40608494-Fine-Woodworking-197-2008-04.pdf

MARCH/APRIL 2008 r i$rea;t:.i,::ii

features A Portable BookRack Use a rollter template fbr perfect results BY GREGORY PAOLINI

ForstnerBits For unrnatchecl qr-ralityand precision in your drilling, yoll can t lreat these bits. We look at 18 brands to see which are best B Y R O L A N DJ O H N S O N

8 Tipsfor Flawless Moldings Smart rolrter setllp ancl techniqr.re yield crisp profiles ancl silky surfaces B Y S T E V EL A T T A

.lw l t,'

''3t

'.:'

BED 7 6 sLErcH Cover photo: Michael Pekovich

upfront 6 Onthe Web 8 Gontributors

5B llfill?oo*'

1O Letters 12 Methodsof Work Backerblockhandles cross-grain routing perfect The spray-gun holder

2OTools& Materials NewLeighdovetailjigs Rebuiltbatteries

26 What'sthe Difference?

42

planes Bevel-up vs.bevel-down

ARTSAND CRAFTS BOOKRACK

28 Fundamentals Getthe mostfromyour combination square

68 Tapered

58 BringOutthe Best in Mahogany

Laminations MadeEasy

Fill the grain and use shellac, but let the piece dictate the rest

A single jig tapers the plies on the bandsaw and then guides them through the planer

BY PETERGEDRYS

Designing Boxes

BY MICHAEI C. FORTUNE

The creative processis easier when you understand the options

74

BY DOUGSTOWE

TryThisVersatile Mortising Jig An adaptable clamping surface holds curved and straight parts alike BY MICHAEL C, FORTUNE

34 A CloserLook Advantages of hideglue

intheback 84 ReadersGallery

e oQ & A

'Overthetop'panelshaping Sharpening spokeshave blades

96 Master Class Sculptyourownhardware

108 HowTheyDid lt

76 NewTwist Ona SleighBed Curved slats and simple carving make this bed stand out from the crowd BY CHARLESSHACKLETON

The backcoverexolained

Back Cover A visionin white

TheThunton Press Inspiration for hands-on livingo

48

F'R.TNER Brrs

FineWoodworking.com

THrs MoNTH orrrFineWoodworking.com

freeonlineextras: Available

Rne @1ryo41tr* EDITOR AsaChrlstlana

b

ARTDIRECTOR MichaelPekovich

Box Making

MANAGINGEDITORMark Schofleld

Watchhow DougStowe("DesigningBoxes")resaws stockand cutsprecisemiterswith a tablesawsled. Plus:Readan excerptfrom his newbookon boxmaking.

Through-MortisesWith a Router SeehowGregoryPaolini(A PortableBookRack") usesa templateand routersto cut through-mortises with no tearout.

o

MANAGINGEDITOR,ONLINE Dav|d Heim ASSOCIATE EDITORS Thomas G. Begnal, Steve Scott, Thomas McKenna, Charlle Relna ASSISTANT EDITORAnlssa Kapsales ASSISTANT EDITOR,ONLINE Glna Elde sENroR coPY/PRODUCTTON EDTTORS Ellzabeth Healy, Julle Rlslnlt ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORKelly J. Dunton

Pro Portfolio: DavidEsterly

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORJohn Tetleault SHOPMANAGERRobert Nash

Take a narrated tour of this master's deep.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTBetsy Engel

relief carvings,done in

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Chrlstlan Becksvoort, Gary Rogowskl, Garett Hack, Roland Johnson, Steve Latta

the tradition of Grinling Gibbons.

CONSULTING EDITORJonathan Blnzen METHODSOF WORK Jlm Rlchey

plus: I I t

PUBLISHER AnatoleBurkln

GAIIERY OF READERWORK READERTOOLREVIEWS WOODWORKING BTOGS

Wedding Chest JohnP McCormack, San Francisco, Calif. PHoToi l-ANCE PATTERSoN

MARKETING MANAGER MellssaRoblnson ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Chrlstlnaclennon VICEPRESIDENT, CIRCULATION DennlsO'Brlen SENIOR SINGLE COPYSALES MANAGER JayAnnls

membors onlv: ..rJ .

