kre

HonaEwRIGHT
z4Built-In Bookcase
Turn a bit of unusedcloset spaceinto an eyecatching storagecabinet.

S0Framing the Bookcase

Strapon your tool belt and begin in yourwall framingthe opening for the built-inbookcase.

Molding 32 Shopmade
Follow along as we make moldingfor the built-inbookcase. With a router and some you caneasily imagination, adaptour ideasto your home.

WoOowORKING 42 Ct of Drawers project is guaranteedto "st This

with its matched turn heads, frame cherry plywooddrawers, and paneldoor,and custom drawerpulls. page42. A versatilechestof drawersprovidesplentyof storagespace,

WeereNDPROJECT 5oo"rk Clock

Elegantdesign.The warmth of cherry and curly maple.Two reasons for buildingthis attractiveweekendproject.

WonxsHoP
S4PortableWorkbench
The workbenchis the cornerstoneof every shop.Our portable,knockdownversion use. works greatfor on-site A beautifuldeskclock,page50. Portableworkbench,page54.

\Torkbench I February 1997

frn
Q&A 8 Router Table Insert
7.er oncleararl.ce meansreliable, steadysupport for your project.

Snop Tlps 12s*a Inuvered Doors

Getting at hard-tereach places.

Copeand stick joinery for frame and paneldoors,page39.

OvenTne Fence
1 8 genctrDesign Contest
Sendus your best portable workbench ideas.Win apizel

MnNur.ncTuRING
36 uitt*ork Specialists
Visit a shop that makescurved moldings exclusively.

TecnNIQUES 39 Cope & Stick Joints

More than a twebit joint.

Palm sandertip, page 12.

Planingcurves by hand, page80.

New Toor-s
62 Coraless by Wagner
lncludes battery charge gauge.

Houe Pnooucrs
68Cahffic Fireplace
Cleanburning, high efficiency.

CnRpTSMANSHIP 80 Compass Plane

This plane'sadjustablesole fits most any curved shape. A millwork factory that specializes in curved moldings,page36.

$Torkbench r February 1997

Ho Welcome

Vor-ume 53

I NuMsrn

Welcome to the new Workbench.Yol We're making EDITOR ChristopherA lnman AsSoclATEEDIToR David Donnelly can't believe how exciting it is to be Workbenchthe PRoJEcr CooRDtMToR Kent Welsh writing this letter,myfirstas Editor of magazinefor ARr DlREcroRRobertl. Foss your magazine. Ifs truly a privilege. w o o d w o r k i n g lLLUsrMToRsErich lage Not only is there a new Editor, a throughout the home, SusanJessen new staff,and a newyear thafs begin- from furniture, to built-ins, GRAPHIC DESIGNERMinnietteBieghler ning. It's also the start of a new to framing decks, walls, and dormers. CREAT|VE DIRECIoR Ted IGaIiceK decade.The issue you have in your Along the way you'll also read about DIRECTORIarK Smothermon PHOTOGRAPHY Crayola England SENtoRPHoToGRAPHER handsmarks the 4oth Anniversary other skills you'll needto completeyour SHOPMAMGER Steve Curtis magazine. In February projects, like laying tile and hanging of.Workbench SHoP CRAFISilAN SteveJohnson of 1957,the first copiesrolled off the drywall, for example. KenMunKeI PROJECT DEVELOPER pressand onto newsstands acrossthe DESIGNER TCdWONg PROJEGT We're Just Like You country.I haveno ideahow manyartiELEC.PuB. CooRDtNAToR Douglas M. Lidster reflectsthe peoplewho cles have been publishedsincethen, Every magazine PRE-PRESS IMAGE SPEC. Trov CIarK but I can say that the next 40 years' put it together. For you, a reader of CoNTtuBuflNGEDIToRS RobertJ. Settich this meansyoull get hands worth are gorngto be evenbetter. Workbench, A Robert Gould CONTRIBUTTNG re information. on, trial-by-fi CraigAnderson PHoToGRAPHER We're not here as magazineprofes Instead, every personon board & F,TJBUSHER Donald B. PeschKe sionals. PRESIDENT is experiencedin woodworking and MANAGER NATIoML ADVERTISING home improvement. Some of us have exL 2240 Richard R Rainforth (515)282-7000 SALESMAMGER ADVERnSING madea living in the trades,while others e\t2201 GeorgeA Clark (515)282-7000 have spent counfless weekends tackling shop and home projects. We all ANDFII{ANCEJon Macarthy VP PTANNING DIRECTOR SusanDuBois CIRCUI.ATION have sawdustin our veins, mudding CoNTRoL|lR RobinHutchinson compound sfuck between our teeth, PRoDucrloil DlREcroR George Chmielarz and often a messwaiting for us at home DIRECIOR Bob Baker MAILORDER - just like most of you. MANAGERGordon Gaippe NEw MEDTA As a matter of fact, to give you realPRoF.DEv. DIRECToRJoyce Moore istic projects,we've purchasedan older Boot(s EDIToR Douglas L Hicks home here in town that needs some WORKBENCH : To coT.ITRCT sprucing up. The house was soundly Subscriptions: built, but wear and tear has taken a toll WORKBENCH over the years. We intend to work our Service Customer way through the house one project at a PO.Box842 time, exacfly like you do with your lA 50304-9961 DesMoines, (800)311-3991 home improvementprojects.We'll give Phone: Fax (515) 28y0M7. you designideasand showyou how we E-MaiI: makeover our home into an eyecatchworkbench@workbenchmag.com ing showcase.WeVe even devoted a Whor Hos Ghonged lVorld Wide Web: When you picked up this issue of special section, called HomeWright, to http://www.augusthome.com projects. you may have thought, this seriesof Workbench, With the Workbenchhouse. the To order Worliibench project supplies, "this isn't my magazine." call (8OO)3il-3994 shop, and the Workbench Well, as you may already know, Workbench getting the best August Home Publishing Company staff, you can bank on possible magazine on woodworking is now the publisher oI Workbench. August Home is dedicatedto bring- and home improvement. After all, it's WORXBENCH is published bimonthlyflan., 00438057) 0SSN Company, Nov.) by August Home Publishing Mar., May, Sept, July, ing you the best how-tohobby maga- what we like to do . . . . Workbench is a regis DesMoines, Iow4 50312. 200 Grard Ave., August Home Publishing. Copyright@1996 tered trademark of zines,bar none. And we are making hrblishing Company. All rightsreserved. August Home OneyearsubscriP Subsiption rates: Singlecopy,$3.95. Workbench every bit as strong and per Cmadim/Foreign, add$6.00 tion (6 issues), $15.95. yer. Periodicals postage paidat Dm Moines, IA andat addi helpful as our other highly regarded to tionaloffices. Poshaster: Sendaddres changes publications, Woodsmith, ShopNotes, 4272. Workbench, FO Box 37 27 2, Boone,lA 50037 Printd in U.S*AChris lnman.Editor Garden Gate.andCuisine.
\florkbench I February1997

Note Publisher's
Dear Fellow Woodworkers, This is a true story . . . eighteenyears ago I was reading a copy of Workbench,and I got frustrated. I wanted to build one of the projects,but there was only one big explodedview to show the construction.That was the day I decidedthere ought to that showed how to build projects step by step, and explainedthe be a magazine whole process. Woodsmith (shownat left). At least,thafs the short The result was a new magazine: magaine came about. Okay, Don, a nice story, Woodsmith for idea how the story of now? Workbench with but what does that have to do Well, things have comefull circle. last year I was reading a copy of Woodsmith,and got frustrated again.This time, the reasonwas becauseI wanted more information on home improvement-typeProjects. It turned out to be good timing. The opportumty to purchaseWorkbench cilme up. I thought it would be great to BecauseI alwaysfelt a link betweenthe two magazines, team them up: Woodsmith for cabinetnaking, and Workbench for "woodworking aroundthe home." With the changein ownership,we took the opportunity to updatethe look and editorial approachof Workbench for its 40th anniversary.And, I think Chris lnman and the entire staff have done a wonderful job. GardenGate, atAugust Home Publishing(ShopNotes, Like our other publications in the friends enthusiastic and Cuisine), I'm proud of the service they offer to our areasof home improvement,woodworking, gardening, and cooking. Thank you for letting us be a part of the enthusiasmyou have for your home. And I hopeyou enjoythe newWorkbench.

| { 6rin'

16.

Hd,@d.

6!dd4

, 6fi Sdt.

tur

@s

B. Peschke Donald Publisher

1997 r February \Torkbench

&Answers Questions
plate Phenolic

enough rabbet deep Rout flush to rest forinsert with theplate.

Zero Clearance Router Table

My routertablePlatehasa hole The through. that thebit sticks big when too troubleis, theholeisfar of my smallerbits.And I'm usingsome WhatcanI do? unsafe. that seems GregBrenner HuntingtonBeach,CA Greg,you're right. This is an Many Pros unsafesituation. makecustominsertsfor every router bit in their shop.This is the bestway to fit. get the tightestpossible your current insert, or make Replace a new onefrom scratch.Buy a pieceof no more than half plasticor hardboard, the thicknessof your phenolicplate' Routa rabbetinto the current hole in your plate.Trace the outlineof your the thenbandsaw inserton the plate, andscrewit in. newinsertto size, you can slowlyraise Onceit's installed, your router bit (whileit's turned on) into the plasticto cut a hole the exact sizeyou need.Bearingbits will require you to drill a properlysizedhole first.

Replacing Thermopane Glass

sists of two glass panes with a gas such as argon filling the gap between gas won't pane. It'slow E-glass. Do I haueto the panes.Unlike air, the inside This sandwich or cold. transmit heat or canjust theentirewi'ndow, replace place in in locked is then sealed and in thewindowberePlaced? the glass BobSkrodahl the window frame. You can replace a single Paneof Frankfort,IL low E-glass and keep your existing window frame. Due to the fact that it to First,Bob,it's important ultraviolet rays, it know exactlywhat tyPeof glass cuts out the sun's will still have some insulating value. you have. lnw E-glass has a transparglass is comReplacingdouble-paned ent metallic coating that admits light replacing off plicated.You're better but blocks radiation,which improves this kind of unit with one that's prethe insulating value of the glass. sealed by the manufacturer. Double-panedglass usuallYconcasement I haue a double-Paned in window with a crack the

ffi

if we liketo see we'd improvemen! orhome woodworking about aquestion lf youhave WORI{BENCH question it to your mail Q&A, and you. writedown it for answer can Just yourname' and daytime address include Please IA 50312. Moines, Des Ave., Grand 2200 (515) 283'2003 us at you. like' Fax questions Ifyou for any wehave phone in case number internet. the on tousatworkbench@workbenchmag.com amessage orsend
8 \Workbench I February1997

: " .."s'ru[aE wufttfiutsflol{s

Nailing Molding
I Wheneuer I'uegot a Problem. I wall, either to a molding nai.l hammer, my with the wall to hit manage or themoldingsflits.Any suggestions? CharlieParker KansasCitY,MO Charlie,try cuttinga pieceof the andhold it against cardboard cardboard wall.If vour aim is off, the

shouldprotectit. To makesureYou don't splityour molding,try tappingthe woodwith a nail setfirst.

Cardboard

Build a Windlass
to draw waterfroma windlass H I like theold-fashwellusinga bucket. plans, tipsor inforrnation Any ionedtype. you hauewouldbemuchaPPreciated, mefromfalling in. and mightsaue W.JoelStanly GA Stockbridge, Joel,a typicalwindlassresembles a large rolling pin with a bY crankon oneend.It's suPPorted two verticaltimberson eachsideof the of the windlass well.The diameter shouldbe aboutsix inches,and a rope winds aroundit to raiseor lower a you alreadY bucket.Now,assuming havea traditionalstonewell, the challengeis in securingthe posts.To avoid the well wall, sink 4rrx4rl damaging just asyou woulda postsin concrete pair offenceposts, on eachsideofthe well. Holesin the postswill supportthe "rods"on the endsof the windlass.
FN l\r/l .. needto outma nana-operarca

Peg locks in crank / --t Place.

posts Set outside well. stone

$,i :
*1'

s
a o$" #W*;
r,4tr' .";'

level Ground

,h..'"

'f

it!

:(
I Diga 33 ft. h for hole deep r.Fill timber. with )0ncrel( 4 " x 4 "Timber

+t

'.:'{ ,'}.. ) 1' t

E

:,

n*

'your projec{ in less time. Polycrfiic has a low odor formula which rnakes *ott ittg indoors more pleasant,and when your project is complete,simply clean up with soap-_ and water. PolycryIic. Becausegetting a beautiful finish doesn't have to be a tough project. BEAI.ITIFUL* WOOD ANDKEEPS MAKES
oMinwqmd hlysylic 4 regi$ered 01996 tradffikr Company TheThompso!.Minwd

. '?L r.

''+f

jL

.A

b."i
{I -.4

,"\,

rf

:i

ShopTips
Palm sander

Sanding Louvered Doors

Here'sa solutionto the time consuming task of sandingslatsin louvereddoors. All that'srequiredis a simpledeviceon yourpalmsander. Take a woodenpaint stir stick and ftom cut it about9rrlong,measuring the handleend. Form indentations similarto thoseon the handleend 2rl from the cut end. Cut strips of sandpaper the width of the stir stick and about6rrlong. Then fold the sandpaper over one end of the stick. and secureit with duct tape. Hold the stick againstthe pad of your palm Next, placea size84 rubber sander. at office supplystores) band (available onto the handleindentationof the stick and pull the rubber band up and over the edgesofyour sander.Hook it onto the other end of the stick. When you turn on your sander, the stir stick actsas a thin extensionand fits perfectly betweenthe louveredslatsand into the corners,eliminatinghours of tedioushand sanding.

Rubber band

A coupleofhints: keep severallarge (size84) rubber bandshandy,because they do break.When the sandpaper wearsout on one side of the stick,just flip the stick overto the new side. Britt Marie Storm Kansas City,MO

Edge Clamping On Your Sawhorse

At every stepin a woodworkingproject that I haveto somehowsecurea it seems this clamps, board.With conventional quite time consuming. SoI becomes cameup with this quick and easyway to clampwood to a sawhorse. The conceptcentersarounda long, taperedwedgerunning the full length of One sideof the sawhorse my sawhorse. so that the two frameis counter-tapered, piecesfit together. Now when I set a pieceof stock on a quick tap on the edgein the sawhorse, wedgewith a malletwill secureit. the wedge, Anothertap from underneath free. andthe wood is Iuan C. Rkley Park.KS Oaerl,and,
from a 2"x 6" Cut

4-WayDepttr Gauge
I was facedwith the job of turning several setsof bowlsof differentdepths. To speed the job, I wanteda quick and gauge. reliable readjust Itwas annoyingto constanfly And I risked an my regular depthgauge. error every time I resetiL SoI devised this gaugeto work with up to four dffierent bowl depths. The body of the gaugeis a wooden strip about il squareand long enough to spanthe largestbowl. Near the cendowel ter, I drilled two holes for 3/err rods. They're locked in positionwith roundheadscrews,then trimmed to length. For quick reference,label or color codethe rods. PercyBlandford Stratford,England 12 \Torkbench tFebruarv1997

wedge tosecure workpice. Drive

Clamping A Door

Like manywoodworkers,I rely on benchtoptools due to their compact Hinge with size (andmatchingprice tag). One 1/+" gap way to increasetheir versatility is by outfitting them with portable infeed/ ouffeedextensions. An Forgetthosefancyroller set-ups. ironing board,althoughnot glamorous, I had a door that wasnot shutting properly.It was a little tight on the servesthe purposequite well. An ironing boardhas severaladvanedge and my wife kept after me about boardwill handlejust tages:a standard fixing it while I was hying to mull aboutany smallshopprojec! most over the solution. Finally, I devised boardshaveawide height adjustnent thesedoor dogsso that I could sup yet port the door in my shopwhile planrange;it foldsflat for easystorage, to set up. Ifyou takesonly seconds They'relarge braces, ing the edges. don't haveone,checkout garagesales. but the interesting fact is that the feet Althoughyou c:n usethe ironing cause them to leaninward.This board as is, I suggestaddingan auxilmeansthat the uprights cinch the temperedhardiary top madefrom Vnrr door tight and lock it in placewhile board.This will allowstockto slide my planedoesits job. The specific smoothly,and itprotects the ironing are not important,but dimensions r surfacein caseyou everwant to return with roughly l2n 12n, carpet they're paddingon the uprights. the boardto its originalu*"'". u. Hi,mes Emi,l La,ge OH Vi,enna, DesMoi,nes,IA

Weight ofthedoor thedogs causes to pinch tight.

