w

3 bench jigs for

TAU N T
TOON’S
small parts, p. 65

Wedged tenon is
strong and stylish
Foolproof
tabletop finish
Sleek cabinet fits
under today’s TVs
TOOL TEST
Heavy-duty
plunge routers
Expert helps
3 readers refine
their designs

Oct. 2010 No. 214

U.S.
$8.99$7.99/ Canada $8.99

www.finewoodworking.com
READER SERVICE NO. 71
 Bob Van Dyke - Director

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READER SERVICE NO. 64 READER SERVICE NO. 77

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READER SERVICE NO. 68 READER SERVICE NO. 44

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 3

W contents
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 ISSUE 214
■

features
28 The Versatile Trestle Table
COVER Learn wedged-tenon joinery and design a table that suits your
STORY
needs

14
BY GARY ROGOWSKI

OVER-THE-FENCE
PUSH STICK 34 Heavy-Duty Plunge Routers
TOOL
TEST 3-hp routers make deeper cuts than mid-sized models,
and feel more solid in your hands

up front B Y G R E G O RY PAO L I N I

6 On the Web 40 Tabletop Finish With a Hand-Rubbed Feel

Brush on polyurethane for protection, then wipe on the final
8 Contributors coats for a silky surface
BY MARK SCHOFIELD
10 Letters
14 Methods of Work 46 Sleek Console Built for Today’s TVs
■ Push stick stands at the ready Low enough to fit under a flat screen, big enough to store
■ Set a plunge router to cut hinge piles of components and media
mortises B Y A N AT O L E B U R K I N
■ Jig holds burnisher at proper angle

18 Tools & Materials 54 Mitered Edging Made Easy

■ Vise hardware is a home run Most articles skip over this tricky process—until now
■ New blades for track-guided saws BY PETER SCHLEBECKER

24 Fundamentals
60 A Visit to the Design Doctor
Avoid shortcuts and do your finest work
Hank Gilpin has the answers for 3 frustrated furniture makers
B Y M AT T K E N N E Y

65 Make Short Work of Small Parts

21 GREAT BRUSHES FOR
WATER-BASED FINISHES
With bench hooks and hand tools, fitting fine pieces
is as easy as 1, 2, 3
B Y M AT T K E N N E Y

70 Secret to a Sheraton Leg?

Divide and Conquer
BY MARIO RODRIGUEZ

Cover photo: Michael Pekovich

 CONSOLE FOR
TODAY’S TVS 46 84 APPLIED
FRETWORK

34 HEAVY-DUTY
PLUNGE ROUTERS
in the back
76 Readers Gallery

80 Q & A
■ Use a long push stick when ripping
narrow boards
■ Use a bench chisel to square
mortise corners
■ Adding quarter columns
to case clocks

84 Master Class
Applied fretwork adds color and texture

88 Finish Line
6 finishing fixes

97 How They Did It

The back cover explained

Back Cover
Song of the Chainsaw

65
FITTING
SMALL PARTS

Pp
on the webTHIS MONTH ON FineWoodworking.com/extras
Visit our Web site to access free Web tie-ins, available July 31. While you’re there, don’t miss our collection
of free content, including tool reviews, an extensive project gallery, and must-read blogs.

What NOT Editor Asa Christiana

to Do
Art Director Michael Pekovich
Spot woodworking
blunders and boost Managing Editor Mark Schofield
your shop know-how
with our new game. Senior Editor Thomas McKenna

Associate Editors Steve Scott

Anissa Kapsales
Matthew Kenney
Patrick McCombe

Free eLetter Senior Copy/

e
Get free plans and mor Production Editor Elizabeth Healy
tter
by signing up for our eLe
m/
at FineWoodworking.co
newsletter. Associate Art Directors Kelly J. Dunton
John Tetreault

Administrative Assistant Betsy Engel

Shop Manager William Peck

VIDEO: Small Parts: Fast and Safe
Watch the saw hook and shooting board in action (“Make Contributing Editors Christian Becksvoort
Short Work of Small Parts,” p. 65) in an excerpt from our Garrett Hack
video series on box making. Roland Johnson
Steve Latta

Got Jigs? Consulting Editor Jonathan Binzen

Enter yours in a new contest for a chance to win a set
of Rockler Bench Cookies. Methods of Work Jim Richey

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6 FINE WOODWORKING
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READER SERVICE NO. 57
contributors
Anatole Burkin (“Sleek Console Built Advertising Director Peter Badeau
for Today’s TVs”) is addicted to horsepower. 203-304-3572
Roaring routers, motorcycles, and other pbadeau@taunton.com
weapons of auditory destruction fill his Senior National
garage. That might explain why his hearing Account Manager Linda Abbett
203-304-3538
is failing. However, lasers have improved his labbett@taunton.com
vision, he says, and he retains a keen sense Associate Account
of smell, all the better to hunt and gather new Manager Kimberly Parrilla
203-304-3590
varieties of small-batch bourbon. The former kparrilla@taunton.com
editor-in-chief of FWW, Burkin is vice president Advertising
of digital content for The Taunton Press. Sales Assistant Heather Sims
Director of
Advertising Marketing Kristen Lacey
Senior Marketing
Tim Coleman (Master Class: “Applied fretwork adds color and Manager, Advertising Karen Lutjen

texture”) failed woodshop in high school. “I loved woodworking, Marketing Associate Megan Kolakowski

but they weren’t doing anything interesting,” the Massachusetts Member Audit
resident says, “so I skipped class a lot.” He came back to the craft Bureau of Circulation
after college, when he heard a talk by James Krenov in 1986. “He Senior Consumer
completely changed my view of what woodworking was all about. Marketing Director Beth Reynolds, ProCirc
I was hooked for life.” To see his work, go to timothycoleman.com. Senior Consumer
Marketing Manager Melissa Robinson
Senior Manager
Not long ago, a film crew visited the Philadelphia Furniture Web Marketing Robert Harlow
Workshop to scout locations for a commercial with a woodworking Senior Online
theme. A crew member spied instructor Mario Rodriguez Product Manager Michael Stoltz

(“Secret to a Sheraton Leg? Divide and Conquer”) in his usual shop

attire (right). “That looks perfect!” the man enthused. “Is that a
costume?” Rodriguez laughs telling the story. But when it comes to
furniture making, he does more than just look the part.
Independent publishers since 1975
Founders, Paul & Jan Roman
Michael Miller (Finish Line: “6 finishing fixes”) has been a
President Suzanne Roman
professional wood finisher for 22 years, working initially for custom
EVP & CFO Timothy Rahr
cabinet shops, and traveling all over the country to touch up and
SVP & Chief
refinish pieces. Recently he started his own repair and touch-up Content Officer Paul Spring
business. His other interests include music and singing. His five SVP, Creative Susan Edelman
eldest daughters recently made their first commercial recordings SVP, Technology Jay Hartley
(living near Nashville, music is in the air). SVP, Operations Thomas Luxeder
SVP, Taunton Interactive Jason Revzon
Part of what makes Fine Woodworking great is that expert furniture VP, Digital Content Anatole Burkin
makers write the articles. But that doesn’t mean the editors don’t VP, Editorial Development Maria Taylor
have a good idea from time to time. Associate editor Matt Kenney VP, Single Copy Sales Jay Annis
(“Make Short Work of Small Parts”), a hand-tool devotee, likes to VP & Controller Wayne Reynolds
make cabinets with a lot of small drawers and boxes with fitted trays. VP, Finance Kathy Worth
A desire to keep his fingers led him to make and fit those little parts VP, Human Resources Carol Marotti
with hand tools and clever bench jigs. VP, Fulfillment Patricia Williamson
VP, Digital Marketing Nick Rozdilsky

We are a reader-written magazine. To Publishers of magazines, books, videos, and online

For more information on our contributors,
learn how to propose an article, go to Fine Woodworking • Fine Homebuilding
go to FineWoodworking.com/authors. Threads • Fine Gardening • Fine Cooking
FineWoodworking.com/submissions. www.taunton.com

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 9

letters
Air filters not as effective as claimed
I just received issue #213 and was
horrified by the article on air filters.

Spotlight
The second paragraph concludes with
the following: “Particles smaller than
1 micron are exhaled as you breathe
and are not considered a health hazard.”
ISSUE NO. 213 This statement should have fired off a
July/August 2010 warning bell. A simple Google search
p. 19 will be rewarded by thousands of results,
all of which contradict that sentence in
the article. Contrary to the statement that
READERS DIVIDED BY TABLESAW VERDICT such particles are harmless, it seems that
The huge judgment entered against Ryobi by a Massachusetts jury is ridiculous. The sub-micron particles cling to surfaces by
molecular adhesion. These tiny particles
user (Carlos Osorio) was operating the saw with no blade guard, splitter, or rip fence.
can be drawn far deeper into the lungs
Although Mr. Osorio may not have been aware of the dangers of these missing because they escape the gross filtration
safety devices due to his inexperience, that is not the fault of Ryobi (manufacturer systems provided by the human body, and
of the portable tablesaw being used) or One World Technologies (Ryobi’s parent may even be absorbed directly into the
blood stream and organs.
company). It is excessive to ask that all saws be equipped with flesh-sensing
—MI C H A E L J. V E N ABLE S , Santa Rosa, Calif.
technology. Well-made woodworking tools are costly enough, without adding a sensor
and brake mechanism that will increase the cost of the tool by hundreds of dollars. Your article about air filters was not clear
—CHERI HERSCHELL, ZELIENOPLE, PA. about the tolerable and safe level of
The validity and ethics of the major tool manufacturers not incorporating flesh- exposure to wood dust. After the testers
sawed, routed, and sanded wood for seven
sensing technology can, and should, be debated. But what’s amazing to me is
minutes, the best filters took eight additional
that One World’s lawyers were unable to sufficiently educate the jury on safe saw minutes to clear the air of dust, leaving up
operation to be able to demonstrate the ridiculousness of Mr. Osorio’s behavior. to 4 mg/m3 (milligrams per square meter)
—MICHAEL SINGER, Felton, Calif. of the most dangerous dust hanging in
As a retired hand surgeon and an active woodworker, I am interested in the air in the meantime. That is too much
exposure, according to most experts.
woodworking injuries from both a professional and a personal viewpoint. My article
After a brief Internet search, I found
on woodworking injuries in FWW #36 confirmed in a small study that the tablesaw a research article by the Ohio State
is the most dangerous tool in our shops. The study also confirmed that the majority, University Extension’s Department
if not all, of the injuries sustained on the tablesaw occurred when there was no of Food, Agricultural and Biological
Engineering, and learned the following:
guard in place.
“In 1985 OSHA was petitioned by the
It would seem that the solution would be to always use a guard. However, most of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and
us who are serious woodworkers will admit that we do not always use a standard Joiners of America of the AFL-CIO to create
guard because, in many tablesaw operations, there is no perfect guard. That is, a standard to protect workers from wood-
there wasn’t until SawStop founder Stephen Gass’s groundbreaking technology.
In my opinion, every manufacturer of saws should incorporate this technology. Assistant/Associate
Prevention is a better solution than the best surgery.
Editor wanted
—JEFF JUSTIS, Oxford, Miss. Fine Woodworking magazine seeks a
journalist with a passion for woodworking.
The bar has been raised! Instead of complaining about the legal system, we should You’ll be based in our Connecticut
be rejoicing that it has done what neither the legislators, public safety regulators, headquarters, but you’ll travel monthly to
visit talented furniture makers around the
industry trade groups, nor tablesaw manufacturers have done: Enforced the new country. Photography and video skills are
safety standard created by Mr. Gass’s incredible invention. Judging from the a plus. Go to http://careers.taunton.com
to apply. Attach a cover letter, resume, and
responses on FineWoodworking.com, the woodworking community is incensed by pictures of your woodworking projects and
shop space, if possible.

10 FINE WOODWORKING
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CT 06470-5506 www.woodschool.org Or online: pro.woodworker.com/fww20102
Tel: 203-426-8171 READER SERVICE NO. 74
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READER SERVICE NO. 56

September/OctOber 2010 11
letters continued

dust levels deemed unsafe by the union.

the decision. Responses invoke the right of all citizens to choose whatever type The union’s proposed standard for wood
of saw they desire. What is happening here is that a much greater level of safety dust set exposure limits at 1 mg/m3 for
protection has become available. Saws can now be manufactured that won’t cut off hardwoods and 5 mg/m3 for softwoods.
The Forest Industry contended that the
fingers. In the 1970s, seat belts became the new standard of safety for automobile
union’s request would cost wood products
manufacturers. Now they must include antilock brakes and antiskid technologies to manufacturers up to $1.5 billion per year
meet the 21st-century standard. and would ultimately reduce the number
Some woodworkers will say that if they cut off a finger, so be it; it is their right of manufacturers in the wood industry.
After reviewing the health evidence
to equip their shops as they will. This argument is specious, because serious
presented, OSHA’s finding was that a
injuries are costly not just to the injured, but to all of us. Much of the medical personal exposure limit of 1 mg/m3 for
and rehabilitation care administered to an injured woodworker comes from public hardwoods was not warranted. However,
funding and insurance company payments. These costly payments get shifted to the the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) has established
rest of us. The disabled woodworker may have to go on welfare to collect enough to
a recommended exposure limit for wood
pay his/her bills. Again this adds to the public debt. dust, all soft and hardwoods except
—HERB HEDEEN, Chicago western red cedar, of 1 mg/m3.”
Editor replies: This is a complex issue, and these responses leave out a few key I conclude that even with these air
facts. There are two main types of tablesaw injuries: kickback and hand-to-blade “cleaners,” a woodworker’s exposure to
dangerous dust will be over the limit.
contact. Recently, Underwriters Laboratory (UL) addressed the first hazard directly,
—MI C H AE L ME L KO N IAN , Charlotte, N.C.
and the other indirectly, by requiring that all new tablesaws include a European-
style riving knife that moves up and Editor replies: Both readers make good
Online Extra: How They Won down and angles with the blade, and points. We should not have stated that
Newly released court documents show how particles smaller than 1 micron are not
Carlos Osorio’s legal team managed to convince therefore can stay on the saw for
considered dangerous. We based that on
the jury and win this case. For details, go to almost all operations. Most of these
FineWoodworking.com/extras and click on an OSHA document, but our subsequent
Patrick McCombe’s blog. new riving knives are easy to remove research agrees with Mr. Venables’. The
when necessary, as are the blade test was sound, however, as the author’s
dust meter detected particles down to
covers attached to them. Therefore, they are much more likely to be used than
0.1 microns. As for the dust hanging in
the older splitters and covers, preventing kickback and reducing the incidences of the air, Mr. Melkonian is right that even
hand-to-blade contact. Every saw manufacturer has complied with the UL mandate, the best units left up to 3 mg/m3 in the
including SawStop. air for 10 or more minutes total, and
that most health authorities consider that
Last, aside from paying a higher initial price, a SawStop owner must also replace
to be unsafe. However, it is important to
the brake cartridge ($80) and the blade each time the device is triggered, which note that in order to throw a verifiable
can happen accidentally. Also, it is yet to be seen if the SawStop technology will be amount of dust into the air, we ran
feasible in a portable, job-site saw—the most popular type of tablesaw and the type our machines with no dust collection
in place. With proper dust collection, I
that Mr. Osorio was using.
expect that the ambient dust levels would
have been significantly lower.
Although the article did say up front
that dust collection is the first line of
defense, we should have pointed out that
not any dust collector will do. It should be
sufficiently powerful, well-designed, and
effectively connected to each machine and
other source of dust, with filtration down
to 0.5 microns or less. We recommend
that woodworkers spend their money
All new saws have riving knives. In our recent review of portable tablesaws (FWW #209), first on proper dust collection at the
the type Carlos Osorio was injured on, we found state-of-the-art riving knives and blade covers,
source, before considering an air filter for
designed to stay on the saw for most types of cuts, and come off in a snap when necessary.
mopping up any dust left in the air.

12 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: staff

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 13

methods of work E D I T E D A N D D R AW N B Y J I M R I C H E Y

Best Tip Push stick stands at the ready

At my small commercial shop, we
removed the factory tablesaw guard
and installed an over-arm blade guard Overarm
blade guard
for safety reasons. Even so, the battle
between the blade guard and rip Sled rests on wedge
Handle
fence becomes problematic the closer until end of stock
the two get. For narrow rips, we moves past finger.
found ourselves either removing the
guard or fighting with it.
Originally trained as To solve this problem, we
an engineer, Paul developed a push stick based on
Morrison spent 20 a sled that fits over the rip fence.
years behind a desk The unit has 3⁄4-in.-thick sacrificial
before pursuing plywood sides, with a 1⁄4-in.-long
his woodworking Relieved area
finger on the back edge to provide at front of sled
passion full-time. the push-through even on very thin
For his unique rips. When resting fully on the fence,
woodworking the finger just touches the table. In
business (thewood use, the unit pushes the stock both Finger
cycle.com), he and
down and forward.
his co-workers seek
The other side of the sled is the
out the ugliest logs
same but reversed, so the sled is
they can find and
ready to go regardless of which way
process them into
it is grabbed. A large door handle on
beautiful furniture
the top keeps your hand well clear
and art.
of the blade. The sled works for any
Wedge
ripcut, but it’s especially useful for
ripping narrow stock. For those jobs,
the side of the sled slides under the
guard, which rides up and over it.
The handle (and your hand) stays
clear to the right. If the sides get
chewed up by the blade, we simply
replace them.
Sled rides
To keep the sled handy but out of on top of rip
the way for 3⁄4-in. and thinner stock, fence.
we hot-glued a wedge to the top
front of the rip fence, and we curved
the leading edge of the sled to
provide 1 in. of clearance above the
table when the sled is resting on the
wedge. When pushing stock through A Reward for the Best Tip
the saw, the sled rests on the wedge Send your original tips to Methods of Work, Fine Woodworking,
until it is needed to push the tail end PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470, or email
through. For thicker stock, we simply fwmow@taunton.com. We pay for every tip we
publish; the best tip also wins a 12V
set the sled nearby until needed.
driver kit from Bosch (model
—PAUL MORRISON, Oregon, Wis. No. CLPK21-120).

14 FINE WOODWORKING
Quick way to set a plunge router
to cut hinge mortises
STEP 1
While reading the April 2010 issue (FWW #211), I Lower the bit until it
noticed how Doug Stowe set his router bit to the touches the surface,
then engage the
correct depth to cut a hinge mortise. Here’s another plunge lock.
way that’s quick and accurate. It works on a plunge
router equipped with a depth gauge. Plunge
First, chuck the bit in the router. Place the router lock
on the workpiece and plunge the bit until it just
touches the surface. Engage the plunge lock. Next, Router bit
place a corner of the hinge on top of the depth-
gauge stop and lower the depth-gauge rod on top
of it. While firmly holding the rod down with finger
pressure, lock the rod securely with the thumbscrew. Depth-gauge
stop
Now you can release the plunge lock and set the
hinge aside. The router is now set to cut a mortise
to the exact thickness of the hinge.
This same basic technique, combined with a feeler
STEP 2
gauge, can be used to add or subtract a bit of depth.
Place the corner of the
To set the hinge proud of the surface, place a feeler hinge on the depth-
gauge on the workpiece before lowering the bit gauge stop, lower the
to the surface. To set the hinge slightly below the depth-gauge rod, and
lock it down.
surface, place the feeler gauge on top of the hinge
before setting the router’s depth-gauge rod. Depth-
gauge rod
—MICHAEL E. TAYLOR, St. Thomas, Pa.

