Vol.20 - Woodworking Machines

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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

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WORKSHO GPU I D E ANATOMY OFA BOARD

SAFETY TIPS . Wear appropriatesafetygear when operatinga woodworking machine:safetyglasses,a face shieldfor extraprotection, and hearingprotectorsor earplugs.lf thereis no dust collectionsystem, wear a dust mask.For exoticwoods, such as ebony,use a respirator; the sawdustmay causean allergicreaction. . Makesurethat workshoplighting and ventilationare adequateand that work surfacesare large and sturdy. . Readyour owner'smanuatcarefullybeforeoperatingany machine. . Tie back long hair,roll up long sleevesand avoidlooseJitting c l o t h i n gR . e m o v er i n g sa n d otherjewelrythat can catch in movtngpans. . Keepchildren,onlookersand petsaway from the work area. . Unpluga machinebefore performingsetupor installation operattons. . Concentrateon the job; do not rushor take shortcuts.Neverwork when you are tired,stressedor have b e e nd r i n k i n ga l c o h o ol r u s i n g m e d i c a t i o n st h a t i n d u c e drowsiness. . Wheneverpossible,clampdown the workpiece,leavingboth hands free to performan operation. . Finda comfortable stance;avoid over-reaching. . Turnthe machineoff if it produces a n u n f a m i l i avr i b r a t i o no r n o i s e ; havethe machineservicedbefore resumingoperations. . Keepyourwork areacleanand tidy;cluttercan leadto accidents.

5HO?.MADE?U?H 'TICK' Tushelicke for feedingeilockinlo eaw bladesor jointer knivee a r e c o m m e r c i a lal yv a i l a b l e , b u t y ocua n e a s i l ym a k e y o u o r wn ueing3/+-inch and a bandeawor sabereaw.No ore Vlywood ohapeie ideal;deeiqna VuehsLickthat ie comforlableNouee a n d s u i L a b l feo r t h e m a c h i n ea n dj o b a t h a n d .A 4 b " a n g l e beLween the handleand,the baeeie beetfor mo6t cuLeon a t a b l ee a w ,w h i l ea e m a l l e ar n g l ew , i | ht h e h a n d l ec l o s e rt o N h e Nable,ie beNlerfor feedinqslock acroeea radialarm saw Lable. Thelonqbaeeof a ohoe-ohaped puohetick (bottom,left) allowo you Noapplyheavydownward For ?reooureon a workpiece. a familiargrip,ueea favoriNehandeawhand,le as a lemplatre(bottom, riqht). WhaileverNhedeoiqn, makelhe noNchin the baeelargeenoughto holdlhe sLock,and yet ehallowenouqh NoouVporLit without,touchinqthe table of lhe machine. Keeppuehelicke close at hand,readyto feed Holefor slock at lhe st arL hanging or finiehof a cul.

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THE ART OF WOODWORKING

WOODWORKING WHINES

TIME-LIFE BOOKS ALEXANDRIA. VIRGINIA ST.REMYPRESS MONTREAL. NEWYORK

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THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced by INC. ST. REMY MUITIMEDIA PR-ESIDENT

PierreL€veil16

PierreHome-Douglas FrancineLemieux Marc Cassini(Text) HeatherMills (Research) Art Directors Normand Boudreault,SolangeLaberge Designer Luc Germain Editor Jim McRae Research PictureEditor ChristopherJackson Contr ibuting I llustrators RonaldDurepos,Christianefltalien, RobertPaquet,Studio La Perlubteinc. Administrator NatalieWatanabe ProductionManager MichelleTurbide SystemCoordinator Jean-LucRoy Photographer RobertChartier SeriesEditor SeriesArt Director SeniorEditors

TIME@

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Time-Life Books is a division of Time Life Inc.

TIME LIFE INC. Artandi andCEO: George PKESIDENT TIMB-LIFE BOOKS PRES/DENTj JohnD. Hall EDITOR: Neil Kaean PUBLISHER/MANAGING

THECONSUNANTS Mark Duginske,a cabinetmakerwho lives Wisconsin,is a contributing in Wausau, editor to Fine Woodworking magazine and the author ofseveralbooks on woodworking power tools. Leonard Leeis the presidentofVeritas Tools and LeeValleyTools,manufacturersand retailersof fine woodworkinghand tools. He is also the publisherand executiveeditorof Woodcuts, amagazinethat focuseson the history and techniquesof woodworking. Giles Miller-Mead hastaught advancedcabinetmakingat Montreal technicalschoolsfor more than ten years.A nativeof New Zealand, he previouslyworked asa restorerof antique furniture. )osephTruini is SeniorEditor of Home A former Shopand Tools Mechanixmagazine. Editor of PopularMechanics,he hasworked as a cabinetmaker,home improvementcontractor and carpenter.

Woodworkingmachines. p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking) Includesindex. ISBN0-8094-9900-2. (lib. bdg). ISBN0-8094-9e01-0 1. Woodworkingtools. 2. Woodworking machinery. 3. Saws. I. Time- Life Books. II Series TT186.W6581992 684' .083-dc20 For information about any Time-Life book, pleasecall l-800-621-7026,or write: ReaderInformation Time-Life CustomerService P.O.Box C-32068 Richmond,Virginia 23261-2068

DEDICATION Theeditorsof Time-LifeBooks andSt.RemyMultimediaInc.dedicate to the Woodworking Machines memoryof GilesMiller-Mead(page6-7). theoverallconsultant Mr. GilesMiller-Mead, for THEARTOFWOODWORKING, andpopularteacher wasa superbpractitioner of thiscraft,aswellasa mentorto manytalentedcabinetmakers.

@ 1992Time-LifeBooksInc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any electronicor mechanical means,including information storageand retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,except may be quoted for reviews. that briefpassages First printing. Printed in U.S.A. Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada. TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time Warner Inc. U.S.A.

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CONTENTS

6 INTRODUCTION 12 14 16 18 20 24 30 35 36 40 44

TABLESAW Anatomvof a tablesaw Settingrip Safetv Tablesawblades Ripping Crosscutting Anglecuts Dado cuts Moldings Thblesawjoinery

48 50 52 58

RADIALARM SAW Anatomy of a radial arm saw Settingup Radialarm sawblades and accessories Safew Crosicutting Anglecuts Ripping Dado cuts Moldings Radialarm sawjoinery

60 62 63 66 69 75 76 78 80 82 85 86 89 94 98 100 101

BAND SAW Anatomvof a band saw Settingdp Safetv Bandsawblades Cutting curves Straightcuts Angleand tapercuts Cutting duplicatepieces Bandsawjoinery

rO4 106 108 110 II2 I 18 I 19 122

DRItt PRESS Anatomyof a drill press Settingup and safety Bitsand accessories Straightand angledholes Dowels,plugsand tenons Mortising techniques The drill pressassander

r24 126 I28 130 I32 135 136 139

IOTNTER Anatomyof a jointer Settingup and safety Jointerknives |ointing warpedstock Salvaging Rabbets,chamfersand tapers Planer

I4O GLOSSARY I42 INDEX I44 ACKNO\,VLEDGMENTS

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INTRODUCTION

GilesMiller-Meadtalksabout

TABLESAMS to myfriend'sdad,a Danishboat belonged hefirsttablesawI everencountered age of partsof indeterminate builder.He'dbuilt it himselfout of anassortment me amazed a cornerof hisworlshop.It always andoriginandit proudlyoccupied andthen,after cutpieces howSvencouldturn outanynumberof identical,precisely All theseoperations hisset-up,makelengthsofbeautifulcustommoldings. changing efficiency. effortless weredonewith seemingly pestering him to let metry usingit and,whenhefinallydid,thefirst I wasalways for myvintagecat a 1938Rover projectwemadetogether wasa setof floorboards lookbackat Svenandthefloor25 years later, I still Even now, nearly Sedan. Sports my to make alivingfromwoodworking. project first of desire as the stirrings board morethan10yearsago,is a l2-inch My present tablesaw,boughtsecond-hand motor.I couldrltimaginemywoodworking modelwith a 3-horsepower commercial myprojects, whether my saw at many stages throughout without it. I rely on table shop joints, or drawers and doors, making different building to size, cuttingworkpieces myworlahop and patterns. lot chairs in I also make a of variety of molding creating a I find mytablesawparticularlyusefirlfor cuttingtheangledtenonsontheseatrails. I started bybuildingtheworlshop;oncethatwasup,thetable WhenI builtmyhouse, cuttingsheets of plywoodto sizeandmaking for me once again, sawcamethrough pieces. cutting other assorted house, as well as allthetrim for theentire First all,it'ssuchavermain reasons. of much for two I thinkI likethetablesawso thetable,you motor blade are beneath most of the and second, since satilemachine; your view of thework nothing to obscure glance going on. There's what's canseeata injury-a leson cause bodily great respect for its ability to dealof surface. Still,I havea I it a safe But consider into me on a couple of occasions. that'sbeendrummed isnt precautions and the operator overtired proper are observed machine, aslongasthe or in too muchof a hurry.All in all, thetablesawis a magnificentmachineandI couldntdowithoutit.

A nativeof NewZealnnd,GilesMiller-Mead is seen hereinhis workshop/withoneof hisprizedtools-a vintagetablesawacquiredin theearly 1980s.

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INTRODUCTION

FrankKlauszdiscusses

RADIALARM SAMS ntil hewasabout14yearsold,my sonwascontentto spendhis sum-

jobs. mersin my shopdoingsanding Thenhe decidedto makesomething himself.I suggested hedesignajewelry box,whichI helpedhim construct. The nextsummer, hewantedto buildsomethingwithoutmy help-which meant workingon mybigmachines. Beingsafety-conscious, I gotabit nervous.Still,I tookhim to theradialarm sawandexplained ThenI thebasics. paintedtwo redlineson thesawtable, eacha fewinchesawayfromtheblade, "Safety andfilledin thespace in between. with thismachineissimple,"I toldhim. "Keepyour handsawayfrom thered zone."In no timeatall,hewasworking at thesawwithoutsupervision. Hecut intotheedges /rinch rabbets of hisjewelryboxtop andaddeda blackebony inlay.I wouldhaveuseda router,buthe did finewith thesaw. youpullthebladeintoa staBecause tionaryworkpiece, theradialarmsawis averysafemachin*providedyousetup properly, useonlysharpblades, follow themanufacturer's safetyinstructions and,ifyouwish,addyourownredzone. I usetheradialarmsawfor a variety of tasks:crosscutting roughlumber, cuttingmitersanddadoes, andripping. If you rip, remember to feedevenly andfromthecorrectsideof thetableto avoidkickback. FrankKauszownsa worleshop in Pluckemin, NewJersey, thatspecializes in makingandrestoring finefurniture.

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INTRODUCTION

DaveSawyertalksabout

BA)\TDSAMS for J havebeenaWindsorchairmaker in my shop I l0 years. Themachines area latheanda bandsaw.Thelatheis is a wonderful thebandsaw essential; trims It cutsout seats, convenience. roughwood,cutsturningsandspindles to lengh,sawswedgeslots,andisjust jobscouldbedone plainhandy.All these but thebandsawdoes with handsaws, themquickerandmoreaccurately. atanearly I wasexposed to bandsaws agein my father'sdisplayandexhibit where shop.later I workedin aboatyard thebandsawmademanywonderful ThatmusthavebeenwhereI shapes. realized it is my favoritewoodworking machine. Forasmallshoplimitedto one powertool,mostfolkswould stationary wanta tablesawbut abandsawwould bemychoice. bandsawsaregreatfor Obviously, downto tiny radiiwith cuttingcurves, Anglecuts,straightor %e-inchblades. curved,are easy.With a little fore"release cuts" thought,youcanmake Bandsaws andgetintoreallytightplaces. job of rippingwith alsodoa reasonable alz-inchor %-inchbladeanda fence. My l4-inch Deltamodelwill resaw boards6 incheswide-any thickness fromveneer on uD.Wth a 6-inchriser blockin itsframeii couldresaw12inches.Thatwouldtakeamonsterindustrial 30-inchtablesawto makethe same with a 16-inchsaw. cut-or twopasses DaveSawyerbuildsWindsor in chairsat hisworkshop South Woodbury, Vermont.

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INTRODUCTION

Iudith Ameson

DRILLPRESSES f allthetoolsin myshop,thedrill press maynot seeasmanyhours of useassomeothers,but for certain tasksit is indispensable. Themachine I useisa Sears Craftsman, manufactured in themid-1950s.It cameintoourshop aboutfouryearsago.WhatI likeabout thisdrill pressisitsold-toolcharm.the weightofit. It'ssolid.It wasbuiltto last. Priorto gettinginto furniture-making,I experimented withcarpentry and cabinetmaking. I studied woodworking in Colorado, takingclasses with such highlyrespected furnituremakersasArt Fumiture-making Carpenter. iswhatI've beendoingfor thelastseven years.I find it verysatisfiing.I'm constantly learning newtechniques andtryingnewdesigns. I producealineof furnitureaswellas customdesignpieces. I makea rocking chairfor childrenwith a designthat includesbearpawson the armsand dowelssetinto a curvedframethatprovidesbacksupport.I dependonthedrill press to boreprecise holesfor thedowels. OnarockingchairI makefor adults, thelegsaresquare atthemiddlewhere theymeetthe seat,andhavetenons at eitherendthatfit into therockers at thebottomandthearmsat thetop. Tomakethetransition between theleg's middleandroundtenons,lsculpt square thelegswith a routeranda spokeshave. Thedrill pressreamstheholesin the rockers andthearmsfor thetenons.

Iudith Amesis afurnituremakerin Seattle,Washington.

