T I P S • T O O L S • T E C H N I Q U E S

Vol. 8 Issue 47

Build Your Own ◆ Precision Guide

System Lets You
Mortising Rout Perfect
Mortises Every
Machine Time
◆ Unique Sliding
Table Makes Setup
Quick & Easy

Dado Blade Storage Tips on Brushing a Finish

Bench Plane Tune-Up No-Wrench Router Collet
www.shopnotes.com
 E D I T O R ' S N O T E

Issue 47
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
September 1999
Donald B. Peschke
Tim Robertson
®

Cutoffs
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR
EDITORIAL INTERN
ART DIRECTOR
Tom Begnal
Bryan Nelson
Wyatt Myers
Cary Christensen
I ’ll never forget my first stationary Now I suppose I could have bought a
power tool. It was a multi-purpose tool commercial mortising machine to cut
that served as a table saw, drill press, these mortises. They work great. But
SR. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kurt Schultz and several other tools all rolled into they’re expensive — $300 and up.
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Roger Reiland one. Well I bought the tool second-hand, SHOP-MADE VERSION. So instead of
Mark Higdon and to be honest, I was pretty pleased buying a mortising machine, I took a
CREATIVE RESOURCES with my new purchase. Especially since “back door” approach. I challenged Ken
Creative Dir.: Ted Kralicek • Project Developer: Ken several accessories had come with it. (our project developer) to build a shop-
Munkel • Sr. Project Designer: Kevin Boyle • Project
Coordinator: Kent Welsh • Shop Mgr.: Steve Curtis • Shop MORTISING ATTACHMENT. One of made version of a mortising machine.
Craftsman: Steve Johnson • Sr. Photographer: Crayola
England • Photographer: Roderick Kennedy
these accessories was a mortising attach- Not long after that, he showed up car-
SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS
ment for the drill press. It was designed rying an armful of parts: a long piece of
Executive Editor: Douglas L. Hicks • Art Director: Steve to use a special hollow chisel bit to drill a aluminum channel, a couple of metal
Lueder • Sr. Graphic Designers: Chris Glowacki, Cheryl
L. Simpson • Asst. Editors: Joe Irwin, Craig Ruegsegger
square hole. (This is a drill bit sur- rods, and a hand crank (the kind used
CIRCULATION
rounded by a square, thin-walled chisel.) to tighten a pipe clamp, only larger).
Sub. Serv. Dir.: Sandy Baum • New Bus. Dir.: Glenda Battles As you lowered the quill, the bit At first, this odd assortment of parts
• Circ. Marketing Analyst: Kris Schlemmer • Creative
Mgr.: Melinda Haffner • Renewal Mgr.: Paige Rogers •
removed the bulk of had me scratching
Billing Mgr.: Rebecca Cunningham • Prom. Mgr.: Rick the waste, and the my head. But when
Junkins • New Bus. Mgr.: Todd L. Bierle • Asst. Sub. Mgr.:
Joy Krause chisel squared up Using the mortising I walked into the
CORPORATE SERVICES the sides at the same machine is a smooth, shop a few days
Controller: Robin Hutchinson • Sr. Accountant: Laura time. At least that effortless process. And it later, it all started to
Thomas • Accounts Payable: Mary Schultz • Accounts
was the theory. In make more sense.
practice, it was a dif- cuts a crisp, clean mortise
Receivable: Margo Petrus • Prod. Dir.: George Chmielarz
• Electronic Pub. Dir.: Douglas M. Lidster • Network The crank was
Admin.: Chris Schwanebeck • Prod. Assistant: Susan Rueve
• Pre-Press Image Specialist: Troy Clark, Minniette ferent story. that’s dead-on accurate. attached to the top
Bieghler • New Media Mgr.: Gordon C. Gaippe •
Multimedia Art Dir.: Eugene Pedersen • E-Commerce
I had to apply con- of a tall, vertical
Analyst: Carol Schoeppler • Web Site Editor: Holly siderable downward pressure to get the tower. Turning the crank raised and low-
Kilborn • Web Site Product Specialist: Adam Best •
Human Resources Assistant: Kirsten Koele • Office bit to cut. Then, as it dug into the wood, ered a carriage that served as a platform
Mgr.: Julia Fish • Receptionist: Jeanne Johnson • the bit began to smoke, and the chisel for a router. This carriage was sus-
Building Maintenance: Ken Griffith • Special Projects
Dir.: Saville H. Inman • Mail Room Clerk: Lou Webber turned blue. To make matters worse, pended over a sliding table that held the
when I raised the quill to pull the bit out workpiece. By moving a handle back
MAIL ORDER
Operations Dir.: Bob Baker • Cust. Serv. Mgr.: Jennie Enos
of the mortise, it lifted the workpiece off and forth, the table (and workpiece) slid
• Warehouse Supr.: Nancy Johnson • Buyer: Linda Jones the table and tore out a big splinter. from side to side under the router bit.
• Admin. Asst: Nancy Downey • Tech. Rep.: Matthew
TeRonde • Cust. Serv. Reps.: Anna Cox, Tammy Needless to say, I was pretty frus- It looked like a great idea, and I
Truckenbrod, Deborah Rich, April Revell, David Gaumer trated with the whole thing. I went back couldn’t wait to try it out. So I grabbed a
• Warehouse: Sylvia Carey, Dan Spidle, Eric Tullis,
Sheryl Knox to making mortises by drilling a series chunk of wood, clamped it to the table,
WOODSMITH STORE
of holes with a Forstner bit then and flipped the switch on the router. As I
Manager: Dave Larson • Assistant Manager: Paul cleaning out the waste with a chisel by turned the crank to lower the carriage,
Schneider • Sales Staff: Pat Lowry, Wendell Stone, Jim hand. As for the mortising attachment, it the tip of the bit plunged into the wood.
Barnett, Kathy Smith, Larry Morrison, Harold Cashman
• Office Manager: Vicki Edwards ended up on a shelf gathering dust. Then, as I grasped the handle and slid
That’s too bad really. A mortising tool the table to the side, the bit carved a
ShopNotes® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly
(Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.) by August Home that really worked would be a great addi- crisp, clean slot in the wood.
Publishing, 2200 Grand, Des Moines, IA 50312.
ShopNotes® is a registered trademark of August Home
tion to a shop. In fact, it would be ideal The entire process was smooth and
Publishing ©Copyright 1999 by August Home for a project I’d been planning to build effortless. And the mortise was dead-on
Publishing. All rights reserved.
Subscriptions: Single copy: $4.95. One year subscription just recently. The project was a garden accurate. In fact, the mortising machine
(6 issues), $21.94. Canada/International add $10 per year,
U.S. funds. bench that required cutting over a hun- worked so well, we decided to feature it
Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA and at addi-
tional mailing offices.
dred mortises. (That’s a lot of drilling in this issue. In the meantime, I guess
Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes, P.O. and chiseling.) it’s time to build that garden bench.
Box 37103, Boone, IA 50037-2103.
Subscription Questions? Write to: ShopNotes Customer
Service, P.O. Box 842, Des Moines, IA 50304-9961. Or call
1-800-333-5854, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Central Time, week-
days. FAX 515-283-0447
E-Mail: ShopNotes@shopnotes.com
Internet: http://www.shopnotes.com
PRINTED IN U.S.A.

2 ShopNotes No. 47
 I S S U E F O R T Y - S E V E N

Contents
Features
Dado Blade Case page 6
Dado Blade Storage Case ————————— 6
The “hanging files” in this storage case hold the chippers
and blades of a stacked dado set. This provides easy access
to the individual pieces and protects them from damage.

Restoring a Bench Plane ————————— 10

Turn an old rusty bench plane into a hard-working tool that
looks great too. Also, we include step-by-step instructions
on making a new handle or front knob.

Tuning Up a Bench Plane ————————— 14 Bench Plane Tune Up page 14

A bench plane is a precision tool — when it’s tuned up
properly. Here are some simple tips and techniques to
help you get the most out of your bench plane.

Mortising Machine ————————————— 16

This shop-built mortising machine lets you rout perfect
mortises every time. With a router carriage that moves up
and down and a table that slides in two directions, you can
set up the machine and cut a mortise in less than a minute.

Brush Basics ————————————————— 26

One of the secrets to getting a smooth, even finish is the
quality of the brush. We offer practical suggestions on
selecting brushes, applying a finish, and some clean-up tips.

Departments
Mortising Machine page 16
Readers’ Tips —————————————————— 4
Our readers offer their own shop-tested tips dealing with
some of the most common woodworking problems.

Tool Talk ————————————————————— 30

In this issue, we take a look at an innovative new router
collet that doesn’t require a wrench to tighten the bit.

