® www.popularwoodworking.com

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In This Issue Traditional Secretary 20 Troy Sexton’s gorgeous drop- front secretary is the culmination of a lifetime of professional wood- working experience and a brief stroke of luck at an auction. By Troy Sexton

Garden Swing 28 Even people without porches deserve a porch swing. Our 34 original design includes a simple A-frame so you can swing anywhere in your yard.

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2 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 America’s BEST Project Magazine!

In Every Issue Out On a Limb 6 Every Good Teacher Assigns Homework Letters 8 Mail from readers Ingenious Jigs 12 Nick Engler shows you how to build and sharpen your own scraper plane using parts you’ll find at the local hardware store. Tricks of the Trade 16 Nibbling with your chop saw;make finish cans easy to reopen

38 54 Projects From 18 the Past Folding Lawn Chair Endurance Test 74 DeWalt’s 621 plunge router Flexner on Finishing Folding Plant Stand What You Must Know 76 Stripping finishes from wood 34 With less than a sheet of plywood 54 About Shelving you can build an ingenious half- Building great bookcases re- Caption the Cartoon round plant stand. And amazingly, quires more planning than real 79 Win a set of Quick Grip clamps it folds flat for off-season storage. skill. Learn the essential rules to Classifieds constructing shelving that is 82 38 Ultimate stout, attractive and adaptable. Tool Test Miter Saw Stand By Troy Sexton 84 DeWalt’s new contractor saw, Expand your chop saw’s cutting Metabo’s cordless drills and inex- capacity by building a miter saw 60 Nakashima- pensive wooden hand planes stand whose design has evolved Inspired Table over several years. This one even A cherry tree felled after a hard 88 Out of the Woodwork collects its own dust. It’s folding freeze and the work of master Tool Time for Toddlers wings allow it to fit into a small woodworker George Nakashima corner when not in use. inspired a modern yet rustic table and a personal journey. On the 44 Asian Coffee Table Cover Contemporary in design and 66 The Case After years of build- simple to construct, this maple for Combo Machines ing furniture for coffee table is designed to hold European woodworkers are fond clients, Troy Sexton its weight in catalogs and books. of machines that can be convert- took some time off ed from a table saw to a planer or to build this tradi- 49 Secret Toad a jointer. Learn why more Ameri- tional secretary for Tip back the mouth of this clever cans should consider this space- his daughter. band sawn amphibian and its saving option. Cover photo by Al Parrish tongue flicks out to reveal a By Roger Holmes sweet surprise. By John Hutchinson

www.popwood.com 3 ®

August 2000, Vol. 20, No. 4 www.popwood.com Editor & Publisher Steve Shanesy Senior Editors David Thiel, Christopher Schwarz Associate Editor Jim Stuard Senior Art Director Amy Schneider Contributing Editors Nick Engler Bob Flexner Glen Huey Troy Sexton Technical Advisers: Bill Austin Makita USA. Inc. Scott Box Delta International Chris Carlson S-B Power Tool Dale Zimmerman Franklin International General Manager Jeffry M. Lapin Editorial Director David Fryxell Design Director Nancy Stetler CIRCULATION David Lee, Director Lynn Kruetzkamp, Single Copy Sales Mgr. Terry Webster-Isgro, Direct Sales Mgr. PRODUCTION Barbara Schmitz, Director of Manufacturing Martha Wallace, Magazine Production Dir. Matt Walker, Production Assistant Ruth Preston, Studio Manager ADVERTISING National Sales Representative Bill Warren, Five Mile River Assoc. LLC RR1 Box 1400, Stockton Springs, ME 04981 Tel. (207) 469-1981; Fax (207) 469-3050 Advertising Sales Joe Wood, Tel. (513) 336-9760 Fax (513) 336-9761 Classified Advertising Sales Joan Wright, Tel. (800) 388-1820 Advertising Production Coordinator Debbie Thomas, Tel. (513) 531-2690, ext. 219

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Subscription inquiries, orders and address changes can be made at www.popwood.com (click on Subscriber Services). Or by mail: Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 5369, Harlan, IA 51593 or call (515) 280-1721. Include your address with all inquiries.Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.

Popular Woodworking (ISSN 0884-8823, USPS 752-250) is published seven times a year in February, April, June, August, October, November and December by F&W Publications, Inc. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207; tel.: (513) 531-2222. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and artwork should include ample postage on a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE); otherwise they will not be returned. Subscription rates: A year’s subscription (7 issues) is $19.97; outside of U.S add $7/year. Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 0546232. Canadian return address: 2744 Edna St., Windsor, ON N8Y 1V2 Copyright ©2000 by Popular Woodworking. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Popular Woodworking, P.O. Box 5369, Harlan, IA 51593 Canada GST Reg. # R122594716 Produced and printed in the U.S.A. ATTENTION RETAILERS: To carry Popular Woodworking in your store, call (513) 531-2690, ext. 327, or write: Dealer Program, F&W Publications, Inc., 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207. Woodworker’s Book Club: 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207; (513) 531-8250 Audit Bureau of Circulation membership applied for.

4 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 OUT ON A LIMB Contact Information

Steve Shanesy Every Good Teacher Editor & Publisher Specialties: Projects, techniques, article and Assigns Homework project selection 513-531-2690 ext. 238 [email protected]

ou’ve heard the expression about the it’s something else. David Thiel Ydifference between giving a man a fish Sometimes it makes me wonder if we Senior Editor and teaching him to fish. The man who should rethink the mission of Popular Specialties: Projects, new products and tools, learns to fish puts dinner on his table for- Woodworking. Perhaps we’d be a magazine tricks of the trade ever, while the other man eats for one day. with more subscribers if we did. As it 513-531-2690 ext. 255 But what about the guy who says he wants stands, I believe our mission is to be a [email protected] to learn but doesn’t want to bait his hook, teacher who challenges the students. And or loses his patience when the fish aren’t that our students would one day graduate Christopher Schwarz Senior Editor biting? and not require the steady coursework our Specialties: Author In woodworking, I sometimes wonder pages offer. liaison, website, projects, if the hobby is attracting more folks who We believe that giving readers every photography say they want to learn to fish but expect possible bit of information keeps them in 513-531-2690 ext. 407 [email protected] to be reeling fish in by the boat load as the dark about the joy and satisfaction of soon as the boat leaves the dock. finding their own solutions. The best Jim Stuard Anyone who really knows woodwork- woodworkers can adapt, create projects for Associate Editor ing or fishing can tell you it doesn’t work their own needs and engineer and build Specialties: Projects, that way. It takes dedication and patience furniture using techniques that suit their carving, turning, project to learn the skills to routinely land big fish woodworking interests. illustrations 513-531-2690 ext. 348 or complete satisfying projects. Until you Or we could simply give our readers the [email protected] reach that level it’s easy to get frustrated. fish, issue after issue. My concern is for those newcomers But that’s not for me. I respect our read- Amy Schneider whose expectations far exceed their skills. ers too much to produce a magazine with Senior Art Director I fear they quickly conclude that all you such a cynical point of view. To do so un- Specialties: Magazine need to build a project is a drawing, cut- dermines one of the joys of woodworking: and cover design, photo direction ting list and instructions. What is perhaps the supreme satisfaction that comes from 513-531-2690 ext. 471 more important is a foundation of basic figuring things out. [email protected] skills. The fundamentals of construction, However, I will give you this: If you are an understanding of wood movement and a beginner, here’s what you should do to Got Questions or Problems With Your Subscription? grain direction are all navigation devices start your hobby right. To report problems with your subscription on the road to a rewarding project. • Buy a good book on joinery such as visit our website at popwood.com, call our Their unbridled enthusiasm has them Bill Hylton’s “Illustrated Cabinetmaking” subscription offices at 515-280-1721, or write to Popular Woodworking,P.O.Box taking on projects that are too complicat- (Rodale Press) or “The Encyclopedia of 5369, Harlan, IA 51593. ed. And when they stumble, as most do, Joint Making” (Popular Woodworking Our Privacy Promise to You they sometimes write, call or e-mail us. Books). We make portions of our customer list Some have polite questions, some aren’t • Make sure your first projects require available to carefully screened companies so polite. a small investment in time and wood. that offer products and services we believe you may enjoy.If you do not want to re- “You tell me to use a tenon for the joint, • In the shower or on your way to work, ceive those offers and/or information, but you don’t even tell me what a tenon build your projects in your head two or please let us know by contacting us at: List is!” Or, “You say to square up the stock be- three times before you cut your first piece Manager,F & W Publications,1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207 fore cutting pieces, but you don’t even say of wood. how or why.” Or, “You say to make an al- And by all means, don’t stop calling or Safety Note lowance for the saw kerf. What’s that?” All writing us. We make it easy for you to get Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers place safety devices on their these are legitimate questions, and when in touch because we want to help and we equipment for a reason. In many photos the caller is working on a fairly simple pro- care about your woodworking. PW you see in Popular Woodworking, these have ject, we happily walk him or her through been removed to provide clarity.In some cases we’ll use an awkward body position it. But when they tell us they’re staring at so you can better see what’s being demon- $500 worth of hardwood and are ready to strated. Don’t copy us.Think about each start a Chippendale slant-front secretary, procedure you’re going to perform before- hand. Safety First!

6 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 LETTERS Procedures used to test screwdrivers are suspect

Magazine is Not Fooling Reasons We’ll All Miss Anyone With its Silly Tests R.J. DeCristoforo Just a note to tell you how thoroughly I When I subscribed to Popular Wood- enjoyed the April 2000 issue (#114). working a couple years ago and began read- However, I do have to comment on ing R.J. DeCristoforo’s editorial your test of the four-way screwdrivers on contributions, I thought, “How nice. R.J.’s page 74. son is also a woodworking writer.” After While there were some gaffes in the all, how could the guy that wrote a book 3 testing process (everyone knows it’s poly- I bought in 1956 for use with the ⁄4hp carbonate-impregnated graphite, not Shopsmith Mark 5 that I bought in 1953 graphic-impregnated poly) no goof was as still be writing? He had to be older than huge as attempting to test the screwdriv- I was, and I’m 79. er four ways. Even a junior-high shop stu- Glad to see it’s still the original you, dent knows that there are only two ways R.J., because I’m still using that old Magna to turn a screwdriver: clockwise and (Menlo Park, Calif.) Mark 5. Not so much counter-clockwise. To test one to de- as a table saw; I finally bought a cabinet struction by attempting to turn it four ways saw about 10 years ago after I retired and (as the name implies), simply goes beyond moved to a new shop where I didn’t have the bounds of editorial propriety. to keep all my power tools at the front of I certainly hope your testers conduct one side of a two-car garage. future tests in a manner more suitable to Over the years since 1953, I’ve added the usual high quality of PopWood! the Shopsmith jointer, band saw, thick- Ben Borok ness planer, biscuit-cutting attachment Novato, California and, recently, the oscillating sander (as my dad would say, now there’s a “Boss P.S. Happy April One! Tool!”). The planer and band saw are now on their own power stands, but I still run When Did Alfred E. Neuman the jointer on the basic machine and still Become Editor of PW? use it as a drill press (where else can you I have been enjoying your magazine for I buy a horizontal borer for home use?), don’t know how long. I always read “Out lathe and disc sander. of the Woodwork” first thing. After hav- I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this ing read the Endurance Test on four-way machine, used or new, to anybody who is screwdrivers in the April 2000 issue it has starting out in woodworking and has lim- become apparent to me that I have wast- ited space for tool storage. It’ll last you the ed a lot of time and money reading Mad rest of your life and probably a lot longer. magazine when I needed some entertain- Barney Howard ment.Thanks for the laugh. Sisters, Oregon Michael J. Honer Clemmons, North Carolina Continued on page 10 We Want to Hear From You Popular Woodworking welcomes letters from readers with questions or com- ments about the magazine or woodworking in general.We try to respond to all correspondence. Published letters may be edited for length or style.All letters become the property of Popular Woodworking. How to Send Your Letter: • E-mail: [email protected] • Fax: (513) 531-0919 • Mail carrier: Letters • Popular Woodworking • 1507 Dana Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45207

8 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 LETTERS

Continued from page 8 Editor’s note: As many of our readers may struck me that my choice of saw must have have noticed in the last issue, contributing ed- been omitted from the group you tested. itor R.J. DeCristoforo passed away. All This lead me to wonder about the valid- woodworkers (particularly Shopsmith own- ity of your procedures. In fact, I almost ers) owe R.J. a debt of gratitude for how much wrote to you on this matter to share my he taught us about our tools and all the amaz- experience. ing things we can do with them that isn’t cov- Then your April 2000 issue arrived. ered in the manuals. Within your current tool test a specific cordless drill/driver was shown. I was very Article on Death Row impressed with the price, features and Woodworkers Doesn’t Belong brand of this unit. After examination at I was disappointed with your article about a local dealer, I purchased it and am most death row (April 2000 #114). What place pleased with its performance and balance. does an article about the lowest form of My choice to use your guide actually people in our society have in a wood- caused me to cancel an order for a unit of working magazine? Although you tried a different brand. PW to walk on eggshells about their charac- Ralph H. Meinel ter, I feel you really missed the boat on Williams, Oregon this one. Quite frankly, I don’t care how inge- nious convicted killers are. It seemed al- most that you wanted to glamorize their exploits. What about the victims? If Corrections and you want to write about the seriousness Clarifications of our society go write for Time or Newsweek. In the November 1999 issue (#111), I for one read your magazine for enjoy- Popular Woodworking inadvertently ment, not to be reminded of the terrible violated a patent when publishing the plans for the Miter Sled on page things in the world. 30.The method for setting the Mark Adams angle of the miter cut was patented Charlotte, North Carolina by Jerry W.Cole, the inventor of the “Dubby” table saw fixture.Anyone who uses this method without Mr. Death-Row Woodworking Cole’s permission will violate the Article ‘Despicable’ Cole patent and be liable for money damages. If you are interest- I just purchased the April issue of Popu- ed in purchasing the Dubby miter lar Woodworking. It is my opinion that the sled for your table saw, contact article on death row woodworkers was de- Jerry W.Cole at 800-533-6709 for more information. spicable journalism. These inmates lost the privilege of recognition for their work In the Ice Box Entertainment Unit in the April 2000 issue a couple the day they took a life. items were incorrect or missing. I’ve taped those pages together so as Attach the mitered base pieces to not to have to look at them again. There the front of the case with screws and glue. Use a biscuit in the are thousands of woodworkers in the Unit- miters.Attach the base pieces to ed States that are far more deserving. the sides with screws in slotted James Pozorski holes to allow wood movement. On the face frame, there’s no Milwaukee, Wisconsin shoulder on the top of the top rail. So the mortise on the stile is open I Was Suspicious of Your Tool on the end of the stile. Ignore the door’s mortise di- Reviews, But Not Now mensions in the photo caption. 1 A few months ago your staff chose to re- Actual mortise dimensions are: ⁄4" 3 1 x 1 ⁄4" x 2 ⁄8" for the upper rail and view a particular sliding compound miter 1 1 1 ⁄4" x 2 ⁄4" x 2 ⁄8" for the bottom 3 saw in your Tool Test column. rail.These are ⁄8" in from the stile Earlier in the year I had purchased a end.Tenon sizes are stated on page 65 of the article.The notch dimen- different brand and had really put it 3 sion is wrong. It should be ⁄8" x 3 through its paces. Much to my satisfac- 1 ⁄4". tion it performed exceptionally well. It

