american woodworker - 114 (may 2005)

7/30/2019 American Woodworker - 114 (May 2005)

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lr A 10 THlrucsV-l+You Neeo or-, I KruOW ABOUTPuasrc LuueenTips for building maintenance-free outdoor projectswith a material that worksjust like wood.

RC)cvpnessLrh GnesrBig enough for a set ofchair cushions, beautifulenough to grace yourdeck or patio.

hn MonrsrlcI I I O N T H EJ \- ' DRILL PRESS

Quickly convert yourdrill press nto a top-notchmortising machine.

SuescnrPTroNSAmericanWoodworkerSubscriber erviceDept.,P0. Box8148,RedOak A 51591-11,800)66&3111,e-mailAV\[email protected] lndexA completendex s available nline twww.america woodworker.comCopiesof PastArticlesPhotocopiesreavailableor $3ead. Writeor call:AmericanWoodworkerReprintCenter, O.Box83695,Sti water,M N 55083-0695,7 5l,246434/',8 a.m. o 5 p.m.CS I Mon. hroughFri.Visa,MasterCard, iscover ndAmericanExpressaccepted.Back ssuesSomeareavailableor $6eadr.Order rom heReprintCenterat he address bove.Comments& SuggestionsWrite o us at AmericanWoodworker,2915Commers r. ,Suite 00 ,Eagan, N 55121,(651) 54-9200,ax (651) 94-2250,[email protected]

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It's the perfectsmall-shop companionto everybody's tablesaw.

Tool TestOu rregularly ppearingfeaturewill be backagainnext ssue.Theopic:randomorbitsanders.

DTPARTMENTS6 OuesroN & Aruswen

13 WonrsHoP TIPS22 Wer-r--EourPPEDHop3() MooeRruCeelNerMAKER:7 Tnrv Rouren Ttps36 Toot- TRx:Pnecrsroruouanes88 Svell SHop Tlps96 Oops!

American Woodworker MAY 2oo5 3


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Subscriptionquestions?Seepage3.Editor

Managing EditorSenior Editor

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Art DirectorsGraphic Design Intern

Copy Editor

Ken CollierRandyJohnconTom CasparTimJohmDave MrmkittrickGeorge VondriskaJon StumbrasSara KoehlerPatrick HunterVernJohnsonRick DupreJean Cook .Fact Checking Specialiss Jennifer FeistNina Childs;ohnson

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Reader Service Specialist Roxie FilipkowskiAdministrative Assistants Lori CallisterShellyJacobsen

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Promotion Coordinator Jo.nne No6Marketing Coordinator Denick PhillipAdvertising Coordinator BarbaraBerezor,vski

ADVERTISING SALES260 Madison Ave., NewYork NY 10016; (212) 85U7226

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Ttck Sifers (212) 85o7197,Ed Silhan, NewYork Manager, (212) 85G70alClassified Advertising, The McNeill Group, Inc.

Classified Manager, Don Serfass, (215) 321-9662, ext. 30PUBLISHED BY HOME SERVICE PUBLICATIONS, lNC.,A SUBSIDIARY OF THEREADER'S DIGEST ASSOCIATION, INC.

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Circulation Marketing Director Lou SassanoIssue#l14. American Woodworker@, ISSN 107.19152,USPS 73&710 Published bimonthly, excePt monthlyOctober and November by Home Seruice Publications, Inc.,260 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10016.Periodicals postagepaid at New York, NY and additionalmailing offices. Postmaster: Send change ofaddress noticeto American Woodworker@, P.O. Box 8148, Red Oak, IA51591-1148. Subscription rates: U.S. oneyear, $24'98. Single-copy, $5.99. Canada one-year,$29.98 (U.S. Funds); GST #R122988611. oreign surfaceone-year, 29.98(U.S.Funds).U.S. newsstand distribution by Hearst Distribution Group,New York, NY 10019. n Canada: Postagepaid at Gatewal',Mississauga,Ontario; CPM# 1447866. Send returns andaddress changes to American Woodworker@, P.O' Box 8148,Red Oak, L{, USA 51591-1148.Printed in USA. @ 2005Home Service Publications, Inc. All rights reseroed.Reader's Digest may share information about you with rePutablecompanies in order for them to offer you products md servicesof interest to you. Ifyou would rather we not share information,please write to us ar Reader's Digest Association, AmericanWoodworker, Customer SeruiceDepartrnent, P.O. Box 8l'18,Red Oak, IA 51591.Plerc include a copy ofyour address abel.Subscribem: If the Post Oflice alerts u that your magazine isundelivenble, we have no further obli gation unless wereceive a corrected addresswithin one year.

4 American Woodworker MAY 2oo5

GetthePowerofa5ManGtew!Turn back-breakingutdoor lean-upnto a"ride n thepark"with heincredibleCycloneRake.Powerfirl ngine-drivenacuummulcherworfts ikea 5man crew!You caneasilypick-upandpulverize onsofleaves,mowacresof heavy rass, learpinesffaw, ticlsand awn debris-asyoudrfue.Hitches oalmost nyridingmowerandgives ou 0timestheliftingPowerandryanytimes hecapacity-lets youhandlehugeafeaswithout stopping!And whenyou'redonetfoldsupfntfor compacttorag*tto needfor barnorspare arage.


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SUPERIORITYIS CLEAR

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To giveyou staincolors hat are clearandtrue, VarathanePremiumWood stainare madewith ultra-clear oyaoi l insteaof linseed il. Soyaoi l helps he premiupigmentspenetratedeeper, evealing hewood'snaturalbeauty.Maybe hat's whyVarathane's olors are the clear choicepreferredmore han 2 to I over those o

Minwax@ oodFinish'"Trv one of Varathane

'exclusivetrial sizepacketso helyou ind heperfectolor oryourproiecAnd ook ormorenformationn ouradonpage 7,or visitwoodanswers.comoda

l_l l f f i"rn'W O O D ' S F I R S T C H O I C E "

Minwaf is a rcistered trademrk of ttre StnminWilliam Crynoany. 'Sou-re: Prefme Tst of ttp Vamthane LimveFus the Minif Lim of lnterior Vbod Stains. May' 2003


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, j, " ed, you have several other"" options for crosscutting that willil, t,,. get the job done faster. A circular'";' saw makes quick work of trimming

Sarrrv RoucH-CurTwrsrED LuvrBER1[-) | buy my lumber rough, and some-\ l t imes

I ge t a very twisted orcrooked board. What's a safe way tocrosscut and pu t a straight edge on theseawkward boards?

A I use a two-step process for safelyL I prepping severely twisted or crookedstock. First I crosscut the board to thedesired length with myjipaw. Then I cutthe straight edge on the bandsaw. Ofcourse, the safest way to crosscut roughstock is with a handsaw. Japanese-styleutility pull saws designed for fast cuttingare ideal for crosscutting rough stock byhand. My tool of choice, though, is a ig-saw with a 4-,in., Gteeth-per-inch (TPI),rough-cutting blade. It's safe to use, getsthrough the stock quickly and doesn'twear out my arrn.

Ripping a straight edge on naristedstock with a large crook is best done onyour bandsaw; it's safe and simple. Aftercrosscutting, I use a carpenter's chalkline to mark the straight edge. I takecare to position the line to preserve thebest parts of the board with the leastwaste. The chalk line is easy to follow ona bandsaw. After the straight edge is cut,I'm ready to head to the jointer to face-

joint the board and clean up thebandsawn edge.

,,.$ For boards that are not twist-

rough stock. Sliding miter saws alsohave the capzcity to cut wide boards, asdo radial-arm saws.

If you have a question yo u'd l ike answered,send it to us atQuestion & Ansrrer, American Woodnrorker,2915 Commers Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121or email to [email protected], but the volume of mail prevents us fromanswering each question individually.

6 American Woodworker MAY 2oos


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Neu Srzr EoUIvALENTS1J I se e plans call ing for 6d nails, but when I want to use my\]" pneumaticnail gun, he n ail sizesar e n inches.Ho w do I convertfrom one to the other?

A The d in 6d is the symbol for a penny in the English mone--l*L tary system. Some believe that the use of the term pmny todescribe nail size evolved from the old English custom of sellingnails 100 at a time. Thus, 100 small nails might cost 4d while 100larger nails might cost 8d. Today, the designation refers to thenail's length. The length of pneumatic nails and brads, however,is given in inches. Check the photos below for a quick conversion.

Even though the lengths are equivalent, you'll find a corvefl-tional nail is thicker than a pneumatic nail of equal length. Theconventional nail needs the extra girth to resist bending underrepeated hammer blows. (In my case, they need to be as thick asrailroad spikes.)

2-11216-gaugeails

2"16- r 18-gaugeai ls

1-112"18-gauge rads

1 "18-gauge rads

I American Woodworker MAy 2oos


7/67

RusrrrucScREWS1l I bui l t some outdoor furniture a fe w years ago. I used gal-X, , vanizedscrews and cedar, h inking they would stand up tothe elements. The wood has done fine, but from each screw,there's a black stain running down the wood. I thought galva-nized screws didn't corrode.

AThe best way to prevent this from happening is to use

,( }. stainless steel screws. Stainless steel screws cost a littlemore than plated, corrosion-resistant screws. For example, alO0count box of 2-l/2-in. No. 8 stainless steel screws costsabout $3 more than a box of plated screws (see Source, below).Stainless steel is well worth the extra cost.

The galvanized screws you used in your projectwere most like-ly damaged during installation. Phillips drive screws are notori-ous for causing the bit tojump, or cam out, as the screw is driv-en. This often damages ttre rust-resistant coating (whether gal-vanized or epoxy), which exposes the steel to water and oxygen,resulting in corrosion. The iron in the screw reacts with the tan-nin in the cedar and any environmental moisture to producethose black streaks on your furniture. A stainless steel screw willresist corrosion no matter how mangled it gets.Source McFeely's,800) 43-7937,ww.mcfeelys.comNo.8 x 2-112-in.305tainlessteel crews, 0824-FA5,oxof 100, 11No.8x 2-112-in.o-CoRodecrews, 0824-FNC,oxof 100,$8.

10 American Woodworker MAy 2oos

Cialis s not for everyone.f you ake nitrates, ftenused or chestpain(alsoknownas angina), r alpha-block(otherhan Flomax .4 mgoncedaily),prescribedorprostateprobiemsorhighbloodpresiure,do not akeC)aSuch combinationsouldcausea sudden,unsafedrop n bloodpressure.Don'tdrink'alcoholnexcess toa lwof intoxication) ith Cialis.Thiscombinationmay ncrease ourchancesof gettingdizzyor lovrreringourbloopressure.Cialisdoes not protecta manor hispartnerromsexuallyransmitted iseases,ncludingHiV.Themost commonsideeffectswithCialiswere headache nd upsetstomach.Backache nd muscleacfrewe


8/67

SourceMLCS(800)533-9298www. mlcswoodworkin .com4S-degree hamfer outer bitfor boards ess han 3/4 in.thick,#7677,$284Sdegree chamferrouterbitfo r boards /4 o 15i16 n. hick,#7681. 35 .

