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Home , Card scraper, Jointer plane, Shoulder plane, Smoothing plane

Letters ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY JANE FAVORITE

If Your Benchtop isn’t worm holes that were made by the ambrosia beetle Edward, Making You Happy, Then it’s (hence the name “ambrosia ”). It has been Hand- knots often results in tear-out. Your Time to Move On used for years as a secondary for cabinet best bet is to smooth the surface with a sharp card interiors and the like – somewhat similar to pop- scraper and then . Start with #100-grit lar but not quite as stable. and finish with #220. I am looking to upgrade my current benchtop Ambrosia maple should machine OK, but I – Kara Gebhart, associate editor and would appreciate any recommen- suspect it will blotch if it is stained, just like regu- dations you might be able to give. I have a small lar hard maple, , , cherry, etc. You can Craftsman 10" benchtop saw, which has served get around this by using gel stains or washcoats me well up to this point. But I am beginning to before staining. Iʼd suggest you test any stain Butcher Block Needs a Little TLC realize its limitations. The size of the Craftsman on sample boards before planning a project you saw works well because I house my and think you might want to stain later. I have an butcher-block countertop that Iʼve machines in my garage, and I donʼt have a lot of – Steve Shanesy, editor & publisher neglected. Because of the heavy use, I can see room for large equipment. some of the raw wood surface. I was going to sand I have been looking at larger benchtop models it with a belt and Iʼm not sure what to finish with more and better features, as well as entry- it with. Do you have a better method? level contractor , but I need to be mindful A Home Julie Jiacoppo of the space they will take up. Remedy for Massapequa, New York Tony Vierra Julie, San Jose, California Removing A can be used but I would caution that Tony, Saw-blade it can be very aggressive and might damage the If youʼre recognizing the limitations of your saw, Gunk surface if you arenʼt careful. A safer way would a new benchtop model isnʼt going to make you be to use a random-orbit sander. Start with #80- happy. Thereʼs a significant difference, and once Is there a suitable grit. Once the finish is removed, move to #100, you switch youʼll never look back. My recom- household substitute #120, #150 and then #180. mendation is to look at a few models and factor for removing the gum The finish you choose depends primarily on in a good-quality mobile base. My favorite mobile from saw blades? I how you intend to use the countertop. If you want base right now is from Jet. Itʼs affordable, adjust- know kits are sold in a film-building finish that can take some abuse able, stable and easy to assemble. To maximize woodworking stores, but I have a sneaking sus- (but wonʼt allow you to cut on it directly), use your space further, put a table in the left picion that they may consist of something very polyurethane. If you will be cutting on it and wing of the table saw. It may not actually give common and less expensive. getting it wet, Iʼd suggest mineral oil. You can you more space, but it makes it easier to justify Bob Graham reapply the oil once or twice a year to replenish the saw taking up as much space. The table saw Olathe, Kansas the finish and the look. However, the oil finish is the most important machine in your shop. It Bob, will not give you the luster or shine that the film deserves a little extra room. Any brand of oven cleaner is very effective for finish will. The oil finish will always look dull, – David Thiel, senior editor cleaning gunk off saw blades. But donʼt get it on so itʼs ultimately up to you. your skin for long, as itʼs a caustic substance. – Steve Shanesy, editor & publisher Apply, let it penetrate for a few minutes, wash Ambrosia Beetle Gives us it off and dry the blade. You may need an old Ambrosia Maple, a Popular toothbrush to scrub the worst areas. Finish the Backs of Drawer Secondary Wood Fronts; the Rest is Up to You My wood supplier has wormy (ambrosia) maple Scraper & Sandpaper are Key to kiln-dried for sale for $1.15 a board foot. My Making Knots Look Good This is the age-old question of whether you should question is: How does this species machine? And finish (apply stain, , etc.) to a drawer. what sort of finish would be best used on it? Is it Iʼve been woodworking for about one year. I Presently I am finishing a dresser for my wife. even worth considering for use? like the appearance of some knots in my wood I will apply finish to the fronts of the drawers, but Bob Porter projects. However, Iʼve yet to find an easy, ef- Iʼm not sure if I should apply finish to the insides Celestine, Indiana fective way to smooth the knots out. I mainly use and remaining outside of the drawers. Also, if you Bob, oak and poplar for my projects. Does anyone on were to apply finish to your drawers, what type “Ambrosia” maple has become popular dur- your staff have any suggestions? of finish would you use? ing the past couple of years because itʼs cheap Edward Relyea Bruce MacEachern and plentiful. This type of maple features small Marion, North Carolina Ottawa, Ontario

