CLEAR THE AIR–TABLE SAW DUST COLLECTION

ShopNotes.com Vol. 21 Issue 121

Shop-Made
20
Router
Rout er ANNIVERSARY
1992-2012
th

Lift
L
Save Money & Improve Accuracy!

P LUS:
#
1 Rust Eliminator
Give Your Rusty
Tools The Brush Off

Break Down
Plywood Sheets
Hassle-Free, Space-Saving
Cutting Rack System

Fast, Easy & Foolproof

Traditional Finishes for
Timeless Projects
A Publication of August Home Publishing

s121_001_SUB.indd 1 11/11/2011 1:21:17 PM

 Contents
Features
storage solutions
Compact Tool Shelf _________________ 14
This wall-mounted shelf will keep your
most-often used tools close at hand.
fine tools
Infill Smoothing Plane _______________ 18
Beauty and utility come together in this
great-looking smoothing plane.
hands-on technique
Logs to Lumber ____________________ 26
Use your band saw to turn backyard logs into
specialty lumber perfect for small projects.
weekend project
Plywood Cutting Rack _______________ 30
Plywood Cutting Rack page 30 Cutting sheet goods down to size is a snap
with this easy-to-use cutting rack.
best-built jigs & fixtures
Router Lift ________________________ 34
A handful of parts and hardware is all you
need to make your own precision router lift.

Departments
Readers’ Tips _____________________ 4
router workshop
Mortises Made Easy ________________ 8
Smooth, accurate mortises are easy at the
router table. We’ll show you how.
jigs & accessories
Mortises Made Easy page 8 Eliminate Rust with Wire Wheels _______ 10
Here’s what you need to know about choosing
and using wire wheels and brushes in the shop.
materials & hardware
Go Mobile with Casters ______________ 12
Make better use of the space in your shop by
going mobile. The right casters make it a snap.

Shop Short Cuts____________________ 28

Check out our shop-tested tips and techniques
for solving your woodworking problems.
hands-on technique
Hybrid Dovetails ___________________ 40
Power and hand tools are a great one-two
Tool Cabinet Makeover page 44 punch when it comes to cutting dovetails.

2 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_002.indd 2 11/11/2011 8:45:25 AM

 Cutoffs
T hey often say bad things come in
threes. But that hasn’t been my
experience lately. I’d have to say it’s the good
things that really come in threes. For start-
ers, we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of
ShopNotes magazine. While I wasn’t here for
the first issue, I received it in the mail as a
charter subscriber. Its content and focus on
the shop ultimately led me here. Whether
you’ve been with us from the start or just
started with the most recent issue, I’d love to
hear what you’ve liked best and what you’d
like to see in the next twenty years.
Another good thing is the release of the
DVD collection of the first four seasons of the
Woodsmith Shop television show. Each season
consists of 13 episodes (30-minute shows) on
a pair of DVDs. If you’ve watched the show,
you know we mention the free plans, articles,
Compact Tool Shelf page 14
and extra videos that are available online. But
we’ve included all that information on a sepa-
rate CD along with the DVD set. So, everything
in the shop that was shown on the original TV show and
Traditional Oil Finishes _______________ 42 online is now in the boxed set. You can find
Get a great look on any project with traditional, out how to order the complete four-season
easy-to-apply oil finishes.
DVD set (or individual seasons) by turning
setting up shop
Tool Cabinet Makeover ______________ 44 to Sources on page 51.
Finally, the third good thing is a collection
These five easy upgrades will turn any metal
tool cabinet into a shop workhorse. of great projects and articles in this issue. In
mastering the table saw particular, the infill smoothing plane starting
Dealing with Dust __________________ 46 on page 18. If the attention and interest it’s
Corral the dust from your table saw with these generated around here is any indication, I’m
handy tips and tricks. betting it will be popular with you, too.
great gear
Spray Adhesives ___________________ 48
Glue from a spray can? Here’s the latest in
getting stronger bonds the easy way.

Q&A ____________________________ 50
This symbol lets you know
Sources __________________________ 51 there’s more information
available online at
ShopNotes.com

ShopNotes.com 3

s121_002.indd 3 11/11/2011 8:45:43 AM

 from our Readers

Tips for
Your Shop
Dovetail Key Jig
I’ve always liked the look and 45° (drawings below). A groove
the added strength you get from along the inside face of the bev-
dovetail keys on mitered boxes. eled edge completes the sides.
But every jig I’ve seen to make This groove holds a 1⁄4" hard-
them requires a router table. That’s board table that supports the
why I decided to make my own jig base of the router as you make
to use with a handheld router. the cuts. You want to cut the
The jig starts with two identi- table to trap the base of the router base is made extra wide so the jig
cally shaped sides made from 1⁄2" snugly between the two sides can be clamped in place.
plywood. Each side has a square with a smooth sliding fit. A cen- The photo above shows how
notch cut into it and the edge tered slot in the table creates an easy it is to use the jig. Clamp it
opposite the notch is beveled at opening for the dovetail bit. in place over the corner and then
The two parts of the base position the router on the table
attach to each side of the with the bit at the top of the slot.
TABLE FITS IN
GROOVES IN notch and register against Just hold the router firmly as you
CL SIDES
the mitered corner of the slide it along the table.
6#/4
assembly to be routed. David Ross
#/4 As you see above, the Jacksonville, FL
CL 4

5 1

(#/4" x 6&/8") SLOT SIDE

CENTERED ON (10" x 10"-!/2" Ply.)
TABLE &/8

NOTE: SIZE 10
TABLE AND BASE
TO FIT YOUR
ROUTER BASE
SIDE
VIEW 5!/4

TABLE
TWO-PART BASE (4#/16" x 14!/8"-!/4 Hdbd.) 1!/4
CONSTRUCTED FROM
!/4" HARDBOARD
4#/4
10

4 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_004.indd 4 11/14/2011 1:04:56 PM

 Perfectly Placed Dadoes & Grooves
Using a straightedge guide is one a little uneasy, hoping that the cut
of the best ways to rout dadoes and will be in the right place.
grooves. But trying to remember A quick and simple way to ensure
®
the offset distance from the outside accurate cuts every time is to attach
edge of my router base to the cut- an alignment board to your straight- Issue 121 January/February 2012
ting edge of my bit is a pain. Even edge guide. You can see how I did
PUBLISHER Donald B. Peschke
when I do remember, I always feel this in the drawing below.
First, attach the align- EDITOR Bryan Nelson
MANAGING EDITOR Vincent Ancona
NOTE: ROUT A DADO ACROSS ment board square with
ALIGNMENT BOARD SENIOR EDITORS Phil Huber, Randall A. Maxey
AFTER ASSEMBLY the edge guide. Then posi- ASSISTANT EDITOR James Bruton
tion your router against CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ted Raife, Wyatt Myers,
the edge guide and rout Dennis Perkins, Carol Beronich
EDITORIAL INTERN Abby Wolner
a dado across the guide
board (photo below). EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth
#8 x 1" Fh
ALIGNMENT BOARD WOODSCREW You now have an exact ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen
(#/4" x 2"- 14") reference point for all SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jamie Downing
ATTACHES TO SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Dirk Ver Steeg, Peter J. Larson
STRAIGHTEDGE your cuts. Just line up the
GUIDE CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS David Kreyling,
dado in the alignment Harlan V. Clark, David Kallemyn
STRAIGHTEDGE GUIDE board with the marks on GRAPHIC DESIGNER Shelley Cronin
your workpiece. GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Becky Kralicek
NOTE: METHOD OF ATTACHMENT
WILL VARY WITH EDGE GUIDE Alan Schaffter
(BOTTOM VIEW SHOWN) CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek
Washington, NC SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNERS Ken Munkel, Kent Welsh,
Chris Fitch, James R. Downing
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle
SHOP CRAFTSMEN Steve Curtis, Steve Johnson

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Crayola England,

Dennis Kennedy
ASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham
SENIOR ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Minniette Johnson
VIDEO DIRECTOR/EDITOR Mark Hayes

ShopNotes® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly by August Home

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ShopNotes.com 5

s121_004.indd 5 11/14/2011 1:05:21 PM

 Adjustable Square
I’ve built quite a few cabinets
over the years. And one of the
challenges that always comes up
is marking a straight line on the
inside of the case for partitions
or drawer slides. The problem
is most store-bought squares are
either too long to fit or too short
to draw the line I need.
The solution I came up with is
an adjustable square. It’s simple
to build and works great. So well,
in fact, that I use it all the time on
all kinds of projects.
What makes the square so ver-
LOCKING
satile is its sliding tongue design. And instead of permanently So when fitting the parts for the
KNOB As you can see in the photo and attaching the tongue to the head, head, I used the width of the
drawings, there’s a long slot cut I use a bolt and knob to secure tongue to set the spacing of the
WASHER
along the length of the tongue. the two together. When I need a head components. Finally, apply
shorter square, I simply loosen a coat of wax between the head
the knob and slide the head and the tongue and you’ll have
4 GROOVE
(#/8" x 22") down the length of the tongue. no problem making adjustments.
IS CENTERED
30 ON TONGUE It’s important for the two pieces Lee Armstrong
!/2" to remain square to each other. Carver, MN
ROUNDOVER

HEAD IS TWO
LAYERS #/4"
PLYWOOD
2#/4"-RAD. #/8"-DIA.
CL HOLE
3!/2
4!/2
CL
!/4"-20 x 2!/4" NOTE: ALL PARTS 1!/2
2!/4
CARRIAGE BOLT CONSTRUCTED
FROM #/4" BALTIC
BIRCH PLYWOOD 4!/4
12
TOP VIEW

FIRST: TRACE
PATTERN
Oval Clamping Tip
If you’ve ever had to glue up stock to make an oval
frame, you know how difficult it is to apply glue
and then clamp all the joints at once. Recently, when
I faced this task, I figured there had to be a better
way. So I came up with a method of clamping the
joints using my pockethole jig.
SECOND: DRILL Once you have all your pieces cut to the desired
POCKET HOLES IN lengths and all the joints fit, dry assemble them
WASTE PORTION
and then lay out your oval shape. With the pat-
tern marked on the workpieces, drill pocket holes
THIRD: SECURE into the waste area of your boards as shown in the
EACH JOINT WITH
SCREWS AFTER drawing. This will allow you to glue up one joint
APPLYING GLUE
at a time using the pockethole screws as “clamps”
to keep the joints tight while the glue dries. After a
short wait, you can cut out the pattern and have a
perfect oval without any gaps at the joint lines.
Greg Fox
Tiffin, OH

6 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_006.indd 6 11/14/2011 10:40:46 AM

 Knock-Down Assembly Table
An assembly table comes in very in the two left drawings below that in place. This makes it easy to
handy when working on large proj- the height of the table can be set to transport or store the table almost
ects. But like many woodworkers, I either 18" or 24". This is because anywhere you want. The draw-
have a small shop and could never there are two slots cut in each rect- ings below show how this works
find a place for one. I knew there angular leg. Depending on how the and gives all the details you need to
had to be a solution and this knock- legs are slipped together, you can build your own table.
down table is what I came up with. adjust the table to whichever height The best part is that the whole
In addition to being compact, I is more comfortable. project took just a few hours, and I
wanted a table that could adjust to With the legs separated, all only needed about 2⁄3 of a sheet of
the size of my projects. You can see four pieces fit easily into the 3⁄ " plywood for the whole thing.
4
underside of the table top. Glenn Bradley
18"-HIGH Wood turnbuttons hold the leg Moreno Valley, CA
OPTION

WOODEN LEG
TURNBUTTONS (17" x 23")
HOLD LEGS
WITHIN TOP THE
WINN
ER!
LEGS FIT IN
UNDERSIDE OF
TABLE TOP FOR
STORAGE DIVIDER
NOTE: USE NOTCHES (1!/2" x 23!/2")
IN LONG EDGES FOR TOP
SHORT VERSION (25" x 37 !/4")
1!/2
24"-HIGH 17!/2
OPTION TURNBUTTON
(#/4" x #/4"- 3")
NOTE: SLOTS
ARE SIZED FOR
END 25 #/4" PLYWOOD
(1!/2" x 23!/2") 37!/4
17
5
SIDE
NOTE: ALL PARTS (1!/2" x 37!/4")
CONSTRUCTED
FROM #/4" PLYWOOD
11!/2 LEG

NOTE: USE NOTCHES 23

IN SHORT EDGES FOR
TALL VERSION 8!/2

Quick Tips 6#/4

FREE TIPS
BY EMAIL
Now you can have the
best time-saving secrets,
solutions, and techniques
sent directly to your email
inbox. Just go to
ShopNotes.com
and click on
{ Alejandro Balbis of Longueuil, Quebec, { David McGuffin of Louisville, KY, “Sign Up for Free E-Tips”
sets his mortise gauge quickly and never loses the Allen wrenches used to You’ll receive a new tip by
accurately with holes drilled in a scrap adjust his band saw. They’re attached email each week.
board at commonly made mortise sizes. to the saw housing with magnets.

