TRU SB ORNS ERS Se Gn TOS UES) Vol. 4 I Issue 21 nO legen Ba len story ene (e) = Adjustable Featherboard = Table Saw Review = Avoiding Kickback Tongue & Groove JoineryMay 1995 Dons B, Pesce Douglas L. Hicks Richard $ Peters ‘Tim Robertson Phil Totten Marke A. Wiliams ‘Tel Kalil, Cary Chastensen ‘Kurt Schultz Rogee Reland ‘Mark Higon Crayola England Chrie Glowacki en Munkel Kent Welsh Rteve Curtin = Seve Johnson Neo Bus. Mor: Say Baum» Dic Mai ‘Tr Dell Ave Ile Geno «Nevertond ‘Sole Kant A BodetonsAnolyetShate Prat Pon, Dins Yon Macarthy = Contndler: Rain ihinwon» Aecont: Letra Thos» Big: Holy Liens Prod. Mgrs Card Quo» Pe, Ser Mor Gate C. Galo Ati Chora (Gynorsi. Sere Morey Moros Bc P ‘Ceo Degas Mile = Nex Ads Nik ‘Thelen Aan, Asien Cher Sot, Sa ih Heese olor Bly Met Re Ge “Ar Dir Cink Jone Cato Pro er ‘Bok Balers ne ConbPrd, Sige Mak Mate tha Prt Spi nda res fed. Support David’ Sones Sy. Oper: Tamers Adinie Shp, Supe: Ney dation sFud Ueno See Fm Chek Cir, Sia Cre Lary Pie Ag: Sense Enoes Tain lene: Kaa Cronin * Chaiomer Serie ep “Jenner Mampi. Jay ‘rans Sars Kono, Aaa Cox, Lorie Aeon, ‘Ash Best Ket Anos PUTER BULLET BOARD FoR WOODWORKES Proict ans and pins t dovnlosd Woedvocing HepLize Tera for Wondeitt Bi ShopNoter {int menth PRES fr PCor HAC TlogentoWootter el 1-015-216-1668. youre muy quests, lease give usa call: Biol coo 1900 Here B OST {Say ue, gS Se hy Worth ar Seveke pace wecials Goyer ah take eer a ‘eteerotions Sie Con S08 One ager ‘Sry a Tce 18am Hb Co ‘Seco ep lee 1A a ‘lta Rimipteciont woe Eh el a See Ea em meee PRINTED IN USA. ST Cutoffs he blink of an eye. That's all it takes for an secident to happen in the workshop. And unfortunately, safety is, one topic that just doesn't get much advanee thought. ‘Sure, most woodworkers wear some type of safety glasses. And often use a push stick, But that just isn’t enough. Tt has to bea part of everything you do. ‘The problem is that safety is one of those things you usually don't do any- thing about until something happens (often with disastrous results), And if ‘you wait for an accident to happen be~ fore you become serious about safety, you could find your entire life changed. INNER VOICE. That's what happened to Richard Suabedissen, a reader from Middlesex, New Jorscy. He wrote to me about the Cutoff in issue 17 where Talked about an inner voice that often “speaks” to woodworkers about safety. In it, I suggested that the seeret to safety is listening to this voice every time you hear it. Richard didn’t. And with the hope that he could prevent an accident like his Srom happening to A Kickback Incident Dear Don, Ive been using my table saw for over 45 years for all types of wood- working and therefore am “experi- enced.” Late one day, t was in a huny to tip a 2x4 in hall to make 112! x 112" x9"-iong garden stakes. J meart to rp a fong length first land then out the pieces to size. But with my mind ona later phase of the project, | cut them to length frst. An “inner voce" told me that it wouldn't be too wise to rip these short pieves. But I wasn ahurry and ignored it. Ater all, ve done this a thousand times before, 50 | proceeded to rip a 9" piece. As | finished the cut, | pushed the ‘outside (wasie) plece away from the lace with my left hand. someone else, he offered his letter for publication, see the box below. T must admit, I was deeply affected by Richard's letter. After writing and thanking him for sharing hisstory, Ifelt compelled to do something about safety. SAFETY. In this issue, you'll find two articles thst can make yourshop asafer place to work, The first article gives a umber of ideas to help prevent kick- back — one of the most dangerous ‘things that ean ocsurin the shop. ‘The second is a sot of plans for an sajustable featherbcard, Not only does it make work on your table saw or router table safer, it also adds precision to every cut or joint you make. SAFETY FIRST. One final thought. The letter Richard sont spurred us into making our shop a safer place to work. 1 hope his letter gets you thinking about safety in your shop too. A split second later, the blade Kicked back the waste piece. Haltof my loft thumb was on the floor, and} was holding my totally severed left index finger in my left hand. Altes thirteen grueling hours of microsurgery, he surgeons gave up trying to save the thumb. There was no chance at all for he index finger. Please emphasize inyour column again the need to “listen tothe inner voice every time you hear it.” 1 didn’t listen. And it took that piece of wood (traveling at over 100 ‘eet per second), only .004 ofa sec- ond to tear off my fingers and change the rest of my ite Sincerely, Richard H. Suabediocen ShopNotes No. 21Projects & Techniques Avoiding Kickback ______________4 Safety is no accident. Here's a close-up look at some of the causes of kickback and what you can do to prevent it Feat heron =ass = sersee Sx ‘A unique design lets you adjust this shop-made feath- erboard to use on many of the tools in your shop. Nongue & Groove: = SS 8 Caatng a tigh-fiting tongue and groove join is easy when ‘you follow our simple step-by-step approach, lap Deeks 2 ve eee 7p This compact lao desk provides space inside to orgenize pencils and paper anda large stable surface to wnte on. Thicknessing Jig 16 You don't nesd a planer to thickness stock accurately Allit fakes is a handheld router and this easy to buid jig Departments The Small Shop ower Toole. =) ee 14 Which power tools are best for the small shop? Full-size, benchtop, or combination tools? Great Tips Glue-Up Tipe______________ 20 A colecton of our best tps that includes everthing orn Choosing the right glue tothe best way to apply it Selecting Tools Hable Sawa 8 22 ur team tests six popular table saws and offers practical suggestions on selecting a saw that wil suit your needs. Readers'Tips, Shop Solutions _________ 28 Shop-tested solutions from our readers on their most ‘common woodworking problems. Plus twa quick tips. Lumberyard Softwood Grades_________ 30 Builing a project out of softwood? Understanding the diferent umber grades can afecits cost and appearence. Finish Room Water-Based Top Coate_________ 31 A durable fnish that’s easy touse. And no messy cleanup. All this makes water-based top coais worth a close look No. 21 ShopNotes Featherboard Tongue & Groove page 8 page 22 3SEIN aaa Avoiding Kickback T=: a friend who has a piece getting pinched between the ure between the fence and one of {of wood embedded in the wall blade and fence. Or thesaw kerf the miter gauge slots — at both behind his table saw. It’s a re- dosing up around the blade, In endsof the fence, see Fig. 1.(This minder to others entering his either ease, the blade grabs the assumes your saw blade is paral- shop not to stand directly hehind workpiece and propels it back- lel to the miter gauge slot.) the saw when it’s inuse, Andit’s wards — quieker than you ean Along with a properly set a reminder to himself as to how blink an eye, see Cutofts, page2. fence, there are a number offnex- dangerous kieeback ean be. But kickback on the ronter t- pensive things you ean do to re- Kiekback shouldn't be taken ble ocears for a different set of duce your chances of kiekback., lightly. It’s as serious as an un- reasons. Formoreonthis,seethe _PAWZS. One thing you should guarded saw blade or an exposed ox on the opposite page. always do is use yourblade guard outer bit, And the secret (0 pre-_- FENCE POSITION.Onthetable with its anti-kickback pawls, see venting kickback (and an injury) saw, ono of the simplest ways to photo above. As long as the pawls is to understand where it's most get a straight, bind-free cut isto are sharp and well-maintained, likely to oceurand whateausesit. set the rip fence parallel to the theyshould dig inand “eatch” the TWOTOOLS.There are two sawhlade, Having the fence par- workpiece if its kicked hack. toolsintheshop where the poten alleltothebladesllows the work- SPECIALINSERT: When I can't tial forkickback is high:the table piece to slide smoothly past the _use the blade guard, I often use a saw and router table (or shaper). lade without binding. special insert with a built-in split- With the table saw, kickback is To make sure the fenee is par-_ter,see box belowleft. Thissplitter often the result of a workpiece allel tothe blade, I simply meas- prevents the saw kerf from dosing 1 Splitter Insert There are times when Ihave to fueron ——__ cura aanoseurrer msesr renovemyblaeguardforacer niin, ») Rainer 1/ tain cat, When this oecurs, 1 re- place the metal insert with a special insert that has a built-in splitter, see drawing. The splitter helps protect me from kiekback caused by a work- piece closing up around the saw blade — even with the blade gmard removed The insert is just a serap piece of hardwood cut. and sanded to match the metal insert. A kerf in ) ‘one end ueeeptsa hardwood split- Se es eed ter that keeps the workpiece ‘OniGHIAL NBER from pinching the blade. 