Space-Saving Outfeed Support Vol. 16 Issue 93 TABLE SAW DRAWER JOINERY MADE EASY p»« v. TIPS & TRICKS FOR ROUTING DOVETAILS 34 SETTING UP SHOP CLAMP STORAGE SOLUTIONS « liK< A Publication of August Home Publishing 1. FOLDING ASSEMBLY TABLE 2. PORTABLE SAWHORSES 3. ADJUSTABLE LUMBER RACK 4. ROLL-AROUND CART 5. STORAGE CABINETS S4.95US 71896 48444 0 6 > DISPLAY UNTIL JULY 3rd, 2007 Contents Dovetail Jig Workcenter page 36 Saw Blade Maintenance page 42 ^ Features storage solutions 5 Plywood Shop Projects 16 It won '/ take a lot of time, effort, or material to improve your shop with these handy plywood projects. Each one can be built from a single sheet of inexpensive plywood. weekend workshop Table Saw Outfeed Support 30 Ripping long workpieces on your table saw can be a struggle. This easy-to-build outfeed support gives you an extra hand when you need it — and it stores easily when you don't. hands-on technique Tips & Tricks for Great Dovetails 34 A dovetail jig is just the start of great-looking half-blind dovetails. For top-notch results, try out these shop-tested tips and techniques. best-built jigs & fixtures Dovetail Jig Workcenter /r. ONLINE EXTRAS 36 This workcenter is a handy addition to any shop. It’s loaded with features that provide storage for the jig and accessories, improved accuracy and added comfort as you work. Departments Readers' Tips. 4 router workshop Top 10 Hand-Held Router Accessories 8 Get more out of your hand-held router with a few simple, inexpensive accessories. materials & hardware The Spin on Lazy Susans 12 A lazy Susan is a versatile piece of hardware that allows you to make better use of limited shop space. jigs & accessories Getting the Most Out of a Plug Cutter 14 Learn how to choose and use a plug cutter to make wood plugs that are nearly invisible. Shop Short Cuts 28 Shop-tested tips and techniques to solve your woodworking problems. 2 ShopNotes No. 93 in the shop Maintenance for Your Saw Blades Better results and longer life — it's simply a matter of taking good care of your saw blades. setting up shop Quick & Easy Clamp Storage 44 Here are a few simple ways to get a growing collection of clamps under control. mastering the table saw The Secret to Locking Rabbets 46 A locking rabbet joint is a great choice for sturdy drawers. And all you need is a table saw. great gear Add-On Digital Readouts 48 Bringing digital accuracy to your shop isn ’t as hard or expensive as you might think. Cutoffs T he weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer. It's the time of year when many people start think- ing about home improvement projects — I know I am. But in my case. I'm really think- ing — shop improvement. And I can't think of a better way to upgrade the shop than with a few easy-to- build projects. For starters, take a look at the plywood projects featured on page 16. You'll find five projects in all: a lumber rack, a folding assembly table, a roll-around cart, a pair of stacking storage units, and a versatile sawhorse system. Any one of these projects would be a welcome addi- tion to any workshop. But the best part is, each one can be built quickly and easily using just a single sheet of plywood. So you don't have to invest a lot of time or money to improve your shop. Of course, improvement projects aren't the only things on people's minds this time of year. Spring cleaning and clearing the clutter are high on the priority list. With that in mind, be sure and check out the article starting on page 44. There you'll find six simple ideas to help keep your clamp clutter under control. And to satisfy the urge to clean, take a look at page 42. You'll find an easy way to get more life from your table saw blades. Q&A Sources 50 51 ShopNotes nr This symbol lets you know there’s more information available online at: www.ShopNotes.com www.ShopNotes.com 3 Sanding blocks are ideal for smoothing out rough areas of a workpiece. But the problem with most sanding blocks is they're often too small to give you a block shown in the photo above. It fits comfortably in your hand. And it uses a toggle clamp to sandwich the sandpaper tight in the block. The sanding block is made from They each have a cutout in the center for the toggle clamp. And the clamping block has a "shelf" area for the head of the clamp to provide adequate pressure. 3 4” plywood. As you can see in the drawings below, it consists of three layers. The base holds the sand- paper and the toggle clamp. The middle clamping block and top piece that form the hand grip are joined together with screws. Now using and changing sand- paper is easy. Just release the toggle clamp to remove used sandpaper and replace it. Then simply snap the sanding block back together. Mark Thiel Coral Springs, Florida good grip and it can be difficult to change the sandpaper. To solve this problem, I built the sanding ROUND OVER EDGES AND CORNERS FOR COMFORT TOP (2Vfc x 7) #S x VjT Fh ADJUSTMENT SCREW ALLOWS YOU TO VARY CLAMPING PRESSURE CLAMPING 2LOCK (2Vfe x 7) ne> x 1V4" Fh WOODSCREW eASE (2Mz x 7) NOTE: all PARTS ARE V PLYWOOD NOTE: OPEN AREA CUTOUTS ALLOW FOR EASY ACCESS TO LEVER SANDPAPER #5 x Vk” Rh WOODSCREW DE-STA-CO 213-U HORIZONTAL CLAMP (CLAMPING PAD REMOVED) TOP VIEW 7 SANDPAPER IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN BASE AND CLAMPING BLOCK BLOCK \ ShopNotes No. 9B Circular Saw Storage Caddy Storing a circular saw is a hassle in my shop. I want it to be easily accessible, but it doesn't fit neatly on a shelf or in a cabinet. To get around this problem, I built the storage caddy shown in the drawing below. The caddy is designed to sit on a shelf, as you can see in the photo at right. The face has a notch cut from the top for the blade guard of the saw. A cleat near the bottom of the face supports the saw in position. The face is screwed to two triangular- shaped end pieces. This way, the saw can be easily stored on a narrow shelf with the cord tucked neatly beside it. Now storing my circular saw is no problem. And whenever I need to use it, it's always within reach. All I need to do is grab it by the handle, slip it out of the slot, and it's ready for use. Jared D. Huber Appleton, Wisconsin CLEAT (* 4 xMz-12) #e> x W FH WOODSCREW r x iiv$z" SLOT CUT IN FACE *e> x r fh WOODSCREW SIDE VIEW SIDE CLEAT Submit Your Tips If you have an original shop tip, we would like to hear from you and consider publishing your tip in one or more of our publications. Just write down your tip and mail it to: ShopNotes, Tips for Your Shop, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312. Please include your name, address, and daytime phone number (in case we have any questions). If you would like, you can FAX it to us at 515-282-6741 or visit our website at www.ShopNotes.com. We will pay up to $200 if we publish your tip. r The Winner! Congratulations to Angelo Tsarpalas of Glenview, Illinois. His design for the I-beam sawhorses (page 6) was selected as winner of the Porter-Cable router just like the one shown at the right. These sawhorses may be light in weight, but can stand up to the most demanding tasks in the shop. To find out how you could win a Porter- Cable router check out the information above. Your tip just might be a winner. d ShopNotes Issue 93 May/June 2007 PUBLISHER Donald B. Peschke EDITOR Terry J. Strohman MANAGING EDITOR Bryan Nelson CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Vincent Ancona ASSOCIATE EDITORS Phil Huber, Ted Raife ASSISTANT EDITORS Ron Johnson, Mitch Holmes, Randall A. Maxey, Dennis Perkins EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jamie Downing SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Dirk Ver Steeg, Harlan Clark, David Kreyling ILLUSTRATORS David Kallemyn, Peter J. Larson GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Shelley Cronin, Katie Rodemyer CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNERS Ken Munkel, Kent Welsh, Chris Fitch PROJECT DESIGNERS/BUILDERS Mike Donovan, John Doyle SHOP CRAFTSMEN Steve Curtis, Steve Johnson SR. PHOTOGRAPHERS Crayola England, Dennis Kennedy ASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke VIDEOGRAPHERS Craig Ruegsegger, Mark Hayes ShopNotw® (ISSN 1062-9fl9fi) i* published bimonthly (Jan.. March, May. July, Sept., Nov.) by August Home Publishing, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, I A 50812. ShopNotes® is a registered trademark of August Home Publishing ©Copyright 200Tby August Home Publishing. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: Single copy: $4.95. One year subscription (6 issues): $27.96. Canada/I ntemational add $10 per year, U.S. ftmds. Canadian Subscriptions: Canada Post Agreement Number 40088201. Send change of address information and blocks of undeliverable copies to P.0. Box 881, Station Main, Markham, ON L3P 8M6. Canada BN 84697 6473 RT Periodicals Postage l*aid at Des Moines, IA and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes, P.O. Box 37103, Boone, IA 50037-2103. ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES • ACCESS your account • CHECK on a subscription payment • TELL US if you've missed an issue • CHANCE your mailing or e-mail address • REMEW your subscription • PAY your bill Click on " MANAGE MY ACCOUNT " in the list on the left side of our home page Menus and forms will take you through any of the account maintenance services you need HOW TO REACH US: FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES OR QUESTIONS, WRITE OR CALL: Customer Service 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312 800-333-5854 8 a m to 5 p.m. CT OR SEND AN E-MAIL TO: ordersOshopnotes.com August Home JL V. p u ■ « • a M • N ® c ° M N v Printed in U.S. A www.ShopNotes.com 5 I-Beam Sawhorses I build a lot of heavy furniture and cabinets in my shop. And saw- horses are the best way to get these large projects up off the ground so I can easily work on them. What 1 needed was a sawhorse that would be lightweight and easy to move around yet sturdy enough to hold large projects. To ensure my sawhorses would always be up to the task, I built the ones you see above. Even though they don't look heavy-duty, they support a lot of weight. Their strength and light weight comes from the I-beam design. As you can see in the drawings below, the top and bottom flanges of the beam are nothing more than two long pieces of plywood with a groove centered in each piece. (The bottom flange is beveled, as shown in the End View below.) Then, a vertical center rail is glued into the grooves to complete the sturdy I-beam assembly. The legs are 3 4" plywood with their ends beveled and then attached to the I-beam with screws. Their angled stance provides a wide base for greater stability. Angelo Tsarpalas Glenview, Illinois #e> x 1V 2 " Fh WOOPSCREW BOTTOM FLANGE (2 ,8 /ie x 40) ^ GROOVES HELP ALIGN PIECES PURING ASSEMBLY NOTE: BOTTOM FLANGE BEVELEP FOR LEG ATTACHMENT (SEE ENP VIEW) NOTE: all PARTS MAPE FROM V PLYWOOP NOTE: i-beam CONSTRUCTION SUPPORTS HEAVY LOAPS NOTE: TOP ANP BOTTOM FLANGES ARE GLUEP TO VERTICAL PIECE TOP FLANGE (3x40) CENTER BEAM (2Vfe x 40) END VIEW TOP FLANGE SIDE VIEW CENTER TOP FLANGE BEAM ® BOTTOM FLANGE L_ LEG — 1 2 J ShopNotes No. 93 BOTTOM (12 x ie) CLEAT (4xie) TOP VIEW SPLINE SLOT Plate Joiner Cabinet Jig The plate joiner in my shop gets a lot of use for joining cabinet parts. But it's always tough to support and hold the large workpieces (like cab- inet sides) in place while trying to make an accurate cut. To make this job easier, I built the jig shown in the photo and drawings at right. The jig is simply a box with a large face piece. The face is attached to a support assembly that clamps to your workbench. An adjustable cleat on the front supports the workpiece. The cleat can be moved up or down and then secured by tightening a plastic knob in the centered slot. To keep it aligned horizontally, the cleat has hard board splines at the ends that run in shallow grooves in the face. To use the jig, position the cleat so the top of the workpiece is flush with the top of the jig and lock the cleat down tight. Then just clamp the workpiece in place (photo at right). This way, you can rest the fence of the plate joiner on the top of the jig (and workpiece) while making the cut. Jim Powers Bonner Springs , Kansas NOTE: ALL PARTS EXCEPT SPLINES ARE V PLYWOOD #S X IV Fh WOODSCREW BACK ( Th. x IS) — SPLINE x 4-V4 Hdbd.) 