ShopNotes.com 7

s121_006.indd 7 11/14/2011 10:41:09 AM

 ROUTER
Workshop

rout perfect
Mortises
A simple setup is all it takes to master a
new trick for your router table.
Using a router to make a mor- the road. You can use an ordinary { Ready to Go. A routed
tise isn’t a new idea. However, straight bit, but I find that a spiral mortise has smooth, flat cheeks
the technique usually involves upcut bit creates a smoother mor- that create a strong glue joint.
a plunge router and a special jig tise and puts less strain on the
to do the job. But there’s another router. You can see an example in position them correctly. The
way — at the router table. the left margin photo. idea is to clamp them in place
The best part is you don’t have The overall size of the bit deter- so they automatically establish
to build any complicated jigs. mines the width and depth of the the beginning and end of the
With a few simple add-ons, you mortise. The most common bit mortise when the workpiece is
can quickly turn your router table sizes are 1⁄4" and 1⁄2". The cutting butted against them. You can
into a precision mortising station. length of the bit determines the see how this works in the draw-
In a nutshell, you use a pair maximum depth of the mortise ing on the top of the next page.
of stop blocks and a guide rail you can make. For example, the I use layout lines on one of the
to create a channel for the work- 1⁄ " spiral bit shown here has a 1" workpieces as a gauge to help
4
piece as it moves across the cutting length. position the stop blocks.
bit. The advantage of using the Fence. You can now get your Guide Rail. The final add-on is
router table is that once it’s set router table set up for mortis- a guide rail. Its job is to keep the
up, it’s quick and easy to create ing. This begins with the fence. workpiece moving in a straight
mortises in multiple parts. The router table fence guides the line along the fence.
Of course, this technique workpiece and locates the bit in Like the stop blocks, the guide
requires you to lower a work- relation to the edge of the work- rail isn’t fancy. It’s just a piece of
{ Best Bit. A piece onto a spinning bit. And I’ll piece. However, there are a few hardwood glued to a plywood
spiral
i l upcutt bit admit that this may sound a little other additions. clamp pad. Position the guide
works best for unsettling. But the approach I use Two Stop Blocks. The first rail so that the workpiece can
routing mortises. makes the process a piece of cake. of these is a pair of stop blocks. slide smoothly between the rail
Right Bit. Let’s start with the The location of the blocks is and the router table fence. With
bit. It’s where the rubber meets important, so take some time to the rail in place, you can focus

8 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_008.indd 8 11/14/2011 9:40:13 AM

 FIRST: CLAMP
STOP BLOCKS TO
SECOND: POSITION a.
GUIDE RAIL (DETAIL ‘a’)
FENCE TO CAPTURE WORKPIECE END VIEW
RAISE BIT !/4"
THIRD: BRACE WORKPIECE BETWEEN
FOURTH: PUSH AGAINST BACK STOP BLOCK PASSES
WORKPIECE UP TO AND LOWER ONTO
FRONT STOP BLOCK SPINNING BIT
GUIDE
FENCE !/4" SPIRAL RAIL
UPCUT BIT

FRONT BACK
STOP STOP
BLOCK BLOCK

NOTE:
ROUT MORTISE IN A
SERIES OF PASSES

simply on pushing the workpiece cooler and cut smoother. All you of the workpiece. They mark the
forward to make the cut. need to do to complete the mor- leading end of the mortise. This
Rout the Mortise. Once the tise is raise the bit another 1⁄4" and mark is aligned with a line on the
setup is complete, you can begin repeat the process as many times router table fence that indicates the
creating the mortise. It’s a good as necessary. As you rout, be sure front edge of the bit. On my router
idea to cut the mortise in several to keep firm downward pressure table, I use the joint between the
shallow passes. So on the first on the workpiece so the depth of sliding faces for this mark, as you
pass, set the bit height to 1⁄4". cut is consistent. can see in the inset photo below.
Turn on the router and brace Long Parts. Depending on To rout the mortise, you can
the near end of the workpiece the length of the workpiece, you use the right edge of the router
against the right-hand stop block may run into a problem with this table as a pivot point to lower
with the opposite end held above arrangement. Long workpieces the workpiece onto the bit. Then
the bit, as shown in the main may not fit between a pair of stop just rout the mortise in a series of
photo on the facing page. Lower blocks on the fence. So you’ll need passes as I described earlier.
the workpiece onto the bit and to adjust the setup. The two pho- When you’re finished, the
press it down against the table. tos below show you the solution. mortise walls will be smooth
Then simply slide the workpiece But I’d like to cover the details. and even. You can square up the
over until it touches the other You can still use one stop block rounded ends of the mortise with
stop block and turn off the router. to establish the end of the mortise. a chisel. Or simply round the
I like to clear out the packed But to begin the cut, I rely on a set mating tenons to fit with a file.
chips from the mortise between of layout lines. The first layout Either way, you’ll have a strong,
each pass. It helps the bit to run lines are on the face and top edge long-lasting joint.

{ Guidelines. A line on the

workpiece and the split between { Mortise a Long Workpiece. For long parts, use just one stop block to define the
the fences helps you start the end of the mortise. To start the cut, use the right edge of the router table to prop the
mortise in the right place. workpiece above the bit. Lower it onto the bit and slide it over to the stop.

ShopNotes.com 9

s121_008.indd 9 11/14/2011 9:40:30 AM

 JIGS
J &
Accessories

metal magic
Wire Wheels
& Brushes
If you work with metal, you’ll
want to get familiar with
these handy shop tools.
I used to think of wire wheels and price from just a few dollars to { Give Wheels a Spin. To clean
cup brushes (sometimes called around $20 (Sources, page 51). rust quickly, just add wire wheels
“power brushes”) as industrial to a bench grinder in place of
equipment rather than tools for CUPS & WHEELS one of the sharpening wheels.
my shop. But if you find yourself Though they’re available in all
frequently working with metal shapes and sizes, power brushes wheels with a 6" wire wheel. On
for shop tools and fixtures, you essentially break down into two my grinder, I paired two wheels
may want to take a few of these categories: wheels and cups. together in order to secure them
brushes for a spin. Both are pretty easy to recognize tightly on the shaft. With this
When it comes to rust removal — they look like their namesake. setup, you can take bolts, metal
or cleaning the surface of metal, Wire Wheels in Motion. As angle, or handheld tools to the
no tool seems to do it better or you might have guessed, wire grinder to clean them or remove
faster. In a pinch, they also do wheels are shaped like a wheel rust (photo above).
a good job smoothing edges or and have wires radiating out- When using wire wheels,
removing
remo
re mo burrs. Plus, they’re ward from a central hub (see there’s a chance that the metal can
fairly
y inexpensive, ranging in the photo at left). You can equip catch in the wires and pull free
a standard b bench grinder or a from your hand. So if you decide
hand-held angle grinder with to use a tool rest, keep it very
one of these wheels. close to the wheel. Otherwise,
Another
A option is to remove the tool rest and put the
get
ge smaller wheels metal in contact with the bottom
outfi
o tted with a shank of the wheel, so it’s spinning away
(or
(o add an arbor kit from you, as shown above.
to other wheels) for Also, safety glasses are a must
use in a hand-held when working with wire wheels
drill. A corded drill will and brushes, as wires and debris
ensure that you get the can sometimes fly loose from
RPMs and power
po needed to use the brush. When working with
{ W
Wheel Types. these brushes effectively. larger objects, gloves are a good
Wheels
Whe have In my shop, I’ve gotten the most idea, but take care not to get the
brass
bras or steel use out of wire wheels by install- gloves too close to the spinning
bristles
brist with vary- ing them on a bench grinder. wheel. If your hands are going
ing c
coarseness. Just replace one of the grinding to be very close to the wheel, it’s

10 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_010.indd 10 11/9/2011 10:23:07 AM

 better to secure the item in lock-
ing pliers, and then use that to
guide the item into the wheel.
Cup Brush Close-Up. The
other type of “power brush”
is known as a cup brush, and
it features bristles that radiate
downward from a central cup.
On larger-diameter cups (2" or
more), there is an opening in the
center of the bristles, as you can
see in the photos at right.
The smaller-diameter cups
look much like a shaving brush
and feature bristles across the
entire surface. These are great for { Clean Large Surfaces Fast. Cup brushes
hes
getting into tight spaces, like a make quick work of cleaning large surfaces
ces
hole drilled in metal or the miter like cast-iron table saw tops.
gauge slot on a table saw top.
These cup brushes are avail- bristles, the more aggressive then knotted
able with an arbor hole to mount the brush will be. I’ve had good brushes
hes such
on a hand-held grinder. Or you luck with fine bristles with wire as those shown
can get ones with a built-in diameters around .006" or .008". here wouldld certainly
i l
shank for chucking into your If you need an aggressive have their uses.
drill — these are my preference. brush to really work the surface
I find that cup brushes are most or remove burrs from an edge, WIRE MATERIALS
useful for working on large, sta- then you may want to look into Beyond the type of brush, you’ll
u’ll
tionary surfaces, like the top of a knotted wire brushes. As you can also need to decide on the mate-
ate- { Knotted Wires.
jointer or table saw. You simply see at right, these brushes feature rial the brush is made from. Car-
Car Some wire wheels
outfit your corded drill with a wires that are twisted around bon steel brushes seem to work and cup brushes
cup brush and move it along the each other to form tight bundles the best for quick cleaning and have knotted
surface of the table (above right) of aggressive cutting wires. rust removal on metal. wires that will
to clean and remove rust quickly. Personally, these brushes seem You can also get brass brushes. cut much more
a bit too aggressive for most of These brushes are softer, so they aggressively than
TALE OF THE TWIST the work that I have to do with are less likely to scratch up the standard brushes.
Most wire brushes feature indi- metal. Also, they tend to leave surface of the metal. But they
vidual wires that are crimped scratch marks on surfaces. But if tend to take a little longer to
slightly for flexibility (photo, you have a lot of rust to remove clean up rust and polish the sur-
above right). The coarser the or a welded seam to clean up, face of metal.

brushes for your

Rotary Tool
If you have a Dremel or other brand of rotary tool, oll,
there are a variety of wire wheel and cup brush ush h
accessories for these tools, too. As with the larger ger
er
brushes shown above, they are also available in
steel and brass varieties (right).
The brushes and wheels for rotary tools are fairly
airrly
small, so they’re better for fine detail work (like (liike
removing rust from an old block plane) than b big
jobs (like cleaning a table saw top). Still, I’ve found
un nd
all kinds of uses for these handy little brushes es in
my shop. I’ve also found that they’re less likely kely { Great for Detail Work. The small-diameter cup
to “skate” around on a surface, as the larger cup brushes
b for rotary tools can get into tight spots and
brushes shown above may do. curved
c surfaces like the side of this block plane.

ShopNotes.com 11

s121_010.indd 11 11/9/2011 10:23:45 AM

 MATERIALS & Hardware

get rolling!
Casters
Here’s how to pick the best
style of casters for your shop
tools and equipment.
Whether it’s for a shop cabinet heavy steel plate at the top that’s
Mounting Plate or a power tool, I’m a big fan of simply bolted to the underside
casters. The reason is simple: No of the object. These are known as
matter how big or small a shop plate casters. Others have a rod
is, you’re likely to move tools (some threaded, some not) that
Roller from place to place based on the fits into a hole (or hardware) in
Bearings project at hand. Casters not only the underside of the piece. These
Axle Nut
make this “move-around” pos- are known as stem casters.
sible, but they also make it easy. For most shop uses, you want
Swivel Brake
Of course, anyone who’s pur- to go with the strong support and
Shoe
chased casters knows there are simple installation you get from
Brake many options. The casters you a plate caster. Stem casters are
Lever choose will depend on several typically for furniture projects.
Wheel Brake factors, such as how heavy the However, if you have a shop fix-
Shoe item is, how often you’ll move it, ture with long, narrow legs, like
or how smooth your floors are. a router table, then stem casters
Axle Bolt To help you choose the right might be the way to go (margin
casters for your tools and equip- photo, opposite page).
ment, we took a look at the key Fixed vs. Swivel. Another way
considerations you want to make to classify casters is as “fixed” or
as you start to shop. “swivel.” A fixed caster rolls in a
Roller Plate vs. Stem. One way that straight line and does not rotate.
Wheel Bearing casters are divided into types is Swivel casters are more versatile
by mounting style. Some have a because they rotate 360°.

Polyurethane,
double-locking Steel, swivel Plastic, fixed Wood, single-locking
Rubber, single-locking
12 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_012.indd 12 11/10/2011 10:51:40 AM

 Stem,
swivel

< StStem Casters.

C t
A caster like this
{ Cam-Style Brakes. This type { Double-Locking. To provide is a good choice
of brake locks the wheel, but not added security, this style of brake for fixtures that
the swivel of the caster. locks both the wheel and swivel. have long and
narrow legs, like
Swivel casters make it easier to your hands to lock and unlock Recently, wood casters have a router table.
maneuver and park tools. Fixed the casters (left photo above). made a resurgence. These look
casters are more efficient at trav- A better option is a double- great on rolling cabinets made of
eling in a straight line. To get locking caster that prevents both wood and are worth a closer look.
the best of both worlds, you can swiveling and rolling. As you They can be a bit pricey, however.
install two fixed and two swivel depress the lock, brake shoes Size & Capacity. As a general
casters. This offers a good com- engage both the wheel and the rule, the bigger the caster, the
promise between moving and roller bearing for a secure hold easier it will roll over uneven
turning capabilities. (exploded view on opposite floors and obstructions like
Lock or No Lock. For safety’s page). A double-locking caster power cords. Of course, bigger
sake, it’s usually a good idea to can also be locked or unlocked casters are also more expen-
use locking casters whenever using your foot, as you can see in sive. Luckily, there is a happy
possible. This is especially true the center photo above. medium. Casters with 3" to 4"
for casters mounted to a tool. Material. You can buy inex- wheels seem to work fine for
You don’t want it to shift around pensive casters made from hard most uses around the shop.
while you work. plastic, but just remember that Bigger casters usually have a
Some casters have cam-style you get what you pay for. These higher weight capacity, but not
compression brakes on the sides casters are much more prone to always. The weight capacity is
that simply prevent them from warp or break, and they can’t typically printed right on the
rolling. These are the least expen- support the same heavy loads product packaging, so make sure
sive locking casters, but they that other materials can. you buy casters strong enough
have limitations. For one thing, Hard rubber or polyurethane to support what you’re putting
they can still swivel as you apply casters are standards for shop on top of them. Then you can
pressure to the fixture above the tools. They cost more but roll rest assured that the casters you
caster. The cam-style casters often smoothly. Steel casters are also a use in your shop will be both
require stooping down and using durable, but expensive, option. convenient and safe.

casters for your

Workbench
A workbench on wheels would be a handy addition
in many small shops. And Rockler came up with a
good solution with their new Workbench Caster Kit.
The kit offers the convenience of casters with-
out sacrificing a bench’s stability. With the levers
depressed, the casters engage and raise the work-
bench slightly, allowing you to roll it around (near
right). Then, simply flip the levers up to lower the
bench back to the shop floor (far right). { Lever Down. This position { Lever Up. To set the bench
The casters come in a kit of four for $75. They’re engages the wheels and lifts back down on the floor, just flip
easy to install and support benches up to 400 pounds. the bench for easy movement. the lever (and the wheel) up.

ShopNotes.com 13

s121_012.indd 13 11/10/2011 10:52:30 AM

 storage solutions

wall-mounted Tool Shelf

Spend a weekend building this strong and
great-looking home for your prized tools.
If you’ve been working with wood for very long, and screwdrivers. Floating spacers slide between
you probably have a few favorite, “go-to” hand the front and back rails of the rack to provide flex-
tools. And chances are, they’re the ones that are too ibility as your storage needs change.
nice to throw in a drawer or toolbox. To keep those I chose cherry for the shelf to dress it up a bit
tools at hand near your bench and show them off and draw some attention to my tool collection.
a bit, the tool shelf you see above is just the ticket. The construction is quick and straightforward yet
It can sit on your bench or mount to a nearby wall. strong enough to load up with tools. All in all, I
What’s really unique about this tool shelf is the think you’ll find the few hours spent building it to
adjustable rack for storing tools like chisels, squares, be satisfying and rewarding.

