I

All Nevl

Drill Pres: Belt Sa

E D I T O R ' S
I R a"--"-

N O T E

Issue 72
PUBLISHER
EDITOR

Nov./Dec. 2003

A ~ S O ~ I A TEDITORS E

CONTRI~UTING EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR
SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS

Donald B. Peschke Teny J. Strohman Bryan Nelson Vincent Ancona Phil Huber Cary Christensen Roger Reiland Mark Higdon

Cutoffs
kay, I admit it. I've always dreamed of having alarge, spacious workshop with lots of room for benches, tools, and accessories. But the reality for many woodworkers (myselfincluded) is that shop space is aprecious commodity. There just never seems to he enough. So what do you do? Well, it seems to me the key is to make the best pos sibleuse of the space that you do have. So in this issue, we've put together three projects that will help get the most out of your shop space. Workstation - For starters, there's the threepart folddownworkstation shown on the front cover. It features a rock-solid workbench, a wallmounted tool rack, and an overhead storagecab'iet Its made up of three parts. You can build one or aU three the choice is up to you. The wall-hugging design of the workstation takes up a minimal amount of floor space. But when you need to get to work, all you have to do is lift the bench top, swing out the legs, and you're ready to go.

SPECIAL WBUGATIONS

Cow. V P : Doughs L. Hicks. Ad Director Douglas A. Flit Sr Gmphk Dssignm Chris GlowaAi Graphic D e s w ~ m Jonathan Eike S7 Ediior Cndg Rueg%eggu Assoc. Edtior

Joel A. Hesa

Clrc. J. KLimhell

m.LXrecfolr Sandy Baum.

ClDCUUTlOY

Ci%.Morheli%gDir:Wayde

SCmtsgic Business Anolysls: Krk SM-er,

COllPOlUTESFllYlCES o f Finawe: Msry R. Seheve Catmll*7-Robin K. Hutchimn. %.Acct.:LauraJ.Thomas .Acets.Payoble:MaryJ. SEhultz Accts Recdzabk Miwgo P e t m Pmd. Dic: Gwrge C m m z EieUwnic m.Dir.: o o u g 1 a g M. Lidsteste. psiem Admin: Cria Schuonebsck. P C Maid. Tech.:RobertD. Cook. & . R e . % I w e Spcs.: R o y C k k , MimietteJohnson. Asaoc.

V . P .

..

akDi~,:RebeeeaC~.NwMd~Mp:mmC.Gaippe MultrmediaArtDi7:EugenePederyn. WdSer~nAdmiz:Cml moeppler -Web Contsnt Mgr: David Briggs MzUti-dza Lkkmex Rara Blessing -Research Codinator: Niholss A.
Jaeger

AdmaRrrUm:J-edo~~MailhClerkLmWebber

. .

Pmf DBODi?.: Miehal Slgd R.Asat: KirstenKoele O f i e Mgr: Natalie Lonsdde Failitips Mgr: Kurt Johnson.
WWOIYlnl STORE

The second part of the station is a wall-mounted tool rack that lets you keep your favorite hand tools organized, visible, and within reach. Finally, we added an upper cabinet that can hold everythingeke you need close at hand -from power tools and accessoriesto project hardware. It all starts on page 22. Table Saw Outfeed System Another project that makes the most of available space is the table saw outfeed system on page 16. It consists of individual, snap-together units. Grouped together, they make a solid outfeed table that doesn't take up much space. But you can also take the units apart and arrange them to offer support where you need it - like when you're ripping large sheets of plywood. Belt Sander -The final project takes one tool and adds another function to it. If you already have a drill press, here's an inexpensive way to add a belt sander. It features an adjustable table, tracking control, and a miter slot Check it out on page 6.

Des Moines, IASo312. ShopNoh@isaregistmed ttadeadkofAugustHomePubl~~ eCoprrightzW3byAugustH~~~Publishin~~AUright~resened. suh~cripti~ns:Singlempy:~.95.Oneyearsubsuiption(6ksnes), 927.95. Canedanntemationai add $10 per year, U. S.finds. Canedim Suhsdptiona: Canada Post Agreement Number 40649740. Sendchange of addreasinformation a n d ~ o c k s o undef iivelsbleeopiestoPOBox 1051,FortErie,ONL2A6C7. PoriodiealsPaatagePaiddtDe~Moiii, SAandatadditianalmau1img offices. Pw~~~SendchulpdaddresstoShopN~kte,P.O.Box3710(1,
Bwne,IA6WT-2103. Suh~eription Questions? Write to: ShopNola8 Customer Service, PO. Box 842, Des Mainea, IA 50304-8961. Or eaU 1-800-3335854,

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8.00amto5:OOom. Centrainme.weekdavs.FAX616283-0447
PRINTED IN U.S.A.

ShopNotes

No. 72

Contents
Features
Drill Press Belt Sander
Getmoreout of your drillpress by making it work harder: This shop-made accessory turnq your drill press into a belt sander that works every bit as well as a floor model.

Removing Rust with Electrolysis

Removing rust from tools can be a big hassle. With a little 'bower" you can make quick work of it We'll show you how to do It with ease using our step-by-step instructions.

Modular OuMeed System

16

Make it easier to handle large or long stock safely on the table saw This handy outfeed system can be configured in a number of ways to support long stock, large sheet goods, or anything in between.

SI

Building a Laminated Benchtop

20

Nothing says solidand heavy duly like a laminated benchfop. But making one without spending a lot of time geffing it flat and smooth seems almost impossible. Check out the procedure we use that results in a perfectly flat top in no time at all.

Fold-Down Workstation

22

A heavy-duty woodworking bench that takes up a little over

four square feet of floor space when its stored? You bet. Add some storage -an easy-accesstool rack and a wall-mounted cabinet -and turn ~t Into a full-fledged workstat~on.

Departments
Readers' lips loo1 Chest Shop Talk
4
32
34
Shop-tested tips to solve common woodworkingproblems.

Most sharpening systems can't do it all. But the one we use every day comes as close as YOU can get.

r
3

page 16

Have a great woodworking invention and want to protect it? Here's what you need to know aboutpatents.

Maii-order sources and supplies to help you complete the projects featured in this issue.

Fold-Down Wo~kstatim~ page :

No. 72

ShopNotes

Readers' Tips
Big Dogs That
W When clamping a workpiece in my workbench vise with bench dogs, I h d that the small, metal dogs leave marks on the edges of the piece that are tough to sand out So, to solve this problem, I made some b i g ,plywood hench dogs that slip over the regular dogs, as shown in the \ photo at right The henetit is that the wide surface makes it easytogetaiirmgripon t h e material being worked without leaving overthe metal bench dog. - a mark. - Then I cut The big dogs are made from a wide, shallow rabbet along the squares of 3/a"plywood,as illustrated front edge of each dog. As you can in the drawing at left A hole cut in see in the photo, this allows you to the middle of each dog is sized to fit work right up to the edge of the

\,.

SVED TO FIT YOUR METAL DOG

noLE IN Do6

workoiece. Or vou can even clamn the workpiece in the rabbets to raise it above the dogs. JOE Holfm Houston, Texas

(0

Dial Indicator Depth Gauge

P l a n i n g stock to an exact thickness usually involves alot of trial and error (and measuring) to get it right. The problem is, the thickness scale on the planer just isn't accurate enough to show how much material I have left to remove. But I've come up with a simple dial indicator gauge that takes the guess work out of adjusting the planer. Now I can measure once and then dial in the perfect setting the h t time. This saves me alot of time, trouble, and frustration. As you can see in the photo at left, the main part of the gauge consists of a dial indicator mounted to a hardwood block The block has a rabbet on the back and a couple of screws and washers hold it hnly in place above the scale on the planer. The second part of the gauge is a small, aluminum Lhracket fastened
to the thickness indicator. It acts as a contact point for the dial indicator. Here's how the gauge works. Start by planing your stock slightly oversize in thickness. Then measure the stock with calipers or a tape measure, making note of how much material is left to plane of Next, without changing the cutting height of the planer, attach the gauge. Mount it so that the point of the dial indicator stays in contact with the Lhracket as the cutterhead (and thickness indicator) is lowered. After setting the dial indicator to the amount that needs to he removed, as in the inset photo, lower the cutterhead (making several light cuts) until the dialindicator registers at "zero." Now your stock is planed @ to perfect thickness. John Gwen Royal Oak, Michigan

ShopNotes

No. 72

& i- .

.. .- . . ...iips screwdriver, Eric Johnson of Edgewood, KY uses his grinding wheel to touch up the edges.

Richard Beal of Fort Polk, L. . keeps the lids from his fastener boxes in his storage bins to help him remember the type and size.

I inexpensive, plasticsprayboffles
make a great applicator for Todd K m p of Gig Harbo,: WA to spray sealer on his outdoor projects.

