(he Sin ee = Sliding Bevel Gauge = Band Saw Fence System = Abrasive Pads for Finishing = Sharpening Brad Point BitsShoplNotes issue 8 March 1993 soon Donal B, Peschke sxtcarieeton Douglas L. Hicke sumsame cron ‘Terry J. Strohman sssoonresonon Richard, Peters sasranreoron ‘Tm Robertson Philip A. Totten ‘Td Kraliek Cary Christensen ure Schultz Yl Niskanen ger Rend Mani Higdon (Crayola Bngiand Ken Mankel {Jan Hale Sve ‘Kent Welsh Stove Cures ian Dec: La Bren Sacro Manager: Pia Sess « Cieultion nase “ad Can Neato Sees Kane A. Buskton seca Bor Gard Gear Grape Deeg: Robert H. Whitmer Conifer: Pal B. Gray» econ Lins (O'Reackes Boon: allan Sparse Seniees Manager Toyce Moore » Neen: ‘atm: Doug M. Lister dasnitraties “Abe: Chrgl Set, Jlla Fah» Reception: Jesrne Jelusane Blip MaiuKen Get Moratsg Dear Rahat Mum Cntlag Ant Directors Cindy Jacke = Project Suppline Lindadenes fen! Suppor-etancesSye- tems Operator: Lies Mowow » Recent: Ket hae Sorsice Supersvor: Jenni Bos = Customer Serece Repreentaiet Jenifer Murphy, JOF “Johnson, Sara Kons, An Blas, Ama Cos, aris La Sporades Cast Fulnent Glia Se an, Don Mey, sk Caron, yin Cary eet cies Sema See vee et rb Wa. fh 8s Woda Cpr A Ste ay $18, Ose ear tant sen Sst Prager cn, Bose Sec aad far ye Secon ins Poste ise Dea Mees. 1A 6 Semele ou, terjomes Aion ta fom ction Cal at ae ena lawless Fit. Getting pieces to fit together perfectly is one of the most satisfying parts of being a woorlworker. Like most woodworkers, it doesn't matter if the project is large orsmall. Ifthe pieces fit together well, Tm happy. But getting a perfect fit is easier said than done. ‘Take box joints for instance. Box joints look rather simple and uneompli- ‘ated. So making them should be easy. Allyou have todois cut aseries of slots, on the ends of adjoining pieces. Sounds simple enough, But there's more to making box {joints than cutting a bunch of slots. You also have to consider the spacing be- ‘tween each slot (the pin). To make box Joints that fit together perfectly, the ‘pins and slots need to “mesh” together like the teeth on a pair of gears, ‘To make good box joints you need to cut the pins and slots with machine-like precision. And that's the idea behind the Box Joint Jig shown on page 6. BOX JOINT ITG. Like many other box joint jigs, this one attaches to your mi- ter gauge and can be used on either a table saw or router table. And like other jigs,it has a “key” to position the workpiece. But what makes this jig unique is the way the key is designed. ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM. The key is designed with a built-in adjustment sys- tem that allows you to do two things. First, the size (width) of the key ean be adjusted to fit slots from 14" all the way up to 1%6" (the width of a dado blade). This means you can cut different, size box joints with only one jig. Second, you can change the spacing between the slots with the tun of a knob. This allows you to “dial-in” per- fect fitting box joints every time. SLIDING BEVEL GAUGE. Getting parts to fit together perfectly is also ‘important when making the Sliding Bevel Gauge (see page 22), ShopNotes ‘The challenging part is you're work- ing with two different materials — brass and wood. This means that typieal ‘woodworking techniques don’t apply. For example, gluing brass to wood is a problem. Whether you use yellow ‘glue, white glue, or even epoxy, you ‘won't get a permanent bond. The rea- son is brass doesn’t move with changes Jn humidity —but wood does. So even- tually the bond will break. RIVES. The solution to this problem is to mechanically fasten the pieces to- gether whenever possible, One way to do this is to “rivet” them together. Rivets allow you to do something serews can't —they ean “draw” several pieces together from both sides and permanently lock them in place. Basi- cally, it’ just a matter of drilling a hole and using a piece ofbrass rod asa rivet. (For more on this, see page 24.) BAND SAW FENCE. Another project inthis issue that uses metal is the Band Saw Fence System (shown on page 16) Adding this system is an inexpensive and easy way to improve the accuracy and precision of your band saw. ‘The heart of the system is the rails ‘The rails are made from aluminum an- gle. It’s inexpensive and easy to work with, And it allowed me to solve prob- Jem’verun into when using other band saw fences — “drift.” (Drift is the ten- deney ofa band saw blade to pull orlead one way or the other during the cut.) ADJUSTABLE RAILS. The two-piece front rail is designed so you can change ‘the angle of the fence. This way you can compensate for drift and end up with a perfectly straight, precise cut. FENCE ACCESSORIES. To make ac- curate stopped cuts (ike the shoulders of a tenon), the fence is slotted for an adjustable stop block. This slot also al- lows youto attach atall auxiliary fence. ‘The extra support this provides makes, resawing safe, easy, and accurate, No.8PETE No.8 Contents Rouber Jointer = = init ts 08 a All it takes to get a perfectly straight edge on a work- piece is a hand-held router and this shop-made jig Box Joint Jig BB This precision-made jig produces tight-fitting box joints. The secret is a micro-adjustment system that lets you sneak up on the perfect fit Making Box Joints _____ 12 Professional looking box joints are easy to make with this simple step-by-step approach. Sharpening Brad Point Bits ____ 14 A fil and a few basic techniques are all you need fo restore the edge on your brad point bits Band Saw Fence System ____ 16 Make perfectly straight cuts on your band saw with this, rock-solid fence. It features a builtin clamping system, an adjustment for