Wood 159 2004 11

Hj*"
*-I
Ar w00n N ovember 2OO4.l ssue 159
40
builda do-it-allrouter-table
fence
tested:multi-base
routerkits
avoiding
routerburnsonwood
plus
38 formingpedectslotswithyourrouter
DIYvs.prorouters:
what'stheditference?88 howto wiselychoosea routertable 4 routerjigsfrom3 experts
20 easy-accessdrill/driver
organizer
48 turnedsaladbowls
59 picture-perfect
bookends
62 Arts& Craftsnightstand/endtable
74 easy-to-makedeskclock
82 kids'lapdesk
22 saygood-bye to power-sandingsnafus
52 builda betterfinishwithsolvents
10 wisebuys:mitersawlasers
92 brightideasforworkshoplighting
100 4 shop-provenproducts
6 editor's
angle
I soundingboard
28 shortcuts
36 askW00D
96 shoptips Thissealisyourassurancethatwe
buildeveryproject,
verifyeveryfact.
112 what'sahead and test
every reviewedtool
inour
to guarantee
workshop y0ursuccess
andcomplete
satisfaction.
woodmagazine.com
ooD.
Better Ilomes and Gardenso
shoP
furmorc
Hungry
ruubrc?
lansfur Vol.2N
1 .o . 6
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BILLKRIER
Editor
Editor Managing
Executive
JIMHARBOLDMARTEN KEMMET- " ">
Greated by the editotts Editor
Editor Tool
Design
Senior
of lf,O8llo rr?gozin€ gOYLT DAVE
XEVIII CAMPBELL
Editor
Technioues
WILSON
B()B
Proiects Editor
Editor Projects Marlenmade this dresserand
OWENDUVALL JANSVEC mirrorin his favoritefurniture
style,Greeneand Greene.
Editor Master
Design Craftsman
Kevindesignedand builtthis
four-oieceset to serve as end
JEFFM E R T Z C H U CHKE D L U N D " "
tables or a coffeetable. ArtDirector
ArtDirector Assistant
ArtDirector Associate
KARLEHLERS GREG SELTERS CHERYL A.CIBULA
Assistant
Manaqer Administrative
Production/0ffice
MARGARET CL()SN-ER MUNYON
SHERYT
Photographers
MobileSawing& RoutingGenterPlan SC()TT
BALDWIN,
MARTY BLAINE
LITTLE, JAYWILDE
MOATS,
DP-00271 Illustrators
ROXANNE
J()HNS()N,
LORNA
TIMCAHILL. MIKEMITTERMEIER
[EMO]NE,
Chuck'snew front
Consultants
Technical door includes
J()HN DEAN
CEBUHAR, HALL
JEFF
FIENE, matchingsidelights.
Craftsman
Contributing
JIMHEAVEY
Proofreaders
JIMSANDERS,
KLEIN,
EARBARA SMITH
MARGARET
Senror B0BMATE
VicePresident
WILLIAM
VicePresident R. REED
STEPHEN
GrouoPublisher B. LEVINS()N
MARKHAGEN
Publisher
BouterTablePlan
Benchtop
0FFICE:333
ADVERTISING N.MichiganAve., 1500,
Suite Chicago,1160601
51
DP-001
312/853-2890
Phone: Fu: 312580-7906
SalesandMarketing GAYTE
Assistant CHEJN
SalesandMarketingAssistantLISAGREENWO0D
Account JACK
Executive A' CHRISTIANSEN
Response
Direct Manager CAR0LYN DAKIS
DirectResponseSalesRepresentativeSANDY R0BlNS0t'l
' PATRICK R.TOMLINS0N' SR.
AccountExecutive
Phone:
Northeast, 212/551-7043Fax:2121551 -7192
RPMAssociates,
Detroit:
Road,
29350Southfield Ml 48076
Suite31,Southfield,
Phone:248/557-7490 Fax:2481557-7499
Lagomarsino,
Southeast: Dempsey Inc.
& Dennis,
Tilt-TopRouterTablePlan 2951PiedmontRd.NE,Suite GA30305
100,Atlanta,
DP-00064 Phone:404/261-5400 Fax:4041261-5404
GroupMarketing E.SMITH
DirectorCATHY
General
VicePresident, ManagerTOMHARTY
PromotionArtDirectorSARAHMASSIMO
Bustness
Associate Director FEAR
CRAIG
ConsumerMarketingDirector HUTCHINS0N
R()BIN
ConsumerMarketingManager LESLIE
SHAEFFER
NewsstandProductManagerLISA
TROM
0perations
Advertising Manager HENDERSH0TT
PAT
Manager
Production STEVEKRIDER
MEREDITH PUBLISHINGGROUP
JACKGRIFFIN
President
Router
Heavy-Duty Plan
Table
CorPorateSalesTOMHARTY
wP-M-1002 ELLEN DELATHOUDER
Services
Creative
Media/Brand
Interactive D0UG0LSON
Licensing
Download anyof theabovePlans ManufacturingBRUCEHEST0N
startingat just$6.95,or havethemmailed MAXRUNCIMAN
andAdministration
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Todownload the informationyourself .lUleredth
I conponarton
or to previewover400otherPlans Chairman
T. KERR,
WILLIAM andChieJ 0fficer
Executive
andChief
M. IACY,President
STEPHEN Officer
Operating
andarticles,goto
- E.T.Meredith
In Memoriam lll (1933-2003)
woodmagazine.com/pla ns.
cartoll free l -888-636-4478 oCopyrightMeredithCorporation 20M
for paper-plans
creditcardorders &
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For subscriptionand editorial inquiries.see"How to Reach Us" onpage 8' ^tP^t
wDl104 November 2004
WOOD rnagazine
editortsangle
RouterrulestolirrcbY
Perhapsno tool is more loved
by woodworkersthan the
router.Smallwonder.From
cuttingedgejointsto jointing
edges,the versatilerouter
does it all.That'swhYwe've
devotedmuch of this issueto
it. And despitethe router's
many attributes,it's essentiallY
a verysimplemachine,as are
the rulesfor choosingand
usingone. Hereare some of
our favorites,
know threeguys who spendevery Three guys who definitely know their stuff when it
Chuck
day playing with woodworking comesto routers: (from left) Kevin Boyle,
Hedlund, and Jeff Mertz.
tools and building projects. In
between,they talk shop with woodworkers control, accuracy,and safety,especially
nearandfar. And for this they get paid. Nice with big bits. It also enablesthe useof
work if you can find it, don't you think? adjustablefences,hold-downs,stopblocks,
I'm talking aboutChuck Hedlund,our and dust-collectionPorts.
residentmastercraftsrnan;Kevin Boyle, By the way, neitherChuck, Kevin, nor
seniordesigneditor; and Jeff Mertz, design Jeff hasfound the ideal router for a router
editor. Collectively, these guys have tried table. "The perfectrouter for table usehas
nearly every router,jig, and bit ever put on yet to be invented,"accordingto Chuck.
the market.There's not a router technique "Right now, if I had $1,000to investin a
they haven't experienced.So, to mine their router table,I'd buy a shaPer."
storeof knowledge,I sat down with them Select specialty bits carefully.
tf,/
recentlyto uncovertheir bestrules for fne bits that get used againand againin
routeruse.Here'swhat theYsaid: the WOODmagazineshopare pretty basic:
I Ghoose a basic router. Don't Put a V+"and%" round-overs,a chamferbit, and
I lot of emphasison exotic features when a rabbetingbit with bearingset.Chuck and
buying a router. Our resident router Kevin admit a fondnessfor two specialty
whizzesprefer no-nonsense tools, suchas bits though."I really like solid carbide
the venerablePorter-Cable690. Nothing spiral bits over straightbits becausethey
fancy,just an easy-to-adjust,accurate, and slice wood insteadof choppingit," con-
low-maintenance machine. Their favorite cedes Chuck. And Kevin loves his locking-
versionscomewith a D-handle. rabbetset for sturdy,quickly madedrawers.
feed rate. To get
6 Pick a laminate trimmer for f Get a handle on
6yorrsecond router. Big is not iJsmooth. burn-freecuts, move the router
necessarilybetter when it comes to routers. or your workpiece at a steadyfeed rate.
In the WOOb shopwe reachfor a lami- And listen to the router.If it slows,take
natetrimmer when using /+"-or-smaller lighter, multiple cuts.
round-overand chamferbits. You just can't
beat the one-handedcontrol this tool offers. Happy routing!
!lUse a router table. We do about 80
Opercent of our routing work on a table.
Why? A table providesa high degreeof E 4#,r^-
WOOD magazine November 2004
soundin boanC
boardforletters,
Ourbulletin andtimelyupdates
comments,
Glues:revisiting a stickrysubiect
andreade; : ing.Wouldwe useTitebond lll for exterior
Becauseof manufacturer
regarding thewoodworking projects? Yes-its squeezeout is a breeze
inquiries i
gluestestin the September 2004issue i to manageandcleanuPcompared to a
polyurethane glue.lf you'relooking to
(no.157,pages80-85),we tooka second i
andresults i bondwoodwitha nonwoodrnaterial, then
lookat the testmethodology
picka poly.As withanyexterior glue,we
andfoundthefollowing: i
suggestsecuring jointson outdoorpro-
r An erroroccurredin creatingthe chart i
to jectswithstainless steelfasteners or other
titled"A FewGluesExcelin Edge-Grain
End-Grain Joints." Thegluebeadfor properreinforcement.
Titebondlll shouldhaveextendedoffthe r In thecharton page85 we graded
chartbecausethe woodfailedbeforethe "speedof set"by givingthefastestglues
gluein allof thetestsamPles. thehighestgrades.However, in complex
r Thesamplesizefor the strength glue-ups, a longeropentime(slower
testmentioned aboveandthewater- speedof set)provesto be an advantage.
Viewedthatway,the slower-setting glues
resistance teston page84 wererestricted
ln wouldreceive the highergrades.
to threeandtwosamples,respectively.
samplings thistimited, thedegreeof accu- r Speaking of opentime,thearticlelists
to ensurethe differentopentimesforTitebond lll on
racymaynotbe sutficient
certaintyof resultsdueto thevariability in pages84 and85.Theactualopentimein
the wood grain structureof the testpieces' ourtestsof thisproductwas20 minutes
in grainorientation andwood (a figurethatwillvarydepending on the
Variations
density,evenwithinthe sameboard,can humidity andtemperature of yourshop).
havedramaticeffectson glueintegrity' r ln lightof thesefindings, we feelit is
Titebond lll bondsbroke onlyfairto designate Titebond lll as the
Forexample,
top woodworking
overall glue. lt passes
underan averageof 208PSIin our24-
hoursubmersion test,butan independent Type1 water-resistance testing,
testconducted by Teco,a labin Eugene, In Type 1 water-resistancetesting, a glued it'seasyto cleanuP,Performed
specimen in wet and dry states is locked in withoutfailurein oursevere
Oregon,revealsthatTitebondlll passes jaws and subjected to shearing force'
the industrystandardANSI(American edge-grain to end-grain
NationalStandardInstitute) / HPVA strengthtest,andhas
(Hardwood PlywoodVeneerAssociation) 20 hours.Thespecimens wereboiled ampleopentimefor
Type1 test,HPVA'smoststringent test againfor fourhours,cooledin tap water, complicated glue-uPs.
for waterresistance. ln theTecotest, then10 of themweretestedwetfor shear Youcanuseit for interior and
threeveneersof 1Aax1x3" birchwere strength at a rateof 60G-1,000 PSl. The exteriorprojects with confidence.
gluedfaceto facewithTitebondlll to form otherhalfof thesamples weredriedand You'llpaya pricehigherthan
3/rox1x3"
plywoodsamples(20total). subjected to the samesheartest. otherPVAgluesbutmuchlower
weresubmerged in boiling Thebottomline:No otherone-part glue thanpolyurethane glues.
Thosesamples -W00D maguineeditors
waterforfourhoursandthendriedfor thatwe knowof haspassedType1 test-
Editorialquestionsandfeedback: W00Dmagazine, lA
P.0.Box37439,Boone, send$5 per
issuesaresoldout.Forreprints,
I [email protected]; 50037-0439. enclose
Please youraddress
label (nophoneorders),
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including
andpressoption2; or issue.
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Goto ourcontinuously onlineindexat
updated toW00Dmagazine.
Subscriptionassistance: woodmagazine.com/index.
r Tonotifyusof anaddress
change, or to I Updatesto previously publishedproiects:
goto
gethelpwithyoursubscription, I Toorderpastissuesandarticles: listing
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of changes
woodmagazine.com/service; call OrderpastissuesoI W00Dmagazine andour dimensionsand buying-guide sources
issues
special or by
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800/374-9663 andpressoption1. Outside
theU.S., 0r
call5151247-2981. writeto: 800/346-9663.
calling Beawarethatmany early woodmagazine.com/editorial.

wise buys
our editors test Whybuy?

fora waytoaddspeed,
Looking andaccuracy
convenience, toyourmitersaw andradial'arm
mitersaw sawcuts?Anaftermarket
precise
pathoftheblade,
ortediously
square
a brightredlightacross
lasershoots
soyo.udon'thaveto extend
teethwiththemarked
aligntheblade's
yourworkpiece
yourmarkacross
showingthe
thepiecewitha
line.Yousimplymarkyourwork'
lasers ona
alignthemarkwiththelaserline,andmake
piece,
mitersaw,
butyou'llfind versions
similar of
thecut.Wetested
eachforuse ona
eachoftheselasers
radial-arm
saw.
Editortest-drive:
Bladepointmounts to yoursawin placeof the laser, thenmovemyworkpiece td tnerightuntil
bladewasher
factory-supplied andcastsa laser thecutlinejust"kisses"therightedgeofthelaser
alongtheleftsideof thebladeand line.Whether
linestraight making miters,bevels, orgompound
ontotheworkpiece. Aninternal switch cuts,Bladepoint
centrifugal provesreliably andrepeatably
turnsonthebutton-battery'powered
automatically However,
dead-on. because it marks onlytheleft
laserastheblade speeds up,andturnsit offasit edgeoftheblade,it'slittlehelpforcutsmadewith
slows,maximizingbattery life.I gotabout2 hours yourkeeperpieceontheright, assometimes hap'
of continuousruntimefromthebatteries; start' penswhencuttingcrown molding atits"installed"
and-stopcuttingwillmakethemlastmuchlonger angle betweenthefence andtabletop.
-Tested by Jim Hanold,ExecutiveEditor
inactualuse.
TouseBladepoint, I placemyworkpiece onthe Tolearnmore:
left(waste
ontheright), startthesawto lightthe 617 177 bladepoint.com
0-4575;
Edihrtest-drive:
Unlikeothermitersaw lasers I'veseen,Laserked what'sinvolved for yoursaw,although those
shows theentirekerf.Themodel the generalinstructions
125,withits74" instructions-like that
widelaserline,matched myblade's widthsowellI come withthelaser-are sometimes unclear. The
splita pencil
couldconsistently of laserunitmounts
lineregardless behind thebladeandyouattach
whichsideofthebladeI sawed on,eveninbevel its manual powerswitchnearthesawhandle.
andcompound cuts.I didfiltdit easyto bumpand Bothmount withstrong
solidly adhesive strips.
wouldalways testitsalignment beforeanywork I tested the11O-volt version, anda AA'battery'
sessionto preventmiscutting a valuablepieceof powered model alsois available. Bothalsocome
stock.Fortunately,
alignment knobsletmemake ina thin-kerf configurationwitha nanower laser.
thoseadjustmentsfairlyeasily. -Tested by Bill kiet Editor-ln-Chief
isdifferent
Installation fornearly everymitersaw, Toleammorc:
andtheLaserkerf Websitegivesyousomeideaof 859/494-0790: laserkerf.com
Editortest-drive:
TheLaserLineCutting Guide (model LLINEMS)6"-wide board.Unlike blade'washer'style lasers,
fromPennStateIndustries onthemiter' youcanaligntheLaserLineCutting
installs Guide toshow
saw'sblade guard, which hasnever impressed me either therightor leftedgeof theblade, or even
asa tenibly stablemounting surface,However, for switch fromonesideto theotherbetween cutsif
themostpart,I wassurprised athowaccurately it youlike.Theadjustments areeasy,requiring only
shows the line.
cutting For miter cuts,it was dead' onetest cut.
onorwithin I can'trecommend
7g2". it forbevel or Periodicrealignmentisadvised,especially ifyou
compound cutsthough: As the saw head tilts,
the move your saw (Mine
frequently. bumped my legin
guarddroops, and with it the laserline,causing and
transit gotknocked out ofwhack.)And remem'
cutstobeoffasmuch as7e2", berto manually turnofftheunitaftereverycutto
took
Installation me about 20 minutes, mostly extend the lifeof batteries.
thebutton'style
because I moved the laser unitfarther up on the -Tested by )wen ProiectEditor
Duvall,
guardthanshown in theinstructions so it would Tolearnmorc:
castitslineacross thefrontedgeandwidthol a 8001377 -7297; pennstateind.com
10 WOOD magazine November 2004

router
Buyingarouter:
need]rougopro?
the real differencebetweena
Mtrtrat's
routercosting$100andanother
costing twice that?The answer might
surpnseyou.
hoppingfor a router at the home so the router We chopped up two perfectlygood routers in our quest to learn the
center,you seetwo routerkits side designhe chooses differences between low-dough and top-price routers.
by side:Both boastplungeand fixed shouldpromote
bases,2 horsesunderthe hood, t/2"andVq" easeof self-servicewith suchfeaturesas Pro routers outperform
collets,similarfeatures,and lengthy externallyreplaceable motor brushes. DIY when the hleatis on
warranties.Yet one sellsfor $99 andthe Althoughthoseprofilesappearto be You can'tjudge a routerby its outward
other for $240.There must be some differ- black-and-white,in truth thereare many appearance, so we went undercoverto see
encebetweenthe machines,but shouldyou "gfey" users.For instance,an up-and- what separates DIY and pro routers,disas-
pay the difference?That dependson how- comingwoodworkermay buy a pro router semblingand cuttingaway2-hp routers
and how much-vou'll usethat tool. becausehe doesn'twant to messwith buy- from Bosch and Skil (both manufacturedby
ing a step-uprouterlater.And we've seen the RobertBoschTool Company).After
The class svstem for DlY-level routersin pro shops(typically tearinginto the tools,we showedthemto
power tools: DIY and pro dedicatedto a specificoccasionaltask) LanceStonehocker, the top routerservice
Power-toolmanufacturers typically design, alongsidethe pro routersassignedto technicianat PuckettTools & Equipment,a
build, and markettheir machinesto suit one tougherdaily assignments. local Skil/Boschauthorizedservicecenter.
of two typesof users:the do-it-yourself
(DIY) useror the professional. (See"What
Kind of RouterUserAre You?" at right.)
Both havedifferentneedsandplacediffer-
ent demandson their tools.
r Selftrainedand buys tools as I Earnsa livingwith tools,and
For example,the DIY usermay haveless
neededfor projects. needsto have high-qualitytools
experiencewith powertools (this may be
at hand.
his first router),so suchergonomictouches
as largesoft-griphandlesand a trigger-style r Less informedaboutwhat is r Choiceof brand reflectsyears of
power switchgive him confidenceto availablein the market. experienceand expectations of
operatethe tool safelyandeffectivelywhile qualityand precision.
growinghis skills.Functiontrumpsfinesse
for this userwith depth-setting systemsthat r Likelyto buy toolsfrom home r Likelyto buy from specialtytool
operateintuitively,sometimesat the centeror mass retailer. store,catalog,or online.
sacrificeof fine adjustability.The DIYer
I Usesa routerfor shortburstsof I Turnsa routeron and leavesit on
usesthe tool lessfrequently,for shorter
periodsof time, and is more likely to activity(5-10 minutesat a time). for 30 minutesor moreat a time.
replacethe routerthanrepairit, so service- r Usesa routeroccasionally, r Usesa routerregularly,
morethan
ability meanslessto him. perhapsonceor twicea month. oncea week.
The pro, on the otherhand,may usethe
tool all day,everyday and is more r When routerfails,is likelyto I Morelikelyto repaira router
concernedwith power,performance, and replaceit with anotherrouter. than replaceit.
precisionthanergonomics.In fact, a pro
may not usethe handlesat all, optingto I Low priceand ease-of-useare I Precision,power,and durability
grip the tool aroundthe motor if that best top priorities. are top priorities.
suitsthejob at the time.He's alsomore
inclinedto performroutinemaintenance, Continuedon page 14

morc
Hungryfut inlo' router clinic
-*-0ll tOtfttS?
Stonehocker saysa router'snumber
one enemyis heat,which shortensthe
life of the motor andbearings.The
Routing techniques and photos,right, showhow differencesin
mone crcated bY the the bearingsand armatureassemblies of
editors of W00D@magazine the Skil (DIY) andBosch(Pro)
machinesimpacttheir heatresistance.
Techniques
Routing I Motor armature: The armatureis the
part of the motor that spins,turning the
shaftandthe collet that holdsthe bit.
The largesurfaceareaof Bosch'slong
nanow armatureheatsslowerandcools
fasterthan the short squatarmatureon skir1825 B o s c h1 6 1 7
the Skil. It alsoreducesdeflectionof the
shaftwhen there'sa heavysideload on Collet
the bit (suchas when routingedge
DoorsMadeEasY
Raised-Panel treatments).
t Bearings:Big shieldedbearingson
both endsof the Bosch armaturerun
coolerand protectthe bearingsfrom
dustpenetrationandlossof lubrication
betterthan the smallersealedbearings
on the Skil.
I Motor housing.Bosch'saluminum
motor housingactslike a heatsink,
drawingheatawaYfrom the motor.
FiveWaysto GettheMost Skil's plastichousingactsmorelike an
Outof YourRouter insulator,trappingheatinsidethe router.
DS-037 Stonehockersaysthat the Skil router
probablyshouldnot be operatedfull
andHowTo
ToolReuiews throttle for more than 20 minutesat a
time due to motor-damaging heat
buildup. And it shouldbe allowed to
cool for at least20 minutesbeforeusing
it again.The Boschrouter,he saYs,
could probablyrun 60 minutescontinu-
ouslybeforeheatbeginsto takeits toll.
It's readyto get backto work in only Skil's small shaft bearing heats up faster than
that under Bosch's larger bearing,making it less durable. In
10-15 minutes.He speculates
a similarfashion, Bosch's 32-segmentcommuta-
identicalworking conditions,the Bosch tor runs cooler than the 16-segmentcommutator
Mid-SizePlungeRouterReview motor would lasttwo to threetimesas on the Skil router and allows it to better
long asthe Skil. withstand overloadconditionswithout failure.
First off. from the outsideof the tool, it's discoverthat your level of usage
hard to tell a DIY router from a Pro warrantsspendingthe extra money on a
model. Price and brand nameare your pro-levelrouter,with biggersavings
bestindicators:Black & Decker, over the long haul.
Craftsman,Ryobi, and Skil representthe At the pricesof most DlY-level
DIY category,while Bosch,Craftsman routers,we think that most woodworkers
Professional, DeWalt,Hitachi,Makita, will benefit from having both kinds in
YourRouter
HowToTable-Mount
Milwaukee, and Porter-Cabletypically their shop:Keep a pro-level tool on hand
build to pro standards. for the toughestrouting tasks,and a DIY
or If you honestlyassess yourselfusing model or two dedicatedto specificbits
Download anyof thetechniques
the userprofiles shownin the chart,you or tasks.The time savingsalonefrom
starting
toolreviews at just $4.95.
may find that you can savemoneYbY not having to changeand setuP bits
yourself
theinformation
Todownload or to buying a DIY router,and still havea tool quickly makesup for the extra money
preview 400
over otherplans
and goto
afticles, that will last your lifetime.Or you may you'll sPend.lF
woodmagazine.Gom/store
wDl104 November 2004
14 WOOD magazine
avoiding workshop goofs
learn not
toburn
Don'tlet routerbits get you or
your workpieceoverheated.
ant to preventthoseannoying
burn marksthat leaveyour
routededgesblack and
your face red? Keep cool by putting the
following tips to work.
Keep it clean
Ideally,you shouldwipe your bits clean
aftereachuse.Most of us, though,just drop
them back in their holdersand walk away.
Unfortunately,resinsand dust build up that
causebits to get hotter faster,making them materialfrom eachcutter to keep the
more likely to burn the wood. bit balanced.It only takesa half-dozenor Bit diameter Max.Speed(rpm)
If your bits arecoveredwith sawdust, so strokeswith eachstone.If that doesn't U pt o 1 " Upto 24,000
wipe them with a dry cloth. Removethe restorecutting ability, have the bit 1 lo 1Vc" 16,000to 18,000
stubbornbuild-up with a blade-and-bit sharpenedby a pro or replaceit. 1V+to 2tA" 12,000to 16,000
cleaner.The benefit: Cleanbits stay sharp 2V+lo 31/2" 12.000
longerbecauseexcessiveheatbreaksdown Setspeedlimits
carbidecutters. Routerbits spin up to 24,000revolutions
per minute(rpm).And mostbits havetwo Watchyour woods
Staysharp cutters,so they take up to 48,000bites every Somewoods,suchas oak,don't easilyburn.
A dull bit cuts poorly and builds up heat minute. Think of it that way and you see Maple and cherryburn notoriouslybecause
doing so. If you can run the cutter over why bits and wood heattrp in a hurry. of their densityand the oils and extractives
your fingernail without shearingoff a To keepthingscool, setyour routerspeed they contain.Among softwoods,pine can
shaving,then your bit needssharpening. accordingto the chart,aboveright. If your be troublesomein areasthat containpitch
To freshenup router bit cutting edges routerdoesn'thavevariablespeed,you can pockets.With thesespecies,slow the router
with diamondlappingstones,'hone only the get a plug-in controllerfor lessthan $25. and increasefeedrateto minimizeburning.
flat surfaces.Count your strokesto make (Checkyour local retaileror contactMLCS
sureyou removethe sameamountof at 800/533-9298;mlcswoodworking.com.) Take it one step at a time
You cankeepheatin checktoo by Powerful routersand sharpcarbide-tipped
controlling how fast you feed the bit into bits arecapableof hoggingout largecutsin
the workpiece.A slow feed rate generates eventhe hardestof woods.But doing so
moreheat.Use a fast andconsistentfeed stressesthe bit, causestear-out,and leadsto
rateto keepthe bit and wood cool. burning.When remoVingmore than t/q"of
material,makemultiple shallowpasses,as
shownbelow.tF
A shallow final pass

(1/sz"lo t/r0"deep)
Removepitch to keep bits cool. Diamond We used the same router and dull bit to Even in burn-pronewoods, such as cherry
lapping stones (about $7 each) keep a keen round over these maple pieces (cut from the making a shallow final pass keeps the bit
edge between professionalsharpenings. same board). The results are quite different. and wood coolto eliminatemost burns.

