Contents

Brad Nailers 4s
MollyBrown'sTable
50
Recreatethe Unsinkable'scollapsibleparlor table.

LockMiters57
Asimpre,
unique,::?:;:il:*ilHl,:

OutdoorRietveld
Chair50
Build this icon of modern furniture design.

'Cover
photo by Mike Habermann

ShopTest:
65
BeltSariders
We help you choosethe sizeand style'
that'll work best in your shop

CherryPieSafe70
The biscuits that hold this cupboard
together are easyaspie.
page 60

Doors78
Flush-Fit
A simple jig for a perfect fit everytime.

ShopTest:
Planers82
Portable
Our favoritemodels,plushow to
steerclearof snipe.

page 82

American Woodworker APRIL2ooo

 Contents
DEPARTMENTS

o Question
o
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ASSOCIATE EDITORSTomGaspar, TimJohnson,

&Answer DaveMunkittrick
C0NTRIBUTING EDITORGeorgeVondriska
ART DIRECTORSDavidFarr,MelanieHaubrich,
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COPYEDITORMaryFlanagan

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Bill Sympson

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ASSISTANTSLoriCallister,
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ShellyJacobsen
P U B L I S H E RM i c h a e P
l .R e i l l y

24ffi"riiffFin "#
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SHOW MANAGERJonathanFrank(215-862-9081)
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Page 24
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V I C EP R E S I D E NCTI R
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American Woodworker APRtL2ooo

E d i t eudvD a v e M u n k i t t r i c k

Ouestlon&
Anr SMOOTH AND FILL the area
theDetails
Recreating around the missingpart.

Q. I picked up a charming A. Carved details are prone to breakage,as

but slightly damagedtable at a any furniture restorer knows. Carving the
yard sale.I know how to refin- replacementout of wood is the bestapproach,
ish the piece but part qf the but dont let a lack of carving skills stop you
carved detailing is missingon from tackling this repair.Becausecarved details
one of the legs. How can I are often repetitive,a duplicate of the missing
replicatethis unusualpiece of piece can be used to form a mold. From the
wood? I've never done any mold you can make a casting of the missing
carving and I dont have the detail.
tools for it. We used salvageddoor casingwith some
HowardLangthrop fantastic carvingsto demonstratethe Process,
Peoria,lL but it will work just as well on your table leg.
Heret what to do:
THE 1. Create a clean, flat area where the
COMPLETEDREPAIR piece is broken or missing.Use wood
filler to even out any holes or gouges MAKE A MOLD with silicone
(Photo1). putty usingan undamagedpart for
the shape.
2. Find a matchingpieceof the detailing e.

on which to form the mold. Then spray d)

the surface with PPS-PorousPattern F

a
u
=
Sealerto preventthe mold from sticking z
o
(seeSources, p. 10). 2
tr
3. Thoroughly mix equal amounts of e
F
the two-part RTV silicone putty (see a
l
=
Sources,p. 10).The putty is safefor
z
z.
skin contact,so go aheadand useyour =
e
fingers! o

4. Pressthe putty firmly around the I

U
:<
matchingpieceto form the mold (Photo =
t
2).Let it set for 40 to 55 minutes,then I
c

press your fingernail into the edge of F

the mold.If you seea mark,let the mold T

L

set longer; if there'sno mark, carefully a

FILLTHE MOLD completelywith u r

peelthe mold offthe form. catalyzedwood filler.

L
an

U
5. UseMinwax's catalyzedwoodfiller or
2
Bondo auto-body filler and slightly F
O
overfill the mold (Photo 3). Usea small U
E

stick to work the filler into the details. F

E

6. After 15 minutes removethe casting

 i
I

Q u e s t i o n& A n s w e r

from the mold and carve away

the excessmaterial(Photo4).
7. Refer to the spot where the
castingwill be attachedto create
the mating shape.Clean the
edgesand cut to fit with a knife
or a chisel.Then sandwith 150-
grit sandpaperto eliminateany
rough or high spotsin the cast-
ing.Tllkeyour time or you could
sand off the fine details.Con-
tinue with 180- and 220-grit C L E AN U P TH E C A S TIN G GLUE ON the replacementpiece.
sandpaper. andcut to fit with anX-Acto knife Then stainand glazeto match.
8.Gluethe replacementin place o r c h isel .
with ordinary wood glue
(Photo 5). Take a little bit of wood filler and Ask Us
Sources If you havea questionyou'd
smooth it into any gapsuntil the new piecefits Availablefrom Micro-Mark, (800) 225-1066: like answere{ send it to us at:
seamlessly. Usesomeextra-finesandpaperwhere Siliconputty,#81853,$27.50
PorousPatternSealer, Question & Answer,
necessary. #8210l, $5.95
American Woodworker,
9. The last stepis to blend in the repair by stain- 29L5 Commers Drive, Suite
ing and,if necessary, painting in grain lines.If you Minwax High-Performance Wood Filler is 700, Eagan, MN 55121.
want more on this step,seeAW #73,p. 100. availableat most home centers. Sorry but the volume of mail
Our door casinglooks as good as new- preventsus from ansvering
your tablewill too! eachquestion individudly.

Doessizematter?
You bet it does!You see,
the biggera companygets,
the harderit is to keepthe
needsofthe"litttepeopte"
mind. We have never lost
sight of the factthat sma[[
cabinetshopsare what got
usstartedover21yearsago.
We'vesolda lotof machinery
overthe years,but we have
atwaysstayedtrue to our 25' Produdion Wide Belt Sander
originalmission,to provide
the highestquality,most
i n n o v a t i v em a c h i n e r ya t
affordableprices.
A,
et
No matter how much
we grow, we treat every
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andseefor yourselfjust how
gooda smaltcompanycan be.
I Cattnowfor moreinform
Visitus ot:www.sunhitlnic.com
15'Production
Wide Belt Sander
. Open-enddesign
combinedwith 16"x 48"
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o Pneumatictrackingbelt No* your table saw will support up to 48" oI
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Lifts quickly into position and folds out,of.the
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r Variable FREE Color Catalog
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o Sotidconstruction:
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-800-929-43
 Question& Answer

Paint-Filled
Pores
Q' After stripping about lO The small diameter brass wires
layers of paint off an old oak pop the loosenedpaint out of the
washstand I was left with paint- poreswithout harming the wood.
filled pores. Should I sand down
the top until the paint disappears?
CAUTION!
o*""1,'oTl'i,'N
Be sure to use these strip-
pers with good ventilation
A. Putyour sanderaway,there's and wear glovesand eye pro-
an easierway! tection (seeAW #77,p. l2).
Use a methylene chloride- Work outdoors or use a fan
basedstripper (availableat most to take the fumes outside.
home centers-pick the one Remember that methylene
with the highest concentration chloride fumes are heavier
of methylenechloride). These than air and will accumulate
stripperswork from the bottom near the floor.
up and can loosen the paint in
the pores.To freeup the trapped Sources
Brassbrushes:Constantine's,
paint, usea brasswire brush and (800)223-8087;
6 in.,#BRS36$2.60;
scrub the surfacewith thegrain. l2-718in.,#29BRS$7.95.

Buy]ac{on
llircct
-silt-
ilOu$ilDs!
With aWood-Mirer!
o Cutlogsup to 28rrD.x 11rL.
. Extrabed sectionspermitlongerlengths.
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,..
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(Shownwith optionalloadingramps.) wwwwoodmizer.com AllMtasvtdco @tIA

o Noheavyequipment neededto assemble

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rffittRACUmF$'
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www.miracletruss.
com
Q u e s t i o n& A n s w e r
Moisture
(1.
ture meters and wondering
why I should buy a pin type if a
pinlesscan do the job without
poking holes in the woodl
Resaw
WithoutWarp
(1. I've had a few bad
experienceswith wood
warping after I resaw. ls
there any way to tell
whether a board is a good
candidatefor resawingl
TomMartin
Casper,WY
A. The warp you refer to
is case-hardening.A case-
hardened board looks like
any other board but has
internal stressescaused by
improper drying tech-
niques. These stresseslay
hidden until resawing
releasesthem causing the
board to warp.
Unfortunately, there's no
way to visually tell if a
board is case-hardenedor
l4 American Woodworker
Meters
I've been looking at mois-
DonaldKutz,
Ames.lA
CASE.HARDENED NON CASE-HARDENED REVERSECASE-
not, but there is a simple test.
Go in about6-in. from the end
of the board and cut a314-in.-
thick section.Go to the band-
sawand cut out about one half
of the width from the middle.If
case-hardening is not present,
the fork will remain stable.If
thereare internalstresses pre-
n p n t2Lo o o
facedwood. Thesemeterscan
alsobe adaptedto take accurate
readingsat depthsbeyondtheir
normal range.S i mply dr ive
uncoatednailsto the depth you
wish to measureand usealliga-
A . If you buy your w ood tor clipsto connectthe pins on
alreadysurfaced,then a pinless the meterto the nail heads(see
meterwill work fine.If you buy photo). If you dry your own
your wood rough or if you dry lumber,thesenailscan be left in
your ow n w ood, a pi n-type placeallowing you to monitor
meter is the way to go. your wood asit dries.
A pinless meter'sgreatest Still can't make up your
assetis its ability to scanoveran mind?Electrophysics (800-244-
entireboard or evena finished 9908)offersa dual mode pin-
pieceof furniture, without leav- type and pinlessmeterfor $330.
ing a mark. Pinlessmetersare Good quality moisturemeters
alsounaffectedby temperature, are also availablefrom High-
which eliminatesthe conver- land Hardware(800-24I -6748),
sion charts neededwith pin- Woodcraft Supply (800-225-
type meters. I 153) and Woodworkers'Sup-
The biggestdrawbackto pin- ply of New Mexico (800-645-
lessmeters is the flat, smooth 9292); prices range from $50
surfacerequired for the sens- to $250.For further readingon
ing pad.This meansthey can't moi sture meters cal l For est
be used effectivelyon rough- ProductsLaboratories(608-
sawnlumber without first plan- 231-9200) and ask for t he
ing a flat area. report, "Electric Moisture
P i n - t y p e m e t e r s w o r k Metersfor Woodl'by William
equally well on rough or sur- James.
CUT OUT
MIDDLEWITH
Department of
BANDSAW Corrections
The cutting list in the
Hoosier Cabinet story
(AW #77, p.63) contains
double listings. Pieces R-
1 through Z-5 are listed
twice. The second (bot-
tom) listing of these parts
is the correct one to use.
The birdhouseChristmas
tree ornament on page
7t of AW #78was turned
HARDENED by John Magnussenof
sent,they will manifestthem- Buffalo,Minn. The bird-
selvesin forks that eitherpinch house design has trav-
together (case-hardened) or el ed far and wide in
bow outward (reversecase- recent years, much
hardened). inspired by the full-size
Harlan Peterson,University versions by Andy
of MinnesotaDepartmentof Barnum of Carmel, NY,
Forestry,helped us with this (seecover ofAW #I3).
answer.ltl
From Our Readers
II
$hop
llPs
Deadbolt
BenchStop
For a quick and simplebenchstop,
I mountedan old deadbolttakenfrom a door to the end of my
workbench.In the"locked"position,thebolt staysput, and in the
"unlocked"position it can be pusheddown so you can usethe
unobstructedtop.
DARRYLTHOMAS
THORNHILL.TN
I
t"

,<X -,

r"
\
t

ThoseBlastedGates {'
Periodically,fine dustand sawdustaccumulates in i,.
my plasticdust col.lectorblastgates,preventing
the gatesfrom fully closing.Becausethe gatesare
MorcBlade \'
permanentlymoldedinto the housing,Icart'ttake for YourMoney e- '/-
them apartto cleanthem.Removinga smalltri- I use my scrollsawblade almost exclusivelyfor cutting stock of
angleat eachof the bottom cornersof the housing ll2-in.thick or less.Consequently,I only useaboutone-sixthof the
allowsthe vacuumin the dust collectorhoseto total cuttinglengthof theblade.To maximizethe life of theblade,
flush out this debris.Eventhough there are now I've built a raisedplatform that fits snuglyon top of the scrollsaw
"holes"in the blast gates,I haven'tnoticed any table.Whenthe bladegetsdull,I installthe platformand now I'm
appreciable lossin performance,
thoughyou could usingsharpteeth.Finishthe platformwith varnishfor a smooth
coverthe openingswith duct tapeandperiodically slidingsurface.
removethe tapeto clearthe sawdust. BETZALEL KIRSHNER
CARL FREELAND AZOR,ISRAEL
DODGEVILLE.WI

l5 American Woodworker A P R T2Lo o o

 ri1

e
l(.cJ
.r -i'\ BUTTHINGE
".!'- r
li
n
il

DrillPress
Vertical
. - r_Support
Drilling holes in the end of
a long, narrow piece of
wood, even with a floor-
mounted drill press,can be
a challenge. This fixture
helps. Long boards are
clamped to the fixture at
the top and supported from
below on a small adjustable
shelf.The drill presstable is
swung to the side to put the
end ofthe board under the
drill bit. With this system,
multiple holes in the ends
are easy-just loosen the
top clamp, slide the board
. over,and reclamp.These
\ holes will automati-
,., cally be in line, the
same distance from
the face of the board.
DICK FORD
SARNIA,ONTARIO
Stowing
Table
Now and then I need extra bench space
for assembly or finishing. My garage
shop is cramped so I made this easy-to-
stow bench add-on. The tabletop is
built of ll?-in. plywood and 1x4
aprons. The legs are hinged and con-
nected to the tabletop with a collapsing
brace to prevent the legs from being
accidentallykicked in. The add-on table
connects to my workbench with a
beveled cleat-a 2x4 ctttat 45 degrees.
Storageis a snap-it slides against the
wall behind mybench.
PHILPRATT
MARCOISLAND,FL
BiscuitJoiner
Jig
Cutting slots for biscuits in small or narrow stock, such aswhen
=
slotting solid-wood edgebanding for shelvesor cabinets,can td
=

w
be downright dangerous. There's no effective way to hold (L
U

both the joiner and the stock with your hands.Also, the rota- z.
J
tion of the joiner blade can fling a small piece of wood away U

P
u \y lE
V
E from you. To avoid this, I devised this jig. Clamp it between
bench dogs or clamp it to the benchtop with C-clamps so the
2
E
E.
F

E plywoodbasejust overhangsthe bench.Adjustthe a

l-- l
J

J-\ fenceso the stockyou arecuttingis flushwith the

-J

i-- edgeof thejig. Clampthe stockdown with the z

a

\ \ toggleclampand you'rereadyto cut. t!

o
trJ
(L
ANDYRAE
LENHARTSVILLE,
PA
m
E
co
2
F
(J
r!

o
F
E.

a
z.
', rEE-Nur
f =
(D
gV a
=
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=
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(continuedon page 20)

Lrl

American Woodworker ApRtL2ooo 17

W o r k s h o pT i p s

AccurateLocationof \,o,=
SmallHinges
On the jewelry boxesI make,I havea
toughtime gettingsmallhingesproperly
aligned.I've comeup with awayto tem-
porarilyattachthelid to the hingeswhile
the screwholesare drilled or marked.
The hingesare first attachedto the box
with screws.The hingesareopened,
andon eachofthe open
leaves,a largepieceof clear
tfi-
shippingtape(3M,Scotch t",..
pis;$tt
Premium Heavy-DutyPackagingThpe
#3750,$4.69;OfficeMax,800-788-8080,
item#0700-3725)is fixedwith the sticky
sidedown.The hingesareclosed,which
placesthestickysideof thetapeup.When
thelid is carefullyplacedin position,the
tape shouldgrab it. When it doesn't,I
usea thin stripof woodto pushthetape the lid-side hinge leavescan now be reusedin caseyou arenot satisfied
with
ontothelid. Gingerlyopenthelid on the drilled or marked.The shippingtape thefirstplacementof the lid.
hingesandpressonthetape.Theholesto doesn'tleaveany residueand can be HERBNA{N

I newlaminatc [it i$int0wn

anilit'snameis "llynaBit"rM
Our new DynoBirrMdellyelsspeed,Iong life ond
on EXIRAClE[][ EDGE.

