= Scraper Plane = Outdoor Finishes ® Picnic Table = Pegboard Storage Rack ® Splined Miter JoineryIssue 27 May 1996 rumen Donald B. Peochike ‘ern Tim Robertson, assocurceoron Phil Totten ‘commmnurineeorons Vingcnt Ancona David Sone sreinscron Cary Ciiatenson sewontuvernarone Kurt Schultz Roger Reiland Mati Histon Coentiee rector Tad Kali Bre. Eire Dong Hoke» Projet Daspn Dir: Ken Dade» Se Proj. Dna Kent Wel = Shop Manager Save Curtin Sop Coma: Stove “otra +S Photographer? Crayola Engiand + Buc Comen. Card Gordon Gales Ane, Grephie'Dasy Dir: Satie Rider » Sew ‘Grephie Derigue Ca Glows Grophe De ger Coat. Cor Cireatioe Dstor Susan Du Bale Asistont {ise De Toy DawallsSberption Managers Sandy Haun, Pige Hopare saat Su pe ‘ue roel Nessun fp: Ren A Buca, VP Pinning Pre Sen Maarty + Contr lo: Rahn tatchinsn = Sr et Lara Tha o"aapes Holly Laces » Prod Dies George ‘Chmlra Prof. Mor Carl Quijanos Bs. Pack: Doles N. Liter » Prt. doa ‘Sayder™ Nes Adin Al Bares” Prof Deve, [De Soy Monts» Ain, Att Cheryl Le, Ja Fish « Recs Jeane Jean © Bly, Mao Ken Gti Op Din Bib Raker st Dr Cia Sergi + ‘Meteiis Moe: Mar Mattes Cat Sort p= “etalon «Warsow Super: Nate Seon ‘Buyer Lina Jon» Sytem Op. Tammy Av 1 Tom autor Rela Crom» Teck Supp David Stone «Cut. Ser. Rep denier Mar phy. Joy Rem, Sern Kena, Ana Cox, Ada Besi. Kral Andres, Margo Pest» Ware sonar Gna Shean, Chock Carin, Shia (Carey, Late Pine, Sos Gia, Cth Stina im oes Seep fl ina tae ie A ‘Sierponn Sle uy 440. yt =e Se Saas sir CORR ka Cutoffs 't doesn't take much detective work to identify the scraper I use in the shop. It’s the one with the rusty thumb- prints imprinted on the blade. While the rust is just part of living ina humid area, the thumbprints tell a much dif- ferent story. ‘They're-a visual reminder of the eon- stant (and tiring) hand pressure ittakes to keep the seraper flexed when smoothing a surface, Not to mention the heat that builds up that ean make it downright uncomfort- able to hold. SOLUTION. That's why I was excited when Ken (our de- sign director) showed ime the seraper plane hhe was working on for this issue. It holds a seraper at a constant angle and flexes the blade at the samo time. So T ean make thin, wispy shav- ings with a lot less effort. And I don't leave any fingerprints on the scraper. SMALL PIECES, Because the seraper plane is built up from pieces that are quite small (see photo), one of the chal- lenges isto find a safe and accurate way tocut them. So even ifyou don't plan on building the plane, it's worth taking a look at the article on page 4 to cheek out the tool setups and jigs we used to work ‘with the smnall pieces. LARGE PIECES, Cutting lange pieces also presents its share of problems — especially on the table saw. For exam- pile, think back to the last time you used a miter gauge to erosseut a wide panel. What probably happened is you had to pull the miter gauge so far back in frontof the saw that the head no longer supported the workpiece. Or maybe the end of the runner came clear out of the ShopNotes slot, Hither way, it makes it impossible to get an accurate cut, CUTOFF TABLE. This is where a slid- ing cutoff table like the one shown on page 16 comes in handy. Basically, it's >big platform that works like a huge mi: ter gauge. But what's different is you can make extremely accurate crosseuts ‘on panels up to a Tull 24" wide, Besides its extralarge capacity, there were several othor things on my ‘wish list as the sliding table was in the design stage. Like having a fixed fence (for 90° cuts) and an adjustable fence for making angled euts. A stop block for mak- ing repeat cuts accu- rately. A replaceable insert to reduce chipout, And a... ANTICIPATION. Okay, Tl stop there. ‘The point is Took forward to each new project like the first balmy days of spring after a long winter. And it doesn't always have to be a woodwork- ing project. ACHANGE. Recently, I've picked up the responsibilities of Editor here at ShopNotes, Although the job is new, T've been around SkopNotes since Issue No. 1,80 I feel right at home. ‘And T'm as excited about the upeom- ingissues as when I first came onboard. As always, well eontinne to feature the practical tips and techniques, unique project ideas, and unbiased tool re- views that you've come to expect, Inthe meantime, don't be a stranger. Stop hy for a visit. Drop me a line (or photo) about the latest project you're working on, Or send along a tip that you'd like to see published. T look for- ‘ward to hearing from you,e Contents Projects & Techniques Scraper Plane Scraper Plane Designed to hold an ordinary steel! scraper, this shop- built plane makes it easy to get a smooth, uniform surface. Splined Mitere________________8& Here's @ simple technique that adds lots of strength to your miter joints, Just rout a slot and glue in @ spline. Picnic Table 10 With splined miters and a “shortcut” version of a mortise and tenon, this good/‘eaking picnic table is but fo ast. Sliding Cutoff Table ______________ 16 Cut wide giued-up panels or pieces of plywood safely and Splined Miters pages accurately with this sliding cutoff table, And an adjust- able fence allows you to make angled cuts as well Drilling Holes for Screws. +32 There's more to driting holes for screws than meets the @ eye. The keyis the size and sequence you dil he holes. Departments Great Tips Plywood Tips _____________ 14 A collection of our best tips for working with plywood. Sliding Cutoff Table page 16 ‘The Small Shop Fegboard Storage 24 Lots of storage ina compact space. That's the idea behind the unique design of this pegboard storage system. Selecting Tools Quick Clamps_____________ 26 We test three different “quick clamps" and offer practi- cal suggestions on which one to choose. Readers’ Shop Solutions 28 Our readers otter their own shop-tested solutions to some of the most commen woodworking pr Redwood Building a project out of redwood? Understanding the e ditterent grades can affect both its cost and durability. Finish Room Outdoor Finishes _________ 31 A look at three finishes that resist the extremes of weather, Pegboard Storage page No. 27 ‘ShopNotes 3This shop-built plane solves two of the biggest problems of using a hand-held scraper. Cutting a Scraper. Atter fling a deep groove across the blade (top), tighten the scraper ina vise and bend it until it snaps (bottom). 4 thin piece of steel. That's all there ia to a seraper. Yet it's an ideal tool for leveling ridges left behind by a planer, removing burn ‘marks, or smoothing highly figured pieces of wood. But as much as I like using a seraper, it doesn't take long before my thumbs start to wear out from the constant pressure required to keep the blade flexed. And the heat eaused by the friction from seraping makes the blade uncomfortable to hold. ‘This seraper plane changes all that, It holds the seraper at a consistent angle. And a simple finger serew adjusts the amount of flex in the seraper. ‘With a pair ofhandles providing a firm, comfortable grip, you can make thin, wispy shavings all ) “morning long without tiring. SCRAPER Before you get started on the ne, it's best to have the scraper in hand, Tused a B'-wide seraper. Then, to create a low overall profile, I cut the scraper to a length of 4", see photos at left. (For a complete hardware kit, see page 5.) [= FULL-SIZE PATTERN, "> ‘ShopNotes No.27ie FINE ‘stpes. began by making the Jeurved sides of the plane from two Ve"-thick blanks, see Fig. 1 and the full-size pattern on page 4. (T used maple, but it also a ‘00d chance toexperiment witha piece of highly figured wood, re- fer to the photos on back page.) ‘GROVES. To hold the scraper in the plane, an angled groove (Kerf) is cut on the inside face of each blank, see Fig. 1b. Note: You'llneed tomove themiter gauge tothe oppositeslotand rotatethe _carpet-taped the blanks together hole for a steel rod that's added head to the opposite angle to cut sothekerfsmateh up and.attached