T 1 P S • T 0 0 1 L S • T E C H N 1 1 Q U es! ■ Adjustable Dado Jig □ Tenons on a Band Saw a Overhead Lumber Storage ■ Quick-change Bits Issue 20 March 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 Kralicek ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Kurt Schultz ILLUSTRATORS Roger Reiland Mark Higdon PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England ELECTRONIC GRAPHICS Chris Glowacki 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 ■ Newsstand Sales: Kent A. Buckton ■ Circulation Analyst: Shane S. Francis PUBLISHING SERVICES Manager: Gordon C. Gaippe ■ Graphic 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 * Network Administrator: Nick Thielen ■ Admin- istrative Assistants: Cheryl Scott, Julia Fish ■ Receptionist: Jeanne Johnson ■ Building Main- tenance: Ken Griffith PROJECT SUPPLIES AH Director: Cindy Jackson ■ Catalog Products Manager: Bob Baker ■ Inventory Control/Prod. Mgr.: Mark Mattussi ■ Proj. Sujyplies: Linda Jones CUSTOMER SERVICE Supervisor: Jennie Enos* Customer Senrice 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 Corp. ©Copyright 1995 by Woodsmith Corporation. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: Single Copy, $4.95. One year subscrip- tion (6 issues), $19.95. Two years (12 issues), $35.95. Can- ada/Foreign, add $5.00 per year. Second Class Postage Paid at Des Moines, I A 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. PRINTED IN U.S.A. EDITOR’S NOTE Cutoffs I know it sounds crazy, but some of my most enjoyable woodworking is done without wood. I “build” the project in my mind. I'm sure youVe done the same thing. You're working on a project and you find yourself thinking about it even when you're not in the shop — lying in bed late at night, or sitting on the bus heading to work. You're planning ahead, thinking about the project. And questions start to pop up. Like what joineiy is best. And what setups you'll use. Even some- thing as far away as the type of stain or finish you'll apply. IN YOUR MIND. Going over and over the project in your mind like this has a couple advantages. First, you get to “build” the project more than once. I have a friend who for health reasons has to stop at this stage. Although he can't work wood anymore, he says it's just as much fun as (and a lot cheaper than) going down into the shop. And second, it's the best way I've found to avoid mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone in a shop grab a piece of wood and make a cut without thinking. The result is a bad cut and an expensive piece of firewood. Planning ahead also means choosing a finish early. And preparing the sur- face accordingly — as you build the project. This takes some advance thought. But it's worth it. It's one of the simplest tricks I know to ensure a per- fect finish. (For more on surface prepa- ration, see the special two-page Finish Room article starting on page 30.) A PROBLEM. The only problem with advance planning is that some ques- tions pop up that you don't have an answer for. And it's often at an odd hour. What do you do? If you own a computer and a modem, I've got just the answer. BULLETIN BOARD. We recently started a new service for woodworkers. It's a computer ‘"bulletin board” called Wood- Net. Here you can post your questions and get responses from fellow wood- workers (there may even be some night owls out there). You'll also find other information such as tools for sale, lists of sources, and an index to 27 woodworking maga- zines (including ShopNotes, of course). When we decided Some of my most enjoy- able woodworking is done without wood. I (( build” the project in my mind. to set it up, I had two requirements. First, you shouldn't have to be a computer whiz to use it. And second, it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. I think we succeeded on both. To keep the costs down, you don't ' have to be hooked up to Internet or any other commercial on-line service (with a high monthly service charge). All you have to do to access WoodNet is set up your computer to call 515-245-9663 and you're immediately hooked directly to WoodNet. It's that simple. And, until April 1st, there's no charge for using WoodNet. After that you can still get into WoodNet and look around for free, but there will be one reason- able flat fee to use all the services. I think we've made WoodNet simple, but if you need a little more help, give Gordon Gaippe a call at 515-282-7000 (on the “old-fashioned” telephone). NEW DEPARTMENT. One final note. We've added a new department called At the Store. Here we test new products and let you know how they stood up in our shop. After you've read it, let me know what you think. (Why not give the new bulletin board a try?) 2 ShopNotes No. 20 ISSUE NUMBER TWENTY Contents Projects & Techniques Adjustable Dado Jig Step Stool This shop-built jig offers a quick setup and guarantees a perfect fit when routing dadoes (or rabbets). 8 Build this strong, sturdy stool in just a few hours with the help of our adjustable dado jig. 10 Cutting Tenons on a Sand Saw_ Accurate cuts. And a quick, easy setup. Two reasons why a band saw is an ideal tool for cutting tenons. Outfeed Table _ 16 This outfeed table makes it easy to cut large workpieces on the table saw. And It folds away for compact storage. Cutting Rabbets _ 22 Two basic techniques for cutting rabbets on a table saw without using an expensive dado blade. Departments Great Tips Router Table Tips 14 Five tips to help you get the most out of your router table. Selecting Tools Quick-Change Sits 20 Our team tests four quick-change bit systems for your drill. And offers practical suggestions on what to look for. The Small Shop Overhead Storage 22 Three simple solutions to one of the most challenging problems in a small shop — storing lumber. Lumberyard Hardboard. What it is. Where to find it. And how we use it. At the Store New Products 26 27 We test three hot new tools for your workshop. Readers’Tips Shop Solutions 28 Our readers offer solutions to woodworking problems. Finish Room Surface Preparation 30 Careful preparation is the secret to a perfect finish. 1 Adjustable Dado Jig page U Band Sawn Tenons page 10 — ■ — , >xr 1 Overhead Storage page 22 ShopNotes 3 No. 20 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Adjustable Dado Jig You can rout a tight-fitting dado joint in no time with this simple jig. But there's something else you’ll like even better. I t's hard to decide what I like best about this jig. The fact that it allows me to rout perfect dadoes with pinpoint accuracy. Or how incredibly quick and easy it is to set up. No more fiddling with a straightedge to get it positioned just right so the bit cuts exactly where you want. And even if you need to make two passes (for a wide dado or a piece of plywood that’s an odd thickness), there’s no need to readjust the jig to sneak up on the final width. TEMPLATE. The reason is simple. The jig can be adjusted to form an opening that’s an exact tem- plate of the width of the dado. Once you set this opening to the correct width, what you see is what you get when you rout the dado, see photo above. (Note: You can use this jig to rout dadoes from Vz" to IV 2 " wide.) ADJUSTMENTS. And setting the opening is auto- matic. Just insert the piece that’s going to fit in the dado and close the jig around it, see photo A . Since the thickness of the workpiece is what determines the opening, you’re guaranteed a tight fit. Even easier than setting the opening is transfer- ring it to the workpiece. Instead of the guesswork that’s usually involved with a straightedge, simply clamp the jig to the workpiece so the opening aligns with the desired location of the dado, see photo B. (Note: This jig handles workpieces up to 25” wide.) REFERENCE edges. What makes all this work is the edges on the parts of the jig that form the opening serve as a reference to indicate the path of the router bit. So as the base of the router rides against a guide strip, the bit cuts exactly at the reference edge, see photo C. Step-by-Slep A. Adjust Opening. It’s easy to adjust the opening to cut a perfect dado. Just insert the piece that fits in the dado, close the jig, and lock in the adjustment. B. Clamp Jig. Now clamp the jig to the workpiece so the opening aligns with the location of the dado. A cleat in front helps square the jig to the edge. aligns perfectly with the edges of the opening, run the base of the router against the two guide strips. 