T IP S • TOOLS* T E C H N I Q U E S We shop-test 12 cordless Which one is the best for you? ® Finish Storage Cabinet ■ Sharpening a Chisel ■ Alternate Hardwoods □ Benchtop Tool Stand EDITOR’S NOTE ST ShopNotes Issue 26 March 1996 publisher Donald B. Peschke editor Richard S. Peters associate editors Tim Robertson Phil Totten art director Cary Christensen senior illustrators Kurt Schultz Roger Reiland Mark Higdon CREATIVE RESOURCES Creative Director: Ted Kralicek ■ Exec. Editoi" Douglas L. Hicks •Asst. Editor: Vincent S. Ancona ■ Project Design Dir.: Ken Munkel ■ Sr. Pivj. De- signer: Kent Welsh 'Shop Manager: Steve Curtis ■ Shop Craftsman: Steve Johnson •Senior Pho- tographer: Crayola England ■ Elec. Publishing: Douglas M. Lidster •Electronic Communication Coord.: Gordon C. Gaippe ■ Assoc. Graphic De- sign Dir.: Susie Rider ■Sera'or Graphic Designed" Chris Glowacki ■ Gtxtphic Designer: Cheryl L. Cynor CIRCULATION Circulation Director: Susan Du Bois ■ Assistant Circ. Dir. Troy Dowell ■ Subscription Managers: Sandy Baum, Paige Rogers ■ Asst. Sub . Mgr.: Julie Greenlee ■ Newsstand Mgr.: Kent A. Buckton CORPORATE SERVICES Vice President, Planning and Finance: Jon Macarthy ■ Co?itroller: Robin Hutchinson ■ Senior Acct.: Laura Thomas ■ Bkpr.: Holly Lucas ■ Production Dir.: George Chmielarz ■ Prod. Mgr.: Carol Qui- jano ■ Prof. Development Dir.: Joyce Moore ■ Net. Adm.: Nick Thielen ■ Admin. Assists.: Cheryl Scott, Julia Fish ■ Receptionist : Jeanne Johnson ■ Building Maint: Ken Griffith MAIL ORDER Operations Director: Bob Baker m AH Director': Cindy Scarpino ■ Materials Mgr.: Mark Mattussi ■ Customer Service Mgr.: Jennie Enos ■ Warehouse Supervisor: Nancy Johnson-Btw/er: Linda Jones ■ System Operator: Tammy Aldini ■ Team Leaden". Karla Cronin ■ Tech. Suppcn± David Stone ■ Cast. Service Reps.: Jennifer Murphy, Joy Krause, Sara Kono, Anna Cox, Adam Best, Kristi An- drews, Margo Petrus ■ Warehouse: Gloria Shee- han, Chuck Carlson, Sylvia Carey, Larry Prine, Scott Gilliam, Cathy Steiner ShopNotes ® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly (Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.) by August Home Publishing, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. ShopNotes ® is a registered trademark of August Home Pub. ©Copyright 1996 by August Home Publishing. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: Single Copy, $4.99. 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, 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, 8am to 5pm, Central Time, weekdays. FAX 515-283-5854 E-Mail. ShopNotes@aol.com Internet: http://www.augusthome.com PRINTED IN U.S.A. WoodNet COMPUTER BULLETIN BOARD FOR WOODWORKERS • Project plans and photos to download • Woodworking Techniques Forum • Indexes for Woodsmith & ShopNotes • FREE download on First call Tb log on to WoodNet, call 1-515-245-9663. If you nave any questions, please give us a call: (voice) 1-515-282-7000 M-F 9-5 CST. Cutoffs K ids in a toy store. That’s the image that comes to mind after watching the guys “play” with the cordless driver/drills we tested for this issue. I’m not sure whether it’s the tool, or the fact that they’re the first cordless tools we’ve looked at. Regardless of the reason, these drills are like magnets. You just have to pick one up and pull the trigger. Flip the forward/reverse switch back and forth. Pull out the battery and snap it back in. And then run the clutch ring through its full range of settings. Once you check out a dozen drills, it’s only natural to make com- parisons — and com- ments. Everything from “I’d never buy that drill” to “the balance on this one is perfect for me.” PERSONAL CHOICE. That brings up a point. There’s something very personal about selecting a tool. Sure, you want to find the drill that drives the most screws and drills the most holes. But it also has to feel right in your hand. If it doesn’t, you’ll be dissatisfied with it every time you pick it up. So even though we ran each of the driver/drills through a rigorous testing procedure (see page 22), you still need to pick up a drill and use it. And I mean really use it — take it home and run it through its paces. If you’re not com- pletely satisfied with it, return it. Of the twelve cordless driver/drills that we tested, we found some big dif- ferences. Priced from $135 to $215, you’d expect each one to be a quality tool. But that wasn’t necessarily the case. The old saying “you get what you pay for” doesn’t always work. (For more on this, refer to page 20.) NEW TOOL. But my fascination with tools isn’t limited to just woodworking. One of the most powerful and versatile tools I own is my personal computer. It’s really amazing what can be accom- plished with it. Especially in this day and age of information superhigh- ways and instant access to the World Wide Web. When I think about the different ways this “tool” can be used, I get ex- cited about the possibili- ties. I’m also excited to an- nounce that the August Home web site is up and running. (A web site is basically an electronic opening that works much like a gate to a backyard.) This site is on the World Wide Web, and anyone that has access to the In- ternet and a web browser can visit us. Our URL (web address) is: http://www.augusthome.com Once you’re in the site, you’ll find tips from our two woodworking magazines: ShopNotes and Woodsmith , special of- fers from the WoodsmithShop catalog and the Woodsmith Store , and a list of current August Home job openings. help wanted. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for some enthusiastic woodworkers to join our staff. We need a project designer with proven design and technical drawing experience. And we’re also looking for an assistant/associate editor as well as an illustrator. If you’re interested in any of these positions, send a resume and letter high- lighting your experience to J.S. Moore, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. 2 ShopNotes No. 26 ISSUE TWENTY-SIX Contents Projects & Techniques Water&tone Basics Tips on selecting, using, and storing waterstones. Sharpening Station 6 Special holders for your sharpening stones are just one of the unique features of this wall-mounted station. Sharpening a Chieei 8 A simple step-by-step approach to a razor-sharp chisel. Shop-Made Knobs 10 Inexpensive and easy to make, these shop-made knobs can be customized to fit your tools, jigs, and fixtures. 13 A simple tap is all it takes to make a threaded part. Finish Storage Cabinet 16 A drop-down work table and a lazy Susan make this cabinet a convenient place to store and apply your finishes. Tapping Threads. Departments Great Tips Miter Gauge Tips 14 Add precision to your miter gauge with these special tips. Selecting Tools Cordless Driver/Drills 20 Our three-man team tests twelve cordless driver/drills and offers suggetions on what to look for. The Small Shop Benchtop Tool Stand 24 Build this “quick-change" stand for your benchtop tools. Lumberyard Alternate Hardwoods 26 Tired of the same old hardwoods? Check these out. At the Store New Products 27 Adjustable Featherboard, MiterMatic, Tru-Fit Miter Bar. Readers’ Tips Shop Solutions 28 Six of our readers offer their own shop-tested solutions. Finish Room Pore Fillers 30 A look at when and how to use pore fillers on a project. Sharpening Station 6 Shop-Made Knobs 10 Finish Storage Cabinet 16 Cordless Drills 20 No. 26 ShopNotes 3 IN THE SHOP Waterstone Basics Waterstones create a razor-sharp edge in minutes. Here are some tips on selecting and using them. I 've been using waterstones to sharpen my tools for several years. They cut faster, leave a sharper edge, and aren't quite as messy as oilstones. And along the way I've learned a few tricks to get the most out of waterstones, see the opposite page. SOFTER ABRASIVE. The main difference between waterstones and oilstones is their degree of hardness. The abrasive material of a waterstone is “softer” than that of an oilstone. So as you're sharpening a tool, the surface of the stone wears away faster, continually exposing a new layer of abrasive particles. With an oilstone, the hard abrasive particles simply round over. As a result, the stone loses much of its cutting ability. Conse- quently, waterstones cut faster than oilstones. An added advantage is that waterstones use water instead of oil to “float” away bits of metal that would otherwise clog up the surface of the stone. So there's no chance of getting oil on your pro- ject and ruining the finish. SELECTING A STONE Choosing a waterstone can be a bit confusing. For starters, you have to decide between a natural or a man-made (synthetic) stone. NATURAL. Natural stones are known for producing the finest edge, particularly on the hard steel blades found in many Japa- nese woodworking tools. But you pay a lot for this extra sharpness — $50 to $175. (Depending on the grit and size of the stone.) synthetic. Man-made stones on the other hand, range from $18 to $80. And for most of the sharp- ening I do, I feel they work just as well as natural stones. GRITS. Waterstones are avail- able in grits from 80 all the way up to 8000. But this wide scale of grits can be broken down into three ranges: coarse (80 to 400), medium (600 to 2000), and fine stones (3000 to 8000). For most sharpening, I start with a medium (1000-grit) stone.