2 O WOODWORKING MAGAZINE Spring 2004 Bruce, Japan Woodworker catalog. Are these largely out the warp. These usually are 2"-wide lengths I finish my drawers. No stain, just finish. But itʼs handmade really worth the money or would of a stout (such as maple) installed in a personal preference. At the very least you must I be better off with something from the usual sus- a sliding dovetail housing on the underside. They finish the backside of the drawer front; otherwise, pects, such as Marples, Two Cherries, etc.? arenʼt glued in, just built to have a tight press-fit. your drawer front will warp because of uneven Don Rader A professional furniture restorer will have more humidity absorption inside and out. Huntington Beach, California ideas for fixing your leaves. I finish my drawers because it looks better and Don, – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor offers some protection if anything is ever spilled Chisels are strange animals. You definitely can in there. But I wonʼt argue with anyone who opts spend far too much money if your goal is merely to leave the drawers bare. to get a tough, useable . For the Japanese As far as what type of finish to use, any film tools, you are paying as much for the beauty, finish is fine. Oil will take forever to dry, especially history and provenance behind the tool as you in an enclosed space. Plus, it can smell like oil are for its edge-holding ability. Iʼve had the honor inside the drawer for years. Shellac, varnish, of handling a good number of Japanese chisels lacquer and polyurethane all will cure quickly from private collections and they are indeed spec- and none of them will leave a smell for long. tacular. Are they 10 times as durable as Western – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor chisels? Of course not. Buy the Japanese chisels if they will make you happy. If you want a that will hold an edge Get the Smoothing and long enough for you to chop out the dovetails Spend $8 on a for some drawers, I can recommend chisels that we have tested: Ashley Iles, Two Cherries and I am interested in buying a , but Matsumura Blue Steels. Marples and Stanleys have noticed all the scraper planes offered as well. also are good bargain options. I canʼt seem to figure out why you would use one If you want the ultimate chisel set, I recommend over another as they both appear to be for final the Lie-Nielsen chisels, which are due out some- surface preparation, in lieu of sandpaper. Can time this year. Iʼve been testing preproduction you offer a little insight? models and find them to be as good as any exotic Brian Dickerson chisel with a price only slightly higher than the Mound, Minnesota fancy European ones. Help for a Crooked, Old Saw Brian, – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor Smoothing planes do a lot of other chores that a I recently dug out an old Disston #4 that scraper plane canʼt do, such as leveling joints, was my grandfatherʼs. I went to vintagesaws. cleaning up edges of boards, fitting drawers and com and got some great information on sharpen- Two Tricks for a Warped Table doors, and the like. A scraper plane is good for ing. I got a saw , some files and a . one thing only: preparing a surface for finishing. I need some advice. My mom has a very old I have one problem, though. The saw needs to be Scraper planes also require considerably more Queen Anne dining table. A couple of the leaves straightened, too. I would rather have this done effort to push than smoothing planes. have warped, and she has asked me to fix them. professionally. Can you recommend someone Smoothing planes and scraper planes are both The only idea I have is to put them on the con- who specializes in this area? good tools to have and well-equipped shops have crete floor with a lot of weight on them and hope Roderick Jensen at least one of each. If I had to buy only one, it the moisture from the floor will remove the warp. Brimfield, Massachusetts would be the smoothing plane. You can come back Hopefully someone has more experience with this Roderick, and clean up any errant tear-out from a smoother and can come up with a better solution, as I donʼt You can send it to Tom Law of Smithburg, Md., with a card scraper, an $8 item. think my idea would really work. (301-824-5223). Give him a call and explain your – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor Mike Grawvunder situation. Heʼs also an excellent sharpener. Oshkosh, Wisconsin Iʼve straightened a few myself; itʼs actu- Mike, ally straightforward work. Put the handsaw or Your solution might actually work, for a period Where to Begin My backsaw on an anvil and push the blade so itʼs of time. The problem is that wood is hygroscopic flat against the striking surface. Then tap the Woodworking? and the leaves will try to reach the same moisture bent area a couple of times with a . Itʼs content and state they are in now. I never went to technical school to learn about a good idea to practice on a saw you donʼt care Has the table ever been refinished? If so, did all the basic things you need to know before you about, but itʼs not very tough to do. the finisher actually finish the underside of the pick up a hammer and begin your project. Is there – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor parts – not just apply a stain, but a protective a book for sale with all the basic principles of topcoat? If not, that is likely causing the warp. measuring so I can begin to work on projects? The underside is absorbing moisture more rapidly Sherwin Croes Are Japanese Chisels Worth It? than the top. You can remove warp by putting Fort Lauderdale, Florida the top on out in the sun (to reduce Sherwin, After years of using off-the-shelf “junky” tools, moisture) and then adding weights. Once the top Iʼd like to tell you there is one all-encompassing I now own a few quality products such as Lie- is flat, you can finish the top and bottom. book that has all the answers, but no one has Nielsen planes. I would like to buy high-quality If thatʼs not the problem, add a couple of bat- managed to publish it. I can suggest a few books chisels and have considered something from the tens across the grain of the wood that straighten that, when used in combination, will have many of

