P

O RETS Build Better Jigs • Get More From Your Materials

H
S SEC

Vol. 18 Issue 103

5-IN-1
TABLE SAW
Accessoryy System
Accesso
AW

PLUS!
PLUS
Router Workshop:
Build Your Shop Skills
Super-Smooth Finish:
No Sandpaper Needed
Master the Table Saw:
Simple Never-Fail Joinery
A Publication of August Home Publishing

s103_001_SUB.indd 2 11/25/2008 1:43:46 PM

 Contents
Features
hands-on technique
Ripping on the Band Saw ____________ 14
Sometimes the band saw is the right tool for
ripping a workpiece. We’ll show you some tips
and tricks for improving your band saw skills.
storage solutions
Sharpening Center _________________ 16
Storing and using your sharpening equipment
has never been easier. This simple cabinet
keeps it all under control.
dream shop project
Mobile Sanding Station ______________ 24
When teamed up with your dust collector, this
roll-around station makes sanding virtually
dust-free and keeps the air in your shop clean.
weekend workshop
Sharpening Center page 16
Portable Sandpaper Storage __________ 30
Keep your rolls of sandpaper handy with this
easy-to-build dispenser box.
best-built jigs & fixtures
Rip Fence Accessory System __________ 34
Your table saw’s rip fence serves as the
backbone for these must-have add-ons.

Departments
Readers’ Tips _____________________ 4
Routing Large Holes page 8 router workshop
Routing Large Holes: 3 Methods _______ 8
Discover our handy techniques for creating
clean and smooth holes.
materials & hardware
Choosing & Using T-Track ____________ 10
Find out about the latest products for building
accurate and easy-to-use jigs and fixtures.

Shop Short Cuts____________________ 22

Try out these shop-tested tips and techniques
to solve your woodworking problems.
hands-on technique
Edging a Plywood Case______________ 32
Here, you’ll find ways to dress up your
Band Saw Ripping page 14 plywood projects for the best appearance.

2 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_002.indd 2 11/21/2008 4:47:07 PM

 Cutoffs
P art of the enjoyment I get out of
working in the shop is trying out
new ideas. And those ideas usually involve
some jig or technique to make building
a project easier, safer, and more accurate.
This issue is filled with articles that meet
all those requirements — and then some.
Inside, you’ll find several projects that
will make the time you spend in the shop
more relaxing and enjoyable. It starts with
the space-saving sharpening center with
its drop-front door. Then, take a look at the
mobile sanding station. It’s a great way to
keep your shop and lungs free from all that
sanding dust. And for your table saw, you’ll
find some handy accessories for your rip
fence. They make working at your table saw
Rip Fence Accessory System page 34 more accurate and safer.
Speaking of safety, in issue No. 102 we
in the shop showed a shop-made jig used for bending
Cutting Diagrams __________________ 40 brass bar stock while heating it with a pro-
We’ll answer your questions and take the pane torch. To build our jig, we used galva-
mystery out of these useful guides. nized pipe. A concerned reader wrote in to
setting up shop warn us that heating galvanized materials to
Our 5 Favorite Push Blocks ___________ 42 a high temperature can result in the release
Safety and convenience are top priority with of dangerous fumes. While we didn’t heat
these handy, shop-made helpers.
the pipe to a high enough temperature or for
mastering the table saw
long enough to cause a problem, the concern
Top-Notch Tongue & Dado ___________ 44 is valid. The simple solution is to use black
You’ll see why this is one of our favorite joints
for building strong and sturdy projects. iron pipe when you build the jig or just make
great gear sure you have plenty of ventilation as you
What’s New in Sanding ______________ 48 heat and bend the brass.
Learn about some unique abrasives you can
put to use with your orbital sander today.

Q&A ____________________________ 50

Sources __________________________ 51
This symbol lets you know
there’s more information
available online at
ShopNotes.com

www.ShopNotes.com 3

s103_002.indd 3 11/24/2008 10:32:38 AM

 from our
Readers

Tips for Your Shop

Rotary Tool Support
My rotary tool has been one of my arm pivots out of the way above above your bench. A short length
best tool investments. I use it all the bench (inset photo). of piano hinge allows you to swing
the time. To keep it within reach, I The arm is made from Bal- the arm out of the way.
hang the motor on the simple arm tic birch plywood. The drawing When you mount the arm to the
you see in the photos. The arm is below gives you all the details. wall or cabinet, I find it works best
PIANO
HINGE easy to build. And at the end The tapered shape and large holes to locate it at a height where you
of the day, the make it lighter so it doesn’t put so can easily reach it from a sitting
much stress on the hinge. position on a tall shop stool. This
21 A couple of small hooks in the keeps it at hand whether you’re
lower edge provide a standing or sitting at the bench.
place to hang the As you can see above, this setup
5!/2 tool and keep the works particularly well when I
1!/2
power cord from have a flex-shaft installed on the
interfering with the tool. It’s a simple solution, but one
task at hand. With that works great. I just wish I had
all that done, you thought of it earlier.
SCREW NOTE: SWING ARM
HOOK MADE FROM !/2" PLYWOOD can fasten the arm Christopher Singleton
to the wall or cabinet Cambridge, Ontario

4 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_004.indd 4 11/20/2008 6:29:31 AM

 Shop Vacuum Hose Storage
In my small shop, keeping the hose for semi-circular shape. A third layer forms
my shop vacuum under control has the outer face and is larger to create a lip ®

been an issue. It won’t stay coiled when to keep the hose from slipping off. Issue 103 Jan./Feb. 2009
I try to store it and it always seems to be I added a shelf with notches sized to
underfoot. The wall-mounted rack you hold the fittings on my shop vacuum PUBLISHER Donald B. Peschke
see below is my solution. hose. To do this, first drill a hole then EDITOR Terry J. Strohman
The rack is made from plywood. The remove the waste with a band saw. MANAGING EDITOR Bryan Nelson
back panel forms the foundation for the Finally, I rounded over all the edges and SENIOR EDITOR Phil Huber
curved hose holder and the notched securely mounted the rack to my shop ASSOCIATE EDITOR Randall A. Maxey
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Vincent Ancona,
accessory storage shelf down below. wall, as shown below. Joel Hess, Ted Raife, Dennis Perkins, Carol Beronich
The curved holder is made from two Bob Wey EDITORIAL INTERN Catherine Seiser
layers of 3⁄4" plywood cut into a large Westford, Massachusetts
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth
ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jamie Downing
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS David Kreyling, Dirk Ver Steeg,
Harlan V. Clark, Peter J. Larson, David Kallemyn
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Shelley Cronin

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNERS Ken Munkel, Kent Welsh,
Chris Fitch, James R. Downing, Mike Donovan
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle
SHOP CRAFTSMEN Steve Curtis, Steve Johnson

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Crayola England,

Dennis Kennedy
ASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham
SENIOR PREPRESS IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette Johnson
VIDEO DIRECTOR/EDITOR Mark Hayes

ShopNotes® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly (Jan., March, May, July,

Sept., Nov.) by August Home Publishing, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.
ShopNotes® is a registered trademark of August Home Publishing
©Copyright 2009 by August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.
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www.ShopNotes.com 5

s103_004.indd 5 11/20/2008 8:41:45 AM

 Adjustable Safety Clamp
Cutting short or small parts on the the size of the work-
table saw or router table always piece. Then as you
makes me a little nervous. Push squeeze the handle,
sticks can help, but they don’t do the fixed jaw moves to
much to keep the workpiece in clamp the workpiece
position and under control. The securely. It’s all made of wood, so as hard as it looks. Start by drilling
shop-made clamp you see here incidental contact with the blade holes down the center of an extra-
keeps my hands safely away from isn’t serious. And the jaws can be wide (23⁄4") workpiece that will
the saw blade or router bit. replaced if they get chewed up. become the sides. After ripping it
1!%/16 As shown above, the mov- The drawings below show you to form the two sides, you can add
able jaw slides to adjust to how it’s all put together. It’s not the spacer and fixed handle.
30°
The jaws are next. To make
#/8 them, I first glued up the three
FIXED
HANDLE
pieces that make up each jaw, then
5#/4 NOTE: ALL PARTS
#/8 MADE FROM !/2" 1%/16 cut the notch using the band saw.
THICK STOCK Fasten each jaw to the sides with
FIXED !/4"-DIA.
#/8 JAW a dowel (without glue) so you can
!%/16 replace the jaws later.
#/8 DO NOT
1!/2 GLUE To use the
SIDE
(1%/16" x 24") clamp, place it
!/2
6° over the workpiece
1!/16 BEVELS
&/8 %/8 with the fixed
DO NOT
GLUE 1 jaw against the
30°
NOTCH DETAIL workpiece. Then,
24 SIDE slide the move-
MOVABLE
JAW SPACER able jaw up to the
(1!/2" x 1%/16")
6&/8 other end of the
!/2 workpiece. Simply
!/2
give the handle a
3#/8 1%/16
2&/16 2&/16 tight squeeze and
1!#/16 you’re good to go.
!/4" x 1!/2"
DOWEL Gary Kemper
1 1
Lindale, Texas

6 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_006.indd 6 11/20/2008 8:42:25 AM

 Workmate Benchtop Tool
Jim Kennedy of Longview, Texas and Kevin Graham of
Regina, Saskatchewan both use their portable Work-
mates to maximize space in their small shops. They’ve
each come up with a different way to secure their
benchtop tools on their Workmates.
Jim and Kevin both use 3⁄4" plywood for their tool
bases. The tool is fastened to the base with bolts. To
secure the base to the Workmate, Kevin uses a centered
cleat on the bottom. The 11⁄2" x 11⁄2" cleat runs along
the width of the base on the underside and is clamped
between the jaws of his Workmate. Jim secures his
base by means of large holes that fit over plastic dogs
installed on the Workmate. By setting the base over the
four dogs, he can clamp it securely.

Safe Shop Motion Sensor

My neighborhood is full of young children and I’m
always afraid one of them will wander into my garage
shop and get hurt while my back is turned. I found
an inexpensive motion detector with built-in audible
alarm that helps alert me when someone enters the
shop. You can find these online or at electronics stores.
Mine uses batteries that should last several years.
I installed the motion detector door chime near the
entrance of my garage and turn it on when I work in
the shop. Knowing that I’ll hear whenever someone
walks into my shop, I work with peace of mind even
when my back faces the driveway. Safety comes first,
whether it’s for me or someone else.
Charles Mak
Calgary, Alberta

Quick Tips

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BY EMAIL
Now you can have the
best time-saving secrets,
solutions, and techniques
sent directly to your email
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{ Serge Duclos of Delson, Quebec found { Frank Gallo of New Canaan, CT has a
and click on
that a spare drill chuck makes a handy vise way to keep thin materials from slipping “Sign Up for Free E-Tips”
for grinding small parts. For a handle, he under the rip fence. He uses the joining You’ll receive a new tip by
uses a long bolt threaded into the chuck strip from vinyl siding to provide support email each week.
and covers it with plastic tubing. for the piece against the fence.

www.ShopNotes.com 7

s103_006.indd 7 11/20/2008 8:43:00 AM

 ROUTER
Workshop

3Big Holes ways

to rout

Here are some simple

techniques for creating
large, accurately sized
holes anywhere.
Most of us think that making a large-diameter hole When the hole you need to make falls outside that
is a job for a drill press, right? All you need are an range, or can’t be done with a drill press, you need
assortment of hole saws, a set of expensive Forstner another solution. To get the job done, I still use these
bits, and perhaps a wing cutter. tools. But I add in my router to get the results I’m
But even this approach has limitations. For exam- looking for. With a router, some common bits, and a
ple, you may not have the right size bit. Or it may be few simple techniques, you can create smooth, large-
impossible to get the workpiece on the drill press. diameter through holes with ease.

Template Routing
When I need to make a hole in the lay out the location of the hole. The final step is cleaning up the
center of a large workpiece, like Before reaching for the router, it’s edge of the hole. To do this, secure
the dust port in the sanding center a good idea to remove as much of the template to the workpiece
on page 24, a drill press just won’t the waste as possible. So I drill a with double-sided tape, and trim
work. One technique I turn to is small starter hole and cut out the the edge flush to the template with
template routing. A template is bulk of the waste with a jig saw. a pattern bit (photo above). The
used to both lay out and trim the (This is faster than making the result is a perfectly sized hole that
hole to exact size. hole with the router alone.) you can locate anywhere.
The process is simple and starts
by creating a template the exact
size of the hole. The template can
be anything from 1⁄4" hardboard to
3⁄ " MDF. Centerlines on the tem-
4
plate help you accurately locate it
on the workpiece later.
Then you can drill the hole in the
template — for this you can use a
drill press. I like to use a wing cut-
ter for large holes, as you can see
in the photo at right. Make the Template. Use a wing cutter
With the template in hand, you to create a hole in the template.
can take it to the workpiece and

8 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_008.indd 8 11/21/2008 12:26:19 PM

 Flush Trim. A

“Drilling” in Steps pattern bit follows

the rabbet to enlarge
the hole to final size.
I use this next technique when I repeating the process until you
don’t have the exact size bit I need. reach the exact size you need.)
But, the nice thing is, you can still It really is a straightforward
get the job done with a smaller bit. technique. But you need to know
In this case, you use your router to the starter hole size. Here, you
enlarge the hole. need to do a little math. Start with
Here’s how it works. You begin the final size of the hole, then
by creating a starter hole with a work backward in 1⁄2" increments
Forstner bit or hole saw. Then you until you come up with a size that
can use a rabbeting bit and a pat- matches a bit you have on hand.
tern bit to increase the hole size.
In Figure 1, you can see how a
rabbeting bit follows the edge of
1 2
the starter hole to create a stepped
opening. I like to use a 1⁄4" rabbet-
ing bit. (This increases the diam-
eter in 1⁄2" increments.)
To complete the hole, you’ll
switch to a pattern bit. The bearing
follows the rabbet and “resizes”
the hole, as in Figure 2. (You can !/4" RABBETING BIT PATTERN BIT
TRIMS WASTE
continue expanding the hole by

Custom-Sized Holes
The third technique I like to use you need. It’s a good idea to make
to create a hole comes in handy a few test cuts to dial in the set up.
for making even larger openings. Here’s the catch — I don’t use
For these holes, I turn to a custom- the jig to make the entire hole.
sized trammel. It’s basically a sim- After drilling a pivot hole at the
ple circle-cutting jig. centerpoint, you can rout a 1⁄4"-
The jig is nothing more than an deep circular groove, as shown
auxiliary baseplate that attaches in the photo at right. To turn the
to your router with double-sided groove into a hole, cut away the
tape. A brad serves as a pivot pin, waste with a jig saw (Figure 2).
as shown in Figure 1. The groove serves as a track to
I install a 1⁄2"-dia. straight bit in help you guide the saw.
the router to do the cutting. The dis- Cleaning up the hole is simply
tance between the pin and the out- a matter of installing a pattern bit Rout a Groove. A simple circle-cutting jig is the
side edge of the bit should match and routing the edge clean, as you first step in creating a large hole.
the desired radius of the hole can see in Figure 3.

1 2 3
FIRST: DRILL !/4"-DEEP
STARTER HOLE FOR GROOVE
JIG SAW BLADE
BRAD

!/4" Hdbd.
WASTE

RADIUS HOLE SECOND: CUT AWAY MOST PATTERN BIT

OF HOLE CENTER OF THE WASTE WITH JIG SAW CLEANS EDGE

www.ShopNotes.com 9

s103_008.indd 9 11/21/2008 2:43:20 PM

 MATERIALS &
Hardware
versatile
T-Track
(INCRA)

(ROCKLER)

(LEE VALLEY)

(WOODPECKERS)

This handy hardware is (LEE VALLEY)

the solution to safer, more %/16" FLANGE

accurate results from BOLTS

every jig you build.

