ntents

ToolTest:

Dovetallfigs
Half-blinds,throughsand combos-these jigs can

66
make you an evenmore versatilewoodworker.

HomeTheater 48
Oh yesyou can! Build this grand,expertly
designedentertainmentcenterevenin a
small shop.

Building
anAssemblyTable
74
A tricked-out assemblytableis a shop rat's
dream come true.

Shaker
Sewing
Cabinet 82
Sewingnotions,photographs,magazines-
everyone'sgot stuffto storein this versatilecabinet.

LippedDrawers
A foolprool step-by-stepapproachto making
91
thesedrawerswith your half-blind dovetailjig.

ToolTest:
Compound
SlideMiterSaws
Accuracy,capacityand portability all in one tool.
We did the testand picked the best. 98

page 91 page 98
American Woodworker o e c e v g E2R
ooo
 Contents
DEPARTMENTS

EDITOR KenCollier
& Answer
9 Question
ASSOCIATE EDITORS TomCaspar, TimJohnson,
DaveMunkittrick
C O N T R I B U T IE
George Vondriska
ARTDIRECTORS
NDGI T O RESdK r a u s e ,

Patrick Hunter, VernJohnson,

14 WorkshopTips
BarbaraPederson

22 Product
Reviews
G R A P H IDCE S I G N
INTERN S h e l l eMy oen
COPYEDITOR MaryFlanagan
FACT C H E C K I NSGP E C I A L I S
NTi n aC h i I dJso h n s o n
PRODUCTION TEAMJudyRodriguez, BillSympson

28 FinishingTips
SHOPASSISTANTS BenDavis, Jefftarson,
Al McGregor
R E A D ESRE R V I CSEP E C I A L I R
ST o x iF
eilipkowski
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS LoriCallister.
ShelliJacobsen
P U B L I S H E RM i c h a e P
A D V E R T I S I NS
l .R e i l l y
GA L E SD I R E C T O R R i c KS t r a l a c e 34 - TheWayWoodWorks
MARKETING Dl RECTORRobertCalandruccio
B U S I N E S SM A N A G E RL a r r yC h u
TheVirtues
of No.1Com
SHOW MANAGERJonathanFrank(215-862-9081)
A M E R I C A NW O O D W O R K ESRH O WB O O T HS A L E S

44 Small
ShopTips
KristenMetzner(215) 321-9662 ext 42
PROM0TIONMANAGERAndreaVecchio
P R O M 0 T I 0 NC 0 0 R D I N A T O R
J o a n n eN o 6
ADVERTISI NG COORDl NAT0RSusanBordonaro

1 10 BlueHighwayTips
A D V E R T I S IS
NAGL E S
260 Madison Ave.,NewYork,NY10016;21.2-850-7226
CHICAGOJim Ford(312)540-4804 jumbo
From Texas:a steadyrest
WESTCOAST CarlMischka(949)759-3450
NEWYORK DavidClutter(212)850-7124,TuckSifers for your lathe.
(212)850-7197
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING TheMcNeillGmup,
Inc.
el5)321-$62
PUBLISHED B Y H O M ES E R V I CP EU B L I C A T I O NI S
a subsidiaryof the Reade/sDigestAssociation,Inc.
N ,C . , 125;IL?ilHpered
Les page 34
EDITOR-lN-CHI EF GaryHavens
O F F I C EA D M I N I S T R A T I VM
EA N A G E RA I i c eG a r r e t t
V I C EP R E S I D E NUT. S, .M A G A Z I NFEINANCE
Joseph Williams
V I C EP R E S I D E NCTI R
, CULATIO UN S,M A G A Z I N E
PUBLISH INGCraigReynolds
DIRECTOR OF0PERATIONS Thomas Tzoucalis
V I C EP R E S I D E N
GTL O B AALD V E R T I S I N G
RESEARCH Wayne Eadie
Q U A L I TCY0 N T R OM L A N A G EERr n i e
Salto
PRESIDEN UTS,M A G A Z I NPEU B L I S H I N G
Gregory G.Goleman
C H A I R M ACNH , IEF E X E C U T IOVFEF I C E R
Thomas 0. Ryder How to reachus
A m e r i c aW n o o d w o r k e r( @
I S S N1 0 7 4 - 9 1 5 2 ;U S P S0 7 3 8 - 7 1 0 )i s
We welcome your comments, suggestions,or com-
publishedseventimes a yearin February, April,June,August,octo-
ber,November, and Decemberby HomeServicePublications, Inc. plaints. Write to us at: American Woodworker,
2 9 1 5 C o m m e rD s r i v eS
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American Woodworker D E c E M B2Eo R

oo
 E d i tueydW i l l i s B o w m a n

Oue$lon&
Planing
Without Jointing
Anr ,\
Q. Help! For the lifeof me,l cant get - l-::.r
the twist out of rough lumberwhen '.. tt: t',:1

I run it through my planer.I don't \\.i

own a jointeryet,but isnt there some
irll ,
way to makeflat boardswith a planer?
$
Larry Beaucom
North Bend.OR
r; ii

A. As the sayinggoes:"Garbage in,

garbageout." Normally,a planer can't
takethe twist out of a board; it merely
makesthe top sideparallelto the bot-
tom. To geta board flat without a join-
>"'".:
ter, fool the planer into thinking the
bottom of your board is alreadyflat.
Build a sledfrom two 3/4-in.
mediumdensityfiberboard
, (MDF) shelves.

5.1;.-o"Ql
v\-
These shelvesare cheap and widely shallow cuts, run the board through
z
E available.TWoof them make a really the planer until youve cleanedup the
o

z stiff sled.Shim the high spotswith top side.Then flip the board over and
TWO MDF SHELVES
t
playing cardstaped to the sled.Using planeto thickness.
;
I
L

I
c

z
What Wood ls That?
Q. I'vegot a bet to settle.I think our look at a magnified view of its end that doesnt pan out you can havethe
U
)
J antique chest is made of American grain. You can use a powerful hand wood analyzedfor free at the Forest
I
a pine and my wife believesit's Scandi- lensand BruceHoadley'sbook"Iden- ProductsLab,but there'sa long wait.
2
F
nav ians pr uc e .H o w c a n I fi n d o u t tifying Wood" (ThuntonPress,$32),
O

E what wood it reallyisl or the ForestProducts Laboratory Forest Products Laboratory

o
Center forWood Anatomy Research
F
E Mi k eK i n d e rs l e y Wood I.D.Website,listedat right.The One Gifford PinchotDrive
E
B i s h o p v i l lS
e ,C problem is, softwoodsare especially M a d i s o n , W l5 3 7 0 5
c
a
tough to positivelyidentify. (608) 23 l-9200,fax (608) 23t-9592
www.fpl.fs.fed. us/WoodlD/idfact.htmI for
o
F A. Color,textureand odor canhelp in You can alsotry taking a sampleof complete identification.
c;
o
F identification,but the only scientific end grain to your local Extension
o

way to verify what wood you haveis to Officeand let them takea crackat it. If

Alne rican Woodworke r D E C E T \ 42BoEoRo

 Q u e s t i o n& A n s w e r

DovetailJig Set-Up
Q. I've fallenin love with my dovetailrouter jig,but my
bigfrustrationis settingthe depth of the dovetailbit each
time. I'vetried measuringhow muchthe bit shouldstick
out, but that's awkward and I spendtoo much time on
trial and error test cuts.ls there an easierway?
RaymondDell
WoodlandPark,Ml

A. Put awayyourruler! Next time you cut dove-

tails,setyour bit directly from a gaugeon the jig's
mounting board.Youll need a mounting board
that'sabout8-in.longerthan thejig. Cut a 1/8-in.
deep-rabbetalongone edgeon the tablesaw, then
attachthe jig. Setup the jig and adjustthe dove-
tail bit to its properdepthby trial and error.While
holding the router baseagainstthe edgeof the jig's
mounting board, cut a dovetail-shapedgroove.
Next time you want to usethe jig, simply extend
the dovetailbit until it fits perfectly into the dove-
tail groove.You'reset!

ory, Rugged, and Reliable.

b Site That's Built Like
A DnWAIT Tool.

. t*.**:f*,iael!*t

'ti The new DTWALT

i, store has a com plet e
ry DTWALTselectionof
f over 13oo products.
Fe Seethenewestcordless
ffi tootsand the hard-to-
W ' f i n d w o o d w o r k i n ga c c e s -

ffiffiffim
r INCRA Gauge r INCRA
|t4iter
Systems
Tabler INCRA
Router
Systems Fence
Fence
Saw I INCMPrecision
Table
Systems Measuring
Systems
f sories.Our heavy-dutyproduct
i n f o r m a t i o ni n c l u d i n gc u s t o m e r
ratingsand reviewswill hetpyou
setectthe rightproducts.

We Mcke Accuracy Ecsy. Visit the DeWALT

storeat
-"
Taylor Design Group, Inc. P.O.Box 810262, Dallas, fi 75381
l,lfifw.amazon.com/d ewalt
Tel:(972)4r8-4sr1Fax:(972\243-4277 www. inCra. COm chop saws dritls grinders hammer
drilts planers routers the DTWALT
store
screwguns vacuums saw btades
 Q u e s t i o n& A n s w e r

Worn Drawers
Q . I ' v e n o t i c e di n s o m e
ant ique c hes t s o f d ra w e rs
that the pine drawer sides
ar e r eally wor n. I w a n t to
build a chest of drawers
meantfor dailyusebut don't
want the drawers to wear
awaybefore my grandchildrenget to
use it. ls there a way to build better,
long-lasting drawers?
SteveMaxwell
Shenandoah,
PA
A. Yes,there is. Furniture makers
often used wood that was fairly soft
for drawersidesbecauseit waseasyto
work with. These sides wore away
becausethe pine couldn't handle the
repeatedrubbing of softwood on soft
wood. (As a cure,some Shakercabi-
n et m ak er sev en tri e d ta p e ri n g th e
drawersidesto make a wider bearing
surface, as shown
above.)Sidesmadefrom a soft wood
arestill a good idea,but for the longest-
lasting drawers,add a strip of wear-
resistantwood onlywhereneeded:on
the bottomof the drawerside.
Beforebuilding the drawer sides,
gluea ll4-in. strip of a hard wood to
the bottom of the drawersideblanks.
Build the runnersfrom the samewood.
Why not make the sides entirely
from a hard wood?Herearethreegood
reasons:
I Softerwoodsarelessexpensive.
I It's much easierto cut dove-
tailsin a soft wood.
I Softwoodsusuallyweighless,
causinglesswear.fW
Ask Us
Ifyou havea questionyou'd like answered,
send it to lrs at: Question 8g Answer,
Anrerican Woodworke r, 29 | 5 Commers
Drive, Suite 700, Eagan, MN 55!21.
Sorry but the volume of mail preventsus
from answeringeachquestion individually.

"All tools '.' '

tl:i.qi::: :! i:
:irltr:rr.,:,:
g the New Delta Store.

Thp into the

hethis Power of the Pros.
The new Dettastorehas over5oo productsfrom a
complete[ine-upof unisawsto thosehard-to-find
machineryattach ments.Extensive producti nforma-
TheAccu-MiteP tion includingcustomerratingsand reviewswill
helpyouchoosethe righttoolforthejob.We'l[even
is a professional
mitergaugethat
makespertect
'rt*e deliverto yourdoorfor only$S.gg.
- -":
.....-*'*,-*...,,,.
angleseasily. i./a
Shot-pinaction
assurdsdead-on
accuracyfor
commonans,les -
tu
ptusa prectse ffi$?i.?
protractorscalefor We do notrecommend operating
without
71ryrtrj
everythingin
betvveen!
thesawbladeguard,asii showihere.
USPatent#5,038,486
nary,?
Optionalaccessories:
manualclamy
. pneumaticclamy
3/8" x 3/4" miterbar- lulPINY Visitthe Deltastoreat

Blvd.,Suite200,Columbia,
800DutchSquare SC29210
l,t/lnfw.a
mazon.com/ delta
Oif ffee
table saws radial saws miter saws
brochure.1-800-382-2637/ SC 803-798-1500 scroll & band saws planers the Delta store
www. thei dscompany. com
d r i t t i n gm a c h i n e s i o i n t e r s wood shapers
From Our Readers

brkShop
rE_
ilps
DrillCentering
Jig i"'
\
There are many times when you need to
drill holesdown the centerof a board.This
drill-pressjig automaticallycentersthe bit.
With someimagination,this designcould
also be used to centeryour pieceto a saw
bladeor a router bit. PIVOTING
POINTS
The jig is made of two wooden sidebars
and two metal end pieces.Theseare joined to form a
rectangle that pivots into a parallelogram. The rectangle
is elevatedabovea pieceof MDF with washersand joined to it by screwsrunning
through the centerof the metal ends.A sacrificialbackerboard is placedunder-
neaththe rectangle.
To setup thejig,lower the bit so the tip is trappedbetweenthe woodensides.
"Squeeze" the rectangleonto the drill bit and clampthe MDF board to the drill
presstable.The drill bit will be centeredon any pieceheld by the jig.

David Swanson
Tustin,CA

Clothespin
Pencil
Finding a sharpenedpencil in my shop was hopeless. The
more pencilsI left around,the more theyd disappear!So,I
made a pencil that can be clipped anywhereby attachingit
to a clothespin.Now I haveone clipped to everyblastgate,
near the phone and on my apron.

Mark Sf f ir d
Edgartown, Mar tha'sVineyard, M A
^o,, .{t:i::

{6J-o*****-hli:'

If youhaveanoriginal\florkshopTip, sendit to uswith a sketch

or photo.'S7'e
pay$200for eachoneweprint.Sendto:
WorkshopTips, AmericanVoodwo rker, 2915 Commers
CHISELV-NOTCH
Drive, Suite700, Eagan,MN 55f 21. Submissions cantbe
returned and become our property upon accepranceand payment.

t4 American Woodworker DECEI/B

2 oEoRo
 IHt lttw GRAFISilt[l| W o r k s h o pT i p s R
PRoIESSr0lr[l
ltltr \,
--{L
{7
{t it*
xI
-?
v
!

ALIGNMENT
PIN

6"$;
e ,I.

CuttingTenons
on LongBoards
I built a bed with rails 6-in. wide and more than 80-in.long. I neededto cut tenons
on eachend of theseboardsbut the boardsweretoo long to cut on the tablesaw.
This jig allowsme to router-cut tenonson any length board. It alsoallowsboth the
cheeksand facesof the tenonsto be cut in one setup.
To cut the tenons,first I mark mylayout lines on eachboard.The guideblocks
are setsquareto an edgeof the board and clamped.Running a router againstthe
pinned blocks,I make a shallow"skim cut" on all four sidesto preventchip-out.
I sneakup to the layoutlineswith additional deepercuts.Whenthe last cut is com-
pleted,I make a fewmore passesto developthe length of the tenon.I removethe
uncut end of the board with a handsaw.
Finally,I test-fit the tenon into the mortise and take additional cuts on the
tenon to make a good fit.
Otto Beasler
Cedar Rapids,IA

BobbyPinBnd Holder
Here'sa classictip that'sworth repeating:
The last time I nailed molding to a pieceof furniture I whacked -ythumb with
the hammer.It'stough to hold a smallbrad in a tight place.IVe tried to hold a brad
by piercing it through cereal-boxcardboardbut the cardboardblocked my view.
My simple solution is to usea bobby pin to hold the nail in place.Not only is my
thumb gratefulbut I can seethe point of the brad to boot.

SEARS THE GOOD LIFE

SteveMoroukian
Goshen,IN
ATA CREATPRICE
*Maximumtorque CUARANTEEDS"
l6 A m e r i c a nW o o d w o r k e r D E C E M B E2RO O O
 WorkshopTips

VacuumClamp
Last winter I made the snowflake ornaments featured in AW #70,
December1998,page7l.The construction went well but sandingthe
thin snowflakesproved difficult.I tried double-sidedtapebut remov-
ing the tape from the flakeswas more trouble than it was worth. I
deviseda holder that would both anchor the snowflakesand remove

the sanding dust. The snowflakes sit

in a pocket above a closed cavity
connected to my shop vacuum. The
vacuum flowing through the holes in
the cavi ty bel ow securel y holds
the snowflake and removes any
sanding dust.
Iim Culler
BeIIvilIe,OH

Metallhtectorfor
RecycledLumber
When you use recycled lumber from
old buildings, it's essentialto find any
embeddedmetal beforeyou hit itwith
your bandsaw or worse,the thickness
planer.I usea hand-held,battery oper-
ated metal detector that's reliable to a
mortise & tenons easilywith depth of 6 to 8 in.I figure ithas already
Leigh atachments. And our paid for itself several times over.
easy-to-follow user guide will
help make it happen fast! Call
The Worldts Best toll free now to learn more. AdrianFieldhouse
Rorrter loinery ligs Yorkshire,
England
Thinking Jig? Think Leigh.
'Vhether you're a hobbyist or a Source for metal detectors:White's 5900
Ioining Tladition With Today
($5OO;or their Classic3 that scans4- to 6-in.
Gallfor Yourllee LeighGatalog
Today!l-800-663-8932 deep ($350);visit theirWeb site at:
lrigh IndustriesLtd., PO Box357, Pon Coquidam,BC, CanadaV3C 4K6 Tel. 604 464-2700Eex 604 46+7404 \feb www.leighjigs.com www.wh itesmetaldetecto rs.com
or call (800) 547-691l.

