Fine ood 111 orking

Making Tables SEPTEMBER/OcrOBER1979 , No. 18 $2.50 An essential tool for your workshop: Tage Frid Teaches WoodtVOrking A master woodworker explains his joinery in detail. This new book is the first of three volumes from the distinguishedcraftsman--teacher, Tage Frid.

This innovative book is a pictorial step-by-step some of this lore by establishing a woodworking demonstration of essential joinery and tools by the program at the School for American Craftsmen, dean of American woodworking teachers. Frid now part of Rochester Institute of Technology. shows you how to use both hand and power tools Frid taught at both RIT and later the Rhode Island to prepare wood and make all the joints useful to School of Design, and his former students now are cabinetmakers-from the simple tongue-and­ the principal teachers at many of the college-level groove to more complicated dovetails and multiple­ woodworking and furniture design programs spline miters throughout the United States. In this first of three volumes detailing everything The Frid hallmark is to teach virtually all the he has found necessary and useful in his 50 years of techniques and tools available to the woodworker. cabinetmaking, Frid begins where other books Thus his students are able to tackle any woodwork­ usually leave off-at the bench, demonstrating how ing assignment under any shop conditions. and why to make a diverse array of practical joints, Frid has accepted a wide range of woodworking and how to get the most out of the tools required. commissions-from 19th century restorations at Tage (pronounced Tay) Frid learned his wood­ Mystic Seaport to 20th century designs for offices, working as an apprentice and cabinetmaker in churches and homes. Frid's work is also part of the Denmark, a country well noted for its strong wood­ permanent collection at the Boston Museum of working traditions. After World War II, the Fine Arts. He has been a contributing editor to American Crafts Council asked Frid to transfer Fine WoodVvOrking magazine since its inception.

TageBook FridI-Joinery Teaches Woodworking 8� x 11 inches, 224 pages 900 photographs, 365 drawings Postpaid Price: $12.00 softcover $16.00 hardcover Available October 15. Please allow 4 weeks for delivery.

TO ORDER: Use the convenient order form and postage-paid enve- lope in the back of thi. =g�ine "' .end you, o,de, with payrnentto, (Connecticut residents add 7 % sales tax) ITI Theliumtonn.ess52 Church Hill Road, Box 355El, Newtown, CT 06470 © 1979 The Taunton Press. Inc. Editor John Kelsey Art Director Roger Barnes Contributing Editors Tage Frid Fine R. Bruce Hoadley Simon WattS Consulting Editors George Frank, A. W. Marlow Lelon Traylor Methods o/Work Editor WqqqWorkingo Jim Richey Assistant Editors SEPTEMBER/OcrOBER1979, NUMBER 18 Laura Cehanowicz Ruth Dobsevage Rick Mastelh Assistant Art Director Deborah Fillion DEPARTMENTS Editonal Assistant Mary Pringle Blaylock 4 Letters Correspondents John Makepeace, Alan Marks 16 Methods of Work Rosanne Somerson, Richard Starr Colin Tipping, Stanley N. Wellborn 24 Questions & Answers Production JoAnn Muir, Manager 33 Books Barbara Hannah, Darkroom Nancy Knapp, Typesetting 36 Adventures in Woodworking by George Frank Cynthia Lee, Production Assistant Jean Melita, Paste-up 39 Events Marketing Director 40 The Woodcraft Scene by Irving Sloane Jack F. Friedman Marketing Representative John Grudzien ARTICLES Advertising Vivian Dorman, Manager 44 Showcase Cabinets by James Krenov Carole Weckesser Advertising Consultant 51 Tapered Sliding Dovetails by Brian Donnelly Granville M. Fillmore 52 The Haunched Mortise and Tenon by Ian J. Kirby Subscnptions Carole E. Ando, Manager 54 More on Mortising by Frank Klausz Gloria Carson, Dorothy Dreher MarieJohnson, Cathy Kach 56 Methods of an Old World Cabinetmaker by Rick Mastelli Nancy Schoch, Kathy Springer MaIlroom 59 Production Problem by Henry Jones Viney Merrill, Manager Roben Bruschi 62 Drop-Leaf and Gate-Leg Tables by Simon Watts Accounting Irene Arfaras, Manager 66 Making the Rule Joint by Alasdair G.B. Wallace Madeline Colby Woodturning Chisels by Peter Child Secretary to the Publisher 70 Lois Beck 74 High School Woodwork by Laura Cehanowicz AssocIate Publisher Janice A. Roman 75 To Finish the Finish by Don Newell Publisher Paul Roman 77 Cabriole Legs by Carol Bohdan 80 Making Cabriole Legs by Edwin Krales

83 Contour Tracer by Carlyle Lynch

83 Cabriole Templates by Charles F. Riordan 84 Paneled Doors and Walls by Norman 1. Vandal 89 Editor's Notebook: Art furniture show, woodworking conferences

92 Rhinodesk

Cover: Knuckle joint fo r attaching the Fine Woodworking (ISSN0361-3453) is published bimonthly. January, March. May. July, September and November, by swinging support to the center of a gate-leg The Taunton Press. Inc., Newtown, CT 06470. Telephone (203) 426·8171, Second-class postage paid at Newtown, CT 06470 and additional mailing of£ices. Copyright 1979 by The Taunton Press. Inc. No reproduction without permissio'n of 62. table, discu ssed by Simon Watts on p. The Taunton Press, Inc. Fine Woodworking\!! is a registered trademark of The Taunton Press, Inc. Subscription r.tt es: Above left: lay out lines, and right: the as­ United. States and possessions, $ 12 for one year, $22 for two years; Canada, $ 14 for one year, $26 for two years (m U.S. dol­ lars, please); other countries. $ 1 5 for one year, $28 for twO years (in U.S. dollars, please). Single copy. $2.50. For single semble d joint. Many of the articles in this copies oUlside U.S. and possessions. add 25( postage per issue. Send to Subscription Dept.. The Taunton Press. PO Box issue fo cus on aspects of making tabl es, a 355. NewlOwn. cr 06470. Address all correspondence to the appropriate department(Sub scription, Editorial or Advenis­ ing). The Taunton Press, 52 Church Hill Road, PO Box 355. eW(Qwn. cr 06470. Postmaster: Send notice of undelivered fu ndamental problem in woodworking. copies on Form 3579 (0 The Taunton Press, PO Box 355. Newtown, cr 06470. (Four-page insert included.) 3 Letters

Last night I was prodding through my Fine Wo odworking .. .. groove n::�:-:::r�/·[�,.·.�-:- in library and ran upon a contribution from a subscriber giving I, I ,:;I �i;�I[- ,s::I: ·�,,;:-::::�,:r:IIt ?'I �=�11".,L l- --�����:r r��t directions for resurfacing sharpening stones ....Many years IJ I, I t ago when my son was about seven years old (my son is now , I I ,I, 50), I was digging through the rubble of a demolished I, II building and picked up an antique Washita stone. It was hollowed yet seemed to be of good quality. We carried the stone home. That evening a half-dozen kids ranging from 5 to 10 years old were playing in the basement near my workbench. An idea struck me. I am a retired printer, active at that time. I tied heavy ju te string around that stone horizontally in the same way a printer ties up type. I had a chunk of iron an inch thick and about the size of that stone. I tied it to the bottom side of the stone, fo r weight, then with a string some 3 ft. long, hung it behind a tricycle. Those kids took turns riding the trike in a figure-eight dragging the hollow surface across the basement floor. It took about 20 minutes to wear that stone down to a flat surface. I still have the stone and use it regularly in sharpening woodcarving tools. My father once flattened a stone by holding it against ate boards. I concealed the rod with a wood key glued and the side of a wet grindstone. That also was a success. pressed into the slot. -F. Eldo n Heighway , Phoenix, Ariz . An advantage of this method is that mortises fo r lock and hinges can be cut and the door can be planed to fit its frame Tage Frid's article on wooden doors was especially good read­ without metal interference. The construction requires only a ing. I have made my son for his home a door similar to that saw and chisel, a standard brace and bit, and the vise. The shown in figure 3 on p. 79 of the July '79 issue. However, I splines I cut on a table- saw. had a different means of constraining the wood movement Jack A. Freeman, Olmsted Falls, Ohio and hiding the metal rods. I bent 4 in. at each end of the two rods 90° in a machinist's vise to make a U shape. Then I in­ I feel impelled to comment on the design of Simon Watts' serted this into two holes and a slot cut at each end of the library steps Ouly '79). The author comments on a minor door with a backsaw and chisel when the door was still separ- weakness in the back legs, while overlooking a weakness in Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Glue. How the pros make it lookGrabs instantly. easy. Even do-it-yourselfers can do it like pros with Elmer's'" Carpenter's Wood Glue. It's specially made to penetrate both hard and soft woods, grabs instantly, yet you can still realign the joint before it sets. After drying, it forms a heat and water resistant bond thats stronger than the wood itself. Elmer's Carpenter's I/Ik)od Glue is also sandable, paintable and resistant to gumming. What's more, its solvent-free, non-toxic* formula quickly washes off hands and wood with water. Now what could be easier than that? For plans of the Elmer's Dol/house, please send $2.00 in check or money order (no cash or stamps) to. Elmer's Dol/house, PO. Box 157, Hilliard, OH 43026. AI/ow up to 6 weeks for delivery "As oehned by Fedetal HazardOusc 1979 Subslances Borden Inc Acl • IIi �IMI® Elmer·s. When IIresults c;u nt. 4 Five major power tools packaged into one big-capacity unit. Now! Enjoy a complete home shop, at a substantial savings --- and in less space than a bicycle ! Now, you can have the tools you need to tum out top-quality woodworking projects in a complete home shop like those you've dreamed of owning. And, you can do it within your budget --and your limited working space! To learn how, simply mail the coupon below. You'll discover how you can be prepared for all those money-saving, money-making projects like building fur­ niture, cabinets, even doing your own home repairs and remodeling jobs. The innovators at Shopsmith have made it Imagine I Five major power tools easier and more affordable than you'd in less space than a bike ! ever imagine! you can change speeds without ever You Need Pro Equipment shutting off the motor. After about an hour's practice, you'll be The Mark V is a lathe to Do Pro Work switching tool operations in less than To do jobs like these, you need the 60 of exceptional capacity seconds. You'll be able to perform dozens (above) and a table proper tools. And, if you've ever tried to 10" of operations like sawing, rabbeting, saw (right) with a 3W' build anything more complicated than a depth· of· cut and a beveling, mitering, grooving, concentric 48" bird house, you know that's true! You ripping capacity. drilling, spindle turning, doweling, edge need more than a table saw and a sanding and metal drilling. When you're couple of hand-held power tools to ready to do more sophisticated operations achieve the kinds of results you can be like mortising, dadoing, shaping, routing, It's a 12" disc sander proud of. that will do things that molding and more, you'll find a full other sanders won't In addition to that table saw, you should range of hard-working Shopsmith Ac­ . do . .Iike finishing edges have a vertical drill press, a lathe, a cessories available to help. to precise dimensions. boring machine, and a disc sander. But now, you don't have to spend a couple Send Today for Free Facts of thousand dollars to get the capabilities With the Shopsmith Mark V, you get Ifs a horizontal boring of all these machines. And you don't more convenience, compactness and machine that makes need a lot of space, either. The Shopsmith perfect doweling really versatility for less money than you could easy I The Mark V's Mark V gives you all five of these tools in with any combination of comparable exclusive feed stop a single powerful, precise machine that individual tools. But that isn't all you get. assures identical hole requires about the same amount of depths. With the Mark V, you'll get precision, space as an ordinary bicycle ! too. Thanks to Shopsmith's exclusive It's a variable· Outperforms Individual Tools Versa-System, it even lets you do many 16W' speed drill press with The time-tested Shopsmith Mark V is things you just can't do with other tools. built·in jigging features the only tool in the world that gives you That's why thousands of people with that make boring screw more than enough space and unlimited and even round all five major power tools in a single unit. pocketsstock a "snap"! Since it was first introduced in 1953, budgets still choose Shopsmith ! more than 325,000 woodworkers have Find out why the Shopsmith Mark V chosen the Shopsmith asthe best available should be your chOice, too --whether r------, solution to both their budget problems you're just getting started in working I I and their space problems. And it's easy or been at it for years. DiscoverI.V()()(\ how you I Dept. 1904,SboJIsIIIitlI, 750 Center� Drive, I to see why! can actually put the Mark V "through its I V.ndall., Ohio 45377 I y••. mailmeyourFr•• lnfo ..... tionKit This single, easy-to-use woodworking paces" -in the privacy of your own I on thep!ease Sho psmtth V. I understandthere is no I system gives you a 10" table saw, 12" home -for a full month without ever I obligation and thatMark no salesman will visit. I disc sander, horizontal boring machine, risking a cent ! Mail this coupon today Name 16W' vertical drill press, and 34" lathe. for the free facts! I: Address : Powered by a rugged 13.5 amp, 11 0 I volt motor that develops 2 hp, the I City I Shopsmith provides all the power you'll I State Zip I ever need for even the toughest jobs. I I And thanks to its exclusive speed dial, Dept. Center Dr., Vandalia, SIiqp«R;tJi OH IN1904, 750 45377II \. ______.-1 5 For the finest spray finishes Before you buy a spray gun, ask: Does it have a range of nozzle combinations? This is important I Binks Model 15 (with top, one-finger trigger)and Model 26 (with pistol grip) give you a wide choice of nozzle co binations for spraying finishes ranging .' from water-thin dyes to house paints. \I Does it have accurate controls? Models 15 and 26 have convenient, precise controls for both spray pattern and needle wear. Does it have matched accessories? Binks spray g uns do, including a full selection of air cleaners, hose, cups, air compressors .... everything you need for superior finishes. If you like fine tools, you'll love Binks equipment. For full information see your local Binks dealer, or write Ask for Kit FW-2. 9014

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• Amaranth . Coco Bolo • Red Oak · Benin • Teak . Vermilion • Cherry • Birds Eye Maple · r------.WOOD SERVICE CO. Dept. PW-99 Black Ebony • Padouk • Bra· I CRAFTSMAN I zilian Rosewood • Hawaiian . South Mary 5t. Chicago, Illinois 2729 60608 Koa • Prima Vera • Satinwood· · I Curly Maple • Avodire • Syca. S C I I en de new ra ft sman at a og more · Bubinga • African zebra . I I • Honduras Mahogany· Ameri- . enclose 50c for mailing and handling can Walnut · Aromatic Red Cedar I Name I 8 Pages of Pre-Cut Hardwood Clock Cases, Clock Kits, Clock Movements! • Address I WOOD SERVICE COMPANY City State Zip . Dept. • j ,.C j iJ r:I,. PW:99 = Be sur. to give zip number -saves time! 1 South MarY St., Chlcago,lIl. ....7.. II'ill·iJi.llr.•.••••. ..·)IIII�lIii 1.-..·IIJ.\- ...., 2729 60608 ____ L ______.1: 6 Workbench Price Breakthrough! At Las� A Full-Featured Workbench At An Affordable Price Until now, quality /---...... workbenches have usual­ / "- ly been too expensive / or too small. This huge MAD£ \I 225 lb. Garden Way I IN Home Workbench offers \ a 30" x 60", 2" thick lami­ U.SA..// ;' nated work surface and is available direct from the factory at an incredibly low price. Made of solid rock maple, the Garden Way Work­ bench not only offers a spacious 121/2 sq. ft. of work area, extra­ ordinary sturdiness and clamping versatility, but is a fine precision tool itself that can be as useful as having an extra "pair of hands" Uniquehelping you Clamping in your shop. System Holds Projects Dozens of Ways! Our own "flip-over" vise design with 9" x 18" built-up hardwood faces interact with strategically located round dog holes providing secure clamping for a wide variety of projects nearly any­ where on the bench surface-even oversized items such as chairs, full-sized doors-even full sheets of plywood-can easily be secured.

Which Size Garden Way ForWorkbench You? is Right Model A ModelB o Slze-30 "x60" o Size-24"x48 " 1 "Flip-over" vises provide a 2 Round dog holes with rotat· 3 12'/2 sq. ft. (30 "x60 ") of work o Weight -225 lbs. o Weight -1081bs. solid works top - yet turn ing bench blocks will grip surface interacting with vises Height of Work Height of Work over so top of vise is nush with o odd-shaped work pieces and and rotating bench dogs lets you o bench surface for regular vise eliminate most jigs and fixtures. hold large boards and planks - Surface -34" Surface -34" use. even a 4 'x8' sheet of plywood. o Thickness of o Thickness of Surface-2"lami­ Surface -11/2" lam­ nated rock maple inated rock maple o Total Work Area- o Total Work Area- 121/2 sq. ft. 8 sq. ft. A Smaller, Lower-Priced Vises -Two "x Vises- Two 5"x o 9 o 18 "x13/4" maple 18"XP/4" solid laminate maple WorkbenchThis new smaller From Model B GardenWorkbench offers Way you the ideal worksurface if you enjoy a multitude of crafts in­ ... :;;:: stead of just woodworking, or if you concentrate on small projects and large projects are the except­ r------.. lit'.. ..l!� �!l; �_ ion. You'll also find this new smaller Work­ TO: Garden Way Research bench perfect for woodcarving, I • Dept. Charlotte, VT05445 �§;��_ 91119W, project assembly, or used as a I I Please send ·me free details and children's project bench. YES! I1 prices on the New Garden Way Work- I *" 2' x 4' spacious worksurface benches, inclu ding information on I - a full8 sq. ft. • optional Tool Well and Tool Drawer I * Full 11/2" thick laminated and build-it-yourself Model A Kits. "butcher block" top. I I Rugged 11/2"x 21f2" rock I • Name * maple legs, stretchers and I I stringers. I Address I * Powerful 5" x 18" maple City vises. I I State Zip Sturdy enough to withstand I • * 4:>1979 Garden Way. Inc. heavy workshop jobs. L ______..J

7 OUTSTANDING DOVER BOOKS Letters (continued) design, namely, that the entire weight of a person standing FOR WOODWORKERS on the top step is taken on the skinny pins of the dovetail Write for absolutel� FREE new complete Dover Catalog joint, while the broad tails are doing nothing. The purpose of a dovetail joint is to lock twO pieces together so they will not pull apart under tension, as, fo r instance, when one pulls on the front of a drawer. But in this piece, the top is not under tension at all, except when it is being picked up, and then only to the extent of its own weight. Thus, strictly speaking, a dovetail, straight or skewed, is the wrong joint fo r the piece. It would have been easy to be both mechanically correct and visually consistent in designing this piece, if the top were THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF HAND OR SIMPLE TURNING, John fastened on in exactly the same manner as the other two Jacob Holtzapffel. Full coverage of basic lathe techniques -history and develop­ THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF steps. Of course, an overlapping top would be even stronger. ment, special apparatus. softwood turn­ ORNAMENTAL OR COMPLEX TURN· -Jo hn S, Carroll, Emlenton, Pa, iflg. hardwood turning, metal turning. lNG, John J. Holtzapffel. Great Victorian Many projects-billiard ball, works classic for special lathe, with coverage formed within a sphere, egg cups, ash of frames and chucks. unbelievably trays. vases, jardiniers, others -includ­ complex projects, all with unmatched I have ju st read Laszlo Giga cz' s excellent article about ed. 1881 edition. 600 illustrations. 592pp. thoroughness, clarity, 600 illustrations. 23365-0 Clothbd. 656pp. 6V. x 9'1• . 22965·3 Clothbd. 6'1. x 9'1.. 515.00 515.00 building a circular stairway(May ' 79). In designing a house, it may turn out that the perfectly circular stair shown in the

MANUAL OF TRADITIONAL WOOD MEASURED DRAWINGS OF EARLY article cannot be used, but any one of dozens of shapes may CARVING, edited by Paul N. Hasluck. AMERICAN FURNITURE, Burl Osburn & Possibly the best book in English on the Bernice Osburn. Construct reproduc­ be needed. These are some of them: craft of wood carving. Practical instruc­ tions of 29 pieces of Early American fur­ tions, along with 1,146 working drawings niture. Pine chest. dresser, chair. maple and photographic illustrations. Formerly table, more. 82pp. 8'1. x 11. titled Cassel/'s Wood Carving. S76pp. 6'1, 23057-0 Pa. 53.00 x 9'1. 23489·4 Pa. 57.95 CARVING ANIMAL CARICATURES, THE GENTlEMAN AND CABINET Elma Waltner. Instructions for 24 pro­ MAKER'S DIRECTOR, Thomas Chippen. jects Photographs and angle sketches dale. Full reprint, 1762 style book, most make eachg step absolutely clear. 94 il­ influential of all time; chairs, tables, lustrations. 104pp. 71f. x 10'/, sofas, mirrors, cabinets, etc. 200 plates, 22813·4 Pa. 52.75 plus 24 photographs of surviving pieces. 249pp. 9'1. x 12'1.. 21601·2 Pa. 56.00 CARVING REALISTIC BIRDS, H.D. Green. For beginners. experts. full-sized CHIP CARVING PATTERNS AND patterns. step-by-step instructions for DESIGNS, Ivan H. Crowell. In all of these variations I base the design on the use of a 126 patterns, robins. jays, cardinals. etc. Also moun­ designs-rosettes. borders, field orna­ ting 97 illustrations. 80pp 8Y. x 11 ment, radials etc. from European. measuring line called the line of travel. This line I usually 23484·3 Pa. Polynesian sources. 48pp 8'1. x 11. 53.00 locate 15 in. from the centerline of the inner rail of the 23532·7 Pa. + 51.75 HOW TO CARVE FOLK FIGURES AND A CIGAR·STORE INDIAN, Harold curved portion of the stair. Draw a plan of the two string lines CONSTRUCTION OF AMERICAN FUR· l. Enlow. Step-by-step instructions and NITURE TREASURES, Lesler Margon. 1 numerous illustrations for ten folk pro­ of the stair at a convenient scale, say % in = ft . On this plan 344 detail drawings, complete text on jects: bust of old man and full-fledged constructing exact reproductions of 38 cigar-store Indian. 116 illustrations. lay out the line of travel throughout its length, curved and Early American masterpieces: Hep­ 64pp.8'I.x11. 23748-652.95 plewhite sideboard, Duncan Phyfe drop­ straight portions. Divide the line of travel into equal spaces: I leaf table, more. 168pp. 6�. x 11 •. 'I CARVING FIGURE CARICATURES IN prefer ll-in. spaces but it can be more or less to fit. Divide 23056-2 Pa. 54.00 THE OZARK STYlE, Harold l. Enlow. In· structions and illustrations for ten MASTERPIECES OF FURNITURE IN the curved portion of the inner string into the same number delightful projects. plus general carving PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEASURED instructions. 22 drawings and 47 of spaces and draw lines from these division points through DRAWINGS, Vera C. Salomonsky. 102 photographs altogether. 39pp. 8l/. x 11. authentic museum pieces, 16th through 23151·8 Pa. those on the line of travel. These are the riser faces and they 19th century: chairs, chests, tables. 52.00 cradles, etc. Measurements detailed THE VICTORIAN CABINET·MAKER'S will hardly ever be radial lines from the center of the curve of enough for reproduction. 212pp. ASSISTANT, BI.ckie Son. Most suc· 7'I.x 10�.. 21381·1 Pa.54.50 & cessful British style book (1853); design, the inner string, the way they are on a perfectly circular stair. construction, woods, etc., of wide range There are two advantages to this method. One, it produces AMERICAN ANTIQUE FURNITURE, of Victorian furniture, plus 116 illustra­ Edgar G. Miller, Jr. The basic coverage of tions, plus 100 plates of ornate furniture. a stair having uniform riser-to-tread relationships fo r its entire all American furniture before 1840: 217pp. 6'1, x 12'/.. 22353·1 Pa. 57.95 chapters per item chronologically cover run, making it safer and more comfortable. Two, it makes all types of furniture. with more than TECHNIQUES IN AMERICAN FOLK DE· 2100 photos. Total of 1106pp. 7'1. x 10�• . CORA liON, Jean Lipman, Eve Meulen­ possible an inner curved rail of smoother shape without un­ 21599·7,21600-4 Pa., Two·vol set 517.90 dyke. Thorough coverage of Early American furniture decoration, tole. sightly, sharp jump-ups at the places where the curved por­ A MANUAL OF VENEERING, Paul fabric decoration, with full modern In­ Villiard. Covers glues, matching, clamp­ structions. Many projects shown. 233 il­ tion joins straight portions. If the radius of the curve of the ing, repairing, and more. including how lustrations, 5 in color. 163pp. 8¥. x 11'/•. inner string is quite small, these jumps in the rail are some­ to build your own veneer press and 22217·9 Pa. 55.00 edger. 6S illustrations. 174pp. 51f.x 8'1" PINE FURNITURE OF EARLY NEW times unavoidable. 23217·4 Pa. 52.50 ENGLAND, Russell H. Kettell. Basic THE BOOK OF WOOD CARVING, book. Thorough historical text, plus 200 Of course the method has disadvantages too. One is that Charles Mushall Sayers. Noted teacher, illustrations of boxes, highboys. the risers on the straight portions are not always square with craftsman discusses fundamentals. candlesticks, desks, etc. 477pp. 7'/. x technique; gives 34 designs,over 34 pro­ 10�.. 20145·7 Clothbd. 512.95 the walls of the stairwell, which makes carpenters unhappy jects for panels. bookends. mirrors, etc. ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO SHAKER FUR· photos. 116pp. 7�. x 10�•. 33 NITURE, Robert Meader. Up-to-date sometimes. -W, Byron Proctor, Pensacola, Fla, 23654·4 Pa. $3.00 coverage of all furniture and ap­ purtenances, with much on local styles WHITTLING AND WOODCARVING, E.· not available else where. 235 photos. J. langerman. Carve toys. puzzles, 146pp. 9 x 12. 22619·3 Pa. 55.00 chains, caricatures. masks, patterns, frames, decorate surfaces, etc. Also Divide entire line of tra vel into covers serious wood sculpture. Over 464 TO ORDER SEND TO: equal spaces. These will mark Illustrations 293pp. 51f. x 8'/" Dept. 8O/FW. Dover Publications, Inc. 20965·2 Pa. riser faces. $3.00 180 Varick Street, New York. N.Y. 10014. Please list author. title and code number for each book ordered. Divide inner curve into as FREE DOVER CATALOG I enclose $ ___ in full payment. N.Y. 2500 attractive paperbacks from many equal spaces as there residents add sales tax. For postage and $1.00-$5.00. Woodcraft, stained glass, are in the curved portion of handling add 70� for one book, $1.15 for tole painting, weaving, macrame, two or more books. the line of tra vel. needlecraft, handiwork, other crafts. Plus antiques, folk art. art instruction. Name ______Connect points on curved photography, nature studies. science, Address ______more. 64 page catalog absolutely FREE! portio n of line of tra vel with City and State ______Zip ___ Write Dover Pubns., Dept. 8O/FW 180 points on inner curve for uni- Varick St., N.Y., N.Y. 10014. "America's Guarantee: Return any book within 10 most imaginative reprint publisher." - days for full cash refund. No questions form riser-tread rela tionship. Time Magazine. asked. Line of travel

8 Own this dassic44 Roll-Top" OAK DESK C0711es ful�v asse711 bled or as a partially asse711bled kit.

Worth at least filing space, small draw­ ers for stamps, etc., two double the Kit price pull-out writing surfaces, lots of extras. Finished desk meas- when finished! ures 54" wide, 26" deep, 45" high; desk height is ere's the turn-of-the-century "Roll-Top" 30". Ample center leg room is 24Yz" wide, 26" high. you've always wanted. A full size oak desk The Kit is designed to make woodcrafting a nowH yours at extraordinary savings ... becal:lse joy. Superb oak and oak veneer are pre-cut, you put it together yourself from pre-cut Kit parts. sanded, and clearly marked to match the illus­ Roomy sectioned desk features classic pull­ trated assembly guide provided. Complete with down roll top, pre-assembled at our factory for all hardware, drawer pulls, finish grade sand­ accurate fit and ease of construction. Center -guide paper, glue. No special tools or skills needed. drawers on both sides open smoothly, provide the When finished,you'll possess a magnificent show­ filing room you need. Roomy center drawer is 24" piece for your home or office-worth at least wide. Desk also "pigeon-hole" twice what you paid jar the Kit!

WOODCRAFT COLLECTION Dept.4VY/4VZ 1400 North Fruitridge Ave., Box 1174 Terre Haute, IN 47811 Please send me Roll-Top Oak Desk

D Kit only (Allow a maximum of weeks to ship) $499.00(freight collect) 617223 4

D Assembled and finished (Allow a maximum of days to ship) $1,200.00(freight collect) 721324 120

D Also send me matcbing desk chair, assembled and ready-to-finish (Allow a maximum of weeks $159.00(freight collect) 724062 to ship) 4 Oak desk chair-a perfect Enclosed is my check, money order or Visa/Master Charge/ American Express Num- match to desk. Patterned ber (please include expiration date) for ______after furniture first used in $, N.Y., Iowa, Ind. residents please add applicable tax. the Bank of England! 23" wide, 24" deep, preassembled Print Name ______and ready to finish.

_Ap t. ______Address.. s ______For VISA, Master Charge or

American Express ordering City,______State -'-Zip______Call TOLL FREE: 1-800-247-5018 Do you have a telephone? DYes D No �t D Please send me my FREE Woodcraft Collection Color Catalog only _------Iowa Residents: 1-800-532-1437 ,------OB ...... ------..

9 Letters (continued)

I want to compliment you on Dwight Gorrell's "Sawmilling" age the end of the screwdriver. If you were to buy ma chine­ Guly/ August '79), a most interesting description of lumber steel tools or case-hardened tools the tip would not be eaten at its source. In the early twenties John G. Niehart in his epic away by continuous use. -Michael McKinney, Lafa yette, Ind. poem "Song of the Indian Wars" used a freely translated Indian's clever description of a steam sawmill: "How the Regarding the use of old shoes to hold files and the wear that white man harnessed up a fog to send a round knife scream­ might result from such close contact, one might consider ing through a log." I hope you may find that expression as gloves. I have a set of five gouges that fitnicely in an old colorfully put as I have. glove, with a drawstring laced through holes punched around -Tom Barnard, San Clemente, Callf the wrist. The string can be drawn tight for traveling, or hung on two nails driven into the wall. Gloves also work well for Cabinetmaker Roben Whitley's replica of the Oval Office drill bits. If you really want to treat your tools, finda pair of desk for the John F. Kennedy Library Guly '79) is very pretty, old fur-lined gloves. -Bob Shannahan, Weare, N.H. but it strikes me as most unusual. I have never seen the orig­ inal, but if it, like the replica, has the head of the eagle on Here's another wedge / tenon Post Wedge the Great Seal facing the 13 arrows in its left talon, then it joint to add to the Kirby ar­ must be some British joke. Seriously, I have spent 28 years in ticle (May '79). I found it on the Army, and have never seen the Great Seal eagle face any an 1805 counterbalanced way except toward the olive branch. For a number of years I four-harness loom, serving to taught military customs and traditions. This was supposed to draw the post frame mem­ have some symbolism, although I cannot prove that the bers together. I've not fo und founding fathers looked at it that way. Is it a true replica of this joint elsewhere, and be­ the Oval Office desk? I'm curious. lieve it is quite scarce in 18th -James B. Reed, Portland,Te x. and 19th-century joinery. The mortise is cut accurately to the shape outlined by the Regarding the use of sheet-metal screws as opposed to wood dotted lines. A few hard taps on the wedge and the joint is screws {"Methods," May ' 79), sheet-metal screws are better snug. Dimension A must be equal to B, or B slightly larger, fo r use in wood but a few facts are wrong. You stated that to allow assembly. This joint is superior to the tusk tenon as 1022 steel is a medium-carbon steel, but most steel manufac­ there are no points wher e driving the tusk or wedge too turers consider a medium-carbon steel to be between 1030 tightly would split the grain. Also, this joint can obviously be and 1040 and low-carbon steels to be between 1010 and easily disassembled. 1030. Also, you stated that a case-hardened screw will dam- -Norm Va ndal, Roxbury, Vt. Power Tool! ThisJ-in-l onepo wer-fedtool­ ••• SAWS to desired Width •. PLANES to desired Thickness•.• MOLDS-all in one all popular fast operation! Panerns Only Complete Workshop Tool Of Its Kind In The World! There is NO OBLIGATION and From the day it arrives the Belsaw will make and save you Does The Belsaw Pay? money. With shortages and inflation driving lumber prices NO SAlESMAN WII Call-ever! YOU BET! sky-high, this versatile power tool quickly pays for itself by If coupon has been READ WHAT BELSAW OWNERS SAY: BELSAW POWER TOOLS Co. easily converting low cost rough lumber into high value removed, just send posrcard with name Field Building finished stock. Make your own quarter-round, base mold, ··1 bought a batch of walnut in the rough. and 9013 after planing it on the Belsaw I f;gured I saved and addr

11 ______DIVISION ME RCHANTMEN ••••§Je ____, REAL WOODS USA, LTD. Although handscrews are among the most versatile clamps in a cabinet shop, they haven't changed much in 200 years. The non­ Complete selection exotic hardwood veneers marring jaws of these are of fine hard maple and the steel screws are handled with reinforced -from our architectural inventory hardwood. The swivel nuts carving blocks in the jaws are the one innovation your ancestors Mail Order -Retail didn't have and they add - significantly to versatility. Send for our catalogue 50� The jaws may be set parallel Your own collection wood veneer samples or, if required, askew. Thus, you can distribute pressure $2.00 post paid narrowly or widely and you Personal Attention given to every order can clamp angled workpieces. L ______107 Trumbull ______Street, Bldg. R-8 ____El izabeth______, N.J. 07206 � Jaw Open Size Size

30010 4" 2" $ 7.80 30020 5" 2Y," $ 8.40 30030 6" 3" $ 8.90 30040 8" 4Y," $10.75 30050 10" 6" $12.30 30060 12" 8Y," $14.10 30070 14" 10" $17.90 30080 16" 12" $23 .10

Estimate Shipping Charges ($1 to $3 in U. S_) We'll Refund Excess Send 50!! for our 1979 Catalog (free with order) TOOLMARK WOOD LATHE DU PLICATOR Californians add 6% sales tax Features Quality & Precision Write for Free Literature & Compare TOOLMARK CO. (612) 561 -4210 •Alta ••••• ••• & ••• 6840 Shingle Creek Pkwy Minneapolis, MN 55430 P.O_ Box 627T , La Canada, California 91011 FOB Mpls Don't Just buy a woodworking machine For Fine Hardwood BUY what the machine can really do In St. Louis INCA-PRECISION SWISS STATIONARY POWER TOOLS

80/8"wide jOinter/planer (illustration}--12,OOO vibration free cuts per min­ ute. Will handle hardest teaks to balsa woods to glass clean finish. Optional thicknessing attachment permits board thicknessing from 20/8" max. to '/40" min. to absolute perfection. Five other industrial quality machines, designed for precision production and priced for the perfec­ tionist craftsman, hobbyist and cabinetmaker.

Hibdon Hardwood 0 1539 Chouteau St. Louis, MO 63103 (314) 621-7711

lOW' combination jointerlplaner with automatic feed thickness... . 10" bsndsaw for wood, noo-ferrous metals, plastiC. 9 blade selections, 6W' depth of cut. 10" circular saw depth of cut. Attachments to perform additional o ra­ Designer­ 3W' 15 pe tions. T' circular saw 2'/32" depth of cut. Same attachments as10" saw. VERTI­ CAL SPINDLE SHAPER, 3 speed. See your local Home Improvement Center, Hardware or machinery dealer or write Certificate of mastery and undergraduate degrees, Anson Industries Inc. for information of an INCA dealer nearest you. StudioCraftsm Programs in: Metal Working; Wood& Furnitureen. Design; Ceramics; Weaving; Jewelry; String Musical Instruments; Textile Printing & Dyeing. OUT faculty includes: Barbara Shawcroft; Barbara Wa Uace; Sung-Ja Cho; ANSON INDUSTRIES INC. Vince Ferrini; Fred Woe ll; James Bennett; Richard Hirsch; William Sax; Dept. MO 4115 San Fernando Road, Glendale, CA 91204 John Kirk; Alphonse Mattia; Jere Osgood; Donald Wa rnock. Please send me the INCA precision stationary power tool catalog and price sheel. I The program requires concentrated studio work, courses in design, art history enclose $1 .00 for first class postage and handling. and business. Admission requires previous experience and portfoliO review. For further infonnation, write: Boston University, Office of Admissions, Pro­ Name ______Address ______gram in Artisanry, Dept. F ,121 Bay Stale Road, Boston, Massachusetts 02215. Or all (617) 353-2022. City ______SI. ______Zip _ c DealerInformation Upon Request BostonBoston University is � an equalUniversity opportunity institution.

12 • MODEEMPERORL 12IN0-K RARE, DO CLOCK-IT-YO LUXUURRIOUSSELFCOMP CASEANY'S KIT SOLID 3/4" BLACK WALNUT DIREFACTORYCT SALE PRICE When purchased with movement, extra. 5$149.50 I for case kit alone. Regular Factory*Direct Price $199.50 GET THECOMPARE MOST FROM YOUR FINISHEO NUMBER CLOCK TO ONE THOSE RETAIUNG AT UP TO $85O! You get the most of everything from Emperor Clock Company. Best quality and best price. That's the way we have always done business. And it's made Emperor the world's largest man ufacturer of grandfather clocks. Our tremendous sales volume, together with the production efficiency in our own woodworking factory, is the main reason why we can offer such affordable prices on increasingly scarce, solid :y.nkiln- dried black walnut. There's no better quality native hardwood! And now it can be yours in our most popular grandfatherMODEL 12 clock,0-K IS the A classic PLEASURE Model 120-K.TO BUILD Nothing matches the genuine pleasure you get from building your own Model 120-K grandfather clock ...a beautiful and functional creation with an heirloom destiny. Emperor's kit makes it so easy. All kit pieces are accurately pre-cut from hand-matched solid :y.n black walnut, kiln-dried to prevent warping and shrinking. Kit pieces are sanded smooth on both sides. All miters, mortises and tenons are pre-cut at no additional cost. (If you prefer, kits may be ordered unmitered for $10.00 less.) Divided swan neck and finial, waist and dial face doors, dial frame and basefront are pre-assembled. Complete assembly instructions, screws, and all hardware included. No wood­ workinSOUDg experience BRASS necessary. EMPEROR Each MOVEMEN piece may beTS reordered AND DIALS separ ately. ONE WEEK . WEIGHT DRIVEN. WESTMINSTER CHIMES Emperor's Model 101-M movement, with dial, is made of solid brass by a well-known West German firm. Choose from either Tempus Fugit (Time Flies) or Moving Moon with lunar calendar. Both versions sound the West­ minster chimes each quarter-hour and count the hour with a Big Ben tone. Movements include weights, solid brass wei�ht shells, brass bob, pendulum and chimes. All plates are solid brass With pinions of hardened steel. Installation and adjustment are simple, following step-by-step instructions. MOVEMENTS CARRY A ONE-YEAR WARRANTY l1D 'I" ORDER TODAY! THIS SALE ENDS DECEMBER 31. 1979. �6 rder Direct With This Form Orders Shipped to Weeks Shipping Charges •1I!0!! BLACKx 16'1 WALNUT,' x-� 10" .. �� ...... • 2 3...... • 74" EMPEROR CLOCK COMPANY, Dept. 14-EPlease Check: New Customer 0 Emper or Industrial Park, Fairhope, Alabama 36532 .. CREDIT CARD TELEPHONE ORDERS WELCOME CALL Collect NO RISK! I I MONEY BACK GUARANTEE I If for any reason you are not I completely satisfied, return r--r.;;;-;;::;-:7;;7'7;-::;'E:=�=:'::-;;:::::i;==:::-;:=:---n;::;---+"::::"'+-"":":':=�+---+-----1 in original shipping carton within thirty days for prompt I We person TOTAL $ I refund. No questions. No Enclosed ( ) Check ( ) Money Order 0 Ala. residents only, $ cardN sa�� '::�;heck: excuses. Charbe to my ( ) Master Charge ( ) BankAmen . l Unmitmd . . . add 4% sales tax $ T .. .. --- I I *SUBTRACT $10.00 FOR B Subtract $10 GRAND TOTAL $, UNMITERED KIT �S��� ... ,�,�:l:.J�ll L , ".m.) 1 1 J.;;.!� 1 " P I EMPEROR" NAME FREE HURE 0 I CLOCK COMPANY ADDRESS IIIII .. I I �5tg� ���� WORLD'S LARGEST MANUFACTURER CITY STATE ZIP --- . Smlo,,,,,,, VISA . OF GRANDFATHER CLOCKS TELEPHONE NO. -- <>1979 EMPEROR CLOCK COMPANY I All Rights Reserved VISIT OUR FACTORY SHOWROOMS MON.-FRI. A.M. TO P.M., EMPERORIII INDUSTRIAL-I PARK. FAIRHOPE, I AL. I 8 5 I

13 Letters (continued)

...I was a little annoyed at George Nakashima's angry com­ DOMESTIC & FOREIGN ments in the January '79 issue, concerning people who worked with him a few years, producing pieces that he's mak­ ing money on and satisfying customers with, who then decide HARDWOODS to leave to start their own businesses. It seems to me that this Quality stock for Cabinet Work is not so terrible. Doesn't it sound like human nature-the need to learn, grow, progress, attain and succeed? The people Most all sizes from I" i thickness up to 4" n were producing while they worked fo r him, I'm sure, and Nakashima might have even learned a few things himself from his employees .... HARDWOODS -Mark Ple wka, Ferndale, Mich.