14 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_014.indd 14 11/10/2011 12:41:02 PM

 To download a
Exploded View Details SketchUp model &
cutting diagram, go to:
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 61⁄2"D x 251⁄4"W x 14"H
ShopNotes.com
TOOL RACK FEATURES
ADJUSTABLE SPACERS
FOR CUSTOM HANGING CLEAT
TOOL STORAGE SUPPORTS WEIGHT OF
RACK SECURED WITH SHELF AND TOOLS
SCREWS FROM
THE BACK

FRONT RAIL OF
PLYWOOD BACK TOOL RACK IS
STRENGTHENS DETACHABLE TO
ASSEMBLY ADD OR REMOVE
SPACERS

SHELVES FIT INTO

DADOES IN ENDS

DIVIDERS FIT IN
DADOES IN SHELF
AND BOTTOM

DRAWERS CUT FROM

AN ASSEMBLED BOX.
REFER TO SHOP SHORT
WOOD PLUGS CUTS, PAGE 28
HIDE SCREWS

NOTE: REFER TO
SOURCES ON PAGE 51
FOR DRAWER KNOBS
CASE JOINERY DRAWER SIDES FIT
REINFORCED INTO RABBETS CUT
WITH SCREWS IN FRONT & BACK

Materials & Hardware SMALL KNOBS ADD

CLASSIC DETAIL
A Ends (2) 3/ x 6 - 14
4
B Top Shelf/Bottom (2) 1/ x 53/4 - 24
2
C Dividers (2) 1/ x 53/ - 43/
2 4 4
D Drawer Shelves (2) 1/ x 53/ - 51/
2 4 8
E Cleat (1) 3/ x 21/ - 243/ SPACER & RAIL
4 4 4
F Back (1) 121/4 x 243/4 - 1/4 Ply.
ANATOMY
G Rear Tool Rail (1) 1/ x 1 - 233/
2 4
1/ x 1/ - 233/ CLEAT
H Front Tool Rail (1) 2 2 4
I Spacers (12) 1/ x 1/ - 1
2 2
J Small Drawer Sides (4) 1/ x 17/ - 51/ SPACER SLIDES
2 16 4 ALONG RACK RAILS
K Small Drawer Fronts/Backs (4) 1/ x 17/ - 413/
2 16 16
L Large Drawer Sides (4) 1/ x 27/ - 51/ REAR RAIL
2 16 4
M Large Drawer Fronts/Backs (4) 1/ x 27/ - 413/
2 16 16
N Drawer Bottoms (4) 45/16 x 51/4 - 1/4 Ply.

• (12) #6 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews

• (3) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews END

• (4) #8 x 3/4" Fh Woodscrews DETACHABLE BACK

• (12) 3/8"-dia. Wood Plugs FRONT RAIL

• (4) 1/2"-dia. Brass Knobs (Bronze Finish)

ShopNotes.com 15

s121_014.indd 15 11/10/2011 12:41:52 PM

 2

FIGURE NOTE: CUT

NOTE: ALL #/8"-DIA.
COUNTERBORES ARE
1 JOINERY IN ENDS
BEFORE CUTTING
BEVEL
a. #/4

CENTERED ON WIDTH #6 x 1!/2" Fh

OF DADOES WOODSCREW
8
A
NOTE: ENDS ARE TOP SHELF !/4
MADE FROM #/4"-THICK (5#/4" x 24")
HARDWOOD. ALL OTHER
PARTS ARE !/2"-THICK B B
HARDWOOD

DRAWER SHELF C
(5#/4" x 5!/8")
D D !/2

#/8"-DIA. !/8
WOOD 5
C PLUG
DIVIDER 3 A
1 (5#/4" x 4#/4")
PLUG

A B !/4 B
END BOTTOM
(6" x 14") (5#/4" x 24")
FRONT VIEW
A B
2 !/4
shelves, bottom, dividers, and
#6 x 1!/2" Fh TOP
WOODSCREW
b. VIEW later, the drawers.
1 You can see in Figure 1 how the
top shelf and bottom are mirror
Case Ends. The first order of images. Each has a pair of dadoes
simple joinery for a business is to make the ends of to secure the dividers. I cut the

Solid Case the case. Figure 1 provides the

details. I started with a pair of
rectangular blanks. This makes
dadoes on one end of each piece
then flipped them end-for-end
to cut the opposite end. I also
The joinery on the tool shelf is it easier to cut the dadoes and drilled holes through the bottom
designed for strength. And the rabbets that hold the shelves and to secure the dividers (Figure 1a).
great thing is, it’s all easy to make bottom. And you’ll need to rab- Subassembly. At this point,
at the router table or table saw. bet the back edge for the hanging you can assemble the main case
Dadoes and rabbets tie every- cleat and plywood back. by adding the top shelf and bot-
thing together. And a few screws A quick trip to the band saw to tom to the two ends. Remember
help reinforce key joints. cut the bevel is next. Finally, you to drill pilot holes for the screws.
After building the case, you’ll can drill the counterbored holes I used wood plugs to fill the holes
add the tool rack with its unique for the screws. and then sanded them flush.
sliding spacers for custom tool Top Shelf & Bottom. The next
storage. Four drawers round out thing to do is plane plenty of
stock to 1⁄2" in thickness for the
a.
your storage options. !/4 TOP VIEW
FIGURE
2 #8 x 2" Fh
E CLEAT
NOTE: END SPACERS !/2 I
WOODSCREW (#/4" x 2!/4" - 24#/4") AND CENTER SPACER
#8 x #/4" Fh GLUED TO FRONT H
WOODSCREW TOOL RAIL
G

REAR TOOL RAIL

G (1" x 23#/4")
b. SIDE VIEW

NOTE: TOOL
F CL RAIL PARTS
BACK ARE MADE
FROM !/4 G H
(12!/4" x 24#/4"
- !/4" Ply.) I !/2"-THICK
STOCK
SPACER !/8
(!/2" x 1")
H !/2
FRONT TOOL RAIL
(!/2" x 23#/4") END
SPACER !/8

16 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_016.indd 16 11/9/2011 2:04:55 PM

 FIGURE NOTE: DRAWER PARTS
Dividers & Drawer Shelves.
Now you can measure between
3 SMALL DRAWER SIDE
(1&/16" x 5!/4")
EXCEPT BOTTOM ARE MADE
FROM !/2"-THICK HARDWOOD
J
the dadoes in the top shelf and
bottom for the length of the K
dividers. You’ll need to lay out SMALL
the dado for the drawer shelf so DRAWER J
FRONT/BACK
that it aligns with the dado in the (1&/16" x 4!#/16")
end of the case. K
After gluing the dividers in
place, you can measure and cut LARGE DRAWER
FRONT/BACK
the drawer shelves. Glue them (2&/16" x 4!#/16") M
M L
into the case before starting on
the cleat and back panel.
Hanging Cleat & Back. Figure NOTE: DRAWER
BOTTOMS MADE
2 shows you how the tongue on FROM !/4" Ply.
the cleat is fastened into the rab-
CL
bet in the ends with screws. The N L
bottom, back edge of the cleat is DRAWER LARGE DRAWER SIDE
CL BOTTOM (2&/16" x 5!/4")
rabbeted to hold the plywood (4%/16" x 5!/4")
back panel (Figure 2b).
After fastening the cleat to the
ends, cut the back panel to size SIDE
and glue it in place. I made sure VIEW N
M SIDE M BACK
to add a thin bead of glue to the
!/4
back edges of the shelves and !/2
!/4
dividers for added strength. END
BOTTOM !/4
Tool Rack. You can see in Fig- !/16
ures 2 and 2b how the tool rack is
made up of a rear and front rail
a. !/4 b. TOP VIEW
with spacers in between. I cut
the two rails to width and used a the front rail. Then you can insert the joinery. Turn to Shop Short
1⁄ " straight bit in the router table free-floating spacers before secur- Cuts on page 28 for a simple way
4
to rout the centered groove. The ing the tool rack with screws. to make the drawers quickly.
box below details how I made Drawers. To complete the Finishh Up. After installing the
the cross-shaped spacers. shelf, you’ll add the four drawers drawer knobs, simply wipe on a
For strength, I glued a spacer shown in Figure 3. As you can couple coats
oats of an oil finish before
at each end and in the middle of see, there’s nothing tricky about loading the rack with tools.

Making the Tool Rack Spacers

The drawings below step you through the blank (left drawing below). Your goal here
process of making the spacers for the tool is a sliding fit in the groove on the front and
rack. Since the parts are so small, it’s safer to rear rails of the tool rack.
shape the parts starting with an extra-wide Now move the fence away from m the bit
blank planed to 1⁄2" in thickness. to cut a groove on each face of the blank
At the router table, you’ll use a straight (center drawing). Rip the shape free ree (right Cut spacers
bit to form a tongue along the edge of the drawing) and then cut the spacers to length. to 1" length

STEP 1: ROUT A STEP 2: MOVE FENCE TO STEP 3: RIP STRIP

TONGUE ALONG ROUT GROOVES THAT WILL FREE THEN CUT
ONE EDGE FORM SECOND TONGUE SPACERS TO LENGTH
!/8

EXTRA-WIDE
BLANK
!/8

SIDE VIEW
SIDE VIEW #/8 SIDE VIEW !/2

ShopNotes.com 17

s121_016.indd 17 11/9/2011 2:05:11 PM

 fine tools

infill
Smoothing Plane
Show off your craftsmanship and attention
to detail with this great-looking heirloom tool.
For years, a hand plane has been The design is called an infill plane complicated to build. You’ll find
the symbol of fine craftsmanship. since the wood parts completely that the construction is mostly
So when we were thinking of fill the steel body. It combines a straightforward drilling and fil-
the right project to celebrate the compact size with a thick, heavy ing. Along the way, you’ll pick
20th anniversary of ShopNotes blade and a lot of mass to create up a few skills in working with
magazine, a hand plane jumped the ultimate surface on wood. metal and wood as you build
to the top of the list. As you can A high-performance tool one. The result is a tool you can
see, this isn’t an ordinary plane. like this doesn’t have to be be proud of and use every day.

18 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_018.indd 18 11/14/2011 7:57:39 AM

 Exploded
View Details THICK PLANE IRON
RESISTS CHATTERING
TO CREATE A
SMOOTH SURFACE
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
9"L x 25⁄16"W x 43⁄4"H
NOTE: PLANE IRON
IS BEDDED AT 45° SHOP-MADE LEVER
CAP AND SCREW
HOLDS THE IRON
SECURELY IN PLACE

TOTE IS CUSTOM-FIT
TO YOUR HANDS THREE-PIECE
REAR INFILL
CREATES A SOLID,
FLAT BED FOR
THE IRON

RARE-EARTH
CURVED SIDES MAGNET KEEPS
GIVE THE PLANE IRON FROM
A UNIQUE LOOK FALLING OUT OF
PLANE

WALNUT INFILL
ANGLE ON BUN IS “OVERSTUFFED”
ALLOWS SHAVINGS SO IT’S FLUSH
TO ESCAPE WITH THE SIDES
WOOD INFILL PIECES OF THE BODY
ARE ANCHORED
TO THE BODY
WITH THROUGH PINS
AND EPOXY

SIDES
ARE LOCKED
TO THE SOLE
WITH SHORT
DOWEL PINS

NOTE: FOR HARDWARE

SOURCES, TURN TO
PAGE 51

Materials
& Hardware
A Sides (2) 2 x 7 - 5⁄32 Steel
B Sole (1) 2 x 81⁄2 rgh. - 5⁄16 Steel
C Lever Cap (1) 131⁄32 x 3 - 5⁄16 Steel
D Bun (1) 25/16 x 21⁄2 - 17/8 rgh.
E Tote (1) 1 x 43/8 - 7 rgh. Style.
F Cheeks (2) 13/ x 21/ - 49/
16 4 16
The thick steel
• (1) 17/8" x 3⁄16"-thick Plane Iron body gives this
• (1) 3/8-16 x 11/4" Rh Machine Screw plane the heft to make
• (1) 1⁄2"-dia. Rare-Earth Magnet and Cup perfect shavings. And the
• (1) 5⁄32" x 36" Steel Rod walnut infill adds a classic look.

ShopNotes.com 19

s121_018.indd 19 11/11/2011 3:47:10 PM

 start with the
Steel Body
The work on the hand plane
begins by creating a solid steel Trace the Template. Coat each
body to hold the wood infill and side blank with layout fluid and trace the
blade. The body is made up of profile of the side with a scribe.
three pieces. There are two sides
and a sole. (Later on, the sole
will be cut into two parts.) These
pieces are held together with
steel dowel pins.
You can’t connect the sides and
sole right off the bat. It makes
sense to shape the side pieces
first and drill the holes that are
needed to join them to the sole,
the wood infill, and the lever cap.
I started by cutting blanks for the
sides from a length of 5⁄32"-thick
steel bar stock. { Perforate the Profile. Drill a { Connect the Dots. The holes
The steel I chose for the plane series of holes along the edge reduce friction and help guide
is precision-ground stock. That of the profile to ease the cutting. the hack saw to cut curves.
means it’s consistent in width
and thickness, unlike the rolled costs more. But the payoff is the a little daunting. But there’s a
stock you’ll find at the hardware time and frustration saved by way to simplify the process. At
store. As you might imagine, it working with flat, uniform parts. the drill press, I drilled a series of
I cut a 7"-long blank from each holes just outside the edge of the
end of the 24"-long bar I ordered. profile (left photo above). Then,
This gave me a square corner on you can “connect the dots” with
each piece to use for the front end a hack saw (right photo above).
of the plane body. Drilling and cutting still leaves
Layout. Laying out the sides on a pretty ragged edge. So smooth-
the blanks comes next. I used the ing the rough edges into a crisp
pattern below to make a 1⁄8" hard- profile is the next order of busi-
board template. The template ness. A little work at the bench
made it easy to trace the pattern grinder removes most of the
{ Fine-Tune the Shape. Tape the on the steel blanks (top photo). waste. For fine-tuning the sides,
side pieces together and use files to Shortcut. All the metal that I taped the two pieces together
clean up the cut edges. needs to be removed may seem and used files and sandpaper to

SIDE PATTERN (SHOWN ACTUAL SIZE)

FACTORY CUT

NOTE: ALL HOLES

ARE %/32" DIA.

