der Maintenance

---
;sue 15
Emrow Donald B. Pesehke
May 1994

ExEeunvEE a r o a Douglas L. Hicks

UINLCIIK. ELMTO. Teny J. Strohman

-CUTE EDITOR Richard S. Peters

rrslrrmr ~wroa Tim Robertson

CONTRIBUTIUG EWTOR Philip A. Totten
0 ne of the most impressive ing through all the local hardware
things about watching Steve stores we tried using replacement
(our Shop Manager) work is wheels for a sliding door. This worked
what he doesnt do when he first re- fine and was inexpensive. But once
ceives plans for a project. He doesn't again, it was very difficult to build.
caEanvE DIR~-R Ted Kralieek
start cutting wood and fitting joints. ADIFFERENT APPROACH. The soh-
urr olaEemR Cary Christensen Instead he calmly sits at the workbench tion that Jan (our Senior Designer)
sluton ouusnurolr Kurt Sehultz (sometimes for hours) -and plans. came up with was to use a different
ILLUST~TOIS Will Niskanen Like Steve, I've always felt that ad- approach altogether. He got rid of the
Roger Reiland vanced planninr is one of the most im- rollers. And substituted plastic lami-
Mark Higdon ort tan ti and often nate.- he results

.,
A

PHOTOCRMIUI Crayola England

overlooked) steps were surprising
OUIOU D(RECTO. Ken Munkel in woodworking. We start planning many -atable that slid
ssnma oEsuawEms Jan Hale Svec And the same is of the p'Y0'jeCts that appear smoothly, was in-
SHOP YIM~EI
Kent Welsh
Steve Curtis
true for a wood- in issueas much as a expensive, and
working maga- simple to make.
s l t o ~ u r r ~ m ~Steve u n ~ Johnson
~
zine. We start year in advance. (For more on this,
EIROUUIIOM planning many of see page 16.)

-
CirmlotimE~:L&BredesonnSubsm~tian
Manager: Phylliyllis Jessen Circulation Analyst:
Rod Cain .Naoasta?dSales:Kent A. BucMon
the projects that appear in an issue as SHOPWXE.BU~not all projects re-
much as a year in advance. This gives quire as much planning as the Sliding
us the time to design theprojects, work Table. Every now and then someone
WBUSUIWSSERVICU

..
Manager;Gordon C. Gaippe Senior Gmphie
-:Robert H. Whitmer Grraphic A&t
out the bugs, and redesign them if showsme aproject that I just can't wait
necessary. An example of this process is to build and feature in the magazine.
Cheryl L. Cynor
the Sliding Table shown on page 16. That's what happened when I first
EORPOMTE SERVICE$
SLIDING TABLE. We knew from the saw a prototype for the Shop Tote
ConCmlh:RobinHut&onnAcco~(~~ng:Lam
Ihomas.Bookkeeying:JulieGreenieeePlod& start that we wanted a shop-built ver- shown on page 10. It looked like a deep
Mamgm Cam1 Quijana =Info,Smites Manager: sion of a commercial sliding table. It tray with a handle, but when I lifted up
JoYceMoare.Eled h b . Coodinafm:DouelasM.
would mount to the left side of a table the handle I discovered that only half of
Js . o ~ J<,t.nior.-
. ~
.
l.:htc.r-.\p,, .?i*rolral 1j:JuJI ~ r n ~ w - . - l . ~ ~ , , , ~ . .
.la3.'.<ton?.$Cher2.l SNL!,,111113 Vmh RI:~~,,~: saw and allow for easy crosscutting of it came away with the tray. That was
.\I&, r.: hcnC?-.tXtl.
Ii~l.!~li~ty panels up to 24"wide. when I realized the handle was "split"
After determining what we wanted and there were actually two trays.
to do, the next step was to figure out I knew then that it was the kind of
how to do it. And that took some time. interesting project I wanted to build -
About six months. and feature in ShopNotes.
-
~ ~

~aker-Project ~ u p p l i~inda~onee.
r -6chnical
SufiJeff Janes Reeept.; Cynthia Kernan The problem wasn't coming up with A SQUEAL.Around here the squeal of
a solution that worked. It was coming a high pitched router usually goes un-
Supemisor Jennie Enos
Repr~8e~tatives:
-
CUITOUE%SEIVICE

C u s t o m Senice
Jennifer Murphy,JoyJohnson,
up with a simple solution. noticed. But when the squeal comes out
We started by designing a table that of a baby, it's another story. Recently,
Sara Kono,Anna Cox, IOisti Andrew8
SH1PPIWOMPIImLIT
used components similar to those found production came to a standstill when
SUP~~W : Carson .Fulfillment Gloria
Jeny on commercial tables -roller bearings Terry and Christy Stiohman brought in
Sheeh,DonMcVey, ChuekCarIW~Sy1viaCarey and metal rails. Although it worked their new baby boy. All the crew gath-
well, it was difficult to build and expen- ered around to welcome Richard into
sive. (The bearings alone cost over one our extended family.
I ShopNotes5 (ISSN iW;l+Xwiia published bimonthly
(Jan.,Mamh, Ma~Juiy,Sept., No".) by WoodsmithCor-
lorstion.1200 Grand Ave., DesMoines. LA 50312.
hundred dollars.) Note: Terry mentioned that Richard
3 h o p N ~ t a ~ a ~ a ~ ~ d W ~ c So o rwep tried to find an inexpensive already has a roll-around tool chest.
3Copyright I994by Wwdsmifh Corprztion. All substitute for the bearings. After look- And he uses it every day - it's his
Copy, $4.95. One yearsubsuip-
tion Ohues). $19.96. wo "ears 112 issues). 935.96. can-
ing in dozens of catalogs and rummag- changing table.
M o r e p n , d d $ 5 00 p e k a
8eoond C l a s PostagePaidat Oes M o m , &and
at d r n u o ~ amces
!

--.
..--!,DIN U.S.A. I

ShopNotes No. 15
t
I' aw Circle
Band 5Cutting Jig 4 Band Saw C i d e Jig
I perfect circles is easy with this shop-made jig for
your band saw. A built-in tape and indicator let you quickly
set up to cut almost any size circle.
page 4

Belt Sander Maintenance 8

All it takes to keep your belt sander running smooth and
trouble-free is a routine cleaning and inspection.

Shop Tote 10
A un~quedeslgn prtov~desa handle for each tray of thls
handy tote Then the two halves comb~neto form one gr~p
to carry parts, tools, or hardware whereveryou need them Shop Tote page 10

Epoxy 5ystems 14
An in-depth look at using epoxy systems in the shop:
from measuring and mixing, to tips on application. Plus
step by step instructions on how to make your own filler:

5liding Table 16
If you've ever tried to crosscut a large panel on a table
saw, you'll appreciate this shop-built sliding table. It
features a built-in fence that slips on and off for quick
and accurate set-ups.

Chisel Technique5 24
Making a controlled cut with a chisel depends on using
the right grip and a few simple techniques.

Shop S O / U ~ \ O ~ ~ 28 Sliding Table page 16

Five Shop-Tested Tips: C-Clamp Rack, Hole Saw Relief,
Cut-Off Gauge, Pinch Blocks, and a Tip for Keeping
Power Cords Out of the Way'

Spring5 30
Two types of springs to improve the performance of your
shop-built jigs and fixtures.

' @ soume5 31
Hardware, project supplies, and mail order sources for
the projects in this issue.
Chisel Techniques page 24

No. 15 ShopNotes
Band Saw
Circle Jig L
There's only one adjustment to
make with this jig. Just select the
exact size circle you want and cut.

