Woodworker's Journal Vol38 #02 April 2014

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W o o d w o r k e r ’s J o u r n a l
Contents
April 2014 Vo l u m e 3 8 , N u m b e r 2
Page 42
30 Classic Limbert Bookcase 42 Bedroom Valet
By Michael Crow By Ian Kirby
Simple joinery plus router templates Perfect for a guest room, this quick
recreate signature details of an project provides both hanging and
Arts & Crafts design. suitcase storage space.
36 Accordion Wall Lamp 74 Art Deco Cabinet

By Charles Mak and By Sandor Nagyszalanczy
Lars Parrington Art Deco design meets modern
This lamp’s arm extends to 57". function in this bedside cabinet
Page 36 It’s built from four subassemblies (a “Small Shop Journal” project).
— and many duplicate parts.
Departments
6 Editor’s Note and Letters 48 Jigs & Fixtures
Which wood do you choose and Clamp racks offer tons of storage.
why do you choose it?
Page 74 50 Shop Test
12 Tricks of the Trade Expand your shop time: an
Keep your starter pin visible. overview of heating options.
14 Questions & Answers 62 Tool Preview

Why isn’t a plane like a jointer? New glue features speedy cures,
Can you fix a loose leg? strong bonds and versatility.
18 Stumpers 66 Today’s Shop

A mystery tool for old auto buffs. Chris Marshall picks his shop’s
standby tools.
20 Shop Talk
Logging project leads to spruce 70 What’s In Store
guitars which support charity. New tools for in your shop and
on the go.
26 Woodturning
Bowl gouges: grind a second bevel, 82 Finishing Thoughts
or even a third. A guide to ammonia fuming.
4 Page 30 April 2014 Woodworker’s Journal

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Letters ROCKLER PRESS
THE VOICE OF THE WOODWORKING COMMUNITY
APRIL 2014
Volume 38, Number 2
What’s Your Wood Choice? ROB JOHNSTONE Publisher

JOANNA WERCH TAKES Editor
CHRIS MARSHALL Senior Editor
SO, WHAT DID YOU MAKE IT OUT OF? JEFF JACOBSON Senior Art Director
It’s the first question that we woodworkers will ask after JOE FAHEY Associate Art Director
you tell us: “Hey, I just completed an end table!” (Or MATTHEW HOCKING Internet Production Coordinator
MARY TZIMOKAS Circulation Director
chair, or coffee table, or kitchen cabinets.) We want to
KELLY ROSAAEN Circulation Manager
know what species you used and we want to know why
LAURA WHITE Fulfillment Manager
you chose that type of wood. There are lots of reasons for
Founder and CEO
the question: it will help us visualize the piece, it will
ANN ROCKLER JACKSON
give us an idea of how hard you had to work to get it done, and it will help us ask Publisher Emeritus
you a few more questions. (What finish did you use? Mortise and tenons? Did you LARRY N. STOIAKEN
stain it?) And we also want to know because it is one of the first questions we ask Contributing Editors
ourselves as we start our projects — what should we make it from? NORTON ROCKLER
SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY
All of which brings me to asking you a few questions: How do you go about ERNIE CONOVER
selecting a species of wood for your woodworking project? Is the price of the
Advertising Sales
lumber your primary consideration? If not primary, how important is the cost of the ALYSSA TAUER Advertising Director
wood? Is it worth the extra couple of bucks a board foot for you to get a special cut atauer@woodworkersjournal.com
(like quartersawn or riftsawn) after you have decided on a specific species? Or are DAVID BECKLER National Sales Representative
dbeckler@woodworkersjournal.com
you like one of my buddies who told me one time, “I like red oak, so why should I (469) 766-8842 Fax (763) 478-8396
mess around with something else?” Clearly, there is no right answer to these
Editorial Inquiries
questions, but I am guessing that you have opinions to share, and I am very much ROB JOHNSTONE
interested in hearing them! rjohnstone@woodworkersjournal.com
— Rob Johnstone JOANNA WERCH TAKES
jtakes@woodworkersjournal.com
CHRIS MARSHALL
Adding Aromatic Cedar mahogany and aromatic cedar inside, cmarshall@woodworkersjournal.com
In the October 2013 issue, and using solid cedar for the bottom
you built a “Veneer Paneled panel. I’m wondering: is there a finish Subscription Inquiries
Blanket Chest.” I like the that will leave the cedar aromatic or (800) 765-4119 or
design and am going to build should I just leave it unfinished? www.woodworkersjournal.com
one for my daughter. In place Bob Kane Write Woodworker’s Journal, P.O. Box 6211,
of white oak, I am planning on North Sobol, Oklahoma Harlan, IA 51593-1711
using mahogany, veneering email: WWJcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com. Include mailing
label for renewals and address changes. For gift
the outside with crotch veneer Chris Marshall Responds: I believe
subscriptions, include your name and address and
the traditional approach to lining a your gift recipient’s.
chest with cedar is to leave the cedar
unfinished for full effect. Shellac, Book Sales and Back Issues
lacquer or oil-based varnishes wouldn’t Call: (800) 610-0883
be the way to go if you want to www.woodworkersjournal.com
preserve that good smell. I would leave
Woodworker’s Journal (ISSN: 0199-1892), is published in February,
the wood raw but sand it very smooth.
April, June, August, October and December by Rockler Press Inc.,
I really like that aroma. Maybe I’ll line 4365 Willow Dr., Medina, MN 55340. Periodical postage paid at
my next chest down the road, too! Medina, Minnesota and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send
all address changes to Woodworker’s Journal, P.O. Box 6211, Harlan,
IA 51593-1711. Subscription Rates: One-year, $19.95 (U.S.); $28.95
U.S. funds (Canada and other countries). Single copy price, $5.99.
Reproduction without permission prohibited. Publications Mail Agreement
Number 0861065. Canadian Publication Agreement #40009401.
©2014 Rockler Press Inc. Printed in USA.
Letters continues on page 8 ...
6 April 2014 Woodworker’s Journal

Letters continued
Compressor Add-ons
One of your readers stated he Our readers have some of
was surprised to find water in their own twists on our tiny
his compressor [Questions & fridge magnets.
Answers, June 2013]. The
explanation was good, but
I would like to add: you
What Does It All Mean? can purchase inline water
Recently, weÕve heard from a separators (water traps) as
couple of readers confused by well as dessicant air dryers
for use with air tools. Draining
woodworking terminology. For
your compressor after a day’s
their benefit (and yours), here use, whether short or long, is
are a couple of definitions. a must; however, the use of
either a dessicant air dryer or
a water trap is a must when
Carcass: the basic structure using tools with air-driven
of a cabinet or other generally motors, and for painting to hand oil tools, like impacts, stopper chuck. I sand the
rectangular project prevent water or oil from which require oiling frequently. bottom of the blank and screw
contaminating your paint. Dave Browne it on to the stopper chuck.
(sometimes spelled carcase)
As your compressor ages, it Prince George, British Columbia I usually put a couple of
will begin to pass oil into the washers on the stud to create
Trunnion: metal mounting Faster Fridge Magnets some space to work the edge.
brackets that hold a motor I read with interest the I can then turn, sand and
December 2013 article on finish the piece without
fridge magnets [“Mighty Mini having to remount it and there
Are there any woodworking Fridge Magnets”]. I have are no jaw marks to deal
words youÕre wondering made flat magnets for some with. I also have created
about? Let us know! time, but liked the look of the recesses in the top using a
ones shown. lathe drill chuck and
There is an easier and a Forstner bit to inlay
faster method to create foreign coins, golf ball
A reader supplied solutions for these items. I mark the markers, stained screw
dealing with the ongoing problem
center of the bottom of hole plugs, etc.
of water in air compressor tanks.
the blank and lock it in Fridge Magnet Depending on the
lines due to ring and cylinder my drill press vise. I drill finish used, the whole
wear just as internal a recess with a 1/2" Forstner process may take as little
combustion engines tend to bit to hold the magnet. Then, as 10 minutes.
“burn oil” when they get old. being careful not to move the Ed Harvey
You can also purchase piece, I drill a hole in the Savannah, Georgia
inline oilers for your air tools, center of the recess using the
which reduce the need to bit that matches my wine Letters continues on page 10 ...
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Today’s Woodworker
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Letters continued
www.woodworkersjournal.com
QUIK LINK
Click through Quik-Link on our
Readers Jim and Pat Ripple of Canton, Ohio, build fun and creative “gift boxes” that add a sense
website to find information on the of wonder to their practice of giving wine as a present.
tools featured in these articles:
Today’s Shop (page 66) I have really enjoyed your “fridge mags” from stock dust them off and display
What’s In Store (page 70) magazine over many years. I can make on my table saw them when we come over.
My shop is fairly complete, such as hexagonal and Part of the fun is painting
in one of the bays of our octagonal shapes. whimsical touches to the
three-car garage, but I do not What a fantastic idea for pieces like a nest of birds in
There’s more online at have a lathe. small gifts to friends for a the birdhouse or flies buzzing
woodworkersjournal.com Your article in the cocktail party or dinner visit. around the outhouse.
www.woodworkersjournal.com December 2013 issue of Jim Bartlett Jim and Pat Ripple
MORE ON THE WEB
Woodworker’s Journal was Carmel, Indiana Canton, Ohio
Check online for more content especially interesting,
covering the articles below: because I am somewhat Wooden Gift Wrap? Finding Your Center
Woodturning (page 26): limited in the size of projects [A response to Rob Johnstone’s In reference to the trick
Grinding a second bevel on a I get involved in because of editor’s note, “Make the Perfect “Centering a Circle with a
bowl gouge (video) a lack of space, and I might Gift” in the December 2013 Square” [Tricks of the Trade,
lose my wife if I sold her car issue.] My wife and I had fun October 2013]: I have used a
Accordion Lamp (page 36): to obtain more floor space for times making wine carriers centering tool, which I made,
Download the builder’s original my hobby. Nevertheless, all and presenting them, with a for many years. I use brad-
drawings (PDF file) of your clever fridge magnets good bottle of wine, of course, point wood bits and Forstner
Shop Test (page 50): Heat loss would require a lathe, which I to our closest friends. Our bits. I drill the hole nearly
don’t have, so I am making my friends are kind enough to all of the way through the
calculator to figure your shop’s
wood block (1x4). I use brad
BTU needs (app) • Spreadsheet
nails and drive them through
to compare energy output and the small indent from the
pricing for common heat fuels and opposite side of the
appliances (Microsoft® Excel file) block made by the point on
Small Shop Journal (page 74): the bits. I then screw a thin,
Using a radius routing jig to make flat aluminum plate on the
back of the block. I have
curved carcass rails (video)
holes of all sizes of the dowels
that I use. (The brads are less
than 1/2" and stick out very
little.) I use a rubber head
hammer. I have holes from
1/8" up to 2". Hence no
slipping or needing an
extra hand.
Louis C. Luersen
Like many woodworking tasks, there is more than one way to find the Granbury, Texas
center of a round dowel or turning — our reader shares his.

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Woodworker’s Journal April 2014 11

Tricks of the Trade
Add-ons and Workarounds
Tested and photographed by Chris Marshall
Doweling Jig
Doubles as a
Drill Press
Whenever I need to
drill a hole into the
end of a long work-
piece that won’t fit
on my drill press, I
use my doweling jig
instead. I clamp the
jig to the workpiece
and drill the hole as
deeply as the jig will
allow. If the hole
needs to be a little
deeper, I take the
jig off and use the
Nail Returns Clamp to Service “starter” hole as a
The sliding jaw on one of my small bar clamps lost the ability to guide to continue
engage the bar and became unusable. To salvage the clamp, I drilled drilling. In fact, I
a hole all the way through the jaw and several evenly spaced holes used this technique
along the bar. The clamp can now be used through its full range recently to install a
by inserting a nail through the sliding jaw and into any of the post-type swivel
holes in the bar that offers the capacity I need. caster on a table leg.
Jim Moorehead Gary Storme
Barrigada, Guam Anacortes, Washington
When Cutting Insert

Plate Kerf, Start Small
Zero-clearance throatplates
are helpful for making cleaner
cuts on a table saw, and I’ve
wanted them for my machine.
The trouble was, I couldn’t
make the first kerf cut in the
throatplate blank because a
10" blade would still make
contact with it, no matter how
far down I lowered the arbor.
That’s why I came up with this
simple fix: I start the slot cut
using an 8" blade instead. Its
smaller diameter provides the
extra clearance I need. Once Hammer into Deadblow Mallet for Pocket Change
there’s a kerf slot in the Here’s a trick I’ve used for more than a decade to turn a claw
throatplate, it will work fine hammer into my version of a deadblow mallet. Just fit a white
with my 10" blade. If you try rubber chair leg protector over the hammerhead. You can find
this trick, choose a smaller them in four-packs at any hardware or discount store for just a few
blade with a kerf width that dollars. The rubber cap pushes on snugly so it won’t fall off. It
matches the larger blade. works great, and the hammer won’t mar your workpieces.
Ian Black Paul Postuma
Trail, British Columbia Quispamsis, New Brunswick

I C KE
P F TH S
O ICK
TR In addition to our standard
payment (below),
Start Seeing that Starter Pin John Cusimano of Lansdale,
I like to use a starter pin on my
Pennsylvania, will also receive a
router table for doing edge
profiling, particularly when the RIDGID 3-piece 18V Hyper
edge of the part is curved. (It’s Lithium-Ion Combo Kit (Drill,
safer and adds control.) But a Impact Driver & Radio) for being
starter pin is small and easy to selected as the “Pick of the
misplace or lose altogether. To
Tricks” winner. We pay from $100
keep my pin handy, I drilled and
tapped a threaded hole on the back to $200 for all tricks used. To join
of my router table fence so I can in the fun, send us your original,
store the pin right where I can see unpublished trick. Please include
it. Haven’t lost it since. a photo or drawing if necessary.
John Cusimano Submit your Tricks to
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Woodworker’s Journal, Dept. T/T,
P.O. Box 261, Medina, MN 55340.
Or send us an email:
Safety First Learning how to operate power and hand tools is essential for developing safe woodworking practices.
For purposes of clarity, necessary guards have been removed from equipment shown in our magazine. We in no way tricks@woodworkersjournal.com
recommend using this equipment without safety guards and urge readers to strictly follow manufacturers’ instructions and
safety precautions.

Questions & Answers
Does a Plane’s Sole Need to Be Flat?
THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS
Ian Kirby is
the creator of the DVD Using a
Hand Plane, available at
Q When we joint a piece of
wood, the infeed table is
always lower than the outfeed
www.rockler.com.
table. Then why do they stress
Rob Johnstone is the importance of flattening
the publisher of Woodworker’s the bottom of a hand plane?
Journal. It seems there should also be
Chris Marshall is an offset in the bottom of a
senior editor of Woodworker’s hand plane.
Journal. Roger Lynne
Bloomington, Minnesota
Contact us A Your question has three

sentences. For now, put
aside the second sentence.
by writing to “Q&A,” Although both tools remove
Woodworker’s Journal, the surface of wood, they do
4365 Willow Drive, it in entirely different ways.
The jointer has a cylindrical
Medina, MN 55340,
revolving cutterhead with
by faxing us at (763) 478-8396 knives set in it and aligned
or by emailing us at: with the outfeed table when
QandA@woodworkersjournal.com they are at top, dead center.
The depth of cut can be con- A jointer uses knives mounted in a cylindrical revolving cutterhead to
Please include your home siderable, since the machine remove the surface of wood. Those knives need to be aligned with the
address, phone number and is electrically powered. outfeed table when they’re at the top of the cut.
email address (if you have one) However, the width of the
workpiece has to be less than set this fine, the “scalloping” “They” stress the importance
with your question.
the width of the jointer bed. on the surface of the board of flattening the “bottom” of a
The hand plane has a blade cannot be seen when a plane unnecessarily. Becoming
that is generally about 2 3∕8" straightedge is offered to it, proficient at sharpening, setting
wide and is sharpened so that nor can it be detected by and using the tool to plane an
it is convex. The curve on the the most discerning fingers. edge square to the face, make
blade should be such that the We say the surface is flat a butt joint, plane end grain,
width of the shaving it and smooth. plane a surface flat and
removes is 90-95% the width If the blade is sharpened smooth, plane across a wide
of the blade. The amount of so that it is straight, not board to make it flat, clean up
curvature, then, is a function of curved, it will cut what the surface of a flush leg and
whether you have the plane amounts to a shallow trench rail joint and shoot a drawer is
set coarsely to “hog” when planing a board that is way more vital than kvetching
off thick shavings or wider than the tool. The edges about the flatness of the sole.
set fine to smooth of the trench form minute Why you would want to, and
a surface by tak- steps called “plane marks.” what it takes to do it, is a
ing off shavings They are clearly visible and more sophisticated discussion
three- to four- disturbing to the touch, not about hand planes. Suffice it
thousandths of what you want. to say that it is very rare to
an inch thick. Now to address your second find a plane with a sole so
With the blade sentence … distorted that it won’t work.
— Ian Kirby
Master woodworker Ian Kirby reveals hand plane
knowledge here and on The Way to Woodwork
DVDs, available at woodworkersjournal.com.
Continues on page 16 ...

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Questions & Answers continued
an odd diameter). If two legs on

the chair are loose, you will,
of course, have to do twice the
work, which can lead someone
to think like your brother Eric:
is all that effort worth it? But
done well, the repair will be
solid for years to come.
One product that I’ve not
used personally, but I have
heard good things about, is
WonderLok ’Em (sold by
Rockler) for loose chair joints
that have not worn out com-
pletely. You just squirt it in
Is it worth fixing loose chair legs with a new glue-up? the joints to fix them. Several
Yes and no … folks I know have used it and
are pleased with the results.
Removing the material will, of — Rob Johnstone
course, completely ruin the fit
Q Help, I need you to settle
this debate between my
of the joint. It will be a bit
like a VW Bug driving into an Q I want to make whirligigs
for an upcoming craft
brother and me. When legs on aircraft hanger. The best fix at show. The problem I have is
a chair (like a Windsor chair) this point is to plug the mor- with the joint where I want to
get “loose” and the legs start tise with a tightly fitting piece mount to a 3/4" aluminum
sliding in and out of the leg of wood, gluing it securely in post. It calls for a (1" x 1" x 2")
hole, my brother, Eric, says place. Then, you’d bore a hole wooden plug attached to the
that you should just get rid of that fits the end of the leg end of the post. I need to cut
the chair. He thinks the wood (which can be a bit of a trick
is wrecked and no amount of if it has been resized down to Continues on page 18 ...
glue will fix the problem. I
say you can fix them if you
take the chair apart and re-
glue the whole thing. So who
Winner! is correct?
For simply sending in his Lars Johanssen
question on cutting round Oxnard, California
A
tenons, Kenneth Clark of
There may be a grain of
Dallas, Georgia, wins a truth in both of your
General International opinions, and here is why. As
7-piece Deluxe 8" Dado a loose chair leg repeatedly
slides in and out of its mor-
Blade Set (item 55-185).
tise, the wood fibers in both
Each issue we toss new the leg and the chair seat will
questions into a hat and wear away, making the fit of
draw a winner. the leg and the mortise very,
very sloppy. In a situation like
that, you need to get rid of the
worn wood fibers (scraping on
the leg, and boring a larger The easiest way to create round tenons is by spindle turning them on the
hole at the mortise). lathe. This allows you to make tenons of any length or diameter.