20 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_020.indd 20 11/11/2011 3:47:37 PM

 SIDE
FIGURE (2" x 7" - %/32" STEEL) NOTE: SPACER GLUED UP
1 A FROM THREE LAYERS OF #/4" MDF

SPACER IS 11" LONG

AND MATCHES
WIDTH OF SOLE
ALIGN SIDES
WITH REFERENCE LINE

{ Drilling the Holes. Leave the

sides taped together while you B
mark and drill the holes. SOLE
(2" x 8!/2" rgh. - %/16" STEEL)

ATTACH SIDES TO SPACER

WITH ROUNDHEAD SCREWS

the sides to the sole, as in the The trick is keeping all the parts
upper left photo. A pair of holes in place. To do this, you can
at the front and back anchor the attach all three pieces to an MDF
wood infill to the sides with long spacer, as shown in Figure 1. Drill
pins. Finally, I drilled a hole near holes at each end of the sole and
the top of the hump. This will be screw the sole to the spacer. (The
the pivot point for the lever cap. holes get cut away later.) Then
{ Deburr the Holes. Touch up After drilling the holes, I loosely clamp the sides in place.
the holes on the inner and outer touched up the edges on the inner Use a reference line on the spacer
faces with a countersink bit. and outer faces with a counter- to keep the side pieces aligned.
sink bit (lower left photo). This Once I was satisfied with the
work down to the lines and guar- deburrs the holes and makes fit- position of the parts, I screwed
antee the sides were identical. ting the wood parts easier. the sides to the spacer with
Drilling Holes. Leave the The Sole. The other part of roundhead screws. While the
sides taped together while you the body to make is the sole. I screws do a good job of holding
use a second pattern and a cen- started with an extra-long blank. the parts together, they don’t
terpunch to mark a series of The first step is to drill holes allow the body to lie flat. I sup-
holes. A row of holes along the in the edge of the sole that line ported the body on a piece of ply-
bottom accepts short pins to join up with the holes in the sides. wood. A couple of shallow holes
accept the screw heads, as in Fig-
2 ure 2a. Then it’s just a matter of
drilling the holes along each edge
CLAMP of the sole using the holes in the
ASSEMBLY
TO DRILL PRESS sides as guides, as in Figure 2.
FENCE

a. END VIEW
SIDE
SIDE

SOLE !/2

SOLE
DRILL HOLES
ALONG EACH
EDGE OF SOLE
USING HOLES IN
SIDES AS GUIDES
NOTE: DRILL
HOLES WITH SHALLOW HOLES
%/32" TWIST BIT ACCEPT SCREW HEADS

ShopNotes.com 21

s121_020.indd 21 11/11/2011 3:47:54 PM

 REAR SOLE
making the 3
FIGURE
PIECE IS CUT
FLUSH WITH

Sole & END OF SIDES

Lever Cap
SIDE

REAR SOLE

There’s still a little metal work

left to wrap up before the plane FRONT SOLE
body can be assembled. Up first
is cutting the sole blank into a
front and back section. Then
comes some final sizing. The
FILE AND SAND A GENTLE RADIUS
metalworking portion ends with ON THE FRONT END AFTER ASSEMBLY
making the lever cap and screw.
These two items provide the SIDE VIEW
clamping force that keeps the
plane blade in place.
THICKNESS OF BLADE
The Mouth. There are a couple DETERMINES SCRIBE
MOUTH OPENING BED ANGLE ON SIDE
of considerations when cutting TO MARK MOUTH
the sole into its two parts. The
%/16
first is it needs to be in the correct
75°
front-to-back location. Secondly, !/8 4&/8

the rear sole needs to be beveled

to match the bed angle. the plane iron on the layout line Bevel Angles. Both the front
To tackle the first consider- on the side. I marked its thick- and back piece of the sole are bev-
ation, mark the slope of the ness on the side and then across eled. The back is angled to match
bed (45°) on the sides with lay- the bottom. This is the size of the the blade cutting angle. The front
out fluid and a scribe. This line mouth opening. (You’ll fine-tune is beveled at 75° to allow shav-
should correspond with the flare the size of the opening later.) ings to clear easily.
on the sides, as shown in the side From here, you can dis- You could file these bevels, but
view of Figure 3. Then with a assemble the body from the that’s a lot of material to remove.
square, carry this line across the spacer block and cut the mouth A better option is to use a hack
sole of the plane. with a hack saw. Stay to the waste saw to cut away as much of the
Determining the size of the side of the lines and clean up the waste as you can. To get right up
mouth opening is next. I placed cut edges with a file. to the line, I cut a block at the bed
angle and used it as a guide for
4 filing and sanding up to the line.
Final Length. There are two
remaining cuts to make on the
plane body. These are to cut the
FIRST: USE
MODERATE TAPS front and rear sole pieces to final
TO GRADUALLY
EXPAND PINS length. To do this, assemble the
sides to the sole using some steel
FOR BEST THIRD: pins to index each piece correctly.
RESULTS USE REMOVE
ANVIL ON BENCH SPACER Then mark the final length of the
VISE TO BACK UP
HAMMER BLOWS front and back piece of the sole
FOURTH: using the sides as a guide.
SHAPE CURVE Now you can cut the pieces to
ON FRONT OF
SPACER PLANE BODY shape. The rear piece is cut flush
a. HAMMER
with the back end of the sides.
The front piece is cut square and
SIDE
SECOND: left a little long (1⁄8") for now.
FILE PINS Riveting Time. At this point,
SMOOTH PIN SWELLS
INSIDE HOLE the plane body is ready for some
TO FASTEN PARTS
permanent assembly. For this,
5⁄ " steel pins are peened in the
SPACER 32
SOLE
holes. The hammering swells the
END VIEW
22 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_022.indd 22 11/11/2011 3:49:30 PM

 FIGURE FIRST: DRILL AND TAP TOP VIEW
pins and locks the sides and sole
pieces tightly together.
5 FOR #/8"-16 THREADS
3
I began the process by cutting FOURTH: CUT
LEVER CAP
22 pins to length (about 11⁄16"). TO SHAPE
Use some of the pins to register
the sides to the sole pieces. I also C 1#!/32 CL
screwed the spacer back in place LEVER CAP
(1#!/32" x 3 - %/16" STEEL)
to keep the sides square to the #/8" RAD.
sole. Then it’s just a matter of
peening the pins into the sides.
1#/4 1!/2" RAD.
Slow & Steady. Support the
plane body on the anvil of your
bench vise, as shown in Figure 4. THIRD: SIDE VIEW
DRILL HOLE
The key here isn’t whacking the FOR PIVOT PIN
SECOND:
pins mercilessly. Moderate taps SHAPE
GENTLE CURVE 1!/2
will mushroom the heads and ON FRONT !!/64"-DIA. HOLE CENTERED
flare the sides of the pins to lock OF LEVER CAP ON THICKNESS

the side of the plane to the sole,

as you can see in Figure 4a. It fixes the blade firmly against Then you can drill a through
Work your way down one side, the bed. It consists of a lever cap hole for the pin that holds the cap
then the other. When you’re fin- and a screw. The lever cap is cut in place. I used a fence and stop
ished, you can file away as much to shape from the leftover steel block to drill this hole from both
of the protruding pin as possible. used to make the sole. I laid out sides. The lever cap should pivot
A little sanding will even every- the shape and hole location with freely. So I reamed out the hole
thing out. (Don’t worry about a dye and a scribe, just like before. with a slightly larger bit (11⁄64").
final surface yet.) Take a minute While I still had a long piece, I This extra wiggle room makes
now to file and sand a gentle drilled and tapped the hole for the it easier for the lever cap to seat
radius on the front end of the screw. With a grinder and files, I tightly against the blade.
plane, as in Figure 3. shaped a gentle curve along the You can use the same drill and
Lever Cap. You can set the front edge. I also sanded the edges cut technique to shape the lever
plane body aside for now and so the lever cap slips easily into the cap as the sides. The box below
make the lever cap assembly. plane body without binding. details how to make the screw.

custom-made
Cap Screw
The screw for the lever cap
is made from a machine
screw with a large head.
The photos at right cover
the main points, and I’ll { Score the Head. A hole saw { Tap Threads. Drill a 5⁄16"-dia.
mention a few details. shapes the head and drills an hole and tap it to match the 3⁄8"-16
The head is made from a initial pilot hole. threads on the machine screw.
piece of the sole and lever cap stock.
Use a 1" hole saw to score the overall shape of the
head, but stop before cutting completely through.
(The pilot bt should drill completely through the cen-
ter hole.) Leave the blank in place and drill and tap
the center hole to match the machine screw. Reinstall
the hole saw and complete cutting out the head.
To give the head a better grip, I chucked it into
the drill press with a bolt and jam nuts. Then I cut
two grooves in the edge with a hack saw. A support
block helps to hold the hack saw steady. Finally, { Grooves. A hack saw sup- { No Slot. After threading the
thread the head onto the screw with thread lock ported by a hardwood block cuts head onto the screw, grind
then grind and file away the machine screw’s slot. shallow grooves in the head. away the machine screw slot.

ShopNotes.com 23

s121_022.indd 23 11/11/2011 3:49:40 PM

 creating the
Tote & Bun
After all the grinding, filing and and irregular, it’s a good idea to
peening, I was happy to move start with an extra-long blank.
back into the more familiar ter- This allows you to make the
ritory of woodworking and got angled cut on the back safely.
busy on the infill pieces. At the The width of the blank should
back, a D-shaped tote and a pair match the outside width of the
of cheeks provide a solid bed for plane body. The first item is to cut
the iron. Up front, a rounded bun a shallow rabbet on each side of
provides a comfortable grip. the bun so that it can slip into the
Front Bun. I began with the body. I deliberately set the dado { Comfortable Grip. Rasps
easiest part — the bun. Because blade a little low and shallow. and files make quick work of
the final shape of the bun is small This allows me to sneak up on creating a custom-fit tote.
the depth and width of the rab-
FIGURE
5 bet for a nice, snug fit (Figure 5).
From there, I marked and cut
You can complete the bun by
rounding the upper edges for a
D
BUN the bevel on the back edge of the comfortable grip (Figure 5).
(2%/16" x 2!/2" - 1&/8" rgh.) bun. Lay the bun on its side and Rear Infill. I mentioned before
1!/2"-RAD. angle the miter gauge to match that the rear infill is made up of
4!/16"-RAD. the angle of the sole. To balance several layers. Let’s start with
the bun while making the cut, I middle layer — the tote.
FRONT VIEW placed a shim under the rabbet. For now, you can concentrate
WIDTH OF Shaping. That takes care of on cutting and shaping the back
PLANE BODY SIDE VIEW
the back end of the bun. For the end of the tote. Use the pattern
front, slide the bun into place at left to cut the profile and hand
1&/8
and line up the bevel with the hole. (The angled front edge
%/32 mouth. Trace the curved sole will be cut later on.) With rasps,
1%/16
75°
on the bottom side of the bun. files, and sandpaper, smooth and
2
Then make a quick trip to the roundover the edges to create a
1&/8
band saw to cut the rough shape. comfortable grip for your hand.
PATTERN (ENLARGE TO 200%) FIGURE

NOTE: CUT FINAL

6 TOTE
FIFTH: GLUE TOTE AND
CHEEKS TOGETHER,
BED ANGLE (1" x 4#/8" - 7" rgh.) THEN CUT BED ANGLE
AFTER GLUING E
CHEEKS TO TOTE
!/2"-DIA.
FIRST: FORM RARE-EARTH
HANDLE ON BACK MAGNET AND CUP
OF TOTE AND
SHAPE EDGES TO
WASTE FIT YOUR HAND
WASTE

TOTE CHEEKS
(!#/16" x 2!/4" - 5" rgh.)
F

FOURTH: CL
CUT BACK OF
CHEEK AND
ROUND OVER
PATTERN (ENLARGE TO 200%) EDGES 1(/16

WASTE
SECOND:
PLANE STOCK FOR
CHEEK BLANKS
To print full-size TO THICKNESS
patterns for the tote CHEEK THIRD:
and cheeks, go to: CREATE %/32"-DEEP
RECESS ON CHEEKS WASTE
ShopNotes.com

24 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_024.indd 24 11/14/2011 7:58:21 AM

 FIRST: SLIDE THIRD: FIX LEVER FRONT VIEW
REAR INFILL CAP IN POSITION
FIGURE IN PLACE AND WITH PIN AND
7 INSTALL PINS PEEN ALL PINS
TOTE

TOTE PINS RUN

COMPLETELY
THROUGH BUN
PLANE BODY

TOP
VIEW CHEEK

SECOND: FIT
BUN IN PLACE,
DRILL PIN HOLES
CUT PINS SLIGHTLY AND INSERT PINS
LONGER THAN WIDTH
OF PLANE BODY

LEVER CAP
AND SCREW

FOURTH:
FILE AND SAND
ALL PINS SMOOTH.
THEN SAND SIDES AND
BUN SOLE UP TO 400-GRIT

Cheeks. With the tote shaped, use chisels and files to flatten the line up with the flare on the sides
you can turn your attention to the recess and trim the shoulder to of the plane body.
outer layers of the rear infill. You match the curved side. It’s better to gradually work up
can start by planing two blanks. You have two goals here. The to the right fit than to try and do
The combined size of the cheeks outer face of each cheek should it in one fell swoop. To do this,
and tote needs to match the over- be flush with the side of the body. slip the rear infill into the body
all width of the plane body. And the tote and cheeks should and drill holes through the sides.
The cheeks have a shallow slip into the plane body snugly. A pair of pins register the infill,
recess to allow them to wrap When you’re happy with the so you can mark the cut line on
around the sides of the plane, fit, cut the rear curve at the band the sides and bottom edge. Tilt
as in Figure 6. Align each blank saw. All that’s left is to clean up the miter gauge and make a cut
with the end of the plane side and the saw marks and round over the short of the line. Check the fit in
scribe the profile onto the blank. edge (Figure 6). At this point, you the plane body and repeat the
A Forstner bit in the drill press can glue up the rear infill pieces. process. When you’re close, you
makes quick work of defining the Bed Angle. The task now is to can do some final fitting with
bottom of the recess. The depth of create the bed for the iron on the files and sandpaper.
cut should match the thickness of front of the rear infill. It needs to There’s just one thing left to do
the side (5⁄32"). Back at the bench, match the angle of the sole and on the rear infill. And that’s to
drill a hole to accept a rare-earth
choosing a good magnet and cup. This keeps the
iron from slipping out of the body
Finish when the lever cap is loosened.
Final Assembly. At this point,
You really can’t go wrong in The plane is ready for assembly.
choosing a finish for this plane. The steps are detailed in Figure 7.
I applied a coat of boiled linseed The final detail is to fine-tune
oil to really bring out the choco- the mouth. To eliminate tearout
late brown of the walnut infill while planing, the mouth should
(photo at right). But oil doesn’t be tight. Install the blade to check
offer much protection. To the fit. If necessary, file the front
improve the durability and add part of the sole to open the mouth
some sheen, I wiped on a few slightly. Once you apply a finish,
coats of wiping varnish. When the result is a plane that works as
it was dry, I buffed it smooth. great as it looks.

