Wood Magazine 131 2001

this issue's
hi
WOODamagazine
hli hts
March2OO1lssue131 www.woodonline.com
wopdworking
proiects
jig
t8 step-and-repeat
Bore consistentlyspacedholesusing this simple drill-press
project and a batchof precision-cutspacers.
50 traditionalbookcase
Fluted columnsand an impressivebrokenpedimentmake
this Federal-styledesigna welcomeadditionto your home.
Changethe look by choosingglassor wood shelves,or both.
64 ourcountryin quarters
The wholefamily will enjoy collectingthe new statequarters
page74 anddisplayingthemin this handsome, wall-hung,coin map. page80
74 medicinecabinet
Inject a strongdoseof stylishstoragein your bathroomwith this
three-door,mirroredunit. It's just what the doctorordered.
80 sofa server
Keepa favoritebook,the TV remote,or a cup of java in easy
reachwith this mobiletable.Designedto cantileverover the
sofa'sseatcushions,the projectfeaturesamagazinestoragebin
and a handydrawer.
t#t&ials
1 4 tool industryinsider:the SawStop
This uniquesafetydevice,when attachedto a tablesaw,
halts the spinningbladethe instantit contactsyour skin.
68 supersizesaws
Stepup to greatercutting capacitywith one of the seven
12" mitersawsin our test.We look at a fuIl rangeof fea-
turesand pick the top performersto help with your buy-
ing decision.
86 productsthat perform
page68 There's a new, powerful, and accommodatingrotary tool
on the market.It's Black & Decker'sRTX2. page50
Continued on page 6
Cover photograph: Wm. Hopkins
www.woodonline.com
this issue's
highlights
WOODom?gozine March2001lssue131 www.woodonline.com
tmiques
31 tips fromyourshopandours
Saveloadsof time, improve tool accuracy,and work
more safelywith the ideasin this issue.
58 five handyhinges
Tired of using the commonplacebutt hinge to secure
lids to boxes?Checkout the easy-to-installalternative
solutionshere.They include cylinder,barrel, side-rail,
round, and barbedhinges.
page58
page40
features
3 the editor'sangle
I talkingback
1 2 WOODONLINEo
20 WOODforum
tm decay: how it works and ways to foil it
Discoverhow decayfunctionsto ruin wood and what you
can do to stop or slow the process.
M magicof PaulSchurch
the marquetry
Few ever attainthe level of craftsmanshipand artistry of
this SantaBarbara,California,woodworker.Come admire
his masteryof old-world methods.
96 finishingtouches
Seea wood-cladvehiclethat works the sprint car circuit
and an intarsiacrestmadefor one very lucky United
StatesMilitary Academygraduate.
page44
This issue'scover wood grain: elm burl
6 WOOD magazine March 2001

*mmk,ffiruru$#
Letters, & Updates
Comments
ffiffiffi#ffiffiffiffiffis#&
I cringedwhenreadingthe remedyfor
a poor-fittingdrill-pressMorse taperin
Hot Off the Internetin Issue124.
Poundingthe poor chuckinto submis-
sionis not the answer.
Get a long bolt that is the largest
--------------- Valve grinding
diameteryour chuckwill accept,and compound
cut off the head.Clamp it in the chuck, spreadon
the taper.
threadon a nut, and slip on a washer.
Insertthe bolt in the centerhole of the
drill-presstable,addanotherwasher
andnut, andfastenthe chucklooselyto Headlessbolt .,:r
secured
the table,as shownin the drawing.Run
chuck. \ -.tr..
:.i
:n
-.
the drill-pressquill down onto the :t

I
I
1-r
chuck'staperto centerit andtighten :r:r.,
r,S
the nuts.Spreadsomeautomotivevalve
grindingcompoundon the chucktaper.
x,\ '
Setyour drill presson its lowestspeed,
\ gon mounted
switchit on, andrun the quill down
in the table
ontothe chucktaper.Apply light down- centerhole.
ward pressure, andyou'll soonhavea
tight-fitting chuckthat only comesoff
whenyou want it to. Wipe off the com-
pound,and seatthe taperwith a couple
of light rapswith a dead-blowhammer.
-John Graber, Fla.
Jacksonville,
Srnoke deteeters sannot he snnr$tehed

Whilereadingthe tips sectionin Code(NEC).NECstatesthat smoke ionization type.Theseare easily
lssue126,I cameacrossan item detectorsshallbe on a dedicated, defeated,and evendisabledby a
that mademy jaw dropto the floor. unswitchedcircuit. dustyenvironment. Manyare impos-
The tip suggestedinstallinga smoke -Vince Perregrino,
Spring,Texas sibleto cleanproperly.In this situa-
detectoron a switchedcircuitso tion,alarmprofessionals use heat
falsealarmscan be avoidedby turn- As a 2S-yearveteranof the fire detectorsinsteadof smokedetectors.
ing the detectoroff whilethe shop is alarmindustry,I needto respondto In a woodworking shopwherea fire
in use. the falsealarmprevention tip in is likelyto generatelotsof heat
As a projectmanagerof a fire lssue126.I don'targuewiththe idea rapidly,a combination rate-of-rise
alarmcompany,I designand install of avoidingfalsealarms,but inter- and fixed-temperature detectoris a
alarmsfor commercial and residen- ruptingpowerto a fire detection goodchoice.Theseunitsare sealed
My work is gov-
tial applications. deviceis not the way to do it. againstdustand dirt,so simpleexte-
ernedby a multitudeof codes, Mostreadily-available smoke riorcleaningis all that is necessary.
amongthemthe NationalElectric detectorsare of the photoelectricor -Scott McElroy,La4ewood,1hio
Continued on page 1O
WOOD magazine March 2001

talking
i
i
Holding down smalt sarvins folanks
An articlein Issue123showshow to ' Yourmethodprobablywouldwork in Finding a circle's center
carvea shell-shaped furniturepull. The , this case,Peter,becausethe shell is in three steps
bandsawnshapeis glued to a scrap ' a fairly simpleshape,and the carv- "WhatWoodworkers NeedTo Know"in
' lssue124showsone methodfor finding
boardwith a layer of paperbetweenthe ing depthwould be easyto gauge.
blank and the board. Evenso, trsebrassscrewsinsteadof the centerof a circle.Hereis my three-
I wouldmountthe workpieceby drilling steelones.But manycarverswould stepmethodthat usesa compass.
' not { I Measurethe diameterof the circle
throughthe boardinto the back of the feel comfortableworking away at
' a small block of wood,knowingthat as you can.Dividethis
I as accurately
blank, and screwingit in place.This
would be the sameway that the finished , thereare a couplepiecesof metal measurement by two to findthe radius.
pieceis mountedto the drawer,and , buried in there.Betterto complete Set yourcompassto the radius.
'
eliminateshavingto cleanpaperandglue the carving,thenmeasurethe thick- 6Pick any pointA on the circle,and
': ll€ssand drill pilot holes the lar^* an arc that intersects the circle
from the back of the completedshell. for
-Peter Stari,Parma,
1hio , appropriate screw length. at pointsB and C, as shownin the illus-
trationbelow.
r-tDraw arcscenteredat pointsB and
JC tn"t intersectthe firstarc as
Safety and the circle cutter shown.lf yourmeasurement of the circle
As a juniorhighschoolindustrial technology teacher,I haveusedyourtips many was accurate,the threearcs intersectat
timesin assistingmy studentsto designand constructour projectssafely.In lssue the centerof the circle.lf you wereoff a
122youlist precautions to takewhileusingoversizecutterson the drillpress.lwould little,the arcsdefinea smallarea
like to add to that list a precautionwhen usingan adjustablecirclecutter.Anyone aroundthe center,and it is easyto see
who has usedone realizesthat whilethe cutteris spinning,the cutterarm is difficult wherethe exactcenteris.
bufi end of the cuttercan easilycatchyour hand. -Donald J. Simoneit,
to see.And the protruding
I recommend addinga %" Ky
Elizabethtown,
acrylicsafetyshieldto the
Drillholeto @ orawfirstarc.
fit shaft. cutter,as shownin the
Diameterabout t/2"
largerthan maximumcut drawing.lnstalledoverthe
shaftof the circlecutter
beforeit is chuckedinto
the drillpress,the shield
@Measure.
lets you see exactlywhere
the outerlimitof the cutter
Uset/+"-thick is. Be sureto sandthe
acrylicsheet; Sand edge
a transparent smooth. edgesof the discsmooth
color increases
visibility. to avoidgettingcut by it.
-Joe Haworth,
Wash.
FederalWay,
and third arcs.
Attention would be w$#d cellectsrs Write Us!

Wewelcome yourcomments,criticisms,sug-
The article"What Wood Is That?"in : a worldwidestandardsamplesizeof
andyes,evencompliments.
gestions, Please
Issue122mentionsthe ideaof start- t/2x3x6".Usingthis sizeallowsyou to
writeto:TalkingBack,W00DMagazine,
ing a samplecollectionto aid in wood , buy, sell,andtradewood samples 1716LocustSt.,GA310, Desl/loines, lA
identification.You suggestusinga with otherIWCS members,giving 5${P-3(I23oremailusat
talkingback@mdp.com
samplesizeof 3X5".I would like to you accessto speciesfar beyondthe Weselectandpublishonlylettersof the :
'
remindreadersthat the International scopeof your personaltravel. greatest toourreaders.
benefit
Wood Collectors'Society(IWCS) has -Ron )degaard, Wis'
Appleton,
10 WOOD magazine March 200'1

W@lffiort'L'\r€
www.woodonline.com
Now'sthe tirneto build

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Although the weatherright now might not be conduciveto enjoying a cold iced
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will be here before you know it.
To get a jump on things, check out the vast online selectionof quality plans for
outdoor projects.There's no easieror faster way to order. Just follow the navi-
gation below. You'll find over 125 plans that download directly to your comput-
er, as well as 100+ paperplans that ship to you within 24 hours of your order.
Go to woodstore.woodmall.com, then click on either downloadableplansor
WOOD PLANSo. Go to outdoorfurniture and accessoriesoroutdoor projects.
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12 WOOD magazlne March 2001

tool industry
insider
skl n saver
uniquebladebrake
stopsthecutting
beforeyou know
you'renicked
fF he story usually beginsthis way: a human fin-
"I was making the last cut of the ger. He slices
I
I- day, and I guessI must have been into a sheet of
thinking about somethingelse..." and plywood, holding
endswith the storyteller showing a stub, the wiener directly
scar, or gauzebandage.During' 1999, in the path of the
about 33,000 people visited emergency blade. Suddenly,with a
rooms with tablesaw-relatedinjuries. loud BANG!, the blade
But a former patent attorney in Oregon stopsand drops below the
hopesto drastically reducethat number. tabletop. The sausageskin
Stephen Gass invented the SawStop is barely nicked; not even
tablesaw-bladebrake, ild he hopes it enoughto pierce it. the brake pawl off the blade, pops out
will be to woodworking power tools So it works with hot dogs,but how do the spentbrake carffidge,and replacesit
what the airbag is to automobiles. you know it'll work wrth humnn con- with a fresh one. He then lifts the arbor
tact? "Well, we had to be sure," Gass block back into place, and in minuteshe
Braking news says, showing a finger that appearsto has the saw up and running again.
The drawing on page 16 showsyou the have a papercut at its tip, "so I stuck my
nuts-and-bolts details of how Gass's finger into the blade. Thankfully, it Kudos and cautiousness
safety system works. Simply speaking, worked like a champ." None of the tablesawmanufacturerswe
if your skin makescontactwith any part Naturally, he didn't just jam his finger talked to for this article would go on the
of the sawblade,SawStopslams on the into the teeth for the in-the-flesh test. record with their thoughts about
brakes, cutting power to the motor and But Gass calculatesthat, in a real-life SawStop, and according to Gass, none
halting the blade in lessthan a quarterof siruationat a "reasonable"feed rate, the have yet committed to making the safe-
a turn. The whole process, from skin blade might clut Vsz" into your finger ty device standard equipment on their
detection to blade stoppage, takes before stopping."About the only way to saws. While praising his efforts, the
between2 and 5 milliseconds.By com- get a seriousinjury using SawStopis to manufacturerswe talked to cited sever-
parison,the best human reaction time is slam your hand down on the spinning al concerns.
about 100 milliseconds-twenty times blade," he says."Even in that case,you First, SawStopwill not work with the
slower than SawStop. might lose one finger insteadof four." current design of tablesaws,which has
. To demonstrateSawStop, Gass uses After the hot-dog demonstration,Gass remained essentially unchangedfor 50
an ordinary all-meat wiener to simulate uses a wood block and hammer to tap years or more. (Gass demonstratesthe
Contlnued on Page 16

tffim$*n#u*stry
ilr'*g$#mr
mechanismon a modified Jet contrac- : tor-styletablesaw;manufacturers' esti-

tor-stylesaw.)To incorporate the device , matesaremuchhigher-$150 or so. : $ee $aw$tap
i With the challengeof perfecting the i *rxa*tion
would require a major under-the-hood
overhaul. skin-sensingcircuitry under his belt, . If you'd like to view a superslow-
i
And, they say,most consumerswon't r Gasssaysthe blade-braking technology , motion video of SawStopbringing
be willing to pay the extra moneyfor it. . can be appliedto a number of power : a blade to a halt, visit the Editorial
: Extras page of WOOD ONLINEo
However,all concededthat if one man- , tools. In fact, SawStopsfor mitersaws
ufacturer takes the leap and makes : andportablecircularsawsare alreadyin at www.woodonline.com/editori-
'
SawStopan integralpart of their saws. l the works and could well hit the market alll3lsawstop.
they'll likely be forced to follow suit. , at about the sametime as the tablesaw :
Written by Dave Campbell
Gassexpectsthat SawStopwould add , version, which is probably at least a ' Kim Downing
lllustrations:
only about$50 to the priceof a contrac- i yearaway.* , Photograph:Baldwin Photography
$aw$top'shaltingsteps Sawtable
Plasticbrakepawl
Pivotpin
Capacitor
Fusewire
1OOLB spring Releasearm
Sfep One: As you switchon the saw, on the bladeto dropsuddenly.When burn and allowingthe springto force-
SawStopperformsa quickself-testto the SawStopcircuitrysees a sudden fully pivotthe brakepawl intothe teeth
make sure the systemis operational.lf voltagedrop,it triggersthe braking of the blade.The bladestopsin a
the circuitrydetectsa failure,the motor system.(Evengreenand/orwet wood quarter-turnor less and, in most
will not start.lf all is well, SawStop does not conductelectricityas well as cases,is not damagedby the brake.
inducesa low-voltagecurrenton the the humanbody.Therefore,the volt-
bladeand arbor,whichare insulated age dropslittlewhen cuttingwood or Sfep Four: The torqueof the sudden
from the rest of the saw by plastic plastic.) stop pullsthe bladedownwardintothe
bushingsplacedbetweenthe arbor saw wherea specialelevationworm
and the arborbearings.Circuitry Sfep Three: The brakingsystem is gear releases,allowingthe arborblock
mountedin the arborblockconstantly housedin a replaceablecartridgeposi- and bladeto drop harmlesslyout of the
monitorsthe inducedvoltageon the tioned about t/e"ftom the edge of the way. Afterfiring,replacethe brakecar-
bladeas it turns. blade.A smallfusewire holdsbackthe tridge.(A new cartridgewill sellfor
plasticbrakepawl againstthe force of $20-40.) Liftthe arborblockuntilthe
Sfep Two: Skin contactwith the a 1O0-pound spring.Whenthe braking worm gear snapsback into placeon
bladewhileit'sspinning(underpower systemis triggered,a capacitordumps the height-adjustment crank,and the
or coastingdown)causesthe voltage its chargeon the fuse, causingit to systemis once again readyto go.

spacersletyou locatedrillingpositions
aving worked for more than forty EXPLODED
VIEW
years as ii printer. WOOD,o;reader
Bill Lacey is familiar with the process #8x11/+'F.H
called "step and repeat." In printing.

images.fbr instancea busincsscard. are
stq x 11/2" lence
reproducedin rows and colur.unsto fill
a full sheetof paper.
Becausehe bLrildstoys in small batch-
es and needs to quickly and accurately
HOWTO USETHE JIG

-ssfiffi**
ss::* '
i::=';:.5:5*; repeat drilling operations.Bill adapted
this idea to his woodworking.
The ji,e has two cornponents.The car-
r i a - e e , e q L r i p p e dw i t h r e a r a n d e n d
f-ences.And the spacers.which allow
y o u t o p o s i t i o ny o u r w o r k p i e c e .
Build the carria-ueas shown in the
drawin-9.The sizc of thc carria,gecan
vary accordingto the size of piecesyou
are drillin-e and the rnaximum reach o1'
yoLrrdrill press.You can cut spacersto
standardwidths aheadof tin-re.or custom-
make spacersfbr each differentjob. Bill
took the first approach.cutting spacelsin
widths fiom %" to l" in 1,/rr,"
increments.
€ -##$ andfiom l" to 6" in 1" increments.
Cut all
the spacers of the sarne width at the
same time to ensureuniforrnity.
The photographs demonstrate r.rsin-u
the jig to drill holes in a cribba-ueboard.
We positionedthe workpiece by insert-
ing spacersbetween the f'encesand the
{* piece to progressively rlove it away
fiom the end f-enceand out frorn the rear
fence.The -greenspacersmove the piece
in t./s"increments.the vellow spacelsin
{
I : "
%" incrernents.|l
Project Design: Bill Lacey, Vancouver, B.G.