0 ne of the easiest ways to blade. All you have to dois set the
make a perfect circle is to adjustable rail for the exact size
cut it on a band saw. All i t takes circle you want.
(In my case, they're 21" long.)
TONGUE.The next step is to
cut a tongue on the base pieces
is a pin to spin the workpiece on. for the adjustable rail that's
The problemis accurately posi- BASE added later, see Fig. 1. The
tioning the pin to get the correct I began work on the jig by build- tongue is 7/16" thick and is cen-
size circle. To solve this, we de- ing the base. It consists of afront tered on the thickness of each
signed a circle cutting jig that al- (A) and a rear base (B). To make base piece, see Detail in Fig. 1.
lows you to quickly set up for an these, I started with two identi- CLEAT. Before the base pieces
exact cut, see photo. cal pieces, see Fig. 1.The size of can be joined together, there's
There are two main parts to the pieces depends on your saw.
the jig: a "split" base, and an ad- To determine their width,
justable rail, see Exploded View. measure from the teeth of the
one more thing to do - add an
L-shaped cleat to the front base
(A), see Fig. 2.
a
The base serves as a carriage saw blade to the front edge of the The cleat consists of afront rail
for the workpiece and allows you table and add a 1/2" (71/4"), see Fig. (C) which acts as a stop to auto-
to slide both it and the jig into the 1. (Note: If your saw has a rip matically align the pin with the
saw blade as you start the cut. fence, you'll need to measure to blade. And a keeper (D)that
Then a cleat on the front of the its front edge.) To find their
jig catches the saw table and length, measure from the inside
locks the jig in place with the pin (throat) edge of the table to the
automatically aligned to the saw saw blade and add 14",see Fig. 1.
forms a lip to catch the table top.
Both pieces are the same
length as the front base (21").But
their widths are different.
I
I
b&fk?&I5 & &tZhR?
-
A Front Base (I) 71/4"x 21" 3/4''ply
B Rear Base (I) %4" x 14" T4" ply. -
C Front Rail (1) 3/4"x &6" - 21"
D Keeper (1) 3/4"x 1b" - 21"
E Side Rail (I) T4"x 15h6' - 141/4"
F Runner (1) 3/8'' x 3/4" - 141/4"
G Strip (1) 1/2" x 1/2" - 14"
H Top/Btm. (2) lqz" x 14" - 1/6"Piex.
(16) #B xll/zl' Flathead Woodscrsws
(4) #B x %" Flathead Woodscrews
(7) #4 x %"Flathead Woodscrews
(f) #6 Common Nafl
(1) 1/4" x lb''Thumbscrew
(1) 1/4" Threaded Insert
0 (1) 4 0 L-R Reading Self-adhesive Ruie

No. 15
i
 To determine the width
(height) of the front rail (C),
measure the thickness of your ta-
hle top (or table top plus fence)
and add 1/16"for Clearance (15/1ti1'),
see Figs. 2a and Zb. The keeper
1
r
(D)is easier -it's just 11H wide.
After you've cut these pieces
to size, they can be attached to
the front base, see Fig. 2.
R the cleat in place,
~ P A ~ EWith
the two halves of the base can be
joined together. To create a uni-
form gap, I clamped a temporary
spacer (a W square piece of hard-
wood) between them, see Fig. 3.

.
(Note:Save this spacer, you'll use
it later for the adjustable rail.)
SIDE RAIL &RUNNER The two
halves of the base are connected
with a side rail and a runner, see
Fig. 3. The side razl (Ei adds
st&gth to the jig. It's cut the cut to fit in the miter gauge slot to the bottomof the jig and screw
same width as the kont rail on your saw. To locate it on the the runner in place.
(l5/16") and screwed to the base base, first measure in from the To complete the base, all that's
flush with the edge. throat side of your saw table to left is to remove the spacer and
. The runner (F) allows you to the edge of the miter slot, see trim the rear base (R) to length,
quickly slip the jig in place and is Figs. 1 and 3. Then transfer this see Fig. 4.

LOCATE AND SCREW

RUNNER TO BOTTOM
OF BASE
Fh WOODSCREW AND SCREW IN PLACE

PUSH FORWARD TO

No. 16 ShopNotes " -4

Adjustable Rail
-
After trimming. the rear base to
size, work can begin on the adjust-
able rail. This rail slides between INSERT STRIP INTO
SASE FOR ASSEMBLY
the halves of the base so you can
adjust the position of the pin, see
Fig. 5. It's shaped like an I-beam-
a hardwood strip fits between a
Plexiglas top and bottom.
STRIP. You've made the stvip
(G) already. It's the spacer you
used earlier, see Fig. 5. All that's
left is to cut it tomatch the length
of the rear base (14").Then sand
about %?r"-- off the width and thick-
ness. This ensures the rail will
slide easily, and the top (added
next) will be flush with the base.
TOP & BOTTOM. The %"-thick
Plexiglas top and bottom (H) are
the same leneth as the strin (14").
see Fig. 6. XS for their %dth;
they're cut to slide in the rabbets
in the base (1W).
Before you assemble the rail,
first scratch two indicator marks
on the bottom face of the top
piece, see Fig. 6a. These marks
are used with the measuringtape
added later to position the rail.
ASSEMBLY. Now you can as-
semble the rail. To ensure align-
ment, it's agood idea to screw the
too and bottom to the strin with
it in place in the base, see Fig. 5.
PIN.% complete the rail, just
add a pin for the workpiece to
spin on. This is a #6 common nail
with the head cut off and filed to
a slight crown, see Fig. 6b.
LOCKING SYSTEM.With the rail
complete, I added a simple lock-
ing system to hold the rail in place
-a threaded insert and a thumb-
screw, see Fig. 7.
The threaded insert fits in a
centered hole in the side rail, see
Fig. 7. The thumbscrew threads
in the insert to pinch the rail
against the base, see Fig. 7a.
FINISH. All that's left is to a p
ply two coats of tung oil to the jig.
This protects it and also creates a THUMBSCREW
surface that the self-adhesive rule LOCKS SLIDING RAIL
(added next) will stick to.

6 ShopNotes No. 15
Addjng the Tape
h e e the finlshhas dxiedgou can
add the measuring tape. I used a
%If-adheaiveleft to righkreading
tape and a.16 it in two pieces, see
E3g 8. @'bracompletebmdwat-6
kit, $&page 31.1
PD3CE8. The first. piece
g0:oeaihtheherabbetintherembase
(B), and is used when eutting Drill a 3/3z?ole tn
8maU circles (2 to 26' diameter). the underside of
The other piece fits in the rabbet your workpiece for
t (A), and id used
in the f ~ mbase thB pfh.
wh& auttingbgw circles (26"t o
&"&meter), seeEgg. 8aandSb.
V@R@FE@.J~~. IQ use, the ad-
jm$abImxdlb bmerted into the
%ase so the pin end ia close& t o
tke aaw blade, see boxbelow left,
And to cut I=@r drcle;s,the ad-
justable rail is tmd @f&nd sb
the pin end is a w a ~ ~ hfhemS r n AUGN E
C
m G7 T f f
blade, see box below right.

No. 15 ShopNotes 7
 TOOLWORKS
Routine cleaning and a n bccasional check
for worn parts will keep your belt sander
m n n i n g smooth and trouble-free.
vJ hen it comes to removing avoid problems is to give the belt
a lot of material quickly, sander a good "once-over."
my belt sander is a real work- REMOVE DUST. To prevent dust
horse. But the heat and dust that from working into the motor or
this generates can eventually take bearings, the first thing is to re-
their toll on a belt sander. move the packed-in dust. I use a
That's why I like to invest afew small brush and vacuum to avoid
minutes on some preventive driving the dust farther into the
maintenance before putting it sander, see top photo below.
back on the shelf. In most cases, ROLLERS. Dirt and grease can
all it takes is some routine clean- also accumulate on the front and
ing and a check for worn parts to back rollers and cause the belt to
keep your belt sander running slip. To clean the rollers, I use an
smooth and trouble free. abrasive pad and some lacquer
thinner, see bottom photo below.
GLEANING
One of the easiest (yet most WORN PARTS
effective) things you can do to Besides the routine cleaning, I
make it a habit to check
Remove packed-in and replace worn parts.
dust w~tha small Note: You can get re-
brush and vacuum placement parts a t most
to keep it from repair shops.
clogging up the BRUSHES. use,
belt sander. the 'brushes" on your
sander may need to be
I-eplaced. These are i-ec-
tangular pieces of carb-
on that transfer the
electric current to the
motor, see Fig. 1.
An abrasive pad As the brushes wear
(like a Scotch-Brite down, you'll notice more
pad) and some sparking than usual
lacquer thinner around the motor. And
make quick when you apply pres-
work of cleaning sure, the sander will
the rollers. tend to bog down. If the
brushes are extremely
worn, the sander may not
even start or will only
start intermittently.
8 ShopNotes
To check for wear, just remove
the retaining caps and slip the
brushes out, see Fig. 1. What
you're looking for here is the
length of the brushes. Some
brushes will have a "wear line"
that indicates when they need to
be replaced. But for others, you'll
need to check your owner's man-
ual to see how long they should be.
DRIVE BELT. Another common
problem is the sanding belt
"stalls" when you apply pressure
on a workpiece. This can often
be traced back to the rubber
a
drive belt that transfers power
from the motor to the back
roller, see Fig. 1.
With use, this belt gets brittle,
and the "teeth" start to chip and
break. To check, just remove the
cover on the side of the sander
and replace the belt if necessary.
PAD AND PLATEN. ! h 0 other
parts that may need attention are
the cork pad and the thin metal
platen (plate) that the sanding
belt rides across, see Fig. 2. To
produce a smooth, even surface
when sanding, the platen and pad
need to be flat.
But what happens is the fric-
tion and heat that are generated
when sanding eventually start to
burn the back edge of the platen.
And the cork pad dries out to the
point that pieces of it get torn out.
To replace the pad and platen,
all that's needed is to remove the
metal bar that holds them in
place, see Fig. 2. As before, new
replacement parts are available at
No. 15
most repair shops. (For informa-
tion on a different type of platen,
see the box below.)
TRACKING
Perhaps the most frustrating
problem to deal with is when the
belt just won't stay on the sander.
It either shoots off the open end.
Or it slides into the housing and
slices the belt to ribbons.
BELT STRETCH. When this
happens, the first instinct is to
adjust the tracking knob. But
often the problem is the sanding
belt itself. Sometimes it has
stretched out to the point that
no amount of adjustment will
make it track accurately. So the
first thing I do is install a new
sanding belt.
If that doesn't work, it's most
likely the tracking system itself.
Basically, this system has two
parts: the back drive roller and
a front roller assembly, see Fig. 3.
BACK ROLLER The back- -rnller.--.
-

