Guide for cabinet and furniture construction

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Assembling Cases

YOU ARE H ERE:

Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e

Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s

Asse m blin g Ca se s

Ex ce r pt e d fr om Th e Com ple t e I llu st r a t e d Gu ide t o Fu r n it u r e & Ca bin e t Con st r u ct ion

Entire Site

Assembling Cases

Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s

Ge t it r igh t t h e fir st t im e w it h t h e r igh t t ools a n d t h e pr ope r cla m ps a n d cla m pin g t e ch n iqu e

Tools

by Andy Rae

Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Cu r r e n t W or k On lin e Vide o Tips

Th e Com ple t e I llu st r a t e d Gu ide t o Join e r y

Th e dr y r u n

Six books of recent art icles from Fine Woodworking in an at t ract ive slipcase set

One of t he best t echniques I 've com e t o learn about assem bly ( and learned it t he hard way, m eaning I had t o m ake m any m ist akes first ) is t o always - - and I m ean always - - do a dry run of any assem bly. This m eans assem bling all t he part s wit hout glue. Make sure you use all t he necessary clam ps you'll need and check t o see t hat you can confident ly close all t he j oint s. I n effect , you're pract icing t he ent ire assem bly sequence. And 9 t im es out of 10, you'll discover during a dry run t hat som et hing is m issing or you need m ore clam ps in a specific area t o bring an assem bly t oget her. Or perhaps you'll need t o ret hink t he glue- up process and break t he assem bly sequence down int o sm aller, m ore m anageable part s. I t m ay t ake m ore t im e, but invest ing in a dry run is well wort h avoiding t he horror of applying glue, only t o find t hat you can't quit e put t he part s t oget her as planned.

Asse m bly t ools a n d j igs There are innum erable j igs and t ricks used in assem bly. All are aim ed at m aking t he process of put t ing t oget her m ult iple part s easier, m ore accurat e, and ult im at ely less frust rat ing. There's not hing worse t han spreading glue only t o find you don't have t he right t ools or set up ready t o go. Here are som e essent ial assem bly aids t hat m ake glue- ups go a lot sm oot her.

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When you're ready t o assem ble your furnit ure, you usually have only one shot t o get it right . Once t he glue is spread, t here's no t urning back. Glue up a cabinet out of square, and you'll pay dearly lat er in t he const ruct ion process because your error will accum ulat e so t hat fit t ing subsequent part s becom es a night m are. To get it right t he first t im e, it 's vit al t o have t he right assem bly t ools on hand and t o use t he proper clam ps and clam ping t echnique. Aft er all, who hasn't glued t oget her what was a perfect ly fit t ed m it er, only t o find t he j oint slipping out of alignm ent as you placed pressure on t he j oint ? Learning and pract icing t he correct approach t o assem bly will save you unt old hours of frust rat ion.

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Pin ch Rod

Re a din g squ a r e w it h a pin ch r od I t 's vit al t o square up a case or opening im m ediat ely aft er assem bly- - before t he glue dries. One way t o check for square is t o read t he diagonal m easurem ent s from out side corner t o out side corner wit h a t ape m easure. When t he t wo m easurem ent s are equal, t he opening is square. But clam ps

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I n full- color phot o essays, expert woodworker Gary Rogowski show you how t o m ake every pract ical woodworking j oint Esse n t ia ls of W oodw or k in g

Box e s, Ca r ca se s a n d Draw ers

39 vint age art icles from Fine Woodworking on choosing, m aking and using every kind of carcase j oint

Assembling Cases

Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s For u m Eve n t s

oft en get in t he way, it 's pract ically im possible t o get a reading on t he back of t he case, and reading t he out side corners won't t ell you whet her t he inside of a deep case is square. A m ore accurat e m et hod is t o use a pinch rod. A

Pin ch Rod

An a dj u st a ble pin ch r od a llow s you t o com pa r e in side dia gon a ls qu ick ly a n d t o a n y de pt h . I f t h e y m a t ch , t h e ca se m u st be squ a r e .

( ope n s in n e w w in dow )

t radit ional pinch rod is sim ply t wo st icks, sharpened at one end, t hat you pinch, or hold t oget her, in t he cent er. The m odified version shown at right adds clam ping heads t hat m ake t hings a lit t le easier and m ore precise. Set t he rod t o t he lengt h of one of t he diagonals; t hen check t he opposit e diagonal inside t he case. Push t he st icks int o t he case t o read t he ent ire dept h. Keep adj ust ing t he rod ( and t he case) unt il t he rod fit s equally bet ween bot h diagonals. Squ a r in g a ca se w it h a boa r d As an aid t o assem bling a case square, cut a piece of plywood t o t he exact widt h of t he case opening, m aking sure adj acent edges are square. Before you clam p t he case j oint s, clam p t he board inside t he case, lining up one edge of t he board wit h t he case sides. Voila! No m ore t wist ed or out of- square openings.

A squ a r e d- u p boa r d cu t t o t h e w idt h of t h e in side pr ovide s a n e a sy w a y t o squ a r e u p a ca se .

Sh im s a n d block s a lign pa r t s I t 's a good idea t o keep on hand a variet y of shim s and blocks in varying t hicknesses, from playing cards, squares of plast ic lam inat e, and st rips of leat her t o 1/ 4- in.- , 1/ 2- in.- , and 3/ 4- in.- t hick blocks of wood. These spacers help align or posit ion part s during glueup, and t hey're great for prot ect ing t he surface of your A box fu ll of sh im m a t e r ia ls work. I n t he phot o at right , com e s in h a n dy du r in g glu e - u p. sm all squares of MDF align t he clam p heads over t he cent er of t he j oint , while plast ic shim s prevent t he pipes from dinging t he surface. Rise r block s r a ise t h e w or k Gluing up assem blies oft en m eans having t o get underneat h t he work t o at t ach clam ps or ot her part s. The sim plest answer is t o raise t he ent ire assem bly on blocks of wood. But finding st ock t hick enough can be a pain. Just as st rong, and easier t o m ake, are set s of riser blocks m ade from 3/ 4- in. plywood glued http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/bw0001.asp (2 of 3)25.09.2004 22:28:35

Assembling Cases

and nailed t oget her. Blocks about 5 in. high by 2 ft . long are sufficient for alm ost all your glue- ups.

Sim ple plyw ood r ise r s e le va t e t h e w or k for e a sy cla m pin g.

A pie ce of t a pe com e s in h a n dy a s a t h ir d h a n d w h e n posit ion in g cla m pin g ca u ls.

Cla m pin g ca u ls Like blocks, cauls m ade from scrap m at erial can prevent dings in your work. More im port ant , cauls dist ribut e m ore clam ping pressure across a j oint , allowing you t o use far fewer clam ps when gluing up. For broad gluing surfaces, use bowed clam ping cauls. For narrow j oint s, scrap plywood or left over st icks of wood work fine. The t rick t o get t ing t he cauls t o st ay where you want t hem unt il you add t he clam ps is t o t ape t hem t em porarily in place. D ove t a il t a ppin g w e dge I n m any cases, you don't need t o bot her clam ping dovet ail j oint s, especially on sm all box const ruct ions, such as a drawer. To assem ble and fully seat t he j oint s wit hout dam aging t he pins, t ap over t he j oint wit h a wedgedshaped block of dense wood. The shape of t he block allows you t o posit ion it over t he j oint regardless of t he size of t he t ail. [ n e x t ] |

Ta u n t on H om e

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A w e dge - sh a pe d block h e lps se a t dove t a ils in t h e ir sock e t s.

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Assembling Cases (page 2)

YOU ARE H ERE:

Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e

Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s

Asse m blin g Ca se s

Pa ge 2

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Asse m blin g a ca se For m ost cabinet s, t here's a basic assem bly sequence t hat will guarant ee success - - or at least a m ore com fort able heart rat e. The t rick is always t o begin assem bly from t he insides out . I n m ost inst ances, t his m eans assem bling any int erior dividers or part it ions t o t he t op and bot t om of t he case. I f t he case is wide, clam p one side of t he work while it sit s face down on t he bench ( A) . Then flip t he assem bly over and clam p t he opposit e side ( B) . Tackle t he out side of t he case, oft en t he sides or ends of a cabinet , aft er you've clam ped all t he int erior assem blies. Depending on t he t ype of clam ps you use and t he design of t he cabinet , you m ight have t o wait for t he glue t o dry on t he int erior part s before clam ping t he out side of t he case. When possible, use long- reach clam ps, because t hey can reach over exist ing clam ps and let you clam p t he ent ire case in one assem bly session ( C) .

Cla m pin g cor n e r s Corner j oint s const it ut e m ost of t he casework in furnit ure - including sm all boxes and drawers- - and it 's necessary t o find an effect ive way t o clam p across what is t ypically a wide surface. Like edge work, t he answer is t o use cauls t o help dist ribut e clam ping pressure. When j oint s prot rude at t he corners, such as in t hrough dovet ails or box j oint s, use not ched cauls t o bring t he corner t oget her ( A) . Make t he not ch cut s on t he bandsaw or t able saw. The blocks gain purchase and don't int erfere wit h closing t he j oint , and t hey cent er over t he j oint t o avoid bowing t he sides.

Lin k s Abou t You r Sa fe t y

Mit er j oint s have a way of not closing at t he m ost inappropriat e t im es. To get good purchase on what is oft en a very slippery j oint , t here are several clam ping

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Pin ch Rods D e a d- blow m a lle t

Th e Com ple t e I llu st r a t e d Gu ide t o Join e r y

I n full- color phot o essays, expert woodworker Gary Rogowski show you how t o m ake every pract ical woodworking j oint Esse n t ia ls of W oodw or k in g

Six books of recent art icles from Fine Woodworking in an at t ract ive slipcase set Box e s, Ca r ca se s a n d Draw ers

39 vint age art icles from Fine Woodworking on choosing, m aking and using every kind of carcase j oint

Assembling Cases (page 2)

Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s For u m Eve n t s

st rat egies. The t ried- and- t rue m et hod is t o clam p all four corners of a m it ered fram e at once wit h bar clam ps. The deep t hroat s of Bessey K- body clam ps m ake it easy t o get over and under t he j oint ( B) . Tight en each clam p a lit t le at a t im e, like t ight ening t he lug nut s on a car wheel. Make sure t o check t he fram e for square before let t ing t he glue dry. The block- and- rod fram e syst em shown here ( from Lee Valley Tools) gives you very precise cont rol when closing four m it ers at a t im e, and it doesn't require lot s of clam ping force ( C) . Like t he bar clam p approach, t ight en each corner a lit t le at a t im e t o align t he m it ers. One of t he sim plest ways t o close t he j oint is t o clam p shopm ade blocks t o t he fram e before assem bly. Cut out t he blocks on t he bandsaw so t hat t he clam ping surfaces are parallel t o each ot her when t he fram e is assem bled ( D ) . A pict ure fram er's vise is handy for closing one m it er at a t im e ( E) . This is useful when you're nailing or screwing t he j oint , since you can assem ble t he fram e one piece at a t im e. Web clam ps allow you t o glue up all four corners at once, and t hey work well on bot h flat fram es and boxes ( F) . You can use heavy- dut y web clam ps for large cases, but plan on having several on hand t o close t he j oint s.

Cla m pin g difficu lt pa r t s

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Assembling Cases (page 2)

I f your pipe clam ps are t oo short , you can ext end t hem wit h m et al pipe j oiners, available at plum bing- supply st ores. Make sure at least one of your pipes is t hreaded on bot h ends so it can accept bot h t he t hreaded j oiner and t he clam p head ( A) . Anot her effect ive way t o grip long work is t o j oin t wo clam p heads t oget her. Shim s cent er t he clam ping pressure over t he j oint s, and rubber pads slipped over t he clam p heads prevent t he work from being m arred ( B) . Get a grip on difficult pieces, such as a panel, by securing it wit h a wooden handscrew ( C) . A bar clam p holds t he handscrew t o t he bench, leaving your hands free for m ore im port ant t asks. [ pr e viou s ]

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Andy Rae has been woodworking for over t wo decades. He worked wit h George Nakashim a and Frank Klausz before founding his own woodworking business. I n 1990, t he New Jersey St at e Council on t he Art s grant ed him a fellowship for his furnit ure designs. Rae wrot e over 100 art icles for Am erican Woodworker m agazine during his six- year t enure and served as senior edit or unt il 1998. He current ly works in t he west ern Nort h Carolina m ount ains, m aking furnit ure as well as t eaching and writ ing about woodworking. Phot os: Andy Rae; Drawing: Mario Ferro Ex ce r pt e d fr om Th e Com ple t e I llu st r a t e d Gu ide t o Fu r n it u r e & Ca bin e t Con st r u ct ion , pp. 8 8 - 9 4

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Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

YOU ARE H ERE:

Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e

Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s

Ge t t in g a n Edge ...

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Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper D iffe r e n t w oodw or k e r s u se diffe r e n t sh a r pe n in g m e t h ods by Jefferson Kolle

Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Cu r r e n t W or k On lin e Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s Book s & Vide os

Many years ago, as t he new, inexperienced guy on t he carpent ry crew, I was in charge of lugging giant piles of plywood from one side of t he j ob sit e t o t he ot her. " I went t o college for t his?" I used t o ask m yself. There was a guy on t he crew, Mark Fort enberry, who had t he sharpest t ools. He m ade finish work look effort less - - sm oot h, fluid, precise. Every m orning he'd pour coffee from his st ainless- st eel t herm os and sharpen t he t ools he needed for t he day. Different - colored st ones were unwrapped from an oily t owel; a lit t le can of t hreein- one oil appeared; and Mark would sharpen. Knowing I would need t o acquire t ools and skills if I ever want ed t o do anyt hing ot her t han get int im at e wit h sheet aft er sheet of rough plywood, I bought a block plane and a roll of chisels, t he sam e plane and chisels t hat Mark had. But t here was som et hing wrong wit h m y t ools - - m aybe t hey were defect ive. The problem was t hey were dull. " Dull as a hoe," Mark said. Event ually I got lot s of t ools: t ools I used everyday, t ools I didn't really need, t ools I never used. And I got m y grandfat her's t wo sharpening st ones - - oily, black t hings, one wit h a big chip out of t he corner. Oft en when I t ried t o sharpen som et hing, I t hink I m ade it duller. ( What 's duller t han a hoe? A hoe handle, m aybe.) The whole process m yst ified m e. I decided t hat elect ricit y would rem ove t he m yst ery of sharpening, so I bought a powered wat erst one m ade by Makit a ( www.m akit a.com ) . I t 's a great t ool: The plat t erlike, 7- in., 1,000- grit st one m oves at fewer t han 600 rpm , and wat er drips ont o it s surface from a plast ic reservoir. The t ool com es wit h a honing guide and an at t achm ent for holding planer or j oint er blades. I t couldn't be m ore j erk- proof. Fill t he reservoir wit h wat er, t urn on t he t ool and hold t he blade against t he st one. The m ot or t hrum s along quiet ly, reassuringly, t elling you t hat now, finally, you are going t o get t ruly sharp t ools. And I did. For t he first t im e since Mark sharpened som e of m y st uff, m y plane irons and chisel blades would shave hair off m y forearm .

Lin k s Abou t You r Sa fe t y

Event ually I went int o business for m yself, rest oring houses, building an occasional piece of furnit ure, and t he Makit a never failed m e. I got t o t he point where I st opped using t he honing guide. I nst ead, I held blades freehand against t he t urning

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Th e Com ple t e Gu ide t o Sh a r pe n in g

Tool expert Leonard Lee shows you t he m ost effect ive ways t o sharpen your t ools - - from chisels t o drill bit s - - so t hey cut bet t er and st ay sharp longer Sa n dpa pe r Sh a r pe n in g

I n t his video, Michael Dunbar dem onst rat es sandpaper sharpening. Sharpening a blade t akes only m inut es, and it all happens wit hout special gauges or m essy lubricant s.

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s For u m Eve n t s

st one, and aft er a while I wore a t rough in t he st one, which m ade it harder and harder t o get a flat edge. I f t he m achine has a fault , it is t hat it is m essy. Wat er get s flung around, especially when you're t rying t o t rue t he back of a blade. Every t im e I sharpened, m y shirt would get soaked right at m y belt line, and I would have t o m op wat er off t he workbench when I was t hrough. I got a cat alog recent ly t hat devot ed seven pages t o sharpening st uff. Wat erst ones, oilst ones, synt het ic st ones, diam ond st ones, elect ric- powered st ones, j igs for t his, j igs for t hat , rouges, powders, pot ions. I 'm sure t hey all work. There are a zillion ways t o sharpen st eel - - I know a wom an who sharpens her kit chen knives on t he unglazed bot t om rim of a dinner plat e - - but what works for one person m ight not work for anot her. For t wo days, I drove around New England, visit ing t hree woodworkers, t alking t o t hem about t heir m et hods of get t ing an edge.

W a t e r st on e s a n d t h e a r t of sh a r pe n in g Scot t Schm idt has a shop in The But t on Fact ory, a warehouse of art ist s and craft sm en in Port sm out h, N.H. Schm idt was schooled at Nort h Bennet St reet , and he uses Japanese wat erst ones. " The way I was t aught ," he said. At t he end of his shop, t here is a bench dedicat ed t o sharpening. I n m ore t han 20 years of woodworking, Schm idt has used up one wat erst one, and he is halfway t hrough anot her. All sharpening st ones are sacrificial - t hey wear away as st eel is rubbed over t hem - - but wat erst ones are soft er t han m ost , and it is t he grit t y slurry t hat 's creat ed as t he st one erodes t hat works wit h t he st one it self t o provide t he sharpening m edium . Schm idt soaks his st ones in a grungy, wat er- filled plast ic basin - - t he t ype of cont ainer a deli m ight use t o st ore coleslaw or pot at o salad. The basin lives under his bench, and he pawed t hrough it , pulled out a dripping st one and set it on t he bencht op, wiping off t he wat er wit h his hand. On t op of his bench is a piece of rubber rug padding t hat keeps t he st one from m oving. He set t he st one on t he pad, and before t ouching st eel t o st one, he sprit zed t he st one wit h a wat er bot t le. " I t hink of sharpening as a process of const ant ly flat t ening t he st one, keeping it flat by using it s whole surface," he said. " You can't m ake a blade flat wit h an unflat st one." The nat ural t endency, one t hat Schm idt t akes pains t o avoid, is t o work a blade ont o one spot in t he cent er of t he wat erst one, creat ing a declivit y - - in effect , unflat t ening t he st one. When a st one's surface needs redoing, he flat t ens it on a concret e block. Schm idt sharpened one of his favorit e chisels while I was at his shop. For a new t ool or one wit h a badly dam aged edge, he'll first work t he blade on an elect ric grinder before going t o his wat erst ones. For a long t im e he used a m agnifying glass t o http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (2 of 9)25.09.2004 22:31:17

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

inspect t he edges he'd honed, but fam iliarit y wit h his t ools has enabled him t o forego t his pract ice. He t old m e t hat it 's easier t o sharpen a t ool he uses a lot . " I f you know t he way a cert ain t ool cut s, you know t he way t hat t ool will t ake an edge. A large part of bot h processes, cut t ing and cut t ing an edge, is done by feel." He does not use a prot ract or or angle gauge; rat her, it 's a m at t er of t ouch and sight . To fla t t e n a w a t e r st on e , r u b it on a con cr e t e block . A lit t le w a t e r a n d a lit t le r u bbin g on a con cr e t e block w ill t r u e a n u n fla t w a t e r st on e . Th e con cr e t e a br a de s t h e st on e qu ick ly; t r u e a st on e on ly w h e n it r e a lly n e e ds it .

Scot t Sch m idt w or k s a bla de a cr oss a w a t e r st on e in fou r dir e ct ion s. H e r e pe a t s t h e pr oce ss w it h st on e s of 1 ,2 0 0 , 2 ,4 0 0 a n d 6 ,0 0 0 gr it .

He st art ed on t he back of t he chisel using a 1,200- grit wat erst one, working t he st eel back and fort h along t he lengt h of t he st one and m ixing up a slurry of wat er and abraded st one part icles. He oft en st opped and checked t he chisel's surface, t ilt ing t he t ool t o look at t he shiny areas and t he dull spot s. " I can feel t hat t his st one has a lit t le high spot on t his end," he said, concent rat ing his effort s in t hat area. " When t he st one is perfect ly flat , you can feel sort of an even suct ion bet ween t he wide surface of t he chisel's back and t he st one. I f t here's a high spot on t he st one, t he st eel grat es a lit t le bit , sounds rougher." When t he chisel's back had a uniform shininess - - no dull spot s t o be seen in t he st eel - - Schm idt t urned t o t he bevel. As he did on t he back of t he chisel, he st art ed t he bevel by working it back and fort h along t he lengt h of t he st one for several m inut es. Then Schm idt changed t ack. Anot her sprit z or t wo wit h t he wat er bot t le, and he was working again, t his t im e pushing t he blade back and fort h along t he widt h of t he st one. And t hen he swit ched again, running t he blade in a series of diagonal st rokes, crisscrossing t he st one from one corner t o t he ot her. The slurry built up in lit t le waves. He sprit zed again and changed his st ance so t hat he could work t he st eel from t he opposit e corner, t his t im e m aking Xs of slurry. By t he t im e he was finished, t he bevel had been worked across t he st one in four direct ions: back and fort h along t he lengt h; back and fort h across t he widt h; and diagonally across t he st one in t wo direct ions. He felt t he edge wit h his fingernail. A t hin, wire edge had developed, which he rem oved wit h several st rokes on t he http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (3 of 9)25.09.2004 22:31:17

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

chisel's back. When Schm idt was finished, he repeat ed t he process on bot h t he back and bevel, using a finer, 2,400- grit st one and t hen, finally, a 6,000- grit st one. Aft er five m inut es on each st one, t he chisel was razor sharp. The back and bevel shone like m irrors.

Oilst on e s, k e r ose n e a n d a lit t le dia m on d pa st e Aft er a hard right t urn at t he end of a Verm ont dirt road, I arrived at t he shop of Garret t Hack. Hack is a fat her, a farm er and a woodworker, in no part icular order. He is som ewhat of a t radit ionalist , and it shows in t he archit ect ure of his slat eroofed brick shop and in t he furnit ure he m akes. But t here's also a cont em porary side t o Hack. A Federal- st yle chest he m ade has an out rageous band of checkerboard inlay, and t he bright - green t rim and cert ain int erior det ails of his shop belie a m an who is not a slave t o hist ory. Hack's sharpening m et hods parallel his archit ect ure; he favors t radit ional oilst ones, but he occasionally uses a new product - diam ond past e - - t o get a keen edge in hard st eel. Spread on his bencht op was an array of planes, ready t o be sharpened. Hack rem oved t he iron from an old St anley No. 3. " I j ust got t his," he said, giving t he plane a crit ical eye. " The back of t he iron has probably never been flat t ened. I t needs t o be lapped." For t he quick rem oval of st eel, Hack will use a diam ond st one wit h an aggressive grit . Because it is m essy - he uses a lot of wat er wit h t he diam ond st one, const ant ly dousing t he surface - - he usually works out side on t he shop's granit e st eps. The diam ond st one is also good for rem oving sm all nicks in a blade's bevel. Hack dipped t he diam ond st one int o a wat er bucket and worked t he back of t he plane bade against t he st one in slow figure eight s. Aft er a while, he held t he st eel up t o t he light . The shine on t he blade was uneven, m eaning t he back of t he blade st ill needed work. " Lapping t he back of a blade t akes som e t im e, but once it 's lapped flat , you should never have t o do it again." Hack st ores his sharpening paraphernalia in a drawer built int o t he underside of his workbench. The drawer is full of oilst ones, each in it s own wood box. And t here are t iny plast ic j ars of

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An y oil w ill do, bu t Ga r r e t t H a ck lik e s k e r ose n e for h is oilst on e s. A qu ick dr izzle of k e r ose n e k e e ps t h e st on e s fr om cloggin g w it h a br a de d m e t a l. W h e n sh a r pe n in g, H a ck 's st on e s a r e h e ld st a t ion a r y in a cle a t e d w oode n fr a m e .

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

diam ond past e in different grit s and an oil can filled wit h kerosene. He reached in t he drawer and rem oved a sm all, t rapezoid- shaped wooden fram e. The fram e, spot t ed and st ained wit h oil, had a cleat on t he bot t om . When Hack rest ed t he cleat against t he edge of his bench, it was apparent t hat it was m ade t o hold his sharpening st ones at about 30° . " I t 's a com fort able work angle," he said.

Ex e r t in g fir m , e ve n pr e ssu r e on t h e bla de , H a ck m ove s t h e st e e l in a figu r e - e igh t pa t t e r n a r ou n d t h e su r fa ce of t h e st on e . A good gr ip on t h e bla de a llow s h im t o m ove t h e st e e l off t h e e dge of t h e st on e w it h ou t t ippin g, a n d t h u s h e ca n u se t h e w h ole st on e .

Aft er t he blade had been lapped, Hack, like Schm idt , st art ed his sharpening on t he back of t he plane's iron. He squirt ed a few drops of kerosene on t he st one, t elling m e t hat t here are all sort s of honing oils available. " But anyt hing will work," he said. " I heard of a guy who uses olive oil." He hunched over t he first st one - - a m anm ade I ndia oilst one - - again working t he st eel in slow, lazy figure eight s, m oving around t he whole surface of t he st one. Aft er som e t im e, t he back of t he blade had an even, slight ly dull shine. Hack t hen t urned his at t ent ion t o t he bevel. He held t he front of t he blade flat on t he st one and rocked t he blade up ont o t he bevel, st art ing again wit h t he figure- eight pat t ern. When t he bevel had an even shine, j ust like t he blade's back, he swit ched t o a finer- grit st one - - a hard, black Arkansas st one - - and repeat ed t he ent ire process. Hack's secret weapon is 4m icron diam ond past e ( which is t he abrasive equivalent of a 4,000- grit wat erst one) . He picked up a sliver of wood from t he shop floor and scooped out a half pea of past e. " I t doesn't t ake a lot ," he said. " Even t his is probably t oo m uch." He wiped t he past e ont o t he fine st one, sm earing it around wit h t he wood sliver, m ixing it in wit h t he kerosene. And again he st art ed on t he back of t he iron, working t he st eel, checking it in t he light , unt il he was sure of t he evenness of t he shine. Sam e t hing for t he bevel.