!/4" FLANGE !/4" FLANGE
BOLT BOLT
When it comes to building jigs and
fixtures, there’s one piece of hard-
ware I often turn to. And that’s the
T-track you see in the photos at left 5⁄ "
16 T-SLOT !/4" HEX BOLT
and above. It’s the key to build- NUT !/4" T-SLOT
ing safety and accuracy into any NUT

shop-built jig or fixture, like

you see in the drill press build an adjustable jig or fixture earlier, the slots in the T-track are
table in the photo below. that’s safer to use and provides designed to accept T-slot nuts, hex
What is T-Track? At its more accurate results. bolts, or flange bolts.
most basic level, T-track Choosing T-track. So what do But not all T-track will accept a
(ROCKLER) is nothing more than a piece you really need to consider when wide range of hardware. And the
of extruded aluminum, like the it comes to selecting and using T- types of hardware it will accept
ones shown at left. What allows it track in your shop? often have to be a specific size.
to do its job is the “T” shape that One of the first things to know Most T-track is designed to either
results. The slot allows the T-track about T-track is that besides com- 1⁄ " or 5⁄ " standards. This means
4 16
to accept a T-slot nut, hex bolt, or ing in different lengths (usually 2' you can use either a 1⁄4" flange bolt
flange bolt like the ones you see to 4'), the overall shape and thick- or hex bolt, but not necessarily the
(HARTVILLE) above. Combine this with a knob, ness will vary depending on the same hardware in 5⁄16" standard.
clamp or hold-down, and you can manufacturer. (For a number of There are a few styles of T-track
sources, refer to page 51). that will accept a mix, although
You’ll find T-track in a wide I’ve found this type of T-track to be
range of sizes that vary from 3⁄8" a compromise. And the hardware
thick and 3⁄4" wide, up to 1⁄2" thick doesn’t always slide or adjust as
and 21⁄8" wide. So it’s important to smoothly as I like. For that reason,
design your jig or fixture around I prefer T-track that will accept 5⁄16"
the T-track. (More on this in a bit.) flange bolts. I’ve found that flange
Hardware. Another consider- bolts slide more smoothly than
ation is the type of hardware the hex bolts. And by sticking with a
T-track will accept. As I mentioned one size, I can use add-on accesso-
ries on more than one jig or fixture.
< Accuracy. The T-track in the (Like the examples shown in the
table and fence of this drill press margin on the opposite page.)
makes it a snap to complete a Installing T-track. Once you’ve
task quickly and accurately. chosen your T-track and have it in

10 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_010.indd 10 11/25/2008 3:25:00 PM

 basic
T-TRACK FLUSH OR “TABS” PREVENT T-TRACK
SLIGHTY BELOW SURFACE APPLY GLUE TO
RIBS OF T-TRACK FROM PULLING OUT
Add-
Ons
USE SHORT SCREWS FOR LIGHT-DUTY CYANOACRYLATE (CA) GLUE OR EPOXY UNDERCUT SLOT (SEE BIT BELOW)
USE AND THIN MATERAIL CAN BE USED TO SECURE T-TRACK ALLOWS T-TRACK TO SLIP INTO PLACE

LONG SCREWS INTO A MACHINE SCREWS, WASHERS

SOLID-WOOD CLEAT PROVIDE AND NUTS PROVIDE A
A SECURE CONNECTION ROCK-SOLID INSTALLATION

> Slotting Bit.

After cutting the
groove, this special- { Hold-Down.
ized bit makes quick work A commercial
of creating the narrow slots hold-down
CLEAT for the T-track tabs. makes it easy
to secure a
the surface. If it sticks up above the Install With Screws. I’ve found it workpiece to
surface at all, it can interfere with best to use screws to install T-track. this jig.
mating jig pieces or accessories This way, you can modify the jig or
you plan to use. fixture at any time if you need to.
hand, the next thing to decide is Avoiding Pullout. If the groove And you can reuse the T-track in the
how to install it in your jig or fix- is too deep, you run the risk of future. If you do this, I’d recom-
ture. In the drawings above you can the T-track pulling out when you mend installing screws every 4" to
see a number of ways to do this. tighten a clamp or other accessory 6". For this reason, I prefer T-track
They all start with cutting a in place. The nice thing is that you without pre-drilled holes.
dado or groove to match the size can minimize this possibility. If you check out the drawing
of the T-track. Now, you could The drawings above show a directly above, you’ll see a really
do this on the router table with a number of ways to do this. Most of nice solution to the pull-out prob-
straight bit. But I’ve found it easier them involve screwing or bolting lem — the double T-slot track from { Quick &
to get a good fit by turning to my the T-track in place. But if you look Lee Valley. It’s especially handy if Easy. A toggle
table saw and a dado blade. at some of the T-track on the oppo- you’re using T-track in thin mate- clamp offers
There are two keys to the fit. The site page, you’ll notice that several rial, like a fence or the base for a jig. super-fast
first is cutting the dado or groove types have flutes along the sides. It has “tabs” that stick out the operation for
wide enough for the T-track to slip This allows you to fix the T-track in sides and fit into an undercut slot any jig.
into place. And second, it needs to place with cyanoacrylate along the bottom of the T-track
be deep enough so the T-track is (CA) glue or groove. After cutting the groove,
perfectly flush or just a hair below epoxy. you use a special router bit to cre-
ate the undercut slot (photo above).
Then the T-track slips into place
with a friction fit.
The basic T-track you see on
these pages is the standard for
most of the jigs and fixtures
< Versatility. you’ll find yourself building.
The handy And in the photos at left and in the { Simple
intersection margin, you can see some handy Stop. This
kits installed accessories for making even better small metal
in this table use of basic T-track. “T” locks in
allow you to Finally, on the next two pages place securely
install multiple you’ll find some specialized T- to provide a
accessories track that offers even more ver- reference stop
anywhere on satility when it comes to making for repetitive
the table. shop-built jigs and fixtures. tasks.

www.ShopNotes.com 11

s103_010.indd 11 11/25/2008 2:51:06 PM

 TOP TRAK T-LOC TRAK
(KREG) (ROCKLER/BENCH DOG)

flange for securing it to your jig makes repetitive cuts to an exact

or fixture. This makes the instal- length a no-hassle operation.
lation a snap and since you’re
screwing through the flange, you COMBINATION TRACK
don’t have to worry about any fas- Another specialized version of T-
teners interfering with the acces- track is combination track. A few
{ Fence Track. A quick way to make a handy shop- sory installed in the T-track. I like versions of this are shown in the
built fence is to use fence track. Just cut a hardwood to use this type of track for shop- margin at left.
strip to size and then screw the track in place. built fences, like the one you see in T-track & Miter Slot. As its
the photo at left. name implies, combination track
The basic versions of T-track on You can use stop blocks on this combines a T-track and a miter
the previous pages are probably style of T-track for use with a miter slot in the same piece of extrusion.
all you’ll need for the majority of saw fence or the fence on a cross- It’s a feature you really should
the jigs and fixtures you build in cut sled for your table saw. But look for in a router table. And it’s
the your shop. But there are a few if you’re using a commercial flip a good idea to consider adding
COMBINATION manufacturers that have taken the stop in either of those cases, sizing one if you’re planning on building
TRACK
T-track concept to new levels. the fence is important. Just be sure your own router table.
that the height of the fence allows Like basic T-track, you’ll have
FENCE TRACK the flip stop to rest in the proper to cut a groove in the tabletop to
If you take a look at the photos at position (photo at upper left). match the width and thickness of
the upper right, you can see a dif- A unique feature of the Kreg the combination track. And just
ferent style of T-track. It comes in fence track I really like is the sepa- like before, you’ll have to securely
different lengths (2' to 4') to suit rate flange that extends horizon- screw or bolt the track in place.
your needs, but it’s designed to tally off the side. It has a recess that As you can see in the photos
be surface mounted. To do this, accepts a self-adhesive measuring below, the combination track
(WOOD-
PECKERS) the fence track features a wide tape. Combined with a stop, it makes it easy to switch back and

(KREG)

(BENCH
DOG) { Miter Gauge. The combination track installed in { Featherboard. With the T-track portion of the
this router table allows you to use any shop-built jig combination track, you can quickly and securely
or a standard miter gauge for basic cuts. attach a featherboard for accurate routing.

12 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_012.indd 12 11/25/2008 3:29:44 PM

 heavy-duty
Clamping
Whether you’re using basic T-track or one of the
specialized versions of T-track shown on these
pages, you may want to consider adding one of
the hold-downs shown in the photos below. (Refer
DUAL PURPOSE TRACK KLAMP TRAK to page 51 for information on sources.)
(WOODPECKERS) (KREG) A great way to secure a workpiece to any jig or
fixture is the Universal Track Clamp from Woodpeck-
forth between different operations track to “bury” it.. Since the track ers. You can spin the clamp 360° for easy operation
depending on the task at hand. is just under 3⁄4" thick, it will end and adjustability. It offers a reach of 2" and will
Simply use the miter slot when up just below the surface if you’re accommodate material up to 11⁄2" thick.
you need to use a shop-built jig or using 3⁄4"-thick material to make The Bench Klamp from Kreg offers the same 360°
miter gauge (lower left photo on your table or worksurface. clamping capability. And the locking pliers design
opposite page). And if the opera- As you can see in the photo allows for fine-tuning the clamping pressure to
tion calls for a stop block or feath- below and the box at right, this suit the material and task at hand. The Bench Klamp
erboard, just slide the accessory in type of track is great for any appli- comes in two different capacities. One with a 3"
place and you’re good to go (lower cation requiring heavy clamp- reach and a larger model
right photo on opposite page). ing pressure. For this reason, it’s with a 6" reach.
important to install heavy-duty
HEAVY-DUTY TRACK track securely to the table.
If the basic T-track, fence track, The recommended method for
or combination track aren’t stout doing this is to use hex bolts, nuts,
enough to fill your needs, then and washers that go completely
check out the heavy-duty versions through the table. This minimizes
of T-track shown above. any chance of the track pulling out
Heavy & Thick. Not only are as you apply pressure.
these extrusions beefier, they’re As you can see, there’s a version
also thicker (about 3⁄4") than the of T-track to suit just about any
basic T-track. This does require a need you have for building jigs
deeper groove to accept the track. and fixtures. The only problem you
But it also makes it very easy to may have is determining exactly
“create” a groove by building which one to get. But once you do, { Universal Track Clamp. After locking the swiv-
up the top in multiple layers and you can rest assured that your jig eling clamp to the table in the proper position,
wrapping those layers around the or fixture will do its job. simply tighten the knob to secure a workpiece.

> Assembly
System. This
assembly table
features Kreg’s
Klamp Trak along
with handy Klamp
Blocks, and a
hold-down (for
more on this, see
the margin).

{ Bench Klamp. You can adjust the opening of

this clamp quickly and easily to match the thick-
ness of your material and then secure it in place.

www.ShopNotes.com 13

s103_012.indd 13 11/25/2008 2:23:11 PM

 HANDS-ON Technique

Learn the
techniques
for safer
ripping with
less waste.

ripping on the
Band Saw
The band saw is the tool of choice workpiece from a larger board. sharp blade. I use a 1⁄2"-wide blade
for making curved cuts and resaw- The box on the next page illus- designed for resawing. It does a
ing thick stock into thinner pieces. trates what I’m talking about. great job of ripping.
One overlooked use for the band Most 1⁄2" blades only have three
saw is ripping stock to width. BAND SAW SETUP or four teeth per inch, so you won’t
Safety. Why would you con- Now before you power up your always get the smoothest cuts, as
sider using your band saw for band saw, it’s important that you you can see in the left margin. But
ripping? For me, the number one take the time to tune it up. Your a couple of passes with a hand
reason is safety. There’s no spin- saw’s manual will help you out plane or over a jointer are all you
ning blade like there is on your with all of these tune-up tasks. need to do to clean up the edges
Standard table saw. The cutting action Sharp Blade. The first thing for glue-up or finishing.
3-TPI blade of a band saw blade is to do is make sure you’re using a For better results, the Wood
downward. This helps Slicer by Highland Woodworking is
hold the workpiece } Variable Teeth. The variable my first choice (photo below). The
against the table. So you tooth spacing and unique grind unique tooth configuration leaves
can cut boards you might on the Wood Slicer (right) yields a a smoother surface that requires
not be able to cut safely on smoother cut than a stock blade. less clean up later.
Wood Slicer the table saw (twisted Tune-Up. Next, check that the
blade or bowed stock, for wheels are aligned, the tires are
instance). in good shape, and that the guide
The blade’s thin kerf blocks or bearings are adjusted
means there’s less waste. Its properly. You’ll also want to make
narrow width means little chance sure the blade is tracking on the
{ Quality of Cut. of binding. If it does bind, you sim- wheels properly.
The blade you use ply back out of the cut. There’s no Lead Angle. Ideally, as you
can make a big danger of kickback like you might make a straight cut, the kerf should
difference in the experience on a table saw. be parallel to the miter slot. If it’s
smoothness of the Precision Cuts. Another reason not, you can adjust the rip fence
cut edge. to use the band saw is that I can to compensate for this lead angle
make cuts to get the best-looking (sometimes called “drift”).

14 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_014.indd 14 11/24/2008 10:14:27 AM

 tips for band saw
Rip Fence. The rip fence is
where you’ll focus your attention
next. Whether it’s a commercial or
Ripping
shop-made fence, the important
considerations are that it’s square
to the table and parallel to the
Finding the best pieces to use
for your project is one of the
1
blade’s lead angle. challenges of woodworking.
Using your band saw to do this
TECHNIQUE makes it a lot easier.
With your saw ready to go, there The photos at right show you
are a couple of things to keep in what I mean. The grain of this
mind when you’re ripping stock. board angles off to one side.
Support. The first is to make But for my project, I was look-
sure you have some outfeed sup- ing for straight-grained pieces.
port for long boards (main photo Ripping the stock on my table
on opposite page). One of the dis- saw would have required some
advantages to most band saws special jigs and generated a lot
is that their tables are relatively of waste. But in this case, it’s an
small. So having a helping hand ideal job for the band saw.
will help you control the work- Layout. The key to cutting
piece as you make the cut. out the workpieces is in the lay-
Feeding the Workpiece. My out. You can see in photo 1 how
next piece of advice is to let the I laid out the parts to follow
blade do the work. What I mean the grain. (I laid them out just
is, don’t force the workpiece into a little oversized so I could mill
the blade. And don’t try to cut too
slowly. You’ll learn how quickly it
them to final size later.)
First Cut. The first cut on
2
cuts as you feed a workpiece into the board has to be done free-
the blade. Trying to speed up the hand, as you can see in photo
cut will not only generate heat 1. There’s no straight, parallel
that can damage the blade, but edge that matches my layout
can create burn marks that you’ll lines, so I couldn’t use a rip
have to clean up later. fence. Instead, cut close to the
Body Position. Finally, posi- waste side of the line and con-
tion your body so one hand keeps centrate on making a straight
the workpiece against the fence cut. This way, there will be less
and the other feeds it through cleanup to do later.
the blade. I like to stand off to the Joint the Edge. After the first
side of the saw. You can see how edge is ripped, the next step is to
I do this in the main photo on the run it across a jointer,as in photo
opposite page. Another option is
to use a featherboard to keep the
2. This removes the saw marks
and leaves a straight, smooth
3
workpiece against the fence. reference edge. You could also
Freehand Ripping. There’s one do this with a few swipes of a
more thing I want to mention. sharp hand plane.
There may be times when you can’t Use the Fence. Now set up
use the rip fence or you choose not your rip fence for the next cut,
to use it, and that’s okay. You can as shown in photo 3. As you
get great results by ripping free- feed the stock through the blade,
hand. The trick is to keep a close keep the reference edge against
eye on your layout line and guide the fence. Here, it pays to make
the workpiece carefully through sure you stay close to the lay-
the blade as you make the cut. out line. As you can see in the
Once you learn these simple upper photo, the end result is a
techniques, you’ll find that rip- workpiece with straight grain
ping on the band saw is not only on four faces. And that means
easy, but worth the effort. better-looking projects.

www.ShopNotes.com 15

s103_014.indd 15 11/24/2008 10:15:18 AM

 storage solutions

wall-mounted
Sharpening
Center
Keep sharpening
supplies at hand
with this easy-to-
build cabinet.
When it comes to sharpening
my chisels and plane irons, hav-
ing a convenient worksurface
and handy storage for all my
supplies is always a challenge.
This sharpening center you see
here easily solves these space
and storage problems.
Since the cabinet is mounted
to your shop wall, it doesn’t
take up valuable floor space.
The drop-front door pro-
vides the strong
and stable
worksur-
face you
need for
all your day-to-
day sharpening tasks.
The strong plywood construc-
tion and simple joinery makes it
easy to build. And the best part
is, when it’s finally mounted on
your shop wall, this is one proj-
ect that will show off its practi-
cality right away.