Ereat ideas for your shoP
multitiered
drill ldriver
organrzet
Build the box,
then apply the
quick-reference
chart to match the
right bit instantly
to the right screw.
o achievemaximumholdingPower
whenusingscrews,drilling the
sizes
correctpilot- andshank-hole
are a mLlst.Ancl, knowing what combina-
tion pilot/countersinkbtt to use for each
screw size can be a "bit" confusing. Then
there's the problem we all face of keeping
our many drilling bits, plug cutters,and
driving bits organized.To solve these
dilemmas, build this super organized
project. You'll even find a color-coded
charl to make selectingthe correct bit a no-
brainer. Extra tiers provide plenty of room
for all the bits you'll need to drive a wide
assortmentof screws.
To build one,usethe drawingar
#6 x 7+"F.H.
right andthe full-size patternson Ta"round-over wooo screw
the WOOD Patternsa insertto cut routedafterassembly
#B x 3/q"F.H.wood screw
piecesA-F to size.Use t/+"hard- 3/q"
#10 x 3/q'F.H.woodscrew
boardfor partsA and /.r" solid
stockfor everythingelse.For the # 1 2 x e / q "F . H .w o o ds c r e w
tiers(F), cuIa 3/a"-thickpieceof
stockto 2x26". Mark the hole
centerpoints andkerf locationsfor 7a"round-over
crosscutting the piecesto length.
Drill the holes,bevel-ripthe
bottomedgewith a pair of 45"
cuts,thencrosscutthe tierstc
finishedlength.When assembling
the project,allow the lid to rotate See WOOD
Patternsinsert
on the two #8x%" flathead for holelocations
# B x s / q "F . H .
screws.We sandedthe edge 3/q"-<' /\ wooo screw
of the lid to rotatesmoothly
betweenthe sides(A).
?R
1i/r'L fA 7+" solid
Usemodelairplanegloss- stock
enamelpaintor nail polish 7e"round-over
routedafterassemblv
November 2004
20 WOOD magazine
MAGAZINE
to pilotholes,
Guide countersinks,
plugcutters,anddriuers
Forwoodscrewsof this size
Usethefollowingaccessories
andholesizes
15/6qr, I e/ez,'
pilotholesize
Softruood
l/ta" l5/a+" l3/sz"
to mark portions of the bits to match the note the size of the screwon the chart.If
color-codedchan. Cut out the color chart or you're not sure,match its headsizeto the
make a color photocopyof it. Using spray tier of screwspermanentlymountedin part
adhesive,adherethe chan to the inside of E. Match the color on the chart for that
the box, where shownin the photo on page particularsize to the color codedbit..l
20.Tlten, when you needto drill a hole, Project design: Jeff Mertz
woodrnagazlne.corn 21
develop your shop skills
avoidthese
q$,ver-sanding
sflpups
Sanderscan be your shortcutto successor a
Here'show to
sourceof hastyheadaches.
avoidthe mostcommonsandingmistakes.
one right, power sandingspeeds Safegruards; Avoid this problemby using a

your way to a silky surface.Done coarsersandpaper-such as 80-grit-for
wrong, your impatiencewill haunt your disk or oscillating spindlesander.Let
you with every flat spot, gouge,and burn the machinedo the work and use soft pres-
mark your tools leavebehind.Here'show surewhen pushingthe workpieceagainst
to avoid sanding'sbiggestrisks. the sander,especiallyon end grain. Keep
your sanderor your workpiecein constant
Match Grit to Grain motion to preventheatbuild-up.
Potential problem.' Figuring that fi ne- Oscillating spindlesanderswork greatfor
grainedhardwoods,suchas walnut or cher- densehardwoods.The up-and-downmotion
ry, requirea fine sandpapergrit, you add a of the spindlespreadssanding-generated
fresh220-grit to your drill presssanding heatover a greaterareathan a sanding
drum or disk sanderand give your work- drum on a drill press,althoughyou still
piece a firm push to removesaw marks needto keep your workpiecein motion.
aroundthe edges.Suddenly,there's the If you're sandinga workpiecedown to a
scentof burnt wood in the air. Like the patternline, first cut it to within tAz"of the
only slightly exaggeratedexelmpleshown final shapeto eliminateas much sanding
above,your project is now firewood. as possible.
Scuff-Sandby Hand
Potentialproblem,'You're sandingdown
your sealercoat of clear finish with 220-grit
paperwhen your sandercuts throughboth
the finish coat and the stainedsurface
beneath.Oddsareyou'llneed to sanddown
to bare wood and restainthe entire surface
of the damagedface.
Safegauds;This time, rethink the needto
sandbetweenthe first and secondcoats.
Finishessuchas lacquerpartially dissolve
the earliercoat, and requireno between-
coat sanding.With polyurethanefinishes,
apply a secondcoat without sandingthe
first sealercoat, which often dries rougher
than following coats.After the secondcoat,
use 320-grit sandpaperon a hand-heldpad
to scuff-sanda bondablesurfacefor the T.,",
next coat. Commercialsandingsealers
requireespeciallymild sanding.
Continuedon page 24
22 WOOD rnagazine November 2004

develop your shoP skills
Copythe Contour curvededge.A hand-sanding alternative Skip the Dips

Potentialproblem.' You've just fed a work- usesthe curvedscrapcreatedwhen your Potential problem.'When edge-joining
piecewith a long, sweepingcurvethrough curvedworkpiecewas cut. Rough-sandthe piecesof exactthickness,it's tricky to glue
your oscillatingspindlesanderwhenyou saw marksfrom the curvededgeof the panelswith perfectlyevenjoints. So you
stopto admireyour work anddiscoverthat scrappiecewithout alteringits profile. cruiseyour power sanderup and down the
your long curvehasbecomea stringof Then cut and attachstripsof adhesive- problemseams,and the situationgoesfrom
bumpsanddips. backedsandpaper in progressivelyfiner bad to worse:Your unevenjoints turn into
Safeguards;We exaggerateda bit hereto grits, startingwith 60-gritand endingwith noticeabledips.
makea point:Alwaysusethe largestdiam- 180-or 220-gnt,turningthe scrapinto a Safeguards.' Sandersmake poor thickness-
eterdrum that fits within the radiusof the custom-contoured sandingblock. ing tools,especiallybelt sanders.When
gluing up sections,inspectfor workpiece
slipsat joint lines,and correctimperfec-
tions well beforethe glue sets.
If a problemstill surfaces,visualizean
areaabouttwice the width of your sanding
pad on either side of thejoint and work
Ayggh!
,$ Y$
.ft^s:
graduallyfrom the edgesto the centerto
avoid abruptsurfacechangesdirectly over
H...*''
C"",.',*o thejoint.
.lr;.r
SandVeneerwith Care Safeguards.'Don't tilt your sanderas you

Potentialproblem; Edge-bandinga sheetof crossthe edgeor you'll removeboth veneer
hardwoodplywood with matchingveneer and edging.If you're still concernedabout
often leavesoverlapswherethe edgingpro- cuttingthroughthe veneer,sandthe over-
trudesabovethe surfaceof the face,so you laps by hand with 220-gnt paperor higher.
pick up your sanderand leanit over to even You can alsotrim veneerusing a chisel
out theexcess.On oneespeciallystubborn with the bevel sideup and the back flat
portion,the plywood hardwoodveneerdis- againstthe faceof the plywood.Finish by
appears alongwith the edging,exposingthe lightly hand-sanding with 220-gntpaper
layerbeneath. or hisher.
Continuedon page 26
develop your shop skills
tosingYour Edge Safeguards;For simple shapes,suchas the sandersurfaceto the shapeof what you're
Potentialprohlem; You figure that if you onebelow,makea contouredsandingblock sanding:Divide a complexroutedprofile
hold your pad or random-orbitsanderjust by bandsawinga chunkof rigid polystyrene into separatecurvesand angles,anduse
right, you can reachinto the nooks and foam to matchthe edgeprofile and cover it matchingcontouredpadsto sandeach
cranniesof a profiled edge.Unfortunately, with adhesive-backedsandpaper. (Spray portionof the routededge.Ii's slow going,
the profile losesits crisp lines and curves adhesivedissolvesfoam.) but your profileswill look ascrisp asthey
becomeflattened. Here'sanotheroptionfor matchingyour are smooth.lF

short world
Newsandnotesfromthewoodworking
cuts
Gordlessdrill to the rescue
Thoughmostpeopledon't needanother copterwould move King to the
hole in their head,that wasn't the casefor larger facility.
Z9-yeu-old Ben King, a Hailey, Idaho, res- With King's conditionworsening
ident. While visiting a friend, King fell by the minute, a concernedradiolo-
down a flight of stairsand hit his headon a gist who studiedthe brain scanstold
concretefloor, renderinghim unconscious. the Center'semergencyphysician,
Internally,blood welledup in his skull, cre- Keith Sivertson,that he didn't think
ating potentially fatal pressureon his brain. King would survive the transit.
Due to the severityof the case,doctors In needof a solution.Dr. \\
decidedto transferKing from their small Sivertsongrabbeda l4.4-volt cord- \\
local hospital,the St. LukesWood River lessMakita drill and bits from the At a ceremony in his honor, Dr. Sivertson presents
former patient Ben King with a T-shirtshowing the
Medical Centerat Ketchum,to a larger one, hospital'smaintenance shopand
Makita drill that he used to save King's life.
St. AlphonsusRegionalMedical Centerin drove off to catchup with King at
Boise.But becauseof a snowstorm the rendezvous.Arrivine at the
outside,getting him thereproved a chal- momentof transfer,the doctor then drilled a trick, pulling the patientthrough,and mak-
lenge.It requiredan ambulanceride to a 7s" hole in King's skull to relievethe pres- ing this one more legendaryday in the wild
rendezvouspoint wherea LifeFlight heli- sure.The unonhodox procedure did the and woollv West.
Testyour workshop smarts r Can you name this unique groundto perform the task.Becausewood
Answersto the questionsin issue158: Victorian-era hand tool and describe partsof Victorian housesrequirednumer-
r What woods did makers use in the con- its use? ous anglecuts,the miter gaugewas
struction of Civil War era canteens? Carpentersworking on late Victorian designedto savetime, thoughit nevergar-
According to StephenW. Silvia, authorof housesover a centuryago might recog- neredwidespreadinterestin the trades.
Civil War Canteens,canteenmakersused nize this cast-iron handheldmiter box or
cedar,cherry, and
oomiter gauge."Fitted with an adjustable r What's the origin of '!ennyr" the
maple.Cedarwas spring-activatedlock that allowed the word used to define nail sizes?
the least preferred headto be fixed at the desiredsawing The "d" abbreviationfor penny dates
apit tainted the angle,the devicecould be usedby a back to Roman times and the coin called
flavor of the workman on a roof or ladder to cut denarius.The "penny" systemof nail
water. Canteen boards without having to return to the designations,however,stemsfrom the
construction,as English pence.At no time did a 6d nail
depictedby the cost sixpence,butrecords show that 100
Confederatewood To use the miter gauge, a carpenter 6d nails had oncecost that amount,and
drum model left, locked its head at the desired angle, that 100 8d nails had simultaneouslycost
consistedof a pair rested the rail against the board's edge, eightpence.
of flat, round and, with a handsaw or backsaw insert- Today, the "d" designationpertains
ed through the jaws, made the cut.
faceplates more to length than cost.A 2d nail used
spannedby sever- with wood measures1" long. Each ld
al short staves increment equalsa rA" nul-length
serving as the increaseup to 16d. Above 16d,nail-
sides.Like a length increasescome in Vz"increments.
wooden barrel, That explainswhy a 10d nail is 3", and a
thesewere held 20d nail, the next sizejump above 16d,
tightly in place by measures 4".
metal bands.
Added to this rlrl
were a cylindrical als
GivilWar-era wood drum wood mouthpiece
canteens typically and a cork that
measured2VaX7Vz"and stoppedthe con-
carried one quart
of water. tainer.
Continued on page 30
short cuts
Why are bluebirds so darn haPPY? GeorgeWashington tree

The answer'seasy:It's because of all thefreehousinggener- lirnb ialls into f-ood hands
atedby FlatheadWildlife Incorporatedin Kalispell,Montana' When hurricaneIsabelravaged
and a local woodworker/conservationist namedWarren and the Chesapeake Bay areain
Lamoreux.The storybegins12 yearsago when the president September2003,it left massiveamounts
of a conservation club teamedup with Warrento makeand of deadfallin its wake.And while most
sell bluebirdhouses.The club purchasedthe wood, Warren of it was cartedoff to the dump or cut
cut out the parts,and some20 conservation club members into firewood,one very specialpiecewas
dutifullyassembled them. savedfor posterity-a limb from a2l9-
That first yearthe club sold a whopping500 houses,making year-oldMount Vernonwhite ashtree
$ 1,800 for a wildlife habitatfund.Encouraged by its success, plantedby noneotherthanGeorge
Montanan Warren Lamoreux Washington in 1785.
the club andWarren'sbusy sawhavesincebuilt morethan has cut out the parts for
5,400bluebirdhouses,nettingthe fund some$19,000.The Consequently, the limb wood was
over 5,400 bluebird houses,
8l -year-oldindustriousWarrenwas honoredby the Montana working out of his small sawninto blanksand givento selected
Wildlife Federationin 2000 as "volunteerof the year." woodstove-heatedshop. woodturnersto makesomethingspecial.
One suchturner,BruceHooverfrom
Virginia'sEastemShore,took his
assignment to heart,and turnedthe
exquisitestatementof patrioticf-ervor
you seebelow.Of all the turnings,his
alonewill be on permanentdisplayat
' , ".' , i , ' , , ' 1 ! ' , 1 1 1 ' 1 1 i , Mount Vetnon,Washington's home.il
,,'
A clean, sharp.ho[ei,,,' :
,ffi'.
l, :E'
i. ;.
'iL!i
WoodturnerBruce Hoover embellishedhis

vessel with a woodburned and dYed
Americaneagle and 13-starflag.
Position opening at
WOOD' Magazine
The staff positionof Woodworking
TechniquesEditor is cunently openat
WOODMagazinein DesMoines,lowa'
Work includesproducing
techniquearticlesfor the magazine,
travelingasneededto complete
assignments, andplanningand
directingphotographyand illustrations
to complementarticles.
Qualifiedapplicants,pleasesend
coverletterand resumeto:
D. Neumann
MeredithCorporation
HH/PublishingGroup, DePt#34526
1716Locust Street
Des Moines,lowa 50309
Fax: 515-284-2958EOE

lf you've alwayswanteda brad naileror narrow-crownstapler,
Ithe time is perfectto make your dreama reality.No longerare
thesetools exclusively for productionshopsand tradesmen.
Today'sair-poweredtools fit nicelyinto the home woodworker's
arsenal.Considertheseadvantages:
* Priceshavecome down in recentyears,movinghigh-quality
nailersintoyour home-shopbudget.Nowadays,you can buy a
nailerand compressorpackagedtogetherat one low price.An
added bonus:The compressoroftenarriveswith a kit for house-
holdtasks,includinga needleto inflateathleticballs,valvesfor
air mattresses,and adaptersfor auto and bike tires.
,r Nailers,staplers,and compressorsare smaller,lighter,and
morecompactthan ever.Onceyou'vecleareda cornerof your
workbenchfor air tools,you'llbe amazedat how oftenyou put
them to use.And becausesome compressorsweigh as littleas
20 pounds,you can easilymovethem from placeto place.
n Today'sair-powerednailersand staplersare reliableand
nearlymaintenance-free.Somerequireno lubrication; others
needjust an occasionaldrop of oil.
. New technologymakesair-powered toolsvirtuallyjam-free.
An easy-accessfront gate on the tool makesit a breezeto
extractthe rarejammedstapleor brad.
r Combinationmodelsallowyou to buy one gun that shoots
32
ADVERTISEMENT
10. Sbonger ioints Eachtime your hammerstrikesa nail,you

loosenthe joint.Or worse,you run the riskof bendingthe nail.
11, forgiving AcciOentally
sawingthrougha brad or staple
causesnegligibledamageto a saw bladecomparedto hitting
a screwor finishnail.
12. ileat, space-sauing fastener storage The compact boxes
of fastenersreplacebulkycans and bags of nailsand screws.
Iipsfornailerc
andstaplers
Followcommon-sensesafetypointercincludedin the instruction
manual.And alwayswear safetyglasses.
Testfirc Beforerushinginto a project,shoot fastenersinto scrap

stockto test the depthof the drive.fl-hisis especiallyimportant
hammer,nail,and apply joint pressure. with staplesand thin stock.)Withthe adjustmentknob,it's easy
to dial in the precisepressuresettingto matchthe sizeof the
4. AccuraG! You'llenjoy more accurateassemblybecause fastenerand the materialhardness.Settinga brad %0"belowthe
slipperygluedpartswon't slideunderclampingpressure.With surfaceis adequatefor most fillers.
this 2lz-poundtool, fatiguedforearmsare a thing of the past-
WatchhandpositionBradsand staplesfollow grain linesand
and so are bashedfingers.
couldexit on the sidewhereyour fingersare positioned.
5. SpeeOAir-poweredtools drivefastenersmanytimes faster
than a hammer.Whenyou add in the extratime requiredfor set- Gheckthe fas'lenersupplyfrequentlyMost nailershave a window
ting finishnails,there'sjust no contest. that indicatesthe remainingsupplyof fasteners.However,if you
realizeyou've been shootingblanks,grab a stud finderto track
6. QualityEliminatedivots(hammertracks)from your hammering down the last properlysecuredhole.
oops.The rubbernosecushionpreventsmarring.
7. Quickly make iigs and fixtures Nailersand staplersmake
shortorderof assemblingyour workshophelpers.
toenailingdadoed shelves.This techniquo :

1 .,_-securesthe carcasewhile the glue drie$jM
--\\* .*='i
Some of the fasteningtasks

that are best suitedfor a
narrow-crownstapler:
rr/ntt n tfiinnermabrial With
a slapfgr, you lf na*o narra t -t1I
norolngpowerIn rnrnorv- 1
wood.
Anadded
oll,lJl""'mmJ
r UpholsteryStaples are staders to
perfectfor smoothly..securinginstallglue
'6ii;k"ilmL
fabricandotherflexible,thin ,*r "
9, euidr projectmaterials. timeflat. il
Speed up production r UndedaymentThenexttimeyouget involvedin a
cutting (and accuracy)at remodelingproject,forgetabout spendingthe day stooped
your bandsawor scroll- \ , over with a hammerand nails.Yourkneeswill appreciatethe
saw by firing nailsinto i quick completionwith a stapler.Plusyou'll havea per.fectly
wgste areasof stacked : smooth surfacefor the finish layerof flooring.
wofkdil.eces.Thealternativ*
ds&lfS{acedtap*is
slowerandmessier. Broughtto rartrIE LTA
youoyYour
achievement. Our tools.
33
askwood
toyourquestions
Answers fromletters, andW00D0nlineo
e-mails,
Tffffe a tablesag fOf i machined

andbalanced
lfgh performance i |}["r1i,,U:H",*i,
f| I tn a woodworkingcatalog,t've i ."ttin tttJ.og.t of the
tablesaw.tune-up kitswith i pulleys each
If ::9.n pulleys. fgn:.d,yith
a'liiik belt and new Do these ; other before tightening
itemsand changesmakea ditference? i ttrem.It waseasyto add
Are they worth the moneyand etfort? ! or removelinksfromthe
-FrankSiudows4,Wilmington,
Del.i drivebelt soit matched
i thelengthof theold V-
tr r We wonderedthe same thing, ! u"tr. After replacingthe
gl r Frank,sowe got a kit andinstalled i Uettguard,we switched
it on a Delta confiactor-styletablesaw.The i on the saw and managed
rationalebehind the product makessense: i to balancea 1.35mm-
Machinedpulleys are better balanced,so ! ttrick dime on edgeon the
they run more smoothly than stampedones. I taUtewhile spinning a %"
A link belt eliminatesthe problem of belt i stackeddado blade. Even
set-that's what happenswhen an ordinary i months after the upgrade,
belt sits for an extendedperiod and forms i the saw still puns along.
humps matching the shapeof the pulleys. i For our money (about
When you turn on the saw, the humps in the ! $SOpostagepaid from
running belt bounceover the pulleys and i In-Line Industries,
createvibration. i 800/533-6709 or
To seewhetherthe productswork, we i in-lineindustries.com), , When installing a tablesaw tuneup kit, carefully align and tighten
removedthe old stampedpulleys on the saw ! theseupgradesproved the machined pulleys. The flexible drive belt of interlocking seg-
arbor and motor and replacedthem with the i worthwhile. ments keeps vibration to a minimum.
Becoming an HVIrPconvert Your best alternativefor a compressor-

fi 1l've nCardthatan HVLP(high driven HVLP is probably a gravity-feed gun
Y r volume/lowpresswe)spray- like the one in the photo, right. (It's a
finishingsystemotfers benefitsover DeVilbiss model FLG-635-316,with a retail
traditionalsprayguns,but I'd likea price of about$150.)Optionalplasticcup
furtherexplanation. Also,can I liners dramatically reducecleanuptime, and
convertmy existinggun,or do I have they let you spray with the gun upside down
to junk it? And do I needto replace to coat hard-to-reachplaces.
my compressorwith a turbine? HVLP guns require plenty of air, so you
-Dick Guinan,0maha,Neb. may have to buy a larger compressor.The
manufacturerof the gun shown recommends
il I HVLP systems use large amounts a minimum of a 3-hp compressorwith a 20-
fl r of air delivered at low pressuresat gallon tank. Although this is an added
the air cap (10 psi or less)to reducebounce- investment,you can use the compressorto
back and overspray,Jeff, so more finish power other tools. An HVLP turbine, on the
endsup on your projectinsteadofbeing other hand,has a single function.
wasted.That improves the air quality in your Most manufacturersof nrbine-driven
shop and cuts costs. HVLP sprayersmarket a completesystemto
Forget converting an older conventional ensurecompatibility of the components.And
spray gun to HVLP operation.Replacement even though the cup is under the gun like a
pafis eanbe hard to find, and worse, conver- conventionalsprayer,someair is piped into
sionsonly marginally improve an older gun. the containerto pressurizethecontents.We
found completeHVLP systemsat prices When using an HVLP sprayei you'll get the
That's becauseturning up the pressurehigh
best results by adjusting the incoming air
enoughto pull the finish out of the old gun's rangingfrom $100 to $700.Justan HVLP pressureto the minimum setting that still
cup increasesthe delivery pressure,so spray gun designedto work with a 3-hp air fully atomizes the finish. An in-line pressure
you're back whereyou started. compressor is about$180. valve simplifies this process.