4 ShopNotesSIT uy around the saw bude kickback rollers, It also keeps a Another way to help prevent workpiece tight against the fence Kickback on the table saw is to or table top to help you get a ‘uso apair of anti-kickback rollers straight eut, see Fig.2. And the ora featherboard, fingers help prevent ¢ workpiece ickbaek roll- from kicking back at you should ers mount to an auxiliary fence the blade get ahold of it. ‘A featherboard, like the one fence, see photo at left. shown here, is available through ‘The mmique thing about these many woodworking mail-order rollers is they rotate only in one catalogs, see sources at right, Or direction. And as a side benefit, _you can make your own, see page. ROLLERS. Ani that’s bolted or clamped to the rip the rollers hold the workpiece tight against the fenee and table top to ensure a strai Rollers are available through bie, itsalsoa goed idea o use a push stile [twont prevent kikeback, bt it;just might save a finger or twoit SAFETY TIPS Whenever possi- many woodworking mail-order something does go wrung. catalogs, se sourees at right. FEATHERBOARD. A feather- And finally, never remove the waste piece until the power is off board works much like the anti- and the blade has come to a stop. Working with a router table can bbe deceptive. It might have a smaller motor and uso a smaller cutter than a table saw, but a se- riousaecident can oceur here, too. A workpiece cankick backifit’s fed into arouter bittoo quickly. Or ‘you try to remove toomuch wood inonepass. And even ifthe bit hits a knot. So it’s a good ides to first carefully inspect the workpiece before turning on the router. ‘Also keep in mind the other rules fora routor table. Rout ina right-to-left direction —whether ‘you're using a fence or a bit with a bearing, see drawing, Never Dackrout —thisis very dangerous. With backrouting, there's al- ways a chance the router bit will sab the workpiece and pull it, along with your fingers, into the sharp cutters ‘Neverrout withthe workpiece between the bit end the fence. And always keep your fingers safely out of the way. ANTE-KICKBACK BITS. You can also reduce your chances of get- ting kickback by using anti-siek- OCALA CHT back bits, see photo atright, Unlike standard router bits, these bits have less eutter sur. face exposed, see detail A below. Asthe workpiece passes through the cutter, less wood can be re- moved per revolution of the bit. Leas wool, lees chance of kickback, MULTIPLE PASSES. And one of the simplest ways youcan reduce kickback is to nibble away at the wood by taking aseries ofshallow passes, see detail B below. Anti-kickback Bits. A bit with less cutter surface ex- posed lessens the ikeli- hood of Kickback. Sources Carers Wade Banea2042 BOD-BIB- 06 Wondsrehsn Antickonek Bes Mr Tools Leceane Bop ettesso Winder BOBS No. 21 ShopNotesOVERALL DIMENSIONS: 4 HB Lz Ov of tho simplest things ‘you can do to make @ table saw or router table safer for yourself is to use featherboard. A featherboard. can help you hold a workpiece firmly against the tablo top or fonce, Tt ean also prevent.a workpiece from kicking. hack at you if the blade or bit happens to grab hold ofit. Rip Fence. Clamping » the featherboard to the tablo saw rip force will press a workpiece fmly against the table top. Table Top. Or you can » clamp the featherboard to the table top to hold a workpiece firmly against the rip fence. Router Table. Jusi like = the table caw, you can lamp the featherboard to a router table top or a router table fence. Featherboard for your power tools most other feather- boards, this one has twoidentical, adjustable hold-downs. Each hold-down attaches to the bese by way of a pair of earviage bolts that fitin a'P-slotin the base, see drawing above. By Tcosening two knobs, each hold-downan be positioned any- where along the length of the T- slot or the height of the base, Safety Note: When cating a deep kerf or all the way through, don'tuse the second hold-downas it ean pineh the kerf elosed. BASE, The base of the feather- board is just a pioce of 34" ply. wood with a piece of Y'thiek ‘Masonite glued to one side, see Fig. 1. But before gluing the Ma FiRoT: ShopNotes “GUTGROOYEN Parwooo@ cornice in pace, a groove is eutin and rough length, se drawing at the plywood to form the bottom right. Then so the hold-downs Axo MAPLE half of the slot, see Fig. 1a. (L_willgripa workpiece and prevent cat this groove to fit the head of it from kicking back, cut the ends ‘a54e! carriage bolt.) ‘of each blank: at 230° angle. After the Masonite is glued in Th create the fingers which place (Lused contact cement), the press against and grip the work- ‘Tslot can be completed. To do piece, the next step is to cut a if this,eutasecond gronvecertered series of kerfs. To do this 80 directly over the frst groove. theyll be evenly spaced Tale _ Yousrm the width ofthosorond sn indexing ii that sttactes to grocve to just fit the square the table saw miter gauge, see shank of the earviage bott. box below. HOLD-DOWNS.Now the haseis __Onee the fingershave been cut, ready for the two hold-downs. it’sjustamatter of laying out and Since these are going to take alot drilling holes for the slots. of abuse, I made them from 14". Then remove the waste witha thick hard maple. hand saw orsabresaw and attach ‘To make the hold-downs, first the hold-downs to the base with cut two blanks to finished width the mounting hardware. HOLD-DOWN UT] Cutting evenly-spaced kerfs ona gauge, its best to have the blade featherboard hold-down is quiek in this kerf so the jig is perfectly and easy with thisindexing jig.If aligned with the blade. ‘you're at all familiar with how a To cut the first Ker!, clamp the ‘box joint jig works, then you're workpiece to the backing board alresdy familiar with how this so it tight agninst the pin, see particular jig works. detail. Then make the fist pass. ‘The jig has twosaw kerfs that After the first ker! is cut, un- are spaced'4" apart,seedrawing. clamp the workpiece and shift it One Kerf has a hardwood pin over onto the index pin. Then re- gluedinit. Theotherkerflinesup clamp the workpiece andtake an- Perfeot Kerfs. The indox,pin makes it aasy to ‘with the saw blade. Note: When otherpass. Repeat this process to cut evenly-spacad kerfs. Just index the work- serewing the jig to the miter ccmplete all the fingers, piece on the pin between each pass. ee pees nee tee ee a | No.21 ShopNotes 7Tongue. Forming a tongue is just a matter of rou'- Groove. A table saw makes quick work of cutting ing a rabbet on each face. To ensure a consistent a groove to fit the tongue. Here, the featherboard cut, a featnerboard applies downward pressure. T=: ‘a good reason why #0 many hardwood floors are still as strong and flat today as the day they were laid down — they're held together with tongue and groove joints. Even though! don'tinstalia lot ofhard- sword floors, I still find a tongue and groove joint useful on many of the projects TI build. ALIGNMENT. Forexample, when sluing hardwood edging to a ply- ‘wood shelf, it sutcmatically aligns the two pieces, see draw- ing A below. And it provides me- chanical support as well as additional glue surface, STRENGTH, Even without glue, a tongue and groove joint offers plenty of mechanical strength. ‘Take the back of a cabinet that's made up of @ number of wood slate for instance. To keep the slats flush, tongue and groove Joints forma strong, interlocking panel, see drawing B. ‘BREADBOARD ENDS. Another way to take advantage of thia strength is to attach a “bread. board” end to a panel, see draw- ing C. Whether the panel is solid ‘wood or plywood (like the top for presses the workpiece tight against the rip fence. tho lap desk on page 12), the breadboard ends help keep the @ panel from warping. ‘TWO TOOLS, While there are a number of different ways to cut a tongue and groove joint, Tuse a simple method that’s as depend- ableas the morning paper. Al it takes is two tools: a outer to eut the tongues, and a table saw for the grooves, see Photos above. ‘The nice thing ahont this methed is it doesn’t requirea special router bit orsaw blade. (Ise a 14" straight bit