Traditional Woodworking Clocks and Fine furniture

handmadeuniqueclocks@gmail.com www.journeymansjournel.wordpress.com

and
by H
M ade

Est. 1998

HANDWORK
An Illustrated Magazine of Practice and Theory
FOR ALL WOODWORKERS, PROFESSIONAL AND AMATUER
HANDWORK is an amatuer woodworking magazine [All Rights reserved.] https://journeymansjournel.wordpress.com

Vol. I - Issue.2 SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2017 PRICE - FREE

Building a Japanese Dai

Milk Paint
Common Myths
Honing Guides
Shaker Stools
Correct Glue up

www.journeymansjournel.wordpress.com
HANDWORK
ARTICLES
3 Letters

5 Editor’s Notes

6 Contributors

11 Never Fear Competition

16 Garnet Paper

21 Glue up Correctly

23 Milk Paint

31 Music Cabinets

38 Spacing of Resaw Teeth

39 Shaker Stool

65 Common Mistakes

68 Common Myths

71 Making a Japanese Dai

1 journeymansjournel.wordpress.com
88 Honing Guides

91 Coin Cabinet

96 Desk Organiser

HANDWORK 2
Letters
Bud you’ve out done yourself, you really I love the first Issue and am looking for-
have! Just why in the world are you doing ward to the next. Thanks mate for the
it for free. great effort you put in for us.
Zachary E. Maddocks Blake Uther
Denton, TX 76201 KILBURN SA 5084

HANDWORK. I didn’t know what to expect. WOW! What a fantastic read, keep em
When I downloaded it, I knew I had to make coming.
myself a cup of coffee and I loved every Rory Muir
page of it. UNLEY BC SA 5061
Irving K. George
Little Ferry, NJ 07643 Mate, how the hell do you do it? Do you
sleep? What an effort, I just can’t believe
I am more than happy to pay a subscription a fellow Aussie gioves a damn other than
fee, it’s worth it. himself. It’s people like you that makes me
Betty J. Escobar proud to be an Aussie.
Manchester, NH 03101 Nasir Talib
CHARTWELL VIC 3030
Salko your a good samaritan and its very
noble and honorable of you to work as hard Salam, I’m an amatuer woodworker of 35
as you do to serve us. I fear you will stop years and I have been looking forward to
and we will lose your valuable contributions. the day when I can read a woodworking
I am happy to pay, all you need to do is magazine that actually suits my interests.
ask. Thank you.
Cheryl W. Miller Ahmad Almathani
Charleston, SC 29405 Fairview Heights, IL 62208

I enjoyed reading handwork. There were A good read thanks! All the best to you.
some grammar errors but that’s ok your still Julian Weentworth
new to this. I’m looking forward to the next
issue. You’ve out done yourself Salko, I’m looking
Bradley C. Peters forward to the second Issue.
Tigard, OR 97223 Mathew Blake

Brian’s and Joshua’s articles were great, You work 14 hrs a day and you’ve got time
your article was great. Every article was to write a magazine of such high quality.
great. Your magazine is friggin awesome! Unbelievable, you must be a machine.
Matthew R. Snyder Thelma D. Bennett
Chicago, IL 60605 Atlanta, GA 30345

3
Letters cont. Your doing yourself a disservice by offer-
Fantastic first release, a great effort from a ing such a wonderful magazine for free.
great man. Cammile Lapresse
Hollie Leach 69002 LYON
GREYSTONE
AB35 7ZN Please, don’t ever stop HANDWORK
Emilie J. Clausen
What can I say about the man who took the 5530 Dorinne
plunge in the deep end and survived. Well
done. I use machinery in my shop but handtools
Clyde J. Ruiz only at home workshop. I enjoy this more
Calgary, AB T2M 0X4 than I do working professionally with ma-
chinery. This magazine complements my
Hey thanks Salko for you great effort. work. Thanks.
David L. Valentin Johnny M. Wilson
Orillia, ON I3V 6H8 Tompkinsville, MD 20664