Laminating Spacers w When gluing plastic laminate to a substrate with contact cement, I always used wood spacers or dowels to position the laminate. The problem was f t n d i i (or making) enough spacers to do the job. To get around this, I started using plastic slats from wmdow mini blinds, as shown in the photo at tight. The curved shape of the slats easily holds the laminate offthe substrate. And best of all, they're lightweight and can be stacked out of the way until I need them again. TomBrodle St. Louis Park, Minmsota

a'

Handy Tote for Sheet Goodew After reading through the article hangers to either side. A metal on working with plywood in drawer pull screwed to the 2x6 ShogNotes No. 71, I wanted to share makes a great handle. my version of a plywood tote that I've Dana Cmig been usinefor the last few years. The secret to my tote is a pair of wc pipe hangers, like those shown in the insetphotobelow. You can buy them at any hardware store or home improvement center. I cut a piece of I to considerfeaturingitinone or more of our print or electronic publications. 2x6 long enough to make it comfortWe'll pay up to $200 for a tip we pubable to grip and then nailed the pipe lish. Just write down the tip and mail it to ShopNotes, Attn.: Readers' Tips, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. Or FAX it to 5152826741, or send us an email at shopnotes@shopnotes.com. Please include your name, address, and daytime phone number in case we have any questions.

I I

.-----

No. 72

ShopNotes

ding is one of those tasks that f e w enjoy. So any time you can the better. The trouble is that stationary belt sanders take up a lot of shop space. And they can be rather expensive. But with the belt sander you see in the photo above, you can enjoy allthe benefits of a large, stationary sander without having to invest in a new piece of equipment w give up valuable shop space. What's unique about this belt sander is that ifs p w ered by another tool that you probably already have in Although it looks small, this belt sander has all the feayour shop -a drill press. The -sander is simply clamped to the table of the drill press. Then a shaft on top of the tures of a full-size machine -an adjustableheight table, sander is chucked up in the drill press -just like a drill separate controls for adjusting belt tension and tracking, r i l l press switch, the sanding belt and even a miter gauge slot. And for convenience,it uses bit With a flip of the d takes off and you're ready to start sanding. commonly available, 4"x 36" sanding belts.

ShopNotes

No. 72

\
LAMINATE PLATEN PROWDES BACKING FORSANDING BELT

ldler & Drive Rollers

It may seem a bit unusual, but I built this belt sander from the inside out. I started with the rollers for the sanding belt iirst. Then I built the

I
1

Wshed up the sanderby making the base and table. The reason forthis is IDLER ROLLER simple. By b u i l d i t h e rollers h t , you can size all the other parts to fit around them. Yonllneedto make two rollers ! (A) - a drive roller and an idler roller. The only dierence between these two is that the drive roller is slightly "crowned" toward the center to help in tracking the P sanding belt. Fortunately, creating ~ b l e r sThe . this crown is one of t h eW steps in rollers for the belt making the rollers. So you can make sander are built ur, the rollers identical to startwith. out of several layers The rollers are made by cutting of MDF Then they're disks out of MDF (mediumdensity -- ,.. - .$ .* trued up usfng a fiberboard) and then gluing the disks a little bit r o w ? ' router table andj~g disks together. If you take a look at them up later. After e u & iuf all (see oppositepage). Figure 3, you can see thateachroller the disks, youll need to enlarge the is made up of six disks. Fmeof these center holes left behind by the hole disks are cut out of 3/411 MDF. But the saw. This allows the disks to fit sixth one is cut out of l/zl'-thickm F . onto the l/z"dia roller shaft that Q simply resawed a blank of 3/4"MDF will be added later. down to 1h1' on the table saw to make Assembly - Before gluing the the thin disks.) disks together, I cut two shafts for To create the disks, I cut them out the rollers out of lh"-dia.steel rod. with a 3"-dia. hole saw, as you see in (Note that these shafts are difF i i 2 below. Don't worry if the ferent lengths.) The idea here is hole saw leaves the edges of the to use the sha&s to keep the disks

'

wP
aligned white gluing them up, just as you see in Figure 3. Shafts - Once both rollers are glued up, you can glue the shafts to the rollers with epoxy. There's nothing too complicated about this. However, in order to givethe epoxy something to "grab" onto, I roughed up the &ce of the shafts with a tile before gluing them in place, as shown in the detail in Figure 3. Now that you have both rollers glued up and the shafts epoxied in
R O L L e 'R ,USING
SHAFTTO KEEP DISKS ALIGNED

n
ROLLER TOSHAFT I

Ba/*V-WNG SHAFT FOR DRIVE ROLLER

I

,q I I IDLER,ROLLER SHAFTFOR

()the rollers. The goal here is to make

entire jig along the fence of the router table while slowly rotating each roller truly round and concen- the roller by hand at the same time. The whole thing is a little tric with the shaft. TruingJig -The rollers are trued bit like patting your head while up on the router table, using a jig r u b b i i your stomach. To make the process alittle easier, made especially for the purpose.Tbe jig is really just an open box with a it helps to clamp a couple of stop hole in two of the sides to hold the blocks to the fence of your router roller shaft. The roller is captured table. This way, you don't have to inside the box and then rotated by worry about sliding the jig over too hand over a straight bit in the router far and accidentally routing into the table to true up the surface. side of the jig. Figure 4 shows how the jig is Start at one end of the roller and made. It's just screwed together (no work your way around the entire cirglue) so that it can be taken apart cumference. Then just slide the jig and used to true up both rollers. down a little bit until you work your Setting Up the Jig To use the way from one end of the roller to the jig, start by mounting the idler roller other (Figure 4a). The goal is to end in diameter. inside. O i s is the roller with the up with a roller 27/a11 short shaft) To prevent the roller Drive Roller -When it comes to from r u b b i i against the sides of the truing up the drive roller, there's a jig, I added a machine bushing to minor change to the procedure. The each end of the shaft before drive roller is crowned to a slight mounting the roller in the jii. peak in the middle. This helps to Now set the roller and jig on top of keep the sanding belt centered on I didn't your router table and adjust the the rollers as it's running. ( height of the bit so that it's about l/ls'' crown the idler roller because I higher than the bottom of the roller. wanted to leave it straight and Finally, position the fence on your square for sanding inside curves, router table so that the roller is see inset photo on page 63 directly over the router bit when the To create this peak, I simply jig is pressed against the fence, see added a '/#-thick spacer to the upper photo at right bottom edge of one side of the jig Using the Jig - Using the jig to "can? the roller slightly. .Then I involves a little eyehand coordina- trued up one half of the roller, as tion. You're going to be sliding the you see in Figure 4b. After this place, you can "true up" the faces of

A Truing U p the Rollers. A simple jig allows you to true up the rollers on a router table. Anda pair of stop blocks prevent you from routing too far past the ends of the roliers.
end was smooth, I removed the spacer and taped it to the other side of the jig. Then I trued up the other half of the roller. Smoothing the Rollers - The router table does a great job ( making the rollers round, but it doesn't leave the surface of the rollers very smooth. Fortunately, there's an easy k for this. Just chuck each roller up in the drill press and hold a piece of sandpaper up to the surface until it's nice and smooth (see photo at right). Just make sure that when you're sanding the drive roller you don't sand out the "crown."
SLIDE JIG ALONG FENCE WHILE SLOWLY ROTATING KOLLER

1 )

Sanding the Rollers. Each roller 1 s mounted ~nthe drill press and sanded l~ghtly to smooth out the rough surface left beh~nd by the router:

NOTE: cur
JIG WNH SCREWS ONLY (NO GLUE)

:ASSEMBLE

DUST RELIEF

NOTCH FOR

a.

IDLER ROLLER

CLAMP BLOCKS STOP TO FENCE

DRIYE ROLLER

TAPESPACER TO BorrOM EDGE

TO BOTTOM OF JIG TO CREATE CROWN ON DRIVE ROLLER

(SEE

D E T A I L b '7

N m : JIG 1 6 MADE OUT OF 96"PLMOOD

Frame Assemblies
Once you have the rollers completed, you can set them aside while you work on the frame of the belt sander. The frame is made up of two separate assemhlies. idler roller is mounted on a frame that includes a long, pivoting arm. This arm slides into the drive roller frame, which is built like a tall, narrow box. F i e 5 shows how the two frame assemblies fit together. Drive Roller Frame I started by making the drive roller frame. If you take a look at Firmre 6 below. vou'll see that ;his frame is really just a thin box that's open at one end. At the other end, the top and bottom of the box extend out past the end to serve as supports for the roller. To make the drive roller frame, start by cutting out the top and bottm (B), sides (C), and end (Dl from '/zl'-thick stock. These pieces will simply be glued and screwed together. Before you can do this, however, there are a few details to take care of. F i t ,you'll need to drill a counterhored hole near the end of the top and bottom pieces for a flanged ball bearing that will be installed
WOODSCREW

YOKE

later (FIgwes 6a and 6b). Next, you'll need to cut a notch at the opposite end of the top piece, as you can see in Figure 6. This notch will receive part of the idler roller frame that will come later. Finally, you'll need to cut a redangular opening in the top piece for a hardwood wedge that will be used to tension the sanding belt. You can make this opening by drilling a hole at each corner of the opening and then cutting out the waste with a scroll saw or a jig (sabre) saw. Before assembling the frame, voull need to install the ball beat-

