1 v . . ' , ' ’ • : • -V f. TIPS'TOOLS'TECHNIQUES Built-Up Moldings ^Selecting Circular Saws Hand Plane Jointer ® Hand-Held Routing Tips Issue 19 Janua r y 1 995 editor Donald B. Peschke executive editor Douglas L. Hicks managing editor Richard S. Peters associate editor Tim Robertson assistant editor Phil Totten contributing editor Mark A. Williams creative director Ted Rralicek art director Cary Christensen senior illustrator Kurt Schultz illustrators Will Niskanen Roger Reiland Mark Higdon photographer Crayola England design director Ken Munkel senior designer Kent Welsh shop manager Steve Curtis shop asst./facilities Steve Johnson circulation Circulation Director: Liz Bredeson ■ Subscrip- tion Manager: Phyllis Jessen ■ Direct Mail Mgr.: Troy Dowell 'Ne wsstand Sales: Kent A. Buckton publishing services Manager: Gordon C. Gaippe ■ Draphic Artist: Cheryl L. Cynor corporate services Planning Director: Jon Macarthy ■ Controller: Robin Hutchinson ■ Accounting: Laura Thomas * Bookkeeping: Julie Greenlee ■ Prod. Manager: Carol Quijano ■ Info. Services Mgr.: Joyce Moore ■ Elect. Pub. Coordinator: Douglas M. Lidster ■ Application Specialist: Linda Morrow ■ Support Assistant: Nick Thielen ■ Administrative Assis- tants: Cheryl Scott, Julia Fish ■ Receptionist: Jeanne Johnson ■ Building Maint.: Ken Griffith PROJECT SUPPLIES Art Director: Cindy Jackson ■ Catalog Products Manager: Bob Baker * Inventing Control/Prod. Manager: Mark Mattussi ■ Project Supplies: Linda Jones ■ Technical Support Jeff Janes CUSTOMER SERVICE Supervisor: Jennie Enos* Customer Sei'vice Reps.: Jennifer Murphy, Joy Krause, Sara Kono, Anna Cox, Lonnie Algreen, Karla Cronin SHIPPING DEPARTMENT Supervisor : Nancy Johnson •Fulfillment: Gloria Sheehan, Chuck Carlson, Sylvia Carey, Larry Prine ShopNotes ® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly (Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.) by Woodsmith Cor- poration, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. ShopNotes © is a registered trademark of Woodsmith Coip. ©Copyright 1995 by Woodsmith Corporation. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: Single Copy, $4.95. One year subscrip- tion (6 issues), $19.95. Tvvo years (12 issues), $35.95. Can- ada/Foreign, add $5.00 per year. Second Class Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA and at additional offices. Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes, Box 11204, Des Moines, IA 50340-1204 Subscription Questions? Call 1-800-333-5854, Sam to 5pm, Central Time, weekdays. E-Mail. Prodigy: EDJE97A, CompuServe: 75330,2301, Internet: 75330.2301@compuserve.com, American On- line: Donpeschke. EDITOR’S NOTE Cutoffs O ne of the things I enjoy most about woodworking is the opti- mism of woodworkers — their attitude and enthusiasm. Whether I talk to someone in person, on the phone, through the mail, or via electronic mail, they're usually excited about some new idea or technique. They're also always looking for a way to improve something — their shop, a project, or a finish. Along with this come lots of suggestions. “Hey Don, how about? Or have you ever consid- ered? And I sure would like to see. . ." IMPROVEMENTS. It's no different when you get a bunch of woodworkers together to publish a magazine. This desire for improvement is just as strong. In this issue, you'll find a number of improvements. Nothing drastic. Just things you've been asking for — like more tips, a special department for the small shop, the Lumberyard, and the Finish Room in every issue. We've also included two new regular features. We're calling the first feature a Hands-On Project because it uses one of the techniques in the issue. It's just a quick project to give you a “taste" of a new technique. In this issue, there's a simple Wall Mirror. It's based on the built- up molding article shown on page 12. SELECTING TOOLS. The second new feature is Selecting Tools. We've set out to write articles that will help you se- lect the right tool for your needs. But with two important differences from the 'tool reviews" you're likely to find in other magazines. First, we don't receive any of the tools as gifts. We buy them at full price just as you would. This way we don't owe anyone any favors. This also assures us of getting a regu- lar production model and not a tool spe- cially prepared by the manufacturer. The end result is an honest, unbiased look at each tool. (In this issue, we fea- ture circular saws, see page 8.) And second, instead of providing a^^ single viewpoint, we've carefully se-^P lected a team of testers with a wide range of skills — so that you can easily identify with one of them. I'm excited about these new improve- ments. Let me know what you think. STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) I. Title of Publication: ShopNotes. la. Publication No.: 10629696. 2. Date of Filing: September 21, 1994. 3. Frequency of issue: Bimonthly. 3a. No. of issues published annually: 6 (six). 3b. Annual subscription price: $19.95. 4. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, (Polk County), Iowa 50312-51306. 5. Complete mailing address of the headquarters of general business offices of the publisher: 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312-5306. 6. Full names and complete mailing address of publisher, editor, and managing editor: Publisher and Editor: Donald B. Peschke, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312; Managing Editor: Richard S. Peters, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312. 7. Owner: Woodsmith Corporation, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312; Donald B. Peschke, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312. 8. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 9. (Does not apply.) 