has a slight "crown" that centers
the sandmg belt and keeps it from
sliding off. With use, this crown
wears down and causes the belt
to wander.
To check the crown, hold amet-
a1 rule against the roller, see Fig.
3. If the roller has worn flat, re-
placing it is best handled at a re-
pair shop.
FRONT ROLLER. The second Here again, replacing it is a job
part of the adjustment system is for the repair shop.
the front roller assembly. It con- FINAL THOUGHTS. But taking
sists of a fork that holds the front your belt sander to the repair
roller and an adjustment knob, shop is the exception -not the
see Fig. 3. Turning the knob tilts rule. Even when you push your
the fork and tracks the sanding belt sander to its limits, aregular
belt one way or the other. cleaning and inspection for wear
If the sander has been dropped are usually all that's needed to
or damaged, the fork may be bent. keep it in top running condition.

The basic idea of this graphite

platen is simple. As the sanding
belt runs across the platen, the
graphite lubricates the hack of
the belt and makes it run cooler.
The platen is made from a flex-
ible, canvas-like material. To in- 1
stall it, you'll need to trim the
platen to fit your belt sander and
punch holes in the end for the
USE METAL screws that hold down the retain- ..,.dphite platen helps re-
ing bar, see photo. (For sources of duce heatbuild-up and ex-
graphite platens, see page 31.) tends the life of your belts

No. 15 ShopNotes 9
 A unique "split" handle design provides a
1
handy gri.p for each tray and allows you
to stack them o n top of each other.

Fwalked
W hen Steve (ow
Shop Manager)
into the workshox, the other
aay, the first thing I noticed was the sly
-rin on his face. Then I realized he'd brought a
prototype of a project for me to look at -a small
tote for organizing and carrying around hardware,
hand tools, or whatever, see photo above.
TWO TRAYS.At first glance, I thought that it was
just a deep box with a handle. But on closer inspec-
tion, I realized that there were actually two trays,
one on top of the other.
Intrigued, I liftedup the top tray only to find that
'YIalf" of the handle came along with it (Steve's grin
got wider). The other "half" of the handle was built
into the bottom tray. Ingenious. This way each tray
has its own handle. And when the trays are stacked
up, the handles combine to fonn a heavy-duty grip
for the entire tote.
D ~ E R S In . addition to the unique handle de-
sign, this Shop Tote also features a set of built-in
dividers. These dividers allow yon to customize
each tray to help organize its contents. (For more
on this, see page 12.)

EXPLODED VlEW SHORT

END VlEW DlvlDER
UPPER

UPPER TRAY

,
!
i

~a~riat8
A WdntefBaokff(4) %"x 2!@ 14" -
6 bd5(47 -
VaWx2Vz" @?6"
C Centar IFaiIs (2) -
V2"x ZVz" 13"
D Low&rHandle (1) -
I/zUx 71/en 1 3
E Upper Handle (1) I / e n x B " ~f3"
F @0Wh15(3] -
4V£"x 73$$2' V8* Mas.
-
ff nivlder6 (6) --
G Narrow Bottom (1) 4 " x 19VzZ' 1/8"Maa
Vz" x ,228" 4"
I Short Ri&era 12) &" x 2Y8" 3&"
*Two layer5 &y4" Masonite
 Since the basic parts of the upper
and lower trays are identical, I ''
AL

I
started with blanks wide enough
to make both trays, see Drawing
at right. Then trimmed the individ-
ual pieces to finished width later.
mm,,Bncy&E~~~.All of the
tray blanks are the same width
(height)-5W. But their lengths
are different. The blanks for the
fiont and back pieces (A) are 14"
long. Then they're rabbeted on
each end to receive
W M PIECES TO CUT RhPBETS ON
pieces, see Drawing andDetail at FINISHED WIDTH FKONTIBACK BLANK6
right. The blanksfor the ends (B)
are 9 % ~ "long. see Drawing. To determine the C m TO wmra. Now you can rip
CENTER RAILS. ARer the front, length of this blank, measure the allofthe tray pieces (A,B, and C) to
back, and end blanks are cut to distance between the shoulders their finished widths (2W). Then
size, the next 8tep is to make a of the rabbets on a front or back set these pieces aside, they're
blank for the two csnterrails (C), blank. (In my case, it%13' long) used later.

I
L Handles
After the tray pieces are cut to
size, you can turn your attention
to the handles. On his original
tote, Steve used hardwood han-
dles. But I was concerned they
might warp and prevent the trays
from sliding together.
MASONrm. To get around this,
I used a material that was more
stable than solid wood -Masanite.
To make each handle, I glued up
a blank made from two layers of
W-thick Masonite, see Fig. 1.
Each handle blank is the same
length (13"). The only thing dif-
ferentis their height (width). The
lower handle (D)is 7W tall. But
since the upper handle (El rests
on top of the lower tray, it's 2W
shorter (6" tall).
HANDLE S W E .TOmake sure
the handle shapesmatch, I carpet
taped the blanks together and laid
out the shape on top, see Figs. 1
and la. Then with the blanks still
taped together, cut out the shape.
ROUNDQYER. Finally, separate
the pieces and round over the
holes and top edges only on the
router table, see Figs. 2 and 2a.

LOWER HANDLE
 Lower T i y
Now that the handles are corn-
plete, you can stax$ work on the
lower tray. The lower tray uses
the taller (?!@) of the two han-
dles, see Drawing at right.
CUTGROOVES. The k t ,step
is to cut grooves for the tray bob
toms that are added later. These
%$"-widegrooves are out on the
inside bottom edge of each lower
tray piece (including the handle),
see Figs. 3 and 3a.
TAPERHAM,LE. Next, tomake
it easier to slide the upper tray
over the handle of the lower tray
when it's assembled, I sanded a
slight taper on the ends of the
handle, see Fig. 4.
1
ften used tools right at hand.
12
T R A Y B ~ I M With
S.
the handle tapered, the
next step is to deter-
mine the size of the tray
bottoms, see Fig. 3. To
do this, first dry clamp
the tray together. Then
position the center rail
(C) and handle (D) so
they're centered on the width of ASSEMBLY.A~~~~ the bottoms
the tray, see Drawing above. have beencut to size,all that'sleft
Next, measure each of the is to assemble the lower tray.
openings and add @ ! to both the Start by gluing the center rail to
length and the width. Now you the handle so the grooves on each
can cut two %-thick Masonite are facing out, see Fig. 4. Then
bottom (F) to size, see Fig. 3. (In apply glue to the remaining tray
my case, they're 4!4$ wide and parts and nail the tray together,
13W long.) refer to Fig. 3.
GLUE CENTER RAILTO HANDLE
wm GROOM FACIW OUT
BAND SLIGHTTAPER
ON ENDSOF HANDLE
ShopNotes
 0 Upper Tray
After you've assembled the
lower tray, you can begin work otl
the upper tray.
CUT GROOVES.Just as you did
with the lower tray, the first step
is to cut %"-widegrooves in all of
the tray pieces for the Masonite
bottoms, refer to Fig. 3a and the
Drawing at right.
TRAY B m O M s . To determine
tray. And second, it po-
sitions the upper handle
and center rail in the
correct positions for the
handle ofthe lower t l a v
to s ~ pthrough, se"e
Drawing at right.
Note: To make ,sure ..
there's enough clearance
1
for the upper tray to slide over
I[1.,

the size of the tray bottoms, I
again dry clamped the tray. Only
this time, I clamped it up around
the handle of the lower tray. This
does two things.
First, it ensures that the sides
and ends of the upper tray will
align with those on the lower
the handle, I inserted a paper
shim (posterboard) between the
handle and the center rail before
nailing it in place, refer to Fig. 6.
Although the length of both
hottompiecesis the same (131/2"),
their widths are different. The
narrow b o w (G) that fits on
I]
the center rail side is 1/2" nar-
rower than the other side. (In my
case, it's 4"wide.) The other bot-
tom (F) is 41/2" wide, see Fig. 5.
ASSEMBLY. After you've cut the
bottoms to size, theuppertray can
he assembled. Here again, I glued,
clamped, and nailed it together on
top of the lower tray, see Fig. 6.

