ShopNotes Vol. 9 Mi I.q.qiip w ? Issue 52 L Build this knock- down workbench in a weekend Learn the basics of chip carving 7 simple steps to tune up your radial arm saw Easy-to-build jig for cutting perfect miterjointsona radial arm saw ww 4 w.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 Kralieek • 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 • Sr. Graphic Designer. Chris Glowacki • Graphic Desigyiers: Vu Nguyen, April W. Janning, Stacey L. Krull • Asst. Editors: Joe Irwin, Craig Ruegsegger, Joel A. Hess CIRCULATION Sub. Serv. Dir.: Sandy Baum • New Bus. Dir.: Glenda Battles • Circ. Marketing Analyst: Kris Schlemmer • Creative Mgr.: Melinda Haffner • Renewal Mgr.: Paige Rogers • Sr. Graphic Designers: Mark Hayes, Robin Dowdell • Billing Mgr.: Rebecca Cunningham • Prom. Mgr.: Rick Junldns • New Bus. Mjfr.:Todd L. Bierle • Asst. Sub. Mgr: Joy Krause CORPORATE SERVICES Controller: Robin Hutchinson • Sr. Accountant: Laura Thomas • Accounts Payable: Mary Schultz • Accounts Receivable: Margo Petrus • Prod. Dir.: George Chmielarz • Electronic Pub. Dir.: Douglas M. Lidster • Network Admin.: Cris Schwanebeek • Pre-Press Image Specialists: Troy Clark, Minmette Johnson • New Media Manager. :: Gordon C. Gaippe • Multimedia Art Dir.: Eugene Pedersen • Technology Analyst: Carol Schoeppler •Web Site Product Specialist: Adam Best •Web Content Managers: Terry Walker, David Briggs • H. R. Asst.: Kirsten Koele • Facilities M gr.: Julia Fish • Administrative Asst.: Sherri Ribbey • Receptionist: Jeanne Johnson • Mail Room Clerk: Lou Webber MAIL ORDER Operations Director. Bob Baker • Customer Service Manager: Jennie Enos • Warehouse Supr.: Nancy Johnson • Buyer. Linda Jones • Admin. Asst: Nancy Downey • Tech. Rep.: John Audette • Cust. Serv. Reps.: Anna Cox, Tammy Truckenbrod, Deborah Rich, April Revell, Jeanette Rankin • Warehouse: Sylvia Carey, Dan Spidle, Sheryl Knox WOODSMITH STORE Manager. Dave Larson • Sales Staff Wendell Stone, Jim Barnett, Kathy Smith, Larry Morrison, Harold Cashman, 'Em Rundell, Tim Thelen • 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: $4.95. One year subscription (6 issues), $21.94. Canada/International add $10 per year, U.S. funds. Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA and at addi- tional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes, P.O. Box 37103, Boone, IA 50037-2103. Subscription Questions? Write to: ShopNotes Customer Service, P.O. Box 842, Des Moines, I A 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://www.shopnotes.com PRINTED IN U.S.A. Cutoffs W hen you think of a work- bench, what often comes to mind is a classic, European-style bench. Chances are it has a sturdy base with lots of storage, a thick, hardwood slab for a top, and heavy- duty vises to clamp work in place. There’s no doubt about it. This type of bench is a great addition to a woodworking shop. But let’s face it. It’s big and heavy, so it sits in one place most of the time. (My work- bench has been a permanent fixture in my shop for more years than I can remember.) That’s okay as long as I never have to move it around. But sometimes I’d like to be able to use a workbench outside the shop. Of course, dragging a massive bench out to the garage or back yard isn’t very practical. So I usually set up a couple of sawhorses to use as a makeshift worksurface. The only problem is there never seems to be a good way to clamp things in place. So I often end up bal- ancing a workpiece precariously on the sawhorses, holding it with one hand, and making a less than perfect cut with the other. What I needed was a small, portable workbench — one that had a lot of the same clamping features I’d come to appreciate on my full-size bench. Besides being portable, there were a number of other requirements for the bench. It had to be inexpensive and easy to build. Plus I wanted a strong, stable bench that wouldn’t tip over. Then I added one last item to my list. It had to “knock down” for storage to make it easy to cany around. Well, it was starting to sound like an awfully long “wish list,” and at one point I began to wonder if it was even feasible. But when I mentioned the idea to our designers, they had lots of good suggestions to make it work. Knock-Down Workbench - If you look at the front cover, you’ll see how our knock-down workbench turned out. It’s made from a single sheet of plywood which reduces the cost considerably. And the holes and slots peppered across the benchtop pro- vide a number of different clamping options. Finally, it can be “knocked down” and stored in a box that you cany like a suit- case. (Think of it as a bench in a box.) Is it Sturdy? That sounds great. But is a knock-dcnm bench sturdy enough? Tb find out, we conducted a highly scientific test — two of the guys climbed on top and stood on it. Fortunately, the bench was as solid and sure-footed as a mountain goat. Saw Handle - Another project in this issue that provided an interesting challenge is making a replacement handle for a carpenter’s hand saw. I bought the saw at a second-hand store, and since the handle was in rough shape, I decided to make a new one. I wanted it to look like a traditional saw handle with a graceful, curved shape. That sounded simple enough. I’d just