Questions & Answers
Stumpers continued
A Mica Mystery? some kind of round tenon on

the plug so it can be inserted
inside the post. Can your
experts tell me an economical
This mystery tool was for the way of making this joint? I
old auto afficionados. have most of your standard
woodworking tools. I’ve seen
tenon cutters for the drill
Bill Neuenfeldt of press; that seems to be rea-
Garden Grove, sonable, but I’m not sure if it
California, bought his will cut deeply enough. Thank
version of December’s you for any advice or tips.
mystery tool from a Kenneth Clark
Snap-On Tools truck.
Dallas, Georgia
When Gary
Saunders of Economy,
Indiana, responded to the
A Kenneth, the easiest tool
I can think of for making
a round tenon is a lathe. It’s
December 2013 mystery tool, a simple spindle-turning
he commented that, “This tool operation to create a round
was old when I started to tenon, and a lathe will allow
work for the International you to make tenons of any
Harvester dealership in the mica to undercut it. The length or diameter with great
1963.” Gary wasn’t the depth of cut is controlled by precision. Or, see our April
only one who knew that the adjustment knob. Width 2013 print issue article for
the tool belonging to of cut is controlled by building “A Basic Ladderback
Jeffrey Saylor of changing the serrated Chair” (page 68). We developed
Mifflintown, blades,” explained Jim a simple scrap-made jig for
What’s Pennsylvania, is Hockney of Morrisonville,
This? a mica undercutter. New York. Our jig for
This tool belongs to Ray Elish of “It is used to relieve the “The tool did a much making a round
copper chips from the better job than a hacksaw tenon on a
Brecksville, Ohio. Ray acquired it square piece
mica insulators on blade or a screwdriver,”
from the estate of his late father-in- commutators/armatures used added Mark Santikko of could help
in starters and generators on Iron River, Wisconsin. this reader.
law, who became a hardware store
owner in the 1880s. Do you know everything automotive,” The process “was done so
explained Max Zimmerman the brushes would make
what it is? Send your answer to of Decatur, Illinois. “It is used better contact,” said Gale
stumpers@woodworkersjournal.com after the armature has been Underwood of Danville,
or write to “Stumpers,” turned on a lathe to resurface Iowa. “Being that I was in
the commutator,” said Alan the tool business for 43
Woodworker’s Journal, 4365 Willow
Johnson of Morrisville, years, I sold a lot of them,”
Drive, Medina, MN 55340 for a North Carolina. said Guy Barnabe of Red
chance to win a prize! The commutator’s segments Deer, Alberta. “The Snap-
“were separated and insulated On sku# was UC-6.”
by mica,” said Russ Bolton, John Kaiserlik of
of Titusville, Florida. “The Hawkeye, Iowa, observed,
generator or starter rotor is “In modern starters, the
placed in V-grooved blocks insulation is a plastic
with the commutator end material that wears away cutting round tenons on the
under the small serrated at about the same rate as router table in that article.
knife. The handle is then low- the copper bars, so no Rob Johnstone also demon-
ered to push the knife through undercutting is necessary.” strates its use in a “More on
the Web” video for the April
Winner! Guy Barnabe of Red Deer, 2013 issue (find it in that
Woodworker’s Journal editor issue’s “More on the Web”
Alberta, wins a DeWALT Cordless
Joanna Werch Takes compiles section on our website at
each issue’s Stumpers responses Multi-tool Kit (Model DCS355D1).
woodworkersjournal.com).
— and reads every one. We toss all the Stumpers letters — Chris Marshall
into a hat to select a winner.

Shop Talk
entire West coast from Alaska
down to harvest only about
550 logs a year. Since
Engelmann logs tend to be
small, limby and twisted, Òit’s
problematic coming out whole
financially.Ó That, plus
Holden Village’s remote
location (it’s inaccessible by David Olson and sawmill owner
Steve McMinn: keys to the project.
car) meant ÒI wasn’t
interested from a business Holden Village purchased
point of view,Ó Steve said. the Engelmann logs from the
However, ÒI started being U.S. Forest Service as part of
interested from a story point its usual firewood purchase,
of view with this idea of the then donated the logs.
remediation project.Ó Mining company Rio Tinto
The Holden Village retreat transported them down the
(www.holdenvillage.org) is the mountain and barged them
site of a former copper mine, down Lake Chelan. PRT
and the Railroad Creek bed donated millwork, and Taylor
had to be moved away from Guitars, after deducting
tailings piles to make room for manufacturing costs, is
photo by Tommy Gibson
a massive underground barrier donating the proceeds of a

wall that will stop seepage from limited edition ÒHoldenÓ GS
the mine cavern and tailings into Mini acoustic guitar to El
the creek. This required removal Porvenir: Clean Water for
of some trees along the edge Nicaragua and Living Waters
of the creek, as well as some for the World. Both charities
Remote Retreat logging to provide areas for focus on clean water.
Turns Trees to on-site quarrying of boulders
to stabilize the creek bank.
The guitars have a
soundboard made from the
Guitars David Olson said, ÒThe Engelmann spruce and a body
original thought that I had was made from figured maple
W hen a logging project
at Holden Village, a
Lutheran Christian retreat in
to develop a project that will
bring lasting good from what
veneer, also donated by PRT.
Taylor Guitars will make
essentially is a destructive 1,000 of these travel-size
the mountains of Washington,
process.Ó guitars, priced at $549.99.
included trees along the edge
With David and Steve’s They’re available directly
of Railroad Creek, a frequent
efforts, the cleanup has evolved from Taylor Guitars at
guest recognized some as
into funding toward clean water www.taylorguitars.com; phone
Engelmann spruce.
projects, through the sale of 800-943-6782.
David Olson, a former
Taylor Guitars made from the — Mary Koch; reprinted
spruce forest ecologist and a
Holden Village spruce. from Holden Village Voice
guitarist and luthier, knew
photo by Becky Woods Sellers
that Engelmann (Picea

engelmanni, aka ÒwhiteÓ
spruce) is prized by luthiers
for its rich, mature sound and
clean, white complexion.
David also knew Steve
Mine remediation meant prized McMinn, founder and owner
spruce trees had to come down at of Pacific Rim Tonewoods
photo by Lisa Maren Thompson
a Christian retreat — but they’ve (PRT). PRT supplies nearly

been transformed into limited- all of Taylor Guitars’ spruce
edition guitars that will help fund as well as serving companies
clean water. like Gibson and Fender.
Steve is ÒfussyÓ about the
logs he buys, traveling the

Play Ship for a Preschool
Alok Mital, a woodworker projects with us. He built the
from Dehradun, India, in the 24' x 8' x 7' play ship, loosely
foothills of the Himalayas, modeled after the battleship
shared one of his latest U.S.S. Enterprise, at the
request of a local preschool.
It’s surrounded by 8"-thick
foam to resemble the sea.
It took Alok three months,
from sketch to delivery, to
complete the project, plus
another two weeks for the
lighthouse. The main deck
has five cannons, and a
rudder wheel rotates the
crow’s nest.
He used cedar wood for the
frames, cedar planks for the
decks, blue pine for the hull,
sisu (Indian rosewood) for the
portholes and teak for the
anchors. In Hindi, Alok said,
A lighthouse helps “guide” the blue pine is “kail” and sisu is
play ship to safe harbor. “sheesham.”
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Shop Talk continued
Many Wounded Warrior Project alumni

carry a Wounded Warrior Challenge
coin token.
charities that DeWALT In teams of two or three,

supports, so customer a veteran guest and several
participation was needed to DeWALT teammates assembled
help DeWALT reach its WWP Adirondack chairs of African
financial goal for the year. mahogany. The chairs featured
Last fall, DeWALT launched a Wounded Warrior Challenge
nine limited-edition Wounded Coin embedded in the back.
Warrior Project co-branded
tools with a specially designed
digital camo pattern with
Wounded Warrior Project logo.
Five percent of the purchase
DeWALT Donates to Wounded Warriors price is being donated to
Wounded Warrior.
In 2013, DeWALT posed a bold DeWALT also held
challenge to itself: raise and customer events, which
donate a minimum of $250,000 included screw-driving
to Wounded Warrior Project. competitions, donation drives,
The concern for veterans and more, at some 150
has a great deal of personal participating Lowe’s® stores
significance within DeWALT: nationwide. Ten percent of
close to 400 employees are event day sales on any
either veterans or current DeWALT product were
At DeWALT’s Towson, active duty members of the donated to WWP.
Maryland headquarters, U.S. military. DeWALT also invited six
veterans built chairs as Wounded Warrior Project military veterans and WWP
part of the WWP. (WWP) is a national outreach alumni to its headquarters to
Veterans took home the DeWALT
organization dedicated to spend the day building
tools they used for the chair build.
The mission of the raising awareness and Adirondack chairs and touring
enlisting the public’s aid for DeWALT’s Industrial Design Each guest left the University
Wounded Warrior Project the needs of injured service Unit at Stanley Black & with his chair as a parting
(WWP) is “to honor and members. It’s also one of many Decker University. gift, plus the WWP tools
empower wounded warriors.” he used to make it and a
selection of other Black &
Find out more at
Decker and Stanley tools.
woundedwarriorproject.org or “These kinds of team-
877-832-6997. To learn more building events can have a
about DeWALT’s support, direct impact on their road to
recovery,” said Jon Howland,
visit dewalt.com/wounded-
director of marketing and a
warrior-project U.S. Navy veteran.
DeWALT’s final 2013
donation check totalled
$493,000. Jon Howland said,
“It just feels good to give back
to those who, through their
service to our country, have
already given so much."
DeWALT’s Wounded Warrior Project co-branded tools include drill drivers,
a toolbox, a tape measure, screwdriving sets and more.
— Chris Marshall

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Woodturning
Additional Bevels for Turning Deeper Bowls
By Ernie Conover
C
uriously, how a bowl uniform 45˚. It cuts shallow Deep Trouble
gouge’s cutting edge is bowls of an open form very As a bowl gets deeper, the
www.woodworkersjournal.com ground can affect how well. However, it does not do height of the sidewalls
MORE ON THE WEB well it performs as a turner as well on deep, closed forms. increase and the curved
For a video of the author attempts to make deep, closed That’s because the geometry transition between the walls
demonstrating his technique forms. To improve the cut, I of the grind actually gets in and the bottom becomes a
for grinding a secondary
grind my gouges in a specific the way of the cut. much tighter radius. Since the
way that includes a second In the 1980s, Irish turners tool must be presented very
bevel on a bowl gouge, bevel. To fully understand the found that by sweeping the near the axis of the centers, it
please visit benefit of secondary bevels, we face of the tool back at an is like working in the bottom
woodworkersjournal.com need to first look at how a bowl angle and grinding the bevel of a mineshaft. Our traditional
gouge works and how its grind asymmetrically (photo, right), gouge (top right) would need
and click on the “More on
has changed over time. the gouge cut much better in to be about 70˚ from the
the Web” tab shown above. At the top of the opposite deep, closed forms. Typically centerline to cut effectively.
page, we see a traditional bowl an Irish grind has the nose Even the Irish grind suffers
gouge of about 1970 vintage. bevel ground to about 70˚ with here because the heel of the
The flute is U-shaped, the edge the sides at 30˚ to 40˚. The nose bevel forces the cutting
is square to the axis of the tool, grind can be adjusted for even edge up and away. The solution
and the bevel is ground to a deeper cutting. to the problem is to grind a

“In the 1980s, Irish Traditional
turners found that by 1970 Bowl
sweeping the face of the Gouge
tool back at an angle and
grinding the bevel A single U-shaped flute
ground to about 45°
asymmetrically, the gouge
cut much better in deep,
closed forms.”
secondary bevel, thereby shortening the rubbing
bevel and allowing much tighter radiuses to be cut.
I grind the secondary grind without the aid of an A single U-shaped flute,
additional specialty jig by simply setting the pocket ground to about 70° at the Modern Irish Grind
nose, and sweeping back
of my Wolverine Jig closer to the grinder.
to around 30° on the side Bowl Gouge
How wide to make the secondary bevel depends
on how narrow you want the rubbing, or primary,
bevel to be, and this will be dictated entirely by
your work. Even for shallow bowls, a secondary
grind is helpful. All of my photos in this article
illustrate bevel sizes I think are appropriate for
average faceplate work. As your skill increases
and you tackle deeper vessels, you will benefit
1st grind or
from grinding the secondary bevel bigger and the Primary Bevel
rubbing bevel smaller.
In the past, I have resisted teaching secondary
grinds in my basic turning classes for logical 2nd grind or Modern Bowl Gouge
reasons. My feeling was that the biggest struggle
Secondary Bevel with Secondary Grind
for a neophyte is to learn to “ride the bevel,” which This can be done with a typical Wolverine Jig or a
similar jig. By adding a second grind, the turner
is a sense of feel much like riding a bike or snow can effectively remove material deeper in a bowl,
skiing. My logic was that the bigger the bevel, cutting a much tighter radius on the bottom.
the easier it is to sense being on it. Now, after
introducing the secondary grind idea on the first
day of the faceplate section of some of my basic
turning classes, I can say that I was wrong! If
anything, the neophyte has an easier time with
a secondary bevel than without it.
One, Two ... Three!

Recently my friend Johannes Michelsen, who turns 1st grind or
elegant wood hats, has come up with a tool which Primary Bevel
he calls the Vector Grind Fixture. It produces a
2nd grind or
secondary bevel plus yet a third bevel he aptly Secondary Bevel
calls the tertiary. Happily, Johannes’ jig marries Modern Bowl Gouge
into the Wolverine System and represents an 3rd grind or with a Tertiary Grind
improvement over their Veri-Grind Jig. The tertiary Tertiary Bevel A third bevel adds even more deep cutting
grind effectively radiuses the primary bevel’s control. A third grind is hard to achieve.
heel, allowing the gouge to turn tight radiuses with To accomplish this, the author uses a vector
grind fixture added to his Wolverine jig.

Woodturning continued
The Vector Grind Fixture
aplomb. There are some

other plums in the Vector
pie, too. Firstly, you can
create a true 45˚ rubbing
bevel with a curved cutting
edge on each side a bevel is
created. This means that no
catching corner where the
bevel meets the flute is
possible. The curved edge
also has less chance of the
turner being overwhelmed
Setting Up Primary Grind by getting the entire side
bevel cutting suddenly.
While the 30˚ side bevel
that is typically achieved
on the Irish grind is OK for
green/wet wood, in practice
you’ll find that it does not
do well when cutting dry
wood. The 45˚ attack angle
gives the least tearout, wet
or dry, against the end grain
— which happens twice
a revolution in faceplate
work. The Vector Fixture is
very well-made and costs
Secondary Grind Tertiary Grind about $150.
Cut the Chatter

Vector Fixture One final benefit to
Components secondary bevels in general:
When cutting on the outside
of a bowl with a standard
Irish grind, it is common to
hile the angle of the nose grind with a Veri- strut is in the hole to the right of center. For the
W Grind Jig is controlled by articulating the
strut that fits into the Wolverine Pocket Jig, the
left half of the tool, the strut goes in the left hole.
Grind from the far side of the nose to the end of
set up an unwanted chatter
pattern caused by the
interplay between the cutting
edge and the heel of the
Vector Fixture accomplishes the same thing by how the bevel in a slow, continuous sweep. bevel on the half-spherical
far the tool protrudes from the face of the fixture. For the secondary grind (bottom left photo), the surface you are creating.
Like a corduroy road, it gets
The Vector Fixture comes with a nifty device that strut is placed in the center hole the farthest from worse as the cuts progress.
mounts on your grinding table for correctly locating the grinder. Grind until the rubbing bevel (the Lifting the handle slightly
the gouges. The gouge is inserted flute down, and cutting bevel) is between 1/16” and 1/8 ” wide. to make the tool level on
the rest often corrects this
the thumbscrew locks against the round bottom Adjust for smaller and larger gouges proportionally. problem. A secondary grind,
section of the gouge (top left photo). This allows For the tertiary grind (bottom right photo), the no matter how it is achieved,
is practically immune from
the tool to be ground until there is no flute left. strut is placed in the center hole closest to the
this chatter problem.
The primary grind is done in halves, with the wheel. This turns the heel of the bevels into a
strut of the Vector Fixture in the holes that are left radius, making for a gouge that can turn the Ernie Conover is the author of
The Lathe Book, Turn a Bowl with
and right of center. In the photo (top right), I am tightest of corners. To purchase a Hannes Vector Ernie Conover and The Frugal
grinding the nose and right half of the gouge so the Fixture go to: http://hannestool.com/products-page Woodturner.