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INTRODUCTION

Mark Duginsketalksabout

IOINTE,RS he first jointer I usedwasalready old whenmy fatherboughtit. The

care,which requiredconstant machine it taughtmeto conwasgood,because andpayattentionto everyboard centrate old, I workedwith.WhenI was15years webuilt a newhouseandusedlocally It grownoakfor thetrim andcabinets. wasmyjob to do allof thejointing. A ruleI learnedthen-and onethat of I stillfollowtoday-is thatthesuccess projecthingeson anycabinetmaking and workingwithwoodthathasstraight Thepowertoolsthatdo squareedges. mostof thecuttingin my shopnowadays-thetablesawandtheradialarm onlyif thestock saw-will cutaccurately andtrue.If one I feedintothemissquare I won'tbe edgeof aboardisnotstraight, it squarely. ableto crosscut Gettingoffto agoodstartiswherethe jointercomesin. I useit to makethat criticallyimportantfirststep,forminga squarecornerwheretheedgeandthe endof aboardmeet.Thejointeralsohas whenI useit application amorecreative to makelegsfor furnitureor evendecorativemoldings. Thejointeris not difficultto useor skillto adjust maintain,but it requires But theknives. andchange themachine thejointertakes likealltools,mastering practice andconcentration.

Mark Duginskeis theauthorof on woodworkingtools severalboolcs He woilesasa cabiand techniques. netmakerin Wausau,Wisconsin.

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TABLE,SAM tunedandmainl0-inchblade.Properly hetheryou areworkingwith tained,it canmill 3-inchstockrepeatedmilledboardsfroma lumberly withoutoverheating. of4-by-8 yard,oldbarnsidingor sheets or lIf mostofyourworkiswith3/Eallplywood,thetablesawisanexcellent inch-thickstocktypicallyusedfor cabaroundtool for cuttingwoodto width theopen-base contractor's inetmaking, (ripping)andlength(crosscutting). If the Its1.5alternative. sawisalessexpensive tablesawwereusedfor nothingbuttirese motorturnsan 8- or 10horsepower tool. twocuts,it wouldstillbeavaluable inchblade,andtheunitcanbemounted awidevarietyof Butthesawalsoaccepts on a mobilebase,providingextraflexfromrollerstands blades andaccessories, ibility. In anycase,thebasicrequire26) withunwieldypanels(page thatassist ment for a table saw-whether for producing heads capable of molding to or generalworkshop (page cabinetmaking 40). lnd trim decorative elaborate of cutting use-is thatit mustbecapable with helpfromthesimple,inexpensive and45". jigs a2-by-4at both 90 gauge, this wood to the miter Screwed featured in this chapter, shop-made useon lightstockor Foroccasional for extension the tablesawis alsounsurpassed facilitatesthecuttingofbox wherespaceis at a premium,the8/+Such for making jointsfor drawersand casework. repeat cutsandalsovaluable hauled joints inchbenchtopsawcaneasilybe shop-madejigsextendtheversatility woodworking suchfundamental or the siteby the workshop around iob the basic table saw. of mortise-andlap, box and open asthe person. When^ a saw, choosing joints one (page 44). tenon the motor horsepower ratings. Check beware of exaggerated permit a woodworker power table saw precision and of a The motorshoulddrawroughly to makemanydifferentcutswith smallriskof error.Sawing plate:Anhonestl.5-horsepower motorshoulddraw14or 115 volts; a 3-horsepower 14 amps at skill requires considerable with hand tools andstraight square 230 volts. procedures 15 amos at for the follows the woodworker who andtime;buta clean,accurate canproduce tablesawoutlinedin thischapter little effort. with relatively and cuts-consistently, the Notq [n someillustrationsinthis c.hapter, according to thebladediameter Tablesawsaredesignated in withoutthe shown operation l2-indl table sawis in 10and 8-,9-, used.Modelsarecommonlyavailable it shoul( in fact, most bladeguardin caseswhere however, areclearlythe The8-andl0-inchmodels, sizes. for thesakeof firis is done only first be used. saw, When choosing a table popularhomeworlshopsaws. yourblade illustration. Use it. The clarity of the you will with be doing thetypeofwoodworking consider possible. guard whenever pages pictured on like the one saw, stationary fully enclosed motorto drivea l4-15,tipicallyusesa 1.5-to 3-horsepower

clampedfirmly to a tenoning With a workpiece jig a woodworkercutsthetenonpart of an open joint. Thejig isguidedby a mortise-and-tenon rail that slidesin thesawtable'smitergaugeslot.

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ANATOMYOFA TABLESAW Blade guard Clear ahield that protectg operator from blade: bolted to splitter and anti-kiakback device

Roller atand )upporto lon7 workpieceoduring cuttin1 operationa

Auxiliary table ineerte Keep wood piecee from falti'n4into'table; wider alota for dado or moldinq heado

5tandard table ineert Keepa wood Ptece6Trom fallinq into table

T argeor small,thetablesawisbasicalI-r lv a motor and arbor assemblv attached to abasecabinetor stand.Thi arbormaybemounteddirectlyto the motorshaft,or connected to themotor by a beltandpulley.In general, better sawshavemorethanonebelt. Precise bladeadiustments aremade bymeansof twocrank-type handwheels underneath the sawtable.Onewheel Miter gauge Guides workpieceacroea table for crooscutting; woodenerteneion can be acrewed to 0au0e to oupport widepiecea

Rlpfence Guidea workpiece across table for rippinq

Bladeangle adtuatment annk

Vacuum attachment For duat collection eystem Mobile baee Faailitatea movin4the aaw aaide in amall ahopa; wheelacan be lockedin poaition

-l TABLESAW

connolstheblade's heightabovethe saw table-from 0 to 3ysinchesona l0-inch saw.Theotherwheeladjusts theangleof theblade-from90oto451 Therip fence,whichon mostmodels slidesalongthefrontandrearguidebars to controlrip cuts,canbelockedanywherealongits trackat thedesireddistancefrom the blade.Somefences featuremeasuring tapesattached to the

Optional rip fenc'e LonqerTencere?Eceq atandard fence whon ertenoion table uaed

front guidebar or even,in somecases, electronicreadouts, althoughexperiencedwoodworkers usuallyrelyon a handheldmeasuring tapeanda sample cutto checkthewidth of a cut. milledintothesawable Shallowslots, on eachsideof the blade,acceptan adjustable mitergauge for guidingcroscuts.Qualitysawshavetablesthat are castandthenmachinedfor flatness.

Hold-down deviae Holda workpiecefirmly aqainat both table and rip fence for aafa rip cuta

Auxlliary fence Board clamped or acrewed to rip fence ertenda hei1ht of fence

Theportable8%-inchbenchtop sawcan performmostof thefunctionsof alarger saw.Aually plncedon aworlcbench or on sswhorses, it ako canbebuilt into a bmch itstoplevelwiththebenchtop, providinga lnrgework surface. Fs, i^l L)^L+t Lin^ rd^. J^ J^i rl Lr w n t o f e e d

t h ew o r k p i e icnet ot h eb l a d eC. o n t i n u e c u t t i n gs t e a d i luyn t i lt h e b l a d en e a r s t h ee n do f t h ec u t .S u p p o rt h t ew a s t e p i e c ew i t hy o u rl e f th a n dt;o p r e v e n t y o u rh a n df r o mb e i n gp u l l e db a c ki n t o t h eb l a d ei n c a s eo f k i c k b a ccku, r ly o u r fingers around theedgeof thetable(/eff) (Caution: guard Blade removed forclarity.)

A JIGF()R MAKING REPEAT NARROW CUTS Torip several narrow stripsto thesamewidth,usethe jig shownat left.Forthejig,cut a boardwith shopmade a lipat oneend.Screw a hold-down blockto thejig,then jig buttthe flushagainst theripfence.Marka cuttingline ontheworkpiece, thenseatit against thejig,flushwiththe lip.Position theripfencesothatthecuttinglineonthe workpiece is aligned withthesawblade. Tomakeeachcut,slrdethejig andtheworkpiece asa unitacross thetable,feeding theworkpiece intotheblade (|efl.$he firstcutwilltrimthelip to thewidthof thecut.) Useyourlefthandto keeptheworkpiece flushagainst the jig. Remove thecut strip,reposition in the theworkpiece jig,andrepeat guard for identical Blade strips.(Caution: removed forclarity.)

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TABLESAW

RESAWING THICKST()CK

Featherboard

thecut Settingup andstarting 1 I T o r e s a wa b o a r d ,p o s i t i o nt h e r i p f e n c ef o r t h e w i d t ho f c u t a n d a t t a c h a h i g ha u x i l i a rw y o o df e n c e .C r a n kt h e b l a d eb e l o wt h e t a b l ea n d p l a c et h e w o r k p i e c eo v e rt h e t a b l ei n s e r tT. os e c u r et h e w o r k p i e c ec ,l a m po n ef e a t h e r b o atrod , n da s e c o n d t h e f e n c ea b o v et h e b l a d e a f e a t h e r b o a hr da l f w a yb e t w e e tnh e b l a d e a n dt h e f r o n to f t h e t a b l e .R e s t h e s e c ond featherboard on a woodscrapso that i t s u p p o r ttsh e m i d d l eo f t h e w o r k p i e c e : c l a m pa n o t h e br o a r da t a 9 0 " a n g l et o t h e f e a t h e r b o a rf do r e x t r ap r e s s u r ea, s s h o w nR . e m o v teh e w o r k p i e caen d s e t t h e h l a d eh e i p htto a m a x i m u m of 17 f o r o r 1 i n c h f o rhardinches softwood feed workpiece wood.Tostartthe cut, the intothe blade(left).Continue cuttingat y o u r r a t e f i n g e r sa r ea b o u t a steady until 3 i n c h e fsr o mt h e b l a d e .

Auxiliary woodfence

tsladecuttinq ewath

r) Completing thefirstpass move to thebackof thetable. L Wttnthesawstillrunning, U s eo n eh a n dt o p r e stsh ew o r k p i e cf leu s ha g a i n st ht er i p fence(above) andtheotherhandto pullit pastthe blade. thecuttingprocedures Fliptheworkpiece overandrepeat in stepsI and2.

Finishing thecut passalong Raise andmakeanother each thebladeheight (above). Makeasmanypasses asnecesedgeof theworkpiece untiltheblade sary, raising thebladeheight aftereachpass, cutsthrough theworkpiece completely.

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TABLESAW

TAPER CUTS Using a commercial taperjig Tocut a workpiece sothatoneendis narrower thantheother,makea tapercut. Holdthejig flushagainst theripfence andpivotthehinged armwiththework stopuntilthetaperscaleindicates the cuttingangle-indegrees or inchesper foot.Marka cuttinglineontheworkpiece, thenseatit against theworkstopand hinged arm.Position thefencesothatthe cuttinglineontheworkpiece is aligned withthesawblade. Withthejig andworkpiececlearof theblade, turnonthesaw. Useyourlefthandto holdtheworkpiece against thejig andyourrighthandto slide thejig andworkpiece asa unitacross thetable,feeding theworkpiece intothe blade(left);ensure thatneitherhandis in linewiththeblade. Continue cutting at a steady rateuntilthe bladecutsthrough (Caution: theworkpiece. Sawbladeguard removed forclarity.) jig Using a shop-made Builda jig exactly liketheoneshown on page68 butwithoutthehandle. Topositiontheworkpiece forthetapercut,raise thesawbladeto its highest setting. Butt onesideof thejig baseagainst theblade andposition theripfenceflushagainst theothersideof thebase.Marka cutting l i n eo nt h ew o r k p i e ct eh ,e np l a c ei t o n thebase, aligning thelinewiththeedge of thetaperjig'sbasenearest the blade. position Holding theworkpiece securely, t h eg u i d eb a ra g a i n si t , w i t ht h e l i p snugly against theendof theworkpiece. Screw t h eg u i d eb a rt o t h eb a s ea n d pressthetoggleclampsdownto secure theworkpiece to thejig base.Setthe bladeheight. Withthejigandworkpiece clearof theblade, turnonthesaw.With yourIefthandpressing theworkpiece t o w a r tdh er i pf e n c es, l i d et h ej i g a n d workpiece steadily across thetable,makingsurethatneither handis in linewrth the bladetight). (Caulion: Bladeguard removed forclarity.)

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CROSSCUTTING s cutting with the grain is synonymouswith theuseof therip fence, so crosscuttingis definedby the device usedto makethe cut: the miter gauge. The generaltechniquefor making a crosscut,asshownbelow,beginswith correct hand placementto keep the workoieceboth flush on the tableand firmly againstthe miter gauge.The workpieceis fedinto thebladeat a steady rate.As with ripping, makesurethat scrappiecesdo not pileup on thetable, andkeepboth handsout of linewith the blade.Also,keepthe rip fencewellback from the bladeto preventany cut-off

part of the workpiecefrom becoming trappedbetweenthebladeandfenceand kickingback. To reducetheamountof sandingyou will needto do later,rememberthat the slowerthe feed,the smootherthe cut, thebladebreaksthrough especiallywhen the workpieceat the end of the cut. Althougha combinationbladecanbe a crosscutblade usedfor crosscutting, will producea finer cut. isbeingcut, Whena longerworkpiece to it is a goodideato attachan extension themitergaugeto providea moresecure base.Miter gaugescommonlyhave

two screwholesfor just suchan addition-normally, a pieceof hardwood 3 to 4 incheswideandabout2 feetlong. Usethe miter gaugeextensionin conjunction with a stop block to make repeatcuts (page32). For wide panelsor long boards,a jig (page33)is shop-made crosscutting particularlyhelpful,andwill ensurevery accurate cuts.Thejig canalsobeusedfor smallerpiecesandprovidesa safe,convenientwayto performmostcrosscuts. woodworkers considManyexperienced acceser it thesinglemostindispensable soryfor crosscutting.

W(lRKPIECE THE SOUARING

a crosscut 1 Making fora crosscut, cutoneendof it square. a workpiece I Before measuring or marking withthebladesothatit willtrim aligntheworkpiece Toavoidjamming theblade, r/zinchor so.Withthethumbsof bothhandshooked holdthe overthe mitergauge, to feedtheworkfrrmlyagainst thegaugehbove)andpushthemtogether workpiece pieceintothe blade.(Caution: guardremoved forclarity.) Blade

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forsquare Checking square to conUsea combination workoiece firmthatthecut endof the formsa 90" anglewiththeedge.With heldupto the andsquare theworkpiece l i g h tt,h e r es h o u l d b e n og a pv i s i b l e . Markan X onthecut endto helpyou remember whichendhasbeensquared.

