F {bed duin ta repnitces ed a. Otter Sis ae Se cee Preprenecr er Helping you make the most out of wood era How th: =: make your ovp fittings Save on hinges and catches by making a chest fy entirely from wootaR 7o0b em +. APTC CH18F S Bench Drill 5 Specification pte) BTS10 Table Saw eciakieetanree iran ie ee ee £239.95 inc VAT, POU oda nae 800 Peerieneneoeestra Technical Specification arma onan ey Po per fs Fs pea a eons a re » APTC CH16 Bench Drill #KPTC CH10 Crh Lc Bench Drill Peace team Pe eet) epveerearraneriteay Technical Specification Agape ote gag re peice ie ey eae eR Cee ed Canrage UE Malai £.50 ba SMe aed q £199.95 ine VAT, = =aHow to make your own fittings 10 ‘Save on hinges and catches ‘and make a wooden chest Turn miniatures 39 ‘an Wikie looks at tuning small woodworking projects Weekend wooding 25 Five quick ideas to make in a rore than afew hours Liquid waxes Finishes put to the test Circular saw test 70 Dovetail saw test 17 B_contact us | at aan ood Woodwork Subscription Sern, Somerset, Freapos, Ouse Le 0295 442208 elon Quer = 0225 azena or year 12 - Europe £4.85, Rost of werd £68.20 CONTENTS Good Woodworking, 30 Monmouth Street, Bat 10 Learn how to make a blanket chest Discover how to make wooden fitings for a panelled chest 25 Offcut ply kitchen tray [learn how to make a useful tray and indulge in breakfast in bed and TV dinners 26 Newspaper recycling baler Store your magazines and newspapers in this handy wooden holder 26 Kitchen utensil container Pete Martin shows you how to make this holder for woosen spoons 27 Be secure with a booksafe Gary Smith explains how to make a booksafe for valuables 27 Spring-loaded Shaw guard This multi-purpose mechanism acts asa fence, ahold-down device and a guard 65 Turning bark-edged candlesticks Find out how to turn criss-cross candlesticks and much more 10 How to make your own fittings Save on hinges and catches while making this blanket chest project 42 Working with sheets of ply holto Heaton takes up the challenge of making chairs from plywood 65 Learn how to turn bark-edged spindles Tobias Kaye shows you how to make candlesticks using this method 62 Back to Basics on drawings Find out all you need to know about keeping drawings clean and simple 82 Discover the secrets of waxes Finishing Touches tests an alternative finish to conventional paste waxes 46 Woodworking Hints and Tips Help in the workshop is always on hand with the latest in great ideas 52 Woodworking Answers Whatever the problem, our experts find a solution questions sent to our Suppl Serice (p54) that we a at some time eed to ind some ting or materi witout wich project cannot progress. Oh that ‘moment when you reals youve got the wrong hinges, and yet agains of 0 the hardware store for mre supplies. We beieve we have the soliton, ‘A youhave to dois make your own fits from wood. They makea dinctve feat to ‘most ay pece, 25 ya can dscover fromthe making of an akwood Llarket chest tes mont cn page 10. Try tem on ‘bax of your on; theyre fn to make. Tofiishthe chest, ts maker, Richard Green, used a fqud war. We new only ite about these fishing prods so decided to test them for ourselves and see how they compare with comertional paste wares. Tey came at pretty vel, andthe resus are on page 82 ‘Nick GioNews editor Claire Mi “ fishing whch does nt provide is grownin forests here” said THE FAUNA and Fora Preservation Society (FPS) rosewood wil mean that we wi un aut ofthat employment for everbody, Ton "Other wood sported have joined the must edusty to safeguard ees {00 sa Mike “We had an eta soppy of from parts of West Ac tke the which re repidy becoming extinct. The wor’s_Aican blackwood is used to make 100,000 ‘008 fom achartyin Eland Wary Coast. The maotyof ow oldest internabonal conservation charity ha inched a major new consenvaton inate Eonies and Rosewoods Requiem or Reva, to ve trees used for making musical instruments, “Without swit actin, Supported by the music business, even more of these extrardnay trees wil become endangered or completely wiped out. We are deighted that industry ave shown their concer and backed our campaign already,” said | Nike Read, Senor Botanists at FFPS and itator ofthe ow project. Research cated out by Mike has shown that many tres, such 3s oni and rosewoods sed # musical nstrument clarinets a year. Despite beng threatened wit eatincton ts stil beng used. The many derent species of ebony timber, used forthe ngerboards ofa variety of instruments, have all been overused land now face the possibly of