ShoriNotes Vol.7 iHB Irsiip 38 Issue 38 a Adjustable Planer Jig ■ Using Lathe Scrapers ■ Air-Drying Lumber ■ Benchtop Drill Press Stand r 4 EDITOR'S NOTE Sho^Noles. Issue 38 March 1 998 publisher Donald B. Peschke editor Tim Robertson assistant editor Bryan Nelson art director Cary Christensen SR. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kurt Schultz senior illustrators Roger Reiland Mark Higdon CREATIVE resources Creative Director: Ted Kralicek • Project Developer: Ken Munkel • Project Designers: Tfed Wong, Kevin Boyle • Project Coordinator. Kent Welsh • Shop Mgr.: Steve Curtis • Shop Craftsman: Steve Johnson • Photography Director: Lark Smothermon • Sr. Photographer: Crayola England BOOKS Executive Editor: Douglas L. Hicks • Art Director: Linda F. Vermie • Sr. Graphic Designer: Chris Glowacki circulation Sub. Serv. Dir.: Sandy Baum • New Bus. Dir.: Glenda Battles • Reneival Mgr.:Paige Rogers • BUling Mgr.: Rebecca Cunningham • Asst. Sub. 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FAX 515-283-0447 E-Mail: ShopNotes@shopnotes.com Internet: http://www.shopnotes.com PRINTED IN U.S.A. WoodNet NOW ON THE WEB! • 50 Woodworking Tips Online • Woodworking Techniques — Step-by-Step • Project plans you can download • WoodNet Forum — Woodworkers’ Q & A • Power Tool Reviews Point your browser to: http://www.augusthome.com Select “Woodworking” from the Welcome Page menu. Cutoffs O ne question I often get asked is, “Why don't you guys at ShopNotes feature more turning projects and techniques for the lathe?” Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't have that much experience working on a lathe. So up to now, I've been just a bit hesitant to tackle a lathe project. However, Bryan (our assistant editor), is pretty good on a lathe. In fact, he's turned several projects recently that have really caught my interest. But they either look too complicated. Or they require too many different turning tools. “Okay, if you were holds rings and pieces of jewelry. And usually the box has a lid so you can hide your treasures inside.'' That's when the light bulb finally lit. A ring box sounded exactly like the type of project we were looking for. TWO TOOLS. As it turns out, it was far easier to turn a ring box than I ever imagined. In fact, the base of the box and the lid can be turned with two basic tools: a scraper and a parting tool. (See page 10 for tips on using a scraper.) finish. Not only that, you can accomplish the entire project (from initial shaping to going to include just Experiment a little. Have the final a PP lica ~ one simple project in ~ A 7 7 , , 7 tion of the finish) an issue, what would SOmejUU. And let the while it's still on the it be?'' I asked. shavings fly . lathe. (We've also “How about a small included an article hand mirror that slips into a lady's purse?” he said. So we decided to give it a try. The mirror was simple enough. We tinned a basic disk, scooped out a shallow recess, and glued in the mirror. But there was still something about it that wasn't quite right. So we showed the mirror to Jeanne (our receptionist). She said, “The biggest problem with that mirror is it will get all scratched up in a woman's purse. How about adding a cover?” That sounded like a great idea. And it didn't take us long to turn a cover for the mirror. But when we put the two pieces together, they resembled a hamburger bun more than a mirror. Fortunately, the project was about to take a “turn” for the better. RING BOX. Jeanne took one look at the mirror and said, “It's too big for my purse, but you could make a nice ring box out of it.” “So just what is a ring box?” I asked. “You know, it's a small box that about finishing on a lathe, see page 28.) jam CHUCKS. But there is one thing that might stump you when turning aj ring box. It has to do with turning the" bottom of the box. The problem is the bottom is turned after you've scooped out the insides of the box. But if the box is hollowed out like a pumpkin, how do you remount it on the lathe? The solution is a simple “jam” chuck turned from a block of wood. (For more on this, see page 29.) EXPERIMENT. As you can see, I'm excited about these ring boxes. They provide a great opportunity to experi- ment with different types of wood. In fact, we used several pieces of highly figured wood we've been saving for just the right project, refer to page 12. Regardless of the type of wood you use, don't be afraid to experiment a little with the basic shape. Just a subtle change can have a dramatic effect in the appearance of the box. So have some fun with this project. And let the shavings fly. Reprinted 2002 2 ShopNotes No. 38 ISSUE THIRTY-EIGHT • Contents Techniques lathe Scrapers 10 A simple burr. That's the secret to getting crisp, clean cuts with a scraper when turning a project on the lathe. Logs to Lumber 24 There may be a great source of inexpensive lumber in your own backyard. Here’s one woodworker's story. Finishing on a Lathe 28 The best time to apply a finish to a turning project is before you take it off the lathe. We show you how. Making a Jam Chuck 29 You don 't need a special chuck to mount a project to the lathe. Just fit it onto a "jam" chuck that you turn from scrap. Adjustable Planer Jig page 6 Ring Boxes page 12 Projects 0 Adjustable Fianer Jig 6 A unique tilting table lets you bevel a workpiece safely and accurately using a portable thickness planer. Turned Ring Boxes 12 Three simple ring boxes that can be turned from start to finish with just a scraper and a parting tool. Prill Fress Stand 16 This roll-around stand for your benchtop drill press features three pull-out trays to help organize all your drill bits and accessories. Prill Fress Table & Fence 22 Turn your drill press into a real woodworking tool with this simple table and adjustable fence. Departments Readers’ Tips 4 Our readers offer their own shop-tested tips. Shop Solutions 30 Handy tips and techniques from our own shop. Sources 31 Hardware, supplies, and mail order sources. Drill Press Stand page 1 6 Logs To Lumber page 2b No. 38 ShopNotes 3 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Readers' Tips * Shop-Made Faceplate ■When turning a number of small bowls on the lathe, I use a sepa- rate faceplate for each one. This lets me turn each bowl to rough shape and remove it from the lathe without taking it off the faceplate. That way, if the movement of the wood distorts the shape of the bowl, I don't have to worry about remounting it on a face- plate (and getting it perfectly centered). Instead, I just thread the faceplate back on the lathe versions. Each one is a 3"-dia. disk (MDF) with a counterbore to accept a nut, see drawing. (Just be sure the threads on the nut match those of the spindle on the lathe.) The nut is held in place with epoxy. To help the epoxy “grab," I filed shallow grooves in the nut, see detail. And a short ling of PVC pipe forms a dam to keep the epoxy from running out, see Fig. 1. Finally, drill mounting holes in the faceplate and true up the face and edge on the lathe, see Fig. 2. Douglas Beamier Marlinton, West