Beals SOM Oa Oe OO Ste Cen IO) Sess g Issue 16 Customize Your Radial Arm Saw = Compact Drill Bit Cabinet = Reducing Tool Noise -| = Handy Circular Saw Cut-Off Jig = Flexible Veneer || issue 16 July 1994 worm Det Pesci sour on, Det a Hike Tewscoconen Rican, Pters ‘roca seen Tn Reber severe hi Toten conmiraataron Masi A. Wins cenesnivevmecron ‘Toi Kealicele anromesron Cary Carstensen semon uuvsrmaron Kurt Shultz suwuorearons. Will Niskanen Roger Rell ‘see Hiden mworecsamnen Crayola Bngind sesigupmzeren Ken Mune semononsionens Tan Hue Svec Rent Welsh svomuanaces Sieve Curtis ‘srorassrrscummes Stove Jolson Cxruiation Diior Le Bedesem Sdweriptine ‘Nonnger: Pile Tesen» Cirlaton Analy od Cain Nested Sex Rint alton Manager! Gordon: Gal» Senior. Grophic Designer are H. Wiener = Grape tit (Cheri Csmoe “eyo lar let Pah Coonvator Dogs ME Lister « App Special: Linda Monow « Sipert Antal Nek Thelen di ni funds Char! Seve, fla Fh Racrt: ese ahnson= Bug Main Kea Geis Marketing Directo: Reber Mary Calo At Diretoe Cay Iacksoaulinet Menage: ‘Valerie WiesCataio Prodita Sonager: 80 [BakereFrojet Spier: sa Jonese Tete! Sippel Sane Reet = Cj Kemma, ‘Sep era Brow Cust Sor Rep leoifor ‘Murphy, Joy Keaoe, Sere Kono Ana Con, ‘Krist Andnews Lannie Aloe, Rat Cri Sepersor Samy Carson» Fulfnent: lava Shh Do, Chek Can Cay ane ed es he ia, I ea donee ‘ecto Sag Cops: S08 On yer min {ln ees $105 vo eas amen fa Ce ase ar GOES ee torage. It's one of the first things I notice whenever I visit a shop. ‘Of course the tools also eateh my eye. But its the shop-made tool eabinet or unusual built-in that I wander over to first. Pl open a door and peck at the contents. Or slide a drawer out of a tool stand to see how things are organized. ‘Why such a fascination withstorage? First of al, I think that you ean learn a Jot about a woodworker is organized, Second, over the years I've visited a Jot of well-organized shops — some Inge, some tiny. And there's a eommon string that. ties them all together. It's that they use every square inch of space. Granted, each of these shop owners said they could use more space. But I've discovered that their seeret was they took advantage of the limited space they had, Sometimes filling in every nook and cranny. ‘The point is you ean do this too. You don’t have to go and buy all new tools, to make your shop more organized — and more enjoyable to work in. Some- times all it takes is a new tool stand, or simple cabinet for your accessories. RADIAL ARMSTAND. Take the Radial ‘Arm Saw Stand in this issue for exam- ple(page 16). Iteffectively organizesall your cutoffs. No more stacks or piles of Seraps cluttering up the floor. ‘And best of all, it doesn't require any additional room. It replaees your old ‘metal stand, And takes advantage of an area that’s notorious for wasting space — ‘under your sav. DRILL BIT CABINET: But you don’t have to build a tool stand to help organ- ‘ze your shop. You ean make something simple, Like the Drill Bit Cabinet shown on page 12. It mounts on the wall ShopNotes You don’t have to buy new tools to make your shop more enjoyable to work in. next to your drill press to Keep all of ‘your bits in one central location — and right at your fingertips, NOISE INTHE SHOP. In addition to getting organized, there's something else you ean do to make your time in the shop more enjoyable — reduce the noise level. Not only does this make it more comfortable (and safer) for you. Its also easier on family, friends, and nearby neighbors. Reducing the noise level in your shop takes a concerted effort. I've found that. it’s the little things that add up. Using a variable speed tool ata slower speed. Or using a rubber mat to help reduce vibration and noise, In this issue, you'll find the first in a two-part se- ries onnoise in the shop —reducing tool noise. Simple things that you ean do to stop noise at the source. Next issue ‘welll look at what you ean do to your shop itself (walls, ceiling, doors, ete.) SOME CHANGES. There have been some changes here at ShopNotes. Terry Stroman, a driving foree behind ShopNotes from the very start, has ‘moved to become the Managing Editor of our other magazine, Woodsmith, Pm happy to announce that Rick Pete will take over the reins as Managing Editor of ShopNotes. In addition, Tim Robertson has been promoted to Associate Ritor. And Phil ‘Totten has come over from Woodsmith as an Assistant Editor A couple new faces: Mark Williams is our new Contributing Editor, Nick ‘Thielen, Support Assistant, keeps the computer system from acting up (most of the time), And Lonnie Algreen and Karla Cronin are full-time Customer Service Representatives. Now, if I ean Just remember all these new names. No. 16Contents Circular Saw Cut-Off Jig________4 This shop-built accessory allows you to use your port- able circular saw to make perfectly straight or angled cuts with dead-on accuracy. iplexible Veriesr =. ee SB ‘A close-up look atthe diferent types of exible veneer. ‘Also, step-by-step instructions for applying and fnish- ing flexible veneer to produce professionaliooking resus. Drill Bit Cabinet ___________ 12 Organize your dil bits and accessories with this compact cabinet, It features storage trays that titout for easy access {0-your bits, and/ an optional drawer for accessories. Radial Arm Saw Stand ___ 16 This modular system is more than just a stand for your radial arm saw. By taking advantage of the unused space under your saw, it makes it easy to organize Cutolts, sheet goods, and scrap pieces of wood. Reducing Tool Noise__ 24 The noise your tools generate doesn't have to drive your family (or neighbors) out of the house, Here are some simple tips for putting a damper on the worst offenders. Shop Solutions _________ 28 Six Shop-Tested Tips: Band Saw Fence, Adjustable Runner for Miter Gauge Stot, Putty Shield, “Window” for your Dust Collector, plus two Quick Tips. Medium-Density Fiberboard ____ 30 Because it's fat, smooth, and dimensionally stable, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is an ideal material for many projects. SOUIbe Reams. erie ee Ol Hardware, project supplies, and mail order sources for the projects in this issue, No. 16 ‘ShopNotes Drill Bit Cabinet page 12 Radial Arm Saw Stand page 16 3JIGS & ACCESSORIES Circular Saw” Cut-Off Jig You can turn your portable circular ayo into a precision tool with this shop-built accessory. Je tobeat lar saw — getting a perfectly several days when one of the ‘1 radial arm straightcut that follows the lay- guys needed to miter the ends of fre Ge prwctin| outing erally the construction lumber he was ter saw) formaking acrosscuton REFERENCE. What makes it using to build a deck. alonghoard.Butityoudon'thave _workis the edge ofthe jig serves one of these tools, this ean be a asa reference to indicate the path CONSTRUCTION real challenge. of the saw blade, As a result, Basically, the cut-off jig consists Even though a table saw has there's no guesswork when set offour parts: abase forthe saw to the advantage of builtin accu- ting up. ride on, a fence that guides the racy, using it to cut along work: Just mark the board, position saw, and a curved arm and edge piece is awkward at best. And if the edge of the jig on'the line, guide thet work together tommake ‘you make the cut with aportable and make the cut. (For more on the jig adjustable, see the Ex- @ cirealarsaw, the resultsare often using the fig, refer to the boxes ploded View below. less than perfect. on page 7) BASE. I began work by making ‘To combine the accuracy of a ANGLED CUTS. Although Iuse the base (A) from a piece of 6 table saw with the portability of the jig most often to make 90° Masonite, see Fig. 1.SinceI wanted a cireular sav, I made a simple cuts, its designed to makeangled the jig to span a 2x12 when eut- cut-off jg, se the photos above. cuts as well, see inset photo. In ting’a 45° miter, I made the base This jig solves one of the big- fact, this makes the jig so handy 3X 2244 Tong. And since gest problems of using a cireu- that it recently disappeared "6 oe | Hardware | EXPLODED view achnis ew J Poumon | FENCE © (6) #8 x¥2"Fh Q. a \\ a ie EDGE © (1) Ya" 94" Fh Machine Screw © (2) Ve" Washers © (1) 16" Lock Nut © (Marx tet Carriage Bolt © (1) Yo" Hex Nut © (2) atx te Fender Washers © (1) Me Plastic Wing Nu aox'eren woooscrew 4 ShopNotes No. 16i yo cctsicons tert ‘edge, it’s wider than the distance from the edge of the saw base to the blade, (I started with a 10'- wide piece.) Norex. After cutting the base to rough size, the next step is to cut a notch in one edge, see Fig. 1. This notch provides arecess for the armn that's added later. FENCE. Once the noteh is cut, ‘you can add the fence (B), see Fig. 1. This is a piece of '6"-thieke hardwood that guides the base of ‘the saw during a eut. ‘To cover the noteh in the base, ‘the fence is 3" wide, And it’s ext ‘to match the length of the base (2210, After gluing the fence to the base so the edges and ends are flush, I drilled a eountersunk shank hole for a machine serew that’s added later, see End View in Fig. 1. e@ ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM ‘The most unique thing about this cut-off jig isa system that allows you toadjust it to make either 90° rangled cuts. Thissysteris made up of two parts: the curved arm, and the edge guide that's added later, refer to Exploded View. ‘ARM. Basically, the arm acts 2s a “pressure plate” for a clamp that will be used to lock the edge guidein place.’The arm is nothing ‘more than a piece of 4'-thick Mla- sonite that’s cut in the shape of a carve, see Fig. 2. Note: There’s a short (L¥2" Jong) “flat” along the ediges of one end of the arm. ATTACH ARM. Now itt simply a matter of fastening the arm into the notch that was eut ear- lien: To allow the clamp to apply pressure at any point along the arm, you'll need to orient the “flat” section so it extends away from the jig, see Fig. 3. @ ,, re ppositeendisuttetinto the corner of the notch, see Fig. Ba, ‘Then it's just gined and serewed to the fence. (For a eom- plete hardware kit, see page 31.) No. 16 7-BtA, COUNTERSUNE EPSRANEHOLE Ri ore ‘e1e FENG To Base caunreeaunik v ‘SHANK HOLE-—— © ae Sere 2 SECOND: conterrocr ‘ARM AND GUT TO SHAPE ite Locare CenreR PaIN iN PROM EDoe, Nore: TEND HAVE HONG "PLAT Note: ‘GLUE AND ScREW ‘ARMIN PACE Nore: ) ShopNotes cea Edge Guide e ‘With the arm in place, work ean begin on the second part of the adjustment system — the edge guide. It pivots on the fence so you can make either 90° orangled cuts, see Fig. 4. ‘EDGE GUIDE. Basically, the edge guile (D) is nothing more than a 1"wide strip of hardwood (maple) with twoholes drilled in it, BHDE the vor ourence see Figs. 5 and a. One hole serves GUE | TOMAKE ANGLED CUT asa pivot point. And the other isa counterbored shank hole for a eoreeeesrapeniedinien| |: OMT soeMae ‘The edge guide is attached to the jig with a machine screw that passes through the holein he fence and base that was drilled earlier, see Fig tb, Tallow ttopivotbac fi andforth easily, slipa washer over rigire vee nur ro the end of the serew and tighten LOeKEDSE GUIDE N AcE on a lode nt so it's just snug. CLAMP ASSEMBLY. To lock the nut, clamping pressure is applied STOP. The next stop is to add a edge guide in place, I added a by tightening a plastie wing nut fixed stop (F), see Fig. 6. It pro- simple lamp assembly. It pinches down against two fender washers. vides a positive stop forthe edge the edge guide tight against the SHOE. To distribute the clamp- guide nt 90°to the fence, Thestop curved ari, ing pressure evenly on the wash-isnothingmore than asmall block What makes this works wear- ers, shimmed the end ofthe edge of hardwood that's attached to iageboltthat passesthroughthe guide witha“shoe.”Thisshoe(B) the end of the arm. counterbored shank hole in the is a piece of 1-thick Masonite The important thing is to 1o- edge guide, see Fig. 4a, After se- that's glued lush with the end of ate this block so the edge guide curingtheboltwith awasherand the edge guide, see Fig. 6 is perfectly square to the fence lng wor 5 ard Oca ce e OUIDE TO FENCE ‘SECOND: asia “TcHTEN woobecrw vane nor vere he ever FENDEE Washers <> CUDE DRILLSA-DIA DRILL VanotA, counreksone = BrANC HOLE "hg DEEPwhen it butts against the stop. To do this, T used a try square to |Z position the edge guide s0 it’s 90° to the fence, Then, after tighten- {ng the clamp, glue and screw the stop in place. TRIM BASE, All that’s left to do is trim the base to final width. ‘This creates the reference edge that's used to position the jig. When trimming off the waste, I found it easiest to position the jig ‘ona comer ofthe benchsoitove hangs the edge, see Fig, 7. Note: Fora tip on keeping the jig from shifting during a cut, see margin at right. Noweou nso ae oro) THEMOTOR ANDTHE FENCE To keeo the fg from creeping chung a cut apply a stp of ohlf2ts_ | Sandpaper toh Seto | edge guide SECOND: Step 1: Position Jig. With the edge guide locked Step 2: Make the Cut. Now hold the edge quicle jn place against the 90° stop, position the refer- tight against the workpiece and run the base of ence edge on the layout mark on the board. the saw agains! the fence as you make a cut. Angled Cuts with the layout line, you'll need to pivot the edge sliding when making an angled cut, use a C- | guide and the base of the jg at the same time, clamp to hold the arm tight against the workpiece No. 