CLAMP UPPERTRAY ON
TOP OF LOWER TRAY TO
ENSURE ALIGNMENT
PAPER
UPPER TRAY

BOTTOMS TO FtT
LOWER TRAY
NARROW BOlTOM
-
(4"x l3Yi' V4.'MA30NllE)

I Dividers
II To complete the trays, I added a
set of dividers, see Fig. 7. They're
I just pieces of H.-thick stock cut
I to fit inside the tray.
The dividers (H) for the lower

i/ a
tray and one side of the upper
tray are the same - 2W high
(wide) and 4" lone. But the short
dividers (I) for t i e other side of
- the upper tray are only 3H. long.
When they're cut to size, posi- ALL DIVIDERS CUT
tion the dividers in the tray and ROM %"-THICK STOCK
nail them in place, see Fig. 7.

I No. 15 ShopNotes
 3 -- Epoxy
Systems
about ten nnnutes. Slow harden- worhng stores. Or they can be
ers offer a much longer assembly mail ordered, see Sources on
time -up t o an hour. This makes page 31.)
it the perfect choice whenever THREE STEPS. There are three
or years the only you need toglue up aproject that basic steps to working with any
" A .
t m e of evoxv" I has a lot of parts. epoxy system: measuring out the
used was the 'eve minute" v a r - In addition to this, epoxy does two parts, mixing them together,
ety sold a t most hardware stores. some things other glues can't. It and applying the mixture.
It was great for quick repairs - can bond dissimilar materials to-
to mend a cracked plate or lix a gether - like metal to wood. I
broken toy. often use it to glue a bolt in a jig. By far the most important step to
It wasn't until I discovered ep- Or to repair a stripped-out screw. workingwith an epoxy system is
oxy "systemsnthat I realized how And since epoxy only requires measuring. When measuring out
useful epoxy can be for - ---- the parts, make sure you
woodworking. It's ex- ~t until I discovwed follow the directions.
tremely strong, virtually Some manufacturers al-
'k~stems"that I
waterproof, and doesn't
shrink at all.
TWO PARTS. Like the five -
how useful ,. DOX
z
XU" can be.
low you to vary the mix ra-
tios. Others don't, and they
- warn that an improper ra-
a
minute varieties, an epoxy sys- that the parts touch each other tio can result in a mix that won't
tem comes in two separate parts: for a good bond, it's the perfect cure (what a mess), or one that is
aresin and a hardener. When the solution for those awkward situ- weakened if i t does cure.
two parts are mixed together, a ations where you just can't get a The most typical mix ratio is
chemical reaction occurs that clamp onto something. two parts resin to one part hard-
hardens or "cures" the epoxy. CUSTOMIZE.But the thing that ener. But depending on the prod-
What makes an epoxy system I like best about epoxy systems is uct, it can vary up to five parts
special is you can vary the curing they allow you to customize the resin to one part hardener.
time by choosing the type of epoxy to fit your application. By One trick that I discovered
hardener. Fast hardeners cure in var.ying- the mix ratio on some when measuring out epoxy is to
systems, you can change only measure out what you'll
the curing time. Other need -you can't save the left-
systems provide a vari- overs. (If you're working on a
ety offillers that can be large job, it's best to use several
Use an epoxy system when you need a bond used to change the con- smaller batches.)
that's strong, waterproof or won't shrink. sistency of the epoxy. As you measure out the parts,
Select a hardener t o provide the working time (For more on this see it saves clean-up time if you pour
you'll need (slow, medium, or fast). the box on page 15.) them into a disposable container
DRAWBACKS. The only (such as a plastic yogurt cup or a
Measure out only what you'll need.
drawback to using ep- small can). Just keep in mind that
Mix thoroughly, scraping the container often. oxy systems is they can as soon as the two parts are com-
Add sanding dust (if desired) to make a filler. be expensive. And since bined, a chemical reaction begins
No clamps required.just immobilize the parts.
Remove any squeeze-out before epoxy cures.
they come in two parts, and the epoxy mixture will get
they're not as conven- hot. So don't use Styrofoam cups
ient as pre-mixed glues. -they can melt.
a '
(Epoxy systems can be SAFETY TIPS. There are a cou-
found a t some wood- ple other things to keep in mind

ShopNotes No. 15
 when working with epoxy. First,
avo~dskm contact -wear gloves.
Second, epoxy fumes can be haz-
ardous. So make sure there's ade-
quate ventilation. And wear a
respirator and eye protection.
Safety Note: If you do get ep-
oxy on your skin, don%use a sol-
vent (such as lacquer thinner or
denatured alcohol) to remove it.
Solvents only drive the epoxy in
deeper. Instead, use a waterless
hand cleaner (like GOT) used by
auto mechanics.
MIXING
Once you've measured out the
two parts, you're ready to com-
bine them. Stir the mixture well,
scraping the container sides
often. Mixing takes anywhere
from 30 seconds to five minutes
depending on the size and shape
of the container, and the amount
and type of epoxy you're mixing.
you'll know how much time you
have before it begins to set.
APPLYING
Before you apply the epoxy, first
make sure the parts to be joined
are clean and free from dirt and
dust. If you're gluing wood to
wood, I've found a freshly cut or
planed surface works best. And if
you're gluingmetal to wood, it's a
good idea to slightly roughen the
metal before applying the epoxy.
To apply the epoxy, I use a dis-
posable glue brush. The secret to
a good bond is to apply the epoxy
to both surfaces. This ensures
that the glue joint won't be
"starved" - that there will be
plenty adhesive for astrongjoint.
Note: If you're going to add a
filer (such as sawdust) now is the
time to do it, see box below.
Once the parts have been
coated, all you have to do is press
lot of pressure. So this can be
done with string, tape, or even
rubber bands.)
After the parts are immobi-
lized, it's important to scrape off
any squeeze-out with a putty
knife while it's still slightly soft
and doughy. Once epoxy has
cured it's diffictlt to remove -
and it's tough on your tools.
HEAT TRICKS
Since epoxy generates heat as it
cures, you can (to some extent)
control how long it takes to cure
by varying the temperature.
If you want a quicker cure, use
a heat lamp or hair dryer to heat
up the joint. If you need more
working time, work in a cooler
place (like your basement). Or
use a portable fan to help dissi-
pate the heat that's generated.
One Final Note: Never throw
unused epoxy in the trash before

I
t
m . .
ShopTip: It's a good idea to
wnte the time you mixed the ep-
oxy on the cup or can. This way
them together and hold them in
place long enough for the epoxy
to set. (You don't have to apply a
it's completely cured. The heat it
generates as it h i s h e s curing
could start a fire.

One of the unique features of an ep-
oxy system is that you can mix in an
additive or "filler." This allows you to
vary the consistency (anywhere from
thickened honey to peanut butter) to
suit your application.
Thin for most gluing jobs. And
thieker when you need a filler that
also creates a strong bond (such as
repairing a crack or split on a turned dust (it's finer than sawdust). To
bowl, see Steps 1through 3 below). make your own,just pickascrappiece
Although epoxy system manufae- of wood that matches your project
turers sell a variety of fillers with and sand it with fme (320) grit sand-
strange names (plastic fibers, silica paper. @or' this, I like to use a power
thickener, and phenolic microbal- sander with an attached dust bag.)
loons), I've found that good old saw- Note: Mixing in sanding dust helps
dust works best for woodworking. the epoxy take a f i ~ s better.
h But like
But not ordinary sawdust -sad in^ any adhesive, it won't accept a stain.

Step 1: MIX the resin ana naraener srep z: /vow you can aau tiller ro the Step 3:Apply the thickened rn~xture
together thoroughly and apply a coat remaining mixture. Keep adding filler to one surface only Then bnng the
to both surfaces to be joined. until desired consistency is reached. parts together and allow to cure

No. 15
 Straight, accurate crosscuts on wide
panels. . . that's the idea behind
this shop-built sliding table.

