TODA

WO
Y
RKER
S
ODWO

Americas leading woodworking authority

Brought to you by
1990 - Issues 7-12
January/February
Volume 2, Number 1
March/April
Volume 2, Number 2
May/June
Volume 2, Number 3
July/August
Volume 2, Number 4
September/October
Volume 2, Number 5
November/December
Volume 2, Number 6
Go to
Disc Homepage
Go to
Content Search
Issue 11 $3.95
TI PS
Ii ,.) L \ ~ i
WOODWORKER"
PROJECTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
8 Barrister's Bookcase 2 Joday's Wood
By T. Martin Daughenbaugh A standout in the forest is valued for
its subtle presence in the shop. A classic piece of furniture is
matched up with modern hardware
for outstanding results.
3 On the Level
Our first survey results.
4 Tricks of the Trade
15 Spinning String Top
By Craig Lossing
Here's a beautiful turning project
that you can spin out in a day.
16 Kid's Step Stool
By Bill Johnson
Readers share their shop shortcuts.
5 Hardware Hints
Install Accuride's flipper slides.
6 Techniques
The first step to veneering success.
20 Today's Shop
Part 2 on sharpening. This time
Roger Cliffe covers honing.
21 What's in Store
The kids will line up to brush their
teeth once you've completed this
weekend project.
Hugh Foster reviews the Veritas
Stone Pond.
22 Yesterday's Woodworker
Find the right hand planes for your
shop with Michael Dunbar's help.
18 "In Out" Desk Tray
By David Ashe
This simple one day project unveils
an easy approach to working with
inlay banding.
r TODAY'S WOOD
Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
Birch is unquestionably a species of contradiction. The
white bark of birch boldly stands out from all other
trees in the forest, but in the shop the species has one
of the most subtle appearances among commonly used
domestic timbers. Complementing its whitish color, a
faint pattern sweeps across this closed grained, evenly
textured wood; a desirable characteristic when the pro-
ject's design needs to dominate the wood's appearance.
In the shop, birch works well with both hand and
power tools, particularly for a wood that falls between
oak (harder) and cherry (softer) in hardness. It saws,
planes and turns well with relatively little tearing and
splintering. Birch experiences significant shrinkage
while drying, but once properly seasoned offers good
stability and resists warping and twisting.
23 Finishing Thoughts
The Clean Air Act is paving the
way for new water based lacquers.
24 Reader's Gallery
Alaskan woodworkers create works
of art with an indigenous species.
Birch is a suitable choice for structurally critical
pieces in furniture because it compares to oak and
maple in strength, and beats both of those species quite
significantly when it comes to shock resistance. If
you're choosing wood for a bending project, birch
offers excellent elasticity, somewhat similar to ash.
However, keep in mind that outdoor applications
are simply out of the question for this species
because it is highly susceptible to decay.
Birch is unequalled when it
comes to accepting a clear varnish
or polyurethane finish, but is
much less suitable for staining
because of its tendency
to become blotchy.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1990
Vol. 2, No.5 (Issue 11)

LARRY N. STOIA1illN
Editor
JOHN IillLLIHER
Art Director
CHRIS INMAN
Associate Editor
STEVE HINDERAIillR
Associate Art Director
NANCY EGGERT
Production Manager
JEFF JACOBSON
Technical Illustrator
GORDON HANSON
Copy Editor
ANN JACKSON
Publisher
JIM EBNER
Director of Ma rketillg
VAL E. GERSTING
Circulation Director
NORTON ROCKLER
RICK WHITE
STEVE KROHMER
Editorial Advisors
ROGER W CLIFFE
SPENCER H. CONE II
BRUCE KIEFFER
JERRY T TERHARK
COlltributing Editors

Today's Woodworker, (USPS 147-614) is
published bimonthly (January, March, May,
July, September, November) for $23.70
per year by Rockier Press, 21801 Industrial
Blvd., Rogers , MN 55374-0044. Second
class postage paid at Rogers , MN and
additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Today's Woodworker, PO Box 6782, Syra-
cuse NY 13217-9916.
One year subscription price, $23.70 (U.S.
and possessions); $28.95 (U.S. currency
-other countries). Single copy price,
$3.95; (other countries, $5.50, U.S. curren-
cy). Send new subscriptions to Circulation
Dept. , Today's Woodworker, PO Box 6782,
Syracuse NY 13217-9916. Subscribers are
welcome to submit project proposals, tips
and techniques to the editor, Today's
Woodworker, Box 44, Rogers, MN 55374.
For purposes of clarity, illustrations and
photos are sometimes shown without prop-
er guards in place. Today's Woodworker
recommends following ALL safety precau-
tions while in the shop.
Today' s Woodworker is a trademark of
Rockier Press.
Copyright 1990, by Rockier Press.
All rights reserved.
ISSN: 1041 -8113
.. ----__ ON THE LEVEL
Survey Says!
In an effort to belter serve our readers, These projects, it seems, are filed away to
Today's Woodworker recently started a be completed at a later date. In this issue,
survey program. Shortly after each issue we' re presenting projects based on what
is mailed, 200 subscribers receive a sur- our surveys have told us -a difficult pro-
vey form and are asked to rate each pro- ject that can be worked on slowly (or
ject and department in the new issue and later) , and three easier proj ects that can
make suggestions for future issues. be completed in one weekend.
We've now completed three of these Other results include much praise for
surveys and are starting to get a snapshot passing on adverti sing, solid backing for
of what our readers want. At the top of the our departments and numerous requests
list of suggestions is "more projects that for a chest of drawers, now planned for
can be completed in a single weekend. " the next issue. Please remember, even if
Coupled with this suggestion is the curi- you don't get a survey, we still want to
ous fact that our most diffi cult projects hear from you. LA,. ~ /
have been rated the highest in each issue. ,,{<II / IV. r J l f l ~
I have only received two issues of
Today's Woodworker so far and have
enjoyed both of them. I am looking for-
ward to future issues.
Enclosed please find a picture (at
right) of the porch glider I just finished,
using the plans in your May/June 1990
issue. The plans were modified to use
less wood (aromatic cedar). I used 5/4,
3/4, and 3/8. It features all mortise and
tenon joints.
Paul Al mburg
Malta, Illinois
I 'm writing to
show you a pro-
ject that we did
from your maga-
zine. My hus-
band and I work
together and have
started a few of
your projects.
We made two
of the stools from
the March/ April
1990 issue -one
for my neighbor
and one for me. I made mine out of
some scrap pine and my neighbor's out
of aspen. We won't ever use that wood
again! YukI! I really like mine and get
lots of compliments on it.
We did the back brace a little differ-
ent. I have two boys and your design
wouldn't stand up to the abuse on it. We
do enjoy the magazine a lot.
We plan to build the easel that was
featured in the Sept/Oct 1989 issue. I
would like to see more designs for chil-
dren's rooms. I've heard about pencil
beds. At $500.00 for a twin size frame,
they are quite costly to buy I'd like to
see this featured or something like it.
Debra and I<ris Heskin
Norwich, North Dakota