drift, and two shop-made accessories. Sliding Bevel Gauge ___. _ 22 Brass and wood combine to produce a fine too! that's, both handsome and functional. Plus, some special tech- niques for working with brass and wood. Shop Solutions __28 ‘Seven Shop-Tested Tips: Dust Collector, Assembly Sur- face, Storing Waterstones, Auxiliary Fence Tip, Keyless (Chuck Update, Dril Bit Spacer, and a Blade Guard for Hand Saws. Abrasive Fads S820 Create a mitror-smooth finish on your projects by using abrasive pads in between coats. Do Uicer seen: (srs si iss Lesas et) Hardware, project supplies, and mail order sources for the projects in this issue. ShopNotes Box Joint Jig page 6 Band Saw Fence page 16 Sliding Bevel Gauge page 22 mCreating a straight edge ona workpiece is easy with this simple jig for your router. Re) edge. It’s the first step toa successful project. To create this edge, you can use a hand plane or a power jointer. Oryoucan dothe job with this simple fig and a router, see photo. AJOINTER, In some ways, this Jigs similar to a power jointer— a revolving eutterhead produces aclean, straight edge. Onapower jointer the workpiece is pushed over astationary eutternead. But with this jig, the workpiece is sta- tionary and the utter (arouter bit) ‘moves across the edge. There are two basie parts to this router jointer: a platform, and a sliding earriage. ‘THE PLATFORM Istarted by building the platform. ts just a plywood base (A), and two guide rails (B), see Fig. 1. BASE. Thelengthofthebase(A) determines the maximum length of the workpiece that can be Jointed. In my ease, its 48" long. ‘To clamp short or narrow stock to the base, slots are cut in from the front edge, see Fig. 1 GUIDE RAILS ‘USE OUDE RAL ‘SmArORARY ‘SPACER eines] ack PoACOD ” ]SECOND: ~— JEST SLOTS FOR CLAMS a THIRD: r GUIDE RAILS. All that’ left to rough length of 60°. Then, trim complete the platform is to add the guide rails (B), see Fig. 1. ‘These rails form a “track” to guide the carriage. ‘The thickness of these rails de- termines the maucimum. thiek- ness of the workpiece. Sinee 1 do most of my work with #4'-thick stock, I made the guide rails the same thickness (@4"), see Fig. 1. ‘To make the rails, start by eut- ting two 144"-wide blanks to a tthe rails to match the length of the base (48°), see Fig. 1. Note: Save the cut-offs. CUTOFFS.I used the cut-offs for two things. First, they serve as temporary spacers to position tthe guide rails. Second, one piece isused later to make the carriage. ASSEMBLY. The important step {in assembling the platform is to get the correct spacing between the rails. This ensures that the 7 a eee (Becemmuneere oc specKew LOGATE BIT AND a MOUNTING HOLES & te AUXILIARY, a oe DB atin Et Set ES é ShopNotes No.8RT wrists ee) Qing wit aide witout via [5 Sagat yt not have any side to Slopag Tod iy tee one all nuh withthe back ge Ten, pul the gos btweay tie al fale comets With the platform complete, work ‘ean begin on the carriage. It con- sists of an auxiliary base for your SECOND: ence AND OUT rerenence oroove router and a guide bar, see Fig. 2 AUXILIARY BASE, The auzil- |{ 4 une ean 5 Aux 848 iary base (C) is just a piece of —— \-thick Masonite. One end is serewed to the guide bar, The other end rests on your work- piece, refer to Drawing below. ‘The auxiliary base is 7* long ‘and cut to match your router ‘base, soe Fig. 2. To locate the bit and mounting holes in the Ma- sonite, use your original router base as a template, see Fig. 2a. Ge ean add the guide bar (D) that rides in the “track” of the platform, To and serew it in place, see Fig.2. Now insert a straight bit (Tuse 14" bit) and mount the router to the auxiliary base, ROUTGROOVE. To create a setting up the jig, soe box below.) Since there's no workpiece un- der the router, it can tip while routing. To prevent this, carpet tape a #4'-thick block to the bot- do this, eut one of the guide rail spacers to a length of 8". Then center the base on the guide bar reference for jointing the edge of a board, a shallow groove is routed in the base. (For more on tom of the auxiliary base. Then set the bit to cut Vis'-deep, and rout the groove, see Fig. 3. There are two steps to using the router jointer after you've clamped it to your bench. First, position and clamp your workpiece to the jig, see Drawing. Then it's just. a matter of sliding the carriage to joint the edge. POSITION WORKPIECE. To posi- tion a workpiece, place the rough edge to be jointed soit extends about Yo" (the ‘maximam eat) over the groove in the base, see Drawing. ‘Then clamp the board to the base. Note: Make sure the overhang is the same at both ends. JOINT THE EDGE. Thento jointthe edge, just slide the carriage from right to left. A single, smooth pass along the entire length of the board ‘works best. Using the Router Jointer Thin Stock. If you want to joint > stock that's thinner than 94", you'll need to support the carriage so it doesn't tip. To do this, carpet tape aa scrapwood spacer to the auxil- jary base of the carriage. CLAMP JIG 10 BENCH NOTE: aware our FROW RGHT FounrrTovoNT lee cuaMe worsriece FOR a! MAXIMUM CUT WORKMECE ie" PAST [REFERENCE GROOVE S— Se No.8 ShopNotesA unique micro-adjustment system lets you “dial in” perfect {fitting box joints on your table A. Micro-Adjustment System. A pair saw or router table. Ihe thing that impresses me most about this box joint jig isn't the tight-fitting joints you can make with it. After all, that’s what you expect from a preeision-made jig, What’s unique is how quickly and easily it can be adjusted. Unlike most box joint jigs I've used that require an almost endless amount of “tweaking,” this jig ean