No magazine wants to do what you are do- My husband suffers with PTSD, he’s on
ing, it takes great courage to deliver some- medication and I wonder what good it’s
thing readers actually want. Thank you ever done him. His doctor suggested he
Andreas Fink he occupies his mind with other things
95412 Bayreuth, Germany like a hobby. He searched the net and
stumbled across your website and read
We want you in Sweden. your posts and magazine handwork with
Didrik Dahlberg interest. He recently bought some old
920 41 BJÖRKSELE tools at yard sales and eBay and is thor-
oughly enjoying his new found hobby. He
Thank you Brian for your post. Your cute. talks about you and someone called Paul
Daisy Simpson Sellers with great admiration. I need you
ABERDALGIE and your readers to know that it mat-
PH2 3PB ters what you do. You without knowing
it saved my husband, gave my daugh-
It’s people like you that make a difference ters back their father and have given me
Maisie McIntosh hope! The nightmares are less and the
15300 LAHTI drinking has stopped. Thank you Salko
for being an inspiration to us all. God
bless you.
Julie J. Garcia
Cincinnati, OH 45202

4
Editor’s Notes
HANDWORK is a magazine for wood- faster than setting up a machine to do it.
workers both for professionals and am- What just constitutes handwork is a
ateurs alike. As the name implies it’s for sticky subject that’s been debated since
those who like to work with their hands, the implementation of machinery in the
who prefer to build using hand tools, it’s workshops. Everyone has their opin-
a magazine where machinery has no ion and I will leave this topic for another
place. I understand machinery has its day. This magazine is about handwork,
place in the workforce, it saves on la- it’s a window into our historical past on
bour costs, work time is reduced, but our ancients and how they used to work
machinery can never replace the hu- wood, what finishing techniques did
man element of handwork. A router can they use, what types of finishes did they
never imitate a moulding plane, a joint- implement, what types of glues did they
er will never leave a beautifully smooth use and how do they compare to the
surface like that of a hand plane. It’s modern types of glues? How did they
very sad to see these days hand planes apply veneers, what techniques were
have become non-existent in most mod- involved? It’s about learning this and
ern-day workshops. much more and then implementing this
Most apprentices in these modern times knowledge into your craft.
have never picked up a handsaw, hand Knowing these skills and implementing
plane, scraper, router plane or any other these skills will elevate you as a crafts-
hand tool other than a cheap and nasty man and your workmanship to the high-
carpenters chisel with the thick plastic est standards. I will also dive into the
handles they over paid in the big box mindset of our predecessors. There is
store. Most large mass manufactur- much information that has been lost over
ing factories don’t even work with solid the years I hope to bring back. Christo-
wood, they use cheap cancer inducing pher Schwartz is doing just that through
MDF, chipboards, and plywood’s that all his books that would have been lost to
imitate real wood, but can never replace us forever.
real wood. With responsible forestry
through tree farming we can protect our I hope to deliver many articles of various
trees and our environment and have projects throughout the years ahead,
more than enough to supply the world’s by way of many contributions through
demands. At some point in your wood- contributing authors/artists. Yes, wood-
working career you will need to learn working is an art and shouldn’t be con-
how to master your hand tools skills, if sidered anything less.
you ever want to elevate yourself within I hope that this magazine will bring out
the craft. Even if you are a machinist, it the best in all of us and introduce to you
is generally known that in most one-off artisans never seen nor heard from be-
operations a hand tool will get it done
5
fore, the ones who are tucked away in Editor In Chief
their workshops from all the corners of Salko Safic
the world. handworkmagazine@gmail.com

This magazine is about our craft, it’s Contributing Editor

about you and me, it’s about our un- Matt McGrane
sung heroes of the yesteryear, it’s all
about woodworking. Contributing Author
Greg Merritt
I am constantly on the hunt for con-
tributing authors. If you feel you’re up Contributing Author
to the challenge to write an article for Salko Safic
HANDWORK, please feel free to shoot
Contributing Author
me an email. You’re generosity and
Brian Holcombe
expertise would be greatly appreciat-
ed. Art Director
Salko Safic

