100 The Router Table

Per fect
Per
Master The Table Saw Dadoes
Vol. 17 Issue 100
10U0Eth THE ROUTERTABLE

ISS ! Projects, Tips,, Techniques,
SPECIAL & Accessories
US!
PLStraight & Flat
Perfect Workpieces Every Time
Tips & Techniques
Top-Notch Solutions From Our Shop
NEW Jig For Quick & Easy Joinery

Rock-Solid Results In Minutes
A Publication of August Home Publishing
s100_001_SUB.indd 1 5/23/2008 2:42:10 PM

Contents
Features
dream shop project
Ultimate Router Table ________________ 18
This router table might just be the last one
you’ll ever need to build. It’s loaded with
storage, has a built-in dust collection system,
and moves easily. Plus, the fence has a
micro-adjust for “dialing in” accuracy.
best-built jigs & fixtures
Precision Mortising Table______________ 30
Take your mortising machine to the next level
with this shop-built table. A dual sliding rod
system allows for precise positioning and
effortless mortising.
hands-on technique
Easy Shop-Made Dowels _____________ 38
You may never need to buy dowels again.
Tool Station page 40 With this simple step-by-step process, you
can make your own dowels in minutes.
weekend workshop
Cordless Tool Station _________________ 40
Keep your cordless drills, chargers, and other
tools organized in this easy-to-build, wall-
mounted station. The handy drawer provides
even more storage for all your accessories.
Departments
Dado Blades page 46 Readers’ Tips _______________________ 4
router workshop
Insert Plates Rabbeting on the Router Table__________ 8
page 12 Perfect rabbets? You bet. Here’s what you
need to know to do it on the router table.
materials & hardware
3 Solutions for Wax Protection _________ 10
The secret to protecting surfaces and making
your shop tools work better is just a matter of
choosing and using the right wax.
jigs & accessories
Router Insert Plates __________________ 12
The insert plate you select may well determine
how well your router table works. Learn the ins
and outs of what makes a good insert plate.
2 ShopNotes No. 100
s100_002.indd 2 6/10/2008 8:48:25 AM

Cutoffs
O ne hundred issues. There was a
time when some people around
here wondered whether we’d make it past
ten. Well, we all know woodworkers are a cre-
ative bunch. As a result, there are always new
tools, techniques, and tips for getting more
out of your shop. So I don’t think we’ll have a
problem filling another hundred issues.
Our first issue featured a great router
table. You can see it in the cover photo
below. In fact, it still sees daily use in our
shop. And since then, we’ve built at least
a dozen more. With all that experience in
hand, I think our latest version is the best
yet. It has built-in casters, a top-notch dust
collection system, and more than ample
storage. But what really raises the bar is the
Mortising Table page 30 fence. Need to replace the fence face? No
problem. Add on a featherboard? Easy. And
hands-on technique the handy micro-adjust and built-in guide
The Secrets to Flat Stock ______________ 16 system make tweaking the fence position a
Starting with flat stock is essential for successful snap. All in all, it’s a one-of-a-kind table.
woodworking. We’ll show you how to do it right. But this issue has a lot more to offer.
You’ll also find a shop-built table for your
Shop Short Cuts _____________________ 28 mortising machine that makes creating a
Shop-tested tips and techniques to solve your
precise mortise a sure thing. And to keep
woodworking problems.
setting up shop a handle on your cordless tools, there’s a
Creating Custom Tool Storage _________ 44 wall-mounted station you

can build in a weekend.
Protect your fine tools with a custom-fit, lined
drawer insert. All it takes is an afternoon. So take a look and stick
mastering the table saw around for the next
Dado Blade Essentials ________________ 46 hundred issues.
Get more from your table saw with a dado
blade and a few simple tips.
great gear
Top-Notch Pocket Hole Jig ____________ 48
Pocket hole joinery is quick and reliable. Learn
Issue No. 1
how the Kreg K3 makes it even easier.
Q&A ______________________________ 50 This symbol lets you

know there’s more infor-
mation available online at
Sources ___________________________ 51 www.ShopNotes.com
www.ShopNotes.com 3
s100_002.indd 3 6/10/2008 8:54:08 AM

#/4 !/2"
FROM OUR 1!/2" PVC PIPE
DOWEL
Readers 1(/16"-DIA. PLUG

!/2" FLAT WASHERS
NOTE: FRAME
IS CONSTRUCTED
WITH 1!/2 x 1!/2 STOCK
TOP VIEW
LEG
HINGE
!/2" x 1!/2"
RABBET
Tips for SIDE VIEW (LEGS FOLDED)

ROLLER
ALIGN ROLLERS
Your Shop
WITH TOP OF
NOTE: HINGED LEGS STAGGERED SAW TABLE
TO NEST TOGETHER WHEN FOLDED
(/16
HINGE PLATE
Hinged Outfeed Table SCREWED TO TOP OF LEG
T-NUT AND CARRIAGE BOLT

LAG SCREW
SECURES FRAME
I was thinking of buying an out- The first, IN BOTTOM OF LEG TO TABLE SAW
feed table for my table saw, but stationary

decided to build one instead. My section is bolted to the back of fold the legs in, then lower the
requirements were that it had to the table saw and is wide enough table down out of the way.
fold down out of the way when to clear the saw’s motor. The sec- All of the materials I used to
not in use, but still support a long ond, folding section is attached make this outfeed table are easy
workpiece while ripping it on the with hinges to the first section. to find and inexpensive. The roll-
table saw. I came up with a simple- This hinged section has folding ers are made from 11⁄2" PVC pipe
to-build, two-piece design that fills legs for support when the table is (inside diameter) with wood plugs
both needs, as you can see in the extended. The legs are also adjust- glued into the end of the pipe. A
photos below. The drawing above able for easy leveling. When not in 1⁄ "-dia. dowel runs through the
2
shows how it goes together. use, just lift the table up slightly, pipe and wood plugs.
To support the rollers, I built a
frame and legs using 11⁄2"-square
stock. The legs are attached to the
frame with hinges. The bottom of
each leg has a 1⁄4" T-nut to accom-
modate a carriage bolt that acts as
a leg leveler (drawing above).
I mounted the frame a little
lower than the miter slots on my
saw so I could still use the miter
gauge. Now when I’m cutting
large sheets of plywood or long
boards, I’ve got a handy helper.
And when I need the floor space,
I can fold it out of the way.
Amy Horton
Gladwin, Michigan
4 ShopNotes No. 100
s100_004.indd 4 6/10/2008 9:09:08 AM

3 AAA
Handy Grill Light

batteries
inside
Just like clamps, you can never have
enough light in the shop — especially
at a tool or workstation. Adding some ®
task lighting to your drill press or band Issue 100 July/August 2008
saw helps out a lot. It’s much easier to
see a layout line as you work. Screw Magnets PUBLISHER Donald B. Peschke
I recently came upon a portable, clamp EDITOR Terry J. Strohman
battery-operated grill light, like you see MANAGING EDITOR Bryan Nelson
below. It can be purchased for around SENIOR EDITOR Phil Huber
$20 wherever grill supplies are sold. It power cord to get in the way. Plus, its ASSISTANT EDITOR Randall A. Maxey
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Vincent Ancona,
makes a great task light for the shop. energy-efficient LEDs shed a nice, bright Ted Raife, Dennis Perkins, Carol Beronich
The base can be mounted using either light right where it’s needed. EDITORIAL INTERN Catherine Seiser
the screw clamp or the magnets. And Steve Shultz
EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Todd Lambirth
it operates with batteries, so there’s no Chandler, Arizona ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jamie Downing
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS David Kreyling, Dirk Ver Steeg,
Harlan V. Clark, Peter J. Larson, David Kallemyn
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Shelley Cronin
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNERS Ken Munkel,
Kent Welsh, Chris Fitch, James R. Downing
PROJECT DESIGNER/BUILDER John Doyle, Mike Donovan
SHOP CRAFTSMEN Steve Curtis, Steve Johnson
SR. PHOTOGRAPHERS Crayola England, Dennis Kennedy

ASSOCIATE STYLE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham
ELECTRONIC IMAGE SPECIALIST Allan Ruhnke
VIDEOGRAPHER Mark Hayes
ShopNotes® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly (Jan., March, May, July,

Sept., Nov.) by August Home Publishing, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.
ShopNotes® is a registered trademark of August Home Publishing
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Congratulations to Amy Horton of Gladwin, • TELL US if you’ve missed an issue
Click on the link, “MAGAZINE CUSTOMER SERVICE” in the list on
Michigan. Her two-piece, hinged outfeed table the left side of our home page. Menus and forms will take you
(shown on the opposite page) makes it easy to cut through any of the account maintenance services you need.
long stock and plywood on the table saw. Her tip CUSTOMER SERVICE Phone: 800-333-5854
was selected as winner of the Porter-Cable SUBSCRIPTIONS EDITORIAL
router, just like the one shown at right. Customer Service ShopNotes Magazine
P.O. Box 842 2200 Grand Avenue
To find out how you could win a Porter- Des Moines, IA 50304-9961 Des Moines, IA 50312
subscriptions@augusthome.com shopnotes@shopnotes.com
Cable router, check out the information
above. Your tip just might be a winner.
Printed in U.S.A
www.ShopNotes.com 5
s100_004.indd 5 6/10/2008 9:09:53 AM

Resaw Jig
Being able to resaw thick stock To anchor the jig to the table, I
into thinner stock or veneers used two magnetic “switches”
adds a lot of design potential (made by MagSwitch). A
to your projects. And a band spring-loaded roller on an
saw is a great tool for resaw- adjustable guide block acts as a
ing. But I always had trouble featherboard to hold the work-
making straight, smooth cuts piece against the fence. And
at a consistent thickness. the runner and stop properly
To help with this, I use the position the jig relative to the
resaw jig you see here. It keeps blade. With this setup, it’s now
the workpiece firmly against a simple task to resaw stock
the fence to prevent wander- into any thickness veneer.
MAGNET ing so I can concentrate on Tom Roessler
SWITCH
feeding the workpiece. Appleton, Wisconsin
BASE FENCE
(2!/2" x 7") SUPPORT
(2!/2" x 7")
!/4"-20 x 2" GUIDE BLOCK TOP BAND SAW
BLADE
CARRIAGE
BOLT
(2!/2" x 7")
ROLLER VIEW CUT LINE
CATCH w/
SCREWS
WORKPIECE
CL #8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW POSITION ROLLER IN LINE
WITH LEADING EDGE OF BLADE
CL MAGNET
ROLLER
CATCH
SIZE HOLE CL
TO FIT
MAGNET
SWITCH %/16"-DIA. HOLE w/
#/4"-WIDE x !/4"-DEEP
CL COUNTERBORE
STOP
(!/4" Hdbd.)
%/16" x 2"
SLOT
NOTE: ALL PARTS !/4" WASHER

EXCEPT RUNNER AND STOP
MADE FROM #/4" PLYWOOD !/4"-20 KNOB
#6 x 1" Fh
WOODSCREW
RUNNER
(#/8" x #/4" - 6!/2")
SIDE
SIZE STOP TO POSITION ROLLER
AT LEADING EDGE OF BLADE
VIEW
Quick Tips
{ Sophie Huber of Des Moines, Iowa, { Connecting the odd-shaped dust ports on small hand tools to your dust
finds a paint can opener is the perfect collector hose is just a matter of making custom-fit adapters. Glenn Lees
tool for cleaning chips and debris out of a of Croton, Ohio, traces the outline of the fitting on a piece of MDF then
mortise. All it takes is a few strokes of a file cuts out the connector for each part, fine-tuning the fit. By gluing the two
to sharpen the end of the hook. parts together, this technique guarantees a leak-free adapter.
6 ShopNotes No. 100
s100_006.indd 6 6/10/2008 10:21:41 AM

Miter Squares
Using leftover plastic from a project, I made a couple
of miter squares for laying out cuts on workpieces.
They both feature 90° and 45° ends. I use one for left
miters and the other for right miters. They’re as accu-
rate as the commercial squares and I can make them
in a range of sizes. The ones you see here don’t take
much time at all to make. I keep several around the
shop so they’re always within reach.
To get started, you’ll need a small, hardwood strip
to make the “fence” of the square. Then attach the
plastic along one edge of the strip (right photos). I I touched up the cut edges with
start with an extra-long piece so I can trim it to size. 220-grit sandpaper. They’re easy to
You can use a miter saw or your table saw to cut the make and fit nicely in my apron pocket.
90° and 45° ends of the square. (Use clamps to hold Peter Sherrill
the workpiece safely as you make the cut.) Forestville, Wisconsin
Eraser Push Sticks

When cutting thin stock into narrow strips, conven-
tional push sticks are often too bulky and obscure my
view of the cut. And they just don’t offer the fine con-
trol needed to make these delicate cuts safely.
In this situation, I fit ordinary pencil erasers on the
ends of dowels instead. The friction of the erasers pro-
vides plenty of grip to control the stock. This makes
it easy to keep it tightly pressed against the table and
the rip fence. And since the dowels can be cut to any
length, I can easily adapt them for any kind of cut.
5⁄ "-dia. dowel cut to length
16 Best of all, they keep my hands well out of harm’s
way. You’ll find this technique also works well for
cutting small parts using a crosscut sled.
Pencil erasers Ron Altier
make a non-slip tip West Lafayette, Ohio
Hardwood knobs
make great handles
FREE TIPS
BY EMAIL
Now you can have the
best time-saving secrets,
solutions, and techniques
sent directly to your email
inbox. Just go to
www.ShopNotes.com
{ Wayne Wilson of Tallmadge, Ohio turned { You can use a shot of hot-melt glue and click on
an inexpensive nail apron into a roll-up to seal the ends of caulking tubes. “Sign Up for Free E-Tips”
storage pouch for his spade bits. With a little Jacob Schamberger of Swartz Creek, You’ll receive a new tip by
help from a sewing machine, he created a Michigan, finds it’s a quick way to prevent email each week.
custom-sized pocket for each bit. the contents from drying out.
www.ShopNotes.com 7
s100_006.indd 7 6/10/2008 10:22:08 AM

ROUTER
Workshop
router table
Rabbets
Learn a few straightforward tips and techniques for
creating smooth, crisp rabbets in a short time.
Nearly every project I build has a isn’t much different than routing a rabbets made with the straight bit.
rabbet or two in it somewhere. It’s profile along the edge of a work- But even when using the rabbet-
a versatile detail that can be used piece. It’s just a square profile. ing bit, the fence provides support
to create a recess for a cabinet back You can cut rabbets with either for the workpiece as you approach
or glass door panels, or to assem- of the two bits shown below. And the bit and during the cut.
ble a drawer or case. the tips and techniques you see Featherboard. Another advan-
I often turn to the router table to here will work for both bits. tage of the fence is it allows me to
get the job done because it creates Straight Bit. For years, I used use a featherboard (or two). This
a clean, flat-bottom rabbet every an ordinary straight bit. I prefer a prevents the workpiece from rid-
time. This is particularly important 3⁄ "-dia. bit with a 1⁄ " shank. This ing up on the bit and ensures the
4 2
if the rabbet is going to be visible. wide bit lets me tackle most rab- rabbet depth is consistent. With the
Use the fence When you think about it, rout- bets — even custom widths. featherboard in place, I can concen-
and 3⁄4"-dia. ing a rabbet on the router table Rabbeting Bit Set. The other trate on the feed rate and holding
straight bit for type of bit you see in the photo is the workpiece against the fence.
Rabbeting bit has more mass a rabbeting bit set. The bearing on
custom rabbets
to reduce vibration
the bit makes it easy to set it up for ROUTING TECHNIQUE
Interchangeable a specific-size rabbet. At this point, you’re pretty much
bearings allow for Set the Fence. Getting either ready to turn on the router and cut
varying the size bit set up is a pretty simple affair. the rabbet. I’ll start by going over
of the rabbets You can see the basic setup in the the general process. Then later on,
photo above and the drawing on I’ll cover a couple of variations on
the facing page. One thing I want the rabbeting theme.
to point out is that I use the fence Edge Rabbets. The most com-
for just about every rabbet. The mon type of rabbet you’ll make
only exceptions are for curved is along the edge of a workpiece.
parts and inside frames. Here, the enemy is chipout. The
The reason is control. Of simplest way to prevent it is to
course, the fence is required for use the right technique. In fact,
8 ShopNotes No. 100
s100_008.indd 8 6/10/2008 10:23:22 AM

