WOODWORKING

CRAFTS Hand, Power & Green Woodworking • Turning • Restoration • DIY

Bread bin Turned tool handle Mitre saw techniques Guitar rack Chip carving
TV stand Oil finishes Antique table restoration Joint-making tips Tea caddy
Issue 80

WELCOME
We recently had a student woodworker visit us in the office as she was
passing by, who had some questions about hand planing. We had a
few experts on call to help her and, while we were chatting, I pondered
After venturing outside and seeing the damage that winter has
done to your garden, you will be relieved that we show you how
to make a simple garden gate to get things back in shape.
about how easy it is to forget how much knowledge we accumulate over Now that you can get out into the workshop again, there will
the years. When something like this happens, and we can help someone be plenty of jobs to do. We show you how to supercharge your
with some advice that will benefit them to improve and enjoy their mitre saw and how to use a portable thicknesser. Making and
woodworking, it’s a nice reminder of how far we’ve come. With as much using a pencil gauge will be a satisfying project, as will making
experience as we have, we never stop learning; I recently saw a beautiful a tool cabinet for all your hand tools.
Japanese woodworking joint that was so intricate and cleverly made Now is also a good time to learn some new skills and our
that it made my jaw drop, and I was humbled by the skill of its creator. techniques article on how to learn the basics by making an
I will strive to learn more and improve my skills so I can attempt to A-frame will help you hone your talents. Joint making is always
make that joint. We like that we pass on our skills, and those of our a popular subject and we have an interesting take on simplifying
contributors, in our magazines and I for one get great satisfaction mortice and tenons, and Japanese woodworker Toyohisa Sugita,
in doing so. This issue is no exception and we have literally packed shows us his approach to hand-cutting joints. Carving can be a
in so much information you will need to spend all your time in your challenge but is an extremely satisfying thing to do. We have a
workshop to keep up with us. couple of projects for you: a chip-carved leaf design and a carved
For the home, we show you how to make a monster-sized bread bin flower panel to help you to hone your skills. We also show you the
with a built-in cutting board that will satisfy the most productive bread most coveted skill, and that is the secret to a perfect finish. Every
maker. It is always nice to have a cuppa, and you will be ready to fill project you make will benefit from the lessons you learn here.
the pot utilising our handy tea caddy that you can make with a router. We are extremely lucky that woodworking is such a broad
We feature a project on how to build oak dining chairs for those on subject and is a pastime that we will never stop learning new
a budget, and to challenge your woodworking skills further, we have things for, no matter how long we have been doing it.
an oval TV stand created using some tricky techniques. If you have a
beaten-up 18th-century tilt-top table or see one at a car boot sale you Happy woodworking!
can snap it up and renovate it using our guide on how to restore one. Alan Goodsell

1
 Contents
Issue 80
Woodworking Crafts magazine
(ISSN 1365-4292) is published every eight weeks
by Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd,
86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN
T: +44 (0) 1273 477374

For article submissions and editorial enquiries:

E: [email protected]

Editorial Alan Goodsell, Karen Scott, Jane Roe

E: [email protected]
T: 01273 477374
Designer Emily Hurlock
Advertising Guy Bullock
[email protected]
T: 01273 402855
1 Welcome 38 Simplifying
Publisher Jonathan Grogan
Production manager Jim Bulley
An introduction to the mortise and tenons
T: 01273 402810 latest issue of WWC Derek Jones describes a few
Marketing Anne Guillot options for taking the hard
Printer Poligrafijas grupa Mukusal, Latvia
Distribution Seymour Distribution Ltd
4 Bread bin work out of large scale joinery
T: 020 7429 4000 Kev Alviti makes a ‘monster’ bread
bin with a built-in cutting board 43 The Milkwood Project
Subscription enquiries:
E: [email protected]
Nic Westermann explains how
10 Supercharge Lee Burton grew his interest
To subscribe online go to: your mitre saw in green woodworking into a
gmcsubscriptions.com
Charles Mak shares a few tips non-profit organisation
Cover photograph: to upgrade your mitre saw and
Derek Jones/GMC Publications make it work like a charm 45 Simple turned
Welcome page photograph:
tool handle
Alan Holtham 14 Tea caddy Mark Palma demonstrates how
Anthony Bailey uses his router to turn your first tool handle
to make a storage box for this
Views and comments expressed favourite beverage 50 Scrollsaw bowls
by individuals in the magazine Fred and Julie Byrne demonstrate
do not necessarily represent those
of the publishers and no legal
18 Guitar rack how to make a bowl using just the
responsibility can be accepted for Francesco Cremonini’s plywood scrollsaw and one piece of wood
the results of the use by readers guitar rack combines function
of information or advice of whatever
kind given in this publication,
with style 54 Beneath the surface
either in editorial or advertisements. Neil Erasmus explains why the
No part of this publication may be 26 Oak dining chairs secret to a perfect oil finish is
reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form
Jim Robinson makes a set of plenty of elbow grease
or by any means without the prior stylish dining chairs on a budget
permission of the Guild of Master 60 Carved flower panel
Craftsman Publications Ltd.
© Guild of Master Craftsman
34 Sugita’s Hand-cut Steve Bisco’s Arts & Crafts-style
Publications Ltd. 2023 Woodworking Method carving can be made in just
We meet Japanese woodworker, one weekend
teacher and author Toyohisa Sugita

!
Woodworking is an inherently dangerous pursuit.
Readers should not attempt the procedures described
herein without seeking training and information on
the safe use of tools and machines, and all readers
should observe current safety legislation.

2
66 Tool cabinet 98 The pencil gauge 110 Portable thicknessers
Anthony Bailey makes a wall-mounted One of the best ways to Walter Hall gets to grips with this
cabinet to store his hand tools master the art of using hand essential bit of workshop kit
tools is to use them to make
71 Thomas Flinn tools of your own. Theo Cook 114 Hidden leaves
celebrates centenary demonstrates a few tricks of In an extract from her new book on
The British saw company is the trade as he makes a pencil chip carving, Tatiana Baldina uses
marking 100 years in the business gauge from bog oak multi-level chips to create a leaf design
with a dovetail saw giveaway
103 Product news 120 The vintage toolbox
72 Oval TV stand Find out about the latest kit Colin Sullivan looks at Stanley’s Odd
Alan Holtham combines a number and tools for your workshop Jobs, the tool with ‘Ten Tools in One’
of tricky techniques to put together
this stylish and compact base 104 Restoring an
18th-century
82 Creating an A-frame tilt-top table
Philip Cooke demonstrates how Michael Huntley repairs
to use a hand-drawn rod to create an oak tripod table
a simple A-frame
108 The Heritage Crafts
85 Subscriptions Woodworker of
Find out about our latest the Year
offers for subscribers Luthier Jonathan Hill
won the prize organised
88 Living the high life by Heritage Crafts
Lauren Jarvis meets Dick Thorne, and sponsored by
aka Mr Treehouse, who quit a career Axminster Tools
in the Metropolitan Police’s Flying
Squad to pursue his passion for
building treehouses

92 Garden gate
James Hatter builds a simple
gate, ideal for a side entrance

97 Puzzle page
Alan Goodsell takes a workshop If you would like to be featured in Woodworking Crafts
break and ponders his spending please email [email protected]
habits on his hobbies

3
 BREAD BIN
Kev Alviti makes a
‘monster’ bread
bin with a built-in
cutting board

My friends and I have had a bit of

a running joke for the last four or
five years, where he enquires about my
workload and then asks if I have time
to build him a bread bin. And I never do!
I’ve always been put off making it for the simple
fact I thought it was too big. The drawings he sketched for
me on the back of an envelope made this thing look like a monster.
It was to be multipurpose: to act as a bread bin, to have an integrated
cutting board and to have space on top to sit his microwave.
I’ve built a lot for this friend over the years, often using ply and often interesting
projects. The first piece we built together was a huge 3m-long Tetris set of shelves that
could be rearranged and placed however you wanted. Since then, we’ve built everything
from an apple press for cider to a desk made from sterling board (OSB) to a barrier for YOU WILL NEED
children shaped like a castle.
So, this Christmas – unsure what else to get my friend – I made the monster bread MATERIALS:
bin as a surprise. I’d had enough of teasing him. Even when I dropped it off on • Birch ply:
Christmas Eve, all boxed up, I thought it was far too big. I looked at the space it was 2 x 18mm thick, 395mm x 560mm
to go and panicked, giving a worried look to my wife as I manhandled the considerable 2 x 18mm thick, 395mm x 275mm
present under the tree. 1 x 4mm thick, 560mm x 275mm
But I shouldn’t have worried. The next morning, I knew the present had hit the spot (cut to suit the back)
when both he and his wife sent me pictures on Christmas Day – individually. On each, • Ash board 25mm thick, 550mm x 250mm
I could see their reflections on the door of the microwave with big smiles on their faces! • 2 x strips of ash, 25mm x 18mm x 560mm
What surprised me more about it was that, when I showed it to other people, they • 3 x 50mm brass hinges
were also interested in a larger-than-normal bread bin. So, with an order for another, • 10mm rare earth magnets
I set to making the project again, with a few improvements.
TOOLS:
Materials • Track saw • Carpenter’s chisels
I wanted this bread bin to have a modern feel to it, so I used birch ply for the main and accessories • Screwdriver
frame. This is not cheap at the moment (not that it ever has been), but it is a brilliant • Tablesaw • Carving chisels:
material for constructing the carcasses of units. I’ve built whole kitchens with pine • Extractor 20mm straight
boards and whole kitchens with birch ply, the ply is by far the more reliable material, • Router table allongee chisel,
not warping or moving nearly as much. (for rebating) 12mm No.6 gouge,
For the front, I used some locally sourced ash. It has a lovely grain and carves well • Saw 12mm No.3 gouge,
for putting the final details on it. • Small palm router 6mm No. 3 fishtail gouge,
• Small router table 12mm straight
Tool choice (for the cove cutter on allongee chisel,
This is a build where the carcass could be constructed in a number of ways. You the handle pieces) 18mm No.6 gouge,
could easily cut all the components on a tablesaw, but my workshop is not big • Biscuit jointer 12mm No.1 gouge
enough for that. Instead, for me it’s a great project to use my track saw, forming • 18 gauge nailer • Carving mallet
mitred corners that work well with the barefaced ply. • Sander
I had also recently upgraded my track saw and took it as a great opportunity
to put it through its paces.

4
 39
5m
m

Handles

BREAD 25
mm
275mm
20mm

560mm
Mitred corners to
show the ply edges

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN ALVITI

1 2 3

Making the bread bin

1 Take the sheet of birch ply and rip down 400mm. Then flip that piece and rip it again to
395mm to remove the factory edge. Make sure it is as parallel as you can. If you join two
guide rails for the long cut, take the time to line them up straight, I use a 1.8m level to make
sure they are lined up before tightening.
2 I used a rail square on my guide rails to get the 45° bevel cuts I need. A rail square isn’t
necessary though, as you can just draw a square line and go with that. However you set it
out for the square cuts, make sure you clamp the rails in place, as when using a track saw
on an angle it’s very easy to unintentionally move it.
4
3 Hold the base of the saw firmly down to the rails when you make the cuts. As this will be
the finished edge of the joint, a good sharp blade with the appropriate amount of teeth for
the material is essential. This blade cut it like it had been planed smooth.
4 With the bevels all cut, it is time to add some joints, for a bit of strength and to help it all
line up when it comes to glueing. I opted for biscuit joints, but there are plenty of other
options out there. My biscuit jointer was an ex-hire machine bought for £20 fifteen years
ago so although it doesn’t get used often it owes me very little! Clamp up the pieces to be
jointed and measure and lightly mark where the joints are to go. I had three per joint.
5 Using a scrap piece of ply, cut a couple of test joints to make sure you have it set right.
It’s very easy to end up cutting all the way through the ply on the angle like this. I had the
joints set near the bottom of the bevel cut to prevent it from going through and still using
5
the bigger biscuits.

5
 6 7 8

9 10 11

12 13 14

to the depth of one leaf of the hinge and

use it to remove the waste from the three
hinges marked out. Go as close to the lines
as you dare; just remember it’s easier to
chisel out more than it is to add wood
back in!
12 Using a mallet and chisel, square up these
hinge cutouts.
13 Now sand all the inside edges and
15 16
assemble the main box of the bread bin.
Glue each side and spread with a brush
to get even coverage.
6 Cut all the biscuit joints; taking care to defect which means one side lends itself 14 Clamp it up using as many clamps as
make sure they will line up. to this) and layout where you want the you need to get the mitres on the corners
7 With a rebating bit in a router table, cut a hinges to go for the door. I used three tight. Measure the diagonals to ensure it’s
rebate in the back of each of the four pieces 50mm hinges. Hold them upside down so square. I had to use a large clamp from one
of ply that will make the main box. This the butt of the middle of the hinge pushes corner to the other side to pull it ever so
is to accept the ply back; I had some 4mm against the edge, then mark around slightly back into square. Doing this gave
birch ply so used that, but it’s not critical one-half with a knife. I have always just me an easy adjustment, but I had to make
so any thickness can be used. used a Stanley knife but know many prefer sure it wasn’t going to damage the corner
8 Have a test run with the four main pieces a single-edged marking knife. and used pieces to protect it.
and make sure it all goes together okay. It’s 10 As I normally just ‘freehand’ hinges like 15 Once the glue has cured, remove all the
always better to find out something doesn’t this, I find it easier to mark out the waste clamps and measure and cut the back piece
line up before it’s covered in glue. with a pencil so that I can see the area to of ply. If it’s been assembled right then the
9 Before we glue it up, pick which piece is to be cut clearly when using the router. back should be square.
be the bottom (there might be a natural 11 Set the router with a straight cutting bit 16 Apply glue to the rebate, then fix in this

6
 17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24

back piece of ply using an 18-gauge serif helps with carving as it gives you
nailer and some short brads. somewhere to go with the chisels (this is
17 Cut and plane a piece of wood to create Times New Roman). I glued the paper on
the front of the bread board. I used ash with photo mount. Start by splitting all
and got it to 25mm thick. the fatter parts of the letter in half, using a
18 Cut the board to fit in the bread bin. It wide allongee chisel and a tap of a mallet.
needs a couple of millimetre gap up the 22 With the same chisel, work from one side
sides and enough for the hinges and a using both hands on the chisel, pushing
25
slight gap at the top. I cut a 5° bevel on the from the edge of the letter down towards
bottom (to allow for crumbs) and a 2° cut the bottom of the cut we’ve just made. It’s
at the top as a leading edge. If you make almost like one hand works against the
any slight bevel cuts like this set your saw other to keep the chisel under tension, but
back to 90° straight away, otherwise it’s this gives you incredible control. Then do
all too easy to start cutting something the same from the other side and remove
else and only realise when it’s too late. the waste wood.
19 Position the breadboard in place and even 23 Use a smaller chisel; slice into the
the gaps up all round. Then transfer the smaller straight cuts. I find it more
marks from the hinge cutouts onto the efficient to make all the same type of
board using a knife. cuts at the same time.
26
20 Cut these hinges out just as we did earlier 24 I use a shallow fishtail gouge to then cut
in the project, clamping the board upright all the serifs. Tidy up the carving as you
first to make it easier to work on. go, there’s nothing worse than going back
21 With the hinges cut, it’s now time to carve to remove all the ‘wispy bits’ at the end. curved lines, and then invert your chisel
the word ‘BREAD’ on the front. Print off 25 With some larger gouges, split the wider to do the same for the other side of the cut.
the word the right size for your board parts of curved letters. Always work towards the central point
(this was 125pt), and a font with a 26 Use a shallower gouge to slice along the marked out before.

7
 27 28

29 30

31 32

27 With the carving cut, use some white spirits to remove the paper 30 Use this piece to mark where the corresponding magnets will
and any glue left on the wood. go on the breadboard and then drill those as well. Fix this piece
of wood to the top underside of the bread box.
Finishing 31 Cut and plane a piece of wood that will make the two handles,
28 Sand the outside of the breadbox. Take care of the corners as we coming out at 20mm by 25mm. The 20mm thick will provide
want to keep these crisp. Then temporary fix in the cutting board support when the board is being used to cut bread. Run one
to check everything fits. I decided that having the board sat 15mm side of this over a router table with a cove cutter in it. I ran it
back from the top edge would make it less obvious if that front through multiple times so the router didn’t have too much to
board warps slightly. cut in one go.
29 Plane up a piece of ash 20mm by 25mm to form the stop for the 32 Check that the cove is big enough to slip your fingers into and
board to close against. Then with a 10mm Forstner bit drill in then change bits in the router to round-over bit. Use that to
two holes for some rare earth magnets. soften the other edges.

8
 33 34

33 Remove the board and then glue and clamp the handles onto it. 34 Oil the whole project. I used a pure tung oil as a food-safe finish,
Use this point to glue in the four rare earth magnets. Make sure which is easy to apply. I built up a number of layers over a period
they are all the right way around otherwise when it comes time of days (especially on the breadboard).
to close the door it will be pushed open!

9
 SUPERCHARGE
YOUR MITRE SAW
Charles Mak shares a few tips to
upgrade your mitre saw and
make it work like a charm

Mitre saws, also known to some as chop saws, excel

in crosscutting tasks and making angled cuts. Some
sliding mitre saws can also cut rebates and housing
dadoes. Many users, however, are not entirely happy
with their saws for one reason or another. The common
complaints include inaccurate bevel cuts, work-holding
limitations and poor dust collection. This article covers
some simple solutions that will make your mitre saw
a better and safer machine.

Don’t rely on the bevel scale

The Number 1 mistake many make is to try to use
the bevel scale on their saws to set their precision angle
cuts. Relying on the eyes to set odd angles like 22.5°
is a hit-or-miss endeavour, even if the scale has been
properly calibrated (photo 1).

The best way is to set a bevel angle with a digital

inclinometer in three easy steps:
1. Calibrate the inclinometer on the saw turntable
to zero (photo 2).
2. Attach the inclinometer to the blade.
3. Tilt the saw blade until the digital display shows
the desired degrees (photo 3).

A typical digital inclinometer has a ±0.1° or ±0.2°

degree of accuracy. Such tolerance should accommodate
even the most stringent demands of any precision cuts.

1 2

10
 Fig - SPRING-LOADED STOP BLOCK

12mm
Machine Screw, Spring,
Washer and Nut

63mm

Fixed Body

Swing Arm
Finger Recess

150 - 180mm 1.5mm

12mm
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MAK

3 4

Work with small pieces – safely

The usual hold-down or screw clamps on a mitre saw do not work well
for small workpieces. To extend the reach of the clamp, I came up with
a bridge block to hold a work on the saw that is unsafe to hold with my
hand (photo 4). It is easy to make several bridge blocks of different
heights to handle work of varying thicknesses (photo 5).

Upgrade the dust extraction boot

The dust extraction boot found on many mitre saws is small or short.
An excess of dust particles can escape below the boot when intensive or
non-through cuts, such as dado or trench cuts, are made. If yours is one
5
of those saws, you can borrow a page from the CNC operations which

11
 use dust shoes made of nylon bristles to trap dust for
extraction. You can attach a length of rubber spine or
canvas stitched bristles to the boot to improve the catch
of dust (photo 6). I have two boots for my mitre saw,
one for regular cuts, and the other – with the bristle
modification – for heavy-duty cuts.

Use a spring-loaded stop block

Unaware of the risk of kickback, some users clamp a stop
block on the mitre saw fence on the offside, and butt the stock
against it to crosscut repetitively to make identical pieces.
Offcuts can be trapped between the stop block and the spinning
blade, potentially causing a kickback. When it is necessary
to set up a stop block in such a manner, I use a stop block with
a swing arm. The spring-loaded stop block is composed of
two key components:
i) a body to be clamped to the saw fence, and
ii) a swing arm that is attached to the body with a screw and
compression spring (see the Figure on the previous page for details).
6

In use, secure the stop block to the fence at the

desired distance from the saw blade, and butt the
work against the swing arm (photo 7). Before
cutting, flip the swing arm up to prevent any
offcut from pinching between the blade and the
stop block when the cut is finished (photo 8).
These upgrades to your mitre saw will result
in improved cutting results as well as improved
safety in the use of a woodworking machine that,
according to the National Electronic Injury
Surveillance System, ranks second only to the
tablesaw in the USA as having caused the most
number of saw injuries. A well-performing saw
is a safe saw!
8

12
 TEA CADDY
Anthony Bailey uses his router to make
a storage box for this favourite beverage

I love my tea but I’m quite fussy having made workshop tea for
many years. It’s got to be the right shade of cardboard, not too
much sugar and have a sticky bun with it! I’m happiest among
the dust and shavings, so it seemed like a good idea to keep the
leaf tea somewhere safe and in good condition – yes, a tea caddy.
As an ex-antique restorer my idea of a caddy is a tropical
hardwood at the very least, with a brass knob, a hermetic lid seal
and a lead paper lining. Now, lead is unobtainable, so with a little
thought and experimentation, I found aluminium kitchen foil
will do just as good a job.

1 2

The jig
1 The caddy box uses finger joints for their looks, while being
strong enough to hold the box together. Finger jointing
requires a special jig that, once built, is easy to use and can
be used time and again. The jig resembles a small router table.
2 Cut out the pieces to make the inverted U-shaped table. The
dimensions are not exact but you need to take into account
the unplunged height of your router with a fine adjuster fitted.
The table needs to be wide enough to support workpieces and
long enough for the sliding fence to move forward each time
you cut a slot.
3 Assemble the table with blocks underneath the top joints to
reinforce it, as only butt glue joints are used. Once dry, mark
and drill to accept the fixing holes on your router. Mount your
router, minus fine adjuster, with the straight cutter you will
use for the finger joints, and plunge-cut through the surface.
3
Unplunge and switch off.