16 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_016.indd 16 11/20/2008 10:11:20 AM

 Exploded View Details
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: NOTE: ALL PARTS MADE
12"D x 22"W x 411⁄2"H (CLOSED) FROM 3⁄4" PLYWOOD
267⁄8"D x 22"W x 411⁄2"H (DROP-FRONT DOOR OPENED)
EUROPEAN-STYLE
HINGES ALLOW DOORS
TO OPEN WIDE FOR
EASY ACCESS

3⁄ "
PLYWOOD BACK
ADJUSTABLE 4
SHELF ADDS MAKES FOR A
STORAGE STURDY CABINET
AREA FOR AND EASY
SUPPLIES INSTALLATION ON
YOUR SHOP WALL

DADOES FOR SHELVES

STRENGTHEN CABINET
ASSEMBLY

} Hidden
Storage. The
STEEL PIVOT PINS FIXED SHELF cabinet closes
ALLOW DROP-DOWN SUPPORTS
DOOR TO OPERATE DROP-DOWN DOOR up to protect
SMOOTHLY WHEN OPENED
your sharpening
supplies.

EXTRA-THICK
DROP-FRONT DOOR
PROVIDES A STABLE
WORKSURFACE FOR
SHARPENING

SILICONE RUBBER
SIDE CLOSED SHEETING
VIEW PROTECTS
WORKSURFACE
FIXED
SHELF

To download a cutting
OPEN diagram and 3-D model of
the Sharpening Center, go to:
ShopNotes.com

www.ShopNotes.com 17

s103_016.indd 17 11/20/2008 10:12:22 AM

 TOP
(10#/8" x 21")
1#/8
B
FIGURE 1!/8
1 a. !/4

7#/4 #/8 BACK

#/4 PANEL
2!/2

2 DRILL !/4"-DIA.
STOPPED HOLES
SIDE FOR SHELF PINS
!/2" RADIUS
ON TOP AND D 7!/4
BOTTOM
CORNERS
BACK PANEL TOP
(21" x 41!/2") VIEW #/8

A 1#/8
BACK
B MIDDLE SHELF
(10#/8" x 21") b. !/4 PANEL

4!/2
A 1!/8
5!/4
SIDE
(12" x 41!/2") TOP

2
7 SIDE
1!/2"-DIA. HOLE 11#/4
20#/8
FRONT
3
FOR POWER CORDS
(OPTIONAL) VIEW

c. SIDE

C 5#/8
LOWER SHELF BACK
(9%/8" x 21") PANEL TOP
2!/8
!/4

#8 x 1!/2" Fh NOTE: ALL PARTS MADE SIDE TOP BUTTS

AGAINST
WOODSCREWS FROM #/4" PLYWOOD VIEW BACK PANEL

1!/4 making a solid start as one extra-wide blank. This

way, you can lay out and cut all

!/2"-DIA. HOLE
FOR PIVOT PIN
Case the stopped dadoes at once. And
that guarantees they’ll be perfectly
aligned when it’s time to assemble
4!/4
There were a couple of important the cabinet later on.
#/4 considerations in designing the Stopped Dadoes. You’ll use
sharpening center. First of all, I your router to cut the three sets
wanted it to be wall-mounted to of stopped dadoes. A shop-built
Materials save space in the shop. And sec- jig (like you see in the box at the
& Hardware ond, the drop-front door had to
provide a strong and stable work-
bottom of the opposite page) will
help make sure they’re aligned
CASE surface for sharpening tasks. and sized correctly.
A Sides (2) 12 x 411/2 - 3/4 Ply. To accomplish these goals, I did Cut to Size and Shape. After
B Top/Middle Shelves (2) 103/8 x 21 - 3/4 Ply. two things. I used 3⁄4" Baltic birch cutting the sides to size, I used a
C Lower Shelf (1) 95/8 x 21 - 3/4 Ply. plywood for all the parts, includ- jig saw to create the radius on the
D Back Panel (1) 21 x 411/2 - 3/4 Ply. ing the back (Figure 1). And then front corners, as you see in Fig-
E Upper Adj. Shelf (1) 103/8 x 203/8 - 3/4 Ply. I joined the top, middle shelf, ure 1. Back at the table saw, you
F Lower Adj. Shelf (1) 7 x 203/8 - 3/4 Ply. and lower shelf to the sides with can use a dado blade to cut a rab-
G Upper Doors (2) 101/8 x 203/4 - 3/4 Ply.
stopped dadoes. This joinery is bet along the back edge. This will
H Drop-Front Door (1) 191/8 x 203/8 - 11/2 Ply.
1/ x 23/ Steel Rod plenty strong enough to support accommodate the plywood back.
I Pivot Pins (2) 2 4
the extra-thick, drop-front door. Drilling Operations. With the
• (3) 53/4" Door Pulls But to make the cabinet even stron- two side pieces in hand, you’ll be
• (6) #12 x 1" Rh Woodscrews ger, I used both glue and screws to spending a little time at the drill
• (2 pr.) 175° Fully Concealed Hinges w/Screws assemble everything. press. There are two sets of holes
• (20) #8 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews on the inside for the shelf pins.
• (8) 1/4"-dia. Shelf Pins CASE CONSTRUCTION And you can flip the pieces over
• (2) Magnetic Catches Most of the joinery you’ll need to to drill the countersunk screw
• (1) 1⁄32" x 24" - 24" Silicone Sheet cut will be on the side pieces, so holes that will be used for assem-
that’s where to start. The two sides bly later on. Finally, I stacked the

18 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_018.indd 18 11/21/2008 9:35:13 AM

 UPPER
ADJUSTABLE
FIGURE SHELF
pieces together to drill the 1⁄2"-dia.
holes for the pivot pins that hold
2 (10#/8" x 20#/8")
E
the drop-front door. To ensure the
holes were straight, I used the drill a.
press. This way, the drop-front SIDE
door will function properly.
Fixed Shelves. The most time- ADJUSTABLE
SHELF
consuming part of the project is
done. Now you can move on to
making the top and two fixed SHELF PIN
shelves. The top and middle shelf
are the same width. The lower shelf LOWER
ADJUSTABLE
is narrower to provide clearance SHELF
for the drop front. All you need to FRONT VIEW (7" x 20#/8")

do after cutting the pieces to size F

is cut a notch on each end (Figure you can concentrate on attaching
1). These notches “wrap around” the other side piece.
the stopped dadoes in the sides to Back Panel. Once you have this
hide the end of the dado. much of the case assembled, you !/4" DIA.
can set it on its face and install the SHELF PINS
ASSEMBLY back panel. There’s nothing spe-
The nice thing about this project cial here. Just cut it to size. A little
is that everything is held together glue and a few screws are all you
with glue and screws. This means need for assembly.
that you only need to clamp the Adjustable Shelves. With the
parts while driving the screws, back panel in place, you have a nice
then you can remove the clamps. strong cabinet. The next things to
One Side at a Time. On glue- add are the two adjustable shelves
ups like this, I find it easier and (Figure 2). They’re cut to size to fit
less stressful to start with one over the shelf pins (note the differ- NOTE: SHELVES MADE
side. What I mean is, it’s easier to ent shelf widths). With that done, FROM #/4 " PLYWOOD
assemble the top, middle shelf, and you’re ready to make the drop-
lower shelf to one side piece. Then front and the two upper doors.

Routing Perfect Stopped Dadoes

The key to routing the stopped NOTE: LENGTH OF
DADOES FOR TOP AND
dadoes is in the jig you see at right. CUT SIDES TO WIDTH MIDDLE SHELF ARE
AFTER ROUTING DADOES IDENTICAL
It helps ensure the dadoes on the
side pieces are aligned. And by
CLEAT
using a pattern bit, you can make
sure the width of the dadoes is an DADO FOR 12
BOTTOM
exact fit for the plywood shelves. SHELF
1#/8
You can see how to build and use 6
the jig in the drawings at right. WASTE
The process is simple. Start with 6
WIDE RAIL KEEPS
CLAMPS OUT #/4" PLYWOOD SCRAP 12
an extra-wide blank then lay out OF THE WAY SPACES GUIDES FOR
EXACT DADO WIDTH
and mark the ends of the dadoes.
Use a scrap piece of ply-
wood the same thickness 2!/8
as the shelves as a spacer a. CLEAT
when fastening the guides
to the two cleats. Align the NOTE:
USE A !/2"-DIA. x !/4"-LONG
jig to the layout lines, then PATTERN BIT OR DADO CLEAN-OUT
BIT TO ROUT DADOES
rout to the end marks you DADO JIG RAIL
made earlier. SIDE
PATTERN BIT
www.ShopNotes.com 19

s103_018.indd 19 11/20/2008 1:49:45 PM

 finishing up with
Doors
Now that the basic cabinet is
complete, you’re ready to add
the three doors. The two upper
doors are simply cut to size and
installed with hinges. The drop-
front door is a double-thickness of
plywood and pivots on two steel
pins (photo at right).

UPPER DOORS
Figure 3 shows you everything
you need to know to make and The other thing solid worksurface. And it
install the two upper doors. Still, I like to do is aim for pivots on a couple of sturdy,
as simple as they are, there are a a 1⁄16" gap at the sides steel pins. Locating and drilling
few things to watch out for as you of doors and an 1⁄8" gap between the holes for the pivot pins will
cut them to size and install them. them. You might need to shave come a little later.
The first thing is to size the a little off of the edges or make Making the Door. To get
doors so the top edges are flush some adjustments to the hinges to started, glue up two oversize
with the top of cabinet. The bot- accomplish this. pieces of plywood. A few cuts
tom edges should be flush with at the table saw are all it takes to
the bottom of the middle shelf. DROP-FRONT DOOR square up the door and cut it to
When it comes to installing the The heart of the workcenter is final size. Again, shoot for an even
doors, the goal is to make the door the drop-front door shown in the gap at the sides that matches the
faces flush with the front edge of photo above. Like the two upper gaps of the two upper doors.
the cabinet sides. The hinges I doors, this door is made from 3⁄4" To protect the worksurface from
used allow for some adjustment plywood. The difference is I used the grit and grime when honing
to make this an easy task. two layers of plywood to make a tools, I added a rubber liner, like

FIGURE
3 NOTE: MOUNT DOORS
FLUSH WITH TOP SHELF

DOOR HINGE

SIDE 175° FULLY { Fully Concealed Hinge. These hinges

CONCEALED hold the doors open and out of the way
HINGE
WITH SCREWS while you tend to your sharpening tasks.
UPPER
DOOR 2!/2
FRONT OF DOOR
IS FLUSH WITH
2 b.
!/16 CABINET SIDE
#12 x 1" Rh
a. TOP VIEW WOODSCREW UPPER DOOR UPPER DOOR

!/8
G
DOOR PULL
2#/8 UPPER DOOR
(10!/8" x 20#/4")

DOOR PULL
TOP VIEW
FASTENED NOTE: DOORS MADE
WITH ROUNDHEAD FROM #/4" PLYWOOD
SCREWS
20 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_020.indd 20 11/20/2008 10:13:39 AM

 FIGURE
you see in the photo on the oppo-
site page. Spray adhesive is perfect
4 3!/16
MAGNETIC CATCHES

for fastening it down.

Pivot Pins. The last step to
installing the drop-front door is PIVOT PIN
(!/2"-DIA. x 2#/4"
locating and drilling holes for the STEEL ROD)
pivot pins. The box below walks I
you through the process. The goal
is to locate the pins so that the I
NOTE: PIN CAN BE
drop-front is level when it’s open MADE FROM CUT-OFF BOLT
and is flush with the sides when
it’s closed. (I only partially inserted
DROP FRONT SILICONE RUBBER SHEET MAGNETIC CATCH
the pins so I could remove the door (19!/8" x 20#/8") FASTENED WITH PLATE
H SPRAY ADHESIVE
for tweaking the fit.)
!/2"-DIA. x
Note: If the door doesn’t rest 2"-DEEP HOLE
at 90°, all you need to do is add a 3
shim on the bottom of the lower NOTE: DROP FRONT
MADE FROM TWO
shelf. This will bring the door level LAYERS OF #/4" PLYWOOD
when opened and the shim will a. MIDDLE
be hidden from view. Then you SHELF
can fully seat the pins flush with
the cabinet sides. Since the pins DOOR PULL
are friction fit, I didn’t need to use
2!/2
STRIKE MAGNETIC
b.
epoxy to glue them. CATCH ADD SHIM HERE
IF NEEDED TO LEVEL
Final Details. All of the hard DOOR WHEN OPEN
work is done. Now you just need
DOOR
to add the door pulls and mag- PULL LOWER
SHELF DROP FRONT
netic catches. Then a couple coats
PIN
of spray lacquer will finish it off.
PIVOT LOWER
Finally, the cabinet is ready to PIN SHELF
install. I located mine over a cou- DROP
FRONT NOTE: LOWER SHELF
ple of studs and anchored it with SUPPORTS DOOR IN
HORIZONTAL POSITION
several long screws. With that
done, you’ll soon find out how SIDE SIDE VIEW
VIEW
convenient it is to have all your
sharpening supplies at hand.

Drop-Front Alignment CUT SPACER TO

POSITION DOOR
FLUSH WITH
CABINET SIDES
The process for locating the
pivot pins starts with position- H
ing the door flush with the front DROP
edge of the cabinet sides. To do FRONT
this, I used a couple of spacers.
First, a thin spacer is located on
SHIM ON LOWER !/8" SHIMS CREATE
the front edge of the cabinet bot- SHELF POSITIONS GAP AT DOORS
tom, as shown at right. A second, DOOR FLUSH WITH
CABINET SIDES
wide spacer is fastened to the LOWER CLAMP DOOR IN
underside of the fixed shelf with SHELF POSITION TO DRILL
HOLES FOR PIVOT PINS
double-sided tape.
Take a little time here to center a. BOTTOM VIEW
!/2"-DIA. CABINET
the door side-to-side and check BRAD POINT SIDE
for an even gap at the top. Finally, BIT

you can carefully drill the holes DROP CABINET

in the edges of the door, keeping FRONT SIDE
the bit straight as you go.
2 TAPE
2!#/16
www.ShopNotes.com 21

s103_020.indd 21 11/21/2008 9:34:43 AM

 TIPS FROM
Our Shop

Shop
Short Cuts
T-Square Fence
Hold-Down !/4" x 2!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW
RIP FENCE
FILLER

The accessory system on page 34 the photo above. It’s nothing more FENCE
is a great way to add capability to than a catch that wraps around the BLOCK
your table saw. However, if your rear fence support rail, as you can
saw has a Biesemeyer-style rip see in the drawing at right.
fence, you may run into one issue. When making the hold-down,
FENCE
The downward pressure applied it’s important that the fence block RAIL
by a featherboard may cause the is sized accurately. It needs to be
back end of the rip fence to lift up wide enough to hold the alumi-
off the saw table. num angle a hair below the bot- 1" x 1" -3"
#6 x !/2" Rh ALUMINUM
But there’s a simple solution. tom of the fence rail. This way, the WOODSCREW ANGLE
(!/8" THICK)
All you need to do is make and modification won’t affect the nor-
SIDE VIEW
attach the hold-down you see in mal movement of the fence.