Becomea memberand access3Oyearsof FineWooclworhin!, articles,how-tovldeos,and excluslveWebcontent.

n

ADVERTISING SALESMANAGERPeteTBad€au SENIORNATIONAL ACCOUNTMANAGER Llnda Abbett NATIONAL ACCOUNTMANAGERJohn Lagan

GuttingDovetalls February13: Web contrlbutlngeditorAndy Raedemonstrateshis foolproofmethodfor laylngout and cuttlngthroughand half-blinddovetailsaccurately.

SENIORAD SALESSUPPORT ASSOCIATE Marlorle Brown

wooDwoRKtNG BooKs& vtDEos EXECUTIVE EDITOR HelenAlbert

NEW WoodworkingProjectsfor Kids February20: Introducing a newseriesof step-by-step instructions and free plansfor projectsthat kidsas youngas 5 can buildeverything from a pencilboxto a T-Rexfigure.

plus: I I

t I

6

CURRENTISSUEONLINE ARCHIVESOF 1,30O+ARTICLES, AND PROJECT PT-ANS MORETHAN35O SKILL-BUIIDING VIDEOS ASKTHEEXPERTS:Peter Gedryson finishing FINE \TOOD\TORKiNG

F neWoodwo*tng: (lssN: 0361-3453) is published bimonthly,with a special seventh issue in the winter, by The TauntonPress, Inc., Newtown,CT 0647G5506. Telephone203426€171. Periodicalspostage paid at NeMown,CT 06470 and at additionalmailingoffices.cST paid registration# 7232tg98t. Subcrlptlon Rat6: U.S and Canada,$34.95 for one year,$59.95 for two years, $83.95 for three years (in U.S.dollars,please).CanadianGSTincluded.Outside U.S and Canada,$41.95 for one year,$73.95 for two years,$104.95 for three years (in U.S.dollars,please). Singlecopy,$7.99. single copiesoutsidethe U.s. and possessions,$8.99. Postmaster: Send address chan$es lo FineWoodworking, The TauntonPress,Inc.,63 S. lvlainSt., PO Box 5506, NeMown, CT 06470-5506. Canada Post: Return undeliverableCanadianaddressesto Fine Woodworking,c/o WorldwideMailers, Inc., 2835 Kew Drive,Windsor,ON N8T 387, or email to [email protected]. Prlntod In the USA

HOWTO CONTACT US: FtneWoodwotulng, TheTauntonPress,63S. MainSt., POBox5506. NeMown,CT0647G5506 2o+42ffi!7! www.flnewoodworklng,com Edltorlal: Tocontributean article,givea tip, or ask a question,contact FineWoodworkingatthe addressaboveor: Call: Fax: Email:

800.309€955 203-270.6753 [email protected]

GustomerServlce: Forsubscriptioninquiries,you can: . Clickon the CustomerServicelink at: www.flnewoodworklng.com . Emailus: [email protected] .Call our customersupportcenter: To reportan addresschange,inquire aboutan order,or solvea problem,call: 800477a727 To subscribe,purchaseback issues, booksor videos,or givea gift, call: 80G88&8286

r f"XfrAPF4\ i\ Easv-to-build

@

theWoodRa@t controls the router Thefun paftTenonsand Mortisesand Dovetails, batchcut Fingerjoints and Knucklejoints andMitredjointsof allkinds? ...over to you

boatkits

* 35 kayaks,canoes,rowing boats & more. t* Pre-cutparts, epoxy& hardwareincluded. tt Advanceddesign-stitch I glue. * Freecatalog- 410267.0137or online: ,

clcboats,com

check out www.woodrat.com or ring 1-877WOODRATnow!

READERSERVICENO.93

READERSERVICENO.5

10,000+ wooDWoRKERs LOVETHEWAYIT CUTS. 1OO'SLOVETHE WAYIT DOESNNT.*

Advertlslng: Tofind out aboutadvertising: Call: 8O0'3098954 Email:[email protected]

r€fm:. Y,"[i,itftlll,,*,"'' Retall: lf you'd like to carry FineWoodworkingin your store, call the TauntonTradeCompanyat: 86G509674 Malllng Llst: Occasionally we makeour subscribers'names and addressesavailableto responsible companieswhoseproductsor serviceswe feel may be of some interest to you. Most of our subscribersfind this to be a helpfulway to learnabout usefulresourcesand services. lf you don't want us to shareyournamewith othercompanies,pleasecontactour Customei ServiceDepartmentat: 8004778727

* Hundreds of table sa\Musersavoidedserious injuries becausetheywere using a SawStop saw at the time of their accidents.