Photographs: Baldwin Photography
Il l u s t r a t i o n s :R o x a n n e L e M o i n e ;
Lorna Johnson
& .,.r## ,r ,,rt'fil W O O D m a g a z i n e M a r c h2 0 0 1

vlrood
questions
towoodworking
Answers fromyourletters
gathered
andourW00D
ande-mails, Onlineo groups,
discussion
Pilot holes for augercarriedby Craft SuppliesUSA
scrollsaw proiects
(800/551-8876)measures 30", includ-
ing the woodenhandle.So, if you can
live with the resultingglue line, your
bestbet is to rip your stocklengthwise,
saw or rout a groovedown the middle,
glue it back together,and then turn it.
r'Pop!tt goes the

dust canister
o I have a Porter-Cableran-
dom-orbitsander,model
333,and the dust canisterwon't
stayon. What'sthe solution?
-Rager Heid,hon Mountain,Mich.
I I Roser.Porter-Cablehasmade
tll
lot in %" drillbit thatI canfindis too short, Al somechansesto addressthis verv
f.t | | do a of suollsawing
\f I oak,andsomeof the planscall forcingmeto try to makethe two problem.The companymodified the O-
for veining.A pilotholeis neededto endsmeetin themiddle.That'stough rings that hold the dust canisteron the
insertthe blade,whichruinsthe to do. Doyou knowof a sourcelor housing,switchingto a materialthat's
appearance of thevein.Canyouhelp 36"-long bits,preferablyscrew-point supposedto be lessaffectedby heatand
meout? andself-clearing? cold, and they also stoppedlubricating
-Bob Pvke,Carlsbad,
N.M. -StephenMcConnel, Vt,
Townshend, the rings.
To get replacementrings for your
Steve.we stoppedat an electri- sander,contactyour nearestservicecen-
A|il:Jil.:: ,i';:''
l"J;il,'il
Jfi /f I
|al cians' supplyoutlet and found ter or call the manufacturerat 888/848-
5175 to find out wherethe rings are
small.Sloan'sWoodshop(888/615- 36" rigid extensionsand flexible
9663)offers a 20-pieceset ofbits, rang- screw-pointbits up to'72" long, but available.You can get new rings free if
ing from .0135"to .039",for $9.95, they're not likely to provide the accura- your old rings failed becauseof temper-
plus shippingand handling.Their "pre- cy you need.And the longestlamp ature extremes.
cisionpin chuck,"alsopricedat $9.95, It's the secondtime Porter-Cablehas
will hold thesetiny units securelyin beefedup the attachmentsystem.The
your drill chuck.If you know which original versionof this sanderhad one
sizesyou're going to use and replace rubberO-ring on the dust collection
the most-and the tiny oneswill housing;in 1996,engineers addeda
break-you can buy specificbits by the secondring.
dozenfrom Sloan's. DeWalt was having the sameproblem
with the plasticcanisterson its random-
Drilling Iong holes orbit sanders.So, two or threeyears
I'mturninglampbasesthat ago,the companyswitchedto a spring-
n I
\l I need a 34"long. hole
straight loadedcloth bag and a twist-on mount
through Thelongest
theircenters. that clicks into place.
Continued on page 22

wood
lron out
your bubble trouble
Theveneeron our diningroom
n I
\l I tablehasraisedup in a bubble
aboutthe sizeof a halfdollar.lt's not
neara seamor the edgeof the table.
Howcan I repairit?
*Paul Zimmerman. Talbott. Tenn.
A I If you're lucky, Paul,you can fix

Al it with an electriciron. Put a
kitchentowel over the bubbleto protect
the finish, setyour iron to mediumheat,
and pressdown on the bubblefor a few
minutes.After it's flat, stacksome
bookson top and leavethem overnight. syringe,or work it in with a scrapof slightly.Use a straightedgeand your
That doesn'talwayswork, unfortu- cardboardor veneer.Put wax paper knife to cut lengthwisedown the mid-
nately.In that case,cut throughthe over the top, then your dish towel, then dle of the overlap.The two edges
bubblein a straightline alongthe grain, pressdown with your iron seton medi- shouldfit togetherexactly.Wipe off
usinga razor-sharpknife. Inject white um. Keep checkingthe bubble. When it any excessglue, and weight down the
or yellow glue throughthe slit with a flattens,the two cut edgeswill overlap repairovernight.
Thp into the "flte culs were so quiet rrnd

Power of the Pros. effortless ir felf like I forqot
Thenew Dettastorehasover5oo productsfrom a
lo roise the blade" "
HalTaylor,MuseumQualityWorksof Art,Hartwood,VA
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Hal'scomment istypicalofthemany expansionslots
machineryattachments. Extensive productinformation werceivefromcrafbmen whohave for extremelyquietcuts
includingcustomerratingsand reviewswill helpyou triedour ProSeries blades. . High-grade,
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table saws radial saws miter saws
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wood
Rust on machinery
n I WhenI leavemy shopbuilding machineswith TopCote,an
\Jl unheated duringthe winter,rust aerosolspray manufactured
formson the cast-irontopsof my by Bostik and availableat
machines.Waxingsorneyearsand tool outlets.
wipingwith motoroil otheryears Here are a couple of other
seemsto help,but nothingis 100per- ways to keep condensation
centeffective.Howcan I keepthe undercontrol:As long as
rustaway?Wouldclothcovershelp? the shop is unheatedany-
-8.K. Kroll,Minneapolis,
Minn. way, make sureit's well-
ventilated and hang a
Yes, B.K., cloth covers will help 1 burlap bag full of calcium
/[ |
l{l protectyour machineryfrom con- ! chloride near your
densation,which leadsto rust. Don't machines,with a bucket
useplasticones,becausethey'll trap underneath.Moisturecol-
moist air underneath. You can even lectsin the calcium chlo-
find speciallymadecoversat some ride, then eventually drips
storesthat handlewoodworking from the bottom of the bae.
machinery.But beforeyou put on those You can buy calcium chlorideat stores Or you can go the oppositeroute.
covers,setup anotherline of defense: that stock materialsfor professional Closethe shopup tight and setup a
Spray the unpaintedsurfacesof your buildersand concretecontractors. dehumidifieror two.
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wood
You can't give these bubbles the "brush off"

n I Help! I'm getting air bub- , mixesair intothefinish.If thevarnish
\J I bles when applying varnish , skinsoverbeforethebubbles havea
on some cherry drawer fronts. chance to "pop,"theystayonthesurface.
The brush (china bristle) and var- Sincevarnishcuresmorequicklyin
nish are brand new and high : warmtemperatures, youneedto slowit
quality, as is the cherry. My downby thinningit with 10to 20 per-
preparation involves wet sand- centmineralspirits(or distilledwater,
ing, wiping dry, and a thorough i for a water-basedproduct).Stirthevar-
going-overwith a tack cloth, but , nish;don't shakeit. Experiment with
the bubblesappearinstanta Be aware of the trade-offs in this
neously. sameway asyourproject,addingthin- process. Thinning the varnish means
-Scott Hopper, Eclmonds,wtrsLt. . ner until the bubbles pop before the you'll need more coats. And slowing
, varnish sets up. Finish each coat by the curing increasesyour chancesof
your brush,your "tipping" it off. To do this, hold the getting dust in the finish, so take pre-
/l I Don't blame
Al u*ish, or the cherry wood, , brush almostvertically and brush light- cautionsto minimize dust.
Scott.Bubblesjust go with the territo- ' ly with the grain. Level the varnish out These stepswill work with oil-based
ry when you brush on an oil-based , from end to end. You'Il take out most varnishes and brushable water-based
varnish or one of the brushablewater- ' of the bubbles with your final brush finishes. If using a water-basedfinish
basedfinishes. The brush createsa ; stroke. Any bubbles that remain should formulatedfor spraying,don't brush it.
small "turbulence" at the surfacethat , "pop" on their own. Changevarnishesor spray it on.
C i r c l eN o . 9 0 0
26
wood
Pacemaker news that wontt shock you

a pacemaker,
liust received : trical field from a poorly
nl
\l I andI'm worriedbecausemy , shieldedtool could cause
doctorssay I haveto be carefulof : your pacemakerto slow
vibrationsandpossibleshocksfrom , down your heartbeattem-
machines. I userouters,sanders,and : porarily. If that shouldhap-
all typesof saws,andI don'twantto . p.n and you becamelight-
giveup my woodworking. Which , headed,you'd appreciate
machinesaresafeandwhicharen't? r having someonewith you.
-Lorraine McArthur,Parlin,N.J. : But that's unlikely to occur.
r Most workshoppower tools
question , will haveno effect whatsoev-
A | :"ffir,Jff:Jr",T r er. Justlike the rest of us.
Gerald Fletcher,a cardiologistat the you shouldcheckthe cordsof your
Got a question?
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville,Florida, power tools to make surethey're sound.
saysyou can useyour power tools You also can standon rubber mats to lf you'relookingforananswer to a woodw0rking
without worry. protect againstshocks.And the question, writeto:W00DForum,1716 locustSL,
CA310,DesMolnes, ore-mailus
lAS13{19-3023,
However, he suggeststhat anyone OccupationalSafety and Health
atwoodforum@mdp.com. Foranimmediate
with a new pacemakershould take an Administration recommendsground- answer toyourquestion, gethelpfromfellowwood-
observeralong on that first trip back fault circuit intemrptersas the best workers byposting it ononeofourlntemetdiscus-
siongroups at mrw.woodonline.com.
into the shop.It's possiblethat the elec- electrical safetvmeasureof all.
Acceotno imitations!
Buythe Performax16-32
PlusDrumSander, the
industry's
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andreceive
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IY;::# Producepertectgap-freehairlineglue
jointson the miteredcornersof any multi-
sidedobjectwithouttrial-and-error
setups.
Thepowertoshnpe
yourideosftnfOnff'f{
1.800.752.Ofzli
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tips illlix8f5,"''"n
Top Shop Tip winner

George Yochem poses
with the Olympic torch
he helped design for the
Double-axleis one of
his best safety moves
I have a pair of those rubber-bottomedpushblocksto
l
1984Summer Games. safelymove stock acrossmy tablesaw,router table,or join-
ter, but even they slip from time to time. To preventthis, I
drilled two holesthrougheachpushblock,as shownbelow,
and droppeda woodentoy axle in eachhole.
The axleshook the end of the workpieceto provide better
purchasethan the rubberalone.Yet, when I placethe push-
block flat in the middle of a workpiece,the slightly larger
Using his tablesaw just holes allow the axles to rise without falling out. And, if I
got safer for George
Yochem. He's earned an shouldaccidentallynick or cut an axle, they cost only about
Excalibur EXBC overarm 5 centsapieceto replace.
blade cover for his -George Yochem,De Kalb,lll.
efforts.Wayto go, George!
Not many of us can boast of a connectionwith such

famousOlympic athletesas MuhammadAli and gymnast
Kurt Thomas,but GeorgeYochem can. Before he retired
from his job as a tool-and-diemaker, George designed
severalparts of the torch carried by those notablesand
othersto the 1984SummerOlympiad in Los Angeles.In
fact, he still has a prototypemodel at his Illinois home.
After a recentvisit to his grandson'selementaryschool
to show off the torch, one youngsterexclaimed,"I never
knew somebodyin our schoolhad a famousgrandfather!"
After that kind of accolade,being namedthis issue'sTop
ShopTip winner must be pretty small potatoes.
George'sgold-medaltip is shownat top right, and we'd
like to put your name there someday,too. Just send us
your favorite shoptips, alongwith drawingsor photosand Well-rounded solution to turned tenons
your daytimetelephonenumber.If we print your tip, we'll The next time you needto install a turnedtenoninto a round
award you $75, and if the tip scoresa perfect"10," we'll mortise,suchas when assemblinga pedestalto a table,con-
alsothrow in a tool prize worth at least$250. sider using a round wedge. As shown below, the round
Sendthosetips to: wedge,fashionedfrom a lengthof dowel, spreadsthe kerfed
Tips From Your Shop and Ours tenonevenly in all directions.And, shouldyou ever needto
WOODa Magazine removethe turning,just drill out the dowel; somethingyou
1716Locust St., GA-310 can't do with a flat wedee.
Des Moines, IA 50309-3023 -Mike Burton,Ogden,Utah
Or you can post them on our WOOD ONLINEo Top Use handsaw Driveplug to tighten.
to make slots.
ShopTip discussiongroup at www.woodonline.com.
Sorry,but we can't returnyour submissions. And to help
us print only original tips, pleasesend your tips only to
WOOD magazine.Thanks!
^ ,-2
wury4
WOODWORKINGPRODUCTS
EDITOR
www.woodonline.com
31
f r*rr,: ye1r-.;r
*!r*p:
,3y1g{ a3r,;r".$
Many of my stittionary power tools

came mounted on open metal stands.
The standssupportthe machinesjust
fine. but vibration makes them shift
and shimmy acrossthe smooth con-
crete floor of my shoP.
Rather than bolt them in place, I
found another solution that stops the
vibration, yet lets me move the tools
around.Using Forstnerbits. I drilled
holes for mounting bolts in ice hockey
pucks (not streethockey pucks), as
shown below. The rubber pucks pro-
vide solid fboting for the tool stand
legs, and slide easily on the floor.
-Joseph Wasnorowicz, Beacon,N.Y.
5/ro"nut
5/re"lock
washer
5/ro"washer
Steeltool
standleg
Hockey
puck
s l t ax 1 1 1 2 "
carriage bolt
Slightlychamfer
edge of 5/ro"hole.
Ti
't,'
L_l
34 W O O Dm a g a z i n e M a r c h2 0 0 1
Dowel center helps
l
position round tenons
Transferringthe centerpointsof round
tenonsto the mating frame member
hasalwaysbeena difficult task for
me. So, I cameup with a way to use
standarddowel centersto do the job.
First, I cut a small squareblock
from3/q"stockthat's slightly larger
than the diameterof the tenon.With a
Forstnerbit the samediameteras the
tenon,I drill a centeredhole %" deep
into one face of the block. Switching
to a bit the samesize as the dowel
center,I drill the rest of the way
throughthe block, using the center-
point left by the Forstnerbit as a
guide for the secondhole.
I insertthe dowel centerin the
block, then fit the block over the
tenon.The dowel centergives me
perfect arignmentfor
:;:::":;r"n. N.y.
lJ: -r h Thispowerfulnew3'l+horsepower ptunge

n If| I I rourerw'iucur prooucuonrme anogrve
J
voua superiorfinish.Thanks
to an ad-
fmanCe vanced
el"ectronic
feedback
circuit,
this
state-of-the-artrouteroperatesat a con-
sistent
torque
andspeed
forextremely
ROUtgf r smoothoperati onand a cl eanere dge.
from Fein ltJl'#l?:iHf

lHil:,ffi:,
iX'J
port,andQCspindte.
start,dustcollection ThenewFEINRT-1800 is designed
for the cabinetmaker,
solidsurface
fabricator
andserioushobbyist.CaLl.1-
Hole same diameter
as dowel center 800-447-9878for moreinformation anda dealernearyou,or visit us on
thewebat www.feinus.com.
Finishing is just the beginning
www.woodonline.com
35
FeinPowerToots,Inc. 1.030AtconStreet
Pittsburgh,
PA75220 1-800441,-9878 Fein@
7-^-^-^e
tipsfffJ;Hrshop /
a TMPoRTANT
,- SAFETY ,
uoTtGE
Drywall anchors a way to mount to perf-board
Despitethe variety of hooks and brack- The anchots' Vq"diameterperfectly 2 Cr^ttsman'Radial
Arm
sr*, 2
ets availablefor perforatedhardboard, matchthe holesin my perf-board,yet Modell{os.beginning
with113 ,
,
sometimesa goodold screwis all you they don't destroythe hole going in or
really need,sayto hanga woodenbrack- out, so I can rearrangeas much as I , EmersonToolGompanyn^r/
et or magnetictool strip.BecauseI have want. I cut off the drilling tip and
many suchholdersin my shop,I found enoughof the threadedend to allow the / ^rrounced
thevoluntary
rccallof ,
a way to fastenscrewssecurelyin the
perf-board:self-drillingdrywall anchors.
anchorto fit betweenthe perforated
boardand the wall behind.Then, I use
an ordinarywood screwto attachthe
, ;;ff:ll;',11 /
i':1,",ff1
) *n facturcdfiom1958through/
Self-drilling bracketto the perforatedhardboard.
Cut iwafl drywall -Greg Baker,Whitby, lW fthe8.t/ainchthrough
tggbl
oft tip. i / anchor
Ont. t at
9,, ,n
lllY /';,^i;ilT
;l1Tl'ff
J-Ti'llii
lll Sirew
/ Toolwillpq
worihble,Emercon
,
]iit
o
Metalbracket
Perforated
hardboard
o
o
o
o
o
,,'f,xlll,,l'
a::i:",fi
o* weresoldwithouta guafi,
o
/
o
that couered
the entirebtade-
-J J
have come into- -
o o
o - Gonsumers
) conadwiththeblade resrlting
in)
Going out on a limb for tough-to-clamp pieces / *uerciniurim. I
Here's a greatway to get clamping
pressurein areasthat can't be reached
the scraplike a cantileverover the area
to be clamped,and apply weight to the
,,,,rffi#'l#l
ffiil,
with traditionalclamps,say,when far end. In the caseshown,I've added / ***. radialarmsawrec all.com /
pressingveneerin the middleof a a block of scrapwoodthat actsas a sort todetemine if theirsawisstbiect
panel,or securingapronsto the under- of clampingcaul to increasethe pres- -I /-
sideof a table.First,clampa long, sureand direct it to a specificarea.
- to the rccallandto ensure that -
sturdypieceof scrapstockto the work- Waxedpaperkeepsme from gluing the 2 n y haveprcpersafetyanduse/
/ instructions.
piece,as shownbelow.Then,extend block to the workpiece.
-Ed Monjack,Wheeling,W.Va. ,
Movingweight
away from
Scrapwood
block
11
clampingarea
increases /r;tyomr1fu--._^ /
pressure.
Waxedpaper
/;tts;ltl''-w$5 ,
,llil:;il,€ ,
Scrapto
protect
bottomof
,1
workpiece
a TMPoRTAuTI
www.woodonline.com 37 ,sd;ETYiloTrcE,
.e^J^J^J^r
*NOWAVAILABLE-tips
S T E V EW A L L L U M B E RC O .
Quality Hardwoods and Woodworkingmachinery For The Craftsnan
l:";lItH,*n"o
and Educational lnstitutions CustomMade
Panel
Raised
A s h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S. .e. 4l e1c4t 2.35
B a s s w o o d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1S4e l e c t 1.95
z.ou
Doors
Cabinet Beveled panels
8 i r c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S. .e. 4l e/ 4c t
B u l t e r n u. .t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 1C4
C h e r r v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S. .e4l/e4c t
z.Jv
4.35
4/4LogRun
Walnut
stay sharp
Hickoiv- Pecan ..........4/4 Select 2.50
. . . . . .s. .1. 0 0 . 0 0
1 0 0b d .f t . $ 1 6 0 To clamprail-and-stile panelswith
Mahoo'anv(Genuine).. 4/4 Select 3.90
V a p t d l H a r d .). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 / 4S e l e c t 3.15 . . . .$ 9 2 . 0 0
M a p l e ( S o f .t .) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1S4e l e c t 2.30 .... J, /3.Uu
bevelededges,makethe clamping
P o o | a r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S. .e4l1e4c t 1.75 . . . .$ 6 8 . 0 0
R e d O a k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S , 4e1l e 4ct 2.50 > . .$ 8 3 . 0 0 blocksshownbelo*-.The /+" hole
W a l n u t . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S. .e4l /e4c t 3.55 . . . .$ 9 8 . 0 0
W h i t e O a k. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4S1e4l e c t 2.40 . . . .$ 8 0 . 0 0 insidethe angledpart of the block
Cedar(AromaticRed). 4/4 1C+Blr. 1.75 . . . .$ 6 9 . 0 0
C v o r e s s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S . .e4l1e4c t 2.30 ..$ 77.00 keepsthe bevelededgesof your work-
W h i t e P i n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F . 4. /G4. 1.20 ..$ s8.00
Y e l l o w P i n e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 / 4C l e a r 2.00 piecesharpwhile the broad,flat end
A b o v e p r i c e s a r e J o r 1 0 0 ' q u a n t i t i e so f k i l n d r i e d A b o v e p r i c e s a r e 2 0 b d . t t . b u n d l e so l
rouoh lumber sold bv the Bd. Ft. c l e a rk i l n d r i e dl u m b e r3 " - 1 0 "w i d e . 3 ' - 7 ' providesa solid clampingsurface.With
FOE Mavodan, NC.- l o n g ( R a n d o m w i d l h s & l e n g t h s )S u r
Call for (uantiiy discounts. Other sizes and UPS
l a c 6 d ' 2 s i d e s o r r o u g h .D e l i v - e r e d S e n d$ 1 . 0 0F o r L u m b e rC a t a l o g
grades available. prepaid in the ContinentalU.S. Prices Subject to Change Without Notice the additionof a pair of C-clamps,
C i r c l eN o . 5 9 2 whereshown,the blocksalsohelp keep
flatwhileahe
thePanel
fl#ll; bn,Pa.
1/+"hole
fr
45"
Clamping
block
Glarhping
Work- Clamping
piece block
11lq'F.H.
wood screw
11/2"hardwood
A fewmoretipsfromour
woodworkingpros
.Becausehardwoodplywoodis thin-
ner than its nominalthickness,the
differencecan throw off the dimen-
sions of even a carefully planned
project.In the bookcaseproject on
page52, we explainhow to cut slots,
dadoes,and rabbetsto compensate
for the difference.
.Removin-9the paperpatternfrom a
workpiececanbe a nuisance. Learna
quick trick to reducethe messin the
Coin Map projecton page69.,1
<x
W O O Dm a g a z i n e M a r c h2 0 0 1
{'.:,sat .} l*v i
fr$""t
WobU
tt
ill
,11
{i}
.\
1\\
,.I
I
'"aq;>,

thm stmry.#f
rrvoocl
attacksfrom within. The wood may not
change shape, but inside it eventually
becomes a pulpy mass. When wood-
workers find wood like that, with the
discolorationof white rot just beginning,
they call it spalted.It's frequently turned
into bowls or madeinto jewelry boxes.
Other classesof fungi include:
Staining fungi (closeuP)
Soft-rot fungi. which attacks very wet
wood and penetratesit slowly, physical-
ly degradesit from the surface inward Staining fungi, including molds and conducting fungi, fungi only find it
over a period of time. mildew, createbluish or blackishdiscol- desirableto invade wood that contains
orations (in logging, called blue stain) sufficientmoisture.
Soft rot that affect wood's appearanceand value Generally,decaycausedby fungi devel-
but do not have an effect on its struc- ops in wood with more than 20 percent
tural strength. moisturecontent.And if moisturecondi-
tions are right, fungi rapidly grow in a
Moisturealwaysattracts temperature range from 70-90'F.
the attackers Temperaturesbelow 32oF make them
Except for those species dormant,and above 100"F inhibit their
Iriluil'#that are known as water- growth or destroythem.
Threeways to foil fungi

