COOL TOOLS! 2ND ANNUAL READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS (p.

58)

“America’s leading woodworking authority”™

40
YEARS

Greene and Greene

Dresser
Arts & Crafts icons
inspire the style of this
bedroom piece

HIGH-TECH TOOLS, 5

PARTY TRAY PROJECT 1

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Page 70 1
2

February 2016

One Weekend: 2

One Bookcase 3
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 Wo o d w o r k e r ’s J o u r n a l

Contents
Februar y 2016 Vo l u m e 4 0 , N u m b e r 1

Projects Page 36

Fun With Pen Turning

By Ernie Conover
Enjoyable for
beginners, pen turning
offers all sorts of options:
kits in all price ranges,
with a variety of materials. Page 52

Page 44

Folding Work Station

By Ralph Bagnall
Torsion box construction adds strength to this
foldaway workbench: a practical solution to limited
shop space.

Old-fashioned Music Box

By Sandor Nagyszalanczy Basic Bookcase
Create your own musical mechanism in this By A.J. Hamler
antique-inspired melody maker. This weekend
project drops the
frills in favor of
classic style and
solid woodworking
skills.

Greene and Greene

Mahogany Dresser
By Chris Marshall
Impressive both in style
and substance, and inspired
by the Arts & Crafts era, this
bedroom piece includes 10 spacious
drawers (some of them “secret”!) and Page 72
handmade pulls.
Page 28

4 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

PROFESSIONAL HVLP

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Introducing the SprayPort 6000 Series
for a Flawless Finish
• Compact and robust 2
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• Pro-8™ non-bleed gun in
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• 25' Lightweight and
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 Departments

8 Letters 24 Woodturning 86 Finishing Thoughts

What readers really thought about
the legs on our Slab Top Table.
14 Tricks of the Trade
Easily pop your glue bottle top,
remove glue drips, and other fixes
for sticky situations.
Make a little money with your How to get a high-gloss finish.
woodturning — of spindles.
90 Hey … Did You Know?
58 Reader’s Survey Nutty trivia and more “paints” a
In the second annual Readers’ picture of woodworking history.
Choice awards, WJ readers pick
their favorite tools of the past year.

16 Questions & Answers/Stumpers 70 Technology and Woodworking

How dry your lumber should be; CNC routing and laser engraving
emerald ash borer information. add details to a Party Puzzle Tray.

20 Shop Talk 78 What’s in Store

British designer grows trees into New options for turning, sanding,
furniture. routing small circles and more.

woodworkersjournal.com
N OT AGAIN! Woodworkersjournal.com is
changing again? It’s only been a year since we
updated to a new design that ever yone really likes.
Why would we change something that’s working?
Maybe change is the wrong word — we’re adding —
adding a lot more to the site for our magazine subscrib-
ers. What do I mean by “a lot more”? I mean every past
issue of the magazine. Every issue! Every plan, tech-
nique, tip and article printed from 1977 up to the most
recent. Plus, more new videos, articles and plans! Everything that’s on the
site now will still be available for anyone to view, but there will be “a lot more”
for you, the magazine subscribers. Wait a minute; in this case, change is good!
Keep an eye on our site. Premium content will be available soon. Also, you’ll
need to know your account number to access the premium articles. You can
find your account number just above your address on the mailing label stuck
to the cover of every issue (see example photo, right).
— Dan Cary

6 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 New Season Fall 2015
Over 23 New Products

EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS

INFLATABLE SHIM
Great for leveling
appliances, installing
cabinets, & other
woodworking projects

www.teknatool.com
www.WINBAGUSA.com
for more information The Inventor of the WINBAGS®

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 7

 Letters ROCKLER PRESS
THE VOICE OF THE WOODWORKING COMMUNITY

FEBRUARY 2016
Volume 40, Number 1
You’re a Tough Crowd! ROB JOHNSTONE Publisher
JOANNA WERCH TAKES Editor
I THOUGHT THREE CHOICES WOULD BE ENOUGH ... CHRIS MARSHALL Senior Editor
If you can remember back to our September/October 2015 JEFF JACOBSON Senior Art Director
issue, you might recall that I built a slab topped table and JOE FAHEY Associate Art Director
DAN CARY Senior Web Producer
proposed three different leg options to complete the table.
MATTHEW HOCKING Internet Production Coordinator
Then, we gave you an option of going online and voting for MARY TZIMOKAS Circulation Director
which style of legs you thought best suited the top ... LAURA WHITE Fulfillment Manager
aesthetically, practically — whatever you decided. So now
Founder and Chairman
that the votes have been totaled and the results registered with a top 5 accounting ANN ROCKLER JACKSON
company, which style of legs did you prefer? Um, none of them, really. It seems that Publisher Emeritus
you were totally underwhelmed with the suggestions I created. And while several LARRY N. STOIAKEN
of you wrote to explain what sort of legs you thought would have been better Contributing Editors
(see the letters that follow this editorial), we did get a winner from our survey. NORTON ROCKLER
SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY
The hairpin legs were the winner in our voting, although it was a slim margin. ERNIE CONOVER
But even so, we did have three gift winners from those who participated in the
Advertising Sales
survey, and here they are: ALYSSA TAUER Advertising Director
atauer@woodworkersjournal.com
DAVID BECKLER National Sales Representative
Doug May .......... Lubbock, Texas
dbeckler@woodworkersjournal.com
Cindy Navarro............ San Francisco, California (469) 766-8842 Fax (763) 478-8396
Warren Edmonds ......... Clinton, Tennessee
Editorial Inquiries
JOANNA WERCH TAKES
Thanks to all who participated — all I can say is that I will try harder the next time. jtakes@woodworkersjournal.com

— Rob Johnstone Subscription Inquiries

(800) 765-4119 or
Not-So Lovely Legs www.woodworkersjournal.com
Write Woodworker’s Journal, P.O. Box 6211,
I loved the look of the
Harlan, IA 51593-1711
top [of the “Slab Top email: WWJcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com. Include mailing
Table,” October 2015], label for renewals and address changes. For gift
and you did a nice job subscriptions, include your name and address and
finishing it, but who your gift recipient’s.
thought up the leg
Book Sales and Back Issues
samples? They totally
Call: (800) 610-0883
destroy the look of the www.woodworkersjournal.com
table. None of them fit
Wayne Mitzer’s table uses dogwood legs. Other Questions or Problems
the top at all.
Call: 763-478-8255
Chuck Snyder Thanks for the great article on the
rjohnstone@woodworkersjournal.com
Tualatin, Oregon slab table. I had finished a similar
project a few months ago with a Woodworker’s Journal (ISSN: 0199-1892), is published in February,
I find none of the three leg op- maple slab. Though I voted in April, June, August, October and December by Rockler Press Inc.,
tions appealing. All three seem your “leg selection” contest, it was 4365 Willow Dr., Medina, MN 55340. Periodical postage paid at
like an afterthought. I would really a vote for the lesser of the Medina, Minnesota and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send
all address changes to Woodworker’s Journal, P.O. Box 6211, Harlan,
use a pedestal with three floor three evils. None of the legs fit the
IA 51593-1711. Subscription Rates: One-year, $19.95 (U.S.); $28.95
extensions with angles to match tabletop at all. Two are much too U.S. funds (Canada and other countries). Single copy price, $5.99.
the top. flimsy looking, and the pipes seem Reproduction without permission prohibited. Publications Mail Agreement
Fred Johnson Number 0861065. Canadian Publication Agreement #40009401.
Rockford, Illinois Continues on page 10 ... ©2015 Rockler Press Inc. Printed in USA.

8 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 9

 Letters continued
Robert Patterson found pieces
in his woodpile for legs on his
slab top table.
10
very incongruous with the
lovely wood figure. For my
legs, I used 3" limbs from a
dead dogwood tree, and this
seems to fit the slab much
better. To install the legs,
I used 11⁄ 2" tenons on each
of the legs that were set at
an 8˚ angle. The finish was
brushed shellac, then two
coats of clear gel varnish.
Wayne Mitzner
Towson, Maryland
I read your article with some
amusement. Three years ago
John Ueleke’s slab table uses a stump for a base.
I had the same problem and
built three sets of legs as well Here is a redwood burl table On your piece, another
as purchasing a set of wood- I recently finished. After option is one I leaned toward
en cylindrical tapers. None of buying the slab, I stewed before finding the stump: a
for months on the best base round, segmented light wood
to build. My son and I were that flares out to the base.
elk hunting in Colorado, Gives it mass to balance the
and he saw this stump and top. That is an issue common
said that is what I needed. to the thick tops.
We got it out of the ground John Ueleke
and included the rock that Germantown, Tennessee
was embedded in the roots.
As it is hollow and partly Be Safe When Turning!
decayed, mounting it was a My issue of the magazine
challenge. Ended up using arrived today (thank you). I
black pipe and flanges for quickly read the article “10
the main support. The wal- Minutes to Woodturning”
nut is from recent logging [October 2015]. I find there
them met my expectation as on our Tennessee farm. I to be a serious omission in
they were all too light for the think the trunk is probably it: safety! Not a word of text
top. My wife had beautifully piñon pine. It has a lot of about dust mask or eye pro-
finished the top of English meaning for us. tection. OK, there is a picture
elm which I had acquired
from Hearne Hardwoods in
New Oxford, Pennsylvania.
So I packed the top and took
it to my Canadian summer
house. Once there, I found
the pictured pieces in the
wood pile and dried them for
two years. I think my solution
better matches top and leg
masses much better then any
of yours shown or the ones I
created before. Best of luck
with your final solution.
Robert J. Patterson
Smiths Falls, Ontario Continues on page 12 ...
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 11

 Letters continued
There’s more online at
woodworkersjournal.com
www.woodworkersjournal.com
MORE ON THE WEB
Check online for more content
covering the articles below:
Woodturning (page 24):
Routing flutes in a turned spindle
(video)
Greene & Greene Dresser
(page 28):
Using templates to cut box
joints at the table saw (video);
additional construction drawings
and details (PDF)
Folding Work Station
(page 36):
How a folding work station
works in a garage (video);
plywood cut layouts (PDF)
Music Box (page 44):
Music box slat and drum assem-
bly process (video); instructions
and chart to create song-specific
pin layout (PDF)
Pen Turning (page 52):
Turning a pen on a lathe (video)
Technology & Woodworking
(page 70): Finishing process
and CNC routing tips (video);
puzzle piece files (.tap and PDF);
grapevine file (PDF)
Weekend Projects (page 72):
Cutting dadoes on the table saw;
using a pocket-hole jig (videos)
12
of a guy turning with a face
shield, but emphasis on safe-
ty is badly needed! When I
enter the shop, after donning
my turner’s smock, next is
dust mask, then face shield.
A couple of years ago, while
turning a lid for a vessel, the
piece of maple split along an
unseen crack and flew toward
my face. Fortunately it hit
my face shield — otherwise
it would have been a sharp
corner right in the nose!
James Yarbrough
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Protecting Outdoor Items
In the October 2015 issue,
in the Q&A section, you
guys answered a question
about weatherworn outdoor
furniture needing refinishing.
The answer you guys gave
has one step that is contrain-
dicated in the climate I live
in, around Seattle, Washing-
ton. We get approximately
30 inches of rain a year and
the humidity is nearly always
higher than 30%. Everyone I
have talked to tells me that
power washing is a bad idea
in our climate. The challenge
is the wood will never dry
sufficiently, especially if you
do something to seal the
surface of the wood. I would
use something similar to
Murphy’s Oil Soap as the
pressure washing replace-
ment. After the cleaning, I
would move them into my
shop for a couple of weeks
before applying the teak oil
or deck finish as you suggest-
ed. I have refinished several
things that live outside in my
climate using this method. I
have had good success.
Eric Felch
Lacey, Washington
Outfeed Table
Your article regarding
a table saw output table
[“Multipurpose Outfeed
Cart,” October 2015]
caught my attention as
I have used a similar
table for five years. My
table is made from an
old Sears tool stand
with a plywood top reinforced
around the edges. I also have
a similar table that I use as an
input table, allowing me to rip
full sheets of plywood or long
boards without help. About
three years ago (before I saw
Kreg’s latest version), I also
modified my Kreg Pocket
Screw fixture to help support
wide pieces. To help control
Bob Witt shared how he has set
dust when using my miter up and used his table saw outfeed
saw, I built a dust booth from table.
a wood frame and covered it
with sheet metal from round construction business for
heating ducts. The port at over 40 years, and the term
the back is connected to the “contractor’s grade” refers
vacuum system. to basic or no-frills models of
My shop is not fancy but items normally installed by a
functional and cramped. I builder in new construction.
enjoyed your article; keep Contractors try to keep costs
publishing your ideas. as low as possible by pur-
Bob Witt chasing the lowest cost, basic
Howell, Michigan models of light fixtures, ap-
pliances, flooring, etc. They
Clarifying “Grades” then will offer the customer
In your October 2015 issue, the option to upgrade to
Keith Deck questioned the “commercial” or “profession-
advice of a big box sales clerk al” items at additional cost.
concerning the purchase Love your magazine.
of “contractor’s grade” Chuck Mitchell
merchandise [Questions & Jacksonville, Florida
Answers]. I have been in the
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 13

 Tricks of the Trade
Sponsored By

Tricks for Stuck Nozzles and Drips

Longer Sleeves Still

Work on Shorter Drums
I make a lot of band saw
boxes, but the 41⁄2" height
of my spindle sander
drums wasn’t tall enough
to sand the entire surface
of my projects. Then I dis-
covered that I can install 6"-
long sanding sleeves on the
same short rubber drums.
The longer sleeves are still
stiff enough to do the job,
even when unsupported
Quick Way to Pop the Top near the top. No need to
I used to reach for a screwdriver to pry up the nozzle of buy a bigger sander.
my glue bottle when it would get stuck — but there’s an Mel Johansen
easier way to do it. On Titebond® bottles, a 9/16" wrench Glendale, Arizona
fits under the nozzle’s flared edges perfectly. Then lever
the wrench down to pop up the top. Works great!
John Crouse
Wolcott, New York

Finishing Pyramids from Scrap

Zero-clearance Insert for Plywood Cutting
Sheet goods are too bulky to lift onto my table saw, so I prefer to
use my cordless circular saw. Trouble was, the tearout was awful. I
installed a $6 plywood cutting blade (100-tooth), then stuck a hard-
board sub-base to the underside of the saw’s base with carpet tape.
With the saw immobilized, I plunge-cut down through the hard-
board to create a zero-clerarance throatplate. Now, my circ saw cuts
plywood clean as a whistle. But be careful: The saw’s guard remains
retracted with this occasional retrofit. I remove the sub-base after
cutting plywood to release the guard again for other types of cuts.
Steve Graham
Glen Allen, Virginia
Here’s a cheap way to make all the finishing “pyra-
mids” you need for supporting parts while they dry.
Bevel rip a strip from the corner of a piece of 11⁄2"-thick
stock at 45° to form a long prism shape. Then, attach
an auxiliary fence to your table saw’s miter gauge. Hold
the scrap with the wide, ripped edge flat against the mi-
ter gauge fence and down against the saw table. If you
pivot the miter gauge 45° in both directions, two cuts
will create a pyramid. Mark the fence where the outer
edge of the first pyramid intersected it. Repeating this
process, and aligning the wood with your fence layout
line, will produce a small waste piece and then a second
pyramid. A three-foot strip of scrap will quickly turn
into a dozen or more handy pyramids, all the same size.
Serge Duclos
Delson, Quebec

14 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 PICK
OF THE
TRICKS
Safety First
Learning how to operate power
and hand tools is essential for
developing safe woodworking
practices. For purposes of
clarity, necessary guards have
been removed from equipment
shown in our magazine. We
in no way recommend using
this equipment without safety
guards and urge readers to
strictly follow manufacturers’
instructions and safety
precautions.

Heat Removes Glue Drips Without Damaging Benchtop

Here’s a simple way to remove dried wood-glue drips from your workbench. Warm the
glue with a heat gun for about 30 seconds until it turns rubbery. Then you can peel it off
easily with a scraper or putty knife without prying up wood fibers in the process.
Jose Martin
Altamont, Tennessee

TRICKS OF THE TRADE SPONSORED BY TITEBOND

In addition to our standard
payment (below), Jose Martin of

Regardless of your experience Altamont, Tennessee, will also

receive six bottles each of Titebond
in woodworking, Titebond has
Original and Titebond II and a
a stable of glues to serve your Titebond pullover jacket for being
needs. Two noted favorites are selected as the “Pick of the Tricks”

Titebond Original Wood Glue and winner. We pay from $100 to $200
for all tricks used. To join in the fun,
Titebond II Premium Wood Glue.
send us your original, unpublished
trick. Please include a photo or
Titebond Original has been the
drawing if necessary. For your
industry standard since 1955 and
chance to win, submit your Tricks to
is perfect for interior work. Woodworker’s Journal, Dept. T/T,
Titebond II offers water P.O. Box 261, Medina, MN 55340.
Or send us an email:
resistance and a longer open
tricks@woodworkersjournal.com
time for most outdoor projects.
Be sure to consider these proven
options for your next wood-
working project.

For more info, visit titebond.com

or call 1-800-347-4583.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 15

 Questions & Answers
How Dry Should
Slab Lumber Be?
THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS
Rob Johnstone is
the publisher of
Woodworker’s Journal.
Michael Dresdner is a nationally
known finishing expert and
author of The New Wood
Finishing Book.
Joanna Werch Takes is editor of
Woodworker’s Journal.
Contact us
by writing to “Q&A,”
Woodworker’s Journal,
4365 Willow Drive,
Medina, MN 55340,
by faxing us at (763) 478-8396
or by emailing us at:
QandA@woodworkersjournal.com
Please include your home
address, phone number and
email address (if you have one)
with your question.
Q My husband and I enjoy
your magazine. About
a month ago, we were lucky
to secure three large slabs
from a very large sequoia.
We have them drying in our
garage. We had planned to
make them into tabletops and
were pleased to read your
“Slab Top Table” article in
the October 2015 issue.
Question not addressed in
your article: what moisture
content was your slab when
you began your work? Was it
air-dried? Kiln-dried?
Ernesta Ballard
Ketchikan, Alaska
A The stock I was work-
ing with had already
been through a combination
of kiln and air drying.
Here are some general
rules for air drying stock:
You should stack your slabs
with kiln-dried sticks of wood
between the slabs — this is
cleverly called “sticking up.”
Do not lay the bottom of the
pile right on the concrete
floor of your garage: the
concrete will likely have a
good bit of moisture moving
through it, so prop the slab
several inches above the
floor at a minimum. The
thickness of the sticks you
use as spacers should be at
least as thick as the slabs you
are drying (2"-thick slabs
require 2"-thick sticks). A
guideline for air drying green
lumber is one year for every
inch of stock thickness. Of
course, if you live in the Mo-
jave Desert, your drying time
would be much less.
How dry does a slab of lumber
need to be before you can use it?
If you think of a board of
wood as made up of long,
skinny fibers, and those
fibers being similar to soda
straws filled with water,
you’ll understand why the
water would evaporate from
the ends of the boards more
quickly than from the center
section of the boards. By
shrinking (drying) faster
than the middle of the board,
cracks or “checks” quickly
occur. To slow the moisture
from leaving the ends of
the boards (and reduce the
occurrence of checking), you
should apply wax or paint on
the ends.
So now that I’ve gone on
and on, I will try to answer
your actual question. First
of all, the only way to truly
know how much moisture
is in your lumber is with a
moisture meter. With your
meter in hand, for softwoods,
the highest value for “dried”
lumber is 19%. If you are go-
ing to use one slab to make
one tabletop (in other words,
you are not edge-gluing them
together), 19% would work.
I personally would aim for
15% or lower.
With that said, the slabs
will continue to expand and
contract with seasonal chang-
es in the relative humidity, so
keep that in mind as you join
the legs to the table.
— Rob Johnstone
Q I am finishing a lot
of wood paneling for
renovating my home, putting
three coats of Defthane
oil-based (gloss) polyure-
thane on my panels, and
sanding between coats. I like
to match the amber tint of
an oil-based varnish with a
water-based product. Do you
have some recommendations
(like recipes for making up
quarts)?
—Tim Frew
Wheaton, Minnesota
A Coloring water-based
finish is surprisingly
easy. In fact, any water-based
dye will tint water-based poly-
urethane. However, Trans-
Continues on page 18 ...