Virginia Prill “Holster” ■ Here's a handy way to store your electric drill — a “holster" that hangs on a pegboard rack. The holster is a scrap of “two- by" material with two openings cut in it. The drill chuck fits in a large hole. And the power cord slips into a keyhole-shaped notch, see drawing. By installing two L-hooks in the back edge, you can hang the holster securely on the pegboard. Dick Grote Palo Alto , California 4 ShopNotes No. 38 Quick Tips A A pair of rope cleats bolted to his shop vacuum make it easy for Richard Meure of Redwood City, CA to store the power cord. A To mix epoxy without a mess, Harvey Klotz of Austin, TX uses the bottom of a soft drink can as a “well” and a popsicle stick as a scraper. A A quick "snap ” is all it takes for Robert Gordon of Bowie, MD to set the head of a small brad. He just uses a spring-loaded punch. Dowel 5torage ■ Like many woodworkers, I keep several different size dowels on hand. To provide easy access to the one I need, I made a simple storage rack. The rack consists of three pieces of PVC pipe that “stairstep” up in height (10", 22", and 34" in my case), see photo. If a dowel is too short to stick out the top of a pipe, it’s still visible through a “window” in front. When cutting this window (I used a bandsaw), it’s a good idea to clamp the pipe to a scrap to keep it from rolling, see Figs. 1 and la. To complete the rack, just glue the pipes together with PVC cement and add an end cap in the bottom of each one, see Fig. 2. Screwing the center pipe to a wall stud holds the rack in place. Norman Crowfoot Tucson , Arizona NOTE: CLAMP PIPE TO SCRAP TO KEEP IT PROM ROLLING SCRAP WASTE Send in Your Tips To share your original tips and solu- 1 tions to problems you’ve faced, send them to: ShopNotes, Attn.: Readers’ Tips, 2200 Grand Ave., 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. 38 ShopNotes 5 Adjustable You can make a beveled cut safely and accurately using this simple jig and a portable thickness planer. TILTING TABLE. The key to making this work is a tilting table that supports the workpiece at an angle, see inset photo. As the piece slides across the table, the planer blades cut a crisp, clean bevel up to 8V2" wide. And my hands remain safely out of the way. BASE. I began by making a^^ plywood base, see drawing at left. It serves as a mounting plat- form for the tilting table. And it provides a track for two wedge- shaped supports used to adjust the angle of the table. In use, the base hooks over the ends of the infeed/outfeed tables on the planer. This way, the jig won’t get pulled through the planer when making a cut. To accomplish this, the base (A) is cut to width so it fits snug inside the planer, see Fig. 1. And it’s 1V 2 " longer than the com- bined length of the bed and the infeed/outfeed tables. This way, you can add a 3 /4"-thick hardwood cleat (B) to each end that butts against the end of the tables and holds the base in place. TABLE SUPPORTS After attaching the cleats with glue and screws, you can turn your attention to the wedge-shaped table supports. RUNNER TA0LE SUPPORT M aking a beveled cut on the edge of a workpiece is a fairly straightforward process — at least in theory. You just tilt the blade on the table saw, lock the rip fence, and push the work- piece through on its edge. But in practice, it’s not that simple. First, there’s quite a bit of the saw blade exposed. And that makes me nervous (espe- FENCE (SEE PAGE &) dally if I’m cr wide bevel), there are always saw marks left behind that are a pain to remove. To solve both problems, I made a simple jig. Not for the table saw like you might expect. Instead, it’s designed to be used with a portable thickness planer so you can plane a bevel on the workpiece, see photo. »/ 4 " THREADED RODS CLEAT EXPLODED VIEW Hardware • (10)#&x1'/ z "Fh Woodscrews • ( 6 ) #& x Z U“ Fh Woodscrews • (2) V'x 1 “ Fh Machine Screws • (2) V 4 " Flat Washers • (2)'/ 4 "I.P.xP/ 4 "0.P. Fender Washers • (4) ’/ 4 " Wing Nuts • (2) - i No. 38 ShopNotes 13 WEEKEND PROJECT Base Before completing the lid, you'll need to turn your attention to the base of the ring box. Once the inside of the base is hollowed out, the lid will fit in the opening like a cork in a bottle. This will make it easy to turn the outside of the lid to final shape. BLANK. The base starts out as a blank that's glued to a scrap block. The only difference is the blank is thicker. This way, you'll be able to make the opening deep enough so that the rings and jewelry inside won't keep the lid from closing. Just like with the lid, the first step after mounting the blank to the lathe is to true it up. Then you can start shaping the outside. But I don't go for the final shape here — that happens later once the lid is attached to the base. rough SHAPE. After truing up the blank, the next step is to con- centrate on establishing the rough shape of the base. Here again, all it takes is a square-end scraper to define the outside shape of the bowl, see Fig. 5. One thing to be aware of is that you'll be cutting into the scrap block as you shape the base. But that's okay. In fact, you may need Adding An inlay Adding an inlay is a three-step process. The key is to make the inlay before you start on the lid. To make the inlay, use a scraper to turn a thin disk (Vi*) from a piece of wood glued to a scrap block, see Fig. 1. When you're ready to add the inlay to the lid, scrape a shallow ( 3 /i6 u ) pocket to match the size of the disk, see Fig. 2. Finally, glue the inlay in place, see Fig. 3. Then, as you're com- pleting the final shaping of the lid, simply shave the inlay flush. 14 to “shave" away some of the scrap block to provide clearance for the scraper. After rough shaping the outside, I switch to a round-nosed scraper to hollow out the inside. HOLLOW BASE. Removing the material to hollow , out the base is a 'M little like using a shovel to dig a hole. You start by removing material near the center. Then continue to the edge, scooping the material out as the opening gets wider and deeper, see Fig. 6. As you approach the rim, you'll want to make your cuts a little ShopNotes No. 38 WEEKEND PROJECT finer. This way, you can check the fit of the lid as you go. What you’re looking for is a nice, tight fit between the base and the lid. This allows you to use the base to grip the lid while you turn both to final shape. But don’t worry if you pare away a little too much of the side and the fit is a little loose or it slips a bit. It’s easy to make it fit tight again. A simple way to do this is to temporarily add a paper towel between the fid and the base, see top margin photo. FINAL SHAPING. With the fid securely attached to the box, you can start to refine the overall shape as well as form the top of the fid, see Fig. 7. INLAY. If you’re going to add a contrasting piece of wood as an inlay to the top of the fid, this is the time to form the recess in the fid. The inlay is glued into a pocket that’s scraped into the fid, see box on page 14. Once the glue dries, the inlay is shaved flush with the top of the fid. FINISH. Before