runing dry, So what is being dove? "We're dong, two things. We are asking the industry upfront for cash. The action funds target forthe frst year is £52,000 and a musician can raise money tough ‘benef concerts and promotional gmmcks ike ‘donating 109 every tine 9 (Dis sok, Secondly we ae asking them to # tye wil vse aleratve timber” sad Mike, “We have hada postive Support Africa INA SMALL VILAGE on the coast of Gambia Omar Narong is working an an armchai as pat Of his woodworking training made possibe by VSOs (Voluntary Services Overseas Tam Parker, one ofthe S08 who is teaching carpentry, seid: "We have access to'8 generator but we aren using flectni tools because we want to train everybody wi hand tooks so they can go and workin The workshop is beng un ‘sa business, wth the tainees getting an apprenticeship ype trang aswel as learring basic sha Tes is because the man income for the wllage of Tans a mixture of places. 's softwood, called me and we have bought tools with money donated bythe European Development Fund, but anyone has good quay secondhand tools to donate we would be satel" sad Tom They started by making simple vindow ames and have since had orders fr chats, tables and cupboards, he wood used comes from German rin forestry hey ony use dead and then convert then timber. Tas gives us mind when using hard ‘going 25 well 2s empl (Gambian traner from red woods are from 3 how Prieta) Porn Some of| signa and sambian comscaed ilegaly fled wees, The centre is making erough money to keep the workshop ying 8 {HE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY tools and machin, gs ard manufacture, are threatened by over exlotation and some are aiready extinct, “The beauty, hardness and stably ofthese woods have kept them in demand response which we now have to convert nto cash an action. We want to work with the trade, rather than against them.” As well a invalving the music Fj powertoos wESSVE UK Lis Theat mak of he comeary whch is basedin Min Keynes, te Fl Howse coneaot. The ow arg Director Pi Pond deserts phosoy belnd he al hase 2s fe spar gunateong 0 Berean range of culty prosucs. ‘The ternatona ond Colectore Soca NCS) spas across he ‘tare anc back aga, mebers Fang ram setts 1 htbyst FRetred 194) and hae gute» folowrg the USA apeugh tere ‘xo oty 30 menor rm te US. but there are aranber of species for which the musical instrument rade bears a special industry there are plans to asi local Communes to set up reegrowne projects, The soy orodces a ont Jour Won ef Wood wat tes From al ovr he wor are a ‘Werave sone ung tos and fangs ade sal corte responsi” sad Mike, Promote the research nto the use of aerate | Spread rtrmaton on woos Bee Ne edt,” sad Fh Brana rosewood, prized for centres inthe bers and materi you are niterested noe the" GREEN WOODWORK COURSES. manufacture of gutars and other stinged Long tem objectives wil see the setting up of] Soc lease coact Frank Nin, Teen woodworsepaces he instruments, is now so seusl dopeted by over logging that it has become the frst timber since 975 to e subject to an intematonal ban. “We ae worried that a change from Brazian to dan 4 Good Woodworking tree nurseries in Brazil, nda, and Sri Lanka "t's very dificult but we are committed io a successful Conlision, "said Mike. A new exibton ofthe FFPS is now tourng nstutons and museums. ‘he Uk tues, = 0924 268018 FULL HOUSE FOR ESSVE UK ower andthe unary oe ‘machine with he ens Favdsty erator" sad Whe The newest super of woodnrking Rot ons fhe tars on theGood Woodworking THE FIRST ever Good Woodworking Show aims to ‘Grate Supptios Open Day ‘Bane 240 hor raft Supe Seng Open Day ring the magazine tole, Not roms deronstaors and hay rly can you see al the regular Ser acts to ere on features of your month read, oye yet ral wood tut actively 0 truss: Bowel alarm, ee) Bcon, Derbysie ‘Noodle demonstration by tes Ai proke ood ‘pen 105, admission £3 [tobe Sav taktote | woe bing (ales), 70298 871636. 