A da b of 4 - m icr on dia m on d pa st e is H a ck 's se cr e t w e a pon for ge t t in g a good e dge . H e m ix e s t h e pa st e w it h a lit t le k e r ose n e a n d sm e a r s it a r ou n d on h is h a r d, bla ck Ar k a n sa s st on e .

When he was finished he checked t he sharpness of t he blade by using it t o pare t he end grain of a scrap of soft pine. " Why not hardwood?" I asked.

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Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

" Alm ost anyt hing will cut hardwood," he said. " But only a t ruly sharp blade will cleanly cut t he end grain of pine wit hout t earing som e of t he fibers and leaving a ragged edge. I f it 's really sharp, t he blade will sever all of t he wood fibers evenly, leaving a cut on t he end grain t hat looks alm ost burnished." Hack flat t ens his st ones wit h grit t y silicon- carbide powder, wat er and a scrap of plat e glass. " I t 's pret t y m essy," he said. " Som et im es I do it out side." I t 's also pret t y sim ple: Hack sprinkled som e powder on t he glass, added a lit t le wat er and worked t he face of t he st one in big circles. When he t hought t he st one was flat , he held it up t o t he light and checked it wit h a st raight edge. " Needs a lit t le m ore right here in t he cent er."

To t r u e h is oilst on e s, H a ck u se s gr it t y silicon - ca r bide pow de r m ix e d w it h a lit t le w a t e r . H a ck m ix e s t h e pa st e on pla t e gla ss a n d w or k s a st on e in a cir cle . La t e r , h e ch e ck s t h e fla t n e ss of t h e st on e w it h a st r a igh t e dge .

Again he worked t he st one against t he past e- sm eared glass. He checked it one m ore t im e and could see no light com ing t hrough bet ween t he st one and t he st raight edge. Sat isfied, he wiped off t he st ones and t he lit t le can of kerosene, and everyt hing went back int o t he drawer, except for t he oily rag, which he hung off t he corner of t he bench t o dry.

Pla t e gla ss a n d sa n dpa pe r Even before Mike Dunbar opened The Windsor I nst it ut e where he inst ruct s 600 st udent s a year in t he craft of m aking Windsor chairs, he was a t eacher, albeit an it inerant one. He t raveled all over t he count ry, going t o woodworking shows and giving dem onst rat ions at woodworking st ores. He packed a lot of st uff for his t rips: chair part s and t ools. I t was a hassle t o find a way t o sharpen t ools on t he road; eit her he had t o bring all of his oils and st ones or rely on t he st ore t o provide t hem . Most good invent ions are born of necessit y; Dunbar's so- called scary- sharp m et hod of get t ing an edge wit h plat e glass and sandpaper is no except ion. " Sharpening t ools doesn't earn any m oney for a woodworker," Dunbar said. " I like t o get m y t ools sharp and t hen get t o work. Using glass and sandpaper is an ext rem ely fast way t o get an excellent edge." Along t he back wall of Dunbar's shop is a darkgreen, built - in cabinet , and right on t he edge of t he cabinet 's count ert op sat a dirt y piece of 3/ 8- in.- t hick plat e glass about 8 http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (6 of 9)25.09.2004 22:31:17

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

in. by 40 in. Next t o t he glass were t hree rolls of adhesivebacked sandpaper. Dunbar grabbed a razor- blade window scraper and gouged off t he t hree st rips of spent paper from t he plat e glass ( t he glass is held on t he bench wit h a couple of wood st rips) . " We sharpen a lot of t ools here, and we go t hrough a lot of sandpaper." He went over t o a wall- m ount ed rack of t he school's t ools - - planes, chisels, gouges and drawknives - - and grabbed an alm ost - new, 1- 1/ 2- in. chisel. All of t he school's shop t ools are spray- paint ed bright green. " I f t hey're paint ed, t hey don't walk," he said. He looked at t he edge of t he chisel and not iced t wo big nicks in t he blade. I asked him if he would not ordinarily grind out t he nicks from t he st udent - abused blade. " I 'm t elling you," he said, " t his m et hod is really fast ."

M ik e D u n ba r sh a r pe n s h is t ools w it h sa n dpa pe r st u ck t o 3 / 8 - in .- t h ick pla t e gla ss. W or k in g st e e l a cr oss t h r e e gr it s of pa pe r , 8 0 , 1 2 0 a n d 3 2 0 , cu t s a n e dge in n o t im e . An ot h e r plu s: pla t e gla ss n e ve r n e e ds fla t t e n in g. W h e n t h e sa n dpa pe r ge t s du ll, scr a pe it off t h e gla ss w it h a r a zor bla de a n d st ick on a n e w pie ce .

He cut t hree st rips of sandpaper from t he 4- in.- wide rolls, one each of 80 grit , 120 grit and 320 grit , and adhered t hem t o t he glass. Holding t he chisel handle in one hand and using t he palm of his ot her hand on t he t op side of t he chisel, he st art ed t o rub t he t ool back and fort h along t he lengt h of paper, checking occasionally t he evenness of t he shine on t he back of t he blade.

Fe lt - t ippe d m a r k e r sh ow s a bla de 's low spot s. W h e n la ppin g, D u n ba r color s t h e ba ck of a bla de . Aft e r w or k in g t h e bla de a cr oss t h e sa n dpa pe r , t h e in k is r e m ove d fr om a ll bu t t h e low spot s on t h e bla de .

When t he back was even wit h scrat ches from t he 80- grit paper, he colored t he back of t he chisel wit h a red, felt - t ipped m arker. " The m arker works like m achinist 's chalk," he said. " I f t here are any low spot s on t he blade, t he m arker won't get rem oved when I rub t he blade on t he sandpaper." He worked t he blade against t he paper again, and when he held it up t o t he light , only a faint t race of red showed in t he cent er. Dunbar decided http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (7 of 9)25.09.2004 22:31:17

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

t he back was flat enough and t old m e t hat fut ure sharpening will m ake t he blade t ruly flat . Then he swit ched t o t he bevel, or bezel, as Dunbar calls it . " Check your dict ionary," he t old m e. I m ade a m ent al not e. Dunbar held t he front of t he chisel on t he sheet of 80- grit paper and rocked t he blade forward unt il it rest ed on t he bevel. " Sim ple," he said. " You don't need a honing guide or anyt hing like t hat . Just rock t he blade unt il you can feel t he beveled surface rest ing on t he paper." Wit h one hand on t he handle and t he ot her put t ing pressure on t he back of t he chisel, he worked t he blade side t o side along t he lengt h of t he 80- grit sheet . A forward- and- back m ot ion or a figure- eight pat t ern would t ear t he sandpaper. He worked t he blade for a m inut e or t wo and t hen asked m e if I want ed t o t ry it . I t old him t hat I felt like Huck Finn being fooled by Tom Sawyer when Tom convinced Huck t hat it was fun t o paint a fence. " No one believes how easy and fast t his is," Dunbar said, " unt il t hey t ry it ." I looked at t he blade and saw t he nicks. I worked t he bevel against t he sandpaper t he way he showed m e. Aft er a m inut e I looked at t he blade again; t he nicks were alm ost gone. He looked at m e looking at t he blade. I sm iled, and he raised an eyebrow, knowing he'd won anot her convert . Aft er a lit t le m ore work, Dunbar had rem oved t he rest of t he nicks. Tot al t im e t o rem ove t he nicks in t he blade was about five m inut es. Then he swit ched t o t he 120- grit paper but not before sweeping away t he filings wit h a m ason's brush. " Keeps t he paper from clogging, and you don't want t o get coarser grit on t he finer- grit paper." When all of t he scrat ches from t he 80grit paper had been supplant ed by t he 120- grit scrat ches, he swept t he filings and m oved ont o t he 320- grit sheet . The sequence was t he sam e: He worked t he chisel on t he 320- grit paper unt il t here was an evenness of scrat ches, brushed off t he paper and m oved t o t he next - finer grit . Aft er working t he chisel, Dunbar placed a piece of 600- grit wet - or- dry paper right on t op of t he 320- grit sheet . The roughness of one paper holds t he finer- grit paper in place. For m ost t ools he feels t hat 600 grit gives a sharp enough edge; for t he keenest edges he will go from 600 grit t o 1,000 grit and som et im es all t he way up t o 2,000- grit paper. A blade honed on 2,000 grit shines like chrom ium .

Rou gh e r gr it h olds fin e r - gr it pa pe r in pla ce . For t h e k e e n e st e dge s, D u n ba r u se s fin e - gr it sa n dpa pe r w it h ou t a dh e sive ba ck in g. Tools sh a r pe n e d w it h 2 ,0 0 0 - gr it pa pe r a r e t r u ly sca r y sh a r p.

Unlike using oilst ones, wat erst ones or powered st ones, wit h Dunbar's m et hod you don't have t o worry about flat t ening t he st ones. The plat e glass is always flat , and when t he sandpaper get s dull, you scrape it off and st ick on anot her piece. As I drove hom e, I t hought of m y Makit a elect ric sharpening

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Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

st one lost in t he garage of m y ex- wife's house. I t hought of Schm idt and Hack and how well t heir sharpening m et hods worked for t hem . ( Different st rokes for different folks?) And t hen I t hought of t he glass st ore near work, and I decided t o st op in and get m yself a piece of 3/ 8- in.- t hick plat e glass. Tom Sawyer wins again. Jefferson Kolle is a form er m anaging edit or of Fine Woodworking. Phot os: Jefferson Kolle; drawings: Bob La Point e Fr om Fin e W oodw or k in g # 1 4 0 , pp. 5 6 - 6 1 Pu r ch a se ba ck issu e s

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Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

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Ge t t in g a n Edge ...

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Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper D iffe r e n t w oodw or k e r s u se diffe r e n t sh a r pe n in g m e t h ods by Jefferson Kolle

Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Cu r r e n t W or k On lin e Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s Book s & Vide os

Many years ago, as t he new, inexperienced guy on t he carpent ry crew, I was in charge of lugging giant piles of plywood from one side of t he j ob sit e t o t he ot her. " I went t o college for t his?" I used t o ask m yself. There was a guy on t he crew, Mark Fort enberry, who had t he sharpest t ools. He m ade finish work look effort less - - sm oot h, fluid, precise. Every m orning he'd pour coffee from his st ainless- st eel t herm os and sharpen t he t ools he needed for t he day. Different - colored st ones were unwrapped from an oily t owel; a lit t le can of t hreein- one oil appeared; and Mark would sharpen. Knowing I would need t o acquire t ools and skills if I ever want ed t o do anyt hing ot her t han get int im at e wit h sheet aft er sheet of rough plywood, I bought a block plane and a roll of chisels, t he sam e plane and chisels t hat Mark had. But t here was som et hing wrong wit h m y t ools - - m aybe t hey were defect ive. The problem was t hey were dull. " Dull as a hoe," Mark said. Event ually I got lot s of t ools: t ools I used everyday, t ools I didn't really need, t ools I never used. And I got m y grandfat her's t wo sharpening st ones - - oily, black t hings, one wit h a big chip out of t he corner. Oft en when I t ried t o sharpen som et hing, I t hink I m ade it duller. ( What 's duller t han a hoe? A hoe handle, m aybe.) The whole process m yst ified m e. I decided t hat elect ricit y would rem ove t he m yst ery of sharpening, so I bought a powered wat erst one m ade by Makit a ( www.m akit a.com ) . I t 's a great t ool: The plat t erlike, 7- in., 1,000- grit st one m oves at fewer t han 600 rpm , and wat er drips ont o it s surface from a plast ic reservoir. The t ool com es wit h a honing guide and an at t achm ent for holding planer or j oint er blades. I t couldn't be m ore j erk- proof. Fill t he reservoir wit h wat er, t urn on t he t ool and hold t he blade against t he st one. The m ot or t hrum s along quiet ly, reassuringly, t elling you t hat now, finally, you are going t o get t ruly sharp t ools. And I did. For t he first t im e since Mark sharpened som e of m y st uff, m y plane irons and chisel blades would shave hair off m y forearm .

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Event ually I went int o business for m yself, rest oring houses, building an occasional piece of furnit ure, and t he Makit a never failed m e. I got t o t he point where I st opped using t he honing guide. I nst ead, I held blades freehand against t he t urning

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Th e Com ple t e Gu ide t o Sh a r pe n in g

Tool expert Leonard Lee shows you t he m ost effect ive ways t o sharpen your t ools - - from chisels t o drill bit s - - so t hey cut bet t er and st ay sharp longer Sa n dpa pe r Sh a r pe n in g

I n t his video, Michael Dunbar dem onst rat es sandpaper sharpening. Sharpening a blade t akes only m inut es, and it all happens wit hout special gauges or m essy lubricant s.

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s For u m Eve n t s

st one, and aft er a while I wore a t rough in t he st one, which m ade it harder and harder t o get a flat edge. I f t he m achine has a fault , it is t hat it is m essy. Wat er get s flung around, especially when you're t rying t o t rue t he back of a blade. Every t im e I sharpened, m y shirt would get soaked right at m y belt line, and I would have t o m op wat er off t he workbench when I was t hrough. I got a cat alog recent ly t hat devot ed seven pages t o sharpening st uff. Wat erst ones, oilst ones, synt het ic st ones, diam ond st ones, elect ric- powered st ones, j igs for t his, j igs for t hat , rouges, powders, pot ions. I 'm sure t hey all work. There are a zillion ways t o sharpen st eel - - I know a wom an who sharpens her kit chen knives on t he unglazed bot t om rim of a dinner plat e - - but what works for one person m ight not work for anot her. For t wo days, I drove around New England, visit ing t hree woodworkers, t alking t o t hem about t heir m et hods of get t ing an edge.

W a t e r st on e s a n d t h e a r t of sh a r pe n in g Scot t Schm idt has a shop in The But t on Fact ory, a warehouse of art ist s and craft sm en in Port sm out h, N.H. Schm idt was schooled at Nort h Bennet St reet , and he uses Japanese wat erst ones. " The way I was t aught ," he said. At t he end of his shop, t here is a bench dedicat ed t o sharpening. I n m ore t han 20 years of woodworking, Schm idt has used up one wat erst one, and he is halfway t hrough anot her. All sharpening st ones are sacrificial - t hey wear away as st eel is rubbed over t hem - - but wat erst ones are soft er t han m ost , and it is t he grit t y slurry t hat 's creat ed as t he st one erodes t hat works wit h t he st one it self t o provide t he sharpening m edium . Schm idt soaks his st ones in a grungy, wat er- filled plast ic basin - - t he t ype of cont ainer a deli m ight use t o st ore coleslaw or pot at o salad. The basin lives under his bench, and he pawed t hrough it , pulled out a dripping st one and set it on t he bencht op, wiping off t he wat er wit h his hand. On t op of his bench is a piece of rubber rug padding t hat keeps t he st one from m oving. He set t he st one on t he pad, and before t ouching st eel t o st one, he sprit zed t he st one wit h a wat er bot t le. " I t hink of sharpening as a process of const ant ly flat t ening t he st one, keeping it flat by using it s whole surface," he said. " You can't m ake a blade flat wit h an unflat st one." The nat ural t endency, one t hat Schm idt t akes pains t o avoid, is t o work a blade ont o one spot in t he cent er of t he wat erst one, creat ing a declivit y - - in effect , unflat t ening t he st one. When a st one's surface needs redoing, he flat t ens it on a concret e block. Schm idt sharpened one of his favorit e chisels while I was at his shop. For a new t ool or one wit h a badly dam aged edge, he'll first work t he blade on an elect ric grinder before going t o his wat erst ones. For a long t im e he used a m agnifying glass t o http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (2 of 9)25.09.2004 22:32:12

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

inspect t he edges he'd honed, but fam iliarit y wit h his t ools has enabled him t o forego t his pract ice. He t old m e t hat it 's easier t o sharpen a t ool he uses a lot . " I f you know t he way a cert ain t ool cut s, you know t he way t hat t ool will t ake an edge. A large part of bot h processes, cut t ing and cut t ing an edge, is done by feel." He does not use a prot ract or or angle gauge; rat her, it 's a m at t er of t ouch and sight . To fla t t e n a w a t e r st on e , r u b it on a con cr e t e block . A lit t le w a t e r a n d a lit t le r u bbin g on a con cr e t e block w ill t r u e a n u n fla t w a t e r st on e . Th e con cr e t e a br a de s t h e st on e qu ick ly; t r u e a st on e on ly w h e n it r e a lly n e e ds it .

Scot t Sch m idt w or k s a bla de a cr oss a w a t e r st on e in fou r dir e ct ion s. H e r e pe a t s t h e pr oce ss w it h st on e s of 1 ,2 0 0 , 2 ,4 0 0 a n d 6 ,0 0 0 gr it .

He st art ed on t he back of t he chisel using a 1,200- grit wat erst one, working t he st eel back and fort h along t he lengt h of t he st one and m ixing up a slurry of wat er and abraded st one part icles. He oft en st opped and checked t he chisel's surface, t ilt ing t he t ool t o look at t he shiny areas and t he dull spot s. " I can feel t hat t his st one has a lit t le high spot on t his end," he said, concent rat ing his effort s in t hat area. " When t he st one is perfect ly flat , you can feel sort of an even suct ion bet ween t he wide surface of t he chisel's back and t he st one. I f t here's a high spot on t he st one, t he st eel grat es a lit t le bit , sounds rougher." When t he chisel's back had a uniform shininess - - no dull spot s t o be seen in t he st eel - - Schm idt t urned t o t he bevel. As he did on t he back of t he chisel, he st art ed t he bevel by working it back and fort h along t he lengt h of t he st one for several m inut es. Then Schm idt changed t ack. Anot her sprit z or t wo wit h t he wat er bot t le, and he was working again, t his t im e pushing t he blade back and fort h along t he widt h of t he st one. And t hen he swit ched again, running t he blade in a series of diagonal st rokes, crisscrossing t he st one from one corner t o t he ot her. The slurry built up in lit t le waves. He sprit zed again and changed his st ance so t hat he could work t he st eel from t he opposit e corner, t his t im e m aking Xs of slurry. By t he t im e he was finished, t he bevel had been worked across t he st one in four direct ions: back and fort h along t he lengt h; back and fort h across t he widt h; and diagonally across t he st one in t wo direct ions. He felt t he edge wit h his fingernail. A t hin, wire edge had developed, which he rem oved wit h several st rokes on t he http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (3 of 9)25.09.2004 22:32:12

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

chisel's back. When Schm idt was finished, he repeat ed t he process on bot h t he back and bevel, using a finer, 2,400- grit st one and t hen, finally, a 6,000- grit st one. Aft er five m inut es on each st one, t he chisel was razor sharp. The back and bevel shone like m irrors.

Oilst on e s, k e r ose n e a n d a lit t le dia m on d pa st e Aft er a hard right t urn at t he end of a Verm ont dirt road, I arrived at t he shop of Garret t Hack. Hack is a fat her, a farm er and a woodworker, in no part icular order. He is som ewhat of a t radit ionalist , and it shows in t he archit ect ure of his slat eroofed brick shop and in t he furnit ure he m akes. But t here's also a cont em porary side t o Hack. A Federal- st yle chest he m ade has an out rageous band of checkerboard inlay, and t he bright - green t rim and cert ain int erior det ails of his shop belie a m an who is not a slave t o hist ory. Hack's sharpening m et hods parallel his archit ect ure; he favors t radit ional oilst ones, but he occasionally uses a new product - diam ond past e - - t o get a keen edge in hard st eel. Spread on his bencht op was an array of planes, ready t o be sharpened. Hack rem oved t he iron from an old St anley No. 3. " I j ust got t his," he said, giving t he plane a crit ical eye. " The back of t he iron has probably never been flat t ened. I t needs t o be lapped." For t he quick rem oval of st eel, Hack will use a diam ond st one wit h an aggressive grit . Because it is m essy - he uses a lot of wat er wit h t he diam ond st one, const ant ly dousing t he surface - - he usually works out side on t he shop's granit e st eps. The diam ond st one is also good for rem oving sm all nicks in a blade's bevel. Hack dipped t he diam ond st one int o a wat er bucket and worked t he back of t he plane bade against t he st one in slow figure eight s. Aft er a while, he held t he st eel up t o t he light . The shine on t he blade was uneven, m eaning t he back of t he blade st ill needed work. " Lapping t he back of a blade t akes som e t im e, but once it 's lapped flat , you should never have t o do it again." Hack st ores his sharpening paraphernalia in a drawer built int o t he underside of his workbench. The drawer is full of oilst ones, each in it s own wood box. And t here are t iny plast ic j ars of

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An y oil w ill do, bu t Ga r r e t t H a ck lik e s k e r ose n e for h is oilst on e s. A qu ick dr izzle of k e r ose n e k e e ps t h e st on e s fr om cloggin g w it h a br a de d m e t a l. W h e n sh a r pe n in g, H a ck 's st on e s a r e h e ld st a t ion a r y in a cle a t e d w oode n fr a m e .

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

diam ond past e in different grit s and an oil can filled wit h kerosene. He reached in t he drawer and rem oved a sm all, t rapezoid- shaped wooden fram e. The fram e, spot t ed and st ained wit h oil, had a cleat on t he bot t om . When Hack rest ed t he cleat against t he edge of his bench, it was apparent t hat it was m ade t o hold his sharpening st ones at about 30° . " I t 's a com fort able work angle," he said.

Ex e r t in g fir m , e ve n pr e ssu r e on t h e bla de , H a ck m ove s t h e st e e l in a figu r e - e igh t pa t t e r n a r ou n d t h e su r fa ce of t h e st on e . A good gr ip on t h e bla de a llow s h im t o m ove t h e st e e l off t h e e dge of t h e st on e w it h ou t t ippin g, a n d t h u s h e ca n u se t h e w h ole st on e .

Aft er t he blade had been lapped, Hack, like Schm idt , st art ed his sharpening on t he back of t he plane's iron. He squirt ed a few drops of kerosene on t he st one, t elling m e t hat t here are all sort s of honing oils available. " But anyt hing will work," he said. " I heard of a guy who uses olive oil." He hunched over t he first st one - - a m anm ade I ndia oilst one - - again working t he st eel in slow, lazy figure eight s, m oving around t he whole surface of t he st one. Aft er som e t im e, t he back of t he blade had an even, slight ly dull shine. Hack t hen t urned his at t ent ion t o t he bevel. He held t he front of t he blade flat on t he st one and rocked t he blade up ont o t he bevel, st art ing again wit h t he figure- eight pat t ern. When t he bevel had an even shine, j ust like t he blade's back, he swit ched t o a finer- grit st one - - a hard, black Arkansas st one - - and repeat ed t he ent ire process. Hack's secret weapon is 4m icron diam ond past e ( which is t he abrasive equivalent of a 4,000- grit wat erst one) . He picked up a sliver of wood from t he shop floor and scooped out a half pea of past e. " I t doesn't t ake a lot ," he said. " Even t his is probably t oo m uch." He wiped t he past e ont o t he fine st one, sm earing it around wit h t he wood sliver, m ixing it in wit h t he kerosene. And again he st art ed on t he back of t he iron, working t he st eel, checking it in t he light , unt il he was sure of t he evenness of t he shine. Sam e t hing for t he bevel.

A da b of 4 - m icr on dia m on d pa st e is H a ck 's se cr e t w e a pon for ge t t in g a good e dge . H e m ix e s t h e pa st e w it h a lit t le k e r ose n e a n d sm e a r s it a r ou n d on h is h a r d, bla ck Ar k a n sa s st on e .

When he was finished he checked t he sharpness of t he blade by using it t o pare t he end grain of a scrap of soft pine. " Why not hardwood?" I asked.

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Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

" Alm ost anyt hing will cut hardwood," he said. " But only a t ruly sharp blade will cleanly cut t he end grain of pine wit hout t earing som e of t he fibers and leaving a ragged edge. I f it 's really sharp, t he blade will sever all of t he wood fibers evenly, leaving a cut on t he end grain t hat looks alm ost burnished." Hack flat t ens his st ones wit h grit t y silicon- carbide powder, wat er and a scrap of plat e glass. " I t 's pret t y m essy," he said. " Som et im es I do it out side." I t 's also pret t y sim ple: Hack sprinkled som e powder on t he glass, added a lit t le wat er and worked t he face of t he st one in big circles. When he t hought t he st one was flat , he held it up t o t he light and checked it wit h a st raight edge. " Needs a lit t le m ore right here in t he cent er."

To t r u e h is oilst on e s, H a ck u se s gr it t y silicon - ca r bide pow de r m ix e d w it h a lit t le w a t e r . H a ck m ix e s t h e pa st e on pla t e gla ss a n d w or k s a st on e in a cir cle . La t e r , h e ch e ck s t h e fla t n e ss of t h e st on e w it h a st r a igh t e dge .

Again he worked t he st one against t he past e- sm eared glass. He checked it one m ore t im e and could see no light com ing t hrough bet ween t he st one and t he st raight edge. Sat isfied, he wiped off t he st ones and t he lit t le can of kerosene, and everyt hing went back int o t he drawer, except for t he oily rag, which he hung off t he corner of t he bench t o dry.

