In This Issue

in this issue

PROJECTS TECHNIQUES 32 Coverproject: Modular shelving 18Createa super-smooth filled finish Foursimple components thatcan be arranqed in infinitecombinations forultimate flexibility. 28Fourways to securea tabletop 46 Dollarcoin holder 74 lnterchangeableboxjoints 5howyour patriotic pride-and your presidential Thisstrong, timeless joint gets a makeoverthanks coincollection-with thishandsome display. toa no-doughtablesaw jig. 58 Drop-leafharvest table 84 Howto installtable-legconnectors 70 (andlewallsconces 78 Three-boxensemble DEPARTMENTS 8 SoundingBoard TOOLS & MATERIALS 10 ShopTips 88 AskW00D 22 Settingup and using rule-joint router bits Twocommon router bits combine toform afoldable 108What's Ahead edgefor drop-leaf tables. 42 Shop-tested:Tablesaw blades Canone general-purpose bladereally crosscut aswell asit rips? Turns out several do,as 0ur tests reveat. gPff3lr+, 50 Hotnew tools for 2008 Oureditors pick the tools and accessories thatwill be s makingnews (and sawdust) inthe next 12 months. 64 Wood-jointtorture test Wesacrifice dozens ofdoor and drawer ioints inthe nameof science-and better woodworkinq. Thisseal is your assurance that we build everyproject, verify every fact, and test every revreweotoot In our worKshop to quarantee yoursuccess and complete satisfa[tion.

,f Dec./Jan.2007/2008 lssue181 on the web woodmagadne.com

NOW THAT'S coo L! Browsethe photo gallery at woodmagazine.com/projectga llery andyou'llfind inspired works like thesewhimsical light-switch covers madeby Larry Greengard of Merced,Calif.

PEEKTHROUGH THE KEYHOLE...... asMatt Seiler builds this beautifulwalnut credenza. Manbuilds custom furniture in suburbanChicago. Follow his progressinthis photo-laden blog atwoodmagazine.com/msblog.

A H ELPING HAN D Fteeonline slide shows detail how W00D'magazine projects come together.This month, get extra in-progressphotos ofthe Harvest Table (right,p. 58) and Modular Cabinets (p.32) atwoodmagazine.com/sl ideshows.

M IGHTY DUCKS IN YOUR SHOP Exclusivelyat W00D 0nline! Learn how to layout irregular curves using spline ducks (/eft). It'sa woodworking technique you'll find only at woodmagazine.com/irrcurves. Better Homes and Gardenso

w00lLwoodmaoazine.com December/January2OO7 I2OOB Vol.24,No.7 lssueNo. 181

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF We askedour staff: BItLKRIER Whatis your best finishing tip? ManagingEditor DeputyEditor ....'MARLENKEMMET DAVECAMPBELI... . . Art Director SeniorDesign Editor KARLEHLERS KEVINBOYLE

TechniquesEditor Tool& TechniquesEditor Whenusing an oil/varnish BOBWILSON BOBHUNTER mix on porouswoods, such ProjectsEditor ProjectsEditor asoak, check frequently OWENDUVALL JANSVEC for finishbleeding back in To avoidthe mess puddlesas it cures. DesignEditor MasterCraftsman andclean-up from JEFFMERTZ CHUCKHEDTUND steelwool, I buff betweentop coats MultimediaEditor AssociateArt Director AssistantArt Director with an ultrafine LUCASPETERS GREGSELLERS CHERYLA.CIBULA (gray) synthetic Production/OfficeManager AdministrativeAssistant abrasivepad. MARGARETCTOSNER SHERYLMUNYON Photographers MARTYBALDWIN, JASON DONNELLY DEAN SCHOEPPNER, JAY WILDE lllustratorsTIM CAHILL, LORNA JOHNSON, ROXANNE LeMOINE TechnicalConsultants JEFF HALL, PAT LOWRY ContributingCraftsman JIM HEAVEY ProofreadersBABS KLEIN, IRA LACHER, JIM SANDERS Makesample boards in speciesyou use SUBSCRIBERSERVICE regularly.For stains, Co to woodmagazine.com/helpor writeto WOODmagazine, P.O. Box 37439, Boone, lA 50037-0439 makea sampleboard stainor clearfinish. Build with one and two coats PublisherMARK L. HAGEN up lightcoats and sand to previewthe results. ADVERTISINGAND MARKETING betweeneach coat. CHICAGO:333N. MichiganAve., Suite 1500, Chicago, lL 60601 MarketingManager AMANDA SALHOOT AdvertisingManagers JACK CHRISTIANSEN, CAROTYN DAKIS DirectResponse Advertising Representative RYAN INTERLAND AssistantsGAYTE CHEJN, JAcl LEsKo ATLANTA:Navigate Media DETROIT:RPM Associates ProductMarketing Manager DIANAWIILITS BusinessManager JEFF STILES Tipsand Tricks As'sociateConsumer Marketing Director DAN HOLLAND AssociateDirector of Marketing-NewsstandTOM DEERING forYourShop SeniorProduction Manager MELANIE STOLTENBERG AdvertisingOperations Manager JIM NELSON E-CommerceManager MATT SNYDER y' taUlesawtimesavers GroupPublisher TOM DAVIS MEREDITHPUBLISHING GROUP PresidentJACK GRIFFIN y' no*ingproblem solvers ExecutiveVice President DOUG OLSON EditorialDirector MIKE LAFAVORE Finance& AdministrationMIKE RIGGS / Quicker,easier dam ping ManufacturingBRUCE HESTON ConsumerMarketing DAVID BALL CorporateSales JACK BAMBERGER r' Upgradeyour workbench lnteractiveMedia LAURENWIENER CorporateMarketing NANCY WEBER ResearchBRITTAWARE r' Dead-ondrilling ^/Uleredth I conponerron your Presidentand ChiefExecutive Officer STEPHENM. LACY r' Stretch storagespace Chairmanof the Board WILLIAMT. KERR ln Memoriam- E.T.Meredith lll (1933-2003) r' Maximizeyour mitersaw Our subscriberslist is occasionallymade available to carefully selectedfirms whoseproducts may be of interestto you. lf you prefernot to receiveinformation from thesecompanies by mail or by phone,please let us know.Send your request alongwith your mailinglabel to MagazineCustomer Service, P.O.Box 10263,Des Moines, lA 50336-0263. 0rderonline (orporation o (opyrightMeredith 2007.All rights reserved. Printed in theU.S.A. RetailSales Retailers

$6.99U.S., $8.99 Canada WOOD magazlne December/lanuary2007 12008 wDor08 SoundinBoard Ourbulletin board for letters, comments, and timely updates

Reader puts a new spin on end-grain cutting board After making severalend-grain cutting %" drill bit (samesize as the pivot pin I Plywood circle boards from your plans in issue 172 used to cut the circles)to align the (October 2006),I got the idea to make a hardware, as shown at right. lazy-Susanserver, shown atrtght, using BecauseI couldn't drive screwsinto the sameend-grain pattern. I bought both the baseand top-the hardware the 6" rotating hardware (Shepherd doesn't come apart-I marked and Hardware paft #9548) for $5 at The drilled shank holes for the screwsand Home Depot. counterboresfor the nuts in the base. Here'show I built it. First, I glued up Then I attached the screwsto the lower the strips according to your plan-but bracket with hot-melt glue. I next made them 4'long so I could get centeredthe hardware on the top and matching discs-then cut 12" and'l'6" secured it with four #8xVz" self-tapping circles from that blank. Next, I routed wood screws.Finally, I attached the the edges,sanded both discs smooth, basewith four #8-32x/a" machine and applied my finish. screwsand nuts. After assemblingthe To center the hardware on each disc I two discs to the hardware, I attached cut a /+" plywood circle that fits into rubber bumper feet to the base. the lazy-Susanhardware. Then I used a -Ted Lone,Sarasota, Flo.

Boston show canceled Settee glider provides armrest, table for two The ConsumerWoodworking ExPo has I always wanted a gftder rocker, but : 2000) with the glider. My settee glider canceledits show scheduledfor Nov. never found one I liked. Then my i isbelow rtght.I had to modify the base 30-Dec.2 in Boston. father showed me the Adirondack slightly to receive the gliding hardware glider, shown below,in WOODv (Rocklerpart #58330, $20, 8OO-279- Article update magazine issue 155 (May 2OO4).After 444I or rockler.com). Now it's on mY Issue L78 (September 2OO7) looking at other issuesin his collection, porch-the perfect place to enioy r ln Tip #2 of "Clampdown on glue-uP I decided to combine the Adirondack evenings. mistakes"(page 98), you shouldwipe off while it'swet. settee,below center,in issue 125 (August -Brian Tillor,Cincinnati, Ohio glue squeeze-out

r Forwoodwo*ingadvice: r Subscriptionassistance: r Toordel past issues and articles: Postyour woodworking questions (ioinery, finishing, Tonotiff us of an address change, ort0 gethelp with 0rderpast issues ofW00D nagazine, ourspecial issuel tools,turning, general woodworking, etc.) on one of yoursubscription, visitwoodmagazine.com/service. ordownloadable articles from issue 100 to present Visit 14online forums atwoodmagazine.com/forums. 0rwrite to W00Dmagazine, P0Box 37439, Boone, lA ouronline store atwoodmagazine.com/store. 50037-0439.Please enclose your address label from a Someissues are sold out. r Tocontact our editors: recentmagazine issue. Sendyour comments viaE-mail to r Updatesto previouslypublished projects: [email protected];orwrite to r Tofind past articles: Foran up-to-date listing of changes indimensions W00Dmagazine,1716Locust St., LS-221, Seeour index at woodmagazine.com/index. andbuying-guide sources from issue 1through today, DesMoines, lA50309. goto woodmagazine.com/editoiial.

WOOD magazlne December/January2007 12O08 Sho Ti s Helpingyou work faster, smarter, and safer

PVC to fit blast gates Downsize @

o When I installed a central ductwork o I used = system for my dust collector, A 4" PVC pipe instead of steeland saved E percent on the cost. But the inside 75 Youthink yourneighbors aie close? diameter of the 4' PVC is /4" too large i Onlyone wall sepirates Top Shop Tip ' for blast gatesdesigned for steel ducts. winherScott PerrY's townhouse- My dad and I solved that bY Problem basementshoP from the folksnext shrinking the PVC pipe slightly with a door."l buy mostof mYwood rough-I propane torch. sawn,so I iry to machineit whenthe To soften the PVC for the we : ioints, neighborsaien't around," he saYs.To slipped a hose clamp over the pipe and .nrlur.the projectshe buildsdown i carefully heated the until it PiPe there(such us ih" Mission-stylebed softened.With the end soft, he PiPe he'ssitting on) comeback out, he slipped the fitting into the slid the PiPe, usesCAD software to designand hose clamp up near the end, and buildthem in smallersubassemblies r tightened it to snug-up the softened he can easilycomPlete outdoors. PVC end. Once the PiPecooled and hardened, we removed the hose clamP to use for the next ioint. Finally, I securedthe blast gate to the pipe with a sheetmetal screw.With no tape, glue, or steel,and onlY a single hose clamp, it's a clean, simPle waY to build an inexpensive but effective collection system. -Scott PerrY,TinleY Pork, lll'

Quick and easy board straightener Scott will test the "can't have too many I don't spend extra moneY to clamps"theory with 5300worth of them have a straight edgemilled from AdjustableClamP ComPanY for on the stock I buY becausea sendingthis issue'sToP ShoP TiP. long time ago I figured out a way to straighten virtuallY any board on mY tablesawas fairlY flat. All long as it's You Tellus how You'vesolved a workshoP need is a straight scraPof stumper,and You'llget $100if we material you can screwto the print it. And, if your id.ea.garners Top , workpiece, as shown. The lSfropTip honois,we'll alsoreward-Iou , at least$250. straight scraprides against witli a tool prizeworth ',i the fence allowing a straight Sendyoui bestideas, along with and your daytime cut on the opposite edge. photosilr drawings , number,to: ShoP TlPs, i With one straight edgein bhone WOOO Magazln e, 1716 Locust St., i place,you only need to LS-221, Des Molnes, lA 5O3O9- : scraP, remove the straight 3023. Or, by e-mail:shoPtiPs@ turn the board around, and woodmagazine.com.lnclude yo.ur l straighten the other edge. contactiifo in the e-mailas well. The attached trowels helP me Becausewe try to Publishoriginal hoist large workPieces uP to tips, pleasesend Your tiPs g'nlY. to tabletop height. WOODmagazine. Sorry, submitted -Niki Avrahami,Garwolin, Polond materialscan't be returl;d. continuedon PageL4

WOOD magazfne December/lanuary2OO7 l20OB 10 Sho_pTip5

All-weather runners for a tablesaw sled I live in a climate where the humidity variesa lot, causingwood to expand and contract considerably.As a result, my tablesaw'scrosscut sled, made from MDF, would often hang up in the miter slotsas I tried to push it through. To solvethe problem, I createdthe adiust- ablerunners shown here so I can have a snug,but smooth-running, operation regardlessof the weather. To add theseexpandable miter runners to one of your sleds,begin by cutting runners that are 7ro"shallower and narrower than your miter slots. Next, attach somecloth-backed double- facedtape to the top of the runners and centerthem in the miter slots.Lay some penniesin the bottom of the slot so the into the jig. Mark the runners so you Tightening the screwscauses the runners will be proud of the surface, can attach them exactly asyou drilled runner to spreadslightly until it fits and shim the sidesto keepthem them, and then removethe runners perfectly in your tool's miter slot. centered.Expose the tape and lay your and tape.Use a iigsawto cut the 1" I check the fit eachtime I use mY jig squarelyon the runners to tempo- expansionslots shown in the drawing. crosscutsled and adfustthe width of rarily position them. Now, install V+-ZOxVz"threaded inserts the runners as needed.To further Removethe jig (with runners into the fig bottom at each pilot-hole reducefriction, I occasionallywax the attached),and drill and countersink location, and attach the runners to the runners and the bottom of the sled. pilot holesthrough eachrunner and sledwith the flathead machine screws. -LorryPlogens, Conroe, Texas

Instant insert for zero-clearance cuts Cutting dadoesor rabbetsinto small pieceson a tablesawused to be a hazardousundertaking for me. The workpiecewould sometimescatch on the edgesof the dado insert that came with my saw.Rather than making a bunch of zero-clearanceinserts to fit into the throat-plateopening, I now fashion a new temporary zero-clearance "tabletop" for each setupusing scraps of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). To make your own sacrificialtable- top, install your dado set,and lock your fencein the desiredposition for cutting the rabbetor dado. Lower the dado set below the saw'stabletop and clamp a pieceof scrapto the tablesaw,as shown at right. Next, start the sawand raise the dado set slowly so that it cuts through the scrap.Raise it about 7ro" higher than the required depth and then lower it to the true cutting depth. (This extra spacehelps clearthe sa.wdustas you cut.) You can usethis sametechnique for larger workpieces, but you'll need a wider pieceof scrap. -BennyFloyd, Cobot, Ark, continuedon page16

14 WOOD magazlne December/January2007 12008 ShopTips

Plunqe-mini router transforms into drill press I recently nceded to drill 7+"-diameter holes into the end grain of some 82"- long bed rails: too long for my drill press,too big for my doweling jig, and I didn't trust a hand drill to give rne the perfectly perpendicular holes I needed. Instead, I drilled the holes with rny plunge router and the shop-made self- centering jig you sce here. Start by rnaking the jig from 1/+" hardboard and two scrapwood fences spacedto match the thickness of the workpiece you want to drill. Install the iig in place of your router's factorv- supplied subbase,with the bit centered between the two fences. Now install a 3/+"plunging straight bit (such as Woodline WL-1038,1/z'shank, $9, 800-472-69 50 or woodline.cotn), clar-r-rpthe workpiece between the fences,and plunge slowly, withdrawing occasionally to clear chips. With this jig, I've found I can plunge abotrt 1t/2" deep with rny existing bits. If I need to go deeper, this plungcd hole provides an effective guide for a Forstnerbitin ':Lfnffill,,l',))),,,,, r,

A surefire way to clean aerosolhozzles In my shop I frequently use spray cans of paint and finish and I don't like wasting the can's contents or pressure to clear the nozzle. Instead, I use a can of WD-40, as shott'n, to easily and completely clean the nozzle. lF -David Buskirk,Roy, Ohio

16 woOo magazine December/lanuary200712008 FinishingSchool

fP#ts4rh*

l*r].:* tF- *-*-**;il*g*; Evenopen-grained oak can be smoothas glass when you plugthose pesky pores'

washcoatof the film finish you'll use f you've buried the tip of a ballpoint custom look. (SeeSources.) You'll also I for the topcoats.(For a polyurethane p.. into the grain of a red-oak need mineral sPirits,naPhtha, or a I or washcoat,thin one part oil-basedpoly I desktopas you write, you've learned pore-filler reducer;a plastic scraper burlaP with two parts mineral spirits.For one benefit of a filled-pore finish. Or squeegee;at least1 sq Yd of sponge. lacquer,mix equal finish and maybeyou've seena high-glossfinish cloth; and a 320-grit sanding Parts fill lacquerthinner.) marred by pockmarksthat grain filler For most Proiects,You need to The washcoatalso sealsthe poresto would have eliminated. only the topmost horizontal surface light is help your filler fill better and makes Don't confusepore fillers with wood becausethat's where the most filling excessfiller easierto wipe off. Do not putty. Fillersmix finely ground solids, reflectedoff the finish' If you're do each sand the washcoatbefore applying pore usually silica,with a binder and a more than one surfacethough, uP. filler becauseit will also lodge in any colorant.Water-based fillers emit less i one separatelYwith that side sanding scratchesin the washcoat. odor than solvent-basedproducts, but i Prepareyour ProiectbY machine- they also dry faster.So stick with ' sanding up to 180 grit, then hand-sand- flat pad to level Prepare the filler solvent-basedfillers for largeproiects, i ing at 180 grit with a Pore Filler typically comesin a thick paste such as the harvest table on page58, or ' the surface.Pore filler highlights by that should be thinned to a pourable until you gain more experiencefilling ; surfaceflaws, so check for scratches If consistencyfor spreading.Some filler smallerprojects. i wiping the wood with mineral spirits' I stain the wood, do it now' ; manufacturerssell a reducer,but You can buy Porefiller in a handful , you plan to stainedor bare wood's i mineralspirits ot nu@ri:;:ff:;:r, of colors,or mix Pigmentswith off- i fitler alters a white (called"natural") filler for a ' color, so sealthe areato be filled with

