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W OODMAWGAZINEORKING Classic Shaker Side Table : Make Solid Joints with 1 , 1 Bit & No Jigs The Secret to Sharper : Sharpen Less Perfect Drawers Using One Table Set-up Worth Buying And Those to Avoid Brushing : Is it Worth the Stink? Better, Flatter Panels

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0 714 86 0 1 355 6 AUTUMN 2004 “You will find something more in than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.” Contents — Saint Bernard (1090 - 1153), French abbot

1 On the Level 6 Mortises & Tenons 16 Simple Shaker The joy of woodworking actually has little to do For Tables End Table with the act of working . This strong and so-called “advanced” joint Good woodworking is the product of the right is just a clever combination of and joinery and the right design. This table teaches 2 Letters grooves. We show you how to cut mortises and the fundamentals of both. Questions, comments and wisdom from tenons with one tool, one bit and no jigs. readers, experts and our staff. 22 Gluing Up Flat Panels 11 Sharpen a Most projects have at least one panel. Stop the 4 Shortcuts The secret to sharpening is making every stroke slippery, sliding madness and learn the best Tricks and tips to help make your woodworking count. Focus less on rubbing the tool on a way to create fl at ones perfectly, every time. simpler and more accurate. stone and more on observing your results. 24 Simple & Fast 15 -edge Chisels Rabbeted Drawers We put fi ve common chisels through a series of Cut every single joint for a drawer with one tests. Three of the tools are OK. Two we simply simple setup on your . cannot recommend. 28 Drawer Primer: Sliding-lid Box Take our super-quick drawer-making technique for a test drive by building this box. The sliding lid makes it ideal for holding candles or chisels. 30 Brushing Lacquer SHORTCUTS,SHORTCUTS, PAGEPAGE 4 Lacquer dries fast, is forgiving and creates a beautiful topcoat. Find out how to get all the benefi ts without spending a fortune buying fancy spray equipment. 32 End Grain: Lyptus This new hybrid wood was bred in Brazil to compete with cherry and . Is it worth working? Check out our results.

DRAWERDRAWER PRIMER:PRIMER: SLIDING-LIDSLIDING-LID BOX,BOX, PAGEPAGE 2828

BEVEL-EDGE CHISELS, PAGE 15 BRUSHING LACQUER, PAGE 30 END GRAIN: LYPTUS, PAGE 32 OODMAWOGAZINRKINE W Autumn 2004 G On the Level woodworking-magazine.com Editorial Offi ces 513-531-2690 EDITOR & PUBLISHER ■ Steve Shanesy ext. 1238, [email protected] ART DIRECTOR ■ Linda Watts ext. 1396, [email protected] ■ The Process is the Prize EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christopher Schwarz ext. 1407, [email protected] SENIOR EDITOR ■ David Thiel ext. 1255, [email protected] If I asked you what made a piece of music sound you break down the physical skills required to MANAGING EDITOR ■ Kara Gebhart great, chances are you’d respond by saying it’s the build a project into individual steps, they’re often ext. 1348, [email protected] notes. But that’s only partially correct. The spac- rather simple. Instead, the frustration the novice ASSOCIATE EDITOR ■ Michael A. Rabkin ext. 1327, [email protected] es, or time between the notes, are equally (some feels comes from the lack of experience in mak- ILLUSTRATOR ■ Matt Bantly would even say more) important. The same suc- ing good decisions about how to go about com- PHOTOGRAPHER ■ Al Parrish cession of notes played with more or less time pleting a task successfully. The frustrations and CIRCULATIONTION between them would produce a totally different resulting insecurity lead to a lack of confi dence Group Circulation Manager ■ Mark Fleetwood song. Odds are, it would sound awful. that comes from navigating unfamiliar territo- PRODUCTION So what does this have to do with woodwork- ry. A series of less-than-good choices makes for Vice President ■ Barbara Schmitz ing? Glad you asked. a bad day in the shop. Publication Production Manager ■ Vicki Whitford Production Coordinator ■ Brian Courter Let me apply the music question to the craft of That’s partially why beginners rush to com- F+W PUBLICATIONS, INC. woodworking. What makes woodworking so en- plete projects. They focus on the end project, not William F. Reilly ■ Chairman joyable? There must be something to this activi- the process. For these reasons, the beginner’s fi n- Stephen J. Kent ■ President ty, because at least a million people in the Unit- ished project often looks amateurish. Novices Mark F. Arnett ■ Executive Vice President & CFO ed States and Canada say they are woodworkers. lack the ability to understand the importance F+W PUBLICATIONS, INC. MAGAZINE DIVISION If you asked them, I bet of the means to achieve David Hoguet ■ Group Head Colleen Cannon ■ Senior Vice President their responses would a desirable end. They Newsstand Distribution: Curtis Circulation Co., be something like: “I “It’s good to have an end to journey “don’t know enough to 730 River Road, New Milford, NJ 07646 enjoy making things, know they don’t know,” You can order our fi rst issue for $7 ($9 Canada; $11 other foreign). using my hands.” Once toward; but it is the journey as the expression goes. This includes shipping and handling. Send check or money order to: Woodworking Magazine Spring 2004 Issue, F+W Publications again, I believe this is that matters, in the end.” That’s why many peo- Products, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990, or call 800-258-0929. only partially correct. ple think patience is the Please specify Woodworking Magazine, Spring 2004 issue. — Ursula K. Le Guin (1929 – ) The mere act of hardest thing to learn IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE novelist, poet, essayist Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers place safety making things may not about woodworking. devices on their equipment for a reason. In many photos you be all that enjoyable. Alternately, consid- see in Woodworking Magazine, thesethese havehave beenbeen removedremoved toto provide clarity. In some cases we’ll use an awkward body But combine that act (the musical notes) with er the confi dent, experienced woodworker. He position so you can better see what’s being demonstrated. Don’t copy us. Think about each procedure you’re going to all the thinking required to perform the act cor- calls on experience to direct the work as he moves perform beforehand. Safety First! rectly (the spaces of time between the notes) and seamlessly through each task. He makes the right you have the essence of what makes woodwork- choices, anticipates problems, knows how and Highly Recommended ing so enjoyable. when to go slow, be patient and get it just right Though some people prefer new tools, Let me elaborate. The actual doing – say, the because he knows not doing so will create other therethere iiss ggreatreat mmeriterit iinn ppurchasingurchasing vintagevintage cutting of a board or the gluing of parts – if done problems down the road. The experienced wood- chiselschisels – iiff yyouou kknownow wwhathat ttoo bbuy.uy. PPremiumremium repetitiously for hours on end wouldn’t be enjoy- worker focuses on the process of doing the work. socketsocket chiselschisels areare stillstill wwidelyidely aavailablevailable aatt able at all. Have you ever made 20 or 30 of the As he works through each step, he spends little fl eeaa mmarketsarkets andand throughthrough eBay,eBay, andand cancan same thing? It can get old very fast. It’s the brain- time thinking about the completed project. costcost fromfrom $2$2 toto $25$25 apiece.apiece. WithWith somesome ex-ex- work that puts the joy in woodworking. For the experienced woodworker and those ceptions,ceptions, tthesehese chiselschisels aarere betterbetter thanthan newnew Consider all the thinking required, the prob- on their way to becoming one, the day of en- ones. The steel holds a better edge, the lems to be solved and decisions to be made, on lightenment comes with two realizations: First, handleshandles fi t yyourour hhandand betterbetter andand thethe bevelsbevels even the simplest project. What joint should I that you just spent hours in the shop and it seems onon tthehe ssidesides aarere groundground muchmuch smallersmaller soso youyou use? Is that joint the best choice? How do I make like minutes. And second, you feel relaxed, even can easily sneak into corners. We’ve had immense success with the fol- the joint? Is that the best way to make it? Hun- refreshed, after hours of hard labor. The joy of lowing vintage (and now-vanished) mod- dreds of choices must be sifted through, consid- woodworking is simply being engaged in doing els: Witherby, Swan (shown), E.A. Berg and ered, decided on and executed in even simple it. The completed project is but a nice souvenir old Buck Brothers socket chisels. projects. Larger projects require thousands of of time well spent. WM Avoid buying rusty ones, especially if thought processes before your efforts come to a there is pitting on the face of the tool. The successful conclusion. handles should feel good when paring and A major reason novice woodworkers expe- chopping. Most of all, look for chisels that rience tremendous frustration is not so much were used as a chisel – not as a pry bar. from a lack of skill. It really isn’t hard to cut a Beat-up chisels are diffi cult to restore. board to a specifi ed size, to rout an edge profi le Steve Shanesy – Christopher Schwarz or glue a couple of parts together. In fact, when Editor & Publisher

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 1 Letters

Questions About Guards and like the way it looks. If the magazine is to address you stack your . Your top layer should be Oil/ Blends the “why,” it would have been nice to explain why the same as your bottom layer (fl at, scrap lum- the wipe-on are superior. ber). On top of that add some weights, and a tarp Your article on rabbets (“Cut Accurate and Clean Tom Ryan or a piece of . It’s OK if you don’t com- Rabbets,” Spring 2004) raises one question in State College, Pennsylvania pletely protect the sides – you mainly want to en- my mind. Near the end of the article, you state Tom, sure water doesn’t seep through the top. “I also like being able to use our overarm guard You raise a good point about showing the guard in Finally, consider where you keep your lumber during the cut.” I’m thinking of getting an over- use. Because we mentioned that it could be used, pile. You want air running parallel to the stickers arm guard so I can protect myself when making we should have showed it. Check out the illustra- through the stack, so position your pile to take ad- cuts, but I don’t see how you use it for a rab- tions at left. An overarm guard cantilevers over vantage of the direction of the prevailing winds. bet. Looking at the pictures on page 10, I won- the table and hovers over the blade. Because you This strategy will help remove the high humidity der where the guard goes. I’d like to see some of can adjust it left and right (plus up and down) you created by moisture escaping the lumber. the “how to” photos showing an operation being can make it work with our rabbeting technique, For more information, read R. Bruce Hoadley’s done with a guard, even if it means putting in an which uses a dado stack and a sacrifi cial . “Understanding Wood” (The Taunton Press). extra photograph or two. Stock guards won’t work because the saw’s split- – Kara Gebhart, managing editor Also, in the article on wipe-on fi nishes (“Un- ter will block the work. derstanding Wipe-on Finishes,” Spring 2004), it As to the article on varnish, I’m sure we’ll be seems the author takes for granted that varnish addressing this issue in the future. We are hesitant is the best fi nish. For example, for projects like to use oil fi nishes and oil/varnish blends. These the Shaker Hanging Cabinet, which will never be typically offer little protection to the wood and OverlappingOverlapping hholesoles subjected to the punishment a dining tabletop re- must be maintained over time – even if the pieces create mortise ceives, I’ve used an oil/varnish blend because I aren’t subjected to much handling. Oil/varnish blends typically have little binder to them, so they are only marginally better than a straight linseed Vacuum tube collects oil fi nish. There is nothing inherently wrong with chips and dust an oil/varnish fi nish, however. If you’re pleased with the way it’s working for you, then defi nitely don’t change what you’re doing. – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor Press as a ? Other than convenience, does a mortising ma- How Should I Store Lumber? chine have any advantages over using a mortis- ing attachment in a drill press? I build outdoor projects using pressure- Ian Calvert treated (mostly 1x4, 1x6 and 2x4). What is Winston-Salem, North Carolina your recommendation for storing fresh lumber so Ian, it can dry quickly? I also want to minimize warp- The mortising attachment sold for drill presses is ing and cupping. I have tried various things, such a somewhat dubious accessory for all but the oc- as stacking with stickers between the boards and casional mortising task. A dedicated mortising clamping, with fair success, but I still have a few machine is based on a metal arbor press, which problems. I realize some of this is to be expected, transfers the downward force of the machine’s but I would like to improve my success rate. lever much more effi ciently than the plunging OverarmOverarm bladeblade guardguard Jim Reeves action of a drill press. is adjustable Guard is necessary because Whitehouse, Texas With a drill press attachment, you’re turning splitter will interfere with Jim, the handles of the machine for several revolu- or dado This is a common problem, so we talked to some tions, and it’s hard work. Also, if you do a lot of experts for some advice: Always stack lumber that mortising with your drill press, this will put a lot requires drying horizontally and at least 18"off the of wear and tear on the machine. ground. Your fi rst layer in the stack should be rea- If I didn’t have the money for a mortising ma- sonably fl at scrap pieces of similar size to the rest chine, I’d simply purchase a good set of Forstner of the pile. On top of that, put down alternating lay- bits and make all my mortises in my drill press by ers of 1x stickers and lumber. Use plenty of stickers overlapping holes. This works well. and keep them uniformly vertical to each other as – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor

2 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 The Right Way to Clean A Question about Plywood Gunked-up Saw Blades I just picked up a copy of Woodworking Magazine Regarding using oven cleaner to clean the gunk (Spring 2004) and had to share my enthusiasm. off saw blades (“Letters,” Spring 2004), a more I get every woodworking magazine out there but benign and equally effective product is Greased yours shows a quality missing from the rest. I was Lightning Orange Blast kitchen cleaner, distribut- particularly taken by the articles and your “Let- ed by A&M Cleaning Products of Clemson, S.C. ters” section. Your style is engaging, clear and in- (greased-lightning.com). It is one of several simi- teresting. In each instance, I came away feeling lar products I found on the shelves at the supermar- Stack dado like defi nitive information was transmitted and ket. I once tried an oven cleaner on my saw blade. that I truly learned something of value to me. It was so strong, the stamped serial number was the One comment on the “Glossary” (Editor’s note: only thing it didn’t remove from the blade. Our interactive, newly expanded glossary ap- Ron Culbertson pears online at woodworking-magazine.com): Myrtle Creek, Oregon Shim Your defi nition of Baltic birch seems to equate Ron, Dado is adjusted by stacking it with Finnish birch. I’ve read in several places Oven cleaners can be caustic. Handling blades blades to the correct width that this plywood is made with a different glue (or bits) that are being cleaned this way that makes it suitable for outdoor use, a subtle but should be done with care to avoid an eye injury signifi cant difference. or skin irritation. Citrus cleaners, such as the one Joe Piccolino you mention, can be effective and are not as harsh Delmar, New York if they come in contact with skin. Still another op- Joe, tion is an overnight soak in kerosene. We contacted There are differences between the two , one of the biggest manufacturers of carbide in the but it’s not the glue. To clear up the confusion, world, Leitz Tooling Systems Inc., and learned that we talked with Luke Wolstenholme, president of all these cleaning approaches are acceptable and Wolstenholme International, a Boulder, Colo.- will not harm the carbide itself. We also learned based company that has been importing Baltic that on an industrial level, Leitz uses ultrasonic birch to this country for 12 years. waves to remove pitch from tooling. Baltic and Finnish birch are both high-quality Steve Shanesy, editor & publisher Wobble dado plywoods made from veneer plies of equal thick- nesses. The plies are thinner than those in most domestic plywoods, and therefore there are more Additional 6" Rule Sources layers. Add the fact that these plywoods don’t have Regarding “Almost-perfect 6" Rulers” (Spring voids and are generally inexpensive and you can see why they are desirable materials. Wolsten- 2004): These 6" rules are generally based on ma- Dado is cut by the rotating angled blade chinist’s rules, which come in many patterns. holme says although Baltic birch (imported from Buying them through woodworking tool suppli- Russia) is made in 4' x 8', 5' x 8' and 5' x 10' sheets, ers isn’t the best approach. People should buy Differences in Dado Sets 90 percent of it is sold in 5' x 5' sheets. Finnish birch (from Finland) is available in other sizes, but 90 them through companies that sell to machinists, What is the difference between a stack dado and percent of it is sold in 4' x 8' sheets. where you can get a far wider variety of widths, an adjustable (also called a “wobble”) dado? Is Both types of plywood are available with either thicknesses and measurement patterns, often at one safer or more exact than the other? interior- or exterior-grade adhesive. Typically, lower prices. Two good possibilities to check out David Eccles 4' x 8' sheets are used in construction, so those are McMaster-Carr (www.mcmaster.com) and via the Internet are made with glue suitable for exterior use, while Enco (use-enco.com). Good brands to consid- David, 5' x 5' sheets are used for furniture projects, so er besides the pair you recommend (Starrett and There are two kinds of dado sets, and both are those are made with glue suitable for interior use. Shinwa) are Brown & Sharpe and Mitutoyo. “adjustable,” meaning you can alter the width of Perhaps this has led to the assumption that Finnish Also, the last time I looked in my hardware the dado. A stack dado consists of several blades birch is always made with glue suitable for outdoor store, conventional tapered wood were that you stack on the arbor until you get to the de- use. In most cases it is – but not always. WM still available in steel and hot-dipped galvanized sired width. The outside blades are simply outer – Kara Gebhart, managing editor steel (“Screws,” Spring 2004). Perhaps the hard- blades, while the inside blades are called “chip- ware stores near you no longer carry them, but pers.” There also are shims that allow you to make this isn’t true everywhere. small changes in width, as small as a few thou- Bill Houghton sandths of an inch. HOW TO CONTACT US Sebastopol, California The other kind of is a “wobble” dado. Send your comments and questions via This is a one-blade system. By turning a knob at e-mail to [email protected], or by the center you can adjust how much the blade will regular mail to Woodworking Magazine, “Only those who have the patience to do wobble as it rotates. The more it wobbles, the wider Letters, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, simple things perfectly ever acquire the the dado cut. This tooling, though generally less Cincinnati, OH 45236. Please include your expensive, leaves a cut that is unacceptable for complete mailing address and daytime skill to do difficult things easily.” all but the roughest of woodworking. You should phone number. All letters become — Friedrich Von Schiller (1759 – 1805) choose a stack dado when building furniture. property of Woodworking Magazine. dramatist, essayist and poet – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 3 Shortcuts

Two Finger Tricks for Drilling and Sawing Straight No More Broken 3 Place index fi nger on top of blade, Like most turners, I use a ⁄8" glued into a pointing in direction of cut small block of wood when turning bottle stop- pers. The dowel provides a handy way to hold the work in a standard drill chuck in the head stock. Point index fi nger The problem was, I would sometimes break the in line with TryTry toto useuse dowel when turning, ruining the work. I guessed Use middle fi nger fullfull lengthlength ofof bladeblade that one of the reasons the dowel was breaking to operate trigger was because of the small area of contact in the chuck on the dowel itself. Remembering I had an 3 A sharp can be a precision instrument old ⁄8" split-sleeve router collet, I tried inserting with just a little practice. Here are three tips I was the dowel in the collet, then the collet in the drill taught that make all cut straighter and faster. chuck. Now the dowel was supported all around One: Similar to the shortcut shown at left, always by a steel sleeve. Since adding the collet to my set- hold the saw with your index fi nger extended out, up, I haven’t broken a dowel yet. pointing down the blade. This greatly improves Steve Shanesy, editor & publisher For fi rst-time (or even experienced) drill users, it your control. (This advice is true for many tools, can be diffi cult to drill a straight hole every time. actually). Two: Use very little downward pressure 3 Your eyes can trick you. Therefore, it’s best to let when sawing. Let the saw do the work. If you press ⁄8" routerrouter colletcollet givesgives your brain and body take over. When using your the saw down as you cut, it will wander off the line. fullfull supportsupport drill, lay your index finger along the barrel of Three: Woodworkers tend to use the teeth only in the drill (in line with the bit), then use your mid- the middle of the saw. As you are cutting, pretend dle fi nger to pull the trigger. Essentially, you’re that the saw is longer than it actually is. This will using your index fi nger to point the way you want trick you into making longer strokes. Your saw to drill. This technique will allow your body to will cut faster and the teeth will stay sharp longer point straight every time. because you are using more of them. SleeveSleeve placedplaced intointo David Thiel, senior editor Christopher Schwarz, executive editor drill chuck on lathe

Fixing Gaps in Joints ’s Guard a Source of Error This is an often-forgotten ’s trick. When will remove the imperfections between the two Recently in our shop here at Woodworking Mag- you have two parts of a joint that won’t close mating parts and the joint will go together tightly. azine, we were having trouble getting our jointer tightly, there is a simple solution. First put the joint This works with many joints including half-laps, to machine an edge that was 90° to the face of the together and apply enough or hand pres- miters, mortise-and-tenons and scarf joints. board. At fi rst we thought our machinist sure to keep the parts in place. Take a fi ne-tooth David Fleming had gone out of true, but that wasn’t the case. No saw (a Japanese fl ush-cutting saw is ideal) and saw Cobden, Ontario matter how much we tweaked the fence, all the between the two parts of the joint. The small kerf edges were off a couple of degrees. PartsParts don’tdon’t meetmeet Then one day it dawned on me: The jointer’s at clean line spring-loaded guard was slapping the machine’s Clamp workpiece fence after each pass. The guard wasn’t hitting to benchtop the fence hard, but it was enough to throw off the angle setting – no matter how tightly we locked the fence down. Here’s how to see if you have this UseUse workpieceworkpiece problem: Set your jointer’s fence to 90° and allow asas guideguide the spring-loaded guard to strike the fence. Then whenwhen cuttingcutting check the angle of the fence again. Joint tight after thethe ccutut atat tthehe jjointoint The solution is simple: Set the tension on the guard so that it doesn’t slap the fence after each board passes over the machine’s cutterhead. Ad- just the tension until the guard swings to cover the cutterhead, but doesn’t strike the fence. Christopher Schwarz, executive editor

4 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 Avoid Injuries Using Your Drill Press for Threaded Inserts can be dangerous tools. One of the Threaded inserts have machine- threads on most common injuries occurs when your hands the inside of the barrel. Wood-screw threads are slip and the corner of the blade catches you. I once on the outside. These inserts are great for many was shown how to easily avoid this injury by sim- jigs and furniture projects. But after drilling your ply grinding off the two sharp corners where the appropriately sized hole in the wood for the insert, blade ends. It’s the fi rst thing you should do after it can be diffi cult to drive the insert straight into you buy your drawknife. the wood with the standard screwdriver approach. First, thread Christopher Schwarz, executive editor So use your drill press instead. Insert a machine- nut onto threaded bolt (or length of threaded rod) into the press insert with an appropriately sized nut stopped against the insert. Then chuck the threaded rod into your drill press’s chuck and turn the chuck by hand (don’t turn the motor on) to install the insert straight and accurately into your hole. David Thiel, senior editor Then thread insert Line up insert with hole, onto bolt or then screw it to correct threaded rod depth by hand

File off sharp corner of blade Sharpening Curved Blades Sanding Wooden Knobs Many woodworkers struggle when it comes to If you’ve ever purchased wooden knobs for a proj- Fraction/Decimal Chart sharpening the curved blades of drawknives, in- ect, you know that sometimes they can be less shaves, and even shallow gouges. Here’s a than perfect. Some have tear-out from the lathe; Ever need a quick chart that can help you convert reliable way to make your edges better. Chuck a others are poorly sanded at the factory. To make fractions to decimals and back again? Well, we’re sanding drum in your variable-speed drill. The my wooden knobs look as good as the rest of my here to help. Check this out: curvature of the tool determines how large a di- project, I wrap the knob’s post or mounting dow- ameter sanding drum you need. Use a bigger drum el in electrical tape and chuck that in a variable- FRACTION DECIMAL FRACTION DECIMAL 1 ⁄4 1 33 (1 ") for wide-bladed tools and smaller diameters speed drill or drill press. It’s an instant mini-lathe. ⁄6464 0 0.016.016 ⁄6464 0.5160.516 1 17 for the smaller scale stuff. Use #120-grit paper to With a piece of in one hand and the ⁄3232 0.0310.031 ⁄3232 0.5310.531 3 35 start sharpening. You can switch grits if you need drill in the other, I can quickly sand the knob to ⁄6464 0.047 ⁄6464 0 0.547.547 1 9 a really keen edge. Once you refresh the edge with any grit. WM ⁄1616 0.0630.063 ⁄1616 0.5630.563 5 37 the sandpaper, it’s simple work to fi nish it up with Christopher Schwarz, executive editor ⁄6464 0.0780.078 ⁄6464 0.5780.578 3 19 a small curved slipstone. ⁄3232 0 0.094.094 ⁄3232 0 0.594.594 7 39 Christopher Schwarz, executive editor ⁄6464 0 0.109.109 ⁄6464 0.6090.609 Wrap post in 1 5 ⁄8 0.1250.125 ⁄8 0.6250.625 electrical tape 9 41 ⁄6464 0.1410.141 ⁄6464 0.6410.641 5 21 ⁄3232 0.1560.156 ⁄3232 0.6560.656 11 43 ⁄6464 0.1720.172 ⁄6464 0 0.672.672 3 11 ⁄1616 0.1880.188 ⁄1616 0.6880.688 13 45 ⁄6464 0.2030.203 ⁄6464 0 0.703.703 7 23 ⁄3232 0 0.219.219 ⁄3232 0 0.719.719 15 47 ⁄6464 0.2340.234 ⁄6464 0 0.734.734 Hold piece of sandpaper in 1 3 ⁄4 0.250.25 ⁄4 0.750.75 one hand and drill in other 17 49 ⁄6464 0 0.266.266 ⁄6464 0 0.766.766 9 25 ⁄3232 0 0.281.281 ⁄3232 0.7810.781 19 51 ⁄6464 0.2970.297 ⁄6464 0.7970.797 5 13 ⁄1616 0 0.313.313 ⁄1616 0 0.813.813 21 53 ⁄6464 0.3280.328 ⁄6464 0.8280.828 11 27 ⁄3232 0 0.344.344 ⁄3232 0.8440.844 23 55 ⁄6464 0 0.359.359 ⁄6464 0.8590.859 Use large SEND US YOUR SHORTCUT 3 7 ⁄8 0 0.375.375 ⁄8 0 0.875.875 drumdrum forfor toolstools withwith 25 57 widewide curvaturecurvature We will send you $25 for each Shortcut ⁄6464 0 0.391.391 ⁄6464 0.8910.891 13 29 we print. Send your Shortcut via e-mail ⁄3232 0 0.406.406 ⁄3232 0.9060.906 27 59 to [email protected], or by ⁄6464 0.4220.422 ⁄6464 0 0.922.922 UseUse different-sizeddifferent-sized 7 15 drumsdrums basedbased onon regular mail to Woodworking Magazine, ⁄1616 0 0.438.438 ⁄1616 0 0.938.938 29 61 tool diameter Shortcuts, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, ⁄6464 0.4530.453 ⁄5454 0 0.953.953 15 31 Cincinnati, OH 45236. Please include ⁄3232 0 0.469.469 ⁄3232 0.9690.969 31 63 your mailing address and daytime phone ⁄6464 0 0.484.484 ⁄6464 0 0.984.984 1 number. All Shortcuts become property ⁄2 0 0.5.5 1 1 of Woodworking Magazine. Michael Rabkin, associate editor

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 5 Mortises & Tenons for Tables

We found that all you need to cut this stout joint is a router, a router table and a single inexpensive bit.

To avoidavoid cuttingcutting mortise-and-tenonmortise-and-tenon joints,joints, manymany woodworkers opt to build their projects using sim- pler rabbets, dados and grooves instead. What many of them fail to realize is that the mortise- and-tenon joint is nothing more than a clever com- bination of rabbets and grooves. The mortise is just a stopped . And the tenon is just a piece of wood that has been rabbeted on at least one (but usually four) of its faces. So the real challenge for the woodworker who sets out to make this joint for the fi rst time is ac- tually a set of three manageable tasks: ■ Choosing the right tools. ■ Setting up the tools for accurate results. ■ Choosing a project to practice on.

Why Build a Table? Without a doubt, the best project to learn how to make a mortise-and-tenon joint on is a table. The typical table has – at most – eight joints to cut. (Compare that to a Morris chair, where you can easily have 75 joints or more.) Fitting a mortise-and-tenon joint for a table is more forgiving than fi tting the same joint for even a simple square picture frame. With a frame, PARRISHAL BY PHOTO you need to fi t the horizontal members (called rails) between the vertical members (called stiles) at the top and bottom of the frame. There can The Tenacious Tenon long-grain surfaces, they mate with end-grain sur- be quite a bit of fi ddling to get the rails closed Each part of the tenon has a job to do. Once you faces in the mortise, which makes a poor joint. In- tightly against the stiles at both places. know this, you’ll also know how the joint can be stead, the job of the edge cheek is to resist racking With a small table, each assembly of two legs modifi ed or tweaked and still do its job. forces in the assembly. The better the fi t between and one apron is simpler – you have to fi t the joint All tenons have four cheeks. The wider cheeks the edge cheek and the mortise, the less likely only at the top of the legs. There is indeed some are face cheeks and the narrower ones are edge your project will wobble, even if the glue joint at fi ddling when you put these assemblies together cheeks. The face cheeks are the backbone of the the face cheek becomes compromised. into the completed table base, but because the work joint. They are the long-grain gluing surface that Tenons also have shoulders. This part of the is done in stages, it’s more manageable. mates with the long-grain surface in the wall of joint – which literally looks like a shoulder – can Also, the mortise-and-tenon joint for a small the mortise. The better the fi t between the face be on one to four of the edges of the tenon. The table can be much simpler to execute than the cheeks and the mortise, the stronger your glue job of the shoulder is mostly cosmetic: It hides mortise-and-tenon joint for a frame or . To joint ultimately will be. any sloppiness in the mortise opening. It also can understand why this is true, you fi rst need a les- The edge cheeks don’t provide much gluing be pared in various ways to hide other defects of son in basic tenon anatomy. strength at all. Though the edge cheeks are also the joint. For example, if you sanded your mor-