,w
18 American Woodworker D E C E M B2E
ORO O
New and Interesting Shop Stuff Edited
byGeorgeVondriska

troduct
rcvlews
MoreVersatile
Pocket-Hole
Jig
Kreg Tool has developedthe latest generation of
po cket-holej igs,the brand- new K2000.With this
systemyou can drill pocket holesin both thick and
thin material in almost anyproject.
Most pocket jigs are designed to center the
pocket hole only on3l4-in.-thick material. They
just dort't work very well with material that'sthicker
or thinner. Kreg hassolvedthis proble- by creat-
irg u modular system.Youadapt to different thick-
nessesby easilyadding or removing spacers.Now
you can make pocketsthat arecenteredrnll2in.,
314in. and I-Il2-in.-thick material.
Drilling in a variety of thicknessesrequiresyou
to reposition the stop collar on the drill bit. Kreg
has incorporated a depth-collar guide, built into
the support wings, to make setting the collar easy.
The K2000 also allows you to varythe spacing
of the pocket holesacrossthe width of your mate-
rial. Three holes,lined with hardened-steeldrill
guides,allowyou to spaceholesat9ll6 in., 7/8 in.,
or l-7116-in. on center.The drill guides carry
Kreg'slifetime warranty.
The K2000comeswith:
. two wing supports for wide or long material
Y
. a portable Mini Kreg that can be clamped to U)
E
6
z
your work and used in place
U
. aface clamp to help with assemblingparts
o
u
. a 3/8-in. drill bit o
z.
. a casefor the (w)hole thing! z
u)
This tool solveslots of screwpocket problems, s
and is priced competitivelyat $150. U
c

The Mini Kreg with a face clamp. o

E

$ 146 o
2
KregTool tr
U
(800) 447-8638 E
6
F
www.kregtool.com G

22 American Woo dwo rker D E C E M B2E

ORO O
Product Reviews
Revolution
aryLaminate
TrimBit
I hate cleaning contact cement from The Euro-Trimmer,$30, seemsto
bearingson flush-trim bits when I'm havesolvedtheseproblemsby adding
working with plastic laminate.I also a squareTeflonbearingto a flush-trim
hateit when thosebearingsscratchthe bit. According to the manufacturer,
laminatedsurfacethey'reriding on. glue won't stick to the Teflon,so you

neverget glue build up. Another ben-

efit is that the Teflon won't scratchthe
laminateon adjacentsurfaces.

$30
Euro Limited
(800) 877-EURO
www.eurolimited.com

User-Friendlv
BladeGlean6r

Saygood-byeto causticbladecleaners.
CMT'S Formula 2050 Blade and Bit
Cleaner($12for l8 oz.) is completely
non-toxic, non-flammable and
biodegradable.
I've usedthis stuff on tablesawand
band sawblades,router bits and drill
bits.Spritzit on,let it setfor five minutes
and wipe clean.It alsoleavesa thin film
on the cutter to act asa lubricant.

$t2
CMT
(888)CMTB|TS
www.cmtusa.com
 ProductReviews
Heavy-Duty . European-stylehingesthat allow the
insert to pivot up out of the table to
you needlots of support to preventthe
router from tipping.

Router
Table makerouter adjustmentsor bit changes
easier.The hinges quickly releasefrom $r 2 0

Insert their mounts,so you can usethe insert

like an oversizedrouter basein hand-
Excalibur
(800)3s7-4
| r8
held operations.This is handy when

Y
a
e.
o
z

(,
@

E
o

-
TS
o
L

Excalibur'sversatileEXRT2 router table

insert ($tZOl comeswith 1-3l16in.,
2-518in. and 3-718-in.dia.removable-
steelinsert rings.Theseinsert rings can
accommodatea variety of bit diameters
and make routing saferbykeeping the
openingassmall aspossiblefor the bit
BIESEMEYER'
yodre using. Serving Discrimincrting
In addition to the handy insert rings,
the EXRT2'salso features:
Woodworkers for More Thctrr
. A steelplate that's 9164-in.thick and
measuresll-314 in. by 18in. It'shard to
Two Decqdes!
imagine this heavy-duty plate bend- It's our 20th AnniversCIry, ond we wqnt to congrqt-
ing, even under the heaviestrouter. ulqte qnd thqnk the thouscnds of woodworkers who
. A center plate (where your router hcrve chosen BIESEMryER@qccessories for their
attaches)that'slasercut to preciselyfit the shops throughout the yecrs,
main plate.It restson jackscrews,so it can
be micro-adjustedfor perfectalignment
We toke pride in producing the origincl T-Squcne@
with the main plate.Youll need to drill
scrw fence system qnd other quclity woodworking
mounting holes for your router in the
qccessories thot hqve set the standard since 1980,
center plate,but the included centering ond continue todcry to be the fcnrorite of discriminat-
goid. makesit easytokeepyour router in ing woodworkers everywhere.
the middle of the plate.
The origincl qnd still the best

BIESEMEYER'
Mcrdewith pride in the U.S.A.
Y
Contqct us or visit our web site
E,
o
z.
for the nqme of otu distributor necrrestyou.
U

U
l-800-782-183
I
o

I
Web Site:www,biesemeyer.com
E E-Mcril: mcril@biesemeyer,com
F

I
 P r o d u c tR e v i e w s
SturdyFolding
R outer
Table
Sturdyand folding?Yep,Boschhasdoneit. The first time I sawthis tableI keptlean-
+--._,. ing on it trying to get it to tip. Didn't happen.One legevenhasan adjustablefoot
4S*q
d}-..,-
to help compensate for unevenfloors.
The fenceon this table is well designedand reminds me of a heavy-duty
',.'r
shaperfence.The guardis adjustable, so it canbe kept in positionoverthe cutter
\./t at all times.Shimsareincludedso the outfeedsideof the fencecanbe offset.Youll
f1
need to offset a router fence if you use a bit that cuts into the width of your
material,for examplewhenjointing an edge.The fenceacceptsa2-ll2-in.dust col-
lectionhose.
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2ROOO
E d i t eudyT i m fohnson

Flnbhins rF_
llPs
ReuseYour REUSABLE
SPIRITS

Mineral Spirits
When you use solvent-based finishes, brush cleaning is a
$
pain.It's costly and the dregs you end up with are more I r'"t-------
P
{
'G:'-'*" -
than a nuisance-they could be toxic. Luckily, you can j
SETTLED.OUT
savethe dirty spirits and use them over and over.You ll get t] SLUDGE
i
clean brushes, savemoney and practice conservation at
the same time. Here'show:
VARNISHSETTLES OUT of mineralspiritsquickly.Withina
coupleof daysafter cleaninSout a brushthe spiritsare clean
enoughto use again.Repeatedreuseof the samespirits
ITTAKESTHREERINSES and lots of mineralspiritsto clean
resultsin a layeredbuildupof sludge.
varnishfrom a brush.But,if you savethe spiritsfrom previous
cleanings and reusethem as the first two rinses,you'llonly
Be sure to provide adequate ventilation
needa smallamountof cleanspiritsfor the finalrinse.
whenever you work with mineral spirits. Store
Keep separatesealedcontainersfor each rinse of recycled
them in a safe place, away from the risk of fire
spirits.Becausethe first rinse removesmost of the varnish,its
and out ofthe reach ofkids and pets.
containeraccumulates most of the sludgeand the spiritstake
longerto renewthemselves.The spiritsin the secondrinse
containlessresidue,and revivequickly.Pour the spiritsused
for the finalrinseinto the second-rinse container.Numbering
helpsyou keep the containersstraight.
The first rinsecontainereventually getsfull of sludge.
Disposeof it properly (see recommendationat right) and
replaceit with the second-rinse container.
Then start a new containerfor the
secondrinse.

s
3RDRINSE
2ND RINSE
lST RINSE

. LOTSOFSLUDGE
qG."'

American Woodworker o r c r u a E 2Ro o 0

 F i n i s h i nTgi p s
SealPorousEnd Grain
with Epoxy
Outdoor furniture will last longer if
the legscant wick up moisture from the
ground.A thin-bodied epoxysoaksin
the best.Hobby storesusuallycarry it
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30 American Woodworker
e Your Own Wood Putty
Tired of neverhaving freshwood puty faster,but putty madewith them tends
when you need it? You've probably to dissolve under a fresh topcoat of
opened a can and found its contents the samefinish.
dried out, unusableor the wrong color. Apply the dough with a putty knife
If you plan to usea clearfinish,you and let it dry (at leastovernight)before
can make your own putty from sand- sanding.Under a clearfinish, this putty
ing dust (savesomewhen you'resand- closelymatchesthe wood tone,although
ing your project) and varnish.Justmix it may be a slightly darker color.
the two into a thick dough by adding
the varnish to the dust,a little at a time.
Varnish makes a good binder. Even
though it takesa long time, oncedry, it
staysdry. Shellacand lacquer may dry
runniest one. It'll probably have an
extendedopen time.If you get too exu-
berant and drip epo)cFover the edges,
cleanit offwith acetonebeforeit cures.
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Make SurfaceChecksDisappear
Don't let smallsurfacecheckskeepyou from usingan oth-
erwisegood board. Got a minute?You can make those
checksdisappear.
Squeeze cyanoacrylate (CA) glueinto the crack.CA glue
worksbetterthan yellowgluebecauseit driesvery quickly.
Any brand of gap-fillingCA gluewith a 5- to 15-second
opentime will work (about$5 at homecentersand hardware
stores).Usea tip with a pin-sizedhole (you cangetreplace-
ment tips for 50 centsat hobby stores).
Immediatelysandthe area,
mixing sandingdustwith the
glueand packingit in the cav-
ity. Keep sanding until the
crack is filled and the excess
glueis removed.You may need
to repeatthe process. Undera
finish, the sandingdust/glue
mixture is almost invisible.
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32 A me rican Woocl$'orker D E C E T \ 428O

EORO
The Way Wood Works byrimJohnson
andEdKrause

The
Vl rtu
of No.
Com - ,.{E

l.;;r
Yr.
Sovemoneyby
usingboords
thot oren't
perfect.
DEFECTSDON'T MAKEA BOARD DEFECTIVE;just cheaper.lf your project callsfor
\ A fant to make your head spin? smallparts,likestilesand rails,lumberthat'sgradedNo. I Common is an economical
Y Y Justtry to figure out how hard- choice.Youcan harvestperfectlygood piecesby cutting around the knots.
wood lumber is graded.Lumber is such z
z
an incredibly diversematerial that there =
E
U
d)
are enough grades,rules for grading N O. I C OMMON tS source for narrow stock, perfect for I

and exceptionsto the rules to make GREAT FOR FURNITURE moldings, or stiles and rails for face Y

=
t
you dizzy.Professionallumb er graders Thkea look at No. I Common lumber. frames and frame-and-panelstruc- I
L

use standards,administered by the It costsa lot lessthan the higher grades tureslike doors or cabinetsides.Youll E

F
National Hardwood Lumber Associa- becausethe boards are smaller and also find boards in the common pile I
L

tion, to classifyeveryboard.Whileyou
dont need to be a pro, knowing,the
differencebetweenNo. 1 Common and
they've got some knots and other that are w i de, w i th enoug h clear z
U
defects.They alsocontain a lot of per- lengthsbetweendefectsto makegood-
fectly clearmaterial.Youjust haveto be looking panels,cabinetsidesor small )
U

tr
the higher "select"gradescan keepyou willing to buy a little extra stock and tabletops. a
o
z
from wasting your money. spend some time working with it. It E
U

Everybodylikesto buy"the bestl'But can be a challengeto figure out how to YOU CAN FIND TREASURE , F
- z
l
T

when choosinglumber,it'sa mistaketo harvest the piecesyou need, but it's BOARDS IN NO. I COMMON Y r

E
pay top dollar for big, clear boards if also enjoyable and rewarding when No. 1 Common lumber often contains F
L

you'regoing to cut them up into small you do. striking grain and figure patternsthat 2
F
pieces.Thebest boards to buy aren't No. 1 Common lumber is well suited areusuallyabsentin the selectgrades. U
t
'alwaysthe most expensiveones. to furniture making.It's an economical That's becausethese "abnormalities"
o
F
E

34 American Woodworker DECEMB

20E 0R0
 The Way Wood Works

often occur around knots and near THE REAL DTFFERENGE: A

other natural defects.With selectiveor
innovative cutting,you can removeand
showcasethem. Or perhapsyou prefer
a look that includesknots, splits and
natural edges.Common grade boards
can be downright beautiful, making
more expensivehigher grade boards
look plain by comparison!
PRETTY FACE
Whenyoulook at a chartof thevarious
lumbergrades (Fig.A,page42),No.1
Commonappearsto bea full tt p lower
than Selectsand Better.But look
closely-the differenceis reallyonly a
half step.
andBetter(thehighest
First,Selects

FINDING HIDDEN BEAUTY in an unsightlyboard is rewarding and well worth the

head-scratchingit takes.ln spite of serious end checks,an awkward grain pattern and
a waney edge,the $8 piece of No. I Common walnut shown above contains all the
parts for an eye-catchingcabinet door.There'sstraight grain for stiles and rails and a
piece that, when resawn,made a great bookmatched panel.No. I Common boards
often contain unusualgrain and interestingcolor and figure.Becausethese usually
occur around defects,you arent as likely to find them in the higher (clearer) grades.

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 The WayWoodWorks
$ 1 0 00 F
S/B BASSWOOD
30 BD' Fr'
;{ gradeyou'relikely to seeat most lumberyards)
isnt the highestgrade.It'sa combinationof the
top threegrades(think Selectsand better).To
make Selectsand Better,boardsonly needto
meetthe minimum requirementsof Selects.
Second,boards are alwaysgradedon
both faces.Here'sthe rub: To grade
only one faceof a board hasto
Selects,
makethe top grade(Firstsand Sec-
- onds; another combination).The
other face only has to make No. I
Common.That meansthe difference
betweenNo. I Common and Selectsand
Better is one (good) face!
(textcontinuedonpage40)

GET MOREWOOD FORYOURMONEY! Dependingon the
species,No. I Common lumbertypicallycosts25- to 40-
percent lessthan the next highergrade,Selectsand Better.
There are two reasonsfor this:availability
and desirability.
No. I Common boardsare cheapbecausethe raw materialis
plentiful.Most of the boardscut from a log containtoo many
naturaldefectsto makethe top grades,and boardswithout
defectsare rare. No. I Common boardscost lessbecause
they containa fair amount of unusablematerial.You8et a
price break becauseyou haveto buy up to 30 percent more
to compensatefor the waste.Don't worry!The math usually
works out in your favor.BuyingNo. I Common is almost
alwayscheaper.
 -l

The Way Wood Works

83%YIELD

.
67%YIELD

EXPECT LESSCLEAR LUMBER,but dont be surprised when you get more.

No. I Common grade allows defectsto occupy up to one third of the board.
But like any grade,it contains boards that barely qualify (boaom) and boards
that just missedbeinggraded higher (top).

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 TheWayWoodWorks

T H EN A T U R E
O FN O .1 C O M M O N
LUMBER

No. I Common boardsusuallycome from the

interior of large logs or from small logs.The
center of a log,or pith,is unusable.Boardscut
near the pith contain more defects.Boards
from smalllogsare either narrow or cut close
to the pith.
Expect to find these defects,alone or in
combination, when you look at No. I common:
. Knots.The boardsare likelyto haveseveral
knots,clustered,looseor evenopen.
. Bark. There'll be edgescontainingbark
(wane),includingup to one third of a board!
width and up to halfof its length.Light-colored
':s{ss$sdd}qr:
sapwood,typical in cherry (shown)andwalnut,
isnt considereda defectwhen grading.You'll just
WANE
SAPWOOD find more of it in No. I Common becauseof the
smallerlogs.
. Bad ends. All it takesto drop a board into
No. I Common gradeis one bad end.Longor
numerouschecksand clustersof knots that
extend more than l2 in.are typical.
. Warp.The boards can be bowed,crooked,
cuppedor twisted,as longasthe clearcuttings
from them canbe planedflat on two sidesto the
U N U S A B LE
ENDS standardsurfacedthickness( | 3/ | 6 in.for l-in.
rough stock,for example).

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 The WayWoodWorks

While having a good faceis important, the close-

nessin quality betweenthesegrades,comparedwith
the differencein price,makesNo. I Common worth
considering.Remember, just assomeof thoseexpen-
siveSelectsand Betterboardsare going to haveone
No. I Common side,someof the cheaperNo. I Com-
mon boardsmay haveone facethat'sa gem.

