supports and tip the entireunit upright. Touch up any paint problemsand you’re ready to lush up this display withthe local flora. PW

20"10"

Back

21" x 48"plywood

48" x 48"plywood

3/4" x 38" x 35 1/4"

3/4" x 18 1/4" x 35 1/4"Supports

15"

5"Radial layout for shelves

To set up the plant stand, lay it flat on its backand raise the shelves.Then fold the supports up.

hinge block

3/4" x 1 3/4" x 10"hinge block

Butt hinge

Continuoushinge

5" radius shelf

10" radius shelf

15" radius shelf

20" radius shelf Support

Support

7 1/4"

1"3/4"4"

8"

4"

3/4" x 1 3/4" x 5"

Back

After the base,the dimensions remain

constant for eachsuccessive step

www.popwood.com 49

Though there are more than 4,000species of toads and frogs in the world,

I decided there was still room enoughfor one more: the secret toad. Like its am-phibian brethren, the secret toad is stud-ded with warts and sports an enormousmouth. But instead of revealing a high-speed tongue that makes flies shaky in theknees, this toad’s mouth holds a stash ofcandy. I keep mine stocked with Hershey’sKisses. Though if you steal a kiss from thistoad, he’s not going to turn into a prince.

Building this 12"-long toad is a preci-sion job, but I’ll show you some tricks tomaking the tedious parts (such as sanding)go quickly. Basically the toad is built from3⁄4"- and 3⁄8"-thick stock that is cut accord-ing to a pattern, then stacked up and gluedwith other parts to create the toad’s bodyand mouth. Roto-Hinges and O-rings allowthe toad to scoot across any smooth surface.

There are half-scale drawings of all theparts that can be enlarged on a photo-copier to full size, or you can visit the

Popular Woodworking website to downloadfull-size cutting patterns for free by goingto: www.popwood.com/fixes/toad.html.

Begin With the BaseAs with any construction project, it is bestto start at the base and work out and up.Lay out three lower body “D” patterns on3⁄4"-thick stock. These parts form the in-side of the mouth and the belly. Drill allthe 1⁄8" registration holes shown on thedrawing before cutting. These registrationholes are critical because you’ll push nailsthrough these holes temporarily while glu-ing a stack of these parts. Rough cut the

This amphibian won’t turn intoa prince, but he is

still full of surprises.toads e c r e t

by John Hutchinson

John Hutchinson is an architect and woodworkerfrom Delaware, Ohio. His vocation provides shelter

for people. His avocation provides homes for their small treasures.


pieces, apply glue and align them with 8dfinish nails through the 1⁄8" registrationholes. Clamp the lamination with barclamps along the width of the assembly.Wipe off as much glue squeeze-out as pos-

sible. When this first three-part assemblyis dry, remove the alignment nails and getready for some selective finish sanding.Because the belly area between the frontlegs won’t be accessible to the spindlesander after you add the outer “E” and “F”patterns, sand it now.

Lay out the “E” patterns on 3⁄8" thickstock. These parts add to the width of thebelly and create stubs for the front wheels.Drill the registration holes. Cut, align andglue them to the outer surfaces of the bellyassembly. Finish-sand the inner mouth sur-face that will be made inaccessible whenthe “F” plates are applied.

The outer profile “F” patterns, also cutfrom 3⁄8" thick stock, complete the lowerbody. Follow the same procedure as above.Finish sand all remaining surfaces. Theseven layers of the lower body add up to athickness of 33⁄4". This thickness gives anice proportion to the toad and is just aboutthe limit of my spindle sander.

Drill the axle holes in the lower body.Use the rear 1⁄8" alignment holes as thepilot for a 5⁄16" hole through the lamina-

KWart pattern

3/8"

F3/8" stock2 pieces

H

3 /4" s

tock

B

T

4 pieces

G3/4" stock

3/8"

2 pieces

1/2" 3/8"

5/16"

A3/8" stock2 pieces

1/8"1/2"

3/8"

1/8" 1/8"1/8"

3/8"

5/16"

1/8"

1/8"

1/8"

3/8"3/8"

J13/4" stock2 pieces

After you adhere your patterns to your wood, drillall the registration holes and then cut the shapesout. I prefer a band saw to a scrollsaw becauseI’m cutting wide of the line and prefer the speedover the accuracy (left).The trick to sanding thetoad is to sand in stages.Once you assemble thefirst few layers, use your spindle sander to get tothe spaces you won’t be able to get to once youadd the next layers (above).

www.popwood.com 51

tion for the 1⁄4" dowel axle. Drill from bothsides to make this long hole. The regis-tration hole will go a long way towardsguiding your bit straight through the body.Now drill the 3⁄8"-diameter sockets on thefront legs. These holes hold the 3⁄8" Roto-Hinges for the front wheels. The holes are1⁄2" deep and made with a Forstner bit.Before drilling these holes, place a 21⁄4"-thick scrap block between the legs to pre-vent any inward bending.

The HeadThe upper body is made from the “A,” “B”and “C” patterns. Again, working from thecenter out, cut, laminate and sand the 3⁄4"-thick “C” plates. Finish sand the head areathat will be made inaccessible by the eyebumps on the “B” plate.

Follow the same procedure with the3⁄4"-thick “B” plates and finish sand all theinner surfaces that will be covered bythe “A” plates.

Careful attention must be paid to drillingholes in the 3⁄8"-thick “A” plates. Markthe center of the 1⁄2" socket with an awl

but do not drill at this time. Drill the 1⁄8"and 3⁄8" through-holes. Following glue-upof the “A” plates to the body, finish sandall remaining outer surfaces.

In order for the upper body section torotate freely between the hips, you needto reduce its overall thickness by 1⁄16". Dothis by sanding the flat surfaces on a sta-tionary belt sander. To complete the upper

body, drill 1⁄2" sockets at the awl marks ap-proximately 1⁄4" deep and glue in the screw-hole-button eyes.

Warts and AllThe warts come next. (Caution! Washyour hands thoroughly following this pro-cedure. Only kidding.) Stick the wart pat-tern to the back of the upper body with a

1/4" 3/8"

2 1/2" dia.wheel

3/8"

1 3/8" dia.wheel

1/8"

B3/4" stock2 pieces

E3/8" stock

2 pieces

D3/4" stock3 pieces

C3/4" stock2 pieces

1/8"

1/8"

5/16"

1/8"

1/8"

5/16"

1/8"

1/8"

1/8"

3/8"3/8"3/4" stock2 pieces

J2

Yes, you can use your spindle sander to smooth the tongue.Use a backing board as shown in thephoto to make sure you’re sanding it square (left). Once you get the tongue sanded and you’ve drilledthe pilot holes, it’s time to add the weight in one end that makes the toad work almost every time. Iuse polyurethane glue here because it expands as it cures, which locks the rod in place (right).

