NO. 75 NOTES FROM THE SHOP z $3.95 codsmith UNIQUE EIGHT- SIDED PATIO TABLE |EDLTOR 5 COLUMN Managers: DesMoines. IA Kent Welsh Berkeley. CA. Michael DeHaven pais eeeicin ae pee ares Sawdust few years ago we remodeled the old hhouse that sits behind our office building. Nowwe use the ground floor asa photo studio, and the upper floor as a ‘conference center. Inthe process of remodeling, we decided totear up part ofthe parkinglot between the two buildings and put ina garden Is filled with lowers — annuals and perennials and roses. And there’sabrick walkway and patio area that zig-zags through the garden to ‘connect the two buildings. ‘So, what does all ofthis have to do with woodworking? The patio is a great place to relax. But there was no where to sit. So last year we built some outdoor furniture — an Adiron- sdack chair, a matching settee, and a patio table. (The photo on the cover of Woodsmith No. 69 shows this furniture in thepatioareainfrontofthe carriagehouse.) Thadallthe best intentions ofmoving this furniture inside last winter — but didn't quite make it before the first snow. ‘Well, I thought, maybe this isa good op- portunity to see how redwood furniture ‘weathers the winter. Itmade itokay... but the warm redwood color turned to an unpleasant gray. Another ‘good opportunity, I thought, to see how to restore the color to redwood furniture ‘With summer just around the comer, we ‘set to work cleaning the furniture with TSP ‘and oxalic acid. I hadn't done this before, ‘and was frankly a litle skeptical that this process would restore the redwood color ‘without having to sand down to new wood. It turned out great. Aer refinishing it with a mixture of spar varnish and ol, it looks like aged redwood —a deep rich red ‘color rather than gray (more like the way ‘working on this refinishing project, we started to get a batch of requests for plans fora patio or picnic table — usually accom- panied with the suggestion to “make it different than the typical 2x6 (construction umber) tables found in most state parks.” ‘So we decided to add to our collection of ‘outdoor furniture with an octagonal pati table, Weincorporated an easy-tommakever- sion of mortise and tenon joinery on this table. Basically, you create the mortise by cutting dadoes in two boards and join them ‘together to produce the mortise. Forthe other outdoor projectinthisissue (he formal planters), I switched to a more typical way of making a mortise — using a drill press to rough out the mortise, and ‘cleaning it up with a chisel. Then I cut the tenons on table saw. But in the middle of this process, I de- ‘cided itwould befuntodoalitie hand work, | got out my mortise chisels and chopped away at the mortises fora second planter. JAPANESE SAWS. To cul the tenons, I reached formy dozukisaw.It'sanice way to ‘cut tenons. And thought it was about time wwe talked about the various Japanese saws ‘we use— especially for delicate joinery. Allin all's odd to think that this whole issue actually started whea [forgot to move the redwood furniture inside forthe winter. [NEW FACES. Last year we produced our first catalog — offering supplies for Woodemith projects and back issues. At that time we were able to store all of the inventory in about 1,500 square feet of the basement of our store here in Des Moines. ‘That didn't last long. Now we've moved into (and just about filled) a 9,000 square foot warehouse. And we've enlisted the aid ‘of several energetic people —Jerry, Gloria, Ron and Dave — to pack and ship orders. ‘They've invited me to the warehouse to ‘work with them foraday..'mnotsureifthey Just wanted me around formy sparkling per- sonality,orifthey thought mightbeableto lose a few pounds trying to keep up with their pace. HELP WANTED. In the last issue, I men tioned that we were looking for editors and marketing director to fill postions availa. Dle here at Woodsmith. addition, we'realso in need ofa project, designer. We're looking for someone who ‘can design furniture projects, as wellaspro- jects for the shop. Gigs and shop storage ‘rojects). This position will also require the ability to do the type of technical illustra- tions shown in Woodsmith. Iyou'reinterested, write to Ted Kralicek, Design Director, Woodsmith, 2200 Grand ‘Ave., Des Moines, 1A 50312. Ted will send ‘more information about the job. [NEXT ISSUE. The next issue of Wood- ‘smith willarivein late July or early August. her | ‘Woodsmith a No. 75A, SEIO10.K Contents i ji Six tips from fellow woodworkers: (Hipsge techniques) (4) 1) A Third Hand for Mounting | Router Bits. 2) Saw Blade Guards. 