10. Extent and nature of circulation: Average no. copies Average no. copies each issue during of single issue published preceding 12 months nearest to filing date A. Total no. copies printed (net press run) 274,829 240,970 B. Paid and/or requested circulation: 1. Sales through dealers, street vendors and counter sales 15,821 29,032 2. Mail subscriptions (paid and/or requested) 228,932 199,697 C. Total paid and/or requested circulation 244,753 228,729 D. Free distribution by mail, carrier or other means, samples, complimentary, and other free copies 49 49 E. Total distribution 244,802 228,778 F. Copies not distributed 1. Office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing 15,254 9,017 2. Returns from news agents 14,773 3,175 G. Total 274,829 240,970 II. 1 certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. (signed) Donald B. Peschke, Publisher/Editor 2 ShopNotes No. 19 ISSUE NUMBER NINETEEN Contents Projects & Techniques Hand Plane Jointer This shop-built jig produces a straight, square edge on a workpiece by converting your hand plane into a jointer. 12 5uilt-up Moldings A router and some ordinary bits. That’s all it takes to build up your own detailed moldings. Wall Mirror- Cutting Guide . _ 14 Use our simple built-up molding technique to make this handsome wall mirror in just a few hours. 16 A unique tracking system on this cutting guide lets you use your circular saw or router to produce straight, accurate cuts. 22 Create decorative profiles that are smooth and consistent with a hand-held router and our step-by-step approach. Routing Profiles Selecting Tools Circular Saws _ Departments 8 Buying a circular saw? Our team tests eleven popular saws and offers practical suggestions on what to look for. Great Tips Pipe Clamp Tips 20 From gluing up flat panels to keeping clamps from marring the work, here's a collection of our best pipe clamp tips. The Small Shop Clamp Storage System. 24 This convenient storage system organizes all of your clamps so they're right at hand where you need them. Readers’Tips Shop Solutions 28 Our readers offer their own shop-tested solutions to com- mon woodworking problems. Plus two quick tips. Lumberyard Lumber Grain 30 There’s more to lumber grain than appearance. It also affects the stability and cost of a project. Finish Room Danish Oil 31 A natural-looking finish that’s easy to apply. And you can repair it too. All this makes Danish oil worth a closer look. Hand Plane Jointer page U Circular Saws page 8 Cutting Guide page 16 Clamp Storage System page 21+ ShopNotes 3 No. 19 fmmm JIGS & ACCESSORIES Hand Plane * Jointer All it takes to get a perfectly square edge is a small hand plane and this shop-built jointer. R ecently, one of the small hand planes in our shop turned up missing. But even more mysterious than its disappearance was the place it showed up — in this shop-made jointer, see photo. It seems that one of the guys was looking for a w T ay to get a straight, square edge on some pieces that were too small to plane by hand. Or pass safely across the power jointer. So he built a “holder" for the plane that works like a jointer. With two wood tables for sup- port, you simply run the work- piece across the plane to produce a clean, crisp cut. As an added benefit, we found that the jointer worked just as well with large pieces, refer to page 7. So it’s also an ideal project if you don't have a power jointer. FENCE. The jointer starts off as a tall plywood fence (A), see Exploded View and Fig. 1. To se- cure the jointer, the bottom of the fence tightens in a vise. And the top supports the workpiece. groove. After cutting the fence to size, the next step is to cut a wide groove. In addition to ac- cepting the two wood tables, the groove provides a recess for the plane. The thing to keep in mind here is the depth of the groove. Since the blade on a plane doesn't extend clear to its side, the groove lets you “bury" the blade below the surface of the fence, see Fig. la. This way, when the workpiece is held tight against the fence, the blade removes a shaving across the entire edge. TABLES. Once the groove is cut, you can add the two tables. Like a power jointer, there's ani infeed and an outfeed table to support the workpiece. Before determining the length of these tables, you'll need to po- sition the plane so the blade is centered on the length of the fence, see Fig. 1. Then the tables are built around the plane. 4 ShopNotes No. 19 JIGS & ACCESSORIES BLANK. The tables are made by gluing up two pieces of 3 4"- thick hardwood. (We used maple.) It’s easiest to start with one long blank that’s ripped to width to fit the groove, see Fig. 1. To provide continuous support for the workpiece, the tables butt up against the ends of the plane. So with the plane in position, cut the infeed (B) and outfeed table (C) to match the distance from the ends of the fence to the plane. notch. Depending on the plane, you may need to notch the outfeed table to fit the adjusting mecha- nism. (The notch shown in Fig. lb provides plenty of clearance for a standard size block plane.) chamfers. And to keep your hand from hitting a sharp corner if it slips off the workpiece when jointing a workpiece, chamfer the exposed edges on the tables and fence, see Fig. 1. ATTACH TABLES. Now it’s sim- r ply a matter of gluing the infeed table flush at the end. Then use the plane as a spacer and glue on the outfeed table. ADJUSTMENT SCREW. To en- sure that you end up with a square edge on the workpiece, you’ll need to install an adjust- ment screw in the groove, see Figs. 2 and 2b. That’s because the sides of a plane aren’t necessarily 90° to the sole. The screw allows you to correct for this by tilting the body of the plane so the sole is 90° to the fence, see Fig. 2a. SUPPORT BLOCKS. Next, we added two support blocks to keep the plane from falling out of the jointer. A long block (D) supports the front knob of the plane. And a short block (E) fits under the cap. To provide a stable work sur- face, the bottom ends of the sup- port blocks rest on top of the vise when you tighten down the fence. So the blocks are cut to length and glued in place so the bottom ends are flush, see Fig. 2b. Hardware • (1) #4 x 3 /e" Fh