Our unlque6o downsheorond

obroslonresistontcorblde
won'l "llft
lonlncte from
subsfrcle.

r 1" lengthof carbide,1/2"diameter Avoiloblenqtionollyot betterCobinet

- 1/4"shank ...$15.35
ToolNo.47105 supplyhouses,sow shops,woodworking
- 1/2"shank ...$15.95
ToolNo.47109
suppliersond tool sloles.
Call 1-800-445-0077for our latest catalog and for the dealer nearest you, or visit
our web site at http:l/wrrtrr.amanatool.com(mention our DynaBitr[ upon catling)
20 American Woodworker apnrrzooo
W o r k s h o pT i p s
TurningBowlBottoms
I makea lot of turned"kitchenware"such
asbowlsandplatters.I've
of my techniques,but I strugglewith
turning a smooth foot. I've tried many
of f - t he- s hel fj i g s , Ii k e c h u c k sw i th
22 American
adjustablejaws,but haven'tbeen satis-
perfectedmost fied. The method I've come up with
allows me to grab any bowl with a top
largerthan its foot (convexshape)sothat
the bottom can be easilyturned and
q!*.ri;;{CI
finished.I startby gluingmy bowl blank
on a sacrificialplywood disc which in
turn is mountedto mylathe'sfaceplate.I
turn theinsideof thebowl andasmuchof
the outsideaspossible. Thebowl is care-
fully sawnoffthe plywood.Ithenmount
a new 314-in.plywooddiscon the face-
plateandscribeontoit a circlethe sizeof
the bowl's top.
Now, here's
the trick: using
a profile gauge
(a device made OUTSIDE
OF BOWL
of many small,
steel pins sand- PROFILE
GAUGE
wiched between
two plates; the
ends of the pins
are pressed
against an
object to copy
its profile), I
make four
blocks with the
sameshapeas the outsideof the bowl.
The bowl, centeredon the circle, is
clampedtop sidedown on the plywood
plate using the blocks,equallyspaced
around the bowl. I spin the bowl by
hand to checkfor concentricityand then
turn the bottom of the bowl at 500rpm
or less. lW
WILLIAM TARLETON
LAFAYETTE,CA
If you have an origind \fiorkshop Tip, send it
to us with a sketch or photo. \07epay $200 for
each one we print. Send to: Worlshop Tips,
American W'oodworker, 2915 Commers
Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55121. Sub-
missionscant be retumed and becomeour
property upon accepanceand payment.
Woodworker A p R t2Lo o o
 II

Ro)iil
LrJ
z

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a

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you get t
L!
o
Lll

rolling s*-
pins take only a couple of hoursto (D

make.The beauty of this project is that only a L.

J

few tools are required and it offers several -

,:<
.(J

challeng€s,especially
turninga true cylinderand F

o-

drillingand aligningall the parts on the same ;

F

axis. Followour photo sequenceand make a td

E.
o

bunchof these rollingpins-they're great gifts. F

24 American Woodworker APRT

2oLoo
Woodturning
Wood to Turn
Use'tlosed-grain'wood-cherry, maple,birchor beech-
for the roller so food particlesaren'tpushedinto the wood
pores.Dont useexotichardwoods-zebrawood,cocobolo,
and others-for the rollerbecausethey canbe toxic.
For other turned parts,usewhateverscraphardwoods
you havearoundthe shop.

i....-"*J DRILLAXLE HOLES

capsand one
Drill the blanksfor handles,
end of the barrelusinga shop-madecorner
block.Drillingthe holesbeforeturning
ensuresthat the holeswill be centered.
Clampthe piecesfirmly in the corner block
to ensurethe holesare vertical.Drill holes
for the axleclamosand one end of the
barrelwith a ll2-in.brad-pointbit.lt's
crucial that the hole in the large roller
is centered and vertical. Use a l4mm
brad-pointbit or a 9/ l6-in.spadebit to drill
the 4-in.-longaxle hole in the handles.

Tools and Supplies

Here'swhat you'll need:
t A ll2-in. spindlegouge,a larger
gougefor roughing out the main
cylinderand a Il -in.partingtool.
r An outsidecaliperswith at leasta
3-in. capacityand well-rounded
endswith absolutelyno sharpedges.
r A 3-Il2-in. dia. disc of pine or
poplar,2- ro 3-in thick for the shop-
madeconecenter.
r A 3-in. faceolateto mount and
turn the coneienter.
r A ball-bearinglive centerto hold
blankswhileturning.It shouldhave
a conicaltip (seeSources, p.34).
r A drill pressfor drilling holesin
the blanks,plusa I I 2-in.brad-point
bit and either a 14mm brad-point
bit or a9ll6-in spadebit.
r A 1-in.squarepieceof leatheror
thick fabric to protect the axle cap
from the live centerwhen turning.
r Mineral oil for the finish.
continuedonpage28

American Woodworker APRIL2ooo

W o o d t ur n i n g

M A K E T H E R OL L ER
Mount an I l-in.-longblank between
centerson the lathe.Placethe end you
previouslydrilled on to the live center of
the tailstock.Yourdrivingcenter should be
located on the opposite end of the blank's
center.
Turn the blank into a cylinderusinga
8ouse.

continuedon Page30

,tEEnER makes lt betterl

 Woodturning

SHOPHNG LIST CUTTTNG LIST

ITEM
2-a12"x2-112"x l2" hardwood
(maple, cherry, birch or beech)
a-l'12"x l-112" x 10" hardwood
a-112"x l-112" x 4" hardwood
ll2" x 36" hardwood dowel
3-,12"dia.discr2" to 3" thick
3/4" standard wood screws
l4mm brad-point bit or
9/16" spadebit
l/2" brad-point bit
sandpaper(80-, 100-,120-,1SO-grit) 3 sheets
mineral oil
QUANTITY PART PCS.SIZE& DESCRIPTION
I A , 2-al2" x2-ll2" x l l" hardwood
B 2 a-114"x l-3/4" x 4" hardwood
I C 2 l-914" x l-3/4" x l" hardwood
I D 2 ll2" dia.x 5-l/2" birch dowel
I
I
4
I
I
6 oz.
continuedon page32

-LowPrices
GreatC[amps
Clamps From Garrett \[ade
TheseareGermanmadewith the expectedhigh
quality designand workmanship-and at less
than S4.50each,they area phenomenalvalue.
Light, strongand easyto use(throat depth2Yz')
with vinyl cappedswivelendsand woodenhan-
dles. It'i teriihc to have a bunch around the
shop.The 9l*p size(listed below)is the max-
lmum openlng.
\(/e cannot recommend these enough. Ten of

E=E===E
eachsavesvou considerablv.Real value doesn't
comeany better than this.
Regular sale
37F02.10 4' C.ab.Clamp(10) $62.95 $44.95 --
37802.20 8'Cab. Clamp(lO)$63.95 $48.95 5 A
37F02.30 72" Cab.Clamp(l0) #73.95 ff 52.95
Combo.Setconsistsof 10 of eachof the 3 sizes SOIID3" x 3" SOUARES
of clamps.30 Clampstotal- only 84.65 ach.
Avoiloble in (3) Lengths
37F20.L0 Combo.Set $205.85 $139.50
1 7 ". 2 2 " . 3 0 "
Garrett \$7ade Shipping Charges
161 6th Avenue #6.95 to$'9.95 Surfoced Hit or Miss
New York,NY 10013 dependingon value. lo 215/'rc"
Squore
Kiln Dried lo 6-8"/o

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 Woodturning

Turn one handle holding it between your cone center and a

MAKE A CONE CENTER conical live center.lf the handle stops spinningwhile you're
Turn a 2- to 3-in.thick,3- l/2-in.-dia.disc of pine,poplar or turning, crank the live center into the wood and take
other soft material into a cone to help hold the drilled handle lighter passeswith the gouge.
parts.The exact angleof the cone isnt critical-benrveen 60 Use the handleyou just turned as a pattern and turn a
and 80 degreeswill work fine.To make the cone center,screw duplicate.Hold a pencil on the tool rest, as shown,to
the disc onto a 3-in.faceplateusingscrews that penetrate the transfer high and low spots of the shapeto the spinning
wood between l12 to 314in.-try standard wood screws or wood.You may want to use your outside calipersto do a
better yet, # l0 or # | 2 sheet metal screws.Turnthe disc to a more exact sizingof the second handleto the first.
triangular point.Turn it like a bowl, moving the tool from the Carefully sand both handles.
point of the cone towards the faceplate. continuedon page34

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 Woodturn ing

CMFT SUPPLIES
1287E. I l20th St.,Provo,UT
84601;(800) 551-8876.
Metalcone-tippedlivecenter,

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2l0Wood CountyIndustrialParlq
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(800)s3s4482.
l4 mm brad-point bit,llY9l,$6 MAKETHE AXLE CAP
l/2" brad-pointbit, l28f 8, $6 Mount the cap blankin the lathebetweenthe wood cone and the live center.A
pieceof leatheror thick fabric will keepthe metal center from scarringthe end of
the cap.Turnthe cap with rounded endsand a shallow,decorativegroove made by
rollingthe gouge'scutting edgeto makea slicing,semi-verticalcut.

FINAL ASSEMBLY
When you'refinishedturningand sanding, return the roller to the corner blocl<lig
on the drill pressand drill the l/2-in.hole on the other end.Use the hole from
your drive centerto pilot the point of the brad-pointbit.Gluethe dowelsinto the
roller,slidethe handlesover the dowelsand gluethe axle capson the ends.Finish
the whole thingwith mineraloil and wax. /W

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thecut.
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Visit us on the web at www.starrett.com ROI'AL OAK, N,Il -{8068-t) 5 2r.)
One-Day PfOjeCt b yD a vM
eunl<iurict<
f:>4 'izti O
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Photo
t
o
HowTo Make lt (-)
F

U
1, Surface the covers E
-
to about Il4in. and cham- F
C:L

f e r t h e o r - r t s i d ee d g e s .

Album
(Optional: Use a l-ll2-in.
hole saw to cut a circular
frame in the cover.)
2. Sand and finish. We
useda sealercoat of Super
Do you havea pile of photos waiting to walnut was resawn to make front and Blonde Shellacfollowed by
be put in an album? We all do. That's back covers.The maple was resawn and two coats of water-borne
why you can't go wrong making these glued up to createbook-matchedcovers. polyurethane.
distinctive photo albums for yourself T h e 9-l l 4 i n. x 5 i n. aci d-freepaper 3. C ut tw o 4-i n.l eng t hsof
or as gifts. pagescome pre-drilled and are available hinge(two 1l-in. lengths
Figured wood makes an attractive f r o m A n c h o r P a p e r ,( 8 0 0 ) 6 5 9 - 2 1 2 7 , for l 2-l 12 i n. x l 2-1 12 in.
cover.The first album in the photo was # Z R 3 0l -213,$6.50 pl uss& h tor 25 pages. covers)for eachalbum and
made from a 3 in. x 20 in. pieceof tiger The2in.x24 in. continuoushingeand the file a radius on the corners.
mapleand the secondfrom a single6 in. brassbarrel bolt connectorsand screws 4. Use the pre-drilled
x 10 in. pieceof walnut.You can make are availablefrom Van Dyke's Restorers, paper as a templateto drill
l a r gerc ov er s( I 2 -l l 2 i n . x 1 2 -Il 2 i n .), (8 0 0 ) 5 58-1234; barrelbol ts,#A F-S1572, two 1/4-in.holesin one leaf
but they are more likely to warp. The $13.95h ; i n g e s ,# A F - 5 6 1 6 7$, . 7 5 e a . ; of eachhinge.File any
# 4 x I l 4 - i n . s c r e w s , # A F - 5 4 73 9 F , rough edgessmooth.
$3.25packof 100. ffi 5. Drill rwo 5/64-in.pilot
- BARREL h o l e s5 / 8 - i n . i n f r o m t h e
." y' BOLT
back edge of eacl-rcover.
r gl-tn" HoLE
#4X114"'
+! :
PRE-DRILLED
ACID-FREE
Mount the hi nges t o t he
PAPER cover with #4 screws.(Nip
off the ends of the screwsif
your coversare 1/4-in.thick
or l ess.)
6. Bolt the loose leavesof
the hingesthrough the
paperwith the barrelbolts;
add photosand enj oy.

38
I I fhat wasthe first
Y Y tool you ever
bought?l'll bet it was
a hammer.After all,
hammeringis some-
thing we begin to
master as infants.No
other tool feelsas nat-
uralto hold or conveys
its purposequite like a
hammer does. But
guesswhat?As a tool
for drivingnailsto fas-
ten things, there's
somethingbetter.
 Wheneveryou pull the trigger on a brad naileryou save time. lt
drives and countersinksbrads instantly,without pre-drilling.
Air-powered nailers havebeen fixtures on job sitesand in
professionalshopsfor yearsand there'san air-powered
nailer for practically every nailing situation. But they're
still uncommon in home woodworking shops.Yes,they
do require a compressorand consequentlyseemexpen-
sive-especially compared to the cost of a hammer. But
there are compelling reasonsfor a woodworker to own
one: Theyre useful tools, much faster than hammering,
more convenient to use and they give a cleaner result.
Wouldn t you be willing to pay for all that?

Breakthrough Brad Nailers

The big newsis that the latestgenerationof brad nailers can
sink brads from 5/8-in. to 2-in.long, a rangethat usedto
require two separatenailers. That means the same brad
nailer can be used for woodworking projects and also for
light carpentrywork around the house.What'smore, these
lightrveight, compact-sized nailers are loaded with fea-
tures for safetyand convenience.To top it off, they're afford-
able;ranging from $90 to $145.You can buy one of these
nailers andacompressorto power it for lessthan $300.
lrJ
z
o
o How a Nailer Works
F
o A piston, housed in a cylinder inside the body of the brad
2 nailer,is driven through its drive and return cyclesby pres-
o
,
surized air (Fig. A).A rod attachedto the bottom of the
F
o
l piston drives the brad. The brads are held in position under
a
the drive rod by a spring-loaded magazine.
z
lrJ
E

=
z
=
-o
z.

-
lrJ FIG.A AX AIN.PCWERED HATI]IER
= A BRAD NAILER is a simpletool, containinga cylinder(A) with
lrJ
l a head valve (B) and piston (C), and rubber O-rings to form airtight
N
J
J
sealsbetween the parts. A second valve at the trigger (D) controls
the supply of air and operates the head valve.When connected to an
t
I air source,pressurizedair fills the body of the gun and surrounds the
E top of the cylinder.Pullingthe trigger opens the head valve.Air rushes
(J

F
into the cylinder ( l) and drives the piston downward with great force
T (2).This is the drive stroke. A metal drive rod (E),attachedto the
(L
a bottom of the piston and housed in a guide shaft of its own (F),drives
E
tr the brad. After driving the piston;the alr immediatelycycles into a
I
Y
return chamber(3,G) that surroundsthe lower half of the cylinder.
E,
From there the air rushesback into.the cylinderunder the piston/driver
ko- assembly(4), and drives the piston back to the top (5) before exiting
2 through the exhaust port (6).This is the return stroke. CLIP OF BRADS
tr
c)
lrl

F
E

44 American Woodworker APRIL2ooo

 Specially Designed Brads
A brad nailer drivesbrads (Fig.B) that
are a hybrid of staplesand traditional
finish nails. They're rectangular,with
tee-shapedheadsand slightly blunted
vee-shapedtips,and coatedwith glueto
increasetheir grip strength.They're
alsoconvenientlypackaged. Load a clip
into the magazineand you're ready to
drive 100brads.
A Small Compressor
Brad nailers dont have big appetites
for air.A l-hp compressorwitha small
(minimum 2-ll2 gallon)reservetank,
capableof supplying about 2.0 cubic
feetof air per minute (cfm) and main-
taining up to 120 pounds per square
inch (psi) of air pressureprovides
plenty of punch.Pressureadjustments,
dependingon the length of the bradsor
the hardnessof the material,are made
at the regulatoron the compressor.
You'll need a hose to connect the
nailer and compressor.A good one
will remain flexible under pres-
sure. They're usually made with
three layers,an outer protective
coversurroundinga wrap of braided,
high tensile material that's
bonded to an inner core of nat-
ural rubber or PVC tube.Use3/8-
in. inside diameter (i.d.) hose for
runs longer than 50 feet, otherwise AWIDE RANGE of bradscan now
ll4-in. i.d. works fine. Expect to pay be driven by the samenailer.New
modelscan handlebradsfrom
$15 to $20 for a25-ft.length. Quick-
5/8 in.to 2-in.long.Drivinglong
connect fittings on both ends of the brads requiresmore air pressure
hose (another $10) are convenient. than short ones.Toaccommodate
Most nailerscomewith one fitting. the varyingdemands,the nailers
are designedto operate between
70 and 120psi.

2" LENGTH
FIG.B ABE''ERBRAD
AN l8-GAUGE BRAD for a nailer
(above right) looks different than a
traditionalfinishnail (aboveleft) and
its designhas severaladvantages. lt's
smallerthan its traditional
counterpart,so it leavesa smaller,less
noticeablehole.ltstip isnt sharply
pointed.lnstead,it's slightlyblunted,
which makesit lesslikelyto split the
wood, and it's wedged-shaped, so it
can be smoothlydriven and set by a
singleblow from the nailer.A finish
nail hasto withstandnumerous
hammer blows,so it must be madeof
harder steel,is noticeablylarger in
diameterand hasa biggerhead.
HowtoAvoid
lmpactMarks
Brad nailers sometimes leave dents
on the surface.These dents arent
made on the drive stroke. They're
caused by the gun's recoil on the
return stroke.Themanufacturers'sim-
ple solution is to supplya plastictip
that fits over the drive point and pro-
tects the wood surface.lt works, but
obscuresthe drive point from view. A
sure-fire way to avoid dents is to buy
a nailer that has a trigger-controlled
return.This mechanism,designedfor
safety,allowsyou to controlthe return
stroke-it won't occur until )rou
releasethe trigger.Toavoid marringthe
wood, simply remove the nailer from
the surface before you release the
trigger.

American Woodworker APRT

2oLoo 45
 CONVENIENCE
A brad nailer combinesthree tools, a hammer,drill and countersink,in a
lightweightpackagethat you can hold in one hand. And you can forget
fumblingfor bradsor mashingyour thumFthe nailer holds them in
position for you.

100
BRADS

OUCHI Dealingwith
a pile of 100 bradsis a
pain.Either you'll get poked,
or they'll get dropped all over the
place.Brads designedfor a nailer are
much easierto handle becausethey're
packagedtogether in clips.

