contents WOODamagazine November2001, lssue 137

proiects & techniques

4 divide and conquer with style Separateliving spaces with showy, *- lighted,display cabinets. il createarchitectural art #G Paditionrooms with pleasingcolumns and archesfor a fresh open look. We'll guide you step by step. 66 a novel box Store photos or otherfavorite keep- sakesin this booklikebox. 70 entertainmentcenter/armoire Buildthis handsomecabinet to store electroniccomponents or clothing, We cover both options. 86 a brightidea for turners Add cheerto your holidayswith this noveltyturning. lt's a decorative Christmaslight that doublesas a liddedcandy container.

Cover Photo: Baldwin Photography

66

www.woodonline.com contents November2001 , lssue137

tools & materials 60 dynamicduos Seewhich cordless circ saw and drill kits get top honorsin our test. ae u e s 80 double take on woodworking Travelto SantaCruz, California, to learna few tricks from furnituremak- ing twins Christianand Roberl Meier. u what makes wood beautiful? Colol luster,texture, and figure-all of these give a board its good looks. departments ' 6 editor's angle +jffi I talkingback 16 wood onlineo %* 20 great ideas:bandsaw guide Correctblade drift by resawingwith &,* p{b this adjustablejig. ffi! .h# 22 talking shop: veneeredtubing # ,#l 4A Use this hollowwood productfor columns,kaleidoscopes, fly rod cases,and more. #' 24 askwood 30 cordlessbreakthrough ffi Wouldyou believe a battery-powered router?lt's true. 32 shoptips 92 productsthat perform 103 what'sahead in our nextissue

Better Homes cutd CordertsaWOODa magazine(ISSN-0743-894X) is published nine times a year in February, March, April. May/June, July/August.September. October. November. and Decemberby Meredith Corporation.l7l6 LocustSt., Des Moines.IA 50309-3023.Periodicals postagepaid at Des Moines.Iowa. and additionalmailing offices.Better Homesand Gardens trademark resistered in Canadaand Australia.Marca Registraclaen Mdxico.ONn-yBnn SUBSCRIPTIONPRICES: U.S. andits possessions.$28; Canada. 54l: othercountries. S,19. Canada Post PublicationsMail SalesProduct A-ureement No. 40049562.Canadian BN 22 123482887RT. CANADIAN RETURN ADDRESS: Beuer Homesrmcl GardertsWOOD magazine,2744Edna Street.Windsor. Ontario. N8Y lV2. POSTMASTER: Send addresschan-ees to Betrer Honres atd GurtlensWOOD ntagazine.P.O. Box 37439.Boone. IA 50037-0439.

WOOD magazine November2001 -"']

I !

Better Homes and Gardenso

*'#-#: wooD. ed itc#ffi-angle November2001 . Vol.18. No. I o lssueNo. 137 $.fiL Editor-in-ChiefBltLKRIER ExecutiveEditor JIM HARROLD *e ;r,l.:'i ManagingEditor MARLEN KEMMEI ProductsEditor DAVE CAMPBELL ProjectsEditor JAN HALE SVEC smail ProjectsEditor DAVID STONE TechniouesEditor JIM POLL0CK {rcp DesignEditor KEVIN BOYLE "-"Y DesignEditor KENT WELSH MasterCraftsman CHARLES l. HEDLUND Production/OfficeManager MARGARET CL0SNER AdministrativeAssistant SHERYL MUNY0N lllustratorsI0RNA J0HNS0N, R0XANNE LeM0lNE, TIMCAHIIL, MIKE MITTERMEIER ContributingPhotographer MARTY BALDWIN of love TechnicalConsultants RICH BRIGHT, JEFF HALL, KIRKHESSE, GARRY SMITH ContributingCraftsman JIM HEAVEY I I t henasked what he consid-. ProofreaderJIMSANDERS UUered to be his masterpiece,: ArtDirector TIM ALEXANDER the famousdesigner and architect -. AssociateArtDirector JOHN MEEK ..-.- AssistantArt Director CHERYL A. CIBULA "The Frank Lloyd Wright often replied PublisherMARK HAGEN next one." And that, in threewords, sums best?Sometimes, the resultof that meet- Advertising0ffice:333 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1500, up how we approachthe conceptionand ing is a designcombining elements of the Chicago,lL60601 Phone: 312853-2890 FM: 31 2580-7906 designof the projectsyou find in WOOD variousconcepts. MailResponse Manager CAROLYN DAKIS AccountExecutive R()N G0tMINAS magazine.No matterhow good the proj- Next, the designersproduce a set of AccountExecutive NEIL KIRBY ectswere in pastissues, we expectthe computer-generateddrawings that go to AccountExecutive J0HN TH0RNBURGH (Detroit248/356-1 149) next onesto be evenbetter. theWOOD magazineshop. There, we SalesAssistant THERESA C00KS Fortunately,our talentedstaff of project prove the designby building the project. Southeast:Lagomarsino, Dempsey & Dennis, Inc. 2951Piedmont Rd., NE, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30305 designersis alwaysup to the task.Issue And we sometimesdo that more than Phone:404/261 -5400 FAX: 404 1261 -5404 after issue,they neverfail to impressme once,just to get everythingright. GrouoPublisher STEPHEN B. LEVINSON with their creativity and resourcefulness. AssociateBusiness Director CRAIG FEAR Like real pros,they makeproject cre- A new face on the staff SeniorProduct Manager RICK GROW AdvertisingServices Manager PAT HENDERSHOTT ationlook easy.It's anythingbut that. I chosethe toolbox ConsumerMarketing Director KATHI PRIEN The designprocess begins with just an examplefor a rea- ConsumerMarketing Manager DAVE HONOLD idea for a type of project.Through son.It was the flrst VicePresidenVPublishing Director WILLIAM R. REED research,reader feedback, and simple assignmentwe MEREDITHPUBTISHING GROUP instinct,we'll pinpointa particularproject, gaveto the newest PresidentSTEPHEN M. LACY MagazineGroup President JERRY KAPLAN saya toolbox,for an upcomingissue. We memberof our GroupSales MICHAEL BROWNSIEIN do this up to a year or more beforeyou designteam, Kent CreativeServices EttEN DELATH0UOER BusinessDevelopment TINA GE0RGEOU seethe projectin the magazinaDuring Welsh,the fellow ManufacturrngBRUCE HEST0N thatinterval, the designersstep in. It's up shownat right. ConsumerMarketing KARTA JEFFRIES Financeand Administration MAX RUNCIMAN to them to turn that idea into a project Kent begane his -#ffi-* you'll get excitedabout. careerdoins cabi- zl""J"gS^,-T!r Typically, they comeup with several netry and finish WlttlAMT. KERR, President and Chief Executive 0fficer conceptdrawings like the onesabove. carpentry,then E.T.MEREDITH lll, Chairmanof the ExecutiveCommittee Then,everyone involved in the project i manageda woodworkingstore. Following OCopyrightMeredith Corporation 2001 design,building, and editing process i that, he spentthe pastnine yearsdesigning All rishtsreserved. Printed in theU.S.A. meetsto discussthe meritsof eachcon- projectsfor ShopNotes, Woodsmith, and Customer Service Information: For service on your sub- , scription, including change of address, contact us at cept.This is wherethe designersneed to : Workbenchmagazines.Kent's a talented www.woodmagazine.com,/service or call 800/374-9663. Subscription mailing address: Better Homes and Gardens havea thick skin, and they do. i designerand builder, and I think you'll WOOD magazine,P.O. Box 37439, Boone, IA 50037-0439. We dissecteach concept, determining appreciatehis extensivebackground and Pleaseenclose your addresslabel from a recentissue. Editorial ' mailingaddress:The Editor, WOOD magazine,l716 Locust which one functionsbest and hasthe most ; creativityin the projectsyou'll find in Street.GA3l0. Des Moines. IA 50309-3023.For ouestions i on editorial,questions about how to reachan advertiser,or to aestheticappeal. Questions that need i upcomlng lssues. place an advertisement in our magazine call 800i374-9663. joinery? To order back issues call 800/346-9663. Article reprints, answersinclude: What's the best send$5 per article (no phoneorders), include issueand name Doesthe projectlend itself to teaching of article, to WOOD Article Reprint Service,P.O. Box 349, Kalona, lA 52247, check or money order made payable to new tips and techniques?Are we making WOOD magazine efficient useof materials?What wood is :nb^!A{^^!', & ^tp^t WOOD magazine November2001 talkin back Ourbulletin board for letters, comments,and timely updates

Wood details suburbs.'What defines the character of The right classification a houseis thedetails, such as a beauti- for fungi warm up spaces ful stairrailing, well-crafted mouldings As an avidwoodworker and a microbiolo- Wecamc across the following thoughtsin aroundwindows and doors, and useful, gist,I notedthat fungi were referred to as a newsletterfromSusan Regan, executive finelytaibred built-ins,' she says." "simpleplants" in thearticle "Decay- vicepresident of theHardwood Wecouldn't agree more with SusanlHardwood Information Center, a biggerhouse or a betterhouse? An service of the Hardwood Manufacturers awfullot of peopleare building more Association,is a sourceof non-commer- spacethan they can use. The space cial information about hnrdwoods,lwrd- thatthey do useends up beingvery woodfurniture, flooring, cabinetry,and bland.lt hasno personality.' decorative millwork. You can visit the web "Susankabelieves in investingmore in site at www.hardwoodinfo.com,or call its gooddesign, fine materials, details and HardwoodHelpline at 800/373 -WO OD. craftsmanship,and less on the kindof SusanSusankn is the author o/ "The Not ly correctto identifyfungi as thework- cavernous,impersonal space character- So Big House," a best-iellingbook avail- horseof wooddecay. Many fungi contain isticof the 'McMansions'sprouting up in ablefrom amnzon.com. enzymesthat are able to breakdown lignin,a majorcomponent of woodthat is fairlyresistent to decay. -MarkStrynar, Port Matilda, Pa.

Plastic rlescues unusable burls YourWOOD Forum piece in issue130 on harvestingburls moved me to write abouta coffeetable I madefrom a crackedand deteriorated burl slab, I savedwhat probably would have been judgeda worthlesspiece of firewoodby fillingits voids with clear polyester cast- ingresin. Available at craft-supplystores undersuch brand names as Decapour, Craft-Cote,and Crystal-Sheen, they are two-partliquids that, when mixed, harden intoclear plastic. Theslab I usedmeasured 36" in diame- terand 3" thickwith many holes that wentall the way through. After covering the holeson thebottom surface with maskingtape, I pouredin the resin, grad- Continued on page 12

WOOD magazine November2001 talking back uallyfilling the holes over a periodof The many benefits of days.I sandedthe top and bottom planting a tree smooth,then recoated the surfaces with Thanksso muchfor featuring The moreresin. ln places,you can see right NationalArbor Day Foundation in the throughthe table. article,"Help for fire-ravaged forests" in Forlegs, I rough-turnedsome dry, but FinishingTouches in issue132. badlycracked firewood logs to withintl" Treeshave a hugeimpact on the qual- of theirfinal diameter, then filled the ityof the environmentand on people's crackswith resin. With the resincured. I qualityof life.They help clean the air, finishedthe turnings. The cracks are moderatetemperatu res, conserve ener- fullyvisible, but completely filled with gy,and provide wildlife habitat. Trees clearplastic. beautifyour homesand neighborhoods, Usethis same method when working increaseproperty values, conserve the withknotty material. Simply pour the soil,and help keep rivers and streams resinaround the knot.When it cures, runningclean. makesit possiblefor yourreaders to theknot will never loosen. Sanding the Plantingtrees is somethingthat every- becomepersonally involved in this resinclouds the surface, but this disap- onecan do to makea positivecontribu- meaningfulactivity. pearswhen a clearfinish is applied. tionto a betterfuture. Carrying informa- -GaryBrienzo, intormation coordinator, -HowardClements, Knox, Pa. tionabout the foundation's programs the NationalArbor Day Foundation

Foot lever enhances mortising on nouter table I likedthe looks of theAll-Purpose againstthe routeris reinforcedwith two tion,and temporarily tape the uprightto RouterStation in issue129so I ribs.lt is longenough to accommodate it. Holdthe flat plywood part of the hor- builtone for myshop. By adding an the route/svertical adjustment, and izontalportion of the leverin place, L-shapedfoot lever (as shown in the hasa holeat thetop for ventilation.To keepingits front end 1t/2"oli thefloor. photosand drawings), I can now form findthe exactconfiguration for thetri- Measurethe angle,and cut your trian- mortisesby plungingthe router bit into angulargusset at the bottom,hinge the gle.Glue and screw the leverparts theworkpiece rather than having to uprightarm to the legstand's rear rail. together. plungethe workpiece onto the bit. This Lockyour router in.the full-plunge posi- -Louis Stephan,Greenwood, lnd. machineworks better than my hollow chiselmortiser. 11/2"hole for To preventit fromflexing, the ventilation uprightpart of the leverthat pushes \ *g x 11l+',F.H.

t;'"*;pin hinge

31/2"loose

3l+x4 x 34" stock slcx2 x 30" stock

Continued on page 14

12 WOOD magazine November2001 talking back

Porter-Cable For a great shine, Store to try toothpaste Foryears, I've used a wet-sandingtech- Show it all. Black & Decker, niquesimilar to the oneyou describein DeWalt battery DevelopYour Shop Skills in issue124. chargers recalled Fora professional-lookingfinish I have In cooperationwith the U.S. not foundanything that works better. For See the completeline-up ConsumerProduct Safety the finalpolish, I routinelyuse tooth- of Porter-Cabteproducts in Commission,DeWalt Industrial pasteand a few dropsof distilledwater. ToolCompany is voluntari[recall- Toothpastecontains an ultra-fineabra- the newPorter-Cabte store. ingfor replacementDeWalt sivegrit and surfactants,both of which Over1,ooo items including modelsDW9107 and DW9108 and aid in obtaininga highgloss. pneumaticsand cordless Black& Deckerlndustrial and -Ramon Stoner,Villa Park, lll. too[s to the ha rd -to-f in d Constructionmodels 97015 and woodworkingaccessories. 97016power tool batterychargers. The chargershave date codes Seethe entirefleet of this 9616through 9752located on their year's new Porter-Cable bottoms.They were sold either productsat the storethat separatelyor withtools from May hasit aIt. 1996through August 2000. Thesechargers can fail to auto- Look to the links to maticallyshut off afterthe battery drive really long holes is fullycharged. This condition can In WOODForum, issue 131, a reader causethe batteryto burst,and was lookingfor a bitto drillholes in 34"- posesfire, burn, and electrical talllamp bases. Long drill bits are used shockhazards. in golfclub building and repair. Ralph In addition,DeWalt model Maltby'sGolfWorks , 4820 Jacksontown DW9116 chargersare being Road,P.O. Box 3008, Newark, OH recalledfor repair.These charg- 43058-3008sells a 7/ezx47"high-speed ers havedate codes, also on their bitfor $t Z.SO.Order catalog no. D4732 bottoms,9927 EM through or call800/848-8358. 9952EMand 0001EMthrough -James Jansma.Hudsonville. Mich. 0031EM.They were sold either separatelyor withtools from Wefound that a 7/-tz"hole is largeenough September1999 through August for standard#18-2 lamp cord. You'll have 2000.Metal clips inside these to back the bit out of the hole often to chargerscould come loose,stick clear theflutes. Thenbore out the topfew throughthe charger'svents, and inchesand epoxyin a standardlamp nip- pose an electricalshock hazard. plefor attachingthe harp and socket. Consumersshould stop using thesechargers immediately and Write Us! Visitthe Porter-Cablestore at takethem to a DeWaltor Black& Doyou have comments, criticisms, sugges- www.amazon.com/ Deckerseruice center for free tions,or maybeeven a complimentspecifically replacementor free repair.To relatingto an articlethat appeared in W00h magazine?Please write to: portercable locatea seruicecenter or for more information,call DeWalttoll- TalkingBack W00Dmagazine Ca[[for your FREE Too[ Crib catalog free at 866/543-3401between 1716Locust St., G4310 r-8oo-635-5r4o 8 a.m.and 4:30p.m. ET Monday Des Moines,lA fl1309-3(Ie! throughFriday, or go to the ser- ore-mail us at talkingback@mdp,com. routers sanders cordlesstoots vice centerlocator at Dueto the volumeof lettersand e-mails we generators the Porter-Cablestore www.dewalt.com. receive,we onlycan respond to andpublish nailers& staplers air compressors thoseof thegreatest interest to our readers.

14 WOOD magazine November2001 i li\i\.:.'' \\ urood online. Howyou benefit by going to www.woodonline,com

'"Fle,ffii*.@_.,,

What's new for you at WOOD ONLINEa? Wmflnru.rcrRe. Get the latest information ill ! ll lr-!f.,j! i t"{}1,, t'{{ It I More than55,000 wood- Become a WOOD STOREo workerscan't be wrong. affiliate and make extra cash That'show manyfolks sub- Do you have an establishedwoodworking scribeto our freebiweekly or DIY Web site?Does it generateconsis- e-mailnewsletter. Do they tent, enthusiastictraffic? Then why not use know somethingyou don't? it to generatesome extra cash, too, by let- With all thevaluable new ting it showcaseand promote the WOOD informationconstantly being [email protected] post imagesof the pro- addedto WOOD ONLINE, ject plans we offer for sale. When your site theymost certainly could! visitor clicks on one of them, he's taken But we'll haveyou up to directly to the store. And if he purchases speedin no time.And our any of the 25O-plusshop-proven products "information-not sales offered there, you earn an automatic 15 hype" approachis a welcome percentcommission on every sale.Simply breathof freshair. go ro wwlvJvQQdaagazin e e_qm/alfilialel We inviteyou to reviewour latestissue at www.woodmagazine.com/newsletter/ for completedetails. andsee what we mean. But don't take our word for it... Tons of free stuff coming at you "l have recently resubscribedto WOODa Want"why didn't I thinkof that"woodworking tips? How aboutthe latest news on magazine after an absenceof several manufacturers'special tool pricing?Throw in monthlyproduct giveaways, skill-build- years and subscribedto your online ing seminars,downloadable woodworking plans, and, well, you getthe idea. Those are newsletter. My initial reaction was that just a few of thefreebies you'll find dayin andday out on WOOD ONLINE.And we this was just another way to tont the dif- addnew onesevery two weeks. ferent articles. But after visiting several of Don'twait a minutemore! Go to www.woodonline.com,and click on the"Become the links, I realizedjust how much the a Memberof WOOD ONLINE!" box at the top of the left-handnavigation bar. newsletterwill simplify -y woodwork- ing. Not only doesit allow me to print a specific article to file in a notebook, but I also can give each one a different name Tip of the Fay and storeit in my computer.Your

The orlginal "band" clamp newslettergoes way beyond most I've

Allhough it's lairly routine tl glue f lat seen.My only regretis that I didn't take su rlacos, you tird it difiicult to get etran prassure on round, irr€gular, or advantageof it sooner." othefwiseout-of-theordinary su rlaces. -Terry Parker,Lakeland, Fla. TIP:Forlsss than$2at mostoflice supplystores,yo{ cao purchasean ordinary1Blb. boxot no.lO7 rubber Thcutks,Tern'! We couldn't have said it bands.The bands, wh ich mers ure 1/16' thick,5E' uride,and 7' longbetore better. We pricle ourselveson the nunler- stretch ing, make gir€atc hm fs . Smaller bandsal$o can be usefulintheshop. proiects Theglue popsott easily, and lhey oever ousfree cuulfeutures linkedfront rust"{By ihe way, ihe baodswill lasta lot bnger it you store them in acool, each newsletter. Eni oy! dark drawer.! Marlen Kemmet --+vlike LooRe, Laeg I eaah,Ca lif. WOOD ONLINE Manaser

16 WOODmagazine November2001 r gfeat- ideas for your shop I I fullyadjustable l bandsaw I resawlng guide resawingguide lets you correctfor bladedrift, and you can buildit fromparts you probablyhave lying aroundyour shop.

