Vol.27/ No.161

Pleasedisplayuntil Nov 28 A Publicationof August Home Publishing

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. 12 Flawless Fitfor Mitered Molding. Learn thesecrets forperfect-fitting miters.

You'll besurprised howeasy it istotransform a intoan"instant" antique. brand newproject

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AccentTable page22 Curved-Stretcher MarquetryBox page 16 Woodsmith

O features weekend project

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lnlay Maiqdetry Box. . . . . . ffi

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Findouthowa simple scroll sawtechnique can

turna project from ordinary tooutstanding. project designer series

editor'snote

Sawdust

Curved-Stretcher Accent Table. . . . 22 Bending woodispretty youlearn simple when ourstraightforward lamination technique.

hundred years ago or more, it was pretty common for carpen-

heirloomproject

T r a d i t i o n a lC T ho eo sl. t. . . . . . . . . 3 2 Through dovetaill authentic hardware, and organrzed storage combine to make a classic home foryourprized hand tools. Dtl|otruiloTloox

details of craftsmanship

Perfect-Fitting Dovetails. . . . . . . . 50

joints. Afewfoolproof tipsandtricks {orseamless

ters and ioiners to store their tools in a wood tool chest. Some of these have swvived down through the yea$ - a testament to the skjll and craftsmanship that went into building them. Of coluse, finding one of these old chestscan be a challenge. They have become prized by collecforsand can be quite expensive. But it's not the value that interests me, it's the fact that each chest is a refleclion of the craftsman who built it. Some are plain with very straightforward ioinery - just built to get the job done. While others are surprisingly omate and carefully corutructed with intricate details and organized trays and drawers. It was with these thoughts in mind that we designed the tool

These twosymbols letyouknowthere'smoreinfor mationonlineat www.Woodsmith.com. you'll There project seestep-by-step videoltechnique and animation, bonus cutting diagrams, anda lotmore,

chest featured in this issue. We wanted to come up with a tool chest design that was simple to build and practical, yet still showed off the abilities of a skilled woodworker

So we combined

honest, traditional joinery with authentic-looking hardware for a tool chest that is worthy of any woodworker's shop. NoW I realize not everyone needs a chest to store their tools these days and that's okay. This project works equally well as a blanket chest or even a coffee table. We've even induded an artide on how to distress the chest and turn it into an "instant" antique. So no matter how you decide to build, use, or finish this project, it's sure to become a treasured heirloom.

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Tool Chest page32 www.Woodsmith.com

Now, you can have the besl timesaving secrets,solutions, and techniques sent directly to your computer. Just go to www.Woodsmith.com and click on "FREE Tips by Email" to sign up. You'll receive a new tip by e-mail each week.

Woodsmith

fromour readers

Tips&Techni BondSowBlode Iensionlever

s

@

witE knob makes it eaJrerto adjust blade

Nutsand washer provide positive stop for

Setting the tension on my band saw blade was time-consuming.I needed a wav to releasethe tension and then quickly return the tension to the proper setting the nex time I used the saw. One day, it struckme that lcould make a simple lever to quickly releasethe tension (see photo at right). First, I replaced the band saw's original "knuckle-busting"tension rod with one long enough to clear the saw's housing.That will make fine-tuningthe tension easier. For the leverto clearthe tension gauge, I built a riser and slid it down the rod. The riser sits on the gu;deson eitherside ofthe gauge. at the correct angle. To make the lever, lused a 2' Then, I took the levet piece of hardwood and taDered it (with spacer attached) to to fit mv hand better. I rounded the my drill press and drilled front and bottom corners to make the hole to accommothe lever easier to raise and lower. date the rod. I counterbored the Next, lattached a spacer block hole to hold a washer and lock to the lever. This block will hold nuts at the same angle as well. the lever in the "up" position to Then I added the lever and the maintainthe proper blade tension hardware (see detail 'a'). To tenwhen l'm using my band saw. But sion the blade, I simply lift the you'll need to attach the block to lever and pivot it the lever at this ooint so the hole for the rod is drilled

toward the saw until the spacer rests on the riser. To release the tension, all I have to do is iust lift and pivot the lever away from the saw. You can still fine-tune the tension if you need to by adjusting the longertension rod and knob. Bill Esposiro Rindge New Hanpshire ,