and a combination saw blade.) “TONGUE KEEPS DENG alleweD aaa DoRNS GLUE UF A. Alignment. A tongue and groove B. Strength. Even without glue, tho joint automatically aligns strips of strength of a tongue and groove jont ‘hardwood edging on a plywood sheif. keeps the slats on this cabinet flush 8 ShopNotes © Flat. To ensure this table top stays flat. a breadboard” end is attached with a tongue and groove joint. No. 21e The Tongue I usually start [7 7) by cutting the FEATHERSOARO ae tongue. Typically, ‘SO FECe 5 S| it's centered on the edge of the workpiece by cut- ting two rabbets — one on each face. In most cases, you can do this quickly and easily on a | router table. But for large work- pieces, a hand-held router i works best, see the left-hand box below. ‘THICKNESS. Either way, you'll need to adjust the depth of eut to establish the thickness of the tongue. A simple rule of thumbis tomake thetongueaboutonethird the tlaiekness of the workpiece, LENGTH. Another eonsidera- a tion is the length of the tongue. ness and length of the tongue, a | 7 anion rurhouehece! ee TONGUE. Once you're satisfied ‘This is determined by the posi- there's one more thing to do, To with the setup, you ean make the tion ofthe fence. The exact length hold the workpiece down flat cn tongue on the “real” piece. Just isn't critical. [usually make the the table and ensure the tongue _rabbet one side of the workpiece, tonguesoit'snot more than twice isa consistent thidness, clampa see Fig. 1a. Then flip it over and ‘as long as itis thick. featherboard to the fence, see rabbet the opposite side, see Fig. FEATHERBOARD. Before mak- Fig. 1. (Plans for this feather- 1b, Note:Foratiponmaking dean ing a test cat to chedk the thick- board are shown on page 6.) Large Panels When routing « tongue on o large panel, it's easier to ‘use a hand-held router and a rabbet bit than to man- handle the workpiece on the router table. ‘Here again, the iden is to eut a rabbet on each face. But instead of a fence, the roateris guided bya bearing onthe bit that rides against the edge of the workpiece, By changing the size of the bearing (or bit), you ean vary the length ofthe tongue. ceuts, see right-hand box below. One problem Thave when routing a rebbet in plywood (or eross-grain in hardwood) is T don't always get a clean cut, Scoring the shoulder of the rabhet with a knife helps, but its hard to make this eut accurately. "To do this, I make a simple guide. It’s just @ serap piece that’s routed with an identical rabbet, Thisrabbet positions the edge of the serap along the shoulder 50 ‘yon can score sn aeenrate line on the workpiace. No. 21 ShopNotes: 9The Groove With the tongue complete, the groove em be cut to fit. Inmost ‘cases, the groove is centered on the edge of the workpiose. While you'd expect this to make the surfaces flush, slight variations in thickness can ex- pose one of the edges. So Tuse a ‘workpiece that’s slightly thicker (about Yeu"). This way, it will stand a bit “prond” when the pieces are assembled. And the surfaces ean be sanded fash later. DEPTH OF CUx. Before catting the groove, you'll need to set the depth of ext. To allow room for excess glue, I adjust the blade height so the groove is about \gp" deeper than the length of the tongue. FENCE. Now it’s just a matter ‘of positioning the rip fence to lo- cate the groove, see Fig.2.To cut a groove that's centered exactly on the edge, Iuse a simple trick. Assembly ‘There are several ways to assem- ble a tongue and groove joint. PLYWOOD. The simplest way is when one of the pioces is ply- ‘wood. To attach ahardwood strip (or breadboard end) to the ply- ‘Wood, just gluethe piecestogether. PTL Start by roughly centering the edge of the workpiece on the ide and locking the fence. Now Just a matter of malking two passes. The first pass is male with one side against the fence, see Fig, 2a. Then flip the work- piece end for end and makea see- SOLID WoOD. But when join- ing two solid wood pieces, you'll need to allow for movement ‘eused by changes in humidity. ‘To do this, apply elue only to the middle third of the tongue, see Fig. 3. Then lock each end in ond pass, see Fig, 2b. TEST FYE Although this pro- duces a centered groove, it may not be wide enough to accept the tongue, So yon may nee to @ “vamp” the fence a bit and make two more passes, Just continue like thisuntil you get perfect ft. by “pinning” a small dowel throughtthe tongue, (I glue an 4s" dowel ina stopped hole.) SANDFLUSH.Now just sand the surfaces fush. A sanding block gives good control to avoid cross-grain scratches, see Fig. 4. ShopNotes No. 21C= yt: fimetional. That's what I like about this lap desk. A shallow tray organizes writing (or drawing) materials, see Exploded View below. Anda top serves as ¢ writing surface. ‘Toprovide aceess to paper and @ pr22H the top is hinged wo the tray, And it’s slanted — just This easy to build lap desk organizes pencils and paper ‘and provides a sturdy writing surface as well. Cae enough to make it comfortable to write on, bat not so steep that paper slips aromnd on the desk. ‘Finding the best writing angle ‘was Just a matter of experiment- {ing a bit. But the real challenge ‘was making the desk lightweight so it's easy to eamy (even for a child). Yet sturdy enoughto with- stand getting knocked around. The solution is to combine thin pieces of hardwood (I used 14" and 46'-thiek maple) with ¥4° thick plywood, Whilea single pleee of plywood provides plonty of strength for the bottom, the top isbuilt up fromtwo layers to pro- duce a stable writing surface. ® EXPLODEDVIEW OVERALL DIMENSIONS: NG" Wa 2056" L xia H No.21 ShopNatesEEKEND PROJECT Tray ‘Tho tray isjusta simple wood box ‘that's used to store writing and drawing materials, SIDES. To provide a comfort- able writing position when the ‘op is aided, the sides (A) of the tray are angled, see Figs. 1 and 2. But before cutting the angles, it's easiest to rabbet both ends of the sides now to accept a front and back piece added later, see Fig. La, ‘Next, to make both sides iden- tical, carpet-tape them together ‘hefore cutting the shape with a sabre saw ar band saw, see Fig.2. ‘Then shave off the remaining ‘waste to the line witha handplane. FRONI/BACK.The sides are heldtogether with ajront (B) and tack (C), see Fig, 1. Toallow the lid to sit down tight, Tbeveled the top edge ofeach piece onthe table saw to match the angle of the sides, see Fig, 1b, ‘The simplest way to do this isto ry assemble the tray and mark the bevel. Then rip astraight edge first so the pieces are 16" wider than finished size, Now rip the pieces to widthas youeutthebevel. ‘BOTTOM. All that’s left {sto cut ‘grooves ineach of the tray pieces for a 44'-thick plywood bottom (D), After cutting the hottom to fit, just glue the tray together. Top ‘Gr FRONT AND ANGE OSES ror AY ‘With the tray complete, the next step is to add a top. What I wanted is a solid (yet. light- woight) writing surfice. So I started off locking for 46" thick maple plywood. But since ‘that was hard to find, I decided to make my own out of two oversize top pieces (E) made of 44'-thick bireh plywood, see Fig. 8. ‘These pieces are held together with contact cement (with the “good” faces out). Then simply square up the panel and trim it to final size, see box on next rage. 2@ yeaa EMIatedvier Ce @ vrcxsram t cover the ex posed edge onthe back (he front trge is covered later), T ded « hardwood lack snip (), soe Fig, B.teathin narrow picethatscat longer thanthepane!. Afr gluing itinplace, jst trim the ends us BREADBOAKD ENDS. Next, 10 rake the top more rigid T added tivo wide “breadboa ends (C), see Fig. 4, These handvood ends ae held in place with a tongue and groove joint. (or more on this, see page 8) After gluing the nda in place, Tehamforedthetop [5 andhotiomedgesonthebacand sides ofthe panel STOP.Now, to create a lip that keeps pencils from roling off the desk, a siop (H) that’s taller (rider) than the thickness of the tapis glued on, see Fig, CLEAR. There's only one more strip — a cleat (1) for hinge serews that serure the tap tothe ‘onpage 11. Thehingesare screwed into mortises eut in the back (C) of the tray, see Exploded View. Finally, 1 sanded chamfers on the stop and cleat and wiped ona couple eoats of tung oil se CHAFEE = je a ree TE Edges. With an overhanging edge running againsttherip Ends. To tim the ends squete, carpet-tapea fiaringsquare fence, the fist step is to trim the coposite edge straight. to the panel so the short lagis flush with the back edge and Then, alter tepostioning the