BETTERRESULTS

A BRAD NAILER EXCELS at jobs requiring a delicate

touch.Instead of numerous jarring hammer blows,
each brad is driven in one shot. A nailer can sink brads
close to the edge of a piece without splitting and the holes
left by the brads are tiny. Brad nailersare excellent tools
for attachingtrim moldingsto cabinetsor edge moldings
to shelves.

SPEED

STREAMLINE BUILDING PROCESSES, like gluing

a face framg onto a cabineqby usinga nailer as a third
hand.Takinga few secondsto shoot a couple of brads
keepsthe hce frame from slippingout of'place while
you're putting on the clamps.Brad nailers are great for
makingjigs,or fasteningimprovi5edclampsor stop blocks.

46 American Woodworker APRT

2Looo

AROUND THE HOUSE, 2-in.bradsare'
long enoughfor light carpentryjobs,like
fasteningthin trim moldingsto studs through
I l2-in.drywall. However,you may need to
rent or buy a biggernailerfor some trim
lobs.Nailersare much lesstiring than hand
hammeringin overheadwork;installinga
beadedceiling,for example.
BLOWOUT is unpredictable,
instantaneousand dangerous.
Keep your free hand away
from the path ofthe brad.
CLIP OFF A PROTRUDING
BRAD as close to the surfaceas
possible.(Got your safetyglasses
on? Good.) Countersinkthe
remainingmetal and carefullyglue
the damagedsplinters back in
place over it, usinga block of
wood (with waxed paper benneen
it dnd the damagedsurface)to
Presseverythingflat; then clamp.
TNTHEWORKSHOB
5/8-in.to l- l/2-in. brads
are irerfect for numerous
applications,from
assemblingbuilt-up
moldingsto making
protoq/pes.Simple
drawer joints,gluedand
reinforced with brads are
amazinglystrong.
The Baneof
Brad Nailing
Because they'remadefrom soft steel,brads
haveatendency to deflectwhentheyencounter
something hard.A hiddenknot,a bitof metalor
eventhecellular structure of a hardwoodcan
causethebradto comeshooting outthesideof
yourwork.Theresultcanbecatastrophic
(photo,middleleft).
Y o u can mi ni mi zethe chances of
blowoutby the wayyou orientthe brad
(photo,at righQ.Thebradisguidedby its
vee-shaped tip, so anydeflection almost
alwaysfollowsit. Orientingthe bradso
thistip is perpendicular to theouteredge
of theworkpiece will keepanydeflection
parallel to the edgeandunlikely to blow
through.
Eventhoughyou do everythingright,
blow-outcanstilloccur-it's thatunpre-
dictable.
Repair thedamage byclippingthebrad
AVOID BLOWOUT by holding the
(photo,bottomleQ.Don'ttrytopullitthrough nailer perpendicularto the outer edge of
or backit out-you'll makethingsworse the workpiece.This orients the vee-
because the bradwillbendandbreak. shapedtip of the brad so any side-to-side
deflection is containedwithin the wood.
Hold the nailer level with the surface,so
you shoot straight. Always wear
protection for your eyes and ears.
American Woodworker A P R I2Lo o o 47
Thelatestgenerattonof bradnailersts loadedwtthfeatl,Lres.
Someareinnovatlve, all arebeneficial.
A DRIVE.DEPTH A NOSE.MOUNTED SAFETY
CONTROL allowsyou to is the best trigger lock mechanism.
adiust how far the nail is The trigger remainslocked until
driven below the surface.The you depressthe spring-loaded
easiestones to operate have safetyonto the workpiece. Only
a threadedadjustmentwheel. then can you drive a brad. A safety
that's mounted behind the driver
AtrVINDOtrV in the shaft,likethis one, is better for
magazinelets you see when benchwork becauseit dodsnt
it's time to reload. obscure your vielr of the drive
point.
A NOSE PAD protects the
workpiece from impact DRIVE POINT
brtrises.

WORK SURFACE

A "RESTRICTIVE.FIRE'' HINGED, QUTCK-

TRIGGER is safestbecause RELEASE LATCHES
it allows you to shoot only provide the fastest accessfor
one brad at a time.You cant clearingjambsfrom the guide
shoot againuntil you release shaft.On some tools the
the trigger and reset the quick releaseisnt hingedand
safety,which requires lifting some tools require usingan
the naileroff the wood.This Allen wrench for access.
eliminatesthe risk of a
dangerous"double fi re."

A REAR. USUALLYLOCATED
HERE
DIRECTED
EXHAUST PORT
is an innovativedesign
that meansyou'll never
get a blast of air in the
face.Theret even a
spongemuffler insidethe
vent to reduce the noise
and the force of the
exhaust.Other nailers have
an adjustableport mounted
on top of the cylinder.
A PACKAGE DEAL, includingnailerand compressor
can be a good buy if you dont alreadyown a compressor.
On sale,thiscombo was only $300.

RULES FOR SAFE OPERATTON

Driving abradwith pressurized
air requiresalot of force.It'snoisy-each shotcanexceed90db-and misfiresarepossible.
Abradcandeflectoutthesideoftheworkpieceorcomeflyingbackatyouatterrificspeed.ALWAYSWEARPROTECTION
FORYOUREYESAND EARSandKEEPYOURFREEHAND AWAYFROMTHE PATHOFTHE BRAD.

48 American Woodworker APRIL2ooo

 MAKE REPAI RSYOURSELF. There's not
much that can go wrong insidea brad nailer
becausethere are few moving parts. And
when somethingdoes happen,the owner's
manualshavecomprehensive
troubleshooting/repairsections.lf the driver
breaks,it's easilyreplaced,as are worn out
O-rings,which causethe nailerto lose its
effectiveness.You can order replacement
parts from the manufacturers,individuallyor
bundledin overhaulkits.

THEWHOLE PACKAGE
A compressorprovidespressurizedair
for the nailerthrough a supplyhose
equippedwith quick-connectfittings.
Contractors often use"pancake-style"
models ("A PackagedDeal," bottom
left) becauseof their compact size and
portability,but shop around-a bigger
unit, with more power and a larger
reserve tank (at right) may cost less.

RECOMMENDATIONS features and excellent performance. Other manufacturers

Eachnailer is a unique package.Theyvary in sizeand weight,
and in the design and number of featuresincluded aswell.
Look for a brad nailer that'scomfortableto hold, especially
when it's attachedto an air hose.A restrictive-firetrigger cou-
pled with a nose-mounted trigger lock is the safestcombi-
nation. Quick-releasejamb clearancemechanismsmake
sense,evenif jambs areinfrequent.The easiestonesto useare
hinged. A threaded drive-depth control is convenient for
making small adjustments,but you ll still need to regulatethe
pressureat the compressorwhen you changefrom one brad
sizeto another.
To produce an affordable,good quality brad nailer, most
manufacturershavestayedwith tried and true designs,refin-
ing the componentsto enhanceperformance.Porter-Cable
hasmade the most of this approach.The result is a nailer that
combineslight weight with an abundanceof well-designed
haveconcentratedon price. Grizzly,Hitachi and Airy nailers
can be found for under $100. The design of the Accuset
nailer is new and innovative,inside and out.It has the only
rear-directedexhaustport, and couplesa restrictive-firetrig-
ger with a low-impact,trigger-controlledreturn stroke.These
are three excellentfeatures.
A brad nailer isn't the first tool to buy for your workshop.
But after you've acquired a core of woodworking machines,
adding air power is worth thinking about. There'sa whole
world of air-powered tools for woodworking, from spray
guns for finishing to vacuum bagsfor veneering;from sanders
to routers (theselast two require at leasta 5-hp compressor).
Onceyodve got a compressorand hose,the door is open to
renting or buying other members of the nailer family (trim,
framing, or roofing nailers)for seriousremodelingand home
improvement projects. Altl

SOURCES & STREET PRICES

Accuset Model NB004000,$129 Makita SearsCrafuman
(888)222-8144 5/8-in.to 2-in. brads (800) 4-MAKTTA (800) 377-74t4
www.accuset.com 70 to I l0 psi,2.8 lbs. M o d e l A F 5 0 3$, 1 2 9 M o d e l3 5 1 . 1 8 4 2 4 0 , $ 1 4 9
ModelA200BN, $ 125 5i8 in. to 2 in. brads 5/8 in. to 2 in. brads
Grizzly
5/8-in.to 2-in.brads 60 to I 15 psi,3. I lbs. 60 to 100 psi,2.6 lbs.
(800)s23-4777
70-120psi,3.4| lbs.
www.grizzlyindustrial.com Porter Cable StanleyBostitch
Airy ModelG6047,$90 (800) 487-866s (800)ss6-66e6
(s62) 926-6t92 62 to I 15psi,2.97lbs. www.poftercable.com Model S B -18508N ,$ 125
ModelATT-0249SRK, $98 Model BN200A,$ 130 5/8-in.to 2-in. brads
Hitachi
3/8-in.to 2-in.brads 314in.to 2 in. brads 70- 100 psi,2.69 lbs.
(800)706-7337
55 to 95 psi,3.1lbs. 70 to 120psi,2.75lbs.
ModelNTSOAE, $95
CampbellHausfeld 5/8-in.to 2-in.brads
(800)s43-6400 70 to 120psi,3.2lbs.
www.campbellhausfel
d.com

American Woodworker APRT

2oLoo 49
 the Wnsinkable
$olly Brown's
G
byTim fohnson
his table is an accuraterepro-
duction of one purchasedby
Molly Brown and her husband in
the late 1880s,whentheywerestart-
ing their family in the rough mining
town of Leadville,Colorado.It eas-
ily disassemblesfor transport so it
could lend instant civility to a new
home in unfamiliar surroundings.
Simply but ingeniouslybuilt, it bears
all the hope and exuberance of a
young America during its age of
westwardexpansion.
This little charmer
folds flat, then sets
o
up in seconds.
$
Apparentlythe Brownsliked this
table. They kept it with them even
after they struck it rich, and moved
from Leadville to a large house in
Denver'smost prestigious neigh-
borhood. It still residesthere, in
what is nowthe MollyBrown House
Museum.
Rigid and durable, this table is
- built with the simplestjoinery.You'll
o
J
.9
only need about 15 board feet of
- 3/4-in.-thick walnut, and you can
-
build it in a weekend using your
= tablesaw,bandsaw,router and drill.
T

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2
I
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a

=
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 Fig.A1ilfrf,#f$:.*
Hinges,dowels and friction hold this table together.There are only eight
parts and you can make four of them at once.With simple changes,this
table could be square,round or half round.

I HoLDTHE LEGBLANKs
I. r TOGETHERwithdouble-stick
tape (see Sources,p. 56).Using the paper
pattern at right, outline the leg on each
blank.Thiskeepsthe blanksproperly
I
oriented and shows you where to put the
tape. Pressthe blankstogether,one pair at
1-112"
#12
a time. Keep the back edgesof the blanks PANHEAD
alignedby standingthem on a flat surface. SCREW
Align the end-grainedgeswith your fingers
and then pressthe blankstogether.Glue
the paper pattern on the completed stack
aligningit with the edges(Photo 2).

CUTTING
LIST
Overaf
f Dimensions;28-114"
H x 22"W x l6- l/2" D

, TRANSFERTHE
ur.re for the !4" x8" x27-112"
A I dowelsonto allfour blanksat
!4" x l6-ln" x22"
once,usingthe referenceline on the paper
pattern. Before making these marks,true
!4" x 7-aD"dia.round
up the ends of the stack on the tablesaw 38" x 6-58" dia.round
usingthe miter gauge,if necessary. !4"x 5"x5"
2" L x l- l/2"W dullbrass
 Making the Legs
Look for boards without sapwood that are -' | ^ Patternand Plan
8-1/2-in.wide, otherwiseyou'll haveto gluepieces IIg. It I ilr cuttingtheIrg
together.You can sawthe legsindividually, but it's
better to sawall of them at once.Stackthe four leg Enlargethis pattern to
blanks together,using piecesof double-sticktape 200 percent.Takethe
(Photo 1). Keep the edgesaligned. Then affix a enlargedcopy and
fuIl-size paper pattern on one side (Photo 2) and enlargeagainat 170
sawout the legs (Fig. B and Photo 3). percent.Cut out and
Sawingthe ganged-togetherleg blank on the glue the pattern to the
leg blanks.Thesequence....r8-
bandsawis a simple combination of curved cuts,
of all the cuts you'll need v
accesscuts and relief cuts. To be successful,it's to make is shown right
important that your sawis in tune (seeAW #25,p. on the pattern. Stars
18for how-to) and the blade is sharp.A 3/I6-in. mark points where you
4-tpi skip-toothblade (seeSources,p.56)will do need to make access
a good job. To make accuratecuts with smooth cuts.Justfollow the
curves,it's also important for you to be in tune numbers to cut out the
leg.Cut #l is best done
with the saw.Usealighttouch so you can findthe
on the tablesaw.Do the
blade'soptimal feed rate and seehow it tracks. rest of the cutting on
Then advancethe workpiece steadily-don't try the bandsaw.lf you have
to cut too fast-and let the saw do the work. a l4-in.sawyou.cancut
Make accesscuts first. They allow the blade to out the entire leg
escapefrom dead-end curved cuts easily. without flipping it over.
After sawing,clamp the legsin a vise and sand There is only one critical
dimension.Thetongues
the edges(Photo 4).Attach the hinges(Photo 5),
at the top of the legs
then pry the legs apart. Use a putty knife with (cut #2) must be 314-in.
blunted edgesand smooth faces-any burrs on wide for the lock block
the knife will scratchthe wood.After the legsare (Fig.C) to work properly ('
loose, remove the paper pattern and any dou- (Photo l0).
:
ble-stick tape that remains.Then sand the faces.

SAWTHE SMALL DETAIL SHAPES at the front of the legsin

o threesteps.FIRSI,sawthe edgesof the flat-toppeddetails(Fig.B,
28). SECOND make a relief cut, sawinginto one corner of each half-round
detail,creating a notch for the saw blade (Fig.B,29).THlRq saw the half-
round profile, starting at the newly created notch and working in the
oppositedirection (Fig.B,30).
 .f
/l YOU'LL BEAMAZED how quickly and accurately
If you can smooth and level all four legsat once, using
rubber sandingpadsand 3M 2l6U ProductionRN Fre-Cut
sandpaper(see Sources,p.56).This teardrop sander is perfect
for the.job becauseit acts like a flexible sandingblock,
conforming to all sorts of contours.

FlexibleRubberSanding
Pads (seeSources, p.56) .or" in
TEARDR9p a varietyofshapes
and contours,
CONTOUR a ^ ^ , t cost
^ ^ ^ + much
*,.-L ^^) -^t.^rl.^ r^L
dont and make the job
of hand sandingmuch easier.

. Sanding End Grain

Okay. Everybody looks for a way to
avoid sandingend grain byhand, and I
did too.After all, power tool manufac-
turers'are happy to offer alternatives.
But I was disappointed by all of the
other approachesI tried. Progresswith
TADPOLE
profile sanderswasslow and the vibra- CONTOURS
tion mademyhands tingle.Drum and
spindle sandersworked fine for the
wider curves,but they couldrt't get into
any of the corners.And on these legs
MOUNT
there are more corners than curves.
I TH E H IN GES
Besides,sandingthe wide curyesis just while the legsare still
aseasyto do byhand.I eventried cut- fastened together. Center
ting the legs on a scrollsaw;one at a the barrel of each hinge
time. Scrollsawbladescut very cleanly, over its joint. Pre-drill holes
but progressthrough 3| 4-in.thick wal- for screws with a #5 self-
nutwas slow.Andwithout alot of prac- centering hinge bit. Use the
same mounting pattern on
tice, it's hard to cut smooth sweeping
both para ofthe legs.
curves with those tiny blades, which
meansyoure going to haveto sand the
profiles anyway.
Sanding end grain by hand can be
surprisingly efficient if you have the
right tools and usethe right sandpaper.
3M2I6U sandpaper(it's gold) is worth -
its cost becauseit cuts fast and lasts. f- SAWAWAY the
Start with 100 grit. Youll be amazed ll 1l corners of the top.
Be sure to draw diagonal
how quickly this stuff removes saw
reference lines for locating
marks and smoothesend grain.Work the basebefore you cut the
your way through 120 and 180 grits,. corners off. LineSdrawn
then use 280 to finish. There'sno need with colored chalk pencils
to sand with the grain-the scratches (seeSources,p.56) show
are too small to see. up great on dark woods like
walnut.
Attach the Legs to the Top TNSERT
DowEL
a
First, make the top, a rectanglewith I t CENTERS isee
radiusedcorners (Photo 6). Rout the Sources,p. 56) in the holes
top edge with a 3/8-in. beading bit. drilled in the tops of the
legs.Dowel centers are
Using a doweling jig, drill dowel holes
designedto transfer the
in the legs,transfer their location to
location of dowel holes
the top (Photos 7 and 8), and drill from one piece to another.
these holes. Then glue dowels into
the legs.Make the lockblock (Fig. C
and Photo 9) and install it. Then fit
the legsto the top, and test the lock-
ing operation.