SUBilTYOUN TIPS lf you havean originalshop tip, we would like to hearfrom you and considerpublishingyour tip in one or more of our publications.Just write down your tip and mail it to: Woodsmith, 'Tips and Techniques, 2200 GrandAvenue,Des Moines,lowa 50312.Pleaseincludeyour name, address.and daytime phone number in case we have any questions.lf you would like, FAX it to us at 915-282-67 41 or send us an email messageat: [email protected]. We will pay up to $200 if we publishyour tip. Woodsmith

No. 161

RollingCobinetSupport The problemwith rollingcabinets is their stabilitYwhen I needto usethem in mY shoP' Locking casters don't work well for me, because theY were always difficult to lock and unlock without a lot of on each end of cabinetand effortand toe-stubbing. swing supports What I decidedon was simple and effective fold-down supports (see drawing at right). A slight lift while You swing the supports down on each end, and you have a securebasefor Your cabinet. S i n c et h e h i n g e s o p e n i n opposite directions, theY counteract each other and prevent the cabinet from falling off the supports.When I'm readyto put the cabinet away, another slight lift. flip up the supports, and it's ready to move. The supports are sized to lift the casters just off the floor. I measuredthe distance between the bottom of the cabinet and the floor and made the supports %" wider- After cutting each support, I created a cutout deep enough to get my shoe

2005 No. 161 OctoberAlovember DonaldB Peschke PUBLISHTR EDITOR TetryJ Strohman V ncentAncona,BryanN€son SENIoREDITORS AssoclATEEDlToRsPhilHuber,TedRaife Ronlohnson,Mitch Holmes EDITORS ASSISTANT Todd Larnbrth D'RECTOR EXECUTIVEART DdvidKreyIng, ILTUSTRATORS SENIOR DlrkVer Steeg,HadanV C ark DavidKalemyn,PeterJ La6on ITLUSTRAToRS BeckyHansen INTERN GRAPHIC TEdKTAIC€K DIRECIOR CREATIVE

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DennisKennedy CrayolaEngland, 5R.PHoToGMPHERS Cunnngham Rebecca STYLIDIRECTOR ASSoCIATE Alan R!hnke IMAGESPECIALIST ELECTRONIC Mark Hayes CraigRuegseqger, VIDEOGRAPHERS (NSN ()lil&111) is publhh.d bimonrlrlv(rcb ADr.llDc Arg woo&nilno OcL, DN ) by Au$i Home Publishing Coh!{nv. :200 Cntrd Ale Des Moj'Ls is r reFsiered hdPmd< ofAus!* Home hrbushing Wddsith@ 2005Auesr I l onc hblish ing compmv Al rish{s reserv'd coplridrlo sinsle coB: ygs One v'"d srh$npridi (6 issuen |?'19s Slbriptions. (Cana(ta/Irbrnarioml odd $10 ts' veaa u s ru s) Subsdtptiom: Crixd a I'ost Alreetrcnt No 40033201:+nd chm c' oI Candis addressirr.rmationro Po Box 3!1. Sr,tionMain Mx*hm ON IJr3Md

underneath{detail'a'). Then I attached the supports to the lower sides of the cabinet with piano hinges,and added handles near the top The handleshelp me lift it when l'm ready "foot" down. Rare-earthmagto put my nets hold the supports uP when l'm 'b') rollingthe cabinetaround (detail Norn Rorrch tchewan,Canoln North Batthlord,Saska

Penodiels Ijs!1j/I,ery Postsnbi

Psid al Des Moines IA md d idditioo:] orn'ls Pdt!{e Jlddt Hedll.trd Division A!t.mahble Polt Box r]?112' or address io rroo.a!'i4 Seid chaqe

Subsdipdon Q@stioN? \{ni. ro 1lo,/3,r1,r, Ilo nox &9 Des Moin's LA (JI Ynd a 50304or cnli I s0l}33&507s, 3:00nm ro s:on pn. Gi!-,l1ime. \ekda)s dMil b, ordd(hoodsmiln om Emil wo0dsmith,?tro.dsmiih.ori rvoodsmi$ com tldtd Wid. Web: hn!//wa

*rwwWoodsnilh.eow O LITIIESUBSCRIBERSERVICES

ClompJowErlensions when I

l've run ?cross a few situations need clamps to hold a workpieceor template,but the clamps headswould be too short to reach where I needed them, or thev would interferewith my tools I decided to trv the equivalent of machinetool hold-downs.I laid one end of a narrow strip of wood onto the workpieceand the other end on a spacerthat s the same thickness as the workplece. Then I appliedthe clamps in the middle of the wood strip, These work great. and I can use as many as I need. RobertCatterson Pewaukte ' Wiscmsin