4 ShopNotes No. 20 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Base The base of the adjustable dado jig consists of two parts that work together to form a template of the dado. One part is fixed, and the other is adjustable. Except for the fact that one part moves and the other doesn’t, they’re basically the same. So it’s easiest to build one large blank, then rip it into two equal parts. BLANK. The blank starts out as two oversize base pieces (A) that act as a platform for the router, see Fig. 1. These are just pieces of V4" Masonite held together with contact cement. GUIDE STRIPS. The router is tracked by a pair of Masonite guide strips (B) that are glued to the base pieces, see Fig. 1. Don’t worry about getting the guide strips and base pieces perfectly flush. The accuracy will be built in as you true up the base. Start by jointing one edge and then ripping the opposite edge. Once you have two “good” outside edges, you can cut the base to final length (29") and trim the in- side edges — the ones that guide the base of the router. Trimming these edges also serves another purpose. By ad- justing the height of the saw blade so it cuts Vs" deep into the base piece, it creates a relief for sawdust, see Figs. 2 and 2a. Next, to make two equal halves, just rip the base down the middle, see Fig. 2b. REFERENCE EDGE. Now you can establish the reference edges by routing the waste off each half. Keep in mind that these edges are only a reference for your router. So use the same router and bit as the one you plan to use with the jig. (I used a V2" straight bit.) One thing to be aware of is the bit may not be centered in the router base. To get an accurate ref- erence edge, draw an arrow on the base and always keep it against the guide strips, see Figs. 3 and 3a. *, V J NOTE: REMOVE WASTE FROM BOTH HALVES WASTE GUIDE STRIP STRAIGHT BIT - ROUTER BASE No. 20 ShopNotes 5 JIGS & ACCESSORIES C/eats Hardware • ( 4)#&x1"Fh Wood screws • (4) #8> x IV 4 " Fh Woodscrews • (2) 5 /ie" T-Nuts • (2) 5 /w” Washers • (2) 5 /f6"x 1" Threaded Knobs* *ShopNotes Project 5uppiies is offering a set of four knobs (no. 7016-220) for $7.95. To order, calk 300-444-7002 With the base complete, the next step is to add two cleats. These cleats help square up the jig to the workpiece. And they let you adjust the opening to the desired width of the dado. Each cleat (C) is made from a piece of 8 /i"-thick hardwood, see Fig. 4. (I used maple.) To provide a recess for a threaded knob and washer (installed later), there's a shallow groove running down the length of each cleat, see Fig. 4a. SLOTS. The next step is to cut a slot in each cleat. These slots allow you to slide the adjustable half of the base back and forth to change the width of the opening. Before locating the slots, you'll need to first decide which half of the base is the adjustable part. Then, after drilling a pair of coun- terbored shank holes for two T- nuts (added later), you can use the holes to locate the slots, see Figs. 4 and 4b. This is just a matter of clamp- ing the fixed half of the base to the cleats and butting the adjust- able half against it, see Fig. 5. Now mark one end of each slot through the holes, slide the ad- justable half back so it's flush with the ends of the cleats, and mark the other end, see Fig. 5a. ASSEMBLY. After cutting the slots, all that's left is to attach the two halves of the base to the cleats. When attaching the fixed half, check that the cleats are 90° to the base. Then glue and screw them in place so the ends are flush with the edge of the base. The adjustable part of the base is attached next. Each end is held in place with a threaded knob (or machine screw) that passes through the slot in the cleat and into a T-nut, refer to Fig. 4b. (For sources of knobs, see margin.) NOTE: AFTER LOCATING END HOLES. CUT 5 /i 6 "-WIDE SLOT THIRD: SLIDE ADJUSTABLE HALF BACK AND MARK OPPOSITE END FIRST: CLAMP FIXED HALF OF BASE FLUSH WITH CLEATS SECOND: BUTT TWO HALVES TOGETHER AND MARK ONE END OF SLOT CLEAT 6 ShopNotes No. 20 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Using the Jig _ It’s hard not to get spoiled when using this adjustable dado jig. A simple layout and a quick ad- justment and you’re ready to clamp the jig and rout the dado, see Steps 1 through 4 below. When clamping the jig, there are several options. A long work- piece can be extended over the edge of the bench or supported on a pair of sawhorses. But to pro- vide clearance for the clamp heads when routing a small panel, you’ll need to raise the work off the bench with a scrap piece. Step 1 . Using a try square, lay out one side of the dado. To ensure that you rout on the correct side of the line, mark an Y to show the waste area. Step 2 . To set the width of the opening, insert the piece that fits in the dado and slide the adjustable half of the jig against it. Then tighten the knob. KEEP ARROW AGAINST GUIDE STRIP WORKPIECE Step 3 . With the cleat against the edge of the work- piece, clamp the jig in place so one reference edge is on the layout line and the Y shows in the opening. Step 4 . After adjusting the depth of cut, rout in a clockwise direction. Fora consistent cut, always keep the arrow on the router base against the guide strips. Stopped Dadoes and Rabbets Stopped Dado. An easy way to rout a stopped dado is to carpet tape a stop block to the jig. To position the block, align the edge of the router bit with the end of the dado. Rabbet. You can also use this jig to cut a rabbet. To support the jig (and ensure a consistent depth of cut), slide a scrap under the part that hangs over the workpiece. WORKPIECE No. 20 ShopNotes 7 Step Stool Here's a strong , sturdy step stool you can knock out in a few hours. I t’s always easier to tuck shop supplies up out of the way than it is to get them back down. And if something turns up missing, there’s a good chance that it has migrated clear to the back of the highest shelf. To make these supplies easily accessible, I decided to build a step stool for the shop, see photo. What I wanted was a stool with a simple design that I could knock out in a few hours. Yet it still had to provide a strong, sturdy plat- form to stand on. SIDES. The key to this stability is to make the sides of the stool wide at the bottom, see Exploded View. That way, it distributes your weight across a larger area when you stand on the stool. Also, to keep from kicking the steps as you climb up, the sides are tapered. Each side (A) starts out as a rectangular panel glued up from pieces of 3 / 4 M -thick stock, see Fig. 1. (I used pine.) Cutting the pan- els to width is easy. Just rip them on the table saw. But cutting them to length is a bit trickier. Since the ends are uneven, you can’t run the panel against the rip fence. And using a miter gauge to crosscut a wide panel requires balancing it out in front of the saw table. So I used a circular saw in- stead, see left-hand box on page 9. RECESSES. Once the panels are cut to size, you can cut recesses for the steps. There’s a rabbet along the top edge of each panel for the top step, see Exploded View. And a stopped dado near the middle for the bottom step. An easy way to make both cuts \ is to use the adjustable dado jig shown on page 4. But in order to adjust the jig, you’ll need to have the steps