h Lathe Disk Sander □ Veneering Small Panels ■ Table Saw Dust Collector 0 Full-Mortise Lock Cabinetmaker’s Tool Chest Provide safekeeping for all your favorite hand tools with this maple heirloom chest SiopNotes Issue 49 www.shopnotes.com EDITORS NOTE publisher Donald B. Peschke editor Tim Robertson associate editor Tom Begnal 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 • Senior Project Designer. Kevin Boyle • Project Coordinator. Kent Welsh • Shop Manager, Steve Curtis • Shop Craftsman : Steve Johnson • Senior Photographer : Crayola England SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS Executive Editor. Douglas L. Hicks • Art Director: Steve Lueder • Sr. Graphic Designers: Chris Glowacki, Cheryl L. Simpson • Asst. Editors: Joe Irwin, Craig Ruegsegger • Graphic Designer. Vu Nguyen CIRCULATION Sub. Serv. Dir. : Sandy Baum • New Bus. 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Asst,.: Julia Fish, Sherri Ribbey • Receptionist: Jeanne Johnson • Building Maintenance: Ken Griffith • Mail Room Clerk: Lou Webber MAIL ORDER Operations Dir.: Bob Baker • Oust. Serv. Mgr.: Jennie Enos • Warehouse Supr.: Nancy Johnson • Buyer. Linda Jones • Admin, Asst: Nancy Downey • Tech. Rep.: John Audette • Cust. So'v. Reps.: Anna Cox, Tammy Truckenbrod, Deborah Rich, April Revell, David Gaumer • Warehouse: Sylvia Carey, Dan Spidle, Eric Tullis, Sheryl Knox WOODSMITH STORE Manager: Dave Larson • Assistant Manager: Paul Schneider • Sales Staff. Pat Lowry, Wendell Stone, Jim Barnett, Kathy Smith, Larry Morrison, Harold Cashman • Office Manager. Vicki Edwards ShopNotes® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly (Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.) by August Home Publishing, 2200 Grand, Des Moines, IA 50312. ShopNotes® is a registered trademark of August Home Publishing ©Copyright 2000 by August Home Publishing. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: Single copy: $4.99. One year subscription (6 issues), $21.94. Canada/International add $10 per year, U.S. funds. Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, I A and at addi- tional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes, P.O. Box 37103, Boone, 1A 50037-2103. Subscription Questions? Write to: ShopNotes Customer Service, P.O. Box 842, Des Moines, IA 50304-9961. Or call 1-800-333-5854, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Central Time, week- days. FAX 515-283-0447 E-Mail : ShopNotes@shopnotes.com Internet: http://wmv.shopnotes.com PRINTED IN U.S.A. Cutoffs O ne of the last things I do before we send out an issue of ShopNotes is to add the date above the masthead. (That’s the long list of names on the left.) Now usually, I don’t give it a second thought. But this time, I hesitated a bit As I typed in the year "2000,” the string of zeroes looked odd and out of place. Then it hit me. The new year, new century, and new millenium had always seemed like eons away. Now the twenty-first cen- tury had blown in like a gust of wind. What changes will it bring about? I’m not really sure. But I do know one thing. Whatever changes are in store are likely to happen faster and faster. Well, call me a stick-in-the-mud if you want. But the more things speed up, the more I find myself wanting to slow down. (Some folks say I’m just getting old.) The best way I’ve found to do that is to spend a few quiet hours in the shop. It’s a great way to slow down, unwind, and create some- thing at a leisurely pace. TOOL CHEST. I guess that’s what’s so enjoyable about building the tool chest that’s featured in this issue. It’s one of those projects where it’s easy to lose track of time completely. Take something as simple as selecting the lumber for the tool chest. An entire morning can slip by while you sort through stacks of lumber, turning each board over and over, looking for pieces with just the right figure or color. And there’s no need to rush when selecting the hardware for the tool chest. What better way to spend an evening than poring over woodworking catalogs, looking for pieces of hardware appropriate for an heirloom chest? In fact, I was paging through one of my own “wish books” when I came across just the pieces of hardware I wanted — solid brass hinges, heavy- duty chest handles, and a full-mortise lock with an old-fashioned key. (That’s the key I’ve been carrying around for the past few weeks in the photo below.) But let’s face it. The most rewarding thing about building this chest is spending time in the shop, carefully fit- ting each piece together, and lingering over every single detail. In fact, it’s getting totally absorbed by these details that’s the best part — making a strip of bead molding and applying it to the chest, lining the drawers with leather, gluing a wood plug in a brass knob and then “turning” it to shape on a drill press. Somewhere in this process, an interesting thing happens — time loses its importance. What begins to matter more are things like patience and pride. Not a boastful type of pride. But pride in workmanship, in making something as good as it can possibly be. It’s a satisfying feeling. Now I know, I’ve talked quite a bit about the tool chest. But believe it or not, there’s a lot more to say. For the rest of the story, turn to page 16. LATHE DISK SANDER. Another pro- ject in this issue that’s definitely worth a closer look is a shop-made disk sander that mounts to a lathe. As a disk sander, it’s a great way to remove stock quickly or sand a workpiece to shape. And when you want to turn a workpiece on the latlie, it only takes a minute to remove the disk sander. TABLE SAW DUST COLLECTOR. One final note. Before you build another pro- ject of any kind, be sure to check out the table saw dust collector that’s shown on page 28. It’s the simplest solution I’ve seen yet for collecting the dust pro- duced by a table saw. 2 ShopNotes No. 49 ISSUE FORTY-NINE • Contents Features Lathe Disk Sander 6 It’s easy to convert your lathe into a disk sander. This shop- made tool features a large sanding disk that removes stock quickly and a tilting table to support the workpiece. Veneering Small Panels 12 From making