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KENMUNKCI, PROJECT DESIGNERS SENIOR KentWelsh,ChrisFitch MiKCDONOVAN' DESIGNERS/BUITD€R5 PROIECT lohn Doyle SteveCurts, Stev€-lohnson SHOPCRAFISMEN

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5

r r e ders loble Sowlnserl Inlerthongeoble slide into the T-slot. Now, I wanted an easier way to change or replace inserts for mY table saw. Mv solution allows for zeroclearanceinsertsfor single blades as well as all widths of dado blades(seemain drawing). All the oieces are made from %" hardboard. A base layer fits the insert opening. The cutout in the base is sized for a variety of blade applications(seemain drawing)' A pair of caps match the base's outside Profile and are rabbeted to form a slot when attached to the base (see detail 'a'). I glued them to the base and made sure the slots were ParaF lelto each other' To accommodate different blade setups, I made filler

strips to instead of rePlacing the entire insert, I only have to replace a "captured" filler striP. Bnry Pnce Han\ta, Vhginja

Rabbeted edge

Wide cap

.l.

cROSssECTlOl'l

Narrow cap

Vise Benrhlotkdowngfor Yourillochinigt a mounting Clamps always seem to be in the wav when I attach mY machinist's vise to my workbench. I discovered a better way to lock the vise down by using cam levers and rubber bumPers in the dog holes of mv workbench (Photo below).

Replaceable filler striq slidesinto Place

Plate First, lmade f o r m y v i s e . l d r i l l e d h o l e si n t h e Dlateto match the dog holes in my workbench. Then I inserted a carriage bolt through two rubber bumoers and screwed it onto the 'a'). cam lever (see detail

woooslTum

/

Wide caq

When the cam lever is Pushed down, it pulls the carriage bolt compresses the and tight bumpers in the dog hole. That Provides a firm grip to hold everything in place. Flipping the cam lever up releasesthe grip of the bumpers, making it easy to lift the vise and plate right off the bench. WadeSearc1 Coboio ILfu'euood,

No. 161

I

AdiustobleHeightOutfeedRoller Recentlyour pedestalfan quit working, and b a s e . a n d r o l l e r e n d s u p p o r t o u t o f 2 x 4 I hatedto simply throw it all away.Sincethe stock.I cut a hole in the mounting blockso it stand had a height adjustment,ldecided to would fit snugly around the shaft of the fan use it to make an outfeedrollerfor my shop. stand. To securethe block. I applied epoxy As you can see in the drawing below, I t o h o l d t h e b l o c k o n t o t h e s h a f t . T h e n I m a d e t h e m o u n t i n g b l o c k ,r o l l e r s u p p o r t screwedthe support baseto the block. Next, I cut some PVCtubing to length,making sure to get smooth, 11/r"PVC wood squareends.The tubing was cut to eno ptug leaveabout %" clearanceon either side of the roller (detail'a' below). %" To make the end plugs. I used a h o l e s a w t h a t m a t c h e dt h e i n s i d e diameter of the tubing. The center drill bit should match the rod that attachesthe rollerto the suppods. After assemblingthe tubing, plugs.and rod, I made the end supports.I attachedone supportto the base, then inserted the roller assemblyinto that support.Finally. I installedthe other end supportto lock everythingin place. SteteBomes Gainestilb,Flori&

'U'T IIIASKSTONAGT I u s e a l o t o f d i s p o s a b l ed u s t m a s k s . B u t o n c e t h e p a c k a g ei s opened,the unused masks aren't really protectedfrom dust. Instead,I like to use is the plast i c c o n t a i n e r st h a t h o l d 1 0 0c o m puter discs.Just removethe plastic spindle,and you have a perfect containerto hold the masks. $/illramSrraf Phtlalelphi a, PennnlLania

BIUETAPE STOP R e c e n t l ya,s l t r i e d p l a n i n ge d g i n g down flush for a plywood cabinet, I c u t t h r o u g ht h e v e n e e ra n d h a d to replacethe plywood. To preventthat, I apply painter's tape next to the edging. i use this t a p e b e c a u s ei t d o e s n ' t d a m a g e the wood or leaveresidue. W h e n I r e a c ht h e t a p e ,l s i m p l y peel it off and sand the remainder o f t h e e d g i n gf l u s h . BobblNcrraell IramPa,Tims

SIIIDTR IOI{GUIDEPMSSOR

W h e n l ' m " d e t a i l - s a n d i n g I, l"i k e to glue sandpaperto tongue d e p r e s s o r s .T h i s a l l o w s m e t o shapethem to suit the application. One thing to remember,though. i s t o m a r kt h e g r i t n u m b e ro n t h e backof the tongue depressor. BillScule Lerhlrllge,Alberta,Ccnadn

WnTtrrs

PonrppCasrp

Venreern SpepoRourBn That'sright,send us your shop tips. lf your tip or technique is selectedas the featuredreader'stip, you'll win variablespeed routerjust likethe one a Porter-Cable shown here.Sendyour tips and techniquesto: Woodsmith,llps and Techniques.2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, lowa 50312. Or send us an email message at: [email protected].