Hinge

Quick Tip
I don’t have running
water in my basement
No-pinch vise handle
shop, but I often have a
need for the wet stuff. My bench vise is a substantial cast-
So, for about $3, I bought iron model with a beefy metal
an empty 32-oz. plastic handle. When the handle
spray bottle at my local drops vertically, it is not only
hardware store and filled noisy but also painful if your
it with water. With the fingers are in the way. After
spray bottle within easy pinching my fingers one
reach of my workbench, time too many, I softened
along with a roll of paper the impact by wrapping the
towels, I can easily ends of the bar with rubber
give my hands a quick bands. It works great.
wash. Plus it’s handy for Cast-iron vise —OZZIE TATONE , Dundas, Ont.,
wiping up excess glue Canada
and keeping my safety
glasses clean and Rubber bands around
dust-free. base of handle
— T O M B E G N A L , Kent, Conn.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 15

methods of work continued

No-fuss jig dials in caliper settings while turning Remove triangle to set
Any turner will tell you that turning a spindle requires outside measurements.
5 in.
lots of caliper settings. To ease this process, I came
up with this double-duty V-gauge.
To make the gauge, cut an isosceles triangle 10 in. Hanging hole
(10 in. tall with a 5-in. base) from 1⁄4-in.-thick
hardboard. Rest the triangle on another piece
of 1⁄4-in.-thick hardboard, and glue and nail two Finger access to
3⁄4-in.-thick scrap strips of MDF or plywood, remove triangle

one on each side of the triangle. After

the glue dries, cut the gauge to the
rectangular shape, as shown.
Next, draw lines across the triangle
¾-in. MDF
to designate different widths in steps of or plywood
1⁄ 8 in. If you’ve done everything right, these

lines will be 1⁄4 in. apart. Scale in 1 ⁄ 8-in.

When the triangle is in its nest, I use the jig to calibrate increments
for inside measurements against the 3⁄4-in. edges. When
¼-in.
the triangle is out of the nest, I use it to calibrate outside hardboard
measurements. You can use the lines for even 1⁄ 8-in. settings
or eyeball between the lines for 1⁄16-in. or even 1⁄ 32-in.
accuracy.
—SERGE DUCLOS, Delson, Que., Canada

Keep triangle in
nest to set inside
measurements.

Jig holds burnisher at proper angle

I recently purchased a scraper plane with instructions that call for sharpening the blade with the burnisher held
15° from horizontal. I quickly discovered this is easier to write than to do. So I came up with a jig that allows
me to burnish the blade accurately and quickly. The jig consists of two blocks of wood glued to a base with
a slot between them to house the scraper blade. When resting on the registration block and the blade, the
burnisher is automatically tilted to the correct angle—in this case 15°.
The width of the registration block depends on
Scraper blade how much the blade projects above the
blocks. My blade projects 5⁄ 8 in., so the
width of the registration block is about
15° 21⁄4 in. Use a protractor and a full-size
drawing to determine your jig’s length. If
your blade gets shorter over time through
repeated sharpenings, you can trim the
width of the block a bit to maintain the
correct angle. In use, I either clamp the
jig to my benchtop or in my vise.
As to variations on this theme, you can
size one side of the jig for burnishing
Base, a hand scraper at 5° and the other side
¾-in.-thick for the scraper plane at 15°. Or you can
plywood
make two slots in one jig to give you
Registration block four different burnishing angles.
Slot for scraper blade, sized —ALEJANDRO BALBIS, Longueuil, Que., Canada
to hold the blade firmly

16 FINE WOODWORKING
 READER SERVICE NO. 12

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AMERICAN
CRAFTSMANSHIP

Basic 7 pc.
Router Bit Set #401

Tested #1 by Whiteside Machine Co.

Claremont, North Carolina
Fine Woodworking Magazine
in a head to head router bit test
of 17 different brands.
800-225-3982
whitesiderouterbits.com

“American Made for the American Woodworker”

READER SERVICE NO. 26

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 17

tools & materials
■ WORKBENCH

Vise hardware is
a home run

W
HEN
I EVALUATED VISE
HARDWARE in FWW #205 (“14
Bench Vises”), I chose the $230 Veritas Twin Screw as
best overall. But now that I’ve tested Lie-Nielsen’s version, I have
a new favorite. Admittedly, $285 is a lot to spend, but I think
a good bench vise is the most important tool in my shop and
what you get from Lie-Nielsen is extremely well-made hardware
that will likely last your lifetime and your grandkids’ too. Front vise. With heavy-duty acme screws mounted in massive steel hard-
Lie-Nielsen’s vise has a couple of major advantages over ware, Lie-Nielsen’s front-mounted vise is built for a lifetime of service. It
the Veritas. First off, the wooden jaw completely encloses the holds wide and narrow stock equally well.
chain mechanism. I’ve nicked the aluminum chain cover on the
Veritas while cutting addition, Lie-Nielsen’s single handle takes up less room and is
half-blind dovetails, easier to work around than the pair of handles on the Veritas.
which isn’t good for You can make the wooden vise jaws yourself (it’s a pretty
the cover or the saw. simple pattern) or buy hard maple jaws from Lie-Nielsen (lie-
Lie-Nielsen’s sealed nielsen.com). They’re available in 8-, 12-, 18-, and 24-in. sizes
design also prevents and they sell for between $60 and $90. The jaws I tried were
dust and dirt from perfectly machined and nicely finished.
gumming up the Lie-Nielsen also has a tail vise
works. In ($275 for the hardware and
$130 for the jaw) that’s better
than any I’ve used. I had a
chance to try it on a friend’s
bench, but unfortunately,
my narrow shop doesn’t
have enough room to
open a tail vise to a use-
ful length. So I guess I’ll
have to wait until I have a
bigger shop to buy one for
myself.
—Matt Kenney is
Tail vise. The tail-vise hardware rides in grooved slides. an associate editor.
One of the slides is adjustable so you can fine-tune the fit
between the moving steel plate and the slides it rides in.

Photos: staff
 WHITE OAK

■ M AT E R I A L S

Heat-treating HICKORY
makes wood dark
all the way through
IT’S QUITE LIKELY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD of thermally modified wood,
but the process makes common wood species take on a whole new look MAPLE
and the color change goes all the way through. It’s available in 4/4 to 8/4
thickness. Thicker blanks for turners are also available.
The heat-treating process warms the wood from 185°C to 212°C (depending on the
Fume-free oak. This species), which changes the color and improves its decay resistance.
box looks like it’s After treatment, hickory and ash have color closer to exotics like ipé and wenge. Maple
made from fumed
takes on a walnut hue. Oak takes on a fumed look, while birch, alder, and aspen take on a
or stained oak. Ac-
tually, the oak has reddish color closer to cherry. Although heat-treating makes the wood decay-resistant (equal
BIRCH
been heat-treated, a to red cedar), it does little to protect it from the sun, so you’ll want to treat outdoor projects
process that darkens with a UV-resistant finish or the material will gray.
the wood throughout Thermal modification adds about a dollar a board foot to the lumber’s normal cost, excluding
its thickness and shipping. Contact seasonwood.com for further details.
makes it resistant —Charles Peterson is a woodworker in Gales Ferry, Conn.
to decay.

■ BLADES

New blades for track-guided saws

FIVE YEARS AGO, I BOUGHT a Festool TS 55 Festool blade and left a smooth surface.
track saw that I use for cutting cabinet- None of the blades showed any wear,
grade plywood (Tools & Materials, FWW but the Forrest and Festool had a bit of
#187). I’ve always been happy with the pitch buildup.
performance of my Festool blades, but The Festool blade sells for $61. The
when Freud and Forrest recently intro- Forrest is $91 (forrestblades.com) and
duced blades that fit the TS 55 track saw, the Freud is $50 (amazon.com). Since all
I had to try them. The new blades also three blades offer equal performance, I’d Sharp teeth. New 160 mm blades from
fit the Makita and DeWalt track saws, but choose the Freud because it costs less Forrest and Freud are sized for track saws like
Festool’s TS 55. The Freud performed as well
because the Festool requires a slightly and has a pitch-resistant surface.
as the others, and costs less.
smaller blade (61⁄4 in. vs. 61⁄ 2 in.), the —Mark Edmundson is a professional
depth of cut is somewhat sacrificed on woodworker in Sandpoint, Idaho.
the other saws.
I pitted the two new blades against a
brand-new Festool blade in several rip-
ping and crosscutting tests. All three
blades cut better than
my worn

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 19
tools & materials continued

■ ROUTER BITS

Rout glass doors

with full tenons

A
MANA TOOL HAS DEVELOPED a from 7⁄ 8 in. to 11⁄ 2 in. (No. 55362; $168).
matched pair of cope-and-stick Both sets require mortising the frame Strong connection.
router bits that produce true members in a separate operation. Unlike most cope-and-stick bit sets,
divided-light cabinet doors with Precise layout of the stiles and rails which produce stub tenons, Amana’s new
mortise-and-tenon joints. is essential, but when the mortises are set for divided-light doors makes real
The first bit shapes the decorative stick- placed accurately, the set creates strong, tenons for stronger frames.
ing with a rabbet for the glass. A second clean-looking joints. Shims are included
bit makes the corresponding cope and for any misalignment, but I didn’t need typical 1⁄4-in. glass stop won’t fit behind
cuts tenons for joining frames. them as the parts fit together perfectly. the glass. Otherwise, the set is an accu-
They’re available in two sizes: one for There is one drawback with the bit rate and efficient way to make divided-
material from 3⁄4 in. to 7⁄ 8 in. thick (No. profile: Used with 3⁄4-in. stock, it leaves light cabinet doors. For information, go
55360; $138) and a second for material only a 1⁄4-in. rabbet for the glass, so to amanatool.com.
—Roland Johnson is
a contributing editor.

■ MACHINES

Latest SawStop runs

on 120-volt power
SAWSTOP’S NEWEST Professional Cabinet Saw has a 1¾-hp motor
that runs on 120-volt power. The saw has the same cabinet and many
of the same features as the 220-volt Professional Cabinet Saw (FWW
#209), but its motor is more closely related to the one on SawStop’s
Contractor Saw, which had plenty of power in a past test (FWW #199).
The new saw is available with 30-in., 36-in., and 52-in. rip fences, with
prices starting around $2,300 (sawstop.com). All the tools in the Saw-
Stop lineup have a unique blade-stopping brake meant to prevent injury.
—Patrick McCombe is an associate editor.

20 FINE WOODWORKING
■ FINISHING

Brushes for waterborne finishes

U
NTIL NOW, IF YOU WANTED TO BRUSH A WATERBORNE FINISH, you
could use a nylon or polyester brush that holds a lot of finish but
tends to leave brush marks. Alternatively, you could use a fine-filament
Taklon brush, but these require frequent reloading (dipping).
Under the Gramercy brand, Tools for Working Wood (toolsforworkingwood
.com) is now selling brushes with synthetic filaments even finer than Taklon and
with perhaps five times as many bristles as an equivalent-size Taklon brush. The
short filaments (13⁄4 in.) give the brush a solid, stiff feel. Also, instead of springing
back straight, the bristles maintain their curve even when you lift the brush off the
surface. This takes some getting used to. However, this brush holds a lot of finish,
lays it down nearly devoid of brush marks, and cleans
as easily as a Taklon.
I compared the 2-in. size ($30) to the equivalent
Taklon brush ($25) from Homestead Finishing. Both
brushes left smooth surfaces, but the Gramercy brush
held more finish for fewer reloads.
The 1-in. and 3-in. brushes cost $16 and $50.
Smooth finish. Available in 1-,
—Mark Schofield is the managing editor.
2-, and 3-in. sizes, Gramercy’s
brushes for waterborne finishes
hold a lot of finish and release it
slowly for a smooth, even coat.

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 23

fundamentals

Avoid shortcuts
and do your
finest work
B Y A S A C H R I S T I A N A

W
e’re all busier these days,
feeling the pressure for
quick results in every
area of life, even in
the last place we
woodworkers should No shortcuts here. By carefully selecting materials and paying close attention to milling and
tolerate it—the shop. joinery, Christiana built very square cases and doors for his built-in home office, featured in
So we take shortcuts—at least, I do. FWW #166. That made it much easier for contributor Tony O’Malley to install the entire unit,
I trick myself into believing I can skip attach the face frame and moldings, and hang the doors.
vital steps that prevent mistakes but slow
me down. I ignore the quiet voice in my
head that tells me I am gambling.
Temptation arises at every stage of a
project, from choosing what to build
Spend time on design
to buying lumber and milling it, from When I was starting out, I couldn’t wait to begin cutting and building, so I
cutting joints to assembly and finishing. designed pieces without much forethought. As a result, my work wound up
And a mistake at any stage can show in with proportions, moldings, and other elements that I didn’t like. I keep my first
the final product. bookcase well hidden in a basement playroom.
On the other hand, if you go the extra If you’re creating a design from scratch or even from a photograph, you’ll need
mile, you’ll appreciate the gorgeous
to iron out the details before you buy lumber. The best approach is to make scale
surfaces, tight joints, and flawless finish
models and mock-ups—a tall order for a beginner.
for years to come. I’ve never regretted
So build your first projects from trusted
taking my time on a piece.
sources, such as books or maga-
The payoff zines like this one. After the book-
If you are a hobbyist like me, don’t put case, I built a cra-
yourself on a deadline. Leave those for dle from a plan in
your day job. Take a breath, clear your a book. That one
mind, and let that quiet voice guide you. came out great,
It will warn you about every shortcut, and sits proudly
and you’ll be surprised at what you can in my daughter’s
accomplish. bedroom.

—Asa Christiana is the editor .

24 FINE WOODWORKING Photo: Michael Pekovich; drawings: Jim Richey

Don’t skimp on wood
We all get sticker shock at the lumberyard, but it’s not
worth the savings to buy subpar wood, or just enough to
cover your cutlist. The ugly trade-off comes when you are
forced to accept defects in the finished piece, or make for matching
the long drive to get more wood later. color and great grain
You won’t regret buying 10% or 20% extra. You can where it counts most.
cut around defects, reject a board that warps severely or Then use a lumber crayon to
looks worse than you thought it would, or replace one if mark each board for the parts it will yield.
you make mistakes (you will). Also, if you buy your wood already surfaced, take extra
Before you open your wallet, though, take care at the care to make sure that each board is straight, flat, and
lumberyard to find the right board for each part. Look smooth before putting it in the take-home pile.

Milling is the most important step

You need patience and attention to detail when cutting pieces to rough length
and width, then jointing and planing them to achieve flat, parallel faces and
square corners. These tasks are crucial, but dull, and it’s too easy to treat
them like a speed bump on the road to building your project.
You might decide, for instance, to skip the step of milling
your stock slightly oversize and letting it acclimate (and move)
for a few days before bringing it to final dimension.
You might choose not to bother marking which faces you’ve already
milled, and end up with lumber that is not straight or square.
Attention to these details will make you much happier when the
work is done. It’s also worth remembering to mill extra pieces as
replacements or test parts.

Pause for a If I don’t sharpen my hand tools at the beginning of a project, I tend to avoid
it when I’m in the thick of things later. So I try to make do with dull tools,

sharpening swearing when they dive too deep or tear at the wood. I end up with torn-up
surfaces and joints that don’t fit well.

session I’ve learned to commit to a sharpening session early on. At a mini-

mum, I hit my block plane, smoothing plane, and scraper. If there are any
mortises and tenons, I also sharpen my shoulder plane and chisels.
If you don’t know how to sharpen blades well, stop now, read a few
articles, buy the gear you need, and learn to use it. I recommend a
high-quality honing guide and waterstones, getting the final polish on
an 8,000-grit stone. Once you use a truly sharp tool, you’ll know what all
those hand-tool nuts have been crowing about.
Check the bits and blades on your power tools, too. They
should be free of gunk and sharp to the touch.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 25
fundamentals continued

Joinery requires some prep, too

Cutting joinery is another place where I sometimes have tempted fate. In
a rush and overconfident, I sometimes try to make the first cut on my
actual workpieces. And about 50% of the time, I am sorry I did.
That’s where extra lumber can come in handy. Mill an extra
part here and there to dial in your setups for perfect results.
Another trap I sometimes fall into is trying to work around
the fact that I don’t have the right tool or jig for the job. For ex-
ample, I used to struggle to cut tenons with my sloppy shopmade
tablesaw jig until I finally made a second one—carefully.
Sometimes you need a certain tool for best re-
sults. I use spiral upcutting bits for mortising. Until I got
serious and bought a few of these pricey bits in different sizes,
I struggled with straight bits that wouldn’t clear chips, stopping
every five seconds to blow them out.

Pause before Don’t run out of gas

gluing up, or else at the finish
By now the surface should be mostly prepped, with just
a bit of touch-up to do after the clamps come off and the
squeeze-out is scraped away, but you still need to apply a
nice finish. Once again, you’ll be tempted to dive right in,
slapping finish on the real piece. Don’t.
Stop, take a breath, and make a test panel. A test
panel is simply a piece or two of extra project
wood, used to test the finish. Even if you are using
a finish you’ve already mastered, you shouldn’t
Once all the joinery is cut, I can’t wait to get the whole skip this step, because each board can
thing glued up so I can show my wife what I’ve been respond differently to a finish. You
doing in the shop for weeks. should try out most or all of any
At that point, two huge temptations arise: avoiding a process, coat by coat, on some
bunch of sanding and scraping, and not doing a dry-fit to scrap. If you are unsure
test the clamping setup. Skip either, and you’ll be sorry. of your surface-prep
Some beginners try to skip surface prep—either in method, try that
part or entirely—leaving behind jointer, planer, and table- out too.
saw marks that become painfully obvious once a finish is
applied.
Once the surfaces are prepped, don’t rush into a glue-
up. Stop to do a real dry-fit, and you won’t have any sur-
prises once the glue is spread and the clock is ticking.
You don’t want to be caught scrambling around the shop
for a missing clamp or caul, or be forced to pull apart a
whole assembly that doesn’t fit right.

26 FINE WOODWORKING
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THROUGH HALF-BLIND SLIDING FINGER/BOX -QUALITY Fine Woodworking
Jan/Feb issue
Now you can rout all of these joints — right out of the box! -DURABILITY 2010
-2-YEAR WARRANTY page 64.