f\fter struggling with his bandsaw : Fl fence, blocks, clamps,and a resaw : guide, WOODa magazinereader John t/+"wing nut Hodgesof Kaufman, Texas,decided to Vqi RESAWINGGUIDE designhis own bandsawresawing guide. just Sand to a 7s" radius You can build one like it by gather- after laminating. ing up some scrap stock and following the illustrations at right. 7-1V+"1 To use this guide, first mark a line along _T piece the top edge of the to be resawn. 1Y4' jig Adjust the centerportion of the (A) I until the bandsawblade aligns with the V+"hole, countersunk marked line on the wood. Tighten the s/o+"shank hole, wing nuts that hold A securelyto B. countersunk Tighten the wing nut in part C to secureit 1y4' in the miter-gaugeslot. l+" hole, Becausefew per- bandsawblades frack -=-qt- countersunk fectly snaight (making a fence almost use- less for resawing),the curved end of part V+"hole, A allows you to steerthe board into ttre countersunk bandsawblade and make adjustrnentsto on bottom follow your marked line. We recommend l'l usingaVz"- to3/+"-wideskiptooth or \ 31/2' t7a"( ffiffi hook-tooth blade for cleanercuts. And, BottomView always use a pushstickfor safety when s/axVcx il 12tA"slock resawingon a bandsaw. Y4'F.H. #6 xg/c" (to fit miter-gaugeslot) wood sc machinescrew l're" kert 17a"long, Written by Tom Jackson Y4 machinescrew 4r/2"long lllustrations:Kim Downing r 5/a Photograph: Hetherington Photography

WOOD magazine November2001 our proiect builders talk shop veneer in the nound Whatyou needto knowabout workingwith Hollowood tubes

uring the design stagesof our room ldea starters divider, featuring the arch and Though we usedHollowood in an archi- columnson page 44, we learnedof a tecturalcolumn application,there's no end wood product that proved perfect for our to its uses.Some projects include bird columns.It was sffongbut light, and it houses,humidors, kaleidoscopes, furniture matchedthe surroundingcherry cabinets. legs,drums, desk accessories, fly rod From the point of consffuctingcolumns cases,kitchen canisters,and telescopes. from scratch,this substitutesaved us time and monev. Making Hollowood Called Hollowood by California manu- work for you facturer BrandNew, this veneeredtubing To machineHollowood, our builder Doug consistsof thin, bondedplies of poplar Guyer discovereda few secretsworth r/rc" o'When measuringanywhere from 7soto passingalong. sawingthe tubing, thick. Strong,waterproof, polyester resin run tape around the perimeter where you adheresthe plies together,creating a tube haveyour cutline. Scribeyour cutline on Use your drill press and a Forstner bit wall of /tto %" thickness.The outsideis the tape.This will preventchip-out. when making holes in Hollowood, easing wrapped with a /tz" veneetof exotic or "Also," Doug says,"make your cuts on the bit slowly into the wood to avoid tear-out. domestichardwood. a tablesaw,using a friple-chipblade with a 7o to 10" sawtoothbevel. Raise the blade the tube 360oto completethe cut. To drill The long and short %" to %" abovethe table/tubecontact area Hollowood," Doug adds,"use a sharp of Hollowood [as shownbelow]. Fit your miter gauge Forstnerbit mountedin a drill pressand As cited in our story on archesand with an auxiliary fence and stop. Locate place the tube on a V-block to steadyit columns,we went with 6" diameter the stop to cut the tube to the desired while boring. [Seephoto above.lDon't columns,but Hollowood comesin a vari- lengh. Then, turn on the saw, and move force the bit through the wood or tear-out ety of diameters,from 1 to 18". You can the gaugeand tube over the blade. Rotate will result. purchasetubes under 4/2" diarneterby the "Before applyinga finish to foot; you'llneed to purchasetubes in 8' Hollowood," Doug says,"sand the tube, lengths for any order over that diameter. working through a progressionof 100- to BrandNew offers more than 17 veneers, 220-gnt abrasives.Be carefulnot to sand with prices varying accordingto tube through the thin veneer." ll diametersand veneer species.For Photographs:Baldwin Photography instance,a l"-diameter fube of maple costs$4.17 per running foot; by contrast, BuyingGuide a 1"-diametertube of the exotic hardwood Formore on Hollowood,write to BrandNew rosewoodbrings $6.63per foot. These Industrits,Inc., 6326-8 Lindmar Drive, Santa Movethe tube over the Barbara,CA 93117. Or, pricesdon't include shipping.Still, you saw blade,then call800/964-8251. rotateit againstthe auxiliaryfence and Websiteat www.brandnew.neVhollowood. could not make a column for that money. stop for an even360" cut.

WOOD magazine November2001 askwood Answersto your questions from letters,e-mails, and W00D ONL|NEo

Limit the load Here'sthe maximumload, in pounds per squarefoot, for annealedglass used as on glass shelves shelvingand supportedat each end. 1Ff I wantto installglass shelves in \I a cabinet.Each shelf will mea- sure43" wide and 21" deep and will be supportedat theends. l'll usethem to displaycurios and small ceramic objects,so eachshelf will carryonly a fewpounds. How thick should the glassbe? -Dick VanZandt, Bellingham,Wash.

A Dick, we askedour local supplier, that's visible in the edgeof a typical pane you can buy a fiberboard product that tt and got 3/a"for an answer.But if of glass,you can buy a clearerstyle with looks like MDF, but is engineeredfor those display items start to multiply and most of the iron removed.PPG Indus- exterior use. One exampleis Medex, the glass startsto bow, add supportor tries manufacturesthat product under the from the Medite Corporation.These removeweight. Seethe accompanying name Starphire. productscost more than MDF, however. chartfor glassshelving guidelines. {lVOODomagazine Our local lumber company sells a 3/+" While we're talking aboutglass shelves, sheetof MDO for about $46, and Medex consideredge treatments before you goesfor about$37. Thesematerials buy. A "seamed"edge remains Whatts the forecast must be primed thoroughly and coated slightly rough; a "ground" edge for MDF proiects? with top-quality exterior paint for maxi- is smoother;and a "polished" n CanI usemedium-density fiber- mum durability in the elements. edge offers a rounded, \l boardfor outdoorprojects? | -'VV00Dmagazine sleeklook. If you wouldprotect it withexterior paint. don't want the -TerryKrueger, Alpena, Mich. greenishtint What gouge size is A MDF doesn'tresist moisture, so best for t-rning? A don't useit outdoors,Terry. 1Ff I finallyground down my run-of- However, you do have other manufac- \{ the-mill%" gougeafter turning tured sheetgoods to choose many,many bowl blanks and whatnot. from. in addition to Nowit's timeto buya higher-grade exteriorplywood. gougefrom RobertSorby or Henry Medium-density Taylor.Am lthinkingcorrectly about overlay,or MDO, gettinga /+"deep-fluted gouge Ican consistsof several useto turnall the littlestutf and the plies of exterior-grade largerbowls up to about11" to 12"in plywood,covered by paper diameter?I've been doing it all with that's saturatedwith resin.Also. Continued on page 26

WOOD magazine November 2001 ask wood

thislittle 7a" tool, but I wantto make A I don't claim to be a masterturner, heaviercuts with less vibration on fl but I really like my Ellswofth r/2" deeperbowls. Will a s/" gougebe too gouge.I have used it from'start to finish bigfor smaller bowls? on bowls up to 14". You do needto buy -Mike Wurth,Coffee Creek, Calif. the Ellsworth sharpeningjig to get the proper grind angle,but it is very easyto jig A I think that you have been using _sharpen once the is set up. tt the most appropriateall-around -Joseph Quesada,Schuytkilt Haven, Pa. size. A 3/t" gougeis a hog-it really dependsupon how much turning of the larger work you're going to be doing. Whatts the best glue The vibration dampeningability of the for a cutting boa-ld? stoutergouges is nice for the larger work 1F1 A friendbrought me a veryold boardsin my kitchen that have been in use and for hogging a lot of wood, but in my \l cuttingboard that had begun to for over five years,and they show no sign opinion, control and the ability to finesse comeapart and asked me to rehabili- of glue joint failure. the gouge are most important. I consider tateit. Whatglue is mostappropriate? -Brian G.Hayek, St. Louis the Vz"gouge too large for 75 percentof Thisboard will be used for allfood- the piecesI do. You can get usedto stuffs,including meats. working with any size tool, but if you -GeorgeDavis, Macon, Mo. Gan walnut step up can afford a larger gouge for roughing to the plate? and a smaller one for controlled cuts. A I have built a number of cutting f.l I suddenlyacquired a supplyof you're better off. A boardsover the years using Titebond \l blackwalnut wood when a tree il Brennion,Chino Valley, Ariz. tr with good results.There are two cutting fellin myback yard. l'm thinking about

WOOD magazine November 2001

It'slhe lllorld's0nly lordless Brud lluilEr Ihut'sflso Pneumrtit.

Cordless.Pneumatic. 0urnew cordless brad nailer gives you the option of both, usingexclusive IP$ TechnologfM (Twin Power Source System).lt's cordless,

thanksto a mini-compressorpowered byour rechargeable,

interchangeable12-voltbattery. lt'salso pneumatic,

courtesyof all4" valvethat allows you to use it withtraditional compressors.Toget one of your own, visit your Porter-Cable dealer or call 1-800-487-8665

6 19-836-2A0 in Canada). turning a baseballbat from one of the an ash or hickory bat to hit with, remem- pieces.Can walnut stand up to hitting ber that a rapid taper from handle to bar- a baseball? rel lets you swing the bat faSter,but -Kerry Fagelman,Lewisberry, Pa. decreasesits strength. {tVOODomagazine It sure would make a nice-looking n Fl bat, Kerry, but it probably would not last long in a ballgame.Juan Faxas, Planing knots? owner of baseballbat manufacturer Tly sanding instead Glomar Enterprises,says walnut.just 1Ff WhenI runrough boards through isn't tough enoughto servethe purpose. \{ myplaner, I have trouble with Hickory ranks as the most durable wood knotsthat come out and break up. On want to for bats,but it's heavy and a bit difficult onepass, they're in theresolidly; the use lumber to obtain. So batmakerssettled on white nextpass, they're broken and impossi- with knots,you'll ash as the standard.Ash offers the bleto restore.What can I do about have better luck with a weight-to-strengthratio they want, plus thisproblem? drum sander,which remainsin it's somewhatelastic. Of course,you can -SergeiBurmenko, Stuart, Fla. constantcontact with the workpiece. use walnut or any other wood to make a If you decideto buy a drum sander,see bat for display; Here are the typical A A black, crackedknot has lost its our comparisonof four models in Issue specifications:the handle should be rs/rc" A resin and flexibility, S6rgei,and 130. Call 8001346-9663to buy a copy of to 1" in diameter;the banel about2Vz"; there's not much you can do to hold it in that issuefor $6.95.Otherwise, check the weight in ouncesabout two digits place againstthe relentlessimpact of with commercial woodworkersor seri- less than the length in inches.If you turn planer blades.However, if you really Continued on page 28 www.woodonline.com 27

It'slhellluld's 0nly PneumrtirBrud lluilEr ut'sflso IordlEEE.

Pneumatic.Cordless. 0ur new cordless brad nailer gives you the option

ofboth, using exclusive IP$ TechnolwlM (Twin Power fuurce Esten).

It'spneumatic, courtesy ofa l/4" valvethat allows you to use it withtraditional

compressors.lt'salso cordless, thanks to a mini-compressorpowered byour

rechargeable,interchangeable l2-volt battery. Toget one of your own,visit your

Porter-Cabledealer or call 1-800-487-8665 (519-836-2A0 inCanada). ask wood

oushobbyists with drum sanders,and haveany grain.A little practiceand askone of themto dimensionyour you'll nevergo backto woodPutty. -Tim boardsfor you. D'Arcy,Richmond, Vt. -W00Domagazine A What I like to do with very small A gapsis to forcesome glue into the Matching color gap,and while it's still wet I run mY with wood filler sanderover it for awhile.The dustwill mix with the glue,and the heatfrom the f'f I despiseusing wood filler \I becauseI have never been able the foamy stuff has absolutely no sanderwill curethe gluerelatively to getit to staineven close to thecolor strength, so the joints must be strong to quickly.Try it in an inconspicuousarea of thewood. I recentlybuilt a largebox begin with. Also. always try new things first to seehow you like it. -Garv out of oak,and I havea couPleolt/ta" on scrap to perfect vour technique first. Thomas,Fort Wotth, Texas gaps.Does anyone know of a wood -Robert Peterson.Ventura, Calif . fillerthat will stain close to thecolor of thewood? A I use my belt sanderto make a Pile Got a question? you're foran answer to a woodwork- -Jason Barr,Copley, Ohio A of fine sawdust from the same type lf looking ingquestion, write to AskW000, 1716 Locust of wood that I'm filling. I mix in yellow St.,GA 310, Des Moines, lA 50309-3023or Force a little bit of polyurethane wood glue until I have a pastethat's a n sendus an e-mail at askwood@mdp'com.For ,{ glue into the gaps, and let it foarn little softer than wood putty. Next, I immediatefeedback from your fellow wood- out and dry. Then trim the foam. and work the paste into the voids and let it workers,post your question 0n one of ourdis- cussiongroups at www.woodonline.com, sand flush and smooth. Poly will take dry. Then I sandit flat. It will stain and stain but show no grain. Be warned that paint just like the wood, but it will not

28 WOODmagazine November2001 PC2 GrossStohil Corporotion, a leoding monulacturer of woodworking clomps ond occessories proudlyinlroduces o new woodworkingclamp product.

PC2is a revolutionarynew Porallel Clonp lor woodworkingprofessionols. Monuloctured in Germonyof thehighest quality noteriols and croflsnenship, lhe P( will clampwood pieces withup to ll00 lhs,ol clonpingFesswe. ThePC2 is nodeol polyomide6.6 (nylon)grode I A plostiqreinforced with 500/olongiiber fibergloss,molleuble cost iron locking mechonism, ond golvonized sleel roil. fhe clonpingiows oreoof orc wroppedoround steel inserts lor oddedstrength ond supporl, ^With a clonping 5-I/2' x I-3/4' ondclomping length hon 12' to 100" thePCz will hondlethe lorgest of clampingproiects. This eosy to useclonp qukkly ond eosily slides up ond down its galvonized steelroil lo occommodotevhtuolly ony size pieces ol wood.

Woodworkersore assured of perlectlysquored up clompingof woodproducts with thishond held unit. wGROSS rso 9001CERTIFIED

100Gross Drive c P.0.Box 368 . Cohlwater,lll 49036 o 517'278'5121. foll Free 80A'671'0838 -tool iqdqstry inside? cordless takes ffi.ticnrrDeltastore has over tooo productsfrom a complete jl#gup;f unisawstothose hard- a new rout tb-findmachinery attachments. Battery-poweredrouter turns heads 'Extensiveproduct information ratingsand includingcustomer /f t first glance.Porter- reviewswitt help you choose the Fl uaore s new yZyu righttool for the job. router,shown at right,looks We'[[even deliver to yourdoor much like its signature690 seriesrouter. Closer examina- foronty $5.99. tion, though,reveals some- thing missing:the power cord. The9290 couplesP-C's 19.2- volt rechargeablebattery with a direct-cunent(DC) motor to turn a bit at 23.000revolu- tions per minute (no load). So, doesit really work? We haven't had a chanceto put one throughin-depth testing yet, but we did get our hands on a prototype for a few min- utesrecently, and the answer from that shorttrial is "yes." With a /2" round-overbit chuckedinto the 9290's Vq" collet(it alsoaccepts P-C's accessory3/s" and /2" collets), the router felt like it had power to sparewhen machin- ing red oak. And to our ears, the router is noticeablyquieter than a typical cordedmodel. With the 9290 router in the shop,you'll Porter-Cable'sMark Woodlief saysthe neverworry aboutunexpectedly catching tool specsat "about t horsepower,"and the cord on a workpieceand ruining an can rout 100'of /2" round-overin oak or edgetreatment, or having to stop a 200' in pine on a singlebattery charge. machiningoperation to move the cord out What aboutother bits? Woodlief says,"If of the cutter'spath. We alsothink it'll be you can run them in our model 100 l-hp handyfor outdoorprojects, such as build- Visit the Deltastore at router, the9290 shouldhave no trouble ing a deck, whereelectric outlets are few www.amazon.com/deltawith them,either. We recommendVq"- and far between. shankbits to maximizerun time." As you might expect,convenience has Ca[[for yourFREE Too[ Crib catalog Given the weight of cordlessbattery its price.With one 19.2-voltbaffery, r-8oo-635-5r4o packs,we were surprisedto find the9290 charger,and case,the 9290is expectedto to be a well-balancedtool. AtTs/qpounds, sell for about$250. Buying it in a kit with table saws radial saws miter saws it actuallyweighs less than the corded other cordlesstools (it's currentlyavail- scroll & band saws ptaners the Delta store 690. And, the cordlessmotor fits in all able with a drill andjigsaw) reducesthe drittingmachines jointers woodshapers existing690 bases,so you alsocould per-toolprice and gives you the benefit of makeit into a plungeor D-handlerouter. an additionalbattery.al

30 WOOD magazine November2001 sho ti wrnner Adelaide Helpingyou work faster, smarter, andsafer Kurtz shows off the WOOD mag- azine State Quarters Map she recently scrollsawed. Severalyears ago, AdelaideKurtz's husband,Jim, took her to a wood- workingshow. After watchinga scrollsawdemonstration, our Top 'l ShopTip winnerthought, can do that."She endedup buyinga scroll- saw at that show. Adelaideand Jim sometimesworks on projectstogether (as withthe table that inspiredthis issue'sTop Shop Gluea wooddowel PerPendicular Tip at left), and some- to the handlegrain to timesseParatelY. "l have preventsplitting. my own tablesaw, hmst'hhdtb sandgrs, and other tools," she saYs."Of course,he ---4 use them, too."

For sending in this issue's ToP Shop Tip, Kurtz ii9" receives a Penn Ohr s?yr can you State DC2-5 dust collector. Attagirl, yorir bai clamp handles? Adelaide! Whilebuilding the bentwood accent table in WOOb magazineissue 131, my hus- band,Jim, and I usedevery large clamp in our shop.When we brokeout the bar clampsto glueup the laminations,we foundit hardto tightenthem adequately. The handlesrested so closeto the tabletopwe couldn'tget a gripon them. Tell us how you'vesolved a workshop Thinkingof the slidingbarbell-shaped rod on a C-clamp,I suggestedthat Jim drill puzzler,and we'll send You$7S if we a holein eachhandle and usea screwdriverto turnthe handle,as shownabove' ll printyour solution. And, if we choose workedgreat. To keepfrom splitting the handle,you mightwant to firstbore a hole your tip as the ToP ShoPTiP of the perpendicularto the handle'sgrain, and gluea same-sizedowel in thathole. you prize -AdelaideKurtz, Kirkville, N.Y. issue,we'll also send a tool worth at least$250. The isn't done until the paperwork is filed Sendyour besttiPs, along with Pho- iob tos or illustrationsand your daytime Let'sface it guys:Our wives are likelyto outliveus. lf you suddenlypassed away, telephonenumber, to: ShoP TiPs, howwould your widow ever know what to do withall of yourwoodworking tools? WOODMagazine,1716 Locust St., Wouldshe get a fairmarket value for them? GA-310,Des Moines,lA 50309-3023. Foreach of my powertools, I've placed all of the paperwork,including the pur- Or post your best suggestionsat chaseprice, in individualmanila envelopes. On the outsideof eachenvelope, I've www.woodonline.comon our ToP writtena codenumber that matches the codenumber I've written on the toolwith a ShopTip discussiongrouP. permanentmarker. The envelopesare filed in a fire-safefile cabinet in my shop. Becausewe try to publishonly origi' Thesedetailed records also would serve insurance purposes should my shopever nal tips, pleasesend your tips only to be burglarizedor destroyedby fire. we can't -Brian Stanley,Yorba Linda, Calif. WOODmagazine. Sorry, but returnthe itemsyou sendin. Continuedon page 34

32 WOOD magazine November200'1 shop tips

Raise spindle sanding long,and glued them to new heights halfwayinto the holesof Afterbuying an oscillatingspindle eachof the newtabletops, sander,I soonrealized that the middleof as shownin thedrawing the sandingsleeve doesn't contact the below.When I starta woodwhen I use7+" stock. Rather than sandingjob, I stackboth wastepart of the sleeve,I cameup with newtables in placeand a way to raisethe workpiece. workmy way downto the I cuttwo oiecesol3/q" melamine- sander'soriginal tabletop. coatedparticleboard (you could use -Larry Gamache, countertopsink cutouts from the bargain WindsorLocks, Conn. binof yourhome center) to the same sizeand shape as my sander'stable, thencut a holefor the largestsanding drumin each.I thenrouted a shallow rabbetaround each hole to acceptmy sander'sthroat inserts as shownat rioht. To ensureconsistent alignment, I stackedthe newtabletops on the sander,and drilled a13/32" hole at each corner-completelythrough the new tablesand t/2" into the sander.From a 7e"dowel, I cut eightpieces, each 7a" Corttinued on page J6

34 WOODmagazine November2001

].1.,.;.:''':l:;..''...l..:]|'.:]:!.;''j.::,..i'.i...;,11,;;']il'::ll Let'sClear the Air... 'DS ATR-TECH 2OOO'" lvlodel750,Still the Best!