WHEN SELEGTSAND BETTER

IS BETTER
It makessenseto buy big, defect-freeboardsfor big,
smooth surfaces,such as table- or desktops,plank-
stylecabinetsidesor perhapsa head- or footboard.
A group of Selectsand Betterboardsmayhavemore
consistentcolor and grain patterns.Defect-free
boards are lessdistracting to look at and generally
easierto work with. Working with No. I Common
takestime and patience.

SOMENO. I COMMONISVERY CLEAR, butsimply

shortor narrow.lf a boardis under6-ft.long,or less
than4-in.wide,it wont qualifyfor a highergrade.

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 #1C MAPLE
The WayWoodWorks
s/BWALNUT

HEARTWOOD

#1C WALNUT

DARK.COLORED H EARTWOOD
typicalin maple,birch and ash,isn't
considereda defect unlessthe board is
also specifically
gradedfor light color.'
You'llfind considerabledark-colored
heartwood in No. I Common gradesof
these species,just as you'll find more
light-coloredsapwoodin No. I Common
cherry and walnut.

LOWER GRADING STANDARDSapplyto walnut and its closecousin

butternut,allowingsmallerboardsand more defects.Andunlikeother
species,the best side of a walnut board is usedto determine its grade.In
general,gradingrules are tailored to specificspecies.Walnut trees usually
don't get to be giants,so the typicallog is undersized.That
fact is considered
when the boardsare graded.

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 The WayWoodWorks

FlG.A BasicGradeRequirements
for Hardwoods
TheNationalHardwood grading
LumberAssociation's A board'grade
s depends
on the numberandsi zeof the c lear
standards arebasedon the assumption thateveryboardwill piecesit contains,
Aesthetics
aren'tconsidered.
/W
be cut intodefect-free pieces,
called"cuttings,"for useas
fu r nit ur ceom pon e n ts .

Minimum Minimum Size MaximumGuttings

Board of Clear Pieces
E (FAS)
FirstsandSeconds 6-in.widex 8-ft.longr 83to | 00% 4-in.x 5-ft.or 3-in.x 7-ft. 4
o
tt
FirstOne Face(F1F) SameasFAS'r Eachfacegradedsepararely:One
facemustmakeFASgrade.
(SEL)
Selects 4-in.widex 6-ft long Thesecond facegrades
#1C.
Selects
andBetter(SEL/BTR) 4-in.widex 6-ft long - 4-in.x 5-ft.or 3-in.x 7-ft.-
83to 100% 4i
(combinesFAS,F1FandSEL) 67to 83%,,, 4-in.x 2-ft.or 3-in.x 3-ft.** 5 **

No.1 Common(#1C) 3-in.widex 4-ft.long 67 to 83% 4-in.x 2-ft.or 3-in.x 3-ft. 5

s
.t
t
No.2Common
(#2C)
No.3 Common(#3C)
3-in.widex 4-ft.long
3-in.widex 4-ft.long
50 to 67%
33to 50%
3-in.x 2-ft.
3-in.x 2-ft.
7
unlimited
-\ Smaller boards allowed in some species * On best face

t D e p e n d s o n p a r t i c u l a r s p e c i e sb e i n g g r a d e d {"r On worst face

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6
 Hold lt! Roll lt! Hanglt! Store lt! Edite
bdyD a v e M u n k i t t r i c k

rnallShop
I

Itrrs
rlF u utitizeYour
cornerspace
If you use a l ot of sheetstock l i ke I do, you
know what a problemstoragecanbe.A growing
colony of sheetgoods,offcutsand scrapforced
me to get organizedand build this lumber rack.
The rack makesperfectuse of wastedcorner
spacewithout taking up a lot of floor and wall
space.The centerslot can handlefull sheetsof
HOLLOW.
CORE DOORS
plywood and the two outsideslotswork for par-
tial sheetsand scrap.Iaddedshelvesin one cor-
ner for generalstorageand left the other open for

I'
t
stackinglumber vertically.
Hollow-core doors make perfectdividers
I lx4CLEAT becausethey're flat, smooth and cheaperthan
t^/ plywood.I usedtwo 36-in.and two 24-in.doors

F
t
for my rack. If you'relucky,you can find usedor
damageddoors really cheap.Even with new
doors,the entirerack canbe built for lessthan $80.

JohnLinden
Butte,MT

1-3/8"HOLLOW-
C O R ED O O R S

1X4 CLEAT

If you have an original Small ShopTip, send ir to us with 1X4 CLEAT

a sketchor photo.'Wepay $200 for eachone we print. R U NL O N G
Sendto: Sdall Shop Tips, American'WoodworLer, FOR SHELVES 1X2 SUPPORTS
2915 Commers Drive, Suite 700, E"g*, MN 55f2f .
Subrnissions cant be returnedand becomeour property
upon acceptanceand payment.

A r n e r i c a n W o o d r , r ' or k e r o t c E v B E2Ro o o
 i

*_--l'd-"*'

Up and Away
I'vefound the perfectplaceto storesmallquantitiesof long,
narrowoffcutsand moldings-right overmy head!I've got
opentrussesin my garageshop(high ceilingsin thebasement
work too),so I built this setof overheadstorageracks.I used
2x6sfor the hangersand doubledup 314-in.plywoodfor the
angledsupports.The angledsupportskeep the lumber
securelyin place.
Note:Tiussesaren'tdesignedto carry hear,yweightson the
bottom members.Usethis rack only for light material.

OliverMiller
Atlanta,GA

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2Eo oRo
 Evenso,this is not a beginnerproject.A
familiarity with building panel doors and
drawersaswell asinstalling Euro-stylehard-
ware are a must (seeFor More Information,
page61).Youll needa tablesaw, router,miter
saw, jigsaw, planer, drill and a brad nailer to
build this project.
Installing a home theatermay require hir-
ing a pro to do the following:
. Reinstallthe carpetingaround the cabinet.
. Wire a dedicated20-amp circuit.
. Move blocked air registers.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
We went all out with this home theater.It's
lz-ft.long with room for a 53-in. projection
TV all the electronic gear a person could
wish for and tons of storagespace.
The surround-sound system consistsof
five speakers:left and right channelspeakers,
a center channel speaker,a sub-woofer and
two surround speakers.The speakercabi-
nets not only hide the speakers,but keep
them up off the floor for maximum sound
quality. The sub-woofer sits on the floor
behind a dummy drawer bank in the storage
cabinet.The sound is ventedthrough the side
of the cabinet into the lower section of the
speakercabinet.
Too Big for Your Living Roomt
Youcan easilydownsizethe unit to about 7 ft.
3 in. by dropping the equipment and storage
TV CABINET
50 American Woodworker D E C E M B2E
oRoo
cabinets.Your electronic gear can be kept
anywhere as long as it can be wired to the
infrared remote sensor in the TV cabinet
(Fig.F).A closet,anotherwall in the room or
even a different room are all possibilities.
The non-directionalsub-woofercan alsogo
anywherein the room.
UNTQUE CONSTRUCTTON
A professionalbuilder and installerof home
theatersdevelopedthe construction tech-
nique we used. Each cabinet has an inner
box made from lessexpensivebirch plywood
and joined with butt joints and screws.Only
the inside of the box is visible while the
exposedsidesare coveredby an adjoining
cabinet or sheathedwith cherry plywood
(Fig.G). The box interior is essentiallyflush
with the face frame opening. This gives a
clean look to the inside while providing an
ideal surfacefor mounting Euro-style cup
hinges and drawer slides.The face frame is
wider than the inner box, so it extendsbeyond
the sidesby 1-1/16in. One stilebutts up to the
side of an adjoining cabinetwhile the other
receivesa finished cherry side panel.
All the moldings are shop-madewith the
exceptionof the crown andbasecap.Ifyou're
planning to make the home theatera built-in,
considerordering enoughbaseand basecap
to replacethe existingbaseboardin the room.
RIGHT
EQUIPMENT
CABINET
RIGHT
SPEAKER
CABINET
tu
ffinrc
Er:ri-=ftE
ffi' ,.,,',.',,U
E'.t,,,.til
E E
Blr,, E-
. E i i : E
-.il
w
I 'E
E
E rE
ru
 Buildthe Cabinets

Usea6-in.x l6-3/4-in. Rip the beading off a wide board. Run the bead
scrap board to set the on two edgesof a wide board with a router and
fixed shelvesin the four side a 3/ | 6-in. bead cutter. Rip the bead a little thick.
cabinets.Set the bottom Run the sawn edge of the bead through a planer
shelfwith the jig,then turn to the desiredthickness.
the jig lengthwiseto set the
middle shelf.

Detail:
Beading

Build the lnner Boxes

1. Cut the 314-in sheetstock and hardwood
accordingto the Cutting List, page61.
2. Assemblethe birch inner boxes for the four
sidecabinets.(Photo I and Figs.B, C and D). The beading is a dual-purpose detail that runs insideall
the face frame openings.lt makesthe cabinetslook great
3. Rough-cutthe sound ports in the left storage
while hidingthe screw holeswhere one cabinetis joined to
and speakercabinets(Figs.B and C) and the another (Photo l8 and Fig.H).
wire accessopening in the right equipment
cabinet (Fig. C) with a jigsaw.Usethe template
shown in Photo 6 and a router to smooth
the edges.

Add Face Frames and Side Panels

4. Build the face frames and speaker cover
frames.The front edgesof the speakerframes
havea 1/8-in. round-over and are painted flat
black before they're coveredwith fabric.
5. Machinethe beading(Photo 2).
6.Attach faceframesto the speakerand equip-
ment boxesand nail on the beading(Photo 3).
T.Cutand rout the soundport in the cherry side
panel(El).
S.Attachspacerstrips (G1 and G2) to the side
panels(Photo4). Nail on beading after clampingthe face frame
9. Glue and clamp the front of the sidepanel to onto the inner box. Leavethe beodinglooseon the
thq face frame. Drill and countersink for strleswhere the cobinetis screwedto the adjoining
cobinet(Fig,.H).

American Woodworker D E c E M B2E0R0 0 51

 Buildthe Cabinets

Fasten spacer strips on the insidefaceof the Drive screws (from insidethe inner box) into
sidepanel.The spacerstripsshimout the side the spacerstrip after the finish panelis gluedand
panelso it canbe gluedflushto the faceframe. clampedonto the faceframe.

l-Llz-n.#8 screwsto attachthe panelto the innerbox

at the back(Photo5).
l0.Attach mounting strips (G3 and G4) to the TV side
of the assembledboxes(Fig.B, C and D).
T IP:"Y::Ll'3,ii;i'.ii',,
"'ln",i"o-'''
chaseopenings.This
prevents
11.Cut out the wire chasesin the equipmentcabinet any sharpedgesfrom chafing
shelves(Photo 6). the wire jackets.
12.Drill out adjustableshelf-pinholes(Photo 7).
13.Make the drawersand falsedrawerfronts (Fig.C).

INNERBOX

Cr4 Left SpeakerCabinet

Theleftchannel
speaker
sitsin the
upperhal fof thi scabi net w hi l ethe
soundportcut intothe bottomhalf
ventsthe sub-woofer's soundfrom
the leftstoragecabinet.
Note:Therightspeaker cabinetis a
mi rrori mageof the l eft,mi nusthe
soundport.

52 American Woodworker DECEMB

20E 0R0
 Build the Cabinets

Use a template and a flush pattern bit to
put a smooth edge on the cutouts (wire chases)
on the adjustableshelvesin the right equipment
cabinet(Fig.D) as well as the accessand sound
ports in the cabinetsides.
Use a template to drill holesfor shelfpins.
Shelfpin spacingshould be 314in.to minimize
wasted spacebetween components. Add
notches where the shelf rests on the pin to keep
them from being inadvertentlypulled out.

Hiddeninsidea cabinet,thesub-woofer's
boomingb asstravelsthroughopenings
betweencabinetsand thenout.
INNERBOX

Left StorageCabinet
Dummy drawer fronts hide the
sub-woofer.Set on the floor, the
deep bassof the sub-woofer is less
likelyto causevibrationsin the
cabinet itself.Eventhough the
speakeris facingforward the non-
directional sound is effectively
deliveredto the adjacentspeaker
cabinetby sound ports cut into the
cabinetsides.

Detail:
DummyDrawerFront

D R I L L6 "
MENDING
PLATE
FOR RAIL
SCREW

* DIMENSIONEXCLUDES
DUMMY DRAWERS BEAD MOLDING
COVERSUB.WOOFER

American Woodworker D E C E M B2E

0R00 53
 Build the Cabinets INNERBOX

Thelargecutouts 2.1/2' VENTILATION

provideeasy
accessto thebacks
ofyour electronic
equipment for
hassle-frttwiring,

RightEquipmentCabinet
This is the cabinetthat holds
your electronicgear.The
3-in.-deepcutouts in back of
the shelves(wire chases)allow
the wires to freely run from
one pieceof equipmentto
another.Theaccesscutout is an
invaluableaid when attaching
wires to the equipmentbacks.

- DIMENSIONEXCLUDES
BEAD MOLDING

Pilasters
Like the bead molding, pilastershave a dual
role. They add visual interest to the mono-
lithic front of the TV cabinetand they coverthe
seam between the removable face frame and
the cabinetsidestile.
@
Pilaster
Think of the pilasteras an extremely
narrow frame-and-paneldoor with
crown and basemoldingsattached.
Buildthe pilasterusingextra-wide
stiles;then rip to width (Photo 8).

Detail: Pilaster
Thepilasteris screwed to
the cabinetthroughthe
si depanelsti l e(T 10)and
the removable faceframe
sti l e(T 11)coveri ng
the
seambetweenthe two.

Rip the pilaster stiles down to their finished

width of 314in.after assembly.Theextra width
makesmachiningthe stilessaferand easier.

American Woodworker DECEMB

20E 0R0
 Buildthe TV Cabinet
Remember,the TV cabinet breaks down into
sevenpieces(Fig. H, page62) so don't useglue
where any of thesepiecesarejoined.
1. Assemblethe center channel speakerbox
and TV base.
2. Glue and clamp side panel stiles (T11) to
their respectivesides(Tt) (Fig.F).
3. Cut t he a c c e s sp o rt i n th e ri g h t-h a n d
sidepanel.
4 . A s s e m b l et h e T V c a r c a s so n i t s b a c k
(Photo9).
5. Build and attachthe faceframe and beading
(Photo 10).
6. Build the pilasters and while you're at it,
build the doors, TV bezel and dummy panel
becausethey're all made with the samestile-
and-rail cutters. Screw the side panels to theTV base box. Make
T.Attachthe pilasters(Photo 1l). sure the bottom edgesare flush.Keep the screws back
8. Cut and attach crown cap with screwsand 5-in.from the front of the cabinetwhere the base
glue (Photo I2). Note: Take care not to use moldingwill be attached.Screwthe center channel
speakerbox to the sidesfrom insidethe box. Scrapsof
gluewherethe joints disassemble(Fig.H).
ll2-in. plywood hold the interior boxes in position.
9. Cut and attachcrown molding (seeInstall the Use #8 by | - l/4-in. screws.
Crown Molding, page 57).
10.Finish trimming the TV cabinetand drill a
ll2-in.hole in the centerof the upper rail (Fig.
F) for the infrared remote.
11.Disassemble the completedTV cabinet.
l2.loinone pair of sidecabinetsto a trimmed
sidepanel of the TV cabinet(Photo 18).
13.Drill the wire-chaseholeswith a 2-ll2-in.
hole saw.
14.Add the tops to the two cabinetsand trim.
15. Disassemblethe cabinetsand repeatthe
processon the other side.
16.Disassemble, sand and finish the cabinets.
We used Cherry Watco Danish Oil and a top
coat of varnish.

T: _ ^Builda 6-314-in.
high,30-in.x 66-
platfoimto bridge
I I D]in. assembly
, anyunevennessin yourfloor.
Evenif you havea levelfloor, it's
nice to elevatethe cabinetsfor
trim work and you'll usethe Set the face frame in the cabinet opening.Drive
platform againto get the TV into screwsthrough the cleatson the center channelspeaker
the finishedcabinet(Photo 26). box into the two upper rails to attach the top of the face
frame and through theTV base box into the lower rail.

American Woodworker D E c E M B2Eo R

o0
 Buildthe TV Cabinet
DO NOTUSEGLUEHERE

Attach crown cap with screws and glue. Dont

Attach the pilasters with screws from the glue the mitered returns on the pilasters.They
back side of the face frames (see Detail: Pilaster, need to be removablefor cabinet knockdown.
page54) .A 3/4-in.spacer stick helps locate the
pilasteron the stiles.
Takea coupleof simpleboxes,
screwon
@ sides,addafaceframeandcoverthe
TV Cabinet
The snap-inTVbezeland panelsare built in the sameway asthe
seamswith pilasters.Nowyou'vegot
doors and pilasters.The mid-railO14) is heldto the bezeland
panelwith mendingplatesto form a single,snap-inpanelthat
onebigcabinet!
leavesonly theTV screenvisible.Cut strips of hardwood to fill the
troove left by the stile cutter on theTV bezel.