FIRST SKIM
PASS PREVENTS
FENCE CHIPOUT ON each of the passes to The backer board gives the work-
SHOULDER
accomplish a specific piece a wider bearing face, and it
goal. For example, the backs up the cut.
WIDER CUTS
REMOVE MOST most common place The Right Order. If you
OF THE WASTE
for chipout to occur is need to rout a rabbet on both
FINAL SHALLOW
PASS LEAVES on the shoulder of the the end and the long edge of
CLEAN EDGE
cut (drawing at left). a workpiece, it’s best to
To keep it from hap- rout the end rabbet first.
pening, the first pass is This way, any chipout
SET BIT a shallow, scoring cut will be routed away when
TO FINAL HEIGHT
AND ADJUST FENCE that’s about 1⁄16" wide. the long edges are cut.
The job of the next Inside Rabbet. Another
few passes is to hog common type of rabbet you can
it’s mostly a matter of taking your out the waste. Since appearance make is on the inside of a frame.
time. Don’t be in a hurry to rout isn’t important, these cuts can be In the box below, you can find out
the rabbet all at once. Unless the larger, but no more than 1⁄4". how to get the job done.
rabbet is small (1⁄4" wide or less), For the final pass, I switch back As you can see, cutting rabbets
it’s a good idea to do the job in to a light cut. The low-stress cut on the router table is a great
several, shallow passes. guarantees that the inside edge of option for some tasks. And
You can go about this in two the rabbet will be clean and smooth with the right approach, you
ways. One option is to set the fence (upper margin photo). Plus, it lets can be sure to get perfect
for final width and then adjust the me sneak up on the final size of the results every time.
bit height between passes. In the rabbet if I’m trying to match it to
second way, you set the bit to the fit another workpiece.
final height and adjust the fence. This technique will work for most
Personally, I prefer the second rabbets. But there are two other Backer
method. Adjusting the bit height types of rabbets I want to highlight. Board
between passes may result in a End Rabbets. The first of these is
“stepped” cut. Plus, I can avoid a a rabbet at the end of a workpiece.
lot of stooping and reaching under If the piece is narrow, it can be dif- < Support. The
the table to adjust the bit height. ficult to keep it square to the bit. backer board
Start Light, End Light. Just And the unsupported back edge keeps the work-
because the rabbet is created in sev- of the workpiece can chip out. piece square to the
eral passes doesn’t mean that the Thankfully, there’s an easy solu- bit and prevents
passes need to be identical. I use tion — a backer board (right photo). chipout.
after assembly:
Inside a Frame For some projects, it works better to create a rabbet
after assembly, like creating a recess in a door for a
glass panel. This is definitely a job for a rabbeting bit.
Here the bearing controls the width, so you’ll need to
adjust the height to take multiple passes. And the left
photo shows you the proper direction for routing.
{ Bearing. The bearing sets the { Square Up. Over at the work-
width of the rabbet. But it can’t bench, use a wide chisel to finish
get into the tight corners. off the rabbet in the corner.
www.ShopNotes.com 9
s100_008.indd 9 6/10/2008 10:24:29 AM

MATERIALS &
Hardware
shop secrets
Wax Tips
Learn how ordinary waxes
can make your shop
tools run smoother, work
better, and last longer.
I’ve always thought of wax as a inexpensive, so you won’t spend Hand Tools. Other than keep-
furniture and floor polish. It was much to get just what you need. ing blades sharp, applying some
only when a friend showed me wax may be the easiest thing to
how wax makes driving screws PARAFFIN help cutting tools work better.
easier that I started to consider it a Paraffin (canning) wax is a solid Many old-time woodworkers kept
shop “tool.” It turns out there are bar that’s slippery and forms a a chunk of wax nearby as they
quite a few shop uses for wax. medium hard film. You’ll find it at used their hand planes and saws.
But not all waxes are ideal most grocery stores. A few “scribbles” of wax on the
for every application. Threaded Adjusters. Besides bottom of a hand plane makes it
I keep three types in making screws easier to drive, I slide easily across a workpiece, as
my shop: paraffin, use a bit of wax on adjustment rods in the right photo below.
paste, and beeswax. like the threads on a workbench
While any one of them will work vise (left photo below). Then run PASTE WAX
for the ideas shown here, I’ve the vise in and out a couple times Another wax you’ll find in my
found some are better than oth- to work the wax in and you’ll shop is paste wax. It’s actually a
ers in certain cases. And they’re all quickly notice a difference. blend of several types of waxes.
< Easy Operation.

Rub wax on the
threads of your
bench vise for
smooth movement.
> Less Effort.

Scribble some wax
on the sole of your
hand plane and it
will glide across
a workpiece.
10 ShopNotes No. 100
s100_010.indd 10 6/10/2008 10:25:42 AM

application:
Paste Wax
There’s nothing complicated about applying a coat
of paste wax to tool tables or jigs in your shop. The
three-step process is shown in the photos below.
The wax layer provides long-lasting protection.
But the more use the tool gets, the faster the wax
will wear away. Any time you notice a workpiece
“dragging,” it’s a good signal to add another coat
of wax. The new coat softens any remaining wax
and blends it into the new layer.
{ Smooth Sliding. Wax the bot- { Forms. A coat of paste wax

tom of crosscut sleds and other keeps glue from sticking to a
sliding jigs for better control. bending form for laminations.
They’re mixed with solvents in squeezeout from sticking to forms,

a creamy consistency. Once it’s as in the upper right photo.
buffed out, it forms a hard film.
Rust Prevention. In my base- BEESWAX
ment shop, it doesn’t take long The third wax in my shop is bees-
for rust to gain a foothold. Thank- wax. It forms the softest film of { Wipe It On. Use a cloth to lay down an even
fully, a thin coat of paste wax on all the three. A little goes a long way, layer of wax across the entire surface. To make
my cast iron and steel tables and though. Too much beeswax can buffing out easier, only apply a thin coat.
fences does the trick. The box at feel tacky rather than slick. So it’s
right shows how to apply it. a good idea to buff it out well.
Smooth Sliding. As a bonus, Finish. When dissolved in equal
the wax provides a slick surface volumes boiled linseed oil and min-
that allows workpieces to slide eral spirits, beeswax makes a great
easily. I also apply a coat to the workbench finish. To apply it, first
bottom of sliding jigs (upper left wipe on a wet coat. After letting it
photo). Don’t worry about the wax soak in for a few minutes, buff it
causing finishing problems. A slip- out to a soft sheen. The finish seals
pery, buffed out coat won’t leave a the bench from spills and makes it
residue on your projects. easy to “pop”
Glue Barrier. One final use dried glue off
for paste wax is to prevent glue the top. { Waiting is Easy. As the solvents evaporate,
the wax turns to a dull film. You’ll find this usually
takes 15 - 20 minutes.
Home Brew. Protect your

workbench with an easy-to-apply { Wax Off. With a clean, soft cloth, buff the wax
wax and oil finish. to a smooth polish. For best results, turn the rag
often so it doesn’t load up with wax.
www.ShopNotes.com 11
s100_010.indd 11 6/10/2008 10:26:09 AM

JIGS &
Accessories
router table
Insert Plates
A quality insert plate provides better results
at the router table. Here’s what to look for.
I’ve built a lot of projects in my Plus, I can just pop the router out { Solid Steel. This Veritas insert
shop with nothing more than a of the table to change the bit or use provides a large, flat surface for
table saw and a router table. And the router hand-held. accurate results every time.
my first router table was just a
piece of plywood mounted on a FEATURES Size. The main consideration
2x4 stand, with the router bolted As you’ll see on the next few for an insert plate is the size. And
to the bottom of the plywood. pages, there’s more to an insert there are a couple of things to think
Since then, I’ve upgraded to a plate than just a piece of plastic about. The first is the size of the
better tabletop with an insert plate. or aluminum. Taking the time to opening in the router table. And
An insert plate makes access to the determine which features you the other is the size of your router.
router easier. No more stooping or need can make your routing easier The plate should be large enough
bending over to reach the router. and more accurate. to let you remove the router from
the table without a lot of hassle.
But there’s a trade-off. Larger
plates can increase the tendency
of the plate to sag over time, espe-
cially with larger routers. So use
the smallest plate that will fit your
router. (The chart on page 15 shows
some plates grouped by size.)
Flatness. The next consideration
when choosing an insert is its flat-
ness. That is, how flat it is to start
with and whether it will stay flat
{ Multi-Use. The small Veritas over time. If you mount a heavy
plate stays attached to your router in your table, you don’t
router for hand-held or table use. want the weight of the router to
s100_012.indd 12 6/10/2008 10:33:52 AM

cause the insert to sag. This can Aluminum stays flat over time, > Aluminum.
really cause problems with the even with the heaviest routers. It’s Strong and
quality of cut as you rout. You can my first choice for an insert plate. flat, yet
easily check your insert plate for Phenolic. Another popular lightweight,
flatness by using a straightedge, as material is phenolic. It has gained aluminum is a
shown at the bottom of the page. a reputation for being a flat, stable great choice.
Shapes. The most common and material. And that’s usually true.
readily available insert plates are For most manufactured phenolic
rectangular. They’re easy to install inserts, you get a flat plate to begin
and available in a variety of mate- with. But it pays to check them
rials (right margin). with a straightedge. Some plates > Molded.
On the other hand, Veritas has (and blanks) can be slightly bowed This injection-
taken a different approach with when you buy them. molded
the round plates you see on the Acrylic. You may see acrylic phenolic plate
opposite page. The one in the main insert plates and baseplates as by Rousseau
photo has a couple of features I you shop. Acrylic is an economi- is well-
like. First, because it’s steel, the cal choice, but for a router table, it designed.
plate can be machined perfectly may not be the best choice. It can
flat — and it will stay that way. sag noticeably over time.
And the router clamping mecha- Thickness. Along with the
nism on the bottom makes it easy material, you need to consider the
to remove the router for hand-held thickness of the insert. I would > Pre-Drilled.
use without fussing with screws. choose a thicker plate over a thin- High-pressure
Multi-Purpose Baseplate. Like ner one for more sag resistance. phenolic is a
some smaller, rectangular inserts, With your choices narrowed, the dense material
the small Veritas plate shown at the features on the next two pages will and pre-drilled
bottom of the opposite page can stay help you make a final decision. plates are
on your router. This makes it easy to easy to install.
use in a table and hand-held.
Pre-Drilled. Most insert plates
are pre-drilled to fit your router.
But if you can’t find one with the
proper hole pattern, it’s easy to > Blank.
drill (photo at right). You can cut
and drill your
MATERIALS own insert
As I mentioned, there are a few from a sheet
materials to choose from. of inexpensive
Aluminum. Aluminum is a phenolic.
strong, yet lightweight mate- { Drill Your Own. Use your
rial that can be machined flat. router’s baseplate as a template
It’s a top-seller for that reason. for drilling any insert.
> Acrylic.
Although it’s
inexpensive,
this plastic
tends to sag
under the
weight of a
large router
and scratches
fairly easily.
< Flatness. Use a straightedge

to check for gaps that can cause
problems when routing.
s100_012.indd 13 6/10/2008 10:34:35 AM

{ A Quick Twist. The Veritas { Easy-Access Leveling. The
magnetic levelers work with any most convenient adjustments are
insert and are easy to adjust. made from above the table.
{ Under. LEVELERS. Aside from being simple set screw threaded into the to-back across the entire width and
Kreg’s levelers dead flat, the feature you need plate (right photo) to after-market length of the plate.
adjust from most in an insert plate is a way to levelers (left two photos). If your Then you can make small
underneath level it with the top of your router plate doesn’t include levelers, you adjustments, checking for flush-
the insert table. It’s important that the insert can choose one of these solutions. ness. Your fingertips work great to
plate with set is flush on all sides to keep a work- It pays to check the insert plate detect any variations. And you can
screws. piece from catching as you rout. periodically to make sure it’s flush use a scrap piece, sliding it across
As you can see in the photos with the top of your table. Use a the table to make sure it doesn’t
above, there are a number of mech- straightedge to check for gaps. I catch on the insert. Once that’s
anisms used. They range from a check from side-to-side and front- done, you’re ready to go.
INSERT RINGS. Insert rings, or

“reducer” rings as you see here, are
sized to reduce the gap between
the bit and the insert plate. They
help keep the workpiece from slip-
ping into the gap around the bit.
Insert rings usually come in
sets, and you need to use the ones
designed for your insert plate. As
you can see here, how they’re
installed in the plate
can vary. Some
are fastened
with screws, { Snap-In. The simplest insert { Screws & Levelers. Some
while others rings quickly snap into the insert rings include a method for
snap or twist in. opening of the insert plate. leveling them with the plate.
{ Sets.
Some inserts
come with rings STARTING PIN. There are times
or you can buy when you need to rout odd-
them separately. shaped pieces on the router table
These lock into and aren’t able to use the fence. Starting Pin.
the plate with a Routing the edge of a curved Get better control
special wrench. workpiece is a good example. when routing
Some insert plates include a freehand by using
starting pin, like you see at right. a starting pin.
It gives you a way to control the
workpiece as you guide it against
the bearing on the bit. Without a
starting pin, the bit has a tendency
to grab the workpiece.
s100_014.indd 14 6/10/2008 10:35:24 AM

BIT HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT. With more and more Manufacturer Description
router manufacturers including above-the-table
height adjustment on their routers, the insert plate Rockler 8" x 11" - 1⁄4" Aluminum w/Rings, Pin ($60)
you use needs to accommodate this feature. In most
cases, all that’s needed is a hole in the plate that Bench Dog 81⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Alum. w/Rings, Pin ($135)
allows the adjustment tool to reach the router’s height
adjustment mechanism (photo below). If you’d like Hartville Tool 9" x 12" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($50)
to accomplish the same thing for your router that
Rousseau 9" x 12" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($35)
doesn’t have this feature, you can take a look at router
lift mechanisms as discussed in the box below.
Router Table Depot 9" x 12" - 3⁄8" Acrylic w/Rings, Pin ($30)
MLCS 9" x 12" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($35)
MLCS 9" x 12" - 1⁄4" Aluminum w/Rings, Pin ($65)
Woodpeckers 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($60)
Woodpeckers 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Alum. w/Rings, Pin ($100)
Woodhaven 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($55)
Kreg 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($70)

Height Adjustment. For
routers with above-the-table JessEm 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Alum. w/Rings, Pin ($65)
height adjustment, you simply
need to drill a hole in the plate Veritas 9"-dia. x 1⁄4" Phenolic w/Pin ($40)
for the adjustment tool.
Veritas 12"-dia. x 3⁄16" Steel w/Rings, Levelers ($170)
router lifts:
Souped-Up Insert Plates Above-the-table
height adjustment
It used to be the only way you is quick and easy
could change the height of the bit
in your router table was to duck
underneath and fight with your
router’s height adjustment. Then
along came a variety of router lifts
(like the one by JessEm shown here)
which eliminated this problem.
A router lift mechanism is
mounted under the insert plate
in your router table. It allows you
to adjust the bit height and even
change bits from above the table.
It’s a great solution for an older
router without a built-in, above- Fine
the-table height adjustment. threads on
A router lift typically includes an the height
insert plate for your router table. adjuster
In some cases, you may need to means you
enlarge your router table’s open- Router lift can “zero-in”
mechanism provides on the exact
ing for a proper fit. Once the plate
a rock-solid platform depth of cut
is installed and level, you’re all set for your router
to start routing.
s100_014.indd 15 6/10/2008 10:35:46 AM

HANDS-ON Technique
flat stock
on the
Jointer
Want accurate joinery, flatter panels, and easier
assemblies? It all starts with this simple technique.
Putting a square edge on a board reference face for cutting parts to tearout, the grain on the edge of
is the first thing most woodwork- size, getting square edges, and cut- the board should run up and away
ers think of when using a jointer. ting accurate joinery. from the jointer table. You can see
But there’s another job it does that this in detail ‘a.’ A second way to
I think is even more important — THE BASIC TECHNIQUE avoid tearout is to take light cuts
flattening the face of a board. You can get a good idea of the tech- (about 1⁄32" - 1⁄16").
Actually, it’s the first thing I nique in the drawing and detail Pressure. Then, as you move
do with lumber that comes into below. But there are a few points the board across the cutterhead,
my shop. The process I use isn’t that deserve some mention. you want to concentrate pressure
complicated and only takes a Grain Direction. First, you on the outfeed table with your left
few minutes. But by following want to pay attention to the grain hand. Your right hand only serves
these steps, you’ll establish a flat direction of the board. To prevent to push the workpiece forward.
Problems. This basic technique
works great on relatively flat
BASIC USE FENCE TO
KEEP WORKPIECE boards. But as you look over a
FACE MOVING STRAIGHT
board before jointing, you’re likely
JOINTING
to see one or more problems.
The board might be cupped,
bowed, or twisted. To tackle these
PUSH
PAD issues, you’ll need to make some
adjustments to the technique. You
PUSH FORWARD
WITH RIGHT HAND can also make things easier by
PUSH DOWN reading the box on the next page.
WITH LEFT HAND
CUPPED BOARDS
USE HAND-OVER-HAND
a. KEEP
PRESSURE MOTION TO FEED WORKPIECE
One of the problems you’ll find
is a board that’s cupped across its
OVER
OUTFEED width. This is the simplest prob-
TABLE GRAIN SLOPES
AWAY FROM KNIVES lem to take care of.
For starters, joint the work-
piece with the cup facing down,
as shown in the photo above.
s100_016.indd 16 6/10/2008 10:36:44 AM

BOWED TWISTED APPLY DOWNWARD FORCE
ON CORNERS TOUCHING
BOARD JOINT WITH HOLLOW SIDE DOWN
BOARD JOINTER TABLE
APPLY DOWNWARD FORCE