ASH --BASSWOOD --BIRCH In Don Newell's article "Before the Finish" (May '7 9), his BUTTER, UT --CHERRY --CHESTN UT suggestion fo r the use of heat fo llowing water fo r raising the EBONY --MAPLE --OAK --POPLAR grain is good, but I feel a propane torch is a bit hairy. The ROSEWOOD -- TEAK --WALNUT fo llowing are alternatives providing more diffuse, even heat Also hardwood p lywoods without the danger of scorching: an ordinary electric clothes iron, a household hair dryer (wear a dust mask-asbestos is dangerous), or by far the best, an electric heat gun, a beefed­ up hair dryer capable of producing heat up to 5000 F. A SOFTWOODS cooler setting of 3000 will safely and quickly dry a sur face. Higher heats can be used to warm surfaces fo r the application SUGAR PINE --CYPRESS --CEDAR of stick shellac or hot glue with either thermoplastic or hide SPRUCE --DOUGLAS FIR etc. glue. This eases the problem of the glue or shellac hardening too quickly upon contact with the cold wood surface, and MAURICE L. CONDON CO., INC. results in stronger bonds. 248 Fen-is Avenue, White Plains, N.Y. 10603 -George Danziger andJa ne Clarke, Leverett, Mass. 914-945-4111 In the "Letters" column of May '79, there was an item re­ Open Saturdays 8 AM until 2 PM garding the use of DuPont 57175 as a rust preventative. I called the DuPont technical information center and they verified my evaluation of this material. They say it will etch the surface to improve the grip of paint but it will not prevent AT LAST! rust. I prevent rust on my tools and machines with a hard automobile wax. It lasts a long time and reduces friction when the stock slides on the machine tables. CONTEMPORARY -Henry Glfford, Jamaica, N.Y. NOWI YouFURNITURE can build beautiful heirloom-quality PLANS furniture in your own shop at a fraction of what you mightto expect payl In "Tall Chests" (Winter '77), Timothy Philbrick mentions the golden section as a revered proportioning system. This ratio of the smaller of two lines to the larger as the larger is to the whole was expressed several hundred years ago by a mathematician known as Fibonacci (Italian fo r "the son of the simpleton"), which I believe is a pseudonym. The se­ quence is obtained by starting with the number 1 and se­ quentially adding the next number and the fo rmer number. er /178 Gateleg Table /1142 (seats four) �------� The golden-section ratio can then be obtained by dividing ORDER CAT TODAY ...ONLY ALOC $2.00 (RERJNDABLE) any fo rmer number into the fo llowing. For example: 2 Get 200 exclusive designs-beds, tables,chain;, sofas,rockers, desks, = = = 1 + shelving, stools, benches, stereo cabinetsand much much more. Each 3; 3 + 2 5; 5 + 3 = 8; 8 + 5 13. A short sequence plan set includes shop-tested,easy to follow, step-by�tep instructions would be: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 ,233, 377. with fuI\�ize, completely detailedpro fessional drawings. Complete with Take any number, fo r example 233, and divide it by the fo r­ cutting lists, helpful sugges tions. PLUS our exclusive 'Ask the Experts " mer number and the golden section is approximated to call-in service(info with plans). - BUnD l1KEA "PRO" ... IT'S FUN ... IT'S EASYI ...USE OUR 1 x 10 ). (� = l.618055556). This is handy if you forget ClEVERFINE RJRNITUREJOINER Y SYSTEM TO ELIMINATE TIlE the ratio given in the text. NEED FOR NAILS OR SCREWS. ADDS ADISTINCTIVE CUSTOM -Noel Wtfliams, M.D., Concord, Calt! TOUDi. ENSURES STRENGTIi ANDST ABllITYl ------ORDER TODAYJ ___ ------Here's a tip: Take a Rockwell Unisaw table extension to a o YESI Rush me your catalog of 200fine furnituredesigns @$2.oo.I understand my $2.00 will berefunded with my first order. machine shop, have a hole bored between the ribs and three o YESI Send plan set 1/78 @$9.oo (canedrocker) plusFREE catalog. flats milled on the underside fo r stand-off bushings. Attach a o YESI Send plan set1/142 @$7.oo (gateleg table) plus FREE catalog. router base underneath; votfa!a router table with an ad­ Enclosedis as payment for order. ______$ -- this------justable fence. -Bob Laughton, San Francisco, Calt! Name � �� ---- ______(ple______ase print) A ______� Gly State Zi p,______Errata: In "End-BoringJig" (Nov. '78) the 9-in. veneer-press _ 521W: Kirkwood Ave. Dept.BSG screw specified in the cutting list is incorrect. A 12-in. screw is 1liE DESIGNERY . necessary. � ______J� _���� ______

14 Reintroducins a fine, time ... honored line of premium foqualir hobtybyists wo odcraftinand s tools profFor manyessional years, beginning craftsmen in the late 1800 's, Greenlee manu­ factured fine tools for cabinet and furniture makers. Now, this experience and reputation is being applied to an ex­ panded line of premium quality hand tools for everyone from occasional hobbyists to professional woodworkers ... for everything from whittling to woodt uming. Made of.the finest selected materials and designs from Eng­ land, Germany and America, these tools meet the highest standards of use, durability and appearance. They're a pleasure to see and touch ...·reflecting the pride that has gone into their manufacture and the pride with- whic h you will own and use them. Choose individual items or complete sets (some in beautiful wood cases), including a variety of carving knives, chisels, gouges, wood sculpture tools, turning tools, screwdrivers, sharpening stones, marking and measuring tools, work benches and bench accessories, mallets, bits, hole saws, bow saws, drawknives ...and much more. See this superb line of woodcrafting tools at your nearby hardware retailer. Or, write for Free Catalog.

If you thought IISwiss-Precisionll could only be found in watchmaking, then you don/t know about our power tools. Only you know how good your tools have to be. When it comes to woodworking machinery, they should be better than you are­ even if you're already an accompl ished craftsman. Therefore, you owe it to yourself to learn more about our SWiss-made line of INCA stationary power tools which we sell throughout these 50 states. Ta ke the 10" Cabinetmaker's Saw, for example. It has a 20mm (25/32") arbor at the blade for strength and rigidity where it counts. 85/8" Jointer with th ickness planing ability The table castings are tough, precision milled alloys and the guide ra ils are aircraft quality extrusions. All the major rotating parts are dynamically balanced. The bottom line is a machine that takes higher loadings and gives you less vibration with a truer running saw blade. If fact, every one of our INCA saws, jointers, planers and shapers are built to quality standards which are becoming increa singly hard to find in this country. That's because they're made with the same pride of workmanship as the Swiss put into their watches. Garrett Wade Company, Dept. . FW-9-9 302 Fifth Avenue, New York, N Y.l00O! Ou r catalog is a good place to beg in your National Distribution comparisons. We want you to be as good as Gentlemen: you can get. . 0 Send me your INCA cOlolog. Enclosed is $1. o Here's onolher $1 for your IOB-poge colo log of quolity______hond______10015. __ Nome ______Addre______s,s.s ______City, Slole' Zip Methods of Work

Table-saw tenoner This jig, designed to cut tenons and bridle joints on the table saw, performs as well as expensive, commercial versions. It consists of a base, which travels in the miter gauge slot, and a fence assembly. Dadoes in the fe nce assembly slide on rails in the top of the base to allow the blade-to-fence distance to be varied. The two pieces are locked at the right position by a nut mortised in a block of wood. Make the other jig parts of high-quality %-in. aircraft or hardwood plywood; don't waste your time with fir plywood. To use the jig, clamp the work to the fence with a C-c1amp, or a hold-down clamp mounted on the fe nce. Align the jig fo r the cut and push through the saw. -Larry Humes, Everson, Wash.

3NEWSlZES Fence assembly BRASSThe forefinger FINGER nestles in the whale'sPlANES tail. Made from solid brass, ebony wedge, tool steel blade ground to fit convex sole. 6 SIZES IN ALL no. 2 3/16" blade. 11/16" sole ...... $16 ea. no. 3 1/4" blade, 7/8" sole ...... $18 ea. no. 4 5/16" blade. 1-118" sole ...... $20 ea. no. 5 3/8" blade. 1-3/8" sole ...... $23 ea. no. 6 1/2" blade. 1-3/4" sole ...... $25 ea. no. 7 5/8" blade. 2-1/8" sole ...... $28 ea. Set of6 ...... $115 Add $2.00 per order for postage and handling Make checks payable to: (R.1 . residents add 6% sales tax)

P.O.OTNER-BOTNER Box 6023, Providence, R.1. 02940

Folding cutting ta ble Here is a simple, useful rack fo r supporting large plywood panels when cutting with a hand-held power saw. It also Tool Co. Ltd. doubles as a gluing table and, with a sheet of plywood on Rog top, as a spacious worktable. When you are not using it you SUPER WOODTURNING CHISELS can fo ld it, scissor-like, into a compact unit fo r storage in a corner of the shop. LARGESTwoodturning SELE chiselsCTION IN AMERICA FROG Material consists of 24 ft . of 2x2 construction-grade fi r. will outturn and outlast eight carriage bolts (% in. x 2Yz in.) and fo ur lag screws ('/4in. others. You'll find their x 3 in.). Cut the fir into tWO long strips (72 in.) and fo ur greater length and superior cross-beams (36 in.). Bolt the cross-beams to the long strips hardness will increase your on 20-in. centers and 6 in. from each end. Countersink the turning ability. Won't you try carriage bolts a fu ll % in. into the cross-beams to clear the saw- this standard starter set on our money back guarantee. Catalog included $59.0 0 pOltpaid.6gouge.; 112", )" dtewa; piece I" set mamont con,i.t, point; of v..'12", part· 1" in, tool.Send for free informa­ tion on the Myford ML8 Countersink bolts to clear saw lathe. It's quality throughout.

StanleyFROG #93 SPECIALchrome plated pre­ ci.ion rebate plane. It i. I" wide by 6';''' long, convert. into a chi­ .el rebate plane. With catalog $39.00 pOltpaid. CATALOG ALONE SEND ".00 Methods 0/ Work buys readers ' tips, Jigs and tricks. Send FROG TOOL CO. LTD.Dept . C de tads, sketches (we 'II redraw them) and photos to Methods, 641 N. Franklin St. Chicago. Illlnols 80810 Fine Wo odworking, Box 355, Ne wtown, Co nn. 06470.

16 "Runs Like A Sewing Machine ­ POWERMATIC Cuts Like A Chain Saw" MODEL221 20" Thickness Planer

The Model 221 Thi ckness Planer features "Quick-set" bed roller adjustment, variable feed rate, sectional infeed ONLY 169.00 roll and chipbreaker, plus the massive cast iron construc­ LIST 199.00 tion you want for smooth, accurate surfacing and long machine life. The optional grind and joint attachment allows knife sharpenings in the machine. This model, as well as the 12", 16", 18" and 24" are in stock ready for • Exclusive blade orbit selector. immediate delivery or shipped from the factory direct to • Blade support roller guide-perfect 90 · you. Also available in each size unit is the qu iet cutter­ cuts in the tightest curves. head , a Powermatic breakthrough in sound control. • "Barrel Gr ip" design for precise handling. See us for all your sta tionary machinery and related • For super duty, continuous production use. • Includes: assorted blades, screwdriver. accessory needs at competitive prices. 4 1 • SPECIFICATIONS; Write or Phone: Full 1" stroke, 2900 strokes/min., 115V-AC, 9" length, 4.5 Ibs. �OODS:a::OJ? Bearings: All ball and roller. P.O.SJ? BOX E::1013,CJ: ALTJ:E::S05740 S. Ave. , E. MIDDLEBURY, VT. 1437 Woodward 802-388-7969 Rockwel l. Stanley, Milwaukee, Birmingham, Michigan 48 011 Bosch, Makita Sales & Service (31 3) 644-0444 -.,. From England -home of cabinetmaking ilORKINGliOOD..,. , Afor completely the artist craf newtsm quanar terlyin wood. journal u ....0. Worwarmth'As new ofas atomo kingfinelyrrow seasoned but with Wood timber' the 1Il10',,, ..., ,..:""''", ".. 'u .."till<...... , Summer issue, No. 2, includes: The English Clock-case; 1·_'-"".'pk_.....11'.....-1" ·fI_ Tantalus in Mahogany; Barley-sugar Twist Drop-leaf Table; Turning Treen; Cabinet Timbers-Walnut; Wine Rack in Sycamore; Dolmetsch-Instrument Makers; Joinery-the Revolving Door; Tool Collectors ' Club­ \ Full report of Christies' Two Day Sale; Purpose-making Tool Handles; The Basics of Design-pt. II; Readers' Advisory; Letters; Plus a great deal more .....

SUBS- CRIPTION ONLY (Specimen copy surface mail $4) ;' -- Available on ------M - U.S.A. Rates: coupo� �;D S;N� I:;:;R� -;';A�CE-:;:O-;- ;CLQuailcralt,iP Pankridge Street, Crandall, Farnham, Surrey. England - - I (surface) Year 1 $15 I Gentlemen, Please send me Working Wood for 1 Yea r 2 Yea. rs 2 Year $30 3 Year $45 I Years -Special 5 Year (delete as appropriate), surfaca/air. SPECIAL 5-YEAR 1 3 I . by1 1 I $60 I' ,*,_--,.-;"'I_No � I! enclose my dollar check ______No 1 1 1 . Start with issue airm 1 21 ( ail.) 1 Year $24 $ Name I I 2 ear $48 3 ear Y Y $60 I Add ress SPECIAL 5-YEAR $80 Town . . State . .. Zip...... *While stocks last you may start your collection fr om the Spring , Vo lume 1 No.1 Issue.

17 Methods of Work (continued)

___...... blade. Fasten the rack to two wooden sawhorses with the fo ur Unicorn lag screws centered 12 in. from each end of the long strips. Universal -Stephen Wy socki, Colton, Call! Ltd. Routed drawer pull WOODS Here's a simple and versatile drawer or door pull made with a modified router bit. Start with a small rabbeting bit (I used Stanley 82 150, which rabbets 1/4 in. wide and 7/16 in. deep). Grind off the pilot and round the corners, taking care not to SPECIALTY FOREIGN & DOMESTIC lose the correct bevel. Chuck the bit in the router with the HARDWOODS & SOFTWOODS cutter about 311 6 in. below the base. Next drill or rout a template hole in the drawer front. I use VENEERS a l%-in. multi-spur bit, boring to a depth of only 1/4 in. so the LUMBER FOR EVERY WOODWORKING APPLICATION bit's pilot hole will later be removed . A flat-bottomed Forst­ ner bit would be better because it leaves no pilot hole. If you OVER 80 SPECIES AVAILABLE: use a straight router bit, you can cut any shape template hole. EUROPEAN BOXWOOD• • ENGLISH BROWN• OAK Now plunge the router with the modified bit into the cen­ PERNAMBUCO CORDIA ROSEWOODS EBONY ter of the template hole and work it out to the edge, using the ENGLISH CHESTNUT · LABURNUM LOGS · EUROPEAN PLUM bit's shank to guide (apply paraffin) against the side of the AIR DRIED & KILN DRIED FLITCH CUT LOGS · template hole. Finish the pull by rounding the top with a re­ COMPREHENSIVE STOCK AVAILABLE FROM 1" TO 6" verse-curve spoon gouge. -Mtfes__ Kar ptfow, EmeryVIlle , Call! WRITE FOR FREE PRICE LIST � .-� MINIMUM MAIL ORDER $100.00 �:bb ioute;base Drill templa te hole Round off 17'. in. by % in. deep ,;,. l� �_ . " nd ; ; ; JOHN STREET. TORONTO, CANADA 2E4 137 M5V 363-1161 �off gn �;;",�,f; iDrawer-front c crossj ::section=::: �

Opening- Fan, 1979 Professional crafts training in the five major media including, in FULL SIZE FURNITURE PLAN wood -joinery, laminating, turning, carving and finishing. For informa­ tion: Appalachian Center for Crafts, Box 510 6 -Tennessee Technological UniverSity, Cooke­ �=:=iROLL ville, Tennessee 38501 TOP APPA:LACIIIAN CENTER FOR CRAFTS -�� DESK

HARDWOODS NOW AVAILABLE IN FLORIDA Just like the one Grandfather had. Au· thentic double pedestal desk, 30" deep, 52" wide, 30"high. Roll-Top Unij adds 14" to height. Both single curve and double curve full-size profiles included. You'll love making ij. You'll love using ij. Adds luxurious decor to any room. A wood­ worker's delight! Plan #139 (Double Pedestal Desk) ...... $7.00 Cabinet Plan #140 (Roll-Top Unit) ...... $7.00 Complete Desk Plans ...$14 .00 and CA TALOG OF OVER 160 PLANS...... - FurnitureGrade Over 160 different full-size professional furniture plans. Early$10 Ameri­0 can, English, Mediterranean, Spanish, Danish Modern. Chairs, '. Hardwoods Hutches, Cradles, Beds, Tables, scores more! Your dollar refunded with first order. Send today. No woodworking shop is complete - � ',� without it. FURNITURE DESIGNS, Dept. KD -99 �)t*� 1425 Sherman Ave., Evanston, III. 60201

18 CUTTING TOOLS OF DISTINCTION

2 GREATNOW!- CATAL FREEOGS! NEW 24 PAGE CATALOG Project Supplies and Accessories featuring Toys, Clocks, Clock hands and motors, Music boxes and other mechanisms. From North American Products Corp. All types of home shop projects not generally available to the home "A Company With a Heritage of Craftsmanship" WCIDOCRAFT craftsman such as Hour- glasses, Tiles, Duck De- Send for postage handling $1.00 & P ROJECT coys, Lamp Kits and Pull We'll send you our catalog. toy plans to help you cre­ . rr\.;!) SUPPL IES ate useful artIcles of lasting value. ~

NorthSuite Am 226 erican/ UO Interstate Products North Pkwy. E. Corp. Atlanta, Ga. 30339 WCIDOCRAFT No shop' should be without this 3000 TOOL descriptive catalog of hand tools for f2\ the person involved in wood­ \6lCATALOG working. A revolutionary decorative nail fashioned after the We search the world to provide craftspeople, professional wood­ original hand forged nails of the late 1700's. They workers and school shops with these excellent tools. Every item provide an authentic touch to restoration, providing is well ill ustrated and fully described to help you choose the right toolfor the job. We back this up with fast, efficient service, t the benefits of a cut nail head without the handicap of personal attention to your needs and of course, our ironclad guarantee. a long nail. I" Choice of: Matte Black or �\ Brass Plated SUPPLY CORP. FREE Dept. FW99, 313 Montvale Ave., Woburn, Ma . 018 01 CATALOG W@DCRAFT Gentlemen: Please send me the FREE catalogs checked below. PROJECT SUPPLY CATALOG %" Head , %" Nail. o o 3000 TOOL CATALOG SEND FOR SPECIAL ,,1'1·1 I I I l' , • ______NAME NAIL KIT f I't I , ______STREET A unique collection of 20 Old Fash- rfT,I,l I·j I I I J I· ioned cut nails guaranteed to charm � -_.[ , : _. '<' .., t ..I J CITY all interested in the memorabilia of STA Early American building. Incl uded in the r,=E======-Z-IP-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= package is a description of Cut Nail making in America. Write for complete $3.50 information.

P.O.TREMONT Box III Dept. FW99, NAWareham, IL Mass. CO. 02 571

19 Methods of Work (continued)

Portable-saw guide Surely I am not the only small-shop woodworker who has run the saw (with the blade you intend to use) along the base spent an inordinate amount of time trying to cut up large to trim off the excess . The guide is now ready to use. sheets of plywood or trim the ends off long, heavy boards on a A shorter variation of the guide is useful fo r cutting off table saw. I have been happy with my small table saw, but long boards. Nail a strip of wood to the bottom of the short I'm delighted to find my portable circular saw will do equally guide at right angles to the straightedge. Sandpaper glued to precise work on unwieldy pieces with the help of a guide that the underside will keep the guide from slipping when held at takes just minutes to make. The beauty of the guide is that it the far end with one C-c1amp. positions the blade right on the cut-line in one step. The short guide can also be used for cutting dadoes with a The main components of the guide are a %-in. wood router. Just rout a slot into the base of the guide, carefully straightedge nailed to a thin base of %-in. plywood or Mason­ pressing the router base against the straightedge. Start the ite. The saw rides on the base -and is pressed against the router cut over the right-angle strip on the bottom (remem­ straightedge. A long guide for cutting large sheets of plywood ber to remove a bit of the sandpaper first) . It's easy to clamp is best held with two C-c1amps-one at each end. Be sure to the guide at the right position on the workpiece by eyeballing make the straightedge wide enough so that the saw's motor the layout lines fo r the dado through the slot in the base. housing will clear the C-clamps. After nailing the -Rich Baldinger, Schenectady, N. Y. straightedge to a base piece slightly wider than needed, just Long-lived sanding strips Narrow strips of sandpaper used to sand turnings or curved objects tend to tear, cutting less efficiently the shorter they get, until they are so many useless pieces of expensive paper. To make them last longer, back them with fiberglass strap­ ping tape; they']] be virtually untearable. -j. S. Gerhsey, Lake Ariel, Pa.

Sandpaper Long guide Short guide for strip for plywood crosscutting and routing

Fine tools for the discriminating woodworker at attractive prices. SUPPLWOODWOY, Inc.RKERNeu. ';h",m"S

Write for our 1979 catalog. Please enclose $1.00 for postage and handling. Woodworker's Supply, Inc. P.O. Box 14117-S 11200 Menaul NE ______Albuquerque, N.M. 87112 e\O���� Name______��� �o� Addffi�' _____ Name ��� � City ______State Zip ______Te lephone Street______Aerogon Industries,lnc. • City State • 6309 Westline Drive, Houston, Te xas 77036 · P.O. Box 36462 (713) 772-2844 ______Zip Code

20 A trusted frwoodiend to

finishersgives Free catalog 24 pages of valuable wood staining and finishing tips. For your copy send self­ addressed, stamped (28C) 9x12" envelope to Deft, Inc. Dept. F, 17451 Von Karman Ave. , Irvine, CA 92714.

Line, Economy, Cross­ - • banding and Special Veneer Thickness. � - Catalog designed for Is our professional craftsmen, small shops, novices. spThat's whyec we'reial unique.ty Send $1.00, refundable All our orders are shipped on first order. = from high quality, choice, FREE ILLUSTRATED CATALOG Over 40 different styles in a full-length flitches. completeell range of sizes -available thru all leading tool distributors. We stock 79 var­ 'AOOD9-ED ieties in 6 groups: 1807 Elmwood Ave., Dept. 3 ADJUSTABLE CLAMP COMPANY 14207 THE CLAMP FOLKS Designer, Swirls Buffalo, NY 431 North Ashland Ave., Chicago, III. 60622 & Burls, First Telephone 716 :876 :4720 ROUGH K.D. HARDWOODS 6' + LONGER FRE E: Y2" Carbide Bit; %" & v." Collets, Template guide, trimmer& FAS 11 #2 RED OAK FAS 11 #2 BASSWOOD straight guide, all free-a valueof$37.00 1.20 .80 .60 3/4 .90 .65 .45 4/4 .75 4/4 -with the purchase of the first 1.40 .95 1.20 S/4 twenty 1.50 1.00 .75 5/4 1.80 1.45 16/4 MAKITA SUPER ROUTER, 1 HP­ V. B. NUT 1.65 4" flitches � Reg. $1 38.00 -Sale $98.00. II.! .80 4/4 1.60 1.00 RED ELM Also onsale: PLUNGE ROUTER, 2% HP­ 2.25 1.80 S/4 2.70 2.20 1.60 12/4 .95 4/4 Reg. $21 8.00-Sale$160.00, ppd. Sturdy .90 , 3.25 2.60 1.75 16/4 � � stand converts both routers to small shaper: CHERRY GREY ELM CI)!QU $54.00. MITER BOX: 10"-$228.00; 14"­ 1.65 1.30 .65 Q�>< 3:� $350.00. 2.25 1.75 1.20 4 .95 .90 4 / 4 � 3.25 2.25 1.65 i��16/4 ]..-...:::..::...... L....:::..::...... L--L.. _____-I c( 0 . 1 0" Carbide blade 40T or 60T -$44.00, UPS W. ASH 5/S" flitches KD USA. Walnut 1.40 S.F. 0 III a:: orTruck ppd., continental 1.25 .65 4/4 .95 Plain R. Oak .90 S.F. m .., Alaska, Hawaii & Canada freight extra. BIRCH Old. R. Oak 1.1OS.F. II.! Z Send $2.00for I ndustrialTool Catalog. E COMPLETE 1.25 .95 4/4 Glued Squares S4S %� ct SHOP BIMEX, INC., Dept. FW5 ak-Birch III W. OAK ? �y, Lin. inch OUTFITTERS 487 .09 Armour Circle N.E. 1.40 .95 .65 4/4 2" .12 Lin. inch 30324 3" Lin. inch Atlanta, Ga. H.MAPLE .33 4" .60 Un. inch © 1979, Bimex, In c. Tel. (404) 873-2925 (No COD's) .95 .80 .65 4/4 1.10 5/4 white For LBR S2S add .10 r------, TURN CRAFT CLOCKS Sharpen your tools the Samurai way! o Now stocking the new o Enjoy the satisfaction FINE QUALITY JAPANESE WATER STONES, These stones will rapidly estab· of making and owning Urgos Grandfather Tri­ lish a sharp bevel and will polish to a razor edge impossible to obtain a clock you have ple Chime nine tube with an oil stone. Coarse stone for initial sharpening: Grit. created. plans to movement. (The Cadil­ (1) 111200 14 8" Finish stone for choose from. lac of movements). x 2Vz" x 1 ¥S". (2) final honing and polishing. Page Catalog ­ 7Vz" x 2'l's" o Complete and simpli· 033 refundable on x the set. fied plans. Easy to read $2.00 Vz". $20.50 /���"""".... detailed construction. $25.00 order. o Special quantity dis­ WOODLINE/The Japan Woodworker o Choose from Grand· counts. 1004 Central Ave., Alameda, CA 94501 father, Grandmother o Send for Vienna ITrad it iona 1-Ea rly $3.00 Enclosed is check/money order for Regulator (Plan American) School, 7066) as shown. Set of stones 0 More information Bracket, Cottage, o 2 Steeple, Vienna Regu­ TURNCRAFT CLOCK NAME lator, Wag-on-Wall. IMPORTS CO. � ======��� ."...... AODRESS �;;����::= o Movements, Dials, Dept. FW2 == =::: � ...... "" Hardware and all com­ 61 1 Winnetka Ave. No. ITY------f-,,/ C ponent parts related to Golden Valley. Minn. 55427 clock building. Phone: 612·544·1711 ___ _ STATE ZIP L ______�

21 Methods of Work (continued)

Roller support fo r ripping Fasten several of the casters in a Here's an inexpensive, adjustable roller support fo r long stock close-spaced pattern on top of a as it leaves the table saw or jointer. The support is made from homemade, adjustable stand. Or, for an old rolling pin and a sturdy frame. The hand grips of the an instant support, fasten eight or ten rolling pin are each supported by notched blocks which are casters to the end of a 2-ft. long 2x12. adjustable for height by means of a bolt and wing nut. Then clamp the 2x12 in a Workmate -Rogier De We ever, Kelowna, B. c., Canada vise at the right height. Since the casters roll easily in any difection JUSt put the support where it's needed. There's no need to fuss with the orien­ tation of the support as there is with other types. -Larry Joseph, Alva, Okla.

Non-skid finger pressure boards A small board cut 45' across the grain and kerfed to fo rm fingers is quite useful fo r holding work against the fe nce in shaping and ripping operations. But the fi ngers jam unless you shim the board off the table. Also, the board tends to move under the clamps and lose tension. I solved both these problems by ironing on twill, iron-on patches sold for re­ pairing work clothes. -R. P. Sykes, Th ousand Oaks, CalzJ Cut out for TlP'n","'" Iron-on twill patches Sawcuts _--"'""i�bO" every 'I. in. And another supporting idea 1 The key to an efficient table saw ripping support or panel 4 crosscut support is a smooth-working, friction-free roller. I've 45° fo und nothing that fills this requirement better or cheaper __ than ball-bearing fu rniture casters. -< ------.------� _2% 14 t Furniture, Cabinet, Hobby PLYWOOD All sheets 16" w, x 48" I. with grain

Birch Ply·Multi. Oak Walnut Y." 3-$4.00 �, ," White- $5,50 y, "-$8.oo �, ," 4-$4,75 y, "White- $7.00 Teak Y," 5-$5.00 Y," Red-$6,00 Y,"-$10.OO 7 -$7.00 ;'."Whlte-$1'.00 Rosewood Y,"Y' 9-9.oo �, " Red-$IO.oo Y,"-$IO.oo r." 11-$11,00 Knotty·Pine African Mahog. r, " 13- $13.00 Y," -$5,50 Y," -$10.00 Bending Birch �, "-$IO.50 �, "-$18.oo Yo" 2-$9.50 Mahogany I Phil.l Ash Birch (exterior) Ribboned IWtrprt.) Y," -$6.00 y. " 3- $7.00 Y,"-$4.oo �, "-$11.oo Y," 5-$9.00 Y," -$5.00 Cherry Birch (aircraft) Y," -$7.00 Y," -$7.00 Vu" 2-$8.00 y, "-$8.oo �, "-$14.oo y, ," 3-$6.00 �, " -$10,00 Cedar laromaticl y, ," 3- $7.00 Birch (domestic) V." -$7.00 Y,," 3-$8.00 Va" natural- $4.00 Ponderosa· Pine Join thousands of Americans-and buy direct 5-$900 Y," A·3-$4 50 A/B-$7.oo I Yo" Y," from U.S. General's catalog. Enjoy " nsi tI,-J��!fIJ7��;:� 'h," 5-$ 10.00 �, " Shop- $7,00 �, " A/A-$9.oo Confidential" prices on hand tools, power Marine Fir AlB �, " A/2 Cab. -$9 00Basswood toOls, automotive tools, motors, handyman - Y,"-$6,00 Birch Gum VI" $4.00 supplies-6,OOO nationally advertised name r. "-$7.00 y. " -$4.00 Lauan brand items at rock bottom prices. Save on all -$8.00 � Y," Lumber·Core Ply Yo" -$2 50 the famous names you know and trust-Stanley, r, " -$10.00 r, " Red Bir -$10,00 �, ,"-$3oo Wiss, Disston, Skil, Kennedy, Lufkin, Rockwell,���i!I� /'1! Lauan (exterior) r, " Who Bir -$ 11.00 Y," -$3.50 I y, " A·2- $4.oo r, "Wh -$ 200 . BI e ke n a n more. Oak 1 Ramin ���s�n Js �f ��r�o���i�d e l . A·2-S5.oo r, - Kn. P,ne-$12,00 Y,"- $3.00 a-- Y," chanics, homeowners and hobbyists .- .... A·2 -$6 00 Hardboard IBrownl Y," -$4.00 M r,Y, " A·2-$8 00 $1.00� just to get this big 196·page catalog of Y,"-$1.oo;Y,"-$1 50 Y,"-$5oo fantastic buys on brand name tools, hardware, R-ilarII and accessories. Our bargains are so great, we ask $1 simply -HOBBY PACKAGE SPECIAL­ to discourage curiosity seekers. , U '.HAU1 M' C B'nDA. A,.'D, IT, cMSC, But really, the catalog is free. Because you _---6.. 80------Ift ----., get a $1 Cash Certificate to spend just like • , (25 pCS. Y.of", BI 'I,RCH,.", Y. "LAUAN, RAMIN money! (Or, if you're not 100% satisfied with � U.S. GENERAL SUPPLY CORP., Dept. A-3D'. the catalog send the Certificate back to us and 100I General Place, Jericho, N.Y. 11753 Mixed) , .3 we'll refuna your dollar.) • $7.95-8"x16"; $6.95-8"x12"; I enclose $1. Please send your new 196-page fully As an "extra", you'll also receive with your a I g illustrated Confidential Tool Hardware Catalog. Also $5.95-6"x12"; first order a iQ·piece High Test Steel Drill Bit ", & I include a Certificate worth $1.00 on my first purchase. I • Set (worth about $3.00) absolutely FREE. =c'. • $4.95-6"x12" pes. If I am not 100%satisfied with the Catalog. my $1 will be Who buys from U.S. General? • immediately refunded. Thou .. ndl of Individual and companl... � I Add $1.50 to orders up to $7.50, above I (Print) add 20% for U.P.S. and wrappin . Will Here'l a partial lilt of llrml from '" Name I g our 1978 customer � I .•list ------quote on "cut-to-size" pes. Free stock price • General Motora Corp Ford . Chryller I • "� I Address list on request. Mass. res. add 5% tax. • Texaco ' IBM . General Electrtc RCA ------• VIOLETTE PLYWOOD CORP, Same low prices for you- �. . City State_____ Zlp.•__ __ ------no minimum order required!-- 0� • _------'-- .....;'- --' @ . ------_. Box 141-W, Northfield Road, Lunenburg, Mass. 01462

22 FURNITURE HARDWARE COLONIAL ' EUROPEAN ' CONTEMPORARY

• Hinges I -Soss I ---- 1 -Butt - EXOTICAND -Pintle � 1 -Fiche • Sabots � PRECIOUS • Chutes • Consoles @) ROSEWOODSWOODS • Knobs • Pulls -51I EBONIES • Galleries COCOBOLO • Rosettes �i ZEBRA • Mouldings ,1 • Campaign BUBINGA • Drop Rings , v- II ¥,) PADAUK • Cabinet Locks ' WOODCARVING TOOLS (." - • Key Esc_ ' - 1\) Logs. lumber. sawn veneer and One 01 Europe's leading manufacturers 01 Woodworking Tools olfers: �A , .l'j) ��; "1- • And More '�jh' musical instrument components_ • Professional Carving Tools, i. e. <19 styles. 670 varieties. These tools $ ':.-"" are hand-forged Irom high carboned steel. Wholesale inquires only. Select your furniture and cabinet • light Pallern Carving Tools, I. e. 12 styles, 72 varieties. These lools S For more information. call or write: are hand-forged 'rom high carboned steel. hardware from hundreds of unique • Chip Carving Knives styles in solid brass, lucite, and • Firmer Chisels, Gouges and Mortice Chisels specialty finishes. Our collection is • Turning Tools sure to meet all your hardware • other hard-Ia·lind Woodworking Tools needs. Catalog $2,00, MOST TOOLS ARE DELIVERABLE EX STOCK! e Th Rerund For wholesaler and retailer only. I �. Decorative with first ordt"r. No private sale. W Please ask for our catalog. Hardware rritfJI Stud io Nazareth, Pennsylvania 18064 GEBR. BUSCH P. O. BOX 130254 05630 REMSCHEID 1 (W.• GERMANY) �.I160 KIN G STREET CHAPPAQUA. N,Y_ 10514 215-759-2837 HOURS 10-5 MON_- SAT, (914) 238-5251

An elegant project for the experienced woodworker. Build this and you will own a treasured masterpiece that will add grace and elegance to any room in your home. Desk alone is 36" X 20- W" X 40-3 /4 " high. Slant front folds out for a ASK &11FOR FREE jtUj;· CATALOG writing surface over four graduated drawers. Five SOLD THROUGH LEADING DISTRIBUTORS small drawers in pigeon hole assembly include two WETZLER CLAMP CO.• Inc. vertical column drawers. Desk Plan #167-$9.00. 43- 13 11 TH STREET Enhance the desk with a matching bookcase 11-5/8 " LONG ISLAND CITY. N.Y. 11101 deep x 38-%" wide x 44-%" high. Broken pediment TE L. 212-784-2874 top adds a classic touch. Three shelves behind glass doors. The complete ensemble is spectacular in either walnut or mahogany_ Bookcase Plan #169-$8_00_

ORDER BOTH PLANS-$1 7.00 (Catalog included with plan order_) KO-99 14FURNITURE25 Sherman Av DESIe., Evanston,GNS, Dept.III. 60201

23 - Q&A 1>£N.sELECTIONCOLOR 1111' What do you do with a piece of wood NATURAL� you can't iden tify? The Center fo r MEDIUMWALNUT Wood Anatomy Research, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, usu­ !lARKWALNUT ally can help when wood-identification BLACKWALNUT manuals fail. The service is free, pro­ viding the number of specimens sub­ -..,-"- mitted for identification during a cal­ endar year is reasonable. Here are some guidelines. Beautify your Wood is identifiedby cellular char­ acteristics as revealed under microscopic wood grain with examination. Several small, thin sec­ tions will be cut fr om the sample you PENOFIN. send, and therefore specimens should Penofin is a new wood finish developed by research be of a size that can be hand-held eas­ chemists and pr ofessional wood workers. A solution Cherry -Oak - Walnut - ily; 1 in. by 3 in. by 6 in. is recom­ of naturally imported and domestic oils that hardens mended, but the Center will also the inside of the grain to give wood a beautiful pro­ Mahogany - Teak -Sugar tective finish. Beautifies unpainted furniture, an­ Pine and many more. Our handle cases where only small splinters tiques, inter ior tr im and woodwor k, paneling and can be supplied, such as with antique prices and quality will please door s. Easy to apply, fast drying -sold in natural, furniture. It's better to split out than medium walnut, dark walnut and black walnut. you . Come to No Mail Orders. shave off your sample--shavings are our warehouse -pick and see often brittle and may crumble when Order now ­ what you want. Our stocks are Send $3.50 handled. Use a sharp knife or a small !t::per pint (tax incl.) large and var ied. chisel to make two cuts across the grain Ask for Tom McCarthy at least 1f1.in . apart to a depth of about 3/16 in. Pry up your sample at one of the PENOFIN CO. INTERSTATE HARDWOOD incised points with a knife or tap it out 819 J Street. Sacramento. CA 95 814 LUMBER CO., INC. with a chisel. (916) 443-51 58 850 FLORA STREET ELIZABETH, N.J. 07201 Label all specimens clearly. Identifi­ Tel. (201) 35l-5661 cation based on wood anatomy alone is Representatives Invited. accurate in most cases to the genus ------(general grouping) but rarely to the ex­ , -, 3M Coated Abrasives act species, so include everything you NEW IMPERIAL GARNET BELTS know about the wood, such as the com­ Time to Improved Garnet Mineral. New improved mon name, geographic area of origin Fabrilok splice. Run either direction. No and sample source (chair, driftwood) , test your skill. other belt in its class for performance. to help in further identification. 3x21 1% oz. $1 .25 Now you can build your 4x24 3 oz. $2. 15 Enclose small samples in individual en­ own Mason & Sullivan heirloom quality, antique 6 x 48 lOY, oz. $4.50 velopes and write what you know on reproduction clock. Available in 80 and 120 grits the envelope. Don 't tape samples to Over 20 different models IMPERIAL DISCS 60 grit available in do-it-yourself. 9" 2 oz. $ .75 cards because they can be damaged pre-cut or semi-assembled 12" 3% oz. $1.25 when the tape is removed. Send your form for all levels of skill. Grandfather, Grandmother, samples to the Center at the U.S. Forest Shipping costs $1.1 0 first pound plus 25' each ad­ wall. desk, mantle and more. ditional pound or fraction thereof. Ohio residents Products Laboratory, P.O. Box 5130, All solid 3f,' hand-matched add tax. Send for price lists. kiln-dried hardwood in wal­ 4% Madison, Wis. 53705. Samples won't nut, oak, cherry or Honduras Ohio Woodshop Specialties mahogany. Imported preci­ 190 Anderson Drive be returned unless requested. sion movements and chimes. Jackson, Ohio 4 Solid brass dials. Clocks 5640 you'lI find challenging to I have access to standing timber includ­ make and at a savings you ing mature red oak, ash, walnut, syca­ can appreciate. So, if you're looking for the finest clocks more, maple, Eastern red cedar and around ... don't waste "WOODCRAFTER'S another minute. Build a hickory. I would like to begin harvest­ Mason Sullivan. It's well DREAM STORE!" ing and storing this wood. My ques­ & - Sunset Magazine worth the effort. • tions are: (1) What is the best time of FINE HAND TOOLS Send lorour • INCA POWER TOOLS year to harvesttr ees? (2) Should the new page • 32 EXOTIC HARDWOODS catalog today. • logs season before being sawed? (3) WOODCRAFT CLASSES • After sawing, should the boards be BOOKS & MAGAZINES o Please send me your new color stacked fo r drying indoors or outdoors? catalog of lOP quality antique repro­ (4) How lo ng should be allowed fo r air­ duCllon clocks I can bUild o I enclose______$1.00 for catalog. __ dry ing ? (5) How should the log be Name CHE CUCCINC EDCE sawed to obtain the best yield of the BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA ______295 South�41 Robertson Boulevard Address most attractively grained and most (between Wilshire & Olympic) ______213/652-6133 HOURS: Tu es.-Sat. 10am-6pm stable fi'nished lumber? Clty/State ZIP BERKELEY. CALIFORNIA 1836 Fourth Street 415/548-6011 --Park W. Gast, Jr. , Lebanon, Ohio Mason & Sullivan Co. HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm (1) Some people schedule cutting to co­ ______Dept. 2107 Osterville, MA 02655 Sorry, no mail orders. 1- -1 incide with the lowest moisture content

24 Q & A (continued) of a tree. This varies with species and is minimum in the summer for some, the winter fo r others, but insignificant for The Source many. A more important reason is damage from insects and/ or fungi. In northern climates, winter-cutting is for American & preferable because logs can be sawn and the lumber dried enough before the warm weather, which favors stain development. (2) It's best to saw logs as ExHardwoodotic lumber Ha from Africa,rdw India, Centraloods and soon as possible after harvest. Lumber saws easiest when dead green. Also, South America, Europe and the U.S., dimensionally cut, prolonged storage, especially in warmer dressed and reasonably priced. months, almost always results in some 5).00 1979 degree of stain or decay degrade. (3 ) If Wood &. Supply Catalog you do not have indoor humidity regu­ The John Harra Wo od & Supply lation, it is best to dry lumber outdoors Company's 1979 catalog contains price in well-stickered, neatly stacked piles charts for dimensionally cut hardwoods, with overhead protection from rainfall. plywoods and specialty packages. It also (4) Depending on density, air drying of contains selected tools and accessories for I-in. lumber may take 6 months to a serious woodworkers: Makita power tools; year. Thick planks take much longer. jig and circular sawblades; router, milling (5) This is a tough question. "The most and drill bits; special purpose bits; measur­ attractive grain" is a matter of personal ing instruments, finishing products; glues; preference; some like flat grain, some sanding supplies; safety equipment; clamps like edge grain. "Most stable finished and hardwood reference books. All of lumber" would be edge-grained. these tools and supplies were tested and However, the "best yield" would result shop proven by John Harra. "Everyday we from sawing around the log, removing use the products we sell." clear, flat-grain boards from the more Send $1 for this catalog. defect-free outer zone, boxing the defective material into the core. By quartersawing for edge-grain boards, (Dalbergia ratusa) most boards will have core defects HOneardw of the mostoo beautifuld rosewoodsFeature of the :world, Co Cococobobola is alsola one of the most along one edge. You must decide the popular. Altho .ugh very hard, its interwoven grain and oily characteristic make it easy -. to cut, turn and work. Great surface hardness, distinctive figuration, color brilliance compromise. R Bruce Hoadley and variation (ranging from purple-yellow to red-brown/black) add to its desirability for fine furniture. Cocobola finishes to a fine high luster adding its own oils and resins Walnut has a tendency to pick up when to the task. Cocobola is harvested from the jungles of Central America. We want you run through a molding mill. What ma­ to know about hardwoods, particularly Cocobola. We'll send you a sample 14 x 2 x 6". tenal and method of application do Send $1 with your request to cover mailing and handling. you suggest fo r filling this surfa ce roughness that wzJI not affect subse­ quent fi·nishing and final app earance? SaOur samplemple pack containsPack 33 ofsamples 33 of lumberspecies, not veneers, but 14 x 2 x 6" lumber -. samples of American and imported species. Included are: instruction sheet on how R Henderson, Albuquerque, N.M. to finish the samples to compare grain and color; a wood and supply catalog and a Sharp shaper knives cutting good­ Makita power tool catalog. Send $20 (postage and handling included). quality walnut leave a beautiful, smooth finish on the molding. Knives that are dull, cutting walnut that is of TheSawblades saw and sawblade are by partners. Freud Yo u can't expectUSA a good saw to operate poor quality, i.e. , soft and spongy, will well without high quality blades. Replacing and sharpening low quality pick up or rough up the surface. If you blades is the expensive way. We recommend Freud, a major manufac­ are fo rced to use poor-quality walnut, turer of high quality industrial sawblades. We tried them on our get a smooth surface by using 150 to Makita circular saws and table and radial arm saws. We process 280-grit garnet paper and a liberal some of the hardest and densest hardwoods, you might say we amount of elbow grease. Leave the overtested. Through months of constant use Freud blades per­ filler in the can. -Ielon Traylor formed with clean cutting, vibration free, smooth running effi­ ciency, outlasting our other blades. With an extensive selection of carbide tipped, ripping and cross cutting blades in all sizes, One of the things I just can 't learnto why spend money on blades that wear out quickly. Fre ud ... do is to apply filler to op en-grain wood. quality sawblades, "shop proven." See page 7 of our catalog. All the books make it sound easy, but I never can get the surface flat. I do n't understand how you can avoid getting a slight concavity when you wi pe the John stuff off with a piece of bu rlap . -H. N.Ca pen, Granada Hills, Calif WOOD & SUPPLY Co. With the exception of a special and 39 West 19thHarra Street. New York. NY 10011 (212) 741-0290 hard-to-use water-based filler also in-

