Problem-Solving Tools | smooth Surfaces — i < ) for Better Joinery Low-Cost, Low-Tech ~“-\ ¢ Flip-Up Fence System ¢ Space-Saving Design ¢ Custom Dust Collection Piyy Cart ‘A Publication of August Home PublishingAccurate Miter Saw Crosscuts Turn your miter saw into @ too! for making precision crossculs These tips, techniques, and shop-made upgrades will allow you 10 ‘more from this shop workhorse. Wall-Mounted Miter Saw Station EOEHES 14 This unique design teatres fio-up fences. storage. and dust cotection. And when the work is done, the fences fold down and the saw ses back 10 open up the worksurlaces fr other uses. lt Multipurpose Shop Cart BE Tough ana sturdy. you'll be making use of this shop cart on every project you build I has builtin storage and a large worksurface for handling just about ary task weekend proje = Portable Clipboard Storage Case HIE 36 Keop plans, dtating supplies, and measuring tools cose at Rand! wih his sis storage case Departments Readers’ Tips. Routing Small Parts ‘Simple add-ons are ihe key 10 safely small parts on your router lable. Problem-Solving Shop Supplies. Learn the "secret items our editors keep on hand to tackle many of their shop challenges. Shop Short Cuts. 24 Check lesied ips and techniques for solving your weoctwarking problems, Gluing Up a Laminated Top. A stop-by-stop process is allt akes 10 tuina Set of wood srps into a fal, smooth top ShopNotes No. 110Cutoffs T hese days, getting the most value for your money and getting more ym what you already have has become “more popular. But these are things wood! ‘workers have always done, I the reason 2m so excited about this issue. It contains a ide range of projects, tips, and techniques for improving your shop and geting, more ‘out of the tools you have ‘Take the miter saw for example. Ina lot of shops, i's used for rough-cutting material But with the techniques showa on page 12, Yyoucan use it for making precision crosscuts ‘Another way to get more from itis to build a “station” around it. Now I've found many of, them lacking for a variety of reasons. That’s rot the case with the miter saw station you see at left, The fences provide builtin accu- rrr for longer cuts and when you're done YQ 5 SuperHero Chisels 42 This opens up the top for a wide range of Bench chisels are a must, but these specialty uses. And you can't beat al! the extra storage chisels wil take your work to the next level the station provides setting up shop ‘We even challenged the staff to identify Sanding Starter Kit. 44 serve noteooivions shap supplies (page Sanaing doesn't have o be a chore. With tis smal kl, youl get great results inno te ata mastering the table saw ee spend Strong & Sturdy Bridle Joints. 46 Shop Andon page 4, youll find a low-cost, low-tech kt for geting the best results when it comes to sanding any project. These ati 10) they use every day that will help you get more out of the time you spend in your Create frame and panel assemblies with just ‘your table sau. We show you how: great gear des just scratch the surface of what's inside The Super FMT Jig Learn mare about Leigh's lower-cost alternative cts you build init for creating morse and tenon joinery tohelp you improve your shop and the proj- Sources. 51 “Tem in the shop the fences flip down and store underneath, This symbols you knoe theres more information ‘alate nine at ShopNotes.com 3era ter(e|-16) Push Block with Adjustable Heel Alot of woodworkers make their ‘own push blocks for use at the table saw. They often include a “heel” to help push the stock past the blade, The problem is, over ss. « nt cous AOL Pe OO time the heel can get chewed up requiring a new push block. My design gets around this problem by incorporating an adjustable, replaceable heel. As you can see in the photo and HEEL (rare Staeay ) (— SIDE VIEW» «Goes secon) | foe Stostb Sag PR wise NOTE: cur. ~ NEE ace Berne Geum drawings, the heel is made from hardboard. The body of the push block hhas a slot for the heel and a studded knob to hold the heel in place. The knob also allows you to Adjust the amount the heel projects beyond the bottom face. ‘The body of the push block is alued up from two layers of ply- ‘wood. This way, you can cut the slot for the he! in the rough blanks before gluing them together. T used a piece of waxed hardboard to align the pieces during glueup. After the glue is dry, you can cut the push block to shape and round lover the top edges and handle at the router table. The last stepsinctude drilling for and installing the threaded insert. Finally, after sliding the heel into the slot, thread in the knob to hold the heel in position, Jim Earris Orange, California ShopNotes No. 110Layout Templates For projects that require a comer radius or laying out a diameter, I've always found ita challenge. I never had any- thing that matched the exact radius ‘An easier way is to make and use a sot of simple templates, as you can see here, They're made from two layers of 56° hardboard. The bottom layer forms ‘ight-angle “fences” that register against the comer of the workpiece for drawing, 2 radius. The top is drilled with a hole sized to match the diameter needed and acts asa circle template. Tomake the bottom layer Ifirst drilled a relief hole where the fence edges inter sect, This ensures that the faces of the fences will butt tight against the work- piece. Then its a simple matter to cut the right angle. An auniliary fence on. ‘your miter gauge makes this task easier. ‘Then, to align the fences with the hole ast in the top layer, I used a dowel with the same diameter as the hole (left photo below). Alter gluing the two layers, use ‘a marker to label the diameter, as shown, in the right photo below. Lon Urban Rancho Mirage, California if you have an original shop tip, wo would like t0 consider publishing it. Go to ShopNotes.com ‘and click on the link There, you'llbe able to describe your tipin detail and upload photos or drawings. Or you can mail your tip to the editorial address shown in the right margin. We will pay up to $200if we publish your tip. And if your tis selected as the top tip, you'll also receive the Bosch impactor shown on the right. ShopNotes.cont = Shop Votes Issue 110 March/April 2010. PUBLISHER Donald, Pee OMOR ery, Scan Mancini EDITOR Eran Non SEMOR EDITOR Fi Huber ASDOATE EDITORS Real A. Nae oe Hes CONTRBUTIN EDEORS Viner Ancor. Ted ate, Deni ena Cara eronch [EXECUTIVE ART DIRECTOR Ted Lith ART DIRECTOR Cay Chrsesen ‘SEMOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER ane Doing SeMOR ILLUSTRATORS Dv reving Dis er See, alan Can Petr sn, Dv ome ‘GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sra Cronin (CREATINE DIRECTOR Tes Kalco SEMOR PROJECT DESIGNERS Kn Muni, Kone wes Chas ich, mes Downe Mike Donovan PHONECT DESIGNERIBULDER 9 Doyle SHOP CRAFTSMEN Stove Cure, Steve onnion seuon ITOGRAPHERS Cols Ele, Dena kemnec ASSOCIATE SIVLE OIMECTOR feb Cunnnhon SEMIOR ELECTRONIC MARGE SPECAUST Alo u'r ‘PRODUCTION ASSISTANT sie Janson WED DIRECTORIEDITOR Hath Hj, Nate Gruce Sept SSO ptt ay M.A ‘oti Pn Pn Need tai nag es SP ce ‘ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICES NEW your acne rman your sabre onasubserpin payrert your making ore aes MEW yo. a ubscrptors ifyouve mare an ee CUSTOMER SERVICE Phone: 800-333-5854 supscrprions rocroRiat Sasone Sve Sanne gine Daca 2b Ga en De Mone stane996) estes ssa sbaponeavgstienec Shap Ausust Home Print in USA 5Precision Drilling Jig T make a lt of eibbage boatds for git. But dri ing the rows of evenly spaced hoes can be a tedious operation, T made the jig you ace here to solve the problem. It consists of a long plywood base with a ‘modified pegboard fence, And a unique stop block allows me to drill holes a5 close a8 "apart. It has worked so well, use it for almost every application requiring evenly spaced holes The key to the jigs the fence. As you can seein the drawing, it’s made from two layers of %” pegboard. During glueup, instead of aligning the hols, [offset them by hal the distance between the holes (1° bn my case), Then T used each hole asa dll guide 10 dail through the second layer. You end up with a strip with holes spaced every 14". Once that’s dene, vou can rip the top and bottom edges straight and fasten it to the plywood base. The stop block