CIRCULAR
SAW
Cutting Long Angles
For the sanding station on page 24, cutting the lower
corners off of the front panel increases storage capac-
WASTE FRONT PANEL
ity by providing access to the area below the baffles.
GUIDE
SPACER BASE Creating this opening is simpler than you think. A
basic straightedge guide teamed with a circular saw
FRONT VIEW
works well for making the long angle cuts.
NOTE: ALIGN CIRCULAR SAW WITH Cutting Guide. The guide, shown in the draw-
GUIDE FENCE AND CUT AWAY WASTE
ings at left, allows you to make a straight cut on a
large workpiece. Plus, there’s an added benefit. After
you trim the guide’s base with an intial cut, it
FRONT PANEL
(VISIBLE makes positioning the saw blade exactly on
GUIDE FENCE FACE DOWN)
(#/4"-THICK the layout line almost foolproof.
HARDWOOD)
CLAMP
Extra-Wide Base. To build the guide, sim-
GUIDE BASE ply add a hardwood fence to an extra-wide
(!/4" Hdbd.)
hardboard base. Then, align your circular
saw with the fence and cut away the waste.
Using the Guide. To use the guide, just clamp it
SPACER
to the workpiece so the edge aligns with the layout
SECOND: mark and make the cut. Note: When cutting sheet
ALIGN GUIDE WITH
LAYOUT MARK AND goods with a circular saw, place the visible (good)
CLAMP TO WORKPIECE
BEFORE CUTTING side down for the cleanest cuts.
FIRST:
TRIM EXTRA
22 WIDE GUIDE BASE ShopNotes No. 103

s103_022.indd 22 11/21/2008 3:39:05 PM

 Safe
Bevel Cuts WASTE

When making long bevel cuts on

large panels, there’s a risk that the
waste piece may become trapped BAFFLE
between the fence and under the FIRST: CLAMP AUXILIARY FENCE NOTE: BE SURE
TO UNDERSIDE OF WORKPIECE AUXILIARY FENCE IS
spinning saw blade. Or you may AND MAKE FIRST BEVEL CUT CLAMPED SQUARE
WITH EDGE OF
find that the panel is too large to WORKPIECE
SECOND: FLIP WORKPIECE AND
use the rip fence as a guide. This REPOSITION AUXILIARY FENCE TO
MAKE SECOND BEVEL CUT ON
was the problem I had when cut- OPPOSITE FACE OF BAFFLE
ting the two baffles for the sanding
station (page 24). AUXILIARY
FENCE
Auxiliary Fence. To address all
of these issues, I use an auxiliary
fence to guide the panel through
the cut instead of the rip fence.
You can see what I mean in the
drawing at right. The fence is just a
hardwood cleat that I’ve clamped
to the underside of the panel. The a. FRONT VIEW
NOTE: FENCE RIDES
AGAINST OUTSIDE EDGE
b.
auxiliary fence rides against the OF TABLE SAW
TILT TABLE SAW EXTENSION WING
outside edge of the extension table. BLADE TO 30˚
Of course, you’ll need to make sure
the edge of the table saw extension
WASTE BAFFLE BAFFLE END VIEW
wing is parallel to the blade. AUXILIARY
FENCE
This quick and easy method
allows me to make straight bevel
cuts on a large workpiece.

notched
Push Block
With the blade cover (page 34) attached to
the table saw’s rip fence, it can be difficult to
push a workpiece completely past the blade.
To solve this problem, I made the push block
you see in the photo at right.
It’s tall enough so your hand clears the plat-
form. And a stair-stepped set of notches on
the front makes it easy to control a workpiece
of almost any thickness (pattern below).

Pattern 1#/4
1 SQUARE = 1" 45°

!/2"
RADIUS
NOTE: CUT SEVEN
!/4" x !/4" NOTCHES

3!/4
4
3#/4
!/4" ROUNDOVER
{ Added Safety. The narrow push block and the blade cover work together
to keep your hands safely away from the blade. Notches in the front of the
push block give you solid control of a workpiece to push it past the blade.

www.ShopNotes.com 23

s103_022.indd 23 11/21/2008 4:11:56 PM

 dream shop
project

mobile
Sanding
Station
The clouds of dust produced by my sanders make sanding
my least favorite task when building a project. Thankfully, this
mobile sanding station makes the job a lot less messy. Simple construction,
Designed from the top down to ensure maximum air-
flow, the worksurface has grates with long, wide slots — a big
mobility, and industrial-
improvement over the pegboard tops used on many shop-built
sanding tables. It also features a 4"-dia. dust port that allows you to hook
grade features make this
up to a dust collection system. And a pair of baffles channel the sawdust
directly to the dust port. All these great features make it a lot easier to
sanding station a dust
collect dust so it doesn’t end up in the air (or in your lungs). collection dynamo.
24 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_024.indd 24 11/21/2008 8:54:22 AM

 Exploded View Details
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
26"D x 49"W x 373⁄4"H NOTE: ALL CASE PARTS AND DRAWER
TWO PANEL STYLES ARE FACES ARE MDF. THE PANEL SUPPORTS
INTERCHANGEABLE AND USED AND TOP TRIM ARE “TWO-BY” STOCK.
TO OPTIMIZE AIRFLOW AROUND DRAWER PARTS ARE !/2" PLYWOOD
THE WORKPIECE

SUPPORTS ARE SPACED

TO HOLD THE PANELS IN A VARIETY
OF POSITIONS TO SUIT YOUR
SANDING NEEDS
STORAGE BIN HOLDS
THREE ROLLS OF
SANDPAPER (REFER TO
POWER STRIP PAGE 30 FOR PLANS)
PROVIDES QUICK
AND EASY
HOOK-UP FOR
SANDER

SOLID MDF
CONSTRUCTION GOES
TOGETHER WITH GLUE
AND SCREWS
AIRFLOW CREATED
BY BAFFLES
EFFICIENTLY CARRIES OPEN CUBBY BELOW
AWAY SAWDUST BAFFLES PROVIDES
ADDITIONAL STORAGE
4" DUST PORT SPACE
CONNECTS TO
DUST COLLECTOR

EDGING PROVIDES
CLAMPING EDGE
AND CREATES
RECESSED
POCKET FOR
GRATES

} Interchangeable Panels. The sanding station top is

designed to hold slotted and solid panels. You can rearrange
the panels to optimize airflow to suit your sanding needs.
EXTRA DEEP DRAWERS
MOUNT ON FULL-EXTENSION
SLIDES TO PROVIDE LOTS OF
EASY-TO-REACH STORAGE

MOBILE SANDING
STATION RIDES ON FOUR
HEAVY-DUTY LOCKING
SWIVEL CASTERS

To download a Cutting
Diagram of the Mobile
Sanding Station, go to:
ShopNotes.com

www.ShopNotes.com 25

s103_024.indd 25 11/21/2008 10:49:03 AM

 NOTE: REFER TO
PAGE 8 FOR MORE
FIGURE ON CUTTING HOLES
1 IN LARGE PANELS

BACK PANEL
(30" x 45")
NOTE: BACK D
PANEL MADE CL
FROM !/2" MDF
A
SIDE
(23" x 30")
c.
11!/2

a. TOP VIEW 4" DIA.

SIDE
!/4
CL
!/2 BACK B #/4 SHELF
SHELF
A (22!/2" x 45")
SIDE

B
b. SIDE BOTTOM !/4
(22!/2" x 45")
BACK C
BOTTOM DRAWER DIVIDER BOTTOM
8!/2 (7#/4" x 22!/2")
NOTE: SIDES, SHELF,
SIDE VIEW BOTTOM, AND DRAWER DIVIDER FRONT VIEW
(CROSS SECTION) ARE MADE FROM #/4" MDF

a heavy-duty Build the Case. You can start

by cutting the sides, shelf, and bot-
Assembly. With the joinery cuts
complete, you can go ahead and

Case tom pieces to size. Then, cut a shal-

low rabbet at the back edge of each
side piece to hold the back panel,
assemble the case. I used glue only,
then clamped everything together.
Drawer Divider. To separate
The main purpose of the case is to as shown in Figure 1a. A rabbet on the drawers and provide a place to
collect dust as efficiently as possi- the bottom inside edge of the sides mount the drawer slides, I added a
ble. Angled baffles direct sawdust holds the case bottom. Finally, a narrow drawer divider. Go ahead
down to a dust port which is sized dado in each side holds the shelf and cut the divider to size now.
to connect to your dust collection (Figure 1c). A dado blade sized to Carefully lay out the location of
system. Best of all, simple joinery match the thickness of the MDF the divider, center it on the open-
makes it easy to build. makes quick work of these tasks. ing, then glue and clamp it in
place (Figure 1). Once the glue has
FIGURE had some time to set up, remove
2 CASTER PLATE the clamps and move on to the
(4" x 23" - #/4" MDF) next step, adding the case back.
E Case Back. Up to this point, the
case construction has been pretty
NOTE: CASTERS ARE straightforward. Now there‘s one
INSTALLED WITH
#12 x 1!/4" Ph SCREWS detail that will take some thought.
BOTTOM After you cut the back to size,
you’ll need to add a large hole for
a 4"-dia. dust collection outlet.
Normally, I’d cut a hole this size
at the drill press with a circle cutter.
But the location of the hole makes
this difficult. Instead, I started by
E 5" LOCKING
SWIVEL CASTER making a template with a 4"-dia.
hole and used that to locate and
CASTER
PLATE lay out the hole on the back.
SIDE VIEW After removing most of the
(CROSS SECTION)
waste with a jig saw, you can use

26 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_026.indd 26 11/21/2008 10:49:37 AM

 “V”
FIGURE
the template, a router, and a pat-
tern bit to make short work of clean-
3
SIDE
ing up the edges. (For more on this,
turn to the article on page 8.) 4" DUST PORT
Once that’s complete, fit the (SEE FIGURE 1)
BAFFLE
back into the shallow rabbets you (22" x 25!%/16" - !/2" MDF)
made earlier and glue it in place. F
Casters. Go ahead and cut the
caster plates to size now. Once
they’re glued to the case bottom,
11(/16
you can add the casters (Figure 2).
Baffles. At this point, you have
the beginnings of a sturdy mobile
base. What turns the base into an
efficient sanding station though G
are the angled baffles that direct
sawdust down to the dust port.
20
As you can see in Figure 3, the
baffles are nothing more than two
MDF panels with bevels cut on each NOTE: REFER TO SHOP SHORT CUTS ON PAGE 22
FOR MORE ON CUTTING THE ANGLES ON THE FRONT PANEL
end. Installing the baffles this way
creates a V-shaped compartment
inside the case (Figures 3 and 3a). a. b.
Start by cutting the baffles to width FRONT BAFFLE
and rough length. Then you can VIEW BACK
“V” PANEL
set your table saw blade to 30° and SIDE
BAFFLE
position the rip fence to cut a bevel
on one end of each piece. Baffle Assembly. With the bev-
Once you’ve completed the first els cut on the baffles, assembling
bevel, simply reset the fence for them is just a matter of gluing 30°
the correct length, flip the work- the two pieces in place inside the
piece end-for-end and cut the case. To provide a tight seal and SHELF
second bevel on the opposite end. improve dust extraction, I added
(When making the second cut, you a thick bead of glue to the joint
may need to place a piece of 1⁄4" line along the side walls and at the
hardboard under the workpiece so bottom of the “V.”
that the tip doesn’t accidently slip Case Front. Now all that’s left angles, but adding them opens up
under the fence and jam.) to complete the case is to add the lots of extra storage space below
Note: My table saw blade tilts to front panel (Figure 3). I used a cir- the baffles. For more on how I did
the left. If yours is right-tilt, check cular saw and straightedge to cut this, refer to Shop Short Cuts on
out Shop Short Cuts on page 23 for the long angles on the front. You page 22. To complete the case, sim-
an alternate way to cut the bevels. could make the front without the ply glue the front panel in place.

Materials & Hardware

A Sides (2) 23 x 30 - 3/4 MDF L Drawer Sides (4) 7 x 21 - 1/2 Ply.
B Shelf/Bottom (2) 221/2 x 45 - 3/4 MDF M Drawer Bottoms (2) 20 /2 x 203/8 - 1/4 Hdbd.
1

C Drawer Divider (1) 73/4 x 221/2 - 3/4 MDF N Drawer False Frts. (2) 75/8 x 21 3/4 - 3/4 MDF
D Back Panel (1) 30 x 45 - 1/2 MDF
E Caster Plates (2) 4 x 23 - 3/4 MDF • (2 pr.) 5" Locking Swivel Casters
F Baffles (2) 22 x 2515/16 - 1/2 MDF • (16) #12 x 11/4" Ph Screws
G Front Panel (1) 203/4 x 441/2 - 1/2 MDF • (14) #8 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews
H Panel Supports (7) 3/ x 11/ - 22 • (2 pr.) 20" Full-Extension Drawer Slides w/Screws
4 2
I Top Trim 11/2 x 2 - 156 Rgh. • (2) 4" Drawer Pulls w/Screws
J Grates/Solid Panels (8) 53/4 x 23 - 3/4 MDF • (8) #8 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
K Drawer Fronts/Backs (4) 7 x 203/8 - 1/2 Ply.

www.ShopNotes.com 27

s103_026.indd 27 11/21/2008 1:09:46 PM

 H
PANEL SUPPORT
FIGURE (#/4" x 1!/2" - 22")
grates and 4 TOP TRIM
(1!/2" x 2" - 23")

Drawers
I
5

Now that the case is complete, you

can begin working on the top grate
system. It’s a lot different than many 4%/8
5
tops found on other sanding tables. !/4"
ROUND-
First of all, the top uses two styles I OVER ON
H OUTER
of interchangeable panels (slotted I EDGES
OF TOP
and solid) instead of a piece of TOP TRIM TRIM
(1!/2" x 2" - 49")
pegboard. Both types of panel are
made from MDF and they’re sized
to rest on a series of supports. This a. FRONT VIEW b. END VIEW
allows you to reposition them to (CROSS SECTION)
For more on routing 1!/2 (CROSS SECTION)
the slots on the accommodate the size of the work-
#/4
Mobile Sanding piece you’re sanding.
2 #/4
Station, go to: Panel Support System. The 45°
ShopNotes.com panel supports are made from
3⁄ "-thick stock. Start by cutting the #8 x 1!/2" Fh
4 TOP
TRIM PANEL PANEL WOODSCREW
supports to fit and then add the SUPPORT SUPPORT
45° bevels (Figures 4 and 4a). The
bevels are just another simple way
to decrease resistance and increase Trim. The top of the sand- The trim sits proud of the top
airflow. A table saw works best for ing station case is wrapped with of the case by the thickness of the
cutting all the bevels. solid-wood trim. The trim actually grates (3⁄4") and is glued in place,
2&/8
And to be sure they provide serves two purposes. First, it hides as shown in Figure 4a. Before you
SOLID
solid support while sanding, the woodscrews used to hold the attach the trim though, you‘ll want
PANEL they’re attached to the case front panel supports in place. Second, it to round over the top and bottom
CL and back with glue and screws, as forms a recess to keep all the pan- “outside” edges.
1" DIA. WITH
illustrated in Figures 4 and 4b. els in position as you work. Panels. With the trim pieces
!/4" ROUNDOVER installed, you can start work on
ON TOP EDGE FIGURE

TOP VIEW
5 GRATE
(5#/4" x 23" - #/4" MDF)
SOLID PANEL
(5#/4" x 23" - #/4" MDF)
the grates and solid panels that fit
in between. To provide the airflow
J J necessary to remove the sawdust, I
&/8
1 routed a series of slots into four of
GRATE the panels to form grates, leaving
the remaining four panels solid
!/4 (Figures 5 and 5a). This way, I can
reposition the grates to suit the
&/8 workpiece I’m sanding.
For small workpieces, you can
group them all in the middle of
the sanding center. Or, move them
to the outside to sand long or
wide workpieces. And, to make
the sanding center even more ver-
satile, I made an additional four
solid panels for times when I need
a. SOLID
PANEL
FRONT VIEW
(CROSS SECTION)
a large assembly table. Check out
the box on the opposite page for
NOTE: FOR several panel arrangements.
MORE ON
ROUTING GRATE Rout the Slots. Adding the slots
PANEL SLOTS, SEE GRATE
ONLINE ARTICLE AT SUPPORT is best done on a router table. For
SHOPNOTES.COM EDGES OF PANELS ARE a detailed step-by-step process for
CENTERED ON GRATE SUPPORTS
routing the slots, you’ll want to