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READER SERVICE NO. 16

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 27

The Versatile
Trestle Table
Learn wedged-tenon joinery and
design a table that suits your needs
B Y G A R Y R O G O W S K I

W ith a simple form that allows many variations,

the trestle table can look contemporary or
classic. The trestles, the stretcher that joins
them, and even the top can be shaped in myriad ways.
The design offers easy access for diners, with no table
is rock-solid even though it’s called “knockdown.”
With a through-mortise-and-tenon joint, the stretcher
locates and holds the trestles upright. In a marvel
of engineering, the wedges lock everything together,
preventing the table from racking along its length.
apron to knock a knee against and more chair room on I know of no stronger joint. It’s also good looking:
each side. And it is expandable, scaling up easily from The projecting tenons and the wedges add another
this kitchen-sized table to a large dining table. design element.
A key feature on many trestle tables, including this In this article, I’ll focus on the stretcher joinery—the
one, is the wedged joinery for the stretcher, which most challenging aspect of the project. Executing the

28 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Michael Pekovich; drawings: Dave Richards

 MODERN TRESTLE TABLE
The trestle design is centuries old, yet its rock-solid construction is a designer’s playground, with the feet, posts, stretcher,
and easy access for sitting remain unequalled. It can be made in through-tenons, wedges, and tabletop each offering room for
any size—from breakfast to banquet table—and its wedged through- interpretation. I like this smallish version, sized to be a desk or
tenons let you break down the base for easy transport. What’s more, it a kitchen table for four.
EDGE DETAIL ¼ in.
Top, ¾ in. thick by 27 in. Battens, 5 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 2 in. wide by 23 in.
wide by 54 in. long long, centered under top and 3 in. from ends

½ in.
Cap, 11 ⁄ 8 in. thick by
2½ in. wide by 21 in. long
82°
Upper tenon,
3 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 1 in. TABLETOP
2½ in. wide by
1¼ in. long
1¼ in. 11 ⁄ 8 in.
Tenons, ¾ in. thick by
2 in. wide by 31 ⁄ 8 in. long

2 in.

Buttons, ¾ in. sq. by 1¼ in.

long with a 5 ⁄16 -in.-deep by
½ in. Wedge, ¼ in. thick
¼-in.-wide rabbet
2 in. by 1¼ in. wide by
Stretcher, 1¼ in. 6 in. long
WEDGE DESIGN
Post, thick by 4½ in. wide
Vary the look with
11 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 40 in. long
contrasting stock, C/L
shaping, or inlay.
Angle the wedge Lower tenons, 3 ⁄ 8 in.
TENON ANATOMY
between 7° and 9° thick by 1½ in. wide
Make the tenon as thick as possible.
so it won’t slip by 1¼ in. long, with
Extend it at least 1 in. past the wedge 1 ⁄ 8-in. haunch
or bounce out. mortise to prevent wedging pressure
Foot, 13 ⁄ 8 in. thick
from breaking out the end grain.
END VIEW
27 in.
23 in.
2½ in.

¾ in.
Pegs,
¼ in. dia. ¼ in.
5½ in.

33¾ in.

4½ in.
29 in. POST DESIGN 223 ⁄4 in.
The posts can be 3 in.
3 in.
single, double,
curvy, or straight.
These taper from
4 in. wide at the 4½ in.
bottom to 3 in. at
the top.

STRETCHER DESIGN
3 in. The stretcher can be simple and
1 in. To purchase digital
straight or curved like the ones
plans and a
shown. With a wider post, you could
complete cutlist
even run two stretchers. After the
for this table and
joinery is cut, the shapes can be
6 in. ⁄ in. ⁄ -in. step
1 16 other projects, go to
38
bandsawn or routed with a template
FineWoodworking.com/
and bearing-guided bit.
23 in. PlanStore.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 29
Cut a flawless wedged-tenon joint
1 . ROUT Th e Th RO U g h - mO R T i ses
1/4-in. MDF, 5 in. wide
by 10 in. long

Slot, 11 ⁄ 8 in. wide by

23 ⁄ 8 in. long

1/4-in. offset
from edge of
MDF to edge
2 in. from fence of cleat
to center of slot
Hardwood cleat, 1 in. thick
by 21/4 in. wide by 12 in. long

a TemplaTe TameS THe TaSk How to make the template. Drill a hole in the MDF, then move to the router
a simple template, used with a guide table. The jig’s cleat rides the table’s fence, so the slot is cut parallel to the cleat.
bushing, makes it easy to cut through- Start the router bit in the drilled hole and go from there. Reposition the fence for
mortises to the right size, in the right place. a second pass and a bigger mortise.

Offset the layout. The template slot Rout the mortise. With the template in
is bigger than the mortise, so make a place, cut halfway through the stock. Then
separate registration mark to locate flip the board end for end (below) to ensure
the template accurately and carry that that the jig is clamped to the same refer-
mark around to the other side. ence edge for the second cut.

TemplaTe Guide
A guide bushing rides the template’s rim
and shields it from the spinning bit. Be
sure to factor in the bushing diameter
when sizing the slot in the template.
3 ⁄ 8-in. spiral
Template guide,
upcutting bit 3/4 in. dia.

Clean up with a sharp chisel. Chop the corners square,

Offset, 3 ⁄16 in. working in from both faces.

30 FINE woodworkINg
2 . SAW th e th ro u g h - ten o nS

Cut the shoulders on the tablesaw. Use a miter Move to the bandsaw. Use a test cut to Clean up the cheeks. Plane away the
gauge with a long fence or a crosscut sled to manage adjust the fence for drift. Leave the cheeks saw marks and adjust the fit. Use a shoul-
the long stock. slightly fat for trimming and cleanup. der plane to get into the corners.

Clean up the
shoulder. Using
the tablesawn
shoulders as a
reference, walk
the chisel’s edge
across the hand-
sawn section to
establish your
line, then chop
away the waste.

Cut the tenon to width. Again, leave the tenon slightly oversize. Make
the adjoining cut with a handsaw to remove the waste.

joinery successfully relies on careful fitting of the through-tenons

and the wedges to their respective mortises.

How to cut large, clean mortises

Furniture construction is like painting a floor. Careful planning
keeps you out of the corners. In this case, it’s important to lay out
and cut the large through-mortises in the posts before shaping the
posts to preserve a parallel reference edge for guiding the router.
I use a template guide bushing and a simple shopmade mortis-
ing jig to rout mortises. The jig consists of a 1⁄4-in. MDF routing
template attached to a fence that registers against the stock. The
jig centers the mortises on the width of the posts, but you’ll still the mortise depth. Then remove the template, flip the workpiece,
need to do a little layout. First, measure from the top of each post reattach the template on the opposite face, and finish the cut.
to mark the tops and bottoms of the mortises. Use a square to After routing the mortises, chop them out square, working in
carry the lines around to the board’s opposite face, then check the from both faces. Now you can shape those posts.
edges of both boards side by side to ensure that the marks line up.
Then, because the jig’s slot is slightly larger than the mortise itself, Cutting tenons on a long board
make a separate registration mark to locate the jig accurately. The size of the stretcher makes it generally difficult to handle. For
Clamp the mortising template securely in place on the outside example, it’s too long to support safely in a tablesaw tenoning
face of the post. To cut the mortises, I use a plunge router and a jig. Whatever tenoning method you use, it needs to be clean and
3⁄ 8-in. spiral-fluted bit. It’s possible to rout all the way through the accurate—all the more so because the tenon’s fit will be visible
post or stop short of full depth and clear the remaining waste with where it exits the big through-mortise.
a chisel. But for a technique that will work for posts of greater As with the big posts, joinery comes before shaping. After laying
thickness, start by routing away—in shallow passes—about half of out the stretcher shape and tenon location, I cut the shoulders on

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SepTeMBer/OCTOBer 2010 31

Wedged-tenon continued
3 . DRILL TH E WED G E MO R TI SES
Position the
Uprights, ¾-in. plywood, jig. The jig
6 in. wide by 18 in. long stays put on
the drill-press
table. Slide
the workpiece
Ramp, ¾-in.
plywood, in the jig to
3¾ in. wide reposition it,
and clamp it
in place for
each new hole.

Base, ½-in. plywood,

Dadoes,
7 in. wide by 20 in. long
⁄ in. deep
18

DRILLING JIG
Rogowski built this simple jig to secure the stretcher at an 8° angle
for drilling out the wedge mortises. The jig clamps to the drill-press
table and the work is clamped to the jig.

the tablesaw, using a miter gauge with a long fence or a crosscut

sled with a long stop-block attachment to hold the work and locate
the cut. To cut the tenon cheeks, I use the bandsaw with a roller
stand for infeed support and a 6-tpi blade for a smooth surface.
Before cutting the tenon to width (height), I clean up the cheek
cuts, trimming the tenon to the proper thickness. To keep the
cheeks flat near the shoulder, I use a shoulder plane, but I’ll switch
to a block plane for quicker stock removal near the tenon ends.
Remember that the last 2 in. or so of the tenon won’t be housed in
the assembled joint, so that section can have a slightly looser fit.
I also cut the tenon to width on the bandsaw, again leaving it just
oversize and cleaning up with hand tools until it slides through
the mortise with no gaps showing on the outside face.

Support the cut. Place a block Start at the ends. Where holes The wedge mortises
underneath the tenon to prevent overlap, make sure the bit’s The last step in making the tenon is to create the mortise for the
blowout where the drill bit exits centering point hits wood so it wedge. In addition to cutting the mortise straight through the entire
the cut. locates properly.

Layout line is a visual reference. Mark the angle on the tenon’s cheek
and sight down the line while chopping away the waste.

Photo, facing page (top left): Steve Scott

4 . CUT TH E WED G ES AN D ASSEMBL E

Bandsaw is safer than tablesaw. Rogowski uses a simple jig made of Tap the wedges home. When the wedges are tightly driven, they pull the
3 ⁄ 8-in. MDF with an 8º notch cut into it.
tenon shoulders firmly against the post for an assembly that won’t budge.

width of the tenon, the trick here

lies in cutting the outer end of
the mortise at an 8° angle. The secret is
that the inside wall of the mortise is buried in the post
and doesn’t need to be chopped out square, so you can cut the
entire mortise at 8° on the drill press. If your drill press doesn’t
have a tilting table, use a jig like the one on the facing page.
Mark out the wedge mortise with a center line in the tenon
thickness. Mark the mortise end at 3⁄4 in. past the post, but have
it start 3⁄ 8 in. inside the post. In this way, the wedge won’t bot-
tom out against the back side of the mortise. Using a brad-point
bit, drill the holes at each end of the mortise first. Work slowly
and clear out the waste often. Then drill out the middle sec-
tion. To chop out the remaining waste, clamp the stretcher on
the bench and use layout lines on the tenon at the 8° angle or
a sliding bevel placed on the bench to sight against for chop-
ping. Chop in toward the center of the mortise from both the
top and bottom, flipping the workpiece as needed. Chamfer
the wedge mortise on both top and bottom so the wedge
slides through more easily.
I cut the wedges on the bandsaw using a
simple holding jig. Set a sliding bevel to the
angle of the mortise and mark out the shape
of the wedge on a piece of 1⁄4-in. MDF. Carefully
cut out that shape and file the edges straight. Glue another piece
of MDF to the bottom of this template to hold the workpiece in
place. Make up wedge stock at the proper thickness and length
and at roughly the correct width. Then set the bandsaw fence
to cut out the wedge. Clean up the wedges with a bench plane,
•
holding them in a vise or in the jig on a shooting board.
VIDEO WORKSHOP
Available August 18: Watch Rogowski build this table from start
Gary Rogowski runs the Northwest Woodworking Studio to finish in a members-only video at FineWoodworking.com/extras.
(northwestwoodworking.com) in Portland, Ore.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 33
 TOO L TEST

Heavy-Duty
Plunge Routers
3-hp routers make deeper cuts than mid-sized models,
and feel more solid in your hands
B Y G R E G O R Y PA O L I N I

34 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Matt Kenney

W
henever practical, I rout
my mortises, and there’s
no better router for the job
than a plunge router with a
big motor. The raw power lets you remove
more waste in a single pass, and the in-
creased mass means the router is easier to
control and cuts more smoothly. But a big
plunge router is great for more than just
mortises. I use mine for template routing,
profiling edges, and cutting dadoes and
rabbets. That’s why I was glad to say yes
when Fine Woodworking asked me to test
all the heavy-duty plunge routers on the
market.
It takes a lot of power to breeze through
deep mortises, so I looked only at routers
with 3-hp motors. That’s a lot of torque
and power to have between your hands,
so the routers needed soft start to tame
torque at startup and variable speed so
that the motor can be slowed down for
large-diameter bits.
Also, I wanted all of the routers to work
with guide bushings, making them more
flexible for template routing than if you
had to rely on bearing-guided bits. Fixed-
base routers weren’t considered because
they aren’t suited for routing mortises. In
the end, I tested eight plunge routers: the
Bosch 1619EVS, DeWalt DW625, Festool
OF2200, Freud FT3000VCE, Hitachi M12V2,
Makita RP2301FC, Porter-Cable 7539, and
Triton TRA001.

Power and cut were not an issue

The primary reason to use a powerful 3-hp
plunge router is to hog away waste more
quickly. But all of that power is worthless
if the cut ends up burned or bumpy. To
get a sense of the power in these routers,
I routed mortises in hard maple. To test
cut quality, I routed two edge profiles (a
roundover and an ogee) in cherry, which
is prone to burning. To ensure that I was
testing routers and not router bits, I
equipped every router with its own set
of new Whiteside router bits, which have
been top performers in previous tests
(FWW #137, #191).
All of the routers had enough power to
rout the mortises with ease. I even used
them to rout mortises 1 in. deep by 1⁄ 2 in.
wide by 3 in. long in one pass. Cut qual-
ity wasn’t a problem either. Every router
left behind a surface free of chatter and

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 35
Smart design makes the difference
The Thi ngs you do mosT s hould be easy To do

Bit changes are easiest on the Trigger switches are convenient

Triton. The spindle locks auto- and safe. Both hands grasp the
matically. That frees up one hand router when it starts. The Freud
to hold the router body for more (shown here), Festool, Bosch, and
stability. Porter-Cable routers all have one.

Two smart ways to adjust speed. With Hitachi’s thumbwheel (left), both Festool puts your hands at a comfortable angle. That means your
hands stay on the handles during speed changes. The Porter-Cable marks wrists are straight. Not only is this more comfortable, but it also gives
speed with RPM (right), so it can be set exactly to a bit’s required speed. you more control.

burning on the edge profiles, which I also bushing systems also got a close look. A accessory kit that includes the edge guide
cut in a single pass. problem with either one causes frustration and guide-bushing system, and you’re
and costs time, money, and material. I also up to $1,100. That led me to think about
It comes down to ease of use, comfort evaluated each router’s dust collection, be- which router I would pick if I excluded
The increased power of big plunge routers cause without effective dust collection, a the Festool from consideration. Again,
comes at a price. They also are heavier, router is a messy tool. As it turned out, the choice was obvious. The strangely
and if that mass isn’t easy to control, the dust collection is a problem for all of the futuristic-looking Hitachi M12V2 is a great
router won’t be easy to use. I took note of routers except the Festool. router. It handles well, plunges smoothly,
how comfortable the handles were, how Considering all of these factors, one and has simple micro and macro height
easy it was to reach and use the power router stood out: the Festool OF2200. It’s adjustments. Its edge guide (included) is
switch and plunge lock, and how smoothly my choice for best overall. Ergonomically, very good, and the router comes with a
the router plunged and came back up in it was the most comfortable router to use. proprietary guide bushing (none of the
all situations. Dust collection is excellent. The guide other routers come with a bushing) and
I also spent time doing basic router tasks fence is the best of the bunch, with a great an adapter for Porter-Cable-style bushings.
like changing bits, adjusting bit height, and micro-adjustment knob. On the downside, I have only one gripe about the Hitachi. Its
adjusting the height of the turret stops. If the Festool’s scale is metric only. I don’t dust collection doesn’t work.
any of these tasks are a pain, you will mind that, but I know others will.
quickly tire of using the router. However, the Festool OF2200 isn’t for Gregory Paolini is a professional woodworker
The routers’ edge guides and guide- everyone. The router costs $800. Add the in Waynesville, N.C.

36 FINE wOODwOrkINg
PRECISI ON PLUNGES ARE THE SUM OF MANY PARTS
LOCK LEVERS PLUNGE STOPS HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS

Levers control plunge on most routers. Adjustable plunge stops are more ver- Height adjustments are easy on the
The best ones, like on the Hitachi, can be satile than preset ones. They give precise Bosch. Loosen the lock and twist the knob.
reached without letting go of the handle, and control over how much material is removed The depth rod raises and lowers on a rack-
require little force. on each pass. All but the Bosch have them. and-pinion gear.

Triton offers a second way to plunge. Pull Bosch’s turret has preset stops. There is Festool offers very fine micro-
in the orange lock collar and twist the handle 1 ⁄ 8-in. difference between the six stops. This adjustments. The numbered and audible
to lower the body on a rack-and-pinion gear. saves setup time, but can be a bother if your detents on the knob are separated by
It’s a nice way to get precise plunge control. plunge depth isn’t a multiple of 1 ⁄8 in. 0.1 mm.

E D GE GU I DES
S HOULD
HAVE FI NE
AD JUSTMENT

Better than a bump

with your hand. All but
the Triton offer micro- Festool’s micro-adjust knob is even
adjusters. After rough set- better. The fence is captured on the
ting the guide and taking screw so that it moves both in and
a test cut, you can dial in out with adjustments, and the knob is
the perfect distance. graduated.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 37

Heavy-duty plunge routers

Bosch
1619EVS
boschtools.com
Street price: $310
Weight: 13 lb. 4 oz.

At first, this router was

uncomfortable, as the
plunge-locking lever dug
into my wrist. But after
repositioning the lever,
which required removing it
first, I found it comfortable.
All of the control buttons and
knobs are well-placed and intuitive to use. The router handles
very well and plunges smoothly, and the plunge lock works
great, holding heights without budging. The $40 accessory
Festool edge guide is second only to the Festool’s. Bosch’s proprietary
OF2200 bushings work fine. A baseplate adapter is supplied with the
router, but the bushings are not. The spindle lock worked
festoolusa.com well and bit changes were easy. A nice drop-forged wrench is
Street price: $800 supplied with the router. The dust-collection attachment works
well, but makes bit changes difficult.
Weight: 17 lb. 4 oz.

The excellent angled grips on

this router ensure that your
wrists remain straight, which Hitachi M12V2
leads to greater control. The hitachipowertools.com
dust collection is far and away
the best of the bunch. It left Street price: $225
just a few chips in the mortises Weight: 15 lb. 4 oz.
I routed, and it was flawless Makita
This router plunges smoothly
when routing edge profiles. The
and handles very well. A good
RP2301FC
Festool also has the smoothest
plunge, the best plunge lock, and edge guide, a proprietary guide makita.com
easy micro and macro height bushing, and an adapter for PC
Street price: $350
adjustments. The edge guide bushings are standard, which is
is superb and the ratcheting great given its cost. Adjustments Weight: 13 lb. 12 oz.
spindle lock works very well. to plunge depth settings are
With lights in its base,
Finally, it was one of only two easy, and switching between
this router had great
routers that have an automatic macro and micro adjustments is
overall visibility and sight
spindle brake, a nice extra when simple. You need only flip a well-
lines. I also appreciated
you have a lot of stopping and placed lever. The plunge scale
the very aggressive spindle
starting to do. On the down is easy to read. A dial to adjust
brake, as it minimized
side, the drop-down dust shroud the motor’s speed is embedded
the time wasted between
can make it hard to see the bit in the right handle, right where
mortises. The plunge lock
on deeper plunges. Also, the your thumb can make quick
worked well, and the depth rod and
accessory kit that contains the adjustments. On the down side,
turret system were easy to adjust. However, the plunge
edge guide and guide bushing the router’s dust collection is
mechanism was weak, and I occasionally had to help the
system adds $300 to an already ineffective (as it is on most of
router back up. The power switch was a nuisance, too. To turn
lofty price. the other routers). The spindle
the router on, you must first depress a lockout switch meant
lock worked fine, but the wrench
to prevent accidental starts. If you don’t immediately release
is stamped from thin steel and
the safety switch, the router is locked on and turning it off can
uncomfortable to use.
be a nuisance.