TheTauntonGuarantee: lf at anytime you'renot completelysatisfied you can cancelyour with FineWoodworking, subscriptionand receivea full and immediate refundof the entiresubscriptionprice.No questionsasked. Copyright 2008 byTheTauntonPress,Inc.Noreproduction withoutpermissionof TheTauntonPress,Inc. READERSERVICENO.79

MARCH/APRIL

2OO8

contrlDutors /.4

rrr.n

TheThunton Press Inspimtion

for hands-on livingo

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS SINCE 1975 Foundas, Pnl

md Jm Roman

Presidrnt SuzmeRomu

EW & CFO Timothy Rahr EW & fublisbcx Maguinc Grcup Jon Miller SVII Owtiore ThomaiLurcde SW Cnativc 6 Editorial Sum Edelnm SVE TZchnohg Jay Htdcy SW 6 Grouo fublishcr, Home Paril Sprlng SW & Pubkha, Booh Grc@ Dondd Lim SW Adantisiry Sahs Itul Elke; VE Human Rcsources Crol Muottt W 6 Contmlhr Weync Reynolds

furnituremakers, Oneof Canada's mostrespectedcontemporary Michaef Fortune (faperecl LaminationsMade Easy")has designedand builtfurniturefor clientsacrossthe continentfor more than 30 years.Herecentlywascommissioned to builda dining tableas a giiftfor the outgoingGovernor Generalof Canada,andshe obliginglyordereda set of chairsto go with it. Harofd Greene (MasterClass)is a longlimefurnituredesigner and maker.Froma worltshopoverlooking the Portof Los Angeles, Greeneproducescustompieceswith personaltouches suchas casthardware. Youcanseesomeof hisworkat www. antiquesofthefuture.net. Healsohasmasteredthe Chapmanstick, an instrumentplayedbystrikingratherthan pluckingthe stringS.

W tulfillnnt Patrlch Sillimcon W Financc KethyWorth VB Cinlztion Dcmis O'Brid THE TAUNTON

PRESS

Bookst Marbcting Mclissa A. Posick, Audrey Incorotondo. Publiciry; Jmel Noblin. E/rraizl: Helen Albert, Pctcr Chapmm, St*c Culpcppu, Jessie DiDonato, CourtneyJordm, Crolyn Mmdumo, Jennifer Ruscll, Erie Smdcrs-Foegc,SharonZagatt. Art Alison Wilkes, Nocy Boudreau, Nora Fuente, Amy Griffin, Smdn Mahlstedt, Wendi Mi.ial, Lynne Phillips, Brookc Rmc, Cuol Singer.Manufrc*izg

Thomo

Greo. Laura Burrone. Buins

Holly Smith, Gayle Hmmond,

Oftcr

Patricia

Muini. Lcgal: CuolynKualeslt. Mzgazine Print Production: Philip Vm Kirlq Nicolc Anom, Jonifcr

Whena Valentine's Daystormdumped3Oin.on centralVermont in 2OOT,snowing in mana$ngeditorMarkSchofieldandChades famous Shackfeton ('Newlwist on a Slei€hBed"),Shackleton's spentnearlytwo years ancestorcameto mind.Sir ErnestShackleton (191+16)maroonedin the Antarctic.Thistime around,though,the notsealblubber. survivalfoodwasheart€hapedchocolates,

Kamucyk. Gmrlation:

David Pond, Aldrry

Corson, Cathginc

Hmsen. Dictribution

Pau.lSeipold, Walter Apontc, Frmk Busino,

David DeToto,Icmne

Furlong, Deborah Greenc, Frmk

Melboune, Reinaldo Moreno, Raymond Prsuo, Drim Pettway,Michacl Savage,Alice Suton, David Rodriguo. Finucc./Aeoutingt

Fiwrce: Bren Muning

Richud

Rjvellese,'4ccounting: Patrick lamontagnc, Priscilla

Youmightthink this is a photoof our editorgettingreadyto log on to our onlineforum,Knots,and readcommentsaboutthe latest issue.ln fact,it's Peter Gedrys ("BrinS,Outthe Bestin Mahsanf). In winter,the Connecticut residentspendsa coupleof hourseach weekat YaleUniversity's Ingallslce Rinkstoppingslapshotsand tryingto $ve as goodas he gets.