is what does all the “math” when spacing holes. thas two dowels that fit into the holes in the fence and “lack” i into place {inset photo). For 5" spacing, just move the Block to ‘ woooscrew NOTE: Fences wo. Ww hoes orreer the next set of holes as you drill, But there's a teick you can use to drill holes spaced 14" apart. ‘You can see in the Top View below that the holes aren‘t evenly spaced from the block’s edge. That's done to allow for Yi" spacing. Here’s how it works: Alter drilling 2 hole, flip the block over and insert the dowels into the same holes. After drilling the second hole, just ip the block over, move it over to the next set of holes, and repeat the process. Once you do it a few times, itbecoms second nature. - Dan Kolsky Boise, Idaho ey — (CHeBS SECTION) = | er | 8 Bim 9 ‘ShopNotes No. 110Router Bit Holder My couter bits used to be stored leose in a drawer, But they often rolled around, running the visk of damaging the cutting edges. While looking for a solution, T stumbled upon the rectangular grid diffusers for drop-ceiling light fixtures. The %' squares will hold a lot of router bits To hold the grid, a small, portable box with a rabbeted frame is all you need. A groove on the inside supports the grid (photo at right). After cutting the grid to size, assemble the box around st. Now I can storeand transport all my router bits without any worries of damage. Joffrey Fleisher New Market, Virginia For repeating rp cuts, Leon Bridges a of Houston, Texas uses a parallejaw clamp as a stop ‘on the guide rail I's a sure-ro way fo relur the fence to the exact position as before wy White gluing up @ large cabinet, Dawe Corwin of Delaware, Ohio suddenly discovered the fle-downs he was using as strap clamps weren't ong enough to reach around the cabinet Since the glue was already applied, his son David Allen suggested using a piece of scrap with a hole riled in each end to complete the glueup, ShopNates.com Bruce Smith of Kamloops, British Columbia uses empty our E olspensers for metering out small wood glue, Nozzle caps (tom Lee Valley) keep the glue fresh, quantities of Never umuec) pcm iuces Wires Romane a aon tC See oc Anta Finereni tie oh el Br ray and click on “Sign Up for Free E-Tips” pence a oy Crees"Workshop A few router table accessories make it Rout Then Rip. possible, rout the profile on a wide blank, then cul the part to final size at the table saw Small Parts easy to get safe, accurate cuts. “The souter lable in my shop isthe go-to tool for all kinds of profile Bnd joinesy work, With a large table and a fat fence, it can han- The problem is lange openings dle just about any size workpiece. inthe tabletop and fence can cause However, one place where most a small pat t catch or dip in. This | router tables have touble is rout- can spollthecut and be unsafe. But ing sman werkpiecs thatdoesn’t mean you need t give Sigg runenen ‘sia NOD fh matin sowusmoe eee. Py) Since” NERbilE sources, TEN BEST See a up on routing small parts. Making: top-notch cuts safely requires a litle different strategy and some sivmple, shop-buil helpers. ‘The Right Approach. One of the keys (0 routing small parts safely is (0 avoid it ag much as possible. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t ‘use small parts. Instead, the strat- egy is to do the routing on a larger blank. Then cut the gar to fina size at the table saw (let margin pit). {t's great solution, but there are times when it just isn’t an option ‘ShopNotes No. 110No Gaps. A piece of ‘When you do need to rout a detail |—ardboard forms a ‘orjoint on a small part try one of | smooth gap-ree fence the shop built router table accesso- | face around the bit, ries you see here. mentioned earlier thatsmallparts ‘an be hard to control safely pasta bit. That's where the sled you see Jn the upper photos on the oppo site page comes in handy. Basically, the sled holds the workpiece so that it acts like a larger workpiece. The larger size of the sled makes it easier to push the workpiece past the bit. Best of all, the sled keeps your fingers upper nut witha starknobtomake double-sided tape, well clear ofthe bit adjusting the height of the foot a as shown in the Stops. The workpiece is cap- quick and easy process. photo above. 4 Custom Face. tured between stops and then p . The fence has a pre-cut notch to Po" the fence info clamped securely to a long base. UTER TABLE ABD-ONS accommodate the bearing on the the bit fo create ‘The stops are adjustable to eccom- Besides building the sied, there bit, Thentocrasteazero-clearance a zero-clearance modate a wide range of parts are a couple other ways to modify opening, simply pivot the fence fence face. (rawing on the opposite page), your router table to better deal into the spinning bt (inset photos This way, you can rout the edge of with small parts. Here you have a above). Since only a small part of the part or the end couple of goals. The firstistomini- the bit is exposed, the workpiece ‘The tapered knobs that lock the mize any apenings where a piece will always be fully supported. stops in position serve as handles can shift. The second is to createa_- Smooth Table. Many times, to keep your hands clear. [ also smooth surface for the workpiece adding an auxiliary fence is added some sancpaper tothe base toride along without catching. enough. But you can also create to provide extra grip. Auxiliary Fence. [start with the a smooth, seamless tabletop and Toggle Clamp. To hold the router tablefence. your fencehas eliminate any gaps here as well, workpiece against the base, I used adjustable faces, the simplest solu Alter positioning the fence, [ 2 toggleclamp. [replaced thesmall tion is to position them as close to clamp a larger piece of hardboard rubber end of the clamp with a the bit as possible. (o the tabletop tight against the wide wood “oot,” as in the detail However. for fences witha fixed fence. The spinning bit wil create drawing on the facing page. This bit opening, you. need 10 find asmall, perfecting notch, asin ‘added surface area gives the clamp another solution, 1 attached an the photo and inset below. Now a firmer grip. 1 also replaced the awsiliary hardboard face with you have a customized setup that’s safe and accurate. Finally, it's a good idea to use a push pad to guide the workpiece These solutions take the hassle cut of routing stall parts. And they let you concentrate on get- fing smooth, crisp. profiles and tight-fitting joints a ‘Seamless Surface. An auxiliary tabletop made from ‘ie hardboard creates a smooth, zero-clearanice work: sufface around the router bit (insel). ShopNotes.com 9Hardware must-have These handy supplies are a great addition to every hardworking home shop. the shop furned to some of the not- so-common supplies we all keep ‘around. [ended up leaning about 2 few interesting products. And I let the editors and designers who use these products make a case for why they keop them on hand, Here are a few “uncommon” supplies you can use in your shop to solve problems. They're all so handy, its high Hime Vet everyone else in on the secret. E | Recently the conversetion out in | A Screw Lubricant, Akempucky also helps prevent stripped screw Heads and snapped screws, 10 ‘Auctions ate a gyeat place to find inexpensive tools. One problem is that they’re often coated with rust So to remove rust and loosen vp stuck nuts and bolts, T use BP Blaster (photo above). If’ found at automotive stores Using itis just a ‘matter of speaying iton the rusted rea and leting it do its thing PB Blaster is capable of breaking down a lot of rust straight from the can, But it can also be heat - activated, so you can use a torch on really stubbom areas. The fumes canbe irritating, so always use PB Blaster in a well-ventilated area — Vince Ancona, Managing Editor (One way to speed ip the process of instaling lols of woodscrews 4s to use a lubricant called Lloy’s Original Atzmpucty, as shown in the photos at left. As you can see, it's available in ether a small tub or as an applicator tube When installing screws with 2 cordless dell, Alempucly helps lower the torque requited to drive them, resulting in fewer broken screws or stripped heads. Tecan alo help save on battery life and reduce operator fatigue TTo use this product, dip the serew into