w

TAU N TO N ’ S

3 great outdoor chairs, p. 52

Sander vs.
handplane
Which is faster?
Key to a fine finish
is the right brush
Bench-vise basics:
11 ways to use it
Build an
elegant
hall table
Why every
turner needs
a 4-jaw chuck

June 2010 No. 212

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 WoodRat WR900
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READER SERVICE NO. 52 READER SERVICE NO. 83

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W contents
MAY/JUNE 2010 ISSUE 212
■

features
28 A Graceful Hall Table
Barnsley style combines Arts and Crafts simplicity
with Federal elegance
BY KEVIN KAUFFUNGER

14
TABLESAW SETUPS 36 Surface-Prep Shootout
MADE EASIER COVER A contest in the FWW shop reveals two great paths
STORY
to a perfect finish

up front BY ASA CHRISTIANA AND MICHAEL PEKOVICH

6 On the Web 42 Standing Frame Has Two Faces

Turn it around to change the picture
8 Contributors BY CHRISTIAN BECKSVOORT
10 Letters
14 Methods of Work 46 The Best Brushes
If you have trouble brushing finishes, you probably
■ Check tablesaw setups with magnets aren’t using the right tool
and a framing square
BY MARK SCHOFIELD
■ Locate shelf pins with ease, accuracy

18 Tools & Materials 52 3 Outdoor Chairs

■ Dedicated impact driver a better deal 3 designers, 3 approaches, 3 pieces to choose from
than all-in-one tool BY MICHAEL FORTUNE, HANK GILPIN,
■ Simple storage rack for handplanes A N D M AT T K E N N E Y

22 Fundamentals
Bench-vise secrets 60 The Lathe Accessory Everyone Needs
A 4-jaw chuck will change the way you turn
BY RALPH TURSINI

66 Make Your Own Hardware

These two custom pulls are easier than you think

18
BY ROBERT SANDERSON

ARE TWO TOOLS

BETTER THAN ONE? 72 The Contemporary Cabriole
Today’s furniture makers breathe new life into an old leg
B Y J O N AT H A N B I N Z E N

Pp Cover photo: Michael Pekovich

46 CHOOSE A BETTER
BRUSH

BENCH-VISE
SECRETS 22
in the back
78 Readers Gallery

84 Q & A
■ On the bandsaw, stick
with skip-tooth blades
■ Simple math finds radius of an arc

■ Modern glues are strong enough

for future antiques

88 Master Class
Veneering tight curves

98 How They Did It

28 GRACEFUL
HALL TABLE
The back cover explained

Back Cover
Playing With History

42
TWO-SIDED FRAME
on the web
THIS MONTH ON FineWoodworking.com/extras
Visit our Web site to access free Web tie-ins, available April 8. While you’re there, don’t miss our collection
of free content, including tool reviews, an extensive project gallery, and must-read blogs.

Editor Asa Christiana

Art Director Michael Pekovich

Managing Editor Mark Schofield

Senior Editor Thomas McKenna

Associate Editors Steve Scott

Anissa Kapsales
Matthew Kenney
Patrick McCombe

Senior Copy/
Production Editor Elizabeth Healy

Associate Art Directors Kelly J. Dunton

John Tetreault

Administrative Assistant Betsy Engel

Shop Manager Robert Nash

Contributing Editors Christian Becksvoort

Gary Rogowski
Garrett Hack
Roland Johnson
Steve Latta

ANIMATION: Easy Tablesaw Setup Consulting Editor Jonathan Binzen

Four simple steps to assure square and accurate cuts Methods of Work Jim Richey

VIDEO: The Surface-Prep Battle FineWoodworking.com

Watch a replay of our hand- vs. power-tool duel. Web Producers Gina Eide
Ed Pirnik
Get Published
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3 Ways to Build a Box Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses

Boxes can be deceptively difficult. to Fine Woodworking, c/o Worldwide Mailers, Inc.,
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contributors
Bob Sanderson (“Make Your
Own Hardware”) started his
woodworking and metalworking
journey when he built model rockets Advertising Director Peter Badeau
203-304-3572
and remote-control cars as a child. pbadeau@taunton.com
He studied wood technology in Senior National
college and then worked as an Account Manager Linda Abbett
assistant in a canoe-building class. 203-304-3538
labbett@taunton.com
In 1999, Sanderson moved to Fort
Associate Account
Bragg, Calif., to study under James Manager Kimberly Parrilla
Krenov. Unable to find the right 203-304-3590
kparrilla@taunton.com
hardware for a tansu project, he
Advertising
started working with metal. A lot Sales Assistant Heather Sims
of experimentation, some machine- Director of
tool classes, and a demand for Advertising Marketing Kristen Lacey
his product led to his business, Senior Marketing
Sanderson Hardware. He still lives Manager, Advertising Karen Lutjen

in Fort Bragg with his wife, Taimi, Marketing Associate Megan Kolakowski

son, Frej, and dog, Mable. Member Audit

Bureau of Circulation

Craig Thibodeau (Master Class: “Veneering Tight Curves”) began Senior Consumer
his career as a mechanical engineer. When his children were born Marketing Director Beth Reynolds, ProCirc
(that’s his son, Darren, left), Thibodeau jumped at the chance to Senior Consumer
Marketing Manager Melissa Robinson
turn a longtime woodworking hobby into a stay-at-home profession.
Senior Manager
Veneered pieces are his mainstay, and among his many awards was Web Marketing Robert Harlow
Best of Show in San Diego’s prestigious Design in Wood exhibition. Senior Online
Product Manager Michael Stoltz

Ralph Tursini (“The Lathe Accessory Everyone Needs”) lives in

the Green Mountains of Vermont with his wife, Andrea, and enjoys
growing cold-hardy foods and making hard cider. He has just about
finished a basement root cellar. Tursini teaches Forest Conservation
and Wood Turning at the University of Vermont and offers private Independent publishers since 1975
Founders, Paul & Jan Roman
turning classes at his studio (VermontWoodturning.com).
President Suzanne Roman
EVP & CFO Timothy Rahr
The work of Kevin Kauffunger (“A Graceful Hall Table”) bears the SVP & Chief
hallmarks of his time at the College of the Redwoods—clean lines, Content Officer Paul Spring
SVP, Creative Susan Edelman
elegant details, beautiful woods, and handmade hardware. After
SVP & Chief
a year at the school, he returned east to Pittsburgh. These days, Marketing Officer Janine Scolpino
Kauffunger works for the cutting tool manufacturer Freud, traveling SVP, Advertising Sales Karl Elken
the Northeast as a product specialist. SVP, Technology Jay Hartley
SVP, Operations Thomas Luxeder
VP, Taunton Interactive Jason Revzon
Even though he teaches furniture making full time at Thaddeus
VP, Digital Content Anatole Burkin
Stevens College in Lancaster, Pa., Steve Latta (Fundamentals: VP, Editorial Development Maria Taylor
“Bench-Vise Secrets”) always has a private commission or two on the VP, Single Copy Sales Jay Annis
burners. In addition, he lectures and teaches workshops across the VP & Controller Wayne Reynolds
country, is an active member of The Society of American Period VP, Finance Kathy Worth
Furniture Makers, and enjoys motorcycles, hiking, and exercise. VP, Human Resources Carol Marotti
VP, Fulfillment Patricia Williamson

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

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

8 FINE woodworkINg
READER SERVICE NO. 66
letters Thanks for your work. Students,
beginning to find their own voice, get a
helpful start by studying the catalog of
your work given to our school.
Thanks for sharing your vision. Through

Spotlight
it, we have a better relationship with the
wood and our tools.
Thanks for the stories. You played them
off as “the Old Man’s ramblings,” but to
ISSUE NO. 211 us they were the details of James Krenov
March/April 2010 only discovered as we got closer.
p. 66 Thanks for the inspiration. Your students
have become our teachers.
Thanks for not compromising. It is just
LUMBER ARTICLE WAS WARPED one of the many attributes shared by
In the recent article “10 Tips for Mail-Order Lumber,” an image of our Web site you and Robert. He vows to continue
(cookwoods.com) was placed in a section of the article titled, “Be wary of online his school, true to your teachings and
process.
photos and inventories.” Fine Woodworking Editor Asa Christiana has assured me
Thanks for helping us find answers.
that the author and the magazine staff did not intend to portray Cook Woods as We know that from year to year many
a supplier or Web site to be wary of. The layout artists simply needed a generic questions sounded the same, yet you
example of a site with online photos of lumber, and they chose ours because it always made us feel that we had touched
on a novel concept.
looked nice in the layout. Nevertheless, I believe some readers will be misled.
Thanks for the honesty. Few can follow
—CATHERINE COOK, Cook Woods, Klamath Falls, Ore. the path you tread, yet we will always
Editor replies: You are exactly right about our intentions, and we deeply regret any strive for perfection ... and have a flexible
definition of that.
negative implication we created about Cook Woods (or Pine Creek Wood Company,
A dream that you and Robert shared
also pictured there). I would point readers to the bottom of the same page, where is now in its fifth year of existence. You
there is a short write-up about the positive experience one of our editors had shared with us your final thoughts on the
when buying from Cook Woods. craft. You shared with us your secrets to a
handmade life.
Every time a hand discovers an edge
I noticed a recurring theme in the article, something to the tune of, “Expect wood “cut rounded” or a door coopered to a
suppliers to be dishonest.” It’s a shame the author came away with that notion. “live curve,” your legacy lives on.
The only way to stay in business, especially as long as we have (since 1978), is Thank you.
—J A SO N D I N G E S S , on behalf of the Resident
with happy customers, period.
Craftsman Program, Inside Passage School of Fine
—MARK STEPHENS, Woodworkers Source, Phoenix, Ariz. Woodworking, Roberts Creek, B.C., Canada

In defense of high contrast

Walking in Krenov school was overlooked Perfect timing. I brought my padauk
Krenov’s Editor’s note: Our recent coverage and maple blanket chest in from the
footsteps. of James Krenov’s death neglected to shop the same day I got my new Fine
Second-year
recognize the Inside Passage School of Woodworking. Just when I thought I got
student
Barbara
Fine Woodworking, which he helped to it right, your article (“The Right Way to
Shelton set up along the coast of British Columbia Use Contrast,” FWW #211) shot my work
works on a in the last years of his life, and treated to down in flames.
cabinet made weekly lectures by phone. The following After reading it, I headed back out to
of castello letter is from craftsmen in residence at the shop to apply a finish to a lamp and
boxwood and the school, which is run by Robert Van a 12-sided container made with the same
European
Norman. woods.
sycamore. The
marquetry is
This is my new favorite pairing of
the leaves and Thanks, Jim. Thanks for A Cabinetmaker’s wood. I really do think the figured maple
seeds of those Notebook (1976). It helped us take the first matches great with the richness of the
two species. steps toward a sensitive approach to craft. quartersawn padauk. Guess I love to

10 FINE WOODWORKING Photo: Bruce Hobson

To contact us:
Fine Woodworking
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street,
PO Box 5506, Newtown,
CT 06470-5506
Tel: 203-426-8171 READER SERVICE NO. 15 READER SERVICE NO. 87

Send an e-mail:

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Write to Fine Woodworking at the address
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we not include your name, please visit:
www.finewoodworking.com/privacy
or call: 800-477-8727 9am-5pm ET Mon-Fri Laguna CNC Swift Series
For employment information: Laguna Tools is pleased to announce an exciting
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Press, Inc.
READER SERVICE NO. 75

M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 0 11
letters continued

“shout” (as the article said). That’s OK, I’ll blade. We slipped up when shooting thickness of the hinge (measured between
still renew my subscription. these photos. the outside surfaces of the leaves with the
—Rob Niel s eN , Kelso, Wash. hinge closed) the gap will be just right.
Not-so-perfect hinges — G R e G W e as e , Carlsbad, Calif.
Unsafe tablesawing The recent article “Perfect Hinges Every
On p. 72 of “How to Add Quarter Time” (FWW #211) states that the depth Corrections
Columns to Your Furniture” (FWW #211), of the hinge mortise should be “just shy of In last summer’s review of compact 18-volt
I count three unsafe work practices in the depth of the thickest part of the hinge cordless drills (FWW #207), we mistakenly
the photos. Only two of the mistakes are leaf.” This is true for swaged hinges and wrote that Skil’s model 2895LI-02 has a
serious, but still I expect more from the the thick Brusso-style hinges shown in the 3⁄ 8-in. chuck. Like the other models in the

magazine. photographs, because the inner surfaces test, the drill has a 1⁄ 2-in. chuck.
—JoNat ha N Welt eR , New York, N.Y. of the leaves touch when the hinge is
closed. But that isn’t true for all hinges. In “Make Your Own Marking Gauge”
Editor replies: You are correct. Highly On thin-leaved, non-swaged hinges like (FWW #211), the bar should have been
skilled woodworkers like Jeff Headley the one shown in the drawing on p. 45 of labeled as 7⁄8 in. wide, not 1 in. This
have their own ways of doing things, the article, the inner surfaces do not touch. means that the mortise in the fence also
but as a rule we insist that all authors Cutting the mortise to the depth of these should be 7⁄8 in. wide. On the wedge
(and readers) wear safety glasses when thin leaves will result in a significant gap detail drawing, the dimensions might not
using the tablesaw and use a push stick between the door and the carcase. If you match your finished wedge. To fit the
to keep fingers safely away from the set the depth to just shy of half the overall wedge, follow the steps in the text.

About your safety

Working wood is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools (or elsewhere) until you’re certain they are safe for you. If something
improperly or ignoring standard safety practices can lead to permanent about an operation doesn’t feel right, find another way. We want you
injury or even death. Don’t perform operations you learn about here to enjoy the craft, so please keep safety foremost in your mind.

A 108-Year Love
Affair With Wood.
The final finish is the moment of truth. Your
finest work deserves nothing short of Epifanes
marine varnish from Holland. For deep, lustrous
finishes on furniture, doors, and woodwork of all
kinds, look for Epifanes at marine stores, online
at www.Epifanes.com, or call 1-800-269-0961.

READER SERVICE NO. 55

READER SERVICE NO. 47

12 FINE wOOdwOrKING
Simple signmaking — only $19 99
Making impressive signs is easier than you may think. All it takes is the right tools. Interlock Signmaker’s
Template Kits make it simple to rout letters, numbers and symbols on your homemade signs. Individual
character pieces snap together to create stable pattern templates. Simply tape the templates in place on
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Interlock Signmaker’s Templates – another Rockler innovation to help you Create with Confidence.

Materials code: 177

For a store near you or free catalog visit Rockler.com 1-877-ROCKLER

READER SERVICE NO. 24
M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 0 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

Dial caliper
Magnets
Framing
Blade raised
square
to full height

Framing
square

Use calipers to measure

the distance from the
edge of the square to the
miter slot at the front and
back of the blade. ALIGN MITER SLOTS
TO BLADE
Place rare-earth
magnets just above
throat plate.

Best Tip Check tablesaw setups

Slide the miter
gauge against the
framing square
and adjust to it.

with magnets and

a framing square
Miter
gauge

Rare-earth magnets and a framing square offer a wonderful

way to set up your entire tablesaw, from the table to the SET THE MITER GAUGE AT 90°
rip fence and the miter gauge. The magnets prevent the
Dick Babbitt loves to blade teeth from interfering with the square, which ensures
develop woodworking accurate measurements.
tips, and this is his To align the tablesaw’s miter-gauge slots (table) parallel
second winning tip with the blade, first disconnect the power. Raise the
in the last couple Hold the drafting
blade to its full height and place two identical rare-earth triangle against
of years. He says it the square and
magnets on the left side of the blade just inside the
gives him a “warm, adjust the miter
teeth—one in front and one in the rear. Both magnets gauge to it.
fuzzy feeling” to share
should be low, about level with the throat plate.
his ideas with other Drafting
Now place an accurate framing square flat on the saw’s
woodworkers. triangle
top and move the square to the magnets as shown. With Miter
a dial caliper, measure the distance from the miter-gauge gauge
slot to the framing square at both the front and rear of
the blade. Both measurements should be equal. If not, SET THE MITER GAUGE AT 45°
rotate the top left or right until the readings are the same.
Online Extra Once you have the table adjusted so the
For an animated version of this miter slots are parallel to the blade, you can
tip, go to FineWoodworking
.com/extras.
also use the magnets and framing square to
quickly adjust your miter gauge and fence
Slide the
as shown. fence against
—RICHARD BABBITT, the square
to check for
A Reward for the Best Tip Friday Harbor, Wash.
parallel.
Send your original tips to Methods of Work, Fine Woodworking,
PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470, or email
fwmow@taunton.com. We pay for every tip we
publish; the best tip also wins a 12V
driver kit from Bosch (model
No. CLPK21-120).
SQUARE THE
FENCE
14 FINE WOODWORKING
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READER SERVICE NO. 2 READER SERVICE NO. 51

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 0 15

methods of work continued

Simple storage rack for handplanes ¼-in. plywood backer

screwed to ¾-in. plywood

¾-in.-thick
plywood

Magnetic tool
Wall cleat holder

Shallow dado
for tool holder

¼-in. Hardwood
flat cleat
Tool holder
should sit proud 45° bevel
of plywood by Hardwood stiles hold
about 1 ⁄16 in. assembly together.

For years, I stored my planes on their sides in a When constructing the rack, make sure the magnet
drawer, but I couldn’t fit my 22-in.-long Stanley stands about 1⁄16 in. proud of the plywood. This
jointer plane in there. So I came up with this idea gap will help ensure that the plane blades will miss
Magnetic bar to hang all of them on a rack. The rack is basically or barely touch the wood. It also means that the
holds tools to a 24-in.-square piece of 3⁄4-in.-thick birch plywood magnet will be squeezed between the stiles and the
the vertical
with a cleat at the bottom and a 24-in. magnetic tool backer board to hold it firmly in place.
surface.
holder located above the cleat. I hang the rack on a couple of 1x2 cleats screwed
The maple cleat supports the longer, heavier to the wall. The magnetic tool holder, which was
planes at their toes. I positioned the magnet 9 in. my only out-of-pocket expense for the rack, can
from the bottom so that no plane blade would hit it, be purchased through woodworker.com and other
including the big jointer plane. I place block planes suppliers for about $18.
and spokeshaves, tail up, directly on the magnet. —RANDALL BAKER, Sacramento, Calif.