3) A Sawhorse Table Base. 4) Checking 22 Miters. 5) Routing In Multiple Passes. 6) Table L-Brackets. INSIDE Patio Table G] We built a unique octagonal table using two different woods — Cal- ‘ifornia redwood for the frame and base, | and western cedar for the slats in the top. Aeeentamp | [Ba] Nothing brightens an area like a lamp. And all you need to make this Accent Lamp is a weekend. We've even pro- vided a source for the hardware, decorative strips, and a lamp shade. Sain Notes 1) Shop-Built Kerfing Jig. 2) Pilot * 16} Gearing Tracks. 3) Clamping Solu- tions. 4) Removing a Router Bearing. Accent Lamp page 12 The details at the corners are only 1S} hart of what makes this Redwood Planter a classic for the garden or patio. In keeping with the traditional look, it's assembled with traditional mortise and tenon joinery. There's more to Japanese saws than UES) razor-sharp teeth We show you how to use them and offer tips on which style to buy. Plus, we take a look at a Western version ofa Japanese saw The results are in for our sawhorse ES contcat. And the winners are: a Knock-Down Sawhorse, a Folding Saw- horse, and a Conventional Sawhorse. How do you refinish outdoor furni- ED) rare? And how to prevent stepped tenons when cutting on the table sav. Hardware and project supplies BE LB scot forthe project in this te Japanese Saws page 24 No. 75 Woodsmith 3FROM FELLOW WOODWORKERS Tips & Techniques THIRD HAND had a problem every time I “third hand,” see Fig. 1. Grasp ounted a bit in the router at- the cutting end of the router bit tached to my Woodsmith router in the clothespin. Now set the table. It seems like I needed clothespin on the router table three hands: one to hold the bit withthe bitin the collet. 0 it wouldn't drop too low and Then adjust the router height bottom outin the collet, andtwo until the desired amount of the hands for the wrenches that bit isin the collet. And tighten tighten the collet down the bit, see Fig. la To sol Howard M. Rathbun an ordi Loveland, Colorado BLADE GUARDS WMCarbidetipped circular saw blades are expensive, so I take care to protect the teeth from ‘damage when the bladeisoffthe saw for storage or to be sharp- ened. To protect the teeth, Luse 4 piece of plastic tubing that 1 bought at a hardware store, refer toFig.2 Itcosts about 20cents a foot. (Mail order catalogs sell blade guards for $10 or more.) To make a guard for a 10" blade, start with a3 footlength of 36" O.D. plastic tubing, or 516" O.D. tubing for thin kerfblades. ‘Then, wedge the tube ina vise and slitit open witha sharp uti ity knife, see Fig. 1. Now spread the tube apart and slipitover the teeth, see Fig. 2. John Samoluk Buchanan, Tennessee 1 SAWHORSE TABLE BASE WMlusesawhorsesforavarietyof hangers, see detail. Attach the jobs, including when Icutdown —hangerssothey'Ipinchtheends 4x8 sheets of plywood. But the of the 2xt's, This way the 2x's plywood usually sags when laid will stay in the hangers without across two sawhorses. So I being screwed: devised an easy way to stop the ‘This system also ‘sagging by connecting the saw- rific temporary assembly table horses, see Fig. 1 for those times when my bench ‘The support system consists istoo high andthe floor s oo low. oftwo6 foot 2x4'shung between Kevin Wright the sawhorseson metal Trenton, New Jersey CHECKING 221/2° MITERS WEI had a hard time setting the miter gauge on my table saw to cut exactly 2212" when making mitered cuts for an octagon. So developedasystemusingthe rip fence and a plastic 45° drafting triangle tocheck the aceuracy of the miter gauge on test piew Here's how. First, cut a piece of scrap in two at 212". Then, to check the angle, place the long. side of one piece against the rip fence. Next place the mitered end of the second piece tight ‘against the mitered end of the first, see Fig. 1. Now check the angle between the second piece and the rip fence withthe plastic triangle. An accurate cut creates a5" angle, David Beck Middletown, Ohio 4 ‘WoodsmithROUTING MULTIPLE PASSES | mihad to Weep ‘grooves for a recent project. T do this, I routed the grooves in two Ma"aleep passes. But when | reset the bit to cut the second | pass, the cut was slightly off to ‘ne side ofthe first cut. This left a little step on one side of the groove, seephoto.Itlooked bad, and the groove turned out wider than the router bit The problem with my routeris ‘ypical of many. They much play in the me that controls the depth of when you change the