Woodscrew • (2)V4"x3V2 u Carriage Bolts • (4) V 4 " Flat Washer a • (3) f /4" Wing Nuts • (1 )V4"x2V2" Carriage Bolt No. 19 ShopNotes 5 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Pressure Bar & Guard At this point, the jointer has a “pocket” for the plane to rest in. But there’s nothing to prevent it from rocking to the side as you make a cut. That’s where the pressure bar comes in. PRESSURE BAR. Like its name implies, the 'pressure bar (F) is a strip of 3/4"-thick hardwood that presses against the side of the plane, see photo above and Fig. 3. Pressure is applied to the bar by tightening wing nuts on a pair of carriage bolts. The bolts pass through holes drilled through the pressure bar, tables, and fence, see Figs. 3 and 3b. An easy way to ensure these holes align is to carpet tape the pressure bar flush with the top of each table, see Fig. 3a. Then lay out and drill the holes. Before installing the pressure bar, there are two things left to do. To accept a carriage bolt that holds a guard in place, drill a sin- gle hole through the width of the bar, see Fig. 3. And, as before, chamfer the outside edges of the pressure bar. GUARD Now you’re ready to add the guard. It covers the exposed part of the blade so you don’t cut your hand if you accidentally slip off the workpiece, see photo. The guard is a piece of s / 4 "-thick stock with a gentle curve at each end, see Fig. 4 and the Full-Size Pattern below. One curve keeps the workpiece from catching as you feed it across the plane. And| the other removes the sharp cor- ner. Here again, there’s an Vs" chamfer around the top edge. ATTACH GUARD. The guard is held in place with a carriage bolt that passes through the hole you drilled earlier in the pressure bar and a hole in the guard, see Fig. 4. To keep the guard off the plane blade, a washer is used to raise it above the pressure bar. Finally, thread on a washer and wing nut to tighten the guard in place. GUARD FULL-SIZE PATTERN (shown with Vfe" squares) W-RAD. 6 ShopNotes No. 19 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Setup The few minutes it takes to set up the jointer can make a big difference in the quality of cut you get. smooth CUT. To produce a smooth cut, the jointer needs to be secured tightly in a vise, see Step 1. Also, to keep the blade from digging into the work- piece, adjust the depth of cut to remove just a thin shaving, see Step 2. SQUARE edge. In addition to a smooth cut, you’re also looking for a square edge. So you may need to tighten (or loosen) the adjusting screw until the sole is square to the fence, see Steps 3 and 4. Finally, after tightening down the pressure bar and guard (Step 5), simply make as many passes as necessary to get a straight, square edge, see Step 6. ▲ Whether you’re working with a wide board or a small workpiece (see page 4), the key to getting a smooth, square edge is adjusting the jointer cor- rectly and then making a series of light passes. Step 1. To provide as much support as possible when making a cut, tighten the jointer in a vise. For added stability, the support blocks rest on top of the vise. Step 2. Now adjust the blade so it ex- tends just a hair beyond the sole of the plane. To check the setting, a test cut should remove thin, wispy shavings. Step 3. After removing the pressure bar and guard, set the plane in its "pocket" and use a try square to check that the sole is 90° to the fence. Step 4. If you need to square up the plane, tighten (or loosen) the adjusting screw. Now check the plane again and readjust the screw if necessary. Step 5. With the pressure bar tight- ened down against the plane, use the workpiece to set the opening for the guard. Then lock the guard in place. Step 6. Finally, keeping the face of the workpiece tight against the fence, use firm, even pressure as you push it across the jointer. No. 19 ShopNotes 7 SELECTING TOOLS Circular Saws Our Testing Team (from left to right) Steve: Whether he’s in his shop cutting up plywood, dimension lumber, or hardwood boards, Steve often relies on a circular saw. Cary: A circular saw is the tool of choice when Cary needs to break down large sheets of plywood to manageable size. Ken: /A professional carpenter and cabi- netmaker, Ken uses a circular saw exten- sively to cut a wide variety of materials. Doug: When he's not remodeling his house, Doug gives his circular saw a workout by helping friends with projects of their own. Prices Black & Decker 3 00 $59.00 200 $49.99 1 00 $39.00 Quantum 3100 $67.00 Ryobi W 660 $79.95 Sea re 10625 $79.99 10224 $59.99 10223 $49.99 Skil 5350 $66.99 5250 $53.03 5150 $44.71 were the only ones to come with carbide-tipped blades — some- thing to consider when compar- ing the prices of the saws. So to keep things on an equal footing, A pile of sawdust and cutoffs. That's all that was left of the truckload of plywood and 2xl0's that we cut up to test the circular saws shown below. But when the dust finally settled, what we had to show for it was definitely worth the effort — the best (and worst) circular saws for the money. team. To get a wide variety of viewpoints when testing the saws, we deliberately rounded up a team of people with different woodworking interests and expe- rience, see photo and list above. Of course, one of the problems with this is you're likely to end up with more than one ‘"best” saw. But that's not necessarily bad. Each person picked the saw that was best for him based on the type of work he does most frequently. Which is just the kind of information I'd want when buying a saw. procedure. Unlike the final selections, the testing procedures for each saw were identical. We started out by buying all the saws we could find (eleven in all) that fell in a medium-price range ($39-$80), see margin at left. Of these saws, the Ryobi, and the top end Sears and Skil saws Spindle Lock . A large, flat spin- dle lock button located near the front of the Quantum (left) is more Quantum we put a new carbide-tipped blade on each saw. With