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 GUILD ¡ EDITION
1979 Celebrating Years 2019

Woodsmith.com Vol. 41/ No. 243

LARGE-SCALE
BOX JOINTS
MADE EASY
Also:
A Must-Have
Layout Tool
No Shop Should
be Without
Perfect Joints
Straight from
the Table Saw
Don’t Sharpen
Another Tool
Before Taking
this Step First
 ®

Sawdust
EDITOR Vincent Ancona
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Phil Huber
ASSISTANT EDITORS Erich Lage, Logan Wittmer
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bryan Nelson, Wyatt Myers
As you look through this issue of Woodsmith, you may notice a few
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Dirk Ver Steeg,
changes. Many of these are relatively minor, and mostly cosmetic in nature. The
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Bob Zimmerman, idea was not to redesign the magazine from the ground up, but just brighten
Becky Kralicek
things up a little. Think of it as adding a fresh coat of paint to your house as
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Fitch
opposed to an entire remodel.
PROJECT DESIGNER Dillon Baker
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle For starters, we are adding some new colors, more white space in the margins,
CAD SPECIALIST Steve Johnson and a cleaner look overall. Some of the other changes are designed to make the
SHOP CRAFTSMAN Marc Hopkins
magazine more enjoyable and easier to read. For example, we’re increasing the
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England
size of the photos and the illustrations, as well as the text.
SENIOR ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke
We’ve also added a new department that we’re calling Reader Feedback.
PUBLISHER Steven M. Nordmeyer
MANAGING DIRECTOR CLIENT SOLUTIONS EAST Dean Horowitz (You’ll find it on page 5.) It’s a chance for you to weigh in with your comments
MANAGING DIRECTOR CLIENT SOLUTIONS WEST Al Crolius or questions on specific articles you read in Woodsmith, or just general remarks
GROUP PRESIDENT Peter H. Miller
on how we’re doing or what you’d like to see in future issues. (Or even what
you think about the updated look of the magazine.)
There’s another change on Woodsmith that you may have already noticed —
we’ve begun to include a limited amount of advertising. We’ll only be featuring
Woodsmith® (ISSN 0164-4114) is published bimonthly by
Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., 2143 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312.
ads from companies that offer products related to woodworking or the wood-
Woodsmith® is a registered trademark of Cruz Bay Publishing.
Copyright© 2019 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company.
working trade. So hopefully, you’ll find some value to them and perhaps learn
All rights reserved. about a new product or tool that you otherwise wouldn’t have heard about.
Subscriptions: Single copy: $7.99.
Canadian Subscriptions: Canada Post Agreement No. 40038201. Send change of SOCIAL MEDIA. Lately, there’s been a lot
address information to PO Box 881, Station Main, Markham, ON L3P 8M6.
Canada BN 82564 2911 in the news about social media and the
Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA, and at additional offices.
Postmaster: Send change of address to Woodsmith, Box 37274, impact that it has on our society — some
Boone, IA 50037-0274.
good and some not so good. If you’re
Printed in U.S.A.
tired of reading about politics, scandals,
and what your friends had for dinner, I’d
like to invite you to take a look at Wood-
WoodsmithCustomerService.com
smith’s social media pages for something
ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES more enlightening and less divisive. We
• VIEW your account information • PAY your bill discuss what’s new around Woodsmith and
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PRESIDENT & CEO Andrew W. Clurman

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Michael Henry
CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER & GROUP PRESIDENT, ACTIVE LIVING GROUP
Jonathan Dorn

34
VICE PRESIDENT,AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Tom Masterson
VICE PRESIDENT OF PEOPLE AND PLACES JoAnn Thomas
AIM BOARD CHAIR Efrem Zimbalist III

2 • Woodsmith / No. 243

contents
Projects
No. 243 • June/July 2019

weekend project
Beverage Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Placed next to a couch or your favorite chair, this small stand
is the perfect place to set your cup of coffee or drink while
relaxing. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to fire up your lathe.

shop project
CNC Router Pt. 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

18
In part two of our CNC router project, we add the router
mount and install all the electrical components. Then it’s
finally ready to flip the switch for its maiden run.

designer project
Cuckoo Clock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The whimsical design of this clock case makes it the perfect
companion for a cuckoo clock movement. This project is a treat
22
for the eyes as well as the ears.

shop project
Setup Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
You’ll find a multitude of uses around the shop for this handy
setup gauge. The best part is that you can build it in a week-
end from just a few scraps of wood and some brass.

heirloom project
Tansu Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
This scaled-down version of a traditional Tansu cabinet offers
a number of woodworking challenges, including oversized
box joints, sliding doors, and an aged paint finish.
46

42
Woodsmith.com • 3
contents C ONT IN UED

Departments

Reader Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

from our readers

Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

12 all about
Combination Squares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Learn what to look for when selecting a combination
square, as well as tips on putting it to use in your shop.

router workshop
“Ripping” Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
No jointer? No problem. Create smooth, parallel edges on
your workpieces at the router table.

techniques from our shop

Better Results with Forstner Bits . . . . . . . 16
Get more from these shop staples by learning a few tips
on selecting and using Forstner bits.

56 woodworking technique
Handcut Large Box Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Box joints are usually cut on the table saw or router table.
But for large box joints, this hand technique works well.

64 working with tools

Flattening Waterstones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Keeping your waterstones flat is an important step to get-
ting the best results when sharpening your tools.

mastering the table saw

Glue Line Rip Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Do glue line rip blades live up to the hype? Find out as we
take an in-depth look at how well they work.

4 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 READER
Feedback
Dealing with Snipe
I really enjoyed the article in
Woodsmith No. 241 about plan-
ers and snipe. I purchased my
planer about one year ago. Before
buying it, I Googled all the videos
and info I could about planers. I
ended up building an input and
output roller table to lift the wood.
It seems to work good.
The other thing is that I built a
thickness sander from the March
2006 issue of ShopNotes. When
I plane the wood, I get it close.
Then I use the thickness sander to
bring it to the final thickness and
by doing that, I remove the snipe.
Really enjoy the magazine. Keep
up the good work.
Paul Peters
Cassopolis, MI
Workshop is No Place for Fido
Just received issue 239 and was
surprised by Mr. Wittmer’s article
on pets in the shop! In my opinion,
and my veterinarian’s, the shop is
no place for a pet, Mutt Muffs or
not! I have been a subscriber for
many years and this was the most
ridiculous article ever published
in your magazine. I hope no other
readers take this seriously.
Fred Chudzik
Sponsoring Station
No Love for Japanese Saws?
I received and read the latest issue
of Woodsmith (No. 239). I got to the
article on hand saws and I was
very disappointed. There was not
a mention of Japanese hand saws
which, once you get used to them,
I find to be superior to the saws
discussed in the article. I for one
would very much like to see an
article discussing the fine points,
pun intended, of the Japanese
hand saws.
David Barkdoll
Ellenwood, GA
Making Memories
Just purchased Season 12 (of the
Woodsmith Shop TV Show). My
four-year-old grandson loves the
show and we often watch them
together. I can’t go to my work-
shop without him. We spend
hours there and I enjoy it as well.
After we watch an episode
or two, he says, “Pa, I think we
should go to the workshop so I
can be a Woodsmith guy.” He’s
like a little sponge and takes it all
in. Thanks Woodsmith for help-
ing this proud grandfather build
memories with my grandson, for
both of us.
Bruce Smith
Major Program Underwriters
Edge Sander Redux
Hmmm.. your edge sander in
Woodsmith No. 240 looks sus-
piciously like the edge sander
you published in 1998 in Shop-
Notes. If you’re going to rehash
old ideas, I think you ought to
at least cite the old version and
explain why you updated it.
Instead, you make it sound like
your design team had a revolu-
tionary new idea. Frankly, this is
a little disappointing.
Mark Rhines
Happy Reader
I have subscribed to several wood-
working magazines, but yours
is far beyond superior with its
detailed illustrations, worthwhile
projects, and knowledgeable
techniques!! It is one magazine I
have not tossed aside after paging
through it, but read several times
and keep picking up new ideas.
Forever a subscriber!
Randy Sweeney
Ottumwa, IA
You may email comments to
Editor@Woodsmith.com. Please
include your first and last name,
city, and state. Comments may be
edited for length or clarity.
Titebond®
Additional Funding
Woodsmith.com • 5
 READER’S
Tips

{ Plans for the five plywood

shop projects can be found on
WoodsmithPlans.com.

Accessory Shelf
I recently built the plywood
shop projects from Woodsmith
No. 234. They work great, but
I found that I needed one more
thing. And that was a smaller
surface to mount my bench
grinder. I took inspiration from
the projects’ design and came
up with the shelf shown here.
THICK TOP. As you can see in the
photo above, the top of the acces-
sory shelf is two layers of ply-
wood. This makes it sturdy for the
heavy bench grinder. The rest of
the shelf is also made out of ply-
wood, and a drawer with a ply-
wood false front is installed on a
set of metal slides.
The thing I like the best about
the shelf is that it was simple to
build and can be installed any-
where along the wall. Some lag
screws driven into the wall studs
have the shelf mounted securely
and ready for work.
Amber Fisher
Fort Wayne, Indiana

a. 7!/2 14
1

12!/4 #/8
TOP
(16#/4"x 24!/2")
4!/4
1#/8 #8 x 2!/2" Fh
woodscrew DRAWER BOTTOM
(13"x 19")
DRAWER
FRONT/BACK
(4"x 18!/2")
#8 x 1!/2" DRAWER
Fh woodscrew DRAWER BACK SIDE
#/8
STRETCHER #/8
(4"x 21") Plastic
#/4 4%/8 handle
DRAWER SIDE (centered
#/4
(4"x 14") on front)
4%/8
SIDE FALSE FRONT
(14"x 15") (4&/8"x 22#/8")
5
1!/2 2!/2 #/4 #8 x #/4"
Ph woodscrew

NOTE: Drawer bottom is

!/4" plywood. All other parts
b.
#8 x 1!/2" are made from #/4" plywood
Fh woodscrew
BACK
3 (14"x 21")

6 • Woodsmith / No. 243

Drill Press Hold-Down
If you’re anything like me, hold-
ing parts at the drill press tends
to be hard on your hands. After
having a piece grab and spin
around, I decided to make the
simple clamping jig shown here.
CLAMP BAR. As you can see in
the photo, the hold-down is
nothing more than a long piece
of plywood with a hardboard
cap glued on it. A slot in each
end lines up with my T-track
and is the attachment point to
my drill press table.
Using it is just as simple as the
construction. After positioning
my workpiece, I can place the
bar on top and clamp it down
!/4"-20 knob
using the knobs. That way, the
workpiece is held secure and my
!/4"fender
hands are out of the way. washer
William Aulick CAP NOTE: Clamp bar
Ontario, Canada (2!/2"x 36") is made from #/4" plywood.
Cap is !/4" hardboard

a.

!/4"-20 x 3!/2"
T-bolt CLAMP BAR
(2!/2"x 36")

WIN THIS FORREST BLADE

GO ONLINE
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hear from you and consider publishing your tip in
Woodsmith. Jump online and go to:
SubmitWoodsmithTips.com
You’ll be able to tell us all about your tip and upload
your photos and drawings. You can also mail your tips to
“Woodsmith Tips” at the editorial address shown on page
2. We will pay up to $200 if we publish your tip and
one tip from each issue will be selected to win a Forrest
Woodworker II saw blade.
THE WINNER!
Congratulations to Amber Fisher,
the winner of this Forrest Woodworker II.

Illustrations: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 7

 { A pair of oversized holes in the
crosscut sled easily slip over the
bolt head, yet still hold it secure.

Crosscut Sled Storage

A crosscut sled is one of my
favorite things I’ve built for
my shop. The problem with the
sled however, is it takes up a lot
of room when not in use. One
day, I realized the answer was
staring me in the face.
SHORT WING. The solution
came in the form of the wing
on my table saw. The wing is
shorter than the fence rail, and
allowed enough room for me
to hang the sled.
A PAIR OF BOLTS. To create the
hanger, I drilled a pair of holes
into the MDF wing of the table
saw. Then, using two nuts, I
was able to secure a bolt into
each hole. To hang the sled, I
drilled two oversized holes in it
that fit over the bolt heads.
Now, whenever I’m done
with my sled, I can hang it up
out of the way. The best part of
all is it’s still within reach.
Greg Lowe
Matthews, North Carolina

QUICK TIPS

Router Lift Crank. Don Filson of Lima, OH
uses the ShopNotes No. 121 router lift in his
router table. But instead of robbing a socket
wrench from his socket set, he found that
an old brace with a driver bit was the perfect
thing to adjust the height. The best part is
that it’s much faster than a ratchet.
Keeping Thin Plywood Flat. Kathy McNulty
of Parma, ID found that when she stored thin
sheet goods, they had a tendency to sag over
time. To solve this twisty problem, Kathy uses
a handful of spring clamps to clamp the thin
plywood to a thicker sheet. It keeps them flat
while in storage.

8 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 a.

#/4"-rad. NOTE: Larger recesses

are !/4" deep. Pencil
recess is !/8" deep

NOTE: All parts

are made from TOP
{ The recesses in the shelf are sized to fit a #/4"-thick softwood (5"x 12")
tape measure, a pencil, and safety glasses,
but could be customized to fit other items. !/8 BRACKET
(3"x 3")
%/8"-dia.
Shop Valet b.
Over the years, I’ve 3!/2
gotten into a shop
routine. It starts by 2!/4
putting on my equip-
ment— safety glasses,
my apron, hearing %/8" dowel BACK
(4!/2"x 12") #/4"-rad.
protection, and then
throwing my tape
measure and pencil into my apron pocket. That
everyday-carry was the inspiration for building
this shop valet.
DIGITAL WOODSSMITH
SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION. As you can see in the photo,
the valet is simply a shelf with a couple of pegs. RECEIVE FREE EETIPS
The pegs are designed to hold my apron and BY EMAILL
hearing protection. The shelf is easy to build. The Now you can have the be est time-
parts are made from some scrap softwood and saving secrets, solutions, and
glued together. The pegs are simply glued into techniques sent directly to
t your
holes drilled in the back. email inbox. Simply go to o:
ROUTED RECESSES. The one thing that might not be
Woodsmith.c
com
apparent is the recesses routed into the top of the and click on,
shelf. I routed three different recesses to hold the
accessories I use all the time. They give each item Woodsmith eT
Tips
a home and that way I don’t waste time looking
You’ll receive one of our favorite
for my pencil or tape measure, because we all
tips by email each and evvery week.
know how much time that can take.
Kurt McDonald
Tampa Bay, Florida

Woodsmith.com • 9
 ALL

Combination
Squares

W hen I was getting started in woodwork-

ing, one of the first tools I purchased
was a combination square. I still have that square
today, and it makes the list of my top five most-
used tools. Whether you own one of these handy
layout tools, or have thought about obtaining one,
you may be surprised at all the things they can do.
Let’s dive in for a closer look.
Combination squares get their name from the
fact that they combine the functions of many tools
into one. If you take a look at the anatomy drawing

10 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Vincent Ancona

 Washer Spring

COMBINATION SQUARE Lock

ANATOMY bolt

Blade 45˚
slot face
Blade

Nut

Raised Spirit
rib level
90˚
face

Head

a.
Scriber
pin

Regular

above, you’ll see the basic compo-
nents of the combination square.
At the heart is a steel rule with
a groove down the center on one
face. This groove is used to lock
in different styles of heads. The
most common of these is known
as the square head. It has two
faces — one for 90° angles and
one 45° angles.
Incorporated into the square
head is a spirit level and scriber
pin. (The scriber pin is used more
often in metalworking.)
In addition to the square head,
there are a couple of other heads
that expand the use of this tool.
(More on those later.)
SELECTING A SQUARE. When it
comes to selecting a combination
square, there are a few things to
consider. For starters, I would
recommend buying the best
quality you can afford. A square
purchased from your local hard-
ware store might be sufficient for
building a deck or a shed, but it’s
most likely not accurate enough
for fine woodworking.
It’s hard to go wrong with a
Starrett brand square, and that’s
what I recommend if your bud- The black wrinkle
get allows. Although they cost heads are made
quite a bit more than low-end of cast iron and the
squares, you’ll be investing in a smooth heads are
tool that will last a lifetime. hardened steel.
If the price of a Starrett is The cast iron
beyond reach, combination head is a bit less
squares from iGaging and PEC expensive, and for
are also of a decent quality, just woodworking, it’s Satin
not as nicely finished. perfectly suitable. chrome
RULE. Since the rule is one of
the most important parts of a Black wrinkle finish
(cast iron)
combination square, it deserves
consideration. Starrett offers a
number of different graduation
options, including metric and
decimal scales. For woodwork-
ing, my preference is the 4R
graduation type, which includes
8ths, 16ths, 32nds, and 64ths.
You’ll also find a couple of
options for the finish on the rule
— regular and satin chrome
(upper right photo). The satin
chrome is easier to read and is
less prone to rust. It’s my choice.
HEAD. There are also two fin-
ish choices for the head — black
wrinkle and smooth (lower right
Smooth finish
photo). But in this case, the fin- (hardened steel)
ish is more than just cosmetic.