I
:lllilf trl'{flflstflI tl I Iil fil t l{l)ll3l|ffl |! (clf''l:lil I I I II t i{f
* FinestQuality
{(
With Woodline's6-piececabinetset, CarbideTips
Drillinq holes in dowels

everythingyou need to create
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rUndcrcotter
{ Inclsded !l * FullAnti-
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n r Wf,eneverI needto drilla hole Thisset includes
;)
* Ultimate
! r througha dowel,the bit wants an ogee raisedpanelwith
ul Lifetime
z
to skatearoundandchooseits own matching2-piecerailand
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-Chris Hanison,
lnglewood,
1nt. drawers. Alsoincludesa door n
Customer
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J
[ . A V-block is the fraditionalway
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Chris,but it sometimesyields lessthan
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anythicknessof material.
in
0 IndividualBits
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A[
0 * Custom
Designed
B
dependableresults.The hole in the sideof wL 2020-1
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l/2" Shank.... BitsMade
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8Straight
Bits 6 Roundover
Bits 1Multibeading Bit
5 Dovetail
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Cutting 1Bowl &Tray Bit
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3 RoundnoseBits 1OgeeWithFillet 1Double Roman Ogee
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1Plunging Double
3 Mortising
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1Plunging
Panel Bit 1DoubleRoman Ogee 1FlatBottom 60V-Groove
,1Laminate
TrimBit W Cove 1Standard60V-Groove
1Bevel
Bit Roundover 3 Rabbeting
1Plunging / SlotCutters
390V-Groove Bits 1Stepped
Cove 4 ChamferBits
2 RomanOgee Bits 2 Edge
BeadingBits 6Cove Bits
Woodline USA's
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When looking for a good glue joint

IThis set features everything
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then you need Woodline's New Offset be combined in thousands of
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Make this simple jig to drill holes in Great for
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lf you'relookingfor ananswerto a woodworking
question, writeto AskW00D,1716LocustSt., y,h3P"'"?
$79
GA-310, DesMoines,lA 50309-3023 or sendus
[email protected]. Forimmediate Ad SaleCode:WOODO3
feedback fromyourfellowwoodworkers, postyour
question ononeof ourwoodworking forumsat
www.woodmagazine.com/forums
ruLl'm0472{950
0nLm0ilI0
fl00DLll.|E
T0DAYI
COi|{ i0RECEIVE
I00RDER
0R AFRIE . VilmDLNE
CATAL0G ,111[{heeler
USA St,La l1{37ffi
krorp,
woodmagazine.corn 37
talking shop
formingperfectslots
For arrow-straightslotswith
crisp,clean ends and edges,
let your router table, a few
shop-madeaccessories,and
a little know-how help you
produce on-targetresults.
,iF: l
,:,.
. { s\
rilling end holes and sawing out ,;+$:
the waste between them is one

way to form a slot. Appealance
dependson your unwavering ability to
follow the straight cutlines connectingthe at
end holes with a scrollsawor jigsaw. I r,nvour rHEsr,or 4 POSITIO.\J THH FENCE
Here's a better method that eliminatesthe Draw slot boundary lines on the Part, Chuck a slot-sizebit in the router.Position
risk of wanderins off course. extendingthe end linesto the edges. the fence to center the bit in the slot.
r\t
.:*,
-' -:g
a
E--*
g
lt ,r
f /''
Auxiliary
gUf0e -------'//
ah
4 sur rHE LEFTsroP 5 aon AN AUxTLTARYGUrDE

Align the slot left end line with the left edge Alignthe slot right end line with the right Using the part width to gauge the distance,
of the bit. Position and secure the right stop. edge of the bit. Positionand securethe stop. clamp an auxiliaryguide parallelto the fence.
Note: Thepart should slide easilv betu,'eenthe
guide andfence without ercessplat'.
{ I
--\%o
r ry; h
d
lvlolEtu '&ir*t#'$e" . Spinning bit

F'
6 nnrr,r,our rHE wAsrE I MAKE A PLUNGE CUT 8 nout rHHsr,or

Using abitl/e" smallerthan the slot width, With the right end of the workpiece touching Feed the part to the left until it hits the stop.
drill overlappingholes insidethe layoutlines. the right stop, lower it onto the spinningbit. The auxiliaryguide keeps the part in line. lP
Note: Creating a slightlv undersized rough
slot with o drill bit lets you rout u clecut
finished size slot in one eas\tpass.
'*."-t1
7€m
porthelps
Dustcollection .+#$#*"'i
keepyourshopcleanand F a;A
Extensions
youbreathing
easy. ;.w' **si*@g*r'
##stY;u'*
putthe
fence-adjustment
knobs at
yourfingeftips.
T-track
Aluminum
=4<::" makes
attaching
asnap.
{fJ accessories
4::'-<-5
& ti
r.a\
bitguard
Easy-to-build
andotheraccessories,
seepages 4446.
locks
Stopblock
inplace
for
precision
cuts,
seepage45.
fence
Segmented allsizesofbits.
faceaccommodates
!-i
The 2"-high lower portionof the fence opens to To accommodatetall bits, such as this crown molding
house the majority of your bits. cutter,open the 1"-tallcenter poftion.

s an ordinary fence limiting the perfor-
mance of your table-mountedrouter?
Now you can move your routing into
the big leagues with this feature-packed
upgrade.To add flexibility, the fence is
designedto attachto a router table in just
aboutevery imaginableway. Use threaded
inserts,T-track, or simply clamp the endsto
your router table. If the fence is for a router
table built into your tablesawextension,an
optionalcleatenablesyou to clamp it to the
tablesawrip fence.
Feather seepage46
board,
A one-piece feather board firmly holds Startwith the fencebody
-Baltic
t/2" plywood (we. used
down workpieces for consistent profiles. I From
I birch), cut the upright (A) and base(B)
seepage44
Jointe6 to the sizes listed on the Materials List.
Adjust a dadobladeto the thicknessof your
t/rtr plywood, and cut Ve"-deep dadoes
acrossthe widths of the parts,whereshown
on Drawing1.
Note: If your router table already has
threaded inserts or T-track for mounting
and securing a fence, make sure the loca-
tion of the bracesdoesnot interfere with it.
Becausethese dadoeshouse the braces
(C) [seepage42], they mustalign perfectly.
Positionthe tablesawrip fence as a stop4"
from the blade and,using the miter gaugeto
steadythe parts, cut all four of the outside
dadoes.Repositionthe fence 11" from the
...^/o' -.'"
blade and cut the four inside dadoes.Now
A jointer face quickly straightensedges or cut the Vz"rabbetalong the bottom edge of
removes saw marks for edge-gluing. the upright.
I reruce
BoDY
PARTs
Mounting forallsituations
options
t/2" rabbel
---11 " t/e" deep on
2" back face
Y
t
l-4'- s/se"
shank holes,countersunk
FENCEUPRIGHT
(Frontfaceshown)
%0"slot
6" Tse"shank
I ---11 " holes,
?" countersunk
L /
t on bottomface
l- .u''r"" L--4"---l
_ * 1 7 n_
Fence-mountingoptions includethreaded FENCEBASE Note: *lf your routertable alreadyhas threaded

(Top face shown) insertsor T-track,spacethe slotsor
inserts, T-track, and clamps. For a saw-table- holesto match.See the instructions.
mounted routenclamp it to the rip fence.
4-arm knob #6xt/2" P.H.screw
/+" SAE washer
Dustport
|s/e" !
vtEW
fl exeloDED JJ
OptionalT-slotnut
#8x 1"F.H. for table-mounted
3/q"groove wood screw T-track
s/e"deep, cut after
laminateis attached
#6x 1"F.H. 15'bevels
wood screw
-Fr
fl 3"
I
1\t
i1 t/2" chamfers
/+" SAE washer
I-i
14', I l-l
ffi
15'bevels AluminumT-track
4t'-"{c
___ro 28" long
EEousr PoRrPANEL
\ ,-€ s/.ra"hole,
/.' countersunk
Plasticlaminate
1/q-20 to
F.H.bolts2" long,trimmed 45" bevels
17e"andepoxiedin Place center distanceand center this dimension
on the base.Now form the slots, as shown
Note: For the upright to be square to the in Photo A. To machineperfect slots with a
table-mountedrouter,seepage 38. centered
baseafter assembly,the dadoesand rabbet
must be unifurm in depth.Make lwo passes If you plan to install T-track in your
over the blade to make certain the bottoms router-table top, drill only the slot-end
of your cuts are completelycleanedout. holes closestto the front edge of the base
(B). To locatebaseholes for a router-table
DLuy out the centersof the %0" holes
hthat form the ends of the slots in the top that already has T-track, measurethe f Check the distancebetween the center
upright (A), where shown on Drawing 1. center-to-centerdistance and center this lf braces(C), and cut the dust port panel
For the movableface partsF and G to work dimensionon the base..Ifyou plan to clamp (D) to size.Thencut45obevelson the ends,
properly, the slots must be perfectly the fence to your router table, no slots or where shown on Drawing 2a.Center and
aligned,so useyour drill pressand its fence holes are neededin the base. draw a 3"-diametercircle on the panel with
to align the bit and drill the holes. If you 2I-uy out the bit clearancecutoutsin the a compass,drill a blade starthole inside the
plan to securethe fence to your router table rJupright (A) and base(B), where shown circle, and saw out the hole. Finish-sandthe
with threadedinserts,drill slot-endholesin on Drawing1, and scrollsawor jigsaw them panel. Now apply glue to the bevels and
the base(B), where shown.To locatebase to shape.Then sand Vz"-radii on the rear clamp the panel in place between the
slots for a router-tabletop that already has cornersof the base. braces,with its top edge flush with the top
threaded inserts. measure the center-to- drill press,drill countersunk edgeof the upright (A).
'filVsingyour
holes in the upright (A) and base (B)
centeredon the didoes and rabbet, where
shownon Drawing1. Finish-sandthe parts.
Then glue and clamp the upright and base
together,keepingthe endsflush. Using the
holes in the upright as guides, drill pilot
holes into the base.and drive the screws.
( Cut the braces(C) to size,and then cut
rJthem to the shapeshownon Drawing2.
Finish-sandthe braces.Now clamp them
in the upright (A) and base (B) dadoes,
making sure they fully seat in each part.
Using the holes in the upright and base as
guides,drill pilot holes into the base,and
drive the screws.
Note: For the upright to be square to the For a tablesaw-extension mounted routeG
With the slot-end holes drilled,draw tangent
lines connectingeach pair of holes, and base, thefront edge of each brace must be adding the optional cleat (E) allows you to
scrollsawthe slots. square to its bottom edge. clamp the fence to the tablesaw rip fence.

|ff you will clamp the fence to your E oproNAL TABLESAW
FENcEcLEAT
I tablesaw rip fence for use with an
extension-tablemounted router, as shown
in Photo B, measurethe height of the rip
fence, cut the optional fence cleat (E) to
size, and finish-sandit. Clamp the cleat to Heightof your
the braces(C), whereshownon Drawing3. tablesaw
rip-fence
Drill countersunk holes through the cleat
and into the braces.and drive the screws.
Make the segmented face

I For the fence faces (F, G, H), cut two
I piecesof plasticlaminateand a pieceof
34" medium-density fiberboard (MDF) to
'7x29". (We
used Formica brand laminate
in no. 464 Graystonecolor.) Adhere the 7/a+"
pilol hole 7+"deep #8 x 1Y4"F.H.woodscrew
laminate to both sides of the MDF with 7sz"shankhole.countersunk
contact adhesive.True one edge and one
end of the laminated blank on your table- Insert businessor playing cards between washersand four-arm knobs, as shown on
saw. Then cut the lower face (F), center them as spacers,as shown in Photo D, and Drawing 2. Tighten the knobs enough to
face (G), and upperface (H) to size.Using secure the faces with washers and securethe fence.Now filI the knob recesses
a 15o bevel laminate trimming router bit, adjustable clamping handles, shown on with epoxy,fixing the threadedrodsin place.
bevel the ends and edgesof the parts. Drawing2. Now positionthe upperface (H) For threadedinserts,threadthe rods 3/e"into
t/2" chamferson the inside endsof on the center face, and insert card spacers the inserts.As you did with the T-track, add
)Cut
Er the lower face (F) and center face (G), between them. Make sure the ends of the the fence, knob extensions,washers, and
where shown on Drawing2. Then dnll s/ta" upper face and upright are flush, and clamp knobs.Tighten the knobs and add epoxy.
holesin the parts.Countersinkthe holesso the face to the upright. Fasten the upper
the head of a V+" flathead bolt is slightly face to the upright,as shownin Photo D. @ rrusrnlLtNc
r-TRAcK
oR
below the laminate surface. ,,/ Position the dust port over the hole in THREADED
INSERTS
'lthe 7c" groove zAa"hole r/2"deep lor
Note: The holes are oversizeto allow room dustport panel(D). Using the holes
7a"deep for t/q-20lhreadedinsert
for epoxy when perrnanentlymounting the in the port as guides,drill pilot holes into aluminumT-track epoxiedin place
bolts in thefaces (F, G). the panel,and screwthe dust port in place.
Q Installa3A" dadobladein your tablesaw EIf needed, install T-track or V4-20
Centerof j
tJand cut a t/e"-deepgroove for the alu- rJthreaded insertsin your routertabletop, router I
minum T-track in the upperface (H). Fit the whereshownon Drawing4.
track in the groove, ends flush with the clamp the fence'to a router table
Afo
upperface ends.Using the predrilledholes lJequipped with T-track or threaded
in the track as guides, drill shank holes inserts,first cut two piecesof Vq-20threaded
through the upper face. rod 7"-long. For T-track, threadthe rods into
the raised-collarside of T-slot nuts so he"
Apply finish and assemble protrudesfrom the bottom of the nut. Then
I Coverthe plasticlaminatesurfaceswith slide the nuts into the tracks, and drop the
I masking tape.Then apply a clear finish fence down over the rods. Slip the plastic
to all the parts. (To adequately seal the knob extensionsonto the rod and add
MDF edgesof the fence faces,we brushed
on four coatsof satinpolyurethane,sanding
with220-grit sandpaperbetweencoats.We
finished the fence body with two coats of
aero s ol s at in poly u re th a n e , s a n d i n g
betweencoats.)Removethe maskingtape.
)Cut 2"-long flatheadbolts to ls/s",as
Er indicatedon Drawing2. To protectthe
plastic laminatefrom excessepoxy, cover
the holes in the faces (F, G) with plastic
packing tape. Cut around the countersinks
with a utility knife. Epoxy the bolts in the
holes, as shown in Photo C. When the
epoxy cures,remove the tape. Use a chisel
to pare away any excessepoxy that pro-
trudesbeyond the plastic laminate surface. Apply epoxy to the bolt shanks, and insert With card spacers between the fence faces
them into the holes. Snug the bolts in place (F,G, H), install the T-track in the upper face
QCtamp the fencebody to a flat surface. with washers and nuts, making sure they are (H).Using the holes in the track and face as
tJlnsert the lower face (F) and centerface perpendicularto the surface.When the guides, drill pilot holes into the upright (A),
(G) bolts in the slots in the upright (A). epoxy cures, remove the nuts and washers. and drive the screws.
woodmagazine.com
43
TOR YOURNEW FENCE
ACCESSORIES
FOIIR SUPER-IIANDY
JOINTER
t/2" chamfel
%-20F.H.bolt
2" fong,trimmedlo 15/a"
trim the excesslaminate.Cut a t/2" chamfer and replaceit with the infeedface (I). Then
]ointer insert on one end of the infeed face, whereshown chuck a straightrouter bit in the router and
helps you on the drawingabove. align the left-hand lower fence face (F)
straighten edges As you did when making the lower faces, with the bit, as shownbelow /efi. Now slide
dnll sAe"countersunkholes in the infeed the infeed face (I) to within r/t" of the bit
Make the infeed face face. Mask the laminate and apply poly- and secureit with washersand adjustable
From 32" MDF cut the infeed face (I) to urethane.Then trim two 2"-long flathead clampinghandles.Make testcuts and fine-
size. (In use, the infeed face replacesthe bolts to l5/e"andepoxy them in place. tune the fence position by loosening one
righrhand lower face.) Cut a 2Vzx74Vz" end and lightly tappingit forward or back-
piece of plastic laminate and adhereit to Jointing with your fence ward with a mallet to preciselyalign the bit
with the outfeedface. Joint your stock, as
one sideof the MDF with contactadhesive. To joint an edge on your router table,
Using a 15" laminatebevel trimming bit, removethe right-handlower fenceface (F) shownbelow.
"" oiltfeedtbwbrlace@
Outfeedlowertace@ (plastic laminate on two faces) (plastic laminateon one face)
{ I
Position the left-hand (outfeed)lower fence face (F) 74"from the Slide your stock along the infeed face and into the bit. Becausethe
cutting edge of the bit. Using a straightedgeand moving the fence, jointei has plastic laminateon only one side, the bit removesstock
align the fence face with the bit. Then clamp the fence in place. equal to the thicknessof the laminate.

44
VJ'-E.
/A
ffi,..'..i
*ffi
for the shield. Make a
copy of the shield pattern
on the WOOD Patternso
#8 x 1tl+"brass F.H.wood screw
t%0"shankhole,countersunk
7
| ffi-
".,rd insert. and adhere it to
the shield blank with
and centered
#
/
sprayadhesive.Bandsaw
and sandthe curve. Then
drill countersunkholesin
the handle and shield,
whereshown.(The holes
are oversize to prevent
BITGUARD
s/ro"slots
$
T-slotnut
cracking the acrylic.)

,'-/ Sand the edges of both
parts smooth.
Centering the handle
on the body, and aligning
the straight edge of the !J 4Y2"---+J
il
Adjustable bit gtard flushwithrheback

shield I
i
face of the body, use the Shield
protects fingers and holes as guides and drill
deflects chips pilot holes. Remove the
l / c x 2 1 / + x4 l z "
clearacrylic
masking sheet from the
Gut and assemblethe parts acrylic, and screw the parts to the body.
Cut the guard body to size. As you did Thread two l3/q"-longflathead bolts into #8 x 1/+" brass F.H.wood screw
when slotting the fence upright (A), drill two 4-arm knobs, leaving the bolt heads
/ro" holes,as shownon the drawingat right. protruding Vz" from the top of each knob. Keeping your fingers safe
Then connect the holes with tangent lines Then apply epoxy under the bolt headsand To use the bit guard, slide the T-slot nuts
and saw out the slots. Finish-sandthe body drive them the rest of the way. With the into the T-track, and center the shield over
and apply a clear finish. epoxy cured, slip washers on the bolts, the bit. Grasp the guard by the V+" acrylic
From Vq" clear acrylic cut a lVzx4Vz" insert them in the slots,and threadon T-slot handle,adjust its height to clear the stock
piece for the handle and a 2Vqx4V2"piece nuts with the raisedcollars toward the knob. you will be routing, and tighten the knobs.
STOPBLOCK
(twoneeded)
4-arm knob
\ I
515/ta"
I s/ro"dado
- ^ r/q" deep
Z
^la, F- 1e/a"from top edge
^!- \
--rtffi$P - \
/|ilglP- - \ s/ro"hole
Vr
rl ,t
t/o'SAE washer
I
I
t/a-20F.H.bolt 1sl+"long
V+"chamter
where shown on the drawing above.Drill a Epoxy l3/q" flatheadbolts into two 4-arm
s/te"hole centeredin the dadoesand on the knobs. Install the knobs and washersin the
width of the bodies.Now cut /+" sawdust- stopblocksand add T-slot nuts.
Iocking stopblocks relief chamfers on the bottom corners.
enable precise Finish-sandthe bodies. Making stoppedcuts
Resawand plane a sAoxVzxl0"blank for To use the stopblocks,slide the cleats (L)
stopped cuts the cleats (L), checking its fit in the stop and T-slot nuts into the T-track. Using a
body dadoes.Cut the cleats to length, and ruler, position the stopblocks the required
Make the bodies and cleats glue and clamp them in the dadoeswith the distancefrom the bit, and tighten the knobs.
Cut two stop bodies (K) to size. Then cut a ends flush with the edgesof the stop body. For a good example of thesestopblocksin
s/ro"dado V+"deepin the back of each one, Apply a clear finish. action,seethe articleon page 38.
woodmaEazine.com 45
%" SAE washer
4-arm knob
BOARD
FEATHER
1/q-20
F.H. bolt 2" long
feather board Epoxy 2" flathead bolts into two 4-arm

knobs. as directedin the instructionsfor the
holds pieces for bit guard on page 45. Install the knobs and A upright BP
consistentcuts add T-slot nuts,where shownabove. B base 6u BP1
BP4
C braces f2 55/a'
Machine the MDF blank Applying the pressure D dustportpanel 1/z' 73/q' BP 1
Cut a piece of 3/q"medium-densityfiber- Mount the feather board on the fence by E optional
sliding the T-slot nuts into the T-track, lencecleal 20' BP1
boardto the sizelisted.Then makea copy of
positioningthe pivot hole on the right-hand faces
F*lower 3L' 14' MDF 2
the featherboard on the WOOD Patternso
insert, and adhereit to the blank with spray (infeed) side of the bit and the curved slot G'centerfaces 3/qu 1" 14' MDF 2
adhesive.Install a blade in your bandsaw on the left-hand (outfeed) side. Center H-upperface MDF
that cuts a r/rs"kerf. (We useda Vz" resaw- the featherboard over the bit and snug the
ing blade.)Cut the feathers,asshownbelow. knobs. Slide a piece of the stock to be infeed
face MDF
Chuck a5/rc"bit in your drill pressand drill routed under the feather board, and press
the pivot hole and the holes at the endsof the the feather board down on the stock so the guard
body 4Vc'
curved slot. Then scrollsaw the slot. Now feathersflex but the stock moves easily.
bandsawthecurvededgeof the featherboard. Tighten the knobs. Hold the stock against
K stopbodies 51%0"
Apply a clear finish. the fence, and feed it past the bit. 'l
L- cleats 5A6" t/2
M featherboard 3/q' 53/q' 14' MDF 1
tHeightofyourtablesaw Seetheinstructions.
ripfence.
.Partsinitially Seetheinstructions.
cutoversize,
Materials key: BP-Baltic birchplywood,
MDF-medium-density M-maple.
fiberboard,
cement,
Supplies: Contact sprayadhesive.
epoxy,
- kerf blade
Blades and bits: Stackdado
set,150bevellaminate-
router
trimming bit.
-
Sandpaper Buying Guide
Hardware kit. 24x30" plasticlaminate,t/+'clearacrylic,
r/c-20lour-armknobs (B),/q'SAEflatwashers (16),1/+'20
Auxillary
e-xtensl6n flatheadbolts2" long(12),t/+20flathead bolts1%"long(4),
T-slotnuts(8),#6x/e" panhead screws (4),#6x1"flathead
j woodscrews (5),#8x1"flathead woodscrews (26),#8x1/+"
e-s woodscrews (4),%"T{rack28"long(1),
brassflathead
%"-diameter plastic
Stla"-long knobextensions (2),1/+20
Attach an auxiliary extension to your miter gauge, and adhere sandpaper to the extension to threaded rod7"long(2),dustport(1).Kitno.RFT,
keep the workpiece from slipping. Adjust the miter gauge to 45", and saw the feathers along $124.95 ppd.Schlabaugh andSons, 720141h St.,Kalona,
the pattern lines. lA 52247 . Call800/346-9663 or goto schsons.com,
Wood kit. Allthet/z"Baltic birchplywood, %"medium-
Cutting Diagram densityfiberboard,andmaple needed tobuildtherouter
tablefence andaccessories. Kitno.LP-11 $19.95 ppd.
Schlabaugh andSons,seeabove.
Writtenby Jan SvecwithGhuckHedlund

Projectdesign:Jeff Mertz
RoxanneLeMoine
lllustrations:
3/qx3/q x 10" Maple

*Planeor resawto the thickness
t/2x24 x 30" Balticbirchplywood 3/+x24x 48" Medium-density
fiberboard listedin the MaterialsList.

saladbowls
an easy way to turn them quicklY
\Mhetheryou'remaking
several6" saladbowls
for everydayuse,as
demonstratedhere,or a
uniguehigttly figured bowl
that'sstrictly for display,
you'll find this method
guarantees success.
"qfit h+
hen you turn multiple salad The answer: Use a four-jaw chuck to
bowls , y o u w a n t th e p ro c e s s quickly mount, dismount, and remount
to go quickly and efficiently. your bowl-in-the-making.This lathe acces- Make a copy of the three templateson the
The question:Is therea methodthat's faster sory used to be pricey, but we found one WOOD Patternsa insert, and adherethem
than gluing a waste block to each bowl that does the job and includes a screw cen- with spray adhesiveto Ve"temperedhard-
blank and mounting it on a face plate? ter for lessthan $50. board. Cut the templatesto shaPe.
Ash Hackberry GherrY Am[:]

' '***l
TETPLATE
CC
In case you don't have a ready _,_- I \ | \,sJffr,.1
supply of bowl blanks, we've
lined up a supplier of reason-
ably priced ones in the species
used to make these five bowls.
lfl \l L_l
See Sources on page 57.
Red Elm Walnut
r Tool: Vz"bowl gouge Note: Dimensions given for the
r Tool rcst: Slightlybelowcenter screw center hole and spigot Top of
r Speed: 600-800rpm diameter and length are for the End graindirection
chuck shown. 4-jaw
chuck Q ori ttahot eand
Find the centerof each 2t/cx6v2x6Vz"bowl True the bottom of the blank mounttheblank.
blank by drawing its diagonals,and use a with your bowl gouge,removing
compassto draw a 6Vq"-diarnetercircle.
Bandsawthe blanks round. and then drill a
centeredV+"hole 1" deepin the top of each
one. Grip the screw centerwith the chuck,
just enough to make it flat, as
shown above. Then use your
gougeto true the outsideedge,as
shown above right, turning it to a
Screw
center
/q" hol
,(AJ @true thebottom.
and threadit into a blank. as shown above. 6t/s"- diametercylinder.