woodworking-magazine.com O3 the answers you seek. In fact, think of these books Donald, should come first. It sees more work than any as a woodworkerʼs essential library. Have you tried Bob Kaune at antique-used-tools. other kind of plane. It handles the final surface O“Encyclopedia of Furniture Making” by com? Drop him a line. He has saved my pants preparations of any board and general planing Ernest Joyce (Sterling): A daunting title, but one with parts several times. After that, your next chores, and it can trim edges of boards. great reference book about woodworking. It cov- best bet is to buy a new replacement part for Second, Iʼd buy either a card scraper or a card ers terminology, materials, joinery, tools, design, the planes by contacting Highland Hardware scraper plus a scraping plane – especially if you fasteners and even finishing. Itʼs indispensable. (tools-for-woodworking.com). Or, buy a “donor” work with difficult figured . These tools O “Illustrated Cabinetmaking” by Bill Hylton plane on eBay that has the missing parts you need. clean up any tear-out left over from your smoother. (Readerʼs Digest): This book, which is about fur- – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor You can get by easily with a card scraper and get niture styles and design, covers standard furniture the scraping plane (Veritas makes an excellent dimension and Western joinery – not how to cut or version) later on down the line. assemble joints, but what to use and where. Next, get a good . The Lie-Nielsen 1 O“The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery” 60 ⁄2 canʼt be beat. This trims joinery flush after by Gary Rogowski (Taunton): This fills in where itʼs assembled and is fantastic for removing saw Hyltonʼs book leaves off. Learn how to cut and blade and marks from edges. It also has assemble joints using power tools and hand about 10 million other uses. tools. If you cut a lot of tenons, a O“Measure Twice, Cut Once” by Jim Tolpin should be next. No tool makes fitting tenons easier (Popular Woodworking Books): Primarily about or more straightforward. Get a big one so you design, this will help you understand why a chair can trim long face cheeks. is comfortable and how deep drawers need to be After that, Iʼd buy some kind of plane for – important ideas for any woodworker. Can I Use My Kitchen Knife rough work. This doesnʼt have to be a premium O “Seven Essentials of Woodworking” by Sharpener on My Scraper? brand. I use mine for flattening tabletops, remov- Anthony Guidice (Sterling): These skills include ing material quickly and fitting drawers. measuring, marking a line, sharpening, sawing to I just purchased some hand scrapers after I saw Then itʼs personal preference. If you want to a line, planing and mastering one finish process. some in use on the “DIY Woodworks” show. My shoot long edges for gluing, youʼll need a No. 7. All will make you better at what you do. question is this: Is the burnishing tool basically – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor O“Understanding ” by Bob the same as a steel used to sharpen kitchen knives, Flexner (Readerʼs Digest): This book covers ev- or do I have to buy the smooth burnishing tool erything you need to know about finishing in a itself? I would like to start using scrapers instead Sealing Off Pet Urine on a no-nonsense manner. It takes the mystery out of of the sander all the time. Hardwood Floor one of the most important project steps. Doug Duncan Roy, Utah Can I use shellac under polyurethane? I am trying Doug, to seal off animal urine on a hardwood floor. I will “The expectations of life depend The steels used for sharpening knives wonʼt work. sand it, but I also need to seal this floor. These are designed to put a slightly jagged edge J.A. Kutscher upon diligence; the mechanic that on a tool, which is ideal for slicing through soft via the internet foods found in the kitchen. J.A., would perfect his work must first You really need some sort of smooth bur- Yes, you can use dewaxed shellac under poly- sharpen his tools.” nisher in your shop. Some people salvage an urethane without any bonding problems. It should – Confucius (551 B.C. - 479 B.C.) old valve rod from an engine, which is hardened be dewaxed – that is, having had its natural wax philosopher and smooth. Other people cough up the $10 to removed. You can dissolve your own dewaxed shel- $15 for a proper tool. Either works. lac or buy it already dissolved, made by Zinsser – Christopher Schwarz, executive editor and sold under the brand name SealCoat. It should be available everywhere in stores and Where to Find Replacement home centers. For a large area, I would suggest Parts for Old Hand Planes A Hand Plane Shopping List the SealCoat. WM – Bob Flexner, author of Last year I read an article on hand planes and have Iʼm looking to get a couple of hand planes for “Understanding Wood Finishing” since purchased two old Stanley planes off eBay the shop, including a low-angle block plane. Can – a No. 4 smoothing plane and a Type 11 jack you recommend other models that are used most plane. Both planes are in pretty good condition, often, such as a smoothing plane, shoulder plane, but both needed extensive tuning. , , scraper, etc.? I have a HOW TO CONTACT US My problem is this: I canʼt find parts for either powered planer and jointer, but want to incorpo- Send your comments and questions via of them. I have contacted several antique dealers rate hand planes in my work, too. e-mail to [email protected], or by and tool companies to no avail. For the sake of the Todd Marshall regular mail to Woodworking Magazine, integrity of the planes, I would like to purchase Ashburn, Virginia Letters, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, the original parts. But, if thatʼs impossible, Iʼll Todd, Cincinnati, OH 45236. Please include your be using these planes for real work in my small Ah, the first steps into a larger world. When buy- complete mailing address and daytime workshop so I can use new parts instead. ing planes, deciding which ones you need really phone number. All letters become Donald Mitchem depends on your work and the joinery you use. property of Woodworking Magazine. Deltona, Florida For almost every woodworker, a smoothing plane

4 O WOODWORKING MAGAZINE Spring 2004