All drawings are one-half scale.Enlarge 200 percent for full size.

light application of spray adhesive. Use anawl to mark the centers. Use a 3⁄8" Forstnerbit to drill 1⁄4"-deep sockets. Finally, popin the screw-hole-button warts.

Tongue LashingWe’re now down to the no-brainer con-struction steps. The tongue, “H,” is a peace-ful series of long, undulating curves. Adherethe pattern to 3⁄4"-thick stock with thelong axis of the tongues parallel to thegrain. Cut, laminate and sand the fourtongue elements. As with the upper body,the overall width of the tongue must bereduced by 1⁄16" on the belt sander to allowfree rotation in the mouth. To ensure snap-py operation of the tongue, drill throughthe tip, or “T” end of the tongue as shownon the drawing, with a 1⁄4" Forstner bit andinsert a 1⁄4" steel rod. Sand it flush to thesides of the tongue on a disk sander.

Leg PartsThe legs are simple cutouts, but drillingthe pivot sockets demands some con-centration because the pairs are handed(meaning they are left and right mirror im-ages). Use a 3⁄8" Forstner bit to drill 1⁄2"-deep sockets in parts “J1.”

Moving to parts “J2,” drill one 1⁄2"-deepsocket on the front and one on the back.

The “G” hips cap and join the upperand lower body assemblies. After cuttingand sanding, drill through the 5⁄16" axleholes only. Perform the following opera-tions on one of the pieces, then, on theother piece, reverse which side each holeis located on. At the center of the hip,using a 1⁄2" Forstner bit, drill a 1⁄16"-deepsocket. Using the same point, continue a


Upper body, piecesA, B & C combined

Tongue pieces Hcombined

Thigh J2(each side)

Leg J1(each side)

Lower body G(each side)

Jaw/front leg, piecesD, E & F combined

Here you can see how the two body pieces gotogether between the legs. It all works thanks to acarefully placed Roto-Hinge (right).

Roto-Hinge

SuppliesRocklerwww.rockler.com800-279-4441

10 - 3⁄8" Roto-Hinges, item # 36244,$2.69 for two.

17 Screw button eyes, item # 20537,$2.99 for pack of 50

2 - 1⁄2" walnut button plugs, item# 20545,$2.99 for pack of 50

www.popwood.com 53

3⁄8" through-hole. At the offset 3⁄8" mark,drill a 1⁄2"-deep socket on the oppositeside. In case you’re wondering about the1⁄16"-deep sockets, they are made to con-tain the washer on the Roto-Hinges, al-lowing for an almost zero clearance be-tween the rotating upper body and thefixed hips.

Cut the wheels from 3⁄4"-thick scrapsusing an adjustable hole saw. If the pilotbit for your hole saw is only 3⁄16" in diam-eter, re-bore the hole in the large wheelsto 1⁄4" to accept the dowel axle. Also inthe large wheels, bore the 3⁄8" offset sock-ets 1⁄2" deep. After cutting the small wheels,plug the pilot hole and again drill 1⁄2"-deepsockets. Grooving the wheels and stretch-ing rubber O-rings over the grooves makesthe wheels grip any tabletop surface. Thiskind of traction is necessary to make thelegs operable (see photo at right).

Now apply the finish to all of the as-semblies. I found that a wipe-on, semi-gloss polyurethane is ideal for the toad.Because most of the project glue-up is al-ready complete, don’t be concerned aboutapplying finish to areas where glue will beapplied. It’s a simple matter to lightly sandthe few surfaces involved.

Begin final assembly by placing thetongue between the outside cheeks of theupper body. Run a 31⁄2" length of weld-ing rod through the upper 1⁄8" hole inthe cheek, on through the 1⁄8" hole in thebase of the tongue, and out the opposite1⁄16" hole. Plug the 1⁄16" holes with tooth-picks, break them off, and cut flush. Thetongue should pivot freely between thecheeks.

Glue one of the hips to the lower bodyassembly with the upper leg pivot hole fac-ing out. While this is drying, slide Roto-Hinges into the 3⁄8" through-holes in theupper body with the barrels of the hingesfacing out. It is not necessary to glue thehinges in place because they will be cap-tured between the body and the hips. Slidethe hinged assembly toward the glued-onhip, seat the Roto-Hinge in the 3⁄8" sock-et, and glue on the opposite hip while en-gaging the second hinge. Clamp your toadsandwich and allow it to dry. Round overthe outside edges of the hips on the routertable with a 1⁄4" roundover bit.

Install the front wheels by placing Roto-Hinges in the front leg sockets. Because

the wood barrels on the hinges are ex-actly 3⁄8", it’s a snug fit. Use a small pistol-grip clamp to gently push the hinge intoplace. Now use the same clamp to slidethe wheel tight againstthe leg. The washeron the hinge will pro-vide the necessary clear-ance.

Install the rear wheels byrunning a length of 1⁄ 4"dowel through the 5⁄16" axlehole at the back of the lowerbody. Glue on the large wheels

with the hinge sockets facing out. Orientthe sockets on an imaginary line passingthrough them.

Assemble the leg pairs using the one-handed clamp to seat the hinges. Again,using Roto-Hinges, attach the feet to

the rear wheels and the upper legs to thehips.

Now take the little guy out for a spin.As a final refinement, install self-adhe-sive, clear nylon bumpers where the fallingtongue strikes the toad’s lower lip. PW

Sanding the wheels can be tricky. If you chuckthe wheels into a drill press and press sandpaperagainst the turning wheel, you’re going to createan ellipse.That’s because the end grain and longgrain of the wheel will sand differently.To preventthis, use a backing board as shown in the photo.

While the wheel is chucked in your drill press,use a common scratch awl to cut a groovearound the edge to hold the O-rings.

I use an old flap sander chucked into a drill ordrill press for the final sanding.An old used flapsander produces a better finish.

Before finishing, I like to rub the toad’s body witha grey synthetic steel wool Scotch Brite® padmade by 3M.

The author with his ZinckenCompact 21,which includes a 9"table saw, 8" jointer/planer, ashaper and a mortiser — all fora little more than a qualitycabinet saw.

More Americansshould import

this good idea

from Europe.

by Roger Holmes

Roger Holmes trained as a furnituremaker in England and has been work-ing wood professionally and for fun for

30 years. He lives in Lincoln,Nebraska.

COM

www.popwood.com 67

For years many American woodworkershave looked to Europe for qualityhand tools. Chisels and saws from

England, wooden planes from Germany,carving tools from Switzerland and Sweden.But we have usually stuck close to homewhen it comes to big power tools. We lookto Delta, Powermatic, Craftsman and Jetfor our table saws, band saws, jointers, plan-ers and shapers. Though an increasingnumber of these are imports from Taiwanand China, these machines are almost allcopies of home-grown models.

Given our admiration of European tools,it has long puzzled me why more Americanshaven’t adopted one of the most commonfixtures of European shops, the combi-nation machine. Merging from two to fivebasic woodworking machines in a singleunit, these machines are ideal for homeshops where space is often at a premium.And even if your shop is roomy, a com-bination machine can offer features, ca-pacity and quality found only on top-of-the-line stand-alone machines.