28 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_028.indd 28 11/25/2008 9:25:01 AM

 check out the Online Extra avail-
able at ShopNotes.com.
6 DRAWER BACK
(7" x 20#/8" - !/2" Ply.)
K
In a nutshell, I used a fence and
DRAWER BOTTOM
a 1⁄4"-dia. straight bit to do it. Start (20!/2" x 20#/8" - !/4" Hdbd.)
with an outside slot, raising the bit M
a little higher than the thickness DRAWER SIDE L
(7" x 21" - !/2" Ply.) FALSE FRONT
of the panel. I also marked start (7%/8" x 21#/4" - #/4" MDF)
L
N
and stop points on the fence and
on each grate. This way, I was able
to simply lower the workpiece #8 x 1" Fh
WOODSCREW 4"
over the bit to cut the slots. And, I CL DRAWER
PULL
routed each slot in a single pass.
With the slots completed, you can
CL
add finger holes in the solid panels.
I routed a 1⁄4" roundover on each of !/4
the finger holes, as in the margin
drawings on the opposite page. K
Drawers. Now, you can make a DRAWER FRONT
(7" x 20#/8" - !/2" Ply.)
couple of drawers for the bottom DRAWER SIDE VIEW
SLIDE
of the case. Along with the open !/8
DRAWER
areas just above the drawers, they FRONT
provide plenty of storage space for DRAWER
DRAWER BOTTOM
your sanders and supplies. SIDE 20" FULL- FALSE
EXTENSION !/4 FRONT
The drawers are made using SLIDE !/16
simple tongue and dado joinery FALSE
FRONT
(refer to the article on page 44). And
to provide wide-open access to the !/16

large drawers, I added full-exten-

a. TOP VIEW b. FRONT VIEW c.
sion drawer slides.
As you can see in Figure 6, the
drawer slides are attached directly Sandpaper Storage. In order to Get Sanding. It’s time to get out
to the case sides and divider. I hid have my most-used grits of sand- your sander. The sanding station
the drawer slides with a false front paper within reach, I built a por- is so good at capturing sawdust,
made from MDF. Finally, I gave the table sandpaper storage box. You you’ll wonder what took you so
project a couple coats of paint. can read more about it on page 30. long to build one.

Alternate Panel Arrangements

AT ONE END ALL SOLID
Once you start using the
sanding station, you’ll soon
realize how handy it is to be
able to rearrange the panels
to collect dust effectively.
By placing the grates all
at one end (upper left draw-
ing), or along the edges (two
lower drawings), you’re FRONT AND BACK
AT BOTH ENDS
able to concentrate the air-
flow where it’s needed most
— regardless of the size of
the workpiece.
Or, add four more solid
panels and turn the sand-
ing station into an assembly
table, upper right drawing.

www.ShopNotes.com 29

s103_028.indd 29 11/21/2008 4:12:56 PM

 weekend workshop

Portable
Sandpaper Storage
This handy dispenser keeps all
your most commonly used grits of
sandpaper within easy reach.
Nothing dampens my enthusiasm for sanding more
than having to look high and low for the right sand-
paper. That’s why I decided to build the portable
sandpaper storage box you see in the photos.
The box has three small compartments, sized to
hold three rolls of self-adhesive sandpaper. (I like
41⁄2"-wide rolls.) As you can see in the photo at right,
the rolls simply drop inside with the loose end facing
up. Finger cutouts in the front make it easy to lift the
lid and get to the sandpaper.
But there’s no reason to remove the sandpaper to
tear off a piece. A recessed hacksaw blade attached to
the underside of the hinged lid makes this a snap. { Easy-Access Compartments. Just the right size
Best of all, a pair of cleats make it easy to hang the for a 41⁄2" roll of abrasive, the storage box holds the
box anywhere, or take it right to the job at hand. three grits of sandpaper you use most often.

30 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_030.indd 30 11/21/2008 9:33:24 AM

 4!!/16 A NOTE: ALL BOX
BACK PARTS ARE
(4#/4" x 15") END !/2" PLYWOOD
FIGURE (4#/4" x 5!/4")

This sandpaper storage box is

1 C

a great accessory to the mobile 1

sanding station on page 24. Simple E
glued butt joints make building the
box easy. And it’s made entirely !/2"
RADIUS
out of 1⁄2" plywood. A
Construction. Start by cutting 5!/8
the front, back, sides, and dividers END VIEW
to size. As you see in Figure 1, the (CROSS SECTION)
5!/8
CL
front and dividers are recessed to
support the lid when it’s closed. In E
DIVIDER ALL THE BOX
a minute you’ll see why I did this. (3#/4" x 3#/4") PARTS ARE SIMPLY
END GLUED TOGETHER
But, before you glue it all together, D DIVIDER
make the finger cutouts on the BOTTOM B
(3#/4" x 15") FRONT
front (Figure 1). I used the drill FRONT BOTTOM
(4!/4" x 15") BACK
press and a Forstner bit to drill a
hole at the bottom of each cutout
FIGURE
and then removed the waste with
a jig saw. Once all these pieces are
2 ATTACH UPPER
CLEAT TO BOX
POSTERBOARD STRIP
MAKES SANDPAPER GRIT
cut to size, go ahead and glue the IDENTIFICATION EASY
G
pieces together to make the box. CLEAT
Lid. Now you can cut the lid (1" x 15")

to size. But before you attach it to F

the box, there are couple of other LID
(4" x 14&/8")
things you’ll want to do.
First, rout a centered dovetail-
shaped groove in the top of the TWO HACKSAW
BLADES CUT
lid (Figure 2a). This groove holds TO FIT AND
14&/8" EPOXIED IN PLACE
a posterboard label strip. This CONTINUOUS
HINGE
way, you’ll know exactly what grit
sandpaper you’re using. A dovetail
G END VIEW a.
CLEAT
ATTACH !/16 #/4 1#/4
bit mounted in a router table does LOWER CLEAT
a good job of routing the groove. TO WALL
WITH SCREWS
Switch to a straight bit to rout a
shallow rabbet in the front, bottom NOTE: ROUT SEE FIGURE 2a
SLOT WITH FOR MORE LID CUT SHALLOW
edge of the lid. This rabbet holds a DOVETAIL BIT INFORMATION RABBET FOR
HACKSAW BLADES
couple sections of hacksaw blade.
Before gluing the blades in place
with epoxy, cut off the rounded
ends and file them square (Figures
2 and 2a). Now, when you hold the
lid down, the serrated blade makes Materials & Hardware
it easy to tear off a piece of sandpa-
per just the length you need. A Ends (2) 4 3/4 x 51/4 - 1/2 Ply.
Once you’ve added the blades, B Front (1) 4 1/4 x 15 - 1/2 Ply.
attach the lid using a short section C Back (1) 4 3/4 x 15 - 1/2 Ply.
of continuous hinge. D Bottom (1) 33/4 x 15 - 1/2 Ply.
E Dividers (2) 33/4 x 33/4 - 1/2 Ply.
Cleats. Finally, mount the box
F Lid (1) 4 x 147/8 - 1/2 Ply.
with a couple of plywood cleats.
G Top/Bottom Cleat (2) 1 x 15 - 1/2 Ply.
The cleats have beveled edges and
are ripped from a single workpiece • (2) Hacksaw Blades
(Figure 2 and the photo at right). • (1) 1/2" x 147/8" Continuous Hinge w/Screws
One cleat attaches to the back of • (2) #6 x 11/4" Fh Woodscrews
the box and the other is screwed in { Portable Storage. Hanging the box
place wherever you need to have on a cleat secures it below the work-
sandpaper close at hand. surface and allows it to be removed.

www.ShopNotes.com 31

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 HANDS-ON Technique

tips for seamless

Case Edging
Here’s a foolproof technique for
adding hardwood edging to plywood.
Plywood makes it easy to build and then glue it to the plywood. for getting great results without
great-looking cases in a short Of course, when it gets right down spending a lot of time on the pro-
SIZE EDGING STRIPS time. If there’s one drawback to to it, there’s more to the process. cess. There’s nothing really com-
SLIGHTLY WIDER
THAN PLYWOOD using plywood, it’s covering the Assemble First. One of the first plicated here. It’s a matter of being
THICKNESS edges. Most of the time, I use thin things to consider is when to apply careful and taking your time.
strips of hardwood edging. My the edging. I prefer to apply extra- Case Pieces. Before getting into
goal is to have the edging and wide edging after gluing up the the edging process, I’d like to talk a
plywood blend seamlessly. The case (drawings at left). This pro- bit about the plywood case pieces.
process sounds simple vides a cleaner look and hides both For a seamless joint line, you need
enough — cut the the plies and any case joinery. the edge of the plywood to be per-
edging to size, This method isn’t without chal- fectly smooth. If you have a top-
lenges. The individual quality table saw blade, you might
pieces need to butt get a decent edge. But if an edge is
tightly together. And rough, it helps to clean it up by run-
it can be tough to trim ning it across the jointer.
the edging flush on an Then, when you assemble the
assembled case without case, concentrate on keeping it
damaging the plywood square. Besides making a better
EDGING veneer. After building case, it makes it easier to get tight
SHOULD
BARELY a number of plywood joint lines on the edging.
OVERHANG cases, I’ve developed The Edging. Now, you can turn
EACH EDGE
a few tips and tricks your attention to the edging strips.
CUT EDGING PIECE TO EXACT
LENGTH OF PLYWOOD CASE
32 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_032.indd 32 11/20/2008 2:57:52 PM

 2
1
For starters, take some time to find process until you’ve cut all the
boards with grain and color that edging pieces you need. It’s a good
closely match the plywood. idea to mark the jointed edge so FIRST:
1 ATTACH SIDE
When converting the boards to you won’t get confused, later. EDGING PIECES
individual strips, you have a few There’s one more thing I want to
goals. The first is the width of the mention about the edging pieces. I
3
strips. I want them to overhang cut them 1⁄4" thick. This makes them
THIRD: EDGE
the plywood a bit on each side. To thin enough to blend in with the ply- INTERIOR
VERTICAL
do this, I plane the edging blanks wood but sturdy enough to glue in DIVIDERS
4
to be slightly (1⁄32") thicker (wider) place without distorting.
than the thickness of the plywood. Glue the Edging. When you’re
This makes bringing the edges ready to glue the edging in place,
flush quick and easy later. it’s a good idea to have a plan for FOURTH: SHORT
Another goal is getting a tight how they go on. For a simple case, HORIZONTAL
EDGING PIECES
glue joint. Accomplishing this is like the one shown in the photo COME LAST
2
as simple as a trip to the jointer. on the facing page, I start with the
Before ripping the first strip, joint outside vertical edges, then move
one edge of the board. Then after to the horizontal pieces. On more
ripping a strip, I go back and joint complex cases, I follow the process SECOND: GLUE TOP,
BOTTOM, AND LONG
the freshly cut edge. Repeat this shown in the drawing at right. HORIZONTAL EDGING PIECES
Now, you’re ready to spread NOTE: APPLY ALL
EDGING STRIPS
some glue. (Be sure to apply glue to Work your way along the case, BEFORE SANDING
THEM FLUSH
the jointed face.) Start from one end aligning and clamping as you go.
and clamp the edging in place. Your Apply enough clamps to close any
aim is to have the edging overhang gaps. If you can’t get clamps in (if
a bit on each side of the plywood. the back is installed, for example),
Since it’s only slightly wider, there you can use strips of masking tape
won’t be much, and you can feel to hold the edging in place, as you
when the piece is centered. can see in the left photo.
Once the glue dries, all that’s left
< Masking Tape. Apply strips of to do is bring the edging flush. You
masking tape to hold edging in can learn a few tips I use for this
place where clamps can’t reach. step in the box below.

smooth the edging

Trimming Tips
My tool of choice for trimming the level to avoid rounding over the
edging flush on a case is a power edges. You also want to keep the
sander. With 120-grit paper, you sander moving to prevent sanding
can get most of the job done in a through the plywood veneer.
short amount of time. To clean up the corners and hard
I like to start with the outside to reach spots, I use a combination
faces, then move to the inside. of a chisel, scraper, and sanding
Concentrate on keeping the sander block, as shown below.

{ Quick Results. A power sander

with 120-grit paper makes quick
work of sanding the edging flush
with the plywood case.

www.ShopNotes.com 33

s103_032.indd 33 11/20/2008 2:58:42 PM

 best-built jigs & fixtures

Rip Fence
accessory system
Versatile add-ons increase accuracy, improve safety,
and help you get more from your table saw.
If you’re anything like me, you use your table saw for platform that attaches to your rip fence. It accepts sev-
more tasks than just ripping and crosscutting. That eral handy add-ons. There’s a stop for making short
includes cutting rabbets, grooves, dadoes, and raised crosscuts, a plate for attaching featherboards, and a
panels, just to name a few. To do these things well, I dual-purpose fence for rabbets and wide workpieces.
often attach some sort of accessory to the rip fence. Finally, there’s a dust-collecting blade cover to pull
These cobbled-together solutions work, but there’s away chips and dust right at the source.
usually a clamp or two that gets in the way. Each accessory attaches quickly — so you’re more
The accessory system you see in the photos on the likely to use it. And you can make the whole set in
next few pages eliminates this problem. It starts with a just a few hours. You’ll find it’s time well spent.

34 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_034.indd 34 11/24/2008 4:24:23 PM

 { Tall Fence. In a few seconds, you can attach a tall fence to { Featherboards & Hold-Downs. Adding featherboards
give you greater control when cutting a wide or tall workpiece to the rip fence makes it a snap to cut rabbets, dadoes,
on edge — like making a raised panel. and grooves to a uniform depth.