crisp, clean cuts in veneer to gluing and clamping it in place, these helpful tips show you how to apply veneer to small, hardboard panels. Full-Mortise Lock 14 There’s no mystery to installing a full-mortise lock. All you need is a little patience, a careful layout, and our step-by- step instructions. Cabinetmaker's Tool Chest 16 This figured maple tool chest is constructed of simple frame and panel assemblies. With seven drawers and storage under the lid, it’s designed to hold your favorite hand tools. Table Saw Dust Collection 28 Get the most out of your dust collector. Together with a few scrap pieces of material, you can quickly create an efficient dust collection system for your table saw. Departments Readers' Tips 4 Our readers offer their own shop-tested tips dealing with some of the most common woodworking problems. page 6 Lathe Disk Sander Veneering Panels page 12 Tool Talk 30 Tips and talk about tools of our trade. In this issue, we look at a micro-adjustable edge guide that attaches to a router. Sources. 31 Information and mail-order sources for the hardware and supplies used to build the projects in this issue. Dust Collection page 28 No. 49 ShopNotes 3 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Readers’ Tips Sanding Long Notches ■ Occasionally, I build a project that requires cutting a long notch in a piece. That’s the easy part. (I just use a sabre saw.) The trick is sanding the rough edge straight and smooth. If I use a drum sander in the drill press, I often end up with a scalloped edge. To prevent this, I use a long fence that’s notched to fit around the drum sander, see drawing. With the “feet” Miter Gauge Extension ■ Using a miter gauge to cut multiple pieces to length on a table saw is easy — if the pieces are fairly short. I just clamp a stop block to a wood fence attached to the miter gauge. But if the pieces are long , I’ve always had trouble cutting them to identical lengths. Unless I use an extremely long fence, there’s no place to clamp a stop block. And such a of the workpiece riding against the fence, it’s easy to sand a straight edge. SETUP. To sand the entire thick- ness of the edge, you’ll also need a base with a hole cut in to accept the drum sander, see detail ‘a.’ After clamping the base to the drill press table, lower the drum sander into the hole and lock the quill. Then position the fence to sand to the desired depth and clamp it in place, see detail h.’ Now just turn on the drill press, and push the workpiece into the drum sander until it contacts the fence. Note: Start at the right end of the notch. Then slowly feed the workpiece from left to right. Leon Schleusener Tomah, Wisconsin long fence would just get in the way most of the time. So in order to cut long pieces to length quickly and accurately, I added a removable extension rail to the wood fence and then made a stop block to fit on the rail, see drawing. EXTENSION RAIL. The extension rail is a thick piece of aluminum bar stock that attaches to the back of the wood fence. (You’ll find bar stock at most home centers.) To hold the rail in place, I cut two notches in the bottom edge of the aluminum bar to fit over screws installed in the fence. Tightening the screws secures the rail to the fence. STOP BLOCK Next, I added a sliding stop block. It’s a thick hardwood block with a wide kerf that fits over the rail. After positioning the stop block on the rail, just tighten a knob into a threaded insert to lock it in place. Bob Anderson Omaha, Nebraska 4 V ShopNotes No. 49 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Quick Tips ■ After rubbing a dried finish with steel wool, it's hard to clean up the tiny metal fibers that remain on the sur- face. My solution is to stick a magnet in a plastic bag and “sweep” it across the surface, see photos below. The metal slivers that stick to the bag are easy to remove. Just hold the bag over a trash can and remove the magnet Keith Mulford Arlington Heights, Illinois ■ When cutting delicate parts on a scroll saw, it’s frus- trating if a small piece breaks off. The problem is it isn’t fully supported over the blade opening in the saw table. To add extra support, I make a “zero-clearance” insert by poking the end of the blade through a business card (inset photo) and taping the card to the table, see photo. Custom Fit Dado Joint ■ In ShopNotes No. 45, you showed a method of cutting a dado joint on the table saw without using a dado blade. It uses two spacer blocks to establish the width of the dado. That method works fine. In fact, I use a similar technique with a slight twist. A screw installed in one of the spacer blocks makes it easy to “fine tune” the width of the dado and create a custom fit joint The idea is to clamp the two blocks to the rip fence so they’re offset, see Fig. 1. (Place the block with the screw against the fence.) To cut one side of the dado, butt the workpiece against the block closest to the blade and make a pass, see Fig. la. Now set the workpiece against the screw and make a second pass to cut the other side of the dado, see Figs. 2 and 2a. After removing the waste material in between, test fit the dado joint If it’s too tight (or too loose), simply adjust the screw in or out, see Fig. 2b. Phil Pratt Marco Island, Florida Send in Your Shop Tips If you have a unique shop tip, we’d like to consider featuring it in one or more of our print or electronic publications. We’ll pay up to $200 for a tip we pub- lish. Just write down the tip and mail it to ShopNotes , Attn.: Readers’ Tips, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. Or FAX it to 515-282-6741, or send us an e-mail at shopnotes@shopnotes.com. Please include your name, address and daytime phone number in case we have any questions. No. 49 ShopNotes 5 By mounting this shop-made disk sander to your lathe, you get two tools in the space of one. O ne of the best ways to save space in a shop is to use one tool to accomplish two jobs. That’s the idea behind the lathe-mounted disk sander that’s shown above. As a disk sander, it makes quick work of sanding to a line or trimming the mitered end of a workpiece to get a perfect