10 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 INGENIOUS JIGS Scrapwood Scraper Plane This plane helps takes the work out of handwork.

nce upon a time when I was new to Owoodworking, someone showed me how to cut my sanding time in half by using a hand-held scraper. I thought to myself, “It just doesn’t get any better than this.” But it did. A few years later I was in- troduced to a cabinet scraper — a cast metal frame that holds a scraper at a fixed angle. This reduced my scraping chores considerably, and I thought, “It really can’t get any better than this.” But it did. A few more years went by, and someone let me try out their old Stan- ley scraper plane, an adjustable holder for a scraper. A scraper plane, I quickly learned, is to a cabinet scraper what a Ferrari is to an Astrovan. “This,” I thought to myself, “is as close to heaven as I am going to get.” And I was right. Scraper planes are not only one of the best smoothing tools ever Photos by Al Parrish invented, they are unfortunately as rare as 1/4" Illustrations by Mary Jane Favorite hen’s teeth. The old Stanleys are a collec- 5/16" tor’s item, and they are priced according- radius ly. The reproductions that are beginning 5/8" 1 3 to appear aren’t much less expensive. /4" /8" x 5" diameter dowel Well, if you can’t find it or you can’t af- thru 1" ford it, you can always make it. Not so very Hex nut Coupling Nut (2 required) long ago, it was common for woodwork- 3/8" I.D. x 1" ers to make their own planes — they aren’t Detail compression particularly difficult tools to make. And spring the scraper plane, it turns out, is one of the 5/16" washer simplest. In fact, you can make one from (2 required) 3/8" x 3" scrapwood and a scraper or a worn-out threaded plane iron. Sandpaper rod The plane holds a scraper against a wooden support. By turning the adjustor wheels, you can change the angle of the support to compensate for the angle of the burr on the edge of the scraper to get the cut you’re after.

Building the Plane I made this particular scraper plane from some scraps of exotic and figured woods #10 x 1" Nick Engler is the author of over 50 books on wood- thumbscrew working, plus countless articles and project plans. and #10 T-nut 1/4" x 3 3/4" He makes many of his own tools because he’s never (2 sets required) steel rod made enough money at it to afford real ones. (3 required)

12 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 Shape the plane handle with a cabinet rasp, rounding over and blending the surfaces until it fits your hand comfortably (far left).

To round the coupling nut, use the pivot to swing it back and forth around the pivot hole as you grind away the end with a sander or grinder (left).

1 8 3 4 1 1 / " x / " dowel 1 /4 x 1 /4" x 2" (four required) loose tenons 1 1 1 1 (four required) /2" /2" /2" /2"

3/8"

4" radius

2 7/8" 1"

3/8"

3" 3/8" 6" 1/4" x 2 3/4" connecting Top view steel rod nut

1/2" 1 5/8" diameter

5"

2 3/4" 3/4" diameter

1/2"

#10 x 1 3/4" 12" flathead wood Side view screws

22 1/2° 1/2" thick stock 2 7/8" 1/2" C 1 7/8" 3/8" diameter L 9 7 7 thru with /16" x /16" 1" /16" 3 1/2" 1/8" /8" countersink, 1" diameter sides chiseled thru to fit 3/8" hex nut 3/4" 3/8" 1 5 32 5 8 3 8 3 8 /4" 1 1 / " x / " / " / " diameter diameter 1 /2" /16" deep deep hole diameter dowel plugs diameter band saw kerfs 3/16" 3/16" thru thru (2 required) Cap Bar Layout Adjustor Wheel Layout Adjustor Bar Layout INGENIOUS JIGS

1 2 7 1 2 7/8" / " 2 /8" /2" 1/4" x 1/8" round- 1/2" bottom 1 groove 1" 1 1/2" 1 /2" 1 7/8" 1/4" 1/4" diameter thru diameter 3 1 1 with /4" x /16" 3 /4" For thru 1/4" counterbore for 1 1/4 x 1 3/4" T-nut 4 /2" 1" diameter 2 7/8" thru steel 1 1/4" rod

1/8" 2" 1 5/8" 1" Cap Layout 4° 1 1/8" 5/8" 1 1/8" Front view Side view Blade Support Layout

To change the angle of the scraper blade, turn the adjustor wheels. Steeper angles (as the blade ap- proaches vertical) leave a smoother surfacer, shallow angles remove stock more quickly (far left).To sharpen the scraper blade, grind and file the ends at 30 degrees. Roll the burr with a burnisher. Don’t apply too much pressure; a small burr is less likely to grab and leaves a smoother surface than a large burr (left). that I just couldn’t bring myself to throw away. (Like most woodworkers, I have an overactive packrat gland.) The sole re- quires an extremely hard wood to be as durable as possible, so I made that from ends if they are not strengthened. I put it in place — I adhere a piece of 100# sand- Cocobolo. But any dense wood will do — dowels in the adjustor bar at right angles to paper to the back of the support to keep rock maple was the traditional planemak- the wood grain because screws do not hold the scraper from shifting in use. ers’ choice. The other parts are made from well in end grain. Loosen the back adjustor wheel. As you curly maple and cherry, but any clear hard- I also reinforced the joints between the make passes over a piece of wood, turn the wood will work well. soles and the sides with loose tenons be- front wheel until the blade begins to bite. Before you cut the parts, adjust the cause Cocobolo is an oily wood and does Then tighten the back wheel and make 1 width of the plane so it’s ⁄8" wider than not form an especially strong glue bond. another pass over the wood. The plane the scraper between the sides. I used the If I had made the soles from rock maple, should be resting flat on its sole. If it’s not, blade from my cabinet scraper, which is the tenons would have been unnecessary. or you’re not getting the cut you want, re- 3 7 2 ⁄4" wide, making the plane 2 ⁄8" wide. When gluing the sides to the soles, re- adjust the vertical position of the blade or 1 I’ve also made these planes 2 ⁄8" wide, using member that you must put the support, the angle of the support. This takes a little 2" plane irons as scraping blades. The plane support pivot, coupling nut and coupling futzing around until you get the hang of irons work like gangbusters, by the way. nut pivot in position as you do so. The the tool and how it cuts. Tip: Use a rawhide Because of the loads applied to this tool pivot rods are captured by the sides; you mallet to tap the blade, making tiny ad- when you’re using it, several of the parts cannot insert them after you assemble the justments in the vertical position. PW must be reinforced. I drilled a long hole plane body. through the back handle and inserted a Supplies 3⁄ 8"-diameter dowel to prevent it from split- Using the Scraper Plane Cabinet scraper blades ting. I also used dowels to reinforce the Place the plane on a flat surface. Insert the Garrett Wade ends of the cap bar and the adjustor bar. scraper blade between the support and the 161 Avenue of the Americas New York,NY 10013 The cap bars are under considerable ten- cap and slide it down until it touches the 800-221-2942 sion, and the steel rods will split out of the surface. Tighten the thumbscrews to lock

14 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 TRICKS OF THE TRADE

WINNER! High Precision Miter Saw Trick I’m currently installing interior door and window trim, and I insist on near-perfect miter joints. In the past I’ve taken the measurement, made the initial cut a bit long, and “nibbled” off an end until I achieved the desired fit. Recently I stumbled on an idea to remove just a hair with my chop saw. After measuring the workpiece and making the rough cut a bit long, I sneak up on the final cut as follows. Position the workpiece against the fence, and then lower the blade to its lowest position, with- out turning on the saw. Then slide the workpiece until it touches the side of the non-moving blade (not the teeth). While holding the workpiece firmly in place, raise the saw blade, still without turning on the saw. Still holding the workpiece securely, turn on the saw and make the cut in a normal manner. The amount of wood re- moved is simply the amount of the teeth’s offset from the blade. Repeat the hair-cut- ting process until the desired fit is achieved. David Theriault Brewer, Maine

Beating Woodworker-Proof Caps Anti-Lock I have always had trouble with those cans of finish with Bit Trick the “push down and twist” caps. You can never open them Reading an old router easily a second time after they glue themselves shut from project article, the writer the residual finish on the neck and cap. I invariably ruin tells of beating on bits to get the cap trying to remove it with a pair of pliers. To solve them out of the collet. A simple way to keep this problem, I simply cut a 2" x 2" piece of plastic shop- the bits from locking up is to never tighten ping bag, place it over the mouth of the open can and a bit that is bottomed out in the collet. Allow screw the cap back on. The bag material is quite strong and the bit to hit the collet’s bottom, then raise 1 1 thin, and it allows a good seal while still letting you eas- it ⁄16" or ⁄8" before tightening. When re- ily reopen the can several times. When necessary, cut a moving, loosen the nut and push the bit all new piece of shopping bag to replace the torn old one. the way in to loosen it, then remove it. This D. Dehn works with all tools that have a collet. Union, Illinois John Gould Ramona, California Be an Innovative Thinker and Win! Turn your woodworking knowledge into a truly tricked-out tool from the Simpson Machine Tool Co. (www.smtco.com).Your best trick or shop tip can earn you a repro- duction of the 19th Century Stanley Odd Job #1 — the original multi-tool — and a check for $50.The Odd Job is an inside miter and try square, mortise scribe, layout tool, depth gauge, beam compass and bubble level, with a 6" and 12" brass-lined maple rule.This re-creation of a classic tool is cast from solid manganese bronze and is machined to within .0015 tolerance. One winner will be chosen each issue; pub- lished runners-up receive $25. To make things easier,you can e-mail your trick and daytime phone number to us at [email protected] or mail it to:Tricks of the Trade • Popular Woodworking • 1507 Dana Ave. • Cincinnati, OH 45207. All entries become the property of Popular Woodworking. Sponsored by

Illustrations: John McCormick

16 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 Shopmade Depth Gauge for Lathe Work A depth gauge with a long stock is a valuable lathe accessory when turning large bowls. This shopmade one uses a piece of dowel rod that can be locked with a captive wedge — a useful method of locking a sliding part, much used in the past, but not so often seen 1 now. Sizes can suit your needs, but stock 1" square and a ⁄2" piece of dowel rod would be suitable. Drill for the rod and make a wedge that will pass through the hole. The 1 wedge need not be more than ⁄8" thick and a length of 3" will do. Give it a moderate slope and make the knob on the small end the same height as the thick end. Cut a slot so, with the wedge in place, the rod is free to move when the thin end of the wedge is within the thickness of the stock, then hand pressure or a light tap with a hammer se- cures the rod. Percy W. Blandford Stratford-on-Avon, England

Nuts To Straight Circ-saw Cuts Rip guides come with most new circular saws and work great until the material width is smaller than your saw’s bed width. That’s when I use a framing square nut to act as my guide. The nut offers accuracy with consecutive cuts that can’t be beat. Usually I’ll only mark the first 6" of the board and begin my cut without the nut. Then when blade placement is established in the wood I screw the nut on and rip away. Gang rips and plunge-cut rips are no problem with practice. Also, scribe the location of the nut with a pencil, remove the nut, then confidently and sim- ply go back to your mark later for a fast duplicate cut. PW Chris J. McLoughlin Decatur, Georgia

www.popwood.com 17 A nostalgic look back From Volume 14, at plans published by Delta Machinery shortly after Issue No. 4, 1945 World War II. Folding Lawn Chair he advantage of this design is the folding ac- Ttion which allows you to fold the chair into a 3 compact space for storage. The back pivots on a ⁄4" dowel, while the arms, front legs and seat unit pivot on carriage bolts. The curved rails for the back are band sawn from 2 x 4 stock and the slats are screwed 3 to these. A ⁄4" dowel is bolted to the bottom rail for the pivot. The chair is finished with two coats of linseed oil and then outdoor paint. PW 20 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 As I watched my daughter grow, I waited patiently for more than a decade to build this secretary. This year both she and I were ready for this ultimate heirloom. Secretarytraditional ack in 1989 a local sawmill owner some aspects of this project were a real chal- passed away in these parts and his lenge. The beaded mullioned doors require Bfamily went about auctioning off all a lot of tricky cuts that are dangerous if not his personal possessions, including a large executed carefully. If you’re squeamish, I’d quantity of lumber. Before the auction I recommend you make the mullions flat in- went through the wood and found some stead of beaded. Most of all, don’t get into 20"-wide curly maple that apparently had a hurry with this project. It’s going to take been milled in 1954. I wanted that wood, you a lot longer than you expect. and so I went to the auction with $1,000 in my pocket ready to to bid, but also ready Lower Case to be disappointed. Some cabinetmakers build a separate base When the curly maple lot came up, the that the case rests on. After years of build- auctioneer put one leg up on that pile of ing Shaker and 18th century American wood, spit out a huge wad of tobacco and furniture, I’ve found it’s better to build the said the words that would lead to the lum- lower case and base as one. Instead of a ber purchase of a lifetime. separate base, I make my side pieces ex- “Who wants to bid on this pile of oak?” tend to the floor and attach the ogee he says. feet to the sides and a build-up block on Well, a few minutes and $200 later that the front. We’ll get to the feet later, but pile of the most amazing and wide curly don’t look for parts for a separate base. maple was mine. For more than 10 years The lower case is held together by mor- that lumber has sat in my shop. I’ve used tise-and-tenoned framed panels that are a couple small pieces for important pro- attached to the two sides using sliding jects, but mostly I’ve been saving it for dovetails. The writing surface is also at- something very special: a drop-lid secre- tached to the sides using sliding dovetails. tary for my daughter. And the top of the lower case is attached Now I’ve been a professional cabinet- using half-blind dovetails. The lid is sup- maker for a long time, and have built just ported by two pieces that slide out beside about every piece of reproduction furniture the top drawer. The back is shiplapped imaginable. But I’ve got to tell you that and nailed into rabbets on the side pieces. by Troy Sexton Troy Sexton designs and builds custom furniture and is a private woodworking instructor in Sunbury, Ohio, for his company, Sexton Classic American Furniture. Troy is a contributing editor for Popular Woodworking.