fence, use the edge you just the ong leg overnangs the end sighy. Once one end is cut as a guide to trim the pane! to final width, squared up, remove the square and cut the opposite end. No.21 ‘ShopNotes 1BTHE SMALL SHOP Power Tools for the small shop EF ting a full complement of power tools into a small shop ean be like packing a dazen sardines into small tin, But it doesn’t have to be that way. Ifthe tools are selected and organized properly you can have the tools ad still have room to work. ‘The key to selecting a power tool is tofirst deter mine how much use ill got. IF it's used alot, go with a full-size stationary tool. If itl only be used now andthen, go witha bench-top tool that can be stored ‘out of the way when not inuse. Shown here are the power tools F'dbuy (in omer) if T were outiltting a small shop today. Note: For those working in a really tight space, you might consider a multipurpose tool, see box onnext page. 1. Table Saw. 12 1 could only have one power toal in my shop, it would ke 2 contrictor’s table saw (refer to the table saw review starting on page 24), ‘The table saw in our shop is used all the time to rip, erosseut, and miter workpieces. It's great for cutting rabbets and dadoes. And the large table top makes it eaay and cafe to cut a full-size sheet of plywood. Note: From time to time you may need to move the Saw around to make certain cute. Soit’sa good idea to also invest in a set ofeastors or a mobile base. 4 ‘ShopNotes 2. Dust Collector. when working in a small, en- e closed shop, youshould heconcemed abont protect ing your lungs fromsawdust, Since atable saw kicks up a lot of dust, your next purchase should be a two-stage dust collector to hook up to the saw. ‘Most smmall two-stage dust collectorscome witha quick-diseonnect hose that makes it easy for you to eon- neet to other tools with the same mated connector, And i many dust collec:ors also ‘come with castors go you ean easily roll it out of the way when it’s not being used. 3. Router Table. 1 never realized how much of a nocescity a router table was until [started uring one. ‘The router tablein ourshop gets useil every day. Notonly isit used for routing decorative profiles, but it’s also great for routing rabbets, dadoes, and ox joints. And with special router bits, you ean even rout raised panels. Although in many eases 2 hand-held router could also get the job done, I'm more comfortable with the control the router table offers with its larger table top, adjust able fence, and miter gauge. No. 21ies @© 4. Drill Press. Te next too: Pa buy would be a drill press, And there are a couple of ways to go here. Ityoure only going tousea drill press for driling holes, you might eonsider a small, bench-top model. When its mot in use, you'll ke able to store it out of the way in a corner or down under a workbench. But if you're going to drill alotof holes, mortises, or use it for sanding, you might cor sider a larger full-size model. It won't take up much more space, and youll have a large table top aid bigger motor to handle the extra wor! 5. Thickness Planer. 10 the past few years, the cost of owning a thickness planer has dropped like atackle bor sinking in alake. For less than $400,vou can choose froma number ‘of quality 10" and 12" bench-top thickness planers that should handle most of your planing needs. Aplaner'in the shop means ‘you won't be limited to the lumber thicknesses available at your local lumberyard. ‘And you can save money by buying rough stock directly froma sawmill and planing it to thiekness yourself, SHOP 6. Compound Miter Saw. A radial arm saw is a great power tool for crosscutting and mitering, But they take up alotofspace, And they're not portable. ‘A.compound-miter saw on the other hand is both portable ad compact. Miter saws have been used primarily by trim and finish carpenters beeause of their portability and accu- racy. But they're starting to find their way into many workshops — for the same reasons. Although. smaller, you'll find that a compound- miter saw will cost about the same as a radial arm sav. 7. Band Saw. My final tool of choice far the small shop is the band saw. A band saw is great to have around if you're going to cut a lot of eurves and circles. Or resaw lumber — whieh can save you money when you're working with thin stock. Again, like the other power tools, determine how uch use a band save will get. If you think you'll use one a Jot, go with a full-size model with a mohile base, Ifit’s only going to be used occasionally, a bench-tap model will work just fine, andit will ost a lot less than a fall-size band saw, Another space-saving measure when you're working in a small shop is to select a power tool that does multiple jobs Many of these machines, like Robland, TotalShop, Shopsmith, and Kity, combine five tools into ‘one, see photo at right. ‘They all provide a lot of wood workingin a small space. But set~ ting up the different operations isn't as efficient as it ean be with individual power tools. Another small shop option that’s worth considering is acom- ination tool, see far right photo. With this type of machine, you!ll typically find a jointer combined with a planer, Or a disk sander combined witha belt sander A. A mutipurpese tool such as this Kity K-5 combines a table saw, edge jointer, thickness planer, shaper, and mortise. Ithasmany of the advantages that sim lar stationary tools have, but takes less space. (Fartis Machinery: 800-872-5469) A This Hitachi P12RA planer{ointer combines a 12" thickness planer with 4 6" edge jointer. A combination tool like this takes up less space than two simi lar, separate bench-top power tools. (Hitachi Power Toots: 800-362-7297) No.21 ShopNotes 16Router : Thicknessing Jig A« Jig in our workshop scraping, or heavy belt sanding. _be thicknessed down to 14’, see vill “always draw some SFECIALBE.The secret to photo A below @ skeptics — and this thieknossing sucha smooth finishis the spedal _ WIDEPANELS. Another thing ii for the ronter was no exeep- router bit we used. It’s a 1"-dia, like about thisjigisitcan be used tion. But all it took was a couple bottom-cleaning bit, see box on to thickness glued-up panels and of passes of the router for every- opposite page. Though the jig is wide boards, see photo B. one to realize that not only did'it esigned for this bit, you could FLATTEN STOCK. One last sur- ‘work —itworked betterthanwe vse a normal straight bit — you prise is how effective the thick- had hoped. jast won't end up with a surface nessing jig is at flattening a Sure, we expected the jig to that’s quite as smooth, ‘capped or warped workpiece, see quickly thickness aboard. Butwe THICK & THIN. The jig is also photo C. Just ereatea flat on one were really surprised at how designed to thickness both thick side of the workpiece as a refer- smooth and flat the board was.So and thin stock, It easily handles ence, Then flip the workpiece smooth that light sinding is all stock upto1" thick. Andwith the over and rout the board to the that's necessary — no planing, workpieceshimmed up, stock ean desired thieknos A. Thin Stock. You can thickness thin B. Wide Panels. The thickressing jig. Flattening. In addition to smooih- stock as well as thick stock by adding can handle glued-up panels and wide ing stock, this jig can also flatten a a shim under the workpiece. boards up to 15%" in width. cupped or warped workpiace. 