6 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 tised piece too much and crowned the surface, the shoulder can be chiseled up near the cheek to Edge eliminate any gap that might appear between the Cheeks Face shoulder joint’s pieces. The shoulder is therefore necessary Face shoulder cheek only on surfaces that show on the fi nal project. Edge There’s something else to consider when mak- cheek ing shoulders: If you make them too wide, you can introduce two problems to your joint. First, bigger shoulders means you have smaller cheeks, which reduces the overall strength of the joint. Second, a large shoulder will allow the tenoned board to cup or bow slightly at its edges. Big shoul- ders can, over time, result in a joint that isn’t fl ush like it was the day you made it. Shoulders Fewer Shoulders Make it Easier With all these parts to keep track of, it’s no wonder that some woodworkers shy away from this joint. The anatomy of a typical The shoulders cover up any inaccuracy in the mortises of these But tenons for tables can be simpler than tenons tenon with four shoulders. bare-faced tenons with simple shoulders. for other assemblies. Here’s why: The tenons for tables need fewer shoulders. Really, only one face of the apron shows in a table. You defi nitely don’t this joint with hand tools requires an investment need a shoulder on the inside of the apron. in tools (tenon saw, carcase saw, mortising chis- A shoulder at the bottom of the apron is op- el and shoulder ) and practice time. While tional, though a very small one is easy to fi t and there is pleasure in cutting this joint by hand, it prevents the apron from cupping. can be frustrating at fi rst. (See “Cutting this Joint And here’s the real kicker – you don’t need a with Hand Tools” on page 8.) shoulder at the top of the apron. In fact, I’d argue There is an easier way. I argue that you can that eliminating it can make a better joint for two do all the mortise-and-tenon joinery for a sim- A 3 reasons: First, because the tenon is almost the ple table with a router, a router table and a ⁄8"- full width of the apron, it keeps your apron from diameter straight bit. All three items are common cupping or bowing. This is especially important equipment in even the most bare-bones shop. in a table because a cupped apron can push the In a nutshell, here’s how it’s done: First mill tabletop up in places, spoiling its fl atness. Second, your mortises in the legs. Set up the straight bit B it makes the mortise easy to cut. Essentially the in your router table and set the fence to center the mortise is stopped only at one end. As you’ll see cut on the width of the leg. Cut the mortise out shortly, this allows you to make this joint with- in several passes, increasing the height of the bit out a lot of equipment. with each pass. You’ll need a stop on the outfeed When tenons are closer to the outside of the Of course, the logical objection to a joint like side of the router table’s fence to stop the mortise aprons, as in example “B” above, they can have this is that if the mortise is open on one end then in the same location. extra length, compared to the tenons in example the table won’t resist racking. I argue that a prop- To cut the tenons, keep that same bit in your “A” that are centered on the aprons. erly fi tted tabletop takes the place of that mor- router table and use a miter (or a scrap of tise wall, constraining the tenon’s edge cheek wood) to guide the apron into the bit, cutting a cut on. This makes a balanced joint: half of it is and keeping it from racking. And, as you’ll see rabbet on each end. Adjust the height of the bit tenon and the other half is shoulder. 1 later, you can easily reinforce this joint with a until the tenon fi ts perfectly in its mortise. But some woodworkers use ⁄4"-thick tenons 3 3 well-placed peg for added insurance. The heart of this method is the ⁄8"-diameter on ⁄4" stock. For this particular technique, I think 3 1 straight bit. Why ⁄8"? There are several reasons. that’s a mistake. Straight bits that are ⁄4" diameter Choosing Your Tools Aprons for small tables are typically going to be are fragile; even quality ones will snap easily if 3 One big objection to mortise-and-tenon join- made using ⁄4"-thick wood, and tenons as a rule you put too much pressure on them. Similarly, a 1 ery is the specialized tools you need to make it. are supposed to be half as thick as the stock they’re beefy ⁄2"-diameter straight bit is also a bad idea. Benchtop mortising machines cost $200; a kit You could use one, but then your mortise starts to that allows your drill press to serve as a makeshift get so wide that its walls can become more frag- mortiser costs about $70 (assuming you have a ile, especially in a small table’s delicate legs. I’d 1 drill press). An option is to cut your mortises with “Any intelligent fool can make things save the ⁄2" bit for joints for bigger proj- a plunge router and a shopmade or commercial bigger, more complex, and more ects, such as dining tables. ($75 or so). But these jigs take time and money The router doesn’t have to be fancy – even a and aren’t necessary for this particular joint. violent. It takes a touch of genius – low-powered single-speed tool will do this job For cutting the tenons, you could buy a com- and a lot of courage – to move with relative ease. And the router table doesn’t mercial jig, build a tenoning jig or get a dado stack have to be expensive, either. Any table with an ($85 for starters) to do the job on the table saw. in the opposite direction.” adjustable fence will do – even a shop-made ver- Still other woodworkers insist on cutting the — E.F. Schumacher (1911 - 1977) sion with a simple plywood table and a straight joint by hand. I do a lot of handwork, but making author of “Small is Beautiful” scrap of solid wood for the fence.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 7 Make the Mortises Cutting This Joint with Hand Tools The fi rst step is to mill the mortises on the ends of the legs. Set up your router table so the bit projects 1 ⁄4" above the table. Position the fence so the cut will be centered on the end of the leg. You prob- ably won’t hit this dimension the fi rst time, so be sure you practice on test pieces. Clamp a stop piece (a scrap piece is fi ne) to your fence so your mortises will end at the same place. Where you clamp the stop is determined by the width of your aprons. For example, if your Bottom of mortise aprons are 4" wide, I’d position the stop so that the 7 Edge of mortise mortise is 3 ⁄8" long. This will give you a small 1 ⁄8" shoulder at the bottom of the apron. Take some scrap that is the exact size as your To cut a mortise by hand, use a chisel that’s the table leg and mill a test mortise. Push the leg exact width of your desired mortise. Work from the center out with the face of the tool pointed into the bit with steady pressure. If the bit burns, toward the center of the mortise (left). I sliced you’re going too slowly; if it chatters, you’re go- open this joint during the process (above) so you ing too fast. Check your results. To determine if can see how you chop out a “V” in the center and the mortise is centered on the leg, use calipers then chop to the ends. and check the length with a ruler. With your setup just right, you can mill the mortises. First mill all the mortises with the bit 1 set to ⁄4" high. Then increase the height of the bit 1 to ⁄2" and perform the same operation on all the 3 legs. Finally, raise the bit to ⁄4" (if that’s your fi nal height) and make the last pass. In my book, a 1"- deep mortise would be preferable, but not every project will allow it. The small side table project 3 in this issue uses a ⁄8"-deep mortise.

Time to Try the Tenons Making the matching tenons is surprisingly sim- ple work using the same router-table setup. Set 1 the height of your bit to ⁄8" and adjust the fence so that the diameter of the bit plus the distance between the bit and fence equals the length of 3 To cut the tenons, saw the cheeks diagonally Once you make the fi rst diagonal cut, turn the your tenon. For example, to cut a ⁄4"-long tenon, 3 with the piece held in your vice. Seeing two work around and saw straight down. The fi rst position the fence so that the ⁄8"-diameter bit is 3 sides simultaneously increases your accuracy. cut guides your second cut. ⁄8" away from the fence. Get some scrap that’s the same thickness as your aprons and cut a test tenon. You can use a miter gauge to guide the work, but a simple square back-up block works just as well – and it reduc- es tear-out as the bit exits the cut. Make the test cut in at least three passes. Start at the end of the tenon and work to the shoulder. This is the safest way to make the cut because you cannot get any wood jammed between the bit and the fence. Check the length of your tenon and adjust your fence. With the length set, mill the edge shoul- ders on the bottom edge of the apron. Next, make the fi rst cut on the face cheek on all the aprons. Do this using the same procedure you followed for the edge cheeks. With that cut 3 complete, raise the bit very close to ⁄1616" high and make another pass on all your tenons. Your ten- ons should almost fi t in the mortises. Getting a perfect fi t is just a matter of taking The next step is to saw the shoulders. Mark the location of your shoulder with a chisel and the time to nudge the router bit up until the ten- . This cut will guide your saw. With the shoulders cut, trim them with a ons fi t in the mortises you cut. What’s a perfect (shown above) until the tenon fi ts the mortise. fi t? You should be able to fi t the tenon in its mor-

8 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 Mark your start and stop points on a piece of tape

Stop

To cut the mortise with the router, fi rst mark out The stop determines the length of the mortise. Don’t forget to include the diameter of the bit when the location on the end of a leg and line up the bit determining where the stop should go. Try to get it as close as you can when making a test cut. with your layout lines as best you can. tise using just hand pressure. If you have to use a , it’s too tight. If the tenon drops into the mortise and wiggles, it’s too loose. If the tenon is too tight, don’t force it. You’ll destroy a fragile leg. If it’s too loose, you’re going to have to beef up your tenon a bit. The best way to do this is to glue hand-plane shavings (for small adjustments) or thicker scraps (for large errors) to the tenon. Once this extra wood is glued in place, you might have to mill down the tenon a bit again. Take your time when cutting your tenons – a little extra care saves you a lot of grief. When the tenons slide home in their mortises, you’re close to completing the joint. Now it’s just Mill the mortises in several passes to avoid a matter of squaring the rounded end of the mor- stressing the bit. With your stop and fence in tise and either mitering or notching the tenons so place, the work proceeds quickly. they fi t together, if necessary. One option to deal with the point where the Getting the tenons to fi t with each other is sim- tenons meet is to miter the end of the tenons. ple work with a . Really, there is noth- ing diffi cult about this cut, and even if you mess it up it will never show. If you like, you can cut wide of your line and then pare to your layout line using a chisel. In small tables (and many large ones), it’s typ- ical for the two mortises in a leg to meet at the center. This is easy to deal with; you’ll just have to modify your tenons a bit to make them fit. There are two generally good solutions: You can miter the end of each tenon to fi t, or you can cut notches on the ends so they interlock, as shown in the illustrations at right. Walls Both solutions are simple work with a saw. You don’t need a perfect fi t inside the leg because it will never show. But they are both good ways to A dial caliper ensures that you will have less get some experience cutting with a hand saw or fussing when you fi t your joints. A perfectly making a couple of miters. centered mortise will result in a table base that is When your joint is ready to assemble, here square and not a parallelogram. Check the two are a couple of tips: Don’t try to assemble your mortise walls. When they are equal in thickness, If you don’t want to miter the tenons, you can cut table base all at once. Glue up one side and your mortise is centered. notches in the ends so they interlock.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 9 The tenon length is determined by the diameter Your test set-up is perfect for milling the single After the second pass, your tenons should be only of the bit and its distance from the fence. Use a edge shoulder. Make this cut with the apron on a hair off. Make this cut on a piece of scrap fi rst to ruler to get this setting close. Make a test cut and edge guided by a back-up block or a miter gauge. ensure you don’t overshoot your mark. adjust the fi t so it’s perfect. then the other. Then glue those two assemblies Reinforcements center my pegs on the length of the tenon. together. It takes more time, but there are fewer Finally, I think it’s a good idea to reinforce table Put a little glue in the hole and drive the peg in joints to keep an eye on as the glue begins to set tenons using a wooden peg driven through the with a hammer. As the peg hits bottom, the ham- up. The glue-up procedure also reinforces the leg. But don’t peg your joints until the glue is set mer will make a different sound when it strikes sometimes-fragile mortise wall created by this up. If you don’t want the peg to show, you can peg the peg. Stop hammering. Any more hits could mortising technique. the joint from inside the table base. split the peg. As you’ll see, this procedure lets you Be sure to do a dry fi t. If the tenon won’t seat all No matter where you put the peg, the proce- put a square peg in a round hole. The corners of the way into its mortise, shorten your tenon until dure is the same. Cut some pegs on your table saw; the peg bite into the surrounding wood to keep it 1 it does. If there is a gap at the outside shoulder, try I like square stuff that’s a hair bigger than ⁄4" x from twisting out. Finally, trim the peg fl ush (or 1 paring away some of the end grain of the shoulder ⁄4". I don’t use manufactured dowels because they almost fl ush) using a chisel, a gouge or a fl ush- at the corner where it meets the cheek – but don’t are inconsistent in size. Sharpen one end of your cutting saw, as shown below. chisel the edge of the shoulder that shows. square peg in a pencil sharpener and crosscut it to With this simplifi ed version of the mortise- During glue-up, add glue on the mortise walls 1" long. With a , trim off a good deal of the and-tenon joint mastered, you can see how a cou- only. Don’t glue on the shoulder and don’t worry pointiest part of the end you sharpened. ple of extra cuts can change it. Keep practicing 1 about gluing the edge cheeks or the mortise’s bot- Take a drill with a ⁄4" brad-point bit and drill this joint and before you know it, that Arts & tom. If you get glue there, that’s fi ne, but mostly the hole for the peg. The hole should be deep Crafts bed or Morris chair will look like you want to get the maximum amount of contact enough to pass all the way through the tenon but an easier (or at least doable) job. WM between the face cheeks and the mortise wall. not pass through the entire leg. Usually I like to — Christopher Schwarz

Rounded corner left by router

Scrap guides the chisel

The best way to square the end of a mortise is with a chisel that is the exact width of your mortise. This joint will be concealed by the If you’ve never pegged a joint before, give it a try on one of your test joints. It’s actually simple and tenon shoulder, so it doesn’t have to be pretty. straightforward work. This extra effort will add strength to your table base.

10 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 Sharpen a Chisel

Here’s the secret: The less you sharpen, the keener your tool’s edges will become.

Therehere areare ttwowo tthingshings yyouou mmustust llearnearn ttoo ggetet yyourour chisels sharp enough for woodworking. The fi rst is easy. Your cutting edge is the in- tersection of two planes: the bevel and the face of the tool. As the metal is abraded, the point where those two planes intersect becomes fi ner, sharper and more durable. The ultimate goal of sharpening is to make that point of intersection as small as possible. The smaller that point of in- tersection, the sharper your edge will be. The second thing isn’t as obvious. Good sharp- ening is more about learning to observe your progress than it is about rubbing a tool on a sharp- ening stone. Ultimately, a good sharpener spends little time rubbing the tool and more time mak- ing every stroke count. If this sounds odd, think for a minute about how you viewed furniture before you started woodworking. Most non-woodworkers can see a piece of furniture as a whole form. But it takes training to see the individual details (such as recognizing inset that have perfect reveals all around) and to know what they mean (which is good craftsmanship). As your woodworking skills develop, your eye becomes more discrim- inating. At that point, creating fi ne furniture has more to do with seeing the details than with rip- ping lumber on a table saw. With sharpening, you must develop your eye to know what a good edge looks and feels like. Once you know what sharp is and how to get there, your edges will get better every time you sharpen. And you’ll spend less time at the stones. Ultimately, it should take you only fi ve minutes to bring a dull edge back to perfection. ALPARRISH PHOTOBY

The Right Sharpening Kit Buying the right equipment is important. Some ■ A coarse waterstone (#800- or #1,000-grit) hands-on instruction, most beginners will strug- systems are slow (oilstones), some need more for shaping the tool’s secondary bevel. gle needlessly learning freehand technique. Pro- maintenance (waterstones) and some have pe- ■ A fi ne waterstone (#6,000- or #8,000-grit) ducing your fi rst keen edge will take far more culiarities (such as the tendency of sandpaper to for polishing the secondary bevel and face. practice. And your progress will be slower. The round over an edge). I have used every system, ■ An inexpensive side-clamp honing guide. honing guide allows you to succeed on your fi rst and after years of experimenting and sharpening This list is a bit unusual because of what I’ve or second try. And once you know what sharp is, hundreds of edges, I’ve settled on a hybrid system included and what some may say is missing. The you can then choose to use the guide or not. that consists primarily of the following: honing guide is a bit controversial, but it’s the The second reason the above list is radical is ■ A DMT diamond stone for removing metal key to early success. Many excellent craftsmen because there is no medium-grit stone between quickly and truing my other sharpening stones dispense with these “training wheels” and insist coarse and fi ne. British craftsman and teacher (dmtsharp.com or 800-666-4368). beginners sharpen without it. However, without David Charlesworth recently convinced me that