TABLESAW

REPEAT THERIPFENCE CUTS: USING ASA GUIDE upthecut 1 Setting I Clamp a board to theripfenceas jamming a stopblock.Toprevent theworkpiecebetween thestopandthe bladewhichcouldleadto kickback-position thestopfar enough towardthefrontof the tablesothattheworkpiece willclearthe stopbefore reaching theblade.Tolineup thecut,holdtheworkpiece against the mitergauge andpushthegauge andworkpieceforward untiltheworkpiece touches thesawblade. Slidetheworkpiece along themitergauge untilthecuttingmarkis aligned withthe blade(left).

theripfence O Positioning pull L noningtheworkpiece firmlyagainst themitergauge, bothbackfromthe bladeandbuttthestopblockagainst the (abovd.Locktheripfencein position. workpiece Check to see thattheworkpiece doesnotcontact thestopblockwhenthe workpiece reaches the blade.

thecut Q Making r-t Settheendof theworkpiece flushagainst thestopblock. Withthethumbsof bothhandshooked overthemitergauge, holdtheworkpiece f irmlyagainst thegauge andpushthem (Gaution: together to feedtheworkpiece intothe blade(above). guardremoved Blade forclariU.)

31

TABLESAW

REPEAT CUTS:USINGTHEMITERGAUGE 'l

Positioning thestopblock as to themitergauge I Screw a board a ne x t e n s i oenn, s u r i nt h g a to n ee n do f Push thesawblade. it extends beyond to cutofftheendof the themitergauge extension. Turnoffthesaw,thenslide themitergauge to thefrontof thetable. of cuton Measure andmarkthelength (left).Aligna woodblock theextension asa withthemarkandclampit in place stopblock.

lllrlllrl]lllllJillrilllllllllillll]llltilllilllllllillll]llill lll llll )HO? TI? "Off" switch Hands-free Tolurn off the eawwhenyour hando are bueyon Ihe lable,ueea ehoV-made kneeor looNlever.CuI a boardequal in widlh t.othe swttchbox.Theboard ehouldbe lon4enouqhNoreachwith a fooLor a kneewhenaLlachedlo t'he box(rrqht).7crewa hinqeNooneendof trheboardand VooitionLhehingeon top of the box,Vark Lheepol whereihe ON the board.Cul a hole butr.onr,ouchee Lheboardalthis mark,AtNach Nhrouqh t h e h i n 4 et r oI h e b o xu s i n qq l u e ,o r removelhe coverand drivein screws.

JZ

r; Making thecut L fo, eachcut,butttheendof the With against thestopblock. workpiece hooked over thethumbs of bothhands t h em i t e g r a u g eh,o l dt h ew o r k p i e c e a n dp u s h f i r m l ya g a i n st ht eg a u g e feeding theworkpiece themtogether, (Caution: Blade intothe blade(above). guardremoved forclarity,)

TABLESAW

Clearplaetic quard

CROSSCUT JIG Extengton

1"x3"x36"

Ouide )Lop block 2"x4"x4"

2"x3"x36" Jig Eaee

Keinforcinqblock 2"x3"xB"

1/2"x25"x36"

Foreasyandaccurate crosscutswithlong,wideor heavy especially workpieces-use a shop-built crossforyourtable cut jig,custom-made sawbbovd. Referto the illustration forsuggested dimensions. Cuttwo25-inch-long hardwood runners the samewidthasyour mitergaugeslots.Boreclearance holesfor screwsintothe undersides 3 inches fromeach of therunners, in theslots, end.Place therunners the ihenslidethemoutto overhang backendof thetablebyabout8

inches. Position thejig basesquarely ontherunners, itsedgeflushwith theiroverhanging ends,thenscrew therunners to thebase, countersinkingthescrews. Slidethe runners andthe baseoff thefrontendof the tableanddrivein theothertwo Attacha support framealong screws. thebackedgeof thejig.Gluea reinforcingblockto theframe,centered Then,withthe between therunners. in the mitergaugeslots, runners makea cut through thesupport frameandthree-quarters of theway

33

across the base,Turnoff thesaw andlowertheblade,Screwa guide to thefrontedgeof thejig,ensuring that it is squarewiththe sawkerf. Gluea safetyblockto theoutside of theguide,centered on the kerf; alsogluea reinforcing blockonthe guide,identical to theoneon the support frame.Raise thesawblade andfinishthecut,sawing completelythrough theguidebutonlyslightly intothesafetyblock. Formaking repeat cutsto the to samelength,screwan extension t h eg u i d ea n dc l a m pa s t o pb l o c k to it. Usea clearplasticsheetthat spansthesawkerfasa bladeguard, fastening it to thereinforcing blocks withwingnuts, jig,fit therunTousethecrosscut nersintothemitergauge slots.Slide thejig towardthe backof thetable untilthebladeenters thekerf.Hold theworkpiece against theguide,slide position thestopbloclcto thedesired andclampit in place,buitingthe endof theworkpiece against thestop block.Withtheworkpiece heldfirmly against theguide,slidethejig steadily across thetable(/eft),feeding the workpiece intotheblade.

TABLESAW

A WIDEPANEL CROSSCUTTING themitergauge 1 Reversing I to startthecut is widerthanthedistance lf a workoiece between thefrontedgeof thetableand thesawblade,the mitergaugecannot in its usual be usedto begina crosscut position-in frontof theblade.Instead, remove thegaugeandinsertit in the miterslotfromthe backof thetable;for screwa wooden extension extrastability, Tobeginthecut, holdthe to thegauge. withonehandwhilepressing extension it withtheother theworkpiece against steadily into hand.Feedtheworkpiece t h eb l a d eu n t i tl h et r a i l i n eg n do f t h e workoiece reaches thefrontof thetable. (Caution: guardremoved Blade forclari$.)

r) Finishing thecut L Turnoff the sawwhenthe bladeis farenough theworkpiece to allow through to returnto its usualposithe mitergauge swilch(page32), tion,usinga hands-free if possible, sothatbothhandsremain Insertthemitergauge ontheworkpiece. intoits slotfromthe frontof thetable theworkandcomplete thecut,holding (rghf). pieceagainst theextension

34

ANGLECUTS n. of thereasons thetablesawisso A \-/ versatileis that both the miter gaugeandthebladecanbeangled,producingnot onlystraightcutsbut miter, bevelandcompoundcutsaswell.Miters of between30%nd90oarecutby angling themiter gauge.Sawbladescanbetilted from 45oto 90' (page2j),producing bevelcuts.Andbyanglingboththemiter gaugeandthe sawblade,a woodworker canmakea compoundcut. Whethercrosscutting or ripping,the techniquesusedfor anglecutsaresimilar to thoseusedwhenthebladeandgauge areat 90o.The differenceis the result: With the bladeat 90o,the woodworker endsup with a straightcut; with the

\

bladeangled,a bevelcut. The same appliesto crosscutting, althoughwith both activities extracaremustbe taken to keephandsawayfrom the blade, whichnow cutsa widerswathabovethe table.Whenthebladeis tilted,position themitergaugeor rip flence soihat the

Compoundcut

bladeanglesawayfrom it. This waythe workpieceis pushedawayfrom theblade ratherthan pulledtowardit, reducing thechancethat handswill strayinto the blade.Gluingsandpaper to a mitergauge extensionwill alsoreducethe chanceof a workpieceslippingduringa cut.

TW()JIGSFORMAKING MULTIPLE ANGLED CUTS

A simple setup forfastrepeat cuts Screwa wooden extension to themitergauge, thenusea slidingbevelto setthedesired cuttingangleof thegauge(above). lf youaremaking a compound cut,usethesliding bevel to set the bladeangle(page23). Pushthe mitergaugeto cut off the endof theextension. Placetheworkpiece against theextensionandlineupthecuttingmarkwiththeblade. Clamp a stop to theextension at theopposite endof theworkpiece. Tomake eachcut,holdtheworkpiece firmlyagainst theextension and, pushthe keeping bothhands outof linewiththesawblade, workpiece steadily intotheblade.

35

Cutting miterjoints jig (page Builda crosscut 33) withoutan extension or a safety block. Then,cuttwo12-inch-long 1-by-4s andplacethemat 90"to eachotherin themiddle of thejig,centered on itskerf. Turnthejig overandscrew the 1-by-4s to thejig.Tomakea series of cuts,butttheworkpiece against the leftarmof the jig,alignthecuttinglineontheworkpiece withthesawblade andclampa stopblockto thearmat theendof theworkpiece. Cutthrough theworkpiece, holding it firmlyagainst the armandstopblock(above). Cutthematingpieceof thejoint thesamewayontherightarmof thejig,Usethestopblocks asguides foradditional cutsto thesamelength.

DADOCUTS jointscallfor Eachof thesecutscanbe madeon a Q everalwoodworking rJ channels to becutintoworkpieces, tablesawwitha standardbladeby makpasses ing repeated alongtheworkpiece allowingboardsand panelsto fit together tightlyandsolidly,but incon- until the entirewidth of the channelis Fourof themostcommon cut out. However,a tablesawequipped spicuously. areshownbelow with a dadoheadcancut a dado,groove typesof channels (top).Theyaredistinguished fromeach or rabbetmuch moreefficiently.There to thewood areseveraltypesofdadoheads.Thetwo otherbytheirrelationship wobble grainandtheirlocationonaworkpiece. mostcommonaretheadjustable

Rabbet end-to-endaut at edqe;either alon4 or aqainat

Groove:end-to'end cut alonqthe qrain

Dado:end-to-endcut acroag the 6rain

5topped groove: cut along the arain that atopa short of one or both enda

Fromcuninggrooves in a for shelves bookcase to makinga rabbettojoin dadoheadsare tuvopanelstogether, an indispensable and versatile tablesaw. accessory the for

36

dado and the stackingdado shown below (bottom). The wobbledado is a singleblade mountedon a hub thatcanbeadjusted to provide varying widths of cut. Installedon the sawarbor much like a standardblade,thewobbledadoliterally wobblesas it spins.The greaterthe tilt-set by a dial on the blade-the wider the channelcut by the blade. Thestackingdadocomprises a pairof outsidebladesthat sandwichup to five inside chippers.The width of cut dependson how many chippersare mounted on the saw arbor along with the blades.Installing only the blades oroducesa W-inch cut. Inside chippersincreasecutting width i n V t a - , r / so-r r A - i n c hi n c r e m e n t s up to'%oinch-and up to I inch for modelsthat includemetalshims.Paoer washerscanbe addedto orovideeven finerwidth adjustment. Foi widerchannels,adjustthe dadoheadfor thewidest possiblecut andmakeseveralpasses. wobbleblades Althoughadjustable generallyarelessexpensive andsimpler to installthan stackingmodels,most stackingdadoesprovidebetterresults: with moreprecisewidths,flatchannels ter bottomsand cleaneredgeswith a minimum of tearout.

TABLESAW

HEAD A DADO INSTALLING Installing blades andchippers the bladefromthe saw(page22) Remove themanandinstalla dadoheadfollowing Forthecarbideinstructions. ufacturer's fit a blade dadoshown, tippedstacking in onthearborwiththeteethpointing Toinstall of bladerotation. thedirection the fit it onthearboragainst a chipper, in the withitsteethalsopointing blade, andcentered of bladerotation, direction twobladeteeth.Fit in gulletsbetween chipoers onthearborthesame additional theirteethfromthoseof way,offsetting Then,fit the already in place. thechippers second bladeonthearbor(iefil,ensuring itsteethdo nottouchtheteethof theothit resting against er bladeor anychipper (inseil.Installthewasher andtightenthe keeping theblades and nutonthearbor, surethat in position, againmaking chippers arenottouching theteethof thechippers tightenthe anybladeteeth.lf youcannot thewasher. arbornutall theway,remove F i n a l l yi n, s t a lal d a d ot a b l ei n s e rot n thesawtable.

W DADOES ANDGROOVES MAKING Cutting a dado Markcuttinglinesforthewidthof thedado Buttthe edgeof theworkpiece. onthe leading thefrontofthedadohmd, cuttrnglinesagainst the theripfenceflushagainst thenposition to thefrontof Slidetheworkpiece workpiece. the mitergaugethetableandsetit against preferably to it to screwed withan extension provide Tomakethecut,slide extrastability. asa unit andtheworkpiece themitergauge theworkintothe dadohead(right),keeping piecefirmlyagainst thedado thefence.(Since theworkthrough headdoesnotcutcompletely piecethisisoneexception rule to thegeneral nevandripfenceshould thatthemitergauge feeder beusedat thesametime.)Continue rateuntilthe at a steady ingtheworkpiece (Caution: guard Blade cut is completed. forclarity.) removed

37

TABLESAW

Cutting a groove M a r kc u t t i n gl i n e sf o r t h e w i d t ho f t h eg r o o v e ontheleading e d g eo f t h e w o r k p i e c eB.u t tt h e c u t t i n gl i n e su p a g a i n stth e d a d oh e a d t, h e np o s i t i o n t h e r i p f e n c ef l u s ha g a i n stth e w o r k piece.Fornarrowstock,usea featherboard anda pushstickto keepyour h a n d sa w a yf r o mt h e d a d oh e a d . P o s i t i oyno u rl e f t h a n da t t h e f r o n t e d g eo f t h et a b l et o k e e pt h et r a i l i n g e n do f t h e w o r k p i e cfel u s ha g a i n s t t h e f e n c e .F e e dt h e w o r k p i e cien t o the head(right)aI a steadyrate u n t i lt h e c u t i s c o m p l e t e d( C . aution: Bladeguardremoved for clarity.)