38 FINE WOODWORKING
DeWalt DW625 Freud
dewalt.com FT3000VCE
Street price: $303 freudtools.com
Weight: 13 lb. 6 oz. Street price: $350
Weight: 13 lb. 6 oz.
With good balance
and ergonomics, this Plunges on this router are
router handled well. I smooth and the plunge-
especially liked its slick lock mechanism works
phenolic baseplate, which very well. A large power
made it easy to steer the trigger mounted on the
router for edge profiling. It right handle is easy to work
plunges smoothly, and the with two fingers. I had no
locking lever works easily trouble seeing the bit during
and holds the height tightly. use. On the negative side, even though macro and micro plunge depth
The stops on the turret are simple to adjustments were easy, the depth indicator could not be zeroed. That
adjust to allow for variable plunge steps. Adjustments to the plunge means you must pick a random measurement to use instead and
depth, both macro and micro, are easy. Bit changes presented no do the math to figure out how much you’ve plunged. The opening
problems, as the spindle lock worked and the wrench was beefy on the dust shroud is small and interferes with any profiling bit that
and drop-forged. The dust collection worked very well when I was has a moderate diameter. I could not raise most bits high enough to
mortising, but not so well while I was edge profiling. Unfortunately, stand the router on its base. Also, the edge guide interferes with the
the edge guide was disappointing, as its fence casting wasn’t baseplate, making it difficult to adjust.
straight. And visibility became an issue on deep plunge cuts.

Porter-Cable Triton TRA001

7539 tritontools.com
deltaportercable.com Street price: $270
Street price: $377 Weight: 13 lb. 14 oz.
Weight: 17 lb. 4 oz.
Although this router has a
All of the adjustments standard plunge lever, you
are easy to make on this can also rotate one of the
router. Motor speed is changed handles to raise and lower the
with a slider on top of the body with a rack and pinion.
motor. It has a trigger switch The more I used it, the more
on the handle, and the turret I liked that option. The round
system is easy to zero and handles are very comfortable.
adjust. The baseplate opening And bit changes were the easiest
is sized for Porter-Cable guide by far on this router, because the spindle
bushings, which is nice. However, it also means that you have to is self-locking. The dust-collection setup looks impressive, but it is
replace the baseplate to use profile bits with a diameter larger than overpowered by the motor cooling fan, which sends dust and chips
the opening. The optional edge guide is sturdy, but the weight of the all over. The edge guide is actually an alternate baseplate, which is
long aluminum extrusion sometimes pulled the router off plumb. unique, but it did not glide easily over wood. Also, this is a top-heavy
The optional dust-collection baseplate works well, but we had trouble router, which made mortising tricky.
finding one to buy. There is no spindle lock.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 39

 Tabletop Finish
With a Hand-Rubbed Feel
Brush on polyurethane
for protection, then
wipe on the final coats
for a silky surface
B Y M A R K S C H O F I E L D

40 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Michael Pekovich

A fter my article “One Editor’s Fool-
proof Finish” appeared in FWW
#196, several readers asked wheth-
er the wipe-on finish I described would
be suitable for kitchen cabinets or dining
step article. By the way, because it starts
with a quick washcoat of shellac, it is
also a great finish for pieces made from
blotch-prone woods, such as this cherry
dining table by Gary Rogowski (see “The
tables. I replied that while you could build Versatile Trestle Table,” pp. 28-33). The
up the extra protection these surfaces need table also demonstrates how this finish
by wiping on many more coats of the gel can be used in tandem with my original
polyurethane, it would be far quicker to wipe-on-only Foolproof Finish: I used
brush on several coats of liquid polyure- the durable finish on the tabletop, where
thane and then switch to the wipe-on gel food and liquids will be a hazard, and on
for the final few coats. In this way, you the feet, which are likely to be rubbed by
get the rapid build of a brushed finish, shoes. But I used the simpler finish on the
without any brush marks or dust nibs in rest of the piece.
the final surface.
This approach to a durable yet smooth Sand carefully, then seal
finish is so foolproof, we decided to share Although this won’t be a high-gloss finish
it with all of our readers in this step-by- that magnifies every ripple or void in the

START WITH A COAT OF SHELLAC

A thin washcoat of shellac reduces blotching. Use pre-mixed
shellac or dissolve some flakes in denatured alcohol, but
avoid waxy shellac, which will prevent the subsequent coat of
polyurethane from adhering.

Wipe on a thin coat.

Make a couple of passes
to seal the wood with shel-
lac. Whether you use a
French-polishing-style pad
or folded-up cotton cloth,
adding the shellac with a
squeeze bottle is quick and
controllable.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 41
 BRUSH ED POLY BUILDS A BA SE
Three or four coats of liquid polyurethane, sanded smooth
between coats, are enough to give the wood real protection
without a thick, plastic look.

A light touch. Lay

on a coat of polyure-
thane starting a few
inches from one edge
and brushing off the
opposite edge. Use a
light touch, holding the
brush at about 45º to
the surface. After the
first pass, land the
brush just inside the far
end and return, smooth-
ing the strip of wet fin-
ish until you cover the
small dry area and go
lightly off the end. By
brushing off the ends
and not onto them, you
avoid having finish run
down the edges.

surface, we’re still dealing with an eye- to shellac. This is true if you use shellac leave a smooth surface. Wipe and vacuum
catching large, flat surface, so good prepa- containing wax, such as Zinsser’s clear or away the dust.
ration is essential. amber Bulls Eye Shellac. Polyurethane will
To learn how to flatten and smooth a adhere perfectly to dewaxed shellac such Brush polyurethane to add toughness
tabletop using handplanes and a scraper, as Zinsser’s SealCoat or your own mixture Because you won’t be brushing on the final
see Bob Van Dyke’s Fundamentals: “Creat- using dewaxed shellac flakes. coats, you don’t need a really expensive
ing an attractive tabletop” in FWW #210. If Mix a 1-lb. to 11⁄ 2-lb. cut (dilute the Seal- brush that leaves a perfect surface. A $10
you are more comfortable with a random- Coat by about a third with denatured al- to $20 natural-bristle brush, 2 in. or 21⁄ 2 in.
orbit sander, start at P100 grit and work cohol). You can apply the shellac with a wide, works fine for most surfaces. If you
your way up to P220 grit, then hand-sand natural or synthetic filament brush, but I have no experience brushing finishes, or
with the grain using the final grit. Remove find it just as quick (and easier on vertical if your attempts have been below par, this
the dust using a vacuum or compressed air surfaces) to wipe on the shellac with a is a painless way to build your brushing
to clean out the pores. cotton cloth. It also requires less sanding skills and confidence.
The next step is to apply a thin coat afterward. You can use any brand of oil-based gloss
of shellac to the whole piece. As well as Let the shellac dry for two to four hours polyurethane, even those recommended
greatly reducing the likelihood of blotch- depending on the temperature and the hu- for floors, but the viscosity between dif-
ing, the shellac gives the wood a slightly midity, and then lightly sand the surface ferent brands varies greatly. The Minwax
warmer tone and lets you build a sheen with P320-grit paper wrapped around a Fast-Drying Polyurethane I used is about
faster with the gel finish. You may have cork or cork-faced block. All you are doing the consistency of 1% or 2% milk and can
heard that polyurethane will not adhere is removing any particles, dust nibs, etc. to be used straight from the can. If your finish

42 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, facing page (top three): Matthew Kenney

 How to sand efficiently. Fine P320-grit sandpaper has a short life span, so move to a fresh piece
as soon as it stops cutting. A quick way to unclog the sandpaper is to wipe it on a remnant of car-
pet. Stiff and coarse weaves work best. Don’t try to sand out every small depression in the surface.

Layers of protection. The

subsequent coats of poly-
is closer to heavy cream, then thin it with urethane are applied in the
mineral spirits. same way. Moving the brush
You need to apply a roughly equal thick- slowly (above left) minimizes
ness of finish to both sides of the top to bubbles in the finish. You are
not looking for a perfectly
prevent uneven moisture changes, which
flat surface, but high points
cause cupping and warping. Start with the and depressions should be
underside of the table, a good place to well covered with finish
practice your brushing technique where (below left).
the appearance is less important. Brush
on three coats. You don’t need to sand
between coats as long as you apply the
next coat within 24 hours.
As soon as the underside is finished, start
on the top. Let the first coat cure over-
night, then sand the surface with P320-
grit paper. Use stearated paper, which
is designed to resist becoming clogged
with finish. Most sandpaper is stearated
(it has a slightly white, opaque look) but
avoid garnet paper designed for bare

SePteMBer/OctOBer 2010 43
 WIPE ON A FEW TOPCOATS
Thin coats of quick-drying, wipe-on gel poly give the top surface a medium
sheen devoid of dust nibs and brush marks.

SANDPAPER AND STEEL WOOL

SMOOTH THE TRANSITION

Final sanding.
Use P400-grit
sandpaper to
smooth the final
coat of brushed-
on poly. Don’t try
to sand down to
a perfectly flat
surface. To dull
the small, shiny
depressions and
leave the surface
with an even sheen,
rub the surface
with good-quality
0000 steel wool.

wood. Even stearated paper clogs fairly through, so after sanding rub the surface quickly, dust doesn’t have time to settle
quickly, so follow finishing expert Jeff with the grain using Liberon 0000 steel wool on them. Again, the brand doesn’t matter:
Jewitt’s advice and wipe the paper fre- to dull these spots and to give the whole I’ve had good results with Bartley’s Gel
quently on a carpet remnant. surface an even scratch pattern. Use raking Varnish, Petri’s Gel Poly Finish, and the
Don’t overuse the sandpaper. It is meant light to check your progress. It is worth one I’m using here, General Finishes’ Gel
to be disposable, and you’ll get much bet- ordering the Liberon steel wool (highland- Topcoat. They are all satin polyurethane
ter results if you switch to a new piece as hardware.com) because it lasts longer, pro- turned into a gel.
soon as the paper no longer feels rough or duces better results, and sheds less than the Take a piece of cotton cloth about 4 in.
becomes clogged almost instantly. product found in hardware stores. square and dab some gel varnish onto it
When the whole surface feels smooth to with a small stick. Wipe the gel onto the
the touch, including the edges, remove the Gel poly removes topcoat terror surface in a circular motion. Don’t try to
dust with a vacuum. You should apply a After you carefully vacuum away all the cover more than 2 or 3 sq. ft. before imme-
minimum of three coats. Sand intermediate remnants of steel wool, the surface should diately coming back with a larger piece of
coats with P320-grit paper, but sand the look pretty good—smooth, with a fairly clean cotton cloth and buffing the surface
last one with P400-grit. even sheen. Normally, you would brush in quick strokes with the grain. If you wait
Unlike a high-gloss, rubbed-out finish, you on the final coat of polyurethane and leave too long and the surface becomes sticky,
don’t need to make the surface dead-flat it, risking dust nibs and brush marks. With wipe on a little more gel to reactivate
before applying the satin gel poly, so don’t my approach, you’ll top off the surface by the finish and then immediately buff the
try to sand away all the small, shiny de- wiping on and buffing off several coats of surface. What you are doing is obscuring
pressions. However, the shininess will show gel finish. These super-thin coats dry so the fine scratches left by the steel wool.

44 FINE WOODWORKING
 Tips for gel poly. Use a
stirring stick to place some
of the thick finish on a small
piece of cotton cloth (above
left). Dipping the cloth is too
messy. Apply the gel in a
circular motion until you’ve
covered a few square feet
in an even layer (below left).
Buff off the surplus finish
right away using quick, firm
strokes and turning frequently
to a fresh section of cotton
cloth. Repeat until the whole
tabletop is done. Look at
how happy you’ll be with your
flawless finish (bottom).

However, you are applying an extremely

thin coat of finish, so be prepared to apply
at least three coats. The directions on the
can will probably say to wait overnight be-
tween coats, but in warm, dry conditions,
eight hours is plenty.
For the areas of the table that don’t need
the extra protection of the brushed-on
polyurethane, just wipe on the gel finish as
described above. Four or five coats should
be sufficient to get a sheen that matches
the brushed areas.
Adding a coat of wax is optional. On
pieces likely to be handled regularly, I use
it as much for the feel as any extra pro-
tection. But on a dining table likely to be
wiped frequently with a damp cloth, wax
is a waste of time. •

Mark Schofield is the managing editor.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SepTemBer/OcTOBer 2010 45

 Sleek Console Built for

Low enough to fit under

a flat screen, big enough to store
piles of components and media
B Y A N A T O L E B U R K I N

46 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page: Michael Pekovich

Today’s TVs
S U P E R - S T RO N G C O R N E R J OIN T FOR PLYWO O D
DETAIL OF CASE CORNERS

Corner inlay, ⁄ in.

58 Top
¼ in. by ¼ in.

Domino tenon
(8x40),
trimmed to
11 ⁄16 in. long
⁄
7 16 in.

⁄ in.
58
Glue blocks beef up the cor- More tenons, more strength. Festool’s Domino
⁄ in.
12
ners. The glue blocks, attached to creates rows of slip-tenon joints in minutes. In the
the top and bottom of each side, sides, Burkin moved the mortises partway into the
increase strength against racking. glue blocks to accommodate the rabbet that follows.

Side Glue block,

5 ⁄ 8 in. thick

by 2 in. wide

I was the last man on my block, maybe

in the entire country, to buy a wide-
screen digital television. Like many
people, I used to hide my television in
an entertainment armoire, but the latest
flat-screen televisions have a modern look
that I find attractive. Also, it takes a pretty
huge cabinet to contain them. So instead
of hiding the TV, I hung it on the wall
and decided to build a sleek entertainment
credenza to go under it.
Made of 3⁄4-in.-thick sapele plywood
and solid sapele and wenge, the piece
fits into the modernist style—with its
clean, crisp lines, no exposed joinery, Use a dado set to rabbet the sides. Bury the blade in a sacrificial fence to dial in the
width. Place an offcut from the glue-block stock under the workpiece to stabilize it.
no frame-and-panel doors, just long
expanses of beautiful sapele grain framed Trim the top.
by darker wenge. After cutting the
Style, however, does not trump func- mortises in the top
tion. This credenza offers plenty of stor- and bottom, trim
age. Inside are three compartments hidden those parts to fit
inside the rabbets
by three sliding doors. The center section
in the sides.
holds the electronics: DVD player, receiver,
cable box, and a laptop. The outer sec-
tions have banks of drawers to store CDs,
DVDs, and other accessories, like head-
phones and cables. If you don’t own a
lot of CDs and DVDs, you could easily
eliminate the drawers and use that space
to hold game consoles or other electronic

Photos, except where noted: Thomas McKenna 47

MODERN CREDENZA,
MODERN CONSTRUCTION
The joinery for this modern entertainment Top
credenza was assembled using a modern tool: Center panels, Doors, ¾ in. thick
Domino tenons, 8x40
Festool’s Domino machine. But you can easily 8¾ in. wide by 21¼ in. wide
(¼ in. by ¾ in. by 11 ⁄2 in.)
by 21 in. tall
adapt the design for router-cut mortises and Plywood panels, ¼ in. thick by
make your own slip tenons. 17½ in. wide by 18 in. tall

Tenons, ¼ in. thick Rails, ¾ in. thick by 3 in.

by ¾ in. wide by wide by 65½ in. long
11 ⁄16 in. long (8x40
Dominos, trimmed) Partitions, ¾ in.
thick by 17¾ in.
wide by 22½ in. tall
(including ¼-in.-thick
sapele edging)

Wenge corner
inlay, ¼ in. by
¼ in.

Stiles, ¾ in.
thick by 3 in.
wide by
17½ in. long

Attach the base to

the case with ¼-in.
bolts and washers. Runners,
Sides, ¾ in. thick
by 21 in. wide centered in
by 24 in. tall Sapele door, 7⁄ 32 in.
(including inlay) edging, thick
Lower track, ¾ in. Face frame, ¼ in. thick
thick by 1¾ in. wide ¾ in. thick by
Four slip tenons 15 ⁄ 8 in. wide
per leg (8x40 Rabbet,
Dominos) ¾ in. wide
Top and bottom are ¾ in. thick by ½ in.
by 21 in. wide by 65½ in. long, deep
including inlay in rear Inner cross stretchers,
¾ in. thick by 2½ in.
wide by 13 in. long

Slip tenons in base

are all 8x40 Dominos.

*Shelves (not shown),

¾ in. thick by 17½ in.
wide by 21¾ in. long

Felt pad

Outer cross
stretchers,
2 in. wide
To purchase digital plans and
a complete cutlist for this Stretchers, ¾ in. thick by
credenza and other projects, go to
3 in. wide by 62¾ in. long
FineWoodworking.com/PlanStore.

48 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Bob La Pointe

 Upper track, ½ in. thick gear or even change the overall dimen-
Groove for
runner stops
VIDEO sions. The design is quite versatile.
Door pulls, Bauerware
½ in. from
edges. LO8-31-BRZ 102 x 51 mm, WORKSHOP Start with the carcase joinery
bronze plated Watch Burkin build
(center door has two) this cabinet from Rough-cut the plywood to manageable
start to finish in a pieces using a circular saw and an edge
Filler strips around drawer members-only video
pocket, 5 ⁄ 8 in. by 1 in.
guide. Make the final cuts using the table-
at FineWoodworking
.com/extras. saw and a sled. You’ll need to cut the top
and bottom 1⁄ 2 in. longer than shown in
the drawing. I did this to make the joinery
simpler to cut. These two pieces will be
Blocking for slides allows trimmed 1⁄4 in. on each end after cutting
drawers to clear face the mortises. Use a block plane to clean
frame on sides of case. up any sawmarks on the edges.
Vertical
filler strip is Edge banding, Next, use a dado set to rabbet the back
notched to 1⁄ 4 in. thick
of all four carcase parts. Glue blocks on
fit over glue Drawer front and the inside corners strengthen the case and
blocks. back, ½ in. thick provide a stable platform when routing the
by 179⁄16 in. long
mortises in the sides. Mill up the
blocks and glue them
flush to the top
and bottom edges,
and 1 ⁄ 2-in. back
from the front
edge to allow for
Drawer slides, the face frame.
Accuride 3832 Cut mortises for the
TR, 16 in. Glue blocks slip tenons—A fence-equipped
are set back
½ in. from router works fine to cut the mortises for
front of case.
Drawer bottom, this project, but I splurged last year and
1⁄ 4-in.-thick bought a Festool Domino joiner (to get
Drawer side, plywood
½ in. thick by
the lowdown on this machine, see Tools
16 in. long & Materials in FWW #190), which makes
really fast work of mortise-and-tenon
False drawer front, joinery. The tool cuts a deep mortise in
5 ⁄ 8 in. thick by one plunge, like a biscuit joiner. I used
195 ⁄ 8 in. long the Domino’s medium-thickness bit and

FRONT SIDE
15⁄ 8 in.
66 in. 211⁄ 4 in.
11 ⁄ 8 in.