A Notched Shelf I, POSITION

I.-

Stiffens the Legs vI THE BASE

Usethe top asa template to make the on the top by centering it
notched shelf (Photo 10). For the on a 5-3/4-in.-dia.circle.
notchesto slip around the legswith- Then center each leg on
its diagonal.Pressor tap
out being to o l o o s e , s a w o n th e
the base onto the top to
insides of the lines yott've drawn on set the points of the
the sheH.Testthe fit on the assembled dowel centers.Mark both
table.If the fit is too tight,widen the the top and one leg for
notchesslightlywith sandpaperor a reference. Remove the
file.If it's too loose,just make another baseand drill holes in the
shelf. (That'swhat I had to do!) top for the dowels.

A Ganned Finish
This project begs for a spray finish.
Brushing the legswould be a drippy .r EASE
rT THE
nightmare and oil would make the
// . EDGEs
end grain too dark. I used shellac,
of the lock block
sprayedfrom an aerosolcan asa seal tonguesso they'll
coat. First I folded the legs together engagethe legs
and sprayedall the endgrain edgesat smoothly.
once. Then I opened them up and
sprayedthe faces.Ittook only 10min-
utes.The next day,after a light sand-
ing,I sprayedon a topcoat of aerosol
polyurethane.

1.1/8'TONGUE
\
Fig. C lfi'.IockBlock
The locking block swivelsto
lock the legsto the top. Center
the block on the round lock
blank and glue therh together.
Then drill the slip hole and cut
the curved profiles.
 ? $*
qt
usETHEToPASATEMPLATE
ror X g LocATETHE NorcHES intheshetf
by
fr. t the notched shelf that stiffensthe legs. -& -& * centeringthe shelfin the circle drawn on
First,draw a secondcircle on the top that'sthe same the top and transferringthe leg lines.Thendraw another
diameteras the shelf.Then,with the table assembled, 6-1|2-in.-dia.
circleto mark the bortom of each notch.
mark where the legsintersectthis circle.

Sources
3M Scotch 666 double-stick (coated) Brassbutt hinges,satinfinish,l-112"x2" 3M 2l5U ProductionRN Fre-Cut sandpaper,
tape, 3/4 in. about $4 per pairithree pairs needed $ .50 per sheet
#9 t0455,$8.54 Dowel centers,about $4 per set, two sets Tools on Sale,(800) 328-0457;www.Tcorner-
Office Depot needed.Get these at your local hardware shdwe.com;also availablefrom auto body
(888) 463-3768 store or home center supplystores
www.officedepot.com
FlexibleSandingPads Chalk MarkingPencils
3116",4tpi bandsawblade Tadpolecontour sanders(completeset of l8 Availableat art supply stores
# 1 2 6 1 7 l ( f o r 1 4 "b a n d s a w ) , $ l l profiles),#K150000,$ l8
Woodcraft Supply Teardrophand sander,#KL05245, $6 Learn MoreAbout Molly Brown
(800)
22s-r
rs3 Flat rubber sandingblock,#KL052 | 5, $8 Molly Brown House Museum
www.woodcrafc.com Klinspor'sSandingCatalog 1340PennsylvaniaSt.
(800) 228-0000 Denver,CO 80203
wwwwoodworkingshop.com (303) 832-40e2
www.mollybrown.org
 A lock miter
router bit.

I
O
co
E
I

:<
z.

|!
ock miters are strong,
,)r,
z. attractive joints that make
F

F
assemblyeasy.So why the
a

=
heck dort't we uselock miters more?
trJ
:<
a
I think it's becausethey can be a pain
J
dependson the thicknesses of yourwood. Eventhe small-
I

:)
Ld to set up. Wellr rro more excuses.Herets estlock miter bit makes a cut, so I preferbits
substantial
N

= a clever technique, sent to us by fim with a U2-in. shank.They'remore stableand result in

cu
t
T Rodgersof MartineznCalifornia. Give it a smoothercuts.Expectto pay$S0to $100for a bit, depend-
try and you may become a lock miter ing on the size.
(,
o Note:The maximum sizelock miter bit you canrun in
I enthusiast. al-Ll2-hp routeris the 2-in. diameter.Largerbits mustbe
a
z
o Whatts a Lock Mitert run in a2-hp or highermachine.
a
' E
LrJ A lock miter router bit cuts a 4l-degree miter with a It is essentialthat you run thesemassivecuttersat the
o
UJ
tongue and groove.When correctly cut, the parts go right speed-about 10,000rpm. Your router must have
E
togetherat a perfect90-degreeangleand the interlocking variablespeedssoyou canslowdown for thesebig cutters.
E
tonguesand groovesmakefor lots of mechanicalstrength
z. and gluesurfacearea.Lock miters arealsogreatat keep- The Perfect Set-Up
L
J
ing partsalignedduring assembly. Usethisjoint on draw- Followthesequence shownin PhotosI through 7 topro-
trJ
I
ers,boxes or evenhollowcolumnslike newelposts.You can duceperfectlock miterson your router table.Remember
Y

a cut a lock miter on endgrain,asshownin our photos,or to haveon handthe materialrequiredfor your projectplus
F
o- on the long grain.Almost anyplaceyou'dusea miter,you six testpieces.It'scriticalthat the testpiecesbe the same
2 thicknessastheprojectpiecesbecause thebit setup is spe-
F
can successfullvusea lock miter.
LrJ cific to the thicknessof your material.As you get more
E.
o
Tooling Up familiar with the setup procedureyou 11needfewertest
Lockmiter bits comein a rangeof sizes.The sizeyou use pieces.

American Woodworker APRtL2ooo 57

 LockMiters

First,c€nterthe bit onthe material.

Centering the Bit

The router bit is properly set when the
center of the bit profile lines up with the
center of your material.

I CENTERTHE BIT on yourworkpieceby eye.Besure

your router is unplugged.

Fence Position
The correct fence position has cutter,
fence and top of workpiece all
intersectingat Point A.

ADTUSTTHE ROUTERTABLE FENCE by eye to its

approximateposition.Threepoints must be aligned.The
top of the workpiece, the face of the fence and the 45-
degreeangleof the cutter (Fig.B).Thisis just a preliminary
set up.You'llperfect the fence position later.

TESTTHE
HEIGHT of
the router bit
by cutting two
test pieces.
Hold each
piece flat on
the router
ASSEMBLETHETEST PIECES.When the cutter is perfectly
table.
centered,the facesof the two pieceswill be aligned.Adjustthe bit
as needed.You must have the bit centered on the mater-
ial before you start working on the fence position.

58 Woodworker
Now,setthe
fenceposition.
N='--\ STEP
q EXAMTNETHETEST l\ \ lNDlcArES
\ \ CUTTOO
J CUTS ro determineif rhe sHALLow
r \\\

N\A
fenceis correctly positioned.lf
the cut looks likeA, the cut is
too shallowand the fencemust t
be moved back.lf the cut looks \\\
like B,the cut is too deepand
the fence must be moved for- \\ \Nia
v-l
ward. Adjust the fenceuntil the
cut looks like C;producinga
perfect knife edgeon the cut.
Ar lock
you'llbeableto cutperfect
lf youfollowthesteps
\l miters.Herearesometipsto makeit eveneasier:

cutyourparts.
Finally, Use wide pieces. Your pro-
ject parts must be cut to the
right length before cutting the
lock miters, but they can be
any width. Leavethem I in.too
wide. and cut them to final
width after you've done the
r o u t i n g .T h e y ' l l b e e a s i e r t o
handle,and the "blowout" you
get on the back of the cut will
be cut off when you machineto
final width. lf your project calls
for narrow pieces, 2 in. to 3
in.wide,machinepieces6 in.to
7 in. wide and rip them to the
MACHINEYOUR PARTS.One part is heldflat on the sizeyou need.
cable.Thematingpart is held verticallyagainstthe fence. Use a tall fence. Holding a
p i e c e v e r t i c a l l y a g a i n s tt h e
fence is a lot easier if the fence is high. Use one that's about
q

c AS S E M B LE
TH E
PIECES.
7-in.tall.
Use a "zero clearance" fence. Having the opening sur-
rounding the bit as small as possiblehelps prevent your work-
Yourcareful piece from slippinginto the opening.
mac hining will Precut your parts. A 2- or 3-hp router will hog all the
re s ultin material off in one pass,but it's going to be a lot easier to
per-fect-fitting machine the lock miter if you precut your parts on the
corners. tablesawwith a 45-degree bevel.Trimoff only about 3/8 in. on
314-in.stock.
Use push blocks. Neoprene-paddedpush blocks will make cut-
Sources ting lock miters easier and safer (see Sources,at left).
Router Bits: Make a perrnanent set up piece.When you haveallthe set-
cMT, (888) CMTBTTS
up done, machine a piece and keep it for your next project. lf
EagleAmerica, (800) 872-251|
(800) 53 l-5559 you want to set up the whole operation for the same thickness
Jesada,
MLCS,(800) s33-92e8 of material again,use the set up piece to set the thickness of
Whiteside,(800) 225-3982 your work, the height of the bit and to position the fence.You'll
Woodline Arizona,(800) 472-6950
still need to do some test cuts and some final weaking, but you'll
PushBlocks:
be darn close. IW
EagleAmerica, (800) 877-251|
American Woodworker APRlL2ooo 59
 Rletve
lNfif.:'Lli"';m.';
reduced the idea of a chair to a 3D
grid of painted sticks and boards.
His revolutionary design became
one of the most famous pieces of
2Oth-century furniture-the Red-
hal r
Youll need a tablesaw,planer and router to mill the wood, anda#2
T
o

-
Blue chair. square-drive bit for your drill to put it together.That's it.A drill press
-
Iet's take a new look at it. Although and a router table are helpful, but not necessary. E
z

his chair appearseasyto put together, Honduras mahogany is a good choice for this chair. It's easyto eut, ;
o
'ts
getting all those sticks precisely sandsquickly and is weatherproof, even without a finish.Alternative E
F
locatedis tough, especiallyif you have woods include teak and white oak. Softrnroodsthat are often used for o
J

only two hands. And all the pieces outdoor furniture like cedar,redwood and c)?ress are probably too a
u
x
look alike! To make this jigsaw Etnle weak for this chair and do not hold screwswell. If mahogany ip too J
?
u
simpler to put together,I've figured pricey for you,I've scaledthe chair so you could usetough construc- =
, N
J
J

out a building system based on two tion lumber such asDouglas fir or Southern yellowpine instead.Both d

plywood boards and a few spacing are available at most lumberyards and should hold up outdoors if -
blocks. I[ like most people,you want painted. o
F
o
to build a bunch of chairs instead of One chair requires about 12 board feet of 614 wood and about
just one, this system is the ticket. 10board feetof 4l4wood. That'sabout $150per chair for mahogany, q
J
U
T
Once you've built the first chair, the $50 for fir. Y

E
restwill be easyasABC. If your chair will be outdoors, use stainlesssteelscrewsand water- L

resistantglue.Unlike stainlesssteel,standardscrewswill leaveunsightly ;

I
F
The Design stains on the wood. I prefer Titebond II glue for kiln-dried hard- U
E
I've revised Rietveld'selegantdesign woods such as mahogany,but if you're using construction lumber, o

tq make a chair that's stronger,easier polyurethaneglue (Gorilla Glue,for example)would be

to build, more comfortable to sit in abetter choicebecauseitworkswell on wood
and rugged enoughto put outdoors. with ahigh moisture content.
I've used screwsinstead of Rietveld's
dowels to hold it together, increased Getting Started
the size of the sticks and added a Begin bycutting all the parts
stretcher.We tested our chair with to size(seeCutting List, p.62).
both large and small people, and it Rout a bevel or roundover
gets two thumbs up for comfort. on every edge, includ-
Somesaid it was perfect for leaning . ing the ends
back and plb)'rngvideo games!' (Fig.C,Detail1).
A router table
Tools and Materials makesthis
Building this chair requires only a repetitious
minimum of tools and experience. job go much

Wo o dworker
\|
ry
'
-.-t
$.
"" ..: ii.q&*
,l--.:"*4rlr
;d &Fll'*; r:
T"el
q4
"
 faster.Make someextra legsand rails,too.
You'll needthem to make spacers(seeCut-
ting List, below,right) and stop blocks.The
spaceryorlll useover and over again,spacer
#1, is simplya scrappieceof rail.I addeda
tab to it to make it easyto use (Photo 3).
Most of this chair'sdimensionsarebasedon
multiplesof this block of wood.
Dont sand the sticks before you glue
them together,or you might accidentally
round over the flat surfaces.They must
remain flat for a good glue joint.
Nowbuild the two gluingand screwing
fixtures (Fig. E) and follow the photo
sequence1 through 12.
Finishing Touches
You dont have to apply a finish to your
chair.Mahogany turns a silvery-gray color
if left outdoors and stayssound for many
years.However, if you'd like to preserve
its original color, you can apply a clear
exterior oil (seeSources,below) eachyear.
The most vulnerable part of an out-
door chair is the bottom of the legs.Mois-
ture wicking up into the legscan support
the growth of wood-destroying fungi.
You can slow down that process by
liberally coating the end of the legswith
epory glue.
For More Information
You can seethe Rietveld chair's original
color scheme on the Web at
http ://www.levalet.com/DESF/IMAGES/
RIETl-a.HTM.

FIG.A
GuideBlockfor ScrewHoles
The overlappingjoints in this chair are screwed and glued together.
Part Name Qtv. Dimensions
This block laysout diagonalpairs of screw holes in five rails (D). Use
one side to mark either end of a rail.Flipthe block over to mark the A FrontLeg 2 l-3€" x l-3€" x l4-T4'
other end.Thenthe two diagonalswill run in opposite directions. B Arm Suppoft 2 l-3z8"x l -ilJ" x20-lt8'
C BackLes 2 l-3€" x l-?lJ" x20-lt8'
D Rail 5 l-341"x l-34J"x27-ffi'
E Arm Rail I l-34|"x l-36" x 30-3€'
F Rail 7 l-3€" x l-328"x24-7t8'
G Arms 2 l-38" x4-|'t8"x 19"
H Cleat | 5€" x2-!4" x | 5- lz8"
Outer Back 2 5€" x 5-l/4'x42"
K InnerBack | 5€" x 5-328"x42"
L Outer Seat 2 58" x 6-5E x l6-5€"
M InnerSeat | 5€" x 5-34]"x l6-58"
FIG.B Fixtures
GoodScrewJoints y4 x 14"x22-1t8"
For this chair to last,the screwed and glued joints must be as strong as
A BetweenLess I
possible.Thatmeansdrilling naroholes of different sizesbefore the joint StopStickA I l-328"x l-38" x}4-lt8'
goes together. First,a large diameter "slip hole" goes all the way through B BetweenArms I y4'x 16"x 19-38
the top piece.Thescrew must be able to slip through it without threading StopStickB I l-34]"x l-3€" x2l-3i'8'
into the wood. A small diameter hole, or "pilot hole," goes into the bottom
Spacers
piece.lt should be about the same size as the shaft of the screw,lessthe
threads. #l Basic 3 l -3€" x l -36" x 3"
countersink both sidesof the top piece.Here's why:When the screw is #2 BottomRail I l-3€" x 4-l/8'x 19"
driven into the pilot hole a small mound of wood is formed.You creare a #3 Top Rail | | -1r8"x l-3/8'x 18"
cavity for this mound by countersinking.Without a cavity,the mound would #4 Railand Les 2 Y4" x6-5€" x 9"
prevent the oro piecesof
wood from closely mating,
#5 Seatand Back | 5€" x 2" x 16"
SHALLOW Hardware
thus creatinga weak glue
COUNTERSINK
joint. 2 Corner Brackets l" x I
4 CornerBrackets l-l/2" x l-l/2"
FULL 38 # l0 X 2-l/2' L StainlessSteelScrews
COUNTERSINK
20 #8 X y4 L FlatheadScrews
13/64" 24 #8 X l-l/2'L Flathead Screws
SLIP HOLE MOUND
FILLS 6 #8 X l-l/4'L Flathead Screws
CAVITY Materials:Mahoganyor DouglasFir
Sources
McFeely's PerformanceCoatings
(800) 443-7e37 (800)736-6346
Square-Drive Stainless
SteelScrews, PenofinMarineOil Finish,
$39.25/gl.
# x 1-l 12"#08I 4-FSS,
$8 / | 00
#10 x 2-l 12"#l 024-FSS,
$ | 5/| 00

American Woodworker A p R t2Lo o o

F I G .C
ExplodedViewof Chair
Screws,glue and metal bracketshold together this
adaptationof Gerrit Rietveld'sfamousRed-Blue
Chair,originallydesignedabout l920.Theioints
where three stickscome together are excePtionally
srrong.
Dividingthe chair into three similarassemblies
front-to-back makesit easyto put together.We've
color coded the assemblies here for clarity.Each
assemblyhasthe samewidth,so a singlegluingand
screwingfixture servesfor all three.

M I D D L EL E G

BACK LEG
ASSEMBLY

Detail1
ScrewHolesfor
Arm Rail E

ScrewHolesfor Rail F

American Woodworker A P R 2T oL o o
 ep aintedthis demonstration
Welv F I G .D
SideViewof Chair
Steel brackets connect the arms
chairtoshow)/ouhoweaq)it isto to the legs.Thisjoinery is far
better than running screws from
put togethen
Eachcolorreferstoa the top of the arm into the end
of the leg.Screwsdo not hold
well in end grain.
separategroupofparts.