Keliefcut

-"/

,-< \\

,-..-

\

Cutting a rabbet Install a dadoheadslightly widerthan therabbet desired, thencrankit below thetable.Screw a board to theripfence asanauxiliary fenceandmarkthedepth of therabbet on it. Position theauxiliary fencedirectly overthedadohead,ensuringthatthemetalfenceis clearof the blade. Turnonthesawandslowly crank u pt h ed a d oh e a du n t i li t c u t st o t h e marked line,producing a relief cutinthe a u x i l i a frey n c eT. u r no f ft h es a wt,h e n marka cuttinglinefortheinside edge of therabbet ontheworkpiece. Buttthe cuttinglineagainst thedadohead, then p o s i t i ot nh er i pf e n c ef l u s ha g a i n st ht e workpiece. Clamotwofeatherboards as s h o w tno h o l dt h ew o r k p i e cs e c u r e l y against thefenceandsawblade; a wooden support armprovides extrastability. Turnonthesaw,thenfeedtheworkpiece intothedadohead(left)aI a steady rate u n t i tl h ec u t i s c o m p l e t euds; ea p u s h (Caution: guard stick,if necessary. Blade removed forclarity.)

gupporDarm

3B

TABLESAW

GRO()VE A STOPPED MAKING 'l

upthecut Setting of theposition I Tohelpyoudetermine b yt h e t h ed a d oh e a dw h e ni t i s h i d d e n thiscut,crankthedado workpiece during andusea headto thedepthof thegroove to mark anda straigntedge chinamarker theheadstartsandstops thepointswhere cutting(lefil.f hen,marktwosetsof cutoneonitsleadtinglinesontheworkpiece: oneon ingendforthewidthof thegroove; Butt of thegroove. itsfaceforthelength endof the linesontheleading thecutting thefrontof thedado workpiece against h er i pf e n c ef l u s h h e a dt,h e np o s i t i ot n theworkpiece. against

r) Cutting intotheworkpiece L furnonthesawandholdtheworkpiecejustabove alignthedadohead, ingthefrontcuttinglineontheworkmark piecewiththedadoheadcutting fromyou. on thetableinsertfarthest H o l d i ntgh ew o r k p i e ct ieg h t l ya g a t n s t thefence,slowlylowerit ontothehead (righil,keepingbothhandsclearof the sitssquarely head.Whentheworkpiece whilepressonthetable,feedit forward thefence. ingit against

thecut Finishing of the to within3 inches Whenyourlefthandcomes h e a d s, l i d ey o u rh a n da l o n gt h e t o p e d g eo f t h e w o r k p i e c e y o u rf i n g e r sa r o u n dt h e t o t h e b a c ko f t h e t a b l e ,h o o k i n g t a b l e ' se d g e C . o n t i n u ceu t t i n ga t a s t e a d yr a t eu n t i lt h e b a c kc u t t i n gl i n eo n t h e w o r k p i e cael i g n sw i t h t h e d a d o h e a dc u t t i n gm a r kc l o s e st o y o u .T o c o m p l e t et h e c u t , l i f t t h e w o r k p i e coef f t h e d a d oh e a dw i t hy o u rr i g h th a n d ( l e f i l ,s l i l ls t e a d y i n g i t a g a i n st h e f e n c ew i t h y o u rl e f t h a n dh o o k e d a r o u n dt h e e d g eo f t h e t a b l e .

39

MOLDINGS i\ tablesawismorethanjusta machine A to cutwood.With thepropersetup, a sawbladecanserveasa milling device to cut covemoldings(pagea3).And by replacingthe sawbladewith a molding headanddifferentsetsofcutters,a plain boardcanbecomeanelaborate molding. Pieces ofwood canbe shapedseparately and then glued togetherto form an impressivearrayof designs.The results rangefrom crownmoldingsfor a cabinet to decorativedoor and frame moldings-made at a fractionof the costof their store-boughtcounterparts.

Moldingcuttersaresoldin setsof three,which areinstalledin a molding headand then fastenedonto the arbor. By passingthe wood overthe cutters repeatedly andraisingthemoldinghead slightlyeachtime,a patternis cut into thewood.Themorepasses, the deeper theinscriotion. Like a dado head,a molding head requiresits own tableinsertwith a wide openingto accommodate the width of the cutters.A woodworkercanmakean insertfor eachsetofcuttersby placinga blankoieceof wood in the tableinsert

slotandslowlycrankingup themolding head-much like makingspecialinserts for sawblades(page22). Moldingheadshavea reputationfor beingdangerous and while thereare alwayshazardsinvolvedwhen usinga tablesawthereis little risk whenmolding headsareusedwith propercare.A fewpointsto keepin mind: Do not cut moldingson shortlengthsof wood;a pieceshouldbe at least12incheslong. Also,do not cut moldingson narrow strips;cut themoldingson piecesat least 4 incheswideandthenrio to width.

Millingbaseboardwith molding cutters Threesetsof cutterswereusedin combination to transforma piece of walnutinto an elaborate baseboardmoldingat littlecost(left). More than30 bladeprofilesare available; by usingdffirentcutters-also knownasknives-on thesameboard,an innovative woodworker canmiII an almost limitlessrangeof designs.

COMMOI{ CUTTER PR()FITES

^J

-

ryl G

Eead --

Cove

ffi

Oqee

CUTVE

t" n kww Crown mold

Olaas stop

?anel otrip

40

-

T

tsead andcove

Flute

450 Eevel

fr ffi Groove

Tonaue

TABLESAW

HEAD A MOLDING INSTALLING

headandcutters a molding Mounting yourhandandtighten thearbornutcounterclockwise intoitsslotin themold- protect Fiteachof thethreecutterspartway the moldA washeris notnecessary; usinga wrench(above). edgefacesaway beveled thatthecutter's inghead,ensuring Afterthe withoutreinforcement. intotheirholes, ingheadis rigidenough hole.Installthesetscrews fromthesetscrew d l ei n s e r t i n, s t a lal m o l d i n g - h et a b to tighteneachscrewuntilthecutters m o l d i nhge a di s s e c u r e d thenusea hexwrench hand to make head by molding (insef). Rotate the table. on the saw head molding Installthe in their slots firmly seated are notrub unit does and that the are true cutters sure that the the direccutter facing of each flat side with the the saw on eozinci ihp insprt raglo with a head molding Grip the rotation. of blade tion

A M()LDING CUTTING thefirstpasses upandmaking 1 Setting a board to theripfenceas screw a molding, cutting I Before overthe fencedirectly theauxiliary fence.Position anauxiliary thatthemetalfenceisclearof thecuthead, ensuring molding headgradually ters.Turnonthesawandcrankupthemolding of fenceto allowforclearance to cut a notchin theauxiliary lineonthe Turnoffthesaw,thenlineupthecutting thecutters. andbutttheripfence withthecutters endof theworkpiece headto its lowest themolding Crank theworkpiece. against to clamponefeatherboard Tosecure theworkpiece, setting. featherboard thesawblade,anda second thefenceabove to the at a 90" angle board a support to thesawtable.Clamp and theworkpiece asshown.Remove featherboard, second thetable;do notmakea fullto X inchabove crankthecutters Turnonthesawanduseyourrighthand depthcut in onepass. head;useyour themolding toward feedtheworkpiece to slowly the theripfence.Finish against lefthandto keeptheworkpiece cut,makeasmanypasses cutwitha pushstick.Fora deeper (left),raising head/einchat a time. themolding asnecessary

4l

TABLESAW

r) Making thefinalpass passes L lttersuccessive naveproducedthedepthof cutdesired, crank themolding headupveryslightly and pass theworkpiece through a f inaltime passes at halfthespeedof previous (lefil.Byfeeding theworkpiece slowly, thef inalcut produces a smooth finish t h a tr e q u i r emsi n i m as la n d i n g .

themolding fromtheboard Q Separating r.,l Aftertheproperprofilehasbeencut, separate themolding fromtheworkpiece Remove themolding headfromthearbor andinstall a riporcombination blade. Feedtheboard through theblade, using a pushstickto keeptheworkpiece firmly onthetabletight);useyourlefthandor a featherboard to pressit flushagainst theriofence.

42

TABLESAW

A COVEMOLDING CUTTING

Cove cutLin4 4uide

thewidth 1 Setting efa p a r a l l e l o I g u i t oa c o v ec u t t i n g u i d ei n t h es h a p o 1-by-2s to two9-inchgrambyfastening two18-inch-long twosetsof parallel withwingnuts,forming long1-by-2s the between arms.Adjusttheguidesothatthedistance of thetwolongarmsis thesameasthedesired insideedges to the Thencrankuptheblade widthof thecovemolding. across depthof thecove.Laytheguidediagonally maximum by i t u n t i tl h eb l a d et ,u r n e d t h eb l a d ei n s e rat n dr o t a t e bothlongarmsof theguideGbove). hand,justtouches

\ 1

_-.,'

-

i'l r) Markingtheguidelines L , l t t n g a p e n c i ol r c h i n am a r k e rt,r a c eg u i d e l i n eosn t h e t n ds a wt a b l ea l o n gt h e i n s i d ee d g e so f t h e l o n g t a b l ei n s e r a ) .h e no u t l i n et h e d e s i r e dp r o f i l e a r m so f t h e g u i d e( a b o v e T o f t h e c o v eo n t h e l e a d i n ge n d o f t h e w o r k p i e c eR. e m o v e t h e g u i d e c, r a n kt h e b l a d et o i t s l o w e sst e t t i n ga n d p l a c et h e t h e m a r k e do u t l i n eo n w o r k p i e coen t h e s a wt a b l e ,a l i g n i n g e i t ht h e g u i d e l i n eosn t h e s a wt a b l e . t h e w o r k p i e cw

thecove Q Cutting r J B u t ta g u i d eb o a r da g a i n set a c he d g eo f t h e w o r k p i e c e : u s eb o a r d sl o n ge n o u g ht o c l a m po n o p p o s i t es i d e so f t h e . o m a k et h e t a b l e .C r a n kt h e b l a d e% i n c ha b o v et h e t a b l e T f i r s tp a s sf,e e dt h e w o r k p i e cset e a d i l tyo w a r dt h e b l a d ew i t h y o u rl e f th a n d ,w h i l eh o l d i n gt h e w o r k p i e caeg a i n stth e t a b l e . ake . i n i s ht h ec u t u s i n ga p u s hb l o c k M w i t hy o u rr i g h th a n d F (left),raisingthe blade% inchat as necessary as manypasses a time. Fora deepcove,tack a backupboardto the top of the w o r k p i e cteo p r e v e nitt f r o ms p l i t t i n gF. o ra s m o o t hf i n i s ht h a t r e q u i r e lsi t t l es a n d i n gr,a i s et h e b l a d ev e r ys l i g h t l yf o r a l a s t passand feedthe workpiece slowlyinto it.

43

TABLESAW OINERY

OpenmorLiee-and-Leno njoint

-|1 h. speed andprecision ofatablesaw I makeit anobviouschoicefor cuttingjoints,particularly repeat cuts.Once a sawisadjusted to cutoneboxjoint or joint,forexamopenmortise-and-tenon ple,fiveor tenmorecanbecutin short order.Themosttime-consuming partis thesetup;andmuchdepends uponthe caretakenatthispoint.A fewextraminutesspentatthebeginning will resultin joint.Asalways, a strong,Iong-lasting measure twicdandcutonce. Everyjoint hasitsownspecific qualitiesandapplications. Lapjointsarefrequentlyusedto makepictureframes.

Madefromtwopieces ofwoodthathave halftheirthickness cutaway, a lapjoint is simpleto make.Whengluedand clamped, it creates a strongjoint that doesnot requirereinforcement. A boxjoint,alsoknownasa finger joint,isidealfor carcase work-for makingdrawers orboxes. It consists of interlockingpinsandnotches, whichare

generallyone-halfor one-quarterthe stock'sthickness. Onceusedfor massproducedproductssuchaspackingboxes,theboxjoint creates a strongjoint by virtue ofthe sizeofthe largegluearea createdby the pins and notches. joint is often Themortise-and-tenon found in chairsand desks.Sometimes calleda bridlejoint, it consistsof a projection---ortenon-from oneboardthat slidesinto a slot-or openmortise-in anotherboard. Like the box joint, it requiresa jig, which canbe shop-built. The followingsectiondescribes how to makeeachof theseusefuljoints.

MAKING A tAPJ(IINT Cutting lapswitha dadohead Markcuttinglinesforthewidthof eachlap ontheleading edgeof theworkpiece. Butt onecuttinglineagainst theoutside bladeat thefrontof thedadohead, thenposition the ripfenceflushagainst theworkpiece. Slide theworkpiece to thefrontof thetableand pressit firmlyagainst thefenceandthe mitergauge. Tomakethecut,slidethe gauge andtheworkpiece asa unitinto thedadohead,keeping theworkpiece flush against thefence.(Thisisanother exception to thegeneral rulethatthemitergauge and ripfenceshouldnotbe usedat thesame time.)Continue feeding theworkpiece at a steady rateuntilthecutis made.Makesuc(/eff),cuttingawaythewaste passes cessive (Caution: untilthelapiscompleted. Blade guardremoved forclarity.)

44

TABLESAW

MAKING A B()XJOINT

upthejig 1 Setting fora boxjointoneat a ttmeusinga dado I Cutthenotches asan extenheadandjig.Clampa boardto themitergauge height of thenotches thedadoheadto thedesired sion.Crank intothedadoheadto createa notch. andfeedtheextension sothatthegap Position theextension onthemitergauge between thenotchandthedadoheadis equalto thenotch to thegauge, Feed theextentheextension width,thenscrew nolch(above), checksionintothedadobladeto cut a second thenotchwidth. thenotches equals ingthatthegapbetween keyintothe notchsothatthe key Fitandgluea hardwood projects aboutan inchfromtheextension.

in themating board thenotches Q Gutting J Fitthelastnotchvoucut in thefirst boardoverthe key,thenbuttoneedge thefirst of the matingboardagainst b o a r dh, o l d i nbgo t hf l u s ha g a i n st ht e Tocut thef irst mitergauge extension. notchin themating board, slidethetwo thetable(right),thenconboardsacross board notches in themating tinuecutting youused following thesameprocedure forthefirstboard.