Ouffeed Table

paper holdssmallhardware Folded

Parts Keeper
to disassemI often find it necessary in the workble a tool or appliance shop.It may be extremelyimportant to identify the locationand sequence in which parts were removed.I have found that a pieceof heavypaperor light cardboardcan be most helpful when doing theseprojects.I fold my paperin an accordionstyle and place it on the benchwhere I'm working. Now the parts can be placedin the valleysas they are removed,thus preventingthem from becomingmixed together.This, of course,makesre. much easierand faster. assembly Howard E. Moody Upper lay, NY

t February 1997 \Torkbench

Coiling Cords
cord, \Mhencoiling a rope or extension hold the end of the rope in your hand and makethe first loop normally.In makingthe secondloop,passthe free end of the rope behindthe loop,rather than in front of it, resultingin a loop of handfoomthe first one. the opposite Alternatethe loopsasyou coil and you'Il get a rope or extension cord that will uncoilwithout twistsin it. Bill Houghton CA Sebasto|ol,
loop 0verhand

Clean Putty Knife

To clean a putty knife when stripping paint or varnish,I cut a slot in a coffee can.I makethe slot a little longerthan the knife and cut a V-notchon top of the slot so the knife bladecanenter When I drawthe knife out of the easily. slot,the junk staysin the can.Usetin snipsto cut the notch and slot. William Robidoux,tr. Tiuerton. RI

Cut slot incanwith tinsnips.

Sawing Wallboard
When I needto cut a sfip of drywall To wide, I use my tablesaw. under 6rr protect my saw,I cover the table with a sheetofhardboard,and replacemy good carbidebladewith an old blade Ite got lying around.The cut is clean and I don't haveto worry aboutthe narrow strip breaking. Daui.s Mi,les CanyonLa,ke,CA

DiSTape" IheStarrett
A betttwry to memlfiB...deGtollically.
DigiTape usesthe powerof electronics to give advanced you a totallynewwayto measure that's easierand moreaccurate than ever. you can... WithDigiTape, . Storea measurement in memory, so youcan take "blind"measurements
'i-i'ii71,2,,,. the dark!

IMAILII{G

LISTSI

Prriodically,we alltru companies whose products and sen'ices may be of intercst to you to mail to our list of subscribers. We arc very carefulto screenthesecompanies to be sure the information ytlu is of valueto ttru. receivc Most of our suhscribersapPreciate receiving these selected materials. Hon'ever,i[ vou lrrefer kr have your name to other irom hrelist m.rcle available cloletccl firnrs, sinrlrly rvrite us at P.O. Box 37272, (Please include Boone. lou'.r 50(\37-t)272. v()urclrrrcntmailinglabcl.)

. Switchbetween "inches.""feet-and-inches." and "centimeters." . Establish point a zero at anybladelocation. has a graduated blade,you can use it as a SinceDigiTape rugged, reliable standard tape too!

InnovationsfhatWd(

Sts,wett

yourbrowser Point to: http ://www. augusthome.com

I
I Centimeters

121 UrescentSreet,Amor, MAUrSSr Tel: (508)249-533O. Fax: (508) 249-4495

\Torkbench I February1997

Bench Contest!
portable Your mustbeanoriginal entry project, and workbench thatyoudesigned yourself. of your Submit drawings built plans, of youand witha photograph along your The winner 1, 1997. bench byJune in a later issue. willbeannounced winner will The receive a 8.0.S.S. Bench 0scillating from Sander Spindle Delta. Runners-up willreceive a oneyear to extension (or theirsubscription a newsubscription). teria.Your benchmust be lightweight and easyto move,madeof durablemate mustfit rials,and,whenknocked-down, in the back of a vehicle.The rest is left to your imagination. Soget going.We'reanxiousto see the best portableworkbenchyou can designandbuild.

you 1, 1997 Enter byJune somethlng even better, insplre todeslgn and build Let our Portable Work0ench you'll Inafuture issue of Wott@rch. and recognltlon fora Delta osclllatlng sander and beIntre runnlng In every shop,a workbenchis the center of activity.And for us, it has even After all, Workbench more significance. is our nameand it's whatwe spend most of our time working on. Sowhen we were kicking around pro Workbench ideasfor our Portable ject (seePortable Workbench on page 54),we tried to imaginewhat features you wouldwantin an idealbench.In the But we know end,we couldonly guess. you haveideason this topic,andwe would like to seethem.Which brings me to the BenchDesignContest. Tb qualify as a portableworkbench, we ask that your designsmeeta few cri-

Wood-Mizet's Personal Best

It appears that we're not the only one thesedays. Woodrunninga contest Mizer, known for its portablebandthe most sawmills,just announced recentprojectwinners in their 1996 Personal BestContest. SteveCollett,of McCall,Idaho, won top honorsfor his 3,000sq. ft. home near beautiful PayetteLake. "After manyyearsworking on the farm, I spenta lot of time designinga housefor all of us," Collettbeamed. With help from his father and friends,he milled roughly 53,000 boardfeet on for the his Wood-Mizer housethat took five yearsto build. A variety of woods were used,includingjuniper, yellow poplar,Douglasfir, ash,maple,elm, hemlock, and Russian olive.His
18 'Workbench r February1997

"It's truly a thoughtsafterwards? blessingand relief," Stevesaid. GA, of CumminC, JohnJennings, winnerin anothercategorywith his "The pride 1,288 sq. ft. home,observed, achieved by beingable andsatisfaction few to constructa homeis something peopletodaywill be ableto appreciate." from the staff at Congratulations to all winnersand entrants. Workbench

goto Congratulations Axe, Michigan Dale 0ttoof Bad

theTools" forwinning our"Name 10"com#18. He wins a Craftsman Contest pound value, for miter a $220 saw, identifying thetools as: wrench A.Tubing cutter C.Pipe wrench B.Basin wrench D.Monkey fiverunners-up, eachof We also selected whom willreceive a one-year extension oftheir subscription. lL lvan Umphress; Streator, PA Mike Sutton; Johnston, Donald Belleville, KS Clem; Ml Anschwetz; Tawas City, Gerald Badko Douglasville, GA Jonas; to allofyou! Congratulations in foruuard to hearing fromyouagain Welook Design" contest. ournew "Workbench

Woods on Disc

know about910of the world'smost importantspeeies? we'refamiliarwith Perhaps the reason we haven't is because only a few species of theWorld to more. Woods beenexposed wordsandpichres that open includes we'd our eyesandearsto information neverconsidered. fieldsof inforImaginehaving35,000 from mationat your fingertips,collected institrtions, over 100books,periodicals, you to a new It exposes andindividuals. descriptions of world throughconcise woodandtrees:colors,grain,working availability, environmental characteristics, status, andso on.It alsoincludesa one Justwhenyou thoughteverythingpos- hour videoshowinghow treesareharsiblehad beendeveloped as a multime- vestedandvariousforestproductsare made. The morewe learn,the more of the dia CD, alongcomesWoods we'repulledinto this fiscinatingworld. World.Yol'llprobablyneverseeit play Interactive multimedia CDslike Woods or evenin a computat the localarcade, of theWorld. arehypnoticin their appeal. er store.But for thoseof us intrigued us to more of They pull us along,exposing by the varietiesandcharacteristics aboutwoodthanwe everthoughtpossiwoods,this interactive CD is a gem. Now it maybe fue that aswoodwork- ble.Who saidlearningcan'tbe frm? of the WorldCD-rom is availWoods ers,we work with only a fewbasic passing for both PCswith Windowsand able have wood, and may a species of It sellsfor $99. For more more. So Macintosh. with a dozen or so acquaintance information, call (800)85&6230. why on earthwouldwe everwantto
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIR MANAGEMENT AND CIRCUI.ATION (Requiredby 39 U.S.C.3685) 3. Filing Date: October 1, 1996.4. Issue 1. PublicationTitle: Workbench. 2. PublicationNo.: 004&8057. 7. Frequency:Bimonthly.5. No. ofissues publishedannually:6 (six). 6. Annual subscriptionprice: $14.95. Completemailing addressof known office of publication:2200Grand Avenue,Des Moines, (Polk County), or generalbusinessofficesofpublisher: 2200 Iowa 50312-5306. 8. Completemailing addressof headquarters of publisher, 9. Full namesand completemailing addresses Grand Avenue,Des Moines, Iowa 50312-5306. Grand Avenue,Des Moines, Iowa 50312; editor, and managingeditor: Publisher:Donald B. Peschke,2200 Editor: Christopher A. Inman, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312.10. Owner: August Home Publishing Company,2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312;Donald B. Peschke, 2200 Grand and other securityholders owning Avenue,Des Moines, Iowa 50312.11.Known bondholders,mortgagees, 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds,mortgagesor other securities:None. 12. (Doesnot apply.)13. Publicationtitle: Workbench.14. Issue date for circulationdata below:July, 1996. 15.Extent and nature of circulation: Actual no. copiesof Averageno. copies single issuepub eachissue during lished nearestto preceding 12 months filing date

Itlakc box joints that fit pcrfcctll

timc cucry

WoodsmithShop Alum inumBox Joint J i g

strong A box ioint is an attractive, wav to ioin box or drawersides. Bui cutting them usually involves multiple setups. complicated Our Aluminum Box Joint Jig attached to the miter gauge on your table saw or router table givesyou the ability to cut perfect fitting joints with just one setup. for pin and socket Adjustments canbe lockedfor accuracy spacing through cut aftercut. The jig cuts pins aid sockets from 1/+" fo 13/ro" polyethylene wide. A replaceable your work backingstrip supports to preventchip out. BoxJointJig Aluminum #4502-658 $84.95 BackingStrip Replacement #4502-657 $9.95ea. I7"x 4rlz" OverallDimensions: Fence:ClearAnodized AluminumAlloy BackingStrip: High Density Polyethylene Micro-AdlustFunction: Onefull rotationof the knob moves th key t1rt". and fully assembled Comes readvto use. You'llfind the Box Joint Jig, and jigsandtoolsin manyotherunique Call us, we'll the WoodsmithShop. be gladto sendyoua copy.

SpcclllGatlons

595,000 623,018 A Total no. copies (net pressrun) B. Paid andlor requestedcirculation 22,072 21,838 1. Salesthrough. dealers,carriers,street vendors,counter sales 459,615 488,t21 2. Paid or requestedmail subscriptions 481,687 509,959 C. Total paid and/or requestedcirculation D. Free distribution by mail (samples, 36,650 30,915 complimentary,and other free) 0 0 E. Free distribution outsidethe mail 36,650 30,915 E Total free distribution 518,337 540,874 G. Total distribution H. Copiesnot distributed 2,740 2,757 1. Office use,leftovers,spoiled aa or2 79,393 2. Returnsfrom news agents 595,000 623,018 I. Total 92.93% 94.28% Percentpaid and/or requestedcirculation issue. 16.Publicationof statementof ownership:Publicationrequired.Will appearin the January 1997 17. Signature and title of editor, publisher, busiless manager,or owner: (signed)Donald B. Peschke,Publisher October 1, 1996 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.

WooOsmimsfrop"
Order
A61 key: C-2383

20

\W'orkbench t F ebruary 1997

A Crisis in Water
DavidBrower,former presidentof the SierraClub,recentlystatedthat Americahas usedmore of the world's in the past50yearsthan all resources the rest of the world in all of history water Our decreasing combined. supplyprompteda resources for the World Bankto spokesman warn, 'There is a huge problemlooming out there.Unlesscurrent trends we will havea worsening are reversed, watercrisis aroundthe planet." a typicalperson In the United States, usesabout120gallonsof water daily. This addsup to a total nationaldaily usageof over 3 billion gallons.And eventhough two-thirdsof the planetis coveredin water,there is only a scant for humanconsumP amountavailable to tion.While expertscontinue prudentuseand this issue, address to of water continues management take on new significance. a has organized MaytagAppliances in of specialists task force consisting

Country Workshop
Drew langsner'sCountryWorkshops providean opportunityto stepback a century or two and enjoyrustic, counand with handtools try woodworking traditionaltechniques. classes The intimate,two-person with toolslike the students acquaint hollowingaxe, drawknife,spokeshave, lathe,carvingknife, andhewingaxe. includes The winter lineupof classes Windsor IadderbackChairmaking, and Chairmaking(beginning the laundry,energy,andwaterindusSwedish problem. Carving advanced), They've tries to studythis and SwissCooperage, Woodenware, confirmedthat use of high-efficiency Chairmaking. ladderback 3500cansavefrom washingmachines Drew'sinterestin woodworking 6000gallonsof waterper household cooperwhenhe studied in 1972 is began Maytag For this reason, annually. and 1978, he Since ing in Switzerland. a investingin the future by developing on school have run the wife l,ouise his washerthat tumbles high-efficiency farm. pool Applachian their southern of water.It clothesin a shallow classis Tuition for eachfive-day needswithout meetsenvironmental as instruction, which includes requirements. 5750, consumer sacrificing lodging. and well as meals, For a freecopyoftheir report,The and further informaFor a catalogue A Situation Washer: Hi,gh-Effi,ciency (704) (800) 65G2280. tion, call 688-9900. Analysis, call

Bookcase Built-In
at mygranddinners Sunday
to drag on seemed house mother's

And whentheadults foreuer finallygot tiredof ourfidgeting, andme mycousins excused they
from the table.In goodweather,
with the screen outdoors, we escaped door slammingbehind us fasterthan s warningto closeit gently. Grandma But on rainy days,we alwaysheaded for her living room bookcase where we picked out the 1926edition of the Book of Knowledge.In its dark blue andgold bound volumes, we learned about all the planets and pored over photo essays showing how "modern" steel inkwell pens were putting quill pen makers out of business. Those memories inspired this which I designedfor the bookcase, house. ench living room in the Workb I gainedthe spacefor this valuable built-in by sacrificing only a few squarefeet in the entry hall closet. I cut through the living room wall into the closet and built the bookYoucanread caseto fit the opening. about this part of the process in on Page30. Framing the Bookcase And, if you want to go all out on your project,you'll find information on making your own trim molding for the bookcase in Shobmade Molding,on page32. Chances are, you'll have to rework and adaptmanyof the ideas project.I recomfrom my bookcase the same procefollowing mend the dimentailoring I did, but dures your and circumspace fit sions to are steps these None of stances. bookcompleted and the difficult, caseis sure to add charm andvalue to your home.

24

1997 I February \Torkbench

Bookcase Construction View

x 12" Overall size: 24" x 803/a"
Banding

Screws
116 x3/a,"

Mount top
hinge 4" topof door.

Doors
(For details ondoors, seethe Door Construction View on page 27.) Center middle hinge vertically -0n000r.

Screws
#8xZY2" Banding xB03/q" %"x3/q"

(lvtount top hinge 4" from topofdoor.

*t

f:l
bj{

Bottom banding %" xs/t"x22/2"

'-Hinge

Top Joint Detail

Bottom Joint Detail

Back Rabbet Detail

Screw back tocarcase (
7 Side

uj-lr.

"o--

'abbet, V2" %" deep 1+" Plywood back

W'orkbench t February1997

25

CorcoseJoinery Provided that everything fits coryou rectly, glue the carcase together, Once the gluedries,
can easily hand plane the excess banding overhanging the poorer side of the panels. For the other banding edges, be more cautious and use a cabinet scraper or sandpaper. Cut the panels to length when you're done. The carcasejoinery in this project Building the Cqse is simple: dadoes and rabbets. Each Get started on the bookcase by rip ping oak plywood for the carcase side panel must receive a dado for sides,top and bottom. Cut the panels joining the bottom, and rabbets for 1rrlonger than their final size - the joining the top and back (see the extra length will prove to be helpful Joint Detailson page25). later on. After making the cuts, Because 3/arr plywood doesn't mark the best surface of each panel measure a full 3/+ttin thickness, I for use on the inside of the case. installed a s/sil dado blade in my Banding the front edge on each table saw. Then I made two passes panel improves both looks and dura- for eachbottom dado and top rabbet biliU. Rip banding from 3/+" thick to get snug fitting joints. Next, I oak stock.Then, glue the switchedto arf qr dadoblade and cut bandingto the front edge the rabbetsfor the back. using yellow glue this time. On a large assembly like this, I don't rely strictly on my framing square for checking the cabinet - I also check

on each panel.Insteadof glue,howevusingyellow Forevenly spa0ed er, I suggest using liquid holes, likethose hide glue, which allows pin more workingtime. Hide needed forshelf glue also acceptsstains Suppofts,1/+" P09bOard makeS an ideal and clearfinisheswithout unsightlv blotching. guide, drilling Cuta Slideeachbandingstrip qtrintn lonnththpn back andforth on the plvlabel the fr6bsyou wood edge until the glue intend to use. grabs, thenalignoneedge of the banding with the best face of the pl1'wood. Next, secure the banding with a fewpieces of masking tape.This will give you enoughtime to add a clampingpad andclamps to eachassembly. SpeedV -r---t DfilinO -"""'r

diagonal measurements with my tape measure. When the measurements are equal, the caseis square. To reinforce the joints, I drilled countersunk pilot holes and drove in sheet metal screws. I prefer these screws for plywood for several reasons. Unlike wood screws, sheet metal screwsare threaded all the way to the head for increased holding power in plyrvood.Plus, their threads are coarse to help them cut cleanly insteadof crumbling the wood fibers. After driving the screws, cut the back to fit. It isn't necessaryto glue the back into position. I fastened mine with short screws, and didnrt worry about the spacing - I just spread the fingers of my hand as a spacingguide. Put the Cose Together To wrap up the basic carcase conEven when I'm confident that all the struction,drill shelf peg holes in the pieces are going to fit, I do a test sides. For speed and accuracy, you assembly of my projects. The few can't beat a story stick drilling guide pegboard. Be sure to times I've skipped this step, some- made of 1/+rr thing went wrong and I had to fran- mark the depth on the bit to avoid tically disassemble the project,wipe drilling through the plywood. off the glue, and fix the problem, So much for savingtime! This carcase was too big to put together on my workbench, but a Use a long pair of sawhorsesworked just fine. As straightedge you join the pieces,make sure all the Uss levl to to check for front edges align, and check that the check lor back edges of the top and bottom align with the rabbet shoulders in the sides (Figure 1).