RourER TneleMtrcn JoTNTS1J I plan o build some ewelry boxeswith\lmitered corners, but my contractor'ssaw doesa poor ob of cuttingmiters.Can Iusemy router able o cut the mitered oints?

AA 4Sdegree chamfer bit mounted in a

fL router table works great for cuttingmiters. The size of the chamferbityou'll needdepends on the thickness of the wood you're

cutting. Chamferbits large enoughto cutmiters on the ends of 3/4in.-thickboards are available (see Source,left).

Make multiple passes to completethe miters, either slowly increasing the

height of the chamfer bit or slowly mov-ing the router table fence back a little at atime. Use a backerboard to help supportthe workpiece and eliminate blow-out. Bevery precise with your adjustments as younear the full mitered cut. The last settingof the fence or bit height should leave apoint on the end of the board withoutshortening the board's length. fW


CiaLis"utww.cialis.corn1-877-4-CIALIS

alsoreported,sometimeswith delayedonset.Most men weren't botheredby the side effects enough o stoptaking Cialis.Ahhougha rareoccurence, men wfio experiencean erection or morethan 4 hours (priapism)shouldseek mmediatemedicalattention.DiscussyourmedicalcondhionsandmedicationswhhyourdoctortoensureCialis s right oryouand thatyouarehealthyenough or sexualactivity."In clinical riak, Cialiswasshoum o improue, tp o 36 hoursafterdostng,tbe bility of mensuccessful intqcourseattempt. with ED to haue a single

Ohlls@ s a rgrbterd tadernatkol Uty !CO.S tC. HorH@ (bnsubsin HCI) is a rqis@d tademark9,6)(y


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Fnov Oun RTnDERS

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American Woodworker MAY 2oos 13


10/67

Sorr LaruDtNGI installed the AW router lift (AW #106, March 2004,page 38) in my router table. The lift works great, butopening and closing my old table's heavy top made menervous. To keep it from slamming unexpectedly andsmashing my fingers, I installed a mediumduty screen-door closer($10at a home center).To lock the top in theopen position, I simply drop the lock plate to the .ylir-der. To close, lift ttre top slightly and slide the plate backonto its storage rib. Thanks to the pneumatic selFclosingaction, the top gently closes tseF. yania Matza

(O(v)ciz-9go

If you have an original WorkshopTip, send it to us with a sketch orphoto. If we print it, you'll ge t $100!Send to Workshop Tips,AmericanWoodworker,2915 Commers llrive, Suite 700,Eagan, MN 55121 or e-mail [email protected] can't be retumed andbecome our property upon accept-ance and paymenL We may edit submissions and use them in all printand electronic media,



11/67

The guide consistsof four piecesof 1/8-in.MD F glued so on e pairof pieces shoulders the sole ofthe plane (seephoto, below).Onthe so le , th is shou lder mustextend slightly beyond th eblade.The magnets are epoxiedinto their predrilledholes.

RIcHT-ANGLEGurnr FoR JoINTINGPlaning the edge of a long board perpendicular to its face is a real challenge.

To make thejob easier, I built a guide that attaches to the side of my plane withrare earth magnets. Nowjointing an edge is much easier. I simply alter my gripto take full advantage of the square{ornered support that the fence offers.source Frank Pen'ichaRockler oodworkiS, 800) 794441,www. ockler.om112-in.4ia.are arthmagnets,3081,pack f 1 ,$7.


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12/67

I love having a cut-ting list close at hand.Bu t hanging on to itwhen both hands arebusy was a problem-unt i l I bought 24clothespins fo r $2 atthe hardware store. Iepoxied the woodenp ins in conven ien tSpots around myshop. Now I can easilydouble-check nreas-urements before cut-t ing my boards ro oshort.

Chas Bridge

18 Arnerican \4boclu,orker MAy 2oo5

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13/67

BrrucHToPBoann ClavrpMy father showed me this "bird'smouth" jig almost 60 years ago. It

ti i securely clamps l/+ to 3-in.-thickboards on edge. It's so useful that I'venever bothered to add a vise to my

workbench. I've been tempted to mountthe jig permanently, but I prefer anuncluttered work surface. Besides, his ig iseasy to install and remove.

To hold a board for planing or edge banding, simplyengage one end on the sliding wedge (see photo at left).Slide the board and wedge forward until they lock betweenthe fixed wedge and the fence (see photo inset). Supportthe back end of the board with a block the same thickness asthe base.

I cut both wedges from a single board on the tablesaw,using a taperingjig and the blade tilted 45 degrees. I mount-ed the fence on the base and glued a stop on the slidingwedge. I positioned the two wedges by using a3/4-lin.-thickspacer between the sliding wedge and the fence. Then I fas-tened the fixed wedge to the base. /W

Daruyn Briggs20 American Woodworker MAy 2oos

tDt AIB-TEGiland Dust-ForceWhenonlyffileBelsfwir/.l,o,!

f4$crn.Si!,.'........ ......1 "fnletDio.... l-5/2-4"BsgCspscity........2gqllonsDecibels... ..67-77Etecf'fcot.. llO/22OL+Switctr rewiredfor l0VAnotherquotityproduct rom

optional charcoalfilter.Modd750-ERWlrenontVfieBestwi|f'Ilrl!C tCDRemoteControlwithspeed nd imer unctionC HighestMoximumir Flown tsCloss ,050CFM(750CFM iltered ir)C 95%AS]IRAEestedmoin ilter(9f %Efiiciencyot micron 99Y"ot microns)C WqshqbleElectrostqtic reFilterWith enyeor mqnufocturer'sworrontyToplace norderor forthedealer earestoucallus oll ree.1{m48G7269 w w w. ha/ d sc omp ang, com

g0uPsry.,.$2Se:Model750-ERJDS, he eadern qualityair filtrationproducts,ntroducesheultimateair cleanerfor yourshop Model750-ER).Thisremotecontrolledunit will clean he air in a 30'x30'x8'shoponce every ten minutes.For larger areas hemodels 8-12, 10- 6, and2400areavailable.Toremove odors, fumesand smoke,order our iffi;.*,"",$?.wy@:zoIo


14/67

CenalDE-lrusenrorrurenKrurvesHow much is it worth to you tomake changing ointer knives ncred-ibly easy?What if your jointer knivesalso stayed sharp longer? Would youpay $300 to $400 more for themachine?That's the price of the latest n jointer tech-nology: carbide-insertcutterheads.These odd-looking cutterheads are available for ahandful of &in. and &in. jointers. Unlike a convention-al, straight, tool-steelknife, thesecutterheadsconsistof aseriesof solid carbide inserts. Each insert has four cut-ting edges.The edgesare marked so you can keep trackof which onesyou've already used. The inserts in eachrow overlap the inserts n the previousrow in a helical or

chewon pattern to provide a continuous cutting edge.Each insert is individually fastened to the cutterhead.Instead of sharpening them, you unbolt and rotate theinserts until all four edgesare dull; then they needto be replaced. Replacements

cost about $2.50 per insert, or $100 to $200 for theentire head. But remember, you will get four freshedges. And replacing the inserts is as easy as settingthem into the indexed opening and tightening a bolt.Done!

We're doing a review of 8-in. jointers for an upcom-ing issue. Our initial tests on these cutterheads showthat they cut as well as conventional knives and runmore quietly. Making a cut does seem to require morefeed pressure and horsepower than with a conven-tional knife. As for longevity, you've got to believethese carbide inserts will far outlast conventionalknives-just as your carbide router bits last longerthan steel bis. And you can joint manufactured mate-rials, such as melamine. A couple of manufacturersoffer cutterheads that can be retrofit in their machines(see Sources, below).

SourcesWilkeMachinery(800)235-21 0, wr,arw.wilkemach.comByrdToolCorp.'sShelix rand egmentedcarbidecutterhead shownabove) etrofitsBridgewoodand Yorkcraft -in. ointers,$440.

Woodworker'sSupply(800)645-9292.www.woodworker.com6-in. ndexableointerhead its Woodtek,DeltaProfessionaland Deluxe eries, et and Powermatic, 120-041, 4008-in. ndexableointerhead its Woodtekonty, 120-044, 500.



15/67

28-Vor-r ConolEss ToolsMilwaukee's ewest attery the V28, s

a 28-volt ithium-ion battery that pow-ers a drill, circular saw, eciprocating saw,hammer drill. even a handheld bandsaw (usedfor cutting pipe). "\Arhat!"you say, 28-volt? It's gotta weigh Sourcea ton." Here's the good news: The V28 battery weighs less M,ilwaukeeoolsthan a typical S-voltNiCd or NiMH. And, accordingo the 'Tffi':,ffi110"",oo,..o'.nfolks at Milwaukee, the V28 is more powerful and has up to V28Lithium-ionattery,twice the run time. In addition, lithium-ion batteries don't fade. #4811-2830,233.Either they run the tool or they don't; the power doesn't gradu-ally drop off. A "fuel gauge" on the battery indicates how muchjuice is left. Lithium-ion batteries also have a lower self-dischargerate, so a fully charged lithium-driven tool that sits idle for a monthwill have more power left in it than a comparable NiCd or NiMH would.The new batteries are not compatible with Milwaukee tools currentlypowered by NiCd batteries.

Nrw MULTt-Base ourERYou gotta love multi-base routers. They give you so

much bang for the buck. Fromhandheld to router-table use,these ar e versatile machines.Hitachi's new KM12VC kit, $190,is the latest entry into the multi-base router field. It has features,and a price, comparable to those ofother multi-base routers. And withHitachi's redesign of its tools, this isone cool-lookin' machine.Th e KM12VChas a 2-7/Lhp (11-u-p) electronicvariable-speed otor(8,000 to 24,000 rpm) that can beswapped-tool free-from base tobase. Included are 1/4.in and 7/2-in. colles andseven template guides in commonly used sizes.

Depth of cut in the fixed base is controlled bywinding the motor in and out of the base. This is theleast desirable style of depth control, but it's madeeasier on the Hitachi router by a two-stage lockinglever. The first stage applies a gentle squeeze to themotor and takes any slop out of the system. Thisallows small adjustments to be made and held. Thesecond stage rigidly locks the motor in place.

SourceHitachiPowerTools(8001829-4152www. hitachi-oowertools.comMult i -baseouter, KM12VC, 190.

The plunge base has a three-position turret andstop rod for controlling the depth of cut. The point-er on the stop rod is slightly difficult to read com-pared to those on other multi-base routers.