6¾ in.

32¼ in. 67⁄ 8 in. 24 in.

¼ in. 67⁄ 8 in.

8 in.
¼ in. 2 in. 3 in.
3 in. 3 in.
66¾ in. 22 in.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 49
Case assembly Before clamping the entire case together, glue the tenons into the sides and partitions.
Then dry-fit the case to get the parts to mate perfectly.

Gl u e u p t h e c a s e , t h e n a d d the co rner trim

tenons, set to cut as deeply as possible into
Cut the partition the sides, but just shy of blowing through
joinery. To align
the top and bottom panels.
the mortises in
the top and bot-
No matter what tool you use, mark out
tom, use a spacer the joinery using a story stick. Once that’s
board to guide the done, go ahead and start cutting mortises.
Domino joiner. Ref- Use the outside faces of the carcase com-
erence the spacer ponents as reference points for the fence
board off the side, of your router or Domino.
which should be
I put 1⁄4-in. wenge inlay in each corner
dry-fitted in place.
of this plywood case, which not only adds
a nice contrast but also offers a more du-
rable edge. The rabbet joints are designed
to leave a pocket for this inlay.
Rabbet the top and bottom of the sides
using a dado set, sneaking up on a good
fit. You will have removed some of the
mortise depth, hence the deep initial cuts.
Next, trim 1⁄4 in. off each end of the top
and bottom to accommodate the rabbets.
Finally, cut the partitions to size and drill
the shelf-pin holes in them for the adjust-
able shelves. Add the solid-wood edging
on the front, and cut the mortises in the

Fill the rabbets. Glue and nail (or tape) the

wenge inlay strips to the corners and back
Get the glue on. Begin by gluing the slip tenons to the vertical members. Then apply glue to the edges of the case. Trim them flush after the
mortises of the top and bottom. Clamp along the edges and use cauls to bring home the partitions. glue dries.

50 FINE wOODwORkINg
 Ma k e a n d i n s ta l l t h e b ack

Glued-in panels create a rigid assembly. A sturdy back helps strengthen the case against racking. The two outer panels are glued into their grooves;
the two center panels (not shown) are removable. The frame is connected with slip tenons and screwed into the cabinet.

Mit e r e d we n g e f r a M e for th e fron t

Detail of frame
⁄ in.
14

⁄ in.
34

15 ⁄ 8 in.

Roundover on the router table. Rout Sled makes better miters. After rabbeting the back of the stock, cut
the profile on the stock before cutting the miters using a sled. Place a scrap piece in the rabbet to support the
the miters. Fair the shape with hand- workpiece (above). Glue the frame to the front. Rather than fussing with
planes, scrapers, and sandpaper. clamps, Burkin used pins to hold the pieces in place (below). Pieces are
cut, fit, and nailed one at a time.
12 ⁄ in.

partitions and the top and bottom for the

slip tenons.

Dry-fit and glue up the case

When it comes to gluing up the case, a
dry run is critical. It gives you a chance to
rehearse the steps, check the joints, and be
sure you have enough clamps at the ready.
Because the rabbets effectively reduce the
depth of the mortises on the sides, stock
Domino tenons have to be trimmed.
Glue the tenons into the sides and parti-
tions, then fit them to the top and bottom.
Assemble the case, making sure to check
for square. For the inlay along the top,
bottom, and back, mill up strips of wenge
just a hair over 1⁄4 in. square and glue them
in; I used a pin nailer instead of clamps to

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com

 Smooth sliding doors
DOOR AND TRACK DETAIL hold the pieces in place. The pins are set
deep enough to be out of the way later
Upper track, ½ in. thick Splines
by 1¾ in. wide project 7⁄16 in. when I planed the inlay flush.
Add the back—The back assembly is a
solid-wood sapele frame with 1⁄4-in.-thick
sapele-faced MDF (or plywood) panels.
The end panels are fixed; the center panels
are removable for easy access to wiring.
Plane the frame assembly to fit the car-
Make tracks. The top track is thinner than the case, then screw it in place. I didn’t glue
lower track. After cutting the grooves on the the frame, figuring that in a few years I
Slots, tablesaw, screw the tracks inside the case.
7⁄ 32 in. wide might want to change the inside of the
by 1 ⁄ 2 in. case due to technology updates.
Sapele edging, deep Attach the front face frame—A solid
¼ in. thick, wenge face frame decorates the front of the
protects plywood
and improves case. The frame is mitered and rabbeted
sliding action. to fit over the plywood. I also shaped the
Splines front face with a massive roundover bit
project
3 ⁄16 in.
(219⁄ 32 in., Freud No. 99-027) to soften the
look of this otherwise squarish credenza.
Mill up the frame pieces, rabbet them,
miter the corners, then glue them in place.
Again, a pin nailer comes in handy.
Install the runners. Rout stopped grooves in
the top and bottom of the doors. Dry-fit the run- Tackle the doors, drawers, and shelves
Lower track, ¾ in. ners, then check the fit and action of the doors. The sliding doors are 3⁄4-in. plywood edged
thick by 1¾ in. wide You may have to adjust the height of the run- with solid sapele. Cut the plywood to size
ners to get them to fit nicely. Once that’s done, and apply the edging. The corners of the
glue them in. doors will be mostly hidden, so
don’t bother mitering the edg-
ing. Cut stopped grooves in the
top and bottom edges using a
slot-cutting bit in a router table.
Insert runners or guides of re-
sawn solid sapele, but don’t
glue them yet.
Make the tracks from solid
stock. Note that the top track
is thinner than the lower track.
Cut the grooves on the table-
saw, making them a hair wid-
er than the guides for smooth
operation. Screw the tracks in
place. The doors are inserted
from the front by tipping them
into the center bay (without
shelves in place), then lifting
them to engage the top track
first, and dropping them into
the lower track. You may have
TIP LIFT AND DROP
The doors are inserted from the front
to adjust the height of the
splines to get the doors to fit.
There should be a slight gap,
by tipping them into the center bay (without 1⁄16 in. or so, between the front
shelves in place). Lift the door to engage the
top track first, then drop it into the lower track.
52 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page (bottom): Michael Pekovich
 Big case needs a strong base
and rear doors, as well as the face frame.
Once you have the doors fitted to your lik-
ing, glue the guides into the doors.
I used bronze-finished metal pulls because
I like a bit of metal on a modern piece. After
excavating the mortises for the pulls, I used
epoxy to bond the metal to the wood.
To continue the clean look inside, the
drawers have no pulls. Instead, I chose
full-extension touch-release slides that
pop out the drawer when you push on
the front. The slides provide smooth action Tenons brace the corners. Each miter gets four
and full access to the drawer. The drawers slip tenons (left). Glue up the mitered feet first
are 1⁄ 2-in. sapele plywood edged with solid (above), then attach them to the stretcher
sapele, with solid sapele false assembly (below).
fronts. Shelves are 3⁄4-in.-thick
sapele plywood edged with
solid wenge on the front.

Solid-wood base
can handle the load
The case sits on solid wenge
legs joined with stretchers, all
laminated for extra thickness
(I could find only 4/4 stock
locally). The legs are slightly
proud of the case on the front,
sides, and rear, and the stretch-
ers are inset to give the illusion
that the case is floating. To add
a shadow line, the center lami-
nation is 1⁄4 in. narrower than
the outside pieces. It is glued
flush to one side, and indented
1⁄4 in. on the show face. Plane

and sand the show edge be-

fore glue-up, because it won’t
be easy to do later.
Building the base is straight-
forward. The corners are mi-
tered and joined with quadruple slip tenons. Bolt the base
A pair of stretchers 1⁄4-in. proud of the top of to the case.
Drill clearance
the legs join the leg assemblies. Four short
holes through
cross-stretchers provide support and attach- the base and
ment points for the case. bottom of the
For the finish, a Danish Modern look goes case, then bolt
well, nothing too glossy or grain filling. the assembly
Good choices are wipe-on finishes such in place.
as Minwax Poly or Waterlox. Wax the door
bottoms and guides for smooth action. •

Anatole Burkin, former editor-in-chief of Fine

Woodworking, is the vice president of digital
content for The Taunton Press.

53
Mitered Edging
Made Easy

Most articles skip over this

tricky process—until now
B Y P E T E R S C H L E B E C K E R
FIT THE F I RST PIECE
On the first piece, you’ll cut 45° angles on each end and focus on fitting the length to the
panel. But on subsequent pieces, you’ll custom-fit each angle to the last one until you reach TIP LINE IT UP

the final corner.

Start with 45° angles.

The first miter cut is the
easiest, because you
don’t have to measure
for length. Just cut a
45° angle on one end.

After you make your first cut, but

before you move the workpiece, pull
back the miter gauge and use the
end of the piece to mark a line on
the throat plate. Use this mark to
align workpieces perfectly for
subsequent cuts.

W
Position and mark
hen I teach veneering at the for the second
Center for Furniture Crafts- cut. Hold the edging
manship, students often need in place, eyeballing
to apply a solid edge with miters to the and feeling that
the mitered corner
beautifully veneered panel that they have
lines up perfectly
just worked hard to make. Sometimes the (left). Strike a pencil
panel is not perfectly square, so getting line on the edging
those miters to close up perfectly on all of (below) where the
the corners requires some attention. Here second corner ends.
is a step-by-step procedure that will work Then trim away the
every time. This method also can be used other end at 45°
until both ends
to edge plywood, make frames, and apply
line up.
moldings. And it works for angles other
than 90°, as in hexagons and octagons.
The secret lies in perfecting one joint at
a time as you work your way around the
piece. The quick “tacking” nature of yellow
glue and its ability to temporarily “swim”
or shift helps in this process. I prefer Tite-
bond Original or Elmer’s Wood Glue. You
can lightly clamp a piece, fine-tune its lo-
cation, and then lock down the clamps. By
the time the next piece has been cut to fit,
the clamps can be temporarily removed to
accommodate the next glue-up.
I’ll walk you through the process for a
square or rectangle, where the angles are
45°. If you are working on a hexagon or
octagon, you’ll have to adjust the miter
angles (60° for a hexagon and 67.5° for
an octagon). Always use edge stock that
is 1⁄16 in. thicker than the panel. This way,
you don’t have to worry about attaching

Photos: Anissa Kapsales SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 55

ATTACH TH E FIRST PIECE the edging flush on the top and bottom.
Apply it slightly proud of both the upper
Use biscuits so you only have to worry
and lower surfaces and trim it flush later.
about alignment in one direction.
It looks best if the grain runs right
around the corners, so use one long piece
of wood and waste as little material as pos-
sible between pieces. Once you cut the
first piece to size, the remaining piece will
already have the correct angle, and it can
be tempting to just flip the piece and use
it for the next side. Don’t give in to that
urge, because you will flip the grain and
the corners won’t match. Fitting one long
strip of edging around the piece will give
you three matched corners, but the final
corner won’t match. Put that corner at the
Two tips for biscuiting. A 1 ⁄ 32-in. shim taped to the base of the biscuit joiner compensates for back of the piece if you can.
the edging being thicker than the tabletop (left). Schlebecker made a quick jig to hold the narrow
edging in place while he cut biscuit slots (right).
First edge first
I cut the stock for the first edge to fit cor-
Glue allows time
for adjustment. ner to corner precisely, with 45° angles on
With the biscuits both sides (see photos, p. 55). To cut the
in place, you only miters, I use a quality miter gauge on a
have to worry tablesaw with a zero-clearance fence, but
about aligning the you could use a tablesaw sled, a sliding
edging horizontally tablesaw, or even a well-tuned chopsaw.
and not vertically.
When the corners of the miters line up
Before the glue sets
completely, you can perfectly with the corners of the panel,
slide the edging glue the edging into place, using biscuits
back and forth or splines to help with alignment. Clamp
until the miters pressure should be moderately strong. Be-
line up exactly with gin with light pressure, which allows the
the corners of the edging to “swim” before it tacks. You can
panel.
adjust the positioning before the full pres-
sure is put on and the glue goes into full

Cauls are essential. There should

always be cauls at both ends of the
clamps. The cauls prevent damage
and distribute the pressure evenly
over the length of the edging to get
a tight joint line with no gaps.

Get rid of squeeze-out right away. Use a

slightly damp rag to remove glue so it won’t get
in the way of fitting the next miter. This also lets
you see that the corner of the panel is aligned
with the mitered angle.

Drawings: John Tetreault

THE NEX T TWO SIDES
On each of these pieces, leave the stock long,
custom-fit one end to the adjacent miter, and
cut the other end to true 45°.

Tweak the first end to fit perfectly. Cut

the next piece at 45°, and hold it up to the
existing miter. If the miter appears open in
any way (left), change the angle slightly on the
miter gauge (above), and recut the miter until
the fit is perfect. Now mark and cut the other
end to length.

TIP MITER STILL WON’T CLOSE?

“SWIM” IT INTO PLACE

After applying glue, position the new

half of the miter joint too far along the
miter you are matching, then push it
down with clamp pressure.
Slight gap
closes when
second clamp
is tightened.

2
1

Edging

Leave it short at the far end. Leave this The second clamp pushes the piece
end temporarily a little short and apply into place. Put clamp pressure close to
light clamping pressure to hold it there. the miter to force it to close evenly. Then
Panel sock down the first clamp.

tack, but you have only about a minute. process until the miter is perfect. Holding issue. When the third piece fits well, you
Apply pressure as close to the center of the this piece in place, mark the location of can glue it on with the clamps holding the
edge thickness as possible, to avoid gaps the miter on the opposite end and cut it at opposite edge in place, too.
at the top or bottom edges. true 45°. Again, make sure all the corners Even with the joint cut properly, it is dif-
are precise, sneaking up on it and eyeball- ficult to force the two sides of the miter
Fit the next pieces one miter at a time ing the final fit. This piece can now be together. Here’s a trick: Slide the edging
Cut the next adjacent side piece with a 45° biscuited, glued, and clamped in place. over toward the miter joint just a little too
angle, and then hold it up to the existing Repeat the process on the third side. far during the glue’s “swim” period, with
miter. Keep this piece slightly long. If the You’ll have to temporarily remove the light clamping pressure at the opposite
miter appears open in any way, take the clamps that were used for the first piece end of the edging and none at the miter
piece back to the saw, change the angle to inspect and glue the third piece in place. end. The miter will ramp up the opposing
slightly on the saw fence, and repeat the The glue tacks so quickly that this is not an surface a little bit and cause a gap between

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 57
THE FINAL SIDE
Because you are matching
miters on both ends of this piece
while cutting it to perfect length,
there is a slightly different
approach.

Fine-tune the first angle. Cut a Mark the length, perfect the angle, and cut the final miter. Hold-
45° angle on a test piece that is ing the edging against the panel with the first miter bumped against its
shorter than the side. Match the mate, mark the second side for length (above). Moving back to the test
angle to the existing miter. Then piece, find the precise angle for the last mitered corner (right) and then
cut one end of the edging. cut that angle on the final piece, leaving it slightly long.

the edging and the panel. Tighten the far

clamp a bit, apply a clamp close to the mi-
ter, and watch the pressure force the miter
surface to slide down the opposing miter
until the gap closes. Tighten the far clamp
and the rest of the clamps on this piece,
too. This should give you tight miters with
even pressure inside the joints.

The last side is different

The fourth side requires an extra test piece Sneak up on the
of the same dimensions but cut a little fit. The miters
shorter. Cut 45° miters on the test piece should match
perfectly, but there
and slide it up to one of the miters on the will be a gap along
fourth side. If needed, adjust the angle on the length of the
the saw until the joint fits perfectly. With- edging where it
out changing the setup of the saw, cut that meets the panel.
angle on the end of the actual piece of Go back to the
edging that will go in this spot. tablesaw and shave
Now take the test piece to the opposite off a little at a time
until you get the
and final corner to see if it fits, and adjust length just right.
as necessary, leaving the saw angle at that
setting. Put the actual piece of edging in
place on the panel with the first miter in
the corner, and get a mark for the last mi-
ter. Now take this piece to the saw and cut
the last miter, but leave the piece a little
long. Test the fit. Go back to the saw and
take off a very small amount from the last
miter. It may take a few tries to sneak up
on the perfect fit, which should be just a
little tight so that the clamps will pull the

58 FINE WOODWORKING
 FLUSH THE EDGING
TO THE PANEL
A series of careful steps will ensure
that you don’t sand through the veneer
as you level the edging.

Start quickly, finish slowly. Set a hand-

plane to remove material quickly, and then
take light passes to go the rest of the way.
Follow that with a card scraper (above)
and light sanding (below). Be careful not to
sand through the veneer on the panel.

piece snug against the panel. Biscuit, glue, light passes with a sharp blade, followed
and clamp this piece in place. by a card scraper. Sand with a random-
orbit sander in a tight circular motion.
How to trim it flush to the panel Don’t use a belt sander. Finally, smooth the
After the glue has hardened, take off the outside of the edged panel (up the mitered
clamps and begin planing the edge flush to corners if necessary), using handplanes or
the panel. This is scary because you could sandpaper blocks. Always work from the
rip or sand through the veneer. I hold the corners to the middle to avoid catching the
leading surface of the plane sole on the end grain and breaking off a corner. Now Profile the edge? One reason for using
panel with the following surface hanging you can add a profile. • solid-wood edging is that you can profile it.
over the edge, and I skew the plane (see Now is the time to do that with a router or
photo, above). I use a handplane set for a Peter Schlebecker teaches woodworking at The handplane.
medium cut until I get close, and then take Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 59

 A Visit to the Design Doctor
Hank Gilpin has the answers for 3 frustrated furniture makers
B y M a t t K e n n e y

Constructive advice. Stephen Harding (left) drove up from Delaware to spend a day with Hank Gilpin, who helped him
improve the design of his bookshelf.

T here are two big challenges in furniture making: mastering

the craft’s tools and techniques, and developing one’s sense
of design. Many of us spend most, if not all, of our time
tackling the first. That’s a shame, because all the technical skill in
the world cannot save an unattractive piece of furniture.
of Newark, Del.; and Brian Havens of San Jose, Calif. Harding
was close enough to drive up to Gilpin’s Rhode Island shop for
a face-to-face session.
You might not envy these three. After all, many of us leave a
part of ourselves in every piece we build, and criticism about
That’s what led me to ask Hank Gilpin, an accomplished furni- something we have such a personal connection to can sting. But
ture designer and maker, to help some of our readers by critiquing that’s not the way they see it. Harding was particularly pleased
furniture that they had built and drawing an improved version of with the outcome of his day with Gilpin. As he listened to Gilpin’s
each piece. He gladly agreed, and I posted a call for submissions advice, he began to understand how to free his sense of design,
on FineWoodworking.com looking for a few brave souls with in- and says that he left energized, ready for his next project.
teresting furniture and thick skins. In the end, Gilpin picked three
pieces, made by Mike Flaim of Milford, Ohio; Stephen Harding Matt Kenney is an associate editor.