It 's really nice, for a change, to read an
arti cle on woodworking by someone
who realizes that the main purpose of
wood is not for use in the fireplace. My
only complaint was that some issues
were received wet or dog- eared. I
called and was assured that these
issues would be replaced at no charge.
Thanks, and keep up the good wort<.
Robert D. Bryson
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Three months ago I decided to make
the workbench featured in your Jan/Feb
1990 issue. I immediately wrote to the
Cambridge Tool Company in Canada
about their vices. I received no
response and have since heard that
they went bankrupt. I have the base of
the workbench all finished and I hate to
start the top till I know something defi-
nite about the vices. Is there a U.S.
company that makes a similar alterna-
tive? I enjoy your magazine very much.
Dale Watson
Coburn, Pennsylvania
Today's Woodworke1' respollds: Chec/l with
the supplie1's listed on page 24 of each
issue. hi particular, The Woodworllers'
St01'e 110W atnies top quality Hirsch vices
tliat are a suitable replacement.
TODAY'S WOODWORKER SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Creative Jigs For Power Tools
sliding bolt
Radial Arm Saw Accuracy
I've come up with a jig that will
improve the accuracy of any radial
arm saw. These saws typically cut
well at 0, but a miter cut can be easi-
ly off by a degree. My adjustable
fence is 1/2" x 1
1
/4" x 28" and its front
is jointed to ensure a straight edge. I
used a small straight bit in the router
to make the slot in the fence and in
the auxiliary table. Make the cleat the
width of your existing fence (for my
Sears model this was 3/4" x 11k" x
28
11
) and make the table about 3/4" x
20" X 18" (I used 3/4" cabinet grade
plywood). Cut a dado on the bottom
of the table so the wingnut's bolt has
room to slide. Assemble the three
parts of this jig, remove your saw's
fence, and clamp the cleat in place.
Make a trial cut along the right side
of the auxiliary table. Using a machin-
ist's protractor against the edge of
this saw cut and the adjustable fence,
layout lines for your most often cut
angles on a piece of tape.
John C. S. Heffner
Huntersville, North Carolina
File off
Countersink
Bandsaw Blade Bench Stops
I've been building work benches for
my grandchildren and have found
that sections of 1/2" wide bandsaw
Angles on
masking tape
blade (with the teeth filed off)
screwed to maple stock make great
bench stops. The spring-like curved
blade adds just enough tension to
keep the "dogs" in place.
Joe Randolph
Danbury, Wisconsin
Magnetic Push Stick
All my saw push sticks and blocks for
cutoffs have small magnets recessed
flush and epoxied in place. When I'm
done with a cut I just slap the push
stick or block onto the side of the
saw. The magnets keep them there.
Willis Clark
Boone, Louisiana
Burning Tool Revisited
While Don Kinnaman's accent burn-
ing tool (See "Tricks of the Trade",
page 5, in the Marchi April 1990
issue) will do a fine job of highlight-
ing, it also raises a red warning flag.
As long as the wire between the
two dowel handles is kept taut, it is
fully safe, but in inexperienced or
careless hands the potential for disas-
ter exists. If the wire becomes slack
and catches on the piece being
accented, you may end up with a
lethal winding or lashing of the tool,
and a maiming or loss of fingers.
My suggestion is to modify an old
hack saw frame instead of using the
two pieces of dowel to hold the wire.
The wire need not be tensioned, but
merely drawn snug.
Be sure
the "V"
shape
is close
to 9CJ'
A Dutchman's Repair
Kenneth Harlan
Lancaster, Ohio
While turning, an unexpected knot or
defect may suddenly appear on a
bead area of a spindle. This could
ruin an otherwise perfect job. A sim-
ple solution to this problem is to
install a dutchman repair in the defec-
tive area after the spindle has been
completely cut to shape.
Cut a V-shaped section out of the
turning to remove the defect, keeping
the angle close to 90. Now find a
piece of wood that matches the color
and grain of the area surrounding the
cutout, and cut it down until it's
slightly oversized. Plane the sides
tangent to one corner to fit into the V-
cutout (the V may also need fine tun-
ing for this fit). Once you have a good
fit, glue the repair piece into confor-
mity with the bead. Finally, with the
spindle turning in the lathe, sand the
entire piece to its finished shape.
Eric Black
Washington, D. C.
SEIYrEMBER/OcrOBER 1990 TO DAY'S WOODWORKER
f
3/8" shaft collar
with set screw
3-4d nail tips
.. r glued with epoxy
3/8" diameter rod
Duplicating Small Spindles
When I make a significant number of
small diameter spindles on a lathe, I
prefer to cut all the spindles to fin-
ished length before the lathe is used.
In addition, I prefer to have the holes
drilled at each end of the spindle to
accept dowels before any lathe turn-
ing is done. This way, I'm always sure
that every spindle is perfectly identi-
cal and accurate.
This requires the fabrication of a
small diameter live center which is
mounted in a lathe chuck. It also
requires a ball bearing dead center
with a tapered tip. The live center is
made from a 3" length of steel rod
3/8" in diameter, a 3/8" shaft collar,
and tips of three 4d finish nails. Sim-
ply drill three evenly spaced holes on
the flat side of the shaft collar approx-
imately 1/4" deep. The three holes
should be the size of the nails. Cut
the nails so that only the sharp tips
protrude when they are epoxy glued
into the shaft collar. Slide the shaft
collar onto the rod and tighten the set
screw. The steel rod centers itself in
the pre-drilled hole of the spindle
while the three nail tips effectively
drive the spindle for turning. The
tapered tip of the dead center will
automatically center itself in the pre-
drilled hole at the opposite end.
Richard Dorn
Oelwein, Iowa
(Please turn to page 7)
r HARDWARE HI NTS
Accuride's Flipper Door
Hardware
By Chris Inman
Installing flipper door hardware is
mostly a matter of accurately laying
out the various pieces and sticking
with 3/4" thick door stock. If you're
installing a frame and panel door, as
with the barrister bookshelf on page
8, remember that the 35mm holes
for the Blum hinges must fall solidly
within the door rail and not project
into the panel.
I always start my installations with
the mounting brackets for the
slides, first positioning the front
bracket (as shown below) and then
installing the slide to help position
the rear bracket. A #6 Vix bit is ideal
for drilling the pilot holes.
The length of the follower strip
should match the door width, and
the dadoes should be cut very pre-
cisely since their depth establishes
the size of the gap between the door
and the cabinet along the hinged
side. Lay the follower strip and the
door edge to edge in order to install
the Blum hinges. Draw a center line
down the dado and onto the door,
then drill the 35mm diameter cup
Install the brackets and the slides, following
the measurements. Next layout the Blum
hinge locations on the door and follower strip.
Once the door is machined, the follower strip
is installed and the hinges are coupled. The
hinge will allow adjustments in three
directions for aligning the door.
1/4" Depth
Mounting plate is
flush with front edge
of follower strip. / ~ n ~ ~
f
Flipper doors, like the ones used on the
Barrister Bookcase on page 8, are a terrific
way to keep a streamlined appearance on your
cabinets while concealing televisions or
other appliances.
,hole 1" from the door's edge. Now
secure the mounting plate in the
dado, centering it on the line, and
position the screw holes 11116'1 back
from the edge.
Mount the follower strip onto the
slide brackets, keeping the front
edges flush and then connect the
two hinge sections to join the door
to the slide assembly.
Cabinet
Follower
Strip
3/4" x 3"
Front Vi ew
Door
--
.. _____ TECHNIQUES
Veneering A Drawer Face
By Bruce Kieffer
Veneering is one of the
most challenging and inter-
esting aspects of wood-
working. In fact, many in
the field consider it an art
form. While there's a lot of
techniques to learn on the
road to mastering veneering,
there's always a starting point. In
the seminars I teach, I like to start
out by concentrating on a simple and
practical application. Let's say you
want to make a maple chest of draw-
ers. The front of this chest will be all
drawer faces, made to look like one
large flat plane. To give your chest a
decorative look you decide to make
the drawer faces out of birdseye
maple. Here's a situation where
veneering is the perfect solution.
You'll be doing the simplest form of
flat panel veneering, requiring no join-
ing or seaming and you probably have
most of the tools you need on hand.
Basically, a veneered drawer face
has a 3/4" industrial grade particle
board core edged with 1/4" thick solid
wood, and then covered on both sides
with glued on veneer. Whenever
you're working with veneer you must
remember that you have to end up
with a balanced panel. This means
that whatever is applied to one side of
the core is also applied to the other
side. In addition, the grain of the
veneer should run the same wayan
both sides of the core. To save on
costs, the hidden inside of the drawer
face can ' be veneered with a different
grade or species of veneer.
Having enough clamps on hand is
also critical. Your clamps should be
spaced at three to four inch intervals
on the entire surface of the core and
you should have some clamps on hand
with jaws that are deep enough to
reach and apply pressure to the center
of the core.
Almost any glue that's made for
bonding solid wood can be used for
veneering. I generally favor yellow car-
penters glue but will switch to white
glue (which dries slower) when
veneering larger surfaces. While some
FIGURE 1: Glue and clamp the solid edging to the
core, two sides at a time. The corners of the
edging can be mitered or overlapped.
FIGURE 2: Use a paint roller to spread the glue
evenly on the core and the back of the veneer.
woodworkers contend that contact
cement works fine and cuts down on
clamping requirements, my own expe-
rience has been that it doesn't offer
enough bonding strength to hold the
veneer down for an extended period
of time. .
Make Your Drawer Face
I generally make my drawers and
drawer faces as separate components.
When they're ready to be assembled,
I drill 3/8" holes through the fronts of
the drawers and attach the drawer
faces with screws and washers. The
3/8" holes allow for minor adjust-
ments and make it easy to align the
drawer faces in their openings.
Calculate the finished widths and
lengths of each drawer face and then
cut your particle board cores 1/2"
narrower and shorter to allow for the
Clamps at 3" to 4" intervals



Caul
FIGURE 3: Start clamping in the center of the core
and slowly work the pressure out toward the
edges. This method of clamping reduces the
possibility of trapped glue pockets.
FIGURE 4: Trim with a flush trimming bit with ball
bearing pilot. Rout backwards to reduce tear out.
1/ 4" thick solid edging. Cut the solid
edging 1/4" thick, 3/4" plus 1/32"
wide, and I" longer than the lengths
you need. You can miter the ends of
the edging or you can overlap them.
In either case, once this is done, glue
and clamp the edging to the core, as
shown in Figure 1. When the edging
is complete and the glue has dried
sand the edges flush with the core.
The next step in this process is to
rough cut the veneer. An inexpensive
tool known as a veneer saw works
best for this task. Layout the areas
on your veneer sheets where you will
cut out the pieces for the drawer
faces. Make sure to add at least I" in
length and width for overhang,
which will be trimmed off after the
veneer is glued in place. Carefully
guide the veneer saw against a
straightedge and cut the length, and
then the width of the veneer. Make
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
several light cutting passes with the
saw until you cut through the veneer.
Gluing and clamping the veneer to
its core is simple. I like to think of it
as creating a triple decker sandwich
with plenty of mayo. Each side of the
c?re is covered with glue, then one
side of each veneer piece is covered
with glue. These are positioned
against each other, followed by a sepa-
rator piece of newspaper, and finally a
caul to flatten the veneer and dis-
tribute the pressure from the clamps.
In this case, the cauls are 3/4" particle
board pieces cut to the same length
and width as the veneer. Do one draw-
er at a time, using a roller to spread
the glue, as shown in Figure 2.
. Start applying pressure by clamping
III the center of the drawer face and
working out. This eliminates the pos-
sibility of trapping any glue pockets in
the middle of the drawer face (See
Figure 3). Allow the glue to cure for
24 hours and then unclamp and sepa-
rate your sandwich.
Finish up your drawer by chucking
a flush trimming bit in the router and
trim off the overhanging veneer
edges, as shown in Figure 4. Routing
backwards, essentially pulling the
router toward you, will reduce the
chance of tear out. Finish sand the
drawer faces, check their fit, and
make any necessary adjustments.
Make sure to apply your finish equal-
ly to all surfaces of the drawer faces
to properly seal them and reduce the
chance of warping.
In the next installment on veneer-
ing, I'll cover splicing and joining
veneer for more advanced projects.
Until then, if you're interested in
more detailed information about
veneering, read the books "A Manual
of Veneering" by Paul Villard and
"Practical Veneering" by Charles H.
Hayward. Both should be available at
your local public library.