in hand. (For more on setting up the jig, refer to page 7.) STEPS. To provide a strong platform to stand on, each step (B) is cut from a piece of 'Wo by” lumber, see Exploded View. To EXPLODED VIEW 8 ShopNotes No. 20 HANDS-ON PROJECT get the bottom step to fit snug in the curved corners of the stopped dado, I routed the top and bottom edges with a V 4 " round-over bit. And while I was at it, I rounded over all the comers except the two that fit in the stopped dado. LAY OUT. Now you're ready to lay out the shape of the sides on the panels. In addition to the an- gled edges, there are two curves. A long curve on the bottom forms two “feet” that prevent the stool from rocking, see Fig. 1. And there's a short curve on the front edge of each side to keep from accidentally kicking the stool when you're working around it. (For an easy way to lay out a curve, see the right-hand box below.) To make both sides symmetri- cal, I carpet-taped them together before cutting the basic shape. Then, after rough cutting the shape with a band saw (or sabre saw), sand up to the lines and sof- ten all the edges by sanding. assembly.AII that's left to complete the stool is to assemble the pieces. After positioning the steps as shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, they're attached to the sides with glue and screws. Finally, to pro- duce a durable finish, I brushed on three coats of polyurethane. Crosscutting a Wide Panel I Laying Out a Curve A With a straightedge clamped to the panel, use a circular saw to crosscut the end. To prevent chipout, make a light scoring pass followed by a full depth cut. A An easy way to lay out a smooth curve is to bend a thin strip of wood so it contacts three layout points. Then just have a helper draw the curve on the workpiece. No. 20 ShopNotes 9 TECHNIQUE Cutting Tenons * on a Band Saw W hen it comes to cut- ting a tenon, there's one tool that often gets overlooked — a band saw. But when you stop and think about it, a band saw is the perfect tool for cutting tenons quickly and easily. It's much faster than making a series of passes on the table saw (especially if you have a lot of tenons to cut). Or, if you normally stand the workpiece on end and clamp it in a special jig, you'll find that a band saw simplifies what can be a tricky cut. TWO CUTS. That's because cutting a tenon on a band saw only requires two basic cuts. A crosscut to establish the shoulders, see left-hand photo be- low and drawing on opposite page. And a rip cut to Our simple technique and a fence are all you need to cut perfect tenons on a band saw . form the cheeks of the tenon, see right-hand photo. tune-up. To make these cuts as accurate as possible, it's a good idea to check that your band saw is in top running condition, see checklist on page 11. In addition, a fence like the one shown on the next page will ensure straight, consis- tent cuts. (Editor's Note : There's also a complete band saw fence system in ShopNotes No. 8.) CUT PIECES TO SIZE. One more thing. Before you get started, you'll need to cut all the pieces to finished size. When determining the length of each piece, don't forget to add the combined length of the tenons to the shoulder to shoulder distance re- quired by the project. Cheeks . A rip cut forms the cheeks of the tenon. Just hold the workpiece against the fence and use a stop block to ensure a consistent depth of cut Shoulders . To establish the shoulders of the tenon , crosscut all four sides. A fence acts as a stop. And a miter gauge squares the workpiece to the blade. 10 ShopNotes No. 20 u TECHNIQUE Band 5aw Checklist Install a sharp band saw blade with 7-8 teeth per inch. Tension the blade as if you’re using the next largest size. Use a try square to position the table so it's square to the blade. Square the head of the miter gauge to the miter gauge slot. Move the guide blocks as close to the blade as possible. Position the thrust bearings just slightly behind the blade. TENON ANATOMY BAND SAW FENCE The key to cutting a tenon on a band saw is to make straight cuts at a consistent depth. Which is what this shop-made fence and stop block are designed to do. fence. The fence (A) is a 3"- tall (wide) strip of 3 / 4 -thick ply- wood with an open slot on one end for a stop block, see draw- ing. To provide a clamping platform, the fence is screwed to a plywood base (B) to form an L-shape. rail. To keep the fence paral- lel to the blade, a rail ( C) attaches to the base and slides along the edge of the table. Note: If the table casting is rough, see margin. NOTCH. The rail has a notch cut in it to provide clearance for the bar on the miter gauge. To locate this notch, butt the fence against the blade and position one end of the rail flush with the base. Then mark the notch so it extends from the miter gauge slot to the other end of the rail. STOP BLOCK. To control the depth of cut, I added a stop block (D). This is a 3 / 4 "-thick plywood block that’s attached to the fence with a carriage bolt and wing nut. Note: To provide sawdust relief, chamfer the bottom front corner. NOTE: ALL PARTS ARE 3 /4*- THICK PLYWOOD No. 20 ShopNotes 11 TECHNIQUE Layout Trying to lay out a tenon without a mortise is like clapping with one hand. So the first thing I do is cut a sample mortise. There's nothing critical about the length and depth of this mor- tise. The key is to cut it with the same size drill bit (or router bit) that you intend to use for the mortises on the project pieces. This way, you can use the sam- ple mortise as a gauge to lay out the thickness of the tenon, see left-hand photo. In addition to thickness, you'll also need to lay out the length of the tenon, see right-hand photo. Thickness . To establish the thick- ness of the tenon, draw lines just inside the walls of the mortise. Length . Use a try square to lay out the shoulders and determine the length of the tenon. Step-ky-Step Once you've laid out the tenon, it's just a matter of following a simple cutting sequence. First, the shoulders. Then the cheeks. SHOULDERS The shoulder cuts determine the length of the tenon. Typically, they're made on all four sides of the workpiece. To produce a tight fit with the adjoining piece, each cut needs to be an equal distance from the end. STOP. An easy way to make these cuts accurately is to use the fence as a “stop." To do this, clamp the fence in place so when the end of the workpiece is against it, the blade will cut just to the waste side of the shoulder line, see Step 1. STOP BLOCK. In addition to length, you also need to establish a consistent depth of cut. That's where the stop block comes in. But before you can position the stop block, you'll need to cut one shoulder first. The idea here is to use the mi- ter gauge to cut slightly past the point where the lines for the shoul- der and cheek meet, see Fig. 2. This way, the waste piece will fall off when you cut the cheek later. Once you make the first shoulder cut, turn off the saw and slide the stop block up against the workpiece. Tighten- ing the stop block in place allows you to cut each of the remaining shoulders to a consistent depth, see Step 3. Note: If the top and bottom shoulders of the tenon aren't the same depth as the side shoulders, Step 1 . Position workpiece so blade will cut just inside shoulder line and slide fence over as a “stop. ” Step 2 . After cutting just slightly into the tenon, turn off the saw and slide the stop block against the workpiece. Step 3 . Now make each of the re- maining shoulder cuts, rotating the workpiece between each cut. 12 ShopNotes No. 20 TECHNIQUE you'll need to reposition the stop block between cuts. CHEEKS After cutting all of the shoulders on the project pieces, you can con- centrate on the cheeks. They es- tablish the thickness of the tenon. FENCE. What you want is to cut the cheeks so the tenon fits snug in the sample mortise. To do this, use the