. Variable Speed Control for . 7/4 H.P. Motor for heavy unlimited air flow settings duty pertorntance

o Highest Maximum air flow in o Antimicrohial I Micron its class - l.O5O CFM lnternal bagJ tilter

o Convenient 0n/0ff pull chain . UL Listec!

. Ultra Quiet . Lifetime Warranty

,Th. Nationallnstitutefor OccupationalSafetyand Health (NIOSH) I recommendslimiting wood dustexposures. TheJDS Air{ech 2000will dramaticallyimprove the qualityof the air you breathe.Our newmodel 750 variablespeed allows you to dial in your desiredair flow, from a whisperquiet 200cfm to an ultraoerformance 750 cfm. This will cleanthe il:ffii:;i%:;','1,;-'m:::ffi rT':Hl'ffif #,',:'#'$25990 will remove990/o of oarticlesas small as five micronsand Modet750 80%of particlesas small as one micron. For the removalof odors,fumes and smoke, our optionalcharcoal filter is available.To olacean orderor for the dealeinearest ' *BdterHorlesandGardens , ,, AnotherquqliVproductfrom vou callus toll-ffee." co ^ays*w WOOD' Magazine(Nor'95) t-;t-9*9;3""*,"1#3,t 'DS AIR-TECH 2OOO" ru;;;;,; ^ shop tips

An off-the-wall idea for benchtop storage Likea lotof woodworkers,I have a smallshop, so I needto utilizeevery bit of spaceI canfind. When I ranout of shelfspace for mybenchtop tools, it droveme up a wall-my shopwall, to be precise. I madea basefor mymitersaw, as shownbelow, with a beveledcleat alongone edge and a clampingcleat on thebottom. The beveled piece mates withanother that's securely attached to myshop wall. The other I useto clamp theplywood base into my clamping workstation.The system works so wellI nowhave a wallfull of bases,holding everythingfrom my scrollsaw and belVdiscsander to mybench grinder. -Bill Richardson,Greenwood, Nova Scotia

2x4 with45'bevel alongedge

36 WOOD magazine November2001 Put sheet storage ishwith a liquidstripping agent. The on the fast track gloppygoo scrapesoff witha puttyknife, To saveprecious shop space, I liketo butthen what do youdo withit? storesheet goods on end.(lt's also easi- To containthe goo, I usea smallcard- er to movea sheetthat's standing tall, boardbox with slits cut in eachside, as especiallywith super-heavy medium- shownat right.I firstdump the sludgy densityfiberboard (MDF) or MDF-core stuffin the box,then drag the puttyknife plywood.)But with the shortedge on the throughone of the slotsto cleanboth --7s '/-\ \ \ sidesof the bladein one passbefore 7'-i \ \ returningit to my project. \\--,--\\ -Alvn Edmonston.Yakima, Wash.

Corttinued ort page J8

{

*--Ir HOW MEN J"/\\ SHOP fl

:.,4? 6 \

r ,W rej !, 3,a '-i-* Rg: lP€f 6r e'.r\F=a 7:'-4 *., ir t *ffi}*, €fff&-*Er , :*+,;&lHK

floor,it's hard to pullan individualsheet out-it alwayswants to tip, ratherthan slideout. So,to reducethe drag,I builtmy ply- woodrack with a t/2x12"sheet of slipperyultra-high molecular weight (UHMW)plastic for its "floor."Also, to helpme easilysorl through the full sheets,I hunga tiltstop from the joists overhead.lt catchesthe outsidesheets so I don'thave to. -Jeff Amen[Tigard, 1re. Slotted box grabs the globs Whenrefinishing antique furniture, one of the messiestjobs is removingthe old fin- www.woodonline.com 37 kesure ub theoii shop tips

One-stop dadoes1/2" in fromeach edge, Next, I hole,and give it a tap.Flip the dowel, centering center fashionedthe splines, and glued them reinsertit, and head for the drill press. I liketo maketoy race cars out of wood, intoplace in thebase. Withthe dowel still in thejig, position it andfrequently have to centera holein Withthe top and base put together underthe bit, and drill the center hole. theend of a dowelwhen making the (there'sa t/a"gap between them when Usingthis jig, I've bored holes in dowels axles.After several hit-and-miss thejig isclosed), I drilled holes for each 4-6" long,drilling from both ends, that attemptsat freehandcentering, I came sizedowel I wantedto use.These holes metperfectly in the middle' upwith the simple jig, shown below go throughthe top and1/2" into the base. . Jacksonvitte.Fta. right,that works with four different dowel Finally,I inserted metal dowel centers diameters. intothe holes in the jig's base. Aftercutting the hardwood top and bot- To usethe jig, put both pieces togeth- tomto thesizes shown, I cutt/+"-deep er,insert a dowelin theappropriate

1x4x6" hardwoodbase

WOOD magazine November2001

CircleNo.650 Heavy Duty, Rugged, and Reliable.

Instant drill-press as a fence,while the otheracts as a A Web Site fence and work stop stop.This worked exceptionally well That's Built Like Fora quickand accurateway to locatea whiledrilling the holesin theslats of the holein multipleworkpieces, I clamp an Arts-and-Craftsottoman featured in A DnWALf Tool. ordinaryframing square to my drillpress WOOh magazine,issue 1 13. table,as shownbelow. One tongue acts -BillVanGilst, Harwinton, Conn. Thenew DTWALT store has a completeDTWALT selection of over15oo products. see the newestcordtess toots and the hard-to-findwoodworl(- ing accessories.0ur heavy- duty productinformation includingcustomer ratings and reviewswitl hetp you selectthe right products.

A new order in drawetl Afterlooking at thesmall openings in slide installation a deskI wasbuilding, I decided to I usedto cussup a stormwhen installthe drawer slides before gluing installingdrawer slides in my projects.lt up the case.With the casesides laid seemedlike there was never enough out on my bench,I was ableto accu- roomto getmy handand drill/driver ratelylocate and mountthe slideswith- betweenthe sidesof the draweropen- out obstruction.lt workedlike a charm, ing.Sometimes, I even had to wedge andthe drawersfit perfectlywhen all my headin to seewhat I wasdoing. was assembled. Thenone day, I hada brainstorm. -Don Eisenhardt,New Haven, Ky.

Drawerslides

Visitthe DTWALTstore at www.amazon.com /d ewalt Ca[[for yourFREE Tool Crib catalog r-8oo-63,s-5;t4o

c[rop saws drills grir*d*rs hnffirner drltls ptan*r$ r$uters the DeWALTstore screw gufrs vaeuiJrl"rs salv blades

Cotttitttred ott page 40 www.woodonline.com shop tips

On-again, off-again Auxiliaryfaceplate situation solved Drill1/+" indexing holes in auxiliary Somelathe projects require you to faceplatebefore remwing from faceplate. removethe turning from the faceplate andlater return it to thesame position. To makethat process easy, I drilledtwo holesthrough the faceplate, placing the holesat differentdistances from the faceplate'scenter to eliminateany risk of confusion.After screwing the faceplate 1/+"hole to theworkpiece (or auxiliary faceplate) drilledthrough inthe usual manner, I use those holes faceplate

asguides to drillindexing holes in the workpiece.By insertingshort lengths of dowelthrough the faceplate into the wood,I canremove and replace turnings ina wink. -Lyle Granzow,Ray, Mich.

Build this valet to park your sander Holdinga random-orbitsander until it stopswhirling was an annoyancethat tooksome of thefun out of mytime in theshop. But then I builta standthat actslike valet parking-l simply shut off

#8 x 1" F.H.wood screw llzx6" plywood

t( a -9

3/+"stock Glueanti-skid 6" wide pad to bottom. 1/2x6"plywood 3/qx 11/2"solid stock

thesander, put it in thestand, and go on to mynext task. To addsome style, I incorporateda few angles into the designshown in thedrawing above, bul youcould save time by buildingyours withoutthem. -Walter Feick,0ldwick, N.J.

Continued on page 42

40 WOOD magazine November2001 shop tips

Make legs founof-a-kind canbe to cutthose legs off so they Putyour project on a flatsurface, and flush to the floor standflush on the floor. Here's a fool- suchas your tablesaw top. In a pieceof lf you'veever built a tableor chairwith prooftechnique that I've used with t/+"plywood, cut a holelarger than the splayedlegs, you know how frustrating it greatsuccess. diameterof theleg. From the same stock,cut three more small shims. Placeone leg in the hole, as shownin theforeground of thedrawing at left, andtrim the leg using a flexibleflush- cutsaw. Move the hole jig to thenext leg,shim the just-cut leg (as shown in thedrawing), and repeat the cutting andshimming process for the remain- ingthree legs. -MarvinAberle. Beulah. N.D.

You'llfind more great Shop Tips throughoutevery issueof WOOb magazine.Look for boxes like this one nestledamong the projectand techniquearticles.

WOOD magazine November2001

NO 1940'5 QUONSET TECHNOLOGY HERE!

Whilethe other guys duke it out over power tool TheBoring Truth specifications,we searchfor and manufacturethe Fronleft to right: lapered dril/countersink, step bestselection of qualityaccessories. After all,it's the drill,single{lute auger bit, saw drill, forstner bit, lippedbrad-point drill, Veritasu Plugger, centering boring accessoriesthat actuallyengage the wood bit,Veritasu Snug Plug" cutter. and makethe greatestdifference in your work. Tosee and read about our full collection of unique,high-quality power tool accessories, handtools and woodworking supplies,visit ourWeb site or callto requestour 252-page 27' x 48' b$rt,9gg varue) catalog- free with any purchase. NOWONLYi7,4t2 contactus at: 1-800-871'81 58 Includessteel frames & endwalls.qalv. sheetinq. unop0nllne: -' or [email protected] hardware,trim & completeass'einbly plans. fax:1-800-513-7885and askforcatalog UTBT. @ If,€Vall &cree:itols@ Lee ValleyTools Ltd., 12 EastRiver St., Ogdensburg, N.Y. 13669 dMde and conq With, rye Create a pleasing room partition with handsome cabinets.

hen we plannedour kitchen-renovation projectfor issue136, we recognizedthat the wide- open spacebetween the kitchen and the dining room was full of opportunities,both practicaland dramatic.On the practicalside, we wantedstorage; on the dra- matic, we wanted to maintain openness;our solution:cabinets with flair. Our designutilizes glassfor the doorsand shelves and includeslights inside the cabinet.The result functionsto divide the spacewhile letting you display favorite treasures. After building the cabinets,give them the crowningtouch by making an archwayand a pair of columnsas describedin the arti- cle on page 54.

44 *Note: Backpanel protrudes 2" pastcabinet. This will be scribedand sandedto matchwall later.

Drillholes for pucklights per #20 biscuitslots directionsin yourlighting kit. #20 biscuits

t/a" holes 1/2"deep, spac,ed 11/q"a,?Att I 1I

41t/2I I 371/z I L

s/+" dado t/+" deep

4 K.-! pilot / 7o+" hole s/+" (/ AN"/: I dee? E CNNCASEEXPLODED VIEW /sz" hole. countersunk 4" { #8 x 11/z' F.H. wood screws I s #8 x 11/c' F.H. wood screws

Start by assembling at a local homecenter.) Lay out anddrill the carcase the shelf-pinholes in the sides(A). Referringto the Bill of Materials,rip Install a 3/q"dado blade in your table- Note: Thefollowing directionscover the and crosscutthe sides (A) and the saw, and raise it for a Vq"-deepcut. construction of the right-handcabinet of top/bottom(B) from cherryplywood. On Screw a scrapwood face to your rip thepair that we installed.If you build a theseparts, the best-lookingside faces fence,and position it so the inneredge of pair, rememberthat the left cabinetis a the cabinet's interior. Using an the dado blade just touchesthe scrap- mirror image,not identical.As you plan adjustablecircle cutter or a Forstnerbit wood face. Cut the rabbetsat the top end thisproject, you may want to changethe chuckedinto your drill press,and refer- of the sides (A), where shown on width of these cabinets to suit your ring to Drawing 1 and the directions Drawing1. Move the rip fence,and make home. One key dimension:Be sure to furnishedwith your lighting kit, lay out the dadonear the lower end of eachside. leave a clear walkway of at least 36" and drill the holes for the halogenpuck Glue andclamp the sides(A) andthe betweenthe cabinets. lights. (We purchasedour two-light kits top/bottom(B), flushing their edges.

www.woodonline.com 45

I I I I z- #8 x 11/q' F.H. wood screw B exploDEDvrEW 5/zz"hole, countersunk on backside

Attachtop with#8 x 11/q" F.H.wood screw.

Sandscribe stripto matchwall.

)

Hinges

Baseboardoverlavs scribestripQ.

7e" chamfer

----__-_-----'/ Miteredends

cuttingdiagrarn

s/+x 51/2x 96" Cherry

s/q x 51/zx 96" Cherry *Planeor resawto thickness listedin the Billof Materials.

3/qx71/qx 96" Cherry

3/cx 5Y2x 96" Cherry t/+x 24 x 48" Cherryplywood ulww.woodonline.com 47 dividercabinets

Drill the pilot and countersunkshank er to the bottom (B), flushing (A), EI CXOPANEL EXPLODED VIEW holesin the sides whereshown on theedges. Drill pilot andcoun- (vrEWEDFROM BACK) Drawing 1, and drive the screws.To tersunkshank holes. and drive checkthe assemblyfor square,measure screwsthrough the sides(A) Chiselcorners of rabbet squareafter routing. the diagonalsof the carcase.When the into the endsof the stretcher. measurementsare equal, the assemblyis Cut the back (D) to size. Glue panelinto rabbet. square.Also make certain that the car- Lay the back on your #18 x 7e"wire brad caseis flat. workbench with its best face #20 biscuit Cut the stretcher(C) to size. Glue down. Position the carcase andclamp the top edgeof the stretch- assemblyon the back, where locatedon Drawing 1. Trace the inside of the bottom and right side of the carcase #20 biscuitslot, centeredon end assemblyonto the back, mak- ing light pencil lines in the /e" rabbet position indicated by the *'t/q"deep A sides 411/z' CP dashedlines on Drawing 1. routedafter assembly B topibottom 3/q' 12' 27' CP 2 Mark the location of the bis- (D) C stretcher 3/q' 4' 261/z' CP 1 cuit slotson the back and also mark mating locations D back s/qu 30" 411/z' CP 1 around the perimeter of the E verticalbands 1/t, 3/qn 371/z' c 2 carcase assembly (A/B/C). Back face 1/q' 3/t' of panel F horizontalbands 261/z' C 2 Adjust your biscuit joiner to G subbasefront 3/q' 4u 28',C1 cut a slot centeredin the thick- H subbaseside 3/q'413t/z'C1 ness of your t/t" -thick ply- I panelstiles 3/qu 21/q^ 371/z' c 2 wood.Cut all the slotsinto the J panelrails 3/q' 21/q' 9s/rc" C 2 back edges of the carcase K panel 1/q' 101/'rc"333/q" CP 1 assembly.Also cut all slots L scribestrips 3/qu 2u 411/z' C 2 along the upper end of the (D) M uppertop 3/q' 135As"301/2" CP 1 back and its left side.To N front/backbands 3/q' 11/z^ 311/q' C 2 cut the remainingslots into the back, standthe biscuitjoiner O endband 3/q' 11/2tt141BA6t' C 1 on end,as shownin PhotoA. *Note: P sidespacers 3/q' 2u 301/z' CP 2 Form rabbet After you cut the slots,glue, 3/q' in two progressive Q endspacer 2u 9%0" CP 1 biscuit, and clamp the back ') I t/a"passes. R baseboards (D) to the carcaseassembly. r fronVback 3/qu 4u 311/z' C 2 2 t/4 Note: To makea left-handcab- S baseboardside 3/qu 4' 15"c1 inet, position the 2" scribing T doorstiles 3/q' 21/q* 37Vt' C 4 ollowanceon the cabinet'sopposite end. 3/a, U doorrails 21/4tt 1113/161t c 4 Rip and crosscutto sizethe vertical 1/t' V verticalstops Tsu 33r/z' C 4 bands (E) and the horizontal bands W horizontalstops 1/q' l/su 101/a' C 4 (F). After applying glue to theseparts, MaterialsKey: C

46 WOOD magazine November2001 1/+x11/c"mortise 1slro"deep

1/qx 11/q"tenon 11/4"long

10x33" double-strengthglass

Chiselcorners of rabbet squareafter routing.

7e"rabbet 7e" deep, routedafter frame is assembled.

153/q"

1els"hinge-cup hole #17x 1" 1/2" wire brads 371/+' deep

HINGEDRILLING DETAIL

1sla"hinge-cup hole t/2"deep

Bumper

ETOOON EXPLODED VIEW (vrEWEDFROM BACK)

35mm or I3/s" Forstnerbit, and install cabinetshelves, and have them seamthe sandedit with 220-gnt sandpaper.After the hinges.Using the holesin the hinge- edges.When you get home, store the removingthe dust with a tack cloth, we cup flanges as guides,drill pilot holes glasssafely until after applying the fin- applied a secondcoat of Minwax satin anddrive the screws.Mount the platesin ish. Cut and fit the verticaland horizon- polyurethanevarnish. the carcase,where shown in Drawing3, tal glassstops (V, W), and drill holesfor You'll add the doors, bumpers,and and test-fit the doors. Then remove the the brads.Set theseparts aside for now. top after you've installedthe cabinet. hingesand plates. Referringto Drawing3, drill the mount- For instructionson installing the cabi- Take the completeddoor assemblies ing holesfor the knobs. nets,see the following article.ll to a glass shop, and have double- strengthglass cut about /a" smallerthan You'reat the finish line Writtenby Robert J. Settich with Doug Guyer the size of the rabbetedopening. (We Apply your choice of clear finish to Projectdesign: Kevin Boyle lllustrations:Kim Downing; RoxanneLeMoine; had a local art-glassshop create the lead- all of the wood parts. We first Lorna Johnson ed-glassdesign shown in the photos.) brushedon one coat of Minwax gloss Photographs:Baldwin Photography; Have the glass shop cut the /+"-thick polyurethanevarnish, then, when dry, King Au/Studio Au

www.woodonline.com 49 PUtting.thedlvidpr cabinet5intheir place First, find the high spots on the floor '+ Setboth cabinetsinto posi- ', tion, but don't even reach for your level or squareyet. Using chalk or a lumber crayon, outline eachcabinet's footprint onto the floor. Move both cabinetswell out of the wav.

' ,;Putyour level on the ,,-"...floor,and find the highest spot within one footprint. To do this, move your level par- allel to the wall, perpendicu- lar to the wall, and diagonal- ly acrossthe footprint. Mark an "X" at the highestpoint, and repeatthe processwithin the other footprint.

'"-i To discoverwhich of the ,.,'itwo markedpoints is high- er, place a straightedge betweenthe points, then put your level atop the straight- edge.You'llinstall the first cabineton the side with the higher mark.

t first, the idea of installing the divider cabinetssounds Leveling over a ridge easyenough. But when you checkthe installationsite, lf there'sa crownin you realize that the framing crew who built your housedidn't yourfloor between the two high points,simply own a level. And so many things happenover time to eventhe placea scrapblock oJ 2x4 ateach high point, T-";;:"it most carefully built house:Joists shrink, studsbow, and foun- thenbridge your dations settle. Fortunately, our installation procedure helps straightedgebetween theblocks. fi-_----T\ you overcomewavy floors and less-than-perfectwalls.

50 WOOD magazine November2001 Prepare the cabinets for installation Secure the cabinets in place Setthe first cabinetonto its Replacethe cabineton the footprint,then level the shirns.and push it against cabinetfrom sideto sideby the wall. Run the wire for the slidingtapered softwood lights through a hole in the shimsbelow the baseof the wall that will be coveredby the cabinet.Keep the cabinet upper top. Drill angledpilot snuglyagainst the wall asyou and counterbored shank holes levelit. After you levelthe close to the floor through the cabinetside-to-side, check it cabinet'sbaseboards. Toe- from front to back,tapping in screw the cabinet to the floor, the shimsuntil the cabinetis making sure the screwheadsdo levelin both directions. not protrude. Trim the shims flush to the baseboards.