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16/67

Yourfirst lateoinermay otbeaLamello.bu twe'recertain ou r as tone will. ltmakesenseha t hepeople ho nventedthe echniquefbiscuitoiningould ui ldthe world'sinest late oiner.TheseSwissmade, recisionraftedools rethe most ccurate,epeatable,ugged,re l iableachinesn heolanet.Here reusta ewof he easonshatmakethemhe ast lateoiner ou'll ve r eed:o Al lslides nd ontacturfacesremachinedratherhandrawn rcastl oensure bsoluterecisionnd latnesso Al lguide urfacesrecoatedoensureluidmotion ndmaximumifeo Every achines nspectedordimensionalccuracynd roovetolerancef 001"o Guaranteedvailabilityfspare artsfo r10 earso Consistentlyatedheultimateiscuitloiner y radeournalsAnd, amello akesmore han us tgreatPlate oiners,urCantexipping lanersandLamina aminaterimmersremusthave ools or he serious oodworkerlookingor heultimatenquality.GolonialawGompany,nc .

EAST -888-777-272swEsT1-800-252-6355www.csaw.c0m/01

SrvrpLtFtEDDnewrn-Sllor lrusrnlLATtoNA mistake in positioning drawer slides inside a cabinet can ruin your

day. Misplace the slide by even a smidgen and the drawer will becrooked in the opening. Ik.g Tool can help you go straightwith its newuniversal Drawer slide Mounting Tool. For $30, it makes putting inslides as easy as putting on your shoes.

The mounting tool, which works great on both face-frame andframeless cabinets, provides a ledge that the slide rests on while youdrive in the screws. Magnets on the mounting tool grab and hold theslide so it doesn't slip out of position. With magnets on both sides,onemounting tool works for both sides of the cabinet.

Simply rest the mounting tool on a rail, or position it on the caseside, clamp it in place and you're ready to drive screws through theslide. The mounting tool, which can be used with side and under-mount slides, is compatible with hardware from a number of manufac-turers, including Alfit, Amerock, Blum, Hafele, Hettich and Liberty.

After the case component is in, you can use new Ifu.g DrawerMounting Brackets, $10, to set the drawer box. They work like shelfsupports, projecting from the front of the cabinet and holding thedrawer in place while you drive the screws.

There are other devices on the market for mounting drawer slidesbut, unlike many of them, the Kreg product is not specific to only oneslide manufacturer.



17/67

Ensrrn TnSLESAWBlnor CHarucESOne of my worst woodworking injuries happened on a tablesaw-

with the power off. My hand slipped while I was changing a bladeand I ran my finger into a tooth. ouch! The new Saw-Jawpreventssnch an accident, because t encircles and locks onto th e perimeterof a 10-in. sa w blade, acting l ike a big wrench. The large handlegivesyo u plenty to hold on to, so you'l l never need to amb a pieceof wood against a blade again.

When installing a new blade, you grip it with the Saw-Jaw irst.Then you thread the Saw-Jaw nd blade through the table and onrothe arbor.

Now if only I could come up with a good way to gllarantee neverlosing an arbor nl l t in th e sawdustpi le again....

SourceHrqol .C.(800) 29-9366, ww.saw-jaw.com)aw-Jaw.b | /.

26 American \4/oodrvorker MAy 2oos


18/67

Mrcno-AolusrWnEELGeueeA wheel gauge produces a fine, crisp linethat is easy to see and adds accuracy to yourwork. They can, however, be fussy to adjust.For $26, you cnn easilydial in precise dimen-sions with the new Micro-Adjust MarkingGauge from Lee Valley.Here's how itworks. First, slide the head intoan approxir,nate position. Tighten the colletand use the micro-adjust knob to fine-tune thehead into its final position. With its finethreads, one full turn of the microadjust knobmoves he head a mere l/32-in. Once the headis positioned, it can be locked in placewith thethumbscrew.A ruled model with l/lein. grad-uations on the rod is alsoavailable,$33.The MicroAdjust Wheel Gauge is an evolu-tion of I,ee Valley's standard wheel gauge. Atonly $4 more, it's worth every cent. Lee Valley's

microadjust gauge is slightly more cumber-some to a{ust single-handedly than its com-petito4 Glen Drake ToolWorks'Tite Mark, $79.'lJlt28 American Woodworker MAy 2oos

Q:Howmanyjigsdoes t take?

Every oint was made on one incrediblemadrine - theWoodRat.It will it on yourworkshopwallandmakeevery ointyou'lleverneedMoreversatilehananydovetailig or tenoningig . t' ssimple, un touse,and made o the highest tandards. hat'ever in dof workyoudo - if you loinwood,you needa 'Rat.From$47b.00.Oetthedeno 0V9 G5.00torrllrre;roodatoonoroaf} V877+'IOOW.frIffi{bodRd


19/67

American Woodlvorker MAy 2oo5


20/67

Pnorecr rne Pueslc LevrruareApply a lubricant, such as wax, soap orTrimEase (a commercial product avai lable romp-lam an d trim bit distributors), o th e plast iclaminate's ac e when you us e self -p i lo t ingbits.The lubricant protects th e p-lam fromburningor marring.Self -p i lo t ingbitsar eavailable n flush-trim or bevel- t r improf i les. he f lush tr im (shown here) susedwhen you want to leavea f lat , squarecorner. ts sin-gl e cutt ing lute makes t fast-cutt ing. sol id carbideself -p i lo t ing rim bit costs$8 o $10,which s about half of whata ba l l -bear ing-gu idedr immingbi t costs .

BnuuBeenrrucs eoucEMARRTNGBall-bearing-guidedbits greatly reduce therisk of marring and can be used without alubricant. he bearingsdo wear out, so yo ushould replace hem as soon as they showsigns hat they'renot spinning reely. t' salsoimportant o keep hem cleanof built-upglue. Ball-bearing-guided rim bits are available n either a flush-trimor bevel-trim profile.The evelprofile shownhere) s usedwhen yo uwant to ease he edge o make t friendlier o the touch andreduce ts chanceof chippingwhen bumped. Ball-bearing-guided rim bitscost$12 o $24each.

Man-PnooF RoulNGUse a ball-bearing guide attachmentwhen yo u want to tota l lyel iminate hechance f marring he f in ishedsurfaceor when yo u want to leave an over-hang on the part that yo u are trim-ming. A nonpiloted r im bit is usedwith this guide.Th e bit is a combi-nation f lush and bevel cut . Youcan tr im straightor curvedsur-faceswith this setup.

Ger e Supen-SrnarcHT urUse a straight guide when trimming against he sub-stratematerial.The tra ightguide bridges he smallvoids or gaps common in particleboard ndplywood.The esult s a straighter dg eonthe p- lam. Th is is impor tan t whenanother p- lam piecewil l be laminatedto th is edge. Straight edge guides donot work on curvesor close n insidecor-ners.A regular straight bi t works fine withthe straightguide.32 American Woodworker MAy 2oos


21/67

Tnru Ooo Aruclrs wtrH EasEMove Close tNToConruEnsUs e th e ti l t base when yo u rout insidecorners n counter tops nd nside ab-inets.The router must be kePt Per-pendicular o the edge of the P- lamor an uneven r im wi l l occur,You anuseei thera se l f -p i lo t ing i t or a ba l l -bear ing-gu idedi t wi th th is base.

Usr lr FoR ruooD, TooA trim router is also great fo r light-duty wood routing,becauset 'scompact nd ightweight .t caneasi ly andlesmal lpro f i leb i t or edge r immingor evena smal ls t ra ightbit for shallowgrooving. t 'sa handy outeran d wotlh hav-ing around he shop,even f you neverdo any p- lamwork .Yo ucan evenge t oversize ases or some rim routers.Theoversizebase provides more stabi l i tywhen working onlargesurfaces.

The oversize base that comes with Ryobi 'st r im routerhas wo handles .Th isrovides ouwith the same two-handed control you getwith a midsize outer.

An odd angle,such as the outsidecorner of an angledcounter top, equi resno special igging when you useth e ti l t base.First,adjust he base o match he corner'sangle and t r im the f i rs t piece of p- lam edging.Thenapply the second piece and t r im i t us ing the samesetup.

The ti l t base replaces he regularbase on the t r im router and canbe angled rom 45 o 135degrees.

American \A/ooclworker MAY 2oo5 33


22/67

ScnrerNcrs Al losr AuroMATtcAn offsetbase s great or scr ib inga backsplasho the wall .start with th e backsplash /4 n. out from the desired inallocation.The mall en d of the offsetbase ollows th e wallwhi le a stra ight outer bit tr ims the backedge of the back-splash.The ffsetbasecan alsobe used o scribea cabinetto a wa l l .

The offset base uses a small belt to drive theoffset router shaft.The wedge-shapedbaseplateenables ou to ge t up closealongwalls.

Easv Tnrvuvrlc tN TtcHT OuARTERSTrimming in tight areasand close o a wall is no problemwith an offset base. n the photo at right, it,sbeing used opu t the final bevel r im on a backsplash.Thengleden d ofthe baseal lowsmoving n closeat insidecorners.SourcesBosch(8771267-2499www.boschtools.com5.7-ampaminateouterwithstraight ase,#PR10E, 1005.7-ampaminateouterkit,includes traight,offset and iltbases, PR1 ElNK. 200.Freud(800)334-4107www.freudtools.com6.6-ampaminate outerwithstraightbase,#FT750T, 1007.5-amp aminate outerkit,includes traight,il t anotwo-handled lungebases,#FT1000EK.140.PorterCable(800)321-9443www.portercable.comS.Gampaminateouterwithstraight ase, 7310, 11 55.6-amp aminate outerkit,includes traight,offset and iltbases, 9731 , $230.

RYobi(800)525-2579www.ryobitools.com4.5-ampaminateouterwithstraightand two-handled ver-sizebases,TR45K.$80.DeWalt(800)433-9258www.dewalt.com5.6-ampaminateouterwithstraight ase,#DW670,$1105.6-ampaminateouterkit,includes dditlonal ases.#DW673K, 180.Craftsman(8001377-7414wvwv.sears.com3.8-ampaminateouterwithstraight ase,#27512, 100 .Makita(8001462-5482www.makita.com4.4-amp aminate outerwithstraight ase,#3707FC, 1504.4-amp aminate outerwith tiltbase,#3708FC, 160.

34 American Woodworker MAy 2oo5


23/67

ccL!Fzl=OtFscoaEUIFr-lFE.VUv

ui(9L(nI

ILrr(9FoIo_UE.Llo\zOE2a)=(JUt-ccatLU)(J

FnFoL!

Arnerican Woorlrvorker- MAy 2oos


24/67

A Clnsstc PnECtstoN ouanrhe most reliable and useful precision square inmy shop is a Starrett 12-in. combination sqrnre($0+, see Sources, below). Many other finicky

woodworkers have told me that they, too, treasrlre oneof these tools. I put my initials on my square ar-rdkeepit safe n its own special drawer compartment.

Many combination squaresaren't very accrlrate, bu t

this one is made to extremely precise tolerances and isindiviclually checked before it leaves the factory. Agood 12-in. sqllare, like this one, should be l-romorethan .002 n. out of square at the end of the blade (forcomparison, a piece of paper is about.003 in . th ick).l,ook fo r a published rolerance this small when youshop fo r any type of precision square.

1r1"

IIIILPerfect 90

No matter whereyou s l i de t he head ,t h i s a n g l e i s asclose to a perfect90 degrees asyou ' l l ever need.