WOOD magazlne December/lanuary2007 I 2008 18 FinishingSchool the samething for lessmoney. Choose mineral spiritsto slowthe filler'sdrying Choose fillers for a cnstom color time and let you work longer on large wT: surfaces.Use naphtha to speedup the drying time for smallerProiects. Testthe filler color on scrapthat's beensanded and sealedthe sameas your project.If you'redissatisfied with the color,change it bY adding Pig- ments.(See "Choose fillers for a custom color" riglrt.)We addedMixol to a natural-colorfiller, but you alsocan add universalpigments or japancolors. Dependingon yourchoice of filler fillerslike the Pore-O-Pacmedium- coloror addedpigments, You can brownwalnut shown at center.Despite Now fill those makepores match or contrastwith the the washcoat,the darkfiller also Pores Allthree red-oak darkenedthe surroundingwood. Pourthinned filler directly onto the surroundingwood. samplesobove started with Varathane To matchpore colors to the stain workpiecesurface and spreadit across golden-oakstain and a washcoatof color,mix colorantwith natural-color using a plasticscraper or the grain spraylacquer. filler.The sampleat rightuses 1 Press squeegee,as shown on Page/8. Usingthinned natural filler on the teaspoonof Mixol 21 terra-brown the filler into the poresas you work, /eftsample turned the poresoff-white, pigmentin 1 cup of naturalfiller. Mix but not hard enough to scratchthe mimickingan antiquepickled finish morethan you needto avoidrunning washcoat.Also fill the end grain and that'sbeen stripped away. For strong out and to matchrelated projects you edgesof routed profilesvisible from the graincontrast, use medium or dark mightbuild later. top [PhotoA]. Continueto wipe across the grain to removeany filler globsor largestreaks. vary widely, but As filler solventsevaporate, they leave pores[Photo C], and refoldthe cloth as Filler drying times beforefinishing a a dull, hazy surface[PhotoB]. That's it becomespacked with filler. Stop allow three days solventsin the your signal to wipe away surfacefiller when no more hazy areasor cross-grain filled surfacebecause the filler. Then, using a burlap cloth. Wipe acrossthe streaksshow in the reflectionof an finish could resoften 320-grit sanding grain to avoidpulling filler out of the angledlight tPhotoDl. lightly sandwith a sponge,but avoid cutting through the thin washcoat.Apply a secondwash- coat to sealthe surface,and use an angledlight and your fingertips to find unfilled spots.Woods with largepores, such as oak, may require a secondfiller application and washcoat. After you're satisfiedwith the surface smoothness,apPlY two coatsof film finish, and level the final coat by sanding it to 320 grit using a flat, rigid sanding pad. (A pieceof felt glued to a roughly 3x4Vz"block works well.) Then, apply a third coat,and rub out the finish to the desiredsheen. For a glossierfinish, top off the film finish by buffing on a coatof wax. f

Sources Pore filler. Natural-shadePore-O-Pac paste-wood fillerno. 87440416,519, Klingspor's Woodworking Shop, 800-228-0000;woodworkingshop.com. Other colors are available,Pore-O-Pac filler reducer no. 87442006, S15' Bartley'sPaste Wood Filler no, 02237028 (light), S9'89/pint VanDyke's Rastorers, 800-558-1234, vandykes.com, Pore-filler colorants. Mixolterrabrown (21) no. 832406,$5for 20 ml, Woodcraft, 800-225-1 153; woodcraft. com.Other colors are available. Burlap. Checkwith local fabric stores, or order tr no.8170000, $2 for 1 sqyd, Klingspo/s.

magazine Decembet'lanuary2007 12008 20 WOOD Bladesand Bits Rule-

*dFF- Ioint r" 'ti4i .r , v ','6i,-"X t.s.*'-' Router Bits .':ii!;. Setupblocks speed your way to dead-on jointstime aftertime.

Watch a FREEvideo on how to rout rule ioints at wood m a gazine.com/ru leioint.

ule-ioint bits add both form and First, rout the function to a drop-leaf table, tabletop such as the one aboveand on For the 3/a"-thickparts t/z"round-over page 58.They round over table edgesfor shown, begin by a traditional look and let you lift up mounting aVz"-radius TabletoP table leavesto seatmore guests. round-over bit into va"groove f Most rule-joint router-bit sets(see either a table-mounted \ %0"deeP -*--l- , Sources)come with a r/2"rovtld-over bit or handheld router. and a mating Yz"cove bit, like those in Use a router table for PhotoA, for cutting joints in :/+"-thick tabletops small material. Thel/z" sizeworks with either enough to maneuver mortised or surface-mountedhinges. To safely.Set the cutting depth to leave a Regardlessof the method you use, leavethe correct-sizeshoulders in 3/ro"shoulder [PhotoBl, and move the record your perfect profile by routing material 7/s"to L" thick, step up to a set fence flush with the bit's bearing. Test one edgeof a setup block the same with s4"round-over and cove bits. the fence setting and the bit height in thickness as your tabletop. For future Buying the bits in setsshves money. scrapbefore routing both ends and reference,mark it with the thickness of For example, the set shown belowcosts edgesof the tabletop. the material and the specific bit used. about $9 lessthan buying the samebits If the top is too large to manage on a separately.And becauseboth bits have router table, place a table leaf beneath Rout a cove on the leaves common profiles, you can replacea and flush with the top to guide the bit's Table leavesare often narrow enough to damagedbit without buying a new set. bearing lPhotoC] as you rout. handle on a router table. Using the continuedon page24

22 WOOD magazlne December/fanuary2007 12008 and

tr tabletop'sroutrd-ctvcr ltrofilc or the' setup block as a gLricle,acliLrst the %' covc bit's height tct leavc ttcttttttrc that't att/:tz" galt ltctrt'certthc setttll bltlck prof ilc anc1thc cclgeof the corrcllit. LJsinga straightcclgc,acljust thc rotttcr- table fencc flush n'ith tltc ltit's bcarit'tg. -fest your se'ttingsott scrap lrcftlre -l-hcrl roLrtingbotl-r leavcs IPhoto D]. roltt that profile on tl-rcoltposite eclgc of thc settrpblock, ancl savcit alortg lvitll thc '# bit set for futtrre projccts IPhotoE].

f ll -S.** -.s :14

a Setup block-/

Setno. 26318 (shown) with a r:"- radius,1+ -high round-over bit and ar.:"-radius, s'8"-high covebit; 550, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, 800- 279-4441;rockler.com. Set no. 100-5465for 3,t' tabletops, 5+2.+5,Ea g le America, 800'87 2-2511; eag lea merica.com. Setno. 33-l'1('ri' 1'a" tabletops, 551, Freud, 800-334'4107; freudtools.com.Setno. 00-124for r,r" tabletops, 553, In f i n it y Cu tt in g To ols,87 7' 872-2487 inf inity to o Is. c o m. Sc i no.B40l (s's set for surface-mounter-i ;ringes), 542, MLC.:,, 800-533-9298;mlcswoodworki ng.cc-, m. !.e t ro. WL-2033, S39,Wood line USA, 800-472-6950;,.rroo,:lrine.com.

24 WOOD magazine Decenrbei''ranuary200/,'2008 AWu1tto Fastenlhbletops Thesemounting methods will keepyour tablesfrom poppingtheir tops.

he trick to mounting a tabletop is securing it firmly to the table I apron while still allowing the wood to expand and contract acrossits width. Here are four methods, utilizing scrapwoodor special (but inexpensive) hardware, that achieveboth goals.

-,. '.i."+-* i-l

l- ' -\-q-\ -\\ --;,-l 'x\i- { =-- ---..,-

:;.-._

groove

a I Z-shapeclips One end screwsfirmly onto the tabletop, while the other fits a saw kerf along the table apron, as shown above. Advantages: Low cost-less than a Z Shop-madeblocks holes to fit #9xtr/+"panhead screws,and dime apiece-and easyinstallation. The all-wood version of Z-shapeclips, cut the individual fasteners from the Disadvantages: Metal hardware the tongue of an L-shapeblock rides in blank, as shown. To attach the blocks, doesn't complement some traditional a mating groove along a table apron, as spacethem about 12" apart at each end table stylesfor purists who prefer solid- shown above. of the table, with the tongues in the wood mounting systems. Advantages: Blocks use up scrapwood apron grooves.Drill pilot holes into the How to use them: Pressthe screwend and provide an authentic touch for tabletop, and attach the fastenerswith of the clip firmly against a flat surface some period furniture. washers.For long tabletops,use these and measurethe rise at the other end Disadvantages: Making the blocks with the stretchersshown on page 30. (usually At that measure- adds another step (though not difficult) about %'). BLOCKBLANK ment, cut a groove on the top inside and more time to your proiect. Shankhole face of each apron piece using a router, How to use them: With the harvest tablesaq or biscuit joiner. Mark the table on page58 as an example, saw or locations of mounting screwpilot holes routV+" grooves t/+"deep 7e" from the about 8-12'apart, and drill with a top inside facesof the apron pieces. depth stop to avoid boring through the Then, on as/exZ"blank at least L5"long, r/+"dad1 Ta" deep ..1/- tabletop. Then attach the clips to the cutV+"dadoes spaced 1,7a" apart as apron sidesand ends, as shown. illustrated at right. DrIII rt/dt" shank continuedon page30

28 WOOD magazlne December/fa nuary 2007| 2008 WorkshopSavvy

Forstner bit spur hole

Tabletop (underside)

t .;,4 Fastenersrotate as E the wood moves. 4

3 tloated stretchers l| Figure-eight connectors lPhoto21, to allow the connectorto Usetwo or three of theseas part of the As a tabletopexpands and contracts, rotateback and forth about one-eighth table framework,ot combine thern with this connectorrotates within a round of a turn. other fasteners. mortisein the edgesof the apron end Screwthe figure-eightconnector to Advantages: Stretchershelp prevent parts to keepthe top from buckling. the apron just looselyenough to allow tabletopwarping and keeplong apron Figure-eightconnectors vary in size it to rotate[Photo 3]. Checkthat the sideparts from bowing. and shape,with somehaving equal-size connectorsits flush with or a little Disadvantages: Addedparts mean loops and somewith the aPron-side Iowerthan the apron edge.Repeat these more machining. loop largerthan the tabletop loop. stepsto mount the remainingconnec- How to use them: Sizethe %"-thick Advantages: Figure-eightconnectors tors. Do not mount them on the side stretcherto fit betweenthe long apron require no apron groovesand are piecesof the apron. pieces.Then drill a mounting screw slightly lessconspicuous than the With the tabletop uPsidedown on pilot hole at the centerof the stretcher. Z-shapeclips. your workbench,center the apron/leg 'fo make t/2"-longexpansion slots on Disadvantages: Connectorsmust be assemblyon the undersideof the hoth sidesof the pilot hole,use a brad- mortised into the apron edgesto work, tabletop,and mark the mounting screw point bit slightly largerthan the limiting how thin you can makethe locations.Drill pilot holesinto the mounting-screwdiameter to drill apron parts. tabletopusing a depth stopand insert overlappingholes running parallelto How to use them: Chuck into your the mountingscrews tPhoio4l.+ the grain.Smooth the scallopededges drill pressa Forstnerbit just slightly connector. Sources with a chiselto createthe slots. largerthan the figure-eight Z-shape clips. Tabletopfasteners no. 27N10, $2 for 10, Mount the stretchersto the long Every \2u-18u,on the edgesof the Woodcraft,800-225-1153; woodcraft.com. Mounting clip apron piecesusing biscuits. Then center apron end pieces,drill mortisesa hair no.13K01 .01, 55.50 for 50, Lee Va lley Tools, 800-871-8158; the completedapron upsidedown on deeperthan the connectorthickness leevalley.coni. connectors.Connector no. 13K01.50 Drive a 11.Using the spurhole from the Figure-eight the undersideof the tabletop. lPhoto withloops of equalsize,52.40for 20, LeeValleyTools. screwat the centerof the stretcher. Forstnerbit asa guide,drill a mounting Connectorno.21650 with loops of unequalsize, $2.39 for Then drive screwsinto the middle of screwpilot hole. Then trim off the eight,Rockler Woodworking and Hardlvare, eachexpansion slot. mortiseedges with a chisel,as shown 800-27 9 - 4441; rockler.co m.

30 WOOD magazine December/January2007 I 200'8 -.l

Seea SlideShow of this proiect corning together at: V,r* O:-i i'.:',::i:. 1'::,,.: . Shuffle'trr'Stack ModularCabixxets Thissuper{lexible system transforms to meetyour needs, big or small.Add, subtract, or reconfigureas your needs change. Shown here are just four of the endlesspossibilities.

32 ffinx DEsTGNYouR sYsrEM FRoM nl THESE8 COMPONENTS il nr mI mf,

SHOWNLEFT 2 Double cahinets = 8t 4 Triangularcabinets (2visible) Rectangularbase Triangularbases (1visible) 2 Doors n I

DOUBLECABINET 36"Wx33"Hx.l5"D

it _, SHOWN LEFT : 1 Doublecabinet 1;b' 'l I I $d:t. Verticalcabinet 1 Horizontalcabinet %-, 1 2 Cubecabinets Rectangularbases Doors ffiH TRIANGULAR CABINET 15'Wx15Dx33H Wil$ /l oft nrhinot chnrnin Flipend for end for a ,ffi . rrghtcabinet.)

HORIZONTAL CABINET 36"Wx 161/z"Hx '15'D

36W x 3"r H x'15D

SHOWNABOVE SHOWN LEFT 1 Horizontalcabinet TRIANGULARBASE 1 Doublecabinet W*ffi -m 1 Doublecabinet 2 Verticalcabinets 2 Verticalcabinets (1visible) 2 Triangularcabinets 2 Crrbecabinets 2 Rectangularbases W (1visible) 2 Triangularcabinets 2 Triangularbases (1visible) 2 Doors 2 Rectangularbases ffiffi (1visible) Doors(1 visible) PROIECTHIGHLTGHTS I Thecomponents are sized to 9 Tips to Get Started Right maximizeuse of 4x8' plywoodsheets. I Thecomponents are a snapto con- To ensuresafety and avoiderrors, follow do not installthe backsuntil you struct,thanks to the simpledesign, thesepointers: completethe finishing. biscuitjoinery, and commonparts. I We builtthe cabinetsusing maple Tip I Forsafety, use a helperwhen Tip 9 When plungingslots into the and mapleplywood, covering the moving4x8'sheets of plywood.Use facesof parts,use a guide for your exposedplywood edges with iron-on supportstands when cuttinga large biscuitjoiner, as shown at bottom. mapleveneer edging. (White birch panelon your tablesaw.As an edging,available at yourlocal home alternative,cut piecesto rough size center,also matches well.) But you usinga portablecircular saq a can usea differenthardwood and ply- straightedgeguide, and reliable wood with a matchingedging, if you supports.Learn more at wish.The cabinets will stilllook great. woodmagazine.com/videos.Click on I As an option, installVt" glassinstead "Shop-TestedTechniques" followed by of the plywoodpanel in the door. "HandlingSheet Coods." I To easilyround up the hardware, Tip 2 Cut the 7/s"-wideiron-on veneer edging,and edge and end trimmers edgingfor the 7+"-thickplywood parts for the project,see Supplies and approximately1" longerthan the Source,poge 40. finishedlengths. Center the edgingon the partswith an equaloverhang on the facesand ends.Apply the edgingusing First, plan your system a householdiron setat the "cotton" Measurethe floor and wall spacein the setting.Move the iron slowlyenough to areawhere you want to install the cabi- melt the adhesivebut not burn the nets to determine the maximum width veneer.(You'll feel a slight"give" when and height for the l5"-deep units. Then the adhesivemelts.) Before the adhesive Whenflush-trimming veneer edging, cut photocopy the front views of the com- sets,press the edgingfirmly into place along one faceat a time, moving in the edging grain directionto avoid tear-out. ponents, shown onthe previouspage, and usinga 1"-longwood roller.(A wall- cut them out. Now arrangethem in the paperseam roller works great.) Trim the desiredconfiguration, ensuring that the edgingflush with the endsand faces knifeor end and overall width, height, and depth will fit usinga sharputility edgetrimmers, as shown qbove right.To the chosenspace. avoidedging tear-out, trim one sideat a time, movingin the directionof the Figure the material needs edginggrain. PLYWOOD - List the total quantities of the parts needed for your system. Tip 3 Becauseplywood thicknesses Biscuit-slot Make an appropriatenumber of copies vary,the overalldimensions of a case centerline of the scaled parts and 4x8' plywood mayvary slightly. To ensurethat such parts plywood sheet from tl;re WOOD Patternsoinsert. asthe backsuppbrts, backs,and shelvesfit the cases Cut out the parts, and lay them out on correctly,always measure the casesfor the plywood sheets [PhotoA], making the exactsizes of the parts,as notedin surethat you place%"-thick and /e"-thick the instructions. parts on separatesheets. 3/+x5Vzx96" HARDWOOD - Plan on a Tip 4 To preventerrors in layingout Usea story stickto accuratelyand board (4 board feet)for eachcabinet and biscuitslots, make a storystick from 7+"- consistentlymark the centerlinesfor #20 base. Some units require less material, thick scrap,as shown at right. biscuitslots on the 32"plywood parts. but none need more. Tip 5 Cut partsthat havemitered ends 1" longerthan the listedlengths. Then miter-cutthem to the exactlengths, usinga stopblockon a miter-gauge extensionto ensureidentical lengths. Tip 6 Whendrilling holes for the shelf supports,use a fencewith a stopblock on yourdrill press to ensurealignment and consistentspacing of the holes. wrappedwith Guidepositioned 7g" from Alsouse a brad-pointbit markeilcenterlines a pieceof maskingtape for a visual depth stop. Tip 7 Forthe #8 flatheadwood screws, drillsAz" countersunk shank holes and PATTERNSMAKE PLANNING EASY 7/ac"pilot holes. Layout the scaledparts on the plywoodto To plungebiscuit slots into the faceof a part, find the numberof sheetsyou need.Be sure Tip 8 Forease of finishing,sand all clampanother workpiece to it asa guide, to alignthe grainand allowfor sawkerfs. partsto 220 grit beforeassembly. Also, positioned3/e" from the markedcenterlines.

