Innholdsfortegnelse for December/January 2021 i Woodsmith

Workbench Mat. Jim VanWiltz of Harlan, IA found that a carpeted floor runner was the perfect workbench mat. The mat provides a cushion to prevent dinging parts and also keeps them in place while he is working with them. Best of all, the floor runners are inexpensive at most big-box stores. Manual Keeper. Richard Leif of Port Hillard, MA got tired of shoving his power tool manuals inside of a shop cabinet. Instead, Richard decided to store them at the machine using a clear expanding portfolio. The portfolio attaches to the side of the machine with double-sided tape and closes to keep the dust out. Handscrew Sander Stand. Jared Huber of Appleton, WI found it frustrating to try and sand small parts with his random orbit sander. The parts tended…

Building furniture breaks down into a series of components or mini-projects. Each of these requires their own set of skills and intricacies. In casework, one of those projects within a project is making frame and panel assemblies. These can be used for the main structure of the case as well as to make doors or even assemble large drawer fronts. There are several approaches you can take to make these. One of our favorites uses stub tenon and groove joints to connect the stiles and rails. When combined with a plywood panel, the result is a strong, rigid construction that is also straightforward to make. (The nightstand shown on page 42 shows a solid-wood version of this method.) In this article, I want to dig into the details of this…

Handle/Ferrule. After turning the handle, turn the section that holds the ferrule with a friction fit. Drill the Handle. To drill the hole for the screw, clamp the handle in a V-grooved block to the drill press fence. Epoxy the Screw. Line the base and walls of the hole with epoxy. Coat the end of the screw as well. Ferule Pin. At the drill press, drill a through hole for the pin. Oil the bit as you go to ensure smooth cutting. Peen the Pin. Use the anvil surface on your vise to peen the pin on both sides of the metal ferule. Drill Pad Nut. More patient drilling needs to be done at the other end of the screw mechanism. Peen Pad Nut. The washer provides room for the…

When talking about w o o d w o r k i n g , threads and all the nomenclature that goes with them may not be at the top of your mind. But knowing the different types of thread styles and where they are used is beneficial, even in a woodworking shop. LOTS OF SHAPES. As you see in the illustration to the left, thread profiles come in numerous different styles. There are two styles that we often use in the shop. The first, and most common, is the “V” style. This is found in bolts, threaded rod, and in wooden screws (such as the main photo, above). Another shape that you may be familiar with, and often gets used in woodworking is the Acme thread. This trapezoidal profile…

?I am building the Byrdcliffeinspired linen press and have finished painting the panels according to your directions and video (a fantastic help). It now calls for a covering the panels with a “ brown glaze.” I am not sure what that is and where to find it. Please help. Thanks for a fantastic project. Fred Serota via Facebook Glazes are used in finishing to add another layer of color to projects without mixing into previous stains or dyes. Often, the coloring is used to increase the contrast of shadow lines and the depth of carved elements. Another use is to simulate the effects of time and age that a project accumulates. This takes the form of built-up dust and grime in the corners of assemblies. WHAT TO USE. Several finish…

Small shops require compact solutions when it comes to working efficiently and accurately. If you have a compact router, that solution is adding the Infinity Tools Portable Router Table System. Here’s what you need to know about the table and accessories. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. As you should expect with any “power tool,” you’ll need to do a little assembly before you’re up and running. But you won’t find that it takes all that long. The router table cabinet comes disassembled to keep everything nice and compact (photo at left). On the other hand, the router table fence is basically fully assembled. Just add the dust port (shown attached). Assembly is pretty straightforward, but if you need instructions, you’ll have to download them from Infinity’s website. I didn’t find any in…

Making my own woodworking tools offers a new level of enjoyment of practicing this craft. I also love to cook. So why not bring those two concepts together by making some kitchen tools? Here are four options that would make an ideal set or to mix and match. Cutting boards use up scrap pieces most of us have squirreled away. A small one like this serves as an ideal extra prep surface in the kitchen or on display as a serving board for cheese, charcuterie, or fruit and veggies. A scraper comes in handy for scooping chopped food into a larger bowl or cooking pot. Sometimes called a dough knife, it also divides dough cleanly. Speaking of dough, a rolling pin can be simple or complex. Our version is inspired…

If a feeling of deja vu rolls over you while pondering this attractive nightstand, it’s okay, there’s a reason for that. Awhile back (Woodsmith 219 and 235) we built a gentleman’s dresser and bed that are the older kin to this handsome piece of furniture. It has a lot of the same winning features that come from its older siblings. There’s the solid-wood construction for the whole project (well, a plywood bottom for the drawer is the one exception). And the joinery you’ll employ here follows the same path as its larger predecessor. There’s stub tenon and groove joinery that brings together the sides and back of the case for the nightstand. This simple but stout joinery is quickly done at the table saw and makes frame and panel construction…

Are you ready to judge me? I love painting projects. There, I said it. Whenever I have a project that I know I am going to paint, I get a little giddy because I know that I get to use one of my favorite finishing tools: the spray gun. And as much as I enjoy painting a project, what I don’t like is using a brush or a roller. Painting a project with a spray gun can be one of the most rewarding tasks in the shop (in my opinion). Seeing that ultra smooth, even coat get perfectly laid down and settle is satisfying. But using a spray gun can also be infuriating. If one thing is off, you can end up with a finish that you’re not happy with.…

Shop-Made Knob I think we’re all familiar with the struggle. You’re working on a project, need a knob for a jig, and lo and behold you don’t have one the correct size. To avoid this frustrating problem all together, I have just started to make my own knobs, like you see here. A SERIES OF HOLES. The knobs are easy to make. I make mine out of plywood and start by laying out a series of holes. Then, after spending a few minutes at the drill press drilling the holes, I can cut the knob out and am left with the perfect knob. The best part of all is that they can be made for any size thread, simply by installing a different T-nut. One of the great uses I…

Most of the kumiko I make is intended to be hung on the wall as decorative art, but I do sometimes incorporate it into the boxes and furniture I make. When I first began to do this, I would make the box, for example, then make and fit the kumiko to it. But that’s the wrong way to do it, because often you are left planing the kumiko frame down to fit the opening you have. That’s undesirable for a few reasons. First, it weakens the frame. Second, you end up with the outer frame pieces thinner than the interior ones and the infill pieces. The panel begins to look unbalanced. Finally, it’s just plain tedious and difficult to plane the outer frame parts of a kumiko panel. So, I…

In the past, a sea chest (or seaman’s chest) was used by sailors to store their personal property such as clothes and toiletries. Now, I don’t know many lucky ducks who get to spend their lives on boats and need a sea chest, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give yourself the experience of building this fun piece of history. FUNCTIONAL CONSTRUCTION. One thing that’s fascinated me about utility pieces of furniture, such as a sea chest, is the no-nonsense construction techniques that are used to build them. And our designer, Dillon Baker, kept with that theme. A solid-wood case is assembled with rabbets, and the tongue and groove bottom is nailed directly to the case. This would make it easy for the sailor to replace the bottom if the…

After 40-plus years of producing woodworking furniture plans, can you guess what our most popular plans are? Jigs. Yup, I’m a little surprised by that, too. Considering all the outstanding bookcases, dressers, beds, and boxes, it’s amazing that table saw sleds could beat all that. I think the reason for that popularity is that a reliable crosscut sled — or other jigs — can be used on all kinds of woodworking projects, regardless of their style. And not everyone has the same furniture taste, or needs. The thing about designing and making jigs is that it can quickly become a rabbit hole. I’ve heard quite a few woodworkers declare they prefer making furniture over building jigs. In an effort to bring those two camps together, I submit for consideration the…