'W-IS x 2” CARRIAGE BOLT ^16 "IS STAR KNOB & WASHER WIDE FACE CLEAT FACE (IS x 36) BOTTOM VIEW y*1 4 NOTCH I U*\ B OTTOK CLEAT WASHER STAR KNOBy Quick Tips A A mirror placed behind the chuck makes it easy for Serge Duclos of Delson, Quebec, Canada to accurately position the bit without bending or stooping when drilling holes at his drill press. A Chuck Dart of Bentonville, Arkansas slips a pad of synthetic steel wool onto the base of his palm sander whenever he has a tough cleanup or sanding job on metal or wood surfaces. FREE TIPS BY EMAIL Now you can have the best time-saving secrets, solutions, and techniques sent directly to your computer. Just go to www.ShopNotes.com and click on “Sign Up for Free E-Tips.” You' \\ receive one of our favorite tips by email each week. www.ShopNotes.com 7 These inexpensive accessories will add new capabilities and more accuracy, while saving time. ^ Flip through the pages of any woodworking catalog and you're sure to find several pages filled with router accessories. Most of them are billed as "must-have" items guaranteed to make you a better woodworker — if you can believe all the hype. To help you sort out what you need and what you don't. I've gathered up 10 of the most useful accessories to help you get more from this versatile power tool. One very important thing to point out is that not all of these accesso- ries are flashy high-dollar items. Set-Up Gauge. This stepped gauge makes quick work of accurately setting the depth of cut on your router. In fact, most of these handy add- ons are less than $30 apiece. Take a look at page 51 for sources. ALTERNATE BASES One way you can dramatically add capability to an ordinary fixed-base router is to upgrade the base. Many router models are designed to fit optional D-handle and plunge-style bases. D-handles. At first glance, a El- handle base (photos on this page) may not seem like it's much of an improvement over a typical fixed base. But there are some advan- tages that I'd like to point out. The first is the power switch is located in the D-handle. This trigger-like switch makes it a snap to turn on the router without hav- ing' to take your hand off a handle. I've also found a D-handle to be more comfortable to grip than two small knobs during extended use. One reason for that added 8 ShopNotes No. 93 comfort is the shape of the D- handle places your arm in a more relaxed, pushing position. Plunge Base. The other com- mon base option is a plunge base, as you can see in the photo at right. You'll find that getting a plunge base is like adding a second router to your workshop. With this base, you can tackle tasks like stopped dadoes, grooves, and mortises with ease. One fea- ture that I really like is how simple it is to use multiple passes to make deep, accurate cuts. There's one other benefit from getting either a D-handle or plunge base. You can use either one for all your hand-held routing tasks and attach the fixed base to your router table. This makes switching between the two hassle free. SELF-CLAMPING GUIDES Routing dadoes and grooves with a straight bit is a common hand- held router task. And the key to getting an accurate cut is guiding the router. To do that, I turn to a self-clamping, straightedge guide (main photo on the opposite page). ▲ Plunge Base . With an auxiliary plunge base, you can leave the standard base attached to your router table for fast changes between setups. but can really make routing more accurate find safer. Depth Gauge. An important part of using your router is accu- rately setting the bit depth. For years, I used a combination square. But eyeballing the bit against the ruler can be a challenge. So I picked up a simple, set-up gauge (lower photo on the opposite page). To use it, move the bit up or down until it makes contact with the stepped profile of the gauge. Carpet Tape. All of the items that I mentioned so far are dedi- cated router accessories. So the carpet tape shown at left might not seem like an "accessory" at first. However, once you use it, it's sure to find a permanent place in your router cabinet. One of the ways I use carpet tape with my router is flush trim- ming a workpiece with a template. Ordinary clamps often get in the way while routing and the tem- plate can shift when you reposi- tion the clamps. But a few strips of carpet tape can provide just enough "clamping power" to hold the template in place while I trim the workpiece to size. The accessories shown here are just a few ways to add new capa- bilities for your router. Turn the page to learn about six more. ▲ Carpet Tape. Clamps can get in the way while using a template. Carpet tape allows you to temporarily secure a template without fuss. The Right Size. This aluminum guide comes in a varie lengths (up to 144”). But I've found that a two-foot model takes care of most of my needs. The guide clamps to a workpiece with a cam clamp and a sliding jaw. And the smooth aluminum sides provide a dead straight reference for your router. Using the Guide. The guide provides an accurate edge, but you still need to account for the offset of the bit from the reference edge. That's why I made a simple gauge block, as shown in the main photo on the facing page. (You'll need to make one for each bit size.) To use the block, all you have to do is align the notch with the lay- out line, butt the guide to the end of the block, and clamp it down. Now you're ready to start routing. LOW-COST ACCESSORIES Something I've noticed about working with a router is that small details can make a big impact on the quality of the work. And these next two accessories fall into that category. They don't cost much. www.ShopNotes.com 9 six more must-have Accessories The alternate bases and accesso- ries featured on the previous pages will no doubt make a big differ- ence in how you work with your router. But on these two pages, I want to highlight a few other well- used upgrades from my shop you may want to consider. EDGE GUIDE The self-clamping straightedge I mentioned earlier works great for routing dadoes across a panel. But for making grooves on long or nar- row pieces, you'll need a different solution — an edge guide. An edge guide is just a fence and a pair of rods that attach to your router like you see in the photo above. You set the position of the bit using the adjustable fence that rides along the edge. Auxiliary Fence. For my edge guide, I attached a hardwood face to the fence. This gives the edge guide a wider bearing surface, which gives me more control at the start and end of a cut. as I work. Plus, you're less likely to tip the router and spoil the cut. ROUTING MAT There's another problem you can run into when routing along the edge of a piece. And that's holding the workpiece in place. If you use clamps, you'll have to reposition them during the process. A better solution is a routing mat (left photo below). It looks like a heavy-duty shelf liner with a textured rubber surface that gives it a surprisingly secure grip. OFFSET BASEPLATE Speaking of greater control, this next add-on is all about giving you more stability when using a bearing-guided bit. The problem with an ordinary baseplate is that less than half the router is sup- ported as you rout. This can make a large router feel tippy — espe- cially as you near a comer. Control. In the lower left photo, you can see how I've added a teardrop-shaped baseplate. The extra length and additional knob improve the stability and control 10 ShopNotes No. 93 Not only does it act like a clamp, but it also makes repositioning the workpiece a snap. There is one downside. Fine dust and chips can decrease the grip of the mat over time. But you can make it as good as new with a little maintenance. Simply rinse it off with warm water and let it dry. DUST COLLECTOR Anyone who has worked with a router knows just how much dust and chips it can produce. But try- ing to control the dust and chips can sometimes seem like raking leaves in a windstorm. The dust collector shown in the lower right photo on the fac- ing page is a great way to tame the dust clouds. (This collector is designed only for edge routing.) What I like about it is that the dust pickup is spring-loaded so it rides right along the edge of the piece. (Similar designs are available from other manufacturers.) CIRCLE-CUTTING JIG So far, we've talked about a few of the operations that I use my router for regularly — joinery, template routing, and edge profiles. But there are a couple of other tasks Circle Cutter. Before using the circle- cutting jig to trim the tabletop. I rough cut it on the band saw. Then to trim it to size, it 's supported on a spacer block held in place with some carpet tape. where I rely on my router. The first one is cutting a workpiece per- fectly round. For example, making round tabletops (photo above). Here again, the challenge is con- trolling the router. The solution is a circle-cutting jig (trammel). In the inset photo at right, you can see that the router rotates on a pin that fits in a hole drilled in the workpiece. A slot in the baseplate allows you to set the radius of the cut based on the location of the pin. To rout the table top, set the router to take a light (Me”) cut. Then move the router counterclockwise. m Earlier, I mentioned routing with templates. There, I used a flush-trim bit to make the cuts. But there's another way to make templates work for you — guide bushings. These metal collars mount in the baseplate of your router to control the bit. This lets you use almost any kind of non-bearing bit to do the cutting. For example, in the photo at left. I'm using a straight bit to rout a mortise for a butt hinge. Although guide bushings are pretty simple to use, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First, the bushing is larger than the bit, so you'll need to account for this offset when mak- ing the template. Second, it's a good idea to get brass bushings. The softer metal won't damage a bit in case of accidental contact. Get More From Your Router. As you can see, a router isn't just for cutting profiles. There's a lot of woodworking potential to tap into. And all it takes to unlock that potential and get more from your router are a few accessories. A ◄ Guide Bushing . To keep a bushing from working loose while you rout with a template, wrap Tef- lon tape around the threads (inset). ▲ Pivot Pin. Drill the hole for the pivot pin in the bottom of the tabletop where it won't be seen. www.ShopNotes.com 11 i Lazy Susans Get more out of your shop with this handy piece of hardware. Getting the most out of the limited space in a shop or simply making it easier to accomplish a task is something just about every wood- worker needs. A handy solution to some of these problems is an ordi- nary lazy Susan, like the one used in the finishing turntable above. Since a lazy Susan moves quite freely with little to no resistance. a push with your finger provides all the effort necessary to move even heavy objects. This way, you can work in a small area and still have easy access to all parts of a project. Plus, it's the perfect way to get more out of a hardware stor- age cabinet or assembly table. You can even use one inside a cabinet to make better use of the space. A Wide Variety. Before you can use a la^y Susan (or turntable) on a project, you'll need to pick one to suit the task at hand. And as you can see in the photos below and at the top of the opposite page, lazy Susans come in a wide range of styles, sizes, and materials. So you won't have any trouble finding one to meet just about any need. - — Heavy-duty swivel moves smoothly yet holds k its position once set LAZY SUSAN STYLES Attached with epoxy or silicon sealer, plastic versions are best for light-duty use Even this 3“-square zinc-plated model will support up to 200 lbs. Made to suit a wide — range of needs, k this 9"-dia. lazy Si Susan will VA support up to 750 lbs. iMm (photo above) The machined aluminum design of this large diameter turntable provides smooth, quiet movement for loads up to 330 lbs. ShopNotes No. 93 The small plastic models (4" to 9” in diameter) will only handle light weights (20-40 lbs.). That's why I typically use the zinc-plated circular and square versions. The small ones (3") will support up to 200 lbs., while the larger models allow easy rotation for loads up to 1000 lbs. (Sources on page 51.) Keep in mind that a lazy Susan works best when the weight is centered. So even though a small turntable may support the load you have, a larger version will work better for off-center loads. Design Options. Although most often associated with their free-wheeling action, some lazy Susans have added features to better suit your needs. These models feature detents that allow you to swivel the unit and "lock" it in place at a specific spot, like every 90°. Other models have a built-in stop. This allows you to rotate it 360° in either direction. ◄ Finish Variety. Although most often hidden , lazy Susans do come in a number of different materials and looks to suit the needs of your project. but not spin it continuously like a merry-go-round. If the stops or detents don't work for what you have in mind, take a look at the heavy-duty swivel on the opposite page. While it still moves smoothly, it's designed to stay fixed right where you position it until you're ready to rotate it again. Installation is the Key. Because a lazy Susan is most often sand- wiched between two workpieces, it looks to be impossible to install. But don't worry. The secret to the installation is nothing more than a small access hole in the bottom part of the assembly. You can see what I'm talk- ing about on the finishing table shown in the box at right. The drawings cover the basic process for installing just about any type of lazy Susan you find. Once you understand the pro- cess, I think you'll find many ways to adapt a lazy Susan to enhance any small cramped workspace. For another solution to this prob- lem, check out the box below. d Installing a Turntable The trick to installing a lazy Susan, or turntable, is a little advance work. And that's just a matter of drilling a small access hole, as shown in the drawing below. To do this, center the lazy Susan on the base, mark where the hole needs to be, and drill the hole. Then screw the lazy Susan in place. Finally, set this assem- bly in place on the top so it's centered and attach the lazy Susan using the access hole. FIRST: CENTER LAZY SUSAN ON BASE USINO DIAGONAL LINES x V&" Ph SCREW THIRD: ATTACH LAZY SUSAN SECOND: MARK AND DRILL ACCESS HOLE ne> x Vfe" Ph SCREW DIA. COUNTERSORE. DEEP IN SOTH SASE AND TOP FOR ALIGNMENT DOWEL ALIGN ACCESS MOUNTING AND INSTALL SCREWS FOURTH: use DOWEL TO CENTER TOP ON BASE Heavy-Duty: Roller Bearings Lazy Susans are a great solution to many shop needs. But if you have a large project, with loads that may not be evenly distributed, you may want to consider using heavy-duty roller bearings instead (photo at right). By using several roller bearings you can build your own lazy Susan. And as shown in the far right photo, roller bearings are perfect for large projects that need to support heavy, asymmetrical loads. Each roller bearing consists of a single large ball bearing supported by smaller bearings inside. This gives the roller a smooth, even motion while handling large loads better. (Sources on page 51.) www.ShopNotes.com ► Versatility. A series of heavy-duty roller bearings supports the storage turntable in the base of this tool station as well as the benchtop tool carousel that rests on top. Accessories getting great results with a Plug Cutter For projects assembled with glue and screws, I like to hide the scre- wheads with wood plugs. Howev- er, most store-bought plugs are cut from dowels. The visible end grain soaks up stain like a sponge, mak- ing plugs very noticeable. Face- grain plugs are less noticeable, but hard to match the grain and color of the wood. The best solution I've found is to make my own face-grain plugs, using cutters like you see pictured here. Making your own plugs al- lows you to use the same