Innholdsfortegnelse for Apr/May 2018 i Woodsmith

Most of the time, when I need to create a slot or groove, I turn to my table saw equipped with a dado blade. This works great when the cut runs all the way through the workpiece from end-to-end. But what do you do when you need to make stopped or hidden grooves and slots? Well, the answer for me is to rely on my router table. There are two types of stopped cuts that are tailor-made for making at the router table — those that extend through the thickness of the workpiece (slots), and those that are hidden (grooves). First, I’ll take a look at making slots. DEFINING THE SLOT. A simple straight-cutting bit is perfect for making a stopped slot (or groove). But before heading to the router…

Step 1: Position the Blade. The blade is positioned so the cutting edge is flush with the sole (bottom). Then the cap screw is tightened with an Allen wrench until the blade is snug. This pulls the cutting edge down just below the sole of the plane. Step 2: Adjust Depth of Cut. After making a trial cut, you may need to adjust the depth of cut. To make a shallower cut, tap on the back of the plane with a mallet. To make a deeper cut, tap the front of the plane. Step 3: Square the Blade. To maintain a consistent depth of cut across the width of the blade, the cutting edge should be parallel with the sole. Striking the plane’s body on the opposite side of the…

Many woodworkers don’t view the jig saw as a “fine” woodworking tool, and would instead opt to use a band saw whenever possible. But on those occasions when a workpiece is too large to handle at the band saw, a jig saw allows you to take the tool to the workpiece. The jig saw can even do a few operations that the band saw isn’t able to perform. Here, I’ll look at a few of my favorite tips that’ll allow you to get the most from your jig saw. [1] Blade Selection Perhaps the best thing about the jig saw is that it’s not just for cutting wood. Equipped with the right blade, the jig saw can be put to use cutting a multitude of materials. From ceramics to metal…

During the decade or so that I made my living as a trim carpenter, I never once used a featherboard. I’ve ripped miles of hardwood, softwood, and lumber that I probably shouldn’t have cut on my table saw. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to take the time to set up a featherboard. There was rarely, if ever, one on the jobsite. But as a woodworker, it’s a different story. IN THE SHOP. I became a convert for one main reason — consistent, controllable quality. Yes, I know safety is important, and it’s part of the equation. But the biggest reason I’m a fan of featherboards is how they help my old table saw shine. I still use the saw that I cut all those miles of boards on —…

Cutting Shade Retainer Discs The desk lamp shown on page 18 has two circular shade retainers that hold the lamp shade in its cylindrical shape. These retainers are nothing more than thin discs made from the same species of wood as the lamp’s base assembly — walnut. To make them, I turned to my drill press outfitted with a heavy-duty circle cutter. This ensures a consistent result for both retainer discs. TWO DISCS, ONE METHOD. As you’ll notice, the lower shade retainer only has a small hole in the center sized for the lamp nipple. But the upper shade retainer has a larger hole in the center. This hole provides enough room to reach in and install a light bulb. Even though the discs have these differences, they both follow…

Tape Depth Stop. Charles Mak of Calgary, Alberta uses a trick to ensure that all of his hand-cut dovetails are cut to the same depth. He simply marks the depth of cut with a piece of tape on his saw blade. This way he knows to stop sawing when the tape kisses the workpiece. Pencil Holder. Robert Patterson of Wisconsin Rapids, WI came up with an innovative solution to store pencils at his machines. He came across some adhesive cable holders at a local hardware store and thought they would make great pencil holders for around the shop. By cutting a small section, he can stick them wherever he needs to have a pencil close at hand.…

The humble and economical card scraper was a “sustainable” tool before sustainability was cool. Scrapers save money in that you can renew their cutting edge time and time again when they get dull from use. Sandpaper provides similar results, but compared to scrapers, it’s a costly alternative. Here’s a brief introduction to some scrapers that go beyond the basic card scraper. If you want to buy any of these, there’s information in Sources on page 67. CUSTOM SHAPES. There are commercially made scrapers that’ll save you the time and bother of coming up with custom shop-made ones. The micro set that’s shown at left gives you options for preparing wood for finish. The set of four are miniature versions of common card scrapers you might already have. If you’re cleaning…