Exploded View Details NOTE: FOR OTHER HANDY

ADDONS CHECK OUT THE
PHOTOS ABOVE AND PAGE 37

CRADLE SUPPORTS TTRACK ON EXTENDABLE

SHOP VACUUM HOSE ARM ALLOWS FOR
WHEN BLADE COVER OPTIMAL POSITIONING OF
IS INSTALLED BLADE COVER
NOTE: BLADE COVER CAN
BE ATTACHED TO ACCESSORY
PLATE WHEN CUTTING CLOSE
TO RIP FENCE

EXTENSION RODS
ALLOW BLADE COVER
TO EXTEND UP TO 16"

BLADE COVER KEEPS HANDS

AWAY FROM THE BLADE AND
PLATFORM DIRECTS DUST AND CHIPS TO
ATTACHED TO SHOP VACUUM HOSE
TTRACK WITH
FLANGE BOLTS,
KNOBS, AND
WASHERS

Materials & Hardware

A Fence Filler (1) 2 x 21/2 - 36 • (2) 1/2"-dia. x 18" Steel Rod
B Platform (1) 3/ x 4 - 32 • (2) 24" T-Track
4
TTRACK SCREWED 3/ x 35/ - 24
TO RIP FENCE MAKES C Accessory Plate (1) 4 8 • (2) 36" T-Track
IT EASY TO ADJUST D Stop Blocks (2) 3/ x 3 - 4 • (2) 5/16" x 1" Flange Bolt
4
POSITION OF ADDONS
E Fence Support (1) 3/ x 4 - 24 • (4) 5/16" x 11/2" Flange Bolt
4
F Fence Face (1) 3/ x 67/ - 36 • (7) 5/16" Washers
4 16
G Arm Support (1) 3/ x 4 - 24 • (5) 5/16"-18 Threaded Knob
OPTIONAL HOLDDOWN 4
KEEPS FENCE FROM H Arm (1) 3/ x 2 - 18 • (2) 5/16" x 11/4" Studded Knob
4
LIFTING REFER TO 3/ x 3 - 6
PAGE 22 I Hose Cradle (1) 4 • (13) #6 x 1/2" Fh Woodscrews
J Blade Cover Core (1) 7 x 14 - 3/4 Ply. • (2) #8 x 21/2" Fh Woodscrews
K Blade Cover Back (1) 7 x 14 - 1/4 Ply. • (10) #6 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
HARDWOOD FILLER L Blade Cover Frt. (1) 7 x 14 - 1/4 Poly. • (2) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews
BLOCK PROVIDES • (2) #8 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews
ANCHORING POINT
FOR TTRACK • (2) 5/16"-18 Threaded Inserts

www.ShopNotes.com 35

s103_034.indd 35 11/24/2008 4:25:14 PM

 start with the 1
FIGURE
PLATFORM
(#/4" x 4" - 32")
#6 x 1" Fh
WOODSCREW

Mounting %/16"-18
B
36" T-TRACK

Platform %/16"-18
THREADED
KNOB
THREADED
INSERT

One of the benefits of this system

is that the accessories are easy to %/16"
WASHER
attach and remove from the rip
fence. But since each add-on is a %/16"-18 x 1"
FLANGE BOLT
different size and serves a different
purpose, the mounting method !/2" x &/16"
RABBET
is designed to be flexible as well. END VIEW
PLATFORM %/16"-18
Note: This system is designed for #/8" x #/4"
GROOVE THREADED
a T-square-style rip fence. INSERT

FIXED ASSEMBLY
In general, each accessory attaches FENCE FILLER FENCE
to a platform that’s mounted on (2" x 2!/2" - 36") FILLER
A
top of the rip fence. You can see
TABLE SAW
how this works in Figure 1. A set of
threaded inserts allows the acces-
sories to be installed with a few connection, I anchored the T-track do this. First, use a punch to create
twists of a pair of studded knobs. to a hardwood filler that I cut to fit a dimple so the bit won’t wander.
To make it easy to secure the inside the fence, as shown in the Then, concentrate on keeping the
platform, it locks to a length of T- End View in Figure 1. This also bit square as you drill and use a
track. And that’s where you start means you need to drill a few holes light machine oil to draw out the
making this accessory system. in the rip fence for the screws. chips and keep the bit cool.
Guide Track. The T-track is You can do this with a hand The filler piece is sized for an
screwed to the top of the main drill and a twist bit. But there are a easy fit into the fence tube. I didn’t
tube of the rip fence. For a secure few things to keep in mind as you want to have to pound it in place.
Mounting Platform. To provide
FIGURE %/16"
2 %/16"-18 x 1!/4"
WASHER
a place for adding the accessories,
I made a platform that attaches
STUDDED
KNOB 24" T-TRACK to the guide track. The important
ACCESSORY PLATE
(#/4" x 3%/8" - 24") thing about sizing this piece is that
C it should match the width of your
#6 x 1" Fh
WOODSCREW rip fence. Then there are several
details to work on.
Rabbets & Groove. The first
#/8"-WIDE thing to do is cut a pair of rabbets
SLOT
and a groove along the bottom
2 face. The rabbets are cut so the
%/16"-18 platform nestles around the fence
THREADED
PLATFORM INSERT faces and rests on the top of the
%/8
2#/8 tube, like you see in the End View
%/8
ACCESSORY END above. In a similar fashion, I cut a
PLATE
VIEW groove to accept the T-track.
The next task is to some holes.
The first pair line up with the T-
B track and allow the platform to lock
T-TRACK in place with flange bolts, washers,
and knobs. Another pair in the
FOR FENCE A
A HOLD-DOWN platform accepts threaded inserts.
SEE SHOP
SHORTCUTS, These will be used to mount the
PAGE 22 TABLE SAW
accessories you’ll build later on.

36 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_036.indd 36 11/24/2008 4:25:48 PM

 > Stop Block. Attach
this L-shaped stop
This takes care of the “fixed” block to the rip fence
portion of the accessory system. system for crosscutting
You can now attach the platform short pieces. Locate the
to the T-track and get started on stop ahead of the blade
making the accessories. to prevent binding.

ACCESSORY PLATE
END %/16"-18 x 1"
FLANGE BOLT
%/16"-18 x 1!/4"
STUDDED
As I mentioned earlier, it’s not easy
VIEW %/16"
WASHER
KNOB
to clamp some accessories, like a
featherboard, to a rip fence. So the
first thing I added to the platform C STOP
BLOCKS
was an adjustable accessory plate, B (#/4" x 3" - 4")
as you can see in Figure 2. D
The accessory plate is a board A
with a slot cut in it near each end.
The slots allow the plate to be #8 x 2" Fh WOODSCREW
adjusted in and out. Along one
edge, there’s a length of T-track.
This makes it easy to attach a shop- raised panels, or cutting grooves type of hold-down.
built or commercial featherboard in the edge of wide pieces. For this What makes this fence a two-
and adjust it so it provides pres- rip fence system, I combined the in-one design is that the fence is
sure in exactly the right location. two functions into one accessory. reversible. One edge is flat and
Stop Block. The accessory plate You can see what I’m talking smooth. The other edge has a
accepts more than just feather- about in Figure 3. It consists of two pocket for a dado blade.
boards. One shop-built add-on I pieces. A fence support holds the To create the pocket, all you
made is the stop block shown in fence to the platform. This piece need to do is install a wide dado
the upper right photo. It’s used is screwed to a tall face piece. blade in the table saw. Then lower
along with the miter gauge and Along the center of the face, I cut a the blade below the table. Slide
serves as an end stop for cross- groove and installed a length of T- the auxiliary fence over the insert
cutting short pieces from a long track. As before, this makes it easy plate and turn on the saw. Then
blank. This way, when the piece is to attach a featherboard or other slowly raise the blade — about 1⁄2"
cut free, it won’t bind between the
FIGURE
rip fence and blade.
The adjustable stop consists of
3 FENCE SUPPORT
(#/4" x 4" - 24")
FENCE FACE
(#/4" x 6&/16" - 36") 36" T-TRACK
F
two identical pieces of hardwood E
that are screwed together in an “L” %/16"-18 x 1!/4"
STUDDED
shape, as shown in the End View KNOB
#8 x 2" Fh
detail above. A knob and flange WOODSCREW
bolt makes it quick and easy to %/16"
WASHER
mount it to the accessory plate.
1!/16
#6 x 1" Fh
2 WOODSCREW
TALL FENCE
Besides featherboards and stop
blocks, another thing I attach to my PLATFORM
table saw’s rip fence is an auxiliary END FENCE
VIEW FACE
fence. In the past, I used primarily
two kinds of auxiliary fences. FENCE
SUPPORT
One version was a sacrificial
fence for rabbeting. This fence
CL
allowed me to “bury” an extra-
#/8" x #/4"
wide dado blade in the fence. GROOVE B
The other was a tall fence for cut- A
ting a workpiece on edge. Here, I %/8
A
just needed a wide bearing surface
!/2
to provide additional control on
TABLE SAW POCKET
a workpiece. I used it for making

www.ShopNotes.com 37

s103_036.indd 37 11/24/2008 4:26:19 PM

 making the
Blade
Cover
The final component of the acces-
sory system is a blade cover. And
it has a couple of advantages over
the blade guard and splitter assem-
bly that came with your saw.
The main benefit is that this is
just a blade cover. So that means
you can use it on non-through cuts
like dadoes and grooves. Note:
Because the blade cover doesn’t
have a built-in splitter, it’s a good { Dust-Free Cutting. This two-in-one blade cover forms a barrier to
idea to use an aftermarket splitter keep you safe. And it has a built-in port to accept a shop vacuum hose.
or install one in a shop-made zero- Adjustment slots let you change the height to match the workpiece.
clearance insert plate.
The blade cover has one other The other section is the three-piece These accept a pair of steel rods.
important feature I like — built- blade cover assembly. This lets you easily adjust the posi-
in dust collection capability. Its Arm Support. You can see what tion of the blade cover. Just be sure
design allows you to plug in your goes into the mounting assembly to cut the dadoes for a snug fit.
shop vacuum and collect dust and in Figure 4. The first piece to make The other difference is the hose
chips right at the source. is the arm support. It’s similar to cradle attached to the top. As you
Mounting Assembly. The blade the accessory plate and fence sup- might guess, it holds the vacuum
cover actually consists of two sec- port you made earlier. But there hose in place when it’s plugged
tions. First, there’s the mounting are a few key differences. into the blade cover.
assembly that connects the cover The main difference is the set Arm. Attached to the other end
to the platform on the rip fence. of dadoes cut on the bottom face. of the steel rods is the final piece
FIGURE
4 SIDE
%/16"-18 x 1!/4"
a. VIEW
HOSE CRADLE

I STUDDED KNOB 1 #/4

HOSE CRADLE #8 x 2!/2" Fh
(3" x 6") WOODSCREW
%/16"
WASHER
1!/8"-
3 RAD.
2
CL
!/2"
ROUNDOVER ARM SUPPORT
G
ARM SUPPORT FENCE
4 (4" x 24")
#/4 #6 x !/2" Fh
WOODSCREW
1!/4"-RADIUS

b. END VIEW BLADE COVER

ASSEMBLY
!/2" x !/2" DADO (SEE FIGURES 5 & 6)
HOSE CRADLE
6
4 ARM SUPPORT
#/4 18" T-TRACK
ARM
!/2"-DIA. x 18"
STEEL ROD
CL
H %/16"-18 x 1!/2" B
FLANGE BOLT STEEL
ARM !/2"-DIA. ROD
(2" x 18") HOLE
A

NOTE: ALL PARTS ARE MADE TABLE SAW

FROM #/4"-THICK HARDWOOD

38 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_038.indd 38 11/24/2008 5:44:37 PM

 FIRST: DRILL DUST PORT
AND CUT NOTCH
FIGURE NOTE: USE PATTERN FIGURE IN BACK PIECE
5 BELOW TO LAY OUT
AIR PATH AND SLOTS
6
BLADE COVER CORE BLADE COVER FRONT
(7" x 14" - #/4" Ply.) (7" x 14" - !/4" POLYCARBONATE)
J L K
SECOND: LAYOUT BLADE COVER BACK
(7"x 14" - !/4" Ply.)
SHAPE OF AIR PATH
AND CUT CORE
PIECE TO SHAPE J
%/16"-18
THREADED
KNOB

SECOND: CUT TO
ROUGH SHAPE,
ATTACH BACK TO
CORE AND CUT
SLOTS. THEN ROUT
BACK TO SHAPE
FIRST: CUT THIRD:
SLOTS AND CUT TO ROUGH
DRILL DUST PORT SHAPE AND
ADD NOTCH
IN FACE PIECE. FOURTH:
ADJUSTMENT THEN SCREW TO #6 x !/2" Fh ROUT FRONT PIECE
SLOT CORE PIECE WOODSCREW TO FINAL SIZE

of the mounting assembly — the You’ll find it’s easier to create the point for the vacuum
arm. Its curved shape provides adjustment slots before cutting hose. I made the front from 1⁄4"
clearance when the cover is located the core to shape. Then lay out the polycarbonate for visibility.
close to the rip fence. On the other air path using the pattern below. Each face has a notch on the
side, I attached another piece of T- From there, you can cut the core lower edge. This provides ade-
track. This allows you to quickly to shape at the band saw. I did use quate airflow for the shop vacuum
slide the blade cover on and adjust a 21⁄4"-dia. Forstner bit to drill out to be most effective.
its position above the blade. the end of the air path where the To shape the faces, I cut them
Blade Cover. That brings us to shop vacuum hose connects. Now, to rough shape at the band saw.
the blade cover assembly. You can you’re ready to make the faces. Then, I attached them to the core
see in Figure 6 that it’s a sandwich Faces. The faces of the blade piece (glue for back, screws for
of three layers. Figures 5 and 6 cover enclose the air path for dust front) and trimmed them with a
show you the order of construction, collection and form a physical bar- flush trim bit at the router table.
so I’ll just hit some highlights. rier to keep your hands away from With these accessories close at
You can start by making the core the blade. The back face is made of hand, you find using your table
piece from a 3⁄4" plywood blank. 1⁄ " plywood for a solid connection
4 saw will be easier than ever.

3"-RAD. blade cover core

2!/4"-DIA.
Pattern 1 SQUARE = !/2"

!/2"-RAD. !/2"-RAD.

#/16"-RAD.
!/2"-RAD.

1#/4"-RAD.

!/2"-RAD.
!/2"-RAD.

#/16"-RAD.

www.ShopNotes.com 39

s103_038.indd 39 11/24/2008 5:45:34 PM

 IN THE Shop

from a materials list to a

Cutting Diagram
In my shop, once a design is com- create the “thickness chart” at the parts the same width, list them
plete, the next task is creating a cut- top of the opposite page. from longest to shortest. This step
ting diagram from a materials list I use the same letter designations makes it easier to lay out the cut-
or list of parts. All it really involves as the materials list and write each ting diagram and group the parts.
is a few simple sorting and shuf- one under the appropriate thick- Lay Out the Cutting Diagram.
fling steps. And it’s the process I ness as I work through the list. Be The last thing to do is draw the
use on every project I build to get sure to write down the quantity parts on some imaginary boards.
the most from my materials. of each part that’s required, too. (A computer drawing program
List by Thickness. The first What you’ll end up with is a list of makes this easy and changes are
step is to separate all the parts by parts separated by thickness. a snap.) This starts to give me a
thickness. I make a separate chart Sort by Width & Length. The rough idea of how much material
for solid-wood parts and below next step is to sort the list you just I’m going to need.
that, another for any sheet stock generated by width and length. How wide you draw each board
like plywood, hardboard, or MDF. Start with the thickest pieces and is up to you, but I find it best to
If you look at the materials list list these from the widest to nar- work with 1⁄2" increments. Note:
below, you can see how it’s used to rowest. If you have a number of For larger projects, you may find
it’s easier to create separate boards
for each thickness.
Materials Start by drawing in the thick-
1/ x 81/ - 181/ 3/ x 11/ - 121/
est parts along one edge and label
A Case Top/Bottom (2) 2 2 8 I Frame Bottom (1) 4 2 2
1/ x 81/ - 33/ 3/ x 31/ - 131/ them with the part letter. Be sure to
B Case Sides (2) 2 2 16 J Frame Arches (2) 4 2 2
C Case Divider (1) 1/ x 81/ - 33/ K Backer Board (1) 10 x 15 - 1/4 Ply. draw in the correct quantity. And
2 4 16
D Case Back (1) 17 /8 x 33/16 - 1/4 Ply.
5 L Drawer Fronts (2) 3/ x 25/ - 81/
4 8 4
match the length of the piece with
E Top/Btm. Panels (2) 1/ x 10 - 195/
2 8 M Drawer Backs (2) 1/ x 25/ - 73/
2 8 4 the grain direction of the board.
F Molding (1) 3/ x 3/ - 120 Rgh.
8 8 N Drawer Sides (4) 1/ x 25/ - 77⁄
2 8 8 Note: At this point, I don’t worry
G Support Arms (2) 3/ x 23/ - 111/ O Drawer Btms. (2) 71/2 x 73/4 - 1/4 Ply. about accounting for saw kerfs.
4 8 4
H Frame Sides (7) 3/ x 11/ - 11 P Drawer Stops (2) 1/ x 1/ - 81/
4 2 2 8 4 Continue this for each differ-
ent thickness until all the parts are

40 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_040.indd 40 11/24/2008 10:33:16 AM

