PW 2004 144

A RULER (YUP, A RULER) SLASHES YOUR SHARPENING TIME
RADICAL REPAIRS: A SECRET WEAPON TO FIX YOUR DAMAGED FINISHES

NOVEMBER 2004
ISSUE #144
33 BIG MISTAKES
TO LEARN FROM
Avoid Problems That
Plague Your Projects
Classic Shaker
Tripod Table
A Simpler Joint
For Sturdy Legs
PLUS
• Build a Welsh Stick Chair
• Why You Need a Rasp
• $10 Table Saw Tenon Jig
popwood.com
$5.99 U.S. $7.99 CAN
Lonnie Bird’s Tips for

Better Glue Joints
THREE KNIVES.
TWO SPEEDS. Three knife cutter-head provides
ONE GREAT FINISH.

30% longer knife life than
traditional two knife cutter-heads.
A two speed gear box allows users

to choose between 96 and 179 cuts
per inch.
An automatic carriage lock is built

into the four posts to minimize the
movement that causes snipe.
A fan-assisted chip ejection system

picks up debris and exhausts it from
the unit.
TWO SPEEDS AND THREE KNIVES ON THE DEWALT DW735

DELIVER THE ULTIMATE SURFACE FINISH.
The DW735 13" thickness planer from DEWALT revolutionizes surface finish through a one-of-a-kind three knife
cutter-head, two-speed gear box combination. It offers the ultimate in finish quality — even on hard to plane figured
woods — by offering the most cuts per inch available on any benchtop thickness planer. A fan-assisted chip ejection
system aids in the removal of debris and prevents excess chips from marring material. The unique automatic carriage
lock minimizes the movement that causes snipe without having to engage a lever before and after each pass. The solid
19-3/4" cast aluminum base provides twice the rigidity of traditional material support systems that utilize folding
tables. The DW735 is a must for the serious woodworker. It takes planing to a whole new level.
©2003 DEWALT. The following are examples of trademarks for one or more DEWALT power tools and accessories: The yellow and black color scheme; the “D”-shaped air intake grill; the array of pyramids on
the handgrip; the kit box configuration; and the array of lozenge-shaped humps on the surface of the tool.
CIRCLE NO. 113 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD.

contents
IN EVERY ISSUE
16 How Best to Store Handsaws

Q&A
Graham Blackburn explains the simple and effective
ways to keep your saws at the ready. Plus: How to choose
premium plywood and the lowdown on bullnose planes.
22 Router Guide for Straight Cuts

TRICKS OF THE TRADE
22 A foolproof jig for routing dados and cutting sheet goods.
Plus: Make stronger buttons and mix shellac fast.
30 Veritas Low-angle Jack Plane

TOOL TEST
Massive and well-made, this new Canadian plane can plow 30
through most workshop tasks with ease. Plus we review a
new miter gauge from Kreg and an ingenious splitter.
32 Testing Your Layout Tools

FROM THE BENCH
Testing your straightedge, try square and miter square are
fundamental skills for any woodworker. Here are the best
ways to accomplish this quickly and accurately.
by Don McConnell
94 Table Saw Tenon Jig

POWER-TOOL JOINERY
Efficiently cut tenons and slip joints on the table saw with
32 an easy-to-build jig that rides on your saw’s fence. 94
by Bill Hylton
97 Sharpening for Woodturners

AT THE LATHE
Recognizing a dull tool is essential to good turning. Learn
the basic moves to sharpen your set of lathe tools.
by Judy Ditmer
102
98 Fixing Finish with French Polish
FLEXNER ON FINISHING
French polish isn’t just for bare wood. Refinishing pros use
the technique for repairing worn or damaged finishes.
by Bob Flexner
Popular Woodworking (ISSN 0884-8823,USPS 752-250) is published 7 times a year in February, April, June, August,
October, November and December by F+W Publications Inc. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 4700 E. Galbraith
Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236; tel.: 513-531-2222. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork should include ample
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subscription (7 issues) is $28; outside of U.S. add $7/year Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 40025316. Canadian
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return address: 2744 Edna St., Windsor, ON N8Y 1V2 Copyright 2004 by Popular Woodworking. Periodicals postage paid at
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popwood.com 3
PROJECTS, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
38 Better Glue Joints

Gluing up a project is a basic skill that is often
botched. Learn the tricks that make project
assembly satisfying instead of stressful.
by Lonnie Bird
ON THE COVER 42 Build a Welsh Stick Chair

A week in the Canadian wilderness with David
Good glue joints are Fleming offers a glimpse of the chairmaking
essential to a durable renaissance that has thousands swinging adzes.
project. Lonnie Bird
gives you the facts on
where you should
49 Using the Saw Blade
WOODWORKING ESSENTIALS
apply glue, how much Our series on table saws continues with every-
you should apply and thing you need to know about buying, using and 42
what to do with the maintaining blades. Second of seven chapters.
squeeze-out. by Nick Engler
Cover photo by Al Parrish

61 Queen Anne Table
Having built the cabriole legs (October
2004), now it’s time to complete this classic
piece. Detailed finishing steps are included.
by Glen Huey
DEPARTMENTS
68 A Bit of Heaven
10 Out on a Limb Get unbelievable amounts of torque with
Buyer Beware: Tool an auger bit (plus a brace). The only trick is
Prices Heading Up
learning how to sharpen the bits. We show
you how a quick tune-up works wonders.
12 Letters by Samuel Peterson
Mail from readers
108 Out of the 73 Return of the Rasp

Almost extinct, rasps are poised for a come-
Woodwork
back. Here’s why you need a few for your tool-
To Rip or to Split?
61 box and which ones you should buy.
76 Shaker Tripod Table

Build this classic without the sliding dovetails.
Simple tenons are easier and less fragile.
by Kerry Pierce
82 The Ruler Trick

You’ve never seen this one before: A $5 steel ruler
will radically reduce your sharpening time.
by David Charlesworth
88 Insidious Mistakes
We make some mistakes unwittingly every day.
Here’s an eye-opening list of what you’ve been 73
doing wrong without even knowing it was wrong.
6 POPULAR WOODWORKING November 2004

®
®
November 2004, Vol. 24, No. 6

popwood.com
Editorial Offices 513-531-2690
Editor & Publisher Steve Shanesy
ext. 1238 • steve.shanesy@fwpubs.com
Art Director Linda Watts
ext. 1396 • linda.watts@fwpubs.com
Executive Editor Christopher Schwarz
ext. 1407 • chris.schwarz@fwpubs.com
Senior Editor David Thiel
ext. 1255 • david.thiel@fwpubs.com
CIRCLE NO. 127 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD. Senior Editor Robert W. Lang
ext. 1327 • robert.lang@fwpubs.com
Managing Editor Kara Gebhart
ext. 1348 • kara.gebhart@fwpubs.com
Assistant Designer Susan Smith
ext. 1058 • susan.l.smith@fwpubs.com
Project Illustrator John Hutchinson
Photographer Al Parrish
Contributing Editors
Nick Engler, Bob Flexner, Glen Huey,
Don McConnell, Troy Sexton
Magazine Group Head David Hoguet
Executive Vice President Magazine Advertising
Jim Gleim
CIRCULATION
Mark Fleetwood, Group Circulation Manager
PRODUCTION
Barbara Schmitz, Vice President
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ADVERTISING
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SAFETY NOTE
Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers place
safety devices on their equipment for a reason.
In many photos you see in Popular Woodworking,
these have been removed to provide clarity. In
some cases we’ll use an awkward body position
so you can better see what’s being demonstrated.
Don’t copy us. Think about each procedure you’re
going to perform beforehand. Safety First!
No matter what I make,my
MultiMaster makes it easy.
I do so many things with my
MultiMaster, I have to hide it
from my family.
This tool is amazing! The profile sanding attach-
ment is great for sanding molding. The scraper
blade is outstanding for removing old paint. And
the E-Cut blade is terrific for plunge cutting,
notching, sawing trim and flush-cutting dowels.
There are attachments for sanding, sawing, remov-
ing grout, lifting old linoleum...the list is endless.
The MultiMaster has become my best friend in the
shop. It makes boring jobs fun.
What can you do with a MultiMaster? For more
information, a free brochure or a dealer near you,
visit www.feinus.com or call 800-441-9878.
Detail Sander Profile Sander Saw Knife Grout Blade Rasp E-Cut Scraper
Finishing is just the beginning.
Fein MultiMaster
OUT ON A LIMB
Buyer Beware: Tool CONTRIBUTORS

DAVID CHARLESWORTH
It’s hard not to be impressed when you see
Prices Heading Up David at work with a hand plane. During his

more than 30 years as a professional wood-
worker (and more than 25 years of teach-
ing), David has devoted
a lot of energy towards
W oodworkers have enjoyed relatively sta-

ble prices on almost the entire range of
woodworking tools, be they electric powered
“More Shop Drawings for Craftsman Fur-
niture,” and “Shop Drawings for Craftsman
Interiors” (all published by Cambium Press).
understanding exactly
how these tools func-
tion. And he’s devel-
or hand tools, for years. But all that’s about to They’re available through Bob’s web site at oped a series of simple
change – and in some quarters, the change craftsmanplans.com. He’s currently finishing (but some would call
has already begun. two more books, “Shop Drawings for Crafts- non-traditional) ways
So let this serve as a warning: Those plan- man Inlays & Hardware” (to be published of coaxing astonishing results from even
ning a power tool, hand tool or machine pur- this fall) and “The Complete Kitchen Cabi- meager tools. One of his favorite tricks for
chase in the near future would netmaker” (which is scheduled setting up a plane iron begins on page 82.
be well advised to act now, cer- for publication next year). He’s When he’s not writing or building furniture,
tainly before year’s end. also contributed articles to David teaches small classes of students to
Don’t blame manufacturers Woodshop News, Woodwork and build finely detailed furniture in his shop
for the price increases. They Fine Woodworking magazines. in the historic village of Hartland, which is
have all worked hard to hold Adding Bob to what I already near the north coast of Devon, England.
the line on prices, absorbing consider the best woodworking
increased production costs or magazine staff in the business
the price imbalances caused by the sagging means even more depth to the articles we KERRY PIERCE
U.S. dollar compared to foreign currencies, send your way each issue. Although Kerry specializes in post-and-rung
most notably the Euro. chairs and Queen Anne-style furniture, he
Another culprit is the increasing cost of A Charitable Reminder doesn’t do slavish reproductions. Rather he
raw materials and oil. The price of metal has In my column last issue (October 2004) blends period elements and takes advantage
been on a steady and constant climb. And I’m I introduced you to a new program we’ve of modern technology.
sure the price of gasoline hasn’t escaped your undertaken that pledges us to make chari- By replacing the tradi-
attention lately. table contributions when you help us find tional sliding dovetail
So if you can, treat yourself to an early new readers. Let me first say thanks to those leg joint with a tenon
holiday gift. It’ll be worth it. who already have the ball rolling. For those in his “Shaker Tripod
who missed the column last issue, here’s how Table” (see page 76), he
Welcome Bob Lang the program works: avoided unnecessary
I’m pleased to introduce a new staff member. In a nutshell, when you provide us with labor but still produced
Robert (Bob) Lang is now working on the the name and address of a person you think a sturdy joint. A high school English teacher
editorial team as a senior editor and we all might enjoy receiving Popular Woodworking, for more than 30 years, Kerry has combined
are thrilled to welcome him aboard. we’ll send them a free issue. If they elect to his passions for writing and woodworking
Like most of the Popular Woodworking staff, subscribe, we’ll set aside $5 to be split between in his 10 woodworking books and numer-
Bob comes with more than a strong passion the American Cancer Society and The Nature ous magazine articles. A recent battle with
for woodworking; he also has many years of Conservancy. You can read more about the cancer kept him out of the shop for months,
professional woodworking experience. Over program or send along names to receive a free which “just drove me crazy,” he says. But
the years he’s built furniture and cabinets, and issue by visiting our web site at popwood.com/ today, he’s making sawdust again.
produced architectural millwork. He’s worked charity.html. You will find printed forms to
in big and small shops alike, and for years ran submit names in future issues as well. PW Our Privacy Promise to You
his own shop and marketed his woodworking We make portions of our customer list available to
on the craft fair circuit. As you can see, Bob carefully screened companies that offer products
and services we believe you may enjoy. If you do not
has real woodworking “chops.”
want to receive offers and/or information, please let
But that’s not all. Bob also has authored us know by contacting us at:
a number of woodworking books – notably Steve Shanesy List Manager, F+W Publications
“Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture,” Editor & Publisher 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236

More cold, hard cash.
It’s your choice.
Purchase one of 21 Receive a $50 rebate
qualifying products, and for the purchase of:
we will send you a $100 A.) One of 11 Grant’s Group of
rebate on the purchase of a tools priced $349.99 or below.
second JET®, Powermatic®, or B.) The purchase of
Performax® machine with a $50 or more of JET,
retail purchase price of Powermatic, Performax
$399 or more. or Wilton accessories.
Purchases must be made between September 1, 2004 and December 31, 2004 to qualify.
For all the promotional details ask your local distributor, or visit us at our website – www.wmhtoolgroup.com.
N IO
OMOT
G PR
N TA
Look for the green tags… ®

GREE
WMH TOOL GROUP, Inc.

INNOVATION
THROUGH & THROUGH
PORTER-CABLE® continues to
Reader Takes Issue
prove its cutting-edge innovation
and design with these latest tools.
With a Chisel Review
Test of Lie-Nielsen Chisels Gives a set of Lie-Nielsens at a woodworking show,
Short Shrift to Japanese Tools I think you might agree.
Your opinion about the Japanese chisels (Tool — Christopher Schwarz, executive editor
Test, August 2004) is totally wrong. I assume
that you were talking about the very expen- How do the Lie-Nielsen A2 Chisels
7-1/4" MAG-SAW™ KIT sive Japanese tools, not the regular blue or Compare to High-speed Steel Tools?
Change blades without changing gears. white steel ones. After struggling with regular In your recent review of Lie-Nielsen chisels,
This award-winning, first-ever occidental chisels and becoming tired of hav- I was intrigued to read about A2 steel being
circular saw provides a fast and hassle-free ing to go to my waterstones every half hour, I used for the chisels for the first time. The A2
system for changing blades making you more bought a few blue steel chisels and now I can steel seems to have a high Rockwell hardness
productive on the job site. chop dovetails almost the whole afternoon equaling those of Japanese tool steels, and I
Available in blade-left and blade-right models with or without a brake.
with only a 30-second honing every couple of have no doubt they perform as well as any tra-
hours – and I did not pay $250 for them. ditional Japanese laminated steel chisels.
For the record I own a few Lie-Nielsen Interestingly, from my past visits to Japan,
planes. I love them and I’m planning to buy I have also learned about the growing trend
more. I really like their tools. in Japan of using high-speed steel (HSS) for
VARIABLE-SPEED DUAL ACTION
TIGER SAW® KIT But as the editor of a woodworking maga- forged bench chisels. Apparently the advance
A revolutionary rotating back handle puts an end zine you should be more impartial and do some of HSS technology has allowed blacksmiths to
to turning your body to get more leverage. research before recommending some brand forge bench chisels with incredible strength
Plus an extra-heavy-duty 11.5 AMP motor for and bad-mouthing another one. and a slim profile. They hold a great edge
maximum power for all cutting capacities and Ricardo Druillet against composite materials, and also endure
blade clamp for keyless blade
via the internet the heat of powered grinding, much like HSS
change in seconds.
turning tools.
Editor’s note: I think if you read my review There seems to be several ways to incorpo-
again you’ll see that I never said that the Lie- rate HSS into the chisel, but the best method
Nielsen chisels held an edge longer than the appears to be a chisel made entirely from HSS
Japanese chisels. In fact, I wrote that the two with no laminations. The best-known HSS
Nishiki chisels, Barr and Lie-Nielsen chisels chisel maker in Japan is Sukemaru (a fourth-
FINISH NAILER / BRAD NAILER all “stayed sharp through tremendous abuse.” generation blacksmith), and I have heard good
COMPRESSOR COMBO KIT
My only quibble with the Japanese chisels continued on page 14
Have everything on hand with this special edi-
tion two-nailer combo kit complete with both
is that they are too small for my larger West-
Brad and Finisher Nailers and 2 peak HP, .8 HP ern hands and that the Lie-Nielsens were more
running 6-gallon pancake compressor. Also comfortable to use. I’ve been testing the Lie- WRITE TO US
includes an adjustable depth-of-drive, jam- Nielsens (from prototype to early production
Popular Woodworking welcomes letters from
release mechanism and non-marring nose tip. models to the final production models) for 18 readers with comments about the maga-
months now. My test results were confirmed zine or woodworking in general. We try to
For more cutting-edge independently by a fellow editor here at the respond to all correspondence. Published
innovations from PORTER-CABLE®, magazine and I stand by my review. letters may be edited for length or style.
visit porter-cable.com. All letters become the property of Popular
I have no doubt that your Japanese chis-
Woodworking. How to send your letter:
els go a very long time between sharpenings. • E-mail: popwood@fwpubs.com
And until the Lie-Nielsen tools came along, I • Fax: 513-891-7196
used Japanese chisels almost exclusively for all • Mail carrier:
my woodworking projects. But now there is a Letters • Popular Woodworking
4700 E. Galbraith Road
Western chisel that is made with the same care
Cincinnati, OH 45236
and quality as the Japanese chisels. If you try
PORTER-CABLE, MAG-SAW, QUIK-CHANGE and TIGER SAW are registered

trademarks of Pentair Tools Group. © Pentair Tools Group, 2004.
CIRCLE NO. 149 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD. 12 POPULAR WOODWORKING November 2004
TWIN LASERS. THINK OF THEM AS LANDING LIGHTS FOR YOUR BLADE.
Stop guessing where your blade will land with the new TwinLaser™ Miter Saw from PORTER-CABLE®. Unlike a single laser,
our bright TwinLaser™ shows the exact cut-line on both sides of the blade kerf. You’ll know precisely how much wood you’re
taking out every time. Plus, our lasers aren’t just bolt-on attachments, they’re actually machined right into the upper
housing. And it’s the only fully adjustable laser system, which means more accuracy with any blade and every
cut. So get twin lasers and eliminate the guesswork. For the dealer nearest you, or to join our Performance
Crew ® loyalty club, visit porter-cable.com.
®
AREA
REMOVED
BY BLADE
“Two lasers are better than one”, RICK ARNOLD and MIKE GUERTIN
of Fine Homebuilding “12-inch Compound Miter Saws.” July 2004, No. 164: 68-73.
®
PORTER-CABLE, TwinLaser and Performance Crew are registered trademarks of Pentair Tools Group. © Pentair Tools Group, 2004. Quote reprinted with permission © 2004, The Tautnon Press, Inc.

STEVE WALL LUMBER CO. *NOW AVAILABLE* LETTERS
Quality Hardwoods and Woodworking machinery For The Craftsman
and Educational Institution s
Custom Made Raised continued from page 12
Ash .............................. 4/4 Select 2.40 ........................................... $ 85.00 Panel Cabinet Doors
Basswood ................... 4/4 Select 1.95 ........................................... $ 72.00
Birch ............................ 4/4 Select UPS
2.75 ........................................... $ 89.00 4/4 Log Run Walnut
100 bd. ft. $160
Also Available
Exotic Lumber things about his chisels. A set of 10 Sukemaru
Butternut ..................... 4/4 1C 2.30 ........................................... $ 77.00
Cherry ......................... 4/4
Hickory - Pecan .......... 4/4
Select
Select
Specials
4.90 ........................................... $110.00
2.85 ........................................... $ 89.00 STEVE H. WALL all-HSS chisels costs about $400. I wonder if
Mahogany (Genuine) .. 4/4
Maple (Hard) ............... 4/4
Select
Select
3.90 ........................................... $100.00
3.15 ........................................... $ 96.00 LUMBER CO. you have heard of them, and how they fare
Maple (Soft) ................ 4/4 Select 2.30 ........................................... $ 79.00
R BOX 287 in durability. There seems to be a correlation
Poplar ......................... 4/4 Select
OU N
1.75 ........................................... $ 72.00
MAYODAN, N.C. 27027
Red Oak ...................... 4/4
Walnut ......................... 4/4
Select
Select SEE LOG O
2.50 ...........................................
4.00 ...........................................
$ 88.00
$100.00 336-427-0637
between the American A2 steel and Japanese
TA B! HSS steel chisels with how new technology
White Oak ................... 4/4
Cedar (Aromatic Red) . 4/4
Select
1C+Btr. CA E WE
2.50 ...........................................
1.80 ...........................................
$ 88.00
$ 72.00
1-800-633-4062
T H FAX 336-427-7588
Cypress ....................... 4/4
White Pine ................... 4/4
Select
F.G.
2.40 ........................................... $ 80.00
1.20 ........................................... $ 62.00 Email: wood@walllumber.com improves upon traditional design.
Yellow Pine ................. 4/4 Clear 2.00 ........................................... $ 74.00
Above prices are for 100 quantities of kilndried rough Above prices are 20 bd. ft. bundles of clear kilndried
Website: www.walllumber.com
Eiyo Baba
Send $1.00 For Lumber Catalog
lumber sold by the Bd. Ft. FOB Mayodan, NC. Call for
quantity discounts. Other sizes and grades available.
lumber 3"-10" wide 3 -7 long (Random widths &
lengths) Surfaced 2 sides or rough. Delivered UPS Prices Subject to Change Without Notice Honolulu, Hawaii
prepaid in the Continental U.S.

Editor’s Note: I have yet to find any chisels
from Sukemaru available in this country, and
have found only a couple brands that incorpo-
rate high-speed steel. Contact Tools for Work-
ing Wood (toolsforworkingwood.com or 800-
ET200™ 426-4613) or Dieter Schmid - Fine Tools in
Germany (fine-tools.com). High-speed steel
can indeed be made very hard (up to 68 on
DRIVES 4 SIZES the Rockwell “C” scale, according to “The

Tool Steel Guide” by Jim Szumera [Industrial
OF NAILS WITH Press]). And it can be quite durable if properly
heat-treated. I have a HSS chisel on my bench
NO EFFORT CIRCLE NO. XXX ON FREE INFORMATION CARD.
and will be interested to see how easy it is to
sharpen and how tough the edge is. I’ll report
䡲 Comfortable back my test results in a future issue.
Ergonomic
Styling with DRIVES 4
DIFFERENT SIZE
— Christopher Schwarz, executive editor
Cushioned BRAD NAILS UP TO
‘Lap Desk’ Knob Looks Too Fragile
Non-Slip
Grip. 11/4”LONG I’ve been self-employed since about 1992,
doing all kinds of residential and commercial
alterations and renovations. I have a concern
about the “Shaker Lap Desk” (June 2004): The
drawer knob looks too fragile sticking outside
the front surface of the drawer front. I’m afraid
it would break off accidentally. Can’t you make
䡲 Trigger and the drawer front thicker so the handle might
Surface be recessed so the outside of it is flush? It also
Safety Locks. seems more pleasing visually.
䡲 New Heavy Duty
Nail Driving Kerry Ness
Power with
䡲 Non-Marring Built-in 10’ Cord. Lillooet, British Columbia
Bumper.
Editor’s Note: The knob is somewhat exposed
to accident as you mention, but in build-
ing the desk we tried to work within a certain
amount of material usage, too. By using 3 ⁄8"-
thick cherry for the project, we could control
Available at home centers, lumber yards
the yield (by resawing and with grain match).
and hardware stores, wherever fine tools are sold.
But you’re correct – the knob can be recessed
in a significantly thicker (1" or greater) drawer
front to accommodate the 5 ⁄8"-long knob. This
would allow the knob to recess flush to the sur-
face of the drawer. PW
Arrow Fastener Co., Inc., 271 Mayhill Street, Saddle Brook, New Jersey 07663 — David Thiel, senior editor
Canada: Jardel Distributors, Inc., 6505 Metropolitan Blvd. East, Montreal, Quebec H1P 1X9
United Kingdom: Arrow Fastener (U.K.) Ltd., Unit 5 ZK Park, 23 Commerce Way, Croydon CR0 4ZS, Surrey
www.arrowfastener.com Rev.1002

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Q&A
Should I Drill a Hole

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in My Saw to Hang it?
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Illustrations by Hayes Shanesy

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)POPMVMV $IBSMFTUPO How Best to Store Handsaws?
*EBIP 5FOOFTTFF I loved your article “The Case for Handsaws”
#PJTF +PIOTPO$JUZ
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that understanding how hand tools work helps guard: this can be as simple as a narrow piece of
-FOFYB 6UBI me with my power tools. wood, as long as the blade, which is kerfed down
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I have a couple questions. What is the best the middle so it slips over the teeth. It may stay in
.BSZMBOE 3JDINPOE way to store handsaws? Does it hurt to drill a place either by friction or, as with time the kerf
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8FTU4QSJOH¾FME Joel Casto continued on page 18
8PCVSO 8BTIJOHUPO
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over a peg or dowel. In my tool chest I store them Every day we get questions from readers on
.BEJTPO
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the blade into a slotted sleeve fixed to the under- are more than happy to share our wood-
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handle over a piece cut to match the hand hole your questions or adding some clarity to
(also fixed to the underside of the lid), which is whatever aspect of the craft you are unsure
then secured by a turn block. Alternatively, saws about. In addition to the hundreds we
answer privately every month, we want to
may be stored lengthwise but upright in a narrow share the best questions here with readers.
compartment fitted with a slotted piece at each Send your questions via e-mail to
'PSZPVSMPDBMXPPEDSBGUTUPSF end – saws are then alternated left to right and popwood@fwpubs.com, or by mail to:
WJTJUXXXXPPEDSBGUDPN right to left with the blade end dropped into one Q&A • Popular Woodworking
PSGPSBGSFFDBUBMPH DBMM 4700 E. Galbraith Road
slot and the handle end dropped into the slotted
Cincinnati, OH 45236
piece at the other end.
%FQU18#&

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Q&A
continued from page 16
with a rubber band. Traditionally it would have in the laminating process, interior grade or exte-
been held to the blade by a leather thong at each rior grade. Plywoods go through a grading process
end. (The nib often found at the narrow end of (overseen by the American National Standards
handsaw blades serves to capture the thong at Institute, ANSI) and are rated as to quality of
that end. The curved cutout invariably found in face and core materials. All premium plywood
the handle of saws captures the thong at the other should be void-free, which means the voids have
end of the blade guard). been patched, not that the facings are completely
As for boring a hole in the blade I doubt that it clear. Their working properties will be similar,
hurts (much), but I wouldn’t bother; some saws and all are better than sheathing ply and similar
are actually manufactured with a hang hole, but three- or five-ply “utility” plywood options.
lacking such a hole you can always hang the saw — David Thiel, senior editor
by the handle.
— Graham Blackburn Can I Use a Bullnose Plane
to Trim the Shoulders of My Tenons?
What Wood is Best to Use I thoroughly enjoyed your article on mor-
When Making Featherboards? tise-and-tenon joinery (“Mortise & Tenon
I’m planning on making some featherboards Basics,” April 2004). As a new retiree, I have
but am unsure what wood to use. Does it make just recently got into woodworking – shame
a difference? on me for not discovering this great hobby
Dwayne Crider much earlier in my life!
Austin, Texas You mentioned in the article that Lee Val-
ley Tools may be coming out with a wider
Just about any straight-grained hardwood will shoulder plane. On the Lee Valley web site
do. For my featherboards, I prefer ash, but maple (leevalley.com), they show a “bullnose shoul-
and birch are good choices, too. Stay away from der plane,” which looks pretty versatile.
CIRCLE NO. 141 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD. anything that has short grain or is brittle. These It is 1" wide, has a low bed angle of 15°, and,
can break in the long term. with the bullnose removed, can be used as a
— Christopher Schwarz, executive editor chisel plane. What are your thoughts regard-
ing using this plane to trim tenons?
Are There Important Differences Jim Mattavi
Among Premium Plywoods? Knoxville, Tennessee
With some of the “premium” plywoods, what
are the differences in finishing, screw-holding The Veritas bullnose plane is a very good tool. I
and workability among cabinet-grade ply- have one in my toolbox now. But bullnose tools
woods such as Baltic birch, Appleply, Europly (no matter who makes them) aren’t much help
Okume and the others out there? with trimming tenons. The reason is that there
Some lumberyards say there are no dif- isn’t much sole in front of the tool’s blade – like in a
ferences. Others cite differences in facing, shoulder plane. This additional sole allows you to
materials to fill voids, splintering, stiffness, position the plane properly on the joint and keeps
finishing qualities, personal preference and a the tool steering straighter through the cut.
number of other answers. Please help. I would If you are looking for alternatives, I recom-
like to use some plywood for jigs, entertain- mend the Veritas medium shoulder plane (a wider
ment centers, shelves, shop cabinets and other version is indeed due out this fall). For larger work
projects but am not sure if I need to look at one I prefer the Lie-Nielsen 073 and the Lie-Nielsen
type or another or just look at the cost. rabbeting block plane.
Rick Shields If you’re now wondering what bullnose planes
Portland, Oregon are good for, they excel at cleaning up rabbets and
making them bigger. I also use them for flushing
The differences in premium plywoods are a lot like up casework assemblies after everything is glued
those between brands of masking tape. They’re all up. When configured as a chisel plane, they are
very similar, some are slightly better, but they’ll all great for cleaning out junk in corners. The Veritas
do the job. The differences may include where the plane is available from Lee Valley Tools (800-
originating “tree” came from (the Baltic states, 871-8158 or leevalley.com) for $129. PW
Sweden, etc.) and the type of glues that are used — Christopher Schwarz, executive editor
CIRCLE NO. 157 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD. 18 POPULAR WOODWORKING November 2004