Classic Limbert Bookcase
By Michael Crow
Mackintosh meets Mission in this early 20th

century design by Charles Limbert. Simple
construction and subtle details combine to
create a sophisticated bookcase.
C
harles Limbert built his company on a line
of Arts and Crafts furniture that, at its best,
combines a European sensibility with the
strong, linear forms of the American Arts and Crafts
movement. It’s a unique style marked by the skillful
use of negative and positive space and by canted
sides and trapezoidal bases. The No. 367 bookcase
provides a good introduction to building in the style
Charles Limbert (1852-1923) while avoiding the intricacies of his more complicated
pieces. A few key details distinguish the design: the
began his career as a furniture square cutouts, gallery shelf, radiused corners on the
salesman before founding his own top of sides, and the slightly proud edges of the fixed
shelves. Since the case is joined with dadoes and
company in 1894. The company rabbets, construction is simple, and a template makes
transitioned with different tastes reproducing the signature details with a router easy.
The original was built in quartersawn white oak, and
in furniture styles — the 1916 ad
I chose the same material, but like many of Limbert’s
shown at right features pieces best designs, it would look good in a variety of woods
with Italianate influence — but its and finishes, or even painted.
heyday was during the Arts & Crafts era. Another 1916 ad, shown below, Pattern Makes Perfect
pictures a living room furnished with Limbert pieces featuring exposed joinery Begin by milling your stock and gluing up parts to
rough size, adding an inch to the final length and a
and a rustic look. The Limbert Company, in fact, supplied some of the original half-inch to final width. While the glue dries, prepare
furnishings for Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park and the Grand the Flush-trim Routing Jig as shown in the sidebar
on page 32. Using 3/4" sheet stock provides a large
Canyon Hotel. surface for the router bearing. Lay out the jig using
the Drawings as a guide, then use a band saw or
jigsaw to cut out the notch that forms the feet of the
case and the radiused upper front corner. You can
drill out the corners of the square cutouts and use
a jigsaw to cut close to your layout lines before filing
and sanding the cutouts square, but a simple square
routing pattern will speed things. Rip a four-inch
strip from the middle of a piece of wide stock and cut
the strip in half. Glue the board back together with a
four-inch spacer block between the ends of the strips,
and you have a cutout pattern with nice straight edges
(photo on the top of page 32). It’s like a jig to help
make a jig! Place it over the roughed-out cutouts on
your final pattern and trim to shape with a router and
flush-trim bit.

Flush-trim Routing Jig
By making a jig that is shaped exactly as the top and bottom sections of the sides, you
can assure perfect symmetry in your finished pieces. The dimensions for the cutouts and
shape of the sides can be found in the Side Elevation Drawing on the opposite
page. A trick for getting the 4” cutouts perfect in your flush-trim routing jig
is to make a quick jig from 4” wide
scrap lumber, as shown in the
photo at left. Cut two 4" Flush-trim
square pieces, glue them Routing Jig
between the longer pieces, and you This flush-trim routing jig is
have a way to flush rout square holes in shaped exactly like the top and
bottom sections of the bookcase
your routing jig. sides. Use two-sided tape to hold
Transfer the rounded front corner and the shape of the feet at the bottom of each it securely while flush routing.
side to the routing jig. Now follow the directions in the text below to shape the sides.
Shaping the Sides

The sides contain most of the
joinery for the case, so begin
there once you’ve finished using
the routing jig (above). Cut them
to final size and chuck a flush-
trim bit in the router. To use the
Guided by the pattern, a flush-cutting bit quickly
reproduces the case’s signature details.
routing jig, you’ll position it at
the top of the shelf sides to
shape the radius and square
cutouts, then reposition it at the This dado jig aligns the 3/4” straight bit with the joint
base of the sides to shape the location and captures the router, thereby ensuring clean,
feet. First trace the details onto straight dadoes.
the case sides,
then cut close to your lay- seem excessive where pocket screws could
out lines. Fix the pattern to serve to anchor the piece, but the joint
a side using double-sided aligns the kick relative to the case sides
tape and rout to final and helps the case resist racking.
shape. Once you’re done Trust me, it’s easier to drill for the
Use the routing jig to
with the pattern, you can adjustable shelf pins and hinges while
trace the details on the
shelf sides. swap out the bit for a 3/4" the case is still unassembled. There are
straight bit and mark the a number of commercial jigs available,
Cut close to the layout insides of the sides for the but I made a simple jig to locate the
lines with the jigsaw to dadoes, using the Drawings shelf pin holes (see photo, top of page
rough out the openings. as a reference. A simple jig 34). The first set begins 9 1∕4" from the
(see photo, above right) bottom and is spaced a half inch apart.
makes cutting the through The second set begins 18" from the
dadoes for the fixed shelves bottom. The holes at the front of the case
and a stopped dado for the are set back 11∕2" from the front of the
gallery shelf easy. Square case to account for the depth of the door,
up the ends of the stopped while the holes at the back are set 3/4"
dadoes, then form the in from the rabbet’s edge.
rabbets for the gallery back If you’re mortising hinges, place the
and back panel. You can hinges 2 1∕2" from the top and bottom
cut the rabbets on the table shelves, mark their location, and cut
saw in a single pass with a the mortises using a router or chisel. If
dado blade, or use a 1/4" you’re using non-mortise hinges, mark
rabbeting bit in a router, their position and drill pilot holes for
making multiple passes the screws.
until you reach the required Rabbets join the gallery back to the
3/8" depth. case and to the gallery shelf. A 3/8"
Affix the jig to the shelf side using double-sided tape and rout The shallow mortises used wide x 1/2" deep rabbet at either end of
to final shape. to house the kick might the gallery back joins it to either side of

Bookcase Hard-to-Find Hardware
The following supplies are available from Woodworker’s Journal.
Non-Mortise Hinges in Statuary Bronze (1) #28688 .... $3.99 pr.
Antique Brass 1/4” Pin Supports (1) #22765 ......... $4.59 (16-pk.)
Side Elevation (Inside View) Antique Brass 1/4” Pin Sleeves (1) #22856 . ......... $4.29 (16-pk.)
4" 4" 1
/4" Magnetic Catch for Inset Doors (1) #30546 . ................. $5.59 ea.
3
/4" R.
To purchase products online, visit www.woodworkersjournal.com
4" and click on the “Store” tab. Or call 800-610-0883 (code
WJ1423).
4"
71/2"
3" 3
/4" 1 6
1
4" 71/8"
3
/4"
3
4
/8" deep
The door trim
strip is mounted
flush to the
front edge of 291/2" 2
the sides.
1
8
5
18"
3
11/2" /4"
1
/2"
7
9
/32" Dia.
91/4" 2
3
/4" Case Exploded View 3
1
11/2" /4"
1
2"
1
/2" /2"
Kick
3" 5" 3"
1
/2" 1
/2" (Top and front Views)
MATERIAL LIST (CASE)
1
/4"
the case, and the gallery shelf gets a /4" 1
TxWxL
3
1/2" wide x 3/8" deep rabbet to house 3
/8" 1 Sides (2) 3/4" x 12" x 50"
the gallery back. 2 Fixed Shelves (2) 3/4" x 12" x 291∕4"
With the joinery cut in the sides, 11/2" 3 3 Kick (1) 3/4" x 2" x 291∕4"
turn your attention to the shelves and 4 Gallery Shelf (1) 3/4" x 73∕4" x 291∕4"
kick. Trim the pieces to final size,
1
/2" 5 Back Panel (1) 1/4" x 291∕4" x 381∕2"
notch the gallery shelf, and tenon the
kick. Then refine the fit of the 6 Gallery Back (1) 3/4" x 91∕2" x 291∕4"
shelves in their dadoes. After everything goes together, 7 Adjustable Shelves (2) 3/4" x 103∕4" x 281∕2"
round over the front edges of the shelves and sand the 8 Door Trim Strip (1) 3/4" x 1" x 281∕2"
parts through 180-grit.

With the case out of the good idea to cut a couple of extra strips
clamps, measure the back in case you split one during installation.
and trim the back panel to Use the jointer or a hand plane to trim
size, undercutting it slightly the door until you have the reveal you
to simplify fitting. Verify its want, then measure, mark, and drill to
fit and then set it aside — mount the door hardware and catch you’ve
finishing the case is much selected. The original features a ring pull
easier without the back on an escutcheon plate in hammered
attached. copper, but many Arts & Crafts-style
A simple shop-made jig spaces the holes for drilling The door’s rails run across pulls would suit the finished piece.
adjustable shelf pins. Bore them before assembly. the ends of all three stiles (I got my pull from Craftsman Hardware,
instead of being captured in craftsmanhardware.com or 509-766-4322.
the outer stiles. This detail It’s the antique copper craftsman v. pull,
adds a horizontal element to ch-1017ACS.)
what is otherwise a very verti-
cal design. It also simplifies A Fumed Finish
building the door. Measure the Many Arts and Crafts makers used a
opening and verify the final fumed finish, where quartersawn white
size of the rails and stiles. Build oak is exposed to ammonia fumes, caus-
the door to the opening’s exact ing the tannins in the wood to darken
measurements, then trim it to the furniture. Much ink has been spent
fit with a hand plane or jointer. describing ways to replicate a fumed
If possible, cut the parts from finish to avoid working with ammonia,
Use a 1/4" rabbeting bit to cut the rabbet in the door for glass a single board (it will look but it’s not a difficult finish to use if you
and retainers, then square up the corners with a sharp chisel. better), then mortise the rails take some basic precautions.
and mill the tenons. You’ll need 28% ammonium hydroxide,
Case Closed You can cut the rabbets for the glass available from chemical supply companies.
Since the door and back need to be sized now, taking care to stop the cuts in the I use glass pie pans since they offer a large
to their respective openings, you’ll want rails, or wait until the door is assembled, surface area and won’t react with the
to glue up the case first. Take the assembly then rout the rabbets and square up the ammonia. It’s best to wait for a day where
in three stages: first, glue the kick to the corners with a chisel (center photo at left). you can fume the piece outside. Put on
bottom shelf; then, glue the shelves to the Either way, you can use the time while the safety goggles, a long-sleeve shirt, rubber
sides; and finally, glue in the gallery back glue dries to cut the retaining strips and gloves, and a respirator with appropriate
and screw in the door trim strip. give them a quick sanding. It’s also a filters then drape your bookcase (with any
hardware removed) in plastic sheeting
along with some offcuts from the project,
taking care to weight the bottom of the
sheeting to form a good seal. Pour some
ammonia into your container and place it
under the tent.
The longer you leave the white oak
exposed to ammonia fumes, the darker
it becomes. Because warmer air causes
the ammonia to evaporate more quickly,
times will vary based on temperature,
but four hours is a good starting place.
To gauge color, pull an offcut out of the
tent and use it to test its color with your
desired finish. (Editor’s Note: See the
Finishing Thoughts department on page 82
for more information on using ammonia
for fuming.)
Time-saving tips: Cut the retaining strips while the glue dries on your door assembly. Gang up the Once you’re satisfied with the color,
retaining strips to spend less time sanding. Make an extra strip in case one breaks when installed. let the bookcase air out, then apply your

Door Frame
(Front View) Door Exploded View
9
9
13 12
111/4"
10 10 10
14
263/4" 11 14
15
11
10
2"
1" 1
/4"
9
2"
11/4"
Outer Door Stile
(End and Inside Views)
16
Center 11 14
1
/4" /8"
3
Stile
1
/4" Assembly 14 9
1
/4"
12
13
10 9
MATERIAL LIST (DOOR)

TxWxL
9 Door Rails (2) 3/4" x 2" x 281∕2"
panels undersized 10 Outer Door Stiles (2) 3/4" x 2" x 263∕4"
to easily fit in the 11 Middle Door Stile (1) 3/4" x 2" x 263∕4"
rabbeted door back, 12 Long Retaining Strips (4) 1/4" x 1/4" x 243∕4"
then trim the retaining 13 Short Retaining Strips (4) 1/4" x 1/4" x 113∕4"
strips to fit. Clamp 14 Glass Panels (2) 1/8" x 113∕4" x 251∕4"
the strips in place
15 Door Pull (1) Craftsman V-pull
A spring clamp holds a glass retaining strip in
and use a pin nailer
to anchor them, keep- 16 Hinges (2) No-mortise
place on the door for nailing.
ing well in from the 17 Door Catch (1) Magnetic
finish. I applied boiled linseed oil, wet ends to avoid splitting
sanding the second coat with 320-grit the narrow strips. If
paper, then wiped on a couple of coats of you don’t have a small-gauge nailer, at your desired height and install your
garnet shellac to add some warmth, and you can pre-drill and gently hammer adjustable shelves. Put the case where you
concluded with a coat of dark paste wax. in escutcheon pins, or try a narrow want it, and you are ready to load it
bead of silicone caulk. Mount the door with books and enjoy.
Final Details handle and catch, then hang your newly
Since I have a toddler, I chose polycar- glazed door. Michael Crow is updating his 1910
bonate panels instead of glass to glaze Shelf-pin sleeves are unnecessary here Craftsman bungalow with period-
the door, but installation is the same: for strength, but they add a finishing sensitive furniture. His website is
cut (or have a glass shop cut) your touch. Pop them in, position the shelf pins www.1910craftsman.com.

Accordion Wall Lamp
By Charles Mak and Lars Parrington
This lamp not only grabs attention and creates

ambience in a room, but also adds a touch of
elegance to the home decor.
Bringing more delicate

detail to an already
intricate project, the
builder added
decorative splines to
the end of the slats.

www.woodworkersjournal.com
MORE ON THE WEB

For even more detailed drawings from the builders,
visit woodworkersjournal.com and click on the
“More on the Web” tab shown above.
A
ccordion lamps provide a vintage
yet elegant feel while allowing
you to bring the light to the task.
In this “international” project, American
woodworker Lars Parrington designed and
made a stylish pair of accordion lamps
after he saw a scissor-arm mechanism Rounding the ends of the struts
built by fellow woodworker Ronald can be done on a router table or
Walters. Here, he and Canadian writer with a drum sander. Set up a pivot
Charles Mak team up to show you the pin using a 1/2" dowel mounted at
step-by-step process of how you can build the edge of a piece of plywood.
one of these unique lamps.
Our accordion lamp is 16" long when Making the Scissor Arm
closed and can extend up to 57" from the The arm is made of 20 struts
wall when pulled out. It consists of four (shown here in a walnut and
subassemblies: the scissor arm, the bulb maple mix for contrast)
base, the mounting base and the lamp- held together by fourteen
shade. If you decide to build one (or two) 1/2"-diameter shop-made hinge pins. At To round the ends of the struts, use a
of these lamps, start out by reviewing the this point, you’ll want to make at least six circle-cutting type jig similar to the one
Exploded View and Elevation Drawings to extra struts, which will later be modified shown above. Clamp it to a drum sander
become familiar with the project, which into the slotted strut and short struts as or a router table fitted with a straight or
is admittedly complicated. Begin by well as one or two for “just in case.” If upward spiral bit. Use a 1/2" dowel
preparing the workpieces, following the you’d like to add a bit of strength and mounted in a piece of plywood. Rotate the
Material List. Let’s start with making visual flair, the ends can be reinforced with ends of the struts through (using the end
the scissor arm, which is the articulated splines as shown in the lower inset photo holes you just bored) to form the curves.
central subassembly for these lamps. on the opposite page, then rounded over. Test the process on scrap first.
This project requires multiple pieces Next, drill three 1/2"-diameter holes This project has a few pieces which look
that need to be made exactly alike, through each strut at the locations shown in very similar but have slightly different
and it’s best done using jigs and other the Drawings. The sidebar below describes dimensions, which is true of these next
production woodworking techniques. So the process for getting accurately placed pieces: the short struts. So, refer to the
jig up every chance you get. holes in the struts. Drawings and cut the short struts off of
Jig Up for the Strut Holes

The best way to accurately bore the holes in the struts is to use a
jig with a pin to position the stock as you drill. (The jig is shown
here on a milling machine.) Set it up as shown in the photo at right,
clamping the jig on the drill press. Start by drilling all the holes on
both ends of the slats, using a screw as a stop block. Then remove Screw as a
temporary stop.
the screw and place a drilled hole of each strut onto the pin in the
1/2" dowel pin
jig to drill the middle hole. Repeat this process for all the struts.
Set up your jig using scrap pieces.

Short Struts Short Strut Short Struts
Bottom Side Bottom Center Top
(Front and Top Views) spline (Front and Top Views) groove
spline
(Front and Top Views)
spline
groove groove
11/8"
13/32" 1 27/32" 1 11/32" 129/32"

1
5
/16" Shaped after assembly
Shaped after assembly
9
/16" Dia. 1
/2" Dia.
Lower Sliding Block Upper Sliding Block

To drill 1/4" holes in nine of the hinge pins, the (Top, Front and Side Views) (Top, Front and Side Views)
builders used a modified clamp to hold the pins
securely. Center the bit and drill out the waste. 3
/4" Dia. 3
/4" Dia.
45°
1
/4" 19/16" 19/16"
5
/16"
5 5
11/8"
5
/16"
5
/16"
1
/2" Dia.
5
/16"
3
/4" 5
/16" 5
/16"
31/8"
5
/16"
11/8"
1
/2" 5 5
7
/8"
To form the opening in the one slotted strut, the 5
/16"
builders used a milling machine — most 19/16" 19/16"
9
/16" Dia.
1
/4" 45°
woodworkers would choose a router table.
the ends of regular struts (two walnut and are each 15∕8" long. You need to drill a To make the two bulb base sides, rough
one maple). For the two bottom side short 1/4"-diameter hole through 9 of them out the L-shaped profile on a thick piece
struts (see Drawing, top left), drill an so you can thread the electrical cord of stock. Then rip the stock into two bulb
additional 1/2" hole and round the other through the scissor arm later (see photo, base sides using a band saw (see photo,
end. For the bottom center and two top top left). Sand smooth all of the surfaces below left). Now you need to glue the four
short struts (see Drawings, top center, and edges and dry fit the scissor arm pieces together to form the bulb base
right), cut them exactly to the length parts together. subassembly. Bore a 1/2"-diameter hole
indicated, as this is critical. Lastly, cut a into the bulb base for the hinge pin as
length of 1/2"-diameter hardwood dowel Making the Bulb Base well as a 11/32"-diameter counterbore to
into the 14 hinge pins. The hinge pins The bulb base is laminated from four parts: accept the lamp hardware and a 1/4"-
a slotted strut, a slotted strut companion diameter exit hole for the electrical cord.
and two L-shaped bulb base sides (see (Note: If you opted to use splines on the
the Drawings). First, choose a walnut struts earlier, then also add splines to
strut and cut out a 1/2" x 7 5∕16"-long slot each end of the bulb base.)
in the center. We used a milling machine
for this task, but a router table will do Making the Mounting Base
a fine job. With that done, cut a 95.6° The mounting base is composed of two
(or nearest) angle on a strut to form the sliding blocks (top and bottom), three
slotted strut companion (do not drill the fixed blocks, the sliding rod, the base
hole for the lamp hardware yet). plate and two dowel cross pins. Again,
the upper and lower sliding blocks are
Resaw the bulb base sides off of an over- very similar in some ways, but also have
thick piece of stock. The bulb base is then some critical differences. See the
assembled with the other components. Drawings for these details.

Struts Slotted Strut
(Front and Top Views) (Front and Top Views)
/16"
1
11 /16"
1
127/8" /16" Dia.