be set up in a matter of minutes. The secret is 2 built-in system that lets you adjust the jigg in ex- tremely small increments. ‘MICRO-ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM. This system is designed to adjust to the desired size and spacing of the pins and slots that make up a box joint, see photo A. By simply turning a knob, the jig ean be 6 ShopNotes B. Key. To cut identically spaced pins C. Locking Feature. After adjusting the of knobs aojusts the jig to the desired and slots, two metal brackets form a box joint jig, it can be locked in place size and spacing of the pins and slots. “key’ that positions the workpiece. set to cut slots that range in size from a width of 14" to He", A second knob changes the spacing of Een ness ens ag {joint which allows you to sneak up ona perfect fit, KEY. The adjastinent system works by moving. ‘twometal brackets, see photo B. The brackets form “key” that automatically positions the workpiece so each slot is cut a uniform distance apart, This creates a series of pins and slots that fit together like fingers in a glove. LOCKING FEATURE. To prevent the key from “creeping” once it's adjusted, a pair of plastie knobs locks it securely in place, see photo C. The result is perfect fitting box joints. with two plastic knobs. No.8ee EXPLODED VIEW pack ADJUSTMENT at-20 ADJUSTMENT erkniatos proces y MOVABLE x \ MATERIALREST —_|f : veer woildcosteen END PLATE, 4 CARRIAGE BOLT MATERIAL 10-32 ae REST totenvr HONG SADIUSTMENT TOP VIEW soles . vesgo nase e ‘ERDED Ro ‘seine arian) ‘ toe nersaceaoie knuntp toe D\, ehennareste a sours sack apdustwenr 66 CHANGED KEY10 ir ize oF SLOTS. SEMEN SLOTS END rATE@® Hardware © () "x1" Machine Serow * (2) 10-22 Knuried Krove (Brace) © (3) ¥#"- 20 Plastic Star Knobs ‘© (2) 10-22 Threaded Rode - 2V2" (Brace) © (@) 14" Flat Washers “leo eold ae mending plates © (2) 94°14" L-Brackets* —- © (6) #6«56" Fh Woodscrews Materials List (© (1) ¥4"x 112" Carriage Bolt | © (1) Ve"x V2" Carriage Bott A Fence (1) 94x72 -18 © 2) #8x54" Rh Woodecrews B Backing Plate (1) axle -Vs Masonite © (2) 10-22 Threaded Inserts C Fiked Material Rest (1) 94x 12-1190 (4) 10-32 Washers (Brass) D Movable Material Rest (1) ¥ax5-5% e (2) 10-32 Lock Nuts E Front Adjust. Block (1) Yax2- Ove © (2) 10-32 Hex Nuts (Brase) F Back Adjust. Block (1) Tax 2 -5Ye G End Pave (1) Vax2-2V0 LI No.8 ShopNotes iFence and Material Rest ore, 1 CUT DADO Wi"-OEEP A rowce XN wear] t= 20 ruasne arse hee as ie welteSaey De 29". ‘OveRSizED ADUSTMENT rae MOVABLE MATERIAL MATERIAL oFrence 8 © rixep ® BACKING PLATE Nore: DRILL COUNTERSUNK HOLE ‘The box joint jigis designed with This two-part rest ereates an tall fence that supports a work- MATERIAL REST ‘opting that provides clearances piece when you stand it on end. Withthefencecomplete,thenext for an adjustable “key” that's This ets you cut slots on the end step is to add a material rest. It added later. And it lets you slide of the workpiece by pushing the servesasa‘shelf’toraisetheend thejigthrough the blade without, Jigthrough the blade (or bit). of a workpiece above the saw or cutting into the material rest. FENCE, The fence (A) is just a router table. This way, the work BLANK. Both parts of the rest piece of ¥4"-thick hardwood (ma- piece spans any irregularities in start outas a thick blank, see ple) withthe topeomersmitered, thetableinsert thatcancausethe Fig. 2. After eutting a rabbet on see Fig. 1. To provide plenty of depth ofthe slots to vary, ‘one edge to form the shelf, the support, the fence is 514" tall TWOPARTS. The material rest _ two parts are ent to final length. (wide) and 18° long. consists oftwo parts. Afixed rest ‘Then the fixed rest is trimmed BACKING PLATE. After you've (C) is attached permanently toto width and glued to the bottom cut the fence tosize,thenextstep the fig. And a movable material of the fence, see Fig, 1.'The mov- is to add a replaceable hacking rest (D) that slides from side to ablerest is used later as. platform plate. The late preventsthe wood side, see Fig. 1. for the adjustment system, fibers around the back ofthe slot from chipping out as the blade passes through the workpiece SECOND: crosecur ‘So why doesn’t the fence alone MIECED 0 LeNOTH solve the problem of chipout? Be- cause as the jig passes over the blade, a slot is eut in the fence as well as the workpiece. The prob- Jem is once a large slot is ent, you've removed the support. ‘That's where the backing plate (B) comes in. 1's a piece of 14" Masonite that fits in a shallow dado in the fenee, see Fig. 1. To make it easy to replace when it gets chewed up, the plate is held inplace with a machine serew and Job (or wing nut), see Fig. 1a, THIRD: rem Foe a waTeRALReSrTOWiorH 10" FIRST: RABBETEDGE MOVABLE MATERIAL REST 8 ShopNotes No.8[ee Adjustment System ____ 3 BACK ADJUSTMENT BLOCK cs works a FRONT Noustucnr ceiver APUSTMENT Mueneneaboe BLOCK all Dousieinedt een canton 206" Or ARETS FORNEY After completing the material ATTACH BRACKETS, Now the ter the adjustment system is as- rest, work ean begin on the ad- brackets can be serewed to the _sembled, the legs will extend in justment system. Basically, this ends of the blocks so the bottom front of the fence and form the system consists of two adjust- “legs” are flush with the front key that’s used to position the ment blocks and a pair of L- edge of the material rest (D). Af workpiece, refer to Fig. 32. Diino viet testes, cas ic 8. The blocks and brackets work [4] ‘together to form a “key” that ad- k ‘Ack Asuermenretoce | A justs to the desired size and spac- Lt). ing of the slots that make up the box joint. ADJUSTMENTSLOTS. ‘To make the key