ON ENDS
BOWED TWISTED
BOARD BOARD
CHAMFER
a. a. JOINTER CUTS ON
CHAMFER OPPOSITE EDGES
WORKPIECE
OUTFEED INFEED
TABLE JOINTER TABLE
KNIFE
The edges give the board a solid workpiece are in contact with the that the board is either cupped or
stance. Then, as you joint the face, jointer tables at the start of the cut. bowed as well. So you’ll need to
apply just enough pressure to keep The key here is applying pres- take the steps I mentioned earlier.
the board moving. Too much pressure only at the corners (right The ultimate reward for your
sure can press the cup flat. When drawing). Steady progress will efforts is a smooth, flat face. But
you let go, it will spring back and bring the other corners and more even more importantly, it puts you
you’ll still have a cupped board. surface area into contact with the on the right path to projects that fit
jointer. At this point, I usually find and look better.
BOWED BOARDS
Another common problem you’ll
find is a board that’s curved along cut parts to size:
its length. This is called bow.
Like a cupped board, you want
to work with the hollow side down.
Reduce Waste
But getting a flat face here requires
a slightly different approach. If a long, wide board has a lot of cup or Bow. The lower drawing shows how
Pressure on the End. The idea bow in it, you could spend a bit of time much material you’d need to joint and
is to remove material only at the — and waste a lot of wood — trying to plane away before getting a long board
ends where the board is touching flatten the face. To save both time and that’s perfectly flat. Here again, by cross-
the jointer, as shown in the left material, it’s a better idea to break down cutting it into shorter lengths, you can end
drawing above. It’s even easier in boards into smaller blanks. You can see up saving more of the original thickness.
this situation to press the board flat how this works in the drawings here.
as you move it across the jointer. Cup. In the case of cupped boards, rip- CUPPED BOARD (END VIEW)
So it’s important to only apply ping the board into narrower pieces can
pressure on the ends. almost eliminate the curve. And you’ll
Starter Chamfer. Sometimes end up with thicker stock, too. I find it’s
RIPPING CUPPED BOARDS TO ROUGH SIZE
a bowed board will catch on the a good idea to rip cupped boards at the RESULTS IN A REDUCTION OF WASTE
outfeed table at the start of the cut. band saw to avoid a possible kickback
To prevent this, I make a shallow situation at the table saw.
chamfer on the leading edge as
shown in the left drawing above. BOWED BOARD (SIDE VIEW)
TWISTED BOARDS
Twist is another problem you may CUTTING LONG BOARDS SHORTER WILL
find with lumber. And it seems YIELD THICKER PIECES AFTER JOINTING
like the most challenging to deal
with since only two corners of the
s100_016.indd 17 6/10/2008 10:37:22 AM

dream shop project
ultimate
Router
Table
A router table can be as simple as a flat plywood top
clamped to your workbench with the router bolted to
it. But a router table is such an important tool that it
deserves a permanent place and a few more features.
The router table you see here combines all the features
from a router table “wish list” (see next page). But there
are a few that really stand out.
The first is the large, thick top. It’s big enough to han-
dle most workpieces. And it’s equipped with a miter
track for holding jigs and other accessories.
The fence system is another big advantage to this
router table. It slides in a T-track and has a micro-adjust
feature for precision cuts. And the fence plays a key part
in the built-in dust collection system. To download a free
Below the table, the stout base adds ample storage. cutting diagram for the
And there are casters that make it easy to move the
Router Table, go to:
www.ShopNotes.com
router table around your shop.
Finally, it’s made from inexpensive MDF. That means
this router table won’t cost you much to build.
s100_018.indd 18 6/10/2008 10:38:09 AM

Materials Exploded View Details
A Sides (4) 151/4 x 30 - 3/4 MDF OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 35"D x 36"W x 409⁄16"H
B Backs (2) 81/2 x 291/4 - 3/4 MDF
C Tops (2) 81/2 x 141/2 - 3/4 MDF DUST AND CHIPS ARE MICRO-ADJUSTER
CHANNELED THROUGH LETS YOU FINE-TUNE
D Bottoms (2) 81/2 x 173/16 - 3/4 MDF FENCE AND TABLE FOR FENCE POSITION
E Doors (2) 9 x 293/4 - 3/4 MDF EASY COLLECTION
F Shelves (4) 73/8 x 14 - 3/4 MDF
G Base Sides (4) 51/4 x 151/4 - 3/4 MDF BLAST GATE CONTROLS
DUST COLLECTION
H Base Fronts (2) 51/4 x 9 - 3/4 MDF THROUGH FENCE OR
I Cleats (1) 3/ x 3/ - 84 rgh.
4 4 UNDER TABLE
J Corner Blocks (2) 11/2 x 31/2 - 51/8
K Sides (2) 131/2 x 151/2 - 3/4 MDF
L Back (1) 13 x 151/2 - 3/4 MDF
FENCE FACE CAN
M Top/Bottom (2) 13 x 141/4 - 3/4 MDF BE CUSTOMIZED TO
N Edging (2) 3/ x 3/ - 13 MATCH BIT SIZE FLIP-UP TABLE
4 4
EXTENDS CAPACITY
O Long Side (1) 21/2 x 813/16 - 3/4 MDF OF TABLE AND FENCE
P Short Side (1) 21/2 x 513/16 - 3/4 MDF LARGE 11⁄2"-THICK
TABLE RESISTS
Q Long Back (1) 21/2 x 191/4 - 3/4 MDF SAGGING
R Short Back (1) 21/2 x 14 3/4 - 3/4 MDF BUILT-IN DUST
S End (1) 21/2 x 41/2 - 3/4 MDF SYSTEM
COLLECTS CHIPS
T Bottom (1) 99/16 x 20 - 1/4 Hdbd. FROM BELOW
U Blast Gate (1) 33/4 x 33/4 - 1/4 Hdbd. THE TABLE
3/ x 6 - 13 WHEN FENCE IS
V Support Plate (1) 4 REMOVED
W Drawer Fronts/Backs (6) 1/ x 4 - 10 PIVOTING ARM
2
1/ x 4 - 13 SUPPORTS
X Drawer Sides (6) 2 TABLE
Y Drawer Bottoms (3) 10 /2 x 12 /2 - 1/4 Hdbd.
1 1 EXTENSION
Z False Fronts (3) 411/16 x 12 3/4 - 3/4 MDF
AA Table Core (1) 24 x 36 - 11/2 MDF
BB Table Skins (2) 24 x 36 - Plastic Laminate
CC Table Extension Core (1) 91/2 x 11 - 11/2 MDF POWER SWITCH
DD Table Extension Skins (2) 91/2 x 11 - Plas. Lam. PROVIDES
HANDY ACCESS
EE Support Arm (1) 3/ x 11/ - 12 TO ROUTER
4 2
CONTROL
FF Fence Base (1) 9 /2 x 21 - 3/4 MDF
1
GG Fence Runners (2) 1/ x 5/ - 43/

4 16 4
HH Fence Sides (2) 2 x 8 - 3/4 MDF NOTE:
JOINERY
II Fence Back (1) 2 x 3 - 3/4 MDF REINFORCED
WITH SCREWS
JJ Fence Cap (1) 4 /2 x 8 - 1/4 Acrylic
1
FOR EASY
KK Fence Fronts (2) 3/ x 3 - 28
4 ASSEMBLY
LL Fence Top (1) 3/ x 11/ - 28
4 8
Hardware
• (24) #6 x 11/2 Fh Woodscrews • (8) 1⁄4"-20 Hex Lock Nuts
• (64) #8 x 11/4 Fh Woodscrews • (8) 1⁄4"-20 x 2" Carriage Bolts
• (22) #8 x 11/2 Fh Woodscrews • (6) #8 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
THREE
• (4) #8 x 2 Fh Woodscrews • (3pr.) 12" Full-Ext. Drawer Slides w/Screws DRAWERS
• (2) 4" Fixed Casters • (2) 11⁄2" Hinges w/Screws ADD AMPLE
STORAGE
• (8) 3⁄8"-16 x 11⁄2" Carriage Bolts • (1) 3⁄8"-16 x 41⁄2" Fh Machine Screw FOR BITS,
JIGS, AND
• (10) 3⁄8" Flat Washers • (2) 3⁄8"-16 Nylon Lock Nuts ACCESSORIES
• (10) 3⁄8"-16 Hex Nuts • (2) Leg Levelers w/Nylon Inserts LARGE CASTERS
MAKE MOVING THE
• (2) 3⁄8"-16 Leg Levelers • (4) 1⁄4"-20 T-Nuts ROUTER TABLE EASY
• (2) 3⁄8"-16 T-Nuts • (4) 1⁄4"-20 x 11⁄2" Fh Machine Screws — JUST TILT AND GO
• (2) 3⁄8"-16 Acorn Nuts • (5) #6 x 5/8" Fh Woodscrews
• (16) 1⁄4"-dia. Shelf Pins • (2) 1⁄4"-20 x 11⁄4" Hex Bolts
• (5) 4" Drawer/Door Pulls w/Screws • (2) 1⁄4"-20 Locking Levers LEG LEVELERS KEEP
NOTE: RABBET TABLE STEADY ON
• (2) 11/2" x 30" Piano Hinges w/Screws • (1) 1⁄4"-20 Coupling Nut JOINERY AND UNEVEN FLOORS
• (2) Magnetic Catches w/Screws • (1) Micro-Adjuster INEXPENSIVE MDF
SAVES TIME AND
• (9) #8 x 5/8" Fh Woodscrews • (2) 48" Mini T-Track w/Screws MONEY
• (1) 21/2" Dust Port • (1) 36" Aluminum Miter Track w/Screws
• (8) 1⁄4" Flat Washers • (1) Power Switch
s100_018.indd 19 6/10/2008 10:39:40 AM

4#/4 #6 x 1!/2" Fh
B SIDE WOODSCREW
1
FIGURE C (15!/4" x 30")
A 1#/4 a. b.
1#/4 !/4
BACK 1!/4 TOP
1!/2 3!/2
#/4
A
C
TOP SIDE FRONT
A
TOP VIEW VIEW
(8!/2" x 14!/2")
A
SIDE TOP VIEW
B !/4
BACK 2&/8
(8!/2" x 29!/4") !/2
2 A #/4 BACK
2
SIDE
BOTTOM
A
1!/2
c.
6#/4
2!/8
1!/2 BOTTOM
D NOTE:
1" DIA. PRE-DRILL
NOTE: ALL PARTS ARE 1!/4 HOLES FOR
MADE FROM #/4" MDF CASTERS 1!%/16
(FIGURE 4) SIDE
D BACK
BOTTOM
(8!/2" x 17#/16")
1#/4 BOTTOM VIEW
side storage
Towers really just simple MDF boxes.
Before you cut the parts to size,
there are two things I want to point
because the back rests on the bot-
tom, as illustrated in Figure 1a.
Joinery. The construction of the
The base is divided into several out. The first is the shape of the towers is pretty simple — just rab-
sections: two towers, two bases, bottom piece. It’s designed to proj- bet joints reinforced with screws.
and a drawer cabinet. This keeps ect from the back. This will place You’ll find the specifics in Fig-
the construction straightforward. the casters in just the right spot to ures 1b and 1c. This means you
Once the sections are complete, roll the table around without it tip- won’t need to use a lot of clamps
they are bolted together. ping over (Bottom View). or spend time waiting for glue to
The base has two main func- The second thing is that the back dry. A table saw with a dado blade
tions. First, it’s meant to provide is shorter than the sides. This is makes quick work of the task.
ample support for the tabletop.
FIGURE
To do that, it’s designed in an “H”
shape. This rigid assembly absorbs
2 1#/4
MAGNETIC
CATCH
vibration and helps keep the top

from sagging. 3&/8
The second function of the base a. FRONT 3 CL
is to provide handy storage space. VIEW DOOR
PULL
TOWER
It doesn’t take long to acquire quite SIDE SHELF
a collection of router bits, jigs, and MAGNETIC
SHELF STRIKE
accessories. Now you can organize PIN
them in one location. #/8"
Make it Mobile. As I men- E
DOOR
tioned before, the router table is NOTE: TOWER DOORS F
AND SHELVES ARE SHELVES
built mostly out of MDF. And that MADE FROM #/4" MDF (7#/8" x 14")
means it’s heavy. So I added a pair
of heavy-duty casters that allows
the router table to be rolled around DOOR
STRIKE
your shop easily. HINGE
TOWERS
#/16 1!/2" CONTINUOUS
I began by building the two side E HINGE
DOOR DOOR
towers, as in Figure 1. They are PULL DOOR
!/2" ROUNDOVER (9" x 29#/4")
20
b. TOP VIEW ShopNotes No. 100
s100_020.indd 20 6/10/2008 10:40:22 AM

I installed the screws through FIGURE CLEATS I
the top and bottom to hide the 3
CLEATS #8 x 1!/4"
screw heads, as shown in Figures Fh SCREW
CORNER BLOCK J I I
1b and 1c. This puts the screw
G
holes close to the edge. To avoid BASE SIDE
splitting the sides, you’ll want to G
5!/4 H G
take care to drill accurately sized 15!/4
BASE BASE SIDE
pilot and shank holes. FRONT H
Before assembling the towers, I BASE
FRONT !/2
also took the time to drill holes for I NOTE: CLEATS ARE
9 MADE FROM #/4"-THICK 4
CLEAT HARDWOOD. BASE PARTS
shelf pins and a connector piece (#/4" x 4!/2") ARE MADE FROM #/4" MDF
you’ll make later. Since the tow-
TOWER
ers are narrow, it’s easier to do this
TOP VIEW BOTTOM TOWER BOTTOM
now, as in Figure 1. I
1!/4
Doors. The next pieces to make CORNER BLOCK
are the doors (Figure 2). They’re J &/8
CL 5!/8 I
nothing more than MDF panels. G G 3!/2 H CORNER
I BLOCK
They have a roundover on each BASE
FRONT SIDE
long edge and a shallow rabbet on
VIEW 4!/2 &/8
one edge to accommodate a piano #/4 G
hinge, as shown in Figure 2b. #/4
SIDE VIEW
Shelves. Inside the towers, I
added a set of shelves (Figure 2).
a. CLEATS BASE FRONT
b. c.
They’re just cut to fit from MDF
and rest on the pins. The construction of the base when you tilt the router table back
takes a slightly different approach and move it around the shop.
BASES than the tower. Instead of rabbets, Cleats. After cutting the base
Each tower sits on a short base the base is assembled with glue, pieces to size, you can make the
section. The base conceals a caster screws, and cleats, as in Figure cleats, as shown in Figures 3a, 3b
and a leg leveler, as illustrated in 3. The cleats also make it easy to and 3c. Since access is tight, it’s a
Figure 4. The fixed caster makes attach the base to the tower. good idea to pre-drill the screw
moving the router table a snap. Taper. The base sides have a holes for attaching the cleats to the
And the leveler allows the router slight taper cut along the bottom base and tower. Then attach the
table to remain wobble-free on edge, as you can see in Figure 3. cleats to each base piece before glu-
uneven shop floors. This detail provides clearance ing the whole assembly together.
At this point, you can attach the
#/8" x 1!/2"
4 TOWER BOTTOM CARRIAGE
BOLT
bases to the towers (Figure 3).
Leg Leveler. I also made a cor-
BASE
FRONT ner block for each base unit, as in
Figure 4. The corner block holds a
#/8"
ACORN leg leveler. These non-skid levelers
LEVELER NUT
keep the MDF bases from touch-
ing the floor where they could get
T-NUT
#/8" HEX dinged up or absorb moisture.
NUT
CORNER BLOCK
a. CROSS SECTION
Once you have the corner block
screwed and glued in place, mark
and drill an access hole in the
CARRIAGE
BOLT
b. CUT
AWAY
CORNER
BLOCK tower bottom so you can adjust
TOWER BOTTOM the leveler from above, as in Figure
4" FIXED 1. To adjust the height easily with
CASTER
#/8"-16
a socket wrench, an acorn nut is
CASTER T-NUT #8 x 1!/4" Fh glued on the end of the leveler with
WOODSCREWS
USED TO ATTACH epoxy, as illustrated in Figure 4.
CORNER BLOCK
Casters. All that’s left is to attach
#/8"-16 x 5"
NON-SKID the casters to the tower bottom.
LEVELER
CROSS SECTION These are held in place with car-
riage bolts, washers, and nuts.
s100_020.indd 21 6/10/2008 10:40:42 AM

DRAWER
CASE TOP DRAWER
(13" x 14!/4") L CASE BACK
FIGURE (13" x 15!/2")
5 !/2"
ROUNDOVER
M
completing
The Base
2
a.
#/4 N EDGING
(#/4" x 13")
K FOUR !/4"-DIA. 1!/4
Turning the individual towers !/4
!/4 HOLES FOR K
into a rock-solid base is the goal MOUNTING DRAWER
CASE TO
CASE TOWERS CASE SIDE
of the next stage of construction. TOP (13!/2" x 15!/2")
BACK
To do this, the towers are joined M
together by a center drawer case N DRAWER
CASE CASE BOTTOM 1!/4
and a hardwood support plate. BOTTOM (13" x 14!/4")
And you’ll also create part of the 3
dust collection system.
DRAWER CASE SIDE VIEW

#6 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW
The first thing to do is build the
FRONT VIEW
drawer case. As you can see in
Figure 5, it’s made the same way
b. #/4
c. !/2"
ROUNDOVER
NOTE: CASE
as the towers — with rabbets and CASE SIDES, BACK, TOP, AND
!/4 TOP M BOTTOM ARE #/4" MDF,
screws. But there are some differ- !/4 EDGING IS #/4"-THICK
CASE SIDE HARDWOOD
ences I want to point out. K
N
Joinery. The main difference is EDGING SIDE VIEW
the rabbets are cut into the top and
bottom and screwed together from Edging. Another difference is on an extra-wide blank. The wide
the sides, as in Figures 5a and 5b. the edging applied to the top and blank is safer and easier to con-
Here again, the idea is to hide bottom of the case. It creates a trol. Then I ripped the edging to
the screw heads when the towers recessed opening that the drawer width at the table saw. Finally, it’s
are attached on either side. I also fronts will fit into later on, as you attached to the case after assembly.
drilled holes in the case sides for can see in Figure 5c. Now, you’ll set aside the drawer
attaching the case to the towers, as To make the rounded edging, case for the time being to work on
shown in Figure 5. I started by routing a roundover part of the dust collection system.
You’ll need to have it built before
FIGURE BLAST GATE
6 SHORT SIDE
(2!/2" x 5!#/16")
LONG SIDE
(2!/2" x 8!#/16")
(3#/4" x 3#/4")
U
the base can be assembled.
NOTE: BACKS AND SIDES ARE P

O DUST COLLECTION
MADE FROM #/4" MDF. SUPPORT %/8"
PLATE IS #/4" -THICK HARDWOOD. LONG BACK RADIUS
One of the things that sets this
BOX BOTTOM AND BLAST GATE (2!/2" x 19!/4")
ARE !/4" HARDBOARD router table apart from most isn’t
Q
readily apparent — the dust collec-
6 tion system. With a single connec-
DUST BOTTOM tion point, the table collects chips
(9(/16" x 20")
T and dust from either the fence or
around the router motor. The key
#8 x %/8" to this is the simple L-shaped box
Fh SCREW V CL
SUPPORT you see in Figure 6.
R PLATE
The box wraps around one of
PRE-DRILL SHORT BACK 13
(FIGURE 7) (2!/2" x 14#/4") the towers so that it’s easy to access
NOTE: CUT NOTCH TO the dust port for attaching a shop
FIT AROUND DUST
S a. 2 COLLECTION BOX vacuum or dust collector hose.