Tv BEZEL
FRAME

. DIMENSIONEXCLUDES
BEAD MOLDING

56 American Woodworker D E c E M B2EoRo 0

Installthe Crown Molding
Compound miters and tiny returnsmakecrown mold-
ing look hard to install. The truth is, with a utility
knife and a simple shop-madeauxiliary fence on a
miter saw,the job is no more difficult than cutting
simple miters for a picture frame.
To cut crown, it has to be held upside-down on a
miter saw,whichis handybecauseyou mark the crown
for cutting on the bottom edge.Think of the bed on the
miter sawasthe cap and the fenceasthe cabinetside.
For this sizecrown, the fencehasto be taller so the
molding can"bridgd'betweenit and the bed.To prop-
erly support the crown molding for cutting you'Il need
to build the simpleauxiliaryfenceshown in Photo 13.
Cut the long crown for the sidesand front first. Mark,
cut and fit the small pieces around the pilasters
(Photo15).
The returns aretoo small to nail, so glue them up by
hand (P hoto 16), then nai l up the l arger pi ece
(Photo17).

A shop-made auxiliary fence and bed simplifies cutting

crown molding. Make the fence and bed from ll2-in.plywood
and attach it to your saw'sfence.Placethe moldingupside-down
in the saw.Check to see that the two flats on the back of the
cove are tight againstthe baseand fence.Adda l/4-in.stop on the
miter saw'sbed to automaticallypositionthe crown and hold it
securelyin placefor cutting.

Nail the crown

bottom, into the
cabinetside,and
the top into the
crown caP.

T. After cuttingthe shortreturns,holdthe saw

|- -| Dla"yl
- untilthe bladestoP:turningor the
r spinning blademaycatchthe smallpieceand
rurnrt.
Mark your cuts with a utility
knife.Tosafelycut the short
returns around the pilasters,
cut an insidemiter on long
stock and hold it in position
on the cabinetfor marking.
Then,cut the short return off
the long stock.

Hand pressure and a little glue are

all that's neededto make a strong,
tight-fittingjoint where the piecesare
too smallto nail.

Position the glued-up'pilaster crown and nail it to the

pilasterand cap.Rememberto leavethe glue out of these
two miters so the pilaster can be removed for knockdown.

American Woodworker 2o
DECEMB E oRo 57
 Join the Boxes

PlanViewof SideCabinetAssembly
Join the cabinetswith screwsthrough the
face frame and at the back through the
mountingstrip.

Screw together a side cabinet assembly

usingthe alreadytrimmed side panelof the TV
cabinetas a startingpoint.(The loose bead
moldingwill be usedto cover the holes in the
faceframe after final installation).Trim
the
cabinets,with the moldings,beingsure not to
glue the joints where the cabinetsbreak aparr.

,,

o
Rats,I sandedright through the veneer!Sanding
hardwood flush with veneer can be tricky,
especiallyif you use a belt sander.Alittle too
much time in one spot or eventhe slightesttip
of the sanderand you're through the veneer.
lf this happensto you, dont panic.Yourproject
is not sunkand here'sa trick that'll bailyou ouc
Rout a shallow groove to remove the sand-
through (top photo, at right).Thenfind a piece
of hardwood with edgegroin that's similar in
color and grain to the veneer.Run the board
through the planer until the thicknessequals Glue a l/16-in.
the width of the dado. Rip a l/16-in.-thick strip of
strip off the edge of the board and glue it hardwood into
into the dado for an almost invisiblerepair. the groove to
There,you're back in business. completethe
Avoid the problem in the future by repair.
marking the veneer with penci!.When the
pencil marks begin to disappearyou know
you'regettingcloseand it's time to handsand
the rest of the way.

58 American Woodworker DECEMB

2E0 0R0
 lnstallation
If your room is carpeted,roll back the carpetand pad
so the cabinet can be installed on a solid surface.
Removethe baseboardfrom the wall and reassemble
the TV cabinetin the room. Lay out the stud locations
and mark where the cabinetis to be centeredon the
wall (Photo 22).Leveland mount the TV cabinetto the
wall (Photo 23). (For more on installing cabinetssee
Reassemble the FinishedTV Cabinet
Screw the finished sides onto the two Drop the face frame into placeand
inner boxesto reassembletheTV cabinet. securewith screws.
Use masking tape to mark the stud locations
on your wall.(Use an electronicstud finder to
locatethe studs.)Mark the tape where you want
the cabinetscentered(red tape).
AW # 78,February'OO, page56).Install the remaining
cabinetsand anchor them to the wall. Reinstallthe
baseboardand basecap in the room.
OK, now the fun reallybegins-installing the elec-
tronics. Youll feel like a kid on Christmas morning
unpacking all the equipment.Tirkeyour time and read
the directions!They'll saveyou headacheslater on.
Add the pilasters and you're done!
Level theTV cabinet with shimsand fastento
the wall through the 3/4-in.back.
American Woodworker DEcEt\t2
B oE0Ro 59
Wiring
It's best to consult your electronics supplier for
specificsregardingthe wiring of your particular sys-
tem. But,here are sometips to help preventwire-man-
agementheadaches.
1.Start by fishing the loosewires thtongh the cabinet's
wire chases.Leave the wires a little long, you can
alwaystrim them later.
2. Usecommon electric-cablestrapsand cableties to
support the loose wire bundles that run behind the
TV (Photo2s).
3. Label both ends of eachwire for easyidentification
(Photo 24).
Install the speakersand the electronic'equipment
in their respective places. (Remove the speaker
Tie down the loose-wire jungle at the back
of theTV cabinet with cable straps and ties.
Label both ends of each wire with tags
availablefrom home centers and electronics
retailers.
American Woodworker D E C E M B2 E
oRoo
coversthat comewith the speakers.)Give somecon-
sideration to the order in which you stackyour elec-
tronic equipment:
I The receiver is the biggest heat generator and
should go on top.
I TheVCR shouldbe easyto reach.
I The DVD player should be positioned so you can
look down into the traywhen loading.
Man, all that equipment'sin placeand readyto be
hooked up. Now it's time to bring in the main attrac-
tion; that giant TV! But first, run back to the shop and
get that platform you built for assemblingthe cabinets.
Placeit in front of the TV cabinet andadd a couple of
314-in. skids that run from the platform and butt
into the front edgeof the TV base.Setthe TV on the
skids but leaveenough room to get behind the TV to
attachwires. Once the wiring is complete,the TV can
be rolled into the cabinet (Photo 26). Put up the
speakercoversand snapin the TVframe and dummy
drawer panel and you're ready to go. Now, you just
haveto figure out howto program thatVCR!
T: _ ^ Use cablestrapsand
I I D I cabletiesto tamethe
I wire jungle.
Roll theTV home. Here'swhereyour
constructionplatformearnsits keepa secondtime.
The 3/4-in.skidsbridgeyour platformto theTV
baseso youcanrollthe behemothintothe cabinet
withoutdamaging the cabinet,theTV or yourself!
 What You'llNeed
LIST
CUTTING HARDWARE
LIST
Ov e ra lDl i m e n s i o n s :8H0x" 1 4 5-l l z" Wx 31"D

T23Stiles 2-112"
x 18-314" Hinses 4 Blum8O75M565 $2.30ea.
T I SidePanels 26-114"
x79-114" T24Rails 2-112"
x48-3/8" HinseBase Plates4 BlumBl75H7l9 $1.55ea.
cherry ply T25Mullion 2-112"
x 14-318" Bumpers 8 LA47l5 $5for 108
T2 TVBaseTop 25-314'
x 6l-3/4" DrawerSlides 2 KV8405Bl8EB $ll ea.
T3 TVBase Front Panel
Connectors| | SYK6|00S ea.
E7 Stiles l -3/4"x 64" $0.71
andBack x 6l-314'
6-5/8"
E8 SidePanelStiles" 2 Ventilation
T4 TVBase Ribs& Sides5 6-5/8"
x 24-ll4'
E9 TopRails 4-114" x20-112" Grommes 3 HCl6435
014BLK $4ea.
T5 CCHSxTop
andBottom 2 25'x 6l-3/4" ElO BottomRails 6-314" x20-l12'
T6 CCHS*
Sides 2 25'x 14-112" E l l M i dR a i l s f-f /2"x 20-l12^
E12 LowerMid Rails |" x 20-l/2" l-l/4" Oil RubbedBronzeKnobs
T7 Back I 17-l14'x6l-3/4"
T8 CCHS* Riser 2 l-314"x2l E13 DrawerFronts 7"x 20" 6 43063 $7 ea.
paintflatblack El4 ShelfBandins 3/8"x 20 MicroLinkSystem I 90036 $ls0
T9 .CCHS* RiserTop | 12"x 21" El5 RoofTrim l-l/2"x 60" DualEmitters 2 90041 $20
paintflatblack SpeakerCloth 2 t7899 $60
El6 Stiles 2-l12"x 35-3/4"
EI Sidepanels 2l-314"
x 64" E17 TopRails 2-ll2"x l5-5/8"
cherryoly 3/16"Square
EdgeBeading
El8 BottomRails 3"x l5-5/8
EZ Roofs 23-112"
x25" |63-0302 l /4" shankor $27
cherryoly |63-0305 l/2" shank $28
E3 BoxSides 20-U2',X64', 56 Stiles l -3/4"x 52" 3/8"EdgeBeading
E4 FixedShelves 20-l12'x 20-l/8" 57 SidePanelStiles" 2 l - 1 3 / 1x65" 2 " | 63-0602 l /4" shankor $33
E5 Back 2l-l12^x 58-3/4" 58 TopRails | 63-0605 l/2" shank $34
Shelves 20"x 20" 59 BottomRails 3/4"Round-over
Sl0 RoofTrim l-l/2"x40" l/2" shank $48
SI SidePanels 17-114"
x52" l/8" Round-over
cherryply MI Crown 26' 5//8"x 3-l/4" |56-0202 l/4" shankor $21
52 Roofs | 9 "x | 5 - l / 2 " M2 Crown 3/4"x 3-3/8" Is6-0205 l/2" shank $2s
cherryply M3 Base 18' 5/8"x 3-5/8" Flush-Trim
PatternBit
53 Boxsides 15"x52" M4 BaseCap l8' 104-0832P l/4" shank $60
54 FixedShelves 16"x 10-5/8" M5 Astragal l/2"x 3/8"
12"x46-314" M6 Bead 95' 7132"x314"
414Cherry
s3s-25/32" 70bd.fr. $4.50/bd.ft.
DI 5-3/4"
x 18-l/8" 3/4"Birchply $48/sheet
Stiles l-l/2"x 52-5/8"
D2 Back 2 5"x l8-l/8" 3/4"CherryPly $7| /sheet
F2 Rails l-l/2"x 8"
D3 Sides 5-3/4"
x 18" l/2" BalticBirchPly $28/sheet
F4 Stiles l- l/2"x 8"
l/4"Cherry
F5 Rails l-l/2"x52-5/8"
MDFCore $49lsheet
D4 Bottom l8-l12"x 17-314"
El9 Door Panels l5-7/8"x3l" Tl6 Cleaa 314" x6l-314"
T26DummyPanels 23-3/8"
x l4-5/8" G I SpacerStrips l12"x314" x64 CrownMoldins 40ft. ft.
$5/bd.
G2 SpacerStrips l12"x314"x52" BaseCao(optional)24 ft. ft.
$2/bd.
G3 Mountins
Strips 314" x l-114" x64"
Tl0 Stiles 2-112"x79-l14' G4 MountinsStrios 3 / 4 " xl - l / 4 " x 5 2 " For More Information
T l l S i d eP a n e l S t i l e s " 2 2-9116x79-l14' x CCHS= CenterChannelSpeakerBox
"lnstalling
CabinetryandShelving
Likea Pro,"
Tl2 TooRail 6-U2',X 53-t/4" tTV bezelanddummypanelineedto be AW #78, February2000,page56.
T l 3 M i dR a i l l-3/4"x 53-l/4" ^ dimensioned foryourTV "StileandRailJoinery,"
AW #78,February
" | / | 6" overhangfor positioningon sidepanel.
T l 4 M i dR a i l l-l12"x 53-l/4' 2000,pa9e72.
Tl5 BottomRail 6-314"
x 53-l/4" "European Hinges,"AW#82,October2000,
page64.
Tl7 Stiles | -3/4"x 79-l14'
Tl8 TopRails 5-3/4"x 2-518"
Tl9 BottomRails 6-3/4"x 2-518"
T20Panels |12"x2-518" x 68-|/8"

T2| Stiles 2-l12"

x 32-3/8"
T22Rails 2 2-9116'x48-3/8"

American Woodworker D E C E M B2E

oRoo 6l
 ExplodedView
TV CABINET

SUB.WOOFER
SOUND PORTS

PILASTERS

lFis.r
I
PlywoodCutting Diagrams

CherryPlywood

62 American Woodworker D E c E M B2Eo R

o0
 ExplodedView
Weused314-in,Plywood for thebacks.It provides
support
I
C E N T E RC H A N N E L
rigidity,a placeto securewirehangers,
S P E A K E RB O X
fo, adjustable anda strongattachment
shelves
pointfor securingthecabinets to thewall

BEAD
MOLDING
COVERS
SCREW
HOLES

Detail:
Astragal
r 3/8" r

TD
1t2"I
V

RIGHT
SPEAKER
CABINET

Birch Plywood

Ts Tz

Te
Ee

Te
Ts

American Woodworker D E C E M B2EoRo o 63

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If you ever facethe task of making an entire set of kitchen drawers,think dovetailjig.
=
Armed solelywith a router,,you can usea simple haif-blind dovetailjig to bang out those a!
zL

drawersin an afternoon.Speedand convenience;that'swhat ciovetailjigs haveto offer. ?;

T
Basicdovetailjigs are only usedfor making half-blind dovetails(Photo2).We'vetakena -L

a.J
closelook at all the half-blincldovetailjigs on the market and ratedtheir features.If you tt-
UC

(trawers,this basicjig is the way to go.

simply want to i'niiid(,
UI

If you want to gtt bel,onddrawersand into casejoilery, there are other dovetailjigs to C:j
..r

consider.Thesejigs fall into two classes:those that cut through dovetailsonly and combi- C)l

!U

nation machinesthat cut both through and half-blindjoints.The basichalf-blind only jigs CY
Z

are all very similar,but the resthavemany differences.

Ratherthan pick an Editors'Choice /=
and BestBuy among these,we'vesummarizedthe strongand weak points of eachjig.
 o Threetypes of iigs to makeyou
a more versatilewoodworker:

Half-Blind Dovetail ligs

Easyto setup, simpleto use;half-blind jigs arework-
horsesin many shops.They'remost commonly used
for making drawers,but you can build many kinds of
boxes and even do some caseworkwith them (see
Sh a k e r S e w i n g C a b i n et,page 82). W i th a router
adjustedand readyto go,it takesonly a few minutesto cut all the dove-
tails for a drawer.
All the half-blind jigs arebasedon the sameidea.One bit cutsboth pins
and tailson two boardsin a singleoperation(Photo 1).Fold the two boards
togetherand yorive got an extremelystrongjoint with plenty of surfacearea
for glue (Photo 2). With this kind of jig, the pins and tails are exactlythe Cut both pins and tails in one
samesize.You can'tvary their spacing.Accessories for most jigs include passon a half-blinddovetailjig,such
templatesfor smallerdovetailsand templatesfor box joints. as the Woodstock,shown here.Guided by
All the half-blind jigs havea l2-in.-wide maximum capacity.The jigs' the template,your router makesequally
spaceddovetails.
basicfeaturesarequite similar.Flush,overlayand lipped drawersarefairly
easyto turn out no matter which jig you buy.

Tools Required
To cut dovetailswith any jig, you ll needa fixed-baserouter.A l-ll2-hp
router is the perfectsizefor good control on top of thejig'stemplate.Italso
hasplenty of power for removingthe wasteall in one shot.The fit of the
dovetailsmadewith a half-blind jig dependson a fine adjustmentof the
router.The bestroutersfor this job arethosewhosedepth-of-cutcan be
smoothly adjustedin small increments.
You can usea plungerouter with a half-blind jig in a pinch, aslong as
you lock down the motor so it cant possiblypop up when youre cutting
the dovetails.Not onlywould your joint be ruined if it did pop up,but quite
possiblythe templateaswell.
Regardless of the type of router you use,most jigs requirea templateguide
that fits into the openingsof the template(Photo 3). Eachjig requiresa dif-
ferent-sizedguide (seeChart,page70).The dovetailswon't fit if you usethe
wrong guide!However,theWoodhavenjig doesnt requirea guideat all,but Half-blind dovetails makean
comeswith a specialbit with a bearing (Photo a). This could be a godsend incrediblystrong joint.They're
particularlysuitedfor drawers:you can't pull
if you havean older router and cant find templateguidesfor it.
dovetailsapart by yankingon a drawer front.
No half-blind jig is readyto cut dovetailsright out of the box.Yotill have Half-blinddovetailsare only visiblefrom one
to spend some time putting the jig together and calibrating it, which side of a corner: you can't see them from the
requiresa number of testcutswith your router. front (that'swhy they'recalled"half-blind").