adjustable, slots are cut in the front (B) and back adjust- ‘ment blocks (F), see Fig. 4. Then the back block is giued to the movable material rest (D) that was made earlier to create an L- shaped assembly, see Fig. 3. << ew By. When the glue dries, the nextstep isto add the adjustable [55 ‘key. To do this, the L-brackets FRONT ABLUGTWENT BLOCE ouocare now, > REERTOFIC.S pm >= FIRST rei ror ENDS.OF UBRAGRETS. are attached to the ends of the = Tormrenoces: blocks. These brackets are just 4" FRONT > as Seca mending plates that I picked up |*°/S™#6" iF reowteoes at the local hardware store. (See page 31 for other sourees.) a pS ‘The only unusual thing is the ) brackets need to be modified 7 tonstrn slightly to fit the adjustment | MOvAPLE Z J ee ree | GQ ees. Te regres trimming | “SE the ends and drilling an addi- tional mounting hole in exch "sacral mremonoce bracket, see Fig. 5. No.8 ShopNotes 9Per a Locking System ‘The two adjustment blocks allow [ you to set the size and spacing of the key. To prevent this key from moving onee it’s adjusted, I in- stalled a special locking system. ‘This system has two separate “locks” — one for the size of the key, and one for the spacing be- ‘tween the key and the blade. Position ezoxr BLoce FRONT ADJUSTMENT BLOCK A [oes 36010 \wse HOLE LocaTiON wis ‘aoaverient |" bap POINT BIT a. yi Saas | ® SIZE LOCK. To lock in the size ‘The bolt passes through a hole ‘TEMPLATE. To ensure the hole of the blocks flush, a V4" brad co the carriage bolt. Then to recess be installed and a washer and through a hole in the fence and Allthat's le is to drill a coun- Vertical Drilling Jig when [drilled the holes for theadjust- ‘triangular support piece, see Drawing. of the key the adjustment blocks are held together with a carriage bolt and knob, refer to Fig. 3a. drilled in the front block (B) and cae through the short slotin the back |” I marielneraeerartag block (F), see Figs. 6 and Ga, meee in the front block aligns with the slot, I used the back block as a template, ce Fig.6, With the ends point bit can be used to mark the ROR <= fenterofthehalattheondottne FW als | slot, see Figs. 6 and 6a. DRILL HOLE. Afterlocating the centerpoint, drill a shank hole for the head of the bolt, I used a spacnghetweenthekey andthe slide the blocks to the left as far Forstner bit to drill 8 counter- blade.Here again, a carriage bok: as possible, and mark the hole at bore. Now the carriage bolt ean is used. But this time it passes the end ofthe slot, see Fig. 7. knob (or wing nut) threaded on. the long slots in both blocks. terbored shank hole in the fence, SPACING LOCK. Thenext step To locate this hole, place the see Fig, 7a. Then install acarriage isto provide way tolockinthe assembly under the fence. ‘Then bolt, washer, and Imob as before Holding a long workpiece (like the box;ointjig) steady when drilingholes inend grain ean be a challenge. So ingrods, Lused a simple fg, see photo, It's just a couple of pioces of wood held together at a right angle and a L eer ‘To center the hole on the bit, the baseis clamped to the drill press table so the upright extends over the edge. ‘Then, with the work clamped to the ie upright, loosen the table and swing Nore: the workpieoe under the bit. ZOMADE EON 10 ShopNotes No.8 A vertical dritting jig holds long CA ‘workpieces securely in place when drilling holes in end grain. | | |FEATURE PROJEC Micro-Adjustment System ‘The most unique feature of the box joint jig is the micro-adjust- ment. system. This system lets ‘you “fine tune” the key to the de- Bived size and spacing ofthe slots. ADJUSTING RODS. The secret is a pair of adjusting rods. One rod threads into the end of the back block, and the other into the fence, see Fig.8. By turning the adjusting rods you slide the blocks from side to side ‘which positions the key. (For more on using the miero-ad- jjustment system, see page 12.) ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBLY, To make this work, an adjustment assembly is attached to the front block (B), see Fig. 8. This assem- bly consists of a thin wood plate and several pieces of hardware. END PLATE. Before installing the hardware, I made the end plate (G) from a piece of ¥a"-thiek hardwood, see Fig. a. After dril- ing holes for the adjusting rods and two mounting screws, the plate can be used as a template to mark the corresponding holes in the end of the jig, see Fig. 9. DRILLING JIG. Marking. the holes is easy. The triek is holding the jig steady todrill the holes. To do this, I used a simple drilling dig, see box on page 10. Once the siege [ot DRILL HOLES INEND PLATE ReMOve PuATE MOLES FoR SECOND: MOLES ‘TatRo: senove [las holes are drilled, the microadjust- adjusting pressure is created by ‘ment system ean be assembled. “stop” on each side of the plate. ‘The 244"-long adjusting rods The stop on the inside of the are cut from a piece of threaded plate is a washer and lock nut, rod. To accept the rods, threaded Another washer and a knurled inserts are installed in the fence knob that’s tightened against a (A)and back block (F). The actual nut forms the outside stop. 10) ‘SECOND: POSITION END OF FRED MATERIAL REST ‘AGAINST BLADE MITER GAUGE The last step is to attach the jig to the miter gauge. The idea is to position the jig so you ean eut the largest possible slot without cut- ting into the material rest. This requires mounting your widest dado blade (or largest bit). Inmy ease, this was a 1%" dado blade, see Fig. 10. Note: Since T don't like to remove that much material with arouter, the largest routerbit Iuseisa 12" straight bit. ‘To complete the jig, check that the miter gange is square to the blade. Then