saws in hand, the testing began. To provide a reliable com- parison, each team member made convenient to use than the pointed button located on top of the Sears saw (right). Skil 8 ShopNotes No. 19 ^ the exact type of cut over and over using a different saw each time. Some of the cuts (ripping eight- foot 2xl0’s for example) tested the power and performance of the saw. While others (like crosscut- ting plywood and making plunge cuts) gave us a good feel for the overall balance of the saw. At the end of the day, we all got together to compare notes. And I quizzed them about what they liked (and just as important) what they didn’t like about each saw. es First things first How easy was it to change blades? Ken: Since I cut a lot of differ- ent materials, Fm always chang- ing blades. So that makes the spindle lock on the Quantum, and top end Sears, Ryobi, and Black & Decker (B&D) saws a real plus. Steve: Even on the saws we tested that had spindle locks, the ones on the Quantum and B&D SELECTING TOOLS were handier to use than those on the Sears and Ryobi. (See center photos on opposite page.) Cary: I usually stick with the same blade when breaking down plywood. So I can take or leave a spindle lock. Steve: When it comes to chang- ing blades, another thing I like is the “try square” wrenches that come with the top end B&D and Quantum saws. (See photos above.) The long handles give me plenty of leverage. And they don’t dig into my hands like the short wrenches on the other saws. m What about the operation of the blade guards on the saws? Doug: That’s where I noticed a big difference. Especially since I make a lot of plunge cuts and have to manually retract the guard. To make a controlled cut, I want a saw that’s compact enough so you can draw the lever on the blade The large " try square ” wrenches that come with the Black & Decker 300 and the Quantum provide more lever- age than the short, stubby wrenches on the other saws. guard all the way forward and grasp the front handle at the same time — like the Skil saws. (See photos below 7 .) The short lever on the Ryobi required such a long stretch, I almost had to let go of the handle. And the Sears saws were just too bulky to hold comfortably. Ken: One curious thing was the top end Skil saw tried to eliminate this stretch altogether by adding a remote “lift.” But I couldn’t even use this lever without letting go of the front handle of the saw — and this seemed dangerous to me. Blade Guards . The compact de- the front handle at the same time, (center). Unfortunately, to use the sign of the Skil (left) lets you re- This provides a more stable grip remote “lift” on the Skil 5350 (right), tract the blade guard and grasp than the long reach on the Ryobi you have to let go of the handle. Sears Ryobi Black & Decker No. 19 ShopNotes 9 SELECTING TOOLS Adjustments & Controls IB The adjustments and con- trols are also something to con- sider when buying a saw. For example , what about something as simple as turning on the saw? Doug: It can't get any easier than with the Quantum and B&D saws. Since they don’t have a “safety lock,” all I have to do is pull the trigger and I’m in business. Cary: But a saw without a safety lock gives me the jitters. If you have kids around like I do (or grab the saw without thinking), it’s an accident waiting to happen. That’s why I liked the safety lock on the Skil saw^s. It’s on the side of the handle. (See photos at right.) So even though I can’t accidentally turn the saw on, all I have to do is push the lock with my thumb and squeeze the handle. Ken: It’s not that easy with the Sears and Ryobi saws. Since the lock is on top of the handle, I had to stretch my thumb way up over the handle. E8 How about the ad- justments to make a bevel cut or set the depth of cut? Steve: I make a lot of bevel cuts. But one saw T just about makes that impossible — the lowest priced Depth Adjustment The plastic knob on the Quantum (left) provides a more comfortable grip than the wing nut on the B&D (center). But neither are knuckle-busters like the depth adjustment lever on the Skil (right). Safety Lock . The Skil has a safety lock on the side of the handle (left) that's handier to use than the top-mounted Sears lock (right). Skil. No matter how much pres- sure I applied to the wing nut that locks in the adjustment, the base still slipped when making a cut. But the plastic knobs on the Quantum, Ryobi, and the top end B&D saws locked down tight. (See photos at left). And they’re more comfortable to grab onto than the cast metal wing nuts on the lower priced B&D saws. Ken: Anything is better than the lever that adjusts the depth of cut on the Skil saws. It’s tucked between the blade guard and the back handle. Not only is it hard to get at, but the lever also sticks — it’s a real knuckle-buster. Performance _ FI One of the keys to making a controlled cut is the iveight and balance of a saw . Hoiv ivould you rate the overall ‘feel” of the saw? Cary: Using the Skil saws was as comfortable as slipping my hand into a w T ell-worn baseball glove. They’re compact, light- weight, and have good balance. Steve: I liked the balance of the Skil saws too. But I’d say that the Quantum and tw r o upper end B&D saws nudged them out. Sure, they’re a bit heavier. But with their large bases and comfortable handles, these saw 7 s have a nice solid feel. Ken: One thing I noticed was I didn’t get as tired using the Skil, B&D, and Quantum saws. Prob- ably because when I grab the back handle, my hand is at a fairly low^ angle. (See photos below.) So it’s easy to push the saw straight through the cut. Hand Position. Since your arm is held at a lower angle when using the Skil saw (left), it’s not as But when I grab the handles of the Sears and Ryobi saws, my hand is at a steeper angle. So it feels like I’m hunched up wiien making a cut — almost like I’m working against the saw. tiring to use as the Ryobi saw (right) that requires you to hold your arm at a steeper angle. 