later, see Fig. 1a the groove in the second blank. thepaperpatternwithsprayadhe- All that's left. is to take the ‘To ensure the grooves align sive, Then, after cutting and sand- sides apart and rout a stight (14") when the plane is assembled, I ing the sides (A) to shape, drill a roundover on the top edges only. Core With the sides complete, you ean start on the core of the plane. It's made up of two base pieces that form the bottom of the plane, and @& bridge that supports the han- x dies and holds the sides together, IZ e see Exploded View on page 4. s ‘a ONS ECE oF BLANK. Since these pieces are ——_+ fairly small, it'ssafest toeutthem pieces are ghied up. Note: Save _ hole is drilled at an angle in the | Hardware fromonelong blank,see drawing. theremaining partofthe blankto bridge, see Figs. 2 and 2a. Note: | "“@TAMATS | ‘The beveled end on the back use for the wedge later ‘A pair of cleats keeps the bridge | + (y y4°r me base (B) will keep shavings from —‘ENUT. ThereSonelast thing to from sliding as you drill the hole, | * (4x7 Krued clogging the plane. And cutting a do before assembling the core.Ty _ ASSEMBLY. After epoxying the ingle bevel to separate the front accept a T-nut and thumbscrew T-nut in place (Fig, 2b), it's just a base (C) from the bridge (D) en- that work together to flex the matter of gluing up the sides and sures a tight joint when these seraper, a counterbored shank core pieces. The front base and bridge are glued together first, see drawing below. Then this as- sembly and tho back base are sandwiched between the sides,Wedge ‘The scraper is held tightly in place by a wood wedge that slips down into the open- ing between the bridge and the seraper. ‘The wedge (E) is made from the re- ‘maining part of the blank ‘used to cut the core pieces, see \ ee drawing below. A eurved noteh in the bottom allows the wedge to slide over the thumbscrew, (1 drilled a hole and removed the waste with a hand saw.) 5G. To hold the wedge safely when cutting the augle on the face, I used a simple fig. It's a serap of “two by” material with dowels for handles, see Fig. Fitting the blank between two cleats that are glued in place and. serewing it to the jig makes it easy to cut the wedge. CURVED TOP. Now it's just a matter of cutting the curve at the top with @ bandsaw (or sabre saw) and sanding it smooth, 3 owe Handles All that's left to complete’ the body of the plane is to add a pair of handles (F), see drawing. There are a couple of ways to go about this. One ready-made. solution that we used for the maple plane is to cut the handles off a wood towel holder, see margin. Or you can turn the handles to shape on a lathe which is what we did with the walnut plane shown onthe back page. STEEL ROD. Hither way, the handles are held in place with an ordinary steel rod that I picked ‘upat the local hardware store. To strengthen the handles, the rod passes through both sides and the bridge of the plane, see detail ‘a’ ‘This requires drilling holes for the rod in the ends of each handle NOTE: nar sora and through the body of the plane, see Figs.4and5. To do this, drill halfway through from both sides using the holes drilled ear~ lier in the sides as guides. EPOXY. After drilling the holes, simply attach the handles to the rod and the sides of the plane with epoxy.Gee Sole Plates At this point, all the wood parts of the plane are complete. But to protect the bottom of the plane from wear, Ladded two brass sole plates, see drawing. ‘These are 2"-wide strips that are attached to the front and back base pieces. (Brass strips are available at many hobby shops.) ‘The strips are held in place ‘with small brass serews. Note: To avoid splitting the wood, the holes for the serews in the back plate are located farther from the inside edge, see detail ‘a. COUNTERSINKS. To keep from gouging the workpiece, the serews are countersunk in the sole plates. What works well here {s to tighten a countersink bit in ‘The scraper plane is easy to set up. But first you'll need to sharpen the scraper, SHARPENING, What you're af teristocreatea"hook” orburr that serapes the wood fibers, see draw- ing above. Startby filing the end of the scraper at about a 45° angle (the exact angleisn't critical). Then roll the edge with a burnisher or hanlened piece of steel (ike a drill bit) to form the bur: the drill press and turn the chuck flush with the plane, see photo B. by hand, see photo A at right. FITTING. After screwing the using silicon-earbide sandpaper sole plates in place, its just a mat- (upto 600; ter of filing and sanding the edges of glass ensures a flat surface. SETUP.Onee the scraper is sharpened, you can set up the plane. The quickest way I found to do this is to place the plane on aflat surface, ‘Then just slip the seraper into the plane so the burr faces to- lly, I sanded the sole flat grit), see photo C. A piece ward the back, see Step 1 below. A half turn or so after it contacts ‘And when the scraper “bottoms the scraper is just about right, cout" slide the wedge into place, ‘The best vay to check is by see Step 2, making a trial eut. Pushing the ‘All that's left now is to flex the plane across a board at an angle scraper in a slight bow by adjust- should produee thin, lucy shav- ing the finger screw, see Step 8. ings, see the photo above, & 2 Step 1. With the plane resting on a fiat Step 2. Now slide the wedge down Step 3. Turning the finger screw surface, back off the finger screw and until its firmly seated between the flexes the scraperina slight bow which slip the scraper in until itbottoms out. bridge and the scraper blade. No. 27 ‘ShopNotes helps produce fine, wispy shavings 7® Assiot cutter bit makes quick work of routing a groove fora spline. And different size bear- ings fet you adjust the depth of cut fe always thought of a miter joint as something of a mixed bag. Since the pieces are joined together at an angle, the end grain is hidden, But gluing end grain to end grain produces a weak joint. SPLINE, Fortunately, all that's needed to strengthen a miter Jointisa simple spline. Thisisjust astrip of wood that's giued into a groove cut in the angled end of each piece, see photos above. With aspline, you get alarger glue surface, And it creates a strong surface-to-surface glue joint. SLOT CUTTER. A quick way to cut the grooves for the splines is to use a router and a slot cutter bit, see margin at left, Depending Splined Miters How do you add strength toa miter joint? Rout a groove and glue in a wood spline. on the length of the pieces, I use about a third the thickness of the ‘two different approaches. workpiece. (Rout a \s'-wide ‘LONG PIECES. Since long pices groove in 1¥'-thiek stock for ex- can be awkward to handle (like ample.) And the depth of the the pieces in the picnic table on groove matches its width. page 10), it's easiest to clamp To ensure the groove is cen- them to the bench and use the tered on the thickness of the router in a hand-held position, workpiece, the idea is to rout it in ‘The problem is the tip of the two passes — flipping the work- titer doesn't provide much sup- piece between each one. (I use a port for the router base, And slot eutter that’s smaller thanthe when the bit cuts through, it's width of the groove.) likely to chip out the edge of the The thing to be aware of. here @ ‘workpiece. To support the base isifyourout the upper part ofthe ‘and prevent chipaut, I clamp mi- groove first, there won't be any tered scraps on each side of the material left to guide the bearing workpiece, see Fig. 1. during the second pass. So you'll GROOVE. Now it’s just a mat- need Lo rout the lower part first, ter of routing the groove, As a see Fig. 1. Then flip the work- rule, the width of the groove is piece over, reposition the scraps, ShopNotes No.2aL land rout the rest of the groove, the router table. duces chipout. To prevent the tip see Fig. 2. ‘The basic dea is the same, The of the miter from