wood as your project, which helps the plugs "disappear." Plug cutters come in a range of sizes. The most common sizes range from to 1” in diameter but can go up as large as 3". STRAIGHT CUTTERS Straight cutters are the most com- mon and give you a plug with a consistent diameter (drawing on opposite page). They come in two designs — cylindrical and fluted. Cylindrical. The cylindrical cutter (far left photo below) works well for cutting plugs. Its knifelike cutting edge slices through wood smoothly, with little chipout, heat buildup, and vibration. Not only does this cutter come in various diameters, but cuts a range of lengths too (up to 2"). Fluted. The other design for a straight cutter uses four cutting legs called "flutes" (similar to the center cutter pictured below). Each of these flutes has a cutting edge that aggressively cuts through the FLUTED CENTERING PIN Cylinder-style straight cutter gives clean sides with little vibration Spur cuts smoother and cooler than fluted cutters workpiece. They do a great job when sharp. But when the flutes start to dull, they can mangle the wood, which can lead to plugs that aren't perfectly round. The plugs then fit poorly in the hole, there are gaps around the edges, and even the sides get a little burnt. That's why I prefer to use cy- lindrical-styled cutters when I use straight plugs for my projects. It simply produces a better-fitting straight plug. However, no mat- ter which design of cutter you use, any runout on your drill press will affect the diameter of the plug, re- sulting in chipout and visible gaps around the edges. TAPERED CUTTERS So, to solve those problems, I use tapered plugs most of the time for a couple of reasons. The first is that a tapered plug can be tapped into a hole for a snug fit, with no visible gaps around the edges. The second reason is that a tapered cutter leaves very little chipout along the sides of the plug. This reduces the chance of seeing a gap around the edges too. Tapered cutters only come in the fluted design. Although it looks similar to the straight one, it cuts 14 ShopNotes No. 93 a plug with slightly angled sides (second drawing at right). Wide to Narrow. The flutes taper to the inside. So, as the cutter works its way into the workpiece, the cutting edges carve the plug's diameter into a slight cone shape. Centering Pin. One of the prob- lems with plug cutters is their tendency to "wander" when they first start cutting. This wander- ing makes it necessary to use a drill press to get the best results. However, a new design from Mon- tana Brand changes that (refer to Sources on page 51). Protruding from the center of the Montana cutter is a spring- loaded centering pin (far right cutter in the photo on the oppo- site page). This pin allows you to chuck the cutter into your hand- held drill and cut a tapered plug. As long as you can keep your drill 6 Easy Steps to ▲ Make Plenty. Cutting extra plugs improves your chances of getting the best grain match. straight up and down, the cutter works pretty well. I found it easier to do that by clamping the workpiece firmly to a stable surface. TECHNIQUE Regardless of the cutter you use, there is a simple process to getting the best results for a virtually invis- ible plug, as you can see in the box below. And one of the major keys is the proper cutting speed. Getting a good plug from my drill press requires a slower speed. Setting my drill press to about 500- 600 RPM and slowly lowering the cutter into the workpiece resulted in plugs with nice, smooth sides. Note: When using the Montana cutter, running the hand drill at high speed (about 3,000 RPM) Making Plugs produced a good-quality plug. But you'll need to take your time pushing the cutter into the work- piece to get the best results. As you can see, making your own wood plugs is not difficult. And you'll end up with an almost invisible plug that fits like a cork in a bottle (right photo). A. - *+ 00 ?*' ▲ Remove Plugs. Clamp a tall auxiliary fence to the band saw table and cut the plugs free. k Undetectable. The final result is a wood plug that doesn't attract attention. k Best Match. Select a plug for each hole to match the grain and color of the surrounding wood. k Installing. After brushing glue on the sides of the hole, tap the plug snugly into place. k Remove Waste. Posterboard protects the workpiece while you cut away the waste. k Sand Flush. Finally, sand each of the plugs flush with the surface of the workpiece. www.ShopNotes.com 15 weekend workshop easy-to-build Plywood Projects When it comes to storage space and worksurfaces, it seems like you can never have enough in your workshop. Tools and lumber tend to fill up every available space. So here are five projects specifically designed to address those needs. Whether it's a lumber rack to store your boards, sawhorses to cut them on, or an assembly table where a project comes together, there's something for everybody. And each of these space-savers can be built from a single sheet of plywood, so they won't break the bank. But best of all, each one features a straightforward design that you can build in just a few hours. a folding Assembly Table When it's time to glue up a project, I usually end up using my workbench as an assembly table. But that means putting all my other work on hold while I wait for the glue to dry. On top of that, any glue squeeze-out from the joints ends up on my benchtop. So when it's all done, I have to spend time cleaning up the bench before getting back to work. A better place for glue-ups is a dedicated assembly table, like the one in the photo above. This table is strong enough to handle the heaviest assemblies, but folds up for easy storage. The knock-down design means you don't have to give up valuable floor space when FIGURE OVER SIDE (21 x 30) SHELF PLATE (16 x SHELF (16 x 36) #6 x W Fh WOODSCREW SIDE VIEW STRETCHER (6 x 36 ) NOTE: CUT piano HINGES TO LENGTH WITH HACKSAW SHELF © SHELF PLATE KEEPS SHELF AND STRETCHERS SQUARED UP STRETCHER ▲ Folded Up. You won’t have a hard time finding a place to store the table when it’s not in use. it's not in use. And your work- bench and other worksurfaces are left free for other tasks. Construction. As you can see in the drawing at left, the base of this table is simply a shelf attached to two tall sides by a pair of hinges. Connected to the shelf are a pair of hinged stretchers that fold around shelf plates attached to the sides. A removable top fits over the sides to complete the table. And a pair of cleats on the underside of the top fits over the top edge of the sides to tie the assembly together and create a strong, stable platform. In addition to a sheet of ply- wood, you'll need three piano hinges and four small window bolt locks to build this project. To find out where to get the hard- ware, refer to Sources on page 51. Start with the Sides. After cut- ting out the parts, as shown in the cutting diagram on the opposite page, you're ready to start assem- bling the base. I began by cutting out the handles on the sides, using a template and a hand-held router to create the slots. For more on 18 ShopNotes No. 93 NOTE: ATTACH BOLT LOCKS FIRST TO HELP LOCATE AND DRILL HOLES FIRST: TO STORE THE TABLE WHEN NOT IN USE, FOLD THE SIDES IN ^ BOLTS ALIGN WITH HOLES IN STRETCHERS WHEN FOLDED (SEE PHOTO BELOW) SECOND: FOLD IN THE STRETCHERS SHELF PLATE THIRD: SECURE BOLT LOCKS TO PREVENT THE TABLE FROM UNFOLDING coats of finish. Since the top may see a lot of glue squeeze-out, I also buffed on a few coats of paste wax to make it easier to clean. Hardware (34) #8 x lVi" Fh Woodscrews (104) UA x Vi" Fh Woodscrews (16) #6 x Vi" Fh Woodscrews (3) 36" Piano Hinges (4) 2" Bolt Locks CUTTING DIAGRAM 4S- x 96" -%• PLYWOOD SHORT- CLEAT (1W x 21 ) LONG CLEAT - (IVfe X 4 OVz) k Bolt Locks. To hold things in place when folded up, use a simple bolt lock. #B X Ite" Fh WOODSCREW NOTE: POSITION CLEATS TO FIT AROUND AND HOLD SIDE PANELS SHORT FRONT SECTION VIEW FRONT SECTION VIEW #S X 1V 4 " Fh WOOD- SCREW #0x1V 4 " Fh- WOODSCREW CHAMFER VjNSIPE EDGE LONG CLEATS www.ShopNotes.com adjustable worksurface and Sawhorses There are plenty of good reasons why every shop should have a pair of sawhorses. They provide a stable platform for cutting boards to length; they'll hold a full sheet of plywood for cutting out pieces; and they're lightweight and por- table enough to use anywhere. In addition to these traditional roles, this design also includes a strong worksurface (cut from the same sheet of plywood), to span the horses. And the extra-sturdy stretchers can be used like a small scaffold to hold the platform in position at different levels. Tapered Sides. A good sawhorse should have strong, stable legs, or in this case, side pieces to prevent tip- ping. So I began by laying out and cutting one of the sides. This way, I could use it as a template for the remaining three pieces. To make the tapered cuts, I used a circular saw guided by a straight-edge clamped in place. Then after cut- ting the round cutout at the bot- tom, with a jig saw, I just sanded the edges smooth. With one side complete, all you need to do is rough cut the other pieces and use a flush-trim bit in your router to make duplicate side pieces. After cutting out and cleaning up all the sides, I clamped each 20 ShopNotes No. 93 TOP PLANK (15% X 65) LONG SPACER (1x65) BOTTOM (15% x 65) #8 x 1 Yf Fh WOODSCREW CLEAT- (1 x 15%) FIGURE NOTE: STRETCHERS ARE GLUED UP FROM OF Hardware • (48) #8 x lVi" Fh Woodscrews • (69) #8 x 2 V 4 Fh Woodscrews www.ShopNotes.com CUTTING DIAGRAM 46" x 96"-%" PLYWOOD CLEATS STRETCHER (MAKE 12) PLATFORM SPACERS TOP VIEW SIDE STRETCHER pair together and drilled pilot holes for the screws used to hold the stretchers. This way, I guar- anteed uniform placement of the screws, as shown in Figure 1. Stretchers. Now you're ready to glue up the stretchers from two layers of plywood. After you've finished that assembly, completing the basic sawhorse is just a matter of attaching the stretchers to the sides with a few screws (Figure 1). The Platform. The addition of a work platform that spans the sawhorses makes them even more useful around the shop. And this platform is plenty strong. It's made by sandwiching a series of l"-wide spacers between two pieces of plywood for extra strength. This arrangement makes the platform rigid enough to hold the heaviest loads without sagging (Figure 2). Assembling the platform is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is attach the spacers to the underside of the top, and then fasten the bottom to tire spacers. This way, you won't have screw- heads visible on the top. The easiest way to do this is place the top upside down on your workbench. Now lay out the spacers and predrill holes for the screws. Add glue and screws and you're halfway home. The next step is to mark the loca- tion of the spacers on the bottom to make sure you make solid contact with the screws during the final assembly. Finally, glue and screw the bottom in place. I finished up by adding cleats to the bottom of the platform to hold it securely on the stretchers. Then I chamfered the edges and added a coat of clear finish. A Without the Platform. The tall sides provide a handy place fora clamp when cutting a board to length. FIGURE SHORT SPACER (1 x 13%) NOTE: spacers increase STRENGTH AND RIGIDITY WITHOUT ADDING A LOT OF WEIGHT CLEATS FIT OVER STRETCHERS ON THE SAWHORSES #6 x IV Fh WOODSCREW TOP SPACER" — 60TT0M ^ — v - v - ^ — STRETCHER SIDE wall-mounted Lumber Rack One of the challenges in any shop is finding a good place to store the lumber for your woodworking projects. It's all too easy to stack boards on the floor or lean them against a wall. But that often leads to moisture damage and bowing. A better solution is to build a lumber rack like the one you see in the photo at left. It holds plenty of wood and, more importantly, keeps it flat and dry. The rack consists of three vertical assemblies, with five lumber sup- ports on each. These assemblies hang on cleats attached to studs in your shop wall. A short dowel placed in the cleats prevents the vertical assemblies from moving, as shown in the inset photo below. Start with the Supports. The first step in building the rack is to cut o\it the lumber supports (Figure 1). Then you can use a shop-built tapering jig to make the angled cut on the bottom of each piece. To find out more about this jig and how to makes these cuts, see the box on the opposite page. Alignment Pin . A short length of dowel in the cleats keeps the hanging vertical supports in position . $ ShopNotes No. 93 CUTTING DIAGRAM 46" x ae- - v plywood The Vertical Assemblies. With the supports cut, the next step is to make the uprights. As you can see in Figure 1, the uprights have an angled notch that fits over the top cleat, and a square notch that pro- vides clearance for the lower cleat. It's important that the notches are positioned identically on all six uprights so the lumber supports hang at the same level. The easi- est way to do this is to clamp them together and make layout marks. Then, remove the clamps and cut the pieces one at a time. A jig saw makes short work of these cuts. Now just attach the lumber sup- ports to the uprights as shown in Figure 1. For this, I used a little glue in addition to the screws. Hardware • (120) #8 x lW Fh Woodscrews • (8) 4" x V 4 " Lag Screws • (8) V 4 " Washers • (15) 5 / 8 " x 3" Dowels Wall Cleats. As I mentioned ear- lier, the vertical assembly hangs on wall-mounted cleats. The top cleat requires a beveled cut on the top edge to match the angled notch in the vertical assembly. I made this cut at the table saw. The next step is to drill holes for the dowels. It's important that they be spaced uniformly on both cleats so the vertical assemblies align. Shop Short Cuts, on page 29, has a tip for drilling these holes. Mount Up. The last step is to attach the cleats to one of the walls Taper Jiq To make the angled cut on the lumber supports, I turned to the table saw and a simple tapering jig. As the drawing below shows, it's just a piece of plywood with a couple of cleats to keep the workpiece in posi- tion. The plywood base rides along the rip fence, leaving a consistent cut