cut a chunk of wood to shape and stick in the saw blade. But there was a catch. The blade fit into a veiy thin slot in the old handle that must have been cut by a specialized tool (one I certainly didn’t have). So as it turns out, I took a rather unorthodox approach to make a traditional looking handle. A bench in a box . . . and a new twist to a traditional hand tool. Two simple solutions from our shop. 2 ShopNotes No. 52 ISSUE FIFTY-TW • Contents Features Adjustable Miter Jig 6 This shop-made jig makes it easy to cut perfect 45° miters on a radial arm saw. It features a short and a long pair of fences for different length workpieces, an adjustable stop for consistent results, and a hold-down to make cuts safely. Radial Arm 5a w Tune-Up 12 All it takes to improve the performance of your radial arm saw is a simple tune-up . We show you seven quick steps to producing smooth, accurate cuts. Knock-Down Workbench 16 Whether you use this plywood bench to build a woodworking project or a deck in the back yard, its three different clamping options are sure to come in handy Once you complete a job, it only takes a minute to “ knock down” the bench for storage. Cherry Saw Handle 24 The graceful curves and the carved wheat pattern of this cherry saw handle resemble a traditional design. But to simplify the construction, we’ve taken a unique approach to fitting the saw blade into the handle. Chip Carving 28 You can add an old-fashioned accent to your saw handle by using a chip carving knife to make stems of wheat. With a little bit of practice and a few helpful hints, you’ll be chip carving like a pro in no time. Departments Readers* Tips 4 Our readers offer their own shop-tested tips dealing with some of the most common woodworking problems. Sources 31 Mail-order sources and supplies to help you build the projects featured in this issue. Adjustable Miter Jig page 6 Knock-Down Workbench page 1 6 Chip Carving page 28 No. 52 ShopNotes 3 TIPS & TECHNIQUES ▲ The interlocking parts of this sawhorse prevent it from racking. Plus they provide a way to knock down the sawhorse for compact storage. Readers’ Tips ■ A set of sawhorses always comes in handy — until you put them away. Then they’re a nuisance. The legs splay out, they’re hard to stack, and they take up valuable space. So recently, I built a pair of sawhorses that “knock down” for storage. Besides saving space, these sawhorses can be assembled (or taken apart) in just a few seconds. If you look at the drawing at right, it’s easy to see how this works. Each sawhorse consists of a long stretcher that fits down into a notch in two A- shaped supports. (I used 1x4 pine.) To prevent the sawhorse from racking, there are four small cleats near each end of the stretcher (two on each side). These cleats are spaced far enough apart to form a channel that fits down over the sup- ports and “locks” the stretcher in place. (You can see this interlocking connection in the photo above.) Once the cleats are glued and screwed in place, it’s just a matter of making the two supports. Each sup- port consists of two angled legs that are held together with four braces (a long and short brace on each side). Both ends of the legs and braces are mitered at a 15° angle. Also, to form the notch that accepts the stretcher, you’ll need to trim the top inside corner of each leg at an angle, as shown in the detail above. An easy way to lay out this angle is to set a square on the angled end of the leg and mark a line that’s equal in length to the width of the stretcher. After trimming off the waste, just glue and screw the supports together. W. R. Richardson Great Falls, Montana Quick Tips k Here's a simple pencil tray for your shop. Adolph Peschke of Des Moines, IA cuts a scrap PVC pipe down its length and glues the halves together. k At a glance, it’s difficult to tell if a caster is locked or not. So P. A. Jones of Seattle, WA paints the “lock" lever red and the "release” lever green. k To make a “holster” for a cordless drill, Terrence McGinty of Suttons Bay, Ml removes the bottom from a plastic bottle and screws the container to his bench. 4 ShopNotes No. 52 TIPS & TECHNIQUES Installing the hinges on a small box used to be a hassle. I could attach one leaf of the hinge to the box easily enough. But locating the mounting holes for the other leaf on the bottom of the lid was a pain. One solution is to use hot glue to temporarily fasten the hinge to the lid. The only problem is the glue often dries before you can align the lid on the box. So I use a simple trick to quickly and accurately position the lid and to lay out the holes for the hinge. Start by screwing one leaf of the hinge to the box. Then use hot glue to attach small scrap blocks to the front and sides of the lid, as shown in the drawing. Note: These scrap blocks should stick down past the lid so they fit snugly around the box. After shimming the leaf of the hinge with a piece of cardboard, apply a dab of hot glue (detail ‘a’). Then quickly fit the blocks on the lid down over the box. When you open the lid, the leaf of the hinge is stuck in its proper location, so it’s easy to mark the mounting holes (detail V). Note: After removing the scrap blocks, sand any excess glue off the lid. Joe B. Drane