Shimcarcase to makeit level andplumb.

Tap shims under thecarcase until it'slevel and plumb, 0nce thecarcase isset, add more shims along thebottom edges to keep it from twisting. 26 -Workbench I February 1997

ldeally, thefront edges ofthecarcase should be Distortions inthecarcase sides can becaught parallel flush with thewall. Cheat thecarcase slightly outof using a long board with edges, and plumb, your if necessary, toachieve this result, level. Straighten thesides with shims,

Instoll ilre Gose Until now,you'veonly dealtwith the bookcaseconsfuction. But to go any further you'll need to frame a hole in a wall of your home. Although I can't predict every situayou'll find tion you might encounter, general guidelines some rn Framing theBookcase on page30. Once you've completedthe framing, you can slide the bookcaseinto the opening.Center it betweenthe studsand slide taperedshimsunder the case until the sides are plumb andthe front edgesof the cabinetare flush with the wall @igures2 and 3). Tb preventracking,the bottom edge of the sidesmustbe fully supported. When installing my bookcase,I ran into a slight problem.I could not get the caseplumb and have all the edgesflush with the wall at the same time. To make it easierto install the trim later.I decidedto settlefor flush

edges and let the cabinet remainslightly out of plumb. With the cabinet positioned, you can put a few shims betweenthe caseand studs (Figure a). Shimming 1" Cut shelves 3/e" eachsidewill provideample longer Roundover bit than finished supportand stability.For the size. Glue onbanding, cuttheassembly to length. inset doors to fit proper$ then lateron,makesureyoukeep the case sides sfaight and parallelto eachother. Hlde fte plywood Increase edges and fte load capaclty byapplying I used 8d (21lzr)finishing bandlng. lGep thebandlng flush wlm fte bp edge offie plywood. nails, driven through the shims. to securethe cabinet to the Moking the Shelves studs. Predrilling the plywood Like the other plywood panels in helped. Drive the nails about three this project,the shelves are banded quartersof the way,againcheckthe on their front edgewith solidwood. casesides,andcountersink the nails. Cut four pieces of plywood to Resist the temptation to break off width for the shelves, and leave the shims with a hammerblow them ilr longer than ncessary for this often splits the shims and can now (Figure 5). Then, rout the dishrrb the fit of the case.Instead, edges of severalboards with a sTrtt cut them with a backsaw. roundover bit. Rip the boards to width for the banding,andglue them to the panels.Make sure the band-ing piecesare flush with the top surx61s/ra face of the plywood.Cut the shelves to length after the glue dries. The Doors qrc Next I think the doors on the bookcase give it a real touch of class. You could decideto havean openbookcaseby leavingoff the doors. For my money, however, this project should receivethe full freatment. Building these doors was a new adventurefor me. This is the first time I've ever used cope and stick router bits to form the joints. You don'thaveto follow this method,and there are lots of other options.But if you're interested, take aTook at Cope and StickJoi,nfs on page39. Before getting into the routing steps, rip stock for your door frames.I ripped my rails about Vail wider than the final size (see the Door Construction View). This allowed for some tear out, which did occur on one piece.Later,after making the copecuts, I ripped the rails to final width. I also cut each stile about Trorl wider than their finished size. The exhawidth gaveme alittle marginof 'W'orkbench t February 1997

I I
I n

glass Miter stops, to fit in door rabbet.

I t
cutto fit after door isassembled.

27

Instqll fhe Doors As long as the doors and the cabinet are square,the door installationis a breeze. To begin, trim the doors l,/arl shorter than the height of the cabinet gaps at opening. This will allow 1Ao'r the top and bottom. The 3rr brass hinges are mortised Rout thetongues to create away into the door stiles and the casesides. 3/a" xyz" rabbels in backof doors. Again, I wanted ar/rctt gap,and thatrs controlled by the depth of the hinge mortises. Tb determine their depth, measure the diameter of the hinge barrel wilh calipers - in my case, direction ) .-a1" Then, subthis turned out to be 3/ro'r. .t".' tract 1/ro"for the gap, and divide the remainder in half. I mortised each leaf of my hinges 1/ro"deep. lay out the mortises on the door stiles with a pencil (see the Door Construction View). then use a Routing rabbets intheback of each door willopen theway forinstalling theglass error when assembling the doors.As square and an X-acto knife to mark it turned out, this wasn't necessary, the outline. Making several light and the wooden stoos. but the insurance is worth it. And, passes with the knife works better approach. removing the extra 1/rorr requires only than a heavy-handed To speed the mortising operation a few passeswith a hand plane. Once you have your stock pre- along, I chucked a 1/z'rstraight bit pared, you'll probably be eager to get into a router, and routed awaymost of going on the joinery. If you do use the waste (Figure 8). I routed as cope and stick router bits, there are a closely as I dared to the lines, then finished with a chisel. few things to keep in mind. Cope and stick bits should only be used in a router table. Their size Withhinge leafopen, transfer the makes them potentially dangerous hinge locations to thecarcase. when hand holding a router. Also, be sure to use a router that'sat least ll/z hp. I prefer using a 3 hp router. With router bits that are this big, The rabbeting rounded in bitleaves corners you have to expect them to remove a theback ofthedoor. thecorners Choo lot of stock. So don't try to make the with square a sharp chisel. - three cuts in less than three passes passes became the standard I followed. Making the extra passeslakes only a few minutes per door, and the improvement in quality is definitely worth the extra time. Srhen assemblingthe doors, make sure you keep the frames flat and use minimum clamping pressure to pre vent distortion. I laid each door fi:ame on the workbench and used one bar clamp at each end of the assembly. To accommodatethe glass panels, you'll have to rout rabbets into the Clamp thedoors together rout thehinge back of each door after the glue dries Shim intheopening, and each door then use a mortises. Besure to keep away from thelay- (Figure 6). Squaringup the corners is pencil totransfer thehinge locations onto out lines. with Clean upthe edges a chisel. best done with a chisel (Figure 7). thefront edge ofthecarcase

28

\Workbench I February 1997

Drill pilot holes and screw the hinges to the doors, then stand them in the cabinet (Figure 9). To get the spacing right, I slipped a couple of quarters under each door. 'fransfer the hinge locations to the case with a pencil. Then, mark and cut the mortises in the case sides like you did in the door. If all went well, you'll be able to mount the doors in the case ancl close each door individually,with an gap on three sides. even 1/rr;rr But the cloorswon't close in the middle yet, and that's just what you want at this point. Removeone cloor, bevel the edge of the unhinged stile and reinstallit (Figure 10).Planethe other door until you get an even l/tr;rl gap,then plane a bevel on the edge. [rhen everything fits like you want, install a ball catch at the top ancl bottom of each door, ancl aclcl the mountingplatesinsidethe case. You can also install the hanclles.
3/a" Thick stock for glass stops Rout alledges.

plane provides Use a hand to bevel theinside edges ofthedoors where they meet. This clear1/ro" gap ance foreach door toopen, whib maintaining the consistent onthe outside edge.

Adding the Gloss

After you get through achniring the perfect fit of your cloors,you'll want to relnove thern one mclretirne to have glass cut to fit. Tell the glass vendor that you want to orcler l/srl thick tempered glass, and have l/sil smallthern cut the piecesabor-rt er than the rlorlr openings. This clearancewill rnake the glass easier to fit arrd allow for sorne rnirror shrinkage of the door. As for glass stops,I carr-re up with a three step processthat alloweclme to safely machine the strips froln rr/arl thick stock (Figures11, 12,and 13). Once you've shaped your stops, take a break from the bLrilcling processand apply your stain and a couplecoatsof finish to the strips,as well as to the cabinet and doors. I

For safety, machine theglass stops from 7a" thick stock, Tobegin, roundover allfour edges oftheblank.
Use3/+" thickstock for making the stops. i glass Make onepass then turntheboard around andmake a pass. secono

usecla Benjalnin Moore stain callc.cl GolclenOak, folbwed by a coat o{ sealerancltwo coatsof varnish.The sealer ancl varrrish are (]eneral Finishesproclucts. 'Ihe final step in the bookcaseproject is rritering the glass stops to length ancl installing then.r, along with the glass, in the cloors (I.-igure 14).Securethc stopswith bradsafter drilling pilot holc.s.Don't glue the stops in place - you'Il want to relrove them ifthe glasseverbreaks. Remountthe doors in the cabinet and step back. Vrur work is done anclit's tirne to filI the cabinet with books. You rnay not have a Book of Knowleclge to anchor your collecyou probably have a prized tion, br.rt possessionof some kincl that will bring the cabinetto life.'EE[
glass Tempered Ta"

Toprevent kickback, rip glass stops offthestock onoutboard sideof blade.

Glass stop

your glass Tomachine stops tothickness, rip Rip theglass stops from each edge ofthe groove a1l+" wide ineach edge. Then rotate blank. You'll need to reset thefence when theboard ripit again and t0 enlarge thegap. you cut the stops onthe other edge.

Miter thestops to length, then install them 3/a" pilot with long brads. Be sure todrill holes forthe brads toprevent splitting.
Workbench I February 1997

29

theBookcase Framing
I'll adrnittkat thefirsttirneI cut
into a wall, it rnadernefeel a bit I crepttkrough like a surgeon.

socarefwl being eaer step, eack

anytkinguital. not to darnage Sincethen,I'ue cut into a lot of
walls in lots of houses. I've learned what to expect, but I try not to take any'thingfor granted. Breaking into a wall in the Workbenchhouse, and framing the openingfor the built-in bookcase(see Building the Bookcaseon page 24) was done very methodically.By laking a stepby-step approachyou'll be much more likely to avoid any problems with the structural parts of your house. There isn't anything particularly difficult about this job as long as you don't run into wiring, plumbing, or ductwork. I also recommend staying away from load bearing walls.

Jack --'---studs

Finding Obstqcles
If you have blueprints for your house, study them to see if the wall you want to tear into containsany of the obstacles I just mentioned. I chose to open a wall between the living room and the entry closet.The small amount of spacethe bookcase used up hardly made a dent in the closet. Fortunately, I only ran into one light box, and it was on the closet side of the wall above the bookcaseopening. Once you've determined where you want to install your bookcase you'll need to use some ingenuity to sleuth out the contents of the wall to find any potential obstructions. A quick inspection on both sides of the wall will reveal obvious warning signs such as duct work, switches, and electrical outlets that are directly in your path. But also look for hints of hidden problems. For example, if your planned location lies between two wall outlets. vou'll

you for want toframe theopening intheend isdifierent, every wall framing situation Although above. side and a header with a oair ofstuds oneach thebookcase
likely run into a wire connecting them. Also, check the area above and below the wall, if possible,for plumbing lines and other obstacles. It is possible to move wiring or ducts, but for this project, we'll assume you have an unobstructed spacebehind the wall. Loqd Beoring Wolls Walls are either load bearing or nonload bearing. Load bearing walls support the floors or roof above. Non-load bearing walls do not support any significant weight and simply divide the house into rooms. I put my bookcasein a non-

30

WorkbenchI February1997

let's Get Guning

you Onceyou'vesettledon a location, can get to work. Cut an openingin the wall large enoughfor the book with plentyof working spaceall case, around. Cut the drywall to at least onesfirdbeyondthe openingon each side.Also,removethe drywall all the way to the ceilingsoyou haveaccess to the wall plate. I cut the drywall with a reciprocating saw.If you don't own a recipro you canprobablyfindone catingsaw, at a tool rental store.A portable circularsawwillalsoworkforthis operation - just remember to set the bladedepthforther/ztt thick drywall. Youdon'twant to cut into the shrdsif you canhelp it To be on the safe side, in case there is a wire hidden in the wall, shut off all the power to the living room while making the wall cuts.

plate and wall plate (eventhough this isn't a load bearing situation, the wall still must supportthe flooring and people direcfly above). This completesthe framing.

tur safety, I shut otrallelecfrlcff Infie lMng mom bsfore cut[ng Inhfie wall. Poruer for fie saw from came a bedroom ouflet. load bearing wall, which greatly simplified the framing process. I suggestyoutry to do the,same, and avoid load bearing walls. Generally, steer clear of all exterior walls. as they are almostalwaysload bearing. And if a wall standsdirectly abovea beam or wall in your basement, chancesare good that ifs also loadbearing.You can also look for clues in your attic. Tlpically, ceiling joists cross over load bearing walls, and any wall bing under places where joists end and overlap should be consideredload bearing. To check out the wall I planned to cut into, I drilled a Verrhole through the ceiling right next to the wall. Then, I straightened a coat hanger and pushedit through the hole. After taping it to the wall, I climbed into the attic and found that the wire was far from any structural obstacles. This coat hanger technique worked so.wellthat I drilled a hole near the wall through the floor. After checking the wire location in the basementI concludedthat my wall wasidealfor the bookcase.

Instclling lhe Bookcose Beforeslidingthe bookcase into position, you'llwantto hang new drywall on the framing. Once this is done, you canmaneuver the bookcase into the opening so its front edges are flush with the drywall.TJ'rcr/ztt clearanceyou frctored into the king stud placementshould provide room for adjustrnents. Useplentyof shims,but be carefulnot to distort the bookcase sidesin the process. Onceyou haveeverythingset drill pilot holesanddrivefinishingnailsto Inside rhe Woll After removing the drywall, you can secure the bookcaseto the jack seethe arrangementof studs in the shrds.later, you maywant to build a wall. Dependingon where you want wall to hide the backof the bookcase. you canget to work trimto install the bookcase,you may be Meanwhile, able to use a stud to establish one ming the bookcase.tf sideof the opening. I-ayout the location of the bookcaseopening on the floor plate and removeany studsthat fall within the area.A maul will make quick work of this little operation. Now toenail a king stud to the floor plate and wall plate to define the bookcase opening - leave room for a jack stud plus another r/z' of.spaceon each side. Cut the floor plate flush with eachking stud and removethe waste. You can cut the jack studs to length next, making sure they extend above the bookcaseheight an inch or two. Nail the jack studsto the king studs,then make the header assembly. I alwaysslip a piece of r/2il thick scrap plywood between the header piecesso that the thickness of this assemblymatches the width of the studs. Knock the header into position abovethe jack studs and nail all the quicldy framing together. Adding cripples A miter saw cublumber and accurately. Setdng fie above the header supports the top saw ona woilbench saves wear and tear onpur badc '\?'orkbench I February 1997 3l

Molding Shopmade
was I always thought molding I hadto buy. I'd something accepted the fact thatpri,cawere was highandtheselection
limited. But I'm a woodworker! Therehad to bea betterway.
Once I got to thinking about it, I realizedI had everything I needed to make my own molding: a router, a router table,and a good selection of bits. In fact, I just recently purchaseda l$piece set ofrouter bits, so this was a perfect opportunity to put them to the test. During the planning stages, I mentioned my interest in making molding to a friend who works at a 32 I February 1997 W'orkbench millwork shop.He did knock a bit of cornmonsenseinto me when he said that some profiles might be out of my reach.He showedme a few large cutters used to make complex patterns. and then describedthe enormous machinesthat drive the cutI didn't ters. After that conversation, kid myself into thinking I could makeevery possiblepattern. For instance,while tinkering with the router bits, it occurredto me to stack several boards after routing an edge on each one (Figure 1). Combiningthe routed edgesin this way createdrichly contouredmoldings that are far more interesting than the single molded edges.