Ch'x 2%" - 12")

TOP

FIGURE

39" THREADED
I

NOTCH CENTERED ON END

I" X 1"

(%" x 1%''

MOUNTING PLATE (2Wn @#' W PLYWOOD)

+#')

-G
(M" x 4%" @#)

SIDE

L
ShopNotes

ings in the top and bottom pieces. These bearings are glued in place with epoxy. Just be careful that you don't get any epoxy on the face of the bearing where it could possibly run down inside and ruin the bearing mechanism. Once the bearings are in place, you can assemble the frame with glue and screws. The sides and end are sandwiched in between the top and bottom. Just don't forget to add the drive roller and b n s h i i when you're assembling the frame. Mounting Plate - To create some clearancebetween the sandieg belt and the base of the sander, the drive roller frame sits on a mounting plate (El. This plate is just apiece of 3/4" plywood. Later, the plate and frame will be mounted to a base. The mounting plate is simply glued to the bottom of the drive roller frame. Then a hole is drilled through both the plate and the bottom of the frame for a threaded rod (Egure 6). This threaded rod is epoxied into place so that it sticks out from the mounting plate about '/2", as you can see in Figure 6a. Platen -The last step to complete the drive roller frame is to add a , platen. The platen is just a piece of plastic laminate that is glued to the side (front) of the frame. Its purpose is to back up the sanding belt and

10

No. 72

Il()to travel over. I simply cut the laminate to size and glued it to the side of the kame with contact adhesive.

provide a smooth, slick surface for it

m m~ L L E R FRAIWE
The idler roller frame is constructed a little bit differently than the drive roller frame. It consist of two sections. The roller is held by a yoke. This yoke is pinned to an a m so that it can pivot, allowing you to " i n & the sanding belt. To make the yoke, I began by cutt i n g out the yoke top and bottmn (F), back (G), and bracket (H) from l/zl'-thick hardwood. The top and bottom pieces eachget a ball b d g installed in them, like you did with the drive roller frame. Then I drilled a hole in the braeket for a pivot pin that will be added to the frame later. After this is done, you can assemble the yoke with glue and screws. Just make sure you don't fowet to include the roller and machine bushlngs ( F i r e 7). F i y , to reinforce the yoke, I added a couple of corner blocks to the inside corners. Tmchg Bracket -The last part to add to complete the yoke is a Crachzng block (M). %is is just a block of wood with a T-nut installed (Figure 8). It gets screwed to the top of the yoke. To make the tracking knob that fits in the bracket, I simply
WOODSCREW
#8 x 2 "Fh

3 YOKE BACK

Ch"xzw-59/49

I.D. BEARING

&'

PIVOT BRACKET

Fa" x m' - 2%")

e'

m END OF

EPOXY STAR KNOB

3 ~ 2 1 '

THREADED ROD

J
3

No. 72

Ch" xAnlA68,- eSr)

ShopNotes

-."-

epoxied a star h o b onto the end of a serves as a stop for the backing piece of threaded rod. adjustment h o b . A shallow hole is Arm -With the yoke complete, drilled near the end of this block to you can build the arm that holds it. accept the tip of the threaded stud AsyoucanseeinFlgure8,thearm of the tracking knob (F"gure 8a). is made up of four pieces. Ifs basiAfter gluing up the arm,you can cally a pair of sides with a couple of add the yoke. It's simply held in blocks in between to a d as spacers. place with a steel pivot pin that One end of the arm is tapered to passes through the sides of the arm. mate with a tensioning wedge that To do this, I drilled a hole all the way will be added later. through both sides of the arm for the I f you take a look at F i 8 pivot pin. Then I drove the pin in below, yon11 notice that the place, capturing the yoke bracket in ti-acking block at the square end of between the sides of the arm. (You the arm sticks up above the top may have to use a little epoxy to hold edge of the side pieces. This block the pin in place.) Once you have the idler roller frame complete, you can slide it into the drive roller frame. R e arm should slide freely inside the drive roller frame. If it doesn't, you may want to sand the faces of the arm and apply a little paste wax. Wedge The only thing left to complete the frame assemblies is to add a tensioning wedge. This wedge is cut from a hardwood blank, as you can see in the margin drawing at END5 OF SPACER right A groove is cut along the back I ofthe w&e to allow it t o k around laau.,* the threaded rod that is epoxied into the drive roller frame. A h o b and washer are used to hold the wedge in place. As the knob is tightened, the wedge forceithe two - mduallv roller frames apart F i e 5).

. ";. . w*Gg~-..*;-~ :
.;.

:< 1

DETAIL

%"DEEP

11

At this point, the most difficult parts of the sander are complete. All that remains now is to make the base and adjustable table. The table supports your workpiece and can be adjusted up or down to utilize the entire width of the sandingbelt (see photo at left). The base provides a platform for the sander and gives you a place to clamp the sander to your drill press table (see inset photo). Base -As you can see by taking a look at Figure 9, the base (0) of the sander is really little more than a piece of 3/4" plywood. It's cut to shape and the edges are sanded smooth. Then, after drilling a 3h"dia. hole in the base for the tensioning rod, the dtive roller kame assembly can be glued down to the 9). Then top of the base you can set the sander aside whie working on the table. Table - m e the base. the table is also made out of 3/4" pl&ood. The shape of the table is designed to allow it to wrap around the idler roller so that you can sand inside curves. I started by cutting the table top (Pi to shape as shown in F i e 10, and then sanding the edges. To help support the table and allow it to slide up and @

Base & Table ==--7

attached to a couple of plywood aprons. Before screwing the top to the aDrons. however. voull . . n k d cut a slot in each apron for a locking knob that is added later. Once the table is assembled, you can add a piece of plastic hmhate to the top. Tbis provides a tough, smooth surface. The k a l step to complete the table is to cut a miter gauge slot ; 1 top.

Table Supports -The table rests against the edge of the base and is held in place by a couple of star knobs. In order to provide a larger surface to support the table, I beefed

( 4 1 %" LD. Flanged Ban Bearings ( t ) */a" x 9 Threaded Rod

r

(1) (1)
1

! V x l5" Steel Rod '/d' x t 1 ! 4 6 " Steel Rod ( 4 ) %" Machine Bushings
3/s"5ta~ Knob

. -

( 1 ) 546"Star Knob ( 2 ) 54ri"5tar Knobs w/l%"-longstuds ( 2 ) 5h6" Washem ( 1 ) S/s"Washer ( 3 ) 546r'T - N U ~ S ( 3 4 )#5 x 1%" Fh Woodscrews ( 2 ) #8 x 2" Fh Woodscrews ( 1 ) 5A6" x 3%"Threaded Rod 2 4 " x2 4 " ) ( 1 ) Plastic LBminate ( ( I ) 4 " x 36"Sanding Belt

No. 72

up the edge of the base by adding *some supports. These are just blocks of wood that are screwed to the top and bottom faces of the base, flush with the edges (F~gure 9a). Hardware -The star knobs that hold the table in place simply thread into T-nuts that are mounted in the lower table supports. To locate the holes for these T-nuts, I placed the table against the edge of the base and marked the location of the apron slots onto the lower table supports. Then I just drilled a couple of holes and installed the Tnuts. After attaching the table, you can slip a sanding belt over the rollers and clamp the sander to your drill press, see box below. &

#5xlM"Fh WOODBCREW

m P w?. w

TOP

r:'
%
,
#8~1%Y Fh

@
FRONT APRON

,
,
\

WOOD5CREW

-K

KNOB -LONG
STUD

To set up the sander, slip a sanding belt over t h er011ers, as shown in the fkst photo.Then clampthe sander to the M e of your d r i l l press so that the drive roller shaft is directly below the drill chuck. Lower the drill press spindle and tighten the chuck m n n d the shaft Then lock the drill press spindle in place. the setup complete, there are &st a couple of adjustments to make. To tension the sanding belt, simply turn the large knob on the
..