23rd Apr. 28th May Jeanna wand enone by dgeta| Woodtuming Feactin ‘ce Crna seek rater ‘fat he Somerset al Le a fog Sc’ courses ae doses amu, Gaston, Somerset ate EXHIBITION ‘Sterantsctfasvatonty Open Sungey 2.30, Mena oducts ac Bron te knowiage and TES. Admustion aut 1.50, tos on show ‘ a frac epeeresegore forte ORP-. ciden Op. = 0458 aie te sane oma ema tues ot weodunng setae” BSL, of he magazin, the show offers a nora 185 Desborough Road, High pirational and practical adi etnies Senainde: ‘Wycombe, Bucks. Pole Lathe Demonstrations oe Open24 30, admission ee, Sots Apr tnd May sate te ee ot a as Someeaeekat ‘The ny ia Sean fay, You woodworkre exerts youth best on ett of Isc Apt haerer the problem 1303 an preven te best on eae Ne ae, Girona rosa test of 1994, pls mar erat Tetrion! Cathe komt nda ples, unde nero Sat Stleigistetos ate Bet ape be denonsing is | a ere wil be somethng to Show wilat our days from the Guana Gn Sit on be poe ae stsmen ard sit al enthusiasts fro 2atn27th Noverber and wllbe SOA pan admigdant be woodworking compos wil al Degimers to seasoned experts. ldin he magic eee aso an opportunity for ‘Nexandra Palace in Londor f2ve you the opportunity to ask sions, and pickup useful ‘Rat eae or, 18 Desorough fea, gh Wycombe, Boks. ‘Open 24:30, admission fe Pole Lathe in Woburn Abbey 500s Apel 2nd May” Bator Cra Show, Woburn ieee eel contact Dorna Knight at Future "0408 AB2Ia ‘hey Ons Seth tey | THE COPPICE HOUSE = isscuiscuseiy, Ra eovatessnng Shou? comtanmes | Same SOME PEOPLE are coven wih bldg eaborae SommememtectiNion ZAI alto gs ET ee a = Nee ras, San ete Mr Bevar-Jones, who is in the timber trade ae. pei ncaeemetens oe : Tecan mo maureen ‘and speciasing in English hardwoods, had @ long Spm, unlimited fre parking. local groups and trades wil all be Minoartioeese neste er | caeoreree cM ee See ce re facilis ota tw Opt Sa fst rnin ‘constructed with felled trees on the site, and h aarae tithes ancl erica oniroas ao foneearednchcecerces! eae cana rs peg ecotl be | ema te rome £18000, [Giaieaconngsare See sandoate ‘The house in Shropshire reached the finals of makers chosen fem over 500 Fa aemenpr nel the Daty Telegraph Individual Homes Award competition, but dd not wi ‘atspoge Each center splays ‘or were te reu en 3 we ‘gre suey of cvserporay ‘ats Mary works are for sae (rats Counc 44a Fetal Roa, Ctaen derensaig te skis ‘atc tecnioes used in he wee overage fers ar wert Ino vtors 0 the had New al choo Whe ar Lae, Inet, Loon ‘Open Tues Sat 11-8, un 26, ‘closed Men, admission ree. ‘pen Ease Fri Sat and Sun. $071 2787700. Burehan, Chersto ‘Open Thurs 109, Sat 10-4, ‘Semision 2°50, members and ‘OnPs £1'50, children 16 ond (inde 509, under fve frees eset Works or nls Dn Ota plaed oem "rowing 3 Rasta of ara 0 wood rom {he 17 cmt oy, ohng Betas badd of wood ang Usher Gly Uneum oa, Lon ‘Open Mon, Sat 105.30, Sun 2.3053, admision acs 80p, ‘hen and students 0p. 0522 527900. cre the [NEW TREES FOR WALES. rer and Norway spruce, ard 11 [Annual Easter Craft Fair ‘a rt Howoy Cras preset ber rt far cn Ease Sunday. Ca bak and ba/ ‘testers avail. Gade valey Hotel, Geucestr Road Cheeta, (reton I a te Ni Rt aoe SCOTLAND'S GREEN FUTURE Aor 1904 Issue 188est Phil Davy opens all our parcels of new products, and tests them for performance and value for money WORKHOLDER is made from hea jge 45mm ameter tubes wel Together at right anges wth pats fr fang tothe bench and the work. eis shed na green Hanmer pai. ath plates are made from 6mm thick fel, 100mm square. The bench ‘mounting pate has three 9mm holes for ing tat wih suitable bats ‘Te wor is mounted onto a second plate with suitable woodscrews, and holes ae oriled trough the pate to ‘loa for ths prefer somethng more Sophisticated as this pate woud be tsutable for many types of work and had to fx a block of timber to the base Othe work before mounting onto the ‘lamp to give me clearance forthe undercits, A smaller 25mm ‘darter mount ig avaable (an ‘extra £11) but you sti have ‘o del four mounting hoes int the Base of your work. | woul nd the holder mere sell there were IF YOU own a power as they that you use it with arvsber backing pad for sanding. Abrasive ‘ses ae realy avaiable and are fixed to the pad ‘with srew and washer. Using the conventional Bad is good for rapid sanding boat you end up wih sls in the surface even vith 3 fine abrasive ait You then = UG provision for fing @ carve’ serew to a small ound plate. You wil also need to J up ary work that isnot Natbottome Irfamess the Workhoder has bee designed, at least part, for caring ‘decay ducks and win nce baited down the holder sf Lboted itt a 3in Back workbench above a din square leg. The olde is designed to overhang to alow fr ful rotation, a usetul feature when cuting in towards the base, The como is easiy adjusted in both panes by the loosening ‘of 6 tommy ber. This tools not Dariclarly good vale for money. lt wi suit some caring but not al ‘Mark Corke need o go over the surface wih ‘orbital sander or by hand The Tiles Stabilex isa back. ad designed to ge a frish without the Swirls is supolied with an &mm (hin). shank, which ean be removed S0 you can fitthe pad toa threaded arbor. The Stab Flex as a metal faceplate, unlike more ‘common backing pads, and wil accept 125mm (in) abrasive discs, The faceplate is backed by a rubber pad that Tooks more ike a gearstick gater. This ves flexbity when he sanding ise touches the work surface. The idea is you can bit the dil witht fear af te disc Giagng to the work. Te dsc stays lat fn the wood and reduces the sel marks, ound tie tabi Flex easy enough to use, but to prevent ifng you need a far amount of pressure onthe dri I not used careful you can stl end up with wits fusing a coarse grade of paper 6 Good Woodworking ‘THE CAMLOCK tol rest holder s made of cast ran wh @ machined cam ‘acton. tis designed to take an toolpost stem and has a se locking handle with a ratchet devce so the handle can be moved out ofthe way. Is intended forthe Record Coronet lathe or seniar tn round bed lathes, and is easy to fit tis not suitable for the DML24 lathe as tis not possible to lower the tool rst suficienty. The Camnock uses the bottom siap of the exstng Coronet lathe tol holder. has two advantages, no slots inthe upper surface tol wth shavings and the cam acton is postive and quck to operate. The holder was tested ona new Record Coronet No.3 lathe and it ‘ave afr oid on the tol rest. The body ofthe Camiock holder is 12mm hgher than the Record holder which would reduce the overall sring by 2mm, should the holder be under the work. There was some fash inthe Xn hole which had tobe removed with 2 fie to alow the pilar ofthe tool est to be lowered fly. The paintwork fnsh is oor and seratches easiy. The side locking handle works well but a brass SPREADING PVA glue over a wide area an be tricky to getan even ‘messy. With the gle role bote fa Tigear you can cover a surface auckly and every. You decant your ee (no ‘uppted) into the plastic screwiop botte ‘rubber ler rotates n a polypropyene frame, and ths serews into the bottle You tit the tal upwards and use the bottle elf a a handle, Pushing the too along the workpiece activates the fow of je onto the roler. The harder you ore the more glue flows and so the thicker the fim. found te tool simple tous aia. Make sure you wash the role after use under the ta. You can pee dred PVA of but it aE ofa pain. A usetl godget at an excelent pce Ca IES ath fend on the screw would reduce the risk of damaging the toolpast. woud be ‘an provement the top of the foolposthoider was reduced i height by 6mm to enable the tool esto be lowered below the centre hig. This Camock tool holder wil appeal to Record Coronet lathe owners who wish fo improve ther machines and consider itwort the expense. lan WilkieSE CC) THE LIENEELSEN skew pane is one of the most expensive handtools ever tested in Good Woedworkng. ls made Inthe USA and looks absolutely beaut th ts potshed manganese bronze body t's based on the ld Stanley 140, plane that was dscontinued many years ago. Most block planes weigh upto about 800g, but the Lieesen isa hey 1050gms. thas a cuter ange of 12", most block planes beng closer to THE ANGLEDRIVER isa screwchiver with an offset shaft to make & easy fo use Confined spaces. Te bade is hand: forged trom delrum steel with 2 tedumplated socket forthe 10 interchangeable bts. The sockets ‘lectromagetic ard is constantly charged by the slat elect produced fon the handgrip. Tis i a useful extra because tel to hold the ts securely im use but repels them you acidentaly fut them a the cocket the wrong Way. ‘The angleciver is also avaiable with 50° ofteet shaft anda rechargeable electric version wil be avalable next year. We found useful for hing coor, and we recommend to those 0 you who ian unhinged. 20°. This makes itideal for triening ‘end.gran, and combined with the skew ‘angle you can take ecrecby fine cus, ‘he cutter is Sri (in) thick tool sto and Seats perecty onthe fog. You adjust the cutng depth witha knurled Sel screw that feels postive. The cap Sols into place over an Alen bolt, and is. tightened with 2heavy thumbwheel Setting the depth is slower perhaps than ‘most block planes, but you can make THE POWERGOUGE is one ofthe latest angle grinder dsc to enter the power Carving marke. m escence i resembles ‘a biscutjnter blade, with teee tungsten pped teeth. Unik ajiter bade the teth are rounded an the end for smoother cutng, itis hardly surprising, considering its shape, tat he Poworgouge has Specie advantages (over other power Carving iss] for cutting thn grooves. works wel for cut iteral windows! from shoots