Simple Construction. I began
END LONG BACK
DUST
(2!/2" x 4!/2")
S T b. P BOTTOM
BLAST O
by making the box pieces. You’ll
notice that dadoes in the long and
#/8 GATE
CL !/4 short side are sized to hold a 1⁄4"
2!/4" DIA. hardboard blast gate (Figure 6b).
!/2 V Then I routed a chamfer on the
TOP !/4 leading edges to soften them and
SHORT BACK
VIEW 4!/4 to act as a funnel to direct chips
#8 x 1!/4" Fh WOODSCREW TOP VIEW from below the table into the box.
s100_022.indd 22 6/10/2008 10:41:19 AM

#8 x 1!/4" Fh
WOODSCREW
NOTE: DRIVE SCREW #8 x 2" Fh
FIGURE AT ANGLE TO ATTACH WOODSCREWS
Assembling the box begins with
the two L-shaped corner assem-
7 DUST BOX
blies. The important thing here

is that the assemblies are square. a. FRONT
Then you can cut and add the end. VIEW
TOWER
The last piece to add is the bottom. SIDE SUPPORT
PLATE
This is a piece of hardboard with a DRAWER
CASE SIDE
hole drilled in it to attach a plastic
dust port, as in Figure 6a.
When the box is assembled, you CARRIAGE
BOLT
can make a blast gate to fit the
front opening (Figure 6). #8 x 1!/4" Fh
Support Plate. To center the box WOODSCREW
under the table, I added a support
plate, as shown in Figure 6. It’s sized DUST
SHORT
to match the width of the drawer BACK
case and has a centered notch that TOWER
BACK
fits around the dust box. !/4" x 2"
SUPPORT
Assembly. At this point, you’re PLATE CARRIAGE
!/4" HEX BOLT
ready to assemble the base sec- STOP NUT
W/ WASHER
tions. Figure 7 shows you how the TOWER
SIDE TOP VIEW NOTE: ATTACH DRAWER CASE
pieces go together. I used clamps to
keep the drawer case aligned with
b. FLUSH WITH BACK AND
BOTTOM OF TOWER CASE
each tower. Then it’s just a mat-
ter of using the mounting holes in DRAWERS details in Figure 8a. Then after
the drawer case as a guide to drill All that’s left to complete the base cutting a groove for the drawer
matching holes in each tower, as is to make the drawers that fit in bottom, they can be glued up.
shown in 7a. The drawer case can the center case. And combined The drawers slide on full-
now be bolted to the towers with with the side towers, it provides a extension slides. Just be sure to
carriage bolts, washers, and nuts. lot of versatile storage options. attach the slides at the bottom of the
The next step is to attach the sup- As you can see in Figure 8, drawer. This way, they’ll miss the
port plate at the top of the towers. It’s the three drawers are identical. hardware used to assemble the case.
mounted with screws (Figure 7b). To keep things simple, they’re Once the drawers are in place,
Then you can fit the dust box into assembled with tongue and dado you can cut and attach the false
the opening and screw it to the left joinery. This is an easy joint to cut fronts. I sized them for an 1⁄8" gap
tower with a screw from the back. at the table saw. You can find the on all edges (Figure 8b).
8 !/4
!/4
a.
DRAWER BACK
NOTE: DRAWER FRONTS,
BACKS, AND SIDES ARE W
!/2"-THICK HARDWOOD,
FALSE FRONTS ARE #/4" MDF Z
#8 x 1" Fh
WOODSCREW
DRAWER SIDE 1!/2 Y
(4" x 13") X !/8
X DRAWER BACK
W W W
DRAWER FRONT
(4" x 10") FALSE DRAWER
FRONT FALSE
W X FRONT
X
TOP VIEW !/4
Y !/4
CL
!/8
CL Y DRAWER BOTTOM 12" DRAWER
(10!/2" x 12!/2" - !/4" Hdbd.) SLIDE SIDE
ASSEMBLY
VIEW
DRAWER PULL
Z DRAWER FALSE FRONT
(4!!/16" x 12#/4")
b.
s100_022.indd 23 6/10/2008 10:41:38 AM

NOTE: REFER TO SHOP SHORT
b. 3#/4
#/4" DIA.
CUTS (PAGE 28) TO CUT
FIGURE OPENING FOR BLAST GATE
laminated 9 BLAST
GATE
3
3#/4
3&/8
Tabletop INSERT !/4 3
TABLE SKIN
BB
Now that the base is complete, TOP VIEW
TABLE CORES
you can turn your attention to AA
the top and fence. The tabletop is
where all the action takes place. 9#/4
The router is mounted to an insert
plate in the middle. And the fence CL
is positioned using a set of T-tracks
BB 24
in the top. There’s even an alumi- 36
Download a num miter track that lets you use a
step-by-step miter gauge or other accessories. a. SIDE VIEW
article to install Flip-Up Extension. This table BLAST BB
INSERT GATE
a router insert also has a unique feature — a !/2 AA
plate as well small table extension at the back, as AA
as plans for shown in Figure 10. This small flip-
the optional up table provides more capacity
door and back to position the fence farther away Multi-Layer Top. To accom- in Figure 9. The key when doing
panel. Go to from the bit. And it drops down plish these goals, I started by mak- this is to keep the assembly flat. I
our website: when I don’t need it. ing the top and extension. You can bonded the two layers with spray
ShopNotes.com In building this section of the see how it’s made in Figures 9 and contact cement. It works fast and I
router table you have a few goals. 10. In a nutshell, each table is a don’t have to mess with clamps.
First, the tabletop should be as flat four-layer sandwich. Laminate on the Outside. A
and smooth as possible. In addi- In the middle are two layers of layer of plastic laminate on the
CUT AND FILE tion, the table should be rigid to 3⁄ " MDF. This creates a flat, rigid
4 top and bottom completes the
!/2" OFF TABLE
END OF MINI T-TRACK support the weight of the router base. And the MDF helps to absorb sandwich and provides a smooth,
without sagging over time. Finally, vibration from the router for
I also wanted a good way to help cleaner cuts. I started by cutting
control the dust and chips gener- the pieces of MDF to size and then
ated by the router. gluing them together, as shown
FIGURE D D TABLE EXTENSION
10 #/4" MINI T-TRACK SKINS (2)
FILE SMALL 1!/2
CHAMFERS
1!/2" RADIUS
9!/2
11
1" MITER 1!/2" HINGE

TRACK CC { Blast Gate Flush. In this
TABLE EXTENSION position, dust and chips are
2!/16 CORES
collected from below the table.
3
12%/8
PRE-DRILL #/8"-DIA.
HOLE COUNTERSINK FOR
#/8" Fh MACHINE SCREW
(SEE FIGURE 12)
1 TOP VIEW MINI T-TRACK #/4
!/2 #/8
MITER T-TRACK
TRACK TABLE TABLE
EXTENSION
#8 x %/8" #6 x %/8"
Fh WOODSCREW Fh WOODSCREWS
CENTER HINGE { Flip It Up. Slip the gate into the

SIDE VIEW HINGE KNUCKLE
a. b. ON SEAM c. BACK VIEW notches vertically to allow the fence
to collect debris above the table.
s100_024.indd 24 6/10/2008 10:42:15 AM

durable worksurface. When the
laminate is in place, you can trim it
11
flush with edges of the MDF using
a router and flush trim bit. USE BLAST GATE TO
Miter Groove. With the top ALIGN TOP AND BASE
#8 x 1!/2" Fh (DETAIL ‘a’)
glued up, you’re ready to start WOODSCREW
adding a few details. One of the
things to add is a miter slot for a
miter gauge. The groove is sized to
hold an aluminum miter track, as POWER
shown in Figures 10 and 10a. SWITCH
Two Openings. Next, you’ll

#8 x 3!/2" Fh
need to create a pair of openings. WOODSCREW
The smaller opening is used to
a. SIDE VIEW
channel dust and chips to a shop
vacuum. The larger opening holds
LOWER TOP USING
BLAST GATE AS b.
ALIGNMENT GUIDE
a router insert plate. MARK AND NOTCH
TOP DUST BOX
I started with the smaller open- ASSEMBLY TO FIT HINGE
ing. And you can learn how it’s
made on page 29. As for the open- BLAST GATE
IN VERTICAL
ing for the insert plate, I used a POSITION
template that came with the plate.
Don’t worry, if you don’t have a
template, there’s a step-by-step
article for this on our website: The secret to perfect alignment is here is to align the notches in the
www.ShopNotes.com. to use a template. You can read top with the dust box (Figure 11a).
T-Track. There’s one other item more about it on page 29. You’ll also need to make a mortise
to add to the top — the mini The T-track can then be cut to in the dust box to accommodate the
T-track used to position the fence. fit. Each piece is trimmed back at hinge, as in Figure 11b.
But before making the grooves for the front end, as shown in the left The final additions to the top are
the T-track, I attached the table margin on the opposite page. This the support arm and power switch
extension to the top with hinges. notch creates a space for the hex (Figure 12). The arm holds the } Design Option.
A hand-held router is perfect for bolts in the fence to engage in the extension level with the tabletop. A back panel and
making the grooves. However, the T-track when you set it in place. A pair of leg levelers allows you to a door muffle the
wide grooves in the table need to Attach the Table. At this point, fine-tune the extension so that it’s sound of the router.
line up with the narrow grooves you can screw the top to the base level with the top. The switch is You can find plans
in the fence you’ll build later. (Figure 11). The important thing simply screwed to the side tower. on our website.
12 TOP VIEW
#/8" x 4!/2" TABLE
Fh MACHINE TOP
SCREW NYLON
LEVELER SPACER
!!/32" #/8"
DIA. DIA. SUPPORT
ARM
#/8" I.D. x !/2" !/2
NYLON
SPACER
3 a.
LEVELER WITH
THREADED NYLON
INSERT
E E SUPPORT ARM
(#/4" x 1!/2" - 12")
ATTACH DUST PORT
TO BOTTOM
#/8" LOCKING OF DUST BOX
HEX NUT
W/WASHER
s100_024.indd 25 6/10/2008 10:44:08 AM

micro-adjustable
Fence
At this point, the heavy work of Second, I added a T-track to the
building the router table is com- fence face. This allows me to attach
plete. All that remains is the fence. bit guards, featherboards, or stop
NOTE: PLANE I know a few woodworkers who blocks. The face of this fence is a
RUNNERS TO FIT INSIDE
MINI T-TRACK only use a straight board with a single, flat piece. This one-piece
GG notch for a router table fence. And design isn’t likely to go out of align-
while that works, I wanted to add ment or catch on the workpiece as { Fine Tuning. This micro-
a few more features. split fences sometimes do. adjuster makes it easy to precisely
As I said before, the fence is also Micro-Adjuster. A third feature tweak the fence setting.
a crucial part of the dust collection I want to highlight is the micro-
system built into the router table. adjuster you see in the inset photo adjustments to the fence position.
A channel in the back directs chips at right. And I can’t tell how much It eliminates the “tap-and-hope“
into the dust box (photo above). hassle this saves in making fine method I’d been using for years.
From the Bottom Up. To make
FIGURE
MINI T-TRACK 13 21
1%/16
1!/2
the fence, I started with the base.
After cutting it to overall size, I
c. routed grooves in the bottom edge
STEP 1: LAYOUT 3 BASE
BLANK
BASE BLANK to hold hardwood runners, as
7!/4 shown in the upper portion of Fig-
4!/4 CUT OUT NOTCH
ure 13. These runners will guide
1!/2 a. FOR MICRO-
ADJUSTER
the fence in the T-track mounted
CL
#/4 NOTE: DRILL !/4"-DIA. into the tabletop.
REFER TO SHOP
HOLES THROUGH SHORTCUTS, To rout the grooves, I used
CENTER OF DADO PAGE 29
the same template I used for the
BASE
7!/4 BLANK T-track grooves. But this time, I
9!/2
installed a guide bushing with a
FILE A !/2"
CHAMFER AFTER 1⁄ "-dia. straight bit. You can find
4
NOTE: BLANK IS
MADE FROM #/4" MDF b. CUTTING NOTCH
the details on page 29.
!/4" LEVER
LOCK KNOB Cut to Shape. Once this is done,
STEP 2: ASSEMBLE !/4" it’s time for some shaping. There
BASE COMPONENTS CONNECTOR RUNNER
NUT (%/16" x 4#/4") CONNECTOR are several details to take care of
NUT
GG on the base. The first is cutting the
FF fence base to its final “delta-wing”
FENCE !/2"-DIA. x 1!/2"-DEEP
HOLE shape. I did this at the band saw
BASE (DETAIL ‘c’)
and then filed the edges smooth. A
RUNNER MICRO- roundover along the back softens
GG ADJUSTER
(%/16" x 3!/4") INSTALL FENCE BASE
AND MICRO-ADJUSTER
the top edges, as illustrated in the
NOTE: GUIDE STRIP WIDTH INTO T-TRACK
IS CUT TO FIT MINI T-TRACK lower portion of Figure 13.
(MARGIN DETAIL ABOVE) TO LOCATE NUT
!/4" x 1!/4"
HEX HEAD BOLT
c.
s100_026.indd 26 6/10/2008 10:45:05 AM

FENCE CAP
(4!/2" x 8" - !/4" ACRYLIC)
FIGURE
#6 x %/8" Fh JJ
Next, I cut a small notch in one 14 FENCE SIDE
(2" x 8" )
WOODSCREW
side to accommodate the micro- HH
adjust mechanism for the fence.
This is detailed in Figure 13a. To
NOTE: FENCE
provide better access to the micro- a. #/8
BACK AND SIDES
MADE FROM HH
FENCE BACK
(2" x 3" )
adjuster, there’s a wide chamfer #/4" MDF
I I
on the back side of the fence base
FENCE
(Figure 13b). This can be done with SIDE
a hand saw and a file. FENCE
CAP
A Cutout. The next step is to
make a cutout for the dust and chip FENCE
collection. Here again, I turned to BASE FF
the band saw to do the job. FENCE BASE
There are also a couple holes
drilled in the top for the locking BACK VIEW
handles that secure the fence. #8 x 1!/2" Fh
Runners. Then you can make WOODSCREW
some runners to fit the grooves
in the bottom of the base and the work smoothly, everything needs The chute is attached to the base
T-track. The trouble is the groove to be aligned perfectly. Thankfully, with glue and screws. The top of
in the top of the T-track is slightly there’s an easy way to do this. the chute is a piece of acrylic and is
wider than the 1⁄4" grooves in the You can see how it’s done in Fig- attached with screws (Figure 14a).
base. To make the runners, start by ure 13c. Drill an oversize hole in the Front of the Fence. All that’s
planing a wide piece of hardwood edge of the fence base. Then thread left to complete the fence is the
to fit the T-track (left margin on the the coupling nut on the micro- three-piece front section. Figure 15
opposite page). Then you can cut a adjuster. I “buttered” the outside of has all the details on how it goes
shallow rabbet on each side to fit the nut with some epoxy and then together. The front face is attached
the groove in the fence base. Aim locked the adjuster into the T-track, with machine screws. This way
for a smooth sliding fit with no pressing the nut into the hole. This you can make several faces to
play. Then, rip the runners to size. keeps everything in alignment accommodate different size bits.
Micro-Adjuster. With the run- until the epoxy hardens. At last, you’re ready to drop
ners glued in, you can set the fence Dust Channel. Next, I assem- your router into place and fire it
in place to install the micro-adjuster. bled the sides and back of the up. Then you can enjoy the results
The adjuster threads into a cou- fence. The back edge is rounded to of your efforts with smooth, accu-
pling nut in the base. And for it to match the base (Figure 14). rate cuts every time.
FIGURE FENCE BASE
15 FRONT TOP
(#/4" x 1!/8" - 28")
ASSEMBLY
LL !/4"
THREADED
MINI T-TRACK T-NUT
WITH SCREWS
2 #8 x 1!/4" Fh
WOODSCREW
CL
1!/2
8
a. LL
FENCE KK
FRONT FENCE FRONT
KK (#/4" x 3" - 28)
!/8 KK
#/4"-DIA. NOTE: MAKE EXTRA FENCE FRONT
COUNTERBORE FENCE FACES WITH (#/4" x 3" - 28")
DUST FOR T-NUT DIFFERENT SIZE
NOTCH NOTCHES !/4" x 1!/2" Fh
MACHINE !/8" x !/8"
SCREW DUST RELIEF
NOTCH
ENTIRE LENGTH { Handy Storage. You can lock
END VIEW the fence to the extension and fold
NOTE: FENCE FRONTS AND it away when you don’t need it.
FENCE TOP ARE #/4"-THICK HARDWOOD
s100_026.indd 27 6/10/2008 10:45:40 AM