Illustrations: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 11

 12"

6"

4"

A final consideration in
SIZE.
selecting a square is size. Com-
bination squares are available in
five lengths (4", 6", 12", 18" and
24"). You can see a few of these
sizes in the photo above.
The 4" and 6" squares are
handy because they slip into the
pocket of a shop apron. The 12"
size is good for all-around tasks.
And the bigger sizes are useful
for large-scale projects.
Unless you only intend to
build small projects, I would
suggest going with a 12" square
for starters. It’s long enough to
handle most layout tasks you’ll
likely encounter when working
with hardwood boards.
As a plus, because the heads
on the 12" and larger squares are
the same, you can swap out the
12" rule for an 18" or 24" rule if
you need a larger square.
Then as funds allow, I’d add
a smaller square (a 6" is my
preference) to carry around for
tool and bit setups, and to use
in tight spots where the larger
square is too unwieldy.

Layout Tool. To draw a line parallel to the
edge of a board, simultaneously slide the
square and a pencil along the board.
Stop Block Setup. With the square placed
against the edge of a drill (or router) bit,
setting up a stop block is an easy task.
Depth Gauge. A combination square
makes a handy depth gauge to measure
mortises, dadoes, and grooves.
Blade Stops. The head of the combination
square can be used to test both the 90°
and 45° blade tilt stops on your table saw.
USING A SQUARE
The obvious use for a combi-
nation square is to check the
accuracy of 90° and 45° cuts
and assemblies. But the fact that
the head can be positioned and
locked at any point along the
length of the rule makes a com-
bination square useful for a lot of
other tasks. Some of those uses
are shown in the photos at left,
but I’ll mention a few others.
They tend to fall into one of two
categories — layout and setup.
LAYOUT TOOL. When laying out
joinery, quite often you need to
repeat the same layout on mul-
tiple parts. A combination square
can really speed up this process.

12 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 For example, if I’m laying out
mortises on a set of legs, I can set
my combination square to match
the distance from the edge of the
workpiece to the mortise, and then
use it lay out all the mortises with-
out having to measure each time.
SETUP TOOL. In addition to using
it for laying out workpieces, I
use my combination square for
tool setups. It’s great for set-
ting the height of a blade or bit,
or checking to make sure your
table saw blade is parallel with
your miter gauge slots.
ACCESSORY HEADS
A combination square with a
standard square head handles
most of the tasks I face in my
shop. But there are a couple
of accessory heads that can be
useful for special purposes. To
use these, you simply slide the
square head off the rule and
replace it with either one of the
accessory heads. These can usu-
ally be purchased separately, or
as a complete set with the square.
PROTRACTOR HEAD. The first of these
is a protractor head, as shown in
the photo above. This head is
used to lay out angles. A ring in
the center of the head holds the
rule and swivels 180°. It’s marked
in one degree increments (see
{ To quickly find the center of a dowel or round workpiece, a center head is the
perfect tool. The head registers against the edges of the workpiece while you
draw intersecting lines to zero in on the centerpoint.
{ For laying out angles other than 90° and 45°, a protractor head is a useful additon to your
combination square. Engraved markings on the head allow you to dial in precise angle
measurements quickly and easily.
inset photo) to make setting the
head to your desired angle a
snap. Better quality protractor
heads are marked from 0° to 180°
in both directions, so you can lay
out an angle from either side.
The protractor head is
designed to fit on rules 12" and
up. A longer rule (18" or 24") can
come in handy here, particularly
when laying out shallow angles.
Protractor heads are often fit-
ted with a spirit level (similar to
the square head), although I have
yet to come across an occasion
where I’ve needed that function.
CENTER HEAD. The other accessory
head is a center head. It’s used
to locate the center of round
stock. This is a handy feature for
turners, but can also be useful if
you’re laying out the center of
any round workpiece, like the
top of a table.
To use the center head, you
simply place your workpiece in
the crotch of the head and draw
a line against the edge of the
rule. Then rotate the workpiece
and draw an intersecting line to
locate the center (photo at left).
If your workpiece is slightly out
of round, it can be helpful to
draw several lines to establish
the approximate center.
Unlike protractor heads, cen-
ter heads are available for all rule
lengths, even down to 4". (See
Sources on page 66.)
Most tools that promise to do
a dozen different things usually
don’t do any one of them very
well. But that’s definitely not the
case with a combination square.
This is one tool that really lives
up to its name. W
Woodsmith.com • 13
 ROUTER
Workshop
Ripping
at the
Router
Table

} A piece of hardwood with an

acrylic extension serves as a cover
and barrier to keep your hands
away from the router bit.
W ith a title like “Ripping
at the Router Table,”
you’re forgiven if you raise an
eyebrow in skepticism. And it’s
true, I’m not saying you can (or
should) use your router table
to cut wide boards into narrow
parts. Instead, the idea here is
more trimming to width in small
increments, leaving a smooth,
glass-like edge.
This is an idea that I’ve toyed
with for some time, but got
serious about after a conversa-
tion with another woodworker.
We both had set up and used a
router table for jointing the edges
of pieces. The technique works
really well, and the smooth edge
is tough to beat. The only issue is
that after a few jointing passes,
you may end up with a slight
taper along the width of a board.
This isn’t a big deal if you
finish by ripping the board to
final width at the table saw.
However, if you want to keep
the sides parallel while trim-
ming off a small amount, then
the technique shown here is one

14 • Woodsmith / No. 243

3 Written by: Phil Huber
to consider. And you still end up
with smooth edges.
ALL IN THE SETUP. Like many
machine operations in wood-
working, success depends on
taking the time to accurately
set up the tool. So I’m going to
spend a good amount of time on
the finer points, first.
For starters, for ripping to
work, you need to pass the
workpiece between the bit and
the fence. The usual right-to-left
motion won’t work here. That’s
because the piece would be mov-
ing in the same direction as the
bit rotation. The part gets pulled
out of your hand in a heartbeat.
The answer is to move the
workpiece from left to right, as
shown in the main photo on the
previous page. It might seem
odd at first, but it puts the work-
piece in the proper orientation.
ROUTER BIT. The next thing to
consider is the bit. I find larger
diameter straight bits have a
smooth cutting action and are
more stable, so, I use a 3⁄4"-dia.
bit. But if you have a 1"-dia. bit,
go ahead and use that.
Since the workpiece travels
between the bit and fence, the
bit is left exposed. You can rem-
edy this with the bit cover shown
on the previous page. The idea
is to create a physical and visual
{ Since this operation is really meant for removing small amounts of material
with each pass, a few light taps with a mallet will shift the fence enough
between passes. Then it’s a good idea to make sure the fence is tight.
barrier to remind you to keep
your fingers away.
FENCE & FEATHERBOARD. Next up
on the list is setting the fence.
Like I said earlier, this approach
works best when removing
small amounts. That amount
depends on the thickness and
density of the material. The
heaviest pass I would take is 1⁄8".
Between passes, rather than
loosening the fence, I often nudge
it over with a few light mallet
taps, as in the lower left photo.
Finally, I also set up a feather-
board on the infeed (left) side of
the router table, as shown in the
photo above. The featherboard
applies pressure to hold the piece
against the fence. This stabilizes
the workpiece throughout most
{ A featherboard
of the cut for consistency. Keep in keeps steady
mind that after any fence adjust- pressure against
ment, you may need to readjust the workpiece,
the featherboard. Depending holding it against
on the depth of cut, the feather- the fence while
board may not be applying just you focus on
the right amount of pressure. pushing the
MAKING A PASS. At last, you’re piece past the
ready to make a cut. With all router bit.
the prep work, this is a matter
of turning on the router and
guiding the piece past the bit.
This will feel similar to making
a skim cut on the table saw.
With narrow boards, a push
block is a good idea. The key to
getting the smoothest edge is
maintaining a steady feed rate.
The shavings coming off the bit
should look like small ribbons.
When held up to the light, you
shouldn’t see any scallops on the
edge of the board. } The high speed and
Ripping on the router table isn’t sharp edge of the
something you’ll do every day. router bit leave
But it’s a solid technique to have a remarkably
on hand — especially if your table smooth edge.
saw is set up for another opera-
tion. Try it out yourself, the results
will speak for themselves. W
Woodsmith.com • 15
TECHNIQUES
from our Shop
Better Results
with Forstner Bits
When it comes to drilling holes, I
often reach for a Forstner bit. This
Traditional type of bit is designed to drill a
precise hole with a flat bottom.
It’s ideal for creating counterbo-
rres, recesses, and mortises.
But as simple as drilling a
hole sounds, there’s more to
h range in price, from inexpensive diameter of the bit, as well as
using a Forstner bit than meets
u bargain sets that cost only a few the hardness of the wood you’re
the eye. It takes an understand-
Multi-spur ing of the different kinds of bits
s well as some shop-tested tips
nd techniques for getting the
est results.
PICK A BIT. For starters, not all
orstner bits are the same. They
me in several styles, as you
an see in the left margin. The
Carbide traditional style has a continu-
us rim with two cutting edges
tthat shave away the waste.
Another common version has
a saw-tooth rim, as shown in the
ccenter photo. This reduces heat
bbuildup, which is especially
helpful in larger-diameter bits.
{ bits The third type of Forstner
are available in bit doesn’t have a cutting rim
several styles. (lower bit). Instead, there are two
16 • Woodsmith / No. 243
carbide spurs mounted along the drill press. And one of the most
edge to score the cut, while flat important things is running the
lifters hog out the waste. This bit at the right speed. Even with
type of bit is designed for drill- high-speed steel bits, too much
ing in abrasive materials like heat and friction will shorten
particleboard and MDF. their lifespan.
You’ll find that Forstner bits You need to consider the
dollars, to premium bits that cost working with. The chart below
at least twice as much per bit. As provides a good speed range
tempting as the lower-cost bits for most Forstner bits. In gen-
are, I’ve found it sometimes pays eral, the harder the material and
to be more selective. the larger the bit, the slower the
First off, look for bits made speed you should use.
from high-speed steel (HSS). UNDER CONTROL. Just as important
They’re designed to withstand as the speed is the feed rate.
the speed and heat created
during heavy drilling. As
a result, the bit will stay Recommended Speeds
sharp longer. Forstner-Style Bits
No matter what kind
of bit you have, there are Bit Diameter RPM Range
some techniques that will
help you take advantage !/4"– %/8" 1800-2400
of the bit’s design and give !!/16" – 1" 1400-1800
you crisp, accurate holes. 1 !/16" – 1 &/16" 900-1200
THE RIGHT SPEED. First, a
Forstner bit works best in a 1 !/2" – 3" 450-600
Written by: Phil Huber
{ Mark the center of the hole with an awl. With the drill { Another way to accurately locate the bit from the edge
press off, lower the bit until it catches the dimple made of a workpiece is to cut a spacer to position the bit off
by the awl, then set the fence. the rim and set the fence.

The idea is to apply just enough
pressure to let the bit do the
work. It’s also a good idea to
keep the workpiece from shift-
ing by using a fence, stop block,
or additional support blocks.
LOCATING A BIT. One challenge in
using a Forstner bit is position-
ing it accurately. The large rim
often gets in the way of seeing
the layout mark. To solve this
problem, there are a couple of
tricks I like to use.
The first is to mark the center-
point of the hole with an awl, as
in the upper left photo. This way,
you can gradually lower the bit
and slide the workpiece around
until the centerpoint “finds” the
dimple. Then, you can position
your fence and lock it in place.
The other method is to use a
spacer block as a set-up gauge,
as shown in the upper right
photo. The spacer fits between
the rim of the bit and fence.
When determining the thick-
ness of the spacer, remember
to use the radius of the bit, not
its diameter.
THROUGH HOLES. As I mentioned, a
Forstner bit is ideal for drilling
a flat-bottom hole. But I often
use one to drill through holes,
as well. The problem is in some
materials, the bit may grab and
tear out the back side.
To minimize tearout, back up
the workpiece with a backer
board, upper photo at right.
Then, set the depth stop on the
drill press so the rim just touches
the backer. This prevents the bit
from bursting through as the last
of the material is drilled out.
DEEP HOLES. If there’s a down-
side to using a Forstner bit, it’s
that it doesn’t have continuous
flutes to pull chips out of deep
holes. So, to keep the bit cool
and cutting smoothly, retract it
periodically as you drill to pull
out the waste.
OVERLAPPING HOLES. One final use for
Forstner bits is making recesses
and mortises. Since a Forstner bit
cuts along the rim, you can drill
overlapping holes. But a partially
supported bit can sometimes
wander and spoil the hole.
For the best results, leave
a space between each hole as
you drill for the mortise (lower
photo below). Then, come back
and drill out the remaining
waste, as shown in the main
photo on the previous page.
Forstner bits are simple wood-
working tools. And when you
combine them with these tips,
they can improve the quality of
your woodworking. W
< A fresh backer
board supports
the workpiece to
prevent tearout
when drilling
through holes.
< To drill
overlapping
holes, leave
a space
between the
holes to support
the center of
the bit.

Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 17

WEEKEND
Project

Beverage
Stand
The sleek design of this
beverage stand goes
hand-in-hand with its
single-minded purpose.

I n issue 240 of Woodsmith, we featured the

campaign chair shown here as a project.
Once the chair was designed and built, we
realized that it was missing just one thing
— a convenient place to set a drink. So we
came up with this simple beverage stand.
It’s just the right size for a cup of coffee (or
another beverage of your choice).
While we designed the stand to comple-
ment the campaign chair, the style is basic
enough to match several different decors. So
even if you aren’t planning to build the cam-
paign chair, you may want to consider add-
ing this stand to your favorite lounging spot.

The
h beverage
b standd was ddesigned
i d to
complement our campaign chair. You can find
plans for the chair at WoodsmithPlans.com.

18 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Vincent Ancona; Project Design: Dillon Baker
 A
TOP
Making the (10"-dia x 1")

BLANKS NOTE: All

B parts are made
The beverage stand consists of BOTTOM
from 1"-thick
hardwood stock
only three major parts — a base, (11"-dia x 1")
a top, and a column. I chose 12 12
to start with the base and top.
There’s not much to these. Each
one is simply a circle that’s cut
out of 1"-thick stock.
To make the base and top, I
started by gluing up a blank for
each one. Even though the fin-
ished top is 1" smaller in diam-
eter in size than the base, I found
it easier just to make two identi-
cally sized blanks. (I made my
blanks 12" x 12".) Cutting out the
CIRCLE CUTTING. No matter which method
After the glue is dry and the circles can be done using a jig you use to cut the circles, you’ll
clamps are removed, the next saw or a band saw. I opted to likely have to spend at least a
step is to lay out the round pro- use the band saw, along with little time sanding the edges
files of the top and base. To do the circle-cutting jig that you see smooth. You can do this by hand,
this, I simply drew a pair of diag- in the box below. The jig simply but if you have a disc sander at
onal lines from corner to corner fits over the table of your band your disposal, it will make the
of the blank to locate the center- saw. An adjustable bar with a job go much faster. The goal is
For more on the
point. Then I used a compass to dowel center serves as a pivot to end up with two smooth, per- circle jig, go to:
draw the two circles. point as you cut the circle. fectly round blanks. Woodsmith.com

BAND SAW CIRCLE-CUTTING JIG

Adjustable
bar
!/4"dowel
center
Lock knob FIRST: Feed workpiece
BASE into blade until jig stop
(16!/2"x 16!/2"- contacts table
5!%/16 Lock knob
#/4"ply.)
shoe Outer
bar
10!/2 !/8" SECOND: Rotate
&/16"-rad. kerf workpiece to
cut circle
MIDDLE STRIP
1!/4 (15#/4"x #/4"- #/8")
JIG STOP
(9!/4"x #/4"- !/4")
Screw

FENCE
(2"x 15#/4"- &/8")
Circle-Cutting Jig. To use the jig, position the adjustable bar so the
NOTE: Base is
#/4"plywood. All distance between the blade and the dowel center equals the radius
OUTER STRIP other parts are of the circle you wish to cut. Then push the jig and blank into the
(16!/2"x #/4"- #/8") hardwood
blade and slowly turn the blank to cut the circle.