Use a framing squareto Span a level straightedge check that the front and frorn the installed cabi- back of the cabinet are net's top to the opposite squareto the wall. If your wall, and make a mark. wall is curved, adjust the Shim the secondcabinet so cabinet so that the squarehas its top edge aligns with the the same reading at the fiont - WPZa\#i) line marked on the wall. and back. Use duct tape to Use a straighted-qeto align securethe shims to the floor. its front and back with the first cabinet. As with the first cabinet. securethe shims, scribe, and fasten the secondcabinet in place. Set your scribe Vto" larger than the biggest wall-to- Install the lights, following cabinet gap. Run a strip of the rnanufacturer'sinstruc- masking tape down each end tions. Set the upper tops on of the cabinet that touchesthe the cabinets,centered front to wall. Run the scribe down the back, with their ends against wall to mark along the tape. the walls. Apply tape, scribe the ends to the walls, and belt- sand to the scribed lines. Drive #8xlt/+" flathead screws frorn insidethe cabinetsto securethe tops. Make molding with the same chamfered top as the baseboards.that is tall enough to cover the toe-screw Recruit a helper, and lift heads.Miter-cut it to lengthand nail it to thecabinets' bases. the cabinet straightup and Fill the nail holes,sand the filler smooth,and finish the off the shims. Fastenthe moldin,e.Put in the shelves,and attach the doors.? shims to the floor inside the cabinet' s marked footprint Writtenby Robert J. Settich with Doug Guyer lllustrations:Mike Mittermeier;Lorna Johnson with brads.Lay the cabinet Photographs:Baldwin Photography on its paneledend and use a belt sander to remove stock to the scribed line. Slightly tilt the sander toward the cen- Letthere be light Our electricianadded an outletin the basement,and ter of the cabinet to undercut pluggedin the lights'transformers there. He then for a snug fit againstthe wall. installeda wallswitch in the kitchento turnthe outleton Repeat for the line scribed andoff, controlling the lightsin bothcabinets. along the back.

www.woodonline.com 51 6V+" at the middle of a 108" span, as shownin Drawing1. To transferthat curve to 3/q"plywood or particleboard,mark the endpoints and centerpointon the sheet goods with a #hftecffil pencil. Drive a nail halfway in at each point. Cut a %" strip of scrapwoodlong Introducea classic look enoughto contactall threenails, and use it as a fairing stick. Placeit againstthe withcolumns and arches. end points, then push the middle up to We'llshowyou how. the centerpoint.Mark the resultingcurve with a pencil. Cut the resultingline carefully with a jigsaw to form theupper arch (A). If your arch is longer than a single sheet,mark the curveon sheetsbutted together. Keep it as smooth as possible,but remember that minor flaws will disappearunder the drywall that's still to come. Save the wastematerial to be usedlater. If you make your arch in two pieces, join them with 3/q"plywood about 12" long and slightly narrowerthan the cen- ter portion of the arch. Attach this glue block (B) with glue and screws, as shown in Drawing 2. Trim the ends so that the arched pieces fit perfectly in place betweenthe walls. Then, cut two 34" plywood end dividers (C) to fit betweenthe arches3/+" from each end. Ours measuredl2xl4" squares.Add 3A" plywood dividers(D) betweenthe sides, spacedapproximately 2' apart.Screw the sides and dividers together to form the box-like structureshown in Drawing 2. Finally, attacha bottom (E) made with two layersof I/q"plywood. We wanted our vertical columns to meet a horizontal surface,so we added the mini-soffits you see in Drawing 2. We formed the sides(F) from the scraps left by cutting the arches,so the curves match. Cut each 3/q"plywood end (G) 10" long and wide enoughto match the he room divider cabinetdescribed Fashiona sides.Then, cut the bottom (H) 10" wide in the preceding article would sophisticated sweep and 297/s"long. Screw each mini-soffit look great in almost any setting. As we remodeledthe kitchen,we added together,and use a belt sanderto bevel But in our HandcraftedHome kitchen wall studsand blocking betweenceiling partsG and H to matchthe sides.Attach renovation,we addeda couple of spe- joists to provide solid attachmentpoints these units to the upright arch with cial architectural features to help it for the arch.If you don't plan to tearinto screwsfrom inside the upright arch. shine even brighter. We installed the walls and ceiling as you remodel, To make the mounting platesshown ornamentalcolumns atop the cabinets, considerplacing the arch to take advan- in Drawing 2a, cut two pieces ef 3/q" and connectedthem to a gently arched tageof the existingframing. plywood (I) to fit betweenthe sidesof soffit overhead. Start with graph paper when you're the arch. Apply constructionadhesive Specialfeatures call for specialtech- laying out an arch. Draw the area to to both sides, then drive screws niques.How can you plan and build an scale,then designa gentle,symmetrical through the plates and into the studs. arch?And what's the bestway to form a curve that's pleasing to the eye. Ours Find a helper, and slide the arch struc- column?Stick with us for the answers. flows from a 12" height at the ends to ture into place. Drive screwsthrough

54 WOOD magazine November2001 *lf Centerline(joint line) archis lessthan 96", it can be cut from one 4 x 8' sheetof plywood.

@ o1/q'

s/a"fir plywood i @H,rini-soffitside f)Mini-soffitside Waste Waste 3o%"------] \ f*- 3o%" Curvecan be markedwith a longstick laid Stockcut from upperarch acrossnails located at ends and at centerline.

7a"plywood dividers #B x 11/q' F.H. wood screw 7+"plywood glue blockglued and screwedto arch at joint Bevelbottom edoe -of of dividersto *lf arch is lessthan 96", it can be cut matchthe curve the arch. from a sheetof 4 x 8' plywood. *109" Placeend dividers/+' from end of arches (formounting plate).

7+"plywood arch rlt

Two layersof t/+"plywood (Mayrequire multiple pieces if longer joints /--lltl than 8'; stagger on each layer.) /h tl #8 x 1Y4" F.H. wood screws t\ 4 151/z' 1t I x 21/2" I Ta"plywood bottom I drywall screw \ '-7 ) #8 x 11h'F.H. ..- #8 x 11/2"F.H. wood screws / wood screw

.7+"plywood cut rrom upperarcn Ta"plywood end

Sandor cut bevel Enncn EXPLoDEDV|EW 151/z' on edqe of (O to mai-chard6.

Sandor cut bevel on end of GI) the arch sides and into the pound. We completedthis phaseof the to match ai6h. mounting plates, then toenail projectwith primer paint and a topcoat. through the sidesand into the ceil- ing joists or blocking. Glassiccolumns The entireassembly received a layerof on command 3/t" drywall. We had no troublebending Craftsmenhave developedseveral com- 111/2"\ drywall to the large radius of our arch. plicated, labor-intensiveways to make You'11needflexible cornerbead to cover columnsover the centuries.We chosean the curvededges, followed by joint com- up-to-date,simple way instead.

www.woodonline.com 55 architecturalart

1lz x 3z/ax 37/a"particleboard

I6"

#20biscuit slots, centered 3/e"ttom top and bottomedge _t

ETENSE AND CAPITAL BLANK ASSEMBLY

Thanks to a product called Hollowood, Traditionaltrappings, it to 31/8"on each side. Using two bis- you can buy hollow columns8' long, in top to bottom cuits per joint, glue and clamp the four a wide range of diameters and wood The bottom end of each column nests sidesand the centerinto a singleblock. species.The manufactureroffers cherry, inside a round, profiled, hardwood base The groove that receives the column mahogany,maple, oak, walnut, and sev- 8" in diameter.An identical piece serves must be cut to the exact diameterof that eral exotics.We madeour columns45" as a capital at the top of the column. column. A wing cutter works well for tall, but you could use the same proce- Square,hardwood blocks at the bottom this task. If you don't have one of these duresto go from floor to ceiling. Don't and top, respectively,are properly called handy accessories,Woodcraft carries plan for a pair of columns slightly over the plinth and the entablature,and com- one capableof cutting 8" circles,priced 4', if you could keep them shorter, plete the assembly. We made these at $27.99. Call 800/225-1153,and order becauseyou'll wastemost of an 8' piece. piecesfrom cherry to match the columns item number16N41. The manufacturer uses several thin and room divider cabinets. Mount the wing cutter in your drill plies of poplar to make a tube. Then, a The baseand capital are madeof lVz" press,clamp a pieceof scrapon the table, handsome,hardwood veneer goes on the stockand measure 8" in diameter.You'll andmake a testcut. When the column fits outside, with the grain running the shape them from the blanks shown in snugly into place,you've found the right length of the column. The total wall Drawing 3. Using lVz"-thick hardwood cutter setting.Form a groove 3/s"deep in thicknessof the larger onesis about Vq". of the samespecies as the columns,cut the top of the base and the bottom of the Our cherry columns, 6" in diameter, four sides2Vc" wide and 6" long (J). Cut capital, as shown in Photo A. Widen the cost $17.82perfoot from the BrandNew a partial miter on all of the ends,making groove by shonening the cutting arc of company. Call 8001964-8251to get the short edge3t/2" . Then, make a center the wing cuffer.The bottom of the groove information. To learn more about this square (K) from plywood or particle- shouldbe at leastas wide asthe column's product, seeTalking Shop on page 22. board.laminated to a 1tl2"thickness. Cut wall thickness.

Keepyour drill pressspeed low and Leave the pencil line as you cut the Mounta coveand beadbit in your makesure the workpieceis clamped workpiece into a rough circle. Take the router,and set it so that it roundsover securelywhen using a circle cutter. piece to a disc sander to true it up. the edgewithout cutting a shoulder.

56 WOOD magazine November2001 Placea compassin the centerhole, and 4 COI-UMNEXPLODED VIEW draw a circle 8" in diameter.Cut close to the line on your bandsaw, as shown in Photo B, then carefully sand to the line on a disc sander. We used a 3/s"radius cove and bead router bit from Eagle America to make the profile around the base and capital. Call 800/872-2511and order part num- ber 178-3345,priced at $65.99, plus shipping and handling. Stick a piece of cloth-backed,double- faced tape on the top of the workpiece and press the piece, top-down, onto a piece of scrapat least 6" wide and 15" long. Run a 2" screw through the center 3/a"nuts hole and into the scrap.Then, clamp the scrapto your workbench. 7a"counterbore COLUMNLENGTH DETAIL 7a"deep with a Set the bit to cut a round-over profile 7e"hole only, and rout counter-clockwisearound centeredinside the workpiece. Hold the ball bearing 5/2"-dia.disc pilot firmly againstthe wood asyou rout. Then, remove the screw, flip the work- piece over, stick a new piece of double- faced tape on the bottom, screw the 6"-diameter workpiece to the scrappiece once again, veneered and you'll producethe resultsshown in Measurethis distance. Hollowood subtract23/te" lo tube PhotoG. determinelength of Now, completethe profile. Make two Hollowoodcolumn. or threepasses, lowering the bit slightly each time, until you've reached the .Cut length working depth of the bit, as shown in PhotoD. A flat areawill remainbetween the round-overs. Sand lightly to add somecurvature there. Base cabinet -,ll:wood screws,@:]:"* I centered3/a" ttom For the plinth and entablature,shown in Drawing4, cut enough lVz"-thick stock 23/q"wide to make eight mitered pieces 23/+' (L), eachone 9" on its longeredge. Glue these pieces into two squares,using a Letts cut and pair of biscuitsat eachcorner. assemble the column #20 biscuit It would be tough to make a solid col- umn the exact length needed,then slide you have it into place.Fortunately, don't PLINTH t\ to do that. The secretto a snug, secure 0 placementlies hiddeninside each of our finishedcolumns. Miteredcorners countersunk But first, let's preparea placefor each column to stand. We dropped a plumb line from one side of the mini-soffit and back from the end of the soffit and the made a mark on a piece of masking tape end of the cabinet completed our loca- on the top of the cabinet,which is cen- tion measurements. teredunder the arch.We measured1" in Attach the plinth to the cabinet with from the soffit edge and 1" in from the screws,as shownin Photo E. Locatethe mark on the cabinettop to determinethe screwswhere the column baseand capi- location for one edge of the entablature tal will hide them. andthe correspondingedge of the plinth. Use a tape measureto find the distance Here, the final profile appears to the left. On the right side, you see the result of The mini-soffit was designed to the from plinth to entablature,as shown in the previous, shallower pass. samelength as the cabinet,so a 1" set- Drawing 5. Subtract23Ao" to determine

www.woodonline.com 57 architectural art

Your prciects arent all flat, so why use a flat sander?

Whensetting the plinthand the entabla- A long bolt allowsyou to adjustthe ture, locatethe screwswhere they'll be heightof the column.A shapedhole and hiddertby the baseand capital. epoxy preventthe nut from turning. Sands all shapes and contours Threerotating sanding discs wrap the length for the Hollowood tube. This sidesof the hole, and insert the nut, mak- and hug convex,flat and concave surfaceslike no flat sandercan. dimensionwill give you enoughroom to ing sure to keep the adhesiveout of the slide the column assemblyinto place. threads.Wait for the epoxy to harden. Cut the tube (M) to length, making sure Spreadyellow glue aroundthe insideof to keep the saw perpendicular to the the tube,2" below the rim. Slidethe disc workpiece.We useda 12" power miter- into place,and let the glue dry. saw,which can't quite cut to a 6" depth. You could wait until after installation We had to stop once to turn the tube, to apply a finish, but it's more easily then completedthe cut. donenow. Finish-sandall of the compo- Now, start building the internal assem- nents, and apply two or three coats of bly, shown in Drawings4 and 4a, that polyurethane varnish to all of the makes installation a snap. Using your exposed surfaces, sanding lightly bandsawand disc sander,shape a scrap betweencoats with 220-grit sandpaper. lot fte 3D sander do tfre work of particleboardor plywood into a 51/2" Now. set the column in its baseon the Requiresvery little pressure 3/e" to removerust, paintand stain disc that fits snugly into the tube. floor. Run a carnagebolt, 6" long, from a varietyof materialsand Drill a r/s"hole through the centerof the through the capital from above, and surfacecontours. disc,then counterbore'with a spadebit or tighten it to the capital with a 3/a"nut and Forstner bit to make a hole just slightly washer.Start the bolt into the disc inside smaller than a 3/s"hexhead nut. Shape the column,as shownin Photo F. this hole with a chiselto acceptthe cor- Turn the capital clockwise,as viewed ners of the nut, so that it fits snugly and from above.until the tubebottoms out in won't turn. Spread epoxy around the the groove.Apply a thin layer of 2-hour epoxy to the bottom of the baseand the top of the capital. Set the assemblyon the plinth, align the basejoints with the plinth joints, andhave a helperhold it in place. Turn the capital clockwise, as Prectse fil€ertlp cotrtrol The 3D sander'scompact viewed from below, until it contactsthe designfits comfortablyin your entablature.See Photo G. Make it snug, palmfor one-handoperation. and align the miter joints. Turnthe dial to adjustsanding speedsof 800 to 2600 rpm. Check to see if the finish needs any touch-up where the column moved againstthe baseand capital.If so, sand Availableat Sears,Sears Hardware, that area lightly and apply another coat and the CraftsmanCatalog at 800-437-9686 of finish to the entire column.fl Written by Jim Pollock with Doug Guyer Projectdesign: Kevin Boyle lllustrations:Kim Downing; Roxanne LeMoine; Apply epoxy at both ends, then slip the Lorna Johnson SEARS column assembly onto the plinth. Photographs:Baldwin Photography; D.E. Smith Turn the capitalto lock everything in place. Photography

58 WOOD magazine November2001

Cordlesssaws: Who needs 'em? Someof us havehad a cordlesscircular saw for years:the one in the bottom drawerwith the accidentallysevered cord. Frankly, when we decidedto do this test,we wonderedif we'd use a battery-poweredsaw in our shopmore thanthat one.After all, we're never that far from an electricaloutlet. (Of course,you can makethe sameargument about a cordlessdrill, which is now a staplein mostshops). Beforewe knewit, we were usingthose handy saws all overthe place- breakingdown sheet goods to makethem moretablesaw-manageable, crosscuttinghardwood pieces too long(or wide)to convenientlycut on the mitersaw-andfinding ourselves very satisfied with the results.(And we neverhad to worryabout amputating that annoyingpower cord!) Althoughimpressive in theirperformance and convenience,these premium cordlesssaws come with a heftyprice tag. But,when purchasedin combina- tion with anothertool, the costfalls about in linewith a goodcorded saw. ordlesstools certainly have come a long way sinceBlack & Decker How we put the screws 150holes, you don't want to arm wrestle introducedthe first cordlessdrill to the cordless corps our tool tester!) Finally, using a shop- 40 years ago. Voltages and run times Beforewe beganany testing,we ran all made adapter, we mounted a torque haveclimbed to keeppace with the ever- of the batteriesthrough six charge/dis- wrench to eachdrill's chuck, pulled the growingnumber of toolsusing recharge- chargecycles, allowing each charger to trigger, and after three testsrecorded the able batteries.From biscuit joiners to "top off' the batteryin trickle mode for averagemaximum torque produced. mitersawsto routers(see Tool Industry 30 minutesbetween cycles. This assured Next, we put a freshbattery in eachcir- Insideron page 32), cordlesstechnology that all batterieswere at full capacityfor cular saw and ripped 514 red oak, t7o" is everywherein the workshop.In fact, our tests. pine, and 3/+"hardwood plywood until manufacturerstell us that cordless-tool Note: Due to dffirences in testingmeth- the battery drained. After three tests in combinationkits containingat leasttwo ods, our test results may vary from each material,we averagedthe number toolsare selling like crazy,owing to their advertised ratings. Becausewe tested of inchescut on eachcharge. To quanti- convenienceand lower per-toolprice. the tools in this article identically, oltr fy the torqueproduced by the saws,we But do theseuntethered tools belong in resultsaccurately compare these tools to attacheda torque wrench to the arbor nut your shop?To find out, we gatheredsix one another. However, don't compare of each, started the saw, and noted the high-poweredcordless drill and circular ottr ratings to the advertisedspecs of averagemaximum torque of three trials. saw kits and put them through a battery tools not in this test, Eventually,one of thesetools is going of tests.Most kits operateon an 18-volt First up: drills. To comparemn times to take a tumble, so we droppedall of platform, but two manufacturers, of the batteriesin a real-worldway, we them onto a concretefloor from a height Panasonicand Porter-Cable,don't make drove 1sls"drywall screwsinto pine until of 35" to see how they handled the an l8-volt tool, so we chose the next- the drill could drive no more.then count- impact. All survived intact, except the closestvoltage they offered (15.6V and ed the number of screws per charge. Bosch and Porter-Cablecircular saws, 19.2V,respectively). Then we chuckeda sharp2" Forstnerbit both of which suffereda minor bend on Incidentally,we opted not to include into each drill and bored holes through their shoes. the rock-bottompriced kits in this test.In 514red oak, again countingthe number our preliminaryresearch, we discovered drilled before the battery drained. We A bit about the drills that suchlow-dough models don't deliv- performed both tests three times and In our test of l2-volt cordlessdrills in er the power or longevity of the tools in averagedthe results.(After driving more issue119, we found that few woodwork- thesepremium-priced kits. than 10,000screws and boring morethan ing tasks require more than about 200

TESTRESULTS: DRILLIN'AND DRIVIN' 2" holesbored through 5/4 red oak 15/a"drywall screws driven in pine BOSCH 7t 3860CK DEWALT DWg87KS-2 Itr MAKITA DKlO1 68L 8r MILWAUKEE 6310-26 t3l PANASONIC EYC133 9r PORTER.CABLE 9884CS www.woodonline.com 61 dynamicduos

inch poundsof torque to complete.Only driving lag screws without a pilot hole and cutting with holesaws1Vz" or larger needed more oomph. In this test of higher-voltagetools, we found that all had plenty of power, barely breaking a sweatperforming thosechores. High torque comes at the expenseof chuck speed,so we prefer a tool that can deliver enoughpower for thejob without taking forever to finish it. In our tests,the Milwaukee drill provides the best com- bination of power and speed,followed by the Makita. While mostof the drills in our testhave two gears,DeWalt's drill hasthree: low, high, andone called "Max." The low and This dust-deflectingtube on the Porter- We found the safetyrelease button on Cablecircular saw rotates high settings compare about equally to about27O" to the Porter-Cablesaw difficultto reach redirectdust awayfrom the operator. with our handsin operatingposition. the other drills in the test, and we "Max" clocked at 1,840rpm (no load). This setting provides increased speed suresonly 8V+",makjng it a good choice and enoughtorque to drive screwswith- for tight quarters.Milwaukee's drill, at out pilot holes, and enough speedand nearly 12", is the longest in the test. torque for improved hole-quality with However,its batterycan be reversed,as twist-drill bits up to Vz". shownin PhotoA, to get the noseof the We found a few more things not direct- drill deeperinto tight corners. ly relatedto performancethat you should think about before buying: Let's go a few rounds oChuck design. Three of the drills in our with the circular saws test(Bosch, DeWalt, and Panasonic) have Unlike the low-voltage, small-bladed one-piecechucks. The motor arborwon't cordlesssaws of just a few years ago, turn on thesemodels unless the trigger is these saws feel and act more like their pulled, so you needonly one hand on the corded counterparts.The saws from chuck to tightenit on a bit. We prefer this Milwaukee and Porter-Cableturned in to the two-piecedesign that requiresboth averagemaximum torquesof Milwaukee's battery mounts two ways: 80 and 87 nose-forward (right) handson the chuck to tighten it. inch pounds,respectively, and using them for better balance, .Size. or nose-backward (left) for close quar- From the tip of its chuck to the we felt as if we were cutting with corded ters drilling and driving. back of its case,the Panasonicdrill mea- tools. Makita turned in a 67 inch-pound HOWTHEY CUT IT A CIRCULARSAW ROUNDUP Numberof inchescut 0n a singlebattery charge. Average of three tests. ripping514 red oak 3/+" 3/a" I W ripping pine I hardwoodplywood 1,232