60 FINE WOODWORkING Photos, except where noted: Matt kenney; drawings: John Hartman
 Consider every detail
According to Gilpin, Stephen Harding’s bookshelf
with drawers is a case of unrealized potential.
He liked the basic design but thought it fell
down on its details. For example, Harding used
quartersawn stock for the shelf and the lower
rail. As a result, the front edges of these parts
have unappealing plainsawn grain. Harding
also made some missteps in construction. The grain on the walnut
BEFORE
drawer dividers runs in the wrong direction, so their movement runs
counter to the movement of the shelf and lower rail. After meeting
with Gilpin, Harding said he learned two big lessons. First, Gilpin told
him to draw more before he begins to build—up to 100 (!) sketches
for every piece—as he considers and refines every detail, which is
lesson No. 2.
An arc on the top
of the sides adds
GILPIN’S TAKE The sides should have a
refinement.
consistent taper, beginning just
above the shelf and continuing to
The sides should be proud of the shelf and lower rail.
the top. On the original, the front
Even if you get them flush initially, they eventually won’t
edge is thinner than the back.
be because of seasonal movement. And accidental
details like that are a sign of poor planning.

The shelf and lower rail should The contrast between the dark
have a true curve on their brown end grain of the walnut
front edges. Harding left a flat drawer dividers and the red-oak
in the center of the curves to drawer fronts is too strong. Make
match the drawer front. the dividers from red oak instead,
and change the grain direction to
vertical so that the dividers move
Cut the drawer fronts with the other parts rather than
from a single board for against them.
continuous grain from
side to side.

Use riftsawn boards

for the shelf and lower
rail, so the grain on
the top and the front
edge is straight. The
flatsawn grain on The through-dovetails
Harding’s piece is too are a nice touch, but
bold. use three tails rather For a sturdier base and a
than two. more refined look, give the
sides feet by beveling the
inside face and cutting an
arc into the bottom.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 61
 Steer clear of the standards
For this audio equipment cabinet, Mike Flaim took design cues
from a similar piece his wife had seen in a catalog of mass-
produced furniture. As a result, the cabinet lacks personality. All
of the pieces visible from the front are the same width. Even the
negative space at the bottom is roughly that same width. Gilpin’s
simple solution was to vary the widths. He would also taper the
legs and give some shape to the lower rail to further enhance
the custom feel of the piece. The varied color of the parts, made

The doors should

BEFORE Raise the pulls so that they close over the top
are easier to reach. rail.

ORIGINAL Increase and bevel

Lacking variety in the overhang.
the dimensions of
its parts, the cabinet
looks mass-produced. Top and shelf appear to be
the same thickness.

These parts are close

Taper the legs, Make the shelf
to the same width as Lighten the piece by
leaving them a bit thinner.
the space beneath the adding a slight curve to
cabinet. slightly wider at the
bottom. the bottom edge of the
lower carcase rail and
terminating the taper in
a step that transitions to
a narrower section in the
middle.

62 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page: Stacy Fenner

from multiple boards, adds to the factory feel and drowns out the Furniture design,
beautiful cathedral grain of the door panels. Gilpin recommended the Gilpin way
finding a thick board large enough for all of the most visible parts
For the better part of a day, Gilpin
so that the color would be consistent. That would also allow Flaim
discussed design and technique
to control the grain on the door frames especially. Using riftsawn
with Harding, offering him some
lumber, with its straight grain, would cause the frames to step
great general advice on both
back from the door panels, rather than compete with them.
counts. Here’s a distilled version:

• Design to please yourself,

The rail at the top of the opening regardless of who the client is.
should be the same width as the
top rail on the door frame. Use riftsawn lumber for the door
frames, legs, and carcase rails. • Limitations are good. It’s far
easier to design a cabinet to
hold three specific pieces of
pottery that will be hung in the
kitchen and made from that
specific stack of cherry
in the shed, than it is to
design “a wall cabinet.”

• Be deliberate about every part.

Nothing should be accidental
or done after the fact. Ad-hoc
design choices look sloppy and
out of place.

GILPIN’S TAKE • Engineer as you design. Open

a book about joinery and
consider how parts will be
held together. Every detail of
construction should be worked
out by the time you’re done
designing.

• Creativity begins with a

question. Ask yourself, “What
can I do to make this more
interesting, more fun, or
different?”

• Keep complete control over

grain and color. This starts at
the lumberyard, so know how
to read end grain and what it
tells you about how the face
and edge grain will look.
Give the piece a
more solid stance
by making these
lower rails wider.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 63
 Less is more
Thicken the ebonized trim in keeping
with the overall proportions of the piece.

Clean up
the front by
removing one
of the three
details. One
option is to
remove the
Japanese
characters.

BEFORE

GILPIN’S TAKE

As Gilpin Another option is

pointed out to use the letters
as pulls.
to Harding,
the difference
between good
and great
furniture is
often in the details. However,
it is possible to overdo them.
That’s the case with the
jewelry cabinet that Brian
Havens made for his wife.
There are three dramatic
but competing elements on
the front: the veneer, the
door pulls, and the inlaid
Japanese characters. Gilpin
advises designers to resist
the temptation to overload
a piece with dramatic focal
points. He said Havens would Widen the
have been better served by base so that
the piece is
choosing two of the three. not top heavy.
Or better yet, turn the inlays Leave the Split the apron in
thickness of two and add two
into door pulls! Gilpin also the cabinet vertical dividers.
noted that the base and bottom as is. These pieces tie
cabinet seem out of synch, into the thickness
of the other
as if the cabinet was placed ebonized elements.
on a low table that wasn’t
part of the design and just Make the legs thinner with
happened to be there. a more graceful curve.

64 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page: Brian Havens

 Make
Short Work
of Small Parts

With bench hooks

and hand tools,
A fter years of making small boxes with delicate trays and
cabinets with small drawers, I’ve found that the safest, fast-
est, and most precise way to make and fit small parts is with
a backsaw, a handplane, and three bench jigs. The jigs—a planing
stop, a saw hook, and a shooting board—are easy to make, last a
long time, and come in handy for a wide range of jobs.
fitting fine pieces Each of these jigs is useful by itself, but they really shine when
used together. I line them up on my bench and go quickly from
is as easy as 1-2-3 one to the next. It makes for a quiet, safe, and efficient workstation.
And the fit and finish of my small parts is better than ever.
I’ll show you how to make the jigs—and then how to use
B Y M A T T K E N N E Y them—as I make and fit the parts for a jewelry box.

Matt Kenney is an associate editor.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 65
A planing stop for thin stock
This planing jig provides
rock-solid support for hand- Plywood base,
planing small parts, from ¾ in. thick by
8 in. wide by
miter keys to box lids. The
14 in. long
base hooks over the edge
of the workbench while the Attach stop
with #6,
1 ⁄ 8-in.-thick stop prevents
¾-in.-long
the workpiece from sliding. brass screws.
Its low profile won’t inter-
fere with thin stock, and it’s Hardwood stop,
⁄ in. thick by
18
secured with brass screws, 1½ in. wide
which will do less damage
if they contact the plane Adhere sandpaper to hook
face to keep jig from moving
iron. A strip of P220-grit at the bench.
paper on the hardwood hook
keeps the jig from sliding
sideways. I use high-quality
veneer-core plywood for all Attach hook
three jigs, because it stays with glue and Hook for bench,
drywall screws. ¾ in. thick by 1¼ in.
flat over the long haul. wide by 8 in. long
Thin stop, tall hook. Screw on the two
Online Extra cleats and you’re ready to go (right). The
screws that secure the stop are coun-
To watch a video of Kenney using his
jigs in our series on box-making, go to tersunk so they won’t hit the plane iron
FineWoodworking.com/extras. should it pass over them.

1 SURFACE SMALL PARTS EA SILY

After bandsawing or tablesawing small stock to size, the first
step is to remove the saw marks and plane them to thickness.

Smooth thin panels

and refine joinery.
Box lids and other
thin panels are easily
surfaced at the plan-
ing stop (above). With
Plane to thickness. A great job for the edge of the panel
the planing stop is bringing corner overhanging the jig,
keys to thickness (above). Handplan- fine-tuning a rabbet is
ing is the ideal way to sneak up on a simple and accurate
perfect fit (right). (left).

66 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Patrick McCombe; drawings: Vince Babak

A versatile saw hook Saw fence, 1½ in.
Like the planing jig, the saw hook thick by 1¾ in. wide
Plywood base,
is designed to sit on a workbench, ¾ in. thick by
providing a stable platform for rough- 12 in. wide by
12 in. long
cutting small parts to length—more
quickly and safely than a power tool.
Instead of a shallow stop, it has a
taller fence that holds the workpiece
steady. The fence has 90° and 45°
kerfs that guide the sawblade. When
making the jig, don’t worry too much
Attach Attach fence
about getting the sawkerfs perfect. hook with with glue and
This jig is only meant to get parts glue and Adhere drywall screws.
drywall sandpaper to
close to the right length and angle. screws. hook face.
For a perfect fit, use a low-angle
plane and a shooting board (see Hook, 1 in. thick
by 1½ in. wide
next page). by 12 in. long

Fence gets three cuts. After attaching the fence and hook, lay out the 90º
and 45º cuts in the fence with a marking knife and square (left). Then make
a shallow groove with a chisel (center) to guide the backsaw. Cut the kerfs
with the same saw you’ll use to cut stock (right).

2 THEN CU T THEM TO LENGTH

With the parts smooth and straight, rough them quickly to length on the saw hook.

Mark and cut. For the sides of this jewelry tray, Kenney measured directly from the workpiece 45° too. The same goes for miters. Here, Kenney
(left), then cut the parts at the saw hook (right). Generally, it’s best to leave the pieces a little trims the waste off the corner keys he planed on
long and then square the ends and fine-tune the fit at the shooting board (see next page). the previous page.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 67
Shooting board is the most valuable jig
Of all these jigs, the shooting board Star knob locks down fence.
Large, flat
is the most versatile. You can use washer
it to square up ends, plane miters, Fence, 1¼ in. thick Oversize ¾-in. hole
and trim parts for a perfect fit. The by 2½ in. wide by
base is made from a two-piece stack 12 in. long
¼-in. pin,
of ¾-in.-thick plywood with the bot- 1¼ in. from
Carriage bolt, edge
tom piece about 3 in. wider than 3 ⁄ 8 in. by 3 in.,

the top piece. 1¾ in. from edge

Plywood top,
With the left sides aligned, the ¾ in. thick by
10½ in. wide by
resulting rabbet becomes the run-
20 in. long
way for the plane. A 3-in. rabbet
works for the Veritas low-
angle jack plane shown
here, but it should be ad-
justed so it’s about 1 in.
wider than the height of
the plane you’ll be using.
A strip of ½-in.-thick
hardwood glued to the left side ¼- by 5 ⁄16-in.
of the rabbet keeps the plane bronze bushing
blade from cutting into the ply-
wood (which would dull it). And Hardwood strip,
¾ in. by ¾ in.
since the plane blade is not as
wide as the plane body, it leaves a Plywood base,
¾ in. thick by
narrow ridge of hardwood at the bot- 14 in. wide by
tom of the runway. The ridge works 20 in. long
as a depth stop to keep the blade
Attach hook with
from reaching and endlessly shaving glue and drywall
away the hardwood strip. screws.
Whenever you sharpen your jack Adhere sandpaper
Hook, to hook face.
plane, you’ll need to trim away the 1 in. thick by 1¾ in.
ridge with a shoulder plane and then wide by 14 in. long

re-establish a new ridge with the

newly sharpened jack plane.

Adjustable fence will always be true. A 1 ⁄4-in. (I.D.) bronze bushing

(left) and a tight-fitting steel pin serve as the pivot point for the fixed end of
the fence. The adjustable end has an oversize hole that fits over a
carriage bolt (center). Once squared, the fence is locked down with a
threaded knob (right).

68 FINE WOODWORKING
3 NOW F I NE-TUNE THE FIT
Fence,
⁄ in wide by
38

2¼ in. tall
After you’ve planed your pieces smooth and sawn them to rough length, Glue and screw
fence to base.
the shooting board does the really important work. Add
sandpaper
Base, to face.
PLANE ENDS AND EDGES SQUARE MAKE 2½ in. wide
PERFECT by 2 in. tall
MITERS
By adding
a 45°
auxiliary
fence to
the shooting
board, you can Auxiliary
make tight miters miter fence
with minimal Shooting
board
fuss.

Shoot in pairs. After aligning the opposite ends, squaring pairs of parts
at the same time ensures they’re exactly the same length.

Simple jig makes miters too. Clamp the miter jig to the shooting
board’s fence, so it doesn’t shift sideways.

Joint edges safely. You can joint the long sides of small parts at the
shooting board, too. And it’s safer than a jointer.

The perfect fit.

With the work-
piece slightly
oversize, plane
one end square
and then take a
pass or two on
the opposite end.
Continue planing
and test-fitting
until you get a
snug fit (left).

Plane the miter. A firm grip and P220-grit sandpaper glued to the jig
prevent the stock from moving as the miter is planed perfectly true.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 69

Secret to a Sheraton Leg?
Divide and Conquer The TOP section is
turned with two sets of
rings, grouped to match
the width of the drawer
B Y M A R I O R O D R I G U E Z faces.

I ’m always on the lookout for small but challenging projects,

so this Sheraton table caught my eye. It’s a stylish piece,
compact and delicate. But it was the turned
legs that really grabbed me.
The top portion is turned to a
tight stack of perfectly formed
rings. Below the rings are 12
carved, tapered reeds that end
neatly in a small ring and reel
at ankle height. Under the ring
and reel, the leg swells to a
smooth bulb, and finally ends
in a narrow tip.
All that turning made me
hesitate. I’ve never considered
myself a turner, more like a
furniture maker who turns a
little. So how did I create the
four ornate legs you see in The CENTER section is tenoned
on both ends. The upper portion
the photo? I did it by dividing begins with a ring that aligns with
each one into three separate the bottom of the case. A series of
sections—upper rings, center turned shapes gives way to a long,
straight taper into which the reeds
reeds, and foot—connected are cut.
by simple mortise-and-tenon
joinery. Doing so let me make
multiple copies of each section,
discarding any single part that
wasn’t up to snuff without los-
ing the rest of my work.
This safety net also makes the
project a great opportunity to
grow as a turner. The work can
be done on a small lathe, and
each section features different
details and treatments, requir-
ing a range of skills and techniques.

Straight joints make a straight leg The reeds in the

For this approach to succeed, all the parts must line up correctly: center section
die beautifully
Any misalignment will draw attention to the joints. This means into the BOTTOM
the mortises and tenons must be drilled and turned so they are section. Another
perfectly straight and concentric with the turned profiles. series of traditional
details leads to the
For the top and foot, I drill the mortise first and then use it to elongated taper at
mount the workpiece on the lathe. In this way, the workpiece the foot.
rotates around the center of the mortise as the piece is turned. On

70 FINE WOODWORKING
The top section is notched to join the case
TOP SECTION ATTACHING THE LEGS TO THE CASE

The corners of
¾ in. 1¼ in. dia. the case are
chamfered to
1½ in. dia. allow the legs
to be pulled
tightly to them.

2¼ in.

The legs are

held in place
with screws
driven through
¾ in. 1¼ in. dia. the case
corners at an
1½ in. dia. angle from
the inside, a
period-correct
technique.
21 ⁄ 4 in.

The tenon
at the top of
the center
Notch the blank. Cut away one quarter of the leg. Then, to leg section
make the blank whole for turning, glue in a piece of scrap. A is pared to
¾ in. 1¼ in. dia.
layer of kraft paper makes the scrap block easy to remove later. accommodate
the case corner.

Drill a round mortise. Clamp a right-angle jig A shopmade fixture holds the work. The Turn the rings with a bead-cutting
to the drill-press table. This helps ensure that workpiece mounts on a mandrel turned to fit tool. Use the tool to score the outline
the mortise runs straight. snugly in the mortise. The mandrel is held in for all of the rings as a reference
a chuck. The opposite end of the workpiece is before forming them. Afterward,
held with a live center in the tail stock. use a sharp chisel to pry away
the glued-in filler block.

Photos, except where noted: Steve Scott; drawings: Christopher Mills SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 71
The center section is tapered and reeded
Center SeCtion

21 ⁄ 8 in. 3/4 in. dia.

1/4 in.
15 ⁄ 8 in. dia.
11/4 in. dia.
11/4 in. 15 ⁄ 8 in. dia.

11/4 in. dia.

13 ⁄ 8 in. dia.
⁄ in.
38
1 in. dia.
1/2 in.
13 ⁄ 8 in. dia.
1/2 in.
15 ⁄ 8 in. dia.

133/4 in.

Get ready for reeding. Turn the details at the top of this post. Then use a spindle gouge to cut a
straight taper, from 15 ⁄8 in. dia. to 7⁄8 in.

the middle portion, the tenons are turned with the rest of the
CroSS SeCtion
workpiece and so share the same centerpoint.
Mortise the top and foot before turning—I begin with the
blank for the top portion. I cut away one long corner of the blank,
measuring 3⁄4 in. by 3⁄4 in. When the table is assembled, this recess
fits around the corner of the case. For now, I fill in the missing
section with a piece of scrap and glue it in with thick paper placed
The center section between the scrap and the workpiece. This allows me to easily
has 12 evenly spaced remove the fill-in piece after drilling my mortise and turning the
reeds that taper from
top to bottom. rings, without damaging the top section.
I use a mortiser or a drill press with a right-angle guide and a
⁄ in. dia.
78
sharp Forstner bit to drill the mortises. After drilling the mortises,
I mount the blank on the lathe by fitting the mortise onto a shop-
made mandrel chucked into the lathe’s jaws. I secure the other
2 in. 1/2 in. dia.
end with the live tail stock.
After turning the blank round, I use a sharp 1⁄4-in. beading tool
to mark out and cut clean, exact rings. Afterward, I lightly sand

72 FINE WoodWorkINg
REEDING JIG
Anchored to the lathe bed with
clamps, the jig is a plywood
box with an adjustable-height Point-cutting
rail on each wall. The router roundover bit
rides on the rails, which are set
above the workpiece, parallel
to its taper.

Size the box to accommodate

router base with no play. A snug
fit ensures straight reeds.

¾-in. plywood

A box for reeding. Before mounting the workpiece between the lathe
centers, Rodriguez clamps the reeding jig to the lathe bed.
Guide rail

Glue
blocks

Rout the reeds. Start with

Slots allow vertical
adjustment of
a light cut and be sure
router guide rails. the jig’s rails are
aligned properly.
Use the lathe’s
indexing head
Hardwood cleat
centers jig on
(above) to lock the workpiece in
lathe bed. position at 30º intervals. The bit
leaves flat-topped reeds (below)
that must be rounded (see next
page) to create the finished ap-
the rings with P220-grit paper and use a handful of shavings to pearance.
burnish them to a smooth finish.
Although the patterns and dimensions are different, the foot is
mortised and turned in essentially the same way.