European-style combination machinessold in the United States come in three

basic types. One combines a table saw andshaper. Another combines a jointer andplaner, with an optional horizontal mor-tiser. The third merges all these tools: tablesaw, shaper, jointer, planer and (still anoption) horizontal mortiser. These five-function machines are sometimes called5-in-1s, and are available in a wide rangeof sizes and prices. The Zincken MIA4, forinstance, offers a 6" table saw, 6" jointerand planer, a shaper and a horizontal mor-tiser, all run by a single 1hp motor and sell-ing for about $750. At the other end of themarket is the Felder CF7-41. For about$13,000 you get a 12" table saw with state-of-the-art sliding table; a 16" jointer andplaner; a 1" reversible, tilting-arbor shaper;and (for an extra $1,000 or so) a horizon-tal mortiser. Three separate 3hp motorsdrive the five tools.

I grew up with American-style machinesin my dad’s shop and knew nothing of com-bination machines until I worked in Englishshops as a young man. Sold on their value,I looked for a combination machine whenI moved back to the states in the mid 1970s.Finding none, I reverted to the readilyavailable stand-alone models, still hopingI’d eventually find a combo.

In the early 1980s, I began to see adsfor European combination machines inwoodworking magazines. Since then, Ihave owned two 5-in-1 machines, onesmall and one mid-range. My experienceleads me to believe that while combina-tion machines aren’t for everyone, manymore American woodworkers ought toconsider them seriously.

For years, working out of borrowed orrented garages, barns and basements, I useda Zincken Compact 21 (or ZC-21), witha 9" table saw, 8" jointer/planer, a shaperand a mortiser. It took up less space andweighed less than a Delta Unisaw andwas only a few hundred dollars more ex-pensive. Lightweight and compact, it is anideal tool for workshops that share space

with ping-pong tables or cars. Mounted ona homemade rolling platform, mine easilywheeled out of the way when not in use.

Most important, it gave me all the basicmachines I needed for solid-wood projects.The table saw ripped 1"-thick oak with-out lugging; 2" if fed slowly. Its simple slid-ing table crosscut accurately and conve-niently. The 8" jointer/planer ensured thatmy material was flat and uniformly thick.The horizontal mortiser cut neat accuratemortises between 1⁄4" and 1⁄2" wide and upto 2" deep. And the shaper profiled edges,cut joints and also functioned as a routertable. With this small machine I was ableto build everything from jewelry boxes to6'-long trestle tables, including cabinetsand chests of all sizes.

Of course, the machine has its limita-tions. The table saw is small; the jointer

tables are short. A Delta Unisaw and 8"jointer are without doubt superior. But to-gether they cost about $2,500. Movingdown-market, a 10" Grizzly contractor’ssaw and 8" jointer cost about $1,100. Buyeither pair, and you still don’t have theplaner, mortiser or shaper incorporated inthe ZC-21.

My ZC-21 served me well in a numberof less than commodious workspaces. Butwhen I finally bought my own house andwas able to build a 500-square-foot shopnext to it, I found myself hankering forsomething bigger. Though I’m a fan of com-bos, I don’t deny there are advantages tostand-alone equipment. Even MorrieKilberg, whose company D-M Internationaldistributes Zinckens in North America,recommends stand-alone machines to peo-ple with the space and money. I didn’t havea lot of money, so I bought a Grizzly 10"cabinet table saw and 8" jointer and re-furbished an old Parks 12" planer. I keptthe Zincken for shaping and mortising andfor fine jointing and planing. In some ways,I had the best of both worlds.

But, a year ago when I got the chance

to buy a bigger combination machine, Ijumped at it. Since I first saw the RoblandX-31 advertised about a decade ago, I havewanted one. An 1,100-pound machine,the X-31 incorporates a 10" sliding-tabletable saw, 12" jointer/planer, a heavy dutyshaper and a horizontal mortiser, all pow-ered by three 3hp motors. After traips-ing 600 miles (each way) and parting withabout $4,000 (a new machine costs $6,000plus shipping), I rolled my used X-31 intothe shop and sold my stand-alone tablesaw, jointer, planer and the trusty oldZincken, recouping half the X-31 purchaseprice. The X-31 occupies about 36 squarefeet near the center of my shop. Sellingthe other machines opened up space for adrill press, band saw and dust collector (aswell as room for the family’s bicycles).Though it weighs half a ton, the machine

T H E C A S E F O R

Photo by Scott Landis

BO MACHINES


can be moved with relativeease by means of a three-point caster system.

The X-31 is not withoutfaults. But, taken individually, each of itsmachines are a step above every stand-alone equivalent I’ve ever owned. The ma-chine is vibration free and the 3hp motorsare more than adequate whether I’m rip-ping 3" maple or planing a 12"-wide pieceof oak. The table saw and jointer fencingarrangement is problematic (more aboutthat later), but the sliding table is a joy touse.

Advantages and DisadvantagesA comparison between the combinationmachines I’m familiar with and equiva-lent stand-alone machines is useful, butnot always straightforward because wood-workers’ needs and preferences are so var-ied. The strength of the Zincken ZC-21,for example, is not that it is a better tablesaw than the Delta 8" bench saw, but thatit provides a good-quality jointer, planerand shaper as well, allowing you to storean entire woodworking machine shop alongthe wall of your garage.

It is easier, I think, to compare largercombination machines with their stand-alone counterparts. These combos offer 10"or 12" table saws and 12" jointer-planersand spindle shapers all powered by meatymotors. In my experience, these compar-isons are at worst a draw and frequently yielda decided advantage to combos. The RoblandX-31 outperforms stand-alones in severalareas, and I’m confident that the Mini-Max,Hammer and Euro-Shop 5-in-1 machinesof similar capacity and price share these ad-vantages. In some instances, these machinesexceed the X-31.

Table SawA sliding table is a standard feature of allthese combos and of none of the American-style cabinet saws — advantage clearly tothe combos. (Some smaller bench saws now

offer standard sliding tables.) The X-31’s3hp motor and heavy frame produce vi-bration-free operation, more so, I must say,than most Unisaw-style machines I’ve used.Other table saw features are, for the mostpart, a toss up.

The fencing systems on some combos,however, fall short of their stand-alone com-petition. As currently sold, the X-31 uses asingle two-sided fence that slides on a roundguide bar attached to the end of the joint-er outfeed table. One side of the fence is arip fence for the table saw, the other servesthe jointer.

While accurate, the fence is ungainly,heavy and awkward to set up. This is bet-ter than some of the fences I’ve used, butit’s no match for a Biesemeyer or a fence ona stand-alone jointer. (Not all combos havefence problems — Felder fences, for in-stance, are superb.)