--

Materialrs
A Rollers (2) B Frame Top/5ottom (2) C Frame Sides (2) D Frame End (1) E Mounting Plate (1) F Yoke Top/Bottom (2) G Yoke Back (1) H Pivot Bracket (1) I Corner Block5 (2) J Tracking Bracket (1)

Z7/s dia, x 4?/4 MDF % x z s / 4 - 12 % x @/4 - 6%. ' 1 4 x1 1 ' 4 - 4% z31& x 83/g PIYWOO~ ' 1 . x 23/4 3% %x 2 ' 1 4 -PI4 5/s X 2 ' 1 4 - 2'/* %x%-2514 ' 1 4 x 1% - 2%

- v4

K Arm Sides (2) L Spacer (1) M Tmcking Block (1 N Wedge (1) 0 Base (1) p TOP(1) a Front Apron (1) R Side Apron (1) S Long Supports ( R Short Supports (2)

12% x 2 1 - 3/4 Plywood 6x 1 1 1 ' 4 =/4 Plywood 6 x 5/4 3/4 Plywood

3/4 x

1- 5

NO. 72

ShopNotes

Removing Rust with

Electrolysis

f you're like me, you've probably always thought of "electrolysisn as somethingthat women have done to remove unwantedfacial hair. But a couple of years ago, I heard about a dime& type of electrolysis - a kind that's used to remove rust I decided to give it a try on an old, rusty hand plane that I had lying around. The results floored me. When I was hished, you couldn't tell that there had ever been a hint of rust on the plane. (Check out the

before and after photos of the plane below to see what I'm talking about) How it Works - Electrolysis is simply a method of removing rust through a chemical reaction. But don't worry you won't need a Ph.D. in chemistry to try eledrolpis. In fact, the process is really quite simple and requires just a few common household items. In a nutshell, the rusty tool is s u b merged in a tub containing a solution of water and a little washing soda. Then an electric current is passed through the solution to create areaction that removes the rust Ben&& -There are a couple of benefits to using electrolysis to clean up a rusty tool. First, it's a lot gentler on the tool than any other method of of this hand plane is rust removal. Sanding, grinding, sandblasting, wire wheels and chemcovered with surface rust. ical rust removers all remove metal along with the rust They tend to "overclean" the tool destrovinrr the original "patina" and leavingthe tool looking unnatural. Electrolysis doesn't do this because it removes only the rust- not the metal. Another advantage to using electrolysis is that it requires a lot less

effort than most other methods. You simply let the electrolysis do the work. and then after a couple of hours, wipe the tool clean. Shop Note: Electrolysis is highly effective at removing rust, but it won't restore the pitted surface of the metal. Supplies -The iirst thing you'll need to do is round up the necessary supplies. Youll need a plastic bucket or tub that's large enough to completely submerge the object you're t r e a w . Youll also need a h e abrasive pad ( use I the gray 3M'iinishing pads) and a box of washing soda ( I found washing soda in my local grocery store, right next to the laundry detergents.) Since washing soda can be hard on your skin, you might also want a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands. Next, you11 need an am&, which is nothing more than a piece of steel. Any old piece of steel will work (as long as it3 not galvanized and free from rust or scale). The last item you'll need is asmall, automotivebattery charger. Try to 6nd one with an

ShopNotes

No. 72

ammeter. It tell you if the 9process is working. (You can buy a battery charger for around $35.)
will

Safely - Before getling started, there are a couple of safety points to mention. One of the by-products of electrolysis is the creation of hydrogen gas. Although the amount of gas produced is small, you should set up your electrolysis tub where there is plenty of ventilation and away from any open flames. Any time you're mixing water and electricity, a little caution is in order. Obviously, don't ever put your hands in the tub of water while the battery charger is plugged in. And don't leave the tub unattended where a chid or pet might happen across it. Fnally, although electrolysis doesn't seem to affect the japanning on most hand planes, it may soften and remove some paints. So if you're working on a valuable tool, you might want to test a small area fvst.

This tells you that the process is site page). The areas that were working. If you don't see any but+ rusted will look black. But this is bles, or if the ammeter needle easy to remedy. Just take the tool doesn't move when you turn the over to the sink and rinse it ofi Then charger on, unplug it and double gently scrub the tool with the 3 M k check the connections. ishig pad (Step 3). The metal The electrolysis will start working underneath should be clean and free on the rusted surfaces that directly of rust. If ifs not, you11 need to treat face the anode. To get the best the tool a little longer. results, it helps to turn the tool Fmishing Up -Once the tool bas around halfway through the process been cleaned and washed, it can so that all surfaces have a chance to begin to rust again almost immedi"de-rust." Just make sure to unplug ately. To preventthis, I like to dry the the battery charger fvst. tool off with an absorbent cloth and Clean Up -After a couple hours, then place it in a low-temperature yon can turn the charger off and take oven for about an hour to make sure the tool out of the tub. But don't it's dry. After this, you can apply a expect it to look bright and shiny at coat of paste wax to prevent new rust this point (see inset photo on oppo from forming (Step 4). &

Step-by-step

6ETTHG STAIflTHl
Once you have all your supplies together, you're ready to get started. First, you'll want to remove any parts of the tool that are made out of wood, brass, or galvanized metal. Then wash the tool in wann water to remove any dirt or debris. Preparing the Solution - Now iill the plastic tub with enough clean water to cover the tool and add a little washing soda (about one table spoon per gallon, see Step 1). Then place your anode in the water on one side of the tub and the rusty tool on the other side. (Make sure that the two aren't touching or yon1 short out the battery charger.) Before plugging in the battery charger. hook UD the oositive (red) leadif the charger to the anode and the negative (black) lead to the tool (Step 2). If your charger bas more than one amperage setting, t u r n it to the lowest one and then switch it on. Tiny Bubbles -Within a few seconds, you should start to see tiny bubbles forming on the surface if the tool and rising to the top of the water (see photo on

To get started, mix a tablespoon or two of washfng powder in a plastic tub filled with enough water to cover the top of the tool.

I = =

With the battery c t , unplugged, clamp the negative lead to the tooiand the positive lead to the anode (a scrap piece of steel).

Once the electrolysis is complete, rinse the tool off in clean water and scrub the surly with the abrasive pad.

T o help prevent future rust from forming, dry the tool thoroughly and then apply a coat of paste wax to all the bare metal surfaces.

No. 72

ShopNotes

Thisexpandable outfeed table can br rearrcinged to suit all #our needs

've always been envious of woodworkers who have table saw outfeed supportsthe size of aircraft carriers. It surely makes cutting long boards a lot easier, not to mention full sheets of plywood. But the reality is that a lot of us simply don't have that much space in our shops. Which is why we came up with the project shown here. Outfeed System -Instead of building a single, large outfeed table, I created an outfeedsystem made up of five separate outfeed supports. You can gang the supports together to create one large table, like you see in the photo above. Or you can separate the units and strategically place them around your table saw to give you

support exactly where you need i t (See the photo on page 19.) Whafs great about this system is that it gives you largescale capabilities without forcing you to permanently give up valuable floor space in your shop. Modular - Although we built five separate units, the modular design of these outfeed supports is such that you can build as few or as many as you want. (A single support makes a great outrigger for crosscutting long workpieces, see photo on opposite page.) The feet are staggered in position to allow the individual units to nest together. And catches on the sides of the sup ports hold them all together.

No. 72

PLASnC LAMINATE &LOWS WORKPIECE TO SLIDE EASILY

ADD STRENGTH
AND PREVENT

STRETCHERS

.
NOW. SUPPORT UNITS
ARE ASSEMBLED WITH GLUE AND SCREWS

1 Hardware (1 unit) 1
I
(4) (4) (1) (22) %"x4"Swivel Levelers S/e"%Nuts Plastic Laminate (5"x 54") #0 x 2" Fh Woodscrew6 '-dia. Wood Table Pins
,

ALLOW ~ u u n u u5E,sUPpO_Ts

1 Materials (1 unit)
I

UN UNeYtN

FLOORS

A Bottom (11 e sides (zj ' C Top ( I ) D Stwt~hers [2) E Feet (2)

'/4x5-31 3 / + '/4 - 2281/~ l%x5-34 %x5-26% l'/e x 4 14%

unrts and use fhm alone.

ShopNotes

No. 72

Support Unit
(1W x 5" 34")
-.
8

a
,~

..I

~. .~ ~...* .- .

,. .

.!~

.... .

,
~

.
As I mentioned earlier, the outfeed table is made up of five separate sup port units. With the exception of the positions of the feet, these units are allidentical. So itmakes sense as you are building them to cut out the parts for all live units and work in a "produdionstyle"method. Frame -As you can see in Figwe 1, the main body of the suppor&t is simply awoodkame.To make this frame, start by cutting the b o t t m (A) and szdes (B) to size from 3h1C thick stock and the tqw (C) from llh"-thick stock. ( I used pme ) The dimensions for these pieces are shown in F i e 1 After you have the pieces cut to size, you can start on the joinery. Although glue and screws are used to hold the pieces together, the side
NOTE: DRILL ONLY ONE SETOF HOLES

WOODSCREW

pieces fit into dadoes in the top and bottom. This helps keep everything aligned. I made these using a dado blade on the table saw. Start by cutting the dadoes on the bottom piece firs$ positioning them according to the dimensions shown in F i e lb. The dadoes in the top piece need to line up with the dadoes in the bottom piece. So when you're laying out the dadoes on the underside of

STAGGERED

the top, pay attention to the spacing between the dadoes, rather than the spacing from the dadoes to the ends of the workpiece p i r e 1). After you've cut all the dadoes, you need to drill a few holes in both the top and the bottom pieces before you can assemble the frame To start with, I drilled two pairs of countersunk holes in each bottom piece for the feet that will be added later. There's just one thing to be aware of here. In order to allow the support units to nest together, the feet are staggered on each unit So there are three different locations for dtilling the holes, as you can see in Figure 2b. (If you're m a w f i e support units, youll need to make two units with the feet in the first position, two with the feet in the second position, and one with the feet in the third position ) For the top piece, you just need to drill a couple of boles on each edge of the piece for some alignment pins that will be added later p i r e la). Assembly - Once you have all the holes drilled, you can assemble

a
-

-.