9
613/16" 5
6 /16"
8
7
18.1° 9
/16" Dia. /2"
1
1
/2" Dia.
1 1
137/16"
11/16" 6
Slotted Strut Companion 95.6° 2 1
(Front and Top Views) 11/8" 7
Exploded View
9 12 53/32"
11
10 5
1 8
13 1
1
5 8
Bulb Base Sides
1 (Front View)
9
/16" Dia. 53/16"
2
3
11/8"
4
Base Plate 4
(Front and Side Views) 45°
102.5° 31/16"
7
/8" Fixed Block
15/8" (Top, Front and Side Views)
3
/16" Dia.
19/16"
5 1
/2" Dia.
7
/8" 45°
9
/16" Dia.
/16" Dia.
5
25
/32" 25
/32"
Note: The Hinge Pins
sliding rod (Side and End Views)
25
/32" 25
/32"
stands proud
of the fixed 1 / 4"
3
19/16" 1
/2" Dia.
blocks at
either end. 5
3
/8"
5 1
/4" Dia.
7 7 3
1 /16"
9 3
/4" Dia.
MATERIAL LIST
TxWxL
1 Struts i, ii (15 walnut & 9 maple) 5/16" x 11∕8" x 141∕16"
2 Slotted Strut Companion (1 walnut) 5/16” x 11∕8”+ x 51∕6“+ (cut oversize)
3 Hinge Pins (14) 1/2" dia. x 15∕8"
4 Bulb Base Sides Stock iii (1 maple) 1" x 33∕4" x 8" (approx.)
5 Base Block Stock iv Blank (1 maple) 19∕16" x 13∕4" x 113∕8"+
6 Base Sliding Rod (1 maple) 3/4" dia. x 18"
7 Base Plate (1 maple) 7/8" x 41∕2" x 191∕2"
The location 8 Base Dowel Cross Pins (2 maple) 5/16" dia. x 15∕8"
of the 3rd
fixed block is 9 Lampshade Verticals (6 walnut) 5/16" x 1/2" x 71∕2"
determined 10 Lampshade Horizontals (12 walnut) 1/8" x 3/8" x 341∕64"
1" 11/2" during 1
/2" 11 Lampshade Spokes (3 walnut) 1/8" x 3/8" x 3"
assembly.
Cord 12 Lampshade Hub (1 walnut) 13∕4" dia. x 5/16"
recess
11/4" 13 Fabric (3 pcs.) 61∕2” x 67∕8” each (approx.)
1
/4" Dia. 2"
14 Lamp Hardware and Bulb
Notes:
23/16" i) 20 of the struts are used to make the arm and the rest for the short and slotted struts.
ii) Optional splines (24 walnut and 16 maple): 3/16” x 11 ∕8” x desired thickness
2"
iii) The bulb base side stock is used to make 2, 3/8" bulb base sides.
7
/8" iv) The base block stock is used to make 2 sliding base blocks and 3 fixed base blocks.
1
/2"
1
/8"

All of the various Lampshade Verticals Lampshade Horizontals
sliding and fixed (Front, Side and End Views) (Top and Front Views)
blocks are machined 60°
from a single glued- 10 /8"
1
up blank. /8"
3
341/64"
Lampshade Spokes
9 (Top and Front Views)
3"
1
/8"
The short struts are
11
glued into the sliding 71/2" 1
/8" R. /16"
5
blocks before the /8"

3
3/4" hole is bored /16"

5
through their length.

Use pieces of 1/2" 1
/2" Lampshade Hub
dowel to keep the (Top and Side Views)
short struts properly
aligned as they are
3
/8" /16"
5
5
/16" Dia.
being glued into
their blocks.
/8"
3
/ 8"
3
60° 120° 12
We glued up stock to make a blank from which all the blocks are 60°
13/4" Dia.
made — because they are identical in section. So, lay out all the 5
/64"
blocks on the block blank (as shown in the top photo). Then, form
all mortises for the top and bottom sliding blocks before sawing the
block stock into separate pieces.
Chamfer all edges of the upper sliding block and glue the two
maple short struts into it. When gluing, insert a dowel pin through
the holes to keep the struts aligned to one another, and keep at
least 5/16" clearance between the dowel and the block to allow for
rotational clearance for the end of the scissor arm. After the glue is
dry, drill a 3/4"-diameter hole through the length of the block.
For the bottom sliding block, drill out the side cavities for the
bottom side short struts with a 11∕8"-diameter Forstner bit. Next,
again at your drill press, bore a 1/2"-diameter hole into the side
cavities for the pin, drilling halfway from each side. Again, form
1/4" chamfers onto each edge of the block. To assemble the lower
sliding block, start by gluing the center short strut in first, then the
With the sliding dowel temporarily inserted, glue and screw the fixed
block to the base plate. Allow the glue to cure before removing the
clamps, and then clean up any squeeze-out.
With the use of some ultra-thin shims, the last of the scissor arm struts are The builders used a brace and bit to drill holes for the cross dowels
glued to the hinge pins. Glue is only applied to the outside strut and the very that secure the sliding dowel. To allow the lamp to be assembled later,
end of the hinge pin to be certain the joints stay moveable. neither the sliding dowel nor the cross dowels are glued in place.

A V-block with a groove down the center is With the lampshade parts cut, fitted and
used to hold the lampshade verticals securely prefinished, it’s time to assemble it. Using hot
while forming accurately angled dadoes for the hide glue lets you glue the joints, hold them for
horizontal lampshade pieces. a while, and then move on to the next pieces.
two side struts, then half of a pin through assemble the arm, first glue hinge pins
each of the side struts. The ends of those into the four struts that will form one side
pins will butt into, but not pass through, of the arm, letting the end of the pins
the center strut. Put an alignment pin protrude about 1/32" beyond the back
through all three short struts while the glue side. Keep any glue squeeze-out from 3/8" from each end (see the Drawings).
is still wet, and let the setup cure as shown getting to the inside of the arm by only Make a V-block with a channel to hold the
in the photo, upper left on the previous spreading glue onto the inside of the holes, vertical pieces and carefully use a chisel
page. Finally, drill a 3/4"-diameter hole and not the pins. to cut the angled bottoms in the dadoes
through the length of the block as you Once the glue is dry, assemble the rest (as shown in the photo, above left).
did before. of the struts onto the pins, except for the The round hub has three notches that
Chamfer the edges of the three fixed outer four. Lay out some thin shim material accept the lampshade spokes. Cut out the
blocks except where they meet the back, around the pins before gluing the final notches and drill a center hole through
and drill 3/4"-diameter holes through struts into position. Simultaneously, attach the hub. Make the shade horizontals and
them as with the other blocks. Although the bulb base and the sliding blocks to spokes, too. Sand smooth the show faces
you might be tempted, do not drill the the arm. To make each attachment, slide of all the parts, dry fit the whole frame,
5/16"-diameter holes for the cross pins the pin through all but the outermost strut. and make adjustments as needed. After
at this time. Then spread glue onto the inside of the pre-finishing the show faces of the frame,
Lastly, cut a recess to secure the cord in hole on one side and the exposed bit of glue it together with hot hide glue (photo,
the back of the mounting base and drill pin on the other. Push the pins in place on top right). Lastly, cut the fabric pieces to
the 3/16"- and 1/4"-diameter holes for the final four struts and let the glue dry size and glue them to the frame.
the screws and cord. The Drawings will (see bottom left photo, previous page). Assemble the scissor arm to the
provide details for all of these steps. Trim all the pins flush. mounting base, thread the electrical cord
To assemble the mounting base, use the through the arm, and install the lamp
Assembly of the Arm, Bulb Base arm to set the spacing of the fixed blocks hardware and wiring. Big decision time:
and Mounting Base and then glue and screw them into place Find a room for the lamp and install it!
Pre-finish all the struts, the bulb base and on the base plate. Once the glue has set, The best thing is that every time you
the sliding blocks. Try not to get finish insert the base sliding dowel through the turn on your accordion lamp, you will
inside the holes on any components. To fixed blocks and drill the holes through remember how skillfully you built it.
the top and bottom blocks for the dowel
cross pins (see photos, opposite page). Charles Mak is a woodworking author,
Hardware Note tipster and teacher in Alberta, Canada.
The authors purchased their lamp hardware Making the Lampshade He enjoys both hand and power tool use.
via eBay. Twisted rayon wire is also available The lampshade consists of the frame, the
at www.lampstuff.com (888-836-1919): fabric and the lamp hardware. Lars Parrington is a woodworker in
#07920 (gold) or #07921 (brown). Gather the vertical pieces and cut a Williamstown, Massachusetts and a
tight-fitting 3/8" dado on the inside face former spacecraft mechanism designer.

Bedroom Valet
By Ian Kirby
Even this simply made piece of

furniture required significant design
work. Our author takes you through
the process he used to design and
build a highly functional, purpose-
built bedroom valet.
Y
ou can see from the layout drawing below that the room
this piece was designed for is small. It was once my
library and drafting studio. It’s now a sitting room and
guest bedroom. As a sitting room, it’s a quiet getaway in which
to sit and read or watch a television program in which no one
else has any interest. As a bedroom, it’s small but quite
accommodating. The settee folds out to a comfortable bed; the
cupboard will take care of hanging clothes and the folding things
which go on shelves. The small white open shelves will hold a
host of small stuff. OK as far as it goes, but imagine yourself
arriving at a friend’s house or a hotel for a few days with typical
luggage: a carry-on case and a couple of bags. What you need is
someplace to set it all down and start unpacking. Later on, at
shower time or bedtime, where do you put fresh and discarded
clothes? So there is the kernel of the design problem. Hotels
have those fold-out luggage stands, but that solves only part of
the problem. Two other factors figure in the design parameters.
The first one, space, is fairly self-evident. The second was
a personal consideration — it had to be a “quick make,” as
I didn’t have a lot of time to build it.
Cupboard
Settee
Shelves
Valet
Entry
Television
Making efficient use of a small space is most likely to happen with

intention. Here, the valet helps to make a small bedroom more functional.

You can see the outcome. It fits into a small footprint and it
goes vertical from there. The platform is the height of a chair
seat, and it looks chunky and utilitarian enough so that it’s an
invitation to dump a case on it without doing any damage.
The first shelf is high enough and narrow so that, with a bit of
care, your head won’t connect with it as you sit to put on your
socks. The middle shelf has a hanging rail, and the top shelf is
wide enough to get anything you don’t immediately need out of
the way. On a personal note, I must admit to putting socks on
whilst seated. With two “new knees,” it’s easier that way. A seat
height of 161∕2" is good for me, but after I had cut the legs, I
realized that it’s a bit too low for taller people; hence, the 1" tall
white feet. They are a quarter of an inch smaller in width and
length than the leg, so they sit back an eighth of an inch all
around. Two screws and a dab of glue hold them in place.
Even if I hadn’t had a change of mind and added them to
change the seat height, those rectangular legs meeting the floor
with no accommodating detail to form a “foot” would, generally,
look very primitive. The block “extensions” would have looked
perfectly well without paint, or I could have run a shallow saw
kerf or two around them. You need something that says, “I’m a
foot that terminates this leg.” Nature does it in all sorts of ways.
Starting with a
Making the Piece “back of a napkin”
Even though the wood is called soft maple, it’s plenty hard concept sketch, the
enough to absorb knocks, so that was my wood of choice. You author began
may recall one of the design parameters was that it had to be a exploring ideas
“quick make.” Machine-made all the way! I used a jointer, that would answer
thicknesser and miter saw to achieve accurate dimensions of the design
the parts. A radiussing bit on a router table took care of all the questions
edges. Lamello biscuits join the shelves to shelf supports, and established by the
size of the room
Domino loose tenons take care of major joinery. All the surfaces
and functionality
were “cleaned up” with a hand plane and then finished with
required.
Rubio® Monocote oil finish prior to assembly.
The white parts were hand-brushed with a white gloss paint.
It’s a matter of choice which parts you paint.

Upper Back Lower Front
Upright Assembly
(Front View) (Front View)
5"
6
6 5
8
15
/16"
11
6 18" 5
13
/16"
6
1 5
9
231/8"
Top Shelf 12
6 7
(Top View)
Front Leg
(Front View)
6 5
/16"
2 /8"
5
10 /16"
11
11
1
1
/4" 7
Exploded View 30"
1 1 2
157/16"
8
5
7
14
15
13
3
13 16 1"
16
4 2
15
3
MATERIAL LIST
Front Leg
Assembly TxWxL
15 1 Back Uprights (2) 11∕2" x 25∕ 8" x 82"
(Section View)
15 2 Front Legs (2) 11∕2" x 25∕ 8" x 161∕8"

2 3 Seat Cross Rails (2) 11∕4" x 3" x 213∕4"
2 /8"
5 Flush
4 Seat Cleats (2) 11∕8" x 11∕ 8" x 213∕4"
4 5 Middle Cross Pieces (3) 11∕16" x 23∕ 16" x 213∕4"
3 2
16 6 Top Shelf Supports (4) 11∕16" x 23∕ 16" x 131∕4"
7 Bottom Shelf Supports (2) 11∕16" x 23∕ 16" x 6"
8 Top Shelf (1) 3/4" x 161∕8" x 221∕4"
The Way It Is 9 Middle Shelf (1) 3/4" x 135∕8" x 221∕4"
In the last section of this article, I’m going to take a step back 10 Bottom Shelf (1) 3/4" x 85∕8" x 221∕4"
to examine what went on in making this piece, because I 11 Shelf Lipping (2) 3/4" x 1" x 235∕8"
believe it’s the beginning of a radical change in small 12 Hanging Rail (2) 7/8" x 7/8" x 23"
shop woodworking.
13 Seat Slats (6) 11∕16" x 23∕ 16" x 17"
The expression I used was, “machine-made all the way,”
and so the preparation of the parts was done using machines, 14 Center Seat Slat (1) 11∕16" x 23∕ 16" x 18"
found in most every workshop. However, the joinery I used is 15 Outer Seat Slats (4) 11∕16" x 19∕ 16" x 18"
not common, and the machine I used is not found in every work- 16 Feet (4) 11∕4" x 23∕ 8" x 1"
shop. That said, history tells us that it is just a matter of time

The collection of hand
tools at the far left
have been replaced in
this project with the
tools in the bottom
photo ... could this
presage a sea change
in furniture making?
before a Domino
type machine is in
common use, and 12 tenons would be measured in hours, if you had the skill to do
then we will be at so. Now, using the Domino, there is no doubt in my mind that
a watershed in you can make the piece perfectly well; as well as I can, in fact.
small shop woodworking. Marking out requires a pencil and a plastic square. Cutting the
Experience tells me that most everyone wanting to learn 24 slots takes at most a half hour — done.
woodworking believes that if they can learn to make joints, Having offered my opinion that this machine will change
especially dovetails, then they have the keys to the craft. Their your furniture making, the supposition hangs on the courage
premise is not entirely true, of course, but understandable. I’ll and the creativity of woodworkers in small shops to realize
develop the point with a quick roundup of joinery. its potential.
The three joints we use in making solid wood furniture are butt
joints, with which we make wide boards from narrow boards; Ian Kirby is a master woodworker and regular contributor to
dovetails, which are used to join wide boards at the corners to Woodworker’s Journal. He is the host of The Way to Woodwork
form boxes; and mortise-and-tenons, used to join stiles and DVD series, offering a complete woodworking curriculum.
rails to make frames for panels, as in doors or frame-
and-panel case goods, and to join legs to rails to make
chairs and tables.
The mortise-and-tenon, simply described, is a square
peg in a square hole. It is the most complex joint to
design, as well as the most used of the three joints. Its
marking, cutting and chopping take time and skill to
execute. To mark it out, you need a marking knife, a try
square, a marking gauge and a mortise gauge.
For years, tool makers who have tried to mechanize
most things have put the mortise-and-tenon joint off
machine limits for the most part. While such machines
have long been in use in industry, an affordable,
dedicated mortise-and-tenon machine has not been
successfully reduced for use in the small shop.
An alternative to the mortise-and-tenon joint is the
loose tenon joint. In this joint, a mortise is made in both
pieces. The mortises are exactly the same size, and into
them goes a third piece made to fit the mortises: hence
the name “loose tenon.” The joint has to be made by
machine, and a machine system has been used by
industry for many years with a tool called a slot mortiser.
But no tool maker had come out with an affordable
slot mortiser for the small shop. Recently, Festool came
out with the Domino machine. It’s a handheld machine
which comes in two sizes, with a variety of cutters,
meaning the system can be used in typical mortise-and-
tenon joint situations. It’s versatile, it’s simple, and it’s
accurate. It, arguably, undoes the case for making the
mortise and tenon by hand using traditional tools. In
short, this tool changes the face of furniture making in
the small shop.
Let’s see how that plays out in the case of this valet,
first by hand and then by Domino. Once the parts are
prepared and we are ready to make the joints, the time
it would take to mark and make the 12 mortises and the

Woodworking Tools & Supplies Index
April 2014
For product information in the blink of an eye, visit
www.woodworkersjournal.com and click on the
Tools & Supplies tab.
ADVERTISER Page No. Web Address ADVERTISER Page No. Web Address
1-800-BunkBed 53 www.1800bunkbed.com/wj Harbor Freight Tools 65 www.harborfreight.com
American Fabric Filter Co. 53 www.americanfabricfilter.com Howard Products, Inc. 55 www.howardproducts.com
American Steel Span 55 www.steelspan.com Jacuzzi Walk-In Hot Tub 71 www.jacuzzi.com
Armor Crafts 53 www.armorplans.com Laguna Tools 23 www.lagunatools.com
Badger Hardwoods of WI, Ltd. 17 www.badgerwood.com Leigh Industries, Ltd. 15, 17, 19, 21 www.leighjigs.com
Bainbridge Manufacturing, Inc. 57 www.bainbridgemfg.com Lignomat 19 www.lignomat.com
Bartley Classic Reproductions, Ltd. 3 www.bartleycollection.com www.moistureproblems.info
Beall Tool Company 19 www.bealltool.com Mirka Abrasives, Inc. 83 www.mirka-ceros.com
Bench Dog Tools 47 www.benchdog.com Nexabond 47 www.nexabond.com
C.F. Struck Corporation 17 www.struckcorp.com Oliver Machinery 13 www.olivermachinery.net
Cherry Tree Toys 3 www.cherrytreetoys.com Osborne Wood Products, Inc. 3, 53 www.woodencomponents.com
Christian J Hummul Co. 57 www.hummul.com PanelPro 17 www.panelpro.com
Cook’s Saw MFG, L.L.C. 55 www.cookssaw.com Penn State Industries 57 www.pennstateind.com
Country Home Products 15, 63 www.drpower.com Powermatic 2 www.powermatic.com
Eagle America 53 www.eagleamerica.com Ready2Rout 15, 17, 19 www.rockler.com
Earlex, Inc. 29 www.earlex.com Rikon Power Tools 9 www.rikontools.com
Epilog Laser 7, 53 www.epiloglaser.com/wwj Rockler Woodworking
Eureka Woodworks 19 www.eureka-business.com and Hardware 21, 73 www.rockler.com
Franklin International 11 www.titebond.com SawStop 5 www.sawstop.com
Freud 84 www.freudtools.com/quadra-cut Tormek 3 www.tormek.com
General Tools & Instruments 24, 25 www.generaltools.com Wagner Meters 55 www.wagnermeters.com
Grex Power Tools 23 www.grextools.com Woodworkers Source 53 www.101woods.com
46 Woodworker’s Journal April 2014