Illustrations: Becky Kralicek Woodsmith.com • 19

 3!/2"-dia. hole,
!/8"-deep

1"-dia.
through hole

a.
NOTE: See
box below
for making
coaster recess

1"-dia. hole,
!/2"-deep

B
{ Cork (top) or leather hide (bottom)
are both suitable materials for the #/8" roundover
built-in coaster of the stand.

Complete the TABLE

With the blanks for the top and
base sized and cut to shape, you
just have a little more work to do
to complete them. Then the last
part to make will be the column.
CENTERED HOLES. The first step in
completing the top and base is
to drill a centered hole in each
piece. These will serve as mor-
tises for the tenons that you’ll
turn on the ends of the column.
Both of the holes are 1" in
diameter. The hole in the base
is 1⁄2" deep. But the hole in the
top goes all the way through the
thickness of the workpiece, to
accommodate a wedged tenon.
You can use the centerpoint left
behind by the dowel center of
the circle-cutting jig to locate the
holes on the blanks.
To soften the edges of the base
and top, I routed a roundover on
both edges of each piece. Once
this is done, you can set the base
aside for now. But there’s still
one more step left to complete
the top of the stand.
COASTER RECESS. The top features
a built-in coaster, so you never
have to worry about your drink
leaving a white ring in the fin-
ish. I used cork for the coaster
material (upper photo). But you
could also use a scrap piece of
the leather or hide that you used
to make your campaign chair.
The coaster material is let into
a recess in the top of the stand.

CREATE THE COASTER RECESS

Rout the Recess. A router and
template are used to create the
recess for the coaster. Using a wing
cutter, I cut a large hole in a piece
of 3⁄4" MDF for the template. It’s
attached to the workpiece with
double-sided tape. The bearing on
the router bit rides against the edge
of the opening in the template.
The exact position of the recess
NOTE: Attach
isn’t critical. I positioned mine so it template to
was roughly centered between the workpiece with a.
double-sided tape
edge of the top and the center hole.

20 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 Wedge Half-
Pattern
I made this recess using a router a. (!/2" squares)
and a dado-cleanout bit. A
simple template can be used to A

guide the bit, as shown in the

box on the previous page. NOTE: Wedge
The coaster recess completes is trimmed
flush with top
the top, but hold off on gluing after assembly
the coaster material in place until
after you’ve applied a finish to
the entire project.
b. C
TURNING THE COLUMN COLUMN
With the base and top complete, (2"x 22")
22
you can “turn” your attention to
making the column. This starts
out as a 2"-square turning blank,
cut slightly oversize in length.
After laying out the centerpoints
on each end, you can mount the
blank in your lathe.
To shape the column, I started hole for a woodscrew is drilled
by turning the square blank through the center of the base 1
round, using a roughing gouge. and into the column, as shown
B
Then I turned a tenon at each in detail ‘b’ above.
end to fit the mortises drilled in The top of the stand is also
the top and base. glued to the column, but instead
The column tapers in toward of a screw, I used a thin wedge #8 x 2" Fh
the center from both ends in a to secure the parts. The wedge woodscrew
gentle curve. The box below is made extra long and trimmed
shows how I created this profile. flush after it’s glued and driven Materials & Supplies
Before assembling the stand, I in place in the kerf (detail ‘a’).
cut a kerf in the top tenon of the After staining and finishing A Top (1) 1 x 10-dia.
column. This will hold a wedge the stand (see page 66 ), you can B Base (1) 1 x 11-dia.
after the top is glued in place. add the coaster material of your C Column (1) 2-dia. x 22
ASSEMBLY. To assemble the choice. Then your project is • (1) Adhesive-Backed Cork
stand, the column is glued into ready to take its place next to • (1) #8 x 2 Fh Woodscrew
the base. A countersunk pilot your favorite chair. W

SHAPE THE COLUMN

Turn the Column to Shape. To cre-
NOTE: Work out
ate the curved profile of the column, from center
start by cutting a 1⁄2"-deep groove at toward ends
the middle. This will serve as a guide
so you know how deep to cut.
Then using a gouge, remove the
bulk of the waste, working from
the center out toward the ends.
Once most of the waste is gone,
switch to a round-nose scraper to
refine the profile. Some sanding will
remove any tool marks and blend
out the curves.

Woodsmith.com • 21
SHOP
Project

22 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Logan Wittmer; Project Design: Chris Fitch

{ The shop-made rails are made from 6061 aluminum for a long life. The
adjustable V-bearings hug the rails and allow the different components
of the CNC to be easily removed if needed.
} The adding of a third motor converts the CNC to a 3-axis machine. This
allows you to cut two-dimensional pieces, such as parts, as well as doing
relief carving on items such as moldings and appliques.
Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg
CNC
Router Pt. 2
Turn your woodworking
shop into a machining,
cutting, carving, and
milling powerhouse by
building our shop-made
CNC router.
I n the last issue, we began building our
shop-made CNC router. In the first part of
the project, the main bed of the CNC was built,
along with the gantry. In this second install-
ment, you’ll be building the Z-axis mount.
THREE DIMENSIONS. When CNC routers first hit
the workplace, most of them were limited
to two dimensional work. This meant they
could cut out parts, but they couldn’t cut
relief carvings. By adding the third (Z-axis) to
the CNC, you can transform the router from a
part cutter to a carving powerhouse.
The Z-axis mount consists of a small stepper
motor and carriage that rides left and right
along the gantry. Attached to the carriage is a
clamp where your router will be held.
THE MOTOR. While we’re on the subject of the
router, let’s talk a little bit about what type of
router you’ll want to add to your machine.
For my CNC, I used a small palm router.
Anything over 1-HP should be powerful
enough for most tasks you’ll ask of this CNC.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t up-size the
motor to suit your needs. Just be aware that
a larger motor will be heavier and any time
you use a large bit, you’ll need to cut slower.
The combination of three axes and a large
bed allows the CNC to not only cut out two
dimensional parts, but also to relief carve
items such as moldings and appliqués. So,
continue on to finish the final steps in build-
ing your own CNC router.
Woodsmith.com • 23
 6061 aluminum
bracket NOTE: All parts
(1!/2"x 2%/8") are made from
#/4" plywood
3!/4 #/8"-dia.
!#/16

HH
HH
BASE
(8"x 13") FRONT VIEW
#/16"-dia.
pilot hole
%/16" x 1" 1!!/16
lag screw I I
%/16"-dia. PLATE
(6!/2"x 13") 1"-dia.
a.
4%/8

1!/4

1!/4

3#/8

I I

Building the ROUTER BASE 1%/8"-dia.

Many of the pieces and pro-
cedures here will be familiar
from the first part of the CNC
build. It starts with a base that
carries the Z-axis assembly. The
base guides the router along the
Y-axis and serves as a mounting
point for the Z-axis assembly.
BASE FIRST. The first thing to
take care of is to cut the base
and plate to size. You can see
the dimensions in the draw-
ings above. Then, you’ll want
CUTTING NOTCHES
I I
Waste
Notches. Use a jigsaw to cut the notches in the
plate. Then use a rasp to refine the shape.
to round the two bottom cor-
ners of the base. A disc sander
works well if you have one,
otherwise grab a file. Take a
moment at the drill press to
drill the four bearing holes in
the base, then set it aside for
now as we focus on the plate.
ROOM FOR CAMS. Before attach-
ing the plate to the base, you
have a little work to do. As
you can see above, the plate
has four round notches cut in
it. The upper notches allow
clearance for a couple of wash-
ers and bolts. The larger lower
notches create room for a pair
of cam knobs. I cut all of these
with a jig saw. The box to the
left shows how I did this.
At this point, go ahead and
glue the plate onto the base.
The biggest thing here is to
make sure the plate is centered
on the base. There needs to be
room to install the bolts and
washers through the upper
notches. Once the parts are
in place, throw on a couple
clamps and let the glue dry.
FRONT VIEW
2@(/32
3"-dia.
%/16
1#/16 1#/16
#/16"-dia.
pilot hole
To tie the base
ANTI-BACKLASH NUT.
assembly to the Acme rod and
allow the router to move along
the Y-axis, there’s an anti-back-
lash nut attached on the back.
The nut is mounted to a 6061
aluminum bracket. Most hard-
ware store aluminum is 6061,
but verify prior to purchasing.
After cutting a section of alu-
minum angle to size, head over
to the drill press. There, drill a
series of five holes, see detail
‘a’ above. Two holes are used
to mount the bracket to the
base. The other three are for
the Acme rod and attaching the
anti-backlash nut. After install-
ing the nut on the bracket,
attach it to the base assembly.

24 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 UPPER BEARING
a. SUPPORT NOTE: See
(1!/2"x 8") Issue 242 for
KK making cam knob
assemblies

#/8"-24 x 2!/2"
hex head bolt

#/8"-24 nut

#/8"I.D. x 1!/4" O.D.

NOTE: Bearing V-groove bearing
supports are
b. made from
!/2" plywood I I
!/8"-thick x #/8" x 1!/2" #/8"lock nut
black fender washer

Cam knob
#/8"washer
1!/2

#/8"-24 x 2#/4" J J
hex head bolt
LOWER BEARING
Cam HH SUPPORT
(1"-dia. (2"x 8")
dowel)

BEARING BLOCKS the base assembly to the gantry. To mount the

To help support the weight of the
router, the base assembly needs
a little extra beef before install-
ing the bearings. This comes in
the form of bearing supports.
You can see these in the draw-
ing above. Glue the upper and
lower supports into place before
transferring and drilling the
holes from the base through the
support blocks.
CAM ASSEMBLIES. At this point, you
can install the bearings to attach
See the drawings above for the
order in which the hardware is
installed. Note that the lower
bearings get a set of the cams
and cam knobs. Refer back to the
previous issue for instructions
on making these assemblies,
but as a refresher, the plywood
knobs rotate and cause the bear-
ings to loosen and tighten on the
rails. With the bearings in place,
you’re ready to put the base
assembly onto the gantry.
OFF WITH THE MOTOR.
plate onto the gantry, the Y-axis
motor and rod must be removed.
Next, rotate the cam knobs to
open the lower bearings and
place the base assembly onto the
gantry rails. Snug the bearings
down and thread the Acme rod
through the anti-backlash nut.
When you remount the
motor, you’ll want to align the
rod and motor with the base
for smooth travel. See the box
below for more info on that.

ATTACHING THE BASE

Align the Rod. Attach the
base by removing the motor
FIRST: Remove
mounting bolts and pull the motor and screw
SECOND:
motor off, along with the Place base
on rails
attached lead screw. Thread and tighten
the rod onto the anti-backlash bearing
cam knobs
nut and attach the V-bearings
onto the rails. After reattaching
the motor, center the motor by
moving the base to the motor
side and tightening the bolts.

Woodsmith.com • 25
NOTE: Rails are
made from two
layers of
#/4" plywood

a.

L L b.

13 #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew

L L
RAIL
6061 aluminum (2#/16"x 13")
angle
(1"x 13")

#8 x !/2" Fh woodscrew

Add the RAILS

The next order of business is to same way as the main rails of Then, you can cut the blank
add a set of rails that will con- the gantry and the table. into two rails of final length.
trol the Z-axis movement of After gluing up a couple of ALUMINUM RAILS. The final thing to
the router. These will allow the layers of plywood into a long do before adding the rails to the
motor mount to move up and blank, I squared up the edges base is to clad the beveled edges
down to make relief cuts. before heading over to the with aluminum. The aluminum
SHORT RAILS. This might seem table saw. Here, you’ll want to adds strength to the rails and
like déjà vu — the rails for the cut the bevels along one edge offers a long-wearing surface
Z-axis assembly will appear of the blank. See detail ‘a’ for for the bearings to ride on.
familiar. They’re built the the shape you’re going for. The aluminum angle cuts eas-
ily using a non-ferrous blade.
After cutting the aluminum to
COUNTERSINK BIT DRILLING length, head over to the drill
press and drill some holes for
mounting screws. Then, some
Mounting Holes. At the drill quick work with a countersink
a.
press, use a countersink bit bit relieves the mounting holes.
to countersink the mounting Backer See the box at left.
holes in the angle aluminum. board Now, you can mount the alu-
Countersink
A backer board placed inside bit minum to the outside edge of
of the angle will help support the rails. It’s simply screwed into
it while drilling. Using a place with short screws. After
combination of a slow speed it’s attached, you can mount the
and slow feed rates will help rails to the base. A bead of glue
to get the cleanest results and screws attach the rails to the
possible in aluminum. base. Just make sure they’re par-
allel to each other.

26 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 BOTTOM VIEW
a.
!/2 (/16
NOTE: All parts are
%/16" x 2!/2" made from two
lag screw layers of #/4" plywood NN
#/8"-dia.
1!/2"-dia.
MOTOR MOUNT #/4"-dia.
(3"x 4!/4")
#/4"-dia. NN !/2 2(/16 1#/16
!/4"-dia.
1
1!/4
TOP PLATE 1
2#/8
(4"x 8") 2!/4 2!/4
FEED SCREW SUPPORT.Before add- !/4"-20 #/8
MM T-nut 1!/2"-dia.
ing the motor mounting plates, #8 x 2" Fh
woodscrew
you’ll want to add the feed
TOP MM
screw support bracket (detail VIEW 1!/2
#/4
‘c’). This is simply a piece of
aluminum angle that is cut to 2#/8 !/4"-dia.
fit between the rails. After drill- #/4"-dia.

ing a couple of mounting holes b.

(and a screw access hole), you
can mount it in place between
the rails using lag screws.

MOTOR MOUNT & PLATE

The next piece of the puzzle
requires you to glue up a cou-
ple of layers of plywood before
you get started. The first part
you’ll cut to size is the top plate.
After trimming it to size, round
over the front corners. Then, c.
spend a little time at the drill
press to drill the mounting holes
that you see in the illustration at %/16" x 1"
Lag screw
right. Finally, drill the large center
hole for the Acme rod. Mount it
Aluminum
to the top of the base with screws. feed screw
MOTOR MOUNT. Now you can support

turn your attention to the

motor mount. This follows the
same path as the top plate. Cut
it to size and round the cor-
ners. Again, head over to the
drill press and drill the mount-
ing holes and rod hole. Before
you leave the drill press how-
ever, you’ll want to drill a few
counterbores for T-nuts. Flip the
motor mount over and drill the
counterbores. You can see how
I drilled these counterbores and
holes in the box to the right.
Finally, you can install the
motor mount to the top plate
with screws (detail ‘a’). With the
mount in place, you can start
working on the router holder.
DRILLING T-NUT HOLES
Shallow Counterbores.
a.
After locating the mounting
hole locations in the motor
#/4" Forstner
mount, start by drilling a bit
shallow counterbore to accept
the flange on the T-nuts.
Finish drilling the mounting
hole locations with a brad NOTE: Drill
point bit (detail ‘a’). Use the counterbores
!/16"-deep
divot left by the Forstner bit
to locate the through hole.