position the fixed rest against the blade and serew the gauge to the fenee, see Fig. 10a, 11Making Box Joints Basically, there are only two re- quirements for making box joints. Perfect spacing between the pins and slots. And getting the ends of the pins flush with the side of the adjoining pieee, see photo above. Step 1: Raise Blade. To produce a box joint with the ends of the pins flush with the side of the adjoining piece, raise the bladle to match the thickness ofthe workpiece. Note: Thisis the distance from the material rest to the top of the blade. Using the micro-adjustable box Joint jigshown on pages solves the first problem — cutting identi- cally spaced pins and slots, (For more on adjusting the box joint jig, refer to Steps 2 and 8 below.) ouatene FLUSH PINS. But to solve the second part of the problem (get- ting the ends of the pins flush with the sides) there are two things you'll need to take into ae- count: the length of the pins and Step 2: Set Width of Key. Using @ slot cut in a test piece, the key is adjusted to match tho width of the sot. To do this, foosen the locking knobs and turn the back adjustment knob Unit the slot fits snugly over the key, Then tighten the out- § <] side locking knob: < Step 3: Adjust Spacing. Now tum the front adjustment knob to set the spacing between the slots. After positioning the key the width of one slot from the blade, tighten the inside knob. Then make a test joint and read- just it necessary. Moving the key closer to the blade loosens the joint. Moving ‘taway tightens the fit 12 ShopNotes@ the thickness of the workpieces. Ideally, the length of the pins matches the thickness ofthe work pieces. So start by checking that all the pieces are the same thick- ness. Note: While you're at it, “thickness” afew test pieces to use when adjusting the jig. The next step is to determine tho length of the pins (depth of cut). To do this, use a test piece as a set-up gange and raise the blade tomatch the thickness ofthe TECHNIQUE piece, refer to Step 1 on page 12. APPEARANCE. While it doesn’t “make or break” the box joint, T like the look of a full pin (or slot) ‘onthe end of each piece. So after ‘uttingeachpiece tolength, Tstart with @ board that's wider than what'sneeded, Then, after complet- ing the slots, the extra width is trimmed to leave a fall pin or slot). Note: The “waste” also comes in handy for keeping track of which edge to position against furwoxrnce 31078 ON OTHEREND ‘SECOND: POSTION MATING PIECE ‘AGAINST EDGE OF FIRST Fhice AN CUT 81075 No.8 the key, see Steps 4 through 6. ‘TRIAL JOINTS. Once the pieces are cut to “working” size, its 00d ides to make a trial joint, ‘The goal is to slide the pins into the slots with a “friction” fit. This may require some readjusting of the jig to get a perfect fit. But the end result is worth the effort. MAKE JOINTS. Now it’s just a matter of cutting matching slots on each workpiece, see Steps 4 through 6 below. Step 4: Cut Slots on End. With the edge of the workpiece against the key, cut the first slot This creates a pin on the end of the piece. Then position the workpiece to cut each of the re- maining slots by straddling the key with the slot that was cut last Step 5: Cut Matching Slots. To cut matching slots on the op- posite end, flip the workpiece so the waste edge is oriented to the same side. Then, with the work held firmly against the fence and the material rest, cut the rest of the slots using the same proce- dure as before. Step 6: Form Mating Pins. To form pins that match the slots on the adjoining piece, use the first piece as a set-up gaugo. Just turn it around so the waste edge is on the opposite side and the slot that was cut first fits over the key. After cutting this slot, set the first piece aside and com- plete the box joint. 13aT es Sharpening Brad Point Bits rad point bits are designed yecifcaly to cut clean, ac- Afile and a eurate holes in wood. Like any tuo:steptech- Hho cating tol they work ‘That's best when properly sharpene ruigue, Thal’ though the “ousiness” end of all it takes to 5 bead point bit may look little sharpen a brad complicated, it’s casy to sharpen point bit. once you Imow how it works. COMBINATION BI, Basically, brad point it combines the best features of three different drill bits. Its lke a hybid of a spade bit, a Rorstner bit, and atwist bit, see box below. POINT. Like aspade bit there's aasharp, tapered point for eenter- ing the bit onthe workpiece. This prevents the bit from “wander- ing” off the centerpoint as you start the hole. LIFTERS. After the point en- ters the wood, two cutting edges or “ters” take over: Like the cutting edges on @ Forstner bit, thelifvers act likea pair ofrevolv- ing chisels that shear off and lift out thin wood shavings. SPURS. In addition to the lit- ers, some brad point bitsalsohave two knifeedged “spurs.” To pro- duce a cleaner hole, these spurs score the wood fibers around the suake Foner UPTERS SHEAR OFF \ oumingces were 14 ShopNotes perimeter of the hole, FLUTES. As the hole is drilled, spiral flutes in the bit pull up and eject the chips from the hole like an anger. The basic idea is the same as a twist bit. Only the flutes are ground at a steeper an- gle so they eject the chips faster. There's really nothing mysteri- ‘ous about sharpening a brad point bit, In act, you ean restorea sharp edge in less time than it takes to rill a hole with a dull bit. AM it takes isa few strokes from a file. (For more information on select ing a file, see box on page 15.) CLAMPING JIG. The first step is to provide a way to hold the bit securely in place while you're sharpening it. To do thi simple clamping