www.popwood.com 21 Begin by roughing out your parts and gluing up any panels you might need. First cut the sliding dovetails in the side pieces. These cross the entire width of the cabinet side. Build a jig from two pieces of ply- wood to do this. The jig, as shown in the photos, has a long slot in the top that is exactly the same width as the template guide on my router. The second piece of plywood keeps the jig square to the side. Chuck a 3 ⁄4" dovetail bit with a 14-degree slope into Here you can see the jig that cuts the female part of the sliding dovetails.What you can’t see is the board 7 attached to the back of the jig (next to my stomach) that keeps the jig square to the side (left). Unless your router and set the router to cut ⁄16" you taper the male part of the sliding dovetail,it’s going to bind up as you knock it into the case.I made a into the sides. Lay out the locations of little sanding block for just this purpose.One edge has the same angle cut on it as the dovetail (14 all the sliding dovetails on the sides and degrees).Wrap sandpaper around the block and sand both edges of the dovetail.Don’t sand up near the front where the dovetail will show.You want that part of the joint to be tight (right). make your cuts. Now cut the slant on the sides and top as shown in the diagrams and cut the sliding dovetails for the verti- case. Then cut the pins for the half-blind 1 1 1 1 and cut a ⁄2" x ⁄2" rabbet on the sides to cal dividers that house the lid supports. dovetails in the sides and cut the ⁄2" x ⁄2" hold the back pieces. Do not cut a rab- Now sand the back section of the male rabbet on the sides to hold the back. bet on the top piece. part of the dovetail as shown above. Fit the top case together and then cut Now turn your attention to the stuff To attach the top to the sides, I used the top piece to size and cut the tails on that goes between the sides. Start by cut- half-blind dovetails. I cut the pins using a the end to fit into the pins on the sides. ting the material for the mortise-and-tenon homemade jig that was featured in the Sand the interior, glue up the top case and panels that run between the sides. These September 1999 issue. The pins should be build the face frame. 7 panels (sometimes called dust panels or ⁄16" deep. Cut your pins and then dry-fit The face frame is built using mortise- dividers) are much like a door, with rails, the case together. Now cut the tails on the and-tenon construction. Cut 1"-long tenons 1 stiles and a flat panel that floats inside. top and knock that into place. When every- on the rails and 1 ⁄16"-deep mortises on The tenons are 1" long, and the groove to thing fits, disassemble the case and sand the stiles. Glue up the face frame and at- 3 3 hold the panel is ⁄8" x ⁄8". When you as- the inside of the desk. Glue up the case tach it to the top case with nails. semble the frames, glue the front mortis- and clamp it. Finish sand the exterior of both cabinets es but not the rear ones. When you attach because the next step is the moulding. the assembled frames to the case, the di- Top Case vider fronts should be flush to the front of The top case is built similarly to the lower Moulding the case and the divider backs flush to the case. The top is attached to the sides using There are custom mouldings on this pro- inside of the rabbet. This allows the case half-blind dovetails. The two shelves and ject that require skill to cut, especially the to expand with the seasons. bottom are attached to the sides using slid- ogee feet. Begin working on the feet by Fit your panels, then cut the male part ing dovetails. Then you build and nail a gluing a long block to the front of the lower of the sliding dovetail on the ends of the face frame to the case. case (below the lowest divider). You’re writing surface, the rails and the ends of Cut your sliding dovetails in the sides going to nail your feet to this. the stiles. You’ll need to use a router in a in the locations shown in the diagram using To make the ogee feet moulding, first router table for this operation. Go ahead the same dimensions and jig from the lower make a cove cut down the middle of your

Lid Supports

7/8" 7/8" Open to back of case 1/2" knob

3 1/4" 7/16" dovetail

Cut the pins in the case sides using a custom-made jig and a template guide in your router.The jig is 7/8" explained in the September 1999 issue (left). After the pins are cut, dry-fit the case and mark the tails for the top piece (right).

22 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 34 1/2" 1 1/8" 1 2 1/4" 1 1/8" 9 /4" 1 2 1/4" 1 3 7/8" 2 /4" 10 3/4" 10 3/4" /2" 8" /4" 7/8" 7/8"

See detail of crown 13 1/4" 13 1/4"

7/8" 7/8" 36" 36" 8 3/8" 8 3/8"

7/8" 7/8"

10 1/4" 10 1/4"

3/4" 3/4"

7/8" 35° 7/8" 77 1/4"

1 1 1/4" overhang on 11 /4" 11 /4" all fronts and lid

7/8" 7/8" 3 1/4" 3 1/4" 7/8" 7/8" 4 1/4" 4 1/4" 1 1 7/8" 41 /4" 7/8" 41 /4" 5 1/4" 5 1/4" 7/8" 7/8" 6 1/2" 6 1/2"

7/8" 7/8" Plywood brace See detail 5 1/2" 5 1/2" of base behind base foot

7/8" 34 1/4" 7/8" 1/2"16 3/4" 3/4" 36" 18" Elevation Profile stock using your table saw in the same way you would cut cove moulding. It helps to 3/16" deep dadoes on outer joints and thicker parts 1 draw the profile on the end of one of the /16" deep on inner joints 1/2" boards to help guide your cuts. After the cove cut is complete, round over the top of the moulding by running 1/4" 1/4" 1/4" the moulding on edge against your rip fence, 2 1/2" 2 1/2" 2 1/2" 2 1/2" 5 5/8" changing the blade’s bevel as you nibble away at the edge until you can smooth the 1 cuts with a sander. 11 /8" 1/4" Sand the feet and then miter the pieces. 2" Trace the profile of the scrollwork from 1 the diagram onto the glued-in block. Cut /4" the scrollwork profile on the block using 2" a jigsaw (it doesn’t have to be pretty). Cut 1/2" the scrollwork on the ogee feet on your 9 1 band saw or scrollsaw and sand your cut 3 /16" 3/8" 3/8" 5 1/4" 1/4" 5 /4" 1/2" 1 (these have to be pretty). Nail the feet 1 /2" C 1 to your case sides and front. Then miter L 17 /16" 3 and nail ⁄4" cove moulding on top of the Insert

www.popwood.com 23 ogee feet moulding. You’re done with the feet. Now put the 2" 1/4" radius top case on top of the lower case. Center cove on 3 it and attach ⁄4" cove moulding to the plinths lower case around the base of the top case. Column Attach cove moulding to the top case (I backer 1 7" 11" bought mine off the rack) and then add a ⁄2"- See detail for column thick cap as shown in the diagrams. profile

Doors 1 1/2" The doors are real tricky. In fact, you should- 2" n’t feel bad about modifying the doors to suit your taste or skill level. The joints for Cut the tails on your band saw and clean them 2" the door are formed using a custom cope- up with a chisel if necessary. and-stick shaper profile. The rails and stiles are attached using loose tenons. The mul- stiles and get ready to cut the loose tenons ers and slide the bottom panel into place. lions are coped on the ends and glued be- that hold the doors together. I cut the mor- tween the rails and stiles. Coping these tises in the rails and stiles using a straight Drop Lid tiny pieces is the tricky part. bit in a router. Each mortise measures The drop lid is built using traditional mor- 3 1 Begin by cutting the cope-and-stick pro- ⁄8" wide x 1" deep x 1 ⁄2" long. Cut your tise-and-tenon breadboard ends. Begin by file on the rails and stiles. Now cut the cope tenon material from shop scraps. Glue and cutting three 2"-wide x 1"-long tenons on on the mullions. Here’s how: Take a block clamp your doors. each end of the panel. Use these to lay out of wood that’s about 4" wide and cope the the mortises on the breadboards. Cut ends, then rip your mullions from this wider Drawers the mortises a little wide, glue the center board. Use a really wide pushstick to pro- The drawers are built entirely using solid tenon in the mortise and peg your tenons tect your fingers during this dangerous cut. lumber. The drawer fronts lip over the case through elongated holes in the tenons. Cut the beaded profile on the edges of the and are rounded over on the front. The Now cut a rabbet on the sides and top 1 5 mullions and cut the ⁄4"-deep x ⁄16" wide sides attach to the front with rabbeted half- of the lid and roundover the front edge rabbet on both back edges to hold the glass. blind dovetails and through-dovetails at like you did the drawers. Attach the lid to Because this cut is so tricky, I recommend the back. The bottom, which is a panel the lower case using the hinges listed in you use a special pushstick that you can see with beveled edges, slides into a groove in the supplies box. in action in the photo at right. the sides and front. Build the slide-out supports for the lid. Fit the rails and mullions between the Begin by cutting your parts to size and They are simply a piece of maple with a 5 7 cutting a ⁄16"-wide x ⁄16"-deep rabbet second piece of maple tenoned on the end all the way around the back of the drawer to hide the end grain. Slide these into their fronts. Then cut a roundover on the draw- holes and move onto the back pieces. er fronts. Cut your half-blind dovetails using Back Pieces the same type of jig you used for building I made a traditional shiplapped back for 3 1 1 the case. Now cut the ⁄8"-wide x ⁄4"-deep this piece using ⁄2"-thick material. Cut 1 1 groove in the drawer front and sides for the ⁄4" x ⁄2" rabbets on the edges and then 1 bottom panel. Cut your bottom panel to cut a bead on the edges using a ⁄4" bead- size and bevel the edges so the panel will fit ing bit in a router table. You’ll nail these between the side pieces. Glue up your draw- boards in place after finishing.

Insert The pigeonholes add a lot to this piece. You might want to customize yours with more secret spaces than I did. First build the dovetailed box that slides into the desk. Here you can see how I build my bases.I add a I used through-dovetails because the ma- block at the front and attach the moulding to that. It’s much like a kick on a traditional cabinet,except terial is thin. Now use the diagram to lay it’s flush to the front of the case.Cut out the scroll out and cut the dadoes for all the dividers. pattern using a jigsaw (top). After you’ve cut out I used a dado stack in my table saw for this. the scroll pattern on the ogee feet,nail them in place to the sides and the block at front (right). Glue the dividers in place. Cut the pi- geonhole scrollwork on a scrollsaw and

24 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 4 1/4"

3/8" radius on edge of top

5/16"

7 1/2" /8"

4 1/8" Half scale of base foot and 5/16" crown moulding assembly

1 1/4" thick stock

1/8" 1/4" 1/8"

1/4" 1/4" 1/4" 1/4" 1/4" 1/16" 1 1/2" Column Detail

Divider back is loose, leaving Tenon layout a 1/8" gap for seasonal movement 1 3/8" 7 1 /16" long sliding dovetail /2" 3/8" cut on both ends of panel 1" 2" 1 3 /4" x 1 /8" x 1" 1/8" tenon on end of rails 12 7/8" 17 1/2" Dust panel set into 3/8" x 3/8" grooves

The mullions are tricky. Here you can see the Front 2 1/2" special jig I rigged up to cut the rabbet on the mullions. One edge is shaped to hold the beaded 7 1 13/16" 5 13 side (far top).Then you simply put the mullion /16" 30 /8" 1 /16" 7/16" in the jig, set your table saw to make your cut 35 1/8" and be careful (top). Case Dividers

When it’s all said and done, this is what your Before you cut your loose tenon joints, make sure Here’s a close-up look at the loose-tenon con- mullion should look like.The cope for my set of all your mullions fit between the door rails and struction. Cut the mortises in the rails and stiles 5 knives is ⁄16" deep. stiles. using a spiral bit in a router.

www.popwood.com 25 Schedule of Materials: Traditional Secretary Lower Case No. Item Dimensions T W L Material 7 3 3 No. Item Dimensions T W L Material 1 Front B ⁄8" x 5 ⁄4" x 34 ⁄4" P 7 1 7 3 3 2 Sides ⁄8" x 18" x 41 ⁄4" P 1 Front C ⁄8" x 4 ⁄4" x 34 ⁄4" P 7 1 1 7 3 1 1 Case top ⁄8" x 10 ⁄8" x 35 ⁄8" P 1 Front D ⁄8" x 3 ⁄4" x 31 ⁄4" P 7 1 1 1 3 1 1 Desktop ⁄8" x 17 ⁄2" x 35 ⁄8" P 2 Sides A ⁄2" x 6 ⁄8" x 17 ⁄4" S 7 1 1 1 1 1 4 Divider fronts ⁄8" x 2 ⁄2" x 35 ⁄8"P 2 Sides B ⁄2" x 5 ⁄8" x 17 ⁄4" S 7 1 1 1 1 4 Divider backs ⁄8" x 2" x 35 ⁄8"P 2 Sides C ⁄2" x 4 ⁄8" x 17 ⁄4" S 7 1 7 1 1 1 6 Divider rails ⁄8" x 2 ⁄4" x 14 ⁄8"P 2 Sides D ⁄2" x 3 ⁄8" x 17 ⁄4" S 7 1 7 1 3 1 2 Divider rails (top) ⁄8" x 3 ⁄2" x 14 ⁄8" P 1 Back A ⁄2" x 5 ⁄8" x 34 ⁄8" S 7 3 1 1 1 1 2 Vertical rails ⁄8" x ⁄4" x 4 ⁄8"P 1 Back B ⁄2" x 4 ⁄8" x 34 ⁄8" S 7 3 1 1 1 4 Lid suppt guides ⁄8" x ⁄4" x 12" S 1 Back C ⁄2" x 3 ⁄8" x 34 ⁄8" S 3 5 3 1 1 5 3 Lower panels ⁄8" x 13 ⁄8" x 31 ⁄8" S 1 Back D ⁄2" x 2 ⁄8" x 30 ⁄8" S 3 5 7 1 1 1 1 Top panel ⁄8" x 13 ⁄8" x 28 ⁄8" S 1 Bottom ⁄2" x 17 ⁄2" x 30 ⁄8"S 7 7 3 1 1 5 1 Drop lid panel ⁄8" x 13 ⁄8" x 32 ⁄4"P 3 Bottoms ⁄2" x 17 ⁄2" x 33 ⁄8"S 7 7 2 Breadbords ⁄8" x 2" x 13 ⁄8"P 7⁄ 1⁄ Insert 2 Lid supports 8" x 3 4" x 17" P 1 1 1 7⁄ 1⁄ 2 Sides ⁄2" x 8 ⁄2" x 11 ⁄8" P 2 Support ends 8" x 2" x 3 4"P 1 1 1 3⁄ 1⁄ 1⁄ 2 Top & bott ⁄2" x 8 ⁄2" x 34 ⁄8" P 1 Feet support strip 4" x 5 2" x 34 4"Ply 3 1 1 1⁄ 1⁄ 4 Large vert dividers ⁄8" x 8 ⁄2" x 10 ⁄2"P Back 2" x 35" x 41 4"S 1 1 1 1⁄ 4 Shelves ⁄4" x 8 ⁄2" x 11 ⁄8"P Ogee feet 1 4" x 5" x 7' P 1 1 7 3⁄ 3⁄ 6 Dividers ⁄4" x 8 ⁄2" x 5 ⁄8"P Cove mould 4" x 4" x 14' P 1 1 1 4 Dividers ⁄4" x 2 ⁄8" x 8 ⁄2"P 1 1 Upper Case 8 Pigeonhole arches ⁄4" x 2" x 2 ⁄2"P 7 1 2 Sides ⁄8" x 8 ⁄2" x 36" P 7⁄ 5⁄ Column drawers 4 Shelves and top 8" x 8" x 33 8" P 1 7 3⁄ 4 Front & back ⁄2" x 1 ⁄16" x 10" S 2 Face frame stiles 4" x 2" x 36" P 1 7 1 3⁄ 1⁄ 4 Tops & botts ⁄2" x 1 ⁄16" x 8 ⁄4"S 1 Face frame top rail 4" x 4" x 32 2" P 1 3 3 3⁄ 1⁄ 1⁄ 2 Sides ⁄2" x 7 ⁄4" x 9 ⁄4"S 1 Face frame bot rail 4" x 1 2" x 32 2" P 1 1 1⁄ 1⁄ 2 Column backer ⁄4" x 2" x 11 ⁄16"P Back 2" x 33 2" x 36" S 1 1 7⁄ 1⁄ 1⁄ 2 Beaded boards ⁄4" x 1 ⁄2" x 7" P Cove mould 8" x 4 2" x 6 2' P 5 1 1 1 ⁄8 Moulding cap ⁄2" x 4 ⁄4" x 6 ⁄2'P 4 Plinths " x 2" x 2" P Insert drawers and door Upper Case Doors 1 15 3 3⁄ 1⁄ 1⁄ 8 Fronts ⁄2" x 1 ⁄16" x 5 ⁄16" P 4 Stiles 4" x 2 4" x 30 2" P 3 5 3 3⁄ 1⁄ 3⁄ 8 Backs ⁄8" x 1 ⁄8" x 5 ⁄16" S 2 Top rails 4" x 2 4" x 11 8" P 3 15 1 3⁄ 3⁄ 3⁄ 16 Sides ⁄8" x 1 ⁄16" x 8 ⁄8" S 2 Bott rails 4" x 2 4" x 11 8" P 1 13 3⁄ 3⁄ 1⁄ 8 Bottoms ⁄4" x 4 ⁄16" x 8" S 2 Vert mullions 4" x 4" x 26 8" P 11 1 1 3⁄ 3⁄ 5⁄ 2 Door stiles ⁄16" x 1 ⁄2" x 10 ⁄16"P 8 Horiz mullions 4" x 4" x 5 8" P 11 1 1 1 Bott rail ⁄16" x 1 ⁄2" x 5 ⁄4"P 11 1 Lower Case Drawers 1 Top rail ⁄16" x 3" x 5 ⁄4"P 7 3 1 1 3 1 Front A ⁄8" x 7" x 34 ⁄4" P 1 Panel ⁄4" x 5 ⁄8" x 7 ⁄4"P P=Maple • S=Poplar