Woodsmith.com • 27
 NOTE: See Issue 242 for BEARING Cam
making cam knob assemblies SUPPORT (1"-dia.
(2"x 9") dowel)
#/8"I.D. x 1!/4" O.D. PP
V-groove bearing
#/8"stop nut
#/8"washer
#8 - 24 x #/4"
machine screw
%/16" washer
%/16" stop
nut
#8 lock
washer
OO
!/2" anti-
#8 stop ROUTER PLATE
backlash (9"x 11")
nut nut
Building the ROUTER MOUNT
Now, it’s time to add the router
holder that will lock the router
motor in place, and move it up
and down. This will be done via
a router clamp and mount.
ROUTER PLATE. The router plate
that supports the router is sim-
ply a piece of plywood cut to
size. As you can see in the draw-
ing above, another set of bearing
supports are applied to the back
face. Once the glue on the sup-
ports is dry, go ahead and round
the four corners before heading
to the drill press.
BAND SAW RADIUS
Router Clamp. The router
clamp is made in a couple of
steps. First, lay out the blank
as shown on the next page.
Then, cut the blank in half. Cut Waste
the radii on the inside of the
halves at the band saw. Place
the router motor inside the
clamp and rotate it to check the
fit. Then, fine-tune by sanding
away the burnish marks.
28 • Woodsmith / No. 243
Adjustment
knob #/8"-24 x 2#/4"
hex head bolt
1!/4
#/8"-24 x 2!/2"
hex head bolt
1!/4
P P
!/8"-thick x #/8" x 1!/2"
black fender washer
3 3
%/16"x 1"
hex head bolt
NOTE: Router plate
made from #/4" plywood.
Bearing supports are
made from !/2" plywood
At the drill press, drill the
holes shown in the back view
detail. These include the cam
knob locations, bearing bolt
holes, and the smaller holes for
mounting the anti-backlash nut
bracket. With the holes drilled,
install the bearings onto the
bolts, making sure to keep the
washers in the proper orienta-
tion. Slip the cams into place
and install the bearings onto
those, as well. Finally, install the
anti-backlash nut and bracket
onto the back of the router plate.
QQ
1%/16
1"-dia.
BACK VIEW
P P
OO
%/16"-dia.
1!!/16 4%/8
!/2
2!/2
1!/8 1!/4 #/8"
-dia.
a.
ROUTER HOLDER
Before mounting the router
plate onto the gantry, you’ll
need to make and install the
router clamp. Depending on
the size of router that you’re
planning on using in your
CNC, you’ll want to customize
the size of the hole in the mount
to match your motor. I used a
small palm router for mine, but
the holders have enough room
for a full-size router.
THICK BLANKS. The router clamp
starts as a glued up blank. Lay
out the opening for the router
body, then head over to the drill
press to drill a pair of stopped
holes. These are for threaded
rods that will be added later.
With the holes drilled, cut
the blank into two halves. Then
you can cut the router opening
in each half at the band saw.
After removing the waste, test
the body of the router in the
clamp, wiggling it to burnish
any tight spots. Then, fine-tune
the fit with a drum sander.
 Before attaching the mount to
the router plate, you’ll want to
install the threaded rods into the
holes you drilled earlier. A small
amount of epoxy will hold them
in place. At this point, round over
the corners on the front clamp,
and screw the back clamp to the
router mount (detail ‘b’).
INSTALL THE MOUNT. By now, install-
ing and adjusting the router
mount onto the rails should be
familiar. Again, loosen the cams
to open the bearings and snug
them onto the rails. Feed the
Acme rod into the anti-backlash
nut and into the support bracket.
Don’t forget to thread the stop
collar onto the rod. This supports
the weight of the router. Install
the motor and lift the Z-axis up
using the motor shaft until it
reaches the top most position.
Then you can tighten down the
motor mounting screws.
ADD A ROUTER. As you could prob-
ably guess, the most exciting
part of the CNC build is the first
time the motors move the router
on its own accord. My second
favorite part, however, is add-
ing the router to the machine.
Doing this makes the CNC actu-
ally starts looking like a CNC.
You can add the router motor to
the router clamp. A pair of knobs
installed onto the threaded rod
will clamp the motor tight.
At this point, your CNC will
look like it’s getting ready to cut
something. But first, we have to
give it the ability to move. That
ability comes by adding the
brains of the operation — the
control boards.

TOP SECTION VIEW a. !/4"-20 x 2"

6!/4 machine screw

1#/8"-rad.
1&/8
2

4 Z-axis
motor

1&/8 3!/8

Coupling to attach
1 !/4"-dia. motor to lead screw

Nylon
b. bushing

!/2"-10 tpi x 15%/8"

Acme threaded
rod

c.

ROUTER !/2" stop

CLAMP collar
(1&/8"x 6!/4")
QQ

#8 x 1!/2"
!/4"- 20 x 4" Fh woodscrew
threaded rod

!/4"- 20
knob

NOTE: Router clamps

are made from two layers
!/4"washer of #/4" plywood and one
layer of !/2" plywood
Woodsmith.com • 29
 Wrangle the mess with
SKIRT FRAME
DUST COLLECTION (4"x 7&/16")
RR

I don’t think it’s a secret —

routers create a lot of dust.
And when you run the router
continuously— well, that’s a rec-
ipe for a shop full of dust. So, to
wrangle that dust, you’ll want to
add a little bit of dust collection.
SKIRT FRAME. The dust collection
on our CNC comes in the form
of a skirt. The hanging fibers
are soft enough that they don’t
interfere with the router’s move-
ment. But they’re stiff enough
that they contain most of the
dust. Then to remove the dust,
there’s a port for a shop vacuum.
To attach the skirt to the
router, you first need to make
a skirt frame. You can see this
in the main drawing above and
the dimensions are below. Start
with a plywood blank and lay
out the two holes. The larger
hole is sized to fit around the
router body. The smaller hole is
sized for the vacuum hose. You
can adjust both of these sizes as
necessary for your setup. After
cutting the frame to shape, you
can glue it to the bottom of the
rear router clamp bracket. Use
your router to align it.
#6 x !/2"
Ph screw
Dust skirting
NOTE: Skirt frame is
made from #/4"plywood
NOTE: Skirt frame is
glued to the back
router clamp block
a.
WRAP THE SKIRT. The skirt
comes from the supplier
as a long strip. To install it,
you’ll need to cut it to length.
I initially wrapped the skirt
around the frame to measure
the distance and trimmed it
to length. Then it’s a simple
matter of attaching the skirt
to the frame using screws.
See the photo below.
stretch and makes it sound
ADD THE BRAINS like installing the electronics is
Now, you’re ready to switch hard. It really isn’t though. Just
gears from woodworker follow along and your CNC
to electrician. Well, that’s a will come to life.

7&/16

1#/16"-rad.
ATTACHING THE SKIRT
TOP VIEW

2"-rad.
3"-dia.
1#/8"-dia.
4

RR

{ The dust skirt comes from the manufacturer as a

long strip. After trimming it to length, stretch it
1#/16 2 around the frame and attach it with screws.

30 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 BOARDS GALORE. The electronics a.
for the CNC consists of five dif-
ferent components. The first is a
power supply/transformer that
distributes power to the boards
and motors. The next is a series
of three driver boards. These
send signals to the motors to
control them. And finally, there’s
the interface board that connects
the driver boards to your com-
puter. This is what will translate
the computer program into a
series of commands that the
motors can follow.
For now, go ahead and install
the boards in the configuration
that’s shown below. With the
exception of the transformer,
the boards are simply screwed
in place. The transformer has
threaded inserts for machine
screws. To mount it, I screwed a
shim to the bottom side. Then, c.
the shim gets screwed to the bot-
tom of the electronics enclosure
with screws. In addition to serv-
ing as a mounting point for the
transformer, it also lifts it off the
base for better air movement.
ACRYLIC TOP. Now you can go b.
ahead and grab the acrylic top
you’ve made for the electron- edge of the acrylic and set it
ics enclosure. Cut the hole for off to the side for now. Next,
the vent fan if you didn’t pre- you’ll get your wire strippers
viously and install the fan onto out and follow a simple wiring
the acrylic. Predrill the mount- diagram to hook up all of the
ing screw locations around the electronic components.

6#/4 9!/2

Y-axis Z-axis
1!#/16

Spacer
Small motor
drivers

Large motor
(X-axis) driver

1 Power
Center USB port Interface supply
in access hole board board

Woodsmith.com • 31
 Wiring the CNC
Wiring the components is pretty
straightforward. The first thing
you’ll want to do is set the DIP
switches on each of the driver
boards. You can see the settings
that are needed in the illustration
on the next page. Then, follow
along with the wiring tips below,
and the diagram at right.
THE SOFTWARE. Once the wiring
is done, you’re at my favorite
part — seeing it move for the
first time. To do this, you’ll to control the CNC and Vec- Now, there’s going to be a
need to hook up your com- tric CAD/CAM to generate the learning curve as you get to
puter and use the program of code for Mach3. To get a short know your new CNC. But once
your choice to control it. The tutorial on intial setup, visit you’ve mastered the controls, its
programs we use are Mach3 Woodsmith.com/242/cnc. applications are limitless W .

HOOKING UP THE COMPONENTS

Pigtail
1

To control
2

Wires from 3
board !/2
small motors

Wire
clamps

Heat
shrink

Wire Motors. The smaller Z-and Y-axis Motor Driver Wires. Loosen the screws
motor have eight wires. Splice them on the motor drivers and insert the wire.
with the four cable wires as shown. Then tighten the screw to clamp the wire.
Velcro
straps
Slack
for movement

!/2
Power Supply Wires. The power supply
wires are attached by inserting the wire
and tightening the top clamp screw.
Cable
from motor Gantry Cables. Because the gantry
to control board moves down the length of the bed,
make sure you have long enough cables.
Manage the Cables. Wrangle the Rout the cables and dust collection as
cables coming from the CNC by using shown. Cable clamps and Velcro straps
screw-on cable clamps. holds the cables and hose in place.

32 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 CNC WIRING DIAGRAM

Yellow Black-1
Black
Brown Black-2 Y-axis
Z-axis White motor
motor

Green Black-3
Jumper
wire Orange
Green/yellow
Blue
Red
Y-axis motor Z-axis motor
driver driver
Jumper
wire

123 123
Black-2
Cable Black-3
Black-1
Jumper Cable
wire

X-axis
motor
driver
Power
Red Supply
Green
Yellow Green
Blue
Black
White

X-axis driver

Interface
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Board
X-axis Y&Z-axis drivers
motor 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To 110v DIP switch settings

outlet on motor control boards
USB to
computer To 110v
outlet

Materials & Supplies

HH Base (1) 3⁄ ply. - 8 x 13 NN Motor Mount (1) 11⁄2 ply. - 3 x 41⁄4
4
II Sub Base (1) 3 ⁄4 ply. - 61⁄2 x 13 OO Router Plate (1) 3⁄ ply. - 9 x 11
4
JJ Lower Brg. Support (1) 1⁄ ply. - 2 x 8 PP Plate Brg. Supports (2) 1 ⁄2 ply. - 2 x 9
2 For a full materials list,
KK Upper Brg. Support (1) ⁄2 ply. - 11⁄2 x 8
1 QQ Router Clamp (2) 2 ply. - 17⁄8 x 61⁄4 along with sources and
a setup tutorial, go to
LL Rail (2) 11⁄2 ply. - 23⁄16 x 13 RR Skirt Frame (1) 3⁄ ply. - 4 x 77⁄
4 16 Woodsmith.com/242/cnc
MM Top Plate (1) 11⁄2 ply. - 4 x 8

Woodsmith.com • 33
DESIGNER
Project

Cuckoo Clock
While the unique shape of
this cuckoo clock may be the
first thing you notice, your
eye will soon catch other,
more subtle details.

C locks are one of my favorite things

to build and I couldn’t tell you
why. (If you follow Woodsmith on social
media, you may have seen me post about
clocks I’ve built.) Maybe it’s their small
size, and the fact that they (usually) go
together quickly. Or, it might be the fact
that every one that I build ends up as a gift
for someone, and that makes me feel good.
Regardless, I always get excited when a
clock project comes up. And this cuckoo
clock is no exception.
I have a little bit of a confession, how-
ever. As much as I love to build clocks,
I don’t actually have a standalone clock
in my house. And that’s because most
clocks don’t fit into the modern décor of
my house. But, this fresh take on a cuckoo
clock might fit the bill.
MODERN DETAILS. The most obvious feature
of this clock is it’s shape. It’s about as far
from a traditional Black Forest clock as
you can get. You might think that some
tricky miters are what form the case shape.
But upon closer look, you’ll see the joinery
is actually angled rabbets.
Building upon the modern theme, the
hour markers, hands, and pendulum arm
are made from aluminum. Finally, two dif-
ferent wood species are used on the clock.
The case is cherry, while the face is made
from Douglas fir that’s been textured.
Overall, this small clock project packs in
some great woodworking techniques.

34 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Logan Wittmer; Project Design: Dillon Baker
Illustrations: Dirk Ver Steeg Woodsmith.com • 35
 6%/8

NOTE: Cut left 75°

side long and C
sneak up on TOP
final length (4!/4"x 6!!/16") 95°
a.

NOTE: All case

5!/16 parts are made
from !/2"-thick
hardwood

B
1!!/16 LEFT SIDE 12!/8 15!/16
(4!/4"x 12#/8") b.

BOTTOM
(4!/4"x 4%/8")
1!/8 D

A
RIGHT SIDE NOTE: Cut sides first
(4!/4"x 15!/16") then cut top
and bottom to fit
115°

75°

4&/16

Build the CASE c. d.

Like most builds, the starting

point for me always tends to be
the largest part of the project.And
for this clock, that’s the case. The
parts are made from 1⁄2"-thick
cherry. The case is assembled
using angled rabbets.
FIT THE SIDES. The first thing I
took care of was cutting the
two sides of the case to size.
This started by planing them
to thickness and then cutting
them to length at the table
saw. Take note that the ends of
each piece are cut at an angle.
See the main drawing above.
{ The switch has an integrated light sensor. It shuts the
cuckcoo off during the nighttime hours.
Before you swap out your
regular table saw blade for a
dado blade to cut the rabbets,
you need to first define the
angled shoulders on the right
side. You can see this in Figure
1 on the next page. Once the
angled shoulders are cut, set
your saw back to 90° and load
up a dado blade. Then make
a cut to remove the rest of the
waste, as seen in detail ‘1b’.
CHISEL WORK. One thing you’ll
want to pay attention to are the
rabbets on the left side (Figure
2). Because of the angle of these
rabbets, your dado blade will
leave a little bit of waste in the
inside corner. You can see this
in Figure 2b. Some paring with
a chisel will clean up that waste,
as seen in Figure 3.
After the rabbets are cut in the
sides, go ahead and cut the top

36 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 FIRST: Band clamp
and bottom to length. Here, take an opening for a case together
light cuts to sneak up on the fit. switch that will NOTE: Case is
not glued yet
GROOVES & HOLES. Once you’re be added later
happy with the fit of the case, (Figure 4).
you’re ready to do a little more Then, head
work on the parts. This starts over to the
by cutting a groove around the scroll saw
inside front edge on each of to remove
the case parts. I did this at the the rest of SECOND: Set case
table saw. See detail ‘b’ on the the waste. THIRD: Reduce on front and
outline by !/4" back blanks and
previous page for the groove Check the fit and cut out trace outline
dimensions. At this point, cut of the switch
the rabbet for the back also in its place and clean up both TRACE THE SHAPE. With the case
(detail ‘c’ previous page). the slot and the switch opening clamped up, position it on the
Now you can set aside the with a file and sandpaper. stock you’ve selected for the
right side and top. You’ll need front and back panels and trace
to cut a slot in the bottom for FRONT & BACK around it. After removing the
the pendulum arm, and a small Now you can use a band case, reduce the outline by 1⁄4"
opening on the left side for a clamp to hold your clock case and cut it out at the band saw.
switch. Both of these start at together. Don’t glue it together Then, it’s a simple matter of
the drill press. Define the ends just yet though. You’ll first transferring the shape to your
of the slot in the bottom piece need to use the clamped case second piece of stock and cutting
with a couple of holes. In the to help define the shape of the out the back. Finally, smooth the
side piece, drill holes to create front and back panels. edges with a sanding block.