10 ShopNotes No. 19 SELECTING TOOLS Just as important as weight and balance is the qual ity of cut. Does the saw run smooth ? And does it have enough power so the saiv won't bog down ? Cary: Even when I was ripping “two-by” stock, the two top end Skil saws ran like a well-tuned car with plenty of power. What surprised me is that the lower priced Skil saw didn’t fol- low suit. This saw seemed badly underpowered. And it rattled like ice in a blender. Steve: Talk about a rattle prob- lem. I could feel the vibration of the Sears and Ryobi saws through the handles, the board I was cutting, and the sawhorse. Probably a good sign there’s some unnecessary wear going on in the gears and bearings. Doug: But even with the vibra- tion, I felt that the Sears and Ryobi saws ran strong. In fact, if all I wanted was brute power, I’d go with the Ryobi in a heartbeat. But I’m looking for a saw that has plenty of power to do the job, yet runs smooth enough so it won’t weai* me out after several hours of cutting. I thought the Quantum and the two top end B&D saws were just the ticket. m There’s one other thing that figures into the performance of a saiv — accuracy. How accurately could you cut to a layout line ? Steve: Most of the saws have some type of fixed notch to help you track the blade along the lay- Smoothness Of Cut SKIL 5358 & 5250 QUANTUM 388 B&D 380 & 200 SEARS RYOBI SKIL 5150 B&D 100 ROUGH SMOOTH out line. (See photos below.) Since I change blades quite often (and they vary in thickness), this means I have to position a different part of the notch on the layout line de- pending on the blade I’m using. That’s why I liked the adjust- able indicators on the Quantum and the top end B&D saws. To There’s more to consider than just the price tag when selecting a circular saw. compensate for different blade thicknesses, I just loosen the screw and adjust the indicator. CONCLUSIONS E8 Okay , lets sort things out. Based on the type of work you do, which saw would you buy? Ken: If I could just slap on a better height adjustment, the middle of the line Skil would be an easy pick. But changing the depth of cut would drive me nuts. So I chose the Quantum. It’s a strong running saw. And when you add on the spindle lock and the fact that it has a dust collec- tion hook-up for a shop vacuum, it’s a lot of saw' for the money. Steve: Except for the fact it doesn’t have a safety lock, I like the Quantum. It wall take care of just about any job I can think of in the shop. And with its wide base and com- fortable handles, I’m sold on its rock solid cut. Doug: I can see myself getting a lot of remodeling done with the top of the line Black & Decker. It’s similar to the Quan- tum in the way it looks, feels, and performs. But it costs less. All in all, a tough saw to beat. Cary: There’s no question about the saw I’d choose — the top end Skil saw. It’s compact and light- weight. Just right for those long reaches when I’m crosscutting a full sheet of plywood. And it’s the smoothest running sav^ of the lot. Indicator. Unlike the fixed notch on the Skil saw (left) that marks the path of the blade, the indica- tor on the Quantum (right) can be adjusted if you use blades that vary in thickness. FINAL yL PICK Si <5MB TESTER FIRST CHOICE SECOND CHOICE LAST CHOICE Ken Quantum Skil 5250 B&D 100 Steve Quantum B&D 300 Skil 5150 Doug B&D 300 Quantum Skil 5150 Cary Skil 5350 Ryobi B&D 100 No. 19 ShopNotes 11 TECHNIQUE Built-Up Moldings All it takes to create detailed molding is a router, a handful of bits, and our simple technique. ne of the things that usually catches my eye on a fine piece of furniture is the detail on the molding. But since moldings like this are usually made on industrial shapers and molders, they're expensive and often hard to find. So I use a simple technique to make these mold- ings myself. All it takes is a router (or router table) and a handful of ordinary bits. ADVANTAGES. In addition to being a lot less ex- pensive than manufactured moldings, building your own moldings has another advantage. You can make them from the same wood you're using for the project you're building. This way, the molding will match the rest of the project perfectly when you apply the finish. STRIPS & LAYERS # There are two basic ways that you can create these moldings. The technique is similar for both. It's just a matter of “building" them up one piece at a time. STRIP MOLDING. Strip molding is what I nor- mally apply to the top of casework (such as a large cabinet or grandfather clock), see Fig. 1. I make these by gluing up strips of wood that have a profile routed on one edge. Then the molding is mitered and attached to the cabinet. To make strip molding, all you have to do is rout the front edge of a board and then rip the strip to width, see box below. (For more on routing profiles, see the article on page 22.) Slep-by-Step First: Rout Profile. For safety, start with an extra-wide workpiece and rout the edge in a left-to-right direction. Second: Rip Strip. With the routed edge against the fence, use a push block to rip the strip to width. can be glued and clamped together with the back edges flush. 