Wine cork
Quick Tip Knife protector (foam)

Many of us use various X-Acto knives from time

To make sure I know how many
to time. I keep mine handy and well protected
screws, nails, and bolts I have, I
with a wine cork. Any type of cork will work, but
transfer the fasteners to a clear
I find the newer extruded plastic foam types last
plastic jar. Then I cut the label off
longer and do not tend to stain the blade.
the fastener package and tape it
Carefully and fully press the blade straight into
to the jar with clear packing tape. Highlight slit
the center of the cork. Mark the slit with a with permanent
Plastic peanut butter jars are my
fine-line permanent marker and place marker.
favorite, but I also use tennis-ball
a cross mark where the back of the
containers to hold longer or taller
blade goes. The protector will last
items.
for a surprisingly long time and
— M I C H A E L J. B E L L O T T I ,
is certainly easy to replace. X-Acto knife
Southbury, Conn.
—DONALD R. LEWIS,
Whitney, Texas

16 FINE WOODWORKING
Pipe-clamp cauls put pressure
where you need it
These clamp cauls not only position
edge-glued stock at the center of
pressure on the pipe clamps, but they
also help spread the clamping pressure
along the length of the workpiece and
protect the edges from bruising. They
make the clamping process much faster
and easier.
To make them, first bore a hole Workpiece
(sized to slip over the pipe) about
Caul
1 in. from the edge of a 2x4. Then cut
a 3⁄ 8-in.-deep rabbet in the 2x4 wide
enough that the clamp head is centered Caul centers screw
on the edge of the material you’re force on workpiece.
gluing up. This width will vary with
stock thickness. This puts the clamping
pressure right where you need it.
The cauls I use most of the time are
10 in. long, and I keep them on my
pipe clamps. But I have longer and
shorter cauls for different-size jobs.
2x4 caul Rabbet,
—MARK FALTER, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
⁄ in. deep
38

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 17

tools & materials
■ POWER TOOLS

Dedicated impact
driver a better deal
than all-in-one tool COMBO KIT

I
Both DeWalt’s drill
MPACT DRIVERS ARE A HOT ITEM because they and impact driver
make driving screws almost effortless and have compact
their amazing run time means you can work housings and use
18-volt lithium-
all day without running out of juice. But an
ion batteries.
impact driver won’t replace your conventional You can
cordless drill. The hex-shanked bit holders don’t also buy the
accept traditional drill bits without an accessory impact driver
chuck and the impacting action—which kicks in on its own.
when the tool encounters sufficient resistance—
makes for slow drilling in hardwood. Given these
limitations, many power tool manufacturers offer
kits that include an impact driver and a cordless
drill. Recently, however, engineers have been
able to pack driving and drilling modes
into a single tool.
To see if these new do-it-all plat-
forms work as well as advertised, I
tried the all-in-one Bosch 26618 and
compared it to a two-tool kit from
DeWalt (DCK265L). Both manufactur-
ers use 18-volt lithium-ion batteries for
less weight and longer run times, but
the similarity ends there. At 3 lb., the De- ALL IN ONE
Walt impact driver is lighter than most 18-volt drills
A switch on the
and its compact housing can fit almost anywhere. top of the Bosch
Conversely, the 4.3-lb. Bosch is about the same size housing allows
and weight as a large 18-volt cordless drill. you to select
Even though the Bosch performed well in all of between one
our tests, I think furniture makers would be better impact mode
served by the DeWalt kit. For starters, you’ll have and two drilling
modes.
two tools, so you can use one for pre-drilling and
one for driving. You’ll also be able to use your
existing collection of bits in the DeWalt drill’s
standard chuck. And at $280, the DeWalt kit
is $110 less than the single Bosch tool. All
that said, the Bosch performs well and its
do-it-all convenience would likely make it a
great tool for home remodeling and repair.
For more information, go to dewalt.com or
boschtools.com.
—Bob Nash is the FWW shop manager.

18 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: staff

■ STORAGE Easy and strong.

Ready-made rack
Each pair of Lumber
Store racks can

simplifies storage
handle up to 660 lb.

BUILDING A LUMBER RACK is one of those projects

that I just never seem to get to, so when General
International introduced its Lumber Store lumber
rack (No. 99-300) I jumped at the chance to try it
out. Assembling the painted steel rack takes
about 15 minutes with a cordless drill.
Sold in pairs, the racks are made from
square steel tubing and have six levels. Each
level is rated at 110 lb. (55 lb. per bracket). The
manufacturer suggests spacing the supports be-
tween 4 ft. and 6 ft. apart. I kept them about 4 ft.
apart to prevent my lumber from sagging and to
line up with the wall studs. At that spacing, you’ll
need another pair if you anticipate storing mate-
rial longer than about 8 ft.
The rack, which sells for $56, is nothing fancy, but
it works well and makes a great solution for wood-
workers short of space and time. For information,
go online to general.ca.
—Patrick McCombe is an associate editor.

■ ACCESSORIES

Short shop-vacuum hose

provides long reach
I HAVEN’T PLAYED WITH A SLINKY in a long time, but I
was reminded of the toy when using Rockler’s Dust Right
Expandable Vacuum Hose. The 2-ft. hose is sold in 2½-in.
and 4-in. diameters and can stretch up to 12 ft. The design
provides extra reach when you need it, but without a tangle
of hose underfoot. The only drawback is the hose offers
a little more resistance than a conventional vacuum hose
when it’s fully extended, but anything that makes it easier
to keep my shop clean is a good thing, so this hose is
a keeper. It sells for about $36, hose clamps not
included (rockler.com).
—Tom Begnal is a former associate editor.
tools & materials continued

■ HAND TOOLS

Bargain-priced planes
are a gamble

Economical ebony. Woodline’s affordable

handplanes include (from left): a rabbet plane, an
8-in. Asian-style plane, and a European smoothing plane.

I
’M SURE THAT I’m not my shop during the very dry
the only woodworker Midwest winter, a fine shrink-
who finds the cost of age crack developed along
good handplane a bit of the side, which would be a
a stretch, so I thought these problem had it occurred on
bargain-priced ebony planes the sole or the blade bed.
from Woodline (woodline European-style plane—
.com) deserved a look. This 10-in. smoothing plane
Curved handle, low- ($50; No. EP3) did a fine job
profile rabbet plane— on hardwood right out of the
Measuring 6 in. long, this box, but its shape makes it
handy little plane ($45; uncomfortable to use.
product No. ERP55) has a Reminiscent of earlier plane
1-in.-wide cutter held in place technology, the cutting edge
with a wooden wedge. of the 2-in. blade is ground
Unfortunately, the cutter on a piece of heavy tool steel
sticks out above the plane that’s brazed to a larger piece
body, making for an uncom- of mild steel, a nice touch.
fortable grip. And only one Bottom line—All of these
side of the plane was square No pushing. The 8-in. ebony plane from Woodline works best when planes have good blades that
to the sole—a problem when pulled rather than pushed. perform pretty well right out
planing rabbets. of the box. They sharpen
Asian-style plane—I was tickled to find this 8-in. plane ($46; easily and hold an edge for a surprisingly long time. But each
No. EP9), which is meant to be pulled rather than pushed, one had its problems. Also, generally speaking, I find adjusting
works as both a standard- and high-angle model. Putting the wedged blades with a small hammer a bit of a hassle. Since the
blade in upside down produces a 70° cutting angle, allowing blade on the Asian-style plane can be turned bevel up or bevel
me to plane a piece of deeply figured walnut with virtually no down, I think it’s worth taking a chance on. I’d steer clear of
tearout. The standard bevel-down blade position provides a the others, unless I was on an extremely tight budget.
more typical 45° cutting angle. Unfortunately, after a month in —Roland Johnson is a contributing editor.

20 FINE WOODWORKING
READER SERVICE NO. 37
fundamentals
Bench-vise secrets
YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT GETTING THE MOST
FROM THIS WORKSHOP WORKHORSE

B Y S T E V E L A T T A

T
he bench vise is one of woodworking’s most
necessary and fundamental tools, vital for holding
work while you saw, chop, pare, plane, scrape, and
perform any number of other tasks on your projects.
Despite the vise being used so often, it is
commonly misused. In my class or at workshops, I
routinely see beginning students clamping stock the wrong way
in the vise, sawing or paring in the wrong direction, and risking
injury when the work slips and the tool jumps.

Work in the right direction

Brace the work BAD BAD Even wide stock
from behind. can slip. It’s
Applying force in natural to place
line with the jaws the broadest faces
can make the against the jaws
workpiece slip (left), but clamping
(right). Instead, on the edges still
orient the stock so provides enough
that you’re sawing pressure to hold
perpendicular to the work securely
the jaws (below). (below). Now the
piece is braced
against the force
of the cut and
won’t slip.

GOOD GOOD

22 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Steve Scott; this page (top left): John Tetreault
Work at the right height
Too tall. It’s tempt- BAD BAD This is dangerous.
ing to place the With no support
stock high in the underneath, the
vise so you can workpiece and
work without stoop- chisel can slip
ing. But this lets under downward
the workpiece flex pressure (left).
(right), making the Place a support
task more difficult block in the vise
and the results less underneath the
accurate. For the work (below).
best support, keep
the stock low in
the vise (below left)
or brace it with a
backing block of
thick scrap stock
(below right).

GOOD

GOOD A safe setup.

Resting on the
You can avoid mishaps like that by adopting a few basic vise’s bars, Latta’s
techniques to hold your work securely and prevent it from support block is
about 5 ⁄8 in. lower
slipping. And with a few simple shopmade fixtures, you can
than the vise jaws.
use your vise to tackle an even wider variety of tasks safely. With the block in
place, the work-
Many ways to use the vise alone piece doesn’t slip.
I typically use my bench vise in one of three ways: by itself, with
benchdogs, or with other clamping fixtures. Let’s look at all three.
On its own, the vise is great for holding smaller workpieces
during sawing, chisel work, edge-planing, or other tasks. But
for best results—and safety—it’s important to orient the work
properly in the vise.
For vertical work, consider your task and orient the workpiece
so that you’ll be working across the jaws and not in line with
them. You want the back jaw to brace against the thrust of
the saw or chisel. Also, to reduce the likelihood of slipping

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 23
fundamentals continued

Tips for flat surfaces and racking the vise, position the stock
between the vise screw and a guide bar,
Secure longer as low in the jaw as possible. The farther
stock for surface up from the jaws the operation gets, the
planing. Butt the greater the potential for losing control.
workpiece against
For horizontal work, you may need
a thin batten laid
across the bench- support under the workpiece if the task
top. Hold the batten calls mainly for downward force. So I
in the vise with keep a piece of 3⁄4-in. stock handy that is
an attached cleat, as long as my vise and comes to about
and brace it with 5⁄ 8 in. below the top of the jaws when
a benchdog. This resting on the guide bars. Resting a
simple setup gives
workpiece on top of this board provides
all the support you
need, and lets you additional support and enhances safety.
change out boards For edge-planing short pieces, simply
quickly. clamp them in the vise. For longer
pieces, I add a support block with a
piece of sandpaper glued to both faces.
How a drawer fits The sandpaper bites into both jaw and workpiece, keeping
in a vise. Clamp
it from slipping when I get to the ends of the board.
the drawer front
lightly in the vise to
avoid racking, and A vise and dogs hold work on the bench
use a short piece For surface planing and some other tasks, the workpiece
of stock as a bridge needs to be held flat on the benchtop. You can do this using
between the bench- the sliding stop on top of the vise and a row of dogholes
top and the top of bored into the bench surface.
the vise. This bridge
Many vises come with a metal stop that slides up out
braces the drawer
side against down- of the front jaw. If yours doesn’t have one, you can
ward pressure. create one by boring a hole in the front auxiliary jaw to
fit a commercially available or shopmade dog. For best
support underneath the work, don’t open the vise wide to

Two cures for racking

when a workpiece is placed near the end of the jaws, all front jaws rack (deflect) to some
degree, compromising the grip. Here are two great solutions.

uSe An offcut A dovetAiLed wedge

Match its thickness to your workpiece to Latta’s anti-racking wedge won’t fall out
prevent the front jaw from pivoting. A spring because it slides on a dovetailed key
clamp keeps the scrap from falling before the routed into the inner jaw. Slide the wedge
vise is closed. farther in to accommodate thicker stock.

24 FINE woodwoRkINg
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READER SERVICE NO. 89
fundamentals continued

Use clamping blocks for long and tall stock

long

Fixture helps hold wide or long boards. The Just add clamps. To hold the free end of a
block is as thick as the vise’s rear jaw. Leave long board for edge-planing, secure the cross-
the crosspiece long to accommodate a clamp. piece to the bench and the workpiece to the
block. The setup also works for wide boards.
tall
accommodate the workpiece. Instead, use the most distant
doghole you can, and keep the vise opening narrow. This
puts the bulk of the stock over the bench surface, making
planing easier and more stable.
Also, make sure the dog is below the board’s surface.
Nicking a steel or brass dog can damage a plane iron.

Add a few simple helpers

There are several accessories and attachments that work well
with a vise. The simplest is just a cutoff scrap that matches
the thickness of the workpiece. Inserting this scrap in the
opposite end of the vise helps prevent the vise from racking
(pivoting and losing its grip) when work is clamped on the
other side of the vise. Taking this further to prevent racking
A fixture for with any thickness of stock, I made an angled block that
legs. Latta uses slides in a dovetail key cut along the length of the vise (see
a panel with an photos, p. 24). Also in the very simple category, just about
L-shaped bracket
any bench hook or shooting board that typically braces
to support long
work vertically against the edge of the bench can be made more stable by
(above). The fix- clamping it into the vise—a practice I recommend.
ture’s top provides Other accessories help with larger stock or specialized
a bearing surface tasks. For instance, when edge-planing longer stock or
for the router working the end grain of wider boards, you need a way
when cutting to hold the free end of the workpiece. I do this with a
dovetail mortises
clamping block made from two pieces of scrap joined at
in the top of a
table leg (right). a right angle. This block gives me a surface against which
The bottom of I can clamp the work, and a plate that lets me secure the
the L provides an block to the workbench. A different fixture helps when
index for clamping dovetailing the top of a table leg. To hold the work and
into the vise. support the router, I use an L-shaped block (see photos,
left) that clamps securely in the vise. The fixture anchors
the leg, letting me remove much of the socket with a router
and do final cleanup with a chisel. •

Contributing editor Steve Latta teaches woodworking in Lancaster, Pa.

26
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READER SERVICE NO. 53

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 0 27

Barnsley is in the details
A Graceful
Barnsley style combines Arts and Crafts

The pencil roll adds a stylish touch to the

back of the tabletop and prevents objects from
sliding off.

B Y K E V I N K A U F F U N G E R

I was introduced to the work of Edward

Barnsley while studying furniture making
at the College of the Redwoods. Among the
more dog-eared books in the school’s library
was an out-of-print catalog from a retrospec-
tive exhibit of his work that took place in the
early 1980s. I was immediately inspired.
Barnsley was a direct descendant of the Eng-
lish Arts and Crafts movement (his architect
father and uncle were major proponents). His
early pieces were typical of the style: solid
wood, thick, with exposed joinery that com-
Stringing emphasizes the shapes of the municated a visual and literal strength. Af-
tabletop and drawer fronts, and leads the eye to ter World War II, his work transitioned into
handmade drop pulls (covered on pp. 66-71).
something more refined. It still maintained the
technical honesty of Arts and Crafts, but it be-
gan to reflect the spare elegance seen in the
Hepplewhite or Federal styles.
This sideboard is not a direct copy of any
Barnsley piece, but rather it incorporates many
of his design elements. The construction pro-
cess is relatively straightforward, so I’ll focus
on the Barnsley elements.

Flowing joinery
Where the legs meet the bottom rails, the lower
edge of the joint flows in a continuous curve.
Just joining the two members at right angles
would leave weak short grain on the tip of the
rail. To minimize this problem, craftsmen use
A gun-stock joint, a type of haunched miter a type of haunched miter called a gun-stock
reinforced with slip tenons, allows the bottom joint, combined with slip tenons.
rails to flow into the leg. Lay out the legs on a template of 1⁄ 8-in.-thick
plywood or MDF, transcribe the pattern onto

28 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Mark Schofield; drawings: Bob La Pointe

Hall Table
simplicity with Federal elegance
INSIDE THE GUN-STOCK JOINT
Lower
front rail
Slip tenon,
5⁄16 in. thick by
5 ⁄ 8 in. wide by

1¼ in. long
13⁄8 in.
11 ⁄16 in.

⁄
13 16 in.

Miter cut at 45°. 15⁄8 in.

the leg blanks, and mark out the mortises. Leg

Next, mark the 45º angle at the bisection of
each curve, and with your tablesaw blade at
45º, use a crosscut sled to cut the miter 1⁄4 in. WHY BOTHER?
deep into the legs, a total of eight cuts.
Cut the mortises in your preferred way; I
use an upcutting spiral bit in a plunge router
equipped with an edge guide. Mortising before
shaping gives you easier surfaces to reference
the router against. On the adjoining lower rails,
cut matching mortises and then cut the miter
Area of weak No short
short grain grain with
without the the gun-stock
How to form the joint gun-stock joint joint
Cut the miters on both parts of the joint first, but don’t try to
create a seamless curve until after the joint is glued together.

Start at the top of the legs. First lay out the Taper the lower section. Attach the template to the Shape the rails. After mitering the
entire leg, and then create the mitered part of the leg with double-stick tape and use a bearing-guided ends of the lower rails, bandsaw the
gun-stock joint on the inside faces. After cutting straight bit to clean up the tapered sections. Stop concave profile between the miters.
the mortises for the rails and the panels, band- ½ in. short of the gun-stock joint; this area will be Then clean up the surface using a tem-
saw down from the top of the leg to the peak of completed after the base is assembled. plate and bearing-guided bit. Again, stop
the miter. Use a fence to guide the cut. just short of the gun-stock joint.

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 29
 Three-drawer hall table The narrow depth makes this table suitable
for halls or behind a sofa.