C rosscutting a wide panel on the table saw can

be a real jugglingact. One hand to balance the
workpiece (the saw table in front of the blade is too
SIMPLE DESIGN. The end result
is a table with a simple, straight-
forward design. I t slides on two
small to provide much support). And the other to rails that are supported by a shal-
steady the miter gauge (that is, if the mnner hasn't low tray, see photo A. And I used
already come out of the slot). plastic laminate to create a slick, durable surface for
MORE SUPPORT. One solution I've seen in a lot of the table to slide across.
production cabinet shops is a sliding table. To pro- FENCE. To ensure accuracy when crosscutting,
vide more support for the workpiece, a sliding table this table also features a fence that can be adjusted
extends infront of the saw table. so it's precisely 90" to the saw blade. And when
There's only one drawback with most commercial you're not using the table, just loosen apair of knobs
tables. They're expensive. So I decided to build my to remove the fence, see photo B. C
own shop-made version, see photo above. REPLACES EXTENSION. Like most commercial
CONSIDERATIONS. Basically, I had two things in tables, this sliding table replaces the left extension
mind when working on this sliding table. First, it wing on your saw table. To provide clearance when
had to crosscut workpieces up to 24" wide. And you pull the table back, you'll need to move (or cut
second, I wanted an easy-to-build table that didn't off)the rails that guide the rip fence, see the photo
have a lot of complicated hardware. on the opposite page.

A. Guide System. To ensure ac-

curate cuts, a built-in guide sys- Hardware
tem tracks the table straight and (42) #5 x 2" Fh Woodscrews
true. Applying plastic laminate to (15) # 8 x 1V4" Fh Woodscrews
the parts creates a slippery sur- ( 8 ) #8 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
face for the table to slide across. ( 8 ) #I0 x l" 5heet Metal Screw
( 8 ) 71/16'' Flat Washers
(1) 3/8"x 3"Carriage Bolt
( 2 ) 3/8"Lock Nuts
( I ) 3/8"x 1vz" Fender Washer
(1) 3/8" Flat Washer
B. Fence. Loosening a pair of (1) I/q8'x 13/4" Hitch Pin
knobs makes it easy to remove (3)T8"x 1%" Lag 5crew5
the fence. When you put it back (2) 2)4"x 1%" Cap 5crews
on, a unique stop system lets you (3) v4" Flat Washers
quickly reposition the fence so (3) V4" Threaded Inserts
it's 90" to the saw blade. ( 2 ) V4" x 1"Fender Washers
( 2 ) V4" Press-On Knobs
(1) 2)4"x 1%" Hex Bolt
(1) 1/4"Hex Nut

16 ShopNotes No. 15
 EXPLODED VIEW
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
14'~x46"Lx34'/2.H

FIXED GUIDE
ADJUSTABLE GUIDE To provide clearance for the
sliding table, reposition (or
cut) the rails that guide the
rip fence so they'reflush with
the edge of the saw table.

G Fixed Guide (1)

H Adjustable Guide (1) & x 2V2 - 27
J End Leg Foot (l)

N m
YOU'LLAL$O NEED
A PIECE OF t'Lh4TIC
Fence
LAMINATE THATS
- -
N Fence Pieces (2)

*
No. 15 ShopNotes 17
 The Tmy
The heart of the sliding table is a
long tray that mounts to the side
of the saw table. This tray simply
replaces the left extension wing.
Because of this, you may need to
move (or cut off) the rails that
guide the rip fence,referto page 17.
BASE.1 started work on the
tray by making a plywood base
(A),see Figs. 1 and 2. The length
of the base determines how far
you can slide the tahle back and
forth. To provide enough travel
to cut a 24"-wide panel, I made
the base 48" long, see Fig. 2.
RAILS. After cutting the base
to size, the next step is to add a I Ia. ./TABLE SAW
GLIDE STRIP tit
END VIEW /TABLE (SEE PAGE 2 0 ) I

1
pair of rails. The rails act as glides
for the table to slide across, see
Figs. 1 and la. And they're part
of the system that tracks the ta-
ble in a straight line.
The rails (B)are narrow strips 'IDE 'IECE GLIDE STRIP

of hardwood (maple) that fit in

shallow grooves cut in the base,
see Figs. 2 and 2a. To prevent the
table from binding, the important
thing is that these grooves are
parallel to each other.
An easy way to ensure that
they're parallel is to cut one
groove, reposition the fence, and
then rnn the same edge against
the rip fence to cut the second
groove, see Figs. 3 and 4.
LARUNATE. After screwing the
rails in place, the next step is to
apply a strip of plastic laminate to
the top of each rail. This creates a
hard, slick surface for the tahle to
slide back and forth on.
Attaching the laminate strips
is easy. Just cut oversize pieces
e
and glue them in place with con-
tact cement. The only problem is
the rails are narrow, so it's hard
to hold the router steady when
trimming the edges flush. To

OF PLASTIC LAMINATE. THEN

TRIM FLUSH WITH ROUTER
(5EE DETAIL 'b')

NOTE: RAILS MADE

ShopNotes NO. 15
 keep the router from tipping, I
carpet-taped a support block to
the base, see Fig. 2b. GLIDE STRIP

I also wanted a slick surface on

the bottom of the base. That's be-
cause the hardware that secures
the table to the tray rides against
the bottom as you make a cut,
refer to Fig. la.
GLIDE STRIP. Here again, I
used a strip of laminate to create
a slippery surface. After laying
out the location of this "glide
strip" as shown in Figs. 5 and 5a,
I ran pieces of masking tape
around the lines to avoid slopping
contact cement onto the base.
SLOT. With the glide strip in
place, the next step is to cut a slot
in the base for a bolt that holds installed on the saw table. To lo- enough so you can get a socket
the table in place, refer to Fig. la. cate the mountmg holes, I used wrench inside when tightening
To prevent the bolt from binding the existing holes in the edge of the bolts, see Fig. 7a. Then drill
as the table slides back and forth, the saw table as a template, see oversize shank holes to allow
I cut a W-wide slot, see Fig. 5a. Fig. 7. Note: Position the side the tray to adjust up and down.
S1DES.M that's left to com- piece l/s" below the saw table and (I drilled 1h"-dia.shank holes for
plete the tray is to add two side flush at the end, see Fig. 7a. 7/16"dia. bolts.)
pzeces (C), see Fig. 6. Both pieces DRILL HOLES. NOWit's just a ATTACH SIDES. After gluing
are made from W-thick hard- matter of drilling holes for the and screwing the side pieces to
wood and are rabbeted to fit the mounting bolts. The size of these the base, the tray is basically
edge of the base, see Fig. 6a. holes depends on the bolts that complete. But I didn't attach it to
But before attaching the side held your extension wing in place. the saw table yet. This makes it
pieces, you'll need to drill holes in The thing to keep in mind is easier to work on the table and
one of them so the tray can be to drill the counterbores large legs that are added later.