, A

No. 72

N m : R0UTk"CHAMFEK
the pieces by simply gluing and screwing them together. Stretchers -To help strengthen the frames, I added a couple of stretchers - one at the top and one at the bottom. These s&&chers (D) are just cut to length to fit in between the sides and are then glued and screwed in place, as shown in F i e 1. Laminate -To helpreducefiiction on the top of the outfeed support, I added a smooth piece of plastic laminateto the top. After gluing the laminate down and trimmingit flush with the edges, I routed achamfer around the top (Fgures 3 and 3a). Feet There's not much to m a h g the feet (E).Each one starts off as a 11/2"-thick blank After drilling a couple of holes near the ends of the blank for some levelers, the top of each foot is tapered on a band saw and then sanded smooth. The goal here is to leave a 5"-wide

AROUND EDGES OF EACn TOP AFTER APPLYING LAMINATE

flat spot on top of each foot on which to mount the frame (Figure 2a). Hardware - Before attachii the feet, you can install the T-nuts and levelers as shown in Figure 2. Then the feet are just screwed to the frame (Figure 2b). To help hold the support units

together when you are using them as a single outfeed table, I added a draw catch to each side, as you see in Fignre 3. Then finally, to help keep the support units aligned, I glued some wooden table leaf alignment pins into the holes in one edge of each top. &

No. 72

ShopNotes

19

've always been impressed by a i-wood, laminated benchtop. It makes a strong, sturdy worksurface and the top often looks as good as the furniture built on it. Making a benchtop, like the one in the photo above, seems like a simple process - you cut up a bunch of strips and then glue them up to form a solid slab. And in practice, that's just about how it goes. But there are a few tips and techniques you can use to break the process up into smaller, more manageable steps. And by the time you

FIR6T: LEVEL TOPS OF SAWHORSE5 TO

EACH OMER

page 22, I chose Douglas fir. Iis hard and durable, so a benchtop made from it will hold up to years of use. And compared to most woods, it's fairly inexpensive. I was able to c u n l N g PHE STRIPS cut all the strips I needed out of The h t step in building a laminated three, 12-foot-long 2x10s I bought benchtop is choosing the material from a local home center. Now there's a little more to tbis for the strips. What you're looking ' p for here is a hard, durable wood. Just than just picking any board and n about any hard wood will do. But ping afew strips from it. For starters, since you're going to use quite a bit youll want to be a little choosy when selecting your stock. of material, cost can be a factor. For the bencbtop I built for the As with any lumber, what you're fold-down workstation shown on looking for is straightboards with as few knots and defects as possible. So be sure to take the time to find the best pieces you can. Once you have the lumber home, you can crosscut the material into six-foot lengths. This way, you11have a little extra length to allow for any end checks, imperfections, or planer snipe that might show up later. With the lumber cut to rough length, you're ready to rip the pieces to width. Since I waslooking for a top about 2l/2" tbick, I ripped my strips around Z3/P wide, as in Figure la This gave me enough extra material to joint the edges flat and square, and then plane the edges smooth. Once the strips are ripped to width, youllbe turning them on edge to glue them up. Besides a more stable top, the exposed edge grain provides a couple side benefits - a tougher surface and a greatlooking benchtop (see photo). get to gluing up the entire top, youll be surprised at how easy it was to create a benchtop thats solid, goodlooking, and as flat as canbe.

No. 72

W E A DRY RUN
After cutting all the strips to sue, the next step is to make a dry run by clamping up the strips without glue. Why a dry run? Its the bestway to discover any problems you might run into beare you have glue all over and its too late to do anything about i t Smce I was assembling the benchtop on sawhorses, I took some time to make sure they were in the same plane by sighting across the tops. Doing this avoids introducing any twist in the top. Now dry clamp four of the strips together to form a slab. Why not the entire set of strips? Simple. By creating a narrow slab, you can easily joint one of the faces flat and smooth. Then you can run the slab through the planer to flatten i t Note: Take the time to position the straightest (and best-looking) pieces on the outside of each slab.
I

CU?%

TO

6LflE 17;b
With a dry run nnder your belt, you're ready to glue up the slabs that w i l l make up the benchtop. After applying the glue and adding the clamps, make any adjustments necessary so the tops of the strips are as flush as possible. Doing this now means you'll have less jointing and planing to do later.

When the glue is dry, yon can flatten one face, like you see in Fimre Ib, and then run the slabs through your planer to flatten the opposite face.

1
I

FINAL aSSERlslY
At this point, you should have four perfectly flat slabs about 6" wide. (Mime were about 53/a".) The next step is to glue all the slabs together to form the benchtop. But there's a catch. After the glue-up, the top will be too wide to use a jointer or planer to clean it up. So to

ensure that each slab stays perfectly aligned d u h g the m glueup, I used hardboard plines that 1 3into slots in the edges of each slab (Figure 2b). A router with a slotcutih bit makes quick work of cutting theeslots F i e 2a). Just be sure to stop each slot far enough in from the ends of the slab so they won't show when you cut the top to final size (5g3/4"). Note: If you're building the benchtop for the workstation, you may need to add an extra strip to ensure the top is at least 24" wide. With this procedure, I had very little cleanup to do. After a little scraping and sanding, the top was ready to be cut to h a 1 size. The tricky part is that the top is too b i g to cut on the table saw. So instead, I used my circular saw and a stmightedge, as shown in F i e 3. But a circular saw won't cut a l l the way through the top. So first I cut as far as possible through one face, as in F i e 3. Then I apped the top over and cut through the rest of the top, leaving just a little waste (Figure 3a). F W , a hand-held router and aflush t r i mbit make quickwork of removing the W waste, as in Figure 3b. f &

TOP MROUGH
BDTH SIDES

USE CIRCULAR SAW TO CUT

NO. 72

ShopNotes

21

1O P ~ O N A L MAGNET
TOOL BARS HOLD HARD-TO-STORE

-,

lrEMS

No. 72

Istartedontheworkbenchbymaking Make the Top - The top (R) the top. Why the top? A couple rea- shown above is made from ships of sons. F i the overall dimensions solid wood - pretty typical for a determine the 6nal size of the base. heavydutyworkbench.To learn how And second you can set the top on a I made this top, refer to page 20. Or couple sawhorses and use it to corn you can make a simpler version, like plete the rest of the workbench. the box on the opposite page shows.

Base - Once the top is complete, the next step is to build the base. Yon can see in Figure 1that the base has thick, solid legs supportingthe front edge of the benchtop. Whafs different is that these legs swing in towards the back of the base allowing you to fold the top down. A pair of side panels and stretchers at the back of the base support both the legs and the benchtop. Make the Side Panels To provide solid support for the back of the benchtop, the side panels (B) are made by gluing up two layers of V 4 " plywood and then adding solid wood edging (C). The next thing to do is drill a counterbore in each side panel to provide a pivot point for the top. The counterhores accept tlange bearings that prevent wear and tear on the side panels as you pivot the top up and down. The key to locating the holes is to measure the thickness of your benchtop. With that measurement in hand, you use Figures l a and l c to locate the holes. Note: This positions

No. 72

the top so that it'sl/dl above the side panels in the raised position and flush with the front edge of the panels when it's folded down. Add the Stretchers To connect the side panels and provide a way to attach the legs of the workbench to the wall, I added a pair of stretchen (Dl, as in F i e 1. The stretchers are simply screwed in place. (Don't use any glue here. Youll need to take one side panel off later so you c a ninstall the top.) To prevent the side panels from flexing, I added the comer braces (El shown in Figures 1 and lc. Here again,the braces are only screwed to the side panels. Build the Leg Assemblies With the back complete, the next step is to build thelegand milassemblies. The legs (Fl are glued up from attached to the stretchers w i t h two pieces with a leveler installed at hinges. But before you do that, you'll the bottom (Figure lb). Then the need to mount the side panels and rails (GI are cut to size and glued stretchers to the wall. This is just a into dadoes and rabbets cut in the matter of screwing the stretchers to the wall studs so they're level from legs, as in F i e 1. side to side. ( I positioned the top of legs to swing in and out, they're the side panels 353/4" above the floor.)

Now you can attach the leg assemblies. I found that the easiest way to do this was to clamp the two assemblies together with spacers in between them. Then you can clamp this assembly to the stretchers, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 2a. Finally, screw the hinges in place.

NOTE: AFTER CUnING TOP TO SIZE

(21" x 5G%"). APPLY 1%''-THICK EDGING

Gluing up solid wood strips to make a heavyduty benchtop isn't the or& option for the folddown worhstation. The photo at right shows an alternate top thafs made from plywood p a d s covered with hardboard. Built-Up Iayers - In the drawjhg above you can see there are four layers. The bottom threelayers are pieces gluing all the layers together, I trimmed the of 3/q" plywood. Adding a final layer of tempered + .e (211'x563/4'9. S i c e the edges o f sheet goods aren't hardboard provides a smooth, durable surface. d t h a t tough. I covered them with strips of Douglas 6r. To make the top, I started by cutting each layer At this point, comp1eting the instakfion of the top is slightly oversized (IIY in t e e and width. Then after identicd to the l a m b e d benchtop.