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW Top (less pencil roll), 7⁄ 8 in. thick
42 in. 12 in. by 113 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 42 in. long

8½ in. 19 in. 81 ⁄ 8 in.

3 in. Upper rails, 5 ⁄ 8 in.
thick by 13 ⁄ 8 in. wide
4½ in. by 38¼ in. long

½ in. 13 ⁄ 8 in.
Drawer stops, 1 ⁄ 8 in. thick
by ½ in. wide by 2 in. long,
TOP EDGE PROFILE DETAIL faced with 1 ⁄ 8-in.-thick cork

32 in.
Front and rear bottom
⁄ in.
78 rails, 11 ⁄16 in. thick
(before shaping) by
⁄ in.
38
15 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 37 in.
long

Drawer back,
3 ⁄ 8 in. thick
⁄ in.
58

11 ⁄16 in.
39¾ in. 10 ⁄ in.
78

Stringing, 1 ⁄16 in.

wide by 1 ⁄16 in.
thick
WIDE DRAWER NEEDS A CENTER GUIDE
Drawers wider than they are deep tend to jam.
To ensure smooth action, install a drawer guide
in the bottom of the middle drawer.

⁄ in.
58

¼ in.

58⁄ in. Drawer front,

5 ⁄ 8 in. thick by
⁄
3 16 in.
3 in. wide Center drawer
guide

⁄
5 32 in. Drawer slips,
3 ⁄ 8 in. thick by
Drawer bottoms,
To learn how to make these 5 ⁄16 in. thick 5 ⁄ 8 in. wide with
drop pulls and other a 1 ⁄ 8-in.-deep by
Recess for center handmade hardware, 3 ⁄16-in.-wide groove
drawer spline, 3 ⁄16 in. turn to pp. 66-71.
wide by 1 ⁄ 8 in. deep. UPPER RAIL JOINT DETAIL

5 16⁄ in. ⁄
3 16 in. Upper side rail

using the same crosscut sled setup that you joint. You’ll want to leave extra material ⁄
3 16 in.
Upper
used on the legs. here so that you can finish shaping the front rail
Use a bandsaw to rip from the top of joint after glue-up. ½ in.
¼ in.
the leg down to the peak of the miter,
reducing this portion of the leg to 13⁄ 8 in. Decorative chamfers and miters ¾ in.
square. Clean up the bandsaw marks with Subtle chamfers surround the drawer
a block plane. You’re now ready to taper openings and side panels, but instead
and curve the leg on the bandsaw. You can of the legs and rails meeting in a normal
use the template to guide a router bit first miter, which would involve insetting the
or do all the cleanup with hand tools, but rails into the legs, they meet in a false,
whatever method you choose, make sure or mason’s, miter. Begin by routing the Leg ¾ in.
not to fully shape the curve around the chamfer on the inside edge of all the rails. ⁄ in.
58

30 FINE WOODWORKING
 PENCIL ROLL DETAIL
Pencil roll, 5 ⁄ 8 in. ¼ in.
thick by 11 ⁄ 8 in.
tall by 42 in. long Use a cove-cutting ⁄ in.
18
bit to cut the
concave faces.

Kickers, 5 ⁄ 8 in. thick by

13 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 81 ⁄ 8 in. long

Back panel, 3 ⁄ 8 in.

Top and bottom
thick by 3¼ in. wide
divider rails, ½ in. ⁄ in.
58
thick by 1 in. wide by 37¼ in. long
by 7¼ in. long
Top side rails, 5 ⁄ 8 in.
thick by 13 ⁄ 8 in. wide
by 81⁄ 8 in. long

Center drawer spline,

3 ⁄16 in. thick by ½ in.

wide by 7½ in. long Side panel,

3 ⁄ 8 in. thick by
Front stile, ½ in. 3¼ in. wide by
thick by 13 ⁄ 8 in. wide Rear stile, ½ in.
thick by 1 in. wide 83 ⁄ 8 in. long
by 31 ⁄16 in. long
by 31 ⁄16 in. long Bottom side rails,
11 ⁄16 in. thick
Splines, 3 ⁄16 in. (before shaping) by
thick by ½ in. wide, 15⁄ 8 wide by 81⁄ 8 in.
attach divider rails long
to runners and
kickers.

Slip tenons, 5 ⁄16 in.

thick by 5 ⁄ 8 in. wide by Inside faces of leg taper
1¼ in. long from 13 ⁄ 8 in. at top to
11 ⁄16 in. at bottom
Runners, 5 ⁄ 8 in. thick Legs, 13⁄ 4 in. thick by
by 13 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 13⁄ 4 in. wide (before
Drawer sides, 75 ⁄ 8 in. long
3 ⁄ 8 in. thick shaping) by 311⁄ 8 in. long

LOWER RAIL JOINT DETAIL

Lower side rail

Mark the legs where the rails intercept and back bottom rails to the run-
them, and then rout a chamfer on the ners, then glue the top assembly
¼ in. legs, stopping short of this mark. The and the front and back top rails to
½ in.
mason’s miters are completed after the the kickers. Glue the bottom assembly
table is assembled because clamping to the sides using slip tenons, then at-
pressure during glue-up may slightly tach the top assembly via dovetailed
⁄
3 16 in.
change where the legs and rails meet, tenons in the tops of the legs, sand-
misaligning the chamfers. wiching the partitions.
¾ in.
After making the remaining parts for With the base glued together, you
⁄
5 16 in. the base of the table, begin the assem- can fair the gun-stock joints and com-
Lower bly by gluing the sides together. Next, plete the mason’s miters. To mark the
3 16⁄ in. front rail Leg glue the bottom assembly and the front termination point of the chamfers on

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 31
Another nice detail: mason’s miters the legs, register a plane iron, bevel up,
against the chamfer on the rail and slice
crossgrain into the leg, making sure to
maintain the angle. Now register the back
of the iron against the chamfer on the leg
to meet the cut you just made. If you have
to go against the grain, take your time,
skew the iron, and make sure it is super
Chamfer the rails. sharp to avoid tearout.
Stop-chamfer the leg.
How to inlay across solid wood
Stringing defines the field of both the
tabletop and the drawer fronts, adding a
typical Barnsley combination of elegance
and formality to the overall piece. I chose
holly, not just because of its visual merits
but also because it works beautifully with
hand tools, and you don’t have to worry
about the walnut dust getting in the pores
After assembly, and muddying the white color.
finish the mason’s
miter by hand.
Routing the groove is easier on the table-
top than the more fiddly drawers, so be-
gin with that. Mark out the corners, then
Chamfer the rails. The front, back, and side
rails receive a decorative chamfer along their
inside edges.

Stop-chamfer the legs. Dry-fit the rails to the

legs and lightly mark where they meet (above).
Chamfer the inside corners on the show faces
of the legs. Stop just short of where they inter-
sect with the rails (right). The mason’s miters
will be completed after the table base is as-
sembled.

32 FINE woodwoRkINg
Assemble the base

Do it in stages. Pre-finish the panels completely

and then glue together each side of the table
(above). Glue up the top and bottom assemblies,
glue the bottom assembly to the sides, insert the
pre-finished back panel and the drawer dividers,
and then glue in the top assembly (right).

use either a plunge or a fixed-base router Now fair the joints

equipped with an edge guide to make the
1 ⁄16-in.-square grooves, taking care not to

rout past the end points. I always use a car-

bide down-spiral or down-shear bit (Freud
No. 04-096; www.woodcraft.com and other
online sites) as the downward pressure min-
imizes fuzz on the top edge of the groove.
As an extra precaution, I rout the groove
through a strip of masking tape.
To be sure the holly stringing fits the
groove, I make it myself. Starting with a
Lay out the gun-stock curve. Use a template Shape and smooth it. A coarse Microplane
1x1 stick, I bandsaw 3⁄16-in.-thick strips. To to draw the finished curve. removes the waste wood quickly.
plane them down to 1⁄16 in., I use double-
stick tape to attach them to MDF. Last, I Finish the
bandsaw them 1⁄ 8 in. wide, with a zero- mason’s miters.
Create a stop cut
clearance insert in the throat.
where the rail’s
The top is solid walnut and will expand chamfer meets
and contract across the grain with seasonal the leg; then use
changes in humidity. Running long grain a plane iron to
stringing across the grain could cause the complete the
stringing to pop out. To avoid this, you chamfer on the leg.
want the stringing also to be crossgrain.
Using a block of holly about 1 in. square,
saw slices off the end as thick as the width
of the groove in the tabletop. Use a plane
iron and a mallet to chop these slices into
five or six sections. Don’t worry about

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M Ay / J U N e 2 0 1 0 33

 Holly stringing outlines the tabletop
Pencil roll is added
after stringing. ¼ in.
⁄ in.
58

¼ in.

1 in.

TIP MASKING TAPE

MINIMIZES TEAROUT
¾ in.
Cut clean grooves. The combination of a
down-spiral bit and masking tape minimizes getting the sizes exactly the same, because
tearout when cutting grooves for the stringing. they’ll be planed flushed once installed in
1 ⁄16-in.-dia. the table. Glue these pieces edge to edge
down-spiral bit into the groove. At the corners, butt the
pieces together rather than trying to miter
the fragile cross-grain stringing.
For the drawer fronts, you can use a
plunge router with an edge guide, except
for the curved portions near the drawer
Groove,
pulls. Here, use the plunge router with a
⁄ in.
1 16

deep template bushing and follow a Masonite

template to get the curved shape. I made
Install the stringing. Mill the long-grain string-
ing to 1 ⁄16 in. thick. Use a glue syringe to inject a short template and moved it to each
Router base the glue into the groove. curved section, but the extra time spent
Edge
guide Workpiece

C RO S S -G R A I N S T R I N G I N G M OVES W ITH THE SEASON S

Like slicing salami. Double-stick Chop the slices. Use a sharp End grain up. The short sec- Trim it flush. Use a scraper to
tape on the stop block ensures plane iron to cut each slice of tions of end-grain holly will move bring the stringing flush with the
you don’t lose thin sections when holly into five or six sections. seasonally with the solid-wood tabletop. Near the corners, use a
slicing end-grain holly. tabletop. plane iron to avoid tearout.

34 FINE WOODWORKING
and drawer fronts
¾ in. Straight grooves
first. Use a router
⁄ in.
38 equipped with an
edge guide to cut
the grooves for the
straight sections of
stringing.

23 ⁄ 8 in.*

⁄
7 16 in.
*For center drawer; changes to 4 in. for side drawers.

TA ME T H E C U R V E S W I T H PAT TERN ROUTIN G

Masonite template

Router base

Rub collar
or template
bushing

Make a template. A piece of Masonite at-

tached with double-stick tape guides a bushing Workpiece
on the router when cutting the curved grooves ⁄ -in.-dia. down-spiral bit
1 16

adjacent to the drawer pulls. Spend some time

aligning the template so that the curved groove
transitions perfectly into the straight sections.
Round the
bend and
miter the
joints. For
lining up the template to make sure that the curved
the curve flows smoothly would have been stringing, soften
better spent making one long template. and bend the
holly on a piece
The curve is too tight to hand-bend the
of pipe heated
stringing without breaking it, so instead with a propane
use a hot pipe to soften the wood and torch (above
allow it to bend (see Master Class: “The left). Dry-fit
magic of hot-pipe bending,” FWW #205). each section of
Though some of the stringing on the stringing, mark
drawer fronts goes cross-grain, the span the ends (below
left), then
is too short to need cross-grain stringing.
remove the
Let the inlay dry, and then plane and stringing and
scrape the holly flush. Finally, attach the miter the ends
tabletop. • with a plane
iron.
Kevin Kauffunger is a furniture maker
in Pittsburgh, Pa.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 35

 Surface-Prep
Shootout A contest in the FWW shop reveals
two great paths to a perfect finish

O ne of the happiest moments in any woodworking project comes when you begin
applying a finish. It’s then that you see the wood’s final appearance deepening
in color and character before your eyes. But the results won’t be satisfying if you
haven’t prepared the wood’s surfaces for the finish, which tends to highlight flaws instead
of disguising them. The surfaces must be smooth, flat, and free of milling marks, scratches,
tearout, and other imperfections that can detract from the beauty of your work.
Preparing the surfaces usually means using one of two time-honored cutting technolo-
gies: sandpaper or handplanes. Which is best? To explore the question, we recently set up
a friendly competition in our shop. Each contestant was given the parts for a Shaker table
with tapered legs. Milled to final dimension and with the joinery already fitted, the parts
were ready to be sanded or planed in preparation for a finish. We broadcast the event
live on FineWoodworking.com, and invited local woodworkers to our shop to
watch and judge the results.
Art director Michael Pekovich demonstrated handplanes and scrap-
ers. Editor Asa Christiana used a random-orbit sander and hand-
sanding. Afterward, each contestant applied a coat of Waterlox,
a wiping varnish, as a way to check the results.
We put each contestant on the clock to see who crossed the
finish line first. But we were even more interested in know-
ing whose finish looked best at the end.
As it happened, Mike and his handplanes appeared
to prevail on both counts. He finished his prep
with a half-hour to spare, and the audi-
ence judged his finish to be superior.
In truth, if you follow either method
carefully and thoroughly, you’ll get
great results.

Online Extra
To see the contest as it happened,
go to FineWoodworking.com/extras.

36 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Kelly J. Dunton

‘No sharpening required: Sanding is a sure
and simple way to get flawless surfaces’
B Y A S A C H R I S T I A N A

When I started out as a woodworker, I didn’t know much about

sharpening and therefore couldn’t get my hand tools to work well.
So I used sandpaper to prepare surfaces for finishing. Sandpaper
has a short learning curve, and I picked up most of the tips I need-
ed from a great Taunton Press video on finishing by Frank Klausz.
Truth be told, I’ve since switched to handplanes for a lot of my
surface prep. A few passes with my sharp No. 4, and I usually have
a dead-flat surface ready for finish. But the handplane doesn’t
work with every type of wood and figure, so I still break out my
random-orbit sander and trusty sanding blocks quite often.
I don’t mean to say that sandpaper works better than hand-
planes and scrapers. But sandpaper is a great equalizer: It works
on every wood and in nearly every situation, while handplanes
must be perfectly tuned and razor sharp to work at all. With sand-
paper and a few tips, anyone can create flawless surfaces.
My sense is that sanding is slower than planing and scraping,
even when you factor in sharpening time for the hand tools. This
shootout will test that assumption. Maybe sanding is easier
and faster.

‘Handplanes flatten and smooth quickly,

with no dust’
B Y M I C H A E L P E K O V I C H

I did a lot of sanding in the 15 years between my first run-in with

a dull, rusty handplane and my eye-opening test drive with a truly
sharp one. Unfortunately, that’s not an uncommon experience. A
sharp handplane can work wonders, going from machine marks
to a glass-smooth surface in minutes. A dull plane can do a lot of
damage, both to your lumber and your psyche.
The good news is that it’s easier than ever to start working
with your first handplane. Years ago, your choices were to buy an
inferior new plane that needed a lot of tune-up work or an old high-
quality plane that also needed a lot of tune-up work. Today the
market offers many excellent new planes that require little more
than a five-minute sharpening before the shavings start to fly.
I still keep a scraper and fine sandpaper on hand to fix the
occasional tearout, but my smoothing plane has eliminated the
dusty hours of sanding that used to accompany every project. In
addition to saving time and leaving a smooth surface, the hand-
plane excels at creating dead-flat surfaces and crisp chamfers,
hallmarks of fine woodworking that are impossible to achieve with
sandpaper alone.

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 37
power sanding: deal w ith dust and don’t skip a grit

Better than a dust mask. Connect a shop Gang up parts. Start with a coarse grit, P80 Change disks frequently. Don’t be shy about
vacuum to the sander’s dust port to keep dust or P100, to remove burns and mill marks. Avoid using more than one disk of the same grit
out of the air and avoid clogged sanding pads. rounded edges on narrow stock by ganging two before moving to a finer abrasive. A worn or
Better vacuums switch on with the sander when narrow pieces together. Note, this only works if clogged disk will slow down the work.
the tool is plugged into an onboard power outlet. the surfaces are level.

handplani ng: start sha r p and use simple stops

Get sharp first. Using waterstones and a hon- Easier than benchdogs. A simple planing stop Don’t bother with hidden surfaces. To save
ing guide, Pekovich polishes a narrow band at clamped across the benchtop is all you need to time and wear on the blade, plane only the
the blade’s beveled tip (top). He removes the burr secure the work, and it lets you quickly flip the outside face and bottom edge of each apron.
with his finest stone (bottom). For more, see piece or change to another. Afterward, chamfer the bottom edges with a
“A Visit to the Sharpening Doctor,” FWW #206. block plane.

38 FINE woodworkINg
Scrape away the glue first. Christiana starts Sand evenly. It is critical to work the surface Work in stages. Use each successive grit to
work on the tabletop by using a sharp paint evenly and systematically to guarantee it will remove the scratches left by the last one, until
scraper to remove the glueline in the middle end up flat. It’s easy to linger in one area and the abrasive is so fine (P220 or more) that the
of the panel. create a hollow, which you may not notice until human eye can’t see the scratches under a
finish is applied. finish.

Mark the top end of the

taper. Planing too much
on the tapered area can
cause the intersection
with the flat area to
move. To avoid this, draw
a few pencil lines just
below the intersection
as a guide.

A piece of scrap keeps

the workpiece level. To
plane the outside faces,
insert the taper’s match-
ing cutoff underneath to
support the leg along its
length.

Holding narrow work. A simple L-shaped jig

mounts in the vise and holds the leg securely
during planing.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 39

Finish b y h and-sanding

Shopmade paper cutter. Christiana’s cutting Finish by hand. Begin hand-sanding with the How to keep edges flat. Hold the workpiece
jig uses an old hacksaw blade to trim sand- last grit you used on the random-orbit sander, in a vise, with the narrow edge horizontal. Use
paper sheets squarely to fit on padded sanding usually P220. Work the sanding block in the the sanding pad like a block plane, running
blocks. The blocks hold the paper flat, ensuring direction of the grain to remove the last swirl your fingertips along the workpiece to keep the
that it will leave a flat surface. marks from the sander. block flat and the edge square.

the top gets extra care

Treatment for tearout.
Pekovich typically uses a
card scraper to remove
any tearout.