45

r) Cutting in thefirstboard thenotches thekey,holding against L guttoneedgeof theworkpiece Tocutthenotch, extension. it flushagainst themitergauge thegauge andslidetheworkpiece hookyourthumbs around theworkpiece to thefront intothedadoheadbbove).Return the proceof thetable,fit thenotchoverthekeyandrepeat untilyou cuttingnotches oneafteranother dure.Continue edgeof theworkptece. reachtheopposite

TABLESAW

MAKING AN()PENMORTISE-AND-TENON JOINT thetenoncheeks 1 Cutting I Create a tenonbycuttingthecheeks first,andthentheshoulders. Install a jigonthetablefolcommercial tenoning lowing themanufacturer's instructions; the model shown slidesin themiterslot.Mark cuttinglinesontheworkpiece to outline thetenon, thenclamptheworkpiece to the jig,Crank theblade to theheight of the tenonandposition thejigsothatoneof thetenoncheekcuttinglinesis butted against theblade. Usethejig handle io slidethejig along themitergauge slot; loosen theclamphandle to moveit sideways. Slidethejigto thefrontof thetable andturnonthesaw,thenuseyourright handto pushthejig forward, feeding the workpiece intotheblade(left).Continue cuttingat a steady rateuntilthecut is completed. Pullthejig backto thefront of thetableandturnoffthesaw.Turnthe workpiece around sothattheremaining cuttinglineforthethickness of thetenon is butted against theblade. Cutalongit thesamewayasyoumadethefirstcut.

I \

r') Sawing thetenonshoulders L Screw a boardto themitergauge asanextension. Thencrankthebladeto a heightequalto thedepthof thetenon against theextension, alignoneof the tenonshoulder cuttinglinesagainst the blade,thenbutta stopblockagainst theworkpiece andclampit in position. Slidetheworkoiece to thefrontof the tableandturnon thesaw.Hookyour t h u m b sa r o u n tdh em i t e rg a u g teo feedtheworkoiece intothebladeand makethecut.Usea oushstickto clear thewastepieceoff thetable.Flipover theworkpiece andbuttit against the stopblock,thencut thesecond shoulder(righil.(Caution: Bladeguard removed for clarity.)

46

TABLESAW

Cutting themortise jigonthetable.MarkcutReinstall thetenoning then to outlinethemortise, tinglinesontheworkpiece theblade to the to thejig.Crank clamptheworkpiece thejig sothatoneof andposition depthof themortise SIide the linesis butted against theblade. thecutting jig to thefrontof thetable,thenturnonthesawand intotheblade. Pullthejig back feedtheworkpiece oversothat andturnoffthesaw.Turntheworkpiece lineis butted against theblade cutting theremaining as necesandcut alongit (left).llakeasmanypasses it wastebetween thetwocuts,Test-f saryto remove if necessary. orwidenthemortise, thejointanddeepen

JIG A TENONING jig using3/q-inch tenoning Builda fence-straddling plywood shownat dimensions cut to the suggested jig hole large left. In onecornerof the body,cut a your to fit through, Screwa guide for fingers enough hole. Theboard behindthe boardto thebodydirectly position in forthecut. Make will holdtheworkpiece perfectly vertical. Toholdthe surethatthe boardis jig bodyflushagainst thefence,screwa braceto the (inset). bodywitha spacerin between Tousethejig,place it astride thefenceas shown. Butttheworkpieceagainst theguide a n dc l a m pi t i n p l a c e . Reoosition thefenceto alignthecuttingmarkon withthe theworkpiece blade, thenslidethejig alongthefenceuntilthe cut is comoleted.

47

RADIALARMSAM

andott roughcrosscuts \Jners reasons rbr rhrsperceprron. that more woodworkerr Irlrg-tulrc

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thanonradiaIarmsaws.Tablesawsc-*|AnotherbenefitisthatmoStcutS toshift canbemadewithouthaving alsohavefewermovingpartsand EffiM_ ) -ute are easrerIo ser uD- ,,nnss4r-lgn1]v

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i m p r e s s i o n s a s a r e s u l t o f w o r k i n g o n t h e c o l u m n a n d t h e m o t o r androtatingon itsyoke. swiveling araisedauxiliarytable, Augmentedby machines. onlll-adjusted This allows thebladeto bepulled horizontheradialarmsaw-its bladeturned thatthetable Thereisnodenying joinr. at almostany a workpiece through tally-cuts thenotches fortheoften choice sawisanexcellent for afinger makes workof angle. It also simple repetitive chores of furnituremaking. fi.rll advanwork. But to take machine for custom cuttingtoolfor every- settingupthe it isnottheidealstationary Nevertheless, jig you must take accurately, capacity for cutting usuallyrequirea to feedstock tageof thesaw's one.Forrepeatcuts,tablesaws jigs keep it finely tuned. machine and Andsome aretime-con- thetimeto adjustthe intothebladewithuniformresults. machine, theradialarmsaw'sflexiOn a poorlyadjusted sumingto buildor costlyto buy.Thblesawsalsoneeda fair its slidingandpivoting Achilles' heel. All of is bility canbeits operation. Suchspace amountof roomto allowunhindered parts anditsmovable mustbehighlycontrolled, movements atapremiumin manyhomeworlchops. position. the locked in Otherwise, radial mustremainfixedwhen verywideboards, of crosscutting Withtheexception job This holds true just imprecise cuts. to a life of armsawscanduplicate aboutany atablesawcanper- sawis condemned Radialarmsawstypicallyrangefrom restric- for anysizemachine. limitations arenotseverely form.Eventhecrosscutting modelisrated homeworkshop theaverage tive.Mostradialarmsawscanrip up to a widthof 25inches, 1to 7 horsepower; ranges from8 to 24 Bladesizetypically panelin halflengthwise. at 1.5horsepower. allowingyouto cuta 4-foot-wide has lO-inch blade. homemodel a thestandard littleworlahop inches; relatively Moreover, theradialarmsawrequires

Thisjigwill allowyou to makemiter cutson the radialarm sawwith thebladein thestandardcrosscuttingposition-9}o to thetable.Thejig ensures that matingboardswill form a perfectlysquarejoint.

49

---

ANATOMYOFA RADIALARM SAW he radial arm sawis essentiallv a circularsawsuspended abovea work table.For mostoperations, the bladecutsthroughtheworkpieceand runsalongakerfin apieceofhardboard or plywoodttratisgluedto thesawtable. Themachine's manypivotingand slidingpars enableit to carrytheblade

Yokealamp handle Locko yoke in fixed position on arm: releaeed to rotate

Arm 9upporta yoke,motor and blade

yokefor-rippinq

into a workpiecefrom a varietyof differentangles anddirections. Slidingthe yokealongthearmpullsthebladeacross thetablefor a crosscut. Swiveling the armonthecolumnallon'sformitercuts; themaximumrangeofthe modelillusfratedbelowisnearly90oto therightand 50oto theleft. Tilting the motor and Mlter alamp handle Locka arm in fixed position on column:releasedto awivel arm and aet miter anqle. Lockaautomatioally at preaet anqlea,includingO" and 45"to the ri4ht and laft

blademakesa bevelcut possible, while rotatingtheyoketo bringthebladeparallelto thefencesetsupthemachinefor a rip cut. Depending onthewidthof thestock youneedto cut twotypesofrip cutsare feasible: anin-rip,with thebladeturned closest to thecolumn,andan out-rip,

Onloff awlt'ch Removabletoq1le preventz acciden-

tal atart-up

Column

Yoke Holda motor and blade; attached to the arm b5ta carria1e unit with roller bearinqothat 6lide alonq a track underneath the arm

Yoke handle Uaed to alide yoke alon6 arm for croaecuttina

Supporta arm; four aetacrewa on front of column baae and four bolta on rear of baae tiqhtened to prevent rotation

Eevelalamp handle Locke motor in fixed pooitlon on yoke; releaaed to aet, bevelanqle or to moveblade to horizontal pooition. Lockaautomatically at preoet an6lea,includin7O" and 45", and 9Oo to the ri6ht and Ieft

tsladeguard Froteata operator from uppeipart of blade; noset'ilts to coverleadinq edqe of blade for rippin7. Lowerblade 1uaid uaed for croaacuttina

Elade guard clamp earcw Holda auard in fixed plooition; looaenedto movequara

?tand 1upporba aaw; garewg on feet are adjuotable to level aaw table

9plltter Keepa wood kerf from bindin7 durinq a cut; anti-kickback finqere on each aide of aplitter prevent workpiecefrom liftinq Elevatlng cmnk Kaiaeaand loweraarm on column to oet depth of cut

50

Light and compactenoughto move aroundtheshopor travelto construction sites,thisportable8%-inchradial arm sawcanusurpthemarryrolesof a tablesaw.Fittedwith a specialbit and motorshaft equippedwithan accessory that turnsat 18,500rpm, thismodel router. will doubleasan overhead

with thebladeswiveledfarthestaway fromthecolumn. Althoughthebladeiskeptverticalto it canalso thetablefor mostoperations, Such betiltedto operatehorizontally. a positionis particularlyusefulfor finger taskssuchascuttinggrooves, jointsandmoldings.

Rip alamp handle Lockayoke in pooitionon arm for rippin4and for eomecuta with bladein hortzontalpoaition; releaaedfor croaacuttin4 Motor One end holda blade;oppo' gite end gerveaao acce?' aory ehaft for attachin4 a variety of acceaaories

Fence Treventaworkpiecefrom movinqdurinq croeacuttinq; quideework' pieceacroee table for ripping, Owner' inat a lled. Uauallyset between front and rear tablea aa shown;poeitioned behindrear table when cutting wide stock

Duat spout For duat collecLton ayatem; adjuatable nozzledirecta dust away from work area

Arm aover Keepeduot from enterinqrear part of arm

Miter alamp adjuetment acrew Turnedto adjuat tenaion on miter clamp; noletn arm coverpro' vides acceaa

Columnadjuetment bolte Fourbolta control amount of play betweencolumn and columnbaae

51--i),r"r,"

Auxiliary table Keplaceablehardboard or plywoodpanel qlued to front aaw table; blade rune in kerfa cut in aux' iliary table

Tableclamp ?regaearear gaw table and apacer flueh aqainet fence and front aaw table

Column baee aover Tableepacer Kemovableto allow installation of a wider fence

SETTINGUP tl- h. setupprocedures describedon I thesepagesmay seemlong and involved,but do not neglectthem. Without careful maintenance,your machinewill not cut with orecision. A problemwith manyradialarmsaws is that adjustmentsareleft too loose, playin movingparts allowingexcessive and resultingin sloppycuts. Ideally, clampsshouldlock tight and sliding mechanisms shouldbeneithertoo loose nor too snug. Adjustthe table (right),the clamps (below)and the sliding mechanisms (page54)beforeeverynewproject.Each time you usethe saq clearthe sawdust flom the gapbetweenthe tableand the fence,and clearthe trackunderneaththe arm. Periodically, touchup the moving partswith a silicone-based lubricant.It is alsoimportant to squaretheblade(page 55)andcheckfor heeling(page56). Beforeusingyour sawfor the first time, you will needto install a fence and an auxiliarytable(page5Z).To test your adjustments, crosscuta l2-inchwide board and a 1-by-3standingon edge,then checkthe cut endswith a carpenter's square.

ADJUSTING THETABTE

Leveling thetablewiththearm Tiltthemotoruntilthearborpoints down,itsendslightly above tablelevel. Thenswivel thearmto position thearborovertherailnutson bothsides of thetable;in eachposition measure thegapbetween thearborandthetable. lf themeasurements arenotequal,raisethelowendof thetablebyturning the railnutin a clockwise direction, usingtheheadof anadjustable wrench to lever upthetablesurface Thenmakethesameadjustment ontheotherside hbove). of thetable.Repeat themeasurements to ensure thatthetableis level.

ADJUSTING THECLAMPS 'l Adjusting themiterclamp I Swivel thearmto therightto a oosition between 0'and45o.Lock theclamp andtryto pushthe end of the armtoward the0' position (left).lf thereis anyplayin thearm, adjust theclamp thatholdsit in place. youwill need Forthemodelshown, to usea hexwrench to tightenthe m i t e rc l a m pa d j u s t m esnct r e w , located inside anaccess holein the armcover.

52

RADIAL ARM SAW

r) Fine{uning theyokeclamp theonesused between Rotut"theyoketo a position I f o rc r o s s c u t t ianngdr i p p i n gL.o c kt h ec l a m pt,h e nu s e poslto thecrosscutting to tryto pushthemotor bothhands tion(righil.Themotorshouldnotbudge;if it does,adjust shown, unForthemodel theclampthatlocksit in position. theknobfromtheyokeclamphandleandremove screw Usethewrench lowerpartof thisdevice. thewrench-like thearmbyholdunder nutlocated theadjustment to tighten thewrench andpulling ingtheupperpartof thehandle Locktheclamp it (insef) untilthetwoarealigned. toward thenutfurtighten andcheckagainfor play.lf necessary, Thisadlusttheknobbacktn place. screw ther;otherwise, yourowner's manual. check mentmayvaryonsomemodels;

thebevelclamp Q Adjusting between J Tlltthemotorto a position then clamp, 0" and45".Lockthebevel u s eb o t hh a n d st o t r y t o m o v et h e motor(left),lf thereis anylooseness, shown, Forthemodel adlusttheclamp, wrench to tightenthemotor usea socket theclampand nut,thenrelease support trytiltingthe motorto eachofthepreset movethemotor, if youcannot angles; Othernut slightly. loosen thesupport wise,locktheclampagainandcheck oncemoreforplayin themotor.