the tub or rub ton with the applicator tube. I ike to keep ‘a tube in the pocket of my shop apron, soit’ always lose at hand — Jel Hess, Associate Eaitor ShopNotes No, 110and nuts from foosening due fo movement or excessive vibration, Some of my large woodworking fools are on mobile bases. These bases ace held together with small ‘machine screws and nuts that can loosen up over time. To solve this problem, I use Pernutex thread- locker. It comes in three strengths to suit almost any application. The green version penetrates so youcanuseiton pre-assembled fas- teners. And red is a high-strength formula for heavy-duty use. But, the type that’s most useful in my shop comes in 2 blue-labeled tube. ‘use it whenever Iassemble a new base to keep nuts from loosening, up. Just before assembly, place drop of Permalex on the screw threads (photo above) iu! Huber, Senior Editor A Locked Tight. Permatex prevents screws ESHIELD T-9 My garage shop isn’t heated, so moisture and condensation often cause my fools to rust. To prevent it from starting, l use Boeshield T-9 (photo above right). Originally designed to protectaircraft compo- rents, ils combination of solvents, Jubricants, and waxes displace moisture, It dries to a thin, waxy film and lasts for several months To use it, just spray a little on any machine table or other area where rust is a problem. Simply ‘wipe off the excess, or let it dry to create a heavy protective file. — Randy Maxey, Associate Editor Tm an amateur machinist and blacksmith, 50 [ often use steel atiling. sir} BOESHIELD rg sr & connosioh A Easy to Apply. Before you start the bil tke a crayon = PROTECTION cls_and_ bars inquitea few af my projects. To make the best use ofthese materials !Moftenneedtodoalitle auiling and tapping. use Tap Magic euting Mid 10 make cutting threads easier (left photo below). Ie provides lubri cation to help tools cut more eff- ciently Italso reduces heat buildup and carries metal chips away. For drilling operations, I turs to 2 waxy lubricant called Tip-Ease It comes in a convenient crayon like stick (right photo below). Both A quick shot of Bosshiold T9 cleans and restores metal surfaces and helos stop rust from forming products workona wide variety of metals. Just apply itat the point of contact and start drilling. Chris Fitch, Sr. Project Designer ( tub Tap-Ease on Metalworking. Cutting fluid holos a tap cut more efticiently wih Jess heat buildup 4 Two Great Choices. Tap Magic and Ta Ease can each be used ona wide range of metals to make ohriling and tap. ping easierdt 4 Ot whe erfect miter saw LFOSSCUtsS Transform your miter saw into a precision crosscutting tool with a few upgrades and some handy tips and techniques. Multiple Small Parts. 4 spacer | You'll find a miter saw in just owner’s manual to make any nec- behween the piece and stop block about every woodworking shop. essary adjustments) keeps smal pans om binging Bot (ve found that most people Blade Upgrade, With the miter tse the saw mainly fo tough- saw set up, you'e ready for a Taming Tearout.n onder to et cutting longboards oiength. few upgrades. One of Ie biggest the cleanest cits from anys ‘The truh is a miter save can things Youcan doo improve how | blade, you need o prevent tearout make dean, square cosscus ust your saw cutsisogetafinecrose- This happens when the fibers of w ds accurately as your table saw. Cut blade, Depending on is sie, the wood are unsupported where Ce 'AD it takes are a few, simple tech top-quality crosscut blade will the blade exits the workpiece. And hiques and these ips have 60100 teeth And the shape there are two phimary places where | Set Right. Gttny great cross of those teth means ast os this happens when eating th WP | cuts trom your miter saw begins much as the quantity miter saw — along the bottom face With making sure the saw is set Tostart with, the lop ofthe teeth and back edge of the workpiece Up far the ask Firs, the fence arebeveledtoscoretheedgesof the To stop tearout ints tracks, You QP should be flat and square to cut Another thing o look at is tke need the able and fence of the saws Better Blade. A the table Next, the Blade hook angle how much theblade to back up the workpace ight top-notch bade WE* needs wo be sel square to leans infothecul. Low or even next to the blade. However, most with more teeth and © the fence. Finally, check ativehook angles arebest. The toeth saws aren’t set up this way. 2 negative hook toseewhetherteblade will slice deanly ino the wood ard ‘Zero-Clearance Insert. To cre angle makes crisp, is squate to the saw are less likely to cause chipping. ate a zero~clearance opening inthe = clean crosscuts. table. (Follow the This also prevents the blade from table, you can make 4 new inser! directions in your _ grabbing the workpiece. just like you would for a tabiesaw R ShopNotes No. 110(photo at right). A simpler version is shown in the inset photo, This is just an aunillary table that matches the overall size ofthe saw table. To make it ensy to replace, it's held in place with double-sided tape. Auailiary Fence. You can use a similar strategy to dose up the ange -geps found in the fences of most miter saws, To provide support here, I simply attach an awxliary fence made from ¥" hardboard, [ike to face the hardboard with adhesive-backed sandpaper. This keeps the workpiece from creep- ing dusing a cut: And Icuta small A Fence and Table Add-Ons. An auxiliary fence and a shop-made rabbet on the bottom edge fordust zev0-clearance insert back up the workpiece and stop tearout. A relief. Once again usedouble-sided hardboard auxiliary tabletop 1s a quick and easy soiution (inset). tape to make it easy to zeplace. Basic Cuts. At this point, the Afteryou complete the cut, wait raise the blade and make the cut saw is set up and ready to make forthe blade to cometoacomplete without moving the workpiece cuts. However, there's mote to it stop (orslide the board away from This shaves the piece the distance than simply starting up the saw — the cutting zone) before lifting the _ the teeth of blade extend beyond and plunging into the workpiece. saw This way, the slowing blade the plat (inset photo). For starters, use your hand to can‘t spoil the cut edge. Identical Parts. Anothercommon hold the workpiece While i's cut. This takes care of making basic crosscutting task is making ident (For smaller pieces,it’sa good idea crosscuts. But there are other cal parts, Measuring and marking touseaclamp tokeep your fingers crosscutting situations that require each piece is time-consuming and ear of the blade.) And be sure to _a slightly different technique often leads to inconsistent results, hhold it back against the fence and Trim Cuts. Cutting a part to fit Abetter way is to attach a long aux down to the table te avoid apply- an opening can be a challenge. iliary fence to your miter saw and ing side pressure on theblade. The key here is to start with an_usea stop block like the one on the TTo line up the blade with a lay- extra-long part then trim off small _ miter saw station on page 14). It's out mark, T make shallow nick amounts until it fits just right. fast, accurate way to guarantee all cutstosneak up the mark from the ‘Todo that, lower the blade (with the parts are the same. waste side of the line, a8 shown inthe saw off) and slide the work- Small Pieces. The final tech- the lower left photo. When you're piece against the saw blade plate, nique I want to talk about is cut there, lower the blade into the as youcansee in ting identical small pieces workpiece in a smooth stroke, let~ the lower right ‘Once again, a stop block ting the blade do the cutting, photo. Then makes this easier. The key is keeping the part from bindingbetween theblade and stop block. Otherwise it could be thrown out. The solutions toposition ‘spacer between the work- ppioce and the stop block (main photo on the previ ‘ous page). Before making the cut, slide the spacer out. Now the part can't bind. just be sure to account for the width of the spacer) ‘You don'tneed to settle for rough 5 results with your miter saw. All it A Cut to 2 Line, Use shallow & Skim Cut. Butt the workpiece takes are a few upgrades and the culs to creep up on the layout against the stopped saw plate to righttechniques to get perfectcrass- fine for an accurate cut set up for a ight, trim cut (inset). cutsevery time. ShopNotes.com 3 ‘A Shop-Made Insert. Use the stock insert @s @ pattern for creating a custom zero- clearance insert for your miter saw.wall-mounted Miter S Station A rock-solid cM and a unique flip-up fence system team up with your miter saw for precise cuts. A mitersawisa handy too! to have in the shop for cutting stock to Tength. And with the project you see here, you can. tum. your aw into a reliable and accurate go-to tool for making repeatable euts. The saw mounts fo a pullout shelf that locks. into position between wall-mounted cabinets, ‘The fences are designed to flip up to cteate a solid platform for the workpiece. But the best partis when you're finished, the fences fold back into the cabinet for storage and the saw platform slides back against the wall. What you're left with is. additional worksurface-ard storage space. ‘And there's not a shop around thatcouldn’tuse more of those.