25 Q & A (continued)

Play the finest volving a great deal of sanding, no filler will fill the pores of the wood entirely. The Timber Frame HARPSICHORDS The subsequent coatings with finishing material are supposed to do that. RAISING & FORTEPIANOS -George Frank STEWART ELLIOTT Build it yourself from one of our kits or let our It was recently my pleasure to see a experienced craftsmen build it for you. grandfather clock of su pen'or quality . Th e miter joints of the moldings had Three Centurie.r of Harpsichord Making not separated with the change fr om by Frank Hubbard (Harvard Univ. Press. winter to summer humidity . Allof my 397 pgs. $15 postpaid) joints always separate. How can one ne­ gate the effects of humidity changes on A CUlm. TO HOUS RAISING miter joints? �. -Richard Fay, Atwood, III. Your molding separates because it moves with the sides of the clock as NEW BOOK they expand and contract. It is neces­ sary to affixthe molding so that any • TRADITIONAL POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTION discrepancy due to changes in dimen­ sion will occur at the back, not where • OVER200 ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS the miters join. Therefore, nail the • STE P BY STEP PROCESS molding to the side as usual, but add OF PREPARING WOOD. an extra nail close to the one at the CUTIING JOINERY. AND mitered end. Dimensional changes will RAISING fo llow the path of least resistance. Very SOFTBOUND-S9.95 PLUS S1.00 For 20 page brochure write: little can be done fo r double-end SHIPPING. COLORADO RESIDENTS ADD 31-'2%. .._ FRANK HUBBARD INCORPORATED miters. Should the conditions be wet . 185A-W Lyman St. , Wa ltham, MA 02154 _' .OJ (617) 894-3238 when you're working the wood, cut the DOVETAil PRESS, lid. P.O. Box 14 96 j'". molding about %6 in. longer and force BOULDER, CO 80 it into place. If less than normal mois­ 306 ture, cut to fit without pressure. -Andy Marlow 'I�C"-'C"-'C�"-'C''-C�''-'C,.-.c�4Rockwell Speea-Bloc ''-'''''''4�(''' Palm grip design for oneSander- hand , _ I need to construct a dimensionally ' use. Thumb control switch. off- " set pad for � way flush sand- stable tabletop with a solid walnut ap­ ing. 12. 000 OPM. 100% Ball Bearing. Orbit. , pearance. My app roach has been to use 5/64" , Direct Motor to pad design. , thin pieces of walnut about 0/ 6 in. thick Pad size 4'/2" x 41/.". Add $2.00 1 ' for shipping., Reg. $64.99...... $49 .98 • rather than standard veneer. However, 4480(330I-R7 . I I hesitate to build such a top without I ' SILVO (BRAND NAME) TOOL CATALOG' some confidence in its abtlity to with­ THOUSANDS OF EXCITING TOOL VALUES: ,Stanley. Wen. Speedy-Sprayers. Milwaukee. ROCk- , stand the expansion strains. i ' well" Dremel, Skil, Nicholson, Disston, Millers Falls. Helios. Wellsaw. Plumb. Kennedy. Hu ot., ' -W.j. Ripley, Clayton, Calt! i Ridgid. Crescent. Vise·Grip. Audel Books. unimat.- Your best bet is to veneer both sides of Wiss. Channel·lock. General. Pony Clamps and " many Nationally Advertised brands of tools and a very stable sheet material like Yz-in. supplies. We ship Coast to Coast at prices hard, i to beat. Send $1.00 for our big SI LVO TOOL particle board (% in. would be even ' tOday. ', , CATALOG OAKRIDGE WOODCARVING SET better). Treat the top and bottom sur­ SILVO HARDWARE CO. - • faces exactly alike and fi nish with the i Richmond St .. Dept. FW9·10. Philo .. Po. 19125 5 high carbon steel tools 'i ( ...... ��� ..-.�� ,...... ,i • same number of coats. Try to keep the 2205 2 woodcarving knives ...... -.c�...... • width of the walnut to 3 in. or 4 in. If 1 instruction manual you veneer only one side you are asking • 1 • sturdy wooden case, with handle for trouble, and my guess is you'll get Price complete, $39.85, It. -Simon Watts (JA� CG'� plus postage QUEEN ANNE I am interested in refinishing a number A sophisticated line of tools Cabriole Legs fo r the serious woodcarver, of amique Chinese bamboo bird cages. Walnut Choose handcrafted in the U.S.A. All have been finished with cl ear var­ Honduras from sizes Mahogany ranging from Wood Carving Tools, Lignum Vitae, nish to show off the grain of bamboo, Penn_ Cherry 7'14'sli pper to Boxwood and Hickory Mallets which in itself is not temUy app ealing 29" table leg ... Wood Worker's Rasps, Adzes, to my Western eye. Can you suggest a from solid Send $1.00 Slip Stones, Handles and Benches source of information on bamboo fin­ 3" stock, ishing? -Charles Berven, Hong Kong only the "ears" for brochure. Catalog 1.00 (refundable are glued on. About 15 years ago a large ply wood on purchase) Sculpture House, Inc. company imported a few hundred 38 East 30th Street, New N. . 10016 Box 404 York, Y sheets of bamboo plywood from Japan. Rollingswood Grayslake. IL. 60030 They were slow sellers and when the

26 Q & A (continued) CHISEL SHARPENING MADE EASY Anyone can do it with this jig company decided to discontinue the Money back guarantee line I bought the remaining 80 to 100 Handy Grinding Jig panels at a discount price. I couldn't Perfect Hollow ground WHEN YOU sell them either, so I used them to line bevels on blades to 2'/," wide, aluminum cons't, a game room in my house. Feeling that brass screws, nylon BUY FROM clear finish would be undistinguished washers and rubber no­ slip clamp surface. Only on bamboo, I tried to dye it, but no 4Y. ozs. '7.50pp d., ck. dye would penetrate It. Si nce the TOOLWOR KS or m.o. only. customer (my wife) was not insisting on RIMA MFG. CO. P.O. Box 99 the color change, I put a couple of coats Duaker Hill, Conn. 06375 of clear lacquer on, and today I am glad YOU SAVE! I did nothing more. However, I have Brass Wood Screws learned that there are dyes fo r bamboo, Slotted Flat or Roundhead but I have no personal experience with # Lth P er 100 them. I am therefore giving you a hear­ o h$1.50 8 1� $5.90 10 1 $5.50 say tip, for whatever it's worth: Use any o 1.55 B 1� 6.95 10 1� 6.65 � . aniline dye, which can be dissolved in 1 � 1.50 8 2 7.75 10 1)$ 7.50 1 � 1.55 8 2� 9.25 10 1� B.75 CLDCK MOVEMENTS acetone, and let us know how you suc­ 1 � 1.75 B 2).$ 10.00 10 2 9.65 2 � 1.45 8 2� 12.50 10 2V. 12.40 KEYWOUND, TUBULAR. WEIGHT DRIVEN, ceed. -George Frank 2 � 1.55 B 3 14.45 10 2).$ 14.85 CABLE 2 � 1. 75 9 ).$ 3.65 10 2� 16.65 2 % 1.80 9 % 3.60 10 3 18.45 1'd like your opinion on using mineral 2 � 2.05 9 � 3.90 10 3)1, 23.25 • ad instead of linseed ad to treat and 3 � 1.80 9 l8 4.45 10 4 34.85 HANDS 3 � 1.75 9 1 4.80 12 '" 6. 15 • 3 1.90 9 1� 5.65 12 6.35 -T"'=-,..�.• \L. DIALS protect wood. I do n't know anything }2 'ljj 3 % 2.05 9 1� 6.65 12 � 7.00 about mineral all except it is highly re­ 3 � 2.25 9 1� 7.60 12 l8 7.75 fined (edible) petroleum, it do esn 't 3. l8 2.65 9 2 8.40 12 1 B.25 3 1 2.85 9 2� 10.50 12 1� B.75 ,LOW LOW stink, and it 's availa ble zn three 4 � 1.50 9 2� 12.B5 12 1>2 10.10 PRICES weights. Thus, mineral oil could be a 4 � 1.65 9 2� 14.20 12 1% 11.45 4 '0; 1.80 9 3 16.90 12 2 12.45 temfic treatment fo r salad bowls and 4 % 1.95 10 � 4. 10 12 2V. 16.85 tabletops. On the other hand,1/ it's so 4 � 2.20 10 % 4.25 12 2).$ 18.10 Send for fREE CATALOG of movements 4 l8 2.50 10 � 4.50 12 2� 21.95 tem/ic, how come no one uses it? 4 1 2.65 10 4.95 12 3 23.10 4 1� 3.65 is 3210 Airport Way, (213) 595-4981 When my fu rnituregets its seasonal 4 1� 4.25 Long Beach, CA 90806 ept. 930S IISTIOOD �L0t8!f§ 5 ',2.05 D linseed alling, the house plain stin ks. Sandpaper 5 % 2.2 5 -Wliliam Marsano, Toronto, Canada 5 � 2.50 I do not consider mineral oil a wood 5 l8 2.75 Garnet or Aluminum Oxide 5 1 3.05 9" x II" Sheets-Open Coat finish. It would seem to offer little to 5 1)1. 3.50 10 roo "treat and protect wood," since it does 5 1 V, 4.65 Sheets 25 50 Sheets 6 '., '2.25 280A $1.50 $3. 10 $5.85 $1 1.30 not polymerize and would therefore be 6 % 2.50 240A 1.50 3. 10 5.85 11.30 neither physically stable nor a barrier to 6 �. 2.65 220A 1.50 3. 10 5.B5 11.30 6 'Is 3.05 180A 1.50 3.10 5.85 11.30 moisture. If applied to raw wood, it 6 1 3.30 150A 1.50 3.10 5.B5 11.30 would enter the cell structure, but 6 IV. 4.00 120A 1. 50 3.10 5.85 11. 30 6 I'" 4.BO l00A 15 0 3. 10 5.85 11.30 ��--� changes 10 temperature and atmo­ 6 1� 6.35 80A 1.70 3.50 6.55 12.60 9006 Waukegan Rd. 6 2 6.80 150C 2.10 4.70 9.00 17.35 spheric pressure could re sult in ItS 7 2.55 Morton Grove, IL 60053 72 120C 2. 10 4.70 9.00 17 .35 bleeding out 011 the surface. 7 % 2.70 l00C 2. 10 4.70 9.00 17.35 (312) 965·4420 7 � 3.05 80 0 2.40 5.2510.10 19.35 I have used mineral oil as a vehicle 7 l8 3.45 600 2.65 6.00 11.55 22.40 Over 50 species fo r pumice and rottenstone in rubbing 7 1 380 500 3.05 6.9013 .20 25.60 7 IVa 4.55 • Rosewood • Teak • Zebrawood down varnish finishes. Unlike water, it 7 1� 5.35 Aluminum Oxide-Non filling Walnut Oak • English Yew 7 1� 7.00 a • • will not swell the wood if the wood is 9" x 11" Sheets-Open Co t • Bubinga • Cherry • Mahogany 7 2 7.75 incompletely protected by finish. It B � 2.75 280A 1.80 4.25 8.10 15.40 8 % 3. 15 220A 1.80 4.25 B.l0 15.40 could also be used as furniture polish, B � 3.50 180A 1 .804.25 8. 10 15.40 to occasionally revitalize surface ap­ B l8 3.90 150A 1.80 4.25 8. 10 15.40 8 1 4.25 120A 1.80 4.25 8. 10 15 .40 Delmhorst pearance by temporarily restoring light­ 8 1 Yo 5.15 l00A 1 .80 4.25 8. 10 15.40 Model G·22 reflectiveness and serving as a lubri­ Shipping charges cant, but fo r this, I prefer lemon oil. (minimum $10 in merchandise) Wood Moisture -R. Bruce Hoadley orders up to $20-add $2.50 Detector $20.01 to $50- $3.00 COMSOLIOPACT STATE $5001 to $100- $3.75 LIGHT WEIGHT Boiled linseed oil to which you add $4.75 Over $100- DIRECT READING about 5 % Japan dryer will offer far J 6%MOISTURE TO 30% WOOD RANGE We also accept Master Charge and Visa This is an excellent instrument for the greater protection to wood than min­ craftsman. Moisture content is read im­ mediately and directly on the meter dial. eral oil. The correct manner to use lin­ This is of great assistance in the drying seed oil has much to do with the final and/or purchasing of lumber as well as in Tool Works controlling wood moisture content at any result. The oil-dryer mixture should be step of production. A complete line of elec­ trodes increases the accuracy and useful­ applied generously and left 15 to 30 769th Ave ness of the instrument. minutes on the wood, so it can pene­ NY NY 10011 Delmhorst Instrument Company trate well. Then, as much oil should be taken off as possible by rubbing the 908 Cedar Street, BoontQn, New Jersey 07005 _____201 /33�2557 ____ " wood with rags, hard. The oiled surface

27 .' VESICAMPFREElTANEERLIFILOG ED CRPLUS AFT ,;. .- .. INSTRUCTIONS .. �'" 90 vlrieties world's rarest veneers, pre·joined ve· neers, checkerbouds, broad choice wood band and art inlays. Illustrated in full color - at reason· able prices. Learn how to crelte beautifully 'Ie· neered furniture quickly, easily. Re·yeneer old tables, chests, cabinets, clocks. with ease. Trlns· form cracked and chipped veneered surfaces instant· Iy! Illustrated catalog shows new contact cement technique that you learn fast. Send for FREE sim- I plified instructions plus color catalog today. I MORGAN, Dept. F04K19 n d 4 :. _____ .!!�!!'�� ..! .;.:. !!."���� � There's a wealth of information and ideas in the back issues of Fine Wo odworking Our readers tell us they regard Fine Woodworking more as a reference resource than as a magazine because of the timeless and hard·to·find nature of its contents. And because there is so much material to cover (new ideas and techniques pop up all the time) we don't intend to repeat ourselves editorially. All seventeen back issues are now available and you can have a complete set for your shop.

Winter 1975, Number I- The Renwick Multiples, Spring 197 8, Number 10- Two New Schools, Checkered Bowls, Tramp Art, Hand Planes, Carving Wooden Clockworks, Hammer Veneering, Claw and Design, Decisions, Woodworking Thoughts, Marquetry Ball Feet, Block-Front Transformed, Hot·Pipe Bending, Cutting, Which Three?, Library Ladders, A Serving Furniture Galleries, A Two�Way Hinge, Laminated FURNITURE HARDWARE Tray, Stamp Box, All in One, French Polishing, Birch Turnings, Chain-Saw Carving, Circular Saws, Louvered Plywood, Bench Stones. Doors, Small Workbench. LAMP PARTS -CHAIR CANE Spring 1976, Number 2-Marquetry Today, Split Summer 1978, Number II -Harpsichords, Spinning Turnings, Eagle Carvings, Hand Dovetails, Mechanical Wheels, American Woodcarvers, Drawers, Turning Catalog. Desks, Textbook Mistakes, Antique Tools, Spiral Steps, 8-4 $1.00 Spalted Wood, Scratch Beader, Leather on Wood, Gustav Stickley, Oil/Varnish Mix, Shaker Lap Desk, )FlaxfonMD. Notes on Finishing, Building Green, ParsonsTables, FALLS. Chair Woods, Back to School. UPPER 21156 Hanging a Door, Pencil Gauges, Dulcimer Peg Box, Tiny Summer 19 76, Number 3-Wood, Mortise and Tools. Tenon, The Christian Tradition, Hand Shaping, Yankee Diversity, Plane Speaking, Desert Cabinetry, September 1978, Number 12 -Community Work­ Hidden Drawers, Green Bowls, Queen Anne, Gate-Leg shop, Greene and Greene, Holding the Work, Scandi· Table, Turning Conference. Stroke Sander, Furniture navian Styles, Tambours, Stains. Dyes and Pigments, Plans. Spindle Turning, Cleaving Wood, Whetstones, Fall 1976, Number 4-Cabinetmaker's Notebook, Sharpening, Cockleshell, Dust·Collection System, Sand· ing, Used Machinery, Wooden Wagon. Water and Wood, Hidden Beds,Exotic Woods, Veneer, Tackling Carving, Market Talk, Abstract Sculptures November 1978, Number 13 -Making Ends Meet, from Found Wood, Workbench, Ornamental Turning, Scientific Instruments of Wood, Making a Microscope, Heat Treating, Mosaic Rosettes, Shaped Tambours, The Harmonious Craft, Laminated Bowls, Preparation Buckeye Carvings, Hardwood Sources. of Stock, Tung Oil, Relief Carving, Roll-Top Desks, Winter 1976, Number 5-Stacking, Design Con­ Shaped Tambours, Cylinder Desk and Book-Case, Basic siderations. Keystone Carvers, Carcase Consrruccion, Machine Maintenance, Portfolio: A.W. Marlow, End· Dealing With Plywood, Patch-Pad Cutting, Drying Boring Jig, Scale Models, The Purpose of Making, Wood, Gothic Tracery, Measured Drawings, Wood In­ Lumber Grading, On Workmanship. vitational, Guitar Joinery, The Bowl Gouge, English Treen, Shaper Knives. JanuarylFebruary 1979, Number 14 -Guitarmak­ Spring 1977, Number 6- The Wood Butcher, Wood ing School, George akashima, Lester Margan's Threads, The Scraper, California Woodworking, Bent Measured Drawings, Tapered Lamination, Improving .. that slip easily on and off Laminations, Dry Kiln, Expanding Tables, Two Sticks, Planes, Restoring Bailey Planes, Box·Joint Jig, Five "included " and provide viSible, finger-tip Stacked Plywood, Two Tools, Pricing Work, Going to Chairs: One View, World Globe, Koa Table, Incised accessibility to small tools, parts, fasteners, etc. Lettering, Bolection Turning, Air-Powered Tools, Craft Fairs, Colonial Costs, Serving Cart, Woodworking Pkg of 12 ... $9.95. Add $1 .00 ship. ch. Specify" 2, Schools. Polyhedral Puzzles, Design Sources, Have a seat. 3 or 4 compartments or an assortment of 3 each. Summer 1977, Number 7-Cooperative Shop, Glues March/April 1979, Number 15 -College Dropouts, O.G. SALES CO., Sily er Springs Rd. and Gluing, Winter Market, Three·Legged Stool, Lute The Shape of a Violin, Stalking Mesquite, The Mortise New Canaan, CT 06840 203-653-3448 Roses, Bowl Turning, Wharton Esherick, Doweling, & Tenon Joint, W.A. Keyser, Router Tables, Treadle Spalted Wood, Antiqued Pine Furniture, Solar Kiln, Lathe, Freewheel Lathe Drive, Milk Paint, Flying Wood· Carving Fans, Bending a Tray, Two Meetings, Index to work, Routed Signs, Staved Containers, Carved Shells, Volume One. Flight of Fancy. Fall 1977, Number 8-0ut West, Steam Bending, May/June 19 79, Number 16 -Working With a Triangle Marking, Painted Furniture, Chain·Saw Lum· Handicap, Edward Barnsley, Locking the Joint, bering, Rip Chain, Getting Lumber, Sawing by Hand, Harvesting Green Wood, Shop· Built Vacuum Press, Gaming Tables, Two Contemporary Tables, Wooden Five More Chairs: One View, Hollow Turnings, The Clamps, Elegant Fakes, Aztec Drum, Gout Stool, Two History and Practice of Marquetry, Silas Koprs Mar· Recane or re·rush heirloom thairs Tools, Measuring Moisture, The Flageolet, Young quetry, Before the Finish, Workbench, Circular Stair­ -for yourself or for others as a Americans. way, Three Stairways, Spiral Staircase, The Machinist. profitable hobby -with our full line Winter 1977, Number 9-Repair and Restoration, of materials & instruction books. Designing for Dining, Tall Chests, Entry Doors, The July/August 1979, Number 17-Frederick Brunner, Since 1934 America's largest Right Way to Hang a Door, Drawer Bottoms, School Sawmilling, Working with Heavy Timbers, Portfolio: selection of caning basketry Shop, Health Hazards in Woodworking, Basic Working Women, Bending Compound Curves, Furni· materials supplies -& Blacksmithing, Carving Cornucopia, Carving Lab, ture from Photographs, Routing for Inlays, Precision: & Superior quality weaving cane Routed Edge Joint, Shaker Round Stand, Cutting Cor­ Tips from the Die·Making Trade, Finishing Materials, • machine woven cane ners, Small Turned Boxes, Unhinged. Solid Wood Doors, Library Steps, Norwegian Woods. Illustrated catalog flat,& oval round reeds with complete how· • & to·do·it informa­ • fibre & genuine rush To order the back issues, send us your name, address and payment along with a list of tion, prices, order Danish seat cord form: $1 (refund· • wh., ,� Eo,h ,",k ,,,., ', $2.50 ""'" .... Co=",;'., dd 7% Raffia, rattan, seagrus �"'. ,�"," •• Q'� able with 1st order) • tax. Make your payments to the Taunton Press, Inc. and send to the address below. (A It[I� h;� ordertofOrm ��s��e.paid envelope is in the back of this maga,ine for your convenience.) • Th ' n e .I.alUl � 52 Church Hill Road, Box 355B4, Newtown, CT 064 70 1283CANE S. Cochran, & BASKET Dept. FW, Los SUPPLY Angeles, CA CO 90019

28 Q & A (continued)

A. & M. OOD SPECIALTY should be given ample time (a week at 358W Eagle Street North least) to dry. The microscopic film of Cambridge (Preston), Ontario N3H 4S6 oil that remains on the wood will go through a chemical change and will OVER 70 SPECIES IN STOCK become hard, solid, like a fine coat of English Brown Oak, English Yew, varnish. You repeat this five, six times Curly English Sycamore, Cedar of and you build up a fine protective Lebanon, Holly, Boxwood, Ebony, shield on your wood, which, because of Swiss Pear, Apple, Italian the repeated rubbing, also becomes Olivewood, Osage-Orange, etc. Flitch cut logs and veneers. pleasantly smooth. True, linseed oil does not compete with Chanel No. 5 $/00.00 minimum order 10 us.A. fo r pleasant smell, but the smell goes No duty Stock lists available on requesr. away with proper drying and harden­ (519) 653-9322 ing. Mineral, or paraffin, oil will not harden and I never use it as a protective coating. However, when French polish­ ing I would never use anything else. -George Frank "Musical"lns� In solid hardwood wall cabinets, which methods are most preferred in mount­ 'ROOd Supplies ing to a finished wall? ssori� -Mitchell Scheerer �cce es I assume your wall is Sheetrock or OfThecn�tQuality plaster covering studs and the cabinets SAND-O-FLEX ® are fairly heavy . You must mount with Eliminates 8VewCatalogue For 1979two %6-in. toggle bolts. Bore 7/ 16-in. Gurian Guitars Box 595 holes in the wall and %6-in. holes in the West Swanzey, N.H. 03469 cabinet back near the top. To keep the Hand Sanding Catalogue $1.00 wall plaster from breaking out around the 7/16-in. hole, press a 2x2 square of masking tape over the spot before boring. -A. W. Marlo w There are many different ways to hang ' 1980 DOLL HOUSE$1.00 a cabinet, but I suggest the system ex­ FullCATA OfLOG- Brand onlNewy Items plained in the drawing. -T age Frid • Southern Mansion like Tara in "Gone With the Wind" • New Furniture • New X-mas Tree lights • New Room Box Glued to cabinet top • New Philadelphia House • New Wallpaper • New Armstrong "linoleum" • 1500 Miniature Accessories Screwed to wall Visit our shopi Rte. 83 & North Ave., Elmhurst, IL Thousands of flexible sanding fingers per minute sand both CRAFf PRODUCTS COMPANY curved and flat surfaces. Sand Charles, Dept. 64, St. lL 60174 Cabinet back beads, flutes and scrolls without harming fine detail can also be Can you tell me how to sharpen a VL used on the finest veneers. An in­ parting tool fo r carving? I am com­ dispensable tool for the cabinet pletely fr ustrated-I have read num­ and furniture maker. bers of books (several contradictory) and there is no way that prevents me i:i_MABRASIVE ERI PRODU T, INC. fr om ending up with a hook, a tnangle �SU8SC)lAltVOl'WASHlNG1Qf1151r(lCOAfl'OAA11ON 201 W. MANVILLE, BOXCTS 5447 of solid metal or a mintature veiner. -B. W. Th ompson, Dobbs Ferry,N. Y COMPTON, CALIFORNIA 90224 SIGN MACHINES and TEMPLATES Woodcarver Rick Butz, of Blue Moun­ r------, tain Lake, N. Y., replies: To sharpen I ORDER BY MAIL the V- gouge, first square off the cut­ If not available from your local: hardware I ting edge by holding the tool venically :I dealer, or lumber yard, order direct: I and working the edge against the I SANDER KIT 8 brush 6" wheel and 3 abrasive refill coils. Adapters for 3/8 or sharpening stone. This will angle the 1/4" chucks or bench motor. Price I : I: I includesD postage and handling. KIMBALL WOODCARVER CO. edge 90° to the shaft of the tool. Next, I $2495 I 2602 Whitaker Savannah Ga. I Home Workshop and Craftsman I 51. , 31401 treat each side of the V as if it were a Free brochure. Write or Phone (912) 232-6561 - FW - - flat chisel and sharpen each outside : ------D :

29 Q & A (continued)

bevel to a 15 ° angle. Be careful that both bevels are the same and don't round off the corners. A sharp hook will usually form at the point where the BUTTERNUT, WALNUT, ROSEWOOD, two sides of the V meet. Remove this PINE, CHERRY, BUCKEYE and about a by sharpening the point as if it were a dozen other woods, in boards, slabs and miniature gouge--rock the tool back freeform cut ovals. Pieces up to 6" thick, and fo rth across the stone, angling this 3' wide and 16' long in some species. We specialize in coffee tables, benches, bars, lower bevel about 25°. In time, the carving stock, clock ovals and movements, hook and any excess will wear away and accurately cut for you to finish. We sell by you will have an even, sharp edge. mail and from our fantastic wood Next, strop the tool on a piece of "museum," 9-5 except Sunday. Send $.25 leather or a cloth buffing wheel until for brochure. WEIRD WOOD, Box 190FW Use "STRATE-CUT" Cutting Guide with all of the wire burrs are removed. The Chester, Vt. 05143, 802-875-3535 any portable cir cular saw, jig saw or tool bevels, both inside and out, router. Extends to S'6", reduces to 51" for short cuts and portability. Clamps should be polished to a mirror shine. to paneling, doors and other long work. Rip 4'x8' sheets down the center; trim You can hone the inside bevels with a off a door. Make precision 900 fi ne Arkansas slip, but avoid trying to cuts,1/16" tapers, ang les, dados, bevels, grooves. Unbeatable for scorin� wall­ sharpen the inside of the V to a per­ board. Guides utility knife. Here s how this sturdy aluminum tool works: fectly acute angle. Instead, the inner angle should be treated as a small LARGE radius, and should blend into the flat DOVETAIL planes on either side. Sharpened in this manner, your gouge will cut more effi­ TEMPLATES (1) Patented connector joins and aligns ciently and will be easier to control (2) two 51 " guide sections with four set Producing a through·dovetail join t screws (3) C-clamps (4) attach guide to around curves. rapidly and accurately in stock up work. Tool follows guiding edge (5) to thickness. One·inch dove· Clamps and illustrated instructions incl., 114" only $1 9.95 plus $2.00 shi pping and I have a 9-in. Montgomery Wa rd band tails on 3" centers [or fine [u rni· handling, U.S.A. only. Send check or M.D. ture. With carbide router bits. to: R.A.K. PRODUCTS, Department saw, circa 1949, that parts are no lo nger ilw. W=12 Box 23426, M , WI 53223. MONE Y avatfable fo r. I need to replace the rub­ W s. Res. tax. DAVID A. KELLER BACK GUARANTEE. i ber bands on the wheels but have been STAR ROUTE, BOLINAS, CA 94924 unable to lo cate any. Allthe catalogs

list sizes do wn to 12 in., but no lower. Sleeveless USE ON: DRUM SANDER --R. McKenzie, GrandJuncti on, Colo. Drill press NO PRE·MAOE SLEEVES TO BUY A 9-in. band saw is very small indeed, Small motor i Lathe �;I���l�:;:s��; �lh��s��NialJ����:'� Can You BuDd This and you will probably have to make the Shopsmith of holding paper to drum. Twist of ke�t Rockwell and paper is ti�ht. SPONGE RUBBER tires. I have used Eastman's 910 adhe­ Montgomery Ward hac-king insures long wear of paper. YouClock? certainlycan, Craftsman I-I ubs W' bore. Prict includes W' adapter sive to glue O-rings fo r hydraulic cylin­ Elec. drill ' we make It ea.yl Yo" but upon request we will substitute a W' ders. It works very well. Cut the rubber adapter fo r small drills. ADD $2.00 PER Thousands of Craft ORDER FOR HANDLING. .$11.85 customers have made -I" x 3" long with a new razor blade, apply the adhe­ -2" ...... $12.85 beautiful clocks using x 3" long . -2 .. $13.45 sive and bring the ends together W' x 3" long .. our kits. You don't have �" x 3" long ..... $14.75 to be an expert wood· quickly and accurately, as the adhesive DRUM worker. Our skilled 2Y,"ABOVEx .... 4 ...... $47.85.... $18.60 4Y," . . clockmakers pre· seizes instantly. Use a fixture to help ...... $19.85 ...... 3" x 4W' . . assemble the difficult align the ends to be joined. Abme sizes (without

30 KEN WISNER Q & A (continued) SIGNATURE TOOLS test the color. The oil mIXture can be used without paint to thin out areas on * I. Edg e·Trimming Block Plane-like '�-in-1 Stanley 1f95. Shear cutting, low angle, the wood. When you are ready to begin with fe nce. Will trim with and cross staining your piece, be sure you have grain exac tly square and works plywood workhorse" better than any other hand tool. With enough paint mixed to do the job. It is guiding shootslong precise glue joints and almost impossible to make a second miters. Exhibition quality durable polished molder, batch the exact shade as the first. bronze $6 9.50. Enameled cast iron $54.50. Shipping $2.50. -Eddie Trenllian, Columbia, S. C. planer, 2. Cabinetmaker's Precision Corner Mortise chisel-l(,' sq. $23 .75. Shipping Sl.5 0. A clever expedient suggested in Step­ edger... Limited production · hand crafted· supplied by -Step Knz/emaking calls for the use razor sharp. Send for brochure. of ordinary brake-shoe rivets in sizes 7 WISNER TOOLS 259 Whaley Street and 5 to attach knife handles. It turns Freeport, NY 11520 out that the shank of the size 5 rivets can be driven into the hole at the end of the size 7 rivets, providing a tight press fit. Order the size 5 rivets about three sizes longer than needed. They are then ground off past the hole to provide a tighter fit. CLAVICH0RD IQTS -Ve rnonF. Raaen, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Superbly crafted reproductions of antique originals offer pre-cut parts, materials, and Concerning pawpaw trees Ga n./Feb. meticulous instructions to make an ideal '79), in Trees of North America,the project fOT both novice and expert. pawpaw (Asimina tnloba) is said to 17th·century 4·octQve kit $445 range from Pennsylvania to the Missis­ 18th·century 5·octave kit $750 sippi and fr om southern Michigan al­ Convert waste and rough·sawn For brochures on /Ots most to the Gulf of Mexico. I under­ material to dressed lumber, free and finished instruments: stand that this tree seems to be a van­ of wave and chatter marks. Plane boards up to 14 " wide. Plane CARL FUDGE KEYBOARD tNSTRUMENTS ishing species and nobody seems to 208· w Rjdg� SI. down to Winchester, Mass. 01890 U.S.A. know why. In wet areas of southwestern 1/16". Michigan there are many pawpaw trees. Qu ickly switch from planing They never get very large. I have never or edging to molding. Select from sets of stock molding knives. Learn seen one more than 6 in. in diameter. 41 It is commonly known here as the Use for picture frames, min ia· Michigan banana, due to the fact that ture doll fur niture, models, WOODWOat the RKING dozens of other workshop tasks. NEW ENGLAND its fruit res embles a banana. It turns 'As described by Popular MechaniCS, CRAFTSMANSHIP CENTER black when over-ripe, like a banana, November, 1976, page 128. and the fruit is sweet and edible, as are Small classes 3 x/day, 6 days/week, in woodworking, furniture-making, dec­ the nuts inside. Indians made good use orative carving, and wood sculpture. of this fruit years ago. I have found that Continuous year-round, flexible this tree is difficult to transplant and to scheduling, all le vels experience. start from seed. Greater Boston area . Call: (617) -Roger A. Rousse, Ntles, Mich. 923-1130 or write for brochures : PO Box 47, 5 Bridge St. Supplies Watertown, Mass. 02 172 Finding exotic materials and unusual Shirley Norton Tom Waring supplies for woodworking is a constant headache. Here are leads to inquiries from previous issues: -Ash splints: Peerless Rattan & Reed Manufacturing Company, Inc., 45 In­ ORDER NOW. Satisfaction guaranteed. dian Lane, Towaco, N. ]. 07082; and I enclose check-----­ or money order I in amount $, Cane & Basket Supply Company, 1283 Charge my South Cochran Ave., Los Angeles, 0 MASTER CHARGE 0 VISA I Give card info expire date. Calif. 90019; & I (W • H Molder·Planer will be shipped to you from -Swing rocker castings: Heritage De­ New Hampshire via truck; wI. lb Pay shipping One of the essential tools for woodcarvers, sculptors, model 84 •. and pattern makers. Saves time in shaping, finishing and I charge upon receipt.) sign, Box 103, Monticello, Iowa 52310. removing excessive wood.Blade 01 tempered German steel Handleed Model W·7 lakes and holds a keen edge. Hardwoodhandles for non· slip 0 @ $315.00 grip. g at I good price! I AO ood 1001 o Power Inleed Model W·7PF @ $425.00 Available In 3 sizes Readers can't find: 0 Power In·and·Outleed Modal W·75 @ $490.00 N I o. 1 - 250mm X 35mm ...... I:I.2S Nama ______-Information on making a Swiss alp­ No.2 - 200mm X 25mm ...... 12.00 I No.3 - 140mm 20mm ...... horn. X . . . 11.00 5traat___ Address ______I City State Zip __ _ Send questions, answers, comments and supply sources to Q&A , Fine Woodwork· I ______Sand lor IrM Illustrated brochure _ ing, Box 355, Ne wtown, Conn. 06470. L ...... !

31 BOOKS FROM THE TAUNTON PRESS NEW-Fine Woodworking i'i,.., Design Book Two �\i.�1t!\\irl:ing the state of the woodworker's art DesignBook Two WALNUT. BUTTERNUT. CHERRY \,YOI Chairs, beds and stools; tables, desks and bureaus; 101150 Photoqraphs oj ,hi' best k CURLY & BIRDSEYE MAPLE wood tx.mCj done today tools, instruments and toys; cabinets, cupboards Most other Domestic Woods and houses; sculpture, carving and marquetry-and • EXTRA WIDE/EXTRA THICK STOCK even a couple of canoes. Fine WooduXlrkingDesign • SPALTED WOODS Book Two is a lavish treasury of 1,150 photographs • TURNING & SCULPTING BLOCKS • SOLID SQUARES of the best work in wood by 1,000 present-day Cabinet & Economy Grade Lumber craftsmen. It covers a breathtaking range, from tra­ Stock for Woodwork Flooring. Paneling ditional favorites to contemporary wonders. If you NO MINIMUM-MAIL & FREIGHT SHIPMENT like wood, you'll love Design Book Two. Fine Wood­ DETAILED LISTING 25C (7161942·6631 UXlrking'soriginal Biennial Design Book (1977) was D.A. BUCKLEY, Rl, W. VALLEY, N. Y. 14171 such a smashing success that the editors invited Fine WoodUXlrkingmagazine's 130,000 readers to send in photographs of the best work they had done since then. The response was overwhelming. The editors pored over thousands of entries to choose the very best photos of the very best woodworking. Design 9 X 12 inches, 288 pages. Postpaid Price: Book Two is the result. catalog containing just about $12.00 softcover, $16.00 hardcover 1980rything for the Home Cra,ftsman. Hundreds of new, different and most needed home·craft supplies. Chair Novice woodworkers, professionals and bystanders lamp parts. large selection of musical movements, clock who love beautiful things made out of wood will hand and power tools, furni· treasure this superb collection of the best designs by re hardware, lazy Susan bear· upholstery supplies. Com· present-day woodcrafters. Now in its third printing, line of finishing materials, this fi rst design book contains 600 photographs, the il plans, books, projects, etc. Send 50� for this large, illustrated pick of over 8,000 submitted to the editors of Fine catalog todayl Woodworking magazine. In its 176 pages you'll find BARAP Specialties, DEP T. FW 8 both traditional and contemporary pieces, all out­ 835 Frankfort, Michigan standing examples of the innovative craftsmanship Bellows, 49635 being practiced around the country today. Much of it comes from the studios of professional designer­ Fine Wo odworking Biennial De­ craftsmen. But much also comes from the home sign Book-a photographic study of workshops of serious and skilled amateurs. From present-day woodworking antique interpretations to ultramodern fantasies, these striking photographs show what amazing 9 12 inches, pages, softcover x 176 things can be done with wood. Postpaid Price: $8.00

This big book contains all 50 technical articles from the first seven issues of Fine Woodworking magazine-all reprinted in their entirety. This volume is a timeless and invaluable reference for the serious woodworker's library, fo r it contains infor­ mation rarely fo und in standard woodworking books. Here is a diverse array of techniques from the experiences of 34 expert craftsmen-394 photo­ Quality Furnitu graphs and 180 drawings, as well as a complete � index, add to the clarity of presentation. Wood­ science professor Bruce Hoadley brings you his ex­ Fine Wo odworking Techniques­ pertise on understanding wood, drying your own selected by the editors of Fine Wood­ lumber and using various glues; 'English wood­ working magazine turner and teacher Peter Child demonstrates the basic methods of bowl turning, and Tage Frid 9 x 12 inches 19 2 pages, hardcover shows you how to make a workbench. Postpaid Price: $1 4.00

This introduction to working green wood acquaints you with the subtle sophistication of a chair held together by an interlocking mortise-and-tenon joint in Solid Woods that takes advantage of the shrinking action of Economical. precision crafted. easily wood as it dries. Author John D. Alexander, Jr. assembled kits designed for classic 18th takes you step-by-step through selecting and felling Century living. Choose either a tree, splitting out the parts of a chair, shaping Honduras mahogany Dr Pennsylvania them with hand tools on a shaving horse you build cherry. An array of functional pieces yourself, assembling the parts into a chair and are available fully guaranteed. 10 0% weaving a bark seat. The result is a graceful yet satisfaction or your money refunded. Make a Chair from a Tree: An In­ Also available. Do-it-Yourself Finishing sturdy and durable post-and-rung chair. The book, troduction to Wo rking Green Kits in assorted stains to match your decor. which contains 175 photographs and 75 drawings, Wood-by John D. Alexander, Jr Send $1 l e presents a description of chairmaking clear enough for cata ogu 9 9 inches, 128 pages, softcover fo r a novice, yet detailed enough to inform even the . x *Sideboard Table Postpaid Price: $8.00 veteran craftsman. A book to read and benefit from Unfinished kit $289.0 0 even if you don't make a chair. Also available Completely Finished $675.0 0 TO ORDER, U•• ,h. h.mI, 0"," (o= .. d ""'�'" ,... ..,do,. ,. ,h. addback 7% of sales this tax) magazine or send your order with payment to: (Conn. residents classic furniture reproductions. ltd. QOL133.Box LINQ) Grayslake.WCIDD 6 52 Church Hill Rd., Box 355C3, Newtown, CT 06470 Depl. 404. II. 0030 Fflli'fheTh lll1tonl\-ess 3121223-7655

32 Books Furniture Finishing Textbook compiled ishing, contains far more material than by ].H. Wiley, ]r. Revised second edi­ we amateurs can digest or need. The tion, 1972. Furniture Production, 804 profusion of alternatives is the real Church St. , Nashvtfle , Te nn. 37203. problem. How can we develop simple $12.00, paper; 122 pp. and durable finishing systems fo r our work? No one has yet written such a Finishing Technology by George A. book and thus we struggle with Soderburg. Third edition, 1969. recommendations that may or may not McKnight Publishing Co. , Box 2854, do justice to our masterpiece. Even Blooming ton, IJl 61701. $13.28, though this book is not focused directly cloth; 297 pp . on our particular needs, it does contain a number of helpful facts. Furniture Finishing Textbook was Finishing Technology was designed designed fo r vocational schools that to be a text fo r secondary and college prepare students fo r jobs in furniture levels. Soderburg discusses such pro­ factories. It fo cuses primarily on indus­ cesses as anodizing, plating and elec­ trial finishing processes, but chapters of trochemical treatments of metals as interest discuss stains and color blend­ well as all aspects of woodf inishing ing, fi lling, sealing, top coats and rub­ (painting, novelty finishes, tumbling, bing. While industry rarely uses pene­ roller coatings, etc.). The book is well trating finishes , they as well as surface organized, but the information of fi nishes are included. The writing is interest is highly diluted-less than direct, clear and believable. 20% of the book. Soderburg does not This book, like most others on fi n- appear to have had personal experience in the manufacture or evaluation of Holds various shaped plec •• 1 Ooubl.s .a furniture fi nishes. While much of what spreading ciampi he says is sound, the inclusion of com­ Unique new clamps with ments that seem to be of dubious valid­ patented ratcheting action, are ity left me unable to rely on those sec­ designed to hold flat, round, and tions of the text in which I was most in­ irregular objects. To protect deli­ cate finishes, plastic jaw pads are terested . Thus Soderberg's book is of included. In addition to powerful little use to woodworkers. I think we clamping action, one sliding arm can devote our research time more pro­ can be reversed to provide a fitably to other publications. jacking action. On 30" and 36" Above: Clipper Ship Curry Sark: x Com­ 15"L. 9'.t2"H. . - WzlJiam A . Woodcock sizes, both arms can be reversed plete kif with carved wood hull, sail material, all fittings and mounting board. $14 .95 plus $ 1.00 shipping. to work like a spr eading jack. The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Con­ Throat depth is 2314". struction: Wood and WEST System It's relaxing to build an historic ship model­ ® _ - -_ and itsSHIP beauty lends warmthMO and char DELSm to your Materials. Gougeon Brothers, Inc., 706 FILL OUT AND MAIL NOW home. the Fine To ol Shop fW Our new fully illustrated page catalog Martin St. , Bay City , Mich. 48706, shows over historic ships, 112 both ready-to-build Carriage Hill, Westport, CT 06880 kits and finished60 models. 1979. $20, cloth, 316 pp . Also shown are scores of famous marine paint­ Rush me the following: ings, ship.wheels, figureheads, striking ship clocks 6" "Jaws" at $ 6.70 ea . and a host of decorative nautical ideas for The three Gougeon brothers developed o the home. the WEST System of wood-epoxy boat o 12" "Jaws"a t$ 7.60ea . 18" "Jaws" at $ 8.40 ea . Send 25t lor calalog 10: construction in the late 1960s. They see o ___34 Main St. Wharf. Greenport, N. Y.11944 24" "Jaws" at $ 9.2 5 ea . PRESTON'S o SATISFACTION OR MONEY BACK wood as a fiber that is bonded and 30" "Jaws" at$11.60 ea . sealed with resins into the fo rms neces­ o o 36" "Jaws" at $12.60 ea . PARKS 12" THICKNESS PLANER sary fo r a boat, rather than as planks cut and shaped to fitand bonded with me­ ORDER NOW! SEND FOR FREE CAT ALOG! • (Add $1.00 for delivery. CT residents add MORE chanical fasteners. Wood-epoxy con­ 7% sales tax.) THAN struction has a high weight-to-strength for ______Enclosed is my check -::- I 40,000 ratio, and its im perviousness to water made payable to the Fine Tool Shop. I IN USE eliminates many marine construction Charge my D VISA D AMERICAN EXPRESS--- I ALL problems. Having proven successful in o MASTER CHARGE (Bank # - -- _) I OVER ______high-perfo rmance sailing craft and ice ACCOUNT # THE ______I_ boats, it is being used to fu lfill a NASA EXPIRES I WORLD contract fo r the production of 60-ft. For Credit Cards only: Call Anytime Toll Free I The PARKS No. 95 i s a com pac t. wind-turbine blades. Operator 716 (800) 824-7888. In California sturdy thickness planer that offers mill planer Operator 716 (800) 852-7777 I precision and ruggedness at a sensationally low The Gougeon book is useful fo r any­ price! Write for complete descriptive literature on o SEND FREE CATALOG! I the No. 95 Planer, as well as on PARKS wood-and one wishing to use or comprehend the I metal·cutting Band Saws; Planer·Jointer Combination ______Machines; horizontal and vertical. manual and auto· wood-epoxy system for building a boat Name: I matic Panel Saws. hull. It takes the reader through es­ ______I Address THE PARDept. K S WOODWORKINGFW,1501 Knowlton MACHINE 51. CO. timating, laying down and constructing ______I a basic hull and its interior, includin g Cily CinCinnati, Ohio 45223 I chapters on the whys of building your Manufacturers of SinceQuality 1887 Woodworking Machines _S t own boat, tools, engineering properties �=-_____z! ______: 33 Books (continued) Create a Family Tr easure as of wood, buying wood and re sins, and Thousands Have a sensible chapter on health hazards. A Since 1916 chapter on lofting, or drawing full-size Handcrafted by our own grandfathers. our grandfather hull lines, is included. Mechanical clock kits are semi·assembled. . systems and rigging are not covered. easy·ta-build. of solid :v.. . wal­ nut. cherry, mahogany or oak. -Roger Barnes Kits include beveled glass. We handcraft our spun brass Lady Woodworking and Places Near By by Florentine and Goddess Diana Duo Pneumatic Drum Sander Lyre pendulums. Tubular bell Sands convex and concave parts. Carol Cox. Hanging Loose Press, 231 or Westminster rod chimes. Pump in enough air to conform to shape Wy ckoff St. , Brookl yn, N.Y 11217, Hand painted moon wheels. and sand on a "puff of air." 1979. $3.00 paper, 75c postage, 65 pp . Send for free color literature of all kits and movements or send $2.50 for 3 plans: In order to succeed, a cr aftsman, AMERICA CLASSIC, SPIRIT OF MOUNT VER­ whether with wood or words, must NON and SPIRIT OF THE have an affinity fo r the medium and CENTU RY, plus literature. the tools. Carol Cox has an affinity fo r KUEMPEL CHIME CLOCK both and in her book, Wo odworking WORKS & STUDIO, F-99 """"��21195 Minneto nka Blvd., and Places Near By, she explor es the Excelsior, M 553 31. craft of woodworking by fashioning words into poetry. Seventeen of her 50 poems deal with woodworking, the ob­ Pneumatic Sanding Drums COMPLETE jects in the fi nishing ro om, maple WOOD FINISHING KIT available separately in (9) sizes. Abrasive sleeves, canvas jackets, blocks waiting to become bowls, and rubbertubes also in stock zebrawood, padauk and bubinga, as for immediate delivery. well as with humbler aspects more par­ ticular to life than to art or craft : Write for free brochure. Coffe e cups, brown glaze on white MFG. CO. stand alo ng the bench. S�-No. Sheffield Av �itee., Chicago, Illinois Sp zlled liquid leaves clumps of grey 1611 60614 You may never use varnish or polyurethane 312/642-7287-8 sawdust around unfinished work. again!! Compare the 1-2-3 Sealacell process with the finish you are now using and see why Th e tools are dull, professionals prefer our wipe-on, dust free finish and I have sat on my crooked stool that gives the natural hand-rubbed oil look and feel. Our penetrating wood finish is the answer to fo r hours all your finishing needs. When you start with fine Drive trying to think of mirror designs. wood -finish it with Sealacell. This beautifuI 1-2-3kit contains all the finish­ screws for ing materials for 2-3 large pieces of furniture. Throughout, Cox's poems are re­ * Send S14.25 per ppd. kit or Visa/Master Charge # * Specify: Natural, Walnut, Pecan or Maple 100 years! strained but vigorous. Her concern is * Send for FREE Facts Booklet to: Our unbelievably rugged pc set 3- . mostly with what is beneath the surface GENERAL FINISHES Box 14 363F Milw. . WI53214 will last far into the next centuryl In the meantime, you can beat 'em, of the work, with what is just off to one hammer 'em, step on 'em, abuse 'em, side and usually ignored. Yet there is a and cuss at 'em -but they'll hold up pleasing familiarity: under your punishment just the same. PLAN Blades of super-tough high-carbon FULL-SIZEEarly American tool steel have length-of-handle tangs. I have learned to fa shion Broad steel bullS take vicious hammer small, curved vases You'll enjoy making it. You'll blows. Oval shaped solid hardwood CHAIRlove having it inTABLE your home. f1il =�I� handles. Overall lengths: from thin strips and thick slabs Back of Colonial chair flips 8X", 11J{" over to become serving ta­ and Guaranteed for a lifetime. 14". of wood, to cut and shape ble. a game table. Storage space under seat. A delight! and polish with fine paper Make it in pine and it's p ------untzi the piece gleams Izke a jewel. authentic! Brookstone Company CATALOG $1,00 Dept. 201 A, Vose Farm Road I have come to know a little about Over 160 full-size profes· sional plans. Early Ameri· I§');�§� Peterborough, New Hampshire 03458 direction of grain can, English, Spanish, _ Danish Modern. Dollar re­ o Send me Screwdriver Sets and strength. ea., postpaid funded with 1 st order. Send @ $15.95 I have learned to look carefu lly, loday. o Send me Brookstone's catalog Furniture Designs, Dept. KC-99 "Hard-To-Find Tools and Other Fine face near the ground 1425 Sherman, Evanston, Ill. 60201 Things" fo r delicate weeds, da rk brown o Check enclosed 0 Visa o American Express 0 Master Charge and cream, ______to de corate my work. WISH BOOK CAN BE YOURS FREE Card No. Three pound, 832 page catalog. as big as a ___ _ I have seen how one 's breath Sears catalog, but devoted to tools. supplies, Expires can be closed up inside a solid and machines for every trade or craft. If you Credit card orders: call (603) 924-9511 work with wood. metal, plastics. electricity· electronics. graphics. ceramics. leather, gar­ ______block, dening, science, drafting. service trades. auto Name turned into a gift of loss, or home repair, or arts and crafts, you need ______this giant of a catalog. Over items. A Address 60,000 ______a solemn nourishment. valuable reference. City NAME BRANDS. DISCOUNT PRICES Catalog comes with $5.00 merchandise reo State Zip Code --=-=-:::=-:0-:-:- fund coupon. Send $ 5.00 or credit card nurn-ir. 1-3676-11 Cox and her husband have been fu ll­ ber 10 get your catalog. 4- time woodworkers fo r about three. McKILLIGAN SUPPLY Visit our tine stores in Bostonk and Phil lphia areas. SLone FW9179 �------Broo ----ade ----. years. Her specialties are shaped weed Johnson City. N.Y. 13790