Pla t e gla ss a n d sa n dpa pe r Even before Mike Dunbar opened The Windsor I nst it ut e where he inst ruct s 600 st udent s a year in t he craft of m aking Windsor chairs, he was a t eacher, albeit an it inerant one. He t raveled all over t he count ry, going t o woodworking shows and giving dem onst rat ions at woodworking st ores. He packed a lot of st uff for his t rips: chair part s and t ools. I t was a hassle t o find a way t o sharpen t ools on t he road; eit her he had t o bring all of his oils and st ones or rely on t he st ore t o provide t hem . Most good invent ions are born of necessit y; Dunbar's so- called scary- sharp m et hod of get t ing an edge wit h plat e glass and sandpaper is no except ion. " Sharpening t ools doesn't earn any m oney for a woodworker," Dunbar said. " I like t o get m y t ools sharp and t hen get t o work. Using glass and sandpaper is an ext rem ely fast way t o get an excellent edge." Along t he back wall of Dunbar's shop is a darkgreen, built - in cabinet , and right on t he edge of t he cabinet 's count ert op sat a dirt y piece of 3/ 8- in.- t hick plat e glass about 8 http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (6 of 9)25.09.2004 22:32:12

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

in. by 40 in. Next t o t he glass were t hree rolls of adhesivebacked sandpaper. Dunbar grabbed a razor- blade window scraper and gouged off t he t hree st rips of spent paper from t he plat e glass ( t he glass is held on t he bench wit h a couple of wood st rips) . " We sharpen a lot of t ools here, and we go t hrough a lot of sandpaper." He went over t o a wall- m ount ed rack of t he school's t ools - - planes, chisels, gouges and drawknives - - and grabbed an alm ost - new, 1- 1/ 2- in. chisel. All of t he school's shop t ools are spray- paint ed bright green. " I f t hey're paint ed, t hey don't walk," he said. He looked at t he edge of t he chisel and not iced t wo big nicks in t he blade. I asked him if he would not ordinarily grind out t he nicks from t he st udent - abused blade. " I 'm t elling you," he said, " t his m et hod is really fast ."

M ik e D u n ba r sh a r pe n s h is t ools w it h sa n dpa pe r st u ck t o 3 / 8 - in .- t h ick pla t e gla ss. W or k in g st e e l a cr oss t h r e e gr it s of pa pe r , 8 0 , 1 2 0 a n d 3 2 0 , cu t s a n e dge in n o t im e . An ot h e r plu s: pla t e gla ss n e ve r n e e ds fla t t e n in g. W h e n t h e sa n dpa pe r ge t s du ll, scr a pe it off t h e gla ss w it h a r a zor bla de a n d st ick on a n e w pie ce .

He cut t hree st rips of sandpaper from t he 4- in.- wide rolls, one each of 80 grit , 120 grit and 320 grit , and adhered t hem t o t he glass. Holding t he chisel handle in one hand and using t he palm of his ot her hand on t he t op side of t he chisel, he st art ed t o rub t he t ool back and fort h along t he lengt h of paper, checking occasionally t he evenness of t he shine on t he back of t he blade.

Fe lt - t ippe d m a r k e r sh ow s a bla de 's low spot s. W h e n la ppin g, D u n ba r color s t h e ba ck of a bla de . Aft e r w or k in g t h e bla de a cr oss t h e sa n dpa pe r , t h e in k is r e m ove d fr om a ll bu t t h e low spot s on t h e bla de .

When t he back was even wit h scrat ches from t he 80- grit paper, he colored t he back of t he chisel wit h a red, felt - t ipped m arker. " The m arker works like m achinist 's chalk," he said. " I f t here are any low spot s on t he blade, t he m arker won't get rem oved when I rub t he blade on t he sandpaper." He worked t he blade against t he paper again, and when he held it up t o t he light , only a faint t race of red showed in t he cent er. Dunbar decided http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp (7 of 9)25.09.2004 22:32:12

Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

t he back was flat enough and t old m e t hat fut ure sharpening will m ake t he blade t ruly flat . Then he swit ched t o t he bevel, or bezel, as Dunbar calls it . " Check your dict ionary," he t old m e. I m ade a m ent al not e. Dunbar held t he front of t he chisel on t he sheet of 80- grit paper and rocked t he blade forward unt il it rest ed on t he bevel. " Sim ple," he said. " You don't need a honing guide or anyt hing like t hat . Just rock t he blade unt il you can feel t he beveled surface rest ing on t he paper." Wit h one hand on t he handle and t he ot her put t ing pressure on t he back of t he chisel, he worked t he blade side t o side along t he lengt h of t he 80- grit sheet . A forward- and- back m ot ion or a figure- eight pat t ern would t ear t he sandpaper. He worked t he blade for a m inut e or t wo and t hen asked m e if I want ed t o t ry it . I t old him t hat I felt like Huck Finn being fooled by Tom Sawyer when Tom convinced Huck t hat it was fun t o paint a fence. " No one believes how easy and fast t his is," Dunbar said, " unt il t hey t ry it ." I looked at t he blade and saw t he nicks. I worked t he bevel against t he sandpaper t he way he showed m e. Aft er a m inut e I looked at t he blade again; t he nicks were alm ost gone. He looked at m e looking at t he blade. I sm iled, and he raised an eyebrow, knowing he'd won anot her convert . Aft er a lit t le m ore work, Dunbar had rem oved t he rest of t he nicks. Tot al t im e t o rem ove t he nicks in t he blade was about five m inut es. Then he swit ched t o t he 120- grit paper but not before sweeping away t he filings wit h a m ason's brush. " Keeps t he paper from clogging, and you don't want t o get coarser grit on t he finer- grit paper." When all of t he scrat ches from t he 80grit paper had been supplant ed by t he 120- grit scrat ches, he swept t he filings and m oved ont o t he 320- grit sheet . The sequence was t he sam e: He worked t he chisel on t he 320- grit paper unt il t here was an evenness of scrat ches, brushed off t he paper and m oved t o t he next - finer grit . Aft er working t he chisel, Dunbar placed a piece of 600- grit wet - or- dry paper right on t op of t he 320- grit sheet . The roughness of one paper holds t he finer- grit paper in place. For m ost t ools he feels t hat 600 grit gives a sharp enough edge; for t he keenest edges he will go from 600 grit t o 1,000 grit and som et im es all t he way up t o 2,000- grit paper. A blade honed on 2,000 grit shines like chrom ium .

Rou gh e r gr it h olds fin e r - gr it pa pe r in pla ce . For t h e k e e n e st e dge s, D u n ba r u se s fin e - gr it sa n dpa pe r w it h ou t a dh e sive ba ck in g. Tools sh a r pe n e d w it h 2 ,0 0 0 - gr it pa pe r a r e t r u ly sca r y sh a r p.

Unlike using oilst ones, wat erst ones or powered st ones, wit h Dunbar's m et hod you don't have t o worry about flat t ening t he st ones. The plat e glass is always flat , and when t he sandpaper get s dull, you scrape it off and st ick on anot her piece. As I drove hom e, I t hought of m y Makit a elect ric sharpening

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Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper

st one lost in t he garage of m y ex- wife's house. I t hought of Schm idt and Hack and how well t heir sharpening m et hods worked for t hem . ( Different st rokes for different folks?) And t hen I t hought of t he glass st ore near work, and I decided t o st op in and get m yself a piece of 3/ 8- in.- t hick plat e glass. Tom Sawyer wins again. Jefferson Kolle is a form er m anaging edit or of Fine Woodworking. Phot os: Jefferson Kolle; drawings: Bob La Point e Fr om Fin e W oodw or k in g # 1 4 0 , pp. 5 6 - 6 1 Pu r ch a se ba ck issu e s

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Three Reliable Ways to Taper a Leg

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Three Reliable Ways to Taper a Leg Ta pe r s ca n be cu t qu ick ly a n d a ccu r a t e ly w it h a ba n dsa w , a t h ick n e ss pla n e r or a t a ble sa w by Gary Rogowski Table or desk legs t hat have been t apered t op t o bot t om have a grace and delicacy t hat square legs j ust don't seem t o have. Shaker furnit urem akers exploit ed t his leg st yle, and so have m any ot hers. Alt hough legs m ay be t apered all t he way around, m ore oft en t han not I cut t apers on t wo adj oining faces of a leg. The process can be bot h quick and reliable. Roughing out t apers is best done by m achine; eit her a bandsaw or a t ablesaw is a good choice. Tapers also can be cut by m ount ing leg blanks on a j ig t hat 's passed t hrough a t hickness planer, a process t hat requires very lit t le cleanup. Cleaning up t he cut s also can be accom plished in a num ber of ways- - on a j oint er, wit h a rout er and a flush- t rim m ing bit , or wit h a handplane. How m uch t aper a leg get s and which faces are t apered are personal choices best m ade wit h plent y of experim ent at ion.

Ta pe r in g on t h e ba n dsa w By far, t he sim plest and safest way t o cut a t aper is t o draw lines on t wo adj acent faces of each leg and cut j ust t o t he wast e side of t he lines on a bandsaw, m aking st raight cut s.

Lin k s

The cut is not t hat difficult t o m ake if your bandsaw is properly t uned and t he blade is sharp. Mark out t he t aper on a m illed leg blank, st riking a line from t he widest point , where t he t aper st art s, t o it s narrowest point at t he foot . I f t here's a flat near t he t op of t he leg where an apron will int ersect it , st rike a line across t he face of t he leg where t he t aper begins or j ust slight ly below it . The idea is t o leave enough m at erial on t he leg so it can be cleaned up wit hout m aking t he leg t oo t hin.

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Ba n dsa w n t a pe r s a r e sa fe a n d sim ple . Fe e d t h e le g bla n k slow ly w it h on e h a n d, st e e r in g a s you go, a n d u se t h e ot h e r h a n d t o h e lp gu ide t h e cu t . Cu t t o t h e w a st e side of t h e lin e .

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Art icles from Fine Woodworking on m illing lum ber st raight , flat , and square; creat ing curves t hrough bending, lam inat ing and coopering; and developing t echniques for rout ing a wide range of com plex shapes and j oint s

Three Reliable Ways to Taper a Leg

Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s For u m Eve n t s

I f t he leg shape is one you m ight reproduce oft en, consider m aking a t em plat e of 1/ 4- in.- t hick hardboard or m edium densit y fiberboard. The next t im e you need t o lay out t his t aper, it will t ake j ust a few seconds. I t 's easier t o sight down t he layout line if you lower your head a bit as you m ake t he cut . Use t wo hands t o help guide t he leg t hrough t he blade, feed slowly and t ry t o com pensat e for any drift before you wander from t he line. Wit h pract ice, it becom es quit e easy t o cut a st raight line on t he bandsaw. But be careful t o keep your fingers out of t he way. I t 's easy t o run your t hum b int o a bandsaw blade.

Ta pe r in g w it h a t h ick n e ss pla n e r A t hickness planer isn't t he first t ool t hat com es t o m ind for cut t ing t apers. But a planer will do an absolut ely consist ent j ob of t apering leg st ock if you use t he proper j ig- - one wit h a sim ple carriage t hat support s t he legs at an angle and has st ops at eit her end. The only real drawback is t hat it 's fairly slow.

All fou r le gs of a t a ble ca n be t a pe r e d a t on ce . Th e a u t h or 's

I m ade m y j ig from a piece of pla n e r j ig is m a de fr om a pie ce scrap plywood several inches of 3 / 4 - in .- t h ick plyw ood a n d t h r e e a n gle d st r ips of w ood t o longer t han t he lengt h of t he su ppor t t h e le gs. St ops a t legs. To get t he t aper I e it h e r e n d of t h e plyw ood k e e p want ed, I drew t he t aper on t h e le gs in pla ce . one of t he legs, placed t he leg on t he plywood base of t he j ig and raised one end unt il t he t aper line was parallel wit h t he plywood. I m easured t his height near one end of t he plywood, cut a support piece t o fit t here and glued it on. I added a st op j ust behind it . The narrow end of t he legs but t against t his st op. The next st ep is t o cut angled pieces t hat will support t he legs and prevent t hem from flexing under t he pressure of t he feed rollers in t he planer. Wit h t hese support s glued t o t he plywood base, I added anot her st op at t he front end of t he j ig t o capt ure t he legs securely- - I didn't want t he st ock m oving around beneat h t he cut t erhead.

Ta pe r e d sle d j ig

( ope n s in n e w w in dow )

The best t hing about t his m et hod of t apering legs is t hat all t he legs for a proj ect can be done at t he sam e t im e. Take light passes, especially at first , t o m inim ize deflect ion of t he st ock. Also, m ake sure t he legs don't rock on t he support pieces. I f t hey do, you'll see som e vicious sniping.

Ta ble sa w t a pe r in g The m ost com m only used t ool for cut t ing t apers is t he t ablesaw- - and why not ? I t 's fast and, if t he saw is well- t uned, very lit t le cleanup is needed. You can eit her m ake a dedicat ed j ig every t im e you need a different t aper, or you can use a hinged, universal t apering j ig t o cut m any different t apers. I prefer using dedicat ed j igs because I oft en reproduce designs. Wit h a dedicat ed j ig, I 'm assured of get t ing t he sam e result s every t im e.

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Three Reliable Ways to Taper a Leg

The base of t he j ig is a st raight , flat piece of plywood j ust a few inches longer t han t he leg st ock. I cut it so it s sides are parallel and it s ends are square. Then I screw a back st op t o one end t o cat ch t he wide part of t he t aper. A front st op, near t he ot her end of t he j ig, capt ures t he leg and cant s it from t he plywood at t he correct angle for t he desired t aper. To set up for t he cut ,

Ta ble sa w j ig

Ta ble sa w n t a pe r s a r e fa st a n d a ccu r a t e . A de dica t e d j ig lik e t h is on e pr odu ce s con sist e n t r e su lt s bu t is lim it e d t o a sin gle a n gle a n d le g le n gt h .

( ope n s in n e w w in dow )

m easure from t he inside edge of t he j ig t o t he widest part of t he t aper- - eit her t he corner of t he leg if it 's a full- lengt h t aper or a few inches shy of t he corner if you want t o leave a flat sect ion on t he leg for an apron. Use t his m easurem ent t o set t he dist ance from blade t o fence. Keep t he j ig firm ly against t he fence, and feed st eadily as you m ake t he cut , running t he narrow end of t he leg int o t he blade first . For t he second t aper on a leg, rot at e t he leg blank 90° clockwise in t he j ig. By rot at ing t he leg t his way, a square, unt apered face will rest on t he t ablesaw.

Th r e e w a ys t o cle a n u p t h e cu t s Som e cleanup is alm ost always required aft er you've cut t he basic t apers. Even a planer can leave m ill m arks. Here are t hree sim ple m et hods for cleaning t apers. Join t e r : This t ool does a great j ob of cleaning up sawm arks. I generally go st raight from t he bandsaw t o t he j oint er. I set t he infeed t able for a light cut and use a push st ick. To avoid t earout , you should cut wit h t he grain. That usually m eans t he narrow end of t he leg is last t o go over t he cut t erhead. I nspect t he t aper first , t hough, checking for grain direct ion as well as for any high spot s t hat m ay need t o be t aken down by hand before you j oint t he whole http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00036.asp (3 of 5)25.09.2004 22:34:12

Th e j oin t e r cle a n s u p t a pe r s qu ick ly. A fe w ligh t pa sse s ove r t h e j oin t e r sh ou ld cle a n u p a n y m ill m a r k s or ot h e r su r fa ce ir r e gu la r it ie s le ft a ft e r r ou gh in g ou t a le g by m a ch in e .

Three Reliable Ways to Taper a Leg

lengt h of t he t aper. Check, t oo, t o see if one end or anot her needs m ore wood rem oved. You m ay be able t o t ake slight ly m ore off one end t han anot her by varying t he am ount of hand pressure you apply. Make sure t he t apers are well m arked so you can t ell when you're finished. Feed slowly t o m inim ize cut t erhead m arks. Rou t e r : A flush- t rim m ing bit m ount ed in a rout er t able is anot her quick way of cleaning up t apers, especially if you don't have a j oint er. This t echnique also guarant ees t hat all t he t apers are precisely t he sam e. Bot h t op- bearing and bot t om - bearing bit s will do t he j ob, and you can use t he sam e t em plat es here t hat you used t o lay out t apers for t he bandsaw. Double- faced t ape works well t o at t ach t he t em plat e t o each leg. For a product ion run, a j ig wit h at t ached t oggle clam ps is bet t er and fast er.

Te m pla t e r ou t in g e n su r e s con sist e n t r e su lt s. Bot h bot t om - be a r in g bit s ( sh ow n ) a n d t op- be a r in g bit s w or k . D ou ble - fa ce d t a pe se cu r e s t h e t e m pla t e t o t h e le gs.

When a bot t om - bearing bit is used in a rout er t able, you will have t o m ake a t apered t em plat e for t he second t aper so t he rout er bearing ( which is at a fixed height ) has som et hing t o ride on. You'll need t hicker st ock for t his t em plat e. Cut and clean up t he first t aper. Then m ark t he second t aper on t he t em plat e st ock by placing it on t he t apered leg and set t ing t hem bot h on a flat surface, like a bench or j oint er bed. On t he t em plat e st ock, m ark a line t hat 's parallel wit h t he bench or bed. Then cut and clean t his second side. The t em plat e is ready for use. Make sure t he t apers have been cut close t o t he t em plat e shape; t here shouldn't be m ore t han 1/ 16 in. of wood t o clean up wit h t he rout er. Set t he height of t he bit so t hat t he bearing rides firm ly against t he t em plat e. St art t he cut back j ust a lit t le from t he end of t he leg. Work from t he widest part of t he t aper t o t he narrowest . Rout t he full lengt h, and finish up wit h one sm oot hing pass. H a n dpla n e : On wood t hat 's not part icularly gnarly, a wellt uned handplane can be used t o clean up t apers st raight off t he bandsaw, planer or t ablesaw. A plane also is a good choice for t apers t hat have been cleaned up wit h a j oint er or rout er but st ill need a lit t le m ore polishing. Generally, you'll want t o plane A h a n dpla n e cle a n s t a pe r s downhill ( from t he wide part of e fficie n t ly. A pla n e le a ve s a su r fa ce t h a t 's r e a dy for fin ish , t he t aper down t o t he narrow) , bu t t a k e ca r e t o pla n e w it h t h e but you should check t he grain gr a in t o a void t e a r ou t . direct ion of each face you're planing t o be sure. The grain m ay surprise you. Make sure your st op or bench dog won't int erfere wit h t he plane at t he end of it s st roke. Mark a line http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00036.asp (4 of 5)25.09.2004 22:34:12

Three Reliable Ways to Taper a Leg

across your st ock at t he st art of t he t aper, and t ake light er passes as you approach it . Gary Rogowski designs and builds furnit ure in Port land, Ore., and is a cont ribut ing edit or t o Fine Woodworking. Phot os: Vincent Laurence; drawings: Jim Richey Fr om Fin e W oodw or k in g # 1 2 8 , pp. 6 0 63 Pu r ch a se ba ck issu e s

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Bench-Chisel Techniques

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Bench-Chisel Techniques

Th e ve r sa t ile ch ise l

Use d cor r e ct ly, a sim ple se t of ch ise ls cove r s a ll of you r ch oppin g a n d pa r in g n e e ds by Garret t Hack Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Cu r r e n t W or k On lin e Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s Book s & Vide os

A few t housand years ago som eone clever ham m ered out a hunk of bronze int o a narrow blade, fit t ed a handle t o one end, sharpened t he ot her against a st one and produced a chisel. Generat ions of craft sm en since have t weaked t he design: Tough st eel replaced soft bronze, t he shape and lengt h of t he blade were m odified t o suit various t asks, but in essence, chisels have not changed m uch. They are st ill sim ple in form and, when used effect ively, one of t he m ost useful t ools in t he shop ( see The versat ile chisel) . Every week cat alogs arrive, full of a dizzying array of different chisels: long, fine- bladed paring chisels; st out m ort ise chisels; heavy and wide fram ing chisels; st ubby but t chisels; int riguing Japanese chisels; and m any set s of bench chisels. Few ot her classic hand t ools are st ill available in such variet y. Unless you work ent irely by hand, all you really need is a good set of what I call bench chisels or, as som e prefer, firm er chisels. These are chisels wit h blades about 4 in. t o 6 in. long, in a wide range of widt hs from about 1/ 8 in. t o 2 in. and wit h a wooden or plast ic handle. The only subst ant ial differences bet ween set s of bench chisels are t he qualit y of t he st eel and t he shapes of t he blades. The blades on m y everyday set of Swedish bench chisels are slight ly t apered in lengt h and beveled along t he long sides. Tapering t he blade yields a t ool st out enough for t he hard work of chopping a m ort ise yet light enough t o pare one- handed. A blade wit h flat sides is st ronger t han one wit h beveled sides and is less expensive t o m anufact ure. But a beveled blade can reach int o t ight er places, such as for cut t ing sm all dovet ails.

Pr e pa r e t h e ch ise l

Lin k s Abou t You r Sa fe t y

As wit h m any ot her t ools, t he perform ance of a chisel is det erm ined by how well it is t uned. The back of t he chisel - t he unbeveled side - - m ust be dead flat for at least 3/ 4 in., and preferably 1 in. t o 2 in., behind t he cut t ing edge. This flat plane guides and cont rols t he cut : A curved back will rock and provide lit t le cont rol.

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Cla ssic H a n d Tools

A celebrat ion in word and pict ure, plus pract ical inform at ion on using, choosing and t unng t hese m ainst ays of t he woodworker's shop Th e Com ple t e Gu ide t o Sh a r pe n in g

Learn t he m ost effect ive ways t o sharpen your t ools, from chisels t o drill bit s Th e W oodw or k e r 's Gu ide t o H a n d Tools

An A t o Z m anual for your hand t ools

Bench-Chisel Techniques

Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s For u m Eve n t s

Anot her com m on problem is a slight rounding of t he cut t ing edge on t he back side. The back m ight st ill be flat except for t his t iny back- bevel. Sloppy t echnique, not keeping t he back absolut ely flat on a sharpening st one while honing, creat es t his sort of rounding. The result is a chisel t hat will not cut while rest ing on it s back because t he At le a st t h e fir st 3 / 4 in ., a n d rounded edge is in t he air. A pr e fe r a bly t h e fir st 1 in . t o 2 chisel wit h a rounded edge in ., of t h e ch ise l's ba ck sh ou ld m ust be angled forward be pe r fe ct ly fla t . Th e ba ck slight ly, t hus losing t he back gu ide s a n d con t r ols t h e cu t a n d e n su r e s a fin e e dge . as a source of cont rol. Flat t ening t he back of a bench chisel right t o t he cut t ing edge is t edious but im port ant . Work t hrough t he range of grit s unt il you get a bright polish on your finest st one. Once you have flat t ened t he back, choose a cut t ing bevel angle based on t he t ype of work you do. The finer t he bevel, t he m ore easily t he t ool slices t hrough wood fibers. A fine bevel, 15° t o 20°, is a lit t le delicat e, but it works for a chisel reserved for light paring cut s in soft woods. To chop t ough end grain, a st out er 30° t o 35° bevel would hold up bet t er. For everyday bench work I aim for a 25° bevel whose widt h is abo ut t wice t he t hickness of t he chisel. This is a com prom ise bet ween ease of cut t ing and t he durabilit y of t he edge. Light ly hollow- grinding t he bevel every t hree t o four sharpenings speeds t he honing process by reducing t he area of st eel in cont act wit h t he st one. I use a grooved block of wood t hat holds t he chisel handle, set at a dist ance from t he wheel t o achieve t he desired bevel angle. I t hen hone t he edge on a m edium I ndia st one and a fine black Arkansas st one using kerosene Aft e r h ollow - gr in din g a 2 5 ° as a lubricant . I t ry t o hone at be ve l on t h e gr in de r , t h e a consist ent 25° bevel wit h a u t h or h on e s t h e be ve l on a m e diu m a n d t h e n a fin e lit t le or no m icrobevel along oilst on e . Th e a u t h or gu ide s t h e t he cut t ing edge. The only ch ise l fr e e h a n d, bu t a h on in g except ion is when I need a gu ide ca n h e lp u n t il you slight ly t ougher cut t ing edge m a st e r t h e t e ch n iqu e . for an ext rem ely hard wood, such as rosewood, where I raise t he t ool handle t o hone a m icrobevel of 30°. For a final st rop I use som e 0- t o 2- m icron diam ond past e sm eared on a piece of Balt ic birch plywood. I prefer t his t o a leat her st rop, which being soft er and m ore uneven, increases t he risk of rounding over t he bevel.

H ow t o t e ll if you r ch ise l is sh a r p I t 's wort h repeat ing t hat a chisel m ust be very sharp t o work well. A dull edge t akes far m ore power t o drive t hrough t he fibers and, m ore im port ant ly, is harder t o cont rol. Everyone has a special way t o t est t he sharpness of an edge: dragging it against a fingernail, shaving arm hair or plucking t he edge wit h a finger. The problem is t hat t hese t est s are all a bit subj ect ive. I t est t he sharpness of a chisel by paring a block of end- grain http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00116.asp (2 of 6)26.09.2004 20:10:31

Bench-Chisel Techniques

whit e pine and t hen looking at bot h t he shaving and t he cut surface. Because soft wood fibers are weak and easily t orn from t he surface, only a really sharp edge will cut a t hin and whole shaving. Looking at t he end grain, ideally it should be uniform ly polished. But m ore likely t here will be light flecks in t he surface where fibers were t orn away, or it will exhibit fine t racks where t iny nicks in t he chisel's cut t ing edge scraped across t he wood. Next lay t he chisel wit h t he back flat on one of t he longgrain sides of your block. I f you can pare a shaving wit hout lift ing t he chisel, t he back and cut t ing edge are flat . I f you have t o lift t he chisel t o get it t o cut , t he back or cut t ing edge is rounded.

Th e t u n e d ch ise l sh ou ld be fla t on t h e ba ck a n d h a ve a n a r r ow ba n d of h on e d st e e l a lon g t h e cu t t in g e dge , w it h a sligh t ly con ca ve gr ou n d su r fa ce j u st be h in d.

Pr ope r t e ch n iqu e e n su r e s good r e su lt s For m ost of us, t he days of I f you ca n le a ve a cle a n cu t on working wit h hand t ools alone pin e e n d gr a in , you r ch ise l is r e a dy for a ct ion . are long gone. Whereas chisels would once have been our prim ary t ools for cut t ing all m anner of j oint s, t oday we t ypically use t hem m ore oft en t o adj ust j oint s cut on a m achine. Chiseling t asks can be sim plified t o chopping, paring or som e com binat ion of t he t wo. Cut t ing end grain, such as excavat ing a m ort ise, is chopping. A m allet usually delivers t he driving force, so everyt hing works best when you chop vert ically, down against your bench, preferably direct ly over a leg. Paring is oft en a hand- powered operat ion, using t he chisel horizont ally or vert ically t o slice away a t hin shaving. This can be against t he end grain or along t he grain. I also pare wit h t he chisel in one hand and use m y t hum b as a lever, m uch t he sam e way you would use a knife.