fit. And when you want to turn a project on the lathe, it only takes a minute to remove the disk sander. SLOW SPEED. Besides doing double duty, mounting this disk sander to a lathe has another advan- tage. Since the speed of the lathe is adjustable, the sanding disk can be set to spin at a relatively slow speed. (I set mine around 750 rpm’s.) This way, the wood isn’t as likely to burn as with other disk sanding acces- sories I’ve used. (For example, a sanding disk mounted on the arbor A Tilting Table. ► Sanding a bevel on the edge of a workpiece is a snap with this disk sander. Just tilt the table to the desired angle and tighten a knob to lock it in place. B. Circle Sanding Jig. ► By adding a simple circle sanding jig that slides across the table, you can sand perfectly round disks in a matter of minutes. of a table saw spins at 3,000 rpm’s.) DISK & TABLE. The disk sander is made up of two main parts. A sanding disk provides a hard, flat surface to attach file sandpaper. And an adjustable table supports the workpiece. To sand a bevel on the edge of a workpiece, the table is designed to tilt from 0° to 45°, see photo A’ at left. As another option, you may want to build a simple jig that slides across the table and allows you to sand per- fect circles, see photo ‘B.’ SANDING DISK At first, I considered using a store- bought sanding disk. But as I was rummaging around in the scrap bin, I found the ideal material to make my own sanding disk — Medium- Density Fiberboard (MDF). MDF. The nice thing about MDF is it’s a hard, durable material that will stay flat in use. To add rigidity to the sanding disk, 1 used 'VV’-thick MDF (It’s available at many lumberyards and home centers.) FACEPLATE. I also needed a way to secure the sanding disk to the lathe. The solution was to attach a faceplate to the disk and then mount it on the lathe. (I used a 6" faceplate.) DISK SIZE. But before attaching the faceplate, it’s best to cut the disk to rough size. It’s easy to establish 6 ShopNotes No. 49 JIGS & ACCESSORIES the size of the disk, at least in theory. Just measure the distance from the bed of the lathe to the centerpoint of the spindle. Then make the diameter of the disk twice that size. (This is the “swing” of the lathe.) The only problem is a disk of that size would contact the lathe bed. This means that the disk has to be a bit smaller. To accomplish that, I started with a square blank that’s Vs" smaller than the swing of the lathe. (In my case, the lathe has a 12" swing, so I cut an ll 7 /g" square blank.) LAYOUT. The next step is to lay out two circles on the blank. A large circle establishes the size of the disk, see Fig. 1. And a small circle will be used to position the faceplate. Note: To find the centerpoint of both cir- cles, just draw two diagonal lines across the corners of the blank. After scribing the circles with a compass, you can use a band saw (or sabre saw) to cut the disk to rough shape. Once again, to ensure there’s enough clearance to mount tire disk on the lathe, stay as close as possible to the layout line. After roughing out the basic shape, it’s just a matter of screwing the faceplate to the disk. ‘TRUE UP” DISK. No matter how carefully you position the faceplate, it probably won’t be perfectly centered on the disk. So you’ll need to “true up” the sanding disk (A) so it spins without wobbling. To do this, mount the faceplate on the lathe and use a scraper to clean up the rough edge of the disk, see Figs. 2 and 2a. It only takes a few minutes to install a sand- paper disk. Especially the peel-and-stick type of disks that have a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back, see photo at right DISK SIZE. These sandpaper disks range in size from 5" to 12" in diameter. Just make sure that the disks you buy cover the entire surface of the MDF sanding disk. (For Sources, see page 31.) GRIT SIZE. You’ll also find sandpaper disks in a wide range of grit sizes, from 36- grit to 320-grit. But there’s no need to have every single one of these grit sizes on hand. Either an 80, 100, or a 120-grit sand- paper disk works fine for most of my work. APPLY FINISH. Before you attach the first sandpaper disk, there’s a bit of ground- work to do. That’s to apply a finish to the MDF sanding disk, see photo ‘A’ The finish helps seal the surface of the MDF. This makes it easy to peel off the used sandpaper disks. Plus it prevents chunks of material from tearing out of the MDF Note: To prevent the sanding disk from warping, I brushed on three coats of polyurethane to the edge and both sides. TRIM DISK One thing you may find when you stick on a new sandpaper disk is it hangs over the edge. This overhanging material can cut like a sharp knife, so it’s a good idea to trim the excess flush to the edge of the sanding disk, see photo ‘B.’ No. 49 ShopNotes 7 JIGS & ACCESSORIES base & Table. ▲ To collect the dust produced by the disk sander, the hose on a shop vacuum fits into a hole in the base. The foundation of this disk sander is a wedge-shaped base that mounts securely to the bed of the lathe, see drawing at right. In addition to pro- viding support for an adjustable table, the base has a hook-up for a shop vacuum, see margin. BASE At first, the angled shape of the base might seem a little unusual. But there’s a simple explanation. It pro- vides the clearance that’s needed when you tilt the table at an angle. BOTTOM. I began by making the bottom (B) of the base from a piece of 3 / 4 m MDF, see Fig. 3. To provide a way to hook up the disk sander to a shop vacuum, there’s a large hole in the base that’s cut to fit the end of the hose. You’ll also need to drill a hole for a carriage bolt that’s part of a clamp head added later. ENDS. The next step is to add two triangular end (Q pieces to support the angled side of the base, see Fig. 3. There’s a hole drilled near the tip of one of these end pieces, see End View. Later, this hole will accept a T- nut that’s used when locking the table at an angle. SIDE. Before attaching the ends, I added the angled side (D). It’s nothing more than a piece of MDF that’s beveled on the lower edge to fit against the bottom