Although new processesto Protect be kept below 20 Percent moisture smal l probl em, how ever. O nlY t he
woodfrom fungi damagehave been content,the mostpracticalwayto ward heartwoodhas enoughof the necessary
studied, such as removinga taste' off decay is to treat it with preservatives decay-resistantextractives,and specify-
tempting B-complex vitamin found toxic to fungi. Pressure-treatedwood ing "heartwood only" for construction
in it, there hasbeen no realpractical then can be used in damP situations, lumberadds expense.Listed below are
application. That leaves the three even in contactwith the ground. someof the moredecay-resistant woods
traditionalapproachesfo preventing grownin NorthAmerica,althoughnot all
{t Use decay-resistantspecies'
wood decay. are commercially available.l
tJSometimes, situationswill allow
KeeR wood dry. And that the use of wood speciesthat naturally lllustrations:Brian Jensen
{ Laboratory
I includesmakingsure buildings fend off decay.Westernred cedar and Photographs: U.S. Forcst Products
madefromwoodaredry.UsuallY, con- redwood are two
climates examples of decay-
structionlumberin temperate Thesewoods resist decaY
neverreachesthe 20 percentmoisture resistant, commer-
content neededfor fungal growth. c i a l l y a v a i l a b l e Bald cypress Oak Osage-orange*
Woodworking stockkeptindoorsunder woods that can be Catalpa Bur Redwood
controlledtemperature won't used where dura-
conditions Cedars Chestnut Sassafras
getthatweteither. bility and appear- Cherry,black Gambrel Walnut,black
an@ are considera- Junipers Oregonwhite Yew,Pacific*
Treat wood with chemicals. tf tions, such as for a Locust,black* Posf
wood-in storageor in use-can't deck. There is one Mesquite White (.indicateshighly
Mulberry,red* decaYresistant)

thel
\' t,',-
'L {
1,
r
of I
PaulSch h
all out a country and Paul Switzerland, with his American mother cation. "Unfortunately, that's not true
Schiirchhasprobably beenthere, and Swiss father, a scientistspecializing here in the U.S.," says Paul. "And we
and maybe even learned a thing in physics. "fn California, I wasn't a would greatly benefit by it, but there's
or three about woodworking. With years very good student and didn't like not a lot of support for a trade system.
of world travel and study behind him, school," he admits. "Instead,I'd rather Personally,I take on apprentices,but I
there's little wonder that conversations work with my hands,building things.So have to pay them good wages, work-
in the leading marquetry expert's Santa my parentsput me into a trade appren- men's comp,and all that. Yet, I feel that
Barbara, California, workshop some- ticeship rather than a school." I have a commitment to pass on what
times mimic those in a bustling In Switzerlandas well as in many other I've learned,not hang on to it. Besides,
Europeanmarketplace. European countries, apprenticesspur me on in developing
Thilo Roemer, a apprenticeship new techniques,designs,and building
woodworker from programs spon- pieces that are continually unusual.
Germany in a yearlong soredby the trades Right now, I'm at a very productive
marquetry apprentice- qre still a solid stagein my life."
ship, listens as Paul excit- option to formal edu- In Bern, Switzerland,Paul apprenticed
edly describesone of his in a piano-building program. It lasted
techniques-in German. If only two years.He grew discontentwith
there's a purposefulanec- The smalltable
Paul calls "Rosie," its repair orientation and transferredhis
dote from a trip to Italy, shown top right, apprenticeshipto one focused on con-
it's emphasizedin Italian. stands 2412" high structing church organs.
Then there's French when with a top 24th" "In organ building, the craftsmendealt
the occasion arises, and in diameter. lt has
with leather,plastics,welding, cabinet-
over 600 pieces of
Spanish,helpful for order- making, gold-leafing, design-every-
wood in its motif.
ing quesadillasor chile rel- It sold for $10,000. thing!" says Paul. "It was inspiring to
lenos at the Mexican eatery This display work with all those different materials,
nearby. But despite the cabinet, left, has and to combine them. That gave me the
optional foreign vernacu- doors that revolve
to open lazy-susan- confidenceto take on challengesin dif-
lars at Schiirch Woodwork, style. Inside, ferent areaslater on."
the universal language is lights show off its Paul worked four years to earn his
fine craftsmanship learned contents. Case journeyman's degree. That was fol-
in the Old World tradition. and trim are cherry;
lowed by two years of field experience
marquetry is myrtle
burl, tulipier, before finally deciding to return to
A nsal hands-on poplar, imbuya, Southern California. "They gave me a
education purpleheart, maple, wonderful base of know-how that I
Patl, 46, grew to teenage and tulipwood. draw upon to this day. I learnednot only
in Santa Barbara. then how to visualize a project but to break it
he moved to Zurich. down into its components,pay attention
wumr.woodonline.com 45
marquetry
magic
Every veneeringtechniquePaul tried
endedin failure. Desperate,he decided
to inlay everything into solid wood.
"This nightmare continued for six or
sevenmonths," he saysabout the table.
"And somehowor anotherI finished it.
The client was happy.But I almostwent
broke becauseI had only chargedone
tenth of what it shouldhave beenworth
for all the time I put in."
Again disgustedwith this gap in his
skills, Paul took off for Europe to seek
out craftsmenwho knew what he didn't
aboutmarquetryandinlay. "I had to find
them," he says. "They had to be there
because they certainly weren't in
America that I knew about!"
Finally, in northernItaly, Paul found a
and master who created marquetry for the
with oom- Europeanfurnituremarket."I was greet-
ed with open arms," Paul remembers.
"But even then the craft was dying out.
The youngpeopledidn't want to takethe
time to learn somethingthat didn't pay
very well. That's why he was so eagerto
take me in."
On that first trip, Paul stayed three
weeks, learning production marquetry.
to detail, and follow through.But I had involves lots of shapes, undulating "In that time, I only madea simplefloral
to move on," he adds. forms,and curves?Boat building!" design,but I had the techniqueto take
Accordingly, Paul spent a year in home with me anduse,"he saysexcited-
To school once again Englandattendingthe InternationalBoat ly. And that was only the beginning.
Paul was foot-loose after returning to Building School."I worked on all kinds At home, Paul experimentedwith his
SantaBarbara."I was 22 yearsold and of wooden boats,the largestbeing 100' new knowledge.However,he soonreal-
wanted some freedom from the disci- long andthe smallestan 8'dory. I got an izedthat there was much more to know.
pline and rigid social structureI'd lived amazingfeel for how far you can push So it was off to Italy again and again-
under in Switzerland. So I bought a wood." he recalls. "Yet the most valu- for up to a month-each time working
motorcycle,a Skilsaw,somehand tools, able skill that I learnedis called 'fairing on more intricatepieces.
and traveled around for two yearsto job a curve.' What makes it fair? You can "I would gather commissionedproj-
sites as a carpenter,"he explains,smil- only see it-no bumps, no flats, just a ects-veneer panels for cabinet fronts
ing at the memory. graceful curve. It's like a ballet move- and tabletopsthat could be hand-carried
Eventually, though, Paul's acquired ment. On furniture, it's the very lightly on a plane rn a 24x30" s4ss-411d take
skills and a strong desire to create fairedcurvesthat makea piecestandout." them back to my teacher,"Paul remem-
resulted in the opening of a shop. "I bers. "I had bench spacethere and help
came back to the Statesto start working The road to when I neededit. The last time I went.
on furniture, and finally settled down marquetry mastery though, was about four years ago. At
and did it," he says.But he discovered "My introduction to marquetry only that time, I was actually teachingsome
that there was more learning to do. beganabout l5 yearsago," Paul relates. of the new employeeshow to do mar-
"For the first three years,I was build- "One day an interior designercameinto quetry.That'swhenI knew that I didn't
ing fine cabinetsanddesigningandmak- my shop. He wanted a large marquetry needto return."
ing somefurniture.Yet, therewas a gap table inlaid with stone and asked if I
in my knowledge," Paul notes. "I was could do it." the craftsmancontinues. Old World
having difficulty incorporating the "Even though I'd never done anything cutting techniques
curves that I wanted into my furniture. like that, I said, 'Of course,'and got the "Marquetry, as I learnedit, is working
As woodworkers, we think linearly- the job. Then I sweatedbullets for a veneer for the background and the
straightcuts,straightlines,45o,boxes.I week. I knew nothing about veneerand design,calledthe motif, at the sametime
found that I had developeda box men- was afraid of it becauseit's a thin and to createone 'skin' that will be glued to
tality and neededto break out of it. So fragile thing. It tears,wa{ps,cracks,and the solid wood. This could be a top, side,
where do you have woodwork that therewasn't very much written aboutit." or other decorativeelementof a pieceof
46 WOOD magazine March2001

furniture.This methodallows you to do "Some partsof a pattern
marquetry more quickly and easily," ma y n ot be numerous
explainsPaul."Inlay is routingor cutting enoughto warranta whole
out a recessin wood to accepteither a sheetof veneerfor packet
contrastingwood, bone,shell,or stone." cutting. Those piecesI'll
(See"Pietradureup close"on page 48.) contour-cut, also on the
The Old World marquetrymethodPaul scrollsaw,"Paul contin- The back-
employsusesthreedistincttechniques- ues. "I'll paste a pattern ground of a
packetcutting,contourcutting,and knife from the main design, marquetry pat-
tern can be
cutting. Each comes into play in the calledthe cartoon,onto a "knife-cut" with
processof creatinga veneerskin. piece of veneer,then cut a sharp chisel,
"Packetcutting is a processof scroll- its outlinefor fitting into as apprentice
sawingseverallayers of stackedveneer. the veneer skin. This Thilo Roemer
All the segmentsof the patterndrop out requires more precision does here while
Paul looks on.
like a jigsaw puzzleto be reassembled," than packetcutting."
he says."IfI stackgreen,red,andyellow The third technique,
veneerstogether,thencut out the pattern, knifing, is simple enough."Knifing is fence,you can actuallyinset one piece
the resultingpiecesgive me the material putting larger veneer pieces, as for a of veneerinto another.A chiselis better
for three treatmentsof the samedesign. background,togetherwith the use of a than a scalpelor craft knife becauseit
The blade,of course,hasto be thin for a very sharp1%" chisel,"notesthe wood- has the weight and massthat you need
tight kerf, which will get filled in during worker. "To do it, you make a scoreline, to effortlesslymake a cut. The cutting
the finishingprocess.I usea #000 blade then follow it to cut all the way through edge,though,hasto havea roundness at
with about60 teethper inch. the veneer.Usins the veneeritself as a its corners so that it goes where you
magic
marquetry
want it to insteadof it finding its own tour-cutthe leaves.When I'm finished,
way throughthe grain." I'll haveenoughfor four skins."
As the packet-cuttingprogresses, Paul
Greating.a carefully lifts out each stack of pieces
veneer sKrn with veneer tongs, then carefully sorts
It may take Paul nearly a day to packet- and arrangesthem on a tray. He'll later
cut a highly intricatefloral motif at his reassemblethem with their knife-cut
scrollsaw,an old yet sturdy rigid-arm background veneer in the layout and
Delta Rockwell with a 24" throat The veneer-press room of the 2,600-square-
craftsman prefers its straight up-and- foot shop.
down cut to the rocking one of the To assemblethe skin, Paul emPloYsa
newer,constant-tension machines. thin, nearly transparentveneer tape,
"I cancut a maximumof 16 layersat a putting it down on what will becomethe
time," Paul offers."But usuallyit's 14. face side of the pattern. Because its
I might have four layersof background, adhesiveis water-soluble, he can easily
four for leaves,andfour for stems.Then removethe tape once the skin has been
I have a top layer and a bottom layer to glued in place.(But to avoid raising the
keep things condensed.My initial cut veneer'sgrain,Paul simply sandsit off.)
goes aroundthe entire motif and drops With all the cutting and handlingin the
the flowersout as a unit. Later,I'll con- creation of a marquetry skin, there's
alwaysthe chanceof chipping or other-
wise damaging the veneer. A simPle
Paul's"RibbonHighCabinet"hasa walnut visual check highlights any necessary
framewith a marquetrypatternin Swisspear
repairs.To do this, Paul holds the thin
and satinwood.and featuresfairedcurves.
skin up to a window. Backlit by the nat-
ural light, the sawkerfs in the skin show
up like minute rivers. Pinpointsof light
indicateareasfor repair.
"I use veneersthat rangefrom t/:0"to
Pietra dure close up 1/+0"thick, and they're more malleable
ln ltalian,pietraduremeansthe art of stoneinlay."And
mar-
that in comparison, than you'd think," Paul confides."I can
it takesso muchconcentration
evenpoundthem to flatten and fill gaps.
quetryis a pieceof cake,"says Paul.
But tiny chips in the skin I have to fill
The welltraveledcraftsmanlearnedpietradure in the
with a pastemadeof dark wood dustand
same way that he'd learnedthe secretsof production
hide glue after it is glued in place. To
marquetry-by spendingtime with an ltalian master
shield surroundingareasfrom the paste,
untilthe skillswere acquired."ln a month,I was taught
I usea sealerof thinnedshellac."
the real meaningof patience,"Paul says seriously,
"becausein pietradurethere'sno roomfor error." .J
Whetherit be marble,slate,or a semiprecious stone, The sun
such as azure'bluelapislazuli,the stonefirst must be cut to With jeweler's does some work
files, Paul care- Ever sincelearninghis specialbrand of
roughshapeafteraffixingthe paperpatternto it with beeswax'
fully works a marquetry,Paul has incoqporatedit into
Dependingon its size,Pauluseseithera smalldiamondband- stone butterfly all typesof furniture.But how andwhere
saw or a wire saw. "A wire saw is nothingbut a traditional for inlay, above. he usesit dictatesthe meansto adhereit
woodworker'sbow saw fitted with a string of steel wire," he Using tweezers,
Paul insets the to the surface.
explains."Butyou mustuse a siliconecarbidelubricant."
stone butterfly, "For smaller tabletops and cabinet
To furtherfinishthe stone,Paulthen wedgesit into a wood-
far left, into its doors, I hot-pressit," says Paul. "That
en bird's-mouth damp and beginsdetailingwithjeweler'sfiles. tabletop recess. meansI place a large metal plate out in
The lapis lazulibutterflyhe's workingon in the photo above
the sun to heatup. While that's happen-
may take a week to complete.
ing, I apply hide glue to the surface
When finished,the butterflywill
receivingthe veneerand then lay down
be inlaid carefullywith epoxy
the skin. When the plate getshot, I place
intoits recessin the tabletop,as
a sheetof Visqueenover the skin to pro-
shownbelow.
tect it, then bring the plate inside and
place it on top of the veneer.The low
heat re-liquifies the hide glue and
spreadsit entirelybetweenskin and sur-
face when it goes under the veneer
press."(If you're wonderingwhy Paul
WOOD magazine M a r c h2 0 0 1
#
useshide glue,he saysit's becauseit's shellacgets harderthan if it were laid One final touch includedwith every
easily repaired,aggressivelike contact down with a brush,"Paulexplains."And piece of furniture that comes out of
cement,and you can't peel the veneer I use 'superblonde' shellacflakesfrom Paul'sshopis highly unique.In a pack-
backup unlessyou heatit.) Behlensthat I mix and dewax myself. et, he supplies detailed information
For curvedor roundprojects,Paul has This is the most refined,clearestshellac abouthow the piecewasconstructedand
a vacuumpressto attachthe veneer.For available.For a solvent,I useanhydrous the materialsused,shouldsomeonehave
largepieces,he turnsto eithera 4x8' or alcoholbecause it's 99 percentpurewith to repairit in the future."I've seentoo
an 8x8'veneerpress. no water-it evaporatesfaster. But I many disastersin furniture repair," he
have to buy it from a sciencesupply says."And I don't wantmine to be treat-
Finish and move on house.With anhydrous,I can build up ed that way, no matterwhat I may move
Much of Paul's marquetry furniture 40 layersof shellacin onedayby putting on to do in the yearsahead."lF
receivestwo sprayed-on coatsof conver- down two coats every 15 minutes. Written by Peter J. Stephano
sionvarnish.This typeof finishprovides Complete,it's like looking into a pool." Photographs:Bill Boyd
a tough, durable, protective coating.
Sometimes he usestungoil, varnish,and
wax. His favoritefor marquetrytops and
panels,however,is the deeprichnessof Want to see more marquetr{?
shellacappliedin a Frenchpolish. To see moreof Paul'smarquetryfurniture,visithis web site,www.schurchwood-
"In Frenchpolishing,I put thin layers work.com.He is alsoa visitinginstructorat MarcAdamsSchoolof Woodworking
of shellacdown with a pad-a tampon in Franklin,Indiana{3171535-4013),and demonstrates in selectedcitiesat The
madeof old linen.When you pad it on, Woodworking Shows(800/826-8257).
www.woodonline.com 49
makea s
f
n
'n'eii'
i,#
'..#"
;ffi
-ffi--
..
-"i.dilffi
ith fluted pilasters and a

keyed arch toppedby a bro-
ken pediment, this project
bringsthe vocabularyof classicalarchi- (C) to the sizesin the Bill of Materials.
te c t ur eint o t he liv i n g ro o m . Using a dadobladein your tablesaw,or ,*.
As a bookcase fittedwith wood shelves, a handheldrouter and straightedge, cut
it's a homefor your personallibrary.By the 3/+"dadoesand rabbetsfor the top,
installinglights and glassshelvesyou bottom, and back and the 5/a"groovesfor
the shelf standardsin the sides(A), as
#
can displayfine collectibles. Or, if you
wish. combinethe two as we did for the shownon the Sidedrawing.
bestof both interests. If you are installinglights in your
In this projectyou'll learnhow to rout bookcase,bore the holes in the top, ,'
flutesby usinga simpleauxiliarybase where shown on the CarcaseExploded
with yor,rrplungerouter.And largecove View drawing.We purchasedour set of
moldings are a breezewith just your three low-voltagehalogenlights, com-
tablesawand a straightedge. pletewith a transformer,at a homecenter.
Purchaseyour lights, and check the
t'i:rl"$riuirruclq.*f} mountingrequirements beforedrilling.
l:i i :'l"t [.r t ,:* '|] {:-iii"$,:i;,ii$;id..3,i Glue and clamp the top and bottom
From /+" cherry plywood, cut the (B) into the sides(A), aligning the
sides (A), top/bottom (B), and back front edges.Glue and screwthe back (C)
tt- '_
- r .-".* t. '
.ti,:!i:,.i.:+ _.:", i
;#"*r;..*.-;.,^
* i r+ Working with nominal thicknesses. The actualthicknessof hardwoodply-
tl}"ll wood is aboutr/ez"lessthan its nominaldimension. Whencuttingthe rabbets
andtadoes in the sides(A) to acceptthe top and bottom(B), set up your cuts with
scrappiecesby measuring the thicknessleft,ratherthan the depthcut. For example,
when directedto cut a t/2"-deep dado in nominals/4"-thickplywood,adjustyour depthof
cut to lctu'c . The actualdepthof the dado is about1Vsz"
1/q" . fhe properoutsidedimension
of the carcaseis maintained, and the onlyotheradjustment is lengthening
the shelves.
50
makea federalcase
s/+"rabbet t/2" deep
I (
#10
0
/0
biscuits
74',
#8x11/z'F.H.
wood screws
t\
\
1 1 e / o "I,
\
321/z'
CARCASE SIDE
EXPLODEDVIEW
in place, aligning its top edge with the Vz" deep.Fastena tall auxiliary fence to the edgesto the shelves.When the glue
carcasetop. The back extendsbeyond the rip fence, and position it to center dries, remove the clamps and rout the
the carcasebottom, but not all the way the blade on the thicknessof your ply- round-overs on the shelf edges (E)
to the floor. wood. With the top faces against the where shown.
Cut the shelves(D) and shelf edges fence, cut grooves in the shelves, as Note: The Bill of Materials /isrsmate-
(E) to size.Check the inside width shown on the Exploded View drawing. rial to makefour wood shelves.If you
of the carcase;the length of the shelves Without changing the setup, cut the substituteglass shelves,make the nec-
and edges is %" less than this dimen- groovesin the shelf edges.Cut splines essary adjustments.Our glass shelves
sion. Adjust your tablesawblade to cut from %" hardboard,and glue and clamp are 3/a"-thick with finished edges.