Dado Blanks. After cutting the column blanks to size, use a dado blade to cut the grooves down the center in two passes. Turn the blank after the first pass to center the groove. Round the Edges. After gluing the two cord column blanks together, round over all four edges at the router table. Use a push block again to keep your hands away from the bit. Groove for Cord. Use a core box bit in the router table to make the groove on the underside of the base for the light cord. Rout in two passes, raising the bit after the first pass. Round Over Base Edges. You’ll stay at the router table to round over all four edges of the base. Be sure to round over the bottom,…

There are times when it’s fun to shake things up. You know, go out on a limb and see what a new view looks like. Now and again, I get the itch to color outside the lines a little bit and see what happens. I acted on some of those urges on this project and it worked out fine. Okay, I admit, at first glance the stool you see above doesn’t seem too wild, but I did try a couple of new things. Starting at the top, the material I used for the seat isn’t wood. And the way I tapered the legs adds a flair that you might want to try as well. GOOD BONES. The height of the stool is perfect for use at a kitchen island, a…

The first thing you’ll notice when you look at this project are the carved panels in the doors. While they may look complicated to create, don’t fear. You don’t need to be an artist or master carver to recreate the look seen here. A few simple steps and some watercolors are all that’s needed to bring these panels to life. The next thing you’ll notice is the green-tinted quartersawn white oak. A quick wash with a tinted-varnish will set the linen press apart from any piece of furniture you own. INSPIRED. The inspiration for this linen press came from an original that was built in the early 1900s at the Byrdcliffe Artist’s Colony. This colony was started by Ralph Whitehead, whose goal was to blend beautiful craftsmanship with an artist’s…

A Sides (2) 3/4 ply. - 15 x 36 1/4 B Case Bottom/Top (2) 3/4 ply. - 15 x 28 C Dividers (2) 3/4 ply. - 14 1/2 x 28 D Back (1) 3/4 ply. - 28 x 35 1/4 E Face Frame Rails (4) 3/4 x 1 1/8 - 29 F Face Frame Stiles 9/16 x 3/4 - 74 rgh. G Posts (4) 1 3/4 x 1 3/4 - 46 H Side Stiles (4) 3/4 x 3 3/8 - 37 1/8 I Upper Side Rails (2) 3/4 x 5 - 7 1/4 J Middle Side Rails (2) 3/4 x 4 1/2 - 7 1/4 K Lower Side Rails (2) 3/4 x 3 - 7 1/4 L Upper Side Panels (2) 3/4 ply. - 10 3/8 x 7 1/4 M…

If you spend much time reading through woodworking forums on the internet, you probably already know that certain questions tend to come up again and again, often sparking a lively debate. Here’s a look at five of the most commonly asked woodworking questions, along with a run-down of the pros and cons on each side of the issue. LEFT-TILT VS. RIGHT-TILT TABLE SAWS For years, the question that faced any woodworker shopping for a new table saw was whether to get a right-tilt or left-tilt saw. The main argument for left-tilt saws is that they’re safer and more convenient to use because the blade tilts away from the rip fence (photo above). This allows you to leave the rip fence in the customary position to the right of the blade…

Most of the materials and supplies you’ll need to build the projects are available at hardware stores or home centers. For specific products or hard-to-find items, take a look at the sources listed here. You’ll find each part number listed by the company name. See the right margin for contact information. SCRAPERS • Woodcraft Concave Scraper Set . . . .150104 Convex Scraper Set . . . . .150105 Mini Scraper Set . . . . . . .158977 Chairmakers Scraper Set .148723 Sandvik Pocket Scraper . .142555 • Lee Valley 21/2" Carbide Scraper . .97K5203 2" Carbide Scraper. . . . 97K5101 • Benchcrafted Carbide Scraper. . . . . SKRAPER DOWEL JOINERY • Rockler 1/4" Doweling Jig . . . . . . . 48169 1/4" Dowels . . . . .…