fence to position the test piece so the blade will cut the tenon just a bit “fat,” see Step 4. DEPTH OF CUT. Here again, the stop block is used to control the depth of cut. And as before, you'll need to cut the first cheek, turn off the saw, and lock the stop block in place, see Step 5. Then just flip the test piece and cut the other cheek. CHECK FIT. Now you can fit the tenon in the sample mortise, see Step 6. If it's too tight, repo- sition the fence and take a bit off both cheeks. Once you're satis- fied with the fit, you can cut the cheeks on the project pieces. TRIM TO WIDTH. All that's left is to trim the tenons to width. This requires repositioning the fence (not the stop block) one more time, see Step 7. Mortises Once all the tenons are cut, you can use them to lay out the mor- tises on the adjoining pieces. LENGTH. The length of the mortise is laid out on the edge of the workpiece. This is just a mat- ter of using the width of the tenon to mark the ends of the mortise, see Step 1. depth. Now you can lay out the depth of the mortise on the face of the workpiece. To ensure that the pieces fit tight together (and to allow for any excess glue), make the mortise about Vg" deeper than the length of the tenon, see Step 2. Step 4. To cut the cheeks, adjust the fence so the blade is aligned on the waste side of the layout line. Step 6. Use the sample mortise to check the fit of the tenon. If neces- sary, shave a bit off both cheeks. Step 1. To lay out the length of the mortise, place the tenon across the edge of the workpiece. Step 5. After cutting the first cheek, turn off the saw. Then position the stop block and cut the opposite cheek. Step 7. To trim the tenon to width, adjust the fence so the waste falls to the outside of the workpiece. Step 2. To allow room for excess glue, the mortise should be about an Vs" deeper than the length of the tenon. No. 20 ShopNotes 13 GREAT TIPS Router Table Tips * Here are five great tips that will help make your router table more useful and safer as well. Puehblock ■ Routing the end of a workpiece can be both difficult and danger- ous. To do this easily and safely, I use a shop-made combination push block and backing board, see photo. The push block is just a 3 / 4 H - thick plywood base with a hard- wood cleat attached to the front of the base, see drawing. Before gluing the cleat in place, I cut an arc on the front, outside corner of the base so I’d be able to “clamp” the workpiece against the cleat with my left hand. Also, to grip the workpiece even more, I glued a piece of sandpaper to the cleat. And to help keep a constant feed rate on the workpiece and make it easier to control the push block, a dowel serves as a simple handle. Fence Micro-Adjuster ■ It can be a challenge to move a router table fence just a touch. To do this, I use a micro-adjuster, see photo. It clamps to the edge of the ROUTER TABLE FENCE THREADED INSERT WASHER HEX NUT table top and connects to the fence by way of a threaded rod and insert, see drawing. threaded rod with a hex nut and After the fence is roughly posi- a lock nut to hold the rod in place, tioned, clamp the adjuster to the The micro-adjuster is a block of wood with a hole in the center for the rod. In my case, I used a V 4 " And a knurled nut tightened against the hex nut makes a handy knob. table. Then fine tune its position by turning the knurled nut, and clamp the fence in place. 14 ShopNotes No. 20 GREAT TIPS Routing Multiples ■ One of the simplest ways to du- plicate curved parts is to use a template and a flush trim bit, see photo. It’s quicker and more accu- rate than roughing out the shape on a band saw and sanding up to a layout line — especially when you’re making multiples. To start, make an exact tem- plate of the part (I use Vi' -thick Masonite). Then trace the tem- plate on the workpiece and rough cut the shape to within Vie" of the layout line. Once the part is roughed out, attach the template to the workpiece with double- sided carpet tape. To rout the final shape, adjust the flush trim bit so the bearing rides against the template. Feed the workpiece into the bit in a right-to-left direction — on the left side of the bearing. BEARING RIDES ON TEMPLATE MADE OF !4" THICK MASONITE FLUSH TRIM BIT Spring-loaded Hold-Down ■ I often use the router table for cutting joints (such as rabbets and dadoes). One of the secrets I’ve found to routing an accurate joint is to make sure the work- piece is pressed firmly against the table top. To apply constant, downward pressure, I made a simple “spring-loaded” hold-down. It’s nothing more than a piece of wood with a thin strip glued to one edge, see drawing. To build in some spring, re- move two corners from the scrap piece before attaching the strip. In use, the hold-down is clamped to the fence so enough downward pressure can be ap- plied to the workpiece to keep it flat against the table top — with- out causing the workpiece to bind. -"STEP1 RIP STRIP AND ^^STEP2 REMOVE EARS ^ GLUE STRIP FROM BLANK TO BLANK Shop-Made Dowels ■ Quite often I don’t have the dowel I need on hand — sol make my own using the router table, see photo. (Note: This technique works best for dowels that are V 2 " or larger.) Here’s how to do it. First, square up a piece of stock so it has the same finished dimensions as the diameter of the dowel you need. Then round over the four edges of the blank with a round- over bit that’s half the diameter of the finished dowel you’re after, see drawing. As you’re routing, leave a few inches at both ends square to pre- vent the workpiece from spin- ning. Once all four edges have been routed, just cut off the square ends and lightly sand the dowel smooth. RADIUS OF ROUND-OVER BIT EQUALS HALF THE DIAMETER OF THE DOWEL NOTE: REMOVE ONE EDGE AT A TIME LEAVING THE ENDS SQUARE rV~Vs iW) No. 20 ShopNotes 15 FEATURE PROJECT Outfeed Table • With this outfeed table attached to your table saw, you’ll be able to cut full-size sheets of plywood and extra-long pieces of lumber — by yourself A n outfeed table on the back of a table saw is like having a second paii^ of hands in the shop. This outfeed table is designed to “catch” a full sheet of plywood or a long board as you're completing the cut, see photo above. PIPE. Rather than connect the ta- ble directly to the saw, it rests on a pipe supported by arms bolted to your saw's extension wings. (If your wings don't have pre-drilled holes, you’ll need to drill them.) Supporting the table like this does a couple of things. First, it allows the table to be mounted on any saw (even one with a rear mounted motor, see photo above). And second, the arms hold the pipe out far enough past the back of the saw so a rear mounted motor can pivot when the blade is tilted. ADJUSTABLE. But there's another benefit to mounting the outfeed table this way. The table can be positioned anywhere across the back of the saw for any size piece of lumber your saw can handle, see photo A below. And to reposition the table, just lift up on the legs and slide it across the pipe. STORAGE. When not in use, the outfeed table can be quickly and easily removed from the saw by pulling a pair of pins, see photo B. Also, the legs attach to the top by a pair of hinges so the support can be folded up for compact storage, see photo C. A . Position . You can position the out- feed table anywhere across the back of the table saw — for any size workpiece. B. Removal . The outfeed table can be quickly and easily removed from the saw by pulling two quick-release pins. C. Storage. When you’re through using the outfeed table you can fold it up for compact, space-saving storage. 