12 ShopNotes No. 19 TECHNIQUE LAYERED MOLDING. Layered molding is basi- cally a glued-up stack of full- width boards with the profile routed across the front and ends of each board, see Fig. 2. Layered molding is faster to make and easier to install than strip molding because you don't have to deal with mitered corners. All you have to do is cut each layer to finished size and then rout the profile. Note: When gluing up layered molding, the pieces can become quite slippeiy and slide around. To keep the strips aligned during glue up, refer to the margin tip below right. The only disadvantage I've found to layered molding is the exposed end grain. But by sanding the ends several grits finer than the rest of the project, it's less noticeable. Design Note: As a general rule of thumb, I limit the width of layered moldings to workpieces around 5" or less. Anything wider has a tendency to warp with the changes in humidity. Building Blocks Round-Over. Round-overs come in many sizes. They look best on the top of a molding. Roman Ogee. A Roman ogee looks good in the middle or at the bottom of a molding. Cove. Coves also come in a va- riety of sizes. It's the profile I use most often on the bottom. Straight Cut. One of the sim- plest ways to top off a profile is to add a straight-ripped edge. PROFILES One of the things I like best about built-up moldings is you don’t need a whole cabinet full of router bits. For the six profiles shown below, I only had to use four common router bits: a cove bit, a Roman ogee bit, and two round-over bits, see box in upper right- hand corner. As you’re making profiles, try experimenting by rearranging them in a different order to change the overall appearance of the molding. Or change the thickness of the pieces that make up the molding. You can vary the number of strips or layers, or even the bits you use to rout the profiles. The possibili- ties are endless. To keep layers aligned during glue up, nail a few wire brads in one of the layers. Then snip off the heads of the brads. No. 19 ShopNotes 13 N PROJECT Built-Up Molding Wall Mirror This handsome mviTor gives you a chance to experiment with built-up moldings. A s we were working on the built-up molding article on page 12, we experimented with a number of different profiles. I wasn't the only one that noticed the leftover strips laying around the shop. Kurt Schultz (our Senior Illus- trator) picked up the strips and started stacking them as if they were a set of Legos — creating different profiles. After playing with them a few minutes, Kurt told me he had just the project in mind for the strips. So I wasn't too surprised when he showed up the next day with this wall mirror, see photo at right. THREE BITS. What in- trigued me most about the wall mirror was it only re- quired three router bits to make all the profiles: a V/ round-over, a V 4 " Roman ogee, and a %>" cove bit. By simply rearranging the moldings, Kurt created strik- T OF MOLDINGS EXPLODED VIEW OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 25V0 1 W x 2%"D x 26 7 /&“H SIDES sorroM MOLDINGS t* J 3 /&" GOVE A— Vz" ROUND-OVER ingly different moldings for the top, bottom, and sides of the mir- ror, see Side View below. The frame for the mirror con- sists of four parts — each a built- up molding, see Exploded View. There's a top and a bottom, and two identical sides. To build the mirror, I started with the sides. SIDES Each side is built-up of two pieces of hardwood, see Fig. 1. (I used cherry.) The 34"-thick base piece has a cove routed on the out- side edge. And a V/ round-over is routed on both edges of the top V^'-thick piece. (For tips on rout- ing smooth, consistent profiles, see the article on page 22.) Once you're through routing the profile on each workpiece, glue and clamp the two pieces to- gether. Here, the top piece is cen- tered on the width of the wide, flat surface of the coved piece. (For a tip on keeping the pieces aligned during glue-up, see the margin tip on page 13.) TOP & BOTTOM With the sides complete, the next step is to make the top and the bottom moldings. These pieces are made much like the sides, but with three important differences. First, there are three layers in- stead of two. Second, the ends of each piece are routed. And third, 14 ShopNotes No. 19 HANDS-ON PROJECT the top and bottom moldings are arranged in a different order. JOINERY. To keep the joinery simple, but still provide a strong frame, I screwed the built-up moldings to the sides. But since I didn’t want the screws to show, I came up with a simple trick to conceal them. Start by gluing and screwing one layer of each molding to the sides of the mirror, see Fig. 2. Then hide the screws by gluing on the remaining layers, see Fig. 3. Note: To make aligning the lay- ers easy, glue on one piece at a time — allowing the glue to dry between each layer. MIRROR f With the frame complete, you’re just about ready to add the mir- ror and the mounting hardware. But there are a couple more things to do. RABBET. First, the mirror fits in a V£"-deep rabbet that runs along the back inside edge of the frame, see Fig. 4. To make the rabbet, I used a %/%" rabbet bit mounted in a hand-held router. FINISH. Second, after you’ve squared up the corners of the rab- bet with a chisel, sand the entire project up to 220 grit. Then apply the finish. For this mirror, I wiped on three coats of Danish oil, sanding between coats with 220-grit sandpaper. Once the finish was dry, I had my local glass shop cut a Vfc’-thick mirror to fit the rabbet. Then, to protect the back of the mirror, I covered it with a piece of Vs"- thick cardboard and a piece of V4"- thick Masonite, see Fig. 5. To complete the project, install turnbuckles to hold the mirror in place, see Fig. 5. Then screw on a pair of hangers to mount the mir- ror on the wall. (Turnbuckles and hangers are available at most hardware stores.) NOTE: SQUARE UP CORNERS WITH CHISEL " 1/4" MASONITE -THICK MIRROR /6-THICK CARDBOARD TURNBUCKLE w/SCREW HANGER w/SCREW A cove, a round- over, and a Roman ogee bit are all you’ll need to make the moldings for this project. No. 19 ShopNotes 15 FEATURE PROJECT Cutting Guide • S ometimes a power tool seems to have a mind of its own. Take a circular saw or hand-held router for instance. Even when you clamp a straightedge to the workpiece, they often wander off course in the middle of a cut. To produce a cut with dead-on accuracy, I built a cutting guide for my circular saw and router, see photo above and on opposite page. CARRIAGE. The unique thing about this cutting guide is the circular saw (or router) mounts to a carriage that hooks onto the cutting guide. Because the carriage is “captured” by the cutting guide, it's impossible to stray off the line as you slide the tool along to EXPLODED VIEW A unique tracking system on this cutting guide ensures straight, accurate cuts. make a cut. (Note: You’ll need to build a separate carriage for each tool.) NINE-FOOTER. Since I wanted to be able to cut the full length of a sheet of plywood, the cutting guide is over 8-feet long. In fact, to support the carriage at the start and finish of a cut, it's a full 9-feet long. TWO SECTIONS. But storing something that long can be a hassle. So I built it in two sections — a five-foot and a four-foot section, see Exploded View. With the long section clamped in place, you can cut across the width of a full sheet of plywood. Or simply connect the two parts to cut down the length of the sheet. 