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Bench-Chisel Techniques

W it h e x pe r ie n ce you w ill be a ble t o h old t h e ch ise l a t t h e cor r e ct a n gle m e r e ly by sigh t in g a cr oss a n d dow n it ( le ft ) . A squ a r e se t on e n d a ct s a s a gu ide w h e n squ a r in g u p t h e e n d of a m or t ise ( r igh t ) .

Ch oppin g t o a lin e ve r t ica lly - - Cut t ing wit h a chisel held plum b is an acquired skill. Finding t he right angle is easiest when you are only slight ly above t he work and looking across t he chisel. Sight ing against a square set on end helps, as does good light shining t oward t he work and you. Holding t he chisel plum b great ly speeds any chopping t ask. I f t his is hard for you, or if you have t o cut an angled m ort ise, saw a wast e block t o t his angle and clam p it in place t o guide your chisel. For heavy chopping, driving a chisel wit h a m allet allows you t o concent rat e all of your effort s on direct ing t he t ool. Light cut s yield m ore accurat e result s. Think about t he cut t ing edge sinking int o t he wood. The back is t rying t o guide t he chisel plum b while t he beveled side of t he cut t ing edge presses t he chisel against t he back. Wit h a light cut t his pressure breaks out t he chip and holds t he back right t o t he line. Try t o chop t oo large a chip, especially in soft wood, and t he pressure will push your chisel beyond your line. Take lit t le bit es, wast e up t o your line, and t hen t ake a final light cut right on t he line. Because I have a good select ion of chisel sizes, I wast e as m uch wood as I can wit h a chisel narrower t han t he m ort ise. The final cut is wit h a chisel snug in t he m ort ise and right on t he line. Pa r in g t o a lin e ve r t ica lly - - Paring end grain gives you a whole new appreciat ion for t he t oughness of wood. Good paring t akes bot h m uscle and a feel for cont rolling t he cut . A sharp chisel and a light cut give you t he best chance for doing accurat e work. Aft er you have rem oved t he bulk of t he wast e using a m allet , swit ch t o a light paring cut right on t he line. This provides great er accuracy and cont rol and allows you t o undercut slight ly. Also, it 's j ust plain quicker t han reaching for t he m allet each t im e aft er m oving t he work. Work around all four sides of a t enon t o est ablish t he shoulder line and t o give you som et hing t o sight against when paring. Posit ion your body above t he work for paring t he final shaving or t wo, using t he weight of your upper body t o drive t he chisel and bot h hands t o guide it .

Ligh t ly ch oppin g a ll t h e w a y a r ou n d de fin e s t h e sh ou lde r of a t e n on ( le ft ) be for e a fin a l pa r in g w it h h a n d pow e r ( r igh t ) .

Pa r in g t o a lin e h or izon t a lly - - Given a choice, I prefer t he cont rol of a plane t o shave a surface. But t here are plent y of t im es when I don't have t he right plane close at hand or when

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Bench-Chisel Techniques

it 's sim ply quicker t o pare a few shavings wit h a chisel. Long and t hin- bladed ( for flexibilit y) paring chisels are t he t ools of choice here, but a well- t uned bench chisel will work alm ost as well. For m axim um cont rol when paring, I find it 's best t o have one hand on t he chisel handle and t he ot her as close t o t he work, or cut t ing edge, as pract ical. This way you can raise or lower t he handle slight ly t o cont rol t he dept h of cut , while t he hand close t o t he cut t ing edge holds t he chisel st eady and helps guide t he cut . This hand also act s as a brake, sm oot hing out t he pressure delivered by t he hand on t he handle. The sm oot hest and easiest cut s are m ade wit h a slight shearing act ion, slicing bot h forward and sideways.

W h e n cu t t in g h or izon t a lly, t h e sm oot h e st cu t s a r e m a de w it h a sligh t sh e a r in g a ct ion , cu t t in g bot h for w a r d a n d side w a ys. Th e n e e d for a pe r fe ct ly fla t ch ise l ba ck is a ppa r e n t w h e n fit t in g a t e n on .

Usin g t h e ch ise l a s you w ou ld a pe n k n ife a llow s you t o m a k e de lica t e cu t s su ch a s slicin g e n d gr a in or be ve lin g a t e n on .

Pa r in g w h ile u sin g t h e t h u m b a s a le ve r - - Holding t he chisel like a penknife or a pot at o peeler, wit h t he blade cut t ing t oward you, t akes som e get t ing used t o. Once m ast ered, t his t echnique allows for fine cont rolled cut s, even in end grain. I use it t o pare t he end of a t able leg, t o short en a t enon and t o cham fer it s ends. Cu t t in g be ve l- side dow n - - When paring t he bot t om of a groove, t he flat back of a chisel can no longer be used as a guide, and t he nat ural inclinat ion of t he chisel is t o dig in. Turn t he chisel upside down and use t he bevel t o guide t he cut , raising or lowering t he handle t o adj ust t he dept h of t he cut . This m et hod is useful t o deepen a m ort ise or dado ( or shape a curved one) or t o sm oot h t he bot t om of a recess for an inlay. As wit h all t ools, t here are m any pat hs t o accurat e and sat isfying result s. Sharpen a few chisels and pract ice t hese basic t echniques. Som e of t hem m ight not feel com fort able at first , but everyday use at your bench is t he surest way t o m ast er t hem . Garret t Hack is a furnit ure m aker in Thet ford Cent er, Verm ont . Phot os: Mark Schofield and Michael Pekovich Fr om Fin e W oodw or k in g # 1 5 0 , pp. 6 2 - 6 5 Pu r ch a se ba ck issu e s

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Bench-Chisel Techniques

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Making Sense of Sandpaper

YOU ARE H ERE: Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e

M a t e r ia ls

M a k in g Se n se of Sa n dpa pe r

Fr om t h e pa ge s of Fin e W oodw or k in g M a ga zin e

two

Making Sense of Sandpaper Kn ow in g h ow it w or k s is t h e fir st st e p in ch oosin g t h e r igh t a br a sive by St rot her Purdy

Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Cu r r e n t W or k On lin e Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s Book s & Vide os

Years ago at a garage sale, I bought a pile of no- nam e sandpaper for j ust pennies a sheet . I got it hom e. I sanded wit h it , but not hing cam e off t he wood. Sanding harder, t he grit cam e off t he paper. I t didn't even burn very well in m y wood st ove. Sanding is necessary drudge work, im proved only by spending less t im e doing it . As I learned, you can't go right buying cheap st uff, but it 's st ill easy t o go wrong wit h t he best sandpaper t hat 's available. Not long ago, for exam ple, I t ried t o t ake t he finish off som e m aple flooring. Even t hough I was arm ed wit h prem ium - grade, 50grit alum inum - oxide belt s, t he work t ook far t oo long. I t wasn't t hat t he belt s were bad. I was sim ply using t he wrong abrasive for t he j ob. A 36- grit ceram ic belt would have cut m y sanding t im e subst ant ially. The key t o choosing t he right sandpaper is knowing how t he m any different kinds of sandpaper work. Each com ponent , not j ust t he grit , cont ribut es t o t he sandpaper's perform ance, det erm ining how quickly it works, how long it last s and how sm oot h t he result s will be. I f you know how t he com ponent s work t oget her, you'll be able t o choose your sandpaper wisely, and use it efficient ly. Then you won't wast e t im e sanding or end up burning t he st uff in your wood st ove.

Sa n dpa pe r is a cu t t in g t ool What sandpaper does t o wood is really no different from what a saw, a plane or a chisel does. They all have sharp point s or edges t hat cut wood fibers. Sandpaper's cut t ing is sim ply on a m uch sm aller scale. The only subst ant ial difference bet ween sandpaper and ot her cut t ing t ools is t hat sandpaper can't be sharpened.

Lin k s Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools Clu bs http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00006.asp (1 of 5)26.09.2004 1:35:07

Th e W ood Sa n din g Book

Vet eran furnit ure m aker and aut hor Sandor Nagyszalanczy expands your underst anding of abrasive m at erials, m achines, and m et hods

Making Sense of Sandpaper

Kn ot s For u m Eve n t s

Sa n dpa pe r is m a de of a br a sive m in e r a ls, a dh e sive a n d a clot h , pa pe r or polye st e r ba ck in g. Th e a br a sive m in e r a ls a r e bon de d t o t h e ba ck in g by t w o coa t s of a dh e sive ; fir st t h e m a k e coa t bon ds t h e m t o t h e ba ck in g; t h e n t h e size coa t lock s t h e m in posit ion .

Look at sandpaper up close, and you'll see t hat t he sharp t ips of t he abrasive grains look like sm all, irregularly shaped sawt eet h . The grains are support ed by a clot h or paper backing and t wo adhesive bonds, m uch t he way t hat sawt eet h are support ed by t he sawblade. As sandpaper is pushed across wood, t he abrasive grains dig int o t he surface and cut out m inut e shavings, which are called swarf in indust ry j argon. To t he naked eye, t hese shavings look like fine dust . Magnified, t hey look like t he shavings produced by saws or ot her cut t ing t ools. Even t he spaces bet ween t he abrasive grains serve an im port ant role. They work t he way gullet s on sawblades do, giving t he shavings a place t o go. This is why sandpaper designed for wood has what 's called an open coat , where only 40% t o 70% of t he backing is covered wit h abrasive. The spaces in an open coat are hard t o see in fine grit s but are very obvious in coarse grades. Closed- coat sandpaper, where t he backing is ent irely covered wit h abrasive, is not appropriat e for sanding wood because t he swarf has no place t o go and quickly clogs t he paper. Closed- coat sandpaper is m ore appropriat e on ot her m at erials such as st eel and glass because t he part icles of swarf are m uch sm aller. Som e sandpaper is advert ised as non- loading, or st earat ed. These papers are covered wit h a subst ance called zinc st earat e - - soap, really - - which helps keep t he sandpaper from clogging wit h swarf. St earat ed papers are only useful for sanding finishes and resinous woods. Wood resin and m ost finishes will becom e m olt en from t he heat generat ed by sanding, even hand- sanding. I n t his st at e, t hese subst ances are very st icky, and given t he chance, t hey will firm ly glue t hem selves t o t he sandpaper. St earat es work by at t aching t o t he m olt en swarf, m aking it slippery, not st icky, and prevent ing it from bonding t o t he sandpaper.

M e t h ods for sa n din g e fficie n t ly Sanding a rough surface sm oot h in preparat ion for a finish seem s a pret t y st raight forward proposit ion. For a board fresh out of t he http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00006.asp (2 of 5)26.09.2004 1:35:07

Making Sense of Sandpaper

planer, woodworkers know t o st art wit h a coarse paper, perhaps 80- grit or 100- grit , and progress increm ent ally wit hout skipping a grade up t o t he finer grit s. At each st ep, you sim ply erase t he scrat ches you m ade previously wit h finer and sm aller scrat ches unt il, at 180- grit or 220- grit , t he scrat ches are t oo sm all t o see or feel. But t here are a fair num ber of opinions on how t o do t his m ost efficient ly. D on 't sk ip gr it s, u su a lly - - Skipping a grit t o save t im e and sandpaper is a com m on t em pt at ion, but not a good idea when working wit h hardwoods. You can rem ove t he scrat ches left by 120grit sandpaper wit h 180- grit , but it will t ake you far m ore work t han if you use 150- grit first . You will also wear out m ore 180- grit sandpaper, so you don't really save any m at erials. When sanding m aple, for inst ance, skipping t wo grit s bet ween 80 and 180 will probably double t he t ot al sanding t im e. This, however, is not as t rue wit h woods such as pine. Soft woods t ake m uch less work overall t o sand sm oot h. Skipping a grit will increase t he work negligibly and m ay save you som e m at erials. Sa n d ba r e w ood t o 1 8 0 - or 2 2 0 - gr it - - For sanding bare wood, 180- grit will generally give you a surface t hat looks and feels perfect ly sm oot h and is ready for a finish of som e kind. Sanding t he surface wit h a finer grit is only necessary if you're going t o use a wat er- based finish. These finishes will pick up and t elegraph t he sm allest scrat ches. Sanding t he wood t o 220- grit or finer will prepare t he surface bet t er. However, it 's not always wise t o sand t o a finer grit . You will wast e your t im e if you can't t ell t he difference, and you m ay creat e problem s in finishing. Maple sanded t o 400- grit will not t ake a pigm ent ed st ain, for exam ple. Pigm ent s work by lodging t hem selves int o nooks and crannies on t he surface; wit hout t hem , t hey will have no place t o st ick. Sa n d fa st e r a cr oss t h e gr a in - - How m any t im es have you been t old never t o sand across t he grain? True enough. The scrat ches are m uch m ore obvious, look t errible and are hard t o rem ove wit h t he next finer grit . But what holds t rue for planing wood is also t rue for sanding. You will plane and sand fast er and m ore easily when t he direct ion of your cut s is bet ween 45° and 60° t o t he grain, because t he wood- fiber bundles offer t he least resist ance t o t he cut t ing edges. Cross- grain scrat ches are harder t o rem ove sim ply because t hey are deeper. Use a com binat ion of cross- grain and wit h- grain sanding t o get t he sm oot hest surface in t he fast est m anner. First m ake passes at 45° t o 60° t o bot h t he left and t he right , m aking an X- pat t ern on t he workpiece. Then, wit h t he sam e grit , sand wit h t he grain t o rem ove t he cross- grain scrat ches. Do t his wit h each grit when belt - sanding and hand- sanding. The non- linear sanding act ion of random - orbit and orbit al sanders can't t ake advant age of t he wood's grain propert ies. When I use m y orbit al, I j ust sand wit h t he grain.

Ch oosin g fr om t h e fou r a br a sive m in e r a ls Four com m on abrasive m inerals are alum inum oxide, silicon carbide, ceram ics and garnet ( see Four abrasive m inerals) . Except for garnet , t hey are all m anufact ured, designed if you will, for different cut t ing propert ies. Harder and sharper m inerals cut deeper scrat ches and, consequent ly, sand t he wood fast er. But t hese deep scrat ches leave a coarse finish, whet her you sand wit h or across t he grain. Soft er m inerals wit hin t he sam e grit size will cut far m ore slowly but leave a sm oot her finish. For exam ple, if you sand a board on one side wit h a 120- grit ceram ic, t he hardest abrasive m ineral, and t he ot her side wit h 120- grit garnet , t he soft est , you will be able t o feel a dist inct difference bet ween t he surfaces. I t will seem as if you sanded t he t wo sides wit h different grit sizes.

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Making Sense of Sandpaper

I t 's easy t o rat e each m ineral's hardness and sharpness, but it 's not as sim ple t o prescribe specific uses beyond generalizat ions. There are m any ot her fact ors t hat influence t he appropriat eness of a sandpaper for a j ob.

Som e fin e poin t s a bou t gr a din g sca le s I f you don't m ind t hat we have t wo m easurem ent syst em s, t he U. S. Cust om ary ( foot , gallon) and t he I nt ernat ional ( m et er, lit er) , t hen you won't m ind t hat we have t hree m aj or abrasive grit grading syst em s. I n Nort h Am erica, t he Coat ed Abrasives Manufact urers I nst it ut e ( CAMI ) regulat es t he U.S. St andard Scale. CAMI - graded sandpapers sim ply have num bers, such as 320, print ed on t hem . The Europeans have t he P- scale, regulat ed by t he Federat ion of European Producers Associat ion ( FEPA) . These abrasives are ident ifiable by t he let t er P in front of t he grit size, such as P320. Finally, t o m ake sure everyone is really confused, t here is a t ot ally different m icron grading syst em . This syst em is ident ified by t he Greek let t er m u, as in 30µ. The t hree syst em s grade part icle size t o different t olerances but by t he sam e m et hods. From t he coarsest grit s up t o about 220, part icles are graded t hrough a series of wire m esh screens. The sm aller grit sizes are graded t hrough an air- or wat er- flot at ion process t hat separat es part icles by weight . The chart is helpful in com paring grit s of t he t hree grading syst em s, but it doesn't t ell t he whole st ory. Abrasives on t he Pscale are graded t o t ight er t olerances t han CAMI - graded abrasives. This m eans t hat t he CAMI - scale t olerat es a wider range of grain sizes wit hin t he definit ion of 180- grit t han t he P- scale. Tolerances are even t ight er for m icron grading. P- graded and m icron- graded abrasives give m ore consist ent cut s wit h fewer st ray scrat ches from out sized m inerals. Micron- graded abrasives on polyest er film s are about t hree t im es as expensive as paper product s and probably not wort h it for sanding wood. I have a hard t im e t elling t he difference bet ween wood sanded wit h a 100µ finishing film abrasive and st andard 120grit sandpaper. But for polishing a high- gloss finish, I find m icrongraded abrasives m ake a subst ant ial difference.

Th e su ppor t in g r ole of ba ck in gs a n d bon ds The backing's st iffness and flat ness influence t he qualit y and speed of t he sandpaper's cut . For t he m ost part , m anufact urers choose adhesives and backings t o augm ent t he charact erist ics of a part icular abrasive grit . You will have a hard t im e finding an aggressive abrasive m ineral, for exam ple, on a backing suit ed t o a sm oot h cut . The st iffer t he paper, t he less t he abrasive m inerals will deflect while cut t ing. They will cut deeper and, consequent ly, fast er. Soft backings and bonds will allow t he abrasives t o deflect m ore, giving light scrat ches and a sm oot h finish. You m ust even consider what 's behind t he backing. Wrapping t he sandpaper around a block of wood will allow a fast er cut t han sanding wit h t he paper against t he palm of your hand. For inst ance, an easy Soft ba ck in gs on sa n din g t ools w on 't su ppor t t h e sa n dpa pe r way t o speed up your orbit al a n d m a k e it cu t m or e slow ly. sander is by exchanging t he soft pad for a st iff one. The ot her considerat ion is t he flat ness of t he backing, which has not hing t o do wit h it s st iffness. Flat backings posit ion t he m inerals on a m ore even level so t hey cut at a m ore consist ent dept h, result ing in

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Making Sense of Sandpaper

fewer st ray scrat ches and a sm oot her surface. Clot h is t he st iffest but least - flat backing. I t will produce t he coarsest and fast est cut . Clot h com es in t wo grades, a heavy X and a light J. Paper is not as st iff as clot h but it 's flat t er. I t com es in grades A, C, D, E and F ( light est t o heaviest ) . A- weight paper t hat has been wat erproofed is approxim at ely equivalent t o a B- weight paper, if one exist ed. Polyest er film s, including Mylar, look and feel like plast ic. They are ext rem ely flat and pret t y st iff. They will give t he m ost consist ent ly even cut and at a fast er rat e t han paper. The backings for hand sheet s and belt s are designed t o flex around curves wit hout breaking. This is not t rue for sanding discs for random - orbit sanders. They are designed t o rem ain perfect ly flat , and if used like a hand sheet , t he adhesive will crack off in large sect ions. This is called knifeedging because t he m ineral and adhesive, separat ed from t he backing, form knife- like edges t hat dig int o and m ark t he work.

Th e a dh e sive a n d ba ck in g on a r a n dom - or bit sa n din g pa d ca n cr a ck if t h e disc is folde d lik e or din a r y sa n dpa pe r .

Adhesive bonds on m odern sandpaper are alm ost exclusively urea- or phenolic- form aldehyde resins. Bot h are heat - resist ant , wat erproof and st iff. Hide glue is som et im es used in conj unct ion wit h a resin on paper sheet s. I t is not wat erproof or heat - resist ant , but hide glue is cheap and very flexible. When t his art icle was writ t en, St rot her Purdy was an assist ant edit or of Fine Woodworking. Phot os: St rot her Purdy; drawing: Tim Langenderfer Fr om Fin e W oodw or k in g # 1 2 5 , pp. 6 2 67 Pu r ch a se ba ck issu e s

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DELTA 23655 230V BENCH GRINDER V/S 6IN, Bench Grinder from Tool-Up UK

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DELTA 23655 150MM BENCH GRINDER WITH LAMP This variable speed Bench Grinder has a 300W, 220-240V, 2000-3450 RPM induction motor, flexible lamp, tool rests with drill bit sharpening guide, eye shields, spark deflectors, grinding and white friable sharpening wheels, diamond wheel dresser, adjustment wrench and instruction manual. Features Include : - Adjustment wrench and diamond wheel dresser. - White friable wheel for sharpening. - Powerful 300W induction motor for long lasting, smooth performance. - Cast iron base which minimises operating vibration. - Variable speeds (2000-3450 RPM) for grinding or sharpening. - Flexible gooseneck lamp for a clear view of grinding wheels and workpiece. - Adjustable tool rests to compensate for wheel wear; includes drill bit sharpening guide. Specifications : Motor : 300W, 220-240V, 50 HZ., 2000-3450 RPM. Shaft Diameter : 13 mm (1/2). Wheels : Diameter - 152 mm (6). Face - 19 mm (3/4). Hole - 13 mm (1/2).

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DELTA 23655 230V BENCH GRINDER V/S 6IN, Bench Grinder from Tool-Up UK

Motor Control : No load push button switch. Weight : 9 kg.

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Product Code: DEL23655 DELTA 23655 230V BENCH GRINDER V/S 6IN

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Fin d a n d pu r ch a se a r t icle s fr om t h e Fin e W oodw or k in g Ar ch ive t o h e lp you w it h you r pr oj e ct . Bu ildin g a H u m idor

Maint aining t ropical hum idit y in a box t akes precise j oinery and Spanish cedar — by Rick Allyn Se a r ch Fin e W oodw or k in g Ar ch ive YES! I want expert woodworking advice, t ips & t echniques.

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Sym m et ry and subt le shadow lines give Pat rick Warner's m aple and yellow sat inwood office credenza a dynam ic visual rhyt hm Bu ildin g Fir e pla ce M a n t e ls: Sim ple Fe de r a l M a n t e l

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Plans for a proj ect t hat shows elegant proport ion, rest raint , and balance...and it can be built in a weekend

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Plans for a st urdy plywood chair t hat can be disassem bled and st ored flat — by Jeff Miller

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— by Kim Carlet on Graves

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Place t he spinner wit hin t he door st ile for a clean, alm ost hidden, lat ch — by Chris Becksvoort Bu ild a Sh a k e r - St yle Be d

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A com plet e part s list for Dick McDonough's workbench, feat ured in t he May/ June 2001 issue of Fine Woodworking ( # 149)

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This Art s and Craft s- st yled piece com bines t hrough- t enon j oinery and biscuit - anchored shelves — by Niall Barret t

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Ex ce r pt e d fr om D in in g Ta ble s

Vineyard Table

Com ple t e pla n s for a t r e st le t a ble w it h a t w ist by Kim Carlet on Graves

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The vineyard t able is alm ost as old a design as t he t rest le t able, dat ing back 300 years or m ore. Som e sources claim t hese t ables were used by grape pickers in French vineyards for working lunches, while ot hers say t hey were used in wineries for wine t ast ings. Bot h st ories m ay be t rue, since t he t ables fold easily for st orage and t ransport at ion. The cent ral " harp" spins around on one set of dowels and t he t ablet op flips on a second set of dowels t o creat e a rem arkably com pact package. Neal Whit e of San Jose, California, designed and built t his t able as a second t able for fam ily gat herings at his house. He found it t oo useful t o st ow away bet ween occasions, and it 's t aken up perm anent residence in his living room .

Ch e st s of D r a w e r s Ope n or dow n loa d t h e 1 6 - pa ge PD F file be low for t h e com ple t e ch a pt e r on m a k in g t h is Vin e ya r d Ta ble . ( Re qu ir e s t h e fr e e Adobe Acr oba t Re a de r t o vie w a n d pr in t PD F file s.)

Vin e ya r dTa ble .pdf

Plans and inst ruct ions for building nine classic beds Eleven classic bookcase proj ect s D e sk s

Seven desk proj ect s from lapt op t o Chippendale Ta ble s

Plans and inst ruct ions for t en classic t ables, from hist oric pieces t o cont em porary st yles

( D ow n loa d sh ou ld t a k e a ppr ox im a t e ly 2 m in u t e s on a 5 6 K m ode m )

I love t he look of t he figured whit e oak in t his t able, but t he original t ables were m ade by carpent ers from what ever woods were available locally. Like all t rest le t ables, t his one is easily m odified t o suit t he builder's t ast e and t alent s. Vineyard t ablet ops are t ypically round or ellipt ical, but you can m ake t he t op for t his t able in alm ost any size or shape as long as t he widt h clears t he feet when t he t able is flipped. Furnit ure m aker Kim Carlet on Graves has been designing and building high- end cust om furnit ure for t en years. His art icle on duplicat ing spindles appeared in t he May/ June 2000 issue of Fine Woodworking ( # 142) . He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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Be ds

Book ca se s

On t he vineyard t able, hinges replace j oint s bet ween t he legs and cleat s, and t he t ablet op is held level by a beaut iful harp- shaped support .

Lin k s

Plans and inst ruct ions for building seven classic chest s of drawers

Vineyard Table

Phot os: Richard Bienkowski; drawings: © The Taunt on Press Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools

Fr om D in in g Ta ble s, pp. 5 6 - 6 4 Pu r ch a se ba ck issu e s

Clu bs Kn ot s D iscu ssion Eve n t s

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This is an excerpt from the book

Dining Tables by Kim Carleton Graves Copyright 2001 by The Taunton Press www.taunton.com

I N E YAR D

T

AB L E

he vineyard table is almost as

taken up permanent residence in his

old a design as the trestle table,

living room.

dating back 300 years or more. Some

The vineyard table is similar to

sources claim these tables were used

the trestle table on p. 40 except that

by grape pickers in French vineyards

hinges have replaced the joints between

for working lunches, while others say

the legs and cleats, and the tabletop is

they were used in wineries for wine

held level by a beautiful harp-shaped

tastings. Both stories may be true, since

support.

the tables fold easily for storage and

I love the look of the figured white

transportation. The central “harp”

oak in this table, but the original tables

spins around on one set of dowels and

were made by carpenters from whatever

the tabletop flips on a second set of

woods were available locally.

dowels to create a remarkably compact package. Neal White of San Jose, California,

Like all trestle tables, this one is easily modified to suit the builder’s taste and talents. Vineyard tabletops are

designed and built this table as a

typically round or elliptical, but you can

second table for family gatherings at

make the top for this table in almost

his house. He found it too useful to

any size or shape as long as the width

stow away between occasions, and it’s

clears the feet when the table is flipped.