American Woodworker o r c t u B E2Ro o o 67

Half-Blind Dovetail ligs
A special bit with a
bearing comeswith the
Woodhaven dovetail jig.The bearing
replacesa templateguide.Thisbit
wont work with other jigs,however,
becauseit requires an extra-thick
template.
68 American Woodworker
-.€
ffi S You'llneeda specific-
W diameter guide ro follow
the templateof a half-blind
dovetail jig (see Chart, page70).
Woodworking catalogsoffer
template guidesfor most fixed-
base routers, but you may haveto
special-orderyours from a dealer.
ffi
S*E A rigid template makes
R_-S
ffi it easierto alignthe pin
and tail boards.You'remore likely
to get consistentl),accurate
results with a rigid template (such
as the Hart, shown here) than
with one that bendsslightly.
D E c E M B2E0 R
00
F E AT U R E S
Youll get good results
with every jig once it's
properly set up, but
somejigs aremore user-
friendly than others.
Here arethe featuresthat matter most:
R IGIDTE MP LA TE
It's easierto align the pin and tail boards
under a rigid template than a slightly
flexibleone (Photo 5).When you insert
the boardsin the jig,you've got to make
sure their tops are flush before you
clamp them in their final position.With
a template that flexes,you must use
your finger to feelwhen the boards are
flush. It can take a couple of tries. A
rigid template sits tight on the hori-
zontalpin board. To flush up the verti-
cal tail board, simply butt it up to the
bottom of the template.Double-check
with your finger for a flush fit.It's usu-
allyright on the money.
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CLAMPS
Oncethe boardsareproperlyalignedin
the jig, you haveto be able to count on
them staying in place.That's the role of
the board clamps.Althoughthe clamps
on all thejigs areacceptable,weespecially
liked those that could be snuggedup
right to the sideof a board (Photo 6).
COMFORTABLE HANDLES
You 1l appreciatelarge-diameter han-
dles on the board clampsafter tighten-
ing and looseningthem adozentimes!
ADJUSTABLE STOPS
A jig's stopsposition your boardsunder
the template.Three characteristicsdis-
tinguish them. First, most jigs have
stopswith built-in offsetsfor switching
betweenflush or rabbetedjoints (C in
the Chart,page70).Second, most stops
can alsobe adjustedsideways,allowing
Adjustable board
you to fine-tune the width of the low-
clamps on the
estdovetail in a drawer,called the half- Woodhaven jig ensurethat
pin (Photo 7 and D in the Chart). your work wont slip while
Lastly, for those stops that require you're cutting.Theclamps
adjusting, easy accessibilityis a plus slide backand forth to
delivereven pressureon
(E in the Chart, page70).
both wide and narrow
boards.
DO UB LE . S I D EDT EMP L AT E Large knobs on the
All jigs haveoptional templatesfor cut- clampsare easyto grip and
ting different-sized dovetails or box tighten.They'rean
joints, but two jigs are equipped with important feature if you've
got lots of boards to cut.
double-sidedtemplateswith two rows of
fingers(Photo 8). With the Craftsman
you canmakestandardll2-in.andll4-
in. dovetails (although you'll need
another bit and templateguide for the
smallerones).With theWoodhavenyou
can make ll2-in. dovetails and wider
314-in.dovetails using the samebit.

The Bottom Line

rc

Oncewe got the hang of usingit, every W;ffi Adjustable stops atlow you to
jig we tested turned out fairly good W fine-tunethe width of the half-
pin at the bottom of a dovetail joint.The
joints, so you really cart'tgo wrong with
stops on the Porter-Cablejig shown here
any of thesejigs. However,jigs with the are easilyaccessible.
bestfeatureslisted abovegenerallypro-
duce more consistentresultsand make
life in the shop more pleasant.

You Also Should Know About...

ROUTER-TABLE BASEDJIGS.Youcan makea bazilliondovetail
variationswith the IncraJig Ultra (972-418-4811 or www.incra.com;
16-in.,$200; 24-in.5240)or the Jointech (800-619-1288,www.join-
tech.com;12-in.$3ZO;18-in.$350).Thesejigs are sophisticated
fencesfor your routertable. Versatilitycomesat the price of being
quite complicated.Thesejigs aren'tfor the faint of heart.

A TEMPLATE-MAKING JlG. In theory you can makeyour own

templatesand complete dovetailjig with the DoveTailTem-
plateMaster (fax 502-244-6047,www.stots.com;$40), but in prac-
tice we found it difficultto pull off.

A NEW MlNl-JlG.Too new to test, the Katie Jig, Jr. (Hampton

House,317-88"1-8601, www.katiejig.com:$230)is a baby sisterto ffi
F;€ Make two sizes of dovetails with a
the KatieJig (page71). lt cutsvariable-spaced through-dovetails W double-sidedtemplate.Allthe jigsoffer a
in 3/15-in.to "l/2-in.-thickwood; perfect for smallboxes and smallertemplate as an accessory,but it's standard
pigeonhole-sized drawers. equipmenton the Craftsmanshown here.

American Woodworker DECEMB

2oE oRo 69
Half-blind Dovetail f igs
BEST BUY
The red jig. Porter-Cableand Hart Designmake very
similar solidly built jigs.You can pick one up for about
$100,including a bit and templateguide.Without these
accessories, the jig sellsfor aslittle as$80.
EDTTORS' CHOTCE
The Woodhavenhasall the best featuresin a well-
designedpackage.It's got adjustableclamps,largeknobs,
a universalbit and a rigid, double-sidedtemplate.

Half-Blind Dovetail f igs

TH!CKIIESS TEMPTATE
CAPAGITY GUIDE
O.D.

Porter-Cable
4112 $80to C,D,E No F,G 7/16"to
1" 5/8" (800)438-2486
Delta
andHartDesign $100 (800)345-2396
HartDesign

Sears
Craftsman $60 NO c,E Yes* 112"
to314" 5/16"and7/16t Sears
315.25790 (800)377-7414
Woodhaven $1zo Yes A,B C,D,E Yes# G,J 3/8'to1' N.A. Woodhaven,Inc.
775 (800)
344-6657
Woodstock
International$50 A n
No F,G,H 1-114'7t16',
5/16"to GrizlyIndustrial
W1099and (800)523-4777t
Reliant
NN825 Trend-Lines
(800)
767-9999

Identifying f igs in a Gatalog

KEY
A=Comfortable
Knobs J=U4"and3/8"template ligs byPorter-Cableand Hart Designappearto differ in only
B=Adiustable
Clamps *=112"
au,itd1l4" one detail:a minor differencein the sizeof the dovetailsthey
G=PtesetOtfsets #=112"
andSlt' make.Somewoodworking catalogsshowan unidentifiedred
D=Adjustable t=Bothincluded
withiig,for
E=Accessible Craftsman
routeronly jigwith an aluminum template.Chancesare,it'sa Hart Design.
F=l/4"Template JigsbyWoodstock and Reliantarealsovery similar.If you
G=Box-Joint
Template
H=7116"and9/16"Template
seean unlabeledbluejig that hascam-actionclampsin a cat-
alog,it's probably one of these.

70 American Woodworker D E c E M B2Eo R

oo
 Through Dovetail figs
Reviewing the through and combination jigs (seenext
page) is like comparing apples to oranges.We can't
recommendone jig over another.Here'sa summary of
their strengthsand weaknesses.

KELLERDOVETAILJIGS $ 150and up THE KATTETTGS $270 and up

Keller makesfour jigs for quicklymaking through-dove-
tail joints only. The sizeand spacingof the dovetailsis
determined by eachjig's template.It's possibleto make
variable-spaceddovetailsby manually shifting the jig on
your work.
It's easyto make dovetailsthat fit fairlytight,because
the templafedoesit for you. Unlike a half-blind jig, the fit
is not determinedby micro-adjustingthe router'sdepth
ofcut.
Picturedaboveis the 1500Journeyman,$150.Itstem-
plateis made of phenolic plastic.The three other Keller
jigs are aluminum and come in pairs, one templatefor
pins and one for tails.The smallestaluminum jig cutsthe
samesizedovetailsasthe |ourneyman.The other jigs cut
progressivelywider dovetails.Each model comeswith
two specialrouter bits with bearings.Optional bits for
thin wood are available.
Here are two through-dovetail-only jigs with a twist you can
shift their guide forks and changethe spacebetweendove-
tails.
Katie jigs make looser-fitting dovetailsthan the Keller's,
on purpose. They're easierto glue up. Katie recommends
using polyurethane glue,which they claim toleratesa thicker
glue line than yellow glue. You can make thinner backer
boards for tighter-fitting dovetails.
You11needto replacethe backerboardsastheywear out.
The boards'thicknessis critical, so you haveto plane them
yourself or buy them from the manufacturer ($9 each).
You get two bits with 3/8-in. shanks (lessvibration than
with 1/4-in. shankbits). They come with an adapterfor a
Ll2-in.collet. The length of the bits makesthem best suited
for 314in. and thicker wood. With thinner wood you end up
with dovetails that are too long and must be planed or
sandedflush after glue up.

Pro: Kellerjigs are userfriendly. Pro: Katie jigs make variable-spacedthrough dovetails.
Con: It's awkward to alter the dovetail spacing. Con: Forwide stockyou must shift the jig,buymore forks
(SeeChart, page73 for specs.) and spacersor double up two jigs.
(SeeChart, page73 for specs.)

O NE O UT S TA N D IN G F E AT U R E ON E OU TS TA N D IN G FE A TU R E
It's dirt simple.
It's adjustable.
There's no fussy
Move the jig'sguide
setuPor
forks to customize
complicated
the spacingbetween
instructions to
dovetails.
remember.Simply
clamp your work
to the jig and go
for it.

American Woodworker D E c E M B2EoRo t r 7l

 Combination Dovetail ligs

LEIGH D4.24 $370

This is the mostversatilejig available.It'llmakehalf-blind or
through dovetailsin boards up to 24-in.wide. This jig allows
w
P O R T E R - C A B LO
E M N U T G5 | l 5
Rugged,heavy and made primarily with metal parts,
$320

this jig is built to withstand the rigors of a busy profes-

you to determine eachindividual dovetail'ssizeand spacing.
Fortunately, a comprehensivemanual takes you through
every setupbecauseit takesa while to get the hang of using
sucha complicatedjig. Half-blind dovetailsrequirecutting the
pin boardsand tail boardsseparately,for example.Youflip and
reset the templatebetweencuts. There are many optional
templatesand bits that allow you to work in a wide range of
wood thicknessesand make unusual-shapeddovetails.The
basicpackageincludesthe bits you need for most through-
dovetailwork, but Leigh recommendsupgradingto thicker-
shanked8 mm bits for lesschatter.They'll fit in a Ll2-in.
colletwith a reducer.
Pro: The Leigh jig cuts everydovetail
you're likely to need.
Con: Its complexity can be intimidating.
(SeeChart,page73 for specs.)
sional woodworking shop. The basic unit cuts fixed-
spacehalf-blind dovetailsthe sameway its less-expensive
Porter-Cablebrother does (seepage70).However,you
canbuy an Omnijig accessorytemplate($tlO; for cutting
variable-spacedthrough dovetailsas well. You have to
reposition the edge stops when shifting from pins to
tails when cutting through dovetails-a minor incon-
venience.The jig comeswith a templateguide and car-
bide bit for making ll2-in.half-blind dovetails.There'sa
wide rangeof other accessorytemplates(seepage73).
Pro: The Omnijig is built like a tank.
Con: The combinationpackageis pricey ($450,plus
bits).
(SeeChart,page73 for specs.)

O NE O UT S T AN D IN G F E AT U R E ONE OUTSTANDING FEATURE

Customize the Quick-action board
spacing of half-blind clamps let you move
dovetails. That lumber through this jig
option is uniqueto at a rapid rate.The
the Leighjig. clampsare as stout as
the rest of the jig,which
looks like it can take
years of hard use.

72 American Woodworker D E c E M B2Eo R

oo
 Combination Dovetail ligs
SEARSCRAFTSMAN
DOVETAILFIXTURE
TNDUSTRTAL $140
This is a relatively inexpensivejig for cutting both half-
blind and through dovetails.The spacingand sizeof both
kinds of dovetailsis fixed. Two important featuresof this jig
are the template adjustment knob (see below) and the
adjustableboard clamps.Most of the parts of the jig areplas-
tic. The templatesare somewhat flexible (we prefer more
rigid ones)and must be setup with care.Craftsmantemplate
guidesare included,but not the bits ($30 for the set).
Pro: The Craftsmanis lessthan half the costof other com-
bination jigs.
Con: Both kinds of dovetailsare fixed-space.
(SeeChart,below for specs.) IW

O NE O UT ST A N D IN G F E AT U R E
KEY
ACCES$ORIES
Fine-tune the A=Katie guideforks,router
Jig:3 sizesol box-ioint tablehandles,and
template setting m0le.
with a simpleturn of B=Kellel:
Router bilslor1/8"t0 3/8"thickstock,anda bitlol making
a knob.Youcan boxioints.
easilyadjustthe C=Leigh:Templates fotrounded andsquate fingerioints,sixvadations
a mulliple
ofdovetails, morlise
andtenonatlachment, andmore.
template for D=Porler-GableOmniiig: Templateslot 112""handdovetails,"
different thicknesses inddovetails,
1/4"half-bf 1/2"slidingtapeted 112"and3l4"
dovetails,
of lips on rabbeted through
adjustable dovetails,andU2"boxioints.
drawers. E=SearsGraftsman: Templates forlwosizes0f boxjoints.

Through and Combination Dovetail figs

HALF.BLIND
KatieJig $270 12" 5/8" 1-3/4"
min. 112"
to1" A House
Hampton Inc.
5t8', (317)
881-8601
KatieJig $250 12' 7116' 1-3/8" 114"t0314"
7t16',
Keller $150 15" 7116' 1-118" 3/4"
3/8"t0 B Kellerand
Co.
15oo go7)763-9336
Keller $250 16' 7116' 1-1/8" 3/8'to3/4"
1601
Keller $340 24' 5/8" 1-314' 5/8"to1'
2401
Keller $440 36' 1" 3' 1-114'
5/8"to
3600
Leigh $370 24' min. 1"min.
112" 11116'
3/16"t01-114' 1" 1l2"to1-112"
C Leigh
Industries
D4-24 (800)
663-8e32
Porter-Cable $320 16" 112' 1-314" 112"
to1" 112" 718' 5/16"to1' D Delta
IntlMachinery
5'l16 (Boo)
438-2486
Porter-Cable $360 24' 112' 1-314' 112"
to 1" 112' 7l8' 5/16"to 1"
7116
Sears Craftsman $140 16' 9n6' 1" 3/8'to1 9i16" 1" 3/8'to1" E Sears
lndustrial
Dovetail (800)
377-7414
FixturePart#171.25450

American Woodworker D E c E M B2Eo R

oo 73
 Y

t
F

by BruceWiebe o-

2
-
E.
canbuildit smallor massive,
temporaryor permanent,
humbleor majestic.
As long O
F
Yo, E

pieceof shopfurniturehas a flat surfaceat a comfortableworking

I as thisessential z
o
u')
height,it will serveyouwell.Usethese tips as inspirationfor buildingan effective z
I
o

tableforyourshop.
assembly F

d
o
F
o
Lrl

74 American Woodworker o l c t v g E R2 O O O
i

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r,

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:!

{
it Low
Make
ASSEMBLING PARTSis easiestwhen you can
work comfortably.To custom-fityour assembly
table,let your arm hangstraightdown,measure
the distancefrom your fingersto the floor and
buildthe tableto that height.lt'llbe about 77 in.;
considerably lower than your worl<bench.

T;
\
(i

A
n
lb ,
,i :
\ r,
t

'-t..u/'
-,-*-"'n*

I
15"
\
,
a
,t A
7"
\ I
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l:t
{
A- ,"Y w;r:

ABC BOXES,so calledbecausethey'remadewith sidesof three different

dimensions, makea flexibleassembly table base.After all,no singleheight O
will be right for everything.By rotatingthe boxesor standingthem on o 27"

I
end,you'llget three differentworking heights.For stability, you'll need
three boxes (photo,aboveright),and it's best to fastenthe top to them'
All three boxescan be madefrom one 4x8 sheetof inexpensive 314-in.
plywood.lt'sa good thingthis setupknocksdown easily, becauseyou'll
find ABC boxes usefulfor lots of other shop tasksas well.

Hectrfylt Youcan mount power strips or racewaysto the

top or to a supportapron underneathyour table.
With a little planning,a metal-coveredwiring method (housing15-amp
'
receptacles and l2-gaugeinsulatedwire insidejunction boxesand pipe,flex-
ible conduit or metal-sheathed, manufacturedcable)allowsyou to locate 1

. - t

**e.."::,:*f**l,ltH*#,1,;h';#fi
"'i'....
:. ($4,availableat homecentersand electricalsuppliers)between ilnl

::fffi plete instructions, including wiring, for

building this "ultimate" tool stand.