Graphic Artist
Salko Safic

Circulations Officer
Salko Safic

Positions Vacant
None - Blame me

HANDWORK is an amateur woodworking eBook

magazine publication by Unique Clocks© 2017.
HANDWORK and all its content are free to down-
load by the public for non-commercial use.
This publication may not be reproduced or sold or
used in any manner for commercial use but may
freely be distributed for personal and educational
purposes including educational institutes. Any texts,
video, sound and artwork is the property of the re-
spective contributing authors. They may not be used
in any manner including excerpts without the express
written consent by the individual writers. Our au-
thors control their work at all times. Any of the con-
tent/s found within HANDWORK have been freely
given to be published in HANDWORK free of charge
by the contributing authors. HANDWORK eBook
Magazine and Unique Clocks accepts no responsi-
bility in respect of the content of any site to which a
hypertext link from this eBook exists. The links are
provided with no warranty, express or implied, as to
the information provided within them. Any other
materials found, text and graphical images dating be-
fore 1915 are freely available to the public and holds
no copyright.

6
In memory of Ed Francis Young, the creator, au- for the workman been so thoroughly im-
thor and visionary of WORK pressed upon the minds of men as now;
and never has it been so eagerly de-
TO OUR READERS sired and demanded by all grades and
“Read you, and let us to our WORK” classes of the people.
2 King Henry VI., i. 4. At the present moment, there lies in the
pigeon-holes of the British Government
ALTHOUGH no apology may be needed a Bill for the Promotion, Extension, and
for the appearance of WORK, an expla- Elaboration of Technical Education in
nation of its Why and its Wherefore-its the United Kingdom, which will be dis-
rasion d’etre, as our friends across the cussed and moulded into law at the ear-
Channel would put it- is certainly desir- liest opportunity. Our Universities and
able, and a little space in this, its first great Public Schools are awakening
Number, may be usefully taken to the necessity of teaching the hands
up in showing the causes that have led to work as well as the brain to think.
up to its introduction; the persons to In every large town, and in London it-
whom it chiefly appeals; the objects at self – the head as well as heart of the
which it aims; the special features by Empire – a craving is springing up for
which it will be marked; and the field of the establishment of technical institutes
operation that it seeks to cover. and workshops, in which any and every
First, then, let it be shown why and man, whatever may be his social station
wherefore WORK has been called, and in life, may obtain improved knowledge
has come, into existence. What, let us of the leading handicrafts that are prac-
inquire, is the great demand of the time; tised by men, or even to learn their very
for what are most men chiefly asking rudiments, if he so requires.
and seeking in the present day? To this In these amateur workmen are already
question the right reply is by no means assembling, that they may better know
difficult to find. It is, and must be- “Bet- through practice under trained teachers
ter and fuller means of Technical and how to carry out the work they may have
Practical Education.” adopted as a hobby; and professional
Never, indeed, it may be said, was the workmen that they may become better
demand for technical education greater conversant with the theory that under-
than it is at the present time! Never was lies the work they do; and by this, and a
it heard more that it is now among work- quickening of their taste and perception
men of British nationality! And why? of the beautiful in form and perfection in
Simply and solely because of late years execution, gain greatly in skill, and ca-
it has become painfully apparent that pacity for carrying out the work by which
by means of increased facilities for ob- they have to live.
taining technical knowledge the foreign And all grades of workmen are alike led
workmen have been stealing a march to seek self-improvement, because they
upon them. have realised the truth of the grand old
Never, forsooth, at any time has the ne- saying – Knowledge is Power.
cessity for sound technical education To meet, then, at a most critical period