“To dounload a ‘cutting clagram forthe miter saw slajon, goto: large & small Cabinets ‘The miter saw station consists of three main components — a saw platform sandwiched between two sturdy, wall-mounted cabi- nets, The two cabinets are neacly ‘identical in construction. The only difference is the Jarger one has @ vertical divider (Figure 1) Each cabinet is just a basic box with aback panel. You'l add a top after each cabinet is assembled. Tapered Sides. If you glance at Figures 1 and 2, you'll notice that the sides of the cabinets are tapered. I did this to make them a litte ighter for mounting on the wall and to create more leg oom ‘when you're using the saw. Since they’te identical, it’s a good idea to make the four sides now (a pair for each cabinet). After cutting the taper, sand the edges smooth, LARGE CABINET With the sides complete, you can concentrate on the large cabinet. 16 ‘The next three pieces to cut are the case top, bottom, and back panel ‘After you drill the serew holes in the sides, use glue and screws to fasten them to the case top, bot- tom, and back panel. Just make sure to keep the assembly square as you drive the screws. The back is also fastened along the back edges ofthe case top and bottom, The back holds the assemn- bly square and provides plenty of area for the screws that will secure the cabinet to the wall, Divider. As { said before, the larger cabinet has vertical divider to help support the top. Plus, it splits ap the storage area for bet ter organization. After sizing the divider. it’sa good idea to go ahead and predtil the two holes that will bbe used for a movable catch (Fig- ure 1), Finally, install the divider and then fasten it with screws through the top and bottom. Shelf Pin Holes. Aligning shelf pin holes across a cabinet can sometimes be a challenge. You don’t want an adjustable shelf to rock, or wobble. Although you can predrill the holes before you assemble the cabinet, 1 prefer to ‘ShopNotes No. 110make a template out of pegboard or hardboard and drill the holes after assembly. Doing it this way positions the holes identically and. rakes the task foolproof. ‘Adjustable Shelves. At this point, you can measure and cut the adjustable shelves to fit between the sides. You'll need two shelves forthe lange cabinet. Adding the Top. To finish off the cabinet, I added a plywood top. As you can see in the details in Figure 1, the top matches the overall width of the cabinet. And it’s lush with the front and back edges ofthe sides, ‘SMALL CABINET & DETAILS: Building the small cabinet should be familiar territory. The con- struction is the same as the larger cabinet (Figure 2). But there is one thing you'll need to do before assembly. The catch for the small cabinet is attached to the right side, as shown in the detail at right. Because they/re so clase to the top, it’s a lot easier to locate and dill these holes before assembly. Pivot Holes. The last step to complete before you work on the fences is to drill a few holes with counterbores through the tops of the cabinets (two in the lenge cabi- ret and one in the small cabinet). Normans ‘These holes will be usedl to attach pivoting support arms that hold the fences in their working, posi- tion during use. Figures 1 and 2 show you the details. ‘To make sure the counterbore and thvough-hole are aligned, 1 like to drill the counterbore First. In this case, the depth ofthe cour- terbore should allow the washer and head of the bot to sit flush or Materials & Hardware NOTE: pen. noes Ee ASSEMey RiGHT SIDE ONTERIOR view) just betow the surface of the cabi- net top. (The drill it will leave a dimple you can use to locate and drill the through hole) At this point, you're ready to ‘work on the fence assemblies LARGE CABINET P Pivot tops A Sides (4) W5x24-Y Ply _ Long Fence Spacer (} 5 Case Top) 18)4x48-%4 Ply. R Short Ferce Base) © Bottom (1) 12x48-% Ply, § Short Fence Back) Back 1) 24x48-%4 Ply. T Short fence Spacer) E Divider) Tx22},-4 Ply. SAW PLATFORM F Adjustable Shelves (2) 1142335-%Ply. U_ Sides (2) S Top th) W4x4915 -% Ply. V_ Wear Strips) ‘SMALL CABINET W Shelf 0) 1914 130-% Ply Hi Case Tap 184x24-YPly. X Shelf Top/Bot.(2] 19x 30Plastic Lam 1. Bottom (1) 12x24-YPly. ¥ Rails) J Back) 24x24-%Ply. Z Spacer) K Adjustable shelf) _11x2314-%4Ply. AA Upper Guides (2) L_ Top) 19x25 -% ry. 8B Wing Blocks (2) FENCES, Se Support Wings (2) M_ Long Fence Base (1) Yx7-4B DD Catches Q NN Long Fence Back (}) Yex24-48 DUST HOOD & DEFLECTOR ‘© ‘Support Arms (3) ShopNotes.com Whr2-22_ EE Deflector Supparts (2) FF Deflector )) 10x28%-% Ply. GG Hood Sides (2) 1A x16-% Ply. HH Hood Top (I) 1442815 -% Ply. + (46) #8 x11 Fh Woodscrews, + (81) 18 x 114" Fh Woodscrews 20x2' Hex Bolts 20 x3)" Hex Bolts (10) 4" Washers + (5) 42-20 Nylon Lock Nuts + 0) 2° 48" Continuous Hinge +) 2°x24" Continuous Hinge + 2)2°x13" Continuous Hinges + (2) shelf Fins + ()48" Kreg Top Trak + (0) 24° Kreg Top Trak *+(0) Kreg Swing Stop” (0) Left-to-Right Self-Adhesive Tape *+(0) Right-to-Left Self-Adhesive Tape Wwfence Assemblies a FIGURE 147204 3 For me, the best feature of the miter saw station is the flip-up fence system. When you're ready to use each fence, just release the «atch, flip up the fence, and pivot the support arms out to provide solid support. To store the fences and free up the storage and work area, rotate the support arm and tuck the fence inside the cabinet. ‘You can start with the fence assembly on the langer cabinet, but the process is almost the same on the smaller cabinet, FENCE ASSEMBLY ‘Tomake it easier to build the fence assemblies, I placed the cabinets ‘on their backs. This makes the process of aligning and installing the fence base, back, and all of the related components foolproof. ‘Continuous Hinge. You'l start by attaching a continuous hinge to the cabinet (Figure 3). I centered the barrel of the hinge along the LONG FENCE SPACER Gaertn a) ‘edge of the case top, as shown in Figure 3a at right, ‘Assembly. You can see in the drawings above how the hinge forms a pocket for the fence base. All you need to do is cut the base to size then chamfer the top, back ‘edge. This chamfer provides clear- lance for pivoting the fence into position for use, Just slip the fence base into the pocket formed by the hinge and attach the hinge Adding the Fence Back. The ‘most difficult part of building the fence is done. To add the fence back, simply lay it on the front ‘edge of the top and clamp it to the base. The cabinet top and fence base automaticaly locate the back in the proper position With the back clamped in posi- tion, you can predrill the screw holes to attach it, Then, add some ‘glue and fasten it in place. Now that the fences are in place, you can check the operation of ‘each fence by swinging it into the cabinet and back out again. The next task involves puting together a system for supporting the fences during use. This includes install- ing pivoting support arms, stops, and spacers to ensure the fences stay level and square. Support Arms. The large cabi- ret has two support arms while the small cabinet only has one. Figure 4 shows you how they're made. I started by cutting 2 blank to size and cutting a bevel on one end to knock off the sharp comer. ‘To provide clearance for the hinge barrel when pivoting the arm, I ‘ShopNotes No. 