eatehing, T eat SHORT PIECES. When routing groove is routed in two passes, pet-tape a piece of Masonite to fa groove ina short workpiece, I see Figs. 3 and 4. And using a close the opening in the fence, soe find it's quicker and easier to use mitered serap asa push block re- margin tip at right. A piece of Masonite with notches cut in it prevents the tip ofthe miter ‘rom catching on the opening in the fence, Once you've routed the grooves, see photo on previous page. that it equeezes out thenext step istocut the splines, SIZE. Besides the grain direc- all the glue. GRAIN. The important thing ticn,youalsoneed toconsiderthe And to ensure here is the direction of the grain size of the spline. the workpieces draw in the spline. To provide the most. What. you want is to cut the tightly together, it’s cut to strength, the grain should run spline to thickness so it fits sug length (width) so it doesn’t “bot- perpendicular to the joint line, in the groove. But not so tight tom out” in the grooves. Finally, to allow for trimming, I usually cut the spline from a block of wood thats zoider than the length of the joint. Note: When working with wide pieces like those on the picnic table, you can butt twvo small splines together, CUT SPLINES. An easy way to make the splines is to use a scrap from the project you're working on and cut it on the table saw. Start by setting the rip fence to the desired thickness ofthe spline, see Fig. 5. Then raise the blade Ys"higher 6b than the length (width) of the } spline and cut a series of kerfs. rerostron 5 After repositioning the fence and Erne mo (SS lowering the blade so it just cuts ‘AY into the kerf, you ean cut each os spline from the block, see Fig. mesmo ‘ASSEMBLY. Now it's just a mat- ina), |) ter of applying glue to the splines e and grooves. and clamping the Pica pieces together. When the glue dries, trim the end of each spline Saw aeave flush and sand it smooth. No. 27 ‘ShopNotes, 9RELATED PROJECT Picnic Table As sturdy as it is good looking, this picnic table is built to last. Sey JN ii to0% was 0 Ss J few warm days toremind me ofthe pienic table and benches I'd been planning to build, What I had in mind was a simple, straightfor- ward design. Something I could knock out in a few days, yet sturdy enough to last for years. ‘To make the table and benches easy to build, the joinery on each oneisidentical. Strongmortise and tenon Joints keep the hases from racking. And splined miters en- sure that the tops stay flat. ‘But no matter how strong the ar eNO USsteew ASSEMBLY 10 Joints are, the table ‘and benches _ still need protection from the weather. So I used redwood for the tabletop and benchtops and applied an outdoor cil. And I built the bases with less expensive Douglas fir and ap- plied several coats of paint. (For ‘more on redwood and outdoor fin- ishes, see pages 20 and 31.) ‘TABLE BASE 1 started work by building the base of the table. It consists of two end assemblies that are con- ‘ShopNotes nected with stretchersat the topand bottom, see drawing be- low. And a pair of sup- ports for the tap span the upper stretchers, END ASSEMBLIES. Each end assembly is made up of a pair of logs held together with a rail at the top and hottom, see Fig. 1. ‘To simplify the mortise and tenon joinery, each leg is built up from two lag pieces (AJ. Cutting ‘dado near the middle and a rab- het at the top of each piece will form “mortises” for the rals when No.27RELATED PROJECT Be. (PRU INTERBORED SHAN HOME (OP fROM BOTTOM BEFORE OUING (eee rics) “LEG PIECE the legs are glued up. RAILS. Each leg is held to- gether with a narrow top rail (B) and a wide bottom rail (C). Ten- ‘ong are eut on the end of each rail to fit the mortises, see Figs. 1a and Ib. And to aecept thestreteh- ers, there are two shallow dadoes in the top rail and a single dado ‘entered on the bottom rail, To make assembly easier, two counterbored shank holes are drilled on each dado, see detail ‘a’ ‘on page 10. And counterbored shank holes drilled trom the bot tom of the rails will be used to attach the top, see Figs. 1 and 6. Now it’s just amatter of gluing upeach end assembly. To provide plenty of working time (and pro- tect against moisture), I used slow-curing epoxy. ‘STRETCHERS. Tb hold the end assemblies together, I added a bottom (D) and two top stretchers (&).Mfter euttinga pair of notches ineach topstreteher to accept the supports (added next), the stretchers can be attached to the end assemblies with lag serews. TOP SUPPORTS. All that's left to complete the base is to add No, 27 two top supports (F). To provide some extra knee room when sit- ting down to a meal, the ends of these supports are chamfered, ‘sce detail ‘b’ on page 10. Then the supports are simply screwed in place so the ends are flush with the leg assemblies. ‘The bases for the twobenches are built the same way as the table base. But the size and number of parts is just a bit different, ‘The biggest difference is the leg pieces (G) are shorter, see Fig. 1. And unlike the table base, the rails (H) that join the legs to- gether are both the same width. Another difference is the end assemblies are held together with two stretchers (1) instead of three, see drawing below. And both stretchers are the same width. Here again, two notches accept the top supports (J),‘An easy way to make one fong pipe clamp is to | thread the ends of two shorter clamps into a coupler. (Eee ee Guwees, } er crane ‘With the bases complete, you can turn your attention to the table- top. It consists ofa mitered frame that surrounds several wood planks, see Fig. 2 FRAME, The frame is made up oftwoend (K) and two side pieces (L) that are mitered at a 45° an- fle, see Fig. 2. To strengthen the miter joints, they're held to- gether with wood splines. ‘These splines fit in grooves that are routed in the end of each frame piece. (For more on making splined miters, refer tothearticle ‘on page 8.) In addition to the grooves for the splines, you'll need to rout two other grooves of the same size."To accept the tongues on the planks that are cut next, there's end pieces, see Fig; 2a. groove inthe inside edge ofeach HAMPER. While I was at it, T end piece, see Fig. 2. routed a decorative chamfer PLANKS, With the frame com- (Yjo") around the top and bottom plete, the next step is to cut the edgesofthe planks and the inside planks (M) to length, see Fig. 2. edges of the frame pieces. Rabbeting the end of each plank SPLINES. Before assemblingthe on the top and bottom forms a tabletop, you'll need to make tongue thatfitsthegroovesinthe the splines. I found it easiest to ‘Assembly. The first step is to epoxy two comers of the center of each tongue and slide the planks into the end of frame. Clamping a spacer to the end of the frame and the frame, see middle drawing. Finally, with shims creating positioning another clamp across the sides keeps the cor- an even gap between the planks, clamp the opposite end ners square, see drawing at felt. Then apply epoxy to the of the frame in place, see margin and drawing at right 12 ShopNotes No.2use the cutoffs from the top for this. But since these pieces are too narrow to span the length of the joint line, you'll need to butt two small splines together, see Fig. 3. ASSEMBLY. Now you're ready to assemble the tabletop. Even after dry assembling and check- ‘ing the fit, gluing up a large pro- Ject like this ean be a challenge. So I assembled it in stages, see bottom of page 12. ‘There are a couple of things to watch for here. To avoid filling the grooves that the planks fit, into, the splines are set back from the inside corner, see Fig. 3a. And to allow for wood movement, T used shims to create a uniform (4e" gap between the planks and applied epoxy to the center of each tongue only, After trimming the splines @ Assembly ‘At this point, all that’s left is to attach the top ofthe table and the benchtops to their bases, ‘TABLE. The easiest way to po- sition