every time. in your shop. Since the rack will be holding a lot of weight, you'll need to make sure the cleats are anchored securely. After identi- fying the screw locations, all you need to do is predrill holes and attach the cleats with lag screws. UPRIGHT SUPPORT (4 x 79) FIGURE TOP CLEAT (5 x 96) — SUPPORT ALIGNMENT PIN (%" x 3" POWEL) #0 x W Fh WOOPSCREW LOWER CLEAT (3 x 96) SUPPORT STUP WALL ALIGNMENT PIN NOTE: NOTCHES FOR WALL SUPPORT ANP SPACER ARE CUT TO MATCH THICKNESS OF PLYWOOP WALL SUPPORT BOTTOM END www.ShopNotes.com roll-around Utility Cart A storage cabinet on wheels is one of the handiest things you can build to make working in your shop easier. It not only gives you a convenient place to store a wide range of items, but also allows you to keep them close at hand wher- ever you're working. And you'll always appreciate the extra work- surface on top of the cart. Construction. The construction of the cart is pretty straightfor- ward too. As you can see in Figure 1, it's simply a pair of U-shaped end assemblies attached to the base and top. Each end assembly features an adjustable shelf for convenient storage. Each assembly is made up of two ends fastened to a side, with shelf pin holes drilled in all three parts. The holes drilled on the inside of the side pieces also allow you to place an adjustable shelf in the center storage compartment. This compartment is a great place for larger items, like power tools and cases. Start with the Ends. I started by laying out the four ends and clearly marking the bot- tom edge of each. This way, you'll make sure the shelf pin holes are measured from the same reference edge. I used a simple, shop-built jig for drilling the holes. The box at the bottom of the opposite page has all the details. You can use the same technique to drill the shelf-pin holes in the inside faces of the two sides. Then, all you need to do is attach the ends to the sides with a little glue and some screws. The Top. Now that you've com- pleted the end assemblies, you're almost ready to add the top. But first, you'll want to cut out the hand holds. I did this the same way as before, using the jig shown on page 28. Then you can attach the end assemblies to the top using comer brackets and screws. The Base. With the assembly resting on its top, you can add the base. I predrilled holes for screws, making sure to screw into both the sides and the ends. As you can see in Figure 2, the base also acts as the lower shelf. To prevent things from falling out, it has edging on both ends. These pieces are attached with screws. Now you can complete the main assembly by adding the casters. I selected 5" locking swivel casters to make sure the cart can handle the heavy loads and will stay put when they're locked. Add the Shelves. Three adjust- able shelves (one on each end and one in the center compartment) complete the cart. The center shelf doesn't require any further treat- ment. But you'll want to add a piece of edging to the end shelves, just like the one on the base. CENTER SHELF (21 x 10%) SHELF NOTE: cur GROOVES TO FIT OVER SHELF PINS - #0 x W Fh WOODSCREW 5" LOCKING - SWIVEL CASTER #14 x%" SHEET METAL SCREW & WASHER PIN FIGUR E SHELF EDGING (iVfe x 21) SHELF EDGING (1V5z x 21) Hardware • (38) #8 X lkr Fh Woodscrews • (12) #6 x 3 4‘ Fh Woodscrews • (16) #14 x Vs" Sheet Metal Screws • (4) 5" Locking Swivel Casters • (12) 4* Shelf Supports • (6) Ya Corner Braces 2-in-1 Shelf-Hole Drilling Jig When you're faced with the task of drilling evenly spaced holes for shelf pins, the most sensible solution is to make a jig. After all, a jig ensures consistent spacing between the holes. And by regis- tering against a reference edge, it also places the holes a uniform dis- tance from the edge. Since some of the plywood projects in this series require different hole placement, however, I needed a jig that could adjust for those differences. As you can see in the drawings at right, this jig solves that prob- lem by using an adjustable fence. To change the spacing from the edge, all you need to do is remove a couple of screws, reverse the fence, and replace the screws. DRILL BIT COLLAR LIMITS THE DEPTH OF THE HOLES STOP IS GLUED AND SCREWED TO EDGE GUIDE /x NOTE: r THIS JIG POSITION ALSO WORKS OVER RABBETED EDGES '"*^1 / #0x1V 4 " Rh WOODSCREW WITH THE W EDGE GUIDE IN THIS POSITION, THE HOLES WILL BE 1" FROM EDGE REVERSE ^ THE GUIDE TO ^ CHANGE THE SPACING OF THE HOLES TO ttfe" FROM THE EDGE I made the fence by cutting a groove in a piece of hardwood to match the thickness of the ply- /NOTH:^ CUT GROOVE TO FIT OVER %" PLYWOOD ( a. W w DRILL ENP VIEW ^ BIT far — J i r ;-js j =rir^ T V 2 — fTM wood hole-spacing jig. www.ShopNotes.com 25 ▲ Two Stacked Units. If space is really tight, you can stack the storage units. All you need to do is add a couple of alignment pins. A Add a Worksurface. Put a little distance between the units and you can have even more worksurface just by placing a benchtop between them. compact Storage Cabinets The common theme for all the projects so far has been adding storage space and worksurfaces. And the compact storage units shown in the photo at left are no exception. They provide a handy storage space with an adjustable shelf and a small drawer. The difference is the small foot- print. Each unit takes up just over a square foot of floor space, so you can place them just about any- where. And since you can get two units out of one sheet of plywood, you can stack them up, as shown in the main photo. I kept construction pretty simple. Dado joinery keeps things aligned properly, then glue and screws secure the joints. And by adding a solid back to the units, you guar- antee they'll be plenty strong and won't rack under a heavy load. Dado the Sides. After cutting out the pieces, I set up the table saw with a dado blade adjusted to match the thickness of the plywood. Then all you need to do is cut the rabbet for the top and the dadoes for the drawer divider and bottom shelf, as shown in the drawing below The next step is to cut the rabbet for the back along the back edge of each side. The important thing to remember here is that you'll need to make two sets of mirror-image sides. So it's a good idea to mark the right and left pieces to avoid confusion as you make the cuts. Shelf-Pin Holes. The storage compartment has an adjustable shelf, so now is a good time to drill the holes for the pins. To do this, I used the same method and jig described on page 25. Assembly. With the holes drilled, you're ready to assemble the cabinet. Start by fastening the top, bottom, and drawer divider in position in the dadoes. An easy way to do this is to first glue the joints and clamp up the entire assembly. Then, after drilling countersunk holes, simply drive in the screws. FIGURE 26 ShopNotes No. 93 Drawers. A small drawer com- pletes each cabinet. And like the case, it goes together pretty quickly. The drawer sides simply fit into rabbets in the front and back. You can begin by heading to the table saw. Use a wide dado blade to cut the rabbets on each end. Now, adjust the width of the dado blade to cut the groove for the drawer bottom in the front, back, and sides. (I used V hard- board for the bottoms.) To complete the assembly, just add glue and screws, as shown in the drawing at right. Then attach a handle or drawer pull. Finally, rub a little wax on the bottom of the sides to keep the drawers moving smoothly. Alignment Pins. As I pointed out earlier, to save floor space, you may want to stack the units top-to-top. To keep them from shifting out of position, I added a couple of simple alignment pins. They're just short pieces of dowel that fit into matching holes drilled in the case tops, as shown in detail 'a' at left. & Hardware • (42) #8 x lVUT Fh Woodscrews • (4) #8 x 3 4" Fh Woodscrews • (2) Drawer Pulls • (2) Vj’-dia. x 1" Dowels DRAWER BOTTO M (10!4 x 14% -fcHdbd.) ADJUSTABLE SHELF (11*4 X 16*>) FIGURE DRAWER SACK (2% x 15*®) #5 x 1V4 W Fh •WOODSCREW DRAWER SIDE (2%x11) DRAWER FRONT (2%x 15*® ) NOTE: CUT grooves to FIT OVER SHELF PINS TOP SECTION VIEW J CUTTING DIAGRAM 45" x 96" - ty" PLYWOOD (MAKES 2 STORAGE UNITS) ALSO NEEDED: ONE 24” x 45" PIECE OF V HARD50ARD Cutting Plywood with a Circular Saw All the plans in this series start by cutting out parts according to a cutting diagram. Now you could make many of these cuts at the table saw, but working with a full sheet of plywood, especially if you're by yourself, can be difficult. But there's an easier way. I often use my circular saw for this kind of work. It's easier than trying to maneuver the plywood on the table saw, and can be just as accurate if you follow a few simple guidelines. First, I use a straightedge guide clamped to the ply- wood. This way, all I have to do is ride the edge of the saw along the guide to get a straight cut. Second, as you can see in the photo at right, I also place the plywood on a sheet of 2 M -thick, rigid foam insulation. This supports the full sheet of plywood, and I don't have to worry about cutting into the floor. www.ShopNotes.com 27 Slot-Cutting Jig A couple of the plywood projects starting on page 16 require cut- ting slots for hand holds. Trying to get a smooth, consistent slot with just a jig saw would have been a challenge. Instead, I made the tem- plate shown above and then used a pattern bit to create identically shaped slots each time. The key to the 3 4" MDF template is spending the time up front to create a smooth, even slot. Then to register the jig properly against the edge of the workpiece, I added a fence, as shown above. The first step to creating a slot is tracing out its location with the template. Then, drill a small starter hole find remove most of the waste with your jig saw Once that's complete, re-align the jig and clamp it securely in place. At this point, you can adjust the depth of cut so the bearing on your pattern bit rides against the inside edge of the template (detail 'a'). After rout- ing the slot smooth (in a clockwise direction), you can round over the edges of the slot. m Insert Installation Threaded inserts, like the ones in the dovetail station on page 36, are handy pieces of hardware. Unfor- tunately, installing them perfectly square can be difficult. To solve this problem, I use a handy installation jig like the one in the photo at left. The jig is nothing more than a block of hardwood with a notch cut at one end. A hole drilled through the notch holds the hard- ware that keeps the insert straight (drawing at left). Using the jig is really quite simple. The first thing to do RATCHET DRILL V-DIA. HOLE iVfe" DEEP NOTE: apply WAX TO INSERT SEFORE INSTALLING ^ BODY 1 (IVfex 2*4-3) i ADD SMALL COUNTERSINK TO HOLE is drill a hole in the workpiece to match the diameter of the body of the insert. But don't install the insert just yet. If you do, the threads on the insert can "lift" the edges of the hole slightly, especially on a workpiece with thin veneer (like plywood) or plastic laminate. To prevent this, I like to drill a small countersink around the edge of the hole. Next, slip a washer onto the bolt and thread the insert on. Then set the jig (and insert) in place over the hole. To seat the insert in the hole, simply press the jig down against the workpiece. Now it's just a matter of turning the head of the bolt with a ratchet until the threads start cutting into the wood. Continue turning until the insert is flush with the surface. ShopNotes No. 93 Outfeed Support Wall Mount The fold-up design of the outfeed support on page 30 makes it easy to store just about anywhere. But if you want to store the support off the floor, check out the handy wall mount shown in the main draw- ing and detail below. The mount is just a couple \'- thick hardwood strips glued and screwed together to fit under the upper stretcher and between the legs of the support. A hardboard cleat attached to the front edge keeps the support in place (detail 'a'), but still allows easy removal. WALL MOUNT (^4 X 1V 2 - 10) CLEAT (1V 4 X 14'A - V 4 Hdbd.) Extra-Long Drill Press Fence Vertical Drilling Jig Drilling a perfectly aligned hole in the end of a long workpiece, like the legs of the outfeed support on page 30, is a tough task. Fortu- nately, the jig shown at right makes the task easy and accurate. The jig is just a fence with a sup- port screwed to the back to keep it square. A cleat attached to the fence registers the workpiece. And a ply- wood base allows you to securely clamp the jig to the drill press table. To use the jig, first loosen your table and swing it to the side. After clamping the workpiece in place, simply adjust the position of the jig to align the bit. Then after tighten- ing up the table and clamps, you can drill the hole. #3 X Ufe" FH WOODSCREW SPACER __ OUTFEED > SUPPORT UPPER STRETCHER OF LEO ASSEMBLY HOOKS OVER WALL MOUNT STUD WALL CLEAT The small size of some drill press tables can make it almost impos- sible to drill long workpieces, like the cleats of the lumber rack on page 22. There's just not enough support for the workpiece, espe- cially if you drill near the ends. To make the job easier, I used alumi- num angle to make an extra-long fence and then added some ply- wood supports (drawing at right). To act as outriggers, the supports are screwed to the bottom of the fence near the ends. They provide the extra "hand" needed for a long workpiece. Once the supports are added, simply align the fence to accurately position the workpiece under the bit. Then you can clamp the fence to your drill press table and get to work. A FENCE (1V 2 x 1V 2 - 72) (4x0) NOTE: FENCE 15 V-THICK ALUMINUM ANGLE; SUPP0RT5 ARE V PLYWOOD a . FENCE SUPPORT 1 VV V V\ \ A ne> x 3 / 4 h Rh WOODSCREW w/ WASHER NOTE: SMALL SECTION REMOVED TO SHOW THIS END m www.ShopNotes.com 29 shop Adding ! an your table saw is extra pair of hanc provides sturdy sftppcff whether you're ripping a long board or cut- ting plywood down to size. The outfeed support shown in the photo provides this plus a few key features. For instance, slots in the top allow you to use your miter gauge without removing it. A leveler at the end of each leg lets you make fine height adjust- ments. This means you can align the top to your saw table to com- pensate for any unevenness in the floor of your shop. To connect the outfeed support to your table saw, cleats hook over a wood rail on the back rail of the saw. (I've included mounting options for the two most common types of fence arrangements.) And since the legs fold up, the support table can be quickly removed and hung on the wall for storage. ShopNotes No. 93 This easy-to-build addition to your table saw takes the hassle out of cutting long boards and sheet goods. 