Classic Shaker Side Table
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A New Magazine Committed to Finding the Better Way to Build Filled With Good Craftsmanship, the Best Techniques and No Ads W OODMAWGAZINEORKING Classic Shaker Side Table Mortise and Tenon: Make Solid Joints with 1 Tool, 1 Bit & No Jigs The Secret to Sharper Tools: Sharpen Less Perfect Drawers Using One Table Saw Set-up Chisels Worth Buying And Those to Avoid Brushing Lacquer: Is it Worth the Stink? Better, Flatter Panels POPULAR WOODWORKING $4.99 U.S. $7.99 CAN 09 > 0 714 86 0 1 355 6 AUTUMN 2004 “You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.” Contents — Saint Bernard (1090 - 1153), French abbot 1 On the Level 6 Mortises & Tenons 16 Simple Shaker The joy of woodworking actually has little to do For Tables End Table with the act of working wood. This strong and so-called “advanced” joint Good woodworking is the product of the right is just a clever combination of rabbets and joinery and the right design. This table teaches 2 Letters grooves. We show you how to cut mortises and the fundamentals of both. Questions, comments and wisdom from tenons with one tool, one bit and no jigs. readers, experts and our staff. 22 Gluing Up Flat Panels 11 Sharpen a Chisel Most projects have at least one panel. Stop the 4 Shortcuts The secret to sharpening is making every stroke slippery, sliding madness and learn the best Tricks and tips to help make your woodworking count. Focus less on rubbing the tool on a way to create fl at ones perfectly, every time. simpler and more accurate. stone and more on observing your results. 24 Simple & Fast 15 Bevel-edge Chisels Rabbeted Drawers We put fi ve common chisels through a series of Cut every single joint for a drawer with one tests. Three of the tools are OK. Two we simply simple setup on your table saw. cannot recommend. 28 Drawer Primer: Sliding-lid Box Take our super-quick drawer-making technique for a test drive by building this box. The sliding lid makes it ideal for holding candles or chisels. 30 Brushing Lacquer SHORTCUTS,SHORTCUTS, PAGEPAGE 4 Lacquer dries fast, is forgiving and creates a beautiful topcoat. Find out how to get all the benefi ts without spending a fortune buying fancy spray equipment. 32 End Grain: Lyptus This new hybrid wood was bred in Brazil to compete with cherry and mahogany. Is it worth working? Check out our results. DRAWERDRAWER PRIMER:PRIMER: SLIDING-LIDSLIDING-LID BOX,BOX, PAGEPAGE 2828 BEVEL-EDGE CHISELS, PAGE 15 BRUSHING LACQUER, PAGE 30 END GRAIN: LYPTUS, PAGE 32 OODMAWOGAZINRKINE W Autumn 2004 G On the Level woodworking-magazine.com Editorial Offi ces 513-531-2690 EDITOR & PUBLISHER ■ Steve Shanesy ext. 1238, [email protected] ART DIRECTOR ■ Linda Watts ext. 1396, [email protected] ■ The Process is the Prize EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christopher Schwarz ext. 1407, [email protected] SENIOR EDITOR ■ David Thiel ext. 1255, [email protected] If I asked you what made a piece of music sound you break down the physical skills required to MANAGING EDITOR ■ Kara Gebhart great, chances are you’d respond by saying it’s the build a project into individual steps, they’re often ext. 1348, [email protected] notes. But that’s only partially correct. The spac- rather simple. Instead, the frustration the novice ASSOCIATE EDITOR ■ Michael A. Rabkin ext. 1327, [email protected] es, or time between the notes, are equally (some feels comes from the lack of experience in mak- ILLUSTRATOR ■ Matt Bantly would even say more) important. The same suc- ing good decisions about how to go about com- PHOTOGRAPHER ■ Al Parrish cession of notes played with more or less time pleting a task successfully. The frustrations and CIRCULATIONTION between them would produce a totally different resulting insecurity lead to a lack of confi dence Group Circulation Manager ■ Mark Fleetwood song. Odds are, it would sound awful. that comes from navigating unfamiliar territo- PRODUCTION So what does this have to do with woodwork- ry. A series of less-than-good choices makes for Vice President ■ Barbara Schmitz ing? Glad you asked. a bad day in the shop. Publication Production Manager ■ Vicki Whitford Production Coordinator ■ Brian Courter Let me apply the music question to the craft of That’s partially why beginners rush to com- F+W PUBLICATIONS, INC. woodworking. What makes woodworking so en- plete projects. They focus on the end project, not William F. Reilly ■ Chairman joyable? There must be something to this activi- the process. For these reasons, the beginner’s fi n- Stephen J. Kent ■ President ty, because at least a million people in the Unit- ished project often looks amateurish. Novices Mark F. Arnett ■ Executive Vice President & CFO ed States and Canada