Untitled - Wood Tools

W
President
& Publisher
DonoldB. Peschke
@ ffiWffi
Editor Tim Roberfson
SeniorDesignEdibr JomesR. Downing
SeniorEditor Bill Link
Asocioc EditorJoe Howkins
AssisbnlEdibr Wyott Myers
ProiectBuilder Mike Donovon
AssociobArt Direcbr Kim Downing
SnGrophkDesignerKurtSchulE
Seniorlllustrobrs Erichloge
Mott Scotf
CreotiveDirecbr
Ted Krolicek
SeniorProlectDesigners
KenMunkel,KentWelsh,
ChrisFifch,RyonMimick
i.:r{.i\,;
.".,,.n
i;iuh'.'rl'-'*."
ShopCrufismen
SleveCudis, SteveJohnson
SeniorPhobgropher
CroyoloEnglond
EDITOR'S
NOTES
ost woodworkers I know have one thing in common.They're ready,willing, and able to lend a hand.Whether itt sharing advice, loaning a tool,
or strapping on a tool belt to help build a project, they alwaysmanage to
come through.That wasthe caseas the woilebench
staffhelpedcelebratethe grand
opening of our parent companyt most recent project - thewoodsmith Store,a
retail operation with over 20,000 squarefeet of tools and lumber.
our part in the festivirieswas to build the childt playhouseshown below,from
startto finish,during the three-dayopening.Upon completion,we auctionedth. pbyhouseand donatedthe proceedsto
Des Moines Habitat for Humaniry
Now building this project was
no small task,but we had lots of
support.All our toolswereprovided
by Bosch PowerTools,which parked
its "Big Blue" truck loaded with
tools right next to ourjob site (see
Photoaboue).TheSouthern Pine
Council, Benjamin Moore, and the
Woodsmith Store furnished building materialsand paint. And the
Gilcrest-JewettCompany,a local
lumber company,moved the playhouseto its final desrination.
All in all, it was a tremendously
gratifying experience to see,once
again, so many people from the
woodworking community come
together to sharetheir time, talent,
and resourcesfor a worthy cause.
AA SlcN OF THETIMES- Shoring
time, tolent,ond resourceswos the
themeos woodworkerscometogefherlo
buildthisployhousefor chority.
4
/ t"1
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RebeccoCunninohom
Elechonic
PublishiniDirector
DouglosM. Lidsfer
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&riil Aaounbnt: Latat.
T1noffi, A@unB kFHc: Mq lschlle,
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Drdor Bob B.k.a C6ro'd bb
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;
WORKBENCH
tr FEBRUARY
2OO4
FEATURES
Topl0Tool lnnovotions
Six-D_r:_owe
r C_h
eJrv D!:gsse.t
Conlenfs
Build
WORKBENCH' February 2004
,-,''*.\-,.
m Ceilin
Theseceilingbeamsareeasyto build- just
hollow"boxes"built up oneboardat a time.
Convertyourshopintoa temporary
spray
boothwith a painter'sdropcloth
andafan.
OnlineExho:WorkbenchUhimote
HomeWoodshop
R*oly_ing
fius hr"nglto tion
*::r:
m**:;i',*x'
ffli;,,
WORKBENcH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
IN EVERY
ISSUE
CONTENTS
READER'S
WORKSHOP
TIPSFROMTHEV/ORKBENCH
SHOP
:,
IQQLREVIEW-
*
SKILL
BUILDER
Questions
& Answers
|,
TOOLCLOSE.UP
Tips& Techniques
CuttingEdge
Tools& Products
Crofhmonship
woRKBENcH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
,ff
aa
repqlnngo
*
ANSWERS
HARDWOOD
FLOOR
I lrtrut'tt ddnta.qtdst:ctiott
ttl'lnrduuodJlttorirrnr1,fli11i119
roottt.I'uctri(d
(ttL'rytltitt!-li1)til
tlt'uttrs to sdrrdirqq,brft
I just nrt't scuttto uct rid of'it.
Is tlttrt dtt1,II,d)tt() repdirit rlitltortt it stickirr.g
otl Iik( (t sor(,tltunilr?
_locN[c\lalrott
Carlisfu,PA
-ie$.
Iiyou hlrve :r scction of harclrvoodfloor thrt slnclinq'uvon't fix, the
best bct is to pltch thc lloor with nratcl-rinstloorboarc-ls.
l3etbreyor-r
gct startccl,frncl flooritre the s:utrc wic'lth lncl thickr-rcssas
v()Llr
cxistinq tloor. I r,vlsnble to purchaseoak f'loot-ingthat rtrrtcl"rec.l
the origi_
nel stlips at a locrl fboring store.lt '"vasr bit tlricker,but pl:rrringit flusl-ris
cirsyto cl<rrftcr the ncw stripslre instlllecl (pn.qtt2).Anotl-reroption is to
"borrorv" floorbolrclsfronr under l cabinct or in l close,t.
Tlte fi'st step is sinrply to hy ctr_rt
the new floorins over the dnnrrqecl
arcl /Srr'1l,f,).Then,it'sjust a nliltter of rerrrovinsthe old bolrcls (Stcp-s
2 J) :rrrdirrst:rllir)sthc ncw floorine (su pLrqtl2).
<STEP2: Drill HolesWhen removingthe old flooring, fie trick is to ovoid domoging the odiocentpieces.To
occomplish
this,stortby drilling
o seriesof holesiustshy of the
loyoutlines.Theseholeshelp
you corry out fie nextstepremovingexistingfloorboords.
< STEP3: Chiselirg-
'-{
'"iP
i.
^ STEP l: Lqy out Nevy Floorinql'he firststep is to orrongethe new floorinj
directlyover the spot to be potched.Cut boords
to differentlengthsond stoggerthe end ioints,so
il won't look like o potch.Also do your bestto
motch.$eexisiinggroin of the floor.When you
hove the boordswhere you wonf them,mork the
new end iointsfor eoch boord with o pencil.
To removethe old flooring,
slort by usingo chiselto cui ouf
o sectionof wosteoround the
drill holes.Stoy on the woste
sideof the loyoutlines.This
chiselingtechniqueis octuollyo
threestepprocess,which is
coveredin detoil on poge 10.
< STEP4: Pull Nqils After removingthe old flooring,
toke sometime to cleon up fte
openingso thot new boords
will slidein ploceeosily.First,
pull out ony noilsyou run
ocross(PhotQ.Then,useyour
chiselto cleon the tonguesond
grooveson he undomoged
flooring.Moke o finol poss
with o vocuumto cleon debris.
w()l\KtlEN(:
H
t-t FEIJt\UAt{y
2oo.+
Remove
Flooring
To remove the old flooring without damaging
the adjacent pieces,you'll need to first remove
a waste section at the end of each piece (Sidebar).
Then, after squaring up the ends of the joints,
use a chisel to split the center of the old flooring down is length (Inset),whtch makes it easy
to remove the cenrer (Main Photo).With the
center removed, the rwo sidespull out of their
respective tongue-and-groove joints easily.
STEPI
First,beginot theioint
linemorkedwih o pencil,
ondonglethechiselin
lowordthedrill holes.Cut
ocrossthefoorboordto
enlorgetheholes.
,n(
"tr\\
\
\l
)v
ri\
Floor-i
Ii
Drill Holes
STEP2
Now chiselin fromthe
othersideond cuttoword
thedrillholesogoin.This
brmso houghthotmokes
it eosierfrcremovelhe
fooringpieces.
STEP3
Theloststepis to squore
up theend iointso new
boordsfit. Todo rhis,
holdthechiselot 90'
ond cutshoightdownon
theiointline.
SHTM.FREE
&ADJUSTABL
Flnally,a slot cutter vulthndhlng to lose. No shlms, no spacers.
Nothingto take apart,just dial il, lock it, cut it.
Easily makesperbct grooves for today's undersizedplywood.
Perbct for edge("T") moldinginstallation.
/ Avallablein two sizes:
.#55500.For 118"-114"
wideslots,112',
deep
.#55510- For 114"-lP wide slots,112',deep
/ Carbidetippedfor tong tife.
/
/
/
/
Joint
tinq
\
?
Iv
1i . \. - \ , r / i Trough
FIRST
FTOORBOARD
ANSWERS
Setfinishnoilsin tongueot 45'
l
lNoilhs Detoil) f
I
MIDDIE
FTOORBOARDS
mqkingq
PERFECT
PATCH
Wherepossible,
fit groovesin 5
new boords
over longues
of existing
boords
The hole you r.naclein your floor nray be different than
this one. But regardlessof size or shape,tl-rereare two basic
things to keep in rnind when installing new floorboards.
Tongues & Bevels-First
off, there likely will be
some instances where a new board will have to fit
between two existing boards. In order to fit the board
ir-rplace, yor-r'll have to remove the tongue and bevel the
edge where the tongue was removed (Inset Photo arrd
BeuclDetail).Then,use consrrlrcrionadhesiveto hold this
part ofthe board firnrly in place (First Floorboard).
Nailing Boards-lf
the board is facing our inro
the open floor, then installation is pretty straightforward. Simply h:rmnrer a few finish nails throueh the
tongue ofthe new board and into the sub-floor at a 45o
angle (Nni/iiqgDetail).Then use a nail ser ro set the naiis.
Removethisporl
of the tongue
I
Securefinol piecewith
/ construclionodhesive
ond top noils,--[l
|
, ,---.'
I
I
Removeiongue
& bevel edge
to fit finol piece
----'
_-1
FINAT
FTOORBOARD
Installing the Patch-Once
you have these concepts
down, you shor,rldbe ready to lay new flooring. If possrble, fit the groove in a new piece onto the tongue ofthe
piece next to it and r-railor glue it down (Middle Floorboards).
Wort vour way acrossthe opcr-ringin this fashion.
Final Floorboard-To
make the last piece of flooring fit, renrove the rongue and bevel the long edge.Then,
slide the piece into place,using construction adhesiveand
top nails to secure it (Final Floorl:oard).
The Finishing Touches-lf
the patch standsa little proud, a few passeswith a h:rnd plane should take care
of that. Surround the patch with tape while planing so
you won't darr-ragethe existing fl,oor (seePhoto).
If you used new floorborrds like I did, your local
paint store can help match the existing finish.
1''
WOIIKI]ENCH
tr FEIJI{UARY
2OO4
cleoniig sqwcuts
ANSWERS
DON'TFORCE
IT
Wrut I try 1r',rn,tO,tiglt atruesu,itlr
rrty.ji.qsaru,thc rut is ncucrpcrputdiatlar to tlrc.fhrcttf the boud.Wlnt
:rgainst the up-lnd-down nrotion of the
blac'le.A lot of friction ancl heat builc.lup,
wl.rich bencls the bladc and causesa cur
dttt I dttitt! tt,rttng?
that'.srrot pcrpenclicular to tl-refacc of thc
Wdyrtc
workpiece
(set InrcrrcctCut).
Joltrrson
Crdnd Lcdsc, Ml
To avoid this, iet thc saw clo the work
for yor,r. Rathcr tl-ran forcing thc saw
The first inrpulse when rnakins a around the curve, eently turn the back of
cut Iikc this is to forcc tht.jig s.rw the saw in the right direction and pr,rshit
around the curve by applyine too
:rlorrgthe workpiece at the speedit wanrs
nruch for-ward and sidewayspressr.rre.
But
to go, taking care not to apply sicleways
lorcing the saw in this manner works
prcssnrc (sct CorrcctCut).
Guidebock end of
sow ond mokeo
slow, deliberotecut
Irt 1,ttrr-furc200-l isyn',1,ttrt
trstOorilla ()hn,,t polyrctltonc
kt
,L:satililL,
tlrc
atkr
lurh.Worild
d nntishrrL'-rcsisttutt
ruttttd
.qhu',
ytitdltb
likt'l'itt:lnrrd
II,
In,
n
trltstitrrtc?
.qhn',
W'tyrrs51"11n-U
-/cct.sor,N/
l)olyurcthanc glr.rcis strongcr-:rncl nrorc cltrr-:rblcthln
nroisturc-rcsist:rntwoocl glrrc. Evcn so, nroisturc-rtsrstarrtgluc will rvork finc fil'nrost outckrorprojects.
lf yotrit' rrccrrstourcrl
to workinq with ycllorv rvoocl qhrc,therr
you nright actuillly prc'fernroistulc-r'csist:u.rt
qlue,:lsits :rpplic:ttion
lncl clrying tinic is the s:rrtrc.:ts
st:lltrlilr('l
yellorv woocl gluc.
llefble using nroistulc-r-csist:rnt
glue, hor,vever,you'll wrnt t<r
rtt:rkcl cc'uplc cons'iclerrttions.
First,nrost rvoocisuscclfor outcloor
pnjects (ccclar,
redrvoocl,:urcl
terk) :uc high in oil contcrrt.Moisnrrc
:urd oil prevent the curing ofTitcboncl II, l watcr--b:rsccl
wood lalue.
Tb set thc best possitrlcjoint irr rvooclshigh in oil or nroisture, wipe the sr.rr{rccs
to be joined togcther with acetone (avail'1
lble artnrost honre ccnters) 5 nrinutes belore qlue-up. Tl-ren
apply the nroisture-rcsistantglue lnd lssertrblcthe joir-rt.Acetonc
is flanrnrable,so have adequatcventilation for a llrse glue-up.
w()l\KllENcH
ft
FEIIUUAI{y
2004
TECHNIGIUES
bqndsqwblocks
AIDCLAMPING
'When
resawingthick stock into thin boards,I often
clamp a fence to my band saw table.However, the
"ribs" underneath the cast-iron table make it dificult to find a flat clamping suface. To solve that
problem, I installedhardwood blocks in the recesses
formed by the ribs (seePhotoat IeJt).Theblocks create a flat,solid suface for easyclamping (InsetPhoto).
The blockswill haveto be customizedto fit your
table.An easyway to do that is to first removethe table.
Then cut the blocksto shapeto fit into the recessses.
Before installingthe blocks,make surethey won't
interferewith the operation of the sawTo find out,
temporarilyattachthe blockswith double-sidedrape,
reinstallthe table,and make a variety of cuts,changing bladesand tilting the tableduring this process.
If everythingchecksout, glue in the blocks with
constructionadhesive.Just
be surethe meal is cleanand
A Thecostribsunderneoth
monybondsowtoblesmokeclompingdifficult. grease-free
for proper adhesion.
Tocreoteo flot clompingsurfoceunderneoththetoble (lnsetPhoto),useconRiehardR.Wegner
struction
odhesiveto gluewood blocksin the recesses
formedby the ribs.
Joliet, IL
GREATGLUE.UPS
When gluing and clamping a cabinet,it's all too easyro rack the
cornersout ofsquare.Topreventthat,clamp a SpeedSquareinone
corner to keep the cabinet squarewhile you clamp it together.
The squareis held in place with C-clamps rhar fit through
openingsin the square.If necessary,
enlargethe openingswith a file.
George
Mason
CostaMesa.CA
Richard
Wegnerwinsthis
DrillDoctor750prize
package
forsending
ushistipl
MailyourShopTipsto:
Workbench
Tips& Techniques
2200Grand
Avenue
DesMoines,
lA50312
Email: [email protected]
16
IVORKBENCH
D FEBRUARY 2OO4
I
I
TECHNIGIUES
tqblesow
CROSSCUTTING
TIP
Using a table saw to crosscut a wide, solid-wood panel
to length is a challenge.The miter gauge isn't an
option becauseyou have to pull it so far back in front
of the saw that itt no longer fully engaged in the
miter gauge slot. So to get around that, I came up with
a simple solution that guaranteesaccurate crosscuts.
This technique involves two things: clan.rpir.rga
rnetal guide underneath the panel and attaching a
hardwood strip to the table saw.'When you push the
panel through the saw blade,the guide rides againstthe
wood strip, ensuring a straight, accurate cut (seephoto).
For the guide, I use a manufactured product called
a Clan-rp-N-Tool Guide (InsetPhoto),but a srraightscrap
piece of wood clanrped to the par.relwould alsowork.
Note: Clar.np-N-Tool Guides are available at many
home centersand woodworking stores.
To set r-rpa cut, you'll need ro lay out rwo lines on
the panel, both of which must be square ro the edge
of the panel.One of ther.nindicatesrhe cur line.The
second line is used to position the guide. Itt easyto
deterrrine the location of this secondline.Justmeasure
the distanceberween the blade and the outer edge of
the wood strip attached ro the saw.
A To ensureoccurotecrosscurs,
o Clomp-N-ToolGuide
(shownot
right)issecuredto the botiomof
theponel.lt ridesogoinsto wood
stripottochedto the toblesow.
BruccJackson
Phoenix,AZ
TobleSow
Wing
Save Tool Set-up fime
Attoch3/"-thicksrrip of hordwood to
roblesiw with mochiner.*"r,, onJ nu*
Boll-Defrent
Pin
Like a lot ofwoodworkers, I use a roller stand to provide support for long workpieces.To make it as versatileas possible,I move the stand from tool to tool.
But adjusting the height ofthe roller for each rool can get to be a nuisance.
So to savetime, I use a metal pin to hold the roller support at one of several pre-determined heights, each one corresponding to a different tool
/see
Illustrationsat right).The pin is inserted into one of a number of holes
that's drilled in the supporr post for the roller. If you label each hole
locking
Lever
NOTE:Drill
holesto
motchheiqht
of tool."
for a specific tool, adjusting the height of the roller is auromatic.
To prevent the pin from working loose, I used a ball-detent
pin (available at most hardware stores). It has a spring-loaded
ball that must be pressedin before you remove the pin.
RollerStond
SteueTbe
Couington,TN
.-"."--"*-"**-J
18
WORKI]ENcH
D
FEBRUARY
2OO4
TECHNIQUES
simpletip tomes
BELT
SANDER
A belt surcler is I qrc'rt tool fix sanding :r solidrvoocl panel llat. llut it only trrkcsl rtrolllentary
Iossof cor.rccntntiotrto rrcciclentrllytip tl'rcsancler
anclrouncl over the eclgesof thc prnel.