30 Exploded View Details DADOES MATCH MITER GAUGE SLOTS ON SAW TASLE OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 1S"D x 36-W x 34"H FOR EASY ATTACHMENT AND REMOVAL. CLEATS ON THE TOP FIT OVER A WOOD RAIL MOUNTED ON THE SAW Materials & Hardware A Top (1) B Hinge Plate (1) C Leg Stop (1) D Front Cleats (4) E Legs (2) F Stretchers (2) G Saw Rail (2) • (1) 18" x 36" Plastic Laminate • (2) 3" Utility Hinges with Screws • (2) Leveling Feet • (2) Vfc" Threaded Inserts • (11) #8 x 3" Fh Woodscrews • (14) #8 x lK" Fh Woodscrews lo x 36 - 74 Ply. J / 4 x 1V 2 - 22 3 / 4 x iVi - 28 3 / 4 x K - 17 V/ 2 X V/ 2 - 36 (Rough) 3 / 4 x 2l/ 2 - 16 ] / 2 3 / 4 x 2 - 18 SIDE VIEW (OPEN) PLYWOOD TOP PROVIDES STABLE OUTFEED SUPPORT STOP HOLDS LEGS IN VERTICAL POSITION PLASTIC LAMINATE CUTS DOWN ON FRICTION AND ALLOWS WORKPIECE TO SLIDE SMOOTHLY ACROSS TOP SIDE VIEW (CLOSED) LEGS FOLD FLAT FOR EASY STORAGE NOTCH IN TASLE ALLOWS MOVEMENT OF SLADE GUARD/SPLITTER FOR ANGLED CUTS SIZE THE LENGTH OF THE LEGS TO MATCH ▲ Easy Attachment. A wood rail attached to the back of the saw holds the outfeed support in place. LEG ASSEMBLY ATTACHES TO THE TASLE WITH UTILITY HINGES THE SUPPORT TO THE HEIGHT OF YOUR SAW LEVELERS ALLOW ADJUSTMENT FOR UNEVEN SHOP FLOORS LEGS FIT SNUGLY AGAINST STOP SECTION VIEW (LEVELER) ^THREADED INSERT ^ www.ShopNotes.com 31 building the Support A Miter Bar Slot. A dado slightly wider than the miter slot provides clearance for the miter gauge bar An outfeed support should be stable enough and large enough to catch a workpiece as it slides off the saw. And this design fills the bill on both counts. The folding leg assembly and solid connection to the saw provide a strong base. And with the 18 M by 36" top, you'll have plenty of worksurface. Table Top. I used V plywood for the top because it's flat, inexpen- sive, and resists warping. And by adding laminate, you get the extra benefit of a low-friction surface. You can start by cutting the top to size and rounding off the back comers. I also cut a notch on the front edge of the table for the blade guard (see the box below). Next, I glued on an oversized piece of laminate and trimmed the edges with a router and a flush trim bit. The laminate creates a durable surface for the table. Top Dadoes. To complete the table top, you'll need to cut a cou- ple of dadoes. Align these Slightly oversize dadoes to match the miter slots on your table saw so the miter gauge has clearance as you make a cut (photo at left). -®c LEG #0 x 3 H Fh WOODSCREW NOTE: all PART5 ARE * 4 h - THICK HARDWOOD Leg Stop. Now you can turn the top over and add a couple of hard- wood support pieces that will hold the legs. I started by attaching a leg stop to help stabilize the legs and keep them properly positioned while the table is being used. This stop is just a piece of 3 4"-thick hard- wood that's screwed to the top. Hinge Plate. The next step is to add a mounting plate for the legs. Simply center the hinge plate along the inside edge of the leg stop and attach it with screws (Figure 2). Notch & Attachment There are a couple things that can make adding an outfeed support a little tricky. First, you'll need to provide clearance for the blade guard /splitter assembly. As you can see in the photo, I cut a 2"- wide slot 4" deep to accommodate the splitter angled to 45°. The second challenge is mount- ing the support to your saw. On many saws, there's a steel fence rail running along the back edge. In this case, it's just a matter of drilling a few holes in the rail and attaching a wood rail with screws. The drawings at right show how the cleats on the outfeed support fit over the rail to hold the support in place. You can simply adjust the width of the rail until the top is level. If yopr saw has tube-style fence rails, see the next page for an alternate mounting method. DRILL HOLES IN THE SACK FENCE RAIL FOR WOOD RAIL WOOD RAIL O ADJUST WIDTH OF THE WOOD RAIL SO OUTFEED MATCHES ^ — TABLE HEIGHT /END VIEW ◄ Clearance Notch. A wide notch in the top provides plenty of clearance for the splitter assembly ■■ — J #0 x ^ Fh \ SCREW J 32 ShopNotes No. 93 / LEG ASSEMBLY A simple leg assembly holds the back of the outfeed support. The legs are connected by a pair of stretchers. And the top stretcher attaches the legs to the hinge plate. Legs. The legs are cut from 1 V- thick stock. You'll need to size the length of the legs to fit your saw. To do this, just measure from the floor to the top of your saw. Then sub- tract 2^" to determine the length of the legs. (The 2^" accounts for the thickness of the top, the hinge plate, and the leg levelers.) After cutting each leg to length, I drilled a hole for the threaded insert that holds the leveler in the bottom of the leg. In Shop Short Cuts on page 28, you'll see an easy way to do this. Now, you can soften the edges at the router table with a roundover bit. Stretchers. To add strength to the assembly and prevent rack- ing, I connected the legs with a pair of stretchers. After cutting the stretchers to size, you can attach them with long screws, as shown in Figure 3. The next step is to fasten the legs to the top. To do this, first, screw the hinges to the top stretcher, then to the hinge plate on the table like you see in detail 'a.' NOTE: LEGS ARE 1 Vfc x IVi; LENGTH IS DETERMINED SY THE HEIGHT OF YOUR SAW SIDE VIEW FIGURE NOTE: CENTER LEG ~~ ASSEMSLY ON HINGE PLATE Now the legs can be folded up for easy storage. You can even make a simple bracket for hanging the out- feed support on a wall. (Shop Short Cuts on page 28 has the details.) Cleats. All that remains now is to attach the support to your saw. This design uses a simple and effec- tive method for mounting the out- feed support. It consists of a pair of cleats fastened along the front edge of the top, as shown in Fig- ure 3. These cleats fit over a wood rail you'll attach to the rear of your table saw. The thing to remember when adding the cleats is to space them to get a snug fit over the rail to hold the outfeed support steady, even under heavy loads. Mounting Rail. The last thing you'll need to do is add a wood rail to the rear fence rail of your saw. How you go about this depends on the type of fence rail system on your saw. The box below and the one on the opposite page cover the two most common options. A STRETCHER © ^ am t 1V4 1 LEG J L LEVELERS SCREW INTO' THREADED INSERTS LEG l ATTACH HINGES WITH LEGS AGAINST THE LEG STOr Tube-Style Attachment Attaching the outfeed support to a saw with tube-style rails presents a real challenge. You can't fasten anything to the tube without inter- fering with the movement of the fence. So, the first step is to add metal brackets to the saw. They'll hold the wood rail that attaches to the outfeed support. You should add a bracket to each bolt that holds the tube to the saw. To make the metal brackets, I used l"-wide strips of 3W -thick steel. I started by cutting the strips to length (about 6V) and drilling holes for the mounting bolts. Then, I made the 90° bend in the steel by securing the piece upright in a vise and pounding it over flat. Now it's just a matter of drill- ing holes and attaching the wood rails using screws, as shown in the drawings at right. ◄ Add Brackets . 7b mount the cleat on a tube-style fence, bolt on a few simple, shop - DRILL THIS HOLE SLIGHTLY OVERSIZE TO ALLOW FOR ADJUSTMENT ATTACH MOUNTING BRACKETS WITH EXISTING FENCE RAIL BOLTS made metal brackets. v J www.ShopNotes.com 33 Technique tips and tricks for perfect Half-Blind — Dovetails All it takes to get great-looking, tight-fitting joints is a little time for proper setup. A dovetail jig gets a lot of use in my shop. But it always seems to take quite a bit of time to get my router bit set just right and all the settings on my jig perfect before I can even start routing dovetails. I decided it was time to take note of some of the tips and tricks I've learned over the years about routing half-blind dovetails and put them all in one place. On these two pages, you'll learn how to adjust your router and dovetail jig to make clean, accurate cuts every time. Like how a sharp bit and proper router setup can save you some trouble later on. And how to get the most out of your jig. There are some other handy tips that'll help you out, too. They're little things, but they add up to great results. A 4 Start off Right * HAVE EXTRA STOCK ON HAND You can't guarantee that the bit is exactly centered in the bushing, so use a centering cone to help position the bushing and baseplate (refer to Sources on page 51). Plus, it’s a good idea to hold the router in the same orientation all the time to help ensure a good-fitting joint. It might take some trial and error to get the exact setup for a perfect joint. Have plenty of extra stock on hand for test cuts. And be sure to use stock milled to the same thickness that you'll be using to construct your drawers. Double-check to make sure the bit is tight in the collet. You don't want the bit to “climb" out of the collet during use.J$ When adjusting bit depth, remember “heighten to tighten, lower to loosen." In other words, if your dovetail joint is too loose, you should Increase the bit depth. On the other hand, for a | joint that's too tight, | lower the bit depth. USE A SHARP BIT Invest in a good carbide bit for better cuts and longer life. Then clean and hone your bit occasionally to eliminate burning. REDUCE CHIPOUT Some jigs have a rough surface on the clamping bars to securely hold the workpiece. If yours doesn't, add some self-adhesive sandpaper to the clamping bars of your jig for extra holding power. An L-shaped clamping block the same thickness as your workpiece keeps the clamping bar from “racking" so they'll apply consistent pressure across the workpiece. Then, once you have a perfect cut, rout a dovetail in the block to use as a depth gauge for your next project. Chipout sometimes occurs on drawer sides. One trick that can eliminate chipout is making a light scoring cut along the front of the drawer side before cutting the dovetails. You can also start with wider workpieces and then trim them to size, removing any tearout that may occur at the edges. A platform, like the workcenter on page 36, gives you extra height to make routing dovetails more m comfortable. You can better see what you're doing while routing at eye level. V MAKE SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS Don’t try to adjust too many things at once. Taking it one small step at a time is the best way to hone in on a flush joint and snug fit. START WITH FLAT. SQUARE WORKPIECES Cup or twist in a workpiece will cause trouble getting a proper fit. Plus, make sure the ends of the workpieces are square, otherwise you’ll get a poor fit and your drawer may be twisted. Accuracy, coavenience, and storage. You get it all with this simple workcenter for your dovetail jig. The dovetail jig gets a lot of use in my shop. But there are a few things that can be an inconvenience when using it. My biggest complaint is that I have to stoop over to see what I'm doing as I work. Another prob- lem is keeping the workpieces clamped square. And finally, when I'm done for the day, I have to find a place to store the jig and accessories. The handy workcenter you see in the photo solves all these problems. For starters, it makes a great plat- form for any dovetail jig. By raising everything to a comfortable height, it's easier to guide the router. Support bars help keep the workpieces square and position them properly for accurate results. Plus, there are some other great features. There are "wings" that fold down. They make a handy landing spot to dock your router during use without damag- ing the bit or your benchtop. And there's plenty of storage in the large drawer down below. Once you build this workcenter, you'll find that using your dovetail jig is a whole lot easier. 