Sources —————————————————————— 31
Information and mail-order sources for the hardware and
supplies used to build the projects in this issue. Brushes page 26

No. 47 ShopNotes 3
 T I P S & T E C H N I Q U E S

Readers’ Tips
Vacuum Muffler ——————————————
n Shop vacuums are great
tools, but they sure make a
lot of noise. My dog knows.
As soon as I flip the switch,
he bolts out of the shop.
To reduce the noise, I
made a simple muffler
using inexpensive PVC pipe
and pipe fittings, see photo.
As it turned out, the muffler
cut the noise level in half.
Editor’s Note: This muffler
requires the shop vacuum
to have an exhaust port
that allows you to attach the
hose and use it as a blower.
The basic concept of this
muffler is simple. Air from
the vauccum is exhausted
through a layer of foam that fits There’s also a reducer on the
between an inner and outer pipe, see bottom end of the muffler. But to
drawing at left. The foam dampens allow the inner pipe to fit through this
the sound as the air passes through. reducer, you’ll need to file off the lip
(Foam is avabilable at most uphol- that’s on the inside of the fitting.
stery shops.) To fit the muffler in the exhaust
To direct air into the foam, you’ll port on my shop vacuum, I added
need to drill a number of holes in the another reducer to the bottom end of
inner pipe and glue a cap on the top the inner pipe. But first I cut off the
end. (I used PVC cement to attach expanded part of the reducer. Note:
the cap.) This forces the air through Don’t file the lip on this reducer. It
the holes, into the foam, and out of a keeps the pipe from sliding through.
reducer that’s glued to the top end of Chris Glowacki
the outer pipe. West Des Moines, Iowa

Wood Plug Trim Saw —————————————————————————

n Cutting wood plugs is a snap with
this simple trim saw, see photo. It’s
just a curved wood block that holds a
cutoff hacksaw blade, see drawing.
To avoid marring the workpiece,
the blade is recessed in a groove, see
detail. (This leaves a nub sticking up,
but it’s easily sanded flush.) Also, a
notch provides clearance as you saw.
Chris Forgacs
North Benton, Ohio

4 ShopNotes No. 47
 With
T I P S & T E C H N I Q U E S
Tape >
Scroll Saw Tip ———————————————————————————————
n Whenever I use a scroll saw, I find With the tape in place, it practically
that some types of wood are just eliminates the burn marks on the
about impossible to cut without edges, see photos in margin.
burning the edges. (Cherry seems What makes the tape work? I’m
to be the worst culprit of all.) And the not sure, but my guess is it lubricates
problem gets progressively worse as the blade just enough to reduce the
the blade gets dull. heat that’s produced. As a result, I
Fortunately, there’s an easy solu- end up with a nice clean edge that
{ Without
tion. I just cover the cutting line with requires little (if any) sanding. Tape
a strip of cellophane tape, see inset Rick Hutcheson
photo. (I use 2"-wide packing tape.) Grimes, Iowa

Knock-Down Work Support ———————————

That’s because the stretchers fit onto it in place. Also, you’ll need to drill a
a metal pin in each hanger that counterbore near the end of each
“locks” them in place. The pin is just stretcher to fit over the bolt.
a bolt that passes through a hole John Mappus
drilled in the joist hanger, see Charleston, South Carolina
n When cutting sheet goods or detail. Tightening a nut on the
assembling a large project, an extra end of each bolt holds
worksurface sure comes in handy.
But I don’t have room in my shop for
a permanent “fixture.”
So instead, I use a worksurface
that “knocks down” in seconds. The
key is a pair of metal joist hangers
attached to each of my sawhorses,
see photo above. (Joist hangers are
available at most home centers.)
The hangers act as ‘‘pockets’’ that
hold a couple of 2x4 stretchers, see
drawing. Fitting the ends of the
stretchers down into the joist hangers
creates a sturdy work support.
With the stretchers in place, you
don’t have to worry about them acci-
dentally slipping out of the hangers.

Sanding Disk Organizer ——————————————————————

Send in Your Shop Tips
n Here’s a simple way to organize To share your original shop tips to prob-
the sanding disks for your random lems you’ve faced, send them to:
orbit sander. It’s a plywood tray with ShopNotes, Attn.: Readers’ Tips, 2200
three separate “bays” to hold the disks. Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312.
Each bay (one for each grit size) is (Or if it’s easier, FAX them to us at:
formed by three dowels that surround 515-282-6741.)
a stack of disks. Placing a round, We’ll pay up to $200 depending on
hardwood plate on each stack keeps the published length. Please include a
the edges of the disks from curling. daytime phone number so we can call
Robert Page you if we have any questions.
Rochester, New York

No. 47 ShopNotes 5
 S H O P P R O J E C T

Dado Blade Case

With a set of
U ntil recently, I always stored
my stacked dado blade set in a
flat, cardboard box. The individual
“hanging files,” chippers and the two blades (the
this case provides inside and outside cutters) were
stacked together like a layer cake.
easy access to
Needless to say, it wasn’t much of
your dado blade a storage system. And it didn’t help
and protects it matters that I had to dig through the
from damage. stack to get the right combination of
chippers and blades.
The worst part of all was that with
this constant shuffling of pieces, it
seemed like it was only a matter of
time before I’d accidentally chip one
of the carbide-tipped teeth. So in
order to avoid damaging the teeth
(and to provide quick access to each
piece in the set), I built a simple stor-
age case, see photo above. labeling the individual hangers, I this storage case. To hold the shims
HANGERS. This case is designed can see at a glance which chipper for my dado blade, there’s a “secret”
with an individual hanger for each (or blade) I need. storage tray that fits inside the lid,
blade and chipper. (You can see the STORAGE TRAY. There’s one see photo on page 9.
hangers lying on the saw table.) By more thing I especially like about Design Note: This storage case is
designed to hold an 8" dado blade
a. b. with six chippers and two blades.
For a smaller blade (or if there are
fewer pieces), you may want to mod-
ify the overall size of the box.

THE CASE
The case consists of two parts: a tall
box that holds the hangers and a
short lid that fits down around them.
But I didn’t build these parts sepa-
rately. It’s easiest to make a single,
enclosed case first and then cut it
apart to form the box and the lid.
ENCLOSED CASE. There’s nothing
complicated about building the
enclosed case. The top/bottom (A)
and sides (B) are pieces of 1/2"-thick
hardwood (maple) that are assem-
bled with simple rabbet joints, see
drawing at left. This requires rabbet-
ing the narrow ends of each piece, see
detail ‘b.’ You’ll also need to rabbet the
long edges to accept a 1/4" hardboard
front and back (C) piece, see detail ‘a.’
GLUE-UP. With the joinery com-
plete, you’re ready to glue and clamp
the case together. One thing to

6 ShopNotes No. 47
 S H O P P R O J E C T

watch here is that you don’t apply 1

too much glue. Since any glue a.
squeeze out in the bottom corners of
the box will be difficult to clean up, a
thin film is all that’s needed.
ROUND EDGES. After the glue
dries, it’s a good idea to “ease” the
sharp outside corners of the case.
This is just a matter of mounting a
round-over bit in a table-mounted
router and routing around all the
outside edges of the case.
b.
CUT CASE APART. Now it’s time
to cut the case apart to form the lid
and the box. A table saw and a miter
gauge make quick work of this, see
Fig. 1. But the head of the miter
gauge is too small to provide much
support for the case. So I attached a
long fence for extra support. Also,
clamping a stop block to the fence
will prevent the case from shifting case, lower the blade so it leaves a blocks (D) to the box, see Fig. 2.
and keep all four cuts aligned. thin (1/16") membrane, see Fig. 1b. These are just pieces of 3/4" MDF
Start by raising the saw blade to This will keep the case intact and with a number of grooves that guide
cut through the thickness of the prevent it from “pinching” the saw the hangers in and out of the box.
front and back, see Fig. 1a. Then blade. After cutting both sides, I One thing that’s a bit unusual
with the case held firmly against the used a hand saw to separate the lid here is that the first groove is
fence and stop block, cut through and sanded the edges smooth. formed by rabbeting one edge of
the front and back only. GUIDE BLOCKS. At this point, I each guide, see Top View in Fig. 2.
Before cutting the sides of the set the lid aside and added two guide To cut this rabbet, I mounted the
dado blade in the table saw and
2 “buried” part of it in an auxiliary
fence clamped to the rip fence.
Each of the remaining grooves is
made by making successive passes
on the table saw, adjusting the posi-
tion of the fence between each pass.
ATTACH GUIDE BLOCKS. Once
the grooves are completed, the
guide blocks are simply glued to the
sides of the box, see Fig. 2. Clamping
the top of the guide blocks isn’t a
problem. But the jaws on my clamps
didn’t have enough “reach” to hold
the bottom ends. So I cut a scrap and
wedged it between the guide blocks
to “clamp” them in place.
CHAMFER LID. As you’re waiting
for the glue to dry, there’s one last
thing to do. That’s to mount a cham-
fer bit in the router table and rout
the bottom inside edge of the lid, see
Side View in Fig. 2. It’s just a small
(1/8") chamfer. But it makes a big dif-
ference in how easy it will be to fit
the lid down over the hangers.

No. 47 ShopNotes 7
 S H O P P R O J E C T

Hangers ——————— 3
One of the handiest
things about this storage
case is a set of hangers
that hold the individual
blades and chippers.
The hangers are like the
hanging folders in a fil-
ing cabinet. You just lift
them out of the case to
get the blades or chippers
you want, see photo.
Each hanger consists
of three pieces: a backer
plate to keep the blades
and chippers separated, a peg to
hang them on, and a hanger support
that doubles as a handle, see Fig. 3.
(Altogether I made eight hangers.)
BACKER PLATE. The backer plate HANGER SUPPORTS. All that’s left FINGER RECESSES. To form the
(E) on each hanger is a piece of 1/4" is to add hanger supports (G) to the finger recesses, I used a simple two-
hardboard with a hole drilled in it to backer plates, see Fig. 3. These are step process. First, drill a hole near
accept the peg. To slip the hanger just narrow strips of hardwood that both ends in each of the blanks, see
into the case without “catching” the rest on top of the guide blocks in the Figs. 4 and 4a. Then, to create the
guide blocks, I trimmed the bottom box. A finger recess on the ends of recess, cut through the hole as you
corners of each plate at an angle. each hanger support makes it easy trim the waste from each end.
PEG. The next step is to add the to pull the hanger out of the case. CUT DADOES. The next step is to
peg (F) to each backer plate, see Fig. To make the hanger supports, I cut a pair of long, shallow dadoes in
3. It’s just a dowel with a shallow started out with four blanks of 3/4"- each blank to fit the backer plates,
notch in it, see Side View in Fig. 3. thick stock. These blanks are over- see Figs. 5 and 5a.
When you hang a blade (or chipper) sized in length (111/2") and width RIP BLANKS. To complete the
on the peg, it fits down into the (13/8"), see Figs. 4a and 5a. This way, hanger supports, simply rip each
notch. This holds the blade securely I was able to make two hanger sup- blank in half, see Fig. 6. Then glue
against the backer plate. ports from each blank. the supports in place.