57

Vineyard Table THE VINEYARD TABLE is similar to a tre stle tab le in c o nstruc tio n, e xc e p t that the c le ats are hing e d inste ad o f jo ine d to the le g s, allo wing the tab le to p to flip d o wn o r b e re mo ve d fo r sto rag e and transp o rtatio n. The harp -shap e d struc ture p ivo ts o utward to sup p o rt the tab le to p whe n the tab le to p is se t up fo r use .

Top

Cleat

Harp

Dowel

Leg

Stretcher

Footpad

58

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

Foot

EN D VIEW

SID E VIEW 1"

32" 16"

17/ 8"

11/ 2"

33/ 16"

2"

21/ 2 " 3/ 4"

dia.

R 13/ 8" 31/ 2"

3/ 4"

dia.

11/ 4 "

33/ 16" 221/ 2 "

2" 27"

27"

21/ 2 "

1/ 2"

2" 23/ 4 "

33/ 4"

23/ 4"

1" 7/ 16"

4

23/ 4"

1/ 2 "

1"

11/ 2 "

25"

H A RP 191/ 2"

2"

2215/ 16"

41/ 2"

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

59

U I L DI N G T H E

AB L E

CU T L I S T F OR VI N E YAR D T AB L E Ta b l e t o p a n d Le g A sse m b l y 1

Tabletop

60 in. x 46 in. x 1 in.

2

Legs

27 in. x 31⁄2 in. x 1 in.

2

Feet

25 in. x 23⁄4 in. x 11⁄2 in.

4

Footpads1

5 in. x 1 in. x 11⁄2 in.

2

Stretchers

221⁄2 in. x 21⁄2 in. x 1 in.

2

Cleats

32 in. x 33⁄16 in. x 1 in.

2

Harp legs

2215⁄16 in. x 41⁄2 in. x 1 in.

1

Harp cross bar

191⁄2 in. x 2 in. x 1 in.

2

Leveling blocks1

5 in. x 13⁄8 in. x 2 in.

H ard w are ⁄4 in. diameter x 3 in.

2

Hardwood wooden dowels2

3

2

Hardwood wooden dowels2

1

4

Steel wood screws

11⁄2 in. by #10

⁄2 in. diameter x 3 in.

1

The leveling blocks and footpads can be cut from the foot cutoffs. See Sources of Supply on p. 183.

2

T

he elaborate pattern-cutting techniques described for other projects in this book can be used for this table. However, since vineyard tables are traditionally simple, carpenter-made furniture, I’ve chosen to stick to basic tools and techniques. A jigsaw, coping saw, or bandsaw is all you need to cut out the parts; scrapers, planes, and sandpaper can be used to sculpt them to final shape. Mortise-and-tenon joints hold the legs and stretchers together, but the lap joint, a very basic joint, is used for the harp pieces, and doweled hinges are used for the moving parts. Another new but simple technique introduced here is drawing the ellipse for the tabletop.

60

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

TEP BY

TEP

The most challenging task is to fit the pieces together so that the tabletop opens and closes easily and remains level when open. Since every table is slightly different, adjustments to the dowels and leveling blocks should be made dynamically.

MA K I N G

THE

ART S

Preparing t he st ock The critical dimensions in this table are the lengths of the legs, the widths of the feet, and the lengths of the stretchers. If these aren’t equal, the trestle won’t be square. In addition, the width of the tabletop must clear the feet when the table is flipped up for storage. The shape of the tabletop determines how much clearance you have. Rectangular tables have about 45 in. of clearance, while round tables have nearly 49 in. because the curved shape clears the feet.

1. Begin with 8/4 rough stock for the feet and footpads and 6/4 rough stock for all other parts. Although 5/4 might work, you would risk not being able to get all the parts out. 2. Crosscut the trestle parts 2 in. oversize in length. Face-joint and edge-joint the boards and plane them to finished 1-in. thickness, then rip the parts to finished width. 3. Cut all tabletop boards to the same length. When cutting to rough length, leave them several inches oversize. Face-joint and edge the boards, then rip them to width and plane to finished thickness.

M aking t he t ablet op 1. Glue up boards for the tabletop in a rectangular shape, arranging and aligning the boards to get the best match for color and grain. Clamp the tabletop, using plenty of clamps (see the sidebar on the facing page), and allow the glue to cure overnight.

OW

ANY

L A MP S

The o b je ct o f clamping is to put pre ssure o n all o f the

wo o dwo rke rs re co mme nd spring ing the b o ards so the y

surface s b e ing g lue d. Imag ine clamp pre ssure as radiating

me e t at the e nds b ut g ap slig htly in the ce nte r. The b o ard

45 de g re e s o n e ithe r side fro m the po int o f applicatio n.

acts as a co mb inatio n spring and caul, clo sing the g aps.

If the clamps are space d to o far apart, as sho wn in illustra-

I pre fe r using e no ug h clamps to pro vide pre ssure at all

tio n “ a” b e lo w, the re may b e little o r no pre ssure at so me

po ints o n the g lue line s, as sho wn in “ c.” In this e xample ,

po ints o n the g lue line . Mo ving the o ute r clamps to ward the

I ne e de d five clamps to g e t e no ug h pre ssure . With a pane l

ce nte r, as sho wn in “ b ,” so lve s the pro b le m in the middle

the same size and narro we r b o ards, I wo uld have ne e de d

b ut cre ate s ne w lo w-pre ssure are as ne ar the e dg e s. So me

e ve n mo re clamps.

No pressure area

Low pressure area

Good overlap pressure in all areas

Overlap pressure

Not enough pressure

Good pressure

45°

45°

a

2. After the glue cures, remove the clamps and place the tabletop upside down on your workbench. 3. Draw an ellipse on the underside of the tabletop as described in the sidebar on p. 62, and cut out the ellipse using a jigsaw or coping saw. 4. Finish shaping the ellipse with a belt sander held against the edge or a sanding block with 80-grit sandpaper.

b

c

M aking t he feet 1. Cut the feet to final length. 2. Mark out the 1⁄2-in. mortises with a mortising gauge, making sure the mortise is centered on the foot, and cut them out with a mortising machine or chisel. 3. Glue the footpads to the feet and allow the glue to cure overnight (see photo A).

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

61

RAWING AN

L L IPS E

Eve ry e llipse has two fo ci, o r fo cus po ints.

Place a small finishing nail at e ach e nd o f

The sum o f the distance s to the two fo ci

the line to mark the fo ci. Ne xt, draw a line

is e q ual fro m any po int o n the e llipse .

cro ssing the ce nte r o f the first line at rig ht

Fo llo wing this de finitio n, yo u can lay o ut

ang le s. Mark a po int 23 in. alo ng this line —

an e llipse with two nails, a pe ncil, and a

this will b e the e nd o f the tab le ’s sho rt axis.

pie ce o f string . By varying the po sitio n

Take a pie ce o f string ab o ut 100 in. lo ng ,

o f the nails and the le ng th o f the string ,

tie it in a lo o p, and put the lo o p aro und the

yo u can g e ne rate an infinite numb e r

nails. Adjust the po sitio n o f the kno t so that

o f e llipse s.

a pe ncil he ld ag ainst the taut string will hit the po int yo u’ve marke d. (The lo o p o f string ,

To g e ne rate the e llipse fo r this tab le , draw a 38 ⁄2-in. line o n the unde rside o f

o nce adjuste d, sho uld me asure 98 1⁄2 in.)

the tab le to p, ce nte re d alo ng the lo ng axis.

Finally, draw the e llipse .

1

Hold the pencil here. As the pencil moves, the ellipse is formed.

String Put small finishing nails at the two foci.

46" 90°

191/ 4"

191/ 4"

23"

60"

62

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

Photo A: Clamp across the joints to register the sides of the footpads with the sides of the feet.

4. Enlarge the illustration below to full size or create a pattern of your own, then trace it onto the feet. 5. Using a bandsaw or coping saw, cut out the feet, then plane, scrape, or sand the edges smooth.

M aking t he legs 1. Cut both legs to final length. 2. Mark out the mortises for the top and bottom stretchers, then cut these with a mortising machine or mortising chisel. 3. At the top of each leg, lay out a 31⁄2-in. square. Draw diagonals between the corners to find the center of the square. Use a compass to draw a half-circle at the top of each leg (see photo B). 4. Mark the shoulders of the bottom tenons and use a table saw to establish the shoulder line. 5. Using a tenon jig and the table saw, remove the tenon cheeks. Sneak up on the final width so the tenons will fit snugly into the mortises of the feet without binding.

PATTERN S FO R CURVED PA RTS

Foot

Cleat

Harp leg

1 in. = 1 square

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

63

Photo B: M ark the outside circle before drilling the pivot hole.

Photo C: Forstner bits leave clean entry holes even in difficult wood. Back up the exit hole with a piece of scrap so the exit is clean.

6. Use a bandsaw or coping saw to cut out the half-circle. 7. Sand the half-circle to shape using a sanding block with 80-grit paper. 8. Drill out a 3⁄4-in. dowel hole at the marked center, using a Forstner bit as shown in photo C (see Sources of Supply on p. 183). Don’t use a paddle or high-speed bit for this hole—you won’t get clean or accurate results.

M aking t he st ret chers 1. Cut the two stretchers to length. 2. Find the center of the top edge for both stretchers, then drill 1⁄2-in. holes 1 in. deep at both spots to accept the pivot dowels on the harp. 3. Mark the shoulders on one end of a stretcher. Set a stop on your miter gauge, and cut the shoulders for all four tenons on your table saw. 4. Using a tenon jig, cut the tenons. The tenons should fit snugly into the leg mortises. You don’t want a loose fit here, so sneak up on the fit until it’s just right.

64

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

SING A

OR T I S I N G

HIS E L

A mo rtising chise l is thicke r than an o rdinary chise l; the e xtra thickne ss allo ws the chise l to se lf-jig o nce the mo rtise is starte d. It also ab so rb s the stre sse s o f mo rtising . Yo u can o rde r the chise ls, and the wo o de n malle t use d with the m, b y mail fro m spe cialty to o l catalo g s (se e So urce s o f Supply o n p. 183). Bo dy po sitio ning is the trick to succe ssful use o f a mo rtising chise l. Just as yo u tune wo o dwo rking machine ry, yo u must also train yo ur b o dy to use hand to o ls. Start b y laying o ut the mo rtise with a marking g aug e , co mb inatio n sq uare , and marking knife . The knife line s are impo rtant b e cause the y de line ate the to p and b o tto m o f the mo rtise . Clamp the wo rkpie ce to yo ur b e nch so that it’s o n yo ur rig ht side if yo u’re rig ht-hande d o r o n yo ur le ft side if yo u’re le ft-hande d. Po sitio n the chise l at the far e nd o f the mo rtise with the b e ve l facing yo u, and ho ld it with yo ur no ndo minant hand. Alig n yo ur b o dy with the wo rkpie ce (se e the to p pho to ). If yo u do this co rre ctly, the chise l will b e ve rtical. Ho lding the wo o de n malle t in yo ur do minant hand, hit the chise l hard with a sing le whack. Do n’t b e shy and tap-tap-tap o n the chise l. The chise l sho uld cut 1⁄8 in. o r mo re into the wo o d with e ach b lo w. Ne xt, re po sitio n the chise l 1⁄8 in. clo se r to yo u and whack it ag ain. Pry the chise l to ward yo u, and the chip b e twe e n the first and se co nd cut will co me o ut (se e the b o tto m pho to ). Ke e p wo rking do wn the mo rtise until yo u g e t to the ne ar e nd. Re ve rse the chise l so the b e ve l face s away fro m yo u, the n cut the o the r sho ulde r o f the mo rtise sq uare . No w re ve rse the chise l to its o rig inal po sitio n and g o b ack to the far e nd o f the mo rtise . Co ntinue the mo rtising o pe ratio n until the mo rtise is de e p e no ug h. The width o f the chise l acts to jig the to o l in the mo rtise that’s alre ady cut. If yo u po sitio n yo ur b o dy co rre ctly, and yo u are n’t shy ab o ut whacking the chise l, hand-mo rtising can b e ve ry fast and accurate .

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

65

SCREW H O LES FO R ATTA CH IN G CLEATS TO TA BLETO P

1/ 8"

through hole (” wobbled out“ for wood movement)

3/ 8"

hole by 1/ 4" deep (plugged after installing screw)

Tip: For the harp legs, the two lap joints are on the same side. The two halves of the harp are identical.

66

Photo D: If you cut your own plugs, you can match the grain direction and make the plugs almost invisible. Clamp the stock to the drill-press table so the workpiece doesn’t spin.

M aking t he cleat s

M aking t he harp

1. Mark the positions for the pivot holes. 2. Mark the positions for the 13⁄8-in. radius circles. 3. Either enlarge the illustration on p. 63 to full size or make up your own shape, then mark the pattern onto the cleats. 4. With a 3⁄4-in. Forstner bit, drill out the pivot holes. 5. Saw out the pattern using a bandsaw or coping saw, getting as close as you dare to the line. Mill up to your lines using planes, scrapers, and sanding blocks with 80-grit sandpaper. 6. Mark for and drill the four tabletop attachment screw holes on the cleat bottoms. First drill the plug recesses 3⁄8 in. in diameter by 1 ⁄4 in. deep and 3 in. from each cleat end. Through the center of each recess, drill a hole 1 ⁄8 in. in diameter all the way through the cleat, “wobbling out” the bottom slightly to allow for seasonal wood movement (see the illustration above). 7. Using a 3⁄8-in. plug cutter as shown in photo D , make four plugs from scrap.

The harp is assembled with lap joints that are glued but not screwed or pinned together. Cutting them can be complicated because they are angled, but if you follow the sequence you won’t have any trouble. As always, cut the joinery while the workpieces are still square, then cut out the shapes.

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

1. Practice this joint on scrap wood first. Put a dado set on your table saw, and using two pieces of scrap the same thickness as the harp pieces, mark half the width on each of them. Raise the dado set so it just meets the halfwidth line, and make two cuts in the scrap using a miter gauge (see photo E). Test the joint, adjusting the height of the dado set until you achieve a perfect fit. Adjusting height dynamically is much more accurate than trying to measure. Now that the scrap joint fits, you’re ready to cut your money joints. 2. Cut the two harp legs to length. 3. Rotate your miter gauge counterclockwise, setting it to a heavy 61 degrees. Set a stop block on the miter gauge, and cut the shoulder of the lap joint for the top joint on one leg. Repeat the process for the second leg, then

Photo E: Cut the joint slightly thick, then turn the practice piece over to see the difference between the blade and the remaining work.

remove the stop block and cut out the waste on both top joints. 4. Rotate your miter gauge clockwise, setting it to a heavy 57 degrees. Set a stop block on the miter gauge, and cut the shoulder of the lap joint for the bottom joint. Repeat for the second harp leg, then remove the stop block and cut out the waste on both joints. 5. Glue the two harp legs together while they’re still square. 6. Now that the bottom joint is finished, mark out and cut the harp shape. Enlarge the illustration on p. 63 to full size or make your own design and trace it onto the workpiece. Cut out the design using a bandsaw or coping saw. 7. Make sure the shoulders of the two top laps are perpendicular. Set the fence on your table saw so you just slightly trim the front shoulder, then flip the harp and trim the other leg (see photo F). 8. Measure across the top of the legs of the harp and cut the cross bar to final length. 9. The measurement for the two laps on the cross bar probably won’t be identical, since bandsawing out the harp is not an accurate method of making symmetrical parts, so take a measurement for one of the shoulders from one leg of the harp using a combination

H A RP LAYO UT

Glue up the workpieces while they're still square. That way you can glue up across the joint, using the nibs to hold the clamps. The lines of the harp are purely decorative, so don't worry about making them exact. Your only concern is to fit the top bar accurately between the legs. Do this by trial.

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

67

square. Transfer it to one end of the cross bar, then repeat the procedure and transfer the measurement to the other end of the cross bar. 10. Set a stop on your miter gauge so that one shoulder on the cross bar is correctly positioned. Cut the shoulder using the dado set (see photo G). Reset the stop for the second shoulder, then turn the workpiece around and upside down so that the cut you just made faces up, and cut the second shoulder. Remove the stop and cut out the waste on the two joints. 11. Mark the center of the bottom edge of the cross bar and drill a 1⁄2-in. hole there. Fit that hole with a 3-in. by 1⁄2-in. hardwood dowel and glue it in place. Fit the cross bar to the harp leg assembly with the dowel facing down and glue and clamp it. 12. When the glue is dry, cut off the two top nibs using a handsaw. Sand the top flush with an 80-grit sanding block.

Tip: Be sure to cut the two lap joints on opposite sides of the harp cross bar.

Photo F: Run the harp against the fence and cut the top shoulders square.

Photo G: Fitting the bar into the opening between the legs is tricky. It’s easiest to cut both shoulders until the bar just fits. Use paper shims to microadjust the stop.

Tip: Once you’ve drilled the hole for the dowel, the cross bar is no longer symmetrical.

68

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

Photo H: After you’ve glued the cross bar to the harp and cut off the nibs, run the cross bar against the fence to cut the harp bottom. This ensures that the bottom is parallel to the cross bar.

Tip: Make sure the pivot holes on the stretchers are facing up.

13. To cut the bottom of the harp, run the top rail of the harp against the table-saw fence, cutting off the bottom. This ensures that the bottom is parallel with the top (see photo H). 14. Turn the harp upside down and find the center of the harp bottom. Drill a 1⁄2-in. hole into the bottom and fit that hole with another 3-in. by 1⁄2-in. hardwood dowel. Glue the dowel into place.

AS S E M B L I N G A N D aI N I S H I N G
P Sanding Sand the legs, feet, stretchers, cleats, tabletop, and harp to 220 grit, using a random-orbit sander on the flat surfaces and sanding blocks on the curves. Start with a belt sander on the tabletop, using a 150-grit belt, then finish up with the random-orbit sander. Break all of the edges using a sanding block so the edges are comfortable to touch.

Assembling t he t rest le The top stretcher must be inserted through the harp before the trestle assembly is glued up. If you forget, you won’t be able to get the harp on. As usual, doing a dry glue-up will prevent problems from arising when you’re gluing for real.

1. Assemble both leg structures dry to make sure everything fits together properly. Use waxed paper between the leg and glue blocks so the blocks don’t stick to the leg, and dryclamp the assembly to make sure you have everything in order. 2. Spread PVA glue into the foot mortises on one leg structure and then onto the tenons on the leg. Insert the tenons, then clamp the structure, making sure all the joints are tight. Repeat for the other leg structure. 3. Measure for square across the diagonals and correct any deviation. 4. Spread glue into the four leg mortises and onto the stretcher tenons. Insert the stretcher

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

69

LEVELIN G BLO CKS 5’’

2’’

The thickness will vary depending upon the individual table.

11/ 8"

1"

13/ 8" 3/ 4"

Countersunk screw holes

tenons into one of the leg structures and hammer them home using a dead-blow hammer. 5. Place the harp, which is already assembled, through the top stretcher. 6. Insert the tenons into the second leg and clamp the structure, using clamp blocks on both sides of the exposed mortise to get good clamp pressure. Make sure the trestle sits square on a flat surface. If it doesn’t, adjust the clamp pressure. 7. Remove excess glue and allow the glue to cure overnight. 8. Remove the clamps and, using a sharp chisel, chamfer the edges of the exposed tenons, which should show about 1⁄4 in. on each side of the legs.

70

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

At t aching t he cleat s t o t he t ablet op With the trestle complete, you can fit the cleats to the underside of the tabletop. It is easier and faster to do this dynamically than to try to measure them.

1. Set the trestle on the floor, and insert a 3-in. by 3⁄4-in. hardwood dowel through the hole in one of the cleats and into one of the legs. The dowel should stand slightly proud of the surfaces. Cut it to correct length using a handsaw, and chamfer the edges of the dowels slightly using sandpaper or a chisel to make them easy to insert. The dowels should be sized to go in and out of the holes with finger pressure. Sand them to size if needed.

2. Attach the other cleat to the other leg. 3. Turn the tabletop upside down onto your workbench, then put the trestle, with cleats attached, upside down on the overturned tabletop. Prop up the trestle so it doesn’t fall over. Center the trestle on the top. 4. Predrill for screws and screw the cleats into the top, using 11⁄2-in. by #10 steel wood screws. 5. Pull out the pivot dowels and remove the trestle. Glue 3⁄8-in. wooden plugs into the screw holes. When the glue is dry, cut off the plugs, then level using a sharp chisel followed by sanding.

Adjust ing t he harp The harp should pivot on the dowels in their holes, rather than resting on the stretchers. You can accomplish this by adjusting the length of the dowels so that when they are seated in their holes they raise the harp slightly above the stretchers.

1. Mount the harp into the holes in the stretchers. 2. Measure the distance between the harp and the stretchers and subtract 1⁄8 in. The correct dowel length between harp and stretchers is 1⁄8 in., so you’re cutting off the extra dowel length, leaving only the 1⁄8 in. 3. After taking the harp out of the holes, cut off the amount you calculated from both dowels. 4. Remount the harp. The harp should now be riding 1⁄8 in. above the stretchers. 5. If the harp doesn’t swing freely, sand the dowels with 80-grit sandpaper on a sanding block until it does.

Leveling t he t able The final step is to install the leveling blocks and level the tabletop in relation to the trestle. Rough dimensions for the leveling blocks are given in the illustration on the facing page, but the final dimensions should be calculated dynamically from the finished table.

1. Remount the trestle on the tabletop, which should still be upside down. 2. Pivot the harp so it is perpendicular to the legs, and use shims to level the trestle until the two legs of the harp are equidistant from the bottom of the table. Measure that “leveling distance,” which corresponds to the 1-in. measurement shown in the illustration on the facing page. If your measured leveling distance is greater than 1 in., add the difference to the thickness of the leveling block. If it is less than 1 in., subtract that difference. 3. Make two leveling blocks at the calculated thickness. Bandsaw out the slopes and sand them smooth with 80-grit paper and a sanding block. 4. To test the fit, flip the tabletop level, pivot the harp open, and put the blocks into place. The blocks will be held in place for the moment by the pressure between the tabletop and harp. If the block is too thin, add a piece of veneer or cardboard between it and the table; if it’s too thick, plane off the bottom. 5. Position the blocks and predrill for the two screws, making sure to countersink the heads. Then glue and screw the blocks to the bottom of the table with 11⁄2-in. by #10 steel wood screws.

Finishing Traditionally, vineyard tables were often unfinished, though some had oilcloth covers held on with a strip of wood tacked to the edge. (If you see nail holes around the edge of an antique vineyard table, you’ll know what they were for.) A tung oil finish gives this table a natural look while still protecting it from the elements. If you’ve made the table from scrap or multiple species of wood, you might want to paint it. Milk paint (see Sources of Supply on p. 183) followed by oil will create a period look. See appendix 1 on pp. 178–179 for details.

V I N E YA R D T A B L E

71

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Fin d a n d pu r ch a se a r t icle s fr om t h e Fin e W oodw or k in g Ar ch ive t o h e lp you w it h you r pr oj e ct . Sh opm a de M a r k in g Ga u ge

Sim ple but clever design m akes t his wide- fenced t ool accurat e and easy t o use — by John Nesset Ba n dsa w Tu n e - Up

I n j ust a few st eps you and m ake an old bandsaw run like new YES! I want expert woodworking advice, t ips & t echniques.