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Jigs & Fixtures
Two Clamp Racks from a Sheet of Plywood
By Chris Marshall
Cutting Diagram
4
2 2
5 3
2 2 1 1
4 2
7 3
6 2 2
2
1 3 3
2 2
7 7
Exploded View 2
3 3
2 2
Cleats
Back (Front View) End (Top View) Brace (Side View) (End Views) 2 2 3 3
6
2"
1 4 2 5
5 5
Mount 2 2 4 4 6
45° to rack
2 2
4 4
45° Mount 7
Spacer 1" R. to wall
6
6 6
2"
1" R. Following this cutting diagram allows you to build two
complete clamp racks from one 4 x 8 plywood sheet.
T
hese compact but
capacious racks will keep MATERIAL LIST
your clamps orderly, and
all you need is one 4 x 8 sheet (Quantities listed per clamp rack) TxWxL
of plywood to make them both. 1 Back (1) 3/4" x 111∕4" x 281∕4"
Each consists of four deep 2 Braces (8) 3/4" x 111∕4" x 111∕4"
channels for storing rows of pipe, 3 Bridges (3) 3/4" x 5" x 123∕4"
bar or quick-grip clamps over 4 Ends (2) 3/4" x 41∕8" x 123∕4"
angled braces. Their back panels
5 Rack Cleat (1) 3/4" x 31∕2" x 281∕4"
span two wall studs for strength,
and the pair will shelve upwards 6 Spacers (2) 3/4" x 2" x 111∕4"
of 80 or more clamps. French 7 Wall Cleat (1) 3/4" x 5" x 281∕4"
cleats make wall-mounting both
One sheet of plywood, cut sturdy and easy. It’s a lot of
carefully, will yield two clamp storage for $50 or so! Here’s how The two remaining full-length strips are dedicated to the
racks and mounting cleats. to make them. angled braces. First, cut them into 16, 111∕4"-square blanks,
then miter-cut one edge of each to 45 degrees, following the
Cutting the Parts to Shape Drawings, above. A crosscut sled or a miter gauge with a long
In order to squeeze both racks from one sheet, follow the Cutting auxiliary fence will make this a quick job. Once those are done,
Diagram, above, carefully. Start by ripping the sheet into four, cut to size the six bridges that will span each pair of braces, and
111∕4"x 8-ft. strips. Crosscut two 281∕4"-long blanks from two of make the four end pieces with one corner of each rounded to a
these strips to form the racks’ back panels. Round the bottom 1" radius. Notice in the Drawings that each rack has a cleat
outside corners of the back panels to form 1" radii. attached to its back with an edge beveled to 45 degrees. It will

Angle-cutting the 16 braces to shape is quick and safe with a crosscut Clamp and tack the bridge subassemblies to the rack back panels before
sled. Here the author secures each blank for cutting with a pair of toggle reinforcing the joints with 2" countersunk deck screws. Space the bridge
clamps mounted on fences that are attached to the sled’s bed. and end subassemblies 11 ∕4" apart to form long slots for the clamps.
interface with a wider wall-mounted cleat, also beveled on one

edge, to lock the rack to the wall. Cut both pairs of these cleats
to size, and tilt your table saw blade to bevel-rip their angled
edges. What’s left of your plywood sheet should be sufficient to
make up four spacers. Each of them receive a single 1"-radius
corner, too. Knock the sharp edges off of the back panels,
braces, bridges and ends with a sanding block to prepare for
assembly. That will help these rough-and-tumble racks resist
splintering when you use them.
Assembly and Hanging

These racks are downright easy to put together, and that’s part
of their charm: one afternoon’s work, and you’ll be done! For
each rack, fasten three bridges to six braces with screws to form
three main subassemblies. Note that the top back edge of the
bridges will overhang the backs of the braces by 11∕2". Now
grab more screws to attach the four end pieces to the remaining Level and fasten the wall cleats to two wall studs, with four heavy-duty
screws. The author used FastenMaster’s 27 ∕8"-long flathead construction
four braces, as shown in the Exploded View Drawing. I used
screws (inset), which offer comparable strength to thicker lag screws.
2" countersunk deck screws and glue for assembling all of these
parts. (I didn’t fuss with wood finish on my racks, but it couldn’t
hurt. If you want the added protection, finish the parts before
beginning the assembly process, while the part faces are fully
accessible.)
Next, round up your back panels and brace components.
Position three bridge subassemblies and two end assemblies
11∕4" apart on the back panels; this slot spacing will enable you
to slide 3/4" I.D. pipe clamps or the bars of most F-style clamps
in and out easily. Drive a few brads through the back panels to
tack the braces in place, then reinforce all the joints with more
2" screws, spaced every 4" or so.
Attach the rack cleats up under the overhangs of the bridges
and to the back panels with more screws and glue — face the
angled edges of these two cleats down and in toward the back
panels. Fasten a pair of spacers to the bottom outside edges of
each back panel to complete the building stage.
Secure the wall cleats to two wall studs, if at all possible. These
clamp racks will be very heavy once fully loaded. Face the beveled
edges of the wall cleats up and toward the wall before driving
stout screws or lags into counterbored holes in the cleat. Then,
set each rack on its wall cleat. Drive two more screws through
the back panels and into the wall cleats to pin the racks in
place. Now, load them up with clamps! Deep slots and extra
surface areas around the
rims of the edge pieces
Chris Marshall is Senior Editor of Woodworker’s Journal.
offer room for 40 or more
clamps per clamp rack.
Woodworker’s Journal April 2014
Shop Test
Heating a Woodshop
By Sandor Nagyszalanczy
If your shop gets as cold as a meat locker

every winter, maybe it’s time to install a
decent heating system.

Although both of these portable
C
limate wise, may be as easy as plugging in a How Much Heat Do
space heaters run on electricity,
woodworkers here in space heater, or it may present I Really Need? the radiant model (left) heats
coastal California where more complicated challenges. Your first question before objects directly with infrared rays.
I live have it awfully good. There are so many different considering any type of The oil-filled model (right) heats
There are just a handful of types of heating devices and heating system should be the air via convection.
scorching days in the summer systems appropriate for use “how much heat do I actually
and only maybe a dozen or so in a woodshop: some portable, need to keep my shop warm?”
truly frigid nights every winter. some that require installation. The amount depends on a
Many of the shops I’ve worked The kind of fuel a shop heater number of factors, including
in had little or no insulation, runs on is also important, how cold it gets in your
and staying toasty in the dead since keeping a shop toasty climate, how big your shop
of winter simply meant pulling shouldn’t cost you an arm is and how well-insulated it is www.woodworkersjournal.com
on an extra sweater before and a leg. And there are (including how much heat MORE ON THE WEB
making sawdust. But those of safety concerns. Some heaters is lost through glass windows For links to a heat loss
you who were affected by the have open flames or red-hot and skylights). calculator application for
supernaturally chilling “polar elements, some don’t — A useful standard for
smartphones and iPads and
vortex” this past January know important to consider when measuring heat is British
all too well that keeping your there’s lots of stuff in an Thermal Units per hour, to a Microsoft Excel
workshop properly heated can average woodshop that’s abbreviated as BTUs/hr. (for spreadsheet which compares
be a serious matter. ready to burn: lumber scraps, this article, I’ll just use energy output and current
Besides giving you numb sawdust, combustible finishes “BTUs” to mean BTUs/hr.).
pricing for common heat
fingers and achy joints, an and solvents. A BTU is the amount of heat
un- or under-heated workshop While this article won’t needed to raise one pound of fuels and appliances,
can make you feel sluggish teach you everything you need water one degree Fahrenheit. visit woodworkersjournal.com
and uncomfortable, or to know about heating your BTUs provide a universal and click on the "More on the
even keep you from doing shop, it’ll certainly point you scale for calculating the
woodworking at all (“think I’ll in the right direction, starting amount of heat a shop needs Web" tab icon shown above.
stay in the house and watch with figuring out how much as well as for rating and
the game today …”). Not only heat you’ll need on the coldest comparing various heating
that, but cold temperatures days. We’ll delve into a devices, regardless of the
can prevent glues and wood number of factors you should kind of fuel they use.
finishes from drying properly, consider before buying or Generally speaking, the
and freezing temperatures can installing any kind of heating higher a heater’s rated BTU
ruin them outright. Unheated device, including initial output, the larger the space
air may even be dry enough to costs and permits, operating it will heat. By selecting a
draw moisture from lumber, expenses, safety issues, etc. heater that’s appropriately
causing cracks and really Finally, we’ll examine a few sized for your shop space,
significant distortion. of the most popular heating you’ll have enough heat on
Depending on your situation, appliances and systems used the coldest days without
raising your shop’s temperature in woodworking shops. incurring the higher cost of

Shop Test continued
USA
Average Temperature
(January) C A N A D A
MAINE
WASHINGTON VERMONT
NEW HAMPSHIRE
MONTANA MASSACHUSETTS
NORTH DAKOTA
MINNESOTA
OREGON NEW YORK RHODE ISLAND
WISCONSIN
CONNECTICUT
IDAHO MICHIGAN
SOUTH DAKOTA
PENNSYLVANIA
WYOMING NEW JERSEY
IOWA DELAWARE
OHIO
NEBRASKA INDIANA MARYLAND
ILLINOIS
NEVADA WEST
VIRGINIA VIRGINIA
UTAH COLORADAO
KANSAS KENTUCKY NORTH
CALIFORNIA MISSOURI CAROLINA
TENNESSEE SOUTH
CAROLINA Average
ARIZONA OKLAHOMA ARKANSAS
NEW MEXICO
GEORGIA Temperature federal rebates that will offset
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA
(in Fahrenheit) a higher initial cost. When
TEXAS
80-128 purchasing non-portable
FLORIDA
LOUISIANA
64-80 heating devices, make sure
48-64 to factor in all the extra costs
required for installation:
ALASKA
32-48
ME X I C O electrical wiring, gas lines,
24-32 vent and flue piping. There’s
HAWAII 0-24 also the possible cost of
CANADA
0-(-10) permits as well as the expense
Below -10 of hiring an HVAC contractor
to tackle the installation,
if you don’t want to do the
The chart, below, shows the buying and operating a heater above.) The app then work yourself.
approximate BTUs of heat needed that’s more powerful than you calculates your shop’s heat
for shops in various climates. The really need. loss in BTUs, which equals Permits
map, above, shows average low To get a basic ballpark the BTU rating of the heater Before buying and/or
January temperatures in the U.S. estimate of your shop heating you’ll need. The calculator installing any heating
needs, multiply your shop’s makes it easy to see the device, it’s essential that you
Insulation Climate BTU per ft 2
square footage by the impact that various changes contact your local building
Fair Warm 35 BTU BTUs/sq. ft. number shown in can make to your heating department or zoning board
the chart, left, that corresponds needs — say, adding another and fire marshal to check on
Good Warm 30 BTU
to your climate and level of layer of insulation to your the current regulations for
Fair Cold 60 BTU insulation. For a much more ceiling, removing a skylight, or your area. This is especially
Good Cold 50 BTU
precise estimation of your BTU retrofitting old leaky windows important if you’re considering
needs, a boiler and baseboard with double-glazed panes. a wood or pellet stove, as some
heater manufacturer has After you have a good districts have banned their
created the Slant/Fin Hydronic estimate of your shop’s BTU use due to air quality issues.
Explorer heat loss calculator requirements, there are a few It’s a good idea to check with
application (app). You can more things you need to your insurance company, to see
download it via the link on the consider before choosing a if the installation of a heating
More on the Web section of particular heating system. device may affect your policy
woodworkersjournal.com. and coverage in the event of a
Following the included PDF Initial Costs fire or other accident. Before
instructions, you first create a In addition to the price of the considering any built-in
new “job,” then plug in all the heater itself, don’t forget to heater, check with a licensed
necessary variables: your factor in any shipping costs HVAC contractor, as some
shop’s square footage, wall and state and local taxes, as systems require professional
construction, insulation, applicable. When considering installation, lest you void
window square footage, floor the value of a particular their warranty. At the very
type, indoor and outdoor heater relative to its cost, least, it can be helpful to
temperatures, etc. (Indoor make sure to figure in its seek the advice of your local
temperature is how warm you efficiency rating (see the HVAC contractor about the
want your shop to stay; for the Operating Costs section on types of heaters best for
outdoor temperature, see the page 54). It’s possible that a workshop.
average January temperatures certain high-efficiency models
on the climate zone map, may be eligible for state or Shop Test continues on page 54 ...

Shop Test continued
Installation much it costs to run it. You gas, propane, cords of

Before choosing any built-in must consider three things: firewood, etc. — vary
heating appliance or system, 1. The amount of energy the throughout the country, and
it’s prudent to go through all heater consumes; 2. The unit’s are subject to fluctuations
aspects of its recommended efficiency; 3. The cost of the over time. Per BTU of energy
installation: Where is the best fuel that it runs on. produced, electricity costs
Installation of a gas heater can get place to mount the heater so Energy consumption (in more than propane, and
costly, especially if the flue pipe that it distributes heat around BTUs) and efficiency ratings propane costs more than
must run through both the ceiling
the entire shop? Would it be can often be found on a tag or natural gas. The U.S. Energy
and the roof.
more practical to have two sticker on the heater itself Information Administration
smaller heaters than one large (see photo, left). Typically, has prepared a Comparison
one? Does the unit need to be BTU ratings for heaters are Calculator that can be
mounted near an outside wall based on the amount of energy downloaded via the More
(and if you do have to vent it going into the heater: the on the Web section of
through the roof, how useful heat they actually woodworkersjournal.com.
complicated — and expensive produce is almost always less, This Microsoft® Excel
— will that be)? How far does thanks to the laws of thermo- spreadsheet program is
electric wiring or gas pipes dynamics. For example, a unit designed to let you compare
have to be run? Does your heater rated at 75,000 BTUs the energy output of the
shop’s electric sub-panel have and 82% efficiency actually various fuels used for
enough amperage capacity to only delivers about 61,500 generating heat — oil,
run both the heater and shop BTUs into the shop; the rest electricity, gas, wood, coal,
machines at the same time? goes up the flue. A lower etc. (See chart, below.) The
Working through all possible efficiency heater may be calculator provides web links
issues (and/or discussing them inexpensive to buy, but may for current pricing. It provides
with an HVAC contractor) will cost far more to operate in the a very handy and accurate way
save you a lot of time, money long run than pricey, high- of estimating and comparing
and headaches in the long run. efficiency models which may operation costs for most
An EPA tag, such as this one from quickly pay for themselves conventional heating systems
a wood stove, shows a heater’s Operating Costs over time in lower fuel costs. (gas-fired furnaces, fuel oil
BTU output and efficiency, as well Possibly the most significant Like the cost of gasoline, boilers, wood stoves, etc.).
as smoke output. factor to consider before the prices of various heating
choosing a heating unit is how fuels — electricity, natural Shop Test continues on page 56 ...
Comparing the Costs

Shop Test continued
aren’t damaged or frayed,

and never plug one into an
extension cord that may
become overloaded. Undersized
or frayed power cords are a
major cause of fires, injuries
and deaths associated with
space heaters.
Ease of Use
In terms of heating
convenience, there’s a big
difference between flipping
the “on” switch of an electric
heater or thermostat versus
building a fire in a woodstove
and stoking it all day long. If
you’re the spontaneous type
Adding insulation and who prefers the option of
weatherstripping to your shop Shop Insulation heaters that burn with an open stepping into the shop at any
can significantly reduce the One factor that can have a flame (wood stoves, gas wall given moment to make a little
amount of BTUs you need to profound effect on heating heaters, etc.) consume oxygen sawdust, it doesn’t make a lot
keep it warm and toasty all costs is how well a shop is and require proper ventilation of sense to pick a heating
winter long. insulated and sealed. for safe operation. Un-vented system that takes an hour or
Predictably, the better models expel combustion more to heat up your shop. If
(usually thicker) the gases that are noxious or even your schedule has you hitting
insulation is in the ceiling, life-threatening (see the the shop every day at 8 a.m.,
According to the walls and floor, the fewer section on gas heaters). installing a system with a
BTUs it takes to keep the The exposed heating programmable thermostat will
Woodworker's Journal Survey shop warm. Double- or triple- elements used in electric automatically have the shop
Group, the need to regulate glazed windows and skylights heaters also have the potential “pre-warmed” every morning.
shop temperature through reduce heat loss, and good of igniting wood dust, chips, And any electric or gas heater
weatherstripping around doors volatile finishing vapors and with a built-in (or remote)
heating and cooling systems
and windows keeps cold air other combustibles and thermostat will keep the shop
is one of the primary from coming in (garage doors causing a devastating fire temperature comfortable all
roadblocks to woodworkers can be particularly hard to (or, in very rare cases, an day and saves you the hassle
spending more time in the seal). Upgrading a shop’s explosion). This danger is of turning the heater off and
insulation and sealing can even greater in shops that on as the room temperature
shop. (Watch for an upcoming allow you to purchase a lack good dust collection varies. By choosing a lower
article on cooling options.) smaller heater that costs less systems. Consider these setting, a thermostatically-
to run, saving money in the threats seriously, especially if controlled heater can also
long run. your shop is attached directly keep the shop warm enough
to your home. Heaters with to prevent glues and finishing
Safety exposed surfaces that become supplies from freezing
Unfortunately, many types of very hot to the touch (electric overnight.
heaters pose serious safety portables, radiant heaters,
problems in a woodshop: etc.) can cause accidental Humidity Issues
ventilation, combustion and burns and are especially In addition to heating your
fire, and danger of accidental dangerous to pets and small shop’s air, you must maintain
burns are all issues to children. Inspect cords on its relative humidity to keep
consider before choosing and portable electric space heaters
using a heater. The majority of occasionally to make sure they Shop Test continues on page 58 ...