the tabletop is to place it upside down on the floor and cen- ter the base on top oft, see Fig. 5. After drilling counterbored shank holes in the stretchers (E) and countersunk shank holes in the top supports (F), the top is simply screwed in place, see de- tails in Fig. 5. Installing serews in the holes drilied earlier in the top rails (B) secures the ends of the frame, ‘BENCHES. Now it’s just a mat- ter of attaching the two bbenehtops. They're serewed to the bases using the same basic procedure as before, see Fig. 6. CHAMEER. Thore's one last thing to do, To prevent the legs @ 20m plintering when moving the table and benches, I sanded a slight chamfer on the bottom edges, see Figs. 5 and 6. & No. 27 RELATED PROJECT flush, there's just one more thing todo. That's to “break” the sharp edges on the top and bottom of the table by routing 4" chamfer. BENCHTOPS ‘The two tops for the benches are built the same way as the table- top. They're just smaller While the end pieces (N) on the denchtops are quite a bit shorter than the ones on the tabletop, the side pieces (O) are exactly the same length, see Fig 4. ‘Here again, the mitered frame for each benchtop is held to- gether with splines, And a tongue on the end of a single plank (P) fits into a groove in each end piece. -#Co GreatPlywood Tips ¢ Here's a collection of tips that are sure to come in handy the newt time you're working with plywood. Cutting Guide ‘mClamping a board to plywood exactly where you want can be a encethat indicates the path ofthe ides the base ofa circular saw guessing game, To solve this, blade (or bit). So to ensure an fr router 80 you can make a use acutting guide,see photos, accurate ent, just align one of the straight cut, But positioningit on ‘The wayit works simple."The edges of the guide with the layout the workpiece so the ent is made edges of the guide act as arefer- lines on the workpiece. ‘There's nothing complicated about making the eutting guide. Start out with an extra-wide base made from ¥thick hardboard, see drawing. After gluing and serewing a plywood fence to the base, one reference edge is cre- ated by trimming off the waste witha cireularsaw. Andthe other SSS | bycuttingit offwithastraightbit ‘onsscao sase—m] ) | in a router e@ nore. “| ‘To use the guide, clump it toa Taw sawoerourer | workpiace so the edge aligns with en Gores Se thelayout marks. Then just make a cut with the same blade or bit that you used to create the refer- tence edge. Note: Since a router bit may not be exactly centered inthe base of the router, keep the same point on the hase against the fence. A Laying a sheet of foam insula ‘A By cutting an extra deep rab- tion on the floor makes it easy 10 wicod, simply postion C-clamps bet, you can cenlera sorewon the ccut.a full sheet of plywood down along the edge and use a wedge thickness of the workpiece. This to manageable size. to apply pressure. way, it won't split out the side. 4 ShopNotes No.27‘Few things are more frustrat- ing than having a saw blade chip cut the face veneer on an expen- sive piece of plywood. While a blade that’s specially designed to cut plywood can pre- vent this (see box at right), you can also get good results with a combination saw blade. ‘SCORE. One way Is to use the saw blade to lightly score the ply- wood, see Fig. 1, To do this, raise the saw blade so it just barely cuts through the face veneer and make a pass, ‘This way, the blade severs the ‘wood fibers of the veneer instead e Reducing Chipout_____| of tearing them out, A second full-depth pass completes the cut and produces a crisp edge. INSERT. Another way to get & ‘quality cut is to replace the origi- ‘nal metal insert on the table saw withazero-clearance insert made of wood, see Fig. 2 The basic idea here is to elimi- nate the opening between the blade and the insert by providing support right up next to the saw blade. This way, when the blade cuts through the workpiece, the insert backs up the bottom face of the plywood and prevents the ve- neer from splintering, OE ET CES ‘One way to improve the quality of eut when working with plywood is to use a saw blade that's designed just for that. purpose. ‘To produce razor sharp cuts, both the 10" table saw blade and 714° circular saw blade shown here have 200 small stee]teoth sot around the perimeter of a thin, tapered rim. A thick, center hub adds rigidty to the blade," Note: To avoid binding, adjust the blade height so only the rim (not the hub) passes through the workpiece, Flush Trimming W'To create the look of a solid ‘wood panel, the lip on a piece of edging that stands a bit proud needs to be trimmed flush with the surface of the plywood, PLANE. If there are only a few pieces, I use a block plane to re- ‘move mast ofthe waste. To avoid gouging the plywood, apply a piece of masking tape and plane until the tape starts to “fuzz,” see Fig. 1. With the tape removed, ‘you can finish up with a sanding block. Just sand until pencil marks on the plywood start to disappear, see detail. ROUTER. A router and a flush trim bit make quick work of the Job if you have a lot of pieces to trim, see Fig. 2. Clamping a serap tothe workpiece keeps the router from tipping. Anda rabbet in the serap provides clearance for the lip on the edging, see detail. ‘ShopNotes 15Sliding Cutoff Table Wide Panels. To make accurate crosscuts onpan- Angled Cuts. By attaching an adjustable fence «8 up 1024" wide, this sliding cutofl table combines that pivots around the curved end of the siiaing 2 large plywood platform with a long fixed fence. table, you can make angled cuts as wel can' tall you where its ex- easy to erosscut panels up to 24° ble has two “vero-clearance” in- ‘actly. But there'sa point of no wide, see topleft photo. And add- _serts that prevent chipout on the return for the miter gauge on my ing an adjustable fence allows bottom of a workpiece. ‘To make table saw. Especially when I pull you to make angled euts as well, this work for both 90° and 45° @ it back to erossent a wide panel. ee top right photo. ‘cuts, it's just a matter of remov- It’s the point where the hes STOP BLOCKS. Whether you ing one insert and replacing it starts to wobble because therun- make straight or angled cuts, with another, see photo B. ner isn't fully supported in the sometimes you need x number of SAFETY. Finally, a pair of wood miter gauge slot, And that makes pieces thatareidenticalin length, blocks (see inset photo below) ‘it almost impossible to crosseut a To ensure accuracy, a pair of stop work together to stop the table at wide panel safely and accurately. blocks that slide in T-shaped slots the end of a cut. This “buries” the ‘That's why I built this sliding in the fencescan be lockedtightly _ blade in a thick cutoff table. With the workpiece in place, see photo A. block on the resting on a lange platform that INSERTS. In addition to the back of the ta- slides across the saw table, it’s stop blocks, this sliding eutoffta- ble, see photo C, A. Stop Blocks. A pait of stop blocks B, Inserts, Tworomoveable nserts(one C. Safety System. A thick wood block allows you to Cut multiple pieces to for90"and the other for 45" cuts) reduce and two stops prevent the blade from iength quickly and accurately. ‘chipout on the botiom of a workpiece. being exposed at the end of a cut 16 ShopNotes No.2ae ‘OVERALL DIMENSIONS: @& Pee toew raze Soe sath) nscer | Hardware A Large Bave (1) 2tex27-9A Py. (00) te" Threaded & Small Base (1) 22x58 -% Py, cai | C Insert Plates (2) 6x26-% Ply. oiler Botte D Runner (1) Yex%s-2%2 -eaeene E Front Face (1) YexB2-16 Threaded Knbe F Insert Blocks (4) SxB¥e-10 + aerate G Short End Blocks (8) YaxBl2-3 Tiraadad Kobe H Back Face (1) aeaaia es 9 Get rants 1 Long End Block (1) Ya x BV2- 25 } * J. Top Fieces (2) Vox2-1% ies raster k Stops (2) Yox2-3%e Woodscrews L Fence Pieces (2) Vax Be-32 © (4) #8 x2" Fh M Mounting Block (1) Sota ete N Spacer (1) Wena -Yo Mas. s a e oan) ee ‘, mie aii P