TIPS FROM
Our Shop
Shop
Short
Cuts
Reducing Rod Diameter
Fitting the hand wheels on the mor- the entire surface of the wheel. and forth. You’ll have to adjust the
tising table on page 30 requires some And the stand should be sized to position of the stand as you grind
work at the grinder. To fit the hand position the rod at the centerline of to keep the rod square to the wheel.
wheel, the end of the Acme threaded the grinding wheel. Finally, check the fit in the hand
rod needs to be reduced to 1⁄2"-dia. To reduce the diameter of the wheel as you go. It should fit snug
To do this, I made a stop block rod, turn it as you move it back against the shoulder of the tenon.
and support stand, like you see in
the photo above. The stop block ACME
THREADED ROD
clamps to the grinder’s tool rest.
It limits the length of the smaller TOP GRINDING
WHEEL
diameter and forms a clean, square
VIEW
shoulder on the end of the rod. STOP
BLOCK 1!/4
The support stand is a simple
plywood assembly that clamps to
the bench. The key here is mak-
GRIND SHAFT
ing sure the bed and “fence” of GRINDER DIAMETER TO FIT
TOOL REST INSIDE HAND
the stand are square to the wheel. WHEEL SUPPORT
This keeps the tenon diameter STAND
C-CLAMP
consistent and helps you utilize
Cutting a Ramped Dado

The toggle clamp for securing a
workpiece on the mortising table
SPACER
(page 30) sits in a ramped dado. (#/4 x 3" - !/8" Hdbd.)
To make this cut, I used a pair of
thin spacer blocks.
Fasten the two spacer blocks
to the front edge of the plywood 2#/4
blank with double-sided tape.
Then all you need to do is 3
!/8
make a few passes over
the dado blade with the
front edge of the work-
piece against the fence.
s100_028.indd 28 6/10/2008 10:48:32 AM

Making the Blast Gate Pocket
A simple blast gate and opening in you can cut out the waste with a slide in vertically so dust and chips
the router tabletop (page 18) allow jig saw. I cleaned up the cut edge can be pulled through the fence
you to control how dust and chips with a file and some sandpaper. opening. A hand saw and chisel
are channeled to a shop vacuum. Notches. Other details to add to make quick work of this task. The
And you’ll find creating the open- the opening are a pair of notches important thing here is to match
ing is a simple process. at the front of the opening (Step 5). the width of the notch to the thick-
Template. I started by laying out The notches allow the blast gate to ness of the blast gate. TEMPLATE
the location of the opening as you NOTE: TEMPLATE MADE
can see in the drawing at right. To FROM #/4"-THICK HARDWOOD
#/4"-DIA. x !/2"-DEEP TABLE
FINGER HOLE TOP
create a clean, accurate opening, I
STEP 1: GLUE UP
made a simple template to guide a BLAST TEMPLATE AROUND !/2"-DIA.
GATE BLAST GATE FOR A PATTERN
router and pattern bit. PERFECT FIT ROUTER BIT
The template is made by wrap-
SAME
ping some hardwood scraps THICKNESS AS
around the blast gate you made STEP 2: BLAST GATE
ROUT OUTSIDE EDGE
earlier. I attached the template to OF OPENING AND
DRILL FINGER HOLE
the top with double-sided tape. ATTACH TEMPLATE
TO TABLE WITH
After setting the bit depth to DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE
match the thickness of the blast

gate, rout around the inside edge of
the template (Step 1). Then to pro-
vide a finger hole for removing the TOP
blast gate, use a Forstner bit to drill VIEW
a shallow counterbore along the STEP 5:
CUT OUT
NOTCHES
back edge (Step 2).
Opening. In Steps 3 and 4, you
can see how the opening is made. CUT OUT
OPENING
After drilling some starter holes,
STEP 3: DRILL STEP
WITH 4: CUT OUT
JIG SAW THICKNESS
FOUR STARTER HOLES OPENING WITH JIG SAW OF INSERT SQUARE UP
CORNERS
Routing Grooves for Fence

The T-track in the router table Table Grooves. After attach- Fence Grooves. To rout the
needs to be perfectly aligned ing the template to the table and grooves in the fence base, I used
with the runners in the fence for extension, I used a 3⁄4"-dia. pattern a 3⁄4" O.D. guide bushing and a
everything to operate smoothly. bit to rout the T-track grooves, as 1⁄ " straight bit, as in detail ‘b.’
4
To accomplish this, I turned to the you can see in the detail ‘a.’ It’s a The bushing guarantees that the
template shown in the drawing good idea to rout the grooves in grooves in the fence are centered
below and a hand-held router. several, shallow passes. over the grooves in the tabletop.
ENDS
TABLE (3" x 6!/2") NOTE:
GROOVES SAME TEMPLATE FENCE
ROUT GROOVE
USED TO ROUT
FENCE GROOVES
GROOVES
NOTE: TEMPLATE
MADE FROM
a. IN SEVERAL
PASSES
#/4"-THICK
HARDWOOD FENCE
BASE
SIDES
(3" x 29#/4") TABLE
FRONT VIEW
b. !/4"-DIA.
STRAIGHT
BIT
ATTACH
TEMPLATE TO TABLE
AND EXTENSION
WITH DOUBLE-SIDED INSTALL #/4" O.D.
TAPE GUIDE BUSHING
FENCE BASE
FRONT VIEW
s100_028.indd 29 6/10/2008 10:48:55 AM

best-built Accurate, repeatable
jigs & fixtures mortises are guaranteed
with this sliding table.
precision
When a project calls for a lot of mortises, nothing beats
the power of a mortising machine. The only draw-
back to a mortiser is that repositioning the workpiece
to drill the overlapping “holes” can be a hassle.
Mortising
The sliding mortising table you see above makes
mortising a breeze. First, the long, steel hold-down
and toggle clamp anchor the workpiece. Then just
turn a hand wheel to move the large table from front
to back to accurately position the mortise. Finally, turn
another hand wheel to move the table side-to-side to
Table
move the workpiece between drilling operations. The
end result is a clean, straight mortise. Best of all, it
only takes some simple hardware to accomplish these
tasks. And it all adds up to one shop accessory you’ll
wonder how you ever got along without.
s100_030.indd 30 6/10/2008 10:49:43 AM

Exploded View
Details
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
237⁄8"D x 32"W x 121⁄2"H (w/o mortiser)
HEAVY-DUTY STEEL
HOLD-DOWN KEEPS
WORKPIECE FROM LIFTING STAR KNOBS LOCK
DURING MORTISING CLAMP BASE IN
OPERATION POSITION
CLAMP CAN BE
REPOSITIONED TO
ACCOMMODATE
KNOBS LOCK A RANGE OF
HOLD-DOWN WORKPIECE SIZES
AGAINST
WORKPIECE TOGGLE CLAMP
LOCKS WORKPIECE
SECURELY
AGAINST FENCE
LARGE, LAMINATE
COVERED TABLE
PROVIDES AMPLE
SUPPORT FOR THE
WORKPIECE
RAMP ENSURES
DOWNWARD
CLAMPING
PRESSURE ON
MORTISING WORKPIECE
MACHINE IS BOLTED
TO PLATFORM BASE
STEEL GUIDE
RODS AND BRONZE JAM NUTS ADJUST
BUSHINGS MAKE FOR ACME THREADED TO ELIMINATE
EFFORTLESS TABLE ROD ENSURES SMOOTH, BACKLASH
OPERATION PRECISE TABLE FOR SMOOTH
MOVEMENT OPERATION
ROD ENDS ARE
“TURNED” ON A
GRINDER TO FIT
HAND WHEEL
FRONT HAND
SIDE HAND WHEEL WHEEL MOVES
MOVES TABLE TABLE IN AND OUT
SIDE TO SIDE
PLYWOOD
AND HARDWOOD
ACME NUTS AND CONSTRUCTION PROVIDES
BUSHINGS ARE SET LONG-LASTING SERVICE
WITH EPOXY
NOTE: TOGGLE CLAMP

NOT SHOWN FOR CLARITY
ACME THREADED ROD ENGAGES

SIDE VIEW NUTS FIXED IN END PIECES TO FRONT VIEW
MOVE TABLE
s100_030.indd 31 6/10/2008 10:54:15 AM

assembling the
Base
If you take a look at the photo on
the right, you can see what’s at the
heart of the sliding table. It might
look a little complicated, but it’s
really pretty simple. A base sup-
ports a floating carriage that moves
front to back. That carriage then
supports the tabletop (to be added
later) that moves from side to side.
This movement in two directions
is what makes the table so useful { Rods and Wheels. Smooth, steel guide rods and threaded shafts
for drilling mortises. allow the carriage assembly to move in two directions. The hand
Rods and Bushings. What wheels control the front-to-back and side-to-side movement.
makes all this work is the Acme
threaded shaft and steel guide guide rods, and threaded rod. To Base Assembly. Figure 1 shows
rods. Hand wheels turn the help with assembly, the over- how the base is put together, and
threaded rods inside nuts in the sized holes and counterbores pro- that’s where you’ll start. First, the
base and carriage. The guide rods vide some extra space for epoxy identical front and back pieces are
slide inside bronze bushings to paste and aligning everything for drilled to hold the two guide rods
help the carriage move smoothly. smooth operation. All the rods, and the threaded rod. After this,
You’ll start by cutting all the base bushings, and nuts are inserted you can attach the front and back
pieces to size. Then, it’s just a mat- later, after you’ve finished build- to the bottom. The next step is to
ter of drilling holes for the bushings, ing the carriage assembly. cut the guide rods to length and
temporarily slip them into place.
FIGURE #8 x 1!/2" Fh
1 WOODSCREW 1 CL Threaded Rods. I need to point
out that the table mechanism uses
#/4" FLAT WASHER,
ACME NUT, B two threaded rods. There’s one
LOCK WASHER, C
ACME NUT BASE TOP 2!/4 #/4"-DIA. &/8"-DIA. here in the base, and another in the
(14" x 16!/2" - #/4" Ply.)
carriage assembly. Each threaded
#8 x 3" Fh rod is ground down in diameter
WOODSCREW
BASE BACK BASE FRONT at one end to fit the hand wheel,
(1" x 3#/4" - 14") (1" x 3#/4" - 14") #/4" I.D. x &/8" O.D. x 1"
B BRONZE like you see illustrated in Figure
B BUSHING
1. Shop Short Cuts on page 28 will
#/16"-DIA. x 1" help with this process.
SPRING
DOWEL PIN With that done, add the hand
wheel by drilling a hole for the
spring pin that locks it in place.
#/4"-DIA. x 16!/2" HAND WHEEL
STEEL ROD Before moving on, slip a bronze
2 w/!/2" BORE
#/4" FLAT
bushing into the front and tem-
#/4"-6 x 19%/8" WASHER porarily insert the hand wheel
ACME
BASE BOTTOM THREADED ROD NOTE: REFER TO SHOP SHORT assembly into the base.
(18" x 16!/2 - #/4" Ply.) A CUTS (PAGE 28) FOR FITTING
ROD TO HAND WHEEL The Carriage. Building the car-
FRONT VIEW
a. b. NOTE: INSTALL TOP AFTER
CARRIAGE IS INSTALLED (PAGE 35)
riage is similar to the base. Figure 2
shows the details. After cutting the
C SIDE front, back, and sides to size, drill
DRILL
CLEARANCE
BUSHING IS
FRICTION FIT
VIEW the holes and counterbores. Finally,
HOLE attach them to the carriage bottom
THROUGH
ROD B and each other with screws.
BEFORE
FINAL C A B Fitting and Tuning. This is the
ASSEMBLY
point where I gathered up all the
A parts needed for the assembly.
Once you start gluing things in
s100_032.indd 32 6/10/2008 1:49:47 PM

CARRIAGE BOTTOM CARRIAGE BACK CARRIAGE SIDE
(1" x 2#/4" - 14!/4") (1" x 3%/8" - 10!/2")
(10!/2" x 16!/4" - #/4" Ply.)
F E
D
#/4"-6 ACME NUT
FIGURE
place, you don’t want to have to
hunt for anything.
2 CARRIAGE FRONT
(1" x 2#/4" - 14!/4")
#8 x 2" Fh
F
Putting It Together. In Figure WOODSCREW
#/4" I.D. x &/8" O.D. x 1"
2, you can see how the rods pass BRONZE
BUSHING
through the base and carriage. The FRONT VIEW E
Acme rod threads into the two #/8"
nuts in the carriage, so you’ll need
to tap them in place first. You can #8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW #/4"-6 ACME
slip the bushings onto the rods F NUT
and insert the rods into the base B

and carriage assemblies. To help E
DRILL SHANK
HOLE FOR
position the bushings and provide SCREW AND
DRILL THROUGH
clearance over the base for the car- D NOTE: STEEL ROD
riage, as detailed in the box below. INSTALL
Seating the Threads. If

a. ACME NUTS
INTO CARRIAGE A
B
FRONT & BACK WITH
the threaded rod doesn’t turn LIGHT HAMMER TAPS.
SEAT THE NUTS ONTO
smoothly within the nuts, you THE THREADED ROD BY
GENTLY TAPPING END OF ROD
may need to “seat” the threads of UNTIL ROD SPINS SMOOTHLY
the rear nut on the rod so the rod 1#/4
spins smoothly. To do this, gently
tap the end of the threaded rod
CARRIAGE
ASSEMBLY
b.
E
until it turns without binding. 1!/4 2#/8 E
Epoxy and Patience. Now
you’re to the point of setting the #/4 CL CL !/2
bushings and nuts with epoxy SIDE VIEW B

paste. Finally, you can add the F CL D
washers and nuts at the end of the A
1"-DIA. HOLE 1!/8 NOTE: APPLY EPOXY PASTE
threaded rod. You’ll start on the WITH 1!/4"-DIA. x 1#/8"-DIA. AROUND ACME NUTS
#/8"-DEEP COUNTERBORE
table assembly next.
Setting the Rods

BRONZE
The key to smooth operation of BUSHINGS
the carriage is in the alignment of
all the components. That’s BASE
ASSEMBLY
where the oversized holes
and epoxy paste come in. The CARRIAGE
ASSEMBLY
holes allow some “wiggle
room” for adjustment during
the assembly process.
You’ll want to be careful to !/8" SPACER ELEVATES
CARRIAGE FOR PROPER
keep epoxy off the rods. (I lightly CLEARANCE AND ALIGNS
GUIDE RODS AND
oiled them to help with this.) Mix BUSHINGS FOR SMOOTH
OPERATION
up a small amount of slow-set,
two-part epoxy paste then place
some on the bushings and slide
them into place. (I also packed
FIRST: APPLY EPOXY PASTE TO
BUSHING AND SLIDE BUSHING
a. b.
INTO COUNTERBORED HOLE
some epoxy around each of the
nuts to lock them in position.) NOTE: A GLUE
After the epoxy cured overnight, SYRINGE HELPS
APPLY EPOXY
I found that I had a little tweaking STEEL ROD PASTE (CUT TIP
BACK FOR WIDER
SIDE VIEW
to do to get the carriage to slide OPENING)
smoothly. You can use emery cloth SECOND: FILL
COUNTERBORE
to smooth out any burrs on the SPACER WITH EPOXY
rods or lightly ream out the bush- PASTE
ings, if necessary.
s100_032.indd 33 6/10/2008 1:50:08 PM

FIGURE
b.
3 GUIDE
#8 x 3" Fh ROD G
WOODSCREW
C
a. MORTISING
#/16"-DIA. x 1"
SPRING
MACHINE DOWEL PIN
BASE TOP E
THREADED #/4" FLAT #8 x 1!/2" Fh
ROD BUSHING
WASHER WOODSCREW
G D
C A
#/4"-6 x 29!/8"
ACME
THREADED ROD
FRONT VIEW
G
E E F
F #/4" I.D. x &/8" O.D. x 1"-LONG
HAND WHEEL BRONZE BUSHING
BUSHING D w/!/2" BORE
G
A
CARRIAGE TABLE END
ASSEMBLY (1" x 4!/4" rgh. - 13!/8")
FRONT VIEW E
?#/4"-DIA. &/8"-DIA. BASE