of MDF, but tears py. However the tol is mare particularly aed at rose woodworkers wating to ve of shape wood, The Powergouge does remove a remarkable quentty of waste very fas butin some excumstances i relatively dieu to contro. may be a fraction ‘quicker than ts competitors. produces 3 prety god, but not excellent, ris, The beauty of the tungsten tos is thatthe tingsten retains #s edge longer than ‘conventional tee, though it wil rarely be as sharp to start with you happen to Tike werking wih ths of ber found hing around the arden oF woods, Ike roots and burs, then the crt and Stones wil blunt a steel edge quick. Tungsten i Survie longer, but brite, Nar wil itast forever, and the tungsten bps Cannot be replaced This dsappoiting to find thatthe insirucbons recommend keeping the Suen foe raat seater poe tee Seed tou fiareatrs wee eee seismic tr maotiatioattea ean et eee ond elas [fp ries ee ara eee rat Sma ere ery econ ce ccrs wos ec ere would justify oc sate, creates at ee Semi coe Ponergouge sharp, but donot explain how. This, we presume, has tobe cone ‘wita damord stone, though you could Send the cutter toa saw doctor. The instuctions are pretty minimal stroung, and do not say thatthe best are ofthe Blade to cut with fr safety isthe lowest quarter. As you start cutting nearer the top of the cutter, may catch and ran across the The main problem wih the Ponergouge is as lack of conta. tends to scoct across the surface you cut wth to much of he Diade, so tying to ma shapes, as NEW PRODUC fer have enough hooks nthe workshop for hanging up tools and bits and bobs. ts easy encug to knock a ‘ew nals into @ board but not so comeniet f you decide ta change tool postions. Getng the right shape hooks for particular took: can be dficut unless you make some yoursell An easier Eelution 1 to use the plastic walboard ‘rom Tigea.n wo sections each ‘measuring 305x492mn (12x12), they ‘vetal together. You can jin as many 838 you Ike ee screw each ane indidaly {ea all or dor. Eighteen plastic hooks ae provided fe aferent shapes and Se. Each ae Sets nto any keyhole slot nthe plastic board. Not revolutionary Drorlct forthe workshop but stil useful for bonls bic are fun to carve from ‘dl shaped brs) canbe tricky. The atrowness ofthe cutter means that it oes not gid across te surface ofthe ‘wood easiy you press too hard it il “ometmes din. Though the fish 6 {good the surface is sometimes ridged ‘One benefit i that you can use the Powergouge for the shoulders of hing and housing joints, particulary in ‘construction work, but nt far frnture asf tears a bi. You can then chop away the waste wih the cutter ora isl, However for carving Work, excent when you need to remove a lot of drty waste ic, the lack of Consistent conrl Its the longterm Usefulness of bie Pomergouge pil 1908 bue8 7ight the Superiaws ook the businoss. We thougt Eu had really Cracked it wth ths latest Austratanmade holding devce. The Superiaws just exude ‘ual, and the idea of a mabie vice supported by a substantial, threelegged base seems excelent A last, we thought, there isa portable bet Sispass the Workmate Haring now tested them we're not so sue, You tealy need tobe dang 2 wie range of jobs, almost a pioneering, sebullng fashion, fo make te most YOU can wander round y he Superjaws you only want them al four sides. for standard woodwork, as areplacerent The frst job we tried was to hold re oe oddly shaped branches for cutting into perhaps you'd beter rk agen, frewood anc for caring. The Superjaws The alea of te Supenawes that te Worked a dream, asthe vce can hold any wide tree le oer stabaty the foot shape. The bases sod (ou can stand Cperated vice gives strength andthe on 40 ofthe fet for extra rig) and shape is you aproac te work rom ate wee 35 to Haton and release eget eal lenlibaad he accessbitty got us thinking SF about routers. Sometimes you need to ove around the work lespecialy for freohand routng of signs) and the Supeiaws are superb for that You can just keep gong round an round, ti you te yourself up with cable! The height of 33h isa facto higher than our workbench, but three significant inches higher than a Workmate, making Work ‘much more comfortable - The brochure shows someone hong a door inthe Superans. Th Roving jaw can be removed andre ‘may want more height. The rubberned Fas can hold almost anything, without Gamage, fr bettr than the Workmate uF werk, eting to eve a maxmurn troat of about 35m, Sadly we found that an averagely heavy eternal door was too unwieldy fr the Superiaws, even