you go any fur- ther, now’s the time to sand and finish the outside of the base and fid. Once that’s complete, you can remove the fid and set it aside. Note: If the fid is a little stub- born and you have trouble removing it, you can use a dowel to tap it free, see margin. ENLARGE OPENING. To turn the outside of the fid and base, the fid had to fit tight. But you don’t want that kind of fit once the ring box is complete. Otherwise, if you were to pick up the fid, the base would likely go with it. At this point what you’re looking for is a loose fit. For that you’ll need to take a little more material off the side of the base. You probably don’t even need a scraper to do this. Sanding the inside of the box should remove enough material so the lid will fit loosely in the base. Once the fid fits the way you want it to, you can apply a finish to the inside of the base. REMOVE BASE. Now that the sanding and finishing are com- plete, you can remove the base from the scrap block. Here again, a parting tool takes care of removing most of the waste, see Fig. 8. Then, turn off the lathe and cut the base free with a hand saw. TURN BOTTOM. All that’s left now is to shape and finish the bottom of the base. The trick is to attach the base to the lathe without leaving any marks as to how it was mounted. A simple way to hold small objects like the base is with a jam chuck, see Fig. 9. (Refer to article on page 29.) Once the base is mounted, completing the bottom is just a matter of forming a shallow recess, see Fig. 10. This way, if the wood should change shape a little, it wall still sit squarely on a flat surface. FINISH. Finally, after you turn the recess to create the foot, you can sand the bottom of the base and then apply a finish. iL THIRD: sand and FINISH OUTSIDE FIRST: ATTACH LID TO EASE SECOND: turn OUTSIDE TO FINAL SHAPE SCRAP SLOCK WASTE FIRST: TURN TENON TO FIT OPENING IN EASE SECOND: remove MAJORITY OF WASTE, THEN CUT FREE Uy "^WITH HAND saw SECOND: jam n. BASE ONTO TENON TENON PARTING' TOOL JAM CHUCK Y FIRST: ' SAND AND FINISH INSIDE OF BASE SECOND: sand and FINISH BOTTOM JAM CHUCK WASTE RECESS FIRST: turn SHALLOW RECESS ON BOTTOM TO CREATE FOOT FOOT A paper towel slipped between the lid and box will help tighten up a loose-fitting lid so you can turn both to final shape. To remove a tight fitting lid , gently tap a dowel along the joint line between the lid and box. No. 38 ShopNotes 15 ill*!' Drill Press • Stand A. Sandbox. To add stability, a “sandbox" in the bottom of the stand holds about 100 lbs. of sand. This extra ballast prevents the stand from tipping when you roll it around. B. Pull-Out Trays. Three pull-out trays provide storage for drill bits and accessories. Scooped sides make it easy to remove bits. And custom bit holders keep them organized. This roll-around tool stand provides a solid platform for your henchtop drill press and plenty of storage for bits and accessories. M ost roll-around tool stands are like four-year old kids — they won't sit still. Even when you lock the casters, they still have a tendency to “creep” around the shop. But this roll-around stand for your benchtop drill press won't budge an inch when you're using it. That's because it has a set of unique casters on the bottom that lock both the wheel and the shaft. (For more on this, refer to page 19.) Getting the stand to stay put was one thing. But we were also concerned it might be topheavy and have a tendency to tip when rolling it around. (Especially since our drill press weighs in at 150 lbs. — and most of that weight is in the motor which is quite high up.) SANDBOX. The solution was to offset the weight of the drill press by filling the lower part of the stand with ballast — a “sandbox” filled with about 100 lbs. of sand, see photo A below. OPEN BASE. To support the combined weight of the sand and the drill press, the stand needed to be rigid and strong. So it's designed with a sturdy, open base that's made of “two- by” Douglas fir and 3 / 4 "-thick Baltic birch plywood. STORAGE. The base also provides plenty of storage. Pull- out trays organize drill bits and small accessories, see photo B. And an open shelf on the bottom provides easy access to large items, see photo at left. ■ . 16 ShopNotes No. 38 FEATURE PROJECT Hardware EXPLODED VIEW OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 24"W x 34"H x 30"D TWO LAYERS OF PLYWOOD PROVIDE SOLID SUPPORT FOR DRILL PRESS (3) Fulls w/ Screws (Nickel-Plated) ( 1 6) #14 x 1%" Fh Sheet Metal Screws (20) #3 x V/ 4 " Fh Woodscrews (25) #3 x 2" Fh Woodscrews (12) #3 x 2 V 2 " Fh Woodscrews 5 /w n x 4 V 2 " Lag Screws 5 Ae" Flat Washers 4 " Fixed Casters 4“ Locking Swivel Casters Package of 100 Wire Brads (V'-long) Note : To order a hardware kit for the Prill Press Stand as well as the Table & Fence shown on page 22, refer to page 31. #e> x W Fh WOODSCREW 6 /l6" X 4V2" LAO SCREW Cutting Diagram 60" x 60" x %"-BALTlC BIRCH PLYWOOD 60" x 60" x 3 /4"-BALTIC BIRCH PLYWOOD DRILL PRESS TABLE BASE GRAIN DIRECTION Also Needed: (3)2x3-96 (Douglas Fir) (1)2x0- 4B (Douglas Fir) (1) 40" x 40" Sheet of 14" Hardboard © ® © © © © ft GRAIN DIRECTION NOTE: PARTS OF DRILL PRESS TABLE AND FENCE ARE SHOWN ON PAGE 22 Materials Base A Leg Pieces (3) 5 Pails (4) C Stretchers (3) D Top/Bottom (3) E Mounting Pads (4) F Shelf (1) Case G Top/ Bottom (2) H Sides (2) I Dividers (2) Trays J Sides (6) K Bottoms (3) L Fronts/Sacks (6) fh x 3- 26 fh x 0/z - 29' U f/z x 0/ 2 - 19 30 x 24- 3 U Plywood 4x4 - 3 U Plywood 22 x 22' h - 3 U Plywood 24% x 17 - 3 U Plywood 5 3 Ux23 1 h - % Hardbd. 5 3 U x 23% - V 4 Hardbd. 4 ,s Ae x 23% - % Hardbd. 4 3 U x 23'/$ - Plywood 4 ,5 Aex 5% -% Plywood Note: We used -thick Baltic birch for all plywood parts because it’s flat, stable, and free of voids. No. 38 ShopNotes 17 A A strong mortise and through tenon joint provides the cornerstone for a sturdy base. 5ase I began work by making a sturdy base to support the drill press. It consists of a “two-by” frame and a top, bottom, and shelf made from %" plywood. FRAME. The frame starts out as two end assemblies, see drawing at right. Each of these assemblies is made up of two thick legs and a pair of wide rails that are held together with mor- tise and through tenon joints, see margin. But you don't have to worry about drilling these mortises. That's because they're formed by gluing up two leg pieces (A) with a rabbet in each end, see Fig. 1. To keep these pieces aligned during glue-up, I used a simple jig, see page 30. When the glue dries, the legs are almost complete. But to ease the sharp edges, I routed a stopped chamfer on all four corners. RAILS. The next step is to add the rails ( B ), see Fig. 1. A tenon on the end of each rail extends all the way through the leg and sticks out Vs" in front. Why use a through tenon? Because it's easier to cut the tenons a bit “long" than to get them perfectly flush with ^ the front of the leg. Before gluing up the end assemblies, there are two things to do. First, the ends of the tenons (except for the pail that will rest against the top or