16 ‘ShopNotes 7sheet of flexible veneer T couldn't believe how thin it was. Unlike veneer I've used in the past, it could be bent and rolled without cracking. But the best thing I like about flexible veneer is you don’t need to invest a lot of time and money to get professional-looking re- sults. All you really need is a sharp knife and some con- tact cement. WHY USE IT? For many projects, flexible veneer ean be a low cost alternative to solid hardwood or hardwood ply- wood, You can cover a project with a faney wood (such as birds- eye maple) at a fraction of the cost it would take to build it out of solid wood. WHAT IST? Unlike standard veneer that's usually 163" to 140" thick, flexible veneer is ext mach thinner — about halfas thin, Because it's so thin, flexible ve- neer requires special backing to keep the thin layer of wood from splitting and breaking up. THREE TYPES ‘There are three types of flexible veneer available: paper-backed, pressure sensitive adhesive, and foil-backed, see Drawings below. PAPER-BACKED. The mostcom- ‘mon (and least expensive) type of Unlike veneer Pve used in the past, flewible veneer can be bent and rolled without cracking. flexible veneer is paperbacked veneer. As the name implies, pa- perbacked veneer has a layer of brown paper glued to the back, Because it’s so easy to work with, its my first choice for most, ve- neering projects. PSA. Pressure sensitive adhe- sive (PSA) veneer is commonly referred to as peel and stiek ve- ner. The only difference between IT Flexible Veneer it and paper-backed veneer is it hasa thin layer ofadhesiveon the back. The adhesive is protected by wax paper until it’s time to beused. Then you just peel offthe paper and press the veneer‘n pace. Although there's no glue mess to clean up with PSA veneer, there is one drawback. I've found that the veneer has tendeney to come unglued over time. FOIL-BACKED. Although foil-backed veneer looks Just like paper-backed ve- neer, there is abig difference, Instead of a single back- ing, there are two layers of paper with a layer of foil sand- wiched between them. The foil prevents a laequer-based finish from dissolving the adhesive, Unfortunately, foil-baeked ve- noor is expensive. And, if the edges are exposed, the foil is no- ticeable. So [only use it when the edges will be hidden. Or when I now I'm going to finish the pro- Jject with a lacquer-based finish. enero —~ FOLBARRIER RCKINO Paper-backed. The most common type of flexible veneer has a layer of brown paper glued to the back. 8 PSA. Commonly referred to as peel ‘and stick, this veneer has a thin layer of adhesive applied to its back ShopNotes Foll-backed. A foil barrier prevents the adhesive from dissolving when using a lacquer-based finish. No. 16Core Preparation The goal with any veneer project is to keep the veneer glued per- ‘manently in place. Tve found that it doesn’t really matter how ‘good the adhesive isunlessyou're using a suitable core material that has been properly prepared. CORE MATERIAL. If I have a choice, Pl generally use medium density fiberboard (MDF) for the core. (For more on MDF, see page 30.) But plywood can also be used. If you do use plywood, the smoother the piece is, the better. I try to avoid any piece that has a lot of voids and cracks. But some- times it just can't be avoided. ‘An example of this is when I need to laminate the back side of a piece of cabinet grade plywood. ‘The back of this type of plywood is usually pretty rough. To im- prove this surface, I “prep” it cork PREP.When preparing plywood, the first thing T do is give the surface a light sanding with 180-grit sandpaper. This helps remove the fuzzy wood f- hers that tend to stick straight up. Next, fill any holes or eracks with wood filler, ee Step 1. Then when its dry, sand the surface ssmnooth again ‘SEAL SURFACE, The next step is probably the most important. ‘To help prevent the veneer from coming ungited, I seal the core Step 1.First, sand the surface ‘and then fil any cracks and voids. After the filer dries, sand again. Applying Contact Cement Once the surface is prepared, the next step is to apply contact ce- ‘ment to the core and veneer (un- less you're using PSA veneer). ‘The problem is contact cement sticks instantly when two mating surfaces touch. Soin order to en- sure that the veneer covers all the edges completely, I cut it slightly Zarger than the cove. This gives me a bit “extra” hanging over the edges to trim off later. CEMENT. When shopping for eontaet cement, you should “tick” with a solvent-based ad- hesive. I've tried water-based contact cements — they just don’t seem to hold as well. BOTH SURFACES. For contact cement to work, both surfaces to be joined must be eovered with adhesive. T use a stiff bristle brush to apply contact cement to small projects. But for larger pro- No. 16 jects, I use a small, short-nap paint roller, see Steps 1 and 2. Be careful when rolling the ad- hesive not to go back overan area that you've already covered — the adhesive can stiek to itself “After the core and veneer are Step 1. Alter the sanding sealer is completely dry, roll out one or two coats of contact cement. ‘ShopNotes (regardiess of the material) with sanding sealer, see Step 2. This does two things, First, it fills the pores and cracks that the filler didn’t cover. Second, it pro- vides 2 more contimuons surface for the adhesive to stick to. Once the surface is completely dy, it’s ready for the adhesive. (Cnless of course you're using PSA veneer.) Step 2.To help the contact ce- ment stick, seal the surface with a thin coat of sanding sealer. both dry (about 15 +020 minutes), check to see if a second coat is required. (You'll need a second coat if the first coat looks dull.) Apply the second coat just like the first. Then after it dries, the veneer is ready to be applied. L ae ‘Step 2. Next, you can apply oneor two coats of contact cernent to the paper-backed side of the veneer.Placing Flexible Veneer =. = cy Since contact cement bonds in- stantly on contact, it's important to carefully align the workpieces before joining them together. SMALL PIECES. When work- ing. with small pieces, T suspend the core over the veneer by hand, see Drawing A. Once ith “eye balled” in place, lower the core. mania ‘Then I “roll” it out with asim- | NOTE: fosON CORE aa FIRMLY AGAINST CORE You can make a ple veneer burnisher, see Draw- veneer burnisher ing B and margin tip at left.'The A. Small Pieces. First, positon the B. Veneer Burnisher. For a tight by rounding over rounded edge presses the veneer core over the veneer. Then lower bond, use a veneer bumisher to the bottom edges against the core, and forces out it down and press itin place. press veneer