4 5 6

a. a.

8 ShopNotes No. 47
 S H O P P R O J E C T

Storage Tray —— 7

Besides making the case to hold my

dado blade, I also wanted to keep
track of the shims used to adjust the
width of the blade. So I made a shal-
low tray that holds the shims and fits
up inside the lid of the case, see
photo above. TRAY BOTTOM. The bottom (H) of Now it’s just a matter of ripping
It’s hard to imagine a simpler tray. the tray is sized to fit into the lid so several narrow strips to make the
Basically, it’s just a few pieces of 1/4" there’s 1/32" gap all the way around. front/back (I) and ends (J) of the tray.
hardboard that are assembled with Drilling a centered finger hole lets Gluing these strips in place is all that’s
butt joints, see Fig. 7. you pull the tray out of the lid. needed to hold the tray together.
MAGNETS. The tray is held in
8 place with four small magnets
a. embedded in the lid. These magnets
contact nails installed in the top edge
of the tray, see Side View in Fig. 7.
So when you slip the tray into the lid,
it just “clicks” into place.
To keep the tray from falling out, I
used a special type of magnet called
a rare earth magnet. These magnets
are quite strong. Even the small (1/4"-
dia.) ones I used have an amazing
amount of holding power. (For
sources of magnets, see page 31.)
The magnets fit in holes drilled
inside the lid. To contact the nails in
9 the tray, you’ll need to drill these
a. holes right next to the sides of the
lid, see Figs. 8 and 8a. A bit of epoxy
secures the magnets in the holes.
INSTALL NAILS. With the magnets
in place, you can drill the holes in the
tray for the nails. Here again, I used
epoxy to hold the nails in the tray.
HANDLE & LATCHES. All that’s
left to do is add a handle to the lid
and a pair of latches to the sides. The
handle (I used a drawer pull) and
latches are simply screwed in place,
see Figs. 9 and 9a.

No. 47 ShopNotes 9
 I N T H E S H O P

Restoring a Before
Bench
Plane
All it takes to
transform a
F or twelve bucks, you can’t go
wrong. That’s what I told a friend
of mine as I showed him the old, rusty bench plane I’d
neglected plane bought at an auction. (It’s the plane in the before photo After
above.) But as he surveyed the black, gritty metal, the
into a useful
broken wood handle, and the chip in the front a lot of potential. Somewhere under that rough exterior,
tool is a little knob, I could tell he wasn’t so sure. there was a precision hand tool. And all it required to
old-fashioned In spite of that, I still believed the plane had bring it out was a little elbow grease and some patience.
elbow grease. SNEAK PREVIEW. By the way, if you’d like a “sneak
preview” of how the plane actually turned out, take a look
at the after photo. It’s the same plane. Only I’ve cleaned it
up, made a new handle and front knob, and then tuned it
up a bit. (The next few pages are devoted to the methods
to do this, so I won’t go into them here.)
WHY RESTORE? Okay, but it sounds like a lot of work.
So why go to the trouble of restoring an old plane? Why
not just buy a new plane? Two reasons. First of all,
there’s a lot of satisfaction in turning an old neglected
plane back into a useful tool. And second, it’s an inex-
pensive way to acquire a quality hand tool.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

But not every old plane is worth restoring. So how
do you know just what to look for?
MISSING PARTS. First of all, check to see if any
parts are missing. I like to account for each piece,
see drawing. But if one is missing, it is possible to
buy replacement parts, see Sources on page 31.
Just a word of caution. Depending on the parts
you need, the cost can add up quickly.
CHECK FOR DAMAGE. Another thing to
check is whether any parts are damaged.
Some damage (like the handle and front knob
on my plane) is easy to repair. Other things
are more difficult (or impossible) to fix. For
example, I’d steer clear of planes with cracked
or chipped castings, bent blades, or heavy rust.
WHAT ABOUT RUST? So just how much rust is
alright? If it’s just a light surface rust, it’s easy to remove,
see box on page 11. The problem is you can’t always deter-
mine the extent of the rust. I found out the hard way.
Even though the blade on my plane was rusty, I took a
chance it might be salvageable. I was wrong. Sanding the
back of the blade exposed deep rust pockets that made it
impossible to get a sharp edge, see margin on next page.

10 ShopNotes No. 47
 I N T H E S H O P

My solution was to buy a replacement blade. That

added $12.50 to the overall cost of the plane. But it was
still considerably less expensive than buying a new plane.

DISASSEMBLY & CLEANING

Except for the blade, the rest of the plane was in good
shape. Granted, it was covered with black, oily gunk. But
it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be fixed by taking the
plane apart and cleaning all the individual pieces.
CAM LEVER & BLADE ASSEMBLY. I started by pop- { Mineral Spirits Bath. To loosen rust and grime, soak
ping the cam lever up and removing the lever cap that the metal parts of the plane in mineral spirits. Then scrub
secures the blade assembly, see drawing on page 10. The each part clean with a brush and set it aside to dry.
cap iron and blade lifted out easily after that.
FROG. Removing the blade assembly gave me a good and lowers the blade was so dirty it was hard to budge.
look at the frog. Okay, I know. It’s a funny sounding BODY. Not surprisingly, when I removed the screws
name. But the frog has an important job. It provides a that hold the frog in place, it was “frozen” to the body of
mounting platform that holds the blade at an angle. It the plane. Rust had gotten a foothold here as well. To
also lets you adjust the size of the throat opening. loosen the frog, I decided to remove the handle and front
The two screws that are loosened to make this adjust- knob and give the plane a bath. { Heavy
ment sit in pockets in the sloped face of the frog. (If you BATH. This was just a matter of soaking the plane (and pitting on the
look at the disassembled plane below, you can see spider the disassembled parts) in a plastic tub filled with min- back side of the
webs in the pockets where spiders had made a home.) eral spirits, see photo above. It only took about a half blade made it
BLADE ADJUSTMENTS. At the top end of the frog, the hour for the mineral spirits to soften years of accumu- impossible to get a
lateral adjustment lever that aligns the cutting edge of the lated dirt and grease. After scrubbing the plane with a sharp cutting edge.
blade was sticky with grime, so it didn’t move back and toothbrush, I gently tapped the frog loose, wiped each
forth very easily. And the depth adjustment knob that raises part off with a rag, and set them aside to dry.

Dealing with Rust

There’s nothing exciting about removing rust. But there are
things you can do to make the job easier.
SAND. One of the simplest ways is to sand off the rust, see
photo A. Besides the rust, the sole of my plane was streaked
with white paint (probably from planing storm windows).
But scrubbing it across 100-grit sandpaper cleaned it up fast.
WIRE WHEEL & ERASER BLOCKS. But not all the surfaces
are flat. To get into hard to reach places, using a wire wheel
on the grinder was just the ticket, see photo B. Also, a rubber
block embedded with silicon carbide made a handy rust
“eraser,” see photo C. (See page 31 for a mail-order source.)

A. Sandpaper. To remove rust from the B. Wire Wheel. Using a wire wheel on a C. Eraser Blocks. These rubber blocks
sole, I “scrubbed” the plane across grinder makes quick work of removing embedded with silicon carbide work
sandpaper attached to a piece of glass. rust in hard to reach areas. great for “erasing” rust from metal parts.

No. 47 ShopNotes 11
 T E C H N I Q U E

Making a Handle—————————————————————————————
My bench plane wasn’t much different than a lot of old
planes I’ve seen — the curved tip on the upper part of
the handle was broken. So I made a new one from a
block of mahogany I’d been saving, see photo.
PATTERN. Before getting started, I found it
helpful to make a pattern. Attaching the pattern to
the block will make it easy to cut the handle to
shape later, see Step 1 below. But it also helps orient
the block when drilling holes for the mounting rod
and nut that holds the handle in place, see Steps 2 and 3.
TRIM BLOCK. But you can’t drill all the holes just yet.
{ All it takes to To get the handle to sit flat on the metal body of the plane,
make a new handle you’ll need to first trim the block at an
for your plane is angle, see Step 4. Save the wedge
a scrap block of that’s trimmed off. It makes a handy
wood and a few support when drilling the holes in
simple steps. the base of the handle, see Step 5.
SHAPE HANDLE. Now it’s just a
matter of cutting the handle to shape
(Step 6) and using a rasp to create a
comfortable grip, see Step 7.
FINAL DETAILS. After applying a
dye stain to the handle (see margin
on page 13), I sprayed on four coats Align the bottom of the pattern Now drill a counterbored shank
of Deft spray lacquer and installed 1 with the edge of the blank and 2 hole to accept a retaining nut
the handle, see Step 8. attach it with spray adhesive. and mounting rod for the handle.

To complete the shank hole, flip Trimming a wedge off the Using the wedge as a support,
3 the workpiece around and then 4 corner of the workpiece estab- 5 drill two holes to fit the base of
drill the rest of the way through. lishes the base of the handle. the handle on the body of the plane.

With all the holes completed, a To provide a comfortable grip, After applying a dye stain and
6 band saw makes quick work of 7 round the edges with a rasp 8 finish, secure the handle with
cutting the handle to rough shape. and sand the handle smooth. the mounting rod and nut.

