December 2024 No.

313

•Drawer slides

•Food-safe finishes

•Modern coat rack

•Building by hand

•Tips for turning bowls

Te a c h • I n s p i r e • C o n n e c t

Armchair with a wood tile seat, p. 34

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 Te a c h • I n s p i r e • C o n n e c t

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 Ԃ ISSUE 313

42 FOOD-SAFE
FINISHES

47 TURNING TIPS
FOR BOWLS
CONTEMPORARY
COAT RACK 52
features
34 Walnut Easy Chair with a 47 Turning a Southwestern Bowl
COVER
STORY Slung-Tile Seat A signature piece that takes cues from
classic ceramics
Mid-century style and hardwood scraps
combine in a cool, comfortable chair B Y M AT T M O N A C O

BY SCOTT MCGLASSON
52 Contemporary Coat Rack
42 The Best Food-Safe Finish A utilitarian project made with no-fuss
construction methods
May Be None at All BY CHRISTIAN BECKSVOORT
All finishes hinder wood’s ability to self-clean
BY SERI ROBINSON
60 Mechanical Drawer Slides
Tablet editions free to subscribers How to choose and use this indispensable
Magazine content, plus searchability and interactive hardware
extras. Download the app at FineWoodworking.com/ BY MARK EDMUNDSON
apps. Access is free with your print subscription or
FineWoodworking.com online membership.

Cover photos: Jonathan Binzen

in every issue
6 On the Web
8 Contributors
10 Letters
12 Workshop Tips
■ Hand-screw bench vise is great
for beginners or kids
■ Sled and spacer produce flawless
mitered boxes
■ Drill-press table has replaceable
insert and full-featured fence

16 Tools & Materials

■ Roller guides keep workpieces
on track
■ Best new products at IWF

22 Handwork
72 GALLERY:
WALL CABINET

Hand-tool cabinetmaking

30 Designer’s Notebook
Artistry, technology, and craft

70 Gallery
76 Skills Spotlight
How to weave a wooden tile seat

82 From the Bench

Building with bonsai

Back Cover
Vessels of Life HAND-SCREW
BENCH VISE 12 22 WORKING
BY HAND

NEW ROUTER
ACCESSORIES 20 DESIGNER’S
NOTEBOOK 30
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Online extras
Visit finewoodworking.com/313 Scan
for links
Plans: Smart templates
make an easy chair
Scott McGlasson (p. 34) provides two
sets of templates to make his chair:
one with oversize parts and extra
notches to help with clamping, and one
to use on the fully assembled sides of
the chair.

Blog: Perfect reveals

Mark Edmundson (p. 60) reveals his
favorite hardware for attaching drawer
fronts, whether they are overlay or the
much less forgiving inset drawer. This
small kit provides movement in any
direction.

VIDEO
Drill-gauge dowels
Highlighting one of the workshop tips
in this issue (p. 15), Ben makes use of
an old drill gauge he found at a flea
market to make perfectly sized dowels.
VIDEO
VIDEO Podcast: Lumber
under a lens
Slide to side Seri Robinson (p. 42), a
Mark Edmundson (p. 60) compares professor of wood anatomy
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advantages, depending on whether it’s Live all about wood science.
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Ԃ Use a combination of machines and hand tools to

make precise mortise and tenons. ONLINE ARCHIVES
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6 FINE WOODWORKING
contributors
EDITOR AND Michael Pekovich
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Scott McGlasson (“Walnut Easy Chair with a Slung- DEPUTY EDITOR Jonathan Binzen
DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR John Tetreault
Tile Seat” and Skills Spotlight) has been woodworking SENIOR EDITOR Anissa Kapsales
full-time since 2000 under the name Woodsport. He EDITOR-AT-LARGE Asa Christiana
found his way into the field after studying English COPY/PRODUCTION EDITOR Don Burgard
at the University of Minnesota and teaching for ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Betsy Engel

several years in public schools. As a teacher, he had EDITOR, Ben Strano

FINEWOODWORKING.COM
access to free woodworking classes at Minneapolis
ASSOCIATE EDITOR, Amanda Russell
Community and Technical College, and through them FINEWOODWORKING.COM
he became a trained cabinetmaker. He builds furniture
in a repurposed industrial facility with 28-foot ceilings CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Christian Becksvoort, Garrett Hack,
in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul. When he’s Roland Johnson, Steve Latta, Michael Fortune,
Chris Gochnour, Bob Van Dyke
not in the shop, he might be found delivering new furniture to customers across
the country, backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, or riding his Triumph motorcycles. ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, Alex Robertson
ADVERTISING & MARKETING 203-304-3590
DIRECTOR [email protected]

Following his studies in architecture and industrial design,

Gerard Furbershaw (Designer’s Notebook) cofounded Lunar,
an industrial design and engineering firm. He transitioned
from industrial designer to artist after his tenure at Lunar, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT Rob Yagid
launching Furbershaworks to create and make his art furniture. DIRECTOR, SALES OPERATIONS Heather Glynn Gniazdowski
His pieces are made of high-end plywood fabricated using
CNC machining. When he’s not engaged with his art-furniture
creation or daily activities, Gerard can be found working out in
preparation for his winter-season passions: snowshoeing and
CHAIRMAN & CEO Andrew W. Clurman
cross-country skiing. CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Efrem Zimbalist III
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Brian Van Heuverswyn
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Adam Smith
Israel Martin (Handwork) makes furniture in an 18th-century CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Gary DeSanctis
stone house he renovated in a tiny town in the Cantabria region SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Erica Moynihan
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Amanda Phillips
of northern Spain. After studying forest engineering in Madrid, he VICE PRESIDENT, CIRCULATION Paige Nordmeyer
worked in that field for several years but decided he wanted to VICE PRESIDENT, SALES OPERATIONS Christine Nilsen
VICE PRESIDENT, EVENTS Julie Zub
become a furniture maker. He took some hand-tool classes with VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Ashley MacDonald
a Spanish artisan and traveled to Germany twice to take short VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY & RESEARCH Kristina Swindell
workshops with Garrett Hack, but he is otherwise self-taught. DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES Scott Roeder
DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION Phil Graham
In addition to building cabinets to commission, he teaches DIRECTOR, RETAIL SALES Susan A. Rose
hand-tool woodworking in his shop. In summer 2024 he taught DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Andrew Shattuck
courses at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. Fine Woodworking (ISSN: 0361-3453) is published bimonthly,
with a special seventh issue in the winter, by the Home Group
of Active Interest Media HoldCo, Inc. Subscription rate: $34.95
per year. Single copy price: $12.99 U.S., $14.99 Canada. The
known office of publication is located at 2143 Grand Ave., Des
Mark Edmundson (“Mechanical Drawer Slides”) lives in Moines, IA 50312. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, IA,
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in his other favorite activities: hiking, mountain biking, COPYRIGHT: 2024 by Active Interest Media HoldCo, Inc., Des
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snowboarding, and skiing with his family. whole or part, in any form without written permission from the
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866-452-5141

8 FINE WOODWORKING
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letters Flip workpiece to
make same cut
on other side of
centerline, then flip it
end for end to make
Flip board to
make same cut
on opposite side
of centerline, and
same cuts on
corresponding cuts at opposite end of
far end of workpiece. workpiece.

Reader Q&A

Stop block, 13⁄16 in. long,

glued at center of angled
edge, produces 3⁄16-in.- FIRST SETUP SECOND SETUP
wide pin recesses. Narrow end of jig faces forward. Without moving the fence,
Hold workpiece tight against jig, flip the jig so the wide end is
and slide both along bandsaw forward. This cut completes
fence. the first pin socket.

Tip confusion Asa Christiana replies: It’s definitely a bit confusing, but it all
I have read a recent best tip (“Smart jig for bandsawn comes down to how you use the jig. The author developed it in such
dovetails,” FWW #311) many times, but it is still not clear to a way that you can leave the bandsaw fence in place for a bunch
me why the stop-block length matters. The recommended of symmetrical cuts, which are done by flipping the board over
length is 13⁄16 in., but since the workpiece and jig move side to side and also end to end, and flipping the entire jig end for
together, why does that length matter? This is driving me end as well. If you use the jig that way, the length of the stop block
crazy, so I hope someone will explain it to me. determines the width of your pins. If you don’t use the jig that way,
— BUD R UBY, Heald s b ur g , C a l i f. the length of the block won’t really matter. It’s all up to you.

OK to change tenon sizes?

The mortises for Thomas Throop’s English-inspired
trestle table (FWW #310) are 7⁄16 in. wide. I have
3⁄8-in. and 1⁄2-in. mortising chisels. Would the

strength of the mortises or tenons be compromised

by making them either 3⁄8 in. or 1⁄2 in.?
—DA V I D ME RZE L, Pa r k Ci t y, Ut a h

Thomas Throop replies: I think 1⁄2 in. would be

fine. I would make the tenons thicker to the outside.
The mortises are going into a much wider piece, the
foot or top brace, so there should be plenty of meat
around them to maintain structure. This, of course,
When widening tenons from assumes traditional mortise and tenons and not
7
⁄16 in. to 1⁄2 in., add material
to the outer faces. loose-tenon construction.

About your safety

Working wood is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools (or elsewhere) until you’re certain they are safe for you. If something
improperly or ignoring standard safety practices can lead to permanent about an operation doesn’t feel right, find another way. We want you
injury or even death. Don’t perform operations you learn about here to enjoy the craft, so please keep safety foremost in your mind.

10 FINE WOODWORKING
More tests wanted for hard-wax oils
Thank you for Adam Godet’s fine article on
hard-wax oil finishes in FWW #311. I knew
it was merely a matter of time before you
published an article on those finishes. Before
Mr. Godet disposes of his samples, would you
consider a follow-up article indicating how the
finishes hold up to a variety of other common
spills (beyond water)? For example, in my own
tests I like to see how a finish will hold up to
a drop of dish soap (both straight and diluted),
mustard, grape juice, the wet bottom of a tin Tough test. To assess the durability and
can, and even a bit of alcohol. I do two tests protection of hard-wax oil finishes, the
of each: one wiped up within 10 minutes, the author wet the surface of each test board
other left for over an hour. and placed a steel nut on top, checking
the effect in 3-hour intervals.
Such tests really tell the whole story and
provide the kind of comparison needed when thinking of finishes for kitchen islands
(or countertops), tables, and the like.
— M A R T I N V E N D R Y E S, V i e n n a , O n t. , C a n a d a

Asa Christiana replies: Our test with steel and water was a tough one, and the
author and I expect that the results from the other tests you suggest would track that one
relatively closely. That said, if you would like to continue your own testing, we would
love to know what you come up with. Be sure to apply two coats of each hard-wax oil,
as we did.

Clamp combo
square to fence to
act as work stop.

Miter saw

Stock trapped between the

blade and stop should be
secured by hand or with a
hold-down.

A trapped workpiece?
When Michael Pekovich looks at the tip “Combo square makes a handy work stop”
(FWW #312) and asks, “Is the workpiece trapped between the blade and the fence?”
(in this case the work stop), what is the answer? It seems to me this setup could be
prone to binding.
— C H R I S R I C H A R D S, C a m a n o I sl a n d , Wa sh .

Asa Christiana replies: Thanks for your sharp eye. Anytime you use a stop, you have
to control the piece that’s trapped between the blade and the stop, either with your
hand or a hold-down of some sort. We left that out of the drawing in order to show
the setup more clearly, but we did not mean to imply that the trapped piece should be
left uncontrolled.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 11

workshop tips Hand-screw clamp,
10 in. or longer

Hand-screw bench
vise is great for
beginners or kids
In my early days as a woodworker,
when I lacked a proper woodworking
vise, I held workpieces using a simple
arrangement of hand-screw clamps.
I’ve used a similar setup to help
teach woodworking to kids and other
newcomers to the craft. Drill 1⁄2-in.-dia. holes.
Mike Taylor of Taylor Toolworks
recently alerted me to a helpful variation
on my approach. Instead of using Add a layer of plywood to protect Bar-tipped clamps go in
additional hand screws to hold down a household table or desk. holes to hold hand screw on
the one that’s acting as a vise, you can any table or workbench.
simply drill holes in it and secure it
to a bench or tabletop using F-style
clamps with a bar-type tip. These
specialty clamps are sold for holding
down T-tracks and securing fences.
Manufacturers include Milescraft
and MicroJig.
To protect the surface of a desk
or table, place a piece of plywood
underneath the hand screw. (This step
is particularly important when working
with kids, or on your dining-room table.)
Since it’s nearly impossible to drill the
necessary holes on the drill press, I used
a doweling jig to guide my cordless drill.
But you can also guide the drill by eye.
—D O UG S TOWE, Eur ek a S p r ings , A r k . Hand screw can serve as a
woodworking vise.

Best Tip A Reward for the Best Tip

Doug Stowe has been a self-employed woodworker in
Send your original tips to
Eureka Springs, Ark., since 1976 and a contributor to [email protected]. We pay $100
FWW for much of that time. He taught a program called for a published tip with illustration;
“The Wisdom of the Hands” at the Clear Spring School $50 for one without. The prize
for this issue’s best tip was a
in Eureka Springs and then summed up the experience Veritas Angle Block Plane.
in a 2020 book, The Guide to Woodworking with Kids
(Blue Hills Press). His latest book is Designing Boxes
(The Taunton Press, 2024).

12 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Dan Thornton

Sled and spacer produce flawless mitered boxes
I make a lot of mitered boxes and trays. After trying a number of setups for mitering
the parts safely, cleanly, and accurately, I happened on the following method. I tilt the
table-saw blade to 45° and use a simple sled to support the parts, with a toggle clamp
added to help keep them in place.
The sled isn’t anything new; my breakthrough was to place a 3⁄4-in.-thick MDF block
against the rip fence and set the fence so the tip of the miter will be right at the end
of the workpiece. This spacer block also lets me tilt the blade without having to bury
it in a sacrificial fence. All of the pieces are milled to the same thickness and length
beforehand, and I use one of them to creep up on the right rip-fence placement. After
that, all of the pieces can be quickly mitered, cleanly and accurately, with each one
ending up at precisely the same length.
—P H I L G R U P P U SO , Se e ko n k , Ma ss.