bottom) are chamfered. Second, you'll need to cut dadoes in the rails for the stretchers that are added next. STRETCHERS. The stretchers (C), connect the two end assem- blies. To create an opening for case that holds the trays, a single stretcher runs across the top. And tivo stretchers span the bottom. Together with the rails and a plywood bottom they form a box for the sand. Although the stretchers are FEATURE PROJECT ( the same size, there is one differ- ence. The upper stretcher is rab- beted along the top and bottom inside edges, see drawing on page 18. These rabbets provide a sur- face that will allow you to secure the case that holds the trays. ASSEMBLY. Now it’s just a matter of fitting the stretchers between the end assemblies and screwing them in place. (I used lag screws.) TOP & BOTTOM. With the basic frame complete, I added a ply- wood top and bottom (D) y see drawing at right. These pieces are the same size. But since my drill press is quite heavy, I “beefed up” the top by gluing up two layers of plywood. Next, to ease the edges of the top and bottom, I routed cham- fers as shown in details ‘a’ and ‘ b Then just center the top on the base and screw it in place. The bottom is also attached with screws, see Fig. 2. But first, you'll have to turn the base upside down. This is also a good time to attach the mounting pads (E) for the casters with glue and screws. CASTERS. To make the base easy to roll around, I mounted locking swivel casters along the front edge and fixed casters in back, see drawing above and box below. #& x 2Vz" Fh WOODSCREW SECURE DRILL PRESS TO TOP WITH LA G SCREWS BOTTOM (30" x 24") #8> x 2" Fh WOODSCREW NOTE: TOP. SOTTOM, AND SHELF ARE MADE FROM V-THICK PLYWOOD FRONT VIEW FILL SANDBOX. After setting the base on its casters, I filled the “sandbox” with sand. This pro- vides extra ballast that helps offset the weight of the drill press and keeps the base from tipping. To provide storage underneath (and enclose the sandbox), I added a plywood shelf (F). MOUNT DRILL PRESS. After screwing the shelf in place, all that's left is to mount the drill press to the top of the base. (I used lag screws.) Note: I positioned the base of the drill press 6" in from the front edge. This provides room to set one of the trays on top of the stand while I'm working. Locking Casters These locking swivel casters may look like ordinary casters. But there's one big difference. When you step on the brake of the swivel caster, it stops the wheel from rolling. But it also locks the base of the caster so it won't swivel. This makes it ideal for roll- around tool bases that creep around the floor — even when they're “locked.” Another nice thing is the steel wheels spin on ball bear- ings. And the tires are solid rubber. As a result, they roll smoothly across uneven floors. For sources of both fixed and swivel casters, refer to page 31. No. 38 ShopNotes 19 ■■■■■■ FEATURE PROJECT Trays The base does more than provide a sturdy mounting platform for the drill press. It also houses a case with three pull-out trays that keep your chill bits and acces- sories organized, see Fig. 3. CASE The case is just an open-ended box with a separate compart- ment for each tray. It’s designed to fit opening between the assemblies of the base. TOP & BOTTOM. I began by making a plywood top and bottom ( G) for the case, see Fig. 4. One thing to note here is the top and bottom aren’t designed to sit flush with the back end of the case. Instead, they extend %" past the back of the case. This forms two lips that fit in the rab- bets cut earlier in the upper in Fig. 3. Besides helping to sup- port the case, these lips provide a way to attach it to the base. After cutting the top and rabbet the two long edges of each piece. These rabbets wall accept the sides of the case. In addition to the rabbets, you’ll also need to cut two dadoes in each piece for a pair of dividers that separate the case into compartments. Note: When determining the location of these dadoes, the goal is to end up with three compartments that are spaced evenly apart. SIDES. Now you’re ready to add the sides (H) of the case, see Fig. 4. These are pieces of V4" hardboard that hold the top and bottom together. Remember, they’re cut to length so they’ll sit back 'V 4 " from the back edge of the top and bottom. To make it easy to attach the case later, it’s best to drill two holes near the front end of each side now. Then just glue and tack the sides in place with short brads. INSTALL CASE. At this point, you can install the case. What you want to do here is slide it all the way into the base until the top and bottom fit into the rab- bets in the upper stretcher. With the top resting on the ledge formed by the rabbet, screw the 20 ShopNotes No. 38 sides to the front legs, see Fig. p5a. Then secure the bottom with screws, see detail in Fig. 3. DIVIDERS. Now all that's left is to add a pair of hardboard dividers (I) to form the compart- ments, see Fig. 5. After applying a few drops of glue to the dadoes in the bottom (G), simply slide the dividers into the case. TRAYS Once the case is completed, you you can turn your attention to the trays. Basically, these are long, narrow boxes that fit into the openings in the case like a row of post office boxes. To see why these trays pro- vide such easy access to drill bits and other accessories, all you have to do is pull one out and set it on top of the drill press stand, refer to photo on page 16. SIDES. For example, the hard- board sides (J) of the tray are i “scooped” out, see Fig. 6. This provides clearance as you reach in and take out a drill bit. TRAY BOTTOM. And the bottom (K) of the tray is a full %" thick. (I used plywood.) This way, you can drill stopped holes in it to hold plug cutters, sanding drums, or your circle cutting bit. (For more information on custom drill bit holders, see the box below.) FRONT/BACK. To enclose the ends of each tray, I added a front and back (L) piece made from plywood, see Fig. 6. A pair of narrow rabbets accept the sides of the tray. And the bottom of the tray fits in a wide rabbet. ASSEMBLY. After routing an Vs" chamfer around the outside edges of the front and back, the trays are simply glued and tacked together. Attaching a nickel-plated pull to the front of each tray pro- vides the finishing touch. & sides of the tray. A temporary paper shim provides just enough clearance to allow the holder to pivot smoothly. rest. One last note. To support the tips of my spade bits, I glued a notched rest into the tray, see drawing. NOTE: BIT HOLDER AND RE5T ARE "TWO-BY" MATERIAL DRILL Vz 1 -DEEP HOLES FOR SHORT BITS BIT HOLDER REST 3 /4 m R0UN DOVER stand the bits upright, see drawing. LONG BITS. But the tip of a long bit would bump into the top of the case. So I made a block that tilts up when you want to remove a bit or lies flat for storage, see photo. To prevent the holder from rubbing against the bottom of the tray, you'll need to round over one of the bottom corners. Leaving the opposite corner square forms a “stop" that keeps the holder upright. Once the holder is