HATSECURED
EXTENSION WING
SIDE PIECES MADE u 5 E HOLES IN S A W TAPLE
FROM 3/4"-lHICK STOCK TO LOCATE MOUNTING HOLES

SHANK HOLE

1 No. 15
 The Table
With the tray complete, work can
begin on the table. To produce
accurate cuts, the table needs to
be flat and sturdy.
So I built it up from a plywood
core (D)and wrapped hardwood
edge (E) and end @eces (F)
around it, see Fig. 9. Then I cov-
To create a slick ered both sides with plastic lami-
surface that rides nate. Note: To avoid accidentally
against the glide "catching" the laminate, I routed
strip, I made a a small (W)chamfer around the
washer from a top edges.
scrao of laminate. SUE. To fit inside the tray (and
still have clearance on each side),
thefinished width of the table is
12".And it's 27"long to match the
length of the saw table.
MOUNTING SYSTEM. The table
is held in place with a carriage
bolt that passes through a coun-
terbored shank hole drilled in the
table and the slot in the tray, see
Figs. 8a and 9.
adjustable guide
holes in the center
20
In use, this bolt is held in place
with two lock nuts, see Fig. 8a.
After slippingon aspecial washer
(see top left margin), the bottom
lock nut is tightened just enough
ShopNotes
to hold the table in place, yet still
allow it to slide easily.
GUIDES. But the bolt doesn't
keep the table from moving from
side to side. So I added a pair of
guides, see Fig. 10. These guides
run against the inside edge of the
rails which tracks the table in a
straight line, see Figs. 10aand lob.
To make this work, one of the
guides isfixed (G), and the other
is adjustable (HI. (I drilled a se-
ries of overlapping holes to form
adjustment slots.) Attaching the
fixed guide is easy. It's screwed in
place Z11/16"in from the edge of
the table. The challenge is posi-
tioning the adjustable guide.
what you're looking for here is
to get the guide so it's snug
against the rail, but not so tight
it's hard to push the table. The
thing that worked well for me is
to tempwarily fit a spring be-
tween the guides at each end of
the table, see bottomleft margin.
LOCK PIN. Finally, to keep the
table from sliding when it's not in
use, I added a lock pin. After drill-
ing a hole through the side piece
(C) and into the table, I used a
cotterless hitch pin that I picked
up at the local hardware store,
see Fig. 8b. (For a complete hard-
ware kit, see page 31.)
No. 15
The Legs
I
After completing the table, I
added two legs for support: an fa. TOP VIEW
end leg and a side leg, see Fig. 11.
END LEG
The end leg (I)is just a 12"-wide
piece of 34"-thick plywood, see
Fig. 12. To determine the length
of this leg, measure the distance
from the top of the saw table to
the floor and subtract 4".(In my
case, the end leg is 30W long.)
LEVELERS. After cutting the
leg to size, the next step is to add
a pair of levelers. These are noth-
ing more than lag screws that
tighten into a hardwood foot (J)
glued to the bottomofthe leg, see
Figs. 12 and 12a.
m A C H LEG. To make it easy
to attach the end leg, I bolted the are just triangular-shaped pieces 13. To avoid accidentally kicking
tray to the saw table and tempo- of 3/4"-thick plywood that are it, I cut a taper on the lower part
rarily propped up the opposite glued and screwed to the leg and of the leg.
end. Then, after positioning the the base of the tray, see Figs. Here again, I glued on a hard-
leg so it's centered on the width l l a and 12. wood foot (M) and drilled a hole
of the tray and flush with the end, for a leveler, see Fig. 13a. As be-
it's simply screwed in place, see SIDE LEG fore, the side leg is screwed to the
Figs. 11and lla. To support the other end of the base of the tray, see Fig. lla. But
BRACES. Next, to help stiffen tray, the next step is to add a side this time, I screwed on a single
the leg, I added a pair of braces leg. The side leg (L) is also made plywood brace (K) that's cen-
(K), see Fig. 12. These braces from 3/4"-thickplywood, see Fig. tered on the width of the leg.

WOODSCREW

No. 15 ShopNotes 23
The Fence
This sliding table has a fence that
can be quickly set so it's 90" to the
saw blade. When it's not needed,
the fence lifts off the table.
Editmk Note: There'salso afence
featured zn ShopNotes No. 14.
that can be used with this sliding
table. It features a butlt-in stop
block and measurzng tape, see
Sources on page 81.
FENCE. The fence consists of
two hardwood fence pieces (N),
see Fig. 15. After gluing up the
fence, I routed a chamfer on all
the edges, see Fig.15a.
The fence is held in place with
two cap screws that pass through
holes in the table and tighten into
threaded inserts in the bottom of
the fence, see Figs. 14 and 14b. (I
addedpreswn knabs to the screws
to make the fence easy to remove.) I I !I
Building in an adjustment so
you can square up the fence is of the cap screw, see Fig. 14a. To the hole locations, see Fig. 17.
easy. Just drill a slotted hole in make this work, you'll need to A'ITACH FENCE. After drilling
the table, see Fig. 16. But what I drill a hole that intersects the ad- the holes and installing the in-
wanted was to slip the fence off justment slot, see Figs. 16and 16a. serts, you can attach the fence. To
and put i t back on without having The next step is to locate the prevent it from dragging on
to reset it each time. To do this, I holes for the threaded inserts in the saw table, I slipped fender
added a simple "stop." the bottom of the fence. This is washers between the fence and
STOP.The stop is a bolt that just a matter of squaring up the the table, see Fig. 14b. Then I
threads into an insert in the end fence so the end butts against the threaded a hex nut onto the stop
of the table until it hits the shank saw blade and then transferring to keep it from loosening up.

ShopNotes No. 15
 Adjustment
As with any precision tool, you'll need to adjust the
sliding table to produce accurate cuts. Basically,
you're looking for three things here.
VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT.First, the sliding table
needs to beflush with the surface of the saw table.
This is simply amatter of backing off(ortightening)
the levelers to raise (or lower) the tray, see Steps 1
and 2 below.
SQUARE m ~ c ~ . O n cyou've
e got a continuous
flat surface across both tables, the next step is to
square the fence up to the saw blade, see Step 3. At
this point, you can make a test cut to check the
accuracy of the setup, see Step 4.
PARALLEL TRAVEL. If the test cnt isn't square, Step 1: Tighten Bolts. With a straightedge across
chances are the problem is the table isn't sliding the saw table and the inside edge of the sliding
parallel to the miter gauge slot. To correct this, youll table, raise (or lower) the tray until both surfaces
need to shim the tray out just a bit, see Step 6. are flush. Then tighten the mounting bolts.

Step 2: Adjust Levelers. Now place the straight- Step 3: Square Fence, After squaring the fence
edge across the width of the table to check that the up to the blade, tighten the knobs that lock down
outs~deedge is level wittl the saw table. To raise the fence. Now threadin the stop untilit hits the cap
(or lower) the table, back out (or tighten) the levelers. screw and tighten the "jam" nut.

() Step 4: Test Cut. The accuracy of the setup can Step 5: Shim Tray. If you need to shim the tray,
be checked by making a test cut. To provide the loosen two of the mounting bolts and slip paper
best indication of whether or not you'll need to shim shims over them. Then retighten the bolts and
the tray, use as wide a panel as possible. repeat Steps 3 and 4.

No. 15 ShopNotes 23
 (for instance, when cleaning out a

Chisel
TE- - - ~ - - -
mortise) is an overhand grip.
Here again, hold the blade be-
tween your fingers. But this time,
grasp the chisel with your thumb
I)

on the end of the handle, see

-*---- photo B.
The idea here is to bend your
It's easy to makep~ecise,controlled elbow and bring the chisel in close
to your body. Then, to make a cut,
cuts with a chisel when you use the push down with your thumb as you
right grip and a few simple techniques. lean forward.
BLADE GRIP. But there are
can't remember when I've lets you make a controlled cut. times when I don't hold the han-
-built a project without using UNDERHAND GRIP. When I dle a t all. When using a mallet, I
t chisel. Granted, much of the hold the chisel in a horizontal po- hold the blade of the chisel like a
work is done with power tools. sition to make a cut (paring a pencil, see photo C. This gives me
But it seems I'm always reaching tenon for example), I use an un- pinpoint control over where the
for a chisel to make the final par- derhand grip. To do this, hold the cutting edge enters the workpiece.
ing cuts that get a project to fit chisel comfortably in the palm of This grip also comes in handy
together just right. your hand and grasp the blade when using the chisel like a scor-
Whether I'm cleaning up a between your fingers, see photo A. ing knife. For example, when
mortise, paring a tenon, or flat- This allows you to lead the cut- making a slicing cut with the cor-
tening the bottom of a groove, ting edge of the blade into the ner of the blade, refer to page 27.
this means using the chisel like a work exactly where you want it. MIXED BAG. But there's no sin-
scalpel to remove extremely thin As you 'leannintothe cut, youcan gle grip that works all the time.
slices of material. stop the blade a t any point by As you can see in the following
While a sharp chisel is impor- pinching it between your fingers. examples, I use a "mixed bag" of C,
tant, there's more to it than that. OVERAAND.Another grip I grips, switching from one to the
The secret is to use a grip that use to slicedominto a workpiece other to get the job done.

A. Underhand Grip. To make a horizon- B. Overhand Grip. Whenmaking a ver- C. Blade Grip. Holding the blade of
tal cut, grasp the handle of the chisel in ticalcut, an overhand grip lets youpare the chisel lets you pinpoint where the
an underhand grip. Pinching the blade straight down. To help guide the blade, cutting edge enters the work. This is
between your fingers stops the cut, hold it loosely between your fingers, especially handy when using a mallet.