Sandpaper? Because
the scraped areas have a
different scratch pattern
than the planed areas,
it’s good to blend them
by following any scraping
with P320- through P600-
grit sandpaper over the
entire top.

Plane in two stages. First, level any high

spots until the top is flat on both sides. After
resharpening the iron, set the plane for a light
cut and take a series of smoothing passes over
the entire surface of the show side only.

40 FINE woodworkINg
 What they learned
ASA: SANDING IS STILL
A SAFE FALLBACK
Mike beat me comfortably, but not by as
much as I expected. He ran into some
tearout, and that took some fussing to
overcome. I had no such problem. Sand-
paper handles the toughest grain without
a hitch. But now I’m sure that it takes
longer. A few online comments suggested
using a belt sander for speed, but the
random-orbit sander is easier to control.
Under a coat of oil, my tabletop had
a tiny bit more blotching, but that might
be due to the different boards we started
with. And I’d say my legs and aprons were
better, as his still had some tearout left.
On future projects, I’ll stick to my usual
approach: When the wood allows, I’ll
use handplanes. But trusty sandpaper is
always my backup plan. Also, I think sand-
Sanding block breaks edges, too. Easing the
ing is easier for beginners. Just work the
sharp edges makes them friendlier to fingers When to stop. The final grit depends on the
and more resistant to damage. Turn the block type of finish: P220 for shellac or polyure- surface evenly, move patiently through the
45° for a few passes with P150-grit paper to thane, or as high as P600 for an oil finish, grits, and use a block for hand-sanding.
create a light bevel. especially on blotch-prone woods like cherry.

MIKE: YES, PLANES ARE FASTER,

BUT DON’T RUSH
I’ve always contended that handplaning
was faster than sanding, so it’s nice to
know that I haven’t been laboring under a
false assumption. That said, I planned on
half an hour to prepare these parts and it
took twice as long. As always, the devil
was in the details. With perfectly straight-
grained lumber, planing is a breeze, but
in the real world, that’s rarely the case.
The quartersawn grain on the legs was
especially tricky and prone to tearout. I
spent extra time scraping those parts,
and would have done even more if I hadn’t
been keeping an eye on the game clock.
During the contest, I used just one
How to tackle end bench plane and a block plane to show
grain. Start by lightly that you don’t need to buy a lot of hand-
lubricating the plane’s
planes to get started. But I wound up
sole with paste wax.
To avoid chipout at the doing a lot of adjusting for heavy and light
far edge, take a few cuts. Normally, I’d have set up a No. 5 jack
short passes from that plane for flattening parts quickly and a
end first. Then rotate No. 4 for final smoothing. That would have
the piece and work Dead flat and smooth. Careful surface prep-
normally, stopping short aration pays off, especially on your project’s saved some time and effort.
of the far edge. broadest, most visible surfaces.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 41

 W EEK E N D P ROJE C T

Standing Frame
Has Two Faces

Turn it around to change the picture

B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T

42 FINE WOODWORKING
 S IM PLE ANATOMY

I have a black-and-white wood- The sleek design and basic mortise-and-tenon joinery in this
⁄
15 16 in.
cut print and a piece of needle- standing frame make it a quick project and a great gift.
point that are dear to me. Since ⁄ in.
78
Mortise, 3⁄8 in. Top, 7⁄ 8 in. thick Tenon, 3⁄8 in. thick
wall space is limited in my house, wide by 7⁄16 in. by 15⁄16 in. wide by 7⁄16 in. wide by
I decided to make a free-standing long by 13¾ in. long 17⁄16 in. long ⁄
13 16 in.
frame to display them. Both pieces
of art fit in the same frame, one ⁄ in.
38

on each side facing out, and the

Side, 11⁄16 in. square
frame can be placed on a tabletop, by 91⁄16 in. long Peg, 1 ⁄ 8 in. dia.
shelf, desk, dresser, anywhere you by 13 ⁄16 in. long 17⁄16 in.
have free, flat space—at home or
in the office. The frame also makes
a great gift.
Because both sides are visible, I
knew this frame would be a bit
trickier to design than a typical,
wall-hung picture frame. I also
needed a way to take apart the
frame, should the artwork ever
need to be replaced.
The frame required a relatively
wide base to stand on. Playing
around with several designs, I set-
tled on a wide base, a narrower Groove, 3 ⁄ 8 in. wide
top, and through-tenons on the by ¼ in. deep Glass, ⁄
11 16 in.
⁄ in. thick
18
uprights to allow for disassembly. Stopped groove,
3 ⁄ 8 in. wide by ¼ in.
Although the frame dimensions
deep by 101 ⁄ 8 in. long
will vary depending on what it is
to hold, the building process can ⁄ in.
78

be adapted to any size.

Cut the joints Bottom, 7⁄ 8 in. thick by 15 ⁄8 in. 13 16 ⁄ in.

wide by 13¾ in. long
Once you’ve measured both pieces Lower tenons
of art, added a proportional border/ are glued and Tenon, 3⁄8 in. ⁄ in.
78

mat, and come up with an overall wedged. thick by 7⁄16 in.

wide by 7⁄8 in.
long 15 ⁄8 in.

SHOW OFF TWO PIECES OF ART IN ONE FRAME

Installing artwork is a breeze. Just sandwich the art between two glass pieces and slide
the package into grooves in the bottom and sides (left). The mortised and grooved top fits
onto the sides (above left), and dowels lock it all in place (above right).

Needlepoint by Margo Timmons; woodcut by Mary Azarian M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 43

 GROOV ES , B EV ELS , A ND MO R T I S E S ARE SIMPLE TO MAKE

Start on the drill press. Drill Through-grooves on the sides. With a Stopped grooves in the top and bottom. With two stop blocks
through the top and bottom, center- straight bit on the router table, run through- clamped to the fence so that the bit lines up in the mortise holes
ing the mortise holes in the stock. grooves on the two side pieces. at each end, pivot down into the first hole with the router running,
run the groove, and lift the workpiece out of the second hole.

dimension, you can rough out the frame parts for the base, the tablesaw using a wide dado blade. Small bevels on the tops of
top, and the two sides. Use a drill press to rough out the mortises the tenons make the frame easier to assemble.
in the top and the base.
Cut the through-grooves in the two sides, and then move on to Assemble the frame
the stopped grooves in the top and bottom pieces. The grooves When I was working out the original design and the artwork
line up with the mortise holes and run between them. and glass panes were in place, everything fit well but looked
Square up all four mortise holes in the bottom and top. Both the too clunky. So, to give it a lighter appearance, I ripped a bevel
top and bottom now have a groove centered on the wide faces, down the sides of the top and bottom and crosscut an angle on
ending at the square mortises. each end.
Cutting tenons on the sides of the frame is the last structural Once you’ve completed the joinery and beveling, sand all the
operation. With only one height setting, I cut the tenons on the parts to P220-grit and glue the sides to the bottom, wedging the

TE NONS , WED G ES , A ND P E GS KEEP THE FRAME TOGETHER

Quick and easy tenons. Using a dado set, Lower tenons are wedged. Saw a Tap in wedges. Glue the sides into the bottom, set the
miter gauge, and the rip fence as a stop, form diagonal kerf in the bottom tenons. top in place for clamping, glue the wedges, and tap them
the tenons on the side pieces. When the wedges are tapped in, the into place. Saw the tenons and wedges flush, and then
tenons will spread in all directions. smooth the bottom with a block plane.

44 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales; drawings: Vince Babak

Chisel the mortises square. Now square Bevels lighten the look. Becksvoort rips a Angle the ends, too. With the tablesaw blade still tilted
up the mortise holes all the way through bevel down the length of the top and bottom, from the bevel, use a miter sled and cut angles on the
the top and bottom pieces. refining the look. ends of the top and bottom.

tenons diagonally on the underside. Plane and sand the bottom beam. Begin with square stock and use a knife to cut a series of
flush. With the frame fully assembled, but without the artwork or bevels around the end. Rounding the ends helps start the stock
glass, take a knife and mark the spot where each tenon protrudes in the dowel plate. Then simply hammer the stock through the
through the top. Then remove the top and drill holes through the dowel plate. Fit the dowels (see photos, below) and cut them to
tenons, using shims so the tenons lie flat and are supported on length. The dowels are removable with hand pressure, although
the drill-press table. I make sure the hole overlaps the knife marks if you insert them in January and then want to open the frame in
by about 1⁄ 32 in. By offsetting the holes like this, the dowels with August, it helps to have a small block to push the dowels out.
a flat sanded on one side are then forced into the space, pulling Finally, I applied two coats of Tried & True Danish Oil, polishing
everything tight. the first coat with 0000 steel wool after it dried. •
Using a dowel plate, make two dowels out of any very hard,
tight-grained wood such as apple, rock maple, dogwood, or horn- Christian Becksvoort is a contributing editor.

Dowels secure the top. Dry-fit the frame to Flatten the dowels to create a perfect The final cut. Mark the dowels and cut them to
mark for the dowels. Mark the point where the fit. Sand a flat into each dowel and then length, flush with the sides of the frame.
tenon protrudes. Drill a hole at that point, over- insert it, flat side against the top of the
lapping the knife mark by about 1 ⁄ 32 in. frame, until hand tight.

M Ay / J U n e 2 0 1 0 45
The Best
Brushes
If you have trouble
brushing finishes,
you probably aren’t
using the right tool
B Y M A R K S C H O F I E L D

46 FINE WOODWORKING
M any woodworkers use only one
finishing tool—a cloth. That is a
shame, because applying a finish
with a brush has many advantages: You
build up a protective finish much faster;
Your first brush
Start with a 2-in. brush. This is small enough to learn on but large
enough to finish most surfaces up to small tabletops. Because
you can use waterborne finishes, which are most brushes are designed to apply paint, they are stiffer than is
very hard to wipe; and you waste far less ideal for applying most clear finishes. Look for a brush that feels
finish than with a spray gun and don’t need relatively flexible and has filaments around ½ in. longer than
a special spray booth. the brush is wide. Shorter filaments don’t have enough
One obstacle to getting started, though, flexibility. Buy a natural-bristle brush for solvent-
are the hundreds of brushes for sale in hard-
based finish, or a synthetic-filament brush for
ware stores, home centers, and online. They
water-based finish.
come in all sizes and shapes, at every point
SQUARE END
on the price scale, and with different types
of bristles (some with no bristles at all). You
A GOOD PLACE TO START
want to apply a perfect finish to your just-
completed project, but should you spend A 2-in.-wide flat brush with a square end
$50 on a brush or will a $10 one work just will let you develop your brushing skills.
as well?
A brush is simply a tool for spreading fin-
ish on a surface. But like all tools, there are
specialist versions for different products and TWO OTHER SHAPES
TO CONSIDER ANGLED SASH
situations, and to a great extent price does
determine quality. I’ll explain what to look An angled-sash brush is designed to
for in a quality brush, why you will get bet- handle areas of different widths as
ter results using one, and how to keep your well as corners and tight spots. Get a
brushes working well for many years. I’ll size between 1½ in. and 2½ in. Once
also tell you what brushes work best with you’re comfortable brushing and
different types of finish, and suggest a selec- you’re ready to tackle a large surface,
tion that won’t break the budget. You’ll be buy a round or oval brush. Their extra
surprised at how easy brushing can be when capacity means fewer trips to reload
the brush.
you have the right brush.
OVAL

Mark Schofield is the managing editor.

Buy quality, not quantity

A starter pack of brushes is usually TWO WAYS TO CREATE A CHISEL PROFILE
a false economy. The quality will be Brushes work better with a pointed end, but there is a good
so-so and you’ll probably use only one way and a bad way to form it.
size regularly. Spend the same amount
on one quality brush from a company 1. Trimming the ends 2. Shaping the
removes the flagging bundle leaves the
that specializes in making them. Good flagging intact.
from the edges.
choices include Elder & Jenks,
Purdy, and Wooster.

Natural

Synthetic

Shaped
SPLIT ENDS ARE GOOD Flat bottom
bottom
Brush-makers split, or
flag, the tips of both
natural and manmade
filaments to combine
stiffness with the ability
to leave a smooth finish.
POOR QUALITY GOOD QUALITY
Match the brush to the finish
NATURAL HA IR OR BRISTLES
FOR SOLVENT- BASED FINISHES $15

A GOOD START
Your first brush should be
made from hog (China) bristle.
The black or beige color of the
bristle makes no difference, and
you can get a fine 2-in. brush for
under $15.

$40
TOP OF THE LINE
The Cadillac of solvent
brushes is made from pure
ox hair. Very fine and soft, it will
lay down a coat of varnish with
almost no brush marks, but costs at
Despite some manufac- least $40 for a 2-in. brush.
turer’s claims, brushes
with synthetic filaments can’t match a
natural-filament brush when applying a
solvent-based finish. Most woodworkers
NICE COMPROMISE
$20
refer to a brush’s bristles rather than its
An ox hair/bristle blend
filaments, but that is rather like calling all
works very well. It can’t
cheese cheddar. Bristle refers only to hog quite match the surface
bristle, also known as China bristle be- left by pure ox hair, but this
cause that is where nearly all of it comes won’t matter if you are rubbing
from. Sold to brush-makers for $8 to $12 out the finish. Expect to pay $20
to $25 for a 2-in. brush.
per pound, bristle is the workhorse among
natural-filament brushes.
The other natural filament you’re likely
to find in brushes is European ox hair,
which comes from these animals’ ears.
Slightly less stiff than hog bristle, it is also
Taklon is the exception to the rule
softer and at $80 per pound, much more One synthetic filament, Taklon, works for
expensive. You can buy ox hair/bristle both solvent- and water-based finishes.
blend brushes such as Elder & Jenks’ Capi- The filaments are extremely fine and leave
tal Ox ($20), or you can buy a pure ox-hair virtually no brush marks, but their flex-
brush from Tools for Working Wood ($40). ibility makes them suitable only for
Once you get the feel for brushing a finish, thinned finishes and they can’t
either type of brush is well worth buying if deliver as much finish per
you are using solvent-based varnish. stroke. A good way to get a
Your grandfather may have sworn by his really smooth final coat for fast-
badger-hair brush and some catalogs offer drying finishes like lacquer or shellac
“badger-style” brushes. However, genuine is to thin them by at least 50% and use PERFECTLY SMOOTH
FINAL COAT
badger hair costs around $400 per pound, a Taklon brush to lay down a coat almost
Taklon does an incredible
so it is likely that the brush is really hog devoid of brush marks. You can expect to
job laying down a thin,
bristle with a black streak painted on the pay around $30 for a Taklon brush. smooth coat of solvent-
bristles to resemble badger hair. Read the based finish.
fine print closely.

48 FINE WOODWORKING
S Y NTHETI C FILAMENTS
FOR WATER-BASED FINISHES
When hair and bristle hit water, they swell and go
limp. This makes them unsuitable for water-based
finishes.
When latex paints were introduced, brush manu-
facturers had to create suitable brushes, and now
the majority of brushes in stores are designed for latex
paint. They have synthetic filaments: nylon, polyester, or a
blend of the two. Brand names include Chinex and Tynex, both LOOK FOR FINE $12
nylon, and Orel, made from polyester. Polyester is the stiffer FILAMENTS
of the two filaments and is probably better just for paint, but Two good choices
even most nylon brushes are too coarse are Purdy’s Syntox
to be able to lay down an even coat brushes and
Wooster’s Alpha
of clear finish. Instead, focus
line.
on the thinness of the
filaments.

PURDEY
SYNTOX

ALL-PURPOSE?
NOT REALLY $12
Most synthetic-filament
brushes are designed to apply
latex paint and are too stiff and WOOSTER
coarse to be ideal for clear finishes. ALPHA

Water-based finishes also dry fast but can’t be thinned

as much as shellac and lacquer. To get around this
problem, you can buy slightly stiffer Taklon brushes
made especially for these finishes. Homestead Finish-
ing sells one for $25. Some Taklon brushes have
a glue size applied that keeps the bristles
stiff for packaging and transport. Be-
fore first use, submerge them in
warm water or alcohol to
remove the size.

THICKER VERSION
FOR WATER-BASED
FINISHES
The double row of fila-
Brushing the last coat. Taklon brushes are ideal for the last, thinned ments can handle thicker
coat of finish. But there is a specially made Taklon brush (right) for water- water-based finishes.
based finishes that can’t be thinned as much.

Photos and drawings: Kelly J. Dunton M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 49

 Protect your investment
A 75¢ foam brush is disposable, a $40 ox-hair brush is not. Take time
to clean a good brush thoroughly each time you are done with it and
you’ll be rewarded with many years of flawless service.

CLEA NING STARTS BEFORE YOU BEGIN

So you’re anxious to see how your new brush
works. Before you dip it in the finish, though,
there are a couple of steps to take. First, even
the best brush may have one or two loose fila-
ments (cheap brushes will have many), so rather
than pick hairs out of a wet finish, bend the
Wet the brush
first. Before filaments back and forth with your hand a few
dipping the times, pulling gently on them. Hold the tip up to
brush in finish, the light and remove any filaments protruding
wet the fila- above the rest. Now dip the brush into a solvent
ments in a sol-
vent compatible that matches the finish you’ll be using and then
with the finish. squeeze out the solvent onto a paper towel.
This will coat This coats the filaments with solvent and makes
the filaments cleaning the brush much easier when you’ve
in solvent and
make cleaning
finished using it.
Dip a toe in. Only submerge
the brush easier In use, don’t overload the brush with finish. If about a third of the filaments
after you’ve fin- you are brushing vertical surfaces, periodically in finish. If you go deeper, it is
ished with it. squeeze out as much finish as possible back in- harder to apply an even coat.
Also, finish will tend to pool in
to the can. These steps will prevent finish pool-
the bottom of the brush and
ing around the base of the filaments and flowing then run down the ferrule when
all over the ferrule or running down the handle. brushing vertical surfaces.