+
fr
lf i@
514',
I Il ,/z'covir
L__tt! --4,*- 4t/a' * l t - -
,_3/8,,
3/au /
KEY
Mitered
--a
end 7-s/s"
t/s y't5/16 X 373/a" SOline
*-nuo"
TWLFILLER
t/+"round-overs
Shelfstandards
69/a" long
EXPLODEDVIEW
Miteredends
makea federalcase
ff'#e*w,
;xq$d
mn
$m*mdm
ms"*F?frt**turmE
Cut the pilasters(F) to the sizelisted
and an extra scrap piece the same
thicknessand width and about24" long
to usein testingthe flute cuts.Make the
s/qx 48 x 96" Cherry plywood
fluting carriage to attach to the edge
guide of your plunge router, as shown
tn Drawing l.
@ @ Mark the flute locationsacrossthe
width of your test piece, where
shownon the Pilasterdrawing.Install a
/+" roundnosebit in your plungerouter,
/e\ and adjustit to cut 3Az"deep.Adjust the
\r' edge guide to position the bit for the
first flute. With the fluting carriage
straddling the test piece, start your
router,plunge it down, and cut a short
length of flute. Check its location,and
makeany necessary adjustments. When
you are satisfiedthat the locationis cor-
e/qx 48 x 96" Cherry plywood rect, rout a positioningflute at one end
of the test piece. Rout the rest of the
flutesin the testpiecein the sameman-
ner, adjustingthe location of the car-
3/qx71/q
x 96" Cherry riageeachtime.
Draw linesacrossthe pilasters(F) at
the endsof the flutes,where shown
on the Pilasterdrawing.Then measure
3/ax7/ax 96" Cherry back toward the ends 37s", and nail
t/qxlx3" stopblocksat theselocations.
Clamp the pilastersto your workbench.
Use the flutesroutedin the testpieceto
position the carriage.Startingwith the
s/qx 91/qx 96" Cherry carriage against the top stopblock,
switch on the router,plungethe bit into
the pilaster, and rout the flutes, as
e/ax 51/zx 96" Cherry shownrn PhotoA. Move your routerat
a steady,consistentspeed.Stoppingin
@ @ mid-flutecan causeburningthat is hard
to sandout. When the carriagecontacts
3/+x 51/zx 96" Cherry
the bottom stopblock, immediately
raisethe bit out of the cut. To keep the
ends of the flutes even. alwavs start
Vcx31/zx 96" Cherry(2 needed)
321/z'
1_
2',I
ll
I
t-
lc
I
1 A sides 3/qu 11{q' 75' CP 2
B top/bottom 3/t' 11" 38" CP 2
C back 3/tu 38" 74' CP 1
D shelves 3/qu 9Y4' 367/a' CP 4
E shelfedges 3/tu 1Yz' 367/a' C I

F pilasters 3/q' 3u 75',C2
G baserail 3/qu 5n 321/z' C 1
with the same end of the carriage er the ralllarchlpilasterframe.Checkfor H arch 3/q' 7Y4' 321/z' C 1
against the top stopblock. To avoid squarenessby measuringthe frame's l" upper
multiple setups,rout the flutes in both diagonals.When the glue dries, glue pilaster
block7q' 3" 3%" C 2
pilastersat eachsetting. and clamp the frame to the carcase. J** lower
pilaster
blocklc' 3n 5u C 2
Cut the baserail (G) and archblank To make the upper pilaster blocks
K key Vc' 51/q' C 1
5o
(H) to the sizeslisted.Mark the 5" (I) and lower pilaster blocks (J),
L** baseogee %" 4' 32%" C 1
centerwidth on the arch blank, where start with a t/+x3x24"board. Install a M** base
shownon the Arch drawing.Flex a thin V2" cove bit in your table-mounted return
ogees %" 4o 1tl2" C 2
strip of wood to the shapeof the arc, router. Using your miter gauge fitted N** base
blockooees 3/t' 4' 41/z' C 2
tying a loop of string aroundthe strip's with an auxiliary fenceto back the cut, O'* baseside
endsto hold the curve.Use this strip to rout coves on both ends of the board. ogees Vt' 4' 14' C 2
draw the curveon part H, thenbandsaw Cut 3tA" off both endsfor parts I. Rout P'* archogees 3/t' V+u 13/q' C 2
and sandto the line. coveson the endsagain,and cut 5" off Q'* returnogees 3/t' Vcu 11/z' C 4
Mark the biscuit locations on the the endsfor partsJ. Cut the key (K) to R** key ogee 3/q' lq' 6t/z' C 1
baserail, arch,and pilasters.Plunge size, and rout the cove. Mark the side S** blockogees 3/q' {qn 41/z' C 2
the biscuitslots.Glue andclamptogeth- tapers,as shown on the Key drawing.
T** sideogees 3/q' Vc' 14 C 2
U frontcleat Vq' 11/2"371/q' C 1
V sidecleats 3/q' 1t/2' 111/8' C 2
W* pediment
lront%" 9" 387+"EC 1
X* pediment
sides Vc' ?/a" 13Va'C 2
Y** fillers 5/e' l+' 13%' C 2
Z" sidecove lVz' 11/z' 14t/s' LC 2
M** frontcove 11/z' 1r/2" 201/z'LC 2
BB**covereturn 11/z' 1r/z' 21/t' LC 2
CC finialbase 3/q' 21h' 5u c1
DD- finial 21/quZVc" 55/a' LC 1
-Partsinitially
cutoversize.
**Mulliplepartscutfroma longerblank.
MaterialsKey: CP<herryplywood, C,-cherry,
#8 x 7a"F.H. E0-edge-glued cherry,LO-laminated cherry.
wood screw (4),
Supplies:#8x72" roundhead woodscrews
p,/ #8x%"flathead woodscrews(6),#8x1%" flathead
I woodscrews (16),#10biscuits (8),t/e"hard-
board,glue,stain,clearsatinlinish,low-voltage
halogen lightkit(3 lightswithtransformer),7e'-
thickglassshelves (optional).
BuyingGuide
1/qx41/2x8" Thefollowingitemsareavailable
fromConstantine's:
5/a'
recessed-mount pilaster
7? brass-finish standards
#8 x /2" R.H.
1 no.12586, $3,95each(4);bnass-linish
shelf
pack(2packs);
wood screw no.SS21B,
supports $1.75/10
5/ax 3/ax g" stock
hardwood finialno.WF52,$4.95;self-adhesive
rubber
bumpers glassshelves)
(foroptional no.
CH462, $1.95/100 pack.Call800/223-8087.Add
DRAWING
1
FlutingCarriage NY;FLresidents,
shipping, addtac
of a businessor
www.woodonline.com playingcard 55
makea federalcase
Bandsawand sandto the line. Glue and Srown the ease
clamp parts I, J, K to the pilastersand urith a pediment
arch, where shown on the Exploded Cut the front cleat (U) and side
View and Arch drawings. cleats (V) to size. Drill pilot and
Becauseyou want the wood grain of countersunkshankholes,and screwand
the baseogeemoldingsL, M, N, O glue the cleats in place. Position the
to be continuous, cut a t/qx4x84" board front cleat 13la"back from the edgesof
for these parts. Install an ogee bit the key ogee (R) and block ogees(S),
(Freud #99-006 or equivalent)in your and the side cleats l3/s" in from the
table-mountedrouter,and rout one edge edgesof the sideogees(T), as shownon
of the board. Miter-cut the base ogee the Pedimentdrawing.
(L) to length from the center of your Edge-glueaz/+x10x40"blank for the #8 x 11/+F
" .H.
pedimentfront (W), and miter-cut it wood screw
board, and glue and clamp it in place. \
Keeping the left and right cutoffs in to length. Cut two tAx3VzxI4" blanks
order, miter-cut in turn the base return for the pediment sides (X), and miter-
ogees(M), base block ogees(N), and cut them to length.When placedagainst
basesideogees(O). Glue andclampthe the cleats,the pedimentfront and sides
parts in place as you cut them. overhang the arch ogees (P) and side
For the ogeemolding P, Q, R, S, T, ogees(T) by %".
cut at/+x4x30"board.Rout ogeeson Make two copies of the Pediment
both edges,setyour tablesawrip fenceat Front from the WOOD PATTERNSa
3A", and rip off both theseedges.Joint insert. Because one half-pattern is
oneedgeof the remainingboard,androut reversedto make the full pattern,cut it
and rip a third pieceof ogeemolding. To along the patternlines. Adhere the pat-
assistin aligning the ogeemoldingsflush tern halvesto the blank with sprayadhe-
with the carcasetop, clamp a piece of sive, matching them at the cutline.
plywood large enoughto protrude at the Install a fine blade in your jigsaw, and
front and sides of the carcase.Cut, fit, cut and sandto the patternline. Glue and
and glue the moldings in clamp the pedimentfront
place in their alphabetic to the cleat.
sequence,as shown on Fit the pedimentsides
the Exploded View (X) in place,and mark
drawing, pushing the the 22V2" slope of the
molding up against the pediment front on their Cut a t/qxs/8x30"strip for the fillers
protruding plywood. mitered ends. Tilt your (Y). Bevel-rip one edge, as shown
We used Titebond tablesaw blade to this on the Filler drawing. Trim the parts to
Wood Molding Glue angle, and bevel-rip the length, then glue and clamp them in
becauseof its strongini- pediment sides to width. place, where shown on the Exploded
tial tack and fast set. Glue and clamp the pedi- View and Pedimentdrawings.
Removethe plywood. ment sidesto the cleats. From 3A"-thrckstock, laminate two
lVzx2%x48"blanksfor the covesZ,
AA, BB. Cut a window in a piece of
DRAWINGS2 & 3 poster board, as shown in Drawing 2.
Forming Raisethe sawbladeto3/8",andplacethe
the cove
fence
Tablesaw
Measure
this angle.
Angle
Bladeraised measuredin
lo 3/e" Drawing2.
Bladeteeth Straightedge
touch frame at
theselocations.

cove returns(BB) to length.Make your
cuts so the wood grain is continuous
and the marked backs are againstthe
pediment front and sides. Glue and
clamp the covesto the pediment.
Cut the finial base(CC) to size,
and drill the centeredhole for the
finial's tenon.Rout the ogeeprofile on
the bottom edges.Glue and clamp the
finial base to the pediment, centered
front-to-backand side-to-side.Glue and
clamp the finial (DD) in place. See the
Buying Guidefor the sourceof our finial.
r>-,.'
\<_,7
Note: For those of you who wish to
turn your own .finial, laminate three
pieces of th"-thick stock to form a
21hx214x7" blank. See the pattern
insertfor a full-size pattern.
,&mgx&pB$rwf*n"*$mfu,
ffirT#
sn*'t-*$H
tfumfgmrdwmre
Finish-sandthe project to 220 grtt,
and removethe sandingdust.If you
wish to get an agedlook quickly, apply
1/2"cove
a stain. (We used Minwax Gel Stain
\..:/'-:i Cherrywood607.)When the staindries,
apply two coatsof a clear satin finish,
t" sandinglightly betweencoatswrth220-
Low voltagehalogen
/ ------l
v lightfixture grit sandpaper.
th
--t--
"rlt
+17"
3/ u -
"u lt' l*
If you drilled your carcase for
lights, install them accordingto the
instructions.(We chose to mount the
transformerout of sight on top of the
cabinetbehindthe pediment.)
MOLDINGBLANK
window over it. Turn the window until SECTIONVIEW Attach the shelf standards,snap in
the blade touches the edges of the the shelf supports,and install the
cutout. Measure the angle, as shown. shelves.See the Buying Guide for the
Clamp a straightedge to your table- Complete the cove molding by mak- source of our standardsand supports.
saw, as shown tn Draw,ing 3. Lower ing the four cuts shown in Drawings To cushion glass shelves,apply self-
the blade to 1/ro",and feed your blanks 4-7. Mark lines along one of the back- adhesivepadsto the shelf supports.Q
over it. Raise the blade rn t/to" incre- cuts to keep the profiles oriented when
ments until you reach the full 7s" depth, cutting the blanks into parts Z, AA,BB. Writtenby Jan Hale Svec with Gharles l. Hedlund
as shown in the Molding Blank Section Using one piece of molding for each Projectdesign:Doug Guyer
lllustrations:
RoxanneLeMoine;Lorna Johnson
View drawing and Photo B. Sand away side of the pediment, miter-cut the Photographs:Baldwin Photography;
the saw marks. side coves (Z), front coves (AA), and Wm. Hopkins
uii:f'ffit-ffi,
ffi
You've built a great-lookinglittle gift box, and now there'sjust one thing left to do:
Put on the hinges.Sometimes,that last stepcan ruin your day. It's tough to find and
install hingesthat look great,fit precisely,and work perfectly.
We roundedup an assortmentof five stylesof box hingesand setout to makeyour
task easier.We'll sharethe installationtips and techniqueswe discoveredalong the
way, helping you get greatresultswhetheryou're crafting a singlebox or a hundred.
Minj.-but.mighty h[nge.s
Let's start with the sim- edge of both the lid and
plest hinge of the bunch. base of the box. The
These little hinges are tricky part is that the edge
inexpensive,inobtrusive, of the chamfer should
and their motion relies on slice right through the
two cylinderswith knuck- centerlineof the holes, as
lesjoined by a pin. seenin the photo at right. These littlehingesare all you
With the installation We cut holes along the need for a small box. They're
method shown here, they edge of a scrap board, also the most inexpensiveones
we used,at 50 cents apiece.
offer another advantage then fiddled with the posi-
over most box hinges.Insteadof requir- tion of our tablesaw'srip fenceto sneak
ing a separatestay,simple chamferscut up on the right position.
on the tablesawwill hold the open lid in
an upright position. Install the hinges. Mix up a small
batch of epoxy adhesive, and use a
Drill, then cut. Drilling for the hinges toothpick or small dowel to wipe a tiny
follows a proceduresimilar to that for amount on the wall of eachhole. Insert
the banel hinges discussedon page 60. the hinges, as shown in the photo at
It calls for a drill-presstable fitted with right, positioningthe hinge pins parallel
a fence, a stopblock, and a spacer. with the back edge of the box. While
Thesehingesrequirea 5-mm hole. You the epoxy remainswet, gently close the
have to carefully set the stopblock box. The hinges should automatically
twice, as shown in Drawing I, in order completethe alignment.If you need to
for the hingesto mate. rotatea hinge, use a pair of needle-nose
After you've drilled the holes, you pliers. Immediately wipe up any epoxy
need to cut a chamfer alons the back squeeze-out.
handyhinges
When you want to focus Make another spacer.