com- pleted, it's screwed to the To take full advantage of the space inside the trays, I customized each one to fit my drill bits and accessories. SHORT BITS. This is easy for short bits and sanding drums. Just drill holes in the bottom of the tray and No. 38 ShopNotes 21 Sometimes simple is best. This drill press table and fence is a perfect example. Drill Press Table & Fence A n auxiliary table. And an adjustable fence. Those are the first two improvements I’d make to a “bare bones” drill press. Take this table for instance. It’s much larger than the metal drill press table it’s attached to. So it offers plenty of support when working with long pieces. The table also lays the ground- work for an adjustable fence. To position the fence quickly and accurately, it slides along two T- shaped slots in the table. And a built-in clamp locks it in place. TABLE The table is made up of two layers. To add rigidity, there’s a layer of 3 / 4 ‘-thick plywood on the bottom. And a top layer of V 4 " hardboard creates a flat, durable work surface. There’s also another advantage to this double-layered table. The top layer has a removable center piece (insert), see Fig. 1. When this insert gets chewed up with use, simply slide it in or out to expose a “fresh” drilling surface. Or replace it with a new insert. BASE. I started on the table by making the plywood base (A), see Fig. 2. To form the first half of the T-slots, you’ll need to cut two dadoes in the base, see Fig. 2a. Later, each of these dadoes will accept the head of a toilet bolt that guides the fence in the slot. INSTALL T-NUTS. The next step is to install a set of T-nuts that are used to attach the base to the metal drill press table. To locate the holes for these T-nuts, start by setting the base on the drill press table. Then, after marking the location of the holes from under- neath the table, drill counterbored shank holes and install the T-nuts. top. Now t you can concentrate on the top of the table. It consists of two top (B) pieces and the insert, see Figs. 1 and 2. Note: It’s best to cut the top pieces oversize and trim them flush later. To hold the insert in place, it fits into a dovetail-shaped opening in the top of the table. This opening is formed by cutting a bevel on the inside edge only of the top pieces, see Fig. 2b. 22 ShopNotes No. 38 FEATURE PROJECT To prevent the insert from binding, the beveled edges of the top pieces need to be parallel to each other. A simple solution is to use a spacer when gluing on the top pieces, see page 30. After trimming the edges flush, you can complete the second half of the T-slots. This is just a matter of cutting dadoes in the top pieces, see Figs. 3 and 3a. Now all that's left is to cut an insert ( C) to fit the opening in the table. To do this, you'll need to bevel both edges of the insert. While you're at it, it's a good idea to make several inserts so you’ll have a few spares. FENCE After attaching the drill press table with bolts, the next step is to add the fence. The thing I like best about this fence is you can adjust it without having to coax first one end and then the other. The reason has to *do with a thin slot in each end of the fence. These slots form open- ings for the toilet bolts that guide the fence. Why not just drill holes for the bolts? After all, it would be quicker. The only problem is if you don't move both ends of the fence the same amount when making an adjustment, the bolts would jam in the holes and cause the fence to bind. But there's clearance between the bolt and the ends of the slot. So even if both ends of the fence aren't perfectly aligned, it still slides nice and smooth. fence pieces. To make the fence, start by cutting two fence A A waxed “key” ensures proper alignment when gluing up the fence pieces. pieces ( D ), see Fig. 4. The slot for the toilet bolts is formed by first cutting a pair of dadoes in each fence piece, then gluing the pieces together, see margin. NOTCH. Before installing the fence, I cut a shallow notch in the bottom edge. In use, this notch straddles the insert in the table, see Figs. 1 and 4. This way, when the fence is tightened down, it won't apply pressure on the insert. So you'll still be able to slide the insert in or out. ATTACH FENCE. Now all that's left is to attach the fence to the table. After slipping the toilet bolts in place, set the fence down over them. Tightening knobs on the ends of the bolts locks the fence in place. 4L Hardware • (2) %" Threaded Knobs • (2) * 4 " Washers • (2)%"x3% n Toilet Bolts • (4) 5 he" T-Nuts • (4) 5 he" Washers • (4) V 4 " Wing Nuts Note: You’ll also need (4) 5 he bolts to mount table to drill press (length will vary) No. 38 ShopNotes 23 LUMBERYAR Logs to Lumber * L et's face it — lumber isn't cheap. In fact, you don't have to pick up very many boards at the lumberyard before getting just a twinge of “sticker shock." That explains why Ted (one of our project designers) is always on the lookout for a less expen- sive source of lumber. And usu- ally, he doesn't have far to look. BACKYARD LUMBER. Recently, he found a source of good quality lumber right in his own back- yard. (Actually, it was a few blocks away from his backyard.) An oak tree had blown down at a nearby apartment building. So on his way to work one morning, he decided to check it out. SAW LOGS. The tree looked like it had the potential to produce some good quality saw logs. The trank measured about 20" in diameter at the base. And it was straight with no major limbs for the first fifteen feet. Finally, he couldn't see any evidence of rot or insect damage. After sizing up the tree and talking to the owner of the building, Ted decided to make a deal. He'd remove the tree from the yard. And in exchange, he'd get all the lumber from the tree. TREE REMOVAL. Removing the tree started out simply enough. He cut the large limbs into firewood and hauled the branches away. But after cutting the trank into ten-foot lengths, there was I The portable bandsaw mill is mounted on a trailer, so it’s easily pulled up next to the logs. 2 Using a cant hook at each end, the log is pivoted into position to load on the sawmill. one big obstacle — how to trans- port the heavy logs. After all, he couldn't just wrestle them into his pickup. TREE SERVICE. A call to a local tree service company solved the problem. They loaded the logs onto a truck, drove the few blocks to Ted’s house, and dumped them in his front yard. Okay, but wasn't that expen- sive? Not as much as you might expect. Altogether, it only cost $65. And that was his only expense so far. Now he just needed a way to saw the logs into lumber. Here again, this wasn't a job that Ted was set up to tackle. But fortunately, there are sawmills in almost every part of the country that will make quick* work of sawing logs into lumber. And many of these mills are portable . So the mill can easily 3 After unhitching the trailer, it only takes a few minutes to level the sawmill using built-in jacks. 4 Here again, a cant hook makes quick work of rolling the log onto two hydraulic arms. The arms cradle the log as they raise it off the ground and roll it onto the bed of the sawmill. 