16 ShopNotes No. 20 FEATURE PROJECT EXPLODED VIEW OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 13y2 M Wx33 1 A"Lx33 1 /2 ,, H FRONT/ SACK MOUNTING HARDWARE (AS REQUIRED) Materiaie Table A Sidee (2) 3 /4x3- 33V4 3 Front/5ack (2) 3 /4x3 -12 C Hinge Support (1) 3 /4x3 -12 P Top (1) 13V2 x 33V4 - V 4 ply. Leg Assembly E Sides (2) 3/4 x 3 - 29V2 F Rails (3) 3/4x3- 12 G base (1) 3/4 X 3 - 20 Mount H Support Arme (2) 3 /4x 3 - 23 1 Uppr. Mnt. Siock (1) W 2 x l * 1 2 3 * /8 - 73/2 J Lwr. Mnt. Slock (1) 3 /4 X 1 3 /3 - 13V2 Cutting Diagram 3 / 4 " x 4" - 96" A E G C %" x 4" - 96" A E > . '/IMi 3/ 4 " x 4" - 96" F F F | H 1 H W/. 5 /4 m x 4" - 30V - — J 3? v jj. TzrruT. ALSO NEEDED: 24" x 46" - !4" SIRCH PLYWOOD Hardware (32) #3 x IV 2 " Fh Woodscrews (1 oz.) 3 U" x #13 Wire brads (2) 5 /i6" T-nuts (2) 5 /i6" x 2" Hex bolts (2) 5 /ie" Flat Washers (2) 5 /w" Wing Nuts (1 pr.) 2“ x 2" butt Hinges w I Screws (1) 3" Hook & Eye (2) V 4 " x 3" Hex bolts (1) Vz"-dia. x43" (rgh.) black Iron Pipe Also Needed: Mounting hardware to attach arms to table saw. No. 20 ShopNotes 17 The outfeed table consists of two main parts: a rectangular-shaped top, and an open-framed leg as- sembly, see drawing. They're con- nected with hinges to form an “L.” The top is nothing more than a four-sided frame made up of two sides (A), & front (B), and a back (B), see Fig. 1. (I used 3 / 4 M -thick hard maple.) The sides are simply butted up against the front and back and then screwed together. To provide a surface to screw the hinge into later, I added a hinge support (C) between the sides of the frame, see Fig. 1. With the frame complete, all that's left is to cut a top (D) to fit. LEG ASSEMBLY Now you're ready for the leg as- sembly. It's built much like the top, except it's open and has an oversized base, see Fig. 2. To determine the length of your sides (E), measure from the top of the table saw to the floor. Then subtract 5". (This allows for the table and levelers added later.) And to prevent racking, there are three rails (F) that fit be- tween the sides: two at the top, and one at the bottom. BASE. Once you've screwed the frame together, the next step is to add a base (G). It extends past the sides to provide a stable foun- dation. And allows clearance for two simple levelers, see Fig. 2a. With the leg assembly com- plete, you can attach it to the top with a pair of 2" butt hinges, see detail 'a' above. Then to “lock" the table to the leg assembly when it's in use, install a screw T hook and an eye, see detail ‘b' above. 18 ShopNotes No. 20 FEATURE PROJECT Mounting the Table The outfeed table mounts to the saw by way of an iron pipe, a pair of support arms, and two mount- ing blocks, see Fig. 3. ARMS The support arms (H) are de- signed to bolt to the wings, see Fig. 3. They're identical except for two things. One arm has a notch cut near the middle so it can fit around the fence rail, see Fig. 3b. And there's a count erbored hole for the pipe on the inside face of each arm, see Fig. 3a. Once the arms are complete, you can mount them to your saw (with the pipe cut to fit between them). Note: If you have to drill holes in the wings, clamp the arms in place and drill holes through both, see Fig. 3. As you mount the arms, make sure they're flush with the top of the wings and flush at the ends. MOUNTING BLOCKS Next, to provide a simple way for the outfeed table to “grip" the pipe (and still allow it to slide), I added an upper (I) and a lower mounting block (J) to the front of the top, see Fig. 4. These blocks are attached to the top to form a “channel" for the pipe. The two mounting blocks are made from s 4"-thick stock, with the upper block consisting of two glued-up pieces. After the blanks are cut to size, drill two counterbored holes for the two V 4 " pins (hex bolts) that “lock" the table to the pipe, see Fig. 4a. To ensure the shank holes in each block align, carpet tape the blanks together before drill- ing the holes. Once the holes are drilled, separate the two pieces and cut a taper in the upper mounting block, see Fig. 4a. This taper pre- vents a workpiece from catching the top as it comes off the saw. With the mounting blocks com- plete, all that's left is to screw them in place, see Fig. 4b. The top edge of the upper mounting block is flush with the top of the outfeed table. The lower block is posi- tioned so the pipe is sandwiched between the two blocks. Once the outfeed table is pinned to the pipe, adjust the lev- elers so the table top is even and level with the saw table, see mar- gin tip at right. Two simple shop- made levelers allow you to compensate for an uneven floor. ShopNotes 19 No. 20 SELECTING TOOLS Quick-Change Bits * Adapter. One quick-change bit system uses an adapter to hold a hex shanked drill or driver bit. To insert a bit, just pull back on the collar. Combination Tool. For fast assembly, this system has a special holder that houses one bit while you’re using the other one. Byetems Adapter Inety-Bit $ 11.95 Bears $ 9.99 Combination Makita $12.95 DrilhN-Drive $12.39 I t's not that Fm in that big of a hurry. It’s just that when I as- semble a project with screws, there are always a few annoying things I could do without. Like fumbling around with the chuck to change back and forth between a drill bit and a screw- driver bit. Or having the bit that Fm not using disappear in my apron pocket or roll under a pile of clutter. And Fve got a hunch Fm not the only one this happens to. Es- pecially when you look at all the quick-change bit systems on the market. These systems mount in a hand-held drill and allow you to drill a hole and drive a screw in a matter of seconds. To find out how well they worked, we tested four commonly available systems, see margin at left and Sources on opposite page. TWO TYPES. Basically, these systems can be broken down into two types.The adapter system al- lows you to quickly insert a hex- shanked drill bit (or screwdriver bit) into a special holder that's tightened in the chuck, see photo above left. And the combination tool houses both bits in a single unit, see photo above right. testers. To provide a reliable comparison between the differ- ent systems, we asked two wood- workers with different interests and experience to test them out. Steve has been building projects for his house and shop for years. While Cary is just getting start- ing in woodworking. Let's start with the adapter systems. How well do they live up to their “quick-change” name? Steve: They're fast and simple to use as well. To insert a bit, I just pull back (or push forward) a spring-loaded collar that's like the fitting on an air hose. (See bottom left drawing.) This lets a ball bearing slip into a notch in the bit and lock it in place. BALL BEARING SLIPS INTO NOTCH IN BIT ADAPTER SYSTEM NOTCH SPRING COLLAR CROSS SECTION Hex Shank Bits. A hollow shank and an Allen screw make the Insty-Bit replaceable (left). But the Sears bit (right) is permanently attached to the shank. 