Bill Congratulations to New Esposito of Rindge, Hampshire, His band saw bladetension leverwas selected as the winner of the PorterCablerouter.His leverreleases a n d r e t u r n st h e p r o p e r b l a d e tensionquicklyand easily. To find out how you could w i n a P o r t e r - C a b l ev a r i a b l e s p e e d r o u t e r ,c h e c k o u t t h e information on the left.

\Mhen it comes to building a casefor a poject cutting the joinery is sometimes the easiest part of the ]'ob.The challenge comes when you get out the glue and clamps for the assembly. So, at this point, I take some of the stress out of the job by making sure I follow a few simple rules.

I rrt ntcnrsPA([.Youneedto I gl@ilGi? pr"ntyof roomto work. The key is to have clear access to all sides of the assembly. So whether you're working on the bench top or the floor, clear things out of the way and give yourself

room. And don't forget to leave spacefor the clamps you'll need.

ir's D CU PSlf lmO. sometimes r)airri."tt to tnow how manv clamps you'll need for an assernbly,

aDa DRYRUI{.\Ahencuttinsrhe and where the clamps should go 4 ffifii's "u"y to taketh&t of to do the most good. If this is ihe some of the joints for granted. You figure if one fits, they all will. But before starting the assembly, it's a good idea to take a step back and do a test fit of rll ttrc joints. One thing to remember is that glue makes the wood swell. If a joint is hard to assemble "drr" you'Il really have a problem once the glue is applied. Shoot for a snug fit that's effortless to assemble.

case, the solution is to do a quick run-through of the clamp-up. This gives you a chance to gather the clarnps you'll need, adjust them to the right length, and find the best position for them. Arrd they'll be right at hand when you have glue in the ioints later on.

& qAUIS. Clamping pads flPAqS I ano cauls are lmportant to a

Putti Glue intheRi Place Beadof glue along or./tside shojulder

assembled,glue-is forced acfosslotnt sunaces

Dado. A bead of glue along the shoutdes Tongueand Dado.Putthegluealongboth andbottom of thedadowill spreadthrough- shouldersof the dado plusa beadalong the "rabbeted" out thejoint with minimumsqueezeout. sideof the tongue. 8

Woodsmith

Adding a Divider. Whenslidinga divider into a dado,applyglue only to theleading edoesof both halvesof the ioint. No. 161

o

successful assembly.If you don't have pads on the heads of your clamps, thin strips of wood will keep them from damaging the case. Cauls are heavier piecesand actually help distribute the pressure applied by the clamps, as shown in the nhotn :t rioht

Whichever you need for ihejob, have them ready and at arms length. You don't want to be running to the table saw to cut a caul to size as the glue is tacking up. Here's a time-saving tip you can try. If you tape the strips to the workpiece (lower right photo), you won't have to hold them in place while hying to position a heavy clamp.

once in E rxt t stotsrow.Every rrmyselfstarting Ju:iiGlT.ut an assemblybefore I've taken care of some of the "inside-the-case" details. This can be as simple as a little sanding or something more sedous like forgetting to drill holes for shelf pins or hardware. It's better to double-check these details now than have to try to fix the problem later on.

possible, I A!illIAqtS. Whenever

lftackle

large glueups in several

stages.This lets you concentrate on assemblingjust a few joints at one time. It's a lot lesshectic and I find that the job tums out better.

TsLlDI lNfo Pm(!.Andalonsrhe ! sarne lines, I find it's easier to add interior horizontal dividers last. You can simply slide them into place once the main casehas been assembled.Again, it's a good idea to test the fit to make sure the joint doesn't bind. beforeadding glue.

Iru!|E

Theglueyouputin

the ioints is what holds every-

thing together. So it makes sense to think about where to put the glue and how much to use (the box on the opposite page offers a few poirrters). Consider where glue will do the most good and also where it might cause hassles. Heavy squeezeouton the hidden part of a case isn't a problem, but where it will be seen is a different matter.