12 ShopNotes No. 47
 T E C H N I Q U E

Turning a Knob ——————————————————————————————

Although the front knob on my plane was still usable, there The idea is to screw a scrap block to a faceplate, see
was a chip at the base that looked like a kid missing a front detail ‘a’ in Step 2. Then, after mounting the faceplate to
tooth. So I decided to turn a new knob on the lathe. the lathe, turn a short tenon in the scrap. The goal is to
TURNING BLANK. Once again, get the tenon to fit snug in the coun-
digging through my scrap pieces terbore on the end of the blank.
turned up an ideal turning blank. TURN KNOB TO SHAPE. Once
And I cut it to length to match the the blank is securely mounted on
height of the knob, squaring up the the lathe, it’s just a matter of turning
ends in the process. the knob to shape, see Step 3 and
DRILL HOLES. To fit the knob the pattern at left. { Making a new front
over the metal boss on the body of MOUNTING HOLES. After sanding knob to replace a
the plane, there’s a counterbore in the knob smooth, the next step is to damaged one is
the end of the blank, see Step 1. drill a counterbored shank hole to easy. Just turn a
Later, after the knob is turned to accept the mounting rod. (This is the scrap block to shape
shape, the centerpoint of this hole hole I mentioned earlier — the one on the lathe.
becomes important. It has to align that needs to align with the counter-
with a hole that accepts a mounting bore in the bottom of the knob.)
rod for the knob. But there’s a catch. An easy way to accomplish this is
If you drill the hole for the rod to clamp a scrap to the drill press
now, you can’t mount the blank on and drill a hole to match the size of
the lathe. (It’s too large to fit on the the counterbore. Then fit a dowel in
tailstock without wobbling.) the hole to use as a centering pin.
MOUNT BLANK. The solution is to Setting the knob over the dowel
drill a small (1/8") pilot hole that fits in the tailstock, see ensures proper alignment as you drill the holes, see Step 4.
Step 2. That takes care of one end of the blank. But to INSTALL KNOB. Now it’s just a matter of applying a
secure the opposite end, I used a simple trick. dye stain (and finish) and installing the knob, see Step 5.

a.

To make the front knob, start by After attaching a scrap block the blank. Then slide the tailstock
1 drilling a counterbore and an
1/ " pilot hole in the turning blank.
2 to a faceplate, turn a tenon to fit forward so the centerpoint fits in
8 the counterbore in the bottom of the pilot hole and lock it in place.

{ Brushing on an
aniline dye (Cuban
Using the pattern of the knob Using a dowel as a centering Now just use the retaining nut red mahogany)
3 as a guide, turn the blank to 4 pin, drill a counterbored shank 5and mounting rod to secure the creates a traditional
final shape with a spindle gouge. hole for the nut and mounting rod. front knob to the body of the plane. dark-colored handle.

No. 47 ShopNotes 13
 I N T H E S H O P

Sharpening the Blade

Bench
Plane
Tune-Up
I f you’re restoring an old bench
plane, chances are it’s in need of a
tune-up. But that’s also true for a
brand new plane right out of the box. Using oil as a lubricant, sand A honing guide ensures that the
Either way, a simple tune-up will turn 1 the back of the blade across a 2 blade remains at a consistent
a bench plane into a precision tool. piece of silicon-carbide sandpaper. angle while you’re sharpening.

SHARPEN THE BLADE and smooth as the back. The secret BURR. As you work with each grit,
The best way to end up with good is to hold the blade at a consistent a burr will start to form on the back
results is to start with a sharp blade. angle. To do this, I use a honing of the blade. You can’t see it, but you
THE EDGE. The cutting edge of the guide, see Step 2. Basically, this is a can feel the burr by running your
blade is formed by the intersection of rolling clamp that holds the blade at finger up the back of the blade.
two surfaces — the back and the bevel the desired angle. When you get a nice even burr
of the blade. To get a sharp edge, you Here again, the idea is to proceed across the entire width of the blade,
want these surfaces smooth and flat. from a coarse to a fine grit. The trick remove it by alternately sanding the
FLATTEN BACK. When flattening is knowing where to start. This back and bevel with the final grit of
the back, I “sand” it on a flat surface requires matching the grit to the con- sandpaper used to polish the back.
like a piece of glass, see Step 1 dition of the bevel. If there’s a nick in
above. Start with 220-grit silicon-car- the edge, I start with 180-grit sand- FITTING THE CAP IRON
bide sandpaper and sand until paper. But this is too coarse for most It takes more than a sharp blade to
there’s a consistent set of scratch work. For example, 220-grit sand- plane a surface smooth. The cap iron
marks. Then polish the back using paper is fine for a new blade. If you’re that’s attached to the blade also
progressively finer grits. (I work up just touching up an edge, you may needs some attention.
from 400 to 2000-grit). want to start with 800-grit. The purpose of the cap iron is
This takes some elbow grease. But EVEN PRESSURE. Regardless of simple. To prevent tearout, it
the nice thing is you only have to do it the grit, the key is to apply pressure “breaks” the shaving as the blade
one time. Once the back is flat, you evenly across the blade. The only slices through the wood. To do this,
just need to concentrate on the bevel exception is if the blade is out of the nose of the cap iron is curved.
the next time you sharpen the blade. square. In that case, apply a little SAND EDGE. The problem is that
NOW THE BEVEL. Now it’s just a extra pressure on the “high” corner if the edge of the cap iron doesn’t sit
matter of making the bevel as flat to square the blade as you sharpen. flat against the blade, the shavings
can wedge under the cap iron. This
Fitting the Cap Iron can create a “log jam” of shavings,
making it difficult to plane a surface
smooth. To prevent this, the curved
edge of the cap iron needs to be
sanded smooth and even, see Step 1
at left. Here again, I use 220-grit sil-
icon-carbide sandpaper.
POSITION CAP IRON. Once the
edge is sanded smooth, it’s impor-
tant to position the cap iron properly.
In general, I attach the cap iron so it’s
about 1/16" from the front edge of the
Lower the back end of the cap iron After smoothing the edge of the cap blade. But for fine work, when I want
1 slightly, then sand the front edge by 2 iron, tighten it in place just behind the paper-thin shavings, I set it about
1/ " from the front edge.
making a few smooth strokes. leading edge of the blade. 32

14 ShopNotes No. 47
 I N T H E S H O P

Adjusting the Frog

To adjust the opening of the Then turn the screw at the back To check the size of the throat
1 throat, start by loosening the 2 of the frog to adjust the size of 3 opening, tighten the frog down
screws that hold the frog in place. the throat opening. and then reinstall the blade.

is adjusted just right? Basically, it’s a REFERENCE SURFACE. To check

ADJUSTING THE FROG trial and error process. whether the sole is flat or not, you
With the cap iron in place on the blade, As a rule, start by adjusting the need a flat reference surface. Here
you’re almost ready to start planing. opening so it’s about twice the setting again, a piece of glass works fine.
But first you’ll need to adjust the throat of the cap iron. For example, for fine To check the sole, draw lines
opening where the blade projects work, I’ll open the mouth to 1/16" across it with a marker, see Step 1
through the bottom of the plane. (twice the cap iron distance of 1/32"). below. Then sand the plane across a
The goal here is to size the Then after reinstalling the blade, piece of silicon-carbide sandpaper,
opening so it “matches” the position check the setting by planing the see Step 2. After a few strokes, check
of the cap iron on the blade. This edge of a scrap. The shavings should your progress. Any low spots will
way, they both work together to come off the workpiece smoothly show up as dark lines, see Step 3.
create nice even shavings. and evenly without jamming in the Note: Be sure to sand the plane
ADJUST FROG. To do this, you’ll opening of the mouth. with the blade in place (and
need to adjust the position of the retracted). This will “stress” the
frog. Start by loosening the screws FLATTENING THE SOLE body of the plane like it is in use.
on the top of the frog, see Step 1 There’s one last thing to consider The idea is to continue sanding
above. Then turn the adjustment when tuning up a plane — the flat- until the lines disappear. Then polish
screw at the back of the frog to ness of the sole. the sole on progressively finer grits
adjust the opening, see Step 2. After If there’s a slight bump in the sole, of sandpaper (up to 400-grit).
reinstalling the blade, check the size it will prevent the cutting edge of the Finally, give the metal surfaces a
of the opening, see Step 3. Note: blade from making full contact with coat of paraffin wax. Unlike a
Tighten down the frog before rein- the workpiece. And if the sole is machine oil, the wax will protect the
stalling the blade. dished out, it’s almost impossible to plane without leaving a residue on the
So how do you know that the frog plane a surface flat. workpiece that can ruin a finish.

Flattening the Sole

To flatten the sole, start by drawing Then “scrub” the plane back and forth Any dark lines that remain after
1 squiggly lines across the sole of the 2 on a sheet of 220-grit silicon-carbide 3 sanding indicate low areas. Continue
plane with a permanent marker. paper that’s taped to a piece of glass. sanding until all the marks disappear.

No. 47 ShopNotes 15
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

Mortising
Rout precision
Machine
mortises in
less than a
F or years now, I’ve been making mor-
tises by drilling a series of overlap-
ping holes and removing the ridges
building a project that required cutting
over a hundred mortises. That’s when I
decided to put off cutting the mortises for
minute with with a chisel. It works fine, espe- awhile and build a project that’s been on
this simple, cially if I’ve only got a few mortises the back burner for quite some time — a
to cut. But recently I was shop-made mortising machine, see photo.
shop-built ROUTER & SPIRAL BIT. This mor-
machine. tising machine works together with a
router and a spiral (upcut) bit to cut the
mortises. It’s quick, and it’s accurate. In
fact, it’s a great way to make mortises
even if you only have a few of them to cut.
SLIDING TABLE. The way it works is
simple. The workpiece is clamped on a
table that slides in two directions: in and
out and side to side, see photos A and B
below. This establishes the location and
the length of the mortise.
CARRIAGE. To provide the up and down
movement that’s needed to cut the depth
of the mortise, the router is mounted to a
sliding carriage. Turning a crank lowers
the carriage and plunges the spinning bit
into the workpiece, see photo C.