987 1,015 044 89s 820 872 823 716 7ffi

420 327 26 276* 326 171

BOSCH DEWALT MAKITA MILWAUKEE PANASONIC PORTER.CABLE 3860CK DW987KS-2 DK101 6BL 6310-26 EYC133 9884CS thellrst "ln test,his sawcut 606", but lhe mobl beoansmoklnq at 47O".Themobr was allow€d b coolandfiree moretesb were run. The averaqe shown is for tie tagt$rEe tesb. 62 WOOD magazine November2001 we felt as if we werecutting with corded tools. Makita turnedrn a 6J inch-pound performancewhile Bosch, DeWalt, and Althoughnickel-cadmium (NiCd) is the seasonedveteran of cordless-batterytechnolo- Panasonicaveraged about 50 inchpounds. gy, a young upstart-nickel-metalhydride (N|MH) has been turningheads in the last Even so,we neverfelt at a lossfor power severalyears. But which is the better batteryfor high-drainapplications, such as cord- whenusing these saws, even when ripping less powertools? That dependson who you ask. 514red oak-a toughtest for any tool. NiCd proponentsBosch and DeWaltsay that N|MH batteriescost more and offer 'We've As for the quality of the cut, we're fair- fewer chargecycles than NiCd batteries.Bosch's Tom Schwaliesays, had ly impressed,especially given that these N|MHin our lineup-we stilldo in Europedue to environmentalregulations ther+-but tools were designedwith carpentry,not we're going back to NiCd in the U.S.,"because, he says, NiCd has more advantages woodworking,in mind. Guided by a than disadvantages,including a higherdischarge rate, which makes it betterfor high- straightedge,rips andcrosscuts we made draintools, such as circularsaws. in solid-stock,and rip-cuts in plywood, Jason Gogertof DeWaltagrees. "After a great deal of testingin the lab and in the were clean with only occasionaltooth field, we've concludedthat NiMH batteriesare not readyfor our customers."He cites scratcheson the sawnedge. researchshowing that the cycle life of N|MH batteries(the numberof times a battery Plywood crosscutsare another story, can be recharged)is about half that of NiCd. but that's true of any circ saw,corded or Panasonic'sDoug Bock says the limitedlife-cycle notion is outdated."At first that may not. Becausethe bladecuts from the bot- have been true becausewe were trying to use NiCd chargingtechnology with NiMH tom up, we found splinteringand tearout batteries."However, using the correctcharger, Bock says N|MH batteriesshould equal (Panasonicguarantees theirNiCd N|MH as far as 3A" from the kerf on the top of NiCdin the numberof chargecycles. both and for 1,500 As for NiMH'ssuitability for high-drainapplications, Susan the workpieces.On the other hand, we batteries cycles.) of Moltech,maker of Makita'sN|MH batteries,points to the Toyota Prius,a found the undersideof the cuts pretty Gross gas/electrichybrid car that uses 38 sealed N|MH modulesas its power source. much tear-out-free.Our advice: Leave Both camps can agree on a few points.First, NiMH is a densertechnology, so you yourself plenty of margin for tablesaw get longerrun timesout of same-sizedcells, or similarrun timesout of smaller,lighter cleanupwhen crosscutting plywood, cut batteries.And, NiCd technologyhas just about reachedits limit both in terms of power with the materialface down, or coverthe and run times,while NIMH has roomto grow.Bock predicts you'll see 4.0 amp-hour cutlinewith maskingtape to preventtop- NIMH batteriesby 2003-nearly twice the run time of the currentcrop of NiCd batteries. sidetear-out. Performanceissues aside, we found some other differencesin the sawsthat Photo B. The dust port also accepts easierto readthan the Milwaukeescale, may affectyour buyingdecision: Porter-Cable'soptional dust bag. which is partly blockedby the handle. .Dust control. Bosch and Porter-Cable .Safety switches,To preventaccidental Battery matters make provisionsfor dealing with the startup,each saw has a safetyrelease that Ask a cordless-tooluser what they would dust (which otherwise tends to be you must trip before you trigger the improveabout the tool, andthey'll likely thrown in your face),both in different switch. Except for the releaseon the answer "longer run time and more ways. Bosch engineersput a spring- Porter-Cablesaw, which was nearly power." Truthfully, most of us just want loadeddoor for a vacuumhose on the beyondthe reach(see Photo G) of even enoughpower to do thejob without run- top backof the saw'sblade guard. With the longest-thumbedWOODa magazine ning out of juice mid-project.Except for the Porter-Cable,you can direct the dust staffer,all operateeasily with either the torque-hungrytasks, such as boring with flow wherever you want using the left or right hand. big Forstnerbits, any of the batteriesin included deflectine tube. shown in .Ripfences. Most of thesaws, except for our testshould allow a woodworkerto go the Panasonicand Porter-Cable,come all day-possibly all week-without with a rip fenceto guidethe saw for nar- reachingfor that secondbattery. row cutoffs. We especially liked Milwaukee's (Photo D) because it reachednearly to the centerof the blade. Shorter fences cleared the end of the board before the blade, leaving the last coupleof inchesof the cut unguided. .Blade brakes. This mechanismstops the bladerotation instantly upon release of the powertrigger. We liked this safe- ty feature, found on all of the saws exceptthe DeWalt and Porter-Cable. .Depth of cut gauges. Call it a nicety, rather than a necessity,but the Bosch markings and good location make andMilwaukee saws have a depth-of-cut Clear The long rip fence on the Milwaukee Bosch's depth scale the best in the test. saw kept the saw on track all the way to scalebuilt into theirblade guards. Of the The door on top of the blade guard the end of the sheet. two, we found Bosch'sscale (Photo E) opens to accept a dust-collection hose. www.woodonline,com 63 dynamicduos

CIRCULARSAW

/a IC) BATTERY l& RUI'ITIME /s- lF; /-s l.Lt, /-o s-s/s/S /=R./ -s /-o t8t s/ '/-"u/,il I '/F /o* d l8 /-\ l€r t/Fr/sl r/s;' /=**/i s /"$iial rfftEt/_s/e/..e/ o*' %% /S/$EI, '---/-"- ,*7/\, tFt tEt /r-e/ /iY oc /i o* /o* s/q =8/,j s-- *&*/Tdffi:-="-A-$H!-/-9 o* /o*/:v$=*'/€*s/.5 o*/ / $-r: ffHs=/ 15la| 11lq

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NOTES: FORMORE INFORMATION: 1. (NiCd)Nickelcadmium 3. (G)Germany 4.! txcettent 6. (.) Includedinthis kit (M) Mitersaw 7. (-) Sellingprice not yet Bosch (N|MH)Nickel-Metal Hydride (J) Japan (B)Biscuitjoiner (R)Reciprocatingsaw eooo established.Price shown is 877t267-2499 trul @ manufactureisestimate. www.boschtools.com 2.Measured withphototachometer. lfi:'rlnro '?h] (.) Thismodet has a third ffi;;. ll3}Hiii'JTlffi:, speed, tfj fai*an (J) Jigsaw (RL)Rotary laser level Forspecifications onother DeWalt called"max," whose maximum typesof tools,click on iUi UniteOState, 5. Damageresulting from (L) Worklight (RT)Router 800/433-9258 speedmeasured 1,840 rpm. "'l#l{,,0,,,, "ToolComparisons" at www.dewalt.com 35"dro0to concrete floor. http://www.woodmall.com

Bosch 3860CK Makita A solid-performingdrill, DKl0168L butthe circ saw lacks Theonly kit inthe thepower and run time testthat comes of otherkits costing witha worklight. aboutthe same. Thatand N|MH bat teriesmake this kit a bitmore expen- sivethan others.

DeWalt DW987KS-2 Milwaukee Three-speeddrill gear boxprovides higher 6310-26 Bothdrill and saw speedsfor better-qual- turnedin top perfor- ityholes in hardwoods. mancesat a reason- Lotsof otherproducts ableprice. Our pick onthe same battery platform. for bestoverall kit.

64 Removing tool efficiency from the equation,power is a function of the bat- tery's voltage, while run time comes from its amp-hour(Ah) rating. (A 1.0 Ah battery can deliver one amp of culrent continuouslyfor one hour; a 2.0 Ah bat- tery deliversone amp for two hours,etc.) Witness the Panasonickit: With the lowest voltage and highestamp-hour rat- /*" IF ing (3.0 Ah) in the test,the drill averaged /-6/ 747 screws driven per charge-20} oas /\/ more than the next-bestMilwaukee (2.4 t2l Ah) and Porter-Cable(2.2 /th). , /*.=/ In fact, Panasonic'sbatteries may well to find othercord- s=/i It's not uncommon --+-I outperform its saw. Halfway through the lesstools, such as a jigsaw,work light, with drills first of three battery-life testsripping 514 or reciprocatingsaw, bundled and circularsaws in kits. red oak, the saw's motor beganto over- heat and smoke, and numerous plastic ing saws and jigsaws we acquired shardsfell out of the saw's body. Andy demonstratedpower and prowess equal Mandanero of Panasonictold us our test to their corded cousins.We also like the was very severe. "The saw was not work lights (Makita includes one with designed for continuous operation until the kit we tested).Their broad, batteried the battery was depleted," he said. "The basesallow them to stand on their own, motor needs time in between operations with pivoting heads,bright lights, and a H,J, L, R, RT to cool." sparebattery always in the charger. Allowing any cordless tool to "rest" This fall, Porter-Cableintroduced the Makita Panasonic periodically helps extend the life of both first cordlessrouter we've seen,operat- 800t462-5482 800/338-0552 the battery and tool. So, unless you're ing on its 19.2-voltbattery platform. We www.makitatools.comwww.panasonic.com/cordlesstools usingcordless tools exclusivelyon a large couldn't get one in time to testit for this Porter-Cable Milwaukee 800/487-8665 877t279-7819 project, such as building a deck, you article, but you can learn more aboutthis www.portercable.c0mwww.mil-electric-tool.com should be able to get an honest day's revolutionary tool in the Tool Buyer's work out of any of the drills and saws in Update on page 32. our test. Before you commit yourself to a cord- Our picks of the kits less kit, it makesgood senseto seewhat Although all of the tools performed bet- other tools you can operate with the ter than we expected, we'd put our Panasonic same batteries and charger. (A few money down for the Milwaukee 6310-26 EYC133 examplesare shown in Photo F.) Check kit. When using both the drill and the 3,0amp-hour what circular saw, it was easy to forget we batteriesgave us the chart, above left, to find out ry thelongest run products use the same battery platform were using cordless tools. Porter- timesin the test. as the one you're considering. Often, Cable's 9884CSkit performedabout as l However,our -j three or more of thesetools come pack- well for $40 less. continuoustest- agedtogether with one chargerand apair If you're building for a completewire- ingtook a tollon thecircular of batteries,making a multiple-tool kit a lessworkshop, DeWalt's 18-voltsystem saw'smotor, better bargain in the long run. currently offers the most accessories, For example, Porter-Cable's 9884 while Porter-Cable'slineup of 19.2-volt cordless drill with two batteries and a tools tendsto target woodworkers.ll charger sells for $200. P-C's 9845 6" Sawboss-the cordless circ saw in the kit we tested-sells for $265 with the Sound off about cordless same two batteries and charger. Buy kits at WOOD ONLINEo them separately,and pay $a65; buy the Are we on targetwith our evaluation Porter-Cable 9884CS kit that includes both tools and of these kits?We've set up a spe- 9884CS Internetdiscussion group where you save$125. cial Thisdrill and circ you can offeryour opinion, ask sawperformed well morequestions, or readthe manu- andare the least Beyond saws and drills facturers'responses to our review. expensivekit inthe Although we couldn't do a comprehen- Just log on to www.woodmall.com, test,The batteries sive test of every manufacturer's full clickon the Tool Comparisonstab, alsowork in P-C's -:i samplesof reciprocat- newcordless router. cordlessline, the and speakyour mind.

www.woodonline.com 65

ow do you storeyour holiday or vacationphotos? We like to show ours when friends or family stop by. Becausethe dog-earedprocessor's envelopenever looks good lying about, we designed an attractive solution. Resemblinga book, our box looks great 4 x 6" single-strengthglass on the coffeetable. You caneven display two photosat a time in the lid by sand- wiching them back-to-backbetween the Placeohotos between glasspanes. ,/ glasspanes.

3/ax 8" continuousstop hinge First, make t/ro" a booklike box pilothole #2 x 1/2"brass wood screw Cut the bottom (A) and the back (B) to the sizes listed on the Bill of Materials.Chuck aVz" sluaightbit in your table-mountedrouter and adjust it to cut 7e"-deepnotch V+"deep. Using the fenceto limit the cut, for hinge make multiple passesto rout the Vz"- wide rabbetalong the bottom's rear edge, sA" rabbet and the 3/+"-wide rabbetsalong the front I t/q" deep and ends, where shown on Drawing 1. 21/+' Then rout the 3/q"rabbets on the ends of theback, as shownon Drawing1a. Sand I the rabbetssmooth. Finish-sand the bor t/2" rabbet tom and back to 320 gnt. t/+"deee alongback Form the endsof the hinge notch in edge the back (B) by cutting 7s"-deep kerfs in the top edge,3/q" from eachend. To preventchip-out, back your cutswith Sand a t/a" an auxiliary extensionattached to your radius on corner. tablesawmiter gauge. Now, completethe notch by routing betweenthe kerfs. To do this, raise 91/2" your Vz" router bit to make a 3/2"-deep cut, and positionyour router table fence to exposeVs" of the bit. From the bit's e/q" t/a" rabbel deep Self-adhesiverubber bumpers center,measure 8%" in each direction, alongsides and front and clamp stopblocksto the fence.Rout I exploDEDvrEW o---) a Vsx3/e"rabbet in the back. as shownin RABBET/NOTCHDETAIL '/o"t/,-1/q" round-over Photo A. Turn the part over and repeat. Repositionthe fence to exposes/rc" of the bit. With the back's inside face against the fence, make a final pass, completingthe hingenotch. (Making the Vs"-deep cuts first reducesthe chanceof chipping.)Clean up the ends of the cut with a chisel.Glue andclamp the backto the bottom,maintaining a 90' angle. Cut stock Vzx2t/qxZ5"for the ends (C) and front (D). (To resemblea continuouslyaround the corners,miter- book's pages,we selecteda piece of cut the parts to length in the sequence With its right end against one stopblock, straight-grainedash, cutting one edge end-front-end.Finish-sand the front and lower the back (B) onto the running bit. Then move the back to the left until it parallel to the grain before ripping it to ends,then glue and clamp them into the contacts the other stopblock. final width.) To get the grain to wrap rabbetsin the bottom and back.

www.woodonline.com 67 a novelbox Vra" deep.Position the fence parallel to the miter-gaugeslot, and lVz" from the Add a picture-frame lid bit's outsideedge. With the glue dry, and Cut two piecesVzxlt/sx2}" for the lid the miter gauge at 45o, rout shallow sides (E) and lid ends (F). Rour recessesacross the lid's corners, as t/sxt/+"rabbets and t/a"chamfers, where shownin PhotoB. shown on Drawing 2. Finish-sandthe Flip the frame over and, in the same pieces,then miter-cut one lid side and manner as with the bottom, rout a one lid end from each piece. Glue and t3/ro"-wide rabbet along the ends and clamp the lid frame together. front edge,where shown on Drawing2a. Chuck a Vz"straight bit in your table- There is no rabbet along the rear edge. Routthe mountedrouter, and adjust it to cut Finish-sandthe rabbet. cornertab recesses,making multiplepasses until the frame'scor- nersride against the fence. Eleox Lto /a" chamter #2 x 7a"brass F.H. wood screw (vrEWEDFROM BACK) f Resaw a 3/zz"-thick strip from a I t/a"rabbet t/q" deep 3/qxls/8xI2"piece of mahogany.Cut tslro" t/+" rabbet deep four oversizetriangles for the corner alongends and front tabs edge (no rabbet (G). Easeone top long edgeof eachtri- alongback edge) angle with a sandingblock. Glue and clamp them into the corner recessesin the lid. When the glue dries, sand the tabsflush with the lid's edges. Sandt/+" radii on the lid's corners,as shownon Drawing2b.Retrieve the Mitered corner box, and sandmatching radii on the bot- l-1-!-','l|4". a , ,r \ t , I tom's corners,including the back'sends. \ 4 x 6" cutout s/ao"pilot hole \;' I g/a" \J deep Finish up the details Position the hinge Backedge of lid so the knuckle is flush with the back and the lid's rear edge,where shown on Drawing 1b, and rZ" radiussanded on drill the screw pilot holes. Drill screw cornerafter assemblv pilot holes for the turn buttons.Cut two piecesof single-strengthglass to fit the lid's rabbetedopening. 3/ezx11/2x3" Easethe edgesof the lid, bottom,and corner tabs the inside ends of the back, with a sandingblock, forming %e"round-overs. Apply two coats of a wiping varnish, suchas Deftoil or Minwax Antique Oil, rubbing betweencoats with a very fine Scotch-Briteabrasive pad. Screwthe turn buttonsand the hinge in place,and adherethe bumpersto A bottom Vz' 71/z' 91/z' the bottom. For safe handling when B back 1/z' 21/q, 9t/2, B 1 changingpictures, sand the edgesof the C.ends 1/z' 21h' 7u A2 glasspanes with 320-git sandpaper.r| D*front 1/zu 21/qu 9u A 1 Writtenby Jan Hale Svec with Charles l. Hedlund 1/2, E-lid sides 1t/a' g1/2, B 2 Projectdesign: James R. Downing F- lid ends I/zu 17/s, 71/z' B 2 lllustrations:Kim Downing;Lorna Johnson Photographs:Baldwin Photography; G*cornertabs 3/ez" 11/2' 3" M 4 -Parts Wm. Hopkins initiallycut oversize, see the instructions. MaterialsKey: &-tirdseye maple, A-ash, M-mahogany. Supplies:#2x7e" brass flathead wood screws (4), glue,finish, single-strength glass. BuyingGuide Hardware.t%0" brass-plated turn buttons no. 62g3, $2,49120;7ex8"stophinge dscrews no. 9553, 95.25; e/+ t/zxtlo"self-adhesive x 1s/ex 12" Mahogany bumpersno. 8377, $4.00/20. *Plane CallMeisel or resawto thicknesslisted in theBill of Materials. HardwareSpecialties, 800/441-9870. 1/zx9t/+x 36" Birdseyemaple

68 WOOD magazine November2001

buildit as an armoire,or modify it to bean entertainment center, either way youget the same stylish look