16 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal



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 Stumpers
Laying It On the Line
Tool electrifies linemen’s memories
What’s This?
Joe Mollo of Brackney,
Pennsylvania, found this tool in
his father-in-law’s garage after his
passing. Neither Joe nor the oldest
woodworker he knows can identify
it. Do you know what it is?
Send your answer to
stumpers@woodworkersjournal.com
or write to “Stumpers,”
Woodworker’s Journal, 4365
Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340
for a chance to win a prize!
Woodworker’s Journal editor
Joanna Werch Takes compiles
each issue’s Stumpers responses
— and reads every one.
18
Several readers could iden-
tify the mystery tool from
October 2015, submitted by
John Wahlmeier
of San Manuel,
Arizona — in-
cluding Donald
Dingman of Wheatland,
Wyoming, who said, “I
worked as a lineman 60
years ago for the R.E.A.
in Minnesota.”
That’s the Rural Elec-
trification Admin-
istration. Another
former lineman
(out of many who
responded), Herbert
Hageman of Decorah,
Iowa, identified the tool as
an “old-fashioned armor rod
installation tool.”
It was used, as Raymond
Woodworth of Anchorage,
Alaska, said, “to install
aluminum alloy rods around
overhead electric wire.”
This, said Carl Emblom
of Sauk Centre, Minnesota,
“prevents damage to the
power line caused by the
wire or metal clamp that
holds the conductor to the
insulator.”
Elwood Gillilland of
Kilowatt Classroom LLC
in Casper, Wyoming, said
the tool’s “center hole (or
half-hole with the tool open)
goes around the conductor
Winner! C.F. “Bud” Dieter of Schertz, Texas,
wins a RIDGID 10” Dual Bevel Miter Saw (R4112).
We toss all the Stumpers letters into a hat to
select a winner.
It’s not used anymore, but many
retired linemen remember this
tool from the 1950s and ‘60s.
after the rods are loaded into
the outer ring of holes.”
“Using two tools, you
twisted one to the left and
one to the right. This made a
very neat wrap,” said Dean
Babb of Cheraw, Colorado.
The lineman, said Herbert
Hageman, would then
“install a small U-bolt clamp
on each end to hold the rods
in place.”
“The eyes on the ends of
the handles,” noted reader
Stephen E. Foltz of Macon,
Missouri, “were used for hot
sticks to twist the armor rod
on the wire on a live power
line before tying it into an
insulator.”
Said Bruce Hoehne of
Stanton, Nebraska, “Even-
tually, preformed armor rod
was invented, making these
tools obsolete.” The rods
they installed have become
part of history, too: Steven
Relph of Camanche, Iowa,
tells us, “I have removed
many of these type as lines
were retired.”
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
Questions & Answers
continued
Tint liquid concentrate dyes,
which you can find at Rockler
stores, are the easiest to use:
simply add a few drops of dye
directly into the finish and
stir. The TransTint squeeze
bottle allows enough control
to add a drop at a time.
I ascribe to the “give a man
a fish…” school of thought,
so I’d rather teach you the
steps than give you a recipe.
Start with a half cup of finish
and keep track of how many
drops of dye you add. That
way you can easily scale up
both ingredients to a larger
amount once you hit the
right formula. Brush some
of the sample material onto
scraps of the same wood and
let it dry to check the color,
since the film will dry to a
different color than it appears
while wet.
Try TransTint Honey
Amber first; it almost always
does the trick all by itself.
If not, look intoTransTint
Golden Brown or TransTint
Dark Vintage Maple. Better
yet, be adventurous and buy
an assortment of colors to
experiment with, and you’ll
soon be matching colors like
a pro.
— Michael Dresdner
Q I just purchased four
Tahitian hau logs from
Hawaii and found what looks
like two emerald ash borers
in one of the logs. Has the
EAB transmitted to Hawaii?
John Glenn
Wasilla, Alaska
image courtesy of Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension

and more brightly metallic

green than most other U.S.
Agrilus species. It’s also the
only Agrilus species found in
North America with a dorsal
abdomen surface colored
It can be easy to confuse the emerald ash borer with other insects that bright metallic red — If you
aren’t the culprits in the destruction of ash trees.
retained the suspect speci-
Winner!
For simply sending in her
question on drying lumber,
Ernesta Ballard of Ketchikan,
Alaska, wins a
General International 7-piece

A According to the
emeraldashborer.info
website and USDA subject
the site lists phone numbers
to call from various states
and provinces.
men, USDA entomologists
will evaluate it and make
an ID. (Some other species
Deluxe 8" Dado Blade Set
(item 55-185).

matter expert Sharon Lucik,
the farthest west the EAB
has been verified is Colorado.
If you do think you’ve
spotted the EAB or its
damage — serpentine trails
under the bark, left by larvae
boring into the cambium —
You’ll also find a helpful
Emerald Ash Borer Identi-
fication Guide on the site. A
couple of things to note: the
Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus
planipennis) in general is
somewhat larger (ranging
from 10 to 13 millimeters)
may cause confusion from a Each issue we toss new
reddish color of their folded questions into a hat and
dorsal wings.) draw a winner.
If you have additional ques-
tions, you can call the EAB
hotline at 866-322-4512.
— Joanna Werch Takes

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 19

 Shop Talk
A Chair Grows in England
Gavin Munro checks experimental shapes of his lumber, which he grows
directly into furniture shapes. Numerical codes on the testing area help
him to note progress.
Furniture Forest
B
ritish furniture design-
er Gavin Munro has
studied the process
of controlled tree growth
and the behavior of groves
of pruned trees (“coppices”
in British English), and has
taken it all several steps
further. In a 21⁄2-acre field
in Derbyshire, England, he
planted around 3,000 young
trees. After eight years
working on guided growth,
he plans a harvest in 2016 of
ready-grown furniture.
You might call it “creative
arboriculture” or maybe
“living sculpture.” The art
involves guiding young tree
development using cables or
frameworks and using pre-
cise techniques of pruning
and grafting.
What could be seen as
eccentric is, in fact, detailed
This unusual shape will grow into a lampshade. Gavin guides the growth and documented experimen-
by pushing tree limbs through holes in perforated plastic, then fastening tation. Gavin is supported
them with horticultural wire. by the European Union’s
20 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
Climate KIC, which subsidiz-
es new sustainable business-
es that could reduce carbon
emissions in manufacturing.
This green aspect is one of
Gavin Munro’s greatest mo-
tivations. He is keen to share
his research: If big compa-
nies take it up as a viable
production method, then the
environment will benefit and,
he feels, this alone would be
a success. The energy used
in transport and manufacture
could be reduced massively.
As his reputation spread,
his order book filled.
Everything growing is, in
theory, sold. He also receives
commission inquiries. Inter-
estingly, a popular request
is coffins for green funerals.
The main product is chairs,
then various shapes and sizes
of earthy lampshades, then a
greater challenge: tables.
Although a work in
progress, his display of
flourishing, organically fed
and sculpted young ash,
sycamore, hazel, sessile oak,
red oak, crab apple, willow
and wild cherry already
looks like stunning one-off
art pieces.
How They Grow
Early on in this project,
Gavin observed that chairs
are best grown upside-down.
While it might seem logical
to start with a sapling for
each leg, it is not so. Trees
grow outwards, so they adapt
Grafting the limbs together creates natural laminates, which bring added
strength to chair pieces.
comfortably to spreading and
being formed into chair legs.
As Gavin puts it, “You have to
learn to think like a tree” by
watching what it does. New
shoots are soft, vegetable-like
and non-fibrous. They can be
radically bent and, if suit-
ably supported, as the tree
matures that is the shape the
new wood acquires.
When the first two healthy
shoots grow from a mother
root, the chairmaker eases
them horizontally in op-
posite directions, creating
the chair back’s top rail.
As they proceed, vertical
shoots sprout. These mature
to become back spindles
after the maker selectively
prunes them down to three
or four — whatever works
visually. As the outer top rail
gains sufficient length (i.e.,
the width of the chair back),
the shoots are bent upwards
to push towards the light
and form the chair’s back
legs, while lateral shoots are
trained to begin the growth
of the seat.
Gavin has developed a
reusable framing box system
created from thin cellular
plastic sheeting used for
signboards, which he has as-
sembled into a chair-shaped
mold with sequences of holes
to attach the shoots using
rubberized ties. The molds
are secured in long rows to
horizontal fence wires.
As growth proceeds, they
Woodworker’s Journal February 2016
These oaks are in the process of growing into furniture. In the back-
ground, you can see some young coppice pieces ready for use.
begin grafting. New shoots
grafted laterally create cross
members, and the structural
value of joinery framing is
ready-grown. Where two or
more twigs grow parallel,
a careful hand fashions a
lengthwise cut and binds
them together to create a
natural lamination. Gavin
proudly showed me a couple
of twigs grafted together Shown here are sycamore chair backs. Chairs, Gavin says, grow best in
an upside down position.
lengthwise over two seasons.
Woodworkers know that
laminating timber in the
workshop produces greater
strength. In addition, the
natural fibrous strength of a
stick is stronger than similar
sized timber with a cut grain.
Combining these two factors
creates a slender, strong
chair leg and an interesting
material, which in itself is a
useful benefit of these exper-
Gavin uses pruning shears on some of the works in progress. Maintaining
iments. the growth of all of his trees is a constant process.
Gavin has tried finishing
the harvested goods with
planers and sanders, or the
grinder-mounted Arbotech
shaping tool, but he is
more inclined to the use of
drawknives of various shapes
and sizes to stay as green as
possible. I will look on with
interest to next spring when
he begins harvesting the
full-grown furniture and hope
it won’t put too many of us
joiners out of work!
— Barrie Scott
The left photo shows an early pro- Artist Rendering
totype; the right photo is an artist’s
rendering of a completed chair.
21
 Shop Talk continued

“Large Red Fox”

by Minnie Adkins, Kentucky

“Desire”
“Halleluiah Lady” by Jim
by Sarah Grant/Sticks Gallery, Iowa Christensen,
Idaho

American Artists in Wood

In celebration of 2015’s American Craft Week,
an online-only Masterpiece E-xhibit and Sale
featured an artist representing each state, plus
Washington, D.C. You can see additional images
and information at www.acwgalleryshop.com.
American Craft Week is a project of CRAFT
(Craft Retailers and Artists for Tomorrow, www.
“Still Life”
craftonline.org) and is meant to be a national by Ron Dale,
celebration publicizing, educating and display- Mississippi
ing American craft. The 10-day event always
begins the first Friday evening of October: 2016
dates are October 7 through 16. If you’d like
more information about participating, visit www.
americancraftweek.com.

“The Source”
by Norm Sartorius, West Virginia

22 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 23
 Woodturning
Making Your Turning Make Money
By Ernie Conover

You can make a decent side income from woodturning, our author says,
if you follow his most important advice: Don’t turn bowls.

I
often get questions
about the feasibility of
making an income from
woodturning. Most people
asking this question are
planning on making artistic
bowls as their product. My
first thought is: why spoil a
perfectly good hobby? I do
not say this out loud; instead,
I try to argue for a more
profitable product line.
My advice is, if one forgets
the bowl idea, you can make
a decent side income turning
spindles. The problem with
bowls is that import houses
sell bowls made in the Third
World for $40, and this sets
the public’s perceived value.
By the time you chainsaw
a blank, transport it to your
shop, turn it, sand it and fin-
ish it, you have a heck of a lot
of time and energy invested.
If you rough turn it, let it
dry oval and then re-turn it
round, you have even more
time. If you buy dry wood,
you have a fair expense
from the get-go. If you sell it
for $50 to $100, you will be
making $5 to $10 per hour,
exclusive of wear and tear
on your equipment, heat for
your shop and so on.
My argument against bowls
is peppered with the kind of
arguments parents use to dis-
suade their child from major-
ing in art history. “Methinks
you might make a better
living at art history than
A homeowner brought me the baluster in the middle to make two duplicates. Each had to be a slightly different turning bowls,” is the short
length, making a small shop more cost-effective: duplicating machines would require two separate setups. version of this harangue.

24 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal


Who Wants Spindles?
Starting in the mid-19th
century, automatic turning
lathes could spit out spin-
dle turning faster than any
human. Back knife machines
can produce up to 600 spin-
dles per hour at amazingly
cheap prices. However, there
is a significant startup cost
for these automatic lathes.
This can be anything from
a $50 to $100 setup charge
for a simple duplicating lathe
to several thousand dollars
to make back knife tooling.
While thousands of parts
are inexpensive, a few parts
are prohibitively expensive
because of tooling. For low-
volume jobs, hand turning
can compete quite nicely.
The market for custom
spindle turning is larger than
one would suspect. Typical
customers are:
UÊ/œÊ>˜Ê>˜ÌˆµÕiÊ`i>iÀÊ܈̅Ê
a chair that is worth upward
of a thousand dollars, $75
for a replacement spindle
that matches the rest of the
chair is just a cost of doing
business. A homeowner just
wants grandmother’s chair to
be usable again.
Woodworker’s Journal February 2016
UÊ*iœ«iÊÀiÃ̜Àˆ˜}ʅˆÃ̜ÀˆVÊ
homes want replacement
newel posts, balusters and
porch posts to match existing
ones perfectly. When an oak
newel post costs $70 to $100,
they are not going to blink
an eye about paying $150 for
one that is made from the
same wood as their sample
and matches perfectly. Rath-
er than dicker on price, they
will ask, “When can you have
it done?”
Uʈ}…‡i˜`ʎˆÌV…i˜Ê
designers, and by extension
high-end mill shops, are in-
corporating a lot of turning in
kitchens these days. A com-
mon theme is turned columns
that support overhanging
countertops. More special
are quarter, half and three-
quarter columns that are
placed between cabinets, or
on inside and outside corners.
Pricing
Quoting prices is always the
most difficult part of landing
a job. It is most important to
have a shop hourly rate. This
should be a wage for you,
plus the overhead for your
shop and equipment. Rates
range from an absolute low
of $25 to well over $100 per
hour. This is largely based
on the overhead of your shop
and the equipment you have.
I have lathes that handle 8
feet between centers and
can turn porch posts. While
I can handle a greater range
of work, the floor space these
machines sit on and the
machines themselves add to
the overhead.
In figuring the quote, you
should estimate the time it
will take to mill the blanks
and turn them plus clean
up the shop afterwards. For
Turned columns, like the
half-column shown here,
are popular in high-end
kitchens. The author
turns these with a paper
joint, then splits the
column in half.
www.woodworkersjournal.com
MORE ON THE WEB
For a video showing the
VIDEO author routing flutes in
a turned spindle, please visit
www.woodworkersjournal.com and
click on “More on the Web” under
the Magazine tab.
When creating this 3/4 column for
builder Tom Medhurst, the author
glued it up in quarters with paper
joints so one quarter could be split
out after turning. (The removed
piece of the column decorates a
corner of his shop.)
25
 Woodturning continued

Don’t Take Chances painted. Sanding does not

In order to make a profitable have to go beyond 120-grit
business out of turning spin- for such work. If the work is
dles, you do need to be able to be finished, 180-grit is usu-
…>À}iÊvœÀÊw˜ˆÃ…ˆ˜}]Ê>˜`Ê
Using a steady-rest on long
pieces makes the turning
architectural work, I also
easier and the quality better.
search the Internet to find
what a similar stock turning
sells for because I do not
want my custom turnings
selling for less. You then
multiply the total hours by
your shop rate and divide by
the number of turnings to
establish a price.
I think it is wise and en-
tirely fair to have a minimum
charge. This is especially
true of furniture spindles that
may take much less than an
hour. I use one hour as my
minimum charge even if it
to turn spindles well — with- >ÞÊÃÕvwVˆi˜Ì°ÊœÊ˜œÌÊÜ>ÃÌiÊ
out catching much. While time going beyond 220.
you might see demonstrators UÊ
at turning club meetings be sure to include the cost
show off all kinds of fancy of the finish. I offer this as a
tool handling, such braggado- service for furniture-grade
cio should be avoided when spindles. It includes stain-
turning for the bacon. When I ing to match the original
am turning an 8' column from and applying a finish that is
“Avoid braggadocio when turning for the bacon.
When I am turning an 8' column from walnut,
I am not going to do anything chancy.”
walnut, I am not going to do historically correct. This is
anything chancy. Here are usually shellac or oil, or both
some axioms I have devel- in some cases. I include the
oped over the years to keep cost of a can of stain if it is
spindles turning smoothly. not in stock. I mix shellac
UÊ/…iÊ눘`iÊÀœÕ}…ˆ˜}‡œÕÌÊ from flakes in the amount
gouge is your friend. Yes, I need, but I charge for a
a skew will probably leave whole can of oil finish, for it
a better finish with less will generally go bad before
sanding, but if it catches — it is needed again.
then you’ve just lost a huge UÊ->˜`«>«iÀʈÃÊޜÕÀÊvÀˆi˜`°Ê
will only take me 15 minutes
to turn the part. This policy
tends to make up for the big
projects that I underestimate
the time for. Avoid underpric-
ing your work: the public will
think it is inferior.
amount of time and possibly
the billet. You may have
to sand a bit more, but the
spindle roughing-out gouge
almost never catches and
gets you paid.
UÊ"ܘÊ>˜`ÊÕÃiÊ>ÊÃÌi>`އ
rest. Long spindles are so
much easier to turn with
one, and the results are so
much better. It is practically
a necessity to buy a second
banjo at the same time. The
cost will be made up quickly
in the time it takes to move a
single banjo from one side of
the steady-rest to the other.
œÊ˜œÌʅiÈÌ>ÌiÊ̜ÊÃ>˜`ʏœ˜}Ê
cylinders and tapers to final
finish. Some can be done by
hand, but a sanding mandrel
in an electric drill is perfect
for such tasks.
I hope I have encouraged
you to give professional
spindle turning a tr y. It can
turn the joy of turning into
a bit of money. Even if you
do it on a small scale, it can
cover the cost of better and
more equipment. Remem-
ber: he who dies with the
most tools wins.
UÊœ˜½ÌÊÃ>˜`ʓœÀiÊ̅>˜Ê
Sandpaper is a tool, too. Carefully touching folded paper to coves and
you have to. A lot of custom
beads will remove any inconsistencies and flat spots. Be sure to start with spindle turning is “paint
sufficiently coarse paper: 60- or 80-grit. grade,” meaning it will be
Ernie Conover is the author of
The Lathe Book, Turn a Bowl with
Ernie Conover and The Frugal
Woodturner.

26 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 27

 Greene & Greene Dresser
By Chris Marshall

This dresser is a stunning — and challenging

— conclusion to our three-piece bedroom set.

I
f you built our Greene and Greene Bed and Nightstand
(February and August 2015 issues), this Dresser is a
beautiful and practical way to complete your bedroom
set. Many of the construction methods for the Nightstand, in
particular, are the same. This dresser, however, is definitely a
complex, challenging project: you’ll find additional details you’ll
need in the construction Drawings and text available online as
part of our February 2016 “More on the Web” section (or send
a self-addressed stamped 81⁄ 2" x 11" envelope as instructed, next
page). Be sure to study all the Drawings carefully and often as
you build this project to guide your progress.
Subscribers have web access to these previously
published plans. Or, buy the downloadable plans
from the store at woodworkersjournal.com.
Starting with the Legs
To begin, build two side assemblies from pairs of legs, upper
and lower rails, the two narrow side slats and three panels. To
that end, prepare your leg blanks and make a scrap template
for the cloudlift pattern. Mark the legs as fronts and backs,

28 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 www.woodworkersjournal.com

MORE ON THE WEB
For additional construction drawings and
VIDEO step-by-step text, and to see a video for
cutting box joints on the drawers, please visit
woodworkersjournal.com and click on“More on
the Web” under the Magazine tab. Or send a
SASE to G&G Dresser, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina
MN 55340.

lefts and rights to help keep their orientation clear,

then draw the cloudlift profiles, but don’t cut them.
Next, cut a 1/4"-deep groove into the wider inside
faces of the legs, centered on their width, using a 1/2"
straight or spiral bit in your router table. Stop these Plow a 1/2"-wide groove down the narrow, inside face of the back legs for the
grooves (which house the side panels) 11⁄ 2" from the dresser’s back panel. Mark the limits of your router bit with a strip of masking tape
so you’ll know when to stop these cuts. They terminate 13⁄4" up from the leg bottoms.
leg bottoms, and square up their ends. The
side rails fit into 3/4"-deep mortises in these
grooves. The top side rail mortises are 11⁄4"
long; the bottom rail mortises are 13⁄4" long.
With the same bit, plow a 1/4"-deep groove
down the narrow, inside edges of the back
legs for the back panel. Position them 1/2" in
from the back faces of the legs, and stop the
grooves 13⁄4" up from the leg bottoms.
Now, mark the 1/2"-wide mortises for the
top, center and bottom front rail tenons on the
inside edges of the front legs. Position these
mortises 3/8" in from the front faces of the legs. Rout the mortises 3/4"
deep, and chisel their ends square.
Notice in the Drawings that five web frames support the drawers and A clamped routing jig with a 3/4"-wide slot makes it easy to
create the dresser’s internal skeleton. Mark their locations on the four mill dadoes for the web frames in the legs. A piloted mortis-
ing bit (inset) follows the jig’s slot for perfect cuts.
legs in order to rout 3/4"-wide, 1/4"-deep dadoes that will seat them in the
legs. Stop these short dadoes at the side panel grooves. Once those are
milled, rough-cut and then template-rout the cloudlifted edges of the legs.
Complete the legs by rounding their bottom corners with 1/4" radii.