Yigo, Guam FREE Online Tips If you’d like even more woodworking tips, the solution is simple. Just visit us at our website and sign up to receive a free tip via email every week. www.ShopNotes.com Plastic Runner. M Many of the jigs used on a table saw have a runner that slides in the miter gauge slot. Typically, these runners are made of hardwood. But recently I started using another type of material I like even better — plastic. One nice thing about a plastic runner (like the one shown at left) is it won’t swell or shrink with changes in humidity. So it slides smoothly without binding. Plus, plastic is readily available. As you can see in the photo at right, I just cut a narrow strip from a plastic cutting board. Jerry Long Silver Lake, Wisconsin ■ It’s easy to repair a small nick or a scratch in a piece of furniture that’s already had a finish applied. All it takes is a brown (or black) permanent marker. After choosing a marker that most closely matches the color of the wood, scribble the marker across the nick and wipe off the excess. Note: There’s no need to touch up the finish. George Reid Dayton, Ohio 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, LA 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. 52 ShopNotes 5 ‘~*LTa Radial Arm Saw to cut perfect 45° miter joints on a radial arm saw. All you need is a simple jig. T rying to cut a miter joint on a radial arm saw can be a frustrating experience. As you swing the arm first to one side and then the other to cut each miter, it may not always return to a perfect 45° setting. Unfortunately, you may not even notice that the cut is “off’ until it’s too late. So to make it easy to cut tight-fitting miter joints quickly and accurately, I made a simple jig that clamps to the table of the radial arm saw. (See photo above.) Fences - This jig has two fences that are used to posi- tion a workpiece at 45° to the saw blade. So instead of swinging the arm to the side, the idea is to leave it set at 90° . This way, as you pull the head of the saw across the workpiece, the blade trims the end at a perfect 45° angle. The fences are designed to slide back and forth. The fence that’s in use is moved all the way forward to support the workpiece close to the blade. The other fence is slid back to provide clearance for the end of the workpiece. — -SD TOP 17 1 /©" x 32" - Va" HARDBOARD 1 / FIRST: cut / STOPPED DADOES , / TO FORM LOWER l / PART OF T-SLOT /I 1 t I i y BOTTOM m&" x 32" - 3 / 4 " MDF SECOND: GLUE ON TOP AND THEN COMPLETE V T-SLOT DOUBLE THIS DISTANCE TO DETERMINE LENGTH OF BASE o o f\ O o NOTE: AUXILIARY FENCE IS MADE FROM 3 4"-THICK STOCK 1 ^ II a Accessories - In addition to the fences, there are two accessories that help simplify cutting a miter joint. A stop block that attaches to either fence ensures that each pair of pieces is mitered to the same length. And a hold-down keeps your hands safely away from the blade during a cut. Auxiliary Fence - Before you build the jig, there’s one thing to take care of first. To prevent small cutoff pieces from getting jammed against the fence and thrown backi by the saw blade, it’s important to install an auxiliary ^ fence in your radial arm saw. As you can see in Figure 1, the auxiliary fence I used is a piece of fyU-thick pine with a long notch that provides clearance for the cutoff pieces. BASE The base of the miter jig acts as a mounting platform for the two fences. Plus it has a couple of T-shaped slots that provide a way to attach the hold-down. Two Layers - To make it easy to form the T-slots, the base is made up of two layers of material: a bottom piece made of 3 / 4 M MDF and a Va" hardboard top (Figure 1). One part of the T-slot will be cut in each piece. Size - But first, you’ll need to determine the size of the base. I wanted it to be flush with the left end and front edge of the saw table. (If s easier to clamp it to the table that way.) So I made the base twice as long as the distance from the blade to the end of the table (Figure 1). As for width, it equals the distance from the fence to the front edge. Bottom - At this point, you can cut the bottom (A) of the base to size. Then, to form the lower part of the T- slot, you’ll need to cut two stopped dadoes. These dadoes accept the head of a toilet bolt used to attach the hold-down. So what’s the purpose in cutting stopped dadoes? Why not extend them all the way across? Because the hold- down only needs to be adjustable toward the outer part ofl the base. As a result, the T-slots run about halfway across. A simple way to cut these dadoes is to use a hand-held 6 ShopNotes No. 52 JIGS & ACCESSORIES router and a l k ]] straight bit Start by clamping a scrap fence to the work- piece to guide the base of the router (Figures 2 and 2a). It’s also a good idea to clamp a stop block to the workpiece to establish the end of the dado. Now adjust the depth of cut, turn on the router, and make a pass from left to right until the router base contacts the stop block. Since the dado is %" wide, you’ll need to reposition the fence and make a second pass to remove the rest of the waste material. Then repeat the process to cut the second dado. Top - With the dadoes complete, you can add the hardboard top (B). It’s best to start