when held near the centre, Ether the base tite or the door ‘Tha rubor-nd jes are growed ta takai tien he vice though that ‘dest an shapa Great for satarel weeds Soo; was painted, | adm). Even Worse ‘rani. The Digit I pd for werkng we discovered tat tere is a daad ze when you reverse the ” Jaws, YoU can hold work up to T6in wide one way, and fem 19in upwards the other. You can cvercorn tis with 2 Spacer board, We also ted planing ong peces in the Supers. This was Ok, bt nt brian because the Super tend to tip once you Diane past the vie You cannot steady legs wit your foot you want to move. woul! nd be good for cutting jonts on too! timbers The Superians are eae to carry than 3 Workmate, and more ankward, and they do ho foe jw attached ta rathteytom whraby the oat not have a Mat workrig arouse on it You can aply Wt pasar wth the fet ea nwo ays they pomp or rally fr whch cae your work wet more less e250 use Oy ne ofthe ren tages ofthe Sopra i that yout acces al he way around Yu can eh the cng bar wth your hand or Kost Faas prose starty Yourself, But the vce is quicker toa {andthe foot pune lets you get it much tiger The whale thing folds down easy, and there ae extra jaws for logs and engineering. The ones supplied ha heavy rubber lng, with Vgrooves fo awaré stapes Sof you ae a cans rmetaworkng, routing, Nousebuling, Imable sort of a woedwarke the Superiaws ae for you | suspect tat, wth all the testing we do, wed fd them ivaluabie around the workshop # your reeds are more lnted, thea they an expensive leur, but beauty made. 2, frewoocin, Leetacaicbedken dated Perens tner ney i a {nc yu have ihn th ea wth yor ft, 3 sina hv pleut he ching eT ‘Joes ot ig thn Ti wry nxt en, ‘nt for bay aes can be awardIf you're looking for leah Leela) snes fe .take a look at the new = Kity catalogueesieuachin Besirsestice furniture itis posable to make. It is after all ust a box buta box of such stature that every untidy house in the country must need one. Its traditional to cram it with silver plates and jewel ready for a quick getaway However if, as with me they've already got away, ‘most valuable items lke paperbacks you've never read, clothes that don’t fit anymore ora spare pillow and a couple of old blankets (Or your entire linen store. Flexible Construction This chest is small, designed to sit at the end of a single bed. Yours can be stretched in length and depth while siill staying at a convenient Which wood? We used pine which comes finished to about 20mm (in hick. If you prefer to make this chest from a hardwood such as oak or ash, reduce the thickness to 18mm or even 16mm (Xin or Xn) otherwrseit wil ook and feel massive height to sit on, Make it with three panels for a chest at the end of a double bed or even four for a pantechnicon king size (in which case add central legs to prevent sag). ‘The construction remains essentially the same, “There are two mai The ond of he ast ae single The ae sa The eaty ofthis chest that al the panes ae designed eb ie handle bat col barge fo ay alding Some sa This makes proparaton gg and mosng much easier Edward Hopkins explains how to make a wooden catch and hinges for a panelled blanket chest made by Richard Green PROJE Blanket cl methods of chest construction and this example uses both, The simplest and the oldest constructed chests were boarded and nailed together These pieces have shrunk and cracked over the years. | No-one really minds but | ‘wind whistling gaps are deemed to represent bad | ship, Just by i ensuring the grain direction | award Hopkins crafts lines up you can avoid! this. eater studding an Tr you cut along, wide eee plasterboarding, plank (or several planks Schnee joined to appear as one Soaed) into fou shorter lengths and nail them back together at right angles, the front, sides and back will all shrink equally across the grain with a slight loss of height but without any tendency for them to fall apart. A floor of loose boards resting on battens wil help 0 keep the box square and a ~ ‘boarded lid will lose it If the lid overhangs the = box here too shrinkage will keep steps ahead o the plumber have little obvious effect. ” Raise the floor afew inches Richard Green is sothatyoucan chop out | __working on massiy some decorative feet and laminated arches o you'll have a perfectly ash on a curved acceptable chest balcony, for an Later versions were less | architect's house rude. The makers used frame and panel construction 0 most of the shrinkage took place harmlessly in the panels while the thin was securely