SHELLAC, LACQUER, AND WATER-BASED FINISHES CLEAN UP E ASI LY

SHELLAC AND LACQUER: USE SOAP AND WATER
LET IT DRY FOR WATER-SOLUBLE
FINISHES

Brushes used for lacquer and shellac don’t need to Use hot water and dish
be cleaned thoroughly. Give it a swish in lacquer thin- soap to remove water-
ner or denatured alcohol, shake it out, and let it dry based finishes from brush-
hard. When you need it again, just stand it in solvent. es. Lather, rinse, and repeat
It will be soft and ready to use within 30 minutes. two or three times.

50 FINE WOODWORKING
 OIL-BA S ED FINISHES
ARE HA R DEST TO CLEAN
Let’s start with the good news: You don’t
need to clean the brush if you plan to use
it again within 24 hours. Instead, suspend
the brush in mineral spirits that have
previously been used for cleaning a brush.
Keep the tips of the filaments off the
bottom of the container so they don’t get
bent or contaminated with residue.
When you’re done with the brush,
rinse it a couple of times in used mineral
spirits, then pure mineral spirits, removing
the bulk of the solvent on newspaper
each time. Now rinse the brush in hot
soapy water several times before giving it
a final cleaning using either citrus cleaner
LET IT SOAK BETWEEN COATS
or household ammonia. If you can’t smell
If they are going to be reused within 24 hours, brushes
any mineral spirits on the filaments, the containing an oil-based finish can be suspended in mineral
brush is clean and can be wrapped in spirits. Use a kebab skewer through the handle to avoid
paper and put away. bending the bristles.

TIP Reuse your

mineral spirits

Solvent, then soap. Rinse the brush two or Final cleaning. To remove any last traces of
three times in mineral spirits, then remove the mineral spirits, rinse the brush in either a citrus
solvent on newspaper before cleaning the brush cleaner or household ammonia.
with hot water and soap.

Don’t toss it. After you have cleaned a

brush, pour the contaminated mineral
spirits into a sealable container.

Clearly bet-
Ready for next ter. After a
time. To let any few weeks,
moisture escape the residue
and at the same will sink to the
time keep out dust, bottom of the
wrap the brush in container and
brown paper or the you can pour
original cardboard off clean min-
wrapper. eral spirits for
reuse.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 51

3 Outdoor Chairs
3 designers, 3 approaches, 3 pieces to choose from

“The primary challenge of building outdoor

seating is striking a harmony between durability
and comfort.” –Matt Kenney

52 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: staff; garden background, this page: J. Paul Moore
 “Don’t bother with a finish.

A Nothing works outdoors forever.

s furniture makers, we aspire to
build things that will look beauti-
ful for a lifetime. We spend a lot
of time on the design and choose the
Better to just put the chair
best-looking lumber for the project. We
work hard to cut strong, long-lasting join- outside and let it go gray.”
ery and add in tolerances that allow for
expansion and contraction of the wood –Hank Gilpin
so that doors and drawers don’t bind and
tabletops don’t split. Last, we apply our
favorite finish to illuminate the wood and
protect it over time.
When you build for the outdoors,
though, many of those efforts are in vain.
Think about all that an outdoor piece
must endure throughout the seasons. It
gets soaked with rain and scorched dry by
the sun. It freezes in winter, gets scratched
up by squirrels, cats, and other critters,
and even endures the indignation of be-
ing used as a Porta-Potty for the birds. Not
exactly a prime environment for a period
piece with a French polish.
We’re not recommending that you head
to a discount store and buy resin chairs
and tables. Far from it. You can still make
elegant furniture for your garden, deck,
or patio. You just have to figure out the
best approach to building for a brutal,
decay-prone environment, and accept
the fact that nature always wins.
“The most important criterion
As Hank Gilpin says, “Enjoy the plea-
sure of making it, but remember that all
for an outdoor chair is that it
things go away.”
In this article, you’ll learn about design-
be comfortable for relaxing,
ing for the outdoors from three furniture
makers. Gilpin and Michael Fortune have
reading, and conversing in a
been building outdoor furniture for many
years. Matt Kenney, a FWW associate edi- garden setting.”
tor, had never built a piece for the out-
doors until this year. So he took tips from –Michael Fortune
Gilpin on how to make a piece last.
Each of these makers offers an out-
door chair (Kenney’s is a bench) that
is both attractive and comfortable, us-
ing materials and joinery that will push
back against nature’s onslaught. If you
want to go beyond these designs, you’ll
also get some great tips on building for
the outdoors in general, such as choos-
ing the right wood, glue, and hardware,
and whether to apply a finish (some do,
some don’t bother).

Tom McKenna is senior editor.

Photos, this page: Jonathan Binzen (top); Michael Fortune (bottom) M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 53

 Adirondack with a twist

BY MICHAEL FORTUNE

The most important criterion for an The legs appear to angle inward toward the back, but
outdoor chair is that it be comfort- the side assembly is an easy-to-make flat plane. The illu-
able for relaxing, reading, and con- sion makes the chair more interesting from all angles.
versing in a garden setting. The Ad- All of the joints are assembled using stainless-steel
irondack chair is a traditional outdoor design, and the bolts and decking screws. To notch the arms for the legs, I
form has been widely copied. I’m not big on copying, used a couple of quick jigs to guide the router: one for the
and I wanted to introduce some playful curves while right assembly and one for the left.
increasing the comfort. So I made some changes. I’ve made these chairs in a variety of woods suitable
Most traditional Adirondack seats are around for outdoor use, such as cedar, larch, and mahogany. With
14 in. high and sit rather low at the back. To make these woods, I often apply a clear penetrating finish, like
my version easier to get in and out of, I made the seat Watco exterior. You also could allow them to weather and
16 in. high at the front. I also made the back of the develop a silvery color—I like that transformation on this
seat a bit taller. By the way, the part of the seat that particular chair. I’ve even painted some of these chairs my
protrudes past the arms is the perfect place to set a favorite color, periwinkle blue.
summer drink.
The wide curved arms make strong visual state-
SIDE VIEW
ments, reflecting the natural shapes found in gardens,
and they provide structural integrity. Each arm is
made from eight, 1 ⁄8-in.-thick laminations, assembled
9½-in.
on a bending form (see drawing) using Titebond III, radius
which is highly water resistant. You’ll need to draw a
full-size side view to work out the arm curve.
37½ in.

16 in.

27¼ in.

FRONT VIEW

25 in.

3½ in.

23¾ in.
17 in.

2¼ in.

54 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page (bottom): Michael Fortune; drawings: John Hartman
 Back slats, 7⁄ 8 in. thick
by 3 in. wide, go from
23¾ in. long at top to
21 in. long at bottom.
Top back slat, 7⁄ 8 in.
thick by 41 ⁄ 2 in. wide
by 25 in. long

Gap, ¼ in.
Seat slats, 7⁄ 8 in. Carriage bolts,
thick by 3 in. wide, ¼ x 20, 2 in. long
go from 24½ in.
long at front to
21 in. long Arm support, 7⁄ 8 in.
at back. thick by 2½ in. wide

Vertical seat supports,

7⁄ 8 in. thick by 2¼ in.

wide by 29½ in. long

Front seat slat, 7⁄ 8 in.

thick by 4 in. wide by Machine screw,
24½ in. long Front stretcher, 7⁄ 8 in. ¼ x 20, 21 ⁄ 2 in.
thick by 21 ⁄ 8 in. wide long
Carriage bolts,
¼ x 20, 2 in. long

BENDING FORM FOR ARMS

Notch for legs, Leg, 7⁄ 8 in. thick
Two layers of ¼ in. deep
¼-in.-thick Masonite
protect the lamination. #10 wood
screws
Laminated arm Wood plugs
Mortise for
machine-screw
Guide nuts
blocks
Form, ¾-in.-
thick plywood
Hardwood
blocks
Form face, two layers
of ¼-in. stock Arm, 1 in. thick by
3½ in. wide, tapers
to 2¼ in. at each end.
Hardwood blocks,
screwed to ¼-in.-
thick plywood caul

End stop
M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 55
 This chair celebrates its joinery

By Hank Gilpin

When it comes to building this, or movement. An outdoor chair is going to get soaked with
any, outdoor chair, the wood choice rain one day then baked by the sun the next, so movement
and joinery are most important to will be severe.
making it last. The only curves are in the seat and back supports,
The top wood choice would be teak, the miracle and they are simple bandsaw cuts. You’ll need to draw a
outdoor wood. It doesn’t move, has no coarseness, full-size side view to work out these curves. The seat and
and ages into a beautiful silvery-gray sheen. It also back slats are profiled using a router and screwed on with
has natural decay-resistance. The problem with teak visible, stainless-steel screws. Why hide them? Instead, I
is its hefty price tag. Other candidates that work well make the countersunk hardware part of the overall design.
include black locust, osage orange, mulberry, white By the way, use good hardware. If you think you are gain-
oak, cedar, redwood, and walnut. ing by putting a plug over a cheap screw, you’re fooling
I tried to keep the joinery simple and I hid none of yourself. The moisture goes in there and rusts it right out.
it, choosing to make it a key element of the design. You just don’t see it happening until the thing falls apart.
The chair has straightforward mortise-and-tenon I didn’t bother with a finish. Maintaining a finish on
joints, bridle joints, and lap joints. The most exacting outdoor furniture is an assignment to hell because you’ll
joints to cut are the large through-tenons that con- be refinishing your furniture all the time. Nothing works
nect the leg posts to the arms. I also kept the seat outdoors forever (and I mean nothing). Better to just put it
and back slats narrow to reduce the amount of wood outside and let it go gray.
Remember, when it comes to building an out-
door chair, don’t obsess. Just accept the fact that
the chair is essentially being placed into a decay-
prone situation and you’re only going to get X num-
ber of years out of it. You can make a nice chair,
but don’t be too precious about it. Ultimately, you
want a comfortable place to sit outside, read a
book, and drink a beer.

Front view

19 in.

22 in.
43/4 in.
10 in.

153 ⁄ 8 in.
123/4 in.

233/4 in.

56 FINE woodworkINg Photo, this page (bottom): Jonathan Binzen

 Top stretcher, 7⁄ 8 in. thick by
1¾ in. wide by 12½ in. long Back support, 17⁄ 8 in.
thick by 22½ in. long

Slats, 11 ⁄16 in. thick

by 1¾ in. wide
Arms are rounded slightly
on top to shed water.

¼-in. spacing Intermediate

between slats stretcher, 13 ⁄16 in.
Arm, 13 ⁄ 8 in. thick
thick by 2 in.
by 25½ in. long
wide by 22½ in.
long, screwed to
back support

¼-in. spacing
between slats

Back stretcher,
13 ⁄ 8 in. thick by
2½ in. wide by
22½ in. long

Tenons, ½ in. thick

by 2½ in. wide by
1¼ in. long Seat support, 17⁄ 8 in.
thick by 23 ⁄ 8 in. wide
by 22½ in. long
Tenons, ¾ in. thick
by 13 ⁄ 8 in. wide by
SIDE VIEW
Front stretcher, 13 ⁄ 8 in. 13 ⁄ 8 in. long
thick by 25 ⁄ 8 in. wide by
22½ in. long

36¾ in. Pegs, ¼ in. dia.

26¼ in.
Feet, 1½ in. thick
by 2 in. wide by
26 in. long
12¾ in. Legs, 1¾ in. thick
by 1¾ in. wide by
261 ⁄ 8 in. long

26 in.

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 57
 Comfortable bench for a garden, patio, or deck

B Y M AT T K E N N E Y

When my family and I moved to fewer wider slats. Gilpin also recommended that I design
Connecticut, we found ourselves to shed water wherever possible. Toward that end, the
living in a house with a large deck seat curves downward from the front, which not only helps
out the back door. Unfortunately, water roll off but also is more comfortable than a flat
we didn’t have much furniture to put on it. So I decided to seat. And I set the seat slats on top of the side rails
build a garden bench. (instead of between them) to expose the slats’ end
I had no experience with outdoor furniture, but while grain so it can dry easily after each rainstorm.
visiting with Hank Gilpin I asked him for some advice. Ceramic-coated decking screws hold the slats
Gilpin has been building beautiful outdoor furniture for to the rails, and I plugged the counterbores with
decades, and he gave me some great tips on design and face-grain plugs made from cocobolo.
construction. Face grain sheds water better than
The primary challenge of building outdoor seating is end grain, and cocobolo is a dense,
striking a harmony between durability and comfort. The weather-resistant tropical wood. Gilpin
first step is choosing the right wood. I used sipo, a tropi- avoids plugs and leaves his screws ex-
cal wood and cousin to mahogany. It stands up to the out- posed, but I think my plugs will hold up.
doors very well and its surface has remained comfortable The back is sloped and curved, which
to the touch after several months outside. adds comfort. Again, a full-size side view will
One tip Gilpin gave me was to make the seat slats nar- help you work out the angles and curves. The arms
row to reduce the amount of wood movement. I used five are wide enough to serve as a drink rest, but not so
narrow seat slats, spaced about ½ in. apart, rather than wide that expansion and contraction becomes a worry.
And water rolls off their downward curve.
Finally, like Gilpin, I used mortise-and-tenon joints,
held together by Titebond III, to bring all the parts
together (except for the seat slats). It’s very important
that the joint fits well and that there are no gaps around
the shoulders, where water might sneak in and eventually
tear apart the joint. And, like my mentor, I chose not to
apply a finish.

FRONT VIEW

52 in.

48½ in.

17½ in.

49½ in.

58 FINE WOODWORKING
 Cutouts, 1 in. square Upper back, 7⁄ 8 in. thick by 5 in.
by 1 ⁄ 8 in. deep wide in center by 47½ in. long,
tapers to 4 in. on both ends

Back leg (blank size),

13⁄ 4 in. thick by 35⁄ 16 in.
Lower back, 7⁄ 8 in. wide by 343 ⁄ 8 in. long
thick by 4 in. wide by
47½ in. long

Tenons, 3 ⁄ 8 in. thick by

3 in. wide by ¾ in. long
Recesses for
screw plugs,
3 ⁄ 8 in. square

Gap between
slats, 15 ⁄ 32 in.

Middle rail, 7⁄ 8 in.

thick by 3 in. wide
by 17¼ in. long

Notch for front leg,

1 in. by 1¼ in.
Arm (blank size),
15⁄ 8 in. thick by 3 in.
wide by 231⁄ 4 in. long

Cleat, 7⁄ 8 in. thick

Tenon, 3 ⁄ 8 in. by 15¾ in. long,
thick by 2 in. Tenon, 3 ⁄ 8 in. thick screwed to inside
wide by ½ in. by 3 in. wide by of side rail, flush
long ¾ in. long with top of side rail

Slats, 5 ⁄ 8 in.
Front/back rail, 7⁄ 8 in. thick by 3 in.
thick by 3 in. wide wide by 48 in.
in center by 47½ in. long
35 ⁄16 in. long, tapers to 4 in.
on both ends. Tenon, 3 ⁄ 8 in. thick
by 4½ in. wide by
¾ in. long Side rail, 7⁄ 8 in. thick
by 17½ in. long
SIDE VIEW 1 in.
33 in.

5½ in.
215 ⁄ 8 in. 23½ in.

Front leg, 231⁄ 4 in. long,

12 in. tapers (gentle curve)
10½ in.
from 17⁄ 8 in. at bottom
to 1¼ in. at top

19¼ in.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 59

 The Lathe Accessory
Everyone Needs
A 4-jaw chuck will change the way you turn
B Y R A L P H T U R S I N I

60 FINE WOODWORKING
S
ince their introduction to
woodworkers in the mid-
1980s, four-jaw chucks have
been steadily replacing face-
plates as the preferred way to
turn hollow forms, because
they make the process faster
and easier, especially for beginning turners.
But four-jaw chucks aren’t just for bowls Installs easily
and vases. A chuck allows you to use a num-
ber of useful shopmade accessories for sand-
ing, polishing, and turning small items.
In fact, a four-jaw chuck is such a valuable
tool that I advise my students to make it their
next big purchase once they have a decent
set of turning tools and some experience at
the lathe.
Grabs bowls tightly
Match the chuck to the lathe
While there are exceptions, chucks come in
two basic body sizes (41⁄ 2 in. and 31⁄ 2 in.)
that correspond to the two basic classes of
lathe (see “Choosing a chuck,” p. 62). You
can put the smaller chuck on larger lathes
with an adapter, but these can be difficult
to remove and tend to amplify vibration, so
I avoid them.
Since there are so many lathe models, Handles small parts
chucks have a threaded insert that’s specific
to the lathe spindle, so you’ll need to know
the spindle diameter and thread pitch be-
fore you buy. If you have a modern lathe,
knowing the manufacturer and model num-
ber will likely be enough, as most chuck

Sands and polishes

M AY / J u n e 2 0 1 0 61
 Choosing a chuck
When buying a chuck, it’s important to
consider not only the size of your lathe but
also the size of the work you do.

TWO OPTI ONS FOR

A BIG CH U CK SMALLER LATHES
FOR BI G LATHES Mid-size and smaller lathes work
best with 3½-in. chucks (left).
Larger lathes (16-in. to 24-in. Another option for these lathes is a
swing) are best matched to mini-chuck (above). Its 2½-in. body
chucks with 4½-in. bodies. One provides additional access near the
downside: The bigger body gets chuck face.
in the way with small turnings,
but a set of spigot jaws (below
right) solves the problem.

Accessory jaws worth having

You can easily swap the standard jaws with accessory jaws.
Spigot jaws are great for turning small projects like pulls and
ONE ornaments. Adding deep jaws gives the chuck a firm grip on
larger vases and boxes.
WRENCH
Spigot jaws offer
IS EASI ER a tight radius for
small work. The long
THAN TWO jaws also provide
clearance from the
Chucks tightened chuck for turning and
with a pair of sanding small parts.
tommy bars (top)
cost less than
chucks operated
with a single
wrench, but holding
and tightening a
workpiece can be a
challenge. Chucks Deep jaws provide
with a single wrench a better grip for large
(bottom) allow and long vessels.
you to hold the
workpiece with one
hand and tighten the
jaws with the other.

62 FINE WOODWORKING
How jaws work
BE TTER TO GRIP THAN EXPA ND
Chuck jaws can either grip
a tenon (right) or expand
into a recess (far right),
but it’s best to grip a
tenon whenever possible
because wood has more
compressive strength
than tensile strength.
The owner’s manual is
the best place to look for
information on shaping
a tenon or recess that
matches an individual
chuck’s jaw profile.
Accessory jaws will have
different requirements
than standard jaws.