jig. This serap block of wood (I used a 2x4) withashallow V-groove,seemar- gin tip on page 15. SHARPEN LIFTERS. With the bit extending about 1" above the bbloek, the next step is to sharpen the lifters (cutting edges). The No.8TECHNIQUE seeret is to create a clean, sharp [7] line along the edge. This requires filing the angled “flat” on the end ofthe bit, see Fig. 1. FILING ANGLE. To determine the correct filing angle, just rest the face of the file on ‘the flat. Once you've “found” the angle, push-the file aeross the flat in a continuous motion. The triek is to file the flat without. nicking the brad point or the spur. ‘SECOND: NGiED Far | Si A scrap block of ‘To keep from rounding over the lifter, raise the file off the bit | 2 at the end of each stroke, Then find the angle again and repeat the filing process until the sur- face is shiny and flat, ‘The important thing is not to get carried away. The idea is to hone the cutting edge. Not reshape the bit. T usually keep track of the number of strokes I make on each lifter. This ensures IAGANGT SFuR wood with a shallow V-groove holds the bit securely in place when ‘sharpening. Note: Loe orRoKES that an equal amount of material isremoved off each edge and that both lifters end updoing thesame amount of work. SPURS.If you have a brad point bit with spurs, the next step is to ‘tiress” the inside of the spurs, see Fig. 2. Here again, find time, tilt the file so the face is against the inside of the spur. low take one or two strokes until the surface is shiny and flat. A light touch here keeps from damaging the lifters that you've just. sharpened. Note: Don't file the outside of the spursoryou'll reduce the cutting diameter of the bit. POINT. At this point, you may be tempted to sharpen the point. Butit's easy to remove more from one side than the other. Since this throws the bit off center, I leave the point alone. the angle with the file. Only this SAE ‘There are a number of different files available that can be used to sharpen brad point bits. MILL FILE, Fora large diameter bit without spurs, you can touch up the centting edges with a flat mill fle, But for spurred bits, a lange file just gets in the way. AUGER FILE. One file that's espe- dally suited to spurred bitsis an auger file. This is aflat file with twotapered ends, see photo above. One end has teeth on each face while the opposite end has teeth only on the edges, see photo at left. This ereates smooth or “safe” areas that let you Mle either the spurorthe cutting edge without dam- aging the adjacent surface. ‘The only drawback is an auger ile is toobig to sharpen smaller diameter bits. To get between the point and the spur, aneedle file is a handy tool. NEEDLE FILE. This is a small steel filethat notonly gives youmore control ‘when sharpening small bits. But it also | lets youshaxpen the lifters without acci- dentally nicking the spur or point. The problem is these files don't work with all bits. To resist heat, some brad point bits are made of high speed steel. As a result, an ordinary steel file just doesn’t “cut it. DIAMOND NEEDLE FILE. The sohi- tion is @ diamond needle file, see pho- tos above and at left. The diamond abrasive on the file does an excellent job of sharpening the hard steel of high speed bits. In fact, if I had to choose one file for all my brad point bits, Pa go witha diamond needle file. (For sourees of files, see page 31.) No.8 ShopNotesA. Fence Clamp: Bult intoth a two-piece clamp that pinches the frontrailand looks the fence in position. H: many times have you clamped a scrap piece of wood to the table of your band saw as a fence? Then spent the next hour fiddling around with it just to get a straight cut. ‘The colution is simplo—adda fence system. But this is an expensive option for most band eaws. So I decided to build my own, see photo. The fence system is mado up of two main parts: a wood fence and a set of metal rails. ENCE. The fence supports the workpiece and determines the width (or thickness) of the eut. To in place afterit'sbeen positioned, there's a simple, but effective fence clamp, see photo A. Once i's clamped in place, the fence is rock solid — there's no side to side play whatsoever. fenceis 16 ShopNotes, B. Fence Accessories: An adjustable stop block is one of two accessories that fit into a slot in the end ofthe fence. This unique fence system features a built-in clamping system, adjust- able rails, and a pair of handy ‘fence accessories. ACCESSORIES. There's aslot cut in the end of the fence to accept two optional accessories. One acces- sory isa simple block that acts asan adjustable stop repeal cao seo octal all auxiliary fence that provides added support when resawing. (For more on this, see page 21.) RAILS. Tho fone fitsinto a set of aluminum angle rails: a two-piece front rail and a single back rail. ‘The two-piece front rail allows you to quickly and easily adjust the angle ofthe fence to get a straight, ‘ut, See photo C. (For more on adjusting the fence, see page 21.) In addition to being adjustable, the rails are also designed so that you ean easily lift off the fenee whenever it isn't being used. €. Adjustable Ra Th tw peco tnt rail is designed so you can agjust the angle of the fence to get a straight cut. No.8sonttatrn © PRESSURE BLOCK ADJUSTABLE RAIL i we e EXPLODED VIEW SAN TABLE Ga Saino CROSS SECTION ea cAI ) “= rressure otoex resin otf song gee a ee Materials Hardware | A Arm (1) Wax6-17%4 © (1) Yo"thick Aluminum © (1) 316" Wing Nut B Pinch Biock(1) tax t¥e-6 Angle 1¥2"x 1v2"* © (1) S16" Plast TKnob © Preseure Block (1) ax 254-6 # (2) Ve"- 20x34" Rh Mach. Screw « (1) a" Ve" Round Nylon Spacer D Mounting Rall(I) texte -24° © ()¥4"- 20 Lock Nut © (4) #8x2" Fh Woodecrew : E Adjustable Rall (1) Wax tle -24* (1) 4" External Tooth Lock Wacher « (2) #0 114" Fh Woodecrew F Back Rail (1) We x We -24* © (1) Va" - 20 Plastic Star Knob © (1) #8 x4" Fh Woodscrew: @ | eArrrence(y — 5x1794-34py | | 81) 44 Wacer * a aboot lngth of engl cut H Stop Block (1) Yaxt¥e-5 © (2) 516"x 2¥2"-long Carriage Bolt into three equal sections pro- * slightly leoe than 24" © (2) 510" Washer duces rails almost 24" long No.8 ShopNotes: 17The "d-shaped » arm of the fence allows you to slide it all the way to the left to achieve a maxi- mum cut. SER ea The Fence 1 PRESSURE BLOCK woobecrew Stet Senos ‘The heart ofthe band saw system isthe fence, see Fig. 1, It consists of three parts: an arm, a pinch block, and a pressure block. 