6 A hydraulic “daw” (right) is\ used to rotate the log. And a foot (left) holds it securely in place. 24 ShopNotes No. 38 LUMBERYAR be brought right to the logs. BANDSAW MILL To locate one of these mills, we called Wood-Mizer, a company that manufactures portable bandsaw mills. They offered to bring out one of their mills to show us how it works. Editor's Note : To find the operator of a bandsaw mill in your area, you can call Wood- Miser at 800-553-0182. PORTABLE. A few weeks later, we got a glimpse of how portable these sawmills really are. The mill was mounted on a trailer that was pulled up right in front of Ted's house, see Step 1 on page 24. SETUP. After jockeying the logs into position (Step 2), it was just a matter of setting up the sawmill. Within fifteen minutes, the trailer had been unhitched, and the mill was leveled and ready to go, see Step 3. LOADING LOGS. We started by loading the logs onto the bed of the sawmill. This wasn't as diffi- cult as it sounds. Especially since this mill had a number of hydraulic controls that made it easy to handle the heavy logs, see Steps 4 through 6. INSPECTION. Before making the first cut, we gave the log a thor- ough inspection. Finding a nail or chunk of wire embedded in the log now would prevent dulling (or breaking) a saw blade later. SQUARING UP THE LOGS. Now we were ready to start making some sawdust. The initial cuts simply squared up the log, see Steps 7 and 8. MOVABLE SAW HEAD. They also gave us a chance to see how the head of the saw traveled back and forth along the length of the log. (This is the opposite of most cir- cular sawmills I’d seen where the log is carried through the blade.) custom CUTTING. In addition to moving back and forth, the head of the saw also adjusts up and down. This way, the sawyer can cut boards to whatever thickness you want. (Ted had his logs cut into 2"-thick boards). DUST. As the blade slices through the log, dust pours out a chute on the side of the mill, see Step 9. And a trickle of water keeps the blade running cool, see Step 10. With all this dust, it may appear that a lot of Ted's lumber was ending up on the ground as waste. But that's not the case. THIN KERF. Unlike a circular saw blade, the bandsaw blade cuts an extremely thin kerf, see Step 11. So there's really less waste. As a result, Ted got more lumber than he would have if the logs had been cut by a circular sawmill. In fact, he ended up with about 700 board feet altogether. COST. How much did it cost? Although Ted didn't have to pay for the actual sawing, most sawyers charge about thirty cents per board foot of lumber. So it would have cost him $210 to have the logs cut into lumber. When you add in the $65 he paid for the tree service, that comes to $275. That figures out to be about forty cents per board foot. Not bad for a ‘‘windfall.” Of course, he wasn't done yet. The lumber still needed to be dried, refer to page 26. 7 During the initial cut , the blade removes the top portion of the log (left). Then the log is rotated to square up the remaining sides (right). 8 As the blade slices through the log (left), the feed rate is controlled by the sawyer (center). A gauge (right) helps determine the thickness of the board. |A7o prevent pitch from gum- 1U ming up the blade, a water- drip system keeps it running cool. ll; A sharp blade and a mill .that’s properly aligned will produce quality boards like this. 9 Dust pours out a chute on the side of the mill as the head of the saw travels along a steel rail. No. 38 ShopNotes 25 LUMBERYAR Air-Drying Lumber I t was a two-person job to lift the heavy slabs of lumber as they were sliced off the logs by the sawmill. And the rough sawn surfaces felt wet to the touch. That’s because as much as half the weight of the boards was water. So before Ted could use the lumber to build a project, most of this water had to be removed. Fortunately, he had the perfect place to air-dry his lumber — a screened porch on the side of his garage, see photo above. SHELTER. Besides sheltering the wood from rain and snow, the porch shielded it from direct sun. This prevented the boards from drying too rapidly which would cause them to check (crack). AIR CIRCULATION. The porch also allowed air to circulate which 1 7o provide a solid foundation for the stack of lumber, start by laying out a row of 4x4 posts. 3 A row of stickers will let air cir- culate between the plywood and the bottom layer of lumber would carry off the moisture produced by the drying lumber. STACKING LUMBER But in order to accomplish that, the air had to move freely around every surface of each board. That required stacking the lumber in a careful manner. FOUNDATION. Just like a well- built house, the lumber stack 2 Now lay down plywood to keep moisture from damaging the lumber at the bottom of the stack. 4 After setting the first layer of boards in place , just repeat the process as you build up the stack. needed a solid foundation. So Ted started by laying out a row of 4x4 posts that were spaced about 18" apart, see Step 1 below. He also made it a point to check that the top surface of all the posts were even. If one post was lower, the boards above it would sag like an old horse. So to ensure that the boards dried flat, Ted laid a long, straight board i across the posts and used shims 1 to get everything nice and even. MOISTURE BARRIER. With the posts in place, he laid down a sheet of plywood, see Step 2. The plywood stops dampness from wicking into the stack and dam- aging the boards at the bottom. STICKERS. At this point, Ted disappeared for a few minutes. When he came back, he was car- rying an armload of narrow wood strips (stickers). Laying out a row of these stickers on the plywood allowed air to circulate under the bottom layer of boards, see Step 3. The rest of the stickers were used later to separate the individual layers of lumber. One thing about these stickers is they weren’t just any old scraps that Ted picked up around the shop. To keep the stickers from staining the boards, he^^ made them from clean, dry “two- by” material. Note: Hardwood stickers would also work. 26 ShopNotes No. 38 LUMBERYARE FIRST layer. With the basic ^groundwork complete, Ted was ready to set the first layer of boards in place. Once again, leaving at least an inch of space between boards allowed the air to circulate. BUILDING THE STACK. At this point, the lumber stack started to take shape quickly — another row of stickers followed by a layer of boards, see Step 4. As Ted built up the stack, he kept the stickers in straight ver- tical rows — directly over the 4x4 posts. This way, the weight of the lumber transferred down through the stack to the posts. MORE PLYWOOD. At the top of the stack, he added one more piece of plywood, see Step 5. This panel keeps any moisture that gets into the porch off the top layer of boards. But more important, it slowed down the drying time of these boards by covering their exposed ^surfaces. Without the plywood, r the air moving across