36 ShopNotes No. 93 ShopNotes To download a free cutting diagram for the Dovetail Jig Workcenter, go to: ShopNotes.com Exploded View Details STUPPEP KNOBS FASTEN JIG TO WORKCENTER TOP PURING USE OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 14-D x 2S"W x 9-H (STORED SIZE) APJUSTABLE STOPS ALIGN WORKPIECES SQUARE TO JIG HORIZONTAL SUPPORT BAR HOLPS ENP OF LONG WORKPIECES FOLPING WING PR0V1PES A RESTING AREA FOR ROUTER POVETAIL JIG ANP ACCESSORIES ATTACH TO WORKCENTER WITH THREAPEP INSERTS ANP STUPPEP KNOBS RARE-EARTH MAGNET SECURES WING IN UPRIGHT POSITION OPEN SLOT AT BACK OF PRAWER PROVIPES CLEARANCE FOR THREAPEP INSERTS ANP KNOBS ABOVE STUPPEP KNOBS SECURE STOP BAR TO CASE — ^ APJUSTABLE STOPS ALIGN WORKPIECE WITH STOPS ON JIG HANPLES MAKE IT EASY TO MOVE THE WORKCENTER FOR SETUP OR STORAGE VERTICAL SUPPORT BAR HELPS ALIGN WORKPIECE WITH FACE OF POVETAIL JIG HINGE FITS IN SHALLOW RABBET TO PROVIPE A FLAT CLAMPING SURFACE NOTE: WORKCENTER MAPE FROM Vz" PLYWOOP n ONLINE EXTRAS RARE-EARTH MAGNETS KEEP DRAWER CLOSED JIG AND ACCESSORIES CAN SE STORED IN THE DRAWER SIDE SECTION VIEW (DRAWER STORAGE DETAIL) ▲ Tucked Away. The large drawer is sized to hold the jig, templates, support bars, and knobs. And with the wings folded up, the workcenter stores neatly away. www.ShopNotes.com 37 strong and sturdy In the drawings below, you'll see that the workstation starts out as a simple box. As a matter of fact, it's a lot like a cabinet with a top, bottom, and two sides. But unlike a normal cabinet, the front is a solid panel. And the back is open for the large storage drawer. For now, you'll concentrate on building the basic box, starting with the sides then adding the top and bottom pieces. Later you'll add the folding wings, handle, and storage drawer. There's one thing you need to know before you get started. My workcenter was sized for the Porter-Cable 4212 dovetail jig. If you have a different jig, you may need to make some adjustments to the size of the case, the height of the support bars, and the drawer. Sides. I started on the case by cutting the sides to size. Then you just need to cut grooves for the front panel before moving on to the top and bottom pieces. Top and Bottom. If you take a close look at Figure la, you can see how the sides of the case fit into ▲ Compact. With the wings folded up and the jig inside, you can store the workcenter away. dadoes on the bottom piece and rabbets on the top. ’ It can be tricky to get these joints to line up so the case ends up square. To get around this problem, I cut the top and bottom pieces to the same size then cut matching dadoes in both. Then all you need to do is trim the waste off the ends of the top piece to form rabbets as shown in Figure 1 below. There are a couple of other things you need to do. First, the top needs a groove along the front edge to capture the front panel (Figure lb). On the bottom, cut a shallow rabbet on each end for the A Home Base. The folding wing makes a handy spot to set your router when using your jig. hinges that will be attached later. (Here it's a good idea to have the hinges in hand so you can make sure the hinge leaf sits flush.) Front. All you need to do to make the front panel is cut it to size, then rabbet the top and sides to create a tongue. Aim for a snug fit of the tongues in the grooves. Finally, you can assemble the case with glue and screws. FIGURE — #6 x IV Fh WOODSCREW V-DIA. MAGNETIC WASHER AND #6 x Fh WOODSCREW b. FRONT SIPE SECTION VIEW RABBET DEPTH EQUALS THICKNESS OF HINGE LEAF 38 ShopNotes No. 93 FOLD-DOWN WINGS With the shell of the case complete, you can start working on the hinged wings at each end. If you take a look at Figure 2, you'll see that the wings have an opening in the center. These cutouts serve double duty. With the wings folded down, the cutouts make a convenient resting spot for your router. And when the wings are folded up, the cutout provides access to the carrying handle. You'll build the wings first, then fit the handles in the openings, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 at right. Tray. The trays for the wings start with a piece of plywood with a center cutout. On top of that is a piece of hardboard with a larger opening sized to fit the base of your router. I cut all the pieces to size first and then cut the openings. Cutouts. To make the cutouts, first drill a hole at each comer. A jig saw makes quick work of "connecting the dots" to remove the waste. With these pieces done, you can glue the hardboard to the plywood and move on to the hinge block and the foot that supports the tray when it's folded down. Hinge Block. The hinge block is where you'll attach one leaf of the hinge. The goal is to have the tray flush with the top of the case when the wing is in the upright position. I found it easiest to attach the hinge to the case bottom and the hinge block first. Then you can glue the block to the tray. Foot Block. The foot block is sized so that the tray sits parallel to the bench when it's in the open position. Just cut the foot block to fit and glue it to the tray. Final Steps. The last step to completing the wings is to install the rare-earth magnets and washers, as shown in Figure 2. Handles. The handles fasten to a handle block and hardboard spacer (Figure 3). They fit inside the cutouts in the trays. I attached them while the wing was closed so I could position them properly. Finally you can add the handle. Materials & Hardware CASE A Sides (2) 14 x8H-^ Ply- B Top(l) 14 x 24 - 4 Ply. C Bottom (1) 14 x 27 - 4 Ply. D Front (1) 234 x 84 - 4 Ply E Trays (21- 14x84 -4 Ply. F Tray Spacers (2) 14x84 -4 Hdbd. G Hinge Blocks (2) 4x4-14 H Foot Blocks (2) 4x14-14 1 Handle Blocks (2) 7x24- 4 Ply. J Handle Spacers (2) 7x24-4 Hdbd. K Front Stop Bars (3) 14 x 204 - 4 Ply. L Top Stop Bars (3) 34 x 204 - '4 Ply M Adjustable Stops (4) 14x24 -'4 Hdbd. N Drawer Front/Back (2) 7 7 4x 224-4 Ply. O Drawer Sides (2) 74x134-4 Ply. P Drawer Bottom (1) 124x224 -4 Hdbd. • (2) 6H" Utility Pulls • (12) V* - 20 Threaded Inserts • (2) 1 Vj" Continuous Hinges, cut to 14” (w/screws) • (2) 3 4”-dia. Rare-Earth Magnets w/ Cups, Washers, and Screws • (2) Jf -dia. Rare-Earth Magnets w/ Cups, Washers, and Screws • (26) #6 x V/a Fh Woodscrews • (8) #8 x T Fh Woodscrews • (12) Va Washers www.ShopNotes.com adding the Support Bars & Drawer One of the best features of the workcenter are the two support bars (photos at right). They're sized to work in tandem with the clamp- ing bars on your dovetail jig to help support the workpieces. And they include adjustable stops that help keep the workpieces aligned and square in the jig. There is one on the top behind the dovetail jig. And there's another on the front, below the jig. To help you size the support bars to your jig, now would be a good time to go ahead and mount the jig to the case. Mounting the Jig. The easiest way to mount the jig is to center it along the top. Your jig may have a clamping bed that hangs down the front. Set this tight against the front face. Then all you need to do is mark the mounting hole loca- tions for your jig and drill holes for threaded inserts. Before mov- ing on to making the support bars, ■^■figure Top Stop Bar. Besides accurate positioning, the stop bar helps support m the workpiece . fasten the jig in place with round studded knobs (Figure 4). Support Bars. For the support bars to work properly, they should be flush with the front and top clamping beds of the jig. So the height of the support bars will depend on your jig's dimensions. There's an important thing to note here. Some dovetail jigs don't have a clamping surface that will extend past the front of the case as mine does (Figure 4). If that's the case with your jig, you can elimi- nate the front support bar. Laminated Blank. To make the support bars, you'll start by glu- ing up three layers of Vi" plywood ,Ov ROUND KNOB (MK A WITH r STUD \ IT- AND Va* WASHER A Adjustable Stops. These stops help keep longer work- pieces square in the jig. (detail 'c'). I made my blank large enough to complete both the top and front stop bars. The next thing to do is to size them to fit your jig. I used a scrap piece in the jig and cut the support bars so they fit snugly between the workpiece and the top of the work- center. Finally, I cut two "ears" at the ends of the top bar that are used for attaching it to the jig. Attach the Bars. Like the dove- tail jig, the bars are attached to the workcenter with studded knobs and threaded inserts. Once you get the bars locked down tight, the box CASE FRONT FRONT STOP BAR_ k (g) m m SIDE SECTION VIEW CASE FRONT ROUND KNOB WITH W STUD AND !4" WASHER TOP s. STOP BAR x 20 Vi) FRONT STOP BAR - Va” - 20 THREADED INSERT SIDE SECTION VIEW ADJUSTABLE STOP 1 ROUND KNOB- WITH 1 M STUD AND Va m WASHER ADJUSTABLE A ^ ^ STOP ft r fa m (it* x 2v* - \ — v 4 HdM.) 7 FRONT STOP BAR ROUND KNOB ( 1V * * 20V ^) WITH r STUD pn , AND Va" WASHER ^ AND 1 NOTE: STOP BARS CUT FROM ONE LAMINATED BLANK MADE FROM THREE LAYERS OF t*" PLYWOOD SIDE SECTION VIEW NOTE: SUPPORT BARS ARE SIZED IN WIDTH (HEIGHT) TO FIT YOUR JIG NOTE: CENTER JIG ON WIDTH OF WORKCENTER THEN CENTER BOTH STOP BARS ShopNotes No. 93 below will show you how to locate and attach the adjustable stops for your jig. Then you can move on to building the drawer. DRAWER The storage drawer slips into the back of the case. And it's large enough to store the jig, extra tem- plates, support bars, and knobs. (Refer to the photo on page 37.) Drawer Box. Before I cut the drawer sides to length, I measured the inside depth of the workcenter. The goal is to have the face of the drawer flush with the outside of edge of the case. I subtracted the thickness of a rare-earth magnet, cup, and washer since these will be fastened to the back of the drawer and case. (They will help hold the drawer closed.) The drawer front and back are joined to the sides with tongue and dado joints reinforced with screws. After you cut the front and back pieces to size, cut a groove on all four pieces to hold the bottom of the drawer in place. Notches. Before you glue every- thing together, you'll want to make the handle notches on the drawer front. And you'll need to form a MAGNET AND — CUP WASHER DRAWER SACK #6 x Viz" Fh WOODSCREW Mz"-DIA. MAGNET. SCREW. AND CUP ' SCREW AND WASHER DRAWER C SIDE *1 CLEARANCE 3 DRAWER BACK NOTCH^ (7 7 /a x 22 Va) DRAWEF FRONT RADIUS HANDLE NOTCH TOP VIEW DRAWER A DRAWER FRONT . (7% x 22Vfe) DRAWER SIDE (7% x 13>4) BACK NOTE: DRAWER made from V 2 " PLYWOOD #6 x IVV Fh WOODSCREW NOTE: RARE-EARTH MAGNET ASSEMBLY IS FASTENED TO BACK OF DRAWER AND INSIDE OF CASE w DRAWER /4 < BOTTOM SIDE SECTION VIEW DRAWER BOTTOM (12 3 4 x 22 s /© - Va Hdbd.) long notch on the back. This pro- vides clearance for the studded knobs that extend into the case when you attach the jig. Magnet Catches. The last thing to do is attach the two rare-earth magnets that hold the drawer in the case. I installed the washers on the drawer back, then used them to locate the magnets inside the case, as you can see in Figure 5c. A word of caution here. These magnets are pretty strong, but you should still be careful when the drawer is fully loaded and you're moving the workcenter around. Final Wrap-Up. Now you're almost ready to go. Just clamp the workcenter securely to your bench, get everything adjusted, and start routing great-looking dovetails. (For some handy tips on routing half-blind dovetails, refer to page 34.) It won't be long before you appreciate how convenient and useful this workcenter is. A STOP RANGE JIG STOP RANGE STOP RANGE Locating the Adjustable Stops Locating the adjustable stops on the support bars is a simple pro- cess. The first thing to do is find the range, or limits, of your dove- tail jig's built-in stops. The draw- ing shows how I used workpieces clamped in the jig to do this. (You can also use a square.) Once I had the range of my jig's adjustable stops marked on the support bars, 1 measured out- side that range. This is where you can drill and install the threaded inserts. Then I cut a slot in the hardboard stop that was Vi' longer than that range limit I marked on the support bars. Now, with the adjustable stops installed, it's just a matter of align- ing them with those on your jig. NOTE: JIG TEMPLATE REMOVED FOR CLARITY FIRST: FIND AND MARK - THE LIMITS OF THE JIG STOPS ON THE STOP BARS ADJUSTABLE STOP THIRD: LOCATE THREADED INSERT V OUTSIDE THE STOP RANGE NOTE: same STEPS WERE USED FOR JIG STOP AT RIGHT USE WORKPIECE AS GUIDE TO- MARK STOP RANGE STOP RANGE ^ SECOND: CUT SLOT V 2 " LONGER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE STOP RANGE www.ShopNotes.com 41 For better cuts and longer life, it makes good sense 1 take the best possible care of your table saw blades I Removal & Installation If you're like me, you have quite a bit of money invested in high- quality, carbide-toothed table saw blades. And to ensure they always give top-notch results, you need to care for them properly. For the most part, this is pretty simple stuff. And it starts with the basic job of removing and install- ing a blade without damaging the brittle, carbide teeth. The trick to this is just following a set routine. To remove a blade, I first lower it completely below the surface of the saw table. This allows you to easily remove the throat insert plate without bumping it against the teeth, as shown in photo A. With the throat opening clear, you now want to raise the blade to give yourself better access to the arbor and arbor nut. Next, use a sturdy scrap to gently "jam" the teeth of the blade and prevent it from turning while you loosen the nut (photo B). Norice that I added a "bend" to the shaft of the arbor nut wrench (photo C). This keeps both the wrench and your hand away from the teeth. After removing the nut and washer, carefully grab the blade with both hands and slowly work it off of the arbor shaft (photo C). It may take a light back and forth "wobble" to help move it along. When you reach the end of the shaft, gently ease the blade free and lift it out of the throat open- ing. Note: If the blade isn't going straight into storage, be sure to set it on a "soft" surface. When you install a blade, you simply reverse the order of the steps. But note that to tighten the arbor nut, you'll need to jam the blade from the back of the saw. And try not to over- tighten the arbor nut, a light torque is all it takes. Finally, lower the blade, replace the throat insert plate, and your saw is back in business. 42 ShopNotes No. 93 V 2 Keep It Clean A blade that's free of the pitch and resin buildup will produce cleaner cuts and stay sharp longer. So for me, regular cleaning is a must. For a long time, caustic oven cleaner was recommended for the job. Today there are less harmful options (refer to Sources on page 51). The idea is to spray both sides of the blade with cleaner and then give it five or ten minutes to work. The lid from a plastic five- gallon bucket makes a good tub (main photo at right). Once the cleaner has done its job, all it takes is a little work with a non-abrasive scrub pad ▲ BEFORE ◄ AFTER to remove the residue. A brass- bristle brush will make quick work of the hard-to- reach spots on the teeth and in the gullets (main photo at left). When all you see is bright, shiny surface, rinse the blade with water and dry it off thoroughly to prevent rust. And finally, to reduce the fric- tion that increases pitch and resin buildup, I complete the job by spraying the blade with a coat of lubricant (inset photo). 3 When Do I Sharpen? It can be hard to know when a blade needs to be sharpened. But there are a couple of indicators that help remove the guesswork. The most obvious sign is a poor- quality cut. If you're getting rough cuts and burning from a clean blade on a well-tuned saw, dull teeth are the likely culprit. The second clue comes from a close inspection of the carbide tips under good light. All the edges and comers (beveled tips) should look sharp and crisp. A reflective line along the edges means they're getting rounded. And keep an eye out for minor chips, as in the main photo at left. Even a dull blade can feel sharp (and cut you), so I never judge with my fingers. , If your blade fails the tests, it's time to consider spending $15 to $20 for a professional sharpening. On the plus side, the blade will come back with razor-sharp teeth and cut like new (inset photo). 