Jcnnings, Lydia lGikoriu, Michelle Mendona, Judith O'Toolc, Elaine Ymin, Cuol Diehm, Dorodry Blsko, Sum Burke , lormine Pusons, larry Ric, Jm*

Twedle.

Fulfillmcnt

Dine Goulur Frlfllment S!tte%: lodl Klein, Kim Eads, Nmcy Knor, Thomm Kubski. Cunmer Seruice:Kathlen Baker, Bonnie Beudsley, Debomh Circio, Katherine Clukc, Alfred Dreher, Paula Feneri, Eileen McNulty, Pauicia Ptls, Dema Puke6 Patricia Pineau, Betry Stepney.Dau Entry: Mdisse Youngberg, Aane Chmplin,

MaryAnn Colbcrt, Caryne-

Lynne Davis, Maureen Peku, Debra Sennefeldcr,Andre Shorrcck, Marylou Thompson, Bubua Villims. Huu

FINE \TOOD TORKING

Roorc:

Christinc Lincoln, Dawn usery.

letters

fFrn

Thank you for the new, free video series for beginners (www. finewoodwor king. corn/

Spotlight

start). I've been looking for' a Lletter way to introduce my son-in-law to woodworking, and the box project is simply great. The vicleo fbrmat helps

lssuEN0.195 Wlnter2007/2008 p.86

SHAPERARTICLEJUSTSKIMMEDTHESURFACE

Itim r-rnderstanrl the steps in a logical nlanner. Vith one ploject, he now has some familiarity with jointing ancl

I operatea custommillworkshop,and I applaudyoureditorialdecisionto introduce more woodworkersto the shaper.However,

guide,we neglected to pointout that the cove cut wasthe culminationof two or threeprior passes,whichgreatlyreducedthe tendency

planing, layout ancl rlarking, finisling, ancl many of the basic tools. Better yet, he has

as versatileand usefulas the shaperis, it is also potentially the most dangerous machine

for the cutterto grabthe work (the initial passcan be seenat the top of p. 91). And you'llnoticea pin in the tablethat allowed

an appreciation for what is entailed in producing a fine piece of wooclwrtrk. - M A R KS A L O M O N ,

in my shop,and thereare a numberof proceduresshownby Mr.Speetjensthat I wouldnot permit. In the leadphotoshowinga covebeingcut

me to controlthe workpieceon the wayinto the cut.Thatsaid,you still havea point. WhileI am comfortable with this approach, it is lessthan idealand wouldhavebeensafer

on a curvedblock,the work will engagethe cutter beforeit hits the bearing.Fora deep with a templatelike the one I demonstrated cut in hardwood(thislookslike maple),the on the bottomof p. 91. work couldeasilygraband be thrown.I would As for custom-grinding knives,it's true that jig holdthe work in a whoseleadpointcan both knivesneedto be the samein order engagethe bearingbeforethe cutter engages to achievea balancedcutterheadand avoid the work.Exitingthe cut is equallydangerous, vibration,but I disagreethat the onlyway sincethe pieceis pulledawayfrom the to achievethis is with a profilegrinder.Eyes bearingwhilethe cutteris in the wood. havea greatcapacityfor accuracy. Pairsof grind Also,we customknivesfor shapers cutterscan be checkedagainsta pattern profilegrinder.I don't on a specialized for accuracy, and comparedface to face to recommend freehandgrinding(p. 87). The cuttingcircleof the cutterhead, the relief angle,and the preciseweightof eachknife all affect the geometryof how the knife shouldbe ground.Eyeballing cuttersthat spin at 6,000 rpm can leadto knivesthat don't cut,a headthat'sout of balance,or,worse,a thrownknife. -PETERLL0YD,president, WoodTech Corp.