" '!::'"''::ii"" "' art III of our maple and cherry the Cutting Diagram.Bandsaw the legs bedroom suite, this armoire from the blanks,keeping close to the pat- : matchesthe sleigh bed featuredin tern lines. Clean up the legs' bandsawn issue 135 and the nightstandin issue edges by drum sanding.We built the 136. If your bedroom suite is already simple pattern-sandingjig shown on complete, we designed our armoire to page 20 of issue 136 for this task,using easily transform into a handsomeenter- double-facedtape to adherethe template tainment center. to eachleg. ' Note: In addition to ease of assembly, , With the four legs complete,arrange '' the biscuit-joiner construction of this them for the best appearance,and project makesfinishing a breeze. We mark their locations:front and back, left finish-sandedthe parts beforegluing up andright. Finish-sandthe legs to220-gnt. the variousassemblies, then applied the finish to theseflat assembliesbefore the Make the carcase, final carcaseglue-up. gluing up the assemblies Entertainment Center Builder's Note: Cut two 3Ax23z/cx65z/+"plywood Tooutfit the armoirewith pocket doors for blanksfor the sidepanels (B). Resaw use as an entertainmentcenter, see fhe in half a z/qx6vzx'72"maple board, and sidebar "Completing the entertainment planethe two piecesdown to Vq".From ing with the cut when the panel assem- center"on page 78 beforeyou hang the this stock cut blanks'4t/zx23s/s"for the blies are ripped to final width. doors.Special instructions for buildingthe upper trim (C), 2x23s/s"for the center With the glue dry, rip both edgesof entertainmentcenter option are included trim (D), and5x23s/e" for the lower trim the side panel assemblies(8, C, D, in buildels nofes throughoutthis article. (E). Finish-sandthe panelsand trim. E) to 23". Tnmming panels and rails Glue and clamp the trim (C, D, E) to togetherensures straight, flush edgesand Shape the gracefully , the side panels(B), where shownon crisp, tight glue joints betweenthe pan- flared legs Drawing 1, centeringthe trim on the pan- els and the legs. ': Laminatetwo /qx2z/+x70rl+"pieces of els. Seethe gluing tip, below.The trim's .r Adjust your biscuit joiner to cut a ' hardboard to make a /2"-thick tem- endsfall tl0" shonof the oversizepanels' : centeredslot in the thicknessof your plate blank for the legs (A). Joint one edges.This keepsthe trim from interfer- 3/q"plywood. Mark the biscuit locations edge. Make a copy of the leg pattern on both the legs and side panel assem- from the WOOD PATTERNSa insert. blies, where shown on Drawing 1. Use spray adhesiveto adherethe pattern Plungethe biscuit slots.Index your bis- to the templateblank, aligning it with the cuit joiner on the inside surfacesof the jointed edge as indicated.Bandsaw and Avoiding glue squeeze-out legsand panels. Glue, biscuit, and clamp sandthe templateto the pattem line. To avoid a tricky cleanup task, cut the legsto the sides. t/e"-deepsaw kerfs t/e"from the ,' ,,Preparetwo 1Vzx5Vzx77"blanks for , . To accommodatethe back (U), rout edgesof the rails. . the legs (A). (We planeddown l7+" .stoppedrabbets, shown on Drawing1a, Glueapplied to legs, stock. You also can laminate the blanks the surface on the back insideedges of the rear 3/q" from stock.) Joint both edges,then betweenthe \-+ whereshown on Drawing1. use the templateto trace the leg outlines grooves squeezes r Cut the following 3/4" plywood onto the blanks,aligning the template's into the grooves ,.,,blanks:one at 23Vzx4IVz'tfor the and the blanks' jointed edges.To con- instead of out 8-ifF;',"bottom (F), two at 24/zx4lVz" for the \ il J--relief servelumber, nestthe parts,as shown on onto the panels. -\tl,/ afea center shelf/carcasetop (G), three at

www.woodonline.com armotre BACKLEG DETAIL II SIOEPANELS 233/sx26va"for the lower dividers (H), (RtcHTPANEL SHOWN)

four at 233/sxl9" for the drawer shelves 3/a" (I), oneat22tAx38" for the upperdivider 1/q"rabbet (J), and four at 22%x20%" for the t/z" deep adjustableshelves (K). Mark the parrsas stopped you 4t/2"from ,t"- cut them. bottomend _ Entertainment Center Builder's Note; #20 biscuitslots Amit the ue{ser divrder (l) ancl the adjustahleshe:lves K). l--- 235/8' Cut the following solid-stock blanks: 41/2" two at lx2x4lz/s" #20biscuit for the bottomrails slots (L), one att/qxlx4l3/a" for the centershelf band(M), one at |xlVzx4Iz/s"for the top l--- rail (N), oneat z/qxlt/2x37V2"for the door 11', stop (O), two at 3/cx17/sx26%"for the I lower divider (P), stiles one at 373/+' 3/+x3/cx26v8"for the lower divider band ''-j-----\ (Q), four at 3/+x3/qxl87/a"for the drawer shelf bands (R), one at tAx3/qx37t/e"for @ the upper divider band (S), and four at I (insideface) 3/qx3/qx20va"for the adjustable shelf I bands(T). Mark the partsas you cut them. 21', Entertainment Center Builder's Nofe; Ornit the upper divider brsnrl iS) arrd I adjustableshelf bamrJs ('t). I Glue and clamp the rails, bands,and 653/q stilesto their matingplywood panels, ,'f as shownon Drawings2 and3. Note that there is one right-hand and one left-hand assembly(H/P). As with the side panels I and trim, the rails, bands, and stiles are 201/q" %0" shorterat both endsthan their mat- ing plywood parts. With the glue dry, cut the assemblies to finished length, trimming both .ti ends.Glue and clamp the door stop (O) \ to the carcasetop assembly(GA{), as shownon Drawing2a.Finish-sand 0 and 41/2" set the adjustableshelf assemblies(IVT) ;.1 { r-: aside.Mark the biscuit slot locationson .Panel |l the otherassemblies' ends, where shown is cut 15/a" on Drawing 2, and plunge the slots, 7+"wider than finished indexing your biscuit joiner size,then on the top trimmedto widthafter surfaces.Stagger the biscuit slot loca- gluingstrips @, @s, tions in the ends of the drawer shelves and@to panel. that mate with the center lower divider (H), as shownon Drawing2b. slots on the side panels (B), indexing i:?fli:ri.]f{ir'i() i.it} t,t iiCtt;,itrlrfieni. t:l;ttelr af a Mark biscuit slot locations, as your biscuit joiner on the panels' top l;,:!',:t' t'i;,,tir:! :v r(tnti;trint:J lhe ;acljustatsle: shownon Drawing2c, on the inside edges.To guideyour biscuitjoiner when :,;l'ir,rirrnji/{;'li, liir.r t.tl)p{:}rtlivtrl*r (JlS), antl surfaces of the leglsidepanel assemblies plungingthe otherslots, clamp a straighr it: : itl,::vt,il.li;1r,.''irjt$ i.)i t"ieeded lcsm;lke fotsrn (A/B), whereshown on Drawing1. Mark edgeto the panel,offsetting it so the bis- fi.:t y'|Uf ',ttderl r:,jfr:ii)Oil{.)r)i\.:;(.} yUj n}iiV ':i,i;.ttti the biscuit slot locationson the bottom cuit slot falls on the marked horizontal it: rIriIi Iis,;:;,::l'ir:!e{; i}iltyw;,sV. (F/L), center shelf, (GA4) and lower centerline.Finish-sand all the panels. dividers, GVP, fVQ) where shown on Entertaintr:*nl Cenfer fluilejr+rsfdcil*r. Finish the assemblies, Drawing 2. Staggerthe slots on either ! )t'iM t' i!,.ttt{,)t}ta:lfiiit.lr:lit}{rtil "' lir;/r,lli tp ltit.: then glue up the carcase sideof the centerlower divider to match (lr;t\r,rt.::rJ;liclrrt,l, (!j ;..lnt! llit: corft,r lllrcll i{i;. Mask off the mating ends, edges, and the slot locations on the ends of the wlr.:ftt lr/trtr"rrllirn ilrawin{"4 2. l'tir)i) tf ritlti surfaces of the side and carcase drawer shelves. Plunge the top row of itre: bLtiltJittt-iii;t,: ;:)uj]()tr(i. it (.,i)':;iiV{ri:ti t i}iir assembliesthat receive glue, as shown in

72 WOODmagazine November2001 #8 x2" F.H.wood screw -l 251/2"------l 401/2" rr- |

#20 biscuitslots Applyalltrim I with #20 biscuits.

E CNNCASE 37"

1/2"hole for 1t/2"hole tor optional optional entertainment entertainmenl centerwire centerwire management management

|-/ Offsetbiscuits slots in drawer shelvesand divider. (Seedetail 2b.) #20 biscuits and slots MARKINGBISCUIT SLOT LOCATIONS I Vertical I centerline--/i

Horizontal centerline l,),,,.,,

251/2"

11/2" the shop trp,page 76. Apply a coat To check the parts' dividers (FyP). Finish with the bottom of glosspolyurethane to all the carcase fit, dry-assemblethe (LBn-) and center shelf (G/M). The parts. With the finish dry, sand lightly carcase'sdrawer recesses with bis- back edges of all the parts are flush. with 220-gnt sandpaper.Remove the cuits. Startwith the centerlower divider Disassemble,then, using white glue for dust, and apply a coat of satin (FVQ),add the drawershelves (VR), then extendedworking time, apply glue to the polyurethane.Remove the maskingtape. the right-hand and left-hand lower slots and maskedareas, and biscuit and

www.woodonline.com 73 armoire s/sz"hole, countersunk l-- 27" Backedge of top #8x11/2"F.H. wood screw flushwith backfi\ -\\ t'L/, Miteredends 1/2"round over along vfrA.,, bottom edge only, do not j 46a/e" round-overback edge #Bx11/2"F.H. #8 x3/q"F.H. wood screw wood screw Shelf \ standard I 36"long

Insideface of right door

Glidestrips a 237/8"long

No-moftisehinges

Drawers E EXPIODEDVIEW (sixrequired) Left doors

cuttingdiagrar^n 1/'rax 91/qx 96" Maple '*Plane to thicknesslisted in the Billof Materials.

13/cx5Y2x 96" Maple (2 needed) 1tAax51/2x96"Maple @ @ fD-il i s/+x71/a x 96" Maple 1/2x91/q *Resaw, 1%ax9t/+x96"Maple x 96" Cherry (4 needed) then planeto thicknesslisted in the Billof Materials.

74 WOOD magazine November2001 *Partsnested in pairson two blanks. See the CuttingDiagram. '.Partsinitially cut wider. A* legs 11/z' 21/z' 703/tr M 4 X uppe/lower 000rrarls 167/a' M 4 tPartsinitially cul longer. B** sideoanels 3/t' 23' 653/q' MP 2 Y centerdoor rails 1" 2o 167/a' M 6 ttMultipleparts cut from a longerblank. Ct uppertrim 1/qu 41/z' 23" M2 Z lowerdoor stiles 1" 2u 251/s' M 4 MaterialsKey: M-maple, MP-maple plywood, Dt centertrim 1/tu 2' 23' M4 AA upperdoor stiles 1' 2' 36/a" M 4 EC-edge-joinedcherry, C+herry, BP-birch atll Fil nnil Et lowertrim f43zJ M2 plywood. BBtt lowerdoor Ft bottom 3/4r 231/2n 401/2' MP 1 panets Vz' 16Vq'203A' EC 2 Supplies:t/a" hardboard, spray adhesive, #20 bis- cuits,#8x7q" flathead wood screws, #9x|/r" flathead Gt centershelf/ CCtt' ' uooerdoor carcaseI00 3/t' 24la' 401/z' MP 2 lcivferoanels 1/z'16V+^ 187/a' EC 2 woodscrews, #8x11/2" flathead wood screws, #8x2" flatheadwood screws, #3xt/z'flathead wood screws, Ht lowerdividers 3/4' 233/Bn251/4n MP 3 DDtt upperdoor. paners 1/z' 111/z' 2 maskingtape, glue, finish. It drawershelves 3/q' 233/au18" MP 4 upper 16Tt' EC 'upper BuyingGuide 3/q' 223/q' 37' MP 1 EEtf upperdrawer Jt divider Ir0nts 3/q, 47/s' 177/s', c 2 Verticalraised-panel bit. Jesada no. 690-602, 3/4' Kt adjustableshelves 22s/8il193/e' MP 4 FFtt centerdrawer $59.90.call Jesada at 800/531-5559. Lt bottomrails 1" 2' 40Vz' M 2 fronts 3/q' 71/su177/8' C 2 Drawerlock joint bit. Use any one of the following (order Mt centershelf band 3/t' 1u 401/z' M 1 GGtt lowerdrawer bits:Freud no, 99-240 catalogno. 800-486), fronts 3/4' 105/8il 177/8' c 2 $49.95,call Woodworke/s Supply at 800/645-9292; Nt toprail 1 11/2" 401/z' M 1 HH upperdrawer Jesadan0.655-512, $71,90, call Jesada at 0 doorstop 3/q' 11/z' 37Vi' M 1 sr0es 1/2, 47/e' 233/t' M 4 800/531-5559;Katana no. 18850, $39.00, call MLCS Pt lowerdivider stiles 3/q' |t/e' 251/q' M 2 centerdrawer at800/533-9298. sides 1/z' 77/a"233A' M 4 glide 464, Ot lowerdivider band 3/q' 3/tu 251/q' M 1 Hardware.Self-adhesive stripno. JJ lowerdrawer $4,55/10-footroll(8 rolls). Call Meisel Hardware Rt drawershelf sides Vz' 10Ve' 233/q' M 4 Specialties,800/44'l -9870. Bullet catches no. bands 3/q' ?/tu 18" M4 KK upperdrawer KV0903,$1.07 (a); shelf standards no. St upperdivider 1/z' KV0255BRS36, (8);shelt supports no. 3/qu bbbks 4Vs' 17s/a' M 2 $1,82 oan0 37' M1 KV0256BRS, (16);pocket door slides no, LL centerdrawer $,18 Tt adjustableshelf t/zu KV8085Q22,$28.05 (2); 1tl+" satin chrome knobs 3/qu backs 7Va" 173/a' M 2 0an0s lc' 193/a' M 4 no.A01466G10, $4,83 (4); callWoodworke/s 1/c, MM lowerdrawer U back 411/z'653h' BP 1 backs Vz' 101/a' 173/a' M 2 Hardware,800/383-01 30.3" no-mortisestatuary (4pai0; Vt crownfront 1" 4u 463/a' M 1 bronzehinges no. 937-014, $2.35/pair NN drawerbottoms %" 17Vs'19Vz' BP 6 40mmForstner bit no. 913-945, $6.85; call Wt crownsides 1" 4u 27', M2 Woodworke/sSupply, 800/645-9292,

@@ 3/+ x 91/+x 96" Cherry 1/zx 11l/q x 96" Maple 3/qx 111/+x 48" Cherry

rD 6) r:) rD 1/zx 111/qx 96" Maple

1/zx 51/zx 96" Maple

1/2x91/t x 96" Maple s/qx 48 x 48" r/ax48x48" 3/qx 48 x 96" Maple plywood Maple plywood Birchplywood

e/tx 48 x 96" Maple plywood 3/qx 48 x 96" Maple plywood thx 48 x 96" Birchplywood

www.woodonline.com 75 armoire

clamp the drawer recesssubassembly, as shown in Photo A. Make certain it is sit- A big ftnishing job ting flat, and set it asideto dry. made smaller '"'i Finishing Apply glue to the drawer recesssub- thearmoire is easierif youpre- finishsome parts beforb final assembly. i,.,:assembly'sslots and edges.Glue bis- Usemasking tape, as shownhere on the cuits into the corresponding slots in the nightstandfrom issue 136, to protectthe side assemblies,and clamp them to the matingsurfaces. drawer recess subassembly.Align the back edgesof the bottom (I-{F/L) and the center shelf (G/NI) with the leg rabbets. Miter-cut to length both ends of part ,To cut the stub tenonson the rails, Glue biscuits into the sides' top slots. V and one end of eachpart W.Make ,, ,,,install a V2" dado blade in your Apply glue to the slots and edges of the sure you miter-cut one right-hand and tablesaw. To avoid chip-out, attach an carcasetop assembly(GA{/O), and pop it one left-hand part W. auxiliary fence to the miter gauge. into place, as shown in Photo B. Clamp ., Cut biscuit slots in the miters and 'glue, Now, clamping a stopblock to the aux- the top assemblyin place. Make sure the biscuit, and clamp togetherthe iliary fence to control their length, cut cabinet is flat, and let the glue dry. crowns (V, W). Make sure the crown is the tenonsto fit the groovesin the stiles, ,,rlMeasure the rabbet-to-rabbetwidth flat, and '* set it asideto dry. With the glue as shown in Drawing4a. l and the bottom-of-bottom-railto top- dry, clamp it in position atop the carcase, '" .iEdge-gluetwo Vzxl6t/+x53"blanks of-carcase-toplength for the back (U), flush with the back and centeredside-to- ..,,'for the door panels(BB, CC, DD). and cut it to this size. Position the back side. Drill pilot and countersunk shank Cutting the two setsof panelsin succes- on the carcase,and drill pilot and coun- holes,and screwthe crown to the carcase. sion from these blanks makes the grain tersunkshank holes aroundthe perimeter match continuously from top to bottom and into the center shelf (G/IM) and cen- Now build doors with when the doors are assembled.Crosscut ter lower divider (fVQ. Screw the back contrasting raised panels the panelsto length, and mark their order. in place. 'From I"-thick stock, cut the Note: To allow for wood movement,the Entertainment Center Builder,s Nofe; , upper/lowerdoor rails (X), the center panels are /e" narrower than their Drill a 11/2"hole for a power cord through door rails (Y), the lower door stiles (Z), grooved openings, and are not glued the armoireback, centeredin one of the and the upper door stiles (AA) to size. into the door frames. drawerrecesses. Note: Our doors are /e" shorter than the : Chuck a vertical raised-panelbit into '' r: Center the upper divider (J/S) in the height of their openings and the pairs your table-mountedrouter, as shown s...=.rcabinet, and drill pilot and counter- together are 1/t" narcower than the in Drawing 4b. (See the Buying Guide sunk shank holes through the top width. Check the dimensions of your for our bit source.)Feather boards posi- (G/N/O) and back (U) into the divider. door openings,and make any necessary tioned to bear on the panel abovethe bit f;'l;From l"-thick stock, cut a 4x48" adjustmentsto your doors. ensurea consistentprofile. i,"."r'bl&Dk Starting with for the crown front (V), and With a Vq" dadoblade in your table- about Va" of the bit exposed,raise the two 4x28" blanks for the crown sides saw, cut the grooves in the rails and panels. To avoid chip-out, first rout the (W). Rout a Vz" ro\nd-over on the bot- stiles, where shown in Drawings 4 ends, then the edges. Make multiple tom edgesof the blanks,where shownon and 4a.Remember to cut two groovesin passes,moving the fence back until the Drawing3. the upper doors' centerrails. panels' edges fit the frame grooves.

When assembling the carcase's drawer When popping the top in place, a short The hinge knuckles protrude t/re" recesses, measure the diagonals. Equal bfock of wood, inset photo, helps to beyond the legs. A simple scrapwood dimensions indicate a square assembly. lever the sides apart. guide ensures accurate positioning.

76 WOOD magazine November2001 1,1/2" , 4 uppeRDooR ))'l ffi. 3/a" (l hole 3" no-morti hinge

361/a'

j,m t'27 1

tZ" grooves 7e"deep, centered alongedges

the doors for squareness, specialinstructions for mountingflie pcc;x- and place them on a flat sur- et Ccorhardvtare tn the sidebarat the end face to dry. of liris article. 1/qx 3/s"tenon Attach the 3" no-mortisehinges to Making surethe carcaseis sittinglevel, the doors, where shown on shim eachdoor in its openingso the top Drawing4. Seethe Buying Guidefor our and bottom spacesare equal. With a Finish-sandthe panels. To give the hinge source.The hinge knucklesover- sharp pencil or a craft knife, mark the raised-panelfront a soft look, we slighr lay and are tight to the face of the door locationof the top edgeof eachhinge on ly roundedthe beveUfieldtransition as stiles,as shownon Drawing4c. the front legs (A). we sanded.Give the panels their first Note: Thehinges we usedfor thisproject Remove the hinges from the doors. tAo" coat of finish. came only in an antique bronzefinish. Cut a V+" dado deepin a scrap- Gather the rails, stiles, and panels To match the knobs' satin nickelfinish, wood block, and use it to position the together.Now apply glue to the rails' we wire-brushedthe hingesand sprayed hinges at their marked locations while tenons,and clamp togetherthe doors,in themwith satin lacquer. you drill the screwpilot holes,as shown the configurationshown on Drawings3 Entertainment Center Builder's Nofe: in Photo C. Drill the knob holes,where and4. Remember,do not glue the panels Substltutepocket door hardwarefor twa shownon Drawings3 and4. Finish-sand in place. Measure diagonally to check pairsof the no-mortrsehinges. See fhe the door frames,and setthem aside.

www.woodonline.com 77 armotre OPTIONALLOCK RABBETJOINT Now build the drawers onnwen --rl E 17e/a" ,, Note: Because the r-ontplete bedroont suite involves nnking .fifteen clrou'ers, we ttsecl a clraw,er lock router bit to speeclthis task. These bit.sfonn the mat- ing halves of'thejoint in the drawerfront cutd side vyitlt a single setup. (See the 7/oa"pilot holes Btn,irtgGuide for router bit sources.) If I 73/s' yott vt,islt,\'olt can substitutea lock rab- bet joirtt, as .shott,rton Drawing 5a, and cut them on your tablesntt,. L Adhere self-adhesive glide strips to 241/e" the lower inside coffters and the top t/2" of the drawer cavities. where shown on dado r/c" deep Drawing 3. Hold the strips %" back from countersunkon bottom the carcase's front edges. For a good bond, press them in place with a wood groove 1/4"deep from bottomedge block. (See the Buying Guide for a ---\ 77/a" 1+=\ '#8 source of glide strip.) x e/a"F.H. Check the dimensions of your draw- er openings.(Ours are, top to bottom, Drawerlock joint 5x18",8x18",and l0-%xl8".If yoursare { Tsz"shank holes, different, adjust your drawer part dimen- countersunk sions to leave a t/tr,"gap all around.) Cut the drawer fronts (EE, FF, GG) and a\ drawer sides (HH, II, JJ) to size. Cutting a 40"-long blank for each pair of drawer #8 x 11/q'F.H. wood screw fronts gives you continuous grain pat- terns. Set aside extra pieces of drawer front and side stock to use when settins up the drawer lock bit.