( This grit will quickly sharpen a dull blade or chisel, leaving a smooth, gray surface. Then, I switch to a 6000-grit stone to re- move the wire edge and produce a mirror finish. If you don't already have a waterstone, I'd suggest starting with a combination 1000/6000- grit man-made stone. You'll find these stones in most woodwork- ing catalogs, see Sources list on opposite page. Truing a Waterstone . The dark areas and " dished " surface of this stone are indications that it needs flattening. 150-GRIT SANDING SCREEN "SCRUS” STONE‘S ON SCREEN WITH A CIRCULAR MOTION SAND CHAMFER ON EDGES OF STONE - 4 ShopNotes No. 26 IN THE SHOP Using a Wateretone r The key to using a waterstone is to keep it wet while you’re using it. To do this, start by soaking the stone in clean water each time you use it, see top photo at right. Then while you’re sharpening, add more water to the surface as it starts to dry out, see middle photo at right. Note: Don’t ever use oil on a waterstone — oil will clog the stone’s pores and ruin it. SLURRY. As you’re sharpening, you’ll see a muddy sludge or slurry forming on the stone, see top right photo on opposite page. This is just the abrasive material rubbed off from the stone and the metal particles from the tool you’re sharpening. The slurry tends to decrease the cutting ability of the stone, so I usually wipe it off. The only ex- ception is when I’m using a nagura stone, see box below. flatten STONE. Since water- fstones are soft, they tend to wear or dish quickly. For the best sharpening results, you’ll need to true or flatten the stone when it starts to hollow out, refer to bot- tom left photo on opposite page. To do this, lay a sanding screen (the kind used to smooth drywall joint compound) on a piece of ply- wood or medium-density fiber- board (MDF). Rub the stone on the screen in a circular, scrubbing motion. When the stone is flat again, the surface will have a uniform color. Sanding a small (Vs") chamfer on the edges of the stone helps protect them from getting chipped or nicked, refer to inset draw- ing on opposite page. slippage. You’ll need a way to keep the stone from sliding around while you’re sharpening. Try placing a damp paper towel under the stone, or see the Sharp- ening Station on page 6. STORAGE. Ifyoudoalot of sharpening, store your stones in a water-filled con- tainer. This way you won’t have to soak the stone each time you want to use it. Plastic food containers make good storage boxes. The lids fit tightly to keep the water from leaking out, and they come in all sizes, see bottom photo at right. Note: Natural stones will disintegrate if they are stored in water. If you don’t want to store your waterstone in water, try putting it in a resealable plastic bag. The bag helps to re- tain the moisture in the stone so you won’t have to soak it as long the next time you use it. No matter how you store your waterstone, the important thing is to keep it where it won’t freeze. Even a “dry” waterstone con- tains enough water to cause it to crack if it freezes. & Soak Stone . Put the stone in a container of clean water . It’s ready to use when bubbles stop rising to the surface (about five minutes ). Keep Surface Wet A squirt bottle is a handy way to ap- ply water to the stone when it starts to dry out. Storage . Add a couple of drops of bleach to keep “scum” from forming on the sur- face of the water. When I want the ultimate edge on a tool, I use a nagura stone and a 6000 or 8000-grit finishing stone. A nagura is a small, fine- grained stone. It breaks down the abrasive particles of the waterstone and forms a polish- ing paste (or slurry). This slurry imparts a mirror-like finish to the blade’s surface. To use a nagura, simply mb it briskly across the surface of a damp waterstone to create a paste. Then, without remov- ing the mixture, continue sharpening your blade. If the slurry dries out, just add more water and re-apply the nagura stone. Polishing Paste . A nagura stone creates a paste that allows you to produce a mirror-like finish. Sourcee • Japan Woodworker 300 - 537-7320 • Garrett Wade 300 - 221-2942 • Woodcraft 300 - 225-1153 • Trendlines 300 - 767-9999 No. 26 ShopNotes 5 SHOP PROJECT Sharpening Station This shop-made station is at the heart of a quick, easy sharpening system. I t only takes a few min- utes to sharpen a chisel or plane iron. Which is considerably less time than it takes to round up my sharpening sup- plies and clear a place to work. That's why I built this sharpen- ing station. It keeps my sharpen- ing supplies right at hand when I need them. And by attaching the station to the wall, I can use the top to mount my grinder and as a plat- form for sharpening tools by hand. CONTAINER Another thing that makes the entire sharpening process easier is a plastic con- tainer like the kind you see at most discount stores. (I used an 8" x I 3 V 2 " Rubbermaid container that's 3 V 2 " deep.) Filling the container with water creates a reservoir for storing my waterstones. And along with a shop-made stone holder, the con- tainer keeps the waterstone from slipping around as I sharpen, see box on page 7. BOX. Basically, the sharpening station is a plywood box with a sliding door and four pull-out shelves for easy access. After cutting the top and bot- tom (A) of the box to size, they're rabbeted on all four edges, see Figs. 1 and la. Wide rabbets on both ends and along the back edge will accept the sides and back (added later). And a narrow rabbet in the front edge forms part of the track for the sliding door. In addition to the rabbets, two dadoes are cut in each of the top and bottom pieces. Later, these dadoes will accept dividers that form individual compartments. SIDES & dividers. The top and bottom are held together with two sides (B) and a pair of divid-\ ers (C). While the height (length) of these pieces is identical (11"), #& x IV 2 " Fh WOODSCREW #& x IV2" Fh WOODSCREW BACK (irx29”) SACK NOTE: 7 CUT ALL v — DADOES AND RABBETS TO FIT 34"- THICK PLYWOOD DIVIDER (IWxll) CUTVV'-WIDE RABBET W DEEP IN FRONT EDGE ONLY OF TOP AND BOTTOM CUT 1 4“- DEEP RABBET TO FIT 3 /4 m -THICK PLYWOOD BACK ^ CUT!4"-DEEP RABBET TO FIT THICKNESS OF PLYWOOD BACK AND SIDE CUT !4"-DEEP DADO TO FIT 3 /4 h -THICK PLYWOOD DIVIDER NOTE: ^ ALL PARTS ARE 3 /4 h -THICK PLYWOOD BACK BOTTOM BOTTOM '7 ~y y t 6 ShopNotes No. 26 SHOP PROJECT their width is different. To provide clearance for the slid- ing door, the sides are cut to width so they align with the shoulder of the rabbet in front and flush at the back ( 14V2 " in my case). But to al- low for the back, the dividers are 3 / 4 " narrower (13 3 /4"). With the sides and dividers cut to finished size, two dadoes are cut in one face of each piece for the shelves, see Fig. la. And the back edge of each side is rabbeted to accept a plywood back, see Fig. lb. Now you can assemble the box with glue and screws. Then cut the back (D) to fit the opening and screw it in place. SHELVES. The next step is to add four sliding shelves, see Fig. 2. Two small shelves (E) provide storage for the stone holders. And two large shelves (F) hold extra grinding wheels. To make the shelves slide eas- ily (yet still fit snug), I cut them to fit their openings and sanded them lightly until they slipped smoothly in and out. While I was at it, I glued a thin strip of hard- wood to the bottom of each shelf to serve as a pull ( G), see Fig. 2. DOOR. With the shelves in place, you’re ready to add the door. It’s a piece of V 4 " Masonite ALLOW NOTE: CHAMFER EDOES OF DOOR PULL POOR (VV* MASONITE) 10 W POOR PULL (V-THICK HARDWOOD) a. GAP FOR DOOR GUIDE STRIP (V x 3 / 4 " -30") that slides in a track that’s formed by gluing a hardwood guide strip (H) to the front edges, see Fig. 3a. To keep the door (I) from binding, it’s cut Vie n shorter (nar- rower) than the opening. A cou- ple of thin hardwood strips glued to the door act as door pulls (J). mounting. All that’s left to complete the sharpening station is to mount it to a wall. To support the weight of a grinder (as well as the pressure exerted when sharpening by hand), be sure to attach it se- curely to the wall. (I attached it to the wall studs with lag screws.) Stone Holders Making a holder for each of your sharp- ening stones solves two problems. It prevents the stone from slipping around. And it keeps the mess to a minimum. The stone rests on a wood base with two Masonite pieces attached to each end, see drawing. The bottom pieces butt tight against the ends of the stone to keep it from moving. And, to catch the “slurry,” the top (offset) pieces sup- port the holder over a plastic container filled with water. Note: A non-skid shelf liner (available at hardware stores) anchors the container. A Spanning a plastic container filled with water, a simple holder anchors the sharpening stone. #e> x r Fh SCREW STONE CUT TO FIT INSIDE CONTAINER JASE NOTE: BASE IS %"-THICK HARDWOOD No. 26 ShopNotes 7 TECHNIQUE A grinding wheel leaves a slight “hol- low” on the edge and reduces the time you’ll need to spend honing. Sharpening a Chisel • HOLLOW GRINDING HONING A BEVEL A grinder, a waterstone, and five minutes. That's all it takes to create a razor-sharp edge on a chisel. No big mystery, just a set of simple steps. GRIND. If a chisel is nicked or the edge isn't square to the sides, I first hollow grind the bevel us- ing a 60-grit aluminum-oxide grinding wheel, see photo above left and the section below. hone. Then I hone the edge to a mirror finish with a 1000/6000- grit waterstone, see photo above right and the section on the oppo- site page. (For more on selecting and using waterstones, refer to the article on page 4.) Hollow Grinding r \ USE EXISTING^ ANGLE GROUND * ** ,\ IN BEVEL TO ROUGHLY • *•’ *.