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Most stains are made with linseed shown on the can,
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Starting with a can be achieved in
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Discover Our
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Stains’ 24 colors are to find
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of Interior Wood Stains, May 2003
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In the past, every cordless tool you bought expanding suite of truly useful tools you can mix ‘n match
came with batteries, a charger and case. to your heart’s content. Begin with a 1N;LN?L or !IG<I)CN
Whether you wanted them or not. That’s (batteries and charger included). Then add on as your projects
about as logical as requiring you to buy dictate or budget allows.
an extension cord and outlet with This year, give the gift that every do-it-yourselfer
every corded tool you own. really craves. Power, flexibility,
5?FF B;FF?FOD;B control, possibilities! And
Common Sense has finally then, pass the mistletoe.
arrived. Just in time ,??>;L?JF;=?G?HN
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for Christmas.
We’ve applied a little
The idea’s simple. -H? common common sense here too.
power source that works with In the form of a big price
every 18V cordless tool we’ve reduction. Two batteries
ever made... or can imagine for $39.95. Yes, Virginia,
there is a Santa Claus.
making. .FOM a large and ever-
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Compiled by Paul Anthony
Illustrations by Matt Bantly
Simple Guide for

Straight Cuts Clamp jig to
Rail workpiece
THE WINNER:
This simple, foolproof jig works well as a
guide when routing dados and when cutting
sheet goods with a jigsaw. Easy to build and
Workpiece
use, the jig consists of two hardwood rails
milled straight and square, and connected
with threaded rod. The beauty of this guide
is that the space between the rails is infinitely
adjustable. Therefore, a saw or router can be
held captive between the double rails to pre- 3/8"-dia. threaded rod
vent a tool from wandering off course. Alter-

natively, the space can be widened to allow
multiple router passes in order to create a dado piece near its end. Make sure the hole spac- To use the guide, adjust the spacing of the
of any width. ing matches on both pieces. Cut two pieces of rails to suit the diameter of your router base-
Of course, you can make the guide any 3 ⁄8"-diameter threaded rod 14" long, then use plate or your jigsaw’s foot. After clamping the
length you like, but be sure to use hardwood. them to join the two rails together with flat guide to your workpiece at both ends, slip your
I made my rails 7 ⁄ 8" x 3" x 60". After mak- washers and nuts. Tighten the nuts against tool between the rails and make the cut.
ing the rails, bore a 3 ⁄8"-diameter hole using one of the rails, and use the nuts on the other Steve Mazzoni
a drill press from edge-to-edge through each rail to adjust the rail spacing. Wallkill, New York
CASH AND PRIZES Orienting Curl so it Looks its Best

FOR YOUR TRICKS AND TIPS! When working with curly wood, it’s important to orient the
pieces of a project properly. Because light catches the curl dif-
Each issue we publish useful woodworking tips
ferently from opposite directions, it can look more pronounced
from our readers. Next issue’s winner receives a
when viewed from a particular angle. Therefore, if you want
General 75-050 tilting-head benchtop mortiser.
This high-quality machine features heavy- visual consistency and balance, make sure to orient the pieces
duty, cast-iron construction, a gas cylinder in a consistent fashion.
for smooth 6" chisel strokes, 5 ⁄8" and 3 ⁄4" For example, when laying out the parts for a door frame, I lay
sleeves for multiple chisel shanks, heavy- each pair of stiles side by side and view them by looking down their
duty rack-and-pinion gearing for length from one end, then the other. I’ll flip the pieces end for end
smooth, accurate mortising and a until the intensity of the curl looks the same. Then I make sure
TEFC 1⁄2-horsepower motor operating that all of the other doors’ stiles on the piece are oriented in the
at 1,720 rpm. same direction for consistency. Same goes for the pairs of rails.
Runners-up each receive a check For that matter, edge-joined boards that form a panel should be
for $75. When submitting a trick consistently arranged. If it helps, you can temporarily accentuate
(either by mail or e-mail) you the figure by wetting the wood with water or mineral spirits.
must include your complete And don’t forget that the look of the finished project will
mailing address and a daytime depend on which direction you’re viewing it from. A low cabi-
phone number. If your trick is selected for publica- net like a sideboard will be viewed from above while a tall wall
tion, an editor will need to contact you. All entries become cabinet will be viewed partially from below.
the property of Popular Woodworking. You can send your trick by e-mail
Paul Anthony
to popwoodtricks@fwpubs.com or mail it to Tricks of the Trade,
Riegelsville, Pennsylvania
Popular Woodworking, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.
continued on page 25

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“...dovetail one, or “...I know of no better

a hundred drawers – or faster way to cut
perfect every time.” mortise and tenons...”
– Norm Abram, – Christopher Schwarz,
New Yankee Workshop Popular Woodworking Magazine
No other jigs offer such versatility, precision and superb value for both the hobbyist or professional.
The D4 Dovetail Jig routs through and half-blind dovetails up to 24" wide in boards up to 11/2" thick,
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Call For Your FREE Leigh Catalog 1-800-663-8932

www.leighjigs.com Joining Tradition With Today
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Stronger Buttons Getting Shellac to Dissolve Faster

Traditionally, a tabletop often is fastened to To make your shellac flakes dissolve faster, morning cup o’ joe. Inexpensive coffee bean
the table’s aprons using notched blocks called grind them up first in a coffee bean grinder. grinders cost about $10 new, although they’re
“buttons” that insert into slots in the aprons. This greatly increases the surface area of the also pretty common at yard sales. Grind the
This allows the top to expand and contract raw shellac flakes and reduces the amount of flakes no more than about 20 seconds, then
with seasonal changes without cracking. But- time between mixing and finishing. pour them into a jar and add the alcohol.
tons are typically fairly short, with the screw Yo u’l l wa nt to pu rch a s e a de d i- Christopher Schwarz
centered along the length of the button (as cated blade-style grinder for this opera- executive editor
shown below top). For most circumstances tion – no one likes lac bug parts in their continued on page 26
this is fine. However, if a top is warped, a but-
ton of normal size may not provide the lever-
age necessary to pull the top flat. When this
happens, I make longer buttons, locating the
screw as shown in the illustration below. In
this case, tightening the screw applies much
more pressure. In fact, it works so well that I
regularly use longer buttons now.
Percy Blandford
Warwickshire, England
Typical-sized button
with a centered screw
START HERE
Longer button with

screw offset towards end
Preserving Unused Finish

I’ve lost many half-filled cans of oil and poly-
urethane that skinned over after sitting in a
half-empty can for too long. I’ve tried crush-
ing the cans and raising the level of the finish
by adding marbles, but neither method works
FOR A GREAT FINISH.
well with half a can of finish. Lately, I’ve dis-
covered that the wine-preserving vacuum-
pump devices sold in kitchen-supply outlets
can do double-duty in your shop. You might
already have the $7 pump (it won’t get dam- C4 carbide teeth are Ultra-sharp cutting edges Heavy-gauge plates are Available in several sizes
aged if you borrow it for shop use). The rubber precision ground for an dramatically reduce splintering laser cut and precision for any woodworking
exceptionally smooth finish and tear-out balanced for accurate cuts application
one-way valves that serve as “corks” cost less and tight joints
than a buck apiece.
To use, simply pour your finish into a beer INTRODUCING NEW WOODWORKING SAW BLADES FROM DEWALT.®
or wine bottle, insert the cork and pump out You put a lot into your work. After all, it takes countless hours to complete the perfect project. And when you have
the air. It works great. I have a bottle of wipe- the right tools and the right wood, you need the right saw blade. One that’s precision balanced for highly accurate
cuts. With large, micro-grain carbide teeth for exceptionally smooth finishes. Ultra-sharp cutting edges to reduce
on polyurethane that has not skinned over splintering. And one that comes in a variety of tooth counts and configurations. DEWALT® Woodworking Blades.
for six months (and counting). We put more into them, so you can get more out of them.
Joe Wajszczuk
Platteville, Wisconsin ©2003 DEWALT. The following are examples of trademarks for one or more DEWALT Power Tools and Accessories:
The yellow and black color scheme; the “D”-shaped air intake grill; the array of pyramids on the handgrip; the kit box
configuration; and the array of lozenge-shaped humps on the surface of the tool.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Versatile Vise-in-a-Vise
Patternmaker’s vises manufactured by compa-
nies such as now-defunct Emmert have long
been valued for their ability to twist and turn
in any direction, allowing you to hold all sorts Two 2x4 boards form
of work at different angles. Unfortunately, mounting base of top vise
patternmaker’s vises are expensive – when This 2x4 is shorter,
you can find them at all. allowing it to fit over
I’ve found that the next best thing is to vise screw
mount a secondary bench vise on a stout
“holder” that can be clamped in a main
vise mounted to the bench. This setup is far
cheaper than a patternmaker’s vise, and it’s
almost as versatile. One simple example is
shown here: When spokeshaving a hammer
handle to fit its head, the secondary vise is
mounted with its jaws perpendicular to the
jaws of the main vise to better resist the down- creates a great variable-height, variable-angle main vise. I bolted my vise to its holder, but
ward forces of the tool. work holder. The short “leg” of the holder typi- you could use lag screws instead.
My secondary vise is a small model, cally sits over the main vise screw and bars Paul Womack
mounted on a couple of lengths of 2 x 4 stock for better grip. Chamfering the corners of the Norfolk, England
– the longer of which is about 24" long. This holder makes it a bit easier to insert it into the continued on page 28
“Performance 5/5”
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Glue-up Platforms
I keep several odd-sized pieces of 3 ⁄ 4"-thick
melamine and Formica-covered MDF near
my clamp rack for use as glue-up platforms for
smaller projects. Ranging in size from 8" x 24"
to 24" x 30", they can be clamped or screwed
to my benchtop, cantilevered over the edge
to allow clamp access to the underside while Clamp to
keeping the assembly flat. They’re especially bench with
handy for gluing up small boxes and such. The clamp or
bench dog
platforms are dead flat and even dried glue can
be easily cleaned from them.
George Rogers
Cleveland, Ohio
Clamps hold
down piece to
3/4" Melamine- or MDF surface
Formica-covered MDF
Create Storage Overhead Table Saw Offcut Diverter

In my shop, storage space is at a premium, so I’m always looking When crosscutting the ends of workpieces on the table saw using a
for extra places to stash things. Recently, I realized that the space miter gauge, the offcuts have a tendency to cluster around the spin-
between the ceiling joists has a lot of potential for storing things ning blade. If an offcut contacts the blade, it can be kicked back at
that I don’t use daily. Near one wall, I screwed a piece of 1 ⁄2"-thick the operator. This little gizmo is a diverter that channels the offcuts
plywood to the underside of the joists, creating a cubby into which I away from the blade. It’s held to the saw table by a couple rare earth
could slide my scrollsaw. I wanted to store my small 1"-wide benchtop magnets that are epoxied into blind holes on the underside of the jig.
belt sander in the same manner, but it’s too tall to fit in the space (Editor’s note: It could also be screwed to a single-use throat plate.)
between the joists. So instead of making another shelf, I impro- When set up, the tip of the jig should be almost touching the
vised a couple of suitable cleats, which I screwed to a joist and to blade and the jig should be placed far enough back from the front
the ceiling to hold the sander base. You could also screw a pair of of the blade that the workpiece is completely cut through before
opposing cleats to a pair of joists, then mount the sander on a piece encountering the diverter. Subsequent cuts push the falloff pieces
of 3 ⁄4"-thick plywood cut to fit between the cleats. My sander hangs up the angle. The sharper the angle the better.
upside down next the scroll saw, out of the way, but is instantly I can’t say this was my original idea but I’ve been using one for
accessible. (Keeping the sander over near the wall prevents it from years and it sure does work great. PW
being a real head banger.) Steve Jenkins
Bentley Atkinson Dallas, Texas
Arlington, Tennessee
Rare earth magnets hold
jig to table saw surface
Ceiling joist
Brackets hold Tip of jig should

tool on ceiling almost touch
blade
Storage area is
created by attaching Piece should be completely cut through
plywood panel to joist before encountering jig

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TOOL TEST
Veritas Low-angle Jack is Built for Serious Service
T hough Lee Valley Tools describes this tool

as a “plane” in its catalog, it actually has
a lot more in common with another piece of
much like the mouth on a block plane, permits
you to switch quickly between coarse and fine
shavings. Additionally, an ingenious small
military hardware: a tank. brass knob behind the mouth allows you to
This low-angle jack plane tips the scales at make the switch between a tight and open
almost 6 pounds – more than a pound-and-a- mouth without worrying about ramming the
half heavier than my old Stanley jack plane. toe piece into your iron.
It’s also an inch longer and 3 ⁄8" wider than my The model we tested was just about flaw-
jack. The cast sole of the Lee Valley plane and less. The sole was flat within .0015" in every
the iron are both a whopping 3 ⁄16" thick. direction and the iron required little work
Photo by Al Parrish
All this iron and steel creates a tool that before use. Though the tool is heavy, it is well-
has a lot more in common with a British-style balanced. And the Norris-style adjuster works
panel plane than an American jack. Panel smoothly and has little mechanical slop. This
planes traditionally were used to take the final combination of traits allows the plane to plow
passes on large-scale work (think big tables) through difficult woods and different tasks. SPECIFICATIONS
before finishing. So I’ve been using this plane Once you start planing, the inertia of the tool Veritas Low-angle Jack Plane
mostly as an oversized smoothing plane, but takes over and does the driving. Street price: $179
I’ve also found it excels at other tasks, too. Lee Valley also sells a second high-angle Body: Unbreakable cast ductile iron
The mouth of the tool is positioned further iron with a 38° primary bevel as a $29.95 acces- Iron: A2 steel, 3 ⁄16" thick, 21 ⁄4" wide
back than on traditional tools. This allows the sory. Get it. With these two irons you can Handles: Rosewood
Performance: ●●●●❍
tool to perform well at truing long edges. The tackle everything from end grain to figured
Price range: $$$$
sides of the tool are ground perfectly square to woods without a problem.
Lee Valley Tools: 800-871-8158 or
the sole, so it works well on a shooting board. — Christopher Schwarz leevalley.com
And the easily adjusted mouth, which works For more information, circle #179 on Free Information Card.
Kreg Precision Miter Gauge

The Kreg miter gauge system is well designed question some of the materi-
and nicely made, but a few elements in its als that are used. The alumi-
construction keep me from being enthusiastic num bar that rides in the table
about it. It was extremely accurate out of the slot is flexible, and can twist
box – I made perfect 90° cuts, as well as parts from the weight of the head,
for an octagon, using the settings as they came particularly when the head is
from the factory. A loose brass pin drops in pulled back beyond the edge
holes for preset stops at commonly used angles, of the saw table. Plus, if I didn’t
and there is a vernier scale for accurately set- keep downward pressure on
ting angles to 1 ⁄10°. It’s possible to tweak the the head while cutting, the bar
adjustments to 1 ⁄ 100° – well beyond what a would sometimes be above the
Photo by Al Parrish
typical woodworker needs to do. surface of the saw table. This
Setup and assembly was minimal as the isn’t the end of the world, but it
Kreg gauge comes from the factory with the can get in the way when sliding
head attached to the bar and precisely cali- a piece past it, and could raise
brated. The only adjustment I needed to make the end of a short piece enough to throw the SPECIFICATIONS
was to install five nylon screws to fine tune the cut slightly out of square. This was a disap- Kreg Precision Miter Gauge
way the bar slid in the miter gauge slot. pointment in an item designed for precision Street price: $160
All of the parts were nicely machined, and work in this price range. Description: Factory-calibrated miter
the scales were clear and easy to read. The As supplied, the fence is only 24" long, not gauge with 24" bar and positive stops at
flip stop on the extruded aluminum fence quite enough in my opinion – you can’t cut legs 0°,10°,221⁄2°, 30°, and 45°
Performance: ●●●❍❍
works well both to set the length of cuts, and for a 30"-high table with it. A 48"-long fence
Price range: $$$
to secure short pieces. extrusion is available at additional cost. Kreg Tool Co.: 800-447-8638
While I was impressed with the over- — Robert W. Lang or kregtool.com
all design and construction of the gauge, I For more information, circle #180 on Free Information Card.

Penn State Dust Collector Muffler
Every woodworker is aware of how important
dust collection is for the safety of your lungs. But
every one of us has spent time talking over the
noise from a dust collector as well.
How about knocking five to 10 decibels off
that noisy dust collector and saving your hearing?
The Suppressor from Penn State Industries took
seven decibels off the Delta single-bag collector in
our shop. Seven decibels may not sound like a lot, AMANA IN-STILE & RAIL
but decibel increase and decrease is calculated as Making a flat-panel door using plywood
a logarithm, so this “slight” change is the differ- should simplify the door-making process,
ence between annoying and dangerous. but plywood thicknesses can vary, com-
The Suppressor works a lot like the silencer on plicating the process.
a gun, fitting on the dust collector at the intake Amana’s In-Stile and Rail system uses
connection. The metal cylinder is double-walled spacers and shims to adjust both the rail
with acoustic insulation between the walls. In and stile cutters to perfectly fit the thick-
testing in our shop we saw a change from 82 dB ness of your plywood.
to 75 dB with the device in place. Each well-made, two-piece set will
accommodate 1⁄4" and 1⁄2" plywood
Installation is fairly simple (though perma-
material. In 1⁄4", the panel groove will
nent) using a bead of silicone caulk to seal one end
SPECIFICATIONS adjust from 3 ⁄16" to 9 ⁄32". In 1⁄2" the
to your machine. Then a hose is added between groove adjusts from 7⁄16" to 17⁄32".
the 5" connector at the other end and the bag The Suppressor (SUP1000)
Street price: $80 Available in concave, bead or ogee
section on your machine. Connections may vary profiles, each set is mounted on 1⁄2"-
Performance: ●●●❍❍
depending on your machine, and a side attach- diameter shanks and can shape door
Price range: $$$$$
ment may require a couple of rivets as well as Penn State Industries: 800-377-7297 frames from 5 ⁄8" to 11⁄8" thick.
silicone, but it really works. — David Thiel or pennstateind.com Just as with a dado stack that uses
For more information, circle #181 on Free Information Card. shims, the bit sets will require some fine-
tuning until the perfect thickness setting is
achieved. Amana has made this easier by
including detailed drawings of the bits and
Splitter will Save Your Bacon how they should be arranged, calling out
If you don’t have a splitter on your table saw, specific thicknesses for each of the shims
put down the magazine when you finish read- and spacers.
ing this review and order a Micro Jig Splitter. The In-Stile and Rail sets sell for about
For about $20 and 30 minutes of your time you $155. This isn’t a set you buy on a whim,
but if your woodworking involves plywood
can make your saw significantly safer.
panel doors, these bits will improve the fit
The splitter – a small wafer of tough poly-
and reduce the rattle.
carbonate plastic – fits snugly behind your For more information, visit the Amana
blade to greatly reduce the chance of kickback. SPECIFICATIONS web site at amanatool.com. —DT
And – most importantly – it’s easy to remove
Micro Jig Splitter For more information, circle #183 on Free Information Card.
and replace when you need to make dado, Street price: $20
bevel or through-cuts. Because this device is Description: Splitters included: 2; each ABOUT OUR TOOL RATINGS
so simple to remove and replace you’ll actually face exerts different pressure in .003" Performance is rated on a one-to-five scale.
use it (unlike the unwieldy stock splitters). increments You won’t see a low rating (“one or two”)
The Micro Jig Splitter works only with 1 ⁄8"- Performance: ●●●●● because we don’t publicize inferior tools.
wide saw blades and you need a zero-clearance Price range: $ “Five” indicates the leader in the category.
Micro Jig: 407-696-6695 or microjig.com Five dollar signs indicates highest price in
insert to make it work. The package includes
the category. Three indicates an average
everything you need to install the jig (even the price. If you have tool questions, call me
drill bit) plus excellent instructions. allows the splitter to function as a mini- at 513-531-2690 ext. 1255, or e-mail me at
Also worth noting is that the Micro Jig featherboard, adding accuracy to your rips. david.thiel@fwpubs.com. Or visit our web
actually comes with two splitters, and each Few products are for every woodworker, but site at popwood.com to sign up for our free
e-mail newsletter.
face exerts a different amount of pressure this one is. I highly recommend it. — CS
— David Thiel, senior editor
against your stock and the rip fence. This For more information, circle #182 on Free Information Card.
popwood.com 31
FROM THE BENCH
Testing Your
Layout Tools
Is your square really square?
Is your straightedge straight?
Tools that have been trued
make woodworking easier.
A couple of years ago, while demonstrat-

ing edge jointing using hand planes,
the shot edge appeared to be slightly convex
when I checked it with my wooden straight- Accurate layout
edge. I don’t usually have this problem, so after tools lead to accu-
a couple of tries, it suddenly occurred to me rate woodworking.
that I hadn’t recently “proved” my straight- Learning to test
edge. Somewhat to my embarrassment, a quick – or “prove” – your
tools is a funda-
check revealed that the problem was with my
mental skill.
straightedge, rather than the shot edge. Photo by Al Parrish
I wish I’d been clever enough at the time
to pass this off as a planned “object lesson”
for the observers, but I’m just not that fast on ease of handling and won’t mar your work if It could be argued that you could avoid the
my feet. However in the end, I think it did you accidentally bump the workpiece. Addi- need for proving your layout and testing tools
demonstrate the desirability of proving our tionally, if made with a little thickness, the by purchasing tools that have been factory
layout and testing tools – especially when straightedge will stand, on its own, on the proven (or calibrated) to certain tolerances.
doing critical work. surface being tested, so that you can move And that often can be a good investment.
The need for accuracy in woodwork is freely around to get a good visual read of the But even if their expense can be justified, we
often discussed, but far less often do we dem- fit between the straightedge and the work. can’t be absolutely certain they are accurate
onstrate how to make and prove our layout and Carefully selecting straight-grained, rela- after being kicked around on the workbench
testing tools for when we need to get accurate tively stable, quarter-sawn stock can go a for a while, or being dropped on the floor. A
readings on our work. long way toward minimizing the tendency solidly built square may retain its accuracy
of a wooden straightedge to go out of true. after a fall to the floor, but wouldn’t it be bet-
Why Make Layout Tools? Honduras mahogany is a good choice. ter to know for certain, rather than just hop-
The question arises, of course, that given the You will still need a shorter metal straight- ing it to be so?
fact that wooden straightedges can go out of edge for knifed layout lines for critical cross-
true over time, why would one bother with grain work, but your wooden straightedges Prove Your Tools
them? For one thing, it’s possible for you to will be suitable for any pencil layout lines and How did I prove my straightedge? Well, I sim-
avoid purchasing factory-proven straight- for testing surfaces. ply laid it on a smooth, light-colored surface
edges, particularly long ones, which can be and traced along its reference edge with a
quite expensive. That expense can be hard to by Don McConnell sharp pencil. I then rotated the straightedge
justify, especially if you don’t frequently need around its longitudinal axis and checked that
Don builds furniture and does ornamental carving in
a straightedge on that scale. Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Formerly at the cabinetmaker’s
same edge against the pencil line. The beauty
Secondly, if kept to an appropriate scale, shop at The Ohio Village, he remains an avid student here was that any error, or deviation from
wooden straightedges can be a lot lighter for of the history of the trade, tools and shop practices. straight, was doubled in magnitude, and the

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FROM THE BENCH
very slight curvature of my reference edge

became readily apparent.
If the straightedge has any thickness (say
1 ⁄ 4"), then it also can be turned end for end
and the process repeated. If you can correct

the straightedge so that the reference edge
coincides with a single straight pencil line in
all four orientations, it will be plenty accurate
for most woodworking.
My preferred method of truing a straight-
edge is to use a lightly set try plane or jointer
plane and a shooting board. Light shavings
and slight changes of pressure to influence
placement of the cut make quick, control- To prove your straightedge is indeed straight, first Now place the straightedge on the other side
lable work of truing it up. strike a pencil line along the tool’s business edge of the pencil line. If the lines match all along the
on a piece of flat and light-colored wood. Here I edge, your straightedge is true. If there are gaps,
There are more elaborate methods of prov-
used birch plywood. you have work to do to remedy the problem.
ing straightedges, which may be justifiable in
certain circumstances. For example, it’s possi-
ble to borrow a technique from precision work This might be a good place to briefly on the approach described for proving the try
and make up three straightedges, proving each mention the possibility of making a wooden square, but it requires another couple steps.
of them against each other. Two straightedges panel square. These can be made to be quite Though it doesn’t involve the principle of
may correspond exactly with each other, one accurate (proving in the same way as the try doubling the error, it is accurate enough for
being slightly concave and the other convex. square), and can be made with a small lug on most situations if carefully done.
But, if you introduce the third straightedge, the stock so that the square will sit securely First you need a flat, smooth and light-
then you can be assured they are all straight on the surface of the material. Again, it’s use- colored timber with one straight edge. Draw
if all of them conform exactly. ful for pencil layout and for checking ends of a pencil line perpendicular to that edge. You
However, very few situations make the panels for square. can erect a perpendicular from the straight
extra time and effort worthwhile. So, in this edge one of two ways. One method is to use a
column, the focus is on simple methods using a Proving a Miter Square proven try square. The other involves a mark-
minimum of instruments – the idea being that Miters typically require a high degree of accu- ing gauge and a compass. Use the marking
proving of layout/testing tools will more likely racy, so proving our miter squares is beneficial. gauge to scribe a line that’s parallel with the
be done if it is quick and convenient. One method of proving a miter square builds straight edge; this scribed line provides a place
Proving a Try Square
So, how does one prove a try square? Follow-
ing the same principle as that used to prove
the straightedge, we need a flat, smooth and
light-colored piece of timber. One edge needs
to be dead straight – tested with our already
proved straightedge. Simply hold the stock of
the square against the trued edge and draw a
line along the blade of the square, again with
a sharp pencil. Then flip the square over and
check the blade against the pencil line. Again,
any deviation from square will be doubled and
easily detected.
Correcting an out-of-true try square is not
as straightforward as correcting a wooden
straightedge. And it isn’t the purpose of this
column to give detailed instructions on this
point. But, depending on the construction
of the try square and the reason for the fault, To test your try square, first scribe a perpendicular Now turn the square over and show its edge to
some judicious filing of the tool’s steel blade line off of a straight edge. the pencil line. Any deviation from 90° will be
may be in order. readily apparent.

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When
Close Isn't
Good Enough
The shoulder plane's art is precision – taking joinery from a close All have
fit to a perfect fit. For this level of accuracy, you need a tool that can Norris-style adjustment
give you controlled and exceptionally precise cuts.To meet that need, mechanisms, blade set screws, and
our designers created this family of shoulder planes that all have trapped adjustable toes for precise set-up. The blades are
precise control mechanisms, squareness of sole to body, and blades 1/8" thick A2 tool steel; the bodies, ductile cast iron. Patent pending.
that will hold an edge. Plus, recognizing that this style of plane can 05P41.01P Medium Shoulder Plane $139.00
be difficult to grip, we added our unique pivoting knob and body 05P42.01P Bullnose Plane $129.00
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a free catalog. 1-800-683-8170 www.leevalley.com
Lee Valley Tools Ltd., 814 Proctor Ave., Ogdensburg, N.Y. 13669

FROM THE BENCH
to set the compass point. Use the compass

to erect a perpendicular, which many of us
learned in high school geometry class.
With the perpendicular line established,
you can bisect one of the right angles by swing-
ing arcs and striking lines with the compass.
The miter square is then checked against the
line. You can double-check your square by
bisecting both right angles and checking the
miter square against both bisecting lines. If
the square agrees with both lines, chances
are fairly high that it’s accurate.
If more demonstrable accuracy is required,
One alternative method of checking a miter square requires you to cut a perfect 90° on a board.
it’s possible to prove a miter square in a way Scribe a line with the miter square, then check your line from the adjacent edge.
that relies on the principle of doubling the
error. But, it does require more time and effort.
A test piece of wood can have one edge shot When satisfied that the end is truly square, These methods for proving our layout and
straight, then one end cut and planed perfectly register the stock of the miter square against testing tools are derived from basic geometry
square, as shown at right. This can be checked the edge, placed so that a pencil line can be most of us learned in school. Once we begin
with a proven try square. Or it can be tested drawn starting from the squared corner. Then to grasp how these principles can be used to
in the same manner as used to prove the try reverse the miter square so that the stock is our advantage with these tools, we will be
square, by registering the test piece against a registered on the squared end, and check the increasingly able to identify ways in which
straight edge, drawing a pencil line, and flip- blade against the pencil line. Once again, any they can be used in a wide variety of layout
ping it over to check for square. error will be doubled and easily detected. and testing situations. PW
To test your miter

square, first draw one
line that is perpendicu-
lar to the edge of the
board and one that is
parallel. To bisect the A
Perpendicular line
perpendicular, scribe
arcs “A.” Then, from
each of those points, B
scribe “B.”
To create a line that is exactly 45°, line up your straightedge between the Show your miter square to this line to determine if it’s registering 45°.
point where the arcs intersect and the point where the perpendicular and
parallel lines meet.

YOU’RE PROBABLY JUST AS AMBITIOUS.