the boards would remove moisture too rapidly and cause them to check. CONCRETE BLOCKS. The boards at the top of a stack are also more likely to warp . The reason is simple. Unlike the boards buried in the stack, there’s no weight pressing down on them from lumber above. So to keep BOARDS IN EACH LAYER ARE SAME THICKNESS CONCRETE SLOCKS WEIGH DOWN TOP BOARDS 3 / 4 " PLYWOOD PAINT ENDS OF BOARDS TO PREVENT CHECKING WEIGHT OF BLOCKS AND LUMBER TRANSFERS THROUGH STICKERS T x 2" STICKERS PLACED IB" APART PLYWOOD STOPS MOISTURE FROM DAMAGING LUMBER 4x4 PRESSURE TREATED POST the top boards flat, Ted set heavy concrete blocks on top of the plywood, see Step 6. PAINT ENDS. Finally, Ted coated the end of each board with latex paint, see Step 7. The paint served an important purpose. It minimized checking by preventing moisture from blowing out the ends of the boards too rapidly. Instead, the moisture escapes much more slowly from the edges and faces of the boards. TIME After building the stack, Ted only had one thing left to do — allow the lumber time to dry. Just how much time? The old rule of thumb is about a year per inch of lumber thickness. So to dry his 2"-thick boards, he figured it would take about two years. But that’s really just a guess. MOISTURE METER. The only way to know for sure is to check the lumber from time to time with a moisture meter. (For more infor- mation on moisture meters, refer to ShopNotes No. 30.) A meter will give the exact moisture content of the lumber. Ideally, the boards should be around 6% to 8%. But as long as the lumber was exposed to the humidity of the outside air, it would never reach that ideal moisture content. The best Ted could hope for would be around 15% to 20%. STACK INDOORS. So when the lumber eventually does reach that point, Ted will still have one more thing to do — move it indoors to a heated location where the final drying can be completed. fL 5 Adding a final piece of ply- wood keeps the top layer of lumber from drying too quickly 6 The stack is weighted down with concrete blocks to pre- vent the top boards from warping. 7 To minimize checking caused by losing moisture too rapidly paint the ends of the boards. No. 38 ShopNotes 27 Finishing on the Lathe Quick and easy — that’s the best way to describe the task of adding a finish to a turned project. WOODIUfiS lathe poush , paste wax p° lisH °fessionals DclIar"! . Finishing on the lathe is a simple process — the key is matching the finish to the project. T urning a project to shape on a lathe is very- satisfying. But what's even more satisfying is how fast and easy it is to apply the finish — while the project is still on the lathe. SANDING. But before you can apply the finish, you'll need to sand the project. Even -with sharp tools, there will still be some tool marks left behind. And you might end up with some tearout in the end grain that needs to be removed. The important thing is to start with the coarsest grit that will remove both the tool marks and any tearout. For a spindle-turned project, I start with 150-grit. But to smooth the end grain in a faceplate project, it's best to start with 80-grit. Then it's just a matter of using pro- gressively finer grits. But be sure to remove all the scratch marks of the previous girt first before going on. After removing the tool rest, sand the workpiece at the bottom using a small piece of sandpaper, see photo A below. This way, if it catches on the workpiece, the sandpaper gets pulled from your hand before it can pull your fingers into the workpiece. BURNISHING. Once the sanding is complete, I like to burnish (polish) the wood to bring out its natural sheen. This is easy to do with a handful of shavings cupped in the palm of your hand, see photo B below. Simply hold the shavings firmly against the workpiece as it's turning. FINISH. All that's left is to add the finish. There are a wide variety of turning finishes available, see margin and mail order sources on page 31. The main thing to keep in mind in choosing a finish is how much handling the project is going to receive. WAX. For a project that isn't handled on a daily basis, I'll use either a hard or soft wax. A soft paste wax is simply applied to the workpiece by hand using a small cloth. Then to buff it out and remove the excess, turn the lathe on and hold a small piece of clean cloth against the workpiece. The hard wax works a little differently. It comes in the form of a stick. So it’s used like a crayon to apply a thin coat while the workpiece is turning, see photo above. Then, like the soft wax, hold si small cloth against the workpiece. The friction gen- erated will melt the wax and distribute it evenly. LIQUID FINISH. For projects that need a bit more protection, I prefer a liquid finish. It provides a more durable surface film. And I can build up sev- eral coats in a few hours. To avoid having the finish spray off the project, I apply it with the lathe turned off. This way, it has time to soak in and doesn't dry unevenly. Once the finish is applied, turn on the lathe and use a cloth to distribute the finish, see photo C. This evens out the finish. And the heat that's gen- erated helps the solvents evaporate. This allows you to apply a few coats in a short period of time, d A. Sanding. Hold the sanding pad along the bottom of the workpiece and sand with the rotation. B. Burnishing. To produce a nice sheen, hold a handful of shavings against the workpiece as it turns. C. Finishing. After applying finish, use a cloth to distribute it evenly as the workpiece turns. 28 ShopNotes No. 38 T urning a project on the lathe (like the ring boxes shown on page 12) presents an interesting challenge. That's because the insides of the base are scooped out first. Then, after removing the base from the lathe, the hollowed out end needs to be remounted so you can turn the bottom. This is the challenging part. How do you mount the open end of the base to the lathe without using a specialized chuck? JAM CHUCK. The solution is a simple “jam" chuck. Basically, this is just a block of wood with a ( round tenon. The tenon fits inside the opening of the base and holds it in place with a friction fit. To make a jam chuck, I usually glue up a block from pieces of %"-thick stock. The block is simply screwed to the metal face- plate that threads onto the lathe. Once the block is secured to the face- plate, the first thing to do is to turn it to a cylinder. (I use a square-end scraper.) Then true up (flatten) the face of the jam chuck. TENON. Now you're ready to turn the tenon. The goal is to get the tenon to fit tight inside the base. The only problem is the dif- ference between a tight fit and one that's too loose is less than the thickness of a piece of paper. So the best way to get a good fit is by feel . To do this, you'll need to sneak up on the final size of the tenon by making a series of small cuts, see detail 'a' below. One more thing. When you're trying to get the tenon to fit in the opening, it's best to cut a short (Vi6") tenon. This way, if you remove too much material (and the fit is