20 ShopNotes No. 20 SELECTING TOOLS Cary: The thing that bugs me is I have to slide the Sears collar foward while pushing the bit back into the adapter — like patting my stomach and rubbing my head at the same time. Pulling the col- lar back on the Insty-Bit adapter was a much more natural motion. Steve: Another thing I liked about the Insty-Bit collar is it's made of metal — not plastic like the Sears. So I’d be willing to bet it will last a lot longer. What about the bits that come with the adapters? Cary: The bits are sold sepa- rately. But what’s nice is any hex shank drill or driver bit (with a notch) wall work. In fact, I’ve seen twist bits, tapered bits, and even brad point bits with hex shanks. Steve: One thing I’d look for is a bit that can be replaced when it gets dull or broken. (See bottom right drawing on opposite page.) There’s no sense buying “throw- away” bits. m How do the combination tool systems stack up against the adapter systems? Steve: These systems look a bit clunky. But they work better than they look. Especially the Makita. That’s because it has a double- ended bit that’s secured in a spe- cial holder. (See drawing above.) While I’m using the drill bit, the end with the driver bit fits in the holder. So I don’t have to worry about losing a bit. And locking the bits in place is simple. Just click down on a metal collar on the holder. When I’m really rolling, changing back and forth between bits is like pump- ing a shotgun between rounds. Cary: The Drill-N-Drive (also called Chuck-Mate) uses a differ- ent system. Here, the driver bit is always chucked in the drill. (See drawing above.) And the drill bit is secured to a holder with prongs that fit down between the gaps in the jaws. At first, I thought the holder would slip. But a metal ring pinches the prongs together and locks it in place. Countersinks . Each countersink above cuts a clean hole. But the single flute on the Makita (left) tends to clog up unlike the dou- ble fluted Insty-Bit (center) or four-fluted Drill-N-Drive (right). All in all, the Drill-N-Drive is as quick as the Makita. But not as convenient — it’s still too easy to set down the drill bit and lose it. E5 What did you think about the quality of the holes drilled — es- pecially the countersinks? Steve: I liked the clean holes cut by the countersink on the Makita. (See drawing below.) Al- though it tends to clog up a bit, it’s easy to flick out the sawdust. Cary: That was kind of a nui- sance for me. I found that the countersinks on the Insty-Bit and the Drill-N-Drive didn’t clog as much. And they cut perfect holes. m Okay , it’s time to show your cards. Which quick-change bit system would you buy? Steve: The Makita is just what I need for fast assembly work. It drills a clean hole. And since it’s self-contained, I don’t spend time searching for lost bits. Cary: No question about it. I’d get the Insty-Bit adapter. Even if I only bought a driver bit and countersink, I’d have the same capability as the combination tools. Yet I can make it more ver- satile by buying additional bits. Sources Insty-Sit McFeely’e 300 - 443-7937 Woodworker’s Store 300 - 279-4441 Sears Sears Dept. Stores Makita Trendlines 300 - 767-9999 Kel-Weico 300 - 793-6969 Drill-N-Drive Highland Hardware 300 - 241-6743 Woodworker’s Supply 300 - 645-9292 No. 20 ShopNotes 21 THE SMALL SHOP Overhead Storage Here are three simple ways to take advantage of the unused overhead space in your shop. O ne of the toughest problems to overcome in a small shop is storage space — particularly when trying to store lumber. Walls and floor space fill up quickly. So just like a crowded city, some- times the only way to go is up. When you put your mind to it, it's amazing how much storage space is available overhead. Here’s a collection of three of our favorite lumber storage ideas for the small shop. Rings cut from PVC pipe to hold dowels. A lattice system for storing and organizing strips and cutoffs. And a simple lumber rack for storing boards, see photo. DOWEL RACK If you’re like me, you have quite a few different lengths of dowel on hand. In my shop, I have to dig around inside a box every time I need a dowel. One way to keep them organized and out of the way is with this joist-mounted dowel rack, see Fig. 1. The dowel rack is nothing more than three 4"- long rings of 6”-diameter PVC pipe. (Your local hardware store should be able to cut the PVC to length for you. Or you can use a hack saw.) Then just drill a couple of holes in each ring and screw them to a ceiling joist. CUTOFF ORGANIZER Many woodworkers (myself included) seem to be collectors of cutoffs — strips of lumber that aren’t 22 ShopNotes No. 20 THE SMALL SHOP the right size for your proj ect , but too good to use as firewood. If you have an exposed ceiling, the space between the joists is a great place for storing and organ- izing those strips and cutoffs. The organizer is just rows of cleats that you screw to the joists to form a lattice, see Fig. 2. Shorter cutoffs only require a few cleats. Longer cutoffs re- quire additional cleats. To make it easy to slide pieces on top of the cleats, the edges are rounded over, see Fig. 2a. LUMBER RACK One of the toughest problems in a small shop is storing long pieces of lumber. This overhead lumber rack takes advantage of any un- used space above a stationary tool or worksurface, see photo on opposite page. The lumber rack consists of three parts: a support bracket and two identical arms — all cut from “two-by” material, see drawing at right. To support a heavy load, the arms attach to the brackets with simple half-lap joints and are glued and screwed in place. Rack Mounting Options The lumber rack can be mounted to either a wall or a ceiling. WALL. If you’re mounting it to a wall, the first thing you need to do is locate the studs, see Fig. 1. Then, to support a heavy load, screw each rack to a stud with lag screws and washers. If you’re mounting the rack to a concrete or block wall, be sure to use the appropriate anchors and bolts to support the load. CEILING. The rack can also be hung from the ceiling, see Fig. 2. For this, all you have to do is drill a couple holes through the joists and the rack for bolts. No. 20 ShopNotes 23 TECHNIQUE Cutting Rabbets on the Table Saw A lthough many woodworkers think you have to own an expensive dado blade to cut rab- bets on the table saw, you don't. In fact, for years all I ever used was my everyday saw blade. It's still the quickest way when I just need to cut a few rabbets and don't want to bother changing blades. TWO methods. I use two methods to cut rabbets without a dado blade. One way is to make two cuts that intersect to form a rabbet. The other method “nibbles" away at the waste to create the rabbet. Depending on whether the rabbet is on the edge or end of the board, each has its advantages. ▲ You don’t need an expensive dado blade to cut accurate rabbets on the table saw. Your everyday saw blade will work just fine. Two-Pass Method EDGE CUT The smoothest rabbet is pro- duced using the two-pass meth- od. The first pass forms the shoulder of the rabbet, see Fig. 1. The second pass establishes the depth of the rabbet, see Fig. 2. Note: When standing a wide workpiece on edge, it's best to support it with a tall auxiliary fence clamped to the rip fence. END CUT With the two- pass method, cutting a rabbet on the end of a board requires two setups. The first setup uses the miter gauge, with the fence as a stop, see Fig. 1. For the next setup, you'll need a T-shaped support to hold the workpiece on end, see Fig. 2. This support rides along the top of the rip fence to ensure a 90° cut. 24 ShopNotes No. 20 TECHNIQUE Multiple-Paee Method END CUT When I need to quickly cut a rabbet on the end of a board, I “nibble” away at the waste. Although it takes mul- tiple passes, you don’t have to deal with any special setups or hold-downs. All you need is a mi- ter gauge with an auxiliary fence, see Fig. 1. The height of the blade equals the depth of the rabbet, see Fig. 2. The distance between the fence and the outside edge of the blade equals the width of the rabbet. When cutting the shoulder, keep the end of the workpiece against the fence. Then nibble away the waste by sliding the workpiece away from the blade an Vs" after each pass. Continue I sliding and nibbling until the rab- bet is complete, see Fig. 3. to TZZ±) NIBBLE AWAY WASTE BY SLIDING WORKPIECE AWAY FROM FENCE AFTER EACH PASS I EDGE GUT Rabbeting the edge of an extra- wide workpiece can be difficult using the two- pass method as described on the previous page. To avoid standing an extra- wide workpiece on edge, I “nib- ble” away at the edge using a slightly different technique than the one described above. You’ll need an auxiliary fence so the blade can be buried during the last pass, see Fig. 1. Start by setting the blade to the depth of the rabbet, see Fig. 2. Then position the fence for the shoulder. After you’ve cut the shoulder, it’s simply a matter of moving the fence toward the blade an Vs" at a time. To complete the rabbet, bury the blade in the auxiliary fence and make one last pass, see Fig. 3. 