14
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY BAILEY/GMC PUBLICATIONS
4

6 7

4 Demount the router and use a 19mm straight cutter and straight fence for using them. Use them not just as a saw, but for frame joints,
to make an accurate slot to the side of the cutter hole in the table. This rebating, pattern following, glue joints and the like. Wealden, Trend
slot will accept the batten on which the fence is guided, so it needs to be and Titman have wide ranges of cutters ranging from a 2.5mm thick
a good fit. kerf with a scary 100mm diameter, down to a more pedestrian 10mm
5 Make up the sliding fence using a butt joint and glue. Check it is at 90° kerf with a 40mm diameter. You need to choose which groovers you
with a square and leave to set. Now make a batten that fits closely in the want, but you can always add more later. To complete the set-up there
table slot and screw it underneath the fence, checking it is at 90° to the are bearings, spacers and shims, and of course your choice of arbor.
fence face. You need slots to take a sub-fence in front which bolts in This latter item will be limited to whether you have a small or large
place and must be adjustable, hence the slots. router. A ½in shank arbor can carry bigger cutters and more of them.
6 The last and rather vital component is a peg that is the same width Remember to mount the cutters the correct way round, and tighten
as the cutter, and a height just slightly less than the finger height of the end nut and washer down for safety.
the joints. This is mounted in the sub fence at the fingerjoint width
to the side of the recess to take the router cutter. When making both 7 Here are the cutters I used for this project. From left to right:
the cutter slot and peg slot, hold a thin piece of ply tight to the sub the fingerjoints are cut with a 10mm Titman straight cutter; the
fence to avoid any breakout. Finish the peg slot with a fine handsaw table slot with a 19mm Trend gold edition straight; the rebates
and glue the peg in place. started with a small 4mm rebate Wealden cutter, followed by
an 8mm rebate Trend version; and lastly the top of the box is
The arbor and groove separated with a 1.5mm Wealden groover acting as a saw with a
One of the most useful special cutter types to own is a set of groovers bearing in place to limit the cut depth – all shown left to right.
and a matching arbor. Once you invest in a set there are many possibilities

15
 8

10 11

Making the tea caddy

Prepare all the material to thickness and width, excluding the top and
bottom which stay over width for the moment. Note the box is made over
height to allow for cutting the lid off and forming a rebate. Cut all four
box sides to length and perfectly square.

8 Set up the finger jointing jig with a 9.5mm straight cutter in the router.
The jig works by holding the workpiece against the peg and pushing
the fence forward to cut the socket. This socket then locates on the peg
and you cut the next socket, and so on, until all the joints are cut.
9 As you can see on this test piece, I found that there was roughly a half
joint left over at the end of the fingers. I decided to leave this on all the
pieces and cut it off later when the box was assembled.
10 Mark the joint pairs so you ensure the halves all match together
correctly. And once you have cut all the joints, do a dry assembly
to confirm all the pieces fit together nicely.
11 Before gluing the box up, use spray mount adhesive to stick kitchen
12
foil, matt side out, on all the inner caddy box faces. Trim it off the

16
 13 14

Once done, repeat the earlier rebating operation on the underside of

what is now the lid, using the two-cutter approach – in retrospect, it
is probably easier to do the lid first as the table will be already set up
for rebating from step 12. With lid and base rebates cut, check the fit
carefully and round the corners with a sharp chisel until the lid sits
neatly onto the caddy box. Round over the outer edge of the lip on the
caddy body so that the lid is easy to put on and take off.
16 Sand the exterior flat with the lid in place so the whole of each face is
truly flat with the grain, using medium abrasive stuck to a board, then
fine abrasive. Lightly sand the box lip and each exposed edge (arris) of
the box and apply a stain evenly, avoiding the foil lining. Once dry, use
light aerosol coats of clear satin lacquer, again keeping it off the foil
lining, until a sheen is built up. Flat off between coats and wax after
15
the top coat and fit a suitable knob. Now it’s time for tea!

actual fingerjoints. Glue and clamp the box together using pads narrow
enough to sit inside where the fingers are, so the box will close up
properly. Repeat on both sides, check for square and remove glue with
a soft, damp cloth. You then need to level the sides, front and back.
12 The top and bottom are rebated in. Set up the router
table with a small rebater at about half the depth of the
top. Place the box over the static cutter, switch on and
push the box against the cutter in the direction of cut,
working all round, then do the same on the bottom.
Then fit a larger rebater and repeat for the top and
bottom – two cuts make the operation much easier.
13 Round the corners of the top and bottom components
so they will sit neatly in the box rebates. Rebate them,
this time using a lead-in pin to start the cut. Take care
to check the top and bottom will fit tightly into the box
sides and flush when fully inserted. Glue the top and
bottom in place.
14 Decide where to separate the lid section, preferably on
the join between fingers. Do this with a 1.5mm groover
so removing a minimal amount of wood. A bearing should
be fitted that has a diameter sufficient to prevent complete
separation – this avoids the box dropping onto the cutter
and spoiling the job. Complete the cut with a fine handsaw
and clean up the meeting faces carefully. Note: The fence
and guard have been removed for photographic clarity, but
16
should be used for this operation.
15 The lower part of the caddy needs a lip to be formed with a
rebate on the outside using a through fence on the router table.

17
 GUITAR RACK
Francesco Cremonini’s plywood guitar
rack combines function with style

The most important thing for technical furniture is that it satisfies the function for
which it was created; aesthetic concerns are therefore secondary. I’m well aware of
this, yet when researching online to find out how a guitar rack should be set up,
I couldn’t believe the contrast between the ugliness of the stands I saw for sale and
the beauty of the instruments that filled them. Many of the cheapest models were
a big eyesore!
Having had enough, but having at least gained a clearer idea about the geometry
of the stand and the space needed between one guitar and another, I closed the laptop
and headed to the workshop with the absolute certainty that it would be difficult for
my guitar rack to be worse than the ones I’d seen.
I assembled a hasty prototype and using this, with guitars I had on hand, I defined
the width of the lower support and the angle of the upper one where the necks are
inserted. With both electric and acoustic instruments at my disposal, I also confirmed
the minimum separation to be given to the four guitars, so that the rack remained
functional regardless of the combination in which the guitars could be placed side by
side. I had already chosen which material to use for the structure, birch plywood, and
for the soft parts that would protect the beautiful finishes of the instruments, I decided
to use cork instead of the grey-black neoprene that I had seen on all the commercial
models. After thinking for a moment about how to connect the components together,
I started the project.

The design
The rack has a base formed by four crosspieces joined together with two pins at
each connection point. The two front ones are inclined inwards by 40°, to offer
a more ergonomic support to the curved body of the guitars, and the two lateral
ones have their ends cut off at 14° to match the angle of the uprights. The joint that
connects the uprights to the crosspieces is an open type of mortise and tenon called
a bridle joint, the joint with the upper crosspiece is also joined with pins.
The cork face is applied to the face of the upper crosspiece, which softens the contact
points on the guitar. The same coating is set in to the lower crosspieces where it is more
likely, with the continuous movement of the instruments, to be torn from the support
or damaged. Four blocks are used to fix the wheels to the lower crosspieces.

1
1 Crosspieces and uprights can be butted together on one side only and left longer than
needed. They can then be cut to the final length after having made the joint

18
 Upper crosspiece

Open mortise
Lower crosspiece and tenon joint
Uprights (bridle joint)

Wheel support block

Cork facing

Lateral crosspiece

Dowel

Angled
40° inwards
YOU WILL NEED
TOOLS: MATERIALS:
• Bench saw • 1 birch plywood board 2,300 x 150 x25mm
• Drill press • 1 sheet of 2mm recomposed cork
• Hand tools • 12 x 8 x 40mm pins
• 4 swivel wheels

19
 2 5

3 6

4
2 & 3 Once all the extents of the joint have been marked, the widths of
the joint are marked with the marking gauge. By highlighting the waste
parts of the joint, one avoids making blunders at the time of cutting,
which can happen by aligning the blade on the wrong side of the line
4‒6 Both parts of the angled joint can be achieved with cuts on the saw
bench. Ensuring good vertical support for the pieces is essential; by
fixing the pieces on a homemade tenoning sled, which runs against the
side guide, the maximum precision and safety is achieved 7 & 8 Using
contrasting woods would give this joint an interesting look; with plywood
that aesthetic effect isn’t there, but the joint is strong 9 & 10 A block of
the same plywood as the crosspieces, with holes drilled on the drill press,
acts as a guide for the drill tip

20
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANCESCO CREMONINI/COURTESY OF LEGNO
8
11
11‒14 After assembling the base, two strips are fixed to the uprights
which ‘record’ the position of each end of the crosspieces. The crosspieces
are removed from the assembly and put back in place with the dowel
markers inserted into their holes. In this way, the centres in which to drill
the sides are marked, and drilled on the drill press

The joint of the base

The most challenging part of this, seemingly simple, construction lies
in the angled mortise and tenon joint (bridle joint) between the lateral
components. For this reason, I needed to prepare the four pieces longer
than needed and start work right from their junction: if the first cut was
not in line with what was wanted, I just cut off the pieces again, corrected
9
the settings and repeated the cut. Once the joint was obtained, it was
then possible to proceed with the simpler and less risky connection of
the two load-bearing structures with the remaining crosspieces.
To make the angled joint on a difficult material to work such as
birch plywood, given the width of the cuts, there are few alternatives:
bandsaw or tablesaw. The tablesaw solution promises clean cuts and
perfect fits between the parts of the joint, especially by using a tenon
sled, which is the way I chose. However, the joint can also be cut with
the aid of the side fence, extending its support; it will take some extra
time to fine-tune the fit and carry out the various tests that are needed
to achieve a good result.
To perform the deep cuts, with the required precision and in a single
pass, the choice of tool is critical; the optimum blade for rip cuts has
22 to 36 teeth based on the diameter that can be used in the saw.
After verifying the fit of the joints, the pieces were cut to the final
length, then I moved on to their final assembly. Due to the depth of
the joint, when the parts are fitted together the glue tended to scrape
10
off, so for this reason I applied it sparingly on both parts.

21
 15

12

16

13

17
15 Four 35mm diameter holes drilled at 135mm centres define the position and depth of the slots
for the guitar necks 16 & 17 After each cut, the crosspiece is moved to align the blade on the waste
14 side of the line. A sacrificial piece of wood is placed between the work and the fence to stop tearout

22
 The two lower
crosspieces
To join the front crosspieces to the two side
uprights, I used simple 8mm dowels. The
drilling work to be done for the dowels’
insertion was a little more complicated
because of the inward angle of the crosspieces,
this angle put power jointing tools out of the
question. For this task I preferred to drill for
the dowels by hand, using a less technological
block of wood to guide the drill. First, I
drilled this block with a drill press and then
clamped it on the workbench at the head of
the crosspieces; the preparation work on these
pieces took just a few minutes.
18
To establish where to drill the sides, I
assembled the base of the rack by joining the
four components together with clamps. I kept
the grip of the clamps a little loose to allow
for adjustment. The crosspieces were squared
at the pre-established point and at the angle
required. Strips were then added around
the ends of the crosspieces, fixing them on
the sides with small clamps, so that the
crosspieces themselves could be repositioned.
Then I just disassembled the base and worked
on one crosspiece at a time, inserting the
dowel markers in the holes and repositioning
the piece to mark where to drill the centres.

The upper crosspiece

What distinguishes the upper crosspiece
are the four deep slots into which the guitar
19
necks will be inserted. In a production run I
would prepare a template with which to cut
the pieces, but since I was only making one
item, I decided to cut the slots one by one.
I drilled four 35mm holes in a position that
would define the 63mm depth of the slots.
The first hole was drilled 25mm from the
left end and from this I set a 135mm space
between the centres for the remaining three.
Then I took a square and marked lines to
the holes perpendicular to the front edge
of the crosspiece. I then cut them on the
tablesaw with a mitre fence, with the blade set
to depth and completed the job aligning the
blade to the marks each time.
There are just a couple more things to say
about making these slots: the first has to do
with the birch plywood’s tendency to chip
when cut. The best thing to deal with this is
20
to place a piece of sacrificial material between
18 To prevent the fragile cork covering from breaking, the sharp edges formed by the corners of the crosspiece and the mitre fence, so that the
the slot on the crosspiece must be rounded off 19 The stop produced by the quarter-circle cutter blade chips the sacrificial material and not
allows the cork covering to be recessed, bringing it to the same level as the plywood 20 The the crosspiece. The second thing concerns
materials needed for the edging of 2mm recomposed cork: repositionable spray contact adhesive the rounding of the edges formed by the slots
and a sharp knife or chisel and the front edge of the crosspiece; if you

23
 21

23
21 & 22 For gluing cork onto the lower crosspieces, the strip must have at least
one perfectly straight edge to make it easier to align with the rebate after applying
the glue. For the slots, use a rod with a radius similar to that of the slot to press the
cork firmly against the internal edge 23 & 24 To trim the cork a knife is fine for the
straight cut to be made on the crosspieces, for the edging around the slots a well-
sharpened chisel works best when passed flat over the surface of the wood with
22 movements always directed towards the wood and not towards the void of the slots

24
 don’t do that, it would be almost
impossible not to fracture the
cork strip while applying it.

The cork edging

When the guitars are moved
around in the rack they could
detach or damage the cork
facing placed on the lower
crosspieces, so I decided to
create a stop on them that
will shelter the cork’s
thickness. I created it with
the same cutter with which
I rounded the upper edges
of the pieces.
Once the woodwork was
completed, I sanded all the
pieces of the rack and finished
them with the same water-based
varnishing cycle that I had used
for the other furniture in the
room. Two base coats and one
clear matte finish. When this
was dry, I took care of the cork.

Finishing
To glue the sheets of cork,
I used a contact glue. I sprayed
the glue on as this made it
easier to distribute it evenly
inside the slots and on the cork
itself. Once I had cut the strips
of cork with a knife, I spread
the glue on both surfaces
and waited for the solvent
to evaporate before applying
the coating. On the lower
crosspieces, the cork edge was
aligned against the rebates, and
then gradually wrapped around
the profile. To apply the cork
edge into the slots of the upper
crosspiece, a rod was used to
make sure it fit well.
Once I trimmed off the
excess cork with a chisel and
knife, and delicately removed
little bits of adhesive on the
finished surfaces, the last thing
was to finally assemble the
guitar rack. I used a little glue
in the holes and on the heads
of the crosspieces and, with a
little caution and some soft
pads, tightened everything
with clamps.
24

25
 OAK DINING CHAIRS
Jim Robinson makes a set of stylish dining chairs on a budget

One of my best clients (my son) placed an order for eight dining chairs, at a price that would
be impossible to beat – if it was any lower I would be paying him!
I decided to use European yellow oak, which was fumed to match an existing table. For the
chair legs, I used 50mm-thick material with some of the waste material used for the back slats,
and the remaining slats were made from 38mm-thick wood left from previous jobs. The front
and side cross rails were cut from 25mm-thick oak.

CUTTING LIST
Note: These are the requirements for one chair. Savings can be made by interlocking if more
than one is built. All dimensions are in mm and allowances have been made on length only.

Description Qty L W T
Front legs 2 442mm 45mm 45mm
Rear legs 2 1,065mm 115mm 16mm
Slats 4 710mm 50mm 32mm
Top back rail 1 380mm 65mm 48mm
Lower back rail 1 380mm 57mm 30mm
Rear seat support 1 380mm 75mm 22mm
Sides 2 419mm 95mm 22mm
Front 1 430mm 95mm 22mm
Corner brace 4 178mm 50mm 12mm
Seat 1 394mm 470mm 22mm

All parts are oak with the exception of the seat which is MDF.

The rear legs

1 The 50mm oak is first
cut to suitable lengths
before cutting to more
manageable widths to
use in the workshop.
Large through and

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM ROBINSON

through sawn boards
from the centre of the
tree often contain knots
and splits so a line for
sawing needs to be
selected which goes
along the line of defects
resulting in a minimum
of waste.
2 Before proceeding
further you will need
1 2
a template of the rear
leg and MDF is a good
choice for this. The on the side elevation shown to full size. The template is cut to the line before sanding to remove teeth marks.
outline can be obtained It is not easy to cut heavy and wide boards accurately to the exact line so use the templates to first cut blanks
by enlarging the squares a little oversize from the sawn timber.

26
 Stub tenons Top rail

Back slats

Solid seat

Cranked
Strengthening back leg
corner brace shape

Dowels

Slot machined
to take corner plates
Seat
fixing
holes

Tenons
pegged
together

3D DETAIL

DOWEL DETAIL
Rear seat rail

Bevelled
‘comfort
edge’

Twin dowels Relieved arch

27
 3 4 5

6 7 8

9 10 11

3 Plane one side of the blanks flat and then thickness to the required 5 The two inside faces of each leg are tapered from a distance of
42mm before again using the template to more accurately mark the 100mm from the top to finish 38mm square at the base. If you
outline of the legs ready for the next stage. Use the bandsaw to cut are making only one chair it may not be worth making jigs, but if
just outside this line. you are making several it certainly is. Form the leg tapers by placing
4 Clamp the template to each of the legs then use a bearing-guided your legs on a sled which raises the one end by 6mm, then pass
profile follower fitted to a router to shape the legs to about the top through a thicknesser until the leg blanks are the correct shape.
half of their thickness. Remove the pattern and turn the leg over 6 Two mortises are needed near the top of each leg. To simplify this,
so that a profile follower with a bottom bearing can be used to make a jig so that a straight cutter can be used with a guide bush.
complete the leg shaping; the bearing runs against the part of the Hold the leg blank and jig in the bench vice but practise on scrap
leg already shaped. For a good result it is best to saw just outside first to make sure the jig is correct.
the line, so that the router does not have too much work to do. It 7 When you have taken out all the mortises with a router, square
should now be fairly easy to clean up the legs by sanding or scraping. all the ends by hand.

The front legs The front rails

The front legs have a maximum size of 44mm square so if you do not 8 The two front legs are joined together by the front rails. Cut tenons
thickness the boards before the back legs are cut out the waste will to fit the mortises taken out in the legs.
be thick enough to cut some of the front leg blanks. I was able to cut 9 Shape the lower edge on a bandsaw.
14 blanks from the short ends and the other two were taken from the 10 I then used an MDF guide with a bearing-guided cutter to ensure
waste between the rear legs. Cut all the blanks oversize on a bandsaw, all the rails were similar.
then plane and thickness all the legs to 44mm square. 11 I also cut a 45° chamfer on the rails with a bearing-guided router
bit, which makes the rails appear lighter.

28
 12 13

14 15 16

12 Cut a slot on the inside of the rails near the top edge with a
straight cutter guided by a fence to accept the corner brace.
13 Finally, cut the ends of the tenons at a 45° angle to enable
them to engage with the tenons on the side rails.
14 The front legs can now be glued and clamped together.

The back slats

15 The back slats could be laminated but I preferred to shape
solid wood. Make an MDF template the shape of the slat then,
after planing and thicknessing boards to a thickness of 32mm,
use the template to mark the outline of the required slats. Next,
cut along this line with a bandsaw. If you use fairly wide boards
the waste will be minimal and if you are short of a few slats you
might well be able to cut these from offcuts after shaping the rear
17
legs, although they will need thicknessing down to the thickness
of the slats. I tried to use a profile follower to smooth the slats
after bandsawing but I found the vibration was excessive so
resorted to the traditional plane and spokeshave to clean them up. spokeshave chatters then remove the indentations by holding the
16 The majority of the cleaning can be done with a smoothing plane … spokeshave at an angle across the marks. A belt sander can be used
17 … but use a spokeshave on the concave part. A flat-soled spokeshave for the final shaping, so sand the slats all round with a palm sander
is quite satisfactory for curves of this diameter. If you find the before removing all the sharp edges.

29
 18 19

20 21

22 23

The back cross rails pattern to mark out the shaping of the top rail.
There are two cross rails that hold the back slats in place – the top 20 Cut slightly outside the marked line with a bandsaw ...
one is curved, the lower one just below the seat is straight. Before any 21 ... and remove teeth marks with a plane on the rear of the rail …
attempt is made at shaping, the mortises are taken out for the back 22 … and a spokeshave on the front concave portion.
slat tenons. The tenons have the same spacing and are positioned 23 Use an 80-grit belt on a sander to complete the shaping, ready
on a similar curve for both the upper and lower rails as shown in for the final finishing later.
the drawing. 24 I found it was easier to cut the 15mm-thick tenons on the
ends with the bandsaw before shaping; these will be trimmed
18 With 16 sets of mortises needed I made a template out of MDF to the final size later.
and fitted a guide bush to the base of the router. It is then an easy
matter to take out all the mortises in the correct position and Fitting the back slats
square up the edges with a chisel. Trim the ends off all the rail mortises square and then with
19 After taking out the mortises, use an MDF or cardboard a tenon saw cut all the tenons at the ends of the rails to fit.