PhotoD. Keepingthe top doorslide Completingthe entertainmentcenter: parallelto the carcasetop and,with pocketdoors and Asidefrom fewer parts in the enter- the same 1tZ"setback f romthe leg at pigeonholes tainmentcenter, which we've noted the front,drill screw pilot holes and throughoutthe article,the majordiffer- fastenthe top slide. ence betweenit and the armoireis fit- Fastenthe hingeddoors to the tingthe formerwith pocketdoors. We mountingplates on the doorslides. usedKV8085 pocket door hardware. Makingsure your cabinet is sittingflat, Seethe BuyingGuide for oursource. use the hingeadjustment screws to Drillthe 40mmhinge cup holesin the adjustthe gapsbetween the doors doors,where shown on Drawing6. Seethe BuyingGuide for a 40mm OPTIONALPOCKET DOORS t/2x Forstnerbit source.Position the 3 x281/4' follower strip hingesin the cup holes,and usethe Doorguide holesin the hingecup flanges as setbackis guidesto drillscrew pilot holes. 1t/z"trom Fastenthe hingesin place. frontedge. From solid stock,cut a 1/2x3x281/+" followerstrip, and fasten the top and bottomdoor slides to it. Placea 1s/q'. wide \ +a/ tl spacerstrip under the bottom =- EUfOp€?ft t'/4 doorslide. With the doorslide end .-- 125"hinge rollerpositioned 1t/z" back from the 40mmhinge Placedoor quide roller leg'sface, drill screw pilot holes, and holetZ" deep againstthe-door in its screwthe slidein place,as shownin

78 WOODmagazine November200'1 iliI DRAWERLOCK JOINT DETAIL fronts protrudea hair beyond the sides, Remove the clamps and drill pilot and @ then sandedthem flush after assembly. countersunk shank holes through the Auxiliarywood - Note: Weused a Freud no. 99-240bit. If sides and bottom into the back, as fence you use another manufacturer'sbit, shown.Drive in the screws. Drawerside- your setupmay dffir slightly. ,/4 - ), Now rout the ends of the drawer Finish the last batch of Frontface fronts (EE, FF, GG) and the drawer parts, and assemble + Fence sides (HH, II, JJ) just as you did the Remove and finish-sand the back. Drawer^ I- setup pieces. Use a follower block to Retrieve the adjustable shelves, front (! Vau steadythe partsand eliminatechipping. doors,and drawers.As with the carcase, Install a t/2" dadoblade in your table- apply two coats of polyurethaneto the ,/ sawand cut dadoesin thedrawer sides back, shelves,and drawers.Apply the otsv,:isrW (HH, II, JJ) to receivethe drawerbacks, first coat of finish to the door frames, / where shown on Drawing5. Changeto then apply the second coat to both Routertable your regular blade, and cut the drawer framesand panels. bottom grooves in the drawer front and With the finish dry, install the shelf Entertainment Center Builder's Note,' sides.Match the thicknessof your ply- standardsand shelf rests.Fasten the Eliminatedrawers to make room for your wood by making two passes.Make cer- back, set the shelveson the rests,and VCR,DVD player,or other companents, tain you have left and right pairs. slide the drawersinto place. then reduce the numberof drawerparts Cut the drawerbacks (KK, LL, MM) Entertainmenf Cenfer Builder's Nofe; accardingly.Do not applyglide stripta the and drawer bottoms NN) to size. amft thesneif sfanda rds and shelfresfs. em pt.y d raw er recesses. Dry-assemblethe drawersto check the Rehang the doors, and install the Chuck the drawer lock bit in your parts' fit. Becausethe drawersfit closely knobs.Install the bullet catchesin the table-mountedrouter, and attach a in their recesses,make surethey are the topsof the centerstiles, where shown on tall auxiliary fence to the router table samewidth front and back.Disassemble Drawing4a. Using the bulletsto transfer fence. Position the bit and fence as the drawers,and lay out the pull cutouts. their locationsonto the bottom edgesof shown in Drawing 5b. Using the extra Bandsawand sandthe cutoutsto the lay- the carcasetop and center shelf, install pieces you set aside, test your setup. out lines,then finish-sandall the parts. the strikeplates. lF Rout the front piecesflat on the router Glue andclamp the drawerstogether, facesup, and the gluing the bottompanel into the front Written by Jan Hale Svec with Kevin Boyle tablewith their outside Projectdesign: James R. Downing sidepieces upright with their insidefaces and sidegrooves. Measure diagonally to lllustrations:Kim Downing;Roxanne LeMoine; againstthe fence. Make any necessary check for squareness.Set the drawer on Lorna Johnson joint. Photographs:Baldwin Photography; adjustmentsto get a tight We let the a flat surface until the slue dries. Douglas E. Smith; Andy Lyons

and the carcase.Open the doorsand keepthe knobsfrom hitting the legs. slidethem back into the cabinet. Note: Our KV8085pocket door hard' Positionthe doorguide rollers so they ware catne with excellent instructions, keepthe retracteddoors parallel to the so you can double-checkyour installa- carcasesides, and are set back 17a" tion againsttheirs. fromthe frontedge of the centershelf lf yourtelevision doesn't fill the entire (G/M),as shownon Drawing6. Screw upperportion of the entertainment the rollersin place.Position another centercabinet, you can builda com- pairof rollersto act as doorstops to ponentpigeonhole, shown in the photo far left, for yourVCR or DVD player. A scrapwood spacer keeps the bottom s/qx191/+x351/2" This arrangementallows you to use door slide perfectly aligned. your controlwithout leaving 3/q 3/q remote x X 35t2" band one of the bottomdoors open, or Biscuitand glue I installingan auxiliaryremote control I sensor(available at your localelec- c'/4 tronicsretailer). I 3/qxshx52" I Simplyglue and clampa 41/z' bandto az/+x191/qx52"plywood panel. -..-i Withthe gluedry, cut the risersfrom | _--,-- L centerriser to one end,then biscuit and gluethe risers G\-/' )-etace'- accommodatevour Note: Bandsare attached to the panel,as shownin Drawing7. videoplayer. before oarts are cutto length. Makesure the placementof the center riseraccommodates your video player. E coupoNENTPtcEoNHoLE Sandand finish the pigeonholeas you did the restof the cabinet.

www.woodonline.com I \,*. / (-, {f

) J(r[, I?, \\. * onwoo CNMO g Forhigh-quality furnituremaking, two headsprove better than one. *# Enterthe Meierbrothers-twins w'" 1' x*1 whocan teach you plenty abouttheir craft.

,,,,,, t age 35, the Meier brothers are alreadyclimbing to the top of contem- , . '' ';i:1, ,; - porary furnituremakingin California.

In their hillside workshopon the edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Christian and Robert designand build unique,eye-catching pieces that find their way to clients all along the centralcoast and to galleriesas far away as Seattle.

But what else would you expectfrom men that as children in their native Germanypleaded for nails to build crude furniture rather than toys. "I believe that we inherited our craftsman'sgenes from our grandfa- ther, who taught us some woodworking. When we went to the Universityof Munich to studymechanical engineering,we took extraclasses in thingslike wood finishing and design,"says Robert.

"As graduates,we expectedmechanical engineering to be creative," Robert comments."We thought we would be making things,but after a year we realized that the way the systemworked we could only input at the start.Now, with our woodworking,we are cre- ative to the end."

WOODmagazine November2001 -t

An American adventure In German-accentedEnglish, the twins explain their transformationfrom engineersto woodworkers. "We madefurniture while we were in school,and after, in a little basementworkshop," Christian says. "We built it for ourselves and friends with hand tools and small portablepower tools-nothing like we havenow." After a 1988visit to SanFrancisco, the brotherscon- cluded that engineering was boring, and decided to move to the United States,selecting the city by the Bay astheir new home."We cameto the United States with just two suitcasesbetween us, and did anythingto earn money," Christian remembers. "We worked on cars and painted houses," Robert adds. "Meanwhile, we put together woodworking equipment,adding a few pieceshere and there. It was hard becausewe were new and didn't yet have a woodworking reputation." The young men persisted,though. They worked hard at pursuingtheir dream.Eventually, they were able to saveenough to make a move down the coastto gain a larger shop.Then, in 1996,they made a final move to the SantaCrtz area. Working with a focus Today they're entirely focusedon woodworking. Each has individual responsibilitiesfor the successof their business,Meier BrothersFurniture Design. Robert builds most of the furniture and Christian doesthe finishingas well asmakes some of the special hardware."But Robert and I togetherdecide what we will build to sell." Christiannotes. "Then, about 40 percent of our work is custom-designedfor clients. And for largecustom pieces Robert builds a full-sized prototype out of inexpensive wood just to give the client an idea of how it will look. Prototypeshelp us avoid unpleasantsurprises." The furniture designedand built by the brothers is freshly contemporary,yet the designsseem to have a familiar look. With study, you might arrive at the con- clusion that their pieces mix in a bit of Shaker,some Stickley, and an oriental influence. But if there's any influenceat all. it's nature. "Everything I design has a curve becauseI think people find curves pleasing," Robert says. "That's right," Christian agrees."Because nowhere in nature do you find straightlines." lf wood has figure, use it The Meier brothers don't build a stick of furniture without figured wood, unlessthe client demandsonly straight-grainedstock. "The material can transform a piece from Shaker to contemporary:' Christian observes."And highly contrastingwoods alwayssug- gestcontemporary." If you want to use more figured stock in your proj- ects, hardwood boardswith figure are easy enough to spotat your local supplier.That's becausethey're usu-

www.woodonline.com 81 doubletake on woodworking Generalfy,you haveto get the ror,rgh-sawnwood in .: ally planed or surfacedon four sides(S4S). It's a dif- i. ferent story with rough-sawn lumber. Yet, there are goodlight.and hold it at dif- somefairly simple tipoffs. See Photos A and B. ferentangles to detectfig- To get figured wood to final thickness,Robert turns ure-it willreflect light dif- to his Performaxdrum sander, a 37"-wide model with ferentlythan straight- double drums. "This agile and well-designedmachine grainedwood," Robert is my favorite in the shopand is a must for small shops advises."Then, look at the that need a powerful planer with a large capacity," he edgeof the board.lf the says. "On figured wood, you want to take wood off surfacelooks slightly wavy, with abrasivesto avoid tear-out," he advises.Robert that meansthere's figlre. also runs wood through at a slight angle to reducethe clogging of sandingdust in the abrasive,especially the finer grits. The brothers' jointer plays a major machining role, too. Being the engineersthat they are, the twins have I[f the od supplierwill let it, wet a ragand modified the machine,boosting its power and making "rji YoH it more appropriatefor figured woods."We just beefed wipethdedge and face of it up a little," Robert says."It had a lVz-hp motor and rough-sawnlumber. The fig- made 15,000cuts per minute. We switched to a2-hp urewillshow up better," motor and changedthe gearing.Now it makes21,000 Christiansays. "And cuts per minute and we get smootherresults." dampeningit will tell you Cut smoothnessdoesn't come from speed alone. howthe figure is distrib- "Before I edge figured boards, I dress up the knives uted,lt maynot run with a diamond stoneand finish with a leather strop," throughoutthe board. Of Robert notes. "Then, becauseit's hard to read grain direction in figured wood, I just feed it one way first, course,to reallysee the fig- taking off Vto".If the cut isn't satisfactory,I turn the ure,have it planed,espe- board around and try it anotherway. One direction is ciallyif theboard,has a always better than another." heftyprice tag. Try fresh glue and looser joints "Titebond II is excellent glue, but it must be fresh," Robert cautions. "It gets old in six months and loses some of its strength.You can extend its life to a year by keeping it in the refrigerator. But after a year, it's better to throw out your old glue and turn to fresh glue rather than ruin a project. I use Titebond II for all my gluing needs. It is strong, reliable, and waterproof. And, it cleansup with water." Thesecret of the tableclothtable For the Meierbrothers, the highlyfigured tablecloth table has becomea signaturepiece. Few of the ones they'vemade and sold are as playfully colorfulas this purple-toppedone. The purplecloth is actuallyglued up from severalpieces. Says Robert,..G|uingupthec|othkeepsthemoVementandthepossibi|ityof crackingminimal. Christian dyed the redwoodpurple to highlightthe : quiltedfigure and to providemore contrastwith the cornerthat's curly i . The frameis plainmaple." make a tableclothtable, Robertfirst roughlyshapes the wooden at the bandsaw.Then he finishesit up withchisels, a 4" angle er, and lots of hand sanding.He next cuts as/q"rabbet in the cloth to acceptthe part of the top. Doingthis leavesthe tableclothpart of the lop lta" higherthan 3/q"maple to give the illusionof a cover.All mapleparts are assembledfirst, then cloth is fittedto them. (You can see all the parts in the.underside view above right.) The top of the tableclothis fastenedto the apronwith screwsthrough oversize screw holesto allow for wood movement.

82 WOOD magazine November2001 l'- .i"r.':l rt'Cutrnyftints with about There's anothergluing aspectthat many woodwork- 'Toints Voa"of sl@,":' Robertsays. ers overlook, the tighuressof the joint. are fre- ''r henfreeyou'll starve the quently cut too tightly," Robert says. "I make mine joint.A filmof glueshould less than tight." See Photo G. coverboth sudaces, even Wood movement is another important factor that whenedge-joining for Christian and Robert must deal with. Besides monitor- width,"he adds, "such as ing the wood in their dehumidification kiln for the 10 for a tabletop.You don't percentmoisture content suitablefor coastalCalifornia, also allow for movement in their designs. wantto clampit tootight or they "To slow down wood movement,I'd rather glue up you'llforce out the glue. A thinner stock to thickness than use a solid piece," goodglue line is onlya few Robert explains."For example,the slatsin the back of thousandthsof an inch our chairs are a three-piece lamination, which makes widewith squeeze-out the them more sturdy and keeps the movement minimal. sizeof a pencillead. The two runners framing the slats are a bent lamina- tion, which is also much strongerthan a solid cutout." Toallow for woodmove- "The slats are more stablethen," Christian points out. ment,we simplylay our "And the glue keepsthem bent, too." chairslats in dadoesin the To allow for movement, the slats on chair backs and framingmembers. And a the sidesofcase pieces,such as dressers,are not glued smallcompression spring at in place.See Photo D. thetop holdsthem tightly in place.That way, the slats Finish makes the piece finish achievedby Christian is peerless.It show- canexpand and contract as The casesthe wood and invites a touch. But it's not arrived muchas they want," at easily. "Wealso Robertsays. "I normally sand up to 400-gdt before starting the allow7s" of spaceon each finishing," Christian explains."In betweenthe sanding sideof drawersand doors. courses, I apply a coat of Wood Size by Franklin Youshould always con- International [800/347-45831.It sealsend grain pores 'fuzzing' structa pieceto allowfor and prevents of wood fibers during sanding. woodmovement in any It also helps stabilizethe wood." humiditysituation. After careful preparation, Christian follows with up to four coatsof penetratingtung oil. See Photo E. Christian also makeshis own pastewax. It's a com- bination of mineral, plant, and insect waxes with ,Cfrer eao'liof the three added driers and thinners. "Then I heat it in a double ttnderoGidgof tungoil dries, boiler until it all melts together. When cooled, it's f rubitdoWn witn *0OOO ready for use. I also add color-artist's oil pigments steelwool," Ghristian says. from natural to dark-to enhance the wood. For "l waitthree days between instance,on maple,I useclear, but on walnut,I'll dark- coats.When the final coat en the wax. I apply the wax with cheesecloth." hasdried, I waxthe entire For coloring wood, Christian turns to water-basedani- piece.All in all,in a large line dye. "Water-baseddye is more light resistantthan types, which meansttre color won't fade," he piecesuch as the chest of ttre other explains."Of course,the water raisesthe grain, but care- drawers,l'll haveabout two tul sanding after the dye has dried (using 400-600 ed$ totalfinishing time." weeks takes off the fuzz. For a more even absorption of the Dueto temperatureswings dye, dampenthe wood first." I thatcan affect the finish's dryingtime and throw Written by Peter J. Stephano Photographs: Tony Grant Christianoff schedule, he tinkerswith the oil. "l can To see moreof the Meierbrothers' work adda drier,like mineral Go to www.mbfurnituredesign.com.In California,you spirits,to speedthe can find Meier pieceson displayat Made in Pescadero, dryingwhen it's colder. Pescadero(650/879-9128) and at the HighlightGallery in Mendocino (7Q7/937-3132);or in Seattle, visit Northwest Fine Woodworking(206/625-0542). And watch for a Meier-designedbookcase in the February 2002 issueof WOO@ magazine. wwur.woodonline.com 83 lf you'vebeen working with colorlesswood, suchas birch, but darkenby moderatelight. what I wood for very long,you makesa good mixing spoon. The moist heatof kiln drying realizethat each specieshas Wood has color due to infil- will changea wood'scolor, differentcharacteristics and tratesthat interactwith the too. As an example,the makesappeal.You probablyknow, celluloseof its cell walls and lightercolor of walnut'ssap- too, that evena pair of boards the lignin that bondsthem wood evensout in a kiln to takenfrom two logs of the together.These infiltrates are matchthe darkerheartwood. wood samespecies may not look solublematerials (sometimes exactlyalike. That's because called extractives)that a tree Luster in the light beautiful?color, luster,texture, grain, drawsfrom the soil whereit A wood that hasluster reflects and figure all comeinto play grows.Various species react light from its cell walls and for a species'visual appeal. to the infiltratesin different appearsto havea natural Wood technologists And it's oneor moreof these ways,thus creating contrasts sheen.But any infiltratesin a employappearance characteristicsthat put a high amongthem. But that'salso wood'scell wallsthat give it valueon the most favored why evenwithin a speciesthe color reduceits luster. characteristicsto hardwoodsused for decorative wood's color canvary. Becauseof this,light-colored identifywoods. These purposes.Now you'll learn Walnut harvestedfrom the hardwoodswill haveluster. as just what they are. cool limestonebluffs of doesthe light sapwoodof givea boardits distinct northeastlowa. for instance, darkerhardwoods. Lack of look and beauty. Golor covers will differ in color from that luster,however, does not the palette grown in centralKansas. meanthat a wood won't take Learnwhat makesup In hardwoods,color occurs Freshlysawn green wood a high polishwhen finely naturallyacross a wide range. the look of wood, then from a tree alsocan change sanded,then buffed. Finishine Thereare purples, yellows, color when exposedto air and alsoadds luster. turn to page 103to oranges,almond tones, light, sometimesdrastically. In general,quartersawn browns,cinnamons, and SouthAmerican purpleheart wood hasmore lusterthan find the namesof shadesof red. And color plays tums from light brown to pur- flatsawn,as with white oak. the species a major role in determining ple. Osage-orangeis a bright The ray flecks in white oak the final useof the wood. East yellow-orangewhen first cut exposedby this mannerof featuredhere. Indianrosewood's decorative or planed,but shortlyturns cuttingreflect light. Too, color makesan attractive brown.Some woods, such as woodswith lots of figure, turnedbowl. But a nearly teak,fade understrong light suchas curly and fiddleback

,,, ,'F ? .;i,:,.,,_,iB 'e+J'i'.. 'S 4 : maple. display added lLrster the natural pattern seen orl . Wavy _grainis produced and yields specialeffects. It's due to the cell walls' chan-e- the surfaceof wood. That's when the clirectionof the the same with lumber; quafier- ing angle to the li,eht. l-igure.Technical ly. grain fibers alternateso that a sawing a re-9ular--erainedwood meansthe orientationof the board's sulfacelooks like a sometimesresults in figure Texture to feel wood cells.Under that defini- washboard.as with the fi-gLrre pattern,again as with white When wood is said to be tion, there are six -seneral pattenr of curly rr-raple. oak and its ray f-lecks. "coarse" -erainedor "fine" types of grain. Another term used by wood- grained, it's a ref-erenceto its . Strai-ehtgrain indiciites that Figure in the workers to describewhat texture. And a wood's texture the cells and fibrous corirpo- patterns loosely coLrldbe called figure dependson the relative size nentsrun completelyor nearly Although some grain confi-eu- pattern is "charactermarks." and variationo[ sizein its parallelto the verticalplane of rations in wood frequently do This ref-ersto naturally occur- cells and the width and abun- the tree trunk and the lo-ethat resnlt in figure, the word ring ingrown knots, "tracks" dance of its rays. You actually came from it. describesthe patternthat left by insectsin the living can feel the difference . Inegular wood -erainirnplies often occurs when several tree, "bird peck," and other between fine-textured wood irre-eularvariations from the featuresinteract, includin-e si-unsthat make the wood with small cells and thin rays parallel orientation of the irre-sular,erain. rays. color appear less than perfect. and coarse-texturedwood grain to the log. This most deposits. anclgrowtl"r rings. However, a skilled craftsman with wide vesselsand broad often happensaround knots. Irregular grain in crotchesand employing wood with charac- rays. Red oak, for example, . Diagonal grain describes burls causes"feather" fi-eure, ter marks in a project can lit- rates as coarse-textured,while what results when an other- "pl r-rrn-pr-rdding"figure, and erally turn a sow's ear into a hard maple is fine-textured. wise straight--erainedlog is others. Interlocked grain pro- silk purse. lF Walnut, however. is moder- not sawn parallelto its verti- motes "ribbon" fi-eureand "bird's-eye." Writtenby PeterJ. Stephano ately coarse-textured,while cal axis-in other words. Wavy'grain cre- Photographs: Baldwin Photography holly is very fine-textured. angled sawing. ates "fiddleback" or "tiger- . Want to learnmore aboutdifferent Texture is only sensory.A Spiral ,9rainhappens when stLipe" fi-er-rre. wood's textllre has little to do the cells and fibersgrow in a Highly sor"rghtand expensive woods,their uses and working properties?You'll find detailed with how it sawsor machines. left or right twisted configr.rra- fi-euredveneers are re-uularly infoon morethan 25 soeciesat tion around the trunk of a tree. rnanufacturedby slicing or www.woodonline.com.Simply . grain peelin-e Grain follows Interlocked occurs a log with ine-eularor clickon WOODMAGAZINE in the direction when each successivelayer of interlocked -erainin a special left-handcolumn, then on Wood Grain is a term that's often new growth on a tree milnner. Changing the angle of Profilesin the droo-downmenu. misused. It does not refer to runs in a different direction. cut enhancesthe irreslrlarities

f igured woods

'til Makeyour templates, prepare your blank, and turn you seethe light.