Whether you are a do-it-
yourselfer, a professional
woodworker or somewhere
in between, you have a world
full of projects in the home
or in the shop that will be
easier and more enjoyable to
complete when you use qual-
ity clamps, bench vises and
miter boxes/saws from the
Adjustable Clamp Company.
Look for them under the
Jorgensen, Adjustable and
Pony brand names wherever
fine tools are sold.
Made in the USA by the Adjustable Clamp Co.,

425 North Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60622,
www.adjustableclamp.com ®

Photos by Al Parrish
Better
Glue Joints
uch of woodworking Your joints will last for decades holds true for other types of joints,
M is joinery: An edge-
to-edge joint is used to
join two or more boards to create
if you know how to apply your glue.
too. The mating parts of an inter-
locking joint should be in close
contact. In fact, dovetails and a
a tabletop, dovetails are carefully mortise and tenon should have
cut and fit to create a box for a Interlocking joints, such as ends), a weak bond will result. a “friction” fit. When expertly
chest of drawers. And the corners dovetails, and the mortise and Although you can squeeze the crafted, they should assemble with
of a door frame are joined with a tenon, are incredibly strong even joint shut with clamps while the moderate hand pressure or light
mortise-and-tenon joint. without glue. Add glue during the glue dries, the joint will always be blows of a mallet. To test the fit,
However, whether it’s a simple assembly and these joints can last in tension and will likely pull apart I assemble the joint without glue
butt joint or a complex interlock- for decades, even centuries. within a short period of time. to see if it holds together.
ing joint, glue is typically used to So as woodworkers, how do One theory is that an edge- If you’re using a lot of clamp
hold everything together. And if we make certain that the joints to-edge joint should be sprung. pressure to close a joint, there’s
you’ve ever been asked to repair that we carefully construct and In other words, the edges should probably something wrong with
a piece of cheap, factory-made glue together will not loosen and be slightly concave. The idea is the joint. Clamps should only be
furniture (it’s often called curb fall apart in just a few short years? that as the tabletop experiences used to hold a joint in position
furniture – it’s used for a few years Let’s take a look at what makes a normal changes in relative hu- until the glue sets; they shouldn’t
and then set out on the curb) you’ll good glue joint. midity, the ends will shrink faster. be used to close a poorly crafted
see that it’s typically the joint that (Remember, end grain absorbs joint. In fact, when assembling
has failed rather than the wood Mating Surfaces Must Touch and releases moisture at a faster dovetailed drawers and casework,
(assuming real wood was used). Yellow glue won’t add strength rate than the other surfaces in a I typically don’t use clamps. I just
Yet modern glue is strong stuff. in a gap; the mating halves of a board.) A “sprung” joint will apply apply glue to the mating surfaces,
In fact, try this experiment: Glue joint must make contact. Before more pressure at the ends and keep tap the joints together with a mal-
two inexpensive poplar boards gluing and clamping two boards it tightly shut. let and set the assembly aside until
together edge-to-edge with ordi- to make a tabletop, I align them My experience has been that the glue dries.
nary yellow glue and allow the glue to see if the edges make contact. If a sprung joint isn’t necessary. As
to dry overnight. The next day the edges are convex (they touch long as the edges make contact, Grain Plays a Role
break the boards apart and you’ll in the middle and are open on the the glue bond will be strong. This Glue bonds best to long grain; end
find that the wood will break in- grain will bond but the joint will
stead of the joint. You see, when by Lonnie Bird be very weak. Simply put, you can
well-crafted, even a simple edge- Lonnie is the author of “The Complete Illustrated Guide to Shaping Wood” (The
join two boards edge-to-edge but
to-edge joint is stronger than the Taunton Press) and teaches woodworking. You can learn more about his classes not end-to-end. If you examine
surrounding wood. online at lonniebird.com. the end grain of a board under
popwood.com 39
Glue
Glue
Glue
Glue
Glue
Glue
Glue
Pictured is a dovetail joint (top left), a
mortise-and-tenon joint (bottom left), a
mortised-and-tenoned cope-and-stick
joint (above) and a long-grain-to-long-
grain edge joint (right). All four of these
joints provide plenty of long-grain
surfaces for gluing. Look closely at the
Glue callouts to see where you should apply
glue to each joint.
magnification (use a jeweler’s lution is to use a mortise and tenon it creates a new one – cross-grain supports them. The glue bond will
loupe or a photographer’s slide at each corner of the frame. The construction. The solution is hold tight and cause the tabletop
loupe) you’ll see that the wood length of the tenon should be two- to use an odd number of tenons to split. Instead, a mechanical
resembles a handful of plastic thirds to three-fourths the width and apply glue only to the center fastening system that allows for
drinking straws. Those straws of the stile to which it’s joined. tenon. The remaining tenons are wood movement should be used.
served as the tree’s plumbing to This provides plenty of long-grain assembled without glue and held As a general rule, I put glue on
transport sap. Sliced lengthwise surfaces for gluing. in place with a wooden pin. The any long-grain surface of a joint.
the straws will create a strong glue hole in the tenon to accept the pin For example, when gluing up a
bond. But when sliced and joined Too Much Surface Area? is slotted, which allows for expan- mortise-and-tenon joint, I put glue
at the ends, a weak bond is the Remember, joinery is often used sion and contraction. on every part of the tenon and
result. The solution is to use con- to change directions such as when Another example of a po- mortise that is long grain. I don’t
struction that joins long-grain. joining the sides of a box at 90°. tential cross-grain construction put glue on the end-grain walls of
Both the mortise and tenon and This can often introduce cross- problem are tabletops. Tabletops the mortise. I also don’t put glue
dovetail joints do just that, which grain construction problems. shouldn’t be glued to the base that on the bottom of the mortise. See
is another reason that they’re still When wood is joined and glued
used for the finest furniture. cross-grain, there is potential for
In contrast, dowel joinery is one of the pieces to split. (Wood
weak because there is very little expands and contracts across its
surface area for glue and most of width during seasonal changes
it is end grain. in relative humidity.) The solu-
Cope-and-stick joinery cre- tion is to reduce the surface area
ated by matching router bits is and/or to avoid glue application
another example of weak joinery. to certain areas.
Although cope-and-stick joints For example, broad surfaces
make long-grain contact, there such as a tabletop or hinged lid of
is very little of it. When a heavy a slant-front desk are kept flat with
wood or glass panel is added and breadboard ends. Tenons are cut
the door framework is suspended on the tabletop, which are fit into
from a pair of hinges, the joints mortises on the breadboard ends.
undergo a lot of stress. A better so- But while this solves one problem, Pinned mortise-and-tenon joint

the pictures at left to see where I shop at night to conserve energy formed on the surface. To avoid the diluted glue gets down into the
apply glue on my joints. – except when I’ve just glued to- this scenario, ask a friend to help porous surface around the joint,
gether an assembly. with the process or just glue the which can create finishing prob-
Use Fresh Glue project together in smaller, more lems. The easy solution is to allow
The glue most widely used by Wet the Surface manageable assemblies. the glue to dry until it is soft but no
woodworkers is yellow glue. It’s For a strong bond you’ll need to longer liquid. It then peels away
strong, inexpensive, doesn’t re- spread the glue evenly and thor- Don’t Forget Squeeze-out effortlessly with a sharp chisel.
quire mixing and it’s convenient oughly wet all mating surfaces. When gluing assemblies I like
– just squeeze it from the bottle. Any dry surface will not bond. to see some glue squeeze-out. How Long Should it Sit?
But yellow glue has a shelf life of Instead of relying on clamp pres- Not a running-dripping-sticky- After I apply glue and assemble a
only about 12 months. Have you sure to spread the glue, I use a mess-type-of-squeeze-out, but a part of my project (for example, a
ever squeezed old, outdated yel- spreader. A thin stick works well few drops or a thin line of glue dovetailed drawer), I usually wait
low glue from the bottle? It’s thick for coating the walls of mortises squeeze-out is good insurance that an hour before I begin working on
and somewhat stringy. In contrast, and the sides of dovetails. For the joint is not starved of glue. it again. Typically, after 24 hours,
fresh yellow glue is creamy and broader surfaces I’ll use a stiff There are three ways to deal the glue will be at full strength.
smooth. By the time you use the paint brush or roller. with the excess glue. You can let When you apply glue, it comes
glue, you’ve spent hours or days When gluing up an edge-to- it dry completely, but this isn’t into contact with the air, the wood
carefully selecting stock, cutting edge joint, make sure the coat a good idea. Dried glue is tena- or both. If your joint is enclosed,
it to size, crafting joints and shap- of glue is really thin. It’s easy to cious and when you chisel it away such as a mortise-and-tenon, the
ing mouldings and curves. Glue is put too much glue on, which cre- it will often take small fragments glue isn’t exposed to air, only
cheap; probably the least expen- ates a very lubricated surface. of wood along with it. Some wood- wood. So it dries slower than you
sive part of the entire project. I Everything becomes slippery workers wipe it with a wet rag but might expect. PW
don’t risk spoiling all that work and suddenly very difficult to ac-
with an old bottle of glue. Instead, curately align.
Here you can see
I discard it and spend two bucks
a thin, dry “skin”
on a bottle of fresh stuff. Don’t Let it Skin Over of glue beginning
The process of gluing up can take to form on the
The Work Should be Warm time. After applying glue you must surface. This will
Glue doesn’t bond well to cool sur- assemble the joints, apply clamps create a weak
faces. Read the back of the bottle and check for squareness. If the bond.
and you’ll see that the manufac- glue begins drying during this
turer recommends surfaces that time, it can weaken the bond.
are at least 65°. During the winter You can tell if it’s started to dry; a
I turn down the thermostat in my thin dry “skin” of glue will have
A thin line of squeeze-out ensures When the glue is soft but no longer
your joint is not starved of glue. Any a liquid, peel it away with a chisel.
more than this and you’ll begin to Make sure your chisel is sharp.
This is how much glue you should apply before you start spreading. have a sticky mess.
popwood.com 41
Photo by Al Parrish
Building a
Welsh Stick Chair
David Fleming, a former English teacher turned chairmaker, teaches
the craft of building chairs on the edge of the Canadian wilderness.
A
fter eight hours of a complete physical and He’s going to rip the whole thing directly down the
mental workout, the seat of my Welsh stick split, clean up the joint with a try plane and glue it
chair is finally taking shape. What had back together. The tone of his voice is so calm, his
started as a rough plank of gnarly elm that morn- manner so confident, that I almost believe what he
ing now looks like a perfectly shaped cradle for my suggests is possible.
now-aching behind.
I’d hacked out most of the depression in the seat
using a primitive but powerful tool called an adze.
Other traditional chairmaking devices – a scorp,
travisher, scrapers and deltoids – smoothed out the
furred and jagged elm seat into something that resem-
bled a well-worn leather saddle.
As I reach for my spokeshave with one hand, I
turn the workbench’s vise screw with the other to
secure the seat. Time for the easy part: chamfering
the edges. As the bench dogs tighten their grip, a
sickening sound seeps from my seat.
The whole thing – all eight hours of it – splits
before my eyes.
Before my blood pressure can even shoot up a
few points, the instructor of the chairmaking class,
David Fleming, steps to the bench when he sees me
deflate. To my eye the seat is wrecked, and I begin
uttering a long string of self-loathing curse words.
Fleming, however, is completely unfazed.
He removes a thin-kerf handsaw from the wall of
the shop and shows me how he will fix the problem.
by Christopher Schwarz
Comments or questions? Contact Christopher at David Fleming turns a few spindles on the pole lathe as John Hoffman, the other student in
513-531-2690 ext. 1407 or chris.schwarz@fwpubs.com. the class, gets comfortable with the shaving horse and drawknife.
popwood.com 43
When class starts again the company’s founder, owns some driveway, its rustic contents seem shop, and he is sitting outside in
next morning, my seat is on the of his chairs. perfectly natural. the unusually warm March sun
bench in one piece and as good Orders are coming from far-off Though it’s only 25-feet square, dressed in a starched shirt and vest
as new. (Even to this day I can- places, and students are begin- the shop is roomy enough for three with two ash logs propped against
not find the repair.) I’m amazed, ning to make the long journey to or four people to work comfortably some sawhorses.
but Fleming merely shrugs, smiles Gould Street in Cobden, Ontario, because of the absence of wood- “This,” he explains, “is some of
and resumes whistling a song as to spend five days making a chair, working machinery. The shop’s the nicest ash I’ve ever had.” He
he keeps time on his foot-powered listening to Fleming spin stories entryway is reserved for a few of runs his hands over the perfectly
pole lathe, turning another spin- and forgetting that the 20th cen- Fleming’s finished chairs and a straight, clear and white wood.
dle for a Windsor chair he’s build- tury ever happened. well-thumbed library of books The wood is still green and wet,
ing for a client. on chairbuilding and traditional and because ash dries quickly, we
Most of the world has never A Chairmaker’s Shop crafts. (Fleming read aloud sev- need to jump right in to make the
heard of Fleming, a high-school Located an hour and a half out- eral romantic passages about par- spindles for our chairs. Once the
English teacher who began mak- side Ottawa, the village of Cobden ticular species of trees during my wood starts to dry it will be more
ing ladderback, Windsor and and the nearby town of Pembroke week there.) difficult to work. So we fetch a
Welsh stick chairs in 1986. But are the last stops on Highway 17 Two shaving horses and a low wooden club, called a maul, and
he has started teaching some small before you penetrate the Cana- workbench occupy the center of a froe and start splitting the wood
classes (usually four students at dian wilderness. Civilization falls the room. The right wall is framed on a stump inside the shop.
most), and his reputation is begin- quickly away on this highway until by shelves stocked with spindles At first glance the froe seems
ning to spread. Several employees there’s little left but river, sky and the timber for upcoming a primitive instrument, but it’s a
of Lee Valley Tools – including one and the occasional Tim Hortons orders (Fleming is usually booked surprisingly effective way to split
of the company’s tool designers – doughnut shop. By the time you to the point where it takes him six the 1" x 1" sections we need for
have made chairs under Fleming’s reach Fleming’s shop, a tidy red months to fill an order). the chair spindles. A froe has the
tutelage. And Leonard Lee, the building at the end of his home’s A pole lathe squats in the back basic shape of a framing square.
of the shop. Powered by Fleming’s One leg is a handle; the other is a
foot and a long springy tree branch slightly wedge-shaped length of
secured to the ceiling, he churns steel. You balance the steel edge
out a spindle every three minutes of the froe on the end grain of the
or so when he is busy. The left side log where you want your split to
of the shop has a cabinetmaker’s begin. Then, with all your might,
bench, a storage cabinet and one you strike the back of the steel
of the few 20th-century intrusions wedge to drive it into the wood.
into the environment — a small The ash splits true. Once the cut
benchtop band saw. begins, it’s simple work to push
All four walls sport large win- and pull the handle to drive the
dows (only a few electric bulbs split to the bottom of the log.
are needed to light the shop) and We take the blanks to the shav-
dozens, probably hundreds, of ing horse and learn to make the
well-cared-for traditional tools. slightly irregular shapes into more
Handsaws and frame saws hang regular square sections, which will
on the back wall. They’re not for be dried in Fleming’s wood-burn-
show; at any moment Fleming will ing stove in his kitchen. With a
fetch one off the wall and blaze sharp drawknife the wood comes
through a board. The large win- off in long wet ribbons that have
dowsill on the left wall is populated an earthy, primitive and intoxi-
by a forest of chisels, carving tools cating aroma. Fleming shows us
and clamps. And the front part how to taper the spindle blanks
of the room houses his planes, bit so they’ll be easier to shape round
braces and all the specialty tools after drying.
of the chairmaker’s trade. Halfway through the morning,
Sandy, Fleming’s wife, brings a
Hoffman and Fleming inspect the parts of the seat before gluing it up. After It Starts With a Log fresh pot of tea to the shop, a ritual
dressing each long edge with a try plane, students inspect the joint for a On the first day of class, we pull up they observe during every class,
perfect fit by looking for gaps of light. in the driveway outside Fleming’s and one I became quickly fond of.

We take a break from the spindles sure that each student leaves with
and sit in Fleming’s chairs at the a chair that he or she built.
front of the shop. There are a lot The other reason that Flem-
of different historical examples ing’s class is unusual is he is eager to
of chairs in his shop and home, teach students to build the Welsh
and Fleming explains the subtle stick chair, the genetic ancestor
differences in each and helps us of the subtle and supple Wind-
decide how our chair is going to sor chair we’re all familiar with.
look when we’re done. Windsor chairmaking is enjoying
One of the advantages of a remarkable renaissance in the
Fleming’s classes is he takes only United States thanks to Michael
a handful of students at a time, Dunbar and The Windsor Insti-
usually just two or three, some- tute in Hampton, N.H. Dunbar
times four. The small class size has taught more than 6,500 stu-
allows each student to work on a dents to build Windsor chairs,
slightly different style of chair and including many new woodwork-
make changes to the legs, arms ers. And a surprising number of
or crest rail and still keep things his students have opened their
manageable. In any given month, own chairmaking shops or begun
Fleming will build chairs for three teaching the craft themselves.
weeks and spend a week teaching Dunbar’s influence has even
his “apprentices.” spread to the tool-making world.
“No one does a cookie-cutter When he began teaching in 1980,
copy of a chair here,” he says. “It’s it was difficult to find traditional
like blues or jazz – it’s different chairmaking tools for sale, even
every time you do it.” in antique stores. But now there’s
Fleming’s students come from an entire cottage industry that
all walks of life. Some are expe- revolves around the craft. Plus
rienced woodworkers, but many major manufacturers are start- Using a maul and an axe, Fleming shows how to split the ash log into the
have very little (if any) shop expe- ing to take notice, too. square lengths that will become our spindles, crest rail and legs. With the
rience. Either way, Fleming makes And while the Windsor has wood still wet, it’s surprisingly easy to work.
ABOUT WELSH STICK CHAIRS

The Welsh stick chair is an uncommon form to ants’ chairs, made in a village by a carpenter, out how to build a Welsh stick chair. Or, of
the American eye. While it shares some of the wheel-wright or coffin-maker. In fact, the form course, you can take a class. Modern versions
features of the classic Windsor, it is in many might be even more obscure if it weren’t for the of Welsh stick chairs are much more refined
ways less refined. Instead of elegant turned work of one modern chairmaker, John Brown. than the originals. Few Welsh stick chairs have
legs, Welsh stick chairs typically have octago- Brown began building chairs in Wales after los- saddled seats or steam-bent crests or shaped
nal or roundish hand-shaped legs. Many Welsh ing his job as a builder of wooden boats to the arms. Most are very straight and quite severe.
stick chairs also lack stretchers between the modern business of building plastic hulls. Brown’s book contains dozens of photos
legs and were even occasionally made with Brown began building Welsh chairs, selling and line drawings of Welsh stick chairs, plus
three legs (which was better for dirt floors). them and researching what little history exists a short history of the region and how it influ-
The seat, bow, spindles and crest are all of this folk craft. He came to the United States enced the chairmaking there. And then there
similarly less refined than what you’ll find on and introduced the form to a few influential are 40 pages that show how Brown makes his
a typical bow-back or sack-back Windsor. chairmakers. He began writing a column in the “cardigan” chair entirely by hand and usually
Despite their humble origins, I have always had British magazine Good Woodworking that was with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
a fondness for these chairs. While the Windsor titled “The Anarchist Woodworker.” His 1990 Perhaps the most alarming fact about
chair has an elegance and delicateness like a book “Welsh Stick Chairs” (Lyons and Burford Welsh stick chairs, according to Brown, is how
swan, the Welsh stick chair has an appealing Publishers) is on the shelves of most well-read many of them have been lost. Until recently the
aggressive demeanor – like a large cat that is chairmakers. chairs were more valuable as firewood. And for
poised to pounce. With this book and Drew Langsner’s essen- every existing one today, there are probably
Relatively little is known about individual tial work, “The Chairmaker’s Workshop” 100 ones that have rotted or been burned or
chairs or their makers because they were peas- (Lark), most woodworkers at home can puzzle simply thrown away. — CS
popwood.com 45
enjoyed the spotlight thanks to Algonquin Indians.
these classes, the Welsh stick chair “With building canoes and
remains a bit obscure. There are snowshoes, a lot of the skills are
fewer places to take classes in the same with ladderback and
building this chair. Don Weber Windsor chairmaking,” he says.
of Paint Lick, Ky., teaches this “You find the right tree, split it
form regularly. And Drew Lang- and work it with a drawknife and
sner’s school, Country Workshops crooked knife.”
in Marshall, N.C., also regularly One day when he was in a
offers classes. So the student who small bookstore he picked up a
wants to make this more primi- copy of John D. Alexander’s land-
tive and aggressive form of chair, mark book, “Make a Chair from
needs to do a bit more searching. a Tree” (Pub Group West). And
After talking to dozens of chair- so, like thousands of other people
making students, my search lead who bought that book, Fleming
me to Fleming. began making ladderback chairs.
A second event then launched
Meet David Fleming him into abandoning teaching Here I’m shaping the crest rail before steam-bending. The crest began as
Though Fleming taught high for chairmaking. A local doctor chunk of ash, but after less than an hour of work it was a perfectly flat piece
school for 20 years before becom- stopped by his shop one day, saw of wood with two straight edges.
ing a professional chairmaker, Fleming’s chairs and ordered 10.
working with wood has always “The high school teaching is now difficult to find, and Flem- style chairs, including the Welsh
been a part of his life. When he was fine,” he says. “But I needed ing added Windsors to his rep- stick. He builds them and Sandy
was 6 years old he carried a jack a change. I thought I’d try some- ertoire. Business was so good by finishes them.
knife and whittled constantly. In thing else.” 1991 that Fleming finally bid the Their 19th century home is
his 20s, Fleming began making So he started building chairs high school a “fond farewell” and filled with Fleming’s work, which
snowshoes and birch bark canoes on the side and demonstrat- became a full-time professional. students experience first-hand as
– he and Sandy camp even in the ing at craft shows. About 1988 These days Fleming builds as they gather around the wood-
winter. As a teacher, Fleming had he purchased “Make a Windsor many as four chairs a week – his burning stove each day to eat a
summers off and spent the time Chair With Michael Dunbar” business is about 40 percent lad- rib-sticking lunch that Sandy has
learning green wood crafts from (Pub Group West), a book that derbacks and 60 percent Windsor- prepared. I spent the week sit-
ting in one of Fleming’s Windsor
chairs. Its comfortable contours
Two examples of
(and my muscle fatigue) made it
Fleming’s chairs:
a ladderback a challenge to stand up and begin
(left) in ash with the afternoon work. When the
a rush seat. And mood strikes him at the end of the
his “Buttermilk meal, Fleming will pick up his gui-
Creek Windsor,” tar and sing a few jazzy songs.
a chair of his
own design in
Working Like a Chairmaker
elm, ash and
mahogany. After a couple days of this rou-
tine you fall into Fleming’s daily
rhythm. In fact, despite the fact
that the work is strenuous, I’ve
never felt as relaxed as I did dur-
ing my five days in Cobden. Part of
that is the nature of the work (no
Photos courtesy of Robin Turner
noisy machines) and part of it is

Fleming’s unbreakable calm.
After my disaster with the seat,
the hours and days began to fly by.
Though I had done turning on
only one previous occasion, Flem-

The adze is a tricky tool to master. Finding the right angle takes practice. After the adze work is done, the scorp cleans up the rough stuff. Of all the
Removing material quickly takes a bit of strength. hand tools we used during the class this one required more strength and
endurance than any other.
The travisher
ing had me churning out spindles odd angles needed in chairmak-
is essentially a
on the pole lathe after less than ing and you quickly understand spokeshave with
30 minutes of instruction with the that chairmaking is a skill that a curved spoon-
roughing gouge and skew. demands repetition to master. All shaped bottom.
The crest – or headrest – was told there are dozens of compound It’s a joy to use
also simple work. With a side axe, angles in a stick chair, and nearly a tool for the
we dressed the green ash logs to all of them are different. operation it was
designed for.
rough size and then used wooden Luckily, Fleming had some
bench planes to reduce the stock tricks up his sleeve. A couple
to its finished dimension. After jigs held our bow in position as
some time in Fleming’s homemade we drilled through the bow and
steamer, we bent the crest in a jig into the seat. (And here’s my one
and clamped it overnight. confession: I used a powered drill
Shaping the bow – or arms for some of my spindle holes.) Plus
– was also straightforward. The Fleming showed us how a simple
bow of a Welsh stick chair can 5-cent washer can keep our bits
be made in several ways. You can aimed true – it’s quite a trick.
bend it using steam, cut it out of One remarkable thing about
one crooked piece of wood or piece making green-wood chairs is how
it together using half-lap joints. I your level of accuracy is different
built my bow from three pieces than when building frame chairs,
of wood. After days of learning which I’m much more familiar
new techniques, it was refresh- with. Green-wood chairmaking
ing to fall back on skills I knew involves more eyeballing and rely-
to make these standard cabinet- ing on instinct and experience for
making joints. good results – rather than a ruler
And then came the holes. and a shop drawing exclusively. It’s
Boring the holes for the legs not that you can be sloppy when
and spindles was surprisingly making a chair, it’s just that the
demanding work. Fleming pre- rules are different.
fers to work with a bit brace and The last evening was the most Boring the seat holes takes a steady hand. For the beginning chairmaker, hav-
spoon bits for the most part. Add difficult. John Hoffman, the other ing a person check your progress is invaluable. Here Fleming shows Hoffman
those unfamiliar tools with the student in the class, and I were the correct body position for this operation.
popwood.com 47
determined to get our chairs
assembled before we packed up
the parts to carry them through
customs into the United States.
Fleming was happy to oblige and
we drove ourselves mercilessly into
the evening, fitting each spindle
as we listened to an avant garde
piece of music that seemed to go
on for hours (and still occasion-
ally haunts my dreams).
In the end we both got our
chairs assembled and sat in
them for the first time – a magic
moment. Fleming had some beer
cooling in the basement and we
bought a pizza to celebrate. The
next day we walked our boxes of
chair parts through tight interna- Boring the spindle holes in the seats. The sliding bevel on Fleming positions the bow on one of the drilling jigs and
tional security. (“You say you have the seat and pencil lines guide the work. the “horns” of the chair, which are the curved spindles
a chair in there, eh?”) underneath the arms at the front.
When I got back to my shop I
laid out all the parts on my bench.
It was then I knew that I had been CLASSES &
bitten by the same chairmaking
bug as Fleming and thousands of
RESOURCES
other woodworkers. Once I got Country Workshops,
that first stick chair assembled I Drew Langsner
began making plans for my sec- 990 Black Pine Ridge Road
ond one. And then I’ll move on Marshall, NC 28753
to replacing the hideous chairs in 828-656-2280 or
countryworkshops.org
our dining room.
While I still have much to Handcraft Woodworks,
learn (this was my first green-wood Don Weber
chair after all), the lesson I’m mas- P.O. Box 19
tering right now is to adopt the Paint Lick, KY 40461
same steady patience that guides 859-925-9225 or
handcraftwoodworks.com
Fleming. As I take my scorp to a
piece of tulip poplar that will be Spokeshave Woodwork,
the seat of my next chair I wonder David Fleming
if I’m going to split this one, too. P.O. Box 192
Or perhaps I’m going to saddle it Cobden, ON K0J 1K0 Canada
too deeply. But then I stop and 613-646-2356 or spokeshave.ca
think about the class. The Windsor Institute,
“Remember,” Fleming says, Mike Dunbar
“there is always a Plan B.’” PW 44 Timber Swamp Road
Hampton, NH 03842
603-929-9801 or
thewindsorinstitute.com
For information on tools, more
books and chairmaking sites
With all the spindles shaped and the on the Internet, also visit the
holes drilled, Fleming tests the fit of Windsor Chair Resources at
the bow onto this assembly. windsorchairresources.com.