Forming the Side Subassemblies

Set the legs aside for a spell and prepare blanks for the top and bottom
side rails. You’ll need to make a cloudlift template for tracing the profiles
on the bottom edges of all four rails. Draw the shapes to inform you of
which edge is “up” on these rails, but don’t cut the cloudlifts out just yet.
On the thickness of the rails, center a 1/2" straight bit in the router table
to plow grooves for the side panels and side slats: rout a 1/2"-deep groove
into the top edge of the bottom rails and
a 3/4"-deep groove into the bottom edge
of the top rails. The side slats join to the
side rails with 1/2"-square tenons, so
mark and chop those next (see photos at
right). Make them 1/4" deeper than the
grooves.
Now head to your table saw and raise
3/4"-long tenons on the ends of the
rails. The top rail tenons are 11⁄4" wide
and flush to the top edges of the rails. Chop 1/2" x 1/2" mortises in the side
rails to accept the side slat tenons.
The bottom rail tenons are 13⁄4" long with The walls of the panel grooves allow
a 1/2" bottom shoulder, so form this the mortiser’s chisel to simply tuck
shoulder, too. in between for alignment (inset).

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016

 Saw away the inside walls of the side rail grooves with a wide dado
blade to create rabbets for housing the top and bottom web frames. These
rabbets should measure 3/4" wide and 1/4" deep.
Dry-fitting a side assembly together is the time to mark the side slats for
their web frame dadoes: fit a piece of scrap in the leg dadoes, and draw
reference lines off of it. It’s a good way to avoid measuring errors.
The solid wood side panels fit into shallow grooves in the side slats and
top and bottom rails. Stain and topcoat them before gluing up the dresser’s
side subassemblies, so all of their surfaces will receive finish.
You need 3/4"-wide, 1/4"-deep rabbets on the top inside
edges of the top rails to house the top web frame, so those are
your next task. Likewise, the inside top edges of the bottom
rails need a rabbet to fit the bottom web frame. Cutting these
will remove the inside wall of the side panel grooves, but
don’t fret: the support here will be returned when the top and
bottom web frames are installed. With the rabbets done, band
saw and template-rout the rails’ cloudlifted edges.
30
Shallow dadoes running across the web frame front and back pieces will
help to register the vertical drawer dividers and upper drawer supports. A
longer slotted jig and mortising bit make this task accurate and quick.
Mill blanks for the four side slats from straight-grained
stock, and rout 1/2"-wide, 1/8"-deep grooves into two oppo-
site edges of each slat for the side panels. The ends of the
side slats also need 1/2" x 1/2"-square tenons to fit into the
rail mortises, so raise them now. Note that the top tenons
are 1/2" long, and the bottom tenons are 3/4" long. Finally,
the inside faces of the side slats require 3/4"-wide, 1/8"-deep
dadoes to fit the ends of the web frames, similar to the legs.
With the joinery behind you, surface six 1/2"-thick blanks
for the side panels, and dry-assemble pairs of front and back
legs to upper and lower rails with the panels in place to create
two carcass side subassemblies. Be sure there’s about 1/16"
of expansion capability for the panels between the slats to
allow for seasonal wood movement.
Disassemble the parts and soften, with 1/8" roundovers, all
the sharp edges that will show from the sides of the dresser.
Stain and finish the side panels, then glue up the dresser’s
two side assemblies, and take them through to final finish.
Making Web Frames, Drawer Dividers and Supports
Next up, you can build the five web frames. One of the crucial
aspects of the web frames, given how long they are, is to
start with your flattest stock. Give it time to settle and distort
as you prepare it, so you can correct any minor twisting
or bowing before assembly. The web frames’ construction
couldn’t be simpler: the fronts and backs are connected by
three cross rails with tongue-and-groove joints: 1/4"-thick,
1/2"-long tongues on the rail ends fit into matching grooves
in the fronts and backs. Once assembled, the back corners of
all five web frames need to be notched to accommodate the
back legs. Cut these notches 5/8" wide and 1/8" deep. Next,
notice in the Drawings that both the vertical drawer dividers
and the upper drawer supports fit into 3/4"-wide, 1/8"-deep
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 22

21
4 22
3 19
12
8
10
11
6

19
9
1
5 18
1 5 3
20
5

17
20 14 13
15
2 14
13
14
14
13 1

Exploded View 13
16 7 14 1

Note: The Elevation Drawings (printable PDF format) for this project, along 2
with additional instructions, are found online. If you do not have access to the Internet,
you can get Elevation Drawings sent to you (see More on the Web box, page 29).

MATERIAL LIST (Carcass)

TxWxL TxWxL
1 Legs (4) 13⁄8" x 21⁄4" x 411⁄4" 12 Filler Pieces (2) 3/8" x 3/4" x 3"
2 Bottom Side Rails (2) 1" x 23⁄4" x 193⁄4" 13 Web Frame Fronts and Backs (10) 3/4" x 4" x 621⁄4"
3 Top Side Rails (2) 1" x 2" x 193⁄4" 14 Web Frame Rails (15) 3/4" x 2" x 117⁄8"
4 Side Slats (4) 3/4" x 3/4" x 371⁄4" 15 Drawer Divider Rails (8) 3/4" x 2" x 165⁄8"
5 Side Panels (6) 1/2" x 57⁄8" x 363⁄4" 16 Bottom Divider Ends (2) 3/4" x 2" x 131⁄2"
6 Back (1) 1/2" x 391⁄2" x 61" 17 Middle Divider Ends (2) 3/4" x 2" x 111⁄4"
7 Bottom Front Rail (1) 1" x 23⁄4" x 62" 18 Top Divider Ends (4) 3/4" x 2" x 71⁄4"
8 Top Front Rail (1) 1" x 1" x 62" 19 Upper Drawer Supports (4) 3/4" x 31⁄2" x 19"
9 Center Front Rail (1) 1" x 11⁄2" x 62" 20 Faux Rails (2) 3/4" x 1" x 601⁄2"
10 Short Slats (4) 3/4" x 3/4" x 31⁄2" 21 Top (1) 3/4" x 22" x 663⁄4"
11 Half Slats (2) 3/8" x 3/4" x 3" 22 Breadboard Ends (2) 1" x 2" x 221⁄2"

dadoes running across the web frame fronts and backs. Refer
to the additional Drawings in “More on the Web” to lay them
out, then plow these dadoes across the web frame fronts
and backs with a router and a long fence or slotted jig. (For
specific step-by-step instructions to make the web frames, our
“More on the Web” coverage provides the full details.)
The four vertical drawer dividers are made with the same
tongue-and-groove joinery as the web frames, but it’s import-
ant to get their sizing dialed in accurately: they must keep the
web frames flat along their length, in order for the drawers
to fit properly and squarely. So, build them carefully. To that
end, I dry-assembled the carcass to verify the lengths of the
various divider fronts and backs while making them. A dry
assembly is also a convenient time to measure and cut the
upper drawer supports and the back panel to size. Check their
fit with a test installation, then disassemble the carcass.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 31


Aside from providing mounting surfaces for drawer slides, the web frames
offer attachment points for the dresser’s sides, rails and top. Prepare for
these screw connections with slotted holes and pocket-hole joints.
Before carcass assembly (above), bore
access holes through the second web frame
(inset) to match screw hole locations in the
top web frame that will attach the top panel.
32
Forming the Front Rails and Upper Rail Assembly
The front rails are the last items to make before assembling
the carcass for good. Prepare strips of stock for the top,
center and bottom front rails. Rip and crosscut the three rails
to final size, then mill 1/2"-thick, 3/4"-long tenons on the part
ends. The top rail tenons are flush with the rail’s top edge and
3/4" wide; the center and bottom rail tenons are centered on
the part widths and are 1" and 13⁄4" wide, respectively. Now
trace and cut the cloudlift profile onto the bottom rail’s bottom
edge, and ease the rails’ front edges with 1/8" roundovers.
Notice in the Exploded View (page 31) that the front ends of
the upper drawer supports are hidden behind short slats that
tuck between the top and center rails. Mark the inside edges
of these rails for 1/2" x 1/2" mortises that will join the short
slats to the rails. Cut the mortises 1/4" deep, and square up
their ends, if needed. Prepare blanks for the short slats, as
well as the half slats that will fit flush against the legs. Raise
tenons on the ends of the full slats to fit the rail mortises.
Round over the front edges of the short and half slats. Set
the half slats aside, but glue the short slats into their rail
mortises to create a subassembly. I also cut tiny 1/4" x 1/4" x
3/4"-long cleats and glued them into place on top of the center
rail, against the outside edges of the short slats and 1/2" back
from the rail’s face. These serve as mounting points for the
wood filler pieces that will fill the narrow openings at the end
of this rail subassembly, later.
Two faux rails flank the middle drawers and hide the front
edges of those web frames. Prepare these rails, but leave
them overly long: they’ll simply glue onto the front edges of
the web frames after the carcass is assembled, when you can
trim them to final length and fit them accurately.
Assembling the Carcass
You’re nearly ready to assemble the carcass, but there are
still some final details to finish up. The top web frame needs
attachment points for the dresser’s solid wood top panel, and
the web frames can provide a convenient means for stiffening
the long front rails. There’s also the matter of securing the
drawer dividers that align vertically in the carcass. The fact
that the upper drawer supports line up with the top divider
ends, and the left top drawer divider end aligns with the
middle drawer divider ends, makes attaching these pieces to
the web frames more difficult. I accomplished most all of this
with slotted screw holes and pocket screw joints as shown in
the photo at left. (Find more details in our More on the Web
coverage.) You’ll be quick to notice that fastening these verti-
cal dividers to the web frames adds a tremendous amount of
rigidity to the carcass framework. The dividers also help keep
the web frames perfectly flat across their length.
Additionally, you need to cut the various notches into the
front corners of the
Pocket screw joints also make it possible
drawer dividers so they’ll
to attach the drawer dividers and upper
drawer supports to their web frames fit around the front and
where the components are vertically faux rails. The online
aligned. Stagger the screw locations. Elevation Drawings
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
Chop plug mortises in the breadboard ends first, then mill 3/8"-wide,
continuous mortises along their inside edge. Ordering the cuts this way
keeps the long mortises tearout-free in the plug mortise areas.

provide dimensions for these notches. Cut them carefully with

a jigsaw.
At this point I sanded, stained and finished all the carcass
The dresser’s top panel receives
parts but kept the front edges of the middle drawer web
square through mortises in the
frames bare, in order to glue the faux rails onto them. Now, center and slotted mortises
with a deep breath and long pipe clamps, you can assemble near the ends so the panel can
the entire carcass, installing the web frames, rails, drawer expand and contract seasonally
dividers and upper drawer supports on the side assemblies. inside the breadboard ends.
Drive screws into all your planned locations. Cut, glue and
clamp the faux rails in place to wrap up this major step. Leave
the back panel off until the drawers are installed.

Building the Dresser Top

If you built our Greene & Greene Nightstand project, the con-
struction of this dresser’s top will be familiar, since it’s exactly
the same. Glue up the top’s center panel and prepare blanks
for the breadboard ends. Bore three 7/8"-deep mortises into
the top face of each breadboard end for square plugs, using a
5/16" chisel in a mortising machine. Now set up your router
table to mill a 3/8"-wide, 11⁄4"-deep mortise along the inside
The lower drawers’ box joints vary in size and spacing, so a traditional
edge of each breadboard end. Stop these mortises 1/2" from
box joint jig can’t cut them. Instead, the author made templates for each
the part ends. With that done, raise tenons on the ends of joint and accounted for .008" of “slip” with an automotive feeler gauge.
the top panel with a dado blade and table saw or a router and
fence to fit the mortises you’ve just made. Cut 1/2" shoulders
on the ends of the tenons.
Fit the breadboard ends onto the center panel, and mark the
locations of the square peg holes onto the panel tenons with
the tip of a 5/16" brad-point drill bit. Remove the breadboard
ends. Bore a 5/16"-square through-mortise at the marked cen-
ter point, and 5/16"-wide, 1/2"-long mortises at the other two.
Round the corners of the breadboard ends with 1/4"-radii.
Then ease their edges, plus the long edges of the panel, with
a 1/8" roundover bit. Finish-sand the three parts. Spread glue
along the center 6" or so of the tenons, and slip the bread-
board ends into place, clamping the ends to the panel.
While the glue cures, make up six 5/16"-square plugs,
15/16" long, to fill the plug mortises. I used ebony and gently A tall fence attached to
sanded one end of each plug into a “pillow” top. Both the two miter gauges (inset)
and equipped with an ad-
wood species here and the pillowing detail are traditional
justable stop (top) enabled
Greene & Greene aspects of these plugs. Tap them into their the drawer joint templates
holes carefully with a dab of glue, until just the top 1/16" “pil- to precisely reference the
lowed” portion stands proud. Stain and finish the dresser top. dado blade cuts.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 33

 Once the jig’s stop was set, the symmetry of the drawer box joints allowed
two cuts to be made, one after the next by flipping the workpieces to the
the opposite face. It considerably sped up the joint-cutting process.
Box joints on the drawer corners form sturdy connections with screws
alone, and the approach is authentic for Greene & Greene furniture. The
screwheads hide beneath ebony plugs in 5/16"-square mortises.
Building the Lower Box-joint Drawers
After the long haul of making the carcass, you may be relieved
to learn that this dresser’s drawers aren’t terribly difficult to
build. The front corners meet in symmetrical box joints, and
the back corners are simple rabbet-and-dado connections.
The size and layout of the box joints on these drawers
changes from one row to the next, so unfortunately, a conven-
tional box joint jig won’t work here. Instead, I made up pairs of
plywood templates for the three drawer joint sizes (see right
photos, page 33). I cut the drawer face pin-and-socket patterns
Rockler’s new Universal Drawer Slide Jig has an integrated clamp that
holds drawer slides securely during installation. It was helpful for posi-
tioning, squaring and attaching these seven pairs of undermount slides.
34
King Slides enable the secret drawers to be opened and closed with a
finger touch and without pulls. Red plastic release latches, mounted
beneath the drawers, also make the drawers easy to remove at any time.
first with a dado set, then knifed the layout for the drawer
sides using the face templates as guides. But, for the drawer
side templates, I marked their patterns .008" smaller than the
face layouts at every cut, using an automotive feeler gauge.
This clearance allows for an easy slip fit of the joints without
looking “loose.” (For the complete details on fitting and build-
ing the drawers, see our More on the Web coverage.)
Bore the square mortises for the plugs 3/8” deep, then use
the spur centers of the mortise chisel to locate a 7/64” bit for
drilling through holes for the screws. Screw each pin to its
socket with 11⁄2" panhead screws hidden in recessed screw
holes and covered by 5/16"-square plugs. After the drawers
are assembled, mount them on their slides in the carcass.
Adding the Secret Drawers
The three shallow secret drawers on top are even easier to
build! The boxes assemble with 1/4" x 1/4" rabbet-and-dado
The dresser’s arched pulls are a good example of subtle elegance and
make fitting ornaments to these drawers. Mill the finger recesses at the
router table with a core box bit buried partially in a sacrificial fence.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 Main Drawer 25

24

MATERIAL LIST (Main Drawers)

Top Drawers (3) TxWxL
23 Fronts (3) 3/4" x 61⁄4" x 195⁄8"
26
24 Sides (6) 3/4" x 61⁄4" x 191⁄2"
25 Backs (3) 5/8" x 51⁄2" x 19" 43 23
26 Bottoms (3) 1/2" x 187⁄8" x 185⁄8" 24
Middle Drawers (2)
27 Short Drawer Front (1) 3/4" x 107⁄8" x 195⁄8"
28 Short Drawer Sides (2) 3/4" x 107⁄8" x 191⁄2"
29 Short Drawer Back (1) 5/8" x 101⁄8" x 19"
30 Short Drawer Bottom (1) 1/2" x 187⁄8" x 185⁄8" 48
Secret Drawer
31 Long Drawer Front (1) 3/4" x 107⁄8" x 397⁄8"
49
32 Long Drawer Sides (2) 3/4” x 107⁄8" x 191⁄2"
33 Long Drawer Back (1) 5/8" x 101⁄8" x 39"
34 Long Drawer Bottom (1) 1/2" x 187⁄8" x 387⁄8" 50
Bottom Drawers (2)
35 Short Drawer Front (1) 3/4" x 131⁄8" x 195⁄8" 48 49
51
36 Short Drawer Sides (2) 3/4" x 131⁄8" x 191⁄2"
37 Short Drawer Back (1) 5/8" x 123⁄8" x 19"
38 Short Drawer Bottom (1) 1/2" x 187⁄8" x 185⁄8"
39 Long Drawer Front (1) 3/4" x 131⁄8" x 397⁄8" MATERIAL LIST (Secret Drawers)
40 Long Drawer Sides (2) 3/4" x 131⁄8" x 191⁄2"
Outer Drawers (2) TxWxL
41 Long Drawer Back (1) 5/8" x 123⁄8" x 39"
48 Drawer Fronts and Backs (4) 1/2" x 21⁄4" x 161⁄2"
42 Long Drawer Bottom (1) 1/2" x 187⁄8" x 387⁄8"
49 Drawer Sides (6) 1/2" x 21⁄4" x 177⁄8"
Drawer Pulls (7)
50 Drawer Bottoms (2) 1/4" x 167⁄16" x 175⁄16"
43 Small Drawer Pulls (5) 1" x 1" x 101⁄4"
51 Drawer Faces (3) 1/2" x 215⁄16" x 175⁄8"
44 Long Drawer Pulls (2) 11⁄2" x 11⁄2" x 16"
Inner Drawer (1)
Additional Items
52 Drawer Fronts and Backs (2) 1/2" x 21⁄4" x 183⁄8"
45 Square Plugs (92) 5/16" x 5/16" x varies
53 Drawer Sides (2) 1/2" x 21⁄4" x 177⁄8"
46 Drawer Slides (3 pr.) King Slides
54 Drawer Bottom (1) 1/4" x 185⁄16" x 175⁄16"
47 Drawer Slides (7 pr.) Accuride 1029
55 Drawer Face (1) 1/2" x 215⁄16" x 197⁄16"

joints. Locate the drawer bottoms 1/2" up from the bottoms
of the drawer sides if you use the self-closing King Slide®
hardware we suggest. The instructions that come with the
slides provide the details you’ll need to install them on the
upper drawer supports. After these drawers are hung, add
mahogany drawer faces with a tight reveal to simulate a
frame-and-panel look — this, and the lack of a need for drawer
pulls, is the special effect that makes them “secret”! Then,
position and pin-nail or glue the half slats and filler pieces into
the open spaces at the ends of this row.
Dresser Hard-to-Find Hardware
King Slide 1A88F (3 pr.) #45900 ......................................................... $74.99 pr.
Accuride Center Mount Slide (Series 1029) (14) #32565 ...... $11.99 ea.
Rockler Universal Drawer Slide Jig (1) #57302 ....................... $29.99 ea.
To purchase this and other products online, visit
woodworkersjournal.com/hardware Or, call 800-610-0883 (code WJ1577).
Finishing Up the Last Details
Now’s time to slide the back panel into place and fasten it to
the web frames with brads. Mount the top on the dresser with
screws driven through the top web frame, and complete the
drawers with some custom arched wood pulls. You can read
how I made those in our More on the Web coverage. The
pulls on the larger two drawers are heftier than those on the
five smaller drawers, yet the end effect is still a pleasant and
interesting visual “balance” once they’re installed. And, if you
look closely, you’ll notice that the front faces of all the pulls
aren’t flat — they’re gently curved to continue the
curved theme suggested by the rounded ends on
the box joint pins and the pillow-topped plugs.
Finally, find a couple of helpers with strong
backs to move this testament of your hard work to
its new bedroom home — you deserve the break!
Chris Marshall is senior editor of Woodworker’s Journal.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 35

 Folding Work
Station
By Ralph Bagnall

When (or if) you absolutely must store your car in the garage,
this customizable unit folds tight to the wall and unfolds when
needed into a full workspace for all your home projects.

36 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 Crosscutting the sides a bit long with the circular saw
makes them easier to handle.

The author begins building his work station by ripping the cabinet sides from a full sheet of Trim the sides to final length. A table saw ensures that
3/4" plywood. He uses a circular saw and straightedge to make these cuts. these cuts will be accurate.