34 WOODmagazlne December/January2007 12008 Make the "square" cases Mark centerpoints for shelf-support listed sizesand measured lengths. Now For the selected double, vertical, holes on the insidefaces of the sides crosscut or rout a 3/e"rabbet lz" deep horizontal, and cube cabinets [Draw- (C), where dimensioned [Drawings1 and acrossthe ends of the supports on the ings 1 through 41, cut the tops/bottoms 2]. Drill the/+" holes7a" deep. front facesand a 7e"rabbet Yq"deep along (A, B), sides(C, D), and divider (E)to the Using your story stick (see"9 Tips to the insideedges on the back faces[Draw- sizeslisted [MaterialsLists, pages 35-361. Get Started Right," oppositepage), ingsl. For the divider, lay out the 3" notches /2" mark centerlinesfor the #20 biscuit slots Disassemblethe cabinets.Then glue, deep along the back edge [Drawing3]. on all of the parts, where shown. Align biscuit, and clamp the sides, tops/ Bandsawor iigsawthe notchesto shape. the stick flush with the front edges of bottoms, and divider (as appropriate) 7/e"-wide Apply iron-on veneer edg- the sides(C, D) and divider (E), and3/+" together [Photo B, next page]. After the ing to the appropriate edgesof the from the front edgesof the tops/bottoms glue dries, glue the back supports in parts, where shown. Then, flush-trim (A, B). Plunge the slots into the parts place fPhotoC]. the edging. For help with this, go to using your biscuit ioiner. Measurethe rabbeted openings on wooclmagazine.corn/vicleos,and click Dry-assemblethe cabinets with #20 the cabinets for the exact widths on "Shop-TestedTechniques" followed biscuits and clamp together. Verify and lengths of theV+"plywood backs (H, by'Applying Iron-on Edging." that all of the parts fit correctly. Then I, J, K). Cut them to size,and set aside. Cut or rout a 3/e"tabbet %" deep measurebetween the rabbeted sides (C, Measurethe insidesof the casesfor along the back inside edges of the D) to find the exact lengths for the back the lengths of the shelves (L, M) sides(C, D). supports (F,G). Cut the supportsto the [Drawings1 and 2]. Then cut the shelves

IoouaLE cABINET e/,+ Materials EXPLODEDVIEW x e/tx 3" doorstop,centered , 7/a"trom front edge 15" 1_<

top/bottom 36" s/e" rabbet t/t" deep C sides 3h" 141/c" 311/z' MP 2 F backsupports 3/+" 3" 351/c" M 2 t/q"-diam. H back 1/4' 351/4n 26Y4' MP 1 101/z' rubber L shelves 3/4' 121/2il 343/Bt MP 2 bumper .11/q" N shelftrim 3/i' 343/e" M 2 P doorstop 3/c' 3/4" 3" M1 t/+"shelf support Materlals key: MP-mapleplywood, M-maple.

/8" round-overs

IvrnncAL cABINET EXPLODEDVIEW Materials List for Veftical Cabinet

top/bottom 3/c" 15" ]8" MP 2 t/+" hole C sides 3/q' 141/c" 3'11/2" MP 2 101/z' 3/B"deep G backsupports 3/+u 3" 171,/q" M 2 1t/2" I back l/qu 171/c" 261/q' MP 1 '163/e' M shelves 3/q" 121/2" MP 2 O shelftrim 3/+" 11/q' 163/a^ M 2

Materialskey: MP-maple plywood, M-maple.

Veneeredging woodmagazine.com 35 and shelf trim (N, O) to the sizeslisted, and your measuredlengths minus Ys"for clearance. Rout ya" round-overs along the front edges of the trim. Now glue and clamp the trim to the front edgesof the shelves,flush with the top faces. 'H ffitf yo,,t plan to mount doors S &*: onto the double cabinet, cut the doorstop (P) to the size listed. Glue the doorstop to the bottom of the top (A), centered and 7/s"from the front edge (horizontal Add the backsupports (F) Glue,biscuit, and clamp the case caseshown) together. 1]. (The Za" setback accounts (without glue)to keepthe assemblysquare. Then glue and clampthe backsupports in place, [Drawing ya"-thick rub- ensuringihey're tight againstthe casetop/bottom and the rabbetedsides. for the %"-thick door and ber bumpers.)

InonrzoNTALcABTNET EXPLODEDVIEW Veneeredging

Materials List al Cabi I 93/4' top/bottom 36' _j D sides 3/i, 141/l' 15" Mp 2 E divider 3/c' 14" 15" MP 1 3/l' F backsupports 3u 351/c' M 2 I J back t/i, 351/i' 93/l' MP 1 3" Materlals key: MP-mapleplywood, M-maple.

#20 biscuitslots

Icuee cABTNET EXPLODEDVIEW

#17 x t/z"wire nail #20 biscuit I 93/q" Jl,.

Materials List

top/bottom D sides 3/i' 141/i' 15" MP 2 G backsupports 3/i' 3u 171/q" M 2 K back t/l' 17Yi' 93/c' MP 1

Materials key:MP-maple plywood, M-maple. 36 CUTTHE TOP/BOTTOM ASSEMBLETHE TRIANGULAR CABINET SIDES, AND ADD THETOP/BOTTOM Usethe triangle-cuttingjig to safelyhold and Assemblethe sides(C, R) for the triangularcase together with glue,biscuits, and clamps. crosscutthe triangulartop/bottom (Q)from Checkthe assemblyfor square.Then, with the sideassembly (C/R) on a side,glue, biscuit, and the 16x16"blank along the markedlines. clampthe top/bottom (Q)to the assembly,flush with the backsof the sides.

Build the triangular case Cut the sides(C, R) to the sizeslisted flush with the edges.It does not matter To form the top/bottom (Q) [Draw- [MaterialsList, below). Then apply which way you orient the sideassembly. ing 6l , lay out two right triangles 7/e"-wideiron-on veneer edging to the Transferthe biscuit-slotcenterlines from with l5"-long sidesat opposing corners top/bottom (Q and sides,where shown. the sidesto the bottom. Repeatfor the on a 16x16"piece of 3/t"plywood. Make Mark centerpointsfor shelf-support top (Q), positioning it with the bottom the simple triangle-cutting iig IDrawing holes on the insidefaces of the sides (unmarked) face up. Plunge the slots. 7] from 3/q"plywood, using a bandsaw or (C, R), where dimensioned.Drill the lq" Then glue, biscuit, and clamp the top jigsaw to cut out the 90' opening and holes7s" deep. and bottom to the sides[Photo F]. the l/qxYs"corner relief notch. With the Holding your story stick flush with Cut the shelves(S) and shelf trim workpiece cradled in the jig, crosscut the front edge of each part, mark (T) to the sizeslisted, miter-cutting the top/bottom piecesto size [PhotoD]. centerlinesfor #20 biscuit slots on the the ends of the trim to fit flush at the To ensurethat the grain of the top and sides (C, R), where shown. Using your ends of the shelves.As you did for the bottom flows from left to right (not biscuit joiner, plunge the slots. You'll top/bottom (Q), lay out the shelveson a front to back) to match the grain direc- transfer these marks onto the top/bot- 13x13" blank, and cut them to shape tion of the other cabinets,flip the parts tom (Q) after assemblingthe sides. using the triangle-cutting jig. Rout 7e" as needed to correctly orient the grain Glue, biscuit, and clamp the sides round-oversalong the front edgesof the for a right- or left-sideunit. Identify the (C, R) together [PhotoE]. After the trim. Now glue and clamp the trim to top facesto ensure correct orientation glue dries,position the sideassembly on the front edgesof the shelves,flush with during assembly. the top (marked) face of the bottom (Q), the top faces.

@rnrnrucuLARcABrNEr EXPLODEDVIEW oo IrnrnrucLE-curnNGJrG @@@ o Sro1/qu \ \l

101/2"

Veneer edging

311/2" € t/q" shelt 23/q support Materials List e z', for Triangular Cabinet

side 3/+" 141/+"311/2. @ @.-Yro biscuitl 3/+" #20biscuit .$--r Q" top/bottom 15" 15" MP 2 s".--=.-1 R side 3/qu 131/2" 311/z' MP 1 S* shelves 3/+" 12" 12" MP 2 t/e" round-overs T shelftrim 3/qu 11/4" 1g1sh2" M 2 *Partsinitially cut oversize.See theinstructions. Materials key: MP-mapleplywood, M-maple. woodmagazine.com Glueand biscuitthe rectangular-basefront and sides(U, Centerthe rectangularbase side-to-side on the V) together.Use the front cleat (W)as a spacerto keepthe cabinet(s).Drill pilot holes,and drive screwsthrough assemblysquare. the cleats(W, X) and supports(Y).

Add the rectangular base miter-cut both ends of the front (U) to fclue, biscuit, and clamp the front 'ffi Cut the base front and sides (U, V), the finished length of 36". # and sides(U, V) together [PhotoG]. ffi front and side cleats (W, X), and Lay out the cutout on the front (U), Then glue and clamp the front and side *'!1;sffi supports (Y) to the sizeslisted [Materials where dimensioned. Bandsaw or cleats (W, X) to the front and sides,flush List, below], except cut the front and iigsaw and sand to shape. with the top edges.Now glue and screw (V), flush at sidesL" longer. ffiUsing your biscuit ioiner, plunge the supports (Y) to the sides ,w# the tops and back ends. -SLuy out and bandsaw or iigsaw the slots for #Zobiscuits into the mitered (!fo s'&;tsupports(Y) to shape [Drawing 8a]. ends of the front and sides(U, V), where mount the base to a 36"-wide Then drill countersunk shank holes shown [DrawingS]. ffidouble or hori zontal cabinet or to through the supports and front and side ffi. Using a dado blade in your tablesaw two l8"-wide vertical or cube cabinets cleats (W, X), where shown [Drawings8 +"#or a straight bit in your router, placed side-by-side, lay the cabinet(s) and 8al. machine a Tt" rabbet lt" deep along the back side down on a flat surface.Center (V) the front and sides (U, V) on and screw-mount the baseto the cabinet ffi Viter-cut one end of each side to fop edgesof w,,4'the finished length of 1-5".Then the outsidefaces. bottom(s) [PhotoH].

InrcrnNGULARBAsE EXPLODEDVIEW #8 x 11/z'F.H. wood screw , #8 x21/2"F.H. wood SCTEW s/q" rabbel t/+" deeP Miteredends 1Y4" Shankhole, countersunk on bottom face

34Yz'

s/q"rabbetla" deep

Materials List for Rectangular Base SUPPORTDETAIL front 33/l' Vr+ sides 3/l' 33/i', 15" M2 '11/i, W frontcleat 3/1, 341/2" M 1 X side cleats 3/i' 1l/i', 12w', M 2 Y supports 3/i, 33/i' 33/l' M 2 *Partsinitially cut oversize. see the instructions. Materlal key: M-maple.

38 WOOD magazlne December/January200712008' On to the triangular base Cut the base front (Z), sides (AA, BB), and cleats (CC) to the sizes Iisted [MaterialsList, belowl, except cut the front and sides1" longer. Miter-cut one end of the side (AA) to the finished length of t3Ls/ts".Then miter-cut one end of the side (BB) to the .#$ finished length of 133/10".Now miter-cut both ends of the front (Z) tothe finished length of.2l3Aa". Lay out the cutout on the fuont (Z), SCREWTHE TRIANGULAR BASE ATTACHTHE TRIANGULAR BASE Band-clampthe triangular-basefront (Z)and Align where dimensioned. Bandsaw or the triangularbase flush at the backof sides(AA, BB) together. Drillthe mounting the case.Drill pilot holes,and drivescrews iigsaw and sand to shape. holes,and screwside AA to BB. through the cleats(CC) into the casebottom. Using your biscuit joiner, plunge slots for #20 biscuits centered into the mitered ends of the front (Z) and Materials List sides(AA, BB). for Triangular Base Cut or rout a 3A"rabbetln" deepalong the top edge of the front (Z) on the zx front 3/i' 33/c" 211ho" prnrnruculAR outsideface [Drawing9]. BASE Dry-assemble the front and sides AA* side 3/t" 33/4" 1315/ftit M l EXPLODEDVIEW '133/ri' with biscuits, and clamp together. BB* side 3/qu 33/+" M 1 #8 x 11/z'F.H. Drill the countersunk shank holes CC cleats 3/q" 11/c" 4u M3 wood screw=--,-\ Counte rsun k shank hole through the side (AA) into the side (BB), *Partsinitially cut oversize. 5ee the instructions. and drive the screws[Photo l]. Remove Material key: M-maple. \ the clamp and front (Z). Then glue, biscuit, and assemblethe front to the sides, 133/ta" and reclamp. Drill countersunk shank holes Miteredends through the cleats (CC), where 3/a"labbel Shankhole shown 9]. Then glue and 1 [Drawing t/+" deep countersunkon clamp the cleats to the front (Z) and bottomface ''\llli \ ..'' I ll I sides(AA, BB), centeredand flush with I #8x 1.1/a", , J' \A the top edges. woodscrew /& ( To mount the base,lay the triangu- lW lar case with a side down on a flat ==- 1M*zooscutt surface. Position the base on the case -T#20 biscuit bottom, aligned at the bdck. Then attach the baseto the case J]. I [Photo 21e/ta 33/4" I Swing over to the door -__l- Cut the door rails (DD) and stiles (EE)to the sizeslisted [MaterialsList, nextpagel. into the rabbeted opening. Position the To mount the hinge-clip mounting Mark mating centerlinesfor a pair of panel (or glass,as appropriate) and stops platesto the sides(C) of the double #10 biscuit slots at the ends of the into the opening. Drill pilot holes and vertical cabinets,draw centerlines rails and stiles, where dimensioned through the stops and into the frame at the top and bottom of the sidesalong [Drawings1O and l0a, nextpage]. Using using a #I7xl" wire brad with its head the front edges, where dimensioned your biscuit joiner, plunge the slots. snipped off. Then secure the stops by [Drawing11]. Make the hinge-drillingiig Then glue, biscuit, and clamp the rails driving #I7x3/t"wire brads.Place a piece [Drawing12], marking a centerline on and stiles together. of cardboard on the panel to prevent the jig, where shown. Using the jig and a Using a rabbeting bit in your router, damaging the panel with your hammer. self-centering bit to prevent enlarging rout a 7e"rabbet Vz"deep around the Mark centerpoints on the back face the iig holes, drill the pilot holes into inside of the frame assembly(DD/EE) of a door stile (EE)for the 17e"holes the sides [Photo K]. Screw-mount the on the back. To avoid chip-out, rout the for the 100' full-overlay clip hinges, plates using the supplied screws. Now rabbet in four passes,removing approxi- where dimensioned [Drawing1O]. Bore engage the hinge members, and align mately Yro"of stock with each pass.Then the Zo"-deepholes using a Forstnerbit in the doors using the hinge-adiusting squarethe cornerswith a chisel. your drill press.Install the hinges, and screws. Mounting the doors now lets Cut the Y+"plywood panel (FF) and mark the mounting holes.Drill the pilot you check the fit and do any trimming the horizontal and vertical panel holes, and drive the screws supplied needed before finishing. Remove the stops (GG, HH) to the sizeslisted to fit with the hinges. doors and hinges. woodmagazine.com 39 z/a" satin- vtEW -nickel knob ) @ooon EXPLoDED I ,-- -_w+ 3" (Viewedfrom back) On the top rail d....t =a (DD), mark a 11/z' centerpoint for a 3/rc" 3/ro"hole @ hole to mount a 7/su 100"full-overlay clip hinge :' f satin-nickel knob, J dh4 where dimensioned 7/e" b( [Drawing10]. Drill the Te"rabbet t/2"deep, hole. You'll install the routedafter knob later. assembly Finishup Sand any areasthat need it to 22O grit, and remove the dust. Then stain and finish the backs,' cabinets, shelves, bases, and doors. We applied Varathane no. 218 Traditional Pecan Stain, followed by three coatsof Minwax Polycrylic Water-BasedClear Satin Pro- tective Finish, sanding to 2ZO grit between coats. #17 xe/q"brad Install the backs (H, I, J, K) on the cabinets using #\7xYz" wire nails #10 biscuits ,/4- [Drawings1 through a]. Mount the door hinges, doors, and r/8 tl 7/s' satin-nickel knobs. Apply the V+"-diameter adhesive-backed rubber bumpersto the doorstop(P) [Drawingl]. Using a helper, move the cabinets to DOOR-HINGEMOUNTING the desiredlocation, and place them Drawcenterline here in the planned configuration. Level for aligninghinge-drilling jig. them, if needed,by placing shims under the bases.If you wish to fasten the cabi- @ xrnce-DRTLLTNGJtc nets together,use panel-connectorbolts. t/e" groove Finally install the shelvesusing /a" t/z" deep spoon shelf supports. Now add your 4 T-i favorite display pieces,books, and other items to the cabinets, and step back to ll take in your modular masterpiice. tl 3u Written by Owen Duvall I Projectdesign: Kevln Boyle L lllustrations:Roxanne LeMolne; Lorna fohnson Suppliesand Source 3/a" 11/2" stock Supplies:7elMde iron-on veneer edging; 1"-long woodroller;#10 and #20 biscuits;7+' spoon shelf supports;%Ld ia meter ru bber bu mpers; #17 x1/2" wi re na ils; Drawcenterline on jig for aligning #17x7+'and#17x1" wire brads;#8x17+', #8x172'l and with markedcenterline in cabinet. #8x272"flathead wood screws; 100" full-overlay clip hinges(2 per door); hinge-clip mounting plates (2 per door);7/a"satin-nickel knob (1 per door). Bfade and bits: Dado-bladeset 3/a" rabbeting,l/e" Materials List round-over,and 3/l'straight router bits; %" brad-point bit; 134"Forstner bit. Source Hardware:7s"-wideiron-on veneer edging, no. 3' 177/e' M ET078PB,526.01 per 250' toll;t1"" satin-nickel knob, no. A27018G10, ea.(1 per door); 100" full-overlay clip 3/i' 53.46 EE stiles 3u 255h0" M 2 hinges,no. 8071M255, 52.05 ea. (2 per door); hinge-clip FF panel 1/i' 12s/s'261/G' MP 1 mountingplates, no. 8175H710, $t.Z+ ea. (2 per door);7+' spoonshelfsupports, no.H828C25, 52.20 per pkg. of20 -- horizontalpanel rJru t/cu 3/s" 1'17/s,, M 2 (4supports needed per shelf). Call or click Woodworker's stops DRILLTHE HINGE-CLIP HOLES Hardware,800-383-01 30;wwhardware.com. jig verticalpanel Trimmers: Endtrimmer, no.VlRC2lE, double- Positionthe hinge-drilling cleattightly HH 1/q" 3/e" 261/ro" M 2 541.69; againstthe caseside (C)with the centerlines sidededge trimmer, no. V|AU93, 517.59. Phond and Web aligned.Drill the holesfor the hingeplates. addressabove. Materlals key: MP-mapleplywood, M-maple. 40 WOODmagazlne December/January200712008 hanging tablesaw blades ranks Tests eliminated variables This showed us how quickly each blade right up there with changing to put focus on the blades cut the different materials on each saw. speedson a drill press or lathe: To make sure we tested the blades and In most casesthin-kerf bladescut faster We know certain cuts call for specific not the tablesaws used, we tuned uP than Ya"-kerfblades. Becausethe test blades for peak performance, but still, each saw to within 0.001" (arbor run- samples rode on the sled 7+"above the we don't always take the time to make a out, as well as miter slots and rip fence tabletop, all rip cuts were unsupported switch. Now you don't have to sweat parallel to blade) and sprayed the top those changes-if you have a Proven with a dry lubricant every time we general-purposeblade on your tablesaw. changedblades. In previous tests we found that For crosscutswe clamped stock to an 40-tooth general-purposeblades typi- Incra Y27 miter gauge-dialed in to cally outperform 50-tooth combination exactly 9O'-with an auxiliary backer blades [PhotoA], with less scoring and board, and used insert plates with quicker feed rates on rip cuts. So we 7e"-wideopenings around the blades. rounded up 28 general-purposeblades We crosscut three samples each from (16 thin-kerf, 12 full-kerf) from 19 8"-widehard maple (1" and2" thick) and manufacturersand testedthem in cross- l2"-wide, %"-thick birch-veneeredply- maPle, wood and melamine. cuts and rip cuts in hard General-purposeblades, like this DeWalt melamine-coated particleboard, and We made three rip cuts in Z'-long (front),have 40 evenlyspaced teeth. Comb- birch plywood using 10" contractor-and stock on each saw using a weighted sled inationblades, like this Freud,have 50 teeth cabinet-styletablesaws. asa carrier,ensuring equal feed pressure. in groups of five separatedby deep gullets.