30
 24 25 26 27

28 29

25 I started with the top rail first and checked to make sure the slats
were evenly shaped. Treat the lower ends of the slats in a similar
manner to make sure they are a good fit in the cross rail positioned
just below the side seat rails. This bottom cross rail will need
trimming in line with the rear legs but this is best left until the
tenons are cut and a trial fit is made into the mortises to be taken
out in the rear legs. Before gluing the slats in position sand all the
components down to 320 grit and slightly round all the sharp
edges. The slats are curved so if you try clamping between the
top and the bottom rails you will find they distort and tend to
throw the rails out of alignment. I found the best way was to glue
the slats to the top rail first, without using clamps, after carefully
30
trimming any shoulders as necessary. Place on one side to set
before checking the shoulders to see if any slight trimming is
needed to ensure a good fit in the bottom rail.
26 Fitting the lower rails dry when you are gluing the top rail Rear legs
in place will ensure that the slats are aligned correctly. 29 The mortises in the rear legs to take the side rails are cut in a
27 I did not glue the rail in position before the end tenons were cut similar manner to the front leg mortises and you can re-use that jig.
and final shaping of the rail made. 30 However, it is necessary to fit a spacer of 6mm MDF to the guide.
28 The lower rail is not curved, the shaping being confined to the cross I found the simplest way of attaching the spacer was with double-
section so it that it does not project beyond the face of the rear legs. sided Sellotape.

31
 31 32 33

34 35

36 37

31 Sand the inner faces of the rear legs then cut the tenons to fit on the 34 Set your bandsaw table to an angle of 4.25° before cutting the sides
cross rails and glue together before clamping. When the glue has set to length, remembering to make the slopes the correct way and to
blend the ends of the curved upper rail to the legs and if any of the allow for the tenons. I made two extra sides out of scrap wood so
lower cross rail projects beyond the legs, plane flush. that I could have a trial run before completing the machining of the
sides. Making sure that you have got the tenons angled the correct
The side rails way, mark them out on the top of the side rails.
Prepare the blanks for the side rails by planing and thicknessing. The
mortises are all made perpendicular to the face of the legs so because Angled tenons on a bandsaw
the front legs are further apart than the rear legs it is necessary to 35 If you are only making the odd chair, the tenons can be cut out
cut all the tenons at an angle. by eye. However, I was making eight so I wanted an easy method
to duplicate the work. Make a wedge about 150mm long with
32 Mark the length of the sides plus the length required for the the sloping side cut at a 4.25° angle, then glue a small stop at the
tenons on the rail. wide end.
33 Transfer the mark from the face edge to the sides with a sliding bevel. 36 In use, the sides are placed against the wedge, which then runs

32
 38 39 40

along the bandsaw fence. The sides rest against the stop and when pushed forward both the
wedge and the side move, cutting the tenon at the required angle. A lot of people do not like
making chairs because of the complex angles required; however, once you are set up correctly
it is fairly simple and quick to achieve perfect tenons.
37 In order to cut the shoulders at the required angle I clamped a small length of wood cut at the
4.25° angle to the edge of the shoulder and used this to guide the saw. I found that if I made
the first two or three strokes with a Japanese-type pull saw then by using a normal dovetail
saw I did not have any breakout. To complete the sides before fitting, trimming the tenons to
fit, I shaped the lower edge and bevel in the same way that this was performed on the front
rails. A router was used also in a similar manner to the front rails to take out a slot for fitting
41
in the corner braces when the chair is glued together. Slots are needed on the inside of the side
rails near the rear to take the seat support rail. Because the side rails are sloped, these slots for
the rails have to have sides sloped at 4.25°. First of all remove most of the waste with a straight
cutter in a router, then trim their sides. I used the pull saw guided by an angle block before
a final trim with a chisel. This cross piece also requires a slot to take the corner brace so it is
probably best to complete this work when you have the router set up with the cutter and the
guide fence.
38 Cut all the tenons to length to suit the mortises in the front and rear legs, trim the front tenons
at an angle of 45° to meet up with those on the front rail, then sand all the parts that were not
previously sanded so that you can proceed to glue them together, after first having a dry run.
When the clamps have been removed, fit and glue in position the rear seat support rail. It is
necessary to make a cutout at the bottom of these rails so that they can finish flush with the
top of the side rails.
39 When the chair was assembled, I drilled and pegged all the side joints with 6mm oak dowel.
This was primarily for decoration to match the table but it will add some strength.

The seat
40 The seats for my chairs consist of 22mm-thick MDF chamfered all round
and upholstered. The upholstery work was to be done by a specialist firm.
41 Before the corner braces are glued in position drill and countersink holes
so that the seat can be fixed in position. An alternative to upholstered seats
is to use 22mm solid oak, but this will require a different fixing to allow
for movement. Probably the easiest way is to use table plates which can
be screwed to the chair rails and then use the slots for fixing the seat.

Finishing
42 I am making these chairs to match a table which I had lightly fumed
to match brown oak. I fumed the chairs when finished in a very large
enclosure. After this I applied my usual finish of three coats of Danish oil,
applied liberally then wiped off with a clean, lint-free cloth. After the coat
dried, I denibbed before applying two further coats. To finish, I applied
a coat of clear wax with a Scotch-Brite cloth to denib at the same time.
42
I then polished with a soft cloth to achieve a nice lustre.

33
 SUGITA’S HAND-CUT
WOODWORKING
METHOD
We meet Japanese
woodworker,
teacher and author
Toyohisa Sugita

34
 Toyohisa Sugita was a woodworking novice until, at the age of 28, he decided to
build a 9m wooden cruising yacht by himself. His interest in woodworking took
off from there and since then, he has developed, manufactured and sold his own
woodworking products; produced and sold woodworking videos and become a
Lie-Nielsen distributor.
He is best known for the unique solutions he has come up with to make it easier
to cut wood by hand. This is known as Sugita’s Hand-Cut Woodworking Method
and involves guiding and controlling the saw blade using jigs and magnetic sheets.
This makes it possible for even complete beginners to learn advanced joint-making
techniques using hand tools.
He is also the author of several books, including Super Epoch-making
Woodworking Techniques (Studio Tuck Creative) and All About Sugita-style
Sawing Wood (Ohm-sha). His latest title is Woodworking Joinery by Hand.

Woodworking Joinery by Hand

One of the biggest challenges of joint-making is mastering the skill of cutting the
parts perfectly straight and with a high degree of accuracy. Toyohisa’s latest book
introduces his ground-breaking methods of guiding and controlling the saw blade
using jigs and magnetic sheets, making it easy to produce straight and square cuts.
It includes instructions for building frames, boxes, guides and jigs that can be used
in a variety of projects, and covers everything from basic frame construction to
more challenging and intricate joints.
Two of the other great benefits of Toyohisa’s method are that they are so quiet
and safe. Using hand tools and bespoke jigs contributes to a peaceful approach
to the craft, making it more enjoyable and sociable than using noisy power tools.
You can find an extract from Woodworking Joinery by Hand in issue 79 of WWC.

Q & A WITH TOYOHISA SUGITA

Did you have any experience or training in woodwork
before you built your yacht? What job were you doing
before then?
No, I did not have any experience. I started woodworking when I built my
yacht. I built this yacht while I was working as an office worker for a company.

What inspired you to build your own yacht?

Before I built my yacht, I owned a runabout. When I wanted a bigger one,
all the yachts on the market didn’t interest me because they all look alike.
I liked a design of a yacht by an American yacht designer, bought his
blueprints and built it.

What were the most important skills

you learned from building the yacht?
Did you teach yourself or did you have help?
I had no yacht-building skill at all, so I asked an experienced person to
build the hull and I helped him to learn how to build the hull. The hull
is made of ferrocement. After that, the deck, dog house (pilot house),
cabins, engine room, head (toilet), galley, etc. were all built by me. One
of the things I learnt from yacht building is the importance of the jig.

After making the yacht, why did you

decide to become a full-time woodworker?
The techniques taught in I was not and still am not a full-time woodworker after the yacht was completed;
Woodworking Joinery by Hand after office work I set up my own company that has nothing to do with woodworking
can be applied to a variety of projects at all. But I have enjoyed woodworking ever since the yacht was completed and have

35
 PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TOYOHISA SUGITA AND GRAPHIC SHA

Toyohisa’s book explains how to make and use ripping and cross-cut guides
been researching jigs for a long time. I believe I was able
to invent Sugita’s Hand-Cut Woodworking Method
because I did not become a full-time woodworker.

What do you think are the advantages

of hand tools over power tools?
Hand tools are quiet, safe and clean, unlike power tools.
This means that dust does not fly around the room.

What are your favourite tools

and timbers to work with?
My favourite tool is MIRAI a265 Flush Cut Pull Saw Blade
(www.mirai-tokyo.co.jp/index.html). This is by all means
necessary to realise Sugita’s Woodworking Method. There are
several flush cut saws on the Japanese market, but my saw blade
is superior to all of them. I have tested them. I am very happy
to have this. My method is greatly developed by this saw blade.
I usually use a less hard wood, pine as a workpiece for
jig development, but when I don’t use this, I like the
hardness of maple.

When did you start designing your own

woodworking products and how do you
develop the ideas?
I think my first product was about 20 or more years ago,
when I was granted a US patent for a self-aligning housing
cutting guide for use on a router, with the trade name
Accurate Guide. Information on the principle of this patent
for a self-building tool can be found in Woodworking
Joinery by Hand. Two more US patents followed, bringing
the total to three.
I am just trying to figure out an easy way to cut the
many types of difficult-to-cut joints that stand in front
of me, one at a time, in turn.
When I design a jig, I use a 3DCG program installed
on my PC; I don’t have CAD, but this program works the
same way. I make improvements within that program, and
finally I make an actual prototype and evaluate whether it Toyohisa regularly demonstrates his woodworking techniques. His method makes
performs as expected. woodworking accessible to all

36
 What are the main principles
of Sugita’s Hand-Cut Woodworking?
The main principle is that the joints can be made by simply
sawing the stock and fitting them together perfectly without
trimming to fit with a hand plane or a chisel.

Tell us about the guides you developed,

which are featured in Woodworking
Joinery By Hand? What advantages
do they give? Why do they make
woodworking easier for beginners?
Conventional woodworking with hand tools relies on visual
Toyohisa’s measurement to determine the position of the saw on a layout
patented Accurate line. Therefore, practice is required to cut at the exact position.
Guide is a self-aligning Sugita’s Hand-Cut Woodworking does not require practice as
housing cutting guide it does not use sight measurement for positioning, the guides do
it for you. So it is the guides that turn beginners into masters.

How easy is it for people to

make these guides for themselves?
These guides (ripping guide and cross-cut guide) are the
simplest in structure and the easiest to make. I don’t think
there are any other guides that are easier to make. I have
thought of so many shapes before coming up with these.

What kind of feedback have you

had from people who have used
your woodworking method?
As an example, a beginner making a box with rebate joint will
be very impressed by the fact that there are no gaps in the fit.
There are many other situations where people are impressed
by my method. There is the length hook for cutting stock to
the same length, the acrylic T-shape stopper used with the
mitre cutting guide, and the list goes on and on.

WOODWORKING
Although he is not a full-time professional woodworker, Toyohisa has
developed a variety of woodworking products JOINERY Learn all the skills you’ll need by working

by Hand
Innovative techniques using
Japanese saws and jigs

book won’t just appeal to beginners, but

INCLUDES
GROUND-BREAKING
MAGNETIC JIG
TECHNIQUE

TOYOHISA SUGITA

Woodworking Joinery by Hand by Toyohisa Sugita,

published by GMC Publications, RRP £25, available
online and from all good bookshops

37
 SIMPLIFYING MORTISE AND TENONS
Derek Jones describes a few
options for taking the hard
work out of large scale joinery

On paper or to the uninitiated perhaps,

carpenters and joiners are often mistaken
for furniture makers and vice versa. In
fact, before the mid-18th century and the
introduction of veneered casework (cabinets),
carpenters and joiners made all our furniture.
And while there are some obvious similarities
there’s still the odd gap in skills and
techniques when you consider the vast array
of work that forms part of their remit. On the
few occasions that I’ve spent time in a joiner’s
workshop I’ve become aware of just how much
more economical they are with their labour.
Maybe it’s because the components are larger
and not so manageable that they stay in one
place for longer and don’t get moved around
quite so much. Carpenters and joiners tend
to be a little more relaxed about dimensions as
well and not quite so obsessed with splitting
the atom with every pass of a plane.
Then there’s the use of machines. Typically
a single setting will be sufficient to complete
a number of identical processes negating the
need for a lot of marking out, apart from a
squiggle perhaps to identify feed direction
and orientation. In this respect I envy the
joiner’s skill at simplifying a task by knowing
precisely where and when it’s appropriate
to dial in the small stuff. In a typical hybrid
workshop, that’s one with hand tools and
machines, where there’s a need to flip between
disciplines it’s possible to blur the lines and
think more like a joiner.
Recently, I set about building a new
workbench for no other reason than it seemed
like a good idea at the time and, to be honest, Re-learn the basics
I fancied trying out something different. One of the basic principles of good cabinetry is to resist the temptation to work from
Hefting large, heavy components around measurements in order to achieve that piston-fit drawer or gentle puff of air from a nicely hung
the workshop is never much fun on your door. If you find yourself wanting to calculate how much to shave off a leading edge to make it
own and a full-on solo dry fit assembly can fit, you’re probably missing the point; this level of precision has more to do with what you can’t
be something of a challenge, if not a physical measure, but can feel than what you can quantify and the techniques required to achieve those
impossibility. For a cabinetmaker, bypassing ends. Large or small, the most accurate way to determine a good fit between two components
this part of the process means throwing made from wood is by touch or by using the components as a template or feeler gauge.
caution to the wind and putting the textbook The undercarriage for this bench includes four stretchers that are mortised and tenoned into
to one side for a moment and adopting a the legs and then draw bored. The front and back faces to the worktop complete the joints that
more pragmatic approach to the construction connect the legs with the bench top and are the last pieces to be glued in place. In this unfinished
process. Easier said than done. state the legs can be dropped into their mortises and squared up to establish the shoulder lines

38
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEREK JONES/GMC PUBLICATIONS
1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8
1 With the legs in place you can check and adjust things for square 2 Clamp the rails in place to hold the legs in position 3 Mark the shoulder lines close
to the worktop 4 Mark the tenons with a pin gauge 5 Shallow cuts can be made on the bandsaw without deflection 6 Deeper cuts on the same machine
can be a problem 7 Use the bandsaw to create a kerf for a hand saw 8 Push the saw plate over to the inside of the kerf

for tenons on the stretchers. Clamping the stretchers to the outside of bandsaw set up as a re-saw capable of slicing veneers from a solid piece
the legs holds them in place while you work around the frame. I used of timber, apparently without any run-out or deflection. While this
the dimension at the top of the leg, where it joins the bench top, as a level of accuracy is not beyond the realms of anyone with a bandsaw, it’s
guide to setting out the frame in its intended position further down the hardly typical. If my workshop is anything to go by, the bandsaw gets
leg. The shocking fact is I couldn’t achieve 90° at every junction in both a rough deal. Woodturners, for example, like to create bowl blanks on
directions, but rather than lose sleep over it, I made some adjustments their bandsaws and therefore dull one side of the blade quicker than
to create a structure that was not unduly stressed at any one corner. the other. General woodworkers like to resize offcuts on their machines
to suit their wood burning stoves. And cabinetmakers? Well, we just
Bandsaw reality want to be able to set the fence and cut a straight line. Considering
I’m always impressed when I hear about woodworkers that have their the aforementioned, I find this works reasonably well on thin stock so

39
 9 10

12 13

11 14 15
9 For big mortises a pencil line is adequate and there’s no need to mark every boundary 10 Opt for a mortise that can be cut in a single row 11 Gain
extra height on your bench top mortiser by rotating the body to work away from the base 12 Reject offcuts that have even the slightest defect or
deviation in grain direction 13 Look for a quartersawn pattern with pin straight grain on all four sides 14 Split the blanks and resist the temptation to
saw 15 If each billet comes out around the same size you have chosen good stock

I can usually rely on the bandsaw for trimming the tenons to width. with a tenon saw. Admittedly the kerf will be wider than your tenon saw
Annoyingly, the same cannot be said when it comes to cutting the blade so just remember which side of the bandsaw kerf you need to place
cheeks; the all too common problem of run-out being the result. your saw. Cutting the cheeks before the shoulders means that crashing
If this sounds like the bandsaw in your workshop do not despair, through a base line and into the tenon and substantially weakening it is
you can still use the machine to good effect. Like flying an aeroplane, less likely to happen.
the trickiest moment is take-off and landing. In sawing terms this
relates to establishing a good clean initial kerf (take-off) and not Tenon shortcuts
crossing the baseline at the other end (landing). Providing the table For the majority of time when I’m cutting mortise and tenons for
on your bandsaw is at 90° to the blade you can set a dead straight kerf furniture I’ll start with the mortise and gauge the thickness to suit the
to a depth of a couple of millimetres on the end of the board without tooling, either hollow chisel or mortise chisel. I’ll typically gauge and
the blade running out. This will be sufficient for an auto pilot take-off knife mark the position of the mortise to help with registration on each

40
 16 17

18 19
16 Use a dowel plate in decreasing sizes to knock off the corners 17 Protect the inside walls of the mortise with some scrap while drilling the dowel holes
18 Use a spurred drill bit to make an initial mark on the tenon 19 Re-mark the hole position a few millimetres back towards the shoulder for final drilling

component. It takes a little time, but gets me in the mindset required The next step to producing the best dowels is to split them into
to create accurate joints. Larger scale joinery is more forgiving. A pin billets with a chisel and not cut them with a saw. Green woodworkers
gauge line or pencil line is usually sufficient to set things out. The first have been using the inherent benefits of riven timber for centuries.
mortise will get the offset mark from the face of the leg and the width Your blanks must be free from any defects or grain that even slightly
of the mortise. The remaining mortises just get the width marks. veers off course. If you’ve chosen wisely the dowel blanks will split from
If you are using a bench top mortise machine you might need to get the mother blank in nice square sections. Any that don’t can be placed
a little creative to work on large stock. The pillar on this machine can on the pile for kindling. To make your square pegs round, use either
be unbolted and rotated 90° to operate off the base to one side. a dowel plate or a block plane to knock the corners off. Creeping up
to the finished size in a couple of steps is advisable if you are using a
Quality dowels from offcuts dowel plate. A tip here is to mark the finished diameter of the dowel by
There are a couple of things that can affect the strength of a draw- tapping it through the dowel plate a short way first. The indent gives
bored tenon but no more so than the quality of your dowels. The you something to aim for if you decide planing is a better option. The
dowels perform an important role and need to be made from wood final step is to put a slight taper or point on the end of the dowel that
with the straightest grain you can find. Don’t take chances here. I start enters the hole.
by sorting through the offcuts first as this material has already gone
through some kind of quality control. I’m in favour of using the same Draw bore basics
species for the dowels that the mortise and tenon are cut from. I don’t For maximum strength, drill the holes for the dowels close to the edge
think there’s any empirical evidence to support my theory, but my of the mortised component, or in other words close to the shoulder line.
hunch is that the degree of compression between the components is This may look like a bad idea at first, but as the shoulder of the tenon
better off matched than introducing a rogue factor into the equation. will be drawn tight into the edge of the mating component any risk of

41
 splitting is minimal. This location also leaves the maximum
amount of material behind the dowel hole on the tenon to
resist splitting the tenon when the dowels are driven home.
When you drill your dowel holes, place some scrap material
into the mortise to prevent any breakout inside the joint.
With the holes drilled you can now dry fit the joint and use
a tipped drill bit to make a mark on the cheek of the tenon.
To draw the joint together, the dowel needs to be forced
off course slightly as it passes through the tenon and into
the hole on the other side of the mortise. So the next mark
you make is about as critical as it gets. Move the hole in the
20
tenon about 2mm back towards the shoulder, effectively
off centre from those passing through the mortise.
The next part isn’t rocket science. Assemble the joint,
use clamps if you have to and then drive the dowels into
the holes. If everything has gone to plan the dowels will
pull the joint together and render the clamps useless.

Room for manoeuvre

The essence of good cabinetmaking is tight joints.
Without them things start to move a little and then a lot
until the whole ensemble falls apart. But, given that any
rigid form, however well constructed, could encounter
a force greater than that which it has been designed to
21
withstand, we often need to introduce an element of
flexibility to the structure. When building with wood
the most destructive force will come from the material
itself as it comes to terms with adjusting to various
temperatures and levels of humidity. When making the
top for this bench I tried hard to select boards that were
quartersawn. These are easily spotted as the growth
rings cross the section of the board on two faces, either
a face and edge or two faces. Boards that display this
feature are less prone to cupping, bowing and twisting
so make for a more stable construction. However,
expansion and contraction in a linear direction across
the boards is still very much an issue. Armed with this
knowledge we can introduce joints that allow movement
22
in a known direction. Mortise and tenons that
incorporate a loose tenon are a good example and those
produced with a Domino are quick and easy to apply.
It’s not imperative that the bench top has an end cap,
but it will certainly help to reduce the ingress of moisture
through the end grain and therefore splits. The cap will
also help to keep the top flat. This type of construction
is typically referred to as a breadboard end and usually
incorporates either a single sliding tenon or a series of draw-
bored tenons. For a bench top attaching the end cap with
lag bolts is fast and effective. Creating slots for the bolts to
pass through rather than holes allows for movement. No
amount of glue will prevent the top from expanding if that’s
what it decides it wants to do so going dry with this joint is
perfectly fine. I’ll be applying a durable oil finish to the
23
bench when it has been levelled making sure the joint gets
20 Loose tenons on quartersawn stock is the most stable solution a good soaking. The final step to complete the joint is to
21 Cut slots for the bolts and use washers to avoid compression around wind the bolts into the end grain with a socket set. Carry
the holes 22 Apply wax to the bolts to ease the assembly 23 Push the out a few tests on some scrap beforehand to establish
washers into the clearance hole for the bolt head before tightening the right size pilot hole and lubricate the bolts with wax.