110tused a dado blade to cut the shal- low relief on one end (Figure 4). After drilling the hole forthe pivot bolts, mount each support arm into the cabinet with a hex bolt, washers, and lock nut. Pivot Stops. Two simple blocks keep the support arms from rotat- ing too far into the cabinet when lowering the fences. A couple of small pieces cut to size are all you need here. Then just fasten them in place with a couple of screws. Spacer. The key to accurate and repeatable cuts with a miter saw lies in the fence assemblies. When they're locked in position, the base of the fence needs to be parallel to the cabinet top and the fence back should be aligned with the fence on your miter saw. (IU talk more about this later) ‘Toensure the fencesare properly positioned and aligned, I added a thin spacer under the fence base. When the arms are extended, the spacer determines the final rest- ing spot for the fence. So take your time to fine-tune the thickness of the spacer before attaching it to the fence base. (The thickness of ry spacer was Ke") Installing the Cabinets. With the fence and support assemblies Mounting the Cabinets Before securely mounting the ‘cabinets to the wall, there's cone thing you need to know — the size of the platform needed to mount your saw between the cabinets. To help determine this dimension using your saw, refer to Shop Short Cuts on page 24 With a long straightedge and level, take your time fo shim’and adjust the position of the cabinets until their tops and fences are aligned. This process may take some time, but the reward comes later when your saw is installed and you start using it. The accuracy will be built-in, ShopNotes.com e AiO WABRER & FIGURE en installed, you're ready to mount the cabinets to the wal. The box below points out some impor- tant things 10 Keep in mind as ‘you mount the cabinets to a wal You'll want ta have a long, reliable straightedge and level handy Here's the summary of what you're looking for: The cabinet tops should be level and aligned with one another. When the fences are rotated up and the support ND: space caus eco" (Bion OF hier Saar tABLe ‘ "OP (REFER TD Shh oHORT (Cote on Pace 24) ‘SHORT FENCE BACK ae oe) ; “PASE eHoRT FENCE C4"™7 "24. SPACER urate 37) arms engaged, the fence bases on the two cabinets should be aligned. This goes for the fence backs, as well. This becomes important later ‘when you align the saws fence to the cabinet fences. Use shims (if needed) to align everything before securing the cabinets to the wall F160 Fox a 30" Mion WORKBURFACEmiter saw Platform The two cabinets provide a solid foundation for the saw platform. The platform starts with @ ply- ‘wood shelf that holds the miter saw, It slides in slots formed by a pair of sides and upper guides, as shown in Figures 6and7. When extended for use, the shelf aligns the fence on the saw with the backs of the cabinet fences. Two folding wings support the shelfand act as stops t lock it solidly in position. The shelf slides back against the wall for storage. BUILDING THE PLATFORM Til step you through the process of building the platform, start- ing with the shelf assembly. Since it's custom-fit to your miter saw, the dimensions may vary. But if you take it one step at a time, you ‘won't have any problems making itall come together. You'll start by making the sides, then adding the shelf and upper guides. Making the Sides. The plat- form sides are tapered to match the taper of the cabinet sides, ike you see in Figure 6, Before attach- ing them, I glued a thin strip of Locating the Sides A Accurate Measurement. Scraps of plywood and two layers of plastic laminate help determine the dimension needed to locate the sides for your saw 20 hardwood along the top edge to act as a wear strip. used maple. Custom Installation, There's ‘one other dimension that will be determined by your saw — and that’s the position of the sides. ‘This is determined by the height of ‘your saws base, as you can see in Figure 6. The box below shows a trick I used to artive at this dimmen- sion. This process aligns the top ‘of your saw table with the fence bases. It takes into account your saw’sbase plus the thickness of the shelf laminate, and cabinet top. ‘Attaching the Sides. Using this combination square setting, you can mack the location of the top edge of the sides on the cabinets. ‘Then t's simple matter of attach- ing the sides with screws, align- ing the front edge flush with the cabinet. There should be a gap at the back for sawdust relief as you slide the shelf back for storage ‘And speaking of the shelf, you'll start on that next. Sizing the Shelf. The width of ‘he sliding shelf is determined by the sav, as shown in Shop Short ‘Cuts on page 24. The width shown in the drawings was designed for 210° saw And the overall depth of the platform should be adequate ShopNotes No. 110for most sliding compound miter saws. The distance from the back of the saw carriage (when pushed bback) to the front edge of the saw ‘base is about 29" for my saw. Laminated Construction. To allow the shelf to slide more eas- ily, I added plastic laminate to the top and bottom before cutting it to size. You're aiming for a smooth, sliding fit between the cabinets. Rails & Spacer, Attached to the bottom ofthe shelf are twosupport rails and a spacer. These parts are cut 14" shorter than the width of the shelf to provide clearance for the sides. Now attach the rails and spacer to the shelf with screws. Upper Guides. With the shelf in place, it’s an easy task to install the upper guides. I simply rested them on the shelf while attaching them to the cabinets with screws, as shown in Figure 7. ‘MOUNTING THE SAW |AL this stage, you're ready to ‘mount the saw on the shelf ‘The fist thing to do is place your saw on the shelf with the base ‘ShopNotes.com about 14" back from the front edge and centered left to right. Use a long straightedge to adjust the position of the shelf and saw so that the fences align (Figure 8) Note: You may need to clamp the ‘able in position or add a tempo- rary support for the front edge. Mark & Drill. At this point you cause the holes in the saw base as 2 template to locate the threaded inserts, After installing the inserts, simply fasten the base with bolts. Support Wings. In Figure 9 below, you see how the shelf is supporied during use by a pair of ‘wings. Plus, they act as stops to automatically position the saw’s fence inline with the cabinet fences when extended. ‘Two-Piece Assembly. To make the wing assembly, cut the rect- angular support block to size first. The wing is attached to this block with a continuous hinge. But before you cut the wing to size, ‘you need to measure the distance ‘between the ails on the underside of the shelf, The total width of the ‘wing and support block should match this distance. After this is done, you can install the hinge that connects the wing to the block. Wing Attachment. With the table extended (Figure 8), attoch the wing assemblies tothe sides, as, shown in Figure 9. The only thing to keep in mind is that the wing should fit tight against the spacer and the assembly should be ievel Now you can remove the clamps ‘and tést the operation of the wings and table assembly. afinal Details ‘There are just a few things left to complete the fences, The frst is to add pivoting catch inside each cabinet, Then you'l add accesso- ries to both fences to make using, yourmitersaw moreaccurate, And it you're concemed about dust col Jection, you can add the dust hood shown on the next page. Fence Catch. You'llstartby add- ing the two fence catches. You can see one in the drawing and photo at right. It holds the fence inside the cabinet when stored. ‘The way the catch works is automatic. As you fold the fence into the cabinet, the fence forces the catch to pivot back. Then as the fence base rotates beyond the top of the catch, the catch pivots forwaxd to trap the fence base. To release the fence, all you need todo is rotate the catch back slightly 1 let the fence drop down, The lower drawing shows how itworks. ‘Shaping the Catch. The draw ings on this page give you all the details for making and installing the two catches. I started with rectangular blank and used a dado blade fo cut the 7%" notch. After drilling the pivot hole, the