Christian J Hummul
Company
Since 1983
WoodCarving Supplies

www.Hummul.com
1-800-762-0235
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Shop Test continued
To keep shop air

comfortable and prevent
problems, maintain your
The Cadet “Hot One” space heater
shop’s relative humidity at
runs on 240 volts and produces
around 40 to 45%. You can lots of heat.
remove excess moisture with
a portable dehumidifier, or
add moisture back into the more information and
air with a humidifier or, in recommendations, consult
a small shop, by leaving one your local HVAC contractor.
or more open pans of water
lying around. Electric Heaters
Electricity provides one of the
Heating Systems and easiest ways to provide heat in
Appliances a workshop. Portable models
When it comes to heating are inexpensive, virtually
systems and appliances, there 100% efficient and easy to
are many, many options, use: just plug them in
including: gas furnaces, oil- wherever they’re needed.
burning boilers and radiators, Even stationary baseboard,
Removing excess airborne wood stoves, pellet stoves, wall and unit heaters are
moisture that adversely affects it comfortable to work in and propane heaters (both built-in affordable and easier and less
tools and lumber is easily done
prevent moisture problems. and portable), solar walls, expensive to install than
with a dehumidifier.
Running any heater in the radiant floor heaters, hot- comparable gas-powered
shop tends to decrease the water unit and baseboard heaters. Electric heaters don’t
relative humidity of the air. heaters, portable electric consume oxygen or produce
Heated air can hold more space heaters, electric unit hazardous combustion gases,
moisture than cool air, which heaters and mini-split heat so they are also relatively safe
is why warm air blown by a pumps. There’s even a guy to operate in a woodshop, fire
car’s defroster defogs a damp I read about who uses his safety being the only caveat.
windshield. Forced-air pickup truck as a heat source: The biggest downside to
heaters, such as unit heaters, after driving for a while, he electric heaters is their cost
can increase shop dryness parks it in his garage shop of operation, which can be
rapidly enough to cause wood with the hood open and uses several times higher than the
shrinkage problems, such as a small fan to blow warm air cost of running comparable
surface checking. from the engine bay! gas heaters. There are several
Conversely, portable and For the purpose and scope different types of electric
vent-free gas heaters can of this article, I’ll concentrate heaters, and some are much
increase shop humidity, since on the two types of heating better for some applications
they produce water as a sources that are the most than others.
byproduct of combustion. How popular and easiest to use in
much water? A 30,000 BTU (or retrofit into) a small or Convection Heaters
gas heater burning for four medium-size shop: electric- Whether portable or built-in,
hours puts nearly a gallon of and gas-fueled heaters, convection heaters work by
water in the air. Although the including portables as well warming the air that flows
added humidity allows the air as built-in units that require through them by passing it
to carry more heat and keeps installation. The details of through electrically heated
Oil-filled electric heaters warm up it from feeling dry, too much other types of heating systems coils or plates, ceramic discs or
slowly, but can provide a safe and moisture can rust tools and just get too complicated for oil-filled chambers. Portable
easy way to warm a shop. can cause finishing issues. an article of this length; for models are inexpensive to buy

A wall-mounted radiant heater
is great for providing quick
spot heat in a work area.
and use (just plug them in as the 110V Comfort Zone

wherever they’re needed) and JEN107, are ceiling-mounted
are effective at heating small (see photo at top of page),
to medium-sized spaces while others that run on Compact and quiet, mini-
because they spread their 240 volts can pump out over splits are very safe for
heat over a wide area. Models 10,000 BTUs. installation in woodshops, as
with built-in fans distribute The biggest advantage of they produce no flame, nor do
heat quickly, while most radiant heaters is that they they have hot elements, and
baseboard, panel and oil- produce nearly instant heat, the indoor unit’s coils never
filled electric heaters can as long as you are in direct
take a considerable amount of sight of the unit (infrared Shop Test continues on page 60 ...
time to warm up. Convection rays are directional) and not
heaters that run on 110 volts much farther than a few feet
produce up to 5,100 BTUs. It’s away. They’re great for “spot
best to run these on a 15-amp heating” a localized area,
circuit that nothing else is say a workbench or sanding
plugged into. station. Radiant heaters are
For larger spaces, higher also good for providing a
output 240-volt models, such quick warmup while you’re
as the Cadet “Hot One” waiting for your main heat
(photo at top of page 58), source (wood stove, gas unit
crank out up to 17,000 heater) to bring the shop up
BTUs. While easy to use, to temperature.
these require a 30-amp
dedicated circuit, like you’d Mini Split Heat Pumps
use to run an electric clothes Sometimes called “ductless
dryer. All modern electric air conditioners,” electric
heaters have built-in safety mini-split heat pump systems
features, such as automatic are equipped with
shut-offs that activate if the multipurpose compressors
unit overheats; portable that can produce both heat
models have tilt sensors that in the winter and cooling air
shut the heater off if it’s in the summer. Powered by
accidentally knocked over. 220V electricity, a mini-split The compressor-condenser unit for a mini-split heat pump system is
designed to be mounted out-of-doors and wired to a 240-volt electric
system consists of a main
circuit. Tubing carries heat or cold to an evaporator unit inside the shop.
Radiant Heaters compressor/condenser unit
Unlike convection heaters that that mounts out-of-doors
produce warmth by heating (photo at right) and one or
the air, radiant heaters (aka more indoor evaporator units
“infrared heaters”) transmit installed inside the shop
heat directly to objects by (photo below, right). The
showering them with infrared main unit passes refrigerant
rays (think of how sunshine through a condenser coil and
feels on your face). Most compressor, then pumps it
radiant heaters come as through copper tubing to the
portable plug-in (110V) indoor unit(s) that transfers
models that produce up to the heat or coolness to the air
5,100 BTUs with an electric via an evaporator coil. A fan Equipped with a fan that blows heated or cooled air around the shop, a
ribbon or a quartz tube then blows the heated/cooled mini-split’s indoor-mounted evaporator unit is fed by refrigerant fluid
element. Some models, such air around the shop. pumped from the compressor-condenser unit outside.

Shop Test continued
get hot with the fact that gas come in models that produce
enough to portables burn with an open either convection or radiation
ignite dust and flame or element hot enough type heating (photo below and
other flammables. to ignite sawdust and other next page). Those with built-
While they’re flammable materials (there’s in fans distribute heat more
relatively expensive also the hazard of using a quickly, but are also prone to
to buy, they’re simpler propane cylinder indoors, suck up more fine dust, and
and less expensive to something that heater so will require cleaning more
install than heating manufactures strongly often. Unit heaters heat via
systems that require discourage), it’s clear that convection and distribute warm
ductwork. They’re also portable propane units are air with louvered fans. While
more efficient and simply too dangerous to use the initial cost of built-in
cheaper to run than inside an enclosed workshop. gas heaters is on par with
typical electric comparable electric models
heaters, thanks to Wall, Baseboard and (in terms of their BTU output
inverter technology Unit Gas Heaters and efficiency), gas models
that allows their Built-in gas heaters include typically cost more to install.
compressors to wall- and baseboard-mounted However, these higher initial
operate at variable models, as well as industrial costs are quickly offset by
speeds, delivering style unit heaters that can be lower monthly operating costs.
only as much hung from a ceiling or wall
heating/cooling bracket. These appliances Vent-free vs. Direct Vent
as needed. offer heat outputs that range A very important distinction
from around 5,000 BTUs to between various gas heater
Gas Heaters 125,000 BTUs and higher, models is that some are
In most states, gas depending on the model. vent-less (vent-free) and some
is still one of the most Wall-mounted gas heaters are directly vented. Vent-free
inexpensive fuels for
heating a building. Natural
gas is considerably less
expensive than liquid
A tank-top style portable propane, but isn’t usually
gas heater mounts atop a available in rural or outlying
small propane cylinder.
areas. Like electric heaters,
gas models come in several
different types that differ
considerably from one
another.
Portable Gas Heaters

Portable propane-fueled
heaters, such as the ProCom
Tank Top radiant heater
(photo at left) and Dyna-Glo
Delux forced air convection
heater, are inexpensive and
offer lots of BTUs for the
bucks. They also burn oxygen
and emit noxious combustion
gases, including deadly A radiant wall heater’s yellow-orange glowing elements produce heat
carbon monoxide. Combined that warms objects directly with infrared rays.

models are considerably model that features a sealed
cheaper and easier to install combustion chamber, so that
than direct vent models of in case any dust gets into the
comparable size. Although heater, it won’t come in contact
they’re up to 99.9% efficient, with the burner’s flames.
vent-free heaters do expel Because burner gases are
small amounts of unburned vented to the outside, direct
gases, including carbon vent models won’t increase
monoxide (CO). (The amount indoor moisture as much as
is so small that it won’t even non-vented gas heaters.
set off a CO detector’s alarm.) Although they require a fairly
But most people can still rigorous (and expensive)
smell a vent-less heater when installation and aren’t as
it’s on, and those with efficient as vent-free models
allergies, asthma, or other (a certain amount of heat
respiratory conditions may escapes out the flue), direct
find the combustion gases vent gas heaters are both safe
objectionable. and practical to use even in
Vent-less heaters also the most tightly sealed shop.
increase the air’s moisture
content and consume oxygen; Sandor Nagyszalanczy is a
all units built after 1980 are furniture designer/craftsman,
equipped with an oxygen writer/photographer and
detection safety sensor which contributing editor to
shuts off the gas supply if the Woodworker’s Journal. His books This direct vent wall heater’s bluish flames indicate that it is a convection
oxygen content of the air include Woodshop Dust Control. model. It uses a fan to distribute heated air around the shop more quickly.
drops to unsafe levels.
Despite this safeguard, heater
manufacturers urge you to
leave a window open during
operation and not to run the
unit for more than four hours
at a time.
Direct vent gas heaters
feature a vent tube that draws
in fresh air for combustion
and also vents the burner’s
exhaust gases. They come in
both wall-mounted and unit
heater style models. Forced-
air gas unit heaters such as
the Modine “Hot Dawg”
provide a practical way to
produce a lot of BTUs (80,000
or more) to heat even a very
large woodshop (photo, right).
If you go this route, look for a
A ceiling-mounted gas-fired unit

heater can be a great way to heat
a big shop economically.

Tool Preview
Nexabond 2500: A Glue
Designed for Wood
By Michael Dresdner
Technically a CA glue, this next generation
D
on’t be surprised if
adhesive combines qualities of cyanoacrylate in the near future,
and wood glue to bring you quick Nexabond 2500
becomes your favorite wood
cures, long assembly times, glue and the first one you pick
up for a host of applications
sturdiness and versatility. around your shop. After
speaking with the folks at
Bioformix, the company which
makes it, I took some out for
a spin, and the glue and I
quickly became fast friends.
What is it? Technically,
Nexabond 2500 is an
enhanced, next generation
cyanoacrylate adhesive,
but it’s a far cry from the
cyanoacrylates you are
probably used to. This one is
specifically designed to work
exceptionally well on wood. It
does so by combining the best
of both worlds: the speedy
set and cure of cyanoacrylate
with the toughness, longer
assembly time and versatility
of wood glue.
That’s not to say it doesn’t
adhere to other materials. In
fact, Nexabond 2500 will
bond wood, MDF, laminate,
leather, paper, metal, pearl,
stone, solid surface materials
(like Corian®), ceramics and
many plastics. But let’s focus
on how it behaves with wood,
because after all, that’s what
we use most.
Certainly its most endearing
quality is that it cures very
quickly, like cyanoacrylate,
yet gives you the longer
assembly time you’re used
to with PVA wood glue.
The company offers three
formulations; S, M, and L
(short, medium and long open
time) to give you a range of
time for assembling and
repositioning glue joints. Not
surprisingly, those adhesives
62
photo by Andrew Patterson,
2012 San Diego Fine Woodworkers
Association Design in Wood
with longer open time also take with those, your parts will
just a bit longer to cure. Grab come out of clamps much
times range from 30 to 90 more quickly. You’ll spend
seconds for the short version, less time waiting for parts to
3 to 5 minutes for medium, dry, you’ll get to reuse your Projects involving a lot of
and 5 to 10 minutes for long. clamps sooner, and you won’t However, unlike most wood small pieces — such as
Thus, no matter what your clutter up the shop with pieces glues, it contains no water or segmented turnings, shown
assembly needs, there’s a waiting to get dry enough to solvents. That means it won’t here in a bowl by Peter
perfect option for you. work on again. swell the wood around the Schultheiss — are an ideal
The upshot is that you’ll Then there’s the bond itself. joint, so there’s no need to application for this new glue.
be able to handle, sand and Other cyanoacrylates, in wait until the joint dries out
machine a glued-up part in addition to having perilously before machining or sanding.
anywhere from 15 minutes to short setup times, are typically Lacking water or solvent
an hour, depending on which more brittle and less resistant also means that it doesn’t
speed adhesive you’re using to shocks. Nexabond 2500 shrink during cure. As a
and what type of wood it goes creates a tougher, more result, you can apply a lot
on. More acidic woods do durable bond, one similar to
cure a bit slower, but even our favorite PVA wood glues. Tool Preview continues on page 64 ...
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Tool Preview continued
Nexabond doesn’t shrink when it

cures, so you don't need to apply less of it and still get superb making jigs and fixtures free have to worry about whether
much (photo above, left). It also bonding, and you can get of screws and nails that might the small parts are end grain
means you need less clamping away with much less clamping accidentally meet up with a or flat, since this glue works
pressure — and fewer clamps pressure. Water-based glues cutting blade. on both.
(middle photo). After the cure,
usually require more pressure With any new tool or
there’s less squeeze-out, since
you applied less glue initially
because the glue line shrinks Great for Turning material, it’s essential that we
(right photo). You can easily sand as the water evaporates. If you do segmented turning, talk about the cost, so here
or scrape off any squeeze-out You need to keep the parts intarsia, multiple piece cutting goes. Pricewise, Nexabond
you do get, with no gumminess compressed so that gaps boards, or anything that 2500 is comparable to other
or shadow. don’t form in the glue line. involves assembling a lot of cyanoacrylates at about $7
That’s not an issue with small pieces, it’s an absolute for a one ounce bottle, or $16
Nexabond 2500. must, as it will save you a lot for a larger four ounce bottle.
Then there’s the problem of of clamping time. Even though you use less of
end grain, common to miters Lately I’ve been turning it, my guess is that in terms
and multi-part assemblies. bracelets made up of over of linear feet of glue joints,
In contrast to two-part glues, 100 separate pieces, and it’s still more expensive than
like epoxy, there’s nothing to making optical illusion wood glue. However, once
mix, and yet Nexabond 2500 cutting boards with even you add in its versatility and
will effectively bond more pieces. With standard convenience, it’s easy to see
end grain. Once adhesive, it takes three days how it could take the place
cured, the glue is just to glue the parts together, of a handful of the adhesive
more water- and heat- first into subassemblies, then options you keep in stock,
resistant than most into larger units. Nexabond and that, too, is a money
other wood glues, and 2500 brought the job down saver. You might also save
because you use less, to one day, including final on clamps. Still and all, I
there’s less squeeze- machining and sanding. suspect your biggest savings
out. Any squeeze-out Even better, because so will come in the form of the
you do get sands or little glue is needed, there’s one most valuable thing in
scrapes off cleanly far less squeeze-out to deal your shop: your time.
and easily, without with, and thanks to much Without being too effusive,
getting gummy, and lower clamping pressures, I can honestly tell you
without leaving a complex glue-ups don’t spring Nexabond 2500 might just
telltale shadow that apart like a jack-in-the-box change the way you work in
shows up only after once I start tightening the your shop. If you want my
staining. clamps. In fact, I find I can suggestion, give it a try. I did,
Nexabond’s higher water resistance led In addition to affix small pieces with and found an adhesive that
WJ’s senior art director Jeff Jacobson to standard joinery, it’s nothing but painter’s tape I plan to stick with.
choose it for his remote control boat. ideal for quickly or silicone tape. I also don’t

Today’s Shop A twin pack of Kreg True-FLEX
Featherboards provides
Seven versatile and reliable service
for our author.
Shop Standbys
By Chris Marshall
We all have certain “tried-and-true”

products that we wouldn’t soon part with in
our shops. Here are seven of our senior
editor’s favorites.
R
ob’s assignment for me Kreg True-FLEX
this issue came as a Featherboards
question: “What tools Power tool shops need
would you absolutely not want featherboards for accurate and But the real beauty of these
to be without?” He was safe machine setups, and Kreg blue ones is how they mount
Kreg Tool includes both hinting at a “deserted island” Tool Company’s True-FLEX™ to a machine: you get a pair
T-bolts and wedge-action scenario. And, it was a good Featherboards are top-notch. of T-bolts, plus plastic blocks
blocks, so you can use muse, because it’s made me I like the long slots on their that fit a standard 3/8" x 3/4"
these featherboards on
search the shop for those tools composite plastic bodies, miter slot. Use just the T-bolts
T-track fences as well as
miter-slotted tables.
that really deliver, project which offer 5 inches of travel for a T-track fence, or slip the
after project, as opposed to from a miter slot, to handle plastic blocks onto the T-bolts
others that are either used either narrow workpieces close to set them up for miter slot
less often or basically to the cutter or wider material. use. The blocks wedge tight in
ubiquitous. After 13 years Their flexible feathers offer the slot and do not move when
on staff, I’ve tried many just the right amount of “give,” you secure the featherboards
variations of tools, and the so it isn’t a chore to push wood down. It’s nice to be covered
really good ones stand out through a bit or blade, but all around with one purchase.
over time. Here are seven of they still stand firmly against In that regard, while you
my favorites. backward motion during a cut. can buy them individually, I’d
suggest you get the twin pack
(around $35): you’ll want to
have two featherboards on hand
for many operations.
BESSEY K Body Clamps

Whenever I’m gluing up
panels, carcasses or cabinet
doors, I grab my BESSEY K
Body® Revo™ or Revo Jr.
parallel jaw clamps before
I even get out the glue bottle.
They are an essential part of
both the dry-fitting stages and
the glue-up process.
Pipe clamps are cheaper,
there’s no question about it,
and I use them, too. But the
black pipe can distort under
pressure, and the jaws don’t
stay parallel. That’s not an
issue with BESSEY’s Revos,
because their bars don’t
deflect and the clamp heads
are always aligned. I like the

BESSEY K Body Revo
and Revo Jr. parallel jaw
clamps offer many
advantages over garden-
variety pipe clamps.
They’ll provide sure
clamping force for
assembling all manner
of panels, carcasses
and door frames.
plastic clamp head covers, too: Helical Cutterheads center, a helical cutterhead www.woodworkersjournal.com
glue won’t stick to them, and I love my Powermatic 15" reduces that maintenance to QUIK LINK
they help prevent accidental HH planer. Aside from its a fraction of the time with no NOTE: See Quik-Link at
marring. The classic K Body battleship-tough quality and hassle. Really, you can’t get it woodworkersjournal.com
Revos — BESSEY’s premium wide capacity, the biggest wrong: loosen a screw, twist for web links to all of these
option — offer more clamping virtue of this machine is what the insert to a fresh edge, and products.
pressure than the more gets the cutting done: it has tighten the screw. It’s simple.
economical Revo Jrs., which a helical cutterhead with 98 Cutting performance is
have only been out for a few four-sided, indexed carbide wonderful, too, even on
years. But, for typical glue- inserts. In the six years that reverse grain or figured
ups, I haven’t needed more I’ve used this planer, I’ve woods. And, if you forget
clamping force than the Revo rotated all of those little to keep an eye on grain
Jrs. will provide. In fact, their inserts just once for sharpness direction, the shearing
lighter weight makes them and a few of them a second action of the inserts
even easier to handle. time to remedy nicked edges. is usually very
How many parallel bar That’s all I’ve needed to do to forgiving. When
clamps does a woodworker keep it cutting smoothly. your day comes
need? It’s hard to say, because Insert cutterheads are the to invest in a
so much depends on the kinds best thing that’s happened to new planer or
of projects you build. But, if surfacing machines in jointer, I can
you’re just starting out and decades. If you’ve ever spent confidently say,
gathering a clamp collection, a Saturday trying to adjust helical is the
eight to 10 in the 24" or 36" standard knives to top dead way to go.
size will serve you very well
indeed. For wide panels, such
as tabletops, I tend to use
pipe clamps instead. Panels
that exceed 36" wide just
aren’t that common for me, in
order to justify the extra cost
of really long bar clamps.
Helical cutterheads with four-

edged, carbide inserts ensure
smooth cutting and hassle-free
maintenance for both surface
planers and jointers.