1 started work by making the arm, It's shaped like the letter “qd” —wide at the frontto provide large clamping surface, andnar- row at the end to clear the throat ofthe band saw, sce photo above. ‘The arm (A) ismade by gluing up two S'wide blanks of 4" thick stock, see Fig. 2. (I used maple.) To determine the length of these blanks, measure the length (depth) of your band saw table and add 5". (In my case, they're 1794’ long.) Afterthe gine ries, cut the arm to shape and sand the edges smooth, see Fig. 2 18 stor nants Fox ———— OFTIONAL AczESsORES ARM stot.If you're planning on adding the fence accessories shown on page 21,nowis the time tocutaslot inthe arm, see Fig. 2. RABBET. Also, to prevent the pinch block (B) from twisting when it's screwed to the arm later, 1 cut a Y4!-deep rabbet in the front of the arm to “lock” itin place, see Figs. 1 and 2. ‘The next. step is to make the pinch block that fits in the rabbet ‘you just eut, see Fig. 3. It forms the rear “jaw” of the clamp that sondern woobserew ‘sock a ¥ : 4 holds the armin place onthe front rail, refer to Fig. 1a. ‘To make the pinch block (B), start by gluing up two pieces of 44"-thiek stock to make a long blank (about 8"), Then rip this blank to mateh the width of the rabbet (156), see Fig. 3a. ALIP. Next, to create a “lip” so the pinch block ean ride on the front rail, a rabbet is eat on the edge of the blank, see Fig. 3a, After the lip is eut, trim the pinch block to mateh the width of the arm (6") and screw see Fig. 3. z FIRST: REMOVE WASTE, {I a tS corsionron sececsones ier _ yl : ‘or 7 aye dean aves aber orbermtcx stock ShopNotes No.8SET e PRESSURE BLOCK All that’s Ieft is to add the pres- sure block (C), refer to Fig. 1. Since it's a short piece, I once again started with an extra-long blank. Cut this blank to match the combined height of the pinch block and arm (284°, see Fig. 4. SHALLOW GROOVE. To help concentrate clamping pressure onthe front rail, a shallow groove is cut in one face of the pressure block, see Fig. 4. ‘After the groove is cut, trim the block to match the width of the arm 6") and chamfer‘the out- side comers, see Fig. 4. CLAMP. The pressure block is attached to the arm with two woodserews, Clamping pressure is exerted by a carriage bolt and a Tknob (or a wing nut). (For sourees of hardvvare, see page 31.) The bolt passes through the pressure block and pinch block, refer to Fig, 1a. When the Tob istightenedontheendofthe bolt, it pinches the guide rail and locks the fence in place. ‘TEMPLATE. The tricky part is getting the screw and bolt holes to align in both pieces. ‘To solve this problem, I drilled holes in the pressure block first, 4. Then T used the pres- sure block asa template to drill the matching holes, see Fig. 5. 3 cur Rapper Toromur weodsexay ~L PRESSURE BLOCK HOLES Pom #3 ita Pe ane ‘woobeckew —Ye-veer corneas ASSEMBLY. After the holes are drilled, the fence can be assem- bled. ‘To do this, drive the ear- riage holt into the pinch block. Then, screwthe pressure block to the arm and thread on the T-knob (or wing nut), refer to Fig. 1a. NYLON SPACER. ‘To complete the fence, screw a round nylon spacer to the narrow end of the arm, see Fig. 6. This spacer will rride on the back rail and support ‘the fence when the arm doesn't rrest directly on the saw table, CARPET TAPE preseuRe Bock AS ATEMPLATE FOR DRILNG NOLES Seer 6 eee erase ern) Boxau'rh wooseckew Note: END OF orAacER IS COUNTEROUNK, — ron ‘PACER a A ror screw eck ShopNotes 19An adjustable two- piece front rail and @ single back rail provide support for tne fence and allow you to compensate for “ait.” The Rails SEI Ps MOUNTING: comers Greats o ADJUSTABLE senna vor aa PHOS | cere TR sovonr SY sosmou ruse —o noe aT ne Tres to nance mire Nore: au ersee neces secur supergene areca fe 4 [ele © Ors | NOTE: bets, see Fig. Allthe brass parts (including the trim plates) are cut brass strip is first squared at one TESS Fitting brass to wood is easy with this simple jig. First, the brass strip is flattened. Then, one end is squared with a smooth mil ile. Cutting the pieces individually 5. Later, it-will be filed flush with froma single 12" long brassstrip. like this ensures that each trim the end of the handle. ‘The unusual thing is they're plate will fit tight against the GLUE TRIMPLATE. After the not all cut at once. Instead, the shoulder of the rabbet.. plate is cut to rough length, I use FISTING THE PLATE, But be- “instant” glue to temporarily end. Then a trim plate is marked fore you can cut the plates to hold it in the rabbet, Instant glue ‘out and cut to rough length. Then length, thebrassstripneedstobe isn’t strong enough to hold the the rough-sawn edge of the strip flattened, see box below. Then, brass strip in place permanently. is squared up again, and the next one end of the strip is squared Later, it will be