53

RADIAL ARM SAW

Checking theripclamp Locktheripclamp, thenuse bothhandsto tryto slidetheyoke alongthearm(left).Theyokeshould notmove; if it does, adjustthe rip clamp.Forthemodelshown, release theclamp,thenusea wrench to tightenthenutattheendoftheripclamp bolt.Trysliding theyokealongthe arm;if it binds,loosen thelocknut slightly. Otherwise, recheck theclamp andtightenthenutfurtherif needed.

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CARING F(|RTHESLIDING MECHANISMS thecaniage rollerbearings 1 Adjusting I Usea silicone-based lubricant to clean t h et r a c ku n d etrh ea r ma n dt h er o l l e r bearings to thefrontandrearof thecarriageunitthatattaches theyoketo the arm.Tocheckthe bearings, press your t h u m ba g a i n seta c ho n ei n t u r nw h i l e sliding thecarriage awayfromyourhand. Thebearings should turnasthecarriage slidesalongthearm.lf yourthumbkeeps youwillneedto oneof themfromturning, tighten thebearing; if thecarriage binds onthearm,a bearing willneedto beloosened.ln eithercase,loosen the bearing nutwhileholding theboltstationary with a secondwrench(right).Ttghten or loosen thebolt,asnecessary, thenretighten thenut. Adjusttheotherboltbythesameamount, thencheckthebearings onceagain.

54

RADIAL ARM SAW

tension c0lumn-t0-base Adiusting on thefoursetscrews clean,thenloosen Wioethecolumn To check hex wrench' a thefrontof thecolumnbaseusing usebothhandsto tryto lift theend tension, column-to-base (above, /eff);thereshouldbe littleor nogiveto of thearm the crankin bothdirections; Turntheelevating thecolumn. is excessive lf there down. upand armshouldslidesmoothly jointor if thearmjumpsor at thecolumn-to-base movement

adjustthefourboltslocated as it risesandlowers, vibrates the holesonthecoverof thebase.Repeat intheaccess Then adjustments. makeadditional testsand,if necessary, (above, righ); if thereis any the armsideways try pushing justenough of the column,tightenthesetscrews rotation thetestsa finaltime, Runthrough movement. to prevent ngtheadjustments. f ine-tuni

THEBLADE SOUARING thebladewiththetable 1 Squaring posiI Settheyokein thecrosscutting 59).Release tion andinstalla blade@age clampandtilt themotorcounterthebevel asfarasit willgointhe0" posiclockwise Tocheckthe theclamp. tion.Thenrelock square butta carpenter's bladeposition, should twoteeth(lefl.Thesquare between f i t f l u s ha g a i n st ht es i d eo f t h eb l a d el.f the them,release anygapshowsbetween clamp thebevel Then,loosen bevel clamp. andtilt themotorto bringthe setscrews Holding the thesquare. flushagainst blade lock havea helper motorin thisposition, the bevelclampandtightenthesetscrews. then to the45' bevelposition, lllt themotor andcheckthe returnit to the0' position bladeonceagain.

55

RADIAL ARM SAW

r) Setting thearmperpendicular tothefence Z. Release themiterclampandswivel the armto therightasfarasit willgo in the0" position, thenrelock theclamp.Release the ripclampandbuttthetwosidesof a carpenter'ssquare against thefenceandtheblade toothnearest to thetable.Holding theblade steady, slidethe yokealongIhe arm(left); pullslowly toavoid dulling thetooth. Theblade should makea constant rubbing soundasit moves alongtheedgeof thesquare. lf a gap opens up between thebladeandthesquare, or if thebladebindsagainst thesquare asit moves, loosen thesetscrews onthecolumnbase. Toclosea gapbetween the bladeandthe square, tightenthetoprightscrew; to eliminatebinding, tightenthetopleftscrew. Once thearmis square to thefence,tighten thelowerscrews, alternating fromleftto right.

CORRECTING BLADE HEEL Fine-tuning horizontal rotati0n 1 I lnstalla blade(page59) andsetthe motorin itshorizontal position; tilt themotor counterclockwise asfarasit willgo,then lockthebevelclamp.Totestfor heeling-bladerotation thatis notparallel to thetable-buildan L-shaped sounding jig andboretwoholesin it. Sharpen the endsof twodowels andf it theminto thejig asshown. Thenposition thejig to aligna bladetoothnearthebackof the tabledirectly overthe verticaldowel. Lowerthe bladeuntilthe toothrests l i g h t l yo n t h ed o w e lc; l a m pt h ej i g i n place.Wearing a workglove,spinthe bladebackward andlisten(right). Next, slidetheyokealongthearmto aligna toothnearthefrontof thetableoverthe dowelandrepeat thetest.Thesound shoulb d e t h es a m ei n b o t ho o s i t i o n s . lf it is not,release thebevelclampand loosen thetwoscrews on eithersideof the motorsupport nut.Repeat thetests untilthesoundstays thesame, thenlock thebevelclampandtightenthescrews.

56

RADIAL ARM SAW

vertical heeling Eliminating release theyokeclampandloosen tone.lf thereisa discrepancy, yoke usinga hexwrench(above, underthe thefourscrews andretestuntileachtest themotorasnecessary right).RoIate produces andtighten the locktheyokeclamp tone.Then, a similar your a l2-inch-wide crosscut adlustments, Tocheck screws.

l l l t t h e m o t o rc o u n t e r c l o c k wai s fea r a s i t w i l lg o i n t h e . ot e s tf o r v e r t i c a l v e r t i c apl o s i t i o nt h, e nl o c kt h e b e v ecl l a m p T h e e l i n gp, o s i t i otnh e s o u n d i njgi g s ot h a tt h et i p o f t h e h o r i z o n t a l d o w eal l i g n sw i t ha b l a d et o o t hn e a rt h e b a c ko f t h et a b l e . g a c k w a rsdoy o uc a ns a m L o w etrh e b l a d ea n ds e n di t s p i n n i n b plethe soundas in stepI (above, /efil.Slidethe yokealongthe a r ma n dr e p e atth e p r o c e s so ,n c ea g a i nl i s t e n i nfgo r c h a n g eisn

L ^ ^ - r d^l -l u! +L l L ^ ^ ^ lt- u h . , J Ltqar r nu i dl r Si n po w rn r e u ud 6 Ls. e .c v ' rhL e u ckthe cut y-J 3 s uudlu ltrll o

square. endsusing a carpenter's

TABLE ANDAUXILIARY A FENCE INSTALLING

Auxilrarytable 9Oo kerf Fence

57

table Cutting a kerfin thefenceandauxiliary knot-free wood Installa fenceof 7a-inch{hick, thetablespacerandthefronttable; between m a k et h ef e n c es l i g h t l yh i g h etrh a nt h et h t c k n e s so f t h ew o r k p i e c F e .o ra n a u x i l i a rt ya b l e , c u t a p i e c eo f % - i n c hh a r d b o a rodr p l y w o o d t h es a m es i z ea st h ef r o n t a b l ea n d u s ec o n a sltght t a c t c e m e n t o g l u ei t d o w n ,l e a v i n g gap betweenit and the fenceto prevent sawdustfromjammingbetweenthe two. Before mitercuts,slicethrough crosscutting or making thefenceand%oto 7s inchdeepintothe auxi l i a r yt a b l ei n t h e 9 0 ' a n d4 5 " p a t h so f t h e bladeT . h e n ,r o t a t et h e m o t o rt o t h e i n - r i p p o s i t i o n( p a g e6 6 ) a n d p u l lt h e y o k ea l o n g r i p t r o u g hi n t h e a r mt o f u r r o wo u ta s h a l l o w the auxiliarytable (left).

RADIALARM SAWBLADESAND ACCE,SSORIES :' ikeits shopcousilrthetablesaq the l,-... radialarmsawisonlyasgoodasthe bladeon itsarbor.Togetthebestperformaucefrom your machine,keepits bladescleanandin goodrepair.Inspect thearborwashers andbladecollars, and replaceanydamaged parts.Usea ragto rvipesirwdust or loosedirt from a blade; removeresinor pitchlvithsteelr'vooland turpentine. Spray-on orencleaner isalso usefulfor dissolving stubborndeposits. To protectbladesfrom damage, hang thernindividuallyon hooksor, if you stackthen, placecardboard between them. Replacebladesrvhenever they beconecrtrcked or chipped;sharpen non-carbide tippedbladesregularly. A dull or damaged bladeis rnorelikelyto contribr"rte to accidents than a sharp blirdein goodcorrdition. In general, theradialarmsawusesthe Fornterllty tlrc intersectionof one sanretypesofbladesasa tablesaw(pnge line drnwrtf'ottt the tip of a tootlt 20).Combination bladesaresuitable for to the certer of the arltor holeand orrc 90percentof thejobs,vouwill bedoing. dratvrrparallel to the tooth'slhce, jobs,suchascrossBladesfor specific b l t r t l el n o k n rr q l ct l c t c r t t t i r t c s cuttingor ripping,arealsoavailable. In lnw rrruchbiteq bladewill ha,e.

9anding drum Attached to the aaw'aacceoeory ahaft; can be uaedtn vertical,horizontal,or bevelpooitiona.ln verLicat applicaLrona, drum ie lowered into a cutout tn an auxtltarytable.

Drillingchuck Attached ta acceeeory ehaft; can be uaedin horizonta[or verttcal poaittonewtth an auxil' tary f,ablethat elevateE the workpieceor with a ji4 that. holds the stock in poaition.

Sanding diec Commonlyueedin verLicalpoettionwith an auxiliarytable Lo elevate the workpiece.

58

anycase, it is importantto consider the hook angleof a blade(left).The larger the angle,the biggerthe bite-and the greater theriskoia blade nrnnirrg across a workpiece whencrosscutting or lifting stockwhenripping.In bothcases, feed thebladethroughthervorkpiece slowly and firmly.Whilea hook angleof 30o wouldbe suitablefor a tablesaw,the samebladeon theradialarmsawcould proveunsafe. Theidealhookanglefor a radialarm sawis I 5oor less. Carbide-tipped blades arethechoice of mostwoodworkers today.Although theycostmorethanthetraditionalhighspeedsteelbladesandaremoreexpensiveto havesharpened, theyhold their edgeconsiderably longerandarecapable of moreprecise cuts. In additionto sarvblades, the radial armsawalsoaccepts vanorlsaccessories, whichareattached to eitherthearboror anaccessory shaftat theopposite endof the motor.On somemodels,the shaft canspinat morethan20,000rprn,makirrgit idealfor porvering roLrter bits.

Molding head Ueedin horizonLal poeition with a moldinq headquardand an auxiliarytable that. elevaLesthe workpiece. Widevariety of cutLera avatlable for different moldinqatylea.

Rotary aurface planer Uaedin horizontal pooition;can be angled to form raioedpanela. Featureathree knivea remouable for aharpeninq.

RADIAL ARM SAW

A SAWBLADE CHANGING blades andinstalling Removing U n p l utgh es a w l,o c kt h ec l a m pas n d Then,fit oneof remove thebladeguard. withthesaw supplied thewrenches the bladeandthe onthearborbetween withthis thearborsteady motor. Holding the tool,usetheotherwrenchto loosen usually armsawarbors arbornut.(Radial thenutis loosened threads; havereverse Remove thenut direction.) in a clockwise thenslidethe collar, andtheouterblade Toinstall a blade, bladefromthearbor. placeit onthearborwithitsteethpointof bladerotation. ingin thedirection Install thecollarandstartthenutbyhand. onthearborpropped Withonewrench the thetable,finishtightening against nut(left),but avoidovertightening. I n s t a tl lh eb l a d eg u a r d .

HEIGHT THEBLADE SETTING to makea cut Preparing theblade cut, lower vertical Fora standard precut table in the auxiliary kerfs intooneofthe (page57). Fora cut partway througha workpiece, suchasa dadocut,marka lineonthe forthedepthof cut,thensetthe workpiece tableandlowerthe stockontheauxiliary oneturnof most saws, bladeto the line.For lowers the blade or crankraises theelevating tbor rAoinch.Togauge thecrankonyoursaw, lower thebladeto within% inchof theauxildireciarytable,thencrankin theopposite Hold up. to move tionuntilthebladebegins I inch is at least a pieceof scrapwoodthat thefenceandcut intoit at one thickagainst end.Turnoff thesawandraisethebladeby Slide crank. oneturnof theelevating exactly and one side about% inchto theworkpiece (right). in difference The cuI makeanother the will show the twocuts depthbetween withone or lowers the bladeraises amount turnof thecrank.

59

SAFETY I lthoughthemanymovingpartsof A a radialarmsawmakeit oneof the mostflexible machines in theworlshop, theyalsomakeit oneof themostdangerous. Crosscutting-the mostbasicuse of the saw-requiresyou to pull the bladetowardyourbody.Anddepending on thesettingof the arm,yokeand motor,thebladecanmakeitsapproach fromseveral directions andangles. Wth everycut,youhaveto anticipate exactly wherethebladewill endup. Whenyourip boards ona radialarm saw,you feedtheworkpiece into the

blade,and this demandsevengreater careand concentration. The chances of kickbackarehigh enoughthatthesafety devicesillustratedbelowandat rieht are absolutelyessential. Armedwith a thoroughknowledgeof the machine'soperation,you canapproachit with a healthymixtureof caution andconfidence-asyou wouldwith anyotherpowertool in your workshop. Make certainthat all the clampsfor holding the arm, yoke, carriageand motor in positionarelockedwhenever you turn on the saw Also be sureto

familiarizeyourselfwith the owner's manualfor your machine,and takethe time to setup themanysafetyaccessories and blade guardsthat are available. Remember, however,that no accessoryor guardcancompensate for a lackof careful attentionand commonsense. For anycut,keepyour fingersat least 6 inchesawayfrom the blade;usepush sticlaor featherboards wherepossibleto feedor hold theworkpiece.Wearsafety glasses at all times,anda maskor respiratorandhearingprotectionfor extended useof the saw.