against core. of a piece of ¥s- any trapped air. thick Masonite. LARGE PIECES.The trick to getting veneer exactly where ‘you want it on a large eore is to “raveen oven cone Ont ‘suspend the veneer over the core. ¢ ‘VENEER Te Im POSTON ‘Toprevent the veneer from stick- ing before it’s in position, I insert, strips of wood between the core and the veneer, see Drawing C. ‘Then once the veneer is in place, slide out one strip at a time and press down the veneer. Shop ‘Tip: Toget:the best possible bond - afler the yeneer is in place, Tuse C. Large Pieces. Y/ten working tween the core and the veneer. ashop-made veneer hammer, see with large pieces of veneer, it Once the veneer is aligned, re- the box below. helps to have strips of wood be- move the strips, one ata time. veweer suRNSHER HANDLE — ‘ven though this tool sealleda @hr-01 10" LONE veneer hammer, it’s really not used to “pound” veneer. What it actually does sallow you to press veneer tightly against a core. ae ‘The idea is the nanower the PRESSURE ON HEAD head, the more pressure on a given area, And the more pres- sure, the better chance that the veneer will stick to the core. ‘HEAD. To get maximum pres- sure, [angled the bottom edge of the head and then rounded it over with sandpaper, see Drawing. And to comfortably press down ‘on the head, I eurved the top and rounded over the edges. Se Finally, to provide leverage, I SkNorArEE pinned a handle to the head. 10 ShopNotes No. 16Trimming & Finishing ‘Once the veneer has been pressed in place, the last step is to trim it to size. KNIFE. My tool of choice for trimming most veneer is an ordi- nary utility knife, see Drawing A. ‘The important thing is to use a sharp blade — itil slice right through the thin veneer. ‘VENEER SAW. But, whenever T have to eut highly figured veneer (ike burl), Fuse a veneer saw, see Drawing B. To use the saw, place the side of the blade flat against the edge of the core. ‘Then slide it back and forth as you would any other hand saw. ROUTER. If you need to trim a lot of veneer, you can usea router with aflush trim bit, see Drawing C, Just run the router along the ‘edge of the core. The bit trims the ‘veneer perfectly flush, ‘TABLE SAW. Another quick way to trim a lot of veneer is to use a table saw — especially ifthe eore \d the veneer are oversize. But if the veneer is overhanging the core, the workpiece can't be placed against the rip fence. ‘To get around this, I “foo!” the fence, see Drawing D. Allittakes is a thin spacer between the core and the fence, After one side is ‘trimmed, remove the spacer. ‘When you're ready to apply a fin ish, there are a couple of things to ‘keep in mind. SCRATCHES. First, since flex- ible veneer is extremely thin, you shouldn't use a eabinet seraper: If you do, you may eut through the ‘veneer, If you have scratches to remove, sand them out with 240- grit (or finer) sandpaper. ‘THIN COATS. Second, some fin- ishes can dissolve contact ce- ment, So when you're applying a finish, apply several thin coats. ‘This way, the solvents will evapo- rrate before soaking through to the adhesive. No. 16 Lge EDGE oF OnLy RFE HOLD saw eus IRANGTEDSE ‘or cone. A. Utility Knife. When using a uty knife, tip the workpiece ‘over and follow the edge. B, Veneer Saw. To trim the ve- ner, place the side of the saw flat against the edge of the core. NOTE: SPACER TO RIF FENCE C. Router. A quick way to trim a ot of veneer is to use a flush trim bit and a hand-held router. D. Table Saw. Another quick way to trim veneer is with a table saw. But you'll have to use a spacer.Soins it seems like there's black hole in my shop where the ‘one dvill bit I need disappears. Although it eventually turns up, its usually only after a frustrat- ing search of all the different places I use to store drill bits. ‘To organize all of my drill bits Sa re Drill Bit Cabinet Tilt-out trays, shelves, and an optional drawer help store and organize your drill bits and accessories in one convenient place. and accessories in one convenient place (and keep them from getting nicked or damaged), T built this simple cabinet, see the photo above. It's designed with one thing in mind — lots of storage in a compact space. STORAGE. In spite of its small size, this cabinet provides all the storage I need. The back part of the cabinet houses two tilt-out trays that provide easy access RABBET DETAIL pee “(l= to my bits. And to store small accessories, there are two shelves inside the door. There's even an optional drawer that can be added if you need addi- tional storage. (For more on this, refer to page 15.) ‘THE CASE ‘There's nothing complicated about building the ease. It starts off as a simple wood box. Then it’s eut apart to form two identical halves. This provides storage inside the door as well as the cabinet itself. Basically, the case consists of a top and bottom (A) that ave held together by two side pieces (B), see Exploded View. (T used 34"- thiek maple.) ‘To accept the top and bottom, rabbets are cut on each end of the side pieces, see Rabbet De- ‘ail in Exploded View. Then two grooves are cut in each of the case pieces for a pair of plywood panels that are added next, see Groove Detail. PANELS. The front and back panels (C) are made from ¥'- thick plywood. This provides enough “thickness” to serew into when attaching the storage shelves and mounting the eabinet to the wall. Shop Note: If you can't find Yp!-thick maple plywood locally, you can glue up two pieces of Y'-thick birch plywood to make cach panel. No. 16ST @ rans. win cach ot te pam cto detonert ep to cut rabbets around all the edges. This forms a tongue that fits in the grooves, see Tongue Detail in Exploded View. ‘The idea is to cut the rabbets deep enough so the tongue fits the groove. And wide enough to produce a slight “shadow line” hetween the sides and the pan- els, (I cut a %e'-wide rabbet which produces aig" gapall the way around.) GLUBUP. After dry-fitting all the pieces, you're ready to glue and clamp the case together. Then, when the glue dries, it's just a matter of separating the ‘ase into two equal parts. (For more on cutting a box apart, see the box below.) HINGE.The next step is to hinge the two halves of the eabi- net together. To make it easy to install, T serewed a piano hinge into a shallow rabbet that’s eatin one edge of each ofthe side piewes, see Figs. 1 and 1a. (For a com- plete hardware kit, see page 31.) CATCH. After installing the hinge, a magnetic catch and strike plate are added to keep the Cutting a Box into it eel Hardware © (6) #812" FH a Woodecres woo Kio Lf © (4) #Ox2%2"Fh wink Nesdecre pane | © e"x19%2" | Piano Hinge Meare owe] fe © (20) 45%" Baur | || & | | ‘ PaMoodocrve enor or TRIE