Bruce Kieffer is a professional wood-
worker and contributiong editor with
Today's Woodworker magazine.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE CONTI NUED
Raise bit
'---Jh:-.....----,- to desired
depth once
jig is in position.
"V" groove cut
almost through
Fluting Jig For the Router Table
The original oak columns on my
china cabinet were damaged beyond
repair, so I turned new columns on
the lathe, marking the base ends
with equally spaced radii while it
was still on the lathe. Then I used
the "V" groove jig pictured above on
a router table, which makes it easy
to flute a tapered column.
The pine jig with a 45 "V" groove
cut almost through holds the col-
umn with the lower surface parallel
to the table. Cleats across the ends
strengthen the jig and serve as a
stop. A thin piece of plywood fas-
tened to the cleat (with the edge in
line with the bottom of the "V")
serves as a guide and ensures even-
ly spaced flutes.
The column is placed in the jig
and the router table fence is set to
position a core box bit at the center
of the column. Raise the bit to the
desired depth. On our piece, the
flutes stopped 1" from the ends of
the column so a piece of masking
tape was placed on the fence to
mark starting and stopping points.
In use, the marked end of the col-
umn is placed against the plywood
guide with the index line even with
the edge. The router is then started
and one end of the column is low-
ered into the "V" and held down
while the jig is moved to the mask-
ing tape stop point. The rest of the
flutes are made in the same manner.
The flutes will all be the same depth
and have the same spacing.
The completed columns look like
they belong on the repaired china
cabinet. Straight columns can also
be made in the same manner.
Handy Oiler
Alice & Robert Tupper
Canton, South Dakota
A discarded plastic or glass medical
syringe makes an ideal "oiler" to
reach difficult spots when it is fitted
with an appropriate length of small
plastic tubing. If the tubing is large
enough it can be slipped over the
of If smaller tubing
IS required slip the tubing over a
large bore needle that has the bevel
ground off.
Several needles can be fitted with
tubing of different lengths to serve
specific oiling jobs.
Hugh F. Williamson
Tucson, Arizona

Today's Woodworker pays from
$20.00 (for a short tip) to $100.00
(for an elaborate technique) for all
Tricks of the Trade published. Send
yours to Today's Woodworker,
Dept. TIT, Rogers, MN 55374-0044.
BUILD A BARRISTER'S
BOOKCASE
The author needed a dust free environment for his collection of almost
600 record albums. The classic look of the Barrister 's bookshelf
was appealing, but would it carry the load?
By T Martin Daughenbaugh
T
he practical appeal of the
barrister's bookcase has
always been focused on one
key benefit -it provides a
completely dust-free environment for
fine books and treasured art objects.
Add record albums to the list,
because that's what I really had in
mind when I designed this project. As
a result, it's a little larger and sturdier
than the standard law office version.
Two critical design changes were
necessary to make this project work
for its intended application. First, I
had to beef up the shelves with web
frames to avoid the inevitable sagging
that would otherwise occur. That
meant heavier lines throughout to
keep everything to scale. Second, I
was determined to avoid the double
pin or weight mechanisms typically
employed with this type of furniture.
The ones I've seen tend to stick or
bind, and I wanted easy access and
smooth operation. To get this, I
picked Accuride ball bearing flipper
door slides. The ones I ordered come
coupled with high quality Blum
hinges and are practically invisible
once the doors are installed.
A Quick Overview
The author used
various routing
profiles to achieve a
distinctive look.
Notice how the
stopped roundover
used on the sides
(below) is repeated on
the front door frames,
shown above.
If you have a tablesaw and a good
plunge router in your shop, you're
pretty well equipped to take on this
project. A drill press for the mortise
and tenon joinery helps, but it's not
absolutely necessary. And if you don't
have a jointer, you'll have to visit a
woodworker who does, since there's
a considerable amount of panel con-
struction and you must have clean,
straight edges. You'll be doing mor-
tise and tenon joinery, miter joinery,
and you'll be cutting some precision
stop dadoes. If you want to duplicate
my design exactly, you'll also need a
pretty good variety of router bits,
including the slot cutting bit, panel
raising bit, roundover bits, straight
bit, beading bit and a Roman ogee bit.
The shelves are made of 1/2" wal-
nut plywood with a 3/4" solid walnut
web frame glued to the underside,
giving a total thickness of 11/4"; strong
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
..
The six panels for the two sides are cut from two
larger panels to provide some grain continuity.
Be sure to carefully joint the edges so they match
up nicely and cut the six pieces 40" long so you
have a slight margin for error when you go to cut
the panels down to their exact length.
enough to carry a full load of albums.
The solid walnut top of this Barris-
ter's bookcase is also supported by a
web frame, but here the frame is
used for dimensional continuity
instead of load bearing require-
ments. Finally, the three doors are
designed with 2" wide frames that
are mitered and employ small
splines to strengthen the joint.
Expect to spend about $550 on
materials for this bookcase if you
make it from walnut. Cherry or oak
would also be suitable but walnut
seems to be the right choice for this
project. You'll be using a little more
than a half sheet of 1/2" thick grade
A-2 walnut plywood for the shelves,
another half sheet of 1/4" thick grade
A-3 walnut plywood for the back and
about 50 board feet of walnut hard-
wood for the rest of the project. I rec-
ommend that you measure and mea-
sure again for all your cuts.
Frame and Panel Construction
The best place to start this project is
on the sides and the first step to any
frame and panel design is to glue up
the panels (pieces 5). Instead of glu-
ing up the six individual panels
(three for each side), I recommend
that you glue up just two longer pan-
els which can be cut to size, as shown
in Figure 1. This is standard proce-
dure among professionals and serves
to' create grain continuity on final
assembly. Saw and joint six pieces of
3/4" thick walnut 3
3
/4" wide and 40"
long. The six panels will actually be
45
' 3
h6"
Glue relief
15
7
h6"
1/4"
1/4"
Take your time when cutting mortises; the key to frame and panel construction is accurate joinery. If
you have a mortising attachment for your drill press, you should have little trouble. Another approach
is to make a template and use a plunge router and sharp mortising chisel.
cut to 13
1
/16" in length, so the 40"
length at this stage allows for kerfs
and uneven ends after gluing up.
Look for good color and grain match-
es, and once you're satisfied glue and
clamp your panels.
While your panels are drying you
can turn to the two frames, which
consist of 2 stiles and 4 rails each
(pieces 3 and 4). Cut all 12 pieces to
exact size as specified in the material
list on page 13 and lay the rails aside
for now. Carefully follow the mea-
surements in Figure 2 to layout the
mortise positions on the four stiles.
The tenons on the ends of the rails
will measure 1/4" T x 2" W X 11J4" L.
To cut the mortises in the stiles to
accept these tenons, I used a mortis-
ing attachment on my Delta drill
press and it worked very well. If you
don't have a mortising attachment,
you could also make a template and
use your plunge router or try a 1/4"
bit in a drill press (followed by a
sharp 1/4" mortising chisel). What-
ever technique you decide to use,
just be real sure that the eight mor-
tises are perfectly centered on the
edge of the four stiles and don't for-
get to allow an extra 1/16" in depth
for excess glue (See Figure 2).
Take your time on this step. Remem-
ber that cutting clean mortises
requires a lot of concentration and a
steady hand.
Now you're ready to cut the tenons
at the ends of the rails. I used a dado
blade on my tablesaw for these cuts,
relying on the miter fence and a com-
mon spacer jig for consistency.
Experiment with some 3/4" thick
The rail tenons will be 1/4" thick with a 1/4"
shoulder on the edges, requiring one dado blade
setting on the tablesaw. Practice with scrap to get
your setting right before cutting your material.
scrap wood until you can leave a 1/4"
thick tenon centered on the board.
Once the dado blade is set at the
right height, cut both faces of your
rails to form the tenon cheeks and
then flip them on edge to cut the
tenon shoulders, as shown in Figure
3. You'll want your tenons to fit snug-
ly into the mortises, so if you're new
at this be sure to carefully cut to size
in slight increments -you can't add
stock back once it's cut off. Dry fit
your two frames together now, check-
ing to make sure that all joints are
flush on the inner and outer faces.
You should also lay the two frames on
top of each other to make sure you
have a perfect match.
Once you're satisfied, chuck a 3/8"
TODAY'S WOODWORKER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1990
II
1/2" x 3/4"
Scrap
When routing the roundover on the inside of the
frames, use pieces of 1/2" wide scrap wood as a
stop to create an interesting corner look. Later,
this same technique is used on the door frames.
II
Panel raising bits should fit very tightly in the
collet of the router. Take off 3/16" from each side
with the first pass and then continue cutting on
the outside until your panel edge is 1/4" thick.
-
--
.... -1/4" dado
(1/ 4" deep)
--3/ 16"
I
3
1/4" inlo
lmorlises
t
Inside
L
/
Make the grooves for the panels with a 1/4" x 1/4"
slot cutting bit set at 3/16". Keep the router on
the inside of the side assemblies while cutting.
roundover bit in the router and use
spring clamps to position two pieces
of 1/211 thick x 3/4
11
wide scrap on
opposite stiles and rails to be used as
stops, as shown in Figure 4. Then
rout between them, bringing the pilot
on the bit right up to the spacer. The
object here is to leave about an inch of
r'l unrouted frame in each panel corner.
You're also establishing the outside
face of your side assemblies with
these cuts, so be sure to examine
your frames carefully and pick the
best looking stock to face out.
Routing The Panels
By now, your panels should be dry
and ready to cut to final size. Before
you start cutting, use a sharp cabinet
scraper to smooth both sides. Square
one panel edge on a jointer and rip
the other edge square, to a width of
10
11
116". Now cut three 13
1
M' long
panels out of each large panel.
I recommend using a heavy duty
router (3 h.p.) for the next step, since
you'll be taking off a lot of stock.
Chuck a sharp panel raising bit into
the router and make a single pass at a
depth of 3/16" all the way around
both faces of each panel. You're after
a final edge thickness of 1/4", which
is the size slot cutting bit you'll soon
be using on the frame. Increase the
depth by about 1/16
11
and continue
taking light cuts on the outside of
each panel until you have slightly less
than a 1/4" edge left, as shown in
Figure 5. Make sure your panel rais-
ing bit fits tightly in the collet of the
router. Without proper precautions,
large diameter bits can be dangerous.
Cut The Grooves For The Panels
Now you are ready to cut the grooves
in the stiles and rails. Remember that
panels are supposed to "float" in
frame and panel construction, so you
don't have to allow room for excess
glue. The panel will expand and con-
tract with the seasons however, so
when you test the fit, make sure
there's a little room for side to side
expansion. Before you disassemble
your frames, carefully number all
your joints so everything will go back
together nicely. Remember that the
top and bottom rails only need a
groove on the panel side.
Chuck a 1/4" x 1/4" slot cutting bit
into your router, set the depth at
3/16
11
and cut your slots from the
inside of the frame. To maintain the
integrity of the joinery, stop the
grooves 1/4" into each mortise, as
shown in Figure 6.
Assemble And Machine The Sides
Now that your stiles, rails and panels
are machined, you're ready to assem-
ble the sides. First do a dry assembly
of both sides, making sure the tenons
fit snugly into their mortises (with a
little room for glue) and the panels
float in the frame. A small plane and
some sandpaper will be handy at this
stage; you don't want to apply glue
until you're sure everything fits right.
When you're happy with the dry
assembly, take everything apart and
apply glue to the tenons. Do one side
at a time so the glue doesn't set up
early and, after 20 minutes of drying
time, go through both sides and light-
ly tap all the panels to make sure they
aren't getting glued in place by
squeeze-out. When the panels are
dry, rout a slight roundover on the
front edges of each front stile, stop-
ping 5/8" from the bottom so you'll
have a square corner for the base
assembly later (See Figure 7).
Before moving on to the shelf
dadoes, it's necessary to take a very
important sidestep. Both sides must
have 3/8
11
removed from their top on
the tablesaw. I didn't do this earlier
because I wanted to cut all my rails
and subsequent tenons with one saw
setup. Make these two cuts now on
the assembled sides.
Now set up your dado blade in the
table saw to make the 3/8" deep stop
dadoes that will hold the shelves. The
bottom three dadoes on each side
should stop 1" from the front and
should be 11/4" wide, centered on
each rail. (NOTE: Measure the thick-
ness of the plywood you'll be using
for the shelves before making these
dadoes. If it's slightly under 1/2",
then the dadoes should likewise be
slightly under 1
1
/4" wide.)
The top cut on each side is actually
a 111211 stopped rabbet, as shown in
Figure 8 . After cutting these rabbets,
use a saber saw to cut the notch at
the top front shown in Figure 8. The
tongue that is left will fit into a dado
that will be cut in the assembled top.
Finish up the two side assemblies by
routing a 1/2" deep x 1/4" wide rab-
bet on the inside back edges for the
1/411 plywood back (piece 2).
The Web Frame Shelves
Start on the shelves by cutting the
web sides, fronts and backs (pieces 7
and 8) to size and carefully assemble
the frames as shown in Figure 9.
Use two 3/8
11
x 11k" hardwood glue
dowels at each corner to strengthen
the joints. When you're done, you
should end up with four web frames
SEPTEMBER/OcrOBER 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
5/8"