To strbilizc the belt sancier,I clanrp scrap
piccc'soiwoocl to the cclscsof thc plnel befbre
I start snrrclirrg(scc Pltotonrrd Illrrstratiorrat rigltt).
That w:ry, I can sancl rirrhr r.rp to - :lncl even
:rcl'oss- tl-recdse of thc panel, witl-ror,rtworrying ubout ror-rnciirrg
thc cdees.
Srott Sni/r'r
Bdttlc Crct'k, MI
Editoy's
Note:For moretipson sondingo
ponelflot,tum lo poge57.
with 2x4 Gauge
Wl-rerrinstallingroofsl-rir-rsles,
I use a woocl block as
a !5augeto cstablishthc proper rcvell fior.n one
course ofslrineles to the next (Illu-ttration,lcft).
The gmge is jr-rsta scr':rp2x4 with a
o\
s l r : r l l o wr r o r r ' ht h : r t l st l r c s . r r n tl'c r r g t l r
:rsthe c'lesiredrevell, 5" ir.rnry c:rse
(sct Illtrstrdtiorr
bclotu).
To usc tl-re{auee, set the
notch in the block
against thc bottonr
edgc of the plevi-
Clomp scrop pieceof wood
locqtingelectricqlboxes
INKMARKS
THESPOT
I've ncver I'rrd nruch luck when cr-rttingthe openings in drywlll
fbr electrical boxes.No nratter how carefully I rneasurerncl then
hy or-rttl're openinu, it always seenrsto be ofi:jr,rsta bit.
My solution is to attlcl'r self-:rclhesivefo:rrtr weatlrer.stripping
to tl.rclront of the box, rpply ink, and pressthe drywrll againstthe
bt>x (.icclltoto bclorp).Thisgives nre a perfect or-rtlineof the box
tl-rrrtslrows nre ex:rctly wl'rere I need to cut (InsctP/roto/.Note. Ink
bottles are lvrrilablc at ltlost stationerv stores.
olls colrrsc of sl-rirrules.Tlren,aligr the
next course with
thc top oftl.re gruge.
5r1Vn
Jcrry,
Naplcs,IrL
Helcrt Mclnick
Philadelplia, PA
20
wollKBENcH
tr FEllll.uARy
200.1
Poper Potlern
TECHNIGIUES
get super-smooth
scRorr
cuTs
Recently,I bui.ltthe outdoor wall lanternprojectfrom
theJune 2003 issueof Workbench.When
it was rime
to scrollsawthe decorativemetal inserts,I useda diG
ferent method ofpreparing the cutring packagefor the
thin sheetsofmetal, which resultedin a crisp,cleancut.
With this method, the metal is "sandwiched"
between two piecesof 1/a"hardboard.Toprevent
the metal from slipping around during the cut, it's
securedto the bottom piecewith stripsof doubiesided tape (seelllustrationat right).The tape aiso
holds the whole packagetogether.Asfor the paper
pattern,its appliedto the rop pieceofhardboard
with sprayadhesive.
Once the cutting packageis put together and
you startscrolling(seePhotoat right),therealbeaury
of this technique comesinto play (eventhough you
wont be ableto seeit just yet). As the scrollsawblade
moves up and down, the hardboardacts as a rigid
backerboard,preventingthe freshly cut edgesofthe
thin metal from lifting.
Sincethe metal remainsflat,you'll end up with
crisp,cleancutswhen you open the package,
requiring little, if any,sanding.
LorenCunderson
Bethalto.IL
7s"Hordboord
NOTE:For more
informotionon how
to scrollsow decorolive
meiol inserts,refer to June
2003 issueof Workbench
Double-Sided
Tope
20-Gouge
Me|ol
dustsepqrotor
upgrode
ttGansttGlean-Up
where I lett ott
the day before.
I purchased a dust separator recently
to put on a plastic trash can. The
idea behind the separatoris that the
healy chips fall into the trash can,
while the smaller particles are pulled
into the dust collector.
To make it easier to empty the
trash can, I lined it with a plastic
bag. The only problem is when I
turned on the dust collector, the bag
got sucked into the exit port ofthe
separator, causing it to clog.To prevent that, I made aT-square to hold
the bag down. It's just a couple of
r^t-.- .Szarek
e--,.^l
lohn
scrap 1x4s that are cut to fit snugly
in the trash can.
Those"vacuum packer" kitchen appliancesthat you've
undoubtedly seenadvertisedon TV infomercialsare
good for more thanjust storing dinner leftoversin airtight plastic bags.To avoid having to clean my paint
....brushes,I savethem overnight in a vacuum-sealed
''--...-bag
----.--'.
(seeIllustration below).
The bag prevents air from getting
inside,so the brush won't dry
'-.........
out.This meansI canpick
- -right back up
./
'./
')
\
Vocuumi
Yqruulfr
SeofedBog
-
22
FOREASYEMPTYING
^t".","n',
Smithfeld,VA
WiIIiam Simmons
Potsdam.NY
WORKBENCH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
t
H
WORKSHOP
6rr\
2" PVCPipex 36" long
fl
7s"Holein
bottomof PVC
NOTE:72"conduit
hoson inside
diometerof 5/a"
Tz"Conduil,
26" long
5/e"ThreodedRod,
3l " long
HeightAdjustment
Nul
7s" Nuls
Foot
(l7z"x5%"x18")
lhc" Hole,centered
SUPPORT
17y''Nohhes,
rosscuttinglong boardsor
;A
sheet
materialon a tablesaw
I
V.rn
b e a c h a l l e n g eT.h i s i s
especiallytrue if you don't have
Proper support on the side of the
sawfor long pieces.
Here'sa quicksolution-a pair
of shop-madesupportsthat hold a
length of PVC pipe.Thepipe hasa
slick suface,so workpieceswill easily slide acrossit asyou make a cut.
Adjustable Height - f,nelhsg
useful feature of these supportsis
they can be adjustedup and down.
This makesthem ideal to use as a
sidesupportfor a drill press,aswell
(seepage26).
To make the supportsadjustable,
the baseof each unit holds a tall,
threadedrod.A length of electrical
conduit fits over this rod.This conduit is what actually supportsrhe
24
plasticpipe.To adjustthe height of
the pipe,justturn a nut up or down
againstthe bottom end ofthe rod to
raiseor lower rhe conduit.
Build the Base - The baseof
each support is made up of two
interlocking feet (Illustration,right).
Eachfoot is cut from a 2x6, notched
asshown in the FootDetail,andthen
trimmed at an angleto give the foot
a slimmer profile.
One thing to note is that,unlike
the top foot, the bottom foot has
two counterboredholes drilled in
it.These counterboresform pockets
for two hex nuts that are used to
securethe threadedrod in the base.
Add the Pipe - After completingthe bases,
itt just a mamerof
cutting the pipe to length, drilling
holes to fit over the conduit, and
then assemblingthe support.
ql-
Rubberftrew-On Feet
T
\
,.,''
l"Counbrbore_.]
eAc"aeep{]
,
t
/51rn
ta" ,rh
ft',t."
81/a"
WORKBENCH
tr FEBI\UARY 2OO4
H
WORKSHOP
drill press
SIDE
SUPPORT
The work support also comesin handy for use with a
drill press.After all, you frequendy need ro adjust the
height of the drill presstable,so the supportt built-in
height adjustment mechanism means it's tailor-made
for helping keep things level when drilling long boards.
In this case,the long plastic pipe isn't needed. In
fact, a short 2x4 block is all it takesro converr the table
saw work support into a side support for a drill press.
Here again,you'll need to drill a hole in the bottom
of the block to fit onto the conduit (seeIllustrationbelaa).
I alsotrimmed the bottom edgeof the 2x4 at an angle
asshown, and routed a chamfer around the top edge.
Breaks Down for Storage -This work supportcan be partially disassembled
to fold flat for storage(see
Figs.1 and 2 below).Thenstandthe folded unit on the
floor, and snapit into broom clipsmounted on the wall.
DRILLPRESS
SUPPORT
I To slorethework
I supporfs,loosen
thetrcpWo nuts
so you con
sePorote
fie
bosepieces.
Thenlift the
upperbot ond
spinit oround.
ll Nowslidethe
^4 upperbose
pieceogoinst
the lower
pieceond
hondtighten
thelwo nuts
to holdthem
bgelher.
26
WORKBENcH
!
FEBRUARY 2OO4
EDGE
o betterwoyb
CUTCOVEMOLDING
Cutting a cove in the face of a board
can be a bit tricky. The common
method is running a board diagonally across a table saw blade.
Although this approach works
okay,it's not exacdy what a table saw
blade is designed to do.And the usual
result is a cove with a bunch of saw
marks that require a lot oftime-consuming sanding or scraping to remove.
'Way
New
to Cut Q6vg5 Enter Lonnie Bird's Cove Cutterhead from CMT. The cutterhead
mounts on a table saw just like a
regular saw blade (seeBottom Photo).
The first time I cut a cove with
this tool, everything wenr smoorhly.
There was much lessvibration than
with a table saw blade.And the cove
itself was smooth and nearly free of
saw marks. In fact, cleanupjust took
a couple passeswith some sandpaper.
Cutterhead Anatomy - The
reasoning behind this smooth cut
A This beefycutterheodproduceson omozingly
smoothcovecut.Justfeedtheworkpieceocrossit
ot on ongle,roisingthecutterl/ro" betweenposses.
can be traced to the design of the
cunerhead. Itt a beeft s/s"-rhick steel
disk thatt built to handle the force
of a workpiece being fed diagonally
acrossit. Six thick carbide teeth with
rounded profiles easily scoop out
material as you make a cut.
Cutting Q6vse - To cut a cove,
the first step is to clamp two fences
to the table saw at an angle to the
cutterhead. This angle will determine the final profile of the cove
(seeFigs.l and 2,below).
With the fences in place, set the
height of the cutterhead 1/rc" above
the table and make the fint pass.Raise
the cutterhead l/rc" after each pass
until you reach the desired depth
(Main Photo).For the final pass,raising
the cutterheadjust a hair produces a
smooth, aimost polished sudace.
Pricing - The Cove Cutterhead
sellsfor $180 by itself,or aspart ofa
Crown Molding Set for $340.The set
includes six router bits that allow you
to make your own custom crown
molding.All in all, the cutterhead and
router bit set are worth a closer look.
Call 888-268-2487 or visit CMTt
website at \\ \'\v.cnrtus:r.conr
Anglefromfront
of sowlo
< wtDEcovEs
io perpendiculor
wift cufterheod
To cut o wide cove, set the two
ouxilioryfencesot on ongle
thot is neorlyperpendiculor
with the cutterheod.
< NARROW COVES
Foro norrowercove,simply
odiustthe fencesso thotthey
ore olmostporollelwith
the cutterheod.
28
woRKBENcH
tr FEBRUAnv 2004
EDGE
o blodehr greot
GtUE.UPS
This new Glue Line Rip Bladefrom Freud
Tools is the rype of cutting technology I
like to see- a bladethat eliminatesa step
from a common woodworkins task.
Smoother Edges- Edge-gluing two
boardstogetherusuallyrequirestwo tools:a
tables:rwto rip the boardsand a jointer to produce a straight edge. But Freud's new blade leaves
such a smooth edge when ripping that I feel comfortable going straight to glue-up withoutjointing.This
is possible for severalreasons.
A New Tooth Design - First, between each raker
tooth on the blade is a triple chip tooth witl.r the corners ground off(scc lllustrationbelow).Thisfeature keeps
saw marks to a nrinimunr.
Ground Sides - Second, while the teeth
plate, the
teeth on Freud's blade are ground on the sides to srt
alnrost flush with the blade (Detaik).This enablesthe teeth
to smooth the cut edge, much like a burnishing tool.
Thick Plate - Conlpared to a conventional blade,
on most bladessit proud of the blade
the plate on the Freud blade is noticeably thicker (Detaik).
This ensures that the blade
will stay flatter and more
stable for a longer cutting
Ground tooth sits
flushwith blode
life. Like most Freud blades,
it also has laser-cut slots ro
reduce vibration (seePhoto).
Freud.sGlue Line Rip
FREUDBLADE
Blade sellsfor berween $60
Toothsitsproud
of blodeplote
Thinner
CONVENTIONATBTADE
and $70, which is comparable to most other 3O-tooth
rip blades on the market.
For more information, call
800-472-7307
or visit
www. FreudTirols.com
Neorlyeveryone
hossnoppedo utiliryknib blodeot onelime
Thelenoxcutsgreolfor doily use,so I decidedto
or onolher.BulLenoxmqyhoveputon endfiofhesemomenlsreollyputit frcthetest- I clompedo lenoxEdgeond
withtheirnewl€noxEdgeblodes.
o stondordutilityknifeblodein o viseond hit them
utilityknib blodesoremodeof inflexible
A,lost
corbon
bothwith o hommer.While the stondord
sbel.ButtheLenoxEdgehoso cultingedgeof high
blodebrokeofteriustone blow, I shuck
speeddeel {o steelolloy designedbr highspeed
the LenoxEdgerepeofedlyond could
mochiningl
o
fe,rible
olloy
bocking.
Tfu
onlybendiI (seePhotol.
wih
ioined
V
resultis o blodewifi
wilh o shorpcutlingedgefiot
thot ,,ffi
l-enoxblodessellin pocksof fivebr
won'tsnop.Lenoxolsosquoredupfie blode
obout$3 ond50 for $19. Coll80O
endsb eliminotethe porthot breoks ^628-88'10or visitlenox'swebsite
of www.l,enoxSow.com
**^"'o'2)
ilTh"Jy,f,:,il:
30
wot\KllENcH
f] FEBRUARY
2004
EDGE
q cleqnercutting
COUNTERSINK
The first time I used Amanat Carbide-Tipped
Countersink,it definitely mademe take notice.The bit
cut a much cleanerhole than a steelcountersink,with
lesschipout around the rim of the hole.
Carbide Tip - And you can bet that the,Amana
Countersink will continue to cut better than conventional bits. That's becausethe countersink is carbidetipped, so it stayssharper longer, which is especially
important when working with plywood or MDF
Slow-Spiral Bit - Another feature is that the flutes
on theAmana drill bit wrap around in a"slow spiral" (see
Illustrationsat dght).As a result,it doesnt clog with shavings asreadily asthe tight spiralson a conventional bit.
Metal Shaft - As a final innovation, the shank of
the Amana bit is housedin a metd shaft.Thisprevents
the bit from slipping or breaking like convenrionalcountersink bits sometimesdo.
Amana'scarbide countersinkscost about $25. Call
800-445-0077 or visit www.AmanaTicol.com
ProductInformatlon
Steel
counlersink
not os shorp
or long
Unproteced
drillbir
A'YIANA
COUNTERSINK
STANDARD
COUNTERSINK
*ttr'
l-rfrr
**"""*frr.,.
5
,oT ,;*c?*"*y
i ,_
HANDSCREW
irrrplv put, hunclsclcrvsc:ur hlrrc'llcl lot ofjobs
()f coursc,tltcr"crrrc rrranyotlrcr cl:rnrpirreoperlothcr clurrrpscun't.No rtr:rttcl'howrtr:rnvcliflcr-- t i o n s t h r r t n r : r k c h l r r c l s c r c r v isn v r l u l b l c : r r o u u c l t h c
c l r t c l : r n r p i n r lc l c v i c e sb c c o n r c a v : r i l u b l cn, o n c
sho;r.For cx:rnrplc,thcir clcc;rrclch rrrakcsthcrn iclcal
nr:rtchesthc vcrs:rtilityof :r tlaclition:rlltanclscrcrvcllntp.
tirl cllrrrpinrl:rr,vorkpicccto l bcnch.Thcy pr"oviclc
:rn
For st:rrtcrs,thcil r,voocljaws r,von't nr:rr-thc surcxtrir hancl fbr slflly nt:rchininq stlrrll p:rr-ts.
Ancl thc
flcc of rr rvorkpiccc likc rnctrrlcllnrps. Morc inrpor- jaws of a ]runclsclcrv
h:rvcthe uniclue:rbility to bc otttantly,thc j:nvs proviclccven cl:rurpingprcssur-c
thrt
sct,which is esscntialtirr cl:rrnpinqnon-plrrllcl sur{rccs.
prcvcnts gluccl-up plrts fr"oni twisting out of
Wcll, the list could go orr.Acrllllv, it dot,.s
go o1 lliqnrnent. This nr:rkcsthenr lr
r,vc'vc'conrpiled :r list of or-rrten flvor"itc hanclscrclvups,
N,
r . r t r r r . r il o r l , r r r r i n : r r i r rt h
{ i r r bcilinnins on ptlre 3(r. l3ut flrst, trkc I look et thc
rvoocl sn'ips(src Pltontalttvt'). ne\t pilge tol a cluick refl-eshcron ltow tl-rcyr,vot-k.
.-#rA
:,*,#'
HANDSCREWCIA'YIPsouRcEs
Hondscrewclompsore ovoiloble in o vorietyof sizesfrom
the sources
ot right.Theiows
ronge from 4" lo 24" long,
with multiplesizesbetween.
1!+
o AdiustobleClompCompony
3 124664640, www.odiustnbleclomp.com
o Bessey
80G828-l004, www.besseyclomps.com
o Woodcroft
80G225-I I 53, www.woodcroh-com
w()RKtJhNCil
t,
FEtJI{uAI\y
fO0+
THE fl6H1ENER
ie lhe threaded
opindlethat, appliea
the clam?in6 ?reseure
Hondscrew
Anqtomy
ETEELDOWEL9
aaaept t'he t'hreaaed
opindleafor eaoy
adiu6tmentg
There'so good reosonhondscrew
clompshovebeenoroundso longcondesign.A hondscrew
ingenious
sistsof two wood iowsond o couple
(o tunerond o tightof metolspindles
ener)thotthreodthroughsteeldowels.Neorthemiddleof eochspindle,
thethreodsreverse,
ollowingyou to
quicklyopen ond closethe iows.