WOODWORKING
ESSENTIALS BY NICK ENGLER
2
CHAPTER
Using the Saw Blade

our table saw is the central piece of How Blades Work spaces between the teeth that allow dust
Y machinery in your shop, and the
blade (or more appropriately – blades) is
To choose a good blade, you need to
understand a little about how blades
to escape. Often there are anti-kickback
limiters between the teeth and gullets,
a critical aspect of the ease and accu- are designed and how they work. Every which reduce the chance of wood lodg-
racy of your work. A top-quality blade blade has several important parts that ing in the gullet and being thrown at
mounted on a medium-quality saw will are generic to all blades. you. Expansion slots are cut along the
cut infinitely better than a mediocre The plate is the steel center of the perimeter of the blade to both quiet and
blade mounted on the best table saw blade on which the teeth are mounted. stabilize the cut. And the teeth are the
money can buy. The reason should be The arbor hole is cut in the center of part of the blade that actually does the
obvious – it’s the blade, not the saw, that the plate, and that’s where the blade cutting, but there are lots of teeth varia-
does the actual cutting. mounts to the saw. The gullets are the tions and arrangements.
Saw-blade anatomy
Anti-kickback limiter
Teeth
Gullet
Plate
Expansion
slot
Arbor hole
TIPS & TRICKS
GREAT TIP: ■ Plate and Arbor Hole ■ Expansion Slots
Safer by Design For the majority of table saws, the Expansion slots are usually laser-cut
overall diameter of the saw blade (most into the plate. While their shape may
Most blade manufacturers now offer of which is the plate) is 10". The plates vary between manufacturers, they all
blades with an “anti-kickback” design. are usually made of a good-quality high- serve a dual-purpose of reducing blade
In addition to the ordinary forward-facing strength steel so the saw blade will noise and allowing the blade to expand
teeth, an anti-kickback blade has back- remain flat and true. Better saw blades and contract during use as the blade
ward-facing barbs or “limiters” that limit are also machine tensioned to help heats and cools. This, once again, helps
the depth of cut. This greatly reduces the ensure flatness. keep the blade flat.
chance that the blade will kick the work Many manufacturers now offer coat-
■ Teeth
ings and polished finishes on the plate
back at you, but it doesn’t completely Each saw tooth is ground and sharp-
part of the blade to help reduce friction
eliminate the risk. If you need a determin- ened to a specific angle depending on the
during the cut and also to reduce resin
ing factor during your next blade purchase, job it has to do. If you draw a radial line
build-up and rust. In general, most table
look for this safety feature. out from the center of the blade through
saws require a 5 ⁄8" arbor hole formed in
the tooth, you’ll find that the tooth is
the center of the blade that fits over the
set on the blade at a slight angle. This is
Limiter arbor on the saw.
called the hook angle. The greater the
Gullet ■ Gullet hook angle, the more aggressive the cut.
As a blade cuts through wood, dust On carbide-tipped blades, the teeth
is created and needs to be cleared away are wider than the plate (with the kerf
from the cut. The gullets (cut in the traditionally 1 ⁄8" wide) to prevent the
blade plate) are located between each plate from rubbing in the cut. This offset
tooth and allow the dust to be removed. is known as the tooth set.
Gullet designs vary by manufacturer and In addition to hook and set, the cut-
are much smaller today to reduce the ting edge of every tooth has a profile.
chances of material being trapped in the The edge can be flat or square, beveled
PRO TIP: gullet and “kicked back” at the opera- left or right, or shaped in other ways to
tor. The gullet’s size is a careful balance suit its job. Often, the teeth on a single
Straight Rip on Rough Edge between safety and efficiency. While it’s blade will have two or more profiles
If your only choice is to rip a straight bad for the gullet to be too large, it’s also alternating in a pattern called a grind.
edge on a bowed, rough-cut or otherwise bad if it’s too small. Dust can build up The profile determines how each tooth
crooked board, fasten a straight board to during the cut and clog the gullet caus- cuts, while the grind determines how the
it with finishing nails. Don’t drive the nails ing the blade to cut poorly. saw blade cuts as a whole.
home – you’ll want to pull them out later.
Rip the edge of the crooked board, keep-
ing the edge of the straight one against the
Optimum teeth count for different sawing situations
.5-"%2/&4%%4(0%2",!$%
fence. When you’ve finished, separate the

boards and rip the other edge. #ROSSCUTTING /PTIMALRANGEFORCROSSCUTTING
Source: Freud; Illustration by Len Churchill

2IPPING /PTIMALRANGEFORRIPPING

-!4%2)!,4()#+.%33
The crosscutting and ripping “swoops” in this graphic designate the optimal number of teeth you
should have on your blade when ripping or crosscutting wood of a particular thickness. The areas
outside the swoops designate situations in which you may experience a rough cut.
POPULAR WOODWORKING
)PPLBOHMF
,FSG
Ripping blade
Ripping blades are designed with flat-topped
teeth and an aggressive hook angle to remove
wood quickly and efficiently. The action is sim-
ilar to that of a chisel cutting a groove. While
this blade can be used for a variety of cutting
actions, its best performance will be in rip cuts.
Two examples of alternative-geometry blades. The Porter-Cable (left) combines both rip and
crosscut tooth spacing on one blade. The Leitz blade uses variable spacing of the teeth. Both are (OOKANGLE
+ERF +ERF
designed to cut more efficiently and quietly.
Types of Blades • Triple-chip Blades use a special

The various aspects of the saw teeth double-beveled-tooth design combined
3AWCUT
– hook, set and profile – can be arranged with a raker tooth to reduce chipping in 0LATE 0LATE PROFILE
to make different cuts or to cut different brittle materials. Triple-chip blades can
materials. There are three basic types of be used in many applications, but are the Crosscutting blade
blades, (rip, crosscut and combination) best choice for work with laminates. Frequently referred to as an alternate-top
each designed to make certain cuts: • Plywood Blades are designed to bevel (ATB) blade, the beveled crosscutting
• Rip Blades have a large hook angle make smooth cuts in plywood without teeth are designed to slice across wood fibers.
(20°-25°) and, because it’s much easier to chipping the veneer. Cutting the alter- It leaves a concave bottom in the cut. This
cut with the grain (ripping a board), they nating grain in plywood requires both blade’s best performance will be in crosscut-
ting, but can be used for other applications
can remove a lot of stock with each pass. rips and crosscuts. The blade of choice
and is the preferred grind for cutting plywood.
Compared to other blades, they have is an 80-plus ATB tooth design, but the
fewer teeth and larger gullets to make hook angle is less than a crosscut blade’s.
room to clear out the big chips. The • Thin-kerf Blades usually are car- )PPLBOHMF
,FSG ,FSG
tooth profiles are usually all flat. bide-tipped and available in the same
3BLFS
• Crosscut Blades have a much styles as ordinary blades (rip, crosscut " #
# "
smaller hook angle (5°-10°) to remove and combination). However, the plate " #
"
just a little stock because it’s much and teeth are about two-thirds as wide
harder to cut across the grain. Because as an ordinary blade. Because the blade 4BXDVU
1MBUF 1MBUF QSPmMF
the chips are smaller, the gullets can be removes less stock, the table saw does less
smaller too, and this makes room for work and makes a smoother, quicker cut. Triple-chip blade
more teeth. The profiles of the teeth • Alternative-geometry Blades are The triple-chip tooth design includes flat-
alternate right bevel and left bevel in a just starting to make their way into the topped and trapezoidal teeth. The trapezoi-
grind called “alternate-top bevel” (ATB). marketplace. They’re new technology, dal teeth are taller and narrower than the flat
An ATB grind allows each tooth to slice and yet to be proven by the consumer teeth, making a scoring cut to reduce tear-out.
the wood at a slight angle to the grain, market, but the concept has been around This blade excels for work with laminate and
making the cut easier and smoother. in industrial applications for a while. brittle wood materials, including hardboard.
• Combination Blades will perform Rather than just changing the type of
both rip cuts and crosscuts, and their teeth, these new blades change the dis-
design is a compromise between the two tance of separation between the teeth. In )PPLBOHMF
Illustration by Len Churchill
,FSG ,FSG ,FSG

types of blades. The teeth are usually some cases the pattern is almost random,
"
arranged in sets of five. The gullets in and in others it’s mixing rip and crosscut "
# #
# #
each set of five are the same size as on a teeth on the same blade. The payoff is #
crosscut blade; those between the sets more efficient cutting, less vibration and 4BXDVU
1MBUF 1MBUF 1MBUF QSPmMF
are larger, like the gullets on a rip blade. a smoother finished surface.
The profiles of the teeth alternate in a • Dado Blades mount on the saw Combination blade
five-tooth grind as such: right-bevel, left- arbor like a blade, but make a much A combo blade uses both rip and crosscut
bevel, right-bevel, left-bevel, flat. The broader cut. An ordinary saw blade cuts teeth, and can be used reasonably well in
large gullets are in front of the flat teeth. a narrow kerf (1 ⁄8") to reduce waste and either application. There are compromises in
In addition, there are several common the effort required to saw through the quality, but if you’re looking for an all-purpose
types of blades intended for specific jobs. stock. A dado cutter isn’t meant to saw blade, this is it.
popwood.com
TIPS & TRICKS Cam dial
PRO TIP:
Tip to be Square
Chippers
Shims
To make sure your blade is running square

in your saw, you need two measuring tools
– a true straightedge and an accurate try Two common dado sets are a standard dado (right) that uses shims to fine tune the spacing
square. To check that a straightedge is between the chippers. The dial dado (left) uses a cam dial to fine-tune the width, avoiding the
need for shims and allowing for adjustment without removing the blades.
straight, use one edge to draw a line along
its full length. Flip the straightedge face for
face and draw a second line on top of the completely through a board. Rather, it 3. A crosscut blade for cutting stock to
first, using the same edge. Superimposed, cuts a wide kerf with a flat bottom and length. A clean, tear-out-free cut when
the two lines should appear as one. If they square shoulders, and it can create dados, crosscutting makes joinery much easier.
diverge at any point, your straightedge is grooves, rabbets and a number of other In addition, special types of shop
crooked. To check that a square is square, standard woodworking joints. requirements or work will require spe-
place the arm against the edge of a board
The most common dado set is a stack cialty blades, such as thin-kerf or dado
dado (above). These sets include two 6" sets. But these can be added as the need
and use one edge of the rule to draw a line.
or 8"-diameter outer blades (essentially (and the funds) occur.
Flip the square face for face and draw a
smaller saw blades) and a number of
second line right next to the first (shown inner chipper blades that may have four
above), using the same edge. The two lines For the Best Blade Performance
or six teeth per chipper. The outer blades
The table saw is a precision cutting tool.
should be evenly spaced across the board. are 1 ⁄8"-wide, but the chippers vary in
As such, it must be precisely aligned,
If not, your square isn’t square. width to allow adjustments of 1 ⁄32" by
operated and maintained if you’re to get
rearranging the number and type of
the best results possible.
chippers used.
Small problems can have large con-
GREAT TIP: sequences. A rip fence that toes in
What Blades do You Need? slightly toward the blade, a miter gauge
Dado Blade Crib Sheet With all the choices, what sort of blade slot slightly out of line with the blade, a
Every stack dado set is slightly different should you choose? The answer depends tendency to feed the work too quickly or
when the chippers are in place. Rather on the type of woodworking you do. too slowly, or a blade whose teeth have
than measure each time to set up your
However, most craftsmen get by nicely become coated with pitch – all of these
with just three blades: seemingly insignificant problems can
dado set, make a sample board using each
1. A combination blade for general completely ruin a cut.
variation of blades, chippers and shims to
work. You’ll probably keep this on your Before you make any cut, you must be
make a series of shallow dados. Mark the saw 90 percent of the time. Because sure that the working parts (blade, arbor,
block as to what combination of blades you’re likely to use this blade more than trunnions, table, fence and miter gauge)
was used and also mark the resulting any other, it should be a premium blade. are properly aligned to each other. In
dimension of the cut. You may never have 2. A rip blade for cutting stock to Chapter One we covered these impor-
to measure your dado set again. width. Often, at the beginning of a proj- tant initial adjustments.
ect, you’ll find yourself doing a lot of Another important set-up step that
ripping lumber to size. A rip blade will isn’t mentioned often enough is how
make this go faster. high the blade should be. Most manuals
POPULAR WOODWORKING
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
GLUING:
FUNDING FOR THIS SPECIAL ESSION
OF
PULL-OUT POSTER PROVIDED BY
PR
AL
Facts and Fiction
We debunk 9 gluing
myths. How many
did you believe were
actually true?
I
n woodworking, myths abound in gluing
techniques. Maybe it’s because modern
white or yellow glues are not well under-
stood. Some myths may come from old-wives’
tales going back to when glues were made from
animal hides or fish guts. Here we debunk nine
commonly held gluing beliefs.
1. Clamping time is overnight; 24 hours is best.
Not even close. Clamps can be removed from
most kinds of work after 30 to 45 minutes if pieces
are dry and well fitted, and if you’re working at a
temperature above 60°. Although glues require
24 hours or more to reach full strength, significant
strength is achieved in a short period of time.
2. Rougher surfaces make stronger glue joints.
The truth is that smoother surfaces make
stronger joints. While rougher wood has more At least five myths about gluing are debunked in this photo. Can you name all five?
surface, or tooth, from more exposed fibers,
rougher surfaces are actually much weaker. tion on the dry edge. On longer edges or more and that can lead to joint failure. This is why
3. Squeeze-out should dry before it’s removed. complex jobs, apply glue to both sides. laminated structural beams are not made using
Glue squeeze-out should be removed with 6. Over-clamping leads to a glue-starved joint. aliphatic glues.
a water-dampened cloth while it’s still wet, You can’t squeeze out too much glue from 8. It isn’t necessary to alternate clamps over
and before it can cure or penetrate the wood most joints by over-clamping. With short or end and under when using parallel-jaw clamps.
pores. Any dried glue should be removed with grain, like miters, glue starvation is an issue Alternating clamps is always a good practice
a scraper. because glue can be wicked away from the sur- because edge joints may not be perfectly square
4. Wiping glue from joints with a damp cloth face before it dries. To avoid this, apply two coats and clamp pressure may cause the clamp jaw to
weakens joint strength. to each surface with a few minutes of drying time lose some parallelism.
Water from a damp wiping cloth can’t pen- between applications. 9. When gluing up panels, clamps should be
etrate a well-fitted and tightly clamped joint 7. White or yellow glue is fine spaced every 12" to 14".
enough to cause appreciable glue dilution. for bent laminations. On most assemblies, recommended spacing
5. Applying glue to one side of a joint is OK. Because of “glue-line creep,” most aliphatic is 8" to 12" with a clamp within 2" of each end.
Partly true: Apply glue to one edge only on a glues are not recommended for bending lami- Because clamp pressure radiates at 45° angles
small assembly. Such assemblies will be clamped nations on tight curves. The resulting stress on from the clamp heads, wider glue-ups of well-
quickly, allowing the wet glue proper penetra- the joint allows the wood to move at the joint prepared stock actually require fewer clamps.
Illustrated Guide
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Special Pull-out Poster OF

ESSION
sponsored by
PR
AL
to JOINERY
Corner Bridle Joint Long-Grain to Long- Doweled Butt Joint Long-Grain to Long- Butt, End-Grain to
Offers great strength and protection Grain Butt Joint Standard joint for frame work offers poor Grain Biscuit Joint Long-Grain
against racking. Improved gluing surface Woodworking’s most basic joint. With strength because of end-grain to long- Biscuits aid alignment but add no This joint is structurally weak and should
in a cross-grain application. Most easily properly prepared stock that’s glued and grain setup. Adding dowels greatly strength to joint. Biscuits are helpful in be reinforced to avoid failure, particularly
produced on a table saw or band saw. clamped, stronger than wood itself. improves strength and aids alignment. aligning longer panels, i.e. a tabletop. in frame applications.
Butt Spline Joint T-Butt w/Biscuits Through Dado Joint Half-Blind Dovetail Sliding T Dovetail
Inherent lack of strength in a standard butt Improvement over standard butt T, Basic joint often used to join shelves Classic drawer joint offers strength This joint offers great strength for box
joint is greatly improved with the addition by adding biscuits strength is much to cabinet sides or dividers to cabinet and beauty. Is more difficult to cut work. In drawers, joins sides to front.
of a spline. Alignment is also easier. improved and alignment simplified bottoms. Moderate strength, aids than through-dovetail, either by hand
greatly during assembly. alignment but exposes joint. or machine.
Straight Sliding Through Box Dovetail Groove Joint Lap Corner Frame Joint Long-grain-to-long-
Through Dovetail Easier to cut than half-blind, offers great A three-sided trench running with the Less strong than mortise and tenon but grain Miter Joint
Similar to previous, but the joinery is strength and visible joints on both grain (dados run cross grain). This joint stronger than dowels or splines in frame Offers excellent strength. Often used in
primarily used as shown for casework. faces. Used in casework and back of has many uses and can be used with or corners. box building. Can be tricky to cut and
drawer boxes. without glue. align during assembly.
Cope and Stick Joint Short Grain Miter Biscuit Miter Joint Lock Miter Joint Spline Miter Joint
A good joint for making small- and Short-grain to short-grain application Biscuit greatly aids alignment and adds Improvement over standard miter and Alternative to biscuit-reinforced miter;
medium-sized cabinet doors. Essentially offers less strength than long-grain joint, strength in short grain applications. doesn’t require spline or biscuit. Joint improves strength and alignment but
a tongue-and-groove joint with built-in and alignment during assembly is tricky. Biscuit alignment is critical. provides more glue surface, strength and requires careful alignment and making
moulding detail. aids alignment. a good fitting spline.
Blind Mortise & Tenon Haunched Mortise & Rabbet Joint Rabbet & Dado Joint Tongue & Groove Joint
Strong, invisible joint used in frame Tenon Joint A very basic joint for box building, The locking effect of placing a rabbet in A mortise-&-tenon joint cut along the
work. Joint can also be used at corners Similar to blind mortise and tenon the rabbet is an improvement over the a dado joint adds strength by providing length of two boards, this joint is strong
of frames. Can be further reinforced with and used most often with frame-and- butt joint for strength by adding more additional glue surface and provides even when joining long grain. Also
decorative and structural pegs. panel doors. glue surface and helps prevent racking. greater protection against racking. useful without glue, as in case backs.
BEST USE ASSEMBLY REQ’D ACHIEVES STRENGTH WATER WORKING CLEANUP SHELF COMMENTS
TIME CLAMPING FULL STRENGTH RATING RESISTANCE TEMP. RANGE LIFE
TITEBOND Interior woodworking projects 15 min. 1⁄2 hr. 24 hrs. 3,600 psi POOR 50° F Water 2 yrs. Fast grab or tack. Best general purpose
ORIGINAL interior glue. Least expensive.
INTERIOR Long shelf life. Good sandability.
1⁄2 hr.
TITEBOND Interior woodworking projects where 20-25 min. 24 hrs. 3,510 psi POOR 40° F Water 1 yr. Good sandability. Long open time.
ORIGINAL more open time is required. Recommended
EXTEND for larger, more complex assemblies.
TITEBOND II Outdoor woodworking projects where 15 min. 1⁄2 hr. 24 hrs. 3,750 psi EXCELLENT 55° F Water 2 yr. Good sandability. Water resistance.
WEATHERPROOF water resistance is important. Interior OK for indirect food contact, paintable,
projects where contact with food or and provides longer shelf-life.
or water is likely.
Outdoor woodworking projects where 20-25 min. 1⁄2 hr. 24 hrs. 3,840 psi EXCELLENT 60° F Water 2 yr. Long open time. Same characteristics
TITEBOND II
EXTEND long open time is required. Good choice as Titebond II above.
for interior projects where water contact
is likely.
TITEBOND III Outdoor woodworking projects requiring 20-25 min. 1⁄2 hr. 24 hrs. 4,000 psi EXCELLENT 47° F Water 1 yr. Waterproof, best option for most outdoor
WATERPROOF longer assembly time and/or lower projects. Good sandability. Easy clean-up
NEW! application temperature. vs. polyurethane glues.
TIPS & TRICKS
tell you it shouldn’t be too high, but ■ Sharpening PRO TIP:
the number you need to remember is If cleaning the blade doesn’t restore The Company You Keep
between 1 ⁄8" and 1 ⁄4" above the wood’s the edge, the blade probably needs to be
surface. This leaves the teeth at an sharpened. Unfortunately, sharpening a
appropriate height to not only make the carbide blade is not something wood-
cut, but to clear the chips and dust from workers can do in their own shops. There
the cut, while not leaving too much are many facets to the teeth of modern
blade exposed to pose a hazard. blades, and special equipment is needed
to accurately grind and hone these com-
plex angles. It’s best to find a good profes-
Maintenance sional sharpening service and take your
An old woodworking axiom that is quite blades to them as necessary. The type of blade you use on your table saw
true is that your most dangerous tool is a Most stores such as Rockler (800- will determine the quality of the cut, but
dull one. This certainly applies to table 279-4441 or rockler.com) or Woodcraft
what’s around the blade is important, too.
saw blades as well. A dull blade will make (800-225-1153 or woodcraft.com) have
A throat plate designed to fit close around
you force the material past the blade, connections to a sharpening service in
making your stance more awkward and your area. Also Forrest (866-398-9336, or a blade (known as a zero-clearance insert)
increasing the pressure you need to exert forrestsawblades.com) not only sharpens will reduce tear-out on the underside of a
toward a spinning blade. its own blades, but will sharpen other cut and will also be much safer. With one,
To maintain your table saw in peak manufacturer’s blades as well. If none there’s no chance of scrap getting trapped
cutting condition − and safe − blades of these options is preferable, head for near the blade. You can make your own out
must be kept clean and sharp. As you the Yellow Pages and call a local cabinet of good quality plywood, or purchase a few
make each cut, wood pitch builds up on shop. They can recommend someone in (get one for dados as well).
the blade and the teeth lose their sharp your area to do your blade sharpening.
edge. Here’s how to maintain them:
PRO TIP:
■ Cleaning Making Crosscuts & Rips Treat Your Tooling Well
Saw blades must be kept clean and There are three basic saw cuts – cross-
sharp to cut properly. When a blade cuts, rips and miters. Crosscuts are made
ceases to cut well, it’s not always an indi- perpendicular to the grain, rips are made
cation that the teeth are losing their parallel to the grain and miters are cut
edges. Usually, the problem is caused by at angles. None of these require elabo-
accumulated wood pitch on the teeth. To rate jigs or complex techniques; however,
restore the edge, just clean the blade. each type presents special problems you
There are several ways to do this. must deal with to make the cut safely
Woodworkers swear by all sorts of sol- and accurately.
vents – ammonia, baking soda dissolved
■ Crosscuts
in water, turpentine, mineral spirits and
Of the three, these are probably the
even vegetable oil. My own favorite (and
most troublesome to make on a table This may sound a little simplistic, but it’s
many saw blade manufacturers agree this
saw. To cut across the grain, you must still true. When a blade is not mounted on
is fine) is oven cleaner. The blade doesn’t
move the board sideways, perpendicular
have to be warm, as the directions might the saw it must be stored to protect the
to its length. The longer the board, the
lead you to believe. Just spray the cleaner teeth. Even though the carbide is a tough
harder this is to do. To make an accurate
on the teeth, wait a few seconds and cutting surface, it’s still fragile. Teeth from
crosscut, you must use equipment (such
wipe it off with a damp cloth. Then, after other blades banging together, or blades
as miter gauges) and techniques that
cleaning the blade, wax and buff the inadvertently banging into any steel around
improve balance and control.
plate to help the blade run cooler and the table saw, can easily chip and damage
keep it clean longer. ■ Rips the cutting edge of your expensive blades.
There are also a number of “environ- These cuts are the easiest because it’s
When storing or sending the blades out for
mentally friendly” blade cleaners (often a lot simpler to feed a board parallel to its
sharpening, either keep them in their origi-
citrus-based) available that also do a length. Unfortunately, table saws aren’t
good job. They take a little more time or as deep as they are wide, so you need nal packaging, or build a simple plywood
effort, but they’re less a danger to your to find a way to control the outfeed to box to protect your investment.
skin and the environment. maintain accuracy.
popwood.com
TIPS & TRICKS Ripping Lumber Crosscutting Lumber
SAFETY TIP: 1 Ripping a piece of solid lumber
is simpler than ripping plywood,
One We Hope You Know
but there is more poten-
There is absolutely no reason for you to tial for danger because the
ever make a cut (crosscut or rip cut) on stress in a solid wood board
your table saw without some type of guid- can pinch the blade when it’s
ing mechanism. Whether that’s a rip fence, ripped. Roller stands are rec-
ommended
miter gauge or miter sled, never make a
(you can’t see
cut on the table saw freehand. You will mine in the
most certainly get hurt. photos) and
should be 1 When crosscutting a board, the substantially
positioned to support both thinner width of the piece (and not enough
PRO TIP: pieces coming off the saw. width to ride adequately against the fence)
To start the cut, you should requires us to use a miter gauge rather than
Crosscut Both Ends to Square be positioned at the rear corner of the board, the fence. Note the gauge in our photos is not
Cutting a board to length seems simple supporting the back end with your right hand. standard equipment. We recommend either
enough, but almost as important as getting Your left hand (at the center of the board) pro- adding a backing board at least 24" long to
vides pressure against the fence, keeping it your stock miter gauge or purchasing an after-
the board the right length is making sure
flush to the fence. The arrows indicate the market gauge.
the ends are square to the sides. Don’t direction I’m applying pressure. Start by checking to make sure your miter
worry, it’s simple. First make sure your gauge is square to the blade. Then align your
fence or miter gauge is cutting square to cut and support the board against the gauge
2 Walk the board slowly into the with one hand on the gauge and the other
the blade. Before cutting the board to final
blade, keeping the edge flush stretching across the piece to hold it tightly
length, trim 1 ⁄ 2" off one end of the board, along the length of the fence. against the gauge. If your piece is too wide
then flip it end-for-end and measure to When your left hand reaches to reach across, it’s smart to clamp the piece
make your final cut on the uncut end. the edge of the saw, allow against the gauge during the cut.
it to slide
backward
SAFETY TIP: along the
length of
No Rip Fence For Crosscutting
the board,
maintaining pressure
against the fence. Maintain
this support until the back
end of the board reaches the edge of the
saw table.
3 Grab your push stick and

2 Guide the gauge and board into and past the
place it on the back edge
blade.
of the piece
between
the blade
and fence.
Apply pres-
Never use the rip fence as a stop for cross-
sure for-
cutting. The cut-off pieces will be pinched ward and slightly toward
between the blade and the fence, and the the fence with the push
saw will fling them back at you. Instead, stick as you continue the
use a stop block – sometimes called a cut. Your left hand should only
“stand-off block” – mounted to the rip be used to apply minimal guiding pressure on
the fall-off piece until the piece is separated, 3 Once the board is cut through, allow the fall-
fence behind the blade location to gauge
then move your left hand out of the way. Once off piece to lie in place. With your left hand,
your length and safely make the cut. the keeper board is clear of the blade and push the board away from the blade, sliding it
guard, turn your attention to the fall-off piece along the gauge. Then turn the saw off. Once
and push it safely forward, again using the the blade stops spinning, pull the fall-off piece
push stick. away from the blade.
POPULAR WOODWORKING
Ripping Plywood Crosscutting Plywood
All About Carbide
1 Ripping a 4'x8' sheet Most woodworkers prefer a saw blade with
of plywood on a contrac- carbide teeth. They cut cleaner and hold a
tor saw is possible, but sharp edge longer than steel. But let’s take
requires finesse. Roller
a look at what carbide is and how it’s made.
stands are a must, and
they should be Carbide starts as a fine blend of either
positioned to tungsten, titanium or tantalum powder (or
support the some combination), carbon powder, and a
largest piece binding agent (usually cobalt).
coming off the
Carbide is graded according to the grain
saw, or preferably both
pieces. To start the cut, you 1 Crosscutting a sheet of plywood on a con- size and the hardness. For woodworking, a
should be positioned near the tractor saw is a task safely accomplished with softer grade of carbide is preferable (such
rear corner of the sheet, supporting the rear the use of roller stands. Here you see one stand as C-1 or C-2). If a harder grade (C-4) is
with your right hand while your left hand pro- positioned to one side of the table saw and used, it may be brittle and wear too fast.
vides pressure against the fence and aligns the another positioned at the outfeed side. When
The photo (below) shows a carbide edge
sheet flush to the fence. With the piece pushed using the rip fence, don’t crosscut a piece less
than 18" wide and more than 48" long. There at the microscopic
nearly up to the blade, check the fit against the
fence again, then slowly walk the sheet into is too much chance of the board shifting and level. While this
the blade. becoming pinched. Start by standing in the is a sharp edge,
center. Keep your eye on the fence and keep the grains have a
2 As you move forward, the board tight against it. Again, arrows indi-
keep your eye on the
ridged appearance.
cate where my hands are applying pressure.
fence to keep the sheet Smaller-grained
Photo courtesy of Freud

flush along the fence. carbide gives a
As the balance more precise (less
of the weight ridged) edge.
of the sheet is
Wax and ethanol
transferred to
the saw table are then added to the powder and carefully
you can shift your mixed and blended for days. The wax holds
position to the rear of the carbide slurry in shape before heating,
the sheet, supporting while the ethanol is present only to help the
from the back, but still
powder mix evenly.
maintaining pressure against the fence with
your left hand. Continue to push the sheet for-
The slurry is then dried in a nitrogen
ward, paying attention to the point when the 2 Maintain the center position as you push the atomizer. This evaporates the ethanol and
sheet contacts your roller stand (to make sure board through the blade. Keep your eye on by using nitrogen, there is no chance of oxi-
it’s riding on the stand, not pushing it over), the fence. While your instinct is to control the dation (rusting) occurring in the powder.
then continue the cut. My roller stand is not whole board, the part between the fence and
The dried powder is then pressed (using
visible in the photos. blade needs all your attention.
tons of pressure per square inch) into the
3 At the end of the cut, appropriate tooth shape, but the teeth are
let the waste left oversized as carbide shrinks during
piece to come
heating. Even after this immense amount of
to a rest.
Then push pressure, the carbide shapes are very brit-
the piece tle and can be easily broken apart between
between the your fingers. You can actually write with the
fence and blade clear carbide as with a piece of chalk.
of the blade, careful
The carbide pieces are then heated (sin-
not to extend your
reach over the blade.
tered) at 2,700° Fahrenheit for 14 hours,
Lift the piece up and 3 Once the board has cleared the blade, let the and cooled using argon gas for another six
over the fence. Then fall-off piece lay where it is and carefully push hours. The carbide shapes are brazed to the
continue to push the the piece between the fence and blade past the body of the cutting tool and finally ground to
waste piece forward and away from the blade blade and onto the roller stand. Keep the piece their ultimate shape.
until it clears the blade and guard. flush against the fence until the piece is clear.
— David Thiel
Then lift the fall-off piece out of the way.
popwood.com
JIG JOURNAL
Tapering Jig
tapering jig consists of two
A long arms, hinged together at

one end. A ledge is glued to
one arm near the end opposite the
hinge. A metal brace lets you adjust
and lock the angle between the two
arms. The arm without the ledge
guides the jig along the rip fence, while Insert another screw through the slot in
the other holds the stock at an angle to the brace and drive it into the guiding
the saw blade. arm. You may have to experiment with
To make the jig, cut the parts to size the placement of this second screw. Find
and drill a hole for the handle in the the location that allows you to open the
holding arm. Glue the ledge to the hold- arms as wide as possible, but keeps the
ing arm and the grip to the guiding arm. end of the brace from straying over the
When the glue is dry, install the hinge outside edge of the guiding arm when
that holds the two arms together. you close the jig.
Purchase a curved box lid support To lock the arms in place, open or
and remove the metal mounts from the close them to the desired angle. Then
brace. Using a panhead screw, fasten tighten both of the panhead screws.
the fixed end of the brace to the hold-
ing arm, a few inches from the ledge.
Tighten the screw until it’s snug, but
not so tight that the brace can’t pivot.
Handle
Hinge
Grip blocks
Ledge
Guiding arm
Holding arm
Exploded view
Illustration by Mary Jane Favorite
24"
Variable
5⁄8"
Lid support bracket
2"
3⁄4"
1"
3⁄4"
Plan 1"-dia. dowel 1⁄4"

1
4" 2" 1"
1" dia. x
3" 7" 1⁄2" dp. hole
31⁄4"
Strap 2" #14 x 1" lg. 53⁄4"
11⁄4" 3"
hinge PHS (typ)
11⁄2"
3⁄4"
3⁄4"
3⁄4" 2"
2"
Elevation
Profile
POPULAR WOODWORKING
Queen Anne
Side Table
Part 2: Building the base.