?l
\1-3/8"

Mark the ends of all the D

railswith this reversibleguide block
(Fig.A).Drill holes on your marks by t'-r,r"
hand or with a drill press.Thescrews
must easilyslip through these holes.
Countersinkboth sides(Fig.B). F I G .E
While you havethe drill set up,put 14. Screwingand GluingFixtures
FIXTUREA Fix the distancebetween each of the
holes in rails E and F as well (Fig.C,
FIXTUREB three pairs of legs by the width of
DetailsI and 2) and countersink
both sides. a singlepieceof Medium
Density Fiberboard(MDF)
or plywood. Attach an
extra leg or rail to the
end ofthe fixture as a
stop stick.This
2-112"L#l0 SQUARE- registersboth the
DRIVESTAINLESS
1-3,/8"x 1-3/8" x 24-118" STEEL SCREW ends of the legsand
1-3/8" x 1-3/8" x 21-918" the spacersthat
YELLOW POPLAR determine where the rails go.
STOP STICK

Assemble the front legs

and bottom rail. Lock them in place
on FixtureA (Fig.E).Spacer# | , at the
end of the rail, sets the overhang.Spacer
#2 (which is actuallya chair arm) fixes
the rail's distancefrom the bottom of
the leg.Drill pilot holes into both legs,
then remove the rail and blow off the
wood dust. Apply water-resistantglue to
the loints.Thenreplacethe rail and drive
Flip the leg assembly Install the upper rail of the
in the screws.
around and re-installit in the fixture. middle assemblywith wo #4 spacers.
Repeatthis operationfor the middle
Then insert spacer#3 to positionthe (SeeCutting List for size.)
and back assemblies.
upper rail.(SeeCutting List,p. 62,for size.)

American Woodworker A p R t2Lo o o

Butt rail E of the back
assembly againstthe stop stick.Place
two seat boards under the fixture to
raise the stop stick to the level of the
rail.Use two spacerblocks#l to set the
overhang.
Drill pilot holes through rail
F,then screw and glue it in place.
Repeatthe sameprocesson the other
side of the chair and remove Fixture B.
Add the backboards.Tilt the
chair back on a support block made
from the spacers.Pre-drillthe holes in
the backboardsand cut registration
dadoesin them (Fig.D).Thendrill pilot
holes into the chair railsand drive in the
screws.Thisis not a gluedjoint.
Screw the back leg
assembly to the arms. Clamp the arms
in placeacrossFixture B. Spacerblocks
f I position the arm rail from the stop
stick and set the overhang.
lnstall three corner
brackets on both arms (Fig.C). Use
stainlesssteel screwsif your chair'sgoing
outside.
Insert a thin spacer between
the seat boardsto keepthem parallel.
The seat is not gluedto the rails.
Glue and screw the cleat behindthe
top ofthe backboards.lW
American Woodworker A P R 2T oL o o
Clamp the middle leg
assembly in placewith spacerff4 (the
samespaceryou used in Photo 4, but
turned the other way around).Spacer#l
sets the legs in from the arm's edge.
assembly in place.Drill pilot holes
into the legsand drive in two screws to
temporarily hold the assemblyin place.
Then removethe clamps,drill the pilot
holes into the front assembly'srail and
remove the temporary screws. Apply
glue to the assemblyand drive in all
the screws.
-$
by GeorgeVondriska
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 Whichsizeand
whichmotorstyleis
moreimportant
thanwhichbrand.
ot the woodworker who'sshoppingfor a for scribing cabinetsand countertops.Here
E
l' belt sander,there'sa bewilderingarrayof arethe four sizes:
models.We looked at 26 for this test,and that . 3 in. x l8 in. Easy to handle becauseof its
didn't include all of them. In this crowded lightweight.Greatif you often usethe sanderon
field, finding the right size of sander is the vertical or overhead surfaces.The platen is
m o s t i m p o rta n t almostthe same
choice. size as that on
the3x2l,but
Pick the Size these tools are
that Fits light-duty and
Sanding belts best for occa-
(and sanders) sional use.We
comein four basic do not recom-
s i z e s( s h o w n a t mend them for
ri g h t). T h e fi rs t regular shop
number is the use, because
width of the belt, they'relessuse-
t h e s e c o n dt h e ful for horizon-
l e n g th . Be l t s i z e tal surfaces(the
SIZE lS A MAJORFEATURE.TheTe is a
determinesthe trade-oft Large machines(3x24,4x24) sandfaster and most common
sizeof the platen; are easierto keepflat on the wood;smallersizes(3x18, s h o p u s e ) .W e
the plate on the 3x2l), are lighterand easierto handle,especially on have not
bottom of the non-horizontalsurfaces. included them
sanderthat holds in our chart.
the abrasiveagainstthe wood. So a biggerbelt . 3 in. x 2l in. This sizeis closestto being gen-
meansfastersanding.It'salsoeasierto keepa eral-purpose.The platensizegivesyou a pretty
biggerbelt flat on a surface. stablemachine,without getting too heavyand
On the flip side,bigger belts need bigger bulky.If a do-it-all sanderthat'seasytohandle
motors,which meansaddedweight and size. iswhatyouwant,geta3 in.x2l in.
Smallersandersareeasierto useon non-hor- . 3 in.x 24in.The platengetsbigger,the amper-
izontal surfacesand are often preferred by agegoesup, the sandergetsheavier,all making
cabinetmakersand carpenterswho usethem this tool more suitablefor horizontal surfaces
while still manageableon verticalones.This is
a popular sandersize in commercialshops
and is an excellentchoiceif you are using it only
in the workshop and havestronghands.
. 4 in. x24in.The best of the bunch for big, flat

American Woodworker APRIL2ooo 67

 horizontal surfaces.Harder to
handle than the other sizes.
Bottom Line: For most people
the choice will be between the
3x2I andthe3x24.The 3x21is a
more all-around choice,with the
opti on of i nl i ne-desi gn (see
below).If youte goingto usethe
belt sanderfor carpentry,home
projectsand cabinetinstallation,
in addition to shop work, it is
i*:#
probably your best choice.The
3x24ismore of a dedicatedshop
TRANSVERSEANDINLINE arethe
is more powerful,
two basicdesigns.Transverse tool, with superiority on hori-
but lessmaneuverable.lnline
is easierto handle zonlal surfaces.It's also more
and use upsidedown for smallparts,but doesnt expensive.
hare as much power.
Dust Gollection
is a Must
There are a number of bel t
sanderswithout dust bags,but
dont even think about buying
one. Belt sanders make
IMMENSE amounts of dust,
and in the shop it's essentialto
collectit.
In our own shop we've even
tossedawaythe dust bags,which
Ieak and are messy to empty,
and replacedthem with a shop
THE BIG MOTORAND NARROW vacuum and flexible hose. Tiy
BELT found on some 3x24 sandersis a iU onceyou get usedto the hose,
combination that yields great power, but the you ll never go back to bags.All
overlappingparts make it difficult to sand flush to a
of these machines can be
vertical surface.
adaptedto dust hoses,but some
of the Makita sandersrequire
you to make your own adapter.
Swiveling dust ports are a real
convenienceand somemachines
are designedwith dust bagsthat
don t get in your way.
lnline or Transverset
Transversesandersare the most
common type, with the motor
on top of the sandingbelt and a
drive belt on the sideconnecting
7l the motor and reardrum (Photo
Il a SANDING STAND is avairabre
on 3). They can accommodatea
some models,or you can makeyour own.The largemotor, but tend to be top-
standmakesit easierto hold the machine
heavy.Inlinesandersare shaped
upsidedown for sandingsmallparts and
sharpening. like a shoebox and have the
motor parallel to the belt. This
68 American Woodworker APR2
T oL o o
design is less tippy, lighter in
weight and generallyeasyto oper-
ate,but won t handle a largemotor.
It's much easierto set an inline
sander upsi de-dow n on your
bench for sandingsmall parts or
sharpeni ng, and the sanding
frame, availableas an option,
makessanding flat surfacessafer.
Most userspreferthe transverse
simplybecausefor shop usehor-
izontal surfacesare the norm, and
the transversemodels have more
power. However, if you want
portabiliry versatility and you plan
to use the tool on do-it-yourself
projectsaswell asinthe shop,the
inline is a good choice.Handle
both types beforeyou buy.
Amps, Power and Speed
Amperageis the best measureof
how aggressive the sanderwill be
(seechart, at right.) For panels,
more amps equal fastersanding.
In delicatesandingsituations,like
working on veneeredmaterial,
variable speeds(or at least two
speeds)allow you to slow the
sanderdown for more control.It's
a useful feature.
A Note on Weight
There's a huge range in weight
among thesetools: from 6 lbs. to
15 lbs. More than any other
portable power tool, however,
weight can actually be advanta-
geousin a belt sander.Belt sanders
are designedso that the weight of
the sander does the work. You
should not push down on them,
or you will gougeyour work and
causepremature belt wear.
Again, choosingyour sander
comes down to how much your
toolwill be dedicatedto horizon-
tal surfacesin the shop (heavyis
good) versushow much you antic-
ipate using the tool for carpentry
and cabinet installation (lighter
is better).
 Recommendations
We had three groupsof woodworkerstest26 sanders.
Our editorshad a crack at them and then a panel of six
amateur woodworkers of varying skill levels tried
them out. Then we gaveall of the sandersto a largecab-
inet shop for a few weeks to hear from the "power
users."
In general,editorsand testersliked a largenumber
of thesetools.Preferences were mainly for small and
subjectivethings,like the position of the dust bag and
the heft or the feelof the belt-changinglever.The most
significantdifferencewasnoise:The Makitagg2l and
9403 were very quiet; the Porter Cable models were
HITACHI SB 75 is an excellent
about the sameas all the other sanders.However,no
3 in.x 2l in.sander.lt hasthe highest
single tool stood out enough to warrant an Editor's amp motor in the group,the dust bagworks well and it
Choice.One sanderstood out asa BestBuy (right). hastwo speeds.lt would be handierif the low end of the
Durability is an important aspectof sanders,because speed rangewere lower, but it works OK. A weak spot is
they tend to run for long periods. However,it's almost the belt-changelever.lt's pointy and hard to pull.Get the
benchstand ($35) to reallymakethis one versatile.
impossibleto measure.Our advice:Buy from a rep-
utabledealerwith good serviceand repair facilities.IW

Comments

Very quiet. Easyto handle. Good dust baglocation. Rearand front

DeWALTDW43| handleare a litde too closetogether. (800) 4-DeWalt
Inline motor. Long cord. Dust bag staysout of your way.
CMFTSMAN27725 Noisy. (800) 377-7414
Inline motor. Easyto get at speed control. Dust bag staysout
RYOBIBE32I 755-t48 of your way. Noisy. (800) 525-2579
Inline motor. Very comfortable and balanced. Dust bag stays
BOSCHt274DVS out ofyour way. (877)267-2499
Light and easyto use. Squareport on dust bag requires
MAKITA99OI special connector. (800) 462-5482
Extra-long cord. Squareport on dust bag requires special
MAKITA 99OOB connector. (800) 462-5482

HITACHISB75 I t80il47s Excellentvalue. Big motor. Good balance. (800) 546- 1666

Solid,well-made sander. Good balance. Dust bag can be

PORTER
CABLE352VS pivoted to any position. (888) 848-5 175

Well balanced.Big motor. Motor overhangsbelt edge.Dust

PORTER
CABLE36OVS bag swivelsto any location. (888) 848-5 175

BOSCHI275DVS I t50-t550 Love the front handle. Great belt changelever. Motor over-
belt edse. 1877\267-2499
| 6-ft. cord. Squareport on dust bag requires gpecialconnec-
MAKITA9924DB tor. (800) 462-5482
quiet tool. l5-ft. cord. Motor projects past belt.
MAKITA992I 462-s482

MILWAUKEE
5936 Easybelt change. Good balance. (262) 781-3600

Dust bag can be pivoted to any position. Heavy xnd rggressive

PORTER
CABLE362VS tool. (888) 848-5 | 75
Pivoting d-handle on front. Good balance. Dust bag slightly in
BOSCHI276DVS r t50-r550 the way for right-handedusers. (877) 267-2499
Very quiet tool. l6-ft. cord. Good dust collection. Can pivot
MAKITA9403 dust bag. (800) 462-5482

Light weight in a big sander. Motor is smallestin class.

HITACHI
SB IOT I r50/r380 (800) s46-r666
Low price for a rd easyto maneuver.
II792
CRAFTSMAN need to shop a to find belts. (800) 377-74t4

Accessoriesavailable: F = Sandingframe S = Stand

American Woodworker APRtL2ooo 69

 Cherry
o
I and BruceKieffer
Thisversatile
classic
aoes
togetherfastwith biscuits.
ie safeslike this one were once com-
monplace.The pierced-tin panelskept
insectsout while providing ventilationfor
coolingbakedgoods.
Our versionis built of solidcherrywith a
simple,modified-Shakerstyle that blends
easilyinto mostanydecor.Adjustable shelves
anda pair of drawersmakeit aversatilestor-
agecabinet.Thepierced-tinpanelsthatonce
cooledpiesprovideventilationfor a modern
soundsystem.Or,youcanusethispie safeto
storeclothingandtakesomeof the pressure
offthat overstuffedclosetor bureau.
Biscuitsmakethejoineryon thisprojectas
easyaspie.If youvenevermadea projectof
this scalebefore,or arenewto biscuitjoinery,
this is the perfectplaceto start.Youll needto
know how to makestoppedrabbetsfor the
backanddadoesfor the drawers,but hanging
theflush-fitdoorsis a breezewith no-mortise
70 American Woodworker APR|L2Oo0
by Dave
Munkittrick
hinges.(If you chooseto mortise-inthe
hinges,check-outour how-to techniquein
"Flush-FitCabinetDoors"on p. 78.)
GETTING OFFTO A GOOD START.
Youll needa biscuitjoiner,a tablesawset,a
routerwith a 3/8-in.rabbetingbit and a jig-
sawto completethis project.Withthe excep-
tion of the drawerbottoms and back, the
wholecabinetis madeof solidcherry.Oneof
the tricks to usingcherryis to be fussyabout
your lumber.The color of cherry can vary
greatly(that'swhy it's often staineddark by
manufacturers). Selectboardswith uniform
color or askthat the wood you order come
from a singletree.
Wespentabout$S00on this pie safe.You
canshaveoff someof that cost,(asmuch as
$180),bypunchingyour own tin (seesidebar
on p. 77).Now,let'sheadfor the shop.
 7btu"

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 1' (rYP.)
OVERSIZE
CLEARANCE
lY n \ r L E ---
HOLE \
f\_K )
SECTIONATTOP
n"---.f-l/
4.{-u l#l
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lLltr+' l$va"
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DOOR LATCH

K
3

STOPPED
RABBET
INSTILES

STOPPED
RABBET

E A C HS Q . = 1 '
HARDWARE
1 . 3 / 4 "B R A D
P
2. 1'BRAD
3. 1-1l4',BRAD
4. NO.4 x 518"FH SCREW
5 . N O .1 0 x 1 - 1 l 4 "F H S C R E W 1t2"#1t2"
6 . N O .1 0 x 1 - 1 1 4 P" A NH E A D
SCREWAND FLATWASHER
7. 114D ' I A .B R A S SS H E L FP I N
8 . N O . 2 OB I S C U I T
9. NO-MORTISH E INGE
1 0 .P U N C H E D T I NI N S E R T
LEG PATTERNS DRAWERDETAILS

72 American Woodworker APRIL2ooo

 Pie Safe
START WITH THE WOOD
Sortyour wood for grainandcolor.Most C U TTH E B ISCUI T
cherryboardshavesomesapwood,the SLOTS about
off-whitewood found on the outeredge 6-in.apart for edge
joining.Thebiscuitsalign
of the trunk. Planyour cutsso the sap-
the surfaceof the
wood is keptto the insidewhereit wont boardsproducingflush
show.Selectflat,straight-grainedwood joints that require little
for the doorsand faceframe.This is one sanding.You don't want
placeyou can'tafford anywarping.Cut to exposea biscuit
the drawer fronts (W) from a single #20BtscutT joint when makingyour
board so the grain flows from one final cuts so keepyour
biscuitsat least3-in.
drawerto the next.Chooseboardswith
awayfrom the ends of
compatiblefigureandcolorfor the sides the top (A) and the'leg
(B) and top (A). Usethe lessdesirable cutout areaon the
piecesfor shelving. sides(B).

TIPS FOR
TIPS FOR BETTER
BETTER
BISCUITING
. Therearethreecommonsizesof bis-
THE SLOTS
cuits:#20,#10and#0.#20biscuitsoffer in the end of the shelf
the greatestgluingsurfaceandarethere- with the baseof the
fore the strongest.Usethesewhenever platejoiner on the
possibleevenif it resultsin the biscuit cabinetside.Clampthe
"breakingout" of the joint (Photo8). BOTTOM shelfon the sideso
BISCUITFACEOF the top edge of the
Breakoutoccurson the faceframeand LAYOUT SHELF
MARK shelflinesup with the
door framewherenarrowrailsjoin the .?
top edge of the layout
stile.But that'snot a problemif you off- mark on the side.Mark
setthe centermark for thebiscuitssothe for biscuitsin the
breakoutwon't be seen.We did this on middleof the shelfand
the faceframeso the biscuitsbreakout 3-in.in from eachend.
wherethe drawersand top coverthem

Somehow we managed to cut a biscuit where

none belonged. A careless pencil mark can be
mistaken for a biscuit mark when you're cutting
your way through a pile of frame members.
Here's how we fixed it: Use a compass to mark CUTTHE SLOTS in the sidewith the
a4-in. dia. circle in some 5132-in.-thick cherry plate joiner held verticaland usingthe
and cut it out on the bandsaw. Glue the circle markingson the shelf.
into the bad slot and clean up any excessglue.
After the glue dries, flush-cut the repair.