 Thickness Chart Width/Length Chart
accounted for (or the board fills up). Hardwood Hardwood Plywood
By starting with the largest parts 3⁄ "
4
1⁄ "
2
3⁄ "
8
1⁄ "
4 J (2) 3⁄
4 x 31⁄2 - 131⁄2 D (1) 17 5⁄8 x 33⁄16 - 1⁄4
first, you can fit in the smaller parts 3⁄
G (2) A (2) F (1) L (2) 4 x 25⁄8 - 81⁄4 K (1) 10 x 15 - 1⁄4
later and minimize any waste.
H (2) B (2) G (2) 3⁄ x 23⁄8 - 111⁄4 O (2) 7 1⁄2 x 7 3⁄4 - 1⁄4
The goal here is to separate the 4

imaginary board (or boards) into I (1) C (1) I (1) 3⁄ x 11⁄2 - 121⁄2
4
sections with common cut lines. J (2) E (2) H (2) 3⁄
4 x 11⁄2 - 11
So when you do begin cutting, it 1⁄
L (2) M (2) E (2) 2 x 10 - 195⁄8
should take only a couple rips and
N (2) A (2) 1⁄ x 81⁄2 - 181⁄8
a couple crosscuts to separate the 2

board into more manageable sec- P (2) B (2) 1⁄ x 81⁄2 - 33⁄16

2
tions. And each section will con- Plywood/Hardboard/MDF C (1) 1⁄
2 x 81⁄4 - 33⁄16
tain pieces of the same desired 1⁄
3⁄ "
4
1⁄ "
2
3⁄ "
8
1⁄ "
4 M (2) 2 x 25⁄8 - 7 7⁄8
thickness. You can see how this
D (1) N (4) 1⁄ x 25⁄8 - 7 3⁄4
works out in the final cutting dia- 2

gram shown below. K (1) P (2) 1⁄ x 1⁄8 - 81⁄4

2
Before You Cut. At this point, O (2) F (1) 3⁄
8 x 3⁄8 - 120
you have a “road map” for laying
out the workpieces on your actual the grain running continuously can cut the board into separate { Sorted List.
boards. (I use a piece of white chalk around a box or case. It’s also the sections that represent pieces of Sort parts by
for this.) And keep in mind that the reason I buy extra wood for a proj- the same thickness or width. After thickness first,
final cutting diagram on the actual ect (usually about 20-25% more). planing any sections needed down then sort each
boards may not look anything like Working the Puzzle. As I work, to the final thickness, you can cut individual
your imaginary layout (main photo I look at the shape and size of the all the parts from each section to thickness by
on opposite page). pieces on the cutting diagram and their required sizes. width and
There are a couple reasons for then start shifting them around Sheet Goods. There’s one occa- length.
this. First, you may run into defects mentally to match the boards I sion where a cutting diagram
in the wood, such as knots, checks, have on hand. And always try comes in especially handy. And
or sapwood. You don’t want any to group similar-sized pieces that’s when a project calls for sheet
of these to show up in your proj- together. This way, you end up goods, like plywood or MDF.
ect. So be sure to work around any with fewer cuts and less waste. The goal here is to minimize
problems you find. It’s also a good idea to oversize the waste and the number of cuts. For
Another reason to change the parts a bit to provide extra material plywood, that means paying atten-
layout is to get the best grain for final cleanup later. And no mat- tion to the direction of the grain (top
match. I do this when I want ter what, be sure to account for the layout drawing at left). But for MDF,
width of each saw kerf. It’s all too simply focus on minimizing any
24 easy to lay out everything and waste. Once that’s done, you can
then find that the last couple of follow the cutting diagram exactly.
GRAIN
FIRST DIRECTION cuts result in a few parts being As you can see, creating a cut-
CUT too short or too narrow. ting diagram is a simple process.
O O Make the Cuts. Once you You’ll find yourself saving time
24
D have the layout complete, you and material on every project.
K
SECOND
!/4" PLYWOOD CUT MAKE FIRST CUT, THEN PLANE SECTION
WITH PARTS N, M AND P TO FINAL THICKNESS
72
P
I #/4"-THICK MAKE SECOND CUT THEN
J G HARDWOOD N N M PLANE SECTION WITH
7!/2 L PART F TO FINAL
J L G H N N M THICKNESS

96
F

10!/2 E E A B B C !/2"-THICK
A HARDWOOD

FIRST CUT

www.ShopNotes.com 41

s103_040.indd 41 11/24/2008 10:33:40 AM

 SETTING UP Shop

our 5 favorite
Push Blocks
Push blocks add safety
and improve control.
Here are five shop-made NOTE: ANGLED HANDLE
push blocks every PROVIDES FORCE IN TWO
DIRECTIONS — STRAIGHT
AHEAD AND DOWN

woodworker should have.

NOTE: HANDLE AND
BODY MADE FROM
˝TWO-BY˝ STOCK, HEEL
TABLE SAW > IS 1⁄4" HARDBOARD
It’s probably the most important between your fin-
HANDLE
safety rule: Keep your fingers gers and the blade.
away from blades and bits. And And the hardboard
push blocks can help out with all heel, also replace-
tools, starting with the table saw. able, pushes the
The best thing about the table workpiece past the
REPLACEABLE
saw push block shown in the blade without any HEEL EXTENDS 1⁄4"
BELOW BOTTOM
drawings above and at right, is danger of kickback. OF BODY
the handle. It’s designed to exert To make replac-
forward and downward pressure ing them easier, I
to push the workpiece through the used a screw to attach the handle When you make this push block,
blade and prevent chattering. to the heel and body. This means take the time to make several extra
The replaceable body (made you’ll get double the life from the bodies and heels. This way, you’ll
from “two-by” stock) rides on edge push block by turning it over once always have replacements on hand
to put extra inches of solid wood one edge has gotten chewed up. whenever you need them.

CUT SPACER 3⁄ "-DIA.

4
TO MATCH DOWEL 3⁄ "-THICK
4 < THIN STRIPS
WIDTH OF HARDWOOD
RIP FENCE SPACER A saddle-style push block will
allow you to rip thin pieces safely
and consistently at the table saw,
as shown in the drawing at left.
This design straddles the rip
fence and is made from a couple
NOTCHES FIT of pieces of hardboard and a
VARIOUS
THICKNESS NOTE: hardwood spacer. (Note: Size the
BOARDS SPACER
SHOULD CLEAR
spacer to match the width of the
NOTE: CUT SERIES 1⁄ " ANY ADJUSTMENT rip fence.) One side of the block
4
OF 1⁄4"-DEEP, 1⁄2"-WIDE HARDBOARD BOLTS ON TOP OF
STEPS IN ONE FACE FENCE has a series of notches that “catch”
the end of the workpiece.
To use it, simply set the rip fence
NOTE: USE A to the width of the piece you want
THIN STRIP SPLITTER TO KEEP
THIN STRIPS FROM to cut and rip as many strips as
BINDING
you need from a wide board.

42 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_042.indd 42 11/21/2008 8:36:16 AM

 ROUTER TABLE > SANDPAPER ON
Routing the end grain of a work- FACE OF PUSH
BLOCK PREVENTS
piece is always a challenge. To WORKPIECE FROM
SLIPPNG
do it easily and safely, you need
something to back up the work-
piece and keep it square to the bit. PUSH
BLOCK
You also want to keep your
hands safely away from the router
bit. The push block shown in the
drawing at right does both jobs.
The push block features a base HANDLE
WORKPIECE NOTE: BASE AND CLEAT (3⁄4"-DIA.
with a cleat at the front. A dowel ARE MADE FROM DOWEL)
3⁄ " PLYWOOD
4
serves as a simple handle. And, as
NOTE: HAND-HOLD
you can see in the detail drawing, ALLOWS YOU TO
˝CLAMP˝ WORKPIECE BASE
a cut-out section of the base allows FIRMLY TO PUSH BLOCK
you to securely “clamp” the work-
piece to the cleat with your hand.

HEEL ADD CLEAT

CATCHES CLEAT AFTER
WORKPIECE NOTCH
IS CUT AWAY

< BAND SAW

If you do a lot of resawing, you
know there can be problems when
you try to push a tall, narrow work-
TALL FENCE piece through a band saw blade.
PROVIDES
SUPPORT TO It helps to have a tall fence for
WORKPIECE
the workpiece to rest against. But
HANDLE GLUED HANDLE more importantly, you need a
INTO GROOVE IN
PUSH BLOCK push block, like the one at left.
The thin heel on the back of this
BASE push block helps you drive the
board through the blade as you
come to the end of a cut.
NOTE: BASE AND
HANDLE MADE FROM
3⁄ "-THICK HARDWOOD,
HEEL 4
HEEL IS 1⁄4" HARDBOARD

NOTE: APPLY DOWNWARD PRESSURE

WITH FRONT HANDLE AND FORWARD
JOINTER > PRESSURE WITH BACK HANDLE HOOK HEEL
OVER END OF
One other tool where I definitely ANGLE KEEPS WORKPIECE
PUSH BLOCK
use a push block is a jointer. And FROM CATCHING
the push block at right offers a ON GUARD

two-handed solution to controlling

a board as you work. This push FRONT HANDLE
block lets you apply forward and (3⁄4"-DIA.
DOWEL)
downward pressure on a board as REPLACEABLE
you run it through a jointer. JOINTER 1⁄ "
4HARDBOARD
FENCE HEEL
The secret is in the handles. The BODY
JOINTER
shape and placement of the front TABLE
and rear handles make it easy to WORKPIECE
use on both short and long boards. NOTE: GLUE
And best of all, the thickness of GUARD UP BODY FROM BACK HANDLE
3⁄ "-THICK, 11⁄ "-WIDE
4 2 (3⁄4"-THICK
the body offers ample protection, HARDWOOD, THEN MITER HARDWOOD)
FRONT CORNER
keeping your hands safely away
from the jointer cutterhead.

www.ShopNotes.com 43

s103_042.indd 43 11/21/2008 8:36:38 AM

 MASTERING THE Table Saw
CUT JOINERY SO TONGUE IS
ON LOWER EDGE OF SHELVES
FOR STRENGTH
This versatile joint makes it
easy to create strong and
sturdy cases and CASE JOINERY
RESISTS PULL
OF GRAVITY
drawers.
BY CUTTING THE
TONGUES A HAIR
SHORT, YOU LEAVE
ROOM FOR GLUE AND
GUARANTEE A
BETTER FIT (SEE
DETAILS BELOW)

GAP
MECHANICAL GAP
STRENGTH OF FALSE FRONT
JOINT COUNTERS THE COVERS EXPOSED
STRESS FROM PULLING END GRAIN ON #/8
ON DRAWER FRONT SIDE #/4
!/2
#/8 #/8
!/8
EXPOSED !/4 !/4
NOTCH FOR #/8 #/8
!/2
DRAWER #/4
BOTTOM

essential joinery
Tongue & Dado When I’m building a case, I want provides a good amount of glue sur- overview of how the joint works
the joinery to be both strong and face for a long-lasting connection. in a case (or drawer).
easy to make. A good example of Cases & Drawers. Another ben- A dado is cut near each end of
this is a tongue and dado joint. It has efit of this joint is that, with a few the case sides (or drawer sides).
a few advantages. The interlocking adjustments, it works equally well Then a mating tongue is cut on the
parts make aligning the case pieces on both cases and drawers. The case top, bottom, and shelves (or
during assembly a snap. And it drawings above give you a good drawer front and back), as shown
in the photos at left. There’s a sim-
ple reason for this arrangement.
In the wall cabinet shown above,
< Dado First. the joinery resists the pull of grav-
The first half ity. In a drawer, the joints need to
of the joint is a stand up to the repeated tugging
dado cut near on the drawer front. In both cases,
each end of the the interlocking nature of a tongue
side pieces. and dado joint fills the bill.
Exposure. But there are a couple
drawbacks with this technique.
> Rabbet to Fit. With a plywood case, the top and
The other part bottom reveal exposed ends.
of the joint is In drawers, there are two prob-
a rabbet that lems. The front has exposed end
creates a snug- grain from the sides. And typically,
fitting tongue for you see a notch from the groove
the dado. for the drawer bottom.

44 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_044.indd 44 11/24/2008 1:38:27 PM

 shop tip:
The obvious solution for a case
is to top it with a cap. And for the
drawer, to add a false front. Yes,
Removing Tearout
it does add an extra step, but it’s
worth considering when you’re
designing a project.
Now that you have a good idea
of the basics of a tongue and dado
joint, the next step is mastering
how to cut it accurately. DADO TRIM PIECE
BLADE MAY CAUSE TO FINAL WIDTH
TEAROUT ON BACK EDGE AFTER CUTTING
CUTTING THE JOINERY OF WORKPIECE JOINERY

I have a few goals when creat- TEAROUT

TEAROUT
ing this joint. First of all, when it’s
assembled, the ends of the case sides
should be flush with the top and { Eliminate Tearout. Cutting dadoes and rabbets can lead to tearout on the trailing
bottom. And the two pieces should edge of the workpiece. You can use a backer board to support the edge. But often, I
fit together with hand pressure. find it’s easier to cut the case panels a bit wider than I need. Then when I’m finished
Finally, the tongue should cutting the joinery, I can trim the panels to size and cut away the tearout.
almost, but not quite bottom out
in the dado. This provides extra
space for glue, but more impor- Creating the Dado. Creating There are three things to con-
tantly, it allows the shoulder of the a tongue and groove joint can be sider when cutting the dadoes:
joint to close tightly. All this should neatly broken down into two steps location, width, and depth.
add up to a case (or drawer) that’s — making the dado and then cut- As I mentioned earlier, one
square and rock solid. ting the tongue. of my goals is making sure the
Note: For this process, I’ll be I like to start by cutting the dado. assembled joint is flush on the end.
referring to making a plywood I find it’s easier to adjust the thick- So accurately locating the dado in
case. You can find out the specific ness of the tongue and sneak up the side is key. Of course, it’s a
details on making drawers in the on a good fit than trying to change good idea to make a few tests cuts.
box on page 47. the width of the dado. But to get in the ballpark, I use a
mating piece (or cutoff) as a set-up
gauge (upper drawing at left).
Width. At first glance, it would
ALIGN seem like any width dado would
WORKPIECE
SCRAP work. But there’s a catch. The dado
WITH DADO
BLADE AUX. creates a short grain section that
FENCE can be easily popped if the joint is
THEN
#/8" DADO LOCK THE SCRAP stressed. So the idea here is to keep
SET FENCE IN
POSITION this piece as long (wide) as pos-
sible. For 3⁄4" plywood, a 3⁄8"-wide
dado is what I usually choose.
Depth. The last thing to think
about is the depth of the dado.
You don’t want to compromise the
strength of the sides, so the dado
FEATHER- should be no more than half the
BOARD
thickness of the sides (3⁄8").
Cutting the Dado. When you’re
FEATHERBOARD ready to make the cut, you want to
ENSURES THE
DADO HAS #/8 #/8 make sure the dado is a consistent
UNIFORM DEPTH
depth. To do this, I like to attach a
#/8 featherboard to the rip fence.
One more thing, since this is
a crossgrain cut, tearout can be a
problem. Check out the box above
for an easy way to eliminate it.

www.ShopNotes.com 45

s103_044.indd 45 11/24/2008 2:29:12 PM

 < Perfect Fit.
You know it’s right SET DADO
when the joint BLADE JUST
SHY OF
pulls tight and the EDGE OF
GROOVE
ends are flush.

SNEAK UP
ON BLADE
HEIGHT

cutting the
Tongue
Once you’ve cut the dadoes on
all your workpieces, you can turn
your attention to cutting the other FEATHER-
BOARD
half of the joint — the tongue. ENSURES
EVEN CUT
It sounds simple enough, but AUXILIARY
RIP FENCE
there’s a little more to the process. LETS YOU “BURY”
BLADE FOR
Remember the goals I mentioned PRECISE WIDTH
earlier. The tongue should slide
easily into the dado, without any
slop. And the shoulder of the joint
needs to close up tight.
Saw Setup. The first thing you’ll
need to do is change the setup of
the table saw. Start by installing a That takes care of the saw setup. and raise the blade until it’s almost
dado stack that’s wider than the Now you can focus on fine-tuning even with lower edge of the dado.
final length of the tongue. the saw for the cut. This involves This gets you in the ballpark.
Then attach an auxiliary rip two things — setting the blade To get the blade height set just
fence. This allows you to bury the height and the width of the cut. right, you’ll need to bring in the
dado blade in the fence to “dial Blade Height. The height of the rip fence. I like to bury most of the
in” the exact length of the tongue. dado blade should leave a tongue blade and make a test cut, as shown
(You can find plans for an auxil- that just fits in the dado. Once in the lower drawing above.
iary fence on page 34.) again, making some test cuts is This creates a short tongue. Check
Just like when you cut the the way to go. But you can eyeball the fit of the tongue in one of the
dadoes, it’s a good idea to attach a the height by using one of the side dadoes you cut earlier (drawing at
featherboard to keep the thick- pieces as a gauge (upper drawing left). It will probably be a bit “fat.”
ness of the tongue consistent. above). Place a side piece on end Simply raise the blade a hair and
make another cut. Then just repeat
START WITH
this process until you end up with
A SHORT a nice, not-too-tight fit.
TONGUE
TO TEST FIT Width. With the blade height
set, you can follow a similar pro-
cess to adjust the width. Bump the
rip fence over and make a series of
test cuts. Your aim is for the shoul-
NOTE:
LENGTH OF TONGUE der of the rabbet to pull tight (as
JOINT SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY
SHOULD LESS THAN DEPTH OF DADO in the lower detail at left) and not
FIT WITH
HAND bottom out in the dado.
PRESSURE Finally, you can cut tongues on
all your remaining workpieces.
SHOULDER The payoff is a case that assembles
SHOULD
CLOSE TIGHT easily (photo above) and is strong
and sturdy for years of use.