No. 15
 Mortise
One common way to make a mor-
tise is to drill a series of overlap-
I ping holes, then remove the rest
bf the waste with a chisel.
To produce a tight fit, the im-
portant thing is to end up with
sides and ends that are vertical.
The solution is to use an overhand
grip and pare straight down.
To support the blade, use a Next, with a chisel that's the As a final cleanup,press the flat
1 ch~selthat's wide enough to 2 same width as the mortise, 3 pa, of the blade against the
span across two of the ridges
and pare straight down.
Tenon
It doesn't take much of a "stepnon the the thickness of the work-
the shoulder of a tenon to keep piece, but wider than the thick-
two pieces from fitting tightly to-
gether. Even though there's not
much material to remove, paring
off this "step" can he a challenge.
WIDTH OF BLADE. TO avoid
damaging the adjacent shoulder,
I use a chisel that's narrower than
*1 To pare the step off a tenon,
start with an underhand grip
andlead the cutting edge into the
step at a high point on the shoul-
No. 15
Using an over-
hand grip allows
s m E s . I startwith the sides. In you to pare
addition to the grip, the width of straight down
chisel you use can help produce a when cleaning out
straight, vertical cut,see Step 1.
ENDS. Asimilarapproachworks
well on the ends. But this time, mainingmaterial, I've found that
I a mortise
select a chisel that matches the pivoting the blade across the side
width of the mortise, see Step 2. of the mortise creates a crisp,
CLEANUP. To clean up any re- clean cut, see Step 3.
pare straight down on the ends side of the mortise and pivot the
using an overhand grip. handle to slice off a thin shaving.
ness of the tenon, see Step 1.
1 An underhand grip
helps control the
cut when
paring the "step"
off a tenon.
nvo GRWS. What gives me the
best control here is to use a com-
bination of grips. An underhand To keep from cutting too deep
grip as you pare toward the base into the stepped shoulder, I slice
of the tenon. And an overhand the remaining waste off with a
grip to remove the shavings. shearing cut, see Step 2.
HOLD FLAT PART OF BLADE
ON "GOOD-SHOULDER
der. After making several paring
cuts down toward the base of the
tenon, trim off the shavings by
cutting straight down.
With the flat part of the blade
2 heldfirmyon the "good"shou1-
der, pivot the handle to make a
shearing cut across the shoulder.
ShopNotes
 Hinge Mortise
Make a series of Unlike a lot of chisel work that's the mortise by hand (see box be-
light paring cuts to hidden when the project is as- low), this requires a light touch.
remove the waste sembled, a mortise for a hinge is THIN SHAVINGS. It's tempting
left behind after quite conspicuous. Too large and to remove the waste with a single
routmq a hinge it looks sloppy. Too small and the cut. But I prefer to use an over-
mortise. hinge wonifit. hand grip and take a number of hinge. If you still need to trim a
The solution is to "sneakupnon thin shavings, see Step 1. bit off the edges, a blade grip lets
a perfect fit. Whether you rout TEST FIT. AS you approach the you shear off just the right
out most of the waste first or cut layout line, check the fit of the amount of material, see Step 2.

PARE DOWN AT

SLICES A S Y

To remove the waste tbai's cuts inside the layout line. Then Using the corner of the blade
1/eft after routing a hinge mor- work your way back to the line, 2
as a plvot potnt, shear down
tise, start by holding the ch~selat gradoalk rais~ngthe handle of across the edge of the rnortIse to
an angle and make thin paring the chisel until it's vert~cai make the final clean-up cuts

& e W & p i s t o s c ~ t e a 1 : m e &a k@p?ngf&e;handle efthe ch&elwi$ha I

? S t yhi%'% BUTa& &ht on t h e la$-
ot&lim% eom@msaLe for the thick.
ness ofthependlead, I mwe fh
2micte tbm&, see 8cep 1.
mA6mj.VOv ii?sj@t 2 matter of
wM&g auk B e iseteW up t o tbe
wore line. W P m f o d -
L4 to cut a number of thin '%&es7' by
mllet,a.ee Ssp 2.
@tE&l?D FIQ.Onee the bulk af .the i
liaa mte is pemmed (Step 3l, ;pou can i
trim thaedges of~eehemo~8e % fibhke I
&ge. Here, I start wit%tke
~d&m~1emdpweofftltin&ce~,
best see step 4. As you alppmech the penril
line%gr&n&y raise the handle ofWe

TO CUT FLAKES

iiiying Oui tht? Mng8 location Wfththe beveldovyn, cut a sei-fes of

1Affer
wth a peoml, use a u?17& knife ta 2 "f(akesadongthe IengV,of the mop
~ I oftilemarI2s. lise Bytapphgthe handle with a mallet
a l Bi m m the ~i?b/de flabs by oaring u p to the smre ltft.9.

No. I/ 1
 @ Groove
- Sometimes the bottom of a
groove (or dado) isn't perfectly
flat. Or the saw blade leaves
I
"tracks" that make it hard to fit
! the pieces together. To smooth
a
the gottom of groove, I use sev-
eral&erent techniques.
DEPTH STOP.Since there's no
support for the blade at the end
Use the chisel with
the bevel face
of the groove, an underhand grip down to keep from
lets you use your finger as a sirn- :uMng too deeply
pledepthstop,seeStep 1. nto the bottom of
BEVEL DOWN. Another way to 2 groove
avoid cutting too deep is to place
the bevel oftthe bladi face eown, KNmE To remove materialfrom
see Step2.And sincethisraisesthe the corner of a groove, I hold the
handle, there's more 'kuckle blade of the chisel and use it like
mom"in the middle of the groove. a scoring knife, see Step 3.

To make a smooth-bottomed
groove (or dado), use your 2 cut, place fhe beveled side 3 corner of a groove is to use the
1aWhen cleaning out the end of An easy way to clean out the

finger as a depth stop to keep the of the blade down and 'plane" chiselas a knifeandsficethe wood
blade from cutting too deep along the groove fibers with the wrner of the blade

chisel until it's vertical.

SAVE I m ~ . T h ething to keep in
mind is that the pencil line represents
the outside of the hinge. So I pare up
to the mark, but make it a point to
'Save" the pen& line.
T~STm.Whileyou're working up
to theline,it"sagoodidea to test fit the
hinge. To getit to fit perfedly, you may
needtodoalittlemoret~arowzd
the edges. As before, a shearing cut
leaves a crisp, clean edge, see Step 5.
I
S M O ~ ~ TO Mget. the hhge
to 8it flat*the bottom of the mortise
may adsoneed akkntion. When smooth-
I
ing out the roughspots,it's be& to hold
the chisel with the bevel face down to
avoid cutting too deep, see Step 6.

TRIM EDGES WIT

A SLICING CUT

If you need to trim the edge a&

filt~ngthe hinge, rocik the chisel 6 demg up the buttom, make thh
Now make a series of light padng
cuts back lo €hepencil fine. Just 5 test To avoid cun%n$ too d m p ahen

remember to "save" the line on rts corner to remove a thin s M g , wts with the b&eI face d o w .
par@?@

I No. 15 ShopNotes 27
- -
TIPS & TECHNIQUES I

Shop Solutions

ALL PAR15 EXCEPT

ways to store my C-clamps, But

the handiest solution I've found is
this pull-out storage rack, see
photo above. It mounts under my
bench top and pulls out like a
drawer when I need a clamp.
The pull-out storage rack con-
sists of a U-shapedframe with an
angled bar for clamps to yest on,
see Drawing.
'Itvo end caps screwed to the
frame serve as stops for the rack
and help strengthen the frame.
And to make it easy - to pull
- out
the rack, I screwed a drawer puIl tioned so the drawer pull is flush Editor's Note: Larry's clamp
to the front end cap. with the front of the bench top, rack is designed to hold Rlh"to 4"
To mountthe rack to the bench, see Side View. C-clamps.If your clamps are dif
I used a pair of L-shaped brack- Larry Connw Brent you may have to modzfy
ets, see Drawing. They're posi- Lorzgiew, Washington the szze of the clamp bar.