— by John Whit e St e e l W ool vs. Abr a sive Pa ds

Even wit h t he advent of synt het ics, t here st ill is a place for oldfashioned st eel wool — by Jeff Jewit t Renew Subscript ion Tu r bin e H VLP Spr a ye r s Ke e p Ge t t in g Be t t e r Give a Gift

We t ake a look at several high- volum e, low- pressure t urbine sprayers t hat sell for under $500 — by Chris A. Minick

Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e I n t h e Cu r r e n t I ssu e

Low - An gle Block Pla n e s

A vet eran woodworker reviews t wo of t he eight m odels current ly available — by Chris Gochnour

Adve r t ise r I n de x

Ca bin e t - Sa w Te st

M a ga zin e I n de x

A review of 10 heavy- dut y cabinet saws from Europe, Nort h Am erica and Taiwan — by Niall Barret t and Lon Schleining

Con t a ct t h e St a ff

Sh op on t h e Go

Au t h or Gu ide lin e s

A t ravel kit of carefully chosen t ools keeps a vet eran cabinet m aker at work away from hom e — by Mario Rodriguez

Bu y Ba ck I ssu e s

M icr o- Adj u st a ble Rou t e r Fe n ce

Or de r Slipca se s

Joiner's fence let s you creep up on a perfect fit — by Pat Warner D ove t a il Jig Re vie w

Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s

Rout er j igs have t heir place, but don't expect t hem t o duplicat e hand- cut j oint s — by Gary Rogowski

Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s Join e r y Fin ish in g

M idsize d Plu n ge Rou t e r s

A hands- on review of eight rout ers in t he 2- hp class — by Tom Begnal Se a r ch Fin e W oodw or k in g Ar ch ive

W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Con t r a ct or Sa w Tu n e - u p Pr oj e ct I de a s Re a de r s Ga lle r y

Adj ust a saw for perfect rips and crosscut s — wit h Roland Johnson Ta ble sa w Ta pe r in g Jig

Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s

Adj ust abilit y, safet y, and ease of use are key elem ent s of t his shopm ade sled — wit h Richard Beebe

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Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools Clu bs

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You can cut perfect circles up t o 72 inches in diam et er wit h t his j ig m ade from plywood — wit h Yeung Chan

Kn ot s D iscu ssion Eve n t s

A Pla n e r Sle d for M illin g Lu m be r

Use your t hickness planer in place of a j oint er t o flat t en wide boards — wit h Keit h Rust

List e n in g t o Tools

The sounds your t ools m ake can t ell you a lot about how t hey're working — wit h John Whit e A Sa fe r Ta ble sa w

As one com pany prepares t o t ake it s safet y- cent ered cabinet saw t o t he m ass m arket , here's a look back at an early dem onst rat ion of t he t echnology — by t he edit ors of Fine Woodworking Cove An gle Ca lcu la t or

A few quick keyst rokes yield t ablesaw- blade and fence- angle set t ings — by St uart Sabol Bla ck & D e ck e r Acqu ir e s Pe n t a ir 's Tools D ivision

Bot h buyer and seller st ress a posit ive out look on t he pending sale — by William Duckwort h W or ld W ide W oodw or k in g

An online port folio can provide a virt ual window int o your woodshop — by Darrell Peart Tr a n sa t la n t ic Pla n in g

Edit or t akes a course wit h David Charleswort h in a rem ot e English village — by Mark Schofield A Re volu t ion in Tu r n in g Te ch n ology

Modern t ools cut t hrough convent ional wisdom , opening up t he craft — by Howard Lewin W h y a Com bin a t ion M a ch in e W or k s for M e

A vet eran woodworker explains what changed his m ind about com binat ion m achines and why he's st ill happy wit h his seven years lat er — by Tony O'Malley Squ a r in g Up a Squ a r e

An edged needle file is all you need for t uning up a com binat ion square — by St eve Lat t a M a k in g Th r e e - Ph a se M a ch in e s W or k in a On e - Ph a se Sh op

Most heavy m achinery is designed t o be run on t hree- phase elect rical power, but a num ber of opt ions are available t o get t he t ools running in your one- phase hom e shop — by John Whit e A Cla ssic Bow sa w ( on lin e e x clu sive )

This low- t ech t ool st ill has appeal — by Tom Begnal Cr a ft sm a n M in i- T Com pa ct D r ill ( on lin e e x clu sive )

I n t ight spot s, it m ight j ust be t he t icket — by Tom Begnal

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Feature Library - Tools

Kin g H e iple 's Sh op- Bu ilt Jig

Build your own sharpening j ig wit h t hese plans by Fine Woodworking aut hor King Heiple A Tool for Pe r fe ct M or t ise s

This rout er t em plat e is quick t o m ake and easy t o use for accurat e m ort ises every t im e — by Gary Rogowski Cla m p- I t Asse m bly Squ a r e ( on lin e e x clu sive )

Clam ped t o a case, it helps keep t he " right " in right angles — by Tom Begnal Ra diu s Cu t t in g w it h a Rou t e r Te m pla t e ( on lin e e x clu sive )

Gadget helps round over square corners — by Tom Begnal M icr o- Adj u st a ble Rou t e r Fe n ce : Pa r t s List ( on lin e e x t r a )

A part s list for readers who want t o build t he fence described in Pat Warner's " Micro- Adj ust able Rout er Fence" in t he Sept em ber/ Oct ober 2000 issue of Fine Woodworking m agazine. — by Pat Warner Sa w St op Fin ge r - Sa ve r Upda t e ( on lin e e x clu sive )

Safer t ablesaws and bandsaws m ight soon be an opt ion — by Tom Begnal Cor dle ss Br a d- N a ile r fr om Por t e r - Ca ble ( on lin e e x clu sive )

Mini- com pressor m axim izes convenience — by Tom Begnal Ju m bo Cla m p Pa d ( on lin e e x clu sive )

Aft erm arket add- on is sim ple and effect ive — by Tom Begnal Bosch I m pr ove s D u st Colle ct ion on Ra n dom - Or bit Sa n de r s ( on lin e e x clu sive )

Unique m icrofilt er keeps fine dust out of t he air — by Tom Begnal M ille r 's Re pr odu ct ion Pla n e ( on lin e e x clu sive )

There's not hing plain about t his plane — by Tom Begnal Pa r t s for Ch ise l Pla n e

A com plet e part s list for t he wooden chisel plane feat ured in Norm Pollack's art icle in t he March/ April 2001 issue of Fine Woodworking ( # 148) Usin g Ca r d Scr a pe r s

The scraper can replace a st ack of sandpaper — by Phil Lowe Th e Pe e r le ss Tool Ch e st of H . O. St u dle y

This m ast erful t ool chest st ands as an ext raordinary exam ple of 19t h- cent ury craft sm anship — by Lon Schleining W h y Ta ble sa w Bla de s Ge t D u ll

I dent ifying t he com m on culprit s can help you post pone your next t rip t o t he resharpening shop — by Tom Begnal Se t t in g Ba n dsa w Bla de Te n sion

Learn t o set your bandsaw's t ension t o ensure cut s t hat are st raight and even — by Lonnie Bird Fix e d- Ba se Rou t e r s

An int roduct ion t o a popular and useful t ool — by Pat Warner

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Feature Library - Tools

Rou t e r - Bit M a t ch u p

We put 17 brands of st raight bit s t o t he t est — by Anat ole Burkin Rou t e r s for Rou t e r Ta ble s

Choose a fixed- base m odel over a plunge rout er — by Pat rick Warner Jigsa w s

I n t his excerpt from his new book, Power Tools, Sandor Nagyszalanczy exam ines a variet y of j igsaws and t heir accessories — by Sandor Nagyszalanczy

Taunt on Hom e | Books & Videos | Cont act Us | Cust om er Service Pr iva cy Policy | Copyright Not ice | Taunt on Guarant ee | About Us | Advert ise | Press Room Woodworking | Hom e Building, Rem odeling & Design | Cooking | Gardening | Fiber Art s Fine Woodworking | Fine Hom ebuilding | I nspired House | Fine Cooking | Fine Gardening | Threads

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Making an End Table

Woodworking

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Fr om t h e pa ge s of Fin e W oodw or k in g M a ga zin e Join e r y D e t a ils

Making an End Table

Th e be a u t y of t h is Ar t s- a n d- Cr a ft s de sign is in t h e de t a ils

Ca r vin g a La m b's Ton gu e

by St ephen Lam ont

YES! I want expert woodworking advice, t ips & t echniques.

Renew Subscript ion Give a Gift

Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e I n t h e Cu r r e n t I ssu e

Adve r t ise r I n de x M a ga zin e I n de x

Con t a ct t h e St a ff Au t h or Gu ide lin e s

Bu y Ba ck I ssu e s Or de r Slipca se s

About 10 years ago, I began t o t ire of m y j ob as a corporat e pilot . The work was challenging and enj oyable, but t he t im e away from hom e put a st rain on m y fam ily. The j ob was becom ing m ore t echnical, t oo. Tem peram ent ally, I 've always been m ore of a craft sm an t han a t echnician. Aft er considerable soulsearching, I decided t o becom e a furnit urem aker. I want ed a solid foundat ion of basic skills, so I went t o England where I t rained wit h Chris Faulkner. He em phasized developing hand- t ool skills and building sim ple, com fort able furnit ure t hat asked t o be used- - a basic t enet of t he Brit ish Art s- and- Craft s m ovem ent . My preferences t o t his day are for t his kind of furnit ure and for t he use of hand t ools whenever t heir use will m ake a difference.

Ta ble s

Ant hony Guidice present s plans and inst ruct ions for building t en classic t ables D in in g Ta ble s

From Kim Carlet on Graves, plans and inst ruct ions for building nine t ables Th is e n d t a ble is solidly con st r u ct e d a n d m e t icu lou sly de t a ile d. I t sh ou ld la st ge n e r a t ion s.

About t wo years ago, I designed and built t his end t able. Alt hough it 's an original design, m any det ails com e from ot her pieces of furnit ure in t he Brit ish Art s- and- Craft s t radit ion. The j oinery is m ort ise- and- t enon and dovet ail t hroughout .

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Tr a dit ion a l Fu r n it u r e Pr oj e ct s

25 art icles from Fine Woodworking m agazine on t he const ruct ion of fine period pieces

Making an End Table

Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s Tools

The const ruct ion of t he t able can be divided int o five m ain st eps: st ock preparat ion and panel glue- up; m aking t he front and rear leg assem blies; connect ing t hese t wo assem blies ( including m aking t he shelf and it s fram e) ; m aking and fit t ing t he drawer; and m aking and at t aching t he t op.

Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s

St ock se le ct ion , pr e pa r a t ion a n d la you t

Join e r y

I m illed all t he st ock for t his t able t o wit hin 1/ 16 in. of final t hickness and widt h. I also glued up t he t ablet op, t he shelf and t he drawer bot t om right away t o give t hem t im e t o m ove a bit before planing t hem t o final t hickness. This helps ensure t hey'll st ay flat in t he finished piece. Wit h t hese t hree panels in clam ps, I dim ensioned t he rest of t he part s t o a hair over final t hickness. I finish- planed t hem by hand j ust before m arking out any j oinery.

Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Re a de r s Ga lle r y

Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s

Lin k s Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools

M a k in g t h e fr on t a n d r e a r a sse m blie s Layout began wit h t he legs. I num bered t hem clockwise around t he perim et er, beginning wit h t he left front as I faced t he piece, writ ing t he num bers on t he t ops of t he legs. This syst em t ells m e where each leg goes, which end of a leg is up and which face is which.

Clu bs Kn ot s D iscu ssion Eve n t s

D ove t a ilin g t h e t op r a il in t o t h e fr on t le gs - - The Ke e pin g t r a ck of t h e le gs is dovet ails t hat connect t he e a sie r w h e n t h e y'r e n u m be r e d t op rail t o t he front legs on t op, clock w ise fr om t h e t aper slight ly t op t o bot t om . fr on t le ft . Th is syst e m h e lps I used t he narrower bot t om pr e ve n t la you t e r r or s. of t he dovet ail t o lay out t he socket s in t he legs. The slight t aper ensures a snug fit . Don't m ake t he dovet ails t oo large, or you'll weaken t he legs.

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Making an End Table

Scr ibin g t h e sock e t fr om t h e bot t om of t h e sligh t ly t a pe r e d dove t a il e n su r e s a good fit in t h e le g.

Aft er I m arked, cut and chopped out t he socket s, I t est ed t he fit of t hese dovet ails. By using clam ping pads and hand screws across t he j oint , I elim inat ed t he possibilit y of split t ing t he leg. The dovet ail should fit snugly but not t ight ly. Pare t he socket , if necessary, unt il you have a good fit .

A h a n d scr e w pr e ve n t s a le g fr om split t in g if t h e t op- r a il dove t a il is t oo big. Th e fit sh ou ld be sn u g bu t n ot t igh t .

Ta pe r in g a n d m or t isin g t h e le gs - - I t apered t he t wo inside faces of each leg, beginning 4- 1/ 2 in. down from t he t op. I rem oved m ost of t he wast e on t he j oint er and finished t he j ob wit h a handplane. The t apers m ust be flat . To avoid planing over a penciled reference line at t he t op of t he t aper, I drew hash m arks across it . Wit h each st roke of t he plane, t he lines got short er. That let m e know how close I was get t ing. I cut t he m ort ises for t his t able on a hollow- chisel m ort iser. I t 's quick, and it keeps all t he m ort ises consist ent . I m ade http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00078.asp (3 of 5)2005.09.14 01:02:51

Making an End Table

sure all m ort ises t hat could be cut wit h one set t ing were done at t he sam e t im e, even if I didn't need t he com ponent s right away. Te n on in g t h e a pr on s a n d dr a w e r r a il - - I t enoned t he sides, back and lower drawer rail on t he t ablesaw, using a doubleblade t enoning set up. I t t akes a lit t le t im e t o get t he cut right , but once a t est piece fit s, t enoning t akes j ust a few m inut es. Aft er I cut t he t enon cheeks on t he t ablesaw, I bandsawed j ust shy of t he t enon shoulders and t hen pared t o t he line.

Join e r y de t a ils

One wide apron t enon would have m eant a very long m ort ise, ( ope n s in n e w weakening t he leg. I nst ead, I w in dow ) divided t he wide t enon int o t wo sm all t enons separat ed by a st ub t enon. That left plent y of glue- surface area wit hout a big hole in t he leg. M or t isin g for r u n n e r s, k ick e r s a n d bu t t on s - - The drawer rides on runners t hat are m ort ised int o t he lower front rail and t he back apron. Sim ilarly, t he kickers at t he t ops of t he side aprons, which prevent t he drawer from drooping when open, are m ort ised int o t he t op front rail and t he back apron. I cut t he 1/ 4- in.- wide m ort ises for t he runner and kicker t enons on t he back edge of bot h drawer rails and on t he back apron. There are eight m ort ises for t he drawer runners and kickers. Anot her seven m ort ises of t he sam e size are for t he but t ons t hat at t ach t he t op t o t he t able's base- - t hree on t he back apron and t wo on each kicker. I also cut grooves for t he dust panel at t his t im e. The 1/ 4- in.t hick panel is set int o t he fram e of t he t able j ust below t he drawer. I t 's a nice t ouch, even if it 's not needed st ruct urally. I cut t he grooves for t he panel int o t he bot t om of t he back apron and int o t he back of t he drawer rail. ( I cut t he dust panel grooves in t he drawer runners lat er.) Then I m ade a t est - fit wit h a scrap of t he sam e 1/ 4- in. cherry plywood used for t he panel. http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00078.asp (4 of 5)2005.09.14 01:02:51

Making an End Table

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Feature Library - Plans

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Fin d a n d pu r ch a se a r t icle s fr om t h e Fin e W oodw or k in g Ar ch ive t o h e lp you w it h you r pr oj e ct . Bu ildin g a H u m idor

Maint aining t ropical hum idit y in a box t akes precise j oinery and Spanish cedar — by Rick Allyn Se a r ch Fin e W oodw or k in g Ar ch ive YES! I want expert woodworking advice, t ips & t echniques.

Bu ildin g a Sle igh Be d

Sensuous curves and well- chosen det ails enhance a sim ple design — by Chris Becksvoort

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Bu ildin g Fir e pla ce M a n t e ls: Sim ple Fe de r a l M a n t e l

Plans for a proj ect t hat shows elegant proport ion, rest raint , and balance...and it can be built in a weekend — by Mario Rodriguez Vin e ya r d Ta ble

Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e I n t h e Cu r r e n t I ssu e

Com plet e plans for a t rest le t able wit h a t wist — by Kim Carlet on Graves M a k in g a n En d Ta ble

Adve r t ise r I n de x

The beaut y of t his Art s- and- Craft s design is in t he det ails — by St ephen Lam ont

M a ga zin e I n de x I n t h e M ode r n St yle : A St ylish Cr e de n za Con t a ct t h e St a ff

Sym m et ry and subt le shadow lines give t his m aple and yellow sat inwood office credenza a dynam ic visual rhyt hm — by Pat rick Warner

Au t h or Gu ide lin e s

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Feature Library - Plans

Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Re a de r s Ga lle r y

Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s

Lin k s Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s D iscu ssion Eve n t s

Taunt on Hom e | Books & Videos | Cont act Us | Cust om er Service Pr iva cy Policy | Copyright Not ice | Taunt on Guarant ee | About Us | Advert ise | Press Room Woodworking | Hom e Building, Rem odeling & Design | Cooking | Gardening | Fiber Art s Fine Woodworking | Fine Hom ebuilding | I nspired House | Fine Cooking | Fine Gardening | Threads

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Building Fireplace Mantels: Simple Federal Mantel

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Ex ce r pt e d fr om Bu ildin g Fir e pla ce M a n t e ls

Building Fireplace Mantels: Simple Federal Mantel

Pla n s for a pr oj e ct t h a t sh ow s e le ga n t pr opor t ion , r e st r a in t , a n d ba la n ce ...a n d it ca n be bu ilt in a w e e k e n d D in in g Ta ble s

by Mario Rodriguez

YES! I want expert woodworking advice, t ips & t echniques.

Renew Subscript ion Give a Gift

Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e I n t h e Cu r r e n t I ssu e

Adve r t ise r I n de x M a ga zin e I n de x

Con t a ct t h e St a ff Au t h or Gu ide lin e s

Bu y Ba ck I ssu e s Or de r Slipca se s

The building of fireplace m ant els is fast becom ing one of t he m ost popular hom e renovat ion proj ect s in t he count ry. The at t ract ive and dist inct ive fireplace m ant els in t his book will inspire you t o build your own. Ten proj ect s reflect all t he popular hom e st yles from Colonial t o Art s and Craft s and Cont em porary.

Ope n or dow n loa d t h e 1 5 - pa ge PD F file be low for a Sim ple Fe de r a l M a n t e l. ( Re qu ir e s t h e fr e e Adobe Acr oba t Re a de r t o vie w a n d pr in t PD F file s.)

Sim ple Fe de r a lM a n t e l.pdf

Bu ilt - I n Fu r n it u r e

( D ow n loa d sh ou ld t a k e a ppr ox im a t e ly 3 m in u t e s on a

I n t his excerpt , Mario 5 6 K m ode m ) Rodriguez provides com plet e plans for building a federal m ant el, a com m on st yle in 19t h- cent ury farm houses. Rodriguez t akes you t hrough t he st eps of choosing t he m at erials, prim ing t he part s, inst allat ion, and paint ing. The m ant el is st ruct urally st raight forward and can easily be built in a weekend. Mario Rodriguez, a professional woodworker for 20 years, t eaches woodworking at Fashion I nst it ut e of Technology. A cont ribut ing edit or of Fine Woodworking m agazine, he is t he aut hor of Tradit ional Woodwork.

Fr om Bu ildin g Fir e pla ce M a n t e ls, pp. 5 0 - 6 3

Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Re a de r s Ga lle r y

Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s

Lin k s http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/bw0011.asp (1 of 2)2005.09.14 01:04:13

Ch e st s of D r a w e r s

Plans and inst ruct ions for seven classic chest s of drawers Design solut ions and st rat egies for creat ing funct ional, delight ful built - ins

Phot os: Bruce Buck and Mario Rodriguez; drawings: Ron Carboni

Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s

Plans and com plet e inst ruct ions for building nine t ables

Building Fireplace Mantels: Simple Federal Mantel

Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s D iscu ssion Eve n t s

Taunt on Hom e | Books & Videos | Cont act Us | Cust om er Service Pr iva cy Policy | Copyright Not ice | Taunt on Guarant ee | About Us | Advert ise | Press Room Woodworking | Hom e Building, Rem odeling & Design | Cooking | Gardening | Fiber Art s Fine Woodworking | Fine Hom ebuilding | I nspired House | Fine Cooking | Fine Gardening | Threads

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This is an excerpt from the book

Fireplace Mantels by Mario Rodriguez Copyright 2002 by The Taunton Press www.taunton.com

I MP L E E DE R A L ANT E L

T

his mantel is typical of those

family possessions and a backdrop for

found in many rural farm-

social gatherings and important events.

houses in the early 19th century.

The mantel’s design shows elegant pro-

Almost always made of wood and

portion, restraint, and balance. And the

painted, the style was taken directly

simple moldings cast bold shadows that

from classical architecture and imitated

highlight its timeless appeal.

the design of basic shelter: columns

The federal mantel is structurally

supporting a beam and roof. The simple

straightforward and can easily be built

moldings and joinery indicate that it

in a weekend. Three boards joined

could have been built by a local carpen-

together with biscuits form the founda-

ter instead of by a furniture joiner. But

tion, which is fastened to the wall.

its simplicity doesn’t diminish its appeal

Plinth blocks (doubled-up 1-by stock)

in any way. The mantel’s flat relief and

support the plain vertical pilasters,

plain treatment perfectly frame the

which support the horizontal archi-

Federal-period hearth opening and pro-

trave. Add a few moldings and the

vide a focal point for the display of

mantel shelf, and you’re ready to paint.

51

Simple Federal M ant el PRO VING THAT SIMPLICITY DO ESN’ T PRECLUDE ELEG ANCE, this mante l d e sig n is anc ho re d b y id e al p ro p o rtio ns and p e rfe c t symme try with the b ric k fire b o x o p e ning it ad o rns. Built with re ad ily availab le mate rials and mo ld ing s, it’s e asy to b uild as we ll.

FRO N T VIEW 79" ⁄4" x 51⁄4" mantel shelf

3

3

⁄4“ x 3⁄4" cove molding 1" 111⁄2"

Architrave

111⁄2"

71"

52"

42" Foundation boards

Firebox opening

71⁄4" pilaster

311⁄2"

31"

8"

12" ⁄4"

3

52

SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

9" plinth

⁄4" x 11⁄4" side cap

3

U I L DI N G T H E

B

egin by preassembling the foundation board and laminating the plinth blocks, you can move directly to installation. I chose to preassemble some of the molding elements as well.

TH E OU N D A T I ON BOA R D The foundation board is the backdrop of the mantel. It provides a flat surface for the mantel proper, and bridges any gaps or irregularities between the masonry and the adjacent wall surface, while exposing only the neatest brickwork. The mantel foundation was designed

H OOS I N G

ANT E L

T EP BY

with the lintel section fitting between the columns. That way the mantel parts would overlap the foundation joints, making the whole construction stronger. 1. Cut the two columns and lintel that will form the foundation. The firebox opening in this project is 32 in. high by 42 in. across, and an even course of bricks is left exposed around the sides and top. Using a 14-in.-wide lintel (horizontal section) and 101⁄2-in.-wide columns (vertical sections) produced the balanced proportions that form the basis for the mantel’s design. You should adjust these dimensions based on the size of your firebox opening.

AT E RIAL S

During the 19th ce ntury, pine was ab undant

havo c with human co mfo rt b ut spare d furnish-

and re adily availab le , and carpe nte rs use d it

ing s and inte rio r wo o dwo rk fro m drastic

fo r mo st inte rio r trim, including fire place man-

chang e s in te mpe rature and humidity. In a

te ls. So a me ticulo us re pro ductio n wo uld

mo de rn ultra-insulate d ho me , wo o d is sub -

re q uire larg e , wide b o ards o f cle ar pine .

je cte d to e xtre me s o f te mpe rature and re lative

Ho we ve r, the use o f so lid pine fo r this pro je ct

humidity cre ate d b y e fficie nt ce ntral he ating

wo uld pre se nt pro b le ms (b e side s price ) fo r the

and air-co nditio ning . The use o f wide , so lid

mo de rn wo o dwo rke r that 19th-ce ntury car-

b o ards and true pe rio d co nstructio n me tho ds

pe nte rs we re n’t co nce rne d with.

in a mo de rn ho me wo uld pro b ab ly cause

At that time ho use s we re n’t insulate d, so warm and co ld air passe d thro ug h the structure fre e ly. In a particular ro o m, it wasn’t

TEP

unsig htly che cking and splitting . Mite rs wo uld like ly o pe n up, and flat se ctio ns wo uld cup. A b e tte r appro ach fo r to day’s wo o dwo rke r

unusual to e xpe rie nce surprising diffe re nce s

wo uld b e to co nstruct this mante l using

in te mpe rature . With a fire b lazing in the

lumb e rco re plywo o d inste ad o f so lid wo o d.

he arth, the warme st spo t in the ro o m wo uld

I use d 3⁄4-in. lumb e rco re plywo o d fo r e ve ry-

have b e e n a se at in fro nt o f it, while o the r

thing e xce pt the plinth b lo cks and the mo ld-

are as o f the same ro o m mig ht b e as much as

ing s. (Se e chapte r 1, pp. 9–12, fo r a de taile d

15º co lde r. The se co nditio ns sure ly playe d

discussio n o f mate rials.)

SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

53

Join the foundation boards with a couple of biscuit slots.

Tip: You’d think pieces of molding stock at a lumber store are all identical. But if there are pieces from different batches, there could be slight differences, which will result in miters that don’t line up perfectly. To avoid this, I try to cut all my mitered pieces from the same length of stock so there’s no doubt that the profile is the same on all the pieces.

54

2. Lay out and cut biscuit joints to connect the lintel to the columns—three or four #2 biscuits should do the job. 3. Glue up the foundation assembly, making sure the columns are square to the lintel. When the assembly is dry, remove the clamps; but before moving it, attach two support battens across the front. The battens reinforce the joints, maintain the dimensions of the foundation opening, and keep it flat during installation.

H E L I N T H  I L A S T E R S  A N D R C H I T R A V E Laminat ing t he plint h blocks The plinth blocks at the base of the pilasters are made with two pieces of 3⁄4-in.-thick solid pine laminated face-to-face. The net 11⁄2-in. thickness is needed to support the pilaster and the plinth molding. You could use a chunk of 2-by stock, but the approach here resulted in a

SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

more stable block, plus it made good use of scrap material I had on hand. 1. Cut the plinth block pieces slightly oversize. 2. Saw or rout two grooves into the back face of each piece, about 11⁄2 in. from the edges. 3. Fit a spline into each groove, and glue the mating surfaces together.

Cut t ing t he part s t o size 1. Arrange the main mantel parts (pilasters, architrave, and plinths) on the foundation. 2. Center the parts and cut them to length. 3. Cut biscuit joints to align the top of the pilasters to the architrave. 4. Cut the plinth blocks to size. (Depending on the condition of the hearth, you may want to leave the plinth blocks a little long so they can be scribed to the hearth at installation.)

Select ing t he moldings I purchased stock moldings from the local building supplier. The simple profiles I needed were readily available, in quantity. By choosing

Laminating two pieces yields a more stable plinth block. A pair of splines keeps the pieces from sliding around when clamping up.

available profiles instead of choosing specialorder profiles, I could pick through the inventory and select the straightest and cleanest material. There were three distinct profiles I needed: a large and simple cove for the cornice molding, an ogee with fillet for the torus molding (at the base of the pilaster), and a large ogee with quirk (space or reveal) for the capital molding. These last two moldings are both sold typically as “base cap” profiles.

Priming t he part s To achieve an attractive painted surface, the wood components must be carefully prepared. This involves filling any holes and dents and repairing cracks. I do some of this after installation, but it’s easier to do a first go-over now. Also, on this mantel I primed the moldings before cutting and fitting them to the mantel. 1. Fill any holes, dents, split seams, tearout, or cracks in your material with a water-based wood filler. On lumbercore plywood, I usually apply filler on the exposed edges, paying par-

The flexible blade on a good-quality putty knife will fill any voids in the material and not further mar the surface.