@frue theedge.
Bowl bottom
I lbols: Vz"bowl gouge,T+"skewchisel edge to the line marking the diameter of @ form thesteps.
r Tool restl Gouge,slightlybelow
center;skew,slightlyabovecenter.
the bowl base.Now remove%0" from the
area between the base diameter and the
/o"\ f
*l'r* \
oi5[5#3,3fl11'.
r Speed: 800-1,200rpm
spigot diameter line, as shown @Uart<thespigot
above. You now have a 3Aa"-long diameter.
First, for remountingthe bowl later,usethe spigot and a l/r0" step that marks
tail centerto mark the centerof the bottom. the diameter of the bowl base. @ Uart<
thecenter.
Then with a pencil, mark the diametersof Finally, use your skew chisel as a l"J
the spigotand the bowl baseon the bottom scraperto undercutthe spigot edge,
of the blank, as shown above. Use your matching the angle of the dovetail
l
bowl gouge to remove Vq"from the blank jaws, as shownaboveright. @Und"r.ut the edge of the
spigot,forminga dovetail.
woodmagazine.com 49
Area to be removed
r Toof: Vz" bowl gouge
r l1ool rest: Slightly below center
r Speed: Gouge, 1,200-1,600rpm;
sanding,800-1,200rpm
*
with the template.With the lathe running, grit. For best results, increasegrit by no
mark high areaswith a pencil for removal, more than 50 percent at each step.) Mark
as shown above right. With the profile the top edgeof the bowl. Removethe bowl
complete,slow the latheandfinish-sandthe blank from the screw center. Mount the
Use your bowl gouge to form the outside outside.(Start with 8O-gritsandpaperand remainingblanks,true the endsand edges,
profile, as shown above right, checking it progressthrough 120, 180, 220, and 320 form spigots,and turn the outsides.
Maskingtape
depth(/+" lessthan the 17a"finisheddepth)
r Tools: 'r/z"bowl gouge, %o" drill bit depth marker
r Tool rcst: Slightly below centerline with maskingtape on a handleddrill bit or
r Speedr 600-800 rpm an ordinary bit chucked in the tailstock.
With the lathe running, carefully push the
Remove the screw center from the chuck, bit into the screwchuck hole to the marked
and mount a blank, gripping the spigot with depth,as shownat right.
the jaws. Make sure the
flat bottomof the blank is Q Crip the spigotwith the chuckjaws.
tight againstthe ends of Depthhole
the chuckjaws. Use your @ warr thedepth
bowl gouge to true the ona drillbitwithmasking
-n 11/2"F- tape,and drilltheblank.
top of theblank,turningit +-2a4 ,
to the 2V,+"frnishedheight \\
of the bowl. To provide a \
Maskingtape
I $"
depth indication when
hollowing the inside of True the top of the blank.
the bowl. mark a It/2"
21/4n_-)
Depth hole
r Tool: 72" bowl gouge Check the profile with the inside template,
r Tool rest: Slightly below center andfinish the insideby making steady,con-
r Speed: 1,200-1,600rpm tinuous cuts from the rim to the center.as
shownoppositerop. Finish-sandthe inside.
Use your bowl gouge to hollow the bowl. Remove the bowl from the chuck. Chuck
Starting adjacent to the center hole and the remaining blanks, true the tops, mark
cutting toward the center with your gouge, depths,and hollow and sandthe insides.
make a seriesof shallow concentric
cuts, gradually working outward to
within about t/s" of the finished Qnougn outtheinsidewith
inside diameter. Then return to the a seriesof shallowcuts.
center and make another series of
cuts to the outside, as shown at the inside.
Finish-sand
right. With the bulk of the waste
removed,begin the final shapingof Finishthe inside
the inside by making longer cuts, with a few continuouspasses,
working from the rim to the center. cuttingfrom rim to center.

r Tool:7s"bowlgouge
r Tool rostr Slightlybelowcenter
r Speed: 800-1,200rpm
Grip the screw center in the chuck. Use a

compassto draw a3Vz"-diametercircle on
a lVz"-thick piece of softwood scrap,and
bandsawa disc. Drill a centeredpilot hole,
and mount it on the screw center. Use
your bowl gouge to true the disc to a 3Vq"
diameter, and then shape the end to match
the friction chuck template. Mount the
bowl, placing a folded papertowel between
it and the friction chuck, as shown at right.
Apply moderate pressureto the center of
the spigot with the lathe tail center.Rotate
the bowl at slow speed,adjustirigits position SMount
- a pieceof softwoodscrapon the
screwcenterand form a frictionchuck.
on the friction chuck until it is centered.
Making very light cuts, use your bowl
gouge to remove the spigot and create a 6DMount
- the bowl on the frictionchuck,
and applypressurewith the tail center.
slight hollow in the bowl foot. Work as
close to the tail center as possible without
completely cutting away the spigot, as Tail center
shown at far right. Remove the bowl from
- Removeas much of the spigotas possible,
@
the lathe, and pare away the remaining forminga hollowin the bowlfoot.
spigot with a chisel.Mount the other blanks Frictionchuck
on the friction chuck. and finish the feet. (
Foldedpapertowel
Sources
Lathe chuck. Four-jaw lathechuck,
utility includesa
Apply a food-safefinish to the bowls. (We screwcenterandadapters for%"x16tpi andl "x8tpi
used Behlen SaladBowl Finish, following no.C3418,
spindles, $46.95.PennStateIndustries.Call
8001377-7297,orgoto pennstateind.com,
the directions on the container.) Now at
Bowf blanks.2ahx6r/zx6t/2" bowlblanks inyourchoice
your next meal, servesaladin bowls you'll
ofash,cherry, redelm,orwalnut,
hackberry, 6 bowlblanks Seemole
be proud to place on the table. tF for$21,12lor$42,or 18for$63.Supply ofsomespecies shop-tested
maybelimited.CallJohnson WoodProducts,
563/933-6504foravailability
andshipping charges. woodworking skills
- at-
Written by Jan Svec Finish. Behlen
n0.125702
Salad
(quart).
BowlFinish
Packard
no.125701
Woodworks. Call
(pint)
or woodmag?i i ne.com/shopski||s
Project design: Jeff Merts
lllustrations:Roxanne LeMoine 800/683-8876,orgoto packardwoodworks.com forprices.
woodmagazine.com 51
$e-...------
l{ ol*.-----*-__
A athering dust on many workshop ishes,letting you apply lighter coats. For Your solventtoolbox
I rshelves are cans of solventused example, the mixtures above show oil- Solvent needsvary with the finishes you
Y mostly to clean a brush or wipe up based polyurethane thinned with 50 use.To alter oil-basedfinishes,you'11need
a splatter.Betweenthe odors and the warn- percent mineral spirits for use as a wiping mineral spirits-also called paint thinner-
ing labelsr ]ou may be afraid to use sol- finish or sealercoat over bare wood and and naphtha.Both are extractedfrom petro-
ventsfor much else.That's too bad because thinned 20 percent to help brush marks leum, but they're as different as
thosecanshold the answersto many com- level out of subsequent coats. gasolineand motor oil in how quickly they
mon finishing problems. Someproductsdissolveas well as thin a evaporate. Because naphtha vaporizes
First, let's sort out why some products finish: Alcohol thins and dissolvesshellac, quickly, use it sparingly to shorten the
can be calleda solventone time and a thin- for example.Mineral spiritscan dissolveor drying time of oil-basedfinishes.Mineral
ner the next. Solventsdissolvesolids,turn- thin varnish while the finish is wet, but spirits evaporateslowly, giving the finish
ing them into a liquids. Thinnersdilute fin- doesneitheroncethe finish cures. time for brush marks time to disappear.

When you work with shellac,keep plenty
of denaturedalcohol on hand. Some types
of alcohol are labeled "shellac thinner," but Here are three ways thinnedfinishescan help you createa more attractiveproject:
any denatured alcohol-ethanol with
methanol added to make it undrinkable- I Mix shellacat the rate of 1 ounceof flakesper 5.3 fluidouncesof alcohol
containing little or no water will work. (a 1t/z-poundcut) to create a seal coat. "l'll stain wood and seal it with shellac,"
Lacquer thinner's mix of chemicalsboth chemistPaul Fishbeinsays.Any topcoatwill bondto the shellacand, he adds,"l
dissolvesand dilutes lacquer,but can also don't worry about what's on top interactingwith the stain."
affect its drying time. (See "Lacquer's
Chemical Cocktail" on page 54.) Latent f Add up to 25 percentmineralspiritsto polyurethane
to createa brushablefinish
with addeddryingtime for brushmarksand bubblesto levelout and disappear.
solvents in the mix slow the evaporation
rate and give the finish time to level, while I Thin polyurethane
with 10 percentmineralspiritsfor a thicktop coat that still has
primary solvents,suchas acetone,speedup enoughdryingtime to level.
the drying process.Most lacquer thinners
are blendedfor moderatedrying speed.For
other solvents, see "Common Solvents/
Thinners at a Glance," below. InternationalProfessionalFinishersGroup. tricky to thin. As thinned oil finishes cure,
Manufacturers discourage thinning be- addedsolventmay produceenoughwarmth
The skinny on thinning cause federal rules limit finishes' volatile to push the finish from the pores of the
Although oil-based finish labels warn "Do organic compound (VOC) content-the wood. "The solvent or the oil itself will
Not Thin," many finishing pros thin fumes you smell from an open can. More bleedout of the wood," Fishbeinsays.
varnish or polyurethaneby as much as 50 factory-addedsolventswould push finishes Shellac,thinned to as much as I ounceof
percent. Thinning oil-based finishes beyond legal VOC limits, but that doesn't flakes to 16 fluid ouncesof alcohol, is a
reduces the thickness of the coat without prevent you from adding thinners at home. versatile and durable sealingcoat. Thinned
damaging the finish, says chemist Paul Unlike varnish and polyurethane, pene- shellac dries quickly without bubbling,
Fishbein.a woodworker and memberof the trating oil finishes, such as tung oil, can be making it a smooth surfacefor many types
Lacquer; Oilandlatex Shellac;crystal-Lacquer,shellac, Wax(alsocleansGrease,

oil;
epoxy paint,
removes vamish lizeshideglue andwater-based offsilicones softens
water-
andcontact finishes andoil) based
finishes
cement
Lacquerand Notrecom- Lacquer,

shellac, Wax,varnish, 0il-based
painb Anti-rust
coatings
polyester
resins mendedfor andcatalyzed andoil'based andvamishes
thinning lacquer finishes
suchas
polyurethane
Usea charcoal Notforgeneral Toluenecontent Extremely Useodorless Morevolatile Handle

with
filterrespiratorcleaningbecause known to cause flammable typeswith ftan mineral polyvinyl
alcohol
andneoprene or offirerisk birthdefects feweraromatic spirits (PVA)
ornitrile
natural-rubber ingredients gloves
gloves
Cleansfiber- A blendof Don'tuse Mosthave Creates a paint Speeds

Alsocalled up
glassresins; petroleum alcohol medium drying moderate thinner;slowsdrying(butnot
speedsfinish distillates
and containing times;
retarder dryingtimefor dryingtimefor curing)time
for
drying;
shelflife alcoholplus waterto canbeadded to lacquer;notas someoil-basedspraying and
issixmonths othersolvenb dissolve
shellac slowdrying fastasacetone finishes brushing
afteropening finishes
* See "Solvent Safety" on the
following page for general safety and handling tips for all solvents and thinners.
woodmagazine.com 53
Solvent Safety
Laccnrerts
- Chemical To work safelywith solvents,keepthem
Cocktail away from your skin and eyes,avoid
inhalingthem,and eliminatethe possibility
Paul Fishbeindescribeslacquerand WHITEOAK PINE of accidentalfires.The safetygloves,
lacquerthinneras a "witch'sbrew." goggles,and respiratorsyou'll needto do
That'sbecausethe delicatebalance
this are availablefrom hardwarestores
betweenthe ingredientsspellsthe water-
Straight
differencebetweena flawlessfinish and home centers.Vaporfiltrationmasks,
basedfinish
and one marredby brushstrokesor a poweredrespirators, and otherspecialty
sticky surface. productscan be orderedby mailfrom
To help you understandwhat'sgoing Mixof 1 drop supplierssuch as RocklerWoodworking
on in this brew,here'sthe story behind ofTransTint and Hardware(800/279-4441or
the most significantgroupsof ingredi- honeyamber rockler.com) and Lee ValleyTools
ents listedon lacquerlabels: dyeper2 (800/871 -8158 or leevalley.com).
ounces water-
I N-butylacetate,methyl isobutyl basedfinish
Choosingthe rightglovesto wear
ketone,acetone,methyl isobutyl
dependson the solventor thinner
ketone(MIBK),methylethyl ketone
(MEK),propyleneglycolmonomethyl Satin you use.Reusableor disposable
ether,ethylacetate,ethyleneglycol, oil-based neopreneglovesare an all-aroundsafety
and monobutylether are primary sol' polyurethane precautionagainstacetone,naphtha,and
vents.They dissolvethe nitrocellulose methylalcohol,but provideless protection
in lacquerthat formsthe finish. againsttoluene,xylene/xylol,methylethyl
ketone,or turpentine.Readilyavailablenitrile
I Methanol,n-butanol,and isopropyl lf water-basedfinishesare the future, gloves,or harderto findand expensive
alcoholare calledlatentsolvents.The they'llneedto win over woodworkers polyvinylalcohol(PVA)gloves,providebetter
lattertwo evaporateslowerthan the accustomedto the warm amber
protectionfromthosechemicals.Latex
primarysolventsand give the finish tones of oil-basedfinishes.A few
dropsof concentrated, water-soluble gloveswill not protectagainstmostsolvents.
time to levelout and eliminatebubbles
or brushmarks. dye can help water-basedfinishes
mimicthe subtleambertones of oil- There'sno definitionof the "well-
I Tolueneand xylenedilutethe mix. basedfinishes.Dye is especially ventilatedarea"cited on product
They also lessenshrinkageof the helpfulfor water-basedfinishes labels,but a goodguideis that
finishto stop cracking,help the film to appliedto darkerwoods,such as the whenyou smella solvent,you'reat risk.
bond harder,and reduceyellowing. oak shownabove.and'onwalnut. Don'tuse solventswherethe fumescould
be touchedoff by a pilotlightor accidental
spark,as from an electricmotor.lf you use
of topcoats."Thinned shellacmakesa seal water than that spacesout the resins in the a fan to bringfreshair intoyour workshop
coat to minimize or eliminate fish-eye finish until they're unable to dry into an or finishingroom,positionit so that freshair
(bubblestrappedin a fast-dryingfinish) so even,solid coating. passesthroughthe blades and blowssol-
you don't have to worry about applying vent awayfromthe sparkof the fan motor.
your topcoats," Fishbein says. "I always Future finishes In additionto ventingyour workspace,wear
use it to seal in glaze coatsor toner coats Environmental safety and consumers' a respiratordesignedto filterout solvent
(colors applied after a sealer cclat and health concerns are driving research to fumes.Surgical-style dust maskswon'tdo
before a topcoat). It's cheap, fast, and create durable water-basedfinishes. More that. Makesurethe respiratorfits snugly
works very well." than a decade &go, manufacturers were and has charcoalfiltercartridgesthat
For tips on thinning polyurethane and given an economic incentive to develop absorbVOCs.
shellac, see "Discover the Thinner water-based alternatives when California
Difference" on the previous page. bannedthe saleof most oil-basedfinishes. For more protectionthan safety
By comparison,thinning lacqueris tricky Add to that market a host of woodworkers glassescan provide,wear sPlash-
becausedifferent types of additives alter eagerto avoidfilling their housesand shops resistantgoggles.Lookfor eye
lacquer in different ways. For example, a with solvent odors. protection that fits tightagainstyourface
lacquerretarderslowsdown lacquer'srapid Oil-basedfinishes will survive, but they and has ventsthat blocksplashedliquids.
drying time enoughfor it to be brushedon. aren't the categorywhere finish manufac-
Typical lacquerthinner containsan assort- turers are investing their researchdollars, Solvent-soaked ragsin confined
ment.ofsolvents,many affectingthe drying Fishbein says. Their research goal is a spaces, such as a trashcan,
time or levelingability of the finish without water-basedfinish with the durability, ease becomealire hazardwhen oils
making it significantlythinner.That's why of application,and warrn tone of oil-based reactwith oxygenin the air and generate
Fishbeinrecommendsthinning lacquer no finishes. (See "Warming Up Your Water- heat untilthe ragsburstintoflames.Hang
more than 10 percent with premixed lac- BasedFinish" above.) unfoldedragsin a well-ventilated area
quer thinners. "There'Il be a phase-infor water-based wherethey can dry beforqbeingdiscarded.
The most difficult finish to alter usesthe finishes, and we're at the beginning of (They'redry whenyou no longersmell
safest thinner: water. Unlike oil-based that," Fishbeinsays."I think you'Il always solventodors.)You can alsodrapethem
counterparts,water-basedfinishescan only be able to buy an oil-basedfinish, but it'll overthe rim of a metalbucketor fireproof
be thinned about 10 percent.Adding more becomea specialtyitem." objectuntilthey dry. |F

Framefavoritephotosand supportgood reading
with this pair of easily made bookends.
. , , €r€'Sa projectyou can build in an cut the centerrail (C) to length.Now cut a
: €vefling or two with just a few 2t/+"-long rail spacer.Rip the remaining
shop scraps.Sized to hold stand- stock to lVro" wtde, and cut the center
ard 4x6" vertical format photos,you won't stiles (D) to length. Finally cut t/a" glue-
have to cut a singlejoint to assemblethe relief grooves t/te" deep in both sides of
stack-laminated frames.A simplejig guar- partsC and D, whereshownon Drawing1.
anteesperfectresults. , '.;.To ensurequick and accurateassem-
Note: The quantities shown on the ,,.,,,bly of the frame,makethejig shownin
Materials Llst make one bookend. See Drawing 2. (We used MDF.) Cut the 3/ta"
Source/or a mail-order kit of suppliesand and t/e" dowel spacersshown to keep the
planed-to-thickness wood. l%"-wide centerrail (C) and I tAd"-wide
centerstiles(D) flush at the outsideedges
First build the frame with the lW'-wrde rails (A) and stiles(B).
For the rails and stiles(A, B, C, D) cut Then assemblethe frame members(A, B,
atA"-thick boardto lt/+x48".Resawit C, D), as shownin PhotosA, B, and C.
in half and plane the halvesto tA" thick. Note: Be sure to plane, saw, or sand the
For a safe method of resawing on your centercleat to ltha" thick to allow the caul
tablesaw,seethe sidebaron page 61. Now to apply evenpressure to theframe. Cover
cut the rails (A) and stiles (B) to the the base, cleat, and clamp blocks with
To quickly change photos, simply lift off the
walnut cap and pull up the acrylic lengthslisted on the MaterialsList. Then plastic packing tape to prevent excessglue
panes/photosandwich. rip the remainingstock to lVs" wide, and from sticking to thejig parts.
Position two rails (A) and two stiles (B) Positionthe second set of rails (A) and stiles Clamp the side clamp blocks then the end
around the cleat. Then place dowel spacers (B) around the cleat. Place the caul on top of clamp blocks in place, applying light pres-
next to the cleat and add the rail spacer. the stack, centered,and clamp it in place at sure. Alternatingamong the side clamp
Apply glue to both sides of the center rail (C) the corners,applying light pressure.Wipe off block, end clamp block, and caul clamps,
and center stiles (D) and lay them in place. any excess glue with a damp cloth. graduallyincreasethe clamping pressure.
vrEW
E exploDED
Add base,upright, and cap
7/a+"rabbel7e" deep With the glue dry, remove the frame from the jig, and finish-
along both sides
sandit. Take care not to round the edgesor ends.
From Vz" stock,cut the base(E) and upright (F) to size.Mark
./u'-L the angledcorners,where shown on Drawing 1, and bandsaw
f- and sandthem to shape.Then rabbetthe bottom end of the upright,
4 x 6" photo
whereshown.Finish-sandthe parts.
Glue and clamp the base(E) and upright (F) together,check-
ing them for square.When the glue dries, glue, center, and
clamp the frame (NBIC/D) in place.
t/a"glue-relief From t/2"stock,cut the cap (G) to size.Make a copy of the cap
groove pattern on the WOOD Patternsoinsert, and adhereit to the
%o"deep
t/a"from the part with spray adhesive.Then install a zero-clearanceinsert in
edge,on both your tablesaw.Now, housinga dado blade in an auxiliary fence
sid_es of pqgs attachedto your tablesawrip fence, rabbet the cap, as shown in
3/a2,,
@ anci@ PhotosD and E on the nextpage.
Bandsawand sandthe cap (G) tapersto the patternlines.Then
finish-sandthe entirecap.
t
1 1/a"
E cuuPrNG
Jrc
30/4
I
I
{
+
1/2"
t/2" fabbel o'/4

t/q" deep
Clamp
blocks s/0" dowel 5tlz" long
t/e" dowel 3t/2" long
71/2".
bumper--\j
Self-adhesive >-\tu 3/qx33/+x 5/a" MDF
planed,sawn,or sanded
to t%0"thick

Saferesawingon a tablesaw
When it's time to resawlumberfor thin
stock,a bandsawusuallycomesto mind.
But in manysituations,such as preparing
the t/a"-thickstock for the frame parts in
this project,you can do it on your
tablesaw.Most 10" tablesawseasily
resaw boardsup to 5tl2"wide. The
photos,below,show how.
Zero-clearance Zero-clearance
insert inseft
D
With 170q"
EI
of the dado blade exposed, cut Repositioning the fence to expose 7/aq"of the
%"-deeprabbetsin the cap (G)ends. blade. rabbet the edges of the cap (G).
Now finish and assemble

Check over the bookend, and resand
Splitter
areasthat need it. Slightly chamfer any
sharp edges with a sanding block. Apply a A- rails 11h' 61/q',
clear finish. (We applied two coats of an B.stiles Vi 11h' 53/q', Outfit your tablesaw with a zero-clearance
aerosol satin polyurethane, sanding with C-centerrail 1/t' 11/e' 41/d' insert equipped with a 7s" hardboard splitter
D-centerstiles that protrudes %" above the surface of the
220-grit sandpaperbetween coats.) th" 1%o' B1/t'
insert.Then make a 3x8" pushblock with a
Stick four self-adhesiveburnpersto the E base Vz' 2/i 71/z' 7e" notch 6" long from stock at least as thick
bottom corners of the base. Then cut F upright Vz' 23/qr 91/z' as the stock to be resawn.
two y'::"-thick clear acrylic panes to 4x6". G cap 1/z' 1t/e' 45/a'
(We used a 5O-tooth combination blade. -Pads
initially
cutoversize.
Seetheinstructions.
For an alternatemethod, see the Shop Tip.
Materials key: C-cherry, W-walnut.
belov:.) Smooth the sharp ed_eeswith a
$upplies; % medium-density fiberboard,
#Bx11h"Ilat-
sanding block, and remove the protective headwoodscrews, /e"and3zio"dowel,andplastic
packing
coverin-9.Sandwich a photographbetween tapefortheframeclampingjig;self-adhesive
bumpers, %z'
the panes, slide it into the frarne, and add clearacrylic;
sprayadhesive.
the cap (G). (For a bookend visible fron-r Blade: Stack dadoset,
both sides, sandwich two photos back-to-
Source
back between the panes.) Now put a Wood and supplies kit" Cherry andwalnutplaned
picturesqueend to your bookshelf. JF tothefinished z/p"
forthepartslisledabove,
thrcknesses
clearacrylic,
self-adhesive
bumpers,MDFanddowels for
Written by Jan Svec with Chuck Hedlund oneclampingjigwitheachorder.0rderkitno.W-159 and
Project design: Steve Levine, Dayton, N.J. indicate quantities:
oneofthefollowing onepairof
Il l u s t r a t i o n s :R o x a n n e L e M o i n e Adjust the blade height to 1%0"to clear the
bookends,$32.95ppd, twopairsofbookends, ppd.,
$59.95
pairs splitte6 center the stock on the blade, and
five ofbookends,$129.95ppd.HeritageBuilding
make the first cut. Then make additional
Specialties. orgotoheritagewood.com.
Call800/524-4184,
Gutting Diagram cuts, raisingthe blade each time until the
depth of the cut is just over half the width of
the stock you are resawing.
* Resawin half
and planebothpiecesto the
-4W'ff
finishedthickess.See the instructions.
1/zx 31/zx 24" Walnut (.3 bd. ft.) fs'
Railspacer
3 / q x 3 1 / zx 4 8 ' C h e r r y ( 1 3 b d . f t . )
Rout awtry rough cuts in acrylic

lf you get too muchchippingwhencuttingthe acrylic
paneson yourtablesaw,here'sa way aroundthe
problem:Usingthe finest-tooth bladeyou have,cut Flip the stock end-for-end,and keepingthe
41/+x61,/q"
blanks.Then cut a pieceof 7q"-thickscrapto same side againstthe fence, repeatthe
4x6".One at a time,adherethe blanksto the scrapwith previouscutting seguence in the other edge
double-faced tape,centeringthe blankon the scrap. until the stock is sawn in half. Push both
Chucka flush-trimbit in yourtable-mounted routerand pieces of the resawn stock all the way past
trimthe blanksto finishedsize,as shownat riaht. the splitter with the pushblock.
61
adeto complement our heirloom-quality Arts & Crafts bed Thanks to its simply
in the previous issue, this solid-oak nightstand features stated design, you can
place this multipurpose
matching c'orbels and arched rails in addition to ample piece next to an easy
drawer and open storage.Don't need a nightstand?This piece also can chair or sofa, keeping
serve as a lamp table, as shown at right. Either way, you'll find the your favorite reading
project well-suited for any home. materials handy.