34 Books (continued)

vases and turned bowls and plates. Cox has been writing since she was fo urteen Attention years old, longer than she's been work­ ing in wood; her combination of the Sbopslllitll, two is shapely, enlivening and grat­ ifying. -Laura Cehanowicz Complete plans for bu ilding an old­ Are youOwn enjoyersing all the fashioned oak icebox and the right hard­ ware to really finish the job' Exact, solid "privileges" of Shopsmith The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry brass copies of antique icebox hinges and ownership? latches. by Jay Hambidge. Dover Publications, If you're a Shopsmith owner. you TO ORDER CALL TOLL FREE, 800-3 58·9120 180 Va rick St. , New York, N. Y. California. Hawaii, Alaska Call, 707-884-3363 already know that Shopsmith's Complete Plans ...... $5.00 10014, 1967. $2. 75 , paper, 133 pp. versatile multi-purpose power tool IB·1 (hingel, 4.95 system is the only economical way IB·2 (right·hand latchl. 7.95 to own a complete home shop But 18·3 (Ielt.hand latchl. 7.95 The Geometry of Art and Life by did you realize that in recent years 10% fn. & hdlg. Mastercharge & Visa accepted. Matila Ghyka. Dover Publications, Shopsmith ownership entitles you Send $1 .00 for our full catalog of 13 0 items. to many additionql privileges? 1977. $2. 75, paper, 174 pp. (Free catalog willi order, of cotlr.�e.) For instance, as a member of the Ritter & Son Hardware huge "Family" of Shopsmith Dept. 460 The Divine Proportion by H.E. owners, you're entitled to: l�' Gualala, '�j � CA 95445 � Call our Toll-Free Service "Hot Huntley. Dover Publications, 19 70. • Line" for the answers you need $2. 75, paper, 186 pp , . , . when you need them. • A Free subscription to "Shav­ How to develop pleasing designs is a ings," the Shopsmith publication common problem confronting the that brings you dozens of great project ideas and valuable home craftsman who starts with blank paper. maintenance tip s in every bi­ Cary Hall's article in Fine Woodwork­ monthly issue, ing Oan . '79) describes the problem, • Exclusive offers on unique Shop­ smith tools and supplies offered and his comments on the development through our seasonal mailings, of the "well-made mess" are fo r some • The opportunity to participate in of us uncomfortably accurate. our limited enrollment Shop­ Th e Elements of Dy namic Sy mmetry smith Woodworking Academy­ PLANS TO BUILD the most comprehensive course YOUR OWN deals with the basic principles of design offered anywhere I and explores the development of • Personal invitations to attend FINE FLOOR CLOCK various dynamic rectangles and spirals. demonstrations by factory ex­ Show your skill and craftsmanship by perts in convenient locations all building a superb quality traditional Tables and figures are useful in over the U,S. floor clock, Our detailed plans or semi­ developing dimensions fo r the com­ And There's More to Come assembled kits complement your ex­ ponents and total outline of a piece of pertise. Premium quality German . In addition to these valuable movements, dials, accessories avail­ fu rniture. privileges, you 'll soon have more able. Send $1 .00 f or complete illus­ to look forward to including: trated catalog. Th e Geometry of Art and Ltle is • Owner's Club OeCovnick Son somewhat more philosophical and H. & Project Plan Contests Clockmlkl.. Elllblllhld 1947 arithmetical in its approach. A quick • Dept. FW 27, P.O. aax 68, • Owner Referral Programs 200 Mlrkl! PlllI, Alama, CA 94507 glance could raise questions of prac­ ...and many morel ticality, but tucked away on almost So, if you own a Shopsmith, every other page are statements and ex­ whether it's new or used, and planations that make the geometry of haven't been getting all of the Shopsmith benefits you are en­ good design clearer and more useful. titled to, use the coupon be low to The Divine Proportion is perhaps make sure we have you on record, even more philosophical , and it is After all, we want you to enjoy all Precision Made of the "privileges" or belonging to OLSONWood Band Saw Blades almost exclusively mathematical. From the Shopsmith "Family". Coping Saw Blades the designer's point of view, it con­ Scroll & Jig Saw Blades tributes little of practical value and CustOD1 Specialty Saw Blades nothing that cannot be fo und in the Finest Quality. Highest Accuracy. Longest Cutting Life. books by Hambidge and Ghyka. 750 Center Drive, Va ndalia. Ohio 45377 Write Kent A. Kristensen, 81s. Mgr. Neither Hambidge's nor Ghyka's o I'm missing out on some of the THE OLSON SAW COMPANY book was written with furniture design Shopsmith privileges, Here are the [I] A DIVISION OF-BLACKSTONE• INDUSTRIES. INC in mind. They are not how-to books. serial numbers of Shopsmith eQuip­ . 8ethel, ment I own! "1' CT 0680t (2031 792-8622 Although well illustrated, the applica­ Shopsmith______Jigsaw Bandsaw _ tion of the principles to design is left to Jointer Belt Sander__ _ the reader. The results, when compared WOODTURNING SCHOOL o I'm not a Shopsmith owner yet. but Beginners and experienced turners are invited for to what blind hope and eyeballing ac­ I'd like to know more about joining the two-day workshops offered throughout the year. With a complish, are worth the effort. Shopsmith "Family". Please send me maximum of twostudents, learn and practice bowl and information on the Shopsmith Mark V spindle turning-emphasis on cutting techniques. -George H. Rathmell multi-purpose power tool system . There's no obligation and no salesman While here you will tum will call. on the Myford Lathe Woodcock, a part-time interna­ ______Btli Name ____ _ which we import from tional business consultant, lives in England and stock for __ -,;..,""""'_ Address ______sale. SE ND1ScFrJRFUllDETAllS Huntington, N. Y. George H. Rath­ City __ State ___ Zip _ RUSSRF03, ZIMMERMAN BOX 51A mell, of Los Osos, Calif , ru ns a small PUTNEY, VERMONT 05346 antique fu rniture repair shop. 1908

35 Adventures in Woodworking THE C BEDROOM SUITE GEORGE FRANKHARRED BY

hen Maurice Lafaille invited me dark, light and dark. Lafaille than pro­ to lunch, I knew that he wanted duced a powerful magnifying glass. I someWthing. When he took me to one of saw that the dark line s were produced the finest restaurants in Paris I knew by fire, or burning, and the light ones that he had something big on his mind. were the natural color of the wood. And it was. How the wood was scorched in such In 1928 Lafaille was a young, hand­ narrow bands is still a mystery to me. some, talented and poor interiQr deco­ "And what do you think of it now?" rator, dedicated to beauty and innova­ inquired Lafaille. "S imple," I replied. tion. When the main dish was served, "If I did not have this thing in my he produced a small package, about 6 hand, I would say that such a job is im­ inches square. At his request I opened possible." Lafaille then dropped the it and unveiled a finely detailed statu­ bombshell: "George, I am designing a ette of Buddha. He asked me what I bedroom suite for the Baron Rotschild, thought of it, and I answered that it and this is the finish you are going to seemed to be exquisitely carved, a work do fo r me." of art without any doubt, but that I was I called him an idiot, a dreamer, an far from being a competent judge of its imbecile, and told him that even if I The result of Frank's expen'mentation: be­ value. "George, take a closer look at could do the finish, it would take me at fo re scorching, edge; aft er scorching, top. the hair," he said, and I did. The hair least 2,000 years. "George, you do it," was made of fine lines, each about the said Lafaille. He paid for lunch and we charcoal iron, several soldering thickness of a human hair, but the zoomed back to my shop. irons-and got nowhere . I cursed color of the lines alternated, light and Lafaille was right; he knew me well. Lafaille, but I kept looking fo r the solu­ The problem did not let me sleep. The tion. I spilled alcohol on the wood and George Frank, 76, is a consulting editor next day I borrowed my girlfriend's set it afire, then tried slower- burning 0/ this magazine. electricProfessional iron, my elderly quality neighbor's turpentine with the same results: zero. Flitches to 50" wide ...walnu ts, FREE cherri es, oaks, maples, beeches, pines, ash, paulow­ WOODCRAFT Tools and nia, fruits ...over 25 species of soft and hardwoods. completeCAT line ALOG of ready-to-assemble quality furniture and accessories in a Over 3000 outsta nding pieces . Avariety of woods-oak, cherry, walnut, All shapes and sizes in our birch and pine. MaSend for newter ials showroom. Many unusual Includes grand­ woodworkers stump and root cuts . also, father clocks, dimensional lumber. music boxes, CATALOG roll-top desks, We feature fine burls, feathers, gun and tool curls, and clear grains, gath­ 100 Pages ered, cut and dried at our own cabinets, deco­ rative wall Over 2,000 mill. Trees with outsta nding hangings, characteristics, some 200 years Products and older. planters, even Tiffany lamps. 145 items in all. Duncan Phyfe bought choice mahogany Build any of from Constantine in the early 1800's. them at a frac­ Fine cabinetmakers have been buying tion of store­ top quality woods, veneers, inlays, cabi. bought prices! net hardware, finishes, and specialty Easy to assem­ tools ever since. ble. No specialskills or tools needed. The new CATALOG we offer you is the Mail coupon to get your free color cata- largest and most complete in our his­ log. No obligation...... tory. Whether professional or hobbyist r------, you will benefit constantly from our I I Woodcraft Collection Dept. 4VX vast selection of high quality wood­ I 1400 North Fruitridge Ave., Box 1174 I working tools and materials, many Terre Haute, IN 47811 found nowhere else. Will I I ard Please send me my FREE color WOOd- DISCOUNTS to rofe ional ho I craft Collection catalog. I p ss s ps. Bro-thers I I Write now for new CATALOG. \Voodcutteni-- �� 300 Basin Road - I Please enclose 50c toward post. I N=e NJ, I Trenton, 08619 - I Address Apt __ age and handling. �Sawmill Kiln I Call (609) 890-1990 I C� __ State Zip Please send for our pricelist. ______N.Y. SO' I� JI 2065CONA EastchesterSTANT Rd., Bronx, INE10461

36 r------, There must be a special God helping : FREE SANDING BELTS woodfinishers. A lead pipe, carrying DI RECT FROM THE MANUFACTU RER water to my kitchen, sprung a leak . I (Manufactured at 642 North Eighth Street, Reading, Pa.) called a plumber, who fixed the leak With your order of one dozen or more belts, receive six free. All belts are cloth with a blowtorch. bac ked, first quality. Made from tough aluminum oxide abrasive to give longest li fe The next day I had my own blow­ on any material sanded. Our electronic presses make smooth bump-free splices. torch and as I scorched the surface of o 1" x 42" - $ 8.25/ doz. 04" x 21 " -$12.75/doz. my sample fir board, I knew I was on o 1" x 44" 8.25/doz. 04" x 21%" 12.75/doz. the right track. With a stiff brush I o 3" x 18" 9.75/doz. 04" x 24" 12.95/doz. o 3" x 21" 10.25/doz. 04%" x 26" 13.45/doz. could easily take off the completely o 3" x 23%" 10.25/doz. 04" x 36" 16.45/doz. charred soft part of the wood grain (the o 3" x 24" 10.25/doz. 06" x 48" 14.60/'1. doz. earlywood layer of each year's growth), o 3" x 27" 10.25/doz. 04" x 52%" 14.60/'/2 doz. Assorted grit sizes or specify size Check your size and how many dozen uncovering light, unc harred wood be­ neath. The hard veins (the latewood) BELTS FOR STROKE SANDERS remained dark, scor ched, intact. With Now you can also pu rchase stroke sanding belts for your la rger jobs. These belts are each experiment I came closer to the aluminum oxide cloth and will produce superior finishes on wood. Available in 6" solution, and the next day Lafaille took widths only. Fill in your correct length and grit size -minimum 6 belts. (Sorry but my samples to the Baron. He was the free offer does not apply to these items) thrilled. He sent his Rolls-Royce to Lengths Your Gr it Price Lengths Your Grit Price fetch us, and that day I learned the true Available Length Siz e Each Available Length Size Each meaning of haute cuisine. 150" to 175" $6.95 251 " to 275" _$. 9.95 176" to 200" 7.70 276" to 300" _ 10.70 About two months later the Baron's 201" to 225" 8.45 301" to 325" _11.45 bedroom suite was ready to be scorch­ 226" to 250" 9.20 326" to 350" 12.20 Over 350" upon request finished. Both the Baron and Lafaille came to the shop to watch me char the I Prompt delivery from stock surface of the wood. If there is a God I CHECK OR MON EY ORDER ONLY I Add $1.50 for shipping and handling -PA. residents add 6% tax. helping woodfinishers, there must be I gremlins making innovators' lives I Name ...... INDUSTRIAL ABRASIVES CO. miserable. The intense heat of the I P.O. BOX 1252 M.D. Dept. I Address ...... READING, PENNSYLVANIA 19603 blowtorch made the wood shrink, I I City, State Zip ...... crack, split and bend bef ore our very & I eyes. In less than half an hour the bed­ �------room suite was ruined, or at least the parts I burned with my blowtorch were. Tears ran from my eyes, not only from Just reading our catalog couldhe lpmake you the smoke, but fr om the realization It's more than an ordinarylistin g of over that I had failed. a better craftsman. 1,000 woodworking tools. Instead, it's a Yo u're only as good as your tools. And your 108-page book with superb photographs, Without any doubt the scorched fi n­ tools are only as good as the company who honest specifications and reliable descrip­ ish was something new, original and sells them. That's why we've designed our tions of tools which cannot be boughr in your beautifu l and neither of us was ready to catalog to be like no orher hand tool catalog average hardware store. And it's even more. that you've ever seen. Yo u'll also find care and use information, throw in the towel. Lafaille and I de­ special "how-to" sections with easy to under­ cided that the bedroom suite had to be stand drawings and other pointers which will add to your enjoyment and help increase your rebuilt, but that the wood must be skills as aw oodworker. From the firstsection burned before furniture was made of it. on Chisels and Knives through the last secrion Moreover, we adopted a fr ame-and­ on Tu rning To ols, we've tried to have every page reflect the quality of our uncommon panel construction to allow further tools. It wasn't easy, but then again, nothing shrinkage. The Baron agreed, and as­ good is. sured us that he would assume the cost, So send us this coupon today. We want to make it easy regardless of how many times I had to for you to rebuild his fu rniture. Two or three be as good as you can months later, we delivered the first get. bedroom suite made of scorched pine to the Baron Rotschild's country home at Chantilly. It may well still be there. About a month later, when Maurice Garrett Wade Company,Dept. FW-9-9 Lafaille invited me for lunch, I kne w 302 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10001 o Send me yuur catalog on hand (ools.I have that he wanted something. He did . enc losed S 1. And by the time the main dish was o Send me your Catalog on INCA SWISS stationary served he produced from his pocket a power______fools.Here's $1 for (hac as wdl. __ handful of virgin hemp, but that is N= �. Add«",,-______another story . . . 0 __ Ci,y______

$100 -Zip______Scace'______Fine Woodworking pays for readers' adventures; suitable le ngth is 1, 500 wordr Canadian crafcsmen can obcain our Hand Too l catalog or less-up to six typewritten pages, only by ,ending S 1.00dir«cly co: lee Valley Tools, do uble-spaced. Send to Ad ventures, Box P.O. Box 6295, Ottawa, Ontario K2A IT4. 355, Ne wtown, Conn. 06470.

37 Believe it or not, NON-WORMY HAND-FORGED IRON HA RD· Butternut lumber, AD, 1 in. thick, AMERICAN CHESTNUT. 4/4 Ium­ W ARE. Hinges, latches and pulls in 10 in. to 17 in. wide, I' ;' in. and CLASSIFIED ber up to 20 in. wide. Veneer 'h.in. traditional or your own contem­ 2 in., $1.60/bd.ft. Also walnut flat cut. This offering of this rare porary design. Hammerworks, 1075 carving blocks 40'/ lb., butternut Well-equipped, established classic hardwood available in a very Pleasant St., Worcester, MA 01602. 25'lIb. Art Shaw, RR 1, Lyndhurst, WOODWORKING SHOP for rent limited quantity. Veneer from 85', (6 17) 752-1484. Ontario. (6 13) 387-3913 evenings. or lease in Vermont. Call or write: lumber from $8.50 b.f. MacDonald, SWING-ROCKER CASTINGS. SImon Watts, (802) 387-5379. Box 205, Bangor. W1 54614. Violin wood. Seasoned 2 pc. maple Putney, VT 05346. Gray iron cast hangers fo r restoring backs $30, fine spruce tOpS $18, FI E LUMBER: Teak, mahogany, that old original or building new. maple necks $12. C. Mills, 3509 W. CUSTOM FURNITURE AND RES­ oak, maple, cherry, Ga. pine. KD, $20/set of fo ur. Full-size swing. 72nd PI., Chicago, IL 60629. TORATIO SHOP for sale. Ma- FAS. For your home, office or boat. rocker plans, $ 15. Heritage Design, hines, tools, supplies, hardwoods Call (301) 544- 1122 or send for our PO Box 103, Monticello, IA 52310. Walnut boards with natural edges Included. Business with lease, brochure/price list (50'). F. SCOTI (319) 465-3270. 10/4, 1114, 12/4-up to 18 ft . $16,500. Business with brick store­ JAY & Co., Box 146, Pasadena, MD long, varying widths, AD 3 to 5 yrs. Stainless steel and brass, SCREWS front and apartments, $81,900 . 21 122. 0-IM bd.ft., $2.00; 1M bd.ft. up, Workers-In-Wood, Box 16 6, Rich­ AND BOLTS . Small quantities, free $1.75. Arthur Reed, PO Box 356, mond, VT 05477. (802) 434-3349 REDWOOD BURL, OLIVE SLABS. catalog. Elwick, Dept. 347, 230 DeWitt, NY 13214. (3 15) 445-0244. Clock kits. Free brochure. Redwood Woods La. , Somerdale, NJ 08083. SAWMILL & 85-ACRE FARM. Burl Esque, Dept. F-9, POB 207, Rorkwdl 22-802 knife grinder and TUNG OIL. The hardest-drying House & barn with shop, 10 miles Lompoc, CA 93438. joimcr for 18-in. planer. Hardly from U.S. border. $39,900. J. Ran­ natural finish. Available in gallons, u�ed , $350. B.E. Shull, 1828 smith, RR I, St. Stephen, N.B. , Old growth SOUTHERN YELLOW quarts and pints. Write fo r brochure Roundhill Terr. , Charleston , WV Canada. (506) 466-4412. PINE fo r sale. T&G flooring and on this amazIng anCIent ChIna 25314. (04) 346-4168. rough-sawn stock in various dImen­ Wood Oil fi nish. Sutherland STUDENT-APPRENTICE position sions available. Call (4 13) 367-2673 Welles, Ltd., Box 639-FW, Wood· Hammon Trim-O-Saw E.C., I-HP open. Contact by mail. The Dovetail or write The House Carpenters, Box bury, CT 06798. 3-PH double belt drive. Use for pre­ Joiner, 300 Northside Dr. , Be nning­ 217-F, Shutesbury, MA 01072. cision wood or metal cutting. Micro­ ton, VT 05201 . GOLD LEAF & RELATED IM­ adjustable table moves on ball bear­ KILN·DRIED LUMBER-21 diffe r­ PORTS. Write fo r products list, sta­ ings, $750. R.E. Hall, 1429 Mont: Are you interested In WOOD· ent A ppalach ian hardwood species, ting needs fo r latest prices. Art Es· rose Ave., Dayton, OH 45414. TURNING as a hobby? Take a twO­ turning squares. Brochure pnce itst sentials of New York, 180 E. 73 St., day intensive course fo r beginners 25'. Marietta Hardwood Center, Box New York, NY 10021.(212) Pecan veneer, 'h. in. Flitches up to from a q ualified instructor. For fur· 803, Mariwa, OH 45750. (6 14) 472-2770. 12 ft. long, 25' sq.ft. Also European ther information write: PRACTI­ 373-3658. yew veneer, 50' sq.ft. Excellent qual­ CAL WOODTURNING, PO Box Solid brass engraved NAME OR ity. Shipping extra. (618) 833-2684. Table, clock slabs. CALIFORNIA TITLE PLATES. Two-line sample, 102, Orangeville, Ontario, Canada 2-in. walnut up to 8 ft ., dried 10-12 L9W 2Z5. REDWOOD, BUCKEYE, others. $1. V-B, Dept. FW, 807 E. Dana, Col. Buckeye Savage, 760 Illin ois, Mountain View, CA 94040. yrs. Random sizes $2, cut sizes $3. CANADIANS. Demonstrations and San Francisco, CA 94 107. (415) Don Hartzler, 7770 N. Ludlow Rd., CONTEMPORARY FURNI TURE immediare delivery. In ca Swiss­ 863·2115. Cable, OH 43009. (513) 465-3 181. precision woodworking machines, PLANS-Catalog contains over 200 LOCAL LUMBER CO. Fancy hard­ exclusive plans: beds, tables, chairs, Carved legs, turned legs, all shapes Myford ML8 woodturning lathes, and sizes. Mahogany, walnut and W&H molder-planers, Rockwell woods, custom milling and kiln dry­ rockers, sofas . desks, shelving and ing. 161 Bowers Hill Rd., Oxford, morel $2 refunded with fi rst order. birch wood . Shop trucks, 38x20x Delta, Shop smith multipurpose 29 in. high. Meyer Kaplan, 1611 N. machines. $1 fo r literature (will reo CT 06483. (203) 888-6509. The Designery , Dept. BS-l, 521 W. Kirkwood, Bloomington, IN 47401. Sheffield, Chicago, IL 60614. fu nd $5 with purchase). ). Philip WALNUT and OAK DOWELS. Humfrey Ltd., Box 173, 33 Red Lea Furniture pans. Toy pans. Catalog 200 MAIL ORDER SOURCES fo r Inca 10-in. table saw, Sprunger Ave., Milliken (Toronto) , Ontario 25'. Woodworks, Box 79238, Sagi­ woodworking supplies, tools, pat· 14-in. band saw. Richard Lizek, PO LOH lKO. (4 16) 293-8624. naw, TX 76 179. terns. Many hard-to·find specialty Box 62 1, Southwick, MA 01077. sources. Only $3. Lov e-Built Toys­ (4 13) 786-33 01, 569-6713. JUST OPENED-specialty lumber, AIR COMPRESSORS-quiet, ar­ A9s, Tahoe City, CA 95730. 27 hardwood species at affordable tist's studio models. Free catalog. Inca Swiss 10-in. cabinetmaker's prices. YUKON LUMBER CO., 520 Call toll-free: (800) 547-4403. Artis­ NEW AND USED BOOKS on table saw, 1 year old, mahogany W. 22nd St. , Norfolk, VA 23517. tic Air Brush. wood , woodworking, carving, turn· stand, many accessories. Asking (804) 625· 7131. ing. We deal only in woodworking. $950. M. Gervan, RR #2 Perth Rd., IRONS AND CUTIERS. Offering Frequent catalogs. S 1. R. Sorsky Ontario, Canada KOH 2LO. (6 13) the country's largest selection of Bookseller, 3845 N. Blackstone, 353-2550. ATTENTION plane irons and cuners at unbeat­ Fresno, CA 93726. Wanted to Buy MANUFACTURERS & DEALERS able prices. Send 25' fo r lists to The MESQUITE Tool Works, 76 Ninth Ave ew World's most complete WOOD Miller-Wellman core box machine, KD SIS York, NY 10011. AND TOOL CATALOG. 60,0 00 patternmaker's fe ather-tooth saw, HARDWOOD LUMBER items 832 pages. Three pounds. $5 Maydole patternmaker's long-head WHOLESALE INQUIRIES ONLY I CATOOLS. Dealer serving Geor­ refundable. McKilligan, FW979, hammer, clock turn. Robert Casper­ CLASSIC GRAIN HARDWOOD CO. gia and the southeast. Visit our son, 1520';' W. Temple St., Los Johnson City, Y 13 790. 902 E. HuChes Access Road woodworking showroom or send $1 Angeles, CA 90026. Tucson, Arizona85706 fo r catalog. Highland Hardware, Parts fo r old Wal ker-Turner 14-in 1034 . Highland Ave., N.E., At­ WOOD &TOOL EXCHANGE metal band saw, or where parts may lanta, GA 30306. (404) 872-4466. cA @t cAbove For Sale be obtained. M. Harrison, 20612 Hi-speed STEEL BRAD PO INT 26-in. band saw $500. 12-in. circular Ave. 380, Woodlake, CA 93286. Ve!leer Supplies DRILLS. 28 sizes in 3 different Specializing in veneers saw $300. Stationary gas·engine For parts an Oliver 24-in. thickness lengths. Odd Ball Supply, Box 133, for the Home Craftsman drive $100. Mrs. A. Rovery, 235 S. planer, model 19 9. (618) 833-2684. & Marquctarian. No. Attleboro, MA 02761. Ketcham, Amityville, NY 1107 1. (516) AM4-0444. Stanley planes new and old. All Free Price List TOOL CONTROLLER from Cen­ types from nos. 1 to 444. A Iso alu­ P.O. 'Bo'\,139 tury American Instruments. Control Dodds 20-spindle dovetailing ma­ minum Stanley planes, old wood Greel1.sburg, OH 44232 speed and direction of turn in one chine, serial #2516. No motor and planes and woodworking tools. Ivan instrument. 5-amp $39.95/10-amp needs work, $300. (315) 689-6144. E. Bixler, 6943 Cozaddale Rd., $59.95. Box 1014, Placentia, CA Goshen, OH 45122. 92670. American chestnut, 29 planks. 810 FALL SPECIALS W. 1st St., Oil City, PA 16301. Used 2 or 3-drum sander with dust SANDERS-U-BUILD PLANS. Cherry -4/4" S.98/II.: 5/4" S1. 15: (8 14) 676-9141 Sat. only. hoods 36 in. to 42 in. width, either Sidestroke $4, strin $5, flat-bed 6/4" S1.25: 8/4" SI.50 g Buddhist lay monastery in NY State endle;s bed or roll fe ed. Must be in Oak (Red) -4/4" S.98/ft.: 8/4" 1.50 table $7, all three $ 15. Free bro­ good condition. Vic Delagrange, seeks donations of woodworking Oak. WH (qtr-sawn) -4/4"SI.75 chure. McCall House, 1950-F, Le­ R #2 , Winthrop, NY 13697. Mahog .• Hond. -4/4" S1.35: 8/4" SI.49 tools and machinery. All donations noir, NC 28645. Mvrtle- (25% burl) -4/4" S2.40 are welcome, tax deductible. Con­ Will buy scrap, shavings, sawdust of Walnut -4/4" S2. 1O: 8/4" S2. 75 IN SAN FRANCISCO, tools and tact K. Malone D.B.Z., Beecher padauk, Brazilwood, logwood and Padauk (AF) -4/4" S2.3O supplies for the wood craftsmao. Lake, Star Route, Livingston Manor, other dyewoods by pound. Contact Zebra -4/4" S2.40 SEABRIGHT HARDWARE, 1749 NY 12758. Natural Dyer, ). Cross, PO Box 42, All FAS. kiln-dried; F.O. 8. Knox; payment Noriega St. (4 15) 731·1274. Inca Walden, NY 12586 Four 17-ft . len ths maple bowling before shipment; 25 fOOl minimum per dealer. g alley, 42 in. wide, strips nailed with item; $1.00 for fe/ai/ list; wholesale also. Parts wanted fo r Delta 12-in. wood 3M Stikit Disc s (sandpaper) and iron clamps. E oxy finish. Excellent lathe #1460: Set-over tailsrock , WOODSTREAM HARDWOODS p pad. Excellent for lathe-sanding. fo r large assembly benches or cut lJ1- #1461 tool support base, #697 floor Box 11471 Trial kit $4.75. OHIO WOOD­ Knoxville, TN to workbenches. $15/1in.ft. R.E. stand, #1463 lathe bench, all acces­ 37919 (615) 588-2878 SHOP SPECIALTIES, 190 Anderson Malenka, R. 213 W. Market, Or­ sories. A. Hedstrand, 801 Trilby Rd., Dr. , Jackson, OH 45640. wigsburg, PA 17961. (717) 366-2905. Brooksville, FL 33512.

38 SITUATIONS WANTED Events Woodworker wirh 2 years experience building This column is for gallery shows, major craft cus£Om looms and tables seeks posirion wirh fa Irs, lectures and exhibitions of general in­ esrablished craftsmen. Stephen Zimmer, W. terest to woodworkers. To list your event, le t Main Rd., Lirtle Comp£On, RI 02837. us know at least three months in advance. Boarbuilder £0 trade skills in wood fo r land in San Pennsylvania Woodworkers Invitational Ex­ Juan or Wesr Coasr. Have all £Ools, will travel. Sreve Ellis, clo Apprenticeshop, 375 Front Sr.. �ibition-work of 15 contemporary de­ Bath, ME 0453 0. sIgner-craftsmen, Sepr. 23 to Ocr. 20. Kipp Gallery, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Ap renticeship soughr wirh crafrsman in cabinet p Indiana, Pa. �""'j[:J'�-.c;..IS TH E and fu rniture making. Very srrong desire £0 learn. Will relocare anywhere. Kent Ambrose, 3718 Mira Pacific Dr. , Oceanside, CA 92054. Symposium West-Woodturning: design, materials and practice, Ocr. 11-13. Instruc­ FUT Just add PRO-EDGETM Indusrrial Am graduate with 4-year concentra­ • ANSWER tors include Albert LeCoff, John David Ells­ to your 1" belt tion in woodworking seeks apprenticeship in 1IClL0I worth, Frank E. Cummi ngs III, Bob Stocks­ sander/ grinder and cus£Om fu rnlturelcabInet shop wirh experienced c.. PROFESSIONAL craftsman. Interested in quality work and career. dale. Contact Dale Nish, Depr. of Indus­ get results: Superb edges Willin £0 relocate. Alan Lorn , 768 Othello Ave., trial Education, Brigham Young University, g on gouges, chisels, FranklIn Square, NY I10lO. (5 16) 481-5096. Provo, Utah 84602. "V" parting tools, veiners, awls, screw­ Architectural Dimensions-Contemporary drivers (flat and The CLASSIFIED RATE IS $1.50 per word. fu rniture and large decorative pieces for the minimum ad 15 words. Payment musr accom­ Phillips), plane irons, home by American craft smen, including pany order. The WOOD AND TOOL EX­ scrapers and others. Bruce Beeken, Jon Brooks, Wendell Castle, CHANGE and SITUATIONS WANTED rare is ., FOR: Sears, Dayton , Ed Moulthrop, Mark Lindquisr. Sepr. 1 I to --.u_j. IIIIVLICL. $1 per line, minimum rhree lin es, maximum six II, Emerson & Belsaw lines, limit tWO insertions per year. Allow 30 ler­ Ocr. 20. The Elements, 766 Madison Ave., rers or spaces per line, including name and ad­ New York, N.Y. 10021. dress. The Wood & Tool Exchange and Situations are fo r privare use by individuals only. Commer­ New Handmade Furniture: Amer ican Fur­ Cial accounts must use Classified. Please inquire niture Makers Working in Hardwood-orig­ fo r DISPLA Y CLASSIFIED RATE. Send £0: The Inal work by 37 craftsmen, through Ocr. 21. Taun£On Press, Advertising Depr., Box 355, New£Own, CT 06470. Ontario Science Center, Toronto, Canada.

Exhibit of Musical Instruments made by Irv­ ing Sioane-ro Ocr. 31. Woodcraft Supply CABINETMAKERS TOOL SALE Corp., 313 Montvale Ave., Woburn, Mass. 2nd annual inven tory clearance, 30% -40% off list. Name brands. imponed & domestic, 1st quali ty. new It's About Time-Handmade clocks and merchandise. $20.000 standing slOck chisels, carving time-related objects, all media, Feb. 1 to sets. stones, eLc. Sal. & Sun .. Oct 27 & 28 only. March 14, 1980. Application deadline 10-4 PM. Send $1 for listing and prices. HANDCRAFTED Ocr. 15. Craft Center, 25 Sagamore Rd., 744 \VI. Fullt'rlOIl Worcester, Mass. 01605 . Chic.t�u, IL 60614 Third Annual -Invitational Wood Exhibi­ tion-Nov. 1-30. Westlake Gallery, 210 EXOTIC AND DOMESTIC HARDWOODS East Post Rd ., White Plains, N.Y. -also marine woods and plywoods -largest stock veneered plywoods in So. Conn. Containers-juried compet ition cospon­ TECH PLYWOOD HARDWOOD LUMBER CO_ & sored by the Da nforth M l1seum and the 110 Webb St., Hamden, Conn. 06511 Massachusetts Association fo r the Crafts, -retail sales only -send SASE for stock list Nov. 11 to Dec. 3 All media. Danforth -come visit our large warehouse and select your own lumber I. -for current prices and directions call (2031 777·5315 Museum, 123 Union Avenue, Framingham, Mass.

Winter Market of American Crafts-Appli­ POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL The new wood stabilizer catIOn deadline Ocr. I; fa ir dates Feb. 14- and chemical seasoning agent. 17, 1980. New Baltimore Convention Make crack-free tops from log cross sections and Center, Baltimore, Md. Contact Carol flawless bowls and carvings from green scrap Sedestrom, American Craft Enterprises, wood. 75' for catalog. The Crane Creek Company P.O. Box 10, New Paltz, N.Y. 12561. Box 5553 F Madison, Wisconsin 53705 Sixteenth Annual Piedmont Crafts Fair-all media, Nov. 2-4. Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, N.C.

For WOODCARVERS Only Third Annual Woodworker Show-Royal The "WOOO IS GOOO" Company Horticultural Hall, London, Nov. 4-I I. offers cut bla nks with real instruc­ Travel arrangements through Russ Zimmer­ tions. Tools· Sharpening Materials. WRITE fOR fREE BROCHURE: man, RFD 3, Box 57A, Purney, Vr. 05346. W.I.G. COMPANY, OEPT. F Sacred and Ceremonia -multi-media ex­ BOX 477, LAKEWOOO, CA 90714 l hibition, Nov. 17 to Dec. 24 . The Gallery at Peters Valley, Layton, N.).

Craft Professionals of Vermont-traveling WOOf) LOVERS ... NOW YOU exhibition of 45 artists, all media. Ocr. 4 to T-SCAN EXPRESSHIRTS YOURSELFl Nov. 3, T.W. Wood Art Gallery, Mont­ pelier, Vr. T-Sh;ns -S. M. L. & XL -SS.SO plus 7S¢ P & H -Brochure 2S¢ TH E WOODSPEOPLE Carvers' Club Show -exhibition of 375 Box F/l-ilInlpdenIMaineIUSA/04444 carvings, Nov. 9- 10. South Glen Mall, Denver, Colo.