with an oversize piece (about W all the way around). Then after gluing it on with contact cement, trim the edges flush with a hand-held router and flush trim bit. Now it’s time to complete the T- slot by routing a narrow, stopped dado in the top (Figure 2b). Here again, I used the same basic routing procedure. Only this time, the slot is 5 /i6 n wide, so I used a Vi” straight bit and made a couple of passes to center the dado over the one below. Guides - The next step is to add two angled guides (C) to the base (Figure 3) . These are narrow strips of hardwood that position the fences at a 45° angle to the blade. In use, the fences fit over the guides which allows you to slide them back and forth. To ensure accurate results, the guides must be at a 45° angle to the back edge of the base. So what’s the best way to lay out the angled lines used to position the guides? A little bit of geometry is just the ticket. The idea is to lay out a right isosceles triangle. If you need a refresher, that’s a triangle that has one 90° angle and two equal sides. This means that the other two angles of the triangle must be 45°. So to lay out the angled lines, mark a point centered on the length of the base and measure the distance to one end. This is one side of the tri- angle. (It’s shown as dimension ‘A’ in Figure 3.) Now lay out the second side and mark another point. Connecting the two points creates the third side of the triangle and the two 45° angles. Attach Guides - At this point, you can glue and screw the runners along the layout lines. Just be sure they don’t slip out of alignment as you tighten the screws. T-Nuts - There’s one last thing to do to complete the base. That’s to install a pair of T-nuts in the bottom of the base. Later, these T-nuts accept a threaded knob that’s used to clamp the fences to the guides. The T-nuts are centered on the length and width of the guides. But since they’re installed in the bottom of the base, the trick is locating the centerpoints of the counterbored shank holes for the T-nuts. To do this, start by drilling a small pilot hole in each guide (Figures 4 and 4a). Then flip the base over and use the point where the bit cut through as the centerpoint of the counterbore (F gure 4b) . Now simply drill the shank hole (Figure 4c) and install a T-nut. No. 52 ShopNotes 7 JIGS & A R I E S OVERVIEW 5 /l6" - STAR KNOB (w/THRU HOLE) 5 /i6" WASHER "STOP BLOCK (REFER TO \ PAGE 10) 5 /w" WASHER 5 /ie" STAR KNOB (w/IVz" STUD) FENCE (LEFTSIDE) FENCE \ (RIGHT SIDE) T-SLOT NOTE: FENCES SHOWN ARE 24" LONG. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO MITER PIECES UP TO 22" LONG (WITH STOP BLOCK SET AT END OF FENCE). GUIDE SAW TABLE a. FENCE -T BASE (U U GUIDE SAW TABLE ^ 1^1 GUIDE — S "\ J Hardware • (3)#&x1”Fh Wood screws • (2) 5 /ie" T-Nuts (w/prongs) • (4) %5" Washers • (2) 5 Ae" Star Knobs ( w/V/ 2 ” stud) • (2) 5 /i6 n Star Knobs (w/thru hole) • (2) 5 As" x 2" Toilet Softs The heart of this miter jig is a simple fence system. It consists of a pair of adjustable fences that are used to position a workpiece at a perfect 45° angle to the saw blade. Fence Length - There’s nothing critical about the length of the fences. The two fences shown in Figure 5 are 24" long, so they provide plenty of support for most work. But when determining the length of the fences, there is one thing to keep in mind. To cut pairs of mitered pieces to identical length, there’s a stop block that slides along a T-slot in the fence. Setting the stop block all the way at the end of the T-slot allows you to miter pieces up to 22 M long. If you plan to work with longer pieces, it’s a good idea to make a pair of extra-long fences as shown in the photo on page 9. CUT 5 /i6 n - WIDE GROOVE C. — CENTERED ON ( , GROOVE IN * ^ BODY 30D Y (3" x 24") NOTE: BODY OF FENCE IB MADE OF s/ 4 " HARDWOOD; TOP FACE IS V4" HARDBOARD Two Layers - Regardless of their length, each fence is made up of two different layers of material (Figure 6) . A 3 / 4 ,L thick hardwood body fits over the guides on the base. (I used maple.) And there’s a top face made of l A u hardboard. As with the base, this double layer type of construc- tion will make it easy to form the T-shaped slots in the fence. Body - I began by making the body of each fence. It’s worth taking a little extra time and being a bit picky when selecting wood for the body. To prevent the fence from warping or twisting, be sure to use a piece of straight-grained stock that’s free of knots or other defects. Once you’ve selected the lumber, the first step is to rip enough stock to width to make the desired number of pieces. Then simply crosscut the pieces to final length to make the body (D) of each fence. T-Slot - Now you can turn your attention to the T-slot. The first part of this slot is formed by cutting a wide, shallow groove in the body of the fence (Figure 6a). This groove accepts the head of a toilet bolt that guides the stop block in the slot. Before cutting the second part of 8 ShopNotes No. 52 JIGS & ACCESSORIES the T-slot, you'll need to add the f hardboard top face (E). Eventually, it ends up the same size as the body But it's best to start with a piece that’s slightly oversize (about Vi" all the way around). Then, after gluing it onto