rest of A Automatic Catch. The simple pivoting catch ‘grabs* and holds the fence in the stored position the shape was.cut at the band saw and sanded smooth. Mounting. You already drilled the two holes necessary to mount the catches. One catch attaches to the divider of the large cabinet. The other is mounted to the side of the small cabinet Figure 9). ‘The upper hole is used for a short length of dowel. This dowel sits inside the notch of the catch to limit the catch’s travel. When you install the bolt, washers, and lock- ing nut, you'll want to be sure the catch sill pivots frely. Fence Accessories. After the catches are installed and operat- ing, smoothly, you can turn your attention to the fence accessories. You can use any fence and stop ‘ShopNotes No. 110system, but the one shown here is. made by Kreg. Their Tep Trak and Swing Stop mounts to the fence backs (right photo). Alter mounting the frack, you'll want to install a measuring tape (on each fence so the stop will car- rectly indicate the distance from the blade. I used a measured workpiece to align the tape and |? save wortae| keine ‘Sibes 24 plywood on the bottom face of the benchtop to pre- vent tearout as the bit exits. To accurately position the guide after drilling the frst set of holes, slip a couple of dowels aough the guide (drawing above). shane ao ele Sc ‘ShopNotes No. 110FULL-SIZE TEMPLATE Tepe. “gy ren etoseoun Latch Installation The latch for the portable clip- board storage case shown on page 36 is easy to use and holds the lid securely. The only problem is, the installation instructions that came with itleave a litle to be desired. To make the installation easier, | came up with a paper template, as shown in the drawing above left. One other thing, you'll need toadd the latch before the top and. bottom frames ae installed. Template. The latch has three paris, as you can see in the margin drawing, But, the template only has holes forthe pin and push but- ton. As you'll see, when you drill the through hole for the pin, the brad point bit eaves a dimple in the edge of the base where the hole forthe escutcheon is located. Lay Out & Drill. To use the tem- plate, fold itas shown and attach it to the closed case with some spray Gluing Up a Bridle Joint There are a few challenges with guing up the top and bottom frame and panel assemblies for the clipboard case on page 36. First, you need to pull the frame pieces tightly against the edges of the panel. Second, it’s impor tant to clamp directly across the bridle joint. And finally, you need to avoid bowing the assembly as clamping pressure is applied, ‘The solution T used is shown at right. A pair of clamps in each direction pull the frame pieces tight to the panel. And to ensure that everything stayed flat while clamping the bride joint, L added a pair of clamping cauls, across each end of the assembly. & ShopNotes.com STEP 2: crnme 5 Biker Ovek Beioue JON FOURTH: opi Hous FoR. )«) ESouIEHEON UsiN Dharce, REreETO Dera adhesive or tape (drawing above) Then drill a through hole that’s slightly deeper than the thickness of the lid (detail a’. Before using the dimple to locate and drill the hole for the escutch- con, drill a stopped hole for the push button (details ’b’ and ‘c’) ‘The push button and escutcheon are a friction fit, but I found it best to.usea little epoxy on all the parts to secure them in placeHeavy-duty design, large worksurface, and loads of storage add up to a versatile project. It’s a good idea to have an extra worksuriace in the base that’s built to stay strong and stable for years. shop for assembly, finishing, or just to have a place eavy-duty casters allow you to smoothly roll the to stack parts and supplies. The trouble is you don’t rer you need it. And finally, thas a storage always need it in the same place every time. That’s cabinet and a pair of pegboard! racks to keep tools and ‘where this cart comes in. The solid-wood top provides supplies clase at hand. In fact, this sturdy cart would 2 generous amountof space to work. Itrests ona stout bea great rolling workbench fora small shop. 26 ShopNotes No. 110Exploded View Details ‘OVERALL DIMENSION: BIsD x 40% x BENCH NOTE: woe overnan ‘ON YOP ALLOWS OU “To ust claws 70 SRURE A WORECE LAMINATED, EOGE-GRAIN Sorinenedses siapiury INO WEAR RESISTANCE ENDS oF cage ARE ASSEMBLED: ‘wire BRiDLE Jone. wind hearer, FNOCK-DOWN JONERY ‘OETA ) eA il lh LARGE. Lookin casTERS ‘io ocbnis, es tee ruucerrension Mer. AND DEBRIS YET LOCk NOTE: caer Base AN Beaner suioes AoW © Gromeasamon Topas soe stone eisr Access OTHE INewensive So. Exnee veawen eusrmueron vouseR L059 vous THeeAD nto Ska cones Nore:roe IN Sree HASQUARE SOURCES. HETERO PaoE St > open Back. a) Inset stretchers ‘and a shallow storage cabinet give you leg ‘oom at the Pe back ofthe cart FEIT stop cart, goto FUELED Spoptsescom ‘ShopNotes.com‘TOP VIEW ort 2 tough asa regular workbench, too. To do this, T made the base w gyro thick solid-wood parts and heavy-duty B ASA®™V traditional joinery — mortise anc tenon, and brilejoinery Rolling around uneven floors Thecoreofthecartisthebase.thad puts alo of stress onthe frame of a few goals in ound when making, cart. So my second goal was to it Themostimportant one’s that it make the base easy to tighten up should bestrong and rigid — and if things start to get wobbly. To stay thatway for yearstocome.AS do this, used ast of bed bolts to said earlier, this cart can be a roll- secure some of the joints instead ing workbench, so itshould bejust of glue. With just a few twists of a Leg & Rail Joinery Details ‘The key to creating the leg to rail joinery is doing things in the right order. Itwill make the oints tighter and more accurate to align. Start by cutting a mortise in one leg half. Then cut a shallow notch fon each half. When you glue the halves together, it will create the ‘open mortise for the bridle joint Next, you can drill the bed bolt hole through the mortise at the dri press. After cutting the mating tenon on the rails, you can com- plete the hole with a hand drill dna auttirce! FRONT VIEW (-“cstee rare TOP VIEW a) wrench, you can snug up the join- ery if necessary. A side benefit of this system is that it makes assem- bling the basea breeze. The final goat is that 1 didn’t want fo spend a lot of money on ‘materials. So I used ordinary con- struction Iumber (Douglas fr). End Frames. In Figure %, you can start to see how al) this cornes together. The base is made up of 4 pair of end frames.that get con- nected by a set of stretchers and aprons. Each frame consists of 2 pair of legs and a pair of rails ‘assembled with bridle joinery. Thick Legs. The thick legs that support the cart are 3"-square posts. They have an open mortise cut on each end to accept the rails. ‘Tocreate the legs, I glued them up from two pieces. This also makes i easier to make the open mortises For more on the joinery, take a look at the box at left End Rails. Once the legs are complete, the next task is the con- necting rails. Each end rail has a {enon on the ends that fits the open. ‘mortise in the Jegs. In addition, the upper rails have some deep, counterbored holes ‘ShopNotes No. 110that are used to attach the bench- top later on, as in Figure Ja. At the bottom, the lower rails have a pair of dadoes cut on the inside faces. These dadoes accept stretchers that stiffen the lower part of the cart There's also a hole through each dado to hold a bed bolt, as you can see in Figure 1b. 1 drilled these holes atthe drill press so they were straight. When you're ready to assem- ble the end frames, there are a few things to keep in mind, First, make sure the rails seat snugly in the mortises and at the shoulders. ‘Then check that the assembled frame is flat and square. Caster Plate. The last item to complete on each end frame is to make and attach a plate. This pro- vides a solid mounting surface for the casters, asin Figure 2. The only dllail to note isa small chamfer on. the top edges (Figure 1b). Stretchers & Aprons. Con- necting the end frames are a set of aprons and stretchers. Theyre hreld in place with bed bolts (Fig- ure 2). This technique doesn’t require glue or clamps. The aprons. havea fenon on each end to fit the ‘ShopNotes.com SiReri Aes ARC MADE From tatPicr eto A oes ERSTE mortise on the