T
hese days, my shop is in a rental
space, but there are still plenty
of projects to do around my
home, so I needed to come up with a
functional workbench that would not
take up parking space when not in use.
The obvious solution was to create a
foldaway bench.
The result is this article. The 4-ft.-
wide by 3-ft.-deep workbench is built
as a torsion box to make it strong, stiff
and light. The cabinet is bolted to the
wall to keep it secure and stable, and the
work surface covers the tools and upper
storage area when closed.
Making the Torsion Box
The work surface folds into the cabinet,
so it needs to be as light as possible,
but strong and stiff. A torsion box is the
perfect solution. A grid framework is
covered top and bottom with plywood.
This gives the stiffness, but not the
weight, of a solid benchtop.
The ribs and sides are cut from the
remainder of the 1/2" sheet. These all
need to be the same height, so rip them
all at the same time. Crosscut both the
upper and lower ribs to final length.
The ribs are half-lapped to form the
internal grid. Cut all the half-laps in the
upper ribs at the same time, then cut
them in all the lower ribs. (See photo,
second from top.)
Dry-fit the framework so the sides
and ends can be crosscut to exact
length. Wrap the sides and ends around

Cutting the Parts

I prefer to use a circular saw and
straightedge to reduce full sheets of
ply as much as possible prior to final
trimming at the table saw. The first
step is to cut the cabinet sides. Set your
straightedge to cut two 113⁄4"-wide strips,
and crosscut the two sides to 68" long.
The rest of the large parts can be cut
at the same time. The bottom, top and
shelf are cut from the same sheet. The
back is cut from one of the 1/2" sheets.
The top and bottom of the torsion box
will be trimmed to size after assembly,
so they simply need to be rough cut to The author works in his shop alone and finds using a circular saw and straightedge makes it safer
the size listed in the Material List on and easier to reduce full-size sheets of plywood. A sheet of rigid foam supports the plywood and
page 39. keeps the saw blade from cutting into the workstand.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 37

 the ribs, marking
and cutting them
to exactly fit
around the assem-
bled grid. Building
the torsion box can
now begin.
Start by gluing
and clamping one
After you rip the torsion box sides and rib stock to the same width, of the long side
crosscut the ribs into lengths for upper and lower ribs, according to the parts to the 1/2"
dimensions shown in the Material List on page 39.
plywood torsion
box base. The base and
top are cut oversized to be
trimmed flush with the grid
after assembly, so the side
is attached just inside the
edge of the base. Next, glue
and clamp one of the ends,
forming a square corner
from which to work.
Now attach the lower ribs
to the base one at a time
Half-laps join all the ribs in the torsion box’s internal grid. Careful with the half-laps facing
setup and cutting all the upper rib half-laps in one session, then up. Clamp the upper ribs in
all the lower ribs, will ensure accurate, snug-fitting joints. place to keep the lower ribs
properly oriented as you
work (see bottom photo at
left). Glue along the lower
edge of the ribs and up the
edges that meet the side.
After all the lower ribs
are in place and the glue
cures, add the upper ribs.
These should just drop into
place since they were used
Start the torsion box assembly by gluing one torsion box side
(piece 8) and one torsion box end (piece 9) to the base (piece
7), creating a square corner you can build out from.
Clamping the shorter upper ribs in place, without glue, helps Once all the lower ribs are secured, glue and clamp the upper ribs in place on the
you to properly position the lower ribs as they are glued and base. Work carefully here to ensure that the base and ribs remain flat as they are
clamped into place, one by one. assembled.
38
to locate the lower ribs. Again, glue the
lower edge and the end of each rib as
it is set in place and clamped. This is
where the phrase “you can’t have too
many clamps” becomes real!
Glue and clamp the remaining sides in
place. The final step before securing the
top is to add some blocking for the vise
to bolt to. The vise can be added to ei-
ther the right or left front corner as you
prefer. Cut scrap pieces to fit inside the
four spaces that make up the corner you
want to mount the vise to. Two layers of
3/4" material glued to the bottom and to
each other will provide all the structure
needed. Mark this corner so that later
you’ll know where the vise goes.
I used construction adhesive to
adhere the top, rather than yellow glue,
since there is a LOT of glue to lay down
at one time. Run a bead along the top
of all the ribs and sides, then set the
3/4" top in place and clamp it down. It
is oversized, so it does not have to be
set exactly square. Just ensure that it
ovehangs the sides all the way around.
For clamping the center of this large
assembly, I set two five-gallon pails full
of water on the center. This adds 80
pounds to the center, and it ensured that
the surface came out flat and smooth.
Once you remove the clamps, trim the
top and bottom flush to the sides with a
router and flush-trim bit.
Add the vise next. This simply surface
mounts to the bottom face of the torsion
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 Storage Box
Work Station Hard-to-Find Hardware (End and Side Views)
Heavy Duty Quick Release Front Vise (1) #27838 .......$104.99 15
Folding Leg Brackets (2 pr.) #39505 ................................$15.99 16
48" Universal T-Track (1) #20054 ......................................$25.99 15 16
Adjustable Leveler Legs (1 pk.) #32183 ........................... $17.99
Plastic Leveler Glides (1 pk.) #24257.................................$5.99 3
/8"
55/8" 16
5/16"-18 3-Prong T-Nuts (1 pk.) #49041 .............................$2.99
3
13⁄4" x 13⁄4" Mission Style Knobs (2) #30981 .......................$5.99 /8" 15
Half Overlay Hinges (2 pr.) #55801 ...................................$10.99 1
/2"
17
To purchase this and other products online, 1
/4"
visit www.woodworkersjournal.com/hardware 1
Or, call 800-610-0883 (code WJ1577). /4" 61/2"
3
11 13
Torsion
5
Box Ribs 13/8"
(Side Views) 63/4" 6"
18 4
61/4" 6" 6" 27/8"
13/8" 14
10

1
6 25

10
11
12
9
20 8 26
3
9
8 7
24
21
19 24
23 1
22
20 2
Exploded View
23

MATERIAL LIST
TxWxL
1 Cabinet Sides (2) 3/4" x 113⁄4" x 68" 14
2 Cabinet Bottom (1) 3/4" x 113⁄4" x 461⁄2" 15
3 Cabinet Top and Shelf (2) 3/4" x 103⁄4" x 461⁄2" 16
4 Cabinet Back (1) 1/2" x 471⁄2" x 671⁄4" 17
5 Wall Cleat (1) 1/2" x 4" x 461⁄2" 18
6 Torsion Box Top (1) 3/4" x 37" x 47" 19
7 Torsion Box Base (1) 1/2" x 37" x 47" 20
8 Torsion Box Sides (2) 1/2" x 23⁄4" x 461⁄4" 21
9 Torsion Box Ends (2) 1/2" x 23⁄4" x 35" 22
10 Torsion Box Lower Ribs (4) 1/2" x 23⁄4" x 451⁄4" 23
11 Torsion Box Upper Ribs (6) 1/2" x 23⁄4" x 35" 24
12 Vise Support Blocks (8) 3/4" x Cut to openings 25
13 Pigeonhole Shelf (1) 1/2" x 63⁄4" x 461⁄2" 26
TxWxL
Pigeonhole Dividers (7) 1/2" x 63⁄4" x 7"
Storage Box Ends (16) 1/2" x 55⁄8" x 51⁄4"
Storage Box Sides (16) 1/2" x 55⁄8" x 61⁄2"
Storage Box Bottoms (8) 1/4" x 43⁄4" x 6"
Latch Support Block (1) 3/4" x 4" x 4"
Tool Trough Front (1) 3/4" x 3" x 461⁄4"
Tool Trough Sides (2) 3/4" x 3" x 5"
Tool Trough Bottom (1) 14/" x 41⁄2" x 451⁄2"
Tool Trough Bottom Supports (3) 1/4" x 1/2" x 4"
Legs (2) 13⁄4" x 13⁄4" x 281⁄2"
Doors (2) 3/4" x 231⁄2" x 25"
Pegboard Wall (1) 1/4" x 341⁄2" x 461⁄2"
Strapping (3) 1" x 2" x 341⁄2"

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 39

 www.woodworkersjournal.com

MORE ON THE WEB
For a video showing the
VIDEO Folding Work Station in action,
as well as plywood cut layouts, please
visit woodworkersjournal.com and
click on “More on the Web” under the
Magazine tab.

box. Locate the cor- Building the Cabinet Assembly

ner with the blocking The cabinet is just two sides with top,
inside (you did mark bottom, one fixed shelf and a 1/2"-thick
it, right?), drill pilot back. The back slides into a 1/2"-wide
holes and screw it in by 1/2"-deep groove in each side. Cut
place as recommend- these grooves with a router while you
ed in the manufactur- still have the sawhorses and straight-
er’s instructions. The edge out. Locate the groove 1/2" in
two layers of blocking from the back edge of the sides to allow
Attaching a woodworking vise to the front corner of the torsion box and 1/2"-thick base for the mounting cleats.
adds to the work station’s utility. Position blocks inside the torsion should give you 2" of Attach the bottom to the sides at the
box to provide solid structure for securing the vise. solid material to screw bottom edge and flush front to back.
into. (See top photo Install the top flush with the top edge
at left.) of the sides and front, and so the back
Once the vise is edge just meets the back groove. Screw
mounted, locate and the shelf between the sides 42" down
rout a dado for the from the top face. I added the leveling
T-track. The track legs next. They are centered about two
required a 3/4"-wide, inches in from each corner.
3/8"-deep dado, Now fit the 1/2"-thick plywood back
which I plowed using into the grooves in the sides. It rests on
a straightedge to the bottom, stiffening the cabinet and
guide the router base. keeping it from racking. (See top right
I centered it on the photo, facing page.) Once the back was
top to have screws in place, I ensured the assembly was
as close to the ends square by measuring the diagonals,
as possible, then then secured the back across the bot-
trimmed and filed tom, shelf and top. Lastly, add the 1/2"
the ends flush. Your plywood cleat across the top of the back
work surface is now to provide support for anchoring the
Mill a 3/4”-wide by 3/8”-deep dado for the T-Track into the top of the complete and ready to cabinet to the wall during installation.
torsion box. This groove should be centered on the jaws of the vise. mount to the cabinet.
A router and straightedge make quick work of this task.
Outfitting the Storage Area
The work surface folds into the upper
section of the cabinet, but it leaves an
empty space about 7" deep that can be
used for storage. I wanted to store both
hardware and tools, so I chose the com-
bination of boxes and pegboard shown
in the photos and Drawings. You can
tailor this space to fit your needs, but
nothing should block the work surface
from closing.
The boxes sit in a set of pigeonholes
mounted under the cabinet top. I cut
To form the work station’s cabinet section, the author used pocket screws to attach the cabinet the shelf and dividers from 1/2" ply and
bottom (piece 2), top and shelf (pieces 3) to the cabinet sides (pieces 1). The shelf is located 42” assembled them with glue and nails. In
down from the top of the cabinet. my work station, the pigeonholes are

40 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

Add leveler legs to the underside of the cabinet bottom (piece 2) early in the
assembly, while it is still light enough to easily maneuver.

spaced 53⁄8" apart. The cabinet’s shelf is bottom back edge of

glued and screwed in place through the
back, so first trace the shelf and dividers
with a pencil. Remove the shelf and drill
pilot holes centered in the tracings, then
clamp the shelf back in place and add
screws.
Make boxes for the pigeonholes from
1/2" ply as well. Cut all the sides and
ends. Each gets a 1/4"-wide, 1/4"-deep
groove in the lower edge to accept a
bottom. After that, cut finger joints in
the ends and assemble the boxes: they
just slide into the pigeonholes.
Attaching the Work Surface
The torsion box work surface is simply
hinged to the fixed shelf of the cabinet.
Surface-mount the 4" gate hinges to the
the torsion box with the
barrel against the back
edge. Attach a pair of
clamps to the cabinet
sides and use a roller The cabinet back (piece 4) slides into grooves plowed into the sides
stand to hold the work (pieces 1). It rests on the bottom (piece 2), squaring up the cabinet.
surface level while you
attach the hinges to the shelf. 1" Forstner bit and used a circular saw
One cabinet side needs to be notched to remove the waste. I cut the outside
for the vise to clear when the work corners round as well and sanded the
station is folded. The size and location of notch smooth (see middle photo at left,
the notch are determined by your vise next page).
and which side you chose to mount it to. Once the
Fold the unit closed as far as possible, workspace can
then mark the upper and lower points fold closed,
where the vise meets. Add a bit extra, it needs a
especially at the top, and cut a notch mechanism to
in the side. I drilled the corners with a keep it safely

Assemble the pigeonhole shelf (piece 13) and dividers (pieces 14) before After you’ve glued and clamped the pigeonhole assembly in place at the top
installing them. The author chose to keep the spacing equal, at 5 3⁄8” apart, of the cabinet, you can attach it through the cabinet back and top with nails
but you can tailor it for your needs. or screws. The storage boxes (inset photo) can be assembled at any time.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 41


The cabinet side will need to be notched to
clear the vise jaw and handle. Mark where your
jaw meets the side and cut away only as much
as needed.
42
Surface-mounted, heavy-duty gate hinges
connect the torsion box to the cabinet’s fixed
shelf. The hinge barrel should be against the
back edge of the torsion box.
locked away. I chose to use a standard
gate latch. Mount the arm section to the
door, and attach the latch to a block on
the cabinet side. I found that the block
needed to be set a bit proud of the side
to automatically latch closed properly.
(see bottom photo).
I added a tool
trough to the front
edge of the work-
bench. It is made from
three pieces of 3/4"
ply grooved for a bot-
tom like a drawer box.
I used an offcut from
the pegboard as the
bottom, because the
holes will allow debris
to fall through rather
than collect. I finger-
jointed the pieces of
the trough together.
I pocket screwed the side pieces to the
front of the bench, slipped the bottom
in, then fit the long side into the finger
joints with glue. A few small glue blocks
under the inside of the trough bottom
keep it supported along the bench front.
The legs get added next. They mount
to the bottom of the work surface using
folding leg brackets that lock both open
and closed. Cut the legs from 2x stock
to 281⁄2" long. Drill a 3/8"-diameter hole
about 11⁄4" deep into the lower ends of
the legs to accommodate a T-nut and
leveling glides.(See top right photo,
next page.)
The leg brackets screw directly onto
the bottom of the work surface. One
mounts well out toward the corner, the
other more inboard to clear the vise.
Lastly, I added a handle to the bottom
face of the work surface to make it
easier to open and close.
A piece of pegboard occupies the rest
of the upper section of the cabinet. I
used strapping to frame the space and
added a center cleat. This can be made
from scrap you may have on hand as
long as all the pieces are the same thick-
ness. Simply screw the pegboard to the
strapping where needed.
Finally, I made doors for the lower
cabinet space. I cut these out of the
remainder of the 3/4" plywood and
mounted them using cup hinges. This
space can be organized with shelves or
dividers to fit your storage needs.
A gate latch attached to
the side of the cabinet
automatically secures
the work surface when
it’s closed. It can also
be locked for safety and
security.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
The folding leg brackets that lock both open and closed mount the legs Since garage floors are sloped for drainage, one of this project’s practical
(pieces 23) to the torsion box base (piece 7) — the bottom of the folding aspects is the leveler glides that will be attached to the legs. Holes 3/8” in
work station’s actual work surface. diameter and 11⁄4” deep on the bottom of the legs accommodate them.

A workstand held the torsion box level as the author screwed the leg After adding the leveling glides, you may need to adjust them so the work
hinges into place. One leg is inset to accommodate the vise. surface opens flat.

Installing the Project

Locate the studs within the area where
you plan to install the cabinet. Set the
folded work station in place and adjust
the legs to level the cabinet.
Drill and drive screws through the
back of the cabinet into the studs using
at least 21⁄2" screws, #8 or heavier. The
The work station is designed to be
cabinet is less than 14" deep, so anchor
shallow to save floor space. Attach it
it properly for safety. Securing it to the securely to the wall to prevent it from
wall will also ensure that it remains tipping over during use. You can hide the
stable in use. fasteners behind the pigeonhole boxes
Whether you have your entire at the top.
woodworking shop in your garage, or
just need a place to putter at home, this
work station will give you the space and
versatility to work while only extending
a short distance from the wall when
folded up.

Ralph Bagnall is a woodworking consultant and

author working from his shop in Florida. His
website is www.consultingwoodworker.com.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016

 OLD-FASHIONED MUSIC BOX
By Sandor Nagyszalanczy
This hand-cranked music making
machine taps out a short tune
on a xylophone.
B
efore the turn of the 20th century, mechanical musical
devices such as orchestrions and hurdy-gurdys (the
kind used by monkey-wielding organ grinders) were
all the rage, providing people with popular tunes in the days
before gramophones and radio. Even today, in the age of
MP3 players and streaming audio, you can still buy small
wind-up music boxes that plink out sweet, tinkly tunes that
delight the ears.
I thought it would be an interesting challenge to create my
own version of a music box, built from mostly wooden parts.
The one I came up with is based on an antique hand-cranked
barrel organ. Here’s how it works: A drum, made of narrow
slats attached to a pair of end discs, rotates as it’s driven by
a hand-cranked pulley. As the drum rotates, small pins that
44
protrude from holes in the slats strike and tip up individual
pivoting blocks, each of which is fitted with a small round mal-
let at the end of a rod. As the pin rotates past, it releases the
pivot block and the mallet falls and strikes a metal xylophone
tone bar, thus producing a musical note. There are a total of
15 mallets and tone bars, and the pattern of pins on the drum
determines which notes are struck — and, hence, the tune
the music box plays. I arranged the pins of my music box to
play “Heart and Soul,” but it could be set up to play just about
any short song. The entire mechanism fits into a case with an
angled front covered by a glass-paneled door, so you can see
the mechanism operate as the song plays.
It’s not an easy project to build, but, when you are done, it
sounds great and is fun to operate.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
Lay the slats atop the board face-up and flush to the alignment strips so
that they form a continuous sheet, like for a tambour door. Discard any
slats that are warped or otherwise imperfectly machined.
Cutting the Slats
The pin-bearing drum is the heart of the music box, and its
surface is made up of 64 individual slats — enough to play a
song that’s eight measures long, with each individual measure
divided into one whole note, two half notes, four quarter notes,
eight eighth notes, or any combination thereof. Each pin set
into the drum activates one note at a time, and their arrange-
ment determines the tune the music box will play. To create a
“map” of the location of the pins in the slats (somewhat akin
to “composing” your song), visit More on the Web online at
www.woodworkersjournal.com to see my instructions and chart.
When choosing wood for the slats, to prevent problems from
expansion and contraction, it’s best to use only well-dried,
straight-grained, quartersawn stock. I chose vertical grain
Douglas fir and oriented the slats with the radial grain facing
up. After thickness-planing the stock to 3/8" thick, crosscut the
blanks to 15½" long. Set the table saw’s rip fence for a 23/64"
cut (just 1/64" under 3/8") and rip 64 slats, plus a few extras.
Mark one face of each slat to keep them properly oriented.
Next, make an alignment board from a flat piece of plywood
or MDF that’s at least 21⁄2 feet square. Clamp a pair of straight
strips flush with two adjacent edges, using a framing square
or triangle to assure that the strips are exactly square to one
another. Now lay the slats atop the board face-up and flush to
the alignment strips so that they form a continuous sheet, like
for a tambour door. Reject any slats that are warped or wonky.
Number the end of the slats sequentially, moving from right
to left. Underline the numbers 1, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 19, to avoid
confusing the slat’s top and bottom surfaces.
Drilling the Holes
The next step is to drill holes in the slats for the loom pins
(available from craftparts.com, item TP1030) that will trip
the pivots when the drum turns. After creating a song layout
sheet (see online instructions), remove only the slats that will
receive pins, leaving the slats that don’t need drilling on the
alignment board. To make drilling quick and accurate, create
a 3/4" x 1" x 30" positioning fence for the drill press, marked
with a series of perpendicular lines: The first line at the center
of the fence marks the centerline of the 3/16"-diameter drill
bit. Draw the next line 3/4" to the right of the first line and
Woodworker’s Journal February 2016
With a slat face-up and its numbered end on the left, line up the slat’s right
end with the line on the shop-made fence that marks the desired note you
wish to drill a hole for and bore the hole 5/16” deep.
After setting two pairs of small wedges in the space between the slats
and end strip, drive the wedges firmly against each other to press the
slats tightly together.
label it “G3,” for the highest note on the xylophone. Space
each subsequent line 1 inch to the right of the previous line,
and label it with the next lowest note: F2, E2, D2, etc., all the
way down to G1, the lowest note. After aligning the fence
center mark to the bit and setting the fence so that slats will
be drilled on center (widthwise), clamp it to the drill press
table. Now, with a slat face-up and its numbered end on the
left, line up the slat’s right end with the desired note you wish
to drill a hole for and bore the hole 5/16" deep. Align the slat
to other note marks, as indicated by your song layout sheet, to
drill subsequent holes. Do this with the remaining slats until
all the holes are drilled.
Creating the Slat Assembly
To make it easier to attach the slats to the end discs that
form the drum, a piece of canvas is glued to the back of the
assembled slats, in the same fashion used to create a tambour
door. First, return the slats to the alignment board, each face
up with the numbers running right to left. After double-
checking to make sure the numbers are in proper order, flip
the entire slat assembly over so that it’s facedown on the
board; the numbers should now be upside down, and run from
left to right. Press the slats tightly together and flush to the
alignment strips, then nail or screw a straight scrap of wood
parallel to the slats, about two inches from the end of the last
45
 Use a household iron on the “wool” setting to quick set the glue that joins
your canvas and slats together. Work the iron over the canvas for a couple
of minutes, always keeping it moving.
Tap the loom pins into their holes: it’s not necessary to glue them in, and
you may wish to remove some pins, in case they were drilled in the wrong
location, thus creating some sour notes in the tune.
slat. Cut a pair of wedges from scrap 3/8"-thick stock, each
with a 10˚ complementary angle. Set the wedges in the space
between the slats and end strip, then press the wedges firmly
against each other. This effectively clamps the slats tightly
together, eliminating any spaces between them.
Cut a piece of 12-ounce duck canvas that’s 141⁄2" wide and a
little longer than the slat assembly. Apply yellow glue liberally
to the surface of the canvas, spreading it evenly with a squee-
gee. Turn the canvas over, center it on the slats and press it
down, working from the center to the edges to remove wrin-
kles and air bubbles. Next, use an old household iron set to
the “wool” setting to quick cure the glue. After waiting about
46
The jig for sawing your loom pins to length is basically a block with a
13/64"-diameter hole drilled all the way through, and a thin kerf made
with a Japanese style pull saw.
To assure that the two discs that form the ends of the music box drum are
exactly the same size, a hardboard template turned on the wood lathe is
mounted to the disc blanks, then routed with a piloted flush trim bit.
10 to 15 minutes for the canvas to cool, remove the assembly
and flex each joint between adjacent slats. Sand the slat faces
to final smoothness.
Before inserting the loom pins, trim them to their correct
15⁄16" length using a simple sawing jig, as shown in the top
right photo above. Cut the jig’s kerf square and perpendicular
to its hole and position it 11⁄16" from the left-hand end of the
block. The pin to be trimmed is inserted up to its head in the
hole, then cut with the saw (the next pin pushes the waste
piece out through the hole on the other side of the block).
Now, with the slat assembly on the workbench, gently tap the
loom pins into their holes.
Making the Drum Discs
A pair of 3/4" wood discs make up the ends of the drum. To
assure that both discs are perfectly round and exactly the same
size, turn a template on the wood lathe: First, drill a
3/8"-diameter hole in the center of a blank cut from 1/4"
hardboard. Mount this on the lathe and turn it to exactly 83⁄8" in
diameter. Cut two disc blanks and drill a 3/8" hole in the center
of each. Rough-cut these round, making each just slightly larg-
er than the final diameter will be. Use a piece of 3/8"-diameter
Use six or so rubber bands to clamp the slats and the drum discs together
during glue-up. Before leaving this assembly to dry, make sure that the
small gap between each adjacent slat is the same all around the drum.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 9 12
2 Exploded View
3
8
10
5