Hole Saw Relief

When using a hole saw, trapped
sawdust can build up a lot of heat.
Ta reduce the build-up, I first DRILL INSIDE
drill a relief hole for the sawdust.
The relief hole should always
be in the was& portion of your
workpiece. For example, if you're
making a wheel, dnIl the relief on
the outside, see Fig. 1, And if
you're making a hole, drill arelief
hole on the inside, see Fig. 2.
Frank Coats
San Jose, California

28 ShopNotes No. 15
 Cut-OH Gauge
II) On my power miter saw, the
hlade guard makes i t hard to see
the cut line. To solve this, I made
a simple gauge that allows me to
use an "offset" reference mark
that's easy to see.
To make the gauge, first clamp
a scrap of wood to the fence so one
end extends past the blade, see
Fig. 1. Then to create the refer-
It seems that every time I glueup
a panel, the boards shift when I
apply the clamps. Toprevent this,
I slip a pinch block over each glue
'. joint until I get the clamps set.
Each block is a scraw of wood
'
I
with a notch cut in it to match the
thickness of the panel. Once the
clamps are tightened,remove the
blocks before the glue dries.
Roqninder Tara
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
i
Power Sanding Tip
To keep the cord on my portable
sander out of the way when sand-
ing, I suspend i t from the ceiling
by a chain of rubber hands. (The
chain I use is made up from six
large ruhher hands that I col-
lected over a period of time from
(()our Sunday newspaper.)
-- One end of the chain is looped
around the cord (about one foot
from the plug). The other end is
No. 15
:.-~. : .
ence mark on the fence of the one end of the gauge to the layout
chop saw, scribe a line on the line and mark the workpiece at . '~
. .
fence that corresponds to the the other end of the gauge (this is .. .
. ,.
other end of the scrap piece. Now the offset), see Fig. 2.
all you have to do is cut the scrap Now simply line up this offset
to length and save it as a gauge. mark with the scribed line on the . .
. ,
To use the cut-off gauge, start fence and cut the workpiece to ~
by measuring and marking the length, see Fig. 3. ~.
workpiece you're going to cut as .. ..,. . Tom Bogan
you normally would. Then align The Colony, Texas , ~:?
THEN MARK OFFSET TO SCRIBED
- ON WORKPIECE LINE ON FENCE
I
\. d
v
POSITION PINCH BLOCK
.& PINCHBLOCK
(2x4) @NCH BLOCK
OVER GLUE JOINT
looped over a screw hook
. rf y e d h i to sktrre .YW. ~ M R E ~ I
mounted in the ceiling.
Now when I'm power sanding,
soIukions to probleqs ydu've Wd,
.. end uie&~:S&N&~, ~ m :
&hop
the cord doesn't drag on my pro-
ject. And when I'm through sand-
8bl~bi@B, .m Gmnd A v e h , Deaj
. Maine%,fA &18. (Ur if Ws ewier,
ing, I just reach up and slip the
FAX &em Q us.*$: M6-282-6741.>
chain off the hook. This way, it
We%pay up &I $MO dependkg on
stays on the power cord and is ' the puMished length. Pi- incIiUie
ready whenever I'm going to sand.
"a Baytime w e mimkr so are.arn
Clyde Baehman
Olympia, Washington
 HARDWARE STORE

Springs
An o r d i n a q a p i n g cam dramatically
zrnprove the performa~ceof a tool
or a shop-built jig.

S mall details can make a big

difference. Take an ordinary
spring, for instance. Sometimes
that's all it takes to improve the
performance of a tool or a shop
built jig.
Depending on what the jig is
designed to do, I use two differ-
ent types of springs. A eompres-
do%spring like you'd find in aball
point pen Or an extension spring
like you'd see on a screen door.
Note: Both types of springs are
readily available at most hard- jig that has a built-in clamp, see
ware stores.
COMPRESSION
Drawing A. When you loosen the
damp, the springs pop up the bar
that holds the workpiece down.
Basically, a compression spring is This allows you to quickly reposi-
designed to pmh. To make this tion another workpieee.
work, it consists of a series of CONGTA~PT PRESSURE. Another
open wire coils. When the coils place I've found where cornpres-
are compressed, the ends of the &ionsprings work well is when
spring exert pressure outward. you need to exert constant pres-
QUICK RELEA=. Because of sure. For instance, to keep a ma-
this, I often use compression chine screw that's used a s a
springs as a "quick release" on a rnicro-adjustable "stop" from vi-
brating out of adjustment, just

A. Qufok Release. To quckiy posl- 6. Constant Pressure. A spring holds
tion a workpiece, springs pop up the the machine screw on th~smlcro-ad-
bar on thls shop-built clamp
justable stop exactly where you set it.
*
slip a spring-overthe shank of the
screw, see Drawing B.
EXTENSION
Unlike a compression spring, the
wire coils on an extension spring
are wound tightly together.
When the coik are stretched
apart, the tension that's produced
papulls the springback together.
RETUFGV. This makes it auideal
choice when you want to return
something to its starting point.
For example, running an exten-
sion spring between the caniage
of aradial arm saw and an andm
point pulls the blade safely back
behind the fence after you make
a cut, see Drawing C.
HOLD-DOWN,But an externion
spring can also be used to apply
pressure downward. When rip-
ping thin stock that has a ten-
dency to "chatter," I use a simple
spring-loaded hold-down, see
Dmwing D. This is just a piece of
wood that pivots on an awdliary

C. Return. After you make the cut, D. Hold-Down. Th~sspring-loaded

the spring returns the radial arm saw
carnage to its starting point.
hold-down prevents thin stock from
chattering as you make a cut
4P
fence as you slide a workpiece un-
derneath. As the spring pulls back--
to its relaxed position, the hold-
down apples pressure downward.

No. 15

ShopNotes Project Supplies is of-
fering some of the hardware and
supplies needed for the projects
in this issue. We've also put to-
gether a list of other mail order
sources that have the same or
similar hardware and supplies.
BAND SAW CIRCLE JIG
Cutting precision circles is easy
with the Band Saw Jig shown on
page 4. A built-in measuring tape
and indicator allow you to quickly
and accurately set up the jig to
cut allnost any size circle.
ShopNotes Project Supplies is
offering a hardware kit for the
Band Saw Circle Jig. The kit has
all the hardware you'll need, in-
cluding the measuring tape and
Plexiglas strips (you'll need to cut
them to length). All you need to
a s u p p l y is 34" plywood and M" and
34 "-thick hardwood.
S15-6815-100Band Saw Cir-
- Kit ............................ $8.95
cle Jie
SLIDING TABLE
The Sliding Table shown on page
16 allows you to accurately cut
wide panels on the table saw. Just
set the panel on the table and
position it up against the fence
(you can also build the Optional
MAIL ORDER SOURCES
Similar hardware and supplies may be found in the
following catalogs. Please call each company for a catalog
orfor ordering information.
Constantine's Systems Three
80&215-8087 a 80M34514
G-2 Epy E p o q System
J ~ a m ~ u t o Ikndline.
l s
8001123-0030 800-767-9999
Epmy Systems e a p k t k Platen
Garrett Wade West Systems
517-68-1
Epnry Sustems
No. 15
Sources
Fence described below). Then make a cut. You can replace the
simply slide it forward to make simple fence shown in the Sliding
the cut. Note: The Sliding Table Table article with the Miter
replaces the left extension wing Gauge Fence shown in Shop-
on your table saw. Notes No. 14, see photo.
ShqNotes Project Supplzes is ShopNotes Project Supplies is
offering a complete hardware kit offering a hardware kit for this
for the Sliding Table. All that you fence. This kit includes all of the
have to supply is 3'4''-thick hard- hardware you'll need, including
wood and plywood, and the plas- the measuring tape and indicaor.
tic laminate. 515-6814-100 Miter Gauge
515-6815-200Sliding Table Fence Kit .......................... $17.95
Hardware Kit ................... $11.95
BELT SANDER
To help reduce heat build-up on
your sanding belts, yon can re-
place the platen with one made
from graphite. They're available
at some woodworkingstores. But
if you can't find them locally, see
the sources listed below.
EPOXY
The article on epoxy (shown on
page 14) provides an in-depth
look a t us in^ euoxv " svstems
- " A in
A Youcanaddanadjustablestop the shop. An epoxy system con-
to the Sliding Table by building the sists of a resin and hardener. Plus
optional fence shown above. a variety of fillers or additives.
You may be able to find these
OPTIONAL FENCE at some woodworking stores and
By adding a stop to the fence on home outlets. If you can't, they
the sliding table, you can increase can be ordered from some of the
your accuracy whenever you mail order sources listed below.
BY PHONE
To order by mail, use the For fastest service use our
order form that comes with Toll Free order line. Open
the current issue. The order Monday through Friday, 700
form includes information on AM to 700 PM Central Time.
handling and shippingcharges, Before calling, have your
, "
and sales tax. VISA, Mastercard, or Dis-
Woodworker's Supply If the mail order formis not cover Card ready.
8OC44fr9292 available, please call the toll
Graphite Platen free number at the right for
more information on specific
charges and any applicable Note: Prices subject to change
sales tax ~;f&Gx?.+$+:~~
ShopNotes
 Scenes From the Shop

Circle Jig
The Band Saw Circle Jig (shown on page 4) "carries"a
workpiece into the blade at the start of a cut. This allows
you to start with an oversize blank - there's no need to
pre-cut it to the desired diameter. Instead, just use the
built-in tape to select the exact size circle you need.

Sliding Table
To provide support when crosscutting wide panels, the
Sliding Table (shown on page 16) pulls back in front of
the saw table. This table features a simple, adjustable
guide system that ensures accurate cuts. And plastic
laminate creates a slicksurfacefor the table toslideacross.