I sroeASSEMBLY l[ relroN DETATLS
r Overalldimensionsare 28" wide x
2O1/a"deep x 30tl2"high.
r For the board feet of lumber and
other items neededto build this
1
53/q'
,/.j
3/16"
project, see page 66.
Let's start with the sides

I From /+" stock, cut the legs (A), top
I siderails (B). bottomsiderails (C), and
)
TI
'i'l
centerstiles (D) to the sizeslisted in the
MaterialsList. Savethe rail cutoffs to make
testtenons.
)From /+" stockplanedto
Er the side panels (E)
3/c"thick, cut
to size. Sand the
panels to 220 grit, and remove the dust.
271/q'
Te"groove
s/ro"deep
l_t
Then stain both faces. (We used Watco -1
DanishOil Finish,Dark Walnut.)
346"
QUsing a dado blade in your tablesaw
tJthat matchesthe thicknessof the side 3/e" 3Aa
panels,cut a centered3/s" groove-y'r0"deep

along the inside edgesof the legs (A) and
top and bottom side rails (B, C) and along 3/e"
both edgesof the center stiles (D), where ( /' o/16
shownon Drawing1.
form tenonson the rails (B, C) and
'fATo
stiles(D), whereshownon Drawings1
and la, attach an auxiliary fence to your %0"chamfer
saw fenceand an auxiliary extensionto the routedafter
gl.uingfiller@
miter gauge.Then cut a 3/s"tenon r/+"long In prace
on a rail cutoff. Tesrfit the tenon in the 43/-ra"
groovesin the rails. Adjust your setup,if I
vI
needed,and cut the tenonson the rails.
(A) inside face up on
f Place the legs
tJyour workbench,andpair them together
with the grooved edgeson the inside and p rcff SIDEASSEMBLY
(lnsidefaceshown)
the ends flush. Next, lay out the locations and centershelves(I) and bot-
for the 3/q"rabbet two 7+" dadoes,and 3/t" tom shelf(K), andthe portises s/q" rabbel
s/q" dado
mortiseson eachpair of legs,wheredimen- will accept the tenons on the 1/4"deep
sionedon Drawing2, making sureyou have top back rail (G) and bottom
mirror-imagepairs. Extend the lines for 7a"mortise
rails (H), where shown on s/ro"deep
the rabbetsand dadoesonto the leg edges. Drawing3.
The rabbetsand dadoeswill receivethe top f; Using a 3/s"brad-pointbit
lJ in your drill press and a
fenceto keepthe holesaligned, Part@
drill the 34" leg mortises%a" overfqngs
deep. Then square the sides 271/q" part(4)
s/0"at front
and endswith a chisel.
r'lT lvlark the ends and center andback.
I of the arch on the bottom
side rails (C), where dimen-
sionedon Drawing1. Bending
a fairing stick to thesepoints,
draw the arches.Thenbandsaw I
and sandthem to shape.(For a 2134a
free fairing stick plan, go to
7a"mortise %0"chamfer
u r l o r l r l a r r - r zni c . e o r n / l ' l rl i n g . ) s4"mortise
,,lsAa" deeP s/ro"deep
Ofo make the leg fillers (F), 19"
llrip a s/o"-widestrip from a
pieceof z/sxl2" stock.Crosscutfour 2"-long the bottomsof the legs,and sandthe fillers
fillers from the piece. Glue and clamp a flush with the endsand edgesof the legs.
Dry-assemblea leg (A),top and bottom side
rails (8, C), and center stile (D).With rail B filler in the bottomof the groovein eachleg your table-mounted
router,rout a
QUsing
flush with the top of the leg, glue and clamp (A), as shown in PhotoA. Let the glue dry { t/i' chamferaroundthe bottom edges
a filler (F)in the leg groove tight to rail C. overnight.Then trim the fillers flush with of the legs,whereshownon Drawing2.
woodrnagazine.com 63
vrEW
E exploDED
@ scnewsLorDETATL L R = 1"
No chamfer 21/z'
along this edge t/e" chamfer
f 21/2'
t/q" chamter on front
<H and side edges
7se"shank hole,countersunkon
No chamferalongthis edge
bottomface with a 7o+"oilot hole %o"slotss/a"long
r/2"deepin pari@ #10 flatwasher
#8 x 11/+"
panheadscrew_
# 8 x 1 1 AF
' .H.
wood screw
172/e'
%o"chamfers
1 x 177/'ra"
low-friction tape
@reruoN DETATLS %o"chamfers

l_____-....-ZOr
7
193/e"
i
lflnw-assemble a side assemblyby After the glue dries, sand the edging flush
Ilfjoining together the top and bottom with the shelf faces. Then crosscut the
siderails (8, C) with a centerstile (D), slid- shelvesto the finishedlengthof 20".
ing the sidepanels(E) in place,and adding ETo drill mountingholesandslotsthrough
the legs (A). Center the stile side-to-side rJthe shelves,whereshownon Drawings3
and mark its location on masking tape on and 3b, for attaching the top (L) later, first
the top and bottom rails. Verify all parts fit align the top shelf on the bottom shelf and
together correctly, and. then disassemble. clamp them together.Then, on the top shelf,
Now glue and clamp them together, as mark a centerpointIt/q" in from eachcorner.
shown in Photo B. (We did not glue the Now drill %e" holes through the shelvesat
panels in place to allow for wood move- the centerpoints.Separatethe shelves.
ment.) Repeatfor the other side assembly. fiUsing a 7s" twist bit, redrill eachof the
lJ holesin the centershelf.(Theseprovide
Gompletethe caseparts clearancefor a screwdriverwhen attaching
I Cut the top back rail (G) and bottom the top.) Next, centeringon the front pair of
I rails (H) to the sizeslisted.Then, using holes in the top shelf, drill countersunk/:2"
your dado blade, form /s" tenons W" long shankholesin the bottom face.Switch to a
on the ends of the rails, where shown on 3Ae"bit. Now redrill the rear pair of holesin
Drawings3 and 3a, to fit the mortisesin the the front shelf, and then drill additional
legs (A). Next, with the bottom rails set on holes to form %0" slots sA" long, where
the bottom edge,tnm3/ro"from their tenons shownon Drawing3b.
for a final tenonlengthof 2t3/re". 3A" stock to form a 20x2I"
lEdge-join
)Mark the ends and center of the arch I workpiece for the bottom shelf (K).
Et on the bottom rails, where dimensioned After the glue dries, crosscut and rip the
on Drawings3 and 3a. As before,draw the shelf to 193/ax20".Then, using your table-
archesusing a fairing stick. Then bandsaw mounted router, rotJt Vra" chamfers along
and sandthe archesto shape. the front and back edgesof the shelf and the
32" plywood,cut the top and cen- edging (J) on the top and centershelves(I),
QFrom
9ter shelves(I) to 177/sx2l".Then, from where shown on Drawing 3. Hand-sand
32" stock,cut four 3/+x2I"piecesfor the shelf chamferson the endsof the parts.
edging (J). Cut the edging so that the quar- tDusine a dado blade that matchesthe
Assemblea side by gluing and clamping
together two legs (A),top and bottom rails
tersawnfigure showson the face. C)tnicdress of the bottom shelf (K) and
(8, C), center stile (D),and side panels (E), Glue and clamp the edging,centered,on aligning the blade with your layout marks,
aligningthe stile with the tape marks. the front and back edsesof the shelves. cut a 3A" dado Vq"deep in each side assem-

bly, where shown on Drawing 3 and as
shownin the Shop Ttp, right.
QnAiust the dadobladeto matchthe thick- Use a guide to
t/ness of the shelves(VJ). Repositioning
your fence as needed,cut a 3/q" dado and
safely qrt dadoes
rabbet V+"deepfor the shelvesin each side To cut dadoes in case assemblies,
assembly at your marks. Now sand the such as the ones that hold the
assemblies,top back rail (G), bonom rails bottomshelf (K), attachas/+x2x22"
guide to the bottomof the assembly
(H), and shelves(VJ, K) to 220 git.
legs (A), as shown at right. The
guide keepsthe assemblyin
Assemblethe case continuouscontactwith the fence
I Dry-assemblethe side assemblies,top throughoutthe cut. Attachthe guide
I back rail (G), bottom rails (H), top and to the legs by drillingmountingholes
center shelves(VJ), and bottom shelf (K). and driving#8x1/2"flatheadwood
Verify that all parts fit together correctly, screwsinto the bottomof the legs.
and disassemble. Also, to avoid tear-out,adherea
backerto the assemblyusing
)Using squaringbraces,glue and loosely double-facedtape.
Er clamptogetherthe left sideassembly,top Guide screwed to legs
I
backrail (G), andtop andcentershelves(VJ),

as shown in Photo C, centeringthe shelves sides (P) for the bottom (Q), the dadoesin sandingdrum. Using this piece as a tem-
front-to-backwith a %0" overhang.Then, to the sides(P) for the front (N), and the lock-plate, mark the contouron the other corbels.
align the top back rail, place the bottom rails ing joint on the ends of the front (N). Then Cut and sandthem to shape.
(H) andright sideassembly(no glue) in posi- cut the dadoesin the sides(P) for the back
D Appty glue to the back edges of the
tion, as shown, making surethe tenon on the (O), where dimensionedon Drawing 4. Er corbels. Then clamp them in place on
top back rail engagesthe mortise in the right
QCarefully mark the centerpoints and the legs (A) under the top (L), positioning
sideassembly.Now tightenthe clamps. frdrill two 5/rc"holes through the drawer them /s" from the leg outsideedges,where
Ql-ut.r, remove the right side assembly front (N) for the handle, where dimen- shownon Drawing3.
lJand bottom rails. Then glue and clamp sioned. Then glue and assemblethe front,
QTouch up any areas that need it with
thesepartsandthe bottom shelf (K) in place, sides(P), back (O), and bottom (Q). Clamp 9220-gfi sandpaper,and remove the
as shownin Photo D. Apply glue to only the the assembly,and check for square.Now dust.Then apply stain.After the stain dries,
front 6" of the bottom shelf endsto allow for drill mounting holes through the bottom top-coat with a clear finish. (We applied
expansionand contraction. and into the back, where shown, and drive three coats of AquaZar Water-BasedClear
the screws. Satin Polyurethane, sanding to 320 grit
Add the top betweencoats.)
I Edge-join
3/q"-thick stock to form a Finish up Afo ensurethe drawer slideseasily,cut
I2lx29" workpiecefor the top (L). After I Cut the corbels(R) to size.Then photo- Tfour l7lAo"-long piecesfrom a roll of
the glue dries, crosscut and rip the top to I copy the full-size.corbel pattern from 1"-widelow-friction tape.Apply two of the
20Vsx28".Then rout a 1A"charrferalong the the WOOD Patternsa insert. Spray-adhere piecesto the centershelf (VJ) and the other
bottom edges,where shown on Drawing 3. the pattern to a corbel. Now bandsaw the two pieces to the top side rails (B), where
)Cutthe crest(M) to size.'Thenmark the corbel to shape,cutting just outsidethe pat- shown, positioning the strips tight against
fll" radii. where shown. Bandsaw and tern line. Sand to the line using a 120-gnt the top back rail (G). Next, referring to
sand the radii to shape. Next rout a Vs"
chamferalong the front edge.Now glue and
clamp the crestto the top (L), flush with the
back edgeand centeredside-to-side.
QPosition the top assembly(L/lvI) on the
9case, flush with the back edgeof the top
shelf (VJ) and centered side-to-side.
Reachinginside the case,use a 4d finishing
nail to mark the centers of the mounting
holes and slots through the shelf (I) on the
bottom side of the top (L). Removethe top,
and drill 7/u" pilot holes Vz" deep at the
marked locations. Reposition the top, and
drive the screwsto secureit in place.
Make the drawer

I Cut the drawer front (N), back (O), and
I sides(P) to size.From /+" plywood, cut
the drawer bottom (Q) to size.
Glue and clamp together the left side Completethe case by gluing and clamping
I neferring to Drawings 4 and4a and the assembly,top and center shelves (l/J), and together the bottom rails (H), bottom shelf
Er three-stepDrawing 5 on rhe next page, top back rail (G).Add the bottom rails (H) (K), and right side assembly,centering the
cut the groovesin the drawer front (N) and and right side assembly to align rail G. shelf front-to-back.
woodmagazine.com 65
@ onnwERJorNTDETATL
f]>=!t\-
@onnwen 7/aq"pilol hole t/2" deep
7ez"shankhole,
a / l l
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machinescrew
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t$fi$ffi"n
FRoNTANDsIDES
THEDRAWER
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qroovesand dadoes centeredtZ" )
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part@toTorma #B-32x 7+"roundhead
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Materials List
ffi,- IL_JI t/2 M:
lt'!.
1/z'
A legs
ffi ffi
ffii..l
Tablesaw
ffil
&€Ji:
ffi;---_J
I
H B topsiderails
C bottom
3/^'
siderails 3/q'
53h',
+v2
151/z' Q0
151/z' Q0
2
2
D center
stiles g/nu
-
Ar
16' uut
Drawing4b, attachthe drawerhandleusing long.) Then slide the drawer in place. Now E sidepanels 3/au o 16" 0 0 4
#8-32xt/+"roundheadmachinescrews.(The place the nightstand next to your bed, and F- legfillers 5Aa" 3/d' 11/z^ Q0 4
I " screwssuppliedwith the handleare too rest a spell to admire your craftsmanship. lF G topbackrail 3h' 35/a' 20' Q0 1
Written by Owen Duvall with Jeff Medz Project design: Kevin Boyle lllustrations: Roxanne LeMoine H bottom
rails 002
l- topandcenter
shelves 3/"' 17t/a' 20' 0P2
J- shelfedging al tl
20' Q04
K-bottomshelf 3h' 193/a' 20' EQO 1
L- top 3/q' 201/a' 28' EQo 1
3 / q x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " Q u a r t e r s a w n w h i t e o a k ( 4 b d . f t . ) 3/qu tv2 23', nn
N drawerfront 3/tu 3Vz' 1974' Q0

3/qx71/qx 96" Quaftersawnwhiteoak (5.3bd. ft.) 0 drawer
back 1/z' 3" 187/a' Q0 1
*Planeor resawto the thicknesses
listedin the MaterialsList.
P drawer
sides 1/z' 31/z' 173/q' Q0 2
Q drawerbottom 171/z 187/a' 0P 1
R corbels 3h' 23/q' 20' QO 4
3 / qx 7 1 / qx 9 6 " Q u a r t e r s a w n w h i t e o a k ( 5 . 3 b d . f t . ) -Parts
initially Seetheinstructions.
cutoversize.
3/qx 24 x 48" Oak plywood
Materials key: QO-quartersawn white oak,OP-oak
plywood,
EQo-edge-joined quartersawnwhiteoak.
Supplies: DoubleJaced tape,spray #8x%"
adhesive,
3/+x71/+ whiteoak (5.3bd. ft.)
x 96" Quartersawn woodscrews
flathead (3),4dfinishing
nail,#Bx1t/+"
flathead
woodscrews (2),#8x1%" panheadscrews (2),#10flat
washers(2),#8-32xsh"
roundhead machine screws(2).
3/qx51/z whiteoak (4 bd. ft.)
x 96" Quartersawn bit,
set,%"brad-point
Blades and bits: Dado-blade
router
450chamfer bit,
Sources
3/qx 51/zx 96" Quartersawn white oak (4 bd. ft.) (UHMW)
Low-friction tape. Low-lriction tape
roll,$9.95.
, 1"x18'
no.25U04.01 CallLeeValley,
-8158;leevalley.com.
800/871
I
U
3/cx71/qx 48" Quaftersawnwhiteoak (2.7 bd. ft.) 1/qx 24 x 48" Oak plywood Drawer handle. Mission-style2sla' handle
black
n0.01W32.11, Telephone
$2.10. andWebaddress above.

*Mw+i.ff
*t#aaal**i+ttdwg
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Fixed bdse
Plunge base
he router is arguably the most stop in the middle of a workpiece? Fortu- put them through the paces in both fixed
versatile tool in your shop, but the nately, your choiceis easiertoday thanksto and plunge modes to show you the key
age-old question is: Which style kits that include both styles of base for differencesbetweenkits. Becauseeach kit
router should you buy, a fixed-basemodel little more than the cost of one router. hasthreebasiccomponents-the motor, the
with depth adjustmentsfast and accurate, We rounded up eight multi-base router fixed base, and the plunge base-we'll
or a plunge router for cuts that start and kits rangingin price from $100 to $270 and break down our report along thoselines.

Part l: The motor lowest speeds,partly becauseit lacks the
In this section, we'll talk about the power high-pitched whine cornmon to the other
plants of these kits, including their routers' motors.
collets, and how easy it is to switch the t Collet quality. All of the kits come
motor from one baseto another. with Vz" collets, and all except Skil's are
. Power. Becauseof the variety of hand- self-releasing(the bit pops free after a full
held and router-table work a router kit must turn of the collet nut). Most kits also
handle,power ranks high. The rated horse- include a Vq" collet, but Ryobi and Skil
power of these tools range from lz/+ hp to instead provide reducer sleeves(see photo
2V+ hp, but we found little difference in at right) that fit into the Vz" collet.In our
actual power. While plowing V4" deep testswe found that thosesleevesgrip just as
dadoesin oak-veneerplywood with a Vz" well as a dedicatedcollet.
straight bit at a speedy 12 feet per minute, Collets are made of either thin-wall spring
all of the routers handled the cuts easily. steel or thick-wall steel. To learn whether
But the tools without electronicfeedback- one design grips better than the other, we The Porter-Gable694VK(right)typifiescol-
fets on this class of router:separate1/2"and
Porter-Cable694VK, Ryobi 1803BK, and useda torque wrench on a precision-ground 7+"colletsthat threadonto the motor shaft.
Skil 1825-took longer to recoverwhen the Vz"-diametersteel rod inserted into each Skil's72"collet(left)is paft of the shaft,and
bit first enteredthe wood. collet to measurehow easily a bit shank to use7+"-shank bits,you inserta reducer
With all that power in hand, we greatly would slip. Our finding: Spring-steelcol- sleeveinto it.
appreciatedsoft-start motors that gradually lets, such as on the Bosch 16I7EVSPK,
come up to full speed.Only the Skil lacks Craftsman26620, DeWalt DW618PK, and Most motorsinstalljust aseasilyinto their
soft start,but its trigger-style switch helped Ryobi routers, held best. However, in real plunge bases.However, on the DeWalt, you
us keep good control of the tool at start-up. use,none of the collets slippedwhen we cut must flrst removethe depth-adjustingcollar
t Switch placemenf. Mistakes and acci- solid oak with a 5/e"cove bit. (it threadsoff and on); and both the Makita
dents can occur when you have to remove We measuredcollet runout (wobble) 2/a" and Porter-Cable 694VK require a tool to
one hand from the router to operate the from the subbase-the far end of the cutting lock the motor into the plunge base.
on/off switch. We find a handle-mounted depth for most router bits. Any deviation of
trigger switch, like that on the Skil router lessthan .003" runout is acceptable,and the Part 2: The fixed base
shown below, more convenientthan motor- Bosch, Craftsman,DeWalt and Makita met Besides the simple, quick depth adjust-
mountedswitches.The switcheson most of this standardon both collets; Skil passedon ments that are the hallmark of a fixed base
the rest are within easyreach of a finger or its t/2"collet, but not its V4"sleeve. router, kits provide an additional advantage:
thumb, but the Makita RFllOlKIT2's top- r Ease changes. Because changing the You can mount the base permanently in
mounted toggle switch can't be reached motor betweenbasesis an inherit task with your router table, then move the motor to
without letting go of one handle. thesekits, the processshould take as little the plunge basefor handheldwork.
r J\Ioise level, We measurednoise levels effort as possible. All of the motors slide t Setting cutting depth. Setting the
at the motor's highestto lowest speeds,and into and out of their fixed'baseseasily (but depth of cut isn't complicatedwith any of
the Noise Level column in the chart at the not so easily that they'Il drop to the floor if the fixed bases in our test, with quick-
end of the article shows the average read- installed in a router table). We found the release threaded-rod bases and rotating
ings at high speed. Makita's motor is spindlelock on the Ryobi a bit of a nuisance bases(photoson the nextpage) aboutequal
noticeably quietest at both the'highest and becauseit always seemedto be in the way. in speedand adjustability.A rotating collar
Skil's trigger switch stays at your fingertips The Porter-Cable 895PK switch operates from You can't reach the top-mounted toggle
so your hands never have to leave the two locations: at the base for handheld use, switch on the Makita without removing one
handles to power up the router. and at the motor top when table mounted. hand from a handle.
woodmagazlne.com
69
Fine adjustment
rml
We likequick-release
baseswith a spring- To changecuttingdepthon a threadedbase, On routerswith a depth-adjusting
collar,such
loadedleverthatfreesthe motorfor large suchas the Makita,simplyrotatethe baseon as the DeWalt,the basedoesn'trotate,but
depthchanges.Releasing the leverengages the motor.In a routertable,this action the collardoes,raisingand loweringthe
the threadedfine-adjustment
mechanism. changesthe power-switch location. motorin the base.
adjusts cutting depth on the DeWalt and through the tabletop engagesthe threaded- their cursorstandsr/q"awayfrom the scale,
Ryobi (theDeWalt requiresfewer turnsand rod depth-setting system. Both systems which causesinaccuratereadings.Also, the
so goesup and down fasterthanthe Ryobi). work well, but you must still reach under 895PK's scale is small and hard to read.
Skil's threaded-rodsystemis accurate,but the tableto lock the Craftsman. DeWalt's scaleis mostly hiddenbehindthe
slow when making largedepthchanges. depth-stoprod.
We're glad to see that almost all router Part 3:The plungebase I Dust control. Only DeWalt provides
manufacturershave made the switch to A router equippedwith a plunge basecan dust collection on its plunge base,and its
levers to lock the cutting depth on their do everythinga fixed basecan do, but adds through-the-handle collection proved both
fixed bases.Only Ryobi still usesa T-bolt, the ability to start and stop a cut in the convenient and effective. You can't buy
which can be difficult to releaseif over- middle of a workpiece.These "field" cuts dust collection accessories for the
tightened. include stoppedflutes and dadoes,as well Craftsman, Porter-Cable 694VK, and
. Dust collection. In this age of dust as router-carvedrecesses in signs. Rvobi routers.
awareness,we were surprisedto find that t Depth adjushnenfs. To set the cutting
only one of the fixed bases-Ryobi- depth or make a series of progressively
comeswith a dust-collectionshroud.Of the deepercuts with a plungebase,two mecha-
optional systems,Bosch's dust shroudand nismswork in tandem:depth-stoprods and
port bested the Porter-Cable 895PK's turrets.The depth-stoprod "zeroes"the bit
through-the-handle collector,which tended to the material; from there, you use the
to clog with largeshavings.Fixed-basedust tool's scaleto setthe cutting depth.
collectionisn't an option on the Craftsman, Tweakingthe cuttingdepthon the Bosch,
DeWalt, and P-C 694VK. Craftsman,and DeWalt (shown at right) is
I Router tahle capability. Things look simple. Makita's threaded-rodstop has a
and function a little differently when you quick-releasefor large changes;but when
hang them upside down. Makita's top- fine-tuning the depth, the cursor moves
mountedpower switch, awkwardly located with the adjustmentso it's unclearexactly
for handhelduse, is perfectly placed with how much you've adjustedthe cut. Skil has
the router table-mounted.The controls on an innovative spring-loadedrod: After
the Bosch and Craftsmanroutersalso lend zeroingout to the material,you simply pull
themselveswell to router-tableuse.At the down the heighradjustment rod to the
other extreme,Skil's handle-mountedtrig- desireddepth,and then tightenit.
ger switch proved hard to engageand the For progressivelydeepercuts, a stepped,
variable-speed settingis difficult to see.For rotating turret on most plunge basescon-
bit changes,we recommenda tool with a trols the depth of eachcut in the sequence.
motor that can be quickly removedfrom its Bosch and Craftsman use an eight-tier
fixed base;Bosch,Craftsman,DeWalt, and turret with V8" increments; the DeWalt,
the Porter-Cable 895PK are a snap to Makita, and both Porter-Cableunits have
dismountwhen table-mounted. fewer steps,but someare adjustable.Ryobi The end of the stop rod threads in and out
to make minute adjustmentson the Bosch,
The CraftsmanandP-C 895PKhavea leg hasno steps,only the baseitself asthe stop. Craftsman, and DeWalt (shown above)
up on the competitionwith an above-table Most depth scalesread easily,but Ryobi plunge bases. Howeve6the rod obscures
adjustmentsystem: A hex shank inserted and the P-C 895PK lose points because the depth scale on the DeWa.lt.

letts take a closer look at each tested kit
Highpoints Highpoints
I Plunge andfixedbasesquicklyadjustfor largedepthchanges, yetalso I On/offswitchremains nearthehandles, evenwhenthedepth-of-cut
offersimplemicroadjustments. is changed.
I On/offswitchremains nearthehandles, evenwhenthedepth-of-cut I Through-the-handle dustcollectionontheplunge basewasthemost
is changed. effectivein thetest.
I Lowvibration andcolletrunout. l Detachable powercordmakesforeasyswitchto optional D-handle fixed
I TiedwiththePorter-cable 895PK forthefastestandeasiest basechanges baseor fordisconnecting powerto motorbeforechanging bits.
in thetest. I clearsubbases onbothbasesimprove bitvisibility,
andincruded concen-
Low poinls tricitytoolensuresthatthesubbase opening is centeredonthecollet.
? Dustcollection is optional
foreitherbase. Lowpoints
Morepoints I Depth-adjusting collarmustberemoved frommotorwhenswitching to
I Storage caseis ruggedly madeandwellorganized, butit can'tstorethe plunge baseandreinstalledwhenswitching back.
optional dust-collection
accessory or edgeguide. ? 0n theplunge base,thedepth-stop rodblocksthescalefromview
) rit includesa toollessquick-changeadapterthatfitsporter-cable-style ? Thevariable speedcontrolis verycloseto theplunge column,makingit
guidebushings. awkward to use.
Morepoints
) Unlikemostofthetestedplungebases, thelockingleveroperates in the
normally freemode;it mustbepulledto lockthecuttingdepth.
I Samehighpoints asthenearly
identical
Bosch 1617EVSPK. I Hasthequietest motorof allthetestedrouters.
I Ina routertable,depth-adjustments
canbemadefromabove thetable I subbase readilyaccepts guidebushings,
P-c-style andanextrasubbase
usingtheincluded hexhead
wrench. thatcomeswiththekit accommodates larger-diameterbits,
Low points I Top-mounted switchis convenientwhenrouteris mounted in a table.
? Nodustcollection provided
foreitherbase,evenasanaccessory. Low points
I Youmusttakeonehandoffa handle to fliptheon/offswitch.
? Themotoreasily installs
intobothbases, butrequiresa phillips
to tightenintotheplunge
screwdriver base.
I Dustcollectionaccessoriesareoptional.
woodmagazine.com
71
I Depth-stop tunethassixsteps,threeof whichareadjustable. i Kitincludes twofixedbases, onewitha D-handle, fiveplasticguide
Low points bushings,anedge-guide fence, anddust-collection adapter.
I Themotoreasilyinstalls intobothbases, a hexhead
butrequires wrench i Well-designed andcomfoftable handgrips.
to tightenintotheplungebase. Low points
? Noelectronic speedfeedback onmotor, sofeed-ratecontrolis important. ? Noelectronic feedback onmotor, andthelow-end speed is 15,000 rpm-
I Inthefixedbase,thepowerswitchrotates asthedepthsettingchanges, toofastfor large-diameter bits.
to seeandrequires
soit'softenditficult onehandfromthetool.
removing I Dustcollection shroudcovers thespindle lock;youmustremove the
I Nodustcollection availablefor eitherbase. adaptereachtimeyouchange bits.
Morepoints I Nodepth-stop turretonplunge base,andthedepth-of-cut cursoris far
) Tnisrouterkit hasstoodthetestof time,butmostkitsnowsurpass it in fromthescale,making to readreliably.
it difficult
performance andfeatures. Morepoints
mostof thetestedplunge
) Untit<e bases, thelockingleveroperates in the
normallyfreemode;it mustbepulled to lockthecutting depth.
) Comes in a soft-sided fabricbag(instead of a plasticcase),
whichwe
founddifficultto keeporganized.
| /o
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Highpoints
I Dual-position powerswitchonfixedbasecanbeactivated nearhandles
for handheld useandat topof motorfor router-table use.lt alsolocksout
whenthespindle lockis engaged to prevent accidentalstartupwhen
changing bits.
I TieswiththeBosch/Craftsman forthefastestandeasiest basechanges.
I Fixedbasequicklyadjusts for largedepthchanges, yetalsoofferssimple
microadjustments.
I Twoclearsubbases (onethataccepts guidebushings andtheotherwitha
1. ( s ) Steel,self-releasing 3. (c) Collar
largerbitopening) provide goodbitvisibility. (SN) Springsteel,non-self-releasing (oR) Threadedrod with
I Ina routertable,depth-adjustments canbemadeandthecuttingdepth (SS) Springsteel,self-releasing quickrelease
(.) Reducersleevefor 1/a"bits ( R M ) Rotatingmotor
lockedfromabove thetableusingtheincluded extension knob. (TR) Threadedrod
Low points
I me spindle 2. (2w) Twowrenches
lockdoesn't workwiththeoptional dustshroud or the (PB) Push-buttonsoindlelockand wrench 4. (R) Round
guide-bushing subbase, making it difficult
to change bitswhenusing (SB) Slidingbracketspindlelockand wrench (F) Roundwithflat edge
theseaccessories.
? Themostexpensive kit in thetest.
I Dustcollection accessories areoptional. Wetestedtheoptional through-
the-handle system forthefixedbaseandit tended to clogwithchips.