the body of the fence, you can trim the overhanging edges flush. Here again, it only takes a minute to remove the waste. Just mount a flush trim bit in the router table, and adjust the height of the bit so the bearing rides against the body of the fence (Figure 6b). Then rout all four sides to produce a clean, crisp edge all the way around. To complete the T-slot, it’s just a matter of cutting a narrow groove in the top face that’s centered over the wide groove underneath (Figure 6c). This groove provides clearance for the shank of the toilet bolt. Wide Groove - In addition to the T-slot in the top of each fence, there’s also a wide groove in the bottom. As you can see in Figure 5, the groove fits over the hardwood guides that ' were installed earlier in the base. These guides are like a “key” that automatically positions the fence at 45° to the saw blade. Another purpose of the groove is to allow the fence to slide forward or back on the guide. For example, in A Long Fences. As an option , you may want to build a pair of 48"-long fences to use when mitering extra-long workpieces. With the stop block set at the end of the fence, you can cut pieces up to 46" long. the photo above, the left fence is moved all the way forward to pro- vide support for the workpiece up close to the saw blade. But to allow the end of the workpiece to extend past the fence on the right, that fence is slid all the way back. Even though the fences move back and forth, you don’t want any extra side-to-side “play.” (That could change the 45° angle of the fence.) So when cutting the groove, the goal is a snug fit that still allows the fence to slide smoothly on the guides. An easy way to accomplish that is shown in Figures 7 and 7a. The idea is to mount a Vfe 11 dado blade in the table saw and make several passes to “sneak up” on the perfect fit. Just be sure to check the fit frequently as you work. Adjustment Slot - Once you’re satisfied with the fit, the next step is to cut a long adjustment slot in each fence. As you can see in Figure 5, this slot provides clearance for a plastic knob with a threaded shank that’s used to lock the fence. If you look at Figure 5a, you can see that the knobs thread into the T- nuts that were installed earlier in the base. As you recall, these T-nuts are centered on the width of the guides. This means the adjustment slot also needs to be centered on the groove that fits over the guides. A quick way to do this is to clamp a scrap piece to the drill press table and use it to position the fence (Figures 8 and 8a). Then place a scrap block under the fence to prevent chipout and drill a series of overlapping holes to form the slots. All it takes to clean up the slot is to pare off the remaining waste with a chisel and then file the edges smooth. Install Fences - Now just install the fences and thread in the knobs to hold them in place. No. 52 ShopNotes 9 JIGS & ACCESSORIES ▲ Stop Block. An adjustable stop block provides a quick, accurate way to miter pieces to identical lengths. k Hold-Down. For safety, this simple hold-down clamps work securely against the base of the jig. Accessories To ensure safe, accurate cuts when using the miter jig, I added two simple accessories: a stop block and a hold-down. (See photos in margin.) STOP BLOCK There's more to cutting perfect miter joints than establishing the correct angle. To end up with a tight-fitting- joint, opposite pieces (the sides and top/bottom of a picture frame for instance) must be identical in length. That’s where the stop block comes in. To produce consistent results, you simply lock the stop block at the desired distance from the blade, butt the end of the workpiece against it, and make the cut. Note: I only made one stop block and then used it on both of the fences. UShaped Block - As you can see in Figure 9, the stop block is just an L-shaped block that’s made up of two pieces of 3 / 4 n -thick hardwood. A sliding block (F) with a hole drilled near the edge accepts the shank of the toilet bolt. And the stop ( G) is the part that the end of the workpiece actually butts up against After gluing up the stop block, just slip the end of the toilet bolt through the hole and slide the head into the T-slot. Tightening a knob on the end of the bolt pinches the stop block against the fence and locks it in place. HOLD-DOWN The second accessory for the miter jig is a hold-down that’s used to clamp work securely in place. This way, there’s no need to worry about getting your hands too close to the saw blade, especially when mitering short pieces. SECOND: TRANSFER PATTERN TO BLANK SLOT LOCATION FOURTH: CUT HOLD-DOWN TO SHAPE FIRST: glue up two PIECES OF 3 4"-THICK HARDWOOD THIRD: CUT%"-WIDE SLOT, VA" LONG NOTE: Vz" x y 2 " GRID PATTERN SHOWN To accommodate workpieces of different lengths, the hold-down slides along the T-slots in the base. (Here again, I only made one hold- down and used it in both slots.) The unusual thing about this hold- down is its angled shape. If you look at the lower photo in the margin, you’ll see that the long, straight end of the hold-down rests against the base of the jig, and the short, angled end applies pressure against the workpiece. This clamping pressure is produced by tightening a knob on the end of a toilet bolt that slides in the T-slot (Figures 10 and 10a) . Glue Up Blank - As you can see in Figure 11, the hold-down (H) starts off as a lV^'-square blank. (I glued up two pieces of W-thick maple.) There are two ways to go about transferring the basic shape of the hold-down to the blank. You can either enlarge the pattern in Figure 11 by 150% and use a spray-mount adhesive to stick it to the blank. Or just lay out the shape on the blank. To accept the toilet bolt, you’ll need to drill a series of holes to make a slot in the blank. Then just use a band saw to cut the hold-down to shape and sand it smooth. 