PLATE come | ee poor ea ee CATCH ON Magnetic Catch I tenontavo} | @ (2) Da Wood gous | |” Knob w Somme FOR HINGE ALONG weer sae a cur \, \ We"-DEEP NS Le a o eee door of the cabinet closed tight, screwed to the edge of the door. see Fig. 1.'The catch fits in ahole KNOB. Allthats left to complete that's drilled in the side piece on the caseis to add a wood knob. It's the back part of the cabinet, see Fig. 1b. And the strike plate is Woe simply screwed in place on the door of the cabinet, see Fig. 1. Like alot of woodworking opera- tions, eutting a box into two parts ooks more complicated than itis. ‘All it takes is the right cutting sseqquence and a simple trick. SEQUENCE, Starthy cutting two opposite sides of the box, see Step 1. The problem is when you ent the next two sides, the saw Kerf can pinch the blade and cause kickback. SPACERS. That where the triek comesin, To prevent the kerfs from closing, slip a pair of spacers ‘through the box, see Step 2 ‘After making the final two cuts, remove the tape and sepa- rate the two halves, Nore: Side AGAINET Face ron ExcieAge \ | NOTE: rare Step 1. After adjusting the height of the saw blade fo cut through the thickness Of the box, make a pass on opposite sides, Just be sure to run the same side against the fence for each pass. Step 2. To prevent the saw kerfs from losing up and pinching the blade, slip pair of spacers made of Ys" Masonite through the box. luse strios of masking tape to hold the spacers in place. No. 16 ShopNotes BStorage Trays and Shelves With the ease complete, work can begin on the storage trays and shelves, see Fig. 2. TRAYS ‘The back of the eabinet holds two trays for storing drill bits. To make it easy to remove a bit, those trays tilt forward out of the eabinet. STAIRSTEP. Each tray organizes the bits in two “stairstep” see- tions. After building each section (made four altogether) asa sepa- ‘rate unt, they're simply glued to- ‘gether in pairs to form the trays. CORE. Each section starts off as a core piece (D) made from 34"-thiek hardwood, see Fig. 3. To Weare PIVOT DETAIL allow the tray to tip out of the eabinet without binding, I cut to assemble them in pairs, see each core piece Y4e' narrower Fig. 8a, Note: To provide plenty (Shorter) than the eabinet opening. of finger room when removing a DADOES.Toprovideaseparate Dit, the sections are glued to- compartment foreach bit, here's _ gether back to back. = series ofdadoes cut in each core INSTALL TRAYS. Nowit’sjust a A’V-shaped piece. Depending on the bits you matter of installing the trays. A groove routed plano staring, the size and spae- single serew on each side holds inthe top €dge'Ol ing of these darloes will vary, sca them in place and acts as a pivot the tray Keeps the the hox on the opposite page. point toallow each tray to tip out, paddies of Your orToM AND COVER. Next, to see Figs. 2a and 2a. To keep the spade bits facing keep the drill bits from falling out its upright when the trays are forward. ofthe tray,giueona¥"thick hard- pushed back in, a wood block is ‘wood bottom (B), and a cover (F) glued onto the back of each tray. cent from a piece of 14'-thick Ma- sonite, see Fig, 8 SHELYES ASSEMBLY. With each of the To take advantage of the space sections complete, you're ready inside the door, I added a pair of hardwood shelves for my acces- ries. Along: with the shelves, I installed the index for my twist bits in the bottom of the door, refer to the photo on page 12. ‘CusTOMIZE SHELVES. As with the storage trays, you'll need to customize the shelves (G) for your accessories, see Fig. 4 AllT ‘Gid was drill holes for my coun- tersinks, plugcutters, and special rill bits, ATTACH SHELVES. Finally, after locating the shelves so there’ plenty of clearance to lift every- thing out, dill eountersank shank holes through the edges and serew the shelves to the front panel. nELYeD FOR AcceOBORIES u ShopNotes No. 16@ Optional Drawer As an option, you can add a drawer to store small. accesso- ries. The drawer fits inside a ‘wood box that’s attached to the bottom of the eabinet, see photo. BOX. Like the cabinet, the box has two sides (H) that are rab- eted at each end for a top and bottom (see Fig, 5 and detail‘e? ‘on page 12. Before gluing the box together, you'll need to eutashal- low rabbet along the back edges of these pieces for a 1s"-thiek Ma- sonite back (J), see Fig. 5a. DRAWER. The next step is to build a drawer to fit inside the box. It’s designed to fit flush with the front of the cabinet with Yas" gap on the top and Méo" gap on each side ofthe opening.in the box. ‘The drawer consists of a front SE era and back piece (K) that ave rab- beted at the ends for the two sides (L), see Fig, 5. (L used ¥6'- thiek hardwood.) Grooves eut in each of these pieces accept a bot- fom (3M) made from 4"-thick Ma- sonite, seo Fig. 5b, After giuing up the drawer, I serewed on a wood knob to match the one on the door: SPACER. Before attaching the drawer box, I added a spacer (N) to keep the door from dragging SPACER rove) MaDe FROM leh THICk STOCK NOTE: aut Box Pieces esi. across the box, see the photo above. This is just a piece of 16'- thick Masonite that’s ut to fit the ‘bottom (A) ofthe back part of the cabinet and ghued in place. ATTACH BOX. Now you can at- tach the box to the bottom of the cabinet. After locating the box flush with the back and sides of the eabinet, it's simply glued and serewed down through the bot- ‘tom of the cabinet, Customizing Your Storage Trays NOTE: Aon Tie or ons wr NOTE: Aion “Tes oF Be wirH ‘Spade Bits. To kegp the “paddles” ‘of my spade bits from hitting each ‘other, | spaced them V4 apart. Then cut dadoes that are V6" deeper and wider than the shanks of the bits. Forstner Bits. Here, | used the same approach to delemine the size and spacing of the dadoes. But o get the bits 10 stick up an equal amount, | glued a wood! “stop” in each dado. Brad Point Bits. To keep my brad point bits from rattling around, | cut the dadoes Vie" deeper and wider than the diameter of the bits. As be- fore, “stops” align the tips of the bits. No.16 ‘ShopNotes 6FEATURE PROJECT . EXPLODED VIEW rence pase e@ OVERALL DIMENSIONS: BO" x O6"L x 41H 2 poner REAR m Saw ce cua RACKET (q_ racer y ease A “system” for your radial arm saw that organizes your cutoffs by taking advan- tage of the unused space below the saw. Per, ‘the only ‘system”T your shop, soe photo on page 17. had fordealing with the eut- BASE.T' started by replacing offs from my radial arm saw was the original metal stand with 2 apair of cardboard boxes shoved sturdy base. The base features a Under the stand. One box was for lit-out bin for seraps that are too pleees to be saved. The other for smmll touse. And there's a handy seraps earmarked for the fire: drawer for storing wrenches, ex- place (or trash ean) tra blades, and accessories ‘The only problem with this STORAGE UNITS. On each side setupisitwasal toeasy to pitch of the base, there’ astorageunit a cutoff in the wrong box. And to organize the entofs you want when it came time to locate a to keep. To provide a “pigeon- small piece for a projeet, I'd usu- hole” fordifferent sizes (or types) ally end up dumping out both ofeatoffs, one unit has adjustable boxes on the shop floor shelves, And the other is open to So recently, I decided it, was make it easy tostoresheet goods. time to end the clatter and build TOR Tb complete the system, I my own system, see Exploded added a table top that features a View. Thetniquething about this replaceable insert. (For more on system is it ean be tailored to ft this, see page 23.) Materials Stand Storage Units A Sides (2) 90x52-Yepy. —-PSides (4) 28x 370% ply 4 B Supp Cleate (2) 94x 194-21 Q TopalBems.