Slotsin the iows providecleoronce
when clompfor spindlemovement
ing non-porollel
surfoces.
THREADg REVERgE
i n l h e m i d d l eo f
, nablinq
e a a ho p l n d l e e
Nhehandocrewto
open and alooe quiokly
THE TUNER,
i o t h e o p i n d l eu o e d
lo make fine
adiuetmenta
to the iaw openinq
sLotg
wooDJAws
allow lhe jawe
to be offae| for
a l a m p i n qn o n - p a r a l l e l
SUrtaceS
havea long reaoh
-- and won'l mar
workpieoea like
metal clafi?e
STEP I
THIRD
Adjuatlhe liqhtener
lo alam? down on :lhe workplece
I'o
..rr'"
l1-0
it
\i
\'ti)
1l
1l
\ll
r Adiust Jow Opening
r Apply Clomping Pressure
To odiusithe sizeof the iow openingquickly
ondevenly,grospthetunerhondlein onehond
ond thetightenerin theother.Thencronkthe
likeyou'repedolingo bicycle.Rotote
spindles
the iowsowoy fromyou {shownherelto close
theopening.Spinthembword youto openit.
of the
AfterLdluJtingthe io* openinglc roughlymohh the thickness
stock,slip the hondscrewover the workpiece.Thenbock off on the
tightenerond snugup the tuner.Next,turnthe tightenerhondleto
Ihe goolisto endupwithtighttyclompediqws
opplyclompingpressure.
thofore porollelto thefocesof theworkpiece.lf thisisn'tthecose,
reodiustthetuneros needed,ond reopplypressure
with thefightener.
WOI\KBENCH
D
FEBI\UAI\Y
2004
35
IOBEST
HANDSCRNfI/
TIPS
NON-PARALLEL
9URFACE9
The two independently
threoded
spindlesof o hondscrew
enoblethe
iows to opply evenpressur€lo nonporollelsurfoces,os on this beveled
frome.Simplyodiustthetightener
to
opentheiowswide.Then,odiustthe
tunerto closehe frontof theiows.
ac
ADEE? REACH
Dccoratlve
trlm plece
The long iows on this hondscrewprovideo
femendousomountof reoch,exlendingfortherin
fromtheedgeof o workpiecethonothertypesof
clomps.Thot'siusttheticketfor opplyingdecorolive trim to o proiect,qs shownhere.Also, by
odiusting
theiowssothey'renotporollel,theclomp
con reochoverproieclports,if nocessory.
ALIONWOODEPOINO
Whengluingsolidwoodedgingto o plyrood
shelfor cobinet,thethinshipshoveo fnndency
lo
slipoutof olignment.
Thesolufion
is trcusesmoll
hondscrews
to holdthe edgingin ploce.
No|eftot youstillneedto clompthe
edgingogoinstthep[avood.
?lywood
thalf
Hardwood
Edgln1-
OFFgETTHE JAW9
By"rocking"thespindlesin theslottediows
of o hondscrew,
youconoffsetthetipsof the
This
comes
in hondywhenyou need
iows.
ficopplyclompingpressure
frclwo portsthot
don'l olign wift one onolher,qs when
gluingo drqwerpulltothefrontofo drower.
.
FETjITUAI\Y 2OO4
TIPS FROM TT{E
Glued-up
6ox
Sometimes
you con glue up on entireproiectwith justo
coupleof hondscrews.
Tokethissmollbox for instonce.
Rotherthon usingo numberof clompsto opply pressure
oll oround the box, simplynestlethe box betweenthe
ond tightenthem.Justmokesure
iowsof the hondscrews
the iows ore porollelto one onother.
FENCHTO?VI9E
The flot sides of the iows mqke q hqndscrewo
convenientbenchtcpvise.Forexomple,when opplying glue b the edge of o workpiece,you con keep
it hom tippingover by clompingit in o hondscrew,
whlch in turn is clompedto the benchtop.
ROUND?IECE9
By cuttingo V-shopednotchin eoch iow of o
hondscrew,you con moke o greot clomp for
holding dowels or other round obiects.This
comesin especiollyhondy when you need to
holdq dowelsteodyfor drilling,
olign
Justbe surethenotches
KBEN(]
H
N
F E I ] I I . L , I AI { \
3l
-t
5TO? tsLOCK
It's difficultto imogineo
simplerstop block thon o
hondscrew.After oll, it servesos
the stop block ond the clomp thot
holdsit in ploce-oll in one.Once you
estoblishthe locotionof the stop block,
simplytightenthe hondscrew
on thefence.
I
Workpleae
Hold-down
HOLD-DOWN
A hondscrewis ideolfor
securingo smoll piece
on the drill press.After
clompingtheworkpiece,
securethe hondscrewto
the drill presstoble, os
shown.Nowyou con drill
the hole without hoving
to worry obout the workpiecespinningoround.
38
9AFERCLAMPTN@
El
When it comesto mochiningoperotions,
o hondscrewcon be o reol finger-sover.
Plus,it con go whereo metol
clompcon't or, moreto the
point,where it shouldn't.
Unlikeo metolclomp,
it's not o big deol if o
bit or blodecomesin
contoctwith the wood
iows of o hondscrew.
sl.rq!
t,
o'
Frommonycomel0 - TheTop10.
i;\
til
&l
Once ogoin, the editors of
Workbenchhoveculledthe lengthylist
of newtoolsintroducedin thepostyeor
l{
q
ti
to recognizethe mostextroordinory
omongthem.And in ocknowledge
mentof theirbreokthrough
contributionsto the woy we work with
r*
wood, we ore pleosed
to honorthesetoolsos
the Iop l0 lnnovotive
Toolsfor 2004.
/'-.-, *
&".
tn",
40
b
*rr,
.*F
WOI{KBENCH
!
FEBI\UAI{Y
200.1
Powermqtic | 55
Rilniqm*l
SPIRALBTADES- SMOOTHCUTS
2OO4 Ilt,INNER
ters leavea smooth,flawlesssurface
in most stock.Only when working
with the most demandingstock
(suchasbirdt-eye maple)wasit necessaryto shift the planer into lou'
speedto get the best possiblesuryou find yourself planing a board
that's at, or close to, the full capaciry face quality.
The key to this systemlies in the
of your planer.This leavesno space
flexibiliry of the knives,which allows
to angle the board as you feed it.
them to follow the spiralof the cutFortunately, Powermatic took that
terhead(Fig.1).Thesesingle-edge,
tip and applied it to the design of their
newest 15" thicknessplaner.The 155 high-speedsteel knives are held in
place with five gibs (blade holdplaner features a three-knife cutterdowns).Thegibs arecurvedto folhead in which the knives spiral around
low the spiral.
the head (seePhotoson page 40).
Replacingbladesis simple.The
The obvious benefit to this design
is that the blades are always at an bladesand gibs both have indexing
holes.Cornbine that with a blade
angle to the stock. Based on our
adjustmenttool (included with the
extensiveuse of this planeq the resuls
planer)and gettingthe bladesperare fantastic.
fectly alignedis automatic.
We fed a variety of soft and hardMaking the 155 an evenmore
woods through the planer and withsuch
oustandingplanerarefeatures
out exception, we've been comOne of the most well-worn shop
tips is the one about feeding a board
through a planer at a slight angle so
the knives will slice the wood instead
of tearing it. It's a good tip - until
pletely satisfied with the qualiry of
cut. Even at the higher feed rate of
20 fpm (this planer also has a slowfeed speedof 16 fpm), the spiral cut-
;\j s.r9]:Jrrs":
Price:
$1,800
230-volt,3-hp
Mobr:
147/s" x 6"
Copocity:
FeedRote: l6 & 20 FPM
3
Numberof Knives:
CutsPerMinule: 13,500
I veor
Worronty:
Viilues: Spirolcutterheod
cutforo smooth
mokes
sheoriirq
Lorqe
iost-irontobles.
surfoce.
Twospeed.
Built-in
coste-rs.
www.WtlHloolGroup.com
000
847-851-r
ascast-iron support tables,
a digital scale, and
built-in casters(Frg,2
\t"
and Photo at right).
Thedigibl scoleon >
thisplonercon be set
to indicoteeitherthe
or
desiredthickness,
theomountofmoteriol
beingremoved.
A Cost-ironinfeedond outfeedtobles
48" of
combinefor on impressive
fotolstocksupport.Theenclosed
cobinetolsohosbuih-incoslersfor
movingtheheovymochine.
WORKBENCH
tr FEtsRUARY 2OO4
41
Lei h Indusilies FMTJ
SIMPTIFIES
MORTISE
& TENONJOINERY
;\i sr 9jsi"r:cE
Price:
$800
l/2" plungerouter
Requires:
Dimensions:
8" x 12" x 14"
MoxTenon:l
/2" x 21/2"x 5"
Worronty:
5 yeors
Virtues: Simplifies
mortise
ond tenonioineiywith inventive
guidesystehond logicol,cleor
Inslruclrons
lor use.
www.leighJigr.rom
800-663-8932
< Leigh'sFMTiig portners
with
mostplungeroutersto become
on incredibly
versotile
mortise
ondtenonmochine.
Until the advent of the Fran.re The tenons I cut on my tablesaw
Mortise and Jenon Jig from Leigh
with a tenoningjig.
Industries,my technique for rnaking
Aflter a few large projects using
t-uortiseand tenon joinery involved
this r.nethodology,I fek I'd become
a minimum of rwo large power tools
quite efficient setting up and cutand a great deal oftinre and effort.
ting dead-on mortise-and-tenon
Typically, I'd cut the mortises by joints.The FMT, however, changed
drilling severalholes with a
n.ryidea of what eflicient is.
Forstner bit and then
Quite simply, the FMT takes
square them up
with a chisel.
d
[h
suu-uose
'-
Oq.
\
/
.i:
.flN
\
-.
Bt,I\I
-\\\\
\\\
42
ture using mortise and cenonjoints.
Shown in acnon (abure)and asa kit
pelow),he FMT consissofajigbody
that positions the workpiece and
guides the router, a sub-basethat will
accept most brands ofplunge router,
a s/16" spiral upcut bit, five templates
that make over 20 sizes of mortise
and tenon joints, and all the necessary tools, hardware, and clamps.
The most important component
of this system,however, has to be the
,-Rouler
(
ent to mortise and tenon joinery
and very nearly eliminates it. If you
can operate a plunge router and follow simple instructions,you can easily use the FMT jig to build furni-
user'smanual.This clearly illustrated
and plainly-written manual guides
you through the setup and operation of the jig with a perGct blend of
-o
{?
theory and step-by-srepinstructions.
(..,**
Setup ond Operollon
The FMT requiresyou to do little
more than decidethe sizeof mortise
WOI\KBENCH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
< Pinson the
subbose
followguides
on theiig bp
ficcul
perhct-fitting
mortiseond
lenonloints.
V Thebosic
FMTiig comes
with five
|emplo|es
thot
ore copoble
of morethon
20 sizesof
mortiseond
tenonioints.
A Comoctionclompsondodiustoble
strcps
ensureperhctond secureplocement
of theworkpiece.Clompsond stcpsconbe usedin vorious
locotionslo occommodote
difbrentstrcck
sizes.
and tenon you wish to cut and then
matchthat to the appropriatebit and
template combination. From there,
locatethe centerof the cuts.Thenuse
the adjustablestopsto position the
workpiece and the cam clamps to
hold it firmly in position (Fig.1).
At this point, the FMT pretty
much takesover.A setofpins in the
router sub-basepositionsthe router
on the jig body (Fig.2)
One pin rides in a fixed track to
control the side-to-sidemovementof
the router.The secondpin tracks
aroundthe perimeterofthe template
to cut the tenon and insidethe templateto cut the matchingmortise (Frg.
2a).Thts templatepin is microadjustable,which allows you to finetune the fit of the joint.
3"-wide x 5"-long tenon is all in a
day's work for this versatile jig (Frgs.
j and ja).
Likewise, the FMT simplifies
even very challenging variations of
mortise and tenon, including angled
tenons and even double, triple, and
quadruple mortise and tenon joints.
It's important to note here, however, that this range of versatility
requires you to purchase additional
templates and router bits.This adds
significantly to the cost of the FMT
(about another $320 if you want
every possible variation).
And on the subject ofcost, theret
no denying that FMT is a sizable
investment. On the other hand,
when I compare it to the price ofthe
nearest alternative - that being a
dedicated mortiser and a tenoningjig
Verscllllty
for the table saw - and then factor
The FMT also receiveshigh praise in how much faster and more accufor the incredible array of mortise rate this system is than any other
and tenonjoints it can cut - any- rvurner of cutting mortise and tenon
where berween a matchstick and a joints, it looks like a bargain to me.
WORKBENcH
tr FEBRUARY
2OO4
A Frommotchstick-sized
bnonsto hipleond
quodrupleioints,theFMTofbrs olmosfendless
possibilities
br mortise
ondtenondesign.
43
TheVersaSawfronr Pro Tool Mar-rufactr.rringrepreselltsthe
first viable alternative to shelling out about g100 for a
nroderatelypriced reciprocatingsaw that you nright only
use l few tinres a year. For about $40, this innovatrve
:rccessoryturns your drill into a potent, occasional-use
recip saw.Tl-reVersaSaw
will chuck into any 3/3" or larger
drill and acceptsa1lrypes ofreciprocating saw blades.
The capabiliry of theVersaSarvis lirnited only by the
power of the cl'ill driving it.The nranufhcturerreconluends
a nrininrunr of 14.,i volts if you r.rse:rcordlessdrill.
TI-re saw operates srtroothly,and it'.scon-rfortableto
grip and opertte. It also rotates 3600 around its own
shaft, lettins yoll cut r,rpwardor- downward without
ch:urginethe position of the drill.
The light weight rncl conrpacrsizeof the tool nrean
;\.i' :r gJlrrSE
Price:
ond smoll tor eosy storoge.
Rototes360".
www.VersoSow.com
877-374-5572
yoll calt store it ilt :r tool box or even a drill caseto keep
it at the ready.
CORDTESS/CORDED
SHOPVACUUM
2OO4 WINNER
DeWalt makes the list of innovators rhis year with the
first ever shop vacuum thar'sboth corded and cordless.For
versatiliry the DC500 can be powered by any ofDeWalt's
12-,14.4-,and 18-volt banery packs.Or it can be plugged
into a 120-volt outlet for unlimited run time.
With an 18-volt battery pack, the vac weighs less
than 10 pounds and provides ample power (50 cfm) for
most spills and messes.
The vac comes standard with one high-efliciency
wet,/dry filter. The filter doesn't need to be removed
for wet pickup, is washable,and rated to trap 99.7% of
particles larger than 0.3 microns. Other worthwhile
featuresof the DC500 are an expanding
hose that stretchesup to
6-feet long and a
drain port for easy
;\i :.r 9l*tre
Price:
A Wet or dry, cordedor cordless,DeWolt'sDC50O
redefines
wholo "portoble"
vocuum
shouldbe.
44
Stoo
Power: 12-,14.4-,l8-volt
.|2O-volt
botterypockor
AC
Weighr
l0 lbs
Copocity:
2 gollons
Fiftrotion:997% over0.3
Worronty:
mrcrons
1 yeor
Vidues: A trulyportoble
voc
thotqoeswhere6owerlines
don'i Filterworkiwetor ory.
www.DeWoh.con
empryrng.
Included with
the vac is a
crevice tool,
a wide nozzle, and an
onboard storage
rack. Battery packs
are not included.
S4o
Requires:
A cordeddrill or o
14.A-volt
cordless
drill(1,000
rpmminimum)
BlodeChuck
Keyed
BlodeType:
Recip
Worronty:
I y.""1
Viilues: Alternotive
to oricev
reciprocoting
sows.Lightweighi
800-433-9258
< TheDC500wet/dry voc is
compoclond selfcontoined
for
storogeond portobility.
The
botlerypockshownis nof
includedwiththevocuum.
woRKBENcH
I] FEtsRUARY 2OO4
crqftsmqn
Frrftr?.?rlH
2OO4 WINNTR
Tutin cutter
BLADES
COUNTER.ROTATING
;V sJ gjsrJ$3
Price:
sl80
2.8 omp
Mofror:
8 Lbs
Weight:
4,600
RPM:
Blodes:61/eu
, 36Tcorbide
Mox Deflh ot 90o: 17/au
I
Virlues: Willcutiustobout
onything.Almostno.iendency
foi kickEock.
evendurinq
plungecuts.'Leoves
cleoi edges
www.(roftrnon.com
800-549.4505
whateveryou put in its path. Cutting
metal, plastic,wood, nails - you
name it - they were all part of our
Twin Cutter evaluation.Andit handled eachone with ease.
But there arebenefitsto the tvvobladedesignthat go beyondjust raw
cutting power.
is the rwo counter-rotating blades.
First is safery.Thecounter-rotaYes, rlvo.And yes, counter-rotattion ofthe bladescancelsthe natuing (Photo,below).
ral tendenry ofa circularsawto kick
For pure power and speed, wvo
back.So plunge cutting (Photo,right)
blades spinning in
oppositedirections or even chopping through unyieldwhile cutting at ing materialsoffen litde risk of kickvirnrally the same back or bladebinding.
Another advantageofthis design
point meansthat
this saw chews is a remarkablycleancut.In wood, and
we noticed a lot
throughjust plywood especially,
lesschipout than with a conventional
about
circularsaw.Whencutting meal, there
werent any of the typical razor-sharp
burrs aroundthe cut.
For about $180. the TWin
One part angle grinder, one part circular saw, and one part unconventional thinking bring us the Twin
Cutter from Craftsman.