* '\ X POSITION i * ' * TOOL REST BEVEL SHOULD REST FLAT . AGAINST WHEEL \ X J \ I To ensure a smooth, flat hol- low ground bevel, first “square up " the wheel with a dressing stick. 2 Now position the tool rest to grind a 25° angle, see detail. To help guide the chisel across the wheel and maintain the proper angle, clamp a small block of wood to the base of the chisel. 3 When hollow grinding, take light, even passes and keep the chisel moving. This way the metal can’t overheat and ruin the chisel. 4 Continue grinding until the bevel is ground smooth. Then check the edge with a try square to make sure it's flat and square to the sides. TRY SQUARE CHECK EDGE OF BEVEL TO MAKE SURE ITS SQUARE TO THE SIDES 8 ShopNotes No. 26 TECHNIQUE Honing USE ENTIRE SURFACE OF STONE WHEN HONING WHEN SETTING UP HONING GUIDE, KEEP POINTS OF BEVEL FLAT ^ ON STONE HONING GUIDE 1 7o hone the edge, first flatten the back of the chisel using a 1000-grit waterstone. (This will also remove any burr created by a grinding wheel.) 2 Next, with the two points of the grind flat on the stone, use a honing guide (see box below) to maintain the angle as you sharpen the bevel. Honing a hollow ground chisel pro- duces two small “flats” at each end of the bevel. 3 Now switch over to a 6000-grit waterstone to remove the burr created when the edge was honed and to polish the back of the chisel. 4 After the back of the chisel is polished, I hone a micro-bevel on the front edge — it makes a chisel cut better and stay sharp longer. Honing Guides When honing a chisel, you could freehand it across a stone. But it wouldn’t be long before the angle of the bevel was altered. And this would make it more difficult to get a sharp edge. To maintain the same angle throughout the life of a chisel and get it as sharp as possible, I rec- ommend using a honing guide, see photo (and Step 2 above). Honing guides are designed to hold a chisel firmly and securely in place at the angle the bevel was originally ground. Most guides also have some type of roller sys- tem that makes it easy to slide a chisel back and forth across the surface of the stone. There are two basic types of honing guides. The one I prefer is small and compact and rides di- rectly on top of the stone, see photo. The other is larger, a bit more complicated to set up, and requires more room to roll since it rides behind the stone. Both are available through woodworking mail-order catalogs. Prices range from $10 to $20. Two Types . The smaller, more compact Eclipse honing guide (right) rides directly on the water- stone. The General guide (left) rides behind it. No. 26 ShopNotes 9 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Shop-Made Knobs Wing Nut Handwheel Star Knob O ne of the things I like about woodworking is that even a small project can provide a lot of satisfaction. And these shop-made knobs are no exception. Not just because they give you a chance to rescue a scrap piece that’s headed for the trash (or use one that’s too valuable to throw away). But because you can cus- tomize a shop-made knob to fit any application you need. APPLICATIONS. For example, you may want to make an im- provement on an accessory like a miter gauge, see below. Or use a shop-made knob to tighten a jig, see page 11. For more leverage, you can even make a crank or a handwheel, refer to page 12. threads. Regardless of the purpose, you’ll need to use some type of threaded part to attach the knob. This can be as simple as a T-nut. Or you can cut your own threads. (For more on this, refer to the article on page 13.) Miter Gauge Handle A This tall dowel provides a more secure grip on the miter gauge than the handle it replaces. Besides the fire-engine red paint, there's nothing all that fancy about this miter gauge handle. Basically, it's just a tall dowel that replaces the short, stubby handle that came with the miter gauge. You'll want to experiment a bit with different size dowels to find the most comfortable grip. (I used a lVY-dia. dowel.) The dowel screws onto the threaded stud of the miter gauge. What makes this work is a nylon insert that's epoxied in the end of the dowel and tapped to the same thread size as the stud, see drawing. TWO-BIT TRICK. To center the hole for the insert on the end of the dowel, I use a simple “two- bit" trick. Start with one bit that's the same size as the dowel and drill into a scrap until the tip just pokes through, see detail 'a'. Inserting the dowel in the hole and drilling from the opposite side with a second (smaller) bit creates a centerpoint, see detail 1b'. Once you locate the center- point, it's just a matter of drilling a hole to fit the insert, epoxying it in the dowel, and tapping the threads, refer to page 13. 10 ShopNotes No. 26 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Star Knob A The scalloped edges on this star knob make it ideal for apply- ing pressure comfortably . When I make a jig, it’s a pretty good bet that one of these star knobs will end up on it. That's because they're large enough to apply plenty of pressure (when locking down a fence for ex- ample). And the scalloped edges provide a sure, comfortable grip. LAYOUT. Laying out one of these knobs is easy. Start with a square blank of 3 4"-thick hardwood, see Wing Nut A Besides providing finger clear- ance, a shop-made wing nut al- lows you to exert plenty of torque. PRILL HOLE TO FIT T-NUT drawing. Then divide it into eight equal parts by drawing layout lines through the centerpoint. This same centerpoint is used to draw two circles. A small diameter circle marks the outside edge of the knob. And the large one is used to lay out the finger recesses. recesses. The scalloped re- cesses are formed by drilling holes where the large circle inter- sects the layout lines (drawn ear- lier). After cutting the rest of the shape on a band saw (or sabre saw), sand a chamfer on the edges. T-NUT. To 'thread" these knobs, I use an ordinary T-nut. It's epoxied and nailed in a hole that's drilled to fit the T-nut. Note: To protect the surface of the knob, you can paint it, apply a clear finish, or "dip" it, see margin. A shop-made wing nut also comes in handy on many jigs. The large wings make it easy to apply a little more torque than with a star knob. And the taper at the base of the wings provides built-in finger clearance. Here again, a scrap of 3 / 4 M -thick hardwood is all you need to get started, see Fig. 1. (I used a piece of cocobolo I'd been saving.) And as before, you'll need to drill a hole to fit the T-nut you're using. SHAPING. But before install- ing the T-nut, it's best to cut the wing nut to shape. A circular opening is scooped out of the top edge. (I drilled a partial hole with a 1' -Forstner bit.) And the bottom edges and sides are cut at an angle and sanded smooth, see Figs. 2 and 3. two types. After epoxying the T-nut in place, you can either use the wing nut as it is. Or make one with a threaded stud, see margin. To create a better grip , dip a knob into a liquid plastic solution like Plasti-Dip. You can make a threaded stud by epoxying a cutoff bolt in the T-nut. No. 26 ShopNotes 11 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Crank To hold a dowel securely when drilling, tighten it in a handscrew that’s clamped to the drill press table. Sources Phenolic is a plastic product that can be cut and worked with carbide-tipped tools. It’s available in Vz"- thick blanks from: • Woodhaven 300 - 344-6657 • Wood&mithShop 300 - 444-7002 HANDLE 14-20 ALLEN SCREW ( 3 /e" LONG) COUNTERSORE DOWEL TO ACCEPT SQUARE PART OF HEAD NOTE: HANDLE IS 3 /4 m x 2 1 /4 m HARDWOOD (MAPLE) DOWEL ARM (V 2 -THICK PHENOLIC) ▲ This shop-made crank pro- vides plenty of leverage when adjusting tools and accessories. Sometimes a simple knob just doesn’t provide enough leverage. So I use a shop-made crank. It’s ideal for adjusting large shop accessories (like raising and lowering an outfeed table). Or as a replacement for a control on a stationary tool, see photo above. This crank has two parts: an arm that attaches to the shaft of an adjustment mechanism, and a han- Handwheel die to turn the arm, see drawing. ARM. To make the arm strong (yet still easy to work), I made it from a V^'-thick piece of phenolic, see margin for sources. A large hole is drilled in one end to fit the shaft of the adjustment mechanism. To secure the aim to the shaft, you'll also need to drill an intersecting hole that's tapped for an Allen screw. And there's a small hole that's drilled and tapped in the opposite end for the handle. HANDLE. After cutting a curve on each end, you can add the han- dle. It's a short dowel that attaches to the arm with a carriage bolt. This bolt passes through a counter- bored shank hole in the dowel and threads into the arm. A nut “locks” the bolt in the threaded hole and allows the handle to spin freely. A A heavy-duty handwheel al- lows you to apply even more torque quickly and easily . HANDLE— (SEE CRANKY, WASHER ,/ ! 4-20 \ TAPPED HOLE ! 