RoutingCombinotions
Still, the options appeared vasfly superior to what I could buy, and I began sketching patterns uslng my router bits as guides. Graph paper AlthoughI'd kepteverythingin scale. be embarrassed to show you those they got me thinking about drawings, newwaysof makingmoldings.

Varyingthis techniquecanresult in all sorts of combinations, and you can succeed with eventhe sparsest collectionof bits. Other, more subtle ways of expanding the scopeof possibilities include changing the bit's cutting depth,alteringthe size of the bearing if it has one,and using different cuttersin combination on one molding. As an exampleof the multiple bit approach, I like usingbits with a bearing for routing the edge of a board,then one or two bits without bearings for routing its surface. A Ghoice of Router Bifs Whenchoosing routerbitsyoumight find it helpfulto consider their character. Ogees,Roman ogees, and beadingbits are classicshapes that are popularin Colonialstylehomes. Chamfers with are closelyassociated the futs and Craftsmovement. And manycontemporary homesarefilled with roundovers andsmallcoves. Most conventional bits with bearingsdo haveonelimitation: their profiles are short and shallow. Due to a newgeneration of routerbits,however, you now havemore options.IVe tried Amana's fuchitecturalMolding Bits,for example, which includepatterns as wide as 134rr. Theseare all heavy-duty bits with Yzrr shanks,so they aren'trecommended for use in smaller routers. But you wouldn't want to do that anyway.large bits like theserequirea routerof at least you'llwantto do lr/zhp, andtypically the work on a routertable. Preporing the Lumber As with any woodworkingproject,I go through somepreliminary steps beforerouting my lumber.S4rether you'rebuildinga cabinet, a deck,or molding, choosingand preparing pays boardsin the beginningalways off downthe line. First, to get the lowest price on molding lumber,I buy rough stock and mill it to thickness (Figure 2). For mostmoldingapplications, I use 34rr thick material. After the boardsare smoothand flat, I joint one straight edge onto

plane Joint Toguarantee inyour uniformity stock, one edge 0nallyour boards before ripyour rough material toone fiemtowidth Asfaight down common ping onthehblesaw. 3/n" I use formost willreduce thickness. of mymoldings. edge fie chance ofkickback eachpiece(Figure3).This paves the way for the next step - ripping the boardsto width.As I rip the boards, somealways bind against the blade, which causes a kickback hazard. Inserting a wedge into the kerf solves this problem(Figure4). I do want to mentionone exception to this last step.If you're planning to make narrow molding, say your 2rror less,I recommend rippingthe Rip molding towidth 0nthetablesaw, lf boardsto sizeafter routing the pro- thekerf begins tobind theblade, insert a files. Balancinga router on narrow wood wedge near theend oftheboard. strips is difficult, and any wavering will showon the finishedprofile. More Molding Tips I originally thought I'd rout all my moldingson the router table.As it turned out, hand-holding my router was sometimesa better option. Often, it's simply a matter of space - a board10ft. long requires 20 ft. of clearance to pass over a router 1/a" grooves table.This kind of open spacejust Dado wide relief deep by34" in prevent doesn'texist in my shop. theback ofthemolding to help Here's another tip: after routing warping and assure fit onthewalls. a better any molding over 3rrwide, cut 1,/srl deep by 3/arr wide grooves in the back with a dado blade (Figure 5). This helps relieve stress in the board,allowsair to circulatebehind the molding to keep it in balance, and assures a betterfit on the walls. Finally,don't forget the finishing. It's commonto pushthis stepto the end, after the molding is installed. Instead, I preferto stainand sealmy moldings beforeinstalling them.Not only doesthis allow me to stabilize the wood betterby sealingthe back Bystaining and finishing both sides ofyour you'll of eachboard,but it alsoreduces the molding before installation, reduce the messon my walls (Figure6). mess onyour walls and thewood seal better.
\(orkbench t Febnnry 1997

33

The Bookccse Molding Beyond describing the general course of eventsfor making your own molding,I find the bestway to learn is to jump into a project. Making and installing trim for the bookcasein the Workbench house providedan idealfaining ground. The casings and baseboardsare 3Vzilwide. Because I wanteda simple, fraditional look, I choseto visually anchor the casing to the floor with plinth blocks (seethe Molding Detail and the BookcaseMolding Conshuction View).You'llseeplinth blocks, although often more elaborate than these,in many turn-of-the cenfuryhomes.Between the casing and eachplinth block, I used a filler sfip to add interest to the assembly.

I createdanotherinterestingeffect by using Lshapedoutsidecornersto surround the casing on the bookcase, as well as the doorways and windowsin the rest of the room. One advantage that plinth blocks offer is the nicely fitting - and easy to make- butt joints that result at the intersections of the casingsand the baseboards. The plinth blocks clearly mark the differencebetween the two molding segments,which helps set the doorwaysapart from the rest of the room. To maintain continuity, however,I madebaseboards that match the casings. This common molding profile is the link that visually holdsthe roomtogether.

A Unique Joint An unusual and interesting feafire of the moldingin this projectis the way the side casingmeetsthe head casing (as shown above).Typically, this joint is mitered or butted together. But I made copejoints using a roundoverbit set to cut a Vsrr deep shoulderon the inside edge of all the casing. Then, on the top end of eachside casing,I useda covebit to rout a matching,but oppositeprofile that fits the roundoverperfectly.

Bookcase Trim Molding Construction liew

L-shaped cornSrs

34

'Workbench t February1997

II

--Y2"Radius

roundover bit

Use a matched setof 1/2" radius router bits to joints. profiles form thematching ofthecoped The bits I used include a 1/zrl radius roundoverand a 1,/zrr radius cove (seethe RouterBits above). I routed the roundovers along the edges first, then routed the coves into the top end of the side casing pieces to fit. For the roundoverrouting operation, I clampedthe long piecesof stock to my bench and hand-held the router (Figure 6). The roundover bit shouldbe set to leave a I,/srr shoulder.I madetest cuts in scrapwood until the depthwasjust right. You'll enjoy more consistent results if you take severalshallow passes to reachthe final depth. Don't forget,you'll need to rout mirror imagecasings for eachdoorway. One for the right side casing andonefor the left sidecasing. To rout the coves,I quickly saw that the router tablewasthe easiest andsafest wayto go aboutit (Figure 7). I alignedthe router table fence fuhich has a hole cutout so it can

Instolling rhe Molding OnceI sanded, stained andbrushed on a coat of sealer,the moldings were readyto be trimmed to length andmountedon the walls.I can'ttell you how pleasurable it wasworking with trim I had made.This is when the preparationwork done at the beginningof the processpaid huge dividends.The pieceswere all the samethickness andthey matched in Accenfing with Trim width, and I wasn'tstrugglingwith Making the Lshaped corner trim twistedor warpedstock. beginswith a planer,which I found Planning andmakingthebookcase was the best tool for milling rough trim demonstatedto me how easyit stockinto the ilrsquarestrips. is to customize the woodworkin my Shapingthese strips requires a home.Any woodworkerwith a litfle router and a table saw (Figure 8). imagination cando evenmore.tM

slideover a bit) with the bearingon the bit. The bit wassetto leavea l,/srl deep shoulderto match the shoulder on the roundovers. But it's not a ruler measurement that really countshere - the covemust fit the roundover when the pieces are pushed together. So rather than measuring,I made a few test cuts until I got the depthjust right. Here'sa tip: routingendgrain can leavesome nasty tearouts.By supporting the back sideofyour casing with scrap wood, you can prevent any significant tearing. Since the router bit will exit somecasingson their profilededge,I routeda matching coveinto onebackup piece.

First, using a router table,rout two adjacent edgeson eachstrip with a l/srr roundover bit. Next, cut the strips into an Lshape by ripping a rectangle from the back of each piece.For safety,use a push stick during this ripping operation.

T I
1"

*--%1

Due tothelengh gauge offie stoc(it'sbest torout Back-up fie casing wifrr Make a miter and theL-shaped molding byfirstrounding he roundover prevent using a hand-held router. Use a scftrp w00d t0 tear out, By making shal- over twoedges, then cutting away thewaste passes you'll back upboard grain. intwo toliftthestock passes your offyour bench. low avoid buming fie end using tablesaw. Workbench t February 1997

35

Millwork Specialists
The windows weretopped If you thought that home builders jambs.
stunning half-moon shaped you with cutcorners in thepast, glass,framed with matchingcurved And in severalrooms,rather yet.But casings. haaent seen anything than typical square corners where when today\builder corts corners,wallsmeet,eachcornerwasbuilt to a responding he's to oneof the $inch radius.Thesewere fitted with woodcornersthat connected Iatest design trends, andhis curved the sfaight sections ofthe baseboard lnok customers couldn'tbe happier. at some of the homes being built today, andyou'll seewhatI'vebegun to notice- more and more curves. You can readily buy curved windows and doors. And making curved walls, ceilings,and corners is fairly easy to do with framing lumber and drywall. The hard part has been making wood trim that fits all thesecurves. For instance,a nearly completed home I saw a few months ago was filled with archways trimmed out with elaborate frame and panel 36 \Torkbench tFebruary1997 and crown moldings. Needlessto say,I was curious to find out how all thesecurved moldings were being made, and who worker.He'sjust a guy with a lot of was making them. ideas and the drive to figure out how to makethings out of wood. Following o Curved Pqth Well, as we all know,there are lots Don Friendgot his startasa house of creative people out there. framer,andthen decidedthat kind of Tracking downthe personresponsi- work was too seasonal - and ble for thesemoldingsled me to one involvedworking on somevery cold of them. The man behind this cut- days.Sohe turnedto finish carpenfy ting edgewoodworkingtechnology for awhile.Anotherturn in his career isn't a degreedengineer, a machin- pathled him to start his own cabinetwood- making business.But within a few ist, or evena formally-trained

(which usuallymeansmore curves) is easyto seeon a visit to your local hardwarestore."Another reasonfor "As we undermore curves is safety. stand how to make our living areas safer, bullnosed edges and curved corners are becoming more common, especiallyif you have kids Wqtch Out For Gurves around."Don noted."Evenconcrete Although Don was searching for structures are taking on a more his placein the woodworkingmar- roundedappearance." ket, he didn't limit his survey of design trends to wooden objects. The Goncept Tokes Shcpe He reviewed the evolving architec- Don had the basic conceptfor his ture of residentialand commercial emerging millwork business, but buildings. He studied cars, indus- now another set of challenges trial machinery, and even house- arose.Most non-wood materials are pliable enough to be formed into hold appliances. Don's keen powersof observation curved shapesduring the manufacpaid off when he realizedthat many turing process. Plastic, concrete products were featuring more and and metal,for example,easilyconmorecurvedshapes. form to different shapes. Woodis a Cur.ved objects are often called lot more difficult. organicbecause they are more like Don was able to craft individual natural shapes than man-made piecesof curved wood molding, but straight lines and rectangles. the processwas often painstakingly Nafure abounds with curved forms slow.To makethe businesssuccess - from hills and trees to animals fuI, he wouldhaveto find - or create and humans.Objectsmanufactured - woodworking technology that with square corners often seem makeproduction run itemspossible. harsh. But softened edges and round corners can make these Toke o Turn Inlo the Shop things more userfriendly. When you mentioninnovative man"For woodworkers," Don said,"a ufacturingtechnology, most people trend toward ergonomic handles think of computer-guided machinyears the stiff competition wore down his enthusiasm."Everyone was competingto build basicallythe samebox for the samecustomers," Don said."I wantedto get awayfrom the crowd, find a unique niche, and be out frontwith newideas."

gofirough Rounded blanks many steps of refinement before ending upasomamental details ontallplllars and columns, ery that whirs in responseto the keyboard tapping of a skinny kid with a pocketprotector. So you can imagine my surprise when I first droveup to Don'sshop.I expected a warehouse filled with machinesas big as boxcars.But the truth is, if you movedthe woodracks

Worlars laminab layens ofspecial bending plywood plabns between steel h make a jamb. curved This requires lorb ofclamps. peak perfurmance Couing from fte bandsaw requkes constant to ib adjustattention merrb. Bent shapes are often bandsawn laminated. and

past Anoperator feeds curved stock shaper A shop-made trammeljig makes bandsawing gr0und cutters that arecuslom toprecise tol- arcs fastand accurate. lt quicldy adjush h erances fora client's design, any radius forcutting sections ofanarc,

\7'orkbench t F ebruary 1997

37

outside,you couldfit Don's shopinto a few doublebay garages. Computersdo play a role in the business- by helping to figure out how the molding should be made. But they don't guide any cuts. Good human ingenuitytakes old-fashioned over at that poinl The methodsare not alwayshightech, but they get the job done.This technologa of appropriate application helps find staighforward solutions to curved problems. Bending the Rules The shop uses every fick in the book. and has written a few new chapters of its own. Don demonsfrated a few of the shop's broad range of techniques.Some pieces are machinedto a curve. others are

made up of many thin sffips laminated together against a curved form. Still others are boards spliced together and then later b4ndsawn and clamped to shape. I studied a few pieces of curved molding that seemed to deff the usual rules of woodworking. I turned to Don and started to ask how they were made,but I could tell that his smile would be the only response I wouldget.

Ugly Mochines The shop's machines - originally meant for common woodworking tasks and metal working - have for use in this specialbeenadapted ized ffade. Although the moldings they produce are beautiful, someof the machines are downright ugly. Several machines look like they are 90% cast iron and 10% duct tape. Most of the jigs weren't much to look at either. Vacant screw holes showedthat the jtgs are well used. They had evolved through many stages before reaching their final shape. The jrss symbolizethe proflles spirit of the business, pmduces machlne beau0ful Thls beast ofa moldlng which is constantly changhpesuggesb, a lengtsofsbck Asfie duct onsfalght permeabs ing. Don's product line tris shop, don attfude "can

Many custom forms are created forhese moldlngs. speclalized Very large ones such as hls bendlng form and whlch shnds cnssbar, over 52"hlland70" wlde, wlllbe constucted, only to beused once, then dlscarded,

always adaptsto acco modatethe needsof his wholesaleonlyclienteleofarchitectsandbuilders. Eventually,the company may get its products into the massmarkets of home centersand lumberyards. But ifs difficult to predict exactly what the fuhrre holds for professional millwork. Because even in the world of curved moldings, you never know what's aroundthe next corner.tf

produce woodworldng machines uncommon resulb when fiey aremodlfled b ft fie task Common can 38 W'orkbench I February 1997

CopeandStickJoints
It'shardfor meto ignore nique was traditionallythe exclusive of professionals who had thebeauttfully contoureddomain accessto large shapers.Cope and frameandpaneltechniquestickcuttersfor the homeshopdidn't thatgraces thedoors offine exist.But recently,with the inffoduckitchen cabinets and case work. Perhapsit's the fact that the pieces all fit together like a puzzle that keepsme intrigued. Although this method is usually associated with traditionalstyles,it is also right at home with more conprojects, temporary suchastheChest proDrawers of andBuilt-In Bookcase jectsfeatured in this issue. Inferlocking Joinery It wasn'tlong ago that all we could do was admire doors with their cope and stick joinery. The tech\Workbench t February 1997

tion of larger 2 and 3 hp routerswith I/2rr - aswell asthe popularicollets ty of router tables- manufacturers began redesigningthese hefty cuttersfor smallshopuse.

Cope and Stick Router Bit Detail

cutter Stick

the Rout railends with thecope bit.

'Rout the railandstile withthe edges stickbit.

Align fence withbearing.

The bit used on the ends of the rails is the cope,or rail, cutter.It creates a profile that fits the edges, so that the sides of the stiles and ends of the rails interlock together in the corners. At the same time, the cope cutter forms short tenons on the ends of the rails, which fit into the grooves in the stiles.