Once the glue dries on the assembled sides, rout
a slight roundover on the front edges of each
front stile, stopping 5/8" from the bottom so the
base assembly has a flat surface to attach to.
Top view

1_ 32
3
/4' -------..1
Even though the side dado stops 1" from the
front, the arc of the dado blade takes up another
11/4", thus the notch is cut back a full 21/4".
exactly 32
3
/4" long by 141/2" wide.
Now cut the four 1/2" plywood
shelves (pieces 1) to size and clamp
and glue them to your web frames.
To make the edge banding for the
front, slice 3/8" wide strips from 11J4"
thick stock (pieces 12) . Cut these
pieces to length and glue them to the
front edge of each shelf. When every-
thing is dry, trim any excess and
scrape off any glue. Cut the small
notch on the front ends of the
shelves, as shown in Figure 9. Once
the shelves fit into the sides, rout the
front of the edge banding for a fin-
ished look. I used a 3/16" beading bit
in my router to make the bead down
the center of each edge band and fol-
lowed with a 3/16" roundover bit on
the outside edges. If you prefer clean
square lines, just soften the top and
bottom edge of the banding with
sandpaper and leave it at that.
3/8" D x 1 1/4" W
Stop dadoes centered on __ --
1/2" D x 1/4"W
Rabbet for
back panel
The bottom three dadoes in the side pieces are simply centered on the rails, 3/8" deep by 11/4" wide.
Stop the dadoes 1" from the front. Make sure to measure the web frame shelf thickness before cutting
the dado. The top cut on each side is actually a 11f2" stopped rabbet. The final machining on the side
assemblies is to cut the small notch at the front corner, shown in step two at right.
Back edge
3/8" W x 1/4" D
stop dado
__ n-,- ro_nt_--:'-<1I f"j
3/16' x l ' slot
3/16" x 3/4" 161/2'