all of the attentionon the Cut a board from scrapto
box itself, choosea hinge hold the lid even with the
that does a disappearing base, as shown in t he
act. With the lid closed, photo belovv left. The
the barrel hinge hides spacerallows you to use
completely inside the the samedrilling depthfor
box. When you open the both the lid and the base.
box. the hinge's inter- After drilling the first
lockins leaves unfold setof holes,usethe spac-
gracefullywith a high-techlook. er from the first step to repositionthe
You do face a coupleof tricky instal- stopblockto the right of the drill bit.
lation steps.Fortunately,eachpotential Complete the drilling, and insert the
problemhasan easysolution. hinges as shown. They fit snugly into
the holes,then you turn the adjustment
The spacermakesit easyto install
the hinges.Gentlyswingingthe lid Set up your drill press. Chuck the screw to force them to expandand fit
shutwillhelpsquarethe hingesto correct brad-point bit into your drill evenmore securely.
the box.Then tightenthe screwin press-the hinges we
each hingeto secureit in place. usedcalledfor a 14-mm
bit-and clamp on a
fencethat centersthe bit
on the box's rear edge.
Lower the bit to the
drill-press table, then
placea spacerto the left
of the bit as shown in
Drawing 1. We used a
2"-long spacer for our
10" box. Slidethe stop-
block againstthe spac-
er, and clamp it to the
fence. Remove the
spacer,but don't throw
it away.
Besthardwaretn a supportingrole
Sophlsti-cated. -hing-es
Here's a box hinge with the setup.Be careful notto
undeniable appeal. The set the depth of cut too
exposed brass knuckle deep. ff you do, the back
provides a gleaming con- of the box will close
trast to dark-colored hard- before the front edges of
woods, such as walnut, the base and lid meet,
cherry, or the mahogany resulting in a gap. Aim for
that we used. The snug, a test cut that.leaves the
mortised fit quietly edge of the hinge leaf just
assertsthe quality of your proud of the surface.
craftsmanship.You don't haveto con-
fesshow easyit wasto installthishinge Rout, then change the stopblock.
with a simplerouter-tablesetup. Openthebox andmakepencilmarkson
the box sideswhereyou'll cut the mor-
Get rcady to rout. The key to suc- tises.Wittr the setupshownin the first
cessfully installing this hinge is a photo(right),you'll rout onesideof the
straight router bit that matchesthe box's base,andthemortisein thelid on
width of oneleaf.Testthis in a pieceof the oppositeside. ABOVE:Cutthefirstsetof mortises
scrap.For the hinge we chose,a /16"- Hold each piece tightly againstthe by slidingthe boxalongthefence
diameterbit was a perfect mate. (See fence,andmoveit acrossthe router bit untilthe endhitsthe stopblock.
the Buying Guide box on page 63 for Maintainfirmcontactagainstthe
from right to left. After you've com- fenceas you backout of the cut.
detailson boththe hingeandbit.) pletedthosecuts,you'll needto move BELOW:To makethe secondsetof
Mount the bit in your table-mounted the stopblockto the right side of the mortises, you'lllowereachboxpart
router, and clamp on a fenceto center fence.Use your gaugeto set the stop- ontothe runningbit,andmovethe
thebit on thetop edgeof thebox's side. block exactly the samedistancefrom partto the left.
Raise the bit so that the depth of cut the bit asit wason the left side.
matchesthe thicknessof oneleaf of the
hinge. Then flrn to your stopblock Gomplete the mortlges, Cut the
arrangement, asexplainedin the sidebar remainingmortisesas shown at rigltt.
below, and also make the gauge.We Iowerthe workpieceontothespinningbit
chamferedthe bottomedgeof the stop- and slide it alongthe fenceto ttre left.
block so that accumulatedsawdust Don'ttry to makethecutin tlreotherdirec-
wouldn't get in the way. tion-you'll risk tearingout thewood.
Be sureto positionthe stopblockfor a Making sure that you mount both
mortisethat lets the entireknucklepro- hingesin the sameorientation,drive the
ject past the box's rear edge.For the screws,and checkthe action.If neces-
hinge we chose,the mortise is L%0" sary,clampor tapethebox shut,andsand
long. Make a testcut in scrapto check the sidesto achievea perfecflyflushfit.
Foraccura makethis
handyhinges
BLg-and..b-rast-round-hinge_s
If you like the look of pol- cards between the lid and
ished brass, this hinge the box. Creating this
gives you a lot to love. slight clearance at the
And, as if that weren't back will help make sure
enough,it's also extreme- that the more visible seam
ly easy to install. With a at the box's front will
few tips that we discov- close tightly.
ered, you'll probably After securing the box
install a set of these shut with strips of mask-
hinges even faster than ing tape, we carefully
you can read about them. marked the holes' centerpoints in the
middle of the base/lid seam andZ" from
Test the fit. Of course, we first the ends of our 10" box, and drilled the
checkedthe hinge's fit by drilling a test holes as in the photo at left. Although
hole in a piece of scrapwood.When you you might be tempted to save a little
With careful layout and a go searching for drill bits, don't over- time by hand-holding the box, we found
high drill-pressfence,drilling that a high drill-press fence added a lot
look metric sizes-many hinges are
for the roundhingesis a
safe and sure operation. actually made to metric dimensions, of stability and gave us more security in
and standardbits may offer a close but hitting our marks.
imperfect fit. For the hinges we used,
we found that a 35-mm Forstnerbit was NoW set the hinges. Pressthe hinge
just right. into the hole, and visually align the axis
When you drill your test hole, carefulof the hinge pin with the base/lid seam.
ly record the depth setting so you don't Drive the screws, and you're done. For
sink the hinge too deeply. Leaving the a few tips on accuratelyplacing the fas-
hinge's body slightly proud of the wood teners,seethe sidebarbelow.
surfaceis better than overdrilling. You can purchasea stop for the hinge
that mounts atop the lower leaf to hold
A tight lid is in the catds. Here's a the lid in its opened position. The stop
little card trick to ensurethat the box's looks a bit chunky, but it works well.
lid stays tightly shut, even through For a small box, you could install a
repeatedcycles of the wood's expan- stop on only one hinge, or add stops to
sion and contraction due to moisture both hinges. Use the longer screw
changes. Before we drilled the holes that's furnished with the stop to handle
for the hinges, we inserted business its extra thickness.
screwdrivin

Barbed hinges are a Measure for stops.
favorite with wooodwork- W hen the fence j i g i s
ers who make large batch- ready to go, measurefor
es of boxes, especially your stopblockpositions.
pen-presentation boxes You'll use two positions
a n d s r n a l lj e w e l r y c o n t a i n - to cut the kerfs. It' s
ers. They love the fact that important to note that
barbs on the hinge make both positionsare located
installation fast, with no to the left side of the
glue or fasteners. Simply bl ade. For our 8" -l ong DRAWING
4 )
push the hinge leaves into the kerfs, and box, we located the stopblocks 2" and Guttingthe
you're finished. 6" frorn the center of the blade. kerfs
But home woodworkers who make Once everything is ready, set the drill
only an occasional box face a paradox. press at a low speed and cut the kerfs as
Yor,rhave to invest a significant amount shown in Drawirtg 4, centered in the
of time in preparation before you can stock. Pressthe box or lid firmly against
enjoy the speedy installation. the fence and stopblock as you cut.
First, you need to build a fence jig. Now turn to the tablesaw and refer to
See the sidebar and the Barbed Hinse Drawing 3. Adjust your blade to 45o,
Jig drawin g below for details. and make the chamfer cuts along the
And after you cut the hinge kerfs, you back edge of the box and lid where
need to make two precision cuts at the shown. Reset the blade to 90o, and cut
l _ _ _ _ _
tablesaw.Each of these cuts takes only the saw kerfs. Doing this creates clear-
Rotate
a few seconds, but the setup can be ance for the hinge's knuckle. box intoblade.
time-consuming.
Beware of the barbs. The barbs on
DRAWING
3 the hinge's leaves make installation a
Chamfer one-way process. If you want to do a
Buying guide
cuts test fit. you'll need to destroy a hinge by Side rail hinge,no. 126434,$22.99
flattening its barbs. Lay the hinge on a per pair;roundhinge,no. 129713,
thick metal plate, and tap the barbs with $25.99per pair;barrelhinges,no.
a hammer until they're flush. 27C 11,$3.99api ece;smallcylinder
When you're ready to hinge your hi nges,no. 06R 91,$4.99for a bag of
boxes, push one leaf of each hinge into 10; barbedhi nge,l arge,n o. 141588,
the base, then position the lid. Pushing $ 1 . 5 9p e r p a i r ,s m a l l ,n o . 1 4 1 5 8 9 ,
45'chamfer
the lid into place completesthe installa- $1.59per pair;cutter,large,no.
startsat edge tion. It's so eetsy,you'll forget about the 1 4 1 5 9 2$, 1 9 . 9 9s, m a l l ,n o . 1 4 1 5 9 1 ,
Box
of hingeslot work you did to reach this point.lF $ 1 9 . 9 9a; r b o r ,n o . 1 4 1 5 9 0$, 1 9 . 9 9a; l l
availablefrom Woodcraft.Call
Writtenby Bob Settich 8OOl225-1153
Photographs: Baldwin Photography
to order,or log on to
l l l u s t r a t i o n s :K i m D o w n i n g ; L o r n a J o h n s o n www.woodcraft.com.
Startwith a safe,stablejig
|l-+(-ll-(--].-
Barbed Centerdrillsaw in
HingeJig
aZ"plywood
www.woodonline.com fenceand 63
base
(I I i | -
\- \--L I
(;0ULI %
ln!uarters
buildthisframeddisplayto house
yourgrowingstate-quarter
collection
he releaseof new quarter-dollar Cut the frame sides (B) and frame
coins honoring each state in the top/bottom(C) to width, but about 1"
union has spurredgreatinterestin longerthanthe sizeslisted.Form the slot
collecting a complete set. The U.S. and the rabbet on your tablesaw, as
Treasuryhas already issued 11 coins, shownin the SectionView detail on the
and they will mint five new quarters Exploded View drawing. Make sure
eachyear,through2008.Seethe sidebar, your plasticglazing slideseasily in the
right for the schedule. slot.Chuck a Vq"round-overbit in your
Our map givesyou a great-lookingway table-mountedrouter, and rout the bead
to display your collection. The clear on the outside edges.Finish-sandthe
plastic glazing slides out, allowing you framepieces.
to easily add new coins. We've made Miter the partsB, C to fit aroundthe Scheduled release
room for two coin sets,one each from panel (A). Glue and clamp the frame of state quarters
the Philadelphiaand Denvermints. bottom andtwo sidesto the panel.Leave 1999 ; ZO6+
the top frame member loose. With the b-" .*'Delaware
ugtqvvqlv i Michigan ; lvtlvl llvqr I
Sit;Af'f riitl:fr!:r"r.i.i
rr:',,t:
:.ql.i,.'r: ,1i,;:i,:, glue dry, stain the paneVframeassembly il Pennsylvania I Florida
il NewJersev i Texas
Cut two rAx22x32"piecesof oakply- and the frame top. We usedMinwax Gel w
t Georoia i lowa
wood for the panel (A). Glue them Stain,Aged Oak #602. V Connecticut i Wisconsin
togetherback-to-back.Lay the laminat- Resaw into equal halves a '" 2000 i 2005
ed panel on a flat surface,and weight it t/qx4/ax60" piece of stock for the '
Massachusetts: California ,./
down until the glue dries. Finish-sand coin trim (D, E), and two 3/qx4Vqx27" ,.,i
: " Maryland i Minneso&P''
the panelandtrim it to the sizeshownin piecesfor the map blank (F). To ensure b'$e.qhSouthCarolina i Oregon )
\/
the Bill of Materials. uniformity,planeall the resawnpiecesto New Hamgphire:Kansas
Virginia i WestVirginia
,f
finished thickness at the
same time. Check the 2001 :2006 \
thicknessof your planed
stock by pushing it up
.4#*'
{** . ll::^Y:ll^,,^,
NorthCarolina ii li:I*
Nebraska
\
,. Rlrrode
lsland .i\Colorado oat'*
againstthe inside of the .
,:iril:: Vbrmont
1
I {orth Dakota
frame.It must comeup to,
;'*ir,t' Kentucky i $uth Dakota
but not interferewith, the zoo2 ,2aoz
slot for the glazing, as Tennessee ! Mohtana
shown on the Section Ohio i Washington
View detail. Edge-glue Louisiana i ldaho
the four 27"-Iongpiecesto Indiana I Wyoming
form a blank for the map, Mississippi i Utah
andsetit aside. 2003 i 2008
From the two 60"- lllinois i Oklahoma
Alabama : New Mexico
long pieces, cut the
Maine : Arizona
coin trim (D, E) to width,
Missouri iAlaska pa"
Arkansas : Hawaii
64 -{& b
rr-f'r1..irai:1- '' t
' "t:
,. , :... lf you havetrouble
,,:,:i':.',
removingthe pattern,
brushon paintthinner.The sol-
vent soaksthroughthe paper,
and softensthe adhesive.
but about 1" longerthan the lengthlist-

ed. Chuck a Va" cove bit in your table-
mounted router and rout the edges,as
shown.Clamp the loosetop frame mem-
ber to the panel/frameassembly,and
miter-cut the coin trim to fit aroundthe
inside of the frame. Remove the coin
trim. Starting 2tVta" from the points of
the miteredends,lay out the centerpoints
of the coin recesseson the trim, where
shown on the Exploded View drawing.
Chuck a 1" Forstner bit in your drill
press,and drill the recesses,except for
the ones that bridge the miters. Finish
sandthe coin trim, then glue and clamp
it in place.
With the glue dry, remove the top
frame and mark the centers of the
coin recessesat the miters. Supporting
the frame assemblywith a roller stand,
drill the comerrecesseson your drill press.
Now, add the rnap

Copy the Map patterns from the
WOOD PATTERNSainsert.Retrieve
the map blank, finish sandit, and adhere
the patternto it with sprayadhesive.Let
the adhesivedry, then drill all the coin
recesseson your drill presswith a 1"
Forstnerbit. Scrollsawthe outlinesof all
the states,exceptHawaii. Cut the islands
out of the rectangle,as indicated.We
useda #5 blade.To breakthe map down
into manageablepieces,follow the pat-
tern's numbered iurows. Save cutoffs
from Florida'sGulf coastand Mexico's
California/Arizona./NewMexico border
to uselater when positioningthe map on
the panel.From the rest of the scrap,cut
the coin squares(G), mark the centers,
and drill the recesses.Removethe pat-
tern from the statesand the coin squares.
Setthe squaresaside.
With small pieces of masking tape,
assemblethe lower 48 statesinto a
complete map. Keep the states a saw
kerf apart. When the map is complete,
cover it with strips of 2"-wide masking
tape,overlappingthe strips.
65
Note: Panelis permanentlyattachedto upperframe.
Upperframe is not gluedto side frames.
ourcountryin quarters
%0"pilothole
for brad
\
\
#18 x t/2"brad
/B" acrylicpanel
211/2"
Miteredcorner zAa"rabbelTa"deep alonginsideedge
/+" bead alongoutsidesedge

/e" cove along insideedge
\ " " Ya'slot7a"deep
s&
1/c"tromfrontedge
-__t___
1s/a'
II
Plaque
Miteredcorner
1" holes%0"deep
PLAQUE
To orderthis 1% x 5" plaque,

see the BuyingGuide.
30s/o
EXPLODED
VIEW

*Resawand plane 3/ax 51/zx 36" Oak
from s/q"stock.
A- panel 215/8"315/16"LP 1
B- framesides 3/i 114a"223/a" 0 2
Ct frame
top/bottom s/qu 11A6"
321h6"0 2 1/qx 51/zx 96" Maple
u" cotnmm
top/bottom 1/i' 1%" 30%0" M 2
E* cointrimsides 1/q, 1s/a' 207/a' M 2
F mapblank 1/q' l/c x 51/zx 96" Maple
17' 27' EM 1
G coinsquares 1/q' 1t/q' 11/i' M B
H gldzing t/a" 21t/r"31t/0" A 1
- Partsinitially
cutoversize.
MaterialsKey: P-taminated oakplywood,0-oan,
M-maple, EM-edge-glued maple,A-acrylic. @
Supplies:.0g6x30x36" clearacrylic
sheet,
#18x1/z"wirebrads, #4x7s" brassroundheadwood
screws \21,#6xt/2"roundhead woodscrews (4),
brass-platedeyelets (2),braidedmirror-hanging
wire,glue,stain,finish,
BuyingGuide @
Plaque: Brass{inish plaque.Send$3.00anda
seltaddressed, stamped business-size
envelopeto:
W00Dmagazine CoinMap,1716Locust Street,
GA-310, DesMoines, lA50309-3023. 1/cx 48 x 48" Oak plywood
Positionthe map on the framed panel assembly. and luy the assentbly face
with Washington 7/s" from the top down on yoLlr workbench. Fit the top
trini. California 7s" from the side trim. flame in place. with the glazing fully
and Florida lVt" from the botton'rtrirn. seateclin its slot. Drill bracl pilot holcs
I
Use double-faced tape to adhere the thror.r_sltthe top franre and glazinr.
j
pieces of the Gulf and Mexico in place. Renrove the top ll'arne ancl enlar,eethe f
as shown in Pltoto A
Fold the westernUnited Statesalon-e
the line partially formed by the
h o l e s i n t h e g l a z i n g t o 2 r , " . R e p l a c et h e
top frante. and drive the bracls.where
shown. Screw a pair of hanging eyelets
w*
Missouri River. Apply a few dots of to the frante's back. and attachthe braid-
white _9lueon the back of each state, as ed wire. Drill pilot holesand screwthe
showrrin Photo B.Lay the westernstates p l a q u e i n p l a c e . S e e t h e B L r y i n _G uuide
back down. Fold the eastern states over fbr or-rrplaque soLrrce.
and repeat the process, as shown in T o l o a d c o i n s .l a y t h e d i s p l a yf l a r o r r
Pltoto C. Check the alignnient with the a table. Slide thc ulazing rvith
Gulf and Mexico, and pressdown firmly attachecltop trante nrentlrer oLrt of its
on all the statesto make sr.rrethe glue s l o t . a n d s c t i t u s i c l c .P l i . t e et h c c o i n s i n
makes contact with the panel. Glue t h e i r r e s p e c t i v er e c e s s e sK. e e p t h e c o i n s
Alaska. Hawaii, and the ei-eht coin in proper alignrnentwith a small wad of
squaresfor the small eastern states in T a c ' N S t i k r e m o v a b l e a c l h e s i v e( a v a i l -
place, where shown on the Exploded a b l e a t o l f i c e s u p p l ys t o r e s ) D . isplaythe
View drawing. coins frorn one nlint oll the ntap. zrndthe
others around the perinteter. Slide the
epp$y tfus* ilurtyS;$"r ;,,"1"1r'i glazin_eback in place. and hang the dis-
$mgt"*fi$ .t"f;t&g;IiffHi.*r': play on yor,rrwall. Sec thc sidebar on
Withthe-elue dry,remove themask- puge 64 for the coins ah'eadyavailable,
ing tape. Finish the map/fran-re and the scheduleof l'uturereleases.JF
assernblyand the loose top frame piece
with three light coats of satirr Written by Jan Hale Svec ,,irt, Erv Roberts
P r < - r j e cDt e s i g n : J a m e s R . D r , w n i n g
polyLrrethanefl'om a spray can.
l l l u s t r a t i o n s ,K i m D o w n i n g ; L o r n a J o h n s o n
Cut the acrylic glazing to size. Slide Photographs: Baldwin Photography;
it into the slot in the map/frame Wm. Hopkins
www.woodonline,com
67
il
-
IE
II the blade close to the workpiece without
II f-earof it lulching down into the rnaterial.