Pushblock Detail

FHWS. 2" x 4" handle with#8 x 172" Attach

Tbp View
Handle 2"x4"x6t'

Choose Your Router Bits

Aligning therouter bearing with thefence provides additional support, safety, and joints, when routing accuracy There are two types of cope and stick sets that you can choose.One choice is a matched set of router bits (seethe Cope and Stick Router Bit Detail). You can also go with one Now, there's an enormous variety bit that is reversible. With the reversible bit, you can of cope and stick router bit sets to rearrange different parts to rout both choosefrom. You can recognizethe profiles and stick elements.As you distinctive of these bits and the cope cutters on the inside edges of might expect, the matched pair of doors, and at the joints where rails bits is the more expensive choice. But there's more to it than just more and stiles meet. metal. The set produces more How the Joinr Firs Togelher dependableresults. While the reversible bit usually Each set of bits is made up of two router bits with multiple cutters (see costs less, you risk getting a less the Cope and Stick Router Bit than perfect fit when you switch the cutters back and forth. You can Detail). The cutters create mirror image profiles that include a tongue solve the problem by inserting and groove joint. It's a clever system shim washers between the cutters, that enablesthe ends of the rails to fit but this trial and error testing perfectly into the edges of the stiles. requires a healthy dose of patience The bit that producesthe profile on and can eat up a lot of time. After careful consideration,I chose the inside edge of a frame is the stick, or stile, cutter. Use this bit on the a matched set of bits. The Amana set edges of both the stiles and the rails. I used cuts a roundover and bead proThis cutter also createsa l/4" groove file with the stick cutter, and a mirror image with the cope cutter. for the panel to fit into. 'Workbench I February1997

(plywood) Base 3/a" x12"x12"

Tomake thepushblock, screw a 2"x 4"x 6" plywood base. Besure handle toa 3/+" thick thescrews. tocountersink

align thebitbefore routing theends Carefully with For safety, support therails oftherails. during the cub. thepushblock

40

Srqrt With the Cope

When I made my door frame, I made the coping cuts first. This does two things. First, it cuts the tenons on the ends of the rails. Second, it also makes a cope cut, the reverse image of the visible pattern that runs along the inner edges. Chuck the cope (rail) bit into your table-mounted router. Be sure to check your height adjustment.Then use a ruler to align your fence with the bit's bearing (Figure 2). Clamp the fence securely, then double check to make sure that the fence didn't move during the setup. To guide the end of the rail square ly past the cutter, I made a pushblock (see the Pushblock Detail). It's simplywood. To ply a l2tt square of 3/arr make it easierto use. I made a handle from a 6rr length of 2tt x 4rr and attachedit with screws. The pushblock has another advantage - it virtually eliminates tearout when the bit exits the rail (Figure 3). Any minor tearout on the inner edge

Rout a profile with thestick cutter onedges ofrails and stiles after firstmaking cope cuton ends ofrails. Properly adjusted, therails and stiles willinterlock with a flush surface.
the cope cuts on the ends of the rails. I never rout my real stock until I get a perfect test cut. Rout the end of each rail. Make each cut in three or more passesto reduce the chance of burning the wood. For the first pass, hold the rail firmly against the push block, with the end of the rail about l/srl awayfrom the fence.Then, push the rail through the router bit. Move the rail and push block away from the router bit, and return to the starting position.Continuemaking passesin this manner, a little at a time, until the rail contactsthe fence.

ly againstthe fence.Next, rout the inner edgesof the stiles and rails, then dry assemble(without glue), andlightly clamp. Assembling the Door Manykinds of panels canfit into this typeof frame:raisedpanels, flat panels such as pllrn'ood,and glass. you use,the panelmustfit Whatever into the 1/a"grooveformed by the stick cutter. Double-check the size of the frame's openingbefore cutting your panelto size. A solid wood panel can fit fairly snuglyfrom top to bottom,but must havesomeexpansion roomfrom side to side.I usually allowabout\/rc'-r/a' on every side.That way, I can be sure the panelwon't interfere with the door frame assembly as the joints are clamped tight. Don't worry about gluing your panel in - it can'tgo anywhere. place Brush glue into the joints,but be stingy - cleaningup glue in the inner corner of a door frame is a tough job. Insert the panel, and clamp until the glue dries. Make surethe dooris flat andsquare. As my familiarity with cope and stick joinery improves,I seem to noticeits usemoreandmore.It truly is a distinguishingfeature that's foundon betterqualityfurnitureand And I'm pleased cabinetry. that it's a technique that is now within the graspof manyhomeshops.t@ \Workbench I February 1997

A greatwayto save time set-up

usinga reversible bit, change the arrangementof the cutters.) of the rail will usually be removed by Chuck the stick (stile) cutter into the stile cutter. To resolve tearout on the router.Make sure that the bit's the outer edge, I ripped the rails bearing is flushwith the fence. about 1,/s"wider than their finished Then, carefully adjust the bit's size.Then, I planed or jointed the rail height, matchingthe panel groove portionof the cutterwith the tenon to remove the tearout. All the rails and stiles are machined on the endof a rail youjust finished. face down on the router table. To Heightadjustment is critical.Make avoid mistakes, I usually mark the very fine adjustments, testing the back of each piece with tape. setupon scrap wood.Yourgoalis to I always make it a point to have ensure that the front edgesof the some test stock around that matches stiles align perfectlywith the ends the dimensions of my real rails and of the rails when they fit together. stiles. After adjusting the router For safety, clampa featherboard to table setup, I'll run a test piece your router table (Figure 4). This through to check the bit height for will helpholdthe railsandstilesfirm-

pieces Save sample ofboth therail and stile cuts, and store them near your router Then, bits. thenext time you want to setupyour router for Finish wirh rhe Slick you these cuts, canuse thesamyou cut the ends of all the After ples asgauges to quickly setthe rails, it's time to switch bits. (Or, if height ofthe bits. you're

4L

Chestof Drawers
Couldanythingbesirnplerthan ery can be easily completed with a saw,a router and a biscuit joinbuildinga box? If yowthink table er. The only tough part is the caraboutit, that'swkat cabinet case assembly,which is awkward to Although with the help of a making is all about.Srnallboxes clamp. friend and some long pipe clamps,
like drawers fit into big boxes like cabinets. But just because one box is bigger doesn't mean it's more difficult to build. This chest of drawers is a perfect example. Despite its size,all the join42 'Workbench r Februarv1997 even this step will go as smoothly for you as it did in my shop. But building the chest of drawers is only half the story. This is a beautiful cabinet with storage space to spare. I ended up using mine in a bedroom for clothes. I think it could work equally well in a dining room for storing linens and table settings, or it could hold a stereo if you like. Perfecl Plywood Pqnels Unlike many traditional cabinets, I chose to build the carcase for this chest of drawers using cherry plywood. It savedme from having to glue up lots of boards into panels,and it's a more economicaluse of material.

Chest of Drawers Consfruction View

23"x52" x523la" 0VERALL SIZE:
Solid Cherry-=--...-.--/ False top Carcase Construction View 44. onpage
3/n" x23" x58"

#8x 2" FHWS

Elongated holes frontallow along falsetopto expand.

Drawer Construction View onpage 48. Attach talse fronts to drawers with

screws.

) aple drawer
false Carcase and drawer fronts are3/4" chetry plywood withTa"thick solid cherry edge banding. Cherry banding

C H E s To F D R A W E R S
A kit has been assembledfor this project tlnt includes the drawer slides, shelf supports, ball catches, and screws. Orrlernmber330llOO..... ........$49,95 Also available:Dovetail jig. For details, see page 74 ordernumber5002200....... ......$ag.ss

Base assembly is made of hard maple.

Router guide bushing set. Ordernmber5503100.............328.95

To order, csl (80O) 311-3994

Startby rippingcherry plywoodfor the carcasetop, bottom, and sides. Next nudge the fence over %rr and rip a pieceto width for the divider. Cutting these panelsto length is one key to getting your cabinet square- that will be importantlater when fitting the door and drawers. For the sides.I recommend a two step cutting sequence. First, using your table sawand rip fence,cut the panels 12rr longer than their final

length.Then resetthe fenceandcut the other endsfor the final pass. Becausethe top and bottom are longer than my rip fence capacity, I had to be creative when cutting thesepiecesto length.Forhrnately, a technique came to mind that I learned from a veterancabinetnaker. Mark the length of the paneland cut Tarr outsidethe line with your circular saw. Next, carefully clamp a straight edgedboard along the lay-

out line, check it for square, then rout the panelto length with a flush trim bit. You can then use this panel asa template. Clampitto the second pieceand rout it to exactlythe same length. There's hardly a better method for precisely matching two or morepieces. For now.don't cut the casedivider to length.You'llwantto doublecheck this dimensionafter putting the carcasetogetherfor a dry run. \Torkbench t Februarv1997

43

Top

All plywoodpartsfor carcase plywood. (except back) are3/a"

Corner Joint Detail

Carcase

Construction View

--

x36" x51Y2" Va" plywood (Maple attached FHWS.) with#6 x 3/a"

Back Joint Detail

Divider Joint Detail

Divider
3/q" x195/a"x35Y2"

Addedge banding after carcase. assembling

Side i 3/n" #8 x 2" FHWS x197/a" x36Yz"

Plywood Joinery The carcase cornersfeaturea dado and tongue joint (see the Corner To makethisjoint,I cut JointDetail). the dadoes in the sidesfirst,thencut the rabbetsin the top and bottom to form the tongues. Set up your table sawwith a r/+rl wide dado blade.Then, make test cuts in scrap plywood to get the depth and location of the dadoes exacflyright. Whenyou are satisfied, cut the dadoes. To form the tongues in the top and

bottom, use the same blade and clampa woodauxiliaryfenceto your rip fence. The auxiliaryfencewill protect the rip fence from the blade. Now,slidethe fenceright next to the blade and make test cuts in scrap stockuntil you get a snugfit between the tongueand a dado.Then completethe tonguesin the real stock. Once you've completed the tongues, keepyour sawsetup exactly the sameand cut a rabbetalong the back edgeof the sides,top, and bottom (seethe Back Joint Detail). These rabbetswill accommodatethe back later on. Finally,you can switch to a stop 3/arr Use depth wide dado blade and on'la" bit cut a dado in the top and bottomfor the divider (see the DividerJoint Detail).

Fiiling the Divider Experience has taught me to always run through a dry assemblyof my projects before the final glueup. Checkingthe fit of the r/a" jigfrom pegboard Make a drilling thick to locate shelf pieces earlymakesit much quickly easierto fix any problems. holes Begin a and accurately. 5" up, and drill it alsogaveme hole inch for25"formaximum adjustment. In this case, every shelf

a chance to measure the exact length of the divider. and After assembling the carcase taking the measurement, cut the divider to length, and slip it into place.Make sureall the front edges areflush,andthatthe ofthe carcase back edge of the divider meetsthe rabbetshoulders in the back of the top andbottom. While the carcase is together, make a jig for drilling the shelf peg holes, and drill the holes in the divider and one side (Figure 1). At this time it's alsoa goodideato drill pilot holesfor screwing countersunk the top andbottomto the divider. Now comesthe awkwardpart, so call a friend and get somelong pipe Take the carcase apart clampsready. yellowgluein the divider andspread dadoes.With the top and bottom panelsstandingon their back edge, and slip the divider into the dadoes screwthe assembly together. Next, put glue in the corner joint dadoes andclampthe sidesto the carcase. Double-checkfor square. I foundthat cuttingthe backfor a snug fit and settingit into the carcase also helpssquare the cabinet.

44

\Torkbench t Febrvry 1997

Applying Bonding Srrips

For the sakeof durabilityandappearance, I covered all the front edges of the plywood with 1/8rr thick solid cherry banding. Ripping banding stripsis simpleenough, but be sure to use a pushblockand a featherboardto preventkickback (Figure2). Gluing banding to the carcase can take a while, so I recommend usingliquid hide glue,which hasa long setting time. As you mount eachstrip (Figure3), gentlyrub it backandforth until the gluegrabs, thenalignit with the insidesurface of the plywood panel whenever possible. Protectthe bandingwith scrapwood padsand applyclamping pressure. I cut the bandingfor the top and bottomjust a hair long.This caused the bandingto bow aboutl/arrwhen the pieceswere installed.But once the clamps were tightened, these pieces sprungagainst the sidepanel banding, resulting in very tightjoints. Usea handplane,cabinetscraper,

and sandpaper to eventhe banding with the plywood surfaces.The banding should be flush with both sidesof the plywoodpanels. Glue Up the Folse Top Eventhough I usedplyvvood for the carcase, I felt that a solidcherry top would look better. I selectedfour handsome boards,and glued them edgeto edgein pairs.Biscuitswere helpfulfor aligningthe boardsduring the glueups. After the glue dried, I lightly planedeachpair by running them through my thicknessplaner. Then,I gluedthe two pairstogether. After the falsetop is cut to size,you canprepareyour tablesaw for cutting the large chamferson the falsetop's ends and front edge (see the False Top Detail). To balance sucha large panelon edge,I did two things.First, I made a 72tttall auxiliary fence to coverthesav/srip fence. And second, I screwed &2rx $nto theunderside of the panel beforeeachcut (Figure4). Now tilt the blade8', setthe fence \/2" from the blade, and raise the blade so it just barely sticks out of the top as it cuts. If you're working in a basement shopwith a low ceiling, you may have to jockey your table saw so the panelfits between two floorjoists.

Toripthinbanding strips evenly and safely, use a oush block and featherboard. You can make both accessories inminutes,

Use this sequence toglue banding tothe front edges ofthecarcase. Keep waste to plane outside, then and sand theedges,

with screws.Screwsalongthe back of the assembly keep the false top stationary,while screws slipped through slots alongthe front of the Take your time cutting the large carcase give way when the falsetop chamfers, then use a hand held moves(seethe ScrewDetail). router and a chamfering bit to form To form the slots, first drill a series the smaller chamfers along the top. of small holes in a line, then blend As you know, solid wood moves the holes together with a small with changes in moisture content, roundfile.After completing the slots, and fastening the false top to the position the falsetop on the carcase, carcase must allow for this anddrill pilot holes- be sureto use movement. I preferto secure a depthstopon your drill bit to avoid the falsetop to the carcase drilling too deeply. False Top Detail Screw Detail

Screwing a 2" x 6" totheunderside ofthetopmakes cutting the chamfer easy, The high fence also aids stability.

Chamfers onthetoD and bottom helo define the false top. Use thetablesaw to make thelarge chamfer, and a router to make thesmall one.

Screws inslohinthecarcase topallow thefalse topto exoand and contract.

I7orkbench t February 1997

+>

Base Conshuction View

of Chamfer outside edges

#20Biscuit

End Brace Detail

Rail lengths include 3/a" longtenonon each end.

mark mortises(Figure5).For clarity, Building the Bsse of project mortise locations on the end fill my the wasstarting to This
shop, and I needed room to build the base. I heard my neighbor's car pull into his driveway. So I talked him into helping me move the carcase. Once I had some elbow room, I began sizing stock for the legs. After the stock was prepared,I laid out the

1/+" fortherail Rout mortises into thelegs posiBesure to mark themortise tenons. tions carefully toavoid enor.
Byclamping a stopblock to the youcanlimitthe fence,

eachleg.This will help you align the stockwith the bit. I also clampeda stopblockto theroutertablefenceso that every mortise ended up the samelength igure 6). Now, rout the mortises with a passes. of shallow usinga 1/+" series bit. A final depthof straightor spiral ts/tuttwill easily accommodate the 3/+rr which long. rail tenons, are on Beforemovingon,rout chamfers of eachleg. the bottoms Next,rip andcrosscut all the rails, then form the tenons using a 34" wide dadobladeigure 7). Clampa setupblock to the fenceto makethe form a tenon repeatcuts.As always, in scrapstockfirst, andmakesureit fits properlyin a mortise.After cutting the tenon cheeks, adjust the blade and cut each tenon'sbottom shoulder(Figure7). I Like you did with the carcase,

suggestputting the base together without glue, then measuring for the end and centerbraces.Cut the in each to fit, andcut notches braces end braceso they can wrap around the legs (seethe BaseConstruction View). Slip all the braces into the for the bisbaseand mark locations cuit joints.Cut the biscuitslotsafter disassembling the base. Gluing the base togetheris best in a series of small accomplished steps.Start by gluing the end rails to the legs, then add the end braces. Drill a pilothole,thendrivea #8,211 flathead wood screw diagonally through the braceinto the leg (see the End BraceDetail).Clampeach assembly, andlet the glue dry. the end assemAfter unclamping blies,use biscuitsand glue to join the centerbraceswith the front and backrails.Lightly clampthis assembly while gluing the front and back rails into the leg mortises. Now, clampthe entire base,making sure it's flat and square.Leaveit undisturbedwhile the glue dries.

bitto rout Use a straight orup-cutting spiral theleg mortises, Avoid stressing thebitby passes. routing a series of1/+" deep

Adding the Corcqse Having the base completedis an now the carexciting step,because caseand the basecan be brought Beforesettingthe carcase together. in place, however,give your 45" chamferingbit anotherworkout by routing the outside edges of the baseassembly. It's important for the base to sit level on the floor when you attach This will ensure that the carcase. the completedcabinetwill be level its new home.Set when it reaches floor and,if the baseon your shop's necessary, slide shims under its feet.Useyour longestlevelto check the base.,then positionthe carcase By now,your friendmay on the base. if this will everend. be wondering Slide under the cabinet,and drill pilotholesthroughthe four braces in Be the base and into the carcase. 3/q" k-sure to wrap tape around the bit to Boftom markthe holedepth,or you maydrill through the bottom panelof the cartenons ontherails The thicknesses ofthe 1/4", fit,make case. Countersinkthe holes, and should be but toassure a tight together. screwthe assemblies first. cuts onscrao wood

il I'il t-r l

46

t February 1997 W'orkbench

Door Construction View

One Minor Detoil With the carcase and base now joined together,it s a good time to step back from the heavy duty building choresandwrap up a small detail.I madeshelves using cherry plywoodandbandingstrips.Cutthe plywoodpiecesfor the shelvesa little longer than needed and glue banding sfrips to their front edge. After the glue dries, planeand sand the banding flush with the plywood surfaces, and cut the shelves to their final length. think I nevermake Justin caseyou mistakes, let me tell you that I blew it on oneof my shelves. I forgot to double check my miter gaugeto make sure it was cutting square to the blade.Consequently, the first shelf I cut to length was out of square. Trimming the shelf squaremade it too short. Well, live andlearn. can fit into the door frame's Varl grooves (Frgure8). Cutthe rabbets wide enough to allow a L/rctt gap between the door frame and the rabbetshoulders. Another dry fitting of all the door parts will show whether you managedto get this gap just right. If all is well, glue and clamp the door parts together.I recommend using just a spot of glue in the rail groovesat the center of the panel. This will keep the panel centered in the frame.