(4) 2370x23-%4 ply. C Bostom (1) iia dna R_ Rail (6) pee a D Stretchera(2) Gx 22%e-Saph. 5 Ditdere(2) 2870 x50%0-Y%e py E fepran@)” Sengie-aae = Shaeale) —Batatote- apy, Hardware F Dinkals (2) Y4x9-22% oan 6 back) 2iexs2-tamex Table Top ee H Drawer Ft/Bk.(2) 22x 2240-94 py. U Rear Basé(!) Custom" x 96 - % py by 40 thar Ph Neodloore 1) Drawer Sido (2) Bax2the- 94 ph. V RearTop() Guoton"x96-Yehan UO) #02104 7h Heodecre J. Drawer Bim. (1) 2%x20"%ie-Ye Mas, W Spacer Base(t) Custom"x96-Spy. (200) #01 Fh Woo K Drawer Guldes (2) Yaxie- 29% X Spacor Top(1) Custom x86-YeMas (25) 84x th Wendecrowe L. Drawer Catch (I) 94xtle-VaMaa YY Fronz Base(!) Custom" x96 -94 ply Se enti ieee M Binsides(2) — Bx29/4-94ph, Front Top!) Custom" 96-Ye Manin 2008 1 Lag Sco wei see Nre istement, | Sremente lm oi nmatbeee, | @ © BiBortom() BAe 20h—-Vades. BB FanceFrove() 34x96 [4 Maw tA Verlock Nate GC Clamp Brive (2) Yana 43% “custom ext match orga eae top, BD east” extn. YoMan SR) ie abet Serre 16 ‘ShopNotes No. 16TEU A Theadpiable design ofthis racial arm saw stand allows you to build all or pai of the storage system. You can just re- place your old stand with a new base (photo above). Or build one or both lum ber storage units (see front cover). Cutting Diagram 4806" THICK PLYWOOD 49.06" THICK PLPWGOD 49. 96" IETHER PLYWOOD 140" 06" = 9¢-THICK PLYWOOD No. 16 ‘ShopNotesBase Istarted work on the radial arm [4 STRETCHER saw stand by building a base to ior (a. ToRMEW, support the saw. It's basically a © Cee plywood ease that's open in the front, see Fig. 1. On top there's a set of stretchers that strengthen the eabinet and provide a conven- ont way to mount the saw. CASE ‘The first step is to make a U- shaped case that consists of two sides and a bottom. Depending on the frame of your sav, you may need to cut the sides (A) at an angle to provide clearance for the handle that adjusts the height of the blade, see photos below. SIDES. To determine how much you'll need to angle your sides, first measure the depth of your saw frame (front to back). Then | gexvsren add ¥6'. (This allows room for a | MOPPSrEEW: chamfer that’s routed later.) BoTTom RAIL @— ‘olay out the angle, first trans- euPPORT LEAT # 1 FRONT VIEW fer this measurement to the top edge of both side pieces, see Fig. in each side piece for the bottom cleats that are attached to the 2, Then measure up 1134" from (C) and back (G) that are added _ sides, see Fig. 2 the bottom of the sides and con- later, see Figs. 1a and 1b, CLEATS.To determine the neet the twomarks. Now youcan The sides are held together by length of these support cleats cutout theshape withasabresaw the bottom and a pair of stretch- (B), first measure the width of and sand the edges smooth, ers (D) on top, see Fig. 1. ‘The your side panels (at the top). ‘Next, cut a dado and a rabbet stretchers rest on two support ‘Then subtract 1" from this meas- 4 If you have a saw with a short frame, you'll need to cut the sides at an angle to provide clearance for the height adjustment handle. A if you have a saw with a long frame, it may not be necessary for you to angle the front for the height adjustment handle. soxvetn Soes'ro worrow 18 ShopNotes No. 16EET T ee C4" for the rabbet run a —_—s& ning along the back edge, and 8 oovsterw |. FRONT STRETCHER to allow for the thiekness ofa rail \ Ke that’s added later). mah Once they're cut to size, the cleats can be positioned and screwed to the sides. Note: Posi- tion them 4’ down from the top edge, and flush with the rabbetin | STETCHERS the back edge, see Figs. 2 and da, = After you've screwed the cleats in place, form the “U” by gluing and serewing the sides (A) to a %-thick plywood bottom (O), see Pig. 2. TOP ‘with the rail attached) flush with Once the back is serewed in Instead ofa solid top for the base, the front of the cleats. place, soften all the exposed Tused a pair of plywood stretch: Thentoallowtheback(G)tobe edges of the case with an 14" era (D) that allowed me to reach installed flush with the top ofthe chamfer. To do this, I used 2 up into the bottom of the saw stretchers, position the rear chamfer bit mounted in a hand- framewhen installing the mount stretcher flush with the rabbet, held router, (But a sanding blode ing bolts, see Fig. 3. refer to Fig. 3b. vill also work) But before attaching the After the stretchers (D) are -LRVELERS. Finally, vo compen- oo serevied in place, the next step is sate for an uneven floor, I added + b. REAR STRETCHER cae = First, [glued ahardwood top rail to add a pair of bottom. rails (F) a set of levelers, These are just (B) to the front stretcher to pre- to accept levelers that are added lag screws that are serewed into vent the case from racking, see Tater, see Fig. 4 the bottom rails, see Figs. 4 and Fig.3. BACK. To strengthen the base 4b. Note: To prevent the rails Thentosoflenthesharpedges, (and to help keep sawdust out of from splitting, you'll need to pre- Trouted an’ chamfer along the my scrap bin) [added a back (G). drill holes for the lag serews. front edges ofthe rail, see Fig. 3a. It’s just a piece of 4" Masonite With the base complete, you To install the stretchers, posi-euttofitintherabbetin each side can bolt your radial arm saw to tion the front stretcher (the one _ piece, see Fig. 4. the stretchers, see Fig. 4a. 4 noe BOTTOM RAILS: q oer DRL HOLES AND INSTALL LAG SCHENG IN BOTTOM Ras No. 16 ShopNotes 19Drawer & Cutoff Bin All that’s left to complete the > base is to add a drawer for acees- sories and allift-out bin for seraps. DRAWER. I started by building the drawer. Determining the length of the drawer front and back (H) is easy. Just measure across the opening of the base and then subtract a Yc" for clear- ance, see