To accept the l " arbor bore on 12"
II blacles.Ridgid Llsesa solid l" n1$e1-ne
I
srr-rallrnachinirrgtask. The rest of the
nrodels in our test Llsea /s" ilrbor shaft
that they convel't to l" with either a
shoulclered arbor flan-ee. or an arbor
flange and a rerrovable spacer-washer
in the case of DeWalt and Makita. In a
n the marketfor a compoundmiter- c o m p o s i t et r i m m a t e r i a l s .T o e l i m i n a t e pinch. you could remove the washer
saw'?These days, you can easily any perfbrmance issues that rnay have frorl either saw and nse a 1O"-diameter
spend$500for a slidingsaw.Evena been cansedby using the suppliedblade. blade on the now -7s"albor. Using this
prernium10" compoundmitersawwill we then replaced it with a high-cprality. method" the Makita LS 1220 cnt com-
set you back $250-$300-and it maxes 80-tooth crosscLrt blade and repeatedthe pletely through a 6t/:" -wtde workpiece.
out at 5%"-widestock.If you needmore cuttin_etcsts. while the DeWalt DW705 lefi a small.
cuttingwidth,considersteppingup to a While mnnin_9each saw through its toothpick-sizedbit of stock connectin_e
12" compoundmitersaw.It's like super- paces. we evaluated ease of operation. the "keeper" and werstepieces where the
sizingyour order at the tast-foodplace: visibility anclreaclabilityof scales.saf'e- blade couldn't reach.
You get an extra 2-2/2" of cutting ty, poltability. ch-rstcollection, fence Gearing reducesthe universalmotors'
capacitvfor just a little moremoney. d e s i g n .a n d a c c e s s o r i e sF,i n a l l y , w e d i s - 15.000revolutions per rninnte (rpm) to
assembled and inspected the internal an arbor speedbetween3,000 and 4,000
Here's how we put these parts of each tool. We were pleased to rpm. These gears rest in an aluminum
foot soldiers to the test find high-quality bearin_ssand compo- housing bolted to the motor and carriage
We startedour exarn o1' these seven nents being used on every selw.
mitersawsby checkingand adjusting(if
necessary)all of the out-of-the-box Saw performance starts
alignmentsand settingsusing a preci- with the drive train
sion-groundplate. After a short motor All of the models we reviewed fbr this
break-in, we measured motor-shaft article offer l5-amp rnotors fitted with
speedwith a phototachometer, and noise electric brakes to slow blade rotation
levelswith a soundmeter. quickly. and externally replaceablecar-
T o c h e c k c a p a c i ty .c u t bon brushes. Only Makita's LSl220
quality, and accLlracy.we came ecluippedwith soti-start circuitry.
subjectedeach saw to a This helps minirnize the head lnovement
seriesof test cuts at various caused by motor torque as the motor
DeWalt(shown) and Makita use a spac-
bevel and miter angles,cut- starts. and it ntade a noticeable differ- er washer to center the blade's 1" arbor
ting pine, oak, and several ence.We were able to start this saw with hole on their 7e"arbor.
a.r,;:i::.j,
4iil 1r-. ,':ir
$i*i,l!@*dqr'8s
FAST FACTS
.U ni rk*a ' 10"mi tersawa, 12"mccl el
gi vesyout hecapa-
biiitytr: bevel-cutnarrowstock,suchas trim and base
malcJing, on edgeand againstthe fence.
.Fcr cabinet-quality cuts. replaceilre factory*supplied
bladewitha premiunrB0*iooth crosscuthlade.
.Outslcje thc worksi'rop,12" mitersawseasilycrosscut
4;<4anci2x8 dinrensi*rial lumt:er**
even4x6 timhersat
0" nrit*rand bevel"*{orl}lY proiects.
l,'.f'.' :.-1:i
',i.',-.-
t,:;":tS
saws
superstze
arm, with the gear shaft serving as the
blade arbor.
Makita had the slowest arbor speed
(3,159 lpm), and Craftsmanthe fastest
(3,997rpm).The higherspeedcut faster,
but other than that. we observed no
advantagein cut quality.
As you might imagine, universal
motorsturning at 15,000rpm createcon-
siderablenoise. Tested under no load,
most units loggedlevels in the 105-106
decibel (dB) range,when measuredfrom
36" away. The Craftsmanwas the loud-
est at 111 dB; the Makita, a comparative
whisper at 102 dB. Typically thesesaws
run for shortintervalsso noisehereisn't
as critical as on a tablesaw, but you
should still wear hearing protection
when using them.
llQkins thg.cut throush

thick and thin Above:Bosch'sleft extensiontable
All of the saws we testedcan miter-cut slides out for supportand in for trans-
at least 45" both left and right, plus a bit port. The hex wrenchstoreson the base.
beyond for those occasionalcuts when
an extra degreeor two is neededto make Left: Largemarkingsand a hairlinecur'
sor makeGraftsman'sdual bevelscales
a perfect fit. (Larger angles will reduce easyto readfrom eitherside of the
the capacity slightly.) saw-until the dust flies.
Each saw also bevel-cuts(that is, the
head tilts to the left) at any angle from nearly 20" to either side of the blade.
(H5'. The Ridgid MS1250 is the only Unfortunately, we couldn't make the
machinein the test that provides a -3o to rods on our unit level with the tabletop
+50obevelrangewithout havingto reset (seephotobelow),so they didn't provide
the 0o and 45' bevel stops.Instead,the any real stock support. Makita and
saw employs a unique stop system that four common bevel- and miter-angle DeWalt offer workpiece supports only
engagesin one position for 0o and 45o combinations.Stock thicknessand width as an accessory.
only; a secondposition for thoseangles have an inverse relationship on these
plus the 33.9' crown-molding bevel cutting machines: As you increase the The turntable can make
angle; and a third position that defeats thickness, you lessen the maximum or bneak a saw
the stops completely.The Bosch 3912 width you can cut, and vice-versa. A mitersaw's turntablerotatesto present
alsohasa33.9obevel stop. While we're on the subject of size, the saw blade at the desiredmiter angle
Typically, the bevel scales on most with proper externalsupport,you can cut to the fence. Each saw in our test had
saws challenged our patience (and our material as lengthy as your work space nine pre-set stops, called detents, built
tester's tired eyes). Small, condensed, will allow. But heavy workpieces or in. These detents allow you to quickly
and located at the back of the saw, most thoselonger than about36" require more set miters at the mostly commonly used
are difficult to read and to set accurately. support than these mitersaws can pro- angles-l5o, 22.5o, 31.6" (for crown
Craftsmanengineershelpedby putting a vide on their own. molding), 45" left and right, and 0" (per-
scaleon both the left and right side of the The tables on most of the sawsoffer a pendicularto the fence).
supportarm, and using a hairline cursor, fair amountof supportall by themselves. Bosch, Craftsman,and DeWalt use the
as shown in the photo above middle. Each model provides II-I2" of tabletop tried and true lock-knob and finger-lift
Unfortunately,dust collectedunderneath both left and right of the blade, and most
the cursor'sbezel so it still was hard to offer some type of left-side extension.
clean and read. In fact, many of the The Delta and Porter-Cable saws pro-
scales quickly became obscured with vide the most support with extensions
sawdust,but those on the Delta, Makita, that reach17" to the left. Bosch'sunique
and Porter-Cable were the easiest to extension (shown at top) slides out as
clean,read,and use. neededto increaseleft-of-blade support Craftsman'ssteelsupport
The Cutting Capacity columns of the to 16", then stowsfor transport. offer,lhe widest
rode..Srpgld:
chart on page 72 show the thickest and If they worked properly, Craftsman's
widest piece you can cut on each saw at formed-steel supports would stretch

detent-lock releases-loosen the knob ing the miter angle when you have to For attachinga subfence,all of the saws
slightly, then lift the releasewith your compensatefor an out-of-square joint. in our test come pre-drilled. Whenever
index finger-and these were easy to One more note about turntables:In the possible, we recommendusing such a
use. The Bosch releaseworks well. but center of each saw's turntable is an subfence,especiallyon sawswith shorter
we found it easyto overtightenthe knob, insertto keep sawdustand small cutoffs fences, such as the Craftsman and
which changed the alignment of the from falling into and jamming the cut- Makita. Although a subfence reduces
turntableon our unit. ting throat. During use, and especially cutting capacity slightly, it creates a
Ridgid and Makita use a push-down when beveling, the kerf gets widened zero-clearancebacker, and will give you
detent release.However, becauseof andclosebladeclearanceis lost. Makita, less backsidetearout on your cuts. We
their location (straddlingthe miter-lock unlike the others, uses a two-piece also find one helpful for aligning stock
knob), we find the thumb-operated, insert, shown below right. Adjust both when making compoundcuts becauseit
push-downlock releasesmore awkward sides to suit the task-close for near- showsthe exactpath of the blade.
to usethan finger-lift versions. zero-clearunceon delicatecuts, widened
The Delta and Porter-Cablemitersaws, for bevel or generalcutting.
which are otherwiseremarkably similar,
differ in their detent-locking systems. il
Delta usesa spring-loadedball bearing
detentsetupcombinedwith a lever that
unlocksinstantlywith a squeeze.On our
unit, though, the ball didn't drop posi-
tively into the detents,and we had to
gently rock the turntable back and forth
to get a solid engagement. The lever has
to be continually squeezedwhile doing
this. The Porter-Cablesaw usesa push-
down lock release.The knob locks and
unlocks with just one-quarterturn. You Above: Vernier scales on most saws
can't overtightenthe knob, but on our give you Vzoor th" accuracy. The angle
unit it required more force to operate. shown here is 77c".
When rotating the turntable, friction
Right: Makita's two-piece insert allows
between the table and frame can affect you to narrow the blade opening to
the ease of making accurate settings. reduce tearout or open it for bevel cuts.
Jumping to a detent wasn't a problem
but we found it hard to hit a specific More features
degreemark on some saws.For exam- Fence fashions: to consider
ple, the Delta, Porter-Cable,and Ridgid High and mighty oBlade guards. The guards on the
saws have generally smooth-operating Mitersaw fence design provides the Craftsman, Makita, and Ridgid miter-
turntables, but they sometimesbecame manufacturerswith a challenge:It must saws open quickly once the saw head
jerky and hard to setprecisely,requiring be high enoughto supporttall stock,but begins its downward plunge. Those on
both handsto positionthem.By compar- open enough to not interfere when lay- the Bosch, Delta, DeWalt, and Porter-
ison, we found we could accuratelyset ing the blade over for beveling. Most Cable saws stay a little closer to the
the Bosch,Craftsman,and DeWalt saws saws, except the Craftsman21222 and workpiece, which exposes fewer saw
anywhere on the scale with one hand. Makita LSI220, use a sliding left sub- teeth to fingers. These manufacturers
We liked DeWalt's operationbest. fence that setscloseto the blade for sup- mounted a small rubber wheel on the
As for the miter scalesthemselves.we port on 0o-bevelcuts, then shifts to the front left corner of their guards to keep
were pleasantly surprised with their left to clear the tilted blade.Makita uses the slower-openingguardsfrom hanging
readabilityand accuracy.Scaleson the a hinged subfencethat flips up and out up on your workpiecein bevel cuts.
Delta 36-235and MakitaLSlZ2} can be of the way when making a bevel-cut .Blade changing. All of the saws have
recalibratedif necessary;on the other (same effect, different method). an arborlock to easeblade-changing. But
saws,the scalesare castinto the base. Craftsman simply leaves the left fence only the Delta, Porter-Cable,and Ridgid
You don't need to read between the gapingfor all bevel angles. modelshold the bladeguardin its retract-
lines to get to fraction-of-a-degreeaccu- We liked the tall fenceson the Delta ed position while changing blades.
racy becauseseveralsawsincorporatea and Porter-Cableunits. Bosch engraves That's a big plus, becauseit keepsyour
vernier scale. such as the one shown a scale in Vs" incrementsonto the right handsfree for dealing with the arbor nut
above middle. Move the center cursor fence of the 3912-a nice touch for and blades. (On the other models, we
line to the nearestwhole degree,then use crosscuttingshortpieceswithout having tapedthe guardsopen with masking tape
the fractional cursorson the bezel to set to measureand mark. They also finish to easethe process.)
to the nearest t/+o(Bosch, DeWalt, and the fence face with a coarsecross-grind Although you probably won't change
Ridgid) or Vz"(Delta and Porter-Cable). that helps keep workpiecesfrom sliding bladesthat often, it's nice to be able to
We found this featurehelpful for tweak- around during the cut. find the wrench when vou do. A11of the
vnnw.woodonline.com 71
saws
supersrze
saws in our test, except for the trocKsuPPoRTl s / cuTTrirG
(rNcHES)I - t l
Craftsman, provided on-board wrench ,ca-
€-/ s'
il/'lr--/."**7 *r'/ s, s-/

storage.Besidesthe arbor wrench, the
Bosch, Craftsman, and DeWalt saws
require a screwdriver for the process.
.Blades and cut qualW. The sawscame
fitted with 32- or 40-carbide-tooth,
thin- s7-
HJ
kerf blades. Thin-kerf blades seem to tj l l F
a
las
have become the norrn on mitersaws,
even though there's a trade off in cut
quality. (They remove less material than
a full-kerf blade, thus making it seem BOSCH 3912 3,8650,45
33.9, 27
/o*
141lqx251lq t6
l'"",
l$ /s*/""--
12 511s.4 52,53 0-45', Zslqx73lt
that the saw motors have more power.)
Only DeWalt supplied a negativehook- CBAFTSMAN
21222 3,997 0, 45 2531t 13112x23 1 9 % 195/8 4 , 3 3 1 t 4 6 , 4 6 0-45. 23ltx71lz
angle blade, which we prefer for this
kind of saw.
DETTA 36-2353,321 0 , 4 5 36 18112x24 18 11 5 , 2 1 1 2 4 9 , 5 0 0-45- 23lax7slc
Although we observedsome chipping
and tearout, the factory-suppliedblades
did surprisingly well cutting hardwoods DeWALT DW7053,987 0, 45 2431q 14112x23 11 11 5,4 48,48 0-45. 21lzx73lq
and somemolding stock.To get delicate,

'l tlz,43lrc50,50 0-45- 23/ax77la
cabinet-grade cuts, you'll want to MAKITA 1S12203 ,159 0,45 32 133lax231lz 1 3/a 1131s
upgrade to a high-quality blade with a

zeto- or negative-hook angle, and at PORTER. 3802 3,426 0, 45 AR3L 18112x24 18 11 5,35/ro 49,49 0-45. 2slsx73lq
least60 carbideteeth. CABLE
oHandles and switches, The industry RIDGID MS125(3,4200 ,45
3 3 , 9 ,2731t 14112x25 15s/e 1231a 51ls,41la4 8,47 -3-50 23lqx 73le
appearsto have settledon the horizontal
D-shapedhandle with integrated on/off NOTES:
trigger-typeswitches.We like thesehan- witha phototachometer

1. Measured (.) Anglesabove450or below0o o. I rxcettent
requireresetting
stops.
dles-they're comfortable,easy to use, 2. Totallengthof saw,measuredfrom @ eooo
miterknobat frontto dustbag Plusor minus1/a"forfenceandbladevariations. ffirri,.
and we think safer to operatethan other (if so equipped)
at rear. Todetermine wetirst
thesecapacities,
designs.We didn't find any one superior foundthemaximum widtheachsaw
p eoo,
3. Including where
extensions, couldcut.Thenwefoundthemaximum
over the other,but combinedwith switch so equipped. thesawcouldcutat thatwidth.
thickness
variations,somedifferencesdid surface.
Two-stageswitchesrequirepressinga
safetyswitch, then squeezingthe power counter this, Bosch provides two sepa- distances.Saws with longer tables and
switch. This works well if you're right- rate safety buttons-one positioned for extensionstend to be more troublesome.
handedbut can be awkward for lefties, left-hand operation, one for right hand but not impossible,to handle.
or for that occasionalleft-end cut. To (see photo, below left). Also, safety oDust collection. These saws spew out
switcheson the Craftsman,Makita, and clouds of sawdust,but don't collect
Bosch'sdual safetyswitchescan be Ridgid operate easily with the left or much of it. All manufacturersexcept
triggeredwith the thumbof eitheryour right hand. Craftsman's safety switch DeWalt optimistically included small
rightor left hand. folds over the entire front of the handle, cloth bags for this-DeWalt offers one
and we found it uncomfortable. Bryan as an accessory.That said,the Delta and
Whiffen at Craftsman told us that the Porter-Cabledo collectmore of the saw-
switch will be changedin future models dust than the others.They've mounteda
to make it more user-friendly. Delta, rubber tube in the dust streamthat helps
DeWalt, and Porter-Cableuse single- collect and direct the waste toward the
stage trigger switches so there are no bag. Attaching a shop vacuum in place
safety buttons to deal with. of the bag improveddustcollectiona bit.
.PortabiliA. Mitersaws in general are oHold-down clamps. Many operators
awkward to tote around, and those simply handhold a workpiece on the
weighing more than 45 pounds can table and never use a clamp or hold-
becomea load if carriedfor a distance. down, but we prefer not having to put
Depending on your definition of our hands anywhere near the saw
"portable,"all sawsin the test passed- blade-especially when making com-
somemore easilythan others. pound cuts. Besides substituting as a
The new carrying handledesignedinto pair of hands, hold-down clamps
the saws (on all but Delta) definitely improve cut quality becausethey keep
helps in dead-lifting the machinesfrom workpieces from creeping on the table
the floor, and for carrying them short while being sawed. Bosch, Craftsman,

MAKINGTHECUT:HOWSEVEN12" MITERSAWS
COMPARE
(Tx W,INCHES)
CAPACITY (5) PERFORMANCE (6)
RATINGS
JorNT (7)l
ouALrrY
# I /*o/ I I
i/A/A
'*W
M%[/
/.*-/.*-
!**/#
27lex 51lz 11lzx73lt 2x55la G G G G G F F
3l3li
tlElA
/=**/**'
/ok / s-
G G G F G G F I t12
$7s*./=-.*/.-V coMMENTs
Largetableandoutstanding
1yr. TAI 41 $320 safety fence.Power"switch
triggerworkswith leftor righthand.
Easy-to-readdualbevelscales. Leftfence
2 1 l z x 5 1 l t 1 1 l z x 7 3 l t 11lzx51lt F G G G G G G G G P G F F I 1 yr, TAI 4 1 $299 provides
littlesupporttor tallgtr mitercuts.
23lax51lz11lzx7glq11/zx51lzG
'F s 2yrs Laroetablewithtallfence.Bestdustcollection
G G G F G G G G TAI 50 $2e9 in thetest.Miterdetentsarea littlesoft.
makesit easyto
2 ' t 2x 5 ' t 2 1 1 l z x 7 3 l q 11lzx51lzG G G G F N/A G G 7 1 yr. USA 40 $340 Smooth-gliding
turntable
setmiterangleswithonehand.Nodustbag.
andportable,
Lightweight withtheonlysoft-
23lax51lz11lzx73lt 11lzx51lzG G G G F I yr. USA 37.5$360 start
motorinthetest.oneofourfavorites.
2 3 l a x 5 1 l z 1 1 l zx 7 3 l q 1 1 l z x 5 1 l z G G G G G G F 1 0 'I yr. TAI 55.4 $350 Similar

to Delta36-235,butwithimproved
delentsandtwist-lock
miterlock.
Largetableandfence.Bestbevelsystemwith
23/qx51lz17lax73lt 13lax 51/z G G G F F G G G G G F 1 0 LIFE TAI 4S $300 expandedrangeandcrown-molding stop.
For nore information,conlact:

7 . Qualityof matingcuts madein3/qx41/2" 9. (USA)UnitedStates S-BPowerToolCo.(Bosch) Delta Makila Ridgid
Alljoints
stockat listedmiterandbevelangles. (TAl) Taiwan 877t267-2499 800/438-2486 800t462-5482 800t474-3443
cutwitha premiumquality,80-toothblade. www.boschtools.com www.makitatools.com www.ridgidwoodworking.com
www.deltamachinery.com
10.Allprices current
at timeof
(-) Lifetime
warranty
against
factorydefects. production.
article's Cratlsman DeWall Pofler-Cable
VisityourlocalSearsstore. 800/433-9258 800/487-8665
www.sears,com/craftsman www.dewalt.com www.oorter-cable.com
p
I
osch3912
Bosch3912 Craftsman
21222 D
Delta36-235
36-235 DewaltDW705 Makita151220 Porter-Cable
3802 Ridgid
RidgidMS12t
MS1250
Herets hOw Our with no jerking or two-handedstabiliz-