Fixed Marking Gauge. Philip Braizer of Bristol, England uses a scrap piece of hardwood to make a fixed marking gauge. Rabbets along each edge at different depths (#/8", !/2", #/4" and 1") provide quick, easy references for commonly used measurements. Sharp Cheddar. Dana Myers from Des Moines, IA like to use an empty grated cheese container to discard his razors and blades. After using all of the contents and washing it out, the container finds a home in Dana’s shop. The lid makes it easy to open and dispose of sharp items. When the container is full, he can simply toss it in the trash without worrying about somebody getting cut.…

Carving — that’s the first word that comes to mind when woodworkers talk about basswood. And rightly so, basswood leads the pack of woods that are considered good for carving. This is due to the nature of how the tree grows. It has very straight, even, stable grain with hardly any knots. The structure of the thin-walled grain (the grain that’s so wonderful to carve), allows the wood’s high moisture content to dry quickly. And once it’s dry, basswood is very stable wood. As you can see in both photos on this page, basswood is pale white to light brown. This color transformation happens as it passes from sapwood to heartwood. Quartersawn basswood has a delicate fleck pattern. The sapwood that’s been air dried is the most prized among carvers…

I have an incurable weakness when it comes to hand planes — especially wood planes. There’s just something special about the look and “feel” of a wood-bodied plane. The problem is that making a traditional wood plane and fitting the blade correctly can be time-consuming work. Several years back, ShopNotes Magazine featured this easy-to-build, wood-bodied plane shown here. It utilizes a straightforward method for holding the blade that takes all of the guesswork out of the process. It’s so simple in fact, you can build the plane in the morning and be making shavings in the afternoon. BLADE & IRON SET. I started with a 1 1/2"-wide blade manufactured by Hock Tools, as shown in the photo at left. As with other Hock blades I’ve used, it’s made of high-quality…

Front & Back Aprons. The front and back aprons have a large tenon that is offset on the workpiece. First cut the cheeks, then finish the shoulders. Reset the blade to cut the shoulders of the tenons. Side Aprons. The tenons on the side aprons are centered on the workpiece. All it takes is setting the blade height to make the complete tenon. Stretchers. The smaller tenons on the stretchers are centered like the tenons on the side aprons. Bevel the Tenons. The four apron pieces have the ends of the tenons beveled to make room for each other. Endpoints of the Slot. A Forstner bit establishes the endpoints of the slot in the front and back aprons. Routing the Slot. The slots in the aprons are made with a…

I’m a big fan of my Kreg Precision Router Table. It has a spacious top for supporting large workpieces, and the adjustable legs mean that I can customize the table to comfortably fit my height. But the open space under the top always bothered me. In my small shop, wasting any space just isn’t an option. My solution was to build this storage cabinet you see above. It neatly slips into the opening between the router stand’s legs and rests on the cross rails. And since the router table top overhangs in the rear, I let my cabinet run a little deep to take maximum advantage of this “dead” space. MULTIPLE BENEFITS. This all-plywood storage cabinet yielded enough room for a spacious drawer down below. It easily holds all of…

The doors for the Brydcliffe-inspired linen press on page 42 look intimidating at first. However, what appear to be relief-carved panels turn out to be something a little different. Let me explain. The panels are comprised of two parts. The first is a front panel that has had a little work done. You’ll start by using a scroll saw to remove the waste, then you’ll use some simple carving tools to soften the profile and create detail. After paint is applied, the carved panel is adhered to the second part of the puzzle —a backer panel. When paired with the carved panel, this gives the appearance of a relief-carved door with a fraction of the work. BASSWOOD BLANKS. The blanks that are used to create the door are best made…

Sharpening is one of those tasks many woodworkers approach with apprehension. And that’s understandable; the entire process can be confusing. But when it comes down to it, sharpening is really about two things – a basic tool kit and a simple sharpening process. A BASIC KIT It doesn’t take much to put together a basic kit of sharpening tools and supplies. To start with, you’ll need an abrasive that will cut metal. There are a lot of options available, from water and oilstones to diamond plates and paste. But the simplest solution for me was sandpaper. Sandpaper probably isn’t the first thing you think of when it comes to sharpening, but it works fast and doesn’t cost much to get started. THE GRITS. A sequence of grits is the key.…