4-20 ALLEN SCREW (%” LONG) #6x%" SCREW MOUNTING diagonal- ^ . BLOCK LAYOUT UNE"''> kj C MOUNTING BLOCK DETAIL V4-20 TAPPED HOLE NOTE: MOUNTING BLOCK IS ^ MADE FROM Vfe“-THICK PHENOLIC ^ Although it's shaped differently, this handwheel serves the same basic purpose as the crank. It's just a heavier-duty version. The handwheel consists of three parts: a disk, a mounting block, and a handle, see drawing. DISK. The disk starts out as a square blank of 1 / 2 l, -thick pheno- lic. To center the mounting block later, it's best to lay out two di- agonal lines through the center- point. Then, after drilling and tapping a hole for the handle, sim- ply cut and sand the disk to shape. MOUNTING BLOCK. The disk is attached by means of a mounting block. This is a square blank of phenolic with a hole drilled in the center to fit the shaft of the adjust- ment mechanism, see detail. As before, an intersecting hole is drilled in the edge and tapped for an Allen screw that secures the mounting block to the shaft. After aligning the comers of the mounting block with the lines drawn earlier, it's screwed in place. PAINT. To dress up the hand- wheel, I spray painted the pheno- lic parts. Then I added a handle (with a clear coat of finish) that's identical to the one on the crank. 12 ShopNotes No. 26 JIGS & ACCESSORIES Tapping Threads O ccasionally, the threaded part I need to assemble a project just isn't available. Which is exactly what happened with the knobs shown on page 10. So I use a tap to cut my own threads, see photo at right. This is just a simple tool that's designed to cut threads inside a hole. SIZE. To determine the correct size of tap, you'll need to know two things: the diameter of the bolt (or fastener) that will thread into the hole, and the number of threads per inch. (For example, it may be a 14-28 or 5 /i6-18 tap.) If the bolt has coarse threads, it's easy to count how many there are per inch. But that makes me cross-eyed if I'm working with fine threads. So I take the bolt to a hardware store, find a nut that fits, and check the bin for the correct size. pilot hole. Once you've se- lected the correct size tap, the next step is to drill a pilot hole in your workpiece, see Step 1 below. The idea is to drill a hole that's slightly smaller than the diame- ter of the tap you're using. This leaves enough material so the tap can cut the threads. The size of drill bit you need is usually stamped on the tap. This may be a fraction ( 17 /6 4 "), a num- ber (No. 7), or a letter (H). With a fraction, it's easy to find the cor- rect size bit. But a bit with a num- ber or letter may be hard to find. Fortunately, these specialty bits are within a few thousandths of a fractional drill bit, see mar- gin. And that's close enough for most of the work I do. TAP. After drilling a pilot hole, you're ready to tap the threads. To keep from cutting them crooked, the important thing is to get the tap started straight. The best way I've found to do this is to chuck the tap in the drill press. Then turn the chuck by hand as you ap- ply pressure downward, see Step 2. Note: If you’re tapping into metal, use oil as a lubricant. burrAs the tap cuts, a bun- forms that makes it hard to turn the chuck. To clear this burr, back out the tap, see Step 3. Then just repeat the process until you cut the threads all the way through. GULLET CLEAR5 ▲ A tap is specially designed to cut threads inside a hole. They’re sold individually (like a drill bit) or as part of a tap and die set at most hardware stores. Tap Size Pilot Hole V 4-20 3 /l6* !4-2a * CVJ *8 5 /ie-is %4 M 5 /i6-24 %*" 3 /fe-16 5 /l6" %-24 21 /64" ‘closest fractional bit Step 1. With the workpiece clamped in place, drill a pilot hole that’s sized for the desired tap. (See chart in margin.) Step 2 . After chucking the tap in the drill press, slowly lower it into the pilot hole as you turn the chuck by hand. Step 3 . To clear the burr that forms, back off the tap a bit. Then repeat the process until all the threads are cut. No. 26 ShopNotes 13 GREAT TIPS To prevent a workpiece from “creeping” during a cut, attach sand- paper to your auxil- iary fence or miter gauge head. Miter Gauge Tips Here are a feiv of our favorite tips to help you add precision to your miter gauge cuts. Squaring a Miter Gauge ■ One of the safest and most ac- curate ways to check a miter gauge for square is to use a couple of pieces of scrap. To do this, start with two pieces that are ripped to the same width. Then it’s just a matter of stacking them on top of one an- other and crosscutting a thin slice off of one end using the miter gauge, see Fig. 1. Once youVe made the cut, turn off the saw and unfold the top piece from the bottom piece like you’d turn a page in a book, see Fig. 2. To check the miter gauge for square, simply set the pieces on edge and slide the cut ends together, see Fig. 3. A gap between the two indi- cates an adjustment is required. If the widest end of the gap is at the bottom, adjust the miter gauge clockwise, see Fig. 3a. If the gap is near the top, adjust the miter gauge counter-clockwise. Repeat this procedure, trim- ming off thin slices from the scrap pieces until the ends butt up per- fectly square with no gap. NOW SET PIECES ON EDGE TO CHECK MITER GAUGE FOR SQUARE ^ \ GAP INDICATE V GAUGE IS \ Modifying the Runner ■ Over time, the bar on a miter gauge and the slot it rides in can wear. If there’s too much wear, the miter gauge can rattle around in the slot — which can result in inaccurate cuts. One way to reduce the “play” between the bar and the slot is to “raise” the metal along the edge of the bar with a center punch. A few dimples made by the punch are normally all it takes to make it fit, see drawing. I test the fit of the bar after each dimple until the bar slides smoothly with mini- mum “play.” If the bar is extremely loose, you might want to consider a more permanent solution, see Tru-Fit Miter Bar System on page 27. 14 ShopNotes No. 26 GREAT TIPS Flip-up Stop Slock ■ When crosscutting a workpiece to length, you can cut to a layout line. Or clamp a stop block to the fence to establish the length of the workpiece. Either way works. But when cutting multiple pieces, both methods can be time consuming. To make quick work of cross- cutting multiple workpieces, I at- tach an adjustable, flip-up stop to the fence, see drawing. With this setup, I make a first cut to estab- lish a square end. Then flip down the stop to quickly cut the piece to exact length. The stop consists of two main parts: a U-shaped block that fits over the fence, and an L-shaped arm that acts as the stop, see drawing. To lock the block to the fence, a threaded insert and a thumbscrew are installed in the back of the block, see detail. To make it so the arm can be flipped out of the way after the first cut and down for the finish cut, the arm is attached to the block with a carriage bolt and wing nut. Set-up Board ■ If you change the angle of your miter gauge a lot, you know what a hassle it can be getting it back to square. To eliminate this prob- lem, I made a simple set-up board that allows me to quickly and ac- curately set the miter gauge to 90° in seconds, see drawing. The set-up board consists of two parts: a base made of 3 / 4 n - thick plywood and a l"-wide cleat, see drawing. To make the set-up board, you’ll first need to square up the sides of the base so they’re parallel. Then to hold the bar of the miter gauge, a 3 /8"-deep groove is cut down the center of the base, see drawing. Now the cleat can be attached. To ensure it automatically squares up the head of the miter gauge, the cleat must be screwed in place so it’s perpendicular to the groove. To do this, first screw one end of the cleat to the base. Then use a try square along the edge of the base to position the cleat before securing it in place, see detail. Rather than move the head of the mi- ter gauge to adjust the angle, try shim- ming your auxiliary fence (or workpiece) with a playing card. Threaded Inserts ■ Many miter gauges have a pair of holes drilled in the head so you can mount jigs and fixtures to the miter gauge. But after repeated installations, the back of a favor- ite jig or fixture can become chewed up and difficult, if not im- possible, to reinstall — especially if woodscrews are used. To prevent this from happen- ing, I install threaded inserts in the back of each jig and use ma- chine screws to attach it to the miter gauge, see drawing. Not only does this prevent the back of the jig from getting chewed up, it also makes installation quick and easy. And it ensures that the jig can be reattached the same way each time it's used. AUXILIARY FENCE MACHINE SCREW GAUGE THREADED INSERT No. 26 ShopNotes 15 This cabinet does more than store your finishes — it’s really a finish- ing workstation. FEATURE PROJECT Finish Storage Cabinet W hen Ken (our design di- rector) first showed me this finish storage cabinet, I thought the doors were on wrong. They appeared to open in opposite directions — and they do. It wasn't until I opened the up- per door of the cabinet that I re- alized what he'd done, see photo A below. Inside the door was a drop-down work table that rests on the bottom door when it's open, see photo at right. Ken also added two other fea- tures I liked. A removable lazy Susan that makes it easy to rotate a project when applying a finish, see photo. B. And a set of shelves that rest on adjustable metal shelf standards, see photo C. CONSTRUCTION. The design of this cabinet is similar to that of a simple bookshelf. The only differ- ence is a set of doors are added to protect supplies from sawdust. SIDES. To build the cabinet, I began by cutting two sides (A) from 8 4"-thick plywood, see Fig. 1 on opposite page and the cutting dia- gram on page 19. Next, to accom- modate a set of metal shelf stand- ards that are added later to support the shelving, two V 2 ' 1 - wide grooves are , cut on the inside face of each work- piece, see Fig. lc. Then a rabbet is cut at both ends of each side piece to receive a top and bottom ( B ), see Fig. 1. At the same time, a V^'-deep dado is cut in the center to accept a center divider (also added later). . -<3 t':W rabbet. Before you can as- semble the case, there’s one more thing to do. A rabbet for a 14"- thick plywood back is cut on the inside face of all four workpieces, see Figs. 1 and la. A. Work Table. This drop-down work table is a convenient place to finish a project where supplies are stored. B. Lazy Susan. When the lazy Susan is not being used with the work table, it stows away inside the cabinet. C. Adjustable Shelving. Metal shelf standards allow you to adjust the shelving for your storage needs. 