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 11 the medium-grit stone was unnecessary. After will wander up or down, depending on whether this burr cannot be overstated. Your edge might sharpening about 100 edges his way, observing the face is convex or concave. When you attempt look nice and shiny, but unless you created a burr them with a 30x jeweler’s loupe and putting them to clean up a routed corner or remove waste be- on the face of the chisel on your coarsest stone, to work, I’m convinced he’s correct. A fi ne-grit tween dovetails, you will have diffi culty steering your edge isn’t sharp. The photos below discuss waterstone cuts fast enough to polish your edge and the tool straight for the same reason. how and where to look for this burr. remove the scratches left by the coarse-grit stone. You should also remember that the face of the In addition to the above equipment, I recom- tool is half of your cutting edge. If left unpolished, The Act: Brief but Bountiful mend a Tupperware-like container to store your your edge will be less durable. Why? Pretend that As you follow the photos that illustrate the steps stones (a $6 expense), a spray bottle to mist water your hand is a chisel and the spaces between your to sharpening, keep these things in mind: on your stones, a plastic non-skid mat from the fi ngers are scratches in the metal left by grinding Honing the chisel does not require a lot of housewares department to contain your mess, on a coarse stone. If you jabbed someone with strokes on the stone. In fact, the more back-and- some oil, a small square and some rags. your fi ngers stretched out and spread apart (sim- forth motions you make, the more likely you are ilar to an edge with deep scratches), you’d prob- to put pressure in the wrong place or dish your Know Your Chisel ably break your hand. But if you brought your waterstone unnecessarily. Before you can sharpen a chisel, you must know fi ngers together into a fi st (similar to an edge Here is another trick I learned from Charles- your goal. Chisels are somewhat Zen-like tools. with smaller and shallower scratches), your hand worth: When honing on the waterstones, start Though they are the simplest woodworking de- would endure the punch pretty well. with about six strokes. Then observe the edge vices, properly setting them up is tricky. The second important thing to know is that the carefully by eye and rub your fi nger up to the The fi rst thing to understand is the function of cutting edge must be 90° to the sides of the tool. edge of the face to feel for the burr. If you don’t the face of the chisel. The face is the fl at, unbev- A skewed edge will tend to wander in a cut. feel the burr but it looks like you’re sharpening eled side of the blade. For a chisel to work cor- Third, the bevel of the tool must be evenly pol- the bevel, switch to a coarser stone and try again rectly, this surface must be fl at. If you polish only ished at the cutting edge. The best way to deter- until you can defi nitely feel the burr. near the cutting edge (a tempting time-saver) the mine if you are truly sharpening at the cutting When you can feel the burr and the scratch pat- chisel won’t cut true. When you guide your chisel edge is the emergence of a “burr” on the face of tern is consistent, move to the next fi ner grit. on one surface to pare a mating surface, the tool the tool during sharpening. The importance of One mistake beginners make is that they use

STAGE 1: Preparing the Face The face of a chisel needs to be fl attened and polished only once if you As you fl atten the face, be mindful never to lift the chisel’s handle during do it right. Before fl attening the face, remove protective lacquer from the this operation. If you do, you will grind a curve into your tool’s face that blade with lacquer thinner (you may need to soak some tools overnight). will be diffi cult to ever straighten out.

More work needed here

Plunge Move forward

Flattening begins on the diamond stone. I use The scratches should The second stroke (used with all chisels) is to After 20 strokes of the DMT’s extra-coarse stone for this, which is run left to right on the plunge the chisel back and forth on the stone. plunging motion, the #220-grit. I use mineral spirits as a lubricant. face of the chisel after After each plunge, move the chisel forward a scratches should look 1 The fi rst type of stroke is used for ⁄2" chisels this stroke. This chisel little bit on the stone. Note that with narrow vertical. Repeat these 1 3 and wider. Rub the face against the stone as is getting there, but it chisels ( ⁄8"- ⁄8") this is the only stroke possi- strokes until the fi rst shown, keeping the face fl at against the stone. needs more work. ble when fl attening the face. (The fi rst type of 3" of the chisel’s face Start with 20 strokes and check your work. stroke will round over the edges of the face.) shows a consistent scratch pattern. Then repeat these strokes on the coarse #325- grit diamond stone, then the coarse and fi ne waterstones. Here is a picture of the polished face of the tool refl ecting the surface of the diamond sharpening stone. Ultimately, this is what your face should look like: a mirror along most of the face of the tool. There will be some small scratches from polishing, but these are OK.

12 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 “The carpenter is not the best who in the bottom of the sink. Place the waterstone on The best time to sharpen a tool is before edge the diamond stone and rub the waterstone forward failure occurs. A chipped and ragged edge takes makes more chips than all the rest.” and back. Cock the waterstone left 30° and rub it considerable time to renew, but an edge that is — Arthur Guiterman (1871 - 1943) back and forth. Then cock the waterstone right still at the working-dull stage can be honed very humorist, poet and journalist 30° and do the same. Repeat these three motions quickly. So if you sharpen your edges before over and over. If you are not sure if your stone they’re destroyed, you’ll have more sharpening is fl at after a minute or so, try scrawling a pen- sessions, but they’ll be brief. too much pressure when honing the bevel. Ex- cil line on the waterstone and rubbing it on the If all this makes your brain hurt, you’re not cessive pressure wears the stone unevenly and diamond stone. If you can still see pencil lines, alone. Sharpening challenges even the best wood- can result in the edge being sharpened more in you have more fl attening to do. workers. My advice is to sharpen regularly and one place than in others. Just use enough pres- your tool’s edges will improve over time. I fi nd sure to keep the chisel and honing guide under Sharpen Regularly this true even after 15 years of sharpening. control. Let the stone do the work. Here’s the real brain teaser about sharpening to Recently I dug out a 2"-wide (a very Another big mistake beginners make is not consider: The more you sharpen your tools, the large chisel) from my toolbox that I use infre- truing their waterstones regularly. If your sharp- less time you’ll spend sharpening. quently. When I’d put the tool away a few years ening session isn’t proceeding as planned or your This is true because of the way an edge tool ago it was sharp. But when I examined the edge results don’t look like they’re supposed to, the degenerates. A freshly sharpened tool starts out recently I saw that the tool needed honing. The culprit is almost always the stones. Waterstones with an extremely keen edge. After just a little edge hadn’t changed a bit in three years, but my cut fast but wear fast – usually by “dishing out” bit of work, the edge quickly degenerates to what defi nition of what is sharp sure had. in the middle of the stone. You need to fl atten I like to call a state of “working dull.” The edge So I sharpened up the slick, put the tool to use them regularly. I fl atten mine with the diamond isn’t as sharp as it can be, but it’s sharp enough and put the sharp tool back in the toolbox. And I stone after honing three tools. It takes just a few for the task. Then the edge degenerates slowly, if bet the next time I get the tool out I’ll hone it fi rst minutes and pays big rewards. it’s not abused. The last stage of an edge is what I again. Good sharpening, like good woodwork- I fl atten my stones in the sink under a slow but call “edge failure” – this is where the edge gives ing, is a continuously moving target. steady stream of water. Place the diamond stone up and becomes chipped and ragged. —Christopher Schwarz

STAGE 2: Grinding the Primary Bevel 1 1 3 Shaping the primary bevel is done on the coarse diamond stone. The experimenting: Grind the primary bevel of your ⁄8", ⁄4" and ⁄8" angle of the bevel will affect the toughness of the edge (higher angles chisels at 30° – these tools are used mostly for light chopping and need 1 such as 30° are more durable) and the ease of cutting (lower angles such the edge durability. Keep your ⁄2" chisel at 25° – it’s an all-around 3 as 20° cut more easily). Most chisels come from the factory with the do-anything size. And grind your ⁄4" and 1" chisel at 20° because the bevel ground at 25°. Here’s my recommendation after years of wider tools are used mostly for paring.

After a couple of cycles of grinding, the primary bevel should look scratched and you should feel a burr on the face, which is what my index fi nger is feeling for here. Keep work- ing until you feel the burr. Once you feel the burr, you can move on to honing.

Set the chisel in the honing guide. The angle of Unlike honing, grinding involves lots of strokes. the bevel is determined by how far out the tool Keep even pressure on the tool and move it projects from the honing guide. I mark these forward and back on the diamond stone. Check measurements on my bench to speed sharp- your work after every 20 or 30 strokes. If you’re ening (they work for all the side-clamp guides not sure where the sharpening is occurring on I’m aware of). For a 30° bevel, set the chisel so the edge, it with a permanent marker and 1 1 ⁄4" projects from the guide. For a 25° bevel, take a stroke or two. That will point out where the 5 set the chisel so 1 ⁄8" projects from the guide. chisel is contacting the stone. Also, check your 1 For a 20° bevel, set the chisel so 2 ⁄8” projects. work with a small square to ensure you are This is a chisel ready for honing. You can see grinding a square edge. the 30° bevel created on the diamond stone.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 13 STAGE 3: Honing the Secondary Bevel STAGE 4: Polishing the To hone the secondary bevel, you want to sharpen only at the cutting edge – sharpening the SecondarySecondary BevelBevel entire bevel is a waste of time. So you need to shift your tool in the guide a bit so only the The motions are the same for polishing as leading edge contacts the stone. I usually shift the tool back 1⁄4" in the guide; this adds a 2° they are for honing. Keep the tool in the or 3° secondary bevel. This works with all makes and models of the side-clamping guide that same position in the guide and place it on I’m aware of. the waterstone. Some polishing stones require you to fi rst build up a slurry with a second little stone, called a Nagura. Add a little water and rub the Nagura on the polishing stone until a thin fi lm of slurry appears over the entire surface of the waterstone. Now you are ready to polish.

First loosen the screw on the guide and shift Second, place the guide on your coarse the tool backwards. I mark this second setting waterstone at the far end. Place even pressure Place the guide on the far end of the stone on my bench, which speeds my sharpening. on the chisel and pull the guide toward you in and roll it toward you. Repeat this motion Retighten the guide’s screw. a smooth motion. Roll the guide forward using fi ve more times and examine your edge. almost no pressure. Repeat this motion fi ve more times and then examine your edge.

Secondary bevel

The edge should look like a mirror all the Burr way across. You should not be able to feel a burr on the face of the chisel, but it’s there. Your secondary bevel should appear as a The burr is almost impossible to photograph series of fi ne scratches in a narrow band at the because it is so small, but we got lucky here. cutting edge. Feel for the burr. If you can’t The small wire lying across the bevel of the tool feel it, repeat the six strokes on the coarse is indeed the burr, which detached from the waterstone. When you can feel the burr and face when I pushed my thumb against it. Now the scratches appear consistent on the you know how small the burr is. secondary bevel, move to the next step.

You must remove the burr before proceeding to polishing. Use your polishing waterstone. When removing the sizable burr left by the coarse waterstone, you want to take care because the burr can score the stone. Press Remove the burr from the face of the the face lightly against the polishing stone and chisel. Remove the chisel from the guide, push forward. Repeat this a couple of times place it face-down on the polishing stone and increase the pressure slightly. When the and push it forward once. Rubbing back and burr is gone, you can move to polishing. forth will scratch the face needlessly. WM

14 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 Bevel-edge Chisels ’S R E P K I A H M C T E E U N S L I E B N L B A I S A M Y Y E C E L S E Y T L oror aanyny oonene project,project, a setset ofof chiselschisels ccanan bbee uusedsed L P B R F N F H R A A A S O R T to pare, chop, scrape, clean up, clean out or (even A M S C S though you shouldn’t) open cans. In short, it is a must-have in the toolbox. Owning a good fi rst set is invaluable, but choosing that set can be hard. Our Four Tests Conclusions A chisel should be easy to set up, endure a fair First we set up each tool, lapping the back until it In the end, we determined none of these tools is amount of abuse before it needs to be rehoned was fl at, then honing the bevel to a razor-sharp, perfect. But three will get the job done comfort- and feel comfortable in your hand – even after 30° edge. (Typically you would use a 25° bevel on ably without requiring hours of set-up time: The 1 you’ve chopped out a dozen dovetails. You also a ⁄2" chisel, but 30° is better for chopping.) Ashley Iles is balanced, quick to set up and held need to pay attention to a chisel’s side , as Next, we tested edge retention. We drove each its edge reasonably well; the Marples is inexpen- shown below. (Smaller is better for cleaning out chisel with a mallet 20 times into a piece of ash, sive and performed adequately in every test; and tight joints.) So we put fi ve common, reasonably then inspected each cutting edge under a raking the Sorby held its edge very well and is a beauti- 1 priced ⁄2" chisels through a series of tests to help light with a jeweler’s loupe. We then pared a piece ful tool. All earn our “Recommended” rating, but you select a good fi rst set. of cherry’s end grain with each chisel. We re- none can be called “Highly Recommended.” The peated this routine until the tool required rehoning, Ashley Iles’ and Marples’ edges could have held at which point it was removed from the test. up longer, and the Sorby, which some editors said To test the ergonomics of each tool, fi ve editors was uncomfortable, took too long to set up. used the tools in different applications. The size of We can’t recommend the Craftsman and Stan- our hands vary widely, so the results vary, too. ley chisels. Their bevels are too big for cutting into 3 ⁄32" side bevel Finally, we tested hardness on the Rockwell the tight corners of dovetails, they’re a chore to set “C” scale using an industrial hardness tester at up and they’re uncomfortable to use – especially The side bevel on the Craftsman (above) is too big the University of Cincinnati’s College of Applied when your hands get sweaty. The word to describe 3 at the tip (it’s ⁄3232") to clean out dovetail joints. The Sciences. David Conrad, the director of the Cer- these isn’t inexpensive – it’s cheap. WM 1 Sorby’s ⁄3232" side bevel is much better. tifi cate Program, performed this test. – Kara Gebhart

Bevel-edge Chisels

BRAND PRICE* HANDLE LENGTH SETUP EDGE ERGONOMICS BLADE CONTACT TIME RETENTION HARDNESS** Recommended

1 Ashley Iles $83.25/ Bubinga 7 ⁄2" Easiest Edge looked fantastic Short, smooth handle 59/32*** 800-426-4613 or set of 4 throughout; paring ideal for chopping and toolsforworkingwood.com increasingly diffi cult; comfortable for paring 3rd most durable

1 1 1 Marples $42.50/ Plastic 10 ⁄4" Adequate Paring increasingly more Handle orients easily in 60 ⁄2/60 ⁄2 800-871-8158 or Blue Chip set of 5 diffi cult after a few rounds; hand; some editors leevalley.com 4th most durable suggest cutting plastic seam off for best results

3 Sorby $144.90/ Boxwood 10 ⁄8" Longer than Edge looked awful with Results mixed; some 59/59 800-225-1153 or Cabinetmaker’s set of 4 acceptable deep nicks and crumbling editors suggest woodcraft.com across; pared very well; breaking octagonal 2nd most durable edges for best results Not Recommended

1 Craftsman $19.99/ Plastic 9 ⁄4" Unacceptable Most durable Results mixed; plastic 60/60 800-377-7414 or set of 3 slippery when hands craftsman.com get sweaty

3 1 Stanley $14.46/ Plastic 7 ⁄4" Unacceptable Edge immediately showed Similar to Ashley Iles; 58/58 ⁄2 Available at most set of 3 big nick and crumbling; plastic slippery when home-supply stores least durable hands get sweaty 3 *Prices as of publication deadline. **From Rockwell “C” scale. First number is hardness of metal measured ⁄4" up from cutting edge. Second number is hardness 1 measured 1 ⁄2" up from cutting edge. ***Great difference indicates steel near cutting edge has been hardened and steel near handle has been tempered.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 15 Simple Shaker End Table

Most joinery for small tables is unnecessarily complex. You can build this icon of good design using simplifi ed (but solid) methods.