39 The Woodcraft Scene AT ARNOLD & W R TOOL AUCTION 6CXX) tradiTHEtional toolsonthe block: CMr manALKE versusthe Getty Museum

BY IRVING SLOANE

Noms adjustable coffin­ Slded smoother, c. 1920.

n 1974, Roy Arnold and Philip ened into professional involvement in tools. Bundles of molding planes of Walker, two personable the design of hand tools. Christie's, a every shape-ovolo, astragal, cove , EngliI shmen, fo rmed a partnership to London auction firm, was handling the ogee, torus, side bead, tongue and advance their interest in old tools to a sale of their stock. I sent fo r the sale groove, hol lows and rounds-were pleasurable fo rm of gainful employ­ catalog and quickly fo und a number of available singly and in sets of 30 or ment. They set up shop in London as pressing matters that required my more. Most seemed in good condition. dealers in the traditional tools of the presence in London during the sale. There were specimens by famous 18th carpenter and other tradesmen. News There were several tools I wanted and and 19th-century makers such as of their enterprise first reached America besides, London is only 45 minutes by Wooding, Jennion, Fitkin, Frogatt and through an article about tool collecting air from Brussels. Gabriel. Fillister and plow planes, by in the New York Times. Shortly there­ Traditional hand tools hold a senti­ both English and continental makers, after I moved to Brussels and began mental appeal fo r many people besides were also abundant, along with braces receiving their catalogs, handsom\.-pro­ craftsmen. In their simple forms of primitive form, Victorian plated ductions with careful attention to shaped by long usage, smooth with the braces and an elegant brass-framed photography, layout and indexing. worn patina only hands can give, we ebony "Ultimatum" brace made by Walker's informative texts are exem­ feel directly the chain of the genera­ William Marples. plars of technical writing relieved by tions. Like other handmade artifacts, Metal bench planes, the category human interest and wit. In 1976 they they sometimes exhibit the crudities that interested me most, were less plen­ transferred their business to the small antique dealers call charm, but more tiful: a few miter and jack planes, and a Suffolk town of Needham Market, 77 often they possess an arresting beau ty, number of straight and coffin-sided miles from London. the result of functional design modu­ smoothers by Spiers, Norris, Mathi­ Last spring, when notice of the disso­ lated by honest sentiment-a cupid's eson, Buck and Preston. There were lution of their partnership arrived from bow chamfer on the crosspiece of a only two Norris adjustable smoothers of London, I was surprised and saddened. miter plane, the faceted end of a cap the 7\12-in. size I wanted. I also noted a Their catalogs had aroused my interest iron, a sculptured plane wedge. fine brass bullnose plane with a beauti­ in the design and character of tradi­ My main interest at the auction was ful ebony wedge that might have been tional tools, an interest that has broad- planes. I use planes a lot, and fo r a long carved by Brancusi. Also a handsome time a Norris adjustable coffin-sided bronze shoulder plane by Arthur Price. smoother has been among my heart's I carefully noted their estimated values desires. A good shoulder plane would from the list at the back of the catalog: also come in handy, as would a small the Norris smoothers, 40 to 80 pounds; chariot, or bullnose plane. They would the brass bullnose plane, 40 to 60 have to be attractive specimens in good pounds; the Price shoulder plane, 50 to working order that could serve as proto­ 70 pounds. types fo r building my own planes. I am The exchange rate last spring was not a collector, I firmly reminded my­ roughly $2 fo r the English pound. self, and left Brussels in a mood of self­ Walker's estimates seemed reasonable, congratulation about being such a sen­ and I penciled in lightly (to foil compe­ si ble, practical fellow. titors seated nearby) the prices I would At Christie's in South Kensington, pay if pushed to the wall. I promised all the tools were laid out on long tables myself to observe these limits strictly in open bins fo r the presale exhibition. and to avoid profligacy inspired by Six thousand tools in 1,043 lots, along lunatic zeal. with old prints and books, were up for Sixty pounds sounds like a lot of the two-day auction. I introduced my­ money for a small bullnose plane, but self to Philip Walker, a tall, bearded this kind of plane, along with the small gentleman, and we talked about tool chariot and block plane, is rare. In this collectors. .. An interesting lot, fo r the case, however, the determining factors most part, with above-average intelli­ were plainly the beauty and flawless gence and tastes ," he observed. "Pro­ condition of a plane that was probably Some of the planes at the auction (fr om top fessionals, doctors in particular, seem the one-of-a-kind product of an unusu­ to bottom, left to nght): cast- iron with to find tool collecting an absorbing ac­ ally artistic craftsman. The Price cove-molded heel and toe, Sp iers coffi n tivity and, perhaps, a good invest­ shoulder plane was in mint condition smoother, Noms with pat ented screw ad­ ment." Walker is himself a spare-time in its original box, a Yorkshire pattern justment, brass bullnose with ebony wedge, woodworker; Arnold is a wood turner. iron skew-mouthed 'coach-door' rabbet, with bronze sides, steel sole and ebony Pnce gunmetal steel-soled shoulder, Stanley People moved about the tables, ex­ wedge. Here again the considerations no. 1, Preston patented iron bullnose. amining the extraordinary variety of were beauty and condition, not antiq-

40 LikeFinish An ExpWoodertl Build this WATCO® heirlMaoomjes quaticlity DAWOOIIFiNve-lnISHD FINISH-One OI" L MDCabinetof ChSIe Kiterry in or your WalnutBEJ� choice One easy application primes, " high 81/z" seals, hardens, protects, beautifies! 10 x wide x 4" deep With Watco you just WET-WAIT­ from plus shipping WIPE, and you have an elegant, -- 53995 and handling extremely durable finish that would ••• please the most critical professional. Save complete with Swiss movement Watco penetrates deeply - and discs from $119.95 creates a tough finish INSIDE the Build a family heirloom that can last for gen­ wood -makes wood up to 25 ��=�;;; --=�:� erations. This handsome, solid wood Cabinet - Kit features pre-cut, mitred, easy-to-assemble parts. Cabinet percent harder. Can't chip, peel or Kit also includes easy-to-follow assembly guides. Purchase wear away li ke a surface coating. Kit complete with Note" Thorens-Swiss Movement and Stains, scratches or minor burns "30 5 Swiss starter discs consisting of Lara's Theme, Try to usually are spot repairable. Remember, Moon· River, More, and Edelweiss ...for as For complete information fill in FREE little as $119 .95. Movement also available separately if you and mail the coupon. wish to order later. Please add $2.15 for shipping and han- i------dling for each item ordered. W-6T WATCO·DENNIS CORPORATION Catalog I Michigan Avenue at 22nd St., Dept. FW-99 r-;------WOODCRA� �OLLECTION Dept. 4VV /4VM Cabinet Kit with movement: I Santa Monica, California 90404 1400 North FrUltndge Ave., Box 1174 Solid Walnut $12 4.95 I Terre Haute, IN 47811 0 710384 I 0 Sendname of nearest WateD Dealer For Visa Please send me ' Solid Cherry $119.95 Send Finish Thorens Music Box Kit(s). Add $2.15 shipping 0 I 0 free booklet "How to MasterCharg e or I 710392 Beautiful Wood". . and handling for each ltem ordered. I American Express Enclosed is my check, money order or American Cabinet Kit alone: I ordermg I Express, Master Charge/ isa Number (include Solid Walnut $44.95 V Name 0 I Call TOLL FREE : expiration date) or $ 710343 1-800-247 -501 8I Mr./Ms. Solid Cherry $39 .95 Street ______._ _ __ 0 r I Residents: owa 710350 1 Address Ap t .-- I 1-800-532-1437 Coty ______Movement only' City State ip I 1 Z 0 $99. 00 7i0376 I State Zip,___ _ Please send me my FREE o Woodcraft Collec- 1------I -' ------tion Catalog only. N.Y., IA., IN ----resldenls add applicable --_sales taxI OB ...... ;;;;;;;; � I ...... �ONOVER thelHREAD one that really BOX & TAP works SET

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"CINDIRISPENSABLEC-L-CUT FOR" EVERY POWER SAW USER ­ u For the finest woodworking PRO OR HOME SHOP! When we first saw the growingwe demand for a really fine wood .threading tool we lookedal every threadbox tools, parts and supplies, No more haSSling with jig. sabre or coping saw. Use we could find. Conover then app�ed modern engineer­ ··CIRC·L-cur wilh any lable or radial arm saw. and Ing to a ttme tested deSign to producethe finest cui perfecl. prolessional circles from 31 NCHES to 4 threadbox you can buy. It cuts clean, precisethreads in featuring- FEET in DIAMETER from any Ihickness wood or wooden dowels and th e heal treated tap that comes plastiC. Sets up In minutes! Cut professional table­ wilh it produces perfecl, complementary female threads. tops. stool tops, wheels for toys and outdoor . Conover Ihreadboxes made limited quantities GREENLEE TOOL CO. furniture, revolVing storage bms-l uses! Pays for are in 01 ng ht here In rural Ohio. Each one is hand assembled, itself with your first pro ject. finished and tested. Perfonnance is guaranteed. Service Sturdy construction. Will last indefinitely. and parts are only hour.;away. THE WARREN GROUP Here's how Conover threadboxes are also available in kit fonn "CIRC-L-CUT" works: with the same expert engineering features. You WETZLER CLAMP CO. \,.� assemble and finish -and save one-third the cost. O.K., Conover, send me:(Ohio re;idnUs add sales flUl _Threadbox & Tap _complete _ also Cabinet Hardware W @ $49.50 J;'-@ $55.00 1-@$59.5O Ready-to- finish kit Special channel base clamp locks in mitre _ ._ _ (1) Ii-@ $3250 J;'" @ $36.50 r@$39.5O Wood Screws groove for table and band saws, or attaches to wood _ enclosedis 2oS(. Sendme y_our brochureabout surface for radial arm saws. (2) Adjustable pivot pin threadboxes and other u nique Conover hand made is positioned for desired diameter. Work stock tools. Abrasives rotates on pivot pin as you cut. Channel is ______(3) Check or M.a. Mastercharge Visa adjustable In base clamp for large circles. Card __ _ (4) # Exp. Date. Adhesives Support arm keeps work stock level Name______Full IlluSlraled Inslrucllons Included. Only ______$9.99 ______plus $1 .00 shpg. & hdlg. U.S./I. only. Send check or A�res______s __ __ _ For your catalog, send $1 to money order 10: HEPP INDUSTRIES, INC. City State Zip Box A 154. Wanlagh. N.V 11793. Depl. 5- 20. Conover WoodcraftSpecialties 76 Ninth Avenue MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, N.V Res. 7% lax. 18124 MadisonRd., Parkman, OH 44080 (216) 54�5591 New Yo rk, NY 10011

41 Scene (continued)

uity, since Price was active as a plane­ BEAUTY-WOOD DO-IT­ maker from 1942 to 1967. The Norris planes probably dated INDUSTRIESCOMEFOR SOMETH TO THE INGSPECIAL SPECIALISTS from the 1920s and had seen much ser­ Over 80 woods in stock, from pine YOURSELF vice, but were in decent shape. The ver­ and oak, to rosewoods, exotics, and FINE GRANDFATHER tical screw adjustment, patented by solid burls. Others brought in on special request. STARTING UNDER Norris in 1913, also controls lateral ad­ CLOCK KITS Veneer available at shop. justment of the plane iron. It is an in­ Write to: 339 Lakeshore Rd. E. genious device, superior to the mecha­ Mississauga, Ontario Ph. (including movement nisms of most modern planes. The cut­ (416) 278-1299 and dial) ting iron is %6 in. thick, the apparent • $2Factory20 direct prices minimum fo r planes of that era; to­ • Heirloom quality day's are about half that. These planes • Solid 3/", hard­ woods: black wal­ are heavy--about 4 Ib.--andwer e nut, cherry, ma­ manufactured to the highest standards. hogany, oak Lightness is not helpful in a plane, and • Easy to assemble, parts pre-cut a heavy blade reduces the possibility of • Solid brass West chatter. I penciled in 70 pounds next to German chiming movements the one I liked and hoped fo r the best. • Money back I was also drawn to the plated beech guarantee • Prompt shipment braces, but decided to play those by MASTER CHARGE and ear. The exhibition was well attended BANKAMERICARDNISA ACCEPTED both days, with much cautious an­ Write for FREE notating of catalogs. color catalog On Monday morning, the auctioneer mounted his stand at 10:30 A.M. The room was fu ll, with 200 people, some Send $1 for 44 page CLOCK COMPANY Illustrated catalog EMPWORLD'S LARGESTE MANUFAROR®CTURER standing. Attendants held up each lot OF GRANDFATHER CLOCKS with Information de· in turn and bids came quickly. Pres­ sCribing thiS unique Dept. 144 Emperor Industrial Park tool and other line SCXLPTVRE IJJ Fairhope, Alabama 36532 ently, the brass bullnose plane came SSOC'�ATES ' toots for the wood- 114 East 25th Street up. I held my breath. My single bid of carver. New York, NY 10010 50 pounds was quickly swamped, the price spiraled upward, and the plane was knocked down fo r 16 0 pounds. I pulled myself together hastily be­ cause almost immediately came the Price shoulder plane. I was spared any need of bidding because the price

soared to 240 pounds in seconds. The MILL YOUR WOOD WHERE IT FALLS crowd began to understand that there Four precision built, lightweight models single were some high rollers present, two or double chain saw engines. Capable of milling logs on site up to 50" wide, 3/8" to IS" thick and representatives from the new Getty any length. Museum in California. Described in: Popular Science, June, 1978. A pall fe ll over the proceedings. I left James Krenov -Fine Art of 'Cabinet Making. at lunch, hopes not quite iridescent, FOR FREE BROCHURE AND PRICES WRITE TO: and spent the afternoon at the Science TOOLSPERBER WORKS INC. Museum a few blocks away, studying BOX 1224 • WEST CALDWELL. NEW JERSEY . 07006 � (201 )744,61 10 an excellent exhibition on the history of hand and machine tools. I moved about listlessly, dogged by the melan­ Build Your Own Family Heirloom choly thought of returning to Brussels ING CHAIR empty-handed. • Pre-cut do-it-yourself kit. Next morning, I regained my second­ • Quality Hardwoods, Wal­ nut, Maple, Cherry. row seat and bided my time as well as • Pre-sanded, ready-to- one can in a state of anxiety; soon the finish. SQUARE END • All parts,hardware and PLANING Norris plane came up. Bidding opened easy step-by·step direc­ tions furnished (except at 50 pounds, and I was surprised to upholstery). fi nd myself bidding against only one • Money back guarantee. • Full size plans available. Write Lion Miter Trimmer other bidder. The Getty people were • All parts available in­ RR2, Dept. FW9, Windsor VT 05089 dividually. (603) 675·2105 not interested. My opponent ran the ______price up to 80 pounds. Name ______"The bid is to you, sir," the auc­ Write for our FREE brochure. Address tioneer prompted. I bid 85 pounds. PO. BOX/OJ MONTICEl.LO IOWA 52310 ----______The other bidder declined, and the HERiTAGE PHONE ' (3/9) 4'5-3270 J.i P DESIGN plane was mine. I had gone 15 pounds

42 Scene (continued)

over my limit, but triumphantly. Thus emboldened, I bid on a plated uene brace that I had not even marked in the catalog. I got it fo r 50 pounds, then saw an Ibbotson brace I had marked fo r 65 go to the Getty Museum for 130 pounds. Their many purchases in­ cluded a handsaw, c. lS70, fo r OLD FASHION 420 pounds and an 1Sth-century BRANDING IRON YOUR CHOICE UP TO $7.00 Dutch plane fo r 1,100 pounds. Both FIVE 3/8" COPPER Plus 90' had some incised carving, a refine­ LETTERS OR NUMBERS Shipping ADDITIONAL LETTERS OR PUNCTUATIONS ment, presumably, that gave them the From "Artistry in Veneers " ... $1.50 EACH expensive cachet of fo lk art. My final I. MILLER ENTERPRISES B.�autiful v.!neas in more than BOX 772- FW bid was for a cast-iron shoulder plane 80 GR'EAT GIFT MANCHESTER MO. 63011 with a wedge that might have been distinctiw! wood grains, our finest carved by Art Buchwald. It was valued architectural stock, at exceptional at 30 to 40 pounds; I got it fo r 3S. pric,�s. Your precise project needs PROFESSIONAL At the end, I collected my tools and ddivl�fI�d in quantiti,�s as small as a • WOOD FINISHES • said goodbye to Walker and Arnold. singll� l,�af. Also fancy bults, burls, Use what the pro's use The auction had worked out well fo r crotches, and sw irls. Bn'athtaking FREE CATALOG them with every lot sold, a kind of border inlays in your choice of 42 Box 7204 churning operation bound to fu el the designs_ Dyt�d wood veneers, avail­ Madison, Wis. 53707 broad interests of tool collecting and to able in ] 6 magnificent "no fade, AMITY ' no run" colors, to compliment any float prices upward to new levels. The type fi nish! A complet,� line of qual­ MOST COMPLETE SELECTION partners are now operating indepen­ IN CONNECTICUT dently as friendly competitors in ity tools, prof,�ssional services, cor­ 25 SPECIES OF Needham Market. Their stocks , I n�spondence, and n�commendations. HARDWOOD · HARDWOOD PLYWOOD An inventory of mOfl� than million VENEERS · MARINE LUMBER suspect, will be quickly replenished 3 due to their dominant position in the sq. ft. of doml�stic and imported trade. A card to either Roy Arnold (77 v"nel�rs. 100 BLINMAN STREET NEW LONDON. CONN 06320 203-442-5301 G€N€RALVfODDCRAFT High St., Needham Market, Suffo lk "Artistry in Veneers " ... specialists, IP6 SAN, England) or Philip Walker suppliers, and consultants to wood­ (Beck Barn, The Causeway, Needham workers throughout the world! Ball Bearing -190" Sandbelt Market, �uffolk IP6 SBD, England) "Build Your Own" kit, ©plans,Sl60. SPECIAL OFFERING ����: �� so��t� s :: ; will bring information about their cat­ ).'2.:d��years. � (2 models� Sidestroke�� � a $1 2 3 alogs, books and reprints of old Walnut Shorts - savings & String also available) N.C. Roo;"'." MCCall House catalogs. Fast trains leave regularly originally 4011'now only 1&t' per sq . ft. .Id Box 1950'F (random lengths Y. - 2Y.ft .) Weigh���:;;:' di:':.Lenoir, N.C. 28645 from the Liverpool Street Station, mak­ 1 ing Needham Market a comfortable Minimum order 50 sq. ft. Only $8.00 one-day outing from London. Plain Sliced White Oak - a $5Savings PROFESSIONAL TURNING TOOLS American collectors inter ested in originally 30e now only 2011'per sq . ft . Fittings and accessories English and European tools can apply (3 ft . lengths) Minimum order 50 sq. ft. $10.00 Catalog on request to Christie's South Kensington (S5 Old Only PETER CHILD Brompton Rd., London SW7 3JS, Eng­ Plus ...*FREE 64 pg. catalog The Old Hyde, Little Yeldham, land) and Sotheby's & Co. (34-35 New with your first order Halstead, Essex, England. Bond St., London W1A 2AA, Eng­ Please add $3.50 per order for postage land) for subscriptions to sales catalogs handling N. Y. residents add sales tax listing tools. These include bidding & CHEM-TECH T-88 BONDS JOINTS BETTER The finest wood binding epoxy adhesive on the market. fo rms that can be entered by mail. Tool T-88 will cure at temperatures as low as 350 F. without buffs visiting London will also enjoy shrinking. This strong, dur able 1:1 mix wili adhere to moist surfaces and is very easy to use, even if you're inex­ perienced. Clear amber formula forms virtually invisible the tool exhibition at the Science jOints. Waterproof? Absolutely! Special price for initial order only, P.PO. U.S.A. Museum on Exhibition Road (South Pt. 57.20 CHEM·TECH.at. 51 1. Dept.80 K Gal. $ 37.15 Kensington Stop on the London Under­ 466!1landor RDid. Chagrin Fali •. DH 44022 12161 2�770 ground). A few mi les outside of Lon­ don, a large portion of the tool collec­ tion of Raphael Salaman, the famous tool encyclopedist, is on display at the ARTISTRY IN VEN EERS and all the information St. Albans City Museum. 0 you need to make just 1 about anything from Dept. FW 633 M a k an abacus to a Welsh Irving Sloane, besides bei ng an aji"­ ont u Ave., Brooklyn, hutch. You un have hundreds cionado of old tools, is a guitarmaker N.Y. 11208 of popular and hard-to-lind (212) 272-3638 plans. patterns and furniture and the author of several books about designs at your fingertips. Order your Craftplans catalog od making and repairing guitars. His most Send for our new y 75tj· . . . Send 50¢ to: recent book is Making Musical Instru­ 64 page catalog and discover a whole new Craftplans, Rogers, MN 55374 ments (New Yo rk: E.P. Dutton, 1978). world of woodworking.

43 Fine �\\brlcing ______SePtember/ October 1979 Showcase Cabinets The delicate interplay of glass and wood

by James Krenov

t is a puzzle to me why there are not more interesting show­ case cabinets around. Certai nly, living habits don't ex­ c19deI this type of furniture. We do accumulate objects that are pleasing to behold and deserve a nice home of their own. Perhaps too many people have a preconceived, discouraging notion about showcase cabinets. Cabinetmakers may share such prejudices. Or the technical problems of doing doors with thin wood parts and closely fi tted glass may discourage cabinetmakers. I suspect this is so. A way of getting past these problems is to use pretentious, special-effects glass and wild wood in all sorts of bubbly shapes. Interesting, although we may be missing opportun­ ities by not taking advantage of the effects that simple glass set in pleasing facets can create. Work with glass and wood, if it is to succeed, demands great accuracy, patience and a way of conceiving and then doing a piece that is different from what some of us have been involved with. Someone says, "S howcase cabinets do not use enough wood!" This can be true. One is prompted (by mirrors' and such) to forget, or at least to neglect, that this is in fact to be a cabinet, not an aquarium or a bar. At first, I, too, thought showcases were not truly cabinets. Then, because I liked the function of such pieces, I attempted to achieve some sort of balance between the wood and glass as related to the purpose of the piece. The real challenge is the pleasing interplay between you as craftsman and those who will use the showcase. You express something personal-your own version of a concept that is also a certain mood, while making something for someone to use and enjoy. Through usage the piece will achieve fu rther expressions. Whatever mild interest I had in showcases from the outset has increased since then. It needn't always be so. Even a craftsman who tries to make such pieces with an open mind and a sense of the possibilities may conclude that it's not fo r him. Certainly, one of the things we should try to determine as craftsmen is the sort of work that is really fo r us. We are by our nature (the sum total of the traits we have or do not have) either finely tuned, meticulously inclined, or a bit of the op­ posite, the kind of people who do rough-cut, "unorganized" work. In the latter case this type of cabinetmaking is a frustra­ tion. Probably after trying we will then leave it. For those who discover something interesting here, I think such work leads to fu rther discoveries and increased interest. Through one possibility you come to the next, and the next. That's the essential difference in our work between monotony or routine Showcase cabinet, Tas manian blackwood (1 977), 53 in. high, 30 in. and this other thing, which really keeps it alive through the WIde (max.), 10 in. de ep . The curved horizontal rads are la minated years. After all, I hope that some of us, in choosing our craft, from resawn stock. ad finish.

44 Pho(Os: Jame'S Krcnov and B�ngl Carlen are choosing a way to live and work and be happy doing it fo r a long, long time. Generally speaking, there are fo ur basic solutions to show­ case cabinets. Each poses problems and invites variations. There is the flat, one-piece door or two flat doors in the same plane. The second solution is a V- shaped single door or two doors set at an angle to form a V. Another will be one or two doors forming a convex curve. And last, a door or doors mak­ ing a concave curve. It is a personal matter which-if any-has a special appeal. The appeal will probably begin with something visual: One likes the way a V appears, the way light plays on its glass, the idea of related angles and pro­ portions. Or maybe one of the curved doors is more inviting. Its softness, perhaps. At any rate, I believe the first thing that attracts us is visual, whether curve or flat or angled, glass and light as related to wood. After that, we must think in terms of the work entailed in some particular solution we like. We probably should try from the beginning to choose something both possible and worth doing. Besides the idea with the various demands we might fi rst conceive, there are in showcase cabinets an enormous number of details to be discovered; these we can play with and use. Some, of course, ·are directly anchored to the construction we decide on. Others-s\lch as the various sensitive shadings we can use in connection with the doors, or the top and bottom pieces, the thin strips with which we divide the glass-are largely decorative. The center of this kind of work is aesthetic, yes, but it is also the physical relation of wood to glass, the fits we need and how these relate to the various steps of the work. Wall- hung cabinet o/ Ie monwood (1966) has variation 0/ the There is perhaps more organized method in making showcase V-door: two smaller do ors about 60 cm (23 th in .) high. cabinets than in any other kind of cabinetry. The sort and thickness of the glass is to be considered from ing the horizontal and vertical parts of a door in certain rela­ the beginning. Once upon a time we had blown glass with a tions to one another, we can change the proportion of a given greenish or brownish tint; it was alive, the real thing. This is shape or size without changing the size itself, and in so doing now almost impossible to get. The modern imitations of an­ make a door appear to be wider or narrower; higher than it tique glass do not appeal to me, so when I cannot obtain really is or not as high. There are options. Nor do the various blown glass I use ordinary clear glass, about %2 in. (just under parts of such a door need to be flush. There can be inten­ 3 mm) thick. The average thickness of a door I make fo r a tional yet slight differences showcase cabinet that is, say, 16 in. by 30 in. or 24 in. by in the thickness of some 30 in. is usually slightly under % in. members, which will intro- Simply put, flat doors are carefully chosen wood in pleas­ duce little subtleties and ing proportions that belong to a well- balanced piece ; they divide up the elements to make a good fi rst exercise. Curved doors are another and give us proportions within more involved matter. Usually one has to saw the laminates proportions. These divisions fo r the shaped parts and glue these up to the desired thick­ are not for the sake of com- ness on a mold. This is extra work, but it's worth it. I plexity, but because they are wouldn't try to make curved doors cut from a thick plank of pleasant and give us variation solid wood. First, it results in a lot of diagonal or wrong-way instead of a single impres­ grain, which makes the cutting of rabbets or slots fo r glass dif­ sion, something for the eye fi cult and weakens the joints; and second, since it is very hard to play with. And it adds to predict exactly the visible pattern of wood on the pieces challenge in the work, since DD thus sawn, we're apt to end up with an imbalance. such details are worthwhile Once you have an idea for a cabinet and have considered only when neatly done. the practical problems themselves, it is time to think also in With curved doors it is terms of proportion. There are various possibilities with doors best to have the curved parts that may or may not be simple in their construction. By plac- themselves-that is, the top and bottom pieces of the ( This article is excerptedfro m James Krenov 's third book, The door-extending out all the Impractical Cabinetmaker, 1979 by Litton Educational way. Thus the unbroken © Proportions: With the same out­ Publishing, Inc. , to be published this fa ll by Va n Nostrand curve gives us a calm and side measurements, a number of Reinhold Company. His other books are A Cabinetmaker's complete sense of the shape apparent varia tions are possible. Grain patterns Will enhance or di­ Notebook andThe Fine An of Cabinetmaking. of the cabinet; it is not minish the effect.

45 Th e vertical parts of the do or are slig htly Th in wood lay ers glued to a curvedfo rm make the do or rads. Start clamp int at the center and thicker than the la minated curves (top) ; work outward (top left) . To make slots fo r the tenons, design a guide block jor cutting slots that la ter, they wdl be planed to the same curve parallel the curve from a fu ll-size drawing (top right). Us ing a spn'ng clamp to tack the block to (bottom). Th ese small de tads make all the the wood, wt slots with a band saw or a table saw (bottom left , nght) . difference.

"chopped off" by the vertical sides of the door. It is impor­ of glass. Cut them straight grain, and make lots of extras' tant to get this feeling of wholeness, to let the curve have its Think about glass fi t. fu ll intention. In such doors I fi nd that having the sides, top 10) Glue up doors. Prepare everything, study se tup. Dry­ and bottom flushon the outside as well as on the inside clamp first. (Neatness) results in a calmness; it gives the mood that goes best with the 11) Clean all corners. Plane vertical parts of door to curve. soft curved intention of the piece. One should try to accen­ Have plane iron razor sharp, fi ne set. tuate this fe eling in the details of the various other pans. 12) Do machinework fo r overlap fit of doors, angled to suit Think soft .... curve. Watch out! In its principal steps only, the work is apt to be as fo llows: 13) Square doors. Check total width top and bottom when in 1) Concept of the piece, shape and size of door (or doors) right curve-make template or measuring stick-and related to whole. proceed with work on cabinet case. (Lay out position of 2) If curves are part of the concept, mold for laminating. sides, how doors fi t.) Saw and glue up laminates. Be generous with widths. 14) Refit pins fo r glass, make rest of pans (to fi t rabbets and 3) Vertical pans of door: Keep straight, true, and slightly pins) that hold glass in place, drill, countersink. Fit to thicker than laminated (horizontal) pieces. doors using pieces of plywood as thick as the glass, or the 4) Make slot and tenon joints as needed. glass itself.) 5) Dry-clamp, Set up, then plan spacing of pins (vertical 15) Final fi t of doors. Polish and fi nish all door pans bars) to take various widths of glass. Replate these to (handles?). Remove doors. Complete case, fi nish, make position of shelves and whole cabinet as you'd like it. A stand if needed. Go through all details before hanging bit of composing ...take your time' doors for keeps! 6) Lay out and make template (or templates) fo r ro uting The above list, or something like it, would be one of those rabbet in curved pans of doors. Do all this with care! reminders I make fo r myself on a scrap of paper. Since the Have scribe line along inside edge and Stopcuts chiseled various procedures are closely interrelated, it will be difficult at ends. Rout a little at a time. fo r me to give you an exactly parallel description to suit your 7) Assemble doors. Mark for ra bbet in outside pieces and project-we should be together doing the work. As I have groove (or rabbet) in middle ones. Double-check been through it many times by now and am (almost) used to margins as related to machining. Make stopcutS, scribe, the zigzags, it is hard to fo resee what your difficulties, if any, and do all machine work, including bevel on inside of might be. For the time being, you'll just have to ask and, I'm pans having groove. Before reas sembling, plane the in­ sorry to say, try to answer, your own questIOns. ward front edges on vertical door pans to a nicely Choose the wood carefully. Relate the graphics and the rounded shape. color to the intention of the piece as a whole. The choice of 8) Assemble. See that rabbets or grooves meet as they wood can make or break not only a cabinet that is all wood, should. Round edges along curved door fronts. but also a showcase cabinet. Don't fool yourself into thinking 9) Make (shape) and fi t vertical pins to hold separate pieces that with these cabinets the choice of wood is any less impor-

46 tant than with others. Cut the various:layers of laminate for fe rence between right and wrong in spacing these various the door with care, keeping them in a visual relationship to facets of glass is a matter of sensitivity, judgment and ex­ the cabinet shapes. J make them 2 1h mm or 3 mm thick perience. It's an elusive thing. And neither I nor anyone else (roughly 'Is in.); on a door about 20 mm thick there are seven can tell you when you've got it JUSt right. You, yourself, have or eight layers. to feel it. No matter how cautiously we work, there will be deviations To "get it right," even in relation to ourselves, we should along the way. Even at its best, our accuracy is not quite total. experiment with various curves and spacings. I tend to make The laminated door partS will emerge nearly, but not exactly, my curves more tense at the ends; that is, the door is slightly of an even thickness throughout-and they are curved. The less curved along the middle and then tightens toward the other pieces will need to be shaped (hollo wed or rounded) outsides. And after some experiment I have concluded that later on to form the whole smooth curve of the doors. Before the pins (the verticals dividing the glass) need to be closer to­ doing this, however, we must make rabbets and perhaps gether toward the outside of the door and fa rther apart at the grooves in these vertical partS, and do so without going astray. middle. How much and how little depends upon the curve Our objective, you see, is to have all the details coincide at and, of course, how one feels about the shelves that are going the corners; we don't want to chisel and chip and scrape try­ to be in the cabinet. These make a h0rizontal division that is ing to fit glass to wood . To provide a working margin here J not obvious when you have only the door in front of you, so make the vertical pansof the door slightly thicker than the consider that there will be horizontal lines here and that they laminated partS. This gives me the chance to make small ad­ will "shorten" the door somewhat-in the case of a curved justments before machining and to shape these pieces after­ door, they will make it seem wider than it really is. I use thin wards. Actually, the work is not as complicated as it may strips of wood to simulate shelves and tape these onto the in­ sound, though it is necessarily exacting. Once you get the side of the door between the horizontals. I can then move idea, you will discover a certain consistent logic about plan­ them up or down, observing how the "shelves" affect the ning layout and methods. From then on, you can work door, until I arrive at something I believe will be fa irly good . without fu rther accident-pr ovided y,ouachieve the right Someone says, "But I can use glass shelves, and then there amount of concentration. Patience and care at every step are will be no negative effect." That is not always true, although absolutely essential. If you are not set upon such an effort, sometimes glass shelves do work very well. Usually this is perhaps it is better to avoid these cabinets altogether. because the door and the rest of the cabinet do not need Having made the principal partS of our door-whatever the definite horizontal lines to compensate fo r exaggerations or shape-and cut the various joints that are needed, we fi t deficiencies of proportion. them together dry. Now comes the most critical part, the rab­ The cabinet is somehow meant to have glass shelves. In bets in the top and bottom pieces. It is necessary to solve the other cases, with a similar cabinet, shelves of glass may prove problem of rabbets in the horizontals ,before doing those in to be all wrong; one will discover this when one changes from the side pieces. If it is a curved door, we must make a very ex­ glass to wood here. This is a matter of experience, of judging act template of the curve with the various facets. But wai�1 To and observing, which also means experimenting. do this we have to know the locations of the various sections Whether fo r glass or fo r w.ood shelves, I make two or three of glass; their widths and the thickness of the strips that will holes fo r shelf pegs at each of the levels that seem well placed, divide and hold them. This, in turn, should relate to the thus allowing fo r a certain amount of leeway. Another eye shape of the curve we have chosen, the size and proportion of may find a variation in my choice, even better. Let's decide the door. We must now back up a bit, to the point where we on a spacing. And turn to thinking about making the faceted conceived the idea fo r this piece and, with it, the main partS, templates with which to rout the rabbets on the curved hori­ the relationship of the front to the rest of the cabinet. Right zontals of our doors. Plan this so the depth of the rabbets will or wrong, some details could hardly have been more than a be equal at the various corners. (The measurement of this guess. Now, deciding on how the vertical strips, and-behind depth is from the inside of the door.) Do take time now to get them the shelves, will look, we do more than guess. The dif- it as exact as possible. Later our rabbets in the sidepieces (ver-

The vertical stnps (p ins) that separate the pieces of Wall- hung showcase of Swedish maple, 88 cm (3 4Ys in .) high, 56 cm (22 in.) wide, glass are shaped to a tighter curve than the cabinet 18 cm (7 in.) de ep , OIlfi nish. Th e type of shelves, or lack of shelves, changes its effect: /ront. If they simply fo llo wed the curve of the door, at left, with maple shelves, as it was made. Center, the same cabinet without shelves they would appear fla t, being less than Ih. in. wide. seems elongated, Right, with glass shelves. --.. \ ticals) will be made to coincide with these, and this early care we shift from one surface of the clamp block to the other, be­ will pay off then. ing careful not to change its relationship to marks that indi­ Usually I cut the rabbets about three-quarters of the depth cate the positions of pins and rabbet ends. (or thickness) of the door itself. In other words, there is rather We can do likewise with a pair of doors, or else make two little wood at certain parts (depending on the curve and how identical templates, which we handily use without shifting we divide it) of the front edge. The glass is up front in the them on the clamp block: The lower left-hand one is also the door, rather than being set back. I think this gives a sense of upper right-hand one, provided they are really accurate' All lightness; the door appears less thick and therefore less awk­ our planning is from the inside of the door. You will notice in ward. Besides, there is more room behind the glass fo r the the photos that the piece is clamped to the template so the fitted wood pieces that hold it in place. router has access from what corresponds to the inside of the Making one door only, we need a single template, which door part being worked . We concentrate our attention and accuracy where it really . counts-to the way the glass will fit the door. If there are To rout rabbet for glass .. � ... . small differences in the thickness of the wood at the front locate pins .. edge of the rabbet-between the door front and the glass-it �A-A does not really matter all that much; a very slight variation here will bother no one. Granted , however, we do try to get each of our measurements as accurate as possible. Gradually, the relationship of details becomes clear; we coordinate the ...and convert curve to a series of fa cets. Clamp block steps and methods that are important, and we master them. We learn how to plan: where to allow in our measurements, and how much. To do the rabbets neatly, we must prepare the various parts by marking off exactly where each cut is to be made. Mark (while clamped up) the starting and stopping points of each cut, and chisel a notch there to prevent chipping our. Then, if the grain is at all difficult, it is safest to ensure the lower - edge of the cuts with a very fi ne scribe. We do the more complicated horizontal (shaped) pieces of the door fi rst, then dry-clamp and mark accurately fo r the work on the sidepieces. Once the pin sp acing is de termined, convert the curve to a series of Keep the margins as small as possible' With some doors, fla t fa cets fo r the glass and make a router template with which to cut the rabbets. This one, with both Its hal ves alike (it could be in two where one side (toward the middle of the cabinet) is narrow, I parts), is fo r a pair of do ors. Th e clamp support block (seen from machine a groove in stead of a rabbet to meet the adjoining below) is the same one used fo r la minating the stock. Rout with rabbets precisely. And here again the accuracy needed is rela­ several small cuts rather than one larg e bite, to aVOId chipping. tive: An allowance on the inside thickness of this frame part helps us to arrive at a common depth from which to set ex­ actly the table saw or router. With the rabbets done, we can make the vertical strips or pins that will separate the panes of glass. From the beginning it is necessary to know the thickness of the glass we are to use. When we saw or rout the grooves to fit, there is one thing more to remember: The pieces of glass as they meet at these strips will be at a slight angle. The angle corresponds to the various facets making up the door in its curve. Each groove, therefore, needs to be a trifle wider than the thickness of the glass to allow fo r this slight angling. Take this into account, but you should not make the groove sloppy and allow too much fo r the thickness of the glass. Without a proper fi t, the glass is liable to rattle as a car passes outside. Some of you may prefer to cut the various pieces of glass to fir. This isn't easy! Having tried, I now go to my fa vorite Befo re routing , a small stop­ glasmastare , as we call glaziers in Sweden, and have him do it notch is chiseled at the ends of each cut, and the edge of the cut fo r me. Before doing so I make a first assembly of the pins is scn'bed on the vertical parts and the strips that are to hold them in place. Then, using (above). Where two do ors come scraps of thin plywood veneer, I cut slip-ins that correspond together (le ft) , their parts are ap t to be narrow and one can to the exact width of each pane of glass, all of which have a saw or rout a slot instead of a common length, namely the height of the door between rab­ rabbet. Th e frame is then bev­ bets. My glasmastare is very kind and patient; he cuts the eled inward from the slot, to af fo rd a better view. glass extremely accurately. This, in turn, makes my work of fi nal fitting much easier. If you plan to cut the glass yourself, try to do it as neatly as he does; it will pay off later on. I have tried clumsily, with my photos, to show the various

48 Illustration: Christopher Clapp From left to right, top to bottom, ac­ count fo r the angle between the glass panels when routing grooves in the ver­ tical pins, then cut the pins to shape. Their tenons /it cutouts in the beveled stniJS that jill the rabbets in the top and bottom rads. Clamp together and drill fo r the brads that hold everything in place, using thin pieces of plywood to maintain correct spacing.

And now it 's do ne. The glass should jit snugly, so it do esn 't rattle.

steps in fitting the glass and the wood parts that hold it in fore, that special attention to it and its problems is justified. place. There are beveled strips at the sides of the door and When we can make a door on the level of our intentions for shaped pieces in the rabbets, top and bottom, notched to fi t the rest of the cabinet, I believe the chances of success are very the various pins berween the sections of glass. Usually, when I good indeed. make the laminated pans of the door, I make them wider Our showcase cabinet is more than a glassed door or two. than need be and then bandsaw twO or three thin layers off We should be aware of this rather early, so that when we the curved shapes. These I later use to secure the glass. With sketch or draw or otherwise plan the piece with its important such pieces there is no splash grain, and they are neat and front, we think of it in relation to the whole: the degree of easy to work since they already have the shape of the door it­ detail and refinement, the proportions, the amount of the self-I need only trim them to fit the rabbet and then notch back that will be exposed, how the shelves will affect the pro­ them for the pins. I do not use screws here, but prefer brads. portions as well as how they will cast their shadows upon the With these it is easy to remove the glass if need be by care­ back piece itself. fu lly prying up the hold-in pieces. First I drill holes in the Another point: Usually included in our idea of such a piece strips the size of an easy fi t fo r the brads. Then I place the is the way it will be used-on a wall at a certain practical glass in the door together with the various pieces of fi tted height, or perhaps with a stand that should be a pleasing part wood to hold the glass. With a slightly smaller drill, now a of it. Try to get a clear impression of these possibilities. When very tight fit for the brad, I drill through the various pans at a looking at the work during the various stages, imagine (or slight inward angle, making my hole deep enough fo r the simulate) the final way the piece will want to rest. Come as whole brad. I countersink ever so slightly for the head itself. near as you can to reality. This ability to achieve a well­ The brads are small and hardly noticeable, so they do not balanced whole is dependent on observation (which becomes bother us as we view the cabinet. I take it fo r granted that we experience), and it is natural at fi rst to be uncertain. When have tapped and then set them without leaving any marks on thinking of a stand, we may be tempted to imagine curves, the wood. shapes-not just a stand. All right, let your fa ncy go, but Before polishing and setting in the glass fo r keeps, I care­ then allow for some other considerations. How will the stand fu lly fi t the door with its hinges to the cabinet. To allow for serve its purpose, which is to support the case at the most the fact that it will sag a trifle from the weight of the glass, I pleasing height (with the doors open as well as closed)? How make the door fit a bit tightly upward. Then I polish the door will the stand harmonize with the case? Harmony includes and the various strips that will hold the glass in place. If there lines, and also volume; a stand has "weight," just as the case is to be a handle, I fasten this to the door. I fi nish everything does. In reminding you of simplicity and harmony, I don't possible before I put in the clean glass and hang the door. intend to be inhibiting; certainly a person with a mind fo r Trying to describe showcase cabinets, I fi nd myself talking fa ntasy and taste can combine flair and harmony skillfully. mostly about a door or doors and the process of making and A last practical note: In showcases that have curves, the fitting them. It seems a rather dull and one-note description. sides are apt to be set at an angle, which complicates the Actually, a showcase cabinet is much more than a door or joints needed in a strong and well-made stand. I usually make doors, or a glass front with a few objects showing through. these angled joints with spline tenons done neatly on the hor­ Still, the door is usually the most difficult part. I fe el, there- izontal mortiser (that too-often overlooked · machine) . Take

49 time co lay out properly, get all thr angles (Orren and fi ts work, discovering possibilities and satisfactions of their own. snug. Dry-clamp, and then study the stand with the case co­ My attempts are limited; the illustrations here are meant only gether. ...Retur n, and look again. When you decide to glue as a beginning. There is a great deal more co be done than I up, have everything you need, including thr specially fitt ed have even imagined. For those who try this path and then de­ blocks that go with getting such pieces cogether. cide co abandon it, here's a consolation: One can learn some­ I hope and believe some craftsmen will go into this kind of thing about oneself along the way. n

.... Th e two outer pieces, mitered at the middle, fo rm the rest of the rabbet. Note that two thin shims of cardboard are used to raise each piece slightly whde dnlling fo r the stop-nazis. When glued and clamped, with the shim's removed, the miter fi ts tightly together.

Above left, the vertical sidep iece and bottom razl fo r a V-shaped do or. Shading around spline tenon is a slight chamfe r, to trap excess glue. At r:j.ht, the do or is gl ued in only one direction at a time. Th e other hal} is merely set in place dry . Clamping blocks have sand­ paper against door surface, fo r a good grip.

From left to right, top to bottom, stock fo r the middle pin is only '/16 in. wide , so a hardwood stzffener (darker wood) is glued to the back of it. A neat slot is scn"bed and cut in the door rad, then the bevel is hand-planed. Slots fo r the glass are routed and the stzffener is removed Both panes of glass are pushed into their slots in this center pin, then the whole assembly slides into the do or frame from the back, to be held in place by wooden stnjJs as before.

Swedish maple showcase (1965) has a single do or set in a mild V, and measures 86 cm (34 in.) high, 46 cm (18 in.) wide , 19 cm (71h in.) de ep . Od finish.

The honzontal rail fo r a V-sha ped do or is assembled fr om three pieces of wood. Th e inner piece (which fo rms the bottom of the rab­ bet that receives the glass) is bandsawn /rom a single piece of wood. ---- This makes the basic shape without a complex joint. Tapered Sliding Dovetails Router jig and masking-tape shim make for easy fit by Brian Donnelly

or carcase construction the sliding dovetail is a strong, at­ make a slotted plywood jig used in cutting the fe male section, tractive joint. With a router it is also easily made. Its then with a dovetail bit to cut the male section. Both the slot problF em, especially in wide boards of dense hardwoods, is in the plywood jig (and thus the female section it produces) that it tends to bind when being slid home. The solution is to and the male section are given the same taper on one side by taper one side (usually the bottom) of both the male and fe­ way of a masking-tape shim. My method is adaptable for any male sections so the joint is loose until the final inch or so, size work or joint. The bits, bushing and shim specified when firmhand pressure completes the job. To taper a below yield a joint in %-in. stock that tapers from IVt6 in. to sliding dovetail I use a router table, first with a straight bit to % in. over 12 in. Here's how I do it:

1. If you don't already have a router table, rig one as shown: 3. Mark cabinet parts with triangle: Fence /\Top outsideLeft �outside Right

4. Lay out andBottom rout fe male sections on carcase sides, using surface measuring stick, jig, router bushi ng and dovetail bit: plywood.

�' 2. Use router table to make 'I.-in. ply­ �-;;-:r'O::::::'.�!2!l!!:I. . \ wood jig for cutting fe male section: Centerlines on jig and To avoid tearout, place scrap piece Mark top left- hand corner and, --E�H carcase side correspond. where bit will leave work, or shift directly underneath, mark another X. jig and cut Drill "f,.-in. hole in center, 2 in. from end (for use with 7f, .-in. router bushing and 'h.-in. dovetail bit in 3f.-in. thick stock- sizes are adaptable). Coordinating Xs en­ Dovetail router bit, sure that top edge of with bushing guiding Note: For large cuts, A 'I, . " slot is parallel to top against insides of it is best to rout firs t � of carcase side, the slo t, enters work with smaller straight result: level shelves. here. Set depth to bit to remove most 'h. thickness of stock. of the waste. Set fence so that cutting edge of 5. Cut male section of dovetail on router ta ble: straight router bit (smaller than A diameter of hole) just Set dep th of cut from .....j.�=:::;..���TnT touches left-hand female section. Carcase side4) edge of hole. � (cut in step TestPiece Router Fence , table

in. before end of plywood. 2 Lay out male dove tail on test piece with measurements from narrowest ��;�L end of tapered female section. ; Align cutting edge of bit with layout of Flip jigover dovetail. Set fe nce. Cut and check fit with [�::�� ������ test piece before cutting actual stock. Cutting edge of straight bit again just C � touches left-hand edge of hole. Adhere masking-tape shim (same thickness as used to cut jig) to top fa ce of shelf stock ---' high enough to cl ear router bit. Pla ce 4 or 5 pieces of I Feed masking tape on jig to provide Scribe shoulder line with marking gauge to "''I..-in. taper over 12 in. prevent tearout. V c Note: Only top face of shelves (check triangIe Rout slo t tapered on one side, opposite mark, step 3) gets masking- tape shim; bot ­ X. (Taper exaggerated for illustration. ) tom face gets untapered dovetail shoulder, j} no shim.