Tenons need a square or

slightly undercut shoulder
for solid seating.
Some jaws
TENON require an RECESS
angled recess.

manufacturers have an application chart to help

M ATCH THE TENON you get the right insert.

JAWS IN FULL TO THE JAWS Securing your work

CONTACT WITH You can use the chuck’s jaws to grip a tenon or
Even though most chucks can
TENON
grip through a 2-in.-dia. range, you can expand them into a recess, but it’s best
there is a sweet spot where to grip the work because wood has greater com-
they make full contact with pressive strength than tensile strength, especially
the workpiece (top). Outside perpendicular to the grain. This makes using a
the sweet spot, the grip is
recess a delicate balance: Expand the jaws too
compromised
much and your work will split; expand them too
(bottom).
little and the workpiece could loosen. Rather than
using a recess, it often makes sense to turn the
work with a tenon (for gripping) that can be re-
moved later (see “Turning a bowl,” pp. 64-65).
The jaws that come with chucks have either
a smooth, serrated, or dovetailed profile. I pre-
fer the serrated profile, as it provides the best
LIMITED
grip with the least amount of pressure. Dovetail
CONTACT AREA jaws also hold well, especially inside a recess,
but matching a tenon to their exact shape can
be tedious.

Jaw sizes and profiles

The most versatile jaws grip tenons that are
roughly one-half to three-quarters of the chuck’s
body diameter. Not surprisingly, this is the set

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 63
Turning a bowl is easier with a 4-jaw chuck
1 shap e the outside

Two ways
To mounT
The blank

Flat blanks. Relatively uniform blanks with a flat Irregular blanks. Burls and other irregular-
side can be rough-profiled with a screw center. shaped blanks require a chuck spur center (top)
spur cenTer The blank should make even contact with the and the tailstock for initial profiling. A 3 ⁄8-in.-deep
chuck jaws to minimize vibration. Screw centers hole the same diameter as the spur prevents the
screw cenTer usually come with the chuck. blank from sliding as it’s secured to the lathe.

Shape the out-

side of the bowl
and turn a ten-
on. With the out- that is generally included with the chuck body.
side of the blank Accessory jaws will vary with the kinds of turn-
roughed out, turn ings you’re doing. For instance, spigot jaws are
a tenon that fits great for holding small parts (down to about 3⁄ 8
the chuck. The in. dia.) like knobs and pulls. If you want to make
finished tenon vases and other longer hollow forms, deeper jaws
should have
like Oneway’s Tower Jaws will get a very firm
straight sides and
a square shoulder grip on a long tenon (see “Accessory jaws worth
for the best grip. having,” p. 62).

Must-have accessories
You’ll find both a screw center and a chuck spur
center invaluable for initial shaping of the blank

2 hollow the inside

Flip and hollow. Clamp the bowl’s tenon in the chuck

making sure it is fully seated (above). With the bowl se-
cured, hollow the interior (right). Keeping the sides and
bottom a uniform thickness makes cracks less likely.

64 FINE wOOdwOrkINg Photos, except where noted: Patrick McCombe; product photos and drawings: Michael Pekovich
3 turn th e foot

Finish the foot. Using a gouge,

turn away most of the tenon
and form the bowl’s foot.

Reverse it. To finish the foot, you have to

flip the bowl one last time. Tursini slips it
over a chucked mandrel (above), protecting
the bowl with a piece of “fun foam.” Then
he moves the tailstock into place (right).

Break off the nub. The goal

and preparing a tenon that can be clamped in- use them. Despite their utility, chuck spurs aren’t is to leave only a small button
of stock.
side the chuck jaws (see photos, this spread). included with most chucks. You’ll have to buy
Most chucks come with a screw center, which one. My favorite is from Oneway and sells for
is the fastest way to mount a blank for initial about $35.
profiling and for shaping the tenon. Screw cen- In my experience, when it comes to purchasing,
ters hold better in face grain than in end grain, chucks are definitely one of those items where
and they are not all equal. I’ve found that the you get what you pay for. High-quality chucks
screw centers made by Oneway and Vicmarc have precise machining for smooth operation and
hold the best. a good grip. Conversely, I’ve had blanks loosen
Unlike a screw center, which requires a flat on low-priced chucks even when I thought I had
face on the blank, spur centers can be used with really cranked them down. • Trim with a chisel. Use a chis-
burls and other irregular-shaped blanks. Chuck- el to pare any remaining stock
mounted versions save time and handling be- Ralph Tursini is a professional turner and turning flush with the bowl’s bottom.
cause you don’t have to remove the chuck to instructor in Cambridge, Vt.

Why a chuck beats a faceplate

Faceplates are the traditional way to turn hollow forms and Working around the plate is Faceplates leave deep screw holes.
they’re still a viable method—especially for extremely heavy cumbersome. Even the smallest Overzealous hollowing can expose the
faceplate will hamper access to screws that mount the blank to the
blanks. But they have a few drawbacks.
the stock surrounding it. faceplate, ruining the turning.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M aY / J U n e 2 0 1 0 65

Make Your Own Hardware

These two

Y ears ago, I needed angled hinges for a

cabinet and decided to make them my-
self. That experience got me hooked on
metalwork and blossomed into a side business,
Sanderson Hardware. Now, hardware making
custom pulls
are easier
made of brass as well, so the overall look of
the piece will be consistent.
You don’t need exotic, expensive tools or
machines to make your own brass pulls. Most
woodworking shops already have the neces-
is a part of my work as a furniture maker, a than you think sary equipment. To work the relatively small
place where I can further express myself as a pieces of brass safely, you will have to make
craftsman. a few simple jigs to hold the workpieces. You
Designing and making pulls gives you the B Y R O B E R T can make them from scraps of MDF (medium-
freedom to do exactly what the piece calls for, S A N D E R S O N density fiberboard) or plywood, and once you
and it is exciting to know that your piece of have them you’re set for the future.
furniture is custom built from start to finish. Here, I’ll show you how to make a ring pull
Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is a good metal to use for pulls and a drop pull. Once you’ve learned to build and install them,
because it is relatively inexpensive, can be cut with woodworking you’ll have a launching point for future work.
machines, and is easy to bend. It also is readily available in many
forms: bar, rod, and sheet stock. Commercial hinges are often Robert Sanderson owns Sanderson Hardware in Fort Bragg, Calif.

Take your furniture

to another level

The tips and techniques in this article will get you

started on the basics of metalworking. From there,
you can mix and match the methods and apply them
to an endless variety of designs. Here are a few
different takes on the ring pull and drop pull.

66 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page: Jay Odee (bottom right)

Stick with brass
Most of the tools and techniques used for cutting
wood can be applied to brass. A standard woodwork-
ing blade will work fine on the bandsaw, but you’ll want
a metal-cutting blade for your tablesaw. Also, brass is
widely available in a variety of sizes, and it can be treated
to give it different textures and colors. TABLESAW
Rip to width. Work with about
BANDSAW 12 in. of bar stock, ripping equal
amounts from each side. If you
take the full amount off one side,
the natural tension in the bar
might cause it to bend. Use a
good zero-clearance throat plate,
push sticks, and a featherboard.

Cut to length. Use a

cutoff box and hold-down
block for consistent, ac-
curate parts. A dado in
the hold-down block holds
the brass (above). Butt the
hold-down block against
a stop block. The blade
should be high enough to
A sled for small stock. For safety, there should always be two cut through the brass, not
teeth in a cut, so use a sled to add to the thickness. The sled also the whole block (right).
guides the stock safely. Leave enough length to square up the
ends with a file or disk sander. A benefit of the bandsaw is that it TIP Start by cleaning out
can cut curves. A hassle is that brass shavings get embedded in sawdust in the cabinet and
the rubber tires and need to be cleaned. turn off dust collection. It’s
rare, but metal shavings can be
hot and could start a fire.
Brass-work survival kit
The projects in this article require only a small investment in new tools and materials.
TOOLS #53 screw machine drill bit Brass escutcheon pins:
Freud New Diablo Steel Demon MSC No. 01378538 (12-pack)* 5 ⁄ 8 in., #16 gauge for attachment

Cone-shaped 1 ⁄ 8-in. shank rotary file, ½ in., #20 gauge for the divider, Atco
#65 Jobber drill, MSC No. 01188655
MSC Industrial Supply (mscdirect products (atcoproducts.com) by the pound*
(12-pack)*
.com), No. 00439117 MATERIALS FOR DROP PULL
Center drill and countersink #2,
Pillar file, #4, MSC No. 60210143 MSC No. 01031020 5 ⁄16-in.-square bar stock, MSC No. 32001661

Drill-press vise, MSC No. 00267161 ½-in. by 3 ⁄16-in. rectangular bar stock,
Layout fluid, MSC No. 00264176
6/32 standard tap, MSC No. 04436325 MSC No. 32001901
6/32 bottoming tap, MSC No. 04436333 MATERIALS FOR RING PULL 1 ⁄16-in. by 5 ⁄16-in. alloy steel
⁄ -in. by ¾-in. rectangular bar stock,
1 16
dowel pin stock, MSC
Reamers: MSC No. 32001786 No. 0602
Loose fit, MSC No. 02318525 1 ⁄ 8-in. rod stock, MSC No. 78203981
Press fit, MSC No. 72006208 0028 in
Standard brass cotter pin, available at most bulk*
T-handle tap wrench, MSC No. 00208348 hardware stores

*Smaller quantities available at Sanderson Hardware (sandersonhardware.com)

Photos, except where noted: Anissa Kapsales (action): Kelly J. Dunton (products)
 Make a 1 START WITH THE PLATE
ring pull Beyond just being decorative, the escutcheon plate locks the cotter
pin in place and lifts the ring off the surface of the wood.

Ring pulls are a

great beginner
project. They require
little machining, and they can be made in any size
to accommodate your piece.

ESCUTCHEON PLATE RING PULL

⁄ in. dia.
18 ⁄
1 16 in. dia. ⁄ -in.-dia.
18

rod

⁄ in.
58

¾ in. ½ in. inside Locate and drill holes. Mark for the cotter-pin post as well as the holes for the
diameter attachment pins, and start them with a center punch. To provide space for the drill
bit, place the escutcheon plate in a vise, raised up on parallel bars taped inside the
BRASS STOCK jaws (left). With a cone-shaped 1 ⁄8-in.-shank rotary file held in a pin vise, break the
⁄ -in. by 3 ⁄4-in.rectangular bar
1 16 ⁄ -in. rod stock
18 edges of the holes (right) to remove any burrs and to provide clearance under the
stock for the escutcheon plate for the ring head of the pin. Sand the plate with P400-grit paper to create a consistent finish.
Last, slightly chamfer the edges with a Pillar file for a more interesting look.

2 RING
MAGI C

2
Make a coil and cut rings apart. First, sand the rod to P400-grit to
clean it and give it a consistent finish. Bend it around any ½-in. cylinder,
holding one end with a vise grip to create a coil (left). Bring each layer
1 tight to the next. Then cut through the whole coil with a handsaw (above).

Flatten them. Hold

one side of the Cleanup trick.
ring in a vise and Run a single-cut
twist the other with bastard mill file
a pair of channel (3 ⁄ 32 in. thick)
locks. To prevent through the ends
scratching, line to make them
the vise jaws and vertical and
channel locks with parallel to each
dense cardboard. other. This will af-
Because the brass fect the way the
ring will spring ring hangs on the
back, overbend it. 3 4 cotter pin.

68 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Kelly J. Dunton

3 COTTER PIN
HOLDS I T TOGETHER
The tiny escutcheon pin will keep the ring
centered so that the split will not be visible.

Brass cotter pin,

1 ⁄ 8 in. by 2 in.

Add an escutcheon pin divider. Place the Push the pin through and peen the divider.
cotter pin horizontally in the vise, and mark the Cut off the extra length with a pair of dykes,
½-in., #20 gauge “eye” with a center drill. Switch to a No. 65 drill leaving a small amount sticking out. A small
escutcheon pin bit and drill all the way through both halves of hammer flares out the end of the divider and
the eye. locks it in place. Sand with P400-grit paper.

FINISHING BRASS

Plain brass is
beautiful and oxidizes
naturally. There also
are antiquing solutions
available. For texture
or colors, the brass
can be packed in
sawdust dampened
with any of these
chemical solutions.
The Coloring, Bronzing
and Patination of
Metals by Richard
Open the ring. Place one half of the ring in Heat sets it. Pinch the ring in the vise, using Hughes and Michael
the vise so that the split is outside the vise jaw. only enough pressure to bring the ends of the Rove (1991, Watson-
Place a tool handle through the ring to lever it ring in contact with the divider pin. Then heat Guptill Publications) is
open just enough to load the cotter pin onto it. the ring with a small propane torch to allow the an excellent source for
recipes.
brass to relax. Now it will stay closed.

4 INSTALL I T

5 ⁄ 8 in., #16 gauge

escutcheon pin

Install the plate. Use double- Add the ring pull. Drill for the cotter pin, Insert the wedge. To lock the pull on
sided tape to hold it in place wiggling the drill in the back of the hole to ac- the escutcheon plate and drawer or door,
while drilling pilot holes. Ham- commodate the wedging action to come. Now hammer a wood wedge between the
Wooden mer in the pins, preferably using push the pin through and mark its length, plus ends of the cotter pin. Spread the ends
wedge a hammer with a plastic head to 1 ⁄16 in. Holding the pin in a vise, cut it to length with a screwdriver to get started, and
prevent damage to the pins. with a saw and clean up the ends with a file. trim the wedge with a saw and chisel.

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 69
 Drop pull 1 DRILL
Drop pulls have a refined look and AND TAP
feel wonderful to the touch. THE PO ST
The mechanics are similar
to a butt hinge, except One thread at a time.
the knuckle has only one Mark the center of
section. the post with a center
punch and place the
POST PULL post in the vise. Use a
⁄ -in. steel
1 16 #36 bit to drill a hole.
11 16⁄ in. dowel pin ⁄
5 16 in. Now use a #6/32 stan-
dard hand tap in a tap
⁄
5 16 in. wrench, chucked in a
⁄ -in.
1 32
drill press. Turn the tap
shoulder Slot,
1 ⁄ 8 in.
gently by hand, cutting
¼ in. wide 13 ⁄ 8 in. one thread at a time
by and then backing it out
Threaded
hole, 3 ⁄ 8 in.
5 ⁄16 in. a half-turn to break off
⁄
3 16 in. the chip. After the stan-
deep
dard tap, which has a
BRASS STOCK tapered end to start the
⁄
7 16 in. cut, come back with a
⁄ -in.-square bar
5 16
3 16⁄ in. bottoming tap to finish
⁄ -in. by 3 ⁄16-in. rectangular bar
12
cutting the threads to
the bottom of the hole.

2 CUT THE
KNUCKLE JOINT FILE TO FINALIZE THE FIT

ONE SLED FOR THE POST

Tenon

Post gets shoulders. On the router table, cut

the first shoulder, flip the part in the sled 180°,
and cut the opposite shoulder. The shallow
⁄ -in. slot-cutting bit
3 32 Sled
tenon on the opposite end is cut the same way,
using a pair of similar sleds.

ANOTHER FOR THE PULL

To fit the post to the pull, use a Pillar file

on the post with the safe edge against the
shoulder and make light cuts, testing the fit
Center the slot until the post goes all the way home in the
on the pull. Pull needs a slot. While still on the router table, pull and does not stick.
cut the slot in the pull that will accept the tenon
on the post.

70 FINE WOODWORKING
3 DRILL FOR THE
D OWE L P I N

Center drill

L-shaped stop holds work. The stop, Drill halfway and flip. Clamp the pull to the post (the face of the pull
#53 drill bit
made with two stopped cuts on the table- must be slightly proud of the post for clamping pressure to hold them
saw, enables the pinhole to be drilled from together) and lay out the pinhole location at the center. Start the hole
both sides, reducing error from wander if with a center drill (left) and switch to a #53 bit to drill about halfway
you were to drill through from one side. through the assembly (right). Flip the pull and complete the hole.

4 S H A P E T H E P U L L A N D A D D THE PIN
Create a taper. Apply
layout fluid, scribe a
2° taper on each side, and
file to the final shape. Then
sand the front and back of
the pull to thin it out and
bring the front of the pull
in line with the front end of
the post. Using P180-grit
sandpaper stuck to a flat
surface, move the pull back
and forth with your fingers,
trying to keep the pressure Round off the knuckle. File to create clearance for the pull
even and the surfaces flat. to swing. With a drill bit aligning the parts, file the front end
of the post and the corner of the pull. Flip the pull and round
off the other corner in the same way. Round over the bottom
Reamer for pull,
.0620 in. front end of the post with the pull removed.

Reamer
for post,
.0635 in.

Press the pin in place. File or

sand the pin to size, deburring and
rounding it with a file. Start the pin
Create a press fit. Ream out the assembly so that the pull has a press fit (left) and in the pull with a small hammer,
⁄ -in. by 5 ⁄16-in. alloy
1 16
the post a loose one (right). Using a drill, hold the parts in your hand while you ream then hold the post in place and
steel dowel pin
them out. Be careful not to run a reamer in reverse; it will change the reamer’s size. press the pin in gently with a vise.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 71

 The
Contemporary
Cabriole
Today’s furniture makers
breathe new life into an old leg
B Y J O N A T H A N B I N Z E N

T he cabriole leg was like a flourished signature on furniture of the

18th century. From Queen Anne through Chippendale, the S-curved
cabriole, with its outcurved knee and incurved ankle, was produced
by European and American furniture makers in thousands of variations,
on pieces from dining tables and side chairs to highboys and footstools.
But use of the cabriole—which takes its name from the Italian word for
a leaping goat—neither started nor stopped in the 18th century. Versions
of it have been around since ancient Egypt, Greece, and China. And now
many furniture makers are giving it a contemporary twist of their own.
The reversing curves of the cabriole can provide a powerful visual impact
whether the legs are long or short and whether the curves are sharp or
shallow. The challenge for the furniture maker is to create a handsome
cabriole that also suits the overall design of the piece. Here is a handful
of examples that show how the ancient cabriole is being deftly put to use
by some of today’s top makers.