,{n-rerican Wot.lcln'orkcr 2o
DECEIvBE Ro o
 Make
it Hat
A FLAT SURFACEkeepsglue ups from twisting
and cabinetsfrom racking.Youcan buy flatness
ready-made.Solid-core doors, for example,are
stiff and stable,but heavyand awkward to handle.
They're availablefrom any home center ($+S1.
This laminate-coveredone came from a salvage
yard for a fraction of the cost of new.

BUTCHER-BLOCK
COUNTERTOPS
aregood
looking,availablein lengthsup to
8 ft., and come pre-finished.
However,they're somewhat narrow (25
A FLAT,STIFF in.),expensive(about $30 per linealfoot)
TOPdoubles and may require periodic flatteningwith a
asa caulfor hand plane.
gluing.Let the top of your table
overhangthe baseso there's
room for the clamps. SHEETMATERIALS, likemedium
densityfiberboard(MDF)and
particleboard,are flat, but
ATORSIONBOX is stiff, they have little
strong and light in structural integrity.lf
weight, so it makes not properly suppofted,
an excellent they'll sagand may even
assembly break.But they're really cheap
tabletop.lt's (around $25 per 4x8 sheet),available
tedious to make, up to l- l/8-in.thick and remainflat,with
howeveriand will only adequatesupport.
be as flat as the surfaceon
which it's dued together.Your
workbench or tablesawmay be
suitablyflat for this assembly.

THISHALF-LAPPED BASEsupporrsanytop,sets
up or breaksdown in a minuteandkeepssheet
materialsflat.SimplynotchsaWhorses
and
straightened 2x4s so they fit together with rhe top
edgeslevel.Lay on the top and shim the sawhorses
to compensatefor an unevenfloor.

76 American Woodworker D E c E M B2E0Ro o

 Ait$ii'ilIyTabte

it
Make
ASSEMBLY TABLESGETABUSED.Everyshop
needsa work surfacethat canget battered.
Hereare somewaysto extendits life:

:ti#

SEALTHE
SURFACE. Not only
does this add protection
and make it easierto clean,
it's a great way to use uP
leftoverfinish.Justpour it on and
roll it out.

FOURTOPSlN ONE.When the originaltop

tets ratty,flip it over.When that side gets
wrecked,switch the top with the lower shelf
and you've got two fresh surfacesto ruin.

USEA
SACRIFICIAL
TOPof thin
hardboard to protect
the primary table surface.

TSFF
*
{b LAMINATE

.s SCRAP
sTlcKs
CLADTHETOP
with plasticlaminate.
It'seasyto do.After
coating both surfaceswith
contact cement ($6 to $8 per
quart),positionthe oversized
pieceof laminate(about $2 per sq.ft)
above the substrate,usingstrips of scrap wood as
spacers.Then, pressthe laminateto the MDF'
startingat one end and working to the other,
removingthe strips as you go.Trimthe edgesflush
with a router and laminatetrimming bit. Be sure to
laminateboth the top and bottom.lf you dont,
your top wont stay flat.You'llhavetwo work
surfaceswhen you do.

Ame rican Woo dworker D E c E M B2E0 R

00 77
 A?g$ifr$
IyTabte

lazitup
THESEUSER-FRIENDLY ADDITIONS,IIKC
the electricaloutlets shown on page75,
increaseyour efficiencyand makeyour
assemblytable more versatile.

TOGGLE CLAMPSmounted on
blocks offer pressureright
where you need it.Justscrew
USETHE SPACE them in placeand removethem
underneath
the top for when the job is done.
storate.lt's a great placefor pipe
clamps,shop drawingsor a sacrificialtop.
There'sstill room for lots of other stuff
on the bottom shelf.
CASTERSmake the table mobile.Our
Sources favorites lock both the rotation of
MDF,solid-coredoors,power strips,raceways,
plasticlaminate the wheel and the swivel of the
adhesive:Available
at home centers. c a s t e r .Y o u w o n ' t f i n d t h e m a t
Butcher-blockcountertops:Availableat hardwood lumberyards. hardwarestores,but you can order them
Toggleclamps:MLCS,item #9058,$8 each,(800) 533-9298. t h r o u g h t h e m a i l ( $ 1 4 . 5 0 e a c h ,s e e
Two-way locking casters: Sources,at left).
Woodcraft Supply,item # 140639,four for 958, (800) 225- | | 53. 'w

',Z:YJYJ
A companyot the FELDERGROUP

The most powerful a Reality.

machine in its class!
The Jet store
ffiri,
':: ts now open
Call now for free Info with over 15o Jet
n0rilliQ,o=o, 3 speed shaper
slidingtable31" to 79"
productsin stock,including
best sellersand hard-to-find
3 motors attachments. Complete prod-
u c t i n f o r m a t i o ni n c l u d i n g
customerreviewsmakecom-
p a r i n g p r o d u c t sq u i c k a n d
easy.Visit the Jet store and
see why Jet is one of the
fastestgrowingbrandsin the
industry.

Visitthefet storeat
www.amazon.com/jet
dust collectors jointers planers
HAMMER USA lesl Enterprise
Btvd. cAesoel.
w.Sacramento. saws wood lathes the fet store
Tel: 916-375-3196.Fax 916-375-3199.www.hammerusa.com. info@hammerusa.com shapers sanders planer-molders
 Shekcr
,Q/i,r:;l:i:,!,',i'J,,
Uri*ing ritio, in rhis
chest
Shaker-inspired of
Mix'n match
drawers.
ft perfeuly
trays
modular
in themiddledrawers.
Storepatterns or maga-
zinesin thelargelower
drawer. Therds enough
compartments for a
complete sewing kit.
You'll
makethemostout
ofyourrouterandhalf-
blinddovetail jig whenyou
buildthiscabinet.I,{otonf
arethedrawers dovetailed,
butthecaseisaswell!All
thejointsaremodern
variationsof thedovetails
madebyShaker cabinet-
makers150 yearsago.

Cabinet of a hundred uses

We designedthe
drawersso modular
plastictrays found
at most sewing
centers (left) fit
perfectlywith no
ratdingaround.
Plusthe bottom
drawer is just the
right sizefor file
folders to keep
patternsorganized.
Office supplies
(right),fly-tying
gear;younameit-
this cabinetcan
organizetons
of stuff.
Shaker. S,ewing Cabinet
Cut dovetails in the sidesand top rails.Eachside of
the cabinet is composed of two piecesthat are glued
together ofter the dovetails are cut becausethe complete
side is too wide to fit in a basicdovetailjig.
Tools and Materials
In addition to a standardset of power tools, you'll need a half-
blind dovetailjig and abiscuit joiner.Anybrand ofjigwill do
(seethe Tool Test,page 66). We'vebasedthe dimensions of
this caseon the dovetailsmade by a Porter-Cablejig. Youll
have to slightly alter the Cutting List, page 81 if your jig cuts
wider or longer dovetails(seeChanging Dimensions to Suit
Your Jig,page80).A router table makescutting the casework
dovetails a lot easierand safer.
Cut biscuit slots in each half of one side.Use biscuits
or splinesto alignthe two halveswhen you glue them together.
84 American Woodworker D E C E M B2EoR
0o
Thechestrequires about2sbd.ft.of 4lfprimarywoodand
25bd.ft of 4l{secondarywood.We used$150 of cherryand
$75of yellowpoplar.Themodulartraysfor eachdrawerare
madeby Rubbermaidand are availableat sewingcenters
nationwide.They sellfor about$2 apiece.We boughtour
drawerpulls from a companythat specializesin Shaker
reproductions (seeSources,
page81).Asetcosts$9.
The Sides
Bea sticklerfor flatnessthroughoutthis project,particularly
whenyou mill andglueup the sides.You'll gonutstrying to
fit dovetailsin cuppedor warpedboards.
Beginby making the case;then build the drawersto fit.
(Here'sawoodworkingtruism:'Always maketheholesfirst,
andthenthepartsthatgointo them!") Startbuildingthecase
bymilling androutingthe sides.They'resplit in half because
they'retoo wide to fit into a standarddovetailjig.
Mill thewoodfor sides81 and82.Cutthemto width and
length,and mark the front and top.Avoid sapwoodon the
front edge.
Next,mill thetop railsC,dividersD andsupportsE.They're
all the samethickness.(Makea few extrasupportsE astest
Glue the side togethenAlign the endswith a clamp
placed lenghwise.With biscuitsin the glue joing you'll need
the'force of a clamp to shift the boards.
Once the ends are aligned,remove the long clamp and check
the side for flatness.Flat sidesare necessaryfor the next step
to succeed!
DetailI
EndViewof
BackBoards

Detail2
Profileof Top

Detail3
DrawerDividerDovetail

Fie.A
Exploded
View Side Viewof Legs

American Woodworker D E c E M B2E0Ro o

Shaker Sewing
Fig. B
Sliding DovetailJig
B u i l dt h i sj i g t o f i t
tightlyacross the cabi-
nets ide.T hen.s c re w
it directlyto the side
so the routerbase
can' tac c ident all y
bum pint ot hec on -
nectingboards. That
m i n o rb u m pw o u l dl i f t
the r out erup andd i s -
tort the groove.
pieces.)The parts that showin the front
of the case(Cl and Dl) aremadefrom
cherry,whilethosethat dont show (C2
and D2) are made from yellow poplar.
Rip all parts C and D to width, and then
cut them all to the samelength.
Set up your half-blind dovetail jig
and cut dovetailsin the sidesand top
rails (Photo 1). The two piecesaren't
the samewidth, so chancesare you'll
cut an extra socketin the side.No big
deal.It won't show.
Join the sidestogetherwith biscuits
or splines(Photo 2). Gluethe sideswith
the help of one long clamp to align the
ends(Photo3).
Cut dovetails in the ends of the
dividers.Rout equallyfrom both sidesof
the divider so the dovetailis centered.
Clamp the narrow workpiece to the jig
so,it doesn'tslipdown into the opening
of the router table.
86 American Woodworker
Cabinet
INDEXING
Now, make sliding dovetailsto hold
the drawer supports (Fig.A, Detail 3).
Begin by laying out the centerlinesof
each dovetail on the outside face of a
side (for the dimensions,seeFig. A,
page 77). Then make a jig for your
router (Fig. B, above) and have at it
(Photo 4). We screwedthe jig to the
sidefor the most consistentresults.This
paysoffwhen you fit the supportsand
dividers to the dovetailedslots.Dont
mind the screwholes.They're on the
insideof the cabinet,after all.
Lastly,rabbet the rear edgesof the
sidesto hold the back (Fig.A, Detail 1).
Sawout the legson the bottom of the
sides(Fig.A, Detail4).
Rails, Dividers and Supports
Everyone of thesepiecesis dovetailed
in a different way,but don't worry; set-
ting up your router to make safeand
accuratecuts is easy.
Youve alreadycut half-blind dovetails
Fig.C
DrawerDividerJig
Saveyour fingersby holdingnarrow
p i e c e si n t h i s j i g . M a k ei t a t i g h t
f i t . S h i m w i t h p a p e ri f o n e d i v i d e r
fits in loosely.
D E c E M B2Eo R
o0
Rout dovetailed grooves in the
sides.Alignthe jig (Fig.B) with center
marks on the edgeof the side.Screwthe
jig directlyto the side;the screwswill
hold down the far side of the jig,where
clampscant reach.Thescrew holesare
invisiblein the finishedcase.
on the top rails C, but with the rabbet
cut for the backboards,ralC2 hasto be
ripped about Il2in.narrower. The back
boards sit on top of the rail and are
screwedinto it, so cut the rail just
enoughto match the rabbet (Fig.A).
Dovetail the ends of eachdivider D
on a router table (Photo 5). It's dan-
gerousto hold such a narrow piece on
end by itsell so make a jig to hold it
(Fig. C). Setting up the cut is kind of
fussy (Fig. D), so chew up your test
piecesbeforecutting into the good stuff
The length of the router-tabledovetail
must exactly match the length of the
dovetailsyou made with the half-blind
jig. No problem.Setthe height of the bit
in the router table directly from the
dovetailedend of one of the top rails C.
Cut sliding dovetails on the drawer
supports E with the same setting on
the router table (Photo 6 and Fig.E).
Cut biscuit slots in the ends of the
supportsE and dividersDl (Photo7).
Mark the top sidesof both parts so you
won't accidentallyflip one during the
glue up.A splineor tongue-and-groove
joint made on the router table would
alsowork here.
 The Proper Fit
Finding the right tolerancebetweentwo piecescan drive yov crazy.
Too tight a fit may mean that glue up is a nightmare.Too loosea fit can look like
sloppycraftsmanship.Here are somepointerson fitting threecritical areas:

1/8" GAP

RELIEVE
./ BACK
/ EDGES
/
Y.
I
. .tL
L ' a

I ' T

- I
-. L
__,.::!l

..:'::"''
- I

-
I: .. 1...,"::
r

Fig. D Fig. E Fig. F

A Tight Fit: The DrawerDivider A SlidingFit: The DrawerSupport A Tapered Fit: The Drawer ltself
H e r e ' sa s h o r t ,s l i d i n gd o v e t a itl h a t Long,sliding areveryfussy It'sdifficultto fine-tune
dovetails the fit of a
s h o u l db e f a i r l yt i g h t . A l o o s ef i t w o u l d to fit. lnvariably they'reeithertootight lippeddrawerafterit'sgluedtogether.
be unsightlyand weak.The test is or too loose,no matterhowcareful Y oucan' truna pl aneor bel tsander
w h e t h e ry o u c a n p u s ht h e j o i n t h o m e youare.Tootight is a disaster at downthe sidebecause the lip getsin
b y h a n d ,w i t h o u tg l u e .T a p e rt h e b a c k a s s e mbltiyme. the way.Theansweris to taperthe
o f t h e d o v e t a iw l ith a file so it slides Fitandmarkthesepiecesindividually.sidesof the drawer, sothe backis
easier.Tap the joint home with a Tweakthe fencesettingon yourrouter slightlynarrower thanthe front.That's
m a l l e td u r i n gg l u e u p . tableto takea littlemoreoff thislong bycl oselfiy tting
easi l yaccompl i shed
piecethanyoudid whencuttingthe the frontfirstandthencuttingthe
shortdividers. lf thesupport stillwon't backso it'sa bit shorterthanthe dis-
fit, makean angledsanding blockand tancebetween the front'srabbets.
lightlysandthesidesof thedovetail.

Assembly C2. Glue each of the front dividers Dl, starting at the top
Gluing up the case is quite easybecauseyou only add one (Photo8).
divider at a time. Plus,you won't needdozensof clamps!The Leavethe lowestrear divider D2 in placeand removethe
divider'sdovetailedendshold themselvesin place. others.Now you haveroom to glue supportsE to the front
Beginby inserting (without glue) a few of the dividersDl dividers Dl (Photo 9). Clamp the supportsto the divider.
andD2 to squareup the case.Then,gluethe top rails Cl and Finally,glueall the reardividersD2. Make suretheir outer

Cut slots in the endsof the drawer suppors for *0 biscuits.

settingas in Photo 5.Youmay haveto move the fenceto cut a Line up all the supportsand make,in effect,one continuousslot.
fraction deeper,becausethe fit over a longer distanceneedsto Biscuitsalignall the piecesthat support the drawer so the drawer
be looser (Fig.E). will slidesmoothly,without hittingany unevenedges.

American Woodworker o t c r M a E2Ro o o

Shaker Sewing Cabinet
213/8"
114"<

Ghanging HALF-PIN
Dimensions DOVETAIL
to Suit Your SOCKET

Dovetait fig
You'dthink all half-blind
dovetailjigs would cut the
1 1 4 "x 1 1 4 "
samesizedovetails,but they GROOVE
dont. Both their length and CENTERED
IN SOCKET
width varyfrom jig to jig.
We'vebasedour Cutting List,
page81, on the dovetailsmade
T5/8'

by a Porter-Cablejig. They're
5/16-in.long and spaced
7.18-in.oncenter.Here'swhat
to watch out for if you're using
a different dovetailjig:
I Drawer thickness.Longer
dovetailsrequire a 13| l6-in.-
thick front so they dort't cut
into the drawer lips. Make the
rabbets7ll6-in.deep.
I Drawer sides.The upper
half-pin may not work out
(seeLipped Drawers,page94,
Fig.B). Changethewidth of
the drawer parts to get a bal-
ancedlook.
Our caseand drawersare
dimensioned to fit Rubber-
maid modular trays.If you
want to usethesetrays,but cut
your parts on a different jig,
pay attention to thesedetails:
I L
6"
Fig. G Detail 5
ExplodedViewof TypicalDrawer End Viewof Typical
DrawerFront
edgeis flush with the bottom of the back board rabbet.There'sa gapbetweenthe back
of supportE and eachdividerD2to allowforwood movementof the casesides(Fig.A).
Drawers, Back and Top
Fit the drawersto the case.There should be 1/16-in.clearancebetweenthe tops of a
drawersideand the divider aboveit (1/8-in. for the big drawer).SeeLipped Drawers,
page9l for the completehow-to.
The drawershavetrappedbottoms (FiS.G). We usedtemperedhardboardfor the
bottoms becauseit's inexpensiveand doesn'tshow oncethe draweris full.You could
usehardwood plywood instead.We'vedimensionedthe drawersso there'sa half-pin
showingat the top and bottom (Detail 5, above).Note in the Cutting List,page81 that
the back of eachdraweris 1/16-in.narrowerthan the distancebetweenthe rabbetsin
the front (Fig.F). This kind of taperedfit helpsdrawersslidesmoothly,in anyproject.
Drill holesin the centerof eachdrawer front for pulls.You could turn your own, but
we found somehigh-quality mail-order pulls that look terrific (seeSources,page81).
Drill holesthrough the top rail Cl for the screwsthat hold the top (Photo 10).Make
the top and shapeits edges(Fig. A, Detail 2) by taking two passeswith a 314-in.

r Length of rails and dividers.