51 The Haunched Mortise and Tenon How to strengthen the comer joint

by Ian j. Kirby

he most basic of woodworking problems is joining two uninterrupted line at the top shoulder of the joint, you would pieces of wood together at right angles to fo rm a corner. use the sloping haunch. If you don't mind the interrupted TheT most common joint fo r doing this is the mortise and line or if the joint will be concealed, the square haunch is a tenon. We are usually in one of two situations: first, where little easier to make and a little stronger. two pieces of similar thickness are being joined, as in the cor­ The illustrations show the fo rm of the joints, and the eleva­ ner of a door frame (fig. 1); and second, where a third piece tions suggest suitable proportions. I must emphasize here of wood of dissimilar thickness is involved, as in a typical that it is the responsibility of the designer to detail all the table or chair joint between apron and leg (fig. 2). joint dimensions to achieve the visual effect he wants as well When designing these joints, note that the top edge of the as the mechanical strength the structure requires. mortised member-the vertical piece in the illust rations­ The main reason fo r the haunch is strength. Resistance to will be in line with the top edge of the tenoned rail. If you twist is especially improved. If you leave the haunch off alto­ want the finalappearance to be as shown, then the joint must gether (fig. 3), the result is that about a third of the width of be stopped somewhere below the top surface. The usual solu­ the rail is free-floating, with no mechanical bond and no glue tion is to add a haunch, which may be either square or slop­ bond where it needs it the most. If you go to the other ex­ ing. Both variations strengthen the joint and increase the glu­ treme and make a bridle joint, you sacrifice mechanical resis­ ing area, and the basis fo r choice is visual. If you want a clean, tance to downward loading. Although glue is strong in shear

1. Mor tise and tenon between pieces of equal thickness, 2. Mortise and tenon between pieces of unequal thickness, using sloping haunch using square haunch

Section Section through joint through joint

rPlan t Typical corner joint for rectangular frames, paneled cabinet doors.

About 'I.-in. clearance here prevents show-through if too Typical leg-apron join t much wood is removed when for tables and chairs. cleaning up top edge of assembled joint.

Bridle join t has little 3. The reason for a haunch Gap opens here as wood mechanical resistance n expands and contracts. � Join t without haunch -l has too much unsupported or unglued wood. Movement

Movement

52 Illustrarions: Ian ). Kirby and the joint has a great deal of gluing area, the two parts side the haunch. The horn pre­ Short grain on mortise member is quite weak until meet at right angles. This puts considerable strain on the glue vents these unhappy events. Since join t is glued- top of joint line when the wood shrinks and expands, and the condition is glue seals the piston-and-cylinder, may be pushed out if no horn is left. aggravated by the large amount of exposed end grain. In ad­ the viscosity of the glue is also a dition to the forces the object will encounter in use, you must factor. The thicker it is, the more consider seasonal shrinkage and expansion. These can exert slowly you should clamp the joint far greater fo rces than ordinary usage will, although they do together-the excess glue has to go not occur or show themselves for some time. The most com­ somewhere, and it needs a little mon fault in this regard is a gap appearing at the top edge time to flow out of the joint. Im­ shoulder line. agine the dilemma in the days of Section There is a peculiarity of manufacture common to both the hot animal glue: As the glue cools, through joint sloping and square versions of the haunched joint. When cut­ it becomes more viscous and starts ting the wood to length, an extra % in. should be left on the to set, so clamping slowly doesn 't Horn provides end of each piece where a mortise will be made. The wood work. Part of the solution then was temporary should be knifed quite deeply all around at the true length the horn, and it still is. strength. where the top edge of the tenoned piece will be aligned. The The square-haunched mortise extra % in. of wood is left there until the joint is made and the and tenon is marked out as shown glue is cured, whereupon it is sawn off. The extra wood, (figs. 4b, 4c). A longer haunch called a horn (fig. 4a), has the effect of making the mortise be would seem to give more gluing more in the center of the piece of wood than right at the end. area, but it might also allow the While the joint is being made, it helps prevent the wood mortise cheeks to curl away from tissue from splitting beyond the joint. While the joint is be­ the tenon. A haunch shorter than square gives too little glu­ ing glued and c1a�ped together, provided it fits wel l, the ing area. The tenon is sawn in the usual way, being sure to piston-and-cylinder action can very easily crack the wood in leave the shoulder lines fo r last. the area of the haunch. It is also possible, especially on a The mortise is chopped as usual, but only in the fu ll-depth blind joint, fo r a piece of short grain to pop right out along- part of the joint. Remove the waste to accommodate the

4a. layout of square-haunched mortise 4b. Marking out the mortise and tenon, including horn . ".___ Marking gauge scribes length of haunch. f---f---, Set mortise gauge to f--f--+-----'width of chisel, mark ,...... -, ---, sides and top of stock. __ Knife lines L---t- Mark out entire join t first; cut mortise before cutting groove for haunch. Shading shows mortise and end of tenon.

Haunch proportions 4c. Marking out the tenon

1st cut -Mortise-gauge lines Elevation of tenon layout ---,,-, I for cheeks of tenon.

A. Haunch is too long ­ cheeks are lia ble to curl. 4th cut -Knife across for J length of haunch.

3rd cut -Marking-gauge �-+-'k. lines for top edge of tenon. Haunch is too short- 8. Plan of tenon layout I nott-- enough�--�� glue area, ± but better than A. 5th cut -Knife shoulder ­ j lin e deeply. ·��1I 1 2nd cut -Marking-gauge ----­ I lines for bottom rC. Correct---:t-haunch�� is square -=} in pl an. edge of tenon.

53 haunch by placing the workpiece in the vise at a slight angle and cut down the insides of the haunch lines with the tenon More on Mortising saw (fig. 5). Only a fe w inches of the saw can be used, but the method is fast and efficient. Sight across the back of the saw And joining table legs to aprons to make sure it is parallel to the top edge of the wood, and be sure that sharpening has not moved the saw's teeth out of parallel with its back. Once the sides of the haunch groove are by Frank Klausz sawn, remove the waste with the mortise chisel. Place it about halfway down the haunch groove on the end grain and give it a smart tap. Watch out for grain direction, in case it is run­ ning down into the joint and liable to result in more waste re­ here are hundreds of variations on the mortise-and-tenon moved at the joint end than at the horn end. With care, it is joint and many dif ferent ways to make them. The not difficult to keep the haunch groove clean and parallel. methodT and the tools I learned to use as an apprentice in Two points: The groove has to be cut in the horn, which Hungary are different from the English way described by Ian seems a waste of time, but that's how it is. Second, don't try Kirby in the March '79 issue of this magazine. Without say­ to chop the haunch groove the same way as the mortise. It is ing my way is better I will tell you how I make a kitchen table difficult this way to keep the bottom clean and par allel. with mortise-and-tenon joints, out of 3x3 poplar legs with The sloping haunch joint is marked out in the same way as 5/4 pine for the 4-in. apron and fo r the top. the square haunch (fig. 6). At its root, the haunch is usually I disagree with Kirby on the fo llowing points: 1) the shape as long as the tenon is wide-if the joint were sectioned here, of the mortising chisel; 2) the method of sawing the tenon it would look in plan the same as the square haunch. Saw the cheeks; and 3) how to mark out and cut the tenon shoulders. tenon cheeks and ends in the usual way, then saw the slope 1) Kirby corrects his chisels so the sides are parallel and before sawing the shoulders. A common error is to saw the square with the back. For me a chisel with parallel sides is a main tenon and shoulders before the sloping haunch, thereby car without a steering wheel. The sides of my chisels are removing the layout lines. tapered 10 toward the front face as shown in fig. 2. This is The fu ll-depth portion of the mortise is chopped as usual. better because you can twist it against wild grain to keep the Then place the wood in the vise and cut the slope with the mortise straight. The chisel back has to be straight, the edge mortise chisel. There is no measurement one can make to get sharp and the handle large and square with rounded corners the slope right the first time. The normal method is to cut the and rounded top, so it can take a beating. The partially slope short, check the depth at its root and remove the neces­ square handle is easier to steer and sight up-you can get a sary amount. It is very easy to draw the joint showing the good solid grip. To make such a handle I turn it oversize, slope of the haunch coming right to the top of the shoulder mount the chisel, then plane the flats. line. But it should stop short, leaving about � in. of vertical I have three or four different makes of chisels, old ones, in­ shoulder before the slope begins. This allows for over-e·nthu­ cluding a German �-in. stamped O-FLIR Franc Wertheim, a siasm when planing the top edge clean. 0 French %-in. stamped Peugeot Freres Agier Pondu, and a Hungarian blacksmith's made from an old file. These chisels Ian Kirby is director of Hoosuck Design and Woodworking in were made with tapered sides purposely to do mortising. Be­ North Adams, Mass. This is the third in a series of articles on sides being able to steer them, the sides rub less, and the the mortise-and-tenon joint; the previous ins tallments ap ­ clearance helps in levering out the chips. peared in March '79 and May '79. 2) Kirby uses a backsaw for sawing the cheeks of the tenon and he changes the position of the wood several times. I use a

5. Saw down the walls of the haunch ... bowsaw 30 in. long with 5� teeth to the inch, a common rip­ saw. I don't move the wood; I keep it straight upright in the vise at a comf ortable height so I can occasionally check the mortise-gauge line on both sides . Start cutting the corner farther away from you, then come straight back across the end grain and down. Let the saw do the work, don't push it too ... then chisel out the waste. hard. A beginner should practice with scrap wood, marking the whole length and sawing as far as the wood will allow. You end up with 10 or 20 inches of tenon. 3) Kirby makes the shoulder line with a knife, then saws 6. Layout of mortise and tenon with sloping haunch 1/1 6 in. away from it for final paring to the line with a chisel. At its root, the haunch This method requires a master craftsman and extremely sharp �------:::;t--is as long as the tenon is wide. tools, and I beg the be ginner to stay away from it. I use a Slope stops 'k in. short of sharp, soft pencil to mark the shoulders. Then I use a bowsaw the shoulder line. 23 in. long with 10 teeth to the inch. For a table apron I saw right on the pencil line on the inside of the apron and leave half the line on the outside fo r a perfect, invisible joint where it shows. If you're making a frame or a door, you have to cut , both sides the same, either removing both lines, or leaving half of them. Either way, you avoid the unnecessary and dif­ Chisel the sloping haunch after the mortise is cut. ficult step of chiseling the shoulder.

54 Mark out joints Outside corner on all four legs at once. of table leg ---�/

Figure 2 Chopping mortise for haunched 0 tenon Th e completedjo int before assembly. Te non ends are sawn at 45 so they almost meet in the leg mortise.

Making a kitchen table -S tart by cutting and planing the legs to size, ready fo r laying out the joints. Mark the outside corners and line up the legs on the bench. Measure the depth of the apron and mark that distance across all fo ur legs with a square and the sharp, soft pencil. Mark a second line the ac­ tual height of the mortise, leaving at the top of each leg an Chop area fo r the haunch at least one quarter but less than one down ... third of the apron's total width. Turn the legs and mark the ...and break other inside of all four legs with the same mortise and haunch out chips lines (fig. 1). The haunch is very imp ortant; it keeps the �Tr-- apron from twisting. If this were not a table but a frame where the pieces were all the same size, or if it were small and delicate, it would also be important to leave an extra length of wood beyond the mortise, called the horn. This keeps the wood from splitting during mortising and gluing up. Set the mortise gauge spurs to the width of the chisd, in my example, 'h. in. Draw on the leg the thickness of the apron, % in., setting it in from the edge Y4 in. Then move the fe nce on the mortise gauge so the spurs are in the center of square the apron lines and mark the mortise. This sets the apron in from the outside of the leg. If you want a Parsons table, which has legs flush with its apron, you draw the apron outline flush with the outside face of the leg and set the gauge fence to center the mortise in that apron outline. Find a good solid Spot on the bench and clamp the wood down, ready fo r chiseling. Here my method is similar to Chop and pare haunch mortise Kirby's, except I would also chop out for the haunch. Start from the completed mortise and go toward the end of the wood, chopp ing straight down but not too deep. Then come in on the line from the end. If you are a beginner and the in­ side of the mortise seems too rough, you could smooth it out with a patternmaker's rasp, Nicholson No. 50. Make sure you don't round any edges. Figure 3 Now to saw the tenons. Put the fo ur apron pieces on the bench, mark the good side (the outside, which will show) and the bottom edge, and square the shoulder lines all around. Make neat, skinny pencil lines. Mark the haunch and from the actual width of the mortise, reset the mortise gauge and mark the tenon in the center of the apron ends (fig.3). Also mark a scrap for a try piece. Put the try piece upright in the vise, saw in from the far corner then saw all the way down. Saw the shoulders, then try it in the mortise to see how snug Lay all fo ur ap rons on bench, square across fo r shoulder lines. or loose it is. The important fit is the width, not the thick­ then gauge mortise width on ness. How snug should it be? My fa ther taught me, if you use each ap ron.

PholOs: Slaff; Illustrations: B. Mastclli 55 your mallet to bang it together it is too tight, if you use your hat it is too loose, so find themiddle way and push it together by hand. If your scrap piece is too tight, cut away the mortise­ gauge mark; if it is too loose, leave the line on. Make another try piece until you get it right-practice makes the master. Put one pair of aprons upright in the vise at a time, and saw down all fo ur cheek lines-one apron steadies the other and it saves time. Move around and cut down the top of the apron to the haunch, both pieces at once. Now to cut the shoulders, take the wood out of the vise and put it on the bench. To hold the work I have a special stop, which can be made of any hardwood, cut to the dimensions shown in fig. 4. Cut the haunch and then the shoulders using the lO-tooth bowsaw or any fine saw. Saw right on the line on the inside of the piece, turn it over and saw to leave half the line on the outside, the side that will show. Fina lly, you cut the end of each tenon at 45° so they can almost meet inside the mortise. Try the joints together. A beginner can use the rasp to correct the tenon if the joints are too tight. A good joint is rough from the chisel and saw, which makes a good gluing surface. Before gluing, clean all fo ur sides of the leg with a smoothing plane, round off the corners tastefully and sand each side before you rotate the leg to the next. This saves Clamp a pair of ap rons up right in the vise to saw the tenon cheeks. work. Some craftsmen argue about corners. I say you want a Start sawing on the endgrain , at the far side, then lower the saw so it crisp straight line, but fine woodwork has no sharp corners, cuts straight across and do wn to the shoulder line. Move to the side and saw the haunches together. especially the outside corner, which will get kicked and

(continued at tOP of facing page)

Methods of an Old World Cabinetmaker by Rick Mastelli

hen you want to make utility dovetails for a toolchest, few quick strokes cut the half-pins rough cabinet or bin, it's faster and easier to lay them near the left and right edges of the outW by eye and to saw rather than chisel the waste away. The board, the two kerfs converging heart of the procedure is an efficient routine, plus a bowsaw toward him. Each subsequent cut blade that looks like it's been run over by a train. For cabinet­ will be parallel to one or the other. Frank Klausz. maker Frank Klausz, it's no more trouble than nailing and at Klausz says the strongest joint has pins and tails of equal his shop in Bedminster, N. J., even the packing crates are width, despite fine cabinetry's preference fo r slender pins dovetailed. It is a matter of pride: "It shows they come from a with wide tails. Decide what you want, and make the third cabinetmaker. " It is also a matter of experience and training: cut a tail's width away from the half-pin on the left, but "In Hungary kitchen cabinets are dovetailed together. People parallel to the half-pin on the right. Now Klausz's saw take them along when they move, they must hold up." divides the remaining space in half, or in thirds, or in half Klausz's method is for rough work where the goal is a and half again, depending on how many pins he wants. Each strong joint quickly made, not fineness. It is perfect when the of these cuts, always just to the gauged line on the faces of the work will be painted, for in that case he fillsany gaps with a board, is also parallel to the half-pin on the right. Next he paste made of white glue and sawdust, pressed in with a flex­ places the saw between any two parallel cuts to divide the ible putty knife, and smoothed with a belt sander. space into a pin and a tail, the tail being as wide as the single To demonstrate, Klausz cross cutS a length of pine Ix12. tail previously cut. The space to the left of this cut will be the With a marking gauge set to the stock thickn ess, he scribes width of a pin. But before sawing, he aligns the saw with the the tail board on its faces and edges, and the pin board only half-pin cut on the left, then he cuts all the remaining pin on its two faces. He will cut the pins first, but he does not lay sides. Small inconsistencies in spacing or angle do not matter them out beforehand-he judges the angles and spacing by because the tail board will be laid out and sawn to match. eye. Accuracy comes from experience, but to know this can be Now comes the trick. Instead ofchiseling the waste, Klausz done is to be inspired to try it: no ruler, no bevel gauge, no leaves the board upright in the vise and picks up what he calls pencil. The pin board goes upright in the vise, the face that a dovetail cutout saw. It's a 23-in. bowsaw whose %-in. blade will be inside the box toward him. He picks up not a dovetail bends 90° in cross section, the line of the bend fo llowing a saw but a 23-in. bowsaw with a crosscut blade 2-in. wide. A long diagonal from the tips of the first teeth to the top of the (text continued on page 58)

56 Photos; Staff; Illustrations: B. Mastdli knocked round anyway. Office and children's fu rniture should be rounded even more. Next clean the apron with a smoothing plane and sand. The table is ready for gluing. With the mortise-and-tenon joint it is important to put a thin, even coat of glue on the walls of the mortise but not to fill up the mortise. Most beginners use too much glue; on the other hand, most production lines use too little glue because they don't want to fuss with cleaning up afterward. On a big table it is easier to glue the two short ends in pairs, then glue the table together. Clamp with a bar or pipe clamp. Your scrap pieces from cutting off the shoulders are perfect blocks under the clamps so they don't mar the work. Make sure to Glue legs and short ap rons in pairs before gluing long ap rons. check if it is square. The best method is to measure from cor­ ner to corner; it should be the same. 0 Rgure 4 Bench stop

3

Measurements given in inches Simple bench stop, detaIled at nght, holds work fo r sawing haunch and tenon shoulders. Flip stop do wn to get it out oj the way .

I �.::t�Half pin £'s:?nSlde of box , � j +--j J j j Enlarged cross-sections ...... ,, <:; ---. Not to scale � J ?Z= of dovetail cutout sawblade (2f- T -1 �Tail� waste End view- of pin �board ""'71 I j J 114 f--y, I ;: Y,----1-'"'I] IV;(:::I--y,--;;:-'�� -+--Y'---1 -,_'G'l] 11-ly;J�?J..�f-T-1>.Ft�:-o;r;-' f-T-1 '";:J� ,"511 ;:::t;."SJ.1 Il---J-'�Z': \;;:TSt'" 101

Left, Klausz saws the pin sides. He do es not lay these out beforehand, but judges angle and spacing by eye, using the steps detatled at top left. Above, Klausz saws pin-board waste with the do vetail cutout saw. Its bent blade turns honzontally in the vertical kerf, then splits the gauged line that marks the bottom of the tall sockets.

57 Ta il board is markedfr om pin board with a fe w Sawing tarl sides. Klausz do esn 't mark end Dovetat! cutout saw removes the waste; the flicks of the penal, used here fo r the first and grain with a penal line perpendicular to the splinters it raises can be filled with a white­ only time in the procedure. . fa ce, nor do es he tilt the board in the vise . glue-and-sawdust putty. blade two-thirds the way back. The cross section of the last Where fine dovetails are called for, Klausz chisels the waste one-third is flat, at right-angles to the foremost part. in the usual way (Fine Wo odworking, Spring '76), but again To use the cutout saw, Klausz drops the front of the blade, with an economy of motion that makes chips fly. First he where there are no teeth, into the vertical ker f. He pushes demonstrates sharpening; it is another matter of pride that he sharply and the bent teeth cut sideways across the botrom of has taught his apprentices to sharpen their tools well enough the socket between the pins. The first push threads the bend to shave with. Indeed, watching him slide a chisel or plane through the wood as the sawblade twists itself from vertical to iron over his three stones is like watching a barber strop a horizontal. Subsequent strokes, using only the last one-third razor. The coarse, medium and fine stones are mounted on a of the blade, split the gauged line and the waste pops out. In single board, but stepped to provide clearance fo r tool less time than it takes to describe, Klausz has completed the handles. First, some oil-a mixture of three pans kerosene to pin board. A saw like this is not available in America; Klausz one of machine oil, squeezed from a plastic bo ttle. Holding brought his from Hungary, where it is a standard hardware the chisel in his right hand, right index finger and left middle item. The Germans have a backsaw whose blade is similarly finger pressed to the back of the edge, he rocks the blade up bent, fo r the same purpose. The English would use a coping and down to find the flat of the bevel. Wrist and fo rearms saw, as I did when trying the method myself. locked, he moves from the shoulders, ru bbing the bevel in With the tail board flat on the bench, the surface that will smooth, qu ick circles. With the merest pause, he flips the be inside the box facing up, Klausz stands the newly cut pins blade onto its back and draws it along the stone. Then he in position and traces their outlines with a pencil. Then he flips it again, reassumes the bevel angle, and draws it toward puts the tail board upright in the vise, inside face toward him again. Flip, draw, flip, draw, from back to bevel, over him, and with his big saw splits the pencil lines just down to and over, occasionally pausing to test the edge with his the gauge line. He does not stop to square any lines across the thumb. When he's done, a half-minute later, he proves the end grain; eye and hand can guide the saw well enough. The edge by shaving a patch of forearm. A barber with lather dovetail cutout saw again re­ could do no better. Klausz recalls that his father one evening moves the waste between the returned from the local beerhouse having wagered he could tails, and he lops off the shave using cold, soapless water and a plane iron sharpened waste at the edges where the by 15-year-old Frank. Father won the bet. half-pins will fit. Now out of Klausz saws the sides of another set of pins and lays the the vise and onto the bench board on the bench to demonstrate chopping the waste. He to push the joint together. stands the chisel just ahead of the gauge line, bevel toward Six pins, five tails, in about the end of the wood, and taps. The bev el, sinking into the three minutes. wood, drives the back of the chisel up to the line. Starting

Chiseling the waste

Repeat strokes a and b un til board is cut KlaztSz 's three stones are mounted on one board. steppedfro m coarse to fine to provide clearance halfwa y through ... fo r the handle of the chisel or the held end of the plane iron. then tap end grain to remove waste.

58 right in the line would drive the edge too far back, causing a gap in the joint. Next he tilts the chisel away from him about Production Probletn 45° and shifts the edge halfway toward the end of the board. Tap, and a wedge of wood pops out. He alternates the M g hundreds of square frames upright with the tilted position until halfway through, takes a akin quick tap on the end grain to lift out the remaining waste, flips the board over and completes the job. Concentrating on by Henry Jones the area in front of the gauge line where the waste is attached, and chiseling the end grain only once avoids wasted motion as well as torn grain at the bottom of the socket. To round out an afternoon of demonstrations, Klausz lifts ot long ago in this magazine the distinction was made a 5-ft. frame saw from its hook over the archway that separ­ between operations of risk and operations of certainty ates office from shop. The 4-in. wide blade from his father's (FineN Wo odworking, Nov. '78, pp. 24- 27). Those of us who shop in Hungary is newly mounted in a frame of pine and produce wood objects in some quantity must, of necessity, be padauk. Klausz recalls that as boys he and his brother, John, concerned with the latter. More than tnat we must be inven­ spent Sunday afternoons on opposite ends of this saw, resaw­ tors, even Rube Goldbergs, in a continuous quest for easier, ing. The brother, who now works in the furniture industry in faster, surer methods. A set of operations that turns out a Hungary, happens to be vacationing in America and today product in the fewest minutes without compromising design has been finishing repair jobs. Klausz stands a 4/4 piece of or quality is the key to profits, even small ones. figured walnut, lO-in. wide, in his bench vise, and calls across Recently we went to work on the problem of making frames the shop. "Come, John, fo r old time's sake." In a moment by the hundred: plain, ordinary frames such as you might re­ the old rhythms are back and the two men are sweating in quire fo r a mirror or picture, a small glass showcase, or-our unison. Two-thirds of the way down the walnut they stop to particular application-a stool/ table with a panel top. We turn it end-for-end in the vise. A few more long strokes and have developed a method that allows us to get the job done it's done. Klausz displays the figured wood, now book­ fairly rapidly, but it leaves something to be desired. We matched, and spots a small discrepancy on his brother's side suspect that other readers have devised better ways and will of the line: "Look, you went off. " They laugh. think our method slow, even naive. Perhaps they will deluge When he came to this country eleven years ago, Klausz had the editors with mail. What we would like to see is more ar­ already completed his training as a master cabinetmaker. ticles on methods and tooling fo r small production shops. Most of the people he knew-from school, at work-were Here are the details of the frame problem and our solution: skilled craftsmen; cabinetmaking has been his family's occu­ We produce square frames using hardwood 2x2s 16 in. long pation for generations. Finding he was not learning much in in batches of 100. That means cutting 800 ends, setting up the millwork and furniture shops where he first fo und �ork fo ur pieces at a time, gluing and clamping them, allowing here, he decided seven years ago to go into business fo r him­ time for the glue to set and removing the clamps. The assem­ self. Now 38, he employs two apprentices, one journeyman, bled frame must fit over other jigs fo r routing and shaping. and takes on no new customers. Mainly he rebuilds and Thus, each fr ame must vary less than '/3 2 in. in dimension, reproduces antiques, though he does construct original pieces squareness, twist of stock, too, usually in his favorite Queen Anne style. The big frame flatness or any combination, saw is not just fo r display; when a piece calls fo r hand-sawn or the frame won't fit over lumber, he uses it. For Klausz the long tradition of Old the subsequent ji gs or will World craftsmanship is still current. Its practiced rou­ rattle loosely on them. We tines-how to position the stock in the vise or on the bench, held the dimensions within how to hold the tool and apply it to the wood, what to do first about \\;4in. on all but five and what next-are the difference between skill and fum­ frames of the fi rst hundred . bling. It is not the magician or the superman who produces After experimenting we clean dovetail joints in deft moments, but the craftsman. D chose a plain miter joint with a corner block added later because, first, we could con­ trol length to within a few thousandths of an inch; sec­ ond, we could apply glue quickly to the flat mit ers; and third, the joint would look good after we put a I-in. radius on the corners. The glue block strengthens the frame (yet is hidden by the panel that fits into the frame) and enlarges the area against which a hanger-bolt Photo (top) shows sp ot fa ce on which le top is seated Hanger­ and nut draw the leg top. g Frank Klausz and brother John resaw 414 waln ut board 'fo r old bolt and nut (bottom) draw leg time's sake. ' What seemed simple next onto frame and glue block.

59 was to build a jig to clamp the four pieces in position so the square installed on the base, the cycle can be repeated. When glue could set. The jig had to be quick to load, each piece be­ all 16 frames are glued up, they are left to dry while other op­ ing automatically positioned, and the clamps had to bring erations are performed. After two hours, remove the rubber the pieces into intimate contact fo r a strong, tight joint. It band and the central square, rewax the squares and clean the had to be accurate yet able to cope with a frame of four frames for the next operations-routing, shaping and sand­ pieces, each of which might vary as much as .004 in. in ing-before applying the corner blocks. length. We decided on an epoxy glue, WEST (see p. 33), In summary, with enough central squares, one worker which penetrates the wood, remains slightly flexibleand sets could assemble 100 frames in less than a day, mixing glue, hard enough in two hours to permit the clamps to be re­ buttering ends, loading and unloading the jig, removing ex­ moved. Whoops! That's 200 hours just waiting fo r the glue to cess glue, stripping the frames of rubber band and central set, five weeks of eight-hour days. Economics demanded that square, stacking dry frames and taking coffee breaks. But the gluing take no more than three or four minutes. Okay, build time to cut and install the corner blocks must be added before 25 jigs. But what would that cost? If there were a glue that set the joint is complete. Since we run only 100 frames at a time, in one or two minutes, assembly would require only two jigs, production time works out to more than two days-adding but the timing would be tricky. time fo r the operator to set up the jig, get his rhythm going Finally we hit upon a Novaply (high-density particle board) and up to speed, then to clean up and put it all away. Our ac­ base with three pins in its center to locate a removable Nova­ tual time fo r making 100 frames is about 14 hours, or about ply square. A lever-action cam clamp is mounted on the base 8¥2 minutes per frame, not counting the 12 hours fo r drying opposite the midpoint of each side of the square. We quickly (when done in 6 batches of 16, the optimum number fo r our made 16 of the removable central squares all exactly the same jig considering WEST epoxy's open-assembly time). While with an accurately set radial arm saw, and waxed the corners the glue is drying, many of these and other operations can be where there would be contact with glue squeezed out from performed on units that are not drying. We find that the total the frame joints. Thus we can glue up one-sixth of the entire time breaks down as fo llows: About one-quarter of the time is batch of 100 frames at once. Line up 64 of the mitered sticks, spent cutting and deburring the miters, one-q uarter gluing their ends overhanging the bench edge. One or two strokes up at the jig, one-eighth stripping the dry frames of the rub­ with a small roller carrying epoxy glue butters one end of the ber band and central square, and three-eighths cutting and whole batch. Turn the sticks and butter the other ends. To set applying the corner blocks. This means that the clamping-jig up the jig, install a square over the three locating pins, place operation time averages out to two minutes per frame. four sticks around the square and close the clamps. Because The weak points of the method are that the tolerances the clamp pads are only 6 in. long and 1 in. high, most of the sometimes add up unfavorably and we get an out-of-square edges of the frames remain exposed. A large, powerful rubber frame or one that is not quite flat. Our clamps are not quite band stretched around the frame holds it snugly against the powerful enough to make the glueline as inconspicuous as we central square, so the clamps can be released and the frame would like it to be. In spite of this, tests have shown the joint with the square moved to a flat drying bench. With another to be very strong.

Frame-clamping jig Removable panel (one of 16) stays with each frame after removal from jig .

Clamp pad pivots to stay in pOSitIOn, Eccentric cam pro vides pressure with flexes to conform to frame and spreads 'la-in. rise in about 150°. load of cam.

60 Photos: Sraff; JIIusrrarion: Christoph�r Clapp 1. Butten'ng mitered ends with epoxy glue. 2. Pla cing central square over locating pins. 3. Load ing Jig with frame parts.

6. Removing frame, central-square, rubber­ band a.rsembly to drying bench. Jones uses re­ 4. Tightening cam clamps. 5. Stretching rubber band over frame edge. movable handle for gnp on assembly.

7. After frames are routed and shaped, 8. Th e finishedparts and the assembled stoolf table. Central section, not a structural member. is Jones applies comer blocks, using go-bars. eastfy pushed up and flipped over to change inlaid table into upholstered stool.

We have had no trouble with our miters and expect none we think important) point of furniture design that is rarely fo r several reasons. We are joining 2x2s only 16 in. long. Thus mentioned directly: One reason to start with very dry wood is we have a large gluing area, a relatively short glueline (after that one can design more successfully to withstand compres­ shaping) and no long levers. Since each joint is supported di­ sion than tension at the glue joint. If the wood shrinks, it's rectly underneath with a leg, racking is minimized. Our cor­ hard to keep it from splitting, but wood can withstand a lot ner blocks are small and have less than l,ll in. nipped off their of compression before the fibers are detrimentally crushed. apexes so they run right to the joint corner, adding glue area Our joints remain tight and strong for these reasons. but not acting as large fulcrums to open the joint. The pene­ Our jig can easily be modified to handle frames of various trating, flexible epoxy we use is superior, we believe, to sizes. All that is required are central squares (or rectangles) animal glues in present-day heated houses, to yellow glues on equal to the inside dimensions of the frames to be made, and end grain and to plastic resin glues, which are brittle. We al­ cam clamps, which instead of being fixed to the jig base, are low time for the epoxy to penetrate by buttering many joint mounted on individual, movable sub-bases. Locating pins in faces at a time, and we apply enough so that some oozes OUt the bottom of these sub-bases could fit into rows of holes all around. Visual inspection of dismembered joints have re­ drilled in the jig base from near the center to the base sides. vealed they have not been sucked dry. As to the wood we use, Still the method seems more complicated than need be. it is very dry mahogany (about 8% moisture content) so that And a very good jig should produce cleaner joints. There we can expect no significant permanent shrinkage. Expansion must be a faster and easier way to glue up large numbers of will be the first result of climatic change, and relaxation of simple frames with fine, strong joints. 0 this pressure instead of tension will be the result of the next climatic season. Actually this last does not affect miters as Henry jones, 56, is an industrial designer who now operates much as right-angle grain joints, but it brings up a small (and his own small production shop in Vineyard Haven, Mass.

61 Drop-Leaf and Gate-Leg Tables Graceful proportions make all the difference by Simon Watts

"T'1ables with hinged leaves have been made in America fo r overturn when used with only one leaf up. If the table plus .1at least 300 years, although no surviving examples date leaves is much wider than about 44 in., it will look bulky back to bef ore about 1700. The early tables were often used unless it is made too long for the average dining room. A in taverns and, when not in use, could be pushed back table 61f2 ft. long seats eight comfortably. against the wall to make more floor space. The fi rst drop-leaf The leaves do not have to be rectangular; they can be tables had a square edge between the leaf and the top-sim­ curved on the long side, with the slight disadvantage of re­ ple but crude. The barrel of the iron hinge was left exposed ducing the space available at the end. I don't like oval-shaped and there was a substantial gap when the leaf was down. drop-leaf tables because the curve crossing the rule joint Later tables had a 45° makes part of the joint project in an unsightly way. Leaves can angle cut in the lower edge of also drop from the ends of the table instead of from the side, each board, with the hinge although it is difficult to gain enough length fo r a whole set in from the underside. At place-setting without embracing a leg between one's knees. some point an unidentified The table shown in the photos and drawing was made fo r a genius invented the rule family with three small children. I suggested putting a radius joint. This elegant detail on the corners but the parents decided that would detract allows the hinge to be con­ from its appearance so the corners were left square. By now all cealed completely. Special three children have met a corner head-on, and one required steel table hinges are now stitches. I think a furniture maker is obliged to point out this made that have one leaf kind of hazard, but should not insist on doing it his way. longer than the other. This The choice of wood and the boards selected fo r the leaves longer leaf is attached to the are important. This is because the drop leaves are not re­ table leaf; the shorter leaf is attached to the tabletop. I rout a strained, except along their top edges, and if they cup or twist shon recess fo r the barrel of the hinge but there is no need to there is no structure to prevent them from doing so. For this set the whole hinge into the wood. It's just extra work, and reason I use a very stable wood, such as mahogany, and try to results in making the hinge more visible when the leaf is use boards whose annual rings run nearly at right angles to down. The mating edge profiles are best cut with a router, the surface (vertical gr ain). The leaves have to look good although originally molding planes were used. In my ex­ when down and shou ld match the top and each other when perience it is a mistake to make the joint too snug because up. Ideally, one ought to make leaves and top out of boards crumbs and other debris tend to get jammed in it. cut from the same tree. The leaves of early tables were supported by slides or swing­ Top and bottom surfaces of the leaves must be finished in ing brackets, but when larger tables with wider leaves were exactly the same way. Othetwise, the side of the wood with made, a swinging leg became necessary. These bec�me known less finish will pick up moisture or dry out more readily than as " gate-leg" tables. For convenience I will call the first kind a the other, and the leaf will cup. drop-leaf and the second a gate-leg. The leaves of a drop-leaf table should not be narrower than EDITOR'S NOTE: For another version of the gate-leg table, see Fine Woodworking , Summer For other ways of making tables that about half the width of the top. I usually make the top 18 in. '76. enlarge, see "Expanding Tables," Spring '77, "Gaming Tables," to 22 in. wide and the leaves 10 in. to 12 in. If the table is Fall '77, and "Designing for Dining," Win ter '77. For Parsons much narrower the legs get so close together that it might tables, see Summer '78.

Th e drop-leaf table shown in the plan dra wing on the next page, has ported by fo ur hinges-a pair near the ends, and a pair inboard of routed rule jo ints, (de tad at ng ht). Each leaf of the table is sup- the slide supports. There must be enough knee room for people to sit at the look of these tables more than drooping leaves. I put a small ends of the table. My experience is that a top-to-apron over­ blocking piece between the slide and the underside of the hang of between one-fifth and one-sixth the length of the tabletop. This angles the slide up very slightly, and with a bit table accomplishes this and also looks right. The amount of of adjustment the leaf can be made to lie dead level. If the taper of the legs is also important. Too much taper and the leaves do begin to droop due to wear, the blocking piece can table looks nervous-as if it were about to get up and walk easily be replaced with one slightly thicker. away. Too little taper and the whole piece begins to look Some people make drop-leaf tables with a hinged bracket clumsy. There are no rules except that what looks right gener­ to support the leaf. This is not good practice because it strains ally is righ t. I always put a substantial chamfer around the the hinges and twists the apron. The strength of the table is bottom end of the legs where they meet the fl oor, especially if in the joints between the aprons and the legs, so these must the piece is too heavy to lift. Furniture always gets dragged fit well and be properly proportioned. I use a haunched tenon around and the legs eventually wear down. If there is little or joint and offset the mortises. The tenons should not meet in­ no chamfer the legs can splinter. side the leg. If they do they seriously weaken the joint, which The most difficult detail on a drop-leaf table is designing can then be split out by an accidental kick. the-- slides-- so they-- will support-- the leaves. Nothing spoils the The top is attached to the base with steel tabletop fasteners �� 1=3 -��1 ------72------�·�1 Top view of detail A-Apron. leg. Slid :-r-2

Detail C ��

,, Reverse plan :: '3}'. Drill and countersink Drop-leaf table 1t-...... :�==�7 =t/1'::;:tT-;¢;;2Y.-'-, min. Elevation of detail� C­ Detail B '- y, Slide support bracket f======l g:- ! 19'y. ------i . � ) 4 I "I 12 == == l f lt\ Detail B�Rulejoint

� End '/. square Measurements given in inches -j r-

Photograph of a drop -leaf table, taken fr om below, left, shows slides when the leafis up . Tw o vanations ofthe drop-leaf table, center and and the support bracket. A brass pin in the slide stops its travel nght: leaf with curved edge, and leaves that are hung fr om the ends against the bracket when the leaf is do wn, and against the ap ron of the table. that fit in a groove or sawcut think this reduces the possibility of the leaf curling if it is ex­ around the inside of the posed to the heat from a stove or radiator. If possible, choose apron. They can ea sily be vertical-grain stock. made in wood but the grain The boards to be joined should not have any twist or wind must run at right angles to as this cannot be taken out by clamping. However, a bowed the lip. The apron should board can usually be straightened by putting it between two never be screwed or glued straight pieces or by pairing it with a board bowed in the op­ directly to the top, as this posite direction. Mating edges can be planed by hand with a Th e top can be attached to the would pr event movement long jointing plane or a power jointer. When using a power ap rons with metal clips or with between the two caused by jointer, run the boards alternating their faces against the wooden buttons. Either de vice is screwed to the tabletop and changes in humidity. fence. Any errors (due to the fe nce not being precisely at right engages a saw kerf running The gate-leg or swinging angles to the bed) will cancel, not accumulate. It is good along the inside of the ap ron. leg has many similarities. policy to plane the boards with a slight hollow (less than %I in. Since the open leaf is supported by a leg and not by a slide, over 72 in.) so that their ends are pressed together and there is the middle section can be much narrower than the middle of less chance of a joint opening under seasonal movement. On a drop-leaf. This way a table that is rather large when open no account should there be any camber. can be put against the wall when not in use, occupying very I always glue up stock on edge vertically, holding the bot­ little floor space. However, if you make the middle section tom board in a vise or standing it on sawhorses. If you try and less than about 12 in. wide, the table is liable to get knocked do it on the flat the glue always runs down to the lower edge over when both leaves are down. The maximum depth of leaf and you get a starved joint. I also dowel with %-in. by 2-in. fo r a table of standard height (28� in.) is about 25 in. Any hardwood pins on 8-in. centers to keep the edges from sliding deeper and the bottom edge gets too close to the floor and on each other when clamping pressure is applied. Of course will be kicked. The shape of the top can be square, rectangu­ some use a spline for the same reason, but unless its groove is lar, round or oval, but if the length is more than about 60 in. stopped near the ends, it will show. a second gate is desirable, which interferes with seating. It Before gluing, the boards should be set up dry in final se­ also makes for a heavy leaf, awkward for one person to lift. quence. They should be placed on each other vertically and The rule joint is the same but because the leaf is deeper the should sit fair without any rocking. Check one side with a choice of wood is more crucial. If a single wide board cannot straightedge to be sure the surface is flat, then mark and drill be fo und, a number of narrower boards will have to be the dowel positions. A quick way to close up the joints before joined. Opinions vary, but my own feeling is that the heart side and the sap side of adjacent pieces should alternate. I Simon Wa tts makes fu rniture in Putney, Vt.

�I ;.=====_2_6_TJT"I"__IT" · ,.--,9_Y,�_+T--_-_ -_-_-_-_2_6���_-_�-....,..j·1 Measurements given in inches

Bridle Wooden hinges 3y r Mortise and tenon 4Y� H2Y2 End

Gate-leg table

Detail of hinge layout 44

Cut chamfers Reverse plan Alternative corner and rasp round --J� y, min. =:; before setting out fingers.