Supplies Horton Brasses Inc. 800-754-9127 1 H-42 ⁄2" interior knobs (10) H-34 exterior pulls (8) H-34SE escutcheons for drawers, slant top (5) H-38 interior escutcheon (1) H-551 top door escutcheon (2) LK2 lock (2)

Rockler 800-279-4441 #29157 hinges for slant top lid $2.99/pair (1 pair) #25700 hinges for interior door $1.99/pair (1 pair) The support end on the lid support, (attached The insert is merely slid into the desk after #31495 hinges for top doors with a haunched mortise), is a nice way to finishing.You don’t need to attach it to the lower $5.79/pair (2 pair) conceal the end grain. case if you don’t want to. Here I’m fitting the #15190 lock, interior door pigeonhole scrollwork into the cubbyholes using $18.99 (1) spring clamps. glue it in place using spring clamps. used a cope-and-stick set in my router table. doors. I used an aniline dye to color the Build the eight horizontal and two ver- Then I band sawed out the curve in the piece followed by three coats of spray lac- tical drawers using half-blind dovetails. top rail and cut the profile using the same quer. After finishing, attach the back boards 1 The vertical “drawers” open to the inside router setup. The ⁄4" panel is flat (not and add the glass using either silicone or for hanging jewelry. Cut the column pro- raised) and slides neatly into the groove traditional water putty. files and attach them and the plinths to created by the router cutters. The good news was that my daughter the backer, then glue the whole assem- loved the new secretary. I’m sure she’ll trea- bly to the drawers. Details sure it for years to come. The bad news is To build the little door in the center I Attach all the hardware and hang your that now my wife wants one. PW

26 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 When lunch is served at the garden swing, simply pop up the center section of the seat to turn it into a handy built-in table. garden

othing says summer like a glass of lemonade, relaxing in the shade and hoping to catch a breeze – or creating your own by giving your swing a Nkick. Of course, I always get so comfortable I’m looking for a place to put my drink down and close my eyes. Now I’ve got a swing designed to help. Integrated into the seat is a simple pop-up table that sits level to the ground while the swing keeps your back at a comfortable angle. The swing is simple to build. Joinery consists of some simple tongue-and-groove construction, biscuits and screws. Most of the pieces are dimensional lumber sizes you can buy right off the rack. You will, however, need a planer to run the slats down to their proper thickness. Start the project by heading to the lumber yard. The six-foot swing as shown required one 2x8, one 2x6, five 2x4s, and 10 1x4s all in eight-foot lengths. I chose western red cedar because it’s a durable, lightweight, outdoor wood and is less ex- pensive than redwood. At Midwest prices, the lumber cost about $120.

Seat Frame Once back in the shop, start construction by cutting the seat rails and stringers from the 2x4s. As you probably know, dimensional lumber comes with rounded edges. You’ll need to get rid of them. Cut the pieces for the rails and stringers to their 3" thickness by first running one edge over the jointer until they have a square edge, then rip them to 3" wide. To give the seat a comfortable back angle, set your saw blade to an 7-degree bevel and run the back rail on edge to give a 7-degree angle to the back.

by David Thiel Photo by Al Parrish Photo by

28 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000

1 1/2"

C 5 1/8"

23 1/2" H B 90° 19° 1 1/2"

26" 20 7/8" Seat slats "G" spaced equally I 7" 7° 5/8" ° A 3" F 13 E 7 degree angle 1 1/2" 17" 1 1/2" on A, B, & E With the seat frame assembled, nailing the slats in place was a cinch with a pneumatic finish nailer and stainless steel nails. Note the 7-degree bevel on Profile the rear of the back seat rail.

5 Now cut the pieces to length and screw the boards to ⁄8" thickness. Then rip them table at this point. The spacing works the 1 the stringers between the rails, spacing to their 2 ⁄2" width and crosscut the seat same as on the side seats, but run the slats them as shown. The center section spac- slats to 20". To give the swing a finished from front to back. The slats are attached 1 3 1 7 ing is critical because the pop-up table look, cut an ⁄8" roundover on all four top to two table battens ( ⁄4" x 1 ⁄2" x 19 ⁄8") 1 needs to be square so it can be lifted out edges of each seat slat using a bit mount- that are held ⁄16" or so away from the in- and turned in place and the legs low- ed in a router table. side face of the front and rear rails. This ered. Use 2" galvanized deck screws when Attach the slats for the permanent seats, gap should allow the table to lift out with- screwing the seat frame together. running the slats from side to side. They out binding, but some slight fitting may Mill all the slats at the same time be- should flush up in length to the outside be necessary. Don’t worry about the legs cause they are essentially the same size. edges of the stringers, and the front slat yet, we’ll do that later. Cut the 1x4s into 24" lengths, and plane should be flush to the front rail. Use about 3 ⁄8" spacing between the slats. Build the Back I decided to attach the slats to Next, turn to the back of the swing. Mill the frame using finish nails and the bottom back rail and two stiles to size an air nailer. This left a much as described earlier to leave crisp edges. smaller hole than screws, and Run the bottom edge of the bottom back it was very quick. rail and both stiles through the saw at an To finish the seat I decided 83-degree angle to match the bevel on the to build the top surface of the seat. Then take the 2x8 top rail and lay out the top arch of the swing by marking the center of the 1 rail, then mark 2 ⁄2" down from the top at the center. Tap a small brad nail into the board at this spot, then put two more brad nails into the board at the bottom cor- ner of the board at either end. Then take an eight-foot 1 strip of ⁄4"-thick wood and bend it across the top nail, Holding the arched top rail steady was the most attaching the strip to the two difficult part of routing the top groove for the slats. lower nails with spring Remember to make the cut in two passes on each clamps. The arch formed by side. In this photo you can see that the rail hasn’t been cut for length yet, allowing extra support for the the strip can then be marked router at the beginning and end of the cut (at left). with a pencil, and then a sec- 1 ond line (2 ⁄2" above the first With the miters cut on the top rail and back stiles, space the slats and use the top rail to mark the angle line), marked. Jigsaw the and length of each slat, (adding 1") (above). piece to the outside of these

30 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 lines, then sand the piece smooth. To determine the length of the top rail, lay the bottom rail and side stiles flat with the bottom rail between the stiles. Clamp these pieces in place, then lay the top rail across the tops of the stiles, flush to the top outside corner of each stile. With the top rail in place, mark the point where the inside curve of the rail intersects the inside edge of the stiles. Connect the two points and this is the angle to cut on the top edges of the stiles and on the ends of the top rail, to form mitered joints. The back frame will be held together with a double helping of biscuits, but first you need to cut the groove in the top and bot- The back of the arm is simply screwed in place With the notches cut in the support cleats, the tom rails to hold the slats. through the back stile, while the support is two pieces can be glued in place in the seat attached to the arm and seat with dowels and frame. Running the groove in the bottom rail polyurethane glue. Notice the foamy squeeze-out is fairly simple. Set up a router with a straight of the glue at the joints. 3 1 bit (or an up-spiral bit) of either ⁄8" or ⁄2" Schedule of Materials: Garden Swing diameter. Next set up a fence on the router slat. Remove the slats, 7 1 No. Ltr. Item Dimensions T W L Material ⁄16 ⁄2 1 " from the bit, and set the bit for a " numbering them as you 1 A Bottom back rail 1 ⁄2" x 5" x 55" Cedar 1 1 7 depth. (The final depth is 1", but take it do. Now add 1" in length 2 B Back stiles 1 ⁄2" x 2 ⁄2" x 20 ⁄8" Cedar 1 1 C Top back rail 1 ⁄2" x 8" x 60" Cedar in two passes.) By running the router on to the marks on the slats 5 1 1 11 D Back slats ⁄8" x 2 ⁄2" x 20 ⁄2"* Cedar 1 both long edges of the rail, the groove will and cut them to their fin- 2 E Seat rails 1 ⁄2" x 3" x 60" Cedar 1 be centered on the piece. Check the fit of ished length using the 4 F Seat stringers 1 ⁄2" x 3" x 17" Cedar 5 1 21 G Seat slats ⁄8" x 2 ⁄2" x 20" Cedar the back slats in the rail (or better, a test band saw. You’re now 1 1 2 H Arms 1 ⁄4" x 3" x 23 ⁄2" Cedar 1 piece), then make the groove. ready to glue up. I used 2 I Arm supports 1 ⁄2" x 4" x 12"** Cedar 3 1 7 To cut the same groove in the arched polyurethane glue for all 2 J Table battens ⁄4" x 1 ⁄2" x 19 ⁄8" Cedar 1 1 2 K Table legs 1" x 1 ⁄4" x 6 ⁄2" Cedar top rail, see the photo at left. You will need my glued joints. The 1 1 2 L Table legs 1" x 1 ⁄4" x 8 ⁄4" Cedar 5 1 to adjust the depth of the final cut a bit to polyurethane adhesive 2 M Table leg braces ⁄8" x 1 ⁄4" x13"** Cedar compensate for the curve of the arch. provides a strong water- 2 N Table support cleats 1" x 2" x 20" Cedar Miter the top rail to length, then check resistant bond in even *Longest slat, cut to fit. **Length oversize to allow fitting. the fit of your slats in the grooves. The long-grain to short-grain spacing between the slats should be about joints. Don’t glue the slats in place, how- rail from rot from standing water in the 1 2 ⁄4", but double-check your dimensions. ever. Place them in the grooves in their ap- groove, cut blocks (called fillets) the size of After cutting the double biscuits at the proximate positions, then after the frame the spaces and glue them in place. joints, place the slats in the bottom groove has dried, use a brad nailer to tack the slats You’re now ready to glue and bolt the 1 and locate the top rail in position on the in place with a single brad at top and bot- back to the seat. I used four ⁄4" threaded slats. Mark the height and curve on each tom, from the back. To protect the lower bolts with washers to bolt the bottom rail 5 of the back to the back rail of the seat. /8" x 1" deep groove in top rail 5 3/8" for back slats 2 1/2" Hold the bottom edges of each flush, and 55° C again use polyurethane glue on this joint. 35° Next cut the two arms and arm sup- ports from 2x4 material and cut them to B shape using the scaled drawings on the D next page. You may want to cut the angle H on the bottom of the support and on the back end of the arms, then fit them in place I and confirm the location and angle of the 5/8" top end of the supports. Attach the arms E 3" to the back with a long deck screw through F Seat slats "G" spaced equally the back stile. Glue the support to the arm 1 and to the seat with ⁄2" dowels between. 1 1/2" 17" 1 1/2" 20" 1 1/2" 17" 1 1/2" The last step is to put the legs on the 60" Elevation table, and to notch and fit the support