Front edge I.. 36
3
/8' --.. I
When attaching the solid wood top to its web frame, be sure to use elongated holes on the sides and
front to allow for expansion and contraction. Test fit the top on the dry-clamped sides and shelves
before cutting the stop dadoes on the underside of the web frame.
Assemble The Top
Like the shelves, the solid wood top is
supported by a web frame. Start by
gluing up the top (pieces 6), as you
did earlier with the side panels. When
it's dry, sand smooth and cut to fin-
ished size, 16
1
/2" wide by 36
3
/8" long.
Chuck a 3/4" Roman agee bit in the
router and rout the bottom of both
sides and the front, leaving the back
square. Add a light chamfer to the top
if you like. Now cut the top web frame
sides, back and front (pieces 9, 10
and 11) to the sizes shown in the
material list. As you can see in Figure
10, the web sides are square at one
end and mitered at 45 on the other
end. The front web piece is mitered at
both ends and the back is square.
Test the fit and then clamp and glue
this frame together. You're ready to
cut two stop dadoes now, but to make
sure they're positioned perfectly, I
recommend that you first dry clamp
the sides and shelves together to get
an accurate measurement. Once
you're sure of the placement, cut a
3/8" wide x 1/4" deep stop dado on
the bottom of each web side. Position
the dadoes 3/4" in from each side and
stop 1" from the front. The tongues
that you left on the top of each side
earlier will fit into these dadoes. Test
your fit and then rout a 1/2" radius
cove on the bottom edge of the front
and sides of this web frame, as shown
in Figure 1 O.
Take the assembled web frame and
drill three 3/16" diameter holes in the
back web piece. Then drill one long
slot at the center of each side piece
and three more long slots on the front
piece, as shown in Figure 10. All of
these holes and slots should be coun-
tersunk. Finish up by attaching the
web frame to the top, flush with the
SEPTEMBER/OcrOBER 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
l1li
Front view
6
6
'iI3
r,
""
1
--'
3 CD
Since you're going to be mitering
these corners, cut your pieces 1/211
long and trim one unmitered end to
size on final fitting. To pick up the
molding style of the top, rout a 3/4
11
Roman agee on the top edge of the
front and side base pieces. Now miter
the front piece at both ends and the
sides at the front only. Cut the back
square with a 5/8
11
deep by 3/4
11
wide
notch at each end, as shown in Fig-
ure 12. Next cut the two dadoes
shown in Figure 12, one on the back
base piece and one on the front base
piece. These dadoes will accept the
cleats, (pieces 18) which are glued in
place with a 3
11
space left at each end.
The cleat and molding assemblies are
responsible for carrying most of the
weight of the unit, so be sure to get a
tight fit.
Once the dry assembly fits tightly, disassemble and glue and clamp the sides and shelves together.
The top assembly is attached with eight #10 by 13/4" wood screws.
back and centered from the sides
using #8 - 11/2
11
flathead screws. The
slotted holes will allow for expansion
and contraction of the top.
Assemble The Sides, Shelves and Top
By the time you finish this next step,
your bookcase will really start to take
shape. By now you've already done a
dry fit on your major pieces, so it's
time to glue and clamp the four
shelves to the sides and install the
top. I recommend that you use eight
#10 - 13/4
11
wood screws to attach the
top, four in front and four at the back,
as shown in Figure 11 above.
The Base Construction
Now comes probably the trickiest
sub-assembly of this bookcase. The
first step to assembling the base for
this bookshelf is to cut the front and
back spacer strips (pieces 13 and 14)
to size. Attach the rear spacer 3/4
11
in
from the back of the bottom web
frame, using glue and four #8 - 11/2'1
screws. Before gluing and screwing
your front spacer in position (flush
with the front of the stiles), rout a
1/ 411 radius down the length of the
top edge, as shown in Figure 12.
The next step is to machine the
base molding (pieces 15, 16 and 17).
Once the glue dries, screw the front
and back molding assemblies in
place, using four screws for each.
Glue the sides on now, using a web
clamp around the whole base and a
bar clamp across the rear. While the
glue is drying, cut the corner blocks
(pieces 19) to size and glue them into
the 3
11
space left in the dadoes at the
ends of the cleats, as shown in Figure
12. I recommend that you strengthen
this bracing with screws.
Finally, make the base shoe (pieces
20 and 21) by running a 1/211 radius
beading bit down the length of a wide
Bottom of shelf
Bottom of
web frame
Bottom of
side rail
3/4" W x 3/8" D
Dado
Base shoe front
Base sides
Corner block
The base is the trickiest sub-assembly on this bookcase. The key is to remember that the front and back molding pieces, along with their cleats, will carry
most of the unit's weight. As such, be sure that there's no play where the cleat fits into the dado on the two molding pieces. The side molding pieces are
simply glued into place at the end of the assembly. Corner braces are added to give the unit slightly more strength.
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
MATERIAL LIST
WALNUT PLYWOOD
Shelves & Top Spacer (4)
2 Back (1)
WALNUT HARDWOOD
3 Side Stiles (4)
4 Side Rails (8)
5 Panels (6) 3 per side
6 Top (3)
7 Shelf Webs: Side (8)
8 Shelf Webs: Front & Back (8)
9 Top Web: Sides (2)
10 Top Web: Back (1)
11 Top Web: Front (1)
12 Shelf Edgeband (4)
13 Front Base Spacer (1)
14 Back Base Spacer (1)
15 Base Front (1)
16 Base Sides (2)
17 Base Back (1)
Cut to final size at assembly stage.
TxWx L
1/2" x 14112" x 32
3
/4" (A-2)
1/4" X 32
7
/s" x 42112" (A-3)
3/4" x 2112" x 48"
3/4" x 2112" x 123/4"
3/4" x 3
3
/4" x 40"
3/4" x 5112" x 36
3
/8'
3/4" x 2" x 10112"
3/4" x 2" x 32
3
/4"
3/4" x 2112" x 15 7/8'
3/4" x 2112" x 30
1
/s"
3/4" x 2112" x 351/s"
11/4" x 3/8" x 32
5
/s" (edge slice)
3/4" x 2" x 32"
3/4" X 1
1
/2" x 32"
3/4" x 3" x 351/4"
3/4" x 3" x 16
3
M'
3/4" X 3
1
/8' x 33
5
/s"
TODAY'S WOODWORKER SEPTEMBER/OcrOBER 1990
TxWx L
18 Base Cleats (2) 3/4" x 2" x 27
5
/s"
19 Base Corner Blocks (4) 3/4" x 3" x 3"
20 Base Shoe Front (1) 3/4" x 3/4" x 36
13
/16"
21 Base Shoe Sides (2) 3/4" x 3/4" x 17"
22 Door Rails (6) 3/4" x 2" x 32"
23 Door Stiles (6) 3/4" x 2" x 13
7
/s"
24 Splines (12) 1/4" x 1/2" x 1
3
/4"
25 Slide Follower Strips (3) 3/4" x 3" x 31
3
/4"
26 Glue Dowels (32) 3/8" x 1
1
/2"
27 Quarter Round (6) 1/4" dia. x 48"
HARDWARE
28 #8 Screws (32) 1W'(Steel)
29 #10 Screws (8) 2" (Steel)
30 Flipper Door Slides (3 Sets) 14" (Steel)
31 Knobs (6) 1" diameter (Brass)
32 Glass (3) 3/16" x 10
1
/2" x 28
5
/s" (Tempered)
33 Wire Brads (42) 1 /2" (Steel)
34 #3 Screws (28) 1/2" (Brass)
II
Before you start machining your door frames, double check the size of your door openings to make sure
the material list measurements are still right on target. Use a slot cutting bit with the router table to
cut the grooves for the splines at the mitered corners of the door frames.
Machine the door frame exterior the same way
you did the side frames (see Figure 4). Then
disassembled and rout a 3/8" wide by 7/16" deep
rabbet on all inside edges to accept the glass.
Follower strip
When installing flipper door slides, the follower
strip is a key component, as it is the only link
between the doors and the slide mechanisms.
board and then ripping to final width.
Cut the base shoe pieces to length
and glue in place, using several
clamps for each piece.
Making The Doors
The doors have 2" wide frames that
are mitered at the corners with blind
splines. Before you start cutting the
door stiles and rails (pieces 22 and
23), go back and remeasure each
individual door opening to make sure
the material list dimensions are on
target. Now cut and miter the door
stiles and rails and use a 1/4" x 1/4"
slot cutter mounted in a router table
to cut the grooves for the splines. Set
your bit so it's 1/4" above the surface
of the table and start each groove at
the heel of each piece, stopping 1/2"
from the toe (See Figure 13). Now
cut your splines (pieces 24), shaping
one end to match the radius of the
groove.
Dry clamp the frames together with
a web clamp and use some scrap wood
and a 1/4" radius roundover bit to
create the same look as the side
frames. Mark all your joints, disassem-
ble and rout a 3/8" wide x 7/16" deep
rabbet on all inside edges of the rails
and stiles to hold the glass, as shown
in Figure 14. The final step on the
door assembly is to glue and clamp.
You're just about ready to install the
flipper door hardware, but first you
have to make the slide follower strips
(pieces 25) . Cut each of the three
pieces to size and then cut a 2" wide
by 1/4" deep dado 3" from each end,
as shown in Figure 15.
Unlike old fashioned double pin or weight
mechanisms, Accuride's flipper door slides
operate smoothly and effortlessly.
Hardware Installation
The key to installing flipper door
hardware is accurate slide placement.
Follow the manufacturer's instruction
sheet very closely and refer to "Hard-
ware Hints" on page 5 of this issue for
additional help. The photo above
shows the flipper door in action.
Once the slides are in and the
doors fit correctly, remove them and
install two brass knobs (pieces 31) on
each door. Now remove all of the
hardware and mount the glass in the
frames with mitered walnut quarter
round molding (pieces 27). Use 1/2"
wire brads (pieces 33), making sure
to pre-drill before nailing in place.
The last assembly step is to cut the
back (piece 2) to size and test the fit.
You'll install this piece with #3 - 1/2"
brass screws (four in each shelf web
and two between the shelves into the
rabbet on the sides), but hold off on
this step so you'll have easy access
for sanding and finishing.
When you're absolutely sure that
everything fits right, sand the entire
bookcase through 180 grit and finish
the piece with three coats of tung oil,
using 0000 steel wool between coats.
Reassemble your bookcase and load
it up with your favorite old books,
albums or art objects. One thing is
certain: you won't be able to overload
this sturdy piece of furniture!

T Martin Daughenbaugh is a wood-
worker from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
ClASSIC STRING TOP
( /Choose a soli d block of wood or laminate your own design. Either way,
thi s one day t urning project will yi eld a classic toy from days gone by.
By Craig Lossing
W
elcome
back to a
world classic.
In this article,
1'd like to rein trod uce
you to a toy that you
probably remember well
from the old days, the spin-
ning top. While they seem to be
a little out of favor in these mecha-
nized times, I can virtually guarantee
you that this is one gift the kids will
really love.
You can make these tops from solid
blocks of wood, but I thought we'd be
a little adventurous here and make a
multi-color laminated top out of
padauk and maple. Feel free to vary
the species, but to get a true spinner,
be sure to stay with woods of com-
mon densities.
Starting off, use 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4"
woods and laminate them into a 3" x
3" X 6" turning block. It's important
that the center of the block is solid,
and not a glue line, to eliminate the
chance of the lathe points splitting the
glue seam. I generally glue my blanks
with Titebond glue but turn to a two
part epoxy when using coco bolo or
other exotics.
Mount your top blank between cen-
ters on the lathe and turn it into a
cylinder about 21/i' in diameter. Leave
a space at each end, marking your top
3
1
/2" long. Using a parting tool, part to
1/2" diameter at each end. Now make
the 11/4" diameter notch with a small
gouge or scraper 3/8" from the top.
Round over the very top, work your
way down to the shoulder, and begin
rough shaping to the final size, as
shown above. At this point, don't go
beyond the string notch at the bottom.
Measure up 3/8" from the bottom
point and make another notch 1/2" in
diameter. Now finish tapering the
body, from the shoulder to the notch,
making sure you have a fluid curve.
Before moving on, sand the body
. "- ' (
down to 220 grit. The next step will
be a little tricky, so move with care.
Start to taper from the bottom notch
to the point. Turn to about 1/8" or
less. Cut the waste from the top and
sand it smooth. Remove the waste
from the bottom, making sure you
leave enough stock to make a fine
point. There may be some roughness
here, so shape the point by hand with
sandpaper or a knife.
Use your favorite finish to polish
your new top -I recommend a non-
toxic finishing oil. You now have a
beautiful top, but there's one last
step. You have to be able to tell some-
one how to make it spin!
A Quick Lesson In Spinning
It's really not that tough to learn
how to spin a top, the real key is in
how you wind your
string. The first thing
you're going to need
is s ome moderately
heavy cotton or nylon
string (about 1/16"
thick). Cut a piece
about fifty inches long.
Tie a knot at one end and a
loop to fit your middle finger
at the other end. Hold the top in
your left hand with the point facing
down. Press the knot of the string
under your thumb at the top of the
shoulder and wrap the string counter-
clockwise around the notch once and
over the knot, securing it in place
with your thumb again. Now, pull the
string down the body of the top to the
bottom notch and wrap it tightly in a
clockwise motion, in one layer, up the
body. Slide the middle finger of your
right hand through the loop, and hold
the toy with the point facing down.
To make the top spin, throw it
sidearm fashion toward the floor,
snapping your wrist back as it reach-
es the end of the string. If it didn't
spin the first time, try again!