of the base. ASSEMBLY. The side, ends, and bottom are held together with glue and screws. Just make sure to slip the carriage bolt in place before attaching the side. Since it sits at an angle, there’s not enough clearance inside the base to install the bolt later. CLAMP HEAD. Now it’s time to turn your attention to the clamp head that holds the base on the lathe bed. The clamp head consists of two parts. To keep the base square to the sanding disk, a mounting block (E) made of MDF fits in the opening in the lathe bed, see Fig. 4. And a hard- wood pressure block (F) that’s notched to fit around the mounting block locks the base in place. To apply this pressure, a centered hole drilled in each piece fits over the bolt in the base. Tightening a knob on the end of the bolt pinches the pressure block against the lathe bed and secures the base firmly in place, see Clamp Head Detail in Fig. 4. DUST COVER. At this point, all that’s left is to add a curved dust cover (G) to the open side of the No. 49 JIGS & ACCESSORIES FIRST: MOUNT SECOND: layout A CLAMP HEAD DETAIL^ £ 2 * 1 J base, see Fig. 5. To prevent dust from escaping, the idea is to enclose the part of the opening that’s not covered by the sanding disk. The best way I found to accom- plish that is to temporarily screw a rectangular blank to the base and butt it against the sanding disk. Then use the sanding disk as a template to lay out the curved shape of the dust cover, see Fig. 5a. Note: To provide clearance for the spinning disk, you’ll want to draw the line about Vs" away from the disk. After removing the blank, it’s just a matter of cutting the dust cover to shape. I ended up with a thin “web” of material near the bottom of the dust cover. So I cut it into two parts and then glued and screwed each piece to the base. ADJUSTABLE TABLE With the base complete, it’s time to concentrate on the adjustable table. The table provides a large, flat work- surface for sanding. Plus, it can be tilted to make it easy to sand a bevel on the edge of a workpiece. To create a hard, durable surface, the table (H) is made from 3 / 4 n MDF, see Step 1 in drawing at right. Then it’s “wrapped” with hardwood (maple) edging to protect the exposed edges. MITER SLOT. After gluing on the edging, I cut a slot in the table to fit No. 49 the bar on my miter gauge. A dado blade mounted in the table saw makes quick work of cutting the slot CUT NOTCH. I also wanted as much support as possible when sanding irregular-shaped pieces, see photo at right. So I notched the back edge of the table to fit around the edge of the sanding disk. INSTALL HINGE. The table is attached to the base with a contin- STEP1 APPLY EDGING TO TABLE THEN CUT NOTCH AND SLOT uous hinge. To allow the table to tilt down without binding, the knuckle of the hinge needs to be set in from the edge of the table, see Step 2 below. (I located one leaf of the hinge l 3 /s M in from the edge and screwed it in place.) The other leaf of the hinge is simply mounted to the top edge of the side as shown in the top drawing and Hinge Detail on page 8. A To provide extra support for irregular- shaped pieces , the table extends past the sanding disk. CUT 3 /©"-DEEP SLOT TO FIT MITER GAUGE BAR -CD EDGING ( 1 /2 ,, -THICK HARDWOOD) NOTE: TABLE IS MADE FROM MDF ShopNotes Threaded Insert 14" x 2V Z ' Hex !3olt ▲ All it takes to make the lock pin is a round , plastic knob (see page 31 for a source) and a bolt with the head and a portion of the threads cut off. At this point, you can tilt the table to any angle between 0° and 45°. But there’s no way to lock it in place. That’s the job of the tilt plate (I ) , see drawing above. It works together with a knob to lock the table at the desired angle. TILT PLATE. The tilt plate starts out as a rectangular blank of 3 / 4 f, -thick hardwood. To accept a metal pin that’s added later, you’ll need to drill a hole near the bottom edge of the tilt plate. Also, cutting a notch on one side of the plate and an arc on the other side forms two “ears” that are pre-drilled for mounting screws. Note: The adjustment slot is cut later. To attach the tilt plate, you’ll want to center it on the width of the table and butt it against the base. Then after clamping it in place, install the mounting screws. LOCK PIN. Now you’re ready to add a lock pin to hold the table square to the sanding disk, see margin. To install the pin, start by squaring the table to the sanding disk, see Fig. 6. Then clamp the table in this posi- tion and use the hole in the tilt plate as a guide to drill a hole through the end of the base, see Fig. 6a. Now just push the pin into place, see Fig. 6b. ADJUSTMENT SLOT. The next Step is to cut the curved adjustment slot. It provides clearance for the knob that’s used to lock the table at an angle. Later, this knob threads into a T-nut that fits in the hole drilled earlier in the base, see detail ‘a’ above. But before installing the T-nut, the hole comes in handy when laying out the location of the adjustment slot. To mark one side of this slot, hold the tip of a pencil at the top of the hole, pull the lock pin, and tilt the table all the way down, see Figs. 7 and 7a. Then with the pencil at the bottom of the hole, repeat the process to lay out the other side of the slot. To complete the slot, you’ll have to remove the tilt plate. Then drill a hole at each end of the layout lines and cut the slot with a sabre saw. 45° STOP. After reinstalling the tilt plate, I added a 45° stop. It’s just a screw installed in the bottom of the table. The location of the screw isn’t critical. Just be sure that when the table is tilted down, the head of the screw contacts the base, see Fig. 7b. Adjusting the screw lets you “fine tune” the angle of the table to 45° . 