Growningthe router-kit king
The quick and accurate depth-adjustmentsystem is a
major reasonthe Bosch 1617 EVSPK earns Top Tool
honors. The plunge base has pistol-grip handles, giving
you the greatestcontrol; and the plunge action is silky
smooth.(The sub-$200price point helpstoo.) In table use,
the router performed well, but an extensionknob would
improve the unit's small fine-adjustmentknob. If you plan
to use the fixed-baseportion mostly in your router table,
opt insteadfor the nearly identical Craftsman 26620 with
its through-the-tabletopheight adjustments.We also liked
the DeWalt DW6I8PK, which camein a close secondto
the Bosch/Craftsman overall, and would be our frst
choice if we intendedto add a D-handle baselater on.
For Top Value, the Skil 1825 has good features and
decentperformanceat a cost ($100) lessthan half of most
Highpoints of the other kits. The on-board work light and soft-grip
I Hasa built-inLEDworklightthateffectively illuminatesthecuttingarea. pistol handleslend an extra level of accuracy,control, and
I Triggerswitchin thehandle means youneverhaveto letgoof a handle to balance. Although it costs $80 more, the Ryobi
startthetoolandcompensates for nothaving a soft-start
motor.
i Lowest-priced kit in test. RE1803BK comes with nearly everything you need,
Lowpoints including a D-handle base.|l
I Noelectronic feedback norsoftstartonmotor. Written by Joe Truini with Jeff Hall
I Thefixedbasethreaded-rod depthadjustment lacksa quickrelease,so
largecuttingdepthchanges aretedious.
I Theplunge baseonourtestunittended to stickat thebottomof itstravel.
I Nodustcollection provided foreitherbase. youropinion
Sharc
I Non-self-releasing colletis affixedto themotorshaft;if a bitshouldget of these router kits
stuckin thecollet,there'sn0easywayto remove it. in our InteractiveTool
? Invertedin a routertable,thepowerswitchis ditficult to lock"0n,"andthe Review at
variable-speed dialequally hardto read.
woodmagazi
ne.com/ilrkits
BASE CONSTRUCTION
i /=a-e !/s:, lEIEt o/g'

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's*/S
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A,C,E,F,G,X
I Excellent 8. (A) Abovebasedustcollection 9 . (M) Mexico

Aboveaverage (c) Subbasecenteringcone (U) UnitedStates
tr (D) D-handlebase
I Average (E) Edge-guide dustcollection
(F) 1 0 . Pricescurrentat time
E Betowaverage Edgeguidefence of article'sproduction
(G) Guidebushings and do not include
(GA) Guidebushingadapter shipping, whereapplicable.
[-*l lesteOwith optionaldustshroudinstailed. (L)Work light
M No dustcollectionavailablefor this base (s) Clearsubbase
(r) Through-the-table
heightadjuster
(x) Height-adjustment
extensionknob
7 . Measured 2'from motorrunning
underno loadat top speed.
woodmagazine.com 73
easv-to-ntal(e
desk
ith just five simple parts and a
patternfor cutting the arch, you
can build this handsometime-
piece in a couple of hours.You needonly a
small amount of wood, two screws,and an
inexpensiveclock movement.
Let's prepare the parts

I From IVz" or laminated 32" stock, cut
I tft. body (A) to the size listed in the
MaterialsList. Make a copy of thebody full-
sizepatternon the WOOD Patternsoinsert.
Spray-adherethe pattern to the body.
!) Using your bandsawwith arA" bladeor
fr scrollsaw with a no. 9 blade, form the
body's arch by cutting close to the pattern
line. Then sandto the line using a 1"-diameter
120-git sanding drum. Next, using a 23/s"
Forstnerbit in your drill press,bore al/s"-
deephole in the body, where shown.
Q From a
3/qxl3/+xl2" piece of stock ,1fl From a 3/cxlVzxl2" piece of stock, thick, crosscuttwo 1Vt"-longpiecesfor the
tllcrosscut
tf planedto Vt" thick, crosscuttwo 1"-long two 3/q"-longpiecesfor the pil- feet (E).
piecesfor the plates (B), saving the cutoff. lars (C). Then, from a 3/cx2Vcxl2"piece of f Finish-sandall of the partswith 220-git
(To minimize material waste, we resawed stockplanedto Vz"thick, crosscuttwo 4Vc"- rJsandpaper, being careful not to round
3/+"stock, and then planed a /8" resawn long pieces for the top and bottom (D). over any edges.
piece to Vs".)For a safe way to plane thin Using a Vc" covebit in your table-mounted
stock, see the Shop Tip, below. Crosscut router and a pushblock, rogt along the edges Now assemble the clock
the cutoff in half for use as spacers on one face of the top and bottom, where I Apply glue to the feet of the arch on the
during assembly. shown on Drawing 1. Now, from a I Uoay (A). Then place the body faceup
t/qx2vaxl2" piece of stock planed to Vq" on a Ve" spaceron your workbench. Now
An easy and safe wey to plane tfiin stock

For safety,many manufacturersof thicknessplanersdo not recommend
planingstock less than t/2"thick and 12" long. How, then, do you plane
thin material,such as for the desk clock's t/e"-thickplates(B)? Simply
adherethe jointedface of your stockto a flat 7+"-thickcarrierboardwith
double-facedtape, as shown at right,and then planeto the needed
thickness.You can safelyplane to a thicknessof t/ro"usingthis technique.
Make sure the carrierboard is at least as wide as and a couple inches
longerthan your:stock.To removethe planedpiecefrom the carrier,gently
pry it off using a putty knife. lf the piece resistsprying,dissolvethe tape
adhesivewith lacquerthinner.
74 1IIOOD magazine November 2004

Using t/a"spacers under the body (A) and With the body (A) on 3/a"spacers, center the Drillcountersunke/en" shankholeswith 7sz"
pillars (C),center the pillars side-to-sideon top and bottom (D) on the body side-to-side pilot holes1s/l' deepthroughthe bottom(D),
the plates (B),and clamp them in place. with a 7e" overhang,and clamp in place. pillars(C),and plates(B)into the body (A).
I exeloDED
vtEW position and clamp the plates holes.)Now glue and clamp the feet (E) to
(B) to the feet, centering the the bottom, flush with the front and back
plates side-to-sidewith a Va" edgesand ends. Sand the edgesof the feet
overhang. Remove glue flush with the bottom.
squeeze-outon all edges. Touch up any areas that need it with
After the glue dries, apply 220-git sandpaper, and remove the
: glue to the top of the pil- dust.Apply a stain,if you wish. (We applied
1/+"cove
lars (C). Clamp the pillars to Zu Orl-BasedWood Stain no. 116 Cherry,
sYz' the plates (B), as shown in and then top-coated with a satin lacquer
Photo A. Then apply glue to aerosolfinish.)
r
15/a'
the bottom of the pillars and
top of the body (A). Now
Finally, install an N-size battery in the
clock, set the time, and pressthe clock
Zs/a"hole clamp the top and bottom (D) into the hole in the body. Now set your
7/8"deep
in place,as shownin Photo B. masterpieceon a desk where you can
311/'ra" Mark the centerpointsfor admire it by the hour. Q
' , two mounting holeson the
Written by Owen Duvall
bottom (D), where dimen- Projectdesign: Kevin Boyle
sionedon Drawing la. Then Illustrations:Mike Mittermeier
a/:
J K't drill the holes, as shown in
) !,I PhotoC. and drive the screws.
(We used a combination drill
"ro"t
"7r'
) .-l''" bit and countersinkto drill the
Clockmovement
tr A body
B-plates f8
31/z'
1Vq'
311Aa" C
IEI scnewLocATtoN
DETATL
C .pillars il", 1t/z' Vtu
D-topandbottom V2 2V4' 41h'
E-feet th, 21/q' 11/e'
-Parts
initially
cutoversize.
i - --:<-,
Seetheinstructions.
Material key: C-cherry.
Supplies: Spray adhesive, double{aced tape,#6x1%"
flathead
woodscrews (2),N-size battery.
#6 x 1s/q"
F.H.
e/o+"
shank hole, wood screw Blades and bits: t/c"bandsaw blade
or no.9 scroll-
countersunkwith a sawblade, t/q"coverouter bit,2%"Forstner bit.
3/sz"pilot hole
1s/q"deep A Sources
H
centeredinside tl Cutting Diagram Glock movement. 2%"-diameter press-in
clock
movement(1),no.200915-S, ppd.Add$9,95
$13.90 for
#6 x 17n"F.H.woodSCTEW
,A eachadditional
movement. Schlabaugh
andSons
Woodworking,
72014lhStreet, Kalona Call
,1A52247.
@ l- x 12" Cherry(.8 bd. ft.)

11/2x41/z
800/346-9663;
Addresses
schsons.com.
Bit.2Va'Forstner
bit,kitno.400901,
andtelephone number
$18.95
aboye.
ppd,
,r^,( 9 'T E
11/a'
-tD) .t-(D)'1"--
s/+x 3Y2x 60" Cherry(1.7 bd. ft.)
*Planeor resawto
woodmagazine.com the thicknesseslistedin the MaterialsList. 75
/I I "-'.t
m
*-J
Jrrr
r',-t dJ*-l*-/
r }'['t:i r= I
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+' 1 ? \ - l- I F f ^J
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oar- , I
t*
For this specialissueon routers,
we askeda trio of seasonedrouter -.-
experts to shareshop-madejigs they
have found super handy over the years.
We'll provide the plans for each,and also
showhow they're used.Add to that a
healthydose of expert wisdom
along the way.
PatWarnertsTwo-PartDadolig
EXACT.WIDTH
DADOJIG
#8 x 114"F.H.wood screw
E
)
g
R Vse"shank hole,countersunk
o
(L
E 7/u" pilol hole t/z"deep
(ro
=
.t
E
I
(L
fn addition to writing four router books, How to build Pat'sjig ing step you plan to follow until your
IPat Warner hasdesignedspecialtyrouter You'll need to assembletwo of the jigs, samplepiece reachesits finished thickness.
bits and is currently developinga collection shownabove.(We cut two pairsofjigs, one For this example,we're cutting a dado in
of inexpensive, disposable, single-flute from3/q"-rhickplywood and anotherusing the side of a cabinetfor a shelf. Position the
mortisingbits. medium-density fiberboard (MDF). If you two-partjig whereyou plan to cut the dado;
plan to make dadoes 10" or longer, build then snug the sandedshelf scrap between
Why you needthis jig additional pairs with the top piecesat least the parts, as shown in the photo below left.
"Accuracy in routing requires attention to 12" long or more. Next, clamp both partsfirtnly in place at the
detail-and not much sophistication," Pat edgesaway from the gap to keepthe clamps
notes. This Californian's simple jig helps Prlt the two-partjig to use from interfering with the router.
match dado width to shelf thickness.Using Before you begin cutting dadoes, you'll After removing the sample (save this
Pat's two-partjig, we setup to cut a dado in needa sampleof the stockthat the dadowill piece for future reference),set your router
less time than it takes to equip a tablesaw ultimately hold in your project. Here's one cutting depth equal to the thicknessof the
with a dado set. key to a snug dado: Go through each sand- jig parts plus the depth of cut you want.
After locating the dado position, place a piece of finish-sanded lf the dado is too snug (sometimes caused by a pattern-cutting bit
scrap between the jig's two parts. Then clamp the parts to the that's smaller than the bearing), shim out the shelf scrap with a sheet
workpiece. or two of paper, adjust the jig parts, and rout again.
woodmagazine.com 77
Then rout a dado using a pattem-cuttingbit Keys to avoiding tear-out
(also sold as a shank-bearingguided trim- To avoid tearing out the edge of your workpiece as you finish your cut, as shown
mer). The bearingof this bit rides along the below, clamp a sacrificialpieceof scrapwoodto the edgeof your work. Here areother
edge of the jig parts and producesa crisp, tacticsPat recommendsto reducetear-out:
squaredado,asshownin the drawing below. I Good material. Routing straight-grained,properly seasonedhardwood reduces
"Be sure the cutter isn't larger than the tear-out. Interesting grain patterns,including bird's-eye and quilted maple, have
bearing," Pat cautions,"or else you'll tear visual appeal,but createmore routing challenges.
up the edgesof your jig parts." I Well-prepared stock. Whereverpossible,eliminate cupsand bows in your stock
before you get to the routing steps.
I Sharpen cutters. Well-honed bits producelesstear-out.
DADOJIGSIDEVIEW I Light cuts. If you cut deeperthan3/s"
with one pass,you're apt to introduce
tear-outto your project.%" is ideal.
I Feed rate. You'Il worsen tear-out
with a fast feed rate.
I Climb-cutting. You can reducetear-
out with a climb cut (cutting with the
rotation of the bit insteadof against it).
Light cuts and added safety procedures
are a must. Seethe noteson page 80.
I Cut end grain first. Because end
grain is more apt to tear out, rout it first.
Then rout edge grain and clean up any
tear-out.
Patrick Spielman'sMulti-Hole DowelingIig

Why you needthis jig "The dowel joint is pretty much fool-
In addition to positioningdowels for most poof, and with this jig, you can take the
doweling joints (we found the jig particu- joint further and have the dowels come
larly usefulfor face-framgjoinery),this is a throughthe other side."
greatjig for aligning shelf-supportpins. The 2" counterboredslotsin the %"-thick
"The dowel joint makesa lot of senseto plasticjig make Patrick'sjig versatile.The
me," the former schoolteacher says.Dowels adjustable,removable stop will help you
provide extra mechanical strength when preciselyposition face stock.
joining end to edge grain, but they're
quicker to make than hand-cutdovetails. How to build Patrick's jig
Follow the drawing, opposite top, to build
c0
o the jig. Lay out and drill the s/8"holes as
c
o
accuratelyas possiblein the plastic. (We
s)
f useda drill pressfor this step.)
6
@
6
E
l Put the jig to use
c
c
(u
With a guide bushing in your
F
c
(u
router,dowel holes always line
I
i
up regardlessof how accurately
E you spaced the %" holes for
I
your jig. For this type of plunge
(]-
E
routing, use upcut spiral bits

flatrick Spielman of Fish Creek, like the one shown to the left.
I Wisconsin.has authoredmore than 75 To position the jig and router
woodworking books. His original Router to make identically spaced
Handbook sold more than a million copies, dowel holes in face frame stiles
and his revised New Router Handbook and rails. see the two illustra-
remainsone of Sterling Publishing'sbest- tions oppositebottom.
selling woodworking titles. Patrick shares Two-pieceguide bushingseasily attach to
with us his multi-holedowelingjig. your router's base. Upcutspiralrouterbit

SLOTDETAIL 7e"counterboredslot
7ro"deep with a
t/a"slot centeredinside
DOWELING
JIG
FF
Patrick Spielman's doweling jig makes quick Va"acrylic

work of doweling tasks, including the face 11/2"
frame joinery (end to edge grain) above. The
7e" guide-bushing hole is compatible with 1" counterbore
s/+"deep with a
ot 3/s"dowel pins. The positioning
V4",5/16",
block ensures quick, accurate alignment of /t" hole centeredinside
the stock. lllustrations,below right, show /c" T-nul
routing dowel-pin holes in the rail and stile.
\s 4
1t/""b,,
4-arm knob %-2Ox3" F.H.
machinescrew
epoxied into knob
7+"counterbore
t/e"deep with a i '&g
Vc"hole i t/a"slot
centered
insip 1"long
?4',V4'SAEwasher
Vq"T-nut
CUTTING
HOLES
ONSTILEEDGES CUTTINGHOLESON RAILENDS
Originally designed for doweling, this jig also

helps you make evenly spaced holes for
shelf pins. To avoid goofs, tape over holes
you won't use, as shown above. (Spacing of
11/q-2"between holes works well in most
applications.)
The plastic world

With more than 35 years experience with routers, Paffick has Plus, thicker plastic makesit easierto rout adjustableslots."
designed several jigs incorporating plastic pafis. We built "I avoid acrylic plastic becauseit's brittle," Patrick adds."I've
Patrick's jig from %" polycarbonatebecauseit's commonly had fewer problems with polycarbonate plastic cracking or
available at hardware stores and home centers. However, he breaking around a hole or near the edge."
prefers Vz" polycarbonate,a thickness that's tougher to find. We found a local polycarbonate supplier under."plastics" in
"If you can find'Vz" plastic.," Patrick says, "you have fewer the phone directory. The local price was about $2.90 per square
problems with guide bushings being too long for the router bits. foot for %"-thick polycarbonate cut to order.
woodmaEazine.com
79
'l
Garol Reedtsfinger-Saving SuccessDevices

VERTICALSTOCKPUSHSTICK
STOCKPUSHSTICK
NARROW l--r*"
2 \\\Y?
V-5'
iff l\\\
\\\
\s\
\ \\u,e'i
N
c
(0
6
N
a
(g
z
n
c
L
(u 1V4"
b
a
c)
E
l
I- 1/2"
l-i
3/4"
)r*
o
I hrt the pushsticksto use

i
E
C')
g%,,______.-*l Pairedwith a featherboard, Carol's niurow
-c
stock pushstick,below left, helps you con-
rL
trol small pieces. The vertical pushstick,
ttf seemyself as a teacherof beginners," vertical pushstickused for routing the ends below right, supportsthe endsof tall pieces.
I saysCarol Reed,who hastaughtwood- of long stock, glue and clamp the base to "I use this handle design at my tablesaw
working and router techniquesfor 20 years. the MDF upright piece.After applying glue and jointer, too," Carol advises.After you
This Phoenix-area resident also demon- to the handle, rub it acrossthe upright and chew up the sole and heel, send it through
sfratesher talentsat woodworking andhome clamp in place. Glue on the heel last. the jointer and attachnew pieces.
and garden shows. Her first book, Router To make the pushstick for niurow stock, "And don't think ofjust 3/q"-tlickmaterial.
Joinery Workshop,was publishedin 2003. glue the baseto the handle and clamp until I have safely routed with %" pushsticksand
dry. For safety, do not use metal fasteners a little heel." Q
Why you needtheseiigs
'success
to hold the piecestogether. Written by Garl Voss lllustrations:Roxanne LeMoine
"I like to call thesepushsticksmy
devices," Carol says. "The real reason to
usepushsticksis that, not only will you be
safer, you'll reduceburn marks and errors.
Overall,you'll enjoy more success."
How to build Garol'sjigs

Follow the drawingsaboveto cut the pieces
for Carol's two router table accessories. . ,s\
d - ' h : t J
You'llfind the handlepatternin the WOOD

Patternsa insert. Create a template of the
handle design,she says,and then "make an
armloadof thesedarn things. That way, you
won't feel bad when you chew up one of '*
,t'
your jigs." With the aid of a feather board, Carol Reed's Carol's vertical pushstick, with a replaceable
We madeour handlesfrom easily worked pushstick for narrow stock keeps workpieces tZ" plywood heel, helps you press tall pieces
and inexpensiveMDF. To assemblethe flat against the router table. firmly against your router table fence.
Climb-cut safely
Cargl advises woodworkers to approach climb-cutting with cut wood n:urower than the handheldrouter base.If you intro-
addedcaution. (Although this method of clockwise cutting with duce wood to the backside of a cutter at a router table, you
a handheldrouter producesless splintering than the traditional essentially drop your stock onto a moving sidewalk. And if
counter-clockwisedirection, the router tends to pull itself away you're urying to control a small piece, where will your fingers
from the operator.) With climb-cutting, you can remove burn go? Right into the bit."
marks or cleanup tear-out,making only a /o+"passwith a hand- "For safety, I encourage all my students to draw big bit
held router. rotation arrows with a Sharpie marker on their router basesand
"But I don't advocate any climb-cutting at a router table," motors." The arows provide a constant and readily visible
Carol adds."Think of it this way: A router table was designedto reminder of which direction the bit is turning.

al:,':t:.
,f F
'''*J
.it.
r':
"./ ...,!,
ttt
lt
ere'sa projectsureto stir a youth to

actionin the shop.It featureseasy-
to-make parts and super simple
glue-and-screwbutt joinery. Now team up
with a youngster, as Managing Editor
Marlen Kemmet did with his enthusiastic
8-year-old son, Carter, and build-along
with the project-great memories.
Note: After preparing theparts as explained

in thefirst sectionof this article, have your
partner join forces to completethe machin-
Built from lightweightpine, the lap desk A divider forms separate areas for paper and
weighs 4% pounds, making it easy for a lift-out pencil box. The box bottom has ing and assemblystarting with the section
youngstersto tote around. magnetsto hold it in place on the desk. identifiedby the adult/child icon on page84.

ll exeloDED
vtEW
l[ uncruET-HoLE
DETATL
(Bottomfaceshown)
t
1s/a"
1-
7 a " - d i a m .m a g n e t
s/ro"long
3'bevel
Easeedge after
assembly.
Recessfor turn button
# 6 x s / a "F . H . r/a" hole

wood screw s/q" deep
t/e"round-over t/+"round-over
2 ' ,1 --
7oa"pilot hole /- #B brass flal
---l
7e" deep, countersunk
i 3" bevel
# 6 x 11 / z ' F . H . t - \ -\\
woodscrew O H 3" wire pull
ffi
s/gz"pilol hole s/+"deep
YT
13/'ra" \l 3/ro"hole 7e"counterbores
diameter----*@ Ease edge t/a"deep with
afterassembly. 7sz"holes,centeredinside
7o+"hole
1 t l e "d e e p . /e" brassrod1" long
( a/B" prug
0g..--. 7a"rabbetst/c"deee
0o."- routedafterassemblv vo"iong
leAe {0/'-
1 / 4 ". , L r , %2" pilot hole
J ,r'" s/q" deep 7e"counterbore1/q"deep with a
t/e"hole,centeredinside
Fingerrecessformedat a
20' angleon a sandingdrum x 1 " R . H .s c r e w
No bevelon 7a"plug t/+"long

4
thisedge "R0 {
l[ runruBUTToN
REcESS
DETATL
127/a'
153/q'
Locationof
part@
Locationof part
Cornerssandedto fit
rabbetedrecess
in bottom of case
Lettsprepare the parts page.Then bandsawcloseto the line. and
I From 3/4" sand to it using a 120-git sandingblock.
I stock planed Separatethe sides,and removethe tape.
to h", cut the
QMark centelpointsfor six 7s" counter-
sides (A), back tf boreson the outsidefacesof the sides,
(B), front (C), wheredimensionedon Drawing2. Using a
and lid rest (D), /s" Forstnerbit in your drill press,drill the
where shown on counterboresV+"deep. (Your partner will
Drawing 1, to the sizes listed in the drill the centeredholes in them later when
MaterialsList. assembling the lap desk.)
f Angle your tablesawblade3o from ver-
I Double-face-tape the insidefacesof the lllBdge-join stockplanedto
t/z"ro form an 9tical. Thenbevel-ripthe top edgesof the
Ctsides (A) together.Mark the angledtop = 1I t/zxllVz" workpiecefor the lid (E). back (B) and front (C), the back edge of
edge on the outside face of a side, where After the glue dries, crosscutand then rip the lid rest (D), and the front edgeof the lid
dimensioned on Drawing 2 on tb.e next the lid to the finishedsizeof llxl4ts/tr,". (E), whereshownon Drawings1 and 2.
woodmagazine.com
83
Glueand clampthe rightside(A)and back Withthe rabbetingbit's bearingridingalong Flipthe case.Holdingthe lid (E)in placeand
(B)togetherwith a squaringbrace.Thendrill the insideof the case,rout a3/e"rabbetlh" positionedby spacers,drill holesthrough
pilot holesthroughthe side intothe back. deeparoundthe bottominsideedges. the sideintothe lid for the brasshingepins.
straight edges with an edge of the work- wrappeda pieceof maskingtapearoundthe