A. Location. It’s easy to establish the location of B. Length. To cut the mortise to length, use the C. Depth. Turning a crank raises and
the mortise on a workpiece. Just slide the table handle to slide the table from side to side. lowers the router carriage and provides
in or out to position the piece under the bit. Two stops control the amount of movement. control over the depth of the mortise.

16 ShopNotes No. 47
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T Materials
Base
A Front/Back (2) 41/2 x 24 - 3/4 Ply.
B Rails (4) 41/2 x 111/2 - 3/4 Ply.
C Support Block (1) 41/2 x 63/4 - 3/4 Ply.
D Feet (2) 3 x 28 - 3/4 Ply.
E Sides (2) 111/2 x 26 - 3/4 Ply.
F Back (1) 93/4 x 211/2 - 3/4 Ply.
G Cap (1) 43/4 x 93/4 - 3/4 Ply.
H Upper Grip (1) 1 x 4 - 5/8 Ply.
I Lower Grip (1) 1 x 4 - 1/4 Ply.
Carriage
J Sides (2) 9 x 12 - 3/4 Ply.
K Front (1) 21/2 x 8 - 3/4 Ply.
L Back (1) 61/2 x 9 - 3/4 Ply.
M Upper Rod Support (1) 4 x 81/4 - 3/4 Ply.
N Lower Rod Support (1) 4 x 81/4 - 3/4 Ply.
O Guide Blocks (2) 31/8 x 61/2 - 11/2 Ply.
Sliding Tables
P Lower Table (1) 13 x 24 - 3/4 MDF
Q Keeper Blocks (2) 3/ x 11/2 - 41/2
4
R Upper Table (1) 13 x 24 - 3/4 MDF
S Fence Face (1) 27/8 x 24 - 3/4 MDF
T Fence Back (1) 23/4 x 24 - 3/4 MDF
U Fence Supports (2) 23/4 x 51/2 - 3/4 MDF
Depth Gauge
V Adjustment Block (1) 21/2 x 8 - 3/4 Ply.

Hardware
• (4) #6 x 1" Rh Woodscrews • (2) %/16" x 3!/2" Carriage Bolts • (1) 6" Steel Rule
• (2) #8 x 1/2" Rh Woodscrews • (2) %/16" Knobs (w/ thru hole) • (1) 8d Finish Nail
• (8) #8 x #/4" Fh Woodscrews • (3) %/16" Knobs (w/ 1" stud)
• (20) #8 x 1!/4" Fh Woodscrews • (2) %/16" Knobs (w/ 1!/2" stud) For a complete hardware kit that
• (78) #8 x 1!/2" Fh Woodscrews • (2) %/8" x 21!/4" Metal Rods includes all the hardware listed here,
• (4) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews • (4) %/8" I.D. x #/4" O.D. Bronze Bushings (1" Long) refer to Sources on page 31.
• (1) #8 x 1" Rh Woodscrew • (1) 6#/4" x 10#/4" Phenolic Plate (#/8" Thick)
• (2) #10 x 1!/4" Rh Woodscrews • (1) #/4" x 8!/8" Phenolic Strip (#/8" Thick) Note: If you’d like to order the crank for
the carriage separately, you can call the
• (7) %/16"-18 T-nuts (w/prongs) • (2) #/4" x 11" Phenolic Strip (#/8" Thick) Adjustable Clamp Co. at 312-666-2723.
• (7) %/16" Fender Washers • (2) !/2" x 1" - 9#/4" Aluminum Channel (!/8" Thick) Ask for part no. 6709.
• (1) #/16" Washer • (1) !/2" x 1" - 16" Aluminum Channel (!/8" Thick)
• (1) #12 Flat Washer • (1) 11/ '' Dia. Crank (9" Long)
16 The bronze bushings and bearing are
• (1) !/4" x 1!/4" Hex Bolt • (1) !/4" I.D. x #/4" O.D. Sealed Ball Bearing (R4) also available separately by calling
• (1) !/4" Lock Nut • (1) Bit Guard (Optic Orange) Standard Bearings at 800-554-8123.

No. 47 ShopNotes 17
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

Base ————————————————————————————————————————
I began by makin g the base of the
mortising machine. The base pro-
vides a mounting surface for a metal
track that guides the sliding tables,
see drawing. In addition, it serves as
a foundation for a tall, vertical tower
that houses the router carriage.
FRAME. The base starts out as a
simple plywood frame. The front and
back (A) of this frame are identical in
size, see Fig. 1. But to allow clear-
ance for a handle, you’ll need to cut a
long notch in the front piece.
The front and back are connected
by four rails (B) that are notched to
accept the metal track. To prevent the
table from binding, it’s important for
these notches to line up.
An easy way to accomplish this is to
first mount a dado blade in the table
saw. Then butt each rail against a stop
block clamped to a fence on the miter
gauge, see Fig. 2. After making a
single pass for each rail, reposition the
stop block and make a second pass to
complete the notches.
SUPPORT BLOCK. Before assem-
bling the base, I added a plywood sup- base, see drawing above. support for the carriage assembly.
port block (C) to hold the end of the These long strips of plywood SIDES. The main parts of the
handle. After notching the support extend past the base so you can clamp tower are two L-shaped sides (E). To
block to accept the handle, it’s screwed the mortising machine to your bench. cut the long “leg” of each side, I ran a
to the two inside rails to form an H- large plywood blank against the rip
shaped assembly. Then just screw TOWER fence on the table saw, see Fig. 3. But
the rails to the front and back. Once the base is assembled, the next because the saw blade won’t make a
FEET. This is also a good time to step is to add the tower. Basically, it’s square corner, I stopped the cut
add two feet (D) to the bottom of the a tall, open box that provides rigid about 1'' from the layout line.

1 2

18 ShopNotes No. 47
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

Now it’s just a matter of cutting 3

the short “leg” of the sides, see Fig.
4. Here again, stop the cut before
you get to the corner. Then trim off
the waste piece with a hand saw.
Before attaching the sides, it’s
best to predrill two countersunk
shank holes near the inside corner
of each piece, see drawing on page
18. (This will help simplify the car-
riage assembly.) I also installed a T-
nut in the left side to hold a depth
gauge that’s added later.
Now you can glue and clamp the 4
sides of the tower to the inside rails.
Then drive screws through the front
and back into the sides. { The aluminum
BACK. Next, to prevent the tower channel used for
from racking, I added a plywood back the track and the
(F). It’s cut to fit flush with the top handle is quite soft,
edge and outside face of each side. so it cuts easily with
CAP. After screwing the back in a carbide-tipped
place, all it takes to enclose the top of saw blade.
the tower is a plywood cap (G). It’s
easiest to drill a hole in the cap now
to accept the crank that’s added later. the handle to swing back and forth. (H) starts out as an extra-long strip
And here again, predrill the holes After cutting the two pieces of track that’s resawed to 5/8'' thick, see Fig. 6.
that will be used when fastening the to final length (see photo at right), After rounding over the top edges of
cap to the carriage assembly. they’re screwed to the rails. this strip (Fig. 6a), it’s rabbeted to fit
TRACK. At this point, you can set HANDLE. As I was working with inside the channel, see Fig. 6b. For
the cap aside and concentrate on the the aluminum channel, it occurred the lower grip (I), I resawed a scrap
metal track that guides the tables side to me it would also be a good mate- to a thickness of 1/4''. After fitting the
to side. The track consists of two rial to use for the handle that moves upper grip in the channel, the lower
pieces of aluminum channel that fit the table from side to side. grip is screwed in place, see Fig. 5a.
into the notches in the rails, see Fig. To prevent the channel from dig- Then file and sand the edges smooth.
5. Why not just make one long track? ging into my hand, I used a couple ATTACH HANDLE. Once the grip
Because two pieces will create an scraps of plywood to make a comfort- is completed, the opposite end of the
opening that provides clearance for able grip, see Fig. 5. The upper grip handle can be screwed in place.

5 6 a.

b.
a.

No. 47 ShopNotes 19
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

Carriage Assembly —————————————————————————— a.

The carriage assembly consists of 7
two main parts: a carriage that holds
the router, and a guide system that
allows the carriage to travel up and
down a pair of metal rods, see Fig. 7.