Whenhen woodworkerswoodworkers fi rstrst setset outout toto buildbuild a proj-proj- ect that they designed themselves, the end result is usually overbuilt and chunky-looking. I myself was a victim of just that problem: One of my ear- liest projects had massive fi nger joints that were reinforced with #10 screws. Good craftsmen also must be good designers and good engineers. This mix of sound skills, pleasing proportions and just-right joinery is as diffi cult to teach as it is to learn. PHOTO BY AL PARRISHAL BY PHOTO And so, as my best teachers always said, “It is better to show than tell.” This small Shaker-style table is a perfect blend of traditional joints and delicate lines. Though Begin at the Legs The reason for this is simple and is shown in I’m going to tell you how to build it, my hope is For me, the most diffi cult task in making this table the photos at right. If the growth rings do not travel that this article will show you that strong joints is choosing the right wood. It sounds ridiculous, from corner to corner, then each face of your legs don’t need to be massive – just well-made. And but it’s true. There is so little wood in this pro- will look markedly different than the face adjacent that good design doesn’t have to be fl ashy – just ject (only about 12 board feet) that you have to be to it. It’s distracting and worth avoiding. pleasing to the eye. picky. The pickiness begins with the legs. If you can fi nd boards at the lumberyard that This table is adapted heavily from Thomas Making table legs is more involved than you are cut this way, count yourself lucky, because I 3 Moser’s excellent book, “How to Build Shaker probably imagine. If you ignore any of the follow- never can. So I purchase 1 ⁄4"-thick stock (sold Furniture” (Sterling). Moser, an English-professor- ing steps, there’s a good chance your legs won’t in the rough as 8/4 wood) and mill the legs from turned-cabinetmaker, has an excellent eye for look right and this will bother you when the pro- those over-thick boards. 1 design. You can see it in the line of furniture ject is fi nished. The goal with the legs is to fi nd The legs are 1 ⁄8" thick, so I made a cardboard produced by his successful Maine-based business, the straightest-grained boards possible with the template with a hole in the center that is oversized, 3 Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers, and you can see it end-grain growth rings running from corner to 1 ⁄8" square. I place this template on the end grain in this book, fi rst published in 1977. corner. A leg with the growth rings running from and rotate it until I see the grain lines run from The fi rst time I built a version of this table, I corner to corner exhibits what’s called “bastard corner to corner. Then I trace the shape of the leg was stunned by its proportions. The legs are so grain” on all four faces. onto the end grain using the template. 1 delicate – just 1 ⁄8" square. And the detailing is so Next I rip out that shape. Transfer the cut- Spartan – the only ornament is the wide bevel on ting angle from the board to the blade of the the underside of the top. But the results are impres- table saw using a bevel gauge and rip one edge of sive, and I think you’ll be impressed, too. “The finest tool ever created is the the leg at that angle. Then, rip the leg free of the I built the table shown here with a hand- human hand, but it is weak rest of the waste (you might have to reset your saw dovetailed drawer. However, if you’re not up for blade to 90° to do this) and square up the other attempting that joint yet, don’t worry. We’ve out- and it is fallible.” three faces of the leg. lined an effective technique for making simple — Sign above door to shop of planemaker and With the grain tamed in the legs, you can then rabbeted drawers on page 24. author Cecil Pierce (1906 - 1996) joint and plane them to their fi nal thickness and

16 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 width. I prefer to use my for this job. It gives me more consistent results than try- ing to size the parts on my table saw. Choose your best-looking boards for the table- top and drawer front. Your next-best pieces should be reserved for the aprons. The rest of the stuff is Bastard grain Flat-sawn useful for the parts inside the case that guide the drawer. Joint and plane all the parts to their fi n- ished thicknesses, then rip and crosscut them to their fi nished widths and lengths. QuartersawnQuartersawn Tackle the Top fi gure Making a good-looking and fl at tabletop is a skill to itself, so we included a primer on gluing up panels on page 22. Even if you have mastered the With the shape of the leg drawn on the end grain, edge joint used for making panels, you should Flat-sawnFlat-sawn it’s now just a matter of sawing and to keep a wary eye when it comes to picking the fi gure those lines. First cut the angle on the table saw. right boards for your tabletop. To make the top look as natural as possible, pay attention to the seams. Never join the straight rift-sawn wood edges of a board to the cathedral- grain wood you typically fi nd in the middle of a board. This looks horrible. The best arrangement is to join edges with rift grain to similar-looking edges with rift grain. Shift things around until the top looks good. Ignore the adage about alter- nating the growth rings face up and face down on adjacent boards in a tabletop. The warpage patterns of almost any antique table will quickly point out the fallacy of this approach. Glue up your top and set it aside for the adhe- sive to cure. It’s time to make mortises.

Simple & Sturdy Table Joinery TIMGRONDIN BY PHOTO Mortise-and-tenon joints are the best ones for a Getting good-looking legs is all in the growth table. Yes, there are metal corner brackets out rings. When the rings run from side to side (right), there, and a couple of biscuits also could do the the leg shows fl at-sawn fi gure on two faces and job. But the simple router-table setup we’ve de- quartersawn fi gure on two faces. This won’t look right. Grain that runs from corner to corner – vised is so simple, straightforward and inexpen- Then square things up on the saw or jointer. called bastard grain – creates four faces that all sive that there’s no reason to cheat here. look the same. Essentially, the mortises are open at the top and milled in the legs using a router in a table and 3 a ⁄8" straight bit. The simplifi ed tenons are cut using the exact same tools and setup. There is no reason to buy a pricey mortiser or spend hours learning to make the joint by hand. Both of those approaches are noble; they’re just not necessary for this particular table. It’s important to talk about the length of the tenons used for this table. As a rule, you want your tenons to be as long as possible – within reason, 3 1 of course. An ideal tenon is ⁄4" to 1 ⁄4" long. But when you’re dealing with a small project such as this, you need to scale your joinery. The legs for 1 this table are quite delicate, just 1 ⁄8" square, so full-size joints aren’t going to work. And once 3 you set the aprons back ⁄1616", as shown in the il- lustration on page 19, you get even less room. 3 The ⁄8"-deep mortises are centered on the ends of The maximum length for the tenons in this table Yes, this wastes a little wood, but there isn’t much the legs and are open at the top. This allows you 3 is ⁄4" with the tenons meeting in the middle. But wood in this table to begin with. When the grain to cut them all with one fence setup. Note that the making these mortises open at the top makes a lines run from corner to corner of your template, front legs receive a mortise on only one face. The fragile shoulder on the inside corner of the leg. mark that shape and head to the table saw. back legs get mortises on two faces.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 17 3 5 1 The ⁄8"-long tenons are A ⁄8"-wide chisel makes quick and accurate work of the small mortises Shave ⁄1616" of all four faces of the tenons for the cut using the same setup on the legs. If you don’t have a mortising chisel, a standard bevel-edge lower front rail. Make the same cut on three faces on your router table. Here chisel will do the job, though you should avoid wailing on the handle of the upper front rail. Then raise the bit’s height 3 it’s obvious that tenons are and levering out the chips as much as possible. Work from the center to almost ⁄1616" and shave the two larger cheeks on nothing more than rabbets out as shown. Mark the mortise depth on your chisel using permanent the lower rail. Adjust the height of the bit until the that have multiplied. marker (believe me, it’s not permanent). This works better than tape. lower rail fi ts snugly into its mortise.

Once you glue up the joint, the shoulder is sup- upper front rail and make this cut on three faces Cut the dovetail on the end of the rail. Next, ported just fine, but you risk breaking it before and set it aside. Now increase the height of the dry-assemble the table base and clamp up all the assembly time. bit and shave away material on the tenons until joints. Place the upper rail in place (the shoulders 3 So I opted for ⁄8"-long tenons. There is still a the lower rail fi ts in its mortise snugly. should fi t tightly between the legs) and trace the remarkable amount of gluing surface and the joint The upper front rail is dovetailed by hand into dovetail shape onto the top of the front legs and is more than stout enough for a table this small. the front legs. Before you despair, take a look at the part of the apron tenon that it overlaps. Dis- When you make a bigger table in the future, you the upper rail, which you just tenoned on three assemble the table and saw out the socket in the can make bigger tenons. faces. You’ve cut three perfect shoulders for this legs and on the top of the aprons’ tenons. For details on executing this joint, see “Mor- joint. So even if your dovetail is the sloppiest one Now you can assemble the table without glue tises & Tenons for Tables” on page 6. ever cut (which is doubtful), it will still fi t tightly and take a look at how your joints fi t. After milling the mortises and the tenons for against the legs and the joint will never show. 3 the aprons and the legs, you need to join the front With that knowledge, lay out a ⁄4"-long dove- Taper the Legs two legs with the front two rails. This is a fi ddly tail on each end of the upper front rail. Its size and There are a variety of ways to cut tapers on legs. bit of joinery, but there are some tricks to make it slope aren’t critical. Lay it out so it’s easy to cut and I don’t like the commercial tapering jigs for foolproof. Let’s start with the lower front rail. yet takes away as little material as possible. And table saws. They work, but they put your hand too The lower front rail needs to be mortised into make the slope of the angle about 8° or so. close to the blade. Shop-made tapering sleds are the front legs. The best way to cut the mortises is with a chisel. First lay out the location of the mortises on the front legs. The mating tenon on 3 5 3 the rail will be ⁄8" thick x ⁄8" wide x ⁄4" long. Simple Shaker End Table 1 Next, lay out the mortise wall ⁄4" in from the front edge of the legs. NO. PART SIZES (INCHES) MATERIAL NOTES T W L 3 Chop out the mortises to a depth of ⁄4". Work Table from the center to the ends of the mortise with 1 1 3 5 the bevel facing the center of the hole. Keep in ❑ 4 Legs 1 ⁄8 1 ⁄8 26 ⁄4 Cherry Taper to ⁄8" 3 1 mind as you work that though you want to be as ❑ 1 Top ⁄4 18 18 Cherry ⁄4" x 2" bevel on underside neat as possible, the edge of the mortise will be ❑ 3 Aprons 3⁄4 5 121⁄2 Cherry 3⁄8" tenon both ends concealed by the shoulders of the tenon, so the ❑ 2 Front rails 3⁄4 3⁄4 131⁄4 Cherry 3⁄4" tenon or dovetail occasional small ding is no harm done. ❑ 4 Drawer guides 3⁄4 1 121⁄8 Cherry Notched around legs Now you can cut the corresponding tenon on ❑ 2 Spacers 3⁄1616 3⁄4 113⁄4 Cherry Glued to aprons the lower front rail. Use the same procedure as Drawer you did for the tenons on the aprons. First set the 3 1 3 1 1 1 ❑ 1 Front ⁄4 3 ⁄2 11 ⁄4 Cherry ⁄4" x ⁄2" rabbet on ends height of the bit to ⁄1616". Then adjust the fence so 1 1 1 3 ❑ 2 Sides ⁄2 3 ⁄2 12 ⁄4 Poplar the tenon will be ⁄4" long. Make a couple of test 1 3 1 1 cuts to confi rm your setup. ❑ 1 Back ⁄2 3 11 ⁄4 Poplar ⁄4" x ⁄2" rabbet on ends With the bit at this setting, cut away all four ❑ 1 Bottom 1⁄2 111⁄4 123⁄8 Poplar In 1⁄4" x 1⁄4" groove faces of the tenon on the lower rail. Next, get the

18 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 18" 14" 11œ" 2" ø"

œ" œ"

3ø" 5"

œ"

1˚" Taper starts 1" below front rail

27ø" Rear leg Rear apron ∕ ∕ 26œ" ‹

‹

µ"-thick x ∕ µ"-long tenons ∫" set back

Side Apron ∕

œ"-long dovetail

‹

∕ ∕

upper front rail Front leg

Leg, Apron and Rail Joinery Top is 18" x 18"

π" End Table

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 19 safer, but they require wood, material and time sand, I recommend you sand the legs by hand with to fabricate. And don’t even ask me to explain the a small . A random-orbit will math involved in making taper cuts on a jointer. give you a bellied surface, which will spoil the fi t It makes my head hurt. of your joint. Begin with #100-grit paper and work The most straightforward, safe and foolproof your way up the grits to #180- or #220-grit. way to cut tapers is to lay them out on the legs, cut Start the assembly by gluing a side apron into them out with a band saw (or in a pinch) a mating front and back leg. When this assem- and clean up the cuts on your jointer or with a bly is complete, you can then check the fi t of your hand plane (my tool of choice). dovetail a second time and make any modifi ca- The leg taper begins 1" down from where the tions necessary for a tight fi t. If you’re going to 5 aprons end. The legs taper down to ⁄8" square at peg your joints from the inside (as described in This table is a great project for practicing your the foot. That seems almost too delicate a taper, “Mortises & Tenons for Tables”), now is the time . The parts of the base aren’t wide, so you on paper. But when you see the results, you’ll be to peg those side aprons. Then glue up the remain- don’t have to worry about the corner of the plane impressed with the strength and beauty of the der of the table base. iron digging into your work. If you’re interested in legs. Don’t forget that the tapers are on only the learning to use a hand plane, planing the tapers, two inside edges of the legs. With the tapers com- Sorting Out the Guts rails and edges of tabletops are three good places to begin. plete, you’re ready to assemble the base. The rest of the table is simple joinery, but you need to pay close attention to how everything fi ts so that Gluing it up the drawer slides well. The fi rst order of business Begin by sanding or planing all your base pieces is to fi t and glue up the four drawer guides. The the top have dual functions: They attach the table so they are ready for fi nishing. If you choose to drawer rides on the two at the bottom. The two at base to the top and they prevent the drawer from tipping downward when it’s pulled out. Start by notching the corners of all four guides. 3 3 A ⁄1616" x ⁄1616" notch allows the guides to fi t around Cutting the Dovetails on the Upper Front Rail the legs. You can cut it with a band saw or jigsaw if you like, but a backsaw will be just as fast and accurate. When the guides fi t around the legs, glue the lower guides to the aprons. Make sure their top edge is fl ush with the lower front rail. This ensures the drawer won’t hang up. Before you glue on the upper guides, you should drill countersunk holes that will allow you to screw the base to the underside of the top. These holes need to be elongated a bit to allow the top to expand and contract, but please don’t get too worked up about this point. There is no need to rout out a slot or drill overlapping holes. Sim- ply drive your drill into the hole, and while the The dovetails are simple backsaw work. Even if Second, mark out the shape of the dovetail on you miss your line, you’ll be able to fi x it when the top of the leg using a mechanical pencil or drill is running, pivot it forward and back. you cut the socket. If you mess up the socket, (even better) a . Glue the upper guides in place. Make sure they the result will never show. Saw down to the are fl ush to the top of the apron (or just a little be- shoulder and pare away the little waste sliver low) and don’t drop below the upper front rail. with a chisel. You can see details of what the inside of the table base looks like – with all the guides and runners in place – in “Simple & Fast Rabbeted Drawers” on page 24.