This fencing arrangement, with itsguidebar-mounted fence mimicking com-mon American setups, is the latest in a se-ries of attempts by Robland to adapt thefencing to American tastes. As a used ma-chine, my X-31 came with the originalEuropean fencing, which I like better. Asmall but sturdy and accurate aluminumfence mounted to the front of the machinehandles rips up to about 10" wide. Attachinga larger center-mounted fence to the edgeof the jointer outfeed table accommodatesrips up to about 2 feet wide. The same fence,mounted on the table saw table, serves thejointer.

Shaper All these combos have powerful, versatile,large capacity shapers served by the slid-ing table. Combination shapers are equalledin stand-alone machines only in the midto upper price ranges.

Jointer and PlanerIn combos, these machines share the samecutterhead. To use the planer, you swingthe jointer tables out of the way, rotate ablade-guard and dust-extraction head intoplace and wind up the planer bed. Thechange-over takes about 30 seconds. Bothmachines are sturdy, vibration-free andaccurate. My X-31 planer takes a 1⁄8" cuton a 12"-wide maple board without lug-ging. You need to look among the mid-to upper-priced planers to find ones withsimilar capacity and durability. TheRobland’s 55" jointer tables are somewhatshorter than standard stand-alone mod-els, but more than adequate. And its 12"width is unobtainable for less than $2,000in a stand-alone machine.

Mortiser Horizontal mortisers are available on allthe 5-in-1 machines discussed here. Allrun off the jointer-planer cutterhead, whichis tapped for a chuck that holds the bits.Sturdy sliding tables with in-out, side-to-side and up-and-down movement boltto the jointer-planer frame. While heavy,the tables can be attached and removedin seconds. Stand-alone horizontal mor-

The Robland X-31 incorporates a 10" sliding-table table saw, 12"jointer/planer, a heavy duty shaper and a horizontal mortiser, all powered bythree 3hp motors. The price? About $6,000. Before you choke on yourcoffee, add up the total cost of the machines in your shop (or the machinesyou intend to buy).

tisers are hard to find. Most woodworkersuse some form of hollow-chisel machine.Among the hollow-chiselmortisers I’ve used, I findthe horizontal mortiserpreferable to drill-press at-tachments and to bench-top ram-style mortisers and a toss up with in-dustrial floor-model mortisers. The hori-zontal mortiser makes a clean, accuratecut with little burning.

Changing MachinesIsn’t it a nuisance to shift from one functionto another? Dealers tell me this is oneof the most common concernsAmericans have about combinationmachines. The answer is both yesand no. I won’t pretend thatshifting between the table saw,jointer and planer on either myZincken or Robland is as convenient as mov-ing between three stand-alone machines.There are the fences to deal with, mortis-ing tables to attach and the little dance re-

Despite the fairly recent appearance of European models inthe American market, combination machines are not newhere.Cincinnati’s Parks Machine Co., for example,manufac-tured combination machines at least as early as the 1920s.The Parks Planing Mill combined a table saw,12" jointer,22"band saw, shaper, swing cut-off saw and hollow-chisel mortis-er, all driven by flat belts connected to a 5hp motor.

This behemoth was not,of course, the kind of thing you’dput in your basement or garage.But the market for home-shop woodworking was incubating and in 1928 the DeltaSpecialty Co., a Milwaukee firm then just nine years old,offered the Delta Handi-Shop,which harnessed a 9" lathe,8"disc sander and 6" table saw to a 1⁄2 hp electric motor.

A few other American manufacturers produced combi-nation machines (most common were table saw-horizontalborer combos) for the industrial and home-shop marketsbut they didn’t catch on.The Shopsmith is,of course, theexception, selling some half a million tools since its inventionin the late 1940s.But the Shopsmith,with its combination oflathe,drill press, small table saw,horizontal borer and discsander,addresses other needs than the European-style ma-chines and does not include two of the tools basic to solid-wood woodworking, the jointer and planer.

From the 1950s through the 1970s,there were sporadicattempts to market European combination machines here.But for the most part Americans who wanted one had toorder a machine from Europe or go there and bring one back.

In the mid 1980s,Torben Helsjoy (pronounced Hels-hoy)began to sell the Belgian-made Robland machines.A Danishwoodworker,Helsjoy came to the United States in 1982 on ahitchhiking adventure that ended in California,where he setup a small custom cabinet shop.Disappointed with the ma-chines available here,he returned to Denmark and bought acontainer load of Roblands.Back in California,he began tomarket the machines out of his cabinet shop. In 1987,hebecame a full time machinery dealer.His company,LagunaTools, sells a range of European machines, some stand-alone,some combination.Robland is his prime supplier.The X-31 istheir most popular combo (they also sell 16" models) andHelsjoy estimates that he has sold about 3,000 X-31s to date.

A few years after Helsjoy set up Laguna Tools,MorrieKilberg,general manager of D-M International in Canada,began selling Italian-made Zincken machines.Today he isZincken’s North American distributor.More recent addi-tions include machines made by the Italian manufacturinggiant SCMI (sold under the names MiniMax and EuroShop)and a Czech firm,Rojek.Garrett Wade sells the Swiss-madeInca jointer planer.A small but high quality benchtop model,it features a 101⁄4"-wide cutterhead and 42"-long tables.

The Rolls Royce of combination machines sold in theUnited States are made by the Austrian firm Felder,whichhave been distributed here since the early 1980s and since1996 by the manufacturer’s subsidiary,Felder USA.Founded, like Robland, in the mid 1950s,Felder makes a fullline of woodworking machines that it distributes around theworld.They include 5-in-1 combination machines (12"and16" machines, rated by jointer-planer capacity) as well astable saw-shapers and jointer-planers (with optional hori-zontal mortiser).Felders are beautifully designed and mademachines with all sorts of refinements:micrometer-adjustedfences and planer tables; reversible, tilting shaper spindle; amarvelous sliding table.Such quality doesn’t come cheap.The Felder CF 7-31 Ecoline C,a 12" 5-in-1 machine, runsabout $10,000 (with the horizontal mortiser), a big jumpabove $6,000 you pay for a Robland X-31. I’m an admirer ofthe X-31,but I also think the prices accurately reflect thedifference in quality between the two machines. It’s no sur-prise that far fewer BF 6-31s have been sold in the UnitedStates than X-31s.But,what is intriguing is that 70 percentof the sales of both machines have been to amateur wood-workers.

Felder has recently introduced a less-expensive line ofmachines made by its Hammer division to compete head tohead with Robland.Felder used to be alone in the upper reach-es of the price scale — a fully loaded Felder 16" 5-in-1 machinemight easily fetch $20,000. But Laguna has just jumped intothis rarified market with an Austrian-made Knapp 5-in-1 thatretails between $20,000 and $35,000 depending on options.They’ve already sold 10 — all to amateurs.