CARRIAGE
To provide easy access to the router
(and clearance for the handles), the
carriage is open in front, and each
side has a large, sweeping curve.
CONSTRUCTION. The two sides
(J), front (K), and back (L) of the car-
riage are all made of 3/4" plywood, see
Fig. 8. To hold a mounting plate for
the router, you’ll need to cut a groove
in each piece. As for the curved
sides, don’t worry about their exact
shape. Just be sure there’s enough
clearance for the router handles.
The next step is to notch the
bottom corners of the front (K) to fit
over the sides. Also, installing two
T-nuts provides a way to attach a
guard for the router bit.
MOUNTING PLATE. Now you’re
ready to add the mounting plate, see
Fig. 9. To provide solid support for easy to see the workpiece when set- Also, don’t forget to locate and drill
the router, I made the plate from a ting up the mortising machine. mounting holes for your router.
{ Bronze bushings
rigid plastic material called phenolic. In addition to the large hole, you’ll
that slip over the GUIDE SYSTEM
(For sources of phenolic, see page 31.) need to drill two holes near the back
metal guide rods
To create an opening for the router edge of the mounting plate to slip At this point, you can set the carriage
create an accurate
bit, there’s a large hole cut in the over the metal rods. A countersunk pieces aside for awhile and concen-
guide system for
mounting plate, see Fig. 9. This hole shank hole in between (drilled from trate on the guide system.
the carriage.
is much larger than necessary. But the bottom) will be used to secure GUIDE RODS. The heart of this
this creates a “window” that makes it the mounting plate to a guide block. system is a pair of metal guide rods,

8 9

20 ShopNotes No. 47
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

see drawing at right. These rods pass ping through the lower rod support
through a number of plywood blocks (N), I drilled stopped holes in it.
and the mounting plate. (I picked up After completing all the holes, fit
a long metal rod at the hardware the bushings into the pockets and
store and cut each of the guide rods screw the guide blocks together. Then
to final length with a hacksaw.) trim the waste off both ends and the
SUPPORT BLOCKS. The ends of back edges of the guide blocks.
the rods are held in place by an upper CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY. At this
(M) and lower rod support (N). And point, you’re ready to assemble the
two thick guide blocks (O) attached to carriage. Start by sliding the rods
the carriage slide up and down the through the guide blocks and
rods as you turn the crank on top of mounting plate. Then, after clamping
the mortising machine, see Fig. 7. the sides (J), front (K) and back (L)
Note: Each guide block starts out as in place, simply screw the carriage
two oversize pieces of 3/4" plywood. together, see drawing below right.
BUSHINGS. To eliminate “play” in Before installing this assembly,
the carriage, the rods slip through you’ll need to screw the lower rod
bushings captured inside pockets in support (N) to the base, see Fig. 7.
the guide blocks, see Fig. 7a and Then after drilling a hole in the upper
photo on page 20. But the bushings rod support (M) to accept the crank,
don’t ensure the carriage will slide slip it over the guide rods.
smoothly without binding. That Now set this assembly inside the
depends on the rods being parallel tower and fit the rods into the holes in
to each other. This means the holes the lower rod support. It’s secured by
in one block need to line up with the driving screws through the sides of
holes in the others. the tower into the upper rod support.
To accomplish that, I started with Attaching the cap (G) with screws
six identical blocks (one for the upper will make it easy to install the crank.
and lower rod support and four for MOUNT CRANK. The first step is
the guide blocks). Then I clamped two to remove the mounting flange from
stop blocks to a fence on the drill press the end of the crank. (A single screw
to position each piece, see Fig. 10. holds it in place.) After inserting the
DRILL HOLES. To form the pockets threaded part of the shaft through
for the bushings, begin by drilling the top of the tower, just screw the
3/ "-dia. counterbores in the pieces “nut” on the crank to the cap. port, cap, and crank. (This entire
4
that make up the guide blocks (O). Once the crank is secured, you assembly is held in place with the
Then follow up with 5/8" through can mark the location for the flange four screws that hold the upper rod
holes for the guide rods. I also on the upper guide block. But in support.) Finally, screw the flange in
drilled the holes in the upper rod order to attach the flange, you’ll place and reassemble the parts.
support (M) all the way through. But need some knuckle room. I found it
to prevent the guide rods from slip- easiest to remove the upper rod sup-

10

No. 47 ShopNotes 21
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

Sliding Tables ———————————————————————————————

11
This mortising table is designed
with two sliding tables. A lower table
moves from side to side, see Fig. 11.
And an upper table that rides piggy-
back on top slides in and out.

LOWER TABLE
To provide the movement that’s
needed to cut a mortise to length,
the lower table slides back and forth
in the metal track in the base.
NOTCH. The lower table (P) starts
out as a piece of 3/4" MDF with a wide
notch cut in the back edge, see Fig.
12. This notch is sized to provide
clearance around the tower as the
table moves from side to side.
RUNNERS. To guide the table, I
made two lower runners that fit
inside the aluminum track. These
runners fit in a groove cut in the a.
bottom of the table. In addition, a
third runner attached to the top of
the table serves as a track for the
upper table. This upper runner fits in
a dado cut in the top of the table.
After cutting all the runners to
size, the next step is to screw the two
lower runners in place so they’re
flush with the ends of the table. This
creates an opening between the run- back and forth, it exerts pressure bore in the runner, see Fig. 12a. This
ners for a bearing that fits into the against the bearing which slides the prevents the upper table from hitting
groove under the table, see Fig. 12b. table smoothly from side to side. the lock nut as it slides on the runner.
{ To resist wear, BEARING. The purpose of this The bearing is secured to the table T-NUTS. With the upper runner in
the runners are bearing is simple. When the table is with a bolt and lock nut. And I used place, I added two T-nuts, one near
made from hard, installed, the bearing fits inside the these same fasteners to secure the each of the back corners of the table,
durable phenolic. channel that forms the handle, see upper runner. The nut sits in a recess see Fig. 12. Later, the T-nuts are
Fig.11a. As you move the handle that’s formed by drilling a counter- used to hold the two tables together.

12 a. 13

b. a.

22 ShopNotes No. 47
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

INSTALL TABLE. Now you’re ready 14

to install the table. You may have to
jockey it around a bit to fit the
bearing down in the handle and to
get the runners to slip into the track.
KEEPER BLOCKS. With the table
in place, I added two hardwood keeper
blocks (Q), see Figs. 13 and 13a. These
blocks prevent the table from lifting
up when working with long pieces
that hang over the base. To do this,
the blocks are notched to fit around
the track and screwed to the table.

UPPER TABLE
At this point, you can turn your atten-
tion to the upper table, see Fig. 14. a. b.
This table slides in and out on the
runner that’s mounted to the top of
the lower table. Plus, it provides a
platform for a fence that’s used to
clamp the workpiece in place.
It’s this front and back movement
that establishes the location of the
mortise on the edge of a workpiece.
To get the mortise to end up where
you want it, you simply slide the table There’s just one thing left to do Fig. 14. To strengthen the face, I
in or out to position the workpiece before adding the fence. That’s to cut added a back (T) and two supports
under the bit. Then, by tightening the a groove in the top of the table to (U). Before screwing these pieces
two tables together, they move as a accept one of the fence pieces. together, it’s best to install a T-nut in
single unit when cutting the mortise. each support that’s part of the stop
CONSTRUCTION. The upper table FENCE system. Then screw the supports to
(R) is identical in size to the lower In addition to supporting a workpiece, the table and fasten the fence back
table. And once again, it’s notched to the fence provides a way to mount a (T) and face (S) together with screws.
provide clearance around the tower. stop system that controls the side to INSTALL UPPER TABLE. Now you
But this time, I cut a pair of adjust- side movement of the sliding tables. can install the upper table. This is
ment slots in the table. Also, cutting The fence is made up of several just a matter of setting it in place and
a dado in the bottom of the table parts. To position the workpiece on fastening the upper and lower tables
allows it to fit over the upper runner. the table, the face (S) is a long strip together with two threaded knobs.
What you want here is to size the of MDF that’s screwed into the The knobs pass through the slots in
dado to create a smooth, sliding fit. groove in the top of the table, see the upper table and into the T-nuts in
the lower table, see Figs. 15 and 15a.
15 STOP SYSTEM. All that’s left is to
a. add the stop system, see Fig. 14b. It
determines the amount of side to
side movement of the tables. The key
to the stop is a bolt that threads into
the T-nut in each support. When you
slide the table to the right, the head of
the bolt in the left support contacts
the tower and “stops” the table. The
opposite stop works the same way.
To adjust the stops, it’s just a
matter of threading the bolts in or
out. Tightening a knob on the end of
each bolt locks in the adjustment.

No. 47 ShopNotes 23
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

Depth Gauge ————————————————————————————————

16 a.

block and into the T-nut (installed

earlier) is all that’s needed here.
INDICATOR. To make it easy to
“read” the depth gauge, I added an
indicator to the side of the carriage.
It’s just a nail with the head snipped
off. After drilling a hole for the nail, I
used epoxy to hold it in place.
To see at a glance when the mortise over the edge of the tower, see Fig. SETUP. To use the depth gauge,
is cut to the desired depth, I added a 16a. This lip keeps the depth gauge lower the carriage until the tip of the
depth gauge to the side of the tower. aligned as you move it up and down. bit touches the workpiece. Then adjust
There’s nothing complicated about ATTACH RULE. The metal rule is the gauge so the indicator points to
this gauge. It’s just a 6" metal rule attached with two screws. Tightening the final depth of the mortise. As you
attached to a plywood adjustment the screw heads against the rule lower the carriage to make a series
block (V), see Fig. 16. A long slot in holds it securely in place. of successive cuts, the indicator will
the adjustment block lets you raise INSTALL GAUGE. Now you can eventually point to the bottom end of
and lower the depth gauge. Also, cut- install the gauge. A threaded knob the rule. That’s when you know the
ting a wide rabbet forms a lip that fits that passes through the adjustment mortise is at the correct depth.

Router Bit Guard ————————————————————————————

17 The guard that’s shown in Fig. 17
is quite simple. In fact, there are only
two pieces: a plastic shield and a
hardwood guard block, see Fig. 17.
SHIELD. The shield is just a piece
of Plexiglas with a couple of adjust-
ment slots that allow you to raise and
lower the guard. Note: You can find
Plexiglas at most home centers.
GUARD BLOCK. Although the
shield extends down in front of
the carriage, I also wanted part of
the guard to extend underneath. So
a. I attached the guard block to the
bottom edge with screws.
MOUNTING. To hold the guard in
Since the router bit is exposed below But if you prefer a single-piece place, I used a couple of plastic knobs
the carriage, it’s a good idea to add a plastic guard like the one shown in and a pair of fender washers. The
guard for safety. the photo on page 16, it’s available as knobs are threaded into the T-nuts
Note: The guard shown here is part of our complete hardware kit. that were added earlier to the front
made from scrap pieces of material. (See page 31 for Sources.) (K) of the carriage, see Fig. 17a.