legs, as illustrated in Figure 2c. And like the upper rails, the aprons are drilled and counterbored to attach the bench- top. The stretchers at the bottom of the cart are simply sized to fit in the dadoes in the lower rails ‘The next step is to drill the aprons and stretchers to accept the spedal bed bolt and cross dowel hardware, as shown in the Drilling for Bed Bolts Installing bed bolts to assemble the base of the cart involves nothing more than drilling a few holes. You just need to make sure they're aligned. To do this, you can use the holes you drilled in the legs and lower rails as a guide (detail ‘a’ in the left drawing at right). ‘The drill bit isn’tlongenough to complete the hole. So you need to remove the apron and continue drilling to final depth (ar right drawing). Finally, at the drill press, drill the intersect- ing hole for the cross dowel. right margin. You can find sources for the hardware on page 51. What's important here is thatthe holes intersect in the right spot. The box at the bottom of the page shows you how it’s done. This completes the oinery work on the base, So the base can be assembled. The last thing to do is install the casters. A Solid Assembly. The base is held together with a set of bed bots. sete 48 cule room ‘Bou HOLE. REMOVE Aron TOF OREN Bourotelaminated Benchtop Capping the base of the _shop cart is 2 large, solid- ‘wood benchtop. I chose a ‘wood top fora couple reasons, ‘The primary one is functional. A thick, wood top provides a dura- bie, sagezesistant worksurface. So itcan stand vp to the heavy, long term use that you'd expect from a traditional workbench, The other reason has to do with appearance. The wood top matches the look of the base, Edge Grain. The benchtop is more than just a glued-up panel Instead of simply gluing wide planks edge-toredge, I ripped the wide boards into narrow strips. Then the strips are tumed on edge and glued “face to face” to expose the edge grain. This butcher block-lke top is stronger and more wear resistant. However, gluing all those strips eEMcaOP 19 MADE into a fat, consistent top canbea Bench Dog Holes. You can real challenge. On page 34, you'll leave the benchtop as is, but T find a step-by-step article detail- went ahead ond drilled three rows ing the process Iused to do this. of bench dog holes, as you can see There's one last thing T want in Figure 3. This way, [can use a to point out about the top. I¥’s variety of dogs, hold-downs, and sized to overhang the base on all other aids to secure a workpiece four sides. This provides a way _ to the benchtop without worrying to clamp a workpiece to the top about it shifting in use. You can without interference from the sce few of these in the box on the ikihiteo Ov EBOE ‘Nore: Rion ferteicx sioce Drilling the bench dog holes can be as easy as laying out the hole locations (as shown in Figure 3) and drilling ther with a hand drill and a %'-dia. spade bit Just take care to drill them as straight and square as possible To simplify the layout and drilling process, you can turn to page 24 to seeaa time-saving driling guide. Chamfer the Holes. Finally, ease the edges of the holes. You can do this with ‘a hand-held router and a chamfer bit. This pre- legs, aprons or rails. bottom of the next page vents the edges from splintering as Materials & Hardware BASE & TOP LCase Sides (2) TxISK-%Ply. + (4)4" Locking Swivel Casters. ‘A Legs (4) 3x3-28% M Case Back (I) 13x29-YPly. + (16) 914 x4 Ph Sheet Metal Screws 8 Rails (4) TWhx3-28 N- Case Divider (1) xI5-%Ply. «(2 sets)Bed Bolt Sets Caster Plates (2) %xW-Wh O Foot Rail l) 6x314-YPly. + (44) #8 x4" Fh Woodscrews Aprons (2) TMax3- Ppl) Wax 30-Y% Ply. + (10) ex 214" Lag Screws E Stretchers (2) VAx3-32 Q Upper Drawer Frt/Bk (2) 474 218% -% Ply. + (10) He" Flat Washers F Benchtop () 2x34 408 R Upper Drawer Sides) 4414-940 «(6)48x 14 Fh Woodscrews TOOL RACK S Drawer Bottoms (2) ‘13x 1S%-% Ply. + (2.pr) 4" Full-Ext, Drawer Slides w/Screws G Tops/Bottoms (4) YxDs-22 T Lower DrawerFrt/Bk (2) 6%sx15%-%4 Ply. «(3) 51’ Plastic Handles HR Sides (4) %xMh-20% U_ bower Drawer Sides (2) 6%ex14-% Ply. + (6) #8.x114" Ph Sheet Metal Screws 1 Tool Panels (2) 2x2%-YPebd. V UpperFalse Front (I) 5 x17%-%4Ply. _» (pr) Spring Hinges w/Screws, STORAGE CABINET ‘W LowerFalse Front (I) 7%¢x 17% -% Ply. J Case Top (1) 154 x30-%Ply. X Door} A XID - Ply K Cage Bottom) ———194330-% Pl. Y_ Door Stop) ri 30 ‘ShopNotes No. 110{you insert and remove bench dogs land other hold-downs. Attaching the Top. Using solid wood far the top does have another challenge — accommo- dating seasonal wood movernent An edge-grain panel won't move as much as a plank-type top, but you still need to allow for it. The topissecured to thecartbase with Long lag screws and washers. ‘The screws are seated in the holes you drilled earlier in the rails and aprons. These holes are slightly oversized (Figure 3a). This allows the screws fo move with the top as, it expands and contracts. ‘That wraps up the major con: struction of the shop cart. And you is. Bul I wanted to take advantage of the space in the base to add some storage. TOOL STORAGE RACKS ‘One way to build in some storage ‘space is to add some pegboard too! racks to each end assembly. The racks are simply wood frames that wrap around a pegboard panel The frame not only stiffens the pane! but aiso provides an easy ‘way to attach the rack to the base, asillustrated im Figure 4 can use it fost as — ShopNotes.com ZZ @. FRONT VIEW eicuRe NOTE: sips, Birnie Boriow eetipe teow SPenieatoee ‘TOR/BOTIOM See, Gree) Making the Frame, To make 1! cut in each of the frame the tack se the Trame paces pees asin igure a. The fovcreste a snug At in De opem, tack oawamblel wah hue ing in each end assembly. Then and screws (Figures 4 and 4a), txt the top and bottom pleces to Aver assembly the ockscan be fn teroecn the legs in the base. screed tothe bce as youcansee Finale thesides oft beeen in Figure 3m the lower photos the op and bottom. To accept the below Jou can se some options pesbeud panel there's a groove farstring ols and suplias < Clamp- ~ Hoke Downs. ing. A round These cam- brass bench activated holo: pup anc a eowns secure threaded a workpiece Wonder Pup ‘and allow you create ahandy j= to reposition ‘bench vise. ta quickly -< Racks. << Hooks. You can make Reinforced plywood plastic hooks shelves and Jock into the racks lo stare pegboarc aif kinds of 50 you never foals on the brave to worry pegboard about them racks, falling outstorage Cabinet ‘The open space created by the base ofthe cart is the perfect place for adding even more storage. The smal cabinet you see in Figure 5 has a few interesting features. To provide several storage options, the cabinet contains two drawers ‘and a door. And you can even use the top of the cabinet as a shelf to keep items within easy reach, ‘There's a lot of oper. space in the base, so it’s tempting to fill com pletely with a storage cabinet. But built the case of the cabinet rela- tively shallow. There are a couple reasons for tis. Firs, it’s too easy for things to get lost in the back of the doorside ofthe cabinet. And, it provides leg room on the back side toallow me tosit at the bench on a ‘stool while I'm working. ‘Top & Bottom. I built the cabi- net starting with the top and bot- fom. Each piece has a few dadoes and grooves to hold the sides, divider, and back, as in Figure 5. To keep the setup straightfor ward, I sized the dadoes for the sides and groove for the back to match the thickness of the %" plywood that makes up the back. ‘The dado for the divider, on the other hand, is sized to match the B FIGURE SIDE VIEW wml thickness of the’ plywood used for the other parts of the cabinet. You'll notice that the bottom is wider than the top (Figure 5). This, extra width allows the cabinet to rest on both stretchers in the base of the cart. And it provides a place toadd a foot ral later on, Swe. Sides & Divider. The next step is to make the sides and divider. The sides have a tongue cut on each end to fit the dadoes in the top and bottom, as shown in Fig- ure 5b. (The divider simply slides into its matching dado.) I also cut and fit the case back. 4 Tose or Leds caper S108 n6 SrenING BSAC ShopNotes No. 110“UPPER vee Se NERS AaB = Bcerr © e vee ® 2 . Oo - UPPER oes