4 Safe Storage Storing your blades safely is a simple, but important, component of a long, sharp life. The key here is to keep the blades (especially the teeth) away from any damag- ing surfaces and away from each other, but still within easy reach. A simple wall rack, like that shown in the photo at right, is the best answer that' I've found. Each blade has its own protec- tive slot in this compact, plywood rack. The slots (cut with a jig saw) are widely spaced to make insert- ing or removing a blade safe and easy (drawing below) A www.ShopNotes.com 43 Shop BAR CLAMP RACK SLOTS FOR BAR CLAMPS ARE V WIPE. 2V 2 " LONG quick & easy Clamp Storage Here are a few ideas to help you take control of your clamp collection. SPACE SLOTS IVV ON CENTER FOR EASY ACCESS PIPE CLAMP n. NOTCHESIN y PIPE CLAMP RACK ^ RACK ARE IV©" WIPE ANP IV LONG Finding the clamps I need for a glueup used to be more like a trea- sure hunt. I'd find clamps from previous projects hiding in almost every comer of my shop. So over time, I've come up with some handy ways for keeping my clamps organized and within easy reach. Take a look at these pages and I'm sure you'll be able to put these ideas to use in your shop. J SUPPORTS KEEP RACK FROM SAGGING NOTE: CLAMP RACKS ARE MAPE FROM V PLYWOOP / SIMPLE CLAMP RACKS The starting point for getting your clamps under control is the cus- tomized racks you see on this page. The idea is that each rack is made to hold a specific type of clamp. This allows you to quickly make more as your collection grows. in your shop. And for strength, the racks are made from plywood. Long Clamps. I started by mak- ing racks for my bigger clamps — bar clamps and pipe clamps. A look at the drawings above will show you that these racks are sim- ple, L-shaped shelves with a brace added on each end to support the weight of the long clamps. Slots or notches are cut into the front of the shelf to create clear- POSITION POWEL ARM5 50 CLAMPS NEST OVER EACH OTHER SPRING CLAMPS SLIPE OVER POWELS r. NOTE: WALL PLATE HOLPS THREE SIZES OF SPRING CLAMPS HANDSCREW RACK NOTE: ALL WALL PLATES ARE MAPE FROM V PLYWOOP NOTE: ATTACH POWEL ARMS AT AN ANGLE (5*) SO CLAMPS CANT FALL OFF ARM IS MAPE FROM TWO PIECES OF V PLYWOOP SIZEP TO FIT BETWEEN SCREWS OF HANPSCREW You'll also notice that each rack is fairly small. This way, you can eas- ily tuck one just about anywhere SPRING CLAMP RACK C-CLAMP RACK SIZE WALL PLATE TO HOLP TWO SETS OF ance for the pipes and bars. When spacing these openings, you'll want to provide enough room between them so the clamps aren't too crowded and difficult to grab. The shelves take care of the long clamps. But I find that smaller clamps are the ones that are more easily misplaced. The three rack ideas you see in the drawing at left provide simple ways to hang dif- ferent types of small clamps. Each one consists of a wall plate with an arm to hold the clamps. For different types of clamps, all you need to do is change the arm. Handscrew Clamps. For exam- ple, to hold my wood handscrew clamps, I made a hefty arm from two pieces of plywood glued together. The width of the arm is 44 ShopNotes No. 93 Roli-Around: Clamp Cart NOTE: ASSEMBLE CART WITH GLUE AND SCREWS ATTACH CLAMP RACKS TO CART WITH SCREWS Not every shop has enough spare wail space to store a large col- lection of clamps. And even if your shop does have the space, it doesn't mean that the clamps will be in a convenient location. The solution to both of these challenges is the clamp cart shown at right. You'll be sur- prised at just how many of the clamp racks shown on the oppo- site page you can fit on it. The reason is the 1-shape gives it a lot of vertical mounting space without taking up a lot of floor space. Another benefit of having your clamps on a cart is that you can sized to fit between the screws, as you can see in the far left draw- ing. And I made it long enough to accept three or four handscrews. C-Clamps. Another variation you can build is a rack for C- clamps (middle drawing on the opposite page). The main differ- ence is that instead of one large arm, I used a pair of dowels. It's a good idea to angle the dowels up slightly (about 5°). This way the clamps can't "walk" off the rack. Spring Clamps. The final rack I made holds spring clamps (lower right drawing on facing page). Here, you can hang several clamps from a single dowel. Then to really make the most of limited space, you can take advantage of the A- shape of the clamps and have dif- ferent sizes "nest" over each other. PUT THE RACKS TO WORK Once you have the racks built, the next thing to do is to hang them up. The easiest solution is to sim- ply attach each rack to the wall. Wall Organizer. However, with just a little more time and mate- rial, you can create a dedicated clamping area in your shop. With the wall organizer shown at right, you'll have everything you need just roll it wherever you need it. This can save you some steps when assembling a project. Construction. In keeping with the clamp racks, the cart is pretty easy to build. All the upright pieces are cut from plywood. And they're held together with glue and screws. This assembly is then attached to a base. Cut the base a few inches wider and longer than the upright assembly to give the cart plenty of stability. Then, you can attach swivel casters to the cart for maximum maneuverability. Finally, attach your clamp racks and set your clamps in place. for assembling a project without having to make a lot of trips across your shop gathering up clamps. Versatile Pegboard. In this setup, I've attached the racks to a pegboard panel with hooks. Using pegboard allows you to reorga- nize your clamp racks to suit your needs without a lot of fuss. The back of the panel is framed with furring strips to provide rigidity and clearance for the hooks. I hung the racks using ordinary L-hooks. And I added rabbeted hardwood blocks to pro- vide enough material for the long threads to bite into. CHAMFER BACK EDGE OF BLOCK FOR EASY" INSTALLATION The flexibility of the clamp racks shown here doesn't end with this arrangement. If you take a look at the box above, you can see another way to put these versatile racks to work in your shop. A MAKE BASE LARGER THAN UPRIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR STABILITY ATTACH PEGBOARD TO FRAME TO ALLOW CLEARANCE FOR HOOKS NOTE: secure pegboard wall panel TO STUDS FOR MAXIMUM STRENGTH www.ShopNotes.com Table Saw Cutting a Locking Rabbet Joint For strong, easy-to-assemble drawers, you’ll want to try a locking rabbet joint cut on the table saw. DRAWER FRONT LIP COVERS FRONT OF DRAWER SIDE KERF-WIDTH DADO CAPTURES TONOUE TO LOCK JOINT Besides handling basic rip cuts and crosscuts, your table saw is a great tool for cutting precision joinery. A good example of this is using lock- ing rabbet joinery to build sturdy drawers. The entire job can be completed in short order without leaving the table saw. The Anatomy. The drawing below shows how a locking rab- bet fits together and why it's such an effective joint. In a nutshell, a rabbeted tongue is cut into each end of the drawer front and back. Then a dado, sized to fit the tongue, is cut into the drawer side. The result is a solid mechani- cal lock as well as good gluing strength. And to top it off, as you can see in ... * V4 ] s/ 4 "-thick r~ DRAWER 7 FRONT 3 /» t */4 1 V'THICK DRAWER cinp 1 w (Jll/C (IT Va 1 ► V. — *■ / / V J the inset photo above, the appear- ance of the joint is unique. The Pieces. A locking rabbet joint works best if the front and back are thicker than the sides. A thicker front gives you more mate- rial in which to cut the rabbeted tongue while still leaving plenty of thickness on the front lip. It also lets you create more separation between the end of the sides and the dado. This all comes together to make the joint stronger. For large drawers, %"-thick fronts and backs and ty’-thick sides are pretty standard. (For small drawers, 1 4"- thick fronts and backs and %"-thick sides work well.) When you cut the pieces to length, keep a couple of things in mind. The fronts and backs are cut to the width of the drawer open- ing, allowing for clearance. The sides are cut to the full depth of the drawer, minus the thickness of the front and back lip. CUTTING THE JOINTS Once all the drawer pieces are cut to size, you can start setting up the table saw. Since most of the work goes into accurately cutting the rabbeted tongues on the front and back, this is where I like to begin. The First Cut. There are two steps involved in making the rab- beted tongue. The first is to cut a groove or slot along the end. The table saw setup for this task is shown in Figure 1. In 3 4’ -thick stock, I generally cut a %"-wide groove that's positioned to leave a V-thick lip and a ^"-thick tongue (a saw kerf's width), as shown in detail 'a' at left. And the depth of the slot needs to match the thick- ness of the drawer sides. To make the cut, you'll need to stand the workpiece on end and pass it over the dado blade. A tall auxiliary fence and a featherboard help you with control while a backer board minimizes chipout. Test Cuts. As you can see, the setup for this cut (and the ones that follow) is pretty basic. But, the real key here is the accuracy of the setup. So before making any cuts on the actual workpieces, 1 always tweak things with the help of a few cuts on test pieces the same thickness as the actual parts. ■ 46 ShopNotes No. 93 The Real Thing. Once your test cuts tell you the blade height and fence setting are dead on, you can cut the slots one after the other. The featherboard keeps the workpiece snug against the fence, so you just need to make sure it doesn't ride up on the dado blade. The Rabbeted Tongue. Cutting the groove leaves you with a nar- row lip on the inside face of the workpiece. The next step is to cut back the lip to create the tongue, as shown in Figure 2 and in the main photo on the opposite page. This task is pretty straightfor- ward. You can use the same dado blade to make the cuts but now you'll need to bury it in the auxil- iary fence. And an auxiliary fence attached to the miter gauge is used to feed and back up the workpiece. Your only real concern is cutting the tongue to the right length. Here again, a test cut or two is all it takes. A good rule of thumb is to cut the length of the tongue to half the thickness of the sides. The Dadoes. After this second step is completed, you can set the fronts and backs aside and turn you attention to the sides. This final step is cutting the dado in the side that will capture the tongue and create the "lock." The setup I use here is shown in Figure 3. The main difference is that you'll need to switch to a standard, kerf blade on the saw. DADO BLADE ► \y&\ -« feather- i/2 BOARD BACKER BOARD RIP AUX. RIP FENCE AUX. FENCE ON MITER GAUGE / DRAWER FRONT r DADO BLADE x BURIED IN AUX. FENCE AUX. FENCE ON MITER GAUGE/ DRAWER SIDE STANDARD BLADE This final cut determines how well the joint fits, and there are a few things to consider. First, the depth and width of the dado needs to match the size of the tongue. Finally, the dado needs to be positioned properly so that the end of the side fits snugly, but not too tightly, into the rabbeted front and back. This may sound like a lot to ask, but again a few test cuts are all it takes to get it done. Once you've adjusted the setup, the cuts go pretty quickly. Just be certain to keep the work- piece tight against the rip fence and flat against the table. Assemble the Pieces. That's it for the joinery. Once you've cut the grooves to hold the bottom, you can assemble the drawer. The mechanical lock of the joint makes this easy. You just need to apply enough side-to-side clamping pressure to pull things tight. In my shop, the locking rabbet cut on the table saw is a main- stay. But there are times when you might want to call on the simpler joint shown below. A A Simpler Option: Tongue & Dado A close "cousin" to a locking rabbet is the tongue and dado joint, shown in the photo at right. It has similar advantages and is a great option for drawers that will use metal slides and be covered with a false front. How-To. In this simpler joint, the false front creates the front lip that hides the end of the sides. So all you need to do is cut a dado in the sides and then cut a mating tongue in the identical thickness front and back. The main difference in the tech- nique used to make this joint is the order of things. As shown in detail 'a/ I like to cut the dado in the side piece first. This is just a single, kerf 's-width cut with a standard blade. The mating tongue is then created by rabbeting the end of the front (and back) using a dado blade, as shown in detail 'b/ Here, the key is to carefully match the thickness of the tongue to the width of the dado. Tongue and Dado. This joint is a great option for drawers using metal slides and a false front. www.ShopNotes.com 47 GREAT Get readability and digital accuracy by upgrading to these electronic accessories. TABLE SAW Accurate measurements are a must when building any project. And if you can read them easily, it's a plus. So, when a company called Wixey came along with a way to do both, 1 decided to take a look. Wixey has developed a pair of digital readouts: one for the table saw and another for the thickness planer (refer to Sources on page 51). They even have a portable gauge that can accurately measure angles for almost any tool (box at bottom of opposite page). Easy to Read. The main thing I like about these products is how easy they are to read. You don't have to be directly over a hairline indicator to get an accurate measurement or bend over to get a rough idea of the thickness you're planing a workpiece to. For my table saw, I could accurately set my fence even when I was standing off to the side. And when it came time to plane a couple boards, I didn't need to get out my caliper to