24 ShopNotes No. 47
 F E A T U R E P R O J E C T

Setup & Use —————————————————————————————————

{ The secret to
cutting a crisp,
clean mortise is to
make a series of
shallow passes.
To set up the mortising machine, lay out the mortise All it takes to establish the final position of
1 and butt the workpiece against the fence. Now lower the 2 the workpiece is to slide it along the fence
carriage, slide the table in or out (so the bit will cut the until the bit is centered on the length of the mortise.
mortise at the desired location), and lock the knobs. Then simply clamp the workpiece to the fence.

To set the stops, slide the handle to the left With the tip of the router bit still touching the
3 until the bit aligns with the right end of the mortise. 4 workpiece, adjust the depth gauge so the indi-
Then adjust the bolt so it contacts the tower. After cator points to the desired depth of the mortise.
locking the stop, repeat the process for the other side. Then tighten the knob to lock the gauge in place.

Now you’re ready to flip the switch on the router After sliding the handle to the right until it stops,
5 and start cutting the mortise. To do this, turn the 6 lower the carriage another / " and push the handle
1
8
crank to lower the carriage and plunge the bit into the all the way in the opposite direction. Continue this
workpiece. A shallow (1/8''-deep) cut works best. process until the mortise is cut to the desired depth.

No. 47 ShopNotes 25
 I N T H E S H O P

Brush
up on the
Basics {
Natural
Bristles
{
Synthetic
Bristles
Q: I often use “throwaway” foam First of all, any brush is going to plastic, so they absorb very little
brushes to apply a finish, but I’m not have the same basic parts, see draw- water and won’t deform during use.
always satisfied with the results. Would ing below. But it’s the bristles in the
a bristle brush work better? Also, are brush that make the difference in BRISTLE TIPS
there any special brush techniques I the quality of the finish. Another consideration when choos-
can use that will ensure good results? ing a brush is the tips of the bristles.
Frank Haynes TYPES OF BRISTLES FEEL FOR SOFTNESS. If your eye-
Davenport, Iowa You’ll find two types of bristles: natu- sight is like mine, it will be impossi-
ral and synthetic, see photos above. ble to actually see the tips of the bris-

W hen it comes to ease of use,

a foam brush is hard to beat.
They cost next to nothing. But I’ve
NATURAL BRISTLES. Like their
name implies, natural bristle brush-
es are made from animal hair. As a
tles. But you can feel them. Remove
the paper “keeper” from the brush
and fan the bristles against your hand.
One of the secrets had mixed results with them. rule, I use a natural bristle brush to STIFF BRISTLES. If they feel stiff,
to ending up with So when applying a finish to a spe- apply a finish like varnish or shellac. it’s probably because the tips of the
cial project, I use a bristle brush. These bristles seem to hold more fin- bristles are cut square, see detail ‘a’
a smooth, even
There are several advantages to ish. And in general, I get better results. below. These bristles are okay for
finish is selecting using a quality bristle brush. The only exception is when I’m general painting jobs, but they make
the right brush First, it holds plenty of finish, so applying a water-based finish. With it difficult to brush a smooth finish.
and using a few you aren’t constantly dipping it back this type of finish, the bristles absorb SUPPLE BRISTLES. If the brush
simple techniques. in the container to replenish the too much water, and they get soft has soft, supple bristles, it’s a good
brush. (It also isn’t as likely to drip.) and limp — almost as if they’re hav- indication that the bristles are either
Second, the bristles allow the finish ing a “bad hair” day. This makes it tapered or, better yet, “flagged”
to flow out smoothly and evenly with difficult to control the amount of fin- at the ends, see
very few brush marks. ish I brush onto the workpiece. detail ‘a.’ (This is
SELECTING A BRUSH. So how do SYNTHETIC BRISTLES. So when one time
you go about selecting a quality working with water-based finishes, I
brush? After all, if you walk down use a brush that has synthetic bristles.
the paint aisle at the local home cen- These bristles are made of
ter, there are hundreds of brushes to
choose from.

a.

b.

26 ShopNotes No. 47
 I N T H E S H O P

where “split ends” are desirable.)

The flagged (or tapered) tips do a
great job of smoothing brush marks.

BRUSH SHAPE
In addition to the tips of the bristles,
you’ll also want to consider the shape
of the brush. A. Remove Dust & Bristles. Work the B. Filter Finish. To ensure the finish
CHISEL-EDGED. If the bristles are brush back and forth in your palm is clean of dust and debris, filter it
taller in the center and shorter on to remove dust or loose bristles. into a separate container.
the sides, the end of the brush
resembles the shape of a chisel, see lems from cropping up later. bristles. This is just a matter of dip-
detail ‘b’ on page 26. A chisel-edged REMOVE DUST. Dust is a big cul- ping the bristles into the appropriate
brush has a slim profile that allows prit when applying a finish. So make thinner (mineral spirits for varnish,
you to apply finish to fine details or sure there’s no dust (or loose bris- water for water-based finishes, and
to get into hard-to-reach areas. tles) in the brush, see photo A above. alcohol for shellac), see photo C.
SQUARE-EDGED. That’s more dif- FILTER THE FINISH. It’s also a LOAD BRUSH. Even something as
ficult with a square-edged brush good idea to use a paper filter to simple as “loading” the brush can
(bristles all the same length). Unless remove any dust and debris from the affect the finish. To avoid runs, dip
you’re poking paint into a corner, finish, see photo B. By working out the bristles about halfway into the fin-
these brushes aren’t worth using. of a separate container, you won’t ish. Then press them against the sides
contaminate the finish in the can by of the container to remove the excess
BRUSH PREPARATION transferring dust from the workpiece. finish, see photo D. This works bet-
There’s more to getting a smooth CONDITION BRISTLES. To make it ter than dragging the bristles across
finish than using a quality brush. A easier to clean up the brush after use, the edge of the container which can
little preparation now will keep prob- I make it a point to “condition” the create air bubbles in the finish.

Brushes — A Basic Set

All it takes to handle most finishing jobs is a basic set of
brushes. Although you don’t need a lot of them, it’s
worth buying good quality brushes. With proper care
and cleaning, they should last indefinitely. Chisel-
CHISEL-EDGE BRUSH. The brush I reach for most < Edge Brush
often is a 2"-wide, chisel-edge brush with natural bristles,
see photo at upper right. This one is a badger bristle
brush that cost about $23 at a local woodworking store.
C. Condition Bristles. To condition SASH BRUSH. But there are times when I need to
the brush, dip the bristles into a apply a precise, controlled line of finish. That’s when the
thinner and then remove the excess. angled bristles on this 11/2"-wide sash brush come in
handy. This brush has synthetic bristles (for water-based < Sash Brush
finishes). It cost about $12 at the home center.
ARTIST’S BRUSH. One of my favorite brushes for
applying a finish to ornate or complex surfaces is this
11/2"-wide artist’s brush, see photo at right. The synthetic
bristles on this brush create a knife-like edge that pro-
vides sharp control. Note: This brush (manufactured by < Artist’s Brush
Windsor and Newton) is available for about $30 from
many art stores and the mail-order source on page 31.
OVAL BRUSH. I also use this 1" oval brush frequently,
see photo at right. It’s thicker than a standard rectangu-
lar brush, so it holds more finish. This makes it ideal as a
“dry” brush to mop up excess finish, refer to pages 28 and
D. Load Brush. After dipping the < Oval Brush
bristles in the finish, press them 29. Note: I bought the oval brush for $6 at a home center.
against the side of the container.

No. 47 ShopNotes 27
 I N T H E S H O P

Finishing Horizontal Surfaces

Brushing
on a
Finish
Selecting a quality brush is half the
battle when it comes to applying a
finish. But getting a smooth, even
Avoid drips and runs by starting To complete the pass, return to
finish depends on how you use the
brush when applying a finish.
1a few inches in and brushing the 2 the starting point and brush the
finish off the edge. finish off the opposite edge.
Depending on the type of surface, I
use several different techniques.
Finishing Vertical Surfaces
HORIZONTAL SURFACES
It’s easiest to apply a finish to a flat,
horizontal surface like the top of a
table or a shelf. But even so, there
are a couple of things you’ll want to
keep in mind.
To prevent the finish from drip-
ping off the edge of the surface,
place the brush a few inches in from
the edge of the workpiece, see Step To keep finish from running Then smooth out the finish by
1 above. Then just “sweep” the finish 1 down a vertical surface, brush 2 tipping off vertically, working
lightly off the edge. the finish across the surface first. from the bottom to the top.
Applying finish to the rest of the
surface is just a matter of going back get a little more challenging. That’s face, see Step 1 above. Here again,
to the starting point. Then after over- because the finish tends to run down you’ll want to start a couple of inches
lapping the wet finish by an inch or the surface as soon as you start in and work the brush off the edge
two, brush the finish back across the brushing it on. To avoid this, I of the surface before working back
surface. Here again, sweep the brush change my technique just a bit. to the opposite edge.
off the opposite edge in a smooth Start by loading the brush with TIP OFF. Once the finish is applied
motion, see Step 2 at top right. less finish than normal (about half to the entire surface, all that’s neces-
the amount of finish). This will help sary to smooth out any small runs or
VERTICAL SURFACES you avoid any big runs and drips. drips is to “tip off” the finish. To do
If you’re finishing a vertical surface Then, instead of applying the finish this, start by pressing the excess fin-
like the side of a cabinet, things can up and down, brush across the sur- ish in the bristles into the container
of finish. Then with the brush held
Finishing Inside Corners almost perpendicular to the surface,
lightly drag the tips of the bristles
from the bottom to the top of the
workpiece, see Step 2 above.