I Greate the templates. Make a copy of the patternsfrom the I WOOO PATTERNSainsert. Use spray adhesiveto adherethem to /s" hardboard.Cut and sandthe templatesto the pattern lines. For critical dimensions,refer to the sectionview drawingon the insert. Standtemplate tl (i.i' Jlr :>) o o (E p (d0-EE CL -oE E o to o -c -co .+ o. 6p T o o o9. a o o: (5 c0 -1,/.

Lidwallthickness Basewallthickness

f) Prepare the blank. Glue up a 5%x5V+x12"blank from l3/q"-thick lpoplar. Use a water-resistantglue, such as Titebond II, to avoid any damagefrom the water-baseddye you'll use later. Mark the centerof eachend, and mount the blank betweenyour lathe centers.Use your roughing gouge to turn it into a 5V+"-diameter cylinder.

True endslo 5l+". @ frue the restof the blank,in stepsworking from rightto left'

T00L:Roughing gouge. T00L REST: Slightly above center. SPEED: 600-800 rpm'

Form dovetail tenons. Using your skew chisel,turn dovetail tenonsto fit your four-jaw chuck on eachof the cylinder's ends. Removethe cylinder from your lathe. Measure33/+" from one end, and bandsawthe cylinder into lid @ eanosawbase andbase blanks. andlid blanks.

Turn dovetailtenons for@ your four-jawchuck.

T00L:Skew chisel. T00L REST: Slightly above center. SPEED: 800-1,200 rpm. www.woodonline.com 87 a brightidea

the lid. Chuck the lid blank into your four-jaw chuck. True the -TendTlHollow with your bowl gouge.Using the lid-lip templateas a gauge,mark the lid's wall thicknesson the blank's end. Hollow out the lid with your bowl gouge,checking the depth and contour with the inside template,as shown. When you are close to the final shape,smooth the surfaceby making light passes.Finish-sandto 220 gnt.

@- Vtarkthe wallthickness on the lid blank._.---

@ Hoowthe rid.

Q true the end. T00[: Bowlgouge. T00L REST: Above center. SPEED: 800-1,200 rpm.

fi Form the lid lip. With a square-endscraper, cut the lip on the inside of t-,lthe lid, as shown. use the lidJip templateas a guide. In caseyou needto remount it, make a mark on the lid to index it with one of your chuck's jaws. Removethe lid from the chuck.

@ Cnecflip with template. ((\\\\\\\* o <*--r (U E. E o .9 pT J

\ @ tnOexthe lidblank o Formthe lip.

T00L:Square-end scraper. T00L REST: Above center. SPEED: 800-1,200 rpm, ftForm the base lip. Mount the baseblank in your chuck. True the end L,lwith your bowl gouge,and use the base-liptemplate to mark the wall thicknesson the baseblank's end. Again, using your square-endscraper, cut the baselip that interlocks with the lid lip. Test the fit often, as shown. The fit should be just snug enoughto keep the baseand lid aligned when they arejoined for forming the outsideprofile.

@ Uart

True the end.

@ form the base lip. T00LS:Bowl gouge, square-end scraper. T00t REsIi Above center. sPEED: 800-1,200 rpm.

88 WOOD magazine November2001 /Hollow the base. Hollow the basewith a bowl gouge,then finish up I with a heavy(3/q" or 1") roundnosescraper, as shown.A heavyscraper absorbssome of the vibration that occurswhen cutting deepinto the base.As with the lid, the last passesshould be light. Finish-sandto 220 gnt.

LQHottow the base. T00tS:Bowl gouge, roundnose scraper. T00L RESI Above center. SPEED: 800-1,200 rpm.

Q Shape the outside. Mate the lid to the base.Engage the tailstockto (J keepit in place.Using your bowl gouge,turn the outsideclose to its profile. Finish with your skew chisel, as shown.Check the profile with the outsidetem- plate.Shape the lid end as far as you can with the tailstockin place,but don't part the waste. Turn the base'sthreaded portion to a cylinder about Vz"larger than finished diameter.Mark the threads'locations and cut narrow V-grooves with your skew chisel.Finish-sand the bulb to 220 grit. Back off the tailstockand removethe lid. Sandthe base'slip to loosenthe fit for finish buildup.Remove the baseand chuck from the lathe.

Markthe thread locations.and cut

T00LS:Bowl gouge, skew chisel. T00t REST:Slightly above center. SPEED: 800-1,200 rpm.

fl Make a jam chuck and finish the lid. Make a jam chuckto hold V tfre Hd and basefor final shaping,sizing the chuck first for the lid, then enlargingit for the base. Bandsawa 7" disc from l3/q"scrap. Screw the disc to a 3" faceplate,mount it on your lathe,and true it up with your bowl gouge.Mark the lid's outside radiuson the disc. Hollow the disc to a depthof about 1", staying%" shy of the marked radius.Use your square-endscraper to form a lo bevel on the jam chuck'sinside lip, then work this bevel towardthe rim until the lid simultane- ously fits snugly and bottoms out in the chuck. With the lid firmly in the chuck, part off the waste Jam your with skew chisel, nchuck O Markthe lid'soutside diameter. as shown.and fin- @Mount lidin jam chuck. ish-sandthe lid '/a to 220 git. @ttottow the disc, stoppingshort of the lid's markedradius. 3" faceplate (ao @ eartoff waste' work1. beverK*,

TO0LIS:Bowl gouge, square-end scraper, skew chisel. T00t REST:Above center. SPEED: 800-1,200 rpm. www.woodonline.com t I I a brightidea t

jam I f)Finish the bulb's base. Slightlyenlarge the chuckwith your | \,/square-end scraperand mount the base.If you accidentallytum the jam chuck's openingtoo largeto firmly grip the workpiece,insert layers of tissue paperuntil a tight fit is achieved.Engage the tailstockfor suppoft,and finish forming the threadson the base,rounding over their edgeswith your skew chisel,as shown. Form the taperthat Qfntarge jam chuckto fit base. representsthe bulb's insulatedtip. @ form the bevel. Finish-sand the baseto 220 gnt.

T00LS:Square-end scraper, skew chisel. T00L REST: Slightly above center. SPEED: 1,200-1,600 rpm.

I I eart the waste and drill the base. Back off the tailstockand part | | off the wastewith your skew chisel,cutting into the baseat a slight angle to createa small hollow. This hollow ensuresa tight fit when the baseis dow- Finish up with aniline dye, eledto the stand.Mount your drill chuckin the tailstockand drill a 3/a"hole in paint, and lacquer thebase, lrAe" deep. We usedBehlen Fire Truck Red anilinedye to color the bulb. Seethe Buying Guide for our dye source.Wearing latex gloveswhile work- ing with the dye, mixt/q teaspoonof dye pow- @ Mountyour drill chuck der with tA cupof hot water.Brush it on the and borethe hole. bulb, insideand out, saturatingthe surfaceto (*'--r obtainan intensecolor. With the dye dry, mount the baseon the lathe O gack off tailstockand partthe waste. usingthe jam chuck.Turning the latheby hand, use an artist's brush to paint the threadsgold and the insulatedtip black. We usedFolk Art paint. Seethe Buying Guide for our source. T00L:Skew chisel. T00L REST: Stightty above center. SpEED: 800-1,200 rpm. With the basestill in thejam chuck,glue and dowel the standto the base.Use the tailstockto 1 D Make the stand. Cut a 5Vzx5Vz"piece of lz/+"-thickmaple for the apply clamping pressure.(Five-minute epoxy | 4- stand.Find the center,draw a 5"-diametercircle, and rough-cut it on will shortenyour waiting time.) your bandsaw.Mount the blank to your 3" faceplateand turn it to the finished Finish the project with severallight coats of diameterwith your bowl gouge.use your skewchisel to cut a v-groove for gloss aerosolspray lacquer.If needed,sand the the bead,then round it over, flowing its top edgeinto the cove. Using your bulb lightly with 320-git sandpaperor a gray tailstock-mounteddrill chuck,drill a /s" hole rtAo" deep.Finish-sand the (ultra-fine)Scotch-Brite abrasive pad only when standto 220 git. the lacquerbuilds enoughof a film to protectthe dyed surface.When the final coat of lacquer dries,glue felt to the bottom of the stand.i Buying Guide Anilinedye. Behlen water-soluble aniline dye no. AH-200648 FireTruck Red, $8,49 for a 2-ouncebottle. Call Van Dyke's Restorers,800/558-1 234. Paint.Look for Folk Ar1 Metallic Pure Gold and Metallic Sequin Blackdecorative paints at craft supply stores. 0r callArtist Club, 800/845-6507;orgo to www.artistclub.com, Two-ounce bottles are$1.19 each. @ nottthe bead intothe cove. Writtenby Jan HaleSvec with Raymond L. Wilber @form the V-groove. Projectdesign: Raymond L. Wilber lllustrations:Raymond L. Wilber;Lorna Johnson T00LS:Bowl gouge, skew chisel. T00t REST:slightly above center. spEED: 800-1,200 rpm. Photographs:Baldwin Photography

90 WOOD magazine November2001 roductsthat erform Thesewoodworking warespassed our shop trials

Low-cost scrollsaw i So,it mustsacrifice power, right? makedelicate cuts in thin materialas with loads of features : Wrong. This machinehas the poniesto well. The bladeholder acceptsboth styles When Black & Deckerintroduced its line i saw IVz" matenalwith no difficutty. Yet, of blades,pinned and plain, and a slotted of Firestormcordless tools, it surprised i the variablespeed gave me the control to storagetray on top of the saw keepsthose many woodworkerswith bladeswithin easyreach. good perfofinanceat a great In addition,the BT4000 offers an easy- price. Thosesame qualities to-readtilt scaleand largeknobs. One alsocan be foundin B&D's small gripe-to changeblades, you need BT4000 scrollsaw,right to tilt the table45o to accessthe lower down to the brighrred color. armatureknob. But I do like how the This $170unit sports bladeand lower armaturetilt forward to featuresfound on more makethreading the bladefor insidecuts expensivescrollsaws, such fast and easy. as a segmentedair hoseto -Testedby Kevin Boyle blow dust away from your cutline.In addition,the Black& Decker8T4000 BT4000 has a dust-collection l6" Scrollsaw port directly below the blade, which. when connectedto a $170 ***** shopvacuum, gave me near- CallBlack & Deckerat 800/544-6986,orvisit ly dust-freecutting. www.blackanddecker.com.

92 WOOD magazine November2001 r =Et-- Econ-AbrasivesI "/llln! tools\ WE IvUKE ABRASIVE BELTS ANY SIZE, A IY GRIT! ). Standarcl Abrasrue Sheet ABRASIVEBELTS 'houlil Belts are resin bond clotn with a bldirectional splice, specify grits. hethis 50/pk 100/pk 1X3O $.81ea 3X24 $.93 ea 60D $17.58$31 .58C 1X42 .81 ea 3X27 .96 ea gooil!" 80D $16.42S29.26C lX44 .81 ea 4X21314 1.06 ea 100thru 150C$15.26 $26.95C 2112X16 .85ea 4X24 1.1Oea FINISHINGPAPER 3X18 .86ea 4X36 1.&5ea 3X21 .9oea 6X,18 3.5O 80A $11.74$19.89C ea 100thru 280A $10.50$17.58C 3X233A .93ea 6x89 6.24 ea OTHER SIZES NO LOAD PAPER(white) ON REQUEST HEAVYLU ! Y :JPRINGCLAMPS 100thru 4004 $12.90$22.40C amps comew/PVC tips and grips. uC*: 100SHEETS Size Price Velcro@Vacuum Discs 4' $lFea ljiele patternfor Boschsanders 6u 2.25 8u 3.50 T # .JUMBOROUTER PAD(2a'x 36') '*!:,i:i;ll:,f ,ffi"@,Itwill notallow small blocks of wood s" Bo .46 ll';lie,l,i ::ar;:lr:::wi#s[,!*M5' 100thru320.45'i:r.-'.,.' to slip out underrouter or sanding Shot-pinaction assures dead-on accura( ROUTERPAD '* Auailablein 5 hole pattern '* applications. forcommon angles. Our new adjustable ONLY$8.95ea. - - *WideBeltsrRolls*Flap Wheels insuresa perted fit in your table saw's slot. *Pump I ff , Sleeves*PSADiscs I JUMBO BELT CLMNING STICK *Router& Wood Bits*WoodGlue oNLY $8.80 Callor writefor $17e "MasterOard,VISA, Discover, Am. Expresr ourfree brochure. Model18-34 -SATISFACTIONGUARANTEED! !! ECOn_AbfaSiVeS *oALL FORFREECATALOG r5. l.o eg w1628 800Dutch Square Blvd., Suite 200 -TX Frisco.TX 75034 Columbia,SC 29210 addappropriate sales tax -fl -Callforshipping charges r I (972)377-9779 1-800-382-2637 wwwthejdscompany,com ' TOLL-FREEORDERTNG LINE (800)367-4101

CircleNo. 1229 The lowly sawhorse You can evencrosscut long 2x4 stock, full height,the weight rating dropsto 400 goes high-tech using only one Zag AdjustableSawhorse poundseach. That meansyou can safely Sawhorsesused to be clunky, riddled with and the SmartGrooves. I fit an 8' length load a pair of Zag AdjustableSawhorses saw kerfs, and awkwardto store.No of 2x4,lying flat, into the groovesand with 10 full sheetsof medium-density more.There are a numberof folding they held the stock securelyduring the fiberboard(MDF). Instead,I loadedmine sawhorseson the marketthese days, but operation.Invert the SmartGrooves and with a more realisticfour sheetsof 3/q" you'd be hard pressedto find any as ver- they work well for cutting round materi- plywood and,even at full height,detected satileas Zag AdjustableSawhorses. als, suchas steelor PVC pipe. little sway. Thesenifty, lightweight work supports At their 30" height,each sawhorse is -Testedby Jeff Hall can be setfrom 30" high (a good height ratedfor 500 pounds.When raisedto their Continued on page 94 for cutting sheetgoods) to 37" high (easy on the back when working with smaller pieces). They also lengthenfrom 29" to 47" with a simplepull of the rail exten- sion. I found the small rubberpads-built into the top rail to keep materialsfrom AlI Flne marringor sliding around-a nice touch. Thosefeatures alone would probablyearn Zag AdjustableSawhorses a recommenda- tion and a placein my shop.But there's Woodworklng more to thesehandy helpers. Each sawhorsecomes with a pair of "Smart Q1govss"-vaguely X-shaped attachmentsthat slip over the endsof the top rail. (Seephoto below.)With these, DemandsThe you can stand2x stockon edgeto act as a WooDWoRKER'S sacrificialtop rail for cutting sheetgoods.

'**

tF*-

ZagAdiustable Sawhorses The Performance ***** rimto vibrateand T4Silencer dampens ****'-.: Formore information. call The Stanlev Works at 800t82-6539,orvisit www.stanleywdrks.com. STATES www.woodonline.com products that perform

Sandi_ngsponges through the first layer of paint. It took me speed sur{ace prcp a little more than trvice the number of The advantagesof sandingsponges sfrokeswith the no-namesponge. are no big secret They readily The folks at 3M also have taken some mold themselvesto contouredsur- of the guessworkout of figuring out faces,yet spring back to sandflat which abrasiveto use where. SandBlaster just as easily. And, when the abra- products come color-codedbased on sive clogs with dust or finish, they their use-green for paint and varnish rinse clean with water. 3M removal, violet for preparing wood or SandBlastersanding sponges and metal for finishing, and gold for sanding padsbring thosepluses and more betweencoats of finish. to the category. -Testedby Jeff Hall The manufacturerclaims these abrasiveswork three times faster than other sandingsponges. To test that boast,I applied equal weight About our to a 36-grit SandBlastersponge product testers QU|SandBlaster sanding sponges and a new off-ttre-shelf 36-grit JeffHafl teaches wM

WOOD magazine November 2001

osquare CMT,s N DriveStops DriverBit Slippagel oHardened Steelfor Extra Strength oDeeF Threadfor

oAvailablein StainlessSteel. lolid Brass.Plated Steel. This sptem torrosion Resistantand Moret combinesthe performanceand oSizesfiom #tlx 3f8"to #14x 6" designof a shaper with the versatiliw Writefor FREECatalogl of a router.

We stock the full line on line catalog at of CMT cutting tools. www. sommerfeldto ols. com rruhatrg ahead inour next issue Goming in Decemberr

Arched-top Windowvalance cabinetclock Thissuper-simple project will add elegance Thisunique timepiece was one of the andsoft lighting to anyroom. Dress it up finalistsinour "lt's About Time" Clock- withclear finish, paint, or wallpaper to BuildingContest. You can build one just matchyour home's interior perfectly. likeit, andlearn a fewtricks about stave constructioninthe process.

A feature-packedrouter table Portable,easy to store,and capable of handling mostrouting tasks-that describes this benchtop workhorse.After you build one, we'll show you how to useit fortemplate routing, biscuit ioinery, making customdowels, splining miters, and iointing edges. Fixed-baserouters lf you'relooking for simple operation and maximummotor muscle for the money, try a fixed-baserouter. We test and review seven modelssized from 1lzto2% horsepower.

Tabletopreindeer Adda dashof festive cheer to yourholi- dayswith these 9"-tall decorations. You canmake five deer from just two pieces of %x12x30"birch plywood.

The answersfrom Page84 Color-1. padauk,2. PurPleheart, 3. blackwalnut, 4. tulipwood, Contemporarydresser and mirror 5. bubinga,6. kingwood. Ourmatching bedroom set concludes with a dresser L$ter-g. avodire,10. satinwood, wall-mountedmirror. Check page 70ol this 11. obeche. and Texture- 7. anegre,8.sycamore. issuefor the accompanying armoire/entertainment Flgure- 12. myrtleburl, 13. madrone center,issue 135 for the sleigh bed that kicked off burl,14. bird's-eye maple, 15.tiger maple, 16. elm burl. thisseries, and issue 136 for the nightstand.

rvrvw.woodonline.com 103