December/January2007 42 WOODmagazine 12008 To see our testing methods in action, view a free video at: woodmagazine.com/videos

at the cutline-which gave us a good indication of bottom-face tear-out. With all cutting complete, we evaluated each sample, looking for scoring Thesechalked rip-cut (left) and crosscutsamples show an edge with no scoiing (iop),lftghL marks on the cut edges (revealed with scoring (middle),and substantial scoring (bottom). blue chalk [PhotosBandC]), and tear-out on the top and bottom faces.For rip-cut could make tear-out-free cuts [Photo D]. samples, we iudged the edge cut on the All of the blades struggled with bottom- fence side of the blade (typically the face tear-out in melamine (again, no "keeper" workpiece). For crosscut sam- zero-clearance insert for support). But ples, we evaluated the edge cut on the seven blades (Amana's PR1040 and miter-gauge side of the blade. Systimatic51821 TB1.0400, both Forrest Woodworker II models, Infinity's 010-044, Ridge Heret what we learned Carbide's TS21040TK,and Tenryu's GM- J There's no substltute for havlng Jesada110-440 25540) cut so cleanly on the top face a propefly fi,med tablesaw. Even the that we have to give them extra credit. best blade will perform below its capa- J Blades fith lorge carhlde teeth Top-sidetear-out bility when installed on a saw that's not on thesemelamine offer more sharpenlngs. For example, sampleshelped us properly dialed in. So take the time to seewhich blades to producethe cleanest cuts. Forrest and Ridge Carbide blades have check your arbor for runout (and fix it long, thick teeth that not only deliver according to the manufacturer's recom- high-quality cuts with little or no tear- mendations), align the tabletop's miter nounced scoring. (The blades that out, but also allow for more sharpenings slots and rip fence parallel to the blade, struggled most with 2"-thick maple also [Photo E]. Blades with small carbide and then coat the top with a dry lubri- struggled-to a slightly lesser degree- teeth can be resharpened a time or two, cant. You should also check your blade with 1"-thick maple.) So you're better off but becausethe cost is about the same as for run-out. (None of the 28 tested for this iob to install a true rip blade buying a replacement blade you're prob- blades had runout worth noting.) with 24to 30 teeth arid wider gullets for ably better off getting a new one. Other I Blrch plywood and hand maple chip removal. makes that don't skimp on the carbide: revealed the top perforners. Cross- lMelamlne challanged all blades. Amana, CMT, Freud, Infinity, Jesada, grain tear-out in birch plywood and Every blade manufacturer will tell you Systimatic, and Tenryu. But that extra hard maple proved to be h problem for these blades are not meant to cut carbide drives up the cost of the blade. about three-fourths of the blailes. This melamine-coated particleboard. We J Low-nolseblade goes easy onyour reaffirms the importance of using a agree.Instead, for best results use a dedi- eols. The ITP/H.O. Schumacher blade zero-clearanceinsert to prevent tear-out. cated blade with a high tooth count (we lives up to its billing for quietness, scor- Similarly, ripping 2"-thick hard maple like 80). ing significantly lower sound levels than proved a tough task for many of the That said, we used that material as our the next-quietest blade, thanks to its blades, with slower feed rates and pro- acid test to seewhether any of the blades innovative tooth design [Photo F]. You'll

Bladeswith largecarbide teeth, like the ForrestWoodworker ll (bottom), can be sharpenedmore times than those with small ITP/H.O.Schumacher's pattern of three different intervals between successive teeth, like the lrwin Marathon (top). the air less,resulting in a noticeablyquieter cut. woodmagazlne.com -1 ,) a appreciatethis blade if you're using a tablesaw without any other machine running simultaneously,such as a dust t collector. (Sound levels do not com- t .*ilgk_'---.--J (;--) pound; your earshear only the loudest 4iS i----*---- J F4q*req I noise around you.) Still, its cut quality 1,,-. ,fiIffP*o. * | proved average at best. The loudest i Mrlserrle I blade, Systimatic's 57821, created a whine that averagedin our three tests / *** about ZZdB greaterthan the ITP blade- /+= four times asloud. That'slike comparing /-gn/"-s a drill press(72 dB in our shop,no load) /_*-- to a router (94 dB, no load). / *$, [--7 I Burnlngwqs not antlssue. None of *s/ t=""-7*t/i[.7 the bladesleft burn marks in any of the *8 / ***---"/ d***/ materialsunless we intentionally stalled 616i"-""% a workpiecein mid-cut. f Toohnakers fared well. We were ForrestWW10407100 surprisedto seegood performancesout of economy bladesfrom severalmanu- facturersknown more for making tools than blades. Bosch, Craftsman, Delta, DeWalt, and Makita's blades all cut respectablywith only minor scoring. I Performarrce results dlvulged no preferrcd grtnd pattern. All of the FonestWW10407125 bladeswe testedhad an alternate-tooth bevel (ATB) grind, meaning the teeth pointed in a left-right-left-rightpattern. TWo blades, however, added flat-tipped raker teeth: Both Ridge Carbide blades had one raker tooth following four ATB teeth, and CMT's 257.O42.10had one raker tooth following two ATB teeth. The tooth bevel angles on all blades rangedfrom 10'to 40', and hook angles from 5' to 20". However, we were not able to find any consistent test results that could be tracedback to any of these blade specifications. Where to put your money NMW KffiOIISA!tui@Uil As you can see from the performance , i; :l --"1p!.w gradesin the chart atright,the premium- liii il"' i I priced bladesearn their keep with little to no scoringor tear-out.We thinkyou'll be thrilled with the performanceof any of the bladescosting $90 or more, but AmanaT810400 we give a slight edge-and Top Tool honors- to the following blades: r;ffis{ . The ForrestWW10407100 (thin-kerf); omtmru.|d t+-!'t ffi ."i'_,1 . The ForrestWW10407125 (full-kerf); i 1,r I I l: lrrrj l.il . RidgeCarbide TS21040TK (thin-kerf); o Tenryu GM-25540 (thin-kerf). atoperator's ear level. Among the bladespriced $65 or less, Kd;'g 1. Measuredona contractortablesaw two Amana blades,the TB10400($6S1 AmanaPR1040 and the PR1040($SZ;, stood abovethe 2. I Excellent tlt'1, rest. Craftsman's 32808 professional lslcood blade ($40) also performedwell. These Itffil

three shareTop Valuehonors. Q Gcmrd Purporc Eldc ti::, tB;h ...i .fl*g Written by Bob Hunter with Pat Lowry r32a0a {;:l€;:a:;*i:-i fuad 44 'arrrr, WOOD magazfne December/January2007 12008 Craftsman32808 fld ,f,d /s/s /*e/.e /*8/.e ffi["=fl "-"w "-./"-?ffi ffi "-w#n"s-/-s

800-951-7297

(30) 30days 4. (C) China 5. Pricescurrent at time ofarticle production and do not (LD) Lifetimereplacement fordefects inmaterial (CZ) CzechRepublic includeshipping, where applicable. . orworkmahship (F) France (LD/30) Lifetimereplacement for defects in materialor (C) Germany workmanship;30days full refund if notsatisfied 05) lsrael tlT) ltaly (J) Japan (N) NewZealand (U) UnitedStates

woodmagazine.com 45 I Overalldimensions:191/c" long x 15" tall x 11/2"deep. I Materialsneeded: A3/+x6x84" piece of oakfor theframe and mounting cleats; a9Vzx13%"piece of %" Balticbirch plywoodfor theflag backer; a small amountof 1/q"maple to form a 9Vzx133/c"blank for theflag stripes; andtwenty %" wood stars, available at craftssupply stores. (We found a bag of 25for $2.99at ourlocal Michaels.) Skill Builder I Learnhow to easilymake an eye-catching,built-up frame with cove andbeveled edges.

! Rout aYr" covealong an edgeof each J inner member. Then laminate the inner, center, and outer members together in the configuration shown [Drawing2, PhotoA] to form two blanks. llAnghe your tablesaw blade 10o from 'tvertical. Then bevel-rip the outer member of each blank, where dimensioned [Drawings2 and 2a]. Sand the beveled edge. NoW using a dado blade, cut a rA" rabbet s/s"deep along the inner member of each blank. (Miter-cut a L9|A"-long piece from Jeach blank for the frame top/bottom (A), and a 15"-long piece from each of the remaining blanks for the frame sides (B) [PhotoB]. /Using your biscuit joiner, plunge Start with the frame the members together, cut a pair of Ye" lfslots for #20 biscuits centered into grooves along both edges each mitered end of the centermembers I fo form the built-up frame top/bot- relief %" deep I tom and sides(A, B) [Drawings1 and of each centermember [Drawing2]. of the frame top/bottom and sides(A, B) L/zxlx38" glue, and 2], cut two pieces each sized lAngle your tablesawblade 20o from [Drawing 1]. Then biscuit, for the inner members, 3/+x2x38" for Svertical. Then bevel-rip each outer assemblethe frame [Photo C], verifying the center members, and 1/zxlr/2x38" member where dimensioned, using a tight mitered corners. 'for the outer members to form two pushstick and feather board for safety. I Cut the mounting cleats (C) to the blanks. You'll cut a frame top or bottom Sand the beveled edgeto 220 grit. You'll J size listed [Materials List, page 49). and a side piece from each blank. To cut the 10" bevel along the outer mem- Then, bevel-rip an edgeat 45'on two of avoid glue squeeze-outwhen laminating bers after laminating the blanks. the cleats for the top, leaving a Yrc"flat About the historic change The U.S.Treasury is releasinga new seriesof one-dollar coinshonoring our nation'sChief Executives in orderof service.Each coin showsa presidenton one sideand the Statueof Libertyon the other,as shown at right. Unliketraditional coins, the gold-coloredpresidential coinshave the "E PluribusUnum" and "ln Cod We Trust" inscriptions,as well asthe dateand mint identification ("P" for Philadelphia,"D" for Denver),cut into the edge insteadof the surfaces.The Treasuryalready has issued four coinsand will mint four new oneseach year through at least2016, as shown by the scheduleon page49. For moreabout the coins,go to www.usmint.gov/$1coin.

46 WOOD magazlne December/January2007 12008 -!

t-arnlnateana ctanrpto!-ther the inner, Fora squareframe, mitet-cut the top/bottom Glue,bis

vtEW #20biscuit Iexer-oDED

#20 biscuitslot, centeredon center memberof frame

woodmagazlne.com 47 b Withspray adhesive applied to the 6x7"star Cutout the starportion of the patternalong Borethe 1%0"holes 362" deep for the coinsat portionof the flag pattern, align and press it the innercurved lines, using a craftsknife to the markedcenterpoints on the pattern into ontothe maskedarea of theflag backer (D). slicethrough the patternand tape below. the flag-stripesblank (E). r/+"hardboard using double-faced tape. Isroe sEcnoNvtEws Apply a few strips of tape to one hardboard piece,and pressthe starsonto the Outer member tape. Then, apply a few small piecesof tapeto the backsof the stripes,and press them onto the hardboard, placing the white stripesonto one pieceand the red BEVEL-RIPPINGTHE stripesonto another. FRAMEOUTER MEMBER fUsing1" foambrushes,applya coat of Glue reliefgroove Twood conditioner to the top faces and edgesof the starsand stripes,includ- ing the coin holes,and to the areaon the Centermember flag backer(C/D) for the stars.The conditioner helps avoid stain blotching and grain raising. Next, apply the appropriatecolor stains (noted on the pattern) to the parts [Photo Innermember ll. Blend and wipe off any excessusing a clean, dry cloth or foam brush. Then, t/q" rabbet apply two coatsof a clearfinish to the stars Ta" deep and stripes,the stainedarea on the backer, and the frame. We used these Minwax 1/q"cove water-based products: Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner; Wood Stain, colors White 1rr'- Oak for the starsand white stripes,no. 13 /e" glass Spicefor the red stripes,and no. 43 Deep Oceanfor the star areaon the backer;and Polycrylic Clear Satin Protective Finish. As an alternative to the stains, you can use water-solubleaniline dyes,or try all- Flag purpose dyes sold in drug and variety backer storesfor fabric coloring. -r*tt Wrap it up ,/'16 I Removeall of the masking materials (C/D). 45" bevelon I from the flag backer Then top cleatsonly apply a small amount of glue to the bottoms of the 3/+"wood stars,and position them onto the backer,centered over the #8 x 11/q'F.H. unfinished circular areas.Hold eachstar flush. Securethe stripestogether with a wood screw in place for about 30 secondsto let the few strips of easy-releasepainter's tape glue grab. [PhotoJ]. Note that the total width of will be slightly lessthan the lPosition the stripes onto the flag the stripes ibacker (C/D) in the arrangement 9Yz" backer width due to the saw-kerf shown on the pattern, keepingthe ends losses when scrollsawing the stripes.

48 .t

Scrollsawthe stripes to shape,cutting along Apply adhesive-backed7+" round color- Stainthe parts,brushing in the direction of thecenter of the patternlines. For smooth coding labelscentered overthe marked the grain.Reapply the stainsas neededto cuts,use a #5 reverse-toothblade. indentationsfor the starsin the backer(C/D). get uniform colors.

Simply center the stripes top to bottom. Have a piece of. Ya" glass cut to The frame will hide the backer reveals. 93/axl3y8".Position the frame with lCarefully remove the taped stripes the back up. Placethe glass and the flag rJfrom the backer, and position them assembly into the frame. Drill pilot with the bottom faceup. Apply and spread holes, and mount four turnbuttons to a small amount of glue to the stripes.Then the frame to secure the glass and flag reposition them onto the backer. Placea [Drawingl]. piece 3/+" scrap of sheet material onto the lFinally, level the remaining mount- stripes, and add weight'(a gallon of stain J ing cleat (C) bevel-sideup on your or paint works well) on top of the piece to wall. Drill slz" countersunk shank holes keep the stripes pressed tightly to the through the cleat and into the wall. backer while the glue dries. Remove the Then, screw-mount the cleat using weight and tape. #8x1r/t" flathead wood screwsand suit- A'fo mount the "Collector's Edition" able wall anchors. Position the coin flag .tbrus plaque (see Source), remove on the wall, engaging the cleats. Now the protective strip from the adhesive salute your fine handiwork, and keep With the stripestightly together and aligned on the back. Then, center and pressthe vour eves oDen for new coins to add to with the edgesof the flag backer(C/D), join plaque into placeon the front of the frame vour coiiection. I the stripestogether with maskingtape. bottom (A) [Drawingl]. (I.tt.tt your coins into the holes. If J anv coins have a loose fit, secure SCHEDULEDRETEASE OF PRESIDENTIAL $I COINS 2|,(,7 2|,12 them with a small dab of clear silicone ',789-1797 caulk applied to the coin. GEORGEWASHINGTON CHESTERA. ARTHUR 1881-1885 JOHNADAMS 1797-'1801 GROVERCLEVELAND 1885-1889 THOMASJEFFERSON 1801-1809 BENJAMINHARRISON 1889-1893 JAMESMADISON 1809-1817 GROVERCLEVELAND 1893-1897