42
THE MILKWOOD
PROJECT
Nic Westermann explains how
Lee Burton grew his interest in
green woodworking into a
non-profit organisation

Chancing upon a piece of driftwood on a family camping

holiday led to the obsession with woodcarving that has
taken Lee Burton on the journey that has resulted in the
Milkwood Project. A few days after returning home,
Lee met with a friend for a whittle and beer in his shed
and within an hour they decided to form a club, and so
Narberth Whittling Association (NWA) was born.
Within a couple of months there would be between five
and eight members meeting every Thursday in his shed,
with the log burner going and sharing the odd wee dram,
exchanging stories and chatting about their lives and the
world in general. This was a group of various ages and
whittling abilities and they soon realised how therapeutic
and enjoyable this activity was.
Lee then spoke to his father who had emigrated
to British Columbia, Canada in the 1980s, about his
new hobby and the club he had started hosting. They
reminisced about his grandfather’s passion for carving,
which started with house name plaques. His carving
hobby quickly became a craft he was well known for
and developed into carvings of birds, fish and mammals.
When his grandfather passed away these tools went to
Canada along with his father’s. They were going to be
posted to Lee, but his father balked at the high cost of
postage; undeterred, Lee booked a flight to Vancouver
and was able to come home with three generations of
carving chisels, which now reside at the clubhouse.

A growing organisation
Within six months the group had outgrown the cabin and
were turning potential new club members away. Lee then
attended his first Bodgers Ball in 2017 and having already had
an interest in green woodworking discovered what friends
and family described as an ‘obsession’ for which he needed
a woodland to fully realise. After a little research he found
woodland for sale close enough to his home in Pembrokeshire
and within his budget. Lee immediately drew up plans and
applied for permitted development to build a workshop/tool
storage. The workshop is off grid with solar-charged batteries
running lighting and is built entirely using only hand tools and
timber felled and milled within 1 mile. With doors, windows

43
 and roof materials all reused and recycled the workshop
evolved in the space available without disruption to the
woodland habitat and wildlife.
They now have in the region of 20 plus members, men
and women of all ages from all walks of life, still meeting
every Thursday from 7pm until 9pm (sometimes a little later)
and the occasional guest or two, but now they are in the
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE MILKWOOD PROJECT

woods – Milkwoods.
Just before the beginning of the pandemic Lee contacted a
couple of local charities that supported people struggling with
mental health or depression, anxiety and some living in solitude
for one reason or another. The need quickly became apparent
for more support, and how beneficial craft and nature could
be in addressing these issues. The organisers of one of those
charities, Men2Men, arranged to meet with Lee and discuss
further what could be offered. Within just a few weeks Lee
committed to one day a week in which he would take small
groups of people to learn spoon carving. He registered The
Milkwood Project CIC (Community Interest Company)
with company house as a non-profit organisation and has
made two successful grant applications to the National
Lottery Community Fund to buy tools, pay for tutoring and
facilitate a variety of therapeutic greenwood activities, these
grants totalled around £19,000.
With a new purpose-built roundhouse style workspace, toilet
and washing facilities which soon will have wheelchair access,
the plan now is to offer activities to those with limited mobility
and soon to children with learning disabilities or autism.
As well as carving spoons they also have a few pole lathes for
both spindle and bowl turning, and last year started our local
APT&GW group. Lee has expanded the site further and now
has the main workshop, an outside workspace under a tarpaulin
A-frame structure and will soon have a forge fired with charcoal
made on site. So many local people want to attend club night
Lee is now looking to run two evenings a week.
Lee was recently contacted by singer-songwriter Martyn
Joseph, who runs a non-profit organisation called Let Yourself
Trust, which supports small, grassroots projects all over the
world. A mutual friend of theirs had put them in contact and
just a few weeks later Milkwood had a £2,500 donation.
When I visited this site last year I was impressed – it is
hard not to be, as it blends so seamlessly into the woodland.
However, when Lee said he had completed all this work by
himself I was stunned, all while working full time, an amazing
achievement. And the many testimonials I have seen show
it’s not just me that’s impressed by the experience. Lee’s
enthusiasm for the site is infectious and he is obviously able
to communicate the benefits of his projects as the financial
support he is getting seems to grow day by day – as I have been
putting this article together Lee has continually told me of new
applications being put forward and approved.
I am not trying to say this is easy, and it’s certainly not
something that I would be good at. However, Lee’s energy
and drive is the reason this project is growing so fast and I
wish him every success.

For more information, visit: www.themilkwoodproject.org

44
SIMPLE TURNED TOOL HANDLE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANCESCO CREMONINI/COURTESY OF LEGNO

Mark Palma demonstrates how to turn your first tool handle

Being able to make your own tool handles opens several doors to the
woodworker. If you also make your own tools, you can turn bespoke
handles to suit them; you can re-handle your existing tools to better fit
your hands; make attractive handles to showcase beautiful timbers or
purchase unhandled tools and expand your kit on a budget.

The components
A handle consists of only two components: the wood and a ferrule.
1
The length and diameter of the handle is in part down to personal
preference. Some people have larger hands, some like longer tool
handles. Other factors to consider, if you do a lot of woodturning,
is the size of your lathe, the type of work you turn and the nature and
size of the tool steel. As a starting point, the length of the finished
handle should be at least as long as the steel extended from it,
otherwise it will feel out of balance. With tools that extend further
from the toolrest, such as bowl gouges and scrapers, a longer handle
can offer an advantage. With tools that are subject to less toolrest
overhang and smaller cutting edges, a shorter handle is sufficient.
The ferrule serves an important safety purpose on every handle.
The ferrule prevents the wood from splitting where the tool shaft
enters the handle. Never make (or use) a woodturning tool without
one. Many materials work well for ferrules, however non-ferrous
metals such as aluminium and copper tubing or plumbing fittings
2
are a great choice for your first handle. Here, I’m using a plumbing
fitting commonly referred to as a flair fitting. It was chosen because
it has internal threads and actually physically attaches to the wood
tenon we will be creating, making a very strong connection. The
diameter of the hole should allow at least 3mm of timber around
the shaft of the tool when the hole is drilled for the tool shaft.

Choosing timber and

mounting on the lathe
The timber you choose should start with personal preference; opt
for something that you like and want to hold. You want timber with
the grain running the long way through the blank and straight grain
without defects makes for a stronger handle. Look for a blank no less
than 45mm thick and if it is a longer handle, look for stock at least
50mm thick. Thicker stock allows for more design opportunities.
The length of the blank should be 63–75mm longer than the planned
3
handle length to allow for the tenon and some space between the chuck
and the final handle length to keep your hands away from the spinning 1 The components of the project: the wood and a ferrule 2 Find the
chuck. The crab apple blank in photo 1 was only 38mm thick and centre and centre punch the ends 3 Mount the timber between centres
230mm long and worked for this small tool (and my small hands). and rough out to round

45
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK PALMA
4 5

6 7

The finished handle is 150mm long, 25mm is in the ferrule as a tenon and
50mm were wasted away in the turning process.
Mark the ends to find the centre and then centre punch the ends. Look at
the blank to determine which end you want to be the tool end and which the
handle. If you have a chuck, grasp the handle end in the chuck to make sizing
the tenon and drilling the blank a little easier. Bring up the tail stock and
spin the blank by hand to make sure it spins without hitting the toolrest.

Rough out the tool handle

Using a spindle roughing gouge, bring the work to round. Inspect the
blank to see if any defects or cracks are uncovered that weren’t evident from
the unturned blank. Use a parting tool to make a safety zone between the
blank and the chuck so that you can keep your turning tools away from
the spinning chuck and not have any sharp square edges near your fingers.

8
Measure the ferrule and create the tenon
4 Since the grain is running with the spindle, the chips will fly Carefully measure the length and inside diameter of your tool steel and
quickly as you turn the work to round 5 Use a parting tool to create your tenon. If you are using tubing, the tenon will be a single diameter.
a safe area between the chuck and the spindle area to be turned In this case, the tenon needed to be stepped to match the inside of the
6 Measure the tool shank carefully to determine the drill size ferrule. Use a parting tool to create a tenon. With the lathe off, thread the
7 Measure the ferrule to determine the diameter and shape of the ferrule onto the tenon (if you are using tubing you want a tight press fit).
tenon 8 Use a parting tool to start to create the tenon

46
 9 10

11 12

13 14
9 The finished tenon 10 With the lathe off, a
Drill the hole and finish the ferrule wrench is used to screw the ferrulel threads
Using a drill bit the same diameter as your tool steel, drill a hole about 6mm deeper than your onto the tenon 11 Drill out the blank to accept
tool steel. You want a little space between the tool steel and the shaft so that the epoxy doesn’t the tool shank, measuring the diameter and
depth carefully 12 File the ferrulel carefully
push the steel out of the hole. Be fussy with the drill bit selection as you want a snug fit.
13 Sand and polish the ferrulel 14 Shape the
Bring the tail stock up with a cone attachment to provide good tail stock support with the
handle to the ferrule diameter
hole in the handle. Next, file the flats off the brass ferrule. Use a progression of files to smooth
the brass, then sand it with 400-grit abrasive and polish with metal polish.

47
15 16

17 18

19 20

48
 21
15 Shape the handle to fit your hand 16 Sand the handle through the grits 17 Reduce the handle diameter to work the end and part off 18 Handle
finished with an oil finish to bring out the grain 19 Mix epoxy carefully to adhere the handle and tool shank 20 Set the tool into the epoxy and allow it
to fully cure for 24 hours 21 Sharpen the tool, and then it’s ready to use!

turned element. Lastly, part off and finish the end with some
Shape the handle to fit your hand hand-held abrasives.
Using a 10mm (shaft diameter) spindle gouge, start to shape the tool
handle. Start by joining the blank to the ferrule, and create the shape Finish, glue and sharpen the tool
you want to join those two parts. Choose the timber finish that you like best. On my crab apple handle,
The goal is to shape this handle to individualise it for you and your a coat of oil really made the extraordinary grain come to life. I also like
preferences. Don’t rush this step as it will pay you dividends to marry the feel of the timber in my hand and gravitate towards oil finishes on
the handle to the type of tool and the person behind it. Just remember tool handles.
you have a hole in the blank and must leave at least 6mm of timber The next day, I carefully mixed a two-part epoxy (note I am wearing
on each side of the tool steel (in other words you need at least 1mm gloves to protect my skin) and, using a coffee stirring stick, put the
diameter plus the diameter of the tool steel, or in this case 25mm). epoxy around the inside of the hole. Then the tool steel was set into the
I like a rounded knob behind the ferrule (this is where my hand handle, rotating it to spread the epoxy and to orient the grain to my
seems to naturally fall on a parting tool). Since this crab apple blank preference. In this case, the tool had a mark to guide the depth, but you
was highly figured, I didn’t add any grooves or extra embellishment, should have at least 63–75mm for any tool and more for a bowl gouge
but it’s all your choice. In this case, the handle end is roughly the or scraper set into the handle. The more you insert the tool steel into
same diameter as the rounded knob, with a taper to connect the two the handle the more you move the balance of the tool back from the tip
elements. This felt good to me, but stop the lathe often and feel the so check it before you glue it in to get it to feel right for you. If the tool
handle as you go. When the handle seems right, sand it through the steel wants to creep back out use a clamp to hold things in place. Wait
grits (I went to 400 since it was going to get an oil finish). Then shape 24 hours before touching the tool. Then sharpen the tool and put it to
the handle end, parting down as you go to make the end a well use in your workshop!

49
 SCROLLSAW BOWLS

Fred and Julie Byrne demonstrate YOU WILL NEED

how to make a bowl using just the scrollsaw and one piece of wood • Blade No. 5 or 7
depending on wood used
• Pattern
Who would have thought that you could make a bowl using the scrollsaw – and from just one small piece • Wood of choice
of wood? ‘Can’t look as good as a turned bowl,’ we hear you say, and as you will see from our initial practice • Pillar drill – 1mm drill bit
effort, using 19mm pine, the bowl does somewhat resemble a wooden flower pot! However, after a little • Bradawl
TLC and quite a bit of sanding and polish it does look a little more respectable. • Digital angle gauge
With the first humble creation under our belts, we started working overtime thinking up all sorts • Glue stick/spray adhesive/
of ways to make a more attractive bowl – and I hope you think we’ve achieved that. A more careful choice wood glue
of wood is the answer, we found, and laminating two contrasting, slightly thinner woods also created a • Sandpaper: 180–320grit
more pleasing effect on the finished article. Hope you like the results and it goes some way to inspire you • Sanding block
to use your own imagination and have a go. • Pencil
• Masking tape
• Weights/clamps
• Finish of choice

Practice bowl
1 Prepare the practice/
trial bowl by first
attaching the pattern
to a 19mm piece of
pine, or the wood
of your choice.
2 Tilt the scrollsaw table
down 28° to the left
and then make the
first outer edge cut.
3 Use a bradawl to make
an indentation into
the blade entry holes,
this will help the drill
bit to stay in the correct
1
position when drilling.

50
 164

230

6 51 9 9 6 9 9 51 6
1 3 3 1

PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRED & JULIE BYRNE

2

4 Tilt the pillar drill table down to the left by the same 28°, place the bowl
blank onto a scrap piece of wood checking first that the bit runs true
3
down the edge of the bowl, at the same angle.

51
 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

8 Glue the sides of the bowl together and, when dry, sand the inside walls of the bowl, then
attach the base, leave to dry and sand the outside. Apply a finish of your choice. That’s the
trial bowl, which is simple but quite nice… Now for something a bit more complicated.

Patterned bowl
9 Referring to the pattern, lay out your wood of choice in readiness for lamination and
make sure you have scrap pieces of ply, clamps and waxed paper. Next, attach a piece of
paper over the plywood to prevent the laminated woods sticking to the surface, then clamp
a straight-edged piece of wood onto the front of the work surface, from which to start
clamping the laminates.
13
10 Glue the wood laminates together: butting up one end to the straight edge, position the
clamps across the wood and then clamp a scrap piece of wood over the centre to keep
everything nice and flat and allow to dry.
5 Then drill the blade entry holes in 11 When dry, sand the surface using a sand block, going through the grades of paper.
alternate ends of the bowl blank 12 Cut out the paper pattern just inside the framed edge, then align and attach the pattern
– see the pattern. centrally onto the wood surface, using the glue stick or spray adhesive. Then, as with the
6 Transfer the line from the top of the practice bowl, use the bradawl to make an indentation into the blade entry hole to prevent
pattern down onto the side edge … the bit from drifting off.
7 ... and then onto all consecutive pieces, 13 Tilt the pillar drill table down to 32° before drilling the blade entry holes. The scrollsaw
to use as a guide for aligning the wood table should also be tilted down 32° to the left. Thread the scrollsaw blade up through the
grain when gluing. Then thread in your blade hole and secure. Tighten until taut to prevent the blade from wandering. Cut slowly
blade and cut out the bowl pieces. and accurately around the first circle, this time the outer section will not be discarded.

52
 14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

14 With the first circle cut out, continue to cut the second. This ring will then act as a 19 Next, align and glue the sides of the
template for the next, by aligning the ring on top of the remaining bowl blank and then bowl onto the base. Once dried, sand
carefully tracing around the inner circle. This way of cutting the rings is more accurate. the outside edges of the bowl which
Carry on until all three rings are cut out. now includes the base.
15 Once all the rings are cut out draw a line down the outside edge on one side of the bowl. 20 Apply glue to the top edge of the bowl,
This will make it easier to align the rings when gluing. brush the glue out evenly with an old
16 Remove the paper pattern from all the pieces and then cut the four edging pieces for artist brush and align the rectangular
the rectangular top of the bowl to length. top piece. Secure with weights or
17 Glue the end pieces of the edging in place first and secure with clamps, allow to dry. clamps until dry.
When dry, glue the two side pieces of the edging in position and secure with clamps. 21 When dry, sand the rim flush with
When dry, hand sand the edging going through the grades of paper to leave a smooth the inner walls of the bowl.
finish. Next, glue the three rings together, taking care to align the pieces accurately, 22 Lastly, apply your finish of choice,
clamp to secure or apply a weight to the top and allow to dry. depending on if the bowl is for food
18 Use a small diameter drum sander to sand the inside wall of the bowl and hand sand use, or for decoration.
to a smooth finish.

53
 BENEATH THE SURFACE

Neil Erasmus explains why the secret to a perfect oil finish is plenty of elbow grease

All too often, woodworkers have a fairly vague understanding any toxic drying agents, the task of applying an oil finish can be done
of the various types of wood coatings and their particular methods without the need for cumbersome and sometimes costly gear. There
of preparation and application. What should be clear to the maker are now a small number of manufacturers who produce oils that are
is fitness of purpose for the project type, and based on this, a decision mainly based on natural linseed oil, but which also contain only plant,
is made as to the type of finish and the gloss level required. It may or organic drying agents, rather than toxic chemical ones. We find
even be that the piece, or pieces, are finished in more than one finish that we are able to work with the natural finishes for extended periods
type. A dining table and matching chairs, for example, may all be of time without any discomfort, such as skin irritation, headaches or
oiled, with the exception of the table top, which the maker may nausea. The Germans, in particular, produce excellent finishing oils
choose to finish in a harder wearing, two-part spray finish. This for all woodwork, for both interior and exterior applications. Some
article covers my particular method of oiling, and its preparation are even specifically formulated as floor finishes for homes occupied
and finishing. by people with severe allergies.
Natural finishes such as oil and shellac are best applied to hand-
Why oil? planed or finely sanded wood surfaces, unlike their modern lacquer
Over a long career designing and making, I have used most finishes, counterparts that require a coarser surface to ‘key’ properly to. I prefer
but have settled with an oil finish for almost all my work. The a surface that is so smooth that light is absorbed well below the surface,
exceptions to this rule are cabinets and chests of drawers, where allowing all the wood’s natural, vibrant colour and figure to be reflected
I apply a nitro-cellulose finish to all concealed parts to avoid the back to the viewer. Due to the rougher surfaces that are required on
months-long off-gassing that oil finishes tend to do. The exposed furniture that is sprayed, these beautiful, natural features in wood
surfaces are then oiled as usual. I mostly spray all internal parts are mostly obscured.
of carcasses several days prior to assembly, masking off all joinery Lastly, oil finishes are so forgiving, both from the maker’s perspective
beforehand to allow the glue to do its job later upon assembly. and from the owner’s point of view, in that repairs to the finish, or
Providing you choose an oil type that is formulated without even a complete rejuvenating oil finish, are dead easy years later.

54
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY NEIL ERASMUS
1 2

3 4
1 Working with a raking light helps to expose scratches 2 Hand sand to finish, working with the grain using long, even strokes 3 The first coat of oil can
be applied after planing, sanding and dust removal 4 Use a paint roller to apply the first coat quickly and heavily

Preparation a very important one, as dust residue gives the wood an

In a nutshell what you wish to achieve, ideally, with a wood ill-defined, muddy appearance, rather than leaving it looking
surface prior to the first application of oil, is one that has all crisp and clean, with well-defined texture. I like edges, corners
the attributes of a hand-planed surface. This is true irrespective and fine detail to be sharp and crisply chamfered, so I always
of the nature of the surface, whether it be flat or shaped. So, if sand these areas entirely by hand to maintain definition, or use
your hand-skills are up to it, a finish straight off a well-honed a sharp block plane or spokeshave.
cutting tool is, I believe, impossible to beat. If your preference is I feel that it is prudent at this stage to point out that I do
abrading, you would need to sand to about 600 grit, or finer. not subscribe to the practice of wetting wood regularly to raise
I generally sand through the grades 180, 240, 320 and 600, the grain, then sanding it flat. In fact, I feel this method, rather
checking the surface regularly with raking light, which exposes than achieving a nice smooth surface, actually creates one that
scratches that show up as shadow lines. Imagine a scratch as a is dimpled with tiny ‘divots’ that reflect less light, making the
valley in an otherwise flat terrain, and the ‘sun’ (your light source) surface look and feel rougher. These little hollows in the surface
rising over the horizon. are the spaces that were occupied by the tiny ‘splinters’ of raised
The flat areas become bathed in light, while the valleys, or grain caused by the drying out of the wood surface after it has
scratches, which may be nothing other than miniscule marks been wetted with water. I find that with careful preparation of
left by a coarser sandpaper, stand out as a shadow. This is the the surface of wood, it should never be necessary to de-nib the
most efficient way to know when you’ve done enough, and neither first, or any other, coat of oil. Of course, spray lacquers are
too much nor too little sanding! The ‘feel’ test, I’m afraid, does different in that the first spray coat will raise the grain somewhat.
nothing to inform you how you are progressing. I sand flat surfaces I never use steel wool to prepare wood for a finish. Aside from
such as table tops with a random orbital sander, but always finish the obvious problems caused by metal residue in sometimes
by hand, sanding with the grain in long, even strokes, before tannin-rich woods, steel wool-rubbed wood loses crispness
vacuuming out any dust residue from the grain. This last point is in its texture.