16 ShopNotes No. 21[TET s eee an CARRIAGE GUIDE OED RAL ADJUSTABLE RAL FOR OR EXPLODED VIEW Greene Detar, Soe Wem Lae H @ | Hardware ween = (6) i"-20 Threaded Knobe 8 (4) Yat 4" Hex Bolts © (4) Vatx2" Carriage Bolte © (4) Yet TNuts © (4) V4" Hex Nuts = (4) V4" lat Washers © (6) #8 Va" Fh Woodecrowe © (70) #8 x 34" Fh Woodscrews © (8) #8 xil2" Fh Woodscrews Materials Platform A Sides (2) ante 47 | This bottom- B Stretchers (4) Yax tle- 22V4 | cleaning hit is © Top (H) 2554 x4 7% - Va pogird. similar to 2 : D Fined Plate (1) Vox 4 -APg a straight bit. But it has an addi- E Fhed Rai(1) Yaxite-4Pa ia LF) tional set of eatterson the botzom F Carrioge Guide(1) ex 479/4- Ya Mas, that are designed to “plane” the G Hold-Down Bar (1) Yan DY - 47% surface smooth and flat, What H Adjustable Pate(1) ¥0x4-47%4 you end up with isa surface that 1 Adjustable Rall (1) Bax Mo - 47% requires very little sanding, Carriage , ‘The 1"-dia, 44" shank bit Tuse @: Carviage Ralle(2) “Wax the- 362 is available from Caseade Tools K Router Base (1) 9x 36lo-V4 Mas ee Aske - part L_ Backing Board (1) Tex 16Ys-VaMas, , plus shipping). No.21 ShopNotes WwIeee Construction ‘The thicknessing jig consists of tivo main parts: a platform that holds the workpiece, and a ear- riage that supports the router, re- fer to Exploded View ou page 17. PLATFORM ‘Theplatform consists ofa reetan- ular-shaped base with two jaw: ‘One jaw is fixed; the other is ad- Justable, see Fig. 1. BASE. The hase is just a hard- ‘wood frame consisting of two sides (A) that are drilled and serewell to four stretchers (B). (I used hard maple.) ‘Ty make it easy to position the ‘adjustable jaw anywhere on the base, [used 4" pegboard for the top (C). Shop Tip: Instead of drill- ing extra holes to serew the peg- board to the frame, cut the pegboard so the existing holes are centered over the frame pieces, see End View in Fig. 1. ‘FIXED JAW. The next step isto ‘make the fixed jaw. It's made up of three parts: a plate, a rail, and s carringe guide, soe Fig. 2 ‘The plate (D) is beveled so the jaw can grip 2 workpieve better. The rail (E) is serewed to the plate to form an L-shaped sup- Tor eotane. port for the carriage, And to guide the carriage, a carriage guide (F) made from V4! Ma- sonite is glued to the rail (E). ‘After you've glued and screwed the jaw together, it can ‘be mounted to the bae, see Fig. 1. ADJUSTABLE JAW.The adjust- ablejaw also has three parts. But eachis abit different. Inorder for the plate on the adjustable jawto ‘move and press against the work- ieee, itisn't serewed to thebase. Tnstead, it’s held in place with a hold-down bar, see Fig. 2. ‘The hold-down bar (G) sits on top of the plate (HD). Bolts pass down through it (and slots in the pate) into the pegboard. Plastic ‘knobs (or wing nuts) lock the bar and plate securely to the base. ‘Then, to allow the plate to be ao a ADJUSTABLE PLATES one he ‘ShopNotes No. 21ESE ere @ aijusted, a second set of lmger BACKING BOARD. ‘To. support boltsrunthroughthewidthofthe the grooves that are cut next, a hold-down bar into Tats and ducking board (L) is cut to ft press against tho rail (1. batwoon the rails and is gluod to Counterboresin therailaccept _ the top of the base (K), see Fig. 3. the bolts and keep the jaw from After the glue dries, the index 4 Grooves in the bottom of the carriage sliding when pressure & applied, grooreseanbeeut. These are just ftover the carrage guide on the platform ‘Theelamping pressure comestrom aseries of 4’ grooves onthe bot- to produce overlapping passes ‘threaded knobs (or wing nuts) and _ tom of the base (K) to fit the car- jam nnts threaded onto each bolt. riage guide (F), see Fig. 3a. different bit, you may need to Once the adjustable jaw is com- ‘The groovesare spaceil forthe space the grooves differently. plete, attach it to the base, see Fig. bottom-cleaning bit, see page 17. MOUNT ROUTER. After you've Land Exploded View onpage 17. This provides a 4" overlap on cut the grooves, cut a hole for the cama each pass, Note: [you're usinga routerand moustitto the cariage. ‘The carriage supports the router BACKING BOARD i ahove the workpiece as it rides | > Seacgsenas Mason the platform. It consistsof o © ae across the platform. It cnsists of 2g meal a pair of rails with a base for the | CARRISCE RAI 5 router: Grooves in the bottom al- Jowyouto‘index"theronterover |) je—~ the workpiece in even incre- ments, see photo above right. RAILS. began work on the carriage by making the rails (J), @ 2088.2. hye both eat extra ongso the carriage ean reach the Jawsno matter whereits indexed. ‘The rails are glued and serewed to a router base (K) made of 14’ Masonite, see Pig. 3. Safoty Note: Don't serew into the section of the base that will be grooved later on. Using the Jig SOFT YOUR ROUTER Setup. To secure.a workpiece in the Thickness. Place carriage on plat- Flatten. To flatten a workpiece, start Jig, first position the adjustable jaw. form and rout in a left-to-right direc- with the crown side up. Once you've Then tighten the hex bolts omnove ihe tion. Pull carriage back to clean up ‘leveled’ the crown, tip tt over and jew as you look the hold-down bar. pass. Then index router and repeat. thickness the other side. No.21 ShopNotes 19Glue-Up Tips squeezing it out of a bottle. Here are a few tips to make the job go easier. Glue & Storage —— WIRE BRAD Misrugne TEnEETTTO White Glue. Use white glue irr Tether Cap. To avoid misplacing Glue Bottle. A clean, empty stead of yellow glue to provide the try capontheend ofa glue mustard bottle makes a great more assembly time when work- bottle, tether ito the bottle withe glue bottle. I's free, airtight. ing with a complex project wire brad anda piece of string. and has a handy twist cap. Applicators ae Sore TiGHT AeA REN Gib oe Use ‘Aowall Patel MOEN GIUING AUREE SORREE eater cata IG Na GN Spresce See ee la ea RiSee rane spent Ea PPE boii Ae ental warps Glo aa To solve this, blow through a for spreading glue. It spreads it large surface, | use a small, straw to force the glue in place. evenly and cleans up easily. shor-napped paint roller. 20 ShopNotes No. 21Coane e Squeeze Out nist Sir trocenre anreRESne ‘Mask Corners. Taping off inside corners before gluing and as: sembly recuces the lime spent later cleaning out the corner. Contact Cement ‘There's really no great mystery in working with contaet cement. All you basically have to do is apply an even coat on the two surfaces that are going to be joined. Let the glue dry until it's skimmed over and dry to the touch (about 20 minutes depending on the kumidity). And then place one piece on top of the other. Application of most brands of eemont is about ‘the same, But to be sure, alwaysresd the instruc tions on your particular brand before you begin. ‘Also, make sure you work in a well ventilated area sinee many brands of contact eement con- tain solvents that can cause respiratory problems, Non-Stick Barrier. Waxed paper workpieces gives you @ chance to make las! minute adustments. Once the pieces are aligned, pull out the paper ana apply pressure, between Glue Scooper. A straw works great for scooping away skinned- over beads of glue that are trapped in ight corners. Glue Scraper. Use a plastic clio. from a bread bag to scrape away skinned-over beads of glue from a fat suriace. Trowel. The key to a good bond when working with contact cement is to spread the cement evenly. Todothis, | use a small, hand-size piece of plastic larrinate as a trowel Emergency Release. in the event ofa disaster, you can separate the two workpieces by flowing aliberal amount of lacquerthinner betweenthem and gently peeling off one of the layers. No. 21 ShopNotosInere’s one thing I've noticed about most woodworking shops —a table saw usually oceu- pies center stage. Not just its physical location, But the fact that a table saw is at the heart of. almost every project built. ‘That's why selecting a table saw is such an important deci sion. After all, its a big invest- ment in money. And a good quality saw provides the ground- work for making straight, accu- rate ents and tight-fitting joints. ‘To make this decision easier, ‘we bought six table saws, see pho- tos below. Then we asked three woodworkers with different in- terests and skill levels to test them. This way, you can identify withone oftthese people based on the type of work you do — and ‘choose the saw that’s best for you. ‘To ensure reliable results, we bought: identical earbide-tipped blades for each saw. Then we had the same person (Steve) assem- ble and tune up all the saws. GFivst impressions count. For ezample, what did you think of ShopNotes Grizzly Model G1022 -< Our toa of tostors includes three people. Ken (eft) is a professional carpenter and cabinetmeker while Stave (cen- ter) spends most of his time building projects for his house and shop. Cary (right) is just setting up his shop. the way the saws were packaged? Steve: The Delta and Jet were packaged the most securely — like somebody cared that every- thing got here in good condition. Much better than having loose ‘parts rattling around in the box like the Grizaly and AMT saws. Did you find any damaged or missing parts? Steve: The worst damage I found was on the AMT. The shaft ‘that controls the angle of the blade was bent, And the threaded end was “filed” down by a cast iron extension wing that rubbed against it in shipment. ‘As far as missing parts, both AMT and Jet forgot to pack a mi- ter gauge along with the rest of $575 No. 21@ tie sav. And the bets and pulley gquanl was missing from the Jet. Fortunately, customer service ‘was helpful, and it only derailed me afew days. That gave you some eztra time to look over the manuals. Were