2
11 6 5
7
1
9 4

Crank Handle and Lever

(Full-size Patterns)

MATERIAL LIST
Drive Pulley Pin Drum TxWxL
(Side View) 1
End Discs
/4" Dia. cove (Top View) 1 Slats (64+) 23/64" x 3/8" x 151⁄2"
C
L
1
/2" 2 End Discs (2) 3/4" x 8 3⁄8" dia.
10 3
/8" 3
/8" 3 Loom Pins (75) 3/16" shanks x 15⁄16" long
2
4 Axle (1) 3/8" dia. x 171⁄4" steel rod
1
/2" 5 Fender Washers (6) 3/8" hole
5 3
/8"
7 2 Crank and Pulley
6 3
/8"
1
/4" Dia. cove 6 Drive Pulley (1) 3/8" x 11⁄4" dia.
7 Drive Pulley Square (1) 3/8" x 7/8" x 7/8"
dowel to align the template to the blank, then use double-stick 8 Crank Lever (1) 3/8" x 11⁄4" x 53⁄8"
tape to temporarily fix the template atop the blank. Now, with 9 Crank Handle (1) 5/8" dia. x 13⁄4"
a piloted flush-trim bit in the router, carefully trim the disc to 10 Crank Rod (1) 3/8" dia. dowel x 25⁄8"
final size. Repeat with the second disc. Next, mount a rabbeting 11 Crank Spacer (1) 3/4" x 11⁄2" dia.
bit in the router with a pilot bearing set to cut a shoulder that’s 12 Urethane Belt (1) 1/4" dia. x 29"
1/2" wide. Adjust the bit’s cutting depth to 3/8" and run the bit
around one side of both discs. Mount one of the discs on the
lathe and use a small gouge to form a shallow U-shaped groove slats as well as the rabbet in the other drum disc. Fit the disc
around the rim, for the 1/4" round urethane drive belt that will onto the slats, making sure their ends are flush with the disc
turn the drum (available from polybelt.com). Now is a good time shoulder, then pull on enough large rubber bands to clamp
to also turn the 1¼"-diameter drive pulley, which also receives the slats tightly against the disc (see bottom photo at left,
a U-shaped groove. Also turn the crank handle and spacer, and previous page). Once the glue is dry, flip the drum over and
cut out the crank lever and drive pulley square. Drill a small repeat the gluing process with the pulley disc. To fill the small
countersunk hole in a side of the square, for the locking screw, gap between the first and last slats, cut one of the extra slats
and glue the square to the side of the drive pulley, aligning their to the necessary width, then glue it in place.
holes with a scrap dowel.
Building the Mallet Pivots
Assembling the Drum The music box’s notes are played by 15 ball-headed mallets,
To join the drum parts together, set the pulley-groove disc one for each tone bar. Each mallet attaches to a pivot block,
rabbet side up on the bench and insert the 3/8" steel rod axle shaped as shown in the Drawing on the next page. The easiest
into its center hole. Now wrap the slat assembly around the way to make the pivot blocks is to create a “loaf” (a long strip
disc, with the numbered ends pointing down. Set the slats into that’s been shaped to the profile of the blocks), then cut the
the rabbet, then put a couple of large rubber bands around individual blocks off one at a time. Start by ripping a piece of
the bottom of the slats, to hold them in place. At the top of stock to 3/4" x 13⁄16" x 20". Take a 1/2"-radius cove router bit,
the assembly, apply glue to the ends and inside edges of the remove its pilot bearing, and mount the bit in the router table.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 47

 14 13 15
13 Exploded View
16 15 16
17

18
18
1
/2" R. 1
/4" Dia.
1
/4" R. 13 3
/16" Dia.
Pivot Blocks
(Side and Front Views)
1 1
/4" /4"
1
/8"
1 15
MATERIAL LIST
/2" /32"
Mallets and Pivots TxWxL
13 Pivot Blocks (15) 3/4" x 13⁄16" x 15/16"
14 Pivot Rod (1) 1/4" dia. x 171⁄4" steel rod
15 Pivot Block Washers (18) 1/4" hole
16 Rod End Spacers (2) 3/4" dia. x 5/8"
17 Mallet Dowels (15) 3/16" dia. x 37⁄8"
18 Mallet Heads (15) 3/4" dia. ball knobs
19 Mallet Support (1) 3/4" x 315⁄16" x 161⁄2"
20 Mallet Rest (Foam) (1) 1/4" x 1/2" x 161⁄2"

hole (positioned as shown in the Drawing above), chuck a

Cutting the 15 individual pivot blocks needed for the music box is best done
on the table saw using a miter gauge fitted with a fence. A stop clamped to
the table saw’s rip fence is set so the blocks will be 15/16” long.
17/64"-diameter bit and drill lengthwise through each block.
Next, chuck a 3/16"-diameter bit and bore the holes for the
mallet dowels. After gluing the ball knobs (craftparts.com, item
KBB075) onto the ends of the mallet dowels, press them into
the pivot blocks (don’t glue them yet). Slip the blocks onto the
1/4" steel pivot rod, fitting a single 1/16"-thick washer between
each one. Make the two end spacers by center drilling a pair of
5/8"-long, 3/4"-diameter dowels, then slip them onto the ends
of the rod, adding washers at the outside ends.

Creating the Xylophone Rack

The music box uses metal tone bars taken from an inexpen-
sive xylophone (the Lyons 25-note xylophone, available from
Amazon.com). First, use a pair of needlenose pliers to remove
the pins and grommets that secure the 15 chromatic tone bars
(not the sharps and flats) to the plastic case. Carefully peel up
the two foam strips that the bars rested on and set them aside
where their adhesive strips won’t get fouled with sawdust.
To make the new rack to support the tone bars, cut the two
A fence and end stop clamped to the drill press table help to precisely
position each pivot block for drilling a 17/64” pivot rod hole as well as a rails and two
hole for the 3/16” dowel that connects the block to the mallet head. crossmembers,
sized as per
Set its height and the position of the table fence to cut a cove the Material
shaped as shown in the Drawing, above. It’s best to rout the List. Chuck a
cove in two passes: The first pass removes most of the waste; V-groove bit
the second trims the cut to its final size. Use a 1/4"-radius in the router
piloted roundover bit to shape the profile on both top edges table and plow
of the loaf strip, then sand the strip smooth. On the table saw, a 3/16"-wide
use a miter gauge to cut the 15 individual 15/16"-long pivot groove, spaced
blocks from the loaf (see the top photo, above). 3/16" from the
An inexpensive 25-note xylophone provides the
Each individual block now receives two holes: a pivot rail’s inside metal tone bars and mounting hardware needed for
hole for the 1/4"-diameter steel rod that supports all the edge, along the the music box. The pins that hold the bars in place
blocks; the other for the 3/16" mallet dowel. To drill the pivot length of each are removed by pulling them out with pliers.

48 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 Door Frame Xylophone Rack
33 (Front View) (Top View)
23/8" 38 17/16"
33 32
Exploded View 31
23
33
29 36 35
3
/8"
36

34 21
7
/16" 35
38 31 C
L 1"
Rail
26 20 (End View)
28
19 3
/16"
3
/16"
25
1
/4"
1
/16" Dia.
26 22
24 21
30
Front 23/4"
(Front View)
22
27 1
/2"
21 27 3
/4"
37 1
/2"
24 31/4" 3
/4"
1
13/4" /2" 11/8"

Case Door Frame

Front Edge 55°
MATERIAL LIST (Side View)
29 (Side View)
Xylophone Rack TxWxL 33 3
/4"
21 Rails (2) 3/4" x 11⁄2" x 16" 3
/8" 17.5°
26 33
17.5° 35°
22 Long Crossmember (1) 3/4" x 1" x 13⁄4" 119/16"
6"
23 Short Crossmember (1) 3/4" x 1" x 5/8" 3
3
/8" Dia.
/8" Dia.
24 Rack Supports (2) 3/4" x 17⁄8" x 51⁄8" 79/16"
1
/4" Dia.
25 Tone Bar Rests (Foam) (2) 3/16" x 3/16" x 151⁄2"
Case 6" 51/8" 57/16"
26 Sides (2) 3/4" x 11 ⁄2" x 18 ⁄4"
1 3

27 Front (1) 3/4" x 53⁄4" x 161⁄2"

28 Back (1) 3/4" x 111⁄2" x 161⁄2" 117/16"
29 Top (1) 3/4" x 109⁄16” x 183⁄4”
www.woodworkersjournal.com
30 Bottom (Plywood) (1) 3/4" x 161⁄2" x 171⁄4" MORE ON THE WEB
31 Door Frame Top Rail (1) 3/4" x 13⁄4" x 151⁄4"
For a video walking you through the slat and drum
32 Door Frame Bottom Rail (1) 3/4" x 21⁄4" x 151⁄4"
VIDEO assembly process, plus instructions and chart for creating
33 Door Frame Stiles (2) 3/4" x 13⁄4" x 111⁄4"
a song-specific pin layout, please visit woodworkersjournal.com and
34 Door Glass Rail Molding (2) 1/4" x 1/4" x 16"
click on “More on the Web” under the Magazine tab.
35 Door Glass Stiles Molding (2) 1/4" x 1/4" x 8"
36 Door Window Glass (1) 1/8" x 157⁄8" x 77⁄8"
37 Screw Hole Buttons (29) 3/8" dia. Making the Case
38 Brass Hinges (2) 1" x 2" brass After cutting all the case components to size as per the
Material List, trim a 35˚ triangular piece from the top forward
edge of each side (see the Drawing) on the table saw, using an
rail. Next, drill 15 holes 1/16" in diameter for the tone bar pins accurate miter gauge to guide the cut. At the drill press, bore
in each rail, spaced one inch apart relative to the centerline of the 3/8" and 1/4" holes in the case sides, positioning them as
the rack. Glue the crossmembers between the rails, making shown in the Drawing for the drum axle, crank rod and pivot
sure the spacing between the holes for the widest tone bar is rod. Only the crank hole goes all the way through; the others
23⁄4", and 17⁄16" for the narrowest. Stick the foam strips you re- are bored 7/16" deep. After sanding the sides smooth, glue on
moved earlier into the rail grooves, then mount the tone bars the crank spacer, using a tape-covered dowel scrap to align it
by gently tapping the pins/grommets into their holes. with the crank hole. To make assembly simpler (as well as allow

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 49

 A pair of thin white foam strips stuck down into the V-grooves routed in
each of the xylophone’s rack rails serve as rests for the tone bars. The
foam allows each bar to resonate properly when struck.
Three slots plunge-routed through the front side of the case act as vents
that allow the music box’s sound to pass through. Bar clamps help secure
the workpiece as each slot is routed with a 1/2”-diameter spiral-fluted bit.
disassembly, in case future repairs are needed), the bottom,
sides and top of the case are butted together and joined with
21⁄2"-long #8 construction screws. Space the holes in the sides
3/8" from the edges; space the top holes 3/4" from the edges.
Drill all holes with a #8 countersinking drill, boring each
hole deep enough to form a 3/16"-deep, 3/8" counterbore, to
accommodate the wood buttons that hide the screws.
Next, rout three slots on the front of the case to allow the
sound of the music box to be heard without lifting the top.
Make these slots with a 1/2"-diameter spiral fluted bit in a
plunge router fitted with an edge guide. Clamp the ends of
the case front with a pair of bar clamps, placing a scrap piece
between the piece and the clamps, then secure the bar clamps
to the work table. Mark out the slots (see the Drawing) on the
front, then set the router’s fence, start the router, and plunge
the bit to cut each slot all the way through the workpiece.
To make the frame for the angled glass door at the front
of the case, cut the stiles and rails to length, noting that
the extra length of the stiles and width of the rails allows
for beveling of the frame’s edges later (see the Drawing).
You can join the frame members with dowels or with loose
tenons, such as those cut by Festool’s Domino tool. Once the
frame is glued up, rout a 7/16"-deep, 3/8"-wide rabbet (for
the window glass) around the inside of the back side of the
frame, using a piloted rabbeting bit. Square up the corners
50
Using a table saw and a good miter gauge set to 35˚ and fitted with a fence
and end stop, the author trims off a triangular piece from the front edge of
each case side.
A wooden frame, joined by Domino loose tenons, is glued up and clamped.
A rabbet shaped around the frame’s inside edge holds a piece of window
glass that allows you to see the music box mechanism as it works.
with a chisel. Next, on the table saw, cut a 17.5˚ bevel on the
back edge of the frame, as well as on the front edge of the
case top. Mortise the back edge of the frame, as well as the
forward edge of the case top, to hold a pair of 2" x 1" hinges,
each spaced 23⁄8" in from the frame edges. Chop out both
1/16"-deep mortises by hand with a chisel, then drill pilot
holes for the hinge screws. Make the molding strips that hold
the glass in the frame by first routing a length of stock with a
1/4"-radius piloted router bit, then cutting off a 1/4" by 1/4"
strip on the table saw. Now set the table saw blade to a 35˚
angle and bevel the front edge of the glass frame, as well as
the top edge of the case front. Use a small router and piloted
45˚ bit to put a small chamfer around all the edges of the
frame and top (but leave the hinged edges unrouted). Also
chamfer the top and the ends of both case sides; these create
reveals where the sides join the front and back.
Assembling the Music Box
Before final glue-up, preassemble the case, setting the drum
and mallet pivot block assemblies into place and temporarily
clamping all the case parts together. Use a 3/32" bit to bore
pilot holes through each case side, then screw the parts
together. To make sure that the music box will play correctly,
set the mallet support (with the foam mallet rest strip, piece 20,
you’ve made from weatherstripping adhered to its top edge)
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

The case that aligns and protects the mechani-
cal components of the music box is joined with
simple butt joints secured with construction
screws. Counterbored screw holes are covered
with decorative wood plugs.
and xylophone rack and supports into
place and check the fit and alignment.
The mallet heads should be centered
on the tone bars and come to rest about
1/16"-3/32" above them. You can adjust
this by trimming (or shimming) the
mallet support and/or the xylophone
rack supports. Once the notes sound
crisp, screw the rack to the supports,
and the supports to the mallet rest.
It’s best to pre-finish all music box
parts before final assembly. I chose to
spray lacquer them, but you can use
any finish you choose (just mask off
any edges that will be glued up). Begin
assembly by gluing the front and back
to the plywood bottom, making sure
they’re flush and square. After screw-
ing the crank handle to its lever with
a #6 x 1" screw and gluing the lever
to the crank rod, slide the assembly
into the case side. Fit the drive pulley
and secure it to the rod with a #4 x
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3/4" screw, driven their respective holes. Slip the belt over the drum, then fit
through the pulley the other case side and screw it into place. Set the glass into
square. After screw- its frame and secure it with the molding strips, each attached
ing on one case with a few small brads carefully driven. Screw the case top
side, set the axle on, then mount the hinges that attach the glass frame. Set the
at the pulley end of xylophone rack/mallet rest assembly into the case, securing it
the drum and the with a couple of screws driven through the rack supports. Tap
mallet pivot rod into wood buttons into all the screw holes, then slip the urethane
belt onto the drive and drum pulleys.
With the case preas- Now you’re ready to turn the crank slowly (clockwise
sembled, fit and adjust only!), and enjoy the beautiful tune your music box plays.
the xylophone rack
and mallet support as
needed until each of Sandor Nagyszalanczy is a furniture designer/craftsman, writer/photog-
the tone bars produce a rapher and contributing editor to Woodworker’s Journal. His books are
clear, musical tone. available at amazon.com.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 51