Two jigs take the risk out of reeding

After roughing the entire center-section blank to a cylinder, mark
out and use a parting tool to turn the tenons. To ensure precise
diameters and a snug fit, I use open-end wrenches to gauge the
tenon thicknesses as I work. This is crucial, as any play in the
joinery would definitely affect the appearance and registration of
the parts and might cause the joints to fail.
Afterward, turn the pattern of coves and beads at the top, then
use a spindle gouge to turn the rest of the piece to a taper mea-
suring 15⁄ 8 in. dia. at the top and 7⁄ 8 in. at the foot end.
Rout the reeds on the lathe—To cut the reeds, I made a simple
jig that supports and guides a router as it travels along the length

Photo, this page (bottom): Mario Rodriguez

Refine the reeds by hand
Bench jig
To hold the workpiece while refining and
smoothing the reeds, Rodriguez created
this simple jig by mounting a pair of
drilled blocks on a piece of flat stock.

Center section is
cut to exact length
for a snug fit.

Shaping the reeds. Rodri-

guez mounts the workpiece
in a shopmade jig, then
uses a variety of tools to
round the tops of the reeds
and sharpen the grooves.

3/4-in. Cut away part of the

plywood hole so the tenons
snap into place.

of the leg. The jig surrounds the workpiece, which remains se-
cured between centers on the lathe. But because the leg tapers,
this jig has adjustable tilting guide rails.
With a 3⁄4-in. straight router bit loaded into a trim router, adjust
the rails so the router bit just touches the leg at both ends. With
both the router and the lathe running, pass the router up and
down the length of the leg. This removes any rough spots on the
surface and produces a perfectly concentric taper. Now you’re
ready to reed the leg.
First, plot a cross-section of the leg on a scrap piece of ply-
Create a flat on the tenon. The wood. In this case, 12 reeds fit around the leg. The 12 reeds will
tenon will be exposed by the cut- be situated with an indexing head built into the lathe headstock.
away portion of the leg. The flat Because the reeds taper, it’s impossible to cut full and complete
surface lets the legs marry to the reeds with the router. The best you can hope for is straight partial
beveled corners of the case.
reeds that you can finish with rasps and files.
Use a point-cutting roundover bit and set it for a light cut. Re-
member, the smaller diameter at the foot end still has 12 reeds,
but they are cut to a slightly shallower depth. Lock the leg in-
to position with the indexing head and cut a single reed, then

74
 Finish with the foot
rotate the leg until all 12 reeds
are cut.
Refine the shapes at the
bench—To finish shaping the
reeds, I made a benchtop jig
to hold the work and provide
easy access to the full length of
each reed. This is another great
advantage of building the leg
in three parts: I can shape and
sand the reeds straight through
without interference on either
end. This produces clean, per-
fect, and smooth results along
their entire length.
I use a shoulder plane and
detail files to remove the sharp
edges of each reed, carefully
rounding the tops. Then I use A graceful foot. Use the shopmade mandrel again to mount the foot blank on the
a knife-edge file between the lathe, using the tailstock and a live center again to stabilize the piece. The foot is
reeds to sharpen and deepen shaped using a parting tool and a variety of spindle gouges.
their profile.
For a smooth finish, I use a set
of small rubber sanding shapes,
changing them frequently to
match the taper of the reeds to-
ward the small end.

Mix and match parts

before glue-up
After preparing all the leg sec-
tions, test the fit of the differ-
ent parts. Each section should
slip in snugly, without any play
or pressure at the joint. Sight
down the length of each leg; foot
it should be straight and appear as if turned as a single piece. 1/4 in.
11/4 in. dia.
You may find that the mortise in the top section wasn’t perfectly 1 in. dia.
drilled, causing the leg to cant in or out of alignment. If so, the ⁄ in.
1 16
11 ⁄16 in. dia.

cutout corner can be fine-tuned for a straight and square fit. 1/2 in.
1 in. dia.
Another advantage to this method is that it lets you select the 18 ⁄ in.
best-looking parts for the front legs and put the lesser parts on
13 ⁄ 8 in. dia.
the back legs. You also can rotate each section for the best ap-
pearance, color, and grain orientation.
When you’re satisfied, mark the alignments with a pencil tick on
a strip of masking tape. Next, take everything apart and carefully
cut a shallow notch along each tenon to let excess glue escape
4 in.
instead of pooling in the mortise and preventing the joint from
going together. Apply glue to the sides of the mortise and gently
slide the sections together. Just before the joint closes, rotate the
pieces and align the pencil ticks. If you’ve done careful work, you
won’t even need to clamp the leg assembly. •
⁄ in. dia.
58

Mario Rodriguez is a longtime contributor who teaches at the Philadelphia ⁄ in.

18

Furniture Workshop (philadelphiafurnitureworkshop.com). 1/2 in. dia.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEpTEmbEr/OcTObEr 2010 75

readers gallery

G R EG B ROW N
Northwood, N.H.

Brown’s mahogany and bird’s-eye maple sideboard reflects a combination of Federal

influences. The main form can be attributed to a Seymour-style dressing table, the grape-
leaf carving comes from Thomas Whitman’s work, and the rest of the carving and details
are Samuel McIntire. Finished with shellac and wax, the sideboard is 20¾ in. deep by
58 in. wide by 38 in. tall. PHOTO: LANCE PATTERSON

W I L L B EL L U C C I
Rapid City, S.D.

This tupelo vessel is 8 in. tall and 9 in.

in diameter. Bellucci turned the piece and then
carved the rows of beads and petals around its
perimeter. On each of his turnings, he carves
a unique flower Submissions
on the bottom.
The finish is wipe- Readers Gallery provides
on polyurethane. design inspiration by
PH OTOS: RACHEL showcasing the work
SCH EFFEL
of our readers. For
submission instructions
and an entry form, go to
FineWoodworking.com.

76 FINE WOODWORKING
 RO D N E Y DI A Z
Southbury, Conn.

This maple and pine lap desk is based on one in

Christian Becksvoort’s The Shaker Legacy (The
Taunton Press, 2000). Diaz adjusted the size (143⁄8 in.
deep by 183⁄8 in. wide by 61⁄8 in. tall) to accommodate
a 17-in. MacBook Pro under the lid and in front of the
ink-bottle drawer (hidden on the far side). The curly
maple came from 50-year-old firewood found in a
19th-century barn. The finish is aniline dye, Waterlox
Original, amber shellac, and amber wax.

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

JI M WA L L AC E
Cedar Park, Texas

This wenge and marblewood table is

Wallace’s version of Charlie Durfee’s bow-
front hall table (FWW #204). The table,
18 in. deep by 50 in. wide by 32 in. tall,
was shown at the annual Kerrville Texas
Furniture Makers Show, where it received
the Judges’ Special Award and the
People’s Choice Award. The idea for the
tapestry came from the end-grain pattern
of the marblewood, which reminded
Wallace of the lace doilies resting on
his grandmother’s tabletops. At first, his
veneered tapestry only spanned the top, Tabletop
but he evolved the design so
the pattern would Biscuits
fold over the top Wenge
and down the
Marblewood
sides.

CREATE THE DRAPED EFFECT

Wallace glued the marblewood
pattern onto 5 ⁄ 8-in.-thick wenge, and
then beveled the wenge to create the
illusion that only the thin tapestry
Looks like lace. Wallace started with a 2-in. wraps over the edge. Biscuits and
by 2-in. block and took 3 ⁄32-in. slices from the glue attach the side pieces to the top.
end, creating small tiles. He arranged those
slices in fours to make a rosette-like pattern, 45º bevel on
and then inlaid those larger tiles in the top. all four sides

Drawing: John Tetreault SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 77

readers gallery continued

AL I S O N S WA N N - IN G R A M
Tampa, Fla.

Influenced by falling maple leaves and the

Chinese empire, Swann-Ingram created the MICHAEL SWIFT
maple branches and seeds on this cabinet Cooperstown, N.Y.
(18 in. deep by 24 in. wide by 28 in. tall)
through a combination of wood-burning and Made while Swift was a student at the Center for Furniture
carving. The walnut top is dyed, while the Craftsmanship in Maine, this cabinet on a stand (14½ in. deep by
walnut legs are ebonized. Shannon Andrews 25½ in. wide by 58 in. tall) is inspired by the work of James Krenov.
hand-forged the silver leaves. The interior is finished with red gloss lacquer, and The cabinet is mainly white oak, with jatoba details and Spanish
the maple doors are finished with clear lacquer. PHOTO: STEVEN WIDOFF cedar drawer bottoms. The finish is shellac. PHOTO: JIM DUGAN

C R AI G D UB O S E
Charlottesville, Va.

Commissioned by clients in St. Louis to

build a Chinese-inspired hall table,
DuBose didn’t see them face to face
until he delivered this mahogany table.
They worked out the design details,
dimensions (32 in. deep by 96 in. wide by
36 in. tall), woods, and finishes through
a series of email exchanges. The finish is
aniline dye, Waterlox Original, and wax.
PH OTO: PHILIP B EAUR LINE

78 FINE WOODWORKING
THE FURNITURE SOCIETY CONFERENCE, 2010
This year’s conference, held at the Massachusetts Institute of invited studio furniture makers to give their perspective on what
Technology in Cambridge, included two juried exhibits: “Six often is a mundane industry. Here are a few of the pieces from the
Degrees of Separation” was open to furniture makers who live in two shows. For more information on The Furniture Society, go to
or graduated from a school in New England. “Outdoor Furniture” furnituresociety.org.

B AR T N IS WO N G ER
Worthington, Mass.

Though the piece is based loosely on

Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann’s designs,
Niswonger added a topographical
element to this cherry and ash
sideboard (17 in. deep by 55 in. wide
by 34 in. tall) by playing with texture
and color. He created the hills and
valleys by making a series of cove cuts
in two directions on the tablesaw. To
finish the sculpted areas on the left,
he sandblasted them to open the
grain, then used a sealer. Then he
rubbed acrylic paint into the wood,
wiped off the excess, and finished with
a gloss varnish topcoat.

H AYA M I A R A K AWA LIBBY SCHRUM

West Newton, Mass. Camden, Maine

This mahogany outdoor bench (14 ft. dia. by 28 in. tall) was designed to While experimenting with curves, Schrum took the design of
encourage clear, open, intellectual conversation, and will be placed on the this unfinished white oak outdoor bench from a rough sketch to
MIT campus. All the joinery was done with Festool’s Domino joiner, and the a model, and finally to its finished form. The bench is 17½ in.
finish is Watco’s Exterior Danish Oil. deep by 56 in. wide by 17½ in. tall.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 79

Q&A Push stick, made from ¾-in.-thick MDF

Use a long 3 in.

minimum

push stick
when ripping Slightly longer than
workpiece
Blade raised 3 ⁄ 8 in.
above workpiece Tab remains stable after first pass

narrow boards of blade, so it won’t be cut off on

successive passes.

Q: Is it safe to rip 1⁄8-in.-wide strips Get better control

with a long push
between the rip fence and blade? stick. You can apply
— E D P I R N I K , Stamford, Conn. downward pressure
over the entire work-
piece and keep it from
lifting up.
A: WITH THE RIGHT PUSH STICK, it’s a safe
cut. Make the push stick from a piece of
3⁄4-in.-thick MDF that is at least 3 in. wide

and a little longer than the board being

ripped. The length of the push stick
makes it easy to hold the entire strip
down as it passes the blade. Its width
buries the blade in the push stick and
Hands clear the
keeps your hands far from the blade. blade. The full push
A tab on the back pushes the stock. stick buries the blade
To make it, cut a notch on one edge and keeps your hands
that is just shallower than your stock is well away from it for a
second level of safety.
thick and not quite as long as the push
stick. After you rip the first narrow
strip, a thin tab is left on the inside of
the push stick. Here’s the reason for
making the push stick from MDF: The
tab on a plywood stick would curl up
and be cut off on the second pass, but
the tab on an MDF stick will not curl.
You also should use a thin-kerf
blade and a zero-clearance insert with
a riving knife or stub splitter. Set the MDF stays straight.
The narrow section left
blade about 3⁄ 8 in. above the stock and
after the first cut won’t
keep the splitter lower than the blade. curl into the kerf and
—Steve Latta is a contributing editor. get cut off.

Ask a question
Do you have a question you’d like
us to consider for the column? Send
it to Q&A, Fine Woodworking, 63
S. Main St., Newtown, CT 06470, or
email fwqa@taunton.com.

80 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: staff; drawing (this page): Kelly J. Dunton

Use a bench chisel
to square mortise corners
Q: I use a drill press to make A: CORNER CHISELS SEEM LIKE
mortises. What is the best way A GREAT IDEA, but they are un-
to square the corners, a bench necessary. When squaring a
chisel or a corner chisel? mortise, the most challenging
—VERYL WILLIAMS, Springfield, Pa. job for a chisel is cutting the
end grain, and that’s where
you should start. Choose a
bench chisel the same width
Set the chisel on the layout line and start soft. This will keep the
as the mortise. Begin with chisel from straying outside of the line. After forming a small shoulder,
shallow cuts to prevent the you can really whack the chisel and cut through the end grain quickly.
chisel from being forced
outside the mortise by the
wedging action of its bevel.
Then take much stronger cuts
to remove the waste quickly.
After the end grain has been Take care with
the sides. Be-
cut, use a wide chisel to pare
cause the strength
the sides of the mortise. of the joint comes
—Michael Pekovich is Fine from how well the
Woodworking’s art director. tenon cheeks mate
with the mortise
sides, the sides
should be vertical
and smooth.

Slow feed rate signals dull planer blades

Q: I take light cuts with my A: IT’S TIME TO CHANGE YOUR
portable power planer. However, BLADES. Dull blades can sig-
Change knives
when I send a piece of lumber nificantly slow a planer’s feed when they begin
through the planer, it often rate and, if especially dull, to dull.
comes to a stop and I must can actually cause friction
push it through. When the board burns. You also should clean Keep debris
comes out, it has black marks the rollers, and clean and wax off rollers.
on its surface. What’s wrong with the table. Quick tip: Taking a
my planer? lot of shallow cuts accelerates
—LOU VERDA , Granville, Ill. wear, so take heavier cuts. A
portable planer with sharp
knives can remove at least
1⁄16 in. per pass on all but the

hardest and widest boards.

—John White is a former Clean and wax
planer bed
shop manager for Fine
regularly.
Woodworking. Planer feed rate is affected by three components:
The knives, rollers, and bed work together to feed
wood through. A problem with any of the three can
slow the feed rate.

Drawings (this page and p. 82): John Tetreault SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 81

Q&A continued

Adding quarter columns to case clocks

Side
Wood
A: QUARTER COLUMNS CAN BE screw
ADDED to areas without rails,
such as the waist and base of
Screw
a tall case clock. The column block
still needs a notch, but glue
blocks replace the rails. First Quarter
use screw blocks to align the column
Stile
stiles with the sides, form-
Q: I like Jeff Headley’s ing the notch. Use one at the
technique for making top and another at the bot-
quarter columns (“How tom. On long sections such
to Add Quarter Columns as the waist of a tall clock,
to Your Furniture,” FWW screw a third block in the
#211). Can it be used middle. Now fill in the space
on a piece of furniture, with a series of glue blocks.
like a grandfather clock, After the glue sets, replace
that doesn’t have rails? the screw blocks with glue NO RAILS? NO PROBLEM
—GARY LEACH, blocks. The stile and case side can form a notch for the quarter
Bloomington, Ind. —Jeff Headley is the owner column. But instead of rails, the notch is supported by glue
of Mack Headley and Sons, blocks. Put screws in some of the blocks to keep the case
period furniture makers near parts aligned. If the screws bother you, replace those blocks
Winchester, Va. later with glue blocks.

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 83

master class
Applied fretwork adds
color and texture
USE THIS INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUE TO DRAW
ATTENTION TO OVERLOOKED SPACES

B Y T I M O T H Y C O L E M A N

I
am fascinated with patterns. I see them everywhere—in
nature, on fabrics, on buildings, on playing cards—and I
am always looking for ways to use them in my furniture
to create surfaces that have depth and texture. One way
I achieve this is to use my scrollsaw to cut fretwork-like
patterns in veneer and apply them to table aprons. This
technique produces a surprising amount of depth and shadow
using a minimal amount of thickness. I also use a contrasting
wood underneath, adding even more interest and flair.
The materials and tools involved are few and simple. I begin
with veneer resawn to 1⁄16 in. thick on the bandsaw (you also
could lay up sheets of commercial veneer to get the right
thickness). I use a handheld fretsaw or a scrollsaw to cut the
patterns, and follow with a knife, small files, and sanding sticks
to clean up after cutting. Pressing the underlayer of veneer
and the fretwork pattern onto the apron involves MDF cauls
and hand clamps. This is low-tech
woodworking at its finest.

Where the contrast

LOW-TECH METHOD,
Contrasting veneer underlayer comes from
HIGH-IMPACT RESULT
For the best effect, you
Apron want the surface under
the pattern veneer
to be a contrasting
wood. I typically use
two layers of veneer
(an underlayer and
the pattern) to create
the contrast. However,
you can eliminate the
underlayer of veneer
and apply the pattern
directly to the apron
if the apron wood is a
contrasting color.
For stability, you should
orient the grain of the
veneer(s) with the grain
of the apron. Using a
thick apron (1 in.) will
Pattern veneer
eliminate the need for a

84 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Thomas McKenna; drawings: John Tetreault

Make the fretwork
RESAW THICK VENEER

Veneers should be just over 1 ⁄16 in. thick. Resaw both the underlayer and pattern veneers (left).
Clean up the material with a cabinet scraper and sandpaper, holding each piece in place with double-
stick tape (above).

CUT AWAY THE WASTE

Make the cutouts. Drill holes through the cutout

Use a stencil. Cut the pattern into card stock areas to make way for the scrollsaw blade. Cut
and trace it on the veneer. Make the veneer slowly and carefully on the line. To create a repeti-
(and the pattern) oversize to allow the veneer tive pattern on multiple pieces, tape the layers of
to be trimmed after it’s applied to the apron. veneer together, and cut them all at once.

CLEAN UP
backer veneer, which is usually applied to prevent a veneered
panel from warping. If the apron you’re using is 3⁄4 in. thick or
under, it couldn’t hurt to add the backer. One other note: I cut
all the joinery in the apron before applying the pattern.

Thick veneer works best

For this technique, the pattern veneer should be 1⁄16 in. thick to
emphasize the layered effect and create a strong shadow. The
thick veneer is also easier to cut with the scrollsaw.
You also could glue together multiple layers of thin veneer to
create thicker material. Some woodworkers would recommend
orienting the plies cross-grain for stability. But I keep the grain Fine cuts need
running in the same direction and have had success. When fine tools. Clean
glued and pressed between pieces of 3⁄4-in.-thick MDF, the up the sawcuts in
assembly comes out quite flat. Cut the veneer slightly wider and each pattern using
longer than the exposed face of the apron. You’ll trim it flush a knife and needle
files. Coleman likes
after it’s applied to the apron.
to bevel the edges
of the cutouts with
Lay out the pattern the knife and do the
For some people, patterns are not always easy to see, but you final smoothing with
just need to look around; they are everywhere. Wonderful fine needle files.