depth of the bit and retighten the motor for the second pass, the bit can cut at a slightly different point than it dd on the first pass. To solve the problem, start by i depth of the groove Then lay a V"thick spacer (made of Ma sonite or plywood) ‘on the router table to “raise” the ‘workpiece fora shallower depth ‘ofcut, see Fig. 1a. Nowmake the first pass. ‘Then remove the spacer and make the fina fulldepth cut, see Fig. tb. By removing the spacer, WI recently built a table with a butcher-block style, solid wood top. But I ran into a problem ‘when I tried to find brackets to | attach the table top tothe base. ‘Wood expands and contracts across the grain with changes: humidity. Since my top is made of thick solid wood, 1 needed brackets that would allow my tabletop to move independently ofthe table base. ‘But the “L" brackets sold at y local hardware store don't ry wood movement. So I decided to make my brack ets out of slotted steel angle, see Fig. 1 The hardware store sells. itas framing for shelves. It cost about $4.00 for a 36"-Jong piece, the shortest [could buy. ‘What makes it ideal for table brackets is that there are holes ‘opposite some of the slots, see Fig. 1. To allow the wood to move across the grain, the bracketsonthe sidesofthetable you won't have to change the depth ofcut on the router before ‘making the second pass. “To make deeper grooves, use_| twoorthree spacers and remove ‘one ater each pass. This worked so well, made a permanent spacer by screwin pair of cleats on the ends of the ‘pacer, see Fig. 1. They overlap the ends of the router table and hhold the spacer in place. ‘Thismethod also works wh routing multiple passes free hhand, Just attach a spacer to your router base plate when ‘making the frst pass. Keith P. Brown Denville, New Jersey base need slots perpendicular to brackets on the table en however, should be parallel with the bend, see Fig. 2, To make table brackets, cut the steel angle with a hacksaw long segments, see Fig. 1. Then screw the brackets to the table base. To attach the top, usea serew anda washer in each slot. Russ Alexander Cleveland, Ohio ‘SEND IN YOUR TIPS: Ifyou would like to share a tip or idea, just send it to Woodemith, Tips and Tech- ‘niques, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, lowa 0312. ‘onthe publishedlength ofthe tip). Please include an ex- planation and a sketch or photo (we'ldraw a new one). No. 75 ‘WoodsmithFEATURE PRO Patio Table It’s not just the shape of this Patio Table that’s unique. The joinery that goes into building the table is similar to what you'd find in an indoor table Yet all the joints are made with just a table saw and a router | | hhold down the cost JOINERY. But the bi mnthe frame: take your time and make crap wood first. Then,EXPLODED VIEW OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 4814" x 29"H MATERIALS CUTTING DIAGRAM OF GER Pin SETI iB : ss Saeed cane eativecen soe ees eaten nse Saas E sass) teeters 90 F Slats (4) ne dae) = G Sats (16) = a f 3 trom eaco ees Ener neat 1 Splines (8) Vax6-4Rgh eee earl ae Bee . BASE a a E ® anin ee || — thao mise ssiicaTin weGeE) er hee re r a ee ae Wee wks 3 gp e |e — Tea cen Sa ey Beenie ee Seater Brod = & a No. 75 ‘Woodsmith 7TABLE TOP splined miters. ‘To strengthen the frame, apairofinter- locking cross braces is added. These TOP FRAME ‘Start workon the top by cutting eight frame ‘sections (A) from a2x6 to rough lengths of 22". Then rp these to finished width (1). ‘TERS. To check thatthe miter gauge is setat the exact angle, [frst made a series of test cuts on eight pieces of 4"wide scrap plywood. (Also, see the tip on page 4.) ‘Then, to guarantee that all the sections were identical in length, I attached an auxil- iary fence to my miter gauge and clamped a stop block to this fence. ‘Oncetthe test pieces forma perfectoctagon, ritr all eight sections to length, see Fig. KERFS AND SPLINES. To strengthen the joints, Iused V2thick splines. The splines it in kerfs centered on the thickness of the frame sections, see Fig. 1a, lcutthese kerfs on the table saw using a dado blade and a special jg, see Shop Notes, page 16. Next, make the splines by resawing ‘enough stock to fit the kerfs. Then cut the splines to width and length, refer to Fig. 4 Note: For maximum strength, orient the ‘rain ofthe spline across the joint line. ockers. Thenext stepis tocut“pockets” ‘on the underside of four of the frame sec- tions to receive the cross braces, refer to Figs. 1 and 3. I roughed-out these pockets using the router