www.popwood.com 31 Last, but not least, bolt No Porch? the table legs in place to the table battens. No Problem Note the notches on While most of us enjoy a porch swing, the ends of the legs not all of us have a porch. So we de- which drop into the signed this swing for the porch-chal- previously cut notches lenged reader by including an A-frame to stabilize the table. structure that can be placed anywhere in your yard. Rather than spend a lot of valuable swinging time notching the timbers, we went to the local home center store and picked up some playset hardware from Swing-N-Slide and some treated dimensional lumber. The wood and hardware cost a little more than $150, making it more expensive than the swing. So you may want to consider that in your planning. The pre-made brackets make assem- Table back bly very easy. Screw two 96"-long 4 x 4 G cleats. Start by cutting the leg pieces to posts to the leg braces using 2" deck the sizes given in the Schedule of Materials. screws. By following the angle of the 2 1/2" brackets, the 25-degree angle of the They are two different lengths to allow the CL table to sit parallel to the ground, even posts is simple to determine. Next cut 1/4"-20 L a 96"-long 2 x 6 into two 48"-long 3/4" hardware though the swing itself is angled back. pieces with 25-degree miters on each end. Screw these supports to the legs, J Round over the top end of each leg to allow measuring from the bottom of the legs it to swivel without catching, then drill M 1 1 1 1 to keep the supports parallel to the /2" x /2" ⁄4" clearance holes, ⁄2" down and cen- ground. K notches The top rail is the last piece, and tered on the legs. Drill clearance holes cut into legs 1 the frame brackets will fit 6" between in the table battens ⁄2" up from the bot- them, so I screwed a 2x4 to each side tom edge, and 1" in from the inside cor- of a 4x4 post, finishing out at 6".The 1⁄ 1⁄ rest is simply laying the top rail on the ners. Attach the legs using 4" x 2 2" bolts leg assemblies, centering and squaring with two washers on either side of the leg the legs to the rail and screwing and and a nylon-lined nut to hold the legs tight, bolting the braces in place. 1 but not immobile. Last, but not least, drill ⁄4" holes, 6" from the inside of each leg assembly, Check the spacing between the legs through the top 4 x 4 and insert the 6" (near the bolts) then cut the leg braces to eye bolts. Use washers and nuts to secure the eye bolts, then hang the fit, and screw them in place between the chains with the “S” connectors. legs. Some swings will use one chain Now head back to the saw and cut the suspended from the top rail which divides into a “Y” close to the swing. two table support cleats to fit between the However,the swing is much more inside stringers. Clamp these in place, cen- stable by using individual chains for ter the table in place left to right and mark each attachment point on the swing. the location of the legs. 7 Remove the cleats and cut ⁄8" x 1" notches on the leg locations. Then use a handsaw to trim the ends of the legs to Schedule of Materials: form tongues to fit into the mortises you’ve Swing A-Frame just created in the cleats. Glue the cleats No. Item Dim.T W L Material in place, and once dry, the table will drop 4 Frame legs 4 x 4 x 96" PTP into place in the cleats, holding the table 1 Top center rail 4 x 4 x 96" PTP 2 Top outer rails 2 x 4 x 96" PTP steady. 3 2 Leg supports 2 x 6 x 48" PTP After adding ⁄8" x 4" eye bolts to the 4 Swing-N-Slide EZ Frame Braces front and rear of the swing seat, the swing 4 Swing-N-Slide Leg top braces 3 is ready to hang. If you’ve got a porch, find 2 ⁄8" x 6" eye bolts 3 4 ⁄8" flat washers Each square = 1" a sturdy joist and get the lemonade. If you 3 4 ⁄8" nuts happen to be missing a porch, use the in- 8 S- connectors 4 6-foot lengths of chain formation at left to build a simple A-frame PTP = pressure treated pine structure to let you swing in style anywhere in your yard. PW

32 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 34 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 Less than one sheet of plywood and a long afternoon are all you need to build a functional and foldable floral display. plantfolding stand hen you have a lot of plants to display, you are always look- ing for ways to show them off to their best advantage. Or maybe you just want to cover that hole where a gopher wdug under the house. Either way this plant stand is a great way to make a few potted plants look like a huge display. And here’s a bonus feature: the whole thing folds up flat so you can hang it on a garage wall in the off-season. You can make it using 3 about three-quarters of a sheet of ⁄4" CDX plywood, which is es- sential for outdoor use. The term CDX refers to the quality of the two face veneers and the glue between the plys. So CDX has a “C” and a “D” side (“A” being the best grade) with the “X” re- ferring to the exterior-grade glue. The plys themselves are the same as in any other pine plywood. The shelves are designed to hold 6" pots, but with care, larger pots are also okay. Start with two four-foot square sheets of plywood, and begin construction by cutting out the back and supports from one sheet and the shelves from the other. Use the diagrams to lay out your cuts. To cut the shelves and supports from the ply, 3 use a drill with a ⁄16" bit to drill two overlapping holes for the jigsaw blade. Drill clearance holes at the outside corners of the back and supports to start the saw blade. If you clamp the parts to a table, you can cut the shapes in short order. Once you get the back and supports cut, you’ll notice that the steps on the sup-

Photo by Al Parrish Photo by by Jim Stuard

www.popwood.com 35 3/4" x 1 3/4" x 10" 5" radius shelf hinge block

Butt hinge

10" radius shelf After the base, the dimensions remain constant for each 3 port are ⁄4" shorter than the back. This successive step helps everything fold flat for storage. 3 The next step is to cut ⁄4" x 4" notch- 15" radius shelf es in the tops of the steps, at the back, to Back receive the hinge mounting blocks for the shelves. Use screws and water resistant glue to attach the mounting blocks. When installed, the blocks stick 1 out 1" from the edge of the Continuous 7 /4" 3⁄ back and 4" from the surface. hinge 1" These locations line up with Support 3/4" the shelves and give an offset 4" to clear the supports when every- thing is folded. Adjust the fit until the supports fit into the notches on the back, 3/4" x 1 3/4" x 5" hinge block 8" then mount the supports to the back. Take four butt hinges and place them where 20" radius shelf Support they will be mounted. Mark the locations with a pencil and then take the supports 4" off the back. You need to rout a recess in the support and the back for the hinge. the hinges and check the fit of the Radial layout for shelves Otherwise, there won’t be enough clear- supports to make sure they clear the mount- 5" ance for the shelves to come down. Mount ing blocks. At this time, go ahead and 10" 20" paint the back/support assembly. This is 15" easier now than when everything is as- 21" x 48" sembled. Also fill any voids and knots with plywood a waterproof filler. I used a two-part auto body filler. It sets up quickly and sands 3/4" x 18 1/4" x 35 1/4" Supports easily. The last thing to do is cut and mount 48" x 48" the shelves. Begin the layout with a set of plywood trammel points, with a pencil on one end. From the center of the other plywood panel, lay out concentric semi-circles at 5", 10", 15" and 20". Now rip the panel at about 21" to keep it manageable. Cut the shelves out using a jigsaw, taking it slow and stay on the line. When you’re done, you’ll have

four concentric shelves ready for mount- 3/4" x 38" x 35 1/4" ing. After filling the voids and knots, paint Back the shelves. Lay out and rout a recess on the bottom of the shelf ends to accept the hinge leaf, flush to the shelf. This also up. Fold up the supports and tip the entire helps for the close tolerances when fold- unit upright. Touch up any paint problems ing everything together. Go ahead and and you’re ready to lush up this display with mount the shelves to the back. When you’re the local flora. PW To set up the plant stand,lay it flat on its back all done, lay the unit on its back and fold and raise the shelves.Then fold the supports up. the shelves so they’re sticking straight

36 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000

secret This amphibian won’t turn into a prince, but he is still full of surprises. toadhough there are more than 4,000 Building this 12"-long toad is a preci- Popular Woodworking website to download Tspecies of toads and frogs in the world, sion job, but I’ll show you some tricks to full-size cutting patterns for free by going I decided there was still room enough making the tedious parts (such as sanding) to: www.popwood.com/fixes/toad.html. for one more: the secret toad. Like its am- go quickly. Basically the toad is built from 3 3 phibian brethren, the secret toad is stud- ⁄4"- and ⁄8"-thick stock that is cut accord- Begin With the Base ded with warts and sports an enormous ing to a pattern, then stacked up and glued As with any construction project, it is best mouth. But instead of revealing a high- with other parts to create the toad’s body to start at the base and work out and up. speed tongue that makes flies shaky in the and mouth. Roto-Hinges and O-rings allow Lay out three lower body “D” patterns on 3 knees, this toad’s mouth holds a stash of the toad to scoot across any smooth surface. ⁄4"-thick stock. These parts form the in- candy. I keep mine stocked with Hershey’s There are half-scale drawings of all the side of the mouth and the belly. Drill all 1 Kisses. Though if you steal a kiss from this parts that can be enlarged on a photo- the ⁄8" registration holes shown on the toad, he’s not going to turn into a prince. copier to full size, or you can visit the drawing before cutting. These registration holes are critical because you’ll push nails through these holes temporarily while glu- ing a stack of these parts. Rough cut the

by John Hutchinson John Hutchinson is an architect and woodworker from Delaware, Ohio. His vocation provides shelter for people. His avocation provides homes for their small treasures.

www.popwood.com 49 pieces, apply glue and align them with 8d sible. When this first three-part assembly 1 finish nails through the ⁄8" registration is dry, remove the alignment nails and get holes. Clamp the lamination with bar ready for some selective finish sanding. clamps along the width of the assembly. Because the belly area between the front Wipe off as much glue squeeze-out as pos- legs won’t be accessible to the spindle sander after you add the outer “E” and “F” patterns, sand it now. 3 Lay out the “E” patterns on ⁄8" thick stock. These parts add to the width of the belly and create stubs for the front wheels. Drill the registration holes. Cut, align and glue them to the outer surfaces of the belly assembly. Finish-sand the inner mouth sur- face that will be made inaccessible when the “F” plates are applied. The outer profile “F” patterns, also cut 3 from ⁄8" thick stock, complete the lower body. Follow the same procedure as above. Finish sand all remaining surfaces. The After you adhere your patterns to your wood, drill seven layers of the lower body add up to a 3 all the registration holes and then cut the shapes thickness of 3 ⁄4". This thickness gives a out. I prefer a band saw to a scrollsaw because I’m cutting wide of the line and prefer the speed nice proportion to the toad and is just about over the accuracy (left). The trick to sanding the the limit of my spindle sander. toad is to sand in stages. Once you assemble the Drill the axle holes in the lower body. first few layers, use your spindle sander to get to 1 the spaces you won’t be able to get to once you Use the rear ⁄8" alignment holes as the 5 add the next layers (above). pilot for a ⁄16" hole through the lamina-

J1 3/4" stock 2 pieces 3/8" G 3/8" 3 /4" stock 5 2 pieces /16"

3/8" 1/8" 1/2" 3/8" T 1/2" 4 pieces 1/8"

" stock /4 3 A H 3/8" stock 1/8" B 2 pieces Wart pattern 3/8" K

3/8" 1/8" 1/8" 1/8" 5/16" F 3/8" stock 1 2 pieces /8" 3/8"

50 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 1 tion for the ⁄4" dowel axle. Drill from both sides to make this long hole. The regis- tration hole will go a long way towards guiding your bit straight through the body. 3 Now drill the ⁄8"-diameter sockets on the 3 front legs. These holes hold the ⁄8" Roto- Hinges for the front wheels. The holes are 1 ⁄2" deep and made with a Forstner bit. 1 Before drilling these holes, place a 2 ⁄4"- thick scrap block between the legs to pre- vent any inward bending.

The Head The upper body is made from the “A,” “B” Yes, you can use your spindle sander to smooth the tongue. Use a backing board as shown in the and “C” patterns. Again, working from the photo to make sure you’re sanding it square (left). Once you get the tongue sanded and you’ve drilled 3 center out, cut, laminate and sand the ⁄4"- the pilot holes, it’s time to add the weight in one end that makes the toad work almost every time. I use polyurethane glue here because it expands as it cures, which locks the rod in place (right). thick “C” plates. Finish sand the head area 1 1 that will be made inaccessible by the eye but do not drill at this time. Drill the ⁄8" body, drill ⁄2" sockets at the awl marks ap- 3 1 bumps on the “B” plate. and ⁄8" through-holes. Following glue-up proximately ⁄4" deep and glue in the screw- Follow the same procedure with the of the “A” plates to the body, finish sand hole-button eyes. 3 ⁄4"-thick “B” plates and finish sand all the all remaining outer surfaces. inner surfaces that will be covered by In order for the upper body section to Warts and All the “A” plates. rotate freely between the hips, you need The warts come next. (Caution! Wash 1 Careful attention must be paid to drilling to reduce its overall thickness by ⁄16". Do your hands thoroughly following this pro- 3 holes in the ⁄8"-thick “A” plates. Mark this by sanding the flat surfaces on a sta- cedure. Only kidding.) Stick the wart pat- 1 the center of the ⁄2" socket with an awl tionary belt sander. To complete the upper tern to the back of the upper body with a

1 /8" All drawings are one-half scale. Enlarge 200 percent for full size.

2 1/2" dia. wheel D B 3 /4" stock 3/4" stock 3 pieces 2 pieces 5/16" 1/4" 3/8" 1/8" 1/8"

1 /8" 1 3/8" dia. wheel J2 3/4" stock 3/8" 3/8" 2 pieces 3/8" 1/8" E 3/8" stock 2 pieces 1 /8" 1/8"

5/16" C 3/4" stock 2 pieces

1/8"

www.popwood.com 51 Here you can see how the two body pieces go together between the legs. It all works thanks to a carefully placed Roto-Hinge (right). light application of spray adhesive. Use an 3 awl to mark the centers. Use a ⁄8" Forstner 1 Roto-Hinge bit to drill ⁄4"-deep sockets. Finally, pop in the screw-hole-button warts.

Tongue Lashing We’re now down to the no-brainer con- struction steps. The tongue, “H,” is a peace- ful series of long, undulating curves. Adhere 3 the pattern to ⁄4"-thick stock with the long axis of the tongues parallel to the grain. Cut, laminate and sand the four tongue elements. As with the upper body, Leg Parts The “G” hips cap and join the upper the overall width of the tongue must be The legs are simple cutouts, but drilling and lower body assemblies. After cutting 1 5 reduced by ⁄16" on the belt sander to allow the pivot sockets demands some con- and sanding, drill through the ⁄16" axle free rotation in the mouth. To ensure snap- centration because the pairs are handed holes only. Perform the following opera- py operation of the tongue, drill through (meaning they are left and right mirror im- tions on one of the pieces, then, on the 3 1 the tip, or “T” end of the tongue as shown ages). Use a ⁄8" Forstner bit to drill ⁄2"- other piece, reverse which side each hole 1 on the drawing, with a ⁄4" Forstner bit and deep sockets in parts “J1.” is located on. At the center of the hip, 1 1 1 1 insert a ⁄4" steel rod. Sand it flush to the Moving to parts “J2,” drill one ⁄2"-deep using a ⁄2" Forstner bit, drill a ⁄16"-deep sides of the tongue on a disk sander. socket on the front and one on the back. socket. Using the same point, continue a

Supplies Rockler www.rockler.com 800-279-4441 Upper body, pieces 3 A, B & C combined 10 - ⁄8" Roto-Hinges, item # 36244, $2.69 for two.