Craig Lossing is a professional wood-
turner who teachs workshops regularly.
Headstock
~ - ' ' - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - ' - - - 1
Tailstock
Here's the layout for the paduk and maple top shown in the photo above. Don't feel constrained by the
traditional styling shown. Tops of any shape or form can be made to spin.
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990
KID'S
STEP
STOOL
By Bill Johnson
W
hen you're making a step
stool for little ones, there
are three things to keep
in mind. First of all, the
stool will be carried around a lot,
mostly from the sink to the toilet, but
occassionally to other rooms in the
house. As a result, you must incorpo-
rate handles that are agreeable with
little children. With this design, teach
the kids to always pick their stool up
from the far side. That way, if they
stumble, the stool sits right down
without banging their knees.
Your stool should also be steady.
Really steady. One unfortunate fall
and you might be responsible for set-
ting potty training or hygiene back by
a month. Nobody wants that, and
that's why the sides are angled out.
And the final point is durability.
That's why I added screws and plugs
to the mortised joints. Anything
that's made for kids can use an extra
screw or two. Just ask any parent.
Getting Started
Before you start in on your template,
join the stock for all four pieces,
being sure to run a little large on the
sides and stretcher. While these
pieces are drying, start working on
the template.
Enlarge and transfer the drawings
of the sides and stretcher at right to a
1/ 4" hardboard template. (You won't
need one for the seat since it has no
curves.) When cutting the template
be sure to use the dotted red lines.
This extra 1/16" allows for the
router's template guide or bushing
when you make your actual cuts on
the oak. Spend enough time to get all
the curves on the templates just right
so you won't have so much sanding
on the final piece.
Clamp your template on one of the
sides and start by cutting the 3/8"
deep T-shaped mortise, using a 1/2"
straight bit with a 1/16" bushing in
the plunge router. Plan on making
two 3/16" passes. Now move onto the
handles, and cut all the way through,
taking several passes. Finish the
sides by routing the outside shape,
using the template as a guide.
Make the template for the stretcher,
following the red dotted line for the
curved bottom. Use the router to cut
the curved bottom and the table saw
for the other three sides. You can also
cut the seat out now, using the table
saw. Don't forget to cut the notches at
the ends of the seat and stretcher.
Before you start assembling,
there's a little more machining to
complete. Chuck a 1/4" roundover bit
in the router and roundover all non-
joining edges of the seat, stretcher
and sides, including the handles.
N ow cut a 3/8" deep by 3/4" wide
through dado down the center of the
seat bottom.
Do a dry assembly to check the fit
and while it's together drill three 3/8"
counterbored holes on each side, fol-
lowed by three 1/8" screw holes, in
the positions shown at right. Sand the
separate pieces through 180 grit and
glue, screw and clamp them together.
Once the glue dries, add your plugs,
resand the sides and finish with two
coats ofWatco Natural oil.

Bill Johnson is a professional woodwor/l-
er based in Minnetonlw, Minnesota.
SEPTEMBER/ OcrOBER 1990 TO DAY'S WOODWORKER
5" R.
::' ..
Each Square = 1"

I
3/8"
I
r
I
I
I
:,.;

1'>,'
<:
3/8"
p
33IB"
II
' I
I
I
. l

,

....." .. .. + I
' ....... _;.;.: ...... , __ :.r: ... ' ,
'" ......... :::;.. -1"
...... ""., "i""
MATERIAL LI ST
f . ,
,'; ,"
, ' .. :
.
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER SEPTEMBER/OcrOBER 1990
1 Sides (2)
2 Seat (1)
3 Stretcher (1)
4 Plugs (6)
5 Screws (6)
Tx Wx L
3/4" x 12" x 14" (Oak)
3/4" x 8114" x 12
3
/4"(Oak)
3/4" x 6114" x 123/4"(Oak)
3/8" x 3/16" (Face Grain)
#8 x 1114" Wood (Flat Head)

"IN -OUT" DESK TRAY
Stack these trays or use them individually - this versatile, decorative
design will organize your paperwork.
By David Ashe
I
f you're like most
folks, bills get thrown in a
drawer until it's time to pay
them. Out of sight, out of mind
doesn't always work however. Here's
an attractive solution that will orga-
nize those bills and keep them from
an early burial.
There's not much material in this
project. Basically you'll need 1/2" and
3/8" thick birch and a contrasting
veneer inlay strip. Begin by ripping
the 1/2" material 3
1
/2" wide. You want
two pieces at this point, each long
enough to make one whole side,
including waste. The inlay pieces will
be placed dead center along the
length of each board.
To set your router bit depth for the
inlay banding, here's a little trick.
Place two strips of inlay on a scrap
board about 3" apart. Set your router
down on the strips and adjust a
straight bit down until it just touches
the scrap, as shown in Figure 1. This
gives you the exact depth you need.
Now clamp your
wood down and cut
the inlay grooves on the 3
1
12" x 48"
boards. Depending on your inlay, you
may have to make more than one
pass to match the exact width of your
inlay strip.
Carefully clean out the groove with
a sharp chisel and apply glue along
the entire length. Starting at one end,
press the inlay strip into the groove
and wipe off any excess glue with a
damp cloth.
When all the strips are in place, set
the two inlaid faces together with
paper in between them(brown gro-
cery sacks work well), as shown in
Figure 2. The paper will blot any
excess moisture, and can be easily
sanded off later. Use some scrap to
protect the outside of the wood, and
clamp the whole sandwich until dry.
While the inlaid boards are drying,
rip 3/8" birch and edge glue to form
the two panels for the trays. (You may
want to glue up 1/2" material and sur-
face down to 3/8" when the glue is
dry. Cut the two trays 9
3
/4" wide and
then measure in 3/4" from each end
and make a mark. Continue to follow
the layout in Figure 3 to make the
trays. First use a belt sander to round
each corner and then cut the notches
on the long sides. When the trays are
machined, sand each surface to its
finished stage. Be very careful at the
To set the inlay groove depth, simply lay two inlay
strips on a board, straddle the router atop the
strips and lower the bit to just touch the board.
1990 TO DAY'S WOODWORKER
fI
Kraft paper
I
Clamp the inlaid boards together, face to face
with kraft paper in between, until the glue dries.
corners so you don't break off the
small tabs.
Miter The Sides
Now you can unclamp the 3
1
/2" strips
and sand off any leftover paper. What
you're going to do is make two pic-
ture frames from this strip, each of
which becomes one of the sides. Start
by marking the pieces so that one
edge is constant, assuring that the
inlay will match at the miters.
MATERIAL LIST
TxWx L
Now miter the four pieces for each
side, using the dimensions shown in
Figure 4. Do a test fit on each side,
and then join your miters with #20
plate joinery biscuits (if you or a
friend has a plate jointer) or chuck a
1/8" slot cutter in your router and
make a blind spline groove, as shown
in the exploded view at right. Glue
the spline or biscuits into place and
draw the four sided frames together.
Don't forget to wipe off excess glue
with a damp cloth as you go.
Sides (2) 1/2" x 31/2" x 48" (Birch)
frame side through the blade,
then flip the unit to cut the other
frame.
2 Trays (2) 1/2" X 9
3
/4" X 13" (Birch)
When the two frames are dry, rout
the 1/8" deep by 3/8" wide grooves
for the tray panels. Each frame
receives two grooves, positioned 2
3
/8"
in from the long edges. Dry fit the
3 Inlay Banding (3) 1/20" x 7/16;' x 36"
4 Brass Rods (4) 3/16" dia. x 2"
two trays into the dadoes in the frame
and if everything is fitting right, glue
and clamp the assembly.
When the glue dries, remove the
clamps and set the tablesaw fence to
cut the frame into two equal halves.
Make sure you're right in the middle,
because the trays work equally well
sitting next to each other. Pass one
- 3/8" W x 1/8" D
Dado
t
Form the trays by first rounding each corner, and then use a bandsaw to cut the long notches for fitting
the trays into the side frame dadoes.
TODAY'S WOODWORKER SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990
Use dowel centers to drill
matching 3/16" diameter holes at
each of the four joint locations to
accommodate the brass rods. Sand
the whole piece to 220 grit, then apply
two or three coats of oil. Finish up
this piece with a good quality paste
wax. These make a great gift for that
special executive friend or relative.