ouppore (1) axe s8 order a complete @ Blade Guard (5) %x3%4- 52 bach ica R Stop Blocks (2) Saxtle-4 Se eee Sok ee No. 27 ‘ShopNotes 7To builel accuracy mf into the siiding table, check that the corner of the large base piece Js square, and the miter gauge stot is parallel to the blade. To installa threaded insert, chuck a cutoft bolt with two nuts tight- ened against each other in the dlril press, Then turn the chuck by handl FEATURE PROJECT T began work on the cutoff table by building a plywood base. Tt serves as a platform that carries the workpiece through the blade. ‘The base is made up of three parts: a large (A) and small base (B) piece with a removeable in- sert plate (C) sandwiched in be- tween, see Fig. 1. Note: To make straight and beveled cuts, Tmade two insert plates. CURVE. To keep the adjustable fenee (added later on) from bind- ing, there's a curve cut on the outside comer of the large base piece, see Fig. 2. This requires establishing a pivot point for the fence, then cutting the curved shape and sanding it smooth. RUNNER.The base is guided bya hardwood runner that slides fa in the miter gauge slot. To pro- duce aceurate cuts you'll need to ‘make sure this slot is parallel to the blade. ‘The runner fits in a dado eut in the bottom of the base. When lay- {ng out the location of this dado, the idea is to have the blade cut through the center of the insert. ‘Todo this, place the base piece on the saw table 3° away (half the ‘width of the insert) from the cen- ter of the blade, see Fig. 2a. Then mark the location of the dado by using the slot as a reference. Before cutting the dado, it's best to have the runner (D) in hand. It’s a piece of hardwood (maple) eut to fit the miter gauge slot s0 it slides amoothly without any “play”, see Fig. 2b. ‘THREADED INSERT. After cut- ting the dado and screwing the runner in place, all that's left is to install athreaded insert, see Fig. 3 and margin at left. It fits in a hole that's drilled at the pivot point for the adjustable fence, 2 18 ShopNotesae) Fixed Fence & Support Rail ‘The base is held together with two parts, A fixed fence runs across the back edge and sup- ports the workpieee as you make a cut, see Fig. 4. And a support rail adds rigidity to the front. POCKET. To slip the inserts in ‘and out of the sliding table, the fence and support rail each have “pocket” that's built up from%4"- thick hardwood blocks (maple ‘To form this pocket in the sup- port rail, a front face (B) is cut to length, see Fig. 6, Then an insert block (F) is sandwiched between two short end blocks (G), Except for its size, the fence isn't all that different. But here, there's a long back face (H). And another insert block (F) fits be- tween the short end block (G) and along end block (). ‘TSLOT. Before assembling all these pieces, a T-shaped slot is cut in the fence for a toilet bolt that Jets you adjust the stop block {added later). Making this slot is simple, First, cut a shallow ‘groove in the back face (FD and a deeper groove in the long end block (1), see Fig. 5a. Then rabbet the top edge of the longend block. ASSEMBLY.T) assemble the fence and support rail, the end blocks only are glued in place. (L used the insert blocksas spacers.) When the glue dries, the fence is screwed (not glued) to the hase pieces so it's square to the blade and flush with the back edge. And the support rail is serewed flush with the front edge. INSERTS. At this point, the in- sert: plates (B) and insert blocks (F) can be serewed together to form the inserts, see margin ‘They're held in piace with knobs that tighten into threaded in- serts, see Pigs. 4 and 5, STOPBLOCK. All that's left is to add a stop block. It consists of atop piece (J) and stop (K) glued up in an L-shape, see Fig. 6. ‘Tightening a knob on a toilet bolt that passes through the top piece holds the stop block in place. 5 With two inserts, you ‘can use one for 90° cuts (lop) and the ‘other for 45° cuts (bottom).Adjustable Fence At this point, the cut off table can be used for making 90° cuts. But to make angled cuts as well, T added fan adjustable fence with a simple clamp that locks it in place, seo Fig. 7 and photo. TSLOT. Like the fixed fence, a T-slot for astop block runsalong the top edge of the adjustable fence. Af- ter cutting two %4"thick fence pieces (L) to size, this T-slot is made the same way as the one in the fixed fence, see Figs, Sand Sa, ‘NOTCH. Once the fence is glued uup, a noteh is cut at one end. To providea pivot point that lets you swing the fence to the desired angle, a knob passes through a hole drilled in the notch and into the threaded insert installed ear- lier, see Fig. 7a. Tightening (or Toosening) the knob lets you at- tach (or remove) the fence. ‘CLAMP. Now you can add the lamp. Tt consists of three parts: a mounting block and arm made of hardwood, and a Masonite spacer in between, see Fig. 7b, ‘What makes this clamp workis the mounting block is thinner than the base, This way, the 7| seae TOP Lock SEER et eB Me o wien posusras.e rence nese mec Ra. é i a. b. mone =e \ Fe } J Bee = Tags > oe ee = / Dancin ermoren) e spacer ereates a small gap that allows the arm to pinch against the base of the cutoff table when ‘you tighten the lamp. To provide this clamping pres- sure, the mounting block (31) and spacer (N) are first glued in place, see Fig. 9. After installing threaded insert in the mounting block and attaching the erm (O) ‘with serews,a simple knob ean be used to tighten the clamp, see Fig. 7b, Finally, it's just a matter of add- ing'a second stop block for the ad- Justable fence, see Fig. 7, ShopNotes: No.27Stop System ‘Al that’s left to complete the slid- ing table is to add the stop system. Besides supporting the sliding ta- ble, it covers the exposed part of the blade that passes through the fixed fence at the end of a cut. ‘To make this work, the stop system consists of three parts: a support, a blade guard, and a pair of stop blocks, see Figs. 10, 11, and photo Con page 16. ‘SUPPORT. The siepport (P) is & long strip of wood that attaches to the extension wing of the table saw, see Fig. 10. It prevents the sliding table from tipping at the ‘beginning and end of a cut. ‘To determine the length of the support, simply measure the dopth of the saw table and add 12". This gives you 6" of support at each end.) After cutting the support to length, it's just a mat- ter of bolting it flush with the top of the saw table, see Fig. 10, BLADE GUARD. Now you can add the blade guard (Q), see Fig. 11. It's a thick block that's made by gluing up five pieces of 34'- thick hardwood. In use, the part of the blacle that cuts through the back of the fence is “buried” in this block at the end of a cut. Before attaching the guard, 1 cut Yyr-wide chamfers on all the outside edges. Then the blade ‘guard is glued in place so it’s cen- tered behind the insert, ‘STOP BLOCKS. The last thing todoistoadd two stop blocks (A). ‘These blocks prevent the blade from catting through the blade guard by creating a positive stop at the end of a cut. One block is ‘glued and serewed to the end of the support, see Fig. 10. The other attaches to the bottom of the cutoff table, see Fig. 12. ‘To determine the location of this block, position the cutoff ta- ble on the saw so the front of the fence is centered over the saw arbor, see Side View. Then giue and serew it in place. Note: An Us" gap between the block and support keeps the table from binding, see End View. #& 12 NOTE Revove nsec > SAWBLADE TO SEE ARBOR No. 27 ‘ShopNotesIN THE SHOP etter Jn the surface, assembling a roject with screws is fairly straightforward, Just drill a hole (or a series of holes) and drive in the serews. Maybe that's why ittsso frustrating when things don't go exactly as planned, For exam- ple, the serew doesn't raw the pieces tightly together. Or the head ofthe serew snaps off, If something like ‘that happens, it’s only natural to blame the serew. But