The Combo Chronicles

www.popwood.com 69

The Zincken Compact21,which now sells forabout $2,250, combinesa 9" table saw, an 8"jointer/planer,mortiserand shaper. All functionsare powered by a 11⁄2hp motor.

quired to shift between jointer and planer.But the inconvenience is slight and the

time “lost” is insignificant to me. No change-over from one function to another takesmore than a minute or two. Once set up,rotating a knob on the Robland selects thefunction you want to power. (Only onemachine can operate at a time). The sin-gle-motor Zincken has an ingenious andwell-engineered mechanism that engagesthe proper belt to select a machine. Inshort, the many advantages of the ma-chines outweigh, for me at least, the minorinconveniences of changing tools.

Combo RecommendationsCombination machines have many at-tractions, but the one at the top of the listis space saving. If you need to squeeze anentire cabinet shop into a closet, a smallcombination machine like the ZinckenC-21 or its little brother, the MIA4, is ideal.

Space considerations don’t necessari-ly decrease as shop size increases. I appre-ciate the space I save with the X-31, butthat’s not why I bought the machine. Icould buy (and have bought) less expen-sive machines. But the X-31 and othercombos in its class provide better qualityand capacity than other machines I couldbuy for the same money. (A Unisaw withaftermarket sliding table and a 12" Grizzlyjointer alone would cost about $4,000.)

Much as I like my 5-in-1 machine, I haveto admit that I think the ideal combinationmachine setup would involve two machines:one a combination table saw and shaper, theother a combination jointer-planer-mortis-er. Separated in this way, the fences cease tobe an issue. I frequently move between thetable saw and jointer — rip, joint an edge,then crosscut to length. Even if it only takes30 seconds, changing over from table saw tojointer repeatedly can be irksome (you learnto plan your work better). Separating themachines eliminates this problem.

At this point, many readers may be say-ing, “Well, that sounds wonderful, but I’m

not made of money.” No doubt about it,laying out $5,500 to $8,000 for an X-31 orsimilar 5-in-1 combination machine is adaunting prospect. A fair number of wood-workers have that much money (or more)tied up in machinery. But few of us spend$6,000 all at once.

So how might a combination machinefit the budget as well as the dreams ofthe frugal majority among us? Many wood-workers already have a table saw and agreat many do without a shaper or build arouter table to cover their shaping needs.If they’re unhappy with what they’ve gotthey’re much more likely to upgrade to a$700 Grizzly or $1,500 Unisaw than a$3,300 combination table saw-shaper.

When it comes to jointers and planers,however, I think far more American wood-workers should consider a jointer-planercombination. When working with solidwood, the importance of flattening stockin initial preparation can’t be overstated.

For years 6" jointers were the largest af-

fordable option for most home shops.Recently Delta, Grizzly and several oth-ers have offered 8" machines for around$1,000 or less. My 8" Grizzly was a goodmachine, as was the 8" jointer-planer onmy Zincken. But neither was wide enough.I longed for at least a 12" jointer so I would-n’t have to rip up and reglue wide boards.The least expensive 12" machine I couldfind (a Grizzly) cost more than $2,000.

But, for about $2,700 I could buy theRobland 12" combination jointer-planer(and would have done that if the used X-31 hadn’t appeared). Two equally heavyduty, high-quality 3hp stand-alone ma-chines would cost considerably more.Grizzly’s 12" jointer and 15" planer costalmost exactly the same. Delta’s 8" joint-er and 15" planer run about $2,250. Andthe stand-alones take up twice the space.Finally, for an extra $600, you get a dandyhorizontal mortiser. Like I said, more wood-workers ought to take a serious look atcombination machines. PW


(manufacturer and distributor)Zincken,D-M International1100 A Wallace Ave.NListowel,Ontario N4W 1M5519-291-5342

EuroShop & MiniMax (Italian).EagleTools, 2217 El Sol Ave.,Altadena,CA91001.800-203-0023.

Felder & Hammer (Austrian).FelderUSA,1851 Enterprise Blvd.,WestSacramento,CA 95691.800-572-0061.www.felderusa.com and www.hammerusa.com

Inca (Swiss).Garrett Wade,161Avenue of the Americas,New York,NY 10013.800-221-2942.www.garrettwade.com

Robland (Belgian) and others.LagunaTools, 2265 Canyon Road,LagunaBeach,CA 92651.800-234-1976.www.lagunatools.com

Rojek (Czech).Tech Mark Inc., 7901Industry Drive,North Little Rock,AR72117.800-787-6747.www.tech-mark.com

Combos in North America

Felder combination machines,considered by some to be the RollsRoyce of the pack,will set you back$10,000 or more. But what also might sur-prise you is that the majority of these machines arepurchased by amateur woodworkers. Shown is theFelder CF 741 S Professional Woodworking System,whichhas a 16" jointer/planer, tilting-head shaper and table saw withan 8' sliding crosscut fence. Please wipe your drool from the page now.

The DeWalt 621 is the standard bywhich we measure all medium-sized

plunge routers.The tool is easy to adjust and use, has

more than enough power and has an in-genious way of collecting dust. For thoseof you shopping for your first router or up-grading, here’s a look at how this tool hasheld up in the last three years in our shop.

First a word about the power switch,which is built into the handle. You pull atrigger to turn on the motor; but to lockthe switch “on,” you pull the trigger andpush a hold button. It’s awkward at first,though it quickly becomes second nature.

The 10-amp motor (adjustable from8,000 to 24,000 rpm) operates smoothlyand never lagged in a cut. There’s enoughpower to use this tool in a router table,though I have a philosophical prejudiceagainst dedicating such a versatile machineto only one operation.

Our next test was on the collet, whichhas a feature that most routers should have:a spindle lock. About six months ago thesprings holding the spindle lock button inplace disappeared. Without the springs,the spindle lock would engage and notcome back out, scoring the shaft. A quicktrip to the store produced the two re-placement springs we needed.

The depth stop system consists of a rodmounted on a rack and pinion that’s ad-justable to a few thousandths of an inch. Atthe base of the fine adjustment rod is athree-position turret depth stop. Thoughthe fine-adjustment rod has never movedduring a cut, adding a way to lock it wouldbe great.

The motor plunges on two guide posts,with the larger post containing the returnspring. This post also acts as a through-the-base dust collection duct. The plunge

lock/release is controlled by the non-trig-ger handle, which rotates to lock the routerat any plunge height. Very cool. The 21⁄4"plunge depth is plenty for almost any task.

The integral dust collection is excel-lent in wood or manmade materials. Thetwo-part plastic shroud proved to be frag-ile and cracked after only a few uses, butit still works.

Template guide work can be done eas-ily with the cast aluminum insert provid-

ed. The base plate is quite small, makingthe router a bit tipsy when edge routing.If you do a lot of edge work, replace thestock base with a shopmade one.

We really like this router, and it’s thefirst tool we reach for when we need aplunger. While the DW621 is quite capa-ble of router-table work, unless it’s a ne-cessity we think it’s a waste of talent to tiethis router down. PW

—Jim Stuard

ENDURANCE TEST

About Our Endurance TestsWhen a new tool hits the market we do our best to tell you what the benefits andpitfalls are with that tool.While this is good information,we know that the ques-tion you really want answered is,“How long will the tool last?” That’s what thiscolumn is for.We regularly pick a tool we’ve used in our shop for at least a yearthat has stood up to our regular use.We make sure the tools we’ve tested hereare virtually unchanged from the versions in the store today.So when you see atool written up in here, it has passed the Popular Woodworking Endurance Test.