with a straight bit, routing to within Ys" of the layout lines. Then I cleaned up tothe lines with a chisel CROSS BRACES ‘Tomake the cross braces (B), frst drys ‘semble the frame and measure between the ‘extremes ofeach pocket. Then cut two pieces ‘of 2x6 to this length, and also to final width. HALF LAPS. Now lay out halflap joints on the ends and center of each cross brace, see Fig. 2. Note: The center halflapis cuton the top ofone brace and the bottom ofthe other. "ASSEMBLY. [ assembled the top upside down on a half shect of plywood, se Fig. 3. Spread some plastic resin glue in each saw ier ten ad the poe. Se page 31 or ‘more on outdoor glues.) ‘Clamp the frame pieces tothe plywood as, you work your way around the table. Then hue and serew the cross braces into the fl pockets, see Fig. 3a ‘TRIM SPLINES. Once the glue dries, trim, then sand the splines fush with the inside and outside edges ofthe frame, sce F Woodsmith—— ed TABLE TOP ‘With the top frame assembled, the next step istoround over the edges. ROUND-OVERS. To round over the outside ‘edges ofthe frame, Iused a 4" round.over Dit routinginacounter clockwise direction, see Fig. 5. For the top inside edges of the frame — and also the top edges of the cross braces — Tuseda Vs round-overbit,routinginaclock. wise direction, see Fig. 5 'RABBETS. When the top slats are added they’re held in place by a series of keeper ‘tripsattachedto the underside ofthe frame, refer to Fig. 9. The sats rest ona ledge rab- beted into the frame. Theledge is formed by routing a 34'-wide rabbet along the bottom, inside openings of the frame, see Fig. 6 “Make at least two passes to rout the 1. pu } Woodsmith, No. 75One ofthemost popular Japanese sawsisthe dozuki (DOZE-owkey) backsaw. It's the ‘most similar to its western counterpart, and ‘agood one to start with. It consists of a thin blade that’s supported by a metal “back” along the top edge of he blade. And ithasa high number ofteeth per inch, usually about 26. The teeth have almost no set, s0 they cut ‘avery narrow kerf. This makes the dozuki ‘especially good for doing fine work. Dozuki means “shoulder” in Japanese, and this refers othe original purpose of the saw —tocutshoulderson tenons, see Fig. 4 Butbecause the blade isso thin, it'sideal for ‘cutting davetalsand other precision joinery. GRIP. To use the dozuki, hold it in one hand, see Fig. 4. You can use alight gripand siillhave good control. To help keep the saw aligned when cutting, extend your index fin ‘ger on the side ofthe handle. ‘CROSS-CUTTING. To start a cut, align the ‘lade just tothe waste side of the cut line at the far comer of the workpiece. (Note: Use ‘your thumbnail or knuckleasa guide.) ‘Since the width ofthe blade and the strip along the back ofthe dozuki limit how deep ‘youcancut,youTlneeda differenttechnique to cut through stock thats thicker than the width of the saw blade, Todothis, startakerfon one face, see Fig, 5, Then, without stopping the cutting mo- tion, rotate the piece 90° and continue the kerf along the cut line, see Fig. 5a. Keep rotating the piece until you have a continu- ‘ouskerfallthe way around. Now, deepenthe kerf on each face until you ve cut through. 4 RYOBA nothing eke, a ryoba (RYE-f-bab) saw will considerably lighten your tool box. That's ‘because it can replace two western saves, a ‘ip saw and a crosscut saw Ryoba means “double” and refers to the blade—ithascrosscutteeth onone side, see Fig. 6. And ripping teeth on the other, see ig. 7. Ryoba saws come in several different lengths — the longer the saw, the longer the teeth. The longest saws (13° or more) are ‘designed for timber framing. The teeth on the medium length saws (11" to 12") are de- signed for carpentry work. The shortersaws, G@* to 92) are for joinery. ‘Guur. The ryoba can be heid in one hand like the dozuki, or with both hands, see Fig, 6. When using both hands, try 2 grip with one or both index fingers ex- tended. While itmay seem awkward at first, is grip helps keep the saw Lind using aligned. [also notice that when ripping thick ‘stock, using both hands i less tiring. RIPPING TECHNIQUE. Like the dozul backsaw, the smallerryoba sawscanbeused {or doing fine work. And when you need to do a particularly accurate cut, try ripping ‘with the saw ina vertical position, see Fig7. Todothis,frstlay outacut line onthe top, and bottom faces of the workpiece. Then, hhold the piece so it extends off the bench: Star the cut using the teeth near the handle, thentumn the piece overand continue the kerf from the other