16 ShopNotes No. 26 FEATURE PROJECT BACK. After gluing and screw- ing the top and bottom to the sides, you’re ready to glue and nail the back ( C) in place, see Fig. 1. CENTER DIVIDER Next, to di- vide the upper and lower sections of the case, I cut a center divider (D) to fit between the dadoes cut earlier in the sides, see Fig. 1. When gluing and clamping the di- vider in place, make sure it’s flush with the front of the case. CLEATS. Then to support the weight of the cabinet when it’s screwed to the wall, I added a pair of cleats (E) that fit between the sides, see Fig. 2. These pieces are glued and screwed to the back, and either the top or center divider, see detail in Fig. 2. With them in place, I installed the shelf standards. SHELVES. To determine the length of the shelves (F), meas- ure the opening and subtract Vs". The width of each shelf equals the depth of the case, minus IV 4 " to allow for a work table added later. (In my case, IOV 2 " x 30 3 /s".) Once they’re cut to size, cover- the front edge of each shelf with edging (G), see Fig. 3. edging. To complete the case, I covered the exposed plywood edges with edging (H,I), see Fig 2. No. 26 ShopNotes 17 FEATURE PROJECT Poors With the case complete, you can turn your attention to the doors. DOOR PANELS. Like the case, the exposed edges of the plywood doors are covered with hard ma- ple edging. But before cutting the door panels to size, first measure the opening for each door (they should be the same). Then sub- tract IV 2 " from each dimension to allow for the maple edging ( SOV 2 " x 35 3 /8 n ), see Fig. 4. Once you've cut the panels (J), the edging (K, L) can be glued in place, see Fig. 4. MOUNTING DOORS. The lower door is mounted on the right side of the case. But because the lower door is used to support the drop- down work table, the top door is mounted on the left side. To sup- port the weight of each door, pi- ano hinges are used to mount the doors on the case, see Fig. 4. Note: When mounting the lower door, allow for a V 4 " gap between the door and the floor, see Fig. 4b. When mounting the upper door, allow for a V 4 " gap between the doors, see Fig. 4a. PULLS & CATCHES. Now door pulls and magnetic catches can be mounted, see Figs. 4 and 5. Mount- ing these pulls is fairly straight- forward. (I used 3 3 4" maple pulls.) But when mounting the catches (and plates), it's important to leave a 3 /i6 M gap between each door and the case, see Figs. 5 and 5a. This compensates for the thickness of the hinge and allows air to circulate inside the case. WORK TABLE. N o w y ou can move on to the drop-down work table that's mounted to the back of the upper door. Like the doors, the work table consists of a ply- wood panel (M) with the exposed edges covered with maple edging (N, 0), see Fig. 4. And again, a piano hinge is used to mount the SECOND: drill Va'-DEEP HOLE IN WORK TABLE THEN EPOXY ROD IN HOLE (SEE MARGIN TIP) FIRST: DRILL 1"-DEEP HOLE 4" FROM EDGE OF DOOR 18 ShopNotes No. 26 FEATURE PROJECT table to the upper door, see Fig. 4. Next, to lock the table to the lower door, a steel pin is epoxied in a hole that's drilled in the bot- tom of the work table, see Fig. 6. Then a hole is drilled in the door to receive the pin, see margin tip. Finally, a turn buckle block (P) and turn buckle ( Q) used to lock the work table to the back of the upper door can be mounted to the door, see Fig. 7. Lazy Susan At this point, you could use the storage cabinet just as it is. But to make it easier and more effi- cient to finish all the sides of a project, I built a lazy Susan for the flip-down work table, refer to photo C on page 16. It consists of a 3 4"-thick ply- wood platform (R) that’s screwed to a lazy Susan bearing I pur- chased from a local hardware store (around $20), see Fig. 8. To store the lazy Susan when it’s not in use, a pair of L-shaped support brackets (S) (hard maple) are glued and screwed to the back of the lower door, see detail. <1 A dowel center makes it easy to locate the hole for the steel pin in the bottom of the work table. Materials >4 Sides (2) 12 x 74V4 - 3 /4 ply. 3 Top/Sottom (2) 12 x 31V2 - 3 A ply. C Sack (1) 3 lV2x73 3 /4-' l /4ply. 0 Center Divider (1) f f 3 /4 x 31V2 - 3 /4 ply- E Cleats (2) 3 /4x2-30V2 F Shelves (3) IOV2 x 3CP/e - 3 U ply- G Shelf Edging (3) 3 /4X 3 /4- 3CP/& H Vertical Edging (2) 3 /4X 3 /4-74V4 1 Horizontal Edging (3) 3 /4x 3 /4-30V 2 J Door Panels (2) 30V2 x 35% - 3 /4 ply K Horiz. Door Edging (4) 3 /4X 3 /4-30V2 L Vert. Door Edging (4) 3 /4x 3 /4- 3G 7 /e> M Work Table Panel (1) 23x33- 3 U ply N End Edging (2) 3 /4X 3 /4-23 0 Ft./3k. Edging (2) 3 /4X 3 /4- 34V2 P Turn Suckle Slock (1) 3 /4 X 15 /l6 - 4 G Turn Suckle (1) 3/ 4 x 3 /4-1'/2 R Lazy Susan Platform (1) 20x20- % ply S Support Srackets (2) 3 A x iVa - 20 PLYWOOD CUTTING DIAGRAM Hardware • (4) 36" Shelf Stndrds. w/ screws • (12) Shelf Clips • (2) 1'/2"x36" Piano Hinges w/ screws • (2) 3%" Maple Poor Pulls • (4) Magnetic Poor Catches w/plates • (1) 1 1 / 2 "x29 1 /2" Piano Hng. w/scrws. • (1) 12" Lazy Susan Searing w/ screws • (25) #3 x IV 2 " Fh Woodscrews • (6) #3 x V 2 " Fh Woodscrews *(1)'/4 u xlV2 n Steel Pin • (43) 1" Finish Nails No. 26 ShopNotes 19 SELECTING TOOLS How l Ne Selected the Prills Each cordleee driver/d rill we test ed has: • Two 12-volt batteries with 1-hour charger • 3 /e" Keyless Chuck • Two Speed Ranges with Variable Speed • Adjustable Clutch Cordless Driver/Drills ▲ If you're in the market for a cordless driver/drill, there are two body designs to choose from — a T-handle (left) and a pistol grip (right). Either way, these 12-volt models have plenty of power. I ’ll never forget my first cord- less drill. It spent most of the time plugged into an electrical wall outlet getting recharged. And even after it was charged, it didn't have the power I needed. But if the cordless driver/drills that we tested (shown below) are any indication, all that has changed. With more powerful bat- teries that run longer (and charge faster), they can tackle jobs my old drill just couldn't handle. While the prices of these drills vary ($134 to $215), their features are basically the same, see mar- gin at left. So we were anxious to see how the price affected their per- formance. (For more on test pro- cedures and results, see page 22.) TEAM. Like our other tool re- views, we rounded up a team of three woodworkers to test the drills. Both Ken (a professional carpenter) and Steve (an advanced woodworker) use cordless drills extensively around the shop and for remodeling work. While Cary (a beginning woodworker) uses one mainly to assemble projects. Because each person has a dif- ferent type (and amount) of expe- rience, you get a range of viewpoints that's helpful when se- lecting the drill that's best for you. SI Not all the drills have the same body design . Is that cosmetic? Or does it really make a difference? Steve: There's a definite differ- ence in the feel of the drills. I liked the overall balance of the drills with a T-shaped handle bet- ter than the ones with a pistol- grip. (See photo above.) And they're more compact, so it's eas- ier to work in tight spaces. Cary: At first, I thought the drills with a pistol-grip were a bit nose-heavy. But the balance im- proved when I wrapped my hand around the end of the body and pulled the trigger with my middle finger. That put all the pressure right in line with the bit which made it easier to drill holes and drive screws. B&Any problems ivith the batter- ies or the chargers? Steve: One thing that bugged me is the metal clips that hold the batteries in place on some of the drills. (See top photos on next page.) Compared to the batteries Hitachi 03 10DVA 300-546-1666 $169.95 Makita 6211 0 300-437-3665 $199.99 Bosch 331 OK 312-236-7330 $199.00 3lack & Decker 2372K-2 DeWalt 972 Panasonic EY61 00 300-544-6930 300-433-9253 300-333-0552 $199.50 $139.95 $214.95 20 ShopNotes No. 26 SELECTING TOOLS that just snap in, they're not nearly as quick or convenient. Cary: And the large clip on the Porter Cable dangles down so low when I change batteries, I can see it accidentally gettingbent. Ken: Another thing about the batteries is they're all “keyed" so they only fit in the chargers one way. Even so, the shape of some of the batteries made it easier to automatically orient them to the charger. (See margin at right.) Batteries . A metal clip on the Porter Cable (left), S/c/7, and Makita holds the batteries securely in place . But it’s not as handy as the snap-in batteries on the rest of the drills. (Bosch is shown at right.) 