1 1 1 1 Relief Carving November 1978, No. 13 $2.50 NEW FROM mE TAUNTON PRESS... An invaluable, practical and new reference Fine · source Fine Woodworking Techniques 'leetJd1tg � Fine Woodworking TECHNIQUES, a O pages etb new book from the Taunton Press, re­ S. prints 50 comprehensive articles from 1 OS � flfle serlOisSoeS j!,or� �' $oad",ot the first seven issues of Fine Wood ­ of working magazine. This volume is a timeless and invaluable reference se"etl source fo r the serious woodworker's library, containing info rmation rarely fo und in standard woodworking books. The articles present a diverse array of techniques used in the workshops of 34 expert craftsmen. 394 photographs and 180 fine drawings, as well as a compre­ hensive index, add to the clarity of the presentations in this 192-page volume. You'll find this book highly info rm­ ative fo r both current and fu ture pro­ jects involving cabinetmaking, carving, marquetry and turning. The book covers such topics as wood technology, 9 x 12 inches guitar joinery, bowl turning, making a 192 pages, hardcover Danish-style workbench and much, $14.00 postpaid. much more. AnWorkingMake Introduction a Chair Green from Woodto a Tree: FineBiennial Woodworking Design Book by John D. Alexander, Jr. This book details the simplicity If you love fine woodworking, of a chair held together by joints you'll treasure this superb collec­ that take advantage of the shrink­ tion of the best designs in wood ing action of drying wood. Alex­ by present-day craftsmen. The ander takes you step by step from 600 photographs are the pick of 9 x 9 inches felling and splitting a tree, hand­ 8000 sent to the editors of Fine 128 pages, softcover Woodworking , and show the in­ $8. 00 postpaid. shaping the pieces into posts, rungs and slats, and assembling credibly varied work being done 9 x 12 inches today. From antique interpreta­ them into a sturdy yet elegant 176 pages, softcover chair with a woven bark seat. 175 $8. 00 postpaid. tions to ultramodern fantasies, photos, 50 drawings, indexed. innovation abounds throughout. See order form inside back cover Send order with payment to Th e Ta unton Press, 52 Church Hill Rd. , Box 355, The Thuntonltess Newtown, CT 06470. Conn. residents add 7% sales tax. Satisfaction fu lly guaranteed. Ircrl Publisher Paul Roman Editor John Kelsey Art Director Roger Barnes Fine Contnbuting Editors Tage Frid R. Bruce Hoadley Alastair A. Stair Consulting Editors WqqqWorking® George Frank, A. W. Marlow November 1978, Number 13 Assistant Editors Laura Cehanowicz Ruth Dobsevage Production DEPARTMENTS JoAnn Muir, Manager Deborah Fillion 4 Letters Barbara Hannah, Darkroom Nancy Knapp, Typesetting 13 Methods of Work Advertising 18 Books Janice A. Roman, Manager Lois Beck, Vivian Dorman 28 Questions & Answers Advertising Representative 34 Addenda, Errata Granville M. Fillmore Promotion Director 36 The Woodcraft Scene by Diane Crocker: Making ends meet Philip Truitt 39 Events Marketing Representative John Grudzien 80 Tage Frid: An apprenticeship in Denmark Subscnptions 82 Editor's Notebook: Of oil finishes, clocks, meetings and machines Carole E. Ando, Manager Gloria Carson, MarieJohnson Cathy Kach, Nancy Schoch ARTICLES Kathy Springer Mazlroom 40 Scientific Instruments of Wood by Stanley N. Wellborn Viney Merrill 43 Making a Microscope by M.D. Zakariya Business Manager The armonious Craft by Laura Cehanowicz: Fine instruments on display Irene Arfaras 45 � Correspondents 48 Laminated Bowls by Harry Irwin: Simple cuts produce complex curves Carol Bohdan, David Landen John Makepeace, Alan Marks 50 Preparation of Stock by Ian Kirby: Obtaining a true face side Jim Richey, Rosanne Somerson Richard Starr, Colin Tipping 55 Tung Oil by William D. Woods Stanley N. Wellborn 56 Relief Carving by Rick Butz: Traditional methods work best Illustrators Christopher Clapp,Joe Esposito 60 Roll-Top Desks by Alastair A. Stair: How King Louis hid his clutter Stan Tkaczuk 64Shaped Tambours by Bob March 65 Of the Cylinder Desk and Book-Case by Thomas Sheraton 66 Basic Machine Maintenance by David Troe 70 Portfolio: A.W. Marlow: Museum-quality furniture 72 End-Boring Jig by Steve Voorheis: Drill press is more versatile 73 Scale Models by Bob Trotman: Plywood mockup illuminates design 74 The Purpose of Making by Stephen Hogbin 77 Lumber Grading by William W. Rice: A guide for the perplexed Cover: The first steps in relief carving are outlining the de sign with a V-too/, then wi­ 84 On Workmanship de ning the outline with a gouge of medium sweep, as shown on our cover. This estab­ Izshes the le vel of the background and makes room fo r tn'mming the raisedpor tion Fine Woodworkin is published bimonthly, January. March. May,July, Septcmber and ovember. by The Taunton Press. Inc., eWlQwn, CTg 