Spacer block, Toggle clamp

3 Fence overhangs edge
⁄4-in. MDF
and backs up cut to
prevent chip-out.

Sled base, MDF,

3 Mill all parts to
⁄4 in. thick
same thickness
and length.

Fence, solid wood, Bump first part against spacer

milled straight, screwed block as you clamp it on sled.
Runner, 3⁄8 in. by 3⁄4 in.,
rides in miter slot squarely onto sled

Using first workpiece,

adjust rip-fence setting
(and spacer block) to
creep up on perfect miter,
with tip at end of stock.

Miter other ends

of all parts with
same rip-fence
setting and same
spacer block.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 13

workshop tips continued

Drill-press table has replaceable insert

and full-featured fence Full-featured
fence
Most drill presses come with a small cast-iron table designed
for metalworking. Like many woodworkers, I’ve added a
larger plywood table to mine. I made it with two layers of
Baltic birch glued and screwed together, which let me build
in a sliding insert that can be moved forward and back—or
replaced entirely. The insert lets me maintain zero clearance
under any drilling operation. The insert is held in place by
simply locking down the fence.
The fence has T-tracks for attaching my JessEm router-
table accessories—which also work well on the drill Replaceable
press—but the tracks will hold other commercial and insert
shopmade accessories as well. The table has T-tracks also,
one pair for attaching it to the cast-iron table below, and
the other for attaching the fence on top.
I gave the fence and table a rear cutout so that they Insert, 6 in. wide,
could slide closer to the column, allowing more capacity T-tracks hold held in place when
stop blocks, hold- fence is locked down
behind the chuck. The various tracks, knobs, and T-bolts downs, and other
Top T-tracks,
all come from Lee Valley. accessories.
9 in. apart
— WA LT ER BA Z IUK , Ot t awa, Ont ., C a n a d a on center

Clamp handles
located 3 in. from
Fence, two layers of
front face of fence.
plywood, 31⁄4 in. tall
Upper baseplate,
3 in. wide

Lower T-tracks
are positioned to
intersect with slots
in drill-press table. Table, 24 in. wide
by 16 in. deep

Four T-bolts, washers, and clamp

handles hold shopmade table
on drill-press table.

Quick Tip
Lower baseplate, Waterproof a serving tray
51⁄2 in. wide
My daughter asked me to make some serving trays, specifying that they be
leakproof in case someone were to spill liquid in them. The solution was
simple: During assembly I ran a small, continuous bead of siliconized caulk
All wood parts are 3⁄4-in. inside the grooves that hold the bottom panel. That not only sealed the tray,
Baltic-birch plywood T-tracks fit
with layers screwed 1
⁄4--20 T-bolts. but it also prevents the bottom panel from rattling or moving. The caulk
and glued together. is guaranteed by the manufacturer to stay flexible for 35 years, so I’m not
worried that wood movement will break the seal.
—F R E D G A R L A N D, Li vi n g s t o n , Te x.

14 FINE WOODWORKING
Make dowels with
a drill gauge
I don’t own a set of dowel
Taper end to fit
formers, so I make the into hole in gauge.
occasional set of dowels and
pins by hammering a slightly
oversize workpiece through a Rip square sticks
drill gauge. My gauge is made 1
⁄8 in. larger than Tap through with
from 1⁄16-in.-thick steel, so it desired diameter. steady blows.
stands up well to the task. If
you don’t have a drill gauge
Steel drill gauge,
like mine, you can drill holes 1
⁄16 in. thick
of the desired diameters in a
steel plate of similar thickness.
To make a dowel, start with a
square stick that’s roughly 1⁄8 in.
larger than the desired diameter
and about 1 in. longer than
the final length. Use a chisel or
block plane to taper one end to
fit into the hole, and then tap
it through with steady hammer
blows. Trim the ends to create
a perfect dowel.
—CHAR L ES M A K,
Calgar y, Alta., C anad a

Simple, solid board jack

for any workbench
My Uncle Paul, a professional
carpenter, taught me many
things over the years, including
this elegantly simple way to
create a board jack. You simply
screw a board to the underside Board screwed to underside
of your benchtop, making sure of benchtop teams up with
the end of the board is far front vise to support long
boards for edge-planing.
enough from the vise to allow it
to be used normally. The board
supports the full length of all
but the very longest boards,
stabilizing them beautifully for
edge-planing. But it doesn’t
have to stick out so far that
it will get in the way during
normal use of the bench.
This tip is a tribute to my
woodworking hero.
—PHIL D ODDR IDGE ,
100 Mile House, B.C ., C anad a

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 15

tools & materials
■SHOP SAFETY

Roller guides keep

workpieces on track
JessEm’s Clear-Cut roller
guides, which have been
around for a decade or so, JessEm Clear-Cut
have bolts that fit into the Flex Stock Guides
T-tracks included on some rip JessEm.com
fences. JessEm’s brand-new Price: $100
Clear-Cut Flex guides are not
only less expensive but also
more versatile.
Made with a glass-filled
polymer instead of the
original aluminum, Clear-Cut
Flex Stock Guides are plenty
tough. More importantly, they
come with adapter bolts and
plates that let you mount
them on a sacrificial wood
fence. This lets them work
with any type of rip fence.
Like the originals, the Flex’s
T-bolts also slip into standard Great on the router table. The pivot and clamp bolts Safety and accuracy. The urethane tires are angled
T-tracks. slip into standard T-tracks. Press down on the rollers toward the fence, so the workpiece can’t wander away
Whether you mount the as you tighten the clamp handles and they will exert from it. The one-way rollers also prevent workpieces
rollers on your bandsaw, continuous pressure on the work. from kicking backward.
table saw, or router table,
their grippy tires angle
toward the fence, pressing
your work against it as you
push the piece forward. The
one-way rollers also hold
the work down and prevent
it from moving backward.
You can push workpieces
forward without fear of them
wandering away from the
fence or kicking back.
I especially love these
rollers for joinery and
molding cuts, where their
steady downward pressure
ensures accuracy and a
smooth surface. And with
23⁄4 in. of vertical adjustment,
they can accommodate
thick workpieces.
—Asa Christiana is an
editor-at-large. Table saw too. The Flex-model rollers have accessory bolts and plates for attaching them to a sacrificial fence.

Photos this page: Asa Christiana

16 FINE WOODWORKING
Learn more
tools & materials continued

Best new products at IWF

The International Woodworking Fair comes to Atlanta every two years, showcasing new tools
and materials for the woodworking industry. Here are a few of the best new products we saw
at the 2024 show, which was held August 6–9 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Mirka sanding disks

could change the game
New sanding disks from Mirka feature a proprietary blend of aluminum-oxide and
self-sharpening ceramic abrasive grains adhered to a tough resin in little hourglass
shapes, which present multiple cutting edges to the wood. The open channels
between the hourglass groupings, along with smaller and more numerous
perforations in the disk, are designed to evacuate dust more efficiently, regardless
of the hole pattern on your sander. Called Ultimax Ligno, the abrasive is designed
specifically for sanding bare woods. The disks promise more-efficient cutting
action that will allow woodworkers to start sanding milled wood at higher grits,
such as 150 grit instead of 120 or lower, and produce fewer noticeable scratches,
according to company reps. Ultimax Ligno disks are available at competitive prices
from a variety of woodworking retailers. Go to mirka.com for more info.

Harvey mobile bases are self-leveling

Harvey’s new Spider mobile bases feature self-adjusting casters and feet
that keep machines level on uneven floors, and keep their work surfaces
at a consistent height. The self-leveling wheels help prevent machines from
tipping when moved, and a single foot pedal raises and lowers the feet
easily. The M-1500 model ($300) has two fixed and two swiveling casters.
The M-1500Pro ($470) has four swiveling casters
for maximum mobility in tight spaces. An
extension base (M-1500E, $180) attaches
to the others to support the legs of
extension tables or outfeed tables. Go to
harveywoodworking
.com to learn more.

18 FINE WOODWORKING Photos this page: courtesy of the manufacturers

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tools & materials continued

Best new products at IWF continued

Rockler debuts a host
of handy products
Rockler’s senior product director, Dan Wenning, was on hand
at IWF to highlight dozens of new products that the
company is rolling out this year and next. Here are
three of the latest, available now at Rockler.com.
The Power Jaw Clamp ($15) has all the
power of an F-style bar clamp, but in
a compact shape that won’t put a long
clamp bar in your way. The versatile clamp
has a 2-in. capacity and a 3-in.-deep throat,
as well as a large, ergonomic tightening
knob. A threaded insert in the knob accepts
Rockler accessories such as lights, phone
(camera) holders, and hose holders, letting you
clamp these wherever you need them.
The Flush-Cutting Router Jig ($50) does just
what its name suggests, with support wings that will surround inlays,
pegs, and more, and a thick, machined aluminum plate that
supports any router as it slides back and forth over the
work area. A 0.010-in. shim is provided, allowing you
to set the bit height on the shim and leave the inlay just
slightly proud of the surface. A few strokes with a block
plane and/or sanding block and the job is done. The
support wings pivot to allow users to work closer to edges
and corners.
The Benchtop Board Flattening Jig ($200) joins Rockler’s larger slab-
flattening jig and works in the same way, supporting a router on sliding rails
as it makes level passes across any workpiece. This means you can glue up an end-
grain cutting board, for example, lay it on your bench, and flatten both sides perfectly
without needing an expensive wide-belt sander. It’s great for surfacing small slabs
too. After flattening the surface with a large router bit, make a few passes with your
random-orbit sander to prep it for a beautiful finish.

Top-notch mortising chisels from Narex

In his 2022 review (FWW #300), Chris Gochnour praised Narex’s new bevel-edged
Richter bench chisels, finding that their cryogenically treated chrome-vanadium
blades held an edge for a very long time. Narex recently introduced
Richter-branded mortising chisels, designed for hand-cutting mortises
(or squaring the corners of routed mortises). They feature the same
excellent steel, polished flat and straight, and the same edge-
holding ability. A leather washer in the handle cushions impacts
from mallet blows. The mortising chisels sell for roughly $60 each
at multiple retailers, with multi-chisel sets offering a price break.
—A.C.

20 FINE WOODWORKING Photos this page: courtesy of Rockler (top and center); Asa Christiana (bottom)
 Learn more

POWER FOR
EVERY PROJECT

6-STAGE
HVLP SPRAY SYSTEM
handwork

Hand-tool cabinetmaking
HOW I KEEP THE PROCESS FUN, AND FAST ENOUGH
B Y I S R A E L M A R T I N

I
build furniture in a small workshop attached to my house in
northern Spain, and I try to use only hand tools in every piece
I make. I really do like machines; it’s just that I prefer to work
without them. Over the years, I’ve discovered that working
completely by hand requires not only a different set of skills
but a different way of thinking as well. Like anyone making
custom furniture, I need to consider where a piece is going to live,
what its purpose will be, and of course the aesthetics of it. But because
I’m providing the horsepower, there are extra dimensions to consider:
How long will the build take? How complex is it? How can I make
sure that I will have the same energy and enthusiasm at the end that
I had at the beginning?

22 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Israel Martin

 I prefer to include details like small side
drawers or inlays that are not just visually
interesting but fun to make by hand.

In preindustrial workshops, where furniture had to be made

by hand, there were apprentices to take on the hard, repetitive
jobs like jointing, planing, and ripping that today are routinely
done in a snap with machines. Having apprentices enabled
master craftsmen to keep focused on design, joinery, fine
details, and finishing. As a maker who uses only hand tools,
I have to be the apprentice as well as the master, and I plan
each piece with that in mind. Knowing I’ll be doing all the
jobs myself, and by hand, has led me to develop a specialized
approach to design.

The satisfactions of simplicity

I firmly believe that the more you enjoy building a piece, the
better it will be. Because complex projects done by hand can
drag on and become tedious, I simplify my designs, mostly
using straight lines and square corners. If I incorporate a curve,
it might be a slight bend on the top or bottom of a chest.
I avoid curved panels or drawer fronts that would involve
lamination and require me to hand-dimension a lot of thin
elements—a complicated and taxing process. To make my
pieces catch the eye, I prefer to include details like small side
drawers or inlays that are not just visually interesting but fun
to make by hand.
I don’t draw measured plans, and I rarely build mock-ups.
I rely on rough drawings and begin work on the piece with
a quick sketch noting its overall height, width, and depth and
the size of its doors and drawers. This gives me the leeway to
change a piece as I go. It’s a little like working on a sculpture. If
I make a mistake, or if the wood presents unexpected problems
or opportunities, I can respond by slightly changing course.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 23

handwork continued

the way that I have some leftover

material I had milled for another job, I
might be able to use it in the new piece
even if its thickness, for instance, is
slightly different.
I start preparing the wood with a
handsaw, normally ripping with an
old Disston D-8, then using a new D-8
crosscut panel saw. Next, with my jack
plane I start making a reference face and
a reference edge for each of the frame
pieces, and then I work on the parallel
faces and edges. Once I have the main
frame pieces done (legs and aprons, for
example), I start working on the frame
joinery. And once the joinery is done,
I go back and dimension the panels. I
take the same approach with each part
of the piece: milling the frame, cutting
the frame joinery, milling the panels.
Breaking the work up this way is much
more enjoyable.

Find your ideal speed for handwork

When I was learning to dimension pieces
by hand, I followed David Charlesworth’s
method for doing super-precise work.
On each part, I aimed to create a dead
flat reference face, a perfectly square
Because hand-dimensioning is difficult—and too much of it reference edge, and an opposite face
at once can get boring—I mill parts in small batches, preparing and edges that were perfectly flat and
for one phase of the build at a time. parallel; I worked to the tightest possible
tolerances. But working that way was
too slow for me, and I realized that to
The question of structure in casework and small case pieces. But for larger enjoy my work I needed to find the right
Most of what I build is casework, and casework, such as a big chest of drawers balance between precision and speed. If
one of the first things I consider when or a hunt board, I use frame-and-panel I want precision, I have to go slow; if I
designing a new piece is whether it construction, which breaks up the want to be faster (in a slow job), I have
should have a slab carcase or a frame- milling over a long build and makes to be less precise. So now I focus my
and-panel. Slab construction involves the process more enjoyable. effort on achieving excellent reference
fewer parts and fewer joints, but faces and reference edges and give less
dimensioning the pieces by hand is About milling by hand attention to the other face and edges. I’m
more exacting and therefore more time- It’s common for a furniture maker who not too concerned about having perfectly
consuming. To make for good joinery, uses machines to begin a piece by parallel opposite faces and edges; I won’t
the parts of a slab carcase must be milling all the parts. Some parts might use them for joint layout, and they’ll be
precisely milled on both faces and all be left a little oversize and set aside on the outside of the piece and can be
edges. A frame-and-panel structure, by for final milling later, but most of the cleaned up later. With this approach I
contrast, is more complex, with more dimensioning is often completed in a won’t have everything perfect, but I’ll
parts and more joints to lay out and cut. single session. Because dimensioning have it done. I decrease the precision a
But milling the parts is faster, because by hand is difficult—and too much of it little bit in order to make things faster.
only the frame parts need to be milled at once can get boring—I mill parts in Working this way is especially well suited
precisely. The panels can be flattened on small batches, preparing for one phase to frame-and-panel construction, since all
one side and just smoothed on the other. of the build at a time. This approach the precision goes into the frame, where
With these variables in mind, I normally also gives me the flexibility to change the joinery is, and the panel milling is
pick slab carcase construction for boxes my design as I go. If it turns out along less critical.