7
of our national existence, the needs of and command – “Whatsoever thy hand
workmen belonging to each and both of findeth to do, do it with thy might.”
the two great classes into which work- Mention has been made, well-nigh in
men are naturally divided – profession- the same breath, of the amateur and
als on the one hand, and amateurs on the professional workman; but are they
the other – WORK has been brought not more closely akin than superficial
into being. That WORK will prove the thinkers are disposed to allow? Are not
most useful and most complete serial all men amateurs alike? Are not all pro-
of its class that has yet been given to fessionals? Verily, yes; each and every
the world, there is every reason to be- man in his own order. What, indeed, is
lieve; and, without doubt, it will be ea- the difference between workmen, ama-
gerly sought after, read, and followed teur and professional, save that the lat-
by those for whose benefit it has been ter practices his craft or calling for gain,
produced, as the first, the best, the most and the former loves and cultivates an
helpful, and the most reliable practical art for his amusement. The distinction
instructor of the times in which we live. is very much like that which has been
Nay, more than this, it may be regarded drawn from time immemorial between
as being verily unique in itself through those who live to eat and those who eat
the comprehensiveness of its scope, for to love; and the comparison runs far
although efforts may have been made, more closely in parallel lines than may
prior to this, to help and instruct the am- appear at first sight, for if the profession-
ateur, never yet has any attempt been al works to live, does not the amateur
made to regard all workmen, wheth- in an equal degree live to work? Even a
er workers for gain and daily bread or professional workman is an amateur in
workers for amusement and recreation, everything else except the one particu-
as one great family possessed of com- lar handicraft by which he lives; so that,
mon aims ad actuated by common in- speaking fractionally, every man, if he
terests, who enter the lists of competi- be one-fourth professional, is very like-
tion in friendly rivalry alone, to provoke ly three-fourths amateur and so may be
one another to the execution of work of regarded as being in point of fact more
greater excellence than either the one of an amateur after all than he is of the
or the other has yet produced. Each professional.
class has much to learn of the other;
each class can teach the other much. Said a working man to a writer one day,
Time, it is to be up and doing, and, with “I look upon myself as an amateur in ev-
regard to those who write in the pages ery man’s trade except my own, and as
of WORK, it is to lead and help their fel- I like to know something about all trades
low-men to better things that they are besides my own, I hail with pleasure ev-
banded together. They, verily, are first ery source from which I can derive some
afield to guide where assistance and knowledge of them.”
lend a helping hand wherever aid may Every man, indeed, has, or ought to
be sought. And this they will ever do in have his hobby whether he be profes-
the spirit of Solomon’s mingled counsel sional or not, and therefore, in seeking

8
to administer to the improvement of one most familiar to himself, and endeavour
class and to build up and augment the to realise that instruction will be given
knowledge of its members, precisely on, or notice taken of, every one of them
the same thing is done in the interests sooner or later. To catalogue them would
of the other. be simply to make a list of every kind of
constructive and decorative work that
This has been said to show that the is practised by man. Let us take this as
pages of WORK are intended for both done, and so avoid the waste of time,
groups of workmen alike, and to point space, and power that would be in-
out, on the good old principle that what volved in its preparation. Number 1 and
is sauce for the goose is sauce for the Part 1 will sufficiently serve as samples
gander, that that which is desirable and of the whole. It is impossible, manifestly,
useful and desirable for the other. If there to touch on everything at once, but ev-
be any difference at all, it will be found erything nevertheless, will be touched
to consist chiefly in this – that the pro- on in time.
fessional workmen require and desires In general character, WORK will be pure-
to gain in comprehension of theory, and ly technical and instructive. Nothing that
the amateur conversely, in practice, and comes within the region of polemics will
thus each will be brought on pari passu be touched on in its pages, and discus-
to the same goal – perfection in execu- sion will be permitted on such subjects
tion. only as are processed of common inter-
est for all readers.
We must now pass on to consider briefly
the objects of WORK, and the subjects With reference to the special features by
that are to receive treatments in its pag- which WORK will be marked, it may be
es. On this it is only necessary to say said that every paper that requires it will
that in the papers which will appear from be fully illustrated with sketches, dia-
week to week will be found a clear and grams, or working drawings to scale as
practical exposition of the modus ope- may be described. This alone will tend
randi to be followed in every art, craft, or to render WORK invaluable both to the
science that bears directly or indirectly, workman himself and those at whose
on handiwork of a constructive or dec- bidding and for whose benefit he may
orative character, the directions being work.
supplied and comments made, either in
short single papers, or in series of arti- New machinery, new tools, new appli-
cles tersely and comprehensively writ- ances, new arts, new processes, new
ten. modes of treatments will always find ex-
position in its pages, and a special fea-
If the reader presses for a more accu- ture will be made of
rate definition of the nature of the arti- OUR GUIDE TO GOOD THINGS, In
cles that will be treated in WORK, let which notice will be taken of tools, ma-
him attempt to sum up in his mind for chinery, technical works, etc., and all
a moment the handicraft trades that are things useful and novel that manufac-