058 How about the controls like the forward/reverse switch? Steve: That's where I noticed a big difference. The forward/re- verse switch on the Black and Decker (B&D), Bosch, DeWalt, Ryobi, and Panasonic is on the body of the drill. (See photos be- low.) So when I need to back out a screw, I flick the switch from side to side almost without thinking about it. On all the other drills except one, the switch is located directly above the trigger. So I have to shift my grip or use my other hand to operate it. Ken: Still, they're more conven- ient than the switch on the Makita. Since it's on the side of the handle, I thought it would be easy to use with a brush of my thumb. But it's painful to operate. And it's finger torture for a left-hander. E8 Anything about the case that comes with each driver/drill? Cary: I'm partial to the heavy- duty metal cases that come with the Milwaukee, Porter Cable, B&D, and DeWalt. (See photo below.) Even though the molded plas- tic cases that come with the other drills are probably just as sturdy, the “web" hinge on the Ryobi, Skil, and Hitachi case is bound to break. Unlike the shape of the DeWalt battery (top), the Panasonic (bottom) allows you to quickly orient the battery to the charger. Forward/Reverse. It’s easy to op- (left). But you have to shift your erate the forward/reverse switch grip when it’s above the trigger when it’s on the body of the drill (center) or on the handle (right). Cases. A metal case with a continuous hinge (like the one that comes with the Milwaukee at left) is sturdier than the Ryobi’s plastic case with its "web” hinge (right). Ryobi CTH 1202 300 - 525-2579 $ 134.00 Milwaukee 0401-1 300 - 414-6527 $ 189.99 Porter Cable 8>53 300 - 437-3665 $ 164.95 Sears 27139 300 - 3 77-7414 $ 149.99 Skil HD 2736 312 - 236-7330 $ 159.00 Freud EDS 120 800 - 334-4107 $ 199.95 No. 26 ShopNotes 21 SELECTING T L S Performance A . Drilling . To test how much “gas” these drills had , i/i/e drilled 3 / 4 -diameter holes in Douglas fir. 05 It looks like termites have been at work in the shop. What did you guys do to test these driver/drills ? Ken: For starters, we drilled 3 4"-dia. holes in “two-by” Douglas fir until the batteries ran down. (See photo A above.) Steve: What we found is the Bosch, Porter Cable, B&D, and De- Walt had the biggest “gas tanks/' In fact, they drilled considerably more holes than the Skil, Ryobi, and Panasonic. (See chart below.) Cary: One thing that surprised me is the drills heated up quite a bit as I was drilling. Steve: That's pretty normal when you're working a drill hard. And I've actually seen guys burn them up. But that won't happen with the Makita and Sears. They have a built-in switch that cuts off power if they get too hot. B. Driving. And we compared their performance when driving 3" deck screws in pressure treated lumber. 05 How did the drills perform when driving screws? Cary: They all drove more than enough screws to assemble any project I'd build. (See photo B.) Ken: But if I'm building a deck, I want a drill that's not going to run out of steam. For example, I'd get a lot more work out of the B&D, Milwaukee, and Porter Ca- ble than the Hitachi. (See chart.) Steve: What concerns me even more about the Hitachi is the speed switch gets stuck when I set it to low range. And that locks up the drill until I work the switch back and forth a few times. J££How can the Ryobi , Skil , and Panasonic drive so many screws when they drilled the fewest holes? Ken: They develop quite a bit of torque at low speed (the set- C. Clutch . Screwing sheetrock to wall studs gave us a feel for how well we could fine tune the clutch. ting we used to drive screws). But that wasn't the case in the high speed (drilling) range. (See photo D and chart on next page). Cary: How does that explain the results with the Milwaukee? It drove the most screws, yet had the least amount of torque. Steve: What happened is we couldn't measure all the available torque. That's because the clutch started to slip — even though we set it to “drill” (where it shouldn't slip). WTiat worries me is that the clutch will eventually slip all the time when I'm drilling. 05 What about when you're in the “drive” mode. Isn't the clutch sup- posed to slip? Ken: That's right. Once the drill delivers the torque you need to set a screw, the clutch slips and the bit stops turning. 22 ShopNotes No. 26 SELECTING TOOLS Hopefully, you can adjust the clutch to set the screw head just below the surface without bury- ing it. (See photo C on page 22.) Since they have more than twenty clutch settings, that’s an easy job for the DeWalt, B&D, and Panasonic. And with fifteen settings, the Bosch is no slouch. Cary: The other drills only had five clutch settings. And at times, I would have liked to dial the clutch in between one of them to find the “perfect” setting. Ken: That’s why I liked the clutch on the B&D. Besides hav- ing individual settings, I can regu- late the clutch just by changing the amount of pressure I apply. And it’s easy to switch from driving to drilling without going through all the clutch settings, see margin. What about the chucks? Ken: I liked the smooth opera- tion of the metal chuck on the Freud. (See photos below.) And even though it’s knurled, the chuck is small and hard to grip. I preferred the large size and rub- ber grips on the B&D and DeWalt. Cary: The problem with those chucks is I have to use two hands to install a bit. With the Bosch, I can spin the chuck with one hand. The only other one-handed chuck is the Panasonic. But a ratchet device makes opening and closing the jaws painfully slow. SI Okay , time to make a call. Which drill would you buy? And are there any drills to steer clear of? Ken: I’d buy the B&D. And the DeWalt would be a close second. Both drills are solid tools. And they’re extremely comfortable to use. But the clutch on the B&D gives it the edge in my book. One drill I didn’t like is the Skil. That’s because there’s a gap in the handle where the two halves Chucks . The metal chuck on the Freud (left) operates smoothly. But its small size makes it harder to grasp than the DeWalt (center). With its one-handed operation, the Bosch (right) is the easiest to use. of the plastic housing come to- gether. And when I’m drilling, the housing moves back and forth and grinds on my hand. Steve: With twelve drills to choose from, this may come as a surprise. But I’d go with the B&D and DeWalt too. They both have all the power I need. And it’s like second nature using the well-de- signed controls. If I had to pick a drill not to buy, it would be the Hitachi. It didn’t perform as well as the other drills. And there’s quite a bit of gear noise that makes me wonder if something isn’t wearing inside. Cary: I hate to be a spoiler. But both the B&D and the DeWalt are too heavy for me. And I found the clutch on the B&D is a bit touchy to get used to. So I chose the Bosch. It’s lighter, more compact, and has a better overall balance. And I like the one- handed operation of the chuck. <1 A separate lockout ring on the Black & Decker allows you to switch quickly from “drive” to “drill” mode. FINAL PICKS i KEN STEVE CARY Black & Becker Black & Decker Bosch DeWalt DeWalt Freud rn Bosch Bosch Ryohi No. 26 ShopNotes 23 THE SMALL SHOP Benchtop Tool Stand This tool stand provides both a convenient work surface and a place to organize your tools. M any woodworkers with small shops use benchtop tools to save space. But then they’re faced with finding a place to store them when they’re not being used. The solution to this storage dilemma is this compact tool stand, see photo. It provides both a convenient work surface and a place to organize your tools. The tool stand is basically an open box with space to hold up to four benchtop tools. The tools are mounted on removable shelves that slip into the stand. When you need to use a tool, just slide it out and set it on top of the stand. A 3&v 2 " shop-made “pin” locks the shelf and tool in place, see photo on op- posite page. All the parts of the tool stand except for a back that’s made of ^4' -thick Masonite are made from about a sheet and a half of 3 4"-thick me- dium-density fiberboard (MDF). MDF is a reasonably priced mate- rial that’s heavy enough to prevent the stand from “walking” around the shop when a tool is in use. CONSTRUCTION. To begin on the tool stand, start by cutting NOTE: use straight SHANK SCREWS & PRE-DRILL ALL HOLES two sides (A) to size, see Fig. 1. Then to provide a recess for a back that’s added later, a V^'-deep rabbet is cut along the back, in- side edge of each side, see Fig. 1. Next, to provide support for a top and bottom that are also added later, a pair of dadoes are cut on the inside face of each side piece, see Figs, la and lc. TOP & BOTTOM. Now the top and bottom (B) can be made. To determine their length (depth), measure from the front of each side (A) to the rabbet cut earlier along the back edge. (In my case, they’re 25 3 /4" long.) Then glue the top and bottom to the sides. back. To help square up the cabinet and prevent it from rack- ing, a back ( C) can now be cut to size. To determine its width, measure the distance between the rabbets in the back of the cabinet, see Fig. 2. For the length, just measure the height of one of the side pieces. Then glue and screw the back in place. SUPPORTS. Next, to help hold the front of the cabinet together and support the top and bottom shelves, two supports (D) are cut to fit between the sides and then glued and screwed in place, see | Fig. 1. The top support is posi- tioned flush with the front of the cabinet and the top shelf. But to 24 ShopNotes No. 26 THE SMALL SHOP provide a ‘toe kick” on the bottom of the cabinet, the bottom support is recessed 2 V 2 " from the front. filler strip. The next step is to cut and glue in a filler strip (E) that fits between the sides, see Fig. 2. It protects the back (C) when a tool is slid onto the top shelf. And it places the tool closer to the front so you won’t have to stand against the cabinet when using a tool. RAILS. To complete the cabi- net, two cleats (F) are added to support the middle removable shelf, see Fig. 1. They’re cut to the same length as the top and bottom shelves (25 3 4") and are glued and screwed in place. TOOL BASES. Now the cabinet is ready for the removable tool bases. For larger tools, full- length bases ( G) are cut to fit be- tween the sides of the cabinet and to the same length as the cleats (253/4"), see Fig. 3. For smaller tools (like a bench grinder), half-length bases (H) are cut to the same width, but half the length. Then once they’re cut to size, the corners of each base are cut at a 45° angle to eliminate the sharp corners, see Fig. 3. To lock the bases in place, a hole is drilled for a locking pin (I) that fits through the front of each base and into the top, see Fig. 3a. The easiest way to make sure these holes line up is to first posi- tion a full-length base on the top. Then drill a hole through the base and the top. Now use this base as a tem- plate for locating and drilling a hole in each of the remaining bases. (Keep the front edges and sides of each base flush as you’re drilling the hole.) pin. Finally, to complete the tool stand, a locking pin (I) can be made from a short length of . dowel and a 2V2"-long carriage bolt, see Fig 3a. (Refer to the margin tip on page 12 for making the dowel part of the pin.) This simple shop- made pin prevents the tool being used from vibrat- ing off the stand. No. 26 ShopNotes 25 Alternate Hardwoods White Ash Save money on your next pro- ject with one of these alternate hardivoods. ■ With the cost of oak constantly going up, white ash may be an excellent alternative for your next “oak” project, see photo. I know a couple of local wood- workers that have switched to white ash because its straight grain makes it easy to work and finish. And once it's stained, most people can't tell it apart from oak. Another advantage of ash is it's often easy to locate extra-wide boards. (My local lumber dealer tells me it's because there's still a good supply of large ash trees.) And just as important, I usually pay about a dollar or two less per board foot for ash than oak. To locate white ash in your area, talk with your local hard- wood dealer. If he can't help, check with any hardwood saw- mill — you can usually find one listed in the yellow pages. Poplar ■ Consider using poplar for the parts of your next project that will be hidden (like the sides and back of a drawer) or painted. The reason many woodwork- ers “hide” poplar is the high oc- currence of mineral stains, see photo. And the occasional yellow- green streak. Stains aside, poplar is one of the least expensive hardwoods around (usually less than $2 a board foot). And it's a lot easier to work than some of the more com- mon hardwoods. (Poplar is avail- able at many lumberyards and hardwood dealers.) Poplar has a couple advantages over softwoods like pine. It's harder and holds screws better. It also accepts paint well. And you don't have to worry about sealing knots to prevent sap from bleeding and ruining a finish. Regional Woods Aspen. For a general-purpose hard- wood, check your nearest home cen- ter for aspen. It’s pale in color, and usually has extremely clear grain. Birch. If you’re having trouble locat- ing hard maple, you might want to consider birch. It's just as hard — but with a slightly darker color. Soft Maple. When appearance is im- portant for less noticeable parts, or when poplar won’t do, soft maple is a good choice as a “ secondary " wood. 26 ShopNotes No. 26 AT THE STORE New Products Here’s a look at three new products that have found a place in our shop. MiterMatic ■ I used to set the head of a miter gauge to 90° with a try square, to 45° with a triangle, and to 22 V2 0 and 30° with a bevel gauge and protractor, but not any more — not since discovering this MiterMatic setup square, see photo below. (It sells for around $20.) This setup square allows you to set your miter gauge quickly and accurately to the four most com- monly-used angles (22V2 0 , 30°, 45°, and 90°). The MiterMatic is made of a tough, 3 /8"-thick acrylic plastic plate. Milled on both sides are precise grooves that correspond to each of the four angles above. To use the setup square, first locate the correct groove for the angle you’re after. Next, place that groove over the miter gauge. Then push the head tight against the square and lock it in place. One more thing. The comers of the Miter - matic are milled to the same angles as the grooves (22Vfe°, 30°, 45°, and 90°). This way you can also use it to accu- rately set the angle of your table saw blade. Adjustable Featherboard ■ I’ve always been a strong be- liever in using featherboards. They help prevent kickback while ensuring more accurate re- sults. Unfortunately, most feath- erboards are difficult to set up and adjust. But that’s not the case with this adjustable featherboard ($10), see photo above. What makes this featherboard unique and easy to use are the two “expanding cleats” found on the bottom that are sized to fit the miter gauge slot in most sta- tionary power tools. To use the featherboard, just slide the cleats in the miter gauge slot. Then position the feather- board until the “fingers” are pressing against the workpiece. A few turns on each knob cause the screws to pull up, which in turn cause the cleats to expand and lock in the slot. Sourcee • The MiterMatic and the Tru-Fit Syetem are available through: Garrett Wade 900-221-2942 Wood haven 900-344-6657 • The Adjustable Featherboard is available through: Woodsmith5hop 900-444-7002 Woodworker’s 5upply 900-645-9292 Tru-Fit Miter 3ar System ■ With use, the bar of a miter gauge and the slot it rides in can begin to wear. When this occurs, the bar can rattle around in the slot — which can mean inaccurate cuts and loose-fitting joinery. To correct this problem on any tool having a miter gauge, I ret- rofit the bar with a Tru-Fit Miter Bar System (about $15), see photo at right. It consists of five graphite impregnated phenolic plugs, five rubber inserts, five threaded in- serts, an Allen wrench, and a spe- cial drill bit. Just drill four or five holes in the edge of the miter gauge bar and insert a phenolic plug, a rub- ber insert, and a threaded insert in each hole. Then adjust the in- serts until your miter gauge fits the slot perfectly. No. 26 ShopNotes 27 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Shop Solutions Saw Depth Gauge ■ I prefer cutting dovetails by hand with a back saw. But even when using layout lines to help me guide the blade of the saw, I have a tendency of cutting too deep. To eliminate this problem and ensure that the pins and tails end up the same length, I attach a depth guide to the side of my saw, see drawing. The guide is just a narrow piece of V^'-thick Plexiglas or Ma- sonite with a pair of slots for small bolts. Two holes drilled in the saw blade align with the slots in the guide so it can be attached with the bolts and wing nuts. To adjust the depth of cut, just loosen the nuts, slide the guide up or down, and retighten the nuts. Note: To make sure the saw bottoms out on the same refer- ence point regardless of which side of the dovetail you’re cut- ting, sand or rout a slight chamfer on each side of the guide (along the bottom edge) before attach- ing it to the saw, see detail. Michael Dulak Columbia , Missouri Drilling Guide _ ■ On a recent kitchen cabinet project, I used European-style hinges to hang the doors on the cabinets, see photo. To speed up the process for laying out and drilling a round mortise at each end of all the doors, I made a drill- ing guide to align the fence and a stop on my drill press. The guide is cut to match the width of the stile of the door. Next, a mortise (the same size as the one required by the cup of the hinge I used for my doors) is drilled in the guide. The key to locating the mortise in the jig is to use the dimensions supplied by the hinge manufac- turer, see Fig. 1. This way you can use the drilling guide to position both your fence and the stop block, see Fig. 2. Once everything is aligned, re- move the guide and drill a mor- tise in each door, see Fig. 3. When the first mortise