06470, Telephone (203) 426·8171. Second-class postage paid at Newtown. CT 06470 and additional to a clean, vertical edge. The carver then mailing offices. Postal Service Publication umber 105190. Col?yri�hl 1978 by The Taunton Press. Inc. No reproduction without permission of The Taunton Press. loc. Fine Woodworkmg is a register("d trademark of The Taunton Press. Inc. clears the entire background before begin­ ISSN 0361-3453. Subscription rates: Unit("d States and poSS("ssions. $12 for one year. $22 for tWO years; Canada. SI4 for ning to model the design itself With mallet one year. $26 for two years (in U.S. dollars. please); other countries. S15 for one y("ar. $28 for two years (in U.S. dollars. andgouge, an adep t carver can outline, set please). Siogle copy, 52.50. For single copies outside U.S. and possessions. add 25C postage per issue. Send to Subscription Dept.. The Taunton Press. PO Box 355. eWtown. CT 06470. United Kingdom. L7. 50 for one year. payable to The Taun­ in and clear the waste in the time it takes ton Press; mail to ational W("stminster Bank. PO Box 34. I'j Bishops�ate. London. EC2P 2AP. Address all correspon­ dence {O the appropriate depanmeOl (Subscription. Editorial or Advertising). The Taunton Press. 52 Church Hill Road. the novice to find hzj'router bits. The wood PO Box 355. Newtown. CT 06470. POSTMASTER: Send notice of undeliverC'd copies on Form 3579 to The Taunton is butternut; dzscussion begins on page 56. Press. PO Box 355. eWlOwn. CT 06470. 3 LETTERS ____________________________________ George Frank's "Stains, Dyes and Pigments" (Sept. '78, line with the Uniplane table set to the proper angle. I notice pp. 58-59) has stirred me to ;"rite you .. that the radial-arm saw set up on p. 73 of the Spring '78 issue I am 33, have been a working cabinetmaker for six years, would result in making rip cuts with what is basically a cross­ and am always striving for technical improvement, as well as cut mode ...perhaps not the best policy .... esthetic growth. I share the sentiment of cabinetmaker -jack Freeman, Manhattan Beach, Calt! Richard Scott Newman, who has remarked that for young cabinetmakers woodworking knowledge is in a dark age, with With reference to "Making Chisels" (Summer '78, p. 18), many of us isolated from the body of classical technical Lester Rishel gives misleading and erroneous information on knowledge, each having to rediscover techniques probably tempering a cutting edge. The term "tempering" refers to common to the European line of knowledge. Especially poor the removal of hardness from steel. Hardening is the process is our knowledge of finishing technique. It seems that the by which steel is heated to a cherry-red color and quenched in only persons with good, extensive knowledge are the older a liquid. In the hardened state, steel is brittle. The hardness artisans in industry. Frank's remark on the lack of data from and brittleness are reduced by drawing the temper. The American finish suppliers rang so true. I use the products of a hardened surface is partially polished to remove scale, then, major fi rm on the East Coast, but haven't been able to gain carefully reheated until the brightened surface indicates color comprehensive product application data from them. temperatures ranging from a light yellow to a deep blue. A -Newell White, Rochester, N. Y. dark-straw color is appropriate for percussive tools such as chisels. As soon as the proper color develops, the steel is Thank you for the information on staved cones by Thomas quenched in water to arrest the tempering procedure. Webb in Spring '78, (p.75). I've been working on an oak Annealing is the process by which steel is heated to a trombone and encountered the staved-cone problem when cherry-red color and allowed to cool slowly. This process re­ gluing up wood for the bell. This was before I discovered your moves the hardness and permits filing and / or drilling ... article, so I had filled several pages with computation before I -Joseph E. Brown, Sudbury, Mass. had an answer fo r the bevel setting. After making the first For a fuller treatment of tempering and hardening, EDITOR'S OTE: two pieces I could see how far off this answer was, and see "Heat Treating" (Fall '76, pp. 50-52). switched to the trial and error system with scrap wood before proceeding. I went through the same computation with your I enjoyed reading "Parsons Tables" by C. Edward Moore article and see that both methods agree. Would that I had (Summer '78, pp. 70-73). I have done rather a lot of veneer­ had your method sooner. ing, especially with the problem veneers, burls, crotches and I have found the Rockwell Uniplane machine to be a valu­ other cantankerous sorts. I, too, like "the crispness of mitered able precision tool for work of this type.