64 Designed by Simon Waas; Redrawn by Bob Crosby Gate-leg table in op en and closedpositi ons, as shown in the drawing on page 64. Th e gate-leg pn'nciple can also be applie d to the more con­ ventionalleg-and-apron understructure, by adding a low rail between the legs where the gate can attach. putting on clamps is to stand the whole assembly on the points to the sides of the wood and square across. Now add bench, pick up one end and then drop it-hard. Then pick pencil lines where the circle runs out on the faces and ends. up the other end and drop it too. It makes an awful racket The lines mark the point where no wood will be removed. but is far quicker than winding up the clamps one by one. The layout completed, I saw the chamfers and the bulk of The clamps should be alternated from ftont to back of the the waste with the table saw set at 45·, then finish the rounds assembly, and if the wood is not to be replaned, slip waxed with a rasp and sandpaper. Divide the width of the wood into paper or plastic under them to avoid staining the wood. A fo ur or five fingers, saw in on the waste side of the lines, and clamp over every dowel is good practice, and always put one chisel out the waste from both sides, just as fo r dovetails. You at each end. Bar clamps are rigid but pipe clamps, if threaded can get at the inner hollow on the ends with an in-cannel at each end, can be made up with couplings to any length re­ gouge, but between the fingers the waste has to be removed quired. I like to keep some of each, but bar clamps over 6 ft . with a chisel, bevel downward. Finally, fit the joint together long are unwieldy. There should always be plenty of glue and drill through both pieces at once for the pin. I usually use squeezing out of the joints, but beware of too much a brass pin, peened over at both ends so it can't fall out. pressure-you can squeeze out too much and starve the joint. Make the end pieces of the table by cutting a board in half The traditional wooden hinge can be mastered by anyone lengthwise; then bandsaw the waste and fi nally dowel and re­ with a bit of patience who is willing to make one or two prac­ join the two halves. A saber saw or a small frame saw could tice sets. This example pivots thr ough 180·, but it can be make the cutouts without splitting the board, but the finish­ stopped anywhere by varying the chamfer behind the knuckle ing tends to be tedious. The frames and gates can be left itself. Square up the stock, then lay out the joint by gauging square, chamfered or radiused. I prefer some rounding. the stock thickness all around the ends of both pieces. Draw Any dry, reasonably stable hardwood can be used fo r these in the diagonals on both edges, to locate the center of pivot, tables. I like walnut, cherry, teak and mahogany. I don 't and with dividers scribe the circular shape. The circle crosses think they look as good when made out of blond woods such the diagonal at the bottom of the chamfer; extend these as oak or maple, but that's just an opinion. 0

The materials bill for each clamp is an 8-ft. or 10-ft. utility stud Cheap clamps crosscut in half, a foot of I-in. hardwood dowel, and some scrap for I don't like pipe clamps because the pipes bend under load and mar cleats, blocks and wedges. Avoid twisted 2x4s, although a little bow the work. I can't afford long bar clamps, so I make the 2x4-and­ doesn't matter. Make the wedges about 12 in. long, tapering about folding-wedge clamps shown in the drawing below. 1 in. over 9 in., fo r slow, firm squeeze. Keep the dowel holes about 6 in. apart and span intermediate widths by adding spacer blocks be­ tween cleat and wedges. I usually take the clamps apart and use half of each as an assembly bed, then put them together right around the work. Add blocks until the narrow end of both wedges just fits the 1-'--"""'"0 space, then drive the wedges in together. Keep the joints in line by o putting hand-screws across them at the ends, and fi ne-tune with smaller wedges driven between the clamps and the tabletop. ._._.0_._ - -Larry Green G o ------� 0 , �Wedge Side view Front view

65 Making the Rule Joint With hand tools, the processis as important as the product by Alasdair G.B. Wa llace

hile inspecting repairs being made to the roof of his vil­ Y4 -in. panels. The sense of pride and accomplishment in the lage church, the vicar was puzzled to see that an old finished product was directly related to the time and effort woodcarverW was putting the finishing touches to an elabo­ expended in completing the task. rately carved angel's face. To the question of why such beauty I continue in the manual tradition today because for me should be located where nobody would ever see it, the crafts­ the process continues to be of greater importance than the man replied that both he and God knew it was there. I product. Today's machinist will argue that leaving no traces recently was reminded of this story when a customer re­ of the saw, planer and shaper attests to his mastery of the quested that I sign a butternut chest I had made. It occurred tools and the care with which they were programmed. This is to me that whatever task we undertake, the fi nished product true. But machines, whether television or router, destroy the is in itself the quintessence of the craftman's signature. sensations of wonder, joy and accomplishment. The table In this age of mass production, personal signature has saw's wail, the san der's whine, the router's scream deny a become the exception rather than the rule. The development subtler, finer music and remove the woodworker from the and improvement of the tools of mass production have less­ personality of his medium. To submit to the machine denies ened the need fo r skills. Haste has become our byword, con­ the sensuous process so esse ntial to the woodshop, and the venience our creed. The product has become more important work shows no trace of the craftsman, his tools, his labor. than the process, and in the transition, something of inesti­ Wood is not homogeneous. Why then use a machine that by mable value has been lost. its very nature seeks to create a uniform product? Beauty lies Unlike steel or plastic, no two pieces of wood are identical. in diversity, not uniformity. Hear the varying song of the Species, age, moisture content, cut, grain configuration, knot plane as it skims oak, walnut or pine, the crunch of the placement all contribute to the character of each piece and chisel's edge cutting to the dovetail's line. Savor the per­ demand individual treatment. The proliferation of plywoods, fumes of the crosscut in cherry, maple and elm. chipboard and cheap veneers and the abhorrence of faults, It is important to realize at the outset that the mass­ knots and unusual grain pattern by those involved in mass produced product and the handcrafted product do not com­ production have almost obscured the diversity and bea�ty of pete in the same marketplace. Whereas the mass-produced this warm, venerable and versatile medium. product frequently assumes its market either ignorant or in­ At Rendcomb College in England, my passion for manual different in terms of design and function-the short-range processes stemmed from necessity. There were no power tools. goal manifest in the stapled-drawer syndrome-the hand­ A visionary headmaster, when questioned by a student about crafted product usually assumes a market aware and ap­ purchasing a table saw for the workshop, replied that ripping preciative of fo rm, function and signature. The onus is on by hand was good for the soul. I still remember many hours today's craftsmen to educate the public, to demonstrate the of pumping a treadle lathe and hand-planing %-in. oak fo r superiority of their products. The creations of today's finest artists, such as David Brown, James Purdey, James Krenov (see page 44), will continue to be prized fo r their design ex­ cellence and fo r the personal signature they incorporate in an age of anonymous machines. Two arguments will be posed by those who advocate ma­ chines to the exclusion of manual processes. The first is that the machine, once progr ammed, is labor-economical. One worker operating one or several machines will outperform one manual worker in quantity and uniformity of product. If effi- ciency is measured solely in these terms, the argument is ir­ refutable. The human price of such economy, however, exacts a ter­ rible toll. Equally pervasive is the argument that a relatively unskilled Wa llace 's Jacobean table, worker can, with the 0/ oak, open and closed. flick of a swit ch, in-

66 Photos: AlasdairG.B. Wallacr mate a series of complex operations that result in a sophisticated product. This ease is, however, anathema to craftsmanship. The craftsman's skill is acquir ed through lengthy apprenticeship, exposure to many aspects of the art and hours of exacting labor. Practice may not make perfect, but it probably does result in continued development, both personal and functi onal. When deciding whether to purchase hand tools, machines or a combination, the craftsman should bear in mind that anything that can be produced by machine can also be pro­ duced by hand. Space is probably of greater concern to the amateur than to the professional. The home workshop simply cannot accommodate all the larger machines-table saw, radial-arm saw, drill press, planer, jointer, lathe, band saw. To ols fo r making rulejo ints include (clockwise /rom toP) molding For most amateurs, table saw and lathe commonly take pref­ plane, Stanley 45, marking gauge and scratch beader with matched erence, together with a selection of smaller power tools such cutters. Wallace also uses a rabbet plane, not shown. as drill, sander or router. Krenov's observation that there is little point in ripping up the rough stock by hand and doing a vast amount of preparatory work with much effort is well taken. Hi s apprenticeship served, he prefers to devote his skills to delicate detail imparted by hand. This is the essence of the craftsman-the judicious use of a few carefully selected machines to rough out the work. Elizabethan craftsmen of necessity employed the same principle: The pit sawyers sup­ plied the boards; the craftsmen smoothed them, shaped Side them and signed them with their hands. Of equal concern to most craftsmen is cost. As an amateur I cannot realistically contemplate the cost of a multiplicity of A machines that would enable me to perform tasks I can already perform by hand. To submit to the machine would deny me the hinge pin as their center, you can see that the radius of the joy of creating with my hands, and would largely negate the leaf arc is very slightly larger than that of the top. In the sense of accomplishment. In R.L. Stevenson's words, "to laying out the joint, however, it is more practical to assume a travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true common radius and sand to a perfect fit prior to finishing. success is to labor. " To work the joint you'll need a multiplane or rabbet plane, Hence my preference fo r hand tools. Using my grand­ a small round molding plane or a gouge, and a homemade fa ther's Stanley 45 and wooden molding planes, I become scratch beader with matched cutters. (See Fine Woodwork­ part of and continue a tradition as my hands impart to each ing, Summer '78, page 60.) The concave and convex cutters tool a deeper, richer flesh-print. I select a hand-forged chisel must match precisely, or the finished joint will bind or gap. bearing the faint initials H.W. on its worn maple handle. It Because the dimensions of the joint are determined in part fits the hand. As I use it, I relish the vision of history, and by hinge size, you must obtain the special table hinges re­ part of H.W. lives on in me and the works of my hands. quired prior to layout. These hinges have leaves of unequal The small oak Jacobean double-dropleaf table shown on size and are countersunk on the side opposite the knuckle. the previous page is a recent expression of this manual pro­ They are available from Period Furniture Hardware Co., Inc., cess. My decision to use rule joints between the tabletop and 123 Charles St. , Boston, Mass. 02114, or from Ball and Ball, the leaves is in keeping with the Jacobean tradition. The rule 463 W. Lincoln Highway, Exton, Pa. 19341, as well as major joint satisfies aesthetically for several reasons. In neither the woodworking supply houses. open nor the closed position is the hinge knuckle visible. The Once the top and leaves have been planed to thickness, decorative character of the open joint enhances the finished work on the joint may commence. There are two reasons fo r product. The closed joint is leaving the top and leaves oversize at this stage. Construction strong-downward pressure on the of each joint reduces the usable width of the finished top by a open leaf is transmitted to the cen­ measurement equal to the radius of the curve. This is critical tral tabletop, effectively tightening if a round or oval top is planned. It is also easier to scribe the the joint rather than relying solely joint on square stock and work a decorative edge molding on the hinge and screws, as would after completion of the rule joint. be the case in butt joints. First, true and square the adjoining edges. All measure­ The rule joint takes its name ments in laying out the joint are taken from these edges and from the bras s-bound, boxwood precision here will largely determine the nicety of the final fi t. rule that until recently graced every The drawing above illustrates layout procedure. Distance A carpenter's tool chest. The drawing is the thickness of hinge to pin center. The lower edges of shows how the rule joint operates. both tabletop and leaf are scribed to this measur ement on If you think of the rule joint as two sides and ends. Distance B is the depth of the top fillet and is concentric circles with the center of variable, but probably should be no less than 3f16 in. The up-

67 per edges of both tabletop and leaf are scribed to this mea­ leaves to it. Small adjustments are thus made in the leaf are, surement, again on sides and ends. R, the radius of the curve, the concealed section of the joint. The center top portion is the distance between the top line of A and the baseline of always retains its true cylindrical section. Use either the B. The top of the table and the sides of table and leaf are Stanley 45 or a rabbet plane to remove fillet B on the tabletop scribed to this measurement (line C). Line C is also scribed on quickly and efficiently.Remove most, but not all, of the the underside of the leaf and on the underside of the tabletop waste. The bulk of the remaining waste outside the scribed in the hinge area (several inches in from the sides) to help curve is then removed from the radius with a rabbet plane. center the pin later. The dotted scribe lines on the drawing The scratch beader completes the shaping, leaving a surface may be superfluous if you've already tested the setting of the that will require little if any sanding. plane's depth gauge and fence on scrap, but I continue out of The leaf joint is worked in a similar fashion. The Stanley 45 habit to use them as safety checks. The point at which A and or the rabbet plane is set to measurement A, the hinge thick­ C intersect gives the hinge center projected to the side of the ness, and this material is removed. Most of the material inside tabletop. A divider or compass centered at this point facili­ the scribed curve can be removed with a rabbet plane, but be tates scribing the curve on the sides of top and leaves. careful to remain within scribe lines A and B. On the I findit easier to work the tabletop first and test-fit the resulting chamfer, use a molding plane to clean up to JUSt

Wallace uses his grandfather's Stanley 45 to remove the fillet from A sen'es of passes with the rabbet plane wastes the bulk of the curve. the tabletop, left. A rabbet plane works just as wei/. At niht, the Th e open side of this plane allo ws the iron to cut niht to the shoulder fille t is cut to just shy of the scribed line. of the fillet. At niht is an end view of the roughed curve.

Th e curve is shap ed to the scn"bed lines with a scratch beader and re­ Th e joint fo r the leaf is worked much like the joint fo r the top. Th e quires no fu rther finishing. An alternative to scratch beader and rabbet plane, used to re move the bulk of the material, yields the matched cutters is a matched pair of sanding blocks carved to the chamfe r, left . Th e molding plane or the scratch beader cleans up to precise curve. the line. right.

When cleaning up to the line, work the first groove into the Te st-fitting the joint. When closed, The assembled top. Hinge is invisible chamfe r by using your fingers as a fe nce. leafand top shouldfo rm a flat plane. when leaves are up or do wn.

68 Incorrect hinge location f -�

Fitting the hinges is an exacting task. Scribe and chisel the hinge recess, then the o hollow fo r the hinge knuckle. + Correct hinge location Incorrect hinge location within the radius. The novice may at first find it difficult to faction. Unlike the dovetail or mortise-and-tenon joint, both use his fingers as a fe nce when working the initial groove in of which are static, rule and knuckle joints by their very action the chamfer with the molding plane. Butting a board next to impart another dimension to the craftsman's art. They play the chamfer as a guide will do the job but will not help you an active, visible, functional role while at the same time con­ master the convenient traditional technique. Finally, clean up tributing aesthetically to the whole. Evidence of the manual with the scratch beader. process-its diversity, its ingenuity, its minute irregularities The leaf may now be offered to the tabletop for its initial and its failures-bespeaks the apprenticeship served and test-fitting. Clamp the top to the bench edge with enough stands as a signature of personal creation. Look fo r these signs overhang so the leaf can operate. The leaf should glide evenly and, having fo und them, cherish them. In this age of ma­ and smoothly over its mating surface and form, when in the chines they are increasingly rare. 0 closed position, a flat plane with the top. The precision with which the scratch-beader cutters were matched becomes Alasdair Wa llace, 43, of Lakefield, Ontario, teaches high­ apparent during testing. Any roughn ess during the fitting school English. Wo odworking has been his consuming hobby may be alleviated by judicious sanding of the leaf joint. fo r 12 years. Shaped blocks to which medium-grit garnet paper has been glued are most effective. Slider mechanism Fitting the hinge is an equally exacting task. I find it ea:siest to clamp the leaf to the tabletop face-down in the closed posi­ tion with a strip of paper between to maintain a slight margin as the hinges are screwed tight. Align the center of the hinge 5° pin, knuckle up, on previously scribed line C on the under­ bevel matches '"' side of the tabletop, and scribe around the hinge with a sharp Leaf inside\ of\ 'I..- aprons � knife . Chisel out the recesses thus scribed for the hinge plate � Slide support -5 and the knuckle. Tabletop '--\�\ tenoned into " Slide A-A apron Once the hinges have been inset flush with the surface, Slide support-"'*� which should automatically locate the pin center at the requi­ site depth, drill lead holes fo r each of two diagonally opposed /'L""------j�I ------1------1-,1 screws closest to the knuckles. These two screws will be used F.======'------\-I to test the accuracy of the hinge location when the paper and Taper engages cam clamps are removed. If you have been precise, you will have a on underside of leaf ,-'Shoulder stops perfect joint. to tighten joint slide To test the joint, lightly clamp the tabletop face-up on the bench allowing the necessary overhang while at the same time supporting the leaf horizontally. Sighting along the joint edge while gently lowering the leaf will reveal any inac­ curacies. If the joint binds or a gap appears, the hinge loca­ tion is faulty. The drawings above, which have been exagger­ ated for clarity, identify the possible faults and their causes. To move the hinge laterally, lengthen the hinge recess at the \ appropriate end, plug and glue the in itial test holes, and redrill for the new position. To move the hinge vertically, Shoulder either shim the hinge or deepen the recess. Once the fit is satisfactory, the remaining screws should be carefully inserted prior to complete dissasembly for finishing. Working the traditional rule joint offers a special satis-

69 Wo odturning Chisels The squarenose, the skew and the woodturner's sway

by Peter Chtld

encounter someone almost every week who persists in call­ ficing fl uid, smooth control. Grip the tool only enough to ing allturning tools " chisels" -so let us get this out of the rest the bevel on the stone and maintain the same angle while wayI first. Wood turning tools fa ll into two main categories: moving it back and fo rth. The grindstone, kept clean by fre­ cutting tools and scraping tools. The cutting tools are parting quent application of a star-wheel dressing tool, does all the tools, gouges and chisels. Scrapers are not chisels. work. Because (for comfort) I grind on the upper part of the There are standard and long-and-strong chisels. L&S is our wheel I cannot use the grinding rest, so I rely on my hands, term fo r heavy-duty. Chisels 1 in. in width and more should elbows tucked in, to maintain the angle. To sidle the tool I be the heaviest available. Blade weight is important fo r con­ move my body-the "woodturner's sway. " trol. A 11/4-in. blade and tang should be at least 13 in. long, For a start, hold the chisel lightly. Note the height at which "1, 6 in. thick and weigh over 1 lb. A 2-in. blade and tang you first make contact and take one light pass, then look at should be 15 in. or more long, % in. thick and weigh over the result. There should be a fa int grinding scar nearer the 2 lb. Handles for these chisels should be 10 in. or longer. heel than the edge of the bevel, say JUSt below center. If there Bench tools such as planes, firmer chisels and carving is not, try another pass, again noting the height. When you gouges may have two bevels, a grinding bevel and a second­ are near enough, put the chisel on the wheel, and with ary, very short sharpening bevel, both on the same side of the minimum pressure keep it there, swayi ng from the body to blade. A wood turning chisel has rwo bevels, but they are on move it slowly back and forth over the wheel. opposite sides of the blade and are both grinding bevels-no Now take a breather and let the chisel do the same. A pupil additional sharpening bevels. The chisel should be sharp­ of mine, who is a metallurgist, told me that quenching hot ened, and kept so, in a dead flat plane from heel to cutting steel in cold water weakens the steel. Before starting the edge. Avoid even the slightest rounding or "hill in the mid­ wheel again, lay the blade on it with the handle down, tool die," as myoId master called it. edge up off the surface. Slowly lift the handle and feel the - groove fi t itself onto the wheel. Now start the wheel, bring up Grinding and honing I am fo nd of hollow grinding be­ the handle into the fit position and resume grinding. In a few cause it saves time in honing. I use a clean, dry carborundum seconds, with the blade held in place by the groove, slowly wheel 6 in. in diameter by 1 in. wide, spinning 3,000 RPM. lift the handle, spreading the width of the groove toward the The wheel is unguarded because I need access to its top, but I chisel edge. When it has extended to within Y3 2 in. of the wear safety glasses that supposedly can deflect a .22 bullet edge, Stop. from close range. Must test them sometime. If you have made the groove too wide by starting too far For me, accurate grinding by eye is easy. Most of my pupils, down the blade, the chisel will still work, though not keenly however, make a complete hash of it because they are nervous for long, as the cutting edge will be fragile and need frequent at the grindstone and tend to grip the tool too firmly, sacri- resharpening. This will gradually reduce the length of the bevel, so eventually all will be right again. Hollow grinding removes metal that would otherwise have to be honed away. Because less steel is in contact with the stone, you can sharpen a hollow-ground blade faster. Honing gradually removes the hollow, and it takes longer, until you decide enough is enough, and regrind the bevel. To hone the edge I hold the chisel upright, the handle sup­ ported on some firm su rface, and rub the stone over the chisel. I find honing the other way, rubbing the chisel over a fixed stone, to be tedious and difficult-a rounded bevel almost certainly results. I use a lightly oiled, fine to medium, flat stone that fits my hand. With the stone fi rmly in contact with heel and edge, I rub until with the ball of my index finger I can feel a distinct "rag." Then I turn the chisel over and hone the other bevel until the rag appears again. I repeat this from side to side until there is only the barest trace of a rag, then remove it by stropping on a length of hide leather glued to a wooden base. Chzld sharpens his chisels on top of the gn·ndstone without using the tool rest. He determines the properangle b eye and maintains it - y Using the chisel to smooth a cylinder There are rwo with a light gnp, elbows held close to the body. With the 'wood­ turner's sway, ' he moves the chisel back and fo rth across the stone. chisel shapes, the well-known skew or long-corner, and the

70 not so well-known bullnose or squarenose. They have dis­ tinctly different purposes. Most books and articles show the skew being used where the better tool fo r the job would be the squarenose. However, to illustrate its deficiencies, I will deliberately make the same error and start with the skew. You need a piece of wood about 2 in. by 2 in. and as long as can be accommodated by the tool rest, say 10 in. It is easier if it is softwood, possibly pine, and easier still if it is green. First hand-plane or machine a shaving or twO to see if it takes a good finish from the planer. If not, no amount of dexterity with the chisel will give a good finish. Mount the right piece in the lathe and rough out a cylinder. It is common to see this done with a shallow-fluted pointnose coving gouge, but thi s Photo at left shows a light trial cut from niht to left with squarenose leaves a rippled surface. I use a 1 Y4 -in. roughing-down gouge, chisel. Only the center of the blade edge is cutting, shihtfy below which has a straight nose and a deep, half-circle flute. Easy to top dead center of the cylinder.At niht: a perfect full- cut. All of the use and impossible to dig in, it takes wood down rapidly, edge except the points iscu tting. Note that left hand is not necessary to steady the cut; control is inthe niht hand, chisel handle and body. leaving a fine, clean surface that requires only one or twO passes with a chisel to make the job perfect. (See " Spindle Turning," Fine Wo odworking, September '78.) side and cut along, swaying from your hips and legs. The The purpose of the chisel is to plane the wood smooth. handle should not leave your side-your body goes along When we hand-plane in the bench vise, the plane is on top of with it. Cutting tiny chips wi\h the center of the edge is not the wood and easy to control. Try planing with the plane on using the chisel properly, but it will increase the confidence the side of the wood and see how much control you have. In and understanding you need to fo llow the next instructions. lathe work, using a chisel with the tool rest in its normal posi­ To get a proper shaving, much more of the edge than just tion, just under the centerline of the stock, has the same the center must be cutting. You need to angle the chisel so unsteady effect. Unlike any other tool between centers, use that most of the bottom edge (toward the leading point) and the chisel with the rest high so the blade lies almost on top of a bit more of the top edge (toward the trailing point) come the cylinder rather than halfway down its side. into action. Here is the problem with the skew. Because of its For the fo llowing instruc­ angle, the. skew can be placed naturally on the wood only in tions, we need to get out no­ the "amateur position," the trailing point well away from the menclature straight. The long, wood. To get more of the blade cutting, with the handle acute corner is the trailing firmly attached to your body, you have to move uncomfor­ point; the other, obtuse corner tably fa r to the left. It is not a good position to smooth from. is the leading po int. The trail­ So for this particular purpose the skew is out. ing point must not touch the The squarenose chisel is fa r easier fo r smoothing a cylinder wood or it will cause severe and much more comfortable. All the same rules apply, of splintering, at the least. The leading point can touch the course. If a lY4-in. is available use it first fo r practice, cutting wood, but it blocks the shavings and is not good turnery. small with only the center, then move the handle over a little Place the chisel on the right-hand end of the tool rest, its to the left so that more of the blade cutS, then a little more edge on the wood 1 in. from the tailstock. It is impossible to and the shavings are beautiful. A little toO much and oops! start the cut from the extreme ends of the cylinder because Start again. Full-bodied cutting with a chisel means using as the blade must have support from the wood before cutting much of the edge as possible with neither the trailing nor the can commense. The trailing point should be safely away from leading points touching the wood . As my oid friend and the wood, and the blade tilted slightly so that only the lower master turner Frank Pain said, "Good woodturning runs very left-hand corner of the blade touches the tool rest. The re­ close indeed to spoiling the work." mainder of the under-blade is in the air, except where the A 1 Y4 -in. squarenose is right fo r turning up to about 3 in. edge touches the wood. in diameter. For larger diameters you need a 2-in . and With the chisel on the wood and the lathe stopped, fi rst possibly a wooden heightener affixed to the tool rest so it see how far the chisel has to be lifted before the center of the comes up far enough. Actually a 2-in. is fi ne fo r smaller turn­ cutting edge enters the wood just under top dead center. You ing too: lots of blade so the trailing edge is comfortably away will be sutprised at how high the handle can come. Have from contact. After practice from right to left , the right­ someone turn the lathe slowly fo r you. Bring up the handle hander can try cutting from left to right and become a leftie. until the edge center startS to cut and push it along slowly, Please remember to sharpen the chisel often. taking a small curl shaving. Do not push down hard with your - left hand , or the corner where the blade touches the tool rest Using the skew in parting The skew has the Achilles will make smooth travel difficult. Hesitant, jerky movements syndrome in its toe, not its heel. Because of its acute angle, will result in a ribbed surface, or in a dig-in. Keep your left the point is weak and susceptible to damage. If you cut with hand light; control is in the right hand, handle and body. it incorrectly, the point overheats, and becomes we·aker still. Start the lathe, spread your legs and make sure that you Take care in grinding and honing to keep the point angled keep the handle against your right-hand side. Without mov­ properly, not rounded over. It must be exceedingly sharp. ing the blade along the rest, lift the handle until the center of Skew chisels are available in sizes from 2 in. to Ya in. I use a the blade wants to cut, ·then hold the handle tightly into your long-and-strong 1I/4-in. fo r most work, and a lightweight

71 V2-in. for parting off because I can manage it with one hand. I also use it to mark off distances between turning features for, say, copy turning. Light nicks along a cylinder are clearer and more precise than pencil lines. The skew-chisel cutting movement, different from the planing movement used to smooth a cylinder, always begins the same. Hold the chisel with the cutting edge verti cal, skewed side up, and arc the long-cornered point (what fo r smoothing is the trailing point) down into the wood by rais­ ing the handle. The skew is like an ax, shearing across the grain. Pushing the point straight in (parallel to the floor) is just asking for trouble. Heat builds up rapidly and you have a Cleaning up a rough parting cut with a skew chisel. Begin with bright blue tip. Most of my pupils never have the handle low handle do wn and over to the right so the left-hand bevel Will be in enough at the start; if they do manage an arcing cut, the contact with the cut surface. Slowly raise the handle , arcing the point handle is too high on completion and the point ends below into the work, to slice a thin section. Do not move the bevel away fr om the cut surface or end the cut with the handle higher than the center of the cylinder, resulting in a kick like a mule's. parallel to the floor; the tool is liable to kick. Besides arcing the cut, the bevel must fo llow the point and stay flat against the cut surface, or you risk another kick. I do not offer the usual suggestion that the bevel rub the wood because pressing rigidly against the end grain can lever the point away and cause the blade to buck. To practice, turn a length of 2x2 softwood to a cylinder and with a common parting tool cut notches V2in. wide by % in. deep, leaving %-in. spaces between notches. The end grain will be roughed up because the side of the tool scrapes rather than cuts the wood. With the skew clean up the roughness on the right-hand side of the notches fi rst-handle well down and the skew point up in the air. Start the cut at 11 0' clock and slice down the side of the notch in an arc. The handle is over to the right, the left-hand bevel in contact and onl y a thin slice of wood separates as you lift the handle. Too thick a Va riations on the nght-angle cut: curved taper (p laning with square­ slice is inviting trouble. A beginner's tool is guaranteed to nose chisel) , left, and saucer cut (arcing in with skew chisel), nght. In each case the bevel fo llows in contact with the cut surface. kick. Do not attempt to cut the same notch again-move on to the next. Then try the left-hand side of the notches. These cuts are all at right angles to the cylinder. It is pos­ sible to taper or curve the cut, but remember the point always enters first and the bevel is always in contact. You can also "saucer cut" to make inside curves, but not very deep ones. Another job the skew does well is to form the pummels of furniture legs and the like-squares of wood left in turnings to take the rails in a mortise-and-tenon or dowel joint. The practice wood should be short lengths of 2x2. About 2 in. away from the headstock, make a line all around the wood Traditional parting tool leaves rough surface and splintered corners because the side of the tool scrap es rather than cuts the wood. with a try square and a soft pencil. You will see this line plainly when the lathe is going. Have a light behind the lathe directed toward you, and the corners of the revolving wood will show up in a blur, the darker shadow at the center being the size of the cylinder you have to reach. Make a cut down to this with a common parting tool. However carefully applied, this tool is bound to cause some splintering at the corners. Widen the cut toward the tailstock until there is room to clean up with the skew. Take the unwanted wood down to a cylinder with a %-in. squarenose roughing-down gouge. One way to avoid the roughness - of the parting tool is to use the -- - skew alone to part the pummel. With the chisel on the tool rest, its handle over to the right so the left­ hand bevel is at right angles to the work, lift the handle to arc the Parting tool (above) invented by Roy Chzld, incorporating a grooved point in along the marked line. andpron ged cutting edge, parts cleanly, eliminating needfo r clean­ up with skew chiSel. Cut no deeper than 'k in. Then

72 Turning four footstool legs off-center This project involves some skew work and yields something close _. , ro a true cabriole leg. Begin with 2x2 sawn or planed hardwood, fo ur pieces, 7 in. long. Draw diagonals at the ends, corner to corner, to obtain true centers. [2JA Now you need two other centers. Rounded pummel is cut 'ax' The one at the headstock should fashion from alternate sides. be a little off true, say '14 in., on any diagonal. The one at the shift the handle to the left and cut the waste away, fo rming a tailstock should be on the same half-V-notch. Another cut with the left-hand bevel at right diagonal, but on the other side from true center, at a distance angles deepens the nick, fo llowed by another waste-removing from true center equal to half cut. Continue until the cut extends to the face of the square. the radius of the largest circle When you remove the waste with the gouge, the end of the the square will hold. Draw this pummel is clean and at right angles to the cylinder. circle with a compass and be sure To make round end pummels, make the first cut arcing in to locate the two off centers diag­ to the left of the line, followed by a cut to the right. This onally across the true centerline (photo A). Two inches from the forms a starting V-cut which you deepen by alternating from headstock end, square a heavy side to side until you have cut the wood down to the surface line all around with a soft pencil of the square. The point then smooths the curve, which the to mark the end of the pummel. bevel follows. Set up the stock in the lathe between true centers and, with The skew is also useful in the final stages of parting off. the skew, fo rm the pummel. When wood is held between centers, you can part completely Then turn the wood between through only at the headstock. Use the parting tool first to the pummel and the tailstock in­ turn down to the smallest safe diameter; depending on the to a cylinder (p hoto B). wood I sometimes take it down to as little as %6 in. In very Now set up the work between the other two centers and re- C hard wood, boxwood, ebony and the like, a shallow, prelim­ volve by hand to make sure it clears the tool re st. When you start the inary, diagonal sawcut helps a lot. lathe, you will see a shadow (better with a light behind the lathe) , You needn't be afraid to bring the diameter down small. If large at the tails tock and sloping down to nothing at the pummel. you have had the unnerving experience of the wood suddeniy Within this tapered shadow will be a darker, conical shadow. fracturing and being th rown violently from the lathe, it's One inch from the tailstock, remove the wood making the fa int probably because you applied far too much pressure with the outer shadow by alternating cuts from side to side with a 'b -in. cov­ ing gouge until the bottom of the cove reaches the dark, central cone tailstock center when setting up. My drive center is a hard­ shadow (p hoto C). Remove the rest of the outer shadow along the ened fo ur-prong, and I much prefer a live tail-center. Before setting up in the lathe I hammer the drive center into the wood in order to get a good deep drive from the fo ur prongs. Then with the driving center in the headstock, I bring up the tail only a touch more than is necessary to fu lly engage the al­ ready prepared drive. I test fo r any slackness by vigorously rocking the wood by hand. I do not agree with those who center-punch each end of the wood, align it berween centers and crank the tailstock in until the drive center engages. It's a pernicious practice that does the bearings no good. Now when I have parted down to a judicious diameter I take the '/z-in.skew in left hand alone, the right hand hov­ length of the stock up to the pummel with a ¥4 -in. roughing down ering over and around the turning but not in contact with it. gouge. Stop the lathe and see what you 've got (p hoto D). One or rwo slicing cutS from the chisel and the fi nished Finally, set the leg up once more between true centers and round off the toe with a long-and­ turning, suddenly deprived of the power of the motor, comes strong beading and parting tool to rest in my right hand. Try putting short lengths of %-in. (p hoto E). If the other three legs diameter wood between centers, part down at the headstock have been centered like the first, end to Y4 in ., then one-hand the chisel to nibble away. When their shadow guidelines will be you have recovered from the surprise that it is harmless and the same. Longer legs can be turned. The eccentric center at easy, you can progress to larger diameters. D the fo ot is always half the radius, but the one ar the headstock This is the fo urth in a series of articles by master turner Peter may need slight adjustment so Chtfd, who works and teaches in Halstead, England Th e pre­ that the conical shadows meet at [he pummel. -P C. vious articles app eared in the Wi nter '76, Summer '77 and E September '78 issues of Fine Woodworking.

73 High School Wo odwork Students craft prize-winning furniture by Laura Cehanowicz

"T'\>encour age the development of 1.woodwork ing skills among high school students, Stanley Tools stages an annual competition in which good craftsmanship and original design get their just reward. The prizes are 20 cash scholarships, divided between two classes of applicants-students in 9th and 1 Oth grade, and those in 11 th and 12 th grade. Each class has a grand prize of $1,000, three $200 prizes, three of $100 and three of $50. Students enter by sending plans, a materials list and a photo of the finished work; the COSt of Eleventh and 12th-grade division grand-prize winner Eric Sheffield, of Adrian , Mich., has wood may not exceed $100. been working with wood fo r fo ur years, the last Five of this year's winning entries ap­ three turning OUt jewelry boxes. cutting boards Tom Merry, of Waterford, Pa., captured a pear here. Most of the students inter­ and the lik e in his own part-time business. His fi rst-place award in the 9th and IOth­ Endless Table with glass top, measuring 29 in. grade division with his cherry secretary. viewed stumbled into woodworking by high and 4 ft . in diameter, is black walnut The front of the desk, which has a double accident and were encour aged to take fi nished with Watco. The table is laminated in curve, was first bandsawn, then belt and on challenging projects by enthusiastic layers about an inch thick, secured by finger hand-sanded. The sides are glued up from joints, then drawknifed , Surformed and five 2-in. to 3-in. strips of wood . The desk instructors. Few of these students, how­ sanded to shape. Sheffield, who graduated in supports are operated by pulling on two ever, when questioned about life after Junc, will be studying engineering at the small brass knobs. Merry, 15, took seven high school, see themselves as profes­ University of Mi chigan at Ann Arbor this months to complete the desk, which September ''I'm thinking of going int o fu rni­ measures 30 in. wide, 4]7/16 in. high and sional cabinetmakers. At least fo r now. ture design, but not right now. I want to go to 17Y4 in. deep. He prefers working in the college first ," he says. traditional style because " it looks nicer. "

The mahogany piecrust table made by Barry David Rowlerre's acorn bed, which measures The octagon drum table made by Roni Slater Kent has an unusual ability: It comes apart 59 in. wide and about 4 ft . high , is walnut of Yonkers, N. Y. , is poplar and measures and fits in a box 3 ft . square and 3 in. tall. fi nished with three coats of spray lacquer. 27 in. wide and 25Yz in. high. The construc­ The legs, which are dovetailed int o the The bed took grand-prize honors in the 9th tion is frame-and-panel, and the front three pedestal, are removable, as is the top, which and 10th-grade division and was his first ma­ panels swing open on a brass hinge. The table, is secured to the pedestal with a wooden jor piece; before that Rowlette, of Berea, which took third prize in the 9th and 10 th­ pin. The table took second place in the II th Ky. , had taken general shop and made a cut­ grade division, took six months to complete and 12th-grade division and measures 3 ft . ting board . Rowlerre, now 17, made a and now resides in the fa mily living room. It in diameter and 3 ft . tall. Like many of the Queen Anne highboy last year, and Doug was Slater's first piece of fu rniture; before that others, Kent, 19, of Marysville, Calif. , Roberts, his instructor, thinks Rowlette's she "made wooden things to hang on the prefers traditional work: "Modern fu rniture fa scination with the tr ad itional could be a wall." Slater, 15, sums up her interest in the doesn't have as much design or technique. " result of his influence. Rowlette plans to craft: "I'm totally left-handed, but that Kent graduated in June and is on his way to become an industrial am teacher and will doesn't seem to matter in woodwor king." Texas to work in his fa ther's shop learning enroll in Eastern Kentucky University in After high school, Slater plans to go on to col­ auto mechanics, his true passion. Richmond after grad uation. lege, to study math. 0

74 To Finish the Finish Rubbing out dust, lint and brushmarks

by Don Newell

hen it comes to fi nishing the finish, the type of material working the bristles between your fi ngers. you're using will dictate which problems you fac e. If the brush is absolutely clean, there will be no odor of oil. WBrushmarks and unsightly particles trapped in the hardened If the brush smells or feels oily, wash it again. Then let it dry surface film, the bane of the wood finisher, are the most uni­ and wrap it in paper to keep it clean. versal problems. Lacquer and shellac, which dry quickly, tend If brush-cleaning doesn't appeal to you, use a sponge-rub­ to show brushmarks, while varnish, which dries more slowly, ber applicator instead. These are sold in various widths, com­ is susceptible to dust. Fortunately, both problems can easily plete with wooden handles, at most hardware stores, or you be solved by using the rubbing technique described here. can make your own from a small block of clean fo am rubber. But first, where do the particles come from? The most ob­ Used once and thrown away, these eliminate the dirty-brush vious source is dust and lint settling out of the air, and saw­ problem. They handle diffe rently from a brush though, so dust kicked up from the shop floor. Second is dried particles practice on scrap before tackling a real fi nishing project. of varnish released by inadequately cleaned brushes. Third is Particles of varnish resin, called seed, which come from the pinhead-sized clumps of varnish resin (called seed). These can new or partially used can of varnish, are not so easily elimi­ be found in new, unopened cans of varnish, but are more nated. Straining the varnish through a double layer of cheese­ common in partially used cans from the finisher's shelf. cloth removes larger particles, but smaller ones pass through Clean conditions are probably more important to good fin­ the mesh. If your varnish is seedy after straining, buy new var­ ishing technique than anything else, yet cleanliness is often nish or plan to rub out the finish. neglected. The ideal finishing environment is a section of the - workshop equipped with a filtered air-exchange system, but The rubbed finish In the furniture industry, the pro­ such a system is costly and takes space, and therefore is un­ cess of adjusting the sheen of a fi nish to the desired degree of available to most finishers. The practical alternative is a port­ luster by abrading the dried film is called rubbing. Rubbing able vacuum with hose and extension tubes, and a clean out­ also eliminates specks and surface imperfections. It is totally let filter. Before you open a can of finishing material, vacuum different from the classic pumice-and-rottenstone varnish­ everything-the floor, the benchtop and the work itself. rubbing technique many old-timers swear by. Then vacuum the ceiling, walls, tools and the topS of the Most hardware stores and all auto-repair shops carry carbor­ lighting fixtures. Don't overlook your own hair and clothes. undum or 3M brand abrasive finishing paper in a range of Many woodworkers mop the floor before finishing, but use grits. The objective is to smooth the surface of the finish and only a damp mop. Too much humidity will interfe re with cut off protruding particles embedded in the hardened film drying of the finish, and excessive moisture will actually con­ rather than to remove a measurable layer, so get a few sheets dense on the surface of freshly applied shellac or lacquer. This each of 400, 500 and 600-grit paper. One brand of 400-grit is the usual cause of "blushing" or "blooming," hazy white paper may feel much coarser than another---:-staywith a spe­ areas visible when the finish hardens. cific brand for uniformity. As for dried particles from dirty brushes, even a good soak­ Cut each sheet into small sections, say 2 in. by 3 in., and ing in pure varnish solvent won 't remove varnish that may fo ld a section around a fe lt or rubber block. The block distrib­ have worked up into the heel of the bristles. The solution is utes the pressure over the entire surface of the paper, simple. Obtain a wide-mouth glass jar with screw lid. Wash and dry it thoroughly, then nearly fill it with a half-and-half mixture of automobile engine oil and mineral spirits. Af ter varnishing, use a rag to squeeze as much residual varnish as possible out of the brush. Briefly dip the brush into the oil! thinner mixture and squeeze it out again. Then leave the brush, with its bristles completely immersed, in the bottle overnight. The mineral spirits dissolves the varnish from be­ tween the bristles while the motor oil keeps the varnish fluid until it is removed. After overnight soaking, mix up a concentrated solution of liquid soap and water in a coffee can. Squeeze out the brush and wash it thoroughly in the soap solution. Work the bristles vigorously between your fingers from heel ro tip, again and again. Swish the brush up and down, then squeeze it dry. Us­ To rub out sp ecks and imperfections, lig htly stroke abrasive paper ing a fresh batch of soap-and-water solution, repeat the pro­ that has been wetted with mineral spin·ts across the surface in the cess. Then rinse the brush well under running water while direction of the grain.

Photos: Don Newell 75 Mineral spirits acts as a lubncant, keeping sanding partldes fr om clogging the paper. If a coat of sanding 'mud' app ears (above) you 're not using enough. Th e shiny un­ sanded section of the panel (below. nght corner) is the onf,inal varnish surface.Shiny sp ots on the edge show that the sanding block tipped as it passed over the edge, leav­ ing an incompletely sanded surface.

SolId walnut panel shows effect of rubbing polyurethane gloss varnish (nght half) and alkyd satin varnish (lefthalf) . The shiny stnp at fa r nght is onginal, zmsanded polyurethane, loaded with sp ecks and lint. The stnp at farl eftis onginal, unsanded satin alkyd, equ ally fu ll of specks and lint. After IdentIcal rubbing and sheepskin-wheel buffing of the two inner sections, the alkyd (left center) came up to a hzghly attractive but not glossy sheen. But the polyurethane finish (nght center) has a visible scratch pattern from the sandpaper, and the luster did not im­ prove with buffing. minimizing the danger of rubbing completely through the Different finishing materials react differently to the same finish at any one point. treatment. Gloss lacquer generally sands and buffs out to a Pour a small amount of mineral spirits into a flat dish. fi nish of outstanding beauty, with a rich luster that no ready­ Starting with 400-grit, dip the block-backed paper into the mixed satin formula can equal. Shellac surfaces can be sanded liquid. Gently rub the finish in long strokes. At the end of glass-flat, but if shellac is to be buffed, keep the buff moving each stroke, lift the block clear, return to the starting point, constantly. Shellac is comparatively heat-sensitive and a sta­ and start the next stroke parallel to and slightly overlapping tionary buff can quickly soften and distort the fi lm. the previous stroke. The danger with back-and-forth sanding Each varnish responds to this treatment diffe rently. For ex­ is in cutting completely through the finish. Remember, ample, a typical satin (low-gloss) soya alkyd varnish sands gently, lightly, does it. easily under thinner-lubricated abrasive paper. When it is The surface of the fi nish must be kept wet at all times with dry-buffe d with a sheepskin whe el, it develops a highly at­ the mineral spirits, which acts as a lubricant and keeps the tractive, even luster. The ability of the luster to reflect an im­ sanding particles in suspension. Frequently dip the paper into age is about halfwaybetween that of the original (unsanded) the mineral spirits to wash the surface clean and to bring new material and that of a standard gloss varnish. Apparently, thinner to the area being rubbed. alkyd varnish is buffable because it flows under the friction of Periodically wipe the surface clean with a paper towel the wheel just enough to even out the fi ne scratches left by wetted with clean mineral spirits. Let the surface dry and ex­ the abrasive paper. Yet its flowis not sufficient to generate amine it in a good light. If it has been abraded evenly, and the harsh shine normally associated with gloss varnish. there are no shiny Spots indicating skips or misses, change to On the other hand, a typical high-gloss polyurethane var­ the next fi ner grit and repeat. Then go to the finest paper and nish rubbed with abrasive papers and dry-buf fed with a stop. Even when cutting with grit as fine as 600, corners and sheepskin wheel exhibits a hazine ss or grayness, and retains edges must be treated carefully because it is easy to cut com­ fi ne scratches. Unlike alkyd films, polyurethane varnish pletely through the finish . doesn't flowunder the buffing wheel. When all specks and imperfections have been cut down If polyurethane and other hard finishes are to be rubbed to evenly, wipe the surface once again with fresh mineral spirits a scratchless luster, one further step is necessary. After rub­ and a clean cloth, turning constantly to pick up all remaining bing with the abrasive paper, clean the surface with mineral traces of the sanding mud. Let the surface dry completely­ spirits and let dry. Then hand-polish using a good compound half an hour or so. such as an automotive polishing compound sold fo r polishing If you like an almost matte surface, nothing else need be OUt a clear fi nish. It should contain a fine, friable abrasive done. If you prefer moderate luster and the appearance of compound such as tripoli, which breaks down more and more greater depth, one or cwo passes with a sheepskin buf f fi nely as polishing proceeds. 0 chucked in an electric drill will suffice. If you're partial to a .• waxed finish, though it isn't my cup of tea, this rubbed and Don Newell. of Farmington. Mich is a paint and varnish buffed surface will respond beautifully. chemist and an amateur fu rniture maker.

76 Cabriole Legs Graceful curves hold sway over 18th-century design by Caro! Bohdan Th e chaste and restrained ap ­ proach of Chinese chairs, such as this one c. 1700, is echoed in Queen Anne designs. Photo he cabriole leg is a decorative adaptation of a quadruped's courtesy of The Metropolitan leg from the knee down, which takes its name from the Museum of Art. TItalian caprio/a , meaning " goat's leap." It was known to the ancient Egyptians as well as to the Greeks and Romans, whose high-quality seats and beds were supported upon the legs of lions or beasts of the chase. It was fr om China, however, where the cabriole was known as early as the rang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) that it made its way West, transported by Dutch traders. Cou nterpartS of the Chinese cabriole were seen in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and English de­ sign by the last third of the 17th century. In France, the cab­ Late 15th-century Chinese riole leg with a ball and claw fo ot (Fine Woodworking , Spring table with cabnole legs is '78) was known as early as 15 50, but the Chinese cabriole made out of huang-hua -li came to France at time when design was in transition from wood. Photo courtesy of a Th e Wzlliam Rockhdl the baroque of Louis XIV (1643 to 1715) to the rococo of Louis Nelson Gallery of Art. xv (1723 to 1774) , and curvilinear fo rms were becoming in­ creasingly important. The French were the first to fo rmalize the idea of the reversed cyma-curved leg, and the first to call it cabriole. The incorporation of the cabriole leg into Western furni­ ture was revolutionary and affected a total rethinking of de­ sign as well as construction. It made the curving line, pre­ viously an aspect of baroque design, dominant, and did not depend upon elaborate carving fo r its effect, but upon �ell-

Queen Anne sidechair (Con­ necticut, c. 17 25) is waln ut with a da mask seat. Photo courtesy of Th e Metropolitan Early predecessors of the Museum of Art. cabnole date back to ancient Egypt. This carved cedar chair was fo und in the Valleyof the Kings, in the tomb of Tu tankhamun. Photo cour­ tesy of The Metrop olitan Mu­ seum of Art, Harry Burton.