10 ShopNotes No. 49 Circle-Sanding Jig As an option, you may want to add a circle-sanding jig to the disk sander, see photo. This jig makes it easy to sand a perfectly round circle up to 20 M in diameter. The way it works is simple. Start by fitting a rough-cut disk over a nail that serves as a pivot pin. (You’ll have to drill a hole in the bottom of the disk for the nail.) Then all you need to do is slide the jig forward and rotate the disk to sand the edges smooth. The jig consists of three parts: a large platform that supports the workpiece, a hardwood guide that rides against the table, and a stop block that establishes the final diameter of the disk, see Fig. 1. PLATFORM. The platform is a square piece of 3 // MDF with a series of holes drilled in it to hold the nail. (I snipped the head off a finish nail.) So which hole do you use? That depends on the size of the disk. The goal is to position the nail so there’s as much sup- port as possible for the disk, yet still have it extend beyond the leading edge of the platform. (Remember, you want to sand the disk, not the platform.) GUIDE. The next step is to add the guide. It’s apiece of 3 / 4 M -thick hardwood that keeps the platform square to the sanding disk. To form a handhold, there’s a large slot near the lower edge of the guide, see Guide Detail in Fig. 1. A smaller slot makes the stop block adjustable. STOP BLOCK After attaching the guide with glue and screws, I added the hardwood stop block. It’s held in place by tightening a knob on a bolt that passes through a hole in the stop block and the small slot in the guide. SETUP. It only takes a minute to set up the jig. Start by placing it on the table so the distance between the nail and the sanding disk equals the desired radius of the circle, see Fig. 2. Then butt the end of the stop block against the table and tighten the lock knob. Before putting the rough-cut disk on the nail, you’ll need to move the jig away from the sanding disk. Then turn on the lathe and slide the jig forward until the stop block contacts the table, see Fig. 3. Now simply rotate the disk by hand to sand it smooth. & No. 49 ShopNotes 11 Veneering Small Panels W hen building the Cabinetmaker’s Tool Chest that’s featured on page 16, I decided to use veneer for a couple of reasons. First, it allowed me to make the small panels in the tool chest out of hardboard. Besides reducing the weight of the chest, hardboard is more stable than solid wood. As a result, I was able to cover the hardboard panels with Two layers of veneer and glue them into a frame — without worrying veneer . . . and a about wood movement splitting the joints apart. small piece of As an added benefit, covering the panels with veneer hardboard, That's provided a wide range of options when it came to deter- all it takes to create mining the appearance of the tool chest. (I used bird’s- the appearance of e Y e ma Pl e veneer I’d been saving for a special project.) a solid wood panel, VENEER. Veneer is nothing more than a very thin slice of wood (often only V 32 " thick). But once the veneer is glued to a core piece (the hardboard), it’s difficult to tell it apart from a solid wood panel. Although you can buy peel-and-stick veneer with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on back, I chose traditional veneer. This is the type of veneer that needs to be glued to a core piece. It’s available in dozens of wood species as well as a number of highly-figured varieties. (For sources, refer to page 31.) As a rule, veneer comes in pieces of random width and length. Because of this, you often have to edge-glue pieces together to cover a large surface. But applying veneer to small panels is considerably easier. They can usually be covered without having to match or “piece” sheets of veneer together. Another advantage of working with small pieces of veneer is it doesn’t require any specialized clamps or presses. In fact, a few standard bar clamps provide all the pressure that’s needed, see photo above. CUTTING VENEER SOURCES Garrett Wade 800 - 221-2942 Gap Filling Glue Lee Valley 800 - 871-8158 Veneer Tape , Gap Filling Glue Rockier 800 - 279-4441 Veneer Tape Constantine’s 800 - 223-8087 Veneer Tape Gap Filling Glue With a name like “202 GF,” I expected this glue to be special. I wasn’t disappointed. EXTRA THICK First of all, it has the consistency of a milk shake. So unlike yellow woodworker’s glue, it stays on the surface of the wood instead of soaking in. This makes it ideal for working with veneer. Since the glue doesn’t penetrate, it’s not as likely to cause problems when applying a finish. GAP FILLING. This glue also comes in handy when building cabinets or furniture projects. Say you’ve got a joint that’s slightly loose for instance. The solids in the glue act as a “gap filler” that helps strengthen the joint. (That explains the ‘GF.’ But what about the 202? It’s just the manufacturer’s code number.) EASY TO REMOVE. Another thing I like about this glue is it chips easily when it’s dry. So all it takes to remove any glue that squeezes out is a few strokes with a cabinet scraper. (See margin for sources.) You won’t need any special tools to cut the veneer either. A utility knife and straightedge work just fine. GRAIN PATTERN. But before making a single cut, pay attention to the grain pattern and color of the veneer. Sometimes the grain is so “wild,” it’s difficult to visualize how the veneer will look once it’s applied to the panel. PICTURE FRAME. One way to simplify things is to make a “picture frame” out of posterboard. By sliding the frame across the sheet of veneer, you can see exactly how the panel will look once it’s covered with veneer. Occasionally, you’ll “zero in” on an area only to find a split or crack in the veneer. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix, see box on page 13. MAKING CLEAN CUTS. After marking the desired sec- tion, you’re ready to cut the veneer from the sheet. This can be a challenge. Veneer splits easily. And even with a sharp blade, it’s possible to tear the wood fibers. To prevent tearout when cutting across the grain, lightly score the wood fibers first. Then snap the veneer along the score line. When cutting with the grain, the blade may “follow” the grain line. So hold it firmly against the straightedge to prevent it from wandering. OVERSIZE PIECES. No matter how careful you are, there’s still likely to be some chipout. So to end up with a crisp, clean edge, it’s best to start with an oversize piece 12 ShopNotes No. 49 TECHNIQUE of veneer (about V 2 11 longer and wider than the desired size of the panel) . Then glue it onto a core piece that’s about Vs" larger than the veneer. This way, when the panel is trimmed to size, any small splits near the edge are removed. GLUING & CLAMPING Once the veneer is cut to rough size, the next step is to glue it onto the core piece. I use a simple “press” to glue the veneer down flat, see photo at right. Note: To ensure the panel stays flat, it’s best to veneer both sides of the core piece. GLUE. Another thing to consider is the type of glue. Yellow wood- worker’s glue works fine with tight- grained woods like cherry or maple. But with open-grained woods like oak or mahogany (or highly-figured wood), the glue may “bleed” through the surface of the veneer. When the glue dries, it can cause an ugly spot that won’t accept a stain (or finish) . So I use a special type of glue that doesn’t absorb into the wood fibers, see box on page 12. Regardless of the type of glue, the key is to apply a thin, uniform layer. If there’s a dry spot, the veneer may lift and form a “bubble.” On the other hand, a puddle of glue may form a dried lump that can’t be removed without sanding through the veneer. So I use a glue bottle with a roller to apply a thin, even film of glue. One thing to be aware of is to Plywood clamping b ock distributes pressure evenly across veneer Wax paper prevents glue rrom sticking to clamping block Figured veneer creates appearance of soiio wood panel The Drafting tape prevent s veneer from shifting when pressure is applied Wax paper and clamping block com- plete the “layer cake" VENEER PRESS apply glue the core piece only (not the veneer), moisture in the glue will cause the veneer to wrinkle up like bacon in a frying pan. This moisture can also cause the veneer to curl a bit when you posi- tion it on the core piece. But damp- ening the top side of the veneer should make it lie flat, see margin. TAPE. After covering both sides of the core piece, it’s a good idea to tape the veneer in place. The tape pre- vents the veneer from slipping around on the core piece once the clamping pressure is applied. Note: I use drafting tape because it’s easier to remove than masking tape. CLAMPING BLOCKS. When clamping the veneer to the core piece, the goal is to dis- tribute the pressure evenly across the entire surface. An easy way to do this is to slip the panel between two plywood blocks and clamp the “layer cake” together, see photo above. Note: Slipping in a couple of pieces of wax paper will prevent the panel from sticking to the clamping blocks. DRY TIME. Once the glue sets up (in about an hour), you can remove the panel from the clamping blocks. It will still feel damp to the touch. So stand the panel on edge to allow air to circulate around it. When the panel is completely dry (overnight is best) , just trim it to final size. & A If the veneer curls up when you place it on the core piece, mist it lightly with water to make it lie flat. Hard board provides a stable core to keep panel from warping Repairing Veneer If a piece of veneer is split, trying to fix it might seem like a hopeless task, see inset photo. But it’s really quite simple to make a repair that’s nearly invisible. VENEER TAPE. To do this, I use a spe- cial type of tape called veneer tape. Basically, it’s a perforated strip of paper that’s as thin as an onion skin, see photo at right. The tape isn’t sticky like you’d expect. But the side with the adhesive is shinier than the other. Moistening the shiny side makes the adhesive a bit gummy so you can stick the tape to the veneer. SEAMLESS JOINT. But first, squeeze the edges of the veneer together to create a “seamless” joint. (The holes in the tape make it easy to see if the edges shift out of alignment.) Then run a strip of tape along the joint line. REMOVE TAPE. After gluing the taped- up veneer to the core piece, scrape (or sand) the veneer to remove the tape. (For sources of veneer tape, see margin on page 12.) * £»> No. 49 ShopNotes 13 TECHNIQUE Full-Mortise Lock ne of the challenges in building the tool chest that’s featured on page 16 is installing the lock. To latch the lid securely, each part of the lock must be accu- rately aligned. Plus, it requires cutting mor- tises in the chest after it’s nearly completed. Now I’ll admit this can be a bit nerve- racking. But a careful layout and a simple wood block make it a fairly straightforward task. The lock I used has three main parts: the lock body , a brass escutcheon , and a catch plate , see drawing at right. LOCK BODY. The body of the lock is housed in two mortises cut in the top edge of the case. A long, shallow mortise accepts the mounting flange on the lock body. And a short, deep mortise holds the lock mechanism. Start by laying out the mortise for the mounting flange, see Step 1 below. To cut this mortise, I used a The solution is a thick, hardwood guide block with a groove that fits over the edge of the case, see Step 2. A hole in the block guides the drill bit The idea is to locate this hole 1 Start by centering the lock body on the width of the case and marking the ends of the mortise. 2 After aligning the hole in the of overlapping holes with a hand- guide block with the layout line, held drill and brad point bit. Then cut the mortise by drilling a series clean up the ridges with a chisel. 3 Now you can lay out the loca- tion of the deep mortise that After drilling a smaller ( 5 /w") mortise for the lock mechanism. ' hole in the guide block, drill a Then pare off the remaining waste will hold the lock mechanism. series of deep holes to form the with a chisel, see photo above. 