ShopNotes.com 25

s121_024.indd 25 11/11/2011 3:50:20 PM

 HANDS-ON
Technique

learn how to turn a

Log into Lumber
Your band saw and a simple sled are all it takes
to create one-of-a-kind boards from firewood.
A chance for free lumber is hard commonly find in a lumberyard. Have Patience. Another con-
to pass up for most woodwork- Small pieces of wood like this can sideration is that freshly cut logs
ers. As a result, I’ve often been be used for making everything and branches are pretty wet. So
BASE IS MADE tempted by the possibility of from turning blanks and tool han- don’t expect to use the boards
FROM !/2" BALTIC
BIRCH PLYWOOD, using unique-looking pieces of dles to small cabinets and boxes. you cut right away. This also
8" WIDE AND means you need a place to stack
SLIGHTLY LONGER firewood. Even logs and branches The challenge is turning a log
THAN WORKPIECE from trees cut down in the neigh- into usable boards. But if you the boards while they dry.
borhood catch my eye. These have a band saw, you’re halfway Take Care. The final consider-
are often from spe- there. Think of it as a miniature ation is safety. Be on the lookout
cies you won’t sawmill. However, there are a for embedded metal objects like
few things to consider. nails and staples. A hand-held
Know Your Limits. For start- metal detector can locate items
ers, keep the cutting capacity of lurking below the surface.
your saw in mind as you look Setup. It won’t take much
HARDWOOD RUNNER
SLIDES IN MITER for wood. It doesn’t do any good work to prepare your band saw
GAUGE SLOT to pick up a log or branch if you to turn logs into lumber. But I
OF SAW TABLE
can’t cut it with your band saw. do want to mention something
ATTACH RUNNER WITH SCREWS For example, most 14" band saws about the blade. Normally, I rec-
SO EDGE OF BASE IS EVEN
WITH THE SAW BLADE can cut pieces up to 6" thick. ommend using a high-quality

26 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_026.indd 26 11/11/2011 10:20:08 AM

 blade for top-notch results. But chisel to remove some of the bark
in this case, an inexpensive blade so the log isn’t wobbly.
is a better choice. Bark, grit, and Reference Cuts. At this point,
metal are hard on blades. So you you’re ready to make the first cut
don’t want to ruin a good blade. (upper right photo). Feed the log
In addition, the blade should steadily through the blade to keep
be as wide as your band saw the blade on track.
will allow and have 2-3 teeth per Once you complete this initial
inch. This way, the blade will cut cut, you’ll use the sled to create a
straight without bogging down. second surface square to the first.
Simple Sled. Before you can This allows you to slice boards
saw the log into boards you need from the log using just the band { First Cut. Use a steady push to cut a
to create a flat surface to ride on saw’s rip fence. So remove the wide, flat reference face on the log. An
the saw table. For that, I turn to log from the sled, rotate the flat outfeed stand supports the sled.
a plywood sled (drawing on the side down, and secure it again
previous page). with screws, as shown in the
By attaching the log to the sled lower right photo.
with screws, you can prevent it Making Boards. After cutting
from rolling as you cut two faces the reference faces, you can start
flat and square. I also use an old making boards. How you plan
to use the wood will determine
how thick to cut the boards.
Keep in mind that the wet,
rough-cut boards may warp and
shrink. So don’t cut the pieces to
the final thickness. Instead, I like
to leave some extra material to
allow for jointing and planing
the wood smooth and flat once { Square Face. Rotate the log cut side
it’s dry. Adding about a 1⁄4" is a down on the sled and make a second
good rule of thumb. cut to create a square corner.
Cutting the boards from
the log is really the same as stored and dried properly to end
resawing, as you can see in the up as stable boards. For more on
main photo on the opposite this, read the box below.
page. And you’ll have a pile of Now it’s just a matter of wait-
{ Overhang. Attach the log boards in a short time. How- ing. When the time is right, you’ll
with screws so it overhangs the ever, your work isn’t quite done. have unique lumber ready to turn
edge of the sled for the first cut. Freshly cut lumber needs to be into a great-looking project.

stack and wait

Drying Boards
Patience is the name of the game when it comes to drying lum-
ber cut from a log. But that doesn’t mean you can just place
them in a bin. You want to make sure the boards have good
air circulation for drying and to prevent the growth of wood-
rotting mold. And you want to keep the wood flat.
The way to do this is to stack the boards on a couple pieces of
“two-by” stock to keep them off the floor. And add thin strips
of wood (called stickers) between each board to allow air to
circulate and water vapor to escape. Arrange the stickers so
they’re aligned vertically over the two-by stock. This helps the
boards stay straight. How long you need to wait depends on
the thickness of the boards. A good rule of thumb is to allow
one year for each inch of thickness in the board.

ShopNotes.com 27

s121_026.indd 27 11/11/2011 10:20:31 AM

 TIPS FROM Our Shop

Shop
Short Cuts
Cutting Drawers from a Box
The four drawers on the tool Starting with an oversized you can cut the sides to length,
shelf (page 14) can be made indi- blank, I milled the stock to thick- complete the joinery, and then
vidually, but you can use a differ- ness then ripped and jointed both assemble the boxes with the bot-
ent technique. It involves build- edges. The stock should be wide toms, as in Figure 1.
ing an extra-tall enclosed box enough for both drawer sides After the glue is dry, cut the
and then cutting it in two to form plus a little extra for waste. box at the table saw to separate
a pair of drawers. Since there’s Next, you can cut the grooves the two drawers. Finally, trim
only one glueup for each pair of to hold what will become the each drawer to final height to fit
drawers, it goes pretty quick. drawer bottoms. At this point, its opening in the tool shelf.

FIGURE
NOTE: CUT BOX INTO TWO
1 2 DRAWERS THEN TRIM TO
FINAL HEIGHT TO FIT
DRAWER OPENING

TOP
DRAWER
a. FRONT VIEW

BOTTOM
BOTTOM
DRAWER
SAW
KERF

NOTE: EACH PAIR OF

DRAWERS STARTS WITH
A BLANK !/2" x 4!/2" - 21"

Aluminum Brackets
COUNTERSINK
Making the three styles of brackets for the cutting BIT

rack on page 30 is easy to do. After cutting them FENCE FENCE

to length, the next step is to lay out the end of the
slot and drill through. Be sure to use a fence to BRACKET BRACKET
keep the piece from spinning as you drill.
Now you can reposition the fence to REMOVE WASTE
drill and countersink the four WITH HACK SAW

mounting holes.
Then remove the { Lay Out & Drill. Use a { Countersink. Countersink the
waste in the slot centerpunch to mark the holes, holes, then cut out the waste in the
with a hack saw. then drill through. slot with a hack saw.

28 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_028.indd 28 11/14/2011 7:59:18 AM

 Custom-Made Threads
Tapping holes in wood isn’t dif- lift posts (page 34) were started
ficult, but there are some tricks by drilling a 27⁄64" hole. And to
to make it easier and get the best cut the threads, I used one of the
results. And you don’t have to set screws. A deep groove filed !/2"-13
purchase a tap and die set. across the threads provides the SET SCREW

The tapped holes for the 1⁄2"- cutting action (photo left).
13 set screws used on the router To install the set screws straight,
start by clamping the workpiece
a. HEX BIT
SET
to your drill press table. Use a SCREW
hex bit in the drill to drive the
insert. With the power off, slowly
lower the chuck while rotating it NOTE: WITH THE
POWER OFF, ROTATE
by hand. Back the set screw out CHUCK SLOWLY
WHILE LOWERING
after every few rotations to clear INTO WORKPIECE
the chips and ensure a clean cut.

Saw & Router Guide

When cutting sheet goods (like plywood and MDF)
down to manageable pieces for projects, noth-
ing beats a straightedge guide and circular saw.
The guide I built for the cutting rack on page 30 is
easy to make and use. The great part is it’s a dual-
purpose guide. It can also be used with a router to
cut dadoes and grooves, for example.
The guide starts with an extra-wide hardboard
base. The base will be trimmed to final width by
your circular saw on one edge and your router on
the opposite edge. But first, attach a hardwood
guide strip centered on the base to serve as the
straightedge for clean, straight cuts.
Before using the guide, you’ll need to trim the
edges with your saw and router. This will leave ref-
erence edges you can align with your cut marks on
the workpiece. Just remember to use the same bit
and blade so the edge remains accurate. Finally, add
the cleat to hang the guide on the workpiece.

GUIDE BASE
NOTE: TRIM EDGES (14" Rgh. x 49" - !/4" Hdbd.)
OF GUIDE BASE
WITH ROUTER AND
SAW BEFORE
ADDING CLEAT
GUIDE FENCE
(!/2" x 2" - 49")

WASTE

WASTE
NOTE: SIZE LENGTH
OF CLEAT TO MATCH
WIDTH OF BASE
AFTER TRIMMING

CLEAT
(#/4" x 2")

ShopNotes.com 29

s121_028.indd 29 11/11/2011 2:43:49 PM

 weekend
project

low-profile
Cutting
Rack
Cut sheet
goods quickly and
easily with this handy,
space-saving rack.
If you’ve been looking for a quick and
inexpensive way to break down sheet
goods into manageable pieces, this may
well be the answer. It’s designed to mount and store
on your shop wall and then swings out for use.
A pair of pivoting arms connect two long rails
that support the workpiece. A simple cutting guide
ensures straight cuts with a circular saw. But the best
part is, it all breaks down into a compact package
without taking up precious floor space.

30 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_030.indd 30 11/10/2011 12:42:30 PM

 Exploded
View Details CLEAT ON GUIDE
REGISTERS
ON EDGE OF
WORKPIECE
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 91⁄2"D x 80"W x 311⁄2"H (IN USE) NOTE: BRACKETS
ON SUPPORTS ARE
MIRROR IMAGES
MOUNTING BRACKETS
SLIP OVER LAG SCREWS
INSTALLED IN WALL

PLATE PREVENTS
ARM PIVOTS ON BOLT ARM FROM RAILS MADE FROM
THROUGH SIDES SLIPPING OUT 2x4 CONSTRUCTION
LUMBER

ARMS MADE FROM

2x6 CONSTRUCTION
SIDES LUMBER
MADE FROM
1x6 STOCK

GUIDE CAN
BE USED WITH
CIRCULAR SAW
OR ROUTER

RAIL BRACKETS
SPACED TO PROVIDE
FLEXIBILITY IN RAIL
PLACEMENT

BRACKETS CLEATS ON
ARE EASY TO LOWER RAIL
MAKE FROM 1⁄8" SUPPORT
ALUMINUM WORKPIECE

REAR NOTCH
HOLDS ARM
IN THE OPEN
POSITION
FRONT NOTCH
HOLDS ARM IN THE
STORED POSITION
1

Materials & Hardware

A Arm (2) 11/2 x 51/2 - 31
B
C
Sides (4)
Rails (2)
3/ x 51/ - 311/
4 2
11/2 x 31/2 - 80
2
2
D Short Cleats (2) 3/ x 1 - 12

E Long Cleat (1)

4
3/ x 1 - 32
4 3
F Guide Base (1) 14 rgh. x 49 - 1/4 Hdbd.
G Guide Fence (1) 1/ x 2 - 49
2
H Guide Cleat (1) 3/ x 2 - 14 rgh.
4

• (57) #8 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews

• (4) 3/8"-16 x 31/2" Hex Bolts
• (4) 3/8"-16 Lock Nuts
• (4) 3/8" x 1" Lag Screws { 3-Step Knockdown. First, remove the rails by lifting up to
• (4) 3/8" x 21/2" Lag Screws disengage the bracket from the lag screw. Next, lift up the arm and
• (1) 1/8" x 11/2" - 48" Aluminum Bar pivot it back into the housing. Finally, lift the brackets off the wall.

ShopNotes.com 31

s121_030.indd 31 11/10/2011 12:42:47 PM

 NOTE: ENDS OF SLOTS ARE REMOVE WASTE
DRILLED THEN WASTE AFTER CUTTING
REMOVED AT BAND SAW SLOTS AT BAND
constructing the 1
FIGURE SAW

Rack 2%/8
A
ARM
(1!/2" x 5!/2" - 31")

To make the rack assemblies, I A

used construction-grade lum-
ber: 2x6s for the arms, 1x6s for
the sides, and 2x4s for the rails. 2!/4
&/16"-DIA.
a. 1#/4
#/4
The drawings tell you most of HOLE
&/16"-DIA.
what you need to know, but I’ll HOLE
RIP NOTCH AT
point out a few highlights along TABLE SAW AND 1
the way. You’ll start by building
FINISH CUT WITH SIDE VIEW
HAND SAW
a pair of supports. #/4
Pivoting Arm. Each support 6
consists of a pair of sides with a
FIGURE
pivoting arm in between. Making
the arms is the first task.
2 RIGHT RAIL BRACKETS
(1!/2" x 3"- !/8" Alum.) 2!/2
In Figure 1, you can see how
you’ll need to shape the arm. 16
I started by cutting the 2x6 to
1!/2
length. Then I ripped the long 1!/2
notch at the table saw and fin- ARM
ished it with a hand saw. ARM
Three slots engage a pair of KEEPER PLATE
bolts that hold the support CENTERED
OVER NOTCH
assembly together. The slot LEFT RAIL
BRACKET NOTE: RIGHT
at the top of the arm pro- (!/8" x 1!/2" - 3" Alum.) AND LEFT RAIL
vides a pivot point. The two BRACKETS ARE
KEEPER PLATE MIRROR IMAGES
bottom slots hold the arm in the (1!/2" x 3"- !/8" Alum.)
Right rail open or stored position. Drill a
bracket hole at the end of each NOTE: KEEPER PLATES DRILL AND COUNTERSINK FOR
INSTALLED AFTER CL
#8 x 1!/2" Fh WOODSCREW
slot and remove the ASSEMBLY
#/4 #/8
DRILL END OF SLOT
waste at the band saw. THEN REMOVE WASTE #/8
Left rail WITH HACK SAW #/8
While you’re at the
bracket band saw, you can Simple Sides. Figure 3 shows
notch the bottom of the details needed to make the #/4
the arms to form a lip, sides. You’ll make two for each
Mounting or handle (Figure 1a). support. To make this process go #/4 TOP VIEW
bracket Then it’s back to the a little quicker, you can cut the
table saw to cut the 1x6s to length then stack the parts a. 1!/2
shallow dadoes for the to cut the bevel on the top front
rail brackets (Figure 2). corner. I did this at the band saw.
Keeper Metalwork. Shown You can leave the parts stacked to SIDE !/8
plate VIEW
on the left are four vari- cut the dadoes on the back edges
ARM
ations of aluminum for the mounting brackets. After
brackets you’ll need attaching the brackets, you can
to make. I cut them begin assembly. To attach the mounting brack-
to length first, then Make a Sandwich. Each sup- ets, flip the assembly face down
{ Brackets. A drilled the end of the port assembly is held together on your bench. Each bracket is
little metalworking slot. The waste is easy to remove with a pair of bolts and lock nuts. secured with four screws.
is required to make with a hack saw. Finally, you can You’re aiming for a snug, friction Wall Connections. Each sup-
the four styles of drill countersunk screw holes. fit of the arm that will still allow port mounts to lag screws in wall
brackets. I installed the rail brackets on it to swing freely. studs. The lag screws are spaced
the front edge of each arm, as in The top slot of the arm engages 30" on center vertically. Just make
Figure 2. You’ll need to hold off the upper bolt. Slip the arm into sure to mount them high enough
installing the keeper plate until place and attach the keeper plate to provide clearance for your saw
after the sides are completed. at the top end of the arm. at the bottom of the rack.