—David Thiel, senior editor

DeWalt 621 Plunge Router

Results DeWalt 621 Plunge RouterNICE FEATURES• Great dust collection• Plunge and switch on handles• Easy and accurate to adjustRECOMMENDED MODIFICATIONS• Stop on fine adjustment rod• Longer cord• Beef up the dust collection shroudDeWalt 800-433-9258www.dewalt.com

PASSEDAUGUST 2000

POPULAR WOODWORKING

Phot

o by

Al P

arri

sh

In the last issue I described the charac-teristics of all the common paint-and-

varnish removers and how to choose amongthem. Here are the steps for using theseproducts and dealing with the most com-mon stripping problems.

1Work outdoors in the shade or in aroom where you have arranged cross-

ventilation provided by fans. Don’t worknear an open flame (such as a gas waterheater or furnace) or a source of sparks ifyou’re using a flammable stripper.

2 Remove hardware and difficult-to-reach wood parts that can be easily dis-

assembled. Soak hardware that requiresstripping in a coffee can filled with stripper.

3Wear a long-sleeved shirt, chemical-resistant gloves (butyl or neoprene)

and eye protection.

4 Spread newspapers on the ground orfloor to catch the waste.

5 Shake the container of stripper, thencover it with a cloth and open the

cap slowly to allow the pressure inside toescape. Pour the stripper into a large can,such as a coffee can.

6Brush the stripper onto the wood usingan old or inexpensive paintbrush.

Avoid unnecessary brushing; you want tolay on a thick coat, but also minimize sol-vent evaporation. (Be aware that somesynthetic bristles will dissolve in methyl-ene-chloride-based strippers.)

7Allow the stripper time to work. Testthe paint or finish occasionally with

a putty knife to see if you can lift it from

the wood. Apply more stripper as the orig-inal dries out. All strippers will lift manylayers at once if the surface is kept wetso the stripper has time to penetrate.

8 Remove the dissolved, blistered orsoftened paint or finish using one or

more of the following methods.• Use paper towels to soak up and wipe

off the dissolved finish.• Use wood shavings from a jointer or

planer to soak up dissolved finish. Thenbrush off the shavings with a stiff-bris-tle brush.

• Scrape the film off flat surfaces into abucket or cardboard box with a plasticscraper or a wide, dull putty knife. Keep

the putty knife clean and smooth, andround its corners with a file so it does-n’t scratch the wood.

• Break blistered or softened film loose frommouldings, turnings and carvings with#1 steel wool or a Scotch-Brite pad.

• Pull a coarse string or hemp rope aroundthe recesses of turnings to work out blis-tered paint or finish.

• Pick the softened paint or finish out ofcracks and recesses with sharpened sticksor dowels, which won’t damage the woodas metal picks will.

9 Wash the wood with paint thinner,naphtha or lacquer thinner to remove

wax residue left from strippers containing

Stripping Finishes from WoodLearn the right techniques for using furniture strippers and how to avoid the most common problems peoplehave when using them.


FLEXNER ON FINISHING

When refinishing, you should take safety precautions seriously. That means heavy duty gloves, eyeprotection and even long sleeves.

wax. You may also wash with a strong de-tergent and water, or simply with water ifthe stripper is “water-washable,” whichmeans it already contains the detergent.

10 Let the solvent evaporate out ofthe stripping sludge, then dispose

of it in the trash unless local laws forbidthis. (The dried sludge is what was on thefurniture before you stripped it, so it is nomore polluting than tossing the entirepainted or finished object into the trash.)

Common ProblemsIf you’ve ever done any stripping, you knowit’s seldom as easy as the step-by-step in-structions suggest. Here are some of themost common stripping problems and theirsolutions.

The Stripper Doesn’t WorkIf the stripper you’re using doesn’t dissolve,blister or break the bond of the paint orfinish film, either you need to allow moretime for the stripper to work or to use a

stronger stripper.First allow more time. Strippers work

much slower in temperatures below 65 de-grees. Keep the surface wet by applyingadditional coats of stripper or coveringthe surface with plastic wrap to preventevaporation.

If you still have problems, try a strongerstripper. The only paint or finish that can’tbe removed with a solvent-based stripperis milk paint. It was used in the 18th cen-tury and in rural areas of the United Statesin the 19th century. You can remove itwith lye.

Some modern coatings are very diffi-cult to strip. Rough them up with coarsesandpaper to increase the surface area,then try again with a strong methylene-chloride stripper.

You Can’t Get Paint Out of the PoresPaint is softened by the stripper but does-n’t come out of the pores until some me-chanical force is applied to it. Stripping

shops often use water under high-pressure.You can use a brass bristle brush (avail-able at paint stores), which won’t damagehardwoods.

Apply more stripper to the surface, thenscrub in the direction of the grain. Removethe gunk with rags or paper towels. Repeatuntil the wood is clean.

You Can’t Get the Stain OutThere are several types of stain, and whethera stripper removes the stain depends onhow that particular stain is affected by thestripper. If the stripper doesn’t remove thestain, use household bleach to remove dyestains, or scrub the wood with a brass bris-tle brush together with more stripper toremove pigment stains.

You don’t have to remove stain, how-ever, if you intend to restain darker thanthe color of the stripped wood. Simplyrestain right over the remaining color.

You can tell that all the finish is offwhen there aren’t any remaining shiny

www.popwood.com 77www.popwood.comwww.popwood.com

Continued on page 78

FLEXNER ON FINISHING

places on the wood or in the pores whenthe wood is dry.

The Stripper Streaks and Darkens the WoodLye and any stripper containing an alka-li may darken wood. The darkening oftenshows up as ugly streaks. To bleach out thedark stains, make a saturated solution ofoxalic-acid crystals, available at phar-macies and many paint stores.

Brush the solution over the entire sur-face, not just over the stains. Let the oxal-ic acid dry back into crystal form. Then washthe crystals off the wood with a hose or well-soaked sponge or cloth. The crystals willcause an uncontrollable coughing if youbrush them into the air and breathe them.

Oxalic acid will also remove black waterrings and rust stains. It has little effect onthe natural color of the wood.

Sandpaper Clogs After StrippingClogged sandpaper indicates that some fin-ish remains on the wood, or that the strip-per hasn’t completely evaporated. As longas all the finish has been removed, sandingisn’t necessary if the wood is smooth. Sandingwill remove the wood’s patina (the appear-ance of age brought about by light and use).

Wood Won’t Stain EvenlyYou may not have removed all the old fin-ish. If this is the case, you’ll have to re-sume stripping until all the finish is re-moved. Uneven stain penetration can alsobe caused by uneven density or swirly grainin the wood itself.