Jonathan Binzen is a consulting editor.

72 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page (top left): Michael Pekovich; for bottom photos, see following pages
 S MOOTH ED OUT
AND STRETCHED

“I think subtle can be

powerful,” says Ted Blachly,
and the slightly sinuous legs of his
takes an even curve when bent,
it should be made from straight-
grained stock. Specially made
table prove the point. The legs are spline weights can be purchased
notable not only for their restraint (woodenboatstore.com; no. 835-
but also for combining a fairly hard 073S), but Blachly improvises with
line down the outside corner with blocks of soapstone.
softly rounded inside faces. To make the legs, Blachly
Blachly’s design started with started with squared-up blanks
a small freehand sketch and milled from a 12/4 mahogany
proceeded to a full-scale drawing. plank. He transferred the curves
To generate the lines of the legs’ from his drawing to the leg blanks
curves full size, he used a spline with a flexible template he made
and spline weights. This simple from ¼-in.-thick lauan plywood.
technique, an essential in a boat- After tracing the template
designer’s kit, involves placing a on one face of each leg, he
thin, flexible strip of solid wood bandsawed those curves. Then, to
(the spline) right on the drawing provide a flat bearing surface for
paper and bending it to the desired cutting the second face, Blachly
curves. A few weights placed taped the bottom offcut back in
strategically along the spline hold it place. He positioned the template
still while you trace the curve with on the now-curved upper face,
a pencil. The longer the curve, the traced it, and cut the second set
thicker the spline should be, Blachly of curves. He smoothed the curves
says. For these legs, he used a with spokeshaves and bench
cherry spline about 3⁄16 in. thick and planes, including a flexible-soled
7⁄8 in. wide. To ensure that the spline compass plane.

HOW TO MAKE THE LEG

1 USE A SPLINE TO Spline weights hold 3 BANDSAW THE CURVES
CREATE THE DRAWING flexible spline in place. ON THE FIRST FACE
Bandsaw both curves, and
set the bottom offcut aside.
Spline, made from
straight-grained,
clear hardwood

4 BANDSAW THE CURVES ON THE SECOND FACE

2 TRACE THE TEMPLATE ON ONE FACE OF THE BLANK
Redraw cabriole lines
with ¼-in. template.
Make a leg template
from ¼-in. lauan
Tape bottom
plywood.
offcut onto leg.

Leg blanks are machined

square and mortises are cut Masking tape
before cabriole is shaped.

Photo, this page: Dean Powell; drawings: Christopher Mills M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 73

 SHAPED TOP
AND BOTTOM

P eter Shepard tapped a long-

standing furniture tradition
when he carried the legs of his
bureau through to the top of the
case and had them serve as corner
posts for the frame-and-panel car-
case. But where in many such case
pieces the upper portion of the
post is left square, Shepard shaped
it with a pair of incurving bevels
accented with an ebony bead. This
makes the whole leg read as one
piece, rather than as a post with a
leg below it, and helps deliver the
sprightly feeling he was seeking.
After cutting the joinery, Shep-
ard roughed out the legs on the
bandsaw and used an MDF tem-
plate to refine them on the router
table. With the curves cut, he used
a handheld router with a bearing
wheel and a chamfer bit to create
the bevels on the upper half of the
leg. After the bead was glued in,
Shepard worked with rasps and
files to extend the bottom of the
bevels and create a crisp transi-
tion to the lower half of the leg.

HOW TO MAKE THE LEG

1 BUILD A TEMPLATE SANDWICH 3 CUT CHAMFERS ON THE TOP SECTION
Place the blank in the template and trace it with a pencil. Remove
the blank and rough out the shape on the bandsaw. Place the blank Rout chamfers with
back in the template, clamp the template to the bench, and rout to a 22½° chamfer bit.
the template using a straight bit with top bearing.

MDF template
Double-faced tape on face
of spacer keeps leg blank
in register. Bearing
wheel rides
on bead slot.

End of leg blank placed flush

with end of spacer.

2 CUT SLOT FOR MDF template 4 TAPER THE LEG

EBONY BEAD Cut the inside curve.

Bead slot, 1 ⁄16 in. wide by 1 ⁄ 8 in.

deep, made with 1 ⁄16-in. Then taper the bottom half
three-wing slot cutter and of the leg on the bandsaw.
large bearing wheel.

74 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page and facing page: Dean Powell
UPSIDE DOWN
AND TWI NNED

F or 50 years, Jere Osgood has

been making furniture that
exhibits a sculptor’s flair for
invented forms and an engineer’s
eye for the creative technical
solution.
The legs of this square dining
table are an inverted cabriole.
Osgood originally designed the
shape not for this table but for the
back legs of his wishbone chair.
When he decided to use a similar
leg for the table, he knew it would
have to be beefier than on the
chair both for visual and structural
reasons. Rather than scaling up
the leg, however, he paired it up.
This unconventional decision
instantly added strength and
visual panache, but it also posed
a daunting technical challenge—
how to attach the legs firmly to
the aprons, especially without
LEG-ATTACHMENT DETAIL
joining the legs to each other,
which he did not want to do. Leg is tenoned
Osgood’s equally unconventional to V-shaped
extensions.
solution was to create a V-shaped
extension at the junction of the
aprons. The forked extension
offers a true tenon to each leg and Apron
is fixed to the rails with a series of
slip tenons oriented to maximize
long-grain glue surface.
Osgood made the legs on a
shaper using two templates for
each leg. The leg comes off the
shaper with its cabriole curves
established but its corners still
square. From there it’s all hand-
shaping with spokeshaves, rasps,
and files. To guide the handwork,
Osgood uses templates made from Slip tenons, doglegged
for deeper penetration,
illustration board or cardboard that attach extensions to the
help him check the cross-section apron.
of the leg at critical points.

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 75
 HOW TO MAKE THE LEG
1 BANDSAW AND ROUT
WITH A SENSE
MDF pattern
OF FU N
13 ⁄ 8 in.

J ames Schriber set out to

design a little table that could
also serve as a magazine or
Trace pattern on solid-wood blank
book rack and include a drawer. and bandsaw to rough shape. Then
He decided to make the case use template to rout final outline.
and box out of sheet aluminum
and the legs out of solid wood. 2 TAPER THE LEG PROFILE ⁄ -in. bending
18

plywood pattern
This let him balance the flat,
cool, hard-edged aluminum ⁄ in. (foot)
58 13 ⁄ 8 in. ¾ in. (top)
with lively, S-curved legs,
softly pillowed, rounded at
the edges, and coated with a
milk-paint finish. “I liked the
purposefulness of the box,”
Schriber says, “against the
Cut taper on bandsaw, rocking workpiece
playfulness of the legs.” as needed, but leave pencil lines.
The legs may have a light-
hearted air, but they required some thinner at the top and bottom. He
serious shaping. Schriber roughed turned the leg on its edge to make
out the curves on a bandsaw and the cuts.
then pattern-shaped them with a To begin shaping the pillowed
router. Then he took them back sides, he tilted the bandsaw table
to the bandsaw to taper them in to 45°, laid the legs on their face
thickness. Seen from the edge, the planes, and cut bevels along the
legs are thickest at the middle and cabriole curves. From there, the
majority of the shaping was 3 SHAPE THE FRONT EDGE
done with the legs hand-held VIEW FROM BOTTOM
against the spindle end of With table at 45°,
his edge sander. This tech- bandsaw along
cabriole curves
nique left a series of facets on the front edge.
that required smoothing with a
balloon sander. He finished with
a random-orbit sander fitted with
a soft pad. Much of the shaping,
Schriber says, is by eye, “and cali-
pers wouldn’t find these legs iden- Smooth the edge first against a spindle sander,
tical. That’s fine, though—and it’s move to a balloon sander inflated soft, and then
a random-orbit sander. Final sanding is done
true of ’most all cabrioles.” by hand.
Schriber had the aluminum
case fabricated by a metal shop.
To provide joinery for the legs, he
had the shop fix metal pins to the
case. The pins, three for each leg,
were ¼ in. dia. and protruded 1 in.
from the case. Schriber drilled mat-
ing holes in the legs and fastened
them to the case with epoxy. Before sanding After sanding

76 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page: John Kane

 eason after season, year after year, genera-
tion after generation, our National Forests
that give us beauty to behold and places to
play also provide clean water to drink, clean Bob Van Dyke - Director
air to breathe, wood for our homes, and a place to live.
Now the Arbor Day Foundation asks for your help
Sign up for
in replanting our National Forests. So that seasons Summer Classes with:
from now, and generations from now, we will still have Steve Latta • Bob Van Dyke
forests to enjoy... and a place to live. • Mario Rodriguez • Roland Johnson
• Will Neptune • Mickey Callahan
• Charles Bender • Kevin Rodel

249 Spencer St.

Manchester, CT 06040
860.647.0303
www.schoolofwoodworking.com

READER SERVICE NO. 79

AWARD-WINNING DESIGN

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 0 77

readers gallery
BR EK J AC O B S O N
Kent, Ohio

When commissioned to build a jewelry cabinet, Jacobson

designed this veneered and solid-wood oval cabinet on a
stand. He wanted a soft form to accentuate the feminine
function of the piece. The chestnut, Sitka spruce, and curly-
maple piece (18 in. deep by 28 in. wide by 36 in. tall) is
finished with shellac. PHOTO: SETH JANOFSKY

J A M E S P L AT T E T E R
Middletown Springs, Vt.

Three factors motivated Platteter to build this

Pennsylvania spice box: the beauty of the original
in The Pennsylvania Spice Box by Lee Ellen
Griffith (Chester County, 1986), the technical
challenge it would provide, and the allure of
adding a secret drawer, a feature of many spice
boxes. This box (10½ in. deep by 16½ in. wide
by 23½ in. tall) is made with figured cherry, curly
mahogany, poplar, white pine, and white oak.
The inlay woods are yellowheart, walnut, maple,
padauk, ebony, and curly bubinga, and the finish
is tung oil. PHOTO: MARK SCHOFIELD

78 FINE WOODWORKING
 DA N I EL C . FA IA
East Wakefield, N.H.

Commissioned to build a block-front chest-on-chest, Faia

worked with his client to find the right piece to reproduce. They
settled on this one for its unique design and dimensions. The
original was made in the late 1700s for the sea merchant John
Brown. Finished with blond and garnet shellac and paste wax,
the mahogany and pine chest stands 21¾ in. deep by 41½ in.
wide by 86¾ in. tall. PHOTO: MI CAH GUMMEL

PAT M EG OWA N
Corvallis, Ore.

For Megowan, the dovetails were the most challenging part of this
jewelry box because of the gently curving profile. The madrone and
bird’s-eye maple box, finished with shellac, is 9 in. deep by 14 in.
wide by 4 in. tall. P HOTO: DAVID WELTER

WIL L IA M WEL L S
Ypsilanti, Mich.

For Wells, who interned with Michael

Fortune, this table (12 in. deep by 54 in.
wide by 32 in. tall) was a lesson in grain
direction and curves. Wells chose Macassar
ebony veneer because its distinctive grain
would stand out as it wrapped from the top
down the front and back. The ebonized cherry
stretcher was steam-bent and joined to the
legs with mortise-and-tenon joints and to the
top with dowels. The finish is lacquer.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 79

readers gallery continued

J A M ES RO M IC K
Cresskill, N.J.

Romick made this maple, walnut, wenge, and cherry

vessel, the “Phantom Urn,” as a gift for Howard McGillin
for his record-setting 2,544th (and final) performance as
the Phantom in Broadway’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Romick, an actor in that musical for nearly 20 years and
McGillin’s understudy, used 2,544 pieces to build the urn, RO B E R T ST E C K L E R
12 in. dia. by 181/2 in. tall. The finish is lacquer and wax. Dallas, Texas

Steckler designed this chair, 22 in. deep by 24 in. wide by

46 in. tall, to be used at a desk. He chose curly maple for
the framework and slats and maple burl for the seat and
headrest, leaving a natural edge on the latter. The finish is
Watco oil and wax. Photo: Robin SachS

N AT H A N S C H O E N I N G
Tukwila, Wash.

Inspired by Carlyle Lynch’s article in FWW #48, Schoening

built this Hepplewhite chest of drawers (22 in. deep by
331/4 in. wide by 36 in. tall), taking a few liberties with the
design. His drawers are built with sliding dovetails and
Tandem Blumotion slides. He also left off the escutcheons
and locks because, he said, the piece “was meant to store
clothing, and who would want to steal my clothes?” The
African mahogany and maple chest is finished with liquid
dye concentrates, linseed oil, and shellac.

80 FINE woodworkINg
 MAINE WOOD 2010
In an effort to promote the artistic and economic development
of Maine’s woodworkers, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship,
in Rockport, holds a biennial juried exhibit. Here are just a few
pieces from Maine Wood 2010.

DAV ID B OY L E
Bath, Maine
Juror’s Best in Show: Outstanding Craftsmanship
Setting out to make something colorful and playful, Boyle built
this chest of drawers, 29 in. deep by 56 in. wide by 35 in. tall.
He started with hornbeam logs and resawed them to create the
framework, and added a live-edge walnut slab for the top. The
poplar drawer case sits on a nest of lilac branches, and Boyle cut
an antique mason jar to create the pulls. The finish is milk paint,
varnish, and wipe-on polyurethane. PHOTO: DENNI S GRIGGS

L I B B Y SC H R UM
Camden, Maine
People’s Choice
Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s cantilevered work,
Schrum built this cherry and cherry burl jewelry box
(6 in. deep by 17 in. wide by 7 in. tall). She finished
the box with an oil/varnish mix and the sleeves with
shellac. PHOTO: CHRIS PIN CHB E CK

MAT T H E W L I N D S AY
North Yarmouth, Maine

With design guidance from

instructors Tim Rousseau and GREGG LIPTON
Adrian Ferrazzutti, Lindsay built this
Cumberland, Maine
“Strummer’s Stool” (17 in. deep by
Best Use of Veneer, Best in Furniture
14 in. wide by 35 in. tall) during the
Twelve-Week Intensive course at the Lipton originally designed this Macassar ebony and glass coffee
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. table to go in a home furnished with Biedermeier pieces. The
The maple and oak veneers of the design works in contemporary and traditional settings, and he
curving seat and solid-walnut frame has subsequently adapted it to dining and demilune tables. This
are finished with shellac. table, 30 in. deep by 60 in. wide by 17 in. tall, is finished with
PHOTO: STRETCH STUDIO hand-rubbed varnish oil. PHOTO : D E N N IS GRIGGS

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 81

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Q&A
On the bandsaw, stick
with skip-tooth blades
Q: What’s the difference between hook-tooth
and skip-tooth bandsaw blades?
— H A R R I S O N F O R T S O N , San Pedro, Calif.

A: THE DIFFERENCE IS THE SHAPE OF THE TEETH,

which has a noticeable impact on how each
type of blade performs.
As the name suggests, the teeth on
hook-tooth blades resemble hooks, raked
TOOTH SHAPE
aggressively forward. They cut quickly, but AFFECTS HOW HOOK TOOTH SKIP TOOTH
the sides of the kerf are rougher and there A BLADE CUTS Best for Best for
is noticeable tearout along the bottom of the ripping stock joinery,
HookHook-tooth
Hook
bladeblade blades
to rough size resawing, Skip
workpiece, where the teeth exit the wood. are fine for rough curves, and
They are best used just for ripping boards to work, but a skip- ripping stock
rough size. tooth blade is to final width
better for all other
Skip-tooth blades have a less-aggressive rake
tasks because it
angle and so make cuts more slowly, but the cuts a smoother
cuts are much smoother and cleaner. They are kerf wall and
a better choice for general use. I outfit all six minimizes tearout
of the bandsaws in my shop with skip-tooth along the bottom
of the cut. Aggressive Less-
blades. I use 1⁄ 2-in.-wide, 3-tpi (teeth per inch) rake angle aggressive
blades for ripping stock, resawing, and cutting rake angle
joinery. For cutting curves, I use 1⁄4-in.-wide
and 1⁄ 8-in.-wide blades, both with 4 tpi.
—Michael Fortune is a furniture designer and
maker near Lakefield, Ont., Canada.

Simple math finds radius of an arc

2
1 in. H W
Q: I’m building a A: FROM YOUR PLANS, Radius = +
2 8xH
bow-front cabinet you can find the 2
1 16
and need to find the width and height of R= +
2 8x1
radius of the bow the arc. Then you can
so that I can make use a simple math- 1 256
R= +
some templates, ematical formula (see 2 8
using a router on a drawing) to determine 1
trammel. How can I the arc’s radius. R= + 32
16 in. 2
find it? —Matt Kenney is an
—THOMAS MULLINS, associate editor R = 32½ in.
FUN WITH ALGEBRA
Fort Worth, Texas at FWW.
The width and height of an arc can be used to H = Height W = Width
determine its radius. Here, the width is 16 in.,
the height is 1 in., and the radius is 32½ in.

84 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Matt Kenney; drawings, this page: Kelly J. Dunton
 Modern glues are strong enough
for future antiques
Q: Your readers A: MODERN GLUES MIGHT LACK THE HISTORY
create furniture of hide glues, but they are almost cer-
that they hope will tainly more durable. Dale Zimmerman of
last for generations. Franklin International said the company
Have any studies introduced the first aliphatic resin (poly-
been done on the vinyl acetate, or PVA) interior glue in
life span of modern 1951. The company has been monitoring
glues? its performance ever since and has yet
—KEN WILCOX, to see any general failure. Polyurethane
Sydney, NSW, Australia glues such as Gorilla Glue and Type I
waterproof PVA glues such as Titebond
III are thermosetting and cross-linked,
which means they are even stronger,
forming irreversible bonds when cured.
Similarly, when a urea formaldehyde
glue like Unibond is mixed together, it
starts a chemical reaction that cannot be
Modern glues are a very safe bet.
reversed. Hide glues, by contrast, can be We all want our furniture to last, but
readily re-liquified with warm water. you don’t need to use hide glue like our
—Mark Schofield is ancestors did. A modern glue will last
FWW’s managing editor. for generations.

Keep your Fine Woodworking

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READER SERVICE NO. 34 READER SERVICE NO. 48

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 85
Q&A continued

Corner block
Mortise
captures nut.

reinforces joint.