RIPPING SAFELY RADIAT ARMSAWSAFETY TIPS . N e v eirn s t a lbl l a d e os r o t h e r devices on boththe arborandthe accessory shaftat the sametime. Keepa safetyscrewcapor guard overthe accessory shaftwhenit rs not in useto preventit fromsnagg i n gh a i ro r c l o t h i n g . o Neverooerate thesawwithouta guards bladeguard.Usespecialty forcrosscuts andfor molding ordado cutswiththemotorandbladein the position. horizontal Whenmaking a ripcut,adjust theheight of theantikickback devicefortheworkpiece, o Before starting a cut makesurethat themotoris at fulloperating speed. o D on o tr i p a w o r k p i e ct hea ti s shorter than12 inches. Whenmaking a crosscut on stockshorterthan 7 inches,usea hold-down device, ratherthana hand,to securethe workpiece to thetableor thefence.

Sefting upforthecut Unplug thesaw,thensettheworkpiece onthetablesothatyouwillbe (Mostbladeguards feeding against thedrrection of theblade's rotation. haveanarrowindicating whichwaythebladespins.) Follow theowner's m a n u ai ln s t r u c t i ofnosrs e t t i n tgh eh e i g hot f t h ea n t i - k i c k b adcekv i c e andfor positroning the noseof thebladeguardsothatit justclears the workpiece. Foraddedprotection against kickback, installa wheeled holddowndevice(pages 61 and60 or spring-type hold-down fingers(page (above), 61).Feedtheworkpiece steadily making surethatneitherhand i s i n l i n ew i t ht h eb l a d e .

60

r Whenripping, ensure thattheedge of theworkoiece in contact withthe fenceis smooth andstraight; feed fromthesideof thetableopposite thesplitter andanti-kickback device. . Toavoidkickback, always holdthe workpiece securely against thetable andfencewhencrosscutting. o Aftermaking a crosscut, locktherip clamoassoonasthebladeis back behind thefence.

RADIAL ARM SAW

DEVICES ANDSPEGIALTY GUARD ANTI-KICKBACK Thehold-downdevice shownat leftfenturesrubberwheelsthatridealongthe pressingit down topof theworkpiece, againstthetable.Themechanism is installedat a slightanglesothat the wheelsalsopushtheworkpiece against thefence.Thewheels and collarcan workbeadjustedto accommodate piecaofvirntalf anythickness. Tohelp preventkickback, thewheelsare designed to rotatein onedireniononly. Whmtheyokeisrotatedto theout-rip position(page67)andtheworkpiece isfedfrom theothersideof thetable,the wheekareswungaroundto turn in the opposite direction.

Anothersafetyaccessory for usein rippingand moldingoperations is thesetof metalholddownfingersshownat right. Clampedto L-shapedrodsthat extendoverthefenceon eithersideof theblade,thefingerspush the workpiece downon the table.Therodscan varioussizes beadjustedto accommodate of stock.With themotortiltedto itshorizontal position,a special guardcovers theportion of thebladefacingthefront of thetable.To usetheguard,you mustfrrstmakea cutout in thefenceto allowthedevice's shieldto be Beforeturning loweredontotheworkpiece. on thesaw,spinthebladeby handto ensure that theguarddoesnot obstructit.

6l

CROSSCUTTING -[t h. radialarmsawisbestknownfor I itsconvenience in crosscutting. The techniqueis straightforward:Hold the workpiecefirmly againstthe fenceand pull theyokeandthe bladethroughthe stock.Sincethe thrust of the bladeis downwardand towardthe backof the table,the cuttingactionhelpsto keepthe workpiecepressedagainstthetableand the fence.However,severalfactorscan causethe bladeto climb uo on theworkpieceand jump toward you. These includea dull bladeor onewith teethtoo largefor the job at hand,poor quality wood,or looserollerbearings.But even with equipmentin properrepair,it is still to remainin controlof theblade essential at all times. As a rule of thumb,hold the workpieceagainstthe fencewith your left hand,keepingit at least6 inchesfrom the blade;usea clampto secureshort stock(page64).Wth your right hand, pull theyoke,grippingit firmly to control the rateof cut. The slowerthe feed, the smootherwill be theresults.To cut workpieces several to thesamelengthor to sawa thick workpiecein more than onepass,clampa stopblockto thefence, asshownbelow.

MAKING A CROSSCUT

Grosscutting a board Butttheworkpiece against thefencewiththe90" kerfin thefencelinedup withthewaste sideof thecuttingmark.Support longstockwithroller stands theworkpiece snugly against thefence,turnonthesaw, ora table.Holding release theripclampandpulltheyokesteadily through thecut (above)wiIhpushthe outforcing theblade. Oncethebladecutsthrough theworkpiece, yokeback,returning it to itsplacebehind thefence.Locktheripclamp.

MAKING REPEAT CUTS Using a stopblock Cuta smallnotchfromonecorner of thestopblock,as shown, to prevent sawdust fromaccumulating between it andtheworkpiece. Measure alongthefenceto the leftof the kerfthe lengthof the pieceyouneedto cut; clamptheblockat thatpoint.Butttheworkpiece against theblockandthefence,thenmakethecut (/eff).Tocut a thickworkpiece in twopasses, clampthestopblockto thefenceandcut halfway through thestock,thenflip theworkoiece overandfinishthecut.

62

ANGLECUTS iter,beveland compoundangle cutscanbe madewith the radial arm sawby tilting or anglingits blade. Themachine's armswivels to therisht or the left for miter cuts;the motoi tilts for bevel clockwise andcounterclockwise cuts. Comoound cuts involveboth thearm andtiltingthemotor. swiveling As discussed on page65,you canalso makea miter cut with a jig that hoids the workpieceat an angle. Boththearm andthemotorhavepreToeliminate setstopsat 45oangles. any playin theseindexsettings, pushthearm or motor asfar asit will go in the stop positionsandhold it therewhileyoulock the clamo.To setthearm andmotor at otherangles,usea slidingbevelor the for precise saw'smiter andbevelscales

\

results.Alwaysmakea testcut first in a pieceof scrapwoodandmeasure thecut end with a protractor;then makeany finaladjustments. Whenever possible, makemitercuts with thearm swiveled to theright,rather thanto theleft.Workingon theleft side of the table,you run the riskof pulling the bladebeyondthe table'sedge.You

oftencanmakethesamecut on therisht sideby turningtheworkprece over. Regardless of the typeof anglecut, you first needto cut a kerfin the fence andtheauxiliarytableto providea path for theblade.Makethekerfuo to % inch deepior mitercuts,or deepinoughior thebladeteethto bebelowthetablesurfacefor bevelor comooundcuts.

MA KI NAGN G LCEU T S

Makinga left-hand mitercut S w i v etlh e a r mt o t h ed e s i r e a d n g l ea n db u t tt h e w o r k p i e c e a g a i n stth e f e n c ea s f o r a r i g h t - h a nm d i t e rc u t . W i t h o ut u r n i n go n t h e s a w ,p u l lt h e y o k ea c r o s tsh e w o r k p i e c el f. t h e bladeslidesbeyondthe table'sleft-hand edge,movethe fence b e h r n tdh e r e a rt a b l ea s s h o w nT. h e ng l u ea n a u x i l i a rt ya b l e (page57) to the rearsurfaceandtablespacer,and installa handscrew on the armto stopthe yokefromtravelingbeyond the endof the cut. Holdthe workpiece snuglyagainst the fence a n dp u l lt h e y o k et h r o u g ht h e c u t ( a b o v e ) .

Makinga right-hand mitercut S w i v etl h e a r m t o t h e a n g l ey o u n e e d ,t h e n b u t t t h e w o r k p i e c ea g a i n stth e f e n c ew i t h t h e w a s t es i d eo f t h e c u t t i n g m a r ka l i g n e dw i t ht h e m i t e ra n g l ek e r f .F o rr e p e act u t sa n dt o k e e pt h e w o r k p i e cfer o ms l i d i n gt o t h e l e f t ,b u t ta s t o pb l o c k . h e n ,h o l d i n g a g a i n stth e s t o c ka n dc l a m pi t t o t h e f e n c e T t h ew o r k p i e csen u g l ya g a i n stth e f e n c e ,t u r n o n t h e s a w , r e l e a steh e r i p c l a m pa n d p u l lt h e y o k es t e a d i ltyh r o u g h the cut (above).

63

RADIAL ARM SAW

Making a bevelcut Tiltthe motorto theangleyouneed, raising thearmhighenough to keepthe blade f romstriking thetableas it turns. against thefence Butttheworkpiece withthewastesideof thecuttingmark a l i g n ew d i t ht h eb e v eal n g l ek e r fi n t h ef e n c ei;f t h e r ei s n os u c hk e r fo n y o u rm a c h i n ey ,o uw i l ln e e dt o m a k e snugly one.Then,holding theworkpiece pulltheyokesteadily against thefence, through thecut (efl.fo makea bevel of a workpiece, tilt cutalong thelength angle,then the motorto thedesired r o t a tteh ey o k et o t h e i n - r i pp o s i t i o n andmakethecut (page66).

lllJllltllllllllfi[i]lllrlll|lrlllnll]l]]llll]l]r]llllljllllillll]l] )HO? TI? Cult,ing a eho rt, wo rkpiece Tocut aworkpieceNhat,ieNoo ehorlbo holdoafelyby hand,eecure iNNo|,hetablewiLha IoqqleclamV.1crewlhe clamplo an auxiliary Lhefront Lableand Nhetable fence,IhenineLallNhefencebef,ween o?acer,makin4cerLainIhaNthe clampwillnol be in the wayof Ihe youNiqhNen wilh a Nheclamp,?rotecLthe workpiece blade.When woodblock.To avoid lifNinqlhefence oul of its olot, do noL overLiqhten,

64

RADIAL ARM SAW

MITER JIG Tomake45" mitercutswithout having to swivel thearmonthesaw, jig shown at right. usetheshop-built jig at an The holdstheworkpiece sothatthebladecanremain angle, position. in the 90" crosscutting Refer for sugto the illustration gestedimensions. Before building thejig,make45" mitercutsin theendsof twooieces of 7a-plywood thatwill serveas guides. Thencut the baseandthe fenceandscrewthe twoboards together, leaving enough of the fenceprotruding belowthe baseto fit intotheslotbetween thefront a u x i l i a rt ya b l ea n dt h es p a c e r , R e m o vteh e s t a n d a rfde n c ea n d s e tt h e b a s eo n t h e t a b l e s, a n d wichingthejig'sfencebetween

Fence 3 / +x" x3" 3/+" 3 "xx40" 40"

thefrontsurfaceandtablesDacer. Withthe bladein the90" crosscutthejig tingposition, slicethrough fenceand% inchdeepintothebase, pullingthe yokeforwardasfar as it will go,Turnoff the saw. Screwoneof the guidesto the baseso that its miteredend is

65

Jiq baee 3/+"x 18"x 40"

f lushagainst thefencewithits pointtouching the kerfin the base.Position the mitered endof guidef lushwiththe the second frontof thetableasshown.Usea carpenter's squareto setthe seco n dg u i d ea t a 9 0 " a n g l et o t h e firstone.Then,screwthesecond pieceto the base,leaving enough spacebetween the two guides for the stockyouwill be cutting to fit between them,Turnon the sawand pull the yokeacross thekerfto trimoff thecornerof the guide. second Tousethejig,holdtheworkpiece guide, flushagainst theright-hand buttingtheendof thestockagainst thefence,andpullthe yoke through thecut (/eftl.Next,holdthe e d g eo f t h e m a t i n gp i e c ef l u s h guide,withits against theleft-hand e n db u t t e da g a i n stth e o t h e r guide.Pulltheyokethrough the cut.Theresulting 45oendsshould joint. forma perfectly square

RIPPING hetheryou arecuttingwith the grainofa pieceofhardwood or softwood,or sawingalongthelengthof a plywoodpanelwith no definedgrain pattern,rippingon a radialarm saw to crosscutting. bearslittleresemblance a Ratherthanpullingthebladeacross pieceof stock,youwill be stationary lockingtheyokein a positionthatholds the cuttingedgeparallelto thefence intothecut. theworkpiece andfeeding Depending onthewidthof thestock to becut,theyokecanberotatedin two Fora narrowcut,typically directions. up to 14inches,theyokeis rotatedto

positionthebladecloseto thefence. Thisis calledthein-rip position.For widerstock,theyokeis rotatedin the direction,leavingthebladefaropposite therfromthefencein theout-ripposition. Forthe maximumwidth of cut, relocate thefencebehindthereartable andusetheout-ripconfiguration. and Because oftheriskofkickback the fact that you will be feedingthe with your hands,ripping workpiece greatcare.Tiy to standto one demands sideof the stockasyou feedit to the bladeandkeepyourhandsat least6 inchesfrom the cuttingedge.Usea

pushstickto feednarrowstockor to completea cut on a wideworkpiece. to Wherepossible, usefeatherboards holdstockfirmly against thefence. As illustrated below,a goodholddowndevicewill provideanadditional measure Planyourcutssafely of safety. (page60),always feedingtheworkpiece thedirectionofbladerotation: against fromtheright-handsideof thetablefor an in-rip andfrom theleft-handside for an out-rip.Usethe bladeguard whenripping,andit is a goodideato installa newfenceto keeptheworkpiecefromcatchingin old kerfs.

(IN.RIP) A BOARD RIPPING

device a hold-down 1 Installing theyokeclampandrotatethe I Unplugthe saw,release yoketo the in-ripposition; locktheyokeclamp.Toposition the rip the bladefor thewidthof cut youneed,release yoke fromthe distance to theappropriate clamp,slidethe fence,andrelock theclamp. replace thestandard Toinstalla wheeled hold-down device, fenceabout1 inchthickandslightly fencewithanauxiliary

of theworkpiece. Usethetemplate higher thanthethickness withthedeviceto borethreesetsof holesalongthetop supplied edgeof thefence;onesetshouldbe directlyin linewiththe bladeandtheothersto eithersideof thefirst.Fitthe pinson deviceintoonesetof holesand the bottomofthe hold-down the tightenthethumbscrew usinga woodblockto distribute pressure evenlyalongthefence.