No. 72

ShopNotes

25

Installing the
With the base attached to the wall, you're ready to install the top. And regardless of which top youuse, the process is identical. Add the P i Pis - The h t step is to install the pivot pins that allow you to fold the top up or down. AsyoucanseeinFie3, each j/s"-dia. pjvot steel pin is rod a that rests in a r stopped groove cut n the lower surface of r me rop. Each rod sticks out past the end of the bench and fitsinto the ilange bearings installed in the side panel, as shown in Figure 3a To cut the grooves I used a straightbit in a hand-held router, as in Figure 3b. Then I squared up the ends of the grooves with a chisel. A hacksaw makes quick work of cutting the rods to length so about 3/4" sticks out pasf the ends of the grooves. Fially, to trap the rod in place, there's a %"-thick steel plate screwed to the bottom face. @picked up both the rod and steel plate at a local home center.) Install the Top At this point, you're ready to ask a friend to help you install the top. Startby removing one side panel from the base. Next,

\
A steel rod trapped in a groove by a metal plate acts as the pivot pin for fold~ng the top up and down.

A Pivot Pin.

swing out the legs and set the top in position, the spacers are sized to iill place. This makes it easier to slide the gap between the top of the legs the ends of the pivot pins in place and the benchtop, as in F i e 4a. Just be sure to locate the spacers and then reattach the side panel to complete the in&allation. so the legs are square to the base Find Details - There are a when they're resting in the dadoes. Stop -All that's left atthis point is couple things left to do to complete the installation of the top. The h t is to glue a pair of stops to each side to add a couple spaces (H) to the panel, as illustrated in Figure 5. bottom of the heuchtop @ w e 4). These stops (I) keep the top perfectly These spacers serve two pur- vertical when the top is in the stored poses. First, they trap the legs and position @llgure5aandlowerphoto). hold them in p h after you swing Add a Vise - Finab, ifyou'dIike the legs into position. And second,to to add a face vise to your bench, level the top when it's in the raised check out the article on the opposite page. The vise, along with a face block and afew holes in the top, p r e vide a variety of clamping options.

1 5 FLUSH WITH

~.

,,,

To add more c h p i n g capabzty to a workbench, you can add a cast iron vise. You can see the one I added to the heavy-duvworkbench in the photo at right A face vise works great for clamping a workpiece between the jaws. But for even more options,you mightwant to think about drilling a set of dog holes in the top. The dog holes allow you to use a set of bench dog accessories, with or without the

vise, to clamp a workp'lece to the top of fhe workbench. (For more informationon thevise and accessories I used, see page 35.) Install the Vise InstaBng a vise isn't 'fficult In most cases, its just a matter of bolting it in place, like you see in the drawing and details below. But there are a couple t h i s to keep in mind as you do this. F u s t ,you11 need to make sure that the guide rods on the bottom of the vise don't interfere with the lem of the bench. And then, for the vise I used, I added afme Mock (TI, as in the drawing, detail 'a,' and detail% Drill the Dog Holes Witt the vise in place, lay out and dd. the holes for the bench dogs, like you see in details 'a' and %.'Just be sure the holes don't interfere with any of the vise parts underneath the bench. F m a l l y , mut a smaU chamfer at the top of each hole to make it easy to insert the bench

Lather Faces.
Once the bench vise 1 s mnstalled, you can add leather to the made faces of the wse and bench to pfotect and more securely clamp your workpiece ~nplace

~.

.'

c 7

One of the b i g problems in a workshop is keeping your tools organized and within easy reach - especially around a workbench. But I solved that problem by making the wall.; mounted tool rack shown above. .. . Besides providing a convenient z . storage spot for tools, there's a handy feature built into the rack a spring-loaded stop. The stop holds the benchtop up while you

out to set it up, or when you're folding the legs in for storage. Make the Frame - There's really not much to the tool rack It starts out as a solid-wood h e made from Douglas fir. But as you can see in Flgure 6, there are some thingsto keep in mind. For starters, the top and bottom of the frame aren't identical. The bottom is slightly wider and shorter

together, it allows the tool rack to slip down between the side panels of the base and "6llthe gap" along the back edge of the workbench. Once you have the top m i l (K), bottom rail (L), and endstiles (MI cut to size, there's a little joinery to take care o i F i t ,the stiles need a rabbet at one end to acceptthe top rail. Then on the top and bottom rails, you11 need to cut some dadoes.

I )w

accept a pair of center stiles (N), p the bottom rail has a single, wide dado. The wider dado not only accepts the center stiles, but it also provides room for the end of the flip stop that's added later. Cut the Panel Grooves - Once you've completed the dadoes and rabbets, all that's left is to cut a moove near the front edge - of all the pieces (see margin detail on page 28) to accept the panels. Frame Assembly - With the groove complete, you're ready to assemble the frame Figures 6, 6b, and 6c). As you can see in F i e 6, there's a pegboard panel (0) you can use to store a variety of tools with standard pegboard hooks. But the other panel (PI is just a solid pieceof hardboard. After assem bling the frame, I glued afillerpanel (Q) to the back of the hardboard.

This way, you can be sure there's enough material to screw magnetic ships in place (Eke I did) or mount custom tool holders. Finally, you'll need to glue a small filler strip (R) in the groove between the dadoes in the top, as in F i r e 6a. This 6ller allows you to screw the hinge for the tlip stop in place.

All that's left to do is add the benchtop stop (S). To learn more about how to make the stop and how itworks, see the box below. Although the tool rack keeps a lot of your oftenused tools in easy reach, you can add even more storage by adding the wall cab'iet featured on the next page.

Trying to reach under the workbench to swiqg the legs out 6or use (or in for sbmgef is tough when you're alsoWyirg to hold up the top of h e workbencb.To make this easier, I & l e d a benchtop stop (seephoto). The stop is W t o Et the opening n the wall r a c k . I attached it with a oosepin h i e . This way, I d d nstall each half of the hinge sepa?IDelyandthensEpthe pin in place. Aeountagowdriledlhthe backof he stop houses a spring (detail 'a) to xovide bambfree opedon. As you -the benchtopuph i t s stored A t i o n <de$il'b'), the back presses he @top in (detail 'c? until it "pops" &out Atthispoint, let fhe top lown so the stop holds it in place Getail '4,then wingontthe legs. When you want to fold the top down, let the stop hoId the top in place as you swing the legs against the stretchers. Once that's done, all you have to do to lower the top is liftit slightly so you can press the stop pa$ the back edge of the tap. Then just lower the top.

BACK EDGE

No. 72

ShopNotes

a.
M"

Top

The workbench and tool rack will go a long way toward making your woodworking more productive But I still needed aplace to store power tools and other items I didn't use quite as often. So I built the wall cabinet shown above Build the Case - To match the low profile of the workbench in the stored position, the cabinet 1 s only

10" deep. But that's more than deep enough to store power tools and sup plies. Plus, it makes linding items a snap since they're not as likely to be hidden behind something else. As you see illustrated in F i e 8, the case consists of a top and bottom (T), along mth a pair of sides (U) All these parts are and divides V). made from 3/41t plywood.
NOTE: Top.SOITOM, SIDES. DIVIDERS, AND SHELVES ARE PLYWOOD SACK I S %"HARDBOARD EDGING I S %"-THICK STOCK

zF

Cut the Case Joinery - After cutting the plywood to size you can turn your attention to the joinery that holds the case together. In most case work I like to use tongue and dado joints. They're quick to make and in most cases, plenty strong. But in this cabinet, I knew I'd be stonng heavy power tools - both inside and on top So I mo&ed the joint just a bit to create a little extra strength. I f you look at F i e s 8a and 8c, you can see what I did. The tongues on the top and bottom are idenbcal. But instead of cutting a single, narrow dado at the ends of the cabiinet sides, I cut a fnllsize rabbet at the top and dado at the bottom. Once that was complete, I cut the narrower dadoes in each joint to accept the tongues on the top and bottom To hold the dividersin place, you11 need to cut matching dadoes in both the top and bottom of the case, as illustrated m E w e 8b. And rabbets alongthebackedgeof the top, bottom, and sides acceptthe back Just be sure you check out F w e & k3. l The rabbet along the top and bottom edges is wzdw than the one in the sides. This extra mdth provides more gluing and nailing s h c e when attachingthe back Assembly - All that's left to do before gluing up the case is to dnll