Removable uleI often ake heb ladeout and l ip i tto another ca le ruse t looseas aprec is ion u le r .

Super-straight ladeThisedge s groundf lat o with in 0001 n.

Hardened ladeTh is b ladewi l l s taysmoothand s t ra igh t .Not evena mark ingknifecan scratch t.

Most precision quaresdon ' t have h is m i te r -checkingeature.

Easy-to-readcaleTh issa t in in ish s mucheasie r n theeyes han a sh iny in ish . he ru le r hasfour fractionalscales:118,1116, 13 2an d1164 n. To avo id making mistakesandcount ingunnecessaryines,use he sca lewi th the same ract ion ou ' remeasur ing .

o v z e ? 2 9 \ 9 S S ? 0E. t{0.99n I 99 8r 0? Ze vz 9l64 8 1 2 t 6 2 0 2 4 2 8 L2 16 20 24 28 4 8 !2 L 6 2 0 2 4 2 8

SourcesMS C(800) 45-7270, ww.mscdirecr.comStarrett 2- in. ombinat ionquare, 86400637,64Machinist 'square, - in. lade, 06508048,,1 06-in. lade, 06508063,1212- in . lade, 06508121,33Double quare, - in. lade, 06504674,30 .BridgeCityTools(800) 53-3332, ww.bridgecitytoots.comCS-6 - in. ombinat ionquare, 1' l0 l-125E. 84 .

II

A 6-in. precision combination square svery conven ien t o carry in an apronpocket .Th isi l iconbrassand rosewoodjewel is made by BridgeCityTools seeSources, eft).

38 American Woodworker MAy 2oo5


25/67

How Souanels YouR Souanr?No matter how fancy a square looks, when it comes toaccuracy, I've got to see it to believe it. Inexpensive mod-

els, like a 12-in. fixed-blade machinist's square ($32, seeSources, page 38), should alwaysbe tested. Here's a newvariation on an old method of testing any square .

- l Cut a line down the middleI of a pieceof tape attached oa melamineboard.Th e bottomedge of the board must beabsolutely straight. Check heboard'sedge against he to p ofyour tablesaw.

QPeel off the right-handsidelof the tape. The contrastbe tween the b lue tape andbr igh t wh i te melaminemakesth e precisely cut edge easyto see.

QFlip the square and butt itr-, lagainst he tape. heyshouldmatch perfectly.A gap at top orbottom shows you twice theamount that th e square is inerror.40 American Woodworker MAy 2oo5


26/67

Two FlRsr-RnrcSounREs FoRPnEclstoN SrruPsI always set up my machines with one of two

kinds of precision squares.For the tablesaw, pullout my l2-in. Starrett combination for its long stockand adjustable blade.

For the bandsaw jointer and nearly everythingelse, I turn to a pcicket-size 4.in. double square($gO, eeSources,page38). Its blade slidesjust ikea combination square, so I can use it for layoutwork, too. A 4in. machinist's square s a lessexPen-sive substitute.

How ro SoUAREA JoINTERFerucEl'venever eallyrustedhe 90-degreetopon my ointer'sfence.Every ime I tighten he lock-down olt, he fenceshiftsposition. ots of other ointershave his problem,too.The onlysolutions to beginwith the fence slightlyout of squareand stop tightening t the point hat thefenceactuallys square.


Caution:Unplugyour ointerbefore placingyour squareanlrwherenear he blade.

12-in. Starrettcombination

VfiEN|iffilnkahofiaffinwnywn0[si[8ss..,Bring ou rwoodworkingkil l , ou r oveoftools,andyourexpertise nd we'llshowyouhowyoucan urnyourpassionor woodworkingntoyour ife'swork....1filnftfiWoailoffitbill-carroll@woodcraftcom117 Rosemar oadP.O.Box1686ParkersburgW 26LO2-Lffi Dept.F0sWAOsQ

CircleNo. 165


27/67

How ro Sounnr n Mrr rn GnucEDo you re lyon the posi t ive tops on your mi ter gauge?I don' t . To accurate ly djustmy gauge, hold he largesquare gainst he gauge's are ace, aise he saw bladefu l l he ight ,p lace he square 's ladebetween wo sawteethandextend t almost he u l lwid thof the saw blaoe.

42 Arner-ican \/ooclrvorkel MAy 2oo5

How ro SounnE A SAW BlaorI used o simply tandmy square n the tab le , u t a goodpal showed me th is method. l t ' s twice as accurate,because ou' rechecking wice as much blade. ou haveto see down into he bowelsof the saw,so a f lashl ightsreal ly andy. s wi th the mi tergauge, he square 's laderunsbetween he saw's eeth.


28/67

How To CHECKAN EocE FoR SouanrAccurately setting up your machines is only half the

battle. The acid test comes when you actually test theboards themselves. I always use my 12-in. square forchecking boards that I've crosscut on the tablesaw.Forchecking ajointed edge, I pull ou t a smaller square'

The easiest method is to look fo r light between

the square's blade and a jointed edge. Sometimesthis isn't practical, though. It's hard to hold a long orhear,y board so that there's a good light sourcebehind the square. I really can't trust what I canbarely see, so I rely on a feel test with a small, light-weight square that's easy o balance.

- l Firmly rest the square'sbeam against he board's ef tI face.Lower he blade o th e ointededge'When it con-tacts he edge, ry to rock he square. t should nest per-fectly. f i t doesn't, ou' l l know th e left side s high'

f f Rock he squareon th e other side of the board' Now,1vo, can te l l whether he r ight s ide s high. I a lwayscheckboth sidesbefore 'm satisfied ha t my boardsar eperfectly quare. WAmerican Woodrvorker MAY 2oo5 43

, t ' l ' t r i r j r i r l l t t ' l ' i !i ' i '1,1' l ' i ' i ' r ' l ' t , i ' t '1, I i ' r , l r r ! i . l ri ! i ' i r l i j r i l ir o r z f t z 9 1 8 i 9 5 8 t 0 t


29/67


30/67

o't)

TimJohnson

'lc1 l-r . 11JLI LI-f

.3q:"

An elegant structurerruith super-strong joineryere's a project that's guaranteed to add

romance to your garden: an invitinggateway that promises beauty and tranquility to all whopass through.

Building this arbor is a big undertaking, because ofits complex design and grand scale, but it isn't a diffi-cult project. All the parts go together with simple join-ery and basic tools.

The arbor's components are modular. You buildthem in your workshop and then assemble the arbor onsite. The posts will stay straight because they're glued-together hollow boxes. These lightweight posts aremuch easier to lift and maneuver than solid posts.You'll create sturdy structures with strong joints bystacking and gluing pieces in layers. You'll fashionattractive curves and stylish ogees. Best of all, whenyou've found the perfect spot, I' ll show yo u step by stephow to install your arbor there.

You can build this arbor in No. 3 cedar for about$500. Omitting the gates saves$100. I built the Cadillacversion you seehere using D-grade cedar, which has veryfew knots. D-grade cedar is expensive and usually isn'tavailable at home centers. I had to go to a full-servicelumberyard to find it, and I spent nearly $1,100.

Knots are common in No. 3 cedar, so using it willmake the arbor look more rustic. Knots also make No. 3cedar harder to work with, so select boards with thefewest knots.

Cedar is sold as dimensional lumber (1x4, 1x6, etc.).I bought rough l-in. stock. It comes with one side sur-faced and is usually about 7 8 in. thick. I milled all myl-in. cedar down to a3/4lin thickness by surfacing therough side. The 2-in. cedar came surfaced on all foursides (S4S), milled to a|-L/2-in. thickness. I cut off therounded-over corners on the S4S cedar.

t*':.'*'..tf{F ,a:. 'l ftr.,

I



31/67

Materials:108 t . o f 1x4cedar216f t .o f 1x6cedar18 t . o f 1x8cedar46 ft. of 2x8 cedar10 t . o f 1x i0 cedarTwo 1Z-ft.4x4 reated imbersWaterproofglueFour50-lb. agsof peagravel

Toofs: 314-in.t ra ight i t Six4-ft.-capacityipeclampsBandsaw Jigsaw Adjustable lampsTablesaw Circular aw Flat4 x 8-f t .assemblyablePlaner Bradnai ler 2-ft.and 4-ft. evel sJointer Beltsander Hardware: ou r6-in.T-hingesPlungeouterwith dg e uide Dri l l Totalcost: 1,140

1-112" 2"NOTCH

* )^.-_\

1,r 'oro. \ \-WOODEN #8x2-112"PLUG DECKSCREWS

#6 x 1-114"DECKSCREWS(rYP.)+l,r"u+rYP.)I6 "

t,8"lrE 1E2

2-13116"BETWEENPICKETS4"

318" 314"x 63-1/2"TONGUE

CHAMFEREDCORNER

Build thisarbor usinpsimple oinervanJ n*i.or,rols.J /Arnerican \{trodrvorkel MA y 2oo5


32/67

Bur lo rHE SloE PnTELSThe side panels (A , Fig. A, page 46) are three-

layer sandwiches, with vertical pickets (A1 andA2) held between horizontal rails (A3 through,{6). Assembly is easybecause the pieces are sim-pl y stacked, glued and screwed. The top rail isthree layers thick. Its inside rail covers the topsof the pickets to protect the end grain. Theother rails are fastened to the outside, so mois-trlre can drain between the pickets. Glue thesepanels together on a flat surface, so they aren'ttwisted. Use waterProof glue.

1. Cut al l the pieces to width.2. Cut the rails and the two outer pickets to

length, with the ends squarely cut.3. Make patterns for the curved profiles in the

top rails (Fig. B, below) by swinging arcs on7/4-.in.-thick scrap stock and bandsawing. Use the patternsand reference points A and B to transfer the arcs tothe top rail blanks (A3 and A4). Then saw out therails.

4. Glue and screw the inside top rail to one ofthe outside rails. Make sttre the ends align and theglue joint is tight. Remove any squeezed-out glue.

5. Tack the frame together (Photo 1) . The twoouter pickets protrude beyond the rails by 3/8 in.to form tongues (Detail 1, page 53). Draw layoutlines on these pickets to indicate the ends of therails. Lay the pickets on the top and bottom rails.Butt the pickets against the inside top rail andalign the other ends with the bottom edge of thebottom rail. Apply glue and tack the corners.

6. Square the frame and then screw it togeth-er with 1-l/4=in. deck screws.Drill countersunkpilot holes first, so the screws don't split thewood. Work fast, so you finish before the gluesets up.

The sidepanelsar e ayered ik ea sandwich. ay he outerpick-et s in position on top of th e rai ls o make th e frame, Applyglue an d tack he pieces ogetherwith a pi n nail in eachcor-ner.Square he frame by adjusting t unti l both diagonalmeasure-ments are he same.Then crew he sti les o the rai ls.

Position he inner pickets,using spacers, nd then fasten hemwith glue an d screws hrough predri l ledholes' Remove hespacersan d complete he side panel by gluing an d clampingthe outside ails.