66

RADIAL ARM SAW

r) Making thecut L Settheworkpiece up against the right-hand sideof thetable.Standing to edge onesideof thestock,slipitsleading of thehold-down device underthewheels presapplying andfeedit intotheblade, thefenceandthecutting surebetween of yourhands edge.Makesurethatneither is in lrnewiththeblade. Whenyourfingerscomewithin6 inches of theblade, continue feedingwitha pushstick(right). lf youareusinga hold-down device, move sideof thetableandpullthe totheoutfeed workpiece otherwise, f inish through; thecutfromtheinfeed sideof thetable. Retract thepushstickcarefully to prevent it fromgetting in theblade. caught

USINGTHEOUT.RIP CONFIGURATION a panelto width Gutting theclampand Unplug thesaw,release rotate with theyoketo theout-ripposition, the bladeawayfromthefence,asshown. Locktheyokeclamp.Position thebladefor thewidthof cutasin step1, opposite. Movethefencebehind thereartable,if necessary. Install a hold-down device, following instructions to themanufacturer's r e v e r steh ew h e e l - l o c k im n ge c h a n i s m . Setuprollerstands ora tableto support theworkpiece asit comesoff thetable. Tomakethecut,laythepanelonthe left-hand sideof thetableto allowyouto feedagainst thedirection of blade rotation. Butting theedgeof thestockagainstthe fence,slowly feedit intotheblade. Apply pressure lateral to keepthe panel enough flushagainst thefence(/eff).

67

RADIAL ARM SAW

TAPER JIG Foraccurate tapercuts,buildthe jig shownat right(top)from3/rinch plywood. for Refer to theillustration suggested dimensions. Toprepare fora tapercut,install a hold-down deviceon the saw then rotatetheyoketo 66), @age andsetthewidth thein+ipposition of cutforthewidthof thejig base. Drawa cuttinglineforthetaperon thensetit onthejig, theworkpiece, aligning themarkwiththeedgeof theworkpiece in the base.Holding place,butttheguidebaragainst it, theend withthe lip seated against of thestock,Screwtheguidebarto the base,thenattachthetoggle to theguidebar.Pushthe clamps jig pastthebladeto makesurethat withthe theclamps do notinterfere to bladeor guard.Thenusescrews to the baseat least afixa handle 6 inches awayfromthesidethatwill passbythe blade.

Ouidebar 2" x 18"

Tousethejig, lowerthe bladeso thatthefull lengthof onetoothis belowthe top of the basehbove). Pressthe toggleclampsdownto secure theworkpiece to thejig and turnonthesaw.Usethejig handle to slidethejig andworkpiece asa unitacrossthetabletight, bottom). rateuntil cuttingat a steady Continue the workoiece. thebladeclears

68

DADOCUTS t|a h. samerangeof dadocutsthatcan I be made on the table saw (page dado,the groove, 36)-the cross-grain the stoppedgrooveandthe rabbet-are alsopossibleon a radialarm sawAsyou will discoverin thepagesthat follow,the abilityof the radialarm sawto function in eitherverticalor horizontalplanes meansthat thereis oftenmorethanone way to makethe samecut. Generally, find it easiest to keep mostwoodworkers position thebladein the90ocrosscutting rabbets dadoes, whenmakingcross-grain alongthe endsofstockand groovesin

wideboards.Moving the bladeto the horizontalpositionwork bestfor a rabbetalongthe edgeofa workpieceor for a groovein a narrowboard. There is a way of cutting grooves without a dado head.With a standard sawbladeyou canmakecutson both edgesofthe grooveandthensawout the as wastebetweenthemin asmanypasses But the iob canbe done is necessarv. morequicklyandpreiiselywith a dado headmountedon the arbor.The radial arm sawacceptseitherthe adjustable wobbledadoheador the stackingdado

(pagej6). Although the stackingdado and headis generallymore expensive takeslongerto install,it producescuts with flatterbottomsandsmootheredges. Thewiderswathcut bv thedadochippersandblades, compared to therelatively narrowwidth of a standardsawblade, meansthatyouwill haveto feedthestock sake,keeptrack moreslowly.Forsafety's of thedadoheadduringa cut,notingits locationon thetablewhentheworkpiece hidesit from view.Installa standard guardor a dadoheadbladeguardwhen thebladesareturnedhorizontally.

HEAD INSTALLING A DADO

Adding blades andchippers Remove the bladefromthe arbor(page 59 andinstalla dadoheadfollowing instructions. Forthe themanufacturer's s t a c k i ndga d os h o w nf ,i t a b l a d eo n in the thearbor withtheteethpointing Theninstall direction of bladerotation. in the a chipper withitsteethcentered gulletsbetween twobladeteeth.Fiton chippers, off-setting theirteeth additional in place.Putthe secfromthose already ondbladeon the arbor(left),making surethatitsteethdo nottouchthose resting it (inset). of thechipper against Install thebladecollarandnut,keeping arranged theblades andchippers carefully tightenthe asyoudoso.lf youcannot thecollar. nutallthewaydown,remove guardor a dado Install a standard headguard.

69

RADIAL ARM SAW

DADOES WITHTHEBLADES POSITIONED VERTICALTY CUTTING

Making thecut Withthedadoheadin the 90ocrosscuttingposition, cut a kerfthrough the fenceasdeepasthedadoyouareplanningto make.Marktwosetsof cutting lineson theworkpiece: oneonitsfaceto showthewidthof thedado,andoneon itsleading edgeto showthedepth.Butt the markson the edgeof the stock againstthe dadoheadandlowerthe blades andchippers to theappropriate depth.Slidetheyokebehind thefence. A l i g nt h ec u t t i n gl i n e so n t h ef a c e withthe kerfin the oftheworkpiece f e n c eT . h e n ,h o l d i ntgh ew o r k p i e c e snugly against thefence,pulltheyoke steadily through the cut hbove).

gHO? TI? Cuttinq repeat dadoee To cut a serieoof equallyopaceddadoes,ueethe eimpleoetup ohownbelow.Makea kefr in the fenceand cut ihe tirst, dado, then elidethe workpiece alon6the fence,meaeurin7to pooition lhe eeconddado Nhedeeireddistance from the fireL.'Defore makinqthe cutr,drive a ecrcw into lhe fence,witrhthe head of Nhescrew butted aqaineLiheleft ed6eofthefirst, dado.Thencut,the eeconddadoand slide lhe workpiecealonq until the lefl edqeof ihe eeconddado buNts aqaino| lhe screwhead.Conlinuein this manneruni";il alllhe dadoesarecul.

70

RADIAL ARM SAW

a groove Cutting W i t ht h e d a d oh e a di n t h e i n - r i pp o s i t i o n , installa hold-downdevtce@age60 and rotatethe noseof the bladeguardsothat it j u s tc l e a r st h e w o r k p i e c e T .h e n ,m a r kt w o one setsof cuttinglinesontheworkpiece: t o s h o wt h e w i d t ho f t h e g r o o v ea n d o n et o s h o wi t s d e p t h .B u t t t h e d e p t h l i n e a g a i n st th e d a d oh e a da n d l o w e trh e b l a d e sa n d c h i p p e r tso t h e a p p r o p r i a t e or backward height.Slidetheyokefonvard t o a l i g nt h e d a d oh e a dw i t ht h e c u t t i n g Then, lineson the faceof the workpiece. to the rightsideof thetable,use standing thefence a o u s hs t i c kl i n e du o b e t w e e n andthe dadoheadto feedthe workpiece steadilyintothe bladesandchippers(/efil.

anedgerabbet Cutting I n s t a al l d a d oh e a dt h a ti ss l i g h t lwy i d e r thanthe rabbetyouwishto cut.With t h ed a d oh e a di n t h e i n - r i pp o s i t i o n , rotate thebladeguarduntilitsnosejust Markthedepthof clears theworkpiece. the therabbet onthefence,thenposition of its dadoheadsothataboutone-third Turnonthesaw widthis overthefence. andlower thedadoheaduntilit cutsto line,producing a reliefcut themarked of the in thefenceto allowforclearance saw, chippers. Turn off the blades and t h e nm a r ka c u t t i n gl i n ef o rt h ei n s i d e edgeof the rabbeton theworkpiece. Move theyoketo alignthe dadohead and a featherboard withthe mark.Clamo table as shown to board to the a suooort f l u s h a g a i n s t h t e k e e pt h ew o r k p i e c e the right side fence.Then,standing on of thetable,usea pushstickto feed intotheblades steadily theworkpiece znd chinnor< (riohf)

7l

RADIAL ARM SAW

*^

AUXILIARY FENCE ANDTABTE FOR ()RM(ILDING HORIZONTAL DADO CUTS Tocut dadoes or moldings(page75) posiwiththemotorin its horizontal t i o n ,u s et h es h o p - b uai lut x i l i a r y f e n c es h o w na t r i g h t .S i n c et h e arborprevents the bladesfrombeing lowered totablelevel,youmayalso haveto buildanauxiliary table,such astheoneshownbelowForbothjigs, referto theillustrations forsuggested dimensions. forthefence, Cut%-inchplywood usinga piecethatis slightly wider thanthe heightof theworkpiece; usef-inch-thick stockforthefence if youyouareplanning to installa hold-down device(page66). Forlhe fencecutout,sawanopening thatis largeenough to accommodate the headandguard, dadoor molding leaving a lip of at leastVt inchal the bottomof thecutoutprotruding above thetablewhenthefenceis in

Cu|ouL

Fence 4" x 40" LiP r/+"abovetable

position. Without thislip,theworkpiecewill notbesupported properly asit ridesalongthefenceduringa cut-and it maybedrawnintothe blade.Installthe fencebetween thefronttableandthespacer asyou woulda standard fence. Fortheauxiliary tableandfence, plywood cut two piecesof 3/q-inch to thesamedimensions asthefront sawtable,thenscrewthe pieces together, making surethatthescrews w i l lb ew e l cl l e aor f t h e b l a d e .

72

Offsetthetop pieceslightlyto createa gapalongthe fencethatwill prevent sawdust fromaccumulating between thebaseof theauxiliary tableandthefencewhenthetable is in position. Screw theauxiliary table to a fenceI inchwiderthantheauxiliaryfenceshownabove. Toinstall theauxiliary table,slipits fencebetween thefronttableof the sawandthetablespacer, thentightenthetableclamps(page51)lo secure thejigtablein position.

RADIAL ARM SAW

ANDCHIPPERS BLADES WITHHORIZONTAL A GROOVE CUTTING 'l

upthecut Setting I Withthedadoheadin thehorizontal p o s i t i o sn l,i d et h ey o k et o t h eb a c ko f t h et a b l ea sf a ra si t w i l lg o ;l o c ka l l t h e c l a m posnt h es a wI.n s t a al l na u x i l i a r y fenceor Iable(page72),Ihenmarkcutto showthe tinglinesontheworkpiece w i d t ha n dd e p t ho f t h ec u t .H o l d i n g slidethe thefence, against theworkpiece yoke to alignthedadoheadwiththedepth markon the faceof the stock(left),To locahelokeeptrackof thedadohead's bytheworkpiece, tionwhenit is hidden m a r tkw ol i n e so n t h et a b l et o d e l t n e a t et h ec u t t i n gs w a t hI.n s t aal l d a d o lowering itsshieldontothe headguard, Spinthedadoheadbyhand workpiece. freely.Slide to makesurethatit rotates t h ey o k eb e h i n tdh ef e n c e .

r) Cutting thegroove guttthe thefence, against workpiece L to the thenclampa featherboard table clampa to holdthestockin alignment; feathto the boardat a 90' angle support pressure. the Then, slide forextra erboard y o u l o w er c a n w o r k p i e cbea c ku n t i l and chipthedadoheadto alignitsblades perswiththewidthmarksontheendof thestock.Turnonthesawandusethe to feedtheworkthumbsof bothhands piecesteadilyintothe blades(right); of your thefencewiththefingers straddle l .o r i g hht a n dt o h e l pm a i n t a icno n t r o T getttng tooclose keepyourhandsfrom to thedadohead,usea pushstickto nnmnloto

tho e ri

73

RADIAL ARM SAW

MAKING A STOPPED GRO()VE upandstarting thecut 1l Setting -

I S e tu p t h e c u t a s o n t h e p r e c e d i n g page,but addonemoresetof cuttinglines o n t h e f a c eo f t h e w o r k p i e cteo s h o wt h e b e g i n n i nagn de n do f t h e g r o o v eS. t a n d i n g o n t h e r i g h t - h a nsdi d eo f t h et a b l e ,p i v o t t h e l e a d i n ge n d o f t h e w o r k p i e c a ew a y fromthe fence.Turnon the sawandalign t h p c r r t t i n o l i n e f n r i h p h p o ' i n n i n on f f h c

groovewith the blademarkon the table surface(right).Keepingbothhandswell c l e a or f t h ed a d oh e a d ,h o l dt h e t r a i l i n g e n d o f t h e w o r k p i e caeg a i n stth e f e n c e w h i l ep i v o t i n tgh e o t h e re n d i n t ot h e b l a d e sa n dc h i p p e r u s n t i lt h e w h o l e e d g ei s f l u s hw i t h t h e f e n c e .

DladecuLLingmarka CuLttnq ltneo

r)

Cuttingthe groove L W t t ny o u rr i g h th a n dg r i p p i ntgh e t r a i l i n g e n do f t h e w o r k p i e c ep,u s ht h e s t o c ks t e a d r l y f o r w a r dU . s ey o u rl e f th a n dt o k e e pt h e w o r k p i e c ef l u s ha g a i n stth e f e n c e .M a k i n gs u r e t h a t b o t hh a n d ss t a yw e l lc l e a ro f t h e d a d o h e a dc, o n t i n ufee e d i n g u n t i lt h e c u t t i n gl i n e f o r t h e e n do f t h e g r o o v ei s a l i g n e dw i t ht h e b l a d em a r kn e a r e syto u .

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