David Ashe is a woodworker based in
Des Moines, Iowa.
3
Sidepieces
1\ IS II, p, /I
Each side is cut from
a 4S" board.
Cut all the pieces for one frame out of the same
inlaid board to maintain color and grain continuity.

... ------ TODAY'S SHOP
Sharpening Basics, Part 2: (Honing)
By Roger W Cliffe
A well ground chisel or plane iron is
the important first step in developing
a truly sharp tool, which is where we
left off in our last installment on
sharpening cutting edges. Honing the
bevel is the next process. Usually you
want to hone the leading edge of the
beveled area to a pitch 5 to 10
greater than the bevel itself. For
example, if the cutting angle is 25,
then the honing angle would be 30
to 35. Most honing is done using a
honing stone and a lubricant. The
lubricant keeps the metal chips from
loading the fine cutting surface of the
stone and increases the smoothness
of the cutting edge.
The abrasives used for honing may
be natural or synthetic. The most
common natural stones are the
Arkansas stones. Synthetic stones
include diamond, aluminum oxide, sil-
icon carbide, and Japanese water
stones. Both natural and synthetic
stones will perform equally well.
The lubricants used with the stones
during the honing operation include
water and petroleum based oils. Gen-
erally, Arkansas, aluminum oxide, and
silicon carbide stones favor oil as a
lubricant. Diamond honing stones can
be used dry or with water. I prefer to
use water when honing any cutting
edge. It is less expensive and it leaves
less residue on your hands.
About the Stones
Begin honing the blade with a coarse
stone, which are available in silicon
carbide, aluminum oxide, 220 grit car-
bide water stone, and diamond.
These stones are coarse enough to
make quick work of grinding marks.
Once the coarse grinding marks
are removed, you can proceed to a
finer honing stone. Most fine honing
stones are easy to identify through
comparison with their coarser coun-
terpart. Many synthetic stones have a
coarse face and a fine face. A soft
Arkansas stone can be identified by
its mottled black and white appear-
ance.
Many woodworkers stop honing
after these two steps, and for general
woodworking this may be good
enough. Once the tool becomes dull,
it can be touched up with the fine
stone unless it has been nicked or
damaged.
Woodcarvers usually continue hon-
ing the cutting edge beyond the fine
stone level to improve the cutting in
softer woods, which tend to crush
rather than cut. There are hard
Arkansas stones which are either
pure white or pure black in color (the
black stone is finer than the white
and is not as common) and there are
also finer Japanese water stones in
the 1200 grit range . Any of these
stones can be used to continue the
honing process.
Some carvers will buff or strop the
cutting edge to make it even sharper.
This may be done with a buffing
wheel and jeweler's rouge or with a
leather strop similar to the one used
to sharpen a straight razor. The strop
may also be impregnated with an
abrasive such as jeweler's rouge. The
buffing or stropping makes carving
or cutting across the grain easier, but
this operation is not necessary for
general woodworking.
Getting the Edge
For best results, the stones should
remain stationary during honing.
Some woodworkers clamp the stone
in a vise; others make a wooden hold-
ing device for the stones. Once the
stone is positioned, the lubricant
should be poured onto the entire sur-
face of the stone. Position the tool on
the stone with the bevel laying flat,
then lift up on the tool about 5 to 10
so that only the front of the cutting
edge is on the stone. Exert some
downward pressure on the tool and
move it across the face of the stone
using a back and forth or figure eight
motion to spread the wear over the
entire face of the stone. This tech-
nique helps avoid forming a concave
surface.
Keeping the stone lubricated dur-
ing the honing process will make the
cutting edge smoother and keep the
stone from loading up with metal par-
ticles. The water or oil mixes with the
metal and stone particles, to speed up
the honing process. Continue work-
ing until the honed area is completely
smooth.
After each honing stage a thin piece
of metal remains attached to the cut-
ting tip called a wire edge. It rolls up
on the flat (opposite) face of the tool
and looks like a piece of wire. To
remove the wire edge, place the tool
flat on the stone with the cutting edge
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
up. Hone the flat surface of the stone
with a back and forth or figure eight
motion. You will see the wire edge
begin to break away from the cutting
edge after a few strokes on the stone.
It is important to remove the wire
edge after each grit level.
When you're learning to hone the
cutting edge on some very fine grit
stones you may want to use a honing
guide to avoid digging into the face of
the stone. These devices position the
cutting tool relative to the face of the
stone, assuring the correct angle.
Maintaining the Stones
Japanese water stones can be stored
in water when not in use. This will
keep them ready for sharpening at
any time. Keep the water clean,
changing it periodically so that it does
not become contaminated. If a
Japanese water stone becomes con-
cave or nicked, it can be restored with
220 grit silicon carbide wet-dry sand-
paper. Glue the sandpaper to a very
smooth surface such as a piece of
glass. The stone can then be worked
on the abrasive surface with water
until it is smooth. The abrasive will
wear out quickly, so you may need
two or three sheets.
Most other types of honing stones
are cleaned or wiped dry after use
and stored in a covered container.
The covered container prevents the
face of the stone from loading up with
fine sawdust. Working the face of the
stone with a wire brush may restore
it, but it is best to keep the stone cov-
ered. I have seen silicon carbide and
aluminum oxide stones trued up on
concrete, but this is slow -a perfect
punishment for the person who
allowed the stone to become concave
in the first place.

Dr. Roger Cliffe is the author of "Table
Saw Techniques" and "Radial Arm
Saw Techniques", published by Sterling
Publishing Co. of New YOI'll, New York
r WHAT'S I N STORE
The Veritas Stone Pond
By Hugh Foster
Before the Veritas Stone Pond
became available, I honed my tools
on oil stones, for almost everything
about using waterstones was kind of
a pain. Man-made waterstones must
be immersed in water for at least
five minutes before use, and they
should be stored wet so they are
ready for use at all times; natural
stones and those mounted on a
wood base are exceptions that func-
tion well when wetted only a few
minutes before use. In use, the sur-
face of the stone must be kept well
wetted to wash away filings and to
keep new sharp particles exposed
on the stone for good abrasion.
Also, this stone must be flattened
regularly. Overall, using waterstones
was more of a mess than I could
handle.
The complete waterstone work
station provided by Veritas Tools
(12 East River St., Ogdensburg, NY
13669) solves all but one of the
problems. Measuring just 9W
'
x 15"
X 4", it holds three stones in wet
storage at all times and the quick
action clamps position a stone for
honing. The nonslip base keeps the
unit firmly in place on your work-
bench for honing either freehand or
with a honing guide. When I used a
honing guide with ordinary
Japanese waterstones, after grinding
on an 8" white (Norton 38A80)
wheel, I got the fastest, neatest,
sharpest edges I've ever had. This
combination is so good that I'm
beginning to think that I've found
the perfect sharpening method.
The Stone Pond comes with two
clamps for holding stones. While
the coarse and medium stones
should be removed from the clamps
for total immersion, fine stones are
usually mounted on a wooden base;
they should be left in the clamps
and just turned over to prevent the
base from warping during storage.
Also included is a piece of tem-
pered glass and a sheet of self-adhe-
sive 120 grit silicon carbide wet/ dry
abrasive for truing the stones to
within .00t" per inch of stone
The Veritas Stone Pond holds three stones in
wet storage and features quick action clamps.
length; in my shop this won't be
optional. Replacement sheets of PSA
(pressure-sensitive-adhesive) abra-
sive cost about a dollar each from
Veritas, but you shouldn't need lots
of this abrasive, for after the water
evaporates from the slurry left on
the abrasive, the remain ding pow-
ders and can be blown off the sheet.
A snug fitting lid seals the whole
operation for in-shop storage, and
permits the stones to be used on a
moments notice. Woodworkers like
me, whose shops are in outbuild-
ings, should be careful to store wet
stones in the shop only during those
parts of the year when there's abso-
lutely no danger of freezing. Since
your stone has consumed at least its
own weight in water, once it freezes,
it's history.
If you're already a good hand
sharpener, more important to you
than an edge guide might be a can
of Tri-Flow to displace the water
from the honing and thus inhibit
rust and corrosion.
Overall, the Veritas Stone Pond is
such a good idea for containing the
mess, for accuracy and for ease of
use, that I find it hard to imagine
sharpening without it. My Arkansas
stones will surely see less use now
that waterstones have become a
realistic option, and now that it's got-
ten so easy I'll be working with
sharper tools more of the time,
which can't help but make my wood-
working better .