J. Speetlensreplies:This beinga broad introduction to the shaperand not an indepth

10

FINE \rooD\(/oRKlNG

ensurethat the depthand widthof details are identical.Also,the lengthcan be checked at variousplaceswith calipers. Custom profiles. Althouth there are specialized machines for g,rindinEand balancint, custom shaper knives, Speetlens feels comfortable using a bench g,rinderand workinS, from a template.

Sacramento, Calif.

Two recent articles coverecl setting up sl-rop on a llrdget: tl-re first for $5,000 GWW *18i]), the seconcl for $2,000 Q;WIV #\95).Iloth of tl.rese articles r.nissthe lrcginning wooclwr>rker witl'r no lruclget at all, only the desile to start. I began with a l>otton-rof'-the-line tablesaw-all I cor.rlclafforcl-wl-ricl-r was probably tl're eqr.rivalentof some of today's benchtop saws selling for about $100. It was unclerpowerecl ancl hacl a miserably inaclequate f'ence, but I made it work fbr a number of years until I coulcl afforcl an upgrade. Over the years I've accumulatecl a ftrll line of meclir,rm-dufy tools that, together with quite a nnmber' of shoprnade jigs and fktr.rres, do everytl-ring I need them to. My point is to advise the beginner to start wtere he or she can and work up from there, always keeping safety as a prioriry. - D A V EB A K E RH, a l f w aO y ,r e . Photo: l)avici Heiirl

In'A CloserLook: Sharpening Services"GWIX/ #19r, the section on table- or radial-armsaw blades did not mention that sharpening shops do a light peripheral grind to removeside burrs.leaving the kerf slightly thinner by 0.015in. to 0.025in. This requires a number of adjustmentsor replacementsof tablesawaccessories, such as the splitter, a box-joint jig, and zero-clearancefences or throat plates, among others. - S A MS H A N M ASNt u , d iC o i t yC, a l i f . '. ..."i, . ' r' :

In "SilenceYour Shop Vac" (F'WW+19r, the author is addressinga problem that only exists becausesome vacuums are poorly designed.There are a number of very quiet shop vacs on the market. - L A U R E NP CA ER K E R , Brooktondale, N.Y. , i

.,

,i,

In the Q&A item "More on Shop Noise" (FWry/#D4), we neglected to explain that sound pressure,which is measuredin decibels and is a trLlemeasllre of danger and potentialclamage.is different from loudness,which has to do with human perception.So the fwo machinesthat each produce 90 db. will indeed produce 93 db. when running at the same time. And while this is only 30% lor-rder,the sound pressureis doubled and the acceptableduration of exposure is divided in half. Nonetheless,a good set of earplugs or earmuffs would reduce the sound to safe levels,as we stated.

In "ShopDesign:Passive SolarShop" (FWW #19r, the author takes winter and summer measurementsto check the sun's angle and design his new shop. But there is a way to avoid the story stick and having to make two observationsmonths apart. The U.S.Naval Observatory has a nice calculator Chttp:// aa.Lrsno.naq/ .miVdata/ docs/ AltAz.php) that allows you ro pick a date and place to get the altitude (angle above the horizon) and azimuth (angle In our test of benchtop planers (F\t/W #19r, we misstated from true north) of the sun. Then you just draw the angles the number of bladeson the on clear plastic and place it Ridgid R4330.There are three. over drawings to plan the orientation of the foundation, In Tools & Materials(F'WW #I95) we listed the wrong and then the window placement,roof overhangs,etc. phone number for Bosch - C H U CG K O O G O O I A Tools. N, The toll-free number is LaCafrada Flintridge, Calif. 877-267-2499.