24 FINE WOODWORKING
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handwork continued

I focus my effort on achieving excellent reference faces and

reference edges and give less attention to the other face
and edges. . . . With this approach I won’t have everything
perfect, but I’ll have it done.

In frame-and-panel construction, I have when joining drawer sides and backs—

to produce lots of mortises and tenons, sliding dovetails are faster for me to
and so I’ve developed ways of making make than crisp through-dovetails, and
them with that same balance of speed perfectly adequate. I use Garrett Hack’s
and precision. After marking mortises sliding dovetail method for joining
out, I drill them with the hand brace to drawer sides with the drawer’s back. Not
remove as much of the waste as I can only is it quicker to make these than
very quickly, leaving just a bit of wood at through-dovetails, but they involve less
the end of every mortise. Then I slow up chance of a fatal error or a bad joint. I
and finish them carefully with a chisel. make the sliding dovetail’s tail on the
Another way I sometimes speed up drawer back, eyeballing the correct
the joinery process is by using sliding angle. Then I use a shopmade angle
dovetails. In some places—for example, block to guide the chisel as I make

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handwork continued

In working by hand, I’ve developed a keen eye for scraps from

previous projects. . . . Any leftover par t that’s been milled
by hand is precious.

the socket for it in the drawer side. by hand. Whenever I’m dimensioning a
Sometimes they don’t match perfectly, drawer side, for example, and I rip-cut
but the result is normally just fine. a thin piece from it, I’m sure to keep it.
Shorter offcuts of thin stock can make
The importance of scraps perfect backs for smaller drawers.
In working by hand, I’ve developed Sometimes (as with the box in the
a keen eye for scraps from previous photo at right), I find I have enough
projects. Because of all the labor involved hand-milled scrap to make a whole new
in milling, any leftover part that’s been piece. That’s a good feeling.
milled by hand is precious. I typically Probably there are faster and better
use leftovers for less visible parts, such methods to work by hand, but these are
as drawer guides, kickers, runners, and some of my techniques. As I say to my
drawer backs. Sometimes all the kickers students, don’t simply do what I do. Try
in a piece are made in beech and the another method, and if it works for you,
guides in maple. However, I try to that’s the way to do it.
maintain symmetry in using those offcuts.
I particularly prize long, thin offcuts, Israel Martin works wood in the
because those pieces are difficult to make Cantabria region of northern Spain.

28 FINE WOODWORKING
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designer’s notebook
Artistry, technology, and craft
A FORMER INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER’S QUEST TO CREATE FUNCTIONAL ART
B Y G E R A R D F U R B E R S H A W

I
n my previous career as an
industrial designer, I worked on
a number of conceptual furniture
projects and became captivated
with the notion of furniture as
art. I launched Furbershaworks to
pursue work in the art furniture domain,
the creation of art you can sit on. I
transformed from an industrial designer
who used my design skills to solve clients’
business problems to an artist focused on
self-expression.

The three key pillars: layering, contrast,

and negative space
Initially my focus at Furbershaworks
was exploring the possibilities of art
furniture enabled by 3D printing. I began
looking at pieces that were composed of
layered plywood parts that I could make
myself. I became fascinated with using
positive/negative space to create forms
that appeared solid visually but were in
fact about half plywood and half empty
space. I also liked the effect created
by contrasting the plywood’s face and
edge grain. My go-to material has been
13-ply maple plywood, but recently I
have begun making pieces from Plyboo
bamboo plywood.

Industrial design skills still

come in handy
Even though I now see myself as an
artist, I continue to rely heavily on
my industrial design skills to design
and make my pieces. All of my work
is created in Rhino, a computer-
aided design (CAD) surface modeling
software. After I’m finished creating the
Rhino model, I export it into KeyShot

Photos, except where noted: courtesy of the author.

30 FINE WOODWORKING Photo this page: Nathalie Strand.
 The space half-full. The Hover Bench creates
a duality of effects. Having the sides split from
the top places visual emphasis on the top while
maintaining the overall boxlike form. Diagonal
braces connect the sides to the top, creating the
load-bearing structure. The braces progress from
small to large on one side and large to small on
the other.

A new material. The Hover Too Bench was Furbershaw’s first

bamboo plywood piece. Beyond its environmental benefits,
bamboo possesses a stunning inherent beauty. Unlike normal
plywood made from sheets of veneer, the 3⁄4-in. material he
employed (which Plyboo calls “edge grain bamboo plywood”)
is made into 4-ft. by 8-ft. sheets by gluing together scores of
bamboo strips that are 8 ft. long, 3⁄4 in. wide, and 1⁄4 in. thick.

Top photo: Rick English NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 31

designer’s notebook continued

The details are in the

name. Furbershaw’s
2323 bench is made
from 75 rectangular
pieces of maple
plywood that interlace
at the ends. The top
and legs are composed
of alternating short
and long pieces,
and the short pieces
stop one plywood
thickness shy of their
intersecting parts,
resulting in 23 square
voids on each side of
the bench.

Leg shape creates

the overhangs. Cornici
is the Italian word for
cornices, wind-driven
accumulations of snow
that overhang the ridges
of mountains. Similarly,
the Cornici bench
consists of squiggly legs
that penetrate each
end of a horizontal slab,
creating symmetrical
overhangs.

(a rendering software). The images The craftsmanship of finishing Its natural oil and wax coating is the
generated by KeyShot enable me to After the parts are CNC machined, I crowning ingredient in my process.
visualize the piece more vividly and to sand, apply finish, and assemble The Furbershaworks legacy
make refinements. I have also used the them into the final piece. This part of Like most artists, I would like to leave
Rhino CAD files to have laser-cut maple the process relies on old-fashioned a legacy. My pieces are made to last
plywood scale models made. Using craftsmanship, introducing an element so future generations can experience
3mm plywood at 1⁄6 scale means that of tender loving care. them. Artists sign their paintings.
the proportions are aligned accurately I have been using Osmo Polyx-Oil I literally brand my work with the
with the full-scale piece’s 18mm or Osmo Polyx-Oil Raw (which keeps Furbershaworks name to lay the
plywood. I also use the CAD files to yellowing to a minimum) as a finish. groundwork for that legacy. ☐
have the full-size parts for my pieces I like Osmo because it’s durable, the
machined using computer numerical wood’s surface can be easily refinished Gerard Furbershaw makes his pieces in Menlo
control (CNC). if it’s scratched, and it’s VOC free. Park, Calif. His website is furbershaworks.com.

32 FINE WOODWORKING Top photo: Nathalie Strand

Interlocking legs and seat. The Yin & Yang consists of legs that Overlapping legs and seat. The Olap Bench consists of a seating surface with
lock into each end of a capsule-shaped slab, creating symmetric ends that overlap its legs. The legs and the seat slats terminate in nesting half
overhangs. The joint between the legs and slabs, with its yin-and- rounds, forming an S-shaped jointline. Furbershaw likes to take advantage of
yang feel, is another example that demonstrates the capabilities the capabilities of CNC machining to create visually interesting joints like this.
of CNC machining.

The not-so-cushy
couch. Aspiring to be
a cushy overstuffed
couch with obligatory
raised armrests, the
WannaBe Couch
succeeds only in
mimicking its iconic
form through a
spartan framework.

Bottom photo: Rick English NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 33

Walnut Easy Chair with a
Slung-Tile Seat
Mid-century style and hardwood
scraps combine in a cool,
comfortable chair
S C O T T M C G L A S S O N

W hile the design for my

rope-and-tile seats origi-
nated from a desire to
make an enduring, comfortable,
handcrafted chair, it was also about
finding a use for the offcut pieces of
beautiful walnut burl that were pil-
ing up from other projects. Another
impetus was my affection for the
wooden bead-and-rope pads that
cab drivers used to cover their vinyl
car seats in the 1970s. And when
it came to determining the exact
configuration of tiles, I thought of
the running-bond pattern in which
bricks are often laid, where each
brick half overlaps the one beside
it. I love the look of that pattern,
and since using it would involve
offsetting adjacent tiles, it promised
a more comfortable seat.

Tile series. In a range of seating pieces, the

author blends mid-century modern simplicity
with inviting flexible fields of walnut tiles woven
on polyester rope.

34 FINE WOODWORKING Photos this page: Paul Nelson. Drawings: Christopher Mills.
STOUT FRAME FOR A Armrest, 13⁄16 in. thick Back rail, 7⁄16 in. thick by 17⁄16 in. wide
by 29⁄16 in. wide by by 20 in. long, a bent lamination of
ROPE-AND-TILE CHAIR 165⁄16 in. long nine shopsawn plies
All parts are solid walnut except where noted.

Two Domino slip tenons,

8mm by 40mm

Arm support, 15⁄16 in. Six Domino

thick by 17⁄8 in. wide tenons, 8mm Three Domino tenons,
by 61⁄2 in. long by 50mm 5mm by 40mm

Two Domino tenons,

8mm by 50mm Strut is relieved on
top face to provide
Side rail, 15⁄16 in. clearance for slung-
thick by 41⁄2 in. wide tile seat.
Back post, 15⁄16 in.
by 195⁄16 in. long
thick by 63⁄4 in. wide
by 301⁄2 in. long, is cut
from a 7-in.-wide blank.

Four Domino
tenons, 8mm Top two Domino tenons,
by 50mm 14mm by 65mm;
bottom two tenons, Counterbore, 5⁄8 in.
14mm by 90mm dia. by 3⁄16 in. deep,
accepts knotted
end of rope.
Strut, 21⁄4 in. thick
Front leg, 15⁄16 in.
by 31⁄2 in. wide by To see how McGlasson
thick by 21⁄2 in.
18 in. long laces on the tiles, see
wide by 1111⁄16 in.
long Skills Spotlight, p. 76.
Tenons shouldered 1⁄8 in.
top and bottom only.
Rope hole, 1⁄4 in. dia.

BACK RAIL FRONT VIEW 17⁄16 in. 151⁄2°

1 in.

20 in.
BACK RAIL TOP VIEW
Bending form, 301⁄2 in.
17⁄8 in. 31⁄2 in. solid pine ribs

11⁄2 in.

201⁄4 in. 161⁄4 in. Rope holes are

9°
spaced 19⁄16 in.
BACK RAIL BENDING FORM on center. 11°
1
Base, ⁄2 in. plywood
6 in. 33⁄4 in.
11⁄4 in.
29⁄16 in.

165⁄16 in. 26 in.

ARMREST TOP VIEW SIDE VIEW

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 35

MAKE THE SIDES My series of rope-and-tile seating
pieces started with an easy chair
and expanded over the years to
include a chaise lounge, an otto-
man, a rocking chair, and various
benches. I’m attracted to simple
modern forms and clean lines, and
those pieces reflect that. When I
built the easy chair, I referenced
dimensions and angles from two
iconic mid-century chairs that I
own, the Eames Molded Plywood
Two types of Lounge and the Hans Wegner
templates
CH-25. The style of my other rope-
guide the build.
McGlasson makes and-tile pieces flowed from the
oversize MDF easy chair.
templates for
each of the parts
that comprise
the chair side.
He also makes a
single, h-shaped
template that he’ll
use to template-
rout the chair
sides to final size.

Part layout. Tracing

his rough templates,
which are about 1⁄4 in.
oversize, McGlasson
lays out all the parts
for both sides of the
chair from a single
6/4 walnut plank 8 in.
wide and 10 ft. long.

Online Extra
For full-size drawings of all the
templates McGlasson uses, go to
FineWoodworking.com/313.

Rough cutting the Joint prep.

side parts. Following Everything else
the rough-template can be roughsawn
tracings, bandsaw and oversize at this
out the side parts. point, but flatten
The stepped portions the surfaces that
will provide purchase will receive Domino
for clamping and will tenons. Some you
be sawn off after the can cut at the table
side is assembled. saw; others can be
smoothed at the
jointer.

36 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Jonathan Binzen

Place and trace. With all the side parts sawn out and their mating Portable mortising. McGlasson used to use a stationary mortiser when
surfaces flattened, put them in position and trace the finished template joining the side parts, but now he finds the Domino far more convenient.
onto them. Also, mark the joints for Dominos.

The structure for all of them four pieces, all in the same plane:
is similar and quite simple: Two front leg, side seat rail, arm post,
beefy, parallel sides are connected and rear leg/post. The four parts Slow assembly.
by similarly beefy struts and rails, are joined with Dominos. On my Epoxy’s long open
and the tiles are strung between first chairs I used mortise-and- time permits you
the sides on high-grade polyester tenon joints, but the Dominos to assemble the
rope. The tiles are drilled twice make things far simpler. If you whole side (except
for the armrest,
through their edges and lined up don’t have a Domino machine,
which is added
with corresponding holes drilled routing the mortises and making later) in one go. A
through the chair sides. your own floating tenons will work hand-screw clamp
fine. The armrests are added only keeps the parts
Starting the sides after the two sides are linked by upright as you seat
The sides are the heart and soul the struts and back rails. the front leg.
of these pieces, key to their struc- I like to cut all the side parts from
ture as well as their style. In the a single plank to ensure that the
easy chair, each side consists of pieces are uniform in color and

Cross clamping. With Bessey K-clamps

holding the legs tight to the side rail,
McGlasson adds an F-clamp—with a
thick acrylic caul—at the joint to keep
the parts perfectly flush.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 37

TRIM AND DRILL THE SIDES figure. For walnut chairs, I love bly. I cut out the rough templates
boards with some curly figure. The at the bandsaw.
Tight to the line. finished thickness of the sides is Besides the rough templates, I
Once the side has 15⁄16 in., so I use 6/4 material. A 6/4 make one finished template, which
been glued up and
board 10 ft. long and 8 in. wide is represents the entire final shape of
sanded flat, retrace
the finished template ideal, allowing me to get all the the side. Initially I use it as a trac-
and bandsaw parts while working around knots ing template; later it guides the
carefully to within and sapwood. router as I flush-trim the assembled
1
⁄16 in. of the lines. Before I begin sawing up the side to final size. I cut it out care-
plank, I make some templates fully at the bandsaw and sand its
from 1⁄2-in. MDF. First, I make a set edges smooth.
of five rough templates—one for With the templates made, I joint
each of the four parts of the chair and plane my plank and then lay
side plus the armrest. These rough out all the side parts on it, tracing
Custom flushing templates are 1⁄4 in. or so larger each rough template two times.
jig. With sets of
than the final size of the parts, and Then I bandsaw out all the parts.
chairs to build,
McGlasson made a some of them include squared-off
special jig for flush- sections outside the final outlines Assembling and sizing the sides
trimming the sides. of the parts, which will provide The next assignment is to cre-
A side is placed purchase for clamps during assem- ate flats where I’ll cut mortises
within the walls
of the jig, and the
finished template
is attached to the
top with double-
stick tape. The
routing is done
with a top-bearing
flush-trimming bit.