The width of the drawer
opening is fixed. So the dis-
tancebetweenthe dovetail Assemble the
shouldersis fixed, too ( it's case one piece
at a time.That's
noted in the Cutting List).
the beauty of
Changethe overall length of dovetails!You
the rails and dividers to suit dont haveto
your dovetails. clamp a dozen
r Length of drawer sides. piecesat once.
Longer dovetails will reduce
the inside depth of the
drawer.Compensateby
adding length to the
drawer sides.

88 American Woodworker
 Glue the drawer supports to the front dividers.The Drill screw holes for the top from insidethe case.
drawer supports are only gluedat the front, not in the groove, That way you know the holeswill be accessible when you
so the caseside is free to expandand contract. installthe top.

round-over bit (see Sources,at right) or one passwith a Sources

half-radius bullnose bit on the router table.Fastenthe top to
Shaker-stylepulls
the case. SmithWoodworks & Design
Make the backsand screwthe boards to the case,rails and (908) 832-2723,www.niceknobs.com
dividers (Fig.A, Detail 1). They'renot glued together. Part #SO | 18,cherry,$ .90 each,min.order of 10.

Apply a wipe-on varnish or brush on an oil-basedvarnish. Router Bits

We usedMinwaxAntique Oil on our lightly figured cherry, MLCS
(800) 533-9298,wwwmlcswoodworking.com
and it looks great.Givethe cabinetsomesun and it'll slowly #656,314-inradiusround-over,l/2-in.shank,$2l.
darken to a beautiful color. A/t/ #8884, half-radiusbullnose,l/2-in.shank,$ 18.

Gutting
ListforShaker
$ewingGabinet Oyerall
Dimensions:
41"Hx 18-13/16"
Wx 14-318"
ll
$ides& Top (rll moaammonts
lnfidrss]
A Top 4l4Cheny 5/8 14-318 18-13i16 1/2"0verhang
Front
andSides
81,82 1/2ofSide 414Aherry 3t4 6-15/16 40-114 13-718"
Total
Width
olSide
Bails
c1 1 Top
Rail 4l4Cherry 314 3-112 16-15/16 16-5/1
6"Between
Dovetail
Shoulders
C2 1 Top
Rail 414Poplar 314 J- Ut 16-15/16 After riptoabout
dovetailing, 3"
D1 o Drawer
Dividers 414Cherry 3t4 1-112 16-15/16
D2 o Drawer
Dividers 414Poplar 3t4 1-112 16-15/16
E 12 Drawer
Supports 414?oplar a! 1-112 10
Back
F 0uter 414Poplar 1t2 6-114 40-114
u Inner 414Poplar 12 5-5/8 40-114
Drawers lnside
15-1/4"
Wx12-114"
D
H1 Front 4l4Cheny 314 2-15116 16-314
H2 Front 4l4Cheny 314 3-13/16 16-314
H3 Front 4l4Cheny 314 5-9/16 16-314
H4 Front 4l4Cherry 314 10-13/16 16-314
J1 Sides 414Poplar 112 t - t Ut o 12-718
t4
JZ Sides 414Poplar 112 3-9/16 12-718
J3 Sides 414Poplar 112 5-5n6 12-718
J4 Sides 414Poplar 112 10-9/1
6 12-718
K1 Back 414Poplar 112 2-11116 16-3/1
6
I<2 Back 414Poplar 112 3-9/1
6 16-3n6
K3 Back 414Poplar 112 5-5/16 16-3/1
6
K4 Back 4l4Poplar 112 10-9/16 16-3/1
6
L Bottoms 1/4"Hardboard 114 12-314 15-11/16 1/16"smaller
thanopening

American Woodworker o e c E v a E2 R
ooo 89
 Making

z
o
(D
E.
o
o- You can do more with your half- their manualsdont go into muchdetail
E
00
t blind dovetailjig than meetsthe eye. abouthow to makethisvariationof the
@z-
ozo
z<<
<>co
Youve probablyusedit to makedraw- basicdrawer(they often call it a rab-
[<d
or:<
erswith plain,insetfronts,but it'sreally beteddrawer,which is confusitg).
Whateverkind of jig you have,here'sa
=uz
a:< <
quite simpleto make lipped drawer
l=;
- n
i.aF
iror{
v

fronts,too.Eventhoughmostdovetail foolproofprocessfor making lipped

jigr are basicallythe same,someof drawersfrom beginnitg to end.
^ u;^
-l

adJ

91
 LippedDrawerc
If this is your first time out with a
dovetailjig, try makingsomEstandard
half-blindjointsto familiarizeyourself
with the processand to fine-tunethe
settingsofyour jig.Makea samplecor-
ner and useit to work out thesetwo
importantdesigndetails:
ldeal drawer widths. Here'sabasic
rule: Design the casearound the draw-
ers. Figure out the width of the drawer
sides first, then size the openings of
your ciue on paper.Why?I think drawer
sideslook bestwhen there'sa half-pin at
the bottom and the top (Fig. B, page
94). Their ideal widths are multiples of
one number: the distancebetweenpin
centers.That'stypicallyT/8 in.,but some
jigs are slightly different.
Locati on of draw er-bott om
gnoove. No matter how many different
drawer sizes' you're making, for

Cut a grooye for the drawer bottom in all

the drawer parts. lf you're using plywood or
hardboard for drawer bottoms, the groove
must be slightlylessthan I l4-in.wide for a good fit.
Fine-tunethe width of the groove by makingtwo
cuts with a standardsaw blade.Cut a singlesaw-
kerf groove in all the drawer pafts first, then move
the saw fence over a bit and groove all the parts a
secondtime.

Cut rabbets
to form lipson
the top and
ends of the drawer
front (usuallythere's
no lip on the bottom).
The precisewidth of

The groove for the the rabbets affects the

fit of the drawer front
in its opening (Fig.F,
drawer bottom is your page79). Fine-tune
the fence setting so
referenceguide for there is l/ l6 in.or
lesstotal side play
positioningpafts in the jig. between the inside of
the drawer front and
the sidesofthe case.

Check the fit of sampledovetailsmade with your

jig. Use the same speciesof wood as your drawer
parts for test pieces.Woodthat's.too soft givesa
false reading.
Adjust the router bit up or down until you make onro
parts that fit together with hand pressurealone.
Adjust the jig'stemplate in and out until you make two
parts that fit flush.The position of the template affects
the depth ofthe sockets.
Place both drawer sides in the dovetail jig, inside out and
fr6nt side up. Use the groove in the drawer bottom as a
referenceguide.lt facestoward you and lines up with an
outside finger of the dovetail template.
The bottom edgeof everydrower port butts up ogainstthe stops on the jig.

American Woodworker D E C E M B2E

oRoo
 workshop efficiency it's best to havethis
groove in the same location for every
drawer.Center the groove on the lowest
socketof the drawer front. (A socketis
the concavehole that eachtail fits into,
seePhoto 9.) On your sample corner,
mark the edgesthat you placedagainst
th. jry'r stops.Measurethe distancefrom
that edgeto the centerof the first socket.
Once you'veworked out the details,
build the case.Then cut all your drawer
parts to fit the actual box (rather than

Rout
dovetails
in the
drawer sides.
Move the router
from left to right
for best results.
Use backer
boardsbehind
the drawer sides
to prevent the
backsofthe
tails from
chippingout.

Place the
A rabbeted spacer drawer
front in

board makessetup the jig.One end

of the board is
cut on the right
a breeze. side of the jig.
The other end is
cut on the left
side.Again,use
Fig. A the groove as a
RabbetedSpacerBoard referenceguide.
This time it lines
up with the
outside slot of
ET IS
DWITH the template.
OFJIG
DRAWER Align the
\ FRONT drawer
front
usinga shop-
made spacer
board (Fig.A,at
left).Theend
grain of the
rabbet must be
DOVETAILJIG exactly in line
with the front
edge of the jig so
Sawa rabbetin the endof the the dovetail is
spacerboard.Matchthe rab-
cut to the
bet'sheightto the lengthof the
lip on the drawerfront.The correct depth.
widthof the rabbetisn'tcriti- Cut dovetailsin
cal,but it shouldbe aboutas both ends ofthe
w i d ea sth e l i p i s th i c k . drawer front.

American Woodworker D E c E M B2EoRo o 93

 cut them to fit the caseyou planr-red for an example).The fronts arelonger
on paper!).Make the sidesand back than thebacksby thewidth of rwolips.
the samewidth. The drawerfronts are Finally,set up your tablesawto cut a
wider than the sidesby the heightof the I /4 -i n .-deepdraw er-bottomgroove
Iip,generallyaboutll4in. (seepage80 and follow Photos1 through 10. fW
fl Rout a profile on all
I5, four sidesof the
19
drr*er front.A ll4-in.
round-overis typical.Raising
the bit up a little to createa
fillet addsan attractive
s h a d o wl i n e .
You reallycan't rout this
profile before cuttingthe
dovetailsbecauseyou need
sguareedges(not round
ones!)on the sidesof the
d rawer front.These sides
bump up againstthin
indexingstopson most
dovetailjigs (see Photo 7).
Dovetail one
drawer side and
back as a pair,
makinga standardhalf-blind
joint.Asin Photo4, one pair
is placedin the left-handside
of the jig and the other pair
in the right-handside.You
won't get parts mixed up if
you rememberthat the
groovesalwaysgo nearest
the stops of the jig.
Sandall the insidefacesof
the drawer beforegluing.
Fig. B
SizingDrawerSides
A h a l f - t a i la t t h e t o p o f a d r a w e rl o o k sa w k w a r da n d u n b a l a n c e dT. o
a v o i da n u n b a l a n c eldo o k ,c h e c ko u t t h e d o v e t a isl p a c i n go f y o u rj i g
f i r s t ,t h e n d e s i g ny o u rc a s e .H o w e v e rb, o t h j o i n t sw i l l b e p l e n t ys t r o n g .
UNBALANCED
APPEARANCE
d d
BALANCED
APPEARANCE $ drawer preventsyou
#
,d,{
$d
$ #
94 Anre rican W'oocl$orlicr DECEvTBER2OOO
Lipped vs. Standard
Drawers
The ideaof puttinga lip around
a drawer probably dates from
the early 1800s.While there's
no record of why cabinetmakers
went to the considerable trouble
of addinglips to drawers,here
are our guesses.All of these
reasonsare asvalidnow as they
were 200 years ago.
Lips make fitting easier. Stan-
dard drawers require careful
measurement and individualfit-
ting to minimizethe clearance
gapsaroundtheir sidesandtops.
Lipped drawers alwaysappear
to fit well, no matter how large
the clearancegaps.
Lips are drawer stoppers.
They prevent the drawer from
goingtoo far backinto the case.
Stoppersfor standarddrawers
can be awkward to make and
install.Not so for lippeddraw-
ers.Thin, fragile lips, however,
may break ofl if a heavydrawer
is slammedtoo hard.
Li ps seal out smoke, d ust
and vermin. Homemakersof
200 yearsago must haveappre-
ciateda new designfeaturethat
would helpkeepclothescleaner.
10n:-:
with care.The
drawersideand
rabbetshouldend
up flush.
The lip of the
from easilyevening
up the joint with a
planeor belt sander,
so the time it took
to set up a perfect
joint in the beginning
paysoff now!
TOOL TEST
 f\ompound slidemiter sawsarever-
\r-rsatile machines.They combinethe
cutting capacity of a radial-arm saw
with the accuracyof a miter saw.But,
Thesesaws what matters most to you is how they
ting in the direction of the bladerota-
tion, see"How it Worksi'below).Unlike
a radial-arm, however,you can't rip or
dado on thesemachines.But, that'sa
job best done on a tablesawan)rway.

combinethe perform in a woodshop,and that'swhat

we looked at in this test. Who needs onet
crosscutcaDabilitv At two to three times the price of a
of a rotiol-arin rilhatts a compound slide
miter sawt
miter saw,why pop the extra cash?
Three reasons:Capacity,compound-
sawwith the T a k e a c o mpound-mi ter saw and anglecapability and portability. These

accuracvand mount it on a slideto increaseits cross-

cut capacityand you havea compound
featureshave made compound slide
miter sawsthe saw of choice for car-
portabitiiyof a slide miter saw.Like a radial-arm saw, penters.For the samereasons,they are

miter saw. the head can be tilted for bevel cuts.

But, compound slide miter sawsare
safer to use than radial-arm saws
becauseyou'renot climb cutting (cut-
becomingpopular with woodworkers
who want an accuratesawthat can also
be used to trim the house or build a
deck. tuxtcontinued
onpage102

Howit Works
On Wide Stock

I Pull the head all the way roward you

I with the bladeaboveyour work and the
motor ofi
2 Squeeze the trigger and ease
the bladedown into the material.
?
Y,
Push the saw head awayfrom
you to cut through the piece.

On Narrow Stoek
l. Lock the slide (all of these sawshaveslide locks),squeeze 2. Releasethe trigger and wait for the bladeto stop before
the trigger and easethe blade down into your work, just like allowingthe headto come back up.Thispreventsthe blade
a miter saw. from grabbingsmall offcuts and flingingthem around your
shop or backat you!
100 American Woodworker DECEMBER20oo
Features
Here are some things we fsund important when comparing
machines.Pick the group of featuresthat best suits your
needs.Seethe chart, pages 108 and 109,for details.
Blades
These saws come in four blade sizes.Thelarger the blade,the
thicker the stock it can cut.We felt the l0-in. sawsoffered
the best value.Atop-dollar bladefor your l0-in. compound
slide miter saw can also be used in your tablesaw.Thatbeats
havingto buy odd-sized bladesthat fit only one machine.The
l2-in. bladesgive you an extra I l2-in.ol thickness-cutting
capacity,but they're more expensiveto buy and sharpen.
Speakingof blades,pay attention to the bladethat comes
with the saw. A 4O-tooth, l0-in. blade is fine for framing walls,
but not so good for framing granny'sphoto. Planon spending
an additional $50 if your saw doesnt come with a high tooth-
count blade (see the chart, pages 108 and 109).

Distinct positive angle stops where
the pin firmly engagesinto a recess,such
as on this Bosch saw,are best.As you're
swingingthe saw to the anglesetting,the
spring-loadedpin firmly drops into the
recess.There'sno question about whether
or not you're in the right spot.
An easy-to-read angle indicator makes
setting the saw quick and accurate.The
DeWalt hairline cursor indicator shown here
also has a vernier scale,allowing you to
readifyset to I 14- and l/2-degree
increments.
Setting the bevel is much easier
with an easy-to-readscale.Go for a
saw that bevels both left and right.
This makesit much easierto do
compound cutting.

A tall fence allows )rou to cut
3- l/4-in. crown molding the traditional
way.While it's nice if th6 saw comes
with a tall fence,this one's easyto
work aroudd by addinga wooden
subfence,if needed.
Horizontal or veltical handles are your
two choices on these saws.Werecommend
trying both to see what's comfortable for you.
Our testing panel preferred the horizontal
style and the Hitachi and DeWalt were voted
the most "left-hand friendlyJ'
Quick acting hold-downs are found
only on the Bosch and Porter-Cable
saws.Theywork like toggle clampsand
are great for cutting lots of wood.All
the other machineshave hold-downs
that must be screwed down.