more than likely, thereal problem ‘ean be traced back to the holes that were drilled for the serews. ‘So when working with stand- ‘ard tapered woodserews, I drill a series of stair-stepped holes to fit tthe shape of the serew as closely as possible, This can either be done with individual deil bits. Or you can use a special combination bit, sce right-hand box on page 23. ‘TWO HOLES. Toensureasmooth assembly and a joint that's held tightly together, I start by drill- ing two holes, A large siank hole ‘goes all the way through the top piece, see photo above and draw- ing in margin, And a small pilot hole stopsin the base piece. Note: ‘To drill these holes as accurately as possible, I use brad point bits. SHANK HOLE. The shank hole provides clearance for the ‘smooth part of the screw. And it keeps the threads in the top piece from “catching” and creating a 2 gap between the pieces, see Fig. 1. the pilot hole ix to prevent. the SIZE. Aneasy way toselect the wood from splitting. right size drill bit for the shank To do this effectively, the pilot hole is to hold the serew in front hole has to be sized correctly. If ofthe bit, see Fig.2a. Thesidesof it'stoolarge, the holding power of the bit should just barely stick the serew is reduced. Too small out pasttheshank.’Thenwhen you and it inereases the chances of drill the hole, the screw will slide splitting the wood or snapping through without binding, see Fig.2. the head off the screw. PILOT HOLE. The next step is As a rule, I drill the pilot hole to drill the pilot hole in the base slightly smaller than the root of piece. The most important job of the screw (the part of the screw ShopNotes No.27@ write the shank hole and pilot NTH botwoen the threads). This gives [4 the threads something to grab, |") Countess ort CENTERS ROE ON SHANE ROLE ‘Here again, to find the correct size drill bit, line up the bit with the screw. But this time, place the serew behind the bit, see Fig. a. ‘The root of the screw should just, peek past the sides of the bit, = morno i= i DEPTH. Another thing to keep jn mind is the depth of the pilot hole. This will vary depending on whether you're working with hardwood or softwood, Since hardwood is more likely to split, [drill the hole almost as deep as the screw will penetrate, cet see Fig. 3. Leaving two or three threads to bite into the wood is plenty to produce a solid grip. But with softwood, 1 drill a shallower hole — usually about half the length of the threaded part ofthe serew that will bein the base piece, APPEARANCE down tight. hole take care of the basic me- chanies of a serew joint, you also pearance of the serew head. projects, I drill a countersink ‘This leaves the screw head ex- TCLS Ue LSS There's a big difference in these two counter- sink bits. One uses a single cutting edge that slices the wood fibers and leaves a clean hole, see left-hand photo. ‘The other has multiple utters that serape the wood and produce a scalloped cut, see right-hand photo. ‘The important thing is to drill the countersink after the shank hole and pilot hole, see Fig. 4. ‘This way, the tapered sides of the bit automatically center it on the shank hole. (For more on coun- need to consider the finished ap-_tersink bits, see box below left.) COUNTERBORE. Fora finished ‘COUNTERSINK. On most shop appearance, a counterbore lets ‘you recess the verew head below the surface, This is a deep, posed and set slightly below the straight-sided hole that's drilled surface. The beveled sides of the countersink match the shape of the screw head so it can draw counterbore is drilled before the to accept a wood plug or filler. ‘The thing to be aware of is the sshankchole and pilot hole, see Fig. 5, (Ifyou drill the shank hole first, the bit will wander because there's no centerpoint to guide it.) 'So which bit do you use to drill 1 counterbore? Since a twist bit also forms a countersink at the base of the hole, it's « good choice for flathead woodscrews, see Fig. 6. But for a roundhead screw that's at on the bottom, 1 use a brad point bit. & TEC Ityou're installing alot of screws, thistapered combination bit saves time by drilling a series of holes in a single operation, You can use it to Grill the countersink, shank hole, and pilot hole, see left-hand photo. Or adjust it to drill the counterbore as Well, see right-hand photo, ¢ J | ShopNotes 23 To set the screw head just below the surface, oil the countersink deep enough so the head fits the top of the opening, Sources “*Wooderat (single mutiple cutee cour ‘ersink, com bite) 200226:163 * Garrett Wade (com ‘ination bis) 200-221-2942 1 Woodworker Supply (ingle cutter cour torink, comb i) 200-648-0292 * Conscantines (mut {ipl cutter counter ‘toh, comb ie) (200-225-8087Just open the doors to find the hidden storage space inside this compact rack. ree t first glance, it’s hard to ine that you can or- ‘anize a wall full of tools in this compact storage rack, see photo. But a closer look reveals the “hid- den” storage space inside. This extra storage is provided by two doors that have pegboard ‘onboth the frontand the back. To provide easy access to tools on ‘each side, the doors swing out in opposite directions, refer to the photos on the back page. FRAME, The doors are sup- ported by a sturdy frame made from “two-by” material (I used Douglas fir) and a %4"-thiek ply- wood top and bottom, see draw- ing below left. It’s held together with simple (yet strong) lap joints that are madeby ~~ cutting a series of notches {in the frame pieces. A pair of stretchers (A) used to attach the rack to the wall are rabbeted on each end, see Pig. 1. These rabbets fit dadoes in the back of the two uprights (B). Another pair of dacloes on the inside face accept short. arms (C) that are rabbeted on one end. Before assembling the frame, it’s easiest to drill a hole in each ‘arm for a pin that will allow the doors to pivot, see Pig. 2. And a shallow groove is cut for the top ‘and bottom that are added later. ASSEMBLY. Now you can as- semble the frame. The stretch- ers, uprights, and arms are held together with glue and screws, ‘To add rigidity to the frame, the plywood top and bottom (D) are cutto fit between the grooves in the arms. But before gluing and serewing them in place, 1@moaemens ° ‘added hardwood trim strips () ‘to cover the front edges. With the frame complete, you can add the doors. They're just sim- ple wood frames with pegboard ‘on each aide, see Fig. 3. ‘The overall height of the doors is the same. But the back door is 1" narrower so it swings past the front door when you open it, see Fig. 84. Determining the length of the frame pieces is easy. The stiles (F) ‘oneach door are identical in length. (To provide an 14" clearance at the top and bottom, T cut them 36" long.) But the front rails (G) are 1" longer than the back rails (H). (This takes into account the over all width of the doors and the,join- ‘ety that holds them together.) With the frame pieces cut to length, matching rabbets are cut on both sides for the pegboard panels, see Fig, a. And anotch in the ends of the stiles accepts the rails, see Fig. 3b, PANELS. After screwing the frame pieces together, its Just a matter of entting front (1) and back door pamels (J) to fitand screwing them in place, see Pig. 3c. And a serap pull (K) is glued to the front of the back door. door, see Fig. 4. and 4a. ‘These place, a hole is drilled in each up- ATTACH DOORS. All that's left bolts pass through holes in the perarm fora spring loaded catch, isto attach the doors. They pivot arms (drilled earlier) and thread see Fig. 5. Note: One catch ‘on two hex bolts that pass into into 'Enuts in the inside face of mounts to the baek of the front bronze bushings installed in the the arms. door. And the other'ison the front, top and bottom edges of each Finally, to lock the doors in of the back door, refer to Fig. 3. Hardware (2) 89 14 P he © (20) 70129" Fine © (0) 20x14" Pauw (60) 0 2) Pe © (a) 42 HecBolee © AW Fue Washes 1 (6) Fender Washoe Strout 8 eyes enp Brose Bushings # (2) Letetond Spr radSELECTING TOOLS Quick Clamps — : Inere’s one thing that's al- Prices ays in short supply when clamping up a project — a third wove hand. With one hand positioning fe'camp: $12.95 | the clamp, and the other keeping 22" clamp. p38 | the parts aligned, an extra hand 2" camp 918-95 | to tighten the clamp would speed Quick-Grip_ | things up considerably, ene: sabe ‘That's where these quick olan clamps come in, see photos below Sorcame gosee | and prices in margin. They free | ia up one hand by allowing you to Pillck- Star | position the clamp and apply Quic! (American Tool) 800-767-6297 pressure with the other hand. But there's more to @ clamp than how handy itis to use. Tosee how they performed when gluing up a project or making @ tool setup, we ran the clampsthrough a series of tests, see photos above. To provide a range of view- points, we asked three wood- workers with different amounts of experience to test the clamps: Cary (a weekend woodworker), Steve an advanced woodworker), Gar meas and Ken (a professional earpen- ter and cabinetmaker). BB These clamps look quite differ- ‘ent from each other: Do they work differently too? Steve: The two clamps that are the most alike are the E-Z Hold and Quick-Grip. With these, I Just squeeze the handle to slide the lower jaw along the bar until it's tight against the workpiece. Ken: While both clamps use a pumping action to advance the Jaw, [liked the in-line handle on the E-Z Hold the best. (See the top drawing at left.) That's be- cause no matter how the clamp is oriented, it's convenient to use. But since the pistol grip on the Quick-Grip is perpendicular to the bar, it ean be awkward to use depending on the position of the clamp. (See enter drawing.) Cary: The Quick-Star tises a different approach altogether. ‘The lower jaw on this clamp is spring-loaded, 30. it advances “automatically” like a tape meas- ure, (See bottom drawing.) Bi How does that work? Cary: It's pretty simple really, Pulling the lower jaw down the bar applies tension to the spring. And releasing it retracts the spring and pulls the jaw against, the workpiece. Once the jaw is snug, it works like. standard bar clamp. As you No.27tighten the handle, a screw ap- plies the clamping pressure. Which is why the Quick-Star ap- plies more pressure than the other two clamps. (See drawing and photo above right) ‘Ken: But that's not to say you can't get a tight fitting glue joint with the E-Z Hold and Quick- Grip. Since they don’t produce as. much clamping pressure, the key @ is tomake sure the joine fits tight before gluing the pieces together, ‘And since I do that anyway (even Clamp Pads. The large jaws and the soft rubbery clamp pads on the E-Z Hold (left) and Quick- Irregular Shapes. Unlike the Quick-Grip (left), the clamp pads on the Quick-Star (center) and E-Z Hold (ight) make full contact with iregular-shaped objects. when using heavy-duty clamps), that’s not a big deal. BE What about the clamp heads? Cary: That's one of the biggest differences I noticed. Because both clamp heads on the Quick- Grip are fixed, the pads don't make full contact when I campan irregularshaped object. (See photo above left.) Bat the lower clamp head on the Quick-Star is basically just. a ball and socket joint. So the head Grip (center) provide a more sta- bie grip than the smaller plastic pads on the Quick-Star (right) Clampi Pressure. pivots as I tighten the clamp and the pads conform to the shape of the object. Steve: While it doesn’t have quite as much flexibility, the up- per clamp head on the E~Z Hold also pivots. In fact, the whole upper jaw slides off the bar so I can use it as a spreader, That's handy when need to take a project apart after dry assembling it to check the fit, (See margin.) WOne last question. Besides the color, are there any real differ- ences between the clamp pads? Steve: Size is one thing. The large pads on the E- Hold and Quick-Grip seemed to distribute pressure farther along the joint line than the small pads on the Quick-Star; (See photos at left.) Cary: And I liked the positive grip provided by the soft, rub- bery pads on both the B-Z Hold and Quick-Grip. Cary: Choosing the best quick clamp was a tug of war. liked the spring-loaded jaw and the extra clamping pressure ‘you get with the Quick-Star. But not enough to pay over $20 for it, So I pieked the E-Z Hold in- stead. It only costs about half as much, And it would easily handle most of my clamping needs. No.27 Recommendations Steve: At first, it was the low cost of the E-Z Hold clamps that ‘aught my eye too. (Especially if ‘you're buying a bunch of elamps.) Butthe real reason I picked the E-Z Hold was the convenience of the in-line handle. Also, convert- ing the clamp to a spreader is ‘something that would come in handy for me once in awhile, ShopNotes Ken: I guess that makes three of us, Although it doesn’t produce as much clamping pressure, T chose the E-Z Hold too. It exerts plenty of pressure if you start with a tight-fitting joint. And the large clamping sur- face provided by the soft, rab- ery pads distributes pressure evenly along the joint line. & 27 Pressure. With a pressure gauge ‘mounted ona hydraulic cylinder, we measured how much pressure each clamp applied. 4 _ = Simply reversing the jaws on the E-Z Hold clamp allows you to use itasa spreader,[ire ma Lk eas ShopSolutions ° A Like many woodworkers, Tuse a shop-made “sled” to rip a ‘straight edge on rough cut lum- ber, But rather than buy special clamps to hold boards securely to the base of the sled, see drawing. and glued sandpaper to the base. the sled, a pair of spring-loaded And the other fastens toa board —_Andastop ghied and serewed to hinges applies all the pressure I that acts as a hold-down, the end of the base helps push the need, see photo. ‘To hold the workpiece securely worlspiece when making a cut. One leaf of each spring is at- in place, I screwed rubber “feet” Terry Vikla tached to a rail that’s serewed toto the bottom of the hold-down Cottage Grove, Minnesota Brad & Nail “Drill Bit” | Predrilling a pilot hole for a [_ _ ‘brad or finish nail helps prevent | Bead'on wat them from splitting the wood. | SANSEUsD But Idon'talways have drill bit | terre that's the same size as the brad or finish nail, ‘Todrill holes that are the exact size, I cut the head from one of the ‘brads ornails I'musing and chuck ‘the shank in my drill. The shank works like a drill bit to drill a hole that fits the brad or nail perfectly. David Krimmel San Diego, California 28 ShopNotes No, 27emake Quick Tips A Since his lip balm is always hanay. Bill Johnson of Akron, Ohio, applies it to screw threads lomake the screws easy to drive. Finishing Easel =n To make it less tiring on my back when finishing doors and other flat projects, I built an “easel” that holds the workpiece ‘ata comfortable height, see photo. ‘The main parts of the easel are apair of uprights made from “two by” material that are set up on a sawhorse, see drawing. A square notch in the bottom of each up- right fits behind a stretcher serewed to the legs of the saw- horse, see detail 'b’. And an an- gled notch in the back edge determines the slope of the easel. ‘To keep the uprights from tip- pping, I drilled two holes in each one for a pair of long dowels. By gining and serewing one end of No. 27 4A To increase the grip of his push block, John French of San Di- go, California, glues shalt liner 10 the bottom of the block. each dowel to the same upright, ‘you an slide the other one on the ‘dowels to adjust the easel for pro- jects of different widths. Finally, a dowel in the front edge ofeach upright supports the work piece. And a piece of PVC pipe that’s cut in half Cengthwise) and serewed to the uprights keeps the wet finish on the project from sticking to the easel, see detail ‘x’ ‘Allan Gabel Sussex, Wisconsin ‘ShopNotes > Right out = of the pack. (= age, t'seasy \ to identiy the <<) grit on a hook and loop. sanding disk. Butif'you change disks fre- quently, the grit markings on ‘Back soon wear ott ‘So Wayne Loper of Duncar- nan, Pennsyivania, uses a per- ‘manent marker to label the griton the one place on the front of the disk that doesn't clog or wear out — the center of the disk If you'd like to share your original solutions to problems you've faced, send them to; ShopNotes, Attn: Shop Solutions, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, 1A 50312. (Or if it's easier, FAX them to us at: 515-282-6741) ‘We'll pay up to $200 depending on the published length, Please include a daytime phone number so we can call you if we have any questions,Redwood T=: 8 good reason why the houses my grandfather built still have their original wood siding. The siding is made from redwood. ‘And even though the finish on many of those homes has deteriorated over the years, the red- ‘wood is still as solid as the day he nailed it in place. ‘That's because redwood has a natural resistance to both insects and decay. Because of this durability, redwood is an ideal wood for a project that’s going to sit outside (ike the pienic table on page 10). But to take advantage of its ability to fend off damaging inseets and rot, you'll need to take a close Jook at the different ides of redwood. ‘TWO GROUPS. Although there are a number of different grades, each one falls into one of two main ‘groups; Heartwood or Sapwood. ‘When buying redwood for an outdoor project, I make ita point to select Heartwood lumber, Heart- Wood is easy to identify by its reddish-brown color, see photos at right. But there's something about. it that’s even more important than eo ‘The heartwood is ent from the inner part of a redwood log —the part that makes it resistant to insects and decay. But there's no natural resistance inthesapwood Color. Unlike the creamy colored that's cut from the outer part of sapwood (top), the red heart- wood resists insects and decay. the log. HEARTWOOD.'The two best gpades of Heartwood are Clear All Heart (straight grain, free of knots) and Heart ‘B" (some irregular grain and a few small, tight knots), see photos be- low. Note: We used Heart ‘B on the picnic table, Not surprisingly, these two grades of redwood are also the most expensive. Here in Des Moines, Clear All Heart costs about $4.40 a board foot, and Heart ‘B' is $3.50 a board foot, Aless expensive graile you may want to consider for some projects is Construction Heart/Deck Clear All Heart, Lumber with this grade is siraight-grained and free of knots. Heart ‘8’. You'll see some irregular grain ‘and small knots in Heart ‘B' lumber. Construction Heart/Deck Heart. Look for knots of varying sizes with this grade 30 ShopNotes Heart ($1.50 a board foot), see bottom photo. Al- though boards in this grade aren't as straight grained and have langer knots, you can sometimes cut around them. WORKABILITY. Regardless of the grade you use, there area few things you should keep in mind when ‘working with redwood lumber. Like most other softwoods, redwood cuts easily. But to help reduce splintering, it's still a good idea to first drill pilot holes before nailing oF serewing itn place. ‘And if there are any small splinters along the edges, glue them in place before sanding or finishing as they havea tendency to “eatch” on sandpaper, paint- brushes, and rags, Also, when routing redwood, it's best to sneak up on the profile by making a number of passes to reduce tearout and splintering. AVAILABILITY. Becatuse redwood is such a spe- cialty use item, you're not likely to come across it at your local home improvement center. But you ean find it (or order it) at many lumberyards. If you have trouble locating redwood, you can give the California Redwood Association a call (15- 382-0662) for the nearest dealer in your area. @Lia) * Outdoor Finishes ether it's drenched in the rain or baked by the sun, the finish on a piece of outdoor furniture has an incredibly tough job. So it's impor- tant to select a finish that protects the wood from. damage caused by extremes of weather. Inaddition, there are a couple other things I look at before choosing an outdoor finish. How it affects the appearance of the project for instance. And the ‘maintenance required to preserve the finish, To strike a balance between all these things, I ‘usually select from three different types of outdoor finishes: penetrating oil, spar varnish, or paint, ‘The easiest finish to apply isa penetrating oil that's ‘specially formulated for outdoor use. Wiping the oi on and off (I apply at least three coats) seals out ‘moisture by penetrating inside the fibers of the wood. Since the oil doesn’t build up on the surface, it ‘won't erack or peel. And it preserves the natural look and feel of the wood, see photo A. MAINTENANCE, But it doesn't take long before an oil finish starts to look dull and loses its ability to keep out moisture. So about every two or three ‘months, you'll need to wipe on a fresh coat. For a more durable finish that still preserves the natural beauty of the wood, I use an exterior (ma- rine) spar varnish, see photo B. It forms a protec- tive barrier against: moisture on the surface of the ‘wood. And its extremely resistant to wear, ‘FILTERS. When selecting a spar varnish, look for one with ultra-violet (UV) filters. These filters ab- sorb the UV rays from the sun that break down a finish over time. ‘To take advantage ofthe filters, it's best to apply at least three coats of spar varnish, But since the filters gradually lose their effectiveness, you'll need to establish a regular maintenance schedule, ‘The important thing is to renew the finish before ft starts to deteriorate. About once a year, I sand the finish lightly and apply another coat. PAINT QP hove tdes the wood good eat ofpaint sit [provides the best protection against the weather. That's because it keeps out moisture and pre- vents sunlight, from penetrating the finish. As with any finish, the end result is only as good as what's underneath, So start by applying a heavy ‘coat of penetrating (outdoor) oil. Especially on end grain that will wick up moisture if the paint fails. PRIMER. When the oil dries completely (about two or three days), the next step is to apply a good quality alkyd (oil-based) primer. While it provides excellent resistance to water, an alkyd paint ean crack as the wood moves with changes in humidity. ‘TOP COATS. So when it's time to apply the top coats, 1 use a more flexible latex (water-based) paint, see photo C. Two coats will usually protect the wood for several years or more.' ~< Penetrating Oil. Even though it darkens the wood, the most natural ooking outdoor finish is a penetrating oil. To ensure continuous protection against moisture, apply another coat of o every few months, < Spar Varnish. With an exterior spar varnish, you get a more durable (and {glossier) finish, Even so, you'll need f0 maintain the finish about once a year 10 prevent cracking or peeling. “Paint. Winilo it hicies the natural beauty of the wood, a painted finish offers the best protection against the weather. And you don't have to worry ‘about renewing the finish as frequently. No.27 ‘ShopNotes 31Scenes from the Shop A The highly figured grain on this walnut scraper wood wedge and brass finger screw hold the seraper at plane creates a fino tool that's as pleasing to look at as just the right angle to produce thin, wispy shavings. itis to use, Like the scraper plane shown on page 4, a “And brass sole plates on the botiom resist wear. ‘A A panel full of tools is just part of the storage pro- other side as well as a back door concealed rwithin vided by the pegboard rack shown above left and on (center). Swing out the back door and you can even. ‘page 24. Open the front door and there's storage on the hang tools on the other side of it or the wall (right)