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The finger joints, visible on the edges of the lumbercore, should be filled and sanded before you attach the parts to the mantel.

Use a large half-sheet sander or a sanding block to level any primed surfaces. Break square edges slightly but don’t round them over too much.

It can be applied with either a brush or a roller. The primer fills and levels the wood and raises the grain slightly. 4. When the primer dries, look for any flaws that might have been missed the first time around, and fill them. Apply a second thinned coat of primer, and when dry sand again with 150-grit to 180-grit paper. Now the surface is ready for paint.

IN S T A L L I N G T H E tA N T E L All moldings should be filled, primed, and sanded for the best appearance.

Tip: If a water-based filler dries up, you can easily rehydrate it with a little tap water. You can even change the consistency if you prefer a thinner filler.

56

ticular attention to the finger joints where the solid material was spliced. 2. When the filler is dry, I use a medium-grit (120 to 150) sandpaper to remove any excess and then level the surface. 3. Clean off the filled and sanded boards with a tack rag, then apply a water-based paint primer. For a fluid coating that lays down nicely, I thinned the primer about 20 percent.

SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

Anchoring t he foundat ion Unless your walls are flat and plumb and you can determine the location of the studs behind, attach furring strips to the wall first, then attach the foundation to the strips. That way the principal method of attachment, no matter what you choose, will eventually be hidden by the mantel parts. In this case the brick masonry surrounding the opening was 1 ⁄2 in. higher than the surrounding plaster wall. In order to make up this difference and give myself a tiny margin, I cut my furring strips to 5 ⁄8-in. thickness.

1. Attach furring strips to the wall. The furring strips can be secured with lead anchors, masonry screws, or cut nails. 2. Position the foundation against the wall, and center it on the opening. 3. Check the foundation for plumb and level, then screw it to the furring strips with #8 wood screws. Locate the fasteners so they’ll be covered over by the other mantel parts later.

Building up t he mant el With the foundation securely in place, you can apply the next layer of mantel parts. Working from the bottom up may seem more logical, but I worked from the top down and scribed the plinth blocks to the floor last. 1. Attach the architrave to the foundation with 11⁄4-in. screws. Make sure the top edge is even

Furring strips, shimmed plumb as needed and attached to the wall surface, provide good solid support for the foundation. Use the appropriate fastener based on the wall material.

Position the braced foundation against the furring strips. M ake sure it’s plumb and leveled, then screw it to the strips with #8 by 1 1⁄2 -in. wood screws.

This detail shows the capital molding that caps the pilasters.

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57

A RCH ITRAVE-PILA STER JO IN T

Foundation

Architrave/ pilaster seam is concealed

With the architrave in place, set the pilasters, using biscuits for alignment and added strength.

Capital molding Trim screws placed behind capital molding band

Pilaster

The capital band (molding set at the top of the pilasters) is placed over the trim screws attaching the pilaster to the foundation.

58

SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

with the foundation board and that the spaces at the ends are equal. 2. Position the pilasters under the architrave, and add the biscuits and glue to reinforce the joint. Secure the pilasters to the foundation with 11⁄4-in. screws. Locate the screws at the bottom and top of the pilasters, where they’ll be covered over with the capital and torus moldings. 3. Fit the plinth blocks. Once the pilasters are in place, measure the remaining space for the plinth blocks. On both sides of this mantel there was a small discrepancy between the wood floor and the slightly raised brick of the hearth. So I scribed the ends of the plinths to fit, made the cut with a jigsaw, and attached them to the foundation with countersunk trim screws.

PLIN TH

Mantel foundation Pilaster

Torus molding

Furring strips

Laminated plinth block

The torus band (molding set at the bottom of the pilasters) creates a pleasing transition from the plinth block to the pilaster and helps to visually anchor the mantel.

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After the plinth blocks are scribed to the hearth, screw them to the foundation with trim screws.

Blocking for t he cove molding In order to provide a stable bed for the cornice molding, I made up some blocks to be placed along the top edge of the frieze and under the mantel shelf. The 45-degree face of these blocks supported the cornice molding at a consistent angle and ensured that the miters would line up properly. To support the small return sections of the cornice, I added a small piece of wood to the back of the angled blocking. 1. Saw the cove blocking from a piece of 2-by stock. Make sure the angle of the blocking

D ETA IL O F CO RN ICE/ A RCH ITRAVE

3

⁄4" x 51⁄4" mantel shelf

3

⁄4" lumbercore plywood

Furring strip Cove blocking 21⁄4" cove molding

Wall

Foundation Architrave

The cornice blocks, set under the mantel shelf and screwed to the architrave, provide support for the cornice molding. Together the blocking and cornice support the mantel shelf.

60

SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

A small block is glued to the angled cove blocking. This supports the cornice molding return piece.

R E A S S E MB L E D

Screw angled cornice blocks along the top edge of the architrave.

OL D I N G

A N DS

O n any pro je ct, mo lding s attract my atte ntio n. I always lo o k to se e whe the r the pro file matche s up and wraps aro und the co rne r cle anly. And o f co urse , I like to se e tig ht mite rs. If yo u’re laying do wn the mo lding as yo u g o , this is so me time s difficult to achie ve . To make the jo b e asie r, I o fte n b uild my b ands first and the n attach the m to the mante l. By mite ring , g luing , and nailing the b ands to g e the r first, yo u can co ax tig ht jo ints at the co rne rs, allo w the m to dry, and the n fill and sand the m. All o f this critical wo rk is a lo t e asie r if yo u can fre e ly adjust the mo lding b and. In additio n, o nce the b and is dry, it will fle x slig htly and co nfo rm to its po sitio n o n the mante l—while the mite r re mains tig ht. And the co nstructe d b and will stay in place with fe we r nails than if it we re laid up o ne pie ce at a time . 1

I cut the se ctio ns o n a mite r saw to within ⁄32 in., the n I plane

A preassembled band of molding can be gently coaxed into place—while the miter remains tight.

the m to fit with a lo w-ang le b lo ck plane . Whe n I’m satisfie d with the fit, I g lue the mite rs and nail the m to g e the r with a pin naile r. I use a fixe d b lo ck as a g uide to asse mb le the pie ce s.

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face matches the angle of the cove molding you’re using. 2. Attach the cove blocking through predrilled holes with trim-head screws.

H E OL D I N GS A N D A N T E L H E L F The conventional approach to installing moldings is to work your way around the mantel from one side to the other, fitting one piece to the next. (For an alternate approach, see “Preassembled Molding Bands” on p. 61.)

The mant el shelf

This detail shows the plinth with the torus molding.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, woodwork was attached to the studs, then the walls were plastered, with the woodwork acting as a gauge or stop. The finish coat of plaster was then brought up to the woodwork. This method produced an interesting junction where the woodwork and plaster met that was soft and easy on the eye. But today’s woodworkers and finish carpenters scribe their work to conform to the walls. 1. Set a compass to the width of the widest gap between the straight edge of the shelf and the wall. 2. With the pin leg of the compass resting against the wall and the pencil leg on the mantel shelf, pull the compass along the wall and shelf. This will result in a pencil line on the shelf that will mimic the wall surface. 3. Cut along the pencil line, then use a plane or rasp for final fitting.

The cove molding

After setting the legs of the compass to the widest gap between the mantel shelf and the wall, drag the compass along the length of the shelf. Here the mantel shelf is still oversize, so the scribed amount is a full inch larger than the widest gap.

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SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

I cut the cove molding on a miter saw outfitted with a special support carriage to hold the molding at the correct angle. 1. Cut the cove molding to fit. 2. Nail the cove to the cove blocks and mantel shelf with finish nails. Add some glue to the miters to help hold the joints closed. 3. When cutting the short return miter, make the 45-degree cut on a longer piece, then make the square cut to release the return from the longer stock.

The capit al and t orus moldings 1. Cut and fit these moldings around the pilasters. 2. Use a finish nailer for the long pieces and a pin nailer (or just glue) for the short returns. 3. Cut the side cap molding, and nail it to the edge of the foundation board. If necessary, scribe it to fit cleanly against the wall.

PA I N T I N G T H E A N T E L Final preparat ions With the mantel primed, sanded, and installed, there might be small gaps where the various sections of the mantel meet. Although they don’t appear unsightly now, these gaps will stand out later and will work against a clean and unified appearance when the mantel is painted. 1. Fill any exposed screw or nail holes with putty. 2. Use a high-quality water-based caulk (Phenoseal® brand takes paint beautifully) in an applicator gun to apply a small continuous bead anywhere there is a gap. Within minutes of applying the caulk, wipe away any excess with a damp rag.

Applying finish coat s I used a water-based latex paint for the final coating of the mantel. For a project like this, I don’t think oil-based paint offers any great advantages. I wanted a smooth surface with just a hint of brush marks that would imitate the finish on period woodwork. The secret to a good job is to take your time, so I decided to apply the paint in several light coats. A thin coat levels nicely and dries more quickly and completely than a single heavy coat. I thinned out the paint about 20 percent and used a good-quality 2-in. synthetic brush . I started on the edges, then did the inside corners, and finished up with the large flat areas. Wait until each coat is thoroughly dry before proceeding with the next coat. The whole mantel required three coats of paint and a couple of 15-minute touchup sessions.

N ail on the capital molding with a pin nailer. Don’t try to nail the miter or the wood may split.

The finish coat of paint should be applied in several thin layers. A thin coat of paint will level out nicely and dry quickly.

SI MP LE F E D E RAL M AN T E L

63

Building a Sleigh Bed

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Fr om t h e pa ge s of Fin e W oodw or k in g M a ga zin e Tu r n in g r ose t t e s

Building a Sleigh Bed

Se n su ou s cu r ve s a n d w e ll- ch ose n de t a ils e n h a n ce a sim ple de sign by Chris Becksvoort

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I 've been building furnit ure full- t im e for 21 years and have m ade m ore t han 1,000 pieces, including dozens of beds. But unt il recent ly I had never built a sleigh bed. So when a friend and longt im e cust om er asked m e t o build one for her, I had som e research t o do. The Ph ot o: D e n n is Gr iggs nicest one I found was designed and built by William Turner and feat ured in FWW # 91 ( pp. 46- 51) . To m y eye, it was all a sleigh bed should be. I t had classic lines, st yle, grace. The only problem was t hat it t ook 1,200 hours t o build. My client 's budget dict at ed t hat t he bed be built in less t han 100 hours. So I had t o capt ure t he essence of a sleigh bed, but build it efficient ly. The design work was left t o m e, wit h j ust a few st ipulat ions: The bed was t o be queen size, and bot h headboard and foot board were t o be 54 in. high. I worked out several sket ches for t he post profiles, finally set t ling on t h is on e . Along wit h t win bands of cove- and- bead m olding t hat ring t he bed and roset t es at t he t op of each post , t his profile gave t he bed t he classic look I want ed.

Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s

Lin k s

( ope n s in n e w w in dow )

The bed is a very sim ple const ruct ion. The headboard and foot board assem blies are j oined t o a pair of t hick rails wit h knockdown fast eners. These assem blies are each m ade up of t wo post s int o which are t enoned a t urned crest rail and a flat lower rail. A single large panel float s in grooves in bot h post s and in t he crest and lower rails.

A t e m pla t e spe e ds fa br ica t ion of post s The crest rails had t o be 611/ 2 in. long, but m y lat he's capacit y is only 39 in. So I farm ed t hem out t o a local m illwork shop where I used t o work. While I was at t he shop, I ordered eight 8- ft .long pieces of cove- andbead m olding.

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Be ds

Nine at t ract ive bed proj ect s accessible t o woodworkers of any skill level Be ds a n d Be dr oom Fu r n it u r e

From Fine Woodworking m agazine, 23 art icles on bedroom furnit ure in a variet y of st yles Fin e W oodw or k in g on Ch a ir s a n d Be ds

I saved t im e on t his bed by using flat panels for t he headboard and foot board, rat her t han coopering a curved panel or using a t am bour. Also, inst ead of carving t he roset t es, I t urned t hem ( see Tu r n in g r ose t t e s ) . I t t ook less t han an hour and a half.

Pr oj e ct I de a s Re a de r s Ga lle r y

Pla n for t h e sle igh be d

Th e Sh a k e r Le ga cy

An ext ensive visual t our of m ore t han 140 classic Shaker pieces

From Fine Woodworking's classic black- andwhit e era, 33 art icles on chairs, st ools, rockers, sofas, cribs and beds

Building a Sleigh Bed

Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s D iscu ssion Eve n t s

I glued up t he post s and rails from 8/ 4 st ock ( about 120 bd. ft ., including wast e) and t hen planed t he eight planks t o a bit m ore t han 11/ 2 in. t hick. I bandsawed a pat t ern from 3/ 8- in. plywood and carefully sanded t he edges so t hat all t he curves were sm oot h and fair. I t ransferred t he post profile t o t he blanks and t hen bandsawed t he post s, st aying about 1/ 16 in. back from t he line. I bored 3/ 32Ba n dsa w t h e post pr ofile . St a y in. holes t hrough t he ou t side of t h e lin e ; w h a t cent ers of all four crest r e m a in s ca n be r ou t e d or circles and all four foot sa n de d. An ou t fe e d t a ble circles on t he drill press. a t t a ch e d t o t h e a u t h or 's These holes were essent ial ba n dsa w m a k e s m a n e u ve r in g t h e la r ge bla n k m u ch e a sie r . in indexing bot h t he pat t ern and t he roset t e and in drilling t he crest - rail m ort ise hole. On t he finished bed, t he t op holes were covered by t he crest rail and roset t es; t he holes in t he feet were plugged. Wit h t he shape of t he post s roughly bandsawn, it was t im e t o t em plat e rout t he post s t o final shape - - t hat is, at t ach t he pat t ern t o t he post s and follow t he t em plat e wit h a rout er and a flush- cut t ing, bearingguided bit . Sounds good in t heory, but t here were a few problem s. First , as wit h planing, you shouldn't rout int o t he grain. That m eant having t o m ake all downhill cut s on one side, swit ch t he pat t ern t o t he ot her side of each post , and m ake t he downhill cut s from t hat side. I penciled arrows ont o t he wood t o indicat e st op and st art point s for t he bit .

Use a flu sh - cu t t in g, be a r in ggu ide d bit a n d a t e m pla t e t o r ou t t h e pr ofile . Rou t w it h t h e gr a in t o a void t e a r ou t . For se ct ion s w h e r e you ca n 't r ou t w it h t h e gr a in , flip t h e post ove r , a n d r e a t t a ch t h e t e m pla t e t o t h e ot h e r side . Rou n de d a r e a s a t t op a n d bot t om a r e sm oot h e d on a sa n de r .

I also discovered t hat a 11/ 2- in. flush- cut t ing bit st art s t o burn aft er only a few m inut es of chewing it s way t hrough 1- 1/ 2- in.- t hick cherry. Aft er seeing t his on t he first leg, I changed t act ics. I sanded all t he convex curves I could reach, including t he crest and foot circles, using a st at ionary disc sander and a belt sander wit h an 80- grit belt . For t he st raight port ion of each post , where t he side rail m eet s t he post , I ran t he post over t he j oint er. As a result , t he rout er had only half as m uch work, and t he bit burned a lot less. On t ight , inside corners, where t he circles m eet t he curves, I used chisels, gouges and files t o get a neat t ransit ion. Then t he real fun st art ed. All t he edges of all four post s had t o be sanded t o 320- grit . I used a belt sander and a block plane here and t here, but for t he m ost part , it was burned fingert ips. I ncident ally, t he 80- grit disc sander m arks were easier t o sand out t han t he rout er burns.

La yin g ou t a n d cu t t in g m or t ise s The next st ep was t o decide which side of each post was going t o be t he face. I m arked t he faces wit h a pencil and t hen drilled a 1/ 2- in.- deep, 2- in.- wide hole on t he inside cent er of each of t he crest - rail circles. These holes m at ched

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Building a Sleigh Bed

t he t enons t urned on t he ends of t he t wo crest rails. I t hen laid out t he m ort ises for t he lower head and foot rails. I offset t he m ort ises t o give m ore st rengt h t o t he out side wall of t he m ort ise. This gave m e 1/ 2 in. of wood from t he out side of t he post t o t he m ort ise, a 3/ 4- in.wide m ort ise, and st ill allowed t he rail t o have a 1/ 4- in.- wide shoulder on t he inside. I rout ed t he m ort ises using a fixt ure t hat has t wo parallel fences wit h pieces connect ing t hem . The dist ance bet ween t he fences is t he diam et er of t he rout er base. For ease of operat ion, I used t wo rout ers. The first , wit h a 5/ 8- in.- dia. bit , m ade t hree passes t o achieve t he m ort ise's full 1- 1/ 4 in. dept h. Wit h t he second rout er, I used a 3/ 4- in.- dia. bit t o t ake t he m ort ise t o it s full widt h.

Join e r y de t a ils

( ope n s in n e w w in dow )

When all four m ort ises were rout ed, it was t im e t o cut t he end rails t o lengt h. Because t his is a queen- size bed, I allowed 60- 1/ 2 in. bet ween t he post s. Wit h t he addit ion of a 1- 1/ 4- in. t enon on eit her end, t hat brought t he t ot al rail lengt h t o 63 in. I cut t he rails t o lengt h and t hen cut t he t enons ( rem em ber, t hey're offset - - a 1/ 2- in. shoulder on t he out side and a 1/ 4in. shoulder on t he inside) , leaving 1- 1/ 2- in. shoulders at t he t op and bot t om for an overall t enon widt h of 9 in. I rounded t he ends of t he t enons wit h a knife, so t hey would conform t o t he rout ed m ort ises in t he post s. Then I dryfit t ed t he rails in t he m ort ises. Be sure t hat t he rails are flush wit h or slight ly in from t he post s. I t 's m uch easier t o t ake a lit t le off t he back of t he post t han it is t o sand down t he whole rail. Bu ild a box t o gr oove t h e cr e st r a il - - I needed t o cut 3/ 4- in.- wide by 1- 1/ 2- in.- deep grooves at 10° along t he ent ire lengt h of bot h round crest rails t o accept t he headboard and foot board panels. This required som e creat ive t hinking. My solut ion was t o drill cent ered 1/ 2- in.deep by 2- in.- dia. m ort ises in t wo 4- in.- sq. end caps and slip t he caps over t he t enons on t he crest rail. I set t he whole t hing flat on t he t ablesaw and out feed t able and connect ed t he end caps wit h t wo pieces of scrap - - one on t he side t o run against t he fence and anot her on t he t op t o keep t he j ig from racking. Screws t hrough t he end caps keep t he crest rail from rot at ing while being cut . Rem em ber t o keep screws away from t he area being grooved. I laid out t he locat ion of t he groove on t he end cap, put t he 3/ 4- in. dado set on t he saw and adj ust ed it s height and angle. I set t he fence t o align wit h t he m arking on t he end cap and ran t he ent ire unit t hrough t he blade. Only one end cap had t o be rem oved t o repeat t he operat ion wit h t he second crest rail. Wit h t he dado in place and already t ilt ed, I cut t he ident ical groove in t he t ops of t he head and foot rails. Rem em ber t hat head and foot panels t ilt out from t he bot t om rails and, unlike t he crest rails, cannot be reversed. Think before you cut .

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00077.asp (3 of 7)2005.09.14 01:06:33

Building a Sleigh Bed

A t w o- side d box w it h e n d ca ps h olds t h e cr e st r a il a t a fix e d a n gle t o t h e bla de a n d pr ovide s a fla t su r fa ce t o r u n a ga in st t h e fe n ce .

Te n on s on t h e e n ds of t h e cr e st r a il fit sn u gly in m or t ise s in t h e e n d ca ps, w h ich a r e scr e w e d t o t h e cr e st r a il a n d t o t h e t w o side s of t h e box .

Size d st ick pr ovide s la you t lin e s for h e a d- a n d foot boa r d pa n e ls - - The next t rick is t o lay out t he grooves for t he headboard and foot board panels on t he inside faces of t he post s. To do t his, I used a st ick t o align t he grooves t hat were already in t he crest and lower rails. I set one of t he post s face down on a pair of low sawhorses and placed bot h t he lower rail and crest rail in posit ion. The t op out side edge of t he lower rail should m eet t he j unct ion of t he curved and t he flat back sect ions of t he post . This is essent ial if t he m olding is t o align all t he way around t he bed. I placed a st raight st ick, precisely 3/ 4 in. wide and about 29 in. long, int o t he crest rail groove and t urned t he crest rail unt il I could drop t he st ick int o t he groove in t he bot t om rail. Perfect alignm ent . I m arked t he post on bot h sides of t he st ick, t hen rem oved it . Wit hout shift ing t he crest rail, I m arked inside t he grooves so I 'd know where t o st op t he groove. I rout ed all four post s, using t he sam e rout er fixt ure as before. To posit ion t he fixt ure, I cut a scrap so it fit perfect ly bet ween t he t wo fences, m arked a 3/ 4- in.wide sect ion at it s cent er and m oved t he fixt ure around unt il t he m arking on t he scrap m at ched t he m arking on t he post at bot h ends of t he groove. As before, I t ook t wo passes wit h a 5/ 8- in.- dia. bit and a final cleanup pass wit h a 3/ 4- in.- dia. bit for each 1/ 2in.- deep groove. I squared t he ends of t he grooves wit h a chisel.

A pie ce of scr a p a s lon g a s t h e spa ce be t w e e n t h e fe n ce s a lign s t h e r ou t in g fix t u r e . M a r k s in dica t in g t h e w idt h of t h e bit a r e lin e d u p w it h t h e gr oove lin e s n e a r bot h e n ds of t h e fix t u r e . Th e n t h e fix t u r e is cla m pe d t o t h e post .

Now t he headboard and foot board assem blies can be dryfit t ed. I cut t he headboard and foot board panels t o size ( 281/ 2 in. by 61- 1/ 2 in.) and sanded bot h sides of bot h panels t o 320- grit . Because t he whole unit is so large and unwieldy, I first dry- fit t ed each edge of t he panels in it s respect ive groove and t hen dry- assem bled t he ent ire unit . I disassem bled it , finished sanding t he post s and eased all t he sharp edges wit h a block plane.

Sizin g side r a ils a n d a ddin g h a r dw a r e To det erm ine t he lengt h of t he side rails, I laid one foot post http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00077.asp (4 of 7)2005.09.14 01:06:33

Building a Sleigh Bed

and one head post down so t he inside faces of t he end rails would be 80- 1/ 2 in. apart ( enough space around a st andard queen- size m at t ress or box spring for sheet s and covers) . The dist ance from t he inside face of t he end rail t o t he inner edge of t he post was 5- 1/ 4 in., so I subt ract ed t wice t hat from 80- 1/ 2 in. and cut t he side rails 70 in. long. Hardware for a bed t his large proved t o be difficult t o find. I finally locat ed som e heavy- dut y, zinc- plat ed knockdown bed fast eners in t he Whit echapel cat alog ( 800- 468- 5534) . I ordered eight pairs, t wo for each rail end, because t his is such a heavy bed. To m ark out t he bed fast ener locat ions, I clam ped all four post s t oget her wit h feet flush at t he bot t om . This ensured t hat all eight m ort ises would line up precisely. For accuracy, I used a knife t o m ake t he scribe lines. Then I t ransferred t hose lines t o t he ends of t he side rails and m arked t he t op edge so t hat t he rails couldn't be flipped upside down. The rails t ook t he pin part of t he fast eners; t he slot t ed plat es were fit t ed t o t he post s. I did all t he m ort ising on a horizont al m ort iser, To la y ou t m or t ise s for be d t ransferring t he scribe lines fa st e n e r h a r dw a r e , cla m p a ll fou r le gs t oge t h e r w it h t h e ir from a bedpost t o t he fence fe e t flu sh , a n d u se a m a r k in g of t he m ort ising t able. Then k n ife t o ge t a cr isp lin e . I set m y st ops and proceeded t o cut . Because t he bed hardware was about 7/ 8 in. wide, I used a 1/ 2- in. bit . I flipped t he post s and rails over t o m ake t wo overlapping cut s, which ensured a cent ered cut . Next I squared t he ends of all 16 shallow m ort ises wit h a chisel and m arked and m ort ised t he deeper slot s t o accept t he rail pins. The rout ing and inlaying could be done wit h a rout er and j ig. Before at t aching t he hardware, I checked m at ing pieces for a fit . I not iced about 1/ 32 in. of side- t o- side play - - very lit t le really, but for t his sit uat ion, st ill t oo m uch. The hardware had t o align t he rails perfect ly flush wit h t he post s so t he m oldings would line up. To rem edy t his sit uat ion, I t ook a m et al punch and pounded a dim ple on eit her side of t he slot s. I t worked perfect ly. Absolut ely no play. Wit h t he hardware in shape, I drilled pilot holes in all t he post s and rails and screwed all t he bed fast eners int o place. Before gluing anyt hing, I dry- fit t ed t he ent ire bed t o be sure t hat everyt hing was in order and t hat t he rails were int erchangeable. Then I disassem bled t he bed and sanded all t he part s t o 320- grit .

Glu in g u p t h e h e a d- a n d foot boa r d a sse m blie s I set one post flat on a piece of carpet on t he floor and anot her on a sawhorse wit hin reach. I spread glue int o t he t wo round m ort ises for t he crest rail and t he t wo long m ort ises for t he lower rail. Then I set t he headboard panel int o posit ion, leaving a 1/ 2- in. gap at bot h t he t op and bot t om of t he groove. The headboard and foot board panels are not glued in; t hey m ust be free t o expand and cont ract wit h seasonal changes in hum idit y. Holding t he panel wit h one hand, I first slid t he crest rail and t hen t he lower rail int o t heir m ort ises. Then I lowered t he opposit e post ont o t he lower rail and m anipulat ed t he crest rail int o posit ion. Before pounding t he post hom e, I m ade sure t hat t he

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00077.asp (5 of 7)2005.09.14 01:06:33

Building a Sleigh Bed

headboard was cent ered in it s groove. I pounded t he post hom e, laid t he unit gent ly down on it s back and clam ped it . To m ake sure t he panel's edges wouldn't be exposed when it cont ract ed in t he wint er, I drilled count erbored holes int o t he post s at m idpoint along t he groove. I screwed t he panels in place and plugged t he holes. This ensured t hat t he headboard panel would rem ain cent ered bet ween t he rails and t hat t hey would expand evenly t op t o bot t om . Once bot h head- and foot board unit s were assem bled, I pinned t he t enons of t he lower rails and screwed t he crest rails t hrough t he post s wit h 2- in. drywall screws, j ust off cent er, t o reinforce t he m ort ise- and- t enon j oint . Finally, I sanded t he post s flush wit h t he lower rails where t hey m eet .