55
 5 6

7 8
5 Dry spots will appear where the oil has been absorbed into the wood 6 The time it takes the oil to thicken varies depending on ambient temperature
7 Rub across the grain first, then rub along the grain in a figure of eight 8 Hand sand to finish, working with the grain using long, even strokes

Applying the oil the wood. There is no harm in keeping it wet by going over the
Depending on the nature of the item and its surface, I use several surface again with the roller for a little while, but don’t add any
methods to apply oil. For complex pieces like chairs I use a paintbrush, more finish. Once applied, I try to ‘read’ the situation as carefully
while a roller is used on big, flat table surfaces, and a rag is employed as I can in terms of how much time I have before the oil begins to
for small, simple items. Once a wet coat of oil is applied, the excess thicken. Ideally, I wait as long as possible before I rub this coat out,
is always rubbed off, but the amount of oil that is applied, and the but this ‘window’ can be anywhere between 10 and 40 minutes,
time between application and wiping off varies depending on depending on the ambient temperature. Rubbing out a coat that has
a number of factors. partially polymerised (the surface goes sticky) is hard work, and in
such a case I would recommend re-wetting the surface with more oil
The first coat to help dissolve it. The warmer the day, the quicker the oil thickens.
Once the wood is properly planed and/or sanded, and the dust A scrap piece of the same material, sanded to the same standard, is
removed from its pores, it is ready for its first coat. Polishing, needless always a good option on which to test the surface, before rubbing any
to say, should always be done in a fairly clinical environment. Too excess oil off. I simply rub a 50mm diameter ring on the surface with
much dust will invariably put paid to all your efforts, so a clean place a rag-covered fingertip.
with fresh, clean materials is a must. For the purpose of this article, You want to feel a dryish oil covering that readily rubs down
I am oiling a jarrah dining table top. The four, subtly figured old- to the wood surface, leaving no residue. Too much pressure and
growth boards are consecutively quartersawn, with rich pink to rubbing means that it has been left too long! It is vitally important
burgundy tones. I opted to apply the oil with a simple paint roller, as to remember that natural wood oils generate a lot of heat as they
this is the quickest way to apply the first, liberal wet coat. Remember polymerise and can ignite, so place all rags and oil-contaminated
that much of the first coat will be absorbed into the wood, so it needs materials in an air-sealed container to starve them of oxygen, if
to be the heaviest of all. Within several minutes you can see a they need to be reused. Alternatively, place them in water and
patchwork of little dry spots where the oil has been absorbed into discard them after several days.

56
 9 10

11 12
9 & 10 The wood should be left for 12 hours to cure 11 The hessian wad can be wrapped around a sanding block 12 You need to rub hard and vigorously
along the grain

Rubbing I then burnish the surface with a wad of natural hessian, rubbing hard
Any old, but clean, rag will do to rub off the excess first coat of oil. I and quite vigorously along the grain. You can wrap the hessian around a
gently rub across the grain to ‘fold’ some of the excess oil into the open cork sanding block if you prefer. You should notice a distinct glossing of
pores to somewhat fill them, before rubbing along the grain in narrow the surface. Be prepared for a workout, as this is pretty physical, but the
figure of eights. I finish by rubbing, this time more vigorously, straight results are astounding.
along the grain. There is a little secret to this last point: the rag gets
folded into the hand a little like a large shellac rubber, and firmly held. Second coat
Ideally, you want to rub in long continuous strokes from one end of Now that the first coat has sealed the wood and it has been burnished,
the table top to the other, imagining your hand as an aircraft coming all subsequent coats can be more sparingly applied, so an application
in to land early on the runway, and running well beyond the end, then rag and a wipe-off rag are all you need. Again, fold the rag into a neat
‘landing’ at the other end, and so on, overlapping each stroke a little. rubber, charge it with oil, and wipe a wet coat across the grain, before
This way you avoid smudging the surface. Once the surface looks and wiping with the grain. This coat, and all coats that follow it, will go
feels smooth, it needs to be left for 12 hours or so to cure properly. tacky much sooner, so be vigilant!
I tend to be cautious, so I will begin to wipe off all excess oil with the
Burnishing dry rag immediately, and then rub it with the hessian cloth to an even
The first coat has now cured, and the next stage begins. Run your glossier shine. This time you’ll notice that the hessian gets dragged back
hand across the surface. It should feel as smooth as the raw, finely by the curing oil, but keep it moving!
sanded wood. If it feels a little rough, it probably means that the oils, The third coat and any further coats are all applied in exactly the
rags or atmosphere are contaminated with dust. In this case you are same way as the second. If a satin finish is required after the last coat
forced to sand this coat to de-nib it. If it is only very slightly rough, has dried, there are two ways I do it. 0000 steel wool can be used,
I rub it back with the back of a piece of 600 sandpaper, rather than or a special buffing pad fitted to a random orbital sander. The latter,
the sandpaper itself. especially, gives a beautiful, consistent finish. The steel wool method

57
 13

14
13 Burnishing is hard work but produces excellent results 14 For the second coat, wipe across the grain first, then wipe with the grain

requires a little care to get right. Use only top quality steel wool, and whether I have any special recipe. Mostly, I use the oil just as it comes
tear off a decent wad of it, then wrap it around a cork sanding block from the manufacturer, but if I’m after a heavier build, and/or a more
and rub the surface only along the grain in continuous, straight sweeps. water-resistant finish, I often add marine varnish and orange oil. The
The aircraft landing technique should yield good results. ratios will vary depending on the product used, but as a rule of thumb
A word of caution, however, is due: never use steel wool anywhere I mix propriety wood oil, marine varnish and natural orange oil in the
near open-grained woods such as wenge and especially oak. ratio of 3:2:1, respectively.
The varnish is a better sealer, while the orange oil helps to extend
Oil recipes the mix’s open time, but also lubricates the rag when rubbing off.
I am often complimented on the finishes on my furniture, and asked This system is particularly good for high-use table tops.

58
 READ ANYWHERE FROM

ONLY £5.00
PER ISSUE

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107
 CARVED FLOWER PANEL
Steve Bisco’s Arts & Crafts-style carving
can be made in just one weekend

If your woodworking time is limited, this is a

carving project you can complete in about 10 hours.
It only requires a few tools and a piece of oak 380
x 75 x 32mm. The design for this panel was inspired
by a motif on the windows of Blackwell – a well-known
Arts & Crafts house in the English Lake District
(www.blackwell.org.uk). The Arts & Crafts
Movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
was, as the name implies, as much an ethos as a style.
In an age where mass-production was churning out
cheap machine-made goods to furnish the Victorian
and Edwardian home, the Arts & Crafts Movement
stood up for traditional values in design and
craftsmanship. It was, if you like, the craftsperson’s
‘Jerusalem’ – a reaction against industrialisation.
In stylistic terms, Arts & Crafts is a close relative
of Art Nouveau. Stylised plant forms predominate
in all aspects of decoration and in this panel I have
employed some of the distinctive features of the period.
The hollow in the broadest leaf, the flattening of the
tulip flower, and the angular double-bend at the ‘root’
end of the stem are features typical of the style.

Green oak
Oak was the dominant wood for Arts & Crafts
carving, so it is the most appropriate wood for this
project. Ideally you need ‘green’ oak, which has
been drying for a couple of years. Green oak is much
easier to carve than fully dried oak. It holds together
well in thin sections and can be cut without too much
use of the mallet, whereas fully dried oak can be hard
and brittle. The only drawback of green oak is its
tendency to warp as it continues to dry out, so avoid
pieces with knots or a contorted grain pattern. On
a panel of this size any later warping should not be
too pronounced.

YOU WILL NEED

TIMBER: • No.5, 7mm gouge
• Oak: 381 x 76 x 30mm • 5mm bent chisel
• 5mm fine-ground
CHISELS & GOUGES: flat chisel
• V-tool
• No.8, 8mm curved gouge FINISHES:
• No.8, 8mm gouge • Antiquax
• No.3, 10mm gouge furniture polish

60
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE BISCO
1
4

Preparation
1 Make a full-size copy of the pattern using a photocopier, scanner,
digital camera or by drawing it using grid squares. I have made the
panel 381 x 76mm but you can scale it up or down as you wish.
6
2 You can paste the pattern onto the wood, but I prefer to trace it on
using carbon paper, allowing you to see the grain as you are carving.
Make sure your tracing is securely taped to the wood to avoid it
wandering. Draw a line all the way round the sides of the block 4 Avoid the temptation to ‘bost’ down vertically at this stage as you
13mm from the top. This will be your ‘ground’ level. Fix the wood will just create ragged and fractured sides to the raised areas. Cut
to a backing board, screwing from the back with shallow screws, away the bulk of the waste wood with a stout gouge and mallet to
allowing about 75mm all the way round for clamping to the bench. about 2mm above the ‘ground’.
5 Next, square up the vertical edges of the pattern by paring along
Setting in and grounding out the sides with a fine flat chisel, working with the grain.
3 Fix the oak to a backing board (screwing from the back) and 6 In certain areas, like external points and internal corners, you will
start carving by removing surplus wood to leave our plant pattern need to refine the paring cuts by careful vertical cuts. Your tools
standing clear of the ‘ground’. The first step is to define the edge need to be sharp for this so you don’t crush the grain and break off
of the pattern lines with a V-tool. the points. Thin slices with a sharp tool will avoid this problem.

61
 9

10

and under it at the flower end. The two subsidiary leaves flow out
from under the main leaf – one crossing under it to the left, and
the other crossing under the stem to the right.
9 Now the real carving starts! Shape the stem and leaves, mainly
with the concave side of No.3 and No.5 gouges, carefully working
with the grain to create a smooth flow and a clean surface. On
8
the two subsidiary leaves, create a shallow slope on one side of the
profile and a steep slope on the other to produce a distinct ridge
along the leaf. Where these leaves cross under the stem and the
7 There is another part of this pattern that needs special attention main leaf, make sure the line and profile continue on each side of
– the narrow gap between the top of the main leaf and the flower is the crossover without any jarring changes in direction. Also make
best tackled with a padsaw. If you don’t have a padsaw, don’t attempt sure that the rise and fall above the ground is smooth and natural.
to chisel out the gap at this stage – wait until you start rounding off Round over the stem and, again, give it a natural looking rise and
the flower. With the plant form now clearly defined, use a broader fall as it crosses over and under the main leaf. Form the hollow in
chisel to flatten off the ground. Don’t go right down to the ground the main leaf and the ‘root’ using the convex side of the same gouges,
line at this stage – leave about 2mm above the line as the surface and carefully round over the edges. Try to capture the period style.
will inevitably suffer some scarring as we shape the stems. 10 Finish the modelling of the stem and leaves by undercutting the
edges. The aim is to make it look as though the plant is detached
Stem and leaves from the background. Because the detail and background are the
8 The first step in moulding the stem and leaves is to define the same colour, we need undercutting to create shadows to separate
overlaps by making shallow cuts on the lower side of the crossing them visually. First ‘undermine’ the vertical edge with a V-tool,
points. See how the stem goes over the main leaf at the root end, then open out the undercut with No.3 and No.6 gouges.

62
 11 13

12 14

Shaping the flower 14 The undercutting on the sides of the flower

11 Define the overlaps of the flower petals by making a shallow cut with a V-tool on is less pronounced than on the leaves, but
the lower side of each line. Make the two small petal points slope back under the you need to show a defined edge between
three main petals, but leave their tips at the original level. the flower and the ground. The three centre
12 Use a No.3 gouge to round over the two side petals, with their inner edges slightly points of the petals need very pronounced
undercutting the centre petal. The change in grain direction in the neck of the undercutting so they appear fully detached
curve can make it difficult to get a clean cut. The best way is to pare in from each from the ground. This is an illusion achieved
direction then, where the gouge starts to dig in at the curve, pare down vertically by leaving about 6mm at the edges and
to create the curve. cutting back below that at an angle of about
13 Shape the centre petal by running a groove down each side with a No.5 gouge so 45°. The longitudinal grain means the
that the edges of the petal appear to flip up and over the side petals. This is very points are quite strong, but don’t shave
much a style of this period and getting it right is an important part of the period them too thin.
detail. Round the central part of the petal smoothly into the side hollows.

63
 16

15

Texturing the ground

15 To help the pattern stand out from the ground, you need to
texture the ground surface to give a contrast. Using a No.8,
8mm curved gouge or similar, reduce the ground down to its
final level with lots of little ‘scooping’ cuts. Push the curved
gouge smoothly down, along and up in a continuous arc,
taking care not to break out the grain on the upward stroke.
You will need to use a smaller gouge in the tight edges and
corners. Give your cuts a natural directional flow to simulate
background grass and foliage, using the flow of the leaves
and stem as your guide. Try not to end up with a mass of
parallel lines or you will lose the effect.

Finishing touches
16 One final touch is to put a cove or chamfer along each edge of
the panel. I am using a 3mm moulding plane to make a narrow
cove, but if you don’t have a suitable moulding plane simply make
a chamfer with a small flat plane. Always plane across the end
grain first, taking care not to break out the corners, then finish
off with the sides. Note that I am using a piece of wood the same
thickness as the panel edge to keep my plane level.
17 Once you have completed your carving, polish the whole panel
with a good light-brown wax polish – I generally use Antiquax
furniture polish on oak – hang it on the wall, and admire your
17
weekend’s handiwork.

64
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Salary dependent on experience.

 TOOL CABINET

Anthony Bailey makes a wall-mounted

cabinet to store his hand tools

You can’t amass a good collection of hand tools without a proper means
of storing them. So many woodwork books show lovely wall-mounted
tool cabinets so I thought I would have a go at building my own.

CUTTING LIST
Description Qty L W T
Top/bottom 2 750mm 95mm 15mm
Sides 2 770mm 95mm 15mm
Back 1 762mm 752mm 6mm
Door frames 4 775mm 45mm 15mm
Door frames 4 393mm 45mm 15mm
Door panels 2 703mm 321mm 6mm
Shelves 2 750mm 69mm 15mm

Finding the best space

1 As you can see, my workshop was in a bit of a mess and my tools were
looking a bit unloved. There was really only one useable area for the

66
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY BAILEY/GMC PUBLICATIONS
9 762 9

95
15 9

15 750 15

752
84

703 752

762

10
Sections
1 : 12

9
1
45

780
15 95

703

393 775
685 321 775 770
393

Elevations
1 : 12 45 303 45

45 2

tool cabinet, so I had to make it fit there. You can resize

the drawing to suit your situation. In my case there is also
a cable conduit to work around so I decided to fit battens
on the wall to lift the cabinet clear of the conduit. It’s a
good idea to mount your cabinet on pads in any case if
you have masonry or plasterboard to deal with.
2 I tried laying out some of my tools on the bench to see
how they would all fit in – it became apparent they
wouldn’t all go, so I ended up adopting more than one
solution to accommodate everything.

Making the tool cabinet

3 The cabinet sides, top and bottom are made from utile,
obtained in pre-finished sizes at our useful local timber
yard who keep good quality stock. This avoids lots of
preparation and speeds up the process.
3

67
 4 5 6

7 8

9 10 11

4 I decided to biscuit the sides on to the top and bottom of the cabinet. 7 The back panel was glued in position; this is important as the
First, however, a rebate is required to take the 6mm sapele-faced MDF back panel will be screwed to the wall and carry the load of the
back panel. Sapele looks quite similar to the utile. whole cupboard.
5 A quick check to make sure it was all fitting together with the back in 8 I used plenty of clamps to ensure the back panel was pressed
place. I decided the shelves would be added later as the storage situation firmly into the rebate. During all the glue-up work I let the glue
became clearer. go plasticky and then lifted the exuded glue off with a second
6 The 20 size biscuit slots were marked and the slots made in the centre best chisel.
of each component. The sides are full height and hold the top and 9 Next, the shelf positions were gradually worked out from the
bottom between them for strength. The top and bottom are machined bottom of the carcass placing the first set of planes in position
flat on the bench while the sides are pressed against the workshop wall so the shelf spacing was correct. Had they all been pre-biscuited
when slotting. I think I might not have fitted everything in.

68
 12 13

14 15

16 17

10 Between the main shelves, I fitted smaller ledge-type shelves I shaped it on the bandsaw and finished it off on an inverted belt
in order to maximise the space. An offcut with a pencil mark sander. A turn-piece will be fitted to stop the saw falling out.
ensured it was glued in place level. All the glue joints were 14 The doors are a simple frame and panel construction using a loose
‘rubbed’. Note how the main shelf is resting on a pre-glued fillet. tongue in the corner mitres. The first job was to set the 6mm
11 Another short shelf was rubbed into position; the surplus groover in the correct position in the router table.
glue was later removed with a chisel. 15 A 45° MDF pushblock was used to create the grooves on all
12 I used a damp cloth to remove all glue traces. Sometimes using the frame components; this leading mitre was the first cut.
a chisel in ‘scraper’ mode after the cloth will help remove any 16 Then the trailing mitre cut was made at the other end.
remaining glue. 17 Lastly, the long edge was cut. This procedure was very quick to
13 The large tenon saw which was going to reside in the top of carry out. Note how the panel groove is set towards the back face
the cabinet needed a shaped block to hold the handle in place. of the frame component.

69
 18

19 20 21

18 Here you can see how neat

and simple the corner loose
tongue really is. If you want
you can ‘birdsmouth’ the tongue
so it fits tightly against the panel.
The doors were then glued and
clamped together carefully
checking for squareness.
19 The doors were rebated
together; I chose the right door
opening first as the cupboard
is fitted into a right-hand corner
of the workshop. In this photo,
just the last section is about to
be ‘climb cut’ – i.e. running
backwards over the cutter – as
the grain will tear out otherwise.
20 The hinge recesses in the doors
and carcass were machined using
a hinge cutting bit. Then a sharp
chisel was used to square them to
fit the hinges.
21 The cabinet was fixed to the
softwood battens behind using
screws in screw cupwashers which
look smart and a bit ‘retro’ but
also avoid damaging the back panel.
22 Finally, the cabinet was finished
with sealer and waxed. Standard
brass knobs and small cylindrical
door magnets let into the carcass
edges completed the fit.
22

70
THOMAS FLINN CELEBRATES CENTENARY
The British saw company is marking 100 years
in the business with a dovetail
saw giveaway

Thomas Flinn & Co, the UK’s only traditional saw manufacturer, is celebrating
its centenary this year. The company was founded in 1923 in Sheffield by Thomas The PAX saw range
Flinn, a saw maker in a city synonymous with steel and its by-products. Sheffield
quality is known worldwide and in the early days of this company, there were many
manufacturers dotted all round the city – there were likely as many as 70 saw
making companies. Frank Ellis was Thomas Flinn’s apprentice and purchased the
business from him in 1936. The company has been in the Ellis family ever since,
with generations two, three and four all having roles.

Premium tools
The company has had to evolve to ensure survival. The focus is now on premium saw
making having purchased many of Sheffield’s old brands of saws. The PAX brand is one
of the most well known and was established in 1776. The Garlick Saw Company (Lynx
brand) began in 1858. Over time, modern technology has been brought in to assist in PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THOMAS FLINN & CO

the continuity of production but all the saws still have a lot of skilled elements and hand
work in to ensure all saws are made with precision and care. A premium quality saw such
as this means it can be re-sharpened and will last a life time with care. Thomas Flinn also
purchased Clifton planes in 2014 and added this line of premium planes to their range.
Many of the tools are exported, with more than 50% of goods being shipped worldwide
to various retailers and via their own website, which enables a great platform for some of
the niche items they manufacture. The company’s reputation for high quality reaches far
and wide and people truly appreciate these tools made by craftsmen who have learned their
trade from previous generations. They aim to continue manufacturing only the finest saws
and hand planes and champion the Made in Britain ethos. www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk

Giveaway
To mark this special year, Thomas Flinn is giving away a PAX 1776 10in dovetail saw
20tpi with rip closed handle. See more about the saw at: www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk/
product/pax-1776-dovetail-saw-closed-handle/. For your chance to win, please
email your name, address and phone number to [email protected]. The PAX 1776 saw with a walnut handle

71
 OVAL TV STAND
Alan Holtham combines a number
of tricky techniques to put
together this stylish
and compact base

This is a stylish but relatively

straightforward project to make,
requiring just the bare minimum in
the way of tools and materials; however,
there are a couple of interesting little
techniques you will have to master along
the way. First, you need to cut a large oval
shape very accurately leaving a perfectly
smooth edge. Second, you also have to
lip all the cut edges if you are using
a veneered panel material such as
this blockboard. You can cheat
a little and use iron-on edging
to make the job easier, but I
am never very happy with the
finished appearance of this
and prefer to cut my own thicker
lipping from solid material. This is
easy to attach to the straight edges but a
little bit more challenging for the oval ones!
The material is 18mm blockboard veneered with ash and the
project uses approximately half an 8 x 4 sheet, but you will also
need a fairly long length of solid material to produce the lippings.
The first step is to cut the oval template in thin ply or MDF
and although you can do this by eye and then sand the edge it is
much more accurate if you use an ellipse jig of some sort. I am
using a homemade one, but they also available ready-made.

The ellipse jig

This ellipse jig is not original, I have seen variations of it in
several books, but it is very easy to make and works a treat.
If you substitute the central pivot base for a single pin you can
then use the arm as a large trammel for circle cutting as well.
A true oval obviously doesn’t have a constant radius. The
radius is greater along the main axis of the oval and smallest
along the minor axis. Ovals actually have two pivot points
and it is this feature that is utilised in this jig; the trammel
beam pivots about the two points simultaneously.