Today’s Shop continued
Rockler has expanded this

line to include a mini brush,
a flexible spreader, silicone
glue tray and, most recently,
several paddle styles. But the
$5 original brush is still my
favorite choice.
Rockler’s silicone gluing
accessories last longer Freud SD508 Dado Blade
and are easier to clean Three years ago, I tested some
than typical flux brushes. of the best 8" dado sets our
Dried glue peels off. industry offers, and this Freud
blade tied in a dead heat with
two other premium blades for
our “Best Bet” honors. I gave
Rockler Glue Brushes since. You’ve probably heard it perfect scores for clean
The best way to spread glue the hype about dried glue just cross-grain cuts in both maple
where you want it and prevent peeling off the soft, spaghetti- and cedar; I had to search
smearing it where you don’t is style bristles, but it’s true. hard to find any evidence of
to use a glue brush, not your PVA, polyurethane, hide glue chipping in melamine or
fingers. I used to use those and even epoxy lift out easily, splinters in oak plywood.
inexpensive plumber’s flux once they fully cure. I’ve tried They were tough cutting tests.
brushes, but the thin steel all the glues to see for myself. Its six chipper blades and
handles rust and the But the real reason I like two outer blades all have anti-
bristles would fall out. them is it gives me a license kickback nubs for safety.
Then along came to be lazy: there’s no need to Stack it all together, and the
Rockler’s silicone glue wash glue brushes anymore. SD508 will cut to 29/32"
brushes, and I started I just pull off the honeycomb wide. You get a set of metal
using them instead. crust of dried glue, and the shims and a plastic case for
I haven’t looked back bristles are ready to go again. just under $200: a fair price.
Truth be told, I expected
this Freud dado blade would
test well against the rest,
because it’s been my go-to
dado blade since about 2003.
Through the years, it has
really shined for me, retaining
sharpness for so darn long,
regardless of what I cut or
how often I use it, which is
frequently.
I have a few other dado sets
I could use too, but they sit
on a dusty shelf. Why? Not
because they’re inferior, but
because this one cuts flat,
clean dadoes every time. The
others can wait.
We rated Freud’s SD508 Dado

Blade a “Best Bet” in recent
testing, and our author has relied
on its clean-cutting performance
for more than 10 years.
68
Festool’s TS 55 REQ Track
Saw offers arrow-
straight cutting when
used in conjunction with
a guide rail. Its splinter
guard, riving knife and
superior dust collection
set it apart from ordinary
circular saws.
Festool TS 55 Track Saw rising with every cut. There

Many will ask: Why does any will scarely be dust at all.
hobbyist woodworker need a That’s saying a lot for a tool
$585 circular saw? Can you that looks quite a bit like an
imagine how often the folks at ordinary circular saw.
Festool have heard this exact I mainly use my TS 55 REQ
question? Then the skeptics for sheet goods, but it’s also
try one and become believers. very handy for straight-line
It happened to me, too, many ripping crooked or waney
years ago. edges on solid stock. For that
Consider for a moment the work, I switch to a ripping
economics of cabinet-grade blade and use the same guide
plywood. Premium lumber rail. If I was ever left without
core plywood can sell for more a table saw (heaven forbid),
than $60 per sheet. Add a I think I could get by for most
figured veneer to it, and $100 cutting needs with just this
sheet goods are not out of the tool. It’s money well-spent. always on my bench
question. When I’m breaking during the layout stages
down quality materials like Starrett Combo Square of a project, and it often
that, I don’t want even one cut If you ask 10 serious is called upon during
to feel like I’m just “roughing woodworkers what brand of tool reviews. Bottom
it.” Festool’s TS 55 REQ, or combination square they use, line is, I can absolutely
the larger TS 75, mounted on I’ll bet nine of them will say count on this square for
one of their guide rails, will Starrett. L. S. Starrett has measuring, marking and
ensure that so-so cuts don’t been making precision squareness accuracy.
happen. Ever. You can adjust measuring tools for 134 years, I use both 12" and
the saw for zero play along the and they stake that legacy on 18" blades with the
rail, and a splinter guard machinists’ accuracy. same head. I also have
ensures that the top face of What does that matter to a a 4" double square for
the plywood veneer will be cut woodworker? Well, there’s more intricate measuring and Starrett is a brand name
as cleanly as the bottom face. confidence knowing that your marking. I intend to pass both synonymous with accuracy.
Cuts are straight and crisp. workpieces are really square on to my grandkids someday. The company’s combo square,
rules and 4" double square
Then there’s its dust when your combo square Give some thought to your
are reliable companions in
collection capabilities. The verifies it. I use mine for “deserted island” tool picks our senior editor’s shop.
engineers at Festool have no dialing in machine fences, sometime. It might make you
tolerance for dust, and when checking table saws for blade appreciate them even more.
connected to one of the alignment, setting bit heights
company’s dust extractors, you or making sure clamped Chris Marshall is senior editor of
won’t see a cloud of fine dust panels are flat. The tool is Woodworker’s Journal.

What’s In Store
Shop Tools To-Go
eWALT’s line of heated
Contact Information
Black & Decker
800-544-6986
DeWALT
D jackets keep you warm,
in or out of the shop.
They run off of either
DeWALT 20V MAX* or 12V
800-433-9258 MAX* lithium-ion batteries,
FEIN providing an average runtime
800-441-9878 of 4.5 to 15 hours. The heating
power is transferred from the
Milwaukee batteries to the jacket by a
800-729-3878
USB power source that can
Rockler also charge up to two USB-
800-279-4441 compatible electronic devices.
RYOBI An LED controller offers three
800-525-2579 temperature settings plus pre-
heat mode, and three core
Spyder Products body heating zones: left and
888-471-2239 right chest, plus back. The
jacket is available in four
styles: a hooded work jacket,
soft-shell work jacket, True DeWALT’s line of heated jackets
Timber® camouflage jacket and
True Timber Blaze Orange electronic devices. The from depleted to fully charged
camouflage jacket. Each has Jobsite Radio/Charger can in 30 minutes and will provide
www.woodworkersjournal.com a water- and wind-resistant stream sound wirelessly from 30 minutes of operation under
QUIK LINK outer shell. The jackets are over 100 feet away and comes full load use. The ASCM
available in sizes S-XXXL with an AM/FM tuner with a 14QX has a maximum torque
NOTE: See Quik-Link at
and come with a one-year digital processor, customizable of 752 in./lbs., and can drive
woodworkersjournal.com
for web links to all of these limited warranty. They can be equalizer and optimized screws ranging from 1/4" to
products. purchased kitted (jacket, USB speaker orientation. It weighs
power source, 20V MAX* 17 pounds and has a suggested
battery and charger) or bare price of $229.
(jacket and USB power source
only), at prices ranging from Included in a new line
$149 to $229. of cordless portable
tools from FEIN is
Milwaukee’s M18™ Jobsite the ASCM 14QX, a
Radio/Charger (item 2792-20) 14-volt drill with no-load
serves as both a radio and a speeds of 400, 800, 1,950
charging station for portable and 3,850 rpm. Like the FEIN ASCM 14QX
14-volt drill
electronic devices, through a other tools in this line (seven
USB port, and for Milwaukee other four-speed cordless and
M18 batteries. An electronics four two-speed drills), the
stand allows you to convert ASCM 14QX has a brushless
the radio into a portable motor with high copper content,
entertainment center which provides increased
while charging tablets. efficiency, high torque and
A reinforced roll cage and long service life. The tools also
extruded aluminum handles have metal gear heads, glass
protect internal components, fiber-reinforced, distortion- 113∕4". It weighs 4.2 pounds
while the industry’s largest free barrel-type motor and has a suggested price
Milwaukee M18 onboard, weather-sealed stor- housings, dustproof bearings of $487.
Jobsite Radio/Charger age compartment protects the and encapsulated electronics.
user’s small belongings and Its Li-ion batteries can go Continues on page 72 ...

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Small Shop Journal
Building an Art Deco Cabinet
By Sandor Nagyszalanczy
Built using wood movement-friendly

slat construction, the cabinet’s
curved front pulls open to reveal a
double-decker drawer.

With its curved sides and
functional, pullout drawer, this
elegant cabinet can serve as a
practical bedside nightstand,
an end table next to the couch
or a freestanding piece.
I
’ve always loved the Art Deco style, whether it’s used in
architecture, jewelry, tool design or furniture. So when it Curved frame rails that support the cabinet’s slatted sides are first
came time for me to build a new bedside cabinet last winter, rough-cut on the band saw, then trimmed to final shape using a router
I decided to create a piece in that style. The design I came up fitted with a circle jig. A base plate keeps everything aligned.
with, shown in the photos and Drawings, has the geometric
lines and simple elegance of a classic Deco piece, yet employs
modern functionality: instead of having a drawer or door, the
cabinet features the kind of sliding pullout often used in modern
kitchen cabinets. The pullout’s double-decker arrangement
offers easy access to both a shallow top tray as well as a deeper
lower cubby.
To create the cabinet’s curved sides, I came up with a
construction technique that uses half-round slats connected
together with tongue-and-groove joints. The joints allow the
slats to follow the curved frame rails and let them expand and
contract in response to changes in room humidity. Ebonized
slats at the outer edges of each curved panel and ebonized trim
bordering the underside of the top lend the cabinet a graphic
element and a classic Art Deco motif.
Although originally intended as a bedside cabinet, I could
also see this cabinet being used as an end table/cabinet at the Gluing straight members to curved members forms the cabinet’s L-shaped
end of a couch in the den, or as a freestanding cabinet in a side and back rails. After clamping, make sure that the flat side of each
living room or entryway. curved rail is flush with the edge of the straight member.
Cutting and Shaping the Rails

The frame of my Deco cabinet is built much like any other
basic cabinet, with rails that attach to the legs via loose tenon
and dowel joinery. The side and back rails are “L” shaped in
cross-section and are made up of two pieces: a straight piece
and a piece that’s curved along one edge. The curved rail edges
face out and support the slats which form the curved outer
surfaces of the cabinet. The rails for the front of the cabinet’s
pullout also have a curved edge, but no “L” shape; the two front
rails and two rails that support the pullout’s metal drawer slides
are straight.
After cutting out the stock for all the rail members and cutting
them to final length as per the Material List on page 77, I used
a beam compass fitted with a sharp pencil to mark the correct
radius on each curved rail member: 14" on the shorter side
rails; 22" on the longer back and front rails. Before marking,
I set the compass’s pivot point square to the centerline of each The author used the Festool Domino machine to cut mortises for loose
rail member. I then rough-cut all the curves on the band saw, tenons that join the frame’s legs and rails. The Domino’s built-in end stop
cutting about 1/16" outside of the compass lines. accurately positions one set of mortises cut into the sides of the legs.

Small Shop Journal continued
Leg (right rear) Leg (right front)
(Top and (Top and (Top and (Top and
To assure a perfect radius, I used a router jig setup to trim the Inside Views) Front Views) Back Views) Inside Views)
curved edges to final shape. The setup consists of a plunge 3/8" R. 3/4" R.
router fitted with a 1/2" spiral-fluted straight bit. It’s important to
use a spiral-fluted bit, as part of each cut runs against the wood
grain and a straight-fluted bit is likely to cause a lot of tearout. 8 9 6
3/8" R.
Attach a circle jig to the router’s base (I used a Micro Fence jig,
6
but any circle jig will do). To make radius routing easier, I used
an 18" x 36" scrap piece of MDF with a centered line drawn 5 6 9
5 5
down the middle as a base plate. Near one end, I fastened a
3/4"-thick stop strip perpendicular to the line. The rails butt up 7
to the board. I used another 3/4" scrap with a centered hole
drilled to fit the circle jig’s center point as a pivot strip.
To use the jig, I set one of the rail members against the jig’s
stop strip, centering it on the base plate centerline. I then used
a nail gun to temporarily fix the rail on the base plate (you could 12 12 12 12
also use double-stick tape). After setting the distance between
the circle jig’s center point and the near edge of the spiral bit to
the necessary radius, I positioned the pivot strip so that the near
edge of the bit just kissed the curved line marked on the rail. I
then clamped the pivot strip to the base plate, switched on the
router, and plunged the bit deep enough to cut lightly into the
base plate. Pivoting the router through the cut trimmed the rail
all the way around. After routing all four side rails, I readjusted
10 10
the circle jig and routed the back and pullout rails.
To complete the four side and two back rails, I glued each
straight strip to the face of the corresponding rail, with the strip’s
edge flush with the rail’s straight edge. The resulting “L” shape
provides enough stock thickness for the joinery that attaches the 7 7
rails to the legs. 81/2"
You need two more steps to complete the side and back rails: 5 5 5
One is to cut a 1/4" x 1/4" slot along the inside-facing edge on 6
all four of the rails that form the top of the cabinet frame. These
slots are for the wood cleats that hold the cabinet’s top to the
8 6 8 6 9 6 9
frame, yet allow the solid wood top to expand and contract. I cut
43/4"
After gluing up each pair of side
rails to the legs, glue the two
subassemblies together. Dowels
provide the joinery that attaches
the front rails and legs.
the slots on the router table, positioning them 1/4" from the top
edge of each rail. The other step is to plunge-cut slots for plate
biscuit joinery that join the four rails at the bottom of the frame
to the cabinet’s plywood bottom. One #20 biscuit centered on
each side of the bottom provides enough strength and will help
keep parts aligned during assembly.
Making the Legs

I cut the legs out of 8/4 stock, using the same kind of wood
(mahogany) I used for the rest of the carcass. After planing the
stock down to 15∕8" thickness and trimming it to final length, I
jointed the edge square and ripped the four square legs on the
table saw. Each leg is then rounded over on three of its four
edges. The outer-facing edge receives a 3/4" radius from a big
roundover bit, a task done on the router table in two passes. For
the first pass, I set the fence and bit height just shy of a full-radius
cut. I then raised the bit to cut at full radius on the second pass,
resulting in a chatter- and tearout-free surface. Next, I routed the
two edges of each leg adjacent to the 3/4" radius with a piloted
3/8" roundover bit chucked in a freehand router.
April 2014 Woodworker’s Journal

Slats Depending on their location,
(End Views) there are three variations to Top
the profiles formed on the slats. (Top View)
3
/16"
1
3
/8" R. 5
/32" Back
5
/32" 231/2" R.
11
/16"
3 2
5
/64" 7
/64"
2 3 1
16 Edge Strip 15
Make two strips 4 8 151/2" R.
with a 13° bevel
and four with a 15° bevel. Side
6
Cleat 7
(Top and Side Views)
12
5 14
9
4
Curved Side Rails

(Top View)
14
14" R. 6 7
91/8" 10
12
Curved Back Rails 13
(Top View)
22" R. 8 16
11
5
127/16"
Long Top Trim 11 6