10 ShopNotes No. 52 w HOLE NOTE: HOLE LOCATIONS AREN'T CRITICAL. JUST SE SURE TO CHECK FOR CLEARANCE UNDERNEATH Setup i It only takes a minute to set up the miter jig on the radial arm saw. Dowels - That’s because there are two dowels in the base of the jig that automatically position it on the saw table. As you can see in Figures 12 and 12a, these dowels fit down into holes in the saw table. To determine the location of the dowels, set the jig on the table so it butts against the auxiliary fence. Also, be sure to check its location from side to side. The goal is to have the saw blade centered on the length of the jig. This way, the blade won’t accidentally cut into the fences when they’re slid all the way forward. Once the jig is positioned prop- erly, it’s just a matter of drilling a couple of holes through the base and the saw table. Before installing die dowels, if s a good idea to chamfer the rim of the hole in the base. This will make it easy to fit the dowels in the holes when setting up the jig. After sanding a slight chamfer on the end of each dowel, it’s simply glued into the hole in the base. Va" POWEL BASE Va X 1/2 POWEL Va" U /- V&" HOLE 1 CHAMFER V7 SAW TABLE Using the Jig Once the jig is clamped in place, you’re ready to miter the frame pieces. Rough Length - 1 start by cross- utting all the pieces to rough length. If they’re less than 4 V 2 " wide, you can cut them with the jig in place. Just install the original radial arm saw fence (the one without the notch), slide both fences on the jig back, and cut the pieces. Note: For wider pieces, you’ll need to remove the jig. Label Pieces - Next, to avoid confusion, I label the sides A’ and the top/bottom pieces ‘B,’ as in the drawing at right But even with the pieces clearly marked, it’s still pos- sible to get them mixed up. So it helps to follow a specific cutting sequence. Cutting Sequence - The first step is to miter one end of all the pieces. (These are the ends marked with an T in the drawing at right.) All of these cuts are made with the workpieces held against the right fence. So slide this fence forward and the left fence back (Figure 13). Then set the first A’ piece against the fence, tighten the hold-down, and make the cut. Note: Locking the stop block against the end of the workpiece provides a quick way to position the other A piece. Then repeat this process for the ‘B’ pieces. After cutting the miters on one end of each piece, the next step is to miter the opposite ends. These cuts are made with the workpiece against the left fence, as shown in Figure 14. Start by setting the stop block the desired distance from the blade. Then butt the end of the piece against the stop block, tighten the hold-down, and make the cut. Note: Unless you’re working with a square frame, reposition the stop block to cut the second pair of pieces. & ▲ Labeling the frame pieces makes it easy to keep track of things when cutting the miter joints. No. 52 ShopNotes 11 Motor Adjustments for flattening saw table x Lower 3lade Guard Front Table RADIAL ARM SAW ANATOMY Metal Base ^ Lubrication Points Crank raises and lowers arm Radial Arm Saw Tune-Up All it takes to keep a radial arm saw running in top condition is a little periodic maintenance and a simple tune-up . T here’s no question that a radial arm saw is a versatile tool. You can use it for everything from cross- cutting or ripping a board to cutting miters and bevels. But there’s a trade-off for this ver- satility. If the saw isn’t adjusted prop- erly, the result is a less than perfect cut Perhaps the end of a board isn’t square, or the saw blade leaves a rough, burned edge. Worse yet, the - Arm provide© rigid support for head of blade may “grab” and race through the workpiece under its own power. That’s downright scary Tune-Up - Fortunately, all it takes to produce a smooth, accurate cut on a radial arm saw is a simple tune-up. This doesn’t require any specialized tools. And all the adjustments can be boiled down to seven basic steps, so the entire process usually only takes about a half hour. Carriage is guided by roller bearings that ride on track inside arm Clamp mechanism for arm Telescoping Column supports arm of Column Support Rear Table How it Works - Before you get started, it’s worth taking a minute to look at the drawing below to see how the parts of the saw work together. A long arm supports the head (blade and motor) of the saw. The head is held in an adjustable yoke that allows you to pivot the blade 90° (for rip- ping lumber) or tilt it at an angle (to make beveled cuts). To crosscut a board, the yoke is mounted on a sliding carnage . . When you pull the head of the saw forward, the carriage is guided by a set of four roller bearings that ride on a track housed inside the arm. To provide rigid support for the arm, it’s attached to a cylindrical column that can be raised or lowered to adjust the depth of cut. By releasing a lock mechanism and swinging the arm to one side or the other, it allows you to make angled cuts. Or return the arm to a 90° set- ting to square up the end of a board. Clean Saw - Needless to say, each of these parts needs to operate smoothly to ensure good results. One of the easiest (and most effec- tive) things you can do to accom- plish this is to clean up the saw by giving it a good “once-over.” Start by using an air compressor (or shop vacuum) to remove the loose dust. Then wipe off any caked- on dust with a rag damp- ened with mineral spirits. Pay special attention to the column, roller bearings, and the track. If they’re covered with dirt and grime, it’s much more difficult to make accurate adjustments. Lubrication - After cleaning off the gunk, I make it a point to lubri- cate the moving parts of the saw. Note: The lubrication points are shown in the drawing at left. Since a radial arm saw produces quite a bit of dust, it’s best to avoid using an oily lubricant. Dust sticks to it like glue and makes a gooey mess. So I use a “dry” spray lubricant that j doesn’t attract dust. (For more infor- mation about the type of dry lubri- cant I use, refer to page 31.) 12 ShopNotes No. 52 IN THE SHOP 1. Adjust Column The first step is to remove any “play” in the column. Ideally, it should fit snug (not tight) in two places: the column support and the arm. To check the amount of movement in the column support, grasp the end of the arm and lift it up and down, as shown at right. If the column moves front to back, tighten the column support (detail‘a’). If there’s any slop when you apply sideways pressure against the arm, just “snug” the adjustment screws against the column (detail ‘b’). 2. Check Bearings The next step is to check the roller bearings that guide the carriage. When you pull the head of the saw forward, the bearings should glide smoothly without any side-to-side play. If the movement feels sloppy (or there’s a lot of resistance), the bear- ings can be adjusted closer to (or far- ther from) the track inside the arm. There are two bearings on each side, but only one pair is adjustable. These bearings are mounted off-center (detail ‘a 5 ). So when you loosen a lock nut and rotate an adjustment nut, it moves the bearing in or out (detail ‘b’) . 3 . Flatten Table To get consistent results, it’s impor- tant that the table is flat. A quick way to test the flatness of the table is to lay a straightedge across the table and check for light underneath, as shown at right. If the table is low, raise it by turning a set screw (detail ‘a’). If there’s a hump in the middle, tighten a machine screw to flatten it (detail V) . Note: With use, the saw table will get chewed up which can cause it to sag in the middle. So you may need to replace the table from time to time. To protect the surface of the new table, it’s a good idea to carpet tape a piece of hardboard to the top. No. 52 ShopNotes 13 IN THE SHOP 4 . Align Table Getting the table flat is one thing. But the surface of the table also needs to be parallel to the arm. Otherwise, when you crosscut a board (or cut a dado), the depth of cut will vary from one edge to the other. Usually, there’s no adjustment for the arm. So you’ll need to align the table to the arm instead. This is done by raising or lowering a pair of metal brackets that connect the table to the saw (detail ‘a’). To determine the amount of this adjustment, start by removing the blade guard and saw blade. Then release the bevel lock and rotate the head of the saw so the arbor points straight down, as shown at right. After securing the bevel lock, release the clamp mechanism for the arm so you can swing it from side to side. The idea here is to slide the head of the saw along the arm so you can position the arbor at all four corners of the table. At each corner, the arbor should just barely touch a scrap block that’s used as a feeler gauge. When that happens, the table is par- allel to the arm. I start with the back, right-hand corner of the table. Begin by backing off the nut used to secure the bracket so it’s just snug. Then lower the arm until the arbor just touches the block. When you can slide the block back and forth with only slight resistance, tighten the nut that holds the bracket in place. Then, without changing the height of the arm, repeat the process at the other three corners. 