Getting started with the jig

1 You need very little in the way of materials to make this jig;
the only requirement is that the main beam must be strong
and rigid so I cut this from an offcut of maple, ripping it
1
down to 10mm thick.

72
 Knife-cut
veneer

Blockboard

Solid
lipping

Dowels
Balancing
veneer
Solid
lipping

Dowel
holes

Blockboard

Lipping

Veneer

Dowels

Swivel
castors

73
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAN HOLTHAM
2 3

4 5

6 7

2 You need to drill a series of holes along the middle of the bar. I spaced this on with contact adhesive and then trimming it back with
them at 20mm centres using a very simple repetition jig on the drill a bearing-guided cutter.
press that ensures accurate and even spacing. 5 Screw a 20mm-thick block of wood onto one end of the platform as
3 For the router platform I used a piece of 6mm MDF screwed onto the a fixing point for the main beam. The beam itself needs a narrow slot
router base with two countersunk bolts. Make the platform a little routing in one end to provide fine adjustment for the radius if the hole
oversized to start with, then once the router is fixed in place you can spacing on the beam isn’t quite suitable.
do a bit of cosmetic shaping to make it look a bit more professional. 6 Two screws with washers through this slot will hold the beam tight
Use a straight two-flute cutter to plunge through the base and provide to the platform but allow for this adjustment if need be.
the working aperture. 7 The finished router platform is shown here. I use a small router for
4 To give some wear resistance and make the thing slide round a bit more this type of work but the beam and platform are quite strong enough
easily I covered the base of the platform with some laminate, sticking if you have more ambitious plans with a heavy-duty model.

74
 8 9

10 11

12 13

Building the pivot base Guide segments

8 The pivot base is equally simple to construct and again you can use 9 Plane the material for the guide segments at a 10° angle, and then
up all sorts of offcuts for material. The main base is another piece cut it into four equal squares.
of 6mm MDF cut to a circle with the router using a trammel. In fact 10 The two grooves must be at right angles to each other so draw these
all I use is one of the fence guide bars with a hole drilled in one end out on the MDF base as a reference, then glue on the first two blocks
through which I insert a fine nail. Hammer this into the middle using thicknessed spacers to maintain the groove.
of your disc and just whizz the router round for a perfect circle. 11 Repeat the procedure for the other two blocks, and then trim
The guide segments for the pivot base are again maple, anything fine the excess back to the original MDF circle.
grained will do, as you will need to get a smooth polished finish on 12 The sliding pivot blocks are cut to be a snug sliding fit in the
it. I decided to make the channel in one of the axes of the base grooves, obviously one is angled and the other square. Use some
dovetailed to prevent the beam falling out. I did debate whether wax polish on both the blocks and the grooves to get them sliding
to make them both dovetailed but this would have entailed a really smoothly.
disproportionate amount more work and the single angled slot has 13 Drill a bolt hole through the centre of each block countersinking
since proved to be fine. In fact, I think the action would not have the head so that it won’t affect the sliding action.
been as easy if both slots were angled.

75
 14 15

16 17

18 19

14 The main beam is attached to these pivots with wing nuts and 17 A couple of short lengths of double-sided tape will get it firm enough,
washers, but don’t over tighten the nuts or it will not swing easily. but do press it in place really hard to get the tape to grip firmly. Now
15 The action of the finished jig is remarkably smooth. Try it a few line up the beam with the major axis and position the router bit so
times with the router in place; you may need to make minor that it is on the marked diameter. Centre the pivot that slides along
adjustments to the length of the pivot blocks so they don’t block the minor axis and bolt it to the beam.
each other when they cross over in the centre of the jig as you 18 Swing the beam round 90° lining it up with the minor axis and
swing the beam right round. positioning the router bit at the smaller radius of the ellipse. Centre
the other pivot and fasten the beam to it in this position. Swing the
Using the jig router round at this setting to make sure it passes through the four
16 You need to know the overall length of both axes of the finished extreme points of the ellipse.
ellipse and then mark these out on the workpiece. Fix the centre
of the pivot base on the intersection of these two axes and use the Making cuts
lines on the centre of each slot as a guide to line up one slot with 19 Now start taking shallow cuts to form the ellipse, applying a small
the main axis and the other slot with the minor axis. amount of outward pressure on the router to take up any play in the

76
 20

21 22

23 24

blocks as they slide around. As ellipses vary enormously in proportion 22 Adjust the settings of the jig until the two axes of the ellipse
you may find that this jig will not cope with all sizes. The key are the required length. You may not be able to get both of these
feature is the difference between the main and minor axes, which spot-on unless you make a specific jig, but they should be near
in the case of this jig must be no more than about 305mm. For enough and the shape is not that critical anyway.
extreme sizes you may need to make a different sized pivot base. 23 I cut the template material using a 6mm diameter router cutter,
but to minimise the risk of chatter and breakage, try using 8mm
20 Here you can see the complete finished jig. diameter shank bits for cutting applications; they are significantly
more rigid than the 6mm versions.
Cutting the ovals for the TV stand 24 I’m not sure which way to work when cutting out a shape like this!
21 Start by fixing the jig centre boss in the middle of the template Normally you would work clockwise if it was an inside cut and
material using double-sided tape. I also put a very small screw anticlockwise for an outside one. This cut is both simultaneously,
through the centre of the boss to provide a reference for the so work whichever way feels most comfortable. For some reason
centre of the template which you will need later. my jig operates more smoothly working clockwise.

77
 25 26

27 28

29 30

25 Once you have cut the template use it to mark out the top and Use this centre point as a reference to carefully measure and mark
bottom shelves and cut these out using a jigsaw, leaving 2 or out the position of the uprights on just one of the shelves.
3mm of waste on the outside of the line.
26 Temporarily stick the template to a shelf using double-sided Dowelling
tape and fit a bearing-guided trimming cutter in the router. 29 The stand is fixed together with dowels and it is so much quicker and
27 Run the cutter around the shelf with the bearing in contact with the easier to make a custom jig for a job like this. It is just a piece of 2 x 1
template to produce a perfectly square and smooth edge. This edge material with a series of equally spaced holes drilled along one edge.
will only be as good as the finish on the template, so do take lots of Ideally use a drill press when making the jig to make sure they are
care to get this really smooth when you’re making it. perfectly square and accurately centred.
28 Before removing the template mark the centre point on one of the 30 Clamp the two shelves together so that they are lined up perfectly
shelves using a bradawl through the centre hole left by the ellipse jig. and use some double-sided tape to stick the dowelling jig in position

78
 31 32

33

34

length for the intermediate shelf.

32 Cut the square ends for the intermediate shelf roughly to length
with a saw and then trim them square and true using the router
and the same bearing-guided cutter in a simple squaring jig.
33 To form the matching dowel holes in the uprights screw a spacer
in place to the edge of the jig such that the centre line of the jig
coincides with the centre line of the upright when it’s clamped
in position.

Lipping
34 To make the lipping material plane and thickness a piece of solid
35
ash to be approximately 2mm thicker than the veneered board.
Plane the edge of the strip carefully and then rip a 3.5mm strip
the full length. Re-plane the remaining edge and repeat until you
along the centre line of the upright. Set the depth stop on the dowel have enough. Fit a false table to the thicknesser bed and reduce
drill such that it penetrates right through one of the shelves and two the thickness of these strips to 3mm taking only very light cuts.
thirds of the way into the one below. Repeat the procedure for the 35 Unless the grain is perfectly aligned with the strip there will
other upright. inevitably be some areas of short grain which may cause the strip
31 The shelf with the holes right through can be used on the underside to break up as it is passing through the machine. There is no easy
as they will never show and drilling the two together ensures they answer to this, but cut a few spares and you should end up with
will line up perfectly. Make a trial assembly and measure the precise at least the two long ones you need.

79
 36 37

38 39

40 41

36 Lippings are cut slightly over length and glued in place. The straight inch or so of each end of the lipping.
ones are easy enough to clamp, but the curved ones require a bit 39 Once the glue is set use a very fine saw to cut through both pieces
more ingenuity. I held the one for the central shelf with its curved to produce a near perfect joint. I used a thin sliver of cardboard
front in place with an elastic bungee cord. to work some glue behind the joint and then held it in place with
37 For the oval top and bottom I used a luggage strap, gradually masking tape until it set.
pulling it tighter and tighter as the lipping bent around the shelf. 40 There are various options for trimming lipping back to be flush
I was going to use string and a tourniquet if this didn’t work. with the shelf. You can use a finally set plane, angling it slightly
38 Rather than try and calculate the exact length required leave the away from the shelf, but be very careful you don’t damage the
lipping slightly over length and just overlap the joint for now whilst veneer. A much better method is to use the router fitted with a
the bulk of it is glued in place. Keep the glue away from the last chamfer or rounding over cutter. However, you will have to stick

80
42 43

a thin sub-base to half the

router base so that it bridges
over the projecting lipping.
41 A fine adjuster on the router is
a great help as well, as it allows
you to set the cutter height
precisely so that it trims away
the excess lipping but leaves
the shelf surface untouched.
A quick rub with some fine
abrasive wrapped around a
block should ensure that the
two edges match up perfectly,
but again be very careful that
you don’t sand through the very
thin veneer of the flat surface.
42 The assembly is very
straightforward. Put plenty
of glue on the dowels and
their holes and then use sash
cramps to hold the central shelf
together. Piling on some heavy
weights is the easiest method
of squeezing the shelves down
tight onto the uprights.
43 A crosspiece is glued and
dowelled into the top back
of the unit to provide some
lateral stability, but leave a big
enough gap between this and
the central shelf to allow
plugs to be fed through.
44 Fit some good quality
castors to the underneath
and the job is complete and
ready for finishing. I gave it
a very light sanding with
240-grit abrasive to clean
off any dirty marks and they
then used three coats of satin
pre-cat lacquer applied with
a brush and flatted down
44
between coats.

81
 CREATING AN A-FRAME
Philip Cooke demonstrates how to use a hand-drawn rod to create a simple A-frame

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHILIP COOKE

When I was a beginner to the world
of woodworking, I took the Furniture
Crafts course at Royal Leamington Spa
College, which was a great way to learn
a vast array of skills under the tuition
of some fantastic craftsmen. The
A-frame is an introductory project
intended to practise the use of hand
tools while learning to work from a full
scale drawing called a rod – something
that I was unfamiliar with until taking
the course. It’s a process that removes
the need to calculate angles or take
measurements while you are making as
you effectively produce components that
match those shown on the drawing, thus
eliminating some of the complexity of the
process. However, as you’ll discover, that
doesn’t mean that mistakes are completely
unavoidable. To begin with I suggest you
either draw your rod onto a piece of flat
sheet material such as 6mm MDF or tape
a paper drawing onto a suitable board.
The team at the college offer various
techniques for different aspects of wood-
working and those demonstrated here
may be a hybrid of techniques you’re
familiar with. This is what I believe to
1 2
be one of the best things about learning
from a few different tutors: exposure to
a variety of different methods allows
you to develop a range of skills that
work best for you.

Marking the cross-

halving joints
The frame consists of only three
components and three cross-halving
3 4
joints and all are marked on the timber
using the rod as the guide. Beginning
with the joint at the apex of the frame,
small marks are made with a pencil on
the edges of the timber by placing the
components directly onto the rod.
These marks are then extended, before
running them around the reverse-side
of the timber – to show where the joint
will be cut. Using a marking gauge set
5 6
to half the thickness of the timber, set
out the depth of the joint on both edges 1 Marking out using the rod requires no calculations of angles or lengths 2 Any scrap timber will work to
of the first piece of the frame. create the guide, as long as it is flat

82
 “A” FRAME 2D & DECONSTRUCTED 3D Apex halving joint

Crosspiece halved
at both ends

300
45

45

30

19 300

SIDE ELEVATION FRONT ELEVATION

7 8
3 Cutting the angle of the joints is made easier by adjusting your positioning in line with the angle 4 Removing the waste using a chisel and mallet
5 Using a router plane to tidy the base of the joints 6 Wedges allow for small adjustments to be made to loose-fitting joints until the frame is glued
7 Clamping the crosspiece may require the use of a single deep throat clamp for better access and to aid accuracy 8 The set-up used for gluing the frame

Cutting the joints

Depending on how close you cut to your marks with a saw you can make chiselling out the waste easier later on. My preference is to use
ignore the latter part of this step, however, if, like me, you’re still a ¾in bevel-edge chisel and mallet to remove the waste from the joint,
developing your sawing skills here’s a technique that may work for you. leaving a little bit of material at the base. Once you have removed the
Cut a few millimetres in from your marks and make relief cuts that waste, clamp a piece of scrap timber with a reliably straight edge in

83
 9 10

11 12
9 Working from the rod to mark the length of the legs 10 Removing the excess timber from the frame 11 A freshly burnished scraper will give you the
best results when tidying the frame up 12 The completed A-frame

line with the mark of your joint in the vice. This creates a reference create marks where your uprights meet the crosspiece on the rod;
surface for you to work to when paring the shoulders back to your you’ll end up with eight points. Now use a square to create marks
original marks. If you have a router plane, use it to tidy up the on the edges of the timber in line with the original knife marks.
bottom of the joint, but if not you can use a chisel. Whichever Next, clamp the crosspiece in position onto the frame using the
method you choose, be careful to avoid rounding the inside edges marks you have just created and extend them across the face of the
of your joint and delicate points. uprights. Then mark on the reverse side of the crosspiece where it
meets the uprights, before removing the clamps to finish marking all
Checking the joint the joints. Use the same technique as before to cut and fit these joints.
Interlock the two uprights and place them against your rod
to check if they are joined at the correct angle. If not, use Removing the excess timber
the technique described earlier to make small adjustments. Place the frame against the rod and use a marking knife to mark
At this stage don’t worry if your joint isn’t a tight fit, the angle where the ends of the uprights will be. Use a steel rule to connect
is more important than the joint in this instance and the horns these and extend the marks all around the timber. Remove the
extending beyond the joints at the apex will be cut away once the waste allowing a few millimetres to trim later with a plane. Also
frame is glued. You may, however, need to make allowances for a cut the excess from the top of the frame leaving a little material
loose joint. You can do this by making small wedges to insert into to trim later.
the outer edges of the joint on both faces to push your timbers To do this clamp the frame upside down and low in the vice and
into the correct position while you continue with the frame. gradually plane down to your marks. Be careful to avoid tear-out by
setting your plane to take very fine shavings as you will need to plane
Marking the crosspiece the same edge in both directions. Finally, you can use a scraper or
With your uprights together, clamp them to your rod to prevent plane to remove any remaining marks from your timber, and then
them from moving during the next step. Using a marking knife, your frame is complete.

84
 DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
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71
 LIVING THE HIGH LIFE
Ever since our ancestors climbed down from Lauren Jarvis meets Dick Thorne, aka Mr Treehouse,
the trees millions of years ago, we’ve always had
a fascination to climb back up; to capture that who quit a career in the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad
feeling of being secluded and safe, cradled and
nurtured in nature’s strong, protective arms. to pursue his passion for building treehouses
A treehouse is the embodiment of this
primeval desire. Beyond the reach of danger,
being cosy and snug, they elevate us to be kings
or queens of our very own timber castle – and The growing idea
ease a retreat into a simpler world, away from ‘There’s been a definite shift with people wanting to get back to nature,’ confirms Dick Thorne,
the stresses and strains of modern-day life. From founder and Director of Mr Treehouse, a company that builds bespoke treehouses, and its
the simple forest homes of Tarzan and Mowgli, sister company, Mr Zip Wire. ‘We’re no longer just creating play spaces for kids – more adults
to the elaborate arboreal abodes of the Ewoks are coming to us for higher-spec houses to use as offices and dens, or to rent for additional
and Swiss Family Robinson, a life in the trees income. I suspect that some of our zip wires are actually for the parents, too!’
has become synonymous with self-sufficient Mr Treehouse sprang organically from an acorn of an idea into what’s now a flourishing
escapism, capturing the imagination of both business. Growing up in the 1960s in rural Devon, Dick wasn’t raised on TVs and tablets,
young and old with the promise of adventure. but on fresh air and outdoor experiences, spending summer days building dens in the woods.
As the world’s urban populations grow and It’s where he began to hone his craft and years later, this talented self-taught carpenter
more people than ever leave the countryside to built his first fully-fledged treehouse for his own children, Alicia and Henry, after moving
live in our concrete-centric cities, there’s an to London.
urge inside many of us to reconnect with the ‘We wanted a space that the whole family could bond in,’ remembers Dick, who now lives
land – and what better place to do it than in a in Lymington, Hampshire. ‘We used the treehouse for sleepovers when the kids were little,
space which literally has its roots in the earth? but they hung out there until they were well into their teens.’

88
‘If we build a treehouse that our customers will love for years to come,
then I’m a very happy man. I’m basically just a tree-hugger at heart!’
It wasn’t just the Thorne children that were impressed with their So far, the leap of faith has paid off, and Mr Treehouse has
dad’s woodwork skills. A neighbour saw the treehouse and asked designed and built over 100 treehouses, as well as garden play areas,
Dick to design one for them – word spread and soon he was building summerhouses and zip wires, with demand definitely on the rise.
every weekend, while working for the Metropolitan Police’s Flying ‘Until recently, 90% of our business was building for children,’
Squad during the week. says Dick. ‘Now people want larger structures in their gardens to
‘I’d always wanted to be in The Sweeney,’ he smiles, remembering let out on Airbnb.’
what first attracted him to join the Met in 1982. ‘It was exciting and Hotels across the country, from the New Forest’s luxurious
rewarding, but I was away a lot and it could be dangerous work. My Chewton Glen to Staffordshire’s family-friendly Alton Towers
south London patch was pretty lively back then, so once the children Resort, are now offering exotic aerial accommodation alongside
came along, I started thinking about doing something less risky.’ their traditional rooms and suites. And from yurts to tepees,
Romany caravans to Hobbit homes, there’s a growing number
Branching out of us seeking solace in what’s perceived as a simpler space, albeit
Dick decided to branch out and take a stand to promote with 21st-century mod cons and comforts.
Mr Treehouse at the Ideal Home Show, where he secured enough Mastered fabulously by the elusive Kombai and Korowai tribes
pre-orders to go part-time at the Met, allowing time to build up the of Papua, Indonesia, who live on spindly-stilted, sky-soaring
business. A few years on, he was in the position to spread his wings platforms 40m above the ground, the treehouse phenomenon is
and leave the Flying Squad for good. gaining momentum not just here, but around the world. And with
‘It was a big decision, but I think I left at the right time, having unique resorts such as Tongabezi Lodge, which boasts a secluded,
achieved what I wanted to achieve,’ says Dick. ‘It also meant I could stylish escape built in the branches of an ebony tree in Zambia,
strike a much better work-life balance, and spend lots more time to Secret Bay, a tropical forest hideaway on the Caribbean island of
with my family.’ Dominica, there’s never been a better time to head back to the trees.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DICK THORNE

Castle ramparts, rope bridge and slide in an unused

area of garden under the canopy of a large fig tree 89
 ‘Building a treehouse as a luxury holiday let can definitely be very different from what Mum and Dad want, so we compare the
very lucrative,’ says Dick. ‘And the process isn’t as complicated as two wish lists. Of course, there have been requests for flat-screen
you’d think. Any private build over 3m high requires planning TVs and Xboxes… they’re kids after all! Our goal is to deliver the
permission, which takes around six-to-eight weeks to come through. treehouse of their dreams.’
We’ve only had one application denied for a treehouse – near a Working with his partner, Penny, and a trusted core team of
Grade-II-listed rectory in an area of outstanding natural beauty. three carpenters, Dick calls on the additional craftsmen he needs
It would have obstructed the view, so we built a ground-level studio to complete each project, from plumbers and electricians, to
instead. We can build to any height as long as it’s safe, and the architects and structural engineers, with six people working on
budget can be as big as your imagination.’ each build. The wood – mainly Scandinavian and Scottish pine
Maybe it comes from his time with the Force, but for Dick, – is FSC certified and comes from a local supplier in Surrey,
nothing is too much of a challenge. The design process begins guaranteed for 10 years against decay.
with discussions to find out what the customer has in mind, before ‘Dream it and they’ll build it’ seems to be Dick’s motto.
detailed architectural plans are drawn up. Preservation orders mean A treehouse with room for a chicken coop beneath? No problem.
that around 90% of Dick’s treehouses are freestanding and built How about a pirate ship for a playhouse – or a fibreglass fishing
around the tree, rather than on it, to avoid damage. If the house is trawler suspended in an oak tree for a marine-themed man cave?
for the kids, then the whole family is invited to contribute ideas, It’s on its way. Fancy a three-bedroom ‘treeco lodge’ with a
and that continues throughout the build, allowing for changes of sphagnum-moss roof, solar panels and recycled glass and wood?
heart and new elements to be integrated along the way. It’s done. Mr Treehouse even helped designer Claudia de Yong
‘A treehouse has got to be more than simply a house in a tree to scoop the prestigious Tudor Rose Award at the RHS Hampton
sit in,’ explains Dick. ‘We like to include hammocks, walkways or Court Palace Flower Show with a rustic hideaway for her
zip wires. We always involve the children, as their ideas are often water garden, Hot Springs.