A.rnerican Woodworker MAY 2oo5 47


33/67

The posts are built as hollow boxes.Theyweigh a lot less hansolid timbers and are more stable.The front piece s shorter,creating a ledge to support the arbor's horizontalbeams.Theattachedscrew blockanchors he beam'smounting screws.

Rout a groove on each post's back face, sized to fit the pro-truding picketson th e side panels. ongue-and-grooveointssecure he side panels o the posts.

Glueeachside panel betweenh,voposts.These nd assembliesare about the same sizeas a 4xBsheet of plywood, so beforeyo u glue, make sure you'l l be able to move the glued-upassemblyou t of your shop.

7. Use your layout lines to attach one middlerail to the bottom side of the frame. Make sure itsends align with the top and bottom rails.8. Install the inner pickers, using 2-l/2-in.-wide spacers Photo 2). Cut the pickes to lengthas you go. Fasten them with glue and screws npredrilled holes.9. Glue and clamp the remaining top, middleand bottom outside rails. Make sure the endsalign.10. Smooth the curve on the top rails using abelt sander or a sanding drum chucked in a drill.

BUILDTHEPosrsThe posts (B) are hollow, made from fourpieces that are simply butted, glued and clamped(Photo3) .ll . Cut the post pieces (Bl through B3) towidth and length. The sides are narrower, sobutting them betweenthe front and back piecescreatesa squarepost.12. Glue and clamp the sides o the back piece.Remove any squeezed-outglue.13. Glue and screwa block (B4) to the backside of the front piece.14. Glue and clamp the front piece to com-plete the post; make sure the bottom edges areflush. Remove any squeezed-outglue.15. Rout a stopped groove in the back of eachpost, centered and sized to fit the side panel'spicket tongues(Photo 4). Square he bottom endof each groove 4 in. from the post's bottom edge.

Glue Up rHEEruoAssrvrBLtESEach side panel mounts between two postswi*rtongue-andgroove joints (Photo 5). These endassembliesare large, so enlist a friend to help.Work on a flat surface, so you don't glue a nvistinto the assembly.

16. Lay the posts on top of three pipe clamps,spacedfar enough apart for the side panel to fitbetween them. Position the clamps so they'll beright under the side panel rails.. 17. Position the side panel between the posts.Set it on blocks, so the picket tongues align withthe grooves.18.Test-fit hejoint. Add three clampson top ofthe posts,directly over the panel rails, and slowlydraw the joint together. Square the assemblybymaking sure the panel sits 4 in. from the bottomof each post. Apply even clamping pressureaboveand below each oint. The panel's rail shouldersShould fit tightly against the posts.19. Disassemble he joints, apply glue to thetongues and grooves and draw the assemblybacktogether. Removeany squeezedout glue. If gluing

tt8 American Woodworker MAy 2oos


34/67

both tongue-and-groove joints at once is toonerve-wracking, glue one joint at a time.Marcr rHE BravsAND RNTTTNS

The beams and rafters (C and D) lock togetherwith half-lap joints. The notches have to be locat-ed precisely, so the assembled beams and rafterswill fit properly around the posts at the top of thearbor.20. Cut the beams and rafters to width andlength.

21. Clamp the two beams together and lay outthe nvo outer notches (Detail 2, page 53). Makesure the ends of the beams are flush. Otherwise,the notches won't line up correctly. Lay out theinner notches. They're evenly spaced between theouter notches.

22. Crtt the notches using a circular saw, withthe blade set to cut to the bottom of the notch(Photo 6). Use a chisel to clear the waste andsmooth the bottom of the notches (Photo 7).

23. Gang the five rafters together and cut thenotches in them the same way. The rafters haveonly two notches; they're 40-7/4 in. apart.

24. Make a pattern (Detail 2) and mark the ogeeprofiles on the beams and rafters. On the beams,the notches are at the top; on the rafters, the notch-es go at the bottom. Saw out the profiles (Photo 8).BUILDTHE GanEs

The gates (E) are layered,just like the side pan-els, but they go together differently and featurerobust mortise-and-tenon j oints.

25. Cut the hinge and latch stile components(El through Ea) to length and width. Cut theloose tenons (E5) to size, too. The last I-t/Z in. oftheir top edges slope I in. to shed moisture.

26. Glue the hinge and latch stiles by sandwich-ing an inside stile and a loose tenon benveen theoutside stiles. Keep all the pieces aligned and theedges flush when you clamp. It helps to tack *repieces in place as you stack them together. Afterclamping, remove the squeezed-out glue-don'tforget the bottom of the mortises. After gluing,you'll have three-layer stiles with flush edges, oPenmortises at the top and tenons protruding fromthe bottom.

27. Cut the bottom gate rails (E8) to width andlength.

28. Make an arched pattern for the outside topgate rails (E6, Fig. C, page 50).

29. Cut blanks for the outside top gate rails. Cutthe ends of these blanks at T0degree angles,spaced 18-3/4 in. These angled top rail blanksmust be the same length as the bottom rails.

30. Use reference points A and B on Fig. C to

Cu t notches in the beams an d rafters.Clamping he piecestogether al lows yo u to cut perfectlyal igned notches.Use aspeed square o make straight cuts' Establish he shouldersf i rs t .Thenmakecuts n the middleunt i lonly h in pieces emain,

Ctear he waste by twisting a chiselagainst he thin piecesThesepiecesbreakout easilybecause f their shortgrain'Afteryou've removed he waste,cleanup the bottoms of th e notches with your chisel.

Sa w profi leson the endsof the beamsan d rafters'First, ut hecurve.Then cut the straight shoulder.Hold th e waste piecewhile yo u cut, so it doesn't ear away.

CLAMPBEAIt'4ir;;i;;,

\f', . '{ spgEDt-SOUAR.



35/67

Glue the gate together. Apply glue, assemble th e frame,square t and clamp he oints.The ayered ti lesan d upper rai lar e glued ogetherprior o assembly. fteryo u instal l he pick-ets,glue and clamp he remaining op and bottom rails.

position your pattern on the blank. Transfer thearchesand cut out the rail.31. Make an arched partern and cut the blankfor the inside top gate rail (E7, Fig. C, below).This rail extendsbeyond the outside top rails tocreate the tenons. Cut the ends of this blank at70 degrees,spaced25-3/4 in. This rail is as ongas the gate s wide.32. Use reference points A and B on Fig. C toposition your pattern and transfer the arches.Establish the two renons by extending lines at90-degreeangles from the edges. Cut out theinside top rail.33. Glue the inside top rail to one of the out-side rails.34. Glue the gate frames together (photo 9).Clamp one bottom rail between the stiles,underthe protruding tenons.Apply glue inside the mor-tisesat the top of the stilesand to the tenonson thetwo-layer op rail. Install the top rail. Make sure thegate s square.Clamp the mortise-and-tenonjointsat the top and glue and screw he tenonsto the bot-

tom rail.35. Install the pickets (E9), using spacers,andfastenthem with glue and screws.Then glue andclamp the remaining top and bottom rails.36. Seal he exposedend grain on the tops ofthe gateswith epoxy or thinned waterproof glue.lrusrnll THEAneon

37. Install the anchor posts (Photo l0). Treatedtimbers are never straight. So that they'll seatflush inside the hollow posts, oint adjacent facesof each 4x4to create aflat, square corner. Rout aclearance chamfer to avoid hardened glue insidethe post. Slide the 4x4 halfi,vay into the hollowpost, leaving 36 in. exposed, and fasten it to theinside corner wrth 2-l/2-in. deck screws on bothsides (Detail 3, page 53). For longest life, orientthe 4x4s so the "factory" ends go in the groundand the ends you've sawn go inside the posts.

38. Determine the arbor's position in your gar-den and dig 8-in.-dia. x 40-in.-deep holes for theposts. First, drive a stake to mark the center ofeach hole. Establish the holes by spading downabout 6 in. on all four sides of the stake. Then goto town with a post-hole digger. Using a level,determine the ground's slope and mark the holethat sits at the highest grade.39. Install the first end assembly (Photo 1l).Plumb the post that goes in the hole at the highest

grade (Photo 12). Startingwith this post assures hatall four posts will be above grade. When the first postis staked in position,level the assemblyfront to back(Photo l3). Then plumb the second post.40. Use this staked assembly to install the other endassemblylevel, plumb and square (Photos 14 and lb).



36/67

- l Sl ip one end assembly nto the holes you'veI Org. Even hough his assembly s huge, t ' sr easy o maneuver,because t doesn'tweigh

Plumb he first post. Raise he end assemblyon blocks, othe bottom edges of the cedar rest a couple nchesabovethe ground.Stake he post n posi t ion, s inga leveland a

Plumb he second nd assembly y fastening t to the f i rswith braces op and bottom, eachcut to mat ch he arbor'swidth. Measure he diagonals nd make adjustments nt ithe base s square.Thennsta l l d iagonal race o keep t there.

much and sn ' t op-heavy .

1 f) Level he assemblywi th shims.Then lumbI f l tne second post and stake i t in pos i t ion,. | -J us inga second iagonal race.Wi th h is endassemblyplum, level and staked,you ' re ready toinstal l he otherone.

1 I Instal l the second end assembly on blocks| / l ana evel t wi th the f i rs t , s ide to s ide andI l front to back.You'l l eed wo levels, pair oflong,s t ra ight oards nd more shims.

d iagona l b race .

Anrerican \Aloodworkcr MAY 2oo5 51


37/67

d ' * { r ' ##g FThdaFCA.r # \ h r e ,

? FLUSH

,, - *.:kgpS*;+."- '.d*C l a m p h e b e a m s i n p o s i t i o nb y r e p l a c i n g h e u p p e r b r a c e son e a t a t i m e . R e s t h e b e a m o n t h e p o s t s ' b u i l t - i n e d g e s .A l i g n t he n o t c h e sw i t h t h e s i d e o f t h e o o s t s .

Ca p th e posts to cover th e en d grain. Form a weather_t ights e a l w i t h s i l i c o n e c a u l k . F a s t e n t h e c a p s w i t h s c r e w s .Lef t unprotected, end gra in w icks mois ture, whichacceleratesdecay.

.4Ftu.*".q+*".,.

I n s t a l l r i m w i t h g a l v a n i z e d i n n a i l sa n d w a t e r p r o o f g l u e .c o u n t e r s i n k h e n a i l sa n d f i l l h e h o l e sw i t h e x t e r i o r - g r a d eput ty , so you don ' t end up wi th b lack sta ins f rom contactb e t w e e n m e t a l a nd m o i s t u r e .

Ins ta l l he ou ts ide raf ters . Suppor led by theh a l f - l a p o i n t s , h e y n e s t a g a i n s t h e s i d e s o ft h e p o s t s . n s t a l l h e i n s i d e r a f t e r s a s t ,

"-"-#

Fi l l he post ho les wi th pea gravel . l t , smuche a s i e r o u s e t h a n c o n c r e t ea n d l e s s m e s s v .Tamp t h e g r a v e l a r o u n d t h e p o s t s o s e c u r e _ly a n c h o r h e s t r u c t u r e .