Post slice. At the table saw, make a clean joinery cut at the
top of the arm post; next, cut Domino mortises for the arm.

38 FINE WOODWORKING
Stout struts. The
pair of hefty struts
below the seat that
join the sides are
relieved on their
top face to provide
clearance for the
slung-tile seat.

3 in.
1
⁄2 in.
11⁄16 in.

Drilling pattern. A stick with small holes drilled along its length is
21⁄4 in. 18 in. clamped to the top of the side rail, providing a template as you mark
STRUT FRONT VIEW for the rope holes with an awl.

Rope holes.
Following the
pattern of awl
for Dominos. Depending on the marks, drill holes
shape of the part, I do this at the for the rope with
table saw or the jointer. Then, on a 1⁄4-in. Forstner
a large worktable, I piece together bit. A sacrificial
the parts for each side. I lay the piece of plywood
finished template on top and trace or MDF beneath
the side ensures
it. This gives me the precise out-
a clean exit.
line of the finished side, so when I
remove the template I can mark for
the Domino mortises.
I double up the Dominos, using
six 8mm by 50mm tenons in the
critical back leg joint and four in
the front leg. When I’ve cut all the
mortises, I’m ready to glue up the

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 39

BENT BACK RAILS sides. Using epoxy for its long open
time, I glue all four parts at once. I
press the parts home by hand, then
draw them all the way tight with
bar clamps and F-clamps. In addi-
tion, with some small F-clamps,
I apply pressure to the faces of
the parts at the glue joints to keep
adjacent parts perfectly flush.
When the glue has dried, I sand
the sides, sending them through
my wide belt sander. It does an
Back rails are outstanding job, but the joints are
bent laminations. typically quite flat, and a random-
Using a vacuum orbit sander could certainly be
bag and a bending used instead.
form, glue nine
After sanding each side, I retrace
layers of 1⁄16-in.-
thick shopsawn
the finished template on it and
walnut to make then trim it to within 1⁄16 in. or so
the chair’s curved at the bandsaw. Then I cut it to
back rails. Make final size with a router and a pat-
the lamination tern bit with a top bearing. I built
double wide, and a special jig to support the router
rip it in two when
while I do the flush trimming. I put
it comes out of the
vacuum bag.
the assembled side inside the walls
of the jig and use double-stick tape
to adhere the finished template to
the side. The walls of the jig are
exactly the same height as the side
plus the template.

Constructing the connectors

Cross-cutting a
I make two very stout struts that
curve. With both its
ends flat on the table
connect the sides beneath the
saw and its length seat and two curving back rails
against the miter that connect the sides up top.
gauge, the back rail These struts, which I make from
is stable as it is cut 10/4 stock, are 21⁄4 in. thick and
to length.

Elevated shoulder cut. A block against the bandsaw fence elevates Quick cheek. The long edge of the rail is tight to the bandsaw’s fence as
the end of the rail, stabilizing it and presenting it to the sawblade for the cheek is cut.
a 90° shoulder cut.

40 FINE WOODWORKING
ASSEMBLY

Dry run. After Glue-up. Using slow-

cutting mortises setting epoxy gives
in the sides for the you plenty of time to
back rails with his glue the side to the
Domino machine, struts and back rails.
McGlasson does a
dry-fit to confirm
that all the joints
are closing
properly.

Finishing up.
After fitting and
31⁄2 in. wide. I leave them full size gluing on the arms
at the ends, where they get four and doing a final
large Domino tenons, but I band- sanding to 400 grit,
saw away nearly half the thickness apply your finish.
across much of their length to pro-
vide room for the downward arc of
the slung seat.
The back rails are far smaller, but
they still do a good job of stiffen-
ing the back of the chair. I make
two at a time in a bent lamina-
tion consisting of nine 1⁄16-in.-thick
strips of shopsawn walnut. After
bending them over a form in the
vacuum bag, I rip the pair in two.
They could be cut from solid stock
at the bandsaw, but I prefer the
greater strength achieved in the
bent lamination.
I cut mortises for the back rails
with the Domino. The rails go into
the mortises full thickness, but I do
cut shoulders on the sides at the
bandsaw. Before final assembly, I
drill all the holes through the sides
for the rope.
I use epoxy again for the final
glue-up, and it tends to go pretty
smoothly. I set the assembled chair
aside for several days so the epoxy
can fully cure before I turn to tying
the tile seat and back.
For a full description of making
and weaving the tiles, see Skills
Spotlight, p. 76.

Scott McGlasson builds furniture in

St. Paul, Minn.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 41
The Best Food-Safe Finish
May Be None at All
All finishes hinder wood’s ability to self-clean
B Y S E R I R O B I N S O N

T he market is saturated with finishes that purport to be

“food-safe.” Part of what manufacturers mean is that these
finishes are safe when ingested in small amounts, espe-
cially when they are fully cured. And they are right.
However, where many of the manufacturers and marketers go
Wood finishes only serve to undermine this amazing property
of wood.
Of course, there are other reasons woodworkers finish their
projects, aside from warding off bacteria. First, finishes improve
the look of most species, deepening color and depth and mak-
wrong is in promising that these finishes will head off an even ing figure stand out. Second, by slowing the movement of water
bigger danger. The idea is that they will prevent harmful bacteria vapor in and out of the wood, finishes can help prevent cracking
from getting into the wood’s pores—where popular wisdom says and warping. Finally, finishes guard against stains.
it will keep on infecting your food forever. However, for food-related items specifically (as well as children’s
As a professor of wood anatomy, I’ve done quite a bit of research toys), these reasons fall apart. Raw spoons and cutting boards
into food-safe finishes. The results might surprise you. One thing won’t crack or warp if cared for properly, and they won’t hold
everyone seems to have missed is that wood doesn’t have a bac- stains very long either, due to the self-cleaning process outlined
teria problem. Unfinished wood is naturally antimicrobial. In fact, below. Most importantly for human health, they won’t transmit
when rinsed and dried properly between uses, it is self-cleaning. harmful bacteria back to the user.

42 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Asa Christiana

 SELF-CLEANING NATURE OF WOOD
Raw wood has an inherent ability to absorb, contain, and kill
bacteria. Here’s how it works.

Food Juice

1. BOARD IS EXPOSED TO FOOD SUBSTANCES

It doesn’t matter which food substance soaks into the
wood—juice, blood, grease, or whatever. The process works
the same way.

2. BOARD IS RINSED OFF

Cold water is fine. Part of the stain will be washed away, and
the rest will soak in farther.

3. BOARD ABSORBS WATER AND BACTERIA

Wood wants to equalize its moisture content throughout its
volume. This tendency draws exterior moisture—along with food
substances and bacteria—toward the dry interior.

4. WATER EVAPORATES, LEAVING BACTERIA BEHIND

Water vapor continues to exit as the board comes to equilibrium
with the humidity of its environment, leaving bacteria to die in
the interior, which lacks the moisture and oxygen needed to
I’ll dive more deeply into each of these issues, but the bottom sustain it.
line is this: The best finish for items that will come into contact
with food and/or mouths is no finish at all.
If after flipping through this article, however, you still feel driven 8 DAYS
to apply oil or wax to your next cutting board, check out the sec-
tion titled “If you must finish” (p. 46).

Bacteria is the real danger

Marketers of “food-safe” finishes are right about the dangers pre-
sented by bacteria, whether it comes from meats and vegetables
The process in real life. These photos were taken over
or the human mouth. The three most dangerous in food are sal- eight days after a board was stained with blueberry juice.
monella, listeria, and E. coli. They show how repeated rinse/dry cycles remove stains
Salmonella is an anaerobic (doesn’t need oxygen) bacteria and contaminants from the surface of raw wood.
genus that can cause fever (including typhoid), diarrhea, vom-

Photos at right: courtesy of Seri Robinson. Drawings: Derek Lavoie. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 43
 iting, stomach pains, and even death in
extreme cases. E. coli can cause cramps,
bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.
Listeria is a much more serious bacteria,
which can cause miscarriage, among many
other problems. Listeriosis can also be fatal
Naturally
for folks over 65 years of age. Worse yet,
beautiful. listeria can survive refrigeration and freez-
Everything here is ing, making it much more pervasive than
made from figured E. coli and salmonella.
maple, and the Cross-contamination is a myth—Both
maple used for vegetables and meat have bacteria on
the bowl is also
them—particularly E. coli—so let’s kill the
spalted. All are
nontoxic, and all
cross-contamination myth right away. Cut-
look great in their ting vegetables on a separate board, for
unfinished state. example, accomplishes nothing, as harm-
ful bacteria from veggies is just as likely to
transfer to meat—or fruit, for that matter.
That said, if the meat is to be cooked
and the veggies aren’t, it’s probably better
to cut veggies first when you are cutting
both on one surface in the same session.
Good and bad woods for food contact
Raw wood has an inherent ability
There’s more to this story than finishing. Some woods are to be avoided for food
to self-clean
and mouth contact altogether. For the full story, check out my article “Dangerous To understand why finish is the enemy on
Chemistry: Woods to Be Wary Of” (FWW #304). food-related woodwork, let’s take a quick
The short version is that tropical hardwoods, and strongly colored woods in look at wood’s anatomy and physics.
general, are generally bad to use, as their color typically comes from problematic Popular wisdom says that microbes mul-
chemicals designed by nature to fight off decay. Sadly, this means that your tiply in raw wood, growing and waiting
decorative maple/bloodwood/purpleheart glue-up is better on the wall than the until—Whammo!—the listeria army attacks
kitchen counter. your charcuterie party.
That’s not how raw wood and bacteria
Common woods that are safe for food-related uses include all variations of the
interact, and there are decades of research
following: maple, birch, ash, oak, beech, poplar, aspen, and sycamore. to back this up, as well as centuries of
You’ll notice that oak is on the list. Popular wisdom holds that the oaks safe contact between food and unfinished
(especially red) are unsuitable for cutting boards because they are so porous. wood. Here’s what is actually happening.
But a very recent study shows that oaks outperform maples and beech in moving Wood is constantly gaining and losing
bacteria away from the surface, and red oak is just as safe as white. moisture from the air around it. In sci-
—S.R.
entific circles we refer to this as wood’s
property. Wood does the same
hydroscopic property
when it comes in contact with any liquid,
such as water from a sink or juice from an
uncooked steak.
Wood also wants to bring its own mois-
ture content into equilibrium, throughout
the board. So when the surface of a rela-
tively dry cutting board or spoon becomes
wet, the wood draws that moisture toward
Spalted wood is
the interior, taking bacteria with it.
perfectly fine. If
the wood has been
So if bacteria is drawn into the wood
dried, the spalting with moisture, why won’t it come back
fungi will be dead out and wreak havoc? If you give your
and harmless. This cutting board or spoon a rinse after use
cutting board is and let it dry on all sides, the drying action
made from spalted will continue to pull bacteria deep into the
maple burl.
wood, where it will be trapped and die.
Little to none will be left on the surface, at

44 FINE WOODWORKING
least not enough to transfer. This is what
I mean when I say wood is antimicrobial.
See “Self-cleaning nature of wood” (p. 43),
to better understand this process.
Study after study has shown this to be
true across many wood species, wood
thicknesses, and bacteria types. So enjoy
this unusual moment when the science is
all in agreement!
Raw wood will manage stains too—
Go ahead and cut strawberries and blueber-
ries on your unfinished board. Yes, there
will be some immediate color left in the
wood. But just like the bacteria, it will be
drawn progressively inward with each wet-
dry cycle. So after every wash, there will be
a little less of the stain on the surface. And
after seven or eight days of use, the stain
will be gone from view.
Don’t polish the surface too much—
Because you are not finishing the wood,
you might be tempted to sand it to a high Multi-purpose cutting
polish, which will highlight the beauty boards. Raw wood
somewhat. But I’ve found that sanding is self-cleaning with
proper care, so you
beyond 400 grit tends to slow the absorp-
can use the same
tion of liquid and moisture, hampering that surface for prepping
self-cleaning ability. veggies, fruit, and meat.
However, in a single
Proper care is critical session when the meat
While you should wash your cutting board is to be cooked but
between uses, don’t allow the water to the veggies are to be
served raw, cut the
soak in too deeply. You just need to get
veggies first.
the surface wet and wipe off any excess
food particulates. So don’t put wood items
in the dishwasher or soak them in the sink.
You can use soap if you want, but studies
have shown it doesn’t make a difference.
The same goes for hot water. Just put your
board or spoon or toy under a faucet of
cold water and wipe it down.
After that, the surface needs time to dry You might get a touch of mold around the board by periodically reapplying an oil fin-
so bacteria is drawn inward from every feet, but that’s not really a concern. ish. Almost all commercial cutting-board
direction. This might take 24 to 48 hours makers have a “wood conditioner” they
of airflow on all sides. The best way to Why any finish is problematic recommend, usually a blend of waxes and
do this is on something like a wire rack, Any finish, whether it builds a film or not, oils, meant to both seal the wood and make
which minimizes surface contact. If you will clog the wood’s vessels, rays, and it shine. They’ve convinced the public that
remember, flip the wood over at the fibers and impair its ability to cycle water. wood should be kept moist and shiny, not
24-hour point. Propping up the item to This is a benefit for most projects, help- dry and matte.
dry can work too, but any part in contact ing wood resist stains, warping, and sea- Wet wood molds. Dry wood is safe wood.
with the countertop can collect water and sonal movement. But it’s a problem for And finishes impair the wood’s ability to
might even discolor and mold. food-related items and toys, as it will keep clean itself. Don’t fall victim to marketing.
Do not put wood items away while they the bacteria on the surface, where it will Your cutting board doesn’t need to be con-
are still wet. The darkness and lack of air- multiply, instead of allowing it to migrate ditioned. It needs to be a flat, clean surface
flow will encourage mold growth. inward and die. Even one coat of an oil for cutting things. To add flair, try using
You could also consider putting little feet finish will suppress water movement and figured or spalted wood.
on your cutting board so it can dry directly cause bacteria to breed. For food-related items, get used to how
on the counter. The downside here is that “Conditioning” is a myth—Another wood really looks. You’ll save money and
only one side of the board will be usable. myth is the need to “condition” a cutting have a healthier family in the process.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 45

 RINSE AND DRY ITEMS PROPERLY ting board an occasional rinse (letting it
dry fully afterward), and you’ll be fine.
Give food items a rinse after each use, and the self-cleaning action will kick into gear.