9
 WOODCENTRAL
turers and inventors may produce in
the interest of those who labour with the
hands. Manufacturers and others are re-
quested to send the Editor timely notice
of any new tool, machine, or appliance
that they are about to introduce as a new
claimant for public favour.

Welcome to WoodCentral! Since 1998,

woodworkers of all stripes have met
Safety is the ultimate responsibility of here in our forums and chats to share a
every woodworker; hand tools are safe wealth of good information, offbeat hu-
as long as they are used as per manu-
mor and a unique camaraderie. In that
facturer’s instructions. Keep all blades
sharp, blunt tools are dangerous and time, we’ve accumulated thousands of
will result in poor work. Mind where you woodworking articles, reviews, “shop
place your hands when using your tools. shots” and other features, as well as a
Never work wood when you’re tired or million or more archived messages on
intoxicated, even the smallest amounts just about every woodworking subject.
of alcohol can result in poor vision and Browse at your leisure, stay as long as
judgement. When operating machinery, you like, and don’t hesitate to send us
read and follow the recommendations your suggestions and feedback. Wood-
of your machines owner’s manual, using
Central is, and always has been, by
appropriate guards and safety devices,
and maintaining all your tools properly. and for YOU!
Use adequate sight and hearing protec- www.woodcentral.com
tion. Safety begins and ends with you.

10
 Never Fear Competition
By Salko Safic

Competition brings benefit to the consumer, it widens a variety of sources, encour-

ages entrepreneurship, business enterprise, innovation, competitive pricing and
most important of all it keeps businesses honest. Without competition, you would
have monopolisation. A business monopoly would mean you as a consumer would
pay higher prices for goods and services. It could also introduce poor customer
service, there would be less motivation for innovation.
The guild in the 18th century strictly forbade any form of monopolisation. The guild
was setup up by the crown to be the consumers’ watch dog, they were led by
masters of the trade. Several guilds were set up specific for each trade. They
controlled the markets and the industry to keep the economy stable by ensuring
no one manipulated the market through monopolisation or maybe an oversupply
of a specific trade. An example in modern times of oversupply would be the taxi
industry. Fewer cabs on the road would ensure more work for the cabbies, yield-
ing a higher income for the drivers. Since introducing Uber to the market, the taxi
industry has plummeted and neither party is making more money than the other.
As much as people are led to believe Uber drivers are making more money, this
is false. The guild never allowed business to buy in bulk to avoid manipulation of
the market and no outsider could set up shop within the kingdom. Only a limited
amount of masters could operate for any specific trade and ongoing quality in-
spections were made under their watchful eyes. If a product failed to meet the high
standards set by the guild it was confiscated.
I will write more about the guild in a future article.
With so many low-quality products imported from China this whole idea of compe-
tition is laughable. Competition has never been so easy and redundant since the
introduction of these Chinese products into our markets. I use the word “redun-
dant” because Chinese made products are so poorly made that they cannot com-
pare in quality to what we make today, and therefore I cannot and do not see them
as a competition. If they were of equal quality and offered their products for less,
then they would be a formidable an unbeatable competitor. However, I must clar-
ify one valid and true point and give credit where credit is due. Chinese products
were much sought after since the 17th century. Their products were in high demand
because the world had never seen such beauty. Therefore, the Chinese are very
much capable as is any human being to produce high quality goods. However, it’s
our western corporations who refuse to pay for such quality and the old saying is
“you get what you pay for.” In the 18th century our crafting ancestors, both in Brit-
ain and America, also worked under the same rule “you get what you pay for”. We
take pride when we slap on a few coats of Boiled Linseed Oil and I agree it looks
great, but this was the cheapest form of finish for those who couldn’t afford to pay
much, so “you got what you paid for.”
A very commonly used statement is that “this is the way of the world now.” I’ve