Just for clariry the angle grinder
part is the motor, the circular saw part
is the blade, the unconventional part
A Plungecutsin ply,voodore sob ond relotively
blodes
teoroutfreethonksic thecounter-rohting
of theTwinCutter.
Cutter is an excellent alternative to recip saws.The com-
pact size make it even
better suitedto working in tight areas.
A Bothblodesore cleorlymorkedlo ensure
properinstollotion.
Theteethore groundflot on
theinsideso theblodescon runsideby side.
45
Pqlm ren Hi Shof
2OO4 WINNER
A CORDLESS
COMPRESSOR
Ifyou've everdraggedan air compressor
for more than a coupleof feetyou'll
appreciatethe irony of the adage"lighter rhan air."you'll also appreciate
Palmgren's
new cordlessair compressor.Atabout the sizeof a lunch box,
the HipShot is the perGct quick-fix compressor.
Poweredby a 12-volt batterypack,the HipShot generates
115PSI,which
is enoughfor any finish nailer and many framing and roofing nailers.
Air storageis limited to the hoseand the tool, so the compressor
cycles
;\i :J gjjrlse
Price:
5229
between each pull of the trigger.
Even so, a fully-charged battery is
good for about 150 to 200 fasteners,
depending on fastener size.
Power:
12 volt
Weighr
6.6 lbs.
Air Pressure:
I 15 PSI
- 200 fosreners
RunTime:150
Itory.ryi. "
.!ygsr
Virtues: Lightweight
ond
compoct,
thisls hulvo portoble
compressor.
Offersbdeiquote
powbrond runtimefor rhost
luick noilingiobs.
www.Polmgren.conr
800-62r-6145
4t
< TheHipShotkit includes
fwo bofieries,chorger,oir hose,corryingcose,
ondshoulder
shop.Thefinishnoileris
notincluded.
Ihe HipShot
will work
withofier brondsof noilers.
DESIGNED
FORDURABITITY
2OO4 WINNER
For alnrosta yearnow,Boschhasbeen
provingthe durabiliryof their Brute
Tough cordlessdrills (18- and 24volts)andCompactToughdrills(12md 14.4volts)by subjectingther.nro
coundess
dropsfiom one-storyheights.
The secretsof this seeming indestructibility
are a steel reinforced collar and a Dura-Shield
housing (Insetphoto).
The collar protects the drills at their weakest point - the chuck. Even when dropped
directly on the chuck, the steel reinforcement
prevents it from snapprng.
The Dura-Shield housing is a p1iable,
resilient polymer casethar absorbsenough
of the force of a fall that the drills can,
quite literally, bounce back unharmed.
;\j sr gjgJlse
Price:
S25o
Voltoge:
18
AmpHours:
2.4
1/zu
ChuckCopocity:
Torque:
500 in./lbs.
No lood RPM: 0-],300
:l
Vifiues: Resilient
housino
ondreinforced
collormokeihls
drillobleto s-urvive
mostdrops
without
significont
horm.
www.BoschTools.rom
877-267-2499
woIIKBENCH
tr FEI]RUARY 2OO4
Rid id PulseDrill
2OO4 WINNER
POWERAND PRECISION
Ridgid's new R5010 1/2" variablespeed pulse drill brings an unprecedented "light touch" to the otherwise heavy-handed category ofham-
;\i :J gjsJrtsg
Price:
st70
Molror: 120 volt,9 omp
DrillSpeed:0 - 3,000 RPM
HommerSpeed:0- 52,000
BeotsPerMinute
:3
Virtues: Pulsemodeollows
for exoctbit plocement
ond delicotedrillinoin froqilemoteriols.
llluminoted
Sturdykeyless
chu"ck.
cord bnd. Extended-life
motor.
mer drills.
The magic is the pulse mode.
'When
running in pulse mode, the
motor operatesin short bursts.This
is a real benefit when starting a
masonry bit in ceramic tile (Fig. 1).
The pulse operation of the drill
eliminates the tendency of the bit
to "wander" acrossthe suface of the
tile.The first burst breaks the glaze
Switching from one operationto
anotheris a simplematterof setting
the speedand torque dialsfor the
work at hand (Fig.3).
Beyond the revolutionarypulse
mode,Ridgid addedsomeother features we really like.
First on the list is a rugged keylesschuck that will not looseneven
during relentlesshammer drilling.
An illuminatedcord end is another
simple,but worthwhile, highlight
(Photoleft).
on the tile precisely where you want
it to and startsthe bit on the desired
path. Continuing in pulse mode
minimizes the pounding of the
hammer drill, significantly
reducing the risk
that the tile
will crack.
of
A An illuminoted
cordend
mokesit eoqyto seewhichcord
goeslrcthedrillondwhether
Poweris present.
course,
this is
also a
hammerdrill, so it's capableof powering a bit througha concreteblock
wall (Fig.2).Andthe pulsemode is
j u s t a s u s e f u li n t h i s s i t u a c i o nt o
ensurestartingthe hole in the right
place.A9-amp extended-lifemotor
"umph" for
providesthe necessary
the heavywork.
Vwith fwo geors,
sevenspeeds,nine
lorqueselfings,
hommer
mode,drill
mode,ond pulsemode,
theR5010conbe
for ony iob.
customized
A Thepulsemodeon fie R5010mokesit possible
to drilltilewithoutthebitwondering
or fie tilebreoking.
Forheovieropplicotions,
powerond brque.
the9<mp molorprovidesollthe necessory
WORKBENCH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
47
Frcud Dqdo Blqde
r?ffiEErF
WIDTH
"DIALS.IN'' PERFECT
2OO4 WINNER
Freud has taken the idea of "dialing
in" a dado blade quite literally and
come up with the best thing to happen to blades since carbide.
The Dial-A-Width dado stack is
just that - a dado blade with a dial
on it for making those fine adjustments to precisely match the width
ofa cut to the thickness ofstock.
Of course, everyone knows that
such fine-tuning has long been possible with the calculated application of shims.
But we also know what a pain it
can be to take a dado stack apart
three or four times - removing the
insert, wrenching the arbor nut off,
removing the outboard cutter and
probably one or two chippers and
shims, then putting it all back
together, making sure to keep a close
eye on all those carbide teeth to
ensure they're not touching - all
in search of the perfect combination of cutters, chippers, and shims.
With Freud's SD series of dado
blades (available in 6" or 8" diameters), finding the perfect stack begins
with a quick check of the user's
manual to find the correct dial setting and to selectthe best combination ofchippers to get you close to
your target width.
From there, a couple test cuts,
and a few clicks (.004" adjustment
per click) one direction or the other
on the dial is generally enough to
perfect the setup.The dado stack
;V c 9jslr$s
Prl*r
6" or 8"
24 per cvfter,
4 per chipper
Chippers:
l4l |/a', l1l 3/sz"
HookAngle:
12'
TopBevelAngle:
:
l5o
Lifetime
Virtr.res: Enobles
incrediblv
precise
ondfostodiustment
of
'
ilodostockwidth.
www.treudlools.con
800-334-41Q7
stayson the saw the encire time since
you only need to loosen the arbor
nut to make those fine adiustments
with the dial.
Another important aspectof these
dado blades is that they cut flat-bortomed dadoes,just like conventional
stack dado setsdo. So,in essence,
the
S3OO
Diomelrer:
Teeth:
SD seriesof dado bladesoffer the
cleancutting performanceof a stack
dado setwith the rapid adjustabiliry
of a wobble dado set.
< A diol on theoutboordcutterollowsyou
lo odiustthewidthof
cul in incremenls
of
.004n
Chippers
Adjusrment
Diol
.WORKBENCH
D
FEBRUARY
2OO4
-t
Xs Bqn
2OO4 WINNER
\
INDEXINGBTADETENSION
Delta's X5 14" band saw is an excellent example of taking a great tool
and making it even better with the
judicious application of sot.uecut-
And even with the quick indexing
system, you have ultimate control
over the blade tension and can finetune the systenl so the lever applies
ting-edge upgrades.
In the case of the Xs, those
upgrades focus on the blade ten-
exactly the tension you desire.
T h e s e c o n d e n h a n c e n t e n ti s a
heary-duty spring.The spring is made
of chrome-vanadium a-lloystock that's
coiled and milled flat on the ends.
The spring offers greater resistance
sioning system.
The first of two noteworthy
improvements is a quick indexing
blade tensioning system (Fi.q 1).
This works by aligning the tension lever to the corresponding blade
width and puliing the handle forward until it locks (Insat Photo).
The lever has a position for all
blade sizes between t1r" and 3/+".
for tensioning wide bladesand suffers
lessdeflection under load becauseits
ends are perfectly flat.This spring is
also less likely to take a set or sufler
damage from premature fatigue,
which is an all too corruron problem
with conventional springs.
\
'
ell
.:\J 9J 9J9JJJJ3
Prl.rt
Sroo
11/z hp
Molror:
61/l'
copocity:
Resow
133/l'
Rip Copocityz
BfodeRongez 1/s" to3/t"
BlodeSpeed: 3,000 SFM
woryiry,
I y99"
Virtues: Quickindexinq
blod6
speeds
blodetension
chongrng.lmproveo,sprlng,.r
otters more tenslon,longer llre.
www.DeltoWoodworking.com
gQO-438-2486
< Alignthe
indexinglever
withthe
corresponding
in
width1070"
thiscose).
Thenpullthe
leverforword
untilit locks
(lnsetPhotQ.
<The
improved,
heovyduty
springoffers
muchgreoler
tensionond
longerlife
fion most
convenlionol
springs.
WORKBENCH
!
FEI]I{UAI{Y
2OO4
49
Thisdressergivesyou on elegontpiece for the bedroomthot's
eosyto build.Thesecretiso simpleplywoodcosefor thedrowers.
couple ofyears ago, we
built an heirloom bed and
a matching bedside table
for a bedroom suite offur-
niture (see the March/April and
May{une 2001issues
ofWorkbench).
Thesepiecesendedup being so
popularthat we receiveda number
of requestsfor more furniture pieces
for the set.So many requests,
in fact,
that we felt it was only fitting to
build a third pieceto round out the
bedroomsuite.That'show the idea
50
for this six-drawer cherry dresser
first got offthe ground.
This dresserfeatures all the same
great design elements we liked about
the bed and the table.Just a Gw of
note are the thick corner posts with
decorative curved tapers cut in the
bottom; the end panels made up of
three individual solid-wood slats;the
six drawers joined with strong halfblind dovetails;and the fronr stretcher
connecting the two sideswith a gende
curve along the bottom edge.
Even though this dresseris a large
project,don't let its sizeintimidate
you - it's surprisinglyeasyto build.
Basically,the frame of the dresser
consistsof two end panelsjoined by
a coupleoflong stretchers.
Then, a casebuilt up from a single
sheetof plywood slidesright inside
the frame.Thiscaseis wrappedwith
hardwoodedgingand holdsthe dovetaileddrawen.A solid-woodtop completesthis heirloom project- and
the cherrybedroomsuite.
woRKBENCH
!
FEBRUAnv
2004
ConsfructionDefoils
OverallDimensions:593/ro"
W x 183/a"
D x 311/n"H
sorrD-wooD
ToP
is sondedflot
with o beltsonder
(seepoge57)
DRESSER
DRAWERS
ore loinedwith
strongholFblind
dovetoils
poge58)
THECASE,
builtfrom
one sheet
of plywood,
fitsinside
dresserfrome
THICKCORNERPOSTS
ore mortisedto
hold the roils
ond streichers
Drower
Support
Ponel
HARDWOODEDGING
coversthe exoosed
edgesof the
plywoodcose
MORTISE
AND
TENONJOINTS
connect
the
stretchers
to posts
SideSlors
ENDPANET
isbuiltup
fromthree
solid-wood
slots
Side
Storl€rSlot
7a"fhomfer
> Along with the heirloombed ond
motchingbedsidetoble,the six-drower
dresseris port of our three-piece
cherry
bedroomsuite.Forcompleteplonsfor oll
threeproiects,visitwww.PlonsNow.com
WORKIJENCH
!
FEBI\UARY
2OO4
Shekhers
CupPull
7a"Chomfer
STRETCHERS
incorooroteo
decorotivecurve
thot motches
design
elements
of bed ond toble
TAPERED
LEGS
ore eosyto cut
on thebond sow
usingo templote
(seepoge53)
solid-woodconslruction
SIDEPANELS
The first thing you notice about
these sides is the sturdy 7T+"-thick
corner posts (A).Two 1"-thick rails
connect these posts to one another
with mortise and tenon joinery.And
in the opening formed by the rails
Mortises-Each corner post has
three mortises cut into it.A mortise
at the top ofeach post accepts the
upper rail (Tbp Mortise & Tbnon),and
a mortise just above the tapered leg
acceptsthe bottom rail.Then, a third
mortise cut on the insiileface of each
leg accepts the stretchers (Bottom
Mortise E Tbnon Detail).
It's easyto accidentally cut one of
these mortises in the wrong loca-
and posts, three solid-wood side slats
slide easily into a groove cut in the
posts and rails.
A Toollow for wood movement,
centero dob
of glueon the upperond lowertonguesof
thesideslotsond usel,/ro"shimsos spocers.
Corner Pesl5-gg21ting with
1310"-1hickstock, rip four posts 1314"
wide and then trim them to length.
tion. So to avoid confusion, it's a
To match the other pieces of the good idea to label each leg before
bedroom suite, the rwo inside faces laying out the mortises.
ofeach post have a curved taper that
To form the mortises, mark and
forms a leg.The sidebar on page 53
drill holes with a drill press,and then
shows how to make the tapered legs. chisel the edges square.
Vz" moilise,
9/ra"deep
SIDEASSEMBLY
(nrcHrsrDEsHowN)
Uppet
SideRoil
(l"x5ho" x145/s"l
Coiner
Post
ll3/4" x l3/4"
h" groove,
1/z"derlp
x 3072")
Y4"
siopped ot
dimensions
shown
Mortise
for reor
shekher
Right
Fronl
Post
4"
t,
Morfise
for front
strekher
SideSlot
x l7g.Ac"l
l'/stt x 4r3A6tt
Lower
SideRoil
11"x4ll'x145/s"l
NOTE:Leove%0"
gop betweenside slots
whenossembling
side
52
Side
SlorterSlot
l5/s"x53Ac"xl4Ao"l
1
5u
)
woRKBENcH
tr FEBRUARY
2OO4
the mortises
Grooves-With
cut, the next step is to cut grooves ln
each post to accept the side slats.
These are easy to cut by using a
straight bit in a table-mounted
router. Start the cut at the top rrortise and end it when you reach the
bottom mortise.
Decorative Chamfers - The last
ching to do to each post is to rout a
decorative chamfer on the outside
corner. Notice in the Construction
Detailson page 51 that this is simply
a l/a" stopped chamfer.The char-nfer starts5" from the bottom end of
each post and extends to 1ll2" fronr
the top (SideAssembly).
Rails-With
the posts complete,
the upper (B) and lower (C) side
railsshould go quickly.Each 1"-thick
piece has tenons on the ends to fit
into the mortisesin the corner posts.
There are two different widths
of slats.Awide starterslat (l)) has a
tongue on all four sides (StcrtcrS/at
Detail). A side slat (E) has a tongLre
on three sidesonly (SidcS/atDudil).
The fourth edge is grooved to frt
over the tonsue in the adjoinine slat.
In addition to cuttine the tor.rsues
and grooves in the slats (Fi.qs.1 ntd
2), the outside facesofthe slatshave
Thecurved,topered leg neor the bottom
of eoch corner post tokes iust two culs
on the bond sqw.
Beforemoking the first cut,
you'll needto tronsferthe
curyeto one side of
a decorative char-nfercr-rtalong both
edges.Tlle tonqLre oll thesc sl:its
ililoll'Jr"'1ilE
nrakes this chanrfer ditllcult to cut
with a router table,so I cnt the
charlfer usins a tablc saw with the'
blade positiorredjust slightly abovc'
the tabletop and tiltecl to 45" (Fi.q.3).
So I woulcln't have to nlove the
fence when cutting tl-rechanrfer on
the gricovedside of tl.reslat,I nradc :r
tenlpor2rry halclboalc'l
%" -wide
plote fsee Pottern
below).Then,simply
loy out lhe curveon on
odiocentsideof the postond
mokethe secondcut.
Once the two cuts ore
mode, completethe leg by
sondingit smooth.
r/t6t
Rip Aux.
fence
M;;&
3/8tt+
2OO4
I
I
I
I
-----{
I
I
I
I
l*-l%"-1
2
J
3/g"
ttr W
A Cutthegroovein thesideslotsby
stondingthe pieceon edgeond moking o singlepossovero dodo blode.
chomfer
A Chomferthetonguededgeof eoch
slotby tiltingthe blode,settingthe rip
fence,ond mokingo poss.
tr FEBI{UAI\Y
----t
th"
tr
l'r
tl
A Toformthetongueon theslots,bury
o dodo blodein on ouxilioryfence
ond cuto robbetin eochside.
WORKI]ENCH
@ 3/t6"
'I,r
M_
|-
/rA
I
I
I
I
TAPERPATTERN
(souAREs
EQUAL
I ")
I
%" iongue,
3/8"long,
cenlered
on edge
chomfer
I
t h e n r .T o a c c o n r p l i s ht h i s , I s p o t glued the tongue orr erc]r sllt :rncl
usedshinrsto spacethenr lpart clnr'ing glne-trp (scr:Pltotoon pa.qc52).
STARTER
SIAT
4u
II
"tongue." I put this tongue in thcAnd a groove cut in the inside edge groove when cntting the ch:urrteron
ofeach raii acceptsthe side slats.
the sroovcd sidc ofthc slrt (Fiq.4).
allorv fbr
Construction-All
that'.s
Side Glue-Up-To
Slat
needed to complete each side of the wood nrovcnlent, the sic'lc sl:rts
dresseris to add three slats.Tl.rese s h o u l d h r v e a I / r r , " g a p b c t w c c n
slatsare simply 5/s"-thick pieces of
hardwood with tongues and grooves
that allow them to fit into the posts,
rails,and adjacent slats.