some more helpful than others? Steve: Some manuals (like the ‘Jet and Delta) were like having a ‘god road map — clear illustra- tions and easy-to-follow diree- tions, But using the AMT’ manval required a lot of guesswork — especially when wiring the motor. Even a manual that was as thick asa book didn't make it any ‘easier to assemble the Sears saw. (See photo above.) In act, it took me twice aslong as the other sav One thing T appreciated is the straightforward approach in the Grizaly manual. It makesno bones about the fact youmight be short apiece of hardware (as it turned @ 22 L vaen or that you may have to file the sharp edges and ‘burrs (plan on doing some filing). What about the metal siands on the saaes? Steve: What sticks in my mind is the Jot stand is held togethor with forty bolts. And each bolt has a lock washer to keep the nut det Model TWIS OJF $579 No.21 from vibrating loose, Maybe that's why it’s so stunty. But with the heaviest gauge metal of all of the stands, the Deltaisalsorock solid. (Seephoto below.) At first, I thought the closed panels on the Grizzly and AMT stands might compensate for their thinner geuge metal. Bat these stands wiggled even after I'd assembled the saws. Owe thing T noticed isthe blade ‘guard on the Grizaly is different than the rect? Is different better? Steve: Don't count on it. The Grizaly guard has twometal arms that move independently. Be- ‘ofa 72-page manual, the Sears saw is much more complicated toassemble than the other saws. sides the fact that adjusting the linkages on these arms is like ‘wrestling an oetopus, they block my sight ofthe blade. ‘The plastie guards on the other saws are easier to see through. And with the exception of the Delta, they stay up out ofthe way when I'm changing blades. A Stands. Heavy-gauge motal and 2 wide stance create a siabio base for the Delta saw (left). But the Grizzly stand (right) tends to wobble, even with solid panels on the front and back ‘ShopNotes Medel 63 $679 Sears Model 29886 9499Saw Table Each saw has a heavy, cest trom table. Besides weight, what do the tables havegoing for them? Cary: One thing isthe bevel on the front edge of the Jet and Delta saw tables (See photo at right.) At first, Teoulda't figure cut why it was there. Bat when T used the miter gauge to crosscut a wide panel, the reason hit home. Instead of lunising against the edge of the saw table, the miter gauge rides smoothly over the bevel Gi Did you check out the flatness of the table top? Ken: That's not. some- Gp thing that drastically YF siessveu. Brtatable that’s absolutely fla: does agive me an idea of the overall quality of the saw. And I'm al- ways using my saw table asa rof- erence for establishing the flat- ess of workpiece, So [like the dead flat tables on the Jet and Sears saws. While there's a slight hump in the Delta table, the other tables are “dished!” in the middle, (See the right-hand photo above.) Steve: Also, the grind- ing on the Jet and Deita tables was smootier than the other saws, Especially compared to the AM and Grizaly that were gouged around the opening for tho insert, SELECTING TOOLS Bevel. The miter gauge slides smoothly over the beveled edge (on the Jet and Delta saw tables. Speaking of incerta, what were yon looking for? Steve: One that’s sturdy and wont flex — like the hea supe Dal) ant. det taeri se inserts also had more rib- vine for support than the AMT, Grizaly, or Powermatic inserts. (See margin photos.) Cary: Another thing about Doth the Delta and Jet inserts i there's a finger hole thatmakes it easy to lift them out when I change blades. The AMT and Grizzly inserts don't have finger holes. And they fit so tight I had to poke a stick up through the back of the saw to pop them out. Ken: My pet peeve is an insert that rattles when you turn on the saw. The AMT and Powermatic solve that problem with spring clips that press against the sides of the saw table around the open- ing. And there's no vibration wit the Soars insert oithor sineo i Flatness. Dollar bills slipped un- der a straightedge reveal a ‘ish” in the Grizaly saw table, serewedin place. Butit drives me mits getting screwdriver ont every time I change blades, Cary: Something that bugged me when I changed blades on the Jet saw is the opening for the insert is ¥4! narrower than the other saws. So Thad toserunch up my band to thread on the arbor nut — especially when I put ona full width dado blade Bore thing we havent talleed about iathe extension wings that bolt to the smo tables. Steve: Originally, Iwas leaning toward the cast iron extension swings on the Sears, Grizaly, AMT, and Powermatic saws. (See pho- tos below.) After all, the more mass the better when it comes to dampening vibration. But when I pinched my finger in one of the openings as I was sliding the rip fenee, I started be- lieving in the stamped steel swings on the Delta and Jet saves. Extension Wings. Heavy gauge stamped steel extension wings con the Delta and Jet saws (left) Px provide plenty of support when crosscutting 2 long board And unlike the open-grid cast iron ShopNotes: wings on this Sears saw (tight), there are no sharp edges to ao- cidentaly “catch” your fingers. No. 21SELECTING TOOLS @Mite Gauge Slots. A straight slot like on the Sears and AMT saws (left) makes it TAA! a glance, all the miter ‘gauges look a tot alike. So what ‘separates one from another? Steve: One thing Tnoticed was tthe bars on the Sears and AMT miter gauges fit in a U-shaped slot. (See photos above) That's okay if 'm crosscutting a work piece that: doesn't hang over the edge of the table, But with alarge jworkpieve, the Tshaped slot on ‘the other sawsis a big help. ‘That's because there’sa special washer attached to the end of the bar that locks the miter gange in the T-slot — even when I pull it all the way back. As a result, I don’t have to worry about sup- porting the miter gauge and the workpiece at the same time, Cary: I think the Tslots are a hassle. Every time I use the mi- ter gauge, Ihave to slide the bar into the slot from either the front orback of the saw. So just take off the washer. Regardless of the shape, what did you notice about the fit of the bar in the slot? Ken: I was impressed by the fit of the bar on the Grizzly miter gauge — like a well-machined tool. Although there's some “play” in the bars on the Jet and Delta miter gauges, they're bet- ter than the loose fit of the Sears @ suc rovermatic. Cary: At first, I thought Dc hhad a groat idea with its miter gange — to make it adjustable. No. 21 easy to insert the baron the miter gauge. But it doesn't lock the miter gauge in the siot lke the T-shaped siot on the other saws (right) Bat when I adjusted the bar to remove all the play, it stuek in the middle of the ext. ‘What this boils down to is the width of the slot varies from one end to the other. And even worse, whenT switch from one slot to the other, the miter gage won't even fit unless T readjust the bar. So there's no consisteney from one slot to the other either. What about the adjustments ‘for the preset stops at 45° and 90°? Steve: Except for the Sears, all the miter gauges use a metal tab as a stop. (See right-hand mar- gin.) But there's enough flex in the tabson the Grizzly, AMT, and Powermatic that it’s hard to re- ‘turn to the camo setting over and ‘over again. The sturdier tahs on the Jet and Delta produced a miach more positive stop. Ken: The Sears miter gauge has a different stop system—a pin that slips into a slot in the back of the miter gauge. It's a ‘good, solid stop. But Ican'tadjust, one stop withoat affecting all of them, And if I'm cutting miters for a frame where accuracy is critical, that’s a real headache, Cary: At least with the adjust- ment screws on the other miter gauges, I can change the stops independently. On the Delta, I just have to tweak an Allen screw. That's handier than fid- dling with the adjustment serews and nuts on the other saws. ShopNotes 4A Delta. Arretal tab and an Allen screw make tho 45° and 90° preset stops on ihe Delta miter gauge accurate and easy to adjust. AAMT. Pajusiirent screws on the AMT rniter gauge aren't as handy. And a flimsy motal accurate. 