Flndlt Hfast, Needhelpbuildingyourcurrentproject? Checkout ourWebsite. Here,onlinememberscansearchover 1,300articles, eventhoseout-of-print,to comparethe variousapproaches usedby the finestcraftsmen. Todiscoverthe fastest,easiestaccess to the entireFineWoodworkingarchive fromthe firstto the latestissue, go to:

FineWoodworki ng.com/ ad youneedit. Findwhatyouwantwhen

Workingwoodis inherentlydangerous. Usinghandor powertools improperlyor ignoringstandardsafetypracticescan leadto permanentinjuryor evendeath.Don'ttry to performoperationsyou learnabouthere(or elsewhere) untilyou'recertaintheyare safe for you.lf somethingaboutan operationdoesn'tfeel right,don't do it. Findanotherway.We wantyouto enjoythe craft,so please keepsafetyforemostin yourmindwheneveryou'rein the shop. www.finewoodworkin g.com

MARCH/APRIL

2OO8

L1

work methodsof

E D I T E DA N D D R A W N B Y J I M R I C H E Y

rrrn

Backeb r l o c k sw , h i c hc a n b e madeany size,are perfect f o r r o u t i n gt h e e n d so f l o n g , narrowstock.

IBestTip

Backerblock

handles all routing cross-$rain A retiredhumanresources professional, Serge Duclos spends mostof histime pursuing hlspassion forwoodworking, Heparticularly enjoysdesigning andbuilding iigs, flxtures, andtools forhisbasement workshop and hasbeena steady Methods ofWork contributor for years, several

12

pusl'r block, t>r'backel block as Thls rc>uter-t:rl>le like to call it, stabilizes tl.reworkpiece ancl recluces tearollt. It is hancly for backing up tl-recllt acr()ss the grain, such as when profiling a panel, btrt it's especially usefirl fbr rnilling tl're encls of narrow stock, such as when cutting stub tenons in a fl'ar-r-re. Macle of meclium-density fiberl>oarcl (MDF). it f-e:rtr"ues a skewecl hancile that's gluecl ancl screwecl to the basc'. Tl-re l-rancllekeeps fingels away frorr-rthe ctrtting action ancl, being skewecl, it ar-rtornatically applies pressLlre against the fcnce as yoLl push tl-re wolkpiece thlough the cutter. The two finger holes make lxrlcling long, thin workpieces much easier. To use, sirnply hold tl-reworkpiece against the l>lock ancl push thlough, keeping the block firmly against the f'ence. Tl-re block can be reversecl to make a new zero-clearance backer, and it's easy to replace when it gets worn out. - S E R G ED U C L o SD, e l s o nQ, u e .C , anada

FrNE wooD\roRKrNG

S k e w e dh a n d l eh e l p sk e e p jig againstthe fenceas stock is pushedpast the cutter.

I@forthe

BestTip

Sendoriginaltips to Methodsof Work,FineWoodworking, CT06470, or emailfwmow@ P0 Box5506, Newtown, lf published, we pay$50 for an unillustrated taunton.com. tip; $100 for an illustratedone.Theauthorof the besttip gets a Leigh1-8-in. withthe Superjig,

Medlcal standls perfect spray-gun holder

Hookshold oressure pot and gun.

Watchit Enow.

When spraying finish in my shop, I didn't have a convenient olace to set my spray gun and small pressure pot. I considered making a custom stand, but then I discovered this chrome-plated,rolling medical IV stand, which I could buy for less than the cost of parts to make one. Mastis The stand has hooks to adjustable. hold the gun and pressure pot, an adjustable mast, and four casterson a wide base, Widerolling which makes it very stable. I basewon't can roll my spray equipment t i p . to where I need it and have a convenient place to hang up my gun and pressure pot. New and used IV stands are available for less than $30 from eBay and other online salesand auctions.

Wantto learntradesecrets ongettingthe your mostfrom tools? Well,nowyoucan. Onlinemembers canwatchover350videos justforour site.(Andwe'realways created addingnewonesJSeehowa proevaluates a newbandsarydemonstrates a techniqug orturnsa chairleg. Andyoucanshare videotipspostedby ourviewers onGlueTube andevenpost yourown.Formorggoto:

-ALAN SHAFFTER, Washinglon, N.C.

FineWoodwo rking.com/ ad youneedit. Findwhatyouwantwhen

Easywayto caruy andstorespilngclamps Routa handhold for carryinEand hang,ing the caddy.

Rabbeting the lower edge allows you to attach clampswithout exertingtoo much force on the handles.