My detailed finishing techniques
will allow you to complete this
beautiful period piece.
n the October 2004 issue I showed you the steps to
I create the cabriole legs for this classic Massachusetts

Queen Anne side table. In this article I’ll walk you
through the steps to attach the aprons, build the drawer
and apply a beautiful finish to complete the project.
Photo by Al Parrish
If you missed the legs article, I’ve included an abbre-

viated version of how to build them on page 67. The
necessary pattern to create the legs is available online at
popwood.com. Click on the “Magazine Extras” link.
by Glen Huey
Glen builds custom furniture in Middletown, Ohio, for Malcolm L.
Huey & Son, teaches woodworking and is a contributing editor for
Popular Woodworking. He also is the author of two books, “Building
Fine Furniture” and “Fine Furniture for a Lifetime” (Popular
Woodworking Books). See more of his work at hueyfurniture.com.
popwood.com 61
Dovetails, Tenons and Finery back and sides. Because these
At the end of the cabriole legs boards are so wide, the double
article, we had completed the tenon allows for wood expan-
shaping of the legs and had made sion, and avoids cracks or splits
the mortises to accept the back, in the aprons.
sides and lower front apron. Once the tenons are cut, use
The front top rail is attached the patterns at right to lay out the
to each leg with a single dovetail. decorative details on the aprons.
Lay out and cut a 1 ⁄2"-long x 3 ⁄4"- This is actually simple work and
Step photos by the author
deep dovetail into each leg for the can be done using a band saw or,
front top rail. Then use the com- if necessary, a jigsaw. Take your
pleted pin socket to create the tail time making the cuts, and then
on the two ends of the top rail. carefully sand the profiles to re-
Next, you need to cut tenons move the saw marks. It’s tempting
Here you can see that I used a Forstner bit to remove the majority of the on the back, sides and front apron. to gloss over this step, but once the
waste, then I hand-cut the dovetail socket. Transfer these shapes to the rail to Use the mortises cut in the leg finish is on the table, any leftover
complete the joinery on the top rail.
posts to size the tenons. Notice saw marks will detract from the
that I used double tenons for the final appearance of the project.
Waste
To make the double tenon, first form one complete tenon on the ends, then After laying out the pattern for the apron details, use either a band saw or
use a hand saw to divide the tenons. Then chisel out the center. jigsaw to cut out the pattern, then sand the edges smooth.
Mortise Extender Mortise
The front apron extender fits between the front legs and has a mortise on The frame is glued together in stages. Install the sides in the front frame
either end that will hold the drawer runners in position. mortises, putting glue only in the front frame. Then place the back frame in
position (without glue) to hold everything while clamping the front joints.

Careful Steps to Glue-up semblies are in the clamps, use Cut 1 ⁄4" x 1" x 1 ⁄2" tenons on one HSJE
With most tables it makes sense the time to make the front apron end of the runners, which will fit
to glue things up in stages rather extender. The front apron extend- into the front mortises in the front
than trying to fit everything to- er simply has 1 ⁄4" x 1" x 1 ⁄2"-deep apron extender.
gether at once. It makes it easier to mortises on each end to receive Then cut the drawer guide
check the fit of the piece without the drawer runners. It fits between pieces to length and nail them
having to hurry. the legs, extending the apron to to the outer side of either drawer
This table is no exception. make it even with the inside sur- runner. Check the fit.
First, do a dry-fit on the table face of the legs. Attach the front Now glue the back assembly
pieces to make sure everything apron extender to the apron with to the sides (glue the front of the
aligns properly. Then start the glue as shown at left. drawer runners but leave the back
glue-up by first assembling the The next operation is to attach loose) and clamp everything to-
back apron and two rear legs. the side aprons to the front only. gether, again squaring the case.
Then assemble the front legs, the Do not glue the back assembly at Let everything dry, then level
front apron and the top rail. Set this point. All you want to do is the drawer runner units from the
these two assemblies aside and apply glue in the front mortises front to the back of the case on
allow the glue to dry. and to the front tenons. Slip the each side. It’s also important that
While the front and back as- sides into place and then put the the drawer runners are parallel
back assembly in position (with- to one another. Otherwise the
out glue), and clamp and square drawer will rock on its runners.
the assembly. Attach the drawer runners to the
rear legs with reproduction nails,
Guiding the Drawer as shown on page 64.
The single drawer slides in the
table on wood runners that have Building the Drawer
side guides attached to keep things You’re now ready to build the
straight and smooth. drawer. Start by milling and cut-
After the glue in the sides/front ting the drawer parts. I use tradi-
assembly is dry, remove the back tional half-blind dovetail joints
assembly and make the drawer at the front of the drawer and
runner and drawer-guide units. through-dovetails at the rear.
Guide
Half-apron pattern
Runner
HSJE
,OFF
CMPDL
The two-piece drawer guides are

installed next. The runner has a
tenon on its front end sized to fit into
the apron extender’s mortises. The
guide piece is simply nailed to the Half-side pattern
runner. Then glue the back assembly
in place, leaving the runner/guide
loose at the rear for now. Inside-corner joinery
popwood.com 63
The joinery on the drawer is
actually one of the more com-
plicated steps in the project, but
because there’s only one drawer,
3 ⁄ 8” lip
it’s a great chance to practice your
hand-cut dovetails. (Editor’s note:
for detailed technique informa-
tion, check out “Four Good Ways
to Build Drawers” in our October
With the frame assembled, measure to double check 2004 issue.)
your drawer dimensions, then mill the pieces. The drawer The drawer front is lipped on
After the frame is complete, the runners can be leveled is assembled with through-dovetails at the back and three sides (all but the bottom)
and nailed in place to the inside of the leg. half-blind dovetails at the front. and overlays the front of the table,
as shown above.
Once you have completed the
dovetail joinery, cut a 1 ⁄ 4" x 1 ⁄ 4"

groove into the drawer sides and

front to capture the drawer bot-
tom. Then assemble the drawer.
Now mill the 5⁄8"-thick bottom

to fit the drawer by beveling it on

three sides. This will allow the
bottom to slide into the drawer
groove. You will need to make a
relief cut in the bottom (as shown
above right), which will allow you
to nail the bottom to the drawer
back. Mark the height of the relief
cut, slide the bottom out of the
drawer and make the relief cut.
Install the bottom using a single
reproduction nail.
Elevation Profile
Add a Knee
The table base is essentially
QUEEN ANNE SIDE TABLE complete, but the legs are actu-
NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL COMMENTS
ally missing an important part
T W L
− their knees. The knee blocks
❏ 4 Legs 23 ⁄ 4 23 ⁄ 4 281⁄4 Cherry blend the cabriole legs into the
❏ 6 Knee blocks 11⁄2 1
1 2 ⁄ 2 Cherry apron. When making the legs
❏ 2 Sides 3 ⁄4 73 ⁄ 8 113 ⁄4 Cherry 11⁄4" TBE there’s no good way to incorporate
❏ 1 Front apron 3 ⁄4 31⁄4 24 Cherry 11⁄4" TBE the knee blocks into the original
❏ 1 Top rail 3 ⁄4 17⁄8 221⁄2 Cherry 1 ⁄ 2" dovetail BE shape and material of the legs, so
❏ 1 Back 3 ⁄4 73 ⁄ 8 24 Cherry 11⁄4" TBE the knee blocks are traditionally
❏ 1 Front apron extender 3 ⁄4 11⁄8 211⁄2 Cherry added after the legs are shaped.
❏ 2 Drawer runners 3 ⁄4 1 103 ⁄4 Poplar 1 ⁄ 2" TOE Even though the knee blocks
❏ 2 Drawer guides 1⁄2 3
1 8 ⁄ 91 ⁄ 8 Poplar are additions, it’s still a good idea
❏ 1 Drawer front 7⁄ 8 5
3 8 ⁄ 221⁄8 Cherry 3 ⁄ 8" lip, 3 sides to try for a nearly seamless grain
❏ 2 Drawer sides 1⁄2 1
3 4 ⁄ 111⁄2 Poplar match to help continue the illu-
❏ 1 Drawer back 1⁄2 1
2 2 ⁄ 213 ⁄8 Poplar sion. After selecting the best grain
❏ 1 Drawer bottom 5 ⁄8 11 21 Poplar pattern for the knee blocks, there
❏ 1 Top 3 ⁄4 141⁄4 31 Cherry are three steps in making them.
❏ 5 Wood clips 3 ⁄4 7⁄ 8 21⁄2 Poplar First, cut the knee blocks to
TBE = tenons both ends; BE = both ends; TOE = tenon one end size. There are two knee blocks

Relief cut
The bottom is
a traditional
5 ⁄ 8"-thick piece,
SUPPLIES
beveled on three Horton Brasses
sides to fit the 800-754-9127 or
grooves in the horton-brasses.com
drawer sides and 3 • Nails, 11 ⁄2" reproduction
front. The back #N-7, $2 per 1 ⁄4 lb.
edge overlaps
2 • Drawer pulls
the drawer back
#C-602S, $7 each
and is nailed in
place through 2 • Drawer escutcheons
the relief cut. #C-602SE, $4 each
Woodcraft Supply
800-535-4482 or
woodcraft.com
1 • Behlen Wool-Lube, 16 oz.,
#18Y61, $6.99
per front leg and one for each back place. When dry, final sand the
1 • Hock Blonde Dewaxed
leg. No knee blocks are required entire surface to #180 grit.
Shellac, 1 lb. bag
at the rear of the table. #143155, $19.99
Next, align each knee block in Topping it All Off
place next to the leg and against The top is one of the last steps and Woodworker’s Supply Inc.
the rail (or side). Mark each knee while you’ve spent a significant 800-645-9292 or
woodworker.com
block where the curve of the leg amount of time getting the legs
terminates at the block, and also and aprons perfect, the top is the 1 • J.E. Moser’s Water Based
where the profile on the apron or most visible part of the table. Aniline Dye Stain,
Early American Cherry ,
sides meets each knee block. Each Because you’re likely making
4 oz., #W14304, $16.39
knee block may have a slightly dif- the top from more than one board,
ferent fit to the legs, so it’s neces- make sure your wood and grain Rockler
sary to hand fit each and mark selection offers the best pattern Woodworking & Hardware
them accordingly. and color match. 800-279-4441 or rockler.com
Finally, trace the profile of the Once the top is milled, glued 1 • Sanding sponges,
knee block from the pattern on and has been cut to final size, it’s extra fine, #23163,
The knee blocks complete the shape $2.49 each
page 63 onto the other side of the time to form the profile on the
of the leg and tie the legs to the
block, aligning the shape with the edge of the top. Use a 3 ⁄16" bead- aprons. Pay particular attention to
Prices as of publication deadline.
termination marks you carried ing bit on the top edge and a 1 ⁄4" grain direction when fitting these
over from the legs and sides. Then roundover bit on the lower edge to pieces.
cut and sand to the final profile, create the profile. Go ahead and
and glue the knee blocks in place. sand the top to a finished smooth-
The legs are now complete. ness with #180-grit sandpaper.
To finish off the case, I added To attach the top to the case,
square pegs in the legs to add I used wooden L-shaped clips
strength and a traditional detail. (sometimes called “buttons”)
Mark the peg locations (to inter- slipped into slots in the aprons.
sect the apron tenons in the leg Use a biscuit joiner to cut the 1 ⁄4"
mortises) then drill holes for the slots into the sides and back, down
1 ⁄ 4" square pegs. 1 ⁄ 2" from the top edge. To make
Make the pegs from a harder the slot wide enough at full depth,
wood than your table. I used make two cuts adjacent to one an-
oak pegs for my cherry table and other at each location.
though the finished look is square, Make the wooden clips to at-
Delicate edge treatments with a
I rounded and tapered the lead- tach the top as shown on page router give the top a sophisticated
ing end of the pegs to make them 66. Screw the clips in place on To continue the authentic details on profile. Use a 3 ⁄16" beading bit on
easier to insert. Apply a bit of glue the underside of the top, with the this piece, square pegs reinforce the the top edge and a 1⁄4" roundover
to the holes and tap the pegs into clips located in the center of each leg-to-apron joint. bit on the bottom.
popwood.com 65
“softening” any hard corners or Once you have given it a good
edges on the table with a piece soaking, let it sit for five to 10
of #100- or #120-grit sandpaper. minutes and wipe away any ex-
Sharp edges are a true sign of an cess stain. If you don’t have any to
“almost finished” project and will wipe away, you didn’t thoroughly
show wear quicker. saturate the piece.
Let the dye dry completely,
Puttin’ on the Ritz and sand the table with #320-
Now you’re ready to mix and apply grit wet/dry sandpaper. It’s easy
the stain. I use Moser’s stains and to sand through the stain around
mix them very scientifically – one the corners and edges, so be care-
ounce of powder to four cups of ful sanding these areas.
water. That’s it. Heat the water At this point, if you’re color-
until you see small bubbles rising ing a figured wood like the curly
Attach the top to the table frame at the rear using L-shaped wooden clips. The
from the bottom of the pan. Place cherry used on this table, you may
tongue of the clip slips into 1⁄4" grooves cut in the aprons with a biscuit joiner.
the powder into an opaque con- choose to apply a coat of boiled
tainer to minimize the reaction to linseed oil. The oil sinks into
slot. To hold the top in place at wood. This makes the surface sunlight and add the water when the grain of the wood and adds
the front of the case, drive three rough and also affects the absorp- it reaches the proper tempera- depth to the finish. Simply apply
screws through pre-drilled clear- tion of the stain into the wood. ture. Replace the lid and shake a soaking coat of the oil with a
ance holes up through the front Rather than raise the grain the mixture. foam brush. Let the oil steep for
top rail, as shown above. while you’re trying to apply an When the mixture is cool you five minutes and wipe the surface
even finish, raise the grain prior can begin coloring the wood. The dry. Remember to properly dispose
Why Dye? to staining by wetting the entire basic rule of thumb here is to satu- of the used rags. Give the oiled
After spending so much time and piece with a cloth that is dripping rate the entire piece. Apply the piece 36 hours to cure.
care building your table, you want wet. Then let the piece dry and dye until it runs off of the table.
to make sure you devote the same sand a second time with #180-grit You want to see pooling on the Topping It Off
care to your finish. paper to knock down the “fuzzies” flat surfaces and sometimes this You’re now ready to apply your top-
My preference for adding color that the water raised. will require an immediate second coat. I used a sprayed-on blonde
to a piece is water-based aniline Next, spend a few minutes application of the color. shellac finish. For use in my HVLP
dye stains. They’re much easier to
mix and to clean up afterwards,
and the water-based dye stains are
more light-resistant (less likely to
fade in normal sunlight) than the
oil- or alcohol-based varieties.
They’re also easy to apply, whereas
alcohol-based stains can some-
times leave streaking.
Water-based dyes can be ap-
plied by spraying or brushing with
equally impressive results. The
secret (if you can call it a secret)
is to follow the correct procedure
when using either method.
Sand and Water Treatment

Begin the process by sanding the
entire piece to #180 grit. Don’t go
any further because it will be time
lost and may actually affect the
appearance of the finish. Why? All the fitting and sanding have created a nice piece of furniture, but it still needs a replica finish. Don’t try and short-
Because water-based aniline dye circuit this last step. Even though the piece is sanded, in order to apply a water-based finish, first wipe down the entire
stains will raise the grain on the piece with a wet rag, then sand again before applying the stain.

spraying system, I mixed the shel- 10 STEPS TO MAKING THE LEGS
lac to a 2-pound cut then sprayed
three coats, allowing each coat to
1 Download the full-size leg pattern online at 7 Shape the legs using a rasp. Round the ankle to a
popwood.com. (Click on the “Magazine Extras” complete diameter and then gradually move up the
dry thoroughly and sanding with
link.) Transfer it to a piece of 1⁄4" plywood. Cut the leg by transitioning to a square at the knee. Follow
#400-grit paper between coats. pattern out. Mark two connecting sides of each leg the rasp with scrapers and sand the leg to #180 grit.
Sand the entire piece again. blank, knees touching, then cut the legs to length.
Here, I like to use a #400-grit 8 Locate, mark and cut the single and double 1⁄4" x
sanding sponge. They don’t allow 2 At the table saw, make two crosscuts per leg to 2" x 11⁄4"-deep mortises on the legs.
define the top edge of the knee. Cut only on the two
as much heat to build up at your
sides that are patterned and cut just deep enough
9 Head back to the band saw and cut away the
fingertips. Then finally apply an waste at the leg posts. Spin the leg 90° and make
(about 7⁄8") to reach the edge of the pattern.
additional two coats of shellac. the second cut.
Shellac has a shiny appear- 3 Use the band saw to cut the pattern on one
side, stopping in the middle to leave a small uncut
10 Cut the knee blocks to size. Align the block
ance when it’s applied. I prefer a in place next to the knee of the leg and trace the
softer satin finish, and this can bridge section so the piece stays attached. Turn the
height of the knee profile onto the block. Cut that
blank 90° and cut the second side. Then cut away
be achieved by rubbing out the profile at the band saw and
the bridges and remove the waste on both sides.
finish with #0000 steel wool and then sand it to shape. Trace the
Repeat the process on the other three legs.
Behlen’s wool lube. profile of the knee block from
Here’s how: Let the piece dry 4 Mark the center of the top and bottom of each the pattern onto the other side
for 24 to 48 hours, then mix a bit of leg blank and mount the leg on the lathe. At your of the block. Then
the wool lube into water, dampen slowest speed, turn the foot to a 21⁄2"-diameter just cut and sand to the
to the top edge of the foot (11⁄8"). You will need to final profile. Glue
HSJE
the steel wool and rub the surface
stop the lathe and remove the waste material at the the blocks in place
in the direction of the grain. After
rear of the foot with a chisel. and the legs are
a few minutes wipe the surface ready for the rest of
with a dry cloth. If the finish looks 5 Define the curve of the top of the foot. Then cut the table. Knee-block
smooth and satiny, you’re there. the 1 ⁄ 8" pad to a 13 ⁄ 4" diameter. Finally, roll the pattern
If not, repeat the steps again. Rub foot edge to the pad to complete the shape of the
foot. Now, turn the other three legs to match the
the entire table in the same man-
first one.
ner and then give it a coat of good
paste wax for added protection. 6 Flatten the top of the foot so that the foot transi-
If you were to choose to brush tions smoothly into the ankle of the leg. A spindle
on the shellac instead of spraying, sander can speed the process along.
I would adjust the shellac to a 3-
pound cut. Use a good brush (in
general, the better the brush, the
smoother the finish) and apply
two coats of finish. Sand the
piece thoroughly and brush on a
third coat. Repeat these steps for
a fourth and fifth coat, then move
to the “rub-out” steps.
A Job Well Done

If you’ve followed all the steps
correctly, you now have one of
the most pleasing examples of
Queen Anne furniture sitting in
front of you. You’ve accomplished
a complicated piece of furniture
in a fairly simple manner – and
Then rotate the leg to the other
you’ve earned your bragging
patterned face and make the cuts,
rights. Enjoy! PW completely cutting away the waste
Trace the pattern onto perpendic- Cut the pattern on one face, workpieces. Finally, go back and finish
ular faces of the leg blank, choos- ing in from either end, leaving the the stopped cuts on the first face to
ing the best grain pattern. waste attached for now. complete the leg.
popwood.com 67
A Bit of Heaven
A quick tune-up of your auger bits will produce astonishing results.
I
f you’re like most woodwork- up for use. It was easy enough to
ers, an occasion has come up find a decent brace at the local Shank Twist Head
where you had to drill an odd flea market, so I pulled a bit out
hole but only the brace and bit and started turning.
will do the job. The experience was amazing. Tang
These tools are so common With minimal effort I made
that most woodworkers seem a perfectly clean hole. At that Shown is an Irwin-pattern auger bit. There are a few different patterns, but
to acquire or inherit one with moment I was in my special place. all auger bits have the same parts: the head, twist, shank and tang.
some accessories. So you pull This is when I realized that this
your brace out of the bottom of experience is available to any Lead Screw – The lead screw This happens because one of the
your toolbox, but its mechanism woodworker willing to buy good is the part of the bit that has screw three things the bit does (pulling,
is gummed up. After some judi- bits and learn to maintain them. threads and starts the hole. If you scoring and cutting) is inefficient.
cious oiling, it finally turns. Next In this article, I will show you work mostly in hardwoods, a fine- But more about this later.
comes the great auger bit search, what to look for in purchasing thread lead screw is better because
during which various piles of bits bits and a little about the differ- it doesn’t pull through the wood
are made: The sawed-off tang pile, ent varieties out there. so quickly and allows the rest of
the bent pile, the rusted blob pile the bit to do its job. Bits with a
and the halfway-decent pile. (And Auger Bit Anatomy coarse screw (sometimes referred
don’t forget the “what is it?” pile At flea markets, garage sales, auc- to as a “fast screw”) work best in
and the “I can’t believe I bought tions and on eBay.com, auger bits softer woods such as pine. If you
that” pile.) are abundant and pretty inexpen- use a coarse lead screw in oak,
Eventually, with the bit secured sive. But before you start your col- for example, there’s a greater
in the brace, you attempt to drill lection, there are few important chance of the bit clogging
a hole. Tension grows. Perspira- facts to know. up or you having great
tion sets in. Muscles that haven’t Diameter – The first thing difficulty in turning
been used in years scream for to understand is how auger bits the brace’s handle.
mercy. Finally boards fly and the are sized. On most bits there’s a
bit bends. Oh well, it’s just another number stamped on the square
bit for the bent pile. section of the tang. That num-
This kind of experience is ber represents the diameter of the
enough to scare off most wood- bit in 16ths of an inch. So a “4”
workers, but it doesn’t have to be represents 4 ⁄16"; or, when properly
that way. As I was learning to use reduced, 1 ⁄4". A typical set of bits
hand tools in my work I was lucky will include 13 sizes, from 1 ⁄4"
enough to purchase a complete to 1" in diameter.
set of Russell Jennings auger bits
that were sharp and perfectly set
by Samuel Peterson
Samuel Peterson is a traditional wood-
worker who enjoys building period fur-
niture the old way. His varied interests
are brought out in the sometimes obscure
topics he writes about.

popwood.com
69
major players of the last century.
Some of these are Russell Jen-
nings, Irwin, Swan, Greenlee
and Stanley. These manufactur-
Illustrations from “How to Select Use and Care for Bits,”
ers took pride in producing qual-

ity bits, and many times a wooden
case is included to store and pro-
produced by The Irwin Auger Bit Co.
tect them. Complete sets are avail-

able on the Internet, often selling
for less than it would cost to pur-
chase the bits separately.
Auger Bit Maintenance

There are four steps to tuning up
In general, auger bits can be found with three different lead screws, fast, medium and fine. The fast screw is for softer an auger bit. Before you tune up a
woods and the fine screw is for hardwoods. The medium screw works well in both. nice example, it’s best to practice
on an old rusted one. Tuning them
up isn’t difficult, but excessive fil-
Tang – A sad fact of life is that chuck and its shaft will slip off the have either one or two cutting ing can ruin them.
many people have hack-sawed off brace. Now you can chuck this old lips, with two being the most Lead Screw – When an auger
the four-sided tang of many tra- chuck in your modern chuck, and common arrangement. These fails to cut, the lead screw is usu-
ditional auger bits to be able to any tanged bit can be used. lips work like the blade in a hand ally jammed up with wood that
chuck them into a power drill. When buying used, avoid bits plane. The scoring wings of the has been compressed and packed
Although this act is considered that are bent, badly rusted or bit define the hole’s edge, the lead between the threads. Many bits
high treason by many hand-tool mangled. (It will be better for your screw pulls the bit into the work are found at garage sales in this
purists, it shouldn’t stop you from long-term mental health.) and chews up the center of the very condition. The screw threads
purchasing the bit if the rest of the Scoring Wings – Half-oval- hole, and the cutting lips plane the need to be clean, both on the
bit it is in good shape. These bits shaped scoring cutters that are waste wood between the center peaks and the valleys. Try wet-
work well in power drills, easily generally called wings, flukes or hole and outside diameter. Look ting a strong length of thread and
outworking modern bits. spurs are at the cutting end of for cutting lips that haven’t been pulling it through a cloth filled
It’s possible to use tanged bits the bit. These score the wood on filed much and are free of major with an abrasive household clean-
in a modern drill without remov- the outside diameter of the hole, nicks or damage. er (such as Comet). Then use the
ing the square tang. Here’s how: allowing the cutting lips in the If you’re looking for quality thread like dental floss to clean
Salvage a two-jaw chuck from center of the bit to remove the brands, I prefer to stick with the between the bit’s threads and use
an inexpensive ratcheting hand waste wood. The wings should be
brace. In the groove of the ratch- fairly tall, between one-third and
et gear is a pin that secures the one-half the length of the bit’s Use an auger-
chuck to the shaft. If you care- lead screw. Sharpen here bit file to
fully knock the pin out, the entire Cutting Lips – The bit will sharpen only
the inside edges
of the spurs.
Sharpening the
outside of the
spur can render
the bit useless.
Auger bit files
are available
from Tools for
Working Wood
Not here (see the Supplies
box).
This classic illustration from an old Irwin publication shows the parts of the
auger bit’s head.

Safe edge
Here’s the right way to sharpen the cutting lip. File the cutting lip only on the Auger-bit files are extraordinarily useful tools because they have so-called
side shown and try to maintain the same factory-set geometry of the lip. Your “safe” areas, or places where there are no teeth. Here you can see the file
goal is a consistent burr on the other side of the cutting lip. Remove that burr teeth on the face with none on the edge. The other end of the file has the
with one pass of the file or with a small slipstone. reverse set-up.
the same cloth to clean the peaks As with all sharpening, strive And Then to the Brace the 10" brace, with 8" braces espe-
of the screw. to remove the least amount of Once you obtain a good set of cially nice for cabinetwork. Many
Scoring Wings – Because the metal possible. Place the lead auger bits, you are going to start braces will ratchet, allowing them
wings slice, it’s important that screw down on a scrap of wood and thinking about upgrading your to be used in tight spots.
they do their job before the cut- file the cutting lip as shown above. hand brace. There are many types Tuning an auger bit is a quick
ting lips get to the wood. That is Maintain the lip’s original cutting and sizes. The “throw” is generally operation, and the results last for
why it is important that they are angle as best you can. Take a few how a brace is sized. The throw many years under normal use.
tall enough to do this. Make sure strokes until you can feel a burr on is how far out the handle is from Once you start enjoying the sim-
that they are smooth and quite the other face of the cutting lip. the chuck, measured in inches. ple brace and bit, just wait until
sharp. When you sharpen them Stop filing. Remove that burr with The “sweep,” another common you find out about the rest of the
with a file, you must only file the a single light stroke of your file or a term for sizing braces, is twice the universe of boring tools: Ultima-
inside edge of the scoring wings, slipstone. It’s also important that throw. A brace with a 5" throw has tum braces, ratcheting braces,
otherwise you’ll reduce the diam- the spirals (commonly called the a 10" sweep, for example. spoon bits, expansive bits, hol-
eter at the head of the bit. As your “twist”) running up the bit can be Common sizes are as small as low augers and lion chucks. It’s a
hole deepens, the remainder of cleaned and buffed to aid in chip a 3" throw all the way up to an 8" slippery slope; let me be the first
the spirals won’t fit. Ideally, the removal during boring. throw. The most common size is one to give you a push. PW
wings should make the bit some-
what larger at the bottom.
Cutting Lips – Finally it’s time
to sharpen the cutting lips. These
are sharpened best with a special
file, called an “auger-bit file,” that
has so-called “safe” edges. Safe
edges are parts of the file that won’t
cut. In an auger-bit file, one end
of the file has teeth on the faces
of the file but not on the edges.
The other end of this file has teeth
on the edges but not on the faces.
These safe edges and faces allow
you to file exactly where you want, Here’s another vintage Irwin illustration that shows how the parts of the bit work together. The lead screw pulls the bit
without accidentally filing some- into the wood (left). The cutting spurs score the diameter of the hole (center). And the cutting lips remove the waste
where you don’t. inside the score mark (right).
popwood.com 71
BIT BRACES TO LOOK FOR AT FLEA MARKETS AND SALES
B it braces are among the most common
old hand tools to be found at local sales
and flea markets. And, they can also be
chipped or cracked. The frame should be
straight (not bent). It’s well worth paying
the premium of a few dollars to buy a Pad
among the least expensive tools to buy, brace that fit these criteria.
running from 50 cents up to $10 in my Here is my list of the
part of the country (New England). But all makers and model num-
braces are not alike, and with so many to bers of the better braces
choose from you should be able to sepa- you are most likely to run
rate out a genuine quality brace from the into while out hunting
rusty dross category that most flea-market rust. There are lots of other Flange of a fully clad pad
braces fall into. good ones – but these are my
What is a quality brace that will stand favorites:
Quill
up to heavy use? First, it likely will be at 1. North Bros. Mfg. Co. Nos. 2100
least 50 years old. Braces made in the last & 2101 (the latter is often stamped,
50 years pale by comparison with the best “Bell System”).
braces made from about 1900 to 1950. 2. Peck, Stowe & Wilcox (also Frame
Next, it will have been made by one of four branded as “Pexto” or “Samson”) 8000
manufacturers. These makers were: the series (last two digits in the model num-
Millers Falls Co.; the Peck, Stowe & Wilcox ber give the sweep).
Co. (later called “Pexto”); North Bros. Mfg. 3. Millers Falls Co. Nos. 870-873 & 769-
Co. (later acquired by Stanley); and The 774. “Lion” chuck.
Stanley Rule & Level Co. (later, “The Stanley 4. Stanley No. 923. One of Stanley’s best
Tool Co.”). and most frequently found.
All but North Bros. made braces of In excellent condition any of these
lesser quality as well as top-of-the-line braces will command prices from old tool
ones, so just the name on the brace is not dealers of between $50 and $100. So to find
a guarantee of a good one. The best old one of them at a flea or yard sale for just a Wrist handle
braces had wrist handles made of rosewood few dollars is a nice buy. Good Luck!
or cocobolo. The top handles (“pads”) were To learn more about these and other
fashioned using either rosewood or lignum braces, look in on my brace collection pages
vitae. North Bros. braces are unique in hav- at http://www.sydnassloot.com/brace.htm
ing handles made of a nearly indestructible — Sanford Moss
brown composite material. Braces with
Throw
handles made of stained beech, birch or
maple are of lesser quality.
On the best braces the top handle is
“fully clad.” That is, the steel flange on
the underside of the handle extends out to
the full diameter of the wooden part of the
handle. The pad will turn smoothly on the
upper shaft, being equipped with ball bear-
ings in a race within the “quill” – the stem
SUPPLIES
that supports the handle. Tools for Working Wood
Ratcheting selector:
The chuck will have a knurled shell and, 800-426-4613 or
forward, backward and neutral
near its lower base, may have expanded toolsforworkingwood.com
diameters, within which ball-bearing action • Nicholson 7" auger bit file
makes tightening the jaws easy. The jaws #ST-AUG, $8.04
(there are only two in the quality bit braces)
are strong, held parallel to each other in the Chuck
Vintage User Braces
chuck, and are equipped with wire springs
• Sydnas Sloot
to hold them in the parallel position. The
sydnassloot.com or
ratcheting mechanism will work smoothly
sushandel@msn.com
and not have any “play” between it and the
frame of the brace. • Akbar ‘n’ Jeff’s Tool Hut
The best braces should not be rusty, but workingtools.biz or
have much of their original nickel or chrome tom@workingtools.biz Anatomy of a
plating intact. The wood should not be Price as of publication date. Jaws North Bros. brace
72 PPOPULAR
OPULARWW
OODWORKING Month 2004
OODWORKINGNovember 2004
Return of the
RASP
Once available in
dozens of patterns,
the rasp has all but
disappeared. But
the stage is now set
for a comeback.
O
ne of the most useful wood-
shaping tools – the rasp
– is on my personal list of
endangered tools.
Flip though any early 20th century
hardware catalog and you’ll be aston-
ished at the variety of rasps that were
once available to the woodworker,
shoemaker, farrier and even the baker
(for removing burnt crust from the
bottom of a loaf).
For example, a 1922 hardware cat-
alog from the Hibbard, Spencer &
Bartlett Co. in Chicago lists dozens
of rasps in lengths from 6" to 16", in
three different tooth patterns and a
variety of shapes.
But until recently, modern wood-
workers had few choices when buy-
ing rasps. Nicholson makes a cou-
ple quality tools, the #49 and #50.
There are imported rasps from Europe
and China. And then there’s the
Microplane – a tool invented in 1990
that’s really in a class by itself.
But 2004 is turning out to be a
good year for rasps. Auriou, a French
company that has been making rasps
by hand since 1856, has begun import-
ing its huge line of tools to the United
Shaping complex and compound
surfaces – such as the bow to this by Christopher Schwarz
Photo by Al Parrish
Welsh stick chair – is child’s play for a Comments or questions? Contact