17 Screw button eyes, item # 20537, $2.99 for pack of 50

1 2 - ⁄2" walnut button plugs, item Tongue pieces H # 20545, $2.99 for pack of 50 combined Lower body G (each side)

Thigh J2 (each side)

Leg J1 (each side)

Jaw/front leg, pieces D, E & F combined

52 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 3 3 ⁄8" through-hole. At the offset ⁄8" mark, the wood barrels on the hinges are ex- 1 3 drill a ⁄2"-deep socket on the opposite actly ⁄8", it’s a snug fit. Use a small pistol- side. In case you’re wondering about the grip clamp to gently push the hinge into 1 ⁄16"-deep sockets, they are made to con- place. Now use the same clamp to slide tain the washer on the Roto-Hinges, al- the wheel tight against lowing for an almost zero clearance be- the leg. The washer tween the rotating upper body and the on the hinge will pro- fixed hips. vide the necessary clear- 3 Cut the wheels from ⁄4"-thick scraps ance. using an adjustable hole saw. If the pilot Install the rear wheels by 3 1 bit for your hole saw is only ⁄16" in diam- running a length of ⁄4" 5 eter, re-bore the hole in the large wheels dowel through the ⁄16" axle 1 to ⁄4" to accept the dowel axle. Also in hole at the back of the lower 3 the large wheels, bore the ⁄8" offset sock- body. Glue on the large wheels 1 ets ⁄2" deep. After cutting the small wheels, 1 plug the pilot hole and again drill ⁄2"-deep sockets. Grooving the wheels and stretch- ing rubber O-rings over the grooves makes the wheels grip any tabletop surface. This kind of traction is necessary to make the legs operable (see photo at right). Now apply the finish to all of the as- semblies. I found that a wipe-on, semi- gloss polyurethane is ideal for the toad. Because most of the project glue-up is al- ready complete, don’t be concerned about applying finish to areas where glue will be applied. It’s a simple matter to lightly sand the few surfaces involved. Sanding the wheels can be tricky. If you chuck Begin final assembly by placing the the wheels into a drill press and press sandpaper tongue between the outside cheeks of the against the turning wheel, you’re going to create 1 an ellipse.That’s because the end grain and long While the wheel is chucked in your drill press, upper body. Run a 3 ⁄2" length of weld- grain of the wheel will sand differently.To prevent use a common scratch awl to cut a groove 1 ing rod through the upper ⁄8" hole in this, use a backing board as shown in the photo. around the edge to hold the O-rings. 1 the cheek, on through the ⁄8" hole in the base of the tongue, and out the opposite 1 1 ⁄16" hole. Plug the ⁄16" holes with tooth- picks, break them off, and cut flush. The tongue should pivot freely between the cheeks. Glue one of the hips to the lower body assembly with the upper leg pivot hole fac- ing out. While this is drying, slide Roto- 3 Hinges into the ⁄8" through-holes in the upper body with the barrels of the hinges facing out. It is not necessary to glue the hinges in place because they will be cap- tured between the body and the hips. Slide I use an old flap sander chucked into a drill or Before finishing, I like to rub the toad’s body with the hinged assembly toward the glued-on drill press for the final sanding.An old used flap a grey synthetic steel wool Scotch Brite® pad 3 hip, seat the Roto-Hinge in the ⁄8" sock- sander produces a better finish. made by 3M. et, and glue on the opposite hip while en- gaging the second hinge. Clamp your toad with the hinge sockets facing out. Orient the rear wheels and the upper legs to the sandwich and allow it to dry. Round over the sockets on an imaginary line passing hips. the outside edges of the hips on the router through them. Now take the little guy out for a spin. 1 table with a ⁄4" roundover bit. Assemble the leg pairs using the one- As a final refinement, install self-adhe- Install the front wheels by placing Roto- handed clamp to seat the hinges. Again, sive, clear nylon bumpers where the falling Hinges in the front leg sockets. Because using Roto-Hinges, attach the feet to tongue strikes the toad’s lower lip. PW

www.popwood.com 53

COM

More Americans should import this good idea from Europe.

by Roger Holmes Roger Holmes trained as a furniture maker in England and has been work- ing wood professionally and for fun for 30 years. He lives in Lincoln, The author with his Zincken Nebraska. Compact 21, which includes a 9" table saw, 8" jointer/planer, a shaper and a mortiser — all for a little more than a quality cabinet saw. or years many American woodworkers I grew up with American-style machines tables are short. A Delta Unisaw and 8" F have looked to Europe for quality in my dad’s shop and knew nothing of com- jointer are without doubt superior. But to- hand tools. Chisels and saws from bination machines until I worked in English gether they cost about $2,500. Moving England, wooden planes from Germany, shops as a young man. Sold on their value, down-market, a 10" Grizzly contractor’s carving tools from Switzerland and Sweden. I looked for a combination machine when saw and 8" jointer cost about $1,100. Buy But we have usually stuck close to home I moved back to the states in the mid 1970s. either pair, and you still don’t have the when it comes to big power tools. We look Finding none, I reverted to the readily planer, mortiser or shaper incorporated in to Delta, Powermatic, Craftsman and Jet available stand-alone models, still hoping the ZC-21. for our table saws, band saws, jointers, plan- I’d eventually find a combo. My ZC-21 served me well in a number ers and shapers. Though an increasing In the early 1980s, I began to see ads of less than commodious workspaces. But number of these are imports from Taiwan for European combination machines in when I finally bought my own house and and China, these machines are almost all woodworking magazines. Since then, I was able to build a 500-square-foot shop copies of home-grown models. have owned two 5-in-1 machines, one next to it, I found myself hankering for Given our admiration of European tools, small and one mid-range. My experience something bigger. Though I’m a fan of com- it has long puzzled me why more Americans leads me to believe that while combina- bos, I don’t deny there are advantages to haven’t adopted one of the most common tion machines aren’t for everyone, many stand-alone equipment. Even Morrie fixtures of European shops, the combi- more American woodworkers ought to Kilberg, whose company D-M International nation machine. Merging from two to five consider them seriously. distributes Zinckens in North America, basic woodworking machines in a single For years, working out of borrowed or recommends stand-alone machines to peo- unit, these machines are ideal for home rented garages, barns and basements, I used ple with the space and money. I didn’t have shops where space is often at a premium. a Zincken Compact 21 (or ZC-21), with a lot of money, so I bought a Grizzly 10" And even if your shop is roomy, a com- a 9" table saw, 8" jointer/planer, a shaper cabinet table saw and 8" jointer and re- bination machine can offer features, ca- and a mortiser. It took up less space and furbished an old Parks 12" planer. I kept pacity and quality found only on top-of- weighed less than a Delta Unisaw and the Zincken for shaping and mortising and the-line stand-alone machines. was only a few hundred dollars more ex- for fine jointing and planing. In some ways, European-style combination machines pensive. Lightweight and compact, it is an I had the best of both worlds. sold in the United States come in three ideal tool for workshops that share space But, a year ago when I got the chance T HE C ASE FOR BO MACHINES basic types. One combines a table saw and with ping-pong tables or cars. Mounted on to buy a bigger combination machine, I shaper. Another combines a jointer and a homemade rolling platform, mine easily jumped at it. Since I first saw the Robland planer, with an optional horizontal mor- wheeled out of the way when not in use. X-31 advertised about a decade ago, I have tiser. The third merges all these tools: table Most important, it gave me all the basic wanted one. An 1,100-pound machine, saw, shaper, jointer, planer and (still an machines I needed for solid-wood projects. the X-31 incorporates a 10" sliding-table option) horizontal mortiser. These five- The table saw ripped 1"-thick oak with- table saw, 12" jointer/planer, a heavy duty function machines are sometimes called out lugging; 2" if fed slowly. Its simple slid- shaper and a horizontal mortiser, all pow- 5-in-1s, and are available in a wide range ing table crosscut accurately and conve- ered by three 3hp motors. After traips- of sizes and prices. The Zincken MIA4, for niently. The 8" jointer/planer ensured that ing 600 miles (each way) and parting with instance, offers a 6" table saw, 6" jointer my material was flat and uniformly thick. about $4,000 (a new machine costs $6,000 and planer, a shaper and a horizontal mor- The horizontal mortiser cut neat accurate plus shipping), I rolled my used X-31 into 1 1 tiser, all run by a single 1hp motor and sell- mortises between ⁄4" and ⁄2" wide and up the shop and sold my stand-alone table ing for about $750. At the other end of the to 2" deep. And the shaper profiled edges, saw, jointer, planer and the trusty old market is the Felder CF7-41. For about cut joints and also functioned as a router Zincken, recouping half the X-31 purchase $13,000 you get a 12" table saw with state- table. With this small machine I was able price. The X-31 occupies about 36 square of-the-art sliding table; a 16" jointer and to build everything from jewelry boxes to feet near the center of my shop. Selling planer; a 1" reversible, tilting-arbor shaper; 6'-long trestle tables, including cabinets the other machines opened up space for a and (for an extra $1,000 or so) a horizon- and chests of all sizes. drill press, band saw and dust collector (as tal mortiser. Three separate 3hp motors Of course, the machine has its limita- well as room for the family’s bicycles). drive the five tools. tions. The table saw is small; the jointer Though it weighs half a ton, the machine Photo by Scott Landis

www.popwood.com 67 The Robland X-31 incorporates a 10" sliding-table table saw, 12" jointer/planer, a heavy duty shaper and a horizontal mortiser, all powered by three 3hp motors. The price? About $6,000.Before you choke on your coffee, add up the total cost of the machines in your shop (or the machines you intend to buy).

can be moved with relative ease by means of a three- point caster system. The X-31 is not without faults. But, taken individually, each of its machines are a step above every stand- alone equivalent I’ve ever owned. The ma- chine is vibration free and the 3hp motors are more than adequate whether I’m rip- ping 3" maple or planing a 12"-wide piece of oak. The table saw and jointer fencing arrangement is problematic (more about that later), but the sliding table is a joy to offer standard sliding tables.) The X-31’s Shaper use. 3hp motor and heavy frame produce vi- All these combos have powerful, versatile, bration-free operation, more so, I must say, large capacity shapers served by the slid- Advantages and Disadvantages than most Unisaw-style machines I’ve used. ing table. Combination shapers are equalled A comparison between the combination Other table saw features are, for the most in stand-alone machines only in the mid machines I’m familiar with and equiva- part, a toss up. to upper price ranges. lent stand-alone machines is useful, but The fencing systems on some combos, not always straightforward because wood- however, fall short of their stand-alone com- Jointer and Planer workers’ needs and preferences are so var- petition. As currently sold, the X-31 uses a In combos, these machines share the same ied. The strength of the Zincken ZC-21, single two-sided fence that slides on a round cutterhead. To use the planer, you swing for example, is not that it is a better table guide bar attached to the end of the joint- the jointer tables out of the way, rotate a saw than the Delta 8" bench saw, but that er outfeed table. One side of the fence is a blade-guard and dust-extraction head into it provides a good-quality jointer, planer rip fence for the table saw, the other serves place and wind up the planer bed. The and shaper as well, allowing you to store the jointer. change-over takes about 30 seconds. Both an entire woodworking machine shop along While accurate, the fence is ungainly, machines are sturdy, vibration-free and 1 the wall of your garage. heavy and awkward to set up. This is bet- accurate. My X-31 planer takes a ⁄8" cut It is easier, I think, to compare larger ter than some of the fences I’ve used, but on a 12"-wide maple board without lug- combination machines with their stand- it’s no match for a Biesemeyer or a fence on ging. You need to look among the mid- alone counterparts. These combos offer 10" a stand-alone jointer. (Not all combos have to upper-priced planers to find ones with or 12" table saws and 12" jointer-planers fence problems — Felder fences, for in- similar capacity and durability. The and spindle shapers all powered by meaty stance, are superb.) Robland’s 55" jointer tables are somewhat motors. In my experience, these compar- This fencing arrangement, with its shorter than standard stand-alone mod- isons are at worst a draw and frequently yield guidebar-mounted fence mimicking com- els, but more than adequate. And its 12" a decided advantage to combos. The Robland mon American setups, is the latest in a se- width is unobtainable for less than $2,000 X-31 outperforms stand-alones in several ries of attempts by Robland to adapt the in a stand-alone machine. areas, and I’m confident that the Mini-Max, fencing to American tastes. As a used ma- Hammer and Euro-Shop 5-in-1 machines chine, my X-31 came with the original Mortiser of similar capacity and price share these ad- European fencing, which I like better. A Horizontal mortisers are available on all vantages. In some instances, these machines small but sturdy and accurate aluminum the 5-in-1 machines discussed here. All exceed the X-31. fence mounted to the front of the machine run off the jointer-planer cutterhead, which handles rips up to about 10" wide. Attaching is tapped for a chuck that holds the bits. Table Saw a larger center-mounted fence to the edge Sturdy sliding tables with in-out, side-to- A sliding table is a standard feature of all of the jointer outfeed table accommodates side and up-and-down movement bolt these combos and of none of the American- rips up to about 2 feet wide. The same fence, to the jointer-planer frame. While heavy, style cabinet saws — advantage clearly to mounted on the table saw table, serves the the tables can be attached and removed the combos. (Some smaller bench saws now jointer. in seconds. Stand-alone horizontal mor-