3 0[ s ■■ pi izzz zz \ V t \ s > NIBBLE AWAY WASTE BY SLIDING FENCE BETWEEN PASSES \ \ \ \ ' A.. V \ [fJ ‘i I You can avoid chipout on the end of a board by screwing an auxil- iary fence to your miter gauge. No. 20 ShopNotes 25 LUMBERYAR Hardboard COLOR. Although many woodworkers believe you can tell the difference be- tween standard and service-tempered Ma- sonite by the color of the sheet, you can’t. The color has more to do with the type of wood that was used to make the hardboard. The only real way to tell the two apart is to walk out into the lumberyard and look at the stack. Standard hardboard will have one green stripe painted along one side of the stack. Service-tempered will have two red stripes, see photo A. Although you may be able to see the markings on the edge of an individual sheet, they’re eas- ier to see when you’re looking at the whole stack. smooth both sides. There’s one more thing I look for when buying a sheet of Masonite — I make sure it’s smooth on both sides. Some hardboard comes with one side smooth and the other side textured as a result of the equipment used to process it, see photo B. During manufacturing, some hardboard factories deliver the formed sheet to the hydraulic press by way of a wire screen. This results in a “waffle” imprint on the back of the sheet after it has been pressed. Smooth on both sides is a result of the formed sheet being delivered to the press on a smooth plate. One more thing. Like standard hardboard, I’ve also had a few problems gluing up service-tem- pered hardboard with one side^ textured. That’s why I only use sendee-tempered hardboard that’s smooth on both sides. A. Class Markings . Two red stripes indi- cate service-tempered hardboard. One green stripe indicates standard hardboard. B. Textured Back. This “ waffle ’’ imprint is typical of what you’ll find on hardboard that’s smooth on one side only. Hardboard is an engineered ivood product that's ideal for shop projects . fixtures. It’s hard and dense, holds up well, and is extremely stable during changes in humidity. This also makes it an ideal ma- terial for use as a base for sup- porting the finished surface of table tops and workbenches. TWO TYPES. There are two ba- sic types of Masonite available in 4x8 sheets: standard and service- tempered. I use service-tempered hardboard because it’s harder and more resistant to moisture than standard hardboard. Another reason I prefer serv- ice-tempered over standard is it glues up better. In the past, I’ve had standard hardboard delami- nate on me. This is a problem I’ve never experienced with service- tempered hardboard. The project Fm plan- ning to build from ShopNotes says to use Masonite. What is it , and where can I get some ? Mark Jobst Taos , New Mexico ■ In ShopNotes , hard- board is referred to as Masonite for the same reason most of us re- fer to facial tissue as Kleenex, or cotton swabs as Q- Tips. Masonite Corporation is the leading manufacturer of hard- board products. engineered WOOD. Basically, hardboard is a mixture of finely- ground processed wood and res- ins bonded together under heat and pressure — it’s an engi- neered wood product. It can be shaped into house sid- ing, floor underlayment, panel- ing, and moldings. Or pressed into sheets. Sheets of Masonite are available at most lumber yards and home improvement centers in Vs" and V 4 " thicknesses, see photo above. dense & stable. In our shop, hardboard is mainly used for drawer bottoms and shop jigs and 26 ShopNotes No. 20 AT THE STORE New Products Here’s a look at three new tools that have found a place in our shop. Try Square ■ For years IVe kept a small steel ruler and an engineer's square in the pocket of my shop apron. They're both handy for layout work and checking work- pieces for thickness and square. But when I came across this small adjustable try square in a recent Bridge City Tool Works catalog, I knew it was time to replace the square and ruler I'd been using. The Bridge City AS-3 ($52) combines the two tools I use most often into one tool that fits nicely in the pocket of my apron. It's the most accurate square I know of on the market today. It comes calibrated from the factory with an accuracy of at least .001" over the length of the blade. And if it ever does go out of square I can recalibrate it by ad- justing two small set screws lo- cated in the body, see photo. Source: • Bridge City Tool Works 300 - 253-3332 • Miter Gauge ■ Most miter gauges on the mar- ket are either too expensive, too big, or have too many bells and whistles for me. But at $79.95, this Angle Wright miter gauge is exactly what I've been looking for. The price is reasonable. It's not too big. And it's simple to use. But what impresses me the most is its accuracy. The manu- facturer says it's accurate to within a Vi 5 th of a degree. And I believe it. All my 90° crosscuts and 45° miters are dead on. To change angles, it's simply a matter of loosening a brass knurled nut and repositioning the head on the bar. There are also three Teflon pins in the bar so you can adjust it to ride smoothly in the miter gauge slot with no slop. And, the head even comes pre- drilled so you can add your own auxiliary fence. S ourcee: • AngleWright Tool Co. 310 - 471-7432 • WoodsmithShop 300 - 444-7002 Bench Doge ■ Adding a vise with a bench dog system to a workbench can be a challenge. It can also be expen- sive. But with these Veritas dogs (the Wonder Pup $19.95 and the Wonder Dog $24.95), it's just a matter of drilling a few 3 / 4 "-dia. .holes and dropping them in place. ) The Wonder Pup is used like a traditional bench dog. Just drop it in the hole to hold a workpiece flat against the bench. The taller, spring-loaded Wonder Dog is ideal for securing larger work- pieces to the bench. Both dogs come with the same s 4"-wide (tall) brass head to pro- tect your chisels and plane irons. Also, in a pinch, a pair of them can even be used to make an ex- tra-long bar clamp. To do this, first drill a hole in each end of a scrap piece of 2x4. Then insert a bench dog (or pup) in each hole. Sources: • Veritas Tools Inc. 300 - 267-3767 • Constantine's 300 - 223-3037 • The Woodworkers * Store 300 - 279-4441 No. 20 ShopNotes 27 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Shop Solutions * Sanding Sox ■ I sand a lot of curved parts with a drum sander in the drill press. In the past, I’ve used a separate table for each different sized drum. To simplify things, I made a sanding box that can be used with my entire set, see photo. It’s a deep plywood box with an oversized top and bottom, see drawing. There’s a hole in the top for large drums and another one in the bottom for small drums. (The depth let’s me “bury” the drum and use the full sanding DRUM SANDER FITS INSIDE HOLE LARGE HOLE FLOP VALVE CUT HOLE TO FIT VACUUM HOSE SMALL HOLE FLOP VALVE COVERS HOLE ON BOTTOM surface.) A third hole cut in the side is for a vacuum hose. To improve suction, I added a ‘flop-valve.” It’s just a piece of Masonite that flops over to cover the top or bottom hole when you turn the box over. Paul Herrick ' Reedville , Virginia Sand Saw Table Extension ■ Using a band saw is a quick way to cut large pieces of stock down to size. But the table that comes with most saws isn’t built large enough to handle these pieces safely or comfortably. To solve this problem, I made a simple table extension. It’s just a U-shaped piece of 3 /s"-thick ply- wood that fits around my existing table, see Fig. 2. To support the extension, I at- tached brackets directly to the saw table, see Fig. 1. They’re po- sitioned so that the extension ends up flush with the table top. Then, to hold the table firmly in place, just screw down through the extension into the brackets. Bob Gessner Kennesaw , Georgia 28 ShopNotes No. 20 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Quick