American Woodworker APR2

T oL o o 73
 CLAMP THE CARCASSASSEMBLY
usinga perf-boardtemplate.Mark the bottom and usingshop-madecaulsto distributeclamping
back edgeto correctly registerthe templateon the pressureacrossa wide joint. SeePhoto 6 for
other side of the cabinet.Mark the holesto be how to make cauls.
drilled(everyother hole givesa 2-in.spacing)and
use a sharp brad-pointbit. Makeyour own fool-
proof depth stop from 314-in.x3/4-in.stock that's
drilleddown the centerand cut to length.

1/16'CROWN,
t iExAGGEnnrEo
_ . FOR.CLAB|Iy)

].!"o*EYOUR CAULS from 2x4s cut to the width of the cabinet.Make sure they are well
Idried and all four sidesare square.Planeor sanda | / | 6-in.crown on eachcauland mark the
crown with an arrow.While you're at it, make some extras and keep them for future use.

(Fig.B).Breakouts on thedoorframes the groove and spread it along both 5.Lay out the fixed shelf locations on
arecoveredby thetin panelstops.We sidewalls of the slot with a small glue the cabinetsides,then cut the biscuit
offsetthe top-railbiscuitsto keepthe brush (seeSources,p. 77). slots for the shelvesand the back rail
top edgeof the door clean(Fig.C). (Photos2 and3).
. Assemblywithbiscuitsneedsto go TH E C A R C A S S 6. Drill holes for adjustableshelf pins
smoothlybecause the biscuitsswell l.Lay out and cut the biscuit slotsfor (seeSources, p. 77;Photo4).
quickly onceglue is applied.For a the top (A), sides (B) and shelves 7. Finish-sandall the piecesstarting
m o r e r e l a x e da s s e m b l yu, s e a n ( C ) ( P h o t o1 ) . with 120-grit and working your way
extended-open-time glue like Tite- 2.Dry-fitfirst then glue up and cut to to 320-grit for an oil finish. If you
bond'sTyp. II Extendedor Liquid length. plan to varnish,stop at 220-grit.
HideGlue(seeSources, p.77). 3. Use the leg patterns (Fig.A) to lay 8. Dry-fit and glue the carcassusing
. Thkethetime to dry-fit eachassem- out the shapeson the bottoms of the four clamps and cauls for the shelves
bly usingall the biscuitsand clamps sides.Cut them out with a jigsaw. (Photo 5) and a fifth clamp for the
youll needfor the realthing.You'llbe 4. Use a tablesawto cut the rabbet on back rail. Be surethe carcassis glued
ableto rehearse your glueup andred the back rail (D) for the back (Z). up square.
flaganymisalignedbiscuits. Use a router with a 3/8-in. rabbeting 9. Glue the drawer kicker cleats(J)
. Gettinggluein thebiscuitslotscan bit to cut the stop rabbet on the sides to the bottom of the lower shelf. If
be a bit messy. Justsquirta beadinto for the back. you own a pneumatic brad nailer,

74 American Woodworker A P R T2Lo o o

 Pie Safe

CABINETMAKEF'S

CUT SLOTS INTHE ENDS of narrow

parts,likethis faceframe rail,usinga simpleiig to
steadythe work and provide a wider surfacefor the
plate joiner fence.Weuseda l2-in.x 30-in.pieceof
melaminewith a 3-in.x l8-in. pieceof hardwood
centeredalongthe edge.Add a couple of hold-down
clamps(seeSources,p.77).Note how the
cabinetmaker'striangle identifiesthe piece being cut
as the top rail.

I Group the stiles and rails together and

orient them as they will be on the cabinet.
Use a squareto mark the precise position
of each rail on the stiles.Make these lines
light and long to distinguishthem from
your biscuit marks.Now, decide where an
offset is needed to disguiseany biscuit
breakout.Tofigure out how much to offset
the bottom rail,for example,subtract the
width of the rail (2 in.) from the width of
the slot made by the joiner (2-314in.).lf
you centered the biscuit on the rail,the
DRY FIT FRAMEAND
MARK FOR BISCUITS slot would breakout 3/8 in. on each side.To
keep the biscuitinsidethe drawer opening,
you'll need to offset the cut 3/8 in. towards
the opening.Add l/8 in.for insuranceand
you havean offset of ll?in.

American Woodworker APRT

2oLoo 75

tackthe cleatin placefirst so it wont
slide around when you apply the
clamps.(Brad nailerscan be like a
third handduringassembly. See"Brad
Nailersi'p. 43,formoreinformation.)
THE FACE FRAME
10.Layout thefaceframe,asshownin
Fig.B.
11.Cutthebiscuitslots(Photo7) and
dry fit the faceframe.
1 2 . I f y o u a r e m o r t i s i n gi n y o u r
hinges,now'sthe time to lay out and
cut the hingemortiseson the inside
edgesof the facestiles.
L3.Lay out and cut the leg profiles
on thebottomof eachstile(Fig.A).
14.Begintheglueup with the drawer
divider mullion (S) and the lower
rails (R). Then glue the rest of the
faceframe together.
15.Tiim the protrudingbiscuitsand
finish sand.
76 American Woodworker
ASSEMBLEYOUR
DOOR FRAMES on a
perfectly flat surfaceusing
identicalclamps.This helps
ensurea flat door and savesall
kindsof headacheslater.Spacer
stickshold the frame up off the
clamps(so it won't get stained)
and in linewith the clamp
screw pressure(so it wont get
twisted).Note how the biscuits
protrude into the panelrabbets.
They'll be removedlater when
the rabbetsare completedwith
a router.
EMARKTHE
POSITION OFTHE
DRAWER RUNNERS on the
lower backsupport cleat.Have
the drawer in placewith even
marginsaround the opening
and enoughroom betweenthe
slidesand drawer sidesfor
smooth operation.Removethe
drawer and fastenthe runners
with screws.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
16. Glue the face frame assemblyto
the carcass.Tack the face frame in
position with brads before applying
clamps.Trim the faceframe overhang
with a flush-trim bit in a router.
17. Center the drawer kickers (E) in
the drawer openings and attach them
to the kicker cleatswith a 6xl-ll2-in.
screw.
18. Attach the drawer runner cleats
(H, Fig. D) with a brad, glue and
clamps.
19.Assemblethe drawer runners (F
and M) and position them on the
cleatsso they set 1/16 in. into the
drawer openings(FiS.D).Attach the
runners to the front cleat only (Fig.
D). You l1attach the back of the run-
ners later.
20.Attach the top (Fig.A).
21. Make the cherry quarter-round
molding (K and L) from a 3-in.-wide
piece of cherry. Round over the two
Iong edgeswith a router and a 314-in.
ApRtL2000
round-overbit. Rip the moldingsoff
the pieceand cut to fit. Glueand nail
the front molding in place.Nail the
sidemoldingsin placebut only gluethe
miterjoint andthefirst coupleof inches
at the front of the case.This will keep
the miter joint tight but still allowthe
carcass to movewith the seasons.
THE DOORS
22.Useatablesawto cuttherabbetson
thebackedgesof thedoor rails(U).
23. Cutbiscuitslots,dry-fit, glueand
clampthe door frames(Photo8).
24. Finish the rabbetson the doors
with a routerand a 3i8-in.rabbeting
bit-this will alsotrim the protrud-
ing biscuits.Squarethe cornerswith a
sharpchisel.
25.Tofit thedoorssee"Flush-Fit Cab-
inetDoors"onp.78.
26.Makethedoorlatch(N) andmount
it andthedoorstop(G,Fig.A.)
27.Makethe tin panelstops(V) and
miter to fit in place,but dont attach
themyet.
THE DRAWERS
28.Cut the dadoesand rabbetsin the
drawerfronts(W) andsides(X).
29. Finish-sand the insidesof the
drawerpieces,then glueand nail the
drawerstogethermakingsuretheyare
square.
30. Finish-sandthe outsideof the
drawers.
31.Attach the drawerrunnersto the
drawerrunnercleat(Photo9).
32.Drtllholesforthedooranddrawer
knobs.
33.Attachthebackwithscrews. Screws
allow you to easilyremovethe back
for finishingand you won't be acci-
dentallydriving nailsthroughthe side
of thecabinet.
THE FINTSH
34. Finish-sandthe outsidesurfaces
andeasethe edges.
35.Applythreecoatsof Danishoil.
36.Mountthetin panelsin thedoors,
hangthe doorsandattachthe knobs.
37.Attachthe backand standbackto
admireyourwork.
Iustthink;food safeslike this usedto
holdbiscuits;nowthey'reheldtogether
bv them! IW
 1-1l2"OFFSET

DRY FIT DOORS

PENCIL AND MARK FOR
MARKS BISCUITS

SOURCES
414Cherry,l00 bd. ft.
PIESAFE57-314'H x 42-l/2" W x | 6" D
| 14"x 4' x 8' cherry plywood;
I sheet
e"rt | ru"r" lool Dimensions Paxton Hardwoods, (800)
CARCASS CherryHardwood 522-330s.
A ltop I 3 l 4 x 1 7x 4 2 - l 1 2
B I sides 2 3l4xl5-l14x57
C I shelves 5 3l4x15x39 Titebondll Extended, I gal.,
D I back rail I 314x 4 x39 #t6.50.20, $26
E I drawer kickers 2 3 / 4 x 2 x1 5 TitebondLiquidHideGlue,
F I drawerrunners 4 3 1 4x l - l 1 2 x 1 5 I quart,ff | 6.50.0| , $7.50
I 3l4x l-l12x3
H I drawer runner cleats 2 3l4xl-5/16x39 Smallgluebrush,# | 6.60.25,
2 3 l 4 x l - l / 1 6x 3 9 $2.50for l0; $ l0 for 50
K I molding I 314x314x42 Hold-downclamps, # | 6.60.05,
2 3l4x3l4x l6-314 $ 1 2e a c h
M I drawer runners 4 3l4x3l4x15 HighlandHardware, (800)
I l12x7l8x2-l12
241-6748
FACF FRAME Cherry
P I face stiles 3 1 4x 3 x 5 7 Sixteen l14"-dia.brass shelf
Q I top rail 314x2-314x34-l12 supports,#271| l; $2.50
314x2x34-l12 Three pewter no-mortise
3l4x2x6-l12
10 l 9 l , $ 2 . 7 5
b a l lh i n g e s , # 3
CherryHardwood each
T door stiles 4 3l4xZx 35-3/4 Woodcraft Supply,
U door rails 8 3l4x2x l3-l/4 (800) rs3
22s-r
V tin panel stops 24 3 / 8 x 3 / 8 xl 5 *.-''*-.
DRI
w
X
drawer fronts 3 1 4 x 6 - 3 1 8lx6 - l / 8
l 1 2 x 6 - 3 1 8 xl 5 - l 1 2
Four l/4" dia.wood knobs,
AF-S969C,$ 1.20each
Van Dyke's,(800) 558- 1234
iiH$
Y l12x5-718 x 15-5/8 7.""'-"
Six pierced-tin panels"Lace-
CHERRY PLYWOOD work #1" l0-in.x l4-in.,

lrl
Z I back x 48-3/| 6
I 14x 39-314
AAI drawerbottoms l14x l4-314x l5-5/8 $30.95 each,Country Accents,
I (s70)478-4t27.
 DOORHANGERJIG
DOOR RAIL OR STILE

T
*
I
I
CNO.4 x 3l4" FH
WOODSCREW
S H OP .MA D ED OOR H A N GERS
(coUNTERSUNK) hold the doors in placeso you can scribefor a
perfect fit.They're constructed from two blocks of
hardwood and a metal tie plate.Tieplatesare
usedto join houseframingand are availablefrom
home centers.

Fit the Cabinet Hinges First

Firstthingsfirst.Whetheryou'remakinga cabinetwith a
faceframeor onewithout,cut the mortisesfor the hinge
leavesin the frame or casesidesbeforeassembly. This
saveshassleslaterwhenrailsor cabinettopscangetin the
way.Iusethe sametechniquefor mortisingthe caseasI do
for the doors.

Make the Doors

Set the infeedtable for a light cut (l l32in.or less),
and joint all four edges.A scrapblock steadiesthe
door and preventsend-graintearout.
I alwaysdimensionmy doorsso theyarethe exactsizeof
my caseopening.Thisapproachletsme fine-tunethefit of
the doorsto the cabinetonceit'sbuilt.
Flatand squaredoorspreventuntold headaches later.Be
sureto work on a flat surfacewhenyou glueup your doors,
and centerthe clampingpressureoverthejoints.Beforethe
glue sets,check eachdoor for squareby measuringits
diagonals.

Trim the Door to Fit the Case

|;--'i-fu(
DOOR
.HANGER
JIG
POSITION THE DOORS on hangersand checkthe fit of
the doors to the case.Thehangershold the doors flushwith the
cabinetfaceand establisha l/6-in.gap.Set the compassto the
largestgap,then mark around the doors with the compass.
At first the doorswon't fit into the caseopeningbecause
there'sno gap.That'sOK. This two-steptrimming proce-
dure allowsyou to get the perfectfit:
The first step is to joint all four edgesof eachdoor
(Photo2).Periodicallycheckthe fit, andjoint until you have
agapof roughly 1/16in. all aroundbetweenthe door and
the case.
Thesecondstepis to fine-tunethe fit of the doorsto the
case.Positioneachdoor into the caseon a pair of shop-
madehangers(Photo1 andFig.A).
Chancesare,your doorswon'tfit the openingwith pre-
cise,evengapsall around.To makethe gapsperfect,usea

American Woodworker npntLzooo 79

compass to mark thedoors(Photo3).
The hangerspreventthe compass
from scribingacrossthe entirewidth
of the door,so usea straightedgeto
finish.
Next, clamp the door in a bench
vise and trim to your marks with a
hand plane (Photo4). For paired
doors,plane a slight back bevelon
the stileswheretheymeet.
lnstalling the Hinges
Positionthe doorsbackinto the case
andmark the locationsof eachhinge
mortisewith a sharpknife (Photo5.)
Back at the bench,squareyour
knife marks acrossthe edgeof the
stilewith a squareand a sharppencil.
Seta marking gaugeto the desired
width of the hinge (Photo6). Then
mark the long-grainshoulderof the
mortise(Photo7).
A router makesfor fast, accurate
work when cutting mortises..Iusea
ll4-in. straightbit to cut all myhinge
mortisesbecause the smallerdiame-
ter letsme getverycloseto the inside
cornersof the mortise.Setthe height
of the bit to the thicknessof a hinge
leaf(Photo8).
Clampthe door firmly in a bench
viseand securea scrapboard to the
benchtop.The scrapboard'ssurface
must be flush with the edgeof the
door to supportthe routerbase.Now
rout the mortisefreehand(Photo9).
Squarethe mortise with a razor-
sharpchisel(Photo10).
Youll needto drill pilot holesfor
the hingescrewsbeforesecuringthe
hingesto the door and the case.To
makethe drillingjob foolproof,usea
self-centeringbit (Photo11).
Hanging the Doors
With the hingesattachedto each
door,pressthe looseleavesinto their
respectivemortisesin the caseand

MARK FOR HINGES by positioningthe door into the

true the doors. Use a sharp benchplaneset for a light cut. openingwith the door hangers.Withthe hingestile tight against
Maintaina squareedge by checkingyour cuts with a square. the case,transfer
the shoulderlocationsof eachhingemortise
with a sharp markingknife.

Jl irrrTitiilffirlr
HOW DEEP shouldyou installbutt hingesinto a I S C R IB ETH E LoN G-GR A IN S H oU LD E R
door and caselThe rule of thumb is to measurefrom the with the markinggaugeto finishthe hingemortise layout.
center point of the hingebarrel to the outside edgeof one
leal then subtractabout l/ | 6 in.Thislayoutensuresthat the
door wonlt bind on the face of the cabinetwhen opened.

80 American Woodworker APRIL2ooo

 Uh-oh! We accidentally
install the screws.Now open and trimmed too much off
closethe doors and inspect the one edgeofa door.
fit. Your doors should swing as Luckily, it was a long-
smooth as silk, with the doors grain edgeand there'sa
flush to the face of the cabinet, simple fix. Re-joint the
and evengapsall around.If you edge,then glue on a thin
notice some unevenness,a little strip to increasethe
j u dic ious s andi n g w i th s o me door's width. The strip
1 8 0 - g r i t s a n d p a p e rw r a p p e d should match the stile in
around a block can usually fix grain and color and be
the problem. Once you're satis- slightly oversizein width
fied with the fit, mark the doors and length. Trim it to fit
for knobs or pulls and install after the glue dries.You'll
these along with your favorite never seethe fix!
catchhardware.Caseclosed.IW

SETTHE BIT DEPTH by layinga hingeleaf
on the router's baseplate. Route a test mortise on a
pieceof scrapand checkfor fit.The hingeleaf should
be flushwith the top of the mortise. A l/4-in. straight-
tip bit is a good choicefor routingthe mortise.
ROUTTHE HINGE MORTISE freehand, stayingabout
l/16 in.insideyour layoutlines.For a reallycleancut,movethe
router in the oppositedirectionthat you would normallyrout:a
techniquecalledclimbcutting.Routingin this mannerprevents
tearout,and it's easyto control the router becausethe cut isn't
very deepand the bit diameteris relativelysmall.A scrapblock
clampedto the benchsteadiesthe router's baseplate.