side. Now turn the piece over several times toadvance thecut. Asyounear theend ofthe cut, move the fulliength ofthe saw vertically through the wood, see Fig. 7 No. 75 ‘Woodsmith‘Usually, when Icounterbore a screw to hide the head, Ifillthe hole with a dowel or plug. But after gluing the dowel in the hole, I'm faced with the problem of trimming it fush with the surface. I's a problem because I want to avoid scratching the surface of the ‘workpiece when trimming. ‘One way to solve this problem isto use a Jkugihiki (COU-ghee HEE-kee), a Japanese flush cut saw, see Fig. 8. The name means “to cut nals” (wooden nails or dowels). The ‘kugihiki is a crosscut saw with 2026 teeth PButthereareimportantdifferences FLEXIBLE. Another difference between between this saw and other cross-cut saws. the kugihiki and other crosscut saws is the ‘NOSET. The first differenceisthe teeth on blade is much more flexible. This means thekugihikihaveno set—theycutakerfthe caremustbetakentonot breakor “kink” the ‘same width as the blade. This is both good blade — a serious limitation in a blade that and bad. It's good because the teeth won't often binds in the kerf. Scratch the surface of the workpiece. Butt Since a kugihiki costs $40 and is tricky to also means the blade can bind inthe kerf, use, it certainly isnt the first Japanese saw ‘Thisisn'taproblem whencutting dowels. 1'd buy- Infact, fyouhavea dozuki,try flush However, ifyou flush-cuta tenon, the bind- cutting with it. Since its teeth are set, they ing can be severe (since a tenon is longer _ won't bind inthe kert, Just be careful to pro: ‘and thicker than a dowel), see Fig. 9. tect the workpiece from scratches. Tw e’sanother ryobarstyle saw that hasin0 direct western equivalent. I'scalled the ae- biki (EF-zeh BEE-kee), see Fig. 10. thas a short doubleedged blade centered on the end of long neck. Like the ryoba, the aze- biki has erosscut teeth on one side of the blade and ripping teeth on the other side. "NIQUE SHAPE. The azebiki is most often ed to cut mortises and grooves in the middle of board, and siding dovetails. But because o lightweight, in very tight situations. So its helpful when _aseries flight cuts or scrapes along the cut you're doing furniture, boat, orhome repair Tine to get the kerf established. Then apply work because you can use it in lose spaces _ more pressure asthe kerf gets deeper. without damaging surrounding surfaces. To clear out the sawdust, it helps to rock 's curved blade allows you to the azebikiinthe kerfas youcut see Fig. 11 start a cut in the middle of a board (or any Thisisone ofthe real advantages ofacurved ‘work surface, ike a wall or the floor), see blade over astraight blade. Adozuki can cut Fig. 10.Andsince ithasripteeth on oneside grooves in mid-panel. But its straight blade and crosscut teeth on the other, the azebiki won't clear the sawdust. The curved blade of ‘can cut with the grain or acrossit. theazebiki, however, ts the sawdust out of USING THE AZEBIKI. To cut amortise ora the kerf. This makes the cutting faster and sotin the middle ofa board, startby making the saw easier to control Woodsmith : No. 75CUTTING GUIDES Among the tools you might find in a tradi tional Japanese toolbox are block gauges or ‘cutting guides. These are small wood or steel blocks that help start a saw: the proper angle, see Fig. 12 like using them with Japanese saws, and they can bea Dig help with western sav, Thave two sets of blocks in my toolbox ‘one for cutting miters and dovetails in ¥ thick stock and another for cutting both joints in 34"-thick stock. (Note: Each guide ‘can be used for only one thickness of stock.) ‘One block in each set guides cuts for 45 and 90°, see photo, The second block guides 10° cuts for making dovetails, see Fig. 12.1 made the guide blocks from oak, but any dense-grained hardwood would work well. MAKING THE GUIDES. To make a set of fuide blocks, start out with a ofstock, 1¥¢thick, a is longer than you need for two blocks, but the extra length makes it safer to cut the ‘grooves and angles. First,cutthree groovesto itover the edge ‘ofaworkpiece. Todo this, setthe dadoblade for the thickness of the stock you will be working on (or example The next stepisto cut the piece’ the table saw. First, forthe 45°/90' gu the blade to 45° and make acut close toone end, see Fig. 13. Then set the blade back to 90" and make acut2" fromthe frst. Nex, cut the dovetail block, reset the blade for 10 and then make two parallel cuts about 2" apart. (A guide with two parallel angled