decent rasp. I can’t imagine a router Christopher at 513-531-2690 ext. 1407 or
jig that could make these cuts. chris.schwarz@fwpubs.com.
popwood.com 73
States. These are premium rasps – woodworkers, the thinking goes, The Basics enlarging holes and shaping their
a single cabinetmaker’s rasp costs use edge tools, such as spokeshaves, While it’s still possible to find vin- rims. Plus the rattail is a mainstay
between $67 and $96. But the big for curved work. And among the tage rasps at flea markets, most of of trim carpenters when cope-cut-
bonus with the line from Auriou power-tool crowd, rasps are seen the ones I’ve unearthed there are ting inside miters.
(pronounced “are-you”) is it offers as just another vestigial tool of the dull or damaged. The one excel- The riffler is for detail work. It
tools that haven’t been sold new pre-router revolution. lent source of vintage tools I’ve is a bar of steel with complemen-
in this country for years. Both groups are wrong. Rasps found is Slav’s Hardware Store in tary shapes at either end. Some-
Because of this influx of high- are an indispensable shaping tool Chicago. Slav Jelesijevich haunts times a riffler is the only tool that
quality tools, I decided to look at that will greatly expand the scope old hardware stores and buys up can get into tight spaces.
what’s available today, compare of your work and the ease at which files and rasps that have been lan- With the exception of the
the tools and try to reacquaint you can accomplish things that guishing in the basements of stores rifflers, rasps have a tang for fitting
woodworkers with this histori- are difficult or impossible with for more than 50 years. a handle. A handle makes the tool
cally useful class of tool. other hand and power tools. The tools he sells have never easier to control and safer – the
The true beauty of rasps is that been used (many are new in the tang can puncture your palm.
Why Use Rasps? you can create any shape or curve box) and Jelesijevich’s prices are In addition to the different
Among some woodworkers, rasps you desire without specialized cut- reasonable. See the Supplies box shapes, there are different degrees
have developed a bad reputation. ters. The work proceeds quickly if on page 75 for details. of coarseness to the teeth. Most
For the hand-tool purist, rasps are you select the correct tool. And For the majority of us, how- new rasps for sale are patternmak-
viewed by some as cheating. Real rasps are easy to master. ever, we need to look at modern er’s rasps, which have a fine tooth,
versions. Among the modern are used for final smoothing and
tools, there are two basic types: are needed for high-end work.
Here you can see
machine-made and hand-made. I also recommend you buy at
some structural
differences: The With the machine-made tools, the least one cabinet rasp, which will
Blundell (left) machine-cut teeth are quite uni- quickly shape wood with a mini-
has hand-cut form across the face and the point mum of effort. (Cabinet rasps are
teeth but a blunt of the tool is blunt. With hand- further divided into those with
point, the Auriou made tools, the teeth are spaced bastard, second and smooth cuts
has hand-cut irregularly across the face. And – essentially really coarse, coarse
teeth but a sharp
with the Auriou rasps, the tool and a bit coarse.) Then you come
point, and the
Belotta has ma- comes to a point, which allows you back with a patternmaker’s rasp
chine-cut teeth to cut precisely into corners. to clean up your work.
with a blunt This makes a difference. With Think of this process like you
point. the lower quality machine-cut would sanding. You wouldn’t start
teeth, the perfectly lined-up rows sanding a rough board with #220-
of teeth plow perfectly lined-up grit paper. Let the coarse tool do
grooves in your work. With well- the heavy lifting and leave the
made hand-cut teeth, the finish finer tools for the finesse work.
of the wood is much smoother Your work will go faster and your
Shown are a
thanks to the random tooth pat- tools will last longer.
few rasps on the
market. From tern. (Note that the high-quality When using a rasp, you should
left: an Auriou machine-cut rasps have teeth that cut with the grain and approach
modeler’s rasp, simulate hand-cut teeth.) the work with the tool at an
an Auriou cabi- Rasps are available in a vari- angle. Some texts recommend
netmaker’s rasp, ety of shapes, but there are three a 40° angle, but I find that the
a Microplane, basic shapes that are useful to most angle varies with the user and the
the Blundell
woodworkers: half-round, rattail speed of the work. As with using
and the Belotta
cabinet rasp with and rifflers. The half-round tools a scraper, your body and hands
an aftermarket have one face that is flat or just will find the best position with a
handle. slightly convex and a second face little practice.
that is curved. These two profiles Cut only on the push stroke.
allow you to shape flat edges plus Applying pressure on the return
concave and convex curves. stroke will dull the teeth. After a
The rattail shape – essentially few strokes, tap the tool against the
a long tapered cone – is useful for bench to dislodge shavings from

The Verdict
If you’ve never used a well-made
sharp rasp, you’re in for a shock.
And here’s how to get started: Buy
a Microplane for initial shaping
tasks – be sure to get the one with
the offset handle recommended
in the Supplies box. Or call Slav’s
Hardware Store and order some
vintage cabinet rasps.
And I recommend – without
One side advantage to rasps is you can modify your tools reservation – that you give the
to fit your grip. Here I’m shaping the bun and handle of a Auriou rasps a try. The high qual-
Norris-style smoothing plane kit from Shepherd Tool so it The Microplane is in a class by itself. The teeth cut like
ity of these hand-made tools is a
feels like an extension of my arm. small razors instead of saw blades.
rare find these days. You’ll cringe a
bit when you pay the bill, but you’ll
the teeth. Periodically clean the miss the tool as a gimmick, but I Plus the sharp point of the tool quickly forget what you paid and
teeth with a stiff-bristled brush. found it in my hands constantly allowed me to go places the other just be glad you own a tool that
Some recommend a wire brush, when I needed to remove mate- rasps wouldn’t. My only complaint works this well. PW
but I don’t find it necessary. rial in a hurry. Because the tool’s was the handle, which I consid-
teeth are like razor blades instead ered to be rough for a tool that per-
Comparing Different Tools of saw teeth, the resulting surface forms at this level and commands SUPPLIES
For the last five months, I’ve been is different than with a traditional this price. You can, of course, fin- Tools for Working Wood
using a selection of rasps for a vari- rasp. Though the resulting sur- ish the handle to your liking. 800-426-4613 or
ety of tasks, from shaping the bow face looks cleanly cut instead of The only difficulty with the toolsforworkingwood.com
of a Welsh stick chair to cutting abraded, it’s faceted. After using Auriou rasps is picking the right 1 • Auriou 9" cabinetmaker’s
wide bevels on tabletops to form- the Microplane I’d follow up with ones for your work. For general rasp, 10 grain, $81.95
ing the handle and bun of an infill a patternmaker’s rasp and found work, I used a 9"-long cabinetmak- 1 • Auriou 7" cabinetmaker’s
smoothing plane. the facets easy to knock down. er’s rasp with a rated 10 “grain.” rasp, 12 grain, $69.95
Let’s start with the tools that Microplanes come in a variety Unlike other brands, the Aurious 1 • Auriou 4" modeler’s rasp,
do the initial hogging of material, of profiles and have replaceable are graded by “grain.” The grain is 14 grain, $67.95
the cabinet rasps. blades. After months of use, the the fineness of the teeth on a scale
The Spanish-made Belotta Microplane has become my favor- of 1 to 15, with the finer grades Slav’s Hardware Store
312-455-0430 or
cabinet rasp is reasonably priced, ite modern tool for shaping. between 9 and 15 being common
lunytools@aol.com
but it cuts slowly like a pattern- With the cabinet rasp’s work for woodworkers.
maker’s rasp. And its machine-cut complete, the patternmaker’s rasp The other Auriou rasp that • an excellent source of cabinet
and patternmaker’s rasps in a
teeth left a deep scratch pattern. gets its turn to finish the job. was useful was the 4" modeler’s
variety of sizes and patterns
I don’t recommend it. For many woodworkers the rasp with a 14 grain. This tool was
The inexpensive tool that sur- Nicholson #50 rasp is the go-to great for getting into tight curves Lee Valley Tools
prised me was the Czech-made tool. It cuts smoothly and leaves and difficult spaces, such as a 800-871-8158 or
Blundell, which has hand-cut a pretty good surface behind. I’ve saw handle, that the other tools leevalley.com
teeth and a black plastic han- always thought it was a bit expen- couldn’t deal with. I also tried out 1 • Microplane flat rasp
dle. From the looks of it, I wasn’t sive, but it always outperformed an Auriou riffler and a rattail rasp and handle
expecting much. However the tool the inexpensive imports. and those were equally nice. #27W05.01, $19.95
impressed me. It cut smoothly and But then there are the Aurious. If I were to purchase one addi- 1 • Nicholson #50
left a decent finish. My only com- These tools will spoil you. After tional Auriou for my toolbox, I’d patternmaker’s rasp
plaint was the teeth required more working with the other rasps for get a 7"-long cabinetmaker’s rasp #62W11.01, $46.50
cleaning than the other tools and I a couple weeks I’d eventually with a 12 grain. There are many 1 • Belotta 8" cabinet rasp,
don’t like plastic handles. If I were switch back to the Aurious and different shapes and sizes of tools smooth cut
going to use this tool every day, I’d never want to go back. They cut available, including a selection for #62W03.01, $10.95
replace the black plastic job. smoothly and leave such a nice powered rotary tools. Also note 1 • Blundell 8" half-round rasp,
For rapid material removal, I surface behind that you don’t that many of the tools are avail- hand-cut
preferred the Microplane offset- mind paying the extra money (I able with the teeth cut for either #62W25.08, $14.75
handled rasp. I was ready to dis- paid it out of my own pocket). a left- or right-handed user. Prices as of publication date.
popwood.com
popwood.com 7575
Photo by Al Parrish

Shaker
Tripod Table
everal years ago while teaching a chair- parts which – particularly when cut by hand
Although delicate,
this graceful table S making class at the Marc Adams School
of Woodworking, I thanked Mario
Rodriguez (who was teaching a hand-tool
– require skill, patience and time to create.
They’re often joints that are visually elegant
and provide eloquent testimony to the furni-
class at the school that same week) for writ- ture maker’s skills.
should provide ing a magazine article I had seen some years What I had never really considered until
before in which simple tenons had been sub- reading the article I had mistakenly attributed
years of service stituted for sliding dovetails to join the legs of a to Rodriguez is that often these construc-
period tripod table to its pedestal. The article, tions represent joint-making excess. This is
in your home. I explained, had been a revelation, allowing because the mechanical strength of a joint is
me to simplify the construction of these tables limited by the resistance to breakage of the
without losing any real strength. Mario very wood species from which the joint is cut. This
kindly pointed out that he had not written very obvious truth is sometimes overlooked
the article, nor did he know who had. by those of us who fall in love with the joint-
Ouch. making process. In our zeal to create elegant
Despite my confusion over its authorship, joinery, we – perhaps willfully – forget that
the article had been a revelation, one that a joint cut in a fragile species will fail when
changed the way I built these tables and one the wood fails regardless of the mechanical
that caused me to take a long-overdue look complexity of the joint.
at the issue of joint-making excess. I work primarily in figured maple and
Complex mechanical joints (the very best cherry because these are the woods my cus-
examples can be found in period Chinese fur- tomers prefer. They’re not, however, among
niture) offer a high degree of strength even the strongest American hardwoods. This is
without the use of adhesives. This strength a fact I put to the test many years ago using a
is achieved through the use of interlocking collection of chairs I had made but had not
by Kerry Pierce
Adapted from “Authentic Shaker Furniture” copyright 2004 by Kerry Pierce. Used with permission of Popular
Woodworking Books, an imprint of F+W Publications Inc. Visit your local bookseller, call 800-754-2912 or visit
the Bookstore at popwood.com to obtain your copy.
popwood.com 77
offered for sale because of unsight- cies, I smashed each chair against years after its construction. How- blank to a cylinder. Then mark
ly blemishes in the material. Sev- the concrete-block wall of my ever, I’d be willing to bet my wife’s the various divisions along its
eral were built from cherry, several shop. I threw each into the air shiny new car that my table – held length. (The measurements
from figured maple, several from and allowed it to crash onto the together with lowly tenons – will shown in the drawing on page
straight-grained hard maple, one driveway. I tried to drive the heel still be functional in the home of 79 indicate the diameters at the
from walnut and one from ash. of my work boot down through the my great, great, great grandchild marked locations.)
To test the strength of each spe- front ladder of each chair. What 150 years after its construction. The 1"-diameter tenon at the
I learned is this: Hard maple and top of the pedestal is created in two
ash are virtually indestructible; Preparing Materials steps. First, use a fingernail gouge
MORTISE LAYOUT cherry, figured maple and wal- I have lots of thick cherry in my – 1 ⁄2" or 3 ⁄4" – to reduce the diam-
nut (which fared slightly better shop because I often buy 12/4 eter so that its smallest diameter is
than cherry) are not. In fact, I was material, which I then resaw for just more than 1". Make frequent
astonished to see how easily I was chair post blanks, but I recognize checks of that smallest diameter
able to destroy chairs made from that not every furniture maker is with a set of calipers. Then, with
the two wood species with which so lucky. If necessary, the pedes- a sharp butt chisel laid bevel side
I most often worked. tal stock for this table could be down, square up the outside diam-
The message was clear: Cher- glued up from two pieces of care- eter of the tenon.
ry and figured maple are not the fully matched 5/4 material. The butt chisel alone can be
woods of choice in applications The top on my example was used to create the straight-sided
requiring strength. And further, glued up from two pieces of edge- 1 7 ⁄ 8"-diameter cylinder against
they are not ideal species to use jointed 3 ⁄4" material cut from the which the legs will be fit.
for furniture requiring complex same board. This practice – gluing Use a parting tool to set the
mechanical joinery – like the slid- up tops from two pieces cut from diameter of the post where it meets
The leg-tenon mortises are laid ing dovetail – because the cherry the same board – is one I employ the bottom of the cup. The cup
out with the aide of my lathe’s and figured maple are likely to fail whenever I’m making small table- can be shaped with the skew used
indexing head. long before the elegant joinery. tops because it results in much bet- as a plane or laid flat and used as
An indexing head is a disk The Shaker original, on which ter color and figure matching than a scraper. Then use a fingernail
centered on a lathe’s axis of this example is based, appears in I can achieve by edge-jointing gouge to shape the long taper
rotation. A number of equally John Kassay’s magnificent vol- two pieces cut from two different below the cup.
spaced holes are bored near the
ume of photos and drawings, “The boards. It takes a sharp eye to see
circumference of that disk.
On my lathe, there are 36 Book of Shaker Furniture” (Uni- where the joint is on this top. Marking Mortises
equally spaced holes, which versity of Massachusetts Press). As Because one side of that board After you’ve sanded the pedestal,
divide the indexing head (and is the case with nearly all 18th and was marred by pitch streaks, I mark three equally spaced lines
any object centered on my lathe) 19th century tripod tables, the flattened the opposite face on around the outside diameter of
into 36 10° increments. Incre- legs of that original are affixed to my jointer. Then, as soon as I the base of the pedestal. These
ments can be counted through the base through the use of sliding had a clear surface, I ran the three lines will mark the centers
the use of the spring-loaded dovetails, this despite the fact that material through my thickness of the three mortises you’ll cut for
pin shown here. By retracting the original, like my reproduction, planer, removing stock from the the leg tenons.
the pin, rotating the disk and was made of cherry. blemished side until it had been There are several techniques
re-engaging the pin, I can count You could argue that a fur- reduced to a 9 ⁄16" thickness. you can use for dividing outside
a 10° section of an object’s cir-
niture maker would be foolish diameters into equal parts. If your
cumference.
I wanted to divide the cir- to forego a joint that holds the Turning the Pedestal lathe has an indexing head, like
cumference of this tripod-table legs to the pedestal on the still- With your roughing gouge and mine, the indexing head can be
pedestal into three equal sec- functional Shaker original, 150 your lathe, reduce the pedestal used to count off 10° increments of
tions. To do that, I counted 12
stops on the indexing head,
then, with my marking gauge, SHAKER TRIPOD TABLE
I drew a line along that section NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL COMMENTS
T W L
of the pedestal base. I repeated
the process a second time, then ❏ 1 Tabletop 9 ⁄ 16 161 ⁄ 4 dia. Cherry
a third time. This divided the cir- 3 ⁄ 4 6 7⁄ 8 dia.
❏ 1 Support disc Cherry Attached with four No. 8 x 1" wood screws
cumference of the pedestal into
❏ 1 Pedestal 2 dia. 193 ⁄8 Cherry
three perfectly equal sections. 5
– KP ❏ 3 Legs ⁄ 8 4 16 113 ⁄16
1 ⁄ Cherry Note grain direction on leg profile
❏ 1 3 ⁄
Sheet-metal disc 1 4 dia. Sheet metal Attached with three No. 6 x 3 ⁄4" wood screws

that outside diameter (see “Mor- on the surface of the pedestal base
tise Layout” at left). A set of 12 running parallel to the center of
10° increments is equal to 120°, or the pedestal.
one-third of the outside circum- This marking gauge can be
ference of a circle. made from two pieces of scrap: a
Once the outside circumfer- vertical piece that holds the mark-
ence has been divided into three ing pencil (notice the set screw
equal parts, use a marking gauge that locks the pencil in place in
– like the one shown below – to the photo on page 80) and a hori-
create three equally spaced lines zontal piece that slides along the
Marking gauge
Illustrations by Kevin Pierce
popwood.com 79
lathe bed. My lathe bed is a deck on your bench with a pair of U- of the mortise. Then begin chop- Reclamp the leg onto your
of 2 x 6s, so all I need is a flat block blocks and a clamp. ping out the waste with a mortise benchtop and pare the cheeks
of wood for my horizontal piece Draw lines on the end grain chisel. Follow this with a paring down to the line.
(see below). If your lathe bed is a of the pedestal base connecting chisel and work up to the lines.
tube or a piece of angle iron, you the intermediate marks with the Then use your mortise chisel to Fitting the Tenons
may need to construct a slightly center line of the mortise on the create the flat at the bottom of the In order for the tenon shoulders
different horizontal piece. opposite side of the base. Com- pedestal mortise. – which are cut 90° from the sur-
Next, mark a line 3 ⁄ 16 " on plete the marking process by mak- face of the leg – to mate up tightly
either side of each mortise’s cen- ing lines 3 ⁄16" on either side of the Creating the Tenons with the round pedestal, the top
ter line. These lines delineate the mortise center line on the pedes- Cut out each leg on your band saw. edges of the mortises must be bev-
3 ⁄ 8" widths of the mortises you’ll tal’s end grain. The mortises are Then clean up the saw marks with eled slightly with a paring chisel.
cut in the pedestal base. now completely marked. a rasp and sandpaper. Proceed cautiously, testing the leg
Before removing the pedestal (If you take a moment to study Use a knife against a straight- tenon in the mortise many times
from the lathe, mark three more the photos, this marking process edge (I used an old flexible scraper) as you make your cuts.
locations on the outside diameter will quickly become clear.) clamped to the work to mark the
of the pedestal base. These marks shoulders of each tenon. Then Making the Top
should be placed midway between Saw and Chop the Mortises with a fine-toothed backsaw, cut You can make a compass for draw-
each of the mortise center lines With a fine-toothed backsaw, each shoulder to depth. With the ing large circles with a length of
you created previously. rough in the sides of each mor- leg clamped in a vise – end-grain- scrap used as a beam, a nail and
After removing the pedestal tise. Be careful to keep the saw kerf up – rough in the tenon cheeks a pencil. Close to one end of the
from your lathe, fix the pedestal from extending beyond the limits with that same backsaw. scrap, drive a 4d nail so that the
The lines being drawn with my marking gauge divide the circumference of the
pedestal base into three equal sections. Each of these lines will become the
center of a leg-tenon mortise. Fix the pedestal on your bench with a pair of U-blocks and a clamp.
Intermediate
line
With a backsaw, rough in the sides of each mortise. Begin chopping out the waste with a mortise chisel.

point extends through the thick-
ness of the scrap. Bore a pencil-
shaft-sized hole through the beam.
The center of this hole should be
a distance from the nail equal to
the radius of the circle you’re about
to mark. Insert the pencil into the
drilled hole, locking it in place
with a set screw driven in one edge
of the scrap.
To use the compass, set the Mark the shoulders of each tenon and then, with a Bevel the top edges of the mortise with a paring chisel
nail in a shallow pilot hole that’s backsaw, cut each shoulder to depth. Then rough in the to mate accurately with the leg’s tenon shoulders. Check
drilled into the bottom of your tenon cheeks. the fit multiple times. You don’t want to cut too far.
stock. Then rotate the beam
around the hole.
Orient the grain in
Now band saw the circle and the disk so that it runs
clean up the edge with a rasp and perpendicular to the
sandpaper. Then use your router grain in the tabletop.
to cut a small radius on the top and This will allow the disk
bottom of the tabletop. Finish up to resist the top’s natural
with a rasp and sandpaper. inclination to cup. When
fastening the disk to the
bottom of the tabletop,
Making the Disk choose a screw length
The tenon at the top of the ped- that will allow the
estal fits into a disk that is screwed screws to penetrate
to the bottom of the tabletop. By almost completely
orienting the grain in this disk so through the top when
that it runs perpendicular to the the screw head is
recessed in the disk.
grain in the top, the disk acts to
stabilize the thin top, reducing
the likelihood of cupping. Fasten the disk to the bottom Here is the small disk of
The curve on the bottom edge of the tabletop with four wood metal, called a spider,
of that disk is too large to form screws. Choose a screw length that that’s screwed to the
with a router; however, you can will allow the screws to penetrate bottom of the legs to
help hold them together.
easily create that profile on your almost completely through the top
Use clearance holes in
lathe with a fingernail gouge. when the screw head is recessed in the legs to avoid split-
Begin by fastening the disk to a the disk. Notice the pitch streaks ting the tenons.
faceplate with four screws. Then on the bottom side of my tabletop.
turn the faceplate on your lathe’s This is a common defect in cherry,
drive center. but it can be placed, as I did here,
It’s important that you work on hidden surfaces.
the fingernail gouge downhill,
that you begin each pass on the The ‘Spider’
edge face of the disk closest to you The Shakers screwed a small disk AUTHENTIC SHAKER
and work away from the disk’s cen- of metal, called a spider, to the While books on Shaker furniture are
ter point, toward the face of the bottoms of the legs on the original common, this particular one is not. Kerry
disk closest to the lathe’s drive to help hold the legs and pedes- Pierce’s book is different because he
center. If you work the other way, tal together. On the Shaker origi- refuses to simplify the projects with
you’ll be working uphill, against nal, the metal disk had three legs, biscuits and screws. Instead, he shows
the grain. This inevitably results extending out 1" or 2" along the you how to build 10 pieces that are true
in significant tear-out. Working bottoms of each leg. I opted for a to both the form and spirit of Shaker
craftsmanship. The book is well-
downhill won’t eliminate tear-out, simpler form – shown here – which
written, beautifully illustrated and
but it will make the tear-out that still gives me enough reach along quite inspiring. — Christopher Schwarz
occurs much less significant. each leg to secure it. PW
popwood.com 81
The Radically reduce the time it takes
to prepare and sharpen a plane iron
Ruler with the help of a $5 steel ruler.
I
have been teaching furniture making for more
than 27 years and am convinced that most ama-
Trick
teurs are not getting the best from their hand
tools. Bench-plane blades are a good example. I can
resharpen a blade in less than four minutes, which
includes washing my hands and putting the stones
away. This short break from the work at hand should
be welcomed as it gives us an opportunity for plan-
ning the next stage and the pleasure of working with a
razor-sharp tool when we resume. Struggling on with
a blunt tool is both tiring and counterproductive.
The methods I have developed to ensure that my
students start with razor-sharp tools from day one are
unusual (it involves a trick with a ruler). However,
they are well-tested and guaranteed to produce the
result we want. The techniques have been developed
as practical solutions to issues that gave us trouble
when we used a more traditional approach.
One of the main problems occurs as the surface
of a sharpening stone wears hollow in use. The flat
side of our plane blade develops a bump in its length.
(See the illustration at right.) One day we flatten
the stone and have a disastrous situation where the
critical edge area no longer touches the stone at all.
This makes it impossible to polish away the wire edge,
which is a vital part of the sharpening process.
by David Charlesworth
David teaches fine-furniture-making classes in his shop near
Devon, England. Visit his web site at davidcharlesworth.co.uk
for more information. His first video explains the ruler trick
and other sharpening techniques. Thanks to the Marc Adams
School of Woodworking, where these photographs were shot.
Photo by Al Parrish
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A Word About Waterstones as a DMT or EZE LAP brand will
I’ve used Japanese waterstones for also do a good job of flattening
many years because they cost less waterstones. Some people recom- "GUFSUIFTUPOFJTnBUUFOFE UIF
and they remove metal faster than mend rubbing two waterstones CFMMZPOUIFJSPONBLFTJU
any other system. This fast cut- together, but this does not nec- JNQPTTJCMFUPSFNPWFUIFXJSF
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ting action is a result of the rapid essarily produce a flat surface. It
wear of the surface. Fresh sharp is possible for the two surfaces to
particles of aluminium oxide grit be spherical and still fit perfectly. using standard blades to consider a #1,000-grit Norton stone will
are constantly being exposed as To be certain with this method, changing to an A2 cryogenically also do. A flat back is important
the friable surface breaks down. one needs three surfaces to agree treated replacement blade from as the front edge of the plane’s
This is great for rapid removal with each other. Ron Hock (Hock Tools 888- chipbreaker has to make a perfect
of metal but it does dictate that There is endless discussion 282-5233 or hocktools.com) or fit here. I find it helpful to stick a
we use a disciplined approach to about the merits of different types Thomas Lie-Nielsen (Lie-Nielsen small wooden or plastic handle to
keeping them flat. I probably do of stones, but I am sure that the Toolworks 800-327-2520 or lie- the blade with double-sided tape.
a little flattening about every four differences between brands are nielsen.com). These are about This gives a better grip with less
minutes of use. minimal. We use a King #800-grit .095" thick and will enable you chance of grinding away your fin-
The stones are easy to flatten, stone for coarse work and either a to work about four times longer gertips on the stone. The handle
and I do this on wet and dry sand- King #6,000-grit or King #8,000- than with a carbon steel blade. is fixed crosswise, just behind the
paper on a piece of 1 ⁄2"-thick “float grit stone for super-fine polishing top of the bevel. The grip of the
glass.” Float glass is manufactured (King-brand stones are available Flattening the Back tape is considerable if you clamp
on a bed of molten tin. It’s readily from many suppliers.) These are The first task is to flatten the back the handle for half a minute. We
obtainable from glass specialists the only stones required to pro- side (sometimes referred to as the use two types of movement.
and is much flatter than tough- duce a superb edge. flat side or face side) of the blade
ened, laminated or plate glass. I I have been testing the new and remove the coarse scratches Movement 1:
fix the wet and dry sandpaper to Norton waterstones for some years left by the manufacturer’s surface Lengthwise Strokes
the glass with a light spray of water and they are very good, wearing grinding. I use a King #800-grit I start by laying the blade across
from a plant mister. The surface slightly slower than King stones. stone for fast metal removal, but the stone, so that the edge of the
tension of the water is sufficient to You will only need the #1,000-grit
keep the paper from sliding about. and #8,000-grit stone for plane-
The waterstones are simply rubbed blade sharpening. Movement 1:
to and fro until they are flat. I find Arkansas oilstones cut rather Begin flattening
#180 or #240 grit is suitable for an slowly and diamond stones do not the back of the
#800-grit waterstone and #320 grit yet have grit sizes as small as the plane blade with
may be used for fine stones like the super-fine waterstones. In other the cutting edge
off the surface
#6,000 or #8,000 grit. words, the quality of polish is not
of the stone as
If you draw a pencil grid on so fine. Shapton stones are obvi- shown. As you
the surface of the stone before ously liked by users but the price is move the blade
starting it will give you valuable significantly higher than King’s. to and fro, allow
feedback about your progress. The I will assume that you are Handle affixed the cutting edge
pencil lines will be removed from starting with a new plane blade, with tape to drift onto the
the high spots first and the stone as old blades, which have been stone.
will be flat when the final traces sharpened on hollow stones, can
of pencil disappear. be almost impossible to deal with.
A coarse diamond stone such I would also advise anyone still
popwood.com 83
50 percent of the working time, a scratches from movement one
hollow stone can be avoided. will lie across the width of the
However, the slight hollowing blade. You will have done enough
of the length of the stone could of movement two when all those
be causing a slight belly or bump crosswise scratches have been re-
in the width of the plane blade. placed by lengthwise scratches.
To check for and eliminate this If a slight bump has been formed
problem, I change to a second after movement one, you will see
movement on the freshly flat- lengthwise scratches in the center
tened stone. of the blade only. This would be
a signal to do more of movement
After 100 strokes or so using movement one, the back of a premium blade
Movement 2: two on a freshly flattened stone.
should be covered in scratches across its width.
Crosswise Strokes The objective is to remove all
The blade is laid across the stone, trace of the deep manufacturer’s
blade is hanging about 1 ⁄2" off the face of the stone will no longer be at one end, with the edge of the grinding scratches just behind the
edge of the stone. Using consider- flat. The stone can be rotated 180° blade about 1 ⁄ 2" off the edge of cutting edge of the blade. The two
able downward pressure on the so that the other edge can be used the stone. The stroke is crosswise, types of movement may have to
handle, I move the blade steadily for another 50 strokes. bringing the edge of the tool one- be repeated several times. I don’t
up and down the length of the It’s now time to flatten the third of the way across the stone worry about getting a band of
stone. I call this the long stroke. stone and notice the wear that has before returning to the start posi- lengthwise scratches more than
While making the long strokes taken place. By drawing a pencil tion. Considerable pressure is ex- about a 1 ⁄4" wide behind the cut-
I allow the edge of the blade to grid on the surface of the stone erted on the center of the handle. ting edge. With A2 blades and
drift onto the stone and move just and rubbing it a few strokes on the During about 40 to-and-fro strokes careful sharpening technique
one third of the way across the diamond stone, you can see that the blade is allowed to drift up the this will last a long time, and you
width. This might take 10 to-and- the long edges of the stone have length of the stone, and then back can do more back flattening in the
fro long strokes. During the next become hollow and that the width down to the starting position. future when necessary.
10 strokes, the edge of the blade is has developed a bump. This bump The stone is then rotated 180° That’s it for now. And thanks
allowed to drift back to the start- is infinitely preferable to the usual as before, so that the other edge of to the ruler trick, a few seconds
ing position, 1 ⁄ 2" off the edge of hollow created on waterstones. A the stone may be used. The stone work later on will be all that is
the stone. The cutting edge of the bump promotes a slight hollowing should now be flattened again be- needed to complete work on the
tool spends half the honing time in the length of the flat side of the fore doing any more work. back side – none of the mirror pol-
off the edge of the stone. tool. By keeping the edge of the Observe the scratch patterns ishing of the whole surface, which
After about 50 strokes the sur- tool off the edge of the stone for on the back of the blade. The is so time consuming.
Handle
affixed
with tape
After this second movement, the