This caddy is one of the best ways to organize a collection of spring clamps. To make it, cut a l-ft.-long handle, thin the lower edge with opposing rabbets, and pop the clamps onto the caddy. You can carry the clamps from place to place, where they stay neatly out of the way until you need them. -JACKHEGARTY, Tottenham, 0nt.,Canada www. fi newoodwork i n g. com

MARCH/APRIL

2OO8

L3

mgthodsof work c.n,nued Mesh-bag vacuum filterkeeps parts small onthebench Horizontal surfacessuch as benchtops are great collecting areas,not only for wood dust but also for miscellaneoussmall parts and hardware, such as screws,that might be needed for a current project. Here's how I solved the problem of vacuuming that dust without devouring the small parts.I pr-rta small mesh bag, the kind used to hold practicetennis balls or useclfor sweater or lingerie laundry bags (www.handylaundry.com), over the husinessenclof my shop vacuum.The vacuum sucks up the r,rnwanteddust while the mesh keeps or.rtthe srnall parts. It really works well. -CHRISTOPH ER AM A NW , e b s t eNr..Y .

-/

'- \ ---\

My saber-sawblades were always rattling around in the tool case and dingingtheir edges. I found that the blades fit into a compact{isc jewel case perfectlyso they sit all in one level and are easy to see. I can tuck the case into my tool bag or the saw case for easy access.

Mesh bag le d u s ti n b u t leavessmal parts and hardwareon the bench.

- E R I KA N D E R S O N , Salem,0re.

jig precise Simple, tapering Tl-ristapering jig startswith a base of 3/+-in.-thickplywzood,about 8 in. wide by 5 ft. long. Attach a 1,lz-in.-sq.by 1O-in.-longstop to one end. Then install a flatheaclscrew in the plywood base r/z in. from the stop. To use, mark where you want the taper to start on the workpiece ancl cleterminethe amount of taper you need. If yor.rwant a t/z-in. taper,for example,Lrnscrewthe screw Vz in. Placethe jig againstthe rip fence with the bottom of the leg againstthe stop and the screw.Slide the rip f-ence over until the blade just touches the mark where yor.rwant to start the cut. The 5-ft.-longjig gives you plenty of support againsrthe rip fence, plus it will handle legs of virtually any length. -DAVID S U T T EW Ri,l b r a h aMma, s s .

3. Flat side of jig rides rip fence.

7. Mark where taper begins.

-----2;t

2. Dial in degree of taper by adjusting screW' -,---t-"-'

FINE

ITOOD\flORKIN6

No-clamp veneering with glue yellow Notched plastic paddle

ffi

Spreadglue evenlyon back side of veneer and substrate.

,. rl\ u,\})

I

Bulldit right,

lllr

^

ki.rll-:

lil:T.:r"l:i:--

l?lmi'tsi"'llii# lI:!t:iJJffi"",i;il;,, t;'^:1J*9 d ----:i;;;ffiilij';Iii:i:;i,is*

I was making an end table and wanted to use a nice piece of walnut veneer on the top. Unfortunately, the substratewas too big to use a sandwich-and-clampmethod, and I did not want to buy a veneer press for one job. A friend, Neil Artman, told me about a method that doesn'trequire clarnpsor a press. First,I bought a plastic paddle, the kind used ro spread dryvall mud. and cut kerfs into it about 7s in. deep and 1/+in. apafi. I then sprayedthe show side of the veneer with water. I flipped it over and used the paddle ro spread a liberal, even amount of Titebond Original Vood Gh-reon the other side of the veneer,being sure to cover the edges.As the glue soaked in, the veneer startedto flatten out. Next, I spread an even layer of glue on the substratewith my altered paddle. At this point, I let both the glue on the substrateand the veneer dry separatelyfor at least an hour. Once the glue dried, I carefully placed the veneer (glue side down) on the glue side of the substrate.Once I had it in position, I used an iron set to medium heat to reactivatethe glue and adhere the veneer to the substrate.I startedin the middle and worked toward the edgesto cover the entire veneer.I first tried this on a samDle piece and was shocked at how well it worked. -CHAD H U S T t NMGa,s o on h, i o Editor's note: Although the process worked well with Titebond Original, a cllstomer-selice representativeat Titebond saysTitebond II will work better becauseit tends to have better grab and provides more strength in the wet form.

i::illT,,.1:i'*

Looking for reliable advicein a hurry? Seehowouronlinemembers gethelpfast with ourAskthe Expertfeature. Whetherit'schoosing the rightfinishor fixinga mistake,your questions specific will bequicklyanswered byoneof ourseasoned woodworkers. Toexperience allof ourexclusive online - archive, features videos, Askthe Expert, blogs, andmore- go to:

FineWoodwo rking.com/ ad Findwhatyouwantwhen youneedit.