46 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_046.indd 46 11/24/2008 2:30:06 PM

 solid-wood COMBINATION

Drawers
BLADE
USE SCRAP PIECE ALIGN BLADE
AS SET-UP GAUGE WITH
OUTSIDE EDGE
OF WORKPIECE
What makes tongue and dado join-
ery a favorite is that it’s versatile
enough for case construction and
making easy-to-assemble draw-
ers. After all, drawers are really
nothing more than small cases.
Since drawers are smaller in
scale, it makes sense to scale AUX.
down the joinery, too. Don’t get MITER
FENCE
me wrong. The joinery will still be
CUT KERF
plenty strong. In the example here, WITH
COMBINATION DRAWER
the drawer parts are made from BLADE SIDE
1⁄ "-thick hardwood. SET BLADE
2 HEIGHT TO !/4"
Narrow Dado. Sizing the join-
ery starts with the dado. Instead of
a dado set, I like to use a standard
combination blade. Here again,
the reason is I want to prevent the
short grain section ahead of the
kerf from popping off. Using a 1⁄8"- the outer edge of the teeth with gauge fitted with an auxiliary
wide blade leaves this vulnerable the outside face of a scrap piece fence to guide the narrow drawer
section as long (wide) as possible. that matches the thickness of the parts across the blade. The auxil-
Setting up for this cut works drawer front or back. Then adjust iary fence also backs up the cut to
about the same as it does for case the blade to a height of a 1⁄4". prevent tearout, as illustrated in
construction (upper right draw- Preventing Tearout. When cut- the lower drawing above.
ing). First, set the rip fence to align ting the dadoes, I use the miter Then as you make the cut, pro-
vide firm downward pressure
on the workpiece. This keeps the
dado a consistent depth.
DRAWER
SIDE Cutting the Tongue. Setting up
for cutting the tongue is shown in
AUXILIARY SNEAK UP
RIP the drawing at left. As you can see,
ON BLADE
FENCE HEIGHT I replaced the single blade with a
dado blade. Use the piece you just
cut to set the blade height.
INSTALL WIDE
Now it’s simply a matter of
DADO BLADE adjusting the rip fence to control
the length of the tongue. Make
a few test cuts until the tongue
slides securely into the dado,
stopping just short of the
AUXILIARY bottom, as shown in
FENCE ON MITER
GAUGE the photo at right.

DRAWER DADO BLADE

FRONT/BACK BURIED IN
ADJUST RIP AUXILIARY > Drawer Joint.
FENCE TO SET FENCE
LENGTH OF A single blade
TONGUE
kerf provides
the anchor point
for the tongue
in drawer
construction.

www.ShopNotes.com 47

s103_046.indd 47 11/24/2008 2:30:29 PM

 GREAT Gear

abrasives for
Orbital
Sanders
With the right abrasive,
your sander can really
make a project shine.

In my shop, it’s not unusual for Rough Duty. There are some Finer Disks. After the dirty
me to be working on projects with “heavy-duty” disks from 3M that work is done, you’re ready to work
both wood and metal components. are made specifically for metal toward a more polished finish.
And when it comes time to smooth (lower left photo). These Scotch- For that, I like to use non-woven
and finish the metal parts, conven- Brite disks are more aggresive than disks (photo below). They’re hard
tional sandpaper just doesn’t give your typical disk because there’s a to find, but you can easily cut
me the results I’m looking for. For- coarse abrasive bonded to the non-
tunately, there are other types of woven material.
abrasives that work better and are These disks work great to
available in hook-and-loop disks remove light rust or oxida-
for a random orbit sander (refer to tion, dirt, and grime from
Sources on page 51). steel, brass, or alumi-
num. And they’re per-
NON-WOVEN MATERIAL fect for the cast-iron
One of my favorite types of abra- surfaces of power tools
} Rough sives is non-woven material. It’s like my table saw.
& Tough. made from a synthetic material and Cautions. There
3M’s Scotch- is available in a range of “grits” are a couple of things to
Brite surface from coarse to very fine (used point out about using these
conditioning mostly for polishing). 3M disks. The disk didn’t “stick”
disks remove very well to my sander’s pad. It
rust, grime, and would spin loose from the sander
scratches. during use. To hold the disk more
securely on my sander, I used a
replacement pad by Mirka (box at
bottom of opposite page).
As I said before, the 3M disks
are really aggressive. They’ll leave
scratches at first. But if you work { Finer Finishing. Non-woven
your way up through the grits, pads will polish up wood finishes
you end up with a nice, clean sur- or bring a shine to metals like
face (photo at left). brass and aluminum.

48 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_048.indd 48 11/25/2008 9:26:10 AM

 < Versatile. Micro-
Mesh abrasives
work great on is eliminating all the scratches.
bare wood, With any polishing operation, it’s
wood finishes, important to remove the scratches
and metals. left by the previous grit. For an
ultra-smooth, polished surface
like you see on the shoulder plane
Micro-Mesh disks by at right, it doesn’t pay to “cut cor-
Micro-Surface Finishing Prod- ners” by skipping } Final Finish.
ucts. They’re available in grits from grits. This results The ultra-fine grits
1,800 to 12,000 with a range of hole in a lot of frustra- of Micro-Mesh
disks from the 6" x 9" pads avail- patterns to fit most sanders. You tion and unneces- abrasives excel at
able from woodworking suppli- can see a sampling of these disks sary effort. But if final polishing.
ers. These disks do a good job of above (without the holes). They you take your time
removing fine scratches. replace steel wool and traditional and work your way up
Non-woven disks work equally polishing abrasives like pumice through finer and
well on wood finishes or metals, and rottenstone. finer grits, the
including aluminum and brass. Wood or Metal. The nice thing results will speak
(They aren’t meant to be used on about the Micro-Mesh products is for themselves.
bare wood.) Because they fit on their versatility. They work espe- Final Finish. Using
my orbital sander, they take the cially well on metal surfaces. Plus, the right abrasive for the task
drudgery out of polishing tasks. they can by used on bare wood and material at hand means less
prior to finishing. And they’re elbow grease and a finish you can
ULTRA-FINE ABRASIVES great for smoothing out a finish be proud of. For wood projects,
If it’s a mirror finish you’re after, between coats and final polishing. take a look at the box below for
you need to use ultra-fine abra- Mighty Fine. The trick to getting a unique abrasive you’ll want to
sives. That’s when I turn to the a mirror finish on wood or metal add to your shop arsenal.

dust-free sanding with

Abranet
When I first used Mirka’s Abranet Upgrade. To
abrasives, I couldn’t believe what help with dust
I was seeing — or wasn’t seeing. extraction, you
There wasn’t a cloud of dust filling can purchase
the air like you would normally a Mirka replace-
see when sanding. And there was ment pad for your
virtually no dust left on the work- sander, like you see Plus, the Mirka pad grips the
piece afterwards. below. The number of holes and disk better than my sander’s stock { True Grit.
The secret is in the loose, open their location means it’s designed pad. I found that a non-woven Abrasive particles
mesh you see in the disks at right. for maximum dust collection. Of abrasive was less likely to come are bonded to a
The abrasive grit (P80 to P800) is course, it works best when your loose during use. Whether or not mesh material for
bonded to a screen-like material. sander is attached to a shop vac- you use the Abranet abrasives, the long life.
This has some major benefits. The uum or dust collection system. backup pad is a great upgrade.
sanding dust is sucked up through But that’s not all I like about this
the abrasive more efficiently by backup pad. First, you can find
your shop vacuum or dust col- one for just about any make and
lector. Second, the abrasive lasts type of sander. It’s a direct replace-
longer because it doesn’t “load ment for the factory pad.
up” with sawdust like traditional
paper-backed abrasives.

> Better Backup. Mirka’s backup

pads are a great upgrade for better
grip and improved dust collection.

www.ShopNotes.com 49

s103_048.indd 49 11/25/2008 9:26:39 AM

 questions from
Our Readers
deciding on a
Planer or
Sander I have a 121⁄2" thickness planer. Other than the
extra width, are there other advantages to using
a drum, or thickness sander over a planer?
Jim Liotine
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

While a thickness planer and

drum sander might seem similar
in function, they are two distinct
tools with differing roles. So even
though you have a planer, a drum
sander can be a great addition. { Planer vs. Sander. A planer
Reducing Wood Thickness. If reduces thickness quickly (upper
your main goal is to remove a lot photo), while a sander is preferred
of material quickly, then a thickness for wider stock (lower photo) or
planer is the tool of choice (upper thinner workpieces (inset).
right photo). It planes wood using
a round cutterhead that’s equipped for tearout on some materials, and figured woods like curly or bird’s-
with a set of sharp knives. sometimes a lot of sanding is neces- eye maple — materials that often
As you feed wood into the sary to achieve a smooth surface. chip out under a planer’s knives.
planer, these knives can take up to Flattening & Sanding. A drum Plus, many drum sanders are
1⁄ " off the thickness of a workpiece sander doesn’t have the capabil- open at one side. This makes it
8
at a time, depending on the type ity to quickly reduce the thick- easy to increase its overall capacity
and width of material (lower left ness like a planer does. Here, a by running the workpiece through
drawing below). While a planer conveyor belt feeds a workpiece twice, turning it between passes, as
can reduce the thickness of a work- under a metal drum wrapped with in the lower photo above. Finally,
piece quickly, there’s a tendency a sanding strip. So it’s best to only working with thin materials is a
take 1⁄32" to 1⁄16" breeze (inset photo above). In a
PLANER DRUM SANDER off a workpiece at planer, it’s possible for thin mate-
DRUM a time. Where a rials to break apart.
PLANER KNIFE SANDING
STRIP drum sander really Deciding. Having both tools
CUTTERHEAD
OUTFEED shines is in flatten- is ideal. But if most of your work
ROLLER INFEED OUTFEED INFEED
ROLLER ROLLER ROLLER ing panels and is thicknessing stock, a thickness
taking care of the planer is the best choice. And then
initial sanding on I’d add a drum sander to handle
WORKPIECE FEED
FEED
most workpieces. troublesome stock and to make it
WORKPIECE CONVEYOR BELT It’s also a great easy to sand large panels (or any
choice for highly workpiece) flat and smooth.

50 ShopNotes No. 103

s103_050.indd 50 11/18/2008 6:22:22 AM

 Sources
Most of the materials and sup- • Rockler SANDING CENTER (p.24)
plies you’ll need for the projects Bench Dog T-Loc Track . . . . 25471
are available at hardware stores or T-Track Intersect. (1⁄2") . . . . . • 5" Casters
home centers. For specific products T-Track Intersect. (3⁄8") . . . . .
32453
Rockler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31845 MAIL
or hard-to-find items, take a look Bench Dog Dual Track . . . . .
34970
Woodsmith Store . . . . . . . . 454398 ORDER
at the sources listed below. You’ll Cam Clamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23880
58244
SOURCES
• 20" Drawer Slides
find each part number listed by the Kreg Top Trak . . . . . . . . . . . . 26358 Woodsmith Store
Rockler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32508 800-444-7527
company name. See the right mar- Kreg Bench Clamp Kit . . . . . 29974 Woodsmith Store . . . . . . . . 455560
gin for contact information. Kreg Klamp Table . . . . . . . . . 36078
Kreg Klamp Trak. . . . . . . . . . 39052 • Dust Hood Rockler
800-279-4441
T-TRACK (p.10) Rockler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21025
rockler.com
• Amazon.com
You can order basic T-track (in Kreg Combo-Trak . . . . . . KMS7448 Paint: Benjamin-Moore Regal Egg-
various lengths) and T-track acces- shell (“Raspberry Truffle” 2080-10). Amazon.com
sories from most woodworking • Woodsmith Store
vendors. For specialty items men- Cam Clamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456320 RIP FENCE SYSTEM (p.36) Carbide.com
tioned in the article, take a look at T-Track Intersect. (1⁄2") . . . . 456284 888-701-9278
Kreg Top Trak . . . . . . . . . . . 273734 • Reid Supply
the list below: 5⁄ "-18 Knobs w/Insert . . . RST-94
Kreg Bench Clamp Kit . . . . 618028 16
5⁄ "-18 Knobs w/1" Stud . . RST-99 Highland Woodworking
• Woodpeckers Kreg Klamp Table . . . . . . . . 618049 16
800-241-6748
Super Track (24") . . . . . . . . SPT-24 highlandwoodworking.com
Super Track (36") . . . . . . . . SPT-36 SHARPENING STATION (p.16) SANDING DISKS (p.48)
Combo Track (48") . . . . . . . . .CT48 • 175° Fully Concealed Hinges Kreg
• MSC
Dual Purpose Track. . . DPTRACK36 Rockler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66613 800-447-8638
1⁄ " T-Track (36") . . . . . . . . . . . T36
Coarse Scotch-Brite . . . . .03363280 kregtool.com
4
• Door Pulls Med. Scotch-Brite . . . . . . .03363355
Universal Track Clamp. . . . . . UTC
Reid Supply . . . . . . . . . . . DUH-55 Fine Scotch-Brite . . . . . . .03363389 Lee Valley
1" Flip Stop. . . . . . . . . . 13-TTFLIP
Super-Fine Disks . . . . . . . 00319533 800-871-8158
T-Track Block . . . . . . . .TBLOCK14 • Silicone Sheet leevalley.com
1⁄ " T-Track Nut . . . . . . . . TNUT14
4 McMaster-Carr . . . . . . . 5812T225 • Rockler
Incra TT+ Scale . . .TTRACKPLUS Med. Non-Woven Pads . . . . 93451
• Dado Cleanout Bit McMaster-Carr
Incra Jig T-Track . . . TTRACKREG Fine Non-Woven Pads . . . . . 93469 630-600-3600
Carbide.com . . . . . . AMA-45460-S Extra-Fine Pads . . . . . . . . . . 93477 mcmaster.com
• Lee Valley RouterBits.com. . . . . . . . . . . . 3000
1⁄ "-20 x 2" T-Bolts . . . . . .12K79.72
Micro-Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20106
4 Woodsmith Store . . . . . . . . 271694
1⁄ "-20 x 1" T-Bolts . . . . . . 05J21.15 Mirka Abranet disks and backup MSC
4
800-645-7270
Double T-Slot (36") . . . . .12K79.44 pads are available from Woodcraft. mscdirect.com
Slotting Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . 16J60.80
Kreg Track System . . . . . 86N40.20 Reid Supply Company
800-253-0421
reidsupply.com

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www.ShopNotes.com 51

s103_050.indd 51 11/25/2008 9:28:55 AM

 Scenes from the Shop S
Hooking up this sanding station to your dust collector will keep
your shop virtually dust-free. The interchangeable panels
on top allow you to arrange the system for optimal dust
collection. Detailed plans start on page 24.

Adding hardwood edging to a case built from plywood covers

the plies and gives it a seamless, finished look. Turn to page
32 to learn the tips and techniques for getting perfect results. ShopNotes.com

s103_001_USA_2.indd 1 11/25/2008 10:56:58 AM