 Fun With Pen Turning
By Ernie Conover
With a lathe (big or small), and just a couple of
tools and a hardware kit, you can create a pen
anyone would be proud to use.
P
en turning has been around for a
little better than two decades and
only seems to grow in popularity.
I think the appeal stems from a number
of factors. For one, a beginning turner,
young or old, can get a good-looking
end product right from the get-go. Turn
a few more, and the results will be
stunning. Plus, as long as it has Morse
tapers, any lathe will work — a good
many mini-lathes have been purchased
for the sole purpose of pen turning.
You can also choose how much to
invest in this type of project: hardware
kits can range in price from $3 to $55,
the former being a simple retracting
ballpoint and the latter being a fountain
pen with a German iridium nib.
Materials for Pen Blanks
Pens are turned from 3/4" x 3/4" x 6"
blanks of wood. You can either mill
such blanks from scraps or buy them
pre-milled for as little as $1.50 each. Al-
though almost any domestic hardwood
52
can be used, a dense,
close-grained wood is
best. Good domestic
choices are maple, You can drill the hole to accommodate the brass tube with a drill
cherry, dogwood, apple press, but the author prefers to use his lathe. Using a clamp to hold
and pear. Burl is always the blank, he pushes the blank against a drill mounted in a chuck
in the headstock with a live center mounted in the tailstock.
a good choice but it’s
much chancier to work
with as it can crumble
at thin wall thickness.
Just about any tropical
wood is excellent.
Pens can also be
turned from a variety
of other materials, such
as plastic, scraps of
solid-surface countertop,
A little trick the author employs to keep from getting glue on the
or even antler. Wood inside of the brass pen tubes is to first push them into a raw
made by pressing potato, creating “potato plugs,” before pushing them into the pen
layers of phenolic resin blank and trimming it to size.
under heat and high
pressure is sold under Drilling Your Bore
trade names such as Pakkawood, which Whatever blank material you choose,
has the look of wood and the ink and you need to drill a hole through the
dirt resistance of plastic. A little later, I center of it, into which is installed a
will walk you through my experi- brass tube that facilitates the press kit
ence with pen kits using connections with the pen parts. Pen
specific materials. kits are all metric so, depending on the
kit, a drill bit between 6 mm and 15 mm
will be necessary. Having been first
trained as a machinist, I have an index
of fractional, number and letter twist
drills. This allows me to make my pens
to closer tolerances than envisioned
by the kit manufacturers. I drill
this hole on the lathe, rather than
the drill press. Mounting my bit
in a drill chuck on the headstock
and pushing the opposite end of my
By choosing from among many choices of wood — or other materials
— for pen blanks, plus a plethora of hardware kits, you can create
pens that range from a hefty example appropriate for treaty signing to
lightweight pens suitable for everyday use.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 www.woodworkersjournal.com
MORE ON THE WEB
For a video showing the author’s
VIDEO process for pen turning, please
visit woodworkersjournal.com and
click on “More on the Web” under the
Magazine tab.
blank with a live center in the tailstock,
I bore about halfway through the blank
from one direction, then flip it around
and complete the process from the
other direction.
It may then be necessary to cut the
blank in half (drawing a line across
it helps you to reassemble the grain
pattern correctly later), before you glue
in the brass tube.
A couple of tricks when it comes to
installing that brass tube: roughing it
up with sandpaper will provide some
surface grip for your glue. Also, you’re
not supposed to get any glue inside the
tube. How do you accomplish that? My
trick is to first press each end of the
brass tube into a raw potato, as if you
were on potato-peeling KP duty, which
creates “plugs” of raw potato at either
end of the tube.
After the brass tube is glued into your
pen blank, a Barrel Cleaner/Pen Mill
Kit makes it simple and foolproof to trim
the ends of the pen blanks square to
the center of the bore. Rockler’s (item
47526) costs about $30. (It also cleans
out the glue — or potato — from your
brass tube.)
Turning to Size
After trimming your pen blanks, you’ll
mount them on a pen-turning arbor in
your lathe, with metal bushings between
the blanks. Each pen style requires a dif-
ferent bushing set (there are more than
10 different styles), but once you own a
set of bushings you can turn an unlimited
number of pens of that style. Bushings
range in price between $1 and $6.
A key factor to remember with your
pen bushings is that they indicate the
minimum diameter you can turn to:
you want the other parts to match
Woodworker’s Journal February 2016
this diameter. It is Mandrels are 7 mm in diameter. For pens with brass tubes that are
my not-so-humble greater in inside diameter, the bushing set also centers the blank
opinion that the on the mandrel shaft.
best-looking pens are
turned to tubes that
are the same diame-
ter as the bushings.
This means the wood
will be very thin —
about 1/32".
A Pen Turning
Mandrel (here, I’m
using Rockler’s
49514) greatly
simplifies turning.
It mounts into your
The bushings provide the correct diameter to turn to so that
headstock Morse wood parts match the other parts of the kit. These are especially
taper and holds helpful to beginners as they learn pen turning.
things on center
while also indicating the correct diameter able (Rockler’s, item 24577, sells for $99
to turn to. A 60° live center stabilizes and also serves as a drilling fixture for
the outboard end of the mandrel. boring the hole in your blank). Another,
After you’ve turned the pen blanks to cheaper option is to double-side tape
final size and completed your sanding, some wood blocks to your headstock
you’ll also want to apply your choice and tailstock spindles and make your
of finish (I often use carnauba wax) to lathe into an awesome pen press at zero
your pen pieces before final assembly. cost. You can see how I do this in my
To assemble your pen, the finished More on the Web video for this article.
pen needs to be pressed together. Spe- You can also use a rubber-faced clamp
cial presses for this job are readily avail- or a bench vise.
The pen shown at top here was turned to a straight barrel: the diameter of the sides matches the
bushings. The one at the bottom bulges in the middle, since the barrel was turned to a greater
diameter. It looks and feels clunky.
53

The Fishermen Laser Cut Pen Set (39589) is part of a line that
showcases hobbies and interests via inset designs. The author
used ebony for the Manhattan Ballpoint Pen (43431) below it.
The author turned one Slimline
Pen (61263) from a burl and the
other from a closer-grained
wood. Both show attractive
options from an inexpensive
($2.99) hardware kit.
Fun With Specific Pen Kits
While working on this article, I tried
out a few different pen kits. The Deer
Hunter Bolt Action Pen (Rockler’s
53305) was one of the more challenging.
Your blank is a piece of antler, which
means center drilling is hard because
antler is oval and the ends are seldom
parallel. You have to center-punch both
ends and use the tailstock to push the
piece against a drill mounted in the
headstock, while holding the antler with
a clamp. Because antler is curved, you
have to calculate where to punch by eye.
Also, cyanoacrylate glue does not
stick well to antler, so epoxy may be a
better choice. Once the tube is glued
and the ends of the antler trimmed to
length, it must be tapered at the ends to
match the pen hardware. Because antler
is oval, the highest part of the oval
sometimes needs to be turned away.
54
Pakkawood high-
lights Bolt Action Pens
(56297), which come
with a choice of
traditional or stylus
end caps. The Deer
Hunter (53305) pen
challenged the author.
The Majestic Fountain Pen Kit (50808)
requires the 56535 bushing set, which
sets the top of the barrel at a smaller
diameter than the lower end that
receives the nib.
Then, during assembly, the antler has
to be oriented so that the pocket clip will
work. It cannot be pushed out too far or
have a big gap under it. The bolt action
is realistic, but it’s a mirror image of a
real bolt action, putting it on the wrong
side of the pen. Still, this pen brings
rave comments.
Rockler’s Tec Pen Bolt Action
(56297), a kind of companion piece to
the Deer Hunter, is more straightfor-
ward to make and works very well. This
kit also gives you the option to install
either a standard metal pen cap or a
touchscreen stylus for use with tablets
and phones.
There are many other choices as well.
For instance, Rockler’s 39589 Fisher-
men Laser Cut Pen Set comes with fish
inserts that glue into place with medium
cyanoacrylate glue. The resulting pen
is good-looking and says things about
the owner’s hobby. Kits are
also available with piano keys,
violins, horses, and the list
goes on.
I also tried out both an
inexpensive and a pricier kit.
At $2.99 for the Slimline Hard-
You will need a section of
antler for the Deer Hunter Pen.
Compare the tube to the antler
to find a section that will be
artistically right.
ware (61263), you could pay more for a
plastic pen at an office supply store. It is
small and light like its plastic cousins,
but you get a really classy pen that looks
good in anyone’s hands.
At the other end of the spectrum of
pen kits, the Majestic Fountain Pen Kit
(50808) was the most expensive I found
in the Rockler catalog. I have been a
fountain pen afficionado for years and I
was pleasantly surprised at the quality
of the German nib and the rest of the
hardware. The clip even has a Swarovski
crystal at the end.
I made my example from ebony,
which gave it a classic look. You do
need to give careful attention to
assembly with this kit: there are a lot
of parts to press together, and it is easy
to reverse them.
Closing
In closing, let me say that pen turning is
great fun that brings smiles to seasoned
turners and confidence to beginners.
My biggest worry for pen turning is
that, in this age of instant messaging
and email, young turners are going to
wonder just what exactly this thing they
made is used for?
Ernie Conover writes a regular column on
woodturning for Woodworker’s Journal. He is
a cohost of the Woodworker’s Journal Getting
Started in Woodturning DVD.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 LASER ENGRAVE IT. CUT IT. MARK IT.
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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 55

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R STEP STOOL/
68053/62160
62496/62516 SAVE LOT 68530/69671 shown
PE ON
SU UP WORKING PLATFORM 60569 shown
• 3-1/2 Pumps Lifts $60 LOT 68525/69677
CALIFORNIA ONLY
CO Most Vehicles
SUPER
Customer Rating • Weighs 32 lbs. QUIET
Customer Rating 29 PIECE TITANIUM
LOT 62515 NITRIDE COATED
HIGH SPEED STEEL Customer Rating
66911 shown
• 350 lb. SAVE DRILL BIT SET
$459
5999
Capacity
$ LOT 5889/62281/61637 shown
SAVE
SAVE
65%
$ 19
comp at $58.55
99
comp at $119.99
• 76 dB
Noise
Level
$ 539 99comp at $999 $ 1399 comp at
$59.97 76%
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day. presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.

R R R R
PE ON PE ON
1/4" TRIM ROUTER PE ON
12" x 33-3/8" WOOD LATHE PE ON
7 FT. 4" x 9 FT. 6"
SU UP SU UP SU UP WITH REVERSIBLE HEAD SU UP ALL PURPOSE WEATHER
CO CO LOT 61626/62659 CO CO SAVE RESISTANT TARP
44914 shown
LOT 34706 57% LOT 69115/69137

SAVE
69249/69129/69121
Customer Rating 877 shown
$63
SAVE
LOT 62443
68751 shown $118
45 WATT
SAVE $ 1999 $ 22999
SOLAR
PANEL KIT $ 13999 comp at
$203.72 $79 comp at $99
Customer Rating
comp at $347.99
Customer Rating
$ 99
comp at
3 $9.38

LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.

R ORBITAL HAND SANDER R 16" x 30" TWO SHELF R R

PE ON PE ON PE ON PE ON
SU UP SU UP STEEL SERVICE CART SU UP SAVE SU UP SAVE
CO LOT 40070 shown
61311/61509
CO LOT 60390/5107 shown
Customer Rating
CO
$ 230 CO $180
1.51 CUBIC FT.
EIGHT DRAWER SOLID STEEL
SAVE WOOD DIGITAL
SAVE 40% TOOL CHEST FLOOR SAFE
66% LOT 62585
94538 shown

9
$ 99 $29.97
comp at
• 220 lb. Capacity
$ 29 $6999
comp at $49.98
99
comp at
$299.99
$
LOT 61565/91006 shown

9999 $279.99
comp at

LIMIT 7 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LOWEST PRICES EVERYDAY 600 Stores
Nationwide

WOW
R 14" OSCILLATING
Customer Rating SUPER COUPON PE ON
SUPER U
S U
CO
P SPINDLE SANDER

FREE
COUPON Customer Rating
44", 13 DRAWER
INDUSTRIAL QUALITY SAVE LOT 95088
62146
ROLLER CABINET $70 69257 shown
WITH ANY PURCHASE

SAVE
• Weighs 245 lbs.
LOT 68784 shown
3-1/2" SUPER BRIGHT
NINE LED ALUMINUM
$ 9999 $169.99
$660
69387/62270/62744
comp at
FLASHLIGHT
LOT 69052 shown
• 16 in. deep drawers have folded 69111/62522/62573
edges for extra strength and LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
detents to secure the drawers 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
when closing Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
• Narrow drawer width (x6):
$ 996
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
12-5/16 in.
• Wide drawer width (x6): R 3-IN-1 PORTABLE
22-3/8 in.
PE ON POWER PACK WITH
SU UP
• Extra-Wide drawer width (x1): VALUE
36-7/8 in.
LIMIT 1 - Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or prior CO JUMP STARTER
$ 369 99$1029.99 purchase. Coupon good at our stores, HarborFreight.com or by
comp at calling 800-423-2567. Offer good while supplies last. Shipping LOT 62306 shown
& Handling charges may apply if not picked up in-store. Non- 38391/60657/62376
transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot
be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original
4/30/16. Limit one FREE GIFT coupon per customer per day.
SAVE
35%
purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original
coupon must be presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.

$38
WOW WOW
88
R
PE ON Customer Rating SUPER SUPER
SU UP comp at
99 $59
CO COUPON COUPON .99
32 PIECE SCREWDRIVER SET
2 HP INDUSTRIAL Customer Rating LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling

5 MICRON LOT 61259/90764 shown 8", 5 SPEED 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
BENCHTOP Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
DUST COLLECTOR
LOT 61790/97869 shown
• 70 Gallon Capacity
$ 99 5 comp at
DRILL PRESS
Customer Rating
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.

R
PE ON
ELECTRIC
$14.97 SU UP PAINT SPRAY GUN
SAVE LOT 62390/62520 CO LOT 62267/60446 shown
$210 60238 shown

SAVE SAVE
$169 99 59% $66 • 24 oz. SAVE
78%

comp at $379.99
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 7 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
$ 5999
comp at $126.47
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
$ 1499
comp at $69
LIMIT 6 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.

R R R R 60", 4 DRAWER
PE ON
FOLDABLE EAR MUFFS
PE N
2.5 HP 12" THICKNESS PLANER
PE ON
6" DIGITAL CALIPER PE ON
SU UP Customer Rating SU UPO LOT 62555/95082 shown
SU UP SU UP HARDWOOD WORKBENCH
CO
LOT 69054/62603/93454 shown
CO CO CO LOT 47257 shown
LOT 94334
SAVE
61585/62387
SAVE
$235
SAVE $63 SAVE
66% Includes two 1.5V SR44
63%
$ 99 4 comp at
$14.99
$ 23999 $1099
comp at $302.99
button cell batteries.

comp at
$29.99
Customer Rating

LIMIT 6 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling LIMIT 9 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
$ 13999 comp at
$375
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day. presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day. presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day. LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
R 18 GAUGE BRAD NAILER R 16 OZ. HAMMERS R RETRACTABLE
PE ON PE ON PE ON
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SU UP WE CARRY A SU UP WITH FIBERGLASS SU UP AIR HOSE REEL WITH
R
CO CO HANDLE CO 3/8" x 50 FT. HOSE 7-1/4", 10 AMP
PE ON
FULL LINE OF LOT 68021
FASTENERS CLAW RIP SU UP CIRCULAR SAW
SAVE LOT 69006 LOT 47873 shown SAVE CO
$103 $106
60715/60714 69005/61262
LOT 69079 shown
Customer Rating 61722/63005

$ 15
99 SAVE YOUR CHOICE

comp at $119
83% $292 comp at $17.99
LOT 69265
62344
93897 shown
$ 59
99
comp at $166
SAVE
29%
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
$ 2799
comp at $39.98
Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day. presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day. presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.

• 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed • No Hassle Return Policy • 600 Stores Nationwide LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling
800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt.
• Over 25 Million Satisfied Customers • Lifetime Warranty On All Hand Tools • HarborFreight.com 800-423-2567 Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
presented. Valid through 4/30/16. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
 2ND
Reader’s Survey ANNUAL

Readers’ Choice Awards

In every issue of 2015, we presented an array of tools and accessories, often bestowing a Woodworker’s Journal
Best Bet award in the process. Then, we took the extra step of asking our readers to tell us which tool they chose
as best! In our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards,
we put all the tools featured in our pages during the
past year in an online survey and asked for readers’
top picks. Here, with a few editorial comments from
Woodworker’s Journal, are the 2nd Annual Readers’
Choice selections.

Portable Power Tools

DeWALT
DWE6423K

W
oodworkers love routers. Proof of that was senior
editor Chris Marshall’s selection of the DWP611PK Random Orbit
as an item that he would choose for a Father’s Day Sander
gift. The tool’s surprising power, versatility (especially in the
PK configuration) and tough construction
took it to the top of the
Portable Power Tool pack.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL
1/2-in. Drill/Driver

Contenders
SKILSAW SPT67WM SIDEWINDER Circular Saw
Craftsman 39592 3.0Amp Random Orbit Sander
Bosch Power Ready Wireless Charging System
BLACK+DECKER Mouse Sander
SKILSAW “Sawsquatch” 101⁄4" Worm Drive Saw
Bosch Power Planers
RIDGID GEN5X 5-piece Combo Kit
BLACK+DECKER Variable Speed Jigsaws
Titan FlexSpray Handheld HVLP
RotoSaw+ with Dust Vault Attachment
RIDGID Hyperdrive Straight Finish Nailer
DeWALT DWE6423K Random Orbit Sander
WORX 20V Max Lithium Switchdriver
Dremel VRT1 Dustless Rotary Tool
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2" Drill/Driver
DeWalt DWP611PK Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4" Hex Impact Driver
Compact Router DeWALT DWP611PK Compact Router

58 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

Stationary and Benchtop Tools

S
awStop has been winning awards ever since they started
mistreating hotdogs years ago. Their new Jobsite Saw
has now brought their safety technology into a highly
engineered and richly featured portable table saw. Our readers
show their gratitude for this effort by giving the 10" Model JSS SawStop Jobsite Saw
JSS Jobsite Saw top honors in a very competitive category —
one that featured laser engravers and even 3D printers.

Contenders
Rockwell BladeRunner X2
JET JWL-1440VSK 14" x 40" Variable Speed Woodworking Lathe
SawStop Jobsite Saw
RYOBI 6-gallon Vertical Pancake Compressor & 3 Tool Combo Kit
Kreg Precision Router Table System
General International 90-040M1 12" Wood Cutting Band Saw
Leigh RTJ400 Router Table Dovetail Jig
JET JOSS-S Oscillating Spindle Sander
Full Spectrum H-Series 5th Gen Desktop Laser
CNC Shark Piranha FX

JET JWL-1440VSK 14" x 40"

Variable Speed Woodworking Lathe

Kreg Precision
Router Table
System

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 59

 Reader’s Survey continued

Miter Saws

W
e looked at the miter saw category last April with a rigor-
ous testing protocol. We separated the Festool Kapex into
its own sidebar as we considered the tool to be at a whole
other level of quality. Apparently our readers agreed: they selected
the Kapex as their ultimate saw in the category. With high quality
German engineering and Festool’s well-known attention to detail, it
is not hard to understand our readers’ choice.

DeWALT DW717
Miter Saw

Festool Kapex Miter Saw

Bosch CM10GD Miter Saw

Contenders
RYOBI TSS120L 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw
Bosch CM10GD Miter Saw
Craftsman 10-in. Compact Sliding Miter Saw
DeWALT DW717 Miter Saw
Kobalt SM2507LW Miter Saw
Festool Kapex Miter Saw
Makita LS1016L Miter Saw
RIDGID MS255SR Miter Saw
RYOBI TSS102L 10" Miter Saw
DeWALT 20V MAX* Lithium Ion 71⁄4" Sliding Miter Saw

Continues on page 62 ...

60 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 61
 Reader’s Survey continued

Rockler Rail Coping Sled

Woodworking Accessories

F
or many woodworkers, woodworking accessories
that aid their efforts and increase their safety
and accuracy are key to their enjoyment of the
craft. The Rockler Rail Coping Sled is a perfect
example of just that sort of accessory. Solidly built,
easy to use and designed to help woodworkers take
their craft to the next level, the Rockler Rail Coping
Sled was the Readers’ Choice winner in a full and
competitive category.

Contenders
LENOX Gold Power Arc Curved Blades Easy Wood Tools 4" Easy Chuck
Spyder Products Bi-Metal & TCT Hole Saws
Arbortech Contour Sander
Rockler Perfect Dado Jig
Quickscrews Impact Drive Bits
Rockler Large Box Spline Jig
BORA Saw Plate and Rip Guide Handle Rockler Perfect
Dado Jig
Rockler Rail Coping Sled
WoodOwl SworDriver Multi-Length Extensions
Work Sharp Guided Sharpening System
Rockler Clamp-It Corner Clamping Jig
Easy Wood Tools 4" Easy Chuck
M-Power CRB7 MK3 Router Base
Continues on page 64 ...

62 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 presents
The Way To Woodwork Mortise &
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IN WOODTURNING Leigh Mortise & Tenon Jigs make challenging
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CALL 800-610-0883 leighjigs.com
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Sponsors include ...

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 63

 Reader’s Survey continued

Big Ass Light

Shop LED

Workshop Solutions

I
t is very difficult to do woodworking in the dark (although, on occasion, our
work might look better in what might be called mood lighting ...). And while
this winner’s moniker is a bit crude, its performance is highly refined. Light-
ing is one area where most shops need improvement. This item improves overall
safety and helps in so many other ways, which is likely why our readers selected
the Big Ass Light Shop LED fixture as their clear winner.

Rockler Dust Right

Universal Small Port
Hose Kit

Contenders
Ryobi ES3000 Phone Works Moisture Meter and App
RZ Mesh Mask
Big Ass Light Shop LED
Centipede Sawhorse
Rockler RoboReel Air Hose Reel
Retractable Rockler Dust Right Universal Small Port Hose Kit
Extension Bridgewood Design LLC CutList Express App
Cord Reel
Calculated Industries Air Shim
Rockler Broad Shoulder Apron
Rockler Joinery Tool Bag
Rockler Retractable Extension Cord Reel

Continues on page 66 ...

64 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 presents
The Way To Woodwork:
Mastering the Rout a Sign Making “Headquarters”

Table Saw
beautiful
family
heirloom.

Learn to safely and confidently

operate the most important
tool in your workshop with Keepsake Box Sets
this installment in The Way To
Woodwork series: Mastering the
Table Saw. Our experts teach Rout Picture Frames
in one pass
everything, from the basics
of ripping and crosscutting,
working up to more advanced Bowl and Tray templates
techniques. Put
these techniques
to work building
a classic Arts &
Crafts Nightstand #1 Router Bit Made In The USA!
made entirely on the
table saw — free plan included!

57292 . . . . . . . . . $29.99
CALL 800-610-0883
(mention code WJ1614)
Order online at
woodworkersjournal.com/wj1614
FISHER FORGE LLC ENGRAVE IT. CUT IT. MARK IT.
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œ˜Ì>VÌÊ «ˆœ}Ê>ÃiÀÊ
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ÜÜÜ°i«ˆœ}>ÃiÀ°Vœ“ÉÜ܍

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 65

 Reader’s Survey continued
Nexabond 2500 Instant Wood Adhesive

Jobsite Radios

W
hen Woodworker’s
Journal reviewed
jobsite radios, we got a
large, positive response from our
readers. Apparently, tunes (in
the shop or on the jobsite) are a
big deal for a lot of woodworkers.
Sandor Nagyszalanczy provided a
professional, detailed evaluation
of the options available, but this
is a category where our readers
differed from our expert in terms
of top choice. Sandor chose the
Bosch; our readers went with
the yellow and black DeWALT.
All we can say is, “Rock on,
woodworkers!”