CASE CONSTRUCTION

1 a. b. 2 a. b.

A
B

Tilt blade
15° Tilt blade
25°

Cut the Rabbets. Using a crosscut blade, cut the angled Left Case Rabbet. Repeat the process on the left side as you
shoulder of the rabbets on the right case side first. Then, use a did on the right. Start with the angled shoulder first, then clean
dado blade to remove the remainder of the waste. out the waste, leaving the corner waste that you can’t reach.

3 a. 4 a.
B

Waste

!/4" brad
point bit
B

Chisel Out Waste. Use a wide chisel to remove the corner Switch Opening. At the drill press, drill starter holes on the
waste that can’t be reached with the saw blades. Chisel down left side of the case. Then, use a scroll saw to saw out the
the shoulder first, then pare in from the cheek side. waste, creating an opening for the switch/light sensor combo.

Woodsmith.com • 37

Cuckoo
mechanism
4#/16
Movement
%/16"-dia.
!/4"-dia. hole,
!/8"-deep
1%/8
#6 x 1!/2" Ph
6%/8 5 woodscrew
3#/8
Complete the FRONT
A clock isn’t much of a clock if
it doesn’t tell the time. Likewise,
a cuckoo clock isn’t much of a
cuckoo clock if the bird doesn’t
have a door to come out of. Add-
ing those elements is up next.
CENTERLINE. Before you start
attacking the front of the clock
with layout lines, it’s impor-
tant to find the centerline. But,
because there are no right angles
on the clock, it isn’t critical that
the face is perfectly plumb.
You’re going for a reference
line that will help you align the
cuckoo door to the hour marks.
After you’ve marked a center-
line, drill the holes for the hour
markers. For my clock, I drilled
the quarter locations only, as
seen in the main drawing above.
< Using a wire brush on the soft Douglas fir
front will wear away the softer areas of the
wood. This leaves a subtle textured effect.
38 • Woodsmith / No. 243
NOTE: Front is made
from !/4"-thick softwood.
Mounting blocks are
!/2"-thick softwood
MOUNTING
BLOCKS
(&/16"x 3!/4")
F
NOTE: See Sources on
page 67 for clock
components
a.
While you’re at the drill press,
drill the center hole also. This will
be for the clock movement post.
For mounting the movement
on the thin front, two blocks are
glued on the back (see above).
DOOR OPENING. Inevitably, the
first thing everyone is drawn to
when they see a cuckoo clock is
the little bird. It’s always a treat
when it pops out and tweets
its song. To make the opening,
I traced the door trim ring that
came with the clock movement.
Door
trim ring
FRONT
(6!/2"x 14%/16")
E
!/4"-dia. x !/8"-thick
aluminum plug
b.
It’s a little tight, but get it as close
as you can. Then, drill a starter
hole in each side (Figure 1) and
cut out the opening at the scroll
saw. Here again, fine tune the fit
with a file and some sandpaper
until the trim ring fits well.
With everything cut into the
front, I added a little texture to
the surface. To do this, I used
a brass wire brush in my drill.
Brush the front with the grain
to wear away the softer areas of
grain. See left photo.
 Now you can
A LITTLE METAL WORK.
switch out of woodworking
mode into metalworking mode
— at least for a little bit. Here,
you’ll be making the hands of
the clock. I started off by laying
the hands out on a piece of alu-
minum and drilling the holes
for the post. Then, you can cut
them out with a hacksaw. The
thin aluminum cuts easily, but
go slow. Finally, a quick sanding
evens up the shape and adds a
nice matte sheen to the hands.
HOUR MARKERS. While you’re in
metalworking gear, go ahead
and cut some small plugs from
a section of aluminum rod to fit
the holes on the face. Because I
textured the face of my clock,
I installed my plugs with the
rougher cut face out and epox-
ied them in place.
ASSEMBLY. Once the epoxy is
dry, you can assemble the clock.
I took a moment to prefin-
ish the front of my clock with
amber shellac. If you like that
two-tone look, prefinishing the
front before glueup makes it a
lot easier. By now, you’ve prob-
ably clamped the case together a
few times to test fit everything.
SHAPING THE OPENING & MAKING HANDS
1 2
#/16"-dia.
brad point
bit
Drill Door Holes. Drill holes in the front
for the screw posts. Use those holes as
starter holes to saw out the door waste.
Ferrule
NOTE: Aluminum for
hands is !/8"-thick
The only difference this time is
to apply glue to the rabbets as
you’re assembling it. Don’t for-
get to install the front before the
top is glued on.
ADD THE MOVEMENT. With the
glue on the case dry, you can
remove the clamp and install
the movement. The movement
is mounted to a pair of blocks
I glued to the back of the front
panel (main drawing, previous
page). The post goes through the
Drill
hole
first
Cut Out Hands. Lay out the hands on
a piece of aluminum. Use a hacksaw to
cut out the hand shape.
Minute
hand FULL-SIZE HAND PATTERNS
Cap
2
Hour
1!/2
hand
!/2 !/2
%/32"-dia. !/4"-dia.
front and receives a ferrule for
the hour hand. The hour hand
is then pressed onto the ferrule
(epoxy the hour hand to the fer-
rule if needed), and is followed
by the minute hand and cap.
Both the ferrule and the cap
come with the movement and are
brass. These, along with the door
and trim ring, are painted silver
before being installed. Now it’s
time to get the rest of the internal
components finished and wired.
3
File radius
to match
hole
Round Ends. Smooth out the profile
of the hands with a file. Finish the
hands by rounding the post end.
Woodsmith.com • 39
 Wires with
extension added
a. b.

#4 x #/4" Rh 18-8 nut

woodscrew

Sawtooth
hanger
c.

18-8 x #/4"
Rh machine
screw
E
BACK Switch/sensor
(6!/2"x 14%/16") combo

NOTE: Back is made Pendulum

from !/4"-thick fir. hook
&/16"-dia.
Bob is made from
#/8"-thick hardwood &/16

Pendulum arm
(&/16"x 5") #/4"-dia.
#/4

#6 x #/8" Fh 5
woodscrew 2"-dia.

G
G
BOB
(2"x 2") %/32"-dia. hole
w/countersink

Wiring the CLOCK

The internal components of the
clock consist of three parts—
the movement you’ve already
installed, the cuckoo that’s been
fitted, and the switch that has a
built-in light sensor.
SHORT WIRES. The wires on the
cuckoo mechanism are too
short to reach the movement
(and possibly the switch if you
place it differently than shown
above). To extend the wires,
you’ll want to first remove the
mechanism if you installed
it. I started by snipping the
wires and stripping the ends.
Then, I soldered a short exten-
sion between the cut wires to
lengthen them. A few wraps of
electrical tape (or better yet, heat
shrink tubing) will protect the
soldered connection. Hooking
up the wires is as easy as lining
up the connector with the appro-
priate slot and pushing it in.
HUSH LITTLE BIRDIE. The switch on
the side of the clock is simply
installed with a pair of screws.
The switch allows you to con-
trol the volume of the cuckoo.
It also has a built-in light sen-
sor that turns the cuckoo off
when it’s dark out. If your
wires to the sensor are a little
short, you can lengthen them
the same way as the cuckoo
mechanism wires.
PENDULUM. The final thing
to take care of is the pen-
dulum. Keeping with the
modern-aluminum theme, I
made the pendulum arm out
of aluminum. Here again, it’s a
simple matter of drilling a hole
in the end of the bar stock and

40 • Woodsmith / No. 243

trimming it to size with a hack-
saw and filing it to shape. The
pendulum hook that came with
the movement slips right over
the end of the aluminum bar
and connects it to the pivoting
mechanism on the movement.
The friction fit is enough to
hold it in place.
WOOD RING. To visually tie the
pendulum back into the case
of the clock, I made the bob out
of wood. In this case, the same
cherry I used on the case.
Cutting the circle is pretty
straightforward and you can see
the steps below. A few minutes
at the drill press will produce a
wood bob (Figure 1). To attach
to the pendulum arm, you’ll
need to cut a shallow recess
using a Forstner bit and a chisel
(Figure 2). Once that’s cut, you
can attach the bob to the arm
using a short wood screw.
The last thing to take care of is
installing the back. By looking at
the illustration on the previous
page, you’ll see that it’s simply
screwed in place. To hang the
clock, I used a saw-tooth hanger.
This fresh take on a Black
Forest classic is tastefully done.
It’s modern, fun, and, not to
mention, a quick build. And,
because I know someone will
ask — if you’d like to see a
short video of the cuckoo in { The cuckoo has three modes — high, low
action, you can find a video on and off. You can choose the setting that
Woodsmith.com. W works best for you.

MAKE THE BOB

Make the bob for the clock 1 2
by first cutting a blank with a
hole saw. After plugging the &/16" Forstner
pilot hole, drill out the center bit, !/8"-deep
hole using a Forstner bit. Then,
a.
while still at the drill press, drill
a shallow recess on the back.
A chisel can be used to pare #/4" Forstner
away the rest of the waste, bit
creating an area to attach the
pendulum arm.

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Right Side (1) 1⁄ x 41⁄ - 151⁄ G Bob (1) 3⁄ x 2 - 2 • (1) #6 x 3⁄8" Fh Woodscrew
2 4 16 8
B Left Side (1) 1⁄ x 41⁄ - 123⁄ • (1) Cuckoo Clock Kit • (2) 18-8 x 3⁄4" Machine Screws w/Nuts
2 4 8
C Top (1) 1⁄ x 41⁄ - 611⁄
2 4 16 • (1) 1⁄8" x 1⁄2" - 10" Aluminum Bar • (1) Sawtooth Hanger
D Bottom (1) 1⁄ x 41⁄ - 45⁄ • (1) 1⁄4" Aluminum Rod • 16-gauge Wire
2 4 8
E Front/Back (2) 1⁄ x 61⁄ - 145⁄ • (8) #4 x 3⁄4" Rh Woodscrews
4 2 16
F Mounting Blocks (2) 7⁄ x 1⁄ - 31⁄ • (4) #6 x 11⁄2" Rh Woodscrews
16 2 4
!/4"x 7" - 36" Fir (1.8 Sq. Ft.)

E E

To see a video of
the cuckoo in
!/2"x 5" - 48" Cherry (1.7 Sq. Ft.) action, go to
Woodsmith.com
G
A B C D

Woodsmith.com • 41
SHOP
Project

Setup Gauge
Combine a 6" ruler with a few pieces
of wood and brass to create a sweet
tool to simplify tool adjustments.

A ccurate tool setup plays a vital role in many

woodworking tasks. However, the curved pro-
files of router and drill bits make precise measurements
using a rule a little sketchy. And likewise, the curve of a
saw blade (and the shape of the teeth) makes it difficult to
find the highest tooth for taking a measurement.
This set-up gauge solves both problems. An adjustable
arm creates a positive stop for the tool. And a standard 6"
rule creates an accurate reference point. What I like about
it is that with an afternoon’s worth of shop time, you end
up with a fine-looking tool that does its job well.

42 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Phil Huber

 NOTE: Parts are cut
a. from #/4"-thick stock
NOTE: Sliding arm
blank is oversized
to aid roundover
1!/4 process later

A
Waste BODY Waste
(3 x 5!%/16)
%/8
b.
5!%/16
!/2"-dia. B
1!/4 hole,
!/8" deep SLIDING ARM
(2 x 8 rgh.)

5!%/16
1"-dia.
&/16 hole

1!/2 1!%/16
1 1"-dia.
hole

3 1!/2

The BODY & ARM 1

Just two wood parts make up the
gauge: a body and a sliding arm.
The drawing above shows the
size of the blanks for each piece.
Take note that the blank for the
sliding arm is extra long for safer
handling while shaping.
SLIDING PARTS. The two parts are
joined with a sliding tongue
and groove and secured with
a thumbscrew. A groove cut in
the body accepts a tongue on
SHAPING THE HALVES
Making Straight Cuts. After drilling the inside radius, draw lines
tangent to the hole to define the shape of the body and arm. Cut
on the waste side of the edge and sand to the lines.
the arm. This allows
the arm to slide up and
down in relation to the body
and stay in alignment.
With small parts like this, I
prefer to form the joints at the
router table with a straight bit.
Details ‘a’ and ‘b’ show the goal.
Form the groove first. It
serves as the basis for sizing
the tongue on the arm. Shifting
the fence slightly lets you trim
8
2
small amounts off the tongue.
The pieces should slide together
with a minimum of slop.
Before you start shaping the
parts, head to the drill press.
There you can drill a shallow
hole for a rare-earth magnet that
keeps the 6" rule in place.
DRILL TO SHAPE. While you’re at
the drill press, begin the shap-
ing process. Both the body and
arm have an L shape. A radius
on the inside corner softens the
profile for a more comfortable
grip. You could certainly cut
this entirely at the band saw, but
I often use a Forstner bit to form
a consistent curve.
Using the drilled holes as a
guide, you can finish the shaping
at the band saw, as you can see
in the box at left. With a steady
hand, it’s a matter of filing and
sanding to remove the blade
marks and smooth the edges.

Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 43

 Sliding arm
Body

Wrap IT UP
There’s a little woodworking left
to do on the setup gauge parts. !/4" roundover
on all outside
The first step is to rout a round- edges
over on the outside edges. You
can see this in the right drawing
and detailed in the box below.
While you’re routing, take care
to enter and exit the cut to avoid
5!%/16
burning the ends or rounding
the sides and ends that you’d 6" steel
like to leave crisp. rule 3!/4
ROUT A SLOT. In order to lock the
arm at a given setting, a slot is cut
in the arm to accept a threaded
stud and a knurled nut. Like the !/2"-dia.
rare-earth
tongue and groove, I handled magnet
this at the router table — with a glued in !/4
with
quick side trip to the drill press. epoxy
The fence and table on the drill
1!/2
press allow you to drill accurate
end holes for the slot. The dimen-
sions are in the right drawing. 1!/8
Those holes come in handy for
setting up the router table, too. The routing requires you to when to tilt the arm up and away
Insert the bit into one of the holes turn on the router and lower the from the bit. Alternatively, you
and bring up the router table arm over the spinning bit — it’s could hold the arm in place, turn
fence so it’s against the arm. (Not not as tricky as it sounds. The off the router, and wait for the bit
too tight, here.) Then remove the arm slides along the fence until to stop spinning.
arm and lower the router bit for you reach the end hole. Listen to You’ll repeat the process three
a 1⁄4"-deep first pass. hear the bit stop cutting to know to four times, raising the bit

SLIDING ARM MACHINING TIPS

Router table Waste
Hold blank by handles
to rout edge
!/4" roundover bit !/4" straight
bit

Waste

FIRST: Drill !/4"

limit holes
NOTE: Roundover
outside edge only
SECOND: Rout out
waste in several passes

Routing Roundovers. For a small roundover like this, you can Smooth Slot. Starting with drilled end holes eases
shape the profile in a single pass. The extended length of the arm setup on the router table. The holes also let you
blank provides handles on the ends to make the routing safer. start and end each pass consistently.