11
always hated this statement because it’s completely and utterly untrue, a load of
bollocks, total malarkey. The way of the world is what you make it and allow it to
be, not what a market or a government dictates to you what it will be. These clever
tacticians have made you forget what is clearly written in the great constitution of
the United States – that power resides with the people. It doesn’t reside with the
government nor does it reside with corporations. The government is there to serve
the people, “by the people, for the people” and the corporations are the beggars
of this society who rely on your income to survive, yet the both groups continue to
fashion your minds into accepting this malarkey.
Negativity
Everyday people are exposed to high doses of negativity through the media, i.e.
internet, television, radio etc. be that at work, at home or in the car. Then people
around you, your family, friends, and co-workers all add their bit. This may be
hard to imagine but your minds are constantly being infected with negative hys-
teria. Market fluctuations, interest rate rises, civil wars, famine, job losses, all this
continual negativity is enough to make a grown man cry. Isn’t it time you stopped
listening?
Don’t fear the mass manufacturers.
I’ve never feared the mass producers. They’re not in my league. No self-respecting
craftsman sees a mass manufacturer as a threat. In fact, it’s the other way around.
Mass manufacturers are deceitful; they produce low quality in high quantity to
yield high profits, while we produce high quality in low quantity for longevity and
high customer satisfaction. Wow, what a difference! In my view, they are a quick
buck salesman who exploits workers in third world countries like Vietnam, Indone-
sia, Thailand, and the great human rights violator called China. In some of these
countries, these workers are known to work for up to 22 hours a day earning as low
as 70 cents per day. I know that may sound far-fetched but I did say “up to” and
not consistently 22 hours. My facts are not internet based, my information comes
from people I have met that lived and worked in China. Having said that, I’ve also
come across managers who manage large furniture making factories and they
claim that their workers are paid $6.00 per hour and work a typical 40-hour week.
He also added that he treats his workers more fairly than most. There have been
far too many reports by western journalists of ongoing human rights violations by
the Chinese government and poor working conditions in factories. Many Chinese
companies have no workplace health and safety programs. This act of negligence
is the cause of many work-related injuries, some as severe as loss of limbs which
has led in some cases workers committing suicide. In China, the families of any
workers who commit suicide are heavily fined. No one truly knows what goes on in
China besides the Chinese people and their communist government.
In Africa, children were exploited to mine so-called “blood diamonds.” These blood
diamonds are illegal yet human rights violation and exploitation of workers are not!
Ford and nine other car manufacturing companies are being dragged through the
Australian court by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
for misleading their customers by knowingly selling cars with defective transmis-
sions since 2011. People are starting to wake up, people in high places are people