Glued-up projects aren’t great either

Complex patterns are very popular for
cutting boards, giving folks a chance to
empty their scrap bins and demonstrate
their skills. Like wood finish, however, glue
Quick rinse.
Give items a
also fills wood cells, impairing their ability
rinse with cold to move moisture. In a piece of furniture,
water. Hot water that doesn’t matter. But in a cutting board,
and soap are those gluelines make it harder for the
not necessary. wood to self-clean. They can also become
places for bacteria, mold, and stains to
build up. Conflicting grain orientations can
also lead to cracking and warping after
repeated wet/dry cycles.
In the end, the best cutting board is an
unfinished slab. If you want to combine
woods to add style, use as few gluelines
as possible.

If you must finish

To highlight the wood’s grain and figure, at
least initially, you may still decide to finish.
The best options won’t last long, but they
will help your holiday gift make a good
first impression.
The best finish for food-related items
is a soft furniture wax, which will give
the wood some initial depth and shine
but wear off after a few wash-dry cycles.
Stay away from waxes that are emulsified
in an oil carrier, such as those sold for
wood turning.
If you want the look of an oil finish, go
with just one coat, and avoid raw or unre-
fined natural oils such as olive oil, grape-
seed oil, and raw linseed oil. These can
take months to cure if they cure at all, and
they can become rancid.
You should also steer clear of finishes
Let them dry fully. Wipe off the excess water, and sit the items on a wire rack so they can
like polyurethane and shellac that form a
dry fully on both sides. Flipping them over at some point is a good idea. Attaching feet to
the bottom of a cutting board also works, but that means you can only use one side. film. These will chip and crack with use.
Not only will that look bad and be dif-
ficult to repair, but differences in water
movement between areas with intact and
Never finish cooking spoons—It’s of moisture, tomato sauce will stain your broken finish could lead to cracking, warp-
especially important not to finish cooking spoon permanently. ing, and mold growth.
spoons, regardless of how much you want Bread boards are an exception—Not The worst option for food- or kid-related
the color or grain to pop. Wood spoons all cutting boards will be exposed to mois- items is any finish that is formulated for
are subjected to the toughest aspects of the ture and therefore bacteria. If you have a outdoor use, as it is likely to contain dan-
kitchen, including prolonged exposure to board dedicated to bread, feel free to apply gerous chemicals.
boiling water and highly acidic substances a finish to it. The same goes for a charcute-
like hot pasta sauce. rie board that will only contact hard meats Seri Robinson, a professor of wood anatomy
Boiling water will get underneath a fin- and hard cheeses. at Oregon State University, is the author of
ish and cause mold to grow. In addition, Choose one of the finishes recommended numerous books on turning, spalting, and
with the finish impeding the movement below (“If you must finish”), give the cut- wood technology.

46 FINE WOODWORKING
 Turning a Southwestern Bowl
A signature piece that takes cues from classic ceramics
B Y M A T T M O N A C O

411⁄16 in. dia.

Interior diameter

I
3
⁄16 in. at rim, 45⁄16 in. see this bowl as wooden pottery. I’ve made scores
C/L
3
⁄32 in. of iterations of it, and I think of it as my signature
5
⁄32 in. piece. Growing up in the American Southwest, I
3
⁄16 in. came to love the ceramic vessels made by indigenous
47⁄8 in. dia.
potters there. And later, when I was working as an
1
⁄2 in. in-house production turner at ShackletonThomas Fur-
51⁄2 in. dia.
1 niture and Pottery in Vermont, I was lucky enough
⁄16 in.
3
⁄16 in. to work in proximity to master potters. From those
two sources I developed a deep appreciation for ves-
sels with a clean, classical simplicity of shape. I also
215⁄16 in.
53⁄8 in. dia. learned that fine detail, if properly handled, won’t
31⁄4 in. distract from an overall form but instead will provide
punctuation in the flow of the piece’s silhouette, help-
ing to clarify and complete the visual statement.

BOWL Roughing down and shaping outside

DIMENSIONS I begin the bowl by bandsawing a blank, drilling a
centered pilot hole in its rim face, and then mounting
it on a wormscrew chuck. After truing up the exterior
Diameter at foot, 15⁄8 in. of the bandsawn cylinder, I true both flat faces.

www.f inewoodworking.com Photo this page: Matt Monaco. Drawing: John Tetreault. 47
TURN THE EXTERIOR
Threading the blank. After bandsawing a cylindrical blank and drilling a True up the bowl blank. Using a bowl gouge with a swept-back grind,
pilot hole into the center of the top face, mount it on a wormscrew chuck. first make truing cuts across the cylindrical exterior of the blank, then
true up the two flat faces.

Sizing the foot. Before shaping the exterior of Shape the exterior. After some initial rough Tapered tenon. Once you have refined the
the bowl, use calipers to transfer the interior shaping with a swept-back bowl gouge, refine exterior curve of the bowl, shape the tenon
size of a four-jaw chuck to the blank. This will the exterior shape with a flat-ground bowl at the foot, giving it a slight taper.
determine the size of the mounting tenon gouge.
(which will later become the bowl’s foot).

48 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Jonathan Binzen

 I’ll do most of the roughing and shaping of the bowl’s exterior
with the blank mounted on the wormscrew chuck. But before
that, I set a pair of calipers to the inside span of a four-jaw chuck
and transfer the measurement to the foot of the bowl blank. After
roughly shaping the lower curve of the bowl, I cut a tenon to the
caliper marks. I give the tenon slightly dovetailed sides, which
will let me mount the bowl firmly in the four-jaw chuck when I
reverse the blank to hollow the inside. (Eventually, the tenon will
be reshaped and become the foot of the bowl.) Next, I get the
bowl’s outer curve close to where I want it. I also establish the
width of the margin at the top of the bowl that will encompass
the fine detail from the main bead to the rim.

SHAPING THE RIM

Reversal. To prepare for hollowing the bowl’s interior—and shaping The beveled band below the rim. After truing up the top face of the
the upper inch or so of the exterior—reverse the blank, and mount the bowl, make an initial sweeping cove at the rim.
dovetailed tenon in a four-jaw chuck.

The bead at the base of the rim. Having smoothed the outer shape Shaping the rim bead. After turning the bead at the rim with a spindle
from rim to foot with a spear scraper, use a 1⁄2-in. shallow detail gouge to gouge, finalize its surface with a shear scraper.
form the lower bead.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 49

INTO THE HOLLOWING
How deep do you go? You can use a twist bit marked with tape to drill a Excavator. Begin the rough hollowing at the depth hole and move
depth hole that will guide the hollowing of the bowl. outward, using a flat-ground deep-fluted gouge. Then, as here, use a
swept-back deep-fluted gouge to hollow the incurved area under the rim.

Getting the rim Finishing up

right. The swept- inside. With the
back deep-fluted flat-ground deep-
gouge is Monaco’s fluted gouge, take
tool of choice while the bowl to final
refining the beveled depth and then
upper surface of smooth the walls
the rim. right down to the
bottom.

Detail work outside and hollowing inside

To refine the rough shape of the outside of the bowl and add
detail, I remove it from the wormscrew chuck, turn it around, and
mount it in the four-jaw chuck. I true up the bowl’s profile below
the top margin and add the bead details and the beveled bands.
With those complete, I use a drill bit fitted in a long handle
to enlarge and deepen the hole left by the wormscrew chuck. I
wrap tape on the bit as a depth gauge and drill to within about
3⁄8 in. of the shoulder of the tenon. This will be my rough depth

guide as I hollow the bowl. I start hollowing at the center and

progress outward, cutting downward roughly midway into the
bowl. After excavating inside the incurving upper walls of the
bowl, I continue with deeper hollowing, again beginning at the
center and working outward.
Once the interior is finish-turned, I dry-sand inside and out with On with the oil. Before removing the bowl from the four-jaw chuck,
220-grit paper, and then wet-sand with food-safe oil, beginning dry-sand the interior and exterior with 220-grit sandpaper, then wet-
with 220 and going up to 600. I follow that with carnauba wax sand with mineral oil and 320- and 400-grit paper. After that, buff with
and give the bowl a buffing inside and out. carnauba wax.

50 FINE WOODWORKING
 The third mounting
To complete the turning at the base of the bowl, I make a jam
chuck to fit inside the rim. After mounting a circular scrap on the
headstock, I scribe a circle with calipers just shy of the interior
diameter of the rim. I create a flange to that diameter and about
1⁄4 in. deep. Once the bowl is fitted snugly to the jam chuck, I slide

the tailstock into place with a live center for additional support
while I blend the lower curve of the bowl into the tenon.
For the last bit of turning, I slide the tailstock away and rely on
the jam chuck alone to hold the bowl. Working gingerly, I sweep
across the bottom of the foot to be sure it is just slightly concave,
so the bowl won’t wobble. Then I carefully cut the small detail
beads that decorate the underside of the foot. Last, I repeat my
finishing regimen.

Matt Monaco calls Kansas City, Mo., home, but he turns in shops and
schools all across the country.

FINALLY THE FOOT

Turn a jam chuck. To finalize the foot, mount the bowl on a jam chuck
sized to the bowl’s rim. Use calipers to measure the interior diameter
of the rim, then transfer that span to the face of the scrap you’re using
to make the chuck. Take your time turning the flange on the jam chuck,
aiming for a snug fit.

Transforming the foot. With the bowl mounted on the jam chuck and Fine detail on the foot. Remove the tailstock and use light pressure
the tailstock snugged up for support, transform the dovetailed tenon into with a 1⁄2-in. shallow detail gouge to embellish the bottom of the bowl
a foot with a slightly coved base. with delicate grooves.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 51

Contemporary Coat Rack
A utilitarian
project made
with no-fuss
construction
methods
B Y C H R I S T I A N
B E C K S V O O R T

A few years ago, I was

asked to build a sim-
ple coat rack. Nothing
fancy—pine would do, since it
might be painted. I suggested a
Shaker pegboard. No, it needed
to be movable, with places for
shoes and hats. After a bit of
thinking and a few sketches, I
came up with X-shaped ends, a
shelf below for shoes, a rod for
hangers, and a shelf above that
for hats. Although the original
was white pine, I decided to
make the one shown here out
of walnut.

52 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales. Drawings: TK.

 93⁄4 in.
3
⁄4 in. 3 in.

3 in.
11⁄4-in.-dia. closet rod
hole, 1⁄2 in. deep
81⁄2 in. 403⁄4 in.

TOP SHELF SIDE VIEW TOP SHELF FRONT VIEW

61⁄2 in. Top slat, 3⁄4 in. thick by 23⁄4 in.

wide by 48 in. long

35⁄8 in.
5 in.

3 in.
165⁄8 in.

Use a knife to
slightly chamfer
7
5 in. Top bracket, ⁄8 in. ends to fit.
thick by 5 in. wide
by 5 in. tall Top shelf cleat, 7⁄8 in.
thick by 3 in. tall by
93⁄4 in. long
Closet rod, 15⁄16 in.
dia. by 453⁄8 in. long

84 in. Bottom slat, 3⁄4 in.

thick by 23⁄4 in. wide
by 48 in. long
Upright, 7⁄8 in.
thick by 3 in. wide
by 721⁄2 in. long

Bottom shelf rail,

7
⁄8 in. thick by 4 in.
tall by 421⁄2 in. long

11°

41⁄2 in.

Bottom shelf end,

7
⁄8 in. thick by 4 in.
tall by 173⁄4 in. long
4 in.
203⁄4 in.
Bottom bracket,
7
SIDE VIEW ⁄8 in. thick by 4 in.
tall by 173⁄4 in. long 161⁄8 in.
7
2 in. ⁄16 in.

41⁄2 in.

421⁄2 in. 173⁄4 in.

BOTTOM SHELF FRONT VIEW BOTTOM SHELF SIDE VIEW

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 53

 Crisscross applesauce
Intersecting uprights create the sides that support the closet rod and the
top and bottom shelves. Becksvoort cuts the angled half-lap joinery with
a handsaw and chisels.

Overlap and mark.

Use your bench
to clamp the long
uprights into the
X-position. Clamp a
spacer, the width of
the uprights, behind
the forward upright
to block it out in
front of the rear
upright (far left). Mark
the location of the
angle on each of the
uprights (left).

Mark the rest of

the joint. From the
points where the
angles on the edge
reach the face of the
upright, carry lines
halfway across the
face. Connect those
two lines, then use
a marking gauge to
scribe that midway
line where the joint
ends on the face.

Angled cuts. Saw the

angles down to the
midway point on the
face. It’s much like
cutting the shoulders
of a dovetail.

54 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales. Drawings: John Hartman.

Chop and set. After sawing the shoulders, use a chisel to chop into the scribe line, and then chip
out a wedge of waste. Now you have a flat to rest the back of the chisel on. Repeat until you knock
the block free from the upright.

Clean and fit. Use

a chisel to clean up
the joint (above).
Test-fit the uprights
together (left), and
fine-tune the joint
until you get a nice
snug fit.