I
A Toovoidmovingthefenceto chomfer the groovededge,fit o t/a" hordboord"tongue"in thegroove.
bringingit together
STRETCHERS
& CASE
One nice thing about this dresseris
how easily it goes together.The sides
are connected by a front and back
stretcher (F) (seeMain Illustration
bclow).Then,a plywood caseis built
to fit between the sides.
Slrelchers
The stretchersare piecesof 1"-thick
hardwood with tenons cut on the
ends (TbnonDetail).These tenons fit
into the mortises that were cut earlier in the corner posts.
The stretchersare idenrical except
for one thing. The front stretcher
has a long decorative curve along its
botton.r edge (Front StretcherDetail).
An easyway to iay out this curve
is to use a flexible strip of wood as
a guide. Get a helper to align the
this piecein placeto hold the sides
squareduring glue-up.
strip with the end points and center
ofthe curve, and then strike the arc.
Plyurood Gcce
Then, cut the stretcherto shape
using a band saw or jig saw.
To complete the front stretcher,
I routed a chamfer along the top
front edge.
Assembly-At
this point, the
stretchers can be assembledto the
sides.The only problem is that rightening the clarnps could rack the sides
out ofsquare.To prevent this, cut a
scrap piece of wood to fit tightly
between the sides near the top. Put
FRONT& BACK
STRETCHERS
\Vhile the glue dries, you can get
started on the case.It's a simple assemb\y of 3,/+"
plywood panels-identical top and bottom panels (G), a couple of end panels (H), and a cenrer
panel (H) (CaseAssembly).
You'll need to cut a series of
dadoes and rabbets in these panels to
join the case together.The ends of
the top and bottom panel are rabbeted to hold the end panels,and a
centered dado holds the center
panel.You'll also need to cut dadoes
lsseLbbd
Cose
NOTE:Coseis securedto
stretchers
ond cornerposts
with screws
#8 x l%" Fh
Woodscrew
{
I
i
Ta"chqmfer
V2" lenon,
72" long
Shekhers
(1"x3"x55%"1
FRONTSTRETCHER
DETAIT
FrontStretcher
3+
l:'
WOIIKBENCH
!
FEBRUAI{Y
2O(-I4
in the end and center panelsto
acceptthe drawersupportpanels(see
CaseAssemblybelow).
Before assemblingthe case,you'll
need to drill eight counterbored
shank holes into the undersideof
the top panel (seeCaseAssembly).
Later theseholes will be used for
attachingthe solid-wood top of the
page56l.Thenjust assemdresser(see
ble the casewith glue and screws.
Drawer Supports-The next
stepis cutting the four drawer support panels(I) to size.Thepurpose
of thesepanels-as their nameindicates- is to hold the drawersin
placewhen the dresseris assembled.
Once the drawersupportpanels
arecut to size,there'sjustone challenge-sliding thesepanelsin place
without having them "seize up"
before they're fully seated.
Rather than whacking the panelsinto placewith a mallet,I eased
the endsof the supportsby routing
l/s" chamGrson the top and bottom
edges(Photosat right).Justbe sureto
stop the chamfersshy of the front
edge,so they'renot visibleonce the
drawer supportsare in place.
goes,
As far asthe actualassembly
I'd recommend applying glue near
the front of the dadoes.This way,
when you slide the drawer support
panelsin place,they'll spreadthe
glue to the back of the dadoes.With
the support panelsin place,install
screwsto help to strengthenthe case.
Edging-To coverthe exposed
edgesof the case,I added%" -thick
strips of solid-wood edging fl).
They're glued and clamped to the
edgeofthe case.Sincethe back of
the caseis still open,it's no problem
clampingacrossthe panels.
Install the Case-Once the case
it restson the stretchis assembled,
ersandbenveenthe sides.Tosecure
the case,drive screwsthrough the
end panelsinto the corner postsand
through the bottom panelinto the
stretchers(seeFront& BackStretchers
andtheMountingDetailonpage54).
Add the Back-With the case
in place,it'sjust a matter of adding
a 1/a"plyrvoodback (K). Norice that
the back has3" vent holescentered
holes
on the draweropenings.These
allow air to escapewhen closingthe
drawers,which makesthem easyto
shut.After cutting the holes,just
screwthe back in place.
A To mokeit eosy
to slidethe ponels
into ploce,rout
chomferson the
top ond bottom
edges,stopping
themobout2"
from the front
edge flnsefPhotQ.
CASEASSEMBTY
Mountingholes
@
v
BockPonel
l/t'pV.x23h" x54U4')-
TopPonel
l3/q"ply. x 157/s"x 541h"1
5V2"
#6 xVz"Fh
Woodscrew
3" Ventholes
| " counbrbore,
34"dodoes,
Vt, deep
Drower Support Ponels
(%" ply. x157/a"x26Yz"l
@
EndPonel
ply.xl57/a"x22Va"l
WORKBENCH
I
FEBRUARY
2OO4
3/n"robbei,
%" deep
\
t-
Q)
Edging
l/l'x3/4 " x lenglh
hole
buildq solid-wood
DRESSER
TOP
Like the bedside table that's part of
this set of bedroom furniture. the too
of this dresseris a solrd-wood p.n.i.
Panel Thickness-My
goal was
a 3/a"-thick top. So I started by
selecting 1"-thick boards and then
planed them to l3ltr,". That would
give n-rea little "extra" for sanding.
Sizing the Panel As for the
size of the panel, plan on making it
a couple inches wider and
longer than needed. It
will be cut ro final
sizelater.
A A beltsondermokesquickworkof smoothing
the
solid-woodtop of thedresser.Toensureo f/ofsurfoce,
usetheguidelines
exploinedon poge52.
Arrange Boards Once you selectthe boards,take
time to arrange ther-nfor the bestlooking panel possible.Look for consistentcolor acrossthe panel.Ifone
board varies in color, consider using
a diflererrt board. Also, shuflle the
boards so the grain flows naturally
from one board to the nexr.
Once you're satisfiedwith the
appcaranceof the panel, label the
boards so you can retllrn thelr to
that arranger.nent.Then joint the
Top
rl',1"'
edges so they fit tightly together.
Glue-Up - After dry-clanrping
the boards together and making any
necess:rryadjustr-nerrts,
you're ready
to gh-reup the panel. To nrake this
#8xl"
Ponheod
Screw
i
3/f
processasmanageableaspossible,I d
recommend gluing two or three
boards together first.As you tighten
the clarnps, use a straightedge to
check whether the panei is flat. If
not, tap the boards with a mallet.
When the glue dries, add the rerrraining boards to conrplere the glue-up.
Flatten the Top - Despite your
best efforts, the panel nlay not end
up perfectly flat. A belt sander will
nrake quick work of sanding it flat
(seepage 57).
Cut Panel to Size - Now it's
just a nratter of ripping and crosscutting the panel to final size.Note:
For a tip on crosscuttingwide panels on the table saw,see page 18.
Rout Decorative Profiles There arejust rwo nrore things to do
before attaching the top. First, I
routed a snrall chamfer on the top
edge. Then I routed a cove in the
bottorr edge (-l?p PrttJileDetail).
AttachTop -The
top is held in
place with screws that passthrough
the nrourrting holes drilled in the
top panel of the case (Tbp Mounting
Dctail). As the solid-wood top
expandsand corrtracts.the ovcrsize
lllounting holeswill allow it to ntove
w i t h o u t c r a c k i n go r s p l i t t i r r g .
DRESSER
TOP ASSEMBTY
Top
c
\
pre-drilled
2=
mountingholes
o
5/g"Wosher
\
\\
I
il
56
tl
l
I
\
#8x l"
PonheodScrew
I
wolr.KuENcH
U FEBI1UARY 2004
Using a belt sanderis a fast and effective way to flatten a glued-up panel.
But because it removes material so
quickly, it can do more harm than
good. The guidelines that follow
ensure good results.
first
Mark High Spots-The
step is to take a straightedge and
move it along the surface of the
panel, marking the high spots with
a pencil every few inches (Fig. 1).
Cross-Grain Sanding - With
the high spots clearly marked, the
next step is to remove them by sanding acrossthe grain (Fig. 2).1 know
usually, you want to sand with the
grain, but this situation is different.
you were
The reason is simple-if
to sand with the grain, the sander
wouldjust follow the highs and lows
of the panel.
But by sanding acrossthe grain,
the sander rides on the high spots,
quickly grinding them down.To prepare for this step,load an 8O-grit belt
on the sander.Then sand acrossthe
grain, keeping the sander moving at
all times to avoid gouging the wood.
next
Level the Surface-The
step is to level the entire surface.To
do this, first load a fresh 8O-grit sanding belt and sand across the grain
one more time.This time,work the
sander all the way back and forth
acrossthe panel. Sand in a long"'W"
pattern (Fig 3).
the surFinal Sanding-Once
face is smooth and flat, switch to a
finer (120-grit) sandingbelt and sand
with the grain.This removes all the
cross-grainscratcheson the surface,
which would show up like a sore
thurnb ifyou applied a finish direcdy
over them (Fig.4).After sanding the
top smooth, repeat the process for
the other side of the panel.
4i REMOYE HICH SPOTS
.Zrc "knockdown" the highspots,
hold the sonderso it focesocrossthe
groin ond moveit bock ond forthover
the pencilmorks.Keepthe sonder
movingto ovoid gougingthe wood.
wORKBENCH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
ilARK HIGH SPOTS
I the firststepin flotteningo ponelis to mork
the high spots.Holdingo metolstroightedge
ocrossthe width of the ponelmokesfiis on eosy
ond ponel
tosk.Gops betweenthe stroightedge
indicotelow spots.High spots,whichwill be
touchingthe stroightedge,
ore morkedos shown.
Checkthe entirelengthof the ponel,movingihe
stroightedge
o few inchesot o time.
I
A)EVET THE SURFACE
rlLood on o freshbeltond continue
to sondocrossthegroin. Move forword, bockword,ond slightlyside
woys in o long "W" potternto level
the entiresurfoceof the ponel.
t
sAlrD wrtH oRArN
r.tFinolly, switchto o finergritsonding beltond sondthe ponelwith the
groin.Thiswill removeony crossgroin
ond smooththe ponelout
scrotches
beforeyou opply o finish.
57
dovetqiled
DR/il/VERS
The last step in the construcrion of this dresser is ro
build the drawers to fit the openings in the case.These
will be quite hear,rywhen they're loaded with clothes,
so the joinery used to hold them together needs to
withstand the stressproduced from constantly opening
the drawers.Dovetail joints are the answer.
There are two identical banks of drawers in the
dresser,with three drawers on each side. If you turn
back to the ConstructionVieu,
on page 51,you'll see that
the drawers in each bank get progressivelytaller fronr top
to bottonr (seeDrawer Heights below).
Aside from their height, though, the drawers are
identical. Each drawer front is made of %"-thick hardwood, while the sidesand back are /2"-thick hardwood.
The piecesare sized to allow for a 1/.rr:"gap on each side
With bothpiecesclompedin o iig, routingoround
o comb-shoped
temploteollows you to cut both
portsof o holf-blind
dovetoiliointot thesometime.
and above the drawer.
Dovetails-After
cutting all the drawer parts to s1ze,
you can concentrate on the dovetail joints. The terr-n
"haltblind" means the dovetailsare visible on one side
ofthejoint,but
not on the adjacent side (Drau.rrAssembly).
DRAWERASSEMBLY
@@e
NOTE:See"Moteriors
& Hordwore"listot right
for specificdrower
port dimensions
Drower
Side
NOTE:All drowerfronts
oremodefrom3/a"+hick
hordwood;
sidesondbock
ore 72"-thick
stock
DRAWER
HEIGHTS
e
Drower Fronls
Drower Bolfom
[/a" ply. x | 5" x 257/to"l
t]
TopDrower
MiddleDrower
,r,,,o,rlr,,n,
Tz"Holf-Blind
Dovehils
BotlomDrower
58
WORKI]ENCH
tr FEBI\UARY
2OO4
An easyway to cut half-blind dovetailsis with a
handheldrouter and a dovetailjig.There are a number
of dovetailjigs available.I useda 12" Dovetail Machine
(Model 47'1,2)rnantfacturedby Porter Cable (seePhoto
onpage58/, but other jigs alsowould work fine.
Regardlessof the jig used,the basicprinciple is the
same.The tlvo piecesthat will be joined together are
clampedin place.Then, after mounting a guide bushing and a 1/2" dovetailbit in the router, you simply
rout along a comb-shapedtemplate.Both the pins and
tailsarerouted in one operation.
cutting and fitting all
Groove for Bottom-After
the drawerparts,the next step is to cut groovesfor the
%"-thickplywood drawerbottoms ($.I cut my groove
so that it was perfectly centeredon the lowest dovetail
pin,3/s" up from the bottom (seeDrawerBottomDetail).
By centering the groove on a pin this way,you won't
be able to seeit from the side of the drawer.After cut- A With o toblesow
ting the drawer bottoms to size,the drawers can be blodeportiolly
buriedinootoll
glued and clamped together.
fence,lrim
Shadow Line-Thereb one lastthing to do before ouxiliory
installing the drawers.Thatt to createa small"shadow t/16ttoflthebottom
line" underneatheachdrawer that will match the 1/ro" of thedrowerfrontto
creoteo shodowline.
gap on the sidesand top of the drawer.
An easyway to accomplish that is to trim a l/rc"
from the bottom edgeof eachdrawer ftont (DraunrFront
Detail).To do that, partially "btry" a saw blade in an threepartsZar Cherry stainand one part'WoodkoteJeld
auxiliary fence,setthe drawerfront facedown on the saw, Cherry stain.After mixing the tvvo together,I applied
the stainto the entire project,with the exceptionof the
and make a singlepass,asshown in the Photoabove.
caseand drawer parts that were hidden from view.
Finish- When the stain had dried, I followed up
Flnlsh
9roln &
Now all that'sleft to complete the dresseris to apply a with three coatsof a wipe-on varnish.I gavethe entire
stain and finish. To match the other two piecesin this dressera gentle sandingafter the first two coats.
Dresser,bedsidetable,and bed-the cherry bedsetofbedroom furniture,I useda stainI originally came
room
suite now hasthe final piece of the puzzle.T
of
heirloom
It's
a
combination
with
for
the
bed.
up
A (omer
Posls
B Upper
Roih
Side
c lorerSide
Roih
D Side
Storter
Sluls
E SileSlots
4
F
2
2
2
2
4
Stretchen
Ponek 2
G Top/Bollom
Ponels 3
H Gnter/End
Drower
Poneh4
Support
I
J GeryEdging
K 0o*Ponel
I
t
t
2
Hordwood
Too
Fronls
M TopDrower
N TopDrower
Sides
WORKBENCH
4
!
lui'
t3/i,
30/6', fterryHordrood
lu
514t',
145/a,, ftenyHordwood
lu
sfu
4vi'
t4t6'
5/g"
lu
3/i'
OenyHordwood
534t" rvlrc' ftery Hordwood
4134t' lvld'
fterryHordwod
3u
551U' fterryHordwood
157/e"
lSt/s'
54t',
liloplePlywood
u{
Plywood
221il' Mople
Mople
Plywood
157ls" 26th'
3/i' 24lin.fi. fterryHordwood
Plywood
231/i' 541/i' Mople
3/rr
t4
I 83/s" 593/d'
{qu
vi,
lt rr
t4
"/i'
w'
FEBRUARY
(henyl|ordwood
534i' 25t5ld' 6erryHordwood
5"4i'
2OO4
| 5l/s"
fteny Hordwood
o
Top
Drowsr
Botks 2
P Middle
Drower
tronfs 2
4
o iliddleDrovrsrSido6
Bock 2
R iliddle
Drower
s
u
fronls 2
Bollom
Drowsr
Boflom
Drower
Sides 4
Drower
lod6 2
Boilom
v
Drower
Bolloms
T
6
vi
irtr$ffi
3/^'
w
'u
3/i'
V2'
lbtl
W'
SJAI
615/rC' 2515/d' (henyHordwood
6151rc" l5I/s'' 6enyHordwood
6r5/ro" 25t5ld, ftenyllordwood
715/d' 25t5ld' fterryHordYood
7t5lt'
| 5rl8" ftenyHordwood
7r5lv" 2515/i' ftenyHordwood
l5u
257{d' fteny Plywood
r(68) #8 r. 1t/a" FhWoodscrews
o(8)#8 x l" PonheodScrews
.(g) s/s"-diometerWoshers
.(6! BronzeOrb Core Cup Pullsl#2402-02731
Cup pulls ooiloble hom Rebrolim Hordrrcm ot
q
80G762-1005
Hordmod
25\5hC' 0rerry
@wt
fttting Diogronr,
&
Holf'Elind
Routing
llovetoilJoinfs
Wo*hnchMooozine.tom
59
{D
J*i'
60
' '.. ead any review of router
tables and itt immedi,"
- . ; ately clear that what disting:ishes one table from
I
another is the fence. So when we set out to eval" " uateroutertablesetups,webypassedthecabinets
and tops and got straight to the heart of the matter router table fences.
is something you'll want to pay particular attention to
as you decide which fence best suits your needs.
For this survey, we examined six fences ranging in
price from $60 to nearly $500. Given the wide range
ofprices, it seemed unreasonableto compare the Gnces
in search of the "best" and "worst." Instead, we considered each fence based on what it can do in relation to
how much it costs.
Beyond that, however, we found that each of these
fences has its own unique offerings. A couple fences
in particular stand out as exceptional, each for their own
reasons, and we've highlighted rhose as Top Value
(Bench Dog AF400, page 63) and Editor's Choice
(Incra LS17 Super System,page 66).