Use bed bolts for

a knock-down table
Q: I’ve been A: JOIN THE SHORT APRONS TO THE
asked to make a LEGS with standard mortise-and-
9-ft.-long harvest tenon joinery. Then make a stub
table that can be tenon on the apron and a match-
disassembled for ing mortise on the leg to align the Stub tenon prevents
apron from twisting.
easy moving. What apron and leg, and prevent twist-
is the best way to ing. Secure the joint with a bed
join the aprons to bolt and reinforce it with a corner Counterbore
hides bolt head
the legs so that block, driving two screws into for cleaner look.
the joints are both each apron and one into the leg.
Bed bolt
strong and easily Bed bolts are not appropriate
knocked down? for a refined period piece, but Short apron is Secure corner block
—STEVE MORRIS, they look fine on a rustic har- joined to leg with with screws only, so
standard mortise- it can be removed
Riverhead, N.Y. vest table, especially if you drill a and-tenon joint. when it is time to
counterbore in the leg to hide the break down the
bolt head. One last note: To ac- A STURDY KNOCK-DOWN JOINT table.
commodate the nut, the apron will
A stub mortise-and-tenon prevents
need to be at least 11⁄4 in. thick. twisting; the shoulders and the bed bolt
—Christian Becksvoort is a make a strong joint that resists racking.
contributing editor. The counterbore removes material from
the nearby tenon, but not enough to
compromise its strength.

Best finish for spalted woods

Q: I’m making a A: THE UNEVEN FINISH IS CAUSED
cabinet with spalted- by the wood absorbing finish
maple drawer fronts. unevenly. This is because it
I can’t get an even varies in density, a common
finish on the problem with spalted wood.
fronts. What’s The solution is to spot-harden
causing the spalted areas first, using
the uneven a thin, penetrating cyano-
finish and acrylate (or “super”) glue. Use
how can I fix a medium-thickness glue for
it? small gaps and a thick one
—TIM for big gaps.
MADISON, After the glue has dried,
Hickory, N.C. sand the wood. Spalted wood
is more easily scratched by
sandpaper, so sand up to
P600 grit. Finally, if you want
a clear, non-yellowing top-
coat, use a water-based
finish like Minwax Poly-
crylic, wet-sanding with CAMI
Cyanoacrylate glue hardens
800-grit paper between coats.
spalted wood. The spalted areas —Sara Robinson is the
then absorb less finish, allowing owner of Northern Spalting Spread glue over punky areas. Let it soak in and dry, then sand the
for a more even topcoat. (northernspalting.com). entire surface before applying the topcoat of your choice.

86 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings, this page: Vince Babak

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p
L
master class
Veneering tight curves
B Y C R A I G T H I B O D E A U HALF-ROUNDS
Thibodeau veneered

M
this modern bench
in myrtle burl,
y clients prefer figured or exotic woods that including a half-
aren’t readily available as lumber, so I do a lot of round molding
around the seat.
veneering. Luckily, I enjoy the creative freedom
this gives, allowing me to run the grain in eye-
catching directions—around curves, for example.
When I started out, I found any number of
articles on how to veneer flat or gently curved panels for doors
and tabletops, but not much on the tighter curves I saw in my
mind’s eye. So I forged ahead, mixing and matching techniques
I found in various places. In this article I’ll show how I veneer
coves, half-rounds, and quarter-rounds.
The tools and methods are well within the reach of an
ambitious amateur. You’ll need a vacuum bag, veneer
(the thin, commercial kind), white Styrofoam insulation
(available at home centers), plastic sheeting, and neoprene
rubber (mcmaster.com; No. 9455K46). I use the foam both
as a clamping caul and to make flexible sanding blocks for
smoothing substrates and the veneered surface. I use Titebond I

QUARTER-ROUNDS
The feet end in a
sleek quarter-round
profile.

LARGE COVES
Dramatic coves,
veneered in
Macassar ebony,
frame the
chessboard on
Thibodeau’s Art
Deco game table.

88 FINE WOODWORKING
How to handle any cove
Start with a dry
run. Rehearse the
clamp-up without
glue to make sure
the veneer and all
the parts of the
sandwich are sized
right and working
correctly. This
assembly includes
the MDF substrate,
glue, veneer, a
plastic sheet, ¼-in.-
thick neoprene
rubber, white
foamboard, and a
narrow plywood
caul.

Mix and spread Flip check. Clamp

glue. Use urea- the assembly firmly
formaldehyde glue and uniformly
for coves. Spread along its length.
it evenly on the Turn over the glue-
substrate using a up and check the
roller designed for squeeze-out to
adhesives. Wait be sure all of the
a few minutes edges are clamped.
for some to be The white foam
absorbed, and then will continue to
apply a thin second compress, so come
coat. back in 10 minutes
to retighten the
clamps.

Remove the tape. Thibodeau uses thin, wide gum Two ways to trim. If the veneer is sticking straight out, a flush-trimming bit works great (left).
tape to join sections and reinforce curves. It comes But if the veneer bag has flattened the edge, use a machinist’s “float” to file the corner (right)
off easily when dampened and allowed to soften. until the excess drops away, then sand it flush with a hard block and P100-grit paper.

Photos, except where noted: Asa Christiana; facing page, Craig Carlson M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 0 89
master class continued

Half-rounds with no worries

Measure for the veneer. Make the workpiece Tape outside curves. The wet gum tape pre-
extra wide at this point, and use a flexible ruler vents splintering and keeps the veneer flexible.
or a strip of paper to see how much veneer is Burnish the tape with a brass-bristle brush to
needed. Cut the veneer about ½ in. short to improve its bond. Cover the veneer temporarily
allow it to expand when it hits the yellow glue. with a piece of MDF to keep it flat and moist.

Lock it down. After applying glue, tape down the veneer (left) to keep it from Press and wrap. Thibodeau adds a layer of white breather cloth
sliding around. Then tape down the layer of plastic sheeting and neoprene (right). to help the airflow. He smooths the wrinkles and wraps the bag
tightly around the bottom corners as the air escapes.

for outside curves; it cures within hours. But it allows too

much creep for coves. For those I use Unibond 800, a two-
part urea-formaldehyde-based glue (available from Vacuum TIP BUBBLE
Pressing Systems; vacupress.com). It allows more open time, TROUBLE?
creates a very rigid glueline, and cures within 24 hours. Wear a If you find
proper respirator, not a dust mask, to protect yourself from the bubbles, pockets,
formaldehyde fumes. I use MDF for the substrate because it is or small wrinkles,
stable in all directions and it creates a dead-flat surface. slice them open
My veneer tape of choice is thin, 2-in.-wide “water gum” tape with a scalpel,
(dilegnosupply.com). It comes off easily when dampened and work glue into
the recess, and
allowed to soften for a minute or so. I use it to assemble joints
reclamp the
and to reinforce veneer on outside curves, where it keeps the
assembly in the
veneer flexible and prevents splintering. I also used it on the vacuum bag.
cove veneers in this article, which have vertical grain and had to
be assembled from multiple pieces. Quick tip: After applying the
tape, burnish it with a brass-bristle brush to improve its bond.
Veneered coves can be used facing upward, as on my Art

90 FINE WOODWORKING
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READER SERVICE NO. 69
master class continued

Quarter-rounds aren’t much different

Flat landing
strip. To keep the
veneer tight against
the entire curve,
Thibodeau screws
on an extra tape-
wrapped block flush
with the lower edge.

Lock it down. As
before, tape down
the edges of the
veneer, and then
the layers above it.

Press and tuck.

As the pressure
Deco chess table, or downward as in crown molding. I laminate increases, smooth
a stack of MDF for the substrate. I use the method described in out the wrinkles on
FWW #168 (“Cutting Coves on the Tablesaw”) to lay out and cut top and be sure the
the coves. They usually need some sanding afterward to smooth bag wraps under
the tablesaw cut. I don’t use a vacuum bag to press large coves; the curved edge.
I find it easier to clamp them manually. Before veneering the
cove in this case, I veneered the flat edges adjoining it. Those
are also easy to veneer with clamps and cauls.

Use a vacuum bag for convex edges

Half-round pieces can be used as a frame (as on my bench) or
to create half-round columns to be applied to furniture.
My techniques for outside curves work well all the way down Another way
to a 3⁄ 8-in. radius. Since the bag does most of the work, the to trim. A sharp
veneer saw leaves
sandwich is simpler. But instead of sitting the glue-up on a flat
a perfect edge
platen inside the bag as some would do, I use breather cloth under the curve.
(called EvacuNet by Vacuum Pressing Systems) to carry the
air from around the workpiece to the hose, and then a layer
around the glue-up to help the airflow.
On half-rounds, I make the substrate extra wide for two
reasons: It gives me extra support on the router table when
forming the round edges, and it leaves room for the veneer to
expand a bit when glue and pressure are applied; you don’t
want it to hit the bag and break or wrinkle. You can just trim
away the excess substrate later on the tablesaw.
The other type of outside curve is a quarter-round. I use these
for table edges, door edges, and feet. •

Craig Thibodeau, a woodworker in San Diego, specializes in veneered work.

92 FINE wOODwOrkINg
 WOODWORKERS MART
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WOODWORKERS MART See ad index on page 97 for reader service number.

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For Sale
Miscellaneous / Accessories FINE WOODWORKING #1-209, in slipcases. $400. plus
WOODSLICER.COM, resawing blade rated best-per- shipping. WOOD Magazine; #140-191 in slipcases. $200.
forming 1/2-in. bandsaw blade by Fine Woodworking. plus shipping from Rochester, MN. Call (507) 282-3175
800-241-6748. or clocktool@att.net

Plans & Kits Fine Woodworking 1 - 210 plus Index of 1-100. Missing:
153, 160, 167, 174, 181, 188, 195 and 202. $350. plus
FULL SIZE FURNITURE LAYOUTS Drawn by: Philip shipping. About 100 lb. (315) 963-3120. (NY)
C. Lowe. Catalog $3. (978) 922-0615. 116 Water Street, ...and a place to live.
Beverly, MA 01915. www.furnituremakingclasses.com FINE WOODWORKING issues 1- 210. Missing nos. 65,
69, 70 and 122. Excellent condition. $400. plus shipping
Power Tools and handling. (845) 457-4110. (NY)

LAMELLO BISCUIT JOINERS and Accessories/Parts/Re- Fine Woodworking issues 1 - 200 in excellent condition.
pairs. Best prices, most knowledgeable. Call us for all Missing 31 and 34, #10 is missing cover. $300. plus
your woodworking & solid surfacing needs. 800-789-2323. shipping. (706) 268-3530. (GA)
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MESQUITE LUMBER (915) 479-3988.

96 FINE WOODWORKING
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Use reader service card - inside back cover.
For quick access to their websites, go to ADVERTISER INDEX at www.finewoodworking.com
Reader Reader Reader Reader
Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page #

36 Adria Toolworks, Inc., p. 94 Engraving Arts, p. 95 26 Kay Industries, p. 25 RadarCarve.net, p. 15

Akeda Jig, p. 7 55 Epifanes, p. 12 56 Keller & Company, p. 95 32 Red Hill Corporation, p. 15
Alderfer Lumber Co., p. 95 47 Epilog Laser, p. 12 53 Kreg Tool Company, p. 27 24 Rockler Woodworking and
4 Allred & Associates, Inc., p. 94 Exotic Wood Veneer Hardware, p. 13
57 American Fabric Filter, p. 7 Plus, p. 95 75 Laguna Tools, p. 11 Router Bits Online, p. 93
33 Anderson Ranch Arts 74 Laguna Tools, p. 77 8 Routerbits.com, p. 15
Center, p. 95 60 Felder Group USA, p. 99 Leigh Industries, p. 17
38 Final Cut Blade, p. 94 Leigh Industries, p. 83 7 Scherr’s Cabinet & Doors, p. 25
54 Ball & Ball Reproduction 52 Forrest Manufacturing, p. 3 10 Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, p. 25 15 School of Woodworking, p. 11
Hardware, p. 83 Fine Woodworking DVD 34 Lignomat, p. 85 31 Screw Products, p. 94
Berea Hardwoods Co., p. 7 Archives, p. 87 62 Luthiers Mercantile Intl. Co., p. 94 66 Stanley Works, p. 9
6 Berkshire Products, p. 95 FineWoodworking.com, p. 82 Super Bright LEDs.com, p. 95
42 Bowclamp, p. 93 92 The Furniture Institute of 59 M.L. Condon Company, p. 94
Building Drawers, p. 27 Massachuesetts, p. 93 Mortise Pal, p. 27 81 The Beall Tool Co., p. 93
69 Titebond Wood Glue, p. 91
2 CMT USA, Inc., p. 15 35 Goby Walnut Products, p. 95 12 North Bennet Street
11 Cabinetparts.com, p. 95 21 Good Hope Hardwoods, p. 95 School, p. 93 Vacuum Laminating
48 CabParts, p. 85 51 Gorilla Wood Glue, p. 15 49 NorthWest School of Wooden Technology, p. 15
Center for Furniture 87 Granberg International, p. 11 Boatbuilding, p. 95
Craftsmanship, p. 27 3 Groff & Groff Lumber, p. 95 50 Northwest Woodworking 70 Whitechapel, Ltd., p. 15
40 Certainly Wood, p. 93 19 Guillemot Kayaks, p. 95 Studio, p. 94 82 Williams & Hussey, p. 7
67 Chidwick School of Fine 23 Hartville Tool 9 Windsor Chair Workshops, p. 94
Woodworking, p. 94 Woodworking, p. 3 89 Oneida Air, p. 25 37 Woodcraft Store, p. 21
30 Contempo Living, p. 94 64 Hearne Hardwoods, Inc., p. 7 90 Oneida Air, p. 83 WoodenBoat Show, p. 93
41 Cook Woods, p. 94 80 Highland Woodworking, p. 27 63 Osborne Wood Products, p. 3 Woodfinder, p. 94
39 Cormark International, p. 94 84 Woodmaster Tools
79 Connecticut Valley School of Infinity Cutting Tools, p. 7 13 Peck Tool Company, p. 95 of Canada, p. 94
Woodworking, p. 77 18 Inside Passage School of Fine 22 Phase-A-Matic, Inc., p. 77 58 Wood-Mizer, p. 93
Woodworking, p. 15 77 Philadelphia Furniture 83 Woodrat, p. 3
61 Diefenbacher Tools, p. 95 Workshops, p. 94 85 Woodworkers Source, p. 93
29 JDS Company, p. 77 5 Pine Creek Wood Co., p. 95 71 Woodworker’s Supply, p. 27
86 EMC Woodworking, p. 93 25 The Japan Woodworker, p. 83
72 Eagle Woodworking, p. 95 68 Jet Tools, p. 2 Quality Vakuum Products, p. 12

Go online for product information Keep your Fine Woodworking

back issues looking brand new.
Find our advertisers’ web sites Store your treasured copies of Fine Woodworking
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quickly and easily on our online Bound in dark blue and embossed in gold, each case
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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 0 97

how they did it Ship rides up and down
with the waves of slats.

Sea slats ride in

tablesawn kerfs
cut in plastic bar.

Making waves
Slats ride
up and down
on cams
as crank is Keel
turned. maintains
B Y J O N A T H A N B I N Z E N even spacing
between ribs

A
and keeps the
ship level.
drian Potter is 15 years into a career
as a furniture maker, but he hasn’t
entirely left behind his training as
a mechanical engineer or his early
stint designing for an automotive
factory. When he wanted to create
a sea of slats with simulated waves for his
tiny version of Captain James Cook’s ship
Endeavour (see the back cover), Potter made a
cam mechanism like the ones found in a car’s
drive train. To convert the rotation of his two
axles into the up-and-down movement of the
waves, Potter threaded the axles with plastic
disks. All the disks were drilled identically,
with off-center holes for the axle and a pair
of small holes for pins. Each disk, or cam, is
rotated a few degrees relative to its neighbors
and pinned in place, creating a snaking shape
that the slats sit on. When the disks move, the
wave slats push up on the bottom of the boat,
Slats pass
making it rise and fall. between hull ribs. Cam-mechanism
tray is screwed to
cabinet from below.

THE MECHANISM
A pair of cams creates
the wave action.

A bicycle chain and

two sprockets ensure
that both axles turn
simultaneously.
Cams are made Adjacent cams are
from plastic disks. pinned together.

Small sprocket driven by crank

engages large axle sprocket,
gearing down the rotation speed.

98 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Christopher Mills

 y Sa
Felder Woodworking Re our ve 1
gis fir 0
ter st p %
on urc on
WE BUILD SOLUTIONS! lin ha
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od .
Choose from more than 130 models for your workshop. ay
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✆ N.CA: 800-572-0061
S.CA: 866-714-6005
866-922-8879
READER SERVICE NO. 60
 Pl ayin g Wi t h Hi stor y

Photos: Grant Hancock

E
very school child in Australia learns that in 1770 Potter used, Australian red cedar, which he describes as
Captain James Cook discovered the island continent “stable, durable, beautiful, and easily worked—up there with
and claimed it for Britain. To commemorate that mahogany,” was quickly discovered by settlers and used nearly
event, Australian furniture maker Adrian Potter built this to extinction in the colonial period. Cook’s voyage sparked a
collector’s cabinet, with a little three-masted ship modeled long era of migration by ship to Australia—one fraught with
on Cook’s Endeavour. Turn the ebony-handled crank, and forced voyages, sinkings, and mutinies—and Potter’s skeletal
the ship rides up and down on a rolling sea of wooden ship also reflects this darker side of Australia’s maritime history.
slats. The clever effect depends on the slats moving freely It is named “SIEV-X” for an Indonesian fishing boat packed
between the ribs of the hull. The style of the cabinet with Iraqi refugees that sank in 2001 on its way to Australia,
itself, with its 18th-century English Regency flavor, recalls killing more than 300 people.
Australia’s ties to the mother country. The primary wood —Jonathan Binzen

How They Did It Turn to p. 98 to see how Potter created the Pro Portfolio For a slide show featuring more of Potter’s work and a video
mechanism that tosses the sea and rocks the boat. clip of his ship in action, go to FineWoodworking.com/extras.