jointed and strong enough to hold the whole piece rigid. The sides, back and top were all panelled like the front which ‘was sometimes carved as From bbid you can 50 ow the hinges ave Be postioed on te Ings Tat sy he ep et ntartores with he ies 28 1 Api1994 is;OJECT nket chest iene ie) id Day Ps DL en i Porn De] For grooving sm BANDS For hinges cg area well, These chests look ‘complicated to make an indeed th ny mor processes involved (although most of them are simple ‘enough by themselves) but the overall effect is stunning. and well worth the trouble Overall View ‘Our chest has panelling on the front, back and top. You could avoid panelling the back but it’s the same as the front so once you're geared up for one you may a5 wel do the other. The sides aze imply vertical boarding. The front and back frames are rebated so that the side boards can si into them, and be glued and pinned, The sides extend below the frames, where semi-citculae catouts identity feet. Small holes pierce th sides higher up to help with ventilation and to act as, carrying handle There are two main patterns of metal hinges Which would work (but hinges and T hinges), but this uses neither. Instead for the fun of it we made a pair of are rereretet wooden hinges and a third mne asa hasp on the front. The Decorative Angle tthe ces is important Unless ith Jose Pave. dgine JoInT ae Fron eatin of all, wth eth forthe cate Section thou rameané panes rT Pceceenten rene ean keyhole will do) it will seem a peg, which keeps the lid blank and unfinished like an locked adding a final detail iced cake without a cherry on There is T admit one slight op. The hasp is slotted to fit aberration. 1 ple notch out the f hasp to fold into) and the back (for the hinges) but it take passed me by thatthe hinges lover the wooden sta hich is dowelled o screwed from inside the nt. A hole is drilled to seupay—t ‘Te tenon the frame carer is auch ff the abet ale far te eat he roe ont B Take the enn onthe mata oop as bo estoy Pisting Good Woodworking you hava rutor ose panel eat Forte ‘ang ihe lang tha bevel y handplaced as they are near the end of the overhanging top, would hit the sides as they close, To accommodate this Richard shaped a couple of nifty cutouts and the lid now closes perfectly. Without drastically altering sizes and proportions there is no alternative apart from much narrower and weaker hinges. The cutouts are only really visible when the lid is open, when they look, as it happens, quite purposeful The Components: iertout tne components You will have to produce panels by joining narrower boards, but itis always better tofind stock wide enough if you can, Panels can be of the Same thickness as the frame, {in which case they ate fielded ‘on both sides. If of thinner stock, they may be fielded on the front only Join the boards which comprise the sides (A). Groove edges to be joined. and fit loose tongues. This is better than a straight butt joint because it inereases the jgued surface area and it helps with alignment while cramping. Use a router or a snd plough plane for the groove. Thickness a board to the width of the tongue and bandsaw it down to just the right thickness. Glue and cramp boards together using Gcramps and blocks, hing out for warping nd the sides and trim them to the final size. Cut ofa ‘out the semi-circle at the foot (with a jigsaw, bandsaw or [vations thins an cath ete how the shaping ot tn ed (sean rom th se) peated onthe etc sa igerae Th hk wt ‘nce ots ‘hat tn Ms other ta as orto tig. Yoo cpengber md arr vl Romances The Frames detergent bottle, Cut the holes for the handles with a hholesaw and finish with a roll Details of the hinge and catch leaves fof sandpaper. The hole could but slightly overlength. Lay bea litle Bit bigger than it is. them out as they will be and. Prepare the frame Xon the inner edge, to be ‘components. All should be grooved. The procedure for to final width and thickness PR Blanket chi | ay md nd Pestoning «wean bing ‘he dent - ‘aa etal om beau th a te Sa ut yur rte ‘ikoas asthe sac arcu the i The side bao ta be nated or th ge 2M mark them accordingly Where a panel will ft, mark standard panelling is always Re ers ana stack wate that oe part mas four gors and you can aso sete saw toca eff some ‘ho eter has tre So at they tale Ss ge irs Sten smi. vast onthe tring eat at owas witha coping sa, cling th eto ef each woth wth a hse oh ing in Leave a ti exes sire the gars ate a god it od fb igri ease of reakut April 1994 issue 18PROJECT Bi lanket chest