Return To the Top You might think that building and fi tting the draw- er is the next step, but it’s not. In a small project, the top will change how everything fi ts below it. If you tighten the screws between the top and base too much, the drawer will bind up in the case. So really the best course of action is to make the top, attach it, then fi t the drawer. Cut your top panel to its fi nished size and lay out the bevel on its underside. You can cut this Third, use your backsaw to defi ne the edges of To remove the waste, fi rst loosen it up by bevel on the table saw much like you would a the socket. Saw inside the marked line. You can chopping a series of score lines on top of the raised panel for a door. This can be tricky depend- pare away the extra waste with a chisel once leg. Then come in from the front of the joint ing on the height of your table saw’s fence and the the socket is chopped out. (as shown) to pop the waste out. Keep working size of the throat opening for the saw blade. down and back. This is good chisel practice. If you choose this route, set your table saw’s

20 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 pensive and machines well. When the drawer is built, I fi t it with a . Plane the top, bot- tom and outside faces of the drawer’s sides until it moves smoothly in and out of the table’s base. Notch fi ts Then turn your attention to getting the right gap around leg (called the “”) around the drawer front, a task suited for a . With the drawer fi t, attach the knob. I like to screw a piece of scrap on the top edge of the draw- er back to prevent the drawer from being pulled all the way out of the table (unless you mean to). It’s a small detail that I’m fond of.

Cleaning Up Upper drawer guides Break all the edges with #120-grit sandpaper and Once you cut the notch in the drawer guide, disassemble the table for fi nishing. With cherry, a sharp chisel can fi ne-tune the fi t with ease. I think it’s worth the extra effort to accelerate its To learn how to correctly sharpen a chisel, see darkening by applying a couple of coats of boiled “Sharpening a Chisel” on page 11. linseed oil and putting the table out in the sun The holes need to allow the body of the screw for a day. Then you can brush or wipe on your to pivot. So reaming out the holes as shown is favorite fi lm fi nish. I prefer a satin lacquer. blade for a 7° bevel and sneak up on the proper perfectly acceptable. The fi rst time I built this table, I was going to cut by making a couple of passes over the blade, give it away to my sister as a wedding gift. But changing the height of the blade and location of when it was complete, it sparked something rare the fence until you get the bevel you desire. Drawer Details in me: envy. So I kept the table and it sits by my If that approach doesn’t appeal to you, I rec- When I’ve built this project in the past, I’ve made bedside as a reminder of the rewards of good de- ommend you mark the bevel on the underside a dovetailed drawer, which is typical of Shaker sign. My sister can have the next one. WM and shape it with a and fi le. A rasp (I prefer construction methods. But to make the project — Christopher Schwarz the inexpensive Microplane rasp for this job) can simpler to build, I recommend you try out the remove wood in a hurry. A mill fi le, scraper and drawer-building method detailed on page 24. sandpaper will clean up your work from there. That style of drawer is easy to construct and will Supplies Plane or sand the top for fi nishing. Attach it to be more than adequate for the light duty this the base with #8 x 1" screws. The easiest way to drawer is certain to receive. Rockler accomplish this is to put the top upside down on Note that the sizes in the cutting list for this 800-279-4441 or rockler.com your bench. Then clamp the table base in place table assume you will make the drawer using this 1 • Cherry Shaker 7⁄8" knob, 3 ⁄8" tenon, to the top. Drill pilot holes into the top and then rabbeted construction method. #78493, $2.59/pair drive each screw home. Now you are ready to No matter how I make my drawers, I usually Price as of publication deadline. construct the drawer. choose poplar for the sides and bottom. It’s inex-

Thin the sides of the drawer until you get a smooth fi t. A sander can do the job, but a hand plane removes material in a much more 1 The entire top is riding across the blade on a ⁄2"-wide edge, so take care when cutting the bevel. predictable (if slightly slower) manner.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 21 Gluing up Flat Panels

Three easy steps – joint, glue and clamp – help you create perfect panels.

Woodood panelspanels areare anan essentialessential componentcomponent inin making almost every piece of furniture. While a fl at panel less than 6" wide can be made by sim- ply crosscutting a board, a panel wider than that will require gluing a few boards together edge to edge. Keeping those panels fl at, straight and attractive is easily learned and will make all of your projects much more successful. First let’s get rid of a common myth: To make sure a panel stays fl at, it’s not necessary to rip the individual boards to 2" or 3" widths and then reglue them. All this does is create more work and an ugly panel. Wood moves primarily because of changes in moisture content. After being felled and cut, the wood from a tree slowly acclimates to its envi- ronment as the moisture in the wood evaporates. Because of the shape and orientation of the fi bers in a board, some will shrink more than others. Even when kiln-dried and assembled into a proj- ect, lumber will continue to react to changes in hu- midity by cupping and warping. The illustration (below) shows how wood will move as it dries and should help you choose the right orientation of growth rings. A trick is to try to leave the wood’s heartwood side showing on your panels. ALPARRISH PHOTOBY Proper preparation, technique and tools are all required to make a perfectly fl at panel.

Proper wood preparation also can help you Once you’ve determined where your joints avoid warping. When planing boards to fi nal thick- should occur, you must make those edges mate ness, remove material evenly from both sides to perfectly. The jointer is designed to produce an allow grain tension in the board to remain stable. edge that is perpendicular to the face of the board. When you rough-cut your wood, leave the But if the fence is slightly off, the edge will be, boards a little long and wide (so the panel glue- too. Each board needs to be fl at and have at least up is 1" oversize in both directions). Cut them to one perpendicular edge (interior boards need two) fi nished size after your glue-up. This lets you cut to achieve a fl at panel. The bottom left photo on around imperfections near the edges. page 23 shows a trick to make sure your boards Also, pay careful attention to the appearance meet fl at at the edge every time. of each board. Even though we have to use more Now let’s talk about glue – either yellow or than one board to make our panels, we want to white glue will work fi ne for a simple edge joint. Fresh cut After drying make the panels look like they’re still one piece. Glue isn’t intended to fi ll gaps between two pieces Matching the cathedrals or the straight-grain pat- of wood, but rather to bond two pieces together. The fi rst step in gluing up a fl at panel is reading the wood. The end view of a board (or terns at the joint (as well as matching the color of Only use enough glue – about .001" thick – to log, as above) shows the different shrinkage the wood) will make for a better-looking fi nished form a locking layer between the two surfaces. pattern for different cuts of lumber. Knowing panel. Try to get all of your panel pieces from a Too much glue creates a weak joint. Insuffi cient how your lumber will react to humidity changes single board length. Color- and grain-matching or partially dried glue results in inadequate bond- will help you with your panel layouts. is much easier then. ing strength.

22 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 Now you’re ready to glue up your panel, but are using, it’s good practice to alternate the bars you can take the clamps off and an hour before there’s still lots to know. Let’s start with clamping above and below the panel. You should also space you should apply pressure to the joint), take a pressure and proper clamp orientation. Clamps them about 6" - 8" apart on panels made with nar- damp cloth (not wet) and wipe along the joint in are designed to produce tremendous pressure, row boards and farther apart (up to 12") on pan- short swipes, cleaning off the glue completely. and that’s great, but it doesn’t mean you should els made with wider boards. Clamping pressure One myth is that adding water to a glue joint use that pressure to force an open joint closed radiates out from the clamp face at a 45° angle. will dilute the glue, weakening the joint – not during glue-up. If you have to do that then your That radiant pressure should overlap at the glue so. The amount of water involved in the clean- edges weren’t properly joined to begin with. Even joint. The order that clamps are applied will help ing process will have no affect on joint strength with a perfect joint, applying maximum clamp as well. (See photo at bottom right.) and save a lot of torn fi bers if you try to remove pressure can cause the panel to twist. If you’re gluing up a panel with many boards the dried glue from the panel later. You should be able to close the joint using (such as a kitchen tabletop with six boards) you Once the clamps are removed, it should only only hand pressure. A slight gap at the center of can make the glue-up much easier by being a little be necessary to plane or sand the joint lightly to the joint, called a “sprung” joint, is acceptable patient. First glue up three two-board panels, then smooth it fl ush on your panel. (some woodworkers say preferable). This adds join those three panels together. Aligning two And that’s all there is to making perfect fl at tension at the ends of the joint, which can sep- glue joints is much easier than aligning fi ve. panels. It’s the backbone of any woodworking arate as the wood dries. But if the gaps occur at Another suggestion during clamping is to use project and when done correctly, it’s also one place the ends of the panel, problems with the joint your clamps’ bars to keep the panel fl at. With the to let the beauty of the wood show through. WM pulling open later could occur. panel resting against the bar, the bar adds support – David Thiel With the glue properly applied, it’s time to (from both sides) to keep the panel fl at. But when add clamps. No matter what type of clamp you you use your clamps in this manner, the steel of the bar (if not plated) can react to the glue and leave black marks on your panel. Either slide a piece of paper between the clamp and glue joint Sap or make sure you use clamps with plated bars. Apply enough clamp pressure so the boards don’t slide around at the joint. You likely will have Knot to apply some side pressure to slide the boards. If you need extra leverage to level up the joints, twist the unclamped ends of the boards. When the seam is fl ush between the clamp heads, apply Split enough clamping pressure to make glue squeeze out of the joint and close the gap to about .001" A good glue joint starts with a thin, even coat of wide. Again, don’t overtighten the clamp. If you’re This three-board panel (on top) shows nicely glue. Glue will penetrate wood until it starts to matching grain patterns, making the transition getting good glue squeeze-out and the joint is cure, then it only lays on the surface of the wood. between the boards invisible. The three boards tight, that’s when it’s time to stop. So for fast glue-ups, putting glue on one surface underneath the panel exhibit some problems that About that excess glue: Before you set the of the joint is adequate. For multiple or long (24") can arise in matching grain. panel aside to dry (that’s at least 30 minutes before joints, spread glue on both surfaces.

Clamp pressure radiates out at 45° to clamp heads

Finger check

2°

With your fi nished faces showing, mark one board with an “�” and the oth- er board with an “�.” Also mark the joint on both boards to avoid confusion. Take the board marked with an “�” and place that marked face “in,” against the jointer fence, and make your pass. Take the “�” board and set it with that face “out,” away from the joint- When clamping, it’s easiest to start at the center of the joint with your er fence, and make your pass. Even if your jointer fence was out by 2° or 3°, fi rst clamp. As you apply pressure, make sure that the faces are aligned as by producing complementary angles at the joint you will have a square joint. perfectly as possible by running your fi nger across the joint. Wipe off the And it works for as many boards as necessary to make up your panel. The glue with a wet rag. You want to remove the glue entirely, not push the glue inset photo shows the fl at panel with the 2° offset at the joint. further into the grain, so wipe well.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 23 Simple & Fast Rabbeted Drawers

It takes only one setup on the table saw to cut every joint you need to make a solid drawer. Without a doubt, this is as easy as it gets.

Alonglong tthehe rroadoad ttoo ccomfortablyomfortably rreferringeferring ttoo yourself as a “woodworker,” there are a few im- portant milestones you must reach. One of these is building your fi rst drawer. For some reason, this project causes more antacid-popping than almost any other project. A drawer is just a box. The tricky part is that the box must fi t accurately into a hole and move smoothly. There are three steps to a successful drawer: precise measuring, accurate joining and careful fi tting. This article shows you the tricks we use to successfully complete all three steps.

Measuring Like a Pro Let’s say you’re building an end table with a drawer. Knowing the size of the drawer’s hole is the fi rst critical piece of information. Seeing how that space is made and understanding how the drawer will “run” in the table is the next step. In traditional case construction, the drawer is just slightly smaller than its hole (which is the tech- nique we’re showing here). In modern cabinets, the drawer is considerably smaller than its hole to make room for mechanical slides or glides. In our traditional case, the drawer hole must be clear of obstructions or corners that the drawer PARRISHAL BY PHOTO can hang up on. For that reason, the sides of the drawer are traditionally kept in check by “drawer guides,” which are simply pieces of wood inside “inset drawer,” which means the drawer front the drawer to fi t the space exactly and then trim it the carcase that are parallel to the sides of the doesn’t have a lip that covers the gap between the down with a hand plane to allow for proper move- drawer. Essentially, the guides create a smooth drawer and case. (Drawers with a lip are called ment? Or do you trust yourself to build the drawer 1 sleeve for the drawer to run in and out of. “overlay” drawers, by the way.) Because this is an so that there is exactly ⁄1616" of space between the With the guides in place, you’re ready to mea- inset drawer, you should end up with a small gap drawer and its guides? sure the opening for the drawer. You want to build all the way around the drawer front, called the We like to err on the side of caution. Build a drawer that fi ts the largest part of its opening. “reveal.” The reveal must be equal on all four sides your drawer to fi t the opening exactly and trim it First measure the height of the drawer open- of the drawer front. Next, measure the width of to fi t. If your drawer opening happens to be out of ing at the left side, right side and in the middle the drawer opening at the top and bottom. Finally, square, trimming the drawer is the easiest way to to make sure your case is square. The drawer for measure the depth of the drawer space. compensate. So build to fi ll the space, then work the “Simple Shaker End Table” on page 16 is an Now comes a tricky decision: Do you build down to a smooth operational size.