68 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 The Combo Chronicles Despite the fairly recent appearance of European models in A few years after Helsjoy set up Laguna Tools,Morrie the American market, combination machines are not new Kilberg, general manager of D-M International in Canada, here. Cincinnati’s Parks Machine Co., for example, manufac- began selling Italian-made Zincken machines.Today he is tured combination machines at least as early as the 1920s. Zincken’s North American distributor.More recent addi- The Parks Planing Mill combined a table saw, 12" jointer,22" tions include machines made by the Italian manufacturing band saw, shaper,swing cut-off saw and hollow-chisel mortis- giant SCMI (sold under the names MiniMax and EuroShop) er,all driven by flat belts connected to a 5hp motor. and a Czech firm, Rojek. Garrett Wade sells the Swiss-made This behemoth was not, of course, the kind of thing you’d Inca jointer planer.A small but high quality benchtop model, 1 put in your basement or garage. But the market for home- it features a 10 ⁄4"-wide cutterhead and 42"-long tables. shop woodworking was incubating and in 1928 the Delta The Rolls Royce of combination machines sold in the Specialty Co., a Milwaukee firm then just nine years old, United States are made by the Austrian firm Felder,which offered the Delta Handi-Shop, which harnessed a 9" lathe, 8" have been distributed here since the early 1980s and since 1 disc sander and 6" table saw to a ⁄2 hp electric motor. 1996 by the manufacturer’s subsidiary,Felder USA. A few other American manufacturers produced combi- Founded, like Robland, in the mid 1950s, Felder makes a full nation machines (most common were table saw-horizontal line of woodworking machines that it distributes around the borer combos) for the industrial and home-shop markets world.They include 5-in-1 combination machines (12"and but they didn’t catch on.The Shopsmith is, of course, the 16" machines, rated by jointer-planer capacity) as well as exception, selling some half a million tools since its invention table saw-shapers and jointer-planers (with optional hori- in the late 1940s. But the Shopsmith, with its combination of zontal mortiser). Felders are beautifully designed and made lathe, drill press, small table saw, horizontal borer and disc machines with all sorts of refinements: micrometer-adjusted sander,addresses other needs than the European-style ma- fences and planer tables; reversible, tilting shaper spindle; a chines and does not include two of the tools basic to solid- marvelous sliding table. Such quality doesn’t come cheap. wood woodworking, the jointer and planer. The Felder CF 7-31 Ecoline C, a 12" 5-in-1 machine, runs From the 1950s through the 1970s,there were sporadic about $10,000 (with the horizontal mortiser), a big jump attempts to market European combination machines here. above $6,000 you pay for a Robland X-31. I’m an admirer of But for the most part Americans who wanted one had to the X-31, but I also think the prices accurately reflect the order a machine from Europe or go there and bring one back. difference in quality between the two machines. It’s no sur- In the mid 1980s,Torben Helsjoy (pronounced Hels-hoy) prise that far fewer BF 6-31s have been sold in the United began to sell the Belgian-made Robland machines.A Danish States than X-31s. But, what is intriguing is that 70 percent woodworker,Helsjoy came to the United States in 1982 on a of the sales of both machines have been to amateur wood- hitchhiking adventure that ended in California, where he set workers. up a small custom cabinet shop. Disappointed with the ma- Felder has recently introduced a less-expensive line of chines available here, he returned to Denmark and bought a machines made by its Hammer division to compete head to container load of Roblands. Back in California, he began to head with Robland.Felder used to be alone in the upper reach- market the machines out of his cabinet shop. In 1987, he es of the price scale — a fully loaded Felder 16" 5-in-1 machine became a full time machinery dealer.His company,Laguna might easily fetch $20,000. But Laguna has just jumped into Tools,sells a range of European machines, some stand-alone, this rarified market with an Austrian-made Knapp 5-in-1 that some combination. Robland is his prime supplier.The X-31 is retails between $20,000 and $35,000 depending on options. their most popular combo (they also sell 16" models) and They’ve already sold 10 — all to amateurs. Helsjoy estimates that he has sold about 3,000 X-31s to date. tisers are hard to find. Most woodworkers use some form of hollow-chisel machine. Among the hollow-chisel mortisers I’ve used, I find the horizontal mortiser preferable to drill-press at- tachments and to bench-top ram- style mortisers and a toss up with in- dustrial floor-model mortisers. The hori- zontal mortiser makes a clean, accurate cut with little burning.

Changing Machines Isn’t it a nuisance to shift from one function to another? Dealers tell me this is one of the most common concerns Americans have about combination machines. The answer is both yes and no. I won’t pretend that shifting between the table saw, The Zincken Compact 21, which now sells for jointer and planer on either my about $2,250, combines Zincken or Robland is as convenient as mov- a 9" table saw, an 8" ing between three stand-alone machines. jointer/planer, mortiser and shaper. All functions 1 There are the fences to deal with, mortis- are powered by a 1 ⁄2 ing tables to attach and the little dance re- hp motor.

www.popwood.com 69 quired to shift between jointer and planer. Felder combination machines, But the inconvenience is slight and the considered by some to be the Rolls Royce of the pack, will set you back time “lost” is insignificant to me. No change- $10,000 or more. But what also might sur- over from one function to another takes prise you is that the majority of these machines are more than a minute or two. Once set up, purchased by amateur woodworkers. Shown is the Felder CF 741 S Professional Woodworking System,which rotating a knob on the Robland selects the has a 16" jointer/planer, tilting-head shaper and table saw with function you want to power. (Only one an 8' sliding crosscut fence. Please wipe your drool from the page now. machine can operate at a time). The sin- gle-motor Zincken has an ingenious and not made of money.” No doubt about it, fordable option for most home shops. well-engineered mechanism that engages laying out $5,500 to $8,000 for an X-31 or Recently Delta, Grizzly and several oth- the proper belt to select a machine. In similar 5-in-1 combination machine is a ers have offered 8" machines for around short, the many advantages of the ma- daunting prospect. A fair number of wood- $1,000 or less. My 8" Grizzly was a good chines outweigh, for me at least, the minor workers have that much money (or more) machine, as was the 8" jointer-planer on inconveniences of changing tools. tied up in machinery. But few of us spend my Zincken. But neither was wide enough. $6,000 all at once. I longed for at least a 12" jointer so I would- Combo Recommendations So how might a combination machine n’t have to rip up and reglue wide boards. Combination machines have many at- fit the budget as well as the dreams of The least expensive 12" machine I could tractions, but the one at the top of the list the frugal majority among us? Many wood- find (a Grizzly) cost more than $2,000. is space saving. If you need to squeeze an workers already have a table saw and a But, for about $2,700 I could buy the entire cabinet shop into a closet, a small great many do without a shaper or build a Robland 12" combination jointer-planer combination machine like the Zincken router table to cover their shaping needs. (and would have done that if the used X- C-21 or its little brother, the MIA4, is ideal. If they’re unhappy with what they’ve got 31 hadn’t appeared). Two equally heavy Space considerations don’t necessari- they’re much more likely to upgrade to a duty, high-quality 3hp stand-alone ma- ly decrease as shop size increases. I appre- $700 Grizzly or $1,500 Unisaw than a chines would cost considerably more. ciate the space I save with the X-31, but $3,300 combination table saw-shaper. Grizzly’s 12" jointer and 15" planer cost that’s not why I bought the machine. I When it comes to jointers and planers, almost exactly the same. Delta’s 8" joint- could buy (and have bought) less expen- however, I think far more American wood- er and 15" planer run about $2,250. And sive machines. But the X-31 and other workers should consider a jointer-planer the stand-alones take up twice the space. combos in its class provide better quality combination. When working with solid Finally, for an extra $600, you get a dandy and capacity than other machines I could wood, the importance of flattening stock horizontal mortiser. Like I said, more wood- buy for the same money. (A Unisaw with in initial preparation can’t be overstated. workers ought to take a serious look at aftermarket sliding table and a 12" Grizzly For years 6" jointers were the largest af- combination machines. PW jointer alone would cost about $4,000.) Much as I like my 5-in-1 machine, I have Combos in North America to admit that I think the ideal combination (manufacturer and distributor) Inca (Swiss). Garrett Wade, 161 machine setup would involve two machines: Zincken, D-M International Avenue of the Americas,New York, one a combination table saw and shaper, the 1100 A Wallace Ave. N NY 10013. 800-221-2942. Listowel, Ontario N4W 1M5 www.garrettwade.com other a combination jointer-planer-mortis- 519-291-5342 er. Separated in this way, the fences cease to Robland (Belgian) and others. Laguna be an issue. I frequently move between the EuroShop & MiniMax (Italian). Eagle Tools,2265 Canyon Road, Laguna Tools,2217 El Sol Ave.,Altadena, CA Beach, CA 92651. 800-234-1976. table saw and jointer — rip, joint an edge, 91001. 800-203-0023. www.lagunatools.com then crosscut to length. Even if it only takes 30 seconds, changing over from table saw to Felder & Hammer (Austrian). Felder Rojek (Czech).Tech Mark Inc., 7901 USA, 1851 Enterprise Blvd.,West Industry Drive, North Little Rock,AR jointer repeatedly can be irksome (you learn Sacramento, CA 95691. 800-572- 72117. 800-787-6747. to plan your work better). Separating the 0061. www.felderusa.com and www.tech-mark.com machines eliminates this problem. www.hammerusa.com At this point, many readers may be say- ing, “Well, that sounds wonderful, but I’m

70 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 POPULAR WOODWORKING ENDURANCE TEST PASSEDAUGUST 2000 DeWalt 621 Plunge Router he DeWalt 621 is the standard by Twhich we measure all medium-sized plunge routers. The tool is easy to adjust and use, has more than enough power and has an in- genious way of collecting dust. For those of you shopping for your first router or up- grading, here’s a look at how this tool has held up in the last three years in our shop. First a word about the power switch, which is built into the handle. You pull a trigger to turn on the motor; but to lock the switch “on,” you pull the trigger and push a hold button. It’s awkward at first, though it quickly becomes second nature. The 10-amp motor (adjustable from 8,000 to 24,000 rpm) operates smoothly and never lagged in a cut. There’s enough power to use this tool in a router table, though I have a philosophical prejudice against dedicating such a versatile machine to only one operation. Our next test was on the collet, which has a feature that most routers should have: a spindle lock. About six months ago the springs holding the spindle lock button in place disappeared. Without the springs, the spindle lock would engage and not come back out, scoring the shaft. A quick trip to the store produced the two re- placement springs we needed. The depth stop system consists of a rod Al Parrish Photo by mounted on a rack and pinion that’s ad- lock/release is controlled by the non-trig- ed. The base plate is quite small, making justable to a few thousandths of an inch. At ger handle, which rotates to lock the router the router a bit tipsy when edge routing. 1 the base of the fine adjustment rod is a at any plunge height. Very cool. The 2 ⁄4" If you do a lot of edge work, replace the three-position turret depth stop. Though plunge depth is plenty for almost any task. stock base with a shopmade one. the fine-adjustment rod has never moved The integral dust collection is excel- We really like this router, and it’s the during a cut, adding a way to lock it would lent in wood or manmade materials. The first tool we reach for when we need a be great. two-part plastic shroud proved to be frag- plunger. While the DW621 is quite capa- The motor plunges on two guide posts, ile and cracked after only a few uses, but ble of router-table work, unless it’s a ne- with the larger post containing the return it still works. cessity we think it’s a waste of talent to tie spring. This post also acts as a through- Template guide work can be done eas- this router down. PW the-base dust collection duct. The plunge ily with the cast aluminum insert provid- —Jim Stuard Results About Our Endurance Tests DeWalt 621 Plunge Router When a new tool hits the market we do our best to tell you what the benefits and pitfalls are with that tool.While this is good information,we know that the ques- NICE FEATURES • Great dust collection tion you really want answered is,“How long will the tool last?” That’s what this • Plunge and switch on handles column is for.We regularly pick a tool we’ve used in our shop for at least a year • Easy and accurate to adjust that has stood up to our regular use.We make sure the tools we’ve tested here are virtually unchanged from the versions in the store today.So when you see a RECOMMENDED MODIFICATIONS tool written up in here,it has passed the Popular Woodworking Endurance Test. • Stop on fine adjustment rod —David Thiel, senior editor • Longer cord • Beef up the dust collection shroud DeWalt 800-433-9258 www.dewalt.com FLEXNER ON FINISHING Stripping Finishes from Wood Learn the right techniques for using furniture strippers and how to avoid the most common problems people have when using them.

n the last issue I described the charac- Iteristics of all the common paint-and- varnish removers and how to choose among them. Here are the steps for using these products and dealing with the most com- mon stripping problems.

Work outdoors in the shade or in a 1room where you have arranged cross- ventilation provided by fans. Don’t work near an open flame (such as a gas water heater or furnace) or a source of sparks if you’re using a flammable stripper.

Remove hardware and difficult-to- 2 reach wood parts that can be easily dis- assembled. Soak hardware that requires stripping in a coffee can filled with stripper.

Wear a long-sleeved shirt, chemical- 3 resistant gloves (butyl or neoprene) and eye protection.

Spread newspapers on the ground or floor to catch the waste. When refinishing, you should take safety precautions seriously. That means heavy duty gloves, eye 4 protection and even long sleeves. Shake the container of stripper, then the wood. Apply more stripper as the orig- the putty knife clean and smooth, and 5 cover it with a cloth and open the inal dries out. All strippers will lift many round its corners with a file so it does- cap slowly to allow the pressure inside to layers at once if the surface is kept wet n’t scratch the wood. escape. Pour the stripper into a large can, so the stripper has time to penetrate. • Break blistered or softened film loose from such as a coffee can. mouldings, turnings and carvings with Remove the dissolved, blistered or #1 steel wool or a Scotch-Brite pad. Brush the stripper onto the wood using 8 softened paint or finish using one or • Pull a coarse string or hemp rope around 6 an old or inexpensive paintbrush. more of the following methods. the recesses of turnings to work out blis- Avoid unnecessary brushing; you want to • Use paper towels to soak up and wipe tered paint or finish. lay on a thick coat, but also minimize sol- off the dissolved finish. • Pick the softened paint or finish out of vent evaporation. (Be aware that some • Use wood shavings from a jointer or cracks and recesses with sharpened sticks synthetic bristles will dissolve in methyl- planer to soak up dissolved finish. Then or dowels, which won’t damage the wood ene-chloride-based strippers.) brush off the shavings with a stiff-bris- as metal picks will. tle brush. Allow the stripper time to work. Test • Scrape the film off flat surfaces into a Wash the wood with paint thinner, 7 the paint or finish occasionally with bucket or cardboard box with a plastic 9 naphtha or lacquer thinner to remove a putty knife to see if you can lift it from scraper or a wide, dull putty knife. Keep wax residue left from strippers containing

76 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 wax. You may also wash with a strong de- stronger stripper. shops often use water under high-pressure. tergent and water, or simply with water if First allow more time. Strippers work You can use a brass bristle brush (avail- the stripper is “water-washable,” which much slower in temperatures below 65 de- able at paint stores), which won’t damage means it already contains the detergent. grees. Keep the surface wet by applying hardwoods. additional coats of stripper or covering Apply more stripper to the surface, then Let the solvent evaporate out of the surface with plastic wrap to prevent scrub in the direction of the grain. Remove 10 the stripping sludge, then dispose evaporation. the gunk with rags or paper towels. Repeat of it in the trash unless local laws forbid If you still have problems, try a stronger until the wood is clean. this. (The dried sludge is what was on the stripper. The only paint or finish that can’t furniture before you stripped it, so it is no be removed with a solvent-based stripper You Can’t Get the Stain Out more polluting than tossing the entire is milk paint. It was used in the 18th cen- There are several types of stain, and whether painted or finished object into the trash.) tury and in rural areas of the United States a stripper removes the stain depends on in the 19th century. You can remove it how that particular stain is affected by the Common Problems with lye. stripper. If the stripper doesn’t remove the If you’ve ever done any stripping, you know Some modern coatings are very diffi- stain, use household bleach to remove dye it’s seldom as easy as the step-by-step in- cult to strip. Rough them up with coarse stains, or scrub the wood with a brass bris- structions suggest. Here are some of the sandpaper to increase the surface area, tle brush together with more stripper to most common stripping problems and their then try again with a strong methylene- remove pigment stains. solutions. chloride stripper. You don’t have to remove stain, how- ever, if you intend to restain darker than The Stripper Doesn’t Work You Can’t Get Paint the color of the stripped wood. Simply If the stripper you’re using doesn’t dissolve, Out of the Pores restain right over the remaining color. blister or break the bond of the paint or Paint is softened by the stripper but does- You can tell that all the finish is off finish film, either you need to allow more n’t come out of the pores until some me- when there aren’t any remaining shiny time for the stripper to work or to use a chanical force is applied to it. Stripping Continued on page 78

www.popwood.com 77 FLEXNER ON FINISHING

Continued from page 77 places on the wood or in the pores when the wood is dry.