44 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 !/16" x !/4" - 6"
brass strip
slightly between each pass. After #10-32 x 1!/2
brass machine screw
completing the slot, you can trim with head removed
(see detail 'b')
the arm to its final size. FIRST: Attach wear strips
to bottom of body and arm #10
brass
HARDWARE washer
The woodworking is now com-
plete. What remains is adding
some metal fittings. The hard-
#10-32 brass
ware that locks the arm in place knurled nut
comes next.
The drawing at right shows !/16" x #/4" x 3"
brass strip SECOND: Attach !/4"
what’s needed. First, a machine Sliding NOTE: File strip to sliding arm
screw is epoxied into the body. arm screws flush (see detail 'c')
!/16" x #/4" x 1" with inside
Detail ‘a’ shows how to locate brass strip of slot
the pilot hole. Cut the head off
the screw with a hacksaw and #4 x !/2"
Fh brass screw
install a washer and knurled nut.
Then file the stud flush with the c.
nut, as in detail ‘b.’ a. b.
BRASS STRIPS. The remaining
hardware on the gauge are three
strips of brass. Two wear strips
are attached to the bottom of the
body and arm. Lining up and
drilling these strips can be frus- The final strip acts as a guide
trating. I attach the strips with for the rule. This strip is attached
Materials & Supplies
instant glue first. That holds the on the arm, even with the edge A Body (1) 3⁄ x 3 - 515⁄
4 16
pieces in place while you drill of the tongue (drawing above). B Arm (1) 3⁄ x 2 - 8 rgh.
4
the pilot hole and countersink. Attach it just like the others with • (1) 1⁄2"-dia. Rare-Earth Magnet
Take note that the strip on the instant glue and screws. A couple • (1) #10-32 x 11⁄2" Brass Machine Screw
arm is flush with the shoulders coats of oil give the gauge a rich • (1) #10 Brass Washer
of the tongue. look and offer good protection. • (1) #10-32 Brass Knurled Nut
Once you have the strips in The photos below show a cou- • (1) 1⁄16" x 3⁄4" - 6" Brass Strip
place, file and sand the screw ple uses for the gauge — though • (1) 1⁄16" x 1⁄4" - 6" Brass Strip
heads flush with the strips. I you’ll likely find more. The • (9) #4 x 1⁄2" Fh Brass Screws
found that 400-grit paper left a lower right photo shows the • (1) 6" Steel Rule
nice-looking satin finish. gauge I made for myself. W

{ The setup gauge helps to position the { Since the rule is held by a magnet, you { The body and arm of this gauge is made
router table fence in addition to setting can slide it down to measure the depth from wenge; the strips are aluminum.
up the bit height. of mortises and other recesses. Stainless steel hardware secures the arm.

Woodsmith.com • 45
HEIRLOOM
Project

46 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Erich Lage; Project Design: Dillon Baker
 Tansu Cabinet
Like ancient building blocks, these
cabinets can be stacked and shuffled to
conform to your decorating wishes.

T ansu is the name assigned by the Japanese to a family of cabinets

that, over centuries, were designed to serve specific functions.
The cabinets you see here are Kaidan-Dansu, meaning “stepped” cabi-
nets. That was their main function — to serve as stairs to a lofted area
of the home. With living space in short supply, the Japanese employed
the shells of the stairs for additional purposes.
The main case provides a lot of storage options. A set of drawers that
are nestled in the lower portion of the case are housed next to a hinged
door. And above those is a wide compartment that’s hidden behind a
set of sliding doors.
The stepped case is the ultimate in flexibility. With no back to quar-
antine its use, and decorative hardware on both sides, it’s ready to be
displayed in any manner you wish.
Ash is the wood of choice for this project. The joinery is a simple,
but strong, oversized box joint that’s pinned with hardwood dowels
to strengthen the joint. Making those massive box joints would be a
back-breaker at the table saw, so let’s not do that. Turn the page to get
the details on how to make and assemble these cases, without having
to make an appointment with the chiropractor.

< The drawers of the Tansu

cabinet are a work of art
in themselves. The shells
have the same box joints
as the cases. They’re
generously sized to hold
what you need to stow
away but keep close
at hand. The hardware
accents the rich, multi-
layered finish.

Illustrations: Erich Lage Woodsmith.com • 47

 #8 x #/4" Fh
woodscrew
a.

B
TOP
F (13"x 28!/2") A
BACK
(27#/4"x 27#/4")

!/2

b.
E
DOOR DIVIDER
A (12#/4"x 27!/4") TOP
11#/4 VIEW
SIDE
(13"x 28!/2")
12

6!/8
C
DRAWER
D
DIVIDER
DIVIDER (12#/4"x 14&/8")
(12#/4"x 11#/8")
Square corners c.
after rabbeting
for plywood back
15!/2 FRONT VIEW
B

NOTE: All case panels are glued up

from three boards to form the box joints

NOTE: Back is !/4" plywood. All

other parts are &/8"-thick hardwood d.

Building the MAIN CASE

To get the ball rolling on this
project, I started with the main
case. It’s divided into four com-
partments, two for drawers, and
two that house doors.
As you see above, tongue
and groove joinery connects
the dividers together and binds
them to the case. The case parts
are joined to each other with
oversized box joints.
PINS & SLOTS. The normal rou-
tine used to make pins and slots
for box joints is set aside in this
instance. Instead of spending
a lot of time at the table saw
working on box joints, I chose
to form the joinery while gluing
up three boards (two on the out-
side and one in the middle).
It all starts with bringing the
material to its proper thickness.
Once that’s done, you can turn
your attention to pairing up the
three parts for each panel.
For the sides, the outside
boards are longer. The shorter
center board forms the slot. To
mate with the sides, the center
boards on the top and bottom
panels are longer.
SIDES FIRST. The drawing at the
top of the next page shows the
sequence for bringing the sides
together. It’s just a matter of
gluing up each panel to make
the sides. When the glue is dry
and scraped from the panel, lay
out your cut lines on the outer
boards. These lines are refer-
enced from either end of the
center board. After those are
trimmed and set aside, you’ll
address parts that make up the
top and bottom panels.
TOP & BOTTOM NEXT. This time, it’s
the outer boards that are cut to
final length before glue up. The
center board starts long, then is
cut to final length at the table
saw after the panel is glued up.
PIN JIG. A simple jig on one
end of the assembly aligns the
ends of the outer boards and

48 • Woodsmith / No. 243

 SECOND: Cut the outer boards for the side
long and glue them to the center boards Waste
FIRST: Cut the center boards &/8
establishes the length of the pin. for the sides to final length
It’s a board with a notch. The Outer board 26#/4 A
notch is 7⁄8" deep and slightly
wider than the center board. Center board
Waste &/8
Detail ‘a’ shows the jig in action.
When the glue is dry and the Outer board
clamps are stowed away, trim SECOND: Use the jig to align
the center board on the long end Waste one end of the top and bottom
while gluing up the panel
to make these parts the right THIRD: Trim
the ends of the FIRST: Cut the outer boards
length. Now you can turn your outer boards to for the top and bottom
attention to making the dadoes make a &/8" slot to final length
&/8
needed for the dividers. 26#/4

Center board
DADOES
To cut the stopped dadoes in the Outer board B

sides and bottom, use a router

and a jig at the workbench. The
details for that can be found in
the box below. When finished,
square up the ends of the dadoes
with a chisel.
TONGUES. Next up are the
tongues on the ends of the
dividers. You can make quick
work of those at the table saw.
KERFS. While at the table saw,
there’s one more task to do.
That’s to cut the two kerfs in
the top and door divider to hold
the runners for the sliding doors
you’ll make later.
RABBET. There’s a rabbet on
the rear of the case to hold the
plywood back. To keep this rab-
bet hidden, cut it with the case
assembled. But if the dividers
Outer board
&/8
Waste
a.
THIRD: Trim
the end of the
center board to
make a &/8" pin
are installed, they’ll be in the
way of the rabbet bit. So I dry
clamped the case and routed the
rabbet in the back of the case.
ASSEMBLE THE CASE. When assem- don’t install it at this time. You’ll
bling the case, check the need access to the back of the
distance between the top and case for several reasons. You’ve
door divider. You don’t want got the bones of the main case
a concave opening that would done. Since it’s an almost identi-
pinch the doors in the center of cal process, it’s time to work on
the case. Cut the back to size, but the stepped cases.

ROUTING DADOES IN CASE PARTS

Width of NOTE: Double-sided tape
Stop router base holds jig on workpiece
NOTE: Cleats and stops are
#/4" hardwood, rails are
Stop !/4" hardboard,
base is !/2" plywood
Base
Cleat Rail

2 Double-sided
20#/4 tape

#8 x 1" Cleat
Fh woodscrew a.
#/8" straight
bit
A Jig Built to Fit. The jig that’s needed to cut the
dadoes in the case is built to fit your router base. The Waste
cleats are adjustable to work for both cases.

Woodsmith.com • 49
 a.
SIDE
SECTION
VIEW
#/8" x 1!/2"
dowel
I
NOTE: After cases are SHORT
assembled, dowel pins SIDE
are installed in the (13"x 9!/2")
fingers of the box joints
b.
Strong & stable STEP CASE
The two identical step cases
are made from the same thick
hardwood that was used on the
main case. (The materials list at
the end of the article accounts
for building two cases.) As you
can see above, it’s a tiered case
that establishes the “step” that’s
incorporated into this project.
For the record, this case is not
designed to be used as stairs for
several reasons. First, proper
stairs have a vertical rise of about
seven inches. As you see in the
drawing above, the “step” of
the case is much taller than that.
Second, although the case is
made from thick hardwood with
50 • Woodsmith / No. 243
J
TOP
(13"x 9!/2")
H 9#/4
DIVIDER
K (13"x 18#/8")
STEP
(13"x 9#/4")
!/2
#/8
12
L
BOTTOM
(13"x 19")
9#/4
strong joinery, there’s nothing to
account for the lateral stress that
happens when walking up a set
of stairs. So, as your mom said,
“Don’t climb on the furniture.”
With that understood, let’s
look a little closer at the case. The
sides, top, and bottom mimic the
parts of the main case. But to cre-
ate the step in the cases means
making a hybrid of the panels
that are the step and divider.
The divider has a tongue to
join the groove in the bottom
and a box joint at the other end
to join the top. The step likewise
has a tongue on one end and a
box joint on the other.
G
LONG SIDE
(13"x 19")
!/2
NOTE: All parts of the
step case are made
from &/8"-thick hardwood
SAME AS BEFORE
First, go ahead and make the
sides, top, and bottom as you
did before. When those are out
of the way, you can focus on the
divider and step.
HYBRIDS NEXT. Starting with the
divider, set up the box joint
end the same way you did for
the sides. Here though, cut the
opposite end square in prepara-
tion for the long tongues.
The top and bottom box joint
configuration step follows suit.
When that’s done, trim the other
end square.
DADOES. The jig you made ear-
lier to rout the stopped dadoes
 FIRST: Clamp
the long side and
bottom together.
J Check to make
G
sure the assembly
is square as you go

H K
Assembly
square

L
THIRD: Clamp
remaing parts
to step case
SECOND: Clamp Framing
the top and square
divider to
the first two

NOTE: Placing the case on blocks

allows you to slide and apply
clamps to the lowest portions
of the case

in the main case works here as
well. But you’re going to have to
adjust the position of the stops
since the dado is slightly longer
on this case. The main drawing
on the previous page shows the
length required.
Once the dadoes are routed
and trimmed square, cut the
tongues on the ends of the
divider. It’s then time to assem-
ble the stepped case.
ASSEMBLY. It’s a bit tricky to glue
up the whole case at one time.
So I broke the process into the
two steps you see in the draw-
ings above. Setting the case on
blocks makes it a lot easier to
slide the clamps in place on the
lower areas.
Although there are no inner
workings such as doors or draw-
ers to be concerned with on the
stepped case, confirm that it’s
square as you glue it up.
DOWEL PINS. There’s one more
task to perform on these cases
and the main case. Each “finger”
of the big box joints have a pair
of dowels installed in them. This
adds strength and visual inter-
est to the cases. As you see in
the box below, there’s a jig that
lets you drill all the holes that
hold the dowels. It’s clamped in
place on the corners of the case.
After gluing the dowels in
place, trim them with a flush
trim saw, and sand them smooth.
You can set the cases aside and
turn your attention to the doors
and drawers for the main case.

INSTALLING DOWEL PINS IN CASE CORNERS

NOTE: Drill #/8"-dia.
NOTE: Jig is made hole 1!/4"-deep
from #/4" plywood
NOTE: Tape on drill
bit establishes depth
2 1#/16 of hole for dowel
1#/16
1

2!/2
#/8"-dia
hole Tape is 2"
from point
of bit

NOTE: Each side

is 5&/8"x 13"

Drill Holes for Pins. Each finger needs two holes #/8" x 1!/2"
to hold hardwood pins. The plywood jig clamps dowels
flush to the sides of the stepped and main cases.

Woodsmith.com • 51
 b.
!/4
T

T S
a. DOOR BACK N
( 11#/8"x 12)

NOTE: Q c.
Make two
doors for
this SLAT P
opening (1!/4"x 11#/8")
O

T P
RUNNER T M
SLAT
(!/8"x !/2" x 13#/8) (#/4"x 11#/8")

R
Q
SLAT SLAT
(%/8"x 11#/8") (!/2"x 11#/8")
Ring SIDE
N SECTION
M
pull
DOOR RAIL VIEW
NOTE: Stiles and rails are made DOOR STILE (2"x 12#/8")
from #/4"-thick hardwood. (2"x 15")
Slats are made from #/8"-thick
hardwood. Runners are made d.
from !/2"-thick hardwood.
Back is !/4"
4 plyw
p y od

A tale of two DOORS e.

With all three cases completed,

it’s time to return to the main
case and flesh out the compo-
nents that are housed there.
There are three doors and two
drawers to make. The doors are
where I started.
The upper half has an opening
that runs the length of the case.
This opening is enclosed with a
pair of doors that slide past each
other. They’re held in the case
and ride on the thin runners you
see above. There’s also a door
panel that’s attached to the lower
{ The doors ride left of the case with hinges. First,
on runners that let’s tackle the sliding doors.
are installed in The door frames are made up
tandem with the of stiles and rails that are assem-
doors after the bled with mortise and tenon
finish is applied. joints. There are seven decora-
tive slats that are housed in the
frame. Rabbets on the ends of the
slats fit into notches in the stiles.
Then a plywood back behind the
slats completes the look.
DOOR FRAME. Cutting the frame
pieces to size is the place to
start. Set the rails aside for the
moment and focus on the stiles.
The mortises in the stiles are
pretty straightforward (detail
‘a’). A sharp brad point bit at
the drill press fits the bill. Then
square the walls of the mortise
before moving on to the rails.
The tenons on the rails that
mate with the mortises (detail
‘e’) are simple enough. A little
time at the table saw will put
them in order. Now you can
assemble the frame over at the
workbench. Confirm the frames
are square before the glue dries.
BEHIND THE SCENES. Now it’s time
to focus on the work that needs
to be done on the back of the
doors. First, rout a rabbet in the
back of the frame to hold the
plywood back. Do this with a
rabbeting bit in your router.
Then square the corners.
SLATS. You’ll notice in the main
drawing and detail ‘d’ that the

52 • Woodsmith / No. 243

slats are graduated in size. The NOTE: Jig
center slat is the widest. Now’s parts are #/4" 1!/2
plywood
the time to cut the slats to size. FIRST: Attach door frame
and jig to work bench
JIG. The jig you see in the with double-sided tape
drawing and detail to the right THIRD: Square
notches with chisel 1!/4 Spacer
is a good way to make the seven
notches required in each side of !/2" Dado !/2 !/2 Slat strip
the door frame. As you rip the clean-out
bit
hardwood to width for each #/4 Spacer
SECOND: Rout notches
group of slats, rip extra material in door frame %/8 Slat strip
to become the strip for that slat
in the jig. Then combine them #/4 Spacer
with the spacers shown. Double-sided
tape
#/4 Slat strip
ROUT THE NOTCHES
To hold the door frame and jig #/4 Spacer

in place and have clearance for Slat strip

my router, I used double-sided
tape to secure the parts to the
workbench. The narrowest slat
matches the bit diameter. On all
the others, you’ll have to nibble
away the space.
As for the depth, the notches
are shallow enough that they
can be done in one pass. Square
all the notches with a chisel after
you’ve put the router away.
SLAT DETAILS. The door frames are
ready to receive the slats. There
are two things to do to complete
the slats. First, there’s a rabbet in
the ends. This rabbet (detail ‘a’)
fits in the notches you’ve just
made and will bring the back of
the slats in line with the rabbet.
Magnetic
latch
Strap
U
hinge
HINGED DOOR
(11!/2"x 10&/8")
a.
There’s one more thing left
to tidy up the slats. You need to
round over the front edges. This
is easily done at the router table.
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. It’s time to
clamp the slats in their notches
along with a little glue. Cut
the plywood backs to size, but
don’t install them until they’re
stained and finished. It’s a lot
NOTE: Magnetic
touch latch
mounts to
underside of
divider
Ring
pull
NOTE: Door is made
from #/4"-thick hardwood
1!/4
Jig for Slots.
The jig is made
up of spacer
strips glued up
easier finishing the door and with pieces the
back separately than it is deal- same thickness
ing with the buildup of finish in as the slats.
all those corners.
GROOVES & RUNNERS. Cut the
grooves in the top and bottom
edges of the sliding door (detail
‘a’, previous page). Then make
the eight thin runners.
The reason behind making the
runners in so many pieces has
to do with installing the doors.
When everything is stained and
finished, you can glue (with sili-
cone) four of the runners on one
side of the case. Then slide the
doors in place and install the
remaining runners.
HINGED DOOR. This simple door
is a 3⁄4"-thick hardwood panel
glued up from two boards. After
fitting the door in the opening, I
attached the strap hinges to the
door and the case. I did this to
create the screw holes in the
door and the case. Then I pulled
the hardware off in preparation
for staining the case and the
door. But before that, you’ve got
some drawers to make.