Set to mediumheat. Let glue dry, place veneeron substrate, and use iron to reactivateglue.

Start in middleand work toward edges.

www.finewoodworki

n g. com

MARCH/APRIL

2OO8

$

methods ofwofk..n,,n,". Durable carbide scraper reaches tightspots I make scrapersusing 374-itr.-rq. carbide inserts for machining metal. These scrapersexcel in corner and edge work becausethe scraper head is small enough to get into tight areas. The solid carbide is sharp, longJasting, and maintenance-free.These carbide inserts, which come in different shapes and sizes,have a predrilled mounting hole and feature four separatesharp sides on the same blade. Carbide Depot (www.carbidedepot.com)is one source.

Screw a blade to a homemade handle and you're ready to scrape.Angle or skew the blade if you wish. Although sharpening a dull carbide blade is next to impossibleunlessyou have the right diamond hones, one carbide cutting edge will last a long time if you are scraping only wood and wood glue. Steel scrapers,on the other hand, constantly need tuning up. I've been using the same four-sided carbide insert blade in one of my scrapers for three years. You iust cannot kill one of these tools. -STUARTLIPP.Astoria, N.Y.

I buy PVAglueby the gallonand pourlt Into reusableplastlc squeezebottles.But the squeeze-bottle cap ls oftendlfflcultto removedueto bulldup of €llueIn the threads. Tosolvethls problem, I cleanthe threaded portlonof the cap and bottle wlth water,dry, andthenapplya blt of pastewax to the threadsof boththe cap and bottle.Nowl'm ableto unscrewthe cap wlth handpressure alone,everytlme.

*.e Shopmade handle

-MAX PETERSON, BethelPa*, Pa,

Solidcarbideinserts arepredrilled.

iri

RXADERSERVICENO.94

L6

FINE

]iTOODITORKING

j,i;? ir '.}r;?.,iiL,.i;{1i:: i

tools&materials rrrn r

DOVETAIL JIGS ,4 Brutal test.Io test the rcbuiltbatteries,we useda spadebit to drill llc-in.deep holesinto whiteoak. r

CORDLESS

TOOLS ?

Dovetall cuftehThe Leig,hSuperJiS,comesin threelengths;72 in.,78 in.(shownwith optionaIVRSvacuumand routersupport),and 24 in.

NewLeighiigsotfergfeatvalue

Adlustable taits arut pins. Slidintfingers allow users to create any dovetail spacing.A sq uare-dr ive scrcwdriver (supplied)secures them.

Extra ti0nline To post ratingsand reviewsof the tools you own and to browse our free archiveof tool reviewsfrom the last five years of Fine Woodworkingmagazine, go to Finewoodwolking ,comlfoolcuide. ,

20

RELEASED RECENTLY EIGHINDUSTRIES a new seriesof dovetail jigs. The Leigh SuperJigs are availablein three srzes !2 in., L8 in., and 24 in. The size representsthe maximr.rmboard width they can accommodate. The jigs are similar to Leigh'sflagship D4R model, but their constructionhas been changed to make them availableat a lower pric€. I tested the 18-in. model to evaluateits performance.The dovetail spacing and the width of the tail are fully adjustable. However, a one-piece finger assembly(unlike the two-piece assemblyon the D4R) means all pins must be the same width. \7hen it comes to cutting half-blind dovetails, Leigh took a new approach here. Like the D4R, these jigs can cut half-blind dovetailswith variable spacing, but Leigh also adopted the more common and faster procedure of cLlttingeqr,rallyspaceddovetailsin both the tail and pin boards in the same operation. The SuperJigs accept stock up to 73/t6in. thick for through-dovetails,1 in. thick for half-blind, while the D4R accepts17