Stile 3A,'X2Vz,, X347/e,'

Mounting the Door Making the door pulls is simple enough (seeMaking The Pulls on page 49).As for the Europeanstyle hinges,their installation requiresa Stile 3/a" x 2/2"x347/e" precise layout and accurate hole Rail boring (Figure 9). But nothing 3/c" x4" x153/a" that's all that difficult. You'll need a 35 mm. hinge boring bit and a drill pressfor the installation. Buildingthe Door Be sureto It usedto be that making frame and centerthe hole 7/stt fuomthe edge paneldoorswith copeandstickjoin- of the door. In a pinch, a l\/a' ery was doneonly by professionals. Forstnerbit will do the job, but the It requireda shaperand somevery hole will be slightlywide. large cutters. With the new router IVe used Blum hinges for many bit sets designed for use on router similar applications with great tables,all that has changed. results.This time I chosea clipstyle To makemy cabinetdoor,I useda hingethat opensa full 125".The clip twopiecerouter bit set that included style hinge allowsyou to mount the panol Rabbet theback edges offte door wltl one bit for cutting the ends of the hinge cup to the door, and the panel a 3/s" rabbflng blt,The should flt the rails, and anotherbit for routing the mountingplateto the carcase, grooves then Infie door ralls and stlles snugly, inside edges of the stiles and rails snapthem together.Ifs an (Amanano. 55420).For details on improvement over older this process, takea look atCopeand European style hinges, StickloinE on page39. which often required a bit After cutting the door framejoints, of juggling to complete I assembled the pieceswithout glue the installation. to check the fit. If you take time to I'm kind of fussy,and I set up the bits properly, you won't like an even gap around haveany surprisesat this point. the door on all sides.One As for the door panel,I lookedfor trick I use to help set this r/ztt cherry plywood with two good gap is to put quarters sides.Failingto find any,I decidedto underthe door afterit has makemy own by laminatingtwo Varl beenslippedinto the cabithick piecesof cherry plywood,with net. Now the hinge locathe bestsideofeachpiecefacingout. tions in the door can be Cutting the plywood a little over- transferred to the carcase sizewill give you a margin of erro4 for an exact fit. A combiandifs easyenoughto trim the lami- nation squareis the ideal nationto sizeafterthe glue dries. tool for marking the cen- European precise hinges require layouh. Mark fie center Once the panel is sized, you'll terline of each hinge ofthecuphole ontheback offie door, and line thlsup have to rabbet the edges so that it mountingplatelocation. plate wihthecenhr offie hinge inthecabinet.
\?'orkbenchI February 1997

47

Drawer Construction View

Falsefronts #1 and #2 _ 3/4" x511A6" x295/8'' #3 - 3/4"x611A6" x295/8'' #4 and #5 -3/4"\ 711A6" x2g5/8''

Side x5%"x'183/a" Vz"

/,

Bottom
Banding
1/s" x3/a"xg11l6"

%"x18"x28/2" Drawer front x5%"x29" Vz" x297/s" /a"x3/q" groove Center in lowest tail.

Thewidthslistedabove for thedrawer front,backandsides arefor #1 and#2.Theothers areshown in Figure 10 at right. drawers

saw and raise the blade 5/rorr. Adjust Sfock of Drowers your groove fence the is censo that Whenever I makedrawers, the first

question that comes to mind is: what joinery kind of should I use? Traditionalcabinetsusuallyfeature dovetailed drawers, but handcutting dovetailsis very time consuming, in this and seemedunnecessary Instead, I usedmy routeranda case. jig to rout half-blind dovetail dovetail joints. Many inexpensive jiss will work for this purpose.I madea jig from a Woodsmithkit, and used a bushing in my router. Trorrguide I made the drawer boxes out of r/zr thick soft maple- an inexpensive wood suitablefor cabinetparts that aren't seenmuch.The top two drawers areidentical in size,the middle draweris 7s'rdeeper, andthe two matching bottomdrawers aredeeper still (Figure10). Rip all the drawerpieces to width, then measure the width of the drawer openingin your carcase. Cut the drawer fronts and backs exactly ill shorter than the openingto allow room for the drawerslides. Every type of dovetailjig has its individualquirks, so it's a good idea to practice cuttingdovetails on some scrapwood beforeyou get going on the drawerpieces. I know I've gone throughmy shareof woodsettingup thesesortsofjigs. The drawer bottoms fit into grooves thatrun aroundthe insideof eachdrawer.To make the grooves, setup a 1/+tr dado bladeon your table

tered in the lowest tail on the sides. That way, the groove won't show on the outside of the completed drawer. I ran through a dry assembly of Dimensions shown are to bottom ofdrawer fit install the slides at thesame the drawers to check the of all the slides. Carefuly joints. This also gave me the oppor- height oneach side ofthecarcase. tunity to measure and verify the size I needed for the 1/+rr maple plywood I mountedthe drawersin the carcaseusingBlum 18rr slides,marking drawer bottoms. as shown I took the drawers apart, then all the mountinglocations carefully drilled the holes in each in Figure 10. Then, I attachedthe front for mounting the false fronts slides to the carcaseand drawers, later. With my drill press, I was able startingat the bottomof the case. to set up for repetitive hole drilling with a False Front Detail Apply banding to the minimum amount of prior to cutting edges falsefronts. measuring. To assemble the drawers, begin by gluing the front and back to one side. Then, slip the bottom into the x 36" panel, Cuta 297e" grooves. Add the other andband theedges. Then rip Toprovide a side, and clamp. Make the panel intothefivefalsefronts good for ripping, edge andband theends. sure that every drawer keep banding back/2". is flat and square. Add the false fronts and nulls later. You don't have to bea master crafts-

you when man tocutdovetails have a router and ajig.

48

'Workbench t Febrrary7997

Moking Drqwer Fronts BecauseI wanted the grain pattern on the drawer fronts to look continuous, I selectedan attractivearea on a pl5,-lvood sheet, and centered the pattern (seeFalse Front Detail). As a time saving technique, I glued 1,/s" banding to the edges of the panel. When I glued on the banding, I stopped each strip about lfzr from the end. After the glue dried, I scraped and sanded the banding flush with the plywood. I rippecl the false fronts to width by following the dirnensions in the Drawer Construction View. After they were sized, it was a sin-rple matter of adding banding to the top and bottom edges to complete the false fronts. Ideally, the space between each drawer should be 1/rr;".But woodworking projectsare seldomperfect. I double-checked and had to make a few adjustments.I started with the bottom drawer,rnarking the position of the drawer on the back of the false front. I then removed the drawer, clan-rpedon the false front, and drove the screws. I followed this process for each drawer, from the bottom to the top.

I decidedto make tfiFpulls

MakingThe Pulls

before tackling the drawers. Begin by ripping 3/+rrthick stock x 14rr. into three blanks measuring6rr Each will yield four handles. Rip bevels on the edges of each blank (Figure 1). Be sureto leavea3f rcttflat along each edge. Then, square the blade, reset the fence, and rip the handles from the blank (Figure 2). Crosscut the handles to 6rr in length, then bevel each end to the

bottomof the flat (Figure3). Chucka 45" chamfer bit into your tablemountedrouter,and machine a 1/rorl chamfer along the top ends and

edges of each handle (Figure 4). I completed the handles by sanding them lightly to preserve the crispnessofthe angled cuts Each pull needs 74a" pilot holes, 3/+" deep, one inch from each end. Atlach them from the inside of the drawer with #8 ' 2rrFFIWS.

Drawer Pull Elevations Top View

3/q'l

Rout 45'chamfer tends andedges. ,/ along

End View

i FJi-'zu" llt ' VI

.- --Y

to avoid Setfence breaking thisslo"widearea. 17e" Setblade hiqh. . Tiltblade

qo

Rippulls ontheoutboard sideot theblade sothey won'tbepinched between theblade andfence.

Ar fte Finish line

With the construction cornpleted, there were fwo remaining steps. The first was the finish. After removing the hardware, I lightly sanded the entire cabinet with 220grit sandpaper, and applied three coats of varnish. I called my neighbor to help with the second step; a final visit to move the chest of drawers into a bedroom. [4ren it was in place, I could see he was relieved,and alsoimpressed. He began poring over the cabinet, inspectingevery joint, skimrning his hand over the finish, and noting the use of ply'wood and solid wood in the construction. Before long I was answeringall sorts ofquestions,and I could tell. now that he was seeing the completedproject, he wanted to build one for himself. Once he saw the dovetailed drawers, I knew he was hooked. tEEil-

you get Test thissetup onscrap stock until justright thefence adjusted to produce the pull. bevel oneach

Rip thepulls ontheoutboard side 0fthe blade, away from thefence. This willavoid any chance ofkickback.

pulls Crosscut to length, then setthemiter gauge at 5'andtrimthepulls with thetop gauge. edge against the miter

Rout a chamfer around thetopedges ofthe pulls, only 1/16" deep to knock offthesharp edges. Sand lightly to retain crisp edges.
\Workbench t February 7997

49

The DeskClock
Thefuspiration for thisclock changeif he madethe clock again. In fact, in my eyes,the minor flaws sprangfrom a unique source. made his effort seemmore human. Thebeauffil curlymaple Well,I've madea short story into a long one only to tell you how this usedfor the was piece front andback of wood cameinto my hands.
Onceyou're confidentin your sau/s accuracy,you can start cutting the clock's parts to size. Begin by cutting 3/arr thick cherry stockfor the crown,base,andsides. For the top and bottom, cut r/zn given to me by a friend after he built And now you alsoknow why using it thick cherry, and you'll need %" a stunning reproduction of an in a clock is so meaningfulto me. ' thick stock for the filler. If you don't antique grandfather clock. I visited have r/ztt and r/rt' cherry on hand, you can resaw34rrthick material his shopashe wascompleting work Eorly Considerotions on the clock and preparingto give it WheneverI start a new project, I do a process I'll explain shortly. The to'his wife on her birthday.He was a performance check on my table last cherry pieces you'll need are proud of his work, and rightfully so, saw.I make sure that the sawblade the tr/zn thick columns, which I for he is a fine craftsman.Not that is parallel with the fence, that the made by gluing 34r' thick cherry every joint was perfect, or that blade is squareto the table, and the together face to face. I used the there weren't things he would miter gauge is squareto the blade. curly maplefor the front and back. Vorkbenchr February 1997

50

Desk Clock Consfruction View

0VERALL SIZE: 5" x 93/a" x 11"
Crown 3/a" x5" x93A"

D E S KC L o C K
A kit has beenassembled for this Top projectthat includesthe movement, Vz" x3%"x71/q" clock hands,and brassrods. Ordernumber330l20O............$12.95
To Order Call (8O0) 3r1-3994

Filler x3\z" x8Y4" Y4"

Side 3/q" x31/q" x10"

Clock movement

O^o

,ry (

-P:

Rubber washer

Cut brass rod for numeral markers 3/a" four are dia., eight are 7e" dia.

I Bottot
/2" x3%" x71/q"

3/4" x3%" x10'' Front 3/q" x 4lz" x9/2"

-_

Base 3/q" x5" x93/q"

Resowing rhe Filler

Resawingis the process of ripping thick stock into thinner material. You can resaw with a band saw, but with stock this small and narrow, I've found that a table saw does the job quickly and easily.The key is to make multiple shallow passes in each edge of the stock until the kerfs meet in the middle. Iock the fence on your table saw for a cut slightly thicker than you need. Raisethe blade about 1/zrr high, and slice both edges (Figure 1). Keep the same face of the board against the fence for each cut - this ensures that the cuts are aligned. Raise the blade a little for each pass,until l/arror so remains between the kerfs. Now separate the pieces using a handsaw, and cleanup the surfaceswith a hand plane.

Cutting Chqmfers Before getting into the real meat of this project cutting all the grooves and rabbets- I decidedto chamfer the crown and base while a standard blade was still in the table saw.You'vealreadycut these pieces to size, so now tilt the saw blade

22\/z' and set the fence 1,/z'r from the blade (Figure 2). Cut chamfers on the ends of the stock first, then cut the edges. The reason I follow this sequenceis becausethe blade often tears out the wood on the end cuts. Cutting the edges then removes any tear out.

When resawing, your cutinto both edges ofthe Use tablesaw tocutchamfers onthe stock until thekerfs are1/4" apart. For safety, crown and base. For safety, keep theblade gets use a pushstick projection astheblade higher. toa minimum.
'Workbenchr Febrtary 1997

5r

Grooves qnd Robbets Building the clock calls for cutting a varietyof rabbetsand grooves(see the elevationsbelow). These are easily machinedwith a table saw and a stack dado blade set. This type of dado blade leaves square edges,which is important for getting tight fitting joints. dado bladeinyour saw Installa3l+rr for cutting a groovein eachside.To setthe fenceas centerthesegrooves, accuratelyas you can using a tape measure,and make a passover the blade. Then turn the stock end for end and run it over the blade again. Yourgroovesmay endup a tadwider but you caneasilymachine Ihan3 / +'1, the tongueon eachcolumnto fit. Cutting the rabbetsat eachend of the sides is done with the same blade.By clampinga setupblock to your rip fence, you can limit the width of cutto r/zttand ensureconsistentresults(Figure3). For cutting the groovesin the top and bottom, switch to a %rr wide Front/Back Elevations

dado blade.Rip these grooves,then clampa woodenfaceto the fencefor cutting rabbets on the columns (to The woodenface form the tongues). will protect the fencefrom the blade pass duringthesecuts.Make several esto form the tonguesby movingthe fence in small amounts away from the blade between passes.Check your progress until the tongues fit perfectlyinto the grooves.