24 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 One Setup Cuts All the Joints “Yes, risk-taking is inherently We’ve shown two different ways to make a Now that you know the size of your drawer, you’re bottom here. In the drawings, we show a bottom ready to build it. Mill all your stock to size (see failure-prone. Otherwise, it would that actually extends past the back. The back is 1 the cutting list on page 18 for the Shaker end table be called sure-thing-taking.” cut ⁄2" narrower thanthan thethe front.front. ThisThis hashas severalseveral drawer), paying particular attention to its thick- — Tim McMahan (1949 – ) advantages: You can remove the drawer bottom ness. The thickness of the sides and bottom must for fi nishing and easily replace it if it ever gets 1 international business speaker, author, photographer be exactly ⁄2" for this operation to work well. damaged. It’s necessary to build drawers this We’re going to build our drawer exactly the way when they are deeper than 12" to allow the 1 size of our opening, except for the depth. The drawer, we’re going to use only the two ⁄8" out- solid-wood bottom to expand and contract without 1 1 drawer’s depth will be ⁄2" shy of the depth of the side blades to achieve a ⁄4" groove. binding or busting the drawer. opening to allow us to fi t the drawer fl ush with its (Note: If you don’t have a dado stack, you can Second, in the photos we’ve shown a bottom 1 opening, which we’ll explain shortly. use an ⁄8"-kerf rip blade. You’ll have to make a that is completely captured by the groove on the The drawings on page 26 show how we build few extra passes over the blade, and you will need sides, front and bottom. In small drawers such as simple drawers using one setup on the table saw. to move the fence, but only once.) this one, wood expansion isn’t a major concern You won’t have to change the blade height or move Now install a new zero-clearance throat in- and this method allows all the drawer pieces to the fence as you cut these three joints: sert to be used for this operation alone. (You can be the same width. 1 1 ■ The ⁄2"-wide x ⁄4"-deep rrabbetsabbets thatthat joinjoin thethe buy one from any tool supplier or make one using sides to the front and back. your saw’s stock insert as a template; your saw’s Fine-tuning and Assembly 1 1 ■ The ⁄4" x ⁄4" groove on the sides and front manual should show you how.) Without this new Before assembling the drawer, dry-fi t the parts that holds the bottom in place. insert, rabbeting the bottom using your stock in- to ensure everything will go together easily. The 1 1 ■ And the ⁄4" x ⁄4" rabbets on the bottom that sert can be dangerous, especially with a left-tilt rabbets should fi t easily, but the bottom needs to allows it to slip neatly into the grooves. saw. The opening will be too big and your work slide into its groove without forcing, and you need It may not be the way you’ll build all your could tip into the blades. to make sure the bottom isn’t keeping the corner drawers, but it’s simple and nearly foolproof. The With the two dado blades installed on your rabbet joints from closing tightly. 1 1 1 ⁄2"-wide x ⁄4"-deep rabbets at the corners – when saw’s arbor, raise them so they are exactly ⁄4" If the bottom is too tight you have a few op- reinforced with brads – make the drawer resist above the new insert. Set your saw’s rip fence so it tions. You can head back to the saw and move 1 1 1 racking and tension. While this can’t compare to is exactly ⁄4" away from the dado stack. Confirm the fence a little closer ( ⁄3232", or at most ⁄1616") to a stout dovetailed drawer, it’s more than adequate your setup with some test cuts and dial calipers. the dado stack and rerun the four edges to thin for most furniture applications. Use the drawings to walk through the simple the rabbet. A couple of passes with a bullnose To make the drawer a one-setup operation, rabbeting steps for the front and back, and the or shoulder plane will also thin down the rabbet you’ll need a dado stack. Dado stacks tradition- grooves for the bottom. quickly. If the bottom is holding the corner joints 1 1 ally have two 6"- or 8"-diameter saw blades that If you use a ⁄4"-thick plywood bottom instead open, raise the height of the dado stack ( ⁄1616" is 1 cut a ⁄8" kerf – plus a variety of “chippers” that of solid wood, you’re done at the saw. If you’re fi ne) and, re-run the edges of the bottom. Then 1 can be inserted between the two outside blades to using a ⁄2"-thick hardwoodhardwood bottom,bottom, youyou needneed toto keep checking your fi t and adjusting until you’re adjust the width of the groove to be cut. For our cut the rabbet on its edges so it slides in place. ready to assemble.

Brad location Drawer guides

Drawer runners

Here I’m measuring the height of the drawer opening near the center. You When building a drawer with a captured bottom, clamps are placed to apply should also measure the height at both ends of the opening. The width also pressure in both directions with the bottom in place. Note that the clamps needs to be measured at top and bottom. Also shown in the photo are the are placed just behind the rabbet to apply as much direct pressure to the joint drawer guides and runners in a typical case. (without interfering with it) as possible. Brads add strength.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 25 Build a Drawer with One Saw Setup

1 2 ¬" ¬" ø"

1 1 Set your ⁄4"-wide dado stack at ⁄4" high Make the second cut with the end of 1 and ⁄4" away from the fence. All of the the piece pressed tight against the 1 crosscuts are made using the miter gauge fence, which will create the full ⁄2" 1 to support the work. The fi rst cut trims ⁄4" width of the rabbet. Repeat this cut off the end of the piece. Make this same cut on both ends of the front and back. on both ends of the front and back. ¬"

ø" Plan

This drawer design employs 1 1 1 1 ⁄2"-wide x ⁄4"-deep rabbets cut A rabbeted bottom fi ts into the ⁄4" x ⁄4" on both ends of the front and back. grooves on the sides and front. Note that the 1 The rabbets allow for more gluing back is ⁄2" narrower than the front to allow surface and add a rigid corner to the bottom to slip in place under the back. reduce racking. Exploded View

¬" Elevation, from rear Keep your saw at the same setting to 1 1 ¬" 3 cut the ⁄4" x ⁄4" groove in the sides and front that holds the bottom in ø" place. One pass is enough. ¬" ¬" ¬" ¬" Finally, cutting a rabbet will allow the 4 bottom to fi t into the grooves. Make this cut with the bottom on edge as shown at left. This operation is dangerous without a zero-clearance insert in your table saw. Featherboards help keep the bottom tight against the fence during the cut.

26 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 5 Use glue and ⁄8" brads to attach the sides to If you’re having trouble planing the end grain the front and back. Apply glue to the rabbets at on the sides of the front, here’s another little tip: the corners. If you’re using a solid-wood bottom, Wet the end grain with some mineral spirits. This don’t place glue in the grooves. The bottom should will make it easier to slice. be allowed to expand and contract (unless you’re Now it’s time to fi t the depth. Because we made 1 using plywood). the drawer ⁄2" shorter than its opening, it will slip Slip your bottom into the groove and clamp in past the front edge of the table. Slide the drawer the drawer. Place your clamps as shown in the all the way in, and measure how far in it went. photo on page 25. If you’re adding brads to the Then predrill and drive two #8 x 1"-long round- joints, drive them through the sides into the rab- head screws (one on either side) in the drawer bets in the front and back. back. By adjusting the depth of the screws, you can fi t the drawer front fl ush to the table. Fitting the Drawer in its Space With these basic skills in place, you can now When the glue is dry, take the drawer out of the use different material thicknesses. And as you be- clamps and try to fi t it in its opening. It probably come more comfortable with your skills, you can won’t fi t. This is OK. The fi rst step in getting it to try a new drawer joint on occasion. But you’ll al- fi t is to take your block plane and remove mate- ways be able to make a simple one-setup drawer The fi rst step in fi tting the drawer is to trim the rial from the top edge of the sides, front and back, that fi ts perfectly with these rabbets. WM height. A simple block plane can be used to take checking the fi t as you go. You can easily gauge – David Thiel off a little bit at a time until the fi t is perfect. 1 your progress by fi rst marking a ⁄1616" line around the outside of the drawer. As you plane, use this line as a reference. Check the fi t of the drawer at the top and bot- tom by inserting one corner of the drawer in the opening so you don’t have to worry about the side-to-side fi t. When the drawer fi ts at the top and bottom, check the side-to-side fi t. Removing material from the sides can be done with a plane or a power sander. If you’re planing, remember to work in from both the front and back to avoid tear-out on the end grain that shows on this surface. Remove material slowly and work both sides evenly. It shouldn’t take much to get the drawer to slip into place. You may notice at this point that the reveal around the drawer looks OK at the top and the sides, but the bottom is a tight fi t. Here’s a little trick: Take your block plane and lightly bevel the bottom front edge to give the appearance of a gap to match the top space. Continue to trim the front with your block plane until the reveal is consis- tent all around the drawer front. Next, a larger jack plane removes material from both sides until the drawer slides in smoothly.

Screws

1⁄32" reveal

With the drawer in place, you can see the reveal at both sides, on top and on Another trick to fi tting a drawer is to use screws in the back to help adjust the bottom. By beveling the lower edge of the drawer front with a block plane, depth. The two screws can be adjusted in and out to fi t the drawer front fl ush the spacing appears to match on all four sides. in the opening.

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 27 28 28 our box with shellac. garnet force each joint with Rein- (obviously) lid slides. the and groove its sides to the front and back. The bottom fl oats in with terial a hand saw or a band saw. spaced fi we drilled chisels, for our slots ve evenly the wish to make a tool holder, do so now. To make the waste. Hand plane or sand all the parts. If you section with a chisel and use the gouge to remove a gouge for the curved area. Chop out the straight lid. Define all the edges using a straight chisel and or #120-grit sandpaper and a block.sanding your layout lines, finish the job withlid a and blockshape planeit using a rasp. Once you get close to cut the rabbets on your bottom and lid. box’s lid. Finally, sliding the guide and bottom the capture grooves These grooves. the all cut to fi nished size, except for the tool holder. (joint and plane) your lumber, then cut the parts from a hybrid called Lyptus (see page 32). Dress wood with nice fi for gure the lid. We built ours for sides, the back, and front grain straight made with a chisel, rasp and gouge.small anyone can try: The lid’s bevel and chisels).thumb pullAnd thereare is a small amount of detailing inside to the organize box’s contents (for us, it’s bottom. We also added a notched piece of wood cut using the same wejoinery used to make the Unlike a drawer, this box has a sliding lid that’s ing the “Simple Shaker End Table” on page 16. shown on drawer page the 24, building for and it’s techniques good rabbeting practice for build- T sturdy storage boxes. is an ideal method to make drawer-building technique We discovered that our Drawer Primer: Sliding-lid Box his his h simple box uses the same saw setups and Dry Dry assemble the box. Once satisfied, glue the Lay out the location of the thumb pull on the Lay out the Cut the rabbets on your side pieces next, then with wood choose first box, the Tomake of differences. a couple However,are there ■ i s — Christopher Schwarz and Kara Gebhart woodworking magazine s 1 i m ⁄ 2 " holes, then cut out the remaining ma- p l e b 11 o x ⁄ 161 6 u "-wide s e 5 s ⁄ 8 " t h brad nails. We fi nished x x e 1 s ⁄ a 4 " W m Autumn 2004 Autumn -deep -deep bevel on the M e s a w s e t u p s

a n d O PART NO.

Sliding-lid Box ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Tool holder 1 Lid 1 Bottom 1 Sides 2 Back 1 Front 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 W L W T ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄

2 2 2 2 2 2 SIZES SIZES (INCHES) 1 6 6 2 2 6 2 1 1 1 7 7 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 2 8 8 2 2 6 14 14 5 15 6 3 7 7 3 1 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 8 8 8 ⁄ ⁄ 2 4

Varies depending on your usage 1 1 1 1 1 1 NOTES ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 4 4 4 4 4 2 " x " x " x " x " x "-wide x 1 1 1 1 1 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 4 4 4 4 4 " rabbet on sides and back " rabbet on all sides " " " groove on top and bottom groove on bottom groove on top and bottom 1 ⁄ 4 -eprbe ned; "-deep rabbet on ends;

PHOTO BY AL PARRISH 6®" 2ø" ø"

‹ Bottom has rabbet on all four sides

14ø" ‹ Profile shown without side panel

15" ø" 14" 14œ"

6®"

2"

©"

2" Wide ¬" ¬" ¬" Plan Profile ¬" deep at front ø" ø" 6µ"

©"

ø" 1¬" ∕ 1ø" 2"

¬" ø" Dia. Tool Holder Detail Elevation See Tool Holder Detail Sliding-lid Box

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 29 Brushing Lacquer

Considered by many to be diffi cult to use, this fast-drying fi nish is worth the effort.

Untilntil recently,recently, onlyonly twotwo manufacturersmanufacturers (Deft(Deft and McClosky) offered a brushing lacquer for the home woodworker and fi nisher. If that doesn’t indicate the lack of interest in the product, perhaps this little fact will: Deft didn’t even label its product as a lacquer until a few years ago. It was simply called “Clear Wood Finish.” Today, however, in smaller type, the label refers to the contents as “Your Finest Brushing Lacquer.” Score one for this marvelous, although myste- rious, fi nishing product. Brushing lacquer is racking up more points now with relatively new products from Watco and the fi nishing industry giant, Minwax. With more products coming to market with greater fre- quency, the time is right to learn about the advan- tages and disadvantages this fi nish has to offer. Home woodworkers used to steer clear of lacquer because of its worst hazards: fumes and fl ammability. But lacquer was the fi nish of choice for the commercial woodworking industry. Facto- ries equipped with sophisticated spray equipment, spray booths to evacuate the noxious, volatile fumes and automatic fi re-suppression equipment were able to overcome lacquer’s hazards. Some home woodworkers may fi nd the odors, ALPARRISH PHOTOBY which are stronger than odors emitted by oil- Proper technique, including using as few strokes as possible, is key to a good lacquer fi nish. based and varnishes, too objectionable. Precautions must be taken when storing, handling and using lacquer because a build-up of fumes Lacquer is in a class of fi nish products where can be very important in preserving the color of in an enclosed space can be explosive. You need each new coat actually dissolves the top portion many lighter woods such as , yellow birch, good ventilation, no open fl ames (think water of the previous coat so that all coats form a sin- white ash and pine. heaters or furnaces) or sparks, and to avoid pro- gle continuous fi lm. Other fi nishes, such as oil- Of course, the bane of a brushed fi nish is the longed contact with skin. While daunting, these based varnish and polyurethane, form coats of brush marks left in the wet fi nish that don’t “level” disadvantages can be dealt with and brushing successive layers, with each coat merely “stick- or “fl ow out” as the fi nish dries. While brushing lacquer can be used safely. ing” to the coat below it. Failure to properly sand lacquer is formulated to have a somewhat slower these fi nishes between coats can result in fi nish drying time and is thicker than spraying lacquer, Why Use Lacquer at All? adhesion problems. Sanding through a coat of it still is thinner than other oil-based varnishes, Lacquer has a number of built-in characteristics varnish or polyurethane to the layer below can polyurethanes and water-based fi nishes. that give it advantages over oil- and water-based cause an unsightly blemish. To illustrate this, we checked the viscos- fi nish materials. One of the biggest is the amaz- By comparison, lacquer sands easily between ity (which means its resistance to pouring) of a ing speed at which it dries. A straight-from-the- coats, making a fl awless, glass-like fi nish much variety of products. A high viscosity indicates a can brushed coat will dry tack-free in less than easier to achieve. Brushing that are now thicker liquid while a low viscosity indicates a 15 minutes and work can be handled in 30 min- available are referred to as “water white,” which thinner one. We did this using a conventional vis- utes; surfaces can be recoated in less than two means they are free of any color that might change cosity cup – essentially a cup with a small hole in hours. Quick drying means far less time for air- the natural color of the wood. Furthermore, be- the bottom. The procedure is simple: fi ll the cup borne dust or insects to land in a wet or tacky cause lacquer contains no oils, it will not cause while placing a fi nger over the hole, then time fi nish and cause imperfections. yellowing of the wood or fi nish over time. This how long it takes for the liquid to run out. The