INSIDE CORNERS
But not every project has simple, flat
surfaces. It’s the details, like the
inside corners on a raised panel, that
can make applying a finish a little
more trying.
To avoid “working yourself into a
For inside corners, it’s best to Remove the excess finish from corner,” it’s best to start at an inside
1 apply the finish by working from 2 the corners by dabbing it up corner and work your way out. On a
the corner out. with a dry brush. raised panel, that means starting

28 ShopNotes No. 47
 I N T H E S H O P

where the panel meets the rails and Finishing Spindles

stiles, see Step 1 at bottom of page 28.
Because it can be difficult to start
smoothly in a corner, the finish can
“puddle” along the joint line or in
one of the corners. To remove the
excess, I like to keep a small dry
brush handy. Dabbing the brush
into the excess finish before it has a
chance to set up will “wick” the fin-
ish up into the brush, see Step 2 on
bottom of page 28.

SPINDLES To avoid runs and drips on a Here again, remove any

When it comes to a spindle that’s
1 spindle, apply the finish in a cir- 2 finish that “pools” up by wicking
cular motion around the spindle. it up with a dry brush.
been turned on the lathe (like the
legs on a chair), applying a finish is a might notice a little excess finish in brush. This way, you can make sure
real challenge. Brushing up and the details of the spindle. A little it stays in as good a shape as the day
down the spindle will cause the fin- work with a dry brush will pick up you bought it.
ish to run. That’s because details the excess and leave a crisply fin- RINSE WITH THINNER. After wip-
turned into the spindle (like coves ished detail, see Step 2. ing the excess finish out of the brush
and beads) catch on the bristles and on a scrap piece, rinse out any addi-
“pull” too much finish out. MAINTAINING A BRUSH tional finish using the appropriate
To avoid this, I apply the finish by Once you’re done applying finish to thinner, see Step 1 below. You may
brushing around the workpiece, see the project, it’s well worth spending have to rinse the brush in fresh thin-
Step 1 at right. Here again, you a few minutes time to clean up your ner a few times to remove most of
the finish. Once that’s complete,
Caring for a Brush wrap the brush in a rag or paper
towel to soak up the thinner.
WASH. After you’ve removed as
much thinner as possible, squirt a
few drops of dishwashing detergent
into the bristles of the brush. Then
work up a lather by swirling the bris-
tles around in the palm of your hand,
see Step 2. Here again, you may
need to repeat this process a couple
of times until the brush no longer
feels slimy.
Rinse the brush thoroughly in Then use a squirt of detergent SPIN OUT WATER. After rinsing
1 the appropriate thinner to 2 and work up a lather to remove the brush thoroughly in water to
remove any excess finish. the thinner and any remaining finish. remove all the soap, lower the brush
into an empty bucket. Then spin the
brush in the palms of your hands,
see Step 3. This removes the excess
water from the bristles of the brush
like a dog shaking off bath water.
COMB & STORE. All the washing
and spinning may leave the bristles
of the brush looking a little ragged.
So I use a brush comb to straighten
out the bristles, see Step 4. Then to
make sure the bristles hold their
To remove the excess rinse Finally, straighten the bristles shape while they dry, wrap the
3 water, simply spin the handle of 4 with a comb, wrap the brush in brush in a paper towel and set it
the brush between your palms. a paper towel, and lay it flat to dry. aside to dry.

No. 47 ShopNotes 29
 PowerCollet
Tool
Note:
PowerCollet
shown in (Cutaway View)
closed position
Upper end
Nut secures of collet is

Talk PowerCollet tapered to

to spindle fit in router
spindle
Upper ball
bearing
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Locking sleeve assembly
snaps up and locks collet
down to tighten in closed
Jacobs PowerCollet (or loosen) bit position

n Change a router bit without Flat springs

fiddling around with wrenches? I tension upper
ball bearing
was intrigued. This new collet assembly
(called a PowerCollet) tightens
and loosens using hand pressure
only — yet it holds bits securely. Lower ball bearing
At least that’s what I’d heard. assembly applies
pressure to collet
But would a “no-wrench” collet
hold a bit tightly enough to keep it Lower end of Metal
collet squeezes
from slipping? To find out, I decided shank of
spacer
Rubber O-ring extends
to buy one and give it a try. router bit.
seals out dust base
The collet I bought fits a Porter
Cable router. But collets are also When you snap the sleeve thick part of my hands on top of
available for a number of other away from the body of the router, the sleeve, see Fig. 3.
routers. Note: The PowerCollet is the collet is in the “open” position, There’s one thing worth men-
manufactured by the Jacobs Chuck see Fig. 1 below. To do this, place tioning here. If you leave the base
Company, and it sells for about your thumbs under the sleeve and of the router on (or you mount the
$45. (For Sources, see page 31.) give it a firm push — the collet router in a table), you’ll have to
MOUNT COLLET. It took just a snaps open with a click. press the sleeve down with your
minute to remove my original INSERT BIT. Now simply insert fingertips. That requires quite a
collet and tighten the PowerCollet the bit in the collet, see Fig. 2. bit of finger strength.
on the spindle, see drawing above. You’ll feel some resistance here. A TEST. Tightening the bit in
{ To adapt the 1/2'' But the PowerCollet is a little That’s because the bit has to slide the collet is one thing. But does it
collet to a router bit bulky. So to accommodate it, I had through a rubber O-ring that stay tight? By plowing deep
with a 1/4'' shank, to install three metal spacers to seals dust out of the collet. grooves through hard maple, I
slip a sleeve extend the base of the router. (The TIGHTEN COLLET. To tighten got the answer I was hoping for.
(included with the spacers are provided.) the collet around the bit, you have The collet held the bit tightly in
collet) onto the bit. LOCKING SLEEVE. With the to snap the sleeve toward the place without any sign of slipping.
collet in place, it’s easy to see how router. This takes some getting CONCLUSION. All in all, I was
it works. There’s a locking sleeve used to. Not because it requires a impressed by the PowerCollet. It
that snaps up and down to tighten lot of pressure. But because the makes changing bits fast, and it
(or loosen) a router bit. Note: I pressure has to be applied straight grips them tightly in place. I only
found it easiest to remove the down in a quick, firm motion. I got have two quibbles. The sleeve is a
router base when changing bits. better leverage by placing the bit stiff — and so is the price.

1 2 3

30 ShopNotes No. 47
 Sources
PRODUCT INFORMATION
ShopNotes Project Supplies
is offering some of the hardware
and supplies needed to build the
projects in this issue.
We’ve also put together a list
of other mail-order sources MAIL
that have similar hardware ORDER
and supplies. SOURCES
{ Replacement Parts for Bench Planes Eagle America
The article on page 10 explains how to restore a metal bench plane. If 800-872-2511
you’re planning to turn an old, beat-up plane into a usable tool, you Phenolic
may find that some parts are either damaged or missing. Fortunately, Homestead
most of these parts are still available. You can even get a handle and Finishing Products
knob made from rosewood. (See margin for a source of parts.) 216-631-5309
Brushes

Klingspor
Jacobs PowerCollet > 800-228-000
The Jacobs PowerCollet (page 30) lets you Sanding Blocks
change router bits without using any Lee Valley & Veritas
wrenches. It fits the Bosch 1615, DeWalt 800-871-8158
625, Makita 3612 and Porter Cable Brushes,
690 and 7500 series routers. The Rare-Earth Magnets
PowerCollet accepts 1/2"-dia. shank
Trend-Lines
bits. But a sleeve (included with
800-767-9999
the collet) lets you use 1/4"-dia. Jacobs PowerCollet
shank bits as well, see margin
for sources. For more informa- Woodcraft
{ Mortising Machine tion you can call 800-866-5753. 800-225-1153
The Mortising Machine featured Bench Plane Parts,
on page 16 makes it easy to cut Jacobs PowerCollet,
Rare-Earth Magnets,
mortises quickly and accurately.
Spiral Router Bits,
ShopNotes Project Supplies is
offering a complete hardware Woodhaven
kit to build the Mortising 800-344-6657
Machine. It includes every- Phenolic,
thing you need to build this { Spiral Bits Spiral Router Bits
Mortising Machine with the To cut a mortise using the
exception of the hardwood, Mortising Machine (page 16), we found
plywood, and Medium-Density
Fiberboard (MDF).
that these spiral upcut router bits produced a clean cut with
little (if any) tearout. These bits are available in a number of sizes
800-347-5105
TO PLACE AN ORDER CALL

(including the 1/4" and 1/2" bits shown here). To reduce vibration, we
MORTISING MACHINE KIT
recommend using 1/2" shank bits. (See margin for mail-order sources.)
6847-100.................$102.95
(KEY CODE: SN 47)

NOW ON THE WEB! On-Line

Customer Service
• 101 Woodworking Tips Online • Access information about your subscription account.
• Woodworking Techniques — Step-by-Step • Find out if your payment has been received.
• Project plans you can download • Change your mailing address or your e-mail address.
• WoodNet Forum — Woodworkers’ Q & A
• Power Tool Reviews • Let us know if you haven’t received your issue.
Point your browser to: http://www.augusthome.com
Select “Woodworking” from the Welcome Page menu.
www.shopnotes.com

No. 47 ShopNotes 31
 As a space-saving option, you can mount this
mortising table to the wall. (Turn to page 16 for a
look at our benchtop version.) This creates a
handy workstation that makes it easy to rout mor-
tises quickly and accurately — even on a long
workpiece. With a support holding the end of the
work, it only takes a minute to set
up and cut each mortise.

Scenes from the Shop

Restoring an old hand plane to a usable condition? Here’s a different twist. Instead of using
rosewood, the replacement handle and front knob on this Stanley No. 4 bench plane are made
of highly-figured cherry. (For more information on restoring a bench plane, turn to page 10.)