Now, assemblethe clock without glue and measurethe openings for the front and back. Eventhough the Front/Back Elevationsgive measurements for the rabbets, you shouldadjustthe width of the cuts if your clock is different from mine. Keepin mind that the backneedsto fit a little looselyso it canbe takenin and out.This is alsoa good time to go together makesureall the pieces

resulb, For consistent corneni, dependable, rabbeb wlthsquare setto make Use a shckdado size. are thesame wilassure that allrabbeh ripfence. This block toyour clamp a setup Side Elevations Eno vlew Column Elevations End View >l 1w'F

End View

./ilrk
II SideView

FrontView

3/e" Radius

'Ll+,, ..^*^:+m
EdgeView
_;(t
-3/o'

il"

\%u

k-o^'-

II

l+-31/4'-4

,r3/4'

TII

ltr
I

fV lI _-lE"r,rToplBottom Elevations

II ltr

,J I

Frontview I.-* J,

View

rl
t)f
EndView

l-v/q"4

-w
Drills/sz" countersunk pilot hole Countersink in holes bottom only

52

\Workbench t February1997

as they should,and to makecorrectionsif they'reneeded. Cut the rabbetsaroundthe front and back piecesto fit your clock. Check the fit of the piecesin the assembly andrecut if necessary. On the back, I sandedthe surfacesof the tongues until they slid in andout of the grooveseasily. The Clock Foce Drilling holes for the clock face is mostly a layout challenge(seethe Front/Back Elevations). Take your time and use an awl to mark the hole locations so your bits won't wanderwhenyou drill the holes. The brassrodsI usedfor the clock numerallocatorswill ageto a handjust as the cherry and somepatina, curly maplewill become morebeautiful with age.Cut short pieces from the rods with a hacksawand epoxy them into the holes.Then file the brasslevelwith thewood.I foundout the hard way that belt sandingthe you makea seriesof shallowpasses brassproduces burn marks. whenroundingoverthe edges of the front and back (seethe Front/Back Finql Detsils Elevations). Usea 3/srr roundover bit Like other figured woods, curly in your router tablefor this step. maple is brittle and tends to chip Drilling the ilr finger hole in the when it's routed. So I suggestthat back is best donewith a drill press. Be sure to back up the maplewith 7sz"Pilothole, scrapwoodto prevent tearout. Assembly prior to the Sandall the clockpieces final assembly. And don't hesitate to sandcurly maplewith every grit up to 220.This is how you'll bring out the maple'suniqueglow. Begin assemblingthe clock by gluing the sidesto the columns, bottom, top and front. Make sure the assemblyis squarebefore tightening the clamps. Now hold the filler in positionand drill two countersunk pilot holes through the top and into the columns.Securethe filler with glue and screws @igure 4). Follow the #8x1/2" same procedure for securing the fr rxws bottomto the columns. TP Gluing the crown and base to Secure thebottom, topand filler tothe the assemblycould be a little tricky glue columns with and screws. The screw- without one preliminary step. I heads willbehidden bythe crown and base. tapped brads partially into the botClipped brads keep the crown fromshifting under pressure. clamping

tom andfiller, then usedwire cutters to cut them so lessthan 1/rorr stuck out of the wood (see the Crown Detail).Next,I positioned the crown andbaseon the clock assembly and pressedthem againstthe brads to indent the wood. After spreading glue on the bottom and filler, I replaced the crownand baseon the clock in the same position I had them before. The clipped brads matedwith the indentsin the crown andbaseto preventthe pieces from pressure. slippingunderclamping

Wropping Up
A hand-rubbedoil finish brought out the beauty of the wood in my clock.To get a satinluster,applythe coats of finish with wet-and-dry sandpaper, beginningwith 320 erit andendingwith 600.Don't forget to finish the insideof the clock.too. The instructions that come with the clock movementmake it easyto install.But beforeyou add the move ment,buff the last bits of sawdust off your clock. As I completedthis final step, I again thought of my friend's clock,and how a pieceofwood can unite two projects- and the people whobuiltthem.U 'Workbench t February 1997

53

A Portable Workbench
Tell me if this happensto you. would beannoyrns enough, butit

Yott're workingon a project

somewhere in thehouse, andyou haueto trim a boardto length.

You can't figure out how to hold the board firmly, so you lug it back to the shop, clamp it to your workbench,makethe cut, andtrudge on backto thejob site.Then the fit isn't exactly right, so you have to make the whole round trip again. If this happenedjust once in a while it

happens to me all the time. Sometimesit seems like I spend more time walking than working. I got to thinking how ridiculously inefficient this marathon is, and how simpleit would be to solve.The missing piece is a workbenchthat can be movedeasilyto the job site. With a sturdybenchnearby, I could handle routine woodworking operations quickly, accurately,and withwearing out my out unnecessarily shoes- or my temper.

Advontoges A portable workbench still has to passmuster,or it won't help get the job done.It has to be rigid, sturdy, and large enough to support a variety of workpieces.Plus, it has to knockdown easily. My design satisfies all those requirements.And I built it using commonmaterialsfrom the building center: standard framing lumber, hardboard, one sheet of mediumdensity fiberboard MDF), a vise, and somehardware.

54

'Workbench t February1997

Portable Workbench Construction View

0VERALL SIZE:25112,," x 60,, 33172,, (Dimensions do notinclude viseor levelers.)
Top 1/2"x24"x58lz"
ll.

Vise Banding 3/q" x1Y2"x25Y2" li '

1lq"x 4" Bolt

support

upper I

li
ti

Banding 3/q" x1Y2"x60" Stretcher 1Vz" x3" x42"

catch

Upper support 3/4" x1" x10Y2'' Lower supp0rt 3/4" x2" x10Y2''

ll.
tl

Hardboard ,;;;;;;;

li
Stabilizer 3/4" x11/2" x37''

Upper rail 1 % "x 4 % "x 2 2 "

P O R T A B LW EoRxaEI\cH
1/q" x20 Pronged T-nut Leg1/2"x 3" x 32" 'lYz" x 4Yz" x22" A kit has beenassembled for this project that includesthe draw catches, leg levelers,and l/,trr T-nuts.
O r d c rn u m b c r 3 3 0 1 3 0 0 . . ... . Orclernunrb 'r 1c3 0:1125......... To order, call (aOO) 3f l-3994

s16.9s
s39.95

&

6-

Youcan alsoorder the Record7-in.vise. Legleveler

2rrr 6rr stock for the rails. For now, cut the pieces an inch or so longer than their final size. All of us who work with construction grade lumber know it can be rough, and the width often varies. But a workbench is more refined than the framing for a wall, so I wanted crisp, uniformly sized wood. Therefore, to square up the stock, I ran one edge of each piece Building fhe leg Fromes over my jointer, then trimmed the To get your portableworkbench opposite edge on the table saw. I underway, I recommend starting suggest doing this to your leg and construction on the leg assemblies. rail stock now. But leave the To keep the cost and weight down, I stretchers until later, after completbuilt mine using common softwood ing a few other preliminary steps. framing lumber. Select2rr' 4rrstock Once you've squared these pieces, for the legs and stretchers, and cut them to length.

Half-lapjoinery in the leg assemblies provides great strength and rigidity, and the use of hex head bolts and T-nuts allow quick assembly and disassemblyof the bench. Besides the broad work surface, the feature I use most is the vise. It's not as healy-duty as the one in my shop, but for on-site work it's more than sufficient.

As I mentioned, the leg frames are held together with half-lap joints. Half-lapsare one of the simplest joints to cut and fit. And. with the addition of both glue and screws, they provide plenff of strength for this application. As the name implies, the depth of each half-lap should equal half the thickness of each joint member. Although these half-laps are wider than any dado blade, making multiple passes with a 1/2ttwide blade goes quickly enough. Install the blade in your table saw and, before ever cutting into your actual project stock, cut halfJaps into a spare 2rrt 4rr until you have the blade height set perfectly. Vorkbench t February7997

55

kg Assembly Elevation

Upper Rail Elevaton Front View End View

-- -Upper rail

provide Bolts and T-nuts solidconnections thatassemble easily andknock fast.-a down I
tt9 -.

End View
'3/,"

4%"f$l I-ower Rail Half-Lap Detail

YNl
>

-l* lNl

1Yz")

l<

from the blade and make a second pass, and so on, until your cutouts snugly fit the width of the lower rail. Now set the fence and cut the half-lapin each leg for the upper rail. After you complete the leg cuts, cut half-lapsat the ends of the rails.

Moking fhe Strefchers

You might think that 2rrx 4rrs alone would be sufficient for the stretchers. I found out the hard way that they're not. When I first built my workbench x 4rrsand fit them I just notched 2rr into the leg frames.Then I pushed a little on one frame, and heard a snap as some of the small tips at the ends of the stretchers broke. That little bit of long grain in the tips just couldn't hold up to any stress. So I went back to the drawing board and came up with the idea you see in this plan (see the Stretcher Detail on page 58). By sandwiching the 2rrx 4rrs between pieces of 1/s" thick hardboard, I reinforced the small tips and added lots of rigidity to the stretchers overall. This construction has proven to be very strong on my workbench. Rip a half dozen 3r/2" wide strips of hardboard and glue them to the lumber you selected earlier for the stretchers. Since I have a limited number of clamps, I grouped all three assemblies into one large sandwich and clamped them at the

same time. I recommend using scrap 2rrx 4rrpadsto protect the outside of the sandwich and help spread the clamping pressureevenly on the assembly. Using waxed paper between each stretcher will keep them from accidentallybonding to each other. Clean off any excessglue once it dries to a rubbery consistency.A putty knife will usually do a fine job. Next, joint one edge of each stretcher and trim the oppositeedge on the table saw.The final width is 3rr. Rqil ond Stretcher Nolches Notches in the rails and stretchers combine to make another set of halflap joints. Cutting these notches is easily done with a standardblade in your table saw- just make multiple Dasses to remove the waste.

-..--

Lower rail

Continue ignoring the stretchers for the time being and focus on cutting half-lapsin the legs and rails (see the Upper Rail and bwer Rail Halftap Details). lay out the half-laplocations on the legs (see the Leg Assembly Elevation) and cut the joints. Begin with the half-lapfor the lower rail joint. Clamp a set up block to the fence and cut the lower shoulder of each half-lap first (Figure 1). Then, move the fence a little further

half-laps iseasily wifi a dado Cutting done blade. Raise theblade tohatf thethickness of pases. fie stock and make multiple

56

\Workbench t F ebruary1997

Iay out the notcheson the upper and lower rails and set the height of the blade (seethe Upperand lnwer Rail Elevationson page 56). While you're at it, lay out the notcheson the stretchers as well (see the in the Detail).Cut notches Stretcher rails first, checking their fit on a stretcherafter every passuntil the cuttingone fit is snug.I recommend end of each notch with your first pass, then nibbling your way on pass at a time to the other end. Complete the rail notchesandmove right into the stretcher cuts. Drilling Accurote Holes The sfetcher-to-railjoints are the cenffal knockdown feature of this workbench.Each of thesejoints is held together with a bolt and a ? nut. The key to making this system boring the holes work is accurately for the bolts so they passthrough Holes easily. the rails andstretchers that aren't plumb or squareto the joints will bind the bolts and cause frustration - you'Il have to mess with a hammerfor driving the bolts into place,and you'll need a pair of pliersto pull them out. Begin by marking centerpoints for the holeson the backedgeof the sfetchers. Make sure the mark is direcfly opposite the centerof each notch (see the Sfetcher Detail). a 3/+tl Next, using a drill press and, (a bit Forstnerbit works best), drill counterbores 3/4rr deep. Then, brad-point bit, and changeto a 5/rorr drill the rest of the way through the sfretchers (Figure 2). Don't forget

Stretcher Detail
Glue on7e"hardboard stretchers, to reinforce

'7f'--

Cut notches after stretcher hardboard are assembled. and

x1Vz" CullVz" 1"from end, notch

to back up your stretcher notches with a piece of scrapwood, which will minimizethe chanceof tear out as the bit exits the wood. For future reference. I used an indelible marker to write a number on each joint member so I could put them togetherin the same always posiorder.After markingthe pieces, tion the stretcherson the rails. Now,you can mark the hole locathe sAorl tions on the rails. Remove press and put drill bit from the drill it through a hole in the sfetcher. Then,tapitgentlywith a hammerto Repeat this promark a centerpoint. joint. cedurefor each in your Next,rechuck the 5Aorrbit press and bore the holes drill through the rails. Here again, remember to position scrap wood under the workpiece to prevent tearout.After drilling the holes,drive a T-nut into position (Figure3).

leg Frcme Assembly I alwaysenjoy the assemblypart of my projects.This is the time when all my hard work pays off, and the piecesslip togetherperfectly (or at leastthey do in my dreams). Assembling the leg frames for your workbench is a very staightforward operation.First, clamp the rails and legs together,making sure are square.Then, the assemblies drill countersunkpilot holes for four screwsat eachhalfJapjoint (seethe on page56). lcgAssemblyElevation Now,removethe clampsfrom the frames and spread glue on the joints. After repositioning the pieces,drive a screw into eachhalffor lap and check the assemblies (Figure you're 4). Once satsquare isfied that everything is set, drive the remaining screws and lay the frames aside for a few hours while the glue dries.

joinband glue drlve onthehalf-lap a pronged T-nut Inhfte hole Infie bothm Spread For each strebher h ralllolnt, drlll thecoun- Tap 5/ro" inb each Square fie assemupprand loruer nall, The T-nub one screw first, ftendrillthe pilot hole, Use edge ofeach terbore Jolnt. prestoaccurately bly, fiendrive theremalnlng screws, holes. prwide sfrong connections forfie hex bolb. a drill align these

58

I February 1997 \Torkbench

Shelf Detail
Rout /+"x 45' chamfer along ends and edges ofaccessory shelf,

In a few hours, after the glue dries, trim the top assemblyto size and rip the maple edge banding. Cut the bandingto length, miter the ends, then glue and nail it to the MDF - be sure to drill pilot holes for the finishing nails. Routing Attach shelf stabilizers chamferson the edgesgivesthe top with#8x 17a FHWS. a finishedlook.

The Accessory Shelf Cut the remaining MDF to size for the shelf (see the Shelf Detail). I routed chamfers on the edges to Top Elevation match the workbenchtop. The shelfsits on the lower stretcher with help providedby a pair of stabilizers - they keep the shelf from slippingoff the stretcher.Cut2r x 4tr stock to size for the stabilizersand, for good looks, chamferthe edges on onesurface of eachpiece. Now, lay the shelf upsidedown and centerthe lower sfetcher on it. Once you're sure the sbetcher is perfectly centered, clamp the sfetcher to the shelfand set the stabilizers alongside.I like to slip playMoking the Top If you decideyou want a top like ing cardsbetweenthe stretcherand Building a top like I did requires mine,cut two MDF panels about%rl the stabilizersto allow a small martwo layersof mediumdensityfiber- larger than their final size, then lay gin for wood expansionand to ease board MDF). This constructionis one panel on top of the other. Now, the fit. Drill countersunkpilot holes very solid,anddoesnot allowmuch drill countersunkpilot holes in rows into each stabilizer, then glue and "bounce" - an important quality about 10rrapart along the length of screwthem to the shelf. wheneveryou're banging on your the panels.After drilling all the pilot workbench with a mallet or ham- holes,separate the panelsandspread FinolAssembly mer. The downside is weight glue on both pieces. A short-napped Drill holesforT:nuts into the bottom MDF is heavy. For a lighter, but paint roller will make quick work of of eachleg.Tapthem into place,then bouncier, top, you can use plywood this chore.Reposition the panelsand add the leg levelers. Erecting the or a singlethicknessof MDR drive#8' lfarr screwsinto the holes. workbenchis now a simplematterof connectingthe leg frames with the sffetchers,then adding the top and shelf. Begin by slipping the sfetchers into the notchesin the leg frame rails and tightening the bolts. The baseassembly shouldnow feel solid. Next, lay the top upsidedownand center the base on it (see the Top Elevation).Cut 2nx 4rrstockfor the supports,and screw the upper sup port to the top after drilling countersunk pilot holes (see the Support pstail). Set the lower supportsinto position and screw them to the leg frames. Install the catchesand you have an ideal knockdown mechanismfor the benchtop. W'orkbench t February 1997

:/+" x 20Pronged T-nut

59

The Vise While the workbenchis still turned you can easilyinstall upside-down, the vise. The model I chose does have a couple of features that on require some accommodation the bench top. But once these the vise will detailsare completed, be flush with the surfaceof the top, space for allowingan unobstructed layinga sheetof plywoodor a door. The first item to attend to is a positions the top The spacer spacer. edgeof the visejawsflush with the bench top surface. The spacer in this planallowsfor two thickness layersof MDF in the top. You will if you madea needa thicker spacer singlelayeredtop. Machinethe spacerto size,then position it with the vise on the undersideof the top. Now you will notice the secondaccommodation for installingthe vise. The back of the rear vise jaw is slanted.So to install the back tight against the a benchtop, you'll needto excavate shallow mortise. Use a knife to mark the vise locationon the banding, then remove the waste with chisels.Be sureto slantthe mortise to matchthe shapeof the vise. Now, press the vise tightly into the mortise and drill pilot holesfor the lag screws that hold the viseand spacerto the top. I recommend using a stop collar on your drill bit to makesureyou don'tdrill through the top. Securethe vise to the top and turn the projectright sideup.

7*--. r')\

\---t.
Workbench top

/ to sizesoacer

position vise flush withbench top.