32 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_032.indd 32 11/10/2011 1:47:49 PM

 #/8"-16 x 3!/2"
HEX BOLT W/LOCK NUT
FIGURE
I spaced the two supports 64"
apart, center-to-center so the sec-
3
ond support would also be on a
wall stud. Whatever spacing you a. 1
use, you’ll want to have the sup-
3
ports mounted before moving on SIDE
!/8 (#/4" x 5!/2" - 31!/2")
to making the rails. B
Two Long Rails. The 80" rails 1

are made from 2x4s. The lower 3

1!/2 #/8
rail has additional cleats to sup-
#/8" -DIA. #/8
port the workpiece. Figure 4 pro- THROUGH HOLE
vides the details.
You’ll need to measure the MOUNTING #/4
BRACKET
horizontal distance between the (1!/2" x 3" - !/8" Alum.)
CL #/8
slots in the rail brackets on the
two supports you mounted on SIDE
BACK VIEW
the wall. This will help you locate !/8
the lag screws on the back of the
#/8" -DIA.
rails that engage the rail brackets. THROUGH 2!/4
HOLE
Cutting Guide. With the rails
in place, you can turn your atten- 1!/2 %/8 #/8" x 2!/2"

tion to the simple cutting guide

SIDE VIEW LAG SCREWS
ATTACHED TO STUDS
IN WALLS
(Figure 4 and Shop Short Cuts on
page 28). Just make sure to leave
the base extra wide so you can
trim it to final size with the saw
FIGURE
you’ll be using with the rack.
4 a. SIDE VIEW b. SIDE VIEW
The nice thing about the sim- NOTE: ADD
plicity of the guide is that you H GUIDE CLEAT
(#/4" x 2" - 14") CLEATS TO
BOTTOM RAIL
can use the opposite side with G !/8 ONLY
your router. This can come in
handy for cutting dadoes and F
RAIL
grooves in large workpieces. H #/8" x 1"
G GUIDE LAG
Using the Rack. The photos at GUIDE FENCE CLEAT SCREW
(!/2" x 2" - 49")
the bottom of page 31 show you
how to knock down the rack for NOTE: SEE SHOP
SHORT CUTS TO BUILD
storage. Just reverse the process NOTE: INSTALL CUTTING GUIDE
SUPPORTS SO
to make it ready for use. All you SLOTS ON RAIL
need to do is lift up on the arm to BRACKETS ARE ON
OUTSIDE OF ARM
disengage it from the lower bolt
then pivot the arm and let it drop C
RAIL
into the other slot. (1!/2" x 3!/2" - 80")
And there’s another great fea-
ture: You can install lag screws NOTE: CENTER
AND SPACE LAG
on other wall studs for custom SCREWS ON RAILS
TO FIT IN BRACKETS
placement of the supports. For
example, you could store one GUIDE BASE
(14" x 49" - !/4" Hdbd.)
stacked on top of the other. Or F
make a shorter rack with a pair of
shorter rails by spacing the sup- C
ports closer together. E
LONG CLEAT
You can see that after spending (#/4" x 1" - 32")
just a few hours in the shop, you 12
will have a compact and simple NOTE: CLEATS ARE
FASTENED WITH GLUE
cutting rack. The best part is, it AND #8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREWS
didn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
But it’s sure to pay off the next D
time you cut plywood. SHORT CLEAT
(#/4" x 1" - 12")

ShopNotes.com 33

s121_032.indd 33 11/9/2011 1:34:24 PM

 best-built jigs & fixtures

shop-made Accurate, yet easy-to-use is the name of

the game when it comes to the router

Router Lift
table. For me, that means adding a router
lift for fast, reliable bit-height control. But
commercial lifts can be costly and may
not work with every table.
The solution is the one you see above.
This full-featured lift provides all the
benefits of a commerical version, without
Maximize the performance of the cost. And its straightforward design
makes it simple to build.
your router table with this Basic materials and off-the-shelf hard-
ware are all you need to upgrade your
must-have, precision upgrade. router table in just one weekend.

34 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_034.indd 34 11/11/2011 4:27:52 PM

 LIFT MOUNTS
Exploded
DIRECTLY TO
INSERT PLATE View Details
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
73⁄8"D x 101⁄4"W x 131⁄4"H

COUPLING THREADED ROD

BITS CAN BE NUT
CHANGED FROM PROVIDES PRECISE
ABOVE THE TABLE CONTROL OF BIT
HEIGHT

CARRIAGE BLOCK
IS COUSTOM FIT
TO HOLD ROUTER
FIRMLY IN PLACE

SET SCREWS
ADJUST FIT OF
GUIDE TRACKS

CARRIAGE
BOLTS AND
KNOBS TIGHTEN
CARRIAGE BLOCK
TO LOCK ROUTER
FIRMLY IN PLACE

RUNNERS SLIDE
SMOOTHLY
WITHIN STURDY POSTS
BASEPLATE GUIDE TRACKS
SUPPORTS MINIMIZE
POSTS AND LIFT VIBRATION
SCREW

Materials & Hardware

ROUTER LIFT • (2) 3/4" Flat Washers
A Posts (2) 11/2 x 31/4 - 111/4 • (2) 3/4"-16 Lock Nuts
B Guide Tracks (2) 3/ x 13/ - 111/ • (1) 3/4"-16 x 21/4" Coupling Nut
4 8 8
C Baseplate (1) 5 /16 x 101/4 - 3/4 Ply.
9 • (1) 3/4" I.D. x 7/8" O.D. - 3/4" Bronze Bushing
D Runners (2) 3/ x 11/ - 5 • (4) 5/16" x 21/2" Lag Screws
4 8
E Main Block (1) 47/8 x 7 - 21/4 Ply. • (8) 5/16" Flat Washers
F Clamping Block (1) 21/2 x 7 - 21/4 Ply. • (2) 5/16" x 51/2" Carriage Bolts
• (4) #12 x 21/2" Fh Woodscrews
• (6) 3/8"-16 x 3/4" Set Screws • (2) 5/16" 3-Lobe Knob
• (1) 3/4"-16 x 2' Threaded Rod • (1) Router Table Insert Plate { Precise Adjustments. Each full turn of the
lift screw adjusts the bit height 1⁄16".

ShopNotes.com 35

s121_034.indd 35 11/14/2011 12:14:41 PM

 POST
start with the 1
FIGURE
(1!/2" x 3!/4" - 11!/4")
A

Posts
SEE PAGE 29
The lift functions with your FOR MORE ON
router clamped in a carriage TAPPING
HOLES
block. This block then trav-
els between two posts that are
attached to a baseplate. A lift
CL
screw secured at the baseplate B
adjusts the bit height. A
I used the posts to position
the carriage block on the lift, so
I’ll start you out there. Making
the parts isn’t difficult, but I’ll
share a few construction tips to CL
guarantee success.

POSTS & GUIDE TRACKS

#/8"-16 x #/4"
You start making the posts by SET SCREW
B
ripping two blanks to final width GUIDE TRACK
(#/4" x 1#/8" - 11!/8")
and rough length. I used maple
for strength and stability. And
it’s important that the posts are 1 ADJUST SET SCREWS
straight and square. So be sure to SO GUIDE TRACK IS FLUSH
WITH EDGE
check for this before moving on. 1#/8
A centered groove is cut along
the inside face of each post to against the guide tracks that fit &/8 B
hold a guide track. A dado blade inside the centered grooves in the POST
is your best option for this. Once posts. To allow room for adjust-
you’ve cut the groove, the posts ment, I cut the tracks 1⁄8" shorter
can be cut to final length. The than the posts. TOP VIEW
outside edges of each post can be After ripping them to width,
cleaned up with a roundover bit sand the edges of each track so Then apply a light coat of paraffin
at the router table. they fit snugly within the grooves wax to each groove. Now you
Set screws are used to adjust while still allowing for move- can adjust the set screws so that
the fit of the router in the lift. ment. The inside face of the track the tracks sit flush with the posts
These screws fit inside tapped has a centered V-groove that holds (Figure 1, Top View). This will
holes drilled through the posts. the runner. Figures 2 & 2a below help later during assembly.
For more information on how to show you how to cut this groove.
make these holes, refer to Shop To ensure that the router trav- BASEPLATE & LIFT SCREW
Short Cuts on page 29. els smoothly along the length As I mentioned earlier, the posts
Guide Tracks. You can see in of the lift, sand the V-grooves are attached to a baseplate that
Figure 1 that the set screws bear smooth with 320-grit sandpaper. also secures the lift screw. The
baseplate is just a piece of 3⁄4"
2 a.
plywood cut to shape. For added
stability, I used Baltic birch.
PUSH
BLOCK PUSH END You’ll notice that the baseplate
BLOCK VIEW is not a simple rectangle. Instead,
%/16
B it has two angled cuts on one edge
NOTE:
SAW BLADE that meet at the centerline of the
SHOULD TILT FENCE GUIDE TRACK
AWAY FROM base’s length. This helps to maxi-
FENCE
#/8 mize the size of the router the lift
can hold, while keeping the lift
NOTE: TILT GUIDE
BLADE 45° TRACK WASTE
screw centered between the posts.
In order to do this, the lift
needs to be mounted at an angle

36 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_036.indd 36 11/14/2011 9:21:30 AM

 FIGURE
NOTE: POSTS MUST
relative to the router insert plate.
And the angled cuts on the
3 BE SQUARE WITH
BASEPLATE AND PARALLEL
TO EACH OTHER
baseplate allow for clearance
when inserting the entire unit
into your router table. a.
Figure 3a at right shows the
details and hole locations for the !/2
baseplate. Most cuts can be made TOP VIEW
2#/4
at the table saw, though I used a BASE
3!/16 %/16"-DIA. PLATE
band saw for the angled cuts. HOLE
The posts are secured to the 4%/8
baseplate using screws. It’s CL &/8"-DIA.
HOLE
important when attaching the #/4
posts to make sure they’re square
to the baseplate and in line with
each other, otherwise the lift may
not operate smoothly. A couple of
spacer blocks placed between the
posts help here. Once the posts
are fastened in place, sand the #/4"-16
corners of the baseplate to match LOCK NUT
the roundovers on the posts.
Lift Screw. The router is raised BASEPLATE
and lowered by turning the lift (5(/16" x 10!/4" - #/4" Ply.)
screw. This is easily done with C
a socket wrench from above the
table. But in order for this to work, #/4" FLAT
WASHER
you’ll need to file a 1⁄2" hex head
#/4" x &/8" O.D. - #/4"
on one end of the threaded rod. BRONZE BUSHING
This process is fairly quick and
simple to do with a coarse file. %/16" FLAT
WASHER
The photos below show how. %/16" x 2!/2"
You only need to file the head
LAG SCREW b.
deep enough for your socket to POST
make a solid connection, about
1
90°
⁄2" or so. When you’re done, #/4"-16 x 13!/2"
you can insert the bushing in THREADED
ROD
the hole in the baseplate and BASE
PLATE
slide the rod through.

Trace & File FRONT VIEW

c. FRONT VIEW
BUSHING

BASE
PLATE

THREADED
ROD

{ Trace & File. Trace the outline of a 1⁄2" nut on the end of the
threaded rod. Then file straight down to create the hex head.
Clamp the rod in a vise with wood or leather jaws for a secure hold.

ShopNotes.com 37

s121_036.indd 37 11/14/2011 7:55:43 AM

 CLAMPING BLOCK NOTE: BLANK FOR MAIN
#/4"-16 x 2" (2!/2" x 7") BLOCK AND CLAMPING
FIGURE BLOCK CONSTRUCTED
4 COUPLING
NUT
F FROM THREE LAYERS OF
#/4" PLYWOOD

NOTE: THE BLANK FOR

THE CARRIAGE BLOCK
STARTS AT 7%/8" x 7"
D
RUNNER
(#/4" x 1!/8" - 5") &/8 TOP VIEW

%/16"-18 x 2!/2" 1%/8 CLAMPING

CARRIAGE BLOCK CL
BOLT 2!/2
!/2

!/2

%/16"-18
KNOB

E #/4 1&/8
#/4" USS MAIN BLOCK 2#/4 1!/4
WASHER (4&/8" x 7")
%/8

a. 4&/8 1!/4

E 3%/8
D TOP VIEW b. MAIN 1!/8"-DIA.
#/8 #/4 D BLOCK

1%/8
FRONT 1!/2
VIEW #/4
E F
!/2
3!/8

adding the The carriage assembly consists layers of 3⁄4" Baltic birch plywood.

Carriage
of a main block and a clamping This thick blank will ensure a
block. Two runners are glued to good, firm grip on the router
the main carriage block and fit once it’s mounted in the lift.

Assembly in the guide tracks you made

earlier. You can see how it all fits
together in Figure 4 above.
After trimming the blank to
overall size, you can cut a notch
on both edges of the blank for the
One of the nice features of this runners (see top view above). But
router lift is that it works with CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY before you can go any further,
almost any router. The router is The main block and clamping you’ll need to make and install
simply clamped in a traveling block are both cut from a single these runners.
carriage assembly. blank glued up out of three Runners. The two runners start
off as a long, extra-wide blank cut
5 CLAMP CARRIAGE
BLOCK IN PLACE
from 3⁄4"-thick hardwood. Next,
tilt your saw blade 45° and cut a
BETWEEN POSTS bevel on one edge of the blank.
Then, without moving the rip
fence, flip the workpiece end for
end and make a second bevel cut.
The result is a V-edge, centered
A on the thickness of the blank.
a. At this point you can return
the blade to 90°. After ripping the
blank to final width, cut the two
runners to length. Sand the bev-
COUPLING
NUT FENCE eled faces smooth, up to 320-grit.
Then apply a light coat of paraffin
CONNECT POINTS
wax so they’ll slide smoothly in
C
TO FIND CENTER the guide bars. Finally, bevel the
TRY
SQUARE
b. end of each runner at the band
saw and glue the runners into the

38 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_038.indd 38 11/14/2011 2:02:23 PM

 &/8" HOLE DRILLED AND
CHAMFERED TO ACCESS
FIGURE LIFT SCREW
notches in the carriage blank, as
shown in Figures 4a and 4b.
6 #12 x 2!/2"
COUPLING
NUT
Fh WOOD-
With the runners glued into SCREW
the carriage blank, the next order
of business is to lay out the loca-
tion of the hole for the lift screw. E
This location is pretty important, INSERT PLATE

so it’s best done by mounting the !/4" HOLES LIFT A

COUNTERSUNK SCREW
carriage block between the posts
and using the lift screw as a guide.
Thread the coupling nut onto the
end of the lift screw and outline
the nut to locate the centerpoint
of the hole. Figures 5, 5a, and 5b
on the bottom of the opposite C
page show you how.
After drilling the hole for the
lift screw, you can cut the main
and clamping blocks free from
a. FRONT VIEW
the blank and band saw both
pieces to final shape.
TOP VIEW
Clamp Bolt Holes. Drilling the
BASE
holes for the clamp bolts is a two- PLATE
step process at the drill press. I
used a 1"-dia. Forstner bit first
to drill a counterbore. Then I
drilled the through hole with a
5⁄ "-dia. twist bit (see Top View
16
in Figure 4 on opposite page).
The drill press fence and a stop
block helps with positioning. LIFT
NOTE: KEEP SCREW
The last step is to add the cou- POSTS PARALLEL
WHEN MARKING NOTE: TIGHEN
pling nut to the main block. I filed LOCATION ON NUTS SO LIFT SCREW
INSERT PLATE IS BELOW INSERT NOTE: CENTER ROUTER
the corners of the nut slightly to PLATE SURFACE IN INSERT OPENING
allow it to fit into the hole, then
secured it in place with epoxy.
Fine-Tuning
MOUNT THE LIFT
With the lift complete, you can The set screws on each post
mount your router in the car- adjust the fit of the run-
riage assembly and use it to posi- ners on the guide tracks.
tion the lift on the insert plate. I The goal is for the carriage
turned the lift upside down over block and router to travel
the insert plate to do this. smoothly without binding
Start by centering your router or being too loose.
in the insert plate opening, then Make small adjustments
rotate the plate so that the angled and turn all three screws
cut on the lift’s baseplate is paral- the same amount on each
lel to the edge of the insert plate post. This will help keep
(Top View in Figure 6). the guide tracks parallel.
Mark the location of the posts After each adjustment turn
and the lift screw on the bottom the lift screw to check for
side of the insert plate. After you smooth travel.
drill the mounting holes for the For best results, alternate
posts and the access hole for the posts when making adjust-
lift screw, you can attach the lift ments so that the router
to the insert plate and start put- stays centered within the Left side Right side
ting your new lift to use. insert plate opening.