Air Filter ■ Even though all the machines in my shop are hooked up to my dust collector, I’ve noticed there still seems to be a lot of fine dust left floating in the air after mak- ing a cut. To solve this, I made an “air” filter. It hooks up to my dust collector just like one of my ma- chines, see drawing. This air filter is basically a large plywood box with a lip on the front. This lip holds an inex- pensive pleated furnace filter. Note: It’s a good idea to purchase the filter before you begin con- struction on the box. A groove cut in the top and bottom pieces creates a slot for the filter to slide in and out, see detail. And a hole cut in the back lets you hook up the hose or ducting from your dust collector. For the best results, hang the air filter from the ceiling in a cen- tral location. And periodically check to make sure that the filter isn’t clogged — especially after you’ve completed a round of heavy sawing or sanding. Dave Zavada Long Point , Illinois Band Clamp Comer Blocks ■ I’ve built the band clamps fea- tured in ShopNotes No. 17. To make them even better I added corner blocks, see drawing. The 90° angle on each block automat- ically squares up your project when the clamp is tightened. They’re just shorter versions of the band clamp but without the eye bolt, wing nut, and end piece. With the end piece gone they’re easier to add or remove. Bobby Cosey Brewton, Alabama Magnetic Vise Fade ■ I often need to install or re- move the pads from my metal bench vise. To make it easy, I made them magnetic, see photo. Just drill several holes in the back of each pad and epoxy an inexpensive magnet in each hole. (Magnets are available at most craft and hobby stores.) Jejflrland Eatontovm , New Jersey 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. 20 ShopNotes 29 THE FINISH ROOM To end up with a professional looking finish, start with careful surface preparation. Surface Preparation A pplying a finish is like a “Catch-22.” Although it em- phasizes the color and grain of the wood, it also puts a magnifying glass on even the tiniest flaws. Once you apply the finish, any tool marks, nicks, or glue spots will stand out like a chrome bumper on a hay wagon. Fortunately, you can prevent this by carefully prepar- ing the surface of the wood. As a rule, I get as many pieces as possible ready for the finish before assembly. Take a table for instance. It's easier to sand the legs and apron separately than when they're joined together at right angles. Note: To ensure a tight fit, just be sure not to sand around the areas where the pieces join together until after you assemble the project. TOOL MARKS. Working on the pieces individually also makes it works fine on large, flat surfaces, the “give” in the foam pad tends to round over the edges. To main- tain a crisp edge (especially on narrow pieces), I switch to a sanding block, see photo C. GRIT. Another thing to con- sider is the sandpaper grit. If it's too coarse, the sandpaper leaves deep scratches that take a longj time to sand out. So unless the surface is extremely rough, I start with 120-grit sandpaper on most projects. Even so, don't waste time with 120-grit if you run across a deep easy to see the “ridges” that often get left behind by the cutters on a jointer, planer, or router. Especially if you shine a light across the work at a low angle, see photo above. To remove these ridges, I use an or- dinary hand scraper, see photo A. But a scraper leaves a surface that looks different than the sur- rounding area when you apply a finish. So you'll need to create a smooth, uniform surface by sanding. SANDING. Although it's not the most exciting job in the world, sanding doesn't have to be a time- consuming chore. The key is to work more efficiently — not harder. It goes without saying that a power sander speeds up the proc- ess, see photo B. But while this Step-by-Step A. Scraper. Use a scraper to remove any tool marks or ridges. Skew the scraper at an angle for the best cut. B. Power Sanding. A power sander makes quick work of removing material on large, flat surfaces. C. Hand Sanding. But on a narrow workpiece, a sanding block ensures a crisp corner and a flat surface. 30 ShopNotes No. 20 THE FINISH ROOM scratch. Switch to a coarser grit to remove the scratch. Then, to ensure that the area takes the finish (or stain) evenly, go back over it with 120-grit sandpaper. change paper. As you sand, change the sandpaper frequently. The abrasive particles only cut fast for the first few minutes. So it just doesn’t pay to massage the surface with worn out sandpaper. direction. The direction you sand is also important. The old rule of thumb holds true here — sand with the grain in a back and forth motion. The noticeable scratches left behind if you sand across the grain require a lot of resanding to remove. CHECK PROGRESS. The dust that builds up as you sand will make the surface feel smooth. But the real test is how it looks. The goal here is to get a consis- tent pattern of scratches. But in order to check, you’ll need to clean off the dust, see photo D. This also picks up any loose pieces of abrasive which can leave telltale scratches of their own when you sand with a finer grit. FINE GRIT. Basically, the fine grit sandpaper creates a series of small scratches that replace the ones made by the previous grit. While it’s tempting to 'jump” a few grits to save some time, you actually end up sanding longer with very fine grits. So I follow up with the next finest grit (150). The final grit you work up to depends on the finish. For a thin, oil finish where the feel of the wood is important, I sand with 180 and 220 grits to create an extra- smooth surface. But with a built- up finish like varnish or lacquer, 150-grit is plenty smooth. END GRAIN. One exception to all this is end grain. Because it’s Sanding doesn't have to be a time consuming chore. The key is to work efficiently — not harder. porous and soaks up more finish (or stain), the color will be darker than surface grain. To get around this, an old trick that works well is to sand end grain one grit finer. GLUE. Although it’s conven- ient to sand pieces in advance, Sanding Tips * Start with 120-grit sandpaper, but use coarser grits for problem areas. * Change sandpaper frequently to produce the best cutting action. * Check that sandpaper is tight on power sander or sanding block. ► Use progressively finer grits of sandpaper without skipping grits. * When hand sanding, use a back and forth motion and go with the grain. there’s a “catch” when you assem- ble the project. Any glue squeezeout that’s left on the wood will show up as a light spot when you apply a stain or finish. The best way to remove glue is to wait until it “skins” over and scrape off the excess, see photo E. Or simply keep the glue from getting on the wood in the first place, see margin at right. MINERAL SPIRITS. One final note. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a chance of a stray “glueprint” going unno- ticed. To make these smudges re- appear, I wipe down the project Use masking tape to keep any glue that squeezes out from getting on the wood. with mineral spirits, see photo F. D. Vacuum. Remove sanding dust E. Remove Glue. After you’ve as- F. Mineral Spirits. Wiping down the and bits of abrasive that have fallen off sembled the project, scrape off the surface with a rag soaked in mineral with a shop vacuum and brush. “skinned over" glue with a chisel. spirits reveals stray glue smudges. No. 20 ShopNotes 31 Scenes From the Shop This classic Stanley No. 78 rabbet plane peels off rib- The single blade can be used in one of two positions. In bons of wood to produce a clean, crisp rabbet. The the center, for a standard cut. Or up front in the “bull- adjustable fence slides on a post to set the ividth of cut. nose” position when you need to cut in tight to a comer.