16 ShopNotes No. 19 FEATURE PROJECT Cutting Guide Although the two sections of the cutting guide are different in length, they're built exactly alike. Each section consists of four parts: a base, tray, cover, and fence, see Exploded View. And there's a single “key" that joins the two sections together. BASE. To provide a platform for the carriage to ride on, I be- gan by making the base (A) and base extension (B)> see Fig. 1. These are strips of VT'-thick Ma- sonite that are cut to finished length and a rough width of 8", see Figs. 1 and 2. Later, when you make your first cut with a circu- lar saw, the base pieces will be trimmed to final width. TRAY. The next step is to add a plywood tray (C) and tray exten- sion (D) to help stiffen the base, see Fig. 1. To accept the key (added later), there’s a wide, shal- low groove that runs the length of the tray pieces. Forming this groove is a simple two-step process. First, use con- tact cement to glue on a Masonite cover (E) and cover extension (F) that are the same size as the tray pieces, see Fig. 2. Second, cut a 3 "-wide groove centered on the ®eASE ri0) FENCE A _j!l ROUTER BASE WORK BENCH CENTER SLOT CUTTER ON BOARD THICKNESS £ A 2." RADIUS WORKBENCH BASE PIECES (5" x 42") LIP ( 5 /a"x42") 2" DIA. 5 / 32 "- ^ THICK SLOT CUTTER I made the jig with two scal- loped edges to provide a variety of spacing for the biscuits. The scallops along one edge are spaced 4" apart. But the scallops on the other edge are 6" apart. A lip glued to the bottom, serves as a stop. It automatically positions the jig on the w T orkpiece for the correct depth every time. R. Brucken Martinez, California Add-On Dust Coliector ■ My band saw creates a lot of fine dust each time I use it (espe- cially when resawing). So I made a dust collector to vacuum up most of the dust as it comes out under the table, see Drawing. The dust collector consists of two pieces of plywood and a length of PVC pipe. Install the PVC pipe in one piece of plywood. And cut a hole in the other piece for your vacuum hose. Then glue the pieces together and attach the collector to the band saw. Pres Kimball Lebanon, Oregon 28 ShopNotes No. 19 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Workmate Roller Support ■ I always have problems cutting large pieces of plywood or long boards on my table saw. Not for most of the cut — just the last few inches when it’s unsupported. To solve this problem, I made an outfeed support that fits into my Workmate. ( Editor’s Note: Or you can clamp it to a sawhorse.) The support is a roller attached to a piece of plywood with a pair of wooden brackets, see Drawing. I used a roller from a copy ma- chine. (Check local print shops or copy machine stores). But a type- writer roller would also work. Bill Paulson Marietta , Georgia Cord Protector ■ My table saw sits in the middle of my shop. That makes the power cord that runs across the floor a real hazard. It seems I'm always tripping over it or drop- ping something heavy on it. So I made a protector for it. It’s just a piece of wood with a groove in the bottom for the cord. The top is beveled so you don't catch your foot. And a Masonite piece holds the cord in the groove. David Kinsey Ripon , Wisconsin Quick Tips ■ I have a lot of “short” scraps that are just too long to throw away. So I made a storage bin out of plastic buckets (the kind dry- wall compound comes in). I stack them pyramid style and bolt them together. Then add a ply- wood base to tilt the buckets and keep the pieces from falling out. Joe Coffey Alamo , California ■ Forstner bits can be difficult to line up when starting a hole. That's because the centerpoint on the bit is so hard to see. To solve this problem I use a template and draw a full circle — not just the centerlines. Then all I have to do is line up the rim of the bit with the circle. Bill White Williston, Vermont Send in Your Solutions If you'd like to share your original solutions to problems you've faced, send them to: ShopNotes, Attn.: Shop Solutions, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312. (Or if it's easier, FAX them to us at: 515-282-6741.) We'll pay up to $200 depending on the published length. Please include a daytime phone number so we can call you if we have questions. No. 19 ShopNotes 29 The key to identifying lumber grain is “reading” the end of the board. LUMBERYAR Lumber Grain ■ When buying hardwood , I have a hard time telling the difference between flatsawn , riftsaivn, and quartersawn lumber. Is there a simple ivay to do this? Jerome Lewis Manhattan , Kansas The simplest way to tell the dif- ference is to look at the end of the board. What you're looking for is the angle of the growth rings. This angle is determined by how the lumber was cut, see Drawing. flatsawn. On flatsawn lum- ber, the rings will be 30° (or less) to the face of the board, see be- low. In many cases, especially with boards coming from large diameter logs, the rings will be parallel to the face. Flatsawn lumber is the most common type of lumber you'll come across because a log yields the most lumber when cut this way. Because of this, it's the least expensive cut available. But flatsawn lumber tends to move a lot with changes in humid- ity — it often cups or warps. And the grain swirls in many direc- tions over the face of the board. When this wild-grained wood is stained, the softer, more