Fig. 5. (Ii my case, the front and back are 22%7,¢" long.) Next, to determine the length of the sides (D, first: measure from the front of the top rail (R) to the baek of the stand. Then subtract 6" for rabbets that join the pieces ‘a. RABBET DETAIL 3 aC DRAWER CATCH Carats wineoreTe) together, see Figs. ba and 6. ‘To complete the drawer, there are two more things left to do. First, cut grooves in each piece for a bottom (J) made of Y4' Ma sonite, see Fig. 6b. Then to make it easy to pall open the drawer, a noteh is eut in the drawer front, see Fig. 6a. GUIDES. The drawer slides on Tie" GAP BETWEEN "SUPPORT CLEAT Ker wos oewer ooee = AER ENE Sorte apair of hardwood drawer guides (K) that are serewed to the sides of the base, see Fig. 5b. These BIN. The construction of the The only difference is the binis guidesareeut tomatch thedepth lift-out bin is identical to the deeper than the drawer and it's (length) of the drawer. drawer. Rabbets are used to hold cut tofit the full depth ofthe base, Then to prevent a drawer full the sides (M) to the front and see Figs, 5 and 7. ofsaw blades from falling onyour back (N), see Fig. 5a and 7. And To lift the bin out, T eut handle toes,screwacatch (L)totheback grooves hold the bottom. (O) in holes in both the front and the of the drawer, see Fig. 5. place, see Fig. 7b. back (N) pieces, see Fig. Ta. - s @ Nooostat FROM PRONTO ack THEN SUBTRACT i" (28 xz0Ni8 Sle mAzONITE) BINSIDE weovsesew 6 CRANE (A pee YO RY (eS FT Neneh Ber sal} Pa DRAWER ron ram A fae | fbi] aa 20 ShopNotes No. 16Ieee @ Storage Units With the base complete, you can tum your attention to the stor- age units. They both start as identical plywood boxes that are ‘open in the front and back, The only difference between them is one has adjustable shelves for lumber, and the other is open to hold sheet stock. SIDES.In addition to holding lumber, both units support: the ends of the table top. So when cutting the sides (P) ofthe storage units to length, eut ‘them so their length equals the height of the saw frame plus the height of the base of your stand, see Figs. 8 and 9. Next, rabbetsare cut to accept a plywood top.And dadoes are ‘cut to fit a bottom , see Fig. 9. After the tops and bottoms (Q) are cut to size, a M4'sdeep dado is cut for a divider that’s added later, refer to Figs. 9 and 11. Now each unit can be glued and serewed together. SUPPORT. To extend longer pieces of lumber out the back, T left both units open in the back. But without a back, each unit L&E 2 in Ae See. could rack. To prevent this from happening, I serewed a top rail (R) and two bottom rails (R) to between the sides, see Fig. 10. pivipens. Next, a divider (S) canbe ent to fit each unit, see Fig. 11. Bat in order for it to fit flush with the front of each case, you'll need to cut a noteh in the back of each divider, see Fig. 11. DIMDER ® Note: MEASURE FROM TOF OF AW FRAME 10 BOTTOM EDGE (OF BABE SIDE 70 DETERMINE {LENGTH OF sibES |-oia| a eer Before screwing the dividers in place, I found it easiest to drill holes in the sides and divider for the shelf supports that hold the shelves added next. SHELVES. After —chamfering the exposed edges on both units, install the levelers, Finally, 1 added a set of six shelves to one of the storage units, see Fig. 8. 9 @ BOTTOM aoe th wooveceew NOTE; st neces Mae 10] NOTE: pus rans mane FROM Se-traeK STOCK 11 : ower oP Aion, Howes IDOE AND ‘IDES MUBT ALIGN No. 16 ShopNotes: 21Table Top After you've completed the stor- age units, the next step isto build the table top, see Drawing above. Just like my old table top, this top is made up of four pieces: a front piece, a fence, and a “split” rear section, see Fig. 12. DIMENSIONS. Determining the width of each pioce was easy. Jjust made them the same width as the pieces of my original table top. But the length takes a little more planning. ‘The first thing to do is arrange LEVEL BABE 1m BOTH DRECTIONS the base and storage units where you want them in your shop. ‘Then, measure across the total width and add2"fora 1" overhang at each end, refer to Fig. 13. (In my ease, the top is 8 feet long.) LAMINATE PIECES. After cut- ting the base pieces (U,W,Y) and the fence base (AA) to size, I laminated each piece with a 14! Masonite top (V,X,Z) and fence front (BB), see Fig. 12. Thishelps protect the top and provides a smooth surface for ripping. SPACER BASE Note: cur rape Tor rece ‘OMntor ibm OF YOUR ‘Suemne reces 22, (Ge PLeooD) ShopNotes. THIRD: LeveL STORAGE UNITE. “WHEN ScREN STORAGE UNIT TOBADE Ir NECEDOARY ‘Tp do this, I used contact ce- ‘ment to attach a slightly oversize piece of Masonite to each piece. Note: If you're planning on add- ing a replaceable insert, refer to ‘the box on the opposite page now. Then trim the Masonite to ‘match the plywood with a flush ‘vim bit in a hand-held router. cHaMPER EDGES Finally, I sof- toned the sharp edges by routing an Ie" chamfer along the edges of the Masonite, Note: Don’t cham- fer the inside edges of the table top pieces or the bottom edges of the fence, see Drawing above. ASSEMBLY Once the table top is complete, the stand is realy to bbe assembled. With the base and storage units positioned where you want them, adjust the level- ‘ers onthe bottom of the base until it’s level in both direetions. MOUNT TOP. Now the front ta- ble top ean be mounted tothesaw frame, Start by backing out the thumbserews that pinch the split rear section against the fenee. ‘Then position the new table top pieces (and the fence) as they ‘were positioned on your old top. No. 16Next, with the table top [7x5] wex1E = pushed against the thumbscrews, nore ‘a. SORSHenEvENTS row srurae luse a square to cheek that the fence and the blade are square to | (a bx each other. If they're not, adjust —renennen| | ie fear one of the thumbscrews, : oer Onee the fence is square, at- IEE) tach the front table top to the saw lal voce J =a] by serewing up through the saw we.7 a frame and into the top. To lock the | “THUMeScREW { remaining table top picees in CLAMP. m= , just tighten the thumb- —sraccer Sa econ nea esl See 2 renal ‘STORAGE UNITS. Now you can level the storage units. To do this, off, mark the dimensions on th = first position them so the table top overhangs the ends about an 1", Then adjust the levelers 50 the top is level along it’s entire length. Onee the top is level, serew the storage units to the base if they're positioned against it, see Drawing on opposite page. Then serew the storage units to the bottom of the front table top. CLAMP BRACKET: Because the ends of my table top are quite a ways away from the thumb- serews, I addled a simple clamp ‘bracket (CC) to cach storage unit topinch the ends of the top pieces