The New Finish Won’t Dry,or it Peels After it has CuredBoth of these problems are caused by waxleft on the wood by the stripper. All strip-pers based on methylene chloride and ace-tone, toluene and methanol (ATM) con-tain wax. The wood must be washed thor-oughly (not neutralized as most directionssuggest) with a detergent or solvent for re-moving wax. Flood the surface, then wipewith a dry cloth, turning it frequently soyou lift the wax from the wood rather thanjust move it around. PW


Bob Flexner is a nationally known finishingexpert in Norman, Oklahoma, and the authorof “Understanding Wood Finishing.”

Continued from page 77

CARTOON

www.popwood.com 79

Submit your caption(s) for this issue’s car-toon on a postcard to Popular Woodworking,Cartoon Caption #44, 1507 Dana Ave.,Cincinnati,OH 45207 by August 18.Winnerswill be chosen by the editorial staff.

The winnerwill receive aselection ofQuick Gripclamps fromAmerican ToolCo. Inc.Newlyredesigned, theseone-handedclamps are amust-have tool.Winners will receive five 12" clamps and five24" clamps.A $170 value!

The runners-up each win a one-year subscription to Popular Woodworking.

Ron Landall, from Omaha,Nebraska, is thewinner of our Cartoon Contest from theApril issue and recipient of the fine set ofQuick Grip clamps. The following runners-up each receive a one-year subscription toPopular Woodworking:

“No way does she get the best room in the house.” Shirley R.Carp,Baltimore,Maryland

“I hope she is ready when the casket is.”Steve Silva,Blaine,Washington

“Honey I didn’t! I asked your mom if shewouldn’t mind sweeping in here.” Paul Dorin,San Diego,California

Illustrated by Bob Rechwww.bobrech.com

“I only build new projects in this shop.I don’t restore antiques!”

Sponsored by

#42

#44

• Cut logs up to 28" D. x 11' L.• Extra bed sections permit longer lengths.• Easily transportable.• Video available.

Make Money— saw for others.

Save Money— saw your own lumber.

8180 W. 10th St. Dept. DF48Indianapolis, IN 46214

Wood-Mizer ®

Number One in Worldwide Sawmill Sales

www.woodmizer.com

In-stock for immediate delivery!**LT15G15 electric start

1-800-553-0219$4945LT15G13 Personal Sawmill

DW746 TableSaw:A SweetMachine with the Sliding TableTwo years ago DeWalt entered the bench-top table saw market with a tool that provedinnovative and popular. This year theystepped up even further and entered thestationary table saw market with the DW746.The 10" left-tilt saw actually exists in a cou-ple of configurations, but let’s start with thebase model. It’s got a 13⁄4hp (15 amp) motorwith soft start that’s mounted inboard sothe saw has a small footprint. The twoextension wings give it a table surface of403⁄4" x 27", a 30" rip capacity to the rightof the blade and a 16" capacity to the left.Priced just under $900, the base model of-fers a clever and efficient dust collectionsystem, an easy-to-use oversized switch,better than average smooth stamped steelextension wings and an excellent fit andfinish. Also included is a smooth-operat-ing rip fence with decent accuracy and re-

peatability (more aboutthe fence later). Priced within $50 of boththe Delta and Jet 11⁄2 hp contractor saws,the DW746 performs nicely. The compe-tition offers better rip fence systems andsolid cast wings, but the extra listed horse-power, low vibration and superb dust col-lection make this a contender.

The saw really excels when you upgradeit with DeWalt’s slick sliding table. Thetable adds another $400 to the price tag,(totalling $1,300), but this well-designedaccessory moves effortlessly, locks in placewhen not in use and features a great miterfence from Osborne. The fence locks firm-ly to the sliding table in seconds and in-cludes a flip-up stop for making repetitivecrosscuts. Our only complaint with the slid-ing table system is that the fence is only 24"long, and you need 30" to crosscut a tableleg. In addition to upgrading the table, youcan add 52" fence rails ($220) so you cantackle any piece of plywood.

We do have one gripe. Despite all thesmart things DeWalt did with the 746, thealuminum facing on the rip fence isn’t upto snuff. Out of the box, we were unable tosquare the fence face to the table top. Thereason was the lightweight aluminum fenceface had a slight crown that ran the entirelength. A second fence DeWalt sent us wasno better. DeWalt’s engineers say their ac-ceptable tolerance for fence flatness is .007",and indeed the fence matched that statistic.However, the fences on the four other tablesaws we have in the shop (from Grizzly toPowermatic) are all flat within .002". Thisis a critical point because if you use yourtable saw to cut joints (such as tenons orrabbets) the squareness of the fence is para-mount. However, this is a problem you can

easily fix. Either shim the fence’s facing withstrips of tape, which will get you close tothe mark. Or you can make your own solid-wood auxilliary fence face (see diagram).This modification isn’t more extreme thanother adjustments we make to new ma-chines that we test. While a good machine,we do, however, believe DeWalt’s engineersshould redesign the fence face to bring it inline with other table saws in this price range.With that change we would recommendthe saw without reservation. For more information, circle #160 on theResource Directory Coupon.

How We Rate ToolsWe test a lot of tools at PopularWoodworking, and while we don’toften test tools until they fall apart,we do give them an honest, real-world workout.Each issue we sharethe results of our hands-on experi-ence with you and offer insights tohelp guide your shopping decisions.The ratings reflect the opinion ofthe magazine’s editorial staff.

Here’s how our rating systemworks. Performance: A rating of“five” indicates we think this tool isa leader in its category — for now.(You won’t likely see performanceratings of “one” or “two” in thesereviews because we wouldn’t publi-cize an inferior tool.) Value: “Five”is a great tool for the money; “one”isn’t the mark of a value.However,alow “value” rating shouldn’t pre-vent you from buying that tool.Some tools might be worth a littlemore because they’re one-of-a-kindor just a really great tool.

If you have a question about atool — whether it’s been reviewedor not — you can contact me at(513) 531-2690,ext.255,or by e-mail at [email protected].

And by the way,many of our pasttool reviews appear on our websiteat www.popwood.com, includingdata on entire categories of tools(such as table saws).Check it out.

—David Thiel, senior editor

3/4" x 3/4" x 36" angle ironglued into rabbet and groove

1/8" x 5/8" groove

1/8" x 1/8"chamfers

3/8"

1/8"1/4"

1 1/4"

1/4"

1/8"

3/8" x 1 1/4"groove

1/8" x 5/8"rabbet

5/8"

5/8"

with polyurethane glue

1" x 3 3/4" x 36"maple fence


Performance: ●●●●❍Value: ●●●❍❍

Tested as shown above.DeWalt:800-433-9258,or www.dewalt.com

TOOL TEST

www.popwood.com 85www.popwood.com

Metabo’s NewLine of Cordless Drills Prove ImpressiveWe thought we’d seen every innovation possible incordless drills (barring new battery technology), but then wetested Metabo’s “impulse” function. Flip a switch on the backof the drill and the motor pulses in either forward or reverse.The pulsing breaks loose stubborn screws and starts screws orholes without letting the bit “walk.”