QUsing your table-mountedrouter with a
lJV8" round-over bit, rout along the top piece. Drill countersunk shank holes bit for a depth stop, locating the tape 1V+"
front edge of the lid rest (D), where shown through the buttons. Next, using your from the end of the bit to allow for the Vz"-
on Drawing 1. Then switch to a Vq"round- scrollsaw with a no. 3 blade, cut the but- thick side and 3/q"pTlot-holedepth.) Drive
overbit, and rout along the top back edgeof tons to shape.Using the sandingdrum in the screws.Repeatto attachthe left side (A)
the lid (E). Now mark centerpointsfor two your drill press, sand the edges smooth. and front (C) to assemblyA/B.
#6x3/e"flatheadwood screwsin the top face Now hand-sanda Vr6" round-over along f) Assisting your partner,as needed,apply
of the lid rest, where dimensioned. (The the top roundededges. Aglue to the top edgeof the back (B) and
to the ends of the lid rest (D). Clamp the
screwsalign with magnetsyou'll install in
the bottom of the pencil box later.) Drill the i
;::x;il^H',1i"fi
l0 *u,,".":'ff5 lid rest in position on the beveledtop edge
ends (J) to size for the pencil box. Then, of the back, where shown on Drawing 1,
countersunkpilot holes at the centerpoints.
nfo form a finger recesson the front (C), from stock planed to Vz", cut the bottom making sure the roundededge of the rest is
I first lav out a lxs/s" areacenteredon the (K) to size. (Your partner will drill the faceup and to the inside of the case.Now
front, where dimensionedon Drawing 1. holes in the bottom for the magnetslater.) drill pilot holes, centeredin the side coun-
Then chuck a lt/2"-diametersanding drum terbores,into the rest, and drive the screws.
with a 150-grit sleeve in your drill press. Assemblethe iap desk Remove the glue squeeze-out.
Holding the front against the drum at I Glue and clamp ltCtruck a3/s"rabbetingbit in your table-
approximately20", sandthe'recess. I together the 9mounted router. Then rout a V+"-deep
right side (A) and rabbet around the inside bottom edges of
flFrom V+" plywood, cut the bottom (F)
[Jto size. Then, from /+" stock planed to back (B), as shown the case to receive the bottom (F), where
Vz",crrtthe divider (G) to size. in Photo A. Then shown on Drawing 1 and as shown in
tlfo form the turn buttons (H), plane3/+" have your partner Photo B. (We recommendthe adult do this.)
Vstock to 3/s".Then cut a 2x6" work- drill 3/zz" pilot attachthe lid (E), lay the casewith
'fAfo
piece.Make two copiesof the full-size turn holes, centered in the side counterbores, the bottom up on a flat work surface.
button pattern, Drawing 3. Spray-adhere through the bottom of the counterboresand Then place the lid in the casebottom face
the patternsto the workpiece, aligning the 3/q" deep into the back, as shown. (We up, making sure that the rounded edge of
E stoe(outside
faceshown)
3/a"counterbore/q" deep with
a t/e"hole centeredinside Ta"counterbore
t/q" deep with a
of part@ 3/ez"hole,
centeredinside
3YB"
f-
2t/a,' j_
+
s/au
Lbcationof part

Using a 4"-long piece of sAe"dowel as a pin Trim the plugs flush with the sides (A) using Withthe lap deskshimmedleveland a 3/c"
punch, drive the lid hinge pin flush with the a flush-trim saw. Keep the saw blade flat scrapclampedto the side (A)to prevent
bottom of the counterbore in the side (A). against the sides to ensure a straight cut. tear-out,borethe turn-buttonrecess.
the lid is facedownand adjacentto the lid (A), as shown in Photo G. Now drill %" on a side (A), holding the lid (E) in place.
rest (D). Next, position the beveled front holes 3/+"deep,centeredin the side coun- With the hinge-pinholes aligned,slip a #8
edge of the lid flush with the front (C) by terbores, into the lid for the brass hinge brass flat washer between the lid and the
inserting scrap /s"-thick spacersbetween pins, as shown. Removethe spacers. side, center the washer with the holes, and
the lid and the lid rest, and center the lid f From a %" brassrod 6" long, hacksaw insert a pin into the holesas far as you can.
side-to-sideby inserting Vzz"spacers(we tftwo l"-long piecesfor the hinge pins. Then, holding the pin and lid in place,lay
used card stock) between it and the sides To install a pin, position the casevertically the assemblybottom up on your work sur-
face.Now seatthe pin, as shownin PhotoD.
Repeatto install the other pin.
fHave your helper make plugs for the 12
lfcounterbores, as explained in the Shop
Tip,left. Then glue the plugs in place, align-
Perfect plugs made easy
ing the plug grain with that of the sides(A).
To plug screw-holecounterbores,such as those in the sides (A) of the lap desk,
you want the plugs to fit snuglyand matchthe tone and grain paJternof the Let the glue dry overnight. Then trim the
surrounding wood. Makevirtuallyinvisibleplugsusinga taperedplug cutterand a plugs,as shownin PhotoE.
cutofffrom the part that needs plugs. Drill the plugs,as shown below /eft, making fUsing a 150-gritsandingdrum in your
the lengthequal to the dgpth of the counterboreplus /a" and leavingabout tA" ot t drill pressor a disc sander,let your part-
space betweenthem. Cut a few more plugsthan neededso you can chooseones ner sandradii on the cornersof the bottom
that match best. Pry the plugsfrom the cutoff using a straight-bladescrewdriver, (F) to fit it in the rabbetedrecessin the case.
as shown below right.A e/e"taperedplug cutter neededfor the lap desk sells for Then glue and clamp the bottom in place.
lessthan $12 at Lee Valley,800/871-8158; leevalley.com.
flAppty glue to the bottom edge of the
|lldivider (G). Then clamp it to the bottom
(F), wheredimensionedon Drawing1.
(ltttart< centerpointson the top edgesof
r/the sides(A) for lVq"-diameterrecesses
for the turn buttons(H), where dimensioned
on Drawingla. Next, chuck a lVq" Forstner
E ruu--srzETURN
BUTToN
PATTERN
%0"round-over,hand-sanded
r-
i@(
woodmagazine.com 85
.H,nlSth-century idea
for Zlst-century kids
PresidentThomasJeffersondiscoveredthe
practicalityof a lap desk more than 225 years
ago. To increaseproductivityduring200-mile
coach rides betweenhis Monticellohome in
Charlottesville,Virginia,and the Continental
Congressin Philadelphia,Jeffersondesigned c
the lap desk, right. The desk stored his sup- .(g
C
@
plies and give him a surfacefor readingand E
E
writing,includingthe penningof the a
0
Declarationof lndependencein 1776.Though a
l
s
the conceptis not new, our simplifiedchild's 6

p
(0
lap desk offersequal convenienceand utility c
.O
for today'screativeonthe-go kids. cc
i
o
(0
o
b
I
0_
bit in your drill press.Placethe lap deskon Time to finish up

the drill-press table with the front (C) 3/to"
I Carefully mark centerpointsfor
againstthe fence.Then inserta shim of the I holeson theoutsidefaceof theback(B)
A sides t.t78
neededthicknessunderthefront of the desk, for attachinga 3" wire pull, where dimen-
as shownin PhotoF, to make the top level. sionedon Drawing1. Drill the holes. B back
C front
To preventtear-out,clamp a small pieceof t) Sandthe lap desk and pencil box with
3/+"scrapto the side (A), as shown. Now Q22o-gnt sandpaper. Easethe edgesof D lidresl
bore a 7s"-deephole. Repeatto bore a hole the sides (A) and lid (E), where shown. E-lid 1/z' 1 1 " 1415Aa"EP 1
in the other side. Using the centersof the Removethe dust.Then apply threecoatsof F bottom l l l l
f4 127/a' 153/q' BP
counterbores as guides,drill skq"holes lt/g" a clear finish. (We used a satin polyure- G divider f2 13/q'
deepfor the turn-buttonmountingscrews. thane,sandingto 220 grit betweencoats.) H*turnbuttons 1 % od" i a m .
I fll-ending your partner a hand, glue For healthreasons,we recommendthat the
Ilfand clamp togetherthe pencil-box adultdo this in a well-ventilated area.
| {ronVback t./8
front/back (I), ends (J), and bottom (K), QFinally, screwthe wire pull to the back J ends 11/z'
noting that the front/back pieces overlap fJtg) andthe turn buttons(H) to the sides 1/z'
(A). Rotatethe turn buttons,and checkthat K bottom 11/z'
the ends. After the glue dries, drill two .Parts
holes for magnets in the bottom, where you can raise the lid (E). If not, slightly initially
cutoversize. Seetheinstructions.
Materials key: P-pine, EP-edge-joined pine,
dimensionedon Drawing 1b. (Using a sandthe straightedgesof the buttonsfor the plywood.
BP-birch
Forstnerbit, we drilled /s" holes3/rc"deep needed clearancefor the lid. Drive two adhesive, 7a"brass
$upplies: Double-faced tape,spray
to fit /s"-diametermagnets3/rc"long from a #6x3/s" flathead wood screws that align rod6"long, #8brassflatwashers (2),uAu"dowel 4"long,
hardwarestore.)Then install the magnets with the magnetsin the pencil box into the #6xs/e'
flathead (2),
woodscrews #6x11/z" flatheadwood
screws (2),#8x1"roundhead screws (10),#8-32x1" round-
using5-minuteepoxy. holes in the lid rest (D). Now have your headmachine screws(2),S-minute epoxy, 3/e"-diameter
partner round up some drawing supplies, 3/6"
magnets long(2),3"wire pull.
and let the artistrybegin! lF Blades and bits: %"and1%"Forstner bits,t/e"and
Gutting Diagrarn 7+"round-overand3/e"rabbeting router bits,no.3 scrollsaw
%"tapered
blade, plugcutter.
Writtenby Owen Duvallwith Jeff Meftz
Projectdesign:Kevin Boyle
lllustrations:
RoxanneLeMoine
1/ax 24 x 24" Birchplywood 3/qx71/a

x 96" Pine(5.3bd. ft.).Planeor resawtothethicknesses
listedin the MaterialsList.

frun simplefo -
deluxe lrorutg
arcuterhble
choose Optiorsandaccessories
mattersmostto help
aboundfor table-mounted
youpick
routers.llVe'll
thetablesetupthatbestsuits
sortoutwhat
your needs.
@
Lressthan $60
About $1,000 complete
Multi-functlon
JessEmtlast-R-LlftEtcel
wlh lfllt-R-Sllde
oodworkerslove fteir routertables. Not surprisingly, a slew of manufacturers full-fledged spindle shaper. We've tried
And we have good reason.These have respondedto woodworkers' insatiable nearly all of them. To help you benefit from
highly useful accessories give us appetite for router tables and accessories that experience,we've pooled together our
cabinet-shopcapability. For profiling an edge with a mind-boggling aray of products. best advice on the subject so you can find
or cutting many typesof joints, they makettre Vendors sell everything frombasic tables to and ouffit a router table ideally suited to
taskseasy,accurate,and safe. tricked-out machines with the features of a your shop size, routing needs;and budget.
88 WOOD magazlne November 2004

Z"hoices that make a difference
BenchDog
ProTop
Bench Dog
Ghoicel: Get vour work- Contractor
PToMAX
surfaceneedsbn the table
--'s
Which router table to use-stand-alone, a
benchtop,or tablesaw-mounted-should be
your first decision. Thankfully, you no
longer need to choosea stand-alonemodel .t'd'I
in order to get a full-featured router table. ne?
Today's benchtop and tablesaw-mounted

versionsoffer all the bells and whistles you
could ever want, as shown at right. Thistablesaw-
It makessenseto replaceyour tablesaw's mountedrouter
extension table with a router table, as tablesharesall the
enclosed cabinet,
multi- amenitiesfoundon
shown at far right, if you're tight on functionfence,andan inset the manufacturer's
shop space.If your projects take you out- platepredrilled
tofit almost
anyrouter. stand-alonemodel.
side the shop,or if you'll only use a router
table on occasion,go for a benchtop unit.
You can stow it away or hang it on a wall want. A stand-alone(or benchtop)table can the room, opt for a stand-alone table.
to savespace. be set up the for an operationand left with- Besides maximizing your flexibility, a
If space allows, a stand-alonetable out interfering with other tool operations. stand-alonetable usually offers the widest
providesthe most versatility. Placethe table Bottorn Line: Spaceand portability may rangeof tabletopsizesand the most storage
on wheels and position it wherever you dictate your decision here, but if you have and dust collectionoptions.
Choice2:What'swhat If you prefer heavy metal, your tabletop Note that you'll have to keep rust off
in tabletopmaterials options include aluminum, plate steel, and steel and iron versions. Aluminum tables
Manufacturersmake tabletopsin a variety cast iron. These tables are ground smooth won't rust. but can corrode.And uncoated
of materials.Most consistof a core madeof and flat, and are very durable. Typically, aluminum may leave marks on wood.
medium-densityfiberboard (MDF) covered they're equipped with miter-gauge slots. Bottorn Line: MDF ranks as our top
with either plastic laminate or melamine. choice for tabletops.Theseare priced right,
This combination produces a table that's durable,and sold in a variety of sizes.Plus,
MLCS Ltd.
flat, economical,and durable. #9459 Cast- you easily can cut and machineMDF if you
".
Becausechannelscut into MDF will wear, lron Table want to modify the tabletop.
manufacturersoften equip thesetableswith
aluminum tracks to guide tlre miter gauge Veritas Router Table
and fence.Know also that MDF can absorb Top #05J20.01with
moisture and swell if placed in particularly fence #05J21.01
dampenvironments.Sealany exposedMDF
to preventsuchabsorption.
Several manufacturersnow offer table-
tops made of phenolic resin, a rock-hard,
stiff, and durable plastic. These tables
come dead flat and boast immunity to
moisturechanges.Phenolicmachineswell,
meaning you can mill a miter-gaugeslot
or slots for T-tracks or fence mounts
directly into the tabletop.On the downside, Thecast-ironroutertable(left)resemblesa tablesaw
phenolic tabletopscost l0 to 2O percent top.Theplate-steel
version(right)otferssimilartraitsof
more than MDF. flatnessandheft,buthasno miter-gauge slot.
Choice3: Gauqevour miter gauge (which you supply). This slot fence sits perfectly parallel to the miter-
miter-gauge pief6renees often doubles as a handy place to mount gaugeslot.
Router tables, by design, perform best at accessories,such as featherboards. Bottorn Line: A miter-gaugemaximizes
machining the edges of workpieces. So Some router-tableusersprefer instead to flexibility, allowing you to dado and cut
what if you need to rout across the end usea shop-builtmiter sled that rides against slots, even at an angle, such as when splin-
of a board? Most tables accomplish this the fence. With a sled, the workpiece stays ing a mitered joint. A sled may raise the
with a built-in track that guides a standard squareto the fence face whether or not the workpiecebeyondthe bit's cutting height.
woodmagazine.com
89
Polycarbonate Aluminum
Choice 4: Selectfrom a
full plate of insert options
Most tabletopscome with an insert plate
that fits into a rabbetedopening.The router
bolts to the plate-which is typically made
of phenolic,aluminum,or polycarbonate-
usingexistingholesin the routerbase.You
alsocan buy insertplatesseparatelyand fit
them to your tabletop. Thesethreetypesof insertplatesholdthe routerbasefirmlyin place,removeeasilyfor bit changing,
andare
A removable insert plate offers two Eachis madeof materialthatresistssaggingwithweightyrouters.
thinenoughto allowfull cuttingcapacity.
advantagesover bolting the router directly
to a solid tabletop.First, at Vq"te 3/s"thick, Make sure that either the tabletop or plate insert with interchangeablereducerrings to
a plate allows greatercutting height than if hasjack screwsor anotherleveling system adjust the bit opening,as shown below.
the bit had to reach through a I " or thicker to flush the plate with the tabletop. Bottom Line: What plate material you
tabletop. Second,a plate makes the router Some manufacturers design a slight choose holds less importance than getting
easily removable. You'll appreciatethis crown into the plate. If the router's weight one with reducer rings and a leveling
when you needto changebits, below. flexes the plate, it forcesthe plate flat rather system.You'll pay more for thesefeatures,
The insert plate must sit flat and flush than createa concavesurface. but will be glad you did. For the ultimate
with the table surface.If it doesn't, your Becauserouter bits range from less than router plate, get one that's equippedwith a
workpiece may catch on protruding edges. Vq"to more than 3" in diameter.choosean lift. (See"Router lifts" on the next page).
The small
ring accepts
guide
bushings.
A lip
system
locks the
reducer
rings
together.
b- C
Liftingthe routerandinsertplateoutof thetable(left)simplifies byallowingfull access.lf the
bit changing Reducer ringsfit intotheinsertplateto support
routerboltsdirectlyto thetable(right),a tiltingtopfacilitates
bit changes. stock,increase safety,andreduce tear-out.
Ghoice 5: Find a reliable below, perform best..By allowing you to

feature-filled fence offset one face, the split faces on some
Unless you're using a bearing-guidedbit, fences allow you to joint board edges, as
most router-tableoperations'require a fence shown at right. This featurecomesin handy
to guide the workpiece.To work properly, a if you don't have a jointer.
fence has to, at a minimum, measureflat Beyond thesebasicfunctions,find a fence
from end to end, hold the facessquareto the with T-tracks or other mounting points for
tabletop,and adjusteasily. such accessories as feather boards and
Split facesthat open and closeto change stop-blocks,bit guards,and auxiliary jigs. If
the size of the gap aroundthe bit, as shown the fencedoesn't come with a port to accept sideofsomefences
Theoutfeed forward
moves with
oradjustment
spacers soyoucanedge-ioint
screws
witha straight
boards bit.
a vacuum hose,get one. By connectingto

Facesopen to : a shop vacuum or dust-collectorhose,you
accommodate Reducer can collect most of the dust and chips your
Faces close large panel bit. :, rings router produces. Most commercial fences
around small- {- removed
from offer these features,as does the fence we
Insed plate diameter bits.
reducer rings insert designedonpage 40.
minimize the plate Bottorn Line: The best fencesoffer split
table opening. faces, accessory-holding tracks, and a
sturdy frame (usually made of extruded
aluminum). Choose one that's at least as
wide as your tabletop, and check the
attachmentsystem. Some require that you
on the infeedandoutfeedsidesof the cut,no
Youcanadjustslidingfencefacesto fullysupporttheworkpiece mount tracks in the tabletop; others clamp
matterwhatsizebit youuse.Togetthe bestperformance,alwayssetthesmallestgappossible aroundthe bit. in place.A few can be mountedeither way.

Woodhaven
Choice6: Define vour standdoesnothing to contain noise or dust, #365 Stand
minimum stand s'tandards and offers no storagespace. with phenolic
After you have chosen your tabletop and An enclosed stand, such as the model tabletop and
accessories,you still need to decide on a shown at right, keeps noise and dust fence
stand. The big question:Should the stand contained,and may offer storagespacefor
be enclosedor open?Both approacheshave bits and accessories.However, this style
advantagesand disadvantages. will likely cost more than an open stand. An enclosed
An open stand allows easy accessto the Bottom Line: An enclosedstand offers cabinetkeepsyour
router, letting you adjust settingsor change the most versatility. When selecting one, routerworkstation
bits by reaching under the table. Plus, an make sure it allows quick router access tidyby providing
storagespacefor
open design allows unlimited ventilation to and ventilation to keep your router motor bitsandrouter
cool the router. On the other hand, an open runningcool. accessories.
Combination
Choice?: Gonsidera tables, shown below, on our Web site at miter-gauge
shop-builtsolution woodmagazi ne.com/toolplans. and T-track
With so many router tables available, why Thankfully, many of the same vendors Remote Miter
would you want to build one yourself? that sell complete tables also stock about gauge
Becauseyou can customizeit to meet your every componentand accessoryyou'll need track
exact needsrather than having to mix and to customizeyour table. You'll find some Feather board
match componentsor purchasea package of our favorite sourcesfor router-tablesand
deal. You'll find plans for two top-notch gear listed bottom right.
Youcanbuyrouter-table componentsthatwould
provetoodifficult
to buildintheshop.
theseinclude
insertplatesandlevelers,miter-gauge
andT-tracks,
dust-collection
fittings,
andmanysafegdevices.
Bottom Line: Building your own router

table offers the ultimate opporhrnity for
customization.You choose which features
you want, including table size, insert-plate
location, and standtype. You decidewhich
partsto build and which to buy. If you don't
want to fuss with the precision required to
Ourdownloadable plansallowyouto buildyourownhard-working
router-table setup.Thetilt-topmodel(left) build a fence, for example, purchase one
offersstorage,
dustcollection,
anda largetabletop.
Thebenchtopmodelboastsbigfeaturesin a compactsize. and build the rest yourself. I
Routgr lifts &"j-n"socketdriver

deep-wellsocket
A router lift holds fu--el6" BenchDogComplete
roulertables,
components,
roulerlifts,accessories,
the router motor in a :;:::X1,:"'"'#*-Fine-adjustmentscare 800/786-8902;
benchdog.com
carriage that rides
GdzlyIndustrial,
lnc.Complete
routertables,
accessories.
up and down on a grizly.com
8001523-4777;
pair of guide posts
that are attachedto JessEmToolCo.Complete
routertables,
fences,
routerlifts,accessories.
an insertplate. By 2-7492;jessem.com
866127
turninga cranking
MLGS Ltd.:Complete
routertables,
components,
fences,
accessories,
mechanismabove 800/533-9298;
mlcswoodworking.com
the table, you can ami-oact<asnffip carriase
adlustment ,.$S
adjustthe cutting rock Roclder
WoodworkingandHardwareComplete
routertables,
fences,
Tltl**.il if
heisht
oftherouter insertplates,
components, stands,
accessories.
8001279-M41 ; rockler.com
bit accurately with- tjl|J
.J
Leadscrew $l
_l ejioe I il RouseauCo.Complete
routertables,
fences, inserlplates,
components,
out havingto reach U#i; accessories,
800/635-341
6: rousseauco.com
underthe tabletop.
Woodhaven Complete
routertables,
fences, insertplates,
components,
routerlifts,accessories.
800/344-6657;woodhaven.com
Written by David Stone lllustration:TimGahill
woodrnagazine.com 91
hricrht ideasror
\ffinrH$hoplighting
Seethe difference
strategies.
withthesesurefire
Strategryl: Take a two-foldapproachto proper lighting
When setting up shop, most of us pay too Color temperature: All lamps (bulbs to
little attention to lighting. We hang a few us laymen) receive a rating based on the
fixfures where convenient and hope the color of light they produce. The rating is
light produced fits our needs.Without good expressed as a temperafure in degrees
illumination, though, the fine details Kelvin (K). Manufacturers assignnamesto
needed for top-notch woodworking and the temperatures, such as "soft white"
shop safety disappear. (3,000o K), "cool white" (4,100' K), or
As you'll see,oru eyes perceive not just "daylight" (6,500' K). Some lamps list the
n:rme or temperature, while others don't.
the quantity of light, but its quality, as well.
To get the quantity and quality of light you See"FluorescentLamp Basics" onthe next
need,considerthe following: page,or ask the retailer for help if you can't
decipherwhich types of lamps they sell.
Light it bright Color rendering: Another rating for
Lighting quantity-ttre amount of light lamps indicates their abiliry to accurately
reaching a surface-is measured in foot- represent the colors of the items they
candles (fc). The quantity of light needed illuminate. For an explanation, see "Show
for any task increaseswith the complexity your true colors," below. We often perceive
of the task. For example, household chores bulbs that reproduce color better to be
can be accomplished comfortably with brighter, even though they don't actually
30 fc. Reading requires 50 fc. Precision put out a higher quantity of light.
tasks, such as woodworking, require more. Glare: If a surfaceis too reflective or con-
How much more? We asked lighting trasts with those around it, glare will result.
expert Doreen LeMay-Madden. LeMay-Madden suggestspainting shop in
She chairs the residential flat or eggshell-sheenwhite. If you have
lighting committee for the natural-wood cabinets,coat them with satin
Illuminating Engineering finish, rather than gloss. And what about all
Society of North America, those cast-iron surfaces on woodworking
and is president of Lux Lighting machines? Wax these surfaces or coat
Design in Belmont, Massachusetts. them with such commercial protectants as
She suggeststhat those of us 40 BoeshieldT-9 to prevent excessreflection.
years of age and older
should light our shopsto a
uniform 80 to 100 fc.
Showyour true colors
All fluorescent lampsare ratedby
Lighting needs change,
howaccurately theyshowthe color
too, as we age. Starting at of objectstheyilluminate. Lighting
about age 15, our eyes begin expertsexpressthis abilitywitha
to deteriorate. To perceive the colorrendering index(CRl)rating
sameamount of brighuressat age thatmeasures from0 to 100.
40 as you did at age20, you'll . 0 to 55 CRI= poot accuracy
need50percentmorelight. By age .55 to 65 CRI= fair accuracy
70, you'll need twice as much light .65 to 75 CRI= good accuracy
as you did at age 40. Older eyes also .75 to 100CRI= excellentaccuracy
become more sensitive to glare. Lampswitha CRIof at least65 otfer
the mostpleasinglightin a shop.As
Provide qudrty itlumination withcolortemperature,theseratings
Three factors determine the quality of light. maynot alwaysbe listedon lamps,
These are color temperature, color render- but you can obtainthemfromretailers
ing, and glare. or manufacturers.
Strategy2: Use fluorescents for overall lighting
Fluorescehtlights have a bad reputation Magnetic ballasts cost about
among some woodworkerswho say they half the price of electronicver-
won't start in cold weatherand that they sions, but often generatemore
hum,flicker,andmakecolorslook odd.But noise (producing that telltale
if you use the proper fixtures and lamps, hum). Magnetic ballasts also
you canpreventthoseproblems. may causeannoying flickering
Fluorescentfixtures are a smart choice and perform poorly-or not
becausethey're three to four times more at all-at temperatures below
efficient than incandescentbulbs and last 50" Fahrenheit. Electronic Look at ballastlabelsfor two importantratings:
about 10 timeslonger.Fluorescent fixtures ballasts are quiet, stable, and Minimumstarlingtemperature, shownin degrees,
and noise rating,whereA ranksquietest.
havebecomedownrightcheapto purchase, operate at temperatures as low
too. And you'll find a wide varietyof styles as-l0o F.
suited to shop environments.The most
common types are shown in the "Fixture Install the correct lamp
Basics"chart,below. Once you choose flxtures, you'll need Protect larnps from irnpacts
lamps to bring them to life. Home centers lf yourshopceilingheightis lessthan
find the right ballast stock a large array. Use the "Fluorescent 10',you may knowwhathappens
All fluorescentlight fixturesuse a device Lamp Basics" chart, below, to cut through whena boardmeetsa fluorescent
called a ballastto supply the high initial the confusion and make sure you pick the
voltagenecessaryto staft the lamps and to
regulatethe voltage lamps receive while
correcl type for your needs.
lamp.Plasticprotectors(about
$2 to $3 at homecenters) ffi-
operating.This preventsflickering.You'll
Lamps with higher temperature and CRI
ratings cost more than run-of-the-mill cool
find two types: magneticand electronic, white versions, but perform better. To see
[:Yii::ffi3Ji:?'"'.3
brokenglass.
Florescent
tube
/
shownaboveri.eht. the difference in the light produced by these protector
You'llfind fluorescentfixturesin many sizesand shapes. Lookingto buy fluorescentlampsfor your shop?
For shop use, lookfor the followingtypes: Here'swhat you needto know:
Standard Strip r S i zes: Lampsfor cei l i ng-mount

fi xturescome in
r Best use:Generallighting 4' and 8' l engths.Tw o di ametersare common:T8 ( 1")
r Construction: Two or four open I and T12 (1t/z' ).
lampslocatedbelowa metalhousing t r P ow er: Ful l -w attage
4' T12s are ratedat 40 wat t s,
r Location:Mountdirectlyto a 8' versi onsat75 w atts.R ati ngsfor economyver sions
fi n i shedc eiling are 34 and 60 watts,respectively.
r Styles:4' and8' long,plug-in
or hard-wire r Com.mon names: While more varietiesexist. loox
r Pri ce:$10 and up ( les s -e x p e n s i v e for the followingfor shop use:
modelsuse magneticballast)
GoolWhite
Industrial r Colortemperature: 4 , 1 0 0 "K pHtups
r Best use: Generallighting r ApproximateCRI rating: 70 u.sr. o(9
r Construction: Similarto a r Cost (4'): $1.50+ AIld**
standardstrip,but flankedby r Acceptablefor overallshop l i ghti ng

reflectors.Somefeatureprotective
screening(shown). Natural Sunshine ;i'il
r Location:Suspendbelowa : Colortemperature: 5,000"K =fr/li r- PtlltlDs l;:'-.
hi g hor u nf inis hed
c eilin g r ApproximateCRI rating: 90 ilt t"
r C ost (4' ): J# r lloJJ;I"*"* {3
r Styles:4' and8'long, plug-in $1.S 0+ qtr us,. o (gi
or hardwired r Greatfor overallshop lighting < * - -
r Pri ce:$10 and up