attached perma- plate is cut, see box below. and cut to rough length, see Fig. nently with serews or rivets. mFora rabbet, it using the end ofthe jigasaguide, Rue onan FLAT file the end square, see photo. ‘The problem is they aren't manu- | 55S factured this way, see Detail. SANorAre ‘Tosolve this, Tuse a simple ji see Drawing. Its just a block of ‘wood with a shallow rabbet eut in it for the brass strip. FLATTEN FACE. Tp flatten the brass, glue a piece of 120 grit sili- con carbide sandpaper in the rab- bet. Then alide the entire strip ‘back and forth until its flat. SQUARE EDGE. Next, to square ‘an end, extend the strip past the brass strip to fit tight ina FIRST: ithas to be flat and square. Face or Srne MRABDET | ie arxar0n 7 SECOND: and damp it, Then FILE ONE END SQUARE No.8 ‘ShopNotes 28Assembly With all the trim plates glued in place, the next step is to attach the two 1"-long top plates perma- ‘ently to the handle blanks, see Fig. 4. ‘TOP PLATES. Each top trim plate (B) is serewed to a handle blank with two #2 x V4" solid bbrass woodserews, see Fig. 4a, Since I didn’t want the slots of the screw heads to show, I coun- tersunk the holes slightly so the slots are just above the brass ip, see margin tip at left, and Fig. da. Then I filed the heads off A simple way to keep a counter- sink bit from chat- tering, is to turn it flush with the brass strip. BRASS SCREW. The next step is to drill a hole through the top trim plates and handle blanks, see Fig. 4, This hole is for a brass machine screw (added later) that will help hold the blade in place. ‘To make sure the holes in both handle blanks align, earpet tape them together and then drill a Ui'-dia, hole, see Fig. 4. (Note: Once the hole is drilled, separate the blanks and remove the tape.) To lock the machine serew in place, it's threaded into a brass mut, see Fig. 6. To create a Riveting Brass by hand, GL a FIRSTOR veep TOGETHER AND DRILL Ya"-DIA. HOLE 2: aaa wea TN | HOLE | bee | | ILE sLors OFF FLUGH WITH BRASS PLATE 5] ww FIRST: EouNTERBORE IB FLUSH vaTH Face Sei! Riveting braasis asimple three step process. All it takes is a brass rod and alittle patience, DRILL HOLES. The first step is “pocket” for the mut, I used a Forstner bit to drill a counter- bored hole in the inside face of one of the blanks, see Fig. 5a. ‘Then T epoxied the nut in place. SPACER. Now you can begin work on the other end of the han- dle. The handle blanks are sepe- rated at the bottom by a spacer, see Fig. 6. The spacer provides dlearance for the blade that's added later. And the mitered end acts as a top for the mitered end of the blade. FIRST: DRILL HOLES TOFIT BeASS ROD “draw” the handle pieces tightly together when the ends are Rivets. made from brass rod pened over like a mushroom. to drill countersunk holes the same diameter as your brass rod, see Drawing. CUTRIVETS.Then cut two pieces of brass rod to length so they extend about 6" “proud” ‘on both sides, see Drawing. PEEN RIVETS. Now, to lock the ‘SECOND: SND PEENTOriL coUNTERONRS. WerDIA BRASS ROD plates in place, peen the rivets. ‘The idea is to “mushroom” the ‘ends so they completely fill the countersinks, see photo at left, ‘When you're done, file the heads flush with the brass plates. ‘THIRD: ——_— FRE RIVETS FLUSH WIT BRASS PLATE 24 ShopNotes No.8er To make the spacer (D), start [G by squaring up the end of the re- maining length of brass strip. ‘Then measure over 34" and cut a 45° miter, see Fig. 6. After the spacer is cut to size, fle the mi- tered edge smooth. GLUE UP HANDLE. To ensure the spacer will giue up tight be- tween the handle blanks, you'll need to flatten both faces of the brass strip (you've already flat~ Vein BRASS an ve) TuiRD: ROUND OVER Tor EXD OF HANDLE tened one side). SECOND: | Once both faces of the spacer FiStES ano ASD avers were flat, I glued it between the blanks and used a simple trick for alignment, see margin tip. RIVET HANDLE. Now the bot- tom of the handle ean be joined together permanently. What you have here is basically a “sand- wich” of brass and wood. Since serews wont “draw” all the pieces together, you'll need a dif- ferent technique. ‘The solution is simple, I rivet lock the pieces tightly together, 6b and the box below. Note: To the pieces together, see Fig. 6a SHAPE HANDLE. Now that the _ prevent the “open” end from flex- and box on page 24. bottom of the handle is riveted ing, insert a thin spacer between ‘The rivets are justshort pieces together, both ends of the handle the handle blanks. of 14"-dia, brass rod (available at can be shaped. Finally, the bottom trim plates ‘most hobby stores). The ends of First, a round-over is sanded are filed flush with the bottom of the rivets are “pened” over to on the top of the handl ig. the handle. Shaping Brass To align the top ¢ the handle, insert a machine screw as a simple index ing pin. eno There are two basic ways to shape brass: filing and sanding. SANDING BRUM MOUNTED ‘FILING. You ean use a mill file eee to shape brass, see photo. This works well, but takes time, SANDING. The other option is to sand the brass. A. belt-dise sander works great. But it can remove stock too quickly and damage your work. DRUMSANDER. I prefer to usea drum sanderin adrill press, see Drawing. It takes the mate- rial off slower, but that’s OK. This Shaping the ends of the handle is _ way I.can sneak up on the shape. easy. You can use a smooth mill Note: When you're done sanding, file (as shown), ora drum sander switch to file to smooth the ra- ina dil press dius at the top of the handle. EVEL GAUGE. Nore ‘aK UGHT EbTS AND LersHe pease coo. DOWN BETWEEN PASSE | | | “eurorAry| “SPACER No.8 ShopNotes 25