ShopNotes

No. 72

@ T
t h holes in the sides and dividers for e pins that support the shelves. Finally, cut the '/a" hardboard back W ) to sue, then glue and nail it in place during assembly to keep the cabinet square. Shelves & Cleats - While the glue was drying, I took alittle time to cut the 3/4" plywood shelves (X, Yl to size and add some edging (2,AA) to the front Be sure to note that the center shelf (and edging) is shorter than the side shelves. As I mentioned before, I was planning on storing power tools and N m : FACE other heavy items in the cabinet. To FRAME PIECES - ARE S/r"-THICK ensure the thin back was up to the STOCK task, I added some hanging cleats to E d FILLER STRIP the inside. You can see in Figure 9 (1M" x s / , ' ' - 62") that these cleats (BBj are just 3/41' plywood glued to the back in the two opering between the rack and the bottom of the cabinet with a filley outside compartments. Face ~ r & e & Filler Now striP (EEj, as in Figures 9 and 9b. you're ready to add the face frame. M 'E This is just a matter of cutting each facefiame rail and stile (CC, DD) to At this poi* the cabinet is ready to use as is. Just hang it on the wall sue and gluing it in place. Because the sides of the cabinet F i r e 9c) and load it up with all rest on the wall rack, I "lilled in" the your tools and supplies. But if you

CLEAT

[ TOInEw )
want to enclose some of the compartments, you can add a couple doors like the ones shown in Flgure 10. I started on the doors by cutting the rails (FF) andstiles (GGj to final size. (Be sure to account for the stub tenons that will be cut on the ends of the rails.) And for clearance, I allowed for a '/is" gap all around the edges of the doors and face frame, as you can see in Figure 10a. The next step is to cut grooves along the inside edges of the stiles and rails (Figure 1Oc).The groove is sized to accept the '/a" hardboard door panel (HH). Then tongues are cut on the ends of the rails to match. The doors are mounted to the cab inet with a pair of hinges. Instead of cutting matching mortises in both the doors and cabinets, I cut a single mortise in the door, as in Figure 10a. An easy way to do this is on the table saw with a dado blade. Be sure to cut the mortises deep enough to maintain the %6" gap between the door and the cabinet frame pieces. All that's left to do to complete the instalIation is to screw a handle to each door and add a magnetic catch to keep the door closed. You can see where these pieces of hardware are located in F'lgures 10 and lob. &

0'

lormek
ShaMen every edge in shop with one system? Youcan with the SuperGrind.
e've been using a Tmmek SuperGmnd sharpening system in our shop for several years. And it's used a&ost every day. So we're pretty familiar with i t But recently, lbrmek came out with a new, improved version (#2M)6),and we decided to take alook at i t

2006

THE srONE
Like the previous versions of the T m k , the heart of the system is the grinding stone you see in the photo below. It's 10" in diameter, almost 2" wide and rides in a water bath. This bath not only keeps the tool cool, but it washes

away grinding waste to prevent the wheel from glazing over. This 220-grit stone makes quick work of grinding and shaping any size or type of tool q u i * . F'lus, it gives a good, serviceable edge. The one feature I really like about this stone remains the same. You can change from 22@grit to 100@gritfor an even finer edge without changing the wheel. But more on thatlater.

The tool rest adjusts up and down (or in and out) to set the tool at the correct angle. But what's redly nice is the latest version of the rest features a threaded shaft and nut, like you see in photo A. The nut ads like a microadjust so you can adjust the tool rest with precisiou. With the old tool rest, I felt like I had to have three bands to accurately set the grinding angle. Note: If you already have a T m k , you can buy a replacement rest from the sources listed in the margin on the opposite page.

l!IET@kilif%l
If the stone is the heart of the system, then the brains would have to be the tool rest This F-shaped rest fits into either of the two mounts on the base of the machine.

USING THE TORMEK

Before you start sharpening a new chisel or plane iron, it's a good idea to tlatten the back. With the Tmmek, that means a few minutes working the back of the tool on the outside face of the stone, like you see below. Once the back is flat, you can fit the tool into the straight edge j i g that k system comes with the basic m The straight edge j i g will handle most chisels and plane irons. You can see it holding the chisel in the bottom of the photo at left A pair of stops on the jig ensures that the edge w i l l be square to the stone when you slip it onto the tool rest I typically set the rest so the stone matches the existing bevel angle on my tool. But if you'd like to regrind

1,
the tool to a different bevel angle, you can use the AngleMaster shown l n the photo at right With this handy gauge, you can check an existing angle or setthe tool rest for a new one. And as the wheel wears over time, you c a n adjust the AngleMaster to compensate. At this point, sharpening a tool is just a matter of sliding the j i g (and toon back and forth across the stone (photo B). Even though the stone moves at a slow 90 RPM, I'm always surprised at how fast I can grind a new edge, or sharpen an existingone. To put an even finer grind on my best chisels and plane irons, I "regrade" the stone as I mentioned earlier. To do this, you'll need one of the optional accessories -the stone grader (see the box below). Although the tool is extremely sharp as is, I like to hone the edge on the leather wheel. To do this, you don't even have to remove the tool from the j i g . Simply remove the tool rest and remount it so you're honing away from the edge. After applying some honing compound to the wheel (see inset photo just above), putting a mirror M s h on a tool takes a few seconds. A U P r l
I

.s
4 Set the Angle. With the AngieMastec you can verify (see inset) and set the sharpening angle perfectly

Honing. After applying honing compound (see inset), the leather wheelmakes quick work of polishing the edge.

The basic system will allow you to sharpen all your chisels and plane irons. But to take advantageof all that it has to offer, there are a wide range of accessories too numerous to mention. The sources listed at right can supply additional infonnatioa But to malie fulluse of the llbrrnek right out of the box, be sure to get the acces wries mentioned in the box below.

As I mentioned earlier, the basic system can sharpen chisels, plane irons, and other straight edge tools - at a cost of about $400. The individual accessories range from $12 to over $150. Is itworth it? For a systemthatwill handle just about everything, a d give you a perfect edge, I think so. Thafs why we use it in our shop. d

u u n u - ~ ~ ~ ~ m ,

-----

Maintaining the Stone

Even though the basic Bwwk

comes with euerytlrinpyou11need to get started, there are a couple

'"must-hd' accessories youll writ to get so you can keep t h e stonein s h e "shape." StoneGrades The&& is the stone grader in the photo at right As its m e implies, the stone graderisusedtochangethe grade, 7he stone graderwill e n w e the accessory -the stone truing tool or grit ofthe stmte. To u w & you hold the grader stone is smaofh andat the desired shown in t h ephoto above. against the turning stone for 15.to grit. Unfortmately, it doesn't @rThetnitngtoolfttsonthetaol 2 0seconds. The smooth side of the antee that t h e stone is Bat. rest and has a diamond tip that grad~xvi~-e~thestoneto ~ t o n e ~ r u i n g ~ o o l - ~ makes o r a quick work of r e s u r f a h 1Ooagdt And the rough side is perfectly flat grindkg surface, the stone so 3's not only flat but ueed to cowertitbackto %%grit you'll need another muskhave perfedy parallel to the tool rest

BWa-TOmf!X

a77-amm
(Canada]

No. 72

ShopNotes

Get a Patent
office that your idea is new and original. This involves m h i n g through past patents to see if anyone has ever patented an idea similar to yours. I f you apply for a patent for an invention that has already been patented, your applicationwill be denied and you will forfeityour amlidon fee. HOG do you conduct a patent search?For starters,you can go to the official website of the U.S. Patent Oftice (www.uspto.gov). There you will iind a l l utility patents kom 1976 and later sorted into classes and sub classes to make searching a little easier.To do amore thorough search, you will need to visit the patent office in Arlington, V i or a Patent and Trademark Depository library. mere's one in every state.) PatentAgent Although you can do the patent search work on your own, you will probably find it more @ent to hire a pat& agent or a patent attorney to handle this aqxxt of the process. Patent agents and attorneys are skilled in conducting patent searches and can help you to

Got a great idea?

Patent Drawin@ - As a part of your patent application, you1 have to submit several detailed drawings of your invention. These dmiings have to follow certain guidelines and formats in order to be acceptable to the patent office. This is one area. where it's best to hire a professional illus bator who s p e c i a l i z e sin patent drawings and is well versed on the reqnire ments of the patent office.Your patent agent should be able to recommend a qditied illustrator. Cost andTime Ifyou'vethought about getting a patent,you've probably wondered about the cost For a utility patent, the application and iswince r r a,nrr, r r yuu lr granted a patent for Yssayyon'vegotagreatideafor fees are about $1,000. If you include your rnventfon,you'll new woodworking tool or the cost of hiringapatentattorney and recerve a handsome product. Ifyou'relikemostpeople, you patentdGmiW,Youcan~to cert~hcate slm~lar to probably think the h t step is to get spend around $7,500to $10,000. the one shown here yourideapatented.Butwhat doesthis In addition to the 6nandal expense, you11 also need to have a good deal of entd? Here's a quick look at what's patience. Cnrrently, the average wait involved in getting a patent What is a Patent? - A patent is a from the time an application is fled to the time apatentis issued is two years. legal document issued by the United States government t h a t grants an But this doesn'tcount all the time that goes into the application beforehand. inventor the exclusive light to manuhcture and sell an invention. It Fhlistically, you could be provides you with certain legal A patent provides certain legal looldng at s e v d years before invention is patented and *Otections protections so that someone can't your else can'tcome along and inupdudon, come along and "steal"your idea. F "steal" VOW idea . be awareUlathaviM m e & are * a two dis a paten; isn't a guarantee that tlnd types of patents. Design avoid any pitfalls in your search. someone won't Stin try to copy your p t m & cover the look or appear- (Patent agents typically &ge less idea Even if you are granted a patent ance of an article being manufac- than patent attorneys, bntthey m o t for your invention, it's up to you to tured. But if yon have an idea for a represent yon if you have to defend defend your patent against h f r h p new and original invention @e a your patent in a court of law.) ments. This may mean spending sub tool or jig) a utzlity patent is what Its also a good idea to hire a patent stantial amounts of money in youll want Utility patents are nu- agentor attorney to help you complete attorney's fees and lawsuitsto go after the patent application. Iike most l e d someone who violates your patent reutly good for 20 years. Obtaining a Patent Patents are documents, patents have a "iangnage" Is It W & It? You might be issued by the United States Patent and antheir own. Ifyoudon't do agoodjob wondering if getting apatent is worth Trademark Oi?ce.Butthere's a whole of wording the patent, it may be pos- all the expense and hassle. In some lot more to obtaining a patent than siile for someone to come along and cases,the answer is clearly, "Yes." ~ u t a simply@out a form and sendingin iind a loophole that allows them to it delinitely helps to t a l k to as many a checkTo startwith,you have to do a cow your idea without actually expeienced prof&~onals as possible before actuallygetting s t a r t e d %& patent s e m h to prove to the patent hfrhghgon your patent