The design of this structure bottom shelves. It’s the perfect the edge of each exactly where and with the miter gauge set
means that it has a bit of side- piece for an entryway, mud- they intersected. Then, with a to the angle, I thought it was
to-side racking. I drastically room, or large walk-in closet. small square, I extended those just as easy to make the cuts
reduced that with beefier rail lines halfway across the faces by hand with a small crosscut
sizes and strategically placed X-shaped ends are the focus of the crosspieces. I used a saw. Then I carefully removed
screws. The rack is easy To lay out the angled lap joints, marking gauge to strike a line the waste with a chisel.
enough to move around, but it I stood the crosspieces on end. at the halfway point—the bot-
also can be disassembled into Using my workbench as a sup- tom of the lap joint. Although Uprights and cross braces
five separate pieces: two sides, port, I clamped the two cross- the joints can be cut at the With the joints cut, I dry-fit the
the closet rod, and the top and pieces together and marked table saw using a dado blade uprights. From there I used a

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 55

 It’s all about the angles
Because the uprights are crossed, you have to cut angles on
each end so they sit flush on the floor and the hat rack slats
sit level on top of them.

Trim the uprights. Becksvoort stacks all four uprights and

cuts the angles all at once. He keeps track of the two pairs.
For each pair, he first faces the two pieces, then flips one
Mark the uprights. With the crosspieces dry-fit, use a straightedge lined up on the over so each end has the angle opposite. The layout line will
outer corners to mark the angles on both ends. be visible on one upright from each pair.

Mark the brackets. With the uprights still dry-fit, place the bracket Find your angle. Use a bevel gauge to set the angle between the top of
stock directly on the uprights and mark the length. the uprights and their face.

Cut the angle on straightedge at the top and the

the brackets. Use bottom of the uprights, lined
a bevel gauge to
up at the outside corners, and
set the table saw’s
miter gauge, and
struck that straight line across
cut that angle on the uprights. Cutting the cross-
both ends of the pieces at this angle allows
top and bottom them to sit flat on the floor and
brackets. be flat on top.
I marked the end angle for
the top and bottom brack-
ets directly from the dry-fit
uprights. This is also the angle
for the ends of the top shelf’s
cleat and the bottom shelf’s

56 FINE WOODWORKING
Assemble the X’s While the rack knocks down,
the two sides do not.
frame ends. The four brackets
are centered on the upright
posts, and each is held with
screwed from the inside into
the upper brackets.
The bottom shelf has five
Add holes to the screws. I like to plug the holes slats that get screwed to a
top brackets. With on any screws that are visible simple frame. The frame’s two
a Forstner bit at and won’t be removed when ends land between the lower
the drill press, drill disassembling the piece into brackets. The slats get screwed
stopped holes in
its parts. on from underneath and also
the top brackets to
accept the closet get two extra screws from the
rod. Just shelve it top down into the rails. Those
The two shelves are a simple two get plugged because they
slat construction. The top shelf are visible.
is made of three slats screwed Yes, you can use mortise-
into two cleats that are placed and-tenon joints for the rails,
near the ends of the slats. and you can glue the shelf
The slats overhang the cleats, slats. However, the screws pro-
and the spacing between the vide a great deal of stability,
cleats positions them exactly structure, and simplicity. That’s
inside the uprights. They are the beauty of custom work.

Assemble the
sides. Apply glue
to the angled half-
lapped joint (right)
and tap the pieces
in place. Then drill
clearance and pilot
holes and screw
the top brackets in
place (far right).

Plug the holes.

When drilling
clearance holes for
the screws, also
cut counterbores
for plugs. Glue the
plugs in place and
cut them flush.

www.f inewoodworking.com 57
Top to Predrill frame
stock. The bottom
shelf consists of

bottom a frame with slats

screwed in place
from underneath. The
The top and frame is deep, so you
bottom shelves must drill clearance
are independent holes for the screws
assemblies, with slats themselves but also
on a frame for the deep counterbores so
bottom and slats on the screws can catch
two cleats for the top. the slats above. With
Once assembled, they a brad-point bit, first
get screwed to the drill the counterbore.
Then, with a bit that
side pieces.
finds the center
where the brad point
was, drill for the
screw itself.

Assemble the frame and shelf. Screw the frame together. Attach the
slats from under the frame, one screw at each end of each slat.

I’ve chosen to make this a

quick, no-fuss, simple project.
I finished the piece with my
usual oil finish, which looks
great on the walnut, but you
can also use varnish, polyure-
thane, or paint.
Keep in mind that if the
angles, widths, or lengths are
changed to suit your fancy,
A couple screws none of the dimensions will
in the center. Two remain the same. Also, when-
of the slats land ever I build something, even
on the long parts if I have a drawing or plans,
of the frame, so I always take my dimensions
Becksvoort adds a directly off the project.
screw on each for
extra security and
plugs them. Christian Becksvoort is a furniture
maker in New Gloucester, Maine.

58 FINE WOODWORKING
Put the parts together
At this point you have two sides, a closet rod, a top shelf, and a bottom shelf. It’s time for the
final assembly.

Bottom shelf first. Use the closet rod, clamped

in place, to hold the sides upright (left). Then
put the bottom shelf in place and screw it to the
sides (above).

Top it off. While the closet rod is still clamped

in place, add the top shelf and screw it to the
sides.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 59

Mechanical Drawer Slides
How to choose and
use this indispensable
hardware
B Y M A R K E D M U N D S O N

D rawers are the hardest-working parts of a

cabinet, carrying their loads in and out, thou-
sands of times over.
In fine furniture, wood drawers usually ride on wood
supports. In built-in cabinetry, however, which priori-
tizes functionality over tradition, mechanical slides—
sometimes called commercial slides—are usually a
better choice.
While the various wood-on-wood approaches look
beautiful, they are affected by seasonal moisture
changes and tend to wear over time, leading to sticky
drawers and even outright failure in some cases. Most
are also a serious test for your woodworking skills.
Mechanical slides, by contrast, will deliver smooth-
gliding action for decades. They are made from durable
steel, with their moving parts riding on ball bearings
or high-density plastic wheels.
They also have built-in stops
and soft-close mechanisms.
Commercial drawer slides
are perfect for the built-in cab-
inetry that goes into kitchens,
bathrooms, laundry rooms,
home offices, workshops, and
more. But they also work well
for any type of storage furni-
ture that will get a lot of use.
And they are great problem-

60 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Asa Christiana. Drawings: Dan Thornton.

SLIDES WITH FULL-OVERLAY DRAWERS Drawer boxes, 1⁄2-in.
plywood, lipped with solid
Mechanical slides are Self-adhesive rubber wood on upper edges,
bumpers attached to with box sides overlapping
used most often in built- front and back of box
back of drawer fronts
in cabinetry. The most
popular cabinet/drawer
configuration is European- Drawer fronts, 3⁄4 in. Cabinet, 3⁄4-in.
thick, fully overlay plywood, edged
style cabinets (no face cabinet edges. with solid wood
frame) with full-overlay
drawers. But this info is
For drawer cabinets
easily adapted to partial- installed side by side, Side-mount slides go
overlay and inset drawers. leave ends of drawer fronts in gap between drawer
1
⁄16 in. short of cabinet box and cabinet.
edges to create 1⁄8-in. gaps
between adjacent drawers.

Three great options Online Extra

The main types of commercial drawer slides haven’t changed, but improvements continue. All are available
To see each of these slides in
with a soft-close feature, which pulls the drawer to a gentle stop, and all work very well. Slide length, load action and learn more about
capacity, and the soft-close option factor into pricing. how they compare, go to
FineWoodworking.com/313.

BASIC
BOTTOM-MOUNT SLIDES SIDE-MOUNT SLIDES UNDERMOUNT SLIDES
Price: $8 to $15 Price: $15 to $40 Price: $25 to $45
Description: Two-part epoxy-coated Description: Three-part steel slides with ball Description: High-tech slides offer best of
slides with plastic roller wheels bearings all worlds. Sliding parts are installed as one
Pros: Inexpensive, very easy to install, Pros: Full-extension standard, very long piece in cabinet. Slide clicks into locking
soft-close feature now available models and heavy load ratings available, devices, mounted under drawer box.

Cons: Visible when can be mounted in any Pros: Hidden to user and with small
drawer is open, orientation, good gap next to drawer box
three-quarter problem solvers for a furniture look, easy
drawer extension, Cons: Pricier than basic to install, adjustable
slightly noisier bottom-mounts, visible in all directions after
than others when open, a bit installation, full-extension,
tricker to soft-close
install, greasy Cons: Price
bearings
can capture
sawdust

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 61

Installing basic bottom-mount slides If you build your cabinets and drawer boxes with the right
gaps between them, these slides are very easy to install.

MIND THE GAP

Bottom-mount slides require a
1
⁄2-in. gap between the drawer
box and cabinet wall. That gap
can be up to 1⁄32 in. larger on
each side, but not less than 1⁄2 in.

Drawer box must

be 1 in. to 11⁄16 in.
smaller overall than Cabinet side
cabinet interior.

Gap, 1⁄2 in.

to 17⁄32 in.

Drawer side first. The drawer part of the slide wraps around the bottom Mark the drawer locations.
of the drawer box and is mounted flush with the box’s front edge. Drill Mark the cabinet 1⁄8 in. below
pilot holes with a self-centering (Vix style) bit (left) so the slide won’t shift where you want the bottoms of
Position the Drawer slide when you drive the screws (right). the drawer boxes to end up.
slides 1⁄8 in.
above a cabinet
Set the inset.
bottom or face-
frame divider Read the
to ensure that instructions to
the drawer part determine the
of the slide proper inset for
doesn’t rub. the drawer/cabinet
configuration you
are using.

Make slide
supports. In a Three screws will
three-drawer bank do it. Use a self-
like this one, cut centering bit to
support strips for drill pilot holes for
the top and middle the screws so the
drawer slides, and slide doesn’t shift.
nail them together Start with the first
to form a right screw, recheck the
angle. This will inset, and then drill
allow the supports and drive two more
to stand up on screws.
their own, and you
can rotate them Check your work.
to install slides at Use a straightedge
both levels. (The to make sure each
third pair of slides drawer is installed
is mounted at squarely, with its
the bottom of the front face even
cabinet.) with the cabinet
or slightly inset.
The slides have
alternate screw
holes for adjusting
the slide positions.

62 FINE WOODWORKING
Next one down. To install the next set of Bottom pair. These go at the bottom of the One last check. Once you have installed all
slides, rotate the supports to use the lower cabinet. There is a bump under their front edge, three drawers, make sure they are flush with
parts. Install these slides the way you did the so place a 1⁄8-in.-thick spacer just behind it. This each other when closed. Use the alternate
upper ones, using a combo square to set the will keep the slide level and ensure that the attachment holes to adjust slides fore and aft
inset and a self-centering bit to drill pilot holes. drawer part won’t rub on the cabinet. if necessary.

Fronts go on last. The

solvers, stepping in when the usual wood-on-wood drawer fronts can overlap
approaches won’t work. the top or bottom edges
Mechanical slides are used most often with drawer of the cabinets (as well as
boxes that have a separate drawer front applied. This overlaying their sides). To
is an easy way to make drawers and install them. You position them, apply double-
make the boxes using any joinery method you choose, stick tape to the drawer
boxes, shim and press each
add the slides and install the boxes in the cabinet,
front into place, and then
and then attach the drawer fronts as separate parts, pull out the drawers to drive
perfecting the gaps all around. screws from the inside.
While commercial slides are fairly easy to install,
they require that you have specific spacing between
the drawer boxes and the cabinet sides, so you’ll need Online Extra
to nail the dimensions of the drawer boxes. To learn how Blum drawer-front
adjusters make it easier to attach
There are a number of types of mechanical slides, fronts in perfect position, go to
and a number of ways drawers can be integrated into FineWoodworking.com/313.
cabinets. That can make products and their permuta-
tions pretty confusing. I’ll show you how to choose the
right slides for your needs, and how to install them in
the most popular type of built-in cabinetry: European-
style cabinets with full-overlay drawers. (For tips on
mounting slides in face-frame cabinets, see pp. 68–69.)
Whichever commercial slides you choose, be sure
to read the instructions carefully, as key dimensions
like slide insets can vary a little.

We focus on full-overlay drawers

European-style cabinets have no face frame, and their
doors and drawer fronts fully overlay the cabinet sides.
All you see are the drawer fronts and doors, and the
look is very clean and modern.
This format also makes drawer installation easier.
As opposed to inset drawers, where the drawer slide
acts as the drawer stop, overlay drawers stop when
Add little bumpers.
the drawer fronts touch the cabinet. You don’t have
Self-adhesive rubber
to be as precise with the front-to-back location of the bumpers prevent a
slides, because the soft-close mechanism will pull the knocking sound when
drawer home once it’s within 11⁄2 in. of the cabinet. drawers close.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 63

Installing side-mount slides These can be installed anywhere on the drawer, which can be
disorienting. Follow the instructions below to simplify things.

MIND THE GAP

Also, the gaps between overlay fronts tend to be
Like basic bottom-mounts, these
around 1⁄8 in., making small inaccuracies less obvious
slides require a 1⁄2-in. gap between
the drawer box and cabinet wall, and than they are in the tight gaps around inset drawers.
that gap cannot be less than 1⁄2 in. It For all of these reasons, I’ll focus on the full-overlay
works best, however, if it is exactly approach for the three main slide installations that are
1
⁄32 in. larger on each side. described here. Two other common approaches to
cabinet design are worth noting, however.
Drawer box should be Cabinet side Flush-front face frames are more traditional—
11⁄16 in. smaller overall
than cabinet interior. For a more traditional, furniture-type look, cabinetmak-
ers add a face frame to their cabinet boxes, combining
Optimal gap it with flush, inset drawers. With this approach, the
Pull the slides apart. Push this small
is 17⁄32 in.
lever to separate the drawer section of drawer slide acts as the drawer stop, and if the drawer
the slide from the other two sections. doesn’t end up flush, it’s obvious. Therefore, the slide
locations need to be more precise, front to back.
There is usually an offset between the openings in
the face frame and the inside of the cabinet box, which
further complicates drawer-slide installation.
The good news is that there are straightforward solu-
tions to these challenges that work for all three types
of slides.
We are ignoring a lower-end approach—There
11⁄4 in. 1
⁄8 in. is another common face-frame drawer style called
partial overlay, in which the drawers only partially
Drawer slide overlap the face frame. This is popular in lower-end
cabinetry because there are no gaps or reveals to
Set the cabinet part of the slide
1
⁄8 in. below the desired position worry about. But partial overlay has a low-cost look
Install the cabinet part of the slide.
of the drawer box. When attaching that most custom woodworkers avoid. So I’ll avoid it
Again, use two-part supports to position
the drawer part of the slide, as well. That said, if you choose this approach—for
position its top edge 11⁄4 in. above the slides as you attach them to the
the bottom of the drawer box. cabinet.