sides, vill let you cut both angles ofthe tails and pins by just turning the guide block around.) ‘USING THE GUIDES. To use a guide block, set the groove in the block over the edge of theworkpiece where you want to makeacut. ‘Youcan clamp the cutting guide tothe work- piece, or just hold the block in place as you saw, see Fig 12 Now start your cut, Keeping the saw blade flush against the block until established. Then block, orkeepit there your saw blade is wide enough, I discovered some western-svie Japanese-style teeth, see photo at right. ‘Onarecentvisitto my localhiardwarestore, - sas wilh Western saws, this saw has long, sharp. nso having tro bevel som mt int down, nothack lke a Japanese saw, or Sean oer amen on mt ; shih Sean sayeth than convention se ‘Woodsmith Tested this cla ig how oe it took to make a cut with the 15"Jong “Tool Box” saw. and then timing the same-cut with frtratitional western crostout sew. The SroolBox sew did make throught fewer: strokes, but it took mie the same Se eamomrainieet abet mor "Te src fet by the “Tool Box” sais ough: But on the whole, Tike it for rested a force abe} dagonsriction grade lumbersponse to the sawhorse ‘ontest (announced in Woodsmith No. 73) was sur- prising We thought we were | familiar with most types of sawhorses, but couldn't believe the wide varity we received, Hundreds of readers sent their sawhorse plans. They ranged from simple boxes to complex designsthat weremore like workbench modules. ‘THREE GROUPS. Then came the challenge — how to make order ofallthis and actualy pick some sawhorsestofeaturehere. (We originally had this scheduled to Gill one Dbutyoucan see whathappened.) We quickly noticed m plansfit into one ofthree gra knockdown sawhorses, folding sawhorses, and conventional sawhorses. KNOCK-DOWN The problem with most knock: down sawhorses is they're not very sturdy — they wobbleifyou put much force on them. But the design sent in by Joe Torrez of Madera, California ‘minimizesthisprobiem by using 4 set of tabs that fit in slots to “lock” the pieces together. ‘CONSTRUCTION. To make a single sawhorse, draw the pat tern directly onto "thick ply wood and cut out the pieces. If you're building more than one, ‘use these pieces asa template. [ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE. Start by inserting the cross brace into the holes in the legs. Then. match the slots in the top to the legs, and slide the topin place, SHOP Ess Sawhorses The differences between the three groups are mainly related to stability, load-bearing strength, and portability. KNOCK-DOWN. Our favorite knock-down sawhorse is the simplest to build — you just draw the pattern onto plywood and cut it out, refer to Fig. 1 ‘And since it knocks down, it's perfect for someone with imited Storage space. In comparison to the other groups, the knock- down design is probably the most limited in stability and ‘strength. (Thoughatter building 4 pair, we were surprised how strong they actually are ) FOLDING. The folding saw. horse we chose is significantly stronger than the knock-down version, referto Fig.2.Andsince itfolds up neatly, it doesn’t take ‘up much more space than a SAWHORSE knockdown sawhorse. ‘What I like most about this ng model is that it goes to fol gether quickly. And when its assembled, it’s almost like a having a conven tional sawhorse. CONVENTIONAL. If you don’t mind giving up storage space, you can ‘build a conventional saw- horse, refer to Fig. These sawhorses are typically made from con struction lumber: 2x6 2et's and 1xé's. This one isnoexception. Andifyou ‘make more than one, they ‘can be stacked on top of ‘each other. Since it’s made from larger dimension stock, isthe strongestand most stable of all three types. Con Teor Maybe that’s why you see beat- upold sawhorses ike this stil in uuseon construction sites Ee ‘SHARPENING TIPS Oilstones, waterstones, grinding wheels, and sharpening aids—how do_| {you organize them so they're easly a Cessible and can be cleaned up | auickly? Ifyou have any sorage ideas | or any unique sharpening tps, we'd keto see them. ‘Well publish the best sharpening tips and Storage ideas in upcoming i sues. Winners willreceive 8100 anda Woodsmith Master Try Square. Di plicate or similiar entries will be com Siered in the order we receive them ‘Send your sharpening tips and storage ideas (postmarked no later than July 15, 1991) t Shop Tips Con | test, Woodsmith, 2200 Grand Ave., | Des Moines, ow: 50312. ‘Woodsmith‘One reason we picked the fold ing sawhorse sent by Don Paul ‘of Arthur, North Dakota is the unique way it foldsand unfolds I you pick it up by reaching underthe oprals, the legsclose up. Touseit,just squeeze the top | rails together and the legs spring open. ‘CONSTRUCTION. The tricky parttothissawhorseis the hard: ‘ware. When its folded up, there isn't enough clearance to install the bolts or hinge serews, To solve this, frst screw the hinges to the top rail. Then re move the hinge pins. Now the legscanbeboltedto theralsand ehinge pins reinstalled, CONVENTIONAL A well-built conventional saw: horse gets its stability from I thatare splayed from end to. and from side to side, To makea sawhorse like this means cut ting compound miters, Our favorite design gets around this, Itcame from Rick Schertz of Moweaqua, Ilinois, 3, The legs are splayed n side to side. But its {gotend toend stability to0—not from compoundcutsonthe legs, but from notches in the top rail CUTTING THE NOTCH. The tricky part to this sawhorse is c igled notches. 1 cut the ends of limits of the notch. hhandsaw and re- moved the waste witha chisel. FOLDING SAWHORSE 3 END VIEWCOMMENTS AND QUESTIONS Talking Shop WEATHERED FURNITURE WAfter we built the redwood Adirondack furniture last sum- ‘mer, we left it out on the patio. This spring I noticed that some ofthe redwood had turned gray. Igaveme the opportunity to test a couple methods for restoring. outdoor furniture Ifyou like the gray color red- wood takes on, youcan just rinse and lightly scrub the wood tore ‘move any dirt, see photo A. ONESTEP METHOD. To re move the gray and li wood, I tried a “deck clea Drighten« hhome centers. In most cases, you simply spray or brush the product on. Afr letting the solution work, scrub the wood with stffbrush and then rinse (not shown). ‘WOSTEP METHOD. Another method I tried (and preferred since it offers more control) is recommended by the California Redwood Associ To remove the dirt and gray, scrub the wood with asolution of ‘one cup trisodium phosphate TSP is a common cleaner) per llon of water, see B. Then, and repeat ifnecessary Now, to lighten the color, brush ona solution of ¥2cup ox- alic acid crystals dissolved is ‘one gallon of water. (TSP and ox- alic acid are both available at hardware stores.) Then let the solution dry and rinse, see C. REFINISH. When the wood is ‘completely dry, youcan refinish, see D. applied two coats ofthe original finish, see page: STEPPED SHOULDERS ON TENONS rt WL'm having trouble eutting four-shouldered tenons usinga dado blade on my table save The face cuts are OK, but when I place the workpiece on edge and make the 3rd and sth shoulder cuts, the shoulders comecout uneven. What gives? Bert Allaire Zeeland, Mickigan experienced the same proble when making the legs for the Patio Table in this issue THE PROBLEM. A “stepped” shoulder is created when the four shoulders of a tenon don't lign. This can be caused by -veral situations: the way you're using the table sav, the ‘condition ofthe workpiece, and the way the table saw is setup. TECHNIQUE. There are two things to remember when you ccuttenonsonthetable saw. Keep the workpiece butted against the rip fence as you makea cut. And ‘makesure sawdustdoesn build ‘upalongtthe fence between cuts. THE WORKPIECE. The work piece may also be part ofthe prob- lem. Ifthe ends aren't square, it won't butt flush tothe fence. So each cut you make will be a diferent distance from the end. This causes stepped shoulders. Ser UP. Ifyour technique and workpiece check out, but you're sill getting stepped shoulders, your rip fence is most likely the problem (as twas in my case) The face of the fence is prob- ably leaning toveard the blade its not 90" to the table. (i ‘shown exaggerated in Fig.1) But you won't notice this prob- Jem until you cut a tenon with four shoulders. Here's why. When you cut the (wide) shoulders on the faces of the piece, the piece contacts the encenearthebotiom, see Fig. 1 But when you flip the piece on edge tocutthe (narrow) shoulders, it contacts the fence higher up. ‘This pushes the piece away from saw blade creating a stepped shoulder, see Fig. soumions. We temporarily solved the problem by clamping. aa block to the fence, sec Fig. 3. This method doesn't completely eliminate the problem, but it ‘does minimize it or a more permanent solu ‘you may be able to correct the problem by adjusting the rip fence or the rails on your saw. If they're not adjustable, you ‘ean attach an auxiliary fence to therip fence, see Fig. 4. Then by placing shims between the fences, you can bring