Movement 2: With this second movement the blade is As you move the blade, allow it to drift up and down the scratches across the blade’s width
rubbed across the width of the waterstone. length of the stone. Note the pencil line I’ve drawn on the will be replaced with lengthwise
stone that helps guide the process. scratches.

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I’ve drawn common sharpening angles onto cardboard. Once I’ve set the
Prepare The Cutting Bevel measurements on the top of the blade to the proper angle I’ll measure its projection from the front of the
For speed of resharpening I like to flat side of the blade. This prevents guide and scribe that measurement directly on the blade for future reference.
use three bevels. I first grind the me from having to work the angles
blade at about 23°. I then create a out every time I sharpen.
wire edge on the #800-grit stone at With the blade at 33°, I freshen
33°. Final bevel polishing is done up the surface of the #800-grit
on the #8,000-grit stone at 35°. waterstone by rubbing it with a
This is my recipe for bench planes similar grade stone. This makes
used on hardwoods. By honing at the stone cut fast. Worn wet-and-
35° the clearance angle under the dry sandpaper can glaze the sur-
polished bevel has been reduced face of a stone so that it will not cut
to 10° (down from 15°), but I have fast after the first few minutes.
found no problems with this ar- It should take only two or three
rangement. The 35° final polish firm pull strokes to raise a wire
seems to make blades last slightly edge on the flat side of the blade.
longer between sharpenings. By I have a bench light set up so that
keeping the grinding angle sig- I can see light reflected from the
nificantly lower than the honing finest of wire edges. You can feel
angles, I can resharpen at least for a wire edge by gliding a finger- With the blade set in the guide, I’ll hone the bevel using two or three firm pull
seven times between grindings. tip off the flat side surface. It feels strokes on the #800-grit stone. Then I feel the back for the wire edge.
If you have a new blade ground like a tiny hook.
at 25° there is no need to change The blade projection is then
to 23° yet. I am lucky to have a reset in the guide, i.e. shortened
water-cooled grinder, so there a little, to give us 35°. Now clean
is no danger of overheating the the wheel of the guide and the
blade when grinding. edge of the blade to avoid con-
taminating the superfine #8,000-
Honing a Straight Blade grit waterstone. That surface is
I have a strong preference for the prepared by spraying with a plant
Eclipse-type honing guide with mister, and then rubbing a Nagura
the narrow roller. It only takes a over the stone to create a little
few seconds to clamp to the blade slurry on its surface. A Nagura is
in the guide and ensures accuracy, a smaller stone that creates a mud
repeatability and speed. on a polishing stone that speeds
I determine my honing angles polishing and cleans the surface
by squinting against a simple card, of the stone. Three or four pull
which has lines drawn with the aid strokes with gentle finger pressure
of a child’s math protractor. After on the blade are all we need to
setting the blade at the proper polish the front end of the nar- With traditional waterstones, you need to create a light slurry on the polish-
angle, I measure how far it projects row bevel created on the #800-grit ing stone to aid cutting. Rubbing the Nagura stone on the polishing stone
from the jig. I then scribe these stone. The #8,000-grit stone is creates this slurry.
popwood.com 85
a polishing stone and I caress its
surface with the blade.
The Ruler Trick

This is the radical part! I freshen
the slurry on the #8,000-grit stone
with the Nagura. It’s important
that the slurry isn’t too sloppy and
wet. If it is wet, I sweep the water
away with a finger. I then stick a 6"
inexpensive steel ruler, (about 0.5
mm thick) to the stone by sliding
it to and fro a few times down one
long edge of the stone.
The blade is placed in posi-
tion on the stone for movement
two with its edge off the stone.
Place the steel ruler on one long edge of the stone – fric- A picture of success: The front of your cutting edge is
The middle of the blade is rest- polished and ready to go to work.
tion from the water will hold it in place. Place the blade
ing on the steel ruler. Using four on the stone with the cutting edge off the stone. With
fingertips, placed just behind the light pressure bring the blade about 5 ⁄8" onto the stone.
top of the bevel, I draw the blade’s This short stroke removes the wire edge and polishes the
cutting edge onto the stone. You back of the blade.
may feel a slight catch as the wire
edge meets the edge of the stone.
The blade edge is only allowed to
come about 5 ⁄ 8" onto the stone
before going back off the edge of
the stone. This short stroke is re-
peated about 25 times for a new
blade and about 12 times when
re-sharpening.
Because the flat side of the
blade has been raised up by a de-
gree or so on the ruler, you will see
a narrow band of mirror polish
across the tip. This need be no
wider than 1 ⁄16", and will not get
much wider with subsequent re- The ruler trick greatly speeds the time
sharpenings. If examined closely, it takes me to prepare a new blade.
you should see that the mirror
polish has replaced the #800-grit
scratches at the edge.
I wipe the blade on a sponge
SUPPLIES
cloth, dry it and apply a thin coat Lie-Nielsen Toolworks
of Camellia oil. The job should be 800-327-2520 or
complete and the wire edge should lie-nielsen.com
have floated off on the stone, or 1 • Hand Tool Techniques
sometimes on the sponge cloth. It Part 1: Plane Sharpening
should shave hairs from your hand with David Charlesworth
without difficulty. PW video, $25
1 • Hand Tool Techniques
Part 2: Hand Planing with
David Charlesworth video,
$25

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Photo by Al Parrish
The face of your table saw’s fence must be 90° to the saw’s tabletop.
Otherwise your joinery and rip cuts will be inaccurate. On some fences,
the only way to fix the problem is with some well-placed masking tape.
Insidious
MISTAKES
I
n woodworking there are two kinds of mistakes: There’s the
garden-variety gaffe where we simply cut a board too short or botch
There are many things a dimension, and the kind of mistake that we make over and over
again because we don’t even know we have a problem.
we do wrong but we don’t This second kind of mistake is usually the result of having to teach
yourself some operation or skill. When you don’t get the desired result
know they’re wrong. shown in the book, magazine or video, it’s easy to blame the equip-
ment or your lack of skill. But usually there’s something else going on
that may be difficult or impossible for you to detect.
by the Popular Woodworking staff

Editors Christopher Schwarz, Robert W. Lang, David Thiel and Steve Shanesy all
contributed their mistakes and solutions to this story.

Flatten your sharp-
Mistakes are the best way to Sharpening Mistakes ening stones after
learn something because you ■ You don’t flatten your stones each session. We
remember that knowledge bet- enough. If you own any brand of prefer a DMT extra-
ter. One mistake realized will stay waterstone, here’s our best advice: coarse diamond
with you forever. So the trick is to Flatten your stones after every stone and do the
procedure under
figure out what went wrong, and sharpening session. Waterstones
running water.
do it another way the next time. will quickly dish in the middle
After years of observing when honing and they will wear
beginners, we’ve come up with at the edges when you’re flatten-
the following list of subtle but crit- ing the backs of tools. Even subtle Illustration by Hayes Shanesy
ical mistakes that we see all the amounts of wear will wreak havoc
time. Be forewarned that some with your sharpening efforts. Cer- your progress under a 30x jewel- story. Otherwise your efforts to
of our solutions or fixes may con- tain parts of a bevel will never get er’s loupe. That should be all you steer the tool through the wood
tradict what you’ve seen or read sharp or polished, for example. need for each grit. Making doz- will be stymied by the knife-like
elsewhere. But do give them a try Flattening your stones takes only ens of strokes increases the likeli- shape of your cutting bevel. You
because they work for us and give a few minutes if you keep up with hood that you’ll apply pressure in will not be able to cut straight con-
us accurate results. your efforts. the wrong place, messing up your sistently and the tool will wander
■ You use too many strokes. edge. It also wears your stone and as its pushed by hand or by mal-
Mistakes in Work Habits Whether you use waterstones, tool faster than necessary. And it let. Flatten the backs on a coarse
■ You rush the work. We all fresh sandpaper or diamond shortens the number of times you diamond stone, then polish them
know that it’s unsafe to work in a stones, you’re probably working can hone an edge before having up to as high as you can.
hurry, but rushing also hurts the too hard at getting a keen edge. to grind it again. ■ You use many sharpening
quality of your work. Rushing a Properly maintained sharpening ■ You don’t true a chisel side systems. Learn one method of
machine setup, skipping a trial mediums cut fast. Next time you’re that’s unbeveled. The backs sharpening and stick with it. Each
fitting of a joint or just moving honing an edge, try taking only (sometimes called the “face”) of system has nuances. Learn them
too quickly through a step causes four to six strokes and observing your chisels must be flat – end of and your edges will improve.
many mistakes. When you make
your first error because you acted
32 3/4" top case 20 3/4"
without thinking it through, stop. 3/4" 31 1/4" 3/4" 16 3/4" top case 4"
Sometimes the fast fix will make
3/4" 3/4"
the situation worse, and things 3" 2 3/8"
5/8"
will spiral out of control. A short
7 3/4"
(or lengthy) pause to think things
through always helps. 3/4"
■ You work without a shop

3 1/4"
1/2"
drawing. Don’t start cutting 1/2" 10 3/32" 3 1/4"

1/2"
28 3/4"
wood until you have a drawing 1/2" 15 3/8" 3 1/4"

1/2"
(even a cartoon), and a cutting 4 1/4"
list that agrees with the drawing 1/2"
4 1/4"
(even with simple jigs). Failing to 1/2"
3/4"
3/8"
7/8"
do this is guaranteed to produce 1/2"

3/4"
7/8"
3/8"
lots of firewood. 3/4"
■ You don’t listen to the voice

8 1/4"
in your head. There’s a wise say- 3/4"

21 3/4"
ing: “If you have to ask the ques-
tion, then you already know the 12"
answer.” Whenever you approach 3/8"
1/2" 7/8"
a machine operation and you ask 3/4" 3/4"
yourself: “Hmmm. Is this really 5 1/4" 5 1/4"

Face trim removed
safe?” The answer is probably, 3/4" 32 5/8" 3/4" 17 1/2" bottom case 4"
“no.” Or if you see a mistake 34 1/8" bottom case 21 1/2"
on your project and you think:
Front elevation - doors open Profile
“Should I fix that?” The answer
is almost always “yes.” No matter how complex or simple your project, make a construction drawing that agrees with a cutting list.
popwood.com 89
Machinery Mistakes Accurate and safe work is impos-
■You trust your machines sible with your workpiece tipping
too much. We’re always amazed at a slight angle.
at how many people don’t check
their work once it comes off the Table Saw Mistakes Gap
machine. They trust that it will ■ You don’t joint before a rip
be flat, true and the correct width. cut. If you want to rip boards to a
Sometimes it’s not. Machines go consistent width, then the long
out of adjustment, and so you can edge that rides against your rip
save yourself grief by confirming fence should be an edge you’ve See the gap between the work and
that the machine is indeed set jointed. This is especially impor- the fence? This board bowed as it Setting up your band saw involves
to 90° or 8", or is making your tant when you rip several nar- was being ripped and then the sawn the careful placement of the saw’s
boards’ faces parallel. Finding row boards from one wide one. edge was run against the rip fence. guides above and below the table.
out this problem before you push We frequently see woodworkers You should joint this edge before A bit of misalignment will produce
ripping it. inaccurate results.
100 board feet of wood through a cut corners by making a first cut
machine is a good habit. When with the jointed edge against the
your first board comes off the table fence, but then they use a sawn (as shown above) can result in a your saw’s fence must be perpen-
saw, jointer, planer, belt sander or edge against the fence for subse- cut that is inaccurate or even a bit dicular to the saw’s tabletop. We’re
whatever, quickly confirm that it’s quent rips. Boards can be loaded unsafe. It’s always better to joint amazed at how many saws are
doing what it’s supposed to. with tension that’s released dur- and then rip. out of whack in this area. If your
■ You make it easy for your ing ripping. Your sawn edge can ■ You don’t square the face of fence isn’t 90° to the top, then
work to tip. Outfeed and infeed be made convex or concave dur- your rip fence to the saw’s table- your joints will have a slight but
support is critical on the table saw, ing ripping as a result. Running a top. If you cut joinery with your sometimes fatal angle. Plus, when
miter saw, band saw and drill press. bowed edge against your rip fence table saw (and who doesn’t) then you rip thin or thick stock, your
rip fence’s scale will be inaccurate
because the top edge of the fence
will be closer (or farther away) to
the blade than the bottom edge
of the fence. Figure out how to
adjust your fence. Sometimes it’s
a matter of turning a screw; some-
times it’s a matter of shimming the
interface between the rip fence
and its rails.
■ You don’t respect t he
machine. Saw’s with a spinning

blade are the No. 1 cause of work-
shop injuries. Stop and count your
fingers before you start. Keep in
mind the damage that can be done
before you turn on the saw.
Band Saw Mistakes

■ You work with a saw that is
poorly tuned. Despite their sim-

plicity, band saws are fussy. Even
the best one won’t perform well if
the blade tension and the guides
aren’t quite right. There are entire
books written about tuning your
band saw. Get one and read it.
■ Your blade is too wide or
too narrow. One blade is rarely

Outfeed support is critical to safe and accurate work. If your work cantilevers off the side, support it there, too. enough. You need at least one

are made of wood. One impor- bumps from the plane’s frog. Or
tant reason is that you can modify to remove flashing from any hand
the handle to suit your grip. Strip tool. Files remove metal slowly, so
the awful dipped-in-lacquer finish if you check your work as you go,
from your chisels and give them you’re unlikely to damage the tool.
a decent sanding and finish. And If you lack confidence, try working
if the handles are uncomfortable, on a cheap flea-market special first
whip out your rasps and files and to get the hang of it.
fix that. Modify (or at least refin- ■ You use the wrong tool for
ish) the handles of your planes, the job. Contrary to popular opin-
saws, awls, mallets and try squares ion, hand tools are not slow. Some
to suit you. Finish your tools by are designed for hogging wood
Filing the mouth of a plane is a good skill to learn, especially if you want to use sanding the wood up to #400 grit (cabinet rasps, drawknives and
a thick aftermarket blade in your tool. Take your time, check your work and and buff them out with a few coats axes) and others are designed to
you won’t have problems.
of paste wax. It’s a quick fix and produce a finished surface (scrap-
makes the tools much more plea- ers, smoothing planes). Don’t do
blade for resawing and another numbers. Don’t trust a cutting list surable to use. one job with a tool designed for
for general curve-cutting. (even your own) without check- ■ You work with tools that the other job.
■ You don’t mark your waste. ing the math or doing a full-size don’t work. Don’t be afraid to
It’s easy to get turned around on layout. The time it takes to do this modify your hand tools. In many Assembly Mistakes
the band saw and cut on the wrong will be more than made up when cases you can improve their per- ■ You don’t do a dry run.
side of your guide line. Take the things go together right the first formance with a file. It’s perfectly Before you glue anything up, you
time to mark an “X” on the waste time versus redoing your work. fine to file the mouth of a plane should always assemble it first and
side so you won’t get confused ■ Your lines are too coarse. or spokeshave to accommodate put it under clamp pressure. Then
while making your cut. Making a mark you can see and an aftermarket iron (a common check for gaps and make sure the
follow saves lots of frustration. A practice) or to correct a mouth assembly can be easily squared.
Router Mistakes mechanical pencil will give you that is badly out of square. Perfor- This takes just a few minutes for
■ You ask too much of your a sharp line, but if the lead is too mance is only going to improve. most assemblies, but it saves end-
router. Many people bite off more hard your line may not be dark Don’t be afraid to file off burrs or less frustration.
than the router can chew. You’ll enough to see. If using a regular
get better results if you don’t push pencil, don’t let it get dull during
With any assem-
your router and bits to their limits. layout or you’ll be trying to decide
bly you should
Most routers and bits are designed where on that 1 ⁄16"-wide line you’re put it together
to remove about 1 ⁄ 8" of material supposed to cut. If a mechanical without glue and
in one pass. Asking for any more pencil line is giving you problems, under clamping
than that can snap your bits, over- switch to a marking knife. pressure to check
heat your tool or result in a poorly ■ You always assume the the fit. Small
machined surface. largest dimension number is fixes here can
save big head-
the length. Dimension numbers
aches later.
Layout Mistakes refer to grain direction and should
■ You trust your layout tools always be listed like this: thick-
too much. Try squares aren’t ness x width x length. So if you
always square. Straightedges aren’t want grain-matched drawer fronts
always straight. Even a combina- on a desk with the grain running
tion square will go out of true after vertically, a narrow upper drawer
being dropped or heavily used. would be properly written as ¾" x
Your layout tools are the truth say- 12" x 4" – with 4" being the length
ers in a project. Make sure they’ve of the drawer because the grain is
got the straight story before you running vertically.
change machinery setups based
on their readings. Errors from lay- Hand Tool Mistakes
out tools will snowball. ■ You work with tools that
■ You don’t do the math. are uncomfortable. There are

Double- or triple-check all of the good reasons that tool handles
popwood.com 91
■ You assemble too many ■ You rush the drying time.
parts. Don’t try to assemble an If you don’t let the first coat dry,
entire project at once. If you do a or otherwise get ahead of yourself,
dry run you should discover when you won’t save any time. In fact,
you’re trying to do too much in you’ll spend more time undoing
one chunk. Assemble in stages the damage from your “Christmas
to save frustration. It will improve Eve” finish.
your accuracy and (on more than
one occasion) save your back. When Buying Hand Tools
■ You don’t square your ■ You buy too many planes.
assemblies or panels. After When many woodworkers first get

your door or panel is out of the into hand tools, they tend to buy
clamps, you may need to square way too many planes (or chisels or
Planes and other hand tools can be addicting. Before you buy “one of each,”
the assembly, usually with a saw saws) before they even know what
get the four most essential ones (smoother, jointer, block and shoulder) and
or a plane. Parts that are square each one of them really does. As learn those. Your work will guide your future purchases.
may not create a square assembly. a result, they end up with tools
Plan on making your doors a little that are redundant or useless for
oversized and then square them their work. When Buying Power Tools are helpful, but don’t give in to
up after assembly. To get started we recommend ■ You buy the wrong machine. the allure of catalog and internet
woodworkers buy a smoothing It’s easy to buy too small or too prices unless you know the tool
When Finishing plane (a No. 4), a jointer plane (a big a machine for your needs. You you’re buying.
■ You don’t make a sample No. 7), a low-angle block plane can either blow your budget or end ■ You expect a tool to make
board. If you are working with a and a shoulder plane. These four up with an inadequate tool if you you a better woodworker. Time
finish and/or wood that are unfa- planes are the most common ones don’t honestly assess your needs – not technology – will make you
miliar you must make a sample used in a shop that works with before you buy. a better woodworker. Spend less
board. Sand or plane your sample both power and hand tools. After Power tools and machines time looking at catalogs and more
board just like you did every other you get comfortable with these are where we spend much of our time in the shop.
surface of the project. Then fin- tools, start looking around at the money when woodworking. It’s a ■ You don’t know the limits
ish the board using the procedure other planes. Your work and your capital investment, so take the of your machine. A planer won’t
you’ve settled on. Finally, before experience will lead you to the time to physically evaluate (and make bowed, twisted or warped
you finish the project, try look- next tool you need. Don’t buy a use whenever possible) the tool or boards straight – it will make a
ing at the finish under florescent, plane until you have a specific and machine you’re thinking of buy- smooth surface parallel to an
incandescent and daylight. Fin- repeated need for it. If you’re on ing. What looks good in a picture existing surface. A table saw will
ishes can change color under dif- a budget, you don’t want to buy may feel completely different in make a cut parallel to the edge
ferent lights. something you won’t use. your hands. Recommendations against the fence – it won’t make
a straight cut, unless you have
a straight edge for a reference.
A sample board
Expecting one machine to do
is like a construc-
tion drawing: it’s the job of many is folly.
your road map
for good results. When Deciding to Go Pro
■ You decide to go pro. Of
course, some woodworkers do,

and they work very hard at it. A
few are actually successful. But
don’t lose sight of the fact that to
be successful, it must first be a busi-
ness. That fact can take all the joy
out of the hobby you love so much.
So when you ask yourself “Can I
make a living woodworking?” ask
this important follow-up question:
“Do you call making $30,000 a
year a ‘good living’”? PW

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POWER
INGENIOUS
-TOOL JOINERY
JIGS
Table Saw Tenon Jig

A simple and inexpensive accessory that will cut accurate joints.
T he mortise and tenon is one of those

fundamental joints you’re obligated to
master. It’s used for building frames of all
sorts (including post-and-beam architectural
frames), as well as tables and chairs.
Over the years, especially in the last decade
or two it seems, a variety of substitute joints
and alternative constructions have been con-
trived to circumvent the mortise and tenon.
I don’t know why. The joint can be cut many
ways, using different tools. For every wood-
worker, regardless of tooling, experience
and self-perceived skill level, there must be a
method that can be mastered.
If you’re still looking, here’s yet another
approach for cutting tenons. It’s router-free.
If you want to saw your tenons, the band
Photos by the author

saw and the table saw are the obvious choices.
Cutting tenons on the band saw has its devo-
tees, but I’m not one of them. Of the two saws,
I prefer the table saw for this job, primarily
because the finish cut is better for the purpose. A good tenoning jig, whether purchased or shop-made, must be accurate and easy to adjust. It should
Cheeks and edges cut with a table saw blade allow you to position, reposition, and swap workpieces without a lot of fumbling, especially with sepa-
are smooth and flat, while band-sawed sur- rate clamps. I use mine with a combination saw blade; a rip blade will work well, too.
faces tend to be finely ridged, and occasionally
hollowed or bellied. the tenoning jig on the rip fence, adjust the then either fire around the table or virtually
On the table saw, you can cut tenons with fence to position the cut, clamp the workpiece explode. Now, the wafers of waste accumulate,
a dado head, or with a regular blade and jig. I in the jig, and cut the cheeks (and, some- harmlessly, to the right of the blade.
favor the latter approach. (If you want to try times, the edges). This leaves the cheek waste
the dado-head approach, refer to “Mortise & attached to the workpiece. To form the shoul- Set the Saw and the Jig
Tenon Basics” in the April 2004 issue.) ders and separate this waste, lower the blade Setup is easy: Determine how long the tenon is
While you can buy a high-quality tenoning to match the shoulder width, then use the to be and crank up the blade to that height.
jig, I use shop-built ones that depend on the miter gauge to guide the cuts. Position the tenoning jig next. I make
rip fence for positioning. (Plans for jigs that Now, this may seem out of order. It’s cer- the cheek cut on the side of the workpiece
ride in the miter slot are common, too.) The tainly not the way I sawed tenons at the that’s against the jig. That way, I can turn
one I’m currently using is shown above. start. When I cut the shoulder first, those the workpiece 90° between passes, and cut
Obviously, the rip fence must be parallel wafers sliced away by the cheek cut were the cheeks and edges in sequence (assuming
to the blade, or the tenons won’t be accurate. trapped between the jig and the blade, and the shoulders are a uniform width). To make
(If you’re a woodworker who favors having the would crunch disconcertingly. They would the coarse fence setting, measure from the jig
rip fence ever-so-slightly angled away from to the outside of the blade with a metal rule.
the blade, this arrangement won’t work for by Bill Hylton The fine fence setting is made after cutting
you. Instead, use a tenoning jig that’s guided the cheeks on a test piece and seeing how it
Bill is the author of several books about
by the miter-gauge slot in the table.) furniture construction and router operations.
fits in the mortise. Just remember to trim both
In brief, my tenoning sequence is this: Ele- When he isn’t writing about woodworking, he’s doing cheeks each time you adjust the fence, so the
vate the blade to match the tenon length, set it in his home shop in Kempton, Pa. tenon remains centered on the workpiece.