is drilled in each door, position the stop block on the other side of the fence (using the guide) and repeat the process for the remaining mortise. Irving L. Hanna Wiscasset , Maine 28 ShopNotes No. 26 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Router Retrofit ■ On my router, I’ve always had a difficult time turning the thumb screw that's used to adjust the bit up or down, see left photo. As a matter of fact, one time I even had to use pliers for additional leverage (and ended up cracking the aluminum housing). So recently, after comingacross a push-button rachet lever ($4) in Clamp Tree ■ I used to store my clamps on a wall in my shop. But as my clamp "collection" grew, I began to run out of wall space. It also got a bit old having to walk across the shop every time I needed a clamp. So to free up my wall space for other tools and to make it more convenient for me when gluing up a project, I made this roll-around clamp tree, see drawing. The clamp tree is basically a 4x4 ‘trunk" with overlapping 2x "branches" screwed to it. There are two tiers of branches spaced to fit the clamps I have. A third tier of branches located at the bottom of the trunk has a swivel castor installed in the bot- tom edge to make it easy to roll the tree over to where my project is located. You can even use this third tier to hold additional clamps. Raymond J. Parsons Jr. Sanibel Island , Florida Quick Tips ■ The next time the pad on your palm sander needs to be replaced, try making a new one from a worn out computer mouse pad. To do this, carefully remove the original pad from your sander and use it as a template. Then clean the bottom of the sander before gluing on the new pad. Don Devine Washington , Neiv Jersey a woodworking mail-order catalog, I decided to remove the thumb screw and replace it with the ra- chet lever to make it easier to ad- just the bit, see right photo. After the ratchet is adjusted, you can loosen or tighten the housing with a single throw of the lever. Fred Schmiedel Baton Rouge, Louisiana More Leverage . When adjusting a bit, it's a lot easier “ throwing ” a ratchet fever (right) than it is turning a thumb screw (left). ■ As simple as it seems, I place a self-adhesive label on the end of each board in my lumber rack and write on it the length, width, board feet, and specie of the board. Now when I need a particular board, I don't have to sort through the en- tire stack. Instead, I just check the labels until I find the right board. R. B. Himes Vienna , Ohio Send in Your Solutions If you’d like to share your original solutions to problems you’ve faced, send them to: Shop Notes, 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 any questions. No. 26 ShopNotes 29 . _ . . • . THE FINISH ROOM Pore Fillers I’ve always thought of a ‘filler” as something you put in a nail hole. But I’ve also seen it recom- mended as a first step in applying a finish. What exactly is a pore filler? And when should I use it? Michael Lyle Minneapolis, Minnesota ■ What’s confusing is the wood putty that’s some- times used to repair a damaged area is often called a filler. But it’s not the same thing as a pore filler. Unlike putty, a pore filler is made up of finely ground rock (silica) that’s packed into the open pores in the wood. A finish (usually a kind of var- nish) binds the filler in the pores. And pigments are I Use a sturdy stick to mix up the thick, goopy pore filler. Since the solids in the pore filler will settle out fairly quickly, stir the can frequently during use. 0 -?/^ - kSTEYfOOv 2 Working in all direc- tions, brush on a thick coat of pore filler An inex- pensive brush with the bris- tles cut short makes a handy applicator. 3 The rubber “blade" at the base of this plastic spreader “packs" the filler into the pores of the wood. Pulling the spreader across the grain at an angle re- moves the bulk of the filler. added to color the filler. Why bother messing around with a pore filler in the first place? One reason is it creates a smooth, level foundation for the finish. And another is the colored pores highlight the grain of the wood. Whether or not you use a pore filler depends on two things: the type of wood you’re using, and the “look” of the finish you want. WOOD. All wood has pores. But some types (like oak, ash, walnut, and mahogany) have much larger pores than others (like cherry or maple). Filling wood with large, open pores makes it quicker and easier to apply certain types of finishes. FINISH. If you’re trying to build up a finish (instead of using a penetrating oil), a pore filler gives you a headstart. So you can begin building the finish with the first coat — not after three or four. WATER OR OIL. Just like finishes, you can get either water or oil-based pore fillers. And there are tradeoffs when working with one or the other. The water-based fillers dry quicker (you can apply a finish after two hours). But it’s a race to remove the excess filler before it hardens like concrete. So I prefer an oil-based filler. It takes longer to dry. But the extra working time makes it easier to apply. COLOR. Regardless of the type of pore filler, ex- perimenting with its color can dramatically affect the appearance of a project. To create an accent, I like the pores to be darker than the surrounding wood. There are a couple of ways to get the color you’re Sealer Coat Whether you seal the wood before filling the pores is really a matter of personal taste. If you apply a sealer coat (a thinned-down coat of finish), the filler will color only the pores — not the wood. This produces a nice contrast between the pores and the wood, see left-hand side of board. To create a more uniform look where the pores and wood are the same color, apply filler to the bare wood, see right-hand side of board. 30 ShopNotes No. 26 THE FINISH R | after. You can buy a pore filler that’s already tinted. "Or start with a neutral or white pore filler and tint it to the desired color yourself, see box below. STAIN. A colored pore filler will work just like a stain — if you apply it directly to the raw wood. If you only want to accent the pores (not color the wood), you’ll need to seal the wood first, see box on page 30. Note: Once it cures, the varnish in the pore filler makes it difficult to stain the wood. So if you plan to color the wood differently than the pores, stain (or dye) it before applying the filler. PREPARATION. Since filler packs every nick (as well as the pores), it’s important to prepare the surface carefully. After sanding up through 220-grit sandpaper, be sure to remove the dust from the pores with either a shop vacuum or air compressor. APPLICATION. Although applying the filler is pretty straightforward (see Steps 1-6), there are several things to keep in mind. First, it’s easy to get carried away and fill an area that’s too large to work before it sets up. Even though you can thin pore filler for a longer working time, I concentrate on about a three-foot square area. Second, don’t rush the “dry time” recommended by the manufacturer. Applying the finish before the filler cures can cause the pores to develop a gray Jcolor. And the finish may not bond as well. Third, a single application may not fill all the pores. So you may need to apply additional coats. SOURCES. Supplies for applying pore fillers are available from the sources below. & • Homestead Finishing Products (pore filler pigments, spreader, burlap, cheesecloth) 216 - 532-3929 • Woodworker’s Supply (pore filler, pigments, burlap, cheesecloth) 300 - 645-9292 4 When the pore filler takes on a dull, hazy appearance (about five to ten minutes), wipe a piece of burlap across the grain to remove the excess. 5 To remove any streaks, use a soft, dry piece of cheesecloth. Wiping gen- tly in the direction of the grain keeps the filler from being pulled back out of the pores. 6 After allowing the filler to dry completely, sand the surface lightly in the di- rection of the grain. (I use 320-grit sandpaper.) If you’ve stained the project, be care- ful not to sand through to bare wood. Tinting Pore Filler : — — If a pore filler isn’t available in the color you want, it’s easy to tint your own. pigments. For starters, you’ll need some dry, powdered pigments, see photo at right and sources above. What works best is to add the pig- ment a little at a time to the amount of pore filler you need. Just make sure to stir the mixture thoroughly. And try the color on a test piece first. COLOR. To create a traditional look, I color the pores quite a bit darker than the wood, see left-hand side of board. This sets up a nice contrast, even if the wood darkens with age. For a special effect, the white pores in the center of the board seem to “reverse” the grain. And the red pores on the right might be just the ticket on a project for a child. m JK cd3ti&^ - -M,. Pigments.To change the color of the pore filler, just add dry, powdered pigments (also called Fresco colors). These pigments can be used with either water or oil-based pore fillers. No. 26 ShopNotes 31 A Although they pale in comparison to today's cord- reliable service. The Porter-Cable , Companion (by less variable-speed driver/drills (see page 20), each of Sears), and Black & Decker all feature a rugged metal these 1950 l s vintage electric drills provided years of case, a keyed chuck, and a single-speed motor. Scenes from the Shop