14 ShopNotes No. 49 TECHNIQUE so the mortise is centered on the thick- ness of the upper rail (not the trim piece on top of the case) . After aligning the guide block, its just a matter of drilling a series of overlapping holes. Note: Shining a flashlight in the hole makes it easy to align the guide block. Once the flange fits in the mortise, you can lay out the deep mortise for the lock mechanism, see Step 3. To cut this mortise, I drilled a smaller hole in the guide block (to match the thick- ness of the mechanism) and used the same process as before, see Step 4. ESCUTCHEON. After squaring up the mortise, it’s time to add the escutcheon. I know, it has a funny- sounding name. Especially since it has such a simple job. It’s really just a brass keyhole that prevents the key from wearing against the case. The escutcheon fits in a keyhole- shaped opening in the upper rail. To ensure a good fit, I started by cre- ating an opening that’s just large enough to accept the key, see Step 5. This requires drilling a hole in the upper rail and then filing a short slot Once the key fits in the opening, you can lay out the shape of the key- hole, see Step 6. Then file up to the line, checking the fit frequently. When you’re satisfied with the fit, press the escutcheon in place, see margin. CATCH PLATE. All that’s left is to mortise the catch plate into the lid. Here again, a shallow mortise accepts the plate, and a deep mortise pro- vides clearance for a hook in the lock. To determine the location of the To create the opening for the escutcheon , start by drilling a small hole in the upper rail to accept 6 After fitting the lock body in its mortise , slip the escutcheon onto the key. Then insert the key catch plate, start by attaching it to the lock with small pieces of carpet tape, see Step 7. You’ll also want to attach a large piece of tape to the lid. Then close the lid and press down firmly. When you open the lid, the catch plate should be in its proper location, stuck to the large piece of tape. the shank of the key. Then file a short slot that’s just large enough so you can slip the key in the opening. and trace around the escutcheon. Finally file the opening so the escutcheon fits snug. After removing the lid and scoring around the catch plate (Step 8), it’s just a matter of cutting the two mor- tises, see Step 9. Here again, I used two different-sized bits to drill the mortises. Note: To ensure the hook draws the lid down tight, it’s best to recess the catch plate about Vie". & to install the escutcheon, use an ordinary C-clamp to apply even pressure. A large piece “pulls” it to the lid. After removing the lid of the tool chest, use a utility knife to mark the location of the catch plate. and provide clearance for the hook. No. 49 ShopNotes 15 FEATURE PROJECT Cabinetmaker's Tool Chest This classic tool chest is designed to hold your favorite hand tools for generations to come. R ecently, there’s been quite a bit of talk around here about a “treasure chest” in the shop. One look at this cabinetmaker’s tool chest makes it easy to see why. With its figured wood and solid brass hardware, the chest provides safekeeping for your fine hand tools. Perhaps it will even become an heirloom that gets handed down from one generation to the next. But the real treasure isn’t the chest, or even the tools inside. It’s all the interesting woodworking chal- lenges that building a chest like this presents. FRAME & PANEL. The main case is made up of several frame and panel assemblies, see Exploded View on page 17. The frames are solid wood. (I used curly maple for the frames and drawer fronts.) But the panels only appear to be solid wood. They’re actually pieces of hardboard covered with veneer on both sides. (I used bird’s-eye maple veneer.) BEADS. Another interesting part of building this chest is making two types of decorative beads, see photos at right. One bead is routed on the drawer fronts. The other is a strip of bead molding that’s applied to the panels. HARDWARE. Of course, a beautiful tool chest deserves some special hardware. The solid brass drawer knobs have a wood plug that’s “turned” to shape on a drill press, see photo ‘A’ below. Also, heavy-duty handles allow you to get a good grip when carrying the chest, see photo ‘B.’ Drawer Bead Bead Molding LOCK SYSTEM. I should mention the neat, two-part system used to lock the drawers and lid. To “lock” the drawers, simply slide a brass rod down through the chest, see photo ‘C.’ And a full-mortise lock and key secure the lid. There’s even an old-fashioned brass escutcheon (keyhole) mortised into the chest. A. Knob. A solid brass knob with an ebony plug high- lights the drawers. B. Chest Handle. To avoid pinching your fingers against the case, there’s a built-in stop on the ends of the handles. C. Lock System. When closing up shop, slide a brass rod down through the chest (left) to lock the drawers. Then secure the lid with a full-mortise lock and key, see photo at right. 16 ShopNotes No. 49 Catch plate Brass chain Lock rod secures drawers DIVIDERS - Bead Molding Full- mortise lock EXPLODED VIEW OVERALL DIMENSIONS: (25"Wx157i6 ,, Hx13 ,, D) Solid brass hinge NOTE: Back, sides, and lid are made up of veneered panels surrounded by solid wood frames BACK TRIM PIECE SIDE Solid Brass Chest Handle Frame and panel lid - encloses upper storage compartment Storage compartment provides easy access to frequently used hand tools Materials Drawer Bead Brass knob - — accepts wood plug to contrast with drawer front Ha If- width drawers hold layout and marking tools Drawers slide smoothly on hardwood runners I Full-width drawer provides storage for larger tools Sides 0 Panels (4) 9% x 9% - 4 Hdbd. Large Drawers A Upper Fan el s (2) 3 3 /,6 X 074 - '/& Hdbd. P Stiles (2) '6x1'6-3 7 Jie 00 Front/Sacks (2) '6 x 1% - 22%z 3 Lower Panels (2) 4 3 4 x - % Hdbd. Q Fails (2) '6x1'6-9’6 EE Sides (2) \ 6x15/4-105/4 C Stiles (4) 3 4 x 1'6 - 12 7 /,e F Panel (1) 1 3 /ie x 9V 3 - '4 Hdbd. FF Front/Sacks (2) '6 x 2% - 22% 2 D Fails (4) 3 4 x fife - 9% S Upper Fail (1) % x 1'6 - 23 GG Sides (2) '6 x 2% - 105/ 4 E Inner Fails (2) %x3-9 3 / 4 T Funners (14) '4 x % - 11 HH Front/Sacks (2) '6 x 2% - 22"bz F Bead Molding % x s /ie - appr. 25 lin. ft. Sase II Sides (2) '6x25/3-105/4 Sack U Stiles (2) '6x1'6-9% JJ Sottoms (3) 21"/e x 105/s - '4 Hdbd. G 3ack Panels (3) 0% x ICP/te - '4 Hdbd. V Center Stile (1) '6x3-95/3 KK Handles (2) 6x'6- 1'6 H Outer Stiles (2) 3 4 x J - 12 7 /i6 IV Fails (2) '6 x 1'6 - 23% Lid 1 Inner Stiles (2) %x1Y 2 -10 3 /, 6 X Panels (2) 9”/ie x 9% - '4 Hdbd. LL Panels (3) 6 3 / 4 x 95/4 -'/ 3 Hdbd. J Fails (2) 3 4 x 1<6 - 21% Y FrtJSk. Aprons (2) '6x1%-24 7 / a MM Stiles (4) 3 4 x 1'6 - 95/4 Dividers Z Side Aprons (2) '6x1% -12% NN Fails (2) 5/4x16-24 K Stiles (4) Small Drawers 00 FrtJSk. Edging (2) '6x1-25 L Center Stiles (2) '6x3-9% AA Front/Sacks (3) '6 x1 '6-10 z %2 PP Side Edging (2) 6x1-13 M Front Fails (2) '6x1 '6-22% 33 Sides (&) '6 x 1'6 - 105/4 QQ Trim Pieces 4 x ,s /e - appr. 13 lin. ft. N Sack Fails (2) '6x 7 h-22% CC Sottoms (4) 10% x 10% - '4 Hdbd. No. 49 ShopNotes 17 FEATURE PROJECT Caee END VIEW I began work on the tool chest by building a U-shaped case. It consists of two sides and a back that are made up of small, veneered panels sur- rounded by solid wood frames. PANELS. The panels (A, B, and G) start out as pieces of Vs" hardboard, see Fig. 1. Then to create the appearance of solid wood, they're covered with veneer. Note: To keep the panels from warping, if s best to apply veneer to both sides. I glued bird's-eye maple veneer to one side of each panel. It creates a dramatic look on the “show” side of the panel. But the other side will be hidden, so I used plain maple veneer. (For information on veneering panels, see page 12.) FRAMES. The next step is to “wrap” the panels with frames made of 3 / 4 M -thick hardwood. The frames are made up of several vertical stiles (C, H, and I) and horizontal rails (D, E, and J), see Fig. 1. STUB TENON & GROOVE. These frame pieces are assembled with stub OUTER STILE (1" X 12 7 /l 6 ") 3EAD MOLDING (SEE MARGIN) tenon and groove joints. Unlike a tra- ditional mortise and tenon, this type of joint doesn't have a “true” mortise. Instead, there's a groove in the frame piece that houses a short (stub) tenon. This groove also holds the panel. Note: There’s a groove in each edge of the inner rail and stiles. OFFSET GROOVES. One thing to be aware of is that the grooves are offset toward the inside face of the UPPER PANEL xW) STILE (E) (Wx 12 7 /ie u ) © LOWER PANEL (4%" x 93 / 4 ") r~Y\ NOTE: ALL FRAME PARTS ARE 3 /4"-THICK HARPWOOP; PANELS ARE V&" HARPSOARP WITH VENEER ON 30TH SIPES GROOVE DETAIL STUB TENON DETAIL b. WIPTH OF GROOVE E 7 ® frame pieces. The reason is simple. The offset grooves recess the panels far enough into the frames so when the bead molding is added later, it will sit flush with the frame. GROOVE WIDTH. Another consid- eration is the width of the grooves. This is determined by the thickness of the panels. The goal is to get the panel to slide into the groove with a “friction fit” An easy way to accomplish that is to use a combination saw blade and cut each groove by making two passes. Start by locking the rip fence on the table saw so it’s 3 /s ,r away from the inside of the saw blade, see Fig. la. Then, after making one pass on each frame piece, nudge the fence (away from the blade) and make a second pass to sneak up on the final width of the groove. CUT TENONS. Now you’re ready to cut the stub tenons. The tenons need to be offset by the same amount as the grooves. Otherwise, the frame pieces won’t fit flush with each other. So start by setting the height of the saw blade to match the offset and cut the first cheek, see Fig. lb. Now| lower the blade and flip the work-" piece over to cut the second cheek. Continue raising the blade in small 18 ShopNotes No. 49 FEATURE PROJECT increments and making additional | passes until you sneak up on the final F thickness of the tenon. GLUE-UP. After cutting all the stub tenons, you can glue up the sides and back. Just remember to orient the “show side” of the panels toward the outside of the frame. TONGUE & GROOVE. Once the glue dries, the next step is to cut the joinery that’s used to assemble the sides and back. To do this, I used a simple tongue and groove joint, see detail ‘a’ on top of page 18. This is a two-step process. The first step is to cut a groove in the back stile of each side, see Figs. 2 and 2a. Once again, I made two passes, repositioning the rip fence between passes. The second step is to rabbet each end of the back to form a tongue that fits the groove. To do this, I “buried” a dado blade in an auxiliary fence and made a single pass to cut the rabbet, see Figs. 3 and 3a. CORNER PROFILE. Once the joinery was complete, I routed a dec- orative profile on each outside corner on the sides, see detail V in drawing on page 18. BEAD MOLDING. In addition to the routed profile, I applied strips of bead molding (F) around the panels. These are narrow strips of hard- wood (curly maple) with a decora- tive bead that’s routed with a beading bit, see detail ‘c.’ For safety, I made the molding by routing both edges of an extra-wide workpiece. Then I used a simple jig to rip the strips of molding to a con- sistent width, see box below. After ripping both edges, just rout another set of beads and repeat the process. While you’re at it, it’s a good idea to make extra molding to use on the lid of the tool chest. (I made twenty- five linear feet.) After mitering the strips of bead molding to length, they’re simply glued in place. Ripping Narrow Strips NOTE: notch /l6 PU5HES WORKPIECE THROUGH SAW SLADE HANDLE Va" x 6" - V-THICK STOCK) W HARDSOARD) HANDLE ADJUST RIP FENCE -TO ALIGN OUTSIDE EDGE OF NOTCH WITH INSIDE OF SAW SLADE ^3 WORKPIECE When ripping narrow strips of material (like the bead molding on the tool chest), I use a simple jig that rides against the rip fence on the table saw, see photo. It ensures that each strip is identical in width. The jig consists of two parts. A hardboard base has a notch that’s sized to match the width of the strip, see drawing. And a wood handle is glued to the base. SETUP & USE. To set up the jig, start by positioning the rip fence so the outside edge of the notch aligns with the inside of the saw blade, see detail. After fitting the workpiece in the notch , push the jig past the saw blade to rip the first strip of molding. To rip the molding from the opposite edge, there’s no need to reposition the rip fence. Just flip the workpiece end for end and repeat the process. Safety Note: To keep your hands well away from the blade, it’s best to use a workpiece that’s at least 3" wide. No. 49 ShopNotes 19 FEATURE PROJEC X 7 /\