One of two
children’s playhouses,
connected by a bridge
and including climbing
wall, scramble net,
trap doors, lighting
and heating with
90a 30m zip wire
 A 30m zipwire at
a primary school

‘Treehouse building has been around for hundreds of years,’ says Dick. ‘We still use love for years to come, then I’m a very happy man.
traditional methods and craftsmanship in our builds to maintain that iconic image of I’m basically just a tree-hugger at heart!’
a treehouse, but we’re very open to working with modern materials, too. We thrive on
developing original designs, introducing eco-friendly elements, or suspending the houses mrtreehouse.co.uk
in an innovative way. This is our passion. If we build a treehouse that our customers will Instagram: @mr.treehouse.co.uk

91
 GARDEN
GATE
James Hatter builds a simple
gate, ideal for a side entrance

This garden gate was made using readily

available pressure-treated timber. I chose this
material because it is economical and long
lasting. The wood is rough sawn, so may not be
the best choice for a decorative front gate, but
I needed to replace a rotted gate to my side
entrance, so the materials chosen were suitable.
The design uses feather edge pressure-treated
fence boards attached to a frame made using
mainly 60 x 30mm fence rail, and a wider
95 x 25mm gravel board for the bracing members.
The construction is simple, and uses jointing
biscuits, waterproof adhesive and screws. I have
used jointing biscuits for outside projects before,
and have found them to be very satisfactory.
Pressure-treated timber can usually be
obtained from a fencing firm. The feather edge
boards are nominally 100mm wide and can be
obtained in a number of lengths, whereas the
60 x 30mm rail is often in 3m lengths. Gravel
boards are nominally 200mm wide so can be
sawn centrally to give the bracing members.

Customising the design

The dimensions given make a gate of 880mm
width and 1,580mm height. To customise
the width, first measure the distance between
existing posts, or install posts then measure.
Allow 16mm (i.e. 2 x 8mm), for the door
clearance, and 120mm (i.e. 2 x 60mm), to give
the length of the cross members. Make up the
frame, and determine the length of the braces.
The height can be decided by the length of the
side uprights, and that of the cladding boards.
The spacing between the boards should ensure
a reasonable overlap, in my case the spacing
was 78mm.

Making the gate

1 Cut the components to length, mark the
positions for the joints, then drill two 5mm
clearance holes at each joint, to take two
1
4 x 85mm decking screws.

92
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES HATTER
2 3

4 5

2 Cut two matching size 10 biscuit slots at each joint, for the top
and bottom crosspieces.
3 The centre crosspiece is doubled in width, towards its ends, by
joining added lengths, using size 20 biscuits, and a 4 x 85mm screw.
4 Cut two matching size 20 slots at each end of the centre crosspiece,
and the correct position on the side uprights.
5 Assemble the frame by inserting two size 10 joining biscuits
in one end of the top and bottom crosspieces. Use a water-
resistant adhesive.
6 The centre crosspiece has two size 20 biscuits at each end.
7 Join the side upright to the crosspieces, then use two 4 x 85mm
decking screws at each joint to pull the joints together.
7

93
 8 9

10 11

12 13

8 You can now repeat for the other side upright. 11 Attach the bracing members using 4 x 85mm decking screws,
9 Ensure that the frame is square, then place a length of timber, through the side upright, and top and bottom crosspieces.
from corner to corner, and mark to form a bracing member. 12 Allow the adhesive to cure, then the frame is ready for cladding.
10 Cut to the marks, and insert in place. Join in place using screws 13 Attach a temporary batten to the bottom of the side uprights
through the crosspieces, and uprights. Repeat for the other to aid the alignment of the cladding.
bracing member.

94
 14 15

16 17

18 19

14 Now you need to cut two spacer pieces, to ensure the lengths Cutting a curved top
of cladding are evenly spaced. You can then attach each cladding 17 The top edge can be left square or, as shown, a curve can be used
length using galvanised nails into the crosspieces. instead. To do this, bend a flexible edge to shape, and then draw
15 Continue to attach the feather edge boards across the frame. the shape.
16 The final board is attached so that the thickest edge is towards 18 Then use a jigsaw to cut out the shape.
the outside. 19 Although the timber has been pressure treated, the cut ends
need to be treated with a wood preserver – clear or coloured.

95
 20 21

22

20 Attach the gate hinges to the top

and bottom crosspieces, using plated
exterior grade screws for long life.
21 Lift the gate into position and attach
the hinges to the support post.
22 Attach a suitable gate latch. Close
the gate and attach lengths of 25 x
25mm batten to each gate post to
act as gate stops.
23 Here is a rear view of the finished gate.

96

23
 PHOTOGRAPH BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
To buy or not to buy?
Alan Goodsell takes a workshop break and
ponders his spending habits on his hobbies

I am sure that, like most of you, I’m a passionate hobbyist and I have a few
other interests outside of woodworking. I was chatting to a buddy recently
about an unusual trait I have that seems to be common to all my hobbies,
and it turns out I am not alone; my buddy does the same thing. When
I have decided I want a piece of equipment, I do my due diligence and bought all the stuff I need to go with it … or so I thought. It turns
research the living daylights out of it until in the end I know just about out that some of the stuff I thought I would need I actually don’t,
everything there is to know about it, where to get it for the best price and so that was a waste of money. Other accessories are OK, but I then
what else I will need to go with it. In the case of woodworking, it could I might find better or cheaper ones, but the worst scenario of all are
be a router table, or a tablesaw for example, but all my hobbies have the the times that after buying the accessories I decide that I don’t really
same kind of larger investment for a particular piece of equipment, in my want the piece of equipment at all. Then I have a pile of unneeded
buddy’s case it was a camera. stuff that I then have to try to resell. People buying stuff online get
So, having decided to get the said piece I procrastinate as I still need all the benefits from my misguided investments and when you see
to justify the purchase, but in the meantime, I am still looking for all a comment on an item for sale that says ‘my loss is your gain’ that
the stuff that goes with it. The ‘trait’ I have is my continued research and is probably me! I tell myself every time to wait to buy the accessories
finding accessories for good prices ‘that will never be repeated’ so I have to until after buying the core piece, but I don’t seem to listen to myself.
buy them and squirrel them away, awaiting the main piece of the puzzle. Is this something you do? If so, I would love to hear your experiences
When I eventually feel brave enough to make the investment, I pull the of committing too early to a piece of equipment.
trigger and buy the piece of equipment, feeling happy that I have already
Happy woodworking! Alan

WORDSEARCH SUDOKU
Balustrade Gauge Spalting Sudoku is a great activity to sharpen the mind.
Blade Horsepower Splinter The object of Sudoku is to fill in the empty spaces
Bracket Lime Stave of a 9x9 grid with numbers 1-9 in such a manner
Cladding Log Timber that every row, every column and every 3x3 box
Finish Restoration Ventilation contains all numbers 1 through 9.

97
 THE PENCIL GAUGE
One of the best ways to master the art of using hand tools is to use them to
make tools of your own. Theo Cook demonstrates a few tricks of the
trade as he makes a pencil gauge from bog oak

The pencil gauge is often overlooked

as being a useful addition to the tool kit,
but for me, it’s an essential part of my
layout and marking equipment. In fact I use
it for marking out nearly all my woodworking
joints prior to using a marking gauge or a scalpel.
I’m a teacher at Robinson House Studio furniture
school in East Sussex and I often let the students
use my own tools so they can experience as many
different ways of working as possible before settling
on one that suits their style. A favourite among the
students for the last few years has been my collection
of workshop-made pencil gauges. When it comes to layout,
marking and measuring it helps to have a good solid technique
and a selection of tools that you can rely on. So, what better
way to combine these principles than to incorporate them into
a live project and make one of your own? This article is based
on one of our set piece projects that includes all the elements
of accurate marking, measuring and cutting to produce a tool
that will become a firm favourite in your layout armoury.
You could of course buy a new or second-hand marking
gauge and modify that if you want but for me that’s missing
the point; making your own is far more satisfying and you get
to choose the timber. My choice on this occasion was bog oak.

First principles
Begin by making the stock. As every face on this component
is a potential reference face take the time to make sure that
every face and edge is square and flat. A hefty plane and
shooting board is my preferred method.
If your finished dimensions are slightly less than those in
the cutting list, don’t fret – flat and square is more important.
1
Having accomplished this, mark out the through hole with
45° corners with a sharp pencil on both faces of the stock. If
you have chosen a dark wood use some masking tape to make
reading the layout lines easier. When you are happy with the
layout use a marking gauge to define the hole and generate cut
lines to guide your chisel later. Make sure not to extend the
perimeter lines right into the corners as they need to be at 45°.
It’s worth checking the width of your smallest chisel before
committing to gauge lines as you will need it to cut the corners.
For best results use a pillar drill to drill out the waste in the
hole by drilling halfway through from each side. This helps to
counter any drift in the drill and avoid breakout on the exit side
of the hole. I drilled four closely grouped holes using a 7.5mm
lip and spur drill bit.
You are now ready to clean the hole using a chisel, creeping
2
up slowly to the gauge lines and working from both sides.

98
 18.2
20.0
18.2

6.0

19.0 M6 cheese head 20mm bolt and nut

used to secure pencil in beam

Half round indent on upper face

18.2 of stock to match pencil shape

18.2

70.0

250.0 4.5

Ø4.5
30.0 M6 thumbscrew tapped into
4.5mm hole with captive washer
between screw end and beam
70.0

50.0
CUTTING LIST
Beam: 250 x 18.2 x 18.2mm
Stock: 70 x 55 x30mm
MARKING DIAGRAM

PHOTOGRAPHS BY THEO COOK

3 4
1 Here are the components for making the pencil gauge 2 A shooting board is your best friend when it comes to dimension components by hand
3 Use masking tape to highlight layout lines on dark timbers 4 Use a cutting gauge to establish clear parameters

99
 5 8

6 9

7 10
5 A 45° combination square is a great tool for generating accurate chamfers 6 Centre mark the holes before drilling to avoid drilling outside the gauge
lines 7 Leave enough material to fine-tune the hole with a sharp chisel 8 Convert your shooter to plane 45° with a simple jig 9 Through hole and
thumbscrew sleeve clearance 10 Create a recess to accommodate the washer

Use your layout gauge lines to locate your chisel for a final chop. the hole and have made a separate jig that allows me to shoot identical
A steadying block can be used to keep your chisel at 90° to the 45° chamfers on the corners. You may find that you are able to do
face of the stock. Chisels can quickly lose their edge when this freehand or by using a dedicated chamfer plane.
chopping through end grain on extremely hard woods so do not
rule out having to sharpen your chisel for the final few cuts. If Drilling for hardware
you have a die square or small engineer’s square use it to check Make sure you have sourced your hardware before drilling any holes
the walls of the hole. for the thumbscrew and thread. No two pieces of timber are the same
and it will pay to experiment with a few test holes in an offcut of the
Perfect fit same species to check the fit of these components. Having a selection
I prefer to use a shooting board to plane the beam so that it fits of drill bits at 0.5mm increments or less either side of what you expect

100
 13

11

14

12 15
11 My shop-made solution for drilling backwards 12 Cut your thread straight into the wood with a metal tap 13 & 14 Sink the nut and the head of
the bolt into the beam so they are flush 15 Cut a slot to give the clamp some spring

to use is also a good idea. A good engineering supplier should be able accommodate it before drilling for the tapping tool. This makes
to supply you with the corresponding drill for your tapping tool. There a neat step for the thumbscrew to go into and conceals the thread.
is a huge range of thumbscrews available online from ironmongers and Tap the thread and test fit the thumbscrew, and shorten the
engineering suppliers. This one has an M6 thread and required a 4.5mm length if required with a hacksaw or grinder. To avoid any damage
diameter hole. I was able to buy everything I needed from eBay. or wear to the wooden thread from the thumbscrew remove any
To prevent the thumbscrew from pressing directly onto the beam rough edges or burrs at the end.
when tightened, you will need to excavate a small cavity inside the square
hole to locate a washer. I made my own cutter for this job, but it can also Putting the lead
be done with a regular chisel. If your thumbscrew has a collar like mine into your pencil gauge
you may want to pre-drill a larger hole into the top of the stock to You can now mark out where to drill the hole for the pencil in the

101
 16 18

17 19
16 Shape the top and bottom of the stock to suit 17 Soften all the edges with a chamfer 18 Use a gouge to create a hollow for the pencil …
19 … and sand smooth with some fine abrasive

end of the beam. Unless the size of your pencil is very different from Finishing touches
mine this should be 19mm in from the end. Make sure you measure You can now turn your attention back to the stock and create
your pencil with a Vernier first to establish the correct size for the the finishing touches. These consist of shaping the top and
hole, it should be the same size as your pencil. For a clean hole I would bottom of the stock to suit your eye or the equipment you
use a lipped and spur-tipped drill bit to drill this hole with a pillar drill. have to hand and softening the edges with a slight chamfer.
With that done you can now mark out and drill the holes for the nut So that I can maximise the use of my gauge and work to
and bolt that are used to secure the pencil in place. I used a stainless within a lead’s width from the stock I have created a half round
steel M6 cheese head 20mm long bolt and an M6 stainless steel nut. indent on one face of the stock to match the shape of the pencil.
First drill a 6mm hole all the way through the beam. Then pass the You can do this with either a gouge or a rasp and finish with
bolt through the hole and tighten the nut onto it. Use a scalpel to trace some abrasive wrapped around a suitably sized piece of dowel.
round the nut to mark an appropriate recess that will accommodate Any surface preparation and finish should be approached
the nut flush with the side of the beam. Remove the waste with a small carefully as sanding the beam could reduce it in size, conversely
chisel and superglue the nut in place. Screw the bolt into the nut to the application of a thick protective coating could cause the
prevent the glue from clogging up the thread. The head for the bolt moving parts to bind or even transfer to your workpiece.
should also be cut in but this can be drilled. Cut the slot in the end A light oil such as Osmo or just plain wax should be sufficient.
of the beam with a tenon saw or similar or on a bandsaw. This gap
will allow the pencil to be gripped tightly.

102
Product news
Find out about the latest kit and tools for your workshop

Clarke electric drill bit sharpener

The new Clarke CBS20 electric drill bit sharpener is a fast, simple and effective
way to give your blunt drill bits a razor-sharp cutting edge. Ideal for use in a DIY
environment, the built-in drill bit guide ensures sharpening at the correct angle.
The CBS20 is suitable for individual 3mm to 12mm HSS drill bits.
Note: this sharpener is only suitable for sharpening single drill bits at a time.

www.machinemart.co.uk

Walsall College students shine in Liberon woodworking competition

Students at Walsall College in the West Midlands were put to the test by Liberon as part of a carpentry and joinery competition. The woodcare experts
called on first year learners on the college’s Level 2 Bench Joinery course to build and finish a stool for children, using Liberon’s Wax Polish Black Bison Paste.
Students were handed a specific design by their lecturer and asked to complete the project over 15 teaching hours in total. Two winning students plus a
runner-up were selected from the class by Director of Faculty, Neil Sambrook and Curriculum Delivery Manager, Nathan Hartshorne. The project incorporated
yellow pine for most of the stools with tulipwood used to create the circular seats. A laser cutter was programmed by the team at the college’s Digital Innovation
Hub to sear in the college logo on the seats. The two winners and runner-up each won a £25 Amazon voucher provided by Liberon.
Liberon’s Wax Polish Black Bison has a good content of carnauba wax and, being highly lustrous, makes wood look beautiful. Made from a blend of waxes,
it provides good resistance to finger and water marks, and is ideal for small surfaces such as chairs. Known for its high quality and pleasant, distinctive aroma,
it feeds, polishes and helps to prevent wood drying out, and has traditionally been used on antiques.

www.liberon.co.uk

103
 RESTORING AN 18TH-CENTURY
TILT TOP TABLE
Michael Huntley repairs
an oak tripod table

The tripod table – with or without tilt top – has been

a standard model basically since furniture began to be
commonplace in Britain. The three legs meant that the
table could stand without wobbling on the uneven surfaces
that were normal in Tudor and Stuart homes. The fact that the top
tilts means that it can be closed up and placed near the wall, or easily moved from
room to room. However, their simplicity, portability and versatility does mean that
they are often damaged. The damage usually takes the following forms: the top
boards coming apart, the legs coming off, feet broken and the top being scratched
or stained. There is also a class of tilt top table that has what is known as a ‘birdcage’
pivot. This pivot is much sought after, but because of frequent damage to the pivot,
it often has to be changed. Pivots and catches frequently require re-setting.
Although in poor condition and appearance, I felt that this antique table was
worth taking into the workshop for a tidy up. It was in what is sometimes known
as ‘barn’ condition meaning that it had been consigned to the barn or shed many
years ago. Provided you can get back the colour, such pieces are often worthwhile
because they have all the marks of age and look much better than a reproduction.
Authentic signs of ageing are, to the trained eye, almost impossible to recreate
convincingly and are all part of what we repeatedly refer to as ‘patina’.
These battle scars are not restricted to the obvious surfaces that might
legitimately sustain the odd ring mark from a vase or tea cup but
also the underside of table tops. These will often be extremely
grimy surfaces resulting from years of being handled and
because they will be lacking any sort of finish hold
valuable clues relating to its origins.
If you are able to examine the bottom of the feet this
will also tell you a great deal, if not more about the age
of a piece than the finished surfaces. Rarely, if ever,
will the process referred to as distressing be able to
give the appearance of age. Reproduction pieces carry
these marks to give the impression of age but nothing
ever looks as good as the real thing and will be an
important factor in determining the value of the piece.

Initial assessment
This table came to me with some of the typical
damage mentioned above. The whole table had been
varnished, as was evident from traces of old varnish
on the underside. It is essential when restoring to keep
all these old bits of evidence. In this case, it was very
convenient that the evidence was on the underside and
would therefore not mar the re-finished top. The top
itself was sound, but had traces of liming on it and quite
a number of black/dark purple marks. The dark marks
1
were almost certainly caused by iron staining on oak.
Water, oak and iron are a potent mix and can produce 1 The table top as it arrived, with black marks

104
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL HUNTLEY
2 3

4 5

black spotting. You can try bleaching with oxalic acid, but you
probably need to use a stronger mix, such as A & B bleach.
The initial inspection also revealed that there was one newish leg,
which needed colouring and polishing. The tilt top was missing its
catch and the marks on the top of the block attached to the column
did not match the marks on the underside of the top. All these
things indicated a ‘marriage’. That is the term used when a top half
and a bottom half of a piece of furniture are made up from bits of other
pieces of furniture. Now there is nothing wrong with a good marriage,
as long as the piece is not described as original. Because tilt top tables
are so useful, I decided that it was worth tidying this one up and
polishing it to blend in with other pieces of furniture.

Bleaching
Do not attempt bleaching unless you know what you are doing.
Awareness of the safety procedures is essential. Oxalic acid is
poisonous and ingestion can be fatal. Do not attempt to use it
unless you have been instructed how to do so safely.
I tried oxalic acid on this little table and although it reduced the
marks a bit, it wasn’t enough. So, I ordered some A & B bleach. This
6
must be used fresh, so you have to order it in for each job. Always wear
2 A solution of oxalic acid; although poisonous and strong, it did not chemical gloves and eye protection when opening containers. Many
shift the marks 3 Bottles of A & B bleach, note the separate applicators years ago my tutor said: ‘B solution can remove skin.’ So I have been
4 The darker area at the bottom is A solution. The bubbles at the top are careful ever since! I even have a spare pair of gloves handy. Use separate
the result of the B solution 5 All the A solution has now been covered with B applicators for the A & B type solutions. You can make up a rag brush
solution 6 The table was taken outside and rinsed thoroughly several times for each chemical, or use special grass brushes that won’t be damaged

105
 7 8 9

10 11
7 The table after staining. As you can see, the black marks are now reduced 8 Staining the column and legs 9 Applying polish
to the top 10 Using the brush to apply polish to the column and legs 11 Here you can see a place where the stain has not ‘taken’
12 Cutting back the difficult area 13 The underside of the top showing marks of a steel spring catch and the notch of a turn-
button catch. Old varnish is also visible 14 My solution showing two unlikely components so that they are not perceived as original

by the bleach. Work in a well lit, well ventilated, clean and clear for a week to let volatile components evaporate before applying
space. Bleaching will only work if all traces of original finish are any finish.
removed, and remember bleaching is a last resort! It will leave the It is most important that any rags, brushes or paper are bagged up
wood looking ‘dead’. and removed to outside of the workshop as these chemicals can react
Household bleach is usually a weak solution of sodium hypochlorite. with other items in the bin and self-combust, sometimes explosively.
It isn’t ‘strong’ enough for this table, so I used a two-pack bleach The rule is to ‘bag up like with like’ – don’t just throw it all in together.
consisting of sodium hydroxide (A) and hydrogen peroxide (B). Part A
is applied to the surface and is left to saturate the surface – in this case, Staining
for 10 minutes. Do not let the surface dry out. Using a separate brush, This is a fairly simple process – usually. I used Mylands light fast mid-
part B is applied liberally. This may be left to dry. Then the surface is oak stain because I didn’t want to go too dark at this early stage. Oak
rinsed with, ideally, distilled water. It is normal to have to repeat the can easily be darkened with van dyke or wax later on. As always, test
bleaching process. Finally, when you are satisfied, the area is washed on the underside of a leg or a similar place first.
with dilute acetic acid to neutralise any alkali. Wash again with Now, before applying to the top, you may ask why I haven’t sanded
water several times, usually outside. After bleaching, leave the surface the top. The answer is ‘oak’. Old oak does not have a smooth surface.

106
 12 13

hard on the top without over-tipping the table.