3/e" x'1Y2" Lagscrew

Vise Detail
Wropping Up
This workbench doesn't qualify as a piece of fine furniture, but afterall the work I put into it, applying a couplecoatsofvarnish seemed more than justified. The varnish sealsthe project and protectsit from moistureand dirt. Within weeks of completingthe workbench, and aftermovingit sevjust eral times,I cameto appreciate how valuablethe knockdown feature is. The catchesare especially easyto operate(Figure5). And the boltstakejust minutesto dismantle. Although I don't alwaysset up the the it still comes in handywhen shelf, benchis movedto a site for a long period (Figure6). Its a good place for keepingtoolsoff the floor where theycouldbe damaged. No matter where I work. the portable workbench more than earns its keep. In fact, when it's nearby,I've even used mine as a serving table in the dining room. Now that'sversatility!rf

The draw catch secures thelegassembly to Byreleasing thecatch, theworkthetop. and moved, bench can bedisassembled

ib attached shbiThe accessory shelf, with The fib over thelower stretcher. shelf lizers, place provides forsetting tools. anideal

60

\TorkbenchI February1997

NewTools
Extreme Durability Cutting Blade
Imagineyourselfworkingwith wood left sitting that hasbeenused,painted, outdoors, or otherwiselookslike it ratherthan on belongsin a fireplace your circularsaw If you'rea framer, deckbuilder,or remodeler, bladehas 18carbideteethfor greater The teethresistchipping durability. andbreakingwhenthey encounter nails,rocks anddirt. I wasimpressed In a demonstration, with how quicklyandeasilythe blade cut through 16dnails andr/q"lag bolts with no damage. Flush-ground teeth you may anda reinforcedshoulderdesign, which providegreatertooth support, already longer extendbladelife up to ten-times know the when used blades importance than conventional underextremeconditions. of buying Professionals saidthey usuallybuy inexpensive low end carbidebladesfor sawing carbide In lumberundertoughconditions. blades for response, the RockCarbide blade, tough jobsite You with an antistick rim that resists conditions. build-up,cuts fasterwhile retainingits knowthey won't cutting edge- evenin the faceof lastlong,andwill gravel,or loosenails. haveto be thrown awayafter sand, The singleunit blade,model knickedandchipped they'vebecome retails for $14.99. Ifs also DW3191, the first time out. in bulk packs. DeWalt's new RockCarbidecircular available For more information, contact sawblademaybe whatyou'relooking for. The 71/att combination framing saw DeWalt,at (800)433-9258. isthree VISE GRIPS to replace dozens Allit takes metric wrenches. ofstandard and combination grip nut. Note ib firm ona hex

3-in-1 Vise Grip

a great The MSE GRIPfolks devised solutionfor thosetimesyou cannever find the right wrench:they'veintroin three ducedlockingwrenches replacing morethan48 standard sizes, wrenches. Thesevisegripswouldbe goodfor thosetimeswhenyou can't lug aroundeverywrenchyou own. They're a natural for the glove compartment,fishing tackle box, kitchen drawet or when campingor rycling. Pricesrangefrom $13to $18.For more info, contact American Tool Companies at (513)382-3811.

Heary-Duty Tool Belt for Pros

pockets, a cat's paw sleeve,backwall PortableProducts, creators of Bucket Bosssoft-sided tool-storage organizers, pockets for planes and chisels, and a security-flap pocket for small items. hasintroduced a professional-model provides Also included are pleated pockets for Rig.The verUcal tool belt - the Contractor's HorsePower Handy Clamp and pmitions nails and screws, and other tools. The nylon,a fordrllling, sawlng, belt is madeof toughAnso-tex horizontal clamplng planlng, more resisbelt retailsfor about$70. material that offers abrasion and routng, wift 180" rotation. Tb learnwhereyou canbuy than leather. tance loop that the belt, call Portable The belt hasa tunnel design (800)68&2677. pockets be easily moved Products, allowsthe to the belt. The HorsePower HandyClamptrans along forms ordinary work surfacesinto solid With 30 tully padded pockets, clampingcenters.Screwthe brackets the belt can carry workbench,or evena to a saw-horse, numerous tools tool box.Then add a length of black pipe andthe clampingjaws.Twisting and parts while generates remaining comthe handle up to 350lbs.of fortable against clampingforce.Madefrom the same your legs. resinsas Quick-Gripbar clamps. prices Included are For or more information,conto preleft and right The fully-padded Contactor's Rig belthas anintegral spine tactAmericanTool Companies, Inc., at (474)947-2M0. from 28to52inches. vent crushing under a heavy load. lt fis waists speed square

Clamping Stations

62

\(orkbenchtFebruary7997

Precision Carving
Ifyou enjoycarvingfine details,you'll want to take a look at the new powercarvingtool from Ultra Speed Products. Called the Turbo Carver,this airpowered, lightweight tool, which is aboutthe sizeof a writing pen,spins a bit at up to 400,000 rpm. And the lack of any noticeable torquemakesthe Turbo Carver exfemely controllable and smooth. Youmay feel an urge to don a lab coat, for the Turbo Carveris basedon the miniature,precisiontools usedby dentists. It is best suitedfor preciseapplications,like mrving on bone,eggshells, gunstocks, knife blades, and addingfine detailsto woodprojects.Ifs alsouseful polishing,filigree, inlay, for engraving, and relief carving.Don't expectto carve very deeply- the %0" diameterbits won't standup to much stress.

360o Hacksaw
Nicholson, knownfor its files and saws, is introducinga new hacksaw. Designed for 3604 maneuverability, this sawemploysa bladeholdingfxhrre that can be rotated to any angle.To changethe bladeangle,you furn a spring-tensioned adjustrnent screw with your fingers.The sawcuts up to 23/+"deepusing standard12rr hacksaw blades. For more information, fax NicholsonSawsat (800)423-6175.

Athch fte Turbo Carver toyour aircompressor and you'll precise have anldealtoolfor caMng dehlls Inhard materlals like bone and metal, The $115price includesthe carving pen,four bits, stencilsamples, an instructional video,a lubricant,and a foot conhol. For more information, call Ultra Speed Products,(503)622-4387.

Nlcholson's new haclsaw featr:res a blade trat plvob permlb 36ff.Thls capablllty theuse ofthis saw Invery tight sltuations.

New Skil Line

Skil is introducinga new line of portablepowertools,and to kick off the event,they gavea tour of their circular sawplant. What a marvel it was to seethe sawsbeingmade.It all startswith raw aluminumbars that go into the furnace.The moltenaluminumis poured into moldsfor sawbladeguardsand someother parts.After trimming off the rough edgesusing an enormous press,the metalparts are stacked high onto pallets. A similarprocessis usedfor making the plastichandles, triggersand motor housings. The plasticparts are all marked for fuhrre recyctng, and many of the parts in the sawsare already madefrom recycledmaterials. In yet anotherareaof the factory, motors are built for all the different sawmodels. You'dbe stunned to see the speedat which the copperwindings are automatically spun onto the motors. The sawparts go togetheronepiece at a time on the assembly lines.Can you believethis plantmadeover 1.5

million sawslastyear?They shipped On the jigsaw,Skil hasborrowed them all overthe world. sometechnologyfrom its partnersat Tb test the endurance of the top two Boschand addeda linear counterbalsawmodels,Skil engineers ripped 5 anceto reducevibration.All the new miles worth of particleboard. As for tools haveergonomicdesignscommonfeatureson the saws. the new blade ly found on more expensive models. guard lever standsout as the best The new Skil tool line includesseven innovation.With this lever,you can new drills ($2$$60), fivejigsaws($2$ rotate the guard out of the way from $60),and three circular saws($4G$80). the left side of the sawblade cover For more information, call SB Power great for safetyand convenience. Tool Corporation;(800)301-8255.

W'orkbench t February 1997

Wagner Cordless Drills

Wagner, known for its line of painting products,has expanded into a new marketwith the Pro Goldcontractor seriesof cordlessdrills. Thesedrills havemany impressive feahrres, beginningwith their low prices.Oneof the biggestcomplaintswith cordlessdrills is never knowing how much tigchuc[soft-huch poweris left in the batdrills hawa lcyless Wagner's new cordles pover ger, fie built-in light and hour recharger. The batbry and one tery. Sothe Pro Goldbatgreat feafures. forscrewdriver blts are comparlment tery packgivesa readout on remainingbattery life. with a one The drills comepackaged It alsofeahrresa keylesschuck, electric hour rechargingpowerpack and an trigger. brake,and soft-touch usefulis the extra battery.Especially While testingthe drills, it took only a momentbeforeall the yellow-highlight- built-in compartmentfor carrying screwdriverbits. ed confols and adjustnentsbecame Wagner'scordlessPro Gold drills drills have secondnatureto operate.The to $199.99. plentyof torque,which becameclear rangein pricefrom $7g.gg For more information,contactthe when a screwwasaccidentlydriven at Wagner SprayTbch Corporation, the halfway througha2rx 4r. Adjusting (800)32&8251. clutch took careof that.

Ergonomic Tools

offer new hand tools ergonomic Stanley's grips fatigue and to reduce improved designed motlon, staincaused byrepetltive Workshasintroduceda The Stanley for new line of tools designed comfort. ergonomic toolshelp designed Ergonomically job performance, enhance maximize work quality,and minimize physical stressand fatigue. Stanley'sinitiative shouldalsohelp reducemusculoske tal injuriesin the workplace. contact For more information, Tools, (860)22$5111. Stanley

TicoI,s oF
THE TI{AD
fitebond II PremiumWoodGlue-Weatherproof
O ldeal for outdoor projects-passes Type Il waier-resistance easily a Strong initial tack heat resistant and s-ands Anv woodworker knows that usins the rieht tools for a oroiect makes all the difference. Tfrat's w6v the Titebond@ Faniily of Wood Glues has been the choice of professionals ' for more than 35 years. Recognizedas the premier name in wood glues, Titebond has five specially-formulatedglues for your next woodworking project.

\-*--

fitebond Orisinal WoodGlue-Stronser than wood ntebond OarkWood Glue-For darker woods
o Offers all the benefitsof Original Titebond Titebond Licuid Hide Glue-Slolv set effect o Useto create "crackling"or antiquing

fitebondWood Moliling Glue-Noruns, no drips

o Thicker formula-sets fa-st,yet allows realignmeni of pieces

To find out which glue will work best for your next project your you can purchaseTitebond in your l ltebond rn find out out where where you can purcnase or to to trnd or
area. call our Technical Servic-e Team at I-800-347-GLUE.

i:':'

il

Tool Mounting
The TracMaster looks like a fancy But it's actualh a uniqueand sawhorse. versatiletool-mountingsystemthat's a greataid in the shopand on a jobsite. By usingthe tool mountprovidedwith the system,you can install a variety of of tools. mountingand adjustment tools suchas miter saws, benchtop jointers,vises,and grinders. The suggested retail price is $319. For more informationaboutthe The TracMasterhas a triple-track TracMaster, call (800)501-1587. beamthat allowsfast and accurate

Spiral Cutting
RotoZip, the inventorof the SpiraCut Spiral system,has a new Cordless Saw.Now electricityneednot be availablefor cutting holes. wasoriginallydeveloped The SpiraCut but it quickly became for contractors, apparent that the tool had a wider range of usefor the restof us. The SpiraCut is an effectivesystemfor cutting drywall,wood,plastet andtile.

RotoZip needs nopilot The new cordless Spira0ut wood, tile,and hole forcutting holes indrywall, materials. other solld Justplacethe bitwhere you wantto start,pushit into the material,andbegin retail,$219. cutting.Suggested For more information, contact Tool Corp.,(608)79&3737. RotoZip

Tool Protection

reith Hone,a utah.nffiiriaking

moneyand Ml

hand in hand. Using the new ultra higl-r speed engraving; Keith can engrave beau developed by the Parag;raphics Corporation,

designs on virtually any surface. The clemand for this type of work is t It'sfast . . . and eas/rl tbas yot ttdgbt tbhlel 'Sfith an easy-to-usestencil system, you can transfer any design, artwork, or logo to any hard surface. By sin-rplytracing lines using the Paragravehandpiece spinning at speedsof over 300,000rpm, you can createbeautiful carvingsand engravings and the system does the work for you. It's that simple!

can make money and bartefun too!

r-800-624-74r5
1455W. CenterOrem. Ut 84057

has comeup with new Rubbermaid power-toolstoragecasesthat provide long-lastingprotection and easyportability. Three storagecasesare available.Model 7749,shownhere,has an easy-to-open clear lid that allowsyou to view the contentswithout opening to $19.99. it. Pricesrangefrom $16.99 For more information, contact RubbermaidInc., at (330) 26+64U.

'Workbench t February 1997

HomeProducts
The Right Colors At Home
of42spray colApple Red isone new inRust-Oleum's orsavailable and Painter's Touch series, Quart in16colons, half-pinb come Painter'sTouch is a new multipurpose,high-qualitypaint It's truly mulby Rust-Oleum. tipurpose,with colorsthat can be usedindoorsand outdoors on wood, metal,wicker, and craft projects. 'We foundthat homedecoraon colornow tors arefocused more than ever,"stateda Rust-Oleum's conspokesman. temporarypaletteof spraycolprimary,classic, ors includes anddecorator contemporary, aswell asfluorescents, finishes, metalliccolors,andprimers. For more productinformation or for helpfuldecorating Corp.at tips, call Rust-Oleum (847)367-7700.

Electic Skylights
Skylightby Veluxlooks The Ventilating greatin lofts andcathedral ceilings. Skylightssufferfrom onecommon problem,so Veluxdesigned an easy light. solutionto openthis hard-to-reach A separate controlsystemenables andclosed to be opened their windows keypad.For prices from a wall-mounted anda copyof their guideto roofwindowsand sMrghts, call (800)283-2831.

Catabrtic Fireplace
Accordingto carbonmonoxidesensor. Superior, the FireCatis the cleanest andhighestefficiency burning, safest, gasfireplaceofferedto consumers. testinglaboratory An independent no CO found,"Not only doesit produce while operating, it actuallyremovesCO, and other harmful parhydrocarbons, ticulatesalreadypresentin room air." sensing device,the With its advanced to shut down fireplaceis designed beforeindoor air qualitycanbe compromised. to What'smore,it's designed of CO to any buildup to alert occupants catalyst technology Superio/s FireCat applies gasappliance gas fire." An from any malfunctioning fireplaces with "wood combustion in house. source the or other sensor improves safety. orygen depletion BTU per hour FireCathas a 30,000 gas efficiencyis input and its burning fireplace by fuel The FireCatis a new percent. greater proven It canbe 99.9 than catalyst Superiorthat applies gas in an existingfireinstalledas an insert combustechnology to ordinary place, fireplace, or as a free as a built-in improvethe dramatically tion. Catalysts features include unit. Optional standing efficiencyand safetyofwood firewireless remote places. that a forcedair blower,a Superiornow incorporates control,and a choiceofporcelainor with into a gasfireplace technology For prices interior panels. brick-pattern Flame. their SuperiorCatalytic and more informationon the FireCat, The fireplacealsocomesequipped call Superiorat (800)85+0257. with an oxygendepletionsensorand 68 -Workbench I February 1997

t
',*
q

fu $ q 4
ji

The Naller simpllff drywall tahs called Plastlc tabs tofie stud, Staple $e plastlc consfuction, and hb, firough thedrywall fien drive screws

Corner Supports
Installing drywall can be difficult whenyou haveno supportfor screws at the edgesor corners.Now there is a solution- The Nailer.This product of plastictabsthat you can consists easily attachto studs and top plates with a staplegun. to hold Thesetabs are designed againstthe side of the framing member. Screwsthen go through the dryof 100 wall and into the tab. Packages in lumberyards. sell for $17-$18 callThe For more information, MellenniumGroupat (800)5040043.

A Glue for all Seasons

Searching for the perfectglue is like the questfor the Holy Grail.Neithermay exist, is in the search. Sowhen but the pleasure PL PremiumWoodGluecrossedour desk. we gaveit a closelook. that the PL glue is a onepart polyurethane manufacturer claimswill bond almostanyplastic, metal thing,includingwood,stone, Ifs alsopaintable, stainable, andceramic. sandable, andwaterproof. its The gapfilling propertiesare perhaps Typically,a glue only most uniquefeature. like wood.but its bondstwo surfaces strengthbreaksdownwhen a joint is not tight. With PL, a gap-fillingfoam appears as it cures,creatinga strongbond. glueshavelong been Polyurethane favoredby contractorsbecause they have superior bondingfeatures, andare storeable down to 0' E at temperaturess to wear Onenote of caution:you're advised gloveswhen working with PL Premium WoodGlueto avoidstainingyour hands. A76 oz.bottlesellsfor $9.99. For more information. contactChemRex Inc. at (800)433-9517.

Sparkle Ught for Yards

Designed to add sparkleto front yards, a clearfacetedPostLight bulb was recentlyintroduced by OsramSylvania. The attractive outdoorbulb includes jewel-cut faceting, which createsa sparklewith 75 wattsof longJasting, naturallookinghalogenlight. PostLightsrecenflylit up Sylvania's NewYork'sTimes Square on NewYea/s Eve,addingglow to the festiveoccasion. wayfor home They providea decorative to dressup owners andneighborhoods yardsandwalkways. This direct screw-in for ordinary incandescents replacement alsolaststhreetimesaslong.OnePost Light bulb sellsfor $3.99. contact For more information, Inc., at (508)777-1900. OsramSylvania,