5.4 pin in the Seers miter gauge pro: vides a positive stop. But the 45° and 90° stops can't be adjusted independently. BSTR ee Guide Rails. Regardless of the shape, the rails that aluminum channel on tne Jet (let) and the round tube guide the rip fence should be rigid and sirong. in on the Powermatic (center) provided a smoother addition to being the most solid guide rails, the action than the angle rails on the Sears saw (right). BiThe rip fence can make or fences across therailssoundslike the saw table? break «saw. So howdothefences you're dragging a piece of iron Ken: That’ssomething Ilookat stack up against each other? _eross conerete, And the Sears closely —especially since Iresaw Cary: That's where Inoticed a fence lurcheslikeabegimerleamn- alotof thick stockinto thin boards bigdifference. Starting with how — ing to drive a stick shift: And I ean't doit accurately if the smoothly the fences on the Jet Steve: Even moreimportant to fence isn't square to the table, and Powermatic glide across the me is whether the fence locks par- What I found is all the fences guide rails. (See photosabove.) allel to the blade, ‘There's nothing are flat and square except. the Although the fence on the more frustrating than having to Sears and Grizzly, Adjusting the Delta saw docen't aide as easily, measure the distance from the guide railsia supposed to square it's definitely a step above the fence to the front and hack of the up the Sears fence. But it's @ AMT and Grizzly. Sliding these _ blade every time I makea cut. chore. Especially compared to a ‘The only fences I simple, built-in adjustment on ae: J] found that locked paral- the Powermatic. Locking Mechanisms 999) 2 cucttenty we tc Guinn co yon ps Jet, Delta, and Power- fontherip fence? Some fences (like the Jet and Powermatic) lock only matic. There's so much Cary: I got spoiled by how easy on the front guide ral, see top drawing, While you'd | slopinthelocking mecha- itis to read the indicators on the expect these fences to deflect when making a cut, nism on the AMT and Jet, Powermatic, and Sears fences. theyre feed And use mnstottheothertaness | Griedy fen, Teantrely Gee photos below) The plners ‘that are secured on the front and back rails (bottom | onthem, Andit’slike spit- on the other saws aren't quite as drawing), they lock parallel to the blade every time. ting in the wind trying to accurate. And on the AMT and ‘keep the Sears fence ad- Grizzly, I can’t even see the num- justed tolock perallel. __bers on the seale because they're a (What about the face of hidden by the casting that holds @ we | cab fnceerrs tenia theres thera |) (te ~ ee Be ao 7 roe SO : 2 te | at | | wack) ees Indicators. When setting the rip fence, a cursor with a hair- oe BACK RAILS Jine indicator on the Powermatic (left) is more accurate and: easier to read than the poinier on the Detta fence (right). 26 ShopNotes No.21Tua a @ Controls & Motor @ The controls on a saw make a big difference in how easy and comfortable itia to use. What did you think about the controls? Stove: For starters, Iliked the big, beefy handwheels on the Powermatic that eontrol_ the height and angle of the blade. Gee photos at right.) They easy to find and comfortable to grasp. And they provide more Handwheels. The large handwheel that controls the height of the leverage than the eookie-sized blade on the Powermatic (left) is more comfortable to grasp. And it hhandwheels on the AMT. provides more leverage than the small hanawheel on the AMT (right). Ken: Besides the size of the handwheels, I liked the smooth [§Whatabouttheonioffswitch? also have plenty of muscle far action of the Powermatic and Jet ‘Ken: It’sharitogetused tothe _mostof the work Ido. Butto keep when adjusting the blade. While toggle switch on the Delta saw. the motors on the AMT and Griz- the Delta and Grizzly aren't as (See photos below.) The rail- zly saws from bogging down, I smooth, at least they're not as mounted switeneson the Jet and had to ease up on the feed rate, stif'as the Scars and ANT saws. Sears saws are handier. Kea: Oneconcera Thave isthat Cary: One problem I noticed [One last thing. How would you the openmetors on the Delta and is the mob on the ANT that’s rate the performance of the suis? Sears saws can draw in dust — supposed to lock in the heightof Steve: Just hy howeasy itis to which can significantly shorten the blade just doesn’t work. And plow through 2'-thick hard ma- the life of the motor. (See photos when I tighten the lock knob on ple, I'd say the Powermatic has belov.) The other saws have to- tho Delta, the blade creops thestrongest runningmotor And tally enclosed fan-eooled motors about W" the Jet, Delta, and Sears saws to seal out the dust. ‘Switches. Unike the srrallioggle grope around to find the rail. Motors. An enclosed. switch mounted on the Delta saw mounted switches on the Jet (left) protects againstdust that cancause cabinet (left, you don't have to (center) or the Sears saw (rgh). overheating in an open motor (right). RECOMMENDATIONS Ken: Picking one table saw outof Steve: All through the test, two Cary: That's a tough one, I was the buneh is easy forme—I'd go saws kept coming to the top — impressed with the fence, the ‘with the Jet ina heartbeat. the Delta and the Jet. strong-tunning motor, and the T especially liked the smooth ‘The fit and finish of thesesaws —dust-hooisup on the Powermatic. action ofthe fence and the slumi- isexcellont.Andtheheftandma- But the Jet has all that and num guide rail. And since itlocks chining of the parts told me more, soT ckoseit instead. Mainly @ faratctic thebialeeverytime,1 they'rebuit-withqualityinmind. because of ts atention to deta can rely onit for accurate setups. But when push comes toshove, Asturdy base. The beveled front Finally, with all the plywood Teut, the smooth, accurate ence onthe edge on the saw table. Even a its 80" rip capacity isareal bonus. Jet makes it my first choice. handy reil-mounted switch. No.21 ShopNotes caPTT as) Shop Solutions Small fe Miter Gauge WI make a lot of small picture frames for gifts — the challenge is mitering the ends of these small pioecs accurately. It’s diffi calt to hold them when using my tandard miter gauge. To solve this problem, T've ‘made a jig designed for small pieces. It's nothing more than a shallow box attached to a runner: Centering Dadoes |The wobble type dado blade I width (usually ("). Then use a use with my table saw does a combination square to measure great job of cutting dadoes. But from the miter gauge slot to the settingtheripfencetoaccurately center ofone of the saw teeth, see position the dado can be a real drawing. Finally, transfer this hassle. That's heeanse the indiea- The runner rides in the miter ‘gauge slot for accuracy. And the workpiece can be clamped to either of the sides elosest to the blade, see photo. ‘Tomake thejig, eut four piecos of stock forthe sides. Simple rab- Det joints help align the pieces during glueup, see drawing. (Note: Size thebox soit dears the blade when it's attached to the runner, see detail in drawing) ‘To strengthen the sides of the box, I glued a piece of 14" Ma- sonite tothe bottom. Finally, glue and screw the box to a wooden runner, Note: To ent accurate mi- ters with this jig, its critical to make sure the box sits at a 45° angle tothe blade. Shop Tip: The workpiece may shift when making the cut even with clamps, To prevent this, glae sandpaper to the sides ofthe bex. Sherwood Cook ‘Tenants Harbor, Maine ‘measurement to the inser and mark or file a noteh to indicate tthe centerline, Rev Lawrence Hober City, Utah tor for my rip fence is set for a [————————— single blade — not adado. See ‘Tp solve this, | use the center | | ovenine of my dado blade as a reference ¥ atgiivnmecct |] 6 a line of the dado I want to ent. 1] ToT 1 ‘Then it's easy to measure (or ref- erence) from the eenter of the LTE blade to the fence and set the ex- I act location for eutting your dado. Findingthe center ofa wobble- type blade is simple, Start by ad- Jjusting the biade to its smallest 8 ShopNotes No. 21TIPS & TECHNIQUES Drill Press |-Beam 1 Drilling holes in small pieces ia fa problem on the drill press. Small pieces are difficult to lamp, and if you try to hold them wwithyour hand, they want to spin when the bit breaks through the hack side. To prevent injury, T made an auxiliary table to hold small pieces securely, ‘The auxiliary table is shaped like an F-beam— the top and bot tom pieces extend ont 28 clamp- ing platforms, see photo. ‘Tobuild thetable, start by cut ting an identieal top and bottom piece from plywoed, see drawing, ‘Then use a dado blade to cut a soove down the center of both pieces to fit a 2x4, Finally, glue and elamp the pieces together. ‘Now to finish the table, drill holes in the top and hottom, This allows you to attach it to the drill press with carriage bolts and a couple of wing muts, Make sure you bolt in atleast two slots