Woodsmith.com • 53
 AA
KICKER
(!/2"x #/4" x 3")
Z #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew
DRAWER GUIDE
(!/4"x %/8" x 12")
!/2
#8 x #/4"
W
Fh woodscrew
!/4"x 1"dowel
DRAWER
BOTTOM
(11!/2"x 13#/8")
#8 x #/4"
Fh woodscrew
V
b.
DRAWER SIDE
(4!/2"x 12")
Making strong DRAWERS
To wrap up the project, there are
a couple of drawers you need to
make. They’re housed in the two
openings in the lower right cor-
ner of the main case.
The drawers are identical in
size. And as you see in the draw-
ing above, they have similar
joinery to the cases. But in this
instance, I cut the box joints by
hand. There’s an article on page
56 that shows you how.
To guide the drawers
smoothly, there are guides
attached with screws at the bot-
tom of the drawer opening. At
the top, there’s a pair of short
kickers that keep the drawers
from tipping forward. The false
fronts are screwed to the box and
have ornamental hardware that
matches the hinged door.
SIDES FIRST. Although I used a
different method to make the
54 • Woodsmith / No. 243
NOTE: Kicker is
positioned !/2" from
front of case
1!/2 1!/2
V
X
Y
FALSE FRONT
(5"x 14#/8")
W
DRAWER
FRONT/ BACK
(4!/2"x 13&/8")
NOTE: Bottom is !/8" plywood.
All other drawer parts are made
from !/2"-thick hardwood
drawer sides, front, and back,
the workflow is the same. I
started with the sides. The slot in
the center is similar to a mortise,
so that’s where I started. When
those were done, use them to
locate the pins on the front and
back of the drawer.
GROOVY. With the hand work
done, you can take the sides,
front, and back over to the table
saw and cut the groove for the
plywood bottom. Due to the
small size of the drawers, I chose
to use 1⁄8" plywood for the bot-
toms. It’s lighter in weight and
you don’t have to set up a dado
blade to get the job done.
GLUE UP. As you know, it’s not
rocket science gluing up draw-
ers. And though they’re small,
you’ll want to check the draw-
ers for square as you apply the
clamps to the boxes.
a.
AA
Plate
handle
c.
SMALLER DOWELS. Like the cases,
the drawer boxes have a pair of
hardwood dowels in each finger
of the box joint. The jig you see
in detail ‘b’ is what you’ll use
this time. It clamps to the draw-
ers in the same manner as the
one for the cases.
FALSE FRONTS. The false front on
the drawers have corner plates
similar to the hinged door.
While the pulls differ between
the drawers and doors, the
corner plates provides a visual
symmetry between the two.
DRAWER GUIDES. Now it’s time to
make and install the guides and
the kickers I mentioned earlier.
Detail ‘a’ and the main draw-
ing above gives you a good
look at them. It’s a lot easier to
install the long guides without
the plywood back in the way.
That’s the last of the building.
 DECORATIVE HARDWAR
RE
LOCATIONS

L-braces
NOTE: Attach
decorative
hardware
to both sides
of step cases

T-braces

Strap
hinge
Corner
plate

{ Installing the decorative hardware is easy

with the aid of some thin strips of double-
sided tape and needle-nose pliers.

Now it’s time to apply a finish To complete the

that’s worthy of this gem.
FINISHING. The finish for the
tansu cabinet involves several
steps. The process involves
using milk paint and lacquer.
There’s a description in Sources
on page 66 that walks you
through the stages.
FINAL ASSEMBLY.
assembly of the case, I started
with the sliding doors. It’s just a
matter of installing four runners
on one half of the case (I used
silicone to hold the runners in
their grooves). Then slide the
doors over the runners. Now,
glue the remaining runners in
place and test the operation of
the doors. You might have to
sand the runners a little. With
that, you can screw the plywood
back to the main case.
ICING ON THE CAKE. After installing
all the hardware (see drawing
above), you’re ready to put the
tansu cabinet to work. W

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Sides (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 281⁄2 N Door Rails (4) 3⁄ x 2 - 123⁄ AA Kickers (4) 1⁄ x 3⁄ - 3
8 4 8 2 4
B Top/Bottom (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 281⁄2 O Slats (2) 3 1
⁄8 x 1 ⁄4 - 11 ⁄83 3 1
• (60) ⁄8"-dia. x 1 ⁄2" Dowel Pins
8
C Drawer Divider (1) 7⁄ x 123⁄ - 147⁄
8 4 8 P Slats (4) 3⁄ x 3⁄ - 113⁄
8 4 8 • (48) 1⁄4"-dia. x 1" Dowel Pins
D Divider (1) 7⁄ x 123⁄ - 113⁄ Q Slats (4) 3 5 3
⁄8 x ⁄8 - 11 ⁄8 • (14) T-Braces
8 4 8
E Door Divider (1) 7⁄ x 123⁄ - 271⁄ R Slats (4) 3 ⁄8 x 1⁄2 - 113⁄8 • (24) L-Braces
8 4 4
F Back (1) 1⁄ ply. - 273⁄ x 273⁄ S Door Backs (2) 1⁄ ply. - 113⁄ x 12 • (12) Corner Plates
4 4 4 4 8
G Long Sides (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 19
8 T Runners (8) 1 ⁄8 x ⁄2 - 133⁄8
1 • (2) Strap Hinges
H Dividers (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 183⁄ U Hinged Door (1) 3⁄ x 111⁄ - 107⁄ • (3) Ring Pulls
8 8 4 2 8
I Short Sides (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 91⁄ V Drawer Sides (4) 1⁄ x 41⁄ - 12 • (2) Plate Handles
8 2 2 2
J Tops (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 91⁄
8 2 W Drawer Front/Backs (4) 1⁄2 x 41⁄2 - 137⁄8 • (5) 12mm Brads (packages)
K Steps (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 93⁄
8 4 X Drawer Bottoms (2) 1⁄4 ply. - 111⁄2 x 133⁄8 • (1) Magnetic Touch Latch
L Bottoms (2) 7⁄ x 13 - 19 Y False Fronts (2) 1⁄ x 5 - 143⁄ • (40) #8 x 3⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
8 2 8
M Door Stiles (4) 3⁄ x 2 - 15 Z Drawer Guides (4) 1 5
⁄4 x ⁄8 - 12 • (8) #8 x 11⁄4" Fh Woodscrews
4
!/2"x 4"- 84" Ash (2.3 Sq.Ft.) &/8"x 5"- 84" Ash (Four boards @ 2.9 Bd.Ft. each)
P Q Z O R T G L H I J K
AA
#/4"x 6"- 84" Ash (3.5 Bd.Ft.) &/8"x 5"- 84" Ash (Two boards @ 2.9 Bd.Ft. each)
U U M M N N B E C D

&/8"x 4!/2"- 48" Ash (Two boards @ 1.5 Bd.Ft. each) &/8"x 4!/2"- 96" Ash (Two boards @ 3.0 Bd.Ft. each)
H I J K A B G L

&/8"x 4!/2"- 60" Ash (1.9 Bd.Ft.) &/8"x 5"- 96" Ash (Two boards @ 3.3 Bd.Ft. each)
C D E A A B
!/2"x 5!/2"- 72" Ash (Two boards @ 2.8 Sq.Ft. each)
Y W W V V ALSO NEEDED: One 48"x 48" sheet of !/4" ash plywood,
one 24"x 24" sheet of !/8" birch plywood

Woodsmith.com • 55
WOODWORKING
Technique

Handcut
Large Box
Joints

T he road you follow while build-

ing a project can take a variety
of interesting turns. Trying a different
technique is one way to explore a new
path. While following the progress of
the tansu cabinet, I thought it would
be fun to try cutting the distinctive
wide box joints by hand. What I dis-
covered is that this approach offers a
surprising number of lessons in mas-
tering a few basic hand tools.

56 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Phil Huber

 Simplicity supplies part of
the attraction of wide box joints.
There are four parts in each
assembly. One pair of the parts
has slots cut in each end. The
mating pair of pieces have a
single pin formed on the ends.
When cutting the joints by
hand, it means there are only
a few cuts — most of them
straight. However, the result is
a corner joint that offers a lot
of glue surface and a striking
appearance at the same time.
ANY SCALE. Another benefit to
this approach is that it works on
large projects (like the tansu) as
well as smaller boxes or draw-
ers. For this article, I’m making
a medium-sized box in 1⁄2"-thick
material. This offers a good bal-
ance of size to get you started on
learning this technique.
SIZING & LAYOUT. Wide box joints
like these simplify sizing parts.
The pieces are cut to the overall
length and width of the final
assembly. From there, your next
task is layout.
When cutting joinery by hand,
I find that a complete layout is
helpful for making accurate cuts.
Begin with marking the baseline
on all the project pieces. This line
{ I angle the blade in the frame of the coping saw for better balance. The
object in these cuts is to remove as much of the waste as possible. So cut as
close to the baseline as you feel comfortable with.
Marking
gauge
Baseline
matches the
thickness of the mat-
ing piece. You can see this in
the upper right photo.
I prefer to use a marking
gauge for this. The scribed line
the gauge leaves is useful for
catching the edge of the saw
and chisels that are used down
the road. From here, set aside
the pieces that have pins cut on
them and focus on the slot parts.
SLOTS
If the parts are narrow enough,
you can use the marking gauge
to define the sides of the slot. On
wider pieces, you’ll need to mea-
sure then mark the sides of the
slot using a marking knife and
square. Mark both faces and the
Pin line
{ Scribe a baseline on all the parts. Then lay out the slot
on two of the pieces (bottom). The pieces that get the
pins will be marked after the slots are formed.
ends of the parts, as shown in the
photo above.
CUT IN PAIRS. It’s time to pick up a
back saw and begin forming the
slot. In order to save time and
create a more consistent look,
I cut both pieces at once. Align
the two pieces and clamp them
upright in a vise, as shown in
the photo on the previous page.
Define the sides of the slot
with two cuts straight down
the ends, stopping right at the
baseline. These are short cuts,
so don’t be timid about cutting
right on the scribed lines.
Keep your wrist, elbow and
shoulder aligned with the saw
blade to make straight, smooth
cuts. I start the cut on the far cor-
ner of the parts, working back
across the end grain. Then level
out the saw as you cut down.
COPING WITH WASTE. The waste
material between these two
cuts is dealt with in two steps.
The first step involves remov-
ing most of the waste using a
coping saw (left photo). Start
the blade in one of the side cuts,
then swoop down and cut along
the baseline until you reach the
other side cut. Flip the parts
around in the vise and cut away
the sloped waste (inset photo).
Woodsmith.com • 57
 CHISEL TIME.The ragged line of
waste along the bottom of the
slot needs to be cleaned up
before you can move on. There
are no better tools for the job
than a wide, freshly sharpened
chisel and a mallet.
You’ll be trimming across end
grain here and that’s tough work
for a chisel (and you). A dull edge
can crush and tear the fibers.
This won’t be seen once the parts
are together, but the voids may
weaken the show faces.
When using hand tools, I lean
towards softer, friendlier wood
species. But if you’re working
with harder materials (like the
ash used in the tansu cabinet),
stop to touch up the edge often.
Unless you have a very small
amount of waste to remove
(1⁄16" or less), it’s a good idea to
remove it progressively. I set the
tip of the chisel about halfway
to the baseline. Then with firm
mallet blows, work down to
the midpoint of the thickness of
the workpiece. (Going halfway
prevents you from marring the
opposite face of the workpiece.)
When you’re within 1⁄16", you can
{ Bold, confident sawing is the quickest way to end up with well-fitting joints. Cut on the waste
side of the line. The aim is to get a good fit straight from the saw. Barring that, you should only
have a little material to remove with a chisel to fine-tune the fit.
58 • Woodsmith / No. 243
{ Chop down from each face of the slot board to prevent tearing out the grain
on a visible surface. Removing a small amount of material at a time, prolongs
the life of your chisel’s edge. For the final pass, slightly undercut the joint.
set the chisel right in the scribed
baseline and give it a few taps.
Then slightly angle the chisel to
undercut the bottom of the slot.
Doing this allows the pieces to fit
together tightly.
All you need to do, at this
point, is flip the piece over and
repeat the process, working from
the opposite face (photo above).
If necessary, you can clean
up the sides of the slot so that
they’re straight and square. Just
don’t go too crazy otherwise
your slots may look radically
different from each other.
FORMING PINS
With the slots complete, it’s time
to focus on the other half of the
joint — making the pins. A lot of
what you’ll do here mirrors the
operations to make the slot. In
some ways, forming the pins is
easier, in my opinion.
MORE LAYOUT. Laying out the slots
starts with a blank slate. For the
pins, you’re really transferring
the shape of the slot onto the
pin workpiece. However, each
slot is unique. So before you
start marking, take some time to
label your parts so that each pin
has an assigned slot.
Then line up the two mating
parts for each corner and trace
the slot onto the end of the pin
board with a pencil. Use a square
to carry these lines down each
face to the baseline.
Finally, you may want to mark
the waste area somehow. This
can prevent you from creating
another set of slots, when you
really want pins — it happens.
SAWING. Like carving a statue,
making a pin is a matter of
removing the wood on either
side that isn’t a pin. It also
requires some understanding of
where the waste lies. For exam-
ple, the pencil marks are entirely
on the pin (which is wood you
need to keep). So that means
you need to saw just outside the
pencil lines. I make these side
cuts first. Just as with the slots,
the closer you stay to the lines,
the less cleanup and fitting you
need to do later.
Here’s where the pins are
easier. To remove most of the
remaining waste, turn the work-
piece horizontal. Make a second
straight cut along the baseline. { With well-defined layout lines, you can carefully pare away waste from the
This is shown in the bottom shoulders and sides of the pin. Check the fit often while working to avoid
photo on the previous page. removing too much material and ending up with a loose fit.
A LITTLE CLEANUP. At this stage, I
like to pause and check the fit of and repeat using the previous any trimming to the pins where
the pin in the slot. With practice, cut as a reference for the next. there’s better access and visibility.
you can get the parts to nearly Follow that up by trimming With a single slot and pin on
come together all the way. For the sides of the pin. Pay close each corner, it doesn’t take long
me, there’s usually a little fine- attention to the grain direction to cut wide box joints by hand. To
tuning necessary. and cut so the surface is smooth. install a box bottom (or case back),
The photo above shows the My goal is to get the pin to take a look at the box below.
first step. I use a wide chisel to seat slightly more than halfway Besides creating a strong con-
trim along the baseline. Regis- into the slot with hand pressure nection, you end up with a joint
ter one side of the chisel in the alone. Clamps or taps from a mal- that makes an appealing visual
scribed line and pare a narrow let will bring it home during the statement as well. The added
slice across to the pin. Step over final assembly with glue. I limit skills are icing on the cake. W

ROUTING FOR BOTTOMS & BACKS

Stopped Grooves. Ordinarily, I would cut
grooves to house box bottoms and case
backs at the table saw. But with box joints
like these, this approach means a through
groove will be visible (and distracting) in
the final assembly.
So instead, I turn to my router table
and a box slotting bit to create stopped
grooves, as shown in the right photo. The
bit looks like a miniature slot cutter (inset
photo). To use it, you clamp the parts
together without glue. Then run a groove
around the inside of the assembly. When
the clamps come off, you have a set of
stopped grooves.
For the bottom to seat, you’ll need
to round of the corners to match the { A box slotting bit (for sources, turn to page 66) creates
rounded ends of the grooves. This is quick a shallow groove for a bottom so that it won’t be visible
work with a disc or edge sander. from the outside of the assembly.