2004 2013 JAMESMONROE 1817-1825 WILLIAMMCKINLEY 1897_1901 JOHNQUINCY ADAMS 1825-1829 THEODOREROOSEVELT 1901-1909 frametop/ ANDREWJACKSON 1829-1837 WILLIAMHOWARD TAFT 1909_1913 A* 11/2" 3u 191/l' Lo 2 't913-1921 bottom MARTINVAN BUREN 1837-1841 w00DR0wwtlsoN B* framesides 11/zu 3u 15' LO 2 '133/l' 2(l(,9 2',14 C mounting cleats 1/l' 11/2" o 3 WILLIAMHENRY HARRISON 1841 WARRENG. HARDING 1921-1923 D flagbacker 1/1, g1/z' 133/l' BP I JOHNTYLER 1841-1845 CALVINCOOLIDGE 1923-1929 "'929_1933 E flag-stripesblank %" 91/2" 133/d' EM 1 JAMESK. POLK 1845-1849 HERBERTHOOVER ZACHARYTAYLOR 1849-1850 FRANKLIND.ROOSEVELT 1933-1945 *Partsinitially cut oversize. Seethe instructions, Materlals key: LO-laminatedoak, O-oak, BP-Baltic 2(,1(, 2(,15 birchplywood, EM-edge-joined maple. MILLARDFILLMORE 1850-1853 HARRYS. TRUMAN 1945_"1953 (4); Supplles:#20 biscuits sprayadhesive; easy-release FRANKLINPIERCE 18s3-1857 DWIGHTD. EISENHOWER 1953_1961 painter'stape; adhesive-backed %"round color-coding JAMESBUCHANAN 1857-1861 JOHNF. KENNEDY 1961_1963 labels;double-faced tape;7+'wood stars (20), available ABRAHAMLINCOLN 1861-1865 LYNDONB.JOHNSON 1963_1969 aty.our localcrafts supply store; clearsilicone caulk; 1/sx93/ex13s/e" glass;turnbuttons (4); #8x1 7+" flathead 2011 2('16 woodscrews (2);wallanchors (2). ANDREWJOHNSON 1865-1869 RICHARDM. NIXON 1969-'t974 't974-",977 Bladesand Blts: Dado-bladeset,7c" cove router bi! ULYSSES5.GRANT 1869-',877 GERALDR. FORD 1%s"Forstner bit, #5 reverse-tooth scrollsaw blade. RUTHERFORDB.HAYES 1877-1881 i Source JAMESA. GARFIELD 1881 Plaque:l7zx5" brass-finish plaque. Send $5.00 and aself-addressed, stamped business-size envelope to: '1716 WOODmagazine PresidentialCoin Flag, LocustSt., Written by Owen Duvall with Chuck Hedlund L5-221,Des Moines, 1A 50309-3023. Projectdesign: feff Mertz lllustrations:Roxanne LeMolne; Lorna fohnson 49 W00D'magazineeditors traveledthe globe this past yearlooking for newtools, accessories,andsupplies designed

,ti'i$F. #,x to make .;.I *.;F 1 ADDTHIS MINI DUST COTLECTOR themost ;:,,4{r TO ATMOSTANY TOOL of yourtime In SteelCity's Mini Dust Collector (model 65115),you get a 3O0-cfm-ratedblower with inthe shop. filterbag that mountsdirectly onto any 4" dustport. Even if you alreadyhave a central Here'sthe system,you canuse the Minito boostthe dust-collectionproficiency of toolsfarthest bestof what fromyour main collector. Price:5100 wefound. SteelCity Tool Wotks 877 -7 24 -8655; steel citytoo lworks.com

DUSTCOTLECTION FOR DOVETAITERS Routingdovetails is one of the messiestjobs in woodworking:We've never found an effective ' '-) wayto capturethe mess.Now, Rockler and Leighhave cleaned up the actwith accessoriesfor ., theirdovetailjigs that containthe flyingdebris. Rockler's brushy dust hood, below left, keeps , il chipsin checkwhile allowing the bitto passthrough harmlessly; Leigh's VRS (Vacuum and Router r tt ,' lnl Support),below right, "follows" your router along the jig whilealso providing more bearing ['j surfacefor the routerbase. Price:S40, Dovetail Dust Collector#22224 Price:565-S80, Leigh VRS Rockler LeighIndustries i1 j 800-279-4441;rockler.com 800-663-8932800-663-8932;; leighjigs.com

SETSCREWSWON'T VEX THIS RATCHETINGHEX WRENCH Everhad to adjusta setscrewin a spotwith limitedclearance? You know, the kindwhere you get onlyabout a quarter-turnbefore you haveto pullthe wrenchout? The Ratcheting HexWrench works just likea socketwrench, soonce you fit the wrenchinto the setscrew, you don't haveto pullit out untilyou're done. Englishwrenches range from5/u" lol/+"; metric from 1.5to 6mm. Price:S17 ProfessionalTool Manufacturing 800-597-6170;ratchetinghexwrench.com

50 WOOD magazine December/January200712008 COMPUTER.CONTROTLEDROUTING COMESTO SMALTSHOPS IASER.RED"X" MARKSTHE SPOT WITHTHIS ROUTER SUBBASE Large-scale professionalwoodworking shops DIGITATMITER GAUGE AT AN oftenuse CNC (computer numerically MLCS'sOn PointLaser Guided Router Base controlled)equipment for preciselycutting, UNBETIEVABTYLOW PRICE shinesa lasercrosshair to showthe exact routing,and drilling pieces-think of it ashigh- Lastyear, the digital-readoutProMiter-100 centerof the bit.That's handy when freehand- techtemplate-routing. Now, CNC-toolmaker mitergauge was named one of our Hot routingor settingup fieldcuts, such as fluting. ShopBothas downsized that technology to fit NewTools for 2007,despite its $400price. Plus,its oblong shape and outboard handle intoa garageor basementshop. Requiring a Well,here's sticker shock of a differentkind: makeit morestable for edge-routing.For cuts workingfootprint smaller than a sheetof Craftsman'sDigital Miter Gauge uses the not requiringthe laser,switch on the bright- plywood,the PRTstandardBenchTop can samebrain as the ProMiterto measuremiter whiteLED worklights; combined with the clear automaticallycut, rout, carve, and drill project angleswith 0.1"accuracy, and it sellsfor only subbase,they provide great bit visibility.On partsup to24x32"in a fractionof the time it 570.That's especially remarkable when you Pointcomes predrilled to fit manypopular wouldtake to do them by hand. considerthat you could spend three times midsizeand 3-hp routers, but canbe drilledto Price:53,995, not includingspindle. Add thatfor othermiter gauges with confusing, fit any. 5365for 3-hp router package,or 51,195for nondigital,0.1" vernier scales. Price:S60, #9098 2-hp 230Vspindle package. Price: 57O,#29939 MLCS ShopBotTools Craftsman 800-533-9298;mlcswoodworking.com 919-680-4800; shopbottools.com 8OO-383-4814; craftsman.com

IF YOUHAVE TOO MUCH ROOMIN YOUR SHOB SKIPTHESE ITEMS rt Wouldn't the world be a better placeif you could face-jointmaterial as Wide as you can Jointera \+ thickness-plane?Space-starved woodworkers in Europehave long usedjointer/planer bed combinationmachines, and now you canafford one too, thanks to two new 12"-capacity \ machinesfrom Grizzlyand Jet. Both combo machineshave jointer bedsthat tip out of the way,revealing a planer bed that must be raisedabout 8" to plane7+"-thick stock. They take up aboutas muchfloor spaceas a 15"planer, require 220-volt electrical service, and cost hundredsless than similarEuropean-made combination machines.

Planer bed

d Erffi Grizzly'sG0634 sports a spiralcutterhead with indexedsolid-carbide insert cutters that give you four freshedges for long life.(lt's also availablewith a conventionalstraight-knife cutterhead,model G0633, for $500in savings.) --J This5-hp machine needs a 30-ampcircuit, and convertsto a planerin fivesteps: Remove the Jet's3-hp combination jointer/planer makes the transformationfrom jointer to planer5-10 guard,remove the fence,tip up eachtable, secondsquicker than the Grizzly.You simply tip up the entirejointer bed, secure the dust swingthe dust-collectionhood intoplace, and hood,and raise the planerbed. lt featuresstraight knives and weighs 529 lbs-about 150lbs raisethe planerbed. Total changeover time: lessthan the Griz. about40 seconds. Price:S2,OOO, stock no.7O8475 Price:G0633, 51,795; G0634, 52,295 WMHTool Group GrizzlyIndustrial -27 - 8OO 4 6848;j ettoo Is.co m 80 O- 523- 477 7 ; grlzzly,com woodmagazine.com i!

A RUGGEDROUTER TABLE WITH S3OADDS POSITIVE, REIIABLEVd THEFINESSE OF A SURGEON GREATENO-CTAMP "STOPS'TOANY MITER GAUGE |OTNTS Builtof heavy-gaugesteel with a height- No needto upgradeyour miter gauge to make wrTHYOUR B|SCUTT |OTNER adjustable, steel-rei nforced, 1 7e"-thick MDF it oneof the mostaccurate tools in yourshop. In a movethat maychallenge our loveof top, Kreg'sPrecision Router Table is one of Simplyset the oneyou haveusing MiterSet. pocket-screwjoinery, Lamello introduces a the beefiestwe've seen. But don't confuse Forprecise angles in 5'increments,insert the new methodof clamp-freejoinery with Fixo beefywith clumsy:lts T-square-style fence locatingpins at "0"and the desiredangle, biscuits.To use them, you simplyhold the joint (thinkBiesemeyer) microadjusts for precise dropyour gauge into the slot,and pressits togetherface-down, and cut a biscuitslot or positioning.The dual miter slotaccepts faceagainst the pins.To set your gauge to two acrossthe joint. Apply glue to the standard-sizemiter bars,with an adjacent one of those72" angles in between,place the workpieces-not the biscuitslot-and then T-slotfor mountingaccessories, such as feather steppedgauge bar (with 7z'stepson eachend) drivethe ribbedhalf-biscuits into the slots.The boards.Wanna add a router lift?The 91/qx'113/q" betweenthe pinsand your miter gauge's face curvedribs actually draw the joint together, insertopening readily accepts the most to add or subtractup to 21/2". whilesmall barbs keeps Fixo from fallingout. popularlifts. Price:S30 Price:528.50 for 80 Fixos Price:5500, PRSl040 MiterSet ColonialSaw KregTool 209-835-1626, miterset.com 888-77 7 -27 29; csaw.com 800-447-8638;kregtool.com

PARAttEt-fAW CLAMP5 THAT REAttY CRANKUP THE PRESSURE Mostparallel-jaw clamps provide more thanenough pressure for woodjoinery. But if you sufferfrom limitedhand strength,or needextra clamping pressure to pulltogether a cold-bentlamination, for example,you'll appreciate the bonus crankingpower of WoodlineUSA's Parallel ClampSystem. lt tightensby turningan inline handleas with typicalparallel clamps, and then the handlepivots 90" (asshown at right)to providelots of leveragefor finaltorquing. Price:526-S45 (15-78"capacity) WoodlineUSA 8OO-47 2-6950; wood I i ne.com DOVETAITSOF YOUR DESIGN WITH ABSOTUTEREPEATABITITY FINAILY!EUZZ.FREE PROFITES FROM A ROUTERBIT TheChest Mate dovetailjig helps you create dovetailson boardsof anywidth and space Untilnow, you could plan to spenda littleextra time hand-sandingaway the fuzzyedges left them exactlyhow you want them.That's behindby edge-formingbits on cross-graincuts. But Freud's line of Quadra-Cutbits has four becauseyou fix the spacingby makinga cuttersinstead of the typicaltwo: The larger pair routs most of the profilewith an up-shearangle; storyboardwith sawkerfs centered wherever the second,smaller pair cuts cleanly with a down-shearto eliminatefuzzing. you want a dovetail.Insert Chest Mate's Price:about 10 percent more than comparabletwo-wing bits indexingpin into the kerfand clampboth to Freud Up-shear your workpiece;then rout a tail.(You provide Down-shear 800-334-4107; cutter yourown routerbits and guide bushing.) Now, cutter freudtools.com movethe jig to the next kerl and repeat.With the tailsall cut,adjust the jig for the pin cut, clampthe samestoryboard to the mating workpiece,and rout allyour pins.(See a video demo at woodmagazine.com/videos.)lt's the ultimatevariability at an affordableprice. Price:$100 PraziUSA 800-262-0211; praziusa.com

52 WOODmagazlne December/lanuary2007 12008 \

rltl t--'---:._l l@ | @ Drop-LeafTable, ilFt o C. o 4. 9. o f Page58 lo ll..l J tt E lu g) I l o tl lEi= o f o tl LiL-l L--rL N NF=

= TABLE LEG E PATTERN Section I tion 3)

I I ModularCabinets Cutting Diagr?ffi, Page32

2V'rc"diam. ZVa"diam. 2z/a"diam.

Section2 w00DBetter Homes and Gardenso PATTERNS" 2/ta" diam. December/lonuary 2 00 7 / 20 0 I lssue181 2s/a"diam. Dear Reader: As a service to you, we've 1z/e"diam. includedfull-size patterns on this insert for 2s/a"diam. irregularshaped and intricate project parts.You can machineall otherpQect parts usingthe 1sle"diam. MaterialsList and the drawingsaccompanying the projectyou're building. 21Aa"diam. 2Vq"dlam. 115/'re"diam.

Section3 53 White @ 1/'ra"holes

! \. -..1 i \--- i o L\rvqtl\.,| 19 r.tl i' -.1 ,/ Blue stars .{=, i , -..* V+" i'ti ,''*'-"::'

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FLAGFULL-SIZE PATTERN (3 needed)

54 Presidential Coin Flag, Page46

o Copyr!;htNderedih Corporatin mil m. All rights reserved.Printed in the U.S.A.Meredith Corp., the publisher of WOOD Patternso, allows the pur- chaser of this pattern..'imertto photocopy these patterns solely for personal use. Any other reprodgction of these patternsis strictly prohibited. DROP.LEAFTABLE LEG FULL-SIZEPATTERN (Section 1)

DROP-LEAFTABLE LEG FULL-SIZEPATTERN (Section 2)

DROP.LEAI FULL-SIZI

Al oc- / @ ge. / oc- 6'= -/ ( 99. =tr 6'f I981. tE -'O \ {eB 6= \ -O d\ oj il FI t/ ,-/- 56 4 Seea SlideShow of this project coming together at woodmagazi ne.com/slides.

58 WOOD magazfne December/lanuary2007 12008 .l

I Overalldimensions: leaves up, 48" wide x 60"long x 297/a"high; leaves down, 311/+"wide. I Purchasedlegs, corner brackets, and leafsupports make this an easy-to-build project.(See Sources for these items.) Credit card {* I Forthose who wish to turnthe legs, '" r# dd'*lt'l seethe full-size pattern on the WOOD F" Patternsoinsert. Skill Builders 7C'roundnose MT- joint. I Learnhow to routa rule -centering I Discoverhow to layout the drop-leaf bit curvesat woi:dntar;azi lte. corl /i rrt, rr rves. 6f,1 Hingebarrelcentered in groove I Seehow a filled-porefinish will give e' 3661square to the edge EI youa smoothertabletop. Positiona straightedgeto centera 7e" Insertcredit cards 7a" into the rulejoint to roundnosebit on the hinge-barrelcenterline, separatethe top (A)and leaf(B), drill pilot Start with the tabletop and rout a 3/ro"-deepgroove for eachhinge. holes,and installthe hinges. I EOge-glueoversize blanks foithe top f (A) and leaves(B) [MaterialsList,page 621.Finish-sand the blanks.Then chuck EIf"t*5Lo[." a straight bit into your handheld router, shown) and using a straightedge,true the edges of the top to the finished width. Now joint the edgesof the leavesthat mate with the top. To form a rule foint along the mating edgesof the top and leaves, seepage 22. joints lWitfr the rule routed, lay the -top (A) blank facedown,and mark a centerline across the width. Working from this centerline, lay out the hinge centerlines[Drawing 1]. Then mark the centerlinesand ends of the hinge-barrel grooves [Drawing la]. Rout %o"-deep round-bottom grooves at each hinge location [Photo A]. Now position the Centerline leaves alongside the top, 'Align and using a ;;:' templateon part@ self-centering bit to drill pilot holes, withthe end of the curveon part mount the hinges[Photo B]. @

To prevent chip-out, fill the rule-joint gap Whenrouting the shoulderedround-over along the edgeof the tabletop(A/B), the smallgaps (aboutVtz") between the top (A) and leaves(B) presentpossibilities for chip-out.To avoidthis, cut a 1"-widestrip of cardboardabout 8" long,and adheredouble-faced tape to one face.Then, with the leaves down, adhereshort pieces of cardboardto the top (A) part of the rulejoints at the four placeswhere the jointsintersect the edge,as shown below /eff. Then with the leavessupported in the up position,trim the cardboardflush with the top and end surfaces,as shown below right. Now you can rout the edge profilewithout fear of chip-out. LEAFHALF-TEMPLATE (Bottomface) 6ffi 27" I B1/z I i

59 -1

Leaf half- 10w template - (

\ nantop/ centerline

,ftJ tr Layout the centersof the top (A)end radii Alignthe templatewith the top (A)end With the top (A)end curvesand the leaf(B) from the tabletopcenterline, and usea beam curve,and draw halfthe leaf(B) curve. Flip sidecurves drawn, cut the tabletopto shape compassto drawthe curves. the template,and completethe curve. with a jigsaw.

7e"round-over with Leafsupport a g/rs"shoulder t/a"grooves t/q" deep 3/a"t(om top edge t/a" dadoes #B x 5/a" t/q" deep panhead screw #10flat washer 1tslro"from ends l-rr"

#10flat washer 243/a" o0*. 41/2" #B x 11/q" \ panhead screw s/0" slots -----l g/ro"long, centered 15t/e" -T

,----13s/a" 41/2" t- J t/a" bead

Turned leg I exeloDEDvrEW

assembledtabletop (A/B) base 2 t-uy out the centers of the 4O7/s"top lnnp the Make the J(A) end radii [Drawing1], and draw Tover, and support the leavesin the a Cut the end skirts(C) and sideskirts them [Photo C]. Then, from Y+"hard- up position. Chuck a 7e"round-over bit I f Ol to size.Then, with a dado blade board, make a template for the leaf (B) into your handheld router, adjust it to in your tablesaw,ctJtl/+" grooves into the 3/76" curve [Drawing 1b]. (For help, go to form a shoulder [Drawing2a], and inside faces of the skirts [Drawing2]. l,vriritIrItir.q;iriItL'.{(}t}ti it'tr.iil''r'r.r:,.) USg thg rout the edgesof the top (A) and leaves Next cut ya"dadoes for the corner brack- template to draw the curves [Drawing1 (B).To prevent chip-out asthe bit passes ets [Drawings2 and 2b]. Now rout a V+" and PhotoDl. Cut the top to shape[Photo over the gaps between the top and bead along the outside bottom edge of E], and sand the edgessmooth. leaves,see the ShopTip on page59. eachskirt [Drawing2c].