Same approach
as before. Use a
combo square to
lock in the inset
from the front edge
of the cabinet, and
a self-centering
bit to drill pilot
holes before
driving screws. The
cabinet part of the
slide has an extra
section, which you’ll
slide fore and aft to
expose the screw
holes.

64 FINE WOODWORKING
shop cabinets, for example—the advice in this article Mark the drawer
will be easy to apply. boxes. If you
position the top
edge of the drawer
Three types of slides section of the slide
Mechanical drawer slides come in three basic formats, 11⁄4 in. above the
which fall into three price ranges. Each has advantages bottom edge of the
and disadvantages in terms of cost, visibility, exten- drawer box, the box
sion, load capacity, performance, and ease of installa- will end up in the
tion. That said, one type is a clear standout. right spot. Make
Basic bottom-mounts save you money—The marks at the front
and back of the
most affordable slides are the white epoxy-coated
drawer box.
slides seen in more-basic cabinetry. Unlike the other
types, these only allow the drawer to open three- Install the drawer
quarters of the way (“3⁄4 extension”). Also, they are section. Read
visible when the drawer is open and are a bit noisier the instructions to
than the others. determine the right
On the plus side, basic bottom-mount slides are inset for the front
durable, easy to install, and less than half the price end of the slide,
and use a combo
of the other types. In addition, they have a solid load
square to position
rating of 60 lb. to 75 lb. I used bottom-mount slides in it correctly. Again,
my own kitchen cabinets, and they have been doing a self-centering bit
their job for 25 years. ensures that the
These slides now offer a soft-close option, which slide won’t shift
eliminates the main drawback of past models: a hard when you drive the
bump when the drawer is closed. They are priced at screws.
$8 to $15 for an 18-in. pair.
Side-mount slides are problem-solvers—Like the
bottom-mounts, side-mount slides are visible when
the drawer is open, and adjustment is limited to a few
slotted attachment holes. But side-mount slides have
a few distinct advantages.
Unlike basic bottom-mounts, they offer full exten-
sion. Side-mount slides are unique in how far they can
travel and how much weight they can support.
You can buy side-mount slides as long as 60 in. or
more, with weight ratings in the hundreds or even Check your work.
thousands of pounds. A typical pair runs between As before, use a
$30 and $40. straightedge to
In kitchens of the past, you would often see white make sure that the
bottom-mount slides on most of the drawers, and heft- boxes are level with
each other and
ier side-mount slides on the deep drawers for pots and
even with the front
pans. Side-mounts are also great for shop drawers with edge of the cabinet.
heavy contents. In addition, they are great problem- There are alternate
solvers for irregular drawer shapes, because they can holes on the slides
be mounted underneath a drawer (although they can’t for attaching them
support quite as heavy a load in that configuration). in slightly different
Undermount slides are unbeatable—A much positions.
more recent innovation than the two other types,
undermount drawer slides are significantly different.
Thanks to their unbeatable combination of attributes,
they have come to dominate the kitchen and bath
markets. You’ll pay for their advantages—18-in. slides
start at $30 a pair—but these mechanical marvels are
worth the cost for top-notch cabinetry.
Tucked under the drawer bottom, an undermount
is the only type of mechanical drawer slide that’s
invisible when the drawer is open. The slide location
also means that the gap between the drawer side and

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 65

Installing undermount slides Undermount slides require additional installation steps, but they are quick
and easy, and the slides can be adjusted in every direction after installation.

SIZING THE DRAWER BOX: Same type of

42MM IS THE MAGIC NUMBER install supports.
The two sliding
Because both sliding parts of these slides are attached to parts stay together
the cabinet as one unit, the gap between the drawer part and are attached to
of the slide and the cabinet wall is fixed: 21mm. So the the cabinet as one
goal here is to size the drawer box so the slides land in unit. Use L-shaped
the right position under the drawer bottom: nestled snugly supports to install
against the inside edges of the drawer box. the upper and
middle slides level
Size drawer backs and fronts 42mm (or For most slide with each other.
15⁄8 in.) shorter overall than the cabinet models, the
interior, and the slides will end up in drawer sides
the right spot under the drawer bottom. can range
between
15
⁄32 in. (true
thickness of
1
⁄2-in. plywood)
and 5⁄8 in.

Drawer back
needs 1⁄2-in. by
13⁄8-in. notch to
accommodate
slides.

Drawer bottom, 1⁄4 in.

thick, set 1⁄2 in. above Distance between cabinet
bottom edge of box wall and drawer section of
slide is 21mm.

JIG IT Undermount
Drilling Guide, $38,
Rockler.com

Bottom two pairs. Rotate the supports to install the middle pair of slides. The lower
DRILL pair goes against the cabinet bottom.
THE DRAWER
The drawer boxes
need holes drilled
at the front and
back for attaching
the locking devices
and capturing the
small hook at the
end of each slide.
The Rockler drilling
guide positions
the holes perfectly, Drill the drawer back. Use the guide to drill Same guide works up front.
though they can the two small holes needed at the back of Tilt the guide to line it up for
also be drilled each drawer. (The notches are cut before the drilling angled pilot holes in
without the guide. drawer is assembled.) the front of the drawer box.

66 FINE WOODWORKING
Attach the Slide the drawers
locking devices. into place. The
These tuck under notches in the
the drawer bottom drawer back fit
and are screwed over the slides and
to the drawer box guide the drawer
using the pilot box as you push it
holes described at backward.
the bottom of the
previous page.

cabinet side is 1⁄4 in. or less, so the drawer box fills

the opening for a furniture-quality look. Because of
how these slides never come apart, and how they sup-
port the drawer bottom, load capacity isn’t an issue
for household use. Just to be safe, though, make sure
your slides are rated for 90 lb. to 100 lb. Undermounts
are also the smoothest and quietest of the three types,
with soft-close and full-extension standard.
Undermount slides are also the easiest to install. Rear hooks grab
And once installed, they let you adjust the drawers the box. Each of
in every direction. When the cabinets themselves are the small holes
being installed on-site, the cabinets and drawers tend at the back of the
to shift, so these adjustments can be a lifesaver. drawer fits onto a
Blum Blumotion is my favorite undermount slide, little hook at the
back of the drawer
but similar models are also available. In most cases,
slide.
I recommend shopping for slides at a large wood-
working-specific supplier. We got most of ours from Click the slides
Rockler. These suppliers sift through the mountain into the locking
of options, curating those that are most useful to devices. Pull the
fine woodworkers and avoiding off-brand models sliding sections
that don’t perform as well. They also offer additional forward to click
them into the
installation guides in some cases.
locking devices. The
If you’ve never given mechanical drawer slides a drawer is installed.
try, I hope you will now. Combined with 35mm cup
hinges for doors, commercial slides make cabinetry
functional, durable, and easy to build.

Mark Edmundson is a furniture maker and cabinetmaker

in Sandpoint, Idaho. THREE HELPFUL ADJUSTMENTS
Undermount slides have a number of adjusters. You can use these to align the
drawer boxes before installing the fronts, or to help align the fronts with each
other afterward.

Side to side. The locking Up and down. Small Tilt control. Levers at
devices have rollers that ramps at the front of the the back of the slide tilt
shift the drawer boxes slides shift the drawer the box forward, which
side to side. up and down. can help align the drawer
fronts.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 67

Installing slides in FACE-FRAME CABINETS WITH INSET DRAWERS
Face-frames generally
face-frame cabinets overlap the inside of
Filler blocks, wood, sized to
end up flush with the inside
Attach slides
to filler blocks.
the cabinet edges, edges of the face frame
creating open spaces
beside the drawer
Drawer box
boxes. Add vertical
Face frame
wood spacers at the
front and back of the
cabinet, filling the
offset, and you’ll be
able to attach the
slides as usual.

Drawer front

Drawer slide Cabinet part of slide is inset further than

it would be for overlay drawer fronts.

A nother popular way to build

cabinets is to cover the front
of the boxes with a face frame. To
FILL THE OFFSET AND
CHANGE THE INSET
complete the furniture look, high-end These photos show a piece of furniture with
cabinetmakers often combine the face post-and-panel construction, but the concepts
are the same as they would be for a face-
frame with flush inset drawers. The
frame cabinet.
face-frame approach makes drawer
installation a little more involved.
Also, inset drawers look best with
tight gaps around them, making small
misalignments more obvious. But both
challenges are easily overcome. Set the inset. Attach the drawer slides to
Add filler blocks—Face frames the drawer boxes, and hold the drawer front
tend to be significantly wider than the against the front of the box. Then lock your
3
combo square at the distance between the
⁄4-in.-thick cabinet sides that they are face of the drawer front and the drawer slide.
attached to, so the first challenge is
overcoming the offset between the
two so that you can attach the drawer
slides in line with the openings. The
most common solution is to attach
the slides to spacer blocks inside the
cabinet, which brings them in line with
the opening.
Adjust the slide position—Inset
drawers require you to push the drawer
slides farther back than their standard
location for an overlay drawer. Also,
because the slides themselves Add filler strips. Mill strips to fill the offset Attach the slides. Use that combo-square
between the inside edges of the face frame setting to locate the front edge of the drawer
(instead of the cabinet) act as the
and the cabinet sides, and then screw them slide. It gets attached to a post in this piece, but
drawer stop in this case, their inset into place. in a face-frame cabinet there would be another
must be very precise. If it isn’t, the filler strip up front for attaching it.

68 FINE WOODWORKING
 drawer fronts won’t end up flush with
REAR BRACKETS
the face frame—a problem that will
ARE PROBLEM- be obvious.
SOLVERS To dial in the slide inset for inset
In some cabinets, such as drawers, I do a test-fit on my benchtop,
those with multiple banks with both parts of the slides engaged
of drawers and/or doors, with each other and attached to
there might not be a cabinet
the drawer box (but not the cabinet
side nearby for attaching the
yet). The steps vary a little between
back end of the slide. Here’s
the solution. undermount slides, which stay
together, and the other two types,
which have drawer and cabinet halves
that separate, but the method is
Simple anatomy. Made to slide onto the back end of each type
of slide, these brackets let you attach the slide to the cabinet basically the same.
back instead of the cabinet side. The rear bracket solution—In
some situations, you might not have
a cabinet side nearby for attaching
the back end of the drawer slide. One
example is wide cabinets that are built
to hold multiple banks of drawers.
There are others.
In these cases, you can attach the
rear end of the slide to the cabinet
back by means of a specialized
bracket made for each type of slide.
These screw to the back and slip onto
the slides, with a fair amount of travel
for accommodating differences in
Mark the bracket location. Sit the cabinet Attach the bracket. The bracket attaches to
cabinet depth.
slide on its vertical supports, push it back into the cabinet back. It will work better if the back —M.E.
the bracket, and mark the screw locations. is 1⁄2 in. thick vs. the usual 1⁄4 in.

Front end
attaches normally.
You’ll need to get
the cabinet depth
right to use rear
brackets, but they
move fore and
aft on the slides,
giving you a decent
margin of error.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 69

gallery
Inspiration for our readers, from our readers

Ԃ REX W. H AN SEN
Ԃ Boston, Mass.
After observing Peter Follansbee demonstrate 17th-century relief
carving, Rex chose a 17th-century linen chest to determine if he was
up to hand-carving the panels. His marigold and tulip-carved panels
are similar to traditional carvings from 17th-century pieces.
WHITE OAK, EASTERN RED CEDAR, AND LIGNUM VITAE
17D X 42W X 27H
Photo: Lance Patterson

ԂHUGO N A K A SH I M A -B ROW N
Ԃ Boston, Mass.
This chair is based on a traditional Ming Chinese round-back chair. Hugo says, “It’s full of
complications in design and construction, especially when trying to find creative solutions
to use power tools, where possible, to save on time.” The whole chair could be assembled
without glue. Most of the final shaping was done by hand.
CHERRY AND EBONIZED POPLAR, 17 1⁄ 2D X 22W X 30H

Ԃ DAN C H I CH ES T E R
Ԃ Falmouth, Va.
This Duncah Phyfe drop-leaf table started with Dan’s love affair with bubinga,
a wood that, he says, “is as hard to carve as it is beautiful.” He was drawn to the
design because of the reverse curve of the leg and the acanthus leaf carving.
BUBINGA, CURLY MAPLE, AND SYCAMORE, 23 1⁄ 2D X 37 1⁄ 2W X 29 1⁄ 8H
Photo: Kristin Masselman

Show your best work

For submission instructions and an entry
form, go to FineWoodworking.com/rg.