A Thestoutcaulsusedfor thispartialassembly are slightlybowedthroughthe middle.Thlsspreads the forceof yourclampsacrossthe entirejoint (photo below). If the two measurements are the same, you're assured the assembly is square. If this isn't the case, there are a couple things that I look at. First, see if the assembly is sitting flat. Then check your clamps (seebox below).

InAO (t oVIR.Finalvit pavsto I lUffi-ifrJ'ur""mbly one'last

close look. Check to see that all the joints are pulled up tight and look for glue squeezeout that might need attention. Small beads of glue can be left to dry and then popped off SOUARI_II UP.After applying later But I do like to clean off any major squeezeout at this point. the glue and tightening down the clamps, the next thing I do is After making sure the assembly jsn't disturbed before the glue dries, check for square. And the best way to do this is by comparing oppo- I know that when the clamps come srte comer-to-comer measurements off, the results are a sure thing. Sn

How-To:uare acase When my corner-to-corner measurcments (dght photo) tell me that a caseis out of square, the fust thing I do is check the alignment of the clamps. As shown in the drawing below, a clamp that's "skewed" across the caseexerts unequal force on the joint and distorts the case. If you find a clamp that's misaligned, simply adjust its position

so that it's parallel to the caseand applying pressure directly over the joint, as shown in the lower drawing. Now take another set of corner-to-corner measurements/ and the results should be better. But sometimes, you'll find that after realignhg the clamps, the casewill need a gentle push on one comer to persuade it into square.

"Skewed"clamp throws assembly

3 Comparing opposite, corner-to-corner measurements isyourbestbetwhenchecking a caseforsquare. lf the measurements areequal,youknowthecaseissquare. wwwWoodsmith.com

Woodsmith

,----

One power tool I use in my shop just about every day is a router And I'd bet that's true for a lot of woodworkers. So if you're already making good useofa router (or two) in your shop, do you really need to consider a new one? Especially a small one? Well, after rr.ul.ring the Coll router (shovm above) through its paces,l'd have to enthusiastically say, "Yes." The reason for tl.risis all the largerouter features Bosclrincorporated into the Coll tlat #\'e you big-time results.Yet you still get the benefits of a small-sized router

IASY I0 CoNIno[. At first glance,the Colf doesn't appear to be nruch different than a typical tlim (or laminate) router (see main photo on opposite page). But it's on dre in-side that the dif{erences start to show up. For startert it has a bigger motor (5 7 amps).Soyou'll be able to tackle more jobs than with a typical trim rcuter But evenwith drebigger motor, the Co/f is still small and lightweight. With one hand wrapped around thc molded rubber grip, you can easily handle the router And any time you feel the need for a Littleexba control, there are textrued grips on the base you can use to steady the router (lower left photo). The same photo also shows the handy edge guide you can use for even more support. Plus, it's a great way to make precision cuts using router bits u'ithout bearings. ;U|.|.-SIZI ttATURtS. But it's some of dre other features that move the Colf up a notch. For starters,thc Colt has a variable-speed motor tl.rat allows you to setthe rorrterbetu'een16,000 aird 30,000RPM.All you need to do : The Co/tisn't limitedto trimminglaminateor routing to charge the speed is tum the dial sirnpleedgetreatmenlsYoucanincreasets versatilityby on the top of the router (hset photo usrngan edgeguide(included)and bltswlthoutbearifgs 1 on opposite page). 10

\\roodsmith

So what good is variable speed if you're not routing \a'ith largediameter router bits? There are a few good reasons.First, running a bit at a slower speed will give you more control since the bit has less "take of a tendency to catch or off" on you. Second,a slower speedcan help minimize any burning along the profile you're routing. And third, any time you slow a router dorvn, it's simply more quiet and pleasantto work with. And once you start routing, the electronic feedbackbuilt hto fte Col, ensures that the router will maintain the speed you've set - even under a heavy load. The end result is smoother,cleanercuts. Finally, there's the soft-start feahte. hrstead of the zero-tefull-speed jerk you usually experience when you turn a router on, the motor gradually and smootl y revs up to the speed you've set. IMPRoVID HIIGHT ADJUSTmI L These aren't the only new featuresto like on the Co/f. As with any routet you'll spend a fair amount of time adjusting the height of the bit. So you want to be sure you can do this qujckly r/rd accurately. No. 161

I

Wi$ older trim routers, lhis war an "either-or" proposition. You could either changethe bil heighl quicklt with limited accuracy, or you could change it accurately, but it would tal