(Top View) 9
23 /2" R.
1
2
Exploded
45° View 12
161/4"
Short Top Trim
(Top View)
151/2" R. MATERIAL LIST
3
TxWxL
1 Top (1) 3/4" x 161∕4" x 191∕4"
45°
2 Long Top Trim (2) 5/16" x 33∕4" x 161∕4"
131/4"
3 Short Top Trim (2) 5/16" x 33∕4" x 131∕4"
4 Cleats (4) 3/4" x 11∕2" x 21∕2"
www.woodworkersjournal.com 5 Side Rails (4) 1/2" x 3/4" x 91∕8"
MORE ON THE WEB 6 Curved Side Rails (4) 3/4" x 113∕16" x 91∕8"
For a video of the author using a radius routing jig 7 Back Rails (2) 3/4" x 11∕4" x 127∕16"
to make the curved carcass rails for this project, 8 Curved Back Rails (2) 3/4" x 17∕8" x 127∕16"
visit woodworkersjournal.com and click on the 9 Front Rails (2) 3/4" x 1" x 127∕16"
“More on the Web” tab shown above.
10 Drawer Slide Rails (2) 3/4" x 13∕4" x 91∕8"
11 Drawer Stop Strips (2) 3/8" x 3/8" x 21∕4"
Deco Cabinet Hard-to-Find Hardware 12 Legs (4) 15∕8" x 15∕8" x 231∕4"
3/8" Radius Bullnose Bit (1) #39254 .................. $41.99 13 Bottom (1) 3/4" x 87∕8" x 127∕16"
ea. 14 Side Slats (22) 11/16" x 15/16"
Freud Reversible Glue Joint Bit (1) #38706 .... $73.47 ea. 4 ea. @ 203∕4", 193∕4", 191∕4", 187∕8", 185∕8" 2 @ 181∕2"
5/32" 3-Wing Slot Cutter (1) #91757 . ................. $36.99 15 Back Slats (15) 11/16" x 15/16"
ea. 2 ea. @ 203∕4", 193∕4", 191∕4", 1815∕16", 183∕4", 185∕8", 189∕16" 1 @ 181∕2"
10" Series 757 100-lb. Over-Travel Centerline® Lifetime 16 Edge Strips (6) 1/4" x 3/8 x 203∕4"
Slides, Black (1 pr.) #47057 ................................ $13.49 pr. (Back) 2 ea. @ 13° bevel (Side) 4 ea. @ 15° bevel
To purchase products online, visit www.woodworkersjournal.com
and click on the “Store” tab. Or, call 800-610-0883 (code WJ1424).
dent the outer surfaces of the legs or

rails. Before leaving the assembly to
dry, I checked to make sure all the top
rails were flush with the ends of the
legs, and that the entire frame was
square. I also glued on the two little
A plunge router fitted with
drawer stop strips to the inside-facing
a straight bit and circle surfaces of the front legs, with their
jig trims the curved edges top ends butted up to the underside of
of the cabinet’s top (left) the lower front rail.
to final radius. Four thin
trim strips (above) are Making the Top
mitered together at the For the top of the Art Deco cabinet, I
corners and attached to glued up enough narrower boards to
the underside of the top make up the top’s 16¼" width. When
with small brass screws.
the glue dried, I scraped off the excess
and ran the piece through a planer set
Cutting the Joinery to 3/4", the top’s final thickness. I shaped all four of the top’s
Since I’m lucky enough to own one of Festool’s DF 500 joinery curved edges following the same process used to shape the curved
machines, I used Domino loose tenons to join the legs to the side, rails earlier, first using a beam compass to mark the radii on the
drawer and back rails. The location of the pieces is shown on the short and long sides (15½" and 23½", respectively). After band
Drawing on page 76. Notice that the mortises in the back rails sawing the curves to rough shape, I used a plunge router and
are offset relative to those on the side rails, so they don’t run into circle jig setup to trim the top’s edges to final shape.
each other on the legs. Once I’d marked the centerline of each To give the top more thickness and help to better integrate it
mortise on the stock, I plunge-cut them in the ends of all the with the Deco design, I added a trim piece along its lower edge.
rails. I clamped each rail to my benchtop with its curved edge Four 5/16"-thick pieces make up this trim, each mitered and
facing up. A square scrap of plywood clamped next to the rail screwed to the underside of the top to form a frame. To prevent
helps keep the Domino machine square to the ends of the narrow expansion/contraction problems, I cut the two shorter trim pieces
rails. Next, I cut all the corresponding mortises into the inside- with the grain running across the length of the piece, so it runs
facing surfaces of the legs, always making sure to keep the leg parallel to the top’s grain. After cutting the parts to rough width,
and Domino machine flat on the benchtop (see photo, page 75). I mitered both ends of each piece at 45˚. When assembled, the
Note that the two front rails don’t get mortised; these get doweled members should meet with their tips exactly at the junctures of
later on. the top’s curves. After rough-cutting the trim’s curved outer edges,
I attached them to the underside of the top with small counter-
Frame Assembly sunk screws (see inset photo, above). I then used a spiral-fluted
The Deco cabinet’s frame is glued up in two stages. In the first flush-trim bit in a handheld router to trim them flush with the top.
subassembly, the side rails and drawer slides are joined to a pair After removing the trim pieces, I shaped both sides of each curved
of front and rear legs. Before gluing up, I checked the fit and edge with a 1/8"-radius roundover bit to form a half-round profile.
alignment of all the rail-to-leg joints using a small “test” tenon I
made by shortening and sanding down the thickness of a Domino, Building the Pullout
so it could be inserted and removed easily. All the rails should One of the most unusual and practical features of my cabinet is
align to the legs with their inside-facing sides flush with the its pullout style drawer that slides on over-travel slides which
square inside corner of the legs. I reworked any of the mortises provide full access to upper and lower compartments. It’s con-
that needed it. After spreading glue in all the mortises and on the structed from two pairs of 1/2"-thick solid wood drawer sides
Domino tenons, I inserted the tenons into the rails first, then fit joined to a 1/2" Baltic birch plywood front and back via box
the rail tenons into their corresponding leg mortises. I pressed joints. I cut the joints with a dado blade in the table saw using
or pounded everything together as needed, then applied clamps a commercial box joint jig, but you can cut them on the router
and allowed the subassembly to dry overnight. table or with any other shop-made setup you prefer.
Once the two side subassemblies were done, I created dowel I started by cutting out all the drawer parts, leaving the length
joints for the two front rails that connect them to the side of the sides and the width of the front and back just a scant
assemblies. First, I used a self-centering dowel jig to drill 3/8" 1/16" over their final dimensions. The idea is that cutting the
holes in the ends of both front rails, centered width-wise. Next, I sockets a hair deeper than the stock thickness leaves the pins
drilled the corresponding dowel holes in side assemblies on the on the assembled parts slightly proud of the surface, so they’re
drill press, positioning the holes 17∕16" from the front of the leg. easier to sand flush. I set my box joint jig to cut 1/2"-wide pins
When all was ready, I completed the assembly of the cabinet and sockets, then cut joints on both ends of all the drawer sides,
frame, first gluing the lower front and back rails to the cabinet starting with a full pin on the top edge of the shallow drawer
bottom with plate joinery biscuits. I then applied glue to all the sides, and a full pin on the bottom edge of the wider drawer
loose tenons and mortises or dowels and holes, and joined the sides. I then cut the necessary number of pins and sockets into
subassemblies together, carefully applying clamps so as not to the side edges of the plywood front and back.

Making the pullout starts with cutting the box joints that connect solid
wood drawer sides with plywood front and back panels (left). The parts
are joined into a pair of subassemblies, which are then glued together to
form the twin-drawer pullout (above left). Black full-extension slides screw
to the frame’s drawer rails and the sides of the pullout (above right).
contact with the frame’s front rails. After adjusting the fit as
needed, I installed screws into the round holes on all slide
components to fix the hardware in place.
Shaping the Slats

Using the table saw, I cut a 7/32"-wide, 1/4"-deep slot about Regardless of the kind of wood the cabinet is built out of, the
3/16" up from the bottom of each drawer side for a 1/4" plywood stock for the slats must be straight-grained and dead flat. If it
bottom (hardwood plywood is always thinner than its stated isn’t, there’ll be problems during the shaping process that likely
thickness). I then cut the corresponding slots on the inside faces will result in a lot of twisted, unusable slats. I started by planing
of the front and back pieces. the slat stock down to the necessary 11/16" thickness, then ripped
Once all the inside surfaces of the parts were sanded, I it into 15/16"-wide strips on the table saw. I cut enough stock to
assembled the pullout in two stages, first gluing one pair of make several extra slats, both for test cuts and so that I could
upper and lower sides to the front, and then the other pair to the discard any slats that weren’t up to snuff.
back (just make sure to create a symmetrical pair). After clamp- The majority of slats are shaped in three passes on the router
ing, I checked to make sure all parts were square to each other table using three separate router bits. The first bit I used is a
before setting them aside to dry. I then glued the subassemblies 3/8"-radius bullnose bit. This creates a half-round shape on the
together, making sure everything was square and true. face of the slat. I set the bit’s cutting height so that the bottom
After the clamps came off, I used a belt sander fitted with a of the radius was just flush with the edge of the slat and set the
100-grit belt to sand the protruding pins flat on all sides of the table’s fence flush with the deepest part of the bit’s half-round
pullout. I then glued on the front rails to the top
and bottom edges of the pullout front, centering
them with their back edges flush to the inside
face of the plywood. I also cut and shaped the
pullout’s top cap from a 1/8"-thick piece of
mahogany. It is shaped to a radius of 22 3∕4" on
its forward edge.
Fitting the Drawer Slides

The next task is attaching the drawer guides to
the cabinet frame and the pullout. I started by
separating each slide into its narrower inner
and wider outer components. Then I marked a
parallel centerline that’s 313∕16" up from the
cabinet’s bottom on the inside face of both
drawer rails. The outer slide components were
centered on this line, with their front ends 9/16"
back from the front of the legs. I screwed them on
using the slide’s horizontally slotted holes. Next,
I marked lines on the lower sides of the pullout
that were parallel to and 35∕8" up from the pull-
out’s bottom. I centered the inner slides on
these lines, ends flush with the front of the pull-
out, and screwed them on using the vertically Most of the slats are shaped on the router
slotted holes. I inserted the pullout into the cab- table in three steps using (clockwise from top
inet, mating the drawer slides, and checked left): a bullnose radius bit; a reversible glue
alignment. The back edges of the pullout’s joint; and a slotting cutter. The four middle
curved rails should be level to and just make slats are slotted on both edges (bottom right).

Cabinet parts are all finished

before final assembly. Edge
slats, strips and trim pieces
are ebonized with a black
permanent marker pen (left).
All other parts first get stained,
followed by two coats of wipe-
on polyurethane finish (right).
radius. (See photo, page 79.) A featherboard attached to the parts list, and cut each one to final length. Finally, I cut the six
router table’s miter slot helped keep the stock flat against the edge strips, ripping and beveling them on the table saw.
fence as I ran the slats through. It’s important to feed each piece
of slat stock smoothly and consistently, so the cut surface comes Trial-fitting the Slats
out clean and free of chatter marks; this saves a lot of sanding When all the slats and edge strips were done, I did a quick test
time later on. to see how well the slats fit onto their respective curved rails.
The next step is to rout a small tongue in the lower lipped Starting with the cabinet’s back, I set the edge strips in place,
edge of the slats using a reversible glue joint bit. Set the bit then set one of the rabbeted edge slats over it, tongue pointed
height so that the lower edge of the tongue is formed 5/64" toward the center of the panel. I then assembled the slats in
above the bottom of the slat. (See the Drawings.) order according to their length, finally sliding the middle strip
The final step is cutting the groove for the tongue on the onto the tongues of the two adjacent slats. The fit between the
opposite side of most of the slats with a 5/32" three-wing tongues and grooves should have just a little side-to-side play,
slotting cutter. Two of the slats are set aside un-grooved, to be and the gaps between the half-round slats should appear even
used as edge slats for the cabinet’s pullout front. I set the and parallel. If the fit was tight, I used a thin block covered
cutting height of the slotting cutter so the bottom of the groove with sandpaper to enlarge the grooves as necessary. Once the fit
is 7/64" above the bottom of the slat, and set the fence for a was acceptable, I set all the slats flush to the top rail and
5/32"-deep cut. trimmed off the short tongues on adjacent slats flush around the
After this step, I took four slats to the table saw and cut off panel’s bottom curve. I repeated this entire process for the slats
their tongues, so that each ends up 3/4" wide. Returning to the on the two sides of the cabinet. For the pullout, I lined up the edge
router table, I cut a groove into the trimmed side (see photo, slats with the ends of the front rails and temporarily clamped them
page 79). These double-grooved middle slats will slide into in place before trial-fitting the rest of the curved panel.
place in the center of each slat panel. To mount the cabinet’s pendant-style pull, I drilled a 5/32"
Finally, I picked six of the regular slats as edge slats for the hole 51∕4" down from the top of the pullout’s middle slat. (The
cabinet’s sides and back. After resetting the cutting height of the pull is the P3202-WOA Adorno, from knobsandhardware.com.)
slotting bit flush with the router table, I re-routed the grooved I enlarged the upper part of the hole slightly with a narrow chisel,
side of these slats, transforming the groove into a rabbet. The to accommodate the pull’s squarish base.
rabbeted edges lap over the edge strips at the outer edges of the
panels on the cabinet’s sides and back. Finishing the Parts
From there, I carried the pile of slats to the miter saw, having It’s most practical to finish the slats, top, pullout and cabinet
marked the number and length of each one according to the frame separately before their final assembly. I sanded all the
Slats are glued to the curved frame rails starting with the ebonized end slats at each end,
all tongues pointed towards the center of the curve. Each is nailed on using a pneumatic pin
nailer (left). After all the tongued slats are attached, the final double-slotted middle slat is
slid into place and nailed on (center). A thin ebonized cap strip is glued atop the pullout’s
curved front, to cover up the tongue-and-groove slat joinery (right).

Front Rail locations
Front Back and Sides (Side View)
(Inside Views) 22 22
18
1
/2" 18 17
1
/4" deep
21
1
/4" 1
3
/16"
18
/2"
17 21
17
20
18
17
23 23
19
1
20
/4" deep
1
/4" 3
/16"
19
19
21
Pullout Front Rail
(Top View) 21
22" R. Exploded View
21
1
12 /16"
Pullout Top Cap MATERIAL LIST
(Top View) 223/8" R.
TxWxL
22 17 Pullout Front and Back (2) 1/2" x 117∕16" x 169∕16"
121/4" 18 Upper Pullout Sides (2) 1/2" x 21∕2" x 101∕4"
19 Lower Pullout Sides (2) 1/2" x 41∕2" x 101∕4"
20 Pullout Bottoms (2) 1/4" x 93∕4" x 103∕4"
parts in three stages, using 120- and 180-grit paper
21 Pullout Front Rails (2) 3/4" x 11∕4" x 121∕16"
and finishing with 240-grit. Since the mahogany I used
for the project was so light in color, I decided to stain it 22 Pullout Top Cap (1) 1/8" x 15∕8" x 121∕4"
with a light brown stain (Minwax® Provincial) to make it 23 Front Slats (15) 11/16" x 15/16"
look darker and richer. Next, I ebonized the parts that give 2 ea. @ 201∕2", 191∕2", 19", 1811∕16", 181∕2", 183∕8", 185∕16" 1 @ 181∕4
the cabinet its graphic Deco look: the eight edge slats, six
edge strips, the under-top trim, and the pullout’s top cap.
In the past, I’ve used various black dyes to ebonize wood, but I’ve
discovered that a black permanent marker pen provides an easier slat and toe-nailed it to the rails at both ends with pin nails. On
way to do smaller parts. The ink in these pens does a great job of the pullout, I applied the glue to the rails, clamped the ebonized
making even light-colored woods jet black, and once dry, it’ll take edge slats on with their edges flush to the ends of the rails, then
just about any finish. After staining and ebonizing, I clear-finished fastened them by pin-nailing through the back of each rail. I
all the parts with a wipe-on satin polyurethane. attached the remaining slats as I did before. At this point, you
can glue and pin the top cap that covers the slat joinery to the
Final Assembly pullout’s top rail.
The final steps for completing the cabinet are attaching the slats After screwing the ebonized trim pieces to the bottom of the
and fastening the top. With the cabinet lying on a towel on the top, I set the top upside down over a towel on the workbench
benchtop, I started by nailing the two ebonized edge strips to and centered the inverted cabinet onto it. I set the four cleats
the insides of the legs at the back and sides of the cabinet using into their rail grooves, one on each side, then screwed them
a pneumatic pin nailer. Then I applied the slats to the sides and to the underside of the top. All that remained was to flip the
back. Doing one curved panel at a time, I spread glue on both cabinet over and slide the pullout into place.
curved frame rails, then laid the slats on in order, making sure As I said at the beginning, this cabinet will fit right into a
the top end of each was flush with the top rail. One by one, I variety of room situations, and its Deco styling will add a
fastened each slat to both curved rails by shooting a 23-gauge special retro flair.
pin through the tongue portion. (See photo at far left, bottom of
page 80.) With all the other slats in place, I slid in the middle Sandor Nagyszalanczy is a contributing editor to Woodworker’s Journal.

Finishing Thoughts
Fuming: A Simple, Effective, Chemical Stain for Wood
By Michael Dresdner
The ability of ammonia fumes to react with tannin to change wood’s color is age-old wisdom.
Nowadays, it’s a quicker, cleaner process than in times of yore.
O
Safety Warning: ur ancestors knew that blueprint machines and still Controlling the Color
Strong ammonia is virulent, so if you bury white oak available from chemical supply Fuming turns heartwood,
wear goggles, gloves, long in manure, it will turn companies. which contains a lot of
dark, not from the color of the tannin, dark brown — but
sleeves, and a good respirator, and
manure itself, but from the How to Do It sapwood, low in tannin, stays
even with all that, limit your ammonia fumes manure Sand the wood before fuming. light. To color the sapwood,
exposure. Get the fuming chamber releases. Today we use The color does not go that brush it, before fuming, with
set up, suit up in safety gear, quicker, cleaner methods for deep, so sanding afterwards a tannic acid solution or
quickly pour the ammonia into a fuming our wood projects. can result in uneven coloration. strong, brewed tea, which
Don’t worry if the grain raises contains tannin.
bowl, seal the fuming chamber,
Why Fuming Works a bit; you can safely de-fur Although you can’t control
and leave the area. The fuming process is a the wood with 400-grit paper color as precisely as with
chemical stain: we apply a after fuming. stains, you can affect it. The
chemical that reacts with Make an airtight fuming longer you fume, the darker the
something already in wood to chamber by sealing the edges wood gets. Typical schedules
create a dye right in the wood of a plastic bin or shed with vary from 12 to 72 hours. To
itself. Ammonia fumes react duct tape, or build a simple test sample scraps for true
with tannin, so only woods frame and drape it with color, wipe them with mineral
that contain tannin, like oak, plastic sheeting, weighting spirits, water, or the finish you
walnut, cherry and mahogany, the edges so no fumes escape. plan to use.
will darken when fumed. There’s no need for fans inside, Hotter air temperatures
You create ammonia fumes as the ammonia fumes will during fuming create more
by exposing strong ammonium disperse rapidly on their own. reddish, as opposed to
hydroxide to the air. Household Don safety gear, pour some greenish, hues. Shine a heat
cleaning ammonia is too weak ammonia into a bowl or dish lamp through your clear
to be of much use; it is only (anything except paper or plastic sheet chamber to
a 5% solution. Instead, use aluminum), and slip it into the boost the temperature above
28% ammonium hydroxide, chamber along with the pieces 80 degrees for warmer (redder)
once commonly used in to be fumed. colors, or leave it cold for
cooler (greener) ones. Fumed
wood is still raw wood, so you
can tweak the color using
dye or pigment stain prior to
applying clear finish.
Once it’s done, suit up,
remove the chamber and the
ammonia, and if you are not
working outdoors, air out
The above
samples demonstrate the room and the furniture.
the effect exposure time has on wood Return the ammonia to the
color. They were exposed to ammonia bottle and reuse it (although
fumes at 12-hour increments, up to 72 it is now somewhat weaker),
hours. Notice that the sapwood is not
affected by the fumes.
or pour it into the toilet and
flush. Or, add one cup of
28% ammonia solution
to four cups of water to
convert it to household
ammonia.
82
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