DeWALT DCR012

Bosch PB360S

Contenders
Bosch PB360S
DeWALT DCR012
Milwaukee M18 2792-20
Makita LXRM03B
Milwaukee 2790-20
RIDGID R84083
Bosch PB120
Bosch PB180
DeWALT DCR018
DeWALT DCR018 Milwaukee M12 2590-20
PORTER-CABLE PCC771B
RIDGID R84084
RYOBI P742

Continues on page 68 ...

66 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 Attention
Woodworker’s
Journal
Subscribers The Swiss Scroll Sawblades
You’ll soon have Skip Tooth

exclusive access Double Skip Tooth

to EVERY past Reverse Skip Tooth

issue!
Double Skip Tooth Reverse
Starting in January 2016,
magazine subscribers Modified Geometry
can access over 1,500
projects, plus great tips Spiral
and techniques on
woodworkersjournal.com!
To access a premium article Super Skip Tooth
or plan, you’ll be prompted The gaps between the teeth of the Super Skip blades are wider
than the normal skip-toothconfiguration. This enables theblade to
to log in with your email cut very quickly, leaving a smooth finish. The surface sawdust is whisked
DGGUHVVLIRQƓOHRU\RXU away and the edge remains clean. Use the new Pegas
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• Leaves a smooth finish
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• Consistent quality
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www.grobetusa.com 800-635-2993 www.scies.ch
Mfg. in Switzerland by Scies Miniatures, a Division of Grobet USA, Carlstadt, NJ 07072

The Last Coping Saw

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This is your issue
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cover of every issue.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 67

 Reader’s Survey continued

Pneumatic and Hand Tools

M
easure twice, cut once, is a cliche that
we all know and most of us practice.
While there is nothing flashy about a
tape measure, it would be almost impossible to
get through a day in the workshop without one.
The Stanley FatMax auto-lock tape measure is
a steady Eddie tool that does its job, day in and
day out. Our readers apparently decided that
accuracy really does count.

Stanley FatMax Auto-locking Tape

DeWALT Trigger Clamps

Rockler Bandy Clamp

Contenders
Stanley FatMax Auto-locking Tape
DeWALT Trigger Clamps
Swanson Tool Savage ProScribe Tape Measure
Honorable Mention Damstom D300 38" Panel Clamp
Rockler Bandy Clamp Edge Clamp
This super-clever product is making glue-ups
easier in shops around the country. Taking the OLFA Utility Knives
squeeze clamp from handy to indispensable, Apollo Sprayers Eco-Mini HVLP Spray Kit
the Bandy Clamp rates an honorable mention.

The survey results for this article were

collected from the Woodworker’s Journal
Online Survey Group. The group consists
of several thousand opt-in woodworkers
Apollo Sprayers who volunteered to answer woodwork-
Eco-Mini HVLP ing-based questions on a regular basis.
Spray Kit For opportunities similar to the Online
Survey Group, sign up to our eZine at
www.woodworkersjournal.com. It’s free
and full of great woodworking informa-
tion. Who knows, we might even ask you
to join our survey group!

68 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 Request or view
800-472-6950 a catalog online or visit us at
www.woodline.com
Free shipping on orders over $50.
Our bowl & tray bits and more
What can we help you make today? than 60 styles of templates will
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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 69

 Technology And Woodworking
A High-Tech Party Puzzle Tray
By Woodworker’s Journal Staff

Are you curious about what the new wave

of automated shop tools can do? Here is a
fun little project perfect for New Year’s and
Valentine’s Day.

A
s the 21st century
becomes more embe-
ded in woodworking
shops around the country,
projects designed around
using high-tech tools are still
a bit rare. Here is a simple
but useful project (especially
with New Year’s celebrations
coming up quickly) that
makes use of a couple of
computer-driven tools. For
you analog woodworkers, do
not fear: we have download-
able PDF-based patterns so
that you can make the basic
puzzle tray using a scroll
saw. And, if you don’t have
a laser, you can always give
woodburning a try if you
want the decorations.
Food and Drink
What’s a puzzle tray? Well, if
you try to hold a plate and a
wine glass at the same time,
you’ll find you must put the
glass down to feed yourself
— unless you are using one
of these fun Party Puzzle
Tray pieces! Each puzzle
piece gives you room for sa-
vory snacks, plus a notched
cutout for holding a fluted
wine glass. Our design has
the pieces fitting together
into a nice rectangle that can
sit on a sideboard or table
until needed. As an additional
eye-pleaser, we’ve used a
laser to etch the surface with
flowing grapevines, which
just seemed appropriate.

We made these pieces using a full-size CNC Shark machine, but

a smaller machine (like the Piranha model, for example) would
do just as well. We used .tap files (free online) and a 1/4" upspiral
bit from Freud. The material is 3/4" Baltic birch offcuts.

70 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 www.woodworkersjournal.com

MORE ON THE WEB
For free downloads of the six puzzle piece .tap files as well as
the file of the grapevines, please visit woodworkersjournal.com
and click on “More on the Web” under the Magazine tab.
You will also find a video explaining the finishing process and
CNC routing tips. Also find PDF printouts of all of the
VIDEO puzzle pieces if you prefer scroll sawing with templates.

The grape etching was made on the Full

Spectrum laser machine. It uses a 40-watt
laser, but the same effect can be made
with a much less powerful laser.

CNC or Scroll Saw

If you will be using a CNC to
cut out the pieces, then you
will need the .tap files for
each piece — we have free
downloads of the files on our
website, and you can access
them by clicking on More
On the Web online (see the
notice above). If you do not
have access to a CNC router,
then you can also cut these
pieces out with a jigsaw or
scroll saw. We have creat-
ed six full-sized drawings
of the pieces — download
the party tray patterns as a
PDF file, which you will find
online as well. Simply print
them out, spray-glue them to
your stock and use a scroll
saw to cut out each piece.
We used Baltic birch
plywood for our puzzle
pieces, but you could mix
and match different wood
species to come up with a
cool look. Just remember,
if you are using solid wood,
you may have to adjust how
tightly the parts fit together
— if the pieces swell with
seasonal humidity changes, it
might keep them from fitting
together properly.
Seeing the Burn
While the puzzle would it, or have an opinion, Decoding the Letters
certainly be useful and please let us know (pictures “LASER” is an acronym that
attractive without the em- would be great). And don’t stands for Light Amplified by
bellishment of the grapevine hesitate to tell us what you Stimulation of Radiation.
pattern, it does make a fun might want to see in these CNC stands for Computer
addition. Even if you don’t technology pages in
Numerical Control .
possess your own laser, they the future.
are becoming more common
in community workshops
even as they grow in home
shop popularity. Again, we Baltic birch does not
have a free downloadable have much in the way of
grain or color. We added
file for the grapevine pattern
amber shellac, followed
available online. by a light coating of
Finish should be some- white spay lacquer. The
thing that is easily cleaned wax kept the pieces from
up and resists alcohol. We sticking together.
used a very thin amber
shellac wash coat to seal the
fibers and add a bit of color,
followed by a light coat of
white spray lacquer. Then
we waxed the pieces to make
them feel great and to keep
the lacquer from welding
together. You can see this
technique and some tips on
using the CNC to form the
pieces in a short video by
clicking through to More on
the Web.
So that is our first high-
tech project. If you make

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 71

 Weekend Projects
Quick and Easy Bookcase
By A.J. Hamler
Making First Cuts
Using a miter gauge on your table saw,
begin by crosscutting the bookcase
sides, shelves, kickplate and rails to
length, according to the Material List
on page 74. If you lack a table saw, then
a circular saw, jigsaw or handsaw can
handle the job.
Examine your stock and decide which
faces and edges will be the “presenta-
tion sides.” That means you’ll want the
nicest-looking surfaces facing outward
on the sides and upward on the shelves
72
A
basic bookcase is not only one of the most
functional pieces of furniture you can
make, it’s also a mini seminar in several
woodworking skills and techniques, wrapped in a
single project. Dado, rabbet and pocket-hole joinery
are highly adaptable to just about any more advanced
project, and you can never get enough practice with
basic shop tasks like cutting workpieces to size,
sanding and finishing. This project can kick-start
your skills, not to mention your creative juices.
In line with our theme of sticking to basics, all the
materials for this bookcase come from just about any
“big box” home improvement center. You can make
this project with simple pine if you like, but we opted
for hardwood and chose solid red oak for appearance
and durability. For a painted bookcase, poplar would
be a good choice.
Taking advantage of the off-the-rack sizing of di-
mensional 1x10 oak (actual measurement 3/4" x 91⁄4")
for the bookcase sides and top, and 1x3 oak (really
3/4" x 21⁄2") for the kickplate, you’ll only need to cut
these parts to length. Simple rip cuts trim shelves
and rails to width.
and top. Keep minor
blemishes or odd grain
on the inner and down-
ward faces. Label the
lumber — painter’s tape
and a dark marker work
better than just penciling
the wood — to ensure you
make cuts that keep those
nicer faces oriented in the
presentation direction.
Set up the rip fence to Crosscut the stock to length on the table saw with a miter gauge.
shave 1/4" off the back A circular saw could also handle this task.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 Cutting Dadoes on the Table Saw VIDEO
ONLINE
VIDEO!

Prepare your dado set for a 3/4" cut. This is a common cut, so for most sets this involves stacking only chippers and spacers. Since
dado sets have fewer teeth on the cut’s edge than regular blades, you’ll ensure cleaner cuts by using a zero clearance throat plate on
your saw, as seen in the left photo, above. Dado cutters are smaller than your regular blades, so remember to remove the saw’s splitter
or riving knife.
Make a test cut in scrap of the same thickness as your workpiece, and test-fit a shelf. If the fit is off, adjust the dado set as needed
to fine-tune the cut. Then carefully align your workpiece on your marks and make the cuts (right photo, above). It’s best to cut dadoes
from front-to-back whenever possible, which keeps potential tearout on the back edge of the workpiece. If you must cut back-to-front,
back up the workpiece with a narrow strip of sacrificial scrap to help minimize tearout.

is straightforward on the table saw, but

because the bookcase back is taller than
it is wide, it’s easier and safer to cut it
to length with a jigsaw (as seen in the
photo at right) or circular saw.

To allow for the inset cabinet back, trim 1/4”
off the back edge of each shelf. Be sure to note
your directional labels when cutting.
edges of the three shelves (as shown
in the photo above). This allows the
shelves to fit flush with the bookcase
back, which is inset by 1/4". Set the
shelves aside for now, then reset the
rip fence and cut the two upper rails
to width.
Finally, cut the plywood for the book-
case back. Ripping the sheet to width
Cabinet Joinery
This bookcase joinery is fairly straight-
forward and quickly done on the table
saw using a stacked dado cutter. (See
the sidebar above.) The 3/4"-thick
shelves fit into 3/8"-deep dadoes in the
bookcase sides. A rabbet cut into the
back edges accommodates the cabinet
back. We’ll cut the dadoes first.
We’ve laid out the shelves so each
opening is a uniform 111⁄2" tall. However, Trim the bookcase back to length with a jigsaw
to avoid binding on the table saw. Set the
you can easily adjust measurements
jigsaw’s orbital action as low as possible to
to accommodate whatever you want to
minimize tearout.
store in the cabinet. (Or, make the open-
ings smaller and add another shelf.) made with a dado cutter. This time,
Using the height of the kickplate at the though, we’ll use the rip fence instead
bottom as your starting point, mark the of a miter gauge.
first dado at 21⁄2", the second at 143⁄4" and To achieve the 3/8" width of these
the third at 27". rabbets, you can either remove and
The bookcase back fits into rabbets restack your dado cutter to 3/8" thick-
on the rear edges of the two sides, also ness, or create a sacrificial fence like

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 73

 Weekend Projects continued 4
Side
(Inside View) 4
5
1
/8" 1
/4"

4
1
6 All the dadoes
are 3/8" deep.
3
/4"
1
2

111/2"
391/4"

2 3
/4"

2 111/2"

3
Exploded View
3
/4"
3
21/2"
1
/8"
MATERIAL LIST 91/4"

TxWxL
1 Sides (2) 3/4" x 91⁄4" x 391⁄4" www.woodworkersjournal.com

MORE ON THE WEB
2 Shelves (3) 3/4" x 9" x 231⁄4"
For videos on the skills of cutting dadoes
3 Kickplate (1) 3/4" x 21⁄2" x 221⁄2"
VIDEO on a table saw and using a pocket-hole jig,
4 Rails (2) 3/4" x 1" x 221⁄2"
5 Top (1) 3/4" x 91⁄4" x 24" please visit woodworkersjournal.com and click on
6 Back (1) 1/4" x 231⁄4" x 363⁄4" “More on the Web” under the Magazine tab.

Making Pocket-hole Joints

Prepare for pocket holes by first marking the inside faces. For the bookcase sides
VIDEO
ONLINE
VIDEO!

you’ll need three evenly spaced screws: one centered, and one about 11⁄2" from each
edge. Set your pocket-hole jig for 3/4" stock, and the bit’s stop collar for 11⁄4" screws.
Clamp the stock to a work surface, overhanging the end a few inches. Align the jig
with the first drilling mark. Square the jig to the end of the workpiece (a solid “lip” on
the jig registers with the end of the wood), and clamp tightly in place. Most jigs allow
for chips to clear through an opening in the jig as you drill, but if you feel the bit bind-
ing, pull it out slightly to let chips clear, then finish the hole to the depth stop.
With the first hole drilled, reset the jig and drill each hole in turn on both bookcase sides.

74 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 THE ORANGE IN ACTION
ITK-PLUS™ Melamine & Ultra Finish Blades
P10080 - P12096
APPLICATION: for crosscuts, fine finishing on two-sided laminated
panels without the scoring blade.
MACHINES: radial arm saws, miter saws, table saws.
MATERIAL: solid wood, moldings, melamine, laminates,
veneered plywood, chipboard.

A sacrificial fence increases efficiency when Plywood Crosscut wood Two-sided

EXCELLENT
you’re using a dado cutter and also allows for laminate

easier adjustments of the cut.

TM

ORDER NO. Diameter Teeth Bore `

P10080 10” 80 5/8” 30° ATB+S
P12096 12” 96 1” 30° ATB+S

ITK-PLUS™ Chipboard & Melamine

P10060L - P12072L
APPLICATION: for heavy-duty crosscuts, perfect finishing
on single-sided laminated panels.
MACHINES: radial arm saws, miter saws, table and special saws.
MATERIAL: chipboard, MDF, laminate, hardwood and plywood.

With the dado cutter reset, double-check your

layout and mill a 1/4”-deep by 3/8”-wide rabbet One-sided Plywood Crosscut wood
EXCELLENT

laminate
along the inner back edge of the bookcase sides

GOOD
for the plywood back panel.
TM

ORDER NO. Diameter Teeth Bore `

P10060L 10” 60 5/8” TCG
P12072L 12” 72 1” TCG

Our new 2015-2016 CATALOG on www.cmtusa.com

CMT USA, INC. phone: 336.854.0201
7609 Bentley Road Suite D toll-free: 888.268.2487
Greensboro, NC 27409 Fax: 336.854.0903
Free-Fax: 800.268.9778
The inner surfaces of the bookcase are much info@cmtusa.com
TM: CMT, the CMT logos, CMT ORANGE TOOLS and the orange color applied to tool surfaces
more accessible for sanding before assembly. are trademarks of C.M.T. UTENSILI S.P.A. © C.M.T. UTENSILI S.P.A. ITALY www.cmtusa.com
Sanding the outside can wait till later.

the one you see in the photo at the top
of this page. The beauty of this simple
jig is that it allows you to adjust rabbet
width on the fly without needing to
restack the cutter — all you need to do
is move the fence in or out.
Set the dado cutter 3/8" high, and
adjust the fence so 1/4" of the blade is
exposed. Now, making sure your work-
piece is oriented correctly, just run the
stock through. That’s it.
By cutting these rabbets last, you’ll
remove any tearout from the back edge
that was created in earlier dado cuts.
At this point, all your workpieces are You can see more about using a
prepped and nearly ready for assembly. pocket-hole jig in the sidebar on page 74.
However, you’ll find that all the inner As shown in the photo in that sidebar, you
surfaces are much easier to sand now will want to make sure your pocket-hole jig
rather than waiting till afterward. is aligned squarely on your drilling marks
and is square to the end of the workpiece.
Pocket-hole Joinery After you have drilled the first pocket hole,
Pocket-hole joinery complements this reset the jig and drill each hole in turn.
cabinet’s dadoes and rabbets by making Repeat for the opposite bookcase side.
assembly both fast and uncomplicated. In the same manner, drill a pair of
We’ll use pocket screws to secure the evenly spaced pockets on the inside
bookcase top (piece 5), as well as ends of the kickplate. For the narrow
the kickplate (piece 3) and upper rails upper rails, a single pocket hole on each
(pieces 4). end is all you need.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 75

 Weekend Projects continued
Begin assembly by gluing the
shelves into one of the bookcase
sides, aligning them evenly with
the front edge. Again, take care to
orient the parts according to your
labels. Glue and clamp the main
shelf assembly together. Check for
square and adjust as needed.
Glue the kickplate to the under-
side of the bottom shelf and clamp
into place. An inset of 1/8” creates
an attractive reveal around the
edges. While the kickplate is still
clamped, secure the ends from the
back with pocket screws.
With the bookcase inverted, glue
the top into place and secure
with pocket screws on each
side. Plugs help make the holes
created for the pocket screws
blend in with the surrounding
wood. Use plugs that match as
closely as possible.
76
The Assembly Process
Apply glue into the dadoes on one book-
case side and, being careful to mind the
directional labels, set the shelves into
place flush with the bookcase front.
Since we trimmed the shelves by 1/4",
they should also be perfectly flush with
the rabbet on the back.
Now, apply glue into the dadoes on
the other side and fit it to the shelf ends
and align as before. Clamp everything
up to complete the assembly, and check
for square. (See inset photo, above.)
When the assembly has dried, apply
glue to the top edge of the kickplate
and, orienting the pocket holes toward
the inside, clamp it to the underside of
the bottom shelf slightly inset from the
bookcase front to create an attractive
reveal. (You can see this clamped
assembly in the middle photo at left.)
The exact amount of inset is up to you,
but 1/8" to 3/16" is common.
With the assembly on its side, drive
home a pair of pocket screws on each
end of the kickplate to secure it. Since
the kickplate meets the bottom shelf
in a long grain-to-long grain glue joint
— the strongest there is — we have no
need for additional screws.
Apply glue to the tops of the bookcase
sides. Upend the assembly onto the top
and attach it with three pocket screws on
each side, as shown in the bottom photo
at left. Those pockets aren’t that visible
up underneath the top, but let’s take one
more step to make them disappear.
Apply a bit of glue onto the insides of
the screw holes (you won’t need much),
then slide in pocket-hole plugs. (If you
don’t know where to find these locally,
you can order them, along with other
supplies needed for this project like flat-
head screws, and even a pocket-hole jig
itself, from Rockler Woodworking and
Hardware at www.rockler.com, phone
800-279-4441.) When the glue has dried,
trim the plugs with a flush-cut saw and
then just sand them smooth (inset photo
at left). We’ve used oak plugs here, of
course, but they’re available in several
wood species.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 Glue and clamp the upper rails into
place — the front rail inset the same
distance as the kickplate, the rear rail
flush with the rabbet on the back— and
attach with pocket screws oriented
toward the rear where they aren’t seen.

Countersink short screws from the rear to hold

the bookcase’s plywood back in place.

The inside was sanded earlier, but now’s the

time to give the outside a thorough smoothing in
preparation for final finishing.

The final step is to set the back of the

bookcase into place, drill shallow counter-
sunk pilot holes, and attach the back with
1/2" to 5/8" screws (top photo, above).
Evenly space the screws around the back
edges, plus one that goes through the
back and into the center of each shelf.

Finishing Up find it easier if you first temporarily

Give the entire bookcase a good
sanding. Your lumber is probably pretty
smooth right from the store, but it
may have milling marks that should
be removed. While those marks aren’t
that noticeable now, they’ll really pop
out with a washboard-like appearance
once finish — especially stain — is
applied. For most home center lumber
a thorough sanding with 100-grit paper,
followed by 150-grit, does the trick.
Lastly, give your bookcase the finish
of your choice (photo at right). You’ll
Several coats of satin polyurethane add just the
right amount of sheen and give the bookcase
plenty of protection from wear.
remove the back, so that you can finish
the “case” portion of the bookcase and
its back separately.
We used three coats of satin polyure-
thane for a moderately glossy appear-
ance and the highest level of protection
from wear and the elements. However,
aerosol spray lacquer would make for a
fast-drying high-gloss finish if you’re in
a hurry. Amber shellac, meanwhile, also
dries quickly and imparts a warm Old
World tone to the wood.

Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 77

 What’s In Store
New Sanding
Solutions (and More)!
T
he new Pro Grade
Contact Information
Precision™ Ultra Flex-
3M ible Sanding Products
888-364-3577 from 3M™ include sanding
BLACK+DECKER sheets, rolls and sponges that
800-544-6986 can twist, fold and roll to get
DeWALT into hard-to-reach areas. The
800-433-9258 backing on the Ultra Flexible
Festool Sanding Sheets and Rolls
888-337-8600 resists punctures, tears and
creases. The Sanding Sheets
Milwaukee
800-729-3878 come in grits of 100, 150, 220
and 320, while the Sanding
PORTER-CABLE Rolls’ grits are 100, 150 and
888-848-5175
220. The Ultra Flexible Sand-
Powermatic ing Sponges have a patterned
800-274-6848 side which is designed for 3M Pro Grade Precision Ultra Flexible Sanding Products
Rockler detail and contour sanding,
800-279-4441 plus channeling dust away With Rockler’s new Compact BLACK+DECKER’s
from the surface. Their other Router Ellipse and Circle Jig Cordless Jigsaw (BDCJS20B)
side is meant for flat sand- you can make circles and features a compact, vari-
ing. They come in grits of elliptical shapes more easily able-speed trigger for dialing
60, 80, 120, 180 and 220. All with your compact plunge in the motor speed. The mo-
of the products in this line router. As you move your
can be used wet or dry, for router, the jig keeps it pre-
interior or exterior surfaces, cisely on the cut line to make
and for hand sanding. The circles ranging from 6" to 24"
Ultra Flexible Sanding Rolls in diameter. It will also help
can also be used with power you cut ellipses with a mini-
sanders. At press- mum size of 6"x11", up to a
time, a four-pack maximum size of 19"x24".
of Ultra Flexible The jig consists of a 5"x5"
Sanding Sheets or base of 1/2" phenolic, plus BLACK+DECKER’s
a Sanding Sponge a 3/4"-thick phenolic arm Cordless Jigsaw
were selling for that’s 161⁄4" long, and comes tor can reach 2,500 strokes
about $5 each, and with 1/4"-thick trammel bars per minute. The Jigsaw
a Sanding Roll for with brass pegs, two T-bolts, features an electric brake and
about $13. washers, knobs and mount- a tool-free chuck, as well as
ing hardware to attach to an internal dust blower, and
your router. accepts both U- and T-shank
The Compact Router blades. Its adjustable shoe
Ellipse and Circle Jig (item bevels to 45˚ left and right
Rockler Compact 55819) will fit compact for making angled cuts. The
Router Ellipse and plunge routers like the jigsaw runs off a 20V MAX*
Circle Jig Bosch Colt (with the PR011 battery (sold separately) and
base), DeWALT DWP611 is priced at $49.99.
and PORTER-CABLE 450.
It’s priced at $69.99. Continues on page 80 ...

78 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 79

 What’s In Store continued
Festool has
launched three
new ETS EC sanders
in 5" and 6" diameters
that use brushless
motor technology to
achieve the performance
Festool ETS EC Sanders
standards of air sanders,
without the expense or
bulk of an air system. The
new ETS EC sanders come
in three variable-speed
versions: 125/3 EQ, with a 5"
pad and 3 mm (1/8") stroke;
150/3 EQ, with 6" pad and
3 mm stroke; and 150/5 EQ,
with a 5 mm stroke.
The brushless motor
allows the body of the tool to
be squatter than comparable
corded sanders, with a
120 mm height that creates
a shorter lever arm, putting
the user more in touch
with the surface for greater
control and feedback. The
sanders also have electronic
Rockler Cheese Plane Turning Kit and
4-Piece Cheese Knife Set
80
Powermatic Tailstock
Swing Away
vibration-dampening control,
which provides constant
monitoring and adjustments,
plus a carbide-pad braking
system for near-instanta-
neous stops. Festool’s Jet-
stream dust extraction pulls
dust through the holes in the
sanding pad and air from a
supply channel through the
center, to create a circular
effect that moves air and dust
more effectively. The sanders
also provide an alert if the
dust extractor hose becomes
disconnected. A flush-mount-
ed On/Off switch allows for
a variety of grips.
The 5" ETS EC 125/3 is
priced at $385, while the 6"
ETS EC 150/3 and 6" ETS
EC 150/5 sell for $485. Each
comes in a Systainer storage
box with one sandpaper disc.
A wide range of abrasives
and grits are also available.
Rockler’s new turning kits
give you another option
when it comes to creating
gift items: you can turn your
own custom wooden handles
for cheese slicing and
serving accessories.
The kits supply you
with a cheese plane
and with the blades for
four cheese knives, all
made out of food-grade,
brushed 304 stainless
steel. The hardware is
dishwasher-safe, and all
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
pieces come with 1/4-20 hex
head threaded inserts.
With the Cheese Plane
Turning Kit (item 59844),
you get a cheese plane that
measures about 37⁄8" x 45⁄16";
with the 4-Piece Cheese Knife
Set (item 52836), you get a
43⁄16" Universal Cheese Knife,
a 33⁄16" Cheddar Knife, a 37⁄16"
Parmesan Knife and a 37⁄16"
Serving Fork. A dedicated
mandrel (item 51530) for
the cheese turning kits is
sold separately for $11.99.
Pricing for the Cheese Plane
Turning Kit is $14.99; for the
4-Piece Cheese Knife Set,
it’s $39.99.
The new Powermatic®
Tailstock Swing Away makes
it easier to remove the
tailstock for end-turning
operations by swinging
down and out of the way and
locking to the lathe bed with
a few turns of the handle. To
replace the tailstock, swing
the Tailstock Swing Away
back to position on the bed
and tighten the knob. The
Tailstock Swing Away does
not interfere with a bed
extension mounted in the
lower position. It’s designed
for use with Powermatic
lathes 3520, 3520A, 3520B
and 2020 and has a suggest-
ed price of $299.99.
Continues on page 82 ...
 What’s In Store continued
PORTER-CABLE’S
new 18-gauge Brad
Nailer (PCC790B)
is part of its new
line of finish tools
that operate on the
PORTER-CABLE 18-gauge Brad Nailer PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX*
Lithium Ion battery line.
Operating without a com-
pressor, this cordless tool
has a fastener length capacity
of 5/8" to 2" and a magazine
capacity of up to 100 nails.
According to tests based on
driving 2" brad nails into 2x
pine, it can drive up to 450
nails per charge on a 1.5 amp
hour battery, or up to 1,300
nails per charge when using
a 4.0 amp hour battery.
Tool-free features on the
Brad Nailer include a jam
DeWALT 20V MAX release, depth adjustment
Battery Adapter wheel and stall release lever,
which resets the driver blade
after a nail jam or stall.
Two LED lights will
also blink to alert you to
a stall or jam; they also
illuminate the work sur-
face. The Brad Nailer
includes an oversized
belt hook and two no-mar
82
rubber tips. Suggested price
for the bare tool nailer is
$149, with a 1.5 amp hour
battery, it’s $199.
Are you still using DeWALT
18-volt tools with older batter-
ies? Want to move to today’s
technology? The new 20V
MAX * Battery Adapter allows
you to step those tools up to
operating off the 20V MAX*
lithium-ion battery platform.
The Battery Adapter works
with most of the 40 tools in
the DeWALT 18-volt system
that are still typically running
on battery technologies like
nickel-cadmium and nickel-
metal hydride platforms.
With the adapter, those
same tools can run on the six
20V MAX* lithium-ion bat-
teries — available capacities
of 1.3, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 or 5.0
amp hours — in DeWALT’s
line, or on DeWALT’s new 2.0
and 4.0 amp hour Bluetooth®
enabled batteries. The newer,
more compact batteries slide
onto the bottom of the adapt-
er, and then the adapter’s top
post fits into your tools like
your original batteries do.
The Battery Adapter is
available as a standalone
(DCA1820) for $39 or as a
combo kit with two DeWALT
20V MAX* 2.0 amp hour
batteries and a charger
(DCA2203C) for $149.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
Milwaukee Tool M18 31⁄4” Planer
Milwaukee® Tool’s new
M18™ 31⁄4" Planer is a cordless
tool with a 14,000 rpm motor
and two-blade design. There’s
no need to re-zero the dial
between cuts: the depth knob
locks in 20 positions from
0 to 5/64", enabling you to
increase productivity and
minimize downtime.
The M18 31⁄4" Planer also
lets you choose whether
to eject your chips on the
right side or the left, to help
manage debris and keep your
cutting path clear. Rabbet
depth on the planer goes up
to 27/64", which Milwaukee
says is a best-in-class
measurement.
Weighing 71⁄2 pounds with
its battery, The M18 31⁄4"
Planer is available as a bare
tool (2623-20) for a suggest-
ed price of $199 and as a kit
(2623-21) with battery and
charger for $299.
 Woodworking Tools & Supplies Index

February 2016
For product information in the blink of an
eye, visit www.woodworkersjournal.com
and click on “Woodworker’s Marketplace”
under the Tools & Supplies tab.

ADVERTISER Page No. Web Address ADVERTISER Page No. Web Address

1-800-BunkBed 17 www.1800bunkbed.com/wj Knew Concepts 67 www.knewconcepts.com

3M 11, 13 www.3m.com The L.S. Starrett Company 9 starrett.com/u?wood081815
American Fabric Filter Co. 27 www.americanfabricfilter.com Laguna Tools 81 www.lagunatools.com
Armor Crafts 27 www.armorcrafts.com Leigh Industries, Ltd. 17, 63, 79 www.leighjigs.com
Armor Tool 75 www.armor-tool.com Lignomat 11 www.lignomat.com
Badger Hardwoods of WI, Ltd. 27 www.badgerwood.com www.moistureproblems.info
Beall Tool Company 13 www.bealltool.com Mirka Abrasives, Inc. 91 www.mirkawoodworking.us
Briwax 83 www.briwax.com Osborne Wood Products, Inc. 19, 13, 23 www.woodencomponents.com
Calculated Industries 23 www.airshim.com PanelPro 61 www.panelpro.com
CMT USA Inc. 75 www.cmtusa.com Penn State Industries 89 www.pennstateind.com
Cook Woods 79 www.cookwoods.com Quickscrews International Corp. 69 www.quickscrews.com
Cormark International 7 www.cormarkint.com Rikon Power Tools 55 www.rikontools.com
DR Power Equipment 87 www.drpower.com RockAuto, LLC 69 www.rockauto.com
Eagle America 65 www.eagleamerica.com Rockler Woodworking
Earlex 5 www.earlex.com and Hardware 11, 85 www.rockler.com
Epilog Laser 55, 65 www.epiloglaser.com/wwj Sawblade.com 3 www.sawblade.com
Fisher Forge LLC 65 www.fisherforge.com SuperMax Tools 27 www.supermaxtools.com
Forrest Manufacturing Company 51 www.forrestblades.com Teknatool International Group 7 www.teknatool.com
Franklin International 15 www.titebond.com Triton Precision Power Tools 23 www.tritontools.com
Franmar Chemical, Inc. 9 www.franmar.com Wagner Meters 19, 63 www.wagnermeters.com
Freud 92 www.freudtools.com West Penn Hardwoods 17 www.westpennhardwoods.com
Fuji Spray Equipment 11 www.fujispray.com WINBAG USA 7 www.winbagusa.com
Grex Power Tools 61 www.grextools.com Woodline USA 69 www.woodline.com
Grobet USA 67 www.grobetusa.com Woodworkers Source 27 www.balticbirchply.com
Harbor Freight Tools 56, 57 www.harborfreight.com WORKSHOP 2 www.workshopvacs.com
Howard Products, Inc. 61 www.howardproducts.com ZAR 13 www.ugl.com

84 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

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 Finishing Thoughts
High Gloss:
Building Gloss
from the Ground Up
By Michael Dresdner
Want to make your projects nice and shiny?
Our expert tells you how.
G
Michael Dresdner
is a nationally known finishing
expert. He shares his expertise on
the DVD The Way to Woodwork:
Step-by-Step to a Perfect Finish,
available through the store at
woodworkersjournal.com.
Use pore filler on open grain woods. Thin it to the consistency of cream,
scrub it into the pores using fine ScotchBrite …
86
loss finishes lend ele-
gance to wood, both
by reflecting light
and by adding depth and
clarity. Thus, a clear gloss
finish should be transparent
enough to see the wood
beneath, and shiny enough
to dazzle the eye. For that to
happen, we’ll need to choose
a very clear finish, then level
it to a fare-thee-well.
uneven surface, one with and buff smooth. Though it
What Makes a Surface open wood pores, or even may seem counterproductive,
Appear Glossy? one with fine scratches, will buffing uses successively
Gloss is all about light diffuse light rather than finer abrasives, which tech-
reflection — the more light reflect it. Depending on how nically create fine scratches.
reflected, the glossier the much light is diffused, the However, the surface looks
surface. What reflects light finished surface will appear glossy because those scratch-
best is a surface that is flat semigloss, satin, or matte. es are smaller than what the
and smooth. Since it is nearly impos- naked eye can detect.
As light hits a surface, it is sible to apply a perfectly
either reflected back to our smooth finish right off the Choosing the Finish
eye at a complementary an- gun or brush, we take an- While you can, in theory,
gle, or it is diffused (bounced other tack: we build a finish apply a finish so it comes out
in different directions). An thick enough to sand level completely smooth and shiny
… then squeegee it off immediately with a credit card held at right angles
to the grain, but dragged in the direction of the grain.
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
 Let your pore filler dry overnight, then sand off
any residue — you only want the pore filler
in the pores. In the photo, you can see the
difference in the sanded portion of the board
at right and the unsanded portion at left.

building up the finish, you

without any need to buff it, in
practice that is almost impos-
sible. Thus, if we know we
are going to have to sand and
buff the last coat, it makes
sense to choose a finish like
shellac or lacquer.
Why shellac or lacquer?
Almost any type of coating
can be made flat simply
by sanding and rubbing
the surface until smooth.
However, oil-based and most
water-based coatings build
up in discrete layers. While
sanding and rubbing the final
coat, it’s easy to cut through
to previous layers. Any place
you cut through will show up
as faint puddle-shaped out-
lines called “witness lines.”
To avoid them you’d have to
ensure that the last coat was
thick enough to be sanded
and buffed without breaking
through. That’s possible, but
difficult.
By contrast, each coat
of shellac or lacquer melts
into the previous ones. After
end up with one thick layer,
and thus no witness lines.
Shellac and lacquer also
Contact us
have fairly low melting tem-
with your finishing questions by
peratures, so the heat from
buffing helps flow and blend writing to Woodworker’s Journal,
out larger scratches. Howev- 4365 Willow Drive,
er, if you get too aggressive, Medina, MN 55340,
and the surface gets too or by emailing us at:
hot, you can melt off these
finishing@woodworkersjournal.com.
finishes while trying to buff
Please include your address,
them. Life is full of tradeoffs;
buff carefully. phone number and email
address (if you have one)
Got Pores? Fill ‘Em with your thoughts or questions.
The easiest way to end up
with a smooth surface is to
start as flat as possible and
keep it that way. Sand the raw
Continues on page 88 ...

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Woodworker’s Journal February 2016 87
 Finishing Thoughts continued
Satin or matte finishes (right)
contain flatting agent and
can look hazy. Gloss finish
(left) will remain translucent.
Notice how the amber color
of the wood behind the jars
shows through the gloss finish
on the left.
Start buffing with coarse red rubbing compound, then finer
white polishing compound. Before switching grits, clean all
rubbing compound from the wood surface and the buff head.
After buffing, add an extra fillip of shine with a swirl mark
remover or automotive polish, such as Meguiar’s Show Car
Glaze #7.
88
wood very smooth and flat,
then later sand out any dust
nibs, brush marks, or orange
peel as they come up.
That brings up the issue
of large pores in open grain
woods like mahogany, walnut,
koa, etc. To get a flat surface,
those pores must be filled.
You don’t want to fill them
with finish because it keeps
shrinking over time, and
eventually those pores will
show up again and mar your
otherwise smooth surface.
Instead, fill the pores first
with an inert material that
will not shrink. Not surpris-
ingly, it’s called pore filler.
While you can buy oil-
based pore filler, I vastly pre-
fer water-based filler. It can
go directly onto raw wood,
but I usually apply it after the
first thin coat of finish. Either
way, the application method
is the same.
Most water-based fillers
are sold extra thick, so mix
them with water to the con-
sistency of cream. Scrub the
filler into the pores with fine
ScotchBrite®, then remove
the excess immediately. I
squeegee off the excess with
an old credit card held at right
angles to the grain, and pulled
in the direction of the grain.
Remove as much as possible
with the card; the object is to
leave filler only in the pores.
Let it dry overnight, then
lightly sand off any residue
with 320-grit paper.
Build with Gloss
Build the entire finish in
gloss. Yes, you can flatten a
satin or matte finish smooth
enough to reflect light, but
thanks to the flatting agent
in it, the finish will look hazy.
Start with smooth, flat wood,
and keep each layer as flat
and smooth as possible.
After building up several
coats, block sand the surface
so there are no pores or grain
lines showing. You don’t need
to sand between every coat,
but do remove any pores or
February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal
dust nibs before the last coat.
Add as many coats as you
need for the look you want,
but make sure that last coat
goes over a very smooth pre-
vious one. To that end, I sand
with 600-grit before applying
my final coat.
Level and Buff
Give the finish plenty of
time to dry. The drier it is,
the faster and easier it is to
buff to gloss. I generally let
lacquer dry six weeks after
the final coat before sanding
and buffing.
Level the finish by sanding
it dead smooth with 600-grit
paper, then go up through
the grits to 1,200, or whatev-
er is the finest paper in your
shop. This may seem tedious,
but more sanding now means
less buffing afterward.
You can rub by hand, or
use a low-speed automotive
buffer. Start with rubbing
compound, which is coarser
than polishing compound.
Depending on how fine you
sanded, you may be able
to go directly to polishing
compound. If not, remove
all the rubbing compound
from the finished surface
and from the buffer head
before switching to polishing
compound, or use different
buffing heads for rubbing
and polishing compounds.
At this point you should
see a beautiful gloss. Still
want more? For an extra
fillip of shine, wipe on swirl
mark remover (or automo-
tive polish, as shown), then
wipe it off again with a clean,
soft cloth.
 2015 Complete Collection
A year’s worth of projects on one CD? That’s what you’ll find on the
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the year, from January’s Greene & Greene-Inspired Bed to December’s Classic
Mitered Jewelry Box, is at your fingertips.
Use the search function to find the projects you want to build, from a Miter
Saw Station to a Canoe Paddle, or just click on something that looks good
to you when you see it on a cover photo or in a Table of Contents – you can
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HEYDid You Know?
Woodworking trivia: The nuts and bolts
Walnut trees not only supply prized wood for
woodworking, but walnuts are also the oldest
known tree food, dating back to 7,000 B.C.
An old Chinese tradition is to rotate and play
with pairs of walnuts in the palm of the hand,
both to stimulate blood circulation and as a
status symbol.
Plastic paint: In 1948, Glidden “Spred Satin”
?WMGAFIGEQIXLI¿VWX´W]RXLIXMGPEXI\µTEMRX
sold in the US. It was made from styrene
butadiene, a synthetic rubber used during
;;--XSVITPEGIYREZEMPEFPIREXYVEPPEXI\
rubber from Southeast Asia. It also shows up
What Does It All Mean?
A quick guide to terms from the MRWIQMÀI\MFPI%&7EGV]PSRMXVMPIFYXEHMIRI
world of woodworking. styrene) plastic pipe.

Laminate (verb): The process of

gluing up a larger workpiece from

Slope Point trees image credit: Flickr User Enrique Fernández

several smaller pieces

Elbow: In a dust collection system,

an angled connector joining two
air ducts

Cope-and-stick: Joinery where

complementary profiles, some-
times very intricate in shape, are
glued together
The windswept trees of Slope Point, the southernmost tip of New
Zealand, are constantly buffeted by the Antarctic winds, and
grow accordingly.

Submit your Your Trivia Test:

own trivia ...
Send in a curious fact about
your favorite topic and ours:
woodworking. If it is selected
for use, you will win an
awesome prize!
Submit your Trivia to Woodworker’s
Journal, Dept. Trivia, 4365 Willow Drive,
Medina, MN 55340. Or send us an email:
trivia@woodworkersjournal.com
Q What resin, also used to make
Plexiglas, is commonly used in
today’s latex/acrylic paints?
acrylic glass.
John Cusimano of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, will
is also sometimes called acrylic or
receive a Hitachi 5" Variable Speed Random
It’s a transparent thermoplastic and
Orbit Finishing Sander (SV13YA) for having his
PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate).
contribution selected for the Trivia page.
Answer

90 February 2016 Woodworker’s Journal

 VS

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