M oldin g a n d r ose t t e s fin ish t h e be d Before at t aching t he t wo bands of m olding, I m ade sure t hat t he rails were firm ly seat ed all t he way down in t he hangers. I t would be em barrassing t o have t he m olding glued on only t o have one sect ion of t he rail drop 1/ 4 in. when t he box spring was set in place. At t aching t he m olding is pret t y st raight forward, but a few hint s are in order. I did t he t op of t he end rails first because it 's t he m ost difficult t o at t ach. I fit , m it ered, drilled brad holes about 8 in. apart along t he cent er and glued and at t ached t he m olding wit h brads. The m olding here is virt ually im possible t o clam p. The short pieces of m olding across t he grain of t he post s needed special at t ent ion because t he post will change slight ly in widt h. My post s were at about 11% m oist ure cont ent . To allow for som e shrinkage, I left about a 3/ 32- in. gap bet ween t his short piece and t he side- rail m olding. I t acked down t his short st rip wit h a brad at eit her end and one in t he m iddle, and glued about t wo- t hirds of t he way from t he m it er t o t he end. The side rail m oldings were cut t o precisely t he sam e lengt h as t he rails and glued using spring clam ps and bit s of m olding cut offs t urned upside down t o spread t he clam ping pressure. The procedure was t he sam e for t he lower band of m olding. To support t he box spring, I m arked and rout ed m ort ises for short ( 1- 1/ 4 in. wide) sect ions of 1/ 4- in.- t hick, 4- in. st eel angle iron I had cut for t hat purpose. I screwed t hose bracket s direct ly t o t he side rails. The crowning t ouch was at t aching t he t urned roset t es. I drilled a 3/ 32- in. hole int o t he cent er of t he back of t he roset t e, t acked in a snipped off piece of 6d finishing nail t o cent er t he roset t e wit h t he post hole, and glued and clam ped t he roset t e. The bed was finished wit h t hree coat s of Tried and True varnish oil ( available from Garret t Wade; 800- 221- 2942; www.garret t wade.com ) . This is t he only pure linseed oil on t he m arket , wit h no addit ives or driers. I t requires a good deal of elbow grease t o wipe off, but t he build and dept h of shine is wort h it . For t he record, t he bed was com plet ed in 96 hours. Chris Becksvoort is a professional furnit ure m aker in New Gloucest er, Maine, a cont ribut ing edit or t o Fine Woodworking and t he aut hor of The Shaker Legacy. Phot os except where not ed: Vincent Laurence; drawings: Heat her Lam bert

Fr om Fin e W oodw or k in g # 1 2 4 , pp. 5 4 61 Pu r ch a se ba ck issu e s

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Building a Sleigh Bed

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Children's Furniture Projects: Child's Rocker

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Ex ce r pt e d fr om Ch ildr e n 's Fu r n it u r e Pr oj e ct s

Children's Furniture Projects: Child's Rocker

Pla n s for a st u r dy plyw ood ch a ir t h a t ca n be disa sse m ble d a n d st or e d fla t by Jeff Miller

YES! I want expert woodworking advice, t ips & t echniques.

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Fin e W oodw or k in g H om e I n t h e Cu r r e n t I ssu e

Adve r t ise r I n de x M a ga zin e I n de x

Kids are always in m ot ion. I t 's not easy t o get t hem even t o sit down in a chair. But t his rocker let s t hem work off energy while st aying in one place. And rocking can be j ust as soot hing for children as it t ends t o be for adult s. Kids love it .

M a k in g H e ir loom Toys Ope n or dow n loa d t h e 1 7 - pa ge PD F file be low for a Ch ild's Rock e r . ( Re qu ir e s t h e fr e e Adobe Acr oba t Re a de r t o vie w a n d pr in t PD F file s.)

Ch ildsRock e r .pdf

Children's Furnit ure Proj ect s provides a m ix of proj ect s t hat ( D ow n loa d sh ou ld t a k e has som et hing for a ppr ox im a t e ly 3 m in u t e s on a woodworkers of all 5 6 K m ode m ) skill levels. The t en proj ect s - - ranging from t his excerpt t o a fanciful rocking dinosaur t o st urdy children's beds - - are designed t o help m ake t he children's room as well furnished as any ot her room in t he house.

Con t a ct t h e St a ff Au t h or Gu ide lin e s

Jeff Miller, winner of t he 1998 St anley Award for Chairm aking & Design, is also t he aut hor of Beds. A professional furnit ure m aker and fat her of t wo, he also designs children's furnit ure.

Bu y Ba ck I ssu e s

Phot os: Tanya Tucker; drawings: Melanie Powell

Or de r Slipca se s

Fr om Ch ildr e n 's Fu r n it u r e Pr oj e ct s, pp. 90-105

Fr e e Pr oj e ct Pla n s Tools Sk ills & Te ch n iqu e s Join e r y Fin ish in g W or k sh op & Sa fe t y M a t e r ia ls Pr oj e ct I de a s Re a de r s Ga lle r y

Vide o Tips On lin e Ex t r a s

Lin k s http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/bw0010.asp (1 of 2)2005.09.14 01:07:19

Plans and inst ruct ions for building 22 sophist icat ed proj ect s Tr e m e n dou s Toy Tr u ck s

Plans and inst ruct ions for building a dum p t ruck, a t ow t ruck, a flat bed, a sem i, a cem ent t ruck, a logging t ruck, and m ore

Children's Furniture Projects: Child's Rocker

Abou t You r Sa fe t y Sch ools Clu bs Kn ot s D iscu ssion Eve n t s

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This is an excerpt from the book

Children’s Furniture Projects by Jeff Miller Copyright 2002 by The Taunton Press www.taunton.com

CHILD’S ROCKER

K

IDS ARE ALWAYS IN MOTION. It’s not easy to get them even to sit down in a chair. But this rocker lets them work off energy while staying in one place. And rocking can be just as soothing for children as it tends to be for adults. Kids love it. The construction is a combination of the typical and the unusual; although there are simple dadoes routed in the plywood panels to align the parts, everything is held together with 1⁄4-in. threaded rods

and cap nuts. This makes it sturdy enough to withstand the typical amount of abuse that kids will dish out but also easy to knock down and store (or ship) flat. There are lots of ways to finish this rocker to get different results. I’ve gone with interesting colors as well as a basic oil-and-wax finish. But that doesn’t mean you can’t come up with your own design scheme, or just let the child decorate it the way he or she wishes.

✦ 91

C H I LD ’ S RO C K ER THE RO CKER IS MADE O F FIVE SHAPED pieces o f plywo o d. Shallo w dado es in the plywo o d sides and b ack lo cate the parts in the pro per po sitio ns, and the who le thing is held to g ether with two threaded ro ds tensio ned with cap nuts.

De corative cutout

Back p ane l

Cap nuts Sid e p ane l 1 / 4 -20

thre ad e d rod Dad o for se at p ane l

Strut Se at p ane l Sid e p ane l

92 ✦ C H I L D ’ S R O C K E R

BACK PANEL

All p arts 3 / 4 " p lywood .

Top and b ottom e d g e s round e d ove r

1 7 / 16 " O val cutout, 5 1/ 4" x 3 1/ 4" , e d g e s round e d ove r

ALTERNATE BACK PANEL

3 5/ 8"

Slot cutout, 3 / 4 " x 12" , e d g e s round e d ove r 23"

Dad o for b ack of se at p ane l, 3 / 4 " x 1/ 8" d e e p

1" 15 3 / 8 "

Sid e s b e ve lle d Back e d g e b e ve lle d Top

SEAT PANEL 15 3 / 8 "

STRUT Ap p rox. 17"

Fit to rocke r to d e te rmine e xact le ng th (ap p rox.12 1 / 2 " ).

2 1/ 4"

Four e d g e s round e d

Fit to rocke r to d e te rmine e xact le ng th.

18 1 / 2 " End s b e ve le d

Front edge round e d

C H I L D ’ S RO C K E R

✦ 93

CUT LIST FOR CHILD’S CUT LIST FOR PAN ELROCKER BED 2

Side panels

3

1

Seat panel

3

⁄4" x 16" x 26" *

1

Back panel

3

1

Strut

3

⁄4" x 12 ⁄2" x 18 ⁄2" 1

1

⁄4" x 153⁄8" x 241⁄8" ⁄4" x 21⁄4" x 17"

Hardware 1

Threaded rod

1

4

Cap nuts

1

⁄4-20 x 36" long**

⁄4-20***

M iscellaneous ⁄2" –3⁄4" x 8" x 18"

Scrap wood for interim jig

1

Plywood for side panel jig

3

⁄4" x 25" x 32"

*All parts are Baltic b irch plywo o d o r e q uivale nt. **Cut into two pie ce s b ase d o n me asure me nts fro m co mple te d chair. ***Also calle d co nne cto r nuts; typically use d with co nne cto r b o lts.

HE FIRST STEP in making the rocker is to make up a jig for locating the dadoes for the seat, the back, and the strut on the side panels. Because the relationship of the seat parts to the curve of the rocker is so important, you’ll also use the side panel jig to define the shape and location of the rocker relative to the dadoes and thus to the seat and back of the rocker.

T

Makin g th e Side-Pan el Jig Make the jig for the side panels out of a piece of 3⁄4-in. by 25-in. by 32-in. plywood (see “Side-Panel Dado Jig”). 1. Draw a reference line 15 in. from (and parallel to) one of the long edges of the plywood. I measured from the left edge, and that’s what is shown here. You will reference off of this edge when routing the actual side panels. Mark it now as your reference edge.

The Side-Panel Pat t ern

1 sq uare = 1"

94 ✦ C H I L D ’ S R O C K E R

Side-Panel Dado Jig 3/ 4"

p lywood

25" 15"

10"

Re fe re nce line

30" rad ius

32"

5 1/ 8"

90°

4 3 / 16 "

8"

3/ 8"

3 7 / 16 "

13 1 / 4 " 8 11 / 16 "

2 3/ 8"

8 9 / 16 "

2"

5" 3 3/ 4" Straig ht for 3 1 / 2 "

C H I L D ’ S RO C K E R

✦ 95

M A K I N G T H E I N T ERI M SLO T JI G

The inte rim jig is b uilt up to have a 7⁄8-in.-wide b y 12 1⁄2-in.-lo ng slo t do wn the middle o f it. The jig is

18"

the n use d with a flush-trimming b it to cut the slo ts in the side pane l jig .

1. Cut apart a b o ard ro ug hly 18 in. lo ng b y 8 in. wide b y 1⁄2 in.

3

to 3⁄4 in. thick into two 3 7⁄16-in.wide strips and o ne strip e xactly 7

⁄8 in. wide .

7 / 16 "

7/ 8"

2 5/ 8"

2. Cro sscut the 7⁄8-in.- wide strip into thre e parts; o ne 12 1⁄2 in. lo ng , and two ab o ut 2 5⁄8 in. lo ng . Se t

12 1 / 2 "

Save for fille r strip .

aside the 12 1⁄2-in.-lo ng strip; it will b e use d late r whe n ro uting the sho rt slo t fo r the strut.

2 5/ 8"

3. Glue the two 2 5⁄8-in. pie ce s in b e twe e n the two 3 7⁄16-in.- wide strips, with the e nds o f b o th sho rt and lo ng pie ce s flush. This sho uld le ave a 7⁄8-in. b y 12 1⁄2-in. slo t in the middle .

4. Plane the face s o f the jig smo o th o nce the g lue has drie d.

Making a jig to make another jig may seem like a lot of trouble, but the interim jig helps get the slots in the side panel jig located and sized correctly.

96 ✦ C H I L D ’ S R O C K E R

3 7 / 16 "

2. Next, mark out the curve of the rocker. The rocker is mostly an arc of a circle with a 30-in. radius. Mark the center point of the arc on the reference line, about 1 in. down from the top of the plywood. Using a scrap of 1⁄4-in. plywood or a long thin scrap of wood, make up a “compass” by drilling one hole for a nail and another hole, 30 in. away, for a pencil point. Scribe the arc across the bottom of the plywood. 3. The back of the rocker will end about 1 ⁄8 in. away from the left edge of the plywood after it gets rounded over. The front of the rocker extends all the way to the other side of the plywood. 4. Flatten out the back 31⁄2 in. of the rocker to make it harder to tip the chair over. Measure down 3⁄8 in. from the arc along the back edge of the jig, then draw a 31⁄2-in.-long straight line from this point to the arc of the rocker. 5. Now you’re ready to locate the dadoes for the seat, back, and strut. Measure over from the reference line and up from the arc of the rocker to locate the various points shown in “Side-Panel Dado Jig” on p. 95 that will define the locations the dadoes. Make sure all of the lines are perpendicular or parallel to the reference line. 6. The dadoes themselves will be 3⁄4 in. wide, but because you are making a jig that will be used with a 5⁄8-in. guide bushing and a 1 ⁄2-in. router bit, the slots in the jig must be 1 ⁄8 in. bigger. Mark out parallel lines for the slots, 7⁄8 in. apart, based on the reference points you just created. Mark the ends of the slots as well. 7. The best way to proceed now is to make a very simple jig to help you rout the slots. You’ll use this interim jig to cut the 7⁄8-in.wide slots (see “Making the Interim Slot Jig”). 8. Lay the interim jig over one of the marked slot locations on the side-panel jig and clamp it into place. Use a flush-trimming bit in a router to cut the slot all the way through the side-panel jig. Make sure to do this with the jig either propped up off the bench or hanging over the edge so you don’t rout into the benchtop.

Using t he Filler St rip Fit in a fille r strip to le ave a smalle r op e ning (for the strut d ad o). Inte rim slot jig

2 3/ 8"

PHOTO A: A filler strip can be inserted in the interim dado

jig to rout the short slot for the strut.

9. Don’t worry about the length of the slot for the back of the rocker; it can extend up above where the side panel will end. But you can cut down the 121⁄2-in.-long piece you set aside when making the interim jig to use as a filler when routing the dado for the strut

C H I L D ’ S RO C K E R

✦ 97

Cap-N ut Locat ions

Cap -nut hole s

1"

1" 1"

2 1/ 4" PHOTO B: The dadoes in the side panels

are easy to rout, and they come out in exactly the right place if you use the dado jig.

Transferring t he Shape Shap e d sid e

Unshap e d b lank

underneath the seat. This dado should be exactly 21⁄4 in. long; cut the filler strip so it will make a slot that is 23⁄8 in. long in the side-panel jig— 1⁄8 in. will be lost when you rout the dadoes (see Photo A on p. 97 and “Using the Filler Strip” on p. 97). 10. Locate and drill two holes which you will use to transfer the positions of the capnut holes (see “Cap-Nut Locations”). 11. Now cut and smooth the shape of the rocker that you marked originally. I sawed the shape on the bandsaw and sanded the curve smooth and fair. The jig is now finished. Time to move on to making the rocker.

Makin g th e Side Pan els 1. Cut the side panel blanks to rough size as

3/ 8"

x 3 / 4 " strip s of p lywood to alig n the p ie ce s

98 ✦ C H I L D ’ S R O C K E R

given in the cut list. 2. Clamp a panel blank underneath the side-panel jig so that it is flush with the reference edge of the jig. The bottom of the blank should be sticking out beyond the jig about 1 in. 3. Rout the dadoes using a router with a 5 ⁄8-in. guide bushing and a 1⁄2-in. straight bit. The dadoes should all be the same: 3⁄16 in. to 1 ⁄4 in. deep. While the boards are still clamped

together, mark the curve of the rocker and the cap-nut hole locations onto the blank (see Photo B). 4. Now flip the side-panel jig over and clamp it with the same reference edge flush with the edge of the other side-panel blank. Rout the dadoes on this blank. You do not need to mark the rocker curve on this blank, since you will later transfer over the shape of the first panel. 5. Draw a grid of 1-in. squares on the routed side of the first side panel blank. 6. Create the shape of the upper part of the side panel by working square by square from “The Side-Panel Pattern” on p. 94 until you are satisfied with the overall look. 7. Cut the side panel to shape and smooth carefully to the lines. The rocker should be smooth and even, with no bumps or flats. 8. Now transfer the shape over to the other side-panel blank. Use a couple of narrow rippings of 3⁄4-in. plywood fit into the corresponding dadoes to align the two halves before drawing the lines (see “Transferring the Shape”). This will ensure symmetry to the sides. Cut and smooth the second side panel. 9. Round over the edges of both panels with a 1⁄4-in. roundover bit. 10. Drill the two 11⁄32-in. holes for the cap nuts in each side panel at the locations marked from the side-panel jig.

Makin g th e Seat 1. Cut the seat blank to dimensions given in the cut list. Measure 19⁄16 in. in from both sides of the blank to get the dimensions of the back of the seat. Then draw lines from these marks to the front corners. 2. Bandsaw the sides of the seat to the lines. 3. Rout the front edge, both top and bottom, with a 1⁄4-in. roundover bit. 4. The back edge of the seat needs a bevel, but this must wait until you are working on the back.

Makin g th e Back Both sides of the back are beveled at the same angle as the seat taper. The back also

PHOTO C: The seat can be used to set the angle of the table

saw blade for all of the bevel cuts on the rocker. has a dado for the back edge of the seat to slip into as well as some decorative shaping. 1. Set the bevel angle for the back on the table saw using the seat itself as a guide (see Photo C). 2. Bevel only one edge of the back for now. 3. You need to determine the location of the dado that will accept the back edge of the seat. The first step is to round over the bottom edges of the back with a 1⁄4-in. roundover bit. 4. Hold up the back with the beveled edge in the back dado of the appropriate side panel (the back should lean toward the back of the chair). Slide the back to the bottom of the dado. Now mark where the seat dado intersects the back (see Photo D on p. 100). This marks the location of the seat dado in the back panel. 5. Cut the dado in the back for the seat. Although this dado should be angled, the saw blade on my table saw tilts the wrong way, and it seemed rather cumbersome to set up the cut. So I cut the dado with the blade at 90 degrees and checked the fit of the seat in the dado. No problem. It hardly matters at all that the angle isn’t there. And it is easier. 6. Hold the back up in the same side panel as before. Take the seat and hold it up in

C H I L D ’ S RO C K E R

✦ 99

PHOTO D: Locate

place as well. Take note of how much wood must be removed from the back edge of the seat so it will fit into place, then mark the back edge. 7. Cut the back edge of the seat with the blade reset to the angle of the seat taper (use the seat as your angle reference once again). Set up for the cut carefully so that the top of the seat ends up longer than the bottom. 8. Now you need the exact width of the back. Hold the seat up in the dado in the back. Align the beveled edge of the back with the edge of the seat. Mark the opposite side. Cut the bevel on this side of the back. Be sure that the bevel angles the correct way. The back panel tapers toward the rear; the edges are not parallel.

the dado in the back panel with the panel held in position on the side panel. The dado goes where the seat dado int ersect s the back.

Det ermining St rut Lengt h Sid e p ane l Back p ane l

Se at p ane l

Rule r

Me asure from b ottom of slot in sid e p ane l to e d g e of d ummy strut. Dummy strut, 12" - to 14" -long p ie ce of p lywood cut to fit in slot and b e ve le d at the se at ang le on one sid e

100 ✦ C H I L D ’ S R O C K E R

9. Mark and cut the curves on the top and bottom of the back. Both of these curves are the same: a 30-in. radius. You can use the bottom of one of the side panels as a pattern to mark them out. 10. Rout an oval or a slot in the back panel for decoration. Note that the oval makes a very convenient handle for dragging the chair around. I made up a jig for the oval cutout from a scrap of plywood with a 53⁄8-in. by 33⁄8-in. oval cut in it. The slot can be cut with the interim jig you made earlier. Cut either decoration with a router with a 5 ⁄8-in. guide bushing and a 1⁄2-in. straight bit.

Makin g th e Stru t The strut makes it possible to assemble the rocker with a threaded rod and cap nuts. It is simple to make. 1. Cut a strip of plywood to the dimensions given in the cut list. 2. You’ll have to clamp all of the other parts of the rocker together to determine the exact length of the strut. Clamp across the back of the chair above the seat. Then measure the distance from the front of the slot on one side to the front of the slot on the other. A 12-in. ruler and a 6-in. ruler used together can get the length. You can also make up a dummy strut from a 13⁄4-in. by 12-in.- to 14-in.-long scrap of plywood with the seat angle cut on one end. Fit it into one of the strut slots and measure from the end of this piece to the bottom of the dado opposite. Add the two lengths to get the measurement (see “Determining Strut Length”). 3. With the saw still tilted (or reset to the seat angle), cut the ends of the strut at the same angle used for cutting the sides of the back. 4. Round over the long edges of the strut with a 1⁄4-in. roundover bit.

Pu ttin g It All Togeth er There is no glue used on this chair. Instead, the chair is held together with two lengths of threaded rod and four cap nuts (see Photo E). The cap nuts are usually used in conjunction with connector bolts, but they work perfectly well with 1⁄4-20 threaded rod.

PHOTO E: This combination of hardware used to hold the rocker together is unconventional, but I found it all at my local hardware store.

Tension from the rods and cap nuts holds the seat and back panels securely in the side panels (see “The Threaded Rods” on p. 103). The only complication to this otherwise simple solution is that the rocker side panels are not parallel. The holes (with shallow counterbores) for the connector nuts need to be drilled at an angle so that they can be tightened onto the threaded rods. The process starts with drilling these holes.

Drilling the angled holes The first step in drilling the angled holes is to make a simple angled drilling platform (see “Making the Angled Drilling Platform” on p. 102). 1. The seat angle provides the angle needed for the drilling platform. Make two identical wedges for the platform out of a piece of wood, roughly 1 in. thick by 3 in. wide by 11 in. long. Align the front edge of the seat panel with the end of this wedge blank and trace the angle of the side of the seat panel onto the blank. 2. Cut a wedge out of the blank, smooth the sawn edge, and use this wedge to mark out a second wedge. Cut and smooth this wedge to match the first. 3. Screw a 12-in.-square piece of 3⁄4-in.-thick plywood to the two wedges.

C H I L D ’ S RO C K E R

✦ 101

M aking t he Angled Drilling Plat form

We d g e b lank Mark this ang le onto we d g e b lank. Cut ap art. Alig n the se e d g e s. Se at p ane l

Match se cond we d g e to first.

12" 12"

SIDE VIEW

Plywood top , 12" x 12"

2" We d g e

To use , p osition front e d g e of sid e p ane l up hill and d rill into outsid e face .

102 ✦ C H I L D ’ S R O C K E R

11"

Plywood b ase , 11" x 11"

11"

The Threaded Rods Sid e p ane l

Thre ad e d rod s

Cap nuts

Use an ang le d p latform to d rill ang le d hole s in the sid e p ane ls to accommod ate the cap nuts.

4. Attaching a piece of plywood to the under-

PHOTO F: With

side of the wedges will make it easier to clamp the angled platform to the drill-press table. 5. Clamp the angled platform to the drillpress table with the angle running sideways. 6. On the outside of each of the side panels draw a line through the two marks for the cap-nut holes. This line should remain parallel to the edge of the angled platform when drilling the holes in a side. 7. Drill a shallow 3⁄4-in. counterbore for the flange of each of the cap nuts first. Drill only until you have a complete hole; it will still be very shallow on one side. Then drill a 9mm or a 3⁄8-in. hole through the center of the counterbore for the body of each of the nuts (see Photo F).

the angled platform clamped in place on the drill press, it’s easy to drill the holes for the cap nuts at the proper angle. Note that the line through the capnut holes is parallel to the edge of the angled platform and that the front of the side panel is uphill.

C H I L D ’ S RO C K E R

✦ 103

PHOTO I: Slip the threaded rod with one of the cap nuts all the way through the holes in one side and mark where the rod comes out the counterbore on the other side panel of the rocker.

Cutting the threaded rod to length 1. Put the rocker together. You may want an

PHOTOS G AND H: Assembling the rocker can be frustrating

without help. It makes sense to do it on a blanket or a piece of cardboard in case something slips apart.

104 ✦ C H I L D ’ S R O C K E R

assistant or a clamp or two to help hold things together while you measure for the threaded rod (see Photos G and H ). 2. Thread one of the cap nuts all the way onto the end of the rod, and insert it into a hole on one side and then through the hole in the other side. Mark where the rod comes out of the hole, flush with the bottom of the counterbore (see Photo I). 3. Cut the rod 1⁄4 in. shorter than the length you marked. File the rough edges and check to be sure you can thread the nut onto the cut end. 4. Repeat the same process for the other set of holes, using the remaining section of rod. 5. Now assemble the chair with the threaded rod in place.

TIP

PHOTO J: Tighten up the cap nuts with a pair of Allen wrenches.

6. Tighten the cap nuts (see Photo J). The rocker should hold together tightly (if not, check to see if you need to cut a little more off of the threaded rods). You can test the chair now if you want.

It’s easy to cut threaded rod with a hacksaw. It’s also very easy to mangle the threads so they are unusable. Remember that you need good threads on only the last 1⁄2 in. of either end of the rod. Clamp somewhere else when you’re cutting.

Fin ish in g I chose an oil-and-wax finish for a natural look on one of the rockers and brightly colored paint for the other. Lacquer or shellac is also a good option, although paint, lacquer, or shellac on the bottoms of the rockers will probably rub off as the chair is dragged around. Sand all parts thoroughly, especially the edges, before applying any finish. Wait for the finish to dry completely before reassembling the rocker. Then put it into use.

C H I L D ’ S RO C K E R

✦ 105

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