We tested the BST 12 Plus, center-handled 12-voltdrill/driver and were impressed by this German tool.Selling for about $215, the BST 12 Plus featurestwo 2-amp-hour batteries, a two-speed gearbox (0-450/0-1,600rpm), a 1⁄2" single-sleeve keyless chuck,variable speed control with an electronic brake,20 torque settings and a whopping 466 inch/lbs. oftorque. In all, the tool is balanced and a joy to use.One quirk of the drill is that the forward/reverseswitch works the opposite from what you are usedto. Left-handers will, as a result, love this drill.

The German-made line of new Metabo cordlessdrills also includes 15.6- and 18-volt drills and twohammer drills, priced from $185 to $290. For more information, circle #161 on the Resource Directory Coupon.

HandmadeWoodenPlanes atReasonablePricesSurfing one of our fa-vorite internet news-groups the other day(rec.woodworking), Ihappenend upon someposts by a plane makernamed Steve Knight.After checking out his

website (www.knight-toolworks.com), we hadKnight send us a sample of his work. Most woodenbodied planes that come through our offices endup as paperweights. However his 81⁄2" smoother hasearned a place in our shop. It comes out of the box

sharpened and ready to go. Proof of this are some test shavings taped into the planesmouth. A nice touch.

The plane body is made from White oak. The adjustable throat plate and sole aremade from Ipe (pronounced “e-pay”). The strike plate is Ebony. While the plane’s fitand finish doesn’t match those of high-end tools, Knight’s philosophy is that he wantsto make a plane that works well and is inexpensive. Sacrifices are made in productionto make an affordable tool, but he hits the nail right on the head because this planefunctions very well. At $85, with a cryogenically treated, 1⁄4"-thick iron, and an ad-justable throat, this plane performs as well or better than planes costing much more.Once you learn how to set the iron, it is a breeze. This tool is for using, not admiringand it’s a tool that you’ll want to be buried with. PWFor more information, circle #162 on the Resource Directory Coupon.

Performance: ●●●●❍Value: ●●●●❍

Knight's Toolworks:(503) 771-6180http://www.knight-toolworks.com/

Tool Scoop

Makita's New RoutersA Welcome AdditionLast issue we told you to look for areview of Makita’s new routers inthis issue.We’ve got ’em, we love’em, but we’re not done with test-ing yet. Suffice to say these are nicerouters with lots of guts and areeasy to use in or out of a routertable. Next issue we’ll be running afull review of the two-handle and D-handle 11-amp routers.

Fein Plunge RouterAvailable in AugustFor years now we’ve been toutingthe performance virtues and dura-bility of Fein’s German-made ran-dom orbit sander, vacuum andcordless drills.We’re now waitingimpatiently for the company’s firstplunge router.This August, themodel RT1800 will be available inthe United States. As you are read-ing this, we should have one in ourshop for testing, and we’ll give youthe full report in our Octoberissue. In the meantime, here arethe statistics.The RT1800 offers sixspeeds, ranging from 8,000 to22,000 rpm.The motor features asoft start to reduce wear on themotor and to improve router con-trol. The 17-amp motor also haselectronic feedback control tomaintain a continuous torqueunder load.With a 1⁄2" collet and aspindle lock for single-wrench bitchanges, the router is user friendly.Offering a plunge depth of 3" andweighing 12 lbs., we’re anxious toput some carbide to wood.Thestreet price is expected to be about$350 (which is a little on the expen-sive side), but if you haven’t heardanything about Fein tools, they’reworth the expense.

Performance: ●●●●❍Value: ●●●❍❍

Metabo, 800-638-2264 or www.metabousa.com

My 3-year-old grandson loves offcuts.He’ll play for a long while using one

as a plow blade, scooping sawdust into var-ious piles in some micro-world of his owndevising. Unfortunately, he also loves but-tons, especially buttons that do things, andhis height puts the table saw, router tableand scroll saw at eye level, with all thesecontrols in easy reach.

Some say a shop is no place for littlekids. I admit it’s a challenge I can only takeon for about an hour at a time. No realwork gets done because I’m fully focusedon his safety, but the time I take seemsworth it.

One of his favorite things in all theworld is lifting the garage door key frommy hand and inserting it in that magicalslot to roll back the overhead door on thiswonderland before him. The sight of it al-most makes him shiver.

The offcut blocks are His. The littleStanley finger plane is His, as is the tackhammer and a 6" wood rule with marks onit he doesn’t know how to read yet. Heloves the thumb gear on the caliper, andstuffing foam earplugs into his ears andhumming.

When he’s with me, all power tools areunplugged and their cords wrapped up outof his way, but if I have to run the tablesaw or router, he stands across the roomwhere I place his hands firmly around asupport post on the lumber storage rack.

“Now, you hold that up while I run thissaw,” I tell him. “Because if you don’t, allthat stuff above your head might falldown.” He’s very good at it. If I pick up apower cord, he runs for his earplugs, thenholds up the wood rack, and it’s never fall-en yet.

I let him sit on my lap and hold twopencils in his hands at the scrollsaw, usingthe erasers to guide wood through theblade. He concentrates so hard his tonguehangs out one corner of his mouth. Whenthe half-moon shape popped free of thesaw, it was a trophy to him, something he’d

made all by himself, using a real tool.Very soon, we’re going to make a bank

with clear acrylic sides so he can see his(my) coins add up. He’ll be sanding andtightening clamps at glue-up time. If I’mreally patient that day, I’ll let him paint it.

Aside from the fact that this is “quali-ty time” together, and something he’llprobably remember all his life, what he islearning is that he can make things.

As he grows, we won’t be going in toystores or furniture stores and opening ourwallets. We’ll look in his bedroom and say,“What you need in here is a desk, with atleast one drawer...” and head for thegarage.

I’ll look at him and say, “I’ll bet if youhad a couple pairs of stilts around here, allthe kids would come over to your houseto play...” and we’ll head for the garage.

Then, when he’s old enough to really

help, in five or six more years, that big sil-ver maple tree out front is just waiting withits branches spread for the ultimate tree-house project. Planning that one makesme shiver.

If I can give this little guy a sense of in-dependence in making things the way hewants them with his own hands, maybe Ican influence him to take pride in whathe does. If I can teach him “precision” doescount, and means a lot, I will have shownhim something he isn’t going to get any-where else.

I hope when he’s grown, and I trust him,we’ll both be around for me to hand himhis own key to that magical garage door.But whatever experience he gets out of mywoodshop, I’m sure neither of us will everquestion the very real value of it. PW

OUT OF THE WOODWORK

Barb Siddiqui works wood in Carson City, Nevada.

Tool Time for ToddlersSome people don’t think kids should be in the workshop. I say there are few places where they can learn as much.