American Woodworker D E C E M B2E

oRoo 101

lsthistoolforyou?
lf you can sayyes to these questions
(especially the last one) consider
yourself in the market.
E I need more capacity
than a miter saw offers.
f I needto bevelcut wide
material.
f I want portability.
f I need to do compound
cuts.
E l'r readyto spendsome
money.
Features
It's a great feature to be ableto bevelboth to the left and to the right.Angle-
mounted motors and belt drives keep the motor out of the way when leaningthe
bladeover to the motor side.
t02 American Woodworker
page100
textcontinuedfrom
Capacity:
All but two of the sawswe testedcould
crosscutll-ll2-in. or wider stock.
Miter saws,even with l2-in. blades,
max out at about 8 in. That means
you can use compound slide miter
sawsto crosscutnarrow carcasses,like
bookcases. Marry the tilting headto
the slide,and you canbevelsomewide
stuff, such as the ends of wide base
molding or box corners.
Compound-Angle Capability:
Dont forgetthe compound in com-
pound slidemiter saws.Cutting com-
pound anglesmeanscutting a bevel
and an angleat the sametime. Simply
setthe bevelcut by leaningthe cutting
headto the desiredangle,then setthe
miter angle on the table.A number
of thesesawsallow you to bevel the
head left and right, something no
o t c r M a E2R
000
tablesawor radial-arm saw can do.
This meansyou won't haveto cut one
board on its faceand the other on its
back in order to completea mitered
corner.
Portability:
This is an important feature.You can
crosscutsomebig stuff on a tablesaw
if you use a sled (AW #75, October
1999,page38) or a well-tunedmiter
gauge.But you may not be ableto use
your tablesawif you needto do accu-
rate crosscuttingoutside the shop,
when putting up trim around the
houseorworking on a deck,forexam-
ple.Whiletheycanbe cumbersometo
haul around,they'refar more portable
than tablesawsor radial-arm saws.
A unique feature of the Hitachi
C lOFS is this guardthat supportsthe
cut.lt providesa line-of-cutindicator,
makingit easyto alignand cut to
pencilmarks.Also,smalloffcutscan't
get caughtby the spinningbladeand
tossedaround the shop.
 Why wouldntt I want onet
I They'reexpensive(but you get a lot
ofsaw for your buck).Seechart,page
108,for prices.
I They take up a lot of space(see
the chart).It'snot just the width of the
machine,it'salsothe depth.Youneed
A numberof these a 3 0 - t o 3 6 - i n . - d e e pb e n c h t o
sawsallowyou to accommodatethe slide mechanism.
Even with that, the handle on the
bevelthe headleft front of the sawprojectspastthe front
and right,some- of the bench.
I They're cumbersomebeaststo
thing no tablesaw handle.Whileportability is an advan-
tage,their sizeand weight (seechart)
or radial-armsaw make them awkward to carry.
Are They Accuratet
In order to make a definitive state-
ment about the accuracyof one make
of sawover another,we would haveto
testa hundred sawsof eachmake and
model.
What we do know from our testsis:
I All the sawsmade perfect 90-
degreecutsoncethe bladeand fence
werealignedaccordingto the manual.
I Most of the sawshad some inac-
curatepresetanglestops.If needbe,
you can releasethe presetand tweak
the angleposition to get the precise
cut you need.
I All the sawscan produceaccurate

ffirs. cuts,but the presetanglestopsmay be

off.
Contact the manufacturer if you
get a sawthat isn t performing up to
snuff (like we did). In general,you ll
find these sawshighly accuratefor
most shop work.

Cordless
Saws
Battery-driventools areeverywhere,including the
world of compound slidemiter saws.
Makita's 18-volt model is an expensivetool at
$480.The relativelylow rpm of the motor resultsin
a fairly poor surfacefinish. Stick with a thin-kerf
bladeto savebattery power.
If I werestill in construction,Imightbuythis tool.
Extreme portability is its greatestasset.Up on a
scaffoldcutting siding, itd be great.But it hasn't
earneda placein the averagewoodworkingshopyet.
Editor'sNote: Makita hasjust introduceda new
24-voltversionof this saw;the BLS712SF. The big-
ger battery yields more cuts/chargeas well as a
15-percentincreasein rpm overthe l8-volt model.
Expectto seeit in the storesby December.

104 Ameri can Woodworker D E c E t \ 42B0EoR

o
 Here are the finalistsfrom our tool test.All five are excellentsaws.TheEditors'Choice went
r
I, vtrrr
r
\ta

l , v I)aws [;ii#i',3.i1:ii
;::,",i:;::ili:Tn"'ff:ffi'::iff.T:i:'ffili'1"'3:
Makita LSl0l3 A nearlyperfect sawwith Pros Cons
$s20 greatfeatures. Theonly / Bevels leftandright / Short
table
thingwe'daddisthepre- / Yerygoodblade

ffi
setoverrideliketheBosch / Firnpositivestops
andl'|ilwaukee.
Greatfea- / Nice fence
turesat a greatprice. / Smallestfootprint
ofthe
topfive

B o s c hB 3 9 1 5 A goodvaluefortheprice, Pros Cons

$s00 theBosch wasourrunner- / Angles
upto 60degrees/ Bevelsonlyoneway
up.Thissawhasverydis- / Good blade / Preset angle-release
tinctpreset
angles
andcan / Tallfence a possible
trigger pinch
angleup to 60 degrees./ Long table point
Thelargetablesimplifies
supporting
yourmaterial.

DeWalt DW708 Lotsof capacity

for even Pros Cons
$600 thelargest
stock.
Boththe / Cuts a 60-degreeangle / Heaviest
saw
bevelandangleindicators/ Tallfence / Dustbagandhold-
areYeryeasyto read.The / Good angleandbevel downs
costextra
highfencesimplifies
sup- indicators
porting
crown molding. / Bevels leftandright

H i ta c h i C l OF S Oneof onlytwol0-in.saws Pros C ons

$ss0 thatbevels leftandright. / Bevelsleftandright positive
/ Spongy stops
Theadjustableguardbehind / Greatsoft-start and / Hard+o-read
angle
scale
the bladeoffersexcellent brake
support,providesa line-of- / Rearbladeguardfor
cut indicator
andprevents supportingworkandpro-
smalloffcuts frombeing viding line-o[cut
support
flungbythespinning blade.

Makita LS | 212 Thissawcomes witha very Pros C ons

$700 goodblade.
lt angles
upto / Great
blade / l{o anglepresets
for
60degreesandhasoneof / Positive
stopsfirmly compound
cuts
thehighest-ampmotorsin engage
thegroup. / Nice
fence
/ High-ampmotor
/ Bevels
leftandright

Amerlcan Woodworker o t c E w B E2 R
0oo
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Manufacturer g
and
Cost
BfadeSizel CF
Gar .= +t g o o
u ! !e
J
UT'
Fgotprint= l=* i r a
1-=o
Model# ToothCount yE
-ut of c c .9
=
thv (in.)xWidth (in x ( r - c
tJ .Eg E i 8 tr o (o
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B os c h
83915 $s00 1 0 " /6 0to o th N G G Y 4 1 - 1 / x4 2 6 - 1 1 2 12
Craftsman 21292 $s80 12"/40 tooth N N G G Y H N 45-1/2x23 12-5/8
Delta36-240 $430 10"/40tooth N N E G H N 34-1/2x 27 -1/4 11-1t2

DeWaltDW708 $600 12'160tooth E E H N 4 4 - 1 / 2 x 2 3 - 1 / 2 '12

Hit ac hi
CS F B - 2 $+so 8 1 /2 ' 1 2 4to o th N N F F N V N 3 9x 2 1 - 1 1 4 12
Hit ac hi
C1O F S $ss0 10"/40tooth N F F N V N 4 3x 2 1 - 1 / 2 12-1/4
MAKitALSTll DWBEK $s00 7 -1 1 2 ' /4to0 oth N F N V N 3 0 - 1 / x2 1 7 7-1/8
M ak it a
150711 $41s 7 -1 /2 ' /4 0to o t h N \J F N V N 3 0 - 1 / x2 1 7 7- 1/ B
M ak it a
1S 101
1 $420 1 0 " /6 4to o th N N F F N V N 3 1x 2 0 - 1 / 2 12
M a k i tL
aS 1 0 1 3
I $520 1 0 " /6 4to o th G G V N 39 x21 12
Makita1s1212 $700 12"/96 tooth G G V N 3 9x 2 3 - 1 / 2 12- 114
Milwaukee 6496-6K $ss0 10"/40tooth N F G V N 37 x25 12-3/B
Milwaukee 6497-6K $600 1 0 " /8 0to o th N F G N 37 x25 12-3/8
orter-Cable 3807 $s00 1 0 " /4 0to o th N G G N H 36 x22 11-1/2
radesman 8336 $370 8-1/2"140tooth N G G N 4 9x 2 1 - 1 / 2 12
* Fenceheightis adeqlatefor cutting3l/4-in. crown *rvotbattery E=ExcellentiC=GoodiF=Fair
lv=Vedical,H=Horirontal oDepthneededto accommodate
rai travel

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56
Comments

Positive
stopoverride.
Difficult
to chanqeblade.
Contact
Number

(8771267-2499
4 8-3/4 15 53 Sawiumpsnoticeably on start-upandshut-down. Searsretailers
3-5/8 8 15 55 Longest tablein group. (800)438-2486
Anqlescaletendsto qet coveredwith sawdust.
4-3/4 8-1/2 13 61 Tallfenceon bothsides.Add $15for a dustbag. (800)433-e2s8.
Anqlescaletendsto qet coveredwithsawdust.
2-9/16 8-s/8 9 .5 45 Awkwardbevellock. (800)706-7337
3-3/8 8-11t16 12 50 Awkwardbevellock. (800)706-7337
2 5 1g** 26 Not comparablein performanceto electricsaws. (800)462-s482
2 5 10 35 Goodvalue,crosscut capacityis small. (800)462-s482
2-15/16 8-7/16 12 41 Lotsof presetangles.Hardto changeblade. (800)462-s482
3-s/8 8-1/2 13 55 Verygoodblade. (800)462-s482
3-7/8 8-1/2 15 55 Excellentblade. (800)462-s482
3-5/8 8-3/4 15 55 Positivestopoverride.Hold-down on leftonly. (262)781-3600
3-5/8 8-3/4 15 55 Sameas 6496-6Kwith dustbagandbetterblade. (262)781-3600
3-5/8 I 15 54 Easybladechanqe.Narrowtableawkward for widestock. (800)487-866s
2-9/16 8-1/2 10 50 Economical tool.Locksareclosetoqetherandhardto handle. (800)
243-s114
AN'

Avolloble for
lomlnote thickners of
.025-.0!n ffi47t54)
or.(M2-.052(#47t50).
 Blue Highway T t p s b yS a m
Satterwhite

HdlwTurnlng
SteadyRest
I f you'veconqueredturning spindles,legs
andbowls like vasesby usingnon-marring inline skatewheelsto
I and arelooking for a new challenge,Dan Henry's steadythe unchuckedend of the piecewhile you hol-
jumbo lathesteadyrestwill help expandyour hori- low it out. Unlike normal steadyrests,it'snot designed
zons.It allowsyou to shapetall, hollowed-outpieces for supportingvery thin spindles.

o
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a

z
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I
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1
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E.

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=
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FIG.A SteadyRestfor HollowTurnings
2
o

STEP1 Laminatetwo piecesof 314
in. x i5 in. x 15- l l 2 -i n .MD F to g e th e r
for the main ring of the jig. The outer
STEP2 Easethe edgeson both sides of each.Make eachslot a bit oversized
U
E
o
of the ring with a I l4-in.round-over to let it slip easilyon the 1/4-in.bolt.
routerbit. Then,on one sideof the Roundthe endsof eacharm and drill a

E.
shapeof the ring is a 15-in.circle. ring,cut l/8-in. dia.x 1-1/4-in.wide a Il4-in. hole for the roller bolt. z
U
I
The taperedbaseis formed by a0- guideslotsfor the roller arms. z
degreeanglescoming from the STEP4 Placethe roller arms in their o
<
U
6-718-in.flat base.Cut the outer STEP3 Cut I-Il4 in. x 8-in.roller slotsand drill 1/4-in.holesin the ring o

shapeand the inner I 1-in.circlewith arms from ll2-in. Balticbirch and for the carriagebolts that hold the U
a bandsaw. rout a ll4 in. x 5-in. slot in the center armsin place. o_

110 Americau Woodrvrt rker D E C E I , I B2EoR

oo
I N S I D ED I A M E T E R= 1 1 "
OUTSIDEDIAMETER= 15" 112"x1-114"x8"
R O L L E RA R M Blue HighwayTips
3/4'' MDF RING 1/4" x 5" SLOT

STEP5 Shapethe3l4in.x2-ll4in.x
1/4" LOCK NUT AND
LOCK WASH 114"x2-114" HEX- 8-3I 4-in. hardwood lower supports.
\, HEAD BoLT Attach eachsupport with five
3/8" x 3-1/2" HEX- i 2- | I 2 -in. fl at-headwood screws.
HEAD BOLT 1/4" LOCK
--\- WASHER
*&,
I

AND 1/4" STEP6 Install the 3/8 in. x 2 in. x

I W I N GN U T

I
l
!
3-in. hardwood key (sizedto fit your
1 / 8 " Dx 1 - 1 l 4 " W lathe) in the centeron the bottom of
A R M G U I D ES L O T
the base.Drill a 3/8-in. hole through
114"x2-114"
2-112" the centerof the basefor the 3- ll2-in.
wooD hex-headbolt that clampsthe jig to
SCREWS
INLINE your lathe.
SKATE
WHEEL
2-114" STEP7 Make the ll2in.x2-Il2in.x
3-in. clampingblock (sizedto fit your
lathe) and install the 3/8-in. teenut.
Securean alignmentpin (a wood
RECESSFOR WASHER
screwwith the head cut off works) in
the key and drill a companionhole in
3/8" x 2" x 3" HABDWOODKEY
the clampingblock.

112"x2-112" x3"
M D F C L A M PB L O C K FIG.B
SteadyRestDimensions

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tt2 American Woodworker D E C T M a2E

0R00
Blue HighwayTips

STEP8 Attach the rollersto the roller

armswith the ll4in.x2-ll4-in hex-
headbolts and usea flat washeron
both sidesof the arm.Attach the
roller arms to the ring with carriage
bolts and wing nuts. /W

Materials List
A l 6 x 3 0 - i n .p i e c eo f 3 / 4 - i n M. DF
(medium densityfiberboard)
B Three l- l/4 in.x 8-in.piecesof 314-in.
Baltic birch plywood
C T w o 2 - l 1 4 i n . x 8 - 3 / 4 - i n . p i e c eosf
314-in.hardwood
D 3/8 in.x 2 in.x 3-in.pieceof hardwood
E Three inlineskatewheels
F One 3/8-in.tee nut
G Three l14 in.x2-ll4-in.carriage bolts
H Three l/4 in.x 2-ll4-in.hex-headbolts
J Ten 2-ll4-in.flat-head wood screws
K One 3/8 in.x 3- l/2-in.hex-headbolt
L One 3/8-in.flat washer
M Six l/4-in.flat washers
N Three l/4-in. lockingwashers
P Three l/4-in. lockingnuts
O Three l/4-in.wing nuts

Lt4 American Woodworker DEcEr\lB

2 oEoRo
 Shop Solutions From
o u rR e a d e r s

T ike most things in woodworking,

I-rtapered squarelegs can be made
severalways.Youcan cut them on the
tablesaw,but the sawn surfacesthen
need to be cleanedup. You can taper
them on the jointer,but it can be diffi-
cult to get all four legsto match.Or you
can use the planer,which I find the
fastestand easiest.
To taper legson the planer,put all
four legs on this easy-to-makesled.
One end of the legsis elevatedby riser
strips(seephoto).Firstthe legsarerun
z
U
o through with one riser strip in place.
U
Then, the legs are rotated 90 degrees
J
J
U and another face is cut. The legs are
=
a
rotatedanother90 degrees,but because
2
o
a the bottom side is now tapered,the
t
F
a
secondriser strip must be added.The
l
J
third side is planed down, the legs
F
rotated one last time, and finally the
E fourth sideis planeddown.
:<
U
:<
The only tricky part is figuring out
t
the dimensionsof the riser strips.The
I
o_ best way is shown in the illustration,
E

o
below right. Cut the legsto their final
--
o
= length and draw the fivo taperedcuts
o_
a on one sideof one leg.Then shim up
z.
o
a
E.
the end of the leg so the taper line
o youve drawn is parallelto the sledsur-
E.
face.After you've cut one taper, go
co
t
throughthe sameprocessto determine
m the thicknessof the secondriser strip.
2
= fw PLANERCUTSTO MATERIALTO
tr'. LEVEL BE REMOVED
lean Bartholome,Summit,Nl
L!
E
( NON-TAPERED
o SECTION
E
If you havean originalShopSolution, \
a
E.
U
sendit to us with a sketchor photo.We
J
J
pay$200for eachoneweprint. Sendto:
o ShopSolutions,AmericanWoodworker,
z
ul
2915CommersDrive, Suite700rEog:Ln,
:< MN 55121.S u b mi s s i o n cs a n ' t b e
c; returnedandbecomeour propertyupon
F
o
accePtance andpayment.
LrJ
DISTANCEB DISTANCEA R I S E RS T R I P ; A D J U S TH E I G H TS O
AAND B ARE EQUAL

L26 American Woodworker DECEMB

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