5. Square Blade to Table It goes without saying — to get a the saw blade to the table is the ini- square cut, the blade has to be square tial step in ensuring square cuts, to the table. But actually, there’s more Start by checking that the clamp to it than that (more about that later) . mechanisms for the arm, yoke, and For now, let’s just say that squaring carriage are locked. Then unlock the bevel lock, grasp the motor, and wiggle it up and down to make sure the index pin is engaged at 90° . After retightening the bevel lock, set a framing square against the blade. To get a “true” reading, be sure to place the square against the body of the blade, not the teeth. If the blade is flat against the square, there’s no need to make an adjustment If it’s tilted away from it (as in detail ‘a’), it only takes a few minutes to square up the blade. As you can see in the drawing at left, this is just a matter of removing the bevel scale to provide access to the adjustment bolts. After slightly loosening the bolts, tilt the motor to square up the blade. Then alternately retighten the bolts, replace the scale, and set the bevel indicator to zero. 14 ShopNotes No. 52 IN THE SHOP 6. Square Up Arm As I mentioned, squaring the saw blade to the table is just one part of the “squaring-up” process. The next step is to square the arm to the fence. This way, the saw blade will travel in a line that’s square to the fence. Before you get started, check that the clamp mechanism for the arm is locked. Also, grasp the end of the arm and move it back and forth. This ensures that the index pin that holds the arm at 90° is properly engaged. The first step is to find out if you even need to make an adjustment To do this, I make a simple test using a framing square that’s resting on scrap blocks. (I’ll explain the blocks later.) Start by placing the short “leg” of the square against the fence, as shown at right. Then mark a single tooth on the blade to use as a refer- ence and slide the square against that tooth. Note: You may have to adjust the height of the blade to do this. Now slowly pull the blade all the way forward, checking to see if the reference tooth stays in contact with the square. If the tooth scrapes against the square for the entire dis- tance, the arm is square to the fence. If it veers to one side or the other (detail ‘b’) the arm needs an adjust- ment (If the blade moves toward the square, the scrap blocks prevent it from “climbing” up on the square.) To adjust the arm, the idea is to apply pressure against a metal bar welded to the back of the column (detail ‘a’). On my saw, this requires loosening some lock nuts and tight- ening set screws against the bar to nudge the arm one way or the other. Note: Check the owner’s manual to find the adjustment on your saw. 7 . Check for Heel At this point, the blade travel is square to the fence. But that doesn’t mean the blade itself is square to the fence. Sometimes the yoke (and there- fore the blade) is slightly twisted on the carriage. This is called heeling. The problem with heeling is the blade “plows” a wide kerf, creating rough, burned edges. It’s best to check for heel near the center of the blade where there’s more surface area. So I set a framing square on tall blocks, as shown in the drawing at right and detail *b.’ Note: You may need a tall fence to hold the short leg of the square against. If the blade needs to be aligned, unlock the yoke and loosen the bolts used to secure it to the saw (detail ‘a 5 ) . Then swivel the yoke to square up the blade and retighten the bolts.& No. 52 ShopNotes 15 FEATURE PROJECT Knock-Down Workbench Turn a single sheet of plywood and a few pieces of hardware into a portable workbench that “knocks down” for compact storage. A bench in a box. No, it's not a new magic act Its what one of the guys calls my new knock-down workbench. When you think about it it’ s a fitting description. That's because the bench provides a solid, stable worksur- face like you'd expect from a bench. (There's even a tool tray underneath.) Then, once a job is completed, the bench can be “knocked down” and stored in a compact box that you carry like a suitcase. (See photo at right) The best thing about this knock-down design is it makes it easy to take the bench out to the driveway or back yard, or to a friend's house to help on a pro- ject. No matter where you’re working, setting up the bench only takes a minute. Setup - To do this, start by unlatching the lid on the box and setting it aside. (The lid doubles as the top of the work- bench.) Then simply remove the two stretchers and flip up the sides of the bench, as shown in photo A below. The sides are hinged to the base, so you’ll need to “spring” them apart a bit to fit the stretchers between them (Photo B) . These stretchers hook securely into the sides with an ordi- nary set of bed rail fasteners. Then just set the top down over the sides and pull it toward you to lock it in place (Photo C) . Clamping Options - Once the bench is set up, there are three different ways to clamp a workpiece to the benchtop. That explains the holes and slots in the top as well as the notches in the top of the stretchers. Note: For a closer look at the different clamping options, turn to page 23. Plywood - Just one more note. You won’t need a lot of material to build this bench. The entire project is made from a single sheet of 3 / 4 n plywood. (I used pine plywood.) Setup. It only takes a minute to set up the workbench . After unlatching the top and setting it aside, remove the stretchers and flip up the sides, as shown in photo ‘A. ’ To provide rigid support for the top of the bench, the stretchers hook into the sides (Photo B). Then just fit the top down over the sides of the bench and pull it toward you to “lock” it in place (Photo C). 16 ShopNotes No. 52 FEATURE PROJECT —