70 FINE WOODWORKING
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gallery continued

Ԃ RYAN WILSON
Ԃ Kula, Hawaii
Originally from Vermont but having lived
in Hawaii for the last 23 years, Ryan
found himself back in Vermont attending
the Vermont Woodworking School. He
designed and built the “Pagoda Liquor
Cabinet” as his second-semester project.
QUILTED MAPLE, WALNUT, AND EBONY
10D X 36W X 24H
Photo: Hel Hamilton

Ԃ DA N I E L C L AY
Ԃ Knoxville, Tenn.
This turned and chip-carved bud vase is part of a continuing exploration for
Daniel in several areas, both technical and aesthetic: freehand chip carving,
creating color gradients with traditional milk paint, and using materials
typically associated with fine art, such as pastels, to apply color to carved
surfaces. The petal-swarm pattern, which he uses in a lot of his work, is
carved with no layout or advanced planning.
BASSWOOD, 6 DIA. X 25 1⁄ 4H

ԂJIM MURTHA
Ԃ Lancaster, Ohio
This dresser was a commission for a client who wanted to match an
existing Shaker bed and side tables. The design is based on the plans
and techniques given in Tom McLaughlin’s article “Build a Shaker
Chest of Drawers” (FWW #290). Jim tweaked the design a bit, and at
the client’s request he added undermount soft-close drawer slides.
CHERRY AND SOFT MAPLE, 21 3⁄ 8D X 40W X 40H
Photo: Chris Russell

72 FINE WOODWORKING
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gallery continued

ԂBILL B R IC K E Y
Ԃ Moncure, N.C.
Bill designed and built this piece as part of
a casework class at the Center for Furniture
Craftsmanship in Maine. The instructors, Tim
Rousseau and Thomas Hucker, guided him along
the way. The piece then went on display as part of
a juried show in the school’s Messler Gallery.
CHERRY, MACASSAR EBONY, 12D X 36W X 32H
Photo: Brian Mullins Photography

Ԃ RO B KUTNER
Ԃ San Francisco, Calif.
This reproduction is modeled after Ray Journigan’s chair, generously documented in
his 2021 American Period Furniture article. Rob also relied on numerous Facebook
and Instagram posts and email exchanges with Ray. “This was a great challenge
both in joinery and carving, and I learned a lot about sharp tools, patience, and
design,” Rob says. “This was definitely big-league furniture making.”
MAHOGANY, 17D X 19W X 40H

Ԃ R IC K T O M P K IN S
Ԃ Naramata, B.C., Canada
This hand-carved blanket chest was inspired
by the work of Michael Cullen. Rick lined the
interior with aromatic cedar and finished the
carved exterior with milk paint and Briwax.
POPLAR, CEDAR, 20D X 40W X 20H

74 FINE WOODWORKING
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skills spotlight
How to weave a wooden tile seat
B Y S C O T T M C G L A S S O N

T
he solid wood tiles on my chairs are strung on Tilemaker
high-grade polyester rope pulled taut between the The wood I use for the tiles is predominantly cutoffs, so the
sides of the chair. I arrange the tiles in a running- process of tilemaking begins at the bandsaw, where I cut scraps
bond pattern (borrowed from brickwork), which to rough width before milling them to thickness. Then it’s on
is visually attractive but also links the tiles together to the table saw, where I rip and crosscut the tiles to final size.
in an interlocking web. Afterward, I rout all the edges with a 1⁄8-in.-dia. roundover bit.
To produce a running-bond pattern, you need to start every
other lengthwise row of tiles with a half tile. To make this work,
The tiles are I produce a batch of one-and-a-half-length tiles, joining two
strung side full tiles end to end with Domino tenons and then cutting them
to side with to length.
polyester rope. Next, I drill rope holes through the tiles. Hole patterns are
Halfway back, intuitive for running bond: two holes in each regular tile, drilled
cut the rope and
a quarter of the tile’s length from each end. (For example,
secure it to a cleat
inside the chair a 4-in.-long tile would have its holes 1 in. from each end.) I
side. Then begin center the holes in the tile’s 5⁄8-in. thickness, so I don’t have to
stringing tiles again worry about which face of a tile is up when I’m stringing them.
from the back, and There’s a lot of drilling involved in one of these chairs! I made
meet the first tiles a fence for my drill press with a vacuum port positioned so it
in the middle. holds the tile tight to the fence during drilling, then sucks up
chips afterward. I use a 1⁄4-in.-dia. bit and drill halfway through
from one edge, then finish the hole from the other edge. Clean
holes are imperative, but with my system it’s pretty easy.

Top photo: Paul Nelson. All other photos: Jonathan Binzen.

76 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Christopher Mills.
MAKING TILES
Special tiles get mortised. One-and-a-half-length tiles begin every Glue two full tiles end to end. Before mortising and gluing up the paired
other row in the tile field to create the running-bond pattern. To make tiles, round over their edges at the router table. Clean the squeeze-out at
them, join two full tiles with Domino slip tenons. Three scraps screwed the glue joint with a damp rag.
to the work surface keep the tile stationary while it’s being mortised.
To length. At the
table saw, crosscut
the glued-up pairs
HOW RUNNING BOND BEGINS of full tiles to make
the one-and-a-half-
Full-length tile, 5⁄8 in. thick One-and-a-half-length tile, 5⁄8 in.
by 2 in. wide by 31⁄8 in. long thick by 2 in. wide by 45⁄8 in. long length tiles.

Rope holes, 1⁄4 in. dia., are

centered in thickness of tile.

Drilling station.
With a brad point
Center of rope hole is bit at the drill press,
13
⁄16 in. from end of tile. drill holes through
TOP VIEW Front of seat
all the tiles. To
avoid chipout, drill
halfway through,
then flip the tile to
I run the grain of the tiles parallel to the sides of the chair, finish the hole from
so there is some tightening and loosening across the width the opposite edge.
of the tile fields according to the seasons. I make the seats A vacuum port in
18 in. wide—nine rows of 2-in.-wide tiles—which makes for a McGlasson’s shop-
good, comfortable seat while keeping the total seasonal wood made fence keeps
movement moderate. When I build a chair in the summer, I the tile sucked tight
during drilling, then
make sure the tiles are tight side to side; in the winter I like
evacuates chips
the tiles to be loose and wiggly when they are strung together. when the tile is
To adjust the fit, I alter the length of the struts and back rails pulled away.
by up to 1⁄8 in. if need be.

EDGE TILES To accommodate the downward (or backward) Angled edges.

GET BEVELED curve of the tile field, the edge tiles get a 5° Make the initial
bevel on their outside edge. bevel cut at the
bandsaw with the
table tilted, then
smooth the sawn
5° surface with a
5°
block plane.

FRONT VIEW

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 77

skills spotlight continued

STARTING THE SEAT

Rigidified rope. McGlasson likes the rope to fit tight in the tile holes. The running bond begins. After tying a square knot at one end and
To make threading the rope easier, create a firm, thin section at the passing the rope through the first hole at the front of the seat, thread
leading end of the rope by torching the first few inches, pulling and on nine tiles to make the first row, alternating full-length and one-and-
twisting the rope slightly as you do so. a-half-length tiles.

Preparing to weave
I always lay out the full tile fields on the worktable next to the
chair frame I’ll be weaving. Because they’re made from scrap,
the tiles typically have a good amount of contrast in color
and figure, and I try to arrange them in a pleasing, random
composition. Once I know which tiles will be where, I cut a
5° bevel on the outside edge of each tile that will be adjacent
to a chair side. The bevel allows the seat’s tile field to flex
downward and the back’s field to flex back. The exposed end
grain of the end tiles also gets finely sanded at this point. Next,
I oil all the tiles one by one, picking them up and replacing
them in the composition.

Weaving wood
Polyester rope comes in various colors, but I use black. The
standard 1⁄4-in.-dia. rope I use (which I order in 500-ft. rolls)
is the best that I’ve found—tough and no stretch. I’ve tried
high-tech sailing rope, such as Dyneema, but the poly beats
it for chairs.
After determining the lengths of rope needed, I cut pieces
for the seat and back. I carefully melt a couple inches at the
Weaving a pleasing pattern. Before you begin the weaving, lay out leading end of the rope with a propane torch, pulling and
all the tiles in an appealing arrangement, bevel the outside edges of stretching as I apply the heat. This stiffens and thins the rope,
the side tiles, and sand and oil the tiles one by one, carefully replacing making it easier to thread through the tiles and the frame. I’m
them in the original pattern.

Mid-weave tie-off. Cleat tightening. With the

To increase the rope pulled through to the
durability of the inside, cinch it tight in the rope
tile field over time, cleat. Then cut off the excess
weave the seat in rope and torch the end.
two stages. After
weaving the front
half, thread the
rope through the
extra hole in the
side toward the
hidden cleat. Medium Fairlead
V-Cleat by Ronstan
westmarine.com

78 FINE WOODWORKING
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skills spotlight continued

FINISHING THE WEAVE

Tilework, part 2. With the front half of the seat’s tilework woven, start
weaving again with a fresh piece of rope from the back. For the final
pass of the rope to connect the front and back halves of the seat’s tile
field, tip the tiles up and down as needed, pull the rope tight and thread
it back through the extra hole in the side, and secure the end to the
second cleat.

careful not to melt it entirely or set it on fire. At the trailing end I finish by pulling the slack through the cleat and cinching it
of the rope I tie a square knot, which will stop the rope from tight. After trimming the excess, I melt the end so it won’t fray.
pulling all the way through the frame. The back is woven in much the same manner as the seat,
After threading the prepared end through the chair side, I but with a single length of rope threaded through the whole
start adding tiles, picking them up in the order that they are laid field. Once all the back tiles are strung, I use the needle-nose
out. I typically start at the front of the chair seat and work my pliers again to remove the slack and then tie off the rope with
way to the middle, occasionally pulling everything taut. Once a square knot, pulling it as tight as I can since there isn’t the
I get half the tiles laced, I thread the rope through the extra benefit of a cleat on the chair back. I leave about 4 in. of rope
hole at the middle of the chair side and secure it to the cleat dangling from the top knot and slide on three or four turned
attached inside. beads as a decorative element; then I tie another square knot
Then I start weaving from the back of the seat, working my to hold the beads. To complete the chair, I trim and torch the
way to the middle. Once all the seat tiles are strung, I tighten rope ends.
the rope, carefully but forcefully pulling it taut with needle-nose
pliers at each hole in the chair side—think lacing an ice skate. Scott McGlasson is a professional furniture maker in Minnesota.

FURNITURE JEWELRY
Taking a decorative turn. To make the walnut beads that will Custom clamping. To hold a bead Thread the beads. Lace on a few
decorate the tied-off end of the rope, start at the lathe. Turn a securely while drilling through it, you beads to decorate the top knot of the
cylinder, then cut a series of quick V-grooves to delineate the can customize a hand-screw clamp: chair’s back. Then tie off the rope, cut
beads. After turning, separate them at the bandsaw. use a Forstner bit to cut a shallow it, and torch it.
hole in the jaws to fit the bead.

80 FINE WOODWORKING
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Expert advice, FAMAG

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festoolusa.com
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videos, tips, Fine Woodworking E-Learning

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Sign up for Fine Woodworking’s Groff & Groff Lumber groffslumber.com 71
Hearne Hardwoods hearnehardwoods.com 75
free eLetter. Highland Woodworking highlandwoodworking.com 71
Horizon Wood Products horizonwood.com 71
Infinity Cutting Tools infinitytools.com 71
JessEm jessem.com 7
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SCM Group scmwood.com 27
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Shaper Tools shapertools.com 5
Titebond titebond.com 11, 13, 15

W Vacuum Pressing Systems

Wagner Meters
Wagner Spray Tech
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wagnermeters.com
wagnerspraytech.com/woodworking
73
71
17
Sign up: FineWoodworking.com/newsletter Wendell Castle Workshop wendellcastle.org 75
Woodcraft woodcraft.com 25
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www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 81

from the bench
Building with bonsai
B Y J O E S C A N N E L L

I
n the summer of 1971, we got home from our tree house, and building it
my new bride and I honeymoon, I planted was a time-consuming, long-
were on a tight-budget those locust seeds in little term project. As a result, I
honeymoon, camping pots on our apartment no longer had the time to
beside Wolf Creek, a windowsill. The seeds care for all my little potted
woodland stream in Oregon. were black with very hard trees, which required daily
One morning, I noticed that shells, and as I learned in watering and other tending,
the tree we had slept under my go-to reference—The so I temporarily planted them
was covered with seedpods, Woody Plant Seed Manual, in the ground.
like small peas. It turned out published by the U.S. Forest Years passed in a blur, and
to be a black locust tree, and Service—locust seeds require at some point I realized that
before we left I collected scarification in order to my little locusts were too big
many of the seeds. germinate. That explains to be put back into bonsai
The previous year I had locust trees’ penchant for pots. So I left them in the
completed a four-year hitch living by streams; tumbling ground next to our house,
in the Navy and returned to over rocks in the water and they just kept growing— make new ribs for a vintage
the United States from three apparently produces small and growing. sailboat from my collection.
years being home-ported in injuries to the seeds’ hard Forty years later, my That interested me, but I
Yokusaka, Japan. While there shell casing, allowing water “bonsai” were approaching didn’t have enough to suit
I had become enamored to penetrate. The manual 50 feet in height. When one his project.
with Japanese culture and in suggested scraping the seeds of them began leaning over So far, I have made some
particular with bonsai, the over sandpaper to make dangerously, I cut it down carving mallets and other
art of cultivating miniature them permeable to water. and sawed it into lumber. small tools, as well as a
trees. I had learned in Japan I did this, and the seeds I used my chainsaw to cut Moxon vise. Black locust is
that bonsai are not special germinated quickly. the trunk into manageable a dense hardwood, heavy
dwarf species, just regular A few years later, my wife lengths and then to rip the and durable, a kind of
trees grown in small pots and and I bought some land and logs in half. When I had old-brass yellow in color.
trimmed to stay small. began building our home pieces small enough to Working it can be described
I was eager to try growing on it. A pole building in a handle safely, I ran them as somewhat difficult. It can
bonsai myself, and when forest, it’s something of a through my 16-in. bandsaw, be hand-planed but demands
producing 9/4 planks. After a very sharp blade. Though
a few years of air-drying, the probably not the best choice
honeymoon locust was ready for a kitchen table, it does
to start a new life. make great tools.
But what to make with it? Not many woodworkers
Over the years, whenever I have the opportunity to
mentioned that I had some follow their wood from
black locust timber, my flowerpot to sawn planks.
listener would say something I consider it a great privilege
like, “Yeah, good for fence to have had this chance.
posts.” True, but I couldn’t
bring myself to use it that Joe Scannell works wood in
way. One guy wanted to Novato, Calif.

82 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Joe Scannell. Drawing: John Tetreault.

F
rom boyhood Marc Ricourt and essential—and finishing
was fascinated by both commences: bleaching, scorching,
woodwork and art. But after or treating with ferrous oxide,
training and working as a carpenter then applying multiple coats of oil
for some years and then attending or wax, each preceded by more
art school, he found himself unsure sanding. Despite his affection
what he would do. A book by for art, Ricourt is not inclined
Richard Raffan taught him how to toward intellectual discourse about
turn, and gradually his passions his work. His native language
for art and handwork began to is aesthetics: he speaks shape,
merge. Ricourt harvests beech texture, color. He is proud of his
and oak trees for his vessels from work, but his pride stems not so
the hilly, forested land around the much from particular pieces he has
village where he lives in Burgundy, made as from having found a way
France. His pieces begin with of life and work that he loves. “My
chainsaw work, then move inside grandfather used to say, ‘You’ll be
his shop, a former clog-maker’s rich when you are satisfied with
stone workshop several centuries what you have.’ I think that’s a
old, which Ricourt restored. There, beautiful philosophy.”
at the lathe, he defines the overall —Jonathan Binzen
shape of a piece and hollows it.
Next comes power carving, and
then, after an eight- or nine-month
wait, sanding begins—his least
favorite step, though extensive

Vessels of Life

Photos: Marc Ricourt