ShopNotes.com 39

s121_038.indd 39 11/14/2011 12:13:19 PM

 HANDS-ON
Technique
tight-fitting
Hybrid
Dovetails
Get perfect joinery
when you combine a
little hand tool work with the
accuracy of your router.
I admire the skill it takes to make cutting the mating pin piece. Let There’s one other piece to the
hand-cut dovetail joints. The me explain the process. router setup. To rout the ends of
ability to create any size dovetail Choose Your Bit. The first step the tail pieces, I used a backer
and space them for a unique look is to choose the dovetail bit for board with a tall fence to support
is one of the main attractions. your router. The size and angle of the workpiece. This fence rides
But there’s a way to get a the bit determines the final shape against the router fence.
hand-cut look in less time. To of the dovetails. For the dovetails Make a Gauge. Now for the
get strong, gap-free joints, I let shown here, I used a 1⁄2"-dia., 14° creative part. To determine the
my router do half the work. A bit (margin photo at left). final look for the dovetails, I
router will cut consistent dove- Setup. With the bit mounted experiment using a piece of hard-
tails with crisp, clean edges every in your router table, set the depth board cut to the same width as
time. The dovetails then become using one of the pin pieces , as the workpieces. It’s easy to rout
} Bit Choice. the template for laying out and shown in the lower left photo. the blank at the router table.
You can use any
dovetail bit for
creating great-
looking joinery.

{ Setting the Depth. Use one of the pin pieces { Two for One. Making a simple gauge from
as a gauge to set the height of the dovetail bit for hardboard helps in setting your marking gauge
routing clean, crisp dovetails. and makes a handy layout gauge for the tails.

40 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_040.indd 40 11/11/2011 8:34:41 AM

 { Pin Layout. The routed dovetails are the template
for laying out the sides of the pins. Scribe lines down
to the baseline as shown below.

{ Quick Dovetails. Use layout

lines (inset) to position the fence
for removing the waste.

Once you have a layout you

like, use the template for laying { Ready to Cut. Defining the
out the dovetails on the work- cut lines and marking the waste
pieces (inset photo above). You helps when sawing the pins.
can also use it to set a marking
gauge to score the base of the sharp marking knife for this task. the bottom of each pin for clean
pins on the pin piece. You can see It helps define the edges for crisp corners and tight joint lines.
this line in the upper right photo. joint lines. After marking the end Sharp Chisels Do the Work.
Cutting the Tails. The gauge of the workpiece, use a square to Removing the bulk of the waste
(or your marked workpiece) is lay out the faces of each pin and between the pins is an easy task
used to locate the fence to remove mark the waste with an “X,” as with a razor-sharp chisel. Use the
the waste. To cut the “half tail” at shown on the right. scored lines to register the chisel
each edge, simply flip the work- Cut to the Line. With the before tapping with a mallet.
piece between cuts. Then rout layout lines to guide you, use a This process is best done in
} Fine-Tuned.
out the waste between the dove- dovetail saw or back saw to cut small steps. Define the bottom of
Careful cutting and
tails, as in the left photo above. the sides of the pins. You’ll cut the pins with some vertical taps,
fitting yields a joint
Pin Layout. The dovetails on the waste side of the lines to as in the lower left photo. Then
you can be proud
become your template for laying define the size of each pin (near work from the end to remove
to show off.
out the pins, as you can see in the right photo above). Use care to a thin section. Your scored line
inset photo above. I like to use a cut just to the scored baseline at should help break the chip
cleanly so it pops out freely.
Repeat this process until you’re
halfway through the thickness
of the workpiece. Then flip the
workpiece over to remove the
waste from the opposite side. Just
be careful not to break away the
fragile corners of the pins.
Test Fitting. The moment of
truth comes when you try to fit
the joint together. It should only
require light taps. Too much
force can split the narrow pins
{ Chisel Away the Waste. Start by defining the baseline of the pins on the edges. Lightly pare away
using the scored lines to position the chisel. Pop away thin chips any tight spots until the joint fits
by working from the end. Flip the workpiece to complete the job. snugly, as you can see at right.

ShopNotes.com 41

s121_040.indd 41 11/11/2011 8:35:02 AM

 IN THE Shop

pure
Oil Finishes
These three simple, traditional finishes combine
great looks with easy application.
The warm, “in-the-wood” look aren’t perfect. Their main draw- In a nutshell, here’s how to
and silky feel of a timeless oil fin- back is durability. An oil finish apply an oil finish. For the first
ish makes it an attractive option doesn’t form a film, so it doesn’t coat, flood the surface with oil
for many woodworkers. A sim- stand up well on heavily used and let it soak in well. After 20-30
ple application process that’s surfaces like a dining table. minutes, wipe off any excess.
nearly impossible to mess up Application. An oil finish may For the following coats, I rub in
clinches the deal. also take longer to apply than a thin layer of oil and then wipe
If all this sounds ideal to you, some other types. Oils, by nature, off the excess. When it’s com-
take a look at these three types dry slowly, so you can usually pletely dry (about a day or two),
of pure oil finishes. Then you’ll apply only one coat per day. (In the project is ready.
learn how to take advantage of cool, damp conditions, you may Finally, a safety note: Make
their unique benefits. need to wait two days.) I recom- sure to spread out oily rags and
Precautions. Now, don’t get mend four to five coats for the allow them to dry fully to prevent
me wrong. Classic oil finishes best look and greatest protection. spontaneous combustion.

LINSEED OIL
Any d discussion of oil finishes usually begins with PROS:
boiled linseed oil. This finish has been in use for
• Imparts warm amber color
hundreds
hundr of years. Its main advantage is that it
on medium-colored wood
gives wood a warm, amber color. Best of all, boiled
• Enhances figure in wood
linseed
linsee oil is inexpensive, and you can find it in
• Inexpensive
almost
almos any hardware store or home center.
• Easy to find
The oil is pressed from the seeds of the flax plant.
And it i isn’t boiled. In the past, the oil was heated so CONS:
that it would dry quicker and harder. Now, chemi-
• Softest finish
cal drying
dr agents are added to speed the process.
• Finish yellows over time
It typ
typically has a thicker consistency (like maple
• Not very moisture resistant
syrup)
syrup than the other oils mentioned here.
• Can encourage mold &
Over
Ove time, boiled linseed oil will yellow, especially
mildew growth in damp
on light
ligh woods like maple. So I find that you get the conditions
best effect
ef on medium- to dark-colored wood.

42 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_042.indd 42 11/11/2011 2:42:48 PM

 TUNG OIL
Finis
Finishing products always seem to have a little PROS:
mystery
mys surrounding them. That’s especially true
• Dries harder than boiled
with tung oil. There are a few products on the mar-
linseed oil
ket called
c “Tung Oil Finish” or “Tung Oil Varnish.”
• Creates thicker “film” in
The truth is they have little or no actual tung oil in fewer coats
them.
them The easiest way to find “true” tung oil is to • Won’t yellow lighter wood
look for it on the label. Several specialty makers
produce
prod “100%” or “Pure Tung Oil.” CONS:
Tung
Tu oil does have some advantages. As you can
• Dries slowly
see in
i the photo, it’s lighter in color, so it works bet-
• More expensive
ter on
o lighter-toned wood than boiled linseed oil. It
• Often gets confused with
also doesn’t yellow with age.
wiping varnish
Tung
Tu oil also dries harder than linseed oil. That
• Lacks warm, amber tone of
means
mea you end up with a finish that “builds up” boiled linseed oil
faster
faste and is more water-resistant.

WALNUT OIL
Of all the pure oil finishes, walnut oil is the least com- PROS:
mon. BuBut I include it here because it’s a great “natu-
• No chemical additives
ral” finish
nis that doesn’t have any chemicals added to
• Great for toys, food bowls,
the oil. Some
S people like it for kitchen items and toys.
and eating utensils
There are two types of walnut oil finish available.
• Lightest color
One is simply
s pure walnut oil that you find at the
grocery store. It’s usually used for making salad
dressing.
dressing The other type is the one shown here. CONS:
(Turn to page 51 for sources.) This brand has been
• Most expensive
heat-treated
heat-trea to speed the drying time and create a
• Hard to find
more durable
du finish. If you want to thin this finish
• Not very durable
for greater
great penetration, I recommend citrus oil.
• Needs to be renewed often
When used on cutting boards, spoons, and bowls,
• Some people are allergic to
you’ll
y u’ll need
yo ne to renew the finish from time to time by
walnuts
simply
si wiping
w on another coat.

quick
q ick & eas
easy
Hybrid
Finish
The traditional oil finish I
explained earlier looks beauti-
ful — it’s just time-consuming.
I’ve come up with a way to get
the look of a pure oil finish with
more durability and in less time.
The process starts by applying
a thin coat of oil on the workpiece
— just enough to give it a warm
color. Then wipe off any excess
until the surface feels dry. After { Shellac Sealer. Wipe on { Varnish Top Coat. To add { Buff It Out. Use
letting the oil set up for 30 min- a couple coats of shellac to sheen and increased durabil- #0000 steel wool to
utes, you can seal it and protect it seal the oil. Wait 10 to 15 min- ity, wipe on two to three coats rub out the finish to
with shellac and varnish. Simply utes between each coat. Then of a fast-drying varnish. You can a satin sheen once
follow the steps at right. sand the surface smooth. add a coat every two hours. the last coat dries.

ShopNotes.com 43

s121_042.indd 43 11/11/2011 2:43:05 PM

 SETTING UP Shop

one cool
Tool
Cabinet
Upgrade
A rolling tool cabinet can
be so much more than a
place to stash tools.

Rolling tools cabinets are usually these changes, this cabinet has
thought of as mechanics’ tool- become kind of a “secondary
boxes. They’re home to socket workbench” in the shop when
sets and wrenches, and they work spills over from my main
seem to belong in a garage rather workbench. Here’s a quick look
than a woodworking shop. at all of the upgrades. { Before & After. A few easy
With a few simple upgrades, upgrades turned this forgotten
though, a rolling tool cabinet can TOP IT OFF cabinet into a handy workbench.
be a much more useful fixture If you have a rolling cabinet like
in your shop. In fact, thanks to the one shown in the inset photo piece in place. (Of course, you can
above, you may have found that also glue up your own panels for
the top collects all kinds of cast- the top if desired.)
off tools. So why not add a real Attach the Top. Attaching this
BACKSTOP worksurface to the cabinet and top to the cabinet requires a pair
(1" x 7" x 33 !/4")
make it a more useful work area? of cleats. Cut the cleats to size,
Pre-Glued Panel. At a local and lay them in place in the open-
TOP home center, I purchased a 1"- ing on the top of the cabinet. Then
(1" x 20" x 33 !/4")
thick glued-up panel that was add double-sided tape to the top
CLEAT
(1" x 2" x 26 !/4") made from pine boards. The of each cleat, and carefully posi-
panel was a little larger than tion the top (drawing at left).
what I needed to make the top Next, remove the top panel,
of this cabinet, so I crosscut it to position it upside down, and
1!/2" SHEET length on the table saw. drive screws through the cleats
METAL #8 x 1!/2" Fh
SCREW WOODSCREW Then you can rip it to width and into the underside of the top.
NOTE: and use the waste portion to Now place the whole assembly
SIZE AND make a backstop for the cabinet. back onto the cabinet, pre-drill
POSITION OF
CLEATS WILL BE Just glue and clamp the backstop holes in the steel lip for screws,
DETERMINED
BY CABINET
TYPE
44 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_044.indd 44 11/11/2011 10:08:38 AM

 { Hanging Storage Plus Power. Magnetic tool { Better Bins. These inexpensive plastic bins fit { Divider Detail.
bars simply stick to the cabinet side to hold steel snugly into the drawers of the cabinet. This allows These bins have a
tools. A power strips mounts under the benchtop. you to organize hardware efficiently. tendency to slide
around. Fix that by
and drive screws into the cleats when you open and close the photo on the opposite page. A adding hardboard
(see drawing on opposite page). drawers. To solve that problem, power strip added to the under- stops between
I ripped strips of 1⁄4" hardboard side of the top is great for plug- each row of bins.
ADDING FUNCTION and crosscut them to fit inside ging in power tools (above left).
You can always use an extra vise the drawers. Then attach them Perfect Pegboard. The other
around the shop. A light-duty to the bottom of the drawer with side of the cabinet is a perfect
vise from Lee Valley (see photo double-sided tape. Now the bins place to install pegboard for
below) is an easy, inexpensive have a “stop” that holds them in more tool storage (main photo,
addition. The vise just clamps to position to keep the drawers tidy. opposite page). Here, just attach
the edge of the worksurface when Side Storage. I added a couple a couple wood cleats to the side
you need an extra hand. of handy storage solutions to of the cabinet with construction
Divide the Drawers. The large, the sides of the cabinet, as well. adhesive and sheet metal screws.
wide drawers of a tool cabinet can On one side, just slap on a pair That creates a space behind the
get cluttered, so this upgrade pro- of magnetic tool bars. These are pegboard for inserting hooks.
vides a chance to organize them. great for storing all kinds of hand Once you cut the pegboard
Inexpensive bins from Akro-Mils tools, from screwdrivers to chisels panel to size, you can secure it
are the perfect solution. They fit to drill and router bits. You’ll also to the cleats with screws. Now
inside the drawers to easily con- notice a longer magnetic tool bar you’re ready to load up the cabi-
tain smaller tools and hardware on the backstop, too, in the main net and get to work.
(see the photo above right).
The only problem with these
bins is they often slide around make it a
Tool Station
It can often be difficult to find shop space
for all your benchtop power tools. If that’s
the case in your shop, simply outfit the
top of a rolling tool cabinet with a tool
such as a drill press, mortising machine,
or miter saw (see the photo at right).
Our cabinet had a 1" gap between the
solid-wood top and the top of the cabi-
net, as you can see in the illustration
shown on the opposite page. That extra
space makes it easy to bolt a power tool
securely to the wood top. Then, you can
{ Handy Vise. This light-duty use the storage you added to the top and { Tool Station. Need an extra place to
vise just clamps in place. The sides of the tool cabinet to keep all of the mount a benchtop tool in your shop?
jaws are scraps from the top. tool’s accessories close at hand. Just bolt it right to the wood top.