check the thickness. The display showed me exactly what the thickness of my workpiece was. So in both cases, the Wixey readouts eliminate any of the guesswork. Accuracy. As for accuracy, the digital readouts let you know a measurement to a hundredth of an inch. Plus, when the readout is within 0.002" of a fractional equivalent, it "pops up" with the exact fraction down to Besides accuracy and readability, the Wixey add-on for your table saw has something else going for it. It's easy to install and calibrate. For the installation, you'll need to assemble a pair of tracks into a single, 5-long rail. Note: If necessary, you can trim the track with a hack saw to fit your saw. Circuitry. After assembling the track, you'll apply two sensor Gauge is held to fence with magnet Easy access to controls and display Gauge is powered by watch battery 48 Green sensor strip contains circuitry to provide accurate measurements Track mounts to rip fence rails ShopNotes No. 93 THICKNESS PLANER strips (bottom photo on opposite page) that contain the circuitry that allows the gauge to provide an accurate measurement. Then all that's left to do is slide the gauge onto the track and mount the assembly to your saw. Brackets supplied in the kit make this a snap, although you may need to drill mounting holes in some rails. Magnets. At this point, you might be wondering how the gauge actually connects to your fence. To accomplish this, there's a magnet on either side of the gauge to "lock" it to the fence (main photo on opposite page). This way, you can use it with your fence on either side of the saw blade. Calibration. Once the readout is attached, it's ready for calibration. Simply slide the fence until it just touches the blade. After holding the calibration button until the display reads zero, you're ready to go. This simple calibration comes in handy when you use an auxiliary fence as well. After installing the auxiliary fence, simply recalibrate the gauge the same way. Fence Removal. One thing you won't need to worry about is recalibrating the gauge when you remove the fence. Because the gauge maintains its calibration, removing and then reconnecting it to the fence isn't a problem. Multi-Use: Portable Readout ◄ Magnetic. This gauge can be attached to any magnetic surface to find an angle. ▲ Set the Calibration. Set the gauge on the flat surface of the tool and "zero’ 1 it out. ▲ Set the Angle. With the gauge on the blade, adjust the blade to the angle you want. Setting the blade angle or the fence of a jointer, band saw, or miter saw is always a challenge. But for $40, you can get the Wixey Digital Angle Gauge pictured here that makes the task easy and virtually foolproof. All you need to do is calibrate the gauge to the bed of the tool, then sfmply move it to your blade or fence and adjust it to the correct angle. This readout is accurate to Vio°. And, as long as there's a magnetic surface to attach this gauge to, you'll be able to find the angle you need quickly and accurately. While having a digital gauge on a table saw is handy, having one for a planer is even more helpful. It clearly shows the thickness of a board being planed, unlike many planers where you really need to check the thickness with a caliper. When you open the kit for the planer, you'll see that the gauge comes attached to a vertical sliding scale. The scale is set in a bracket that mounts to the body of the planer and a second bracket secures the gauge to the cutterhead. This allows the gauge to slide along the scale to indicate the thickness as the cutterhead moves up and down. Installation. The first step in installing the gauge is to level the bottom of the vertical scale bracket with the bed of your planer using a supplied adjustment screw. Then, using double-stick tape supplied with the kit, attach the scale to the planer (photo above). When that's done, you'll need to remove your planer's depth scale and connect the gauge to it using a bracket in the kit. With the installation complete, the gauge is ready for calibration. The first step is to plane a board smooth. (The actual thickness of the board isn't important at this point.) Then, without readjusting the cutterhead, raise the vertical scale and place the board underneath. Finally, press and hold the calibration button until the gauge reads zero. At this point, the planer is ready to go to work with "built-in" accuracy. . These gauges are a great way to improve the accuracy, readability, and speed in setting up a table saw or a planer. And what's really nice, you can do it all without a lot of hassle. A ▲ Thickness Readout. The easy-to- read display shows inches , fractions , and millimeters. www.ShopNotes.com 49 from Our Readers white vs. blue Japanese Steels I'm interested in purchasing a set of Japanese chisels. But the difference between " white steel " and "blue steel " is a little confusing. Is one type better than the other? Bob Asternak Milwaukee, Wisconsin The "white" and "blue" designa- tions refer to two types of steel that are commonly used in the making of Japanese plane irons and chis- els. But they don't actually refer to the color of the steel. There's an interesting story behind the origin of these names. Much of the steel used by Japa- nese toolmakers is produced by Hitachi Metals in Japan. Like most steel companies, Hitachi Metals produces several alloys of steel for The front of the chisel is a soft iron to help give T the tool mass and dampen vibrations The cutting edge of this chisel is made out of high- quality blue steel specific purposes. To help distin- guish the different alloys from one another, they were wrapped in dif- ferent colors of shipping paper. The two types of steel used most often by toolmakers have become known as "shirogami hagane" (white paper steel) and " aogami hagane" (blue paper steel). High- quality tools are made from both types. And neither one is inher- ently "better" than the other. But there are some minor differences. Added Elements. Both white and blue steel are "high-carbon" tool steels. The difference between the two is in the other elements that are added to the steel. White steel is a simple carbon steel. But blue steel also has the elements tungsten and chromium added to it to increase the steel's ability to retain an edge and resist rusting. Hardening. Another key differ- ence between white and blue steel is the way in w'hich each is hard- ened. White steel is hardened by quenching in water, and it has a fairly narrow temperature range at which this can be done. So white steel requires more skill on the part of the toolmaker. Blue steel is hardened by quenching in oil after heating. Since blue steel has a wider tem- perature range for hardening, it is easier for a tookmaker to work. Differences. From a practical woodworking standpoint, the difference between blue steel and white steel is very slight. White steel is said to be a little bit easier to sharpen. And due to the fine- ness of the molecular structure, it will take a slightly sharper edge. A tool made from blue steel will hold an edge a little longer than one made from white steel, but not indefinitely. It will also be a little less prone to rust. But be aware that these differ- ences are subtle, and something you may not even notice until after spending a fair amount of time using and comparing tools made from both types of steel. It's also important to keep in mind that the type of steel used is only one ingredient in the overall quality of a tool. The skill and experience of the toolmaker is a much more important factor than what "color" steel is used to make the tool. A. * 50 vShopNotes No. 93 Sources ROUTER ACCESSORIES Just about every woodworking store or mail-order source carries the hand-held router accessories (or similar items) shown on pages 10 to 13. The item numbers for those accessories available from the Woodsmith Store are: Router Mat (265652) Depth Gauge (338218) Vacuum Attach. (216900) Offset Baseplate (226581) Guide Bushing Set (226230) Circle-Cutting Jig (226540) Some items, like edge guides or alternate bases, may be specific to the brand of router. In those cases, it's best to check with the manufac- turer for accessory items available for their specific router models. LAZY SUSANS The lazy Susan bearings shown on page 12 are available at most hard- ware stores and home centers. But if you want a specific size or style, the margin lists a number of sources. PLUG CUTTERS A woodworking store or mail- order source is your best bet for locating plug cutters like the ones shown on page 14. Here again, the margin lists a number of sources. PLYWOOD PROJECTS You'll find very little hardware is needed to build any of the ply- wood projects starting on page 16. So you may be able to find every- thing you need locally. The 2" window locks for the assembly table came from Home Depot. If you can't find some of the items locally. Rockier (see margin at right) may have what you need. For the roll-around cart, I used a set of 5 M locking swivel casters from Rockier (31845). Rockier also carries the L-shaped shelf pins (33860), the comer braces (33605), and the piano hinge (30085). 0UTFEED SUPPORT The table saw outfeed support on page 30 is a handy project for any workshop. And the nice thing is it doesn't take long to build and won't set you back much for the required materials and hardware. I was able to pick up the hinges, woodscrews, and plastic laminate (WilsonArt D90-60) at a local home center. You should be able to pick up the steel flat stock for making brackets for a tube-style fence there as well. Finally, I ordered the level- ing feet (62805K33) and threaded inserts (90016A030) from McMaster- Carr. Their contact information is listed in the margin. DOVETAIL WORKCENTER Building the dovetail workcenter shown on page 36 will take a bit of hardware. You should be able to find the washers, woodscrews, threaded inserts, handles, and piano hinges at just about any hardware store. For the two different-length knobs (1373T57, 1373T58), I turned to McMaster-Carr (see margin). And Lee Valley has all the magnet hard- ware. The part numbers for the magnets are 99K3203 (magnet), 99K3252 (cup), and 99K3262 (washer). The item numbers for the 14" size are 99K3103, 99K3253, and 99K3263, respectively. Note: If you want to center the baseplate and bushing on your router, the Woodsmith Store carries the Bosch centering cone (269068). DIGITAL ADD-ONS The digital add-ons featured on page 48 are all made by Wixey (margin at right). The digital readout for the rip fence (WR700, $150) works best with T-square style fences, but can be adapted to tube-style models. The planer gauge (WR500, $60) works on a wide range of mod- els. And finally, the angle gauge (WR300, $40) isn't specific to a tool, so it's handy for the table saw, miter saw, jointer, or band saw. A ShopNotes Binders Keep your issues organized! As you build your ShopNotes library, here's a way to keep your issues organized. Each binder features durable vinyl covers and easy-to-read perforated number tags. Snap rings with a quick-open lever make it easy to insert and remove issues. And there's an extra pocket inside for storing notes. Each binder holds a full year (6 issues) of ShopNotes. Visit www.Shopl\lotes.coiv« to order these binders, or call 1 - 800 - 444 - 7527 . ShopNotes Binder O 701 950-SN93 (Holds 6 issues) $1 2.95 MAIL ORDER SOURCES Woodsmith Store 800 - 444-7527 Bosch Centering Cone , Casters, Lazy Susans , Plug Cutters , Rare- Earth Magnets , Router Accessories , Saw Blade Cleaner, Wixey Digital Add-Ons Rockier 800 - 279-4441 rockler.com Corner Braces, Lazy Susans, Piano Hinges, Phig Cutters, Rare-Earth Magnets, Roller Bearings, Router Accessories, Saw Blade Maintenance Kit, Shelf Pins, Wixey Digital Add-Ons Lee Valley 800 - 871-8158 leevalley.com I/izy Susans, Plug Cutters, Rare-Earth Magnets, Router Accessories, Saw Blade Cleaner McMaster-Carr 630 - 600-3600 mcmaater.com Knobs, Lazy Susans, Leveling Feet, Threaded Inserts McFeely’s 800 - 443-7937 mcfeelys.com Montana Brand Plug Cutter Woodcraft 800 - 225-1153 woodcraft.com Lazy SusaJis, Router Accessories, Wixey Digital Add-Ons Highland Hardware 800 - 241-6748 highlandwr)odwurking.a >m Plug Cutters, Router Accessories, Saw Blade Cleaner, Wixey Digital Angle Gauge Wixey wixey.com Digital Add-Ons www.ShopNotes.com 51 You don’t need to buy a whole new set of tools to get digital precision — just a few simple add-ons. Turn to page 48 and you'll find out how to add 21 s, -century accuracy to your power tools. Scenes from the Shop Tired of stooping over to rout dovetails ? The workcenter shown on page 36 takes your jig to a whole new level. Plus, you'll get some much-needed storage and added workpiece support — all in a compact, portable design. We'll show you how to make screwheads disappear. All it takes is a plug cutter and the right technique. Turn to page 14 for the step-by-step details. www.ShopNotes.com ShopNot Cutting Diagram portable dovetail jig Workcenter Materials CASE A Top (1) 14 X 24 - 14 Ply. • (2) 6Vj Utility Pulls B Bottom (1) 14 x 27 - M Ply. • (12) 14" - 20 Threaded Inserts C Sides (2) 814 x 14- 14 Ply. • (2) V/i Continuous Hinges, cut to 14" w/screws D Front (1) 8l4 x 2314 -14 Ply. • (2) %"-dia. Rare-Earth Magnets w/Cups, Washers, and Screws E Trays (2) 814 x 14 - 14 Ply. • (2) H"- dia. Rare-Earth Magnets w/Cups, Washers, and Screws F Tray Spacers (2) 14x8l4-l4Hdbd. • (26) #6 x 1 14" Fh Woodscrews G Hinge Blocks (2) 3 4x 3 4- 14 • (8) #8x1" Fh Woodscrews H Foot Blocks (2) 4xl!4-14 • (12) 14" Washers 1 Handle Blocks (2) 7 x 214 -4 Ply- • (8) Round Knobs with 14" - 20 xl" stud J Handle Spacers (2) 7 x 2 14 - 14 Hdbd. • (4) Round Knobs with 14" - 20 x iH" stud K Front Stop Bars (3) 1 X 2014 - 14 Ply. L Top Stop Bars (3) 314 x 2014 - 14 Ply. NOTE: Grain direction on some parts may differ from project M Adjustable Stops (4) 1l4 x 24 - 14 Hdbd. shown in ShopNotes No. 93 N Drawer Front/Back (2) 7 7 4 x 2214 - 14 Ply- O Drawer Sides (2) 744 x 1314 - 14 Ply. P Drawer Bottom (1) 1254x22% -14 Hdbd. 60" x 60" - Vz“ BALTIC BIRCH 24" x 48" - 14" HARDBOARD V x 3V 2 " - 48" HARDWOOD Page 1 of 1 ShopNotes No. 93 ©2007 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.