porous early wood will soak up more stain and look darker than the harder, less po- rous late wood. riftsawn. When I'm sorting for more attractive boards, I'm looking for riftsawn lumber. In this case, the growth rings are greater than 30°, but less than 60° to the face of the board, see below. Riftsawn lumber generally has straighter, clearer grain than flatsawn lumber. Usually, rift- sawn lumber is mixed right in the same stack as flatsawn lumber. In fact, many boards in a flat- sawn stack will have both rift- sawn and flatsawn grain. When a single board has both types of grain, what you'll actually see is wild grain running right along- side nearly straight, clear grain. Another reason I look for rift- sawn wood is for its stability — it's less likely to warp or cup than flatsawn lumber. QUARTERSAWN. The straight- est grain comes from logs that are quartersawn. Here, the growth rings will be 60° to 90° to the face of the board, see below. In addition to really straight grain, some hardwoods (such as red and white oak, cherry, and hard maple) exhibit highly fig- ured face grain (ray flecks) when quartersawn. And when finished, these woods can be quite striking. Also, when the humidity does change, quartersawn lumber is the most stable of the three dif- ferent cuts of lumber. The downside to quartersawn lumber is it requires larger logs to produce reasonably wide boards. And since there's more waste, it's the most expensive. Flatsawn. On flatsawn lumber , the growth rings are 30° (or less) to the face of the board. The grain is the wildest of the three cuts. Riftsawn . With riftsawn lumber, the growth rings are greater than 30°, but less than 60°. The grain runs fairly straight across the face. on a quartersawn board are 60° to 90°. On certain hardwoods, the face grain is highly figured. 30 ShopNotes No. 19 FINISH R Danish Oil T he visitors to our display area here all have one thing in common. As they browse through the projects, they run their hands over the surface of the wood. Especially the projects finished with a Danish oil. The reason is simple. Danish oil penetrates into the wood fibers. So unlike some finishes, it leaves the wood looking and feeling as natural as possible. But there’s more to Danish oil than just good looks. It’s hard to imagine a finish that’s easier to apply. A look at what’s inside ex- plains why. INGREDIENTS. Even ^though there are a num- ber of different brands (like Watco, Deftoil, and Nordic Oil Finish), most Danish oils have three basic ingredients. To produce a satin sheen, there’s a natural oil (like linseed or tung oil). Because these oils are slow- drying, you have plenty of time to work the finish. Next, to allow the oil to penetrate, it’s thinned with solvents. Then resins are added to create a harder finish. Note: Some manufacturers also add pigments to color the oil. Even so, a Danish oil finish still doesn’t offer as much protection as other topcoats. So it’s best to use on projects that won’t get a lot of wear. For example, a clock, display cabinet, or wall mirror. time to soak in. (This varies depending on the brand.) If you notice dry spots, apply more oil — especially on end grain that absorbs the oil like a sponge. REMOVE EXCESS. Now simply wipe the surface of the wood “dry,” see photo B. Leaving oil on the surface creates a soft, gummy layer that won’t make the finish any more durable. The only problem is the oil that remains in the pores of the wood Danish oil 'penetrates into the ivood fibers. So it leaves the surface looking and feeling natural. can still “wick” back out and form small puddles (especially on wood with large open pores like oak or ash). To keep these puddles from hardening into rough scabs, I check the project every hour or so and wipe off any oil that seeps out. ADDITIONAL COATS. As a rule, you’ll need to apply several coats of oil. To produce as smooth a finish as possible, I sand in between coats with fine (220-grit) sandpaper. As an option, some manufac- turers recommend using Wet-or- Dry silicon carbide paper (600-grit) to sand in the oil, see photo above. This forms a thin paste that’s wiped off as before. SAFETY NOTE. As you clean up, the thing to be aware of is the oil gives off heat as it cures. This can cause a pile of oily rags to spon- taneously combust. So I spread the rags out on the floor and throw them away when they’re dry. REPAIRS. A last note about Danish oil. You can repair it if it gets damaged. Small scratches can be “blended in” by applying an- other coat of oil. (Just be sure to remove any grime or wax with mineral spirits first.) If the scratches are more severe, sand lightly around the damaged area and apply another coat. APPLICATION Regardless of the project, there’s nothing complicated about apply- ing a Danish oil finish. FLOOD SURFACE. The first step is to use a brash (or rag) to flood the surface, see photo A. The im- portant thing is to give the oil A. Flood Surface . Using a foam brush , saturate the surface of the wood with oil. If dry spots appear, just wipe on more oil until the wood won’t soak up any more. B . Remove Excess „ Now wipe off all the excess oil so the wood looks “dry. " When the oil cures, apply additional thin coats until you get the desired sheen. No. 19 ShopNotes 31 Scenes From the Shop A Perfectly straight , accurate cuts. That's what you sections. Lock them together to rip the full length of a get every time you use this Cutting Guide with either sheet of plyivood. Or use a single section when you a circular saw or router. The guide is made up of two only need to cut across the width of the sheet. A You don't need an expensive shape, r or molder to make professional looking moldings. Instead , just use our simple technique to build them up a piece at a time. A If you don't have a power jointer in your shop , or if you've ever felt uncomfortable jointing small work- pieces, this Hand Plane Jointer is just the ticket. ShopNotes Issue 19 Centerfold — Cutting Guide Exploded View