Hugh Foster is an English teacher,
furniture builder and freelance writer
based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

.. ______ YESTERDAY'S WOODWORKER
Blade
Hand Planing
By Mike Dunbar
Hand planing a piece of wood is one of
woodworking's most satisfying
moments. No other experience beats
the feeling of a tissue thin shaving
being sliced from a surface with a razor
sharp edge. No other method of
smoothing results in the same
degree of clarity. You feel you
can actually see down into the
freshly cut wood. However, you
cannot enjoy this experience if
you do not own a high quality plane.
While some of today's woodworking
machinery is the best ever produced,
the same cannot be said of iron hand
planes. Their heyday was in the past,
roughly between the beginning of the
20th century and World War II
-dates that correspond to the time
when iron planes reached their full
development and the beginning of
mass consumerism.
When you compare an older plane
with what is made now you'll see
marked differences in quality. Old
castings were much finer with a high-
er degree of finish work. Over all,
today's tolerances are much lower
and result in more play in the moving
parts, making adjustments less pre-
cise. The handle (the tote) and the
knob on the old planes are rosewood
and are ergonomically designed to
comfortably fit the human hand .
Today's handles are roughly shaped
and in some cases are even made of
plastic. On a new plane the end of the
lateral adjustment lever (the one that
engages the blade) is no more than a
bent lip. On the old plane it is a fric-
tion reducing wheel.
If the above reasons were not
enough to establish my case, the fol-
lowing story will. The inside of an old
metal plane's body and its frog are
covered with a thin black finish called
japan (a varnish made of linseed oil
and asphalt pitch baked at 400
degrees F). This old japan is much
thinner than the finish used today. An
Handle
(Tote)
Sale
I<nurled Brass Knob
Frog Adjustment Sere
employee at one company read me an
internal memo that explained the for-
mula change -the thicker finish will
fill casting flaws and thus reduce the
number of rejects.
Since these older, high quality
metal planes are no longer made you
cannot simply pick up a catalog and
order one. Fortunately, they were
produced in such abundance that
finding them is still very easy. They
are a staple at yard sales, fl ea markets
and even antique shops, and they
usually sell for 1/2 to 1/3 the price of
a new plane.
High quality iron planes were made
by a number of companies that no
longer exist, so you are not likely to
recognize their names. Union and
Sargent ar e examples. At the same
time many brands of "handyman"
planes were also made. These were
cheap products intended for the
homeowner and not for craftsmen.
These low quality tools turn up regu-
larly and should be avoided like the
plague. How do you know you are
buying a quality plane and not a
handyman brand? The safest solution
is to stick with the old standard
- Stanley. During the first half of this
century this company made planes of
consistently high quality.
Lever Cap
Lever Cap Screw
Cap Iron
You do need to know that for many
years Stanley planes bore only the
name Bailey, which was cast into the
toe. This referred to Leonard Bailey
of Boston, Massachusetts, the man
who invented the iron plane and who
sold his patents to Stanley. Later, the
company's name was added to the
lever cap.
Stanley also made a premium line of
planes under the Bedrock brand
name. Bedrocks have a special flat
bed (rather than three points) on
which the frog rests. Both the bottom
of the frog and the bed are machined
to provide a rock solid mating sur-
face. Tolerances on the moving parts
wer e even more strict, making
Bedrocks the best mass produced
planes ever made in the United
States. However, you have to pay for
this quality -they usually run about
$100.00.
Although I maintain an entire shelf
of planes (many reserved for special
uses) for general bench work I sug-
gest you own at least four -a #7 joint-
er, a #5 jack, a #4 smooth and a block
plane. All are r eadily available ,
usually for between $20 and $30.
Buying an older Stanley, Bailey or
Bedrock will guarantee you better
quality than is available today, but the
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1990 TODAYS WOODWOI<KEH
tools' condition will vary from plane
to plane depending on how it's been
treated. Therefore, it is unwise to
grab the first one you see, and since
these planes are so common you can
afford to be very choosy.
Study the accompanying exploded
view to learn what the parts are, what
they are named, and what they look
like, so that when considering a plane
you can make sure that it's complete.
Also, check all the parts to be sure
they are original to the plane. Other-
wise, they might not fit correctly and
might not work properly. Finally,
determine that none of these parts
are damaged. Do not hesitate to dis-
assemble the plane as this will allow
you to scrutinize the body and frog
for cracks. Look at the handle to be
sure it has not been broken.
Wear and abuse are other flaws you
should avoid, but do not confuse
these problems with dirt. Although a
grimy plane will clean up very easily,
wear is permanent. Here are some
things to keep in mind: The plane's
wooden parts should retain some of
their original varnish and not be
excessively dented or chipped. Be
sure the sole is not badly worn as
occurs when the tool has been repeat-
edly used on painted wood. The han-
dle and knob should be tight and all
screws should have well defined
threads -their slots should not be
rolled over or broken. The lateral
adjustment lever should be tight, but
still move easily enough that you
need not worry about breaking it.
The friction free wheel should also
turn easily as should the longitudinal
knob, although it must have a mini-
mum amount of slop. You should not
have to turn the knob three times
before the ''Y'' lever begins to move.
Finally, the spring under the cap's
cam lever should still be stiff so that
the lever does not flop about.

Mike Dunbar is the author of several
books on woodworking, including
((Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic
Woodworking Tools", his most recent,
published by Sterling Publishing Co.
r FINISHING THOUGHTS
Water Based Lacquers
By Jerry TerHarll
When you've been in the fin-
ishing business for as long as
I have, you expect, and often
welcome changes. New finish-
ing formulas come out, new
spraying technologies evolve
and sometimes old ideas are
brought back to the forefront.
But nothing I've seen to date
will begin to compare with the
changes expected in the next
decade if certain components
of the Clean Air Act are
passed by Congress.
What's on the agenda is a nation-
wide set of regulations concerning
the use and dispersal of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs). If this
happens, high solvent content mate-
rials such as varnish and lacquers
may be forced to the wayside.
They'll be difficut to replace, but
there is a safer and cleaner technol-
ogy beginning to show some
promise if this is necessary -water
based lacquers.
What is water based lacquer? In a
technical nutshell, it's a product that
relies on water emulsions and
acrylics as binders instead of nitro-
cellulose, the solvent used in lac-
quers today. A small amount of gly-
cols are also included as softeners.
Beyond that, the chemistry of water
based lacquers is secret due to the
competition in this business.
What is clear is that many new
companies are favorably comparing
their water b a s ~ d lacquers to the
older nitrocellulose based lacquers,
claiming the same fast drying times,
hardness, adhesion and durability
and the added bonus of low odor. In
the course of my own testing I've
noticed that some of the new water
based lacquers lack clarity during
the application stage and some con-
tinue to be a little short of clarity
even after the finish has dried. The
obvious reason for this is the pres-
ence of water in the mixture.
That's why it's critical to carefully
check the manufacturer's applica-
tion directions. Remember, this is a
pretty new technology and kinks are
being worked out at a very rapid
rate. Every company has their own
approach and particular instructions
for use. Some are already offering
stains that are compatible with their
lacquer, while others do not.
I strongly recommend that wood-
workers with small shops and week-
end woodworkers start experiment-
ing with these water based finishes,
especially because of the safety fac-
tor. One point that needs to be
brought out is that, as with all finish-
es, you still have to be careful with
water based lacquers. If you don't
use caution, it will still burn -even
latex paint has a flash point.
The best water based finish I have
found on the shelves of the hard-
ware or paint store is "Safe and Sim-
ple Clear Finish", manufactured by
Carver Tripp. This product is
designed for the average homeown-
er, who may not own a spray system.
I found that it brushes and sprays on
nicely and produces a hard, clear
finish. It also comes with an optional
hardener that will add extra durabili-
ty to surfaces that get lots of use.
Sooner or later, it looks like water
based lacquers are going to be an
important part of our finishing rou-
tine. Whether you're just starting to
learn or an old pro, I think you
should give one of the new water
based lacquers a chance. You may
be pleasantly surprised!

Jerry TerHark lectures nationwide on
wood finishing and heads the Dakota
County Technical College's wood fin-
ishing program in Rosemount, Minn.

.. ______ READER'S GALLERY
Woodworking With Alaskan Birch
Alaska is well known for its vast open
space and immense beauty, but not
necessarily for its supply of indige-
nous hardwoods. The Alaska Creative
Woodworkers Association (PO Box
201796, Anchorage, AK 99520) spon-
sors a contest each year requiring
the use of one of the few arctic hard-
woods available, Alaskan birch.
The judged wood exhibit takes
place each February as part of the
"Fur Rendezvous", a local fair / carni-
val providing a winter social break for
250,000 Anchorage residents.
The annual event, from which the
pieces on this page were selected is
called the "2XForm Challenge" and
allows any item of furniture or art to
be crafted from a rough cut, "air
Wall Cabinet
dried" birch 2/1 x 6/1, eight feet long.
According to the organizers, some of
the boards were still damp this year,
adding a new twist to the challenge.
Accent Table
By Bill Reinbold
Laminated Birch Chair
By Arnold Geiger By Gary Johnson
Round End Table
By Dennis Schulze
Hall Table
By Tom Gamble
SUPPLIERS:
The mail order suppliers listed below
carry the wood and hardware needed
to build the projects in this issue of
Today's Woodworker magazine.
Garrett Wade
Dept. TW
161 Ave. oflhe Americas
New York, NY 10013
The Woodworkers' Store
Dept. TW
21801 Industrial Blvd.
Rogers, MN 55374
NEXT ISSUE:
Constantines
Dept. TW
2050 Eastchester Rd .
Bronx, NY 10461
Trendlines
Dept. TW
375 Beacham St.
Chelsea, MA 02150
As a result of numerous requests from
our readers, the next issue will feature
a beautiful chest of drawers and an
easy to make bedside night stand.