SepTeMBer/OCTOBer 2010 85
master class continued

Assemble the veneers

CONTRASTING LAYER FIRST NOW GLUE ON THE PATTERN

patterns can be manmade, such as those seen in fabrics or

in architecture, or natural, like leaves or plants. If you need
inspiration, check out The Grammar of Ornament by Owen
Glue and clamp Jones (The Ivy Press Limited, 2001; available at Amazon.com).
the underlayer to If you’re doing this for the first time, I would suggest a simple
the apron. Apply pattern that does not have any delicate or thin elements that
an even layer of could break easily.
glue to the under- If you are using a repetitive pattern—one that will appear
layer veneer and
more than once on a piece, which often happens on table
the apron. Use
MDF cauls and lots aprons—draw it on card stock, cut it out with an X-Acto knife,
of clamps to ap- and use the card as a stencil on the veneer. Sometimes I make
ply even pressure a scrollsawn sample of the pattern as practice, and this can
across the surface. serve the same purpose as the paper cutout. If the pattern is
Wrapping the top not repetitive, I draw it directly on the veneer, or use graphite
caul in newspaper paper to transfer it from my sketchbook to the veneer.
prevents the caul
from sticking to
the veneer. The right blade ensures clean cuts
I have used a fretsaw and a homemade scrollsaw to cut
patterns, but an electric scrollsaw is fast and easy.
The key to a good cut is using the right blade. When cutting
individual patterns, I use a fine, 28-tpi skip-tooth blade; for
stacked cuts, I use a coarser 20-tpi blade. The skip-tooth
arrangement helps clear the chips from the thicker workpiece.
I aim to saw the pattern right on the line, but any deviations

86 FINE WOOdWOrkINg
 Don’t be sloppy here.
Because it will be hard
to clean up squeeze-out
on the interior of the
pattern, apply glue so
the squeeze-out occurs
on the outside. Place
little dabs on interior
elements of the pat-
tern, and finish with a
heavier coat around the
perimeter (left). Use
a small paintbrush to
spread the glue (below).

Tape and clamp. Put

the pattern veneer on
the apron and tape it in
place so it won’t move
when it’s clamped up
(above). Use cauls to
protect the pattern and
plenty of clamps to
spread pressure evenly
across the surface
(right).

can be cleaned up afterward using a carving knife and

fine files.
Trim everything flush
Use care when gluing the pattern to the substrate
Take a deep breath and approach this step carefully. I use
Titebond II as the adhesive or Titebond Extend for a bit longer
open time. Before applying the underlayer of veneer, sand the
apron surface smooth.
I use a vacuum veneer press for much of my veneer work, but
clamps and cauls work fine for a small surface. Apply a uniform
coat of glue on the underlayer veneer, place it on the apron,
and put the sandwich between two 3⁄4-in.-thick MDF cauls. After
the glue dries, lightly sand the underlayer, then glue the pattern
veneer to the apron. Apply glue sparingly, then lay the pattern
veneer carefully onto the apron, using blue tape to keep it in
place. Put the sandwich between the cauls and clamp it up.
Once the assembly comes out of the clamps, trim the veneer
layers flush to the apron, and refine the surface with a light
scraping and sanding with P220- and P320-grit paper.
Scrape the top and bottom.
When applying a finish, put on light coats to prevent
Coleman uses a cabinet scraper
pooling inside the cutouts. To reach tight spots, use a fine, to bring the veneer edges flush
narrow brush. • with the apron edges (above), and
a sharp chisel to trim the ends of
Tim Coleman makes furniture in western Massachusetts. the veneer (right).

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com

finish line
6 finishing fixes
A PRO SHARES HIS GO-TO TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

B Y M I C H A E L M I L L E R

S
ome people enjoy finishing. A few might even prefer
finishing furniture to building it. For the two of you who
just said, “That’s me!”—you’re reading the wrong article. For
most of us, finishing is a necessary evil: We need a great
finish to bring out the best in our best, but we don’t
love the process and we dread a mistake. I’ve made
more than my share of mistakes through the years, and I
have picked up a few tips and tricks that will help you keep
your sanity when the inevitable happens. I’ll go from glue-up
to touch-up, and by the end I hope you’ll share my belief that
everything (well, almost) is fixable, and you’ll be able to approach
your finishing with less fear and more fun. I know these tips will
prove as useful to you as they have to me.

Michael Miller is a professional finisher near Nashville, Tenn.

Repair, don’t replace

Sometimes mistakes happen before you even begin finishing,
but with the right repairs only you will know what happened. It’s
heartbreaking to drop a furniture component and see a piece
crack or break off, but sometimes the chemical companies smile
on us and develop the perfect product for a specific problem.
One such wonder is cyanoacrylate glue, which you probably
know as “Super Glue.” To repair a crack or split, simply squeeze
a conservative amount of glue onto one of the pieces, push the
two parts together, and spray on an activator. Also known as an
accelerator, this catalyst comes in a pump bottle or an aerosol
and speeds up the glue’s setting. Wait a few seconds (the cure
time will be different depending on the viscosity of the glue), and A super glue. Cyanoacrylate
the pieces will be bonded. Unlike yellow glue, cyanoacrylate dries glue comes in different
clear and very hard, so you can sand off the excess right away viscosities: Thin gets down into
and it won’t show under a clear finish. However, you’ll need to cracks, thick is good for vertical
surfaces, and medium works
dye or stain the piece before using this type of glue. well when gluing two parts
If you are dealing with a small piece, you can avoid getting where the glue can be applied
glue on your skin by using a blunt but pointed tool as a clamp to a horizontal surface, such as
while you spray on the accelerator. This method also works on gluing cope-and-stick trim back
on (above). While holding the
finished pieces, but use extreme care with the glue, because you
two glued parts together (left),
have to remove all the excess when you’re finished and you don’t spray on the accelerator, which
want to have to apply more finish because of the repair. cures the glue instantly.

88 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Mark Schofield

Got gaps? Make some filler
Sometimes your joinery skills come back to haunt
you with embarrassing gaps in tabletops or carcases.
Even if you can clamp the gap closed, glue is unlikely
to hold it. No problem, just fill it. Here’s a simple
recipe for the best sandable filler known to man.
Collect fine sanding dust from the same wood as
the piece you’re repairing. Create a slurry using the
sanding dust and a small amount of a fast-drying
finish such as lacquer or dewaxed shellac. Simply
force it into the joint as you would any other filler.
The advantages to using a finish to make the filler
Shopmade filler. Save
(instead of the traditional choice of glue) are twofold: sanding dust from your
The paste dries faster and harder than a glue-based project and mix it with either
one; and it contains the same combination of lacquer or shellac to form a Fill the gap. Use a putty knife to force the filler into the
stiff filler. open joint. The color difference will disappear when the
materials as the final product—finish and wood—so
it’s virtually invisible when used under a clear finish. filler dries and finish is applied.

Removing sanding marks and glue stain

Poor sanding revealed. An oil- Re-sand while wet. While the finish is still
based stain will reveal cross-grain wet, sand the wood with the last grit you used
scratches such as those on this (left) until all the cross-grain scratches are
frame. removed. Wipe more stain onto the bare wood
(above) and blend it into the surrounding area.

Poor sanding is the culprit behind a lot of poor finishes. Two main problems
are swirl marks (from an orbital sander whose paper hasn’t been changed
frequently enough) and cross-grain scratches. Either problem may hide until
a stain or a clear finish is applied. Don’t panic. If you’re using an oil-based
stain or clear coat, sand with the grain while the finish is still wet, using the
last grit you used. Sand until the scratches or swirl marks are gone. Then
reapply the stain or finish and you should have no blending issues. If you’re
using a faster-drying finish, like lacquer or shellac, wait until the coat has
dried, sand, and then reapply.
Another surface-preparation problem is dried glue, which is very easy to
miss, especially on lighter woods. If you’ve missed some, use the same re-
pair as you would on swirl marks. However, there is a great new product on Try fluorescent
the market to prevent this from happening. Franklin International’s Titebond glue. A black
light will reveal
II Fluorescent Wood Glue contains a dye that shows up under a black light any traces left
so that you can find every last trace of it during cleanup and sanding. on the surface.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 89
finish line continued

Shave away drips and runs

Don’t rush your finishing. One of the most common
mistakes is applying too much finish too fast, caus-
ing drips and runs. Then when you try to sand away
the problem, you usually sand through the finish in
the areas surrounding the drip or run. Meet your new
best friend, the single-edged razor blade. It is, with-
out a doubt, the most-used tool in my repair kit. For
a drip or run, I use it as a miniature cabinet scraper.
Just hold it between your thumbs and forefingers, Drip tip. If you drip some
flex it a little, and shave down the spot until it’s level finish onto a partially
cured surface, don’t try to
and glassy smooth. wipe it off or blend it in.
There are several benefits to using a razor blade: Instead, let it dry (above).
Unlike sandpaper, which conceals the work area, a Then use a single-edge
razor lets you see how much finish you are removing. razor blade like a cabinet
scraper to bring the drip
The flex of the blade allows you to concentrate on level with the surrounding
the area you want to remove without disturbing the surface.
good finish surrounding it. Finally, a razor leaves a
smooth surface that blends in with the next coat.

Touch-up for sand-through

Coloring pens.
Blendal sticks come
in many tones and
can be used to touch
up areas where you
have sanded through
the finish (right).
Eyeliner pencils can
add color to small
areas (far right).

When sanding an intermediate coat of finish, it’s very easy to sand and any other areas that need spot color adjustments. Don’t leave
through the finish on corners and edges if you’re not careful—and the color too thick or it could invite adhesion problems. Instead,
sometimes even if you are. If you’ve dyed or stained the wood, you layer color and coats of lacquer or shellac until you’ve reached the
now have the problem of matching the bare wood to the surrounding required shade.
color. I do this with a couple of products. When Blendals aren’t available, head to the drug store’s makeup
My first choice is Mohawk’s Blendal sticks. Similar in shape to department (yes, guys, I said makeup) and sort through the eyeliner
crayons, they are a soft wax blended with aniline dye as a coloring and lip liners. They come in quite a few shades that match many fin-
agent. You use the stick just like a crayon and lightly rub the surface ishes, and in the hands of a good finisher, they are like magic wands.
with your finger to blend colors. These work great on edges, corners, Again, be careful not to apply too thick a layer.

90 FINE woodworkINg
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finish line continued

Filling holes after finishing

To make repairs where the finish is already in place, I often use
wax sticks. They come in many colors, making it easy to match
the color of any finish. For small voids such as nail holes, simply
1 2
rub the stick back and forth until the hole is filled and then
wipe off the excess with a cloth. Fill and smooth.
For larger holes, cut a plug from the end of a stick and Colored wax sticks can
be used to fill knot and
knead it until pliable. Next, press the lump of wax into the void,
nail holes after a finish
pushing it from side to side to ensure good adhesion. Now, has been applied (1).
return to your razor blade and start shaving away the excess Use a razor blade to
until the wax is just above the surrounding surface. Switch to shave away the bulk of
the surplus plug of wax
an old credit card or hotel room key card and scrape away the
(2). When the plug is
remaining surplus. Although slower than the razor blade, this almost level, switch to
won’t damage the surrounding finish. a credit card to bring it
Give the wax a few minutes to harden and then, using a flush with the surface.
Then wrap a cloth
cloth wrapped around a cork-faced block, lightly buff the area
around a felt or cork-
to remove any wax from the adjacent wood and to bring up the faced block and buff the
shine. Wax sticks are great fillers but they are soft, limiting their plug and the surface to
use on high-traffic surfaces like tabletops. an even shine (3).
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Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page #

18 Adria Toolworks, Inc., p. 94 22 Cook Woods, p. 93 12 JDS Company, p. 17 51 Philadelphia Furniture

Akeda Jig, p. 17 60 Corradi Gold, p. 83 8 The Japan Woodworker, p. 21 Workshop, p. 93
Alderfer Lumber Co., p. 94 45 Powermatic, p. 13
5 Allred & Associates, Inc., p. 95 39 Diefenbacher Tools, p. 93 9 Kay Industries, p. 82
35 Keller & Company, p. 95 Quality Vakuum Products, p. 21
34 Ball & Ball Reproduction 48 Eagle Woodworking, p. 94 33 Kreg Tool Company, p. 21
Hardware, p. 82 Exotic Wood Veneer Plus, p. 93 RadarCarve.net, p. 9
59 Banner Hill School of 56 Laguna Tools, p. 11 15 Red Hill Corporation, p. 11
Woodworking, p. 93 38 Felder Group USA, p. 23 79 Laguna Tools, p. 83 Router Bits Online, p. 94
67 The Beall Tool Co., p. 94 Fine Woodworking DVD Leigh Industries, p. 27 64 RouterBits.com, p. 3
Berea Hardwoods Co., p. 17 Archives, p. 91 76 Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, p. 27
63 Berkshire Products, p. 94 FineWoodworking.com, p. 22 16 Lignomat, p. 27 68 SawStop, p. 3
Berkshire Veneer Co., p. 93 32 Forrest Manufacturing, p. 13 40 Luthiers Mercantile Intl. 20 Scherr’s Cabinet & Doors,
57 Bosch Tools, p. 7 55 Furniture Institute of Co., p. 93 Inc., p. 23
81 Bowclamp, p. 93 Massachusetts, p. 94 14 Screw Products, p. 93
Building Drawers DVD, p. 92 Furnituremaking 37 M.L. Condon Company, p. 94
Workshops, p. 94 Makers-Marks, p. 93 46 Titebond Wood Glue, p. 27
66 CMT USA, Inc., p. 23
70 C.R. Muterspaw Lumber, p. 93 17 Goby Walnut Products, p. 94 72 North Bennet Street School, p. 93 Vacuum Laminating
28 CabParts, p. 13 31 Gorilla Wood Glue, p. 9 29 NorthWest School of Wooden Technology, p. 11
Center For Furniture 61 Groff & Groff Lumber, p. 93 Boatbuilding, p. 93
Craftsmanship, p. 11 3 Guillemot Kayaks, p. 93 30 Northwest Woodworking 47 Whitechapel, Ltd., p. 9
21 Certainly Wood, p. 94 Studio, p. 93 26 Whiteside Machine Co., p. 17
41 Chicago School of Violin 7 Hartville Tool 19 Woodcraft Store, p. 99
Making, p. 95 Woodworking, p. 23 71 Oneida Air Systems, p. 2 25 Woodmaster Tools, p. 27
43 Chidwick School of Fine 44 Hearne Hardwoods, Inc., p. 3 42 Osborne Wood Products, p. 9 36 Wood-Mizer, p. 93
Woodworking, p. 93 75 Highland Woodworking, p. 9 78 Woodrat, p. 82
77 Connecticut Valley School of Peter Sefton Furniture 52 Woodworkers Source, p. 94
Woodworking, p. 3 2 Inside Passage School of Fine School, p. 93 74 Woodworker’s Supply, p. 11
13 Contempo Living, p. 94 Woodworking, p. 83 6 Phase-A-Matic, Inc., p. 27 73 Woodworker’s Supply, p. 83

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com September/OctOber 2010 95

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96 FINE WOODWORkING
how they did it

Furniture
by chainsaw
B Y A N I S S A K A P S A L E S

H
oward Werner (see the back cover)
wouldn’t advise moving directly from
cutting firewood to creating furniture
with a chainsaw. He says it’s his
decades of experience working with the
tool that allow him to safely create fluid,
refined chairs, tables, and sculpture. Working with
different chainsaw bodies and the sharpest blades,
Werner moves deftly through a log, discovering the
full design of each piece as it emerges. Once the initial
carving is complete, Werner lets the piece dry for up
to two years, and then refines it with more chainsaw
work or, depending on the piece, a power plane,
grinders, handplanes, and sandpaper.

The design stage

A level base. Werner spends a lot of time examining the log,

envisioning the final piece before he decides where to make
his cuts. After leveling the log, he can place a level against the Marking out the seat. Chalk is easy to see and makes it easy to erase and start
side to mark a plumb line, ensuring that the first cut leaves again. Werner uses his own body and a ruler to determine seat placement and
the stump sitting squarely on the ground. symmetry, and lays out the outline of the seat on the stump.

photos: Anissa Kapsales September/OctOber 2010 97

how they did it continued

Shaping the seat

Level and refine. Once the

large chunk of waste is removed
from the seat, Werner uses a
Cut from each side. With the tip of the blade, Werner draws the outline of the seat, following the chalk line (left). level and chalk to mark the high
His experience allows him to use just the tip of the saw without it kicking back at him. Once the outline is cut, spots (center), and then goes
Werner cuts in deeper. He alternates from one side of the log to the other, plunging deeper each time until the back with the chainsaw (above)
cuts meet in the center. Working from both sides also helps keep things square and straight. to even out the surface.

Cutting the base

Back to chalk lines. Almost as if it were a Straight cuts define the legs. Flipping the piece over, Werner cradles it on the seat cutoff for stabil-
separate component, Werner starts the base ity, and makes straight cuts halfway through on each side to create the legs (center). To waste away
only after he’s finished forming the top of the material quickly in a place where two intersecting cuts won’t take away a chunk, he makes multiple
seat. He again uses a ruler, level, and chalk to straight cuts, breaking off the thin sheets that are left and scraping the bottom clean with the chain-
mark the layout. saw. Then, right side up, he cuts the final shape on the outside of the seat (right).

Pierced detail is last

Mark the square and
cut straight through.
With a firm grip, and
engaging the bottom
of the tip first, Werner
pivots the saw into the
cut and plunges straight
through, repeating on
all four sides until he
can pull out the loose
waste block.

98 FINE woodworkINg
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READER SERVICE NO. 19
Song of the Chainsaw

F
or many woodworkers, the craft’s
siren song is a whisper, coming from
the throat of a handplane as long, ar-
omatic shavings flutter to the work-
bench. For Howard Werner, the sweetest music
is the roar of a well-oiled chainsaw, wielded
outdoors while he’s ankle-deep in sawdust.
Werner’s first carving tools were traditional
ones, but when he was a student at Roches-
ter Institute of Technology in the mid-1970s,
Jon Brooks showed him how to carve with a
chainsaw, and that was it for the mallet and
gouge. Werner built his share of conventional
furniture, but even-
tually he sold his
woodworking ma-
chines to concen-
trate on chainsawn
work. He splits his
time between simi-
lar outdoor setups
in upstate New York and Arizona: Each has a
concrete pad with a high roof to keep him dry.
He uses a forklift to move the logs, which can
be 5 ft. or 6 ft. in diameter. Despite the scale,
Werner works to close tolerances. He typically
does full-scale drawings for each piece, mak-
ing cardboard tem-
plates to guide the
carving. He carves
the logs green and
leaves many pieces
oversize by an inch
or two, letting them
dry for several years
before carving the
final surfaces.
—Jonathan
Binzen

Photos: Woody Packard (top two);

Howard Werner (bottom);
Anissa Kapsales (inset)

How They Did It Turn to p. 97 for a step-by-step look at how Pro Portfolio To learn more about Werner’s approach to woodworking and
Werner turns trees into furniture. see a slide show of his work, go to FineWoodworking.com/extras.