60 WOOD magazine December/lanuary2007 12O08 *8x1%" Bracket panhead Slot @ ;...}..- EI li]i'":: Usinga tall miter-gaugeextension to After usingthe stretcher(E) center hole and Centerthe leafsupport rail in the sideskirt (D) supportthe sideskirts (D) and backthe cuts, slotcenters as guides to drill pilot holes, notch,and squarethe supportbracket to the cut the leaf-supportnotches in two passes. fastenthem with washersand screws. skirt.Drill pilot holes,and drivethe screws. f[conruERBRAcKET @nourNc THEBEADs 1154a" Tableleg Locationof corner Fr bracket,centered

t/q" hole A 2t/q" from lop \y A \7

rI t/o" m '- Cornerbracket ._ -! ffi v"oon Hanserrx@ (- 777777v ffi n QJ--.. #8 xs/a" Tg Vt \ panheadscrew Rouler \\ e/o" chamfer table Washer

form offset notches for the leaf Cut the (E) Arc Q stretchers to size.Then, Afo provide clearancefor the corner -supports in the side skirts (D), Jwith a dado blade in your tablesaw, Tbrackets, chuck a 45' chamfer bit adherethem together,face-to-back, with form tenonson the endsof eachstretcher into your handheld router, and rout a double-faced tape. Then \ay out the [Drawing2d]. Now drill a shank hole at e/re"chamfer along the inside corner of notch locationson the front of one skirt the center of each stretcher,and form a eachleg [Drawing2b]. Then drill hanger- [Drawing2]. Now install a3/+"dado blade centered %e" slot e/ra"long at each end bolt pilot holes. Finish-sand the legs, in your tablesaw,attach a tall extension [Drawings2and 2d]. (Forthe #8 screws and install the bolts. (For information to the miter gauge,and cut the notches in this proiect, drlll7zz" shank holes and on installing the hanger bolts and cor- [PhotoF]. Finish-sandthe skirts(C, D). 7k+"pIlot holes.) ner brackets,see page 84.) woodmagazine.com 61 lrneuroP FAsTENERS.

1/a" Cutline VBU 1Y4' plans 1Y4"/%" ,Ai- Findmore furniture at IlJ/o' tltru' woodmagazi ne.comf u rn itu re.

Cut a T*x2xLS" blank for the top ing the tenons with the second side-skirt Apply the finish fasteners (F), and plane it to %" groove, clamp the skirt to the cotner ! Remove the legs from the skirt thick. Cut six dadoes into the blank with brackets attached to the end skirts. Drill I assembly (ClDlE), and then the a dado blade [prawing 3]. Then drill the pilot holes, and drive the screws. skirt assembly from the tabletop (A/B). %2" holes. Now cut the fasteners from Itttt the skirt assembly(C/D/E), and Next remove the leaf supports and the blank where shown. -position the leaf supports in the hinges from the tabletop. As you remove skirt notches with the staple in each the parts, mark them so they can be Assemble the table leaf-support sliding rail on the outside reassembled in the same orientation. (The Inspect all the parts, and finish-sand ! Ctamp the corner brackets to the of the skirt. staple acts as a stop to I end skirts (C) [Drcwings2 and 2b]. keep the end of the support rail from where needed. Using the holes in the brackets as guides, sliding past the skirt.) Then slide the leg DApply the finish. (We stained the drill pilot holes into the skirts, and drive hanger bolts into the corner-bracket 3pafts with Varathane Golden Oak the screws. Place the tabletop (A/B) holes, and secure the legs with washers #227, and then applied two coats of satin upside down on your workbench. Posi- and nuts. polyurethane, sanding with 220-grit (A/ For a smoother tion the end skirts and one side skirt (D) ! Center the base on the tabletop sandpaperbetween coats. on the tabletop, with the beaded edges JB), check the base for square, and tabletop finish, seepage 18.) Reassemble up. Clamp the corner brackets attached screw it into place [Photo G]. Then posi- the table. No-w, about that matching: to the end skirts to the side skirt, drill tion the tongues of the top fasteners (F) hutch in the next issue. i pilot holes, and drive the screws. Then into the end-skirt grooves [Drawing 2], apply glue to one tenon of each stretcher drill pilot holes, and fasten them with Written by Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund Project design: Jeff Mertz (E). Insert these ends into the groove in washers and screws. lllustrations:Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson the side skirt [Drawing 2]. Apply glue to Align the leaf supports, and screw 'them the other stretcher tenons. Now, captur- into place [PhotoH].

top 3/l'303/d' B* leaves 3/l' 9u 54' EO 2 Cutting Diagram C endskirts 3/d' 41h" 22" o2 D sideskirts 3/l' 41/z' 44' o2 E stretchers 3/l' . 3" 2F/l' O 2 F* topfasteners 5/e" 2" IW' o6 Oak(5.3 bd. ft.X2 needed) *Partsinitially cut oversize. See the instructions.

Materlals key: EO-edge-joinedred oak O-red oak 5uppf les : #8;xs/ s", #8x11 /i, #8x1t/ z" pa n head screws; t7." for Vax7lqx72" #10flat washers; double-faced taps; hardboard leaftemplate. Blade and blts: Stackdado set;t/2" rule joint set,l/an roundnose,3/0"round-over, t/r" bead, and 45o chamfer routerbits. *Plane Vcx51/zx 96" Oak (4 bd. ft.)(2 needed) or resawto the thicknesslisted in the MaterialsList. Sources Hardware: Drop{eafhinge no. 29256, 56.39 pr. (3 pr.} classicpull-or.t leaf support no.29512,55.49 pr.(2 prJ. {cx5U2x72" Oak(3 bd.ft.)(2 needed) Rockler;800-21 S- l,l,!1, 1sgftler.co m. legs and brackets:Oakfarm leg qo,1020,526.95ea. (4);corner bracket with hanger bolt, Wdsher, and nut no. '. 901,57.65 for a packof four. Osborn€,Wood Products, Vqx5Y2x 96" Oak (4 bd. ft.) 800-849-8876,www.osbornewood.com--. .., 62 WOODmagazlne December/Jdriuary200712008 WoodJoiU[

Doors & Drawers Needa framejoint that doesn't break when kids mistake your cabinet door for playgroundequipment? Or a drawerjoint that can survive tugs and slams withoutcoming apart? We tested 72 samplesto discoverthe bestof both.

year ago, we brutally tested various dado, When the cracking and tearing were over, we rabbet, mortise-and-tenon, butt, and miter discoveredthat all of the ioints withstood far more of regularly than ioints to learn which were strongest. (See the pull-apart force they'd encounter WOODa magazine issue 173, November 20O6, page shearing force, which is uncommon. For. example, 58.) Now, to uncover the toughest common door the averagedrawer ioint held up to 1,489lbs of pull- The and drawer ioints, we made dozens of test sampies apart force versus only 80 lbs of shearing force. and pushed them to their breaking point-literally. averagedoor joint withstood L,21'4lbs of pull-apart how For door ioints, we made six sampleseach of cope- force but only 511 lbs of shearing force. To see and-stick, stub-tenon-and-groove, half-lap, and the ioints in eachcategory compared with each other, haunched-tenon joints. Then we made test samples checkthe charts onpages66 and69. of lock-rabbet, box, through-dovetail, half-blind After analyzingpiles of shattered ioints, we learned dovetail, lock-miter, sliding-dovetail, shouldered- a few things that you can apply in your own shop to dado, and rabbeted drawer joints. All were built make stronger joints. using lumber of similar density and the sameyellow glue for consistency.Door-ioint samplesused 3/+x2" red oak and, except where noted, the drawer box sampleswere built from Yzx4"poplar. Using testing equipment at Iowa State University, we tore apart each ioint one of two ways. The first measured a joint's resistanceto being pulled apart, as when yanking open a drawer or pulling a sliding frame-and-panel door sideways.The other, a shear test, measured a joint's ability to withstand being pushed out of squareuntil its glue joint failed. (Pic- ture a child hanging from an open cabinet door, or a wide dresserdrawer binding as it's yanked open.)

With the drawer front The stile of a door frame is Watch FREEvideo of the clampedto the testingjig clampedto the testingjig's latest round of joint tests at and the drawerside bolted side.A steelplate held by wood magazine.com /joi nttest2. to the testing equipment's the testing machineforces upper jaws,we loweredthe the door rail down asthe jig ji9 to pull apartthe joint. risesuntilthe joint breaks.

64 WOOD magazfne December/January2OO7 12008 f 1 ii"

"i'

#1 Half-lap I FINDING: In pull-apart tests, more smooth for a strongerglue bond. I FINDING: In shear-strengthtests, than half of the glue joint survivedeven f FINDING:Despite being a basic, half-lap joints withstood more than asthe stilepiece split. LESSON:Here's a easy-to-makejoint, half-laps twice the force of the next strongest joint that can support weighty inserts outlastedthe more elaborate joint. LESSON:A largeface-to-face glue suchas stained-glass. alternatives such as cope- area gives this joint its incredible f FINDING:Where the glue bond did and-stickjoints. strength. Chooseit for mirror framesor break in sheartests, we could seedado- LESSON:More work won't heavy doors likely to endure abuse. blade scoremarks. TESSON:Sand laps result in more strength.

Stile Stile

Wood failed before the rest of the glue Thejoint heldup to wherethe first crackbegins. lade marks

Wood remains attached to glue joint.

#2 Mortise-and- the possibility of wood splits and (seebelow), but not before splitting the haunched-tenon strengthen the joint, reinforcing the stile along its length. LESSON:Use this samefinding from last year'stests. joint where durability matters. The I FINDING: On each pull-apart test, I FINDING: In all tests,none of the tenon's glue strength more than offsets the mortised stile split along its length tenons broke or even showed signs of this weak spotin the joint. before the joint cracked at the tenon cracking. IESSON: The tried-and-true I FINDING: One weak spot occurs shoulders.LESSON: The tenon's face- rule of making tenons one-third the where the end of the tenon doesn't grain-to-face-grain glue bond adds thicknessof the workpiecesstill provides touch the bottom of the mortise. strength,but lessthan a half-lap. plenty of strength along the tenon. IESSON: Gaps meant to collect I FINDING:In pull-aparttests, the stile f FINDING: On some shear-testsam- excessglue weakenthe joint. Aim of each sample split at the base of the ples, the tenon pried loose the wood for wood-to-wood contact, and mortise.LE55ON: Longer tenons reduce between the mortise and the stile end don't overapplyglue.

The haunch grips the 9roove The tenon didn't edges. pry loose this area. t-"$**' Rail

Wood splits at the base of the groove. -{ woodmagazine.com 65 #3 Stub-tenon- and-groove

I FINDING: Like the mortise-and- Thejoint haunched-tenonioints, the stile split at holdsalong the bottom of the groove during the its length. pull-apart tests.In all tests,the 7e"-long tenons held onto the surrounding wood. LESSON: Because these tenons don't extend deeper than the groove, be sure to strengthen the I FINDING: The ends of the tenons gaps. A tenon fitted to precise length loint by thoroughly gluing the tenon pulled fibers loose from the stile pieces. increases ioint strength and improves shouldersand qnds, TESSON:Glue doesa poor job of filling the frame's appearance.

#4 Cope-and-stick I FINDING: Despite the routed stile and rail profiles,the pull-apart and shear strengths of this ioint nearly equaled stub-tenon-and-groovei oints. LESSON:A profile will not weaken the joint. I FINDING: On each pull-apart test, the stile split at the base of the rail tenon. begin with straight-grainstock. the joint outlasted the wood. LESSON:The ioint at near right broke in I FINDING: Even with this amount of LESSON:This ioint is more than ade- an areaof curved grain. Forstrong frames, end-grain-to-edge-grain gluing surface, quate for frame-and-panel construcion.

coNcrusroNs Half-laps lead in door-ioint strength It's no coincidence that the two strongest ioints are the ones with the most 2,(X)0 face-grain-to-face-grain glue surface area. Choose half-laps for frames hold- 1,800 ing thick glassor mirrors, especiallyif the frame's width exceeds its height. 1,600 Mortise-and-haunched-tenons handle the same iobs, and have groovesalready rrt 1,400 into rails you make U cut the stiles and as c, the joint, not added after you cut the o 1,2OO tl joint. Use these on doors you'll open tl frequently or that will face abuse on a o 1,000 daily basis. ovl But don't give up on stub-tenon-and- z 800 groove or cope-and-stickjoints. Multiply o3 their strength by four on an actual cabi- & 600 net door-then add the reinforcement provided by the door's panel-and these 400 two ioints will survive all but the worst abuse. To increase the strength of any 200 joint, use straight-grain stock, and make certain the gluing surfacesare smooth. 0 Half-lap Mortise-and- Stub-tenon- Cope-and-stick To read the original Wood foint haunched- and-groove Torture Test, go to tenon woodmagazine.com/iointtest. 66 WOOD magazlne December/January200712008 #1 Box joint I FINDING: Glue bonds were strong Fingers break in the 'g- enough to tear off wood fibersand parts ,. fnsertaaraf direction of ' herefor of the fingerson both piecesin the pull- A-*- grarn. / reinforcdment. apart tests.End-grain-to-face-grain glue Oneglue l- I bonds also pulled off cornersof fingers. joint held I .lG"* LESSON:This joint in r/2"stock creates enoughto **f I rh* ;-7 Gluejoint 332square inches of gluing surface,about crackthis D finger. / strength half of that in edge-grain-to-edge-grain V outlasts connections. ,fu, thefingers. Gluejoints Use box joints pullaway on your projects wood fibers wherepull-apart from the uti " strength mat- fingers.

ters most, such . i:. as utility draw- I FINDING: Although strong against apart strength.TESSON: Consider rein- ersmade to hold pull-apart forces, the joint's shear forcing this joint with #18x1"brads in heavyobfects. strength was only 4 percent of its pull- the edgesof the end fingers.

#2 Lock miter I FINDING:On all joint samples,the tapered tenon on one piece remained Jointtenon f bonded with its mating dado. This breaksoff I { Force shears off -'/ ' $ at its base. f joint'sface-grain-to-face-grain glue area t the tenon. f contributes to ? its strength. i LE55ON: This joint combines strength with an attractive mitered outside corner. I FINDING: The mitered portions of the outside and inside corners contributed little strength to the f FINDING:Each joint in bothtypes of bits cut tenons wider at their basesthan joint. IESSON:Choose a bit profile that testsfailed when the tenonbroke off at at their tips, the joint proves stronger minimizes theseportions of the joint. its base.IESSON: Because these router than the lock rabbet.

#3 Lock rabbet I FINDING: Despite having all end- ir" \ grain-to-face-grain glue-joint areas, Therabbet i 1 \ lock-rabbetglue bonds still outlastedthe splitsat i1 I \F the end of [,.. surrounding wood. Joints failed when \ oEnd grain the tenon. ,-.;trii oaaoraltner the ends of the , provides ,, \ ?.T:r from the end mortised pieces little glue \ FTJ of the drawer cracked from ' strength. Ytl sideto keep piece edge to edge. this from breaking IESSON:When Jointsbreak at the rabbet. using a lock- between the - rabbet joint to rabbetand X-+ . connect a the end. i"' -t drawer back to : the sides,increase its strength by posi- I FINDING:Joint areasburned during joints won't absorbglue well. Usea slow tioning mortises awayfrom the drawer milling showed no attached fibers after bit speedto rout this joint, and sandoff sideends. the ioint was broken. LESSON:Burned any burn marks left by a tablesaw. woodmagazine.com 67 i-t

#4 Through-dovetail I FINDING: On the pull-apart tests, end grain on the pin piecespulled off Pinpiece Dovetailpiece Dovetailpiece (drawer almost no dovetail face-grain fibers. (drawerside) (drawerside) front/back) LESSON:Thoroughly glue both the pin Pinpiece T (drawer there'sstronger Pinspull and dovetail sideswhere I front/back) face-grain-to-face-graincontact. The joint shape holds pieces tightly gluing, together mechanically.-.. against ,.$ I FINDING: Despite careful f ' dovetails.- portions of some pins lackeddried glue II \ along their edges. Jointsseparated f # S Dovetails broke atthe lines. LESSON: Apply Slue $ * / atthecorners ! , between the Pins. glueto both pieces g to avoid forcing fr € out too much glue during assembly. I FINDING:Even their peak strength,the piecesmechani- equal total joint failure when you use after the glue cally locked together.LESSON: Unlike pin pieceson the drawer front and back bonds cracked at other joints, a failed glue bond doesn't with dovetailedsides.

#5 Sliding dovetail

I FINDING:All samplesin both series i' when the 7s"-longstrip of I of testsfailed Thedovetail , the dovetail groove and wood between { basedidn't ia the end of that board broke off. breakdespite ft \ "# LE55ON:Consider this for drawers I There'sless being lessthan iffi ioint 1/4" 3/ro" jffi wherethe dovetailpiece can be mounted I than thick. ! betweenthe the slot piece. farther from the end of Oovetailslot ffi ' I 's:" I FINDING:In both the pull-apartand ,l andthis end. the shear-strength :l Thethin strip F;; :.f the end joint along -F,'ffi tests, this #-? breaks before was weaker than ,t!/ the dovetail .Sil lock- free.4 the similar !| ,"* fibers remainattached Pulls -t rabbet joint that to the endgrain. can be cut with iust a tablesaw. that the pieces have to slide together, drawerbottom, and you may find you're LESSON:Consider making it difficult to insert a floating better off with lock-rabbetioints.

#6 Rabbet with nails I FINDING: Despite not having any finely machined parts,as on lock miters or sliding dovetails,the thicknessof the pieces didn't translate into a stronger joint. In only one of the three pull-apart Allglue-joint did the rabbetedpiece crack 'Fewnails pulled test samples surfacesare the along its end grain, as shown at near end-grain-to- ,through rabbetedpieces. right, instead of breaking the glue bond face-grain. grain. between the end grain and face t1 LESSON:Even with mechanical help from the three nails in eachtest sample, this face-grain-to-end-grainglue ioint will fail before the wood fails, unlike joints. Thegluabon$;.'+ most other partially splitffie I FINDING: Nail end grain here. I'rr. heads partially or completely pulled pull-apart tests; only two nails pulled joint together during glue-up,but don't through the rab- through in the shear-strengthtest sam- rely on them to compensatefor a weak beted piece in the ples. LESSON:Nails may help hold a glue joint.

68 WOOD magazine December/lanuary2007 12008 #7 Shouldered dado s/tz"-long I FINDING:The strip between Endgrain the end of the dadoed piece and the lessens dadoweakens this joint. TESSON:Use it the gluing for drawerswhere the dado can be placed strength. awayfrom the end of the sidepiece. Thisstrip measures I FINDING:Tenons were 7:2"thick, z iust iusts/n".J Thisstrip isl but none tore too narrowf apart in either to with set of tests. being pried + Endgrain LESSON:Glue free. splitseasily. bonds provide even a skinny tenon great strength. apart teststhat were stoppedafter crack- grain of the dadoedpieceat the first sign I FINDING: ing at peak strength, the joint still held of cracks,and you may still be able to On two pulltogether.LESSON: Carefully reglue end salvagethe joint.