ShopNotes.com 45

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 MASTERING THE
Table Saw

Here are a few

tips and tricks
to clear the air
in your shop
when using this
workhorse tool.

quick & easy

Dust Collection
When it comes to dust-making clouds of fine dust. Besides being These handy tips can quickly
power tools, my table saw is a nuisance, dust poses a health improve the dust-collection capa-
probably the biggest culprit. risk. And it attracts moisture bilities of your table saw without
Depending on the type of cut, wherever it settles, which can spending a lot of money.
the saw will produce everything cause rust to form.
from a pile of coarse shavings to To make matters worse, the SEAL IT OFF
large openings and gaps found Before you can collect the dust
in table saws make corralling and chips, you need to keep them
the dust and chips a challenge. from escaping through every
crack and crevice in your table
saw. In addition, closing off the
openings can improve the effi-
ciency of your dust collector.
Close the Back Door. The
best places to start sealing are the
large openings. For a contractor-
style table saw, that means the
big opening in the back of the
cabinet. Since the motor, belt,
and blade guard extend from the
back, closing it off isn’t easy.
{ Seal the Slot. Stick a sheet of adhesive foam { Fill the Gap. Cut foam pipe My solution is shown in the
to the inside of the saw cabinet. A slit allows the insulation to close the gap main photo above. I cut a 1⁄4" ply-
blade to tilt to any angle. between the table and cabinet. wood panel to size. At the band

46 ShopNotes No. 121

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 saw, I cut notches and openings
to wrap around anything in the
way. The panel is held in place
with strong rare-earth magnets
recessed in each corner.
This panel only works for cuts
when the blade is 90° to the saw
table — which accounts for most
of the cuts that I make. Tilting
the blade changes the location
of the motor and belt. So for the
rare times I make these cuts, I just
take the panel off.
Seal The Gaps. Once the large
openings are taken care of, you
can look for smaller gaps. One is
shown in the lower left photo on
the opposite page. { Easy to Install. The plastic hood (right)
The blade height wheel of the rests on the top of the table saw stand. A
table saw rides in a curved slot 4"-dia. hose fitting lets you connect your dust
st
to follow the blade tilt. To nar- collector to pull out dust and chips.
row the opening, you can apply a
sheet of self-adhesive foam to the You still need a way to get them dust-collection
tion hose.
inside. A slit in the foam allows out of your saw. (You can find sources
the mechanism to move. (You Table Saw Hood. There’s for the hoodood on page
can find the foam sheets at an another large opening found on 51.) The box x below shows a
office-supply store.) contractor and benchtop table simple alternative
rnative if you don’t
One final gap to close is where saws I haven’t mentioned, up have a dustt collector.
the saw cabinet joins the table, as until now. And that’s the one at Blade Cover. Finally, since
in the lower right photo on the the bottom of the saw cabinet. dust and debris are created at
opposite page. To close off these Out on a job site, dust and chips the saw blade, it makes sense to
narrow, irregular openings, I use can simply fall to the ground collect it right at the source. The
foam pipe insulation and backer — no big deal. In the shop, this lower left photo shows how to
rod. These are easy to cut to isn’t the best option. The photos do this with a shop vacuum.
length and stuff in place. above show a better way. You At least one of these low-cost
can buy an inexpensive plastic solutions is sure to reduce the
COLLECTING DUST hood that rests inside the saw amount of dust in your shop.
Closing up openings and gaps cabinet. A fitting in the middle And it will make the time you
only contains the dust and chips. allows you to connect a 4"-dia. spend there more enjoyable.

no collector?
Try a Bag
It can be tough to fit a stand-alone
dust collector in small shops. But
that doesn’t mean you need to
settle for coating your shop with
a layer of dust every time you use
your table saw.
After taking the steps I men-
tioned in the article, you can add
the canvas dust bag shown here.
Now the dust created by the saw { Snap On, Snap Off. The
{ Blade Cover. A reducer fitting installed in the top simply falls into the bag. When collector bag attaches to the saw
of the blade guard lets you attach the hose from it’s full, you can remove it and with metal snaps you screw to
your shop vacuum. A wood spacer seals the front. dump the sawdust in the trash. the table saw stand.

ShopNotes.com 47

s121_046.indd 47 11/14/2011 1:43:11 PM

 GREAT
Gear

spray
Adhesives
Find out what’s new and what you need to know
about these handy shop adhesives.
Along with the various types of out and talk about choosing and made for it. From wood to paper
wood glue stored on the shelf in using spray adhesives in general. to cloth and foam, it’s not hard
my shop, I usually have a can or Convenience. Spray adhe- to ensure a good bond with the
two of spray adhesive. Nothing sives are pretty versatile. For proper adhesive.
beats its speed and ease for fas- spreading a thin film of adhesive Light or Heavy Duty. You also
tening paper templates, gluing over a wide area, nothing beats have plenty of choices when it
up layers of plywood, and a host an aerosol can. It’s quick and comes to the strength of the adhe-
of other useful shop tasks. easy to apply an even film over sive. Some are designed for tem-
I found out that 3M is making the materials to be bonded. porary bonding, like attaching a
low-VOC (volatile organic com- Range of Materials. That pattern (main photo). Others are
pounds) versions of some of their brings me to my next point: for more permanent applications.
classic spray adhesives. I thought No matter what you’re bond- Part of the strength of a spray
it would be a good time try them ing, there’s likely a formulation adhesive comes from the manner

< Classic Adhesives.

These
T old standbys
are
a available at
hardware
h stores and
home
h centers.

{ Special Nozzle. Some 3M { Volume. Plus, you can adjust

products feature a unique, the spray pattern from a narrow
adjustable nozzle. (low) to wide fan (high).

448 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_048.indd 48 11/10/2011 12:50:37 PM

 { Variety of Shop Uses. For wood-to-wood bonds, { Laminating. High-strength
3M’s 77 adhesive is a good, all-around adhesive. It’s adhesives are best for applying
the one I keep on hand for a wide range of shop uses. plastic laminate to a substrate.

in which it’s applied. It pays to Plastic Laminate. Another vary the width of the spray from
read the instructions on the can. common use is applying plastic a narrow to a wide fan.
With some types of adhesives, a laminate to a substrate like ply- There’s another tip I’d like
temporary bond can be formed wood (upper right photo). There to pass along. It’s best to wipe
by spraying only one surface are adhesives designed specifi- the nozzle clean after every use.
to be bonded. For permanent cally for this application, but I’ve Bits of adhesive can quickly dry
bonds, you need to apply a film also had good success with gen- on the nozzle or, worse yet, par-
to both surfaces, let it tack up eral-purpose spray adhesives. tially plug it, resulting in a mess
and dry a bit, then bring them Foams & Cloth. For bonding the next time you spray. And for
together. But be careful — once foams and cloth material, you those times when you need to
the items touch, there’s usually need an adhesive that won’t soak clean up overspray or mistakes,
no chance of repositioning them. through. In the photo below, I’m see the box below.
Uses. The photos on this page lining a drawer with felt applied Greener Products. As I men-
show you a few of the uses for to a cardboard backing. tioned up front, low-VOC ver-
spray adhesive in the shop. At Special Nozzle. While I’m sions of spray adhesives from
the upper left, you can see how I talking about applying spray 3M are better for the environ-
laminated two pieces of plywood adhesives, there’s something else ment. The great part is they offer
to create a thick top for a router I want to point out. Some 3M the same strength benefits as the
table. I sprayed a thin coat of adhesives have a special nozzle, older formulations with a lon-
adhesive on each piece, let it dry, as you can see in the lower pho- ger tack time. You’ll be able to
then pressed the plywood pieces tos on the opposite page. You can find them at local distributors by
together. Using a mallet with a rotate the tip to adjust the fan- going online to 3m.com/adhesives
hardwood block helps ensure a shaped spray pattern from hori- and clicking on the link that says,
good bond between the parts. zontal to vertical. You can also “Where to Buy.”

adhesive
Remover
There’s no doubt that spray adhesives
can be messy. After all, it’s like spraying
sticky rubber. And forget about trying to
wipe it off. Unless you invest in a can of adhesive
remover, as shown above, it’s there to stay.
The adhesive remover works by softening the
adhesive, so you can scrape or wipe it off with a
cloth. Simply spray it on, give it a few minutes to
work its magic, then wipe it clean. For heavy adhe-
sive films, you may need a second application.
{ Designed for Cloth. This specially formulated spray And there’s something else I’d like to mention:
adhesive won’t soak through cloth. Simply spray each With all of the spray products mentioned here, you
surface and let it dry before bonding. should make sure to have plenty of ventilation.

ShopNotes.com 49

s121_048.indd 49 11/10/2011 12:51:13 PM

 questions from
Our Readers

eliminate
Vise
Racking Vise Block. The stepped block on the right
balances the clamping force to provide a secure
The vise on my workbench closes unevenly. Now it grip to a workpiece clamped on the other side.
doesn’t have a secure grip and the workpiece slips.
Is there anything I can do to fix it?
Joe Smith things you can do to resolve the you to get a secure grip on a
Austin, Texas problem and then prevent it. workpiece without having to
The Mechanism. First, check bear down on the vise handle. So
The problem you describe is to see if the mounting screws are as you fine-tune the shape of the
called racking. It may be the loose. If they are, realign the vise jaw, it should taper slightly from
result of improper alignment of and tighten the screws securely. top to bottom.
the vise or by repeatedly clamp- If your vise has a metal rear Prevention. Once you have the
ing workpieces on the same side jaw, you can loosen the mounting problem fixed, there are a few
of the vise. Over time, this can screws and slip shims behind it. simple things you can do to pre-
distort the position of the jaw so Your goal is to make sure the vise vent it from happening again.
it’s no longer square to the front holds the workpiece evenly across You shouldn’t need to crank
of the bench. There are some the front of the bench. Retighten down on a vise to hold some-
the screws and you’re done. thing securely. To improve the
Reshape the Jaw. A second, vise’s grip, you can line the jaws
and possibly simpler, option is to with leather. The cushioned sur-
adjust the shape of the front, slid- face gives a little and helps create
ing jaw on the vise so the jaws are a tight hold without a lot of pres-
parallel again. You can see how sure. As a side benefit, leather is
to do this in the left photo. less likely to mar a workpiece.
Start by using a compass to Another thing to do is make
scribe the front jaw so you know sure the clamping pressure is
how much material to remove. balanced across the whole width
Scribed Fit. Use this layout line as a guide to of the vise. You can see what I
Set a compass remove the waste from the jaw. mean in the upper photo. I made
to match the You can do this with a planer, belt a spacer block to keep the jaws
widest part of the sander, or even a hand plane. from distorting. The block has
gap. Mark the taper There’s something to keep in steps cut in it that match up with
on the vise jaw to use mind, though. You don’t want common workpiece thicknesses.
as a guide for reshaping the vise faces to close completely These simple tricks will give
the jaw. all at once. The mechanism of your vise a solid grip. And you
most vises is made to close along can keep your bench vise work-
the top edge first. This allows ing smoothly and reliably.

50 ShopNotes No. 121

s121_050.indd 50 11/10/2011 1:55:51 PM

 Sources MAIL
ORDER
SOURCES
Woodsmith Store
Most of the materials and sup- CASTERS (p.12) ROUTER LIFT (p.34) 800-444-7527
plies you’ll need to build the
projects are available at hard- • Rockler • Reid Supply
Rockler
ware stores or home centers. For 3" Polyurethane Casters . . 38865 3-Lobe Knob . . . . . . . . . . JCL-345 800-279-4441
specific products or hard-to-find Designer Wooden Caster . . 30705 rockler.com
• McMaster-Carr
items, take a look at the sources Workbench Caster Kit . . . . 43501 3⁄ "-16 Threaded Rod . 98957A813
4 3M Adhesives
listed here. You’ll find each part • Lowe’s Home Centers 3⁄ "-16 Coupling Nut . 90977A220
4 888-364-3577
number listed by the company 21⁄2" Fixed Caster . . . . . . . 146886 3⁄ "-16 Lock Nuts . . . . 90630A170
4 3m.com/adhesives
name. See the right margin for 4" Gray Caster w/ Brake . . . 4491 3⁄ " Flat Washers . . . . . 98029A036
4
contact information. 3⁄ " Bronze Bushing . . . 6391K258 Highland Woodworking
2" Swivel Stem Caster . . . 235485 4 800-241-6748
The Woodsmith Store in Des 3⁄ "-16 Set Screws . . . . 94105A614
8 highlandwoodworking.com
Moines, Iowa is an authorized • Northern Tool & Equipment
3" Swivel Steel Caster . . . 189243
Rockler dealer. They carry many OIL FINISHES (p.42) Lee Valley
of the hardware items used in our 800-871-8158

projects. And they ship nation- TOOL SHELF (p.14) • Woodcraft leevalley.com

wide. Their customer service rep- Walnut Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . 146022

• Lee Valley Lowe’s
resentatives are available for your 1⁄ " Knobs . . . . . . . . . . . 02W14.41
2 • Woodworker’s Supply 800-445-6937
lowes.com
calls from 8am – 5pm Central Tung Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 849-216
Time, Monday through Friday. INFILL HAND PLANE (p.18) McMaster-Carr
SETTING UP SHOP (p.44) 630-600-3600
ROUTER MORTISING BITS (p.8) • McMaster-Carr mcmaster.com
5⁄ " Steel Bar . . . . . . . . . 9517K17 • Lee Valley
32
• Rockler 5⁄ " Steel Bar . . . . . . . . . 9517K28
16 In-Line Vise. . . . . . . . . . . 60F06.01 Northern Tool
Spiral Mortising Bit . . . . . 82652 5⁄ "-dia. Steel Rod . . . . . 8893K23
32 13" Magnetic Bar . . . . . 99K45.01 800-221-0516
northerntool.com
24" Magnetic Bar . . . . . 99K45.03
WIRE WHEELS (p.10) • Lee Valley
17⁄8" Plane Iron . . . . . . . . 05P62.25 • Reid Supply Reid Supply
• McMaster-Carr 1⁄ " Magnet . . . . . . . . . . 99K31.03
2 Akro-Mils Bins . . . . . . . . . . Varies 800-253-0421
reidsupply.com
6" Carbon Steel Wheel . . 4840A26 1⁄ " Magnet Cup . . . . . . 99K32.53
2
21⁄2"-dia. Cup Brush . . . . . 4887A6 DUST CONTROL (p.46) Woodcraft
13⁄4"-dia. Cup Brush . . . . . 4887A1 LOG TO LUMBER (p.26) 800-225-1153
• Rockler woodcraft.com
• Lee Valley • Highland Woodworking 14" Table Saw Hood . . . . . . 88478
Knotted-Wire Wheels . . 09A01.74 Woodturner’s Saw Blade . . . Varies Less-Mess Collector Bag. . . 20465 Woodworker’s Supply
Cup Wire Wheels . . . . . 09A01.72 800-645-9292
woodworker.com
Wire Wheels & Arbors . 09A01.70
6" Extra-Fine Wheel . . 09A01.76

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ShopNotes.com 51

s121_050.indd 51 11/14/2011 9:32:09 AM

 C
Scenes from the Shop
Using a hand plane to put a glass-smooth
surface on a workpiece is even more satisfying
when it's done with a hand plane you made.
This great-looking infill plane is a joy to use and
the construction is straightforward. The detailed
instructions begin on page 18.

The unique cap screw for the infill plane

is made from a common machine screw
and a piece of steel. Find the step-by-step
instructions on page 23.

ShopNotes.com

s121_001_CDN.indd 52 11/11/2011 1:12:37 PM