Spec 35/Full Spectrum
Under Cabinet r Colortemperature: 3,500-5,000"K
r Best use:Task lighting r ApproximateCRI rating: g0 ?H..lor
6
illsPte:tnS/Ay
r Construction: Singlelampinside r Cost (4'): $4.00+ g(ff
,F,
v
utox2
a metalhousingwith an opaque r A good choicefor finishingareas *ftge
diffusingcover ./
r Location:Mountundera cabinet Daylight Deluxe
\ r Colortemperature: 6,500"K
or shelf
r Styles:13 to 48" long,plug-inor r Approx.CRI rating: pHruDs
85
hardwired r Cost (4'): $5.00+
i:" di. i
o
r Price:$8 and up r Goodfor thosewho need more light Xilo",,,,1,,""
woodmagazine.com
B J\t
C+u
Perfect fixture positioning rnade sirnple
To ensureadequatei l l umi nati on w i thoutshadow sor dar kspot s,use
theseformulasto determinefixturelocations.Note:Theseformulas
assume the use of continuousrows of two-lampfluorescentfixtures.
r Measure(A),the distancefrom your mainwork surfacesto the
cei l i ng(or to the desi redheightof suspended
fi xtures-usual l y8' to 10' ab ovet he f loor ) .
r The di stancebetw eenfixt ur es( B) ,should
be equalto or no morethan 1. 5t im es( A) .
r The distancebetweena fixtureand the
A cool-whitelamp (bottom)seems 1 w al l (C ) shoul dbe no m or et han one t hir d
bright,but a higher-temperature t
, , to one hal f(B ).
"daylight"lamp givesmore Let'stranslatethat to a typicaltwo-car
perceivedlight and bettercolor.
garageshop that measures24x24' with
a 9' cei l i ngand w orksur f aces36" high.
W e' l luse 16' -l ongrowsof f ixt ur es( eit her
lamps, check out the photo, i tw o 8' or four4' pl acedend- t o- end) :
above.Higher-pricedlampslast \ A=72"or 6'
longeras well. or 9'
B = 72" x1.5= 108"
\.
1 " 4t / z'
C = 108" x.5= 54Of
t lf we placetwo rowsof fixtures9' apart
Locatefixtures
for best lighting I (B),they'lleach be 71/z'(C) from the side
As the final stepin lightingyour f walls-way more than the 4t/z'maximum.
shop,you needto decidewhere \ The si desof the shopwill be t oo dar k.
\ lf we centerone row,then add two
to put the fixtures. To get the
most from your lighting layout, \\ more rowsspaced8' apart(B=8),then
li the outerrowswill be 4' (C=4)from the
locate fluorescentlights using
the guidelinesin "Perfectflxture - fb w al l s.Thi s l ayoutl i ght st he shopwell.
positioningmadesimple,"right.
Strategy3: Examine options for supplementary lighting

Well-placed fl uorescentsprovide
great overall lighting. But you'll Compactfluorescent
want additional light over such ,Transformer
places as your workbench, band-
lncandescent Halogena
| '{h
saw, and finishing area.
Get task-light right t\r,,ff

Standard incandescent'bulbs
work well for task lighting, 20-watt
'
-1n
halogen
LeMay-Madden says. They cast t'
more shadows, which can high-
.til
I Adhesive-backed lamp
powerstrip
light contrasts and make blades rF
and layout lines more visible.
To get better lighting quality,
replace an incandescent with a You can replacean incandescentbulb with a This $30 setupfrom LightsNow (800/945-4837;
"halogena" lamp. compact fluorescent,which costs lessto run, lightsnow.com)includesthreeclip-onlampsthat
or a screw-in"halogena"that lasts longer. mountalongits 48' powerstrip.
Compact fluorescent lamps
work in any fixture that takes a
standard screw-in bulb. They operate more Use one to simply tllrn on a
Floodlight Motion-senslnglight swltch
economically, but don't offer quite as much single light to illuminate your
contrast as an incandescentor halogena. path when you enterthe shop,or
We recently discovered a new halogen to flip on all of the lights. Try
fixture that offers promise for shop lighting, putting one over your lumber
above.farright.It's a cinch to install thanks rack so you can better examine
to adhesivebacking on the power strip. The boards.or aboveyour mitersaw
fixtures clip onto the strip so you can move station.You'll have light every
them to exactly where you need lighting. time you cut, without having to
flip a switch.?
Automate your lights This floodlight($40)has a Motion-detecting switchescan
For the ultimate in lighting convenience, Written by David Stone wirelessremotesensorto turn on overheadfixtureswhen
add motion sensors,such as those at right. Mike Mittermeier
lllustration: allowmountingoptions. you walk in the room.

sho youworkfaster,
Helping andsafer
smarter,
ti
Gauqinq vour woodts o
appe-tite-f6rb iscuits E
Everwonder E
I
whether your
biscuitslotsare o
sizedrightforthe a
widthof your After retiring from Cornell University

workpiece or aboutsevenyearsago,Stu Klausner
whether youcan and his wife moved to Hilton Head,
squeeze in two SouthCarolina,wherehe starteda
insteadof one? computerconsultingbusiness.Life is
Thisjig takesthe good,he says."I'm five minutesfrom
guesswork outof the ocean.I work two days,I fish two
spacing biscuitsin 1/ " space between slots days,I build furniture two days.On the
narrowrails. seventhday,I rest." Recently,Sfu
Makethejig by cutting wrestleda 68-poundcobia into his boat.
biscuitslotsof threesizes Now, our Top ShopTip winner gets
(#0,#10,and#20)in a free tools. Someguyshave all the luck.
pieceol s/t"material. Cuta
pairof slotsof eachsizein
thejig sidesandleave%"
between slots.To usethe
jig,setthebuttendof a rail
againstthejig sideto
determine thesizeand
numberof biscuits to insert
in thejoint.
-Stu Klausner,
HiltonHead,S.C. Stu Klausner wins a Bosch 14.4-volt
cordless tool kit (92614DJP)for
submittingthe Top Shop Tip.
Gongratulations,Stu!
Rerrcrseddrill bits a step fonrard for safestorage
Sometimes whenI drill,thebitspins i thesolidshank,makingit easierto select
brieflyin thechuck,creating a ring-like ! tnecorrectbitsize.
burron the shank,whichbecomesa prob- i -DaveDunlap,
Kngman,Ariz,
lemfor bitsstoredin
metalstoragecases. Describehow you've solveda work-
As I putthe bitaway, shopdilemma,and you'll eam $75 if it
the burroftenhangs appearshere.And, if your tip garners
up in thetightmetal Top ShopTip honors,you'll alsowin a
holesof thecase, tool prize worth at least$250.
sometimes cuttingmy Sendyour besttips, along with photos
fingeror causing the or illustrations and your daytime phone
caseof bitsto spill. number,to: Shop TipsoWOOD
Thesamehappens Magazinerl7l6 Locust St., GA-310,
whenI try to remove Des Moin€s,IA 50309-3023.Or e-mail
the bitfromthecase. tips to: [email protected].
To avoidthisfrus- Rememberto include your contact
tration,I turnthe bits info in the e-mail as well.
overso thesmooth Becausewe ffy to publish only
shanksticksout.Now original tips, pleasesendyour tips only
I canremoveand to WOOD magazine.Sorry, submitted
replacebitswithout materialscan't be returned.
hangups, andview

You'nnPnonenryJusr AsAnasrrrous.
Cleancalculator
is in the bag Whether youarea do-it-
My workshopcalculator doesn'treact yourselfer,
a professional
wellwiththe flyingdust,splashing woodworker or somewhere
solvents,and moisturechangesthat in between,youhavea world
take placein the shop.Afterruininga fullof projects
inthehome
few calculators,I startedstoringmy or i ntheshopthatw i l lbe
currentone in a plasticzipper-type easier andmoreenjoyable to
storagebag and hangingit on the
pegboard.I alsodiscovered I can use
*d complete whenyouusequal-
brq
ityclamps, bench visesand
the calculatorwhileit'sstillin the bag, '-{:r
so I neverhaveto exposethe sensitive miterboxes/saws fromthe

electronics
to the shopenvironment. AdjustableClamp Company.
-Mike Herberger,EastRochester,
N.Y. Lookforthemunder th e
Jorgensen, Adjustable and
Ponybrandnames wherever
finetoolsaresold.
- "&6u""u","' b[y';
lgliustable
Made in the USA by the AdjustableClamp Co.,
433 North Ashland Ave., Chicago, lL 60622,
Taming tangled cords

with office supplies
Wrappingpowertoolcordsaroundthe
tool for storagehas oftenbeeria source
y#ffi[N
of aggravationfor me. Moreoftenthan
not.the cordcomesloosewhilel'm
Holy CowJBuckOfMoster''
puttingthe tool awayor "cordgremlins" is bererthonc toofbox:
tangleit togetherwithothercordsduring
storage.To confidentlytame those Youcouldsoythdt ogoirl,,,
cords,use a binderclipto clampthe ifwehadh ,h
cord to itselffor storage.Whenthe tool
is in use,keepthe clip handyby clamp-
ing it to the cord.
-MinuardJordan,
Ransom
Canyon,Texas
wonderfu
vVasfocl< I, use{ulFouiprnen+ ond6oods
ondtested!y Trode'snen
clesigned for Buildersond
ordentDo.lt.Your,se
lf ers.6et q Fr€eCdto log at 800-
woodmagazine.corn
Continuedon page 98
5o5.8888ororderonllne- www'DululhTrodi n9-corn
shop tips
Quick-reference label
demystifies jig's origins
Ove rt he y ear s ,I ha v ea c c u mu l a teqdu i tea fe w s h o p -made j i gs.
Occ as ionally I f,or ge ts o m eo f th e fi n e r p o i n tso f th e j ig' sopera-
ti o nand needa r ef r e s h ecro u rs eT, h e p ro b l e mi s th a tfi ndi ngthe
j i g'sor iginss om et im efe s e l sl i k ea n a rc h e o l o g i ceaxl p edi ti on as
I di g t hr oughm y woo d w o rk i nl g i b ra ry .
My s olut ion: Labele a c hj i g w i the n o u g hi n fo rma ti o(ti n tl eof
ma gaz ine, dat eor is s u en u mb e r,
a n d p a g e n u m b e r)to i denti fy
the o r iginal s our c e.Th e c l e a rs e l f-s ti c k i nagd d re s sl a b el s
(a va ilable at of f ic es u p p l ys to re s w ) o rkw e l l ,a n d I c a n pri ntthem
witha computer.Attachthe labelto the jig in a placethatwon't
interfere with its operation, and coverthe labelwithcleartapeto
keept he pr int ingint a c t.
-RichardRudisill, Harrisburg, Pa
Close the qates before

the horsepbwer is gone
W i thi nmonthsof setti ngup m y dustcol-
lector,I startedhavingproblemswiththe
plasticblastgates.The cornersof the
housi ngthatthe gatess lideint of ouled
'l:
t.ll
iilititili,'!i:t,', to
w i thsaw dust,maki ngi t im possible
y the gate s.Consequent ly,
compl etelshut
ll
tl the collectorbecamelesseffective
becauseof leaks.
ililt To makethesegatehousings self -

I cl i ppedthe closedcor ner s,
cl eani ng,
as show n,to gi vethe dusta m eansof
escape.The slightdraftthroughthe
cornerhol esw henthe gat eis open
f'.fu,*.i5 doesn'tnoticeably takeawayfromthe
collector's power.
-Val lngraham,
Norcross,
Ga.

Setan accurate miter
gauge as simple as l-2-3
I enjoyedthe tablesawtune-uparliclein
the November2003 WOOb magazine
(i ssu e152) ,and it ins p i re me
d to s h a rea
simpleand accurateway I useto true my
mitergaugeto 90'. Beginwitha scrapof
7+"sheetgoods-l prefermedium-density
fiberboard (MDF)-at least8x8"that has
one perfectly straightedge,Markthis
e dgeas 1. Labelt he o th e re d g e s2 , 3 ,
and 4 in a counterclockwise direction, as
shownin the drawing.
Placeedge 1 againstyourmitergauge
set at 90" and cut edge2, then rotatethe
piececlockwise and repeatfor edges
3 and 4. The threecutswillcauseany
angularerrorto be magnified by three
becauseeachcut addsto the errorof the
previouscut,Usingan accuratesquare,
checkthe anglebetweenedges1 and
4 for square.lf a gap showson the inside
elbowof the framingsquare,adjustthe
mitergaugecounterclockwise; if the gap
is at the top of the testpiece,adjustthe
gaugeclockwise.
-Dave Willis,Murray,Utah
Seea new
Shoplip
of the Day at
woodmagazine.com 99
passed
roducts
wares
woodworking
These
This 14"bandsawcomesloaded
I'd heardgood things aboutPowermatic's 4" dust port (connectedto my dust
PWBS-l4CS bandsaw,and my test-drive collector)helpedcatch almosteverything.
provedthis is one solid machine.After Like many newerbandsaws,the PWBS-
assemblingthe bandsaw(including its fixed 14CShas a quick-releaseblade tensioner,
5"-wide extensiontable that fills the gap and this one comesfrom Carter-the people
betweenthe spacious15x15" tilting table who inventedthe bandsawquick-release
and the column),I turnedit on. Insteadof and sell it as a $150 add-on.With three
making the usual start-upnoises-a rattling handlepositions,you can have the blade
door, the bladerubbing on a guide, etc.- fully tensioned,completelydetensioned,or
the PWBS-l4CS puned like a kitten. In tensionedenoughto adjustbladefracking.
fact, it was so smooth,I stoodtwo nickels Microadjustableball-bearingblade guides
on edgethen ripped and crosscuta pieceof provedeasyto set and lock, even on the
2x2x8" red oak. To my surprise,both %"-wide blade I usedfor scroll-cuttinga
nickels stoodfor the whole procedure. bandsawnbox. Other standardequipment
Next, using the includedT-square-style accessories include a goosenecklamp and
fencewith its resawingguide attached, dustblower that keep the cutline visible.
I resawedseveral6"-wide piecesof red oak -TestedbyPatLowry
and maple,the maximum for this saw
without an optional riser block, and the PWBS-l4GS14" bandsaw(1791216K)
PWBS-14CSdidn't miss a beat,thanksto Performance *****
its ltlz-hp motor. Samestory when I stack- Price
sawedthreepiecesof 414maple.And Powermatic
throughall the cutting, the well-positioned wmhtoolgroup.com
800/274-6848;
Norton 3X sandpapercuts and cleanslike ctazy

The manufacturerof Norton 3X sandpaper sandpaper.Although I eouldn't verify the their performince, I vacuumedthe test
claims that it cuts three times faster and "three times" claims in my tests,this abra- surfaceand both abrasivesafter every 50
laststhreetimes longer than conventional sive definitelv cuts fasterand cleanseasier cycles.Here I noticedthat the dust buildup
than other sandpapers releasedeasily from the Norton 3X on the
I comparedit to. first passwith the vac, while the other
Using the rig shown brand took more agitationto clean.
at left,I tested60-grit I repeatedthis test until I had sanded500
Norton 3X sheets cycleswith eachpaperin four grits from 60
side-by-sideagainst through 220.\n every case,the Norton 3X
anotherwidely sold abrasivecut through the primer (and in
60-grit sandpaperwith somecases,the white melamineto reveal
5 lbs of weight on the particleboardbeneath)significantly
each.The workpiece fasterthan the competition.Norton 3X
is melamine-coated comesin nine different grits and is priced
particleboardsprayed aboutthe sameas other sheetsandpaper,
with primer, and after making it a whale of a bargain.
just a few back-and- -TestedbyDeanFiene
forth cycles,I noticed
3XSandpaper
white dust quickly *****
Performance
piling up at the ends packages
Price $14,20-sheet of 60-through
of the sffoke on the $10,forgdts180through
150-grit; 400.
Norton 3X, where the
other paper had little. NortonAbrasives
-4415: nortonabrasives.com
800/551
To make sure the
papersdidn't load up
with dust and affect Continued on page 102

shop-proven products
DeWalt vac: Not your motherts Dustbuster

When I receivedDeWalt's DC500batterv- worry aboutit discon-
poweredWet-Dry Vacuum,my first necting.Anothernice
thoughtwas,"Why do I want a cordless bonus:You don't have
vac to carry aroundthe shop?"Now that to removethe wash-
I've usedit for a few weeks,I'm more able Gore-Texfilter for
inclinedto think, "Why not?" wet jobs (althoughyou
First, unlike vacsfor the home that run on shouldempty dust
their internalbatteriesfor only a few short from the tank first).
minutes,I vacuumedwith the DC500 If the $100price tag
continuouslyfor l2-I3 minutesusingan seemslow, remember
l8-volt batterypackbeforesuctionbeganto that doesn'tincludea
suffer.The unit alsooperateson DeWalt's batterypack, which
14.4-and 12-voltpacks;the 14.4-volt could nearlydoublethe
batteryyielded only 7-8 minutesof run- price unlessyou
time. And, when the batterydid run low, I alreadyown a DeWalt
simply unwrappedthe AC cord,pluggedit cordlesstool. That
into a wall socket,and got backto work. basicprice includes
And work it does.Under batterypower, I onboardstorageof the
found little, if any, differencebetweenthe hose,wide nozzle,
suctionof the DC500 and my big l2-gallon crevicetool, and AC
cordedshopvacuum.Hookedto the dust- powercord.And I
collectionport on my router,this vac found myself wishing
gobbledup virtually all of the chips from a that I could chargethe drainedbatteryon DC500 Vacuum
Wet-Dry
the vacuum,as with DeWalt'sjob-site Performance ****rj
/2" round-over.
hoseprovedplenty radio,but the DC500just isn't setup Price $100(battery
notincluded)
The 1Vz"-diameter
flexible in my tests,andI like that it twist- for that. ToolCo,
lndustrial
DeWalt
locksinto the canister.so I don't haveto -Tested by RandyZimmerman dewalt.com
800/433-9258,
Preventpower surge at
air comfressor stftup
DesignBreokthrough! I'll admit it: My garageworkshopis
underpowered,working off a single
It'sthe ultimotewotkbenchl 1lO-voltcircuit breakerin the
It'sq downdrqft fqble! house.Working alone,I only use
It'so complete'oirfiltrqtionsystem! one powertool at a time, so it's
rarely a problem.But my portable
air compressor, pluggedinto the
outlet farthestfrom the breakerbox,
overloadsthat breakeralmostevery
Deluxe+ 30"x77" time it starts.That's becausea
.Generous Moole Worktops
.Powerful 1600, 2] 00, or NEW 2550 CFM Motor compressordrawsits highest
.GFl Convenience Outlet
.Three Stoge Filteringto 0.5 Micron currentat startup.SmartStart
lessensthis initial draw, although SmafiStart InletGontrol
it hasnothing to do with the forAirCompressors
compressor' s electricalsystem. Performance *****
SmartStartreplacesthe air filter Price $15(plusshipping)
on virtually any electric air R.ConraderCompany
Ultro
compressor(it containsits own 27: conrader.
814I898-27 com.
33"x95"
Coll now to find out
filter), and installsin lessthan
obout our Speciols five minutes.When the compressoris running, it allows air to pass
normally;but whenthe compressorstops,a valve insideclosesto
add resistancewhen the compressorkicks in again.At that point,
the valve slowly opens,allowing the motor to reachoperatingspeed
beforeit startscompressingair.
My SmartStart-accessorized compressorfired up without so much
76095
PO,Box211434. Bedford,TX as dimmingthe lights.I evenusedthe compressoron a 25'exten-
I -800-845-4400 sion cord with no ill effect, proving SmartStartto be an inexpensive

fix to a naggingproblem.|l
Viso. Mastetcotd. Amex . FREECATALOG! -TestedbyJimHanold

CircleNo. 2117
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rruhatts ahead
A preview issue(onsaleNovember
intheDecember
of someofthearticles 23)
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At last!A classycabinet to another
Here's funJudyGaleRoberts (o :'!u
holdeveryCD,DVD, andvideotapein youcanmakeusingjustyour
design
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scrollsaw, ;TF
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for building EEE
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Shopstorage finishing
Dust-free Matchingstaincolors F(4E
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thelatestand
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Findthreeorganizer foryour yourfinishes
lmprove bykeeping staincolor,
Toimitateanexisting EgF
greatest
innovations
in woodworkingworkshop:a wallrackfor boards,
a scrap thesunoundingaircleanwiththis youneedto workin therightlight.
equipmentandaccessories, anda sheetgoods
sorter, holder. pop-up
five-minute,
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112 WOOD rnagazine November 2004 €6g

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Hj*"

WOOD magazine November 2004

our editors test Whybuy?

10 WOOD magazine November 2004

12 WOOD magazine November 2004

A shallow final pass

16 WOOD magazine November 2004

one right, power sandingspeeds Safegruards; Avoid this problemby using a

22 WOOD rnagazine November 2004

Copythe Contour curvededge.A hand-sanding alternative Skip the Dips

SandVeneerwith Care Safeguards.'Don't tilt your sanderas you

WOOD magazine November 2004

Why are bluebirds so darn haPPY? GeorgeWashington tree

WoodturnerBruce Hoover embellishedhis

WOOD magazine November 2004

10. Sbonger ioints Eachtime your hammerstrikesa nail,you

Testfirc Beforerushinginto a project,shoot fastenersinto scrap

toenailingdadoed shelves.This techniquo :

Some of the fasteningtasks

Tffffe a tablesag fOf i machined

Becoming an HVIrPconvert Your best alternativefor a compressor-

36 WOOD magazine November 2004

Drillinq holes in dowels

When looking for a good glue joint

the waste between them is one

4 sur rHE LEFTsroP 5 aon AN AUxTLTARYGUrDE

lvlolEtu '&ir*t#'$e" . Spinning bit

6 nnrr,r,our rHE wAsrE I MAKE A PLUNGE CUT 8 nout rHHsr,or

40 WOOD magazine November 2004

Fence-mountingoptions includethreaded FENCEBASE Note: *lf your routertable alreadyhas threaded

42 WOOD magazine November 2004

Make the segmented face

WOOD magazine November 2004

cracking the acrylic.)

Adjustable bit gtard flushwithrheback

feather board Epoxy 2" flathead bolts into two 4-arm

M featherboard 3/q' 53/q' 14' MDF 1

Writtenby Jan SvecwithGhuckHedlund

3/qx3/q x 10" Maple

46 WOOD magazine November 2004

Ash Hackberry GherrY Am[:]

and threadit into a blank. as shown above. 6t/s"- diametercylinder.

50 WOOD magazine November 2004

Grip the screw center in the chuck. Use a

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Lacquer; Oilandlatex Shellac;crystal-Lacquer,shellac, Wax(alsocleansGrease,

Lacquerand Notrecom- Lacquer,

Usea charcoal Notforgeneral Toluenecontent Extremely Useodorless Morevolatile Handle

Cleansfiber- A blendof Don'tuse Mosthave Creates a paint Speeds

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t/2" fabbel o'/4

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Now finish and assemble

Rout awtry rough cuts in acrylic

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project, see page 66.

Let's start with the sides

panels,cut a centered3/s" groove-y'r0"deep

@reruoN DETATLS %o"chamfers