12
like you and me after all, they too consume and they too have had enough. Finally,
the tide is changing and the squeeze has just begun. Therefore no, don’t fear the
mass manufacturers they’re not in competition with any high-quality craftsman.
Time to stop fantasising
It’s not about earning millions but about doing what you’re passionate about and
earning enough to be financially independent. On the side of reason there’s no
point in pursuing a dream that costs you money with a zero return. Filling the cof-
fers of woodworking stores while depleting your own bank accounts isn’t the path
to salvation. But if it’s a dream, if this is what you really want to do then understand
that it’s a struggle, a real uphill battle that is no different from any other business. It
is achievable; anything you set your mind to is achievable.
When I decided to build clocks 18 years ago my father, who made me work with
him in his own cabinet shop since the age of 7, laughed at the idea. Who will buy
your clocks when China offer the cheap plastic “sh**”? BTW it was weekend work
and sometimes after school and not a full-time job. “Go to university or get a trade”
was made incumbent on seven of us. Four of five sisters graduated in nursing,
the fifth finished two apprenticeships, hairdressing, and barbering, I graduated in
business and worked wood and my younger brother is a mechanical engineer. My
mother was a shoe maker and machinist for upholstery and my father a cabinet-
maker and my grandfather a cabinetmaker.
Anyhow, I proved him wrong year after year, I had a long clientele list including
several businesses and all through word of mouth, not a single dollar invested by
me into any form of paid advertising. But none of it happened overnight. I worked
18 hours a day, 7 days a week for the first 12months and reduced it as the work
grew steadily. Nothing comes easy. Life is hard. You just must want it bad enough.
Paul Sellers, who is a great example of a person who struggled all his working life,
stubbornly pursued his goal, his passion, his dream not to give up the craft to re-
place it with a 9 -5 job. At the age of 65 he made it, it took him 50 years but in the
end, he made it because he never gave up on his dream. He may not be without
scars as it’s a warrior’s mark of struggle, but he never gave up. On the other hand,
Colonel Sanders is an example of a person who made millions at the age of 65, but
wasted 64 years of his life. He falls into the category of pot luck that he made it.
Many people wish “If I could only win the lottery,” “if I only this or that,” or “wouldn’t
it be nice to do something I’m passionate about” or the worst one is “oh well that’s
the way of the world and there’s nothing I can do about it.” This mindless style of
thinking is the reason why people don’t pursue their dreams.
The reason why most successful people win is that they act upon on their dreams.
It all starts with a dream, an idea, and then they stop day dreaming and make a
real-life decision that they will turn that dream into a reality. You have a 5 second
window to act before your own mind talks you out of it.
When I decided to begin HANDWORK, I made a terrible mistake of asking some-
one their blessing. In other words, I asked for validation. I quickly realised this mis-
take but it was too late, my actions were faster than my realisation as I hit the send
button. I don’t need to validate my dream with anyone other than myself. You don’t

13
need to ask for anyone’s approval other than yourself. Your life is your own and you
are only answerable to yourself.
Time to Act
Do you want it? Yes? How bad do you want it? Really bad? Then you must stop
fantasising and day dreaming about it and take action and work hard, really hard
and be persistent, struggle and overcome all obstacles and meet every challenge
head on with a passion. No one will do this for you except you yourself, you must
want it so bad that it becomes an obsession. This is your passion; your dream, this
is the life you want so go out and get it. You can only make it happen with real drive
and determination. You must motivate yourself daily to keep at it and never give
up despite how many times you fail. I don’t care who it is, celebrity or not, each of
us makes mistakes daily. When a mistake is made we keep at it and move on and
keep pushing and clawing our way through until we break through the other side.
We don’t ever stop but keep going with the same drive and determination because
the day you stop is the day it begins to fall apart.
We aim for perfection and evaluate ourselves at the end of each day. Did you give
it all you had or did you just do it half-heartedly or pissed your day away watch-
ing YouTube videos of other people working. You can always watch and learn
from these videos at night when you’re work is done, but the day is yours and you
cannot afford to waste it on non-work-related emails and videos. You must be de-
termined to fulfil your dream, your destiny. No one can take your dream from you
except yourself.
Through commitment and obsession, you will strive to be better today than you
were yesterday. Ambition is a moral obligation, you must want to succeed, you
must want it so bad that you ache for it. You reap what you sow. I guarantee you,
if you plant a hundred apple tree seeds and you work them, nurture them, water
them, be dedicated to them, a hundred apple trees will grow.
Don’t fear failure but be prepared to fail. Most successful people fail but don’t ever
give up nor see it as a deterrent. Learn from it and move on.
Practice, practice, practice. Practice doesn’t make perfect but makes permanent,
it’s a permanent fixture in your mind. How do you think our ancestors had the ability
to work so fast? Their experience, their repetition got them that speed. When you
know what you are doing then you’re not slowed down by the tremendous thought
process you underwent the first-time round.
“Repetition is the mother of learning, is the father of action making it the architect
of accomplishment.”
Bargain hunters
Learn to say no to the bargain hunters, learn to ignore them. By accepting their
ridiculously low offers, you are degrading your work and yourselves. It’s demoral-
ising and degrading so don’t yield to them.
Lastly be true to others and yourselves, if you’re going to work with hand tools then
do it. Don’t say you are when you are not because you will get caught out and your

14
reputation that took years to build will be flushed down the sewers in a day. Never
ever be deceitful, you’ve chosen to work this way so don’t let the flood of orders
change your path.
Your life and future is in your hands, do with it what you will. Do it well and do it right
and never give up.