the auxi ary fence 90" to the table top. Fine SNOT 90" 1) rors WoodsmithPROJECT SUP Bi ES: Sources ACCENT LAMP Woodsmith Project Supplies is offering a hardware kitfor the ‘Accent Lamp shown on page 12. ‘The kit includesall the electrical partsand supporthardware. The brassinlay strips, “instant glue,” and shade can be ordered sepa- rately, see below. (Note: Thiskit does not include wood, as- sembly screws, or finish ) “Accent Lamp 775-100 Accent Lamp Hard- (Gold Colored), UL Approved (1) Straight Fixture Pipe, 11" Long, ¥#" LP. Thread, Threaded Both Ends, Brass Plated ‘*(1) Brass Hex Nut and Steel Lock Washer, Fits Fixture Pipe (1) Steel Washer, 1" Dia. (1) Check Ring, BrassPlated, 14" Dia, *(0) Shade Harp, Two Piece, Brass Plated, 7" + (Light Socket, Brass Plate, ULApproved (1) Finial Cap, Brass Plated ‘Rass STRIPS. The Lamp ‘shownon page 2hasdecorative brass trips. We bought theorig- inal strips from a hobby shop. ‘Woodsmith Project Supplies isalso offering the brass strips. 775-150 Brass Accent Strips, 064" Thick, ¥é" Wide, 12"Long, Box of Eight... $5.95 per box INSTANT GLUE. After some ex: perimenting, we found out that epoxy glue didn’t hold the brass strips to the wood very well. So we tried using a variety of “in. stant” (cyanoacrylate) glues. ‘The one we chose sets up in 20 1050seconds and held the brass, strips securely in place. This instant glue has the con- sistency of cold honey so it ills ‘gaps. We recommend you also order the solvent to remove glue from your handsand clothing. 775-210 Special T Glue, 202. SRE. 90.95 775-230 Ultra Solvent, 207 bottle. ats SASS LAMP SHADE. Lamp shades ccan be purchased at many de- partment stores. Finding a ‘square shade may be more diff cult, butwe found oursatalocal lighting shop. Woodsmith Pro- ject Supplies is offering the high quality square linen shade ‘shown in the photo on page 12. 775-1751amp Shade, 12" Sq x8" High, White Linen .. $27.95, PATIO TABLE Woodsmith Project Supplies is offering the threaded inserts ‘and bolts forthe Patio Table. Patio Table 775-300 Patio Table Hard- ‘te + (4) 526" Threaded Inserts ALTERNATE CATALOG SOURCES Similar hardware and supplies may be found inthe following catalogs. Please call each company fora catalog or information. an Fs Instant ‘eit thn, Tama Friraded incre Inert, Morarny Bs ‘Prat win lat stron ‘The Woodworker’ Sore Lamp ars moe aie pat Varna Woodworker's 5 item" ‘anceue Ineton Gta, Inert "a oe? mp Pa ‘To drill the mortises forthe Red: wood Planter, we used special ‘mortisingbits made by Vermont ‘American. These are similar toa Forstnerbit, buthavealong ute topullthe chips out ofa mortise. ‘We use them on the drill press, see Fig. 3 0n page 20. ‘Woodsmith Project Sup- plies is offering three individual Sizes of these bits (you need a 2" bit for the Planter), or they can be purchased as.a set. 278-647 1" Bit. $895 278-6505" Bit $995 278-653 2" Bit $1095, 278-654 Set of 3 Bits...$2895 OUTDOOR GLUE ‘AND FINISHES Since both the Patio Table and Planter are likely to sitoutin the rainand sun, [wanted touseglue and finish that would stand up to these conditions. ‘EPOXY. Atworpart epoxy glue isthe strongest waterproof glue, but it's expensive and cured epoxy won't come off anything very easily. I's dffcultto scrape off squeeze-out without tearing up splinters of soft redwood. PLASTIC RESIN. Another op- tion is a moistureesistant plas tic resin glue (such as Weld- wood Plastic Resin). Plastic It should stand up to most out- door conditions and is available at home centers, hardware stores, or the sources below. FINISH. To finish these out door projects, applied twocoats of a 50/50 mixture of Mc- ‘Closkey’s Man O’War Sati ‘Spar Varnish and McCloskey's ‘Stain Controller & Wood Sealer. (Thisisathinneddowntung oil) ‘These products aresold at home ‘centers and hardware stores, or ‘can be ordered from The Wood- workers’ Store, see below. atsr. On the back cover ‘we're showing a pine Planter ‘Box primed with a coat of Rust- ‘Oleum's light gray Wood Saver Primer. Then it was sprayed with two coats of Rust-Oleum’s birch white Wood Saver Enamel from an aerosol can. Rust-Oleum’s Wood Saver products are available at many paint stores and home centers. JAPANESE SAWS Japanese saws (shown on pages 24 to 26) are available from the following catalogs. Please call ‘each company for a catalog or ‘more information. ‘The Japan Wood Constantine's “worm fae Bseasoeoeee SOS FRESE smo Gril impor Tcemerten’ SII Wooderat “iene “SorttissAL AST ook Final Details ‘cent Lamp Planter Box