to prevent the table from twisting, Note: When the top gets chewed up with use, Just flip the table overrand use the other side. Charles Brownold. Davis, California ‘Gwe Poco MEcES TO 24 segues seo Z sy peer - Cliente aire ie eg Cleaning up excess glue froma project can be time consuming. Especially around molding. To solve this problem, Fl we a glae “moat.” It'sjust-an extrasaw kerf ceat on one of the strips of mold- ing. This way when the pieces are clamped together, any glue squeeze-out collects in the moat Dawid Dale Murrieta, California Quick Tips WA quick and easy way to damp odld-shaped projects together is with an inner tabe clamp. To make one, I'll cut the valve stern off a bieyelo inner tube and tie Jmot with the ends tomake a rub- ber clamp the size I need. For bigger projects, two or more ean be tied togethe: TJ. Shipman Buckhannon, West Vinginia No.21 NOTE: currenein Boron oben NOTE: owe squeezes nro wosr Son Using a rubber or no-marmal- let is a good idea when assem- bling furniture, But instead of baying one, converted my regu- Jar hammer into a rubber mallet by slipping a rubber cane tip over the head. Note: Bring your hammer along to the hardivare store toget the right siz ‘Arne Soat Hubbell, Michigan ShopNotesCET Softwood Grades ° Tm having a tough time making aenoo out ofall the different ooft- aeood “iby” lumber grades. One local building center carries Se- lect, Quality, and Standard pine. Another sells D-Selest, #2,and #3 Comman pine. Their prices are competitive, but I'm confused. Am I missing something here? C.M. Houghton Boston, Massachusetts Mit sounds to me like they're both selling the same three Softwood grades of lumber — they're just lumber grades going about it differently. The can beconfus- fSt building center is probably : attaching their own marketing ing — Unle$8 rare to each of the three grades. you know what The other is selling the same (or to look for. similar) product under the grate name it was given at the sawmill, STAMP & TAG. What you'llhave to dois compare the lumber your- self. The lower grades should havea grade stamp on the face of each board, see photo at right. Higher grades aren't stamped, but they might have a grade tag stapled to one end, Comparing the stamps (or tags) and appearance, allows you to compare apples to apples. RULES.But there is a catch ere. You need to keep in mind that there are seven organiza- tions writing softwood rules which regulate over 20 grading inspection agencies throughout North America. ‘These inspection agencies pro- vide a standardized system for grading forest products _pro- uced in their particular region. This system keeps the saw- nills in each region on the same playing field to ensure their cus- tomers geta consistent product. For the most part, each agency Grade Stamp. This Western Wood Procucis stamp indicates this is le #28 Geller Conmien bead) that’s ponderosa pine or lodge. pole pine. It came frorn mill #422 and was planed afterit was dried. follows the same basie rules, But many assign their own names to the different grades, Also, each uses a different grade stamp, which might explain why there's some confusion atthe retaillevel. The good news is, most tum- Select or Finish (esst, clear, caber, or D-Select) Common (#1, #2ac00, #2 ana #5) ShopNotes Deryards carry only two or three ‘grades of softwood lumber: GRADES, Softwood that's gen- erally knot-tree with a consistent color is assigned one of the “Se- lect” or “Finish” grades, see top photo below. Depending on the mill where the lumber was pros essed, you might see boards graded B & Better, Clear, Select, C& Better, D-Select, or Finish. If you don't mind knots (or that’s the look you're after), then 0 with a board graded “Com- mon,” Of the “commons,” a #1 or #2 Common board will have the fewest number of knots, see bot ‘tom photo below. A #3 Common will have more knots, and #0 on. (or more on softwood grades send $2to: Western Wood Prod @y ucts Assoe.,, Dept SN, 522:5th Ave. ‘S.W,, Portland, OR 97204-2122.) SPECIES. Another thing to con- sider'is all softwood isnt the samo. The stack at the lumberyard might be ponderosa pine, larch, or ‘Douglas fir from Oregon or Wash- ington. It might be white pine from New Hampshire. Or south- ‘em yellow pine from Georgia. In fact, the stack could be a mixture of different. softwoods. It's eommon for western sawmills tomix ponderosa pine with lodge pole pine. Lumber marketed as SPF lumber an be a combination of spruees, pines, and some true firs. And “white wood” can be a mix of just ahout any western softwood (excluding Douglas fr, lareh, cedar, and redwood). The point is, you'll want to pay particular attention to the color and grain of each board. By s2- lecting. similar-looking boards, you'll end up with » more uni form, consistent project —which will make a big difference when ‘you apply astain or finish, No. 21* Water-Based Top Coats hen water-based top coats walnut or cherry. To get thisam- use a paint pad, see photo C. first came out, Iwas like er color, you can add small THIN COAT. Whether you use & an old dog learning new tricks. amounts of water soluble aniline brush or pad, the key is to apply Aner all, they looked and acted dyes to the finish, as thin a coat as possible. (IF differently than the solvent- RAISES GRAIN. Another thing you're used to solvent-based based finishes I'd been using. to be aware of is water in the products, it will feel like you're What surprised me the most is finish will raise the grain of the working too “dry.” water-based top ecatsdry inered- wood and leave a rough surface. The idea is tolay the finish on bly fast. Depending on the But it's easy to minimize this by in the direction of the grain. sweather, I ea apply twoor even sanding withfiner gritsandpaper ‘Then go back over it (one time three coats in one day. Yet they than you normally would (up to only) in the same direction. still produce a hard, du- —————__________________ Although it's tempt- rable finish. All it takes are a few simple tricks ing to contine to work | Sources Another thing I lke anata ‘gh the finish, its best to | POUFCES | ee ea On OK dT ee ay conta is they don't smell with water-based top coats. marks or bubbles that ee form will soon disappear ishina basement without wor- 220-grit) Then, after the first coat, as the finish levels ut. rying about the risk offire. Bven dries, Knock off the “whiskers” ADDITIONAL COATS. After the cleanup is easier — just use with 320-grit sandpaper. finish dries, Tse an abrasive pad warm water and soap, FILTER. Before applying the (like a Scotch-Brite pad) to re- While I appreciate alll those firish,it'sa goodideatofiltorit,soo move any dust “nibs.” Steel wool things about water-based top photo A below. That's because the can leave tiny splinters that will coats, they do have a few quirks solids in the finish can form small rust.) Then wipe the surface with that I had to get used to. Iumpslike eusincottagecheese. _adampragand apply another coat. ‘COLOK. Eventhoughthe finish APPLICATION. Since the finish BRANDS. There are anumber of appears milky when you pour it sets up fast, it's important to brands of waterbased top coats out ofthe container, itdvies dear. work quickly when applying a ‘Two brands that work well for me The fact that it doesn’t “yellow” water-based top coat. A syn- are Carver Tripp (available at light colored woods (ike pine or thetiebristle brushworks welion many hardware stores) and Envi- maple) is great. But I miss the small projects, see photo B. But ronmental Friendly water-based “arm” colar on dark woods like to cover large surfices quickly, I finishes, see margin for sources. A. Filter. To strainoutany lumps inthe B. Brush.A synthetic bristie brush ©. Pad. Forlarge surlaces, a paintpad finish, pour it through a paper paint (nyion or polyester) helps lay down a works best It loads well and iets you filter into a plastic (or glass) container. smooth coat of finish on small pieces. apply the finish quickly and evenly. No. 21 ShopNotes 311 Can't decide which ate au ty? Owr team of A This adjustable fetheboard atackes ( your fi woodworkers tests six popular models under $700 and router table (or table saw) to ensure a precision cut. offers practical suggestions on what to look for. Ab the sume time, it reduces the chance of kickback. A With a sturdy writing surface that as a handy drafting table. And its e lifs up to provide access to supplies compact size makes it easy to store and materials, this lay desk doubles the desk conveniently out of the way.