I

I ns ta l l t he gates. Clamp them f lush w i th theb a c k f a c e s o f t h e p o s t s , u s i n g s h i m s a t a l lf o u r h i n g e l o c a t i o n s o e s t a b l i s he v e n g a p sa l l a r o u n d .T h e n s c r e w o n t h e h i n q e s .

h. t*

s"fffi.

r#F \SHIM

%rq6-i;*.'


38/67

41. Install the beamsanclrafters (Photos 16 and 17)'Fasten thern to the postswith scr-ews nd plugs.

42. Screw on the post caps after sealing thejo ints with si l icoue caulk (B5, Photo 18).

43. Fill and tamp the post holes (Photo 19).44. Make an d insta l l the post t r im (Photo 20).45. Install the gates (Photo 21). Make sure the gap

between the gates s large enottgh, at least | / Lin., sothey swing freely. Install a latch to close the gates. Iused a large hook and eye screw combinationmounted on the back of the gates for appearance'To hold the gates open, I installed a second hook toone side panel and a second eye screw to the other.

46.lf you want to maintain the look of the freshcedar, apply a finish. I used Penofiu's Western RedCedar exterior stain. Yott shotrld plan to recoat anyexterior finish biennially. Without finish, the cedaru'ill weather to gray within one or two seasons' /W

Overal lDimensions: 1" Wx 69-1/4"D 96"H

Part Name NumberA S idepane l 241 Outerpickets 4A2 Innerpickets 10A3 Outside op rai l 4A4 Inside op rai l 2A5 Midd le a i l 4AO Bottom rail 4B Post 481 S ide I82 Front 483 Back 484 Screw block 485 Cap 486 Trim 1687 Anchor 4C Beam 2D Rafter 5E Gate 2E1 Outsidehingest i le 4E2 Ins ide inge t i l e 2E3 Outside atch t i le 4E4 lnside atch t i le 2E5 Loose enon 4E6 Outside op gate ai l 4E7 Inside op gate ai l 2E8 Bottomgate ai l 4

(footprint: 47-3/4"x 62")Stock Final dimension

2-114"32-112" 65 "1x 4 314" 2-112" 63-112"1x4 314" 2-112" 63"*1x8 314" 6-314" 31-314"1x6 314" 4-314" 31-314"1x6 314" 3-112" 31 -314 "1xG 314" 4" x 31-314"

5 " x 5 " x 9 2 "1x6 314" 3-112" 92 "1x6 3/4"x 5" x 86"1x6 314" 5" x92"2x8 1-112" 3-112" 10"1x6 314" 4-112" 5-114"1x4 314" 1-118" 6-112"4x4** 3-114" 3-114" 72 "2x8 1-112" 7" x 912x8 1-112"7" x 69-114"

2-114" 25-314" 48 "1x6 314" 3-112" 48"1x6 314" 3-112" 40"1x6 314" 3-112" 38 "1x6 314" 3-112" 32 "1x6 314" 4" x 5'1x10 3/4"x 8" x 18-314"1x8 314" 7" x25-314"1xG 314" 4" x 18-314"1x4 314" 2-112" 42"*g Gatepickets 6

*cut to length *treated

Anrcricirn \\ 'r>oclr,olker MAY 2oo5 53


39/67


40/67

I{tt'*f *\ '?

*"


41/67

Two TyprsTWo primary types of plastic lumber are available.

One is al l plastic. The other is a cornposite made ofplastic and n'ood fibe r. Some of the plastic that goesinto this lurnber is new, but most cornes from recy-cled rni lkjugs, pop bottles, grocery bags and similarwaste plastic. The rnanufacturers of the composite-plastic lunlber add ground-up waste wood. Thismakes the lurnber stiffer than the all-plastic type.

You may find flecks of other colored plastic on their-rsideof some all-plastic boards. This is due to therec,vclednature of the rnaterial. Also, when you cutthe all-plastic material, you will notice air btrbbles ofvarying sizes n the core of some boards. One boardrlay have r-robtrbbles, but another rnay have man)/.

Lors oF CoLoRSAND Slzes Ane AvaILABLEPlastic lumber corles in a rvide assortment of colors and

sizes.The selection varies arnong brands (see Chart, page 59).Cornposite plastic lumber colnes mainly in subduecl eartl-rtones; the all-plastic products come in a range ofbold colors. Both types offer sizescornp:rrable to constrtrction ltrm-ber. Yotr rvill find, for exarnple,1x , 2x and 5/4 boards,even 4x4 and 6x6 posts.Most rnan rfactrlrers offerlensths up to 16 ft .Ancl 4 x 8-ft.sheet stock isalso availablein 1,/4-ir-r. rsreatel ' thick-ltesses.

CHoosEFROM

' \rnclicirn \\irodworker MAy 2oos


42/67

-'..i ., I

PLASTIC

CnuloN: lr Ceru SncAll-plastic lumber bends easily ttnder rveight.

The wood fibers make the composite-plastic lumberstiffer, but not as stiff as the real stuff. Adeqllate stlp-port is important when you're building with all-plasticor composite lumber. Most manufacturers recommend16 in. as the maximum span for 5/Lthick materialrvhen you Llse t as decking material. Becartse of its flex-

ibilit1,,plastic ltttnber shotrlcl ltevef be trsed in a strltc-tural applicatiot-t, sttch as oists or a stlpportir-rs wall.High summel- temperatures calt also cattse saggir-rg.Wher-rusing plastic ltrmber to btrild otltdoor fttruitttre,yotr should plar-r o beef tlp yotlr design to avoid flexingor sagging; yotr may have to experirrlellt a bit.

j ,..: ,'

TrxruREPnovrDEs nncrtoNThe majority of plastic lumberis manufactured with some kind

of texture on at least one side. Some typeshave wood grain; others have a random pattern'These textures offer visual appeal and provide trac-tion for decking use. A number of the manufac-turers make a board that has a "flip side," withwood grain on one side and a smoother patternon the other. These textures are only on the sur-face, so if you don't like either face, you canplane them off. I find this a big plus when :building furniture. It gives yo u designoptions: textured, smooth or planed

lT's HravYAt 4 to 5 lbs. perbd. ft., plastic wood

is heavier than oak.Here are some nlrm-bers for comparison:

{,1r-ru:-**1.5 lbs./bd. f t .

Fis"t+*2 lbs./bd.t.'i i- il dll ,t.=s;* il}; i r r"::

3 lbs./bd.t.;,,,: l--i i".3.8 bs./bd.t.

,,!:q! - g: ,* ;t,' l!:.f -; "r"?r:*: t'4 lbs./bd.t.

. ' . , ; , . l : " ' : .

u.; -*,;.; l,l": !,;J ',; ' i l, *,15.3 bs. /bd. t .

"\ir-++;"| =:"*5'+* ::;"\\ o , .

t .

. . ' ' ] tt + ; , , . , * ; , . - " , . r ,

., '


43/67

Ir 's FuwTo BrruoI had a lot of fun bending plastic umber. Theall-plasticmaterial in particular is unbelievablybendablewhen heated.Becauseof this, it worksvery well for decorativeprojects, such as a gar-den trellis (see photo, below left).

One really cool method is to use a heat gun on the all-plastic stuff and bend or twist it as yo u would wroughtiron. Using a form, you can create some pretty intricateshapes.Obviously, the smaller the stock, the sharper thebend you can make. Yo u have to thoroughly heat thematerial until the surface starts to bubble slightly and

Bend ingh in st r ipsof p last icumber svery easy.With a heatgun, a bendingj ig an d a l i t t lecreat iv i ty, ou ca n openup a wor ld o f poss ib i l i t ies .

look almost liquidfo r it to becomereally pliable. Also,leave th e bentpiece in the formunt i l i t has com-pletely cooled or itwill spring back. Thisheat gun techniquedoesn't work on thecomposite lumber,though, because th ewood fiber starts to burnbefore th e part becomesbendable.

To bend larger boards (photo atright), you can make an inexpensiveheating oven (see bottom photo). The plas-tic lumber needs to be heated to l?b degreesto its core, which can take an hour or two.You can then bend the board around a formLlntil it's cool. Plastic lumber will spring backwhen you take it off the form, so you shoulddo some experimenting first and bend it to atighter radius than you want. The compositelumber is not as bendable as the all-plastic lum-ber and will break like particleboard if youbend it too far.

FURNACEAIR DUCT

This bent 1x 4al l-plasticboardwasheated in theoven, bent byhand a round aform and thenclamped n placeto cool. t sprangback about 50percent when Itook it ou t of thefo rm.

/r$ -:-E\Ii,]:d\hi s simple6- METAL *ft.-longoven rom RODS>\^/hardware-store aterials tl ,ato heat argerboards or bend- r' .ng .Note: 'vecut an opening n the toponly o show yo u what he nside ooks ike. \ \2x4STANDAmerican Woodworker MAy 2oo5


44/67

# , WoRK lr asq -: , Yotr can plane it ,saw it-Vou pame it.': ' Plastic umber can be

cut and shaped using ordi-nary woodworkir-rg tools. Itried some common handtools-hand planes, chisels,52qrs-2p61 found little differ-ence from using them onwood. OK, l-rand-planing apiece of plastic does seeminherently weird, but it worksquite well and there's nograin direction to worryabout. Using hand tools onthe composite lumber wasslightly more difficult thanusing them on all-plasticpieces.

Plastic lumber machinesgreat with power tools. It'sjust as easy as wood! Powertools ,ip right through it .When rottting, yotr will getclean, crisp edses and nosplintering. It's comparableto working with pine orpoplar. It is more abrasivethan wood, though, so Lrsecarbide tools. I found dustcollection to be very impor-tant. It's needed not only tocollect the dust btrt also the

Ensw AS Woooplastic shavinp;s, which tendto pick up a static charge ar-rdstick to everything, includingclothes. To get all tl're sharings off, I had to vacutlm lnyclothes.

Screwing ancl bolting arethe preferred fastenir-rgmeth-ods. Gluing is generally notrecommended, becaltse ltoavailable glues stick very wellto this tlpe of plastic. I hadsome successwith epoxy, btrtthe test joints I tried stillbroke more easily han a sim-ilar wood joint. Epoxy rnightbe useful in some sitttations,btrt you should still secure thejoint with screwsor bolts if itwill be exposed to any stress.Screws can be driven withotrtpredrill ing, bttt the materialtends to pucker arottnd thehead and rnay crack whenscrewed near the edge.Predrill ing and cottntersink-ing remove the risk of crack-ing and will prodttce a cleau-er look around the heacl.Stainlesssteel or coated deckscrews ar e the best choicesfor outdoor use.


45/67

Ir 's GnEAT FoR THE PnrloThis bench may not end up in anar t museum, but it' ll be great onthe patio by the barbecue. Al l theparts are composite-plastic lum-ber. I beefed up the design by

60

using all5/4 materials and adding the cen-ter leg for extra support.I avoided visible fasteners on the topand apron by pocket-screwing fromunderneath. lW

SourceTaylor's ecycled lastic roductsnc .(8771939-6072www.taylorsplasticlumber.omWhiteAdironack hair shownon pageb5),$185.