Delta, Porter-Cable,and Ridgid provide
SeleCtions Shake OUt ing required.If you prefer a quiet-oper-
a hold-downclamp; DeWalt and Makita
All of the saws were solid performers, ating saw with a genuine soft-start
offer them as optionalaccessories.
nicely finished,and easyto operate.But motor, considerthe Makita. It's also the
The quick-releaseclampson the Delta,
we'll give a slight edge to the DeWalt smallestand lightestsaw in the bunch-
Porter-Cable, and Ridgid saws work
DW705 and the Makita LS1220. Both important if you need to move the
well. The Delta/Poner-Cablelever-type
haveeasy-to-usecontrols,offer velvety- machinearound.f
clamps apply pressure from the top,
readily adjust for different stock thick- smooth operation, and are lightweigltt wrin"nbycharressommersandDaveGampberl
ness,and can be positionedin different andportable.DeWalt getsthe nod for its r""nni""i"onsuttant;
BobMcFartin
smooth gliding turntable adjustmenl Photographs:BaldwinPhotography
locationsaroundthe table, thus keeping
out of theway of theblade.Ridgid's screw-
type clamp squeezesthe stock from the Now tell us what you see in these mitersaws
side and againstthe fence with plenty of We'dliketo knowwhatyouthinkaboutthe sawsin ourtest,so we'veset up a 12'
pressure to hold a workpiece firmly. Mitersawsdiscussiongroup on our WOODONLINEoweb site. Log on to
Without a quick-adjust,hold-downclamps www.woodonline.com, Tool Reviewslink,and shareyour
clickon the Interactive
on the BoschandCraftsmansawsmustbe thoughtswithyourfellowwoodworkers.
tediouslyturnedto differentthicknesses.
wwvv.woodonIine.com 73
I '
| (l
l-- -/
t
S LU
Makea splashin
l,L-
LAC
Install a t/t" dado blade in
your tablesaw, and cut the
your bathroomwith dadoes and rabbets for the cor-
ner joints, as shown on the
this three-bay Rabbet and Groove detail on the
medicinecabinet. Side Cabinet drawing. When

cutting the rabbets, clamp an
auxiliary fence to the rip fence,
xpand your over-the-sinkstorage and position it so the blade just
with this pleasingbathroomproject. grazes its surface. To avoid
Recessedinto the wall, the centerbay chipping on the front edges,run
featuresholdersfor a curling iron and a the parts over the dado blade in
hair dryer.Wire in the outletinside,and pairs with their front edgesabut-
you havea handyplaceto plug them in. ting. Mark the front edges.Now
Add to this the two outsidemirror-clad form the rabbets for the backs (E) in the backs in place, as shown on the
doorsthat opentowardthe center,giving rear edgesof the sides (A, C), as shown. ExplodedView drawing.
you convenientthree-wayviewing. Make the shelf-support hole drilling Glue and clamp the three boxes
template from 1A" hardboard and togetherto form the carcase.Keepthe
Note: The center bay of strips of hardwood, as tops,bottoms,and the front edgesof the
/a" grooves 1/4"deep,
this cabinet fits in the centeredalongedge shown on the Hole boxesflush.
space befween wall studs Template drawing. Use
placed I6" on center, and
t\- double-faced tape to ff4mw yffi,ffik*
should be centered over 1/c"hard- secure each side (C), in *hrmmrmm**mg
dcsrs
your sink. After cutting the board turn, to the template, and Cut the sidedoor stiles(F), sidedoor
opening sized to the center drill the -%"-deep holes rails (G), and centerdoor lower rail
bay in your wall, be sure to on your drill press,using (H) to the sizeslisted. Make a couple
toenail in blocking top and a brad-point bit. Keep the extrapiecesto testthe half-lapsetupin
bottont to provide support tops of the sides against the next step.Cut the centerdoor upper
for the cabinet and nailers the template's top guide rail (I) to the length listed,but make it
for the drywall. and the fronts of the 41/+"wrde.Setthe rails (H, I) aside.
Not enough space for the sides against the tem- Installa3A" dadobladein your table-
flanking cabinets? Build plate's front guide. The saw, and form the half-lap joints in
just the center bay, and use double-sided template parts F, G, as shown on the Half-Lap
it crsshown, or outfit it with allows you to make detail on the Side Door drawing. Use
adjustable shelves. matching right- and left- your rip fence as a stop to control the
hand sides. lengthof the lap, To eliminatechip-out,
ffineate the Glue and clamp the back the cuts with an auxiliary fence
##r#ffiseftrst three box frames attachedto your miter gauge.Test the
Plane two t/qx8vax84" together, making sure setupwith the extra piecesbefore mak-
maple boards to V2" they are square and flat, ing your final cuts.Glue and clamp the
thick for partsA, B, C, D. and let them dry. Cut the two framesF/G together.Make surethey
Cut the center bay sides t/a"holes backs (E) to size and are squareand flat. Set them asideuntil
(A), centerbay ends (B), spaced clamp them to the the glue dries.
sidebay sides(C), andside 1" apaft frames. Drill the pilot Install a rabbetingbit in your table-
b ayends( D) t o t hes i z e si n DRAWING 1 and countersunk shank mountedrouter, and cut the rabbets
the Bill of Materials. Hole template holes, and screw the in the framesF/G, as shownin the Side
i
I
,
stylishstorage t/e"shank hole,

countersunk on back side
Door drawing and Photo A. Squarethe EXPLODEDVIEW
corners with a chisel. Form the same
Shelfsupport 1t/2" hole
rabbet in the lower center rail (H) and t/+"holes7a"deep,spaced
upper center rail (I), as shown in the 1" apartfor shelfsupports
CenterDoor drawing.
%0"round-overs
Cut the side door panels(J), center
door panel(K), andpaneledging(L)
to the sizeslisted.Installa %" slot cutter
(CMT #822.332.118, or equal)in your
table-mountedrouter. Adjust it so the
slot is centeredon the thicknessof the
panels.With the back of the panels(the
side facing the inside of the cabinet)
down, rout Vz"-deepslots in the long
Hingeplate
o
\ H i ns"
(
Carvedseashell ' #8 w asher
(centeredon rail)
t/e"mirroredglass
on frontof doors
Formthe t/e"rabbetsin the three-sided

framesF/Gby makingtwo passeswith the
rabbetingbit to reachthe full s/e"width.
edgesof all threepanels.Thenrout slots

in the panel edging(L). Do not change
your routertable setup. making sure everythingaligns properly. Mark the two endpointsandthe mid-
Cut four Vax1sAoxl83A" hardboard Becausethe slots are cut after the side point of the curveon the uppercenter
splines.Glue them into the grooves door frames are assembled,you must rail (I), whereshownon the CenterDoor
in oneedgeofeach ofthe sidedoorpan- round the endsof the splines,as shown. drawing.Drive wire bradsat thesepoints
els and both edges of the center door Make any necessaryadjustments,and and bend a thin strip of wood so it con-
panel. Then glue and clamp the panel when you are satisfiedwith the fit, glue tacts all three brads. Mark the curve,
edginginto place,as shown on the Side and clampthe doorstogether. then bandsawand sandto the line.
Door and CenterDoor drawings.When To make the curvedmolding (M) for
the glue dries, rout the slots in the pan- the center door, glue together two
els' top and bottom edges,keepingthe t/qx6xl4" piecesof plywood, par-
backsdown. ticleboard,or MDF, and trace
Without changing the router-table the curve you cut in the top
setup,andwith their backsdown,rout centerrail (D onto it, whereshown
slotsin the sidedoor frames.andthe cen- on the CurvedMolding Form draw-
ter lower rail (H) and center upper ing. Bandsaw the form along the
rail (D. Becausethe slot cutterpilot line. Cover the mating edgesof the
bearingrides on the Vs" lip formed 3/q" form with plasticpackagingtape so
when rabbetingtheseparts,the slots you don't glue the laminationto the
afe3/s"deep. Two layers of MDF form. Cut four 1exlVsxl6" cherry
Cut 13/te"-widehardboard splines to (medium-density strips. Spread glue on the strips,
fiberboard)
the lengths shown on the drawings. laminatedtogether stack them up and clamp them into
Dry-fit the door frame parts to the panels, Tracecuruefrom@and the form, as shownrn Photo B.
bandsaw ontheline.
*Planeor resaw
to the
thicknesslistedin the
Bill of Materials.
1 / 2 x 9 1 / qx 9 6 " M a p l e
1/+x48x24"
Hingeplate 7se"mountinghole Birchplywood
Self-
adhesive Hinge
bumper ,l
I 1/zx9V+
I x 60" Maple
Il #B
wasner
I
22',
I
22V2"
RABBETAND
GROOVEDETAIL
t/q" rabbel baysides 1/zu 71/q. 22'
A center M 2
t / q "d e e p B centerbayends i/zu 7u
1 / . ,. n . . ^ 1gi/2' M 2
r-r l+" rabbel
\ %" deep C sidebaysides 1/z' 3Vq" 22' M 4
D sidebayends i/2u B1/z' 13V2, M 4
E backs Vi 13Tt' 22' BP 3
7sz"mountinghole
F sidedoorstiles 3h' 1s/c' 22, C 2
G sidedoorrails 3/q' 1%' 14, C 4
141/a' S I D EC A B I N E T lowerrail 3/o' 1s/q' 13r%o',
H center C 1
@
Ls"lt-udhesive l- centerupperrail 3/o' StsAa"131s/a"C 1

oumper J sidedoorpanels 1/zu11Va"187+'Bp 2
K centerdoorpanel%" 11tsAa" 183/q'
Bp 1
L paneledging 1/z' 1u 183/t' C 4
When the glue is dry, remove rhe Cut the center door lower molding M'curved
+
molding Vi 'lu 15' LC 1
lamination frorn the form. Sancl N- centerdo
(N). side doors side moldings (O), lowermolding 1/q' 1u 131slo"C 1
the back edgeflat, and rip the larnination and side doors end molding (p) about I "
to finish width. Install a t/r." round-over longer than the sizes listed. Rout t/t(,', _side molding 1/q' 1u 22i/z' C 2
bit in yoLrr table-mounted router. and round-overson the front edges.Trim part endmolding 1/cu 1u 14t/l C 4
rout the round-overs on the front edses. N to length. and miter and trim parts O
Q shelves 1/z' 3u 127/a'BP B
and P to len_qth.Glue and clamp the 1/q' 3/q'
R shelfmolding 127/a' M 8
moldings to the doors. Keep the back 'h'1"16M2
S walltrim
edges of the rnoldings flush with the
- Partsinitially
door panel backs. Use the top half of cutoversize.
the curveclmolding fbrm to apply even MaterialsKey:M-mapte, plywood,
Bp-birch
pressllre when clantping the curved C-cherry,LC-laminated
cherry.
molding in place. After the glue dries, Supplies:#6x1"flathead
woodscrews (42),
t/a"hardboard, (12),surface.mount
#8flatwashers
trirn the protruding ends of the cr_rrved
electrical
box,GFCIoutlet
andcoverplate,finish,
moldin_ewith a handsaw, then sand t/a"minors
(3).
thent flush with the sides of the door
BuyingGuide
panel. Sand 45" charnf'erson the ends
Hardware:EuroStyle concealedhinges #CH3700,
$3.75each(6);seltadhesive bumperi#CH462.
Clamp the strips betweenthe halves $1.95(packof 100);brass-ptatedshetfsupports
of the form with light pressure.Use a #324128, $1.70/pack of 12(Obagsof 12);embossed
narrow block and a malletto align woodseashell#WC3281, 91,85each.
Addshipping,
t h e m ,t h e n t i g h t e nt h e c l a m p s . NYandFLresidents addtax.CallConstantine,s
800| 223-8087,
or visitwww, constanti
nes.com,
www.woodonline.com
77
@
(threelayerlamination)
stylishstorage t/o" round-over,
alongfrontedgeonly
H I N G ED R I L L I N G Chamferedcorner
Use hingeas a guide 7a"rabbet t/e"deep

for drillingscrewholes.
x 1 3 1 5 A as"p l i n e
a x 183/q"spline
t/e"splineslot
7e"deep
t/a"splineslot CENTER
t/z" deep DOOR
cutafter
assemblino
@ano@
t/e"splineslots
1/2"deep centered
___rv_
on edqe of
and@
t/e"mirrored 17e"hingehole,
glass, 1315/'re" drilledafter
wide x 18s/q"lall assembly
7', 17',
J
T\
t/6 y't3/16 X 1315/ta"Spline
ij 7a" rabbet t/a" deep

J-,/
23,
/4' 21/z' I
tl ..' /a" splineslot
tl 1/z"deep
t/e"splineslot
1/z
Ta"deep
%0"round-overs,
alongfront edge
Chamferedcorner
of the moldingswherethe doorsmeet,as t/r0"round-overson the top edgesof the

shown on the Chamfer detail on the shelf molding, as shown on the
ExplodedView drawing. ExplodedView drawing,and glue and Apply two coats of satin
Chucka I3/a"(35mm)Forstnerbit clampthe moldingto the shelves. polyurethane,sandingwith 220-grit
in your drill press, and drill the We outfitted the interior of the cabi- sandpaperbetweencoats.Be carefulnot
hinge cup holes in the doors, where net'scentersectionwith an electrical to let the finish build up behindthe lips
shown on the Hinge Drilling drawing. outlet, and holdersfor two popularbath- that hold the mirrors in place.
Use your drill-press fence to assure room accessories:a hair dryer and a
accurateplacement.Position the hinges curling iron. The Holders drawing [nstall tfie cmrrase,
in the cup holes, and using the screw showshow we made them. Be sure to them do f*nm$mss*nnbly
holesin the cup flangesas guides,drill verify the requirementsof your equip- Have your electriciandrill a centered
screw pilot holes in the doors.Adhere ment,and makeany changes. IVz" hole throughthe upperblocking
the hinge mountingplatesto the cabinet in the opening that accommodatesthe
sides with double-facedtape, where Now apply a durmfu$e, cabinet'scenterbay, and pull a wire to
shown. Using the screw holes in the Hvfiterpr#sfffrmi*h this location.The oversizedhole gives
mounting plates as guides, drill screw Removethe hingesand hinge plates. you the "wiggle room" you needto slide
pilot holesin the sides. Finish-sandall the parts and assem- the cabinetin place.
blies with 220-grit sandpaper.Glue and Note: The National Electrical Code
Ouffit the interlor n#xt clamp the seashellappliqueto the center (NEC) requires a 20-amp circuit and-
Cut the shelves(Q) and the shelf door, where shown on the Exploded groundfault circuit interrupter (GFCI)
molding (R) to the sizeslisted.Rout View drawins. protectionfor this outlet. The methodof

SIDE DOOR 17e"hingeholedrilledafterassembly #6 x 1" F.H.woodscrewe
1 / 6 y ' t 5 / 1 6h"a r d b o a r d s p l i n e , 1 8 7 e "l o n g
Te"shankhole, H
Va x 13Aa" hardboardspline,112/a"
long countersunk
_X-Yr-.-
t/a"mirroredglass,123/a" 4t/2"' ,x__*2s/+"
x 18s/+"
lall
%o"round-over 1 r/2",
alongfrontedge Halflap
1t/+" hole t/2" stock
R = 1"
t/e"round-overs
#6x1,'FH
f ll \li"
"ff:il:',KlNu+
183/q
HoLDERS *"1"J,
(OPTIONAL) countersunk
l/s )<13/16"
hardboard # 6x 1 "F . H .
spfine, 17e/a"long wood screw--=-g r/a,'shank hole,
countersunk
,.,,,-/V\
41/z'
22" t/e"splineslot t/2"deep
alongtop,thisside 2',
and bottom
Back face of frame t/e"splineslots 2t/z" hole t/z"stock
t/2" deep R=1s/a" /a" holes,
t/e"splineslot countersunk
3/e"deep,cut t/a"round-overs
after frame
1/sy 13/16" hardboard
s p l i n e , 1 1 2 / a l"o n g
1
is assembled
f
#6x 1"F.H.-1
3
7e"rabbet t/e"deep,cut after frame is assembled
wood screws /
Half Chamfered H A I RD R Y E R
lap corner
SECTIONVIEW
1/10"
round-overs
alongfrontedge
Chiselcornersof rabbetsquare. Utilitybox

Groundwire
(bareor
green)
Ground
SCTEW
connectiondependson how your bath- less than /2" thick, and the hinges (green)
room is wired. Check with your local requirea Vz"-deepcup hole,place#8 flat Wire nut
codeauthority. washersunder the hinge flanges when
Drill a mating hole in rhe rop of the Silver
screwingthem in place.Snapthe hinges SCTEW
cabinet.Tip the top of the centerbay onto the mounting plates, and use the (neutral)
into the wall opening,and pull the wire hinges' adjustmentscrewsto align the
through.Seatthe cabinetin the wall, as doors.Adhere self-adhesivebumpers.
shown on the Section View drawing. Measure your doors for mirrors.
Level it, and screwthroughthe backsof Order the mirrors cut to your exact
the side bays into the wall framing that measurements,then have the edges
flanks the centerbay. Paintthe wall trim ground smooth. The grinding removes
(S) the samecolor asyour walls,andnail just enoughmaterialso the mirrors slide
it in place,whereshown. into their frames.Install the mirrors.
Mount a surfacebox over the hole, Insertthe shelfrestsand the shelves.
pulling the wire into the box. Wire Energizethe outletcircuit,and stock
and mount a GFCI outlet, and install the the cabinet.jl
cover plate. Drill pilot holes and mount
the equipmentholders. Written by Jan Hale Svec with Kevin Boyle
Screw the hinge-mountingplates to ProjectDesign:JamesR. Downing
the cabinets and the hinges to the lllustrations:
Kim Downing; Lorna Johnson 41/a'
Photography:Baldwin Photography;
doors.Becausenominal t/2"plywood is Wm. Hopkins Drywall
www.woodonline.com
ry
LEG
MAGAZINERACK
1/zx 21/q"mortise EXPLODEDVIEW
1glro"deep @
ll #10 biscuitslots
214"
I
Vr #10 biscuitslot
centeredon
,/ | .1,
iili
jlli
iili liili0
ri
ii
il II
#10 biscuits ii
ifli
ilti
tfr0 iill
{.i
illi
iil
iil
0
#10 biscuitslot
centeredon end
1IY"0"n,",
,J.;J -[i
l,
101/a
#10 biscuit
slots, I
centered
CI
$$
10" bevelon bottomedge
)
his table has a dual personality. Mortises and biscuit