the same. @ Groove the inside edges of frame components. Allow the ‘groove to run full length of the timber (at best using a router le or spindle moulder). @ Cut mortices in the stiles (B and F) at the same thickness as the groove | Remember thatthe tenon, PHT e mee UCM g MATERIAL QTY LENGTH WIDTH THKNS Afrortand Pie 4 5380m 680m 25mm ac eg tle an ant Bfortad Pe «28mm Ym 25mm "Back a Eee Chrertane back Po 2 Emm 78m 25mm otom at Shan 3s Tie Dfomand Pe. 213mm 25mm ack mnt ean Qian“ Efrat, back Pe 349mm 34S 25mm op panel 13130 in Side Pre 2 536mm 386mm+ 25mm "alan 15Kin Tin Toor! Pine 23mm Gem 25mm ieee Son “2n Tin HTopstie Pe 250mm = em 25mm "ean 3an ATopmurtn Pe 100mm em 25mm Teun an Tn Ktingeand Pre 650m teh an Looe Pe 808m shi MFcecbaten Pe 740m am supe Pret Sm 2n Coating its se erg ca ace ncng et bt tn, ‘tet 2mm earn Sn we nn nest (and therefore the mortice) will be narrower than the rail by the depth of the groove, © Tenon the rails ( D and G)having cut them to exact length. Remember to haunch the outer edges to fill the groove. This is a neat finish to the joint and one which helps prevent twisting The Panels With the frames dry assembled, measure exactly the size ofthe panels (and K) and then subtract a couple of smidgens, Under no circumstances should the panel be too large: far safer to touch under. Join the panels as necessary, trim the panel stuf to siz. Fielding the panels can be Jone by hand or by machine. By machine, nothing beats a spindle moulder. By hand (GW 17:70), at last start by cutting the raised shoulder first with a router, of face down on 3 tablesaw with crown guard removed (exercising great care and using our Shaw guard hold-down on page 28). Avoid using a radial arm Saw for this becau the panel is dead flat there is a risk of cutting too deep. Failing allthis, score the shoulder heavily with a er knife. Using a shoulder plane ‘ora bullnose plane (or any plane where the blade extends tothe side of the sole) chamfer the edges of the panel down. When planing, the end-grain beware of grain breaking out atthe end. Either plane in from the far PACE UIT EUS UR oR ae LCL) The history of chests and trunks The earliest known chests or wooden storage boxes were made in Egypt about 1300 BC. The term trunk probably can from the ancient practice of facking out the inside from a tr trunk. These dug out chests were late fited with arched ld In medieval England, coffers were portable wooden strongboxes covered in thick eather. They were made by @ specialist for storing clothes and valuables. The mule chest ‘and the blanket chest are refinements which often include drawers and are indeed the forerunner of the chest of drawers. They have been made by many joiners and cabinetmakers since the late 16th century. end, oF complete the ends before beginning the sides. Plane (and knife) until the panel edge is sufficiently pointed to just squeeze into the groove. It must be neither in contact with panels, Cramp tight and check for square although with clos fiting panels. Rebate with a router the of the front and Jed back frames to accept sides, You might have considered this easier befo assembly, but the edges would have been liable to damage in the cramping ‘Trim all the rails fu with the frame. Sand the three frames and the faces Sern oie Sees so tight as to bulge the frame nor $0 loose as to rattle, Take care at the comers where the fielding meets in a mitre Practice on wastewood until Nz battns eat slightly short in case th side shrinks) on the lower inside ofthe sides, o supp the floor. Cut the floorboar toa snug fit both lengthw and widthways. These boards do not need to be you've got the hang of it. When it fis, clean it carefully with sandpaper on a block tongued and grooved (Glue the front and bac frames to ty Tiga ape grove cdies of the frames; in a minate you won't be able to get at them again, Dry assemble the frames with panels, Cramp them tight and check fr fi Disassemble. Apply gle carefully to mortices and tenons. No glue should come reinforcing the joint if you wish with small nails punched below the sutfac and then filed. Check that the assembly is square bu panic not if itisn’t Just ea terest tnt rete aes. fw hed a te ners wi Tears igs aan camps. 9 Prefer e te epi ou can even rere the wat wth ths tants, ory Rand wth caning ow, nan ea werd al the parts should be ilar lo stand ou cn obs by moving ers tu wast bt by Bt lana, asp and rai Kop checking that ntrchangunl, but et the ars tha jit assembled, hol wth ape l 4 Good Woodworking