If there was one constant that ran through this survey, it was the question of what's involved to adapt
the fence to an existing table. Again, there's quite a
dif[erence between the fences on that score.And this
WORKBENCH
tr FEBRUARY
2OO4
Rockler
Price:
$60
Mox. Toble'Width: NA
I l/2"
Mox.Toble
Thickness:
TobleAlterofions: Yes
Virtuesl Inexpensive;
Eosy
to,occessorize;
Reploceo
ble
sub-toces.
Vices: Requires
routingo
robbetedsldtin tobleto;.
Verdich A greotfencefor
bosicoperotions.
Rockler's router table fence is about
asbasicasthey come, and it's priced
accordingly.
Despite its simpliciry this fence
is perfectly capable of the most
conrnron router table operations.
The base fence itself consistsof
an anodized aluminum angle
bracket, rwo sliding MDF sub-faces,
a safery shield, and the necessary
mounting hardware.The MDF subfacesare slotted to accept a variery
of accessories,
which can be attached
with flange bolts and star knobs.
The sub-faces are relatively easy
to duplicate, so you can replace
them without much fuss if they get
chewed ry @ig.1).1 feel like this is
<The Rockler
fencemountsto o
tobletopond is odiustedwith
storknobsond flongebolts.lfs
necessory
to routo robbetedslot
in the tobletopfor mounting.
a worthwhile point because I regularly use sub-facesas"zero-clearance" supports wherr routing profiles (Frg.2).1do this to nrininrize
tearout on the workpiece and to
keep the piece fron-r "tipping in"
as it passesthe bit.
Being able to use the fence this
way is a key benefit of sliding,
replaceablefences.It does,however
mean that I build a lot of replacement sub-faces. (\Vhich is why I
spend so much time belaboring the
point that simple sub-facesare the
best sub-faces.)
My one gripe about the
Rocklcr fence is that it requires
slots routed in the tabletop to install
rt (Inset Photo).This isn't terribly
difficult or cven tinre-consunring,
but it's a substantial alterauon ro
the top you built or bought.And if
you ever upgrade to a rnore elaborate fence, those slots might
become an issue.
As an aside, I wanted to point
out the four-piece accessorykit
that I purchased along with this
fence.The kit includes three featherboardsand a dust colJectionport.
These are worthwhile add-ons that
make any fence safer and more
pleasantto use.And paying the exna
money (about $20) makes a lot of
sense when you consider that, all
told. this is still one of the least
expensive fences in this group.
All in all, I'd characterize the
Rockler as an excellent choice if
you need a basic but very capable
router cablefence.The price is certainly attractive, and if you don't
a The MDF sub-focescon be mind a little "customizing" to your
oositionedwith zero-cleoronce tabletop, you'll be well pleasedwith
a
(D
* New subfocesfor the Rockler
fence ore eosy to moke by
lominotinghordboordoverMDF. to eliminotechipout.
WORKIsENCH
tr FEBRUARY 2OO4
this one.
61.
Roussequ3301
Price:
$90
Mox.TobleWdth:
NA
Mox TobleThickness:I l/2"
TobleAlerqtions:
Yes
Virtues:. Inexpensive;
Eosily
reploceoble
foies.
Vices: Limited
occessory
options;
Requires
holesiri top.
Verdich A bosicfencewith
fewoptions
forenhoncement.
www.RousgeouCo.com
800-635-34r
6
Rousseau's router table
Gnce is availablein a couple different confi gurations:
the Basic Fence (model 3301) and
the Deluxe Fence (model 3301DL).
The basic model includes a cast
body with built-in dust collection,
two Baltic-birch plywood subfaces,a pivoting safery shield, and
the necessarymounting hardware
(Main Photo).The deluxe package
adds a spring-loaded, adjustable,
stock hold-down (Fig. 2).
The basic model is a capablefence
with a wide range of adjustabiliry
and easilyreplaceablesub-faces.One
outstanding feature on this unit is
the safery shield (lnset Photo, aboue).
{ Formostroutingiobs,o sofety
shieldthotmovesout of thewoy
outomoticolly
is o good thing.
Butif you needto removeit, you
moydecideit'stoo muchtrouble
to out it bock on.
My one quibble with the safery
shield is that removing it requires a
screwdriver.And that black spacer
between the shield and the subface is actually a stack of nylon
washers.It's the kind of complication that might tempt one to leave
it off permanently after removing
it for the first time.
troublesome to set up since it
requires an Allen wrench and quite
a bit oftorque to adjust each ofthe
pieces independently.
For either model, you'll need to
drill holes through your tabletop
to mount the fence (Fig. 1).Again,
this isn't a difiicult alteration, but
it's still an alteration.
All in all, the Rousseau is a capa-
As for the deluxe model with
the roller stock support, the support is effective and certainly
ble and affordable fence that lacks
much in the way of available acces-
unique. But I can't see much reason
to spend the extra money (about
another $75). I found the support
sories.It's fine for basicoperations,but
dont expect this fence to grow as
your demands at the router table do.
ATheRousseou
requiresbolt holesto be drilledthrough l'This rotherindustriol-looking
stockholdthetobletopfor themountinghordwore.Adiustments
ore downdoeso niceiob controlling
theworkmodeby looseningthe storknobond slidingthe fence. piece,but requireso lot of effortto setup.
62
woIl.KI]ENCH
tr FEBRUARY 2OO4
Bench
AF4OO
Price:
$ 150
Mox. TobleWdth:
32u
Mox.TobleThickness:
I l/2"
TobleAlterotions:
No
Virfuesl No olterotions
require!;Eosilyreplocedsub
toces;Lonvenrentlorntrng
setup;tosy to occessorize.
Vices: None
Verdich Convenient,
copoble,expondoble,ond
offordoble.An eosychoice
for TopVolue.
www.BenchDoo.rom
-ffi7sASqE
The BenchDog AF400inchesus a
litde closerto the middleofthe price
rangebut offers substanriallymore
thanthe lesser-priced
units.In fact,
the moderateprice of thisfenceand
its extensiveadaptabiliryearnedit
TopValuehonors in this survey.
The AF400 consists of an
extruded aluminum Gnce with an
integraldustport, wvo slidingMDF
sub-faces,
shimsfor jointing operarions,and a safetyshield.
Two thingsin particularimpresed
me about this fence. First is the
mounting system. A cantilever
clampingsystemadaptsthis fenceto
tabletopsrangingberlveen3/1" and
1.1/2"thickwith no modificationsto
the top (lnsetPhoto,aboue).
,
The second high point is the
jointing shims.Jointing with a router
table fence requires the ouGed subface to be shimmed ourward, slighdy
beyond the infeed sub-face.There
are a number ofways to accomplish
this, but none as simple as Bench
Dog's. The shims slide into channels in the aluminum extrusion (Flg.
7).Oriented one way, they shim the
sub-face l/12". Rotate them 90o,
and they shim it a ful7 l/to" .
Not surprisingly, I'm also a fan
of the slidins MDF sub-faces on
this fence.They have a wide range
of adjustment for different bit diameters and are easy to duplicate.
Itt also inrportant to point out
how easy it is to accessorize this
fence. I'm especially fond of the
Power-Loc and Feather Loc for dayto-day use (Main Photo), and the
Panel-Loc anltime I work with large
diameter bits (Fig. 2).
But even without accessories,
the
AF400 is a solid investment. Dollar
for dollar, theret no better value to
be had in a router table fence.
lT-slotsin the
oluminum
fence
mokeit eosyto
mounro
vorietyof
occessories.
Shownhere
ore the PowerLocremote
switchond
Feother-Loc
feotherboords.
.a.::{- . "!
v1 .,
1Z
A Plocingthe includedshims
behlndthesubfoceprovidesup
to |/ta" of iointingcopobility.
.WORKBENCH
tr FEBRUARY
2OO4
lOne excellent
to BenchDog'sAF400
occessory
fenceis the Ponel-Loc,
which pullsdoubledutyos
o hold-downond hondguord.
63
-l
FreudSH-s
Price:
$l l0
'Mox. TobleWdth:
N/A
Mox. TobleThickness:
N/A
TobleAlterotions: Yes
Virtues: Microcdiustoble;
Solidconshuction.
Vices: Complicoted
instollotion
; Sinollsubfoces.
Verdicfi Bestreservedfor
Freudroutertobles.
www.FleudTools.com
800-334-4107
Freud'sSH-5 router table
fence is a dead ringer for
shaperfencesystems.This
shaper-inspireddesignhas
a coupleofadvantages.
First, the one-piece cast steel
body is incredibly rigid, so theret
litde chance ofthe fence deflecting.
The best feature,though, is that
the fencesare independendy microadjustable (Inset Photo).This makes
the fence work very much like a
regular jointer in that you can
cutomize the setup for your work.
For instance, when working with
figured wood or putting a finished
edge on something, the outfeed
sub-face can be set for an incredibly fine cut. If you're just looking
-
< Eochfenceis independently
odiustoble.
Thelorgeknobmoves
thefenceond hosindicotormorks
groduoted
with.001" increments.
Thesmollerknoblocksthefence.
to square an edge,then you're able
to quickly position the outfeed face
for a more aggressivecut.
mum, threaded inserts have to be
installed in the top to accept knobs
(Fig 2) More likely, you'll need an
However, while the SH-5 shines
asa jointer, it has some quirks you'll
have to decide if you're willing to
adapter plate to make this fence fit
over your table insert since it's sized
to work with Freudt smaller inserts.
The threaded inserts and knobs
work around.
First are the sub-faces.They're
too short for clamping stop blocks
or other accessoriesto and they
have a limited range of adjustabil|q, (Fig. I).Plan on replacing these
to make the fence fit your needs.
I'm also not cra / about the way
this fence is mounted. At a mini-
come with the fence.The adapter
plate is a $20 accessory.
In general, I d recommend this
fence ifyou're already using Freud's
tabletop and router
insert.
Otherwise, the complications of fitting this fence to your table may
not be worth the extra ef[ort.
T-Nut
AShortsuhfoceswith limitedodiustobility I Threodedinserts,knobs,ond on
ore o reolhindronce
to theversotility
of this odopterplotemokemountingthisfence
fence.Bestto plon on mokingyourown.
o complicotedprocedure.
64
WOI\KBENCH
D
FEBRUARY
2OO4
JessEmMosFR-Fence
Price:
$ 130
32u
Mox. TobleWdth:
I r/2"
Mox.TobleThickness:
No
TobleAlbrolions:
Virfues: Slidinoscolesfor
precisepositioniriq;
Solidconltruction;Simpleiistollotion;
Vices: jointingshimsore
bothersome
to instoll.
Verdic* A well-built
fenceot
MiteR
o competitive.price.
is interesting,
butspendy.
www.JessEm.rom
866-272-7492
Might as well just say this right up
&ont:JessEmtMast-R-Fence is one
cool-looking router fence.All that
red and black anodized aluminurn,
the sparkling white sub-faces,the
miter fence with its burly locking
handle and those shiny brassknobs
- it's nearly enough to make a tool
guy weep.
Fortunately, I was able to dry my
tears long enough to find out if the
fence is as functional as it is ornamental. The setup I evaluated
included the Mast-R-Fence and the
optional Mite-R-Slide.
Focusing first on the fence, there
tracks.Three screws through each
track and into the underside ofthe
tabletop keep damage to the top at
a minimum and make for a quick
installation. Each track has an
adjustable scale that can be set for a
zero-reference, which is handy for
are a few things about the JessEm
that are unique to its design. First,
the fence is attached to the table
with two alunrinum mounting
vious setup (Fig. 1).
The phenolic sub-faces(which
fine adjustrnens or duplicating a pre-
have a PVC coating) are also outolthe-ordinarv.The uoside to these
is that they are super-slick, dead
flat, and notably rugged. On the
other hand, I d advisemaking some
sacrificial sub-faces rather than letting these get chewed up.
I'm also ambivalent about the
jointing shims that come with this
fence (Fig. 2).1 do appreciate that
JessEm included them, but they're
unfortunately bothersome to get
on and off.
As for the Mite-R-Slide (which
adds another $200 to the cost), I
am once again torn.
This is definitely a high-test
miter gauge that allows for incredibly precise settings, but I'm not
entirely convinced that it adds
enough to the fence to justify the
extra expense. Beyond a few specialized operations (such ascutting
slots for mitered splines asshown in
r h e P h o t o ,a b o v e ) , 1 c a n ' ti m a g i n e
too many ways to use this.
The Mast-R-Fence by itselfis an
excellent tool. It's well-built, hx some
exceptional features,and the price is
A "Highboy" knobsond A TheMost-R-Fence
usesplosticshimsto
slidlngscolesofferfost, offsetthe outfeedsub-focefor iointing.
precisepositioning.
They'reo bit trickyto instoll,however.
WOI\KBENCH
D
FEBRUARY
2OO4
reasonable.The Mite-R-Slide, while
impeccably constructed, is a bit
pricey for its limited applications.
A Solidconlorge
shuction,
controls,ond o
microodiustoble
scoleore highlightsof the
impressive,
thoughpricey,
MiteR-Slide.
65
Incrq l5lT Super System
Price:
$450
!k'N7fftt
trfidi:hbfrg'ryfTtffr?*/
'Mox. TobleThickness:N/A
ferrt$!'Dinii!ffii.'sry.9ryry1
TobleAlierotions:
Yes
Virtues: Accurocy;
Jointmoking
copobilities.'
Vices: None
Verdich Quoliv,occurocy,
ondversotility
thcitiustify
the
Premrum
Pnce.
Prior to working on this article, I
knew Incrat products only by
reputation.Thiswas my opportunity to find out if the three belieft
I held about the Incra fence (very
accurate.very expensive,very
complicated)were at all correct.
After spending a considerable
amount of time with the LS17
Super System, I decided I was
wrong on two of the three counts.
Turns out that this fence is
incredibly accurate, but itt not
-
< Among the mony
quolitiesof the Incrois
o high-risestock sug
port for verticolponel
routing.A rightcngle
fixtureis olso o cruciol
componentto the jointmoking opplicotions
of thissystem(lnsetJ.
terribly expensive nor is it all that
complicated.
Dont get me wrong, you'll
have to shell out about $450 for
the system shown here. So itt no
small investment. But when you
Incra is - the price of this single
system seems quite reasonable.
As for being complicated, it's
more accurate to think of the
Incra as complex.There's a lot here
to learn and understand. But the
compare that cost to the combined
cost ofa great router table fence, a
great box joint jig, and a great
dovetail jig all of which the
manual that comes with the system does an outstanding job of
communicating the intricacies of
this system in plain, easy-to-follow
I The threepositionlever ollows I Interchongeoble
scolesore morkedfor specific lA microadiustment
knob ond
you to selectfrom gross or fine ioint typesond sizes.The steelrule slidesin its "zero-eble" scole ollow for
odiustments,
or locked.
slotto ollow the fenceto be "zeroed" oul.
odiusfmenfs
os fine os .00.|".
66
woRKBENCH
tr FEBUARY 2OO4
steps.And once you understand it,
well, you understand it.
most basic positioning. For more
involved operations, such as box
joints or dovetailjoints, the plastic
Underslanding
scales are replaceable. A
lt
large
At the heart of this system is the
positioner. This is where most of
assortment of these scales comes
with the Incra, and each one is
the adjustments and fine-tuning
are done.The three-position lever
toggles the positioner between
gross adjustment (lever all the way
down), fine adjustment (lever in
marked for a specific size and rype
of joint. (For more on cutting
the middle position), and locked
(lever all the way up) (Fig, 1).
By looking through the window in the top of the positioner.
you can align the fence on the
appropriate scale to within 1/:2"
(Fig. 2) But if thatt not quite fine
enough, you can use the mlcroadjustment knob to fine-tune the
fence in .001" increments (Fig. 3).
The scalesare another important part of this system.The steel
rule is a constant and serves for
WORKBENCH
tr FEBRUARY
dovetails using the Incra LS17, see
the Sidebarbelow).
Of course, every other funcrion
and operation of this fence is
equaliy precise.For instance,adjusting the ourfeed face for jointing is
done by sliding it along a wedge
that allows for an ofiiet as small as
.002" (Photo aboue).
Other standard equipment with
the LS17 is a right-angle fixture
(Inset Photo, preuious page) and a
micro-adjustable stop block. Both
of these are essential to box and
dovetail joinery, but they have a
variery of other usesas well.
2OO4
I should point out that mounting this system on most tables will
require some rype of auxiliary
platform (Main Photo). But for all
this system does, the extra effort
pays offin spades.
And in truth, I've run out of
space well short of lauding all that
this system is capable of. It will
have to sufice for me to name it
our Editor's Choice and assureyou
that it's worth every dime.tM
A Usethe
supplied
hex tool to
loosenthe
wedge locking screws.
Thenodiust
the offsetof
the fenceby
slidingthe
blockreor
wedge.
67
BUILDA
BE
l f y o u c a nb u i l da b o x ,y o u c a nb u i l dt h e s ec e i l i n g
Theresultsspeakfor themselves.
beams.
onretinresa sinrpleprqect can haveln intnrediatcrnd drlnutic implct
ou a honre.These ceiling bc'ltts nr-cotre sttch pr-oject.AsyoLl calr see,
they helped to convcrt :ur attr'rctivc, though fairly ordin:rry roonr
('Bqfbrc'Plnttt btluu) into l w:rrn.t,invitinq sptcc (Photo,l(i).
Box Beams - At r glance,it appelrs thlt thesebernts lrc thick, solic'l
CoveMolding.
tirnbers. Br,rt l look at the BcarrrAndtont)tlllrrstratiorrat rigl.rt will slrow you
that erch beanr is reallyjust r hollow box,which is br,riltup one board at
a time.That nrakesconstmcting box-beanrsx very "clo-able" project.
llesidestheir sinrple construction, thesebox belnrs felture sever:rldesist't
the l-rottsewrs built.
elenrentsthat nrrke it look like they've been therc'sir-rce
For exanrple,the long beaurs :rre t/rirftcrth:rn the intetsectinq short be:rtrrs,
look. In addition,inset cxp pieceswitl.ra dcccreatinsr mr-rlti-dinrensional
orative chanrfer:urd cove nrolding contribr.rtcto their clistinctiveirppcirrrnce.