4!/4 A
ASSEMBLY #/4"-DIA. x 16!/2"
STEEL ROD
2%/8 #8 x 2" Fh #/4" FLAT WASHER,
1!/2 WOODSCREW ACME NUT,
1
LOCK WASHER,
ACME NUT
2%/8 3!/2 3!/2 1#/4
of opposite page). So leave them for the screws used to pin them in
extra-wide for now. place. Then hoist your mortising
adding the tabletop Alignment. When drilling the
holes for the rods in the table ends,
machine on top so you can work
on the proper table height.
Ends I referenced and measured from

the bottom edge. This allows for
tweaking of the height later.
Table Height Adjustment.
The final adjustment you need to
make is sizing the table ends so the
With the carriage operating Follow the same procedure as tabletop rests flat against the table
smoothly, the next step is to add before for setting the rods, bush- of the mortising machine. The box
the mechanism that controls the ings, and nuts. If you take a look at at the bottom of the next page will
table’s side-to-side movement. the top of the opposite page, you help you with this task.
This consists of the two table ends can see how I used spacer blocks Smooth Operation. By now,
and the same type of hardware to align the table ends and rods. all of the mechanics of the sliding
that was used on the base. After the epoxy cures, it’s time to table are done and fully functional.
Custom Fit. The table ends are enclose the carriage assembly with You should be able to turn each of
custom sized to provide the right the base top (Figure 3). Note that the hand wheels to move the car-
clearance over your mortising you’ll need to pre-drill through the riage assembly in two directions:
machine’s table (box at bottom ends of the guide rods in the base side-to-side and front-to-back.
Materials & Hardware

A Base Bottom (1) 18 x 161/2 - 3/4 Ply. • (1) 3/4"-Dia. x 72" 1018 Steel Rod • (8) 3/8"-16 T-Nuts
B Base Front/Back (2) 1 x 33/4 - 14 • (1) 3/4"-6 x 72" Acme Threaded Rod • (4) #14 x 5/8" Ph Self-Tapping Screws
C Base Top (1) 14 x 161/2 - 3/4 Ply. • (4) 3/4" Flat Washers • (4) 3/8" Flat Washers
D Carriage Bottom (1) 101/2 x 161/4 - 3/4 Ply. • (8) 3/4"-6 Acme Nuts • (2) 3/8"-16 x 2" Hex Head Cap Screws
E Carriage Sides (2) 1 x 35/8 - 101/2 • (10) 3/4"-I.D. x 7/8" Oiled Bronze Bushings • (30) #8 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews
F Carriage Front/Back (2) 1 x 23/4 - 141/4 • (2) 31/8"-O.D., 1/2"-Bore Hand Wheels • (8) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews
G Table Ends (2) 1 x 41/4 rgh. - 131/8 • (2) 21/4"-dia. Star Knobs with 3/8"-16 Insert • (4) #8 x 3" Fh Woodscrews
H Tabletop (1) 141/4 x 27 - 3/4 Ply. • (2) 21/4"-dia. Star Knobs with 3/8"-16 x 11/2" Stud • (1) 11/2" x 11/2" - 22 Steel Angle (1/8" Thick)
I Fence Faces (2) 5 x 22 - 3/4 Ply. • (1) Toggle Clamp with 5/16"-18 Plunger
J Braces (2) 1x2-3 • (1) Toggle Clamp Plunger w/Neoprene Cap
K Clamp Base (1) 31/2 x 10 - 3/4 Ply. • (2) 3/16"-dia. x 1" Spring Dowel Pin
s100_034.indd 34 6/10/2008 1:50:43 PM

Aligning the Carriage Rods
SPACER ALIGNS
The spacers you see at right posi- TABLE END
WITH CARRIAGE BUSHINGS ARE
tion the table ends in line with the EPOXIED INTO
CARRIAGE SIDES
G B GUIDE RODS SLIP
guide rods and threaded shaft. The THROUGH BUSHINGS
E AND ARE FRICTION FIT
table ends also support the rods INTO TABLE ENDS
and bushings to position them ACME
THREADED
within the holes. ROD
Start by installing the nuts for
the threaded rod. You’ll need E
to seat the nuts as before, by
tapping on the end of the rod. B
Here again, use epoxy paste to
lock the nuts in place before set-
A SPACER G
ting the guide rod bushings. And
just like the base, there’s a bushing
in the table support on the hand
wheel side (details ‘a’ and ‘b’). BUSHING
GUIDE
ROD
a.
G NOTE: CUT SPACERS TO
After the epoxy is fully set and ALIGN HOLES IN TABLE
ENDS WITH HOLES IN
FILL COUNTER-
cured, go ahead and attach the top
with screws. Note: Longer screws
b. BORE WITH
EPOXY PASTE
CARRIAGE SIDES
will pass through the holes in the

guide rods to pin them in place. E
EPOXY E
Bolt your mortising machine in PASTE SPACER
place and take a look at the box D
GUIDE BUSHING
below. It will show you how to fit A ROD
the table ends that will support the
table, fence, and clamp assembly.
Setting the Table Clearance

With the mortising machine in
place, use a straightedge to deter-
mine the final height of the table
SECOND: USE A
ends. The drawing at right shows STRAIGHTEDGE TO FIRST: FASTEN
CHECK HEIGHT OF MORTISING
you how to do this. TABLE ENDS MACHINE IN PLACE
RELATIVE TO WITH LAG SCREWS
The goal is to have the table SURFACE OF AND WASHERS
ends flush with your mortising MORTISING G
MACHINE TABLE
machine’s table. This way, the
downward force of drilling out a
mortise will be transferred directly
to your mortising machine’s table.
The straightedge will help you
BASE
determine how much to trim off of ASSEMBLY
the table ends. Take your time here G
and sneak up on the final fit (detail
‘a’). Mine ended up at 41⁄8" wide. THIRD: TRIM HEIGHT OF
Keep rechecking the TABLE ENDS TO SIT
FLUSH WITH SURFACE OF
height of the table ends with a. MORTISING MACHINE
(DETAIL ‘a’)
the straightedge until they
CARRIAGE
end up flush with the table ASSEMBLY
FOURTH: BEVEL
of the mortising machine. TWO CORNERS
PUSH OF TABLE END
This way, when it’s time to BLOCK
attach the table, it will be
nice and flat. Finally, you G
can fasten the table ends to
the guide rods.
s100_034.indd 35 6/10/2008 1:51:02 PM

1
NOTE: ALL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
4!/4 CORNERS ARE !/2" RADIUS
FIGURE
4 4!/4 16
2!/4 2#/4
5!/2
H
a. &/16
TABLETOP
(14!/4" x 27" - #/4" Ply.)
LAMINATE
BOTH SIDES COUNTERSINK
H FOR #8 WOODSCREW
1
1!/2
1 11#/4
!/8
#/8"-16
T-NUT 1!/2
2!/2
installing and aligning the 8!/4
Tabletop
Building the tabletop caps off the the top to shape, as illustrated in To make the fence, I first glued
sliding table. The top is plywood Figure 1, I drilled out the inside two plywood blanks together. This
with plastic laminate on both sides corners and used the band saw to makes a strong and sturdy support
for added durability. It features a finish the rough shaping. A sand- for the hold-down. Like the table-
sturdy workpiece clamping mech- ing drum makes quick work of top, cut the fence to shape and then
anism you’ll build later. Finally, a smoothing all of the edges. sand it smooth. Then make a quick
fence with a metal hold-down will Now you can work on drilling pass over the table saw blade to
finish off the tabletop. the holes for mounting the fence create the small dust relief notch,
Forming the Top. The top starts and attaching the top to the table like you see in Figure 5a.
as an oversized plywood blank ends. On the underside, you need Slots and Braces. The two ver-
covered with laminate. To cut to drill shallow counterbored holes tical slots on the fence are used to
for the T-nuts and install them, as adjust the steel hold-down tightly
FIGURE
!/2" RADIUS
5 you can see in Figure 4a. to the workpiece. You can rough
out the slots by drilling overlap-
1#/4 4#/4
MAKING THE FENCE ping holes with a Forstner bit at the
Looking at Figure 5, you can see drill press. A little filing and sand-
2 #/4 how the fence assembly is put ing will make the slots smooth.
2!/2 together. It consists of a thick ply- The two braces on the back
FRONT #/4 wood face with braces on the back. help keep the fence stable and
!/2"-WIDE
VIEW SLOT I 1%/8 J The braces help keep the fence square as you’re using the mortis-
square to the table. The long, metal ing machine. There’s a lot of force
3#/4 hold-down is fabricated from a when retracting the bit and you
piece of steel angle. don’t want the fence to move.
#/8" FLAT Figure 5 gives you the dimen-
!/2 WASHER STAR KNOB w/
7#/4 #/8"-16 INSERT sions you need for making the
TOP VIEW I
braces. After cutting them to shape,
FENCE FACES BRACE J
(5" x 22" - #/4" Ply.) (1" x 2" - 3")
a. SIDE VIEW
HOLD-
DOWN FENCE
#/8"-16 x 2" FACE
HEX HEAD
BOLT
CENTER AND
ATTACH
FENCE !/4"
!/8" x !/8" I I FROM
DUST NOTCH
1!/2" x 1!/2" - 22" RELIEF EDGE
STEEL ANGLE NOTCH
(!/8" THICK)
J
H
H
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW
s100_036.indd 36 6/10/2008 1:51:46 PM

TOGGLE CLAMP w/ a.
AUXILIARY NEOPRENE
FIGURE I PLUNGER TIP
I simply glued them in place on
the back side of the fence.
6 #14 x %/8"
Ph WOODSCREW
Metal Hold-Down. Now it’s
time to do a little metalworking
to make the hold-down. I used K
TOGGLE CLAMP
a hack saw to cut the steel angle w/AUXILIARY H
PLUNGER TIP
to length and cut each end of the
notched opening, as shown in STAR KNOB
w/#/8"-16 x 1!/2"
Figure 5. Then I drilled a series of STUD H
holes along the back of the notch
and bent the waste to break it free.
A file or grinder is all you need to #/8" FLAT WASHER
smooth the ragged edges. After
drilling the bolt holes, primer and K
CLAMP BASE
an enamel topcoat finish it off. 2#/4 2!/2 (3!/2" x 10" - #/4" Ply.) #/8"-DIA.
HOLE
Fence Alignment. With the
NOTE: TO CUT 3%/8 1 10
fence complete, it’s time to attach RAMP, REFER TO
SHOP SHORT
it to the tabletop. The goal is to CUTS ON PAGE 28 1!/4
make sure the fence stays aligned K 2!/2
with the mortising bit as you move 1!/4
the table from side to side. The box technique I used to cut the ramp in
below shows you what I mean. Shop Short Cuts on page 28. !/2"-RADIUS
Clamp Base. The last addition Now, step over to the drill press
to the tabletop is the clamp base and drill the two holes for the workpiece is securely clamped in
(Figure 6). The unique thing about studded knobs that lock the base place. Then use the hand wheels to
it is the angled dado for the toggle to the tabletop. Finally, shape the position the workpiece under the
clamp. This “ramp” allows the base and attach the toggle clamp. bit. As you drill, just crank the side
clamp to apply downward force to Put it to Use. It won’t take you hand wheel to lengthen the mor-
the workpiece, holding it securely long to realize how fast and accu- tise. The resulting clean, straight
against the table and fence while rate it is to drill mortises. To put mortises make for strong and
drilling mortises. You can see the the table to use, first make sure the sturdy joint for your projects.
Aligning the Fence a. TABLETOP
For accurate mortises, it’s impor-

SECOND:
tant that the fence is aligned with CLAMP TABLE AT
OPPOSITE END TABLE
the bit from one end of the table to
END
the other. If the fence is out of align-
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
ment, the mortise will “creep” off WOODSCREW
in one direction as you continue to
make the cuts to lengthen it. FIRST:
To align the fence (and table), FASTEN
TABLE
fasten the tabletop to a table AT ONE
CORNER
end with a single screw at WITH ONE
SCREW (SEE
one corner (detail ‘a’). After DETAIL ‘a’)
installing a mortising chisel
in the machine, lower it until it
almost touches the table. Now use THIRD: MOVE
the front hand wheel to move the TABLE SIDE TO SIDE
WITH HAND WHEEL
fence against the bit. Then use the AND ADJUST TABLE
POSITION TO ALIGN
side hand wheel to run the table FENCE WITH BIT
side-to-side while checking for
gaps between the bit and fence.
Once the bit is flush with the fence NOTE: DISTANCE
BETWEEN BIT AND FOURTH:
all the way across, you can fasten FENCE SHOULD BE FASTEN TABLE
THE SAME AT BOTH WITH REMAINING
the tabletop down with screws. ENDS OF TABLE SCREWS
s100_036.indd 37 6/10/2008 1:52:00 PM

HANDS-ON
Technique
the easy way to

Shop-Made Dowels
With this simple technique you can make dowels in
a range of sizes and whatever material you need.
In the past, using dowels in a proj- the right size. And by making your The other thing to mention about
ect meant a long wait after ordering own dowels, you can build a project these blanks is that I make them
them through the mail. Or I’d have out of any wood you want instead about 5" longer than the finished
to make a trip to the hardware store of settling for what’s “in-stock.” length of the dowel. The reason for
and go through the not-quite-round Note: The technique shown here this is so you can leave the ends of
and a bit-less-than-straight assort- works for 3⁄8"-dia. and larger dowels.
ment. And that’s assuming they If you try to make smaller dowels
even had dowels that matched the this way, the workpiece may have a
} Variety. material I’d selected for my project. tendency to vibrate too much dur-
Don’t settle for Well, I don’t do that any more. ing the cut, resulting in an uneven
off-the-shelf Instead, I make my own at the surface and diameter variation.
dowels. Make router table, like the ones shown at
your own in left. The process is simple, it’s just START WITH A SQUARE BLANK
minutes in all a matter of starting with a square The first step to making a dowel
sizes and kinds piece of stock and using a round- is to make sure the workpiece you
of woods. over bit to rout all four edges. start with is perfectly straight and
Now, you may ask, why go square, like you see in Figure 1. For
through all the work? Well, there example, to end up with a 3⁄4"-dia. { Test the Setup. To verify the
are a couple good reasons. First, you dowel, you’ll need to start with a fence and bit setup, make your
don’t have to worry about finding blank that’s 3⁄4" square. cuts on the end of a test piece.
1 a.
NOTE: CUTTING
THICKNESS FIRST: JOINT ROUTER EDGE MUST BE
ONE FACE AND FENCE FLUSH WITH
EDGE SQUARE FENCE AND
TABLE
RADIUS OF
ROUNDOVER
BIT IS HALF
STOCK
WIDTH SECOND: THICKNESS
PLANE REMAINING
FACE (THICKNESS)
AND EDGE (WIDTH)
TO IDENTICAL SIZE
s100_038.indd 38 6/10/2008 1:52:57 PM

a. END VIEW NOTE: ROTATE
WORKPIECE
(STEP-BY-STEP) COUNTER-CLOCKWISE
2 SECOND:
AFTER EACH PASS
SLIDE WORKPIECE
ALONG FENCE
FIRST:
WITH ONE END
AGAINST FENCE,
SLOWLY PIVOT
1 2
WORKPIECE
INTO BIT
STOP
MARK
START
MARK LEAVE
ROUGHLY
2" OF BOTH
ENDS
SQUARE
3 4
THIRD:
REPEAT PROCESS ON
OTHER THREE EDGES
(DETAIL ‘a’)
the blank square to prevent it from To position the fence, I find it eas- the left, stopping about 2" from the
rolling as the last edge is routed. iest to use a straightedge to check opposite end. (Start and stop lines
that the bearing of the bit aligns on the fence helps with this.)
SET UP THE ROUTER TABLE with the router table fence. And in Rotate & Rout. Now
The first step in setting up the a similar manner, I use the straight- rotate the work-
router table is to install the right bit. edge to check that the cutting edge piece 90° and rout
And that’s easy. It’s a roundover at the end of the bit aligns with the the adjacent side
bit that equals half the diameter of top of the router table. (Figure 2a). Repeat
the completed dowel. (For a 3⁄4"- Test Cut. Once that’s complete, this process on the { The Basics.
dia. dowel, you’ll need to use a you can check your setup by rout- other two edges. Starting with a
3⁄ "-radius roundover bit.) ing the end of a test piece, as in the Then cut the dowel square blank
8
Setting the Bit. With the bit right photo on the opposite page. to finished length. Note: If your (top), round over
installed, the key to routing a per- router table and fence won’t pro- all four edges
fect dowel is setting the cutting MAKE THE DOWEL vide support for a long dowel, (center) and
edge of the bit flush with both the With the bit and fence set correctly, check out the box below. then trim off the
top of the router table and the fence you’re ready to round the edges No matter how carefully you set ends to create a
(Figure 1a). If the fence isn’t aligned of your blank. To do this, set one up the bit, there may be small, flat dowel (bottom).
or the bit is too high or low, you’ll end of the blank against the fence edges to sand. But this shouldn’t
end up with small shoulders or and pivot the other end into the be too big a job. And in the end,
large flat spots on the dowel — and bit about 2" from the left end, as you’ll end up with a custom
this translates into a bit of sanding. in Figure 2. Then push the stock to dowel, ready for use.
auxiliary fence for