#8 Half-blind dovetail I FINDING: Pull-apart tests quickly ( Dovetail brokethe glue joint, but the shapeof the p}foh*-. Pin piece t piece pins within the dovetail piece kept the pin piecethis Dovetailends I two halves together. LESSON:You can direction createsa I providea weak It\ disassembledamaged half-blind dove- mechanicalbond I end-grain that resistsbeing t\ tails, remove the old glue, and success- gluingsurface. pulledapart. l,lAclue bondsaround fully regluethe joint. I t I the dovetailsbroke I FINDING: On pull-apart tests, the I Dovetailpiece I quickly,but the (3/a"-thick curved backs of some pins tore apart 1 to loint still holds. I simulatean 1 from the stress. LESSON: Slow your actualdrawer router speed front) it enough to I prevent burn- foint surfacesof both pieces,not just the leasthalf the width of the full dovetails. ing either the dovetail sides. I FINDING:Joint parts remainedcon- pin or the I FINDING: No half-dovetails along nected well after the glue joint cracked. dovetail the edgeof any sample crackedor broke IESSON:Mechanical strength explains pieces. Then off. LESSON:Lay out the joint so that why woodworkers have made dovetail glue all the partial dovetailsat the edgesmeasure at joints for centuries. coNcLUsloNs Box ioints, lock miters lead in drawer ioinery Choose box joints for a drawer rugged enough to be pulled out and used as a 2,500 storage box or organizer. For mitered corners without visible end grain, lock |rJ l\/ 2,000 miters have nearly the samestrength. E, Lock rabbets create an easy-to-make o but strong joint for attaching drawer I! l! 1,500 backs you'll inset 1" or more from the o ends of the drawer sides.Machine-made VI through-dovetails lack shear strength, o 1,000 but they're one of the few repairable z joints-great for heirloom furniture. of Sliding dovetails offer little strength o- s00 or practicality. If your drawer bottom rides in grooveson all four sides,you'll need an alternate joint for the front or 0 back.Nail-reinforced rabbets may not be miters if you want a joint you can cut on you can reassemblethem should the elegant,but they're quick to make and a tablesaw.Half-blind dovetails lacked glue bond break.lF can attach both the fronts and backs- the strength of the other joints, but Written by Bob Wilson fine for utility drawers. As for shouldered they're attractive,leave a smooth drawer lllustrationsby RoxanneLeMoine dado joints, you're better off using lock front, and like the through-dovetails, Samplejoints prepared by Dean Fiene woodmagazlne.com 69 -l

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Start with the backs where dirnensioned. Drill a 74" blade Overalldimensions'. 4Vz" wide x 5" Cut the tall, medium, and short start hole approximately in the center of deepx 16"high (tall sconce), 12' high backs (A, B, C) to the sizes listed each opening. Scrollsawthe openings to (mediumsconce), and 8" high {MaterialsList, pnge 721. shape IPhoto B]. Sand off any splinters (shortsconce). Rout a centered I1/2"groove 7+"deep frorn the backs of the openings. Materialsneeded : A 3/cx5y2x60'cherry into the back face of the backs lo form the mounting cleats(D) and board,aYex12x12" piece of birch 1]. To do this, chuck a 3/s" tall-, medium-, and short-back fillers plywood,and three pieces of [Drawing your table-mounted (E, F, G), cut three 1/sxlr/2x73"blanks to .025x4x10"copper sheet. straight bit into grooves in the backs Formthe coppertrays with easebY router. Position the fence to approxi- fit snugly into the cuttingand gluingin placeseparate mately center the bit on the 41/2"wtdth (A, B, C). Bevel-cut each end of the bottomand side pieces rather than of the backs.'l'hen rout a V+"-deepgroove blanks at 45'. Then crosscut a 17a"-long bendinga pattern-cutpiece to shape. along each back. Reposition the fence 3" piece from each end for the mounting blanks to Skill Builder from the outside cutting edge of the bit. cleats.No i' cut the remaining 7s/tu,and 53le"long for the fillers. Learnthe simpletricks for cuttingand Now rnake two passes to widen the 97/a', r..rf polishingcopper sheet. lt's easier than groove to I1/2"IPhoto A]. Glue and clarnp three the tnouut- you thinkl Lay out the 1/+"-squareopenings on ing cleats(D), with the beveledends the fronts of the backs (A, B, C), in the correct orientation fDrawing 11,

70 WOODmagazine December/January 2007 12008 Widenthe centered %"-deep groove in Insertyour scrollsaw blade through the Withthe trays (H/l) glued and clamped to the the backs(A, B, C) by makingtwo passes, bladestart hole, and cut out eachof the 1%"- backassemblies, drive the screwsthrough rotatingthe parts180'between the passes. squareopenings in the backs(A, B, C). the holesin the backsinto the trays.

and the fillers (E, R G) into the grooves inserts (L, M, N) in the backs. Sand the sides (H) together, with the bottoms in the backs (A, B, C), with the top and back assembliesto 220 grit. captured in the grooves.We used mask- bottom ends of the cleats, fillers, and ing tape to draw the mitered corners of backs flush. On to the trays and copper the sides tightly together. Sand the a (nritt countersunkshank hole, cen- 1 fo form the tray sides(H), cut lhree assembliessmooth. lJtered, through the face of the | 3/qxYzx20"blanks. groove front Cut a %" lfo mount the trays (H/I) to the back remaining mounting cleats(D). (For the /t" deep %" from the bottom into each rJassemblies (A/D lE, BlDlF, CID lG), #8 screwsin this proiect, driIls/sz"shank blank on the inside face to fit the ply- drill two countersunk shank holes holes.) Then, using a I2o-grit sanding wood tray bottoms (I) [Drawing 1]. through the back faces of the backs, block, lightly sand the edgesof the cleats Miter-cut four 4!2"-Iongpiecesfrom each where dimensioned [Drawing 1]. Glue so they fit easily into the grooves in the blank for the sides,using an extension and clamp the trays to the backs, flush backsto ensuretrouble-free wall mount- on your miter gauge for support, and a with the edgesand bottoms. Now drive ing of the sconces.Now sand 45'bevels stopblock to ensure identical lengths for the #8x%" flathead wood screws [Photo on the edges[Drawing la]. This provides squareglue-ups. Cl. Due to the short engagement of the 3/q"-Iong clearancefor the beads of adhesivethat lCut the plywood tray bottoms (I) to screws, we did not drill pilot you'll apply later to hold the copper frthe size listed. Then glue the tray holes into the trays.

exeloDEDvrEW anchor I ,,Wall .025 x 1t/zx 1/2" copper I ,.Countersunkshank hole tt .025 x 1t/zx 3tA" copper 1t/2"gtooveth" deep,centere 1r/2"groove 1t/z"groove /+" deep,centered /t'.'deep,centered .-/l \t - l----'-t Zlt/^^ | 3Vz"-diam. n,:-'- | maximum Ffflr/o'I tl .EL .ttl pillarcandle Ef,A,5-y2-l ffiffi1r/." I 'ffi ffi-er I 12',

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tray side liners are *'52" ,rl lrom .025"-thick copper sheets,cut Note that the 'Tthe tray bottom and side liners (J, shorter than the openings to allow a butt- K), and tali-, medium-, and short-back joint fit. Deburr the edges,and buff the inserts (L, M, and N) to the sizeslisted. copper. For help with this and cutting You'll find the copper sheets (typically the copper, seethe ShopTips, below left. 4x10") at crafts supply and hobby stores. You'll need three sheets.To ensure an Finishup exact fit, measure the tray openings ! finistr-sand any wood areas that before cutting the copper piecesto size. I need ltto 22Ogrit. Remove the dust. aApply a stain and clear finish. We &applied Varathane no. 455 Tradi- tional Cherry Gel Stain, followed by 5 tips to ensure three coatsof aerosollacquer. To prevent youi copperwork shines tarnishing of the copper parts, we sprayedthem with one coat of lacquer. 1 You can cut copper sheetwith tin Tip 2 Apply a small amount of an instant- snipsor shears,but you'llwind up with J grab adhesive, such as DAP Strong- curlededges that rarelylook smooth after stik, availableat your local home center, you'llfind it a challengeto flattening,and to the tray bottom liners (J). Pressthe makeidentical-size parts. Instead, use your liners into placeagainst the traybottoms bandsaryfence, and a pieceof 1/c" (I). to the tray side hardboardfor a zero-clearancebacker to Then apply adhesive get perfectresults. After cutting a kerf into liners (K) and press them into place in the backer,adhere it to the bandsawtable each tray [Photo D]. Now position the Instant-grabadhesive usingdouble-faced tape, asshown below. tall-, medium-, and short-back inserts The backerprevents the copperfrom (L, M, N) into the openings in the backs curling,and it raisesthe copperso it can't (A, B, C), tight against the tops of the Apply an approximately %"-wide bead of tray side liners slipunder the fence. adhesive along an edge of the fillers (E, F, G). Apply a small bead of (K),and press them into place in the trays. Tip 2 Fora smoothcut, usea bladewith the instant-grab adhesive along the per and feedthe at least14 teeth inch, edgesand bottom of the inserts to hold copperslowly. Written by Owen Duvall with Chuck Hedlund them in place in the backs. Tip 3 Usethe eraserend of a pencilto Projectdesign: Kevln Boyle Finally, to hang the sconces,level lllustrations:Roxanne LeMolne; Lorna fohnson safelyguide the copperthrough the cut, -tand;l asshown. fasten the mounting cleats (D) Tip 4 Removethe burrsand sharpedges in the appropriate orientation [Drawings from the copperpieces using a mill 1 and lal on your wall using wall anchors Materials List bastardfile or a pieceof wood wrapped and#8xlr/2" flathead wciod screws.Hang (for 3 wall sconces) with 150-grit sandpaper. the sconceson the cleats. Now place a Tip 5 To get a uniform,bright sheen, rub 3Yz"-diametermaximum pillar candle in the facesof the copperwith 400-grit each tray, light the candles, an4 enioy tallback Vzu 16" sandpaper,moving in one directionfor the the glow from your handiwork. |l B mediumback 1/2" 41/2" 12" c1 bestappearance. C shortback 1/2" 41/2" 8u c1 D* mounting cleats 1/i' 11/2" lth" c 6 Cutting Diagram E* tall-backfiller 1/q" 11/2" 97h" C 1 medium-back 'Er( 1/l' 11/2" T/a" C 1 filler Gx short-backfiller 1/c'' 11/z' 53/e' c 1 H* traysides 3/i, 1/2" 41/2" C 12 I traybottoms 1/s" 4" 4', BP3 bottom 'r traY .o2s" 3t/2" 3vz" cs 3 1/ex12x 12" Birchplywood liners K traysideliners .025" 3/l' 3ls/szu cS 12 L talf-backinsert .025" 11/2" 5u c5 1 medium-back .lr/r,, .l .025x4x10"Copper M .025" 31/q" cS insert N short-backinsert.025" 172" 11/2" cs 1 .,$ffi *Partsinitially cut oversize. See the instructions. .025x 4 x 10"Copper .025x4x10"Gopper Materlals key: C-cherryBP-birch plywood, CS-coppersheet. Supplies: #8x34'and#8x11/2" flathead wood screws, double-facedtape, .025x4x1 0" coppersheets(3), instant- grabadhesive, wall anchors (3), 372'Ldiameter maximum pillarcandles (3). *Plane sAx 51/zx 60" Cherry (2.5 bd. ft.) or resawto the thicknesseslisted in the MaterialsList. Bit: %" straightrouter bit.

72 WOOD magazlne December/January200712008 ,r i .s '. lr j:Jffi T i,

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Waitinguntil the priceis rightto acquirea box-jointiig? By using shop scraps, we got the costdown to zero,and came up with a methodthat makesadjacent box sides interchangeable for foolproofassembly.

,ii' -#, ': hilt' ntakirtg tl're box-ictintecl ratccla sr-rbtlccl'range irt tl'rearrattgettretlt i-. *qfr.. il 'l-l'rc trio oll po:l(' 78, I{OOD of thc fir-rgers. traclitional method: iri,.,jl'S*,ui' " L_,__ W "ryi nraguzine lvlastcr C.raftsnran IVIakctno siclesthat start r,r,itha fir-rgerat I I start u'itl-t Cl-nrckHcclh-rncl cantc r-r1trvitl-t atr ittt'tit- tl'rc tou ancl two ends tl'rat TRADITIONALBOX IOINT = vativc l\,.lv to nrakc bctx ioints ttsit-tgit sockets at tl'rc top, as sl-town at riglrttttp. Endsof workpiece (lhLrck sinrplc bor-ioint iig. Hc alsct it'tcorpo- Inste;rcl, ntac1cfour interchange- I mirroreach other. ablc sides,eaclt witl-r a fingcr at the top of one cncl,ancl a sockctat the top of the i r'. - 'f , ;-;lr: clther, as shott'n ttt t'i.glttltottttttt. hts Thebox ioint relies on simple techr-ricluenrakcs it nearlv irttpctssiltlctcl [- geometry:All of the cutsare assenrblea lror ir-tcorrectlr'.Hcre's hctr,t' souareto eachother and to the I jig anclcut the faceof the lumber.So before you to makc the ioints. makethe jig, takea few minutesto verifyyour tablesaw's settings and Every good box ioint needs an accurate to makeany adjustments. 'lo flg First,ensure that the bladeis ensurc sLlcccssin n'rakilrgbox ioirtts, INTERCHANGEABLE absolutelyparallel to the miter- first cl'rccktl-re aligntlent of vottr table- BOX'OrNT Endsof workpiece gaugeslot. Next, set the blade san'.lror tune-trp tips, seethe sidebarat complement each other. perfectlyperpendicular to the laft. \,Vith votrr tablcsan reacl\', begirt -r tabletop.Finally, lock your miter rnaking the yigb,v cutting a .lx l8" exten- gaugeat a rightangle to the blade. sion for vorlr rniter gauge frotn 3/4" mc'cliurn-densitv fiberboard (MDF). Ml)| 15 lypicalh' flat, but check vour piccc' after cutting bv laying eacl-tsicle flat on yoLlr sa\ r table. Dott't attacl'rthe extcr-rsior-tto voLlr tniter gaugc ,v"et. Notch the extension lnstall a 1/s"dttclo ltlade and a zero- and in: tall an index pin clearanccinsert in vottr tablesaw.Raise Set votrr rip fence to cut a notch 7" froni thc dado bladc to tnake a c-tttjust a hair tl-rc cr-rdof the l\,lDF rrite;' gauge exten- 1/s" i. i.:i; ,ia: : - i,.r nrorc tl1ar1 clcclt. Verifv thc clcpth sion IPhoto A]. Holding the extensiotr r,r,itha tcst ctrt in scrap. againstvorrr nritcr gatrgc.crtt the notch.

74 WOODmagazine December/January200712008 (Don't pull the extension backward the miter gauge squarely into position dead-on, you simply trim away the through the blade and don't move the against the back of the extension, adher- excess after cutting the joint. If they rip fence after the cut.) ing it with the tape. tJse screwsto secure don't, each ioint still sports a full set of To make the indexing pin, start by the extension to the miter gauge. After identical pins and sockets. planing a'/-.2"length of hardwood scrap double-checking the set-up, you can Step 3 With the jointed edgeagainst the (we used maple) until you have a per- remove the rip fence. miter gauge,cut the box piecesto length. fectly square section that'fits snugly into An extension with a stopblock ensures the notch in the extension [Photo B]. As Buildinq a better box identical lengths. you approach t}re Y+"thickness on the starts rr7ittr stock prep While you're preparing your proiect pin, lower the cutterhead in tiny incre- When building boxes, spending a few stock, it's a good idea to give identical ments to sneak up on a snug fit and extra minutes properly preparing stock treatment to some extra scrapsthat you rotate the stock 90o for a second pass at will pay big dividends when the ioints can use for test cuts. each height setting to keep it square. slide together sweetly. Here's the When you're satisfied with the fit, sequencethat produces that big payoff. Test cuts prove the crosscut the strip in half. Place the two Step I Use your jointer to flatten one accuracy a}fyour setup strips side by side against the fence face of each board, and then plane the Making test cuts in scrap will familiafize [PhotoC]. Holding the extension against opposite face smooth, parallel, and to you with the cutting technique and the strips, cut a second notch. Again, cut the desiredthickness. confirm the iig setup. only on the forward stroke. Step 2 With one face held flat against With the pencil-marked edge away Turn the extension upside down and the iointer fence, machine one edge of from the blade, [Photo E], hold a box insert one of the hard*ciod strips into each board straight, smooth, and square. side flat against the miter gauge exten- the second notch, leaving about L" pro- Rip the opposite edge %" wider than sion, butted against the indexing pin. jecting from the front, [Photo D]. Drive a your box's finished height, and mark Cut the first socket, and after the jig nail to hold this indexing pin in place. the ripped edge with a continuous pen- clears the dado head, lift the box side (To avoid splitting, drill a pilot hole cil line. Why the extra width? Becausea clear instead of pulling it- backward first.) Set the second hardwood strip tiny error in the width of each cut mul- through the blade. (At tbis time, pulling aside: You'll need it later. tiplies with each subsequent cut across the jig itself backward over the blade is Finally, apply double-faced tape to the the width of the workpiece. Cutting the fine.) Now fit the first $otket over fhe back of the extension. With the end of pieces oversize accommodates that indexing pin [Photo F], and. make the the extension against the rip fence, slide accumulation. If your ioint cuts wind up second cut. Continue pldcing the iust- woodmagazlne.com 75 cut socket onto the indexing pin until the ioint is complete. Consistency counts when you make How a mirror the multiple passesrequired to make a savesyour neck your neckto look box joint. For the best results, try to keep Craning over the box-joint jig to your body mechanics identical on each align the socketon the your stroke. For example, miter-gauge indexingpin can quickly bar has a small amount of clearance to becomeuncomfortable. permit it to slide. To prevent that slight Eliminatethis problem by allowance from introducing a problerrt, proppingand clampinga exert the same amount of sidewayspres- mirror at the end of your sure on the gauge as you make each cut. saw table,as shown at right. A12' mirror tile is an Cut the opposite end inexpensivesolution you of the wo-rkpiece can find at nearlyany home center.Apply tape to Begin the opposite-end cuts by placing its edgesto prevent cuts. the hardwood strip between the indexing pin and the box side [PhotoG]. Keep the end of the box side flat against the table, and the pencil-marked edge away Trim the sidesto width from the indexing pin. Make the cut, After you've cut ioints in all of the sides, socket (the one at the pencil-marked ll and set aside the strip. Register the end it's time to rip them to final width. Set edge) [Piroto l], and rip alithe sides. socket against the indexing pln and your tablesawrip fence to precisely align Written by Robert Settlch with Chuck Hedlund make the secondcut [PhotoH]. Continue the blade with the bottom of the last this sequenceto complete the ioint. After cutting two sides, dry-assemble them to check the joint fit. The ideal box ioint fits together with only slight resistance. If the joint is too tight, the space between the dado blade and the pin is too wide. To fix this, make pencil regis- tration marks' on both the extension and the miter gauge indicating their current position. Remove the iig from the miter gauge, strip away the carpet tape, and move the extension slightly to the left. Carefully snug down the screws to hold it in this new position. If the joint' has visible gaps, the spacebetween the dado blade and pin is too small. Fol- low the procedure'outlined above, but this time shift the extension slightly to the right. Prove the setup with a new Practiceusing the jig and refineyour box-joint making techniqueby buildingthirhandsome seriesof test cuts. trio of boxes from the step-by-step plans starting on page 78.