ShopNotes

No. 72

Sources
Fold-Down Workstation
W You'll find most of the hardware you need for the folddown workstation on page 22 at the local hardware store. Face Vise - If you want to add a vise to the front of the workbench, you might be able to find a suitable one at the hardware store or home center also. But if not, you can

Online Extras
Magnetic Strips - To If you don't have access keep hardtostore items in to the internet, we'd be easy reach on the tool happy to mail a copy of the rack, you can make workstation c u m dia custom tool holders or add gram and hardware list to a pair of magnetic strips you. Send a seK-addrd, like I did. Here again, Lee stamped #10 envelope to: Valley has a couple different types of magnetic ShopNotes No. 72 strips available. The part Online Extras number for the 24"-long P .O. Box 842 strips we used is 93K75.24. Des Moines, 1 4 . 50304

order the one we used by giving Lee Valley a call. Their number is listed in the margin at right The part number to ask for is 70G08.01. Smce the vise doesn't come with a handle, you11 need to make your own. Or you can simply order one. The part number for the handle is 05G12.03.

Similar project supplies may be ordered from the following companies:

Radder 800-279-4441 ~vw.mckler.eom Bench Vws, Levah,
Table Pins

Belt Sander Hardware

Rust Removal
can't find it, ask the manager to order it for you from A m & Hammer (WC 3320003020). Fndy, the 3M dnisbing pads (10144N4) were available at alocalhome center.

Knobs - The only 1 Most of the supplies The belt sander project on page 6 requires an other hardware you'll needed to remove rust by assortment of hardware. need for the belt sander electrolysis are common You should be able to find are the three different items. The washing soda most of it at your local adjustment knobs. is available in the laundry You can order all tbree detergent area in many *mecenter. But there are a few items that you might knobs from ShopNotes grocery stores. If you Project Supplies (see box find easier to order. Bearings - To provide below). Ask for one each solid support for the of part numbers 1065530 rollers, we used h g e d ball and 1065526, and two of There isn't much hardware required to build the beatings (RJ331812Pp). If part number 1065207. Rocklw also carries a 5 table saw outfeed system you have trouble finding them, you can order them star knob as part number on page 16. All you'll need tbrough McMask-Carr 23820. Other sources is a set of levelers and by asking for the bearings listed in the margin carry draw catches, some Tas part number 6384K361. similar knobs. nuts, and a few table pins.

Reid Tool 800-253-0421 www.reidtool.wm

Kwb8, h l e r s
MeFeeVs

800-443-7937

Table Saw Outfeed

We ordered the 4"-long levelers from Lee Valley (01S06.04) and picked up the draw catches at a local hardware store. Finally, we ordered the table pins (21253) from ROC~ZW.&

aww.mdeebns.cam Knobs Lee Valley 800-871-8158 www.ldey.wm B d Vwe &Handle, Krnbs, Levaha, Mc&m& wpa Woodsmith Store
800-835-5084 Benen mas, Knobs

To order back issues or a hardware kit from ShopNotesProject Su@lies, please use our toll-free order line, see below. It's open Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM Central Time. Before calling, please have your VISA, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express card ready. I f you would prefer to mail in an order, please call the toll-free phone number below for more information concerning shipping charges as well as any applicable sales tax.

over 105WoodworkingTips Ordine V i i O u r Woo~workkg Sbqp T o u r s Gallery * ProjeaHamY~~ Gan3hmload Catalog af R o k t

Flmlm+s%~Wrn&
a

-. ..
. m*

w cxwv

--

, ,

' . LB .* - rmns, TaTtrms, iv~we

m

- -

mc.donaSauiru, Cl~ckon Subxnber S e ~ c e s at www.shopnoter.com

* ~ y o v r ~ -G-mgeyour moilmgw emoiladdm ~

1-800-347-5105
No. 72

.,,

6 -

6 . -

.trr

'Renew your rubjrnption

ShopNotes

35

workbench and ph storaae make this w

-1

step Insfrwtmns sh)

individual units of this modular system provfde a large outfeed table for your table saw Easy-to-follow plans begin on page 16

Cutting Diagram

Workstation
Hardware

Fold-Down

(2) (2) (2) (12) (8) (54) (8)

5/ " I.D. x 3/ " O.D. Flange Bearings 8 4 3/ " T-Nuts 8 3/ " Leg Levelers 8 #8 x 31/2" Fh Woodscrews #8 x 21/2" Fh Woodscrews #8 x 11/4" Fh Woodscrews

#8 x 3" Fh Woodscrews

(2 Pr.) 3" x 2" Butt Hinges (2) 1/8" x 2" - 17" Steel Plate (2) 5/8" x 173/4" Steel Rod (1) 7/16" x 17/8" Spring (1) 3" x 2" Loose Pin Hinge (2) 31/2" Sash Pulls (w/screws) (2 Pr.) 2" x 15/8" Hinges w/screws

(2) (12) (1) (2)

Magnetic Catches & Strike Plates (w/screws) 1/ " Shelf Pins 4 Vise & Handle w/mounting hardware (Opt.) Magnetic Tool Bars w/screws (Opt.)

Note: Hardware list does not include hardware for mounting workstation, tool rack, or cabinet to wall.

Page 1 of 2

ShopNotes No. 72

2003 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.

Materials
Workbench
A B C D E F G H I J Top (1) Side Panels (2) Edging Stretchers (2) Corner Braces (4) Legs (2) Rails (4) Spacers (2) Stops (2) Face Block (1) 21/2 x 24 - 59 3/4 91/4 x 187/8 - 11/2 Ply. 3/ x 11/ - 96 Rgh. 4 2 11/2 x 31/2 - 60 11/2 x 4 - 10 3 x 3 - 311/2 11/2 x 31/2 - 17 3/4 3/ Rgh. x 3 - 5 4 1 x 11/2 - 2 Rgh. 3 x 41/2 - 10 11/2 x 11/2 - 61 11/2 x 31/2 - 60 11/2 x 11/2 - 20 N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z AA Center Stiles (2) Pegboard Panel (1) Hardboard Panel (1) Filler Panel (1) Filler Strip (1) Benchtop Stop (1) Top/Bottom (2) Sides (2) Dividers (2) Back (1) Side Shelves (2) Center Shelf (1) Side Edging (2) Center Edging (1) 11/2 x 11/2 - 19 18 x 28 - 1/4 Pgbd. 18 x 28 - 1/4 Hdbd. 17 x 27 - 3/4 Ply. 1/ x 1/ - 3 4 2 11/2 x 27/8 - 181/8 91/4 x 621/2 - 3/4 Ply. 91/4 x 20 - 3/4 Ply. 9 x 181/4 - 3/4 Ply. 183/4 x 62 - 1/4 Hdbd. 8 x 203/8 - 3/4 Ply. 8 x 187/8 - 3/4 Ply. 3/ x 3/ - 203/ 4 4 8 3/ x 3/ - 187/ 4 4 8 BB CC DD EE FF GG HH Cleats (2) 31/2 x 201/2 - 3/4 Ply. Frame Rails (6) 3/4 x 11/2 - 19 Frame Stiles (4) 3/4 x 11/2 - 20 Filler Strip (1) 11/2 x 3/4 - 62 3/ x 21/ - 143/ Door Rails (4) 4 2 8 3/ x 21/ - 167/ Door Stiles (4) 4 2 8 Door Panels (2) 123/8 x 143/8 - 1/4 Hdbd.

Wall Cabinet

Tool Rack
K Top Rail (1) L Bottom Rail (1) M End Stiles (2)

Page 2 of 2

ShopNotes No. 72

2003 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.