-
SHAVETHE SHOULDERS by choppinglightlywith a
sharpchisel.lt's bestto sneakup on your layoutline,makingseveral
thin cutsuntilyou reachthe end-grainshoulderline.Clampa block
behindthe long-grainshoulderto support this delicateareaand take
rnultiplecuts untilyou reachthe shoulderline.Finishup by paringinto
the cornersto cleanup any left-oversliversof wood.
iill
DRILL FOR HINGE SCREWS usinga self-centering
drill bit. Layeachhingein its mortiseand drill throughthe hinge
and into the door. Rub a little wax onto the screw threadsto
lubricatethem before drivingthe screwshome.Tip:BrasEscrerac
break easilyt,Use the same size sf,eelscrews lirst and install the
brass screws after fitangand finishingare complece.

American Woodworker A P R T2Lo o o 8l

 Gettin'betrerallthetime.
planeris a basictool if you work with solidwood.
Until recently,planers were large cumbersome
machinesthat cost an arm and a leg. No.more. Portable
planershavechangedall that for anyonewith a small
shop.You cantuck these relativelyinexpensivemachines
awayin a cubbyhole.lf you usesupports,they can han-
dle almost any size board. The latest generation'of
portableplanersare amazingmachines.
Portable planer design is still evolving. The first machine on the market
wasthe two-post RyobiAP- 10,a small capacity,lightrveightmachine intro-
duced in 1987.Delta produced the first four-post machine, the22-540,in
1991and the first portable planerwith a headlock, the 22-560,in 1997.Four
posts are now standard on all models. Three machines now have head
locksrbut eachmechanism is different.
The move to four posts and the introduction of a head
lock is a responseto the principal problem with portable
planers:snipe-that bite out of the end of a board.

Snipe and Head Locks

All the planerswe testedproduced an incrediblysmooth surface.They all
work on the sameprinciple: Two powered rollers feed aboard through the
planer while a cutterhead,equipped with a pair of knives,rotatesat a very
high speed.
However,the smooth surfaceoften begins or endsin snipe.The depth of
snipe can be anywherefrom the thickness of tissuepaper to the thickness
of a manila folder. (Seep. 85 for more on where snipe comesfrom and how
to deal with it). We wanted to know: Considering recent innovations in
design,do all portable planers snipe?
The short answeris yes,they all snipe. But some snipe lessthan others.
Planerswith traveling headsand headlocfcsreally do snipe lessoften and less

A HEAD LOCK minimizesthe INDEXED DISPOSABLEKNIVES

amount of snipe but wont eliminate it. makeit easyto get off to a freshstart.
The Delta 22-560 head lock shown Theydrop right in place.
here is easyto use.

American Woodworker APRIL2ooo 83

P-ort-abf.e
Filaner.s.
A DEPTH.OF-CUT INDICATOR
tells you how much wood you're going
to take off in each pass.Thisis very
helpful,especiallythe first time through.
This indicator,on the DeWalt DW733, is
foolproof and easyto read.
All the planers
producedan
incredibly
sm ooth surf ac€,
but they all
snipe,too.
PRE-SET DEPTH STOPS can
prevent you from makinga big mistake.
In the heat of production it's easyto
misreada machine'sscaleand end up
with boards that are too thin. Shown
here is the RidgidTP I 300,which has
more stops than other machines.
American Woodworker APRrL2ooo
deeplythan similar machineswithout venient than indexing pins. We also
headlocks. like the planerswhosecutterheadlock-
A head lock is designedto reduce ing bolts sit abovethe knives and are
the amount of snipeby locking the cut- easyto get to.
terheadassemblyin place(Photo I ). It
works this way-you turn a crank han- Depth-of-Cut Indicator
dle to set the depth of cut, push down and Depth Stops
the head lock lever and then run your We like two featuresthat make several
boards through the machine.When portableplanersmore foolproof.Weall
you want to make another pass,you know that an error in planing can be
must reversethe headlock leverbefore quite costlyand frustrating.
turning the crank that setsthe depth of The first featureis a simple depth-of-
cut. Crank,lock,plane,unlock,crank. cut indicator that tellshow much wood
It'sa little danceyou haveto get usedto.the planer will remove from your
board (Photo 3). This is important to
Snipe-Free Machines, know becauseyou can mistakenlyset
But at a Price a portable planer to take a cut that it
TWoplanerswith fixed headsand long, can't reasonablyhandle.A11portable
solid tablesstand out from the crowd. planer motors draw about 15 amps,
The good news is they rarely sniped so they all deliver about the same
boards lessthan 5-ft. long. The bad amount of power.This isnt enough
newsis that they're expensiveand take
up more storagespacebecausethey
power to hog off deep bites in wide
boards.It's possibleto overloadthe
dont havefold-up tables.They'realso motor or pop a breaker if yodre not
awkward to usewith long boards.Sup- careful . B efore you run a boar d
port standsmust be raisedand low- through the planer for the first pass,
ered alongwith the table. stick its end under this indicator and
youll know for surehow much wood
The Knives you ll be removing.
The type of knivesin a portableplaner Secondly,welike a setof depth stops
is not yet standardized.You have two that allowyou to pre-setthe final thick-
choices.Someplanersusesingle-edged nessof your board (Photo 4). With
knives that can be re-sharpened.Oth- this feature,you can't accidentallyplane
ersusedouble-edgedknivesthat canbe your boards too thin, a disasterthat
reversedwhen one edgegetsdull. The hasbefallenjust abouteverybodywho
single-edgedknives and some of the haseveruseda planer.
double-edgedknives can be resharp-
ened and used over and over again, Gapacity, Weight and Size
while other double-edgedknives are All the portableplanershandleboards
disposable.Both types cost about the up to l 2-i n. w i de. S ome m anage
samein the long run.A new setof dis- l 2-l l 2-i n boards and the Ridgid
posable double-edgedknives runs TP1300hasa 13-in.capacity.
about $30 to $40,roughly as much as The cutterheadsof all the planers
sharpeninga setof single-edgedknives can travel up and down about 6 in.
twice. While you're not likely to find 6-in.-
Someknivesareeasierto install than thick wood to plane,you will find this
others.We like the machinesthat have large capacity handy for planing the
indexed knives (Photo 2). They click edgesof boards.Youcanstand314-in.
right in place.The other machinesuse or thicker boards on their sidesand
gaugesto set the knives. They work plane them all to exactly the same
quite well and areonly slightlylesscon- (text continuedon p. 86)
 Dealln
with Snipeis a

Sni
bite taken out of
the end of a board.(A
particularlybad caseis shown
here.)The lengthof the snipeis
alwaysabout 2 in.-the distance
from a feed roller to the center
Fig.A The Sourceof Snipefrom a PortablePlaner of the cutterhead.Portable
The cutterheadassemblyrides up and down on four posts in most portable planers. planersmay snipethe front or
The assemblycan tilt forward or backwardbecausethere is a smallamount of play the rear ofa board,but never in
betweenit and the posts.Whenthe assemblytilts, it cuts slightlydeeperthan normal, the middle.
and you get a snipedboard.Thepurposeof a head lock is to minimizethis tilting.

CUTTERHEADASSEMBLY
TILTS FORWARD
CUTTERHEAD
FEED
ROLLER
IS LIFTED
UP BY
BOARD

Snipeat the front of a board is The board is cut evenlywhen Snipeat the end of a board is
produced by the forward tilt of both rollers are engagedand the produced by a backwardtilt of
the cutterhead assembly.Thetilt cutterheadis level. the cutterheadassembly.
shownhere is greatlyexaggerated.

Snipe canbe beat.

'*l**mdffiitffi;;;;;
tl*ttvour{TT
c LLL..,.
Thkeadvantageof the fact --- won't sni
that the planer
"'
themiddleof aboard(Fig.A).Makea traino, -urlr' ffi
boardsthat are all exactlythe samethicknessand pass
ATRATN oF B.ARDS wiil banishsnioefrom
themthroughtheplaneroneafteranother(photoat yourgoodwood.The trickis.Jilj[:'fil:"r}.,
right).Onlytheleadboardandthelasttrailingboard, thinking
it'scuttingoneveq/longboardbyfeeding
which can both be scrap wood, will be sniped by the many boards through in one operation, each butted
planer. If your boards are fairly short, you ll need a helper up to another.lnfeed and outfeed supports that are
with the main bed of the planer keep
to catch the boards as they come out of the machine.you ll 11",:.',t"ll,':vel
individualboards from drooping'
have your hands full feeding the other end.

American Woodworker APRIL2ooo 85

What a Portable
PlanerCannot Do
I lt isn't a jointer.
Planersdon't make wood flat. Sur-
prised?lt's a common misconception
that you can shove a piece of rough
lumber into a planer and get a flat
board out the other end. Unfortu-
nately,it doesnt work that way.
Like the sayinggoes,"garbagein,
garbageout." lf you put a cupped,
twisted,or bowed board into a planeq
y ou' ll get appro x i m a te l yth e s a me
shapeboard out the other end.
Use a jointer first to fla*en one
faceof a board.Thenput the board in
the planer,facedown. A planer'sjob is
to makethe secondfaceparallelto the
faceyou jointed.Jointersand planers
work hand-in-hand.Both are basic
tools if you work with solid wood,
especiallyif you want to savemoneyin
the long run by starting with rough
lumber.
I lt cantt hog off wood.
Portable planers arent as powerful
as their stationarycounterparts.You
can'thog off l/8 in.from wide boards.
ln order to avoidtrippingyour circuit
breaker or overheating the motor,
you needto listento the machineas it
cuts.Portableplanerswork best with
v er y s m allbit e s ,l i k el /3 2 i n .
I lt won't be set up right fiom
the box.
The convenientfold-up infeed and
outfeed tables of a portable planer
come at a price.Youhaveto carefully
levelthem with the main bed before
t he m ac hine is re a d y to g o . l t' s a
tediousadjustmenton everymachine.
Due to manufacturingdifferences,
some machinescome with a cutter-
head that isn't preciselyparallelwith
the main bed.Whetheryours will be
perfect is in the luck of the draw.The
cutterheadmay be a few thousandths
of an inch off over its full width and
make a board unequalin thickness
from side to side.Most manuals
describehow to levelthe cutterhead
(seechart,next page).
ffi
S OM E P LA N E R SA R E MU C H H E A V IE R TH A NOTH E R SThe . l i ght est
t he
,
Ma k i ta i n at 62 l bs.,w hi the
20l 2N B ,w ei ghs i sthe R i dgi dTP l 30at084 lbs.
l e heavi est
All havecarrying handles.
(corrtirnrcd
J ront1t.8'l)
width.lt helpsto gangthem togetherin a bunchand put them throughthe planer
asa group.For example,you canuseyour planerto cleanup the edgesof faceframe
stockthat havebeenripped on the tablesaw.
There'sa 20-lb.differencebetweenthe lightestand heaviestportableplaners
(Photo5 and chart,nextpage).Weightis an importantconsiderationif you store
your planeron the floor and must lift it up onto a workbenchfor use.It'seasierto
storeyour planeron a shelfor in a cubbyholethat'sthe sameheightasthe work-
bench.This way you won't haveto lift it up or down, but merelymove it sideways.
If your storagespaceis tight,checkout thewide rangeof planersizes(Photo6 and
chart,nextpage).
D ust C ol l ecti on
You must havegood dust collectionto planethe smoothestsurfaceon your
wood.Withoutadequate suction,chipscarriedaroundthe cutterhead canbe com-
pressedbetweenthe outfeedroller and the planedboard resultingin an indented
or bruisedsurface.That'sparticularlya problemwith soft woodslike pine.
Usea 650CFM (cubicfoot per minute)or greaterdustcollectorand a 4-tn.hose.
All the planerswe testedhaveoptionaldusthoods.Theycostabout$30to $40extra,
but arewellworth it. Planersmakea tremendous amountof wood chips.lfyou dont
havea separator, checkyour bagoflen.It can fill up beforevou know it. fW
Editor\Nofc:Nor' ltlcurcr R1,p!tandTradesnlan
s JrontCrat'txnart, at"cdueon thc
ntrtrhet Tho' rvor not rn'ailablc
thisspr.ing. Jor ow tast.
PORTABLE PLANERS
FOLD UP into a compact
package, perfect for stowing
awayin a smallshop.TheLobo
CT-3l8 is amongthe smallest
and the RidgidTP | 300 is the
largest.
 -c
a
U U1 lrJ
LU o L
U -oc)
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f,o F
U) V
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F o F LL
o
33
--c J
F - LU
3
LU
LU ILU o a LU
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E. N 5 LU +O LU
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-X
v1L I az o_ F

Delta22-560 $330 65 lbs. 16x22x13 Yes No No lndexed Compact,easyknife A,J,K,L,M (800)

438-2486
DED cnanqe

DeWaltDW733 $400 8 1 l b s . 18x21x15 Yes Yes Yes SER featuresA , C , D , E , G , J , K , L ,(8OO)4-DEWALT

Well-desioned M

R i d g i dT P 1 3 0 0 $400 84 lbs. 20x26x18 Yes Yes Yes DED featuresA , B , C , D , E , G , J , K (800)

Well-desiqned , N 474-3443

Delta 22-540 $270 64 lbs. 16x21x15 No No No DED Basicmodel A,J,K (800)

438-2486
Tvpe 2
G r i z z lG
y 1017 $370t 78 lbs. 18x22x13 No No No SER Durable
steel Bx2,F,H (800)523-4777
constructron
Jet JWP-12-4P $32s 70 lbs. 19x22x15 N o No No DER Basicmodel A, F,H,M (800)
274-6848

LoboCT-318 $360 65 lbs. 18x20x14 No No No SER Verycompact A,F,H,P (800)

786-s626

M a k i t a2 0 1 2 N 8 NA 62 lbs. 16x19x13 No Yes Yes DED features A , C , D , E , J , K , L

Verylegible (800)4-MAKTTA

P o w e r m a t i c4 1 $360 70 lbs. 19x22x14 Yes No No lndexed Easyknifechange, A,E,F,H,L,M (800) 44

248-01
DED larqetables

H i t a c hP
i 12R $900 7 5 l b s . 21x2Ox2ON o Yes No SER Fixedhead A,J,K,L (800)
706-7337
Makita2030s2 $1,3 0 079 lbs. 21x21x23 No Yes N o DED Fixed
head A,J,L (800)4-MAKTTA

/ Editorl Choice Style of knives: parallel

cutterhead to bed L Easy-to-tighten
knives
switch
D Paddle-style
!l BestBuv DED Double-edged,disposable
E Tableslongerthanaverage isexplainedinmanual M 12-12-in.
widecapacity
;.
T Incluoes stano
A 4-in.dustport
DER Double_edged, resharpenable B 2-in.dustport F Rollers
ontables J Legibility
of scale
above N 13-in.
widecapacity
NA Not Available assemblyrides
Scale oncrank \J Cordandtoolstorage average P Cutterhead
H Adjustmentforsetting K Manualaboveaverage onthecase,not4 Posts

o-
(( ))nrllz l=A\rratFn5tAG
- - -u-_l?- -v -si/-!- -u-_t:\=-e2
\Y_ \Y_i_Lr_

Editors' Choice: The Editors' Choice: The

RidgidTP | 300 is available DeWalt DW733 features
at Home Depot lt's a large easy-to-readscales,thick
machinebut loaded with knives that can be re-
w e l l - d e s i g n e df e a t u r e s sharpened and a lever-
such as a convenient-to- action cutterhead lock.
reach cutterhead lock.

Best Buy: The Delta 22-

Editors' Choice: The 540 Type 2 is a no-frills
Delta 22-560 combinesa planer and can often be
cutterheadlock,smallsize found at a discounted
for compact storage and price.
indexed knives that are
easyto change.

American Woodworker APR2

T oL o o 87
 New and Interesting Shop Stuff Edited
byGeorgeVondriska

)roduct
rcviews
Better
than Set the beadLOCKto
your layoutlines,clamp
it to your work and
drill three holes.Tape

Dowels?
on the bit ensures
uniform depth.Thejig's
configurationprevents
usinga stop collar.