Stain and Pre-Finish - Onc last note.Wl.ren builcling box beanrs,it'.s
best !o slarinanclpre-finish all of the piecesbclirrcyouinst:rlltl-retrr.I r,rscdrcd
oak, strinecl it to nlrtcl) the roont'.stritn, irnclappliec-ltht'ee co:rtsof vlrnish.
^BEAM ANATOMY
A 2x6 "noiler" ottochedto the
o sturdymounting
ceilingprovides
surfocefor thesidesof thebeom.
Thebottomof thebeomis formed
by o cop piece,ond covemolding
creoteso decorotivetronsition
fromthe beomto theceiling.
<CEIIINGA/IAKE.OVER
Built-in
cobinets
ond wood floors
mode this room o comfortoble
livingspoce.However,instolling
o box-beomceilinggrid tronsformedit intoo trueshowploce.
(eilingfoninthePlrotoleftprovidedbyHunterfon(52"Modd21490,"OokPo*"I
www.HurhrforomS8S-lXl&|326
69
Consfrucfion Detoils
t
i Wosher
Cholkline
@
Short
Noiler
(2x61
I
t\
It'
@
Screw /
Anchor
Boh
ShortSides
l3/q"x 33/e,,1
long Sides
l3/q"x 4"1
72"Robbet,
Vz"deep
l7n"WireBrod
I%" WireBrod
33/s"
TrimBoord
(%"x 5"1
NOTE:
Trimboordsbutt
ogoinsteochother
of eochcorner.
TrimBoord
(3/"x 5"1
@
70
woRKBENCH
fl
FEURUAnv
2004
planning,layout €t
< Afterloying
out the locotion
of the beoms,
noilthehim
boordsoround
the perimeter.
Theninstollo
s m o lm
l olding
underneoth
(lnsetPhoto).
TRIMTIPS
A little plannine befbre you strrt builcling the box beanrs
goes :r lone way torvarclensuriug goocl lesults.
Layout -Tl-re first corrsiclemtionis the locrrtionof the
beanrs.I wantcd l synlnetricll gricl,so I spaccclthe belttts
c'vcnly rrprlt (sccCottstnrctittrrDL'tnilson pd,q( 70). I also
f-v
to tl-rcccilinq
decidedto mn thc lonq bemrs pcrpenciicr.rlal
joists :urcltl-reshort, intersectins bcrrnrsp:rrlllel with thc
jorsts.llut arrmgine the bcanrstl-rcother way atoltncl
wlnt to slr:rpcl-rrlk lincs
rvouLl bc flnc. Eithcl rva.v,1ror,r'll
on the cc'ilinqto rrrark thc locrttiottof the 2x(r Irrilcrs.
uext stcp is
Install Perimetcr Tiim Pieces -The
to installtrinr picccsrrxrunclthe periureter"ofthc loout.
I nsc'c1
two types of trinr: a wic'lc trir.n board (A) nrlclc
flonr 'rl+"-thick oak ancl a snrall,r'vcr19c-shrpenrolcl'ing
(13)thlt crcrtcsr transitionbetween the trinr bolrcl lncl
Dttnil ott paqt:70).
tl'rewall (-rcc/lioto.sdt ri,qll ntd PcrituL'tcr
lf your roon.t is
Scarf Joints "Extcnd" Boards llruc, you nriqht ncccl a longcr tr"irnboard or ntoldiuq
to c()verthc wholc spun.A sirrrplcwly to clo thlt is tcr
"crtcnd" thc piccc with a sclrfjoint (sct Sidr:bar
at ri,qltt).
Scribing -,\n6ghc1 sitnrrtionyoui'c likely to nrn
lcross is unevcn cc'ilings.In thrrt casc,thc rvicle trint
boalciswon't frt tightly rqniustthc ccilins,so you'll l.ravc
bclorr,).
to scribc anc'lcnt tl.rcborrcls to ftt (Sidr:bdr,
In o perfectworld,
=-:;;71
oll
ceilings ond
;>
|
Trim l-, wollswouldbe flqt.
9/
Dooro
//
>\
,' / l\
/
\
{
I
But thot wosn't the
coseforthisceiling.
Whenlheldotrim
boordupogoinstit,
theirregulorsurfoce
of the ceilingwos
quite obvious.To ensureo tight fit, I hod to scn'be,
or mork,o lineon the boord thqt "bllows" fie inegulor contoursof the ceiling.
To do this,stortby tempororilytockingthe trim
boord in ploce.Thenlocob he widesfgop between
the boord ond the ceiling,ond cut o block thot's
ot leqstos thick os thisgop. Now slidethis block
olong the ceiling,holdingo morkerogoinstit, os
shownobove. (l usedo morkerso the line would
show up on the dorkcoloredboord.) Finolly,use
o iig sow to cut olong the scribedline.
w()RK BENLTH fl
In o proiectlike this, where the pieces
moy be longerfion l0 feet,it cqn be difficultto find boordsthotore long enough.
The solutionis to ioin shorterboords
togetherwith scorfioints.With thistype
of loint,theendsof the motingboordsore
beveled ot 45o (see lllustrofionl.Since
the ends overlop,o scorf ioint is less
likelyto seporotethon o buti ioint.
To creoie o solid noiling surfoce,I
locotedthescorfjointfor thetrimboords
overo woll stud.Note thot it olso oligns
with thebeomlocotionlo conceolhe ioint.
I-ElJlr.uAl\y 20{)-+
Bevelendsot 45'
to moke scorf ioint
45.Bevels
\
tr
\\
.l:p \
"Trim
Boord
,/
-7
1
.1
step-by-step
BUILDINGBOXBEAMS
As I nrentionecle:rrlier,box be:rmslre built up "one board lt l
tinrc." E:rchboalc-lrs sintply nrelsnrccl,cr-rtto flt, ar-rcl
tl-ren:rttac]tecl.
Long Beams First -To sinrplifyconsrrucrion,lbuilt the long
belnrs fir'st(the thickel bemrs that rur.rperpendicular to the ceilinq
joists).Theicieais to irrst:rlln// the n:rilels,sides,and crp piecesthat
Here :rg:iin,yor-rnright have to r-rsea scarloint to "extend" the
sidesor c:rppiecesoftl-re beanrs.In this clse,screw cleatsacrossthe
joint on tl.reback side of the bolrds to provide a solid nriling surfice.Also,yolr nray neeclto scribe the encl of r piece to fit against
the pelirreter trinr board (secSidcbartur rrcxtpaQc).
nrlke up tlresebc:rnrsbefbre working on the short belnrs (-scc
Slr'p.s
Short Beams - As fbr the short beanrs,the installationis essenl-3 bclou,).Thisway,yoll r'von't have to notch tl'reboarc'lsir.rone belni
ti:rlly the s:rnre(-scc
Stcp-s4-fy'.The only cliflerenceis I useclanchor
to fit axrr-rndtl-rosein the intersecting beanr.
bolts to securcthe n:rilerssince thcre wele no joistsabove thenr.
i.l1''n
'!
-)
I
*.
..-'
i-o
")r"
J
'i)
ne
@wf
,;l
Instqll Noilers for lonq Beoms
I
Position
the 2x6 noilers(C)for the lor[ beomsbetweenthe
cholklinesthotyou snoppedeorlier.Afterlocotingtheceiling
holesond screwthe noilersin ploce.
ioists,pre-drill
Fit the Cop into Ploce
The cop piece (E)completes
the box. lt's robbetedto fit
betweenthesides(seeLongBeomDetoilon page 70). Also,
noticethe decorotivechomferroutedolonq the robbeted
edges.Thecop pieceissimplynoiledto thesiiesof thebeom.
72
Aftoch fhe Sides of fhe Beqm
Thenextstepis to useo finishnoilerto ottochthesidesof
the long beoms(D)to the noilers.Don'tworry oboutthe
noil holes.They'llbe coveredby the cove moldingonce
oll of the box beomsore comoleted.
wol\KrlEN(iH
tl
FEIJI{uAl{y
200+
Anchor Nqilers for Shorf Beoms
short
Sincethe noilers(F)thotore usedfor the intersecting
need
to
use
you'll
porollel
to
the
ceiling
run
beoms
ioists,
to
the
ceiling.
them
to
secure
onchorbolts
,r*ilf{ifth-,
lnsroll Sides of Shorf Beqms
Cqppinq lt Off
All tliot"sleft-tocompletethe shortbeomsis to odd thecop Theshortbeomsoren'tos thickos the long beoms,so the
piece(H).As before,it'srobbetedto fit beween the sides, sides(G) ore ripped3r/s" wide (thelong beomshove4"wide sides|.Hereogoin,thesidesoresimplynoiledin ploce.
chomferedon the long edges,ond securedwith noils.
Severolofthebeomboordshodto be
scribedond cutto bllow theirregulor
surfioce
of theceiling(w pgeTlJ.But
theceilingwosn'tthe only problem.
Thewollsweren'lsquoreor plumb.This
meonlfiot theendsof thecop pieces
ondbeomsideshodn bescribedqnd
cutb ftt ogoinslthehimboord.
test
lf you foceo similorsituotion,
ftto scroppieceogoinstthetrimboord
(o cop pieceis shownot rghfl. At the
woRKBENcH
Lt FEBRUARY
2004
widestgop, hold o morkerogoinst
thetrimboordot on ongleso thetip
of the morkertouchesthe end of the
cop piece.Thenslidethe morker
olongthehimboordb scribeo line.
Now simplycutolongthescribed
line,tronsbrhis cutlinefromthescrop
pieceto the octuolcop piece,ond
the
fien himtheend.Bebreinstolling
piece,
you
hove
lo
do
o
moystill
cop
perfect
fit.
br
o
littlesondingor filing
73
installingthe cove
MOLDING
To easethe transition fron the ceiling to the beams, I
installed cove molding around each ceiling grid. These
moldings are cut, or coped, to produce a snug fit, a technique thatt expiained in detail on page 76.
You'll find that coping one end of a nolding isnt difficult. But it would definitely complicate things if you
had to cope both ends and,at the sametime, end up with
a piece of molding that's exactly the right length.
Single Cope - My solution was to cope only one
ATo producetighrfittingioints,this
cove moldingis coped ot one end
ond squoreot the otherend. Then
it's"sprung"intoploceogoinsto temporory storterpiece finsetPhoto).
cnd of each molding and then crosscut the other end
square.Thekey to this method is a "starter" piece,a short
scrap of cove moiding thatt temporarily tacked in place
in one corner (seeStep1, belou,Ieft).
With the starter piece in place, cope one end of an
extra-long piece of cove r.r-roldingto fit against it (Stcp
2).Once you're satisfiedwith the fir, crosscutthe opposite end so the r.noldingis about l/r,." longer than needed.
Then "spring" it into place,asshown in the P/loroabove.
At this point, it'sjust a matter of repeating the process
for the next r\rvopieces of molding, coping one end of
STEPI
Tempororilytock o short scropof
covemoldinginb lhe corneros
o storbr pier;e(lnset Photo
each one and crosscuttingthe other end (Steps3 and 4).
The final piece of molding is coped and crosscutas
obove).
before. But here,you'11need to remove the starter piece
(Step5).Then tuck the square end of the molding into
the recessthat was formed by the starter piece (Step6).
Copefte end of this molding to fit
ogoinstthe sbrter piece.Crosscut
the ofher end, then noil the
moldingin ploce.
STEP3
Repeotfie copingond crossculting
bchniquefor this moldingond
ofioch it, os shown.
STEP5
CopedEnd
Removelhe siorler piece,
gently sliding it out from
behind the first pieceof
molding.
Coped
End
STEP6
Copeond crosscullhis pieceof molding.
Thenslip lhe squoreend into lhe recess
formed by the storlerpieceond noil the
moldingin ploce.
74
WORKBENCH
NOTE:
Repeotoll stepsfor
eoch squorein the
ceilinggrid.
tr FEBRUARY
2004
skill
Builder
P&rue
rfise fcxr
COPED
JOINTS
mall details can make a big difference in the appearance
ofa project. For instance,in the box-beam ceiling prolect
(page 68), one of those details is how well the pieces of
A Thesecretto o tight-fitting
coped iointis to cut the end
of one piece of moldingto
motch the profile of the
o d i o i n i n gp i e c e .H o l d t h e
coped end ogoinsto scrop
piece(right)tocheckthe fit.
cove molding fit together at the inside corners.
The best way to produce a tight fit is to cur a coped joint.
With this rype ofjoint, one piece of molding is cut, or coped,
to match the shape of the other (seelllustrationsbelow).The other
piece has a square end, which is hidden behind the coped end.
Since the coped end ofthe molding frs wer the adjoining piece
of molding, a coped joint will fit tight - even if the walls and
ceiling aren't square.And unlike a miterjoint, there's little chance
a gap will develop as the wood shrinks and swells.
Learning to cut a coped joint isn't difficult, but it does take
some practice. (I had the opportunity to "practice" 36 times on
=ssss"
the cove moldings for the box-beam ceiling project.)
Miter the Molding -The
first step is to cur a 45o miter
WALL
vVALL
Cove
r-*nux\2&tras
rcl
Video:
Cufling Coped
Joints
WorkbenchMooozine.rom
on one end of the molding.The idea here is to cut the miter
in such a way that it revealsthe profile of the molding.This profile will become a visible guide to foilow asyou make the cope
cut with a coping saw.
To reveal the profile, I use an old trim carpenter'strick.That
is, to position the molding on the miter saw so itt upside down
and backwards.To see what I mean, take a look at the Photoin
Step 1 on the next page.
Notice that the top edge ofthe molding is sitting on the table
of the miter saw,and the bottom edge is against the Gnce. In
short, itt upside down. (Think of the saw table as the "ceiling"
and the fence as the "wall.")
Okay, that explains upside down, but what about backwards?
That's simple. If you're going to cope the right end of the
molding, cut the miter on the left end, and vice versa.
Cope the Joint - After cutting the miter, you're ready to
make the cope cut.To prevent chipout, use a coping saw blade
with at least 20 teeth per inch. Mount the blade so the teeth
point toward the handle.Then clamp the molding to a worksurface, and carefully cut along the profile that was revealed by
the miter cut (seeSteps2 through 6).The idea is ro cut as closely
as possible to this profile.Then follow up with a file to smooth
the back side of the molding (Step 7).
76
woRKBENCH
tr FEBRUARy
2004
Cut 45' Miter in Molding
Storting rhe Cope Cut
Follow the Curyed Profile
RemoveWoste Block
Setthemoldingin themitersow,upsidedown.Think With the moldingclompedbetweentwo scrop
of thetobleos theceilingond thefenceos thewoll. blocks,holdthecopingsowol o steepongle.Then
ot thebofiomedge.
themifrered
end,storting
Thencutthe miterto reveolthe profileof the molding. bockcut
Now conlinuefie copecut,closelyfollowingthe Afterbockingfte copingsowoutof thekerf,moke
Asthiscuf
Stopwhen o shortculfromthebockof $e molding.
lineof thecurvedprofileof themolding.
follfree.
$e
will
intersects
the
cope
cul,
woste
block
neor
the
top
edge.
youreochthedecorotive
detoil
Filero Fit
Smoohtheedge
ondbockof the
moldingwitho
file.Thencheck
theftt ogoinst
o
scroppiecefSee
Photoon poge
76).llnrcrlry,
continuefiling
untilyou'resotis
ffiffif
ry
ildi''#ru+#$ll*:H*$".**
thewoste(Step6).
of themoldingfsfep5/. Anothershortcutremoves
woRKBENcH
!
rrsRuaR.v
2004
77
SPRAY
BOOTH
At lost- procticolsproyfinish
solutions
foro smollshop.
hen setting up our Ultimate Home
Woodshop,
one important consideration was to include an area
where we could apply a spray finish.This area
required rwo things: a partition ro prorecr
againstoverspray and a fan to exhaust vapors.
lernporcry
,W
Seedetoilson
next poge for
exhoustfon
CABTE
INSTATIATION
Pcrtllion
As you can see in the Photo at left, we used a
lightweight curtain as a remporary partition.
Pulling the curtain closed creates a simple,
inexpensive spray booth that sealsthe finishing area from the rest ofthe garage.
Curtain Considerations - This curtain
consistsof two 8 x 10-foot dropcloths (available at most paint stores).Thedropcioths enclose
a corner of the garage,providing plenty of
roonr for spray finishing (seeIllustration at left).
Of course,you can enclose a larger area,if
needed. In fact, even if you don't plan to set
up a spray booth, you may want to consider
sealing offan area of the shop to prevent dust
from migrating through the garage.
In either case,the curtain is hung from
shower hooks that slide on a plastic-covered
wire cable.To prevent the hooks from tearing
the fabric, I sewed a hem around all four edges
and installed metal grommets, spacing them
about 8" apart.There'sa quick look at how to
install grommets on the next page. Installation
kits are availableat most home centers.
Installing the Cable - Before hanging
3rtc"CobleCloirps
the curtain, you'll need to install the cable. If
you look at the Cable Installation Drawing, you
can see that the ends ofthe cable are attached
to two eye screws that fasten into wall studs.
I used cable clamps to secure the cables to
these eye screws.The cable makes a 90o turn
78
WORKBENCH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
at thc' outside corner. Here, it passesthrough
another eye screw installed in the ceilingjoist.
To prevent the curtain fronr sagging, the
cable has to be extremely taut.The solution is
FAN HOUSING
NOTE:Buildplywood
coselo fit fon, thensize
openingto fit cose
to install x turnbuckle, as shown. Here again,
the turr-rbuckleis attached witl.r cable clanros.