and the fenee tight, see Fig. 13, ‘This bracket is nothing more than a block of wood, a threaded ingert, and a thumbscrew. Aserew in the top prevents the thumbscrew fromsplitting the ply- ‘wood, see Fig. 13a, And a lock nut keeps the thumbscrew in place. end of each pie Replaceable Insert With use, the table top ona radial arm saw ean quickly get chewed up. So instead of making anew topwhen this happens, I use en “insert” that’s easy to replace, see photo. It's just a piece of 14’ Masonite that fits into a dove- tail-shaped opening eut into the front section of the table top, see Fig. 1. The advantage to shaping the NO GLUE. To cut the opening in the top, Tused 2 4s" dovetail bitin a hand- held router, see Figs. 2 and 2a. ‘You eould waste out the entire in- sert area once the top is giued up. But 1 found it’s easiest to first mark the location of the insert on the plywood ase (¥) before gluing on the Ma- sonite top (Z), see Fig, 1. (I used ‘masking tape to mark off the area.) ‘Then if you don't apply any contact cement to this area, you ean cut the ‘opening in two passes, see Fig. 2 opening like a dovetail is you don’t need any hardware to hold the insert in place. Just bevel the edges of the insert and then slide itn the opening. (eal | GENET ONbee NEES Ate wise om || | ro cupERourex ‘ost cuTMASORTE Tor ShopNotest's face it, Noise is a fact of life in most shops. And even ‘though you can insulate yourself with a pair of hearing protectors, the high-pitehed whine of a router or table saw still earries throughout the house (and some- times even to the neighbor's). To avoid disturbing them (and having to close down shop early in the evening), I've been experi- menting with different. ways to put a damper on the tools that generate the most noise, METER. As a starting point, T wanted to get an idea of just how noisy my tools were to begin with, So I bought a “noise meter” from a local electronies store, see photo above. This meter measures the in- tensity of the sound in decibels (AB). And since this intensity usually inereases as you make & cut, all ofthe readings were taken vith the tool in operation, see the chart below right. BENCHMARK. Although this gave me an initial noise level that served as a “benchmark,” 1 was surprised by one thing. There wasn't as much of a range as Pd expected between the decibel readings of a relatively quiet tool ‘SCALE. To find out why, [called a local hearing specialist. He said that the scale used to measure decibels was logarithmic. What this means is that a crease (or decrease) in the decibel reading has a much more signifi- ress Reduci Tool Noise Power tools and noise go together: Fortunately, there are some simple remedies that can put a damper on the worst offenders. cant effect than you'd think. For example, for every 3 dB inerease in the decibel reading, the intensity of the sound doa- bles. Soif one shop vacuum spikes 90 dB, two shop vacuums would top out at 93 dB on the meter. ‘Understanding how the seale ‘works is one thing, But when it ‘comes to dampening tool noise, the veal test is to use the seale as a measuring stick to see (or hear) (@ drill press for example) and what works and what doesn't, those of an “earbuster” (ike ata- MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS. What T ble saw), found is there’s no single solution that's going to dramatically re- duce the noise level ofthe tools in your shop. But there are a combi- nation of little things you can do ‘that soon add up to produce a quieter shop, see the box below left and the article that follow ight in- Noise Reduction Strategies Tool Selection. Consicier the design features that will contribute to quieter operation when buying a tool. Tool Stands. Tighten up metal stands that rattle, or build shop-made too! stands from heavy, dense materials. Bolts and Pulleys. Replace worn belts and align pulleys to, quiet noisy tools. Or, upgrade existing belts andi pulleys. Motor Vibration. Darnpen noise-producing vibration set up by the matar with rubber pads or special mounts. ‘Saw Blades. Reduce the noise level of a saw blade by keeping it clean and sharp, or using a new “quiet” blace, How Loud Is Loud? DRILLPRESS 77dB eS BUTTE aru tes 2 ShopNotes No. 16te ® Tol Selection If you're planning to buy a new tool, one of the simplest things you can do is select a quiet one. While some manufacturers in- clude decibel readings along with other information about the tool, that seems to be the MOTOR One thing that affects the noise produced by a tool is the type of motor, Because runs ata higher speed, a universal (brush-type) motor is louder than an induction (brushless) motor. Note: To tell ‘them apart, check for the “eas” that hold the brushes in place. Although most hand-held power tools use a universal motor, you'll often have a choice when buying e stationary power tool, sce photos. DRIVE SYSTEM The drive system of a tool also ‘makes a difference in the noise it generates. As a rule of thumb, a gear-driven tool runs louder than one that’s belt-driven, see photos. ‘The reason is simple, There's a certain amount of “transmission” noise caused by the gears mesh- ing together, ‘But if you transfer power from ‘the motor to the blade through a belt, it eliminates this noise, VARIABLE SPEED Although it's not specifically de- signed to reduce noise, a tool with a variable speed control can be sot to run considerably slower ard quieter than a single speed tool. For example, the decibel read- ing ofthe variablespeod router in @ 2 ef photo drops from 100 aB +0 78 dB at the slowest speed. Ifyoualready havea fixedspeed router, you can use a contro! like ‘the one in the photo at right. No. 16 exception—nottherule. FEATURES. Anothertthing that's NOISE TEST.SO what: I do is worth considering before buying fireup the tool in the store. After a tool is the features it has that all, if it’s too loud in a wide open ean contribute to quieter opera- space, it's not going to get any tion. Thisis especially true of the ‘quieter when you bring it into a motor, drive system, and the small shop. speed of operation. A Universal Motor. Because it & Induction Motor. A heavy mo- operates at high speed, a too! tor housing and slower speed con- with a universal motor runs louder. tribute to a quieter running tool. A Gear-Driven. A too! that irans-_& Belt-Driven. A belt-driven tool fers power through a system of offers a quieter method of getting gears tends to run louder. power from the motor to the blade. A Variable Speed. Arouter witha _& Speed Control, To reduce the built-in variable speed control can RPM's (and noise) ofa fixed speed be set to run siower and quieter. router, use a speed control unit, ShopNotes 25