76 WOODmagazlne December/laaqry2007 12008 TemptingrF0trro

Thesecatchall containers, with beautifulfinger joints, aredeceptively simple to make.

I Overalldimensions:7Y+" wide x 19s/a"long x 57a"high. joints I Thestaggered arrangement of the lWith the finger complete, boxesshows off thecorner joinery. &dry-assemble the boxes,and rout a I Makeit withodds and ends you groor,. into each one for the bottom (B) alreadyhave in yourshop. [Drawing1, PhotoA].(See Source for the Skill Builders router bit.) Then make a snug-fitting I A clevervariation in techniquemakes box-squaringjig [Drawing2]. (We used boxjoints easier to cut. /+"hardboard.) (B) I Discoverhow a specialrouter bit takes Q Cut the bottom to size, and the hassleout of installingthe bottoms rJradius the corners[Drawing 1]. Fora in box-jointedboxes. quick way to form perfect radii, seethe I Learnhow to makeperfect radius ShopTip on the nextpage. cornerson yourrouter table. flDry-tit the bottoms (B) into the Tboxes. Then separatethe sides (A) Build the boxes and bottoms, and finish-sandthe inside { from 7+"stock, cut the box sides(A) faces of the parts. Mask the fingers 81....-\f 8ffi7 I to length and 7s"wider than listed [PhotoB], and apply a clearfinish to the Clampeach box togetherwithout glue,and fMaterialsLast, page 80]. Now, to form insidefaces of the sidesand the bottoms. usea 7c"box-slot bit to rout a slotaround the the finger joints, seepage 74. (We applied three coatsof aerosolsatin insidefor the bottom (B).

78 WOOD magazine December/lanuary2007 12008 28mm knob IexeloDEDvrEW

t/4/+"grooves t/e" deep tA" trom the bottom routedafter

s/gz"hole 23mm 0 ringpull \s ( Cutscrew to z/ro"long. v+

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How to form perfect corner radii Usinga box-slotbit to form groovesin the box sidesfor the bottom savesyou the troubleof fillingin gapsat the corners,made by cutting the grooves on the tablesawor routertable with a straightbit. The trade-offis that you must round the cornersof the bottom to match the radiusof the slot bit. Here'sa simpleway to quicklyform perfectcorner radii: Chucka round-overbit that matches the radiusof the slot cutter into your s table-mountedrouter (sAs" for this bit). Miter-gauge round-over Positionthe fenceflush with the bit extension pilot bearingand parallelto the miter- gaugeslot. Then attach an extensionto with the bottom (B) againstthe fence the mitergauge with just To protect the glue surfaces the end and backedby the extensidn,rout the of the box sides grazing (A)when finishingthe insidesurfaces, cover the face of the fence. Now, corners,as shown above.. the fingerswith maskingtape. woodmagazine.com 79 Protectthe insidefaces of thesides (A) with Insertthe squaringjig intothe box.Then To preventrounding of the cornersand maskingtape. Then brush glue onto the applyclamps, using scrapwood cauls to edges,adhere sandpaper to a flat surface, fingers,and assemble the box. distributethe pressure. and finish-sandthe outsidesof the boxes. lacquer, sanding with 320-grit sandpa- as with the boxes,apply masking tape to EsounRlNcJtGs per between coats.)Remove the tape. protect the inside surfaces of the base glue, and glue and clamp the 5" for box (Assemble the boxes [PhotosC and sidesfrom 4zAa"for base rrDl. Then sand the outside surfaces bases,inserting the squaringiig. jig flush [PhotoE]. Use the same method to !Witfr the squaring in place,fin- sand flat the top and bottom edges of Jish-sand the base sides.Then sand each box. Now remove the squaring iig flat the top and bottom edges.Remove and masking tape, and drill holes for the the jig and tape. ring pulls [Drawing1]. the cleats (E) to fit inside the 5" for box ttbases.lWtiter (Cut the lids (C) to size.Then chuck Then glue and clamp them in 4zAa"tor base lfa /n" covebit into your table-mounted place,allowing the cleatsto protrude /a" router, and rout the top edges.[Drawing beyond the bottom edges of the base l_ 11.Switch to a rabbet bit, and rout the sides (D) [Drawing 1]. Now glue and 3/+u' bottom edges.Now drill a hole into each clamp the basesin the staggeredarrange- lid for the knob. Finish-sand the lids. ment shown. Placethem on a flat surface l\lote; When routing the covesand rabbets, to dry. rout the end grain ftrst, and use a follower block to preventchip-out. Any chippingthat Finish and assemble doesoccur will be removedwhen routing the ! Inspectall the parts,and finish-sand Iong-grain edges. I where needed.Apply the finish. f Cut the ring pull and knob screwsto install the Mahe the bases -length [Drawing1], and boxsides W Cut the basesides (D) to length and hardware. Placethe boxes into the base I B bottoms t/l' 43/4, 43/i' BP 3 I yB'wider than listed. Then form the frames,resting them on the cleats(E).t C lids 1/2" 5u 5u finger ioints in the same manner as for (A). D* basesides 1/1, lu 5ehd' M 12 the box sides Written by Svecwith Chuck Hedlund fan 1/tu 1/2" lOry-assemble one base,and make a Projectdesign: Kevln Boyle E cleats 51hC' M12 Gbase-squaring jig [Drawing2]. Then, lllustrations:Roxanne LeMolne; Lorna fohnson *Partsinitially cut oversize. Seethe instructions.

Materlals key: M-mahogany,BP-birch plywood. Supplles:Masking tape, spray adhesive. 1/l' more gift proiect plans at Blade and blt : Stackdado set box-slot,s/rc" Find round-over,7+'cove,andrabbet router bits. Cutting Diagram woodmagazi ne.com/g ifts. Source Router blt: 7+'box-slottingbitno. 16J83.04,526.60. LeeValley, 800-871 -81 58, leeval ley.com. Hardware:23mmring pulls no.01A23.21, $1.35 ea. (6); 28mmknobs no.01A03.28, 52.50 ea. (3). Lee Valley, above.

t/t x 12 x 12" Birchplywood

s/qx71/+ x 96" Mahogany(5.3 bd. ft.) *Planeor resawto the thicknesseslistedin the MaterialsList.

80 WOOD magazlne December/January2007 12008 ust-Ri Installcorner connectorsfor sturrytables Theseeasy-to-install brackets speedup makingand moving yourtables.

a) otner connectors do more than I simplify table ioinery. They let tyou tighten up loose legs as the humidity changesor remove them completely for storage. Installation details vary with the size of bracket used and the sizesand positions of the table leg and apron parts. We'll use the harvest table on page58 as a general example. Locate the connectors To determine the connector positions on the apron pieces,first trace around the end of a leg at one corner of a sheet of paper [PhotoAl. Then make a style decision about whether you.want the apron parts to butt against the leg at its center, at the inside corner, or nearer the outside corners of the leg. Your choice depends on how far you want the legs to stand out from the apron and the width of your cornet connectors. Mark the apron locations on the paper, and extend lines at least 8" out at 90o from the facesof the leg [PhotoBI. Placea corner connector upright on the paper with the perpendicular flat sectionstouching the inside lines representingthe apron lPhotoC]. Make certain the connector flanges overlap the lines at equal distancesfrom the leg. Measurethose distancesfor the locations of the mounting kerfs. Miter this corner Then check the drawing to make certain the bracket will clear the corner of the table leg. If the bracket comes closer than Y+uto the leg, mark on the To cut the kerfs, set the tablesaw cut deep enough to accept the connec- drawing where you'll need to chamfer fence your measureddistance from the tor flanges.Then cut kerfs at both ends the inside corner of the leg [PhotoDI. blade, and adjust the blade height to of all four apron pieces[Photo El. continued on page 86

84 WOOD magazlne December/lanuary20Q7 12008 lu$+lg[Lfoine

Miter-gauge

Chamfer the table leg corner, check it against your drawing opposite apron piece.Attach each of If you need to rout a chamfer along one for clearance. the four connectors to an apron side. corner, refer to your drawing to To hold the legs steadyfor drilling Next, stand one apron side on edge determine how much of the table leg the hanger-bolt pilot holes, make a atop a flat surface.Clamp an apron end corner will need to be removed. Then V-groove iig by tilting your tablesaw piece to the connector, drill mounting- chuck a 45" chamfer bit into a table- blade to 45oand grooving a piece of screw pilot holes, and screwthe end mounted router and adjust the bit 2x4 scraplong enough to support the piece to the connector [PhotoKI. Repeat height to cut a sufficiently wide legs.Then find the locations of the on the other end of that piece and for chamfer [PhotoFl. After routing the pilot holes by centering a connector on the secondside piece. two apron pieces,clamping it into With the apron assembled,place a leg position, and measuring up to the at one corner with the hanger bolt hanger-bolt hole [PhotoG]. Transferthat inserted into the connector. Attach the measurementto the table-legchamfers leg using a washer and a nut, as shown and drill the pilot holes lPhoto H]. on page84. Tighten the nut enough to Tighten two jam nuts together at the bring the leg snug against the apron end of a hanger bolt and thread the ends. Then repeat to attach the remain- bolt into a pilot hole up to the machine ing legs.tl threadslPhoto l]. Then'removethe jam nuts. Repeatfor the other legs. Sources Corner connector and hanger bolt set. Setno. Assemble the joint 901with four 3x45/a" connectors, hanger bolts, screws, Center a connector on the width of an andwashers, 57.65, Osborne Wood Products,800-849- apron side, and drill mounting-screw 8876;osbornewood.com. Corner connectorr and hanger bolts. Kerf- pilot holes with a self-centeringbit mounted,3x47+" connector no. 34303, $4 for fou r; hanger lPhotoJl.Repeat on the other end of boft no.221430,s/to-18x3", 52.29 for 8;Rockler Woodwork- this side piece and both ends of the ingand Hardware, 800 279-4441; rockler.com.

86 WOOD magazfne December/lanuary2007 12008 ASlt WOO D Answerstoyour questions from letters, e-mails, andwooD online'

Veneer values vary mostly in the rangeof .5mm to .6mm, a f| .l'm makinga table,and the Plans little thicker than Ve+".But it also sellsa (about 342") boat { r sayto subtractthe thickness 2.5mm veneerused by of the veneerwhen cutting certain buildersas well asveneers thinner than { ', I, parts.Can you tell me the thicknessof Vtzs"for export to Japan,where the need t i .,; veneer?Some places say it's l/qz"and r to usevaluable veneer logs efficiently lrl' others say it's 1/22",or even l/rco". I dictatesa standardthickness much \ -lock Criffin,Brighton, OnL : thinner than in the United States. 1 Your bestbet: Order the veneeryou I r t A aYou won't find such a thing as a , want beforebeginning your proiect. \ Fl a standardveneer thickness, Jack. : Then measureits thickness,double that Thicknessesvary by species,veneer : to allow for both the top and the makersand sometimeseven with cus- , balancing bottom veneers,and use that tomer preferences.The David R. Webb , number when machining your other Company in Edinburgh, Ind., sellsveneers : projectparts.

Two-way-building slides f| .l'm a cabinet for f( o under my workbench, and wou-ld like the drawers to be acces- sible from both sides. Do they make a drawer slide that can go both directions? -Dennis Almond,Reidsville, N.C.

A .They do indeed,Dennis. Lee Fl oValley sellswhat it calls regular- extension,two-way slidesthat range from an 18" slide (no. OZKO7I8,$12.60) to a 38" slide(no. OZKO738,$18.60; 800-871-8158,or leevalley.com). We used a simpler, hardware-free solution for the drawersof a workbench in the WOODamagazine workshoP. The full-length drawers,shown below, slide out from either side,riding on two wooden stripsat the bottom of each drawer opening. We used 3/,r"-thick drawer sidesand fronts to suPPort their weight.

continuedon page90

88 WOOo magazine December/lanuary2007l2OoB ASkWOOD

Resuscitate purpleheart's color fi .l havebeen readinga lot tately i appearsa dingy brown.Within days, \< oabout problemswith purple- , though,it turnsa vivid purplein a heart turning brown. Somesay put it : processthat's speeded up by exposure in the sunand it willturn back.Oth- i to light. erssay the opposite:The sun caused i Months or yearsafter that, especially it to turn brown.Will any finishing i when exposedto sunlight, purpleheart techniqueprevent it from browning? i turns a deepbrown with purple -Dovid Powers,Whiteland, lnd. i overtones,as you can seeon the jewelry i rack shown at right. A film finish with A a Purpleheart'snamesake color : UV inhibitors can slow the purple-to- Fl ocomes and goeswith exposure i brown color change, but not stop it to sunlight, David, so both opinions i completely. You can also slow the you've heard could be correct. When i changeby keepingfinished profects freshly cut, purpleheart sometimes ' away from direct sunlight.

Viva viraro fl .While woodshopping this f< o weekend,my wife pickedup a pieceof wood shewanted me to use to makea box.lt's marked"viraro," but I can'tfind anyinformation on it. Canyou help? u5,TOO. -Ron Lenz, Coble, Wis. A a Whether -voucall it viraro, Ff o amendoim, ibiraro, pau fava,or Tffi:#:;Tffi" by it's Latin name, Pterogynenitens, BDT1ITDMION you've discovereda South American Cutting EdgeTechnology for Woodworkers hardwood that sharesmuch of mahoga- Takea look at our latestproiect. lt's the resultof yearcof work, listening ny's beauty with the advantagesof to woodworkerslike you, and then building the woodtool sharpenerthat greaterluster and rigidity, plus a density you wanted.Take a tour of the featuresand see what you think: exceedingthat of red oak. mahogany,the heartwood turns 1!0mm TemperedGlass GrindingrWheeF- provides Like an alwaysflat and true, maintenance-freegrinding a reddishbrown, as a quick wipe with surfaceon which to adherePSAAbrasives at 580 rpm wheel spee4- mineral spirits showsin the samples Powerfult/5 HPMotot right.You also can seesome of the slightly darker streaksthat distinguish viraro from mahogany. SharpeningPort Although it's usedin South America LappingSurface- to make furniture, sourcesin North "plunge-pull" SharpeningPort* sharpening enablesprecise and America can be hard to find outside techniqueand repeatableangles of 20'. storesthat sell imported SharpeningPort 25'.30',and 35'for flooring abrasiveincreases chiselsand planeirons hardwoods.We discoveredour viraro burr removaland up to 2' wide speedssharpening sampleat the Rocklerstore in Wauwa- tosa,Wis., (474-774-1882) for $6.25per board foot.

Dry CoolingSystem- routed airflow and heat sink system keepstools cool without the Hffimessof a wet system

InnovativeEdge-Vision" SlottedWheel lets you seethe cutting edge as Ask for it at Rockler,Woodcraft, and wherever you buy your tools. yousharpen! contirued on page92

90 WOOD magazine December/lanuary200712008 CircleNo.'1655 AskWOOD

E Giveboards a feathertouch A .lwant to make feather boards { o from scrapwood.Does grain direttion matter?Should luse hardwood or softwood? ls plywood effective? What is a good feather length and board size? -Russ Gastright,Highland Heights, Ky

o Most hardwoodswill work, with r closed-grainwoods such as maple,cherry, and walnut being especiallygood choices,Russ. That's becausethese woods can be cut into thin sectionsand remain sPringY without breaking.But avoid sheet goods.Cross-plies and voidsmake thin plywood feathersunpredictable, and MDF featherslack hardwood'srigidity. The width of the featherboard- usuallyZ" to 4"-and the length of the kerfscan be customizedto suit how much pushing pressureyou need to control workpieceson your tablesawor router table.Start by bandsawingkerfs ZVz"long in 3/s"stock where the end has been cut at a 30" angle.For kerfsin hardwoods,always cut with the grain. If the feathersare too short to flex as workpiecesslide past, lengthen the kerf to around 4". Be careful to not make featherboards or feathersso wide that they push your fenceout of alignment. All you need is to duplicatethe finger- tip pressureyour hands would provide.

Foran answer to yourwoodworking question,write to ASKWOOD,1716 LocustSt., LS-221, Des Moines,lA 50309-3023or e-mailus at askwood@ woodrnagazine.com,For immediate feedbackfrom your fellow woodworkers, postyour questions on oneof our woodworkingforums at woodm a g az i ne.com/fo rti ffrs.

92 wOOo magazine December/lanuary200712008 I,llhat'sAhead A sneakpeek inside the March issue (on sale January 15) ffi

Bunchingtables Buildone or moreof thiseye- catchingproject and choose a topto match your decor.

puzzles (ountryhutch Basic-Builttool stand "lmpossible" explained Puzzle-makerPeny McDaniel shows you how Thisclassic piece matches the drop-leaf table on poge 58. Makethis sturdy workstation using just tobuild two simple but amazing puzzle boxes. Youcan build just the bottom for a buffetif youwish' 2x4s,MDF, and perforated hardboard.

Dustcollectors Dovetailshowdown Super-simpleframe-and-panel doors to Weanalyze 16leading two-bag Twoof our experts go headto-head tosettle the question: Learnto makeone in lesstime than it takes versionssoyou'll know which to buy. Whichisbetter: hand-cut ormachine-cut dovetailjoints? watchyour favorite 30-minute siicom.

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