American Woodworker MAy 2oos

.Tech upporthatKnowsESTOOLProducts

.Top ated oolsthatWorksaSYSTEMforFRIE atalogl

CircleNo . 14 0 CircleNo. 16


46/67


47/67

I designed this chest to keep out boththe elements and unwelcome anirnals.

THe rop sHEDS RATNFALLbecausehe id hasa broadoverhang nd ts h ingecreates gentleslope.

A cHnIUFERED BorroM RAILprevents rainwater rom pooling an d eventuallycausingdecay.

A oecr-LrKE BorroMwith gaps between he boards al lows air to circu-late o preventmold or mildew.A galvanizedmetalscreen al ledhardware loth s mountedunder hedecking o keep unwantedcrittersout.

bcautiflr]

clernents

torage is like money; we never seemto have enough. Well, I can't help youmuch with your finances, but I cangive you a hand on the storage front.A frequently overlooked storage areais outdoors. I'm not talking aboutanother tool shed, but a beautifulchest designed to store the smalleroutdoor amenities we use everyday,such as cushions for deck furniture,pool toys or even gardening supplies.This elegant chest s a real eye-catcherwith ample storage designed to keepthe contents dry and clean.

I used cypress o build this chest. t' sa beautiful, cream-colored wood simi-lar in appearance to a light-coloredcedar or fir. Cypress is about 50 per-cent harder than clear cedar butabout half the cost (seeSources,page68). Cypress s a rot-resistant memberof the pine family native to swampyareas n the Southern United States.It's a stable wood, meaning it won'texpand and contract a lot with theseasons. Cypress also machines welland takes anv finish.



48/67

-l This entire project, even its stout legs, is built with rot-I resistantcypress,a l ightweight,weatherproofwood. Tomake he leg blanks, lue hreepieces ogetherand cut thestackon the bandsaw.Guide he cut with a 1l2-in.-tal lencethat wil l contactonly the bottom board.

ROUTERBIT MARK

Q Routstoppedgrooveson the legs o house he panelsan dI the rai l 's enons.Thegroovesare oo long to use a s topblock. nstead,markwhere he grooveendson the edgeof theleg.Make anothermark on the router able across rom thefront of the bit.When he two marksmeet,stop he routeran dremove he leg.

Q Cut the mortises on the drill presswith a mortising attach-r.,f ment an d a 112-in. hiseland bit.The groove guides hechiselso yo u don't get sl ightlystaggeredholes.A stop blockensureseachmortise s th e same distance ro m th e end.

Bur lo rHE Lecs AND RnusIf your lumber is kiln-dried and your chest will be

kept outdoors, I recommend stacking your lumber in acovered area outside for several weeks before you build.Kiln-dried cypresswill have around 8 percent moisturecontent;you can expect it to stabilize around 12 percentafter it's been outside.

1. Sort your wood and select the best-looking piecesfo r the lid (A ) and front panel (B). Rough-cur yourstock according to the Cutting List (see page 68), butleave everything oversize by at least l/Z-in. in length.Parts made from glued-up stock (G through L) shouldinitially be cut an extra 7/2 in. wide.

2. Use a waterproof glue, like Titebond III, to face-glue three pieces of 3/ 4.in. stock for each leg (G). Glueup two pieces fo r the rail stock (H through L). Make anextra leg blank and an extra rail to test setups. Mark thebestlooking face on each piece.

3. Tiim the leg blanks to size after the glue has dried(Photo 1) . Don't cut the tapers yer. The grooves andmortises are cut while the leg blank is still square.

4. Lay out the groove location and the taper (Figs. Band C, page 66) on each leg. Position the legs on yourbench just as they'll be on the chest to make sure you'vegot everything oriented correctly.

5. Cut the stopped grooves on each leg (Photo 2; Fig. B).It takes two fence settings to complete the two grooves.The first groove is cut with an outside face against thefence. The other groove is cut with the newly groovededge against the fence. Be sure both grooves are equal-ly set back on the legs.

6. Use a 7/2-in. chisel to square the corners whereeach routed groove ends.

7.Head to the drill press to cur rhe morrises (Photo 3;Fig. C). The mortise is really just a deeper part of thegroove that accepts the tenon.

8. To finish machining the legs, cut the taper on thebandsaw. This can easily be done freehand. Use a l/2-in.or wider blade and follow the line carefully. Sand thesawn surface smooth. Note: Save the offcuts to use asclamp pads during assembly.

9. Now that the legs are finished, turn your attentionto the rails. Lay out the tenons (Figs. D and E, page 66)on each end and cut them on the tablesaw. Use a testpiece to check the fit of the tenons in the leg grooves.Shoot for a snug fit accomplished without a mallet.

10 . Lay out and cut the tenon haunches on the band-sa w (Photo 4) .

11. Dry-fit all the legs and rails to ensure al l goes wellat assembly.If a tenon bottoms out in the mortise beforethe joint is tight, trim 1/1Gin. of f the renon length. It'sa good practice to put a slight chamfer on the tenon'sends to help it slide into the mortise.

American Woodworker M,Ay 2oo5


49/67

ELONGATED CREWHOLE

114"D 3/8"WRABBET

2-114"

#8 x 3/4"BRASSSCREW

114"HARDWARECLOTH

3-114"

Materials:80 bd . ft. of 414cvpressTools:Router able, router,bandsaw, r i l lpresswith a mortising ttachment r a mort is ingmachineand tablesaw, 114-in. 3/8-in.tongue-and-grooveouterbi t setHardware:Pair of heavy-dutybrass strap hinges,brassc lasp , id suppor ts , rassscrews,hardware lo th ,s ta in less tee l o r ga lva-nizedscrews,brassscrewsTotal Cost: $400

CHAMFER

\#8x1-114"

#8 x 1-1/4"

Anrer-ican {roocl*,orket' MAY 2oo5 65


50/67

Tltne raits have haunched tenons. The haunch fills theI groovemade on the router ablean d strengthenshe ointby increasinghe gluesurface. ut he enonson the tablesaw;then bandsawa notch o create he haunchon each enon,

MecHtNE THE PaTELS12. Machine the rongue-and-groove joints in all the

panel pieces (Photo 5; Fig. F, page 67).13 . Don't forget to machine the groove in the bottom

of the upper rail (Fig. D) and to pur a 3O-degree bevelon each bottom panel board where it mates with the30-degree bevel on the bottom rail (Fig. F) .14. On the tablesaw, shave 7/8 in. off the length ofeach tongue. This is necessary to make room for the

Space Balls (see Sources, page 68) that fit between eachtongue-and-groove panel board. Cypress is a stable wood,but it still moves, and these panels are trapped in theirframes. Space Balls are like little rubber blueberries thatkeep an even gap between the boards but allow for sea-sonal expansion and contraction of the wood.

15. Cut rabbets on the ends of each panel board sothey fit snugly into the leg grooves (Fig. F).

HAUNCH

-af, , Cut the panel boardswith a tongue-and-groove outer bi tr-./ set. Use a chamfer bi t to ease he edges where the boardsmeet.Featherboardseep he stock la t on the table o ensurestraight onguesan d grooves.

rc

i li :i Ei iil

114"x318" GROOVE



51/67

AssevBLE THECHe16. Sand all the box parts

through f 20 grir ' O loto

18. After the tr,vo end a v Opanels are complete, assemble he rest of thechest in the samefashion. Set both front and back railsand panels into one end panel, add the second endpanel and clamp. Be sure to check that your assembly ssquare.BurLDTHELlo

19. While the glue dries, edge-glue the boards for thetid. Thke care to align each board flush. It's best to glueone board at a time for this operation.20. Sand the top to 120grit.21. Cut the battens (E) and chamfer the outsideedges(Fig.A, page 65).22. Predrill countersunk holes in each batten on thedrill press. Note: Be sure to elongate the screwholes onthe ends of each batten to allow the lid to expand andcontract (Fig.A).23. Attach the battens to the lid with screws.lrusralL THEBorrovt

24. Cut the hardware cloth and screw t onto the bot-tom of the deck cleats.

25. Cut the deck cleats(F) and install them with screwsalong the bottom edge of the bottom rails (Fig.A).

f, Assemble the chest upside down. Glue the top rail intoLl on e leg.Then stack he panel boardsadding hree or fourSpaceBalls n eachgroove.SpaceBallsar e itt le rubber ballsthat compressand expand to compensate or seasonalwoodmovement. Slip the bottom rail into the leg, add the secondleg and clamp he assembly.

?S"r"- down the decking using 1/4-in.-thick pacers to/ maintain even gaps.Hardwarecloth is screwed o the bot-tom of the deck cleats to keep critters out of your chest, yetal low air circulation.

26. Cut the decking (D) to fit. Predrill countersunkholes in the ends of each deck board and attach to thedeck cleats (Photo 7).



52/67

Aoo rHE HanDWARE27 . Mount the hinges on the chest (Photo 8) .28. Glue the clasp backer (M ) to the upper panel

board an d ad d the clasp (Fig. A, Detai l 1).29 . Position and attach the lid closers.30. I painted the bottom of each leg rvith a couple

coats of two-part epoxy. This seals the leg ends andkeeps them from wicking Llp any moisture. This is espe-cially important if the chest sits on a concrete or brickpatio.

31. You mav choose to leave the wood raw. Cypresswill age to a beautiful silver-gray color. If you want to pre-serve the coloq look at some of the outdoor finishesdesigned fo r decks. Just remember, these f in ishesrequire frequent maintenance to keep their good looks.If you plan to put the chest in an enclosed porch, you'refree to use your favorite finish. /W

SourcesWoodworkers ource(800J 23-2450,www.woodworkerssouce. om80 bd . t. of 4/4 cypress, 4 pe r bd. t., $320.LeeValley ools(800) 71 8158 ,www.leevalley.comPair f 4 x 8- in. rass -hinges,01H14.30,371-118 4-in. rass afety asp, 01H15.04,12Tw opairs f f lapstays, 00U06.01,28 .Mcfeely's(800) 43-7937, ww.mcfeelys.comSpaceBal ls, 00pack, PBS-I000-C,58 x 1-114-in.o-Co-Rodeat-headcrews, 00 pack,#0812-FNC,58 x S/B-in. o-Co-Rodeelf-dril l ingasher-heaocrews,#0805-wNC, 58 x 3/4-in. rass lat-head crews,25 pack,#0806-FSW,210 x 3/4- in. rass lat-headcrews, 5 pack, 1006-FSW,2.MLCS(800) 33-9298, ww.mlcswoodworkrng.comOn e ongue-and-groovessembly, /2- in. hank, i844,$40:1/4- in. hank, 5544, 40 .