Stop
With the jig straddling the

fence, slide the jig up to Making the shoulder cuts after the cheek cuts simplifies ac-
the blade, and measure With the workpiece seated squarely against the table and curate setting of blade height, and eliminates flying offcuts.
from the jig fence to the the vertical work support, pull the cam clamp to secure it, A stop on the miter gauge ensures consistent cuts all around
outside of the blade. and make the cheek cut. the tenon shoulder.
I micro-adjust my fence with a shop-made to set the blade height. At top dead center, the the same jig. The joint is strong, but it doesn’t
reference block I park on the fence rail. teeth should just graze the cheek. look as clean as the mortise and tenon.
• To move the fence closer to the blade Because you’ll be severing waste from the The slip joint, in case the name is new
(thus increasing the tenon thickness), I butt piece, you shouldn’t use the rip fence to govern to you, is often called the open mortise and
the block against the fence and clamp it. I the tenon length unless you use a stand-off tenon. There’s good reason for this. The rails
shift the fence, insert a shim at the end of the block. I use a stop on my miter gauge to control have a tenon, and the stiles have a mortise
block and move the fence back against the the tenon length. You can set the stop at the that’s open at the top, bottom and on one edge.
block. The new position is offset from the old far end of the piece, or you can use a miter- Essentially, this open mortise is a notch.
by the shim’s thickness. gauge fence that extends well beyond the blade A subset of the slip joint is one that joins
• To move the fence away from the blade to the right and locate the stop there. the end of one piece to the middle of another.
(thus reducing the tenon thickness), hold This is called a bridle joint.
the shim against the fence, push the refer- Slip Joint A major advantage of the slip joint is the
ence block against it and clamp the block. Years ago, before I mastered mortising, I used ease with which it’s made. Its disadvantage
Remove the shim and seat the fence tight the slip joint instead of the mortise and tenon emerges during assembly: In addition to
against the block. for frames such as simple doors. I could cut clamping the tenon shoulder tightly against
The thickness of your shims controls the both halves of this joint on my table saw using the mortise (as you do in all mortise-and-tenon
movement. You can use feeler gauges, shim glue-ups), you must clamp the mortise cheeks
stock or paper to make the adjustment. to ensure they bond to the tenon cheeks.
Measure the test tenon with a dial cali- We were all beginners at some point. If you
per, and compare that measurement with the have a table saw, you can make this joint. If
mortise-width dimension. You can nip off the you have a table saw but no mortiser, no plunge
waste on the band saw to expose the tenon for router, and no desire to test your hand-tool
a test fitting, too. The shoulder need not be skills, even with an assist from a drill press,
perfect for you to determine whether or not don’t fret. Use the slip joint for your frame
the tenon fits the mortise. constructions.
With the blade and jig set (proven through Plans for jig shown on page 96.
a test tenon that fits the mortises properly) cut
the cheeks. Stand the workpiece on end, clamp
it in the jig, and feed it through the cut. Use
both hands to advance the jig. After cutting
the first cheek, release the clamp, rotate the
workpiece, reclose the clamp and cut again.
With the cheek-cutting done, set the ten-
oning jig aside, slide the fence back and lower
the blade. Get out the miter gauge; all that’s
left is cutting the shoulders.
To cut the slip joint’s halves, use a tenoned piece
Clean and accurate shoulder cuts are to reposition the rip fence. Cut the notch’s inner
important for final appearance and strength. cheeks and reset the fence to remove the waste. A slip joint features a tenon shouldered only on
Use a real tenon, one from which you’ve pruned The added screw shaft on the jig fence keeps the the faces (no edges) and notch, or an “open”
back the waste to expose the cheek, as a gauge cam-clamp handle away from the blade. mortise, instead of a regular mortise.
popwood.com 95
POWER
INGENIOUS
-TOOL JOINERY
JIGS
TABLE SAW TENON JIG

Saw accurate tenons with this shop-built jig. must be located high and clear of the blade.) pull the handle toward you. If the workpiece
You simply drop it over the rip fence and use The blade block will house the segment of the wants to creep as pressure is applied, it will
it with your table-saw’s work-a-day blade. blade that passes through the work support. be pushed against the saw’s table, rather
You can build one, including the cam To secure the workpiece, I opted for a shop- than being pulled off the saw’s table.
clamp, from a small amount of 3 ⁄4" plywood, made cam clamp. The clamp is easy to make, The exploded drawing and the cutting
a couple scraps of hardwood, and some com- and its location can be adjusted to accommo- list should make the construction clear. The
monplace fasteners in two or three hours. date different widths of stock. I oriented the drawing shows biscuit joints, but you can use
The jig isn’t original. You’ve undoubtedly clamp pivot so it tightens onto the work as you screws or nails. PW — BH
seen photos of it in magazines and books,
and perhaps you’ve made one yourself.
#VUUSFTTFT
My iteration has a replaceable work
support that’s backed up by a blade-guard
block. This work support may get chewed
up. By backing out a pair of connector bolts, #MBEFCMPDL
you can replace it. (Note that the lower bolt
5SBQGFODF
3
3
3 8PSL
TVQQPSU
'FODFUJFT
3
Cam layout Exploded view $BNDMBNQ
'FODF

Rear elevation
Profile
TENON JIG Front elevation

NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL
T W L

❏ 1 Fence 3 ⁄4 11 17 Baltic birch
❏ 1 Trap fence 3 ⁄4 51 ⁄2 17 Baltic birch
❏ 2 Fence ties 3 ⁄4 4* 17 Baltic birch
❏ 3 Buttresses 3 ⁄4 43 ⁄ 4 43 ⁄ 4 Baltic birch
❏ 1 Work support 1 2 11 Hardwood
❏ 1 Blade block 1 53 ⁄ 4 4 Hardwood %SJMMFEBOE
3 ⁄4 DPVOUFSCPSFE
❏ 1 Cam clamp 4 9 Baltic birch GPSUOVU
*width of rip fence
2 - 1 ⁄4" x 20 connector bolts, 2"
2 - 1⁄4" T-nuts
1 - Roundhead stove bolt, nut and washers, 1⁄4" x 11⁄2" Fence layout
1 - Roundhead stove bolt, nut and washers, 1⁄4" x 2"
2 - Fender washers, 1⁄4" i.d.

Sharpening for Woodturners
Turning tools come in
many shapes. Here’s how
to keep those shapes sharp.
M any years ago, I was cooking with a

friend who was home visiting his par-
ents during a college break. He struggled with
a dull knife until he finally threw it down on
the cutting board in disgust and declared,
“There’s a $2,000 stove in this house and not
one sharp knife!”
In cooking or in woodworking, keen edges
trump just about everything else in impor-
tance. You may have a $5,000 lathe with all
the bells and whistles, but without sharp tools
it’s just a big piece of metal. Obviously every
woodworker, whatever type of work he or she
is doing, needs to use sharp tools. What isn’t
always so clear is how to get them that way
– or even how to recognize a dull or sharp
edge in the first place. This is especially true
of turning tools, because there are so many
different shapes and sizes. Figuring out how
to sharpen all of those can be a little confus-
ing. But understanding a few basic principles
will definitely help.
Basic Sharpening Tips

Sharpening is a skill; as with any other skill, Practice at the grinder will pay off at the lathe. (Note that my hands are covering the toolrest.) Although
learning it will require practice. This may my hands are close to the wheel, there is no danger as there is no pressure towards the wheel.
seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget. It’s cer-
tainly not as much fun to practice sharpening dancing across the edge or shooting down the the tool is working well, simply try to repro-
as actual turning; no lovely shavings pouring top of the tool. Don’t try to hurry it. duce that angle.
off the piece and so on. There is just – well, Don’t worry too much about the exact Let the grinder do the work. Pushing the
the grind of grinding. But time invested here angles of the bevels. It’s more important to tool into the wheel won’t take the metal off
will pay off exponentially at the lathe. develop an understanding of how the tool any faster; it will only overheat the tool and
Understand that sharpening is really noth- should work, and when and why you might wheel. Just enough pressure to keep the wheel
ing but dressing the tool’s bevel. When you want a longer or a shorter bevel, than it is to cutting is all that’s required.
think about the edge instead of the bevel, the produce a precise, predetermined angle. If Dress the wheel frequently to keep it flat
tendency (albeit unconscious) is to raise the and clean (more on this later).
handle of the tool in order to get that edge by Judy Ditmer Make sure you’re comfortable at the
to appear more quickly. You can’t grind an grinder; you’ll be less inclined to rush it. Be
Judy, author of two turning books and many articles,
edge; but produce a good, clean bevel and has been turning since 1985. She teaches and
sure you have good light, and that the working
you will have a good edge. You can see when demonstrates her skills throughout area is at an appropriate height. I’m 5'2" tall,
that edge arrives by watching for the sparks the United States and Canada. and most shops I’ve been in have the grinder
popwood.com 97
mounted too low even for my comfort. The
SHARPENING TOOLS: THE BASICS base of mine is 40" from the floor; get yours
up high enough that you don’t have to hunch
over while using it. If necessary, build up a
pedestal with 2x6 boards (and then fasten it
all down for stability). Your back will thank
you for this.
Remember: Tend to the bevel and the edge
will take care of itself.
Grinders and Wheels

There are many sharpening accessories on the
market: machines, attachments, jigs, wheels,
abrasives and more. I can’t hope to examine
them all in a short article. I suggest you start
with a simple bench grinder. You may already
Start with a parting tool; it’s easy to sharpen. The roughing gouge (used in spindle work) is have one; if so, you might not need anything
Just hold the tool so the bevel is all on the wheel fairly straightforward to grind. Find the posi- else. But if your grinder has only the gray
and move it back and forth across the face of tion for the bevel and twist the handle back and wheels that came on it, you will need a new
the wheel without moving it in any other way. forth without raising, lowering or swinging it wheel. The gray wheels glaze over very quickly
side-to-side.
and they are often very coarse – the “fine”
wheel may be #60 grit or even coarser.
This shallow gouge is one of
For turning tools, #80 grit for rough grind-
my favorites for long curves
on spindles. It’s sharpened ing and #120 grit for finishing are usually good
like the roughing gouge, choices. Most major woodworking and turn-
but in addition to the simple ing catalogs at least offer white or pink wheels.
twisting motion, you will These are aluminum oxide grit and work well
need to move the handle up for turning tools; the grit breaks away read-
and sideways a bit on the ily, which helps to prevent overheating and
right side and then the left
buildup of metal on the wheel.
side in order to produce the
shape that is slightly swept I use the blue aluminum oxide wheels from
back on either side of center. Oneway Manufacturing (800-565-7288 or
oneway.on.ca); the hard, sharp grit cuts well,
and the wheels dress to a clean finish for fine
sharpening. They don’t load up and glaze over
as quickly as other wheels I’ve used.
Bench grinders usually run at either 1,750
revolutions per minute or 3,450 rpm (or there-
abouts), and take a 6", 7" or 8" wheel. I prefer
a 1,750 rpm and an 8" wheel, although my
trusty, old, no-brand grinder was a 3,450 rpm
with a 6" wheel, and it served me well for many
years. But I prefer the shallower hollow of the
bevel from a larger wheel.
At the faster speed, it’s easy to lose control
and reshape the tool in ways you didn’t intend.
For small tools in particular, the slower speed
makes it easier to stay in control. I like a 1"-
wide wheel; it’s easier to sharpen larger tools
on it than a 3 ⁄4"-wide one.
You need a wheel dresser to keep the sur-
face of the wheel flat and clean. There are
This is a detail gouge used for spindle work and on the outside of bowls. Start at the tip (as shown at
left) and lift the handle and swing it to the right (as shown at right) to produce the swept-back side. several available that are suitable, including
a diamond point dresser, several versions of

a diamond-impregnated bar attached to a
perpendicular handle, and my favorite, the
dressing stone (shown at right), all of which
work just fine.
Sharpening Machines and Jigs

When I started turning, I could barely afford
my $25 grinder and a decent wheel, so more
elaborate machines and jigs weren’t really
an option. I’m not sure there even were any
jigs for sharpening lathe tools at that time;
and to be frank, I was (still am, really) a lit-
tle intimidated by machines that come with
operating manuals thicker than about 1 ⁄16". It’s a good idea to balance your grinding wheels.
These facts certainly influence my opinions At high speeds, an unbalanced wheel can cause
on this topic. vibration. Oneway makes this system for balanc- The dressing stone is rolled or moved across the
I think the more complex machines are ing wheels. face of the wheel to level and clean it.
more suited for sharpening things such as
flat chisels, jointer knives and planer blades
than turning tools. Jigs have a place, but I ARE WE THERE YET?
believe you should definitely learn how to
How do you know if it’s sharp yet? Of course the real test of an edge is in the cutting, but
grind by hand, primarily for the two follow-
here are some ways to help you evaluate the edge you’re getting at the grinder.
ing reasons.
First, let’s say you’re turning a bowl using
three tools: a small bowl gouge, a detail gouge
and a scraper. If you have to reconfigure a jig
each time you need to touch up one of these
tools, you probably won’t sharpen as often as
you should. You need to be able to go to the
grinder and quickly touch up the edge of a tool
whenever it’s needed. This takes a few seconds
once you have acquired some skill.
Second, sooner or later you will need to
change the shape of a tool in a way the jig does
not readily provide for. If you have the skill
of hand grinding, this will be a simple mat-
ter; if you don’t, you will be inclined to just Gently draw your thumb off the end of the Gently roll the edge across the end of your
keep using the edge the jig provides instead tool as if you’re scraping something off of your thumbnail. Again, it will feel rough if it’s
of reshaping it to do the job better. thumb (not side-to-side; that could cut you). It sharp (because it’s actually biting into the nail
What a jig will do very well indeed is dress should feel rough rather than smooth (it feels slightly), and smooth if it’s dull (because it is
rough because it’s sharp enough to actually sliding on the nail).
the bevel perfectly. If you do use a jig, remem-
scrape cells off. If it feels smooth, the edge is
ber that it must be set up correctly, and you do rounded enough to just slide over your skin).
still have to learn how to use it. Even when the
jig is properly set up, if you spend too much Pull the tool gently
or too little time on a given part of the edge, across a piece of wood
you can spoil it. You are still in charge of the (I use the base under
shape of the tool. the grinder – it’s always
handy) at an angle. It
Remember, woodturners are an opinion-
should pull a fine, clean
ated lot, and I am no exception. The crucial shaving with almost no
thing about sharpening is that you learn to pressure. If you have to
do it. Whatever works best for you is really push to get a shaving,
fine. What matters is that when you put the it’s not really sharp yet.
edge to the wood, it’s a sharp one. How it got
that way is secondary. PW
popwood.com 99
PRODUCT INDEX
PAGE # CIRCLE # WEB ADDRESS PAGE # CIRCLE # WEB ADDRESS
ADHESIVES POWER TOOLS
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Franklin International Insert 118 titebond.com Ryobi 20-21 154 ryobitools.com
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Polymeric Systems 106 148 epoxysticks.com Shopbot 27 156 shopbottools.com
BITS, BLADES & CUTTERS Smithy 18 157 smithy.com
A&I Supply 93 100 ai-supply.com Wilke Machinery 33 168 wilkemach.com
Amana 23 104 amanatool.com Woodstock Int’l 15 174 woodstockinternational.com
CMT 93 109 cmt-usa.com SAWMILLS & KILNS
Freud 7 119 freudtools.com Granberg International 107 123 granberg.com
Librawood 106 136 librawood.com Norwood Industries 106 143 norwoodindustries.com
Olson 29 144 olsonsaw.com SHOP ACCESSORIES
Ridge Carbide 107 152 ridgecarbidetool.com Airware America 106 103 airwareamerica.com
Routerbits.com 107 153 routerbits.com Modine 23 142 modine.com
Whiteside Machine Co. 37 167 whitesiderouterbits.com Oneida Air Systems 23 145 oneida-air.com
Woodline USA 105 172 woodline.com Trend Machinery 26 161 trend-usa.com
BOOKS TURNING SUPPLIES
Woodworker's Book Club Insert — woodworkersbookclub.com Augums Pen Works 107 106 augumspenworks.com
FASTENERS Packard Woodworks 106 147 packardwoodworks.com
Arrow Fasteners 14 105 arrowfasteners.com WOOD & VENEERS
McFeely’s 29 140 mcfeelys.com Newton Woods 106 — walnutwoods.net
Miller Dowel Co. 18 141 millerdowel.com Wall Lumber 14 164 walllumber.com
FINISHES & SUPPLIES Woodfinder 106 — woodfinder.com
Varathane 19 163 varathane.com Woodworker’s Source 107 176 woodworkerssource.com
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Adams Wood Products 26 101 adamswoodproducts.com Klingspor Workshop 24 130 woodworkingshop.com
Osborne Wood Products 101 146 osbornewood.com Rockler 93 — rockler.com
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Adjustable Clamp 37 102 adjustableclamp.com Woodcraft 27 170 woodcraft.com
David Warren Direct 106 — ecemmerich.com Woodworker's Supply 93 177 woodworker.com
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Lee Valley Tools 35 134 leevalley.com
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Tools For Working Wood 37 160
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KITS & PLANS
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Woodcraft Plans 107 171 woodcraftplans.com and click "FREE INFORMATION" or fax the card to
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Jointech 23 129 jointech.com DW735 is the leader of the pack. It uses a three-knife
Kreg Tool 35 131 kregtool.com cutterhead that, in conjunction with the two feed speeds,
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Leigh Industries 24 — leighjigs.com offers an excellent finished surface. And with the cutter-
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Delta 5 112 deltamachinery.com lucky winner from the
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DeWalt 25 150 dewalt.com first 200 information
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General Mfg. 29 120 general.ca
Grizzly Industrial C2-1 124 grizzly.com (See Advertiser Index or
JET 11 128 jettools.com Product Index for circle
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Legacy Woodworking 107 135 legacywoodworking.com
Makita C4 138 makitatools.com
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Adams Wood Products
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Airware America 106 103 airwareamerica.com
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Ball & Ball 33 107 ballandball-us.com
Beall Tool 106 108 bealltool.com
CMT 93 109 cmt-usa.com
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David Warren Direct 106 — ecemmerich.com
Delta 5 112 deltamachinery.com
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Epoxyheads 8 114 epoxyheads.com
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Turn back-breaking outdoor clean-up into a “ride in the park” with Franklin International Insert 118 titebond.com
Freud 7 119 freudtools.com
the incredible Cyclone Rake. Powerful engine-driven vacuum General Mfg. 29 120 general.ca
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FLEXNER ON FINISHING
Fixing Finish with French Polish

Sometimes it’s a good technique for repairing damaged finishes.
I n the woodworking community, French

polishing is usually thought of as a tech-
nique for finishing new wood. But in the repair
community, French polishing is commonly
used to renew worn or damaged finish surfaces,
especially tabletops.
I was recently called upon to repair some
serious damage to the finish on a high-end
1950s mahogany dining tabletop, and I
thought you might like to see how I did it.
So I took along my camera.
The owners had caused an alcohol-filled
heating apparatus under a large chafing dish to
explode, spattering alcohol across half of the
tabletop. The alcohol cratered out hundreds
of depressions approximately the thickness of
a normal sheet of paper. The owners loved the
color (patina) of the wood and didn’t want it
stripped and refinished.
The finish was a very sophisticated, multi-
Photos by the author

step finish involving numerous coloring steps
as shown in the illustration below, and the
color had of course aged and mellowed. It
would have been very difficult to match the
other pieces in the dining set anyway, and
also very expensive. So the owner’s wishes coloring them in, but for the hundreds on this sheen was reached. The other would be to
notwithstanding, the best procedure was still table, restoring the color would have been out apply more finish.
to try to repair the finish. of the question. It would have taken much Rubbing increases the risk of abrading
When diagnosing damage of this sort, it’s too long, and it would have been much too into color and requires protecting all the
critical to determine if there are color prob- difficult to disguise so many. surfaces in the room if electrical tools are
lems. For example, did the damage go so deep So I did a simple test. Using #600-grit used. Rubbing is also less successful if the
that it removed some of the glaze or toner in sandpaper, I sanded back a small area of fin- finish is old and somewhat deteriorated, as
the finish or some of the stain in the wood? ish to see if I could sand to below the dam- this one was. It can be impossible to bring
For one or two spots, it wouldn’t be a problem age without affecting the color. I could. The up an even shine.
damage was confined to the topcoats of clear The way most tabletops are restored when
finish. The first step, therefore, would be to working onsite is by applying more finish.
5PQDPBUT sand out all the damage. Almost any finish can be used, but there are
5POFSDPBU There were two possibilities for the next the following caveats.
8BTIDPBU step. One would be to rub the surface with • Working onsite makes spraying diffi-
(MB[FDPBU
4FBMFSDPBU
finer and finer grit abrasives until the desired cult. It can be done, however, using a turbine
HVLP and hanging plastic sheeting to protect
by Bob Flexner everything in the room. Although challeng-
Bob is the author of “Understanding
ing, spraying has the advantage of producing
Wood Finishing” and a contributing editor an almost perfectly flat surface.
A complex finish requires many different layers. to Popular Woodworking. • The lacquer thinner in lacquer finishes

has the potential of blistering any finish, even finish, coating over desks at night and on or a gel varnish could be used. Both still dry
old lacquer. Begin by spraying light “mist” weekends in offices. slowly and collect dust.
coats. Lacquer thinner also has a strong odor, • Varnish or polyurethane can be used, • Shellac can be applied successfully over
and this has to be taken into account when but there is a long drying time and strong any finish, and the French polishing method
working in an owner’s home. odor that has to be considered, and the finish of applying shellac is perfectly suited to this
• Water-based finish can be sprayed should be leveled and rubbed out afterward. type situation. This is the finish and the tech-
without the risk of blistering and without To avoid the leveling step, the finish could nique (as shown below) I commonly use when
the strong odors. Many refinishers use this be thinned at least 25 percent and wiped on, working onsite. PW
7-STEP GUIDE TO REPAIRING A FINISH WITH FRENCH POLISH

Following is a photo essay of how I restored
the tabletop using the French polishing
method.
2 The first step was to sand the surface

to below the damage. There are several
ways to do this: by hand or by machine, and
sandpaper masks sand-throughs so they
aren’t visible until it’s too late. When I begin
to feel comfortable with the thickness of the
with dry sandpaper or with a lubricant. topcoats, I add a lubricant.
I always begin sanding by hand because The choice of grit is a judgment call.
there’s too much risk of sanding through using Always choose the finest grit sandpaper that
1 Here is a close-up of the damage, which

was spread over half the tabletop. The
damage looks worse than it was, because it
a sanding machine. If I were to sand into the
color layers and remove some of the color,
the problem would be almost impossible to
will still cut through the damage efficiently.
Coarser grits leave scratches that then need
to be sanded out. Here, I began with #600-
was confined to the clear topcoats. It didn’t fix. This is also the reason I start out sand- grit sandpaper. With shallower damage, I’d
penetrate into the color layers in the finish. ing dry. Wetting the surface to lubricate the use a finer grit.
3 Grits above #400 are black, wet/dry sandpaper. Without a lubri-

cant, this sandpaper clogs easily, so you need to change often to
fresh sandpaper. Clogging causes larger-than-necessary scratches in
the surface, which can be difficult to remove.
The downside of sanding dry is that you can go through a lot of
sandpaper, and wet/dry sandpaper is fairly expensive. This is the
reason to start using a lubricant as soon as you feel comfortable doing
so. The lubricant I almost always use is mineral spirits – I choose the
“odorless” type when working in someone’s home. Sometimes, I add
some mineral oil to lengthen the working time. I avoid using water
because it may cause problems with an old finish, and it isn’t as effec-
tive at preventing clogging.
popwood.com 103
4 The first step in French polishing is to make a pad – a ball of

absorbent cloth wrapped tightly within another cloth to create
a smooth bottom surface. Typically, I use cheesecloth for the inner
ball and an old, well-worn, handkerchief for the outer cloth. I fold the
cheesecloth into a tight square, wrap the handkerchief around it and
twist tight, as shown at right.
With the polishing pad made, I pour on some shellac. A plastic
squeeze bottle works great. I make the cloth damp, not wet, and tap
the pad hard against my other hand to disperse the shellac.
I use two-pound-cut, blonde shellac I’ve dissolved myself from
flakes. Using freshly made shellac produces the fastest drying, hard-
est and most water-resistant finish.
5 I begin wiping the shellac onto the sur-

face. At first, I’m just trying to get some
build (you could even brush or spray the
shellac). I usually just wipe the pad across
the surface in straight strokes with the grain.
After covering the surface (or in this case
one section at a time), I add some mineral
oil to the bottom of the pad to lubricate it
so it doesn’t “drag” the shellac already on
the surface. I find it easiest to remove the
cap from the bottle of mineral oil and pour a
little oil into it. Then I dip my finger into the
oil and spread it onto the pad whenever I feel
I need to add more, usually each time after
adding more shellac.
Once I start adding oil, I begin padding in
circles or figure eights. But there’s nothing
wrong with continuing to pad in straight
strokes with the grain.
Here’s the first trick to French polishing
(whether on new wood or on an old finish).
Have one squeeze bottle with shellac and
one with straight denatured alcohol. Once
you’ve applied enough shellac to the surface ness or streaking. As you start padding, the (rag tracks too pronounced, a mark because
to cover the sanding scratches, begin vapor trail can be up to a foot long. It should you stopped moving the pad, whatever), you
thinning the shellac progressively with the tighten as the pad dries until it trails by only an can always sand it out and keep going. Use
alcohol until you’re just rubbing with alco- inch or two. the finest grit sandpaper that will remove
hol. The goal is to eliminate all the marks left Any time you cause a problem in the finish the problem.
by the cloth.
Thin the shellac right on the pad. Pour on
a little shellac. Then pour on a little alcohol.
Tap the pad against your other hand to dis-
perse the liquid, then apply one or two finger
dabs of mineral oil to the bottom of the pad.
After you’ve been rubbing an area for a
while, you won’t need as much oil. There will
be enough already on the surface.
Here’s the second trick: As soon as you
start adding oil to the pad, you want to see a
vapor trail following the pad as you rub. The
vapor trail is caused by the alcohol evaporat-
ing through the oil. This tells you that you
have the right mixture.
You won’t see this vapor trail if your pad
6 Here is a small section of the tabletop
showing some of the damage (left) and
the damage sanded out (right).
7 Here is the same section of the tabletop
after having sanded out all the damage
and French polished. The repaired table is
is too wet or too dry. You will see just wet- shown at the beginning of this article. — BF

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OUT OF THE WOODWORK
To Rip or to Split?
Sometimes sawing isn’t the smartest solution.
W hen I lived in Pennsylvania, an

Appalachian furniture maker I met
gave me this mystery to solve:
a board rather than split and shaved from a
wedge of green wood. That was the ladder’s
fatal flaw. The power saw, no more than
“Back near the turn of the last century, its operator, could care less if the grain of
the new fire chief of Cumberland, Md., the board ran parallel to the length of the
decided to replace one of the station’s old rung. The captain knew that the strength
and fire-singed wood ladders. Seeing he of a rung is directly proportional to the per-
could obtain the ladder quicker and at a bet- centage of grain (or, to be technical, the
Illustrations by Will McDonnell

ter price by ordering it from a commercial cellulose fibers) that run full length from
outfit in Philadelphia rather than hiring the rail to rail. If more than 20 percent of those
job out to the usual supplier – an old orchard fibers exit the rung before they reach the
ladder maker who lived way back up a West rails, that rung – under the load of a fully
Virginia hollow – he requisitioned the funds outfitted fireman and a damsel in distress
and made the purchase. slung over his shoulder – would very likely
“When he brought the new ladder into fail. The chief should have known better
the fire house, the lead fireman took one – as should have this woodworker. amazement at first seeing David produce
look at the ladder and said he would not set My obvious prejudice against ripping a 4'-long, nearly hexagonal chunk of white
foot on it if his life depended on it. Which stems from a stint of timberframing that oak the size of my wrist from a tree stump
of course, it did in his line of work. The sur- saw me doing an awful lot of ripping with a in less than a minute with only minimal
prised chief looked closely at the ladder: the handsaw. All too often, our big circular saws effort. I’m still amazed today when I look
side rails were made of full length, defect- wouldn’t cut deep enough to complete the at the Pacific North Coast Indian Long-
free white oak heartwood and the rungs joints. It wouldn’t have been all that bad, houses that feature walls fashioned from
were made of clear, hickory heartwood. but I was a greenhorn and didn’t know that huge, uniformly sized planks of cedar that
All the joints were well done and securely you had to hone the teeth nearly daily if never saw the teeth of any saw. At some
fastened. Why, then, did the captain vehe- you wanted to keep a hand rip saw working Canadian museums, one can observe
mently reject the chief’s purchase?” to its potential. I did learn to keep spray- native craftsmen demonstrating the aborig-
The answer, as the Appalachian arti- ing kerosene on the blade, and that helped inal house-building technology of wedging
san was happy to point out to this dumb- some. I also eventually learned to hold the planks out of logs. The only sound is the
founded young dubber from New England, rip saw correctly when cutting – nearly clump of wood on wood – not the scream
was summed up in two words: sawn rungs. upright rather than at the 45° I was used to of an electric motor and its spinning metal
The captain could tell by looking at the holding handsaws when crosscutting. teeth. The only smell is the sweet aroma
grain that the rungs had been ripped from Of course, I opted for the powered circu- of cedar shavings – not the acrid, irritat-
lar saw every chance ing dust spit out by a hot, spinning, cutting
I got. But the ques- saw blade. And the speed at which they get
tion is: why rip at all these planks to emerge from the huge par-
when you can split? ent logs is almost breathtaking. It’s almost
Back in the mid- enough to make me want to build houses
1970s, under the again – at least those kinds of houses with
tutelage of Vermont those kinds of tools. PW
chairmaker David by Jim Tolpin
Sawyer, I learned to
make farm imple- This article is adapted from Lesson 46 in “Jim Tolpin’s
Woodworking Wit & Wisdom: Thirty Years of Lessons
ments and chairs from the Trade” (Popular Woodworking Books). To
from green wood. obtain your copy, visit your local bookseller, call 800-
I’ll never forget my 448-0915 or visit the Bookstore at popwood.com.

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A RULER (YUP, A RULER) SLASHES YOUR SHARPENING TIME

RADICAL REPAIRS: A SECRET WEAPON TO FIX YOUR DAMAGED FINISHES

Lonnie Bird’s Tips for

ONE GREAT FINISH.

A two speed gear box allows users

An automatic carriage lock is built

A fan-assisted chip ejection system

TWO SPEEDS AND THREE KNIVES ON THE DEWALT DW735

CIRCLE NO. 113 ON FREE INFORMATION CARD.

16 How Best to Store Handsaws

22 Router Guide for Straight Cuts

30 Veritas Low-angle Jack Plane

32 Testing Your Layout Tools

94 Table Saw Tenon Jig

97 Sharpening for Woodturners

38 Better Glue Joints

ON THE COVER 42 Build a Welsh Stick Chair

Cover photo by Al Parrish

108 Out of the 73 Return of the Rasp

76 Shaker Tripod Table

82 The Ruler Trick

6 POPULAR WOODWORKING November 2004

November 2004, Vol. 24, No. 6

Finishing is just the beginning.

Buyer Beware: Tool CONTRIBUTORS

Prices Heading Up David at work with a hand plane. During his

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10 POPULAR WOODWORKING November 2004

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Simple Guide for

vent a tool from wandering off course. Alter-

CASH AND PRIZES Orienting Curl so it Looks its Best

22 POPULAR WOODWORKING November 2004

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fence. When you’ve ﬁnished, separate the