too loose), you can true up the face of the jam chuck and Making a Jam Chuck try again without much waste. TAPER. Once you're satisfied with the fit, the next step is to taper the tenon (about one or two degrees) as you cut it to full depth, see detail ‘b.' This allows you to “wedge" the base onto the tenon. To complete the jam chuck, there's one last thing I like to do. I flatten the angled shoulder that's formed when the taper is cut, see detail ‘c.' MOUNT BASE. N ow you're ready to mount the base on the jam chuck. Start by pressing it firmly onto the tenon. Note: As long as the base is secure, it doesn't need to sit flat against the face of the jam chuck. Then turn the lathe by hand to check that the base is centered. If it's not, just tap the “high" side a few times with a mallet. Then, flip the lathe on and off quickly to make sure that the base is secure before you start turning, fb JAM CHUCK TENON BASE NOTE: jam chuck is 1 1 /2 i '-THICK hardwood FIRST: MOUNT 1V 2 "-THICK HARDWOOD SLOCK TO FACEPLATE, SEE DRAWING ASOVE SECOND: turn jam chuck ROUND AND TRUE UP FACE WASTE JAM CHUCK CUT SHORT TENON _ TO FIT OPENING IN SASE SCRAPER \ ^ CUT FLATTEN SHOULDER OF JAM CHUCK TAPERED TENON TO FULL y 4 " DEPTH SHOULDER NOTE: TAPER SHOWN IS EXAGGERATED No. 38 ShopNotes 29 TIPS & TECHNIQUES ALIGNMENT JIG Shop Solutions TIPS FROM OUR SHOP GLUE-UP TIP ■ Gluing the top pieces to the base of the Drill Press Table (page 22) is easy. The trick is making sure the inside (beveled) edges on each piece are parallel. This ensures that the insert (with its matching bevels) will slide smoothly into the opening. SPACER. To help position the top pieces, I clamped a 3 / 4 n - thick plywood spacer to the base. Note: To create the desired size opening in the table, I ripped the spacer 5" wide. Why not just make the insert and use it as a spacer? Because when you butt the two pieces together, the bevel on the top piece would have a tendency to “ride up” over the bevel on the insert. But the edges of the plywood spacer are square. Plus it’s taller (thicker) than the hardboard insert. This makes it a snap to position each top piece during glue-up. Just push the beveled edge firmly against the spacer as you lower it onto the base of the table, see drawing. CLAMPING STRIPS. One thing to keep in mind here is the jaws on most clamps aren't deep enough to apply pressure at the center of the table. So to dis- ■ When gluing two pieces face to face, they tend to slip and slide out of alignment as you tighten the clamps. One solution is to install a short brad in one piece and snip off the head. This cutoff brad sticks into the mating piece and keeps it from shifting. But sometimes the brad grabs too soon — before the pieces are properly positioned. This makes it even more diffi- cult to align the pieces. And you end up with a gluey mess. So before gluing up the two halves of the legs on the Drill tribute pressure evenly across the table, I clamped strips of wood against the top. TRIM FLUSH. Once the glue dries, there's one last thing to do. Press Stand (page 16), I used a simple jig along with the brads to align the pieces. Basically, it consists of two sides and a base that are screwed together to form a 90° corner, see drawing. The idea is to set one leg piece with a couple of cutoff brads in the corner. Then hold the mating piece against the sides and press it onto the brads. This forms two tiny indenta- tions that are easy to “find” when you glue up the two leg pieces. And you can be sure the halves will be perfectly aligned. That's to trim the overhanging edges of the top pieces flush with the base. A flush trim bit in a table-mounted router makes quick work of this. BASE FIRST: RIP spacer TO WIDTH AND CLAMP IN PLACE ^ SECOND: GLUE TOP PIECES TO BASE CLAMPING STRIP THIRD: TRIM TOP FLUSH WITH BASE 30 ShopNotes No. 38 ShopNotes Project Supplies is offering some of the hardware and supplies needed to build the projects in this issue. We've also put together a list of other mail order sources that have similar hardware and supplies. k Scraper Burnisher This Scraper Burnisher puts a strong, sharp burr on a scraper that’s used when turning a project on the lathe. And it works great with high-speed steel tools. It’s made by Veritas and is available through the mail-order sources listed at right. Sources PRODUCT INFORMATION Heavy-Duty Casters ► The heavy-duty casters we used for the Benchtop Drill Press Stand (page 16) are ideal for roll-around tool bases. They’re available as either a fixed or a locking swivel caster. The nice thing about the locking caster is it locks both the wheel and the shaft. For mail-order sources, see margin. ◄ Drill Press Stand The Drill Press Stand featured on page 16 and the Table & Fence shown on page 22 provide a complete work- station for your benchtop drill press. ShopNotes Project Supplies is offering a hardware kit to build the Benchtop Drill Press Stand, the Table, and the Fence. It includes all the hardware you need to build each project except for the casters. DRILL PRESS KIT 6838-100 $19.95 MAIL ORDER SOURCES Lee Valley Tools 800 - 871-8158 Scraper Burnisher , ; Scrapers , Casters Packard Woodworks 800 - 683-8876 Scraper Burnisher , ; Finishing Supplies , Scrapers Craft Supplies 800 - 551-8876 Finishing Supplies , Scrapers Woodworker’s Supply 800 - 645-9292 Finishing Supplies , Scrapers Selected Guide to Our Best Shop-Made Tool Stands These sturdy tool stands featured in past issues of ShopNotes will help dampen noise and vibration and improve the performance of your tools. k Table Saw Cabinet Besides adding storage, this Table Saw Cabinet features an outfeed sup- port as well as built-in dust control. We’re offering a kit with all the hardware needed to build the Table Saw Cabinet. ShopNotes No. 25 is also eluded to provide step-by-step plans. TABLE SAW CABINET KIT 6825-225 $149.95 ▲ Lathe Stand This shop-built Lathe Stand has a massive top, solid slab legs, and a heavy “sandbox” to help absorb vibration set up by the lathe. A complete hardware kit (with plans provided in ShopNotes No. 10) is available to build this Lathe Stand. LATHE STAND KIT 6810-225 $39.95 ▲ Portable Planer Stand You can make your portable planer truly portable with this mobile Planer Stand. It also offers an outfeed extension and an optional drawer. We’re offering a complete hardware kit to build the Planer Stand. ShopNotes No. 9 is included with complete plans. PLANER STAND KIT 6809-225 $29.95 < o LU <*> < LU cr LU D cc o < LU O < _l Q. Q If) O If) ■ * CO ■ o o 00 CO CO 2 CO iii Q O O >- LU No. 38 ShopNotes 31 V, Scenes from the Shop A With its two massive flywheels turning, this 60 hp Wright Adams steam engine (above) transfers power to the sawmill by means of a wide belt. 4s the the rack and pinion drive on the sawmill is engaged (right), the saw blade slices into the log. A Built around the turn of the century, this huge, wood-fired boiler stands like a derailed locomotive. Nevertheless, it continues to be a real workhorse today by generating the steam used to run the engine and sawmill shown below.