BRASSSCREWQMount the h ingesL,fwith steel screwsf i rs t . hen eo lacehemwith the brassscrews.Th e steelscrewspavethe way,making t eas i -er to dr ive he softerbrassscrewswithoutbreak inghem.

Overa l lD imensions:29"H x44-1 /2"W x2G-112"DPartBI

DEF\lnJKM

N a m eLidTo n ue-a d-groove a elTongue-and-goovepa elDeck ingLi dbattenDeck lea tt o nLv v

Bottom ai l rontan dbackBottom ai l id eTop ail rontand backTo p ai l ideClasp acker

Qtv.1

1 21 21 2

I42L.)aL

1

Dim ens ions3l4"x26-314'x44-314"3/4"x 3-3/8 x 36-3/4"314" 3-3/8" 19-314"3 1 4 " x 2 - 3 1 4 ' x 1 9 - 1 1 2 "3 1 4 " x 2 " x 1 8 "314 " x1 -112 " x60 "2-1 4'x 3-114 " 2B-1 4"1 - 1 1 2 " x 43 8 "1 - 1 1 2 "4 " x 2 1 "1 - 1 1 2 " x 3 " x 3 81 -112 " x3 "21 "1/4"x 1-318" 'l9

68 American \4looclrvorker MAy 2oos


53/67

oIoon the

Simple improvements makea mortising attachmentrnrork great.DyTimJohnson

AUGERBI T

ven though they're sexy, benchtop mortising machines aren'tthe only power-tool option when it comes to cutting square-shouldered mor-tises. A drill-press mortising attachment can bejust as effective and it costs a lotless: $30 to $80 instead of $2oo or more. I'll show you how to tune any our-of-the-box mortising attachment so it's easy to install and ajoy to use.Mortising attachments are available for almost every drill press. Althoughthey vary in appearance, they all have three basic components: a fence, a chiselholder and a hold-down. Upgrading these parts to stabilize the workpiece andoperating the drill press at the optimal speed are the keys to success.I get first-class results with my tuned-up mortising attachment. That means Idon't have to store a large, heavy mortiser that I would only use occasionally. Onthe drill press, I can slow the speed way down, too, so I don't overheat my bits.Drillpress mortising is slower, but'it's much more pleasant, a lot quieter andmuch less nerve-wracking than using a mortiser.Square mortises require special bits, which can be bought individually or insets.Bits range in price from $10 to more than $50 apiece. Inexpensive bits usu-ally won't stay sharp as long (see "start sharp, Stay Sharp," page Z4), but drop-ping one on the concrete floor won't give you a heart attack, either.70 American Woodworker MAy 2oo5

DTres

*f Two-piece mortis-ing chiselscut squareholes.The ugerbi t f itsinside he chiselan d pro-trudessl ight ly.Duringoper-. . i { ' at ion, he augerdr i l lsa roundhole an d th e four-sidedchiselsquares he corners. Cut side byside, square holes create mortises(seephoto,below).


54/67


55/67

Mclrtisingon the Drill Press

I Slow down. Mortisingchiselswork best at slow speeds,I between ,000 pm and 1,500 pm,depending n he mor-tisesizeand he wood density.Within hi s range,us e rial anderror o find th e speed hat works best.Q Mount the mortising fence on a separatebase, ratherI than fastening it directly to the dri l l -press able. Thenclamp he base o the dr i l l -pressable.This etupmakes hefenceeasy o adjust, o positioning he workpiece s a breeze.

Q Instal l he chiseland bit.Th e chiselr - - l ho lder , hichclamps n o the qui l l ,centers he chiseldirectly beneath hechuck. Lock th e chisel with i ts col lart ight l yagainst ' the older.Then l ide hebit into th e chuck.

y' teave a gap. Position he auger bi t-f with it s cutting head about 1/16 n.away rom th e domed insidesurfaceofth e hollow chisel.Don't am these woparts together.This ga p is essential,because t al lows shavingscut by th eauger o be l i fted nto the hollow chiseland ejected. f the gap is too smal l ortoo large, the t rapped shavings wi l lb ind he bi t .

( tuUricate he augerbi t aftermakingr.-f sure t spins reely nside he chisel,l f the bit squealswhen you power up, tisn't centered precisely.Shut off thepower, rotate he chisel90 (o r 18 0 or270l,degreesand retest. tf the squealpersists, oosen th e chisel holder an drotate it sl ightly.Then reposition hechisel .72 American Woodworker MAy 2oo5


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P O O R f t )

Cl Ctrect


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Mortisin on the Drill Press

1n Set the depth of the cut.Th e to p of the chisel 's rc h ndicates heI\,/ bottom of the square mortise.

;*#x"*-;:rxiuffii*"=#' ' l*'--*ll* -Yrc-l

I eosition the workpiece or mortising. First,clamp the base andII fenceassemblyso the centerpoint of the auger bit is on the cen-terl ineof the mortise.Then lide he workpiecebetween he fencesunti lthe outer edge of the hollow chiselal ignswith the mortiseend l ine.

1g Establish he ends of the mortise irst.Thenclearou t the middle.Lh Always engageall four sidesof the chiselor two oppositesides.Apply steadypressure nd advance he cu t slowly.Don't push oo hard.Matbhyour feed rate to the cutting action of the auger by watching theflow of chipsexiting he chisel.Easy-but firmly-does it . IW74 American Woodworker MAy 2oob


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tablesaw is a lot safer and eas-ier to use when it's equippedwith an outfeed table.

Whether you're ripping long boards orcrosscutting big shees of plywood, youreally need more support than just thetop of your saw.

Lots of folks have a huge oufeed tablethatsits permanentlybehind the saw,butthat's impractical in my compact shop.I've gone small and mobile instead.

I built tr,vo ables, which offer a lot offlexibility. I can butt them right up to theback of my contractor's saw because thefolding wings span the saw's motor.When I rip a long board, I can put onetable in front of the saw and one behind.When I crosscut a big piece of plywood,I can roll one of the tables to the left sideof the saw. When I need more openspace around the saw, I fold down thewings and push the tables out of the way.

As a bonus, these tables are great shopcarts. They're perfect for wheeling proj-ect parts from machine to machine. Ialso use them for glue-ups and assembly.Sweet!CusrovrzE YouRT a e L E ' s H E T c H T

Our dimensions aredesigned for a saw of stan-dard height about 34 in.The table adjusts from3Yl/2 to 3#l/4 in . high.This allows you to fine-tunethe exact height of the tableto match your saw after thetable is built. In addition,you can easily tilt the table'stop to compensate for anuneven floor. If you need atable with a different range(to include the height of amobile base, for example),adjust the cabinet and doordimensions.

Bur lo r HE CAsEl. Cut the sides (A), subtop, bottom

and shelf (B) and back (C) to size. Cutrabbets for the subtop, bottom andback. Cut dadoes for the sheH. Assemblethe case and check it for square.

2. Cut the face frame parts (D, E, F)to size. When assembled, the face frameshould be l/16 in. longer and widerthan the case. Use screw pockets tojointhe face frame rails to the stiles. Positionthe center rail so its top edge is evenwith the shelf.

3. Glue and clamp the f,ace frame tothe cabinet. Trim it flush after the glueis dry (Photo l) .MarceDnawens ANDDoons

4. Make a big pile of edge banding.The entire project takes almost 90 linealfeet.

5. Make the drawer box sides (G),front and back (H) and bottom 0).Cutting the drawer front and backpieces to just the right length ensuresthat the drawer slides will travel without

American Woodworker MAY 2oob 83


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114"-204" LSCREW

:.. NYLOCNUT

114"-20WING NUT

1/2" OVERLAYHINGE

q\- z-1n;SWIVELINGCASTER

\#8x1-112"LFH SCREW

Tools:Tablesaw,dado set, planer,screw-pocket ig, router,flush-trim router bit,1/8-in. ound-overbi tMaterials for two tables:TWosheets of 3/4-in.cabinet-gradeplywoodOne sheet of 314-in.me lamine10 bd. ft. of 3/4-in.hardwood1l4--in. ardboardHardware for two tables:-Eight lockingcasters,eightfolding supports, ou r1 2-in.overlay hinges,four pairsof 16-in. rawerslides,si x pairs of drawerand door pul ls,var iousnuts and boltsTotal cost:$400 or two tables(o r $260 or stripped-downversions;see "Cost-SavingOptions;' below left)


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Simple face-frameand box joinery makes thisproject easy to build. Build the face frameslightlyoversize, lu e t to the cabinetan d trimit with a flush-trimbit.Thisshortcut s a lot eas-ier han trying to build a face rame that exact-ly fits the sizeof the cabinet.

binding. To calculate this length, start by measuring theface frame opening . Next, subtract I to l-l/16 in., whichis the space needed for two metal slides. Finally, subtractanother L-t/Z in. or, more exactly, the combined thick-ness of two drawer sides. fusemble the drawers.

6. Make the drawer slide fillers (K). Plane them to beflush with the inside edge of the face frame. Screw andglue the fillers to the case.

7. Cut and edge-band the drawer fronts (L, Photo 2).Drill screw holes for the pulls.

8. Cut and edge-band the doors (N). Check the widthof the doors, allowing for the l/2-in. overlay hinges, edgebanding and a 3/32-in. gap between the doors. Drill forand fasten the pulls.Mnrr rHE ToP

9. Cut the large and small rim rails (Q and S). Edge-band two ends and one side of the large rails. Drill screw

Start with oversize panels when you apply edgebanding.Glue wo piecesof bandingon first, mak-in g sure hey'reshy of one edge of the panel.Ripthe opposite side.Turn the panel around and ri pthe other side. Now you've go t two perfectly lushedgeson which o glue he other edge banding.

pockets into the inside face of the small rails. Glue andscrew the small rails to the large rails, flush with theunbanded top edge.

10. Cut and edge-band the melamine top (T) andwings (U).Saruo AND FtrursH

ll. Ease all the corners with a l/&in. roundover bit.Finish-sand the wooden parts.

12. Apply a finish to all the wooden surfaces.AssevreLE THE Doons AND DRnwERs

13. Screw the casters to the cabinetbottom. Position andscrew the case slide component inside the case and thedrawer-box slide component on the drawer box (Photo 3).

14. Slip the drawer boxes into the cabinet and lay thecase on its back. Put the hinges on the doors and hang thedoors on the face frame.

15. Position the drawer fronts over the drawer boxes,and fasten the fronts to the drawer boxes (Photo 4).Stand the cabinet up.AssEMeLE THE Top AND Wtt r tcs

16. Drill and countersink holes for the leveling screwsthrough the main table. Use a drill press to ensure aplumb hole.

17. Center the rim assembly under the melamine tabletop. Fix the rim assembly to the top by driving screwsthrough the screw pockes.

18. Screw the folding brackets to the bottom of thewings and then to the large rim rails. It's easiest to do thiswith the table's top assembly upside down on your table-saw. The tablesaw's flat surface helps align the parts.

- - - - - - r -u.f- - - - - - r - - - - -uf* r r - r r ' r - r r a -I r t t l

american woodworker - 114 (may 2005)

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