Parked beside your sofa, as slots complete the legs
shown right, its concealedcasters Form the mortisesat the top of each
let it masqueradeas an end table with a leg, where shown on the Leg draw-
magazine rack. Wheel it around front, ing. To do this, chuck a Vz"brad-point
cantilever it over the cushions, and it bit in your drill press,and positionthe ed. Chuck a Vz" round-overbit in your
becomes a center for snacks with a fenceto centerthe bit on the leg. Drill a table-mountedrouter, and rout the par-
drawer for coastersand the TV remote. row of overlappingholesto the required tial round-overs, as shown in the
For thoseof you who are interestedin depth. Clean up the edges and square Round-over detail on the Magazine
building this project, but don't want to the endswith a chisel. Rack Exploded View drawing.
turn the legs, you can buy a pre-turned Lay out and plungethe biscuitslots, Form biscuit slots in the endsof the
pair. Seethe Buying Guide. If you feel where shown on the drawing. Be stretchers,centeredin the width and
up to the challenge,but need a little sure to locate the slots to form mirror- thickness.Bevel-rip the bottom edgeof
help, see the turning instructions on imagelegs. the lower back stretcher(C).
page 84. Adept turners, go directly to Cut two blanks for the sides (D) to
the full-size patternon the WOOD PAT- Build the magazine rack the sizelisted,and stick them togeth-
ZERNSoinsert. No matter which way and leg assembly er with double-facedtape.Make a copy
you choose,once you have your legs in Cut the front stretchers(B) and the of the Side from the pattern insert, and
hand,you're ready to proceed. : back stretchers(C) to the sizeslist- adhereit to the blanks with spray adhe-
sofavalet 1g,,.-.-...---=--.--]-..---14,,
sive. Bandsaw,then sandto the pattern

line. Separatethe two sides,and transfer
the slot locationsto the side without the
pattern,making mirror images.Plunge 1/2"parlial
the biscuitslots.Use a scrapwoodfence rouno-overs
to align your biscuitjoiner when plung- Miteredcorner
#8 x 1" F.H.---.
wood screw \ #'10biscuitslot
#Bxs/aF" . H ._ _ {
wood screw \1
161/2"
#10 biscuit
EXPLODEDVIEW
1/2"parlial round-overs
ing the angled slots in the faces of the
sides(D), as shownin PhotoA.
Glue and clamp paftsA and B togeth-
er, as shown on the Magazine Rack
Exploded View drawing. Make sure this
leg assemblyis squareandflush at thebot-
tom. When the assemblyis dry, glue and
clamppartsC andD to it, onceagainmak-
ing sure the magazinerack assemblyis
squareand flush at the bottom.
Assemble the
upper skirts
Cut the upper side skirts (E) and the
upperend skirt (F) to the sizeslisted,
mitering one end of the side skirts and
both ends of the end skirt. Set the end
skirt (F) aside.Install a3/q"dadobladein
your tablesaw,and positionthe rip fence
IVz" from the left edge of the blade.
Backing the pieces with your miter
gauge, and using the fence as a stop,
form the tenons,as shownin the Tenon
detail on the Exploded View drawing. Drill mortisesfor desktop fasteners the upperend skirt (F) in place.Clamp
Start with shallow cuts and sneakup on in the edgesof the skirts (E), where the assembly,and checkfor square.
the finish size, testing the fit of the shown in the Drawer Runner and
tenonsin the leg mortisesas you go. DesktopFastenerdetailon the Exploded Now add a base and top
Chuck a V4" beading bit in your View drawing. See the Buying Guide Edge-gluetwo tAxl5x19" panelsfor
table-mountedrouter, and position for our desktopfastenersource. the top/base (G). After the glue
the fence so the bead noseis flush with Plunge mating biscuit slots in the dries, trim them to the size listed, and
the face of the fence.Form beadson the mitered cornersof the upper skirts. rout the samepartialround-overshown
bottom edgesof the upper skirts (E, F), Spread glue in the leg mortises and in the Round-over detail on the
where shown on the Exploded View insert the upper side skirts (E). Apply MagazineRackExplodedView drawing.
drawing. Make sure the upper side glue to the mitered corners and in the Clamp the leg assembly AlBlCl
skirts (E) are mirror images. biscuitslots,insertthe biscuits,andpop DIEE to the basepanel (G), where

A
2x2x 30" Oak turningsquare

(2 needed)
A legs 2' 207/a' 0 2
B frontstretchers3/i ZVq' 02
C backstretchers3/q' 2s/q' 02
D. racksides 3/i 41/q' 02
a / + x 7 t / ax 9 6 " O a k
E uppersideskirtss/q 23/q' 161/z' 0 2
F upper endskirt 3/r' 23/q'11s/q'0 1
\, @ @ G. top/base 3h' 14', tr\J Z
Vax51/zx 60" Oak (2 needed) H lowersideskirts% 1s/a' 17' 0 2

I lower
endskirts%' |s/a' 13" 0 2
1/ax 12 x 20" Oak plywood
J drawerrunners 3/q' 11/q' 141/t' M 2
*Planeor resaw K* drawersides 1/z' 21/qu 151/a' M 2
to the thicknesslisted
e/qx 51/zx 48" Maple in the Bill of Materials. L- drawer
ends B1/t' M 2
M drawer bottom th' 8y4' 14Vd'0P 1
N drawer front 25/a' 01
1/q"groove t/q"deep t/q"fr1m bOttOmedge .Partsinitially
cutoversized.
Trimto finished
size
DRAWER accordingto instructions.
1/q"rabbet t/q" deep MaterialsKey: 0-oak,EO-edge-glued oak,
M-maple, OP-oak plywood.
# Bx 1 " F . H . Supplies:#10biscuits (14),#8x2"flathead
wood screw woodscrews (20),#8x1"flatheadwoodscrews
) (6),#8x%"flathead woodscrews (4),#8x7e" pan-
s/sz"hole,countersunk
on insideof drawer
21/4' headsheet-metalscrews (16),glue,stain,finish.
f- I BuyingGuide:Legs:Twopre-turned
areavailable.
OrderW00DKITSF-1,$48,95
ppd.,SchlabaughandSonsWoodworking,
oaklegs
720
25/a'
14thStreet,
Kalona, lrA52247,orcall800/346-
9663.Otherwoodspecies available
uponrequest.
\ Note: .Cut groove Desktopfasteners,casters:Desktop fasteners
to matchthickness no.866-826,
of t/+"plywood. $5.20/pack of 10,blacknylontwin-
wheelplatecaster
no.868-094, orderfour@$1.95
each,Addshipping;NM,WY,NCresidents addtax.
CallWoodworke/sSupply, 800/645.9292.
1/q"bead along bottom edge only
shown on the Base drawing on the pat- as shown on the Exploded View drawing. the tenons in the drawer sides. Make
tern insert, and drill screw pilot and If you use different casters,mount them two passes with a single blade from
shank holes through the base and into so there is swivel clearancebetween the your dado set to make grooves that
the leg assembly.Screw the base to the casters and the lower skirt frarne. match the thickness of the drawer bot-
leg assembly. tom in the sides and ends. as shown on
Cut the lower side skirts (H) and A drawer completes the Drawer drawing.
lower end skirts (I) to the sizes list- the construction Dry-assemble the drawer sides and
ed, and miter the ends. Glue and clamp Cut two drawer runners (J) to the ends, check the measurements,and
the lower skirts together to form a size listed. Wirh a dado blade cut the plywood drawer bottom (M) to
frame. Check to make certain it is housed in an auxiliary fence attachedto size. Glue and clamp the drawer togeth-
square and flat. If you use different your tablesaw rip fence, plow rabbets in er. Make certain the drawer is square
casters than we did, size your lower the runners, as shown in the Drawer and flat. Set it aside.
skirts to leave 3/e"clearance between the Runner and Desktop Fastener detail on Cut the drawer front (N) to the size
floor and the bottom of the skirts. See the Exploded View drawing. Glue and listed, then, as with the upper skirts
the Buying Guide for our castersource. clamp the runners to the upper side (E, F), rout a bead along the bottom
Locate the lower skirt frame and the skirts (E), where shown in the detail. edge. Clamp the drawer front to the
casters on the base (G), where Plane a tAx2t/z\.48" piece of maple drawer box with the tops flush and the
shown on the Base drawing. Drill screw to t/t" thick for the drawer sides (K) front protruding equally at the sides.
pilot and shank holes rhrough the skirt and drawer ends (L). Cut the parts to the Drill screw pilot and shank holes
frame into the base, and screw pilot sizes listed. Install a t/+" dado blade in through the drawer end (L) into rhe
holes for the casters. Screw the lower your tablesaw. Plow the dadoes for the drawer front (N), as shown on the
skirt frame and the casters to the base. drawer ends, and the rabbets that form Drawer drawins.
www.woodonline.com
83
sofavalet ing lightly with 220-grit sandpaper sides.Using the holes in the desktop
betweencoats. fastenersas guides,drill pilot holes into
Apply a finish and Place the desktop fasteners in the the top. Drive the screws. Screw the
assemble the parts drilledmortisesin theuppersideskirts castersin place.
Remove the drawer front from the (E). Drill pilot holes,and screwthe fas- Turn your table upright, screw the
drawer box and the castersfrom the tenersin place,as shownon the Drawer drawer face to the drawer box, and
base. Finish-sandall the parts and Runnerand DesktopFastenerdetail. slide it into place.lF
assemblies to 220 grrt. Place the top, bottom side up, on Written by Jan Hale Svec with Kevin Boyle
If desired,apply a coatof stain.(We your workbench. Position the leg Design:James E. Boelling
Kim Downing; Lorna Johnson
lllustrations:
used Minwax Golden Oak 210B.) assemblyon the top so the top over- Photographs:Baldwin Photography;
Apply two coatsof polyurethane,sand- hangs the legs equally at the front and Wm. Hopkins
the legs
Turning
{ Copy the Leg Templatefrom the patterninsert,and
I adhereit to a t/svlt/2v$t/s"
pieceof hardboard.Saw,
then sandto the patternline,leavingthe negative
imageof the leg profileto use in checkingthe progress
of your turning.Trim two, 2" turningsquaresfor the
legs(A) to the lengthlistedin the Billof Materials,
squaringthe ends.Markcenterson the ends.
rnMount the firstblankbetweenthe lathecenters.
(-Witn a pencil,mark the locationsof the square-to-
roundtransitions, whereindicatedon the Templateand
the Leg drawingon the patterninsert.Easeyour 7+"
skewchiselintothe spinningblank,formingrounded t\@rormV'srooves'
V-grooves.Cuttingin from bothsidesgivesyou the
tool clearancenecessaryto form the grooveto the i;si*us#fu**g,xrm
the memter
gougeruolREsr:
roouliiroughing rpm
belowcentel sPEED:600-800
requireddepth.Stopthe latheperiodically to checkthe
depthwith your calipers.
portionof
Q Use your 1" roughinggougeto turn the
r,ltne blankbetweenthe transitions to form a cylinder.
Firstroundthe two endsof the centerportion,taking
care not to cut intothe transitions.Then roundthe rest
of the section.Becausethe largestcenterdiameteris
s- QRoundbothends.
1t/a",lake off just enoughmaterialto make it round. .,i4..,.:ii&€ffim
1/| Witha pencil,markthe locationsof the critical

-fdiameters
@ Roundcentersection.
and beadson the blank,whereindicated Setrm Rnmmds
{;ei ,#insnsvteersu
on the pattern.Formthe narrowflats at the bottomsof +f 'I rpm
r00kpartingtool center
TootnEsn sPEED:
800-1,200
the transitionswith your partingtool.Cut slotsin the
blankto the appropriate depths,whereindicatedby
your pencilmarks.Workthe beadsfrom theircenters
to theirsides.Rollthe partingtool overto followthe
beadprofileas you cut downhill.
fr Formthe broadprofilewithyour 7a"spindlegouge.
uJRs you approachthe finalshape,makevery light
cuts,and movein long,continuousmotions.Workthe
ft fr
Q Cut diametersshownon template.
frM;Form beads.
profilesdownhill(fromthe largediameterto the small ' a*W
, l:rlrirs;Ft::m,ffi
diameter).As you approachthe beads,rollyour gouge .I T00L: gougeroolREsr:
%"spindle rpm
1,200-1,600
belowcenter sPEED:
away from them.
ftSlow the latheto 800-1,200rpm,and finish-sand
\.lthe turningwith a progressionof 120-220-320-grit
sandpaper.To obtainthe bestfinishwiththe least
amountof effort,don'tskip grits.
Removethe completedleg from the lathe,mountand
markthe secondblank,and repeatthe turningsteps.
Form prorire.
center Flllr?f,i,?r",lijTilo..
P-fiSo-m-,gts
,rffiHi
TSgp
RTX-? steps on rotary-tool turf
For years,Dremel hashad sucha lock flexible shaft and fewer bits. Those
on the rotary tool market that "Dremel- bits, though,are more focusedon sand-
tool" hasbecometo "rotary tool" what ing,, carving,and cutting chores.
"Kleenex" is to "facial tissue."Now, For changingbits, flipping a single
Black & Deckeris out to cut through lever locks the collet while simultane-
that lock in recordtime with its RTX ously blocking the power switch from
line of rotary tools. accidentalactivation.That's important
The RTX boasts2 ampsof power, becausethe power switch is right there
comparedto the Dremel Professional's on the neck of the RTX-2. I like that tool's coolingventswhenheld in pen-
1.15amps,andthat extrapowerwas locationbecauseI can turn on the tool cil-grip fashion-a factor that might
apparent.Using a reinforcedcutting without letting go of my workpiece. ultimately shortenthe motor's life.Q
wheel,I usedthe RTX to cut several The 8,000-30,000rpm variable-speed -TestedbyGarry Smith
notchesin Vq"cold-rolledsteelplate. control is separateand on the back end
The motor didn't bog down at all. of the tool.
Black & Deckeroffers two different Like all tools of its ilk, rhe RTX-2 is Black& DeckerRTX-2
versionsof the tool. The RTX-1 comes noisy (at 90 decibels,it drownedout Performance ****
with a wide variety of hobby and DIY- my shopvacuum),so you'll definitely Price $69,RTX-2;
$59,RTX-1
orientedaccessories, while the RTX-2 want hearingprotectionif you'll useit Value *****
is gearedmore toward woodworkers. for any lengthof time. I also noticed CallBlack& Decker orvisit
at800/544-6986,
The latter kit includesan easy-to-attach that my handblockedsomeof the www.blackanddecker.com,
7/6t9,,*,"a' LTJ)., LP.
8'' CHAIRLEGS
FROMSTOCK
NO MINIMUM
ORDER
4 Esenfrol
FREECOLORCATALOG l?obln I
r Ptaten- Dimensionyour own
lumberto meetyour exact specs
without payingcustommilling fees^
AVAILABLEIN
MAPLE,CHERRY, . Momtn- Createspecial moldings
OAKAND for your homefrom over 5llll
PAINTGRADE standard patterns,or create your
own custom patterns.
- Replacehoursof tedious
. SailoEn
handsandingwith one pass.
. GAt{cSAw- Rip lumberaccurately
to your specs with a finish that's as
smoothas a ioined edge.
#AMDO8
Yvoodworklng-amm
How's this for a tool? Get answers to your
woodworking questions,discover links to rare
reuPr #AO556C
plans or sources for all types of gadgets,and find
great bargainsin new and used tools.
Stays sharp! You'll alwaysfind the most up-to-
P.O. Box 728, Dept. N449 date information at woodworking.coml lt! the
Morristoum,TN 3781 5-0728 best place to share advice and swap ideas.
Phone423-587-2942. Fax 423-586-2188 http://www.woodwo rki n g. co m
wunv.adamswoodproducts.com v1327
CircleNo. 1002
Circle No. 900

I
finip,lti_Gg I
Work'N Woody
follows the outlaws
Roaringengines,flying dirt, the smellsof exhaust
and hot rubber-they're all part of the sprint car
race seriescalledthe World of Outlaws.But so is
the toy-like, wood-bodiedvehicle namedWork
'N Woody.
For nine months The official push truck and safety vehicle of
'N Woody belongs
ayeat, Carol the World of Outlaws,Work
and Art Malies
take their ash-
to Art and Carol Malies of Carmichael,
bodied Work'N California.They tow the vehicle40,000miles a
Woody on the year to about 100 raceson a trailer behind their
World of
Outlaws trail. motor home.At the eveningraces,Work'N
Woody puts in sevenhourspushing
an averageof 30 cars and support-
ing track officials and safety crews.
For suchduties,the vehiclehas a spring-loadedfront pushbar (sprint Work'N Woody
goes to work
carsdon't have starters),a 1,500-poundwinch for tire changes,and a pushing cars at
lift boom for enginechanging. the World of
Outlaws
Work'N Woody was createdin 1980from a 1957FC Willys Jeep Nationals races
chassis.It's powercomesfrom a 38S-cubic-inch ChevroletV-8. It's in Knoxville,
lowa.
the body, though, that catchesattention.Art made it from V+"-thick
ashplywood panelsbolted to a channel-ironbody frame.The ashis coveredby
fiberglass,then coatedwith a DuPont automotiveclearfinish. Accordingto Art, the
panelshaveto be replacedaboutevery two yearsat a cost of $1,200.
lntarsia honors the year New York state

2OOO'scadets leads the way
At the United StatesMilitary Academy at in forest
West Point, eachyear's graduatingclass
must designa distinctivecrestto placeon their
certification
\H
classrings. When CadetMichael Panaroof Last year,the EmpireState became
\T
Pittsgrove,New Jersey,graduatedlast June,he got \\ the first state in the nationto receive
more than the traditional crestedring. \ "well-managed"certificationfor all of
His grandfather,Dave Panaro,at age72 sttll an \\\ its publicforest lands.Morethan
avid woodworker, made an intarsia picture of the year \ 700,000acresgot the environmental-
2000's classcrestas a graduationgift. The crafted ly friendlyendorsementfrom the
crest,right, madefrom 146 piecesof 3/q"-thickyellow NationalWildlifeFederationand
poplar,measuredl3Vzxl3%", and took Dave about80 SmartWood.Forestscover 62 Per-
hoursof cutting, sanding,fitting, and painting. The subject of this intar- cent of New Yorkand supporta $2
sia piece is the crest of billionforest productsindustrythat
Michael, now a secondlieutenant,plansto take the the year 2000 West
treasuredintarsia whereverthe Army sendshim. Point graduating class. employs65,000people.|l
Photographs:MichaelPanaro,Sr.; HetheringtonPhotography

Wood Magazine 131 2001

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Wood Magazine 131 2001

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this issue's

Cover photograph: Wm. Hopkins

This issue'scover wood grain: elm burl

6 WOOD magazine March 2001

the drill-pressquill down onto the :t

Srnoke deteeters sannot he snnr$tehed

WOOD magazine March 2001

Attention would be w$#d cellectsrs Write Us!

10 WOOD magazine March 200'1

Now'sthe tirneto build

12 WOOD magazlne March 2001

14 WOOD magazine March 2001

mechanismon a modified Jet contrac- : tor-styletablesaw;manufacturers' esti-

1OOLB spring Releasearm

16 WOOD magazine March 2001

called "step and repeat." In printing.

HOWTO USETHE JIG

Project Design: Bill Lacey, Vancouver, B.G.

& .,.r## ,r ,,rt'fil W O O D m a g a z i n e M a r c h2 0 0 1

Pilot holes for augercarriedby Craft SuppliesUSA

r'Pop!tt goes the

WOOD magazine March 2001

A I If you're lucky, Paul,you can fix

Thp into the "flte culs were so quiet rrnd

Visit the Deltastoreat

WOOD magazine March 2001

iSite That's Built Like ill'Built a Porter-Cable

Thenew DeWALT store Seethe complete line-upof

Visit the DgWALT

You can't give these bubbles the "brush off"

Pacemaker news that wontt shock you

Top Shop Tip winner

Not many of us can boast of a connectionwith such

Many of my stittionary power tools

lJ: -r h Thispowerfulnew3'l+horsepower ptunge

from Fein ltJl'#l?:iHf

WOOD magazine March 2001

Threeways to foil fungi

42 WOOD magazine March 2001

46 WOOD magazine March2001

ith fluted pilasters and a

52 WOOD magazine March 2001

t/s y't5/16 X 373/a" SOline

D shelves 3/qu 9Y4' 367/a' CP 4

E shelfedges 3/tu 1Yz' 367/a' C I

56 WOOD magazine March 2001

install hingesthat look great,fit precisely,and work perfectly.

We roundedup an assortmentof five stylesof box hingesand setout to makeyour

task easier.We'll sharethe installationtips and techniqueswe discoveredalong the

way, helping you get greatresultswhetheryou're crafting a singlebox or a hundred.

When you want to focus Make another spacer.

62 WOOD magazine March 2001

but about 1" longerthan the lengthlist-

Now, add the rnap

Miteredcorner zAa"rabbelTa"deep alonginsideedge

/+" bead alongoutsidesedge

To orderthis 1% x 5" plaque,

66 WOOD magazine March 2001

II f-earof it lulching down into the rnaterial.