The Stripper Streaks and Darkens the Wood Lye and any stripper containing an alka- li may darken wood. The darkening often shows up as ugly streaks. To bleach out the dark stains, make a saturated solution of oxalic-acid crystals, available at phar- macies and many paint stores. Brush the solution over the entire sur- face, not just over the stains. Let the oxal- ic acid dry back into crystal form. Then wash the crystals off the wood with a hose or well- soaked sponge or cloth. The crystals will cause an uncontrollable coughing if you brush them into the air and breathe them. Oxalic acid will also remove black water rings and rust stains. It has little effect on the natural color of the wood.

Sandpaper Clogs After Stripping Clogged sandpaper indicates that some fin- ish remains on the wood, or that the strip- per hasn’t completely evaporated. As long as all the finish has been removed, sanding isn’t necessary if the wood is smooth. Sanding will remove the wood’s patina (the appear- ance of age brought about by light and use).

Wood Won’t Stain Evenly You may not have removed all the old fin- ish. If this is the case, you’ll have to re- sume stripping until all the finish is re- moved. Uneven stain penetration can also be caused by uneven density or swirly grain in the wood itself.

The New Finish Won’t Dry, or it Peels After it has Cured Both of these problems are caused by wax left on the wood by the stripper. All strip- pers based on methylene chloride and ace- tone, toluene and methanol (ATM) con- tain wax. The wood must be washed thor- oughly (not neutralized as most directions suggest) with a detergent or solvent for re- moving wax. Flood the surface, then wipe with a dry cloth, turning it frequently so you lift the wax from the wood rather than just move it around. PW Bob Flexner is a nationally known finishing expert in Norman, Oklahoma, and the author of “Understanding Wood Finishing.”

78 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 CARTOON

Illustrated by Bob Rech www.bobrech.com

#44

Submit your caption(s) for this issue’s car- toon on a postcard to Popular Woodworking, Cartoon Caption #44, 1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207 by August 18.Winners will be chosen by the editorial staff. The winner will receive a selection of Quick Grip clamps from American Tool Co.Inc.Newly redesigned,these one-handed clamps are a must-have tool. Winners will receive five 12" clamps and five 24" clamps.A $170 value! The runners-up each win a one-year subscription to Popular Woodworking.

#42

“I only build new projects in this shop. I don’t restore antiques!”

Ron Landall, from Omaha, Nebraska, is the winner of our Cartoon Contest from the April issue and recipient of the fine set of Quick Grip clamps. The following runners- up each receive a one-year subscription to Popular Woodworking: Save Money— saw your own lumber. “No way does she get the best room in the house.” Make Money — saw for others. Shirley R. Carp, Baltimore, Maryland • Cut logs up to 28" D. x 11' L. “I hope she is ready when the casket is.” • Extra bed sections permit longer lengths. Steve Silva, Blaine,Washington • Easily transportable. “Honey I didn’t! I asked your mom if she wouldn’t mind sweeping in here.” • Video available. Paul Dorin, San Diego, California In-stock for immediate delivery!* Wood-Mizer ® Number One in Worldwide Sawmill Sales 8180 W. 10th St. Dept. DF48 Sponsored by www.woodmizer.com Indianapolis, IN 46214 *LT15G15 electric start LT15G13 Personal Sawmill $4945 1-800-553-0219 www.popwood.com 79 TOOL TEST

DW746 Table Saw:A Sweet Machine with the Sliding Table Two years ago DeWalt entered the bench- top table saw market with a tool that proved innovative and popular. This year they stepped up even further and entered the stationary table saw market with the DW746. The 10" left-tilt saw actually exists in a cou- ple of configurations, but let’s start with the 3 base model. It’s got a 1 ⁄4 hp (15 amp) motor with soft start that’s mounted inboard so the saw has a small footprint. The two extension wings give it a table surface of peatability (more about 3 40 ⁄4" x 27", a 30" rip capacity to the right the fence later). Priced within $50 of both 1 of the blade and a 16" capacity to the left. the Delta and Jet 1 ⁄2 hp contractor saws, Priced just under $900, the base model of- the DW746 performs nicely. The compe- fers a clever and efficient dust collection tition offers better rip fence systems and Performance: ●●●●❍ system, an easy-to-use oversized switch, solid cast wings, but the extra listed horse- Value: ●●●❍❍ better than average smooth stamped steel power, low vibration and superb dust col- Tested as shown above. DeWalt: extension wings and an excellent fit and lection make this a contender. 800-433-9258, or www.dewalt.com finish. Also included is a smooth-operat- The saw really excels when you upgrade 3 ing rip fence with decent accuracy and re- it with DeWalt’s slick sliding table. The 1" x 3 /4" x 36" maple fence table adds another $400 to the price tag, (totalling $1,300), but this well-designed How We Rate Tools 1 1 accessory moves effortlessly, locks in place /8" x /8" 5/8" We test a lot of tools at Popular chamfers when not in use and features a great miter 1 8 5 8 Woodworking, and while we don’t / " x / " groove often test tools until they fall apart, fence from Osborne. The fence locks firm- 1/8" 3 1 we do give them an honest, real- ly to the sliding table in seconds and in- 1 /8" x 1 /4" /4" groove world workout. Each issue we share cludes a flip-up stop for making repetitive the results of our hands-on experi- 3/8" ence with you and offer insights to crosscuts. Our only complaint with the slid- 1 1/4" help guide your shopping decisions. ing table system is that the fence is only 24" The ratings reflect the opinion of long, and you need 30" to crosscut a table the magazine’s editorial staff. 1 Here’s how our rating system leg. In addition to upgrading the table, you /4" works. Performance: A rating of can add 52" fence rails ($220) so you can 1/8" “five” indicates we think this tool is tackle any piece of plywood. a leader in its category — for now. 5/8" (You won’t likely see performance We do have one gripe. Despite all the 1/8" x 5/8" ratings of “one” or “two” in these smart things DeWalt did with the 746, the rabbet 3/4" x 3/4" x 36" angle iron reviews because we wouldn’t publi- aluminum facing on the rip fence isn’t up glued into rabbet and groove cize an inferior tool.) Value:“Five” with polyurethane glue is a great tool for the money;“one” to snuff. Out of the box, we were unable to isn’t the mark of a value. However, a square the fence face to the table top. The easily fix. Either shim the fence’s facing with low “value” rating shouldn’t pre- reason was the lightweight aluminum fence strips of tape, which will get you close to vent you from buying that tool. Some tools might be worth a little face had a slight crown that ran the entire the mark. Or you can make your own solid- more because they’re one-of-a-kind length. A second fence DeWalt sent us was wood auxilliary fence face (see diagram). or just a really great tool. no better. DeWalt’s engineers say their ac- This modification isn’t more extreme than If you have a question about a tool — whether it’s been reviewed ceptable tolerance for fence flatness is .007", other adjustments we make to new ma- or not — you can contact me at and indeed the fence matched that statistic. chines that we test. While a good machine, (513) 531-2690, ext. 255, or by e- However, the fences on the four other table we do, however, believe DeWalt’s engineers mail at [email protected]. And by the way,many of our past saws we have in the shop (from Grizzly to should redesign the fence face to bring it in tool reviews appear on our website Powermatic) are all flat within .002". This line with other table saws in this price range. at www.popwood.com, including is a critical point because if you use your With that change we would recommend data on entire categories of tools (such as table saws). Check it out. table saw to cut joints (such as tenons or the saw without reservation. —David Thiel, senior editor rabbets) the squareness of the fence is para- For more information, circle #160 on the mount. However, this is a problem you can Resource Directory Coupon.

84 POPULAR WOODWORKING August 2000 Tool Scoop

Metabo’s New Line of Cordless Drills Prove Impressive We thought we’d seen every innovation possible in cordless drills (barring new battery technology), but then we tested Metabo’s “impulse” function. Flip a switch on the back of the drill and the motor pulses in either forward or reverse. The pulsing breaks loose stubborn screws and starts screws or holes without letting the bit “walk.” We tested the BST 12 Plus, center-handled 12-volt drill/driver and were impressed by this German tool. Selling for about $215, the BST 12 Plus features two 2-amp-hour batteries, a two-speed gearbox (0- 1 450/0-1,600rpm), a ⁄2" single-sleeve keyless chuck, variable speed control with an electronic brake, 20 torque settings and a whopping 466 inch/lbs. of torque. In all, the tool is balanced and a joy to use. Makita's New Routers One quirk of the drill is that the forward/reverse A Welcome Addition switch works the opposite from what you are used Performance: ●●●●❍ Last issue we told you to look for a to. Left-handers will, as a result, love this drill. Value: ●●●❍❍ review of Makita’s new routers in The German-made line of new Metabo cordless this issue.We’ve got ’em, we love Metabo, 800-638-2264 ’em, but we’re not done with test- drills also includes 15.6- and 18-volt drills and two or www.metabousa.com ing yet. Suffice to say these are nice hammer drills, priced from $185 to $290. routers with lots of guts and are For more information, circle #161 on the Resource Directory Coupon. easy to use in or out of a router table. Next issue we’ll be running a full review of the two-handle and D- Handmade handle 11-amp routers. Wooden Planes at Fein Plunge Router Reasonable Available in August Prices For years now we’ve been touting the performance virtues and dura- Surfing one of our fa- bility of Fein’s German-made ran- vorite internet news- dom orbit sander,vacuum and groups the other day cordless drills.We’re now waiting impatiently for the company’s first (rec.woodworking), I plunge router.This August, the happenend upon some model RT1800 will be available in posts by a plane maker the United States. As you are read- ing this, we should have one in our named Steve Knight. shop for testing, and we’ll give you After checking out his the full report in our October website (www.knight-toolworks.com), we had issue. In the meantime, here are Performance: ●●●●❍ the statistics.The RT1800 offers six Value: ●●●●❍ Knight send us a sample of his work. Most wooden speeds, ranging from 8,000 to bodied planes that come through our offices end 22,000 rpm.The motor features a Knight's Toolworks:(503) 771-6180 1 soft start to reduce wear on the up as paperweights. However his 8 ⁄2" smoother has http://www.knight-toolworks.com/ motor and to improve router con- earned a place in our shop. It comes out of the box trol. The 17-amp motor also has sharpened and ready to go. Proof of this are some test shavings taped into the planes electronic feedback control to maintain a continuous torque mouth. A nice touch. 1 under load.With a ⁄2" collet and a The plane body is made from White oak. The adjustable throat plate and sole are spindle lock for single-wrench bit made from Ipe (pronounced “e-pay”). The strike plate is Ebony. While the plane’s fit changes, the router is user friendly. and finish doesn’t match those of high-end tools, Knight’s philosophy is that he wants Offering a plunge depth of 3" and weighing 12 lbs.,we’re anxious to to make a plane that works well and is inexpensive. Sacrifices are made in production put some carbide to wood.The to make an affordable tool, but he hits the nail right on the head because this plane street price is expected to be about 1 $350 (which is a little on the expen- functions very well. At $85, with a cryogenically treated, ⁄4"-thick iron, and an ad- sive side), but if you haven’t heard justable throat, this plane performs as well or better than planes costing much more. anything about Fein tools, they’re Once you learn how to set the iron, it is a breeze. This tool is for using, not admiring worth the expense. and it’s a tool that you’ll want to be buried with. PW For more information, circle #162 on the Resource Directory Coupon.

www.popwood.com 85 OUT OF THE WOODWORK Tool Time for Toddlers Some people don’t think kids should be in the workshop. I say there are few places where they can learn as much.

y 3-year-old grandson loves offcuts. MHe’ll play for a long while using one as a plow blade, scooping sawdust into var- ious piles in some micro-world of his own devising. Unfortunately, he also loves but- tons, especially buttons that do things, and his height puts the table saw, router table and scroll saw at eye level, with all these controls in easy reach. Some say a shop is no place for little kids. I admit it’s a challenge I can only take on for about an hour at a time. No real work gets done because I’m fully focused on his safety, but the time I take seems worth it. One of his favorite things in all the world is lifting the garage door key from my hand and inserting it in that magical slot to roll back the overhead door on this wonderland before him. The sight of it al- most makes him shiver. The offcut blocks are His. The little Stanley finger plane is His, as is the tack hammer and a 6" wood rule with marks on it he doesn’t know how to read yet. He loves the thumb gear on the caliper, and stuffing foam earplugs into his ears and humming. made all by himself, using a real tool. help, in five or six more years, that big sil- When he’s with me, all power tools are Very soon, we’re going to make a bank ver maple tree out front is just waiting with unplugged and their cords wrapped up out with clear acrylic sides so he can see his its branches spread for the ultimate tree- of his way, but if I have to run the table (my) coins add up. He’ll be sanding and house project. Planning that one makes saw or router, he stands across the room tightening clamps at glue-up time. If I’m me shiver. where I place his hands firmly around a really patient that day, I’ll let him paint it. If I can give this little guy a sense of in- support post on the lumber storage rack. Aside from the fact that this is “quali- dependence in making things the way he “Now, you hold that up while I run this ty time” together, and something he’ll wants them with his own hands, maybe I saw,” I tell him. “Because if you don’t, all probably remember all his life, what he is can influence him to take pride in what that stuff above your head might fall learning is that he can make things. he does. If I can teach him “precision” does down.” He’s very good at it. If I pick up a As he grows, we won’t be going in toy count, and means a lot, I will have shown power cord, he runs for his earplugs, then stores or furniture stores and opening our him something he isn’t going to get any- holds up the wood rack, and it’s never fall- wallets. We’ll look in his bedroom and say, where else. en yet. “What you need in here is a desk, with at I hope when he’s grown, and I trust him, I let him sit on my lap and hold two least one drawer...” and head for the we’ll both be around for me to hand him pencils in his hands at the scrollsaw, using garage. his own key to that magical garage door. the erasers to guide wood through the I’ll look at him and say, “I’ll bet if you But whatever experience he gets out of my blade. He concentrates so hard his tongue had a couple pairs of stilts around here, all woodshop, I’m sure neither of us will ever hangs out one corner of his mouth. When the kids would come over to your house question the very real value of it. PW the half-moon shape popped free of the to play...” and we’ll head for the garage. saw, it was a trophy to him, something he’d Then, when he’s old enough to really Barb Siddiqui works wood in Carson City, Nevada.