The best way to apply polish to a column and
the legs is with a brush. But photo 11 shows one leg
where there was a problem. The stain wouldn’t
‘take’. I thought all the surfaces had been cleaned
but I obviously missed the side of one leg. I washed
it back with white spirit then with meths and then
gave it a slight rub with Abranet, in order to get it
both chemically and physically clean. I then applied
freshly made shellac with Light Fast Mylands colour
in it, very carefully so as not to create a tide mark but
as the surface was resisting adhesion, also lightly so
as not to brush off the polish before it has cured.
This lightness of touch is hard to describe, but is
well known to watercolourists.
It doesn’t always work and it did take three
attempts this time. This difficult place was finally
completed, as were the cracks in the column, by
rubbing over with Liberon wax sticks. Once all the
polishing and waxing was complete there was one
more thing to do: reinstate the catch. This posed an
ethical problem. There was evidence of one type of
catch on the block and also of a different type of catch
on the underside of the top. I needed to keep both
sets of evidence intact. So what I decided to do was to
14
insert a piece of entirely ‘wrong’ timber in such a way
that any expert would see that it was wrong and know
that it was a much later replacement. I then fixed an
Always try to avoid smoothing, scraping or planing old oak. It should be pitted and old and attractive, but far too good quality round catch
open grained. to my modern block. This was all done so that the
The top was stained using a rag, in order to be able to blend in the edges as I went replacement catch worked with the old slot, thereby
along. It is absolutely vital when applying stain that you do not let the edges of the ensuring that no new excavations were needed to form
stain dry into hard tide lines, so you need to work quickly and try to do it all in one go. a keep in the block. The new timber had been glued
The column and legs were easier to do. in place using animal glue so that it could easily be
Once the stain is dry – leave it 48 hours to be safe –a body of shellac can be applied taken off. The entire arrangement is reversible using
to seal it in. Note the way of raising a small table up on blocks, so that you can press a little steam.

107
 THE HERITAGE CRAFTS
WOODWORKER
OF THE YEAR
Luthier Jonathan Hill won the prize organised by
Heritage Crafts and sponsored by Axminster Tools

Above: Jonathan Hill holding the award carved by Sarah Goss, with Heritage
Crafts Co-Chair David Clarke Right: ‘Die Lorelei’ 7/7 viola d’amore by Jonathan Hill

London-based luthier Jonathan Hill has won Heritage Crafts’ inaugural woodworker who re-established the craft of pole-lathe
Woodworker of the Year Award sponsored by Axminster Tools, including bowl turning in the 1990s). The winner’s trophy was
a £2,000 prize and trophy awarded at a special presentation at the House carved by Sarah Goss.
of Lords on 30 January 2023.
Jonathan Hill
About the award Jonathan is a maker of historic and modern stringed
Heritage Crafts was set up 13 years ago as a national charity to support and instruments including the viola d’amore, lira da braccio,
safeguard heritage crafts skills, and has become well known for its Red List violin and viola families. Following training at West
of Endangered Crafts, the first research of its kind to rank traditional crafts Dean College, he worked for a master violin maker in
in the UK by the likelihood they would survive the next generation. Yorkshire, and studied instrument making in Turkey
This new award, sponsored by Axminster Tools, celebrates a heritage with a master traditional oud maker. Many of Jonathan’s
craftsperson who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of clients are from leading orchestras and ensembles
woodworking over the past year. It recognises a contribution that is far beyond worldwide, including The Kreutzer Quartet, BBC
the ordinary, based on a proven dedication to a particular woodworking skill. Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Rietveld Ensemble
Judges for the award were Alan Styles (Managing Director of Axminster and Musica Alchemica. He is the only maker in the UK
Tools), Sarah Goss (a traditional woodcarver who featured as one of the experts specialising in violas d’amore and has now made more
in the recent Prince’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation programme consecutive instruments than any other maker,
on Sky Arts), and Robin Wood MBE (an internationally respected green living and historically.

108
 Award finalists
The two other finalists for the 2022 President’s
Award were Robin Johnson and David Robinson.
Robin produces tailor-made joinery, furniture and
metalwork from his workshop in Hastings. In the past
12 months he has designed and built the furniture for
a Gold Medal winning main garden at the RHS Chelsea
Flower Show, and been featured on TV shows Kings
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HERITAGE CRAFTS

of the Wood and Salvage Hunters: The Restorers.

David is a self-taught woodcarver with 30 years’
experience, and the Master Carver’s Association’s most
recent inductee. He works largely with chisels he made
himself from old penknives and bits of old Land
Rover spring.

Young Woodworker Award

Heritage Crafts aims to ensure that traditional craft
Installation for the Meta Show Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, skills are passed to the next generation: to provide fulfilling
made by Robin Johnson livelihoods rooted in the human desire to make; as the
building blocks of a more sustainable economy; and to better
equip young people to tackle the unknown challenges of the
future. For this to become a reality it is vital to celebrate the
young people who are embracing craft skills today, already
demonstrating excellence and becoming the role models of
the future.
The new Young Woodworker Award, sponsored by
Axminster Tools, is to celebrate a young heritage craftsperson
aged 25 or under who has made an outstanding start to their
woodworking career. The award winner will be highly skilled
amongst their peers, while raising the perceived value of their
craft through sharing and awareness raising. They will have
given themselves a fantastic chance of achieving long-term
success, perhaps overcoming disadvantage or setbacks along
the way.
As well as woodworking itself, this award is open to
practitioners of any craft that uses wood as its primary
material, including for example wheelwrighting, boatbuilding,
timber framing, marquetry, guitar making, etc. To be eligible,
Rockpool elm table, made by David Robinson the objects that the nominee makes must be made primarily
of wood that has been worked using skilled hand techniques.
Makers of composite objects are eligible as long as over
half the material used is worked wood.
Anyone, including the maker themselves, can
submit a nomination for this award. The winner will
receive a £1,000 prize. The opening date for applications
is 1 March 2023 and the closing date is 5 May 2023.

To apply, visit: awards.heritagecrafts.org.uk

Heritage Crafts and Axminster Tools will also be

running the main Woodworker of the Year Award
again this year, for practitioners of any age, which
will open for applications in June.

USEFUL LINKS jonathanhill-luthier.com

heritagecrafts.org.uk johnsonbespoke.co.uk
axminstertools.com davidrobinsondesign.com
Carved otters on an elm table, made by David Robinson

109
 PORTABLE
THICKNESSERS
Walter Hall gets to grips with this essential bit of workshop kit

Once timber has been selected for a project, the next most important the front and rear of the frame to support the timber as it is fed through
task is to get it to the correct thickness for the job in hand. Of course the machine.
it is possible to buy material that has already been planed flat and
square, but as anyone who has bought timber will know, planed-all-
round softwood is much more expensive than sawn timber, hardwood
is rarely available planed and the cost of having it planed to size at the
sawmill is prohibitive. If you plan to work regularly with wood then
planing and thicknessing your own timber is a much more cost-effective
option and a portable thicknesser will pay for itself in a very short time.
Preparing your own timber also has the added advantage that you are
not restricted to the stock sizes that are commercially available.
Those with larger workshops and budgets may prefer a fixed planer-
thicknesser machine but for those where space is at a premium or who
regularly work on site, the portable thicknesser will prove invaluable.
1
With the sub tables folded away the machine is compact and can easily
be transported by one person or stored away when not in use. Designed
to reduce sawn material that is already reasonably flat to thickness, 1 Thicknessers are fitted with removable blades which may either
portable thicknessers can also be used to correct minor cupping, be of the re-sharpenable type or disposable. Disposable types may
bowing and twisting of the wood. have a cutting edge on both sides so that they can be turned when
one side becomes dull. The blades are mounted to the cutterblock
How they work by means of a set plate which enables adjustment.
The core of the machine is a revolving drum known as the cutterblock 2 The finished thickness of the timber is measured against a graduated
fitted with two sets of removable cutting blades. The drum is chain- indicator plate and is set by turning the crank handle to lower the
driven by an electric motor which also drives infeed and outfeed rollers main frame.
that draw the timber through the machine. This assembly is mounted 3 Maximum depth of cut varies with the width of the timber being
in a main frame that is raised or lowered within an outer frame by cut. This will be specified in the manual that is supplied with your
means of a crank handle to increase or reduce the distance between machine. When more material needs to be removed this should be
the cutters and the base of the machine, thus determining the depth done in a series of passes.
of cut and finished dimensions of the timber. Sub tables are fitted to 4 The timber is supported on the sub-tables which may be adjustable

110
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALTER HALL, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
6
2

3 7

8
4
5 The top of the machine is normally designed to rest boards when
moving them back again for the next pass. This can speed up
working considerably, especially if you have an assistant to handle
the outfeed.
6 A stop may be fitted to ensure regularity when planing numerous
pieces down to the same finished dimension.
7 Planing produces very large amounts of waste. Adequate extraction
is vital, not only for health and safety reasons, but also because the
thicknesser will shower chippings around the workshop and may
also cause ‘printing’, where the uncollected chippings dent the
board as the rollers run over them. The supplied extraction hood
should always be fitted and connected to a suitable extractor.
8 A toolkit is supplied and is often stowed on the machine. It is a
5
good idea to buy a set of spare blades and keep the instructions for
changing them. If you sustain premature minor damage to a blade
to prevent ‘snipe’ – i.e. a step at one or both ends of the board. you may be able to change over just one blade and save the other
This can be removed by adjusting the height angle of the infeed and for the next change unless a lot of wear has taken place, in which
outfeed tables slightly. A very bowed board may not be correctable, case both blades must be replaced as blades of different dimensions
so leave it overlength so you can trim off the sniped ends. or weight can cause vibration or even damage your machine.

111
 13
9

14
10
17

15 18

11

12 16 19

9 A no volt release (NVR) switch is fitted to prevent accidental for passing timber through. A dedicated stand designed for the
starting of the machine after the power has been disconnected. purpose is best. A stand that is too high or narrow may be unstable.

Working safely Getting the most from your machine

10 Handles are built in to the casing to enable easy transportation. 15 Set up the machine by doing test cuts to ascertain the correct
11 Always work in a tidy environment with sufficient room around position for the pointer against the height scale. Use Vernier
the machine to safely feed the timber through. callipers to check accuracy.
12 Wear suitable personal protective equipment. Eye protection 16 Set the desired depth of cut by inserting the timber and lowering
is a basic minimum, but thicknessers are also incessantly noisy the cutter head until the depth gauge indicates the desired depth
and produce large amounts of waste, so hearing and respiratory of cut. Now raise the cutter head, remove the timber, reset the
protection is also recommended. depth previously indicated and feed the board through.
13 Switch the machine off when not in use and keep your hands well 17 When planing a sawn board make sure the first passes are done
clear of the infeed at all times. Never sight through the cutter with the natural ‘cup’ shape facing upwards so both edges are
opening in case of timber or chippings being thrown back at you. resting on the bed underneath.
14 Set the machine up on a stable surface at a good working height

112
 23
20

21
24

22 25

18 Once the upper face is reasonably flat all over you can then turn passes and use fine cuts so both faces are smoothly finished
it over to machine the underneath face. ready for use.
19 Respect grain direction; start with high grain at the front and 23 Often the minimum height setting is not narrow enough to make
running down towards the rear so the blades won’t tear the grain thin components. In this case make up an MDF sub table which
out. The exception always has to be the start of thicknessing a is a long board with a batten at the front edge so it is held by the
board if it is thicker at one end, in which case you will need to feed infeed table and cannot slide through when machining. Now you
the board fat end first so it doesn’t jam in the machine, then reverse can feed thin components through and make them even thinner
it if necessary once the board has been levelled. still, just take light passes to avoid the wood breaking up.
20 So long as sawn boards are fairly flat throughout you can often 24 A bowed or twisted board can be screwed to a flat reference board,
miss out using an overhand planer. Edges can then be squared on the bowed or twisted area wedged and then passed through the
a tablesaw with a fine blade. If the boards are not too wide they machine until the top surface is flat. It can then be unscrewed,
can then be fed on edge through the thicknesser. turned over and the planed face used as the reference face for
21 Do not take heavy passes on wide boards as it will bring the thicknessing. Take care that screws do not protrude far enough
machine to a halt; shut it off immediately if it does stop running. into the board to risk damage to the cutters.
The thermal overload may cut out and will need resetting after 25 A portable thicknesser is great for cleaning up reclaimed boards
a few minutes before carrying on. but carries a strong risk of damaging the blades on nails and screws
22 Finish thicknessing a board by repeatedly turning it over between buried in the boards. Use a metal detector to reduce this risk.

113
 HIDDEN LEAVES
In an extract from her new book on chip carving,
Tatiana Baldina uses multi-level chips to
create a leaf design

This pattern consists of only multi-level chips, such as double-

sided straight-wall chips, as well as two triangles that are
connected to each other along adjacent sides, where you
will need to make several layers of undercut.

YOU WILL NEED

• Basswood board • Ruler
(at least 100mm • Compass
square, 1.5mm thick) • Skew knife
• 5mm mechanical pencil • Sandpaper or leather
with H or HB (#3 or #2) lead strips for sharpening

The drawing process 1 Measure a radius of 1.3cm from the centre of the pattern and
First prepare a main circle for the pattern. Using a compass, draw a circle mark it on line 5, then, using a compass, draw a circle.
with a radius of 20mm. Then draw two perpendicular lines that intersect at 2 Change the radius of the compass to 1.65cm and place the
the centre and two diagonal lines that divide the quarters of the circle in half, compass on line 5, where the central circle intersects it, then
forming eighths. Now divide the spaces in half again, so you have a circle draw a curve from line 1 to the main outside circle.
with 16 identical triangles. Using a pencil and starting from the top of one 3 Without changing the radius and placing the compass on every
of the perpendicular lines, mark each of the lines clockwise with numbers: other point where the central circle intersects the straight
1, 2, 3 ... 16. These marks will help when you are drawing the main pattern. odd-numbered lines, draw curved lines, starting from line 7.

114
 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW PERRIS. STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOGRAPHS BY TATIANA BALDINA
5

4 7 9

4 Once these curved lines have been drawn, mark dots on the main triangles that go along the perimeter of the circle, divide one side
circle that are 3mm to the right of each even-numbered line. of each right-hand leaf in half.
5 Next, make leaf shapes by drawing a second set of curved lines to 7 Then draw a curved line that divides these spaces in half.
match up with the first set. Measure a radius of 1.65cm and, placing 8 Next, measure a radius of 2cm and then place a compass on the top
the compass on one of the dots by the even lines, draw a curve that of line 5 and draw a curved line inside the first figure.
starts on a line where one of the first curved lines begins and finish 9 Without changing the radius, place the compass at the top of each of
the curve at the top of the same first curved line. the remaining odd-numbered lines, starting from line 7, and draw a
6 Working between two main leaf figures in the pattern, near the curved line inside each shape. The pattern is now ready for carving.

115
10 12

11 13

The carving process 12 Now undercut the sides of the second triangle that connects
10 Begin to carve the pattern with the pairs of triangles that go along to the first one.
the perimeter of the pattern. Undercut the outer side of the first 13 Draw the first lines for multi-level carving inside the triangles
triangle at an angle of about 90°. parallel to their bases.
11 As these are multi-level triangles, there is no need to undercut the 14 Make cuts on these lines at an angle of about 90°.
facets too deep, so lay your knife close to the surface of the wood 15 Make the first cut where the facets of the triangle connect to
and carve the short and then the long sides. each other.

116
 16

14

17

15

16 Now make the second cut, which goes along the perimeter
of the circle.
17 Lay the knife close to the surface of the wood and undercut
the sides of the triangles.
18 Repeat these steps two more times to make a multi-level triangle.
Continue making multi-level triangles around the pattern.
18

117
 19

22

20

21 23

19 Start carving the main figures in the pattern. Make a 21 Draw three triangles inside the carved space by hand.
cut along the curved line inside the ‘leaf ’ figures at an 22 Cut the sides of the straight-wall chips and carve them. Continue to carve all
angle of about 90°. the main figures in the pattern.
20 Then lay the knife close to the surface of the wood 23 Make cuts between the main ‘leaf ’ figures of the pattern along the straight lines
and undercut the chip. in the centre of the pattern.

118
24

27

25

26

28

24 Then make undercuts at an angle of about 45°.

The Art of 25 The main pattern has now been carved.
Chip Carving 26 For the final part of the carving, measure a
d
Lt

15 GEOMETRIC PATTERNS TO CREATE IN WOOD

radius of 1cm and, using a compass, draw lines

ns

on the curved spaces of the main figures.

tio

27 Make a cut on a line perpendicular to the wood

a

surface, and then make two undercuts at an

ic

and instructions for all the different

angle of about 65°.

bl
Pu

28 The carving is now complete.

C
M

This is an edited extract from

G

TATIANA
BALDINA
The Art of Chip Carving by Tatiana Baldina,
published by GMC Publications, RRP £16.99.
Available online and from all good bookshops

119
 The vintage toolbox
Colin Sullivan looks at Stanley’s Odd Jobs, the tool with ‘Ten Tools in One’

The more I learn about Stanley tools,

the more I am amazed by them. No
wonder they called themselves ‘The Tool
Box of the World’. This was no exaggeration!
They certainly designed and made a huge
range of woodworkers’ tools, and took over
many of the smart tools they found other
companies making, quickly absorbing
them into their own range. The Odd Jobs
was one such.
The idea came from George F Hall,
2
who patented it in 1877. It was probably
made by Stanley and sold by Herring and
Sweasy hardware merchants. Within a
short time, Hall began to work for Stanley.
Along with Justus A Traut, he redesigned
the tool and another patent was granted
in 1888, and this is when it was given the
name ‘Odd Jobs’. This new model was
very much like the one shown here, apart
from the surface decoration. At first it
was offered without the 12in rule, instead
fitting onto the carpenter’s own folding
rule, but by 1896 a maple rule was
included, similar to the one shown.
It was in production for 47 years and
discontinued in 1935.
‘Ten Tools in One’ was the slogan used
to advertise the Odd Jobs, previously called
1 3
a ‘Convenient Tool’, and priced at 76 cents.
This small, versatile tool could be used as

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY BAILEY/GMC PUBLICATIONS

a try square, a mitre square, a spirit level,
a rule, a scratch awl, a beam compass,
a marking gauge, a mortise gauge,
a depth gauge … and for testing a 90˚
corner. The boxwood rule is 12½in in
length and a solid 1 × ¼in in section.
The hole at one end will hold a pencil
or a special metal peg ‘supplied’ for
scratching a circle.
The stock is made from cast iron with
a nickel plate finish and edges machined
exactly square. The Stanley folding rule is
1in wide when closed and needs to be this
size to fit the stock; the model shown has
the edges bound with brass.
4 5
Axminster tools sells a brass Odd Jobs
with a 150mm rule. Clearly a copy of the 1 The complete Odd Jobs shown with the 2ft rule in place 2 The scriber half removed from the stock.
original, they call it ‘a new version of a Note the nickel plate finish and the crisp, accurately machined edges of the stock 3 The 10 tools required
19th-century tool’ and ‘the forerunner to perform the functions of the Odd Jobs: a trammel, square, mitre marker square, marking gauge, awl,
of the modern combination square’. It is mortise gauge, screwdriver, depth gauge, level and a rule 4 Using the stock to square up the inside of a
well made and just as useful as the original. corner joint 5 Using the scriber to mark 45° along the 12in rule, supplied as a set after 1896

120
 DESIGN & INSPIRATION
FOR FURNITURE MAKERS

FURNITURE &
CABINETMAKING

TV CABINET 22
1044

ALAN HOLTHAM BUILDS AN ENTERTAINMENT 30

117
160

STORAGE UNIT FROM SOLID MAPLE 22

22
117 Ø75

It seems that home entertainment is It’s very easy to make – this isn’t CUTTING LIST 22
getting more and more involved these complicated fine cabinetmaking – it’s Top: 1 @ 1,044 x 513 x 22mm 220
days and the TV ends up surrounded held together with dowels and biscuits Sides: 2 @ 726 x 185 x 22mm 70 150 500 150 70
22 125
22
by a mass of different boxes which all and all I’ve used is a few power tools. Bottom: 1 @ 940 x 453 x 22mm 726

need housing together. This shelved It would be quicker, easier and cheaper Front legs: 2 @ 726 x 70 x 22mm 22 22

unit is designed to house all your TV to make it from veneered board and lip Dividers: 2 @ 644 x 450 x 22mm
16 16
and computer game consoles, sound the exposed edges, but I settled on using Main back: 1 @ 652 x 508 x 4mm 458
equipment, DVDs, games, etc. If you have solid maple. The modern style seems to Outer backs: 2 @ 652 x 206 x 4mm Front elevation 220 220 195
small children, the glass doors will keep be to use quite heavy section material Back foot: 1 @ 140 x 60 x 22 1:8 466
sticky fingers away from your finely tuned with the sharp corners softened with a Middle shelves: 3 @ 500 x 437 x 22mm
settings. The front plinth is raised enough small radius. The end result is a piece of Outer shelves: 4 @ 198 x 191 x 22mm 22
for a balance board to slide underneath contemporary furniture that looks good Drawer front: 1 @ 500 x 220 x 18mm 60
and the big drawer will swallow up all the and keeps all the entertainment kit neat Box sides: 2 @ 409 x 195 x 16mm
accessories and chargers. and tidy. Box ends: 2 @ 458 x 195 x 16mm
Drawer bottom: 1 @ 466 x 385 x 4mm

206 652 652

Rear elevation
1:8 508

140

60

573

508

Plan/section
1:8

453 513 437 450 4

206
940
185
191 249
198 500 198 22
22 22 22
22
220

82 83

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