Woodsmith.com • 59
WORKING
with Tools

Flattening
Waterstones

S harp tools are key to improving

the overall quality of your
work. And like a lot of woodworkers,
I settled on waterstones as the sharp-
ening medium for my chisels and
plane irons. They work fast
and give a chisel or plane
iron a razor-sharp edge.

60 • Woodsmith / No. 243 Written by: Bryan Nelson


{ Seeing the worn areas of a waterstone can be a challenge. To highlight things, simply
hold a metal straightedge along the length of the stone. Any light visible between the
two is a good indication that it’s time for a “tune-up.”
THE DOWNSIDE. Of course, there
is a downside to waterstones.
Since the stone particles wear
away quickly, it doesn’t take
long before a shallow depres-
sion forms in the center, as you
can see in the photos above.
Once a significant depression
forms, it’s difficult to maintain a
straight edge on a chisel or plane
iron. The edge will ultimately
match the shape of the depres-
sion. In order to hone a straight
edge, you need to tune up your
waterstones so they’re ready
to go any time you start a new
sharpening session.
THE GOAL. To do this, you need to
remove material along the edges
of the stone, bringing everything
to the same level as the depres-
sion. The goal is to remove just
enough of the stone until the
entire face is flat and smooth.
FLATTENING OPTIONS. The nice thing
is that flattening a waterstone
doesn’t require much equip-
ment to be successful. The first
thing you need is a means to
flatten the stone itself. Choices
range from diamond stones to
readily available sandpaper,
as in the photo at right. (For
sources, refer to page 66.)
A diamond stone is one of the
most expensive options, but it’ll
essentially last a lifetime. Plus,
it can also be used to flatten the
backs of chisels or plane irons
quickly and easily.
Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman
Look for light
between the stone
and straightedge
You’ll also find dedicated flat-
tening stones, like the Norton
version shown below. Of course,
like a waterstone, the flattening
stone itself will need to be flat-
tened fairly often, as well. Not
something that makes sense to
add into the overall sharpening
process, in my opinion.
Less expensive options, at least
to get started, are to use drywall
screen or sandpaper attached
to a flat surface, such as plate
glass, melamine, or my favor-
ite, a granite reference plate, as
shown in the main photo on the
opposite page.
Besides the flattening medium
and a surface to provide a flat
reference, you’ll need a few
other things. While you can
Diamond stone
Norton
flattening
stone
Wet/Dry
sandpaper
on melamine
{ It’s a good idea to confirm the overall wear of
the stone by checking across its width up and
down the entire length.
complete the process on a dry
stone, I find it best to have a
spray bottle handy to “lubri-
cate” the stone and wash away
residue. And since this makes
the process messy, a rubber tray
is a great way to keep every-
thing contained. Finally, a metal
straightedge allows you to check
the condition of the stone and
gauge your progress.
Once you have your water-
stone flattening kit together, the
rest of the process goes pretty
quick, as you’ll see when you
turn the page.
} You’ll find a wide range of options when it comes
to flattening waterstones, from diamond stones to
inexpensive drywall screen and sandpaper.
Drywall screen
attached to
plate glass
Woodsmith.com • 61
 The Flattening Process
Now that you’re ready to actu-
ally get started, I’ll cover things
in detail and offer a few tips
along the way to make the pro-
cess go as smooth as possible.
GAUGING YOUR PROGRESS. As you
work, you’ll want to make sure
to gauge your progress. Once
the stone is flat and smooth,
there’s no point in removing
extra material and wearing out
your stone prematurely. I’ve
found the simplest way to see
how things are going is to grab
a pencil and scribble some lines
{ Keeping track of the flattening process is critical, but fairly simple. All you
need to do is scribble some reference lines across the entire face of the stone,
as you can see above, and then you’re ready to start.
across the face you’re going to
flatten. You can see how this
should look in the photo below.
Don’t be overly concerned
about the pattern. You simply
need a visual cue as to how
things are progressing. Once
the reference lines are in place,
you’re ready to start flattening.
CONSISTENT PROCESS. Regardless
of the flattening medium (I’m
using 200-grit silicon-carbide
sandpaper in the photos),
you’ll want to follow a consis-
tent process for the best results.
I’ve found that by working the
waterstone in a figure-eight
pattern and using the entire sur-
face of the flattening medium,
I remove the least amount of
material, photo and drawing at
the bottom of the page.
I also find this process keeps the
stone a consistent thickness and
avoids turning it into a wedge
by removing too much material
along one edge or the other.
As you work, you’ll want to
keep the stone wet and check
your progress. You know you’re
doing things right when you
see your reference lines slowly
disappearing along the edges of
the stone, like you see in the inset
photo below.
STRAIGHTEDGE CHECK. Although
the reference lines are a good
visual, they can disappear as
you get close to a flat stone sim-
ply because the water and slurry
mess washes them away. So to
see where things are really at, it’s
always best to use a straightedge.
To avoid any slurry from
affecting the results, I like to
rinse off the waterstone first. As
shown in the top photo on the
next page, it doesn’t take long
to check along the length and
across the width of the stone.
If you still see some light or an
obvious depression in the stone,
scribble a few more lines across
the face and repeat the flattening

Figure Eight. For the most

consistent results, work the
stone in a figure eight, using
{ Next, work the stone across the flattening medium in a figure eight (drawing the entire surface of the
at right). Checking your progress is just a matter of flipping the stone over flattening medium.
and looking at the reference lines (inset photo).

62 • Woodsmith / No. 243

process until the entire surface
checks out perfectly flat.
So once the stone is flat, what’s
left? Well for me, there are a cou-
ple other things to think about.
GRIT PROGRESSION. As I mentioned
earlier, I typically start with
200-grit silicon-carbide sand-
paper. I find it’s the right choice
for flattening most waterstones.
But if you have a heavy depres-
sion in your stone, don’t be
afraid to start with something
more aggressive. I’ve used 120-
grit aluminum-oxide sandpaper
when I really needed to remove
some material on a waterstone.
That works in reverse, too.
If you’ve flattened with a fairly
aggressive grit, you can follow up
with a finer grit paper, which pro-
vides a smoother surface on the
stone. Since the stone is already
flat, it won’t take long to do this.
WATCH THE EDGES. One thing you’ll
notice if you have to remove a
lot of material to get the stone
flat is the edges will end up per-
fetly square. While this might
look nice, edges like this on a
waterstone are sharp enough
to cut hands and fingers. Plus,
they’re brittle and will chip
away easily.
{ Depending on how much material you remove from the stone, the edges
will often end up sharp and brittle. So as a last step, I like to use the same
flattening medium to add small chamfers to each of the edges.
{ Although the reference lines are a good indication of how flat the stone is,
nothing beats a quick check with a straightedge. Here again, checking along
the length and width will let you know if you have more work to do.
The simple solution to this is To do this, I make sure to flat-
to ease the edges using the same ten my waterstones after every
sandpaper. Just pull the stone at sharpening session. This way, I
a 45° angle for a few passes, as find I don’t end up with heavily
shown in the photo below. That dished out stones that require a
will take care of removing the lot of work to get flat again.
sharp edges and leave behind Plus, since they’re not in bad
even chamfers, as you can see in shape after a single sharpening
the inset photo below. session, any flattening I need to
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE. Depending do goes quickly. And once I’m
on the condition of your water- done, the waterstones are ready
stones, it may have taken a bit to go for the next time.
of work to get them smooth and Waterstones are a great way to
flat. To avoid the same hassle sharpen tools. And with a simple
down the road, I’ve settled on system and a few supplies, keep-
a routine to keep the amount ing them in tip-top shape is easy,
of time I spend flattening my which means you can spend
waterstones to a minimum. more time woodworking. W } Once the edges
are chamfered,
like you see below,
the waterstone is
ready for use.
Beveled edges
help prevent
chipping
Woodsmith.com • 63
MASTERING
the Table Saw
Glue Line Rip Blades
Most of us would love to save
steps in the shop without sac-
rificing quality. With glue line
rip blades for the table saw,
the promise is that you can
do exactly that. The man-
ufacturers of these blades
claim they make rip cuts
so smooth that you can
get out the glue and
clamps without any addi-
tional surface prep from a
hand plane or jointer.
It’s a great concept, but I
have pretty high standards,
< The teeth on glue line rip blades
produce a smooth cut that is a far
better quality than a standard blade.
64 • Woodsmith / No. 243
especially when it comes to the
quality of my glue-ups. Simply
put, if the glue lines of my pan-
els are visible, they’re not good
enough. To find out if these
blades can truly produce glue-up
ready edges, I decided to try one
out for an upcoming project.
ANATOMY OF THE BLADE. Upon first
inspection, it’s clear that glue
line rip blades are designed a
little differently than other table
saw blades. Most rip blades have
24 flat-ground teeth designed
specifically for splitting boards
efficiently. Glue line rip blades,
on the other hand, have 30 teeth
that both cut and smooth the
wood while ripping.
Written by: Wyatt Myers
 Vibration
Traditional Rip Blade. Glue Line Rip Blade. Adding a few more teeth channels
Most blades have 24 Expansion slots (30 total) and changing the shape improves the
keep blade
flat-ground teeth. from deforming smoothness of the cut edge.

Shoulder NOTE: Glue line rip

reduces blades feature
kickback alternating tooth styles
Thicker plate
and vibration
Triple chip Flat-ground dampening
grind tooth tooth slots allow
blade to
Bevel run straight
!/32" and true
Flat-ground
teeth cut
square
grooves

What’s more, the blades fea-
ture alternating tooth styles. One
tooth has a triple-chip grind,
which is adept at cutting through
wood efficiently. The next tooth
is a standard flat grind, which
smooths and almost polishes
the cut edge as it passes through.
Between the two, the result is a
blade designed to produce sig-
nificantly cleaner cuts than a
standard rip blade. You can see
the distinctions between the
blades in the drawings above.
TO THE TEST. For my project, I
tried out the Glue Line Ripping
Blade from Amana Tool, though
options are also available from
Freud Tools and Klingspor’s (refer
to Sources on page 66). I cross-
cut and planed a few oak and
cherry boards, then set up my
table saw with the blade to prep
them for glue-up.
As I started ripping boards, it
was clear this was not your aver-
age rip blade. The edges were
noticeably smoother and absent
of the swirl marks and chipout
that a standard blade produces.
These were edges I’d have no
problem gluing together without
additional machining.
TIP & TRICKS. One thing worth
noting about glue line rip blades
is that you use them a little dif-
ferently than standard rip blades
in order to get good results.
For starters, it’s probably worth
mentioning that these blades
won’t produce a straight, flat
edge if the other edge isn’t flat
and straight. So if you don’t have
lumber with one edge that was
ripped before you purchased
it (S3S), then you’ll want to
straighten one edge on a jointer.
This will produce a reference
edge to run against the rip fence
in order to produce a second
smooth edge with the blade.
While blade height isn’t a big
concern for rough rip cuts, it’s
more critical when using glue
line rip blades. I recommend set-
ting the teeth of the blade just
above the surface of the wood.
That way, the teeth will be shav-
ing the edge of the wood rather
than chopping down into it.
Finally, feed the stock through at
a smooth, steady rate, slower than
Cut with
Cut with glue line
standard rip
rip blade. Note
blade. Note
saw marks smooth surface.
and burns.
For smoothest cut,
raise blade
to just above
workpiece thickness
you would with a standard blade.
This will prevent burns or swirl
marks on the edge of the board.
WORTHY ADDITION. If you glue up a
lot of panels, then a dedicated
glue line rip blade is a good
investment. The quality of the cut
is as good as advertised, and the
glue lines essentially disappeared
once I clamped my boards up
into a panel. I found that the time
it saved me in board prep for my
glue-ups was significant. W
} The cut edges produced by a glue line rip blade (right)
are smoother and will produce a glue joint that is nearly
invisible without the need to joint the edges first.

Illustrations: Bob Zimmerman Woodsmith.com • 65

 Sources
Most of the materials and supplies you’ll need to build the projects are available
at hardware stores or home centers. For specific products or hard-to-find items,
take a look at the sources listed here. You’ll find each part number listed by the
company name. See the left margin for contact information.

MAIL COMBINATION SQUARES (p.10) finished with Varathane “Tra- Once the sealing coat was dry,
ORDER Starrett brand combination ditional Cherry” gel stain. The it gets covered with a generous
SOURCES squares and accessories are face was finished with amber layer of General Finishes “Tuscan
Project supplies may available from a number of shellac. After assembly, the Red” milk paint.
be ordered from the woodworking retailers, as well entire clock was sprayed with a When the second coat of milk
following as Amazon.com. couple of coats of lacquer. paint is dry, it’s time to sand
companies: through the red, revealing the
Woodsmith Store BEVERAGE STAND (p.18) SETUP GAUGE (p.42) black. Some of this is done by
800-444-7527 The beverage stand was • Woodsmith Store hand and some with a random
store.woodsmith.com
stained with a 50/50 mixture 6" Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364000 orbit sander (320 grit) When
Rockler of Minwax “Provincial” and • McMaster-Carr you’re happy with the results,
800-279-4441
3⁄ "-wide Brass . . . . . . .8951K04
rockler.com General Finishes “Candlelite”, 4 apply two coats of lacquer to
then topped with two coats of 1⁄ "-wide Brass . . . . . . .8951K01 finish the project.
4
Amana Tool
800-445-0077 spray lacquer. The cork used Knurled Nut . . . . . . 92741A140
amanatool.com for the coaster recess was pur- LARGE BOX JOINTS (p.56)
amazon.com chased at a local hobby store. TANSU CABINET (p.46) • Lee Valley
1⁄ "
• Lee Valley 8 Box Slotting Bit . . . . . 16J83.12
Black Forest Imports
800-824-0900 CNC ROUTER (p.22) T-braces . . . . . . . . . . . . 00D56.12 1⁄ "
4 Box Slotting Bit . . . . . 16J83.14
blackforestimports.com Due to the amount of hardware L-braces . . . . . . . . . . . . 00D56.11
General Finishes needed for this project, you’ll Corner Plates . . . . . . . . 00D56.35 STONE FLATTENING (p.60)
800-783-6050 find a complete list of mate- Strap Hinges . . . . . . . . 00D55.21 Both the Norton Flattening Stone
generalfinishes.com
rials at Woodsmith.com./242/ 12mm Brads . . . . . . . . . 00D56.80 and the DMT Dia-Flat Lapping
Lee Valley CNC. The body of the CNC was Plate Handle . . . . . . . . 00D56.40 Plate are available from a num-
800-871-8158
leevalley.com painted with Benjamin Moore Ring Pull . . . . . . . . . . . 00D56.50 ber of woodoworking outlets,
“New Hope Gray.” Magnetic Touch Latch 00W02.06 including Rockler, Woodcraft,
Minwax
800-523-9299 To finish the cabinet, I started and Amazon.
minwax.com CUCKOO CLOCK (p.34) with a coat of General Finishes
McMaster-Carr • Black Forest Imports “Lamp Black” milk paint. To GLUE LINE RIP BLADES (p.64)
630-833-0300 Cuckoo Quartz Mvmt . . TMQS9 seal this layer, I applied a couple • Amana Tools
mcmaster.com
The case of the clock was of coats of lacquer. 10" Glue Line Rip . . . . . . 610301
Woodcraft
800-225-1153
woodcraft.com

Varathane
Varathanemasters.com
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in 5 Minutes!
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fool-proof method for getting a consistent, razor-
sharp edge using only a few simple tools. The
secret is in the Woodsmith jig—a unique tool that
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66 • Woodsmith / No. 243

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