1f you'relookingfor a strong,simplejoinery
Isystem, here'sa simpleanswer:beadLOCK.
All you needis a drill.
Thisjig allowsyou to drill a seriesof over-
lapping holesin eachof the mating parts. Slidethe drill guideto
The parts are joined with inexpensivepre- the secondposition
molded tenon material availablefrom the and drill two more
holes.
7
manufacturer, JourneymanTool.
I had great successwith beadLOCKon
:c
faceframesand legand rail assemblies.Ifig-
F ureda brad-pointbit would be a must,but a
E
)<
twist bit worked fine. Unlike a dowelingjig,
- the beadLOCKdoesn'tcenteritself on the
material,it registersfrom oneface.This makes
it easyto keepthe bestfacesof your project
- partslined up.Thewholethitg is prettyfool-
a 3/8-in.system $30
z proof,evenfor a beginner.
a
I l}-in.system $33.
lrJ
Youcanbuy the beadLOCKwith either a Dualset $47
UJ
o_ 3/8-in.or ll}-in. drill guide.It comescom-
pletewith a setof shimssoyou canoffsetthe 3/8-in.x 36-in.pre-moldedtenon $5.50
E matingparts,likethosein a legandrail joint. ll}-in.x 36-in.pre-moldedtenon $0
m

2 If you wantto stickwith doweljoints,youcan ToolsOn Sale,(800) 328-0457

tr also use the beadLOCKas a dowelingjig. (800)767-9999
Trendlines,
t!

o
You get the best of both worlds,at a price WoodcraftSupply,(800)225-| 153 Assembleyour parts with the
that'shard to beat. www.beadLOCK.com specialbirch tenon material.

88 American Woodworker APR2

T oL o o
 Product Reviews

NewJointer
lmpressive
GizzIy has a new 6-in. jointer that's
loaded with features,at a very
attractive price.
It has a 47 -in. table, a 4x29-in fence
and a l-HP motor (most iointers this size
.- have 314-HP).The knife-setting systemis unique in
that it has both springs and jack screws,making it
easierto adjust.But best of all is the switching:A
magnetic switch on a conveniently placed post, with
positive off-lock and even a "running" light. No more
stooping or leaving the machine running by mistake.
The machining on the tool we tried out in our
shop was excellent,with good surfacefinish on the
tables,smoothly moving fence and controls, excel-
lent flatnessacrossthe tables and fence and a tough
paint job.
The best featureof all, though, was the price: $a+S.

Call GrizzlyTools at (800) 523-4777

Erioyfte hnefisofIMPwidraSUPER
System!
Our SUPERmodel offers you the
most powerful 3-stage turbine
motor made by Ametek-Lamb.
"Quolity of otomizotion roted 9.8
outof 10...Ihis systemincludeson
excellent three-stoge turbine.. the
gun otomizes beoutifully ond hos o
full rongeof feotures."
- AmericonWoodworker

. High transfer efficiency

. Soft, easy to control spray
Trial! . Compact and portable
INDUSTRIALSPRAY
E Q U I P M E N TL T D .

Madein
u.s.A.
Cabinet shop owners acrossthe U.S. call Woodmaster's
26" and, 38t' drum sanders "the best kept secret in
woodworking. " These commercial-duty sanders fill the
niche between slow hand methods and expensivewide
belt sanders. And there's no sacrifice in quality. But
don't take our word for it . call today for free
information and the names of Woodmaster owners Visitourwebsiteat:
nearestyou. This way, you can find out first-hand how a www.ameticanwoodworker.com
\iloodmaster sander might be just the machine you've
been looking for.
youcomplete
Offering how-to

1-8OO-821-6651 ext. DB58 information

projecfs
your
to ensure
success
Woodmaster
Tools,
Inc.1431 N.Topping
Ave.DeptDB58 (
KansasCity,Missouri
64120
www.Wood masterTools.com ,
I

\
I
 GreenWood
4\r I lll

5ta0il/zet
I like turning bowls from green wood. I go out
to the back 40, cut myself a sizable chunk of
wood and go to it. What I don't like is when
the finished product cracks so badly I can see
through it. Pentacryl, from Preservation Solu-
tions, is the answer for rurners, carvers or any-
one who wants to stabilize green wood.
Pentacryl is a polymer compound that
soaks into wood. It can be brushed or sprayed
on, or you can immerse the wood in a buck-
etful. Immersion gives you the best results.
Use the stuff right out of the bottle-no mix-
ing is required. And unlike PEG, it's a liquid The manufacturer says they haven't found a finish yet that
at room temperature; so no heating is won't stick to Pentacryl-another advantage over PEG. The stuff
required. Total time for complete absorption is considered non-toxic, but isn't registered as food grade.
depends on the wood, but plan on about one Plans are in the works for a food-grade version.
day of immersion per inch of material thick-
ness. Once it's into the wood, PentacryI sta- 32 oz. bottl e;$ l 5
bilizes the wood cells to reduce or eliminate gal l on;$45
both warping and cracking. Caff PreservationSolutions (207) 563-5414

Gomputerized world'sfirst
collarcreates
leddog?
radio-colrtrol
Small U,S. company develops technologythat uses radio waves and a microprocessoron your dogb
collar to replace expensivefencing, cruel chains and /eashes,..keepingyour dog safeand tfBe!
W Guy Yeadon
. i,il PetSafeInstant Fencegives you the ability even while traveling. No more ties, cages or the bounda the small training flags
;i I to set up a safe and secure area for your boarding costs-your pet can enjoy vacations as rea. The training takes
' I pet to piay, without the time and expense much as vou. generally learn their
I conventional fences.Most fences can cost The humane solution. PetSafeInstant Fencewill After thirty days,
I thousands of dollars and can affect the provide greater happiness and can begin to rgsgradually.
I appearanceof your property. In many new and your pet. No more cages,dog runs or risk-free...and has it. Why
I neighborhoods, they aren't even allowed. No more waiting for you to go for a walk on to take advantage breakthrough
t Electronic fencesthat use wires and special leash. Your dog will be able to run and play gy? PetSafeInstant comes with a
collars can cost nearly as much to have pro- throughout the yard. warranty lio'Systems,
fessionally installed, usually well over a thousand Easy installation, simple training. PetSafe and bv Comtrad's ive risk-free
dollars. PetSafeInstant Fenceis a.revolutionary Instant Fence emits a radio signal that extends gua it for yourself, if you are not
new concept that is clearly the best value in pet up to 90 feet from the tra ile the sig- satisfied, return it within days for a full
,,NO
containment. keep refund.
Safe, secure and totally portable. This is the
safest,most secure{enceyou can buy for your pet. Exclusiaelim time offer! Order todayand get a
It is far superior to alternative containment meth- ing in the software prevents any acciden factory-direct on PetSafe
ods, because there are no wire.s to bury and tric pulse in the event of a power shortage.
becausethe pet cannot "run'througih" the wirning Instant
zone. When the collar picks up the signal from a' signal area. If you Three credit card payments of . . . $sg.ss$19S&H
buried wire, a stubborn or poorly trained dog can pet is poorly hained ar of the contain- Pleasementionpromotionalcode 7#1 -17ilO.
learn to break out. With PetSafeInstant Fence, ment area for over 30 the correction For fastest service, call toll-free 24 hours a day
there is no "other side" to run to, since the only pulses will the receiv-
safe area lies inside the containment circle.
Compared to conven-tional fences, which dogs
800-992-2966@@@G@
c a n j u m p o v e r o r d i g u n d e r . . . P e t S a f eI n s t a n t
Fence is unbeatable. What's more, it's totally through the ctfrttrad.ccilTl
portable. You simply unplug it and take it with you have adjusted the signal 2820Waterford Lake Drive, Suite 102Midlothian, VA23112
you to your new house, while visiting friends or to the desired strength, mark
ProductReviews
Micro-Adi
Router
Tables
Everytimeyou adjustthe bit in your
router table you haveto bend over,
reachunder the table,unlock the
router,makethe adjustment,lockthe
router,standup and makea testcut.
Then you start the processall over
again.What a pain.
This unique new devicefrom
JessEm, the Rout-R-Lift,eliminates
all this hassle.You can adjust the
routerbit heightfrom the top,in very
smallincrements.
minum andis 3l16in.x 11-3l4in. x
14-314in.Youll haveto setthis plate
into your routertabletop.Ifyou need
to useyour routerhandheld,JessEm
saysit's easyto removeyour router
from the mechanism.This is a very
handy device,with only one draw-
back-th e $220pricetag.
ustfor JessEmTool Company
(800)436-6799or www.jessem.com
With the Rout-R-Lift your router
travelsup and down in a carriage.To
adjustthe bit height,you inserta small
crank into a hole in the top of your
table,andturn. Thecarriagetravelsa
total of 2-Il2 in. Eachrevolutionof
the crank givesyou ll20 in., which
allowsvery fine adjustments.When
the height is correctlyset,remove
the knob.
The main plate on the Rout-R-
Lift is made from anodizedalu-
MAKE YOUROWTIWIITDOWS
YffHOAR
'.PIECE
SASII
CUNER
SErS
Thesesetsallowyouto makesashusing
L a buttjoint,dowels
or tenons.
RouterBit3-pc.set
wL-1364-5
arl7$89.00set
3/4"boreShaper
Cutter
3-pc.set w/bearing
wL-1364-SCS
onty$139.00 set
'SASH MAKING' VHSVideo
WL-V-4onty$12.es
ea.
4-Wlllc CUTTER ronSMALL "R0UND"
BISCUITS.Greatforfaceframes.
picture
frames,etc.
CUTTER plus250SMATL "
BISCUITS*
wL-1942-2 ontf $2O.oo
EXTRA
BfSCUITS
250ct.only
 .al

aaa
t a

aa

P r o d u c tR e v i e w s
a a

ta
f a

t a

KeepCordsGoiled
Tired of having a rats'nestof cords laying around?Gettir-rga $ 10
Cordpro in your life can help.
This doughnut-shapedreelacceptsup to 100ft. of t1ll cord,
a

a
ff

B0to 100ft.of t+ll and 50 to 70 fl. of

I2l3.The manufacturersaysit'll even
take50 ft. of t l 4-i n.ai r hose.Youcan
unwind either end. It's as simple as
plugging in one end of the cord,
putting the Cordpro on the ground
and pul l i ng the opposi teend. You
can also hold the Cordpro in your
hand and selectivelyunwind either
end. Winding the cords back on is
j ust as si mpl e: Grab the doughnut
hole and start winding the cord.
The Cordpro is made from tough
HDPE plastic;the samestuff pickup
truck bed liners are made fiorn. An
interior divider is the key to keeping
cords neatly coiled.
There'san important safetyfactor
to rememberwhen using the Cord-
pro. Using any extensioncord while
it'scoiled up can createexcessive heat,
melting insulationon the wires.Yes,it
does happen! Follow the amperage
recommendationsthat are included
with the Cordpro to make sureyou're
using it safely.

C al l (800) 700-6784or checl<out

w w w .corcD ro.com

94 \ u r c r i c a n \ \ ' o o c l uo r k c r n p R tzLo o o
 QuietShopVacuum
Never thought you'd seethose words in the same sentence,
did you? Fein saystheir new Mini-Tlrrbo is one of the qui-
etestvacuums out there.Use it like you would any wet/dry
vacuum, without losing your hearing.
Fein has been making a greatshop vacuum for about
three years;their model 9-55-13.If youve been eyeingthat
one,but holding off becauseof price,havea look at the
Mini-Turbo. This scrappylittle brother offerssimilar fea-
tures,including the samemotor, for only about $tSO.
You can connect the Mini-Tirrbo directly to power tools
for greatpick up right at the source."By-passconstruction"
means the motor won't overheateven when the vacuum is
constrictedby small ports on portable tools.
The Mini Turbo has:
r a 6-gal.barrel
r a 10.5foot hose(longerthan most)
t a floor nozzle,crevicetool and upholstery tool
t a very fine 1-micron filtration
However,it does not have the tool-actuated switch that
the 9-55-13has.

Fein (800) 441-9878

Sandin IUTilBO
YOURBANDSAW! I-desrgnfence odjusts
bond sow drift.
for
Add32'widesanding
capacitytoyourshop
andwe'llthrowina
"-* dustcollector
ata Enhance your
greatprice. creativityin a big way
Proudlymade in ThePenronmu 16-329Pr-us with the firstbandsaw
the U.S.A.
- drumsander will table and fence
I sudace,dimensron, available anpvhere.
-E andfinishsand. Fromthe 24" x24"
LF.J TheJET650cfm
I
worksurfaceto the
* J* -,- dustcollector
*-!# rvitna5micron circle-cuttingjig, you'll
hi.- bagwillpickup get morefrom your Grcle cutting jig cuts
f eventhesmall- bandsaw. uD to 26" diometers
rE i estparticles.
lhD
l,+ 1{
R"OCKLEFL'
Offergoodwhile -'*oNI
ft-#HoRhaX supplieslast.

16-32Plusshown
withoptionalINFEED
;:::: :.::":"::
ffi'
Call 800-334-4910 for the dealernearestvou & Ourreeo Tneres,
or visitour websiteat www.PerformaxProducis.comMerelSrnruo
ClsreRs.
and @@@
l-800-403-9736 l-877-ROCKLER www.rockler.com
 Product Reviews
Better
Fire
Extinguisher
If you havea fire in your shop,the
biggestmessis sometimes not from
the fire, but from the extinguishers
usedto put it out.Ordinary dry extin-
guisherscanleavea residuethatbakes
on and becomesvery difficult to
remove.Kidde'snew Fire Out Foam
fire extinguisheris an improvement.
The foam can simply be rinsed off
your toolsaftera fire.
It's an ABC extinguisher, so it's
good for fighting wood, liquid and
electricalfires.Kiddesaysthe foamis
easierto usefor thoseof uswho aren't
fire fightingprofessionals.Itleavesa
film on combustibles that helpspre-
vent re-igniting,somethingother
extinguishers dont do.
Get it at home centersand hard-
warestoresfor about$40.
www.kidde.comIW
Foldlt, Roll lt, Hanglt, Store lt! E d i t eudyD a v e M u n k i t t r i c k

SglsnoP
llPs

Tablesaw
Worktable
Tirrn your tablesawinto extra workbench space
with a pieceof 3/ 4-in.plywood. Attach wood strips

Pegged
Tablesaw
Tools around the plywood edgesfor a snug,no-slide fit on
the metal table.
For a nifty way to keeptablesawaccessoriesin reach, Caution:Alwayscrank the bladebelowthe surface
attachperf-board panelsto the tablesawstand.Drill and unplug the tablesawbeforeusing it as a work-
holesin the legsof an open metal stand and bolt the benchbase.
perf-board in place. I

-
TmlStorage
Bmk h
=
e.
:<
Put a ton of tools up on the wall in t
-
this tool "book." Hang I/2- or 3/4- E.

in.-thick plywood"pages"4 in. apart F

on horizontal 2x4s with 3-in. door I

o_

hinges.Screwand glue 3/4-in. pIy- LL

J
UJ
wood blocksbetweenthe hingesand =
:<

the 2x4sso the pagescanpivotwith- a

k(L
out binding. The pagesshown here
;
are 16in. wide by 2a in.long-build tr
yours whateversizeyou need. t!

o
F
&
 S m a l lS h o pT i p s
CONTINUOUS
HINGE

A GrcatSawhorue
These sawhorsesare sturdy and they fold flat for
easystorage.Building them is a snap:joint and
plane2x4 stock to I in.; then rip to 3 in. Crosscut
at 30 in. for the legsand 18 in. for the stretch-
ers. Use a biscuit joiner and double stack
#20 biscuitsat eachjoint. Assemblewith a
I-ll2-in. continuous hinge and locking
table leg braces (availablefrom Wood-
worker's Hardware,800-383-0I 30,
hinge,#LA1 1248 l4A, $5.2S;leg brace,
#5C,446l14 2C,$19.04per pair).

L-.e:ql'*!.:' ".'

PowerToolCaddy rt$&sun*'.;
eqatfbro"* ^i
This plywood stand for power tools is compact and mobile. To lock the stand lffi cAsrERg
in place,just flip down the hinged board at the base.
Cut the hinged board wide enoughso it will Iift the castersoffthe floor when
RUBBER
you flip it down. Screwit on the bottom of one of the end panelsusing 3-in.- FEET
wide butt hingesand attachrubber door bumpersfor addedslip resistance.
When youre planing or jointing (in the direction of the flipped-down
board) the stand carit move.

Dust Collection
Eliminate Fine Dust Problems!

Plain & FiguredCherry from4l4to 1614

ilil6 "$ili$Tl'J,"
Also: PremiumWalnut, figured Maples & a large variety of
exceptionallyfine domestic& imported lumber including free form

- o.i,il,,"n.. slabs,turning blanks,burls, & Instrumentgradelumber.

200 Whiteside Drive, Oxford, PA 19363

h*;,.'W'T:#-tT::l Toll Free 888-814-0007 Fax 610-932-3130

:
=,';;],,
.b
Cartrid$e H
- 15vears
of experience'
National&Internationalshipping
!@ @ I ffi

ffir_. Reproduction
@,,;:r::lff.,_, Brasshon
and Hardware
oLlghtin0
Hrfircs.flrcDlacc
oFunlhruiladwaruoBullde/s
o
Acccssollcs
llailwano
Seewhy woodworkerscall the l.5hp dust
collectorthe 65Best
Invention Everoo
Call, Fax or Email for a FREE BROCHURE
Visit us at www.oneida-air.com
Email: info@oneida-air.com

ONEIDA-->AIR SYSTEMS,TNC.,- For details,call,writeor

visit our web site:
<--- www.ballandball-us.com 463W.Lincoln
Highwayo Exton,
PA19341
:-.--r (31s)476-slslFAx (3rs)476-s044 Or,send$7.00(refundedon 1st Phone: o Fu:610-363-7639
610-363-7330
1001W. FayeffeSt. Syracuse,NY 13204 order)for our 108pagecatalog. 1-800-2
0rders: 57-3711