Instcll the Fan
The secolrdrequirerlent for this spr:rybooth is
to install a lan to exhaust fr,rnresand vapors.
Your installation nray vary fror-nthe one shown
here,but the following guidelinesshould help.
Explosion-Proof Fan - Because many
finishing vapors are flanln;rble, you'11need to
r.rsean explosion-proof f.rn.A sn'rallspacelikc'
this spraybootl.r doesn't require a large fan. I pureh:rscd.r | )" unir with lr lzq-hprrroror.
Build a Case -Thc flrrris housedirr n'r,.1"
plywood case,which is sizedto acconrodatethe
fan (sccFatrHousilry).Notice that the fan n.rour.rts
to wood clelts inside the case.I also added
r\'vo cleatsto hold a furnlce filter that renroves
finish particlesbefore they enter the fan.When
tl.refilter ges clogged,sinrply sliclein a new one.
Frame the Opening - Once the caseis
conrplete, cut an opening in the wali for the
caseand then frame it with 2x4s.
Fon
Mounting
Cleot
(3/q"x lVz"l
Groinger
Cleols
(3/t"x3/t"l
www.groinger.com
800-487-3279
oFonno.3XK5
l
Four-StepGrommetlnstallation
IJ. |
Grommet
Shower ..
Hook
d
Poinf,er's
Dropcloth
.z
ffi,
@
A
&
wor{KBENCH
!
FEIJI{uAl{y 2004
*.*rffi
Anvil
Former
.lool
SIEP I:
Cuto holein
thefobricby
-...strikingthehole
Grommel
punchwitho hommer. Wosher
STEP2: Setthegrommelon
theonvilond thenfit thehole
in thedropclothoverthegrommet.
gtEP 3: Afterslippingo wosheroverthe
grommet,
insertfie formertoolintothegrommel.
gtEp 4: Givetheformertoolo shorpblowwith
Thisrollsthelip of thegrommelover
o hommer.
thewosher,creotingo secureond duroblefitting.
79
FINISHING
STATION
S p r o y . . . s p i n . . . s p r o y .T h i sr e v o l v i n g
s t o t i o nm o k e s i t o s e o s y o s t h o t t o
produceo smooth,uniformsproyfinish.
here'smore to spraying a finish than squeezing the trigger on a spray gun. To get a smooth, even finish, you
need to spray all sides of a project, if possible.lVhich is
preciseiy the idea behind this spray finishing station.You
simply set the project on the rotating turntable, then spray,spin,
and sprayagarn.So it's much easierto get even spray coveragethan
having to drag an air hose and spray gan aroundthe prqect.
Saves Space - Another benefit of this finishing station is
its nifry space-savingdesign.As you can see in the Storageand
SetupSidebaron page 83, it folds flat for compact, wall-mounted
storage when itt not in use.And when you're ready to go to
work, it only takes a few seconds to set up.
Gonctruclion
Before getting started on this project, take a minute to study the
ConstructionWew on page 83. Notice that the base consistsof
rwo A-shaped side panels connected by a hinge.Another hinge
connects this side assembly to the turntable, which is made up
ofrwo plywood disks and a Lazy Susan.I made all theseparts from
3/+" Baltic birch ply'wood, but fir plywood would also work fine.
Start with the Side Panels -The
first step is to lay out and
cut the side panels (A) to shape (seeSidePanelPartsVieu).If you're
wondering about the large opening in each side panel, itt there
to reduce the weight of the station.After cutting the side panels to shape,simply join them together with a continuous hinge.
Turntable - Set this side panel assembly aside for now, and
concentrate on the turntable. It consistsof two disks: a large
top (B) and a smaller sub-top (C).I made each disk from an oversize workpiece (about 2" larger than the finished size).
A quick, easyway to cut these parts to shape is to mount a
straight bit in a router and use a shop-made circle-curting jig.
This routing technique is explained on page 85. But before you
do any routing, locate and drill a centered hole in the workpiece
for a dowel that will be used as a pivot point for the jig.
82
WORKBENCH
D
FEBRUARY
2OO4
CONSTRUCTION
VIEW
3/8',Hole,3/8"deep,
ToP
cenlered on bofom
l!h" Ply.x 24"'dio. disk)
12" lozy Suson
hongingfinishing
stotionon woll
3/e"Through'hole
3/g" x2u
Eyescrewholds
sProygun
7n"Dowel,
l%" long
l7ro"x 12"
Continuous
Hinge
@
Side Ponel
l3/t" Ply.x 24" x 30"1
Side Ponel
lhc" x 30"
Hinge
Conlinuous
Storagle& Setup
roisefie ANow lowertheturn
slrction,
AThonksto its unique,spocesoving ATosetupthefinishing
design,the finishingslotioncon be turnbble,whichis hingedb one side, bble untilit engoges
o dowelin theside.
ond thenswingtheothersideopen.
bldedfot ond hungon thewoll.
woRKBENcH
D FEBRUARY
2OO4
83
THETURNTABLE
The heart of this finishing station is
the turntable. As I mentioned, it's
made up of two disks (the top and
sub-top), and it has a Lazy Susan
location ofthe accesshole (seelnuting
AccessHole).Then drill the hole and
mount the Lazy Susan to the sub-top.
Now you can focus on attaching
tf:'eLary Susanto the top.To do that,
sandwiched between. For this project, I used a 72"-dia. Lazy Susan,
which is available at most hardware
storesand home centers.
Lazy Susan Basics - Ifyou've
center the sub-top on the top (F,g.
2).The dowel that served as a pivot
point when routing the disks makes
a handy centering pin here.Just stick
the dowel into the center hole in
the top. Then fit the sub-top over
the dowel to center it on the top.
After positioning the sub-top,
never installed a Lazy Susan before,
you might not have stopped to think
about how it's fastened to a projecc.
For example, once it's attached to
one part of a project (the sub-top
in this case), how do you fasten it
to the second part (the top)?
The trick is to drill an access
hole through the sub-top before
installing rhe Lazy Susan (Frg. 1).
The idea is to locate this hole so it
A When ottochingthe side ponel
ossembly
to the turntoble,
I used
(Vix)bit.With
o selfcentering
For
#5&6
Screws
For
its spring-loodedcollor
ond toperedtip, it drills
pilotholesthotore
perfectlycentered
on the mounting
holesin thehinge.
slowly rotate it until the accesshole
aligns with a mounting hole in the
Lazy Susan (seeMounting Detail).Instzll
a screw in this mounting hole, and
repeat the processfor all the remaining holes.Then just remove the dowel
you used as a centering pin.
Attach Turntable to Sides The second part of this installation
aligns with a pre-cut accesshole in
the Lazy Susan.This way, when it's
time to attach the Lazy Susan to
the top, the two accessholes create
an opening that will let you screw
the rotating mechanism on the La /
is to attach the turntable to the side
assembly.Like the sides,the turntable
is designed to fold flat for storage.So
it's hinged to the leg assembly,as
shown in the Photo atleft.
The easiest way I found to do
Susan to the top.
With that in mind, center the Lazy
Susan on the sub-top, and mark the
that is to first screw one leaf of the
# 2 , 3& 4
Screws
__.i::i
THIRD:
.iljr , rr
Instoll
screws
..)',;
..-.._'o
,.l.
ii
t::.i
A After drilling o 3/4"
occessholein thesubtop,
cenlerthe LozySusonon
the disk ond thenscrew
it in ploce.
84
of pre-cul
hole
/
:,.,.. ==.=....,.,r..i--:' (see Detoil) 7
A Now rotote the subtop
so the occessholeoligns
witho mounting
holeond
instollo screw.Repeotfor
theothermountingscrews.
WORKBENCH
Insioll screwthrough
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
hinge to one of the sidepanels(see
Fig.j).Then lay out the location of
the side panelson the sub-top like
they'll be when theyre in the"open"
position.To createa stableplatform,
the stationis designedso the sidesare
60o apart.Now just set the side
assemblyon the subtop and mount
the hinge (seePhotoonpage84).
Install Dowel -A1l that'sleft to
completethis project is to provide a
way to keep the sidesfrom swinging
closedifthey getbumpedwhile you're
working at the station.That'sthejob
of a short dowel,which is housedin
the top edge of the side that's not
hinged to the turntable (Fig.4).Pat
ofthis dowel sticls up abovethe side.
So when you lower the turntable,a
hole in the sub-top fits down over
the dowel, "locking" the station in
the open position.
To align the hole and the dowel,
itt bestto drill the hole for the dowel
first.Then insert a dowel centerin
the hole and lower the turntable
onto it to createa dimple in the subtop. Now drill the hole in the subtop and glue the dowel in the side.
shownondsirew |
hingeto rrb+opH
is modefrom
NOTE:Trommel
3/e"Pivotholes
for 3/s"dowelsl
\-FIRST
Centerond
lottochhingef,oside
\ijll$-ezi
A Thenextstepis fo ottochthe sideossemblyto theturntoble.
Stortby mountingo hingeto one side.Thenloy outthelocotionof thesidesin their"open" position,os shown.Now set
$e sideossemblyin ploce,drill pilotholesfor thescrewsfsee
Photoon page 84), ond mountthe hingeto the sub{op.
WORKBENCH
t] FEBRUARY
To cut the two disksbr the
turntoble,I usedo roufer,o
l/zn stroightbit,ondo hordboordhommel(circleculting
jig) thotpivotson o dowel.
Thereore hree holesin
$e fiommel,o cleoronce
hole for the routerbit ond
lwo phrotholes,onebr eoch
disk.Thedistoncebetween
thecenterpoints
of thepivol
holesond the insideedgeof
thebit is imporbnt.lt should
motchtherodiusof fie disk.
It'sbestlo rod he disksin
thefirstwiththe
lwo posses,
roubrselbr o 3/endeepcut,
ondthEsecondwih it setto
cutoll thewoy through.
Foreoch poss,posilion
fte trommelon the workpieceusingthedowelos o
pivof pin. Thenturnon he
rouler,lowerthebit intothe
workpiece,ond rout from
leftto right.
Nob: Toovoidcuttinginto
thebench,besureto elevote
theworkpiece
withblocks.
2OO4
ATolocotetheholein thesubtop
thotfitsoverthedowel,inserto
dowelcenterin theside.Lower
the turntobleto mokeo "dimple,"ondthendrillthehole.
85
EilTTXII*"'
G'ose'uP
SANDER
To consider the Fein MultiMaster
just another detail sanderis to miss
the unique capabilitiesof one very
versatiletool.
'V/hile
it is an excellent detail
sandermade all the better by adding
the dust extraction accessorykit
(Fig.l),it is alsoa remarkablyeffective power scraper,rasp,grout
remover,and flush-cut saw
The MultiMaster has
earneda place in my shop
primarily as a scraperand
flush-cut saw.
As a scraper,I've usedit
to remove everything from
layers of old paint (Fig. 2) to
vinyl flooring, carpetpad,and carpeting(all at the sametime,no less).
With a flush-cut blade attached,the MultiMaster rnakesshort
work ofplugs or dowels (Fig.3).It alsomakesan excellentjamb saw
to createclearancefor a tile or wood floor installation.
Of course,the MultiMaster doescome in handy for detail sanding aswell (Fig.4), and it can be made even more versatilewith the
addition of any of six different profile sandingattachments.
The MultiMaster starterkit lists for $208 on www.FeinuS.com.
TheWebsite alsoshowsthe full rangeof accessories
and applications
for this unique tool.You can alsocontactFein at 800-441-9878.
lA stiffscroperblode mokeseosywork
of removingmultipleloyersof point.
Thesomeblode removedvinyl,corpet,
ond corpel podding effortlessly.
86
more odoploble
detoilsonders.
AA flushcutblodeon theMultiMoster A Tightcornersore no problemfor the
is o fostond cleonwoy to removeplugs topered,triongulorsondingpod of the
or cops.lt'solsoo greotiomb sow for MultiMoster.Note olso the effectiveness
undercutting
wollsor molding.
of the dust-freeoccessorykrt (Fig. l).
WORKBENCH
!
FEBRUARY
2OO4
PRODUCTS
poinFond-click
LASER
MEASURE
'W'hen
a job requiresyou to make
repetirivemeasurements,
a metaltape
measurecan become cumbersome
in a hurry. Luckily, the Strait-Line
LaserTapemakesthesekinds of tasks
simple.Just point and click to take
measurements
from 2' to 50'.
After you'vepointedthe devicet
red laserbeam at the location to
> Hold the
Stroit-Line
Loser
Topeogoinst
one surfoce,
ond it bounces
o beom off
onotherobiect
to give you o
meosurement
of the distonce
befweenthe
iwo obiects.
which you want to measure, push
the "READ" button, and the distance is displayed on a LCD screen
in feetlinches or metric dimensions.
Seven function buttons on the
easy-to-grip LaserTape guide users
through the measuring process,and
the unit can calculate distance.area.
and volume.
The Laser Tape is available at
home centers and department stores
for about $40. For more information, visit www.Strait-Line.com, or
call 800-464-7946.
_-l
I
2i11tr
i,
-- \Qltr'
)
I
X
,,-Loser beqm hovels from
Shoight-line io woll
{ --s*r bouncesbock, giving
on occurolemeosuremenl
+Meosured
Dislronce-
multipurpose
mqgnefic holder
TheFostGripis o convenient
dockingstotionto
keepyourtrpe meosure
secured
ot yoursidewhen
nol in use.An eosytwistreleqsesthe tope.You
conottochFostGrip'smognets
to thebockof most
topes,or buy o topewith the mognetsotoched.
Withoutfte tope,FostGripsellsfor obout$12
ond is qvoilobleot mostmoiorretoilers.Go to
www.EndeqvorProducts.com
br moreinbrmoiion.
88
HANDSAM
Think ofit asa hand tool descended
from a reciprocating saw.
The Job Saw from Milwaukee
Electric Tool Corp. has a comfortable ergonomic handle and comes
with one
standard Mil-
'l!,,
-:'.waukee Sawzallreciprocatingsaw blade.
\
The Quik-Lok clampmakes
bladechangesfastand tool-free.
Besidesthe saw blade,10 other
attachmentsareavailable,
including a
puty knife, scraper,flooring kniG,
straightknife, file, roofer blade,utility knife, hunting knife, and nvo styles
ofgrout removen.TheJobSawfitson
a paint rollerpole or telescopingpole
for accessinghard-to-reachareas.It
alsohasa hole in the handlefor hanging on the shop wall. It retailsfor
between $20 and $30. For more
information, ca]d,877-729-3878 or
visit www. Mil-Electric-Ttrol.com
WORKBENCH
tr FEBRUARY
2OO4
PRODUCfS
now you con
COLOR
CAUTK
A Usetheincluded
syringe
to
A Attochthemixingtool.lt
odd theproperomountof point tokesobouttwo minutes
of mixto thetubeof coulkbose.
ingfor thecolorto be blended.
You've plannedyour building or remodelingprojecr so
everythingmatchesperfecdy.Whyshouldyou expectless
from your caulk?With Red Devilb Create-A-Color
caulkcoloring system,the caulkcanmatch,too.Thesame
latex paint used in your project is hand-mixed with a
speciallyformulatedcaulk (about$6 a tube).Themixing hardwareis availablein rwo versions:a metal professionalmodel ($100) and a plastic standardmodel
($30).The mixer comeswith a syringefor exrracring
paint and step-by-stepinstructions.Call 800-247-3790
for more information,or visit www.RedDevil.corn
AOn opplicolion,
the
coulkis lighterthonthe
pointon the siding(left),
but it dries to o perfect
motch{obove).
lqdder-top
TOOIORGANIZER
LadderBoss($50)and LadderBoss
ladderto refrievetools and mate- Pro ($80)aretvvoversionsofa prodrials canbe frusrratingand tiring. uct that slip right over the top of a
With a Ladder Boss,however, ladderand keep tools organizedand
- you'll haveplenty
ofroom to keep within easyreach.Both versionsare
the suppliesyou need right on hand constructed of heavy-gradecanvas
to complete the job.
and are designedto hold either a 2gallon or S-gallonbucket.Besides
constructionmaterialslike paint and
pails,the bucketpouch can alsohold
large tools like sawsor nail guns.
Both Ladder Boss products feature a detachabledrill holster.17 tool
pockets,a drill-bit holster,four hammer-tie loops,and a calrryhandle.
A shoulder strap,shown at left,
allows you to climb a ladder and still
haveboth handson the railsfor safery
For more information, visit
www.LadderBoss.comor call 760751-7383.
Constantly climbing up and down a
90
WORKBENCH
tr FEBRUARY
2OO4
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9
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6
A DennisWilliomsrebuiltthebodyof
this1926 FordModel-TDeootHock
"fromthe floorboordsup" usingquortersownwhiteook ond blockwolnut.
Thisis no smollfeot,considering
whot
thevehiclelookedlikewhencousin
TerryJonssen
firstboughtit (below).
tW Rebuilding
HISTOW
he Ford Model-T Depot Hack holds the distinction ofbeing the
first motorized taxi ("hack" is an old word for taxicab).But nearly
a century after rolling offthe assenrblyline, this 1926 Hack (shotutr
abore)looked like its glory days were well behind tt (scePhoto,Icft).
Back to Life - Evcn though his family called the old car a "pi1e of
junk," TerryJansser-r
of Clive, Iowa, was determined to salvagethe classic.
He began the long processof rebuilding the engine and chassisof the
old Model-T, using as much of the original vehicle as possibie.
Chassis of Steel, Body ofWood - One unique thing about Depot
Hacks is their wood bodies.The body ofTerryt was roming away,so he
bror"rghthis cousin Dennis Williams onto the project to rebuild it. (See
page 96 for details of Dennis'woodwork on the Depot Hack.)
After more than four years, Terry's original $2,500 purchase has
yielded a classiccar valued at over $15,000. But what's even more valuable is the enjoymentTerry gets from giving rides in this historic car.
94
WC)IIKBENCH
i]
FEBRUAITV 2OO'1