Long Dowels
The only limitation to the length of dowel you can make
is the width of your router table and the length of the
fence. They work together to provide the support
you need to safely rout a workpiece. To make longer
dowels, all you need to do is “extend” the support. I
do this with the auxiliary fence shown at right.
The auxiliary fence is just a long strip of 3⁄4" MDF
attached to a 1⁄4" hardboard base that’s clamped to the
router table. A hole in the center of the base and a
circular notch in the fence provide clearance for the
router bit. And adding a dust hookup for a shop
vacuum helps control the dust and chips.
s100_038.indd 39 6/10/2008 1:54:30 PM

weekend
workshop
cordless
Tool Station This compact station keeps
cordless tools, chargers, and
accessories within arm’s reach.
My cordless drill is a must-have tool. drawer. The key is that the tower
As a matter of fact, I have a couple of design allows quick and easy
them, along with a cordless jig saw. access to both your drills and char-
Add in the chargers and the usual gers. And to keep all your drill-
drilling accessories and it doesn’t ing accessories close by, there’s a
take long before this collection ends handy storage drawer. Inside the
up all over the shop. To help keep drawer is a shallow sliding tray
everything organized, I built the tool that keeps often-used small items
station shown in the photo above. from getting lost. All in all, it’s an { Storage & More. Full-extension drawer slides
It’s nothing more than an open easy-to-build project you’ll find provide complete access to all the contents and
plywood tower resting on a yourself using every day. a sliding tray keeps small items handy.
s100_040.indd 40 6/10/2008 1:55:12 PM

TOP
(6!/2" x 24")
D SIZE HOLE
TO FIT DRILL
CHUCK
start with the 1 2 a. STOP
Tower SIDE 14
20˚
There really isn’t all that much to C !/4

1" x 1"
building this tool station. As you BEVEL
can see in Figure 1, the tower is 3 SIDE !/2
(9#/4" x 10")
nothing more than a narrow ply- C !/4
wood top with a pair of angled
holes drilled in it to accept the
4#/4 6!/2
chuck of your drill. The top is con- 3
nected to an angled charger plat- 1!/4 2!/2 #8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW TOP
form by two identical sides.
Simple butt joinery, glue, and PLATFORM
(9!/8" x 14")
some screws hold the tower A
together. But it’s the drills and STOP
chargers you own that determine (!/2" x 14" -
!/4" Hdbd.)
the overall size of the station. So B SIDE
that’s where you’ll want to start. NOTE: ALL PARTS

EXCEPT STOP ARE #/4" PLYWOOD
Size the Platform. The plat-
form shown will accept most PLATFORM
sizes and styles of chargers. But each side is tapered. And along the STOP 3%/8
if you need a little extra room, lower back edge you’ll need to cut
simply increase the width of the a notch. This notch provides clear- 1#/4
platform and adjust the overall ance for the back of the drawer 1 20˚
size of the station to match. assembly that’s added later. !/4 #/4
After beveling the front and back At this point, you can screw the SIDE VIEW
edges at 20°, cut a groove near the platform to the sides, angling it as
front edge for a strip of 1⁄4" hard- shown in the Side View. locate the chuck holes accurately,
board. This strip acts as a stop to Add the Top. All it takes to com- take a look at Figure 2.
keep the chargers in place as they plete the tower is to add the top. Then, after knocking off the
rest on the platform. Once the stop After cutting it to final size, you can front corners of the top, you can
is glued in place, you can turn your drill the holes to fit your chucks. screw it in place. Finally, a set of
attention to the sides of the tower. To position the drills for easy hook and loop straps secures each
Shape the Sides. For easier access access, I drilled these holes at a charger to the platform, as shown
to the chargers, the front edge of slight angle. For a simple way to in the photo below.
2 FIRST: TILT DRILL

PRESS TABLE 20˚, a.
THEN USE SQUARE
TO ALIGN TO NOTE: DRILL
AUXILIARY
TABLE b. TOP
STARTER
HOLE WITH
!/8"-DIA. BIT
AUXILIARY
CLEAT TABLE
TOP
SECOND: DRILL
STARTER HOLE
WITH !/8"-DIA. BIT
(DETAIL ‘a’)
AUX.
TABLE b.
NOTE:
DRILL CHUCK
HOLE WITH
2"-DIA. HOLE
SAW
THIRD: REPLACE BIT { Safe & Secure. Standard hook
WITH HOLE SAW AND
CUT CHUCK OPENING and loop straps (with screws and
(DETAIL ‘b’)
washers) keep the chargers in
place yet easy to remove.
s100_040.indd 41 6/10/2008 1:56:20 PM

FIGURE
adding versatile 3
Storage
The tower is all you need to hold SHELF
the chargers and drills. But to E
make the station more versatile, I
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
added a handy drawer assembly. WOODSCREW
Besides making it easy to mount
1" x 1" NOTCH
the station to a wall, the top part CENTERED ALONG
BACK EDGE
of the assembly creates quick and NOTE: TOP AND BOTTOM
(9!/4" x 23")
easy access “shelves” on each side BOTTOM ARE MADE
FROM #/4" PLYWOOD E
of the tower. Finally, the drawer
and tray provide valuable storage and screw it in place with the back
for all your drilling accessories. edge of the shelf flush with the
notches in the sides. You need to with rabbets and dadoes, like you
BUILDING THE CASE attach the shelf at this point since see in Figure 4. After cutting the
The drawer case is basically a ply- there won’t be enough room to do rabbets and dadoes, all that’s left
wood box consisting of an upper it once the case is assembled. before assembling the case is to cut
shelf, a bottom, two sides and a Adding the Sides. The next the back to final width and length.
back, as in Figure 4. The first step step is to cut the sides of the case Keep in mind that the back
is to make the shelf and bottom, as to final size. You can see in Fig- extends above the top of the case to
dimensioned in Figure 3. ure 4 that the top front corners fit in the notches in the tower sides.
To provide access for the charger are trimmed off to ease the sharp Here again, I eased the two upper
cords to feed down to an outlet, edge. And the sides extend above corners. Then, for mounting the case
cut a centered notch in the back the shelf to create a lip. to the wall later, I drilled a pair of
edge of these two pieces (Figure To ensure a solid case and make countersunk screw holes in the back,
3). Once the notches are cut, you assembly a simple task, the shelf, as illustrated in Figure 4.
can center the tower on the top bottom, back, and sides are joined Locating the Slides. Before
assembling the case, there’s one
FIGURE
4 a. TOP VIEW
!/4"
last thing to do. You want to add
the full-extension drawer slides.
NOTE: CASE SIDES AND Here again, doing this now means
BACK ARE MADE FROM
#/4" PLYWOOD
BACK
you won’t have to work inside
#/4"
the tight confines of the case once
BOTTOM everything is assembled.
CASE E The case part of the slide is
SIDE
attached so it’s flush with the
front edge of the case side. And
NOTE: DRILL
TWO HOLES TO ALIGN the lower edge aligns with the top
WITH WALL STUDS
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW
b. of the rabbet along the bottom of
the side, as illustrated in Figure 4b.
SHELF BACK Finally, assemble the drawer case
with glue and screws.
#/4 SHELF
#/4" x #/4" DRAWER & TRAY
BEVEL
G
BACK !/4 With the main case complete, you
(7" x 23") 4!/2 can turn your attention to the
drawer that fits inside. Along with
SIDE
the tray you’ll add later, it pro-
#8 x 3" Fh
WOODSCREW vides plenty of storage for all the
8" FULL-EXTENSION
DRAWER SLIDE accessories that go along with just
#/4 BOTTOM about any drilling task.
F Basic Construction. As you
CASE SIDE FRONT VIEW can see in Figure 5, the drawer is
(10" x 6!/4")
pretty simple to build. It’s a front
s100_042.indd 42 6/10/2008 1:58:59 PM

TRAY RUNNER
(!/2" x 20!/2")
FIGURE
and back connected by a pair of
sides. Rabbets reinforced with
5 SIDE
K
TRAY SIDE
(1!/4" x 8") L
(3!/2" x 9")
screws are all you need here. M TRAY BACK
I (1!/4" x 5")
To provide clearance behind
the drawer for the charger power N
cords, the sides are 1⁄4" shorter than H
TRAY BOTTOM
BACK (5!/2" x 7!/2")
the inside depth of the case. After
#6 x 1" Fh
allowing for the drawer slides and WOODSCREW
H L
the rabbets in the sides, you can TRAY FRONT
FRONT
cut all the parts to size. (3!/2" x 20#/4")
NOTE: ALL
Before assembling the drawer, DRAWER AND
TRAY PARTS, EXCEPT I
you’ll need to add grooves in all the BOTTOMS AND TRAY RUNNERS SIDE !/4
ARE !/2" PLYWOOD. BOTTOMS AND
parts for the 1⁄4" hardboard bottom. TRAY RUNNERS ARE !/4" HARDBOARD !/4
TRAY
And near the top of the front and
back, you’ll need to cut a second
groove to accept the hardboard run-
a. J !/4
BOTTOM DRAWER
(8!/2" x 21!/4") FRONT/BACK
ners that support the sliding tray. PRE-DRILL
SCREW TRAY
Assembly. Finally, drill counter- HOLES FOR BACK RUNNER
ATTACHING !/4 1!/4
sunk screw holes for mounting the
false front later. Once all that’s com-
FALSE
FRONT !/8 b. DRAWER
DRAWER !/2 FRONT/BACK 1!/2 BOTTOM
plete, glue and screw the drawer FRONT !/4
together. Finally, add the runners
that support the tray. NOTE: SIDE
SPACE !/4 !/4
To install the drawer in the case, FOR K
!/8
all you need to do is add the other CORDS N SIDE
half of the drawer slide. Be sure to SIDE VIEW J
VIEWS
position the slide so there’s 1⁄8" clear-
ance below the drawer once it’s slip the drawer into place and add
installed, as in Figure 5a. the false front. The false front pro- Materials
The Sliding Tray. With the vides a clean look to the station by & Hardware
drawer complete, you’re ready to covering up the drawer slides and
go ahead and build the sliding tray front edges of the case. TOWER
that rests on the runners inside. Making the false front is just a A Platform (1) 91/8 X 14 - 3/4 Ply.
B Stop (1) 1/ x 14 - 1/4 Hdbd.
The tray is just a front, back, bot- matter of cutting it to final size (Fig- 2
tom, and pair of sides joined with ure 6). I found it easiest to align the C Sides (2) 9 /4 x 10 - 3/4 Ply.
3
simple glued butt joints. false front by using double-sided D Top (1) 61/2 x 24 - 3/4 Ply.
E Shelf/Bottom (2) 91/4 X 23 - 3/4 Ply.
The sides of the tray are sized so tape and pressing the false front in
F Case Sides (2) 10 X 61/4 - 3/4 Ply.
they just slip into place between the place with all the edges flush.
G Back (1) 7 X 23 - 3/4 Ply.
drawer front and back. After cut- After attaching a pull and then
ting grooves for the bottom, you screwing the false front in place, DRAWER & TRAY
can glue up the tray. you can mount the station to a H Front/Back (2) 31/2 x 203/4 - 1/2 Ply.
I Sides (2) 31/2 x 9 - 1/2 Ply.
Add the False Front. All that’s wall and get your drilling accesso-
J Bottom (1) 81/2 x 211/4 - 1/4 Hdbd.
left to complete the tool station is to ries stored in one place. 1/ x 201/ - 1/ Hdbd.
K Tray Runners (2) 2 2 4
L Tray Front/Back (2) 11/4 x 5 - 1/2 Ply.
6 NOTE:
LOCATE FALSE
FRONT WITH
M Tray Sides (2)
N Tray Bottom (1)
11/4 x 8 - 1/2 Ply.
51/2 x 71/2 - 1/4 Hdbd.
DOUBLE-SIDED
TAPE, THEN O False Front (1) 51/4 x 24 - 3/4 Ply.
ATTACH FROM
INSIDE WITH
#8 x 1" Fh • (16) #8 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews
WOODSCREWS
• (2) #8 x 3" Fh Woodscrews
• (8) #6 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
O • (4) #8 x 1" Fh Woodscrews
5!/4
FALSE FRONT • (1 Pr.) 8" Full-Extension Drawer Slides w/Screws
(5!/4" x 24")
• (1) 3" Drawer Pull w/Screws
• (1) Hook & Loop Strap (36" Long)
NOTE: • (4) #8 Washers (to attach straps)
FALSE FRONT
3" DRAWER PULL IS MADE FROM • (4) #8 x 1/2" Ph Woodscrews (to attach straps)
#/4" PLYWOOD
s100_042.indd 43 6/10/2008 1:59:19 PM

SETTING UP
Shop
creating
Custom
Tool Storage
Protect your tools in style by making a fitted
and lined insert for any tool drawer.
Fine tools deserve equally fine I find it easiest to lay out the tool around the edges of the tool. You’ll
storage and protection. Unfortu- positions on the insert after cutting get around to fine-tuning the fit later.
nately, they often get tossed into it to size from 1⁄4" hardboard. You Remove the Waste. The goal at
the drawer of a tool box and end can see this in the left photo below. this point is to end up with a pat-
up getting banged around as you Provide Clearance. As you tern to guide you as you remove
open and close the drawer. work, be sure to leave “elbow most of the waste with a scroll saw
To solve this problem, I made cus- room” between each tool to make or jig saw (center photo below).
tom inserts to fit the drawers in my removal easy. Once the layout is Note: Drilling access holes that
tool box, like the one you see above. set, trace around the outside of overlap the layout lines provides
For added protection, they’re cov- each tool (lower left photo). an area for your fingers to get a
} Start ered with flocking, a spray-on fiber. Some tools will require an open- good grip on the tool.
Arranging. After ing identical to the tool, a dial
determining START WITH THE LAYOUT caliper for example. While others FINE-TUNING THE FIT
the position of The first step in making an insert only need an opening for the body After removing most of the waste,
each tool, trace is deciding which hand tools you of the tool, like my squares. The you’re ready to fine-tune the fit.
around them want to store and where. Then blade can simply rest on the top of So now’s the time to dig out a set
to create take some time to lay them out in a the insert. And don’t worry about of files and some sandpaper to fit
layout lines. compact, convenient arrangement. being extremely accurate tracing each tool perfectly.
{ Remove the Waste. After drill- { Customize the Fit. Files and
ing clearance holes, cut along the sandpaper make quick work of
layout lines to remove the waste. fitting each tool in the insert.
s100_044.indd 44 6/10/2008 2:00:06 PM

< Support.
Gluing in
thin strips of
veneer will
help support
a tool so it
rests level.
< Add Relief.