say they are woodworkers. lack the ability to understand the importance F+W PUBLICATIONS, INC. MAGAZINE DIVISION If you asked them, I bet of the means to achieve David Hoguet ■ Group Head Colleen Cannon ■ Senior Vice President their responses would a desirable end. They Newsstand Distribution: Curtis Circulation Co., be something like: “I “It’s good to have an end to journey “don’t know enough to 730 River Road, New Milford, NJ 07646 enjoy making things, know they don’t know,” You can order our fi rst issue for $7 ($9 Canada; $11 other foreign). using my hands.” Once toward; but it is the journey as the expression goes. This includes shipping and handling. Send check or money order to: Woodworking Magazine Spring 2004 Issue, F+W Publications again, I believe this is that matters, in the end.” That’s why many peo- Products, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990, or call 800-258-0929. only partially correct. ple think patience is the Please specify Woodworking Magazine, Spring 2004 issue. — Ursula K. Le Guin (1929 – ) The mere act of hardest thing to learn IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE novelist, poet, essayist Safety is your responsibility. Manufacturers place safety making things may not about woodworking. devices on their equipment for a reason. In many photos you be all that enjoyable. Alternately, consid- see in Woodworking Magazine, thesethese havehave beenbeen removedremoved toto provide clarity. In some cases we’ll use an awkward body But combine that act (the musical notes) with er the confi dent, experienced woodworker. He position so you can better see what’s being demonstrated. Don’t copy us. Think about each procedure you’re going to all the thinking required to perform the act cor- calls on experience to direct the work as he moves perform beforehand. Safety First! rectly (the spaces of time between the notes) and seamlessly through each task. He makes the right you have the essence of what makes woodwork- choices, anticipates problems, knows how and Highly Recommended ing so enjoyable. when to go slow, be patient and get it just right Though some people prefer new tools, Let me elaborate. The actual doing – say, the because he knows not doing so will create other therethere isis greatgreat mmeriterit inin purchasingpurchasing vintagevintage cutting of a board or the gluing of parts – if done problems down the road. The experienced wood- chiselschisels – iiff yyouou kknownow wwhathat ttoo bbuy.uy. PPremiumremium repetitiously for hours on end wouldn’t be enjoy- worker focuses on the process of doing the work. socketsocket chiselschisels areare stillstill widelywidely aavailablevailable aatt able at all. Have you ever made 20 or 30 of the As he works through each step, he spends little fl eeaa mmarketsarkets andand throughthrough eBay,eBay, andand cancan same thing? It can get old very fast. It’s the brain- time thinking about the completed project. costcost fromfrom $2$2 toto $25$25 apiece.apiece. WithWith somesome ex-ex- work that puts the joy in woodworking. For the experienced woodworker and those ceptions,ceptions, thesethese chiselschisels areare betterbetter thanthan newnew Consider all the thinking required, the prob- on their way to becoming one, the day of en- ones. The steel holds a better edge, the lems to be solved and decisions to be made, on lightenment comes with two realizations: First, handleshandles fi t youryour hhandand betterbetter andand thethe bevelsbevels even the simplest project. What joint should I that you just spent hours in the shop and it seems onon thethe ssidesides areare groundground muchmuch smallersmaller soso youyou use? Is that joint the best choice? How do I make like minutes. And second, you feel relaxed, even can easily sneak into corners. We’ve had immense success with the fol- the joint? Is that the best way to make it? Hun- refreshed, after hours of hard labor. The joy of lowing vintage (and now-vanished) mod- dreds of choices must be sifted through, consid- woodworking is simply being engaged in doing els: Witherby, Swan (shown), E.A. Berg and ered, decided on and executed in even simple it. The completed project is but a nice souvenir old Buck Brothers socket chisels. projects. Larger projects require thousands of of time well spent. WM Avoid buying rusty ones, especially if thought processes before your efforts come to a there is pitting on the face of the tool. The successful conclusion. handles should feel good when paring and A major reason novice woodworkers expe- chopping. Most of all, look for chisels that rience tremendous frustration is not so much were used as a chisel – not as a pry bar. from a lack of skill. It really isn’t hard to cut a Beat-up chisels are diffi cult to restore.