30 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 time measurement starts with the removal of the of contact between the bristle tips and the sur- “Show us a man who never makes fi nger and ends when the stream fl owing through face being fi nished. This turbulence is the cause the hole breaks its continuous stream. Ordinary of bubble formation, not the transfer of bubbles a mistake and we will show a man water took 11.7 seconds for the 3.5 ounces to from the can to the surface. This is another rea- who never makes anything. The break stream. The Deft brushing lacquer took son why a continuous, gentle stroke is superior 30.5 seconds, while the Watco took 31.1 sec- to back-and-forth brushing. capacity for occasional blundering onds. Minwax’s Fast Dry Polyurethane, an oil- A fresh can of lacquer is not likely to require is inseparable from the capacity to based fi nish, required 40.98 seconds. McClosky’s any thinning. However, a can that has been open Heirloom Varnish, another oil-based fi nish, took for a period of time or is half-empty may need a bring things to pass.” 1:32.88, while another Minwax product, a water- small amount of lacquer thinner added. Herman Lincoln Wayland (1830 - 1898) based Polycrylic, required 32.88 seconds. Load the brush with lacquer by dipping it into author These readings indicate how the fi nishes will the can and begin brushing fl at surfaces with as perform when being brushed. The thinner lac- few strokes as possible, using only the tip of the quers and water-based materials will level bet- brush. Consider the brushing as more of a drag- ter than the varnish and the Fast Dry poly. Brush ging motion along a straight line than actual back- If you detect a run and the coat is still very marks will be even less of a problem if good and-forth strokes. Also, start brushing at an edge wet, you can brush it out. Keep in mind that you brushing technique is used; this is a require- and move in the direction of the grain. need to work with “deliberate speed” so the fresh ment because lacquers are thinner and more apt When the lacquer stops fl owing off the bris- coat doesn’t start to set up before you go back to run or sag if too much fi nish is applied to any tles, lift the brush, turn it over, then restart just an over an edge when lapping one row to the next, surface other than a horizontal one. inch or two back from where you stopped. Con- or during the “tipping off” stroke. One factor that tinue as before until the material stops fl owing will, in part, determine the speed of work is the Using a Brush off the brush, then reload the brush and contin- thickness of the coat, because a heavier coat will Applying any fi nish material with a brush requires ue. When you come to the end of the fi rst row, lift take longer to set up than a light one. the right techniques to avoid the occasional self- the brush off the surface. Think of it as a “take- infl icted surface imperfections. off” from an aircraft carrier. Three Coats are Typical Start with a decent and appropriately sized With a full wet row applied, go over the row After the fi rst coat dries, it will likely be some- 1 brush for the job. A brush that’s 2"-2 ⁄2" wide again in one continuous stroke, holding the brush what rough to the touch. This is easily remedied should be used for all the large, flat surfaces. 90° to the surface using just the very tip of brush. with a light sanding using #360-grit lubricated Choose a 1" brush for smaller work or jobs that This technique, called “tipping off,” will elim- sandpaper, such as Norton 3X brand have more details, such as turned objects with inate most of the bubbles in the fi nish and level or 3M’s Tri-M-Ite. These lubricated papers will multiple beads or other irregular shapes. out any brush marks, including where a pick-up prevent the fi nish from clogging the abrasives on Use a natural China bristle brush with bris- brush stroke began. the sandpaper. If you’re working over a stained tles that have been “fl agged” (these are roughly With one full row of fi nish applied, begin the surface, be careful not to sand through the fi n- equivalent to human hair split-ends). The tip of second row using the same technique. For each ish and cut into the stain color. the brush should be chisel-shaped. These two fea- successive row, overlap the previous row only a After sanding, the second coat will apply more tures allow the brush to carry more fi nish mate- small amount – just enough to blend the two rows smoothly with very few bubbles produced (less rial to the surface and spread the material more together. Continue until the surface is done, then turbulence). After the second coat, sand as nec- fi nely as it fl ows off the brush. Avoid the temp- move on to the next unfi nished area. essary to smooth the fi nish once again. The third tation to use foam brushes because the lacquer The amount of lacquer to apply as a wet coat coat should be left unsanded. solvents will break down the adhesives that hold will depend on what you are brushing: either a Three coats of a lacquer fi nish applied with the brush together. horizontal surface, such as a tabletop, or a verti- a brush will produce a smooth, durable, near- Make sure the contents of the can are thor- cal surface, such as a cabinet side. With vertical piano-quality finish with the least amount of oughly mixed by stirring or, in spite of the can’s surfaces, less material must be applied or it will work, compared to other brushing materials. label warning against it, shaking. Shaking the can develop runs or sags. Experimentation and experi- It’s easy to work and dries exceedingly quickly, doesn’t cause bubbles in your wet fi nish. The pri- ence will guide you. A sound brushing technique which means you can fi nish most projects in a mary reason bubbles appear is from overbrushing and paying close attention to the work is the best single day. Used safely with ample ventilation during application. Turbulence occurs at the point prevention against brush marks, sags and runs. in an area free of open fl ames or sparks, lacquer could become your fi nish of choice – if the odor isn’t too objectionable. If it is, a respirator can easily solve that problem. As a fi nal note, some brushing lacquer brands offer a lacquer sanding sealer to be used as a fi rst coat. Using it is optional. Sanding sealers contain a substance that makes sanding them easier than sanding regular lacquer. This is a convenience and certainly does no harm. However, the very property that makes it easy to sand also makes the material softer. Don’t make the mistake of trying to use a sanding sealer as a complete fi n- ish, as it offers far less protection than when it is If the coat of lacquer is still very wet, you can A sound brushing technique will deter a sag, such used appropriately as a fi rst coat. WM brush out a run, such as the one shown here. as the one shown here. — Steve Shanesy

woodworking-magazine.com ■ 31 End Grain PHOTO BY AL PARRISH Lyptus: A Wood Worth Working?

Woodworkersoodworkers whowho aarere cconcernedoncerned aaboutbout tthehe ple of places, but it was minor compared to what rainforests tend to avoid using exotic species such you see in cherry, which scorches easily. as mahogany, purpleheart and , to name But similar to Philippine mahogany, Lyptus is three. While some of these are harvested respon- stringy. When routed, the grain sometimes tears sibly, others aren’t. And exactly where your wood unacceptably, even with backing boards. So pay came from can be a real headache to sort out at attention to the direction of the grain as much as the lumberyard on a Saturday morning. possible before routing. Routing with the grain The latest solution to this problem is a hybrid will give you less trouble. wood sold as Lyptus. It’s a cross between two species of (Eucalyptus grandis and Lyptus Challenges Some Hand Tools E. urophylla) that’s grown on Brazilian planta- The wood was difficult to plane and scrape. tions. Lyptus trees are fast-growing, and they Because of the frequent grain reversals, stan- can be harvested after about 15 years of growth – dard bench planes (with irons bedded at 45°) and compare that to 40 years for the North American low-angle block planes (bedded at 37°) would maple. Weyerhaeuser, the company that devel- frequently tear-out. I eliminated most of this by oped Lyptus (the name is a registered trademark, using a high-angle plane bedded at 50°. by the way), touts the timber as being produced Scraping was diffi cult at times because the in a sustainable and ecologically sensitive man- grain is soft like mahogany; scrapers prefer ner. And it’s marketed as a good substitute for harder timber. Fortunately, Lyptus sands well, cherry or mahogany. so you can easily fi x any grain defects from your Rainforest politics aside, I was interested in planing. The wood behaved well under a rasp and how the wood actually behaved in the shop using fi le, and took detail quite sharply. a variety of power and hand tools. So I went to When fi nishing, the pores soak up pigment, a local lumberyard and picked out some typical which can be ugly if you don’t use a paste fi ller Lyptus. The price? About $6 a board foot for sur- fi rst. To see some fi nished examples of the wood, faced 4/4 material – about the same as cherry and turn to the Contents page in this issue and look mahogany in most markets. (Lyptus is also avail- at the bottom right corner of the page. In that able as fl ooring or in plywood sheets.) photo, the topmost board has a mahogany stain Most of the boards I examined were in 6" and and lacquer on one side and clear lacquer on the 8" widths, which I’m told is pretty typical. That other. The smaller board below has shellac only. makes it generally as wide or wider than you’ll And the board they are both sitting on is a piece fi nd cherry. But it’s a bit narrower than what you of cherry with shellac for comparison. can fi nd in the mahogany rack – I see that spe- The face grain of Lyptus looks like a mellow cies in 20" widths on a regular basis. reddish mahogany, though the end grain doesn’t. The Verdict on Lyptus The stack of Lyptus we picked through had It has stripes of a darker red. Throughout most I think it’s unfair to compare Lyptus to cherry. some boards with occasional knots, but nothing of the board, the grain of the Lyptus was straight Except for its reddish cast, Lyptus just doesn’t you wouldn’t fi nd in a similar stack of cabinet- and mild, though it did change direction regular- have the same gorgeous tight grain – it’s clearly grade maple or cherry. ly, which gave me some fi ts as you’ll see. an open-pored exotic-looking wood. But Lyptus is a fair substitute for mahogany A Mahogany Look-alike Easy on the Machines in appearance and workability. So if you want Lyptus looks a lot like the American or Hondu- Lyptus behaved reasonably well on the jointer, the appearance of mahogany without the nag- ras mahogany that has passed through our shop, planer and table saw. When I dressed the wood ging political or environmental questions, give though the Lyptus varies in color a bit more. on the jointer and planer, I had just a few local- Lyptus a long look. WM Though Weyerhaeuser’s literature compares ized areas of tear-out – nothing I wouldn’t ex- – Christopher Schwarz the wood’s density to hard maple or red , it pect from typical cherry or maple. seemed more lightweight as I was machining it. Because the grain changed direction so much, But my hunch was wrong. I weighed identically I was worried the Lyptus would cause trouble FOR MORE INFORMATION 1⁄ 1⁄ sized samples ( 2" x 3 2" x 12") of Lyptus, red when ripped on the table saw. Some boards with Call Weyerhaeuser toll-free at 877-235-6873 in oak and hard maple on a digital postal scale. The internal tension can bind a blade or twist unac- the United States or 888-439-8822 in Canada. Or results? Lyptus weighed in at 10 ounces, red oak ceptably as the cut releases these stresses. But visit weyerhaeuser.com/wbm. at 9.7 ounces and hard maple at 7.4 ounces. Lyptus ripped easily. The edge scorched in a cou-

32 ■ woodworking magazine Autumn 2004 “Believe one who has tried it.” Extras — Virgil (70 B.C. - 19 B.C.), Roman author and poet

Questions About Woodworking Magazine? What is Woodworking Magazine? Woodworking Magazine teachesteaches thethe fundamen-fundamen- tal knowledge necessary for good craftsman- ship. Our goal is to make you an independent, mindful and competent woodworker by fi lling the inevitable knowledge gaps left by teaching the craft to yourself. To ensure our magazine is of the highest quality, we challenge wood- working’s conventional wisdom to fi nd the techniques, materials and tools that work best. Every operation and tool in Woodworking Maga- zine has been tested time and againagain by our staffstaff of professional and enthusiastic amateur wood- How often do you publish? workers in our shop in Cincinnati. And can I purchase future issues? Buy the First Issue Why is there no advertising? After receiving an overwhelmingly positive Online Now! To ensure that Woodworking Magazine is freefree response to our fi rst issue, we are pleased to of bias – or the perception of bias – we don’t present our second issue. Our 2005 publishing Don’t miss out on owning the premiere issue accept any outside advertising from the man- schedule is now being planned. You can sign up of Woodworking Magazine. Filled with the same ufacturers or sellers of woodworking tools and to receive information about future issues of the good craftsmanship and sound techniques equipment. magazine by visiting our web site and signing (and no outside ads) as you see in this issue, our up for our free e-mail newsletter. Spring 2004 issue features: Who publishes this magazine? And who are the editors? ■ Two better ways to cut accurate rabbets Coming in 2005: Woodworking Magazine is owned by F+W Pub- ■ Tricks to building stub-tenon doors lications Inc. F+W publishes a wide variety of ■ Arts & Crafts bookcase ■ Plans for a beautiful Shaker hanging cabinet magazines and books for the enthusiast on top- ■ A better way to cut sliding dovetails ■ How to get good results from wipe-on fi nishes ics that include hunting, scrapbooking, gar- ■ Choose the right marking knife ■ Plans for a simple tool cabinet dening, writing and woodworking. The editors ■ Getting great results with shellac ■ Reasons why most 6" rules don’t measure up include a staff of professional journalists and ■ Bench worth buying ■ Tips and techniques in our Shortcuts section woodworkers who also work on a sister publica- ■ Glass-door display cabinet tion, Popular Woodworking. Their names, phone ■ Illustrated Glossary numbers and e-mail addresses are listed on ■ Learning to read the grain To order, visit woodworking-magazine.com page 1, as well as online. ■ And a whole lot more! or call 800-258-0929. But hurry – this special collector’s edition won’t last long.

Good Resources Available Online at CONTACT US woodworking-magazine.com We welcome letters from readers with comments about this magazine or about ■ Get the latest information about upcoming ■ Search through woodworking in general. We try to respond issues of Woodworking Magazine. our illustrated Wood- working Glossary – to all correspondence. To send us a letter: ■ Sign up for our free e-mail newsletter to get a comprehensive list ■ E-mail: [email protected] all the news about Woodworking Magazine. ■ Fax: 513-891-7196 that helps explain ■ Mail carrier: ■ Have a question about the magazine? much of the jargon Letters • Woodworking Magazine Need advice about a woodworking project related to the craft. 4700 E. Galbraith Road or buying your next big tool? Head online If you encounter an Cincinnati, OH 45236 and fi nd contact information to talk with the unfamiliarunfamiliar wordword inin thisthis experienced staff of Woodworking Magazine. issue,issue, looklook itit upup online.online. Autumn 2004 W OODMAWGAZINEORKING Chisels 2 Common Types Common Chiseling Techniques Cutting with the tool Perpendicular Paring with the Face Cutting bevel or at an Angle to the Work Flat Against the Work or Bezel The most important consideration is to position When paring, it's typically best to use one yourself so you can see the profile of the tool hand to steer the blade and the other to push and determine if it is indeed the tool into the cut. This gives you control at 90° to your work. and power.

Face or Back (opposite side) Pushing handPushing Blade hand

Bevel Edge

Steering hand Use the cutting edge to define your layout lines Steering before removing waste hand Neck inside them.

Bolster

Tang Scraping Hold tool as shown below and pull toward you with firm downward pressure. Scraping is an excellent technique for cleaning up hand-cut joints, such as tenons and rabbets. Socket

Ferrule Useful Chisel Sizes First Buy a set of five Bevel-edge Chisels : 1/8" – Invaluable for cleaning out waste in tight spaces between dovetails. Handle 1/4" – Many grooves in frame- and-panel work are ¬" wide, so this is an ideal size to use to clean them up.

3/8":– Mortises in œ" material are typically ¬" or µ" wide, so the µ" chisel is useful for cleaning out corners and waste.

1/2":– Good for cleaning out hinge mortises. 3/4":– Good for paring and some scraping. Bevel-edge Chisel Mortising Chisel Then Buy Common Sharpening Angles Long edges are ground Thick blade allows the : at an angle to allow tool to be driven with 5/16" bevel-edge:– If your the tool to get into a mallet and to lever work uses π"-thick material, tight spaces, such as out waste in mortises. this will prove useful for between dovetails. Not One variant is the cleaning out mortises. designed for heavy firmer chisel, which has 20° 25° 30°-35° chopping. common a thick blade — though 5/8" +7/8" bevel-edge:– variant is the paring not as thick as a Intermediate sizes for hinge chisel, which has a mortising chisel — and mortises, paring and scraping. longer, thinner blade. is designed for heavier work. The butt chisel, 1/4" + 3/8" mortising:– another common If you're a hand-tool 20° Bevel 25° Bevel 30° to 35° variant, is typically a woodworker, these two sizes paring only general purpose, Bevel firmer chisel but with will handle most of your paring and light mortising and a much shorter blade. mortising needs. chopping heavy chopping

Illustration by Matt Bantly