wes (Ce DRAWER ges e ‘SIDE. Ce “pace ae rr) || “GRRTERSS oO se 2. vApiece mounts Ee 9 to clamp ‘2 — ah, _. c ae a mounts Accessories help J a wood base forclamaing with setup and ~ a —_ fe benchiop routing jonery style clamps hold Sight ensures easy ae ‘Setup and positioning —” workpiece securely 48 ShopNotes No. 110 atOutside edge of ‘guide determines size of tenan ‘Siot is used for routing mortise no oll 4 Following the Guide. Make a clockwise skim 4 Geometry. The tapered shape of the pin and ass fo establish the shoulders ofthe tenon, Then to guide plus the capability of adjusting she pin complete i, fnish up by routing counterclockwise. vertically work logether lor flawless joinery. Jt starts by showing you how workpieces (left photo below), sliding fit in the siots of the guide to install and center almost any Then fasten the piece securely to and guide pin tack model of plunge router. the jig’s clamp plate and against ‘ of ‘You also get step-by-step guid- the fence using the F-style damp. CREATING A TENON J ance on cutting joints and adjust- Alignment, ‘fo align the table With the router installed, you're ing the fit. Once you run through over the workpiece (and later cen- eady to row a tenon. Leigh — § the process, #'s pretty simple. ter the router bit), the plastic sight includes spiral upcut bit for make snaps into the table opening (righting a smooth cut. Aiter setting BASIC SETUP and inset photo below). Alter the depth of the bit for the tenon The basic setup is the same adjusting he table to center itover length, set the router and sub-base whether you're cutting a mortise the layout lines, you can remove _ assembly in place, or tenon. The first thing to do is the sight before routing, Clitmb Cut First, The trick to determine the size of joint and Brass Pins. On the router sub- getting sharp, clean shoulders install the appropriate guide. base, there are two tapered brass on the tenon i to carefully make Pick a Guide. The plastic guide pins that thread into the base a skim pass in a clockwise direc- you see above at right determines (photo above). The left pin cides tion first (left photo thesizeof thejoint. Thejigincludes against the outside of the guide ‘0 above). To finish up, Bulides for %e"-thick tenons, but create tenn. The right pin fits in rout ina counter- you can order other sizes. With the a special guide track Clockwise direction right guide and bit, you can create The tapered shape of the guide with the pin tight joints from ie" thick x 6" wide up and pinallows you tofine-tune the against the outside to's thick x 214" wide, fit of the joint by raising or lower- of the guide. This Layout. The nevt step is tomark ing the pin. For the initial setup, minimizes tearout the center of the joint om both you can adjust the pin for a loose, {margin photo). ‘A Bull's-eye, The crosshairs (on the sight guarantee accurste . positioning of A Sliding Table. The table moves left and right and ‘A Accurate Layout Lines. Marking the centerline of the mortise and tenon on the workpieces 's the first step 10 creating tight-titing jornts. forward and backward 19 accurately position the router bit over the layout lines. ShopNotes.com 49Perfection. You'll get clean, tight-fitting joinery every nme with the Super FMT Jig A Inside Track, To cut 2 mortise, the pin rides on the insioe of she guide. The great thing about the Super FMT Jig is that you can cut a matching morkise to fit the tenon no time at all Just like you did with the Ganon workpiece, all you need to do is clamp the workpiece securely. Then use the sight and reposition the table, i needed The technigue for cutting the mortise differs slightly from cut- fing a tenon. When you rout the tenon, the pin on the router sub- base travels in contact with the outside edge ofthe guide. But when you rout a mortise, the pin rides ‘an the insife of the guide, as you can see in the photo above. I's the length of the sol in the guide that ultimately determines the length of the mortise you'llbe cutting, ‘A Note on Clamping. There's ‘one thing I'd like to mention about clamping the workpiece t© the 50 Two Methods. To cut a mortise. you can make @ series of full-depth plunge cuts with a tinal cleanup pass. Or you can make a series of passes at increasing depths unt you reach the full depth, clamp plate. Ifyou'regoingtocuta mortise on the end of a workpiece. as shown ix the main photo above, this task can be a bitle tricky. Bot with the wide array of holes on the clamp plate it doesn't take foo long, fo figore out how to position the clamps for effective clamping After the workpiece is secure, you're ready (0 cut the mortise. Since you've already routed the tenon, the depth of cutis already set. But to allow a litle room for glue, Iike to go just a litle deeper when routing the mortise Two Routing Choices, These are a couple of other things T want topoint out. AsT was giving the jig, a runcthrough, I tried two different methods of routing the mortise ‘The first (and what the user guide recommends) is to make a series of full-depth, overlapping plunge cuts. Then you make a final passat full depth to smooth up the sides. ‘The second method I tried was to make a series of shallow passes {about '") using the depth turret ‘on my plunge router By the time L reached the fall depts of the mor- tise, the sides were smooth, ‘To be honest, I had more trou- ble getting good results using the method recommended in the user guide. The bit had a tendency to grab the workpiece, resulting in a very rough-looking mortise | felt the process went a lot smoother making several shallow passes. But the battom line is, with any new jig or tool you purchase, v5 worth making a few practice cuts on test pieces, This is the best way t0 find out which method gives you the best results ‘And while you’te routing some test pieces, you can take the time to tweak the height of the pin to fine-tune the fit ofthe joint. Again, the user guide steps you through the simple process of making this adjustment. Additional Options, Besides the array of bits and guides you can purchase, Leigh didn’t forget about all that dust a router gener ates. They have an add-on vacuum box attachment that includes two hhose adapters to make the connec- tion to your shop vacuum easy. Final Impression. Once had some time to figure out the best way to damp the workpieces in place and get the technique down, making 2 mortise and tenon was simple. Overall, I think Leigh hit the mark for an affordable, high quality jig that’s worth a look. ShopNotes No. 110ShopNotes. ‘Leigh FMT Pro #7 This jig partners with most plunge routers to become an incredibly Ss versatile mortise and 5 tenon machine Until the advent of the Frame method, | felt Ud become quite Showninaction (above) and asa ‘Mostise and Tenon Jig (now called efficient setting up and cutting kit (below), the kit consists of a jig the FMT Pro) from Leigh Industries, dead-on mortise-and-tenon joints. body that positions the workpiece ‘my technique for making mortise The FMT Pro, however, changed and guides the router, a sub-base ‘and tenon joinery involved a mini- my idea of what efficients that wil) acoept_most brands of mum of two large power toolsand Quite simply, the FMT Pro takes plunge router, a 5/6” spiral upcut a great deal oftime and effort. all the hard work and fussiness bit, five guides that make over 20 Sypizally, Ta. cut the mor Duets inherent to mortke. ond sues of mortise and fenen Joints, ses" by ‘Griling several hols enon joineryand very nearly and all te necessary tol, har Wwith 2) Former bit and then emits it yoo can operate a ware clamps, and acessories, Squsre them up with a chisel plunge router and follow simple ‘The mesimportontcomponent The toons Tut on my tblesew insouctons, you can easly Use of thisajsem, however hao be wrth evong ie the FUT Proto bud forte he user manual TRS clearly ‘ater 9 few forge Using, mortse and ilusteated nnd. plinly-riten pitjects using this LY tenonjoints. manual guldes you through the Reuter sub-base Price: $929 (eso! en. 2010) Requires: ‘plunge router Dimensions: 8° x 12" x 14° Max Tenon: "x 2" x5" Guides Warranty: 5 years leighjigs.com orien Adjustable stop A spi vupcut bit ‘ShopNotes No. 110 Page L of 2 ©2010 August Home Publishing, All rights reserved.