Drilling a relief
hole in the
{ Adding the Base. To provide a solid base for the insert, cut a piece base provides
of 1⁄8" hardboard to match and then glue it in place. clearance
for any part
Take Your Time. This is where the solid bottom, I like to add a 1⁄8" hard- of a tool that
custom look comes in, so take your board base (upper left photo). extends below
time fitting each tool (lower right Small Details. You’re almost the main body.
photo on the opposite page). Work ready to spray on the flocking. But
around each opening and remove first you may want to customize a
material until the tool slips in place couple of the tool areas, as in the
with a slight gap (1⁄16" overall). This two photos at right.
provides room for the adhesive and with the flocking. Only so much
flocking you’ll add later. SPRAY ON THE FLOCKING will stick and you can always col-
Add the Base. Once you’re happy Now comes the part that makes lect the excess and reuse it.
with the fit, use sandpaper to ease all your work look professional — The end result is a custom insert
the sharp edges around the perim- adding the flocking. You can check to store and protect all your preci-
eter of each tool. A rounded edge out the box below for more on the sion hand tools (main photo). Just
will help hold the flocking better flocking process. The main thing drop the insert in the drawer and
once it’s applied. Finally, to form a to keep in mind is to be generous slip each tool into its new home.
lining the insert:

Flocking >Seal the
Spray It Heavy.
Don’t be stingy
Surface.
with the flocking.
Once you’ve shaped each opening To prevent
You can’t apply
to match a tool, all the hard work absorption of
too much during
is done. Now you get to turn that the adhesive,
this step.
ordinary piece of hardboard into a spray on a
form-fitting insert. couple of coats
To do that, you’ll need to apply of lacquer.
the flocking. Flocking is nothing
more than fine rayon fibers. To
attach them to the insert, you spray
them into an oil-based, enamel
paint that acts as an adhesive.
For the best results, start by > Apply the
applying a coat or two of sealer Adhesive. A
(upper right photo). Then after “wet” coat of
brushing on the adhesive (lower adhesive is
right photo), simply spray on necessary for
a heavy coat of fibers (far right the fibers to
photo) and let it dry thoroughly. stick properly.
s100_044.indd 45 6/10/2008 2:00:36 PM

MASTERING THE
Table Saw
all about
Dado Blades
This must-have accessory is a key to
getting the most from your table saw.
Get a dozen woodworkers in a accessory, I would bet a stack dado simple cutting tool to a precision
room and you’re bound to have blade would win in a landslide. joinery machine. With a few no-
at least that many opinions on just It’s easy to see why. When nonsense setups, you can quickly
about anything. But if you took a you get down to it, a dado blade cut dadoes, grooves, rabbets,
vote for the number one table saw transforms your table saw from a tenons, half-laps, and box joints.
Clean the Flange. Pitch and grime Scoring Blade. For easy access, Spread the Shims. To avoid gaps
1 on the arbor can cause an inaccurate
cut. Remove the gunk with a brass brush.
2 raise the arbor to its highest point
and set the first blade in place.
3 in the dado, avoid placing more
than two shims in one location.
s100_046.indd 46 6/10/2008 2:01:39 PM

Scoring blades define Combine one or more chippers
edges of dado to create common dado sizes
In order to take advantage of these
Washer can
benefits, it’s a good idea to take a be removed to
look at how a dado blade works. accommodate
wide setups
DADO STACK UP CLOSE
The basic function of a dado blade
is to cut an extra-wide kerf. And
although it’s called a dado blade,
it’s actually a set of blades. By
mixing and matching the differ-
ent pieces of the set, you can create
kerfs ranging from 1⁄4" up to 13⁄16"
wide. You can see the parts of one
model in the photo at right.
Scoring Blades. On the outside
of each dado stack are a pair of
scoring blades. The beveled teeth Nut should
are ground to cleanly cut the left fully thread
onto arbor
and right edges of the dado (inset
photo on the opposite page).
Shims come in several
Chippers. For dadoes wider
thicknesses to tweak
than 1⁄4", you’ll need to install at least width of dado
one chipper. With only a few teeth Note: Outside face
on each blade, they’re designed for Note: Install dado insert of scoring blades
plate in table saw before Chippers remove are marked
heavy stock removal. The chippers
using dado blade bulk of waste
come in different widths to create a
wide range of dado sizes. it set up right in your table saw. Placement. As you set each blade
Shims. The final component of And with all the parts, it’s easy to in place, nestle the teeth in the gul-
the dado set doesn’t even seem get tripped up the first few times. lets of the blades on either side. This
like it belongs at first. The thin In the box along the bottom, you’ll prevents the teeth from chipping or
shims act as spacers to fine-tune find a guide for getting it right. changing the width of the dado.
the width of the dado. Keep It Clean. Before getting Note: A full-width dado stack
started, I look over the blades and may not fit on some saws. Only
INSTALLING A DADO BLADE saw arbor for any built-up pitch use a wide setup if the nut can be
Now that you know how the parts and clean it off. Pitch on the blades fully threaded on the arbor.
work together to create a dado, increases friction and slows the In a short time, using a dado
you can install it on your saw and cutting action. And a dirty arbor blade will become second nature.
get started. One of the keys to great can “shim” the blade to cut a wider And you’ll wonder how you ever
results with a dado blade is getting kerf than you want. got along without one.
Install the Chippers. Stagger Complete the Set. Install the other Arbor Nut. The nut should fully
4 the chippers so the carbide teeth
won’t contact adjacent blades.
5 scoring blade and double check
the setup for proper installation.
6 thread onto arbor. For wide setups,
you may need to exclude the washer.
s100_046.indd 47 6/10/2008 2:02:30 PM

GREAT
Gear
precision
Pocket
Holes
The Kreg K3 takes
pocket hole joinery
to the next level.
For quick, sturdy, and foolproof opposite page) to large plywood see their latest effort below, the Kreg
joinery, I often turn to pocket cabinet components. Jig K3 Master System.
screws. Drilling a couple of holes The K3 System. The Kreg Tool What makes this latest pocket
and driving in the screws results in Company has been a leader in pocket hole jig different is new capabili-
a rock-solid joint suitable for every- hole joinery for years, but that hasn’t ties. Plus, a number of added fea-
thing from assembling a solid-wood prevented them from continually tures simply make drilling pocket
face frame (upper margin photo on improving their products. You can holes more convenient.
Add-on T-track
allows quick positioning Dealing with Dust. For starters,
of material Benchtop base unit attached Snap-on shroud ensures dust one of the biggest “upgrades” in my
support stops to a shop-made base makes and chip-free operation
setup quick and easy Front side clamp lever provides
unobstructed access for
clamping any size workpiece
< Thickness
Adjustment.
The guide block
adjusts to match
the thickness of
the workpiece.
Adjustable stops do double

duty to support a workpiece
or provide accurate
positioning
Fixed support
included with system
Add-on
support
< Depth stop offers
Setting. versatility
Depth collar
setup is easy
with the built-
48 in guide. ShopNotes No. 100
s100_048.indd 48 6/10/2008 2:03:26 PM

jig uses a brass index
pin to quickly and eas-
ily secure the guide block
in place to match the mate-
rial thickness you’re working
with. You can see the thickness
settings etched into one edge of the
guide block in the photo at the bot-
tom of the opposite page.
More Upgrades. That covers
the basics, but Kreg went a bit fur-
ther in improving the overall ease { Rock Solid.
of use. Take a look at the material Driving a pair
support stops in the main photo of screws into
and the photo at left. the pocket
{ Support Stops. The stops are used to support long or wide work- These accessories (one comes holes is all it
pieces or for drilling pocket holes at identical spots, as shown here. with the Kreg Jig K3 Master System) takes to create
They slide along the T-track and lock securely in place. accomplish two things. First, they a sturdy joint.
support long or wide workpieces
opinion is the dust collection shroud That wasn’t a problem with a perfectly level with the base unit.
which attaches to the base unit narrow workpiece. But trying to And second, the built-in stop
(upper photo on opposite page). It clamp a large cabinet side or back ensures accurate, repetitive drill-
removes the bulk of the dust and in place meant reaching awk- ing of identical workpieces.
chips that result from drilling a wardly around the panel. With the Finally, Kreg added a built-in
pocket hole. So there’s no need to new K3 system, there’s a front side depth stop positioning guide
worry about a messy buildup that clamp lever that’s easily accessible. (inset photo at bottom of opposite
can cause problems as you position Note: If you deal with long work- page). This makes setting the stop
the workpiece in the jig. pieces or need a portable solution, on the drill bit to match the mate-
Easy Clamping. Another nice take a look at a different clamping rial thickness a snap.
change is the method used to option in the box below. As you can see, the Kreg Tool
clamp the workpiece in place. On Adjustable Guide Block. The Company has made some great
older Kreg models, you secured third big improvement relates to improvements to the process of
the workpiece in place by using a properly locating the pocket hole drilling pocket holes. For com-
clamp that operated from the back as the workpiece thickness varies. plete ordering information, turn to
of the pocket hole jig. Instead of spacer blocks, this new Sources on page 51.
taking pocket holes

Portable While the benchtop unit will han-
dle most of the pocket hole tasks The drill
you’ll run across, there are times guide block
when you may (top) slips
need to deal with into the
a long workpiece, a portable
partially assembled base unit
(bottom)
project, or even drill
and adjusts
pocket holes away from the shop. for material
To make this easy, the Kreg K3 thickness
features a portable base (photo at just like the
right) that accepts the drill guide benchtop
block. With the addition of a face base
clamp, you can drill pocket holes
anywhere you can clamp the unit
securely (photo at left). Or if neces-
sary, you can use the guide block
by itself by screwing it in place.
s100_048.indd 49 6/10/2008 2:03:58 PM

questions from
Our Readers
setting up a
Feather-
board
I know that using a featherboard can help me
get better results at the table saw. But how do I
know it’s in the right place and set up properly? { Ripping Right. Position the
Chris Benda featherboard just ahead of the saw First finger
Gilbert, Iowa blade to prevent kickback. sets correct
pressure
A featherboard is a great way to blade at the end of the cut. This
safely get consistent results for could result in kickback. To avoid
many jobs at the table saw. And this, you’ll want to be sure to posi-
proper setup is the key. tion the featherboard just ahead of
Ripping Operations. Where you the blade (main photo above).
place the featherboard depends on The Right Pressure. The next { Setting a Featherboard. When
the task at hand. The most common step is to make sure the feather- a featherboard is set correctly, the
use for a featherboard is to hold the board provides the correct pres- fingers flex just a bit.
workpiece firmly against the fence sure. The goal is to force the work-
during a ripping operation, like piece against the fence, yet still Cutting Rabbets. Cutting a rab-
you see in the photo above. allow it to slide smoothly. bet along the edge of a workpiece
As you set up the featherboard, To help with the setup, the is another common operation
it’s important to avoid pinching first finger on some commercial where a featherboard really helps.
the waste piece against the saw featherboards is slightly shorter It ensures that the entire rabbet
than the others. You simply set the is cut to a consistent depth and
featherboard against the workpiece results in a great-fitting joint.
so this finger just contacts the For this task, it’s okay to locate
edge. As the workpiece slides past the featherboard directly above the
the rest of the fingers, they gently saw blade, as in the photo at left.
bend to provide the right amount The goal here is to force the work-
of pressure (inset photo above). piece flat against the table during
Note: For a featherboard with- the cut instead of the fence. Here
out a setup finger, simply adjust again, the process for establishing
the featherboard so all the fingers the correct pressure is the same.
have a slight bend as shown. Note: For some rip fences, you’ll
need to clamp the outfeed end of
< Perfect Rabbets. A featherboard the fence securely to the table to
directly over the blade keeps the prevent it from raising up as you
workpiece against the table. cut the rabbet.
s100_050.indd 50 6/10/2008 2:04:55 PM

Sources
Most of the materials and sup- • Woodsmith Store • Woodcraft
MAIL
ORDER
SOURCES
Woodsmith Store
800-444-7527
plies you’ll need for the projects Kreg Micro-Adjuster . . . . . 618033 Hook & Loop Strap . . . . . . . 834590
are available at a hardware store or Kreg Mini-Trak . . . . . . . . . .273732 Rockler
home center. For specific products Kreg Miter Track . . . . . . . .273735 CUSTOM TOOL STORAGE (p.42) 800-279-4441
or hard-to-find items, take a look at rockler.com
Laminate: Wilsonart “North Sea” Rockler carries all the supplies you
the sources listed below. You’ll find
(D90-60) need for creating custom drawer
each part number underneath the Bench Dog Tools
Paint: Benjamin-Moore Regal Egg- inserts for your tools. If you’ve 800-786-8902
company name. See the right mar-
shell (“Raspberry Truffle” 2080-10). only got a few drawers you want to benchdog.com
gin for contact information.
The gray paint color is custom-tinted flock, you can use the Mini-Flocker
ROUTER INSERT PLATES (p.12) to match the laminate. applicator (see below). For larger DonJer Products
projects, you might want to con- 800-336-6537
You’ll find a variety of insert plates MORTISING TABLE (p.30) sider the Air-Assisted Flocking Gun. donjer.com
at most woodworking suppliers. It works with your compressor for
The information for the two Veritas • Enco
3⁄ " Steel Rods . . . . . . . . . 240-2246 a smooth, even application. Enco
round plates is shown below: 4 800-873-3626
3⁄ " Acme Rod . . . . . . . . . 408-0226 • Rockler use-enco.com
4
• Lee Valley 3⁄ " Flat Washers . . . . . . . 240-0632
4 Mini-Flocker Applicator. . . .28035
Steel Insert Plate . . . . . . . .05J38.01 3⁄ " Acme Nuts . . . . . . . . 407-2206
4 Air-Assisted Gun . . . . . . . . .32222 Hartville Tool
Base Plate/Insert Plate . . .05J25.01 3⁄ " Bronze Bushings. . . . 325-7516
4 800-345-2396
You can also order flocking mate- hartvilletool.com
ROUTER TABLE (p.18) • Reid Supply rials from DonJer Products. They
Hand Wheels . . . . . . . . .JCL-1550 have a variety of interesting colors
• Woodcraft JessEm Tool
Studded Knobs . . . . . . . . DK-1202 and types from which to choose. 866-272-7492
JessEm Rout-R-Lift FX . . .145372 Knobs w/Inserts . . . . . . . DK-1196 jessem.com
Rousseau Safety Switch . . .141938 Toggle Clamp . . . . . . . . . . TC-609 KREG POCKET HOLE JIG (p.48)
• Rockler Clamp Plunger Tip . . . TC-225208 Kreg Tool Company
• Rockler 800-447-8638
Magnetic Catches . . . . . . . . .26559 • Lee Valley Kreg K3 Master System . . . .28212 kregtool.com
12" Drawer Slides . . . . . . . .32466 Glue Syringe . . . . . . . . .25K07.05
• Woodsmith Store Lee Valley
• Reid Supply Kreg K3 Master System . . .618045 800-871-8158
Levelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL-120 CORDLESS TOOL STATION (p.40) leevalley.com
4" Door Pulls . . . . . . . .VPH-3545 • Rockler
Fence Handles . . . . . . . . . RST-170 MLCS
8" Drawer Slides . . . . . . . . . 97809 800-533-9298
• Lee Valley mlcswoodworking.com
• Lee Valley
4" Rigid Casters . . . . . . . 00K20.02 8" Drawer Slides . . . . . . 02K42.08 Reid Supply Company
Dust Port Adapter . . . . . .03J61.10 800-253-0421
reidsupply.com
Rousseau Company
800-635-3416
rousseauco.com
Router Table Depot
HARDBOUND VOLUMES 800-643-8716

routertabledepot.com
This set includes seven hardbound volumes of ShopNotes
(Volumes 9 through 15). Each volume includes a year of issues, Woodcraft
800-225-1153
plus a table of contents and a handy index. woodcraft.com
Buy them for $29.95 each. Or get the whole seven-volume set
for $157.25 and SAVE OVER $50 Woodhaven
— that’s like getting one volume FREE. 800-344-6657
(Offer expires 12/31/08) woodhaven.com
Go to www.ShopNotes.com Woodpeckers
800-752-0725
or Call 1-800-444-7527 Today to Order Yours! woodpeck.com
s100_050.indd 51 6/10/2008 2:05:15 PM

Scenes from M
the Shop
Cupped, bowed, or twisted — finding
flat boards may seem impossible. But
with a simple jointer technique, you
can do the job yourself. You’ll find the
step-by-step process on page 16.
10
IS
SP
Building the Mortising Table on page 30 takes
a bit of metalworking. And the sparks fly when
creating a tenon on threaded rod. We’ll show
you a few tips for getting accurate results,
turn to page 28 for details.
PL
This band saw jig
helps you get better
results when resawing.
And you’ll find even more
practical tips starting on page 4.
www.ShopNotes.com
s100_001_SUB.indd 52 5/27/2008 8:11:28 AM

100 The Router Table

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100 The Router Table

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Per fect

Vol. 17 Issue 100

10U0Eth THE ROUTERTABLE

NEW Jig For Quick & Easy Joinery

s100_001_SUB.indd 1 5/23/2008 2:42:10 PM

2 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_002.indd 2 6/10/2008 8:48:25 AM

Creating Custom Tool Storage _________ 44 wall-mounted station you

Q&A ______________________________ 50 This symbol lets you

s100_002.indd 3 6/10/2008 8:54:08 AM

Readers 1(/16"-DIA. PLUG

Tips for SIDE VIEW (LEGS FOLDED)

Hinged Outfeed Table SCREWED TO TOP OF LEG

T-NUT AND CARRIAGE BOLT

feed table for my table saw, but stationary

4 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_004.indd 4 6/10/2008 9:09:08 AM

Handy Grill Light

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek

SR. PHOTOGRAPHERS Crayola England, Dennis Kennedy

ShopNotes® (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly (Jan., March, May, July,

Submit Your Tips Canada BN 84597 5473 RT

publishing your tip in one or more of our publications. Just go online to

s100_004.indd 5 6/10/2008 9:09:53 AM

NOTE: ALL PARTS !/4" WASHER

6 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_006.indd 6 6/10/2008 10:21:41 AM

Eraser Push Sticks

s100_006.indd 7 6/10/2008 10:22:08 AM

8 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_008.indd 8 6/10/2008 10:23:22 AM

s100_008.indd 9 6/10/2008 10:24:29 AM

< Easy Operation.

> Less Effort.

10 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_010.indd 10 6/10/2008 10:25:42 AM

{ Smooth Sliding. Wax the bot- { Forms. A coat of paste wax

They’re mixed with solvents in squeezeout from sticking to forms,

Home Brew. Protect your

s100_010.indd 11 6/10/2008 10:26:09 AM

12 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_012.indd 12 6/10/2008 10:33:52 AM

< Flatness. Use a straightedge

s100_012.indd 13 6/10/2008 10:34:35 AM

INSERT RINGS. Insert rings, or

14 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_014.indd 14 6/10/2008 10:35:24 AM

MLCS 9" x 12" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($35)

MLCS 9" x 12" - 1⁄4" Aluminum w/Rings, Pin ($65)

Woodpeckers 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($60)

Woodpeckers 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Alum. w/Rings, Pin ($100)

Woodhaven 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($55)

Kreg 91⁄4" x 113⁄4" - 3⁄8" Phenolic w/Rings, Pin ($70)

s100_014.indd 15 6/10/2008 10:35:46 AM

16 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_016.indd 16 6/10/2008 10:36:44 AM

APPLY DOWNWARD FORCE

s100_016.indd 17 6/10/2008 10:37:22 AM

18 ShopNotes No. 100

s100_018.indd 18 6/10/2008 10:38:09 AM

GG Fence Runners (2) 1/ x 5/ - 43/

s100_018.indd 19 6/10/2008 10:39:40 AM

vibration and helps keep the top