77 thought-out and disciplined design. It stimulated a Style of fu rniture in which the skirting of tables, the bon­ nets of tall chests and secre­ Back taries, the fronts of chests upright-_� and the backs of settees, all echoed cabriole curves. This Style expressed a demand fo r the best workmanship and a new interest in comfort, which developed in the more affluent, leisurely and re­ laxed atmosphere of 18th­ century England. The finest expression of the cabriole is in the Queen Anne Style of England and America, which closely approaches the chaste, restrained approach Th e cabn'ole curve was often ex­ of the Chinese. tended to the entire design, as The advantages of the cab- in the bonnet and doortops of this mahogany block-front desk riole leg are simplicity, with cabinet top (Bosto n, c. strength and sta bility; e1e-17 60) . Photo cour tesy of Th e gance, utility and sound con- Metropolitan Museum of Art. struccion are united in the best des igns. The type of chair used almost exclusively in the first half of the 18th century, through the reigns of Queen Anne, George I and George II, has shaped hoop backs and solid center splats veneered with walnut, which had almost entirely replaced oak as the princi­ pal fine fu rniture wood. In early chairs, the uprights are con­ vex and retain the vertical line of Restoration fu rniture. The seat rail is straight, and the narrow cabriole legs ending in simple club feet are underbraced and united by plain, turned stretchers. Later on, the bowed shape of the uprights became more pronounced, and the top rail continued down to the seat frame in one unbroken line, as in Chinese chairs. The seat rail became convex, and the legs were slightly wider. Illustration: Christopher Clapp. Adapted from The ShorlerDictionary a/English Fumilure. Stretchers, which interrupted the smooth line of the curve and projected awkwardly from the fetlock, became unneces­ sary, because lowering the chair backs lessened the strain. The seat frame became a fairly deep, visible rail, rabbeted to ac­ cept the loose seat. The legs were firmly fixed to meet the front apron or curved in a manner that gave the utmost rigid­ ity to the chair. The knees of the cabrio Ie widened out. Tables and case goods of this period were similarly strong and stable. Card and dining tables without stretchers were not only more elegant, but more comfortable to use. The tri­ pod fo rm, made up of three cabriole legs attached to a central pillar, lent itself to furniture destined to hold delicate and breakable items on uneven floorboards. Piecrust tea tables, stands fo r basins, candles, urns and kettles, and double and triple-tiered dumbwaiters fo r the serving of fo od and liquor, all depended upon the tripod fo rm and its balance of curves fo r support and stability. In 1745 the artist William Hogarth published a frontis­ piece to his engraved works in which he drew a serpentine line and placed under it the words "The Line of Beauty." In response to requests fo r an explan.ation of this, he wrote The Tnp odlegs keep fu rniturestable . Left, mahogany kettlestand (New­ Analy sis of Beauty (1 753) in which he explained what con­ port, R.I., 17 00- 1785) ; center, mahogany basinstand (Newport, stitutes beauty and grace in certain fo rms and lines, including 1760-1775) ; right, mahogany candlestand (Charleston. S. C, 1765-/780). Photos courtesy 0/ The Winterthur Museum. the cabriole leg. Commenting on an illustrative plate show-

78 William Hogarth's ing seven legs, the author predominantly Dutch patronage, is broader and bigger than Line of Beauty says: "All sortS of waving­ its Colonial and English counterparts, with bolder lines ex­ lines are ornamental, when emplified by an exaggerated curve at the ankle. Squared cab­ properly applied; yet, strictly riole legs are typical of New Jersey fu rniture, as is the use of a speaking, there is but one bracelet. cuff or "wrister" carved above the ankle, sometimes precise line, properly to be seen on English pieces. In the case of New Jersey. however. called the line of beauty, this ringlet is carved on only two sides and not all around the which in the scale of them is leg in a smooth line. as in English work. Virginia-made fur­ number 4: the lines 5, 6. 7 niture has kneeless, almost straight, rounded legs. ter­ by their bulging too much in minating in a slanted pad foot that is typical of early English their curvature becoming cabrioles. A certain stiffness of carving almost always gross and clumsy; and , on characterizes English provincial legs throughout the 18th cen­ the contrary, 3, 2, 1, as they tury. the secret of the perfect curve never quite mastered by straighten, becoming mean the country craftsmen. and poor. ..." This observa­ The structure of cabriole chairs, whether of the Queen tion probably had little im­ Anne or Georgian period. diffe rs from one region of America pact in the workrooms of to another, just as American chairs differ from English chairs. London cabinetmakers, be­ The way in which the front cabriole legs are fastened to the cause by then the cabriole leg seat rail is often a clue to origin. In Philadelphia chairs. the was passing out of fashion. In framing around the seat is one continuous piece, and does his Gentleman and Cabinet­ not break at the corners. The leg is pinned from the top of the Maker's Director (1 754). Chippendale advocated a straight inside frame. The contour of the frame does not fo llow the leg as a refreshing change from the cabriole. which had by seat. but is usually a perfect square, with sufficient thickness then dominated English design fo r half a centuty. of wood to provide extra support for the round pin that goes In the American colonies. however, the cabriole leg per­ down into the leg. In New York and New England the legs sisted to the end of the century. and it was here that it en­ are carried behind the seat rail up to the top, so they actually joyed its greatest popularity . Regional styles developed fo rm the curved corners of the seat. They are then braced on rapidly-Colonial craftsmen each interpreted the cabriole in­ either side with inside blocks. The construction of the English dependently, producing a richly diversified collection of legs Queen Anne chair closely resembles this pattern-the leg is deviating in all directions from Hogarth's line of beauty. pushed up into the seat rail, which is tenoned into and un­ There are many ways to carve a cabriole leg. Massachusetts derbraced by a large corner block. Bay fu rniture (Newburyport. Salem, Boston. Roxbury) epito­ In Philadelphia. the Queen Anne chair and Chippendale mizes a fi ne. unbroken line in the undercut leg. Connecticut chair achieved their richest fo rms, with a balance of interlock­ legs are more angular. carved with less confidence. Pieces ing curves and a selection of tasteful ornaments. reflecting the from this area often display the broken cabriole leg. typical of best of English design. The fine curves of Philadelphia fur­ embryonic English examples. New York fu rniture. made fo r niture. with its graceful legs and delicate ankles, come closest

Gate-leg breakfa st table 0/ maple and soft pine (Massachusetts. NewJersey dressing table, walnut, c. 1720, haJ characteristic wnster 1725 -1740) has almost straight legs, padfe et. Photo courtesy a/ Th e carved above the ankle. Photo courtesy a/ Th e Henry FranCIS du Pont Henry Francis du Pont Win terthur Museum. Winterthur Museum.

79 to Hogarth's ideal. The web, trifid, claw and ball and pad Makin Cabriole Le s fo ot were all used by Phila­ g g delphia craftsmen, and the Rasps smooth complex shape hairy paw foot, reserved in America only fo r pieces of the highest quality, dis­ by Edwin Krales tinguishes a choice group. New England fu rniture in general is characterized by delicate and light propor­ first became interested in cabriole leg construction when I tions. The silhouette of the I received a call from a prospective client about building a New England chair is more Queen Anne gaming table. At the time I knew nothing Curves do minate design of wal­ slender than its English pro­ about cabriole style legs except that I liked them. Their grace nut Phzladelphia cornerchair (1745-1765). Note trifi d fo ot. totypes and tends toward and simplicity were appealing to me, and the skill required to Photo courtesy of The Henry greater verticality. The ex­ make them seemed to be of an advanced level. For the most Francis du Po nt Winterthur treme refinement and deli­ part am a self -taught cabinetmaker, so began doing the Museum. I I cacy of cabriole legs may ex­ necessary research. plain the persIstence of I looked at every different kind of cabriole leg I could find. turned chair stretchers, The task was rather simple since I live in New York City, which are fo und in New Eng­ where antique shops and museums abound, and much of my land into the Chippendale business consists of repairing old furniture. I gained many period after they were dis­ insights into period and geographical dif ferences (see page continued elsewhere. 77), along with threats fr om uniformed museum guards to The "easy chair," known stop crawling around under tables or be escorted to the popularly today as the "wing nearest exit. Imagine such a reward fo r the quest for excel­ chair," was a much sought­ lence and knowledge. after item in America. By Once I had become familiar with the subtle shaping of the about 1770 this fully uphol­ various historical styles, I had to make a template and fi nd stered chair, with its curved OUt how to get the curve out of a rectangular block of wood. back, arms scrolling in Cor S This information might be in the library, but I have a pretty curves and cabriole legs had good rack of how-to books and I was unable to find any clear Philadelphia easy chair, passed out of fashion in Lon­ 1750-1 790, is mahogany, bl ack explanation. So I went to the local dump on Gansevoort walnut, yellow poplar and pine. don, but con tinued to be Street and collected several large shipping skids that had Photo courtesy of The Metropol­ hugely popular in America. frames made of 3x3s, of low-grade oak, maple and birch. I itan Museum of Art. When exposed, the frames of proceeded to grind them up on my band saw, along with a these chairs reveal structural differences that were dictated by number of old legs from tables that were too far gone to re­ regional differences in design. pair. Finally, I realized that the template is simply the side The cabriole motif has never been dropped from the reper­ view of the leg, and the same template is reproduced on two toire of Western furniture design. In the Regency period adjacent surfaces of a squared piece of stock. (1810-1820) the evolution of the leg came fu ll circle, return­ To make a template when a leg is attached to a table, like ing to the style of its early prototypes. Fantastic and often bi­ the one in the local museum, take a piece of 1f4-in. plywood, zarre designs fo r chairs and tables were enlivened by natur­ Masonite or stiff cardboard and cut it to length from the bot­ alistic lions' legs and paws or cloven feet, developed by such tom of the tabletop to the floor. Then cut a slot at the top so designers as Thomas Hope (1769-1831), whose designs were it will fit snugly around the apron of the table. Slip it in place based upon sketches of ancient fu rniture he saw while travel­ against a flat surface of the leg. Now take a new pencil and ing through Egypt, Sicily, Turkey, Syria and Spain. The cab­ sand it in half for two-thirds of its length-from the side, it riole leg was subjected over the course of 200 years to continu­ should look like a graphite sandwich. Trace the outline of the ous usage, evaluation and interpretation. In the 1830s it ap­ leg onto the template stock, with the flatside of the pencil peared in English design books as part of a revival of the style tight against the flats on the leg. Where the leg becomes of Louis xv. It appeared in the work of John Henry Belter round, keep the pencil perpendicular to the template surface. (1804-1863), a New York craftsman working in the rococo You'll have to approximate only the upper portions of the leg revival style. It was used in French and Belgian designs in the on the back side, between the aprons, but don't worry-it is era of Art Nouveau and it was seen again in the period of Art usually straight here. Cut out the template. Deco, when such designers as Emile- Jacques Ruhlmann re­ Hold the template up to your eye, as if it were a rifle, and turned to the spirit of Louis XVI classicism. But, however in­ sight the curves fr om top to bottom. You 'll be able to see teresting alternate interpretations of the cabriole style may every imperfection in the cut you have ju st made, but you be, more often than not they lack the innocence and unaf­ will also see the smoothness and fl ow of the line. Use a rasp fected grace of the original. 0 and wood or cabinet files to remove the bumps from the line that you want, check it by repeated sightings, and fi nally Carol Bohdan, 0/ Ne w York City , is the publisher a/ Nine­ fi nish it off with a cabinet file. teenth Century magazine. Rasps and wood files are among the most underutilized

80 � Mahogany occasional table o

4

Mahogany table of author's design is 35 in . long, 15 in. Wide and 29'h in. high. The top is ),11 in. thi ck, glued up fr om three boa rds with 'Is-i n. splines; ends have 2'h-i n. wide breadboard- style caps, held in place by blind splines. Th e ap ron is 4 in. de ep at the legs, and cut away to 2% in. on a line continuing the curve of the legs, to increase the fe eling of lightness. Cutouts /rom the ap ro ns are glued to top inside edge, so top can be screwed on fr om bel ow. Apron tenons are beveled at 45 0 so they Will almost meet Tenon detail Template inside the mortised leg, and pinned with tk-in. do wels.

tools in the shop. The are particularly good for working ally arranged in curved or wavy patterns, so they don't catch woods with irregular, tough grain patterns that resist smooth in the grain of the wood. I buy my files from the Tool Works, cutting by edge tools such as spokeshaves and planes. The 76 9th Ave., New York, N.Y. 1001l. words rasp and fi le refer to the type of cut of the teeth. The In making cabriole legs and fo r a great deal of other curved terms coarse, bastard, 2nd cut and smooth refer to the fi ne­ work, I have come to rely on several rasps rather than on the ness of the teeth, in that order. Rasps and files are made in spokeshave, whenever the shape of the piece or the wood it­ several styles, evolved to suit the various branches of the self causes the grain to change direction frequently. Gener­ trade. The types sold as wood rasps generally have large teeth ally, the convex surfaces of a leg are worked with the flat side in parallel rows, fo r rough work, and are the least suitable for of rasps and files, and the concave surfaces with the curved cabinetmaking. Much better are the rasps made for pattern­ side. When using these tools take as long a stroke as possible, makers, cabinetmakers and lastmakers. Their teeth are usu- pushing the tool away from you. Don't bear down too hard-

Rasps andfile s are better than edge tools for shaping complex curves, where the wood grain runs in sever al directions.

81 be accentuated like a trotting horse's, with or without carv­ ing); the shape of the leg's top sections (flator C-curved or eliminated entirely); and the overall weight of the leg. This last point is determined by the use to which the leg will be put. Chair legs must be shorter and squatter than the legs of an occasional table used only to hold up a lamp and ashtray. The next step is determining the size of the stock necessary to produce fo ur legs. This is easy-the width of the template taken fo ur times, as thick as the template is wide, and the height of the table minus the top. But if you haven't made cabriole legs before, you should first make tWO patterns. The first is to see in three dimensions what the leg will look like, the second is to lay out mortise-and-tenon joints between the leg and the table's aprons, and to arrange the dowel pins that Lay out and cut leg-apron mortises whtle the stock is still square. lock the joints. Cut a piece of stock to approximate length, square it and then cut it to exact length. Place the template on one face of the stock, lining up the back of the upper part of the template with the square edges, and trace it. No part of the template should overhang the wood, or the stock is too small. Then rotate the stock 90· and place the template so that the knees of the leg face each other, on adjacent faces of the wood. The backs of the template tracings should lie directly across the diagonal from each other. Bandsaw the back section of one tracing and keep the scrap. Cut OUt the front section of the same tracing. You will notice that you have JUSt cut your other tracing off the wood, but that's okay. Tape all the scraps back Onto the wood, using masking or paper tape. Six strips placed every five or six inches apart will usually do it. Retrace the template lines over the tape. Now CUt side two and rejoice-the leg will appear as if by magic from the center of the tape-covered scrap. Now practice rasp­ ing and fi ling the surfaces so that when you cut your legs out of the good wood, you will know what you are doing. Trace the leg template on two adjacent szdes For your joinery pattern, take another oiece of genuine of the blank, flipping it over so the knees Gansevoort Dump stock and layout the leg tracings as be­ meet at a corner.Band saw from one tracing, then tape the scrap back to the block to band­ fo re, but instead of cutting right away, lay out mortises on saw side two. Three pattern legs, all in scrap the adjacent back sides of the leg, and the dowel-pin pattern stock, and the templates from which they on the two front sides. Any other details should also be pre­ were cut are shown below. pared while the stock is in the square. If you want a ball-and­ claw fo ot, turn an oversized ball. If a carved knee requires gluing on blocks, do this before you bandsaw. It is always easier to lay out and measure in the square. Now that you are sure everything will work, you are ready fo r the real thing. Keep the fo llowing points in mind: Always work with truly square stock and don't slouch in this area, on the excuse that most of the squareness will be cut away. It will save much time and work later, when you have to fi t the table aprons. Make all the leg blanks exactly the same length. If you have ever had to even up a wobbly table you'll know why. Fit templates from the top and back down to the fo ot, then trace. Make your mortising and dowel-pin layouts neat and square. Label everything as you go: front, back, top, bot­ tom. Use the widest band-saw blade you and the curves can let the tool do the work. Be careful not to cut into the leg deal with. Experienced sawyers can execute these legs with with the file's edges. By first working with the rasp and then %-in. or t,Iz-in. blades, which give a smoother and straighter the file you should be able to get a smooth line to the eye, cut. But the less experienced should use a Y4 -in. blade. and a smooth surface to the touch, ready fo r fi nish-sanding. If your leg can stand or almost stand by itself, its center of Once you have your initial template you will be able to see gravity and balance are right. If it looks and fe els as if it is the correspondence between its shape and the resulting shape moving, it is perfect. 0 of the leg, and you will also be able to design a leg of your own. Some basic considerations include the fo ot shape (with Ed Krales, 36, operates The Joinery Fin e Wo odworking in or without carving or turning) ; the shape of the knee (it can Manhattan, a cooperative shop housing five cabinetmakers. 82 Contour Tracer Materials Pylon 1'. - white pine by CarlyleLy nch x % 2'/, x 12 Base y, x 41'.X 6Y. birch plywood Dowel 1', . dia. x y, long birch Tracer Y,. x 1'1' ,. x 12 clear Plexiglas f you have ever tried to copy something as complicated as a cabriole Flat-head wood screws (2) 1'.x 5 leg, you will appreciate this homemade instr ument. A thin edge -j Y'r- Thumbscrew x long ofI clear Plexiglas is simply slid along the profile of the object being Y. 20, 1'. 25 Scripta copied while the index fi nger rests gently on top of a pen set into [he No. ballpoint pen, pylon. Because the pen touches the pattern cardboard at a point im­ 51'.long mediately under the tracer edge, the dimensions of your tracing will correspond exactly to those of the object. I"I Each part to be traced must be positioned diffe rently. For ex­ I ample, a piecrust tabletop would be placed directly on the card­ I board; the leg of a Queen Anne lowboy would have to be supported horizontally above the cardboard. To trace the poSt of a four-poster 12Y, I bed, a piece of plywood with smooth cardboard taped to its surface must be clamped vertically to the square part of the post. The tracer, which is held horizontally, is then run up the side of the POSt against the cardboard. 1 I used white pine for the upright pylon of the tracer and I,i. -in. I birch plywood for the base. The Plexiglas strip is 1j' 6 in. thick, its long edge beveled to 1jJ 2 in. then sanded smooth . It is inserted into a 1j' 6-in. by )/ '6-in. deep groove in the edge of the pylon-a 7-in. dia­ meter hollow-ground plywood-cutting sawblade CUtS the groove for a de liciously snug fit. A IfI6-in. router bit, a machinist's slitting saw­ blade or a scratch beader made from a ground piece of fi le tang (Fine Woodworking, Summer '78, page 60) will also do the job. A Y' 6-in. hole is drilled through the lower part of the pylon at an Fasten the base to the upright with twO % x 5 flat-head wood angle of 60· to the base to provide a sliding fit fo r a no. 25 Scripto screws countersunk slightly to avoid scratching the pattern card­ medium-point ballpoint pen . If you use the equivalent Bic pen, board. I recommend light brown mounting board available from which is slightly larger in diameter, ream out the hole with a 2I,1;4 -in. picture framers. It is smooth and dense, and can be purchased %4 in. drill bit. Below and at a right angle to this hole, drill a tapping hole thick in sheets 30 in. by 40 in. with a no. 9 twist drill, drillrng into the hole fo r the pen. Tap this Assemble the instrument and adjust the point ofthe pen to touch '/4-20 for a '¥4 -in. long thumbscrew. (A thumbscrew can be fashioned the cardboard precisely under the tracer edge. You may have to trim from a fillister-head machine screw in to whose screwdriver slot a a tiny amount from the base of the pylon. Remove the tracer blade piece of 1j'6-i n. th ick metal is sweat-soldered-brass preferred fo r and brush on your finish, keeping it OUt of the tracer groove. If the looks.) The thumbscrew bears- against a If,-in. long piece of '¥'6-in. groove will not friction-hold the Plexiglas blade, use a couple of dots dowel, which putS a slight drag on the pen and prevents it from of epoxy glue. 0 sliding out of place when the tracer is lifted . You may find that you can adjust the pen nicely enough not to have to steady it with your Teacher, writer and craftsman Carlyle Lynch, of Broadway , Va . , is fi nger when the tracer is in use. the author of Furniture Antiques Found in Virginia. Cabriole Templates by CharlesF. Riordan Block of wood �n cylinder egarding the method of copying a cabriole leg: I secure a piece of R stiff, white cardboard so that it cannot move against the side of the leg, and use a point source of light to throw a sharp shadow on the cardboard . The pans that touch the cardboard are tr aced di­ rectly, and where the parts curve away, you have a sharp outline to trace with no fear of a wobbling pencil giving false lines. The light has to be placed far enough away so it has no tendency to magnify the shadow and it has to be on a direct line perpendicular to the leg. Determine the best distance by calipering the leg and measuring the shadow to make sure they are the same. A good source of light is a slide projector, a quartz-iodine bulb or projector bulb. Another good method is to use the replacement cylinder from a ball-point pen (no pencil-lead wear) fastened with a few drops of camera with a ground-glass view back fo r making an exact copy of a epoxy glue to a flat block of wood. The block size is immaterial, since piece. with a scale included so that one may make an exact-sized all it does is cancel pen-point wobble. enlargement and then chop it up into an exact stencil. 0 I use both methods, and both work well. I also have used photography to copy shapes, fo rms and carvings in making exact Charles Riordan restores and reproduces pen'od fu rniture in Dans­ copies of antique and other fu rniture pieces. othing like a good VIlle , N. Y.

83 Paneled Doors and Walls Colonial workmen relied on the right planes by Norman L. Va ndal

he earliest architectural application of bevel-edged paneling is fo und in wide-board wainscot, which covers The paneled wall comes with its own vocabulary-one not orT actually constructs the interior walls of our oldest houses. fo und in modem dictionan·es. Here are working definitions: When applied to the interior surface of exterior walls, this Fielding (or raising)-Sawing or planing a shoulder and a bev­ eled edge all around a rectangular panel. The untouched wainscot was nailed horizontally to the vertical studs or plank­ center field thereby becomes raised. ing which structurally supplemented the posts. Since the Mullion-Vertical member within a framework. Also called a braced frame integrated with the chimney mass could support muntin, especially in windows. a second story, interior walls were never load-bearing, and in Rail-Horizontal sticks of wood fo rming the top and bottom fa ct were structurally unnecessary. To divide chambers, and of a frame, to hold a panel. Rails are tenoned at both ends. to provide a fi nished surface in both rooms, early house­ Stile-Vertical sticks of wood fo rming the outside edges of a wrights used wide boards joined at the edges and fastened to frame that holds a panel. Stiles are mortised at both ends. floor and ceiling beams. These walls were from 1 in. to 1 % in. Frame-The rails and stiles, grooved on their inner edges, and thick, the same dimension as the boards. assembled around a panel. The conventional tongue-and-groove joint with the addi­ Stick-A long, na rrow piece of wood suitable fo r making into rails and stiles. The process of planing a molding into the edge tion of a decorative bead was sometimes used to join such of a stick is called sticking, and so is the resu lt. Such a molding wainscot, but a beveled edge set into a gtoove on the adjoin­ is said to be stuck (as opposed to a separate molding nailed or ing panel appears to have been most common. For constant glued in place) . thickness and to make a wall with both surfaces in the same Spring-The angle at which a plane is held to the stock. plane, the boards were beveled on both sides, resulting in a decorative fe ature visible on both sides of the wall. Feather­ edged paneling is another name fo r such a wall treatment. Panel profiles Rail and Stile profiles Panels joined by a simple tongue and groove had the unde­ sirable habit of showing shrinkage as the two butted edges pulled apart. Feather-edged panels, having no distinct divid­ ing line when viewed face-on, belied movement with the seasons, an important reason to use this type of joint. The ��Themb,," b"d beveled-edge joint was also used to construct interior and ex­ terior plank doors. Wide boards were joined in the aforemen­ tioned manner and held together by clinch-nailed battens. ~... pl'", wi

18th-century fireplace wallin a Massachusetts house, restored Kitchen was bUIlt and installed by author, du n·ng restoration of an 18th­ by author. century hottse.

84 Planes in use. Top . the A. Smith plane Jr om previous photo; bot­ tom, English panel plane, 3 in. wide by 8 in. lo ng, has adjuJtable Je nces on sale and side Ja r wid th and dep th control.

Three panel-raising pl anes, circa 1800. Left. raising jack mad e by . '. Butler of Philadel­ phia, has adjuJtable Je nce and de pth stops, and nicker cutter ahead oj skewed iron. This preventJ tear-out when working across the grain. Plane at center was made by A. Smith oj Rehoboth, Mass. ; ng ht was made by S. Kimball. Allthree planes are 14 in. lo ng, and Molding plane top , and plow oj range Jr om 2'/r. in. Wide to 3% in . wide . unknown make (c. 1790) , nght. Plow has wooden screw locks to position slide arms, and sliding wooden dep th stop. Planes oj this type were usually sold with eight irons, Ja r grooves ranging from'AI in. wide to �16 in. wide. Later planes usually had a closed handle Ja r easier pushing, andscrew arms with lock nuts.

Rare 18th-centurycombi nation planes, which cut grooves in ratls and stiles and molded the edge in one op eration. Plane at left, made by }. Wo ods, has two irons; plane at ng ht, maker unknown, has a single iro n.

A rare, three-part molding plane made by Isaac Field oj ProVidence, R. I., between 1828 and 1857 should hat)e a third iron, misJing when the plane was Jo und, jitted to the central section. When jirst discovered at auction, all three partJ were held together with a wooden screw. The plane parts did not jit together well, and a little expen'mentation revealed thaI they were net)er meant to-the main body (ng ht in the end view) was Ja stened to one or the other partJ. Attached to the central section, the plane simultaneously plows a groot)e Ja r paneling and sticks the mold­ ing on one Jace oj rails and strles. Wit h the cen­ tral piece removed and the two outside bodies at­ tached together, the pl ane at once plows the groove and sticks the molding on both sides oj ,..- rat/s and strles, Ja r doors with panels jielde d on -;.; I both sides. Th e groove is Y4 in . wide and % in. CJ de ep, the moldings are both % in. thick. Pl ane Jr om the collection oj W. B. Steere, No. King s­ , � town, R. I.

EDITOR'S OTE: The panel planes shown here are from the collection of Kenneth D. RobertS, who has written and published the book, Wo oden Planes in 19th Century Amen·ca. He has also written extensively on the history of c1ockmak­ ing, and publishes facsimile editions of old tool catalogs. For more inf ormation, write Roberts at Box 151, Fitzwilliam, N.H. 03447.

85 more raised-panel doors. A framework of mortised-and-ten­ Near the end of the 17th century, wainscot on the surfaces oned rails and stiles fo rmed the structure that housed the of fireplace walls was replaced with sections of raised paneling panels, which were beveled like the fe ather-edged boards. A joined in the same manner as the doors. An exception was the groove was plowed into the framework's interior edges, into occasional use of an ungrooved framework of rails and stiles which the panels were fitted. On feather-edged boards a with rabbeted edges, on which bolection-type moldings were bevel was planed only upon edges running with the grain, applied to house the raised panels. In all but rare examples, whereas fo r raised panels, a bevel was also cut across the grain the decorative molding on the rails and stiles apparently was on the top and bottom edges. Many of the earliest doors had considered a necessary element of style. The back surfaces of two wide panels, one above the other divided by a center rail. raised-panel walls were never fi nished off unless they divided Later, fo ur panels, two above two, became most common. chambers and were visible in both rooms. The grain of the door panels always ran vertically, and the Toward the middle 18th century, raised-panel walls were outside stiles, or vertical frame members, extended the full nearly always of great beauty and style. Proportions were re­ length of the door. Panels were never fa stened, and were fi ned and the joinery was exacting. Walls adjoining the fi re­ allowed to expand and contract freely yet invisibly. place walls were sometimes sheathed entirely with wainscot to On one side of a door, the inside edges of the rails and a height of about 3 ft .-the level of the window sills-and stiles were often given a decorative molding, mitered at the fi nished off to the ceilings with plaster. Stairways and en­ intersecting corners and fo rming a frame surrounding the trance halls were embellished with paneling conforming to raised panels. This treatment became the rule fo r most doors, the geometries created by the angles of the stair stringers. despite the complications it caused in the making of the Raised-panel walls were integrated with ornate cupboards and joints. Some doors were molded on both sides, but these are fl uted pilasters supporting elaborately molded cornices. as scarce as they would have been difficult to make. In the latter part of the Georgian period, the mantle with overmantle became the point of interest and portions of walls which were fo rmerly paneled were now simply plastered. With the Federal period, raised paneling had all but disap­ peared. Even the overmantie was deleted as the fireplace sur­ round became the focal point. Only the raised-panel door survived, its fo rm and -function being unsurpassed. Panel-raising planes Panels that were raised, or fielded, with raising planes exhibit two tell-tale characteristics. The shoulder of the beveled rabbet, where the feathered-edge meets the raised surface of the panel, is never perpendicular to the surface of the panel. Careful study of the soles and irons of planes will substantiate this fact. Sprung raising plane is held at 90° Regular raising plane is held at 90° to bevel surface. to panel surface. Raising planes cut the shoulder and feathered the panel edge simultaneously. Because a single plane could be used to field panels of different thicknesses, the relationship between the angle of the bevel and the surface would have to vary. If the plane shoulder was designed to be at a right angle, on panels of heavy thickness the shoulder would be at an angle less than 90·, with obvious impractical consequences. Design­ ing the plane to cut a shoulder bevel at greater than 90· avoids this problem. Of course the width of the groove also becomes a factor in the angle of the bevel. Second, careful study reveals a convex sole on many planes, and a consequent concavity on the beveled edges of many panels. Not all planes have this feature, however, and it Shoulder angle is greater than 90°, thus the same plane can field would be foolish to assume that panels with a flat bevel were panels of various thicknesses. not fielded with raising planes. On many planes, this convex­ ity is actually a sole with two surfaces meeting at a shallow angle, its vertex where the panel would be fu lly seated within the groove of the rails and stiles. Planes of this sort, and those with a convex sole, have an advantage over the flat-soled type because the cabinetmaker can fit his panels to the groove with greater accuracy-the panel edge resembles a tongue more than a wedge. Raising planes will seat themselves when the depth stop comes in contact with the panel surface, the cut being com­ plete. However, the angle at which the plane is held to the stock will determine the thickness of the tapered edge. Scrib­ Shoulder angle of 90° is possible on planes used for a single panel ... but on thicker stock such a ing a line with a marking gauge and holding to it with the cut thickness plane undercuts the shoulder. is one way to obtain consistent accuracy. A great many raising

86 16�on ______�

, , , ;:, , I I I if)':' ===

87 Miter block for trimming molding

Miter face

Chisel out

Use same procedure on rails

Rail Both mitered

Perpendicular cut

Stile 'J,

Mitered mortise and tenon joint of rail and stile Coped mortise and tenon joint of rail and stile the stile. Where the molding is not contoured, as on the the plane of the miter cut. This line represents the shape of a backs of the rail and stile above, it needn't be mitered, and a molding of the same configuration com ing into the coped simple butt joint suffices. Simply cut the rail shoulder so that molding at 90·. It is important to note that in using either the back face of the tenon is longer from end to shoulder than the coped or mitered joint, the moldings stuck upon the the front face, by the exact width of the molding. edges of all frame members must be consistent. The coped Instead of the miter, a coped joint was most frequently portion of molding should fit snugly over the adjoining used to join the moldings at the intersection of rail and stile. molding when the tenon is fu lly seated. Here one molding is cut away so that its profile exactly and The pin holes, having already been bored through the neatly fits over the adjoining molding. As with the miter, the stiles, are now used to locate the drilling points on the rail joints on the reverse side of the door or wall unit are simply tenons. These are bored slightly closer to the shoulder of the butted. When viewed face-on, the coped joint looks the same tenon, so that the joint will be drawn together when the as the mitered joint, and it sometimes takes careful study to framework is pegged during final assembly. Pins are riven or diffe rentiate. The coped joint has one superior feature: It split out and then whittled to approximate roundness. A overcomes separation of the miter due to cross-grain shrink­ slight taper is helpfu l in drawing the joint, and can also be age. The coped portion moves over tht; adjoining molding easily whittled. The irregularities in the pin are enough to like a slip joint. If doors or walls are painted during humid hold it within a perfectly round hole, bored slightly smaller weather, the coped joint becomes apparent in dry weather, than the rough diameter of the pin. Splitting and shaping when shrinkage draws the coped portion away from the line pins require little effort, and scrap stock can be used. of paint and reveals an unpainted section of molding. In this day of power machinery and sophisticated glues and Only frame members having a tenon, generally the rails laminates, the art of getting out a raised-panel door or section and center or mullion stiles, are coped. The moldings on the of wall in the old manner has been fo rgotten by those outside mortised members, generally the stiles and where the mullion of a circle of traditional craftspeople, knowledgeable tool col­ stiles fi t into the rails, are not coped. They are cut off square lectors and old-house enthusiasts. It is a tribute to these peo­ and perpendicular to the length of the stock, fl ush to the ple that the panel-making trade persists, to a limited but in­ ends of the mortises. creasing degree. 0 The coping is done by first mitering the molding, as on the fu lly mitered joint. The actual cope cut is made with small Norm Va ndal, 30, of Roxbury,Vt. , builds and restores trad­ carving gouges at a right angle to the face stock along the tional houses during the summertime, and makes pen'odfu r­ curved line cr�ated where the contour of the molding meets niture dun'ng the winter.

88 o"0or EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK '"1=!oc Art furniture show, \\'OOCl working conferences by John Kelsey

ew Handmade Furniture, the show Museum di rector Paul organized by the Am erican Craft J. Smith selected the fu r­ NCouncil to inaugurate its new American niture to be exhibited Craft Museum in Manhattan, is a long­ from craftsmen's slide overdue summation of current trends in portfolios. He also in­ art woodworking. It includes 50 pieces by stalled a continuous slide 36 woodworkers, some of them well-es­ carousel showing another Detad of Hurwitz chair. tablished craftsmen, others newcomers 60 pieces that he wished to include, but could not fi t into the struggling to get started. It is the fi rst gallery. Even so, several craftsmen have three or four pieces show of its scope in more than a decade, on display and thus seem over-represented, while some and it will travel around the country fo r notable stylistic and technical trends are hardly evid ent. the next two years. It is an excellent Smith deliberately chose furniture, not sculpture, but his em­ show, well worth a journey if it comes phasis still was on visual impact-some of the work is just to a city near you. From New York, the barely functional. I also noticed that the pieces most closely show goes to the On tario Science derived from traditional furniture embody the best crafts­ Center in Toronto until Oct. 31; after manship, whereas the wilder fa ncies sometimes aren't as well that the schedule isn't fi rm, although made. The drawers and tambours on some pieces were stuck bookings are likely in Orlando, Little shut, the combined result of working to tolerances that are Rock and Memphis. We 'll keep you too close and of the museum's unfortunate lack of humidity posted. Meanwhile, on these pages control-New York is notoriously muggy in the summertime. and on the back cover are photos of National showings of art furniture are rare because the some of the work I liked best, ex­ logistics of selection, shipping and insurance are difficult and cluding photographs of furniture expensive. New Handmade Furniture was supported by the that appears in back issues of Fin-e National Endowment fo r the ArtS, with matching fu nds from Wo odworking maga zine. the lumber industry'S Hardwood Institute and operating sup­ port from the New York State Council on the Arts. It received extensive coverage in the New York press and is bound to be widely noticed wherever it travels. This is probably its most significant contribution-more people become aware of what woodworkers are capable of doing, and are consequently more willing to buy or commission their own furniture from local craftsmen.

The group of woodworkers who are organizing "Wood Con­ fe rence '79: The State of the Art" want you to know that they are going ahead from Friday morn ing, Oct. 5, to Sunday afternoon, Oct. 7, at the State University of New York cam­ pus in Purchase, which is near the junctions ofInt erstates 684 and 287 north of New York City. In the words of their bro­ chure, "this conference will provide a very special opportun­ ity fo r professional, paraprofessional and serious amateur craftsmen in wood to get together fo r an intensi ve weekend talking about wood and woodworking." The program centers around seminars conducted by leading craftsmen in the areas of design, tools and techniques, health and safety, and marketing. There will also be a gallery exhibition and a small trade show_ Registration is limited to 300 people; the $50 fee Chair by Michael Hurwitz of Newton, Mass ... cherry and cotton does not include meals or lodging but the colle ge has free velveteen; 48 in. high, 20 in. wide, 22 in. de ep . This chair is com­ camper hookups and tenting grounds, and there are quite a fo rtable, and the exposed joinery is properly neat and tight. But few motels nearby. given the stresses a chair has to withstand, one wonders whether the joints should be pinned or wedged, especially the large tenon con­ Some of the participants have been talking about fo rming necting the seat support to the back leg . Photo: Bob Hanson. an organization or a guild fo r woodworkers, and they'll prob-

89 ably try to make that happen during the proceedings. If you Dale Nish, who teaches woodworking there and who wrote want to get in on it, go to Purchase. the book, Creative Woodturning.

The fo llowing weekend, Oct. 11-13, there will be a wood­ I must warn readers who answer ads in back issues of Fine turning symposium at the Industrial Education Department Wo odworking that we have received complaints about not of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah 84602. This is getting wood ordered from Craftwoods of Calgary, Alberta, the first time this popular event has moved from its usual Canada. One reader lost $300 with nothing to show fo r it but base in Newtown, Pa. Symposium West is being organized by months of hassling. The Calgary police have been notified.

Ta ble Structure by Daniel Loomis Valenza of Durham, N. H.; Englis h brown oak and red oak; 13 in. high, 46 in. wide, 60 in. deep . Valenza 's table is minimal sculpture and fu nction seems incide ntal, although there is no reason it wouldn 't work in front of a sofa. Th e top, a beauti ful wide board of brown oak, can swing fro m side to side and the red oak beams are supnsingly heavy-it's not in da nger of toppling over. Photo: Bob Hanson.

Reading la mp by Alan Fn'edman of Te rre Haute, Ind. ; birch plywood, brass; 47th in. high, 16 in. wide , 16 in. deep . Fnedman teaches woodwork­ ing at the Universtty of Indiana, where he devel­ op ed hiS ap roach to stacking plywood. HIS tn'ck Chest of dra wers by Richard Kagan of Phtfadelphia; black walnut; p 61th 37'h 23 IS a powerfu l pneumatic staple gun of the sort in. hi gh, in. wide, in. de ep . The carcase corners are that industry uses to natf crates together. Fned­ mitered andjo ined by fu ll-blin d splines that cross the miter line; the man uses it to tack band sawn lay ers of plywood technique is explained in Fine Woodworking, Win ter '76, pages 32-33, in place, and often the staple grips wellenou gh and shown at nght. A sliding do vetatf joins the drawer fronts fo r the glue to cure without clamps. But he has and sides, which are grooved to run on a to make sure he do esen't put staples where he slip let into the carcase sides. This is a spar- wtfl want to carve la ter on. The brass shade IS tan piece offu rnituremade n'ch by the fig - about Y4 in. thick and quite sharp at its leading ure of the walnut, and it closely fo llo ws edge. Because people sometimes wobble when traditional pn'nciples, with the deltg htfu l standing up fro m reading, I'd fe el safer if the result that each drawer can be op ened shade's edge were blunter. Photo: Bob Hanson. with one ji'nger, pulling at one corner. Photo: Doug Long, Photocraf t. ~ Loveseat by Howard Werner of Mt. Tre mper, N. Y.; poplar burl; 36 in. high, 42 in. wide , 66 in. long. Werner IS a young craftsman who IS adept with the chain saw fo r carving stacked assemblies and large pieces of green wood. HIS settee IS a remarkable example of the possibtfities op en to those with the tools and sktfl to go directly to the tree, for it IS one single chunk taken fro m the butt of a burled poplar. Free-form pieces like thiS are dif ficult to photograph-you can 't read the whole fo rm without walking around it. Hence two views, from above and fro m one end. Top view photo: Doug Long, Ph otocraft ; end view photo: Ed Oleksak.

90 Game table by joyce and Edgar Anderson of Morristown, ' N.}. ; teak; 28th in. high by 40 in . dia . Th e Andersons, like Maloof are sur­ vivors fr om the da ys when almost no- body made a living by making fu rniture, and thIS table is rt so phisticated example of where their years of experiencehave taken them. Th e top is divided into quarters, each made up edge-glued wedges radiating fr om the center. A brace below jo ins the center of each segment to the center column, whzle loose sp lines near the rim keep everything in lin e. Whatever the humidity , the wood IS free to move as it wzll, yet the top stays perfe ctly round and perfe ctly secure. All that changes is the width of the space between the segments. Photo: Doug Long, Photocra/ t.

Settee by Sam Maloof of Alta Loma, Calif ; walnut; 32 in. high by 42 in. wide by 24 in. deep . Maloof has been making f£ ne furniture fo r a living since the 1950s, each piece a little more refined than the one before. His joinery is exacting and in­ ventive, as you can see in the de tazl, and his fu rni­ ture IS as carefu llyfin ished underneath, where you do n't see it, as on top, where you do . Th e three­ dim ensional curve of the arm is bandsawn fro m solid stock. Photos: Doug Long, Photocra/t.

Although not yet a herd, the rhinodesk on our back cover is more than an Isolated fa ncy. For whzle it was being assembled in Michael SPeaker's Los Angeles garage, Elephant desk Chns Schambacher of Ellensburg, Wash. , was independently taking another tech­ nique toward a simzlar end, thiS elephant desk. Schambacher stacked hiS elephant from 600 boardfe et of shedua, a dark, Afncan wood. The drawers and wn'ting sur­ face (hidde n behind the bell y tambour) and the tusks are bird's-eye maple. The beast weighs almost 1, 000 pounds, IS 9/t. 6 in. long and almost 7/t. high at the top of the ear. A/ter stacking the fo rm, Schambacher roughed the carving with gouges and nfflers, then smoothed it with van'ous Men't disk and flap sanders.

91 ARhin rhinocerosodesk with a desk hidden inside? A desk cleverly disguised as a rhinoceros? Whichever, this rhinodesk leaves no doubt about where craftsman Michael Speaker stands in arguments over whether fo rm must fo llow fu nction. Speaker, 32, a painter, filmmaker and Hollywood animator who'd rather be a sculptor in wood, started from a contour map of the rhino's shape to get the ribs and struts right. Working with a Sears bandsaw and various power hand tools, he constructed the beast's plywood skeleton and built into it the mechanism for the fa ll flap, drawers and various compartments. Then he soaked plates of %.-in. lauan plywood in hot water to make them pliable and nailed them to the skeleton to create a smooth skin. Finally he glued more than 15,000 little tiles of koa, a warm red-and-brown Hawaiian wood, to the plywood skin. The inspiration fo r this came, Speaker says, from the ancient burial suit of jade tiles that was featured in a recent exhibition of archaeological finds from China. Six drawers flank the locking desk flap, seven more surround the pigeonholes inside the belly cavity, and the rhino also sports a head door and a rump door giving access to deep, leather-lined pockets. The creature weighs 300 pounds, measures 7 ft . 8 in. from nose to tail and is 42 in. tall-two-thirds of life size-almost as big as the one-car garage in which it was built. Rhinodesk made its national debut this summer in the New Handmade Furni­ ture show (page 89), and it will tour the U.S. with the show for two years. Then it goes on display in Europe.

Photos: Doug Long. Photocraft