15
 Garnet Paper and Cloth in the Chair Factory
BY W.J.H
The various sanding operations that are necessary in the chair industry are such
as to tax the imagination of one who has never been inside a plant of this kind.
The cost of sanding alone is one of the greatest elements in the manufacturing
process and a subject which causes the manufacturer much serious thought. For-
tunate, indeed, is the manufacturer who has careful operators, and men who are
watching for some chance to cut down this item of production cost.
The illustration shows what is known as a saddle seat mission dining chair. This
is a comparatively easy chair to make, yet there are eighteen pieces to this chair
before it is assembled, and each piece must go through at least two processes of
sanding. Then, after it is assembled, the finishing requires from two to four sanding
operations, according to the nature of the finish.
Garnet paper and cloth have been found to give the best results in chair making,
whether used on drums, sanding machines, or by hand. No two factories use the
same types of machines throughout, but the results that are accomplished are
the same, so let us follow the various parts of this most common piece of furniture
through the several processes in modern chair shop.
The Different Sanding Operations
he back, which has been planed on both sides and bent to the required curve,
is sanded twice, either on the wide belt of a machine or on the drum. First, it is
roughed down on No. 1% carborundum brand garnet, then passed on to the next
operator and smoothed down on No. 1/2.Paper is used on the drum, while belting
machines require cloth.
Cutting down the cost of sanding, operations in the sanding of chairs, tests of
paper, the storage of the paper and the maintenance of the sandpaper and of
sanding belts in a condition of excellence, uniformity of sandpaper service
The back posts, front posts, and other parts of the chair are run through the sander.
This sander is known as a three-drum single surfacer, so called because the three
drums, usually placed below the bedplate, sand only one surface of the stock that
is run through. There is also in use the six ‘drum double surfacer which has three
drums below and three above, and sands two sides ‘as the stock goes through.
The Covering of the Sanding Drums
These drums are covered with carborundum brand garnet. The first or front one
usually has No. 1 1/2, the middle one No. 1/2, and the last one No. 0, or No. 00,
according to finish desired. The coarse paper takes off the rough marks that were
left after the material came from planer. The next finer grit removes the sanding
marks left from the first, while the finest grit puts on the finishing touches. In going
through the sander, the back posts are finished only on the two wide sides, so the

16
narrow edges must be finished on the belt or drum. Sometimes the machine has
not given the required smoothness to all places on the flat sides and they have to
be-touched up on the drum sander.
The front posts, stretchers and spindles have to be finished on four sides, and
must be put through the machine two or four times, according as to whether a
double or a single-surfacing machine is in use.
Since the casings show only one side, a single operation through the machine is
sufficient. The seat also goes through once, but this is again handled on a machine
with a sliding table, in order to finish the sunken or “saddle” shape. Then the round
edges of the seat, the back posts, and the narrow edges of the slats are sanded
on a belt sander.
How the Finish is Obtained
After these operations are completed the pieces pass through several hands until
they are put together and sent to the paint shop. There it is sanded all over with
very fine carborundum brand garnet paper and given its first dip in the paint. If a
glossy or cheap finish is desired there is no more sanding: but if there is to be a
first-class finish, the chair is allowed to dry, then again sanded with the fine paper
to take out the lumps. It goes through this operation as many times as is necessary
to get the finish desired. The writer has shown a simple chair. In the case of a
rocking-chair the rockers must go through the same operations, and where there
are round stretchers, spindles, etc., these must be done by hand, or on other types
of machines. Then some chairs have shaped legs which have to be handled on
various other types of machines.
Thus, when you consider that every piece of a chair must be gone over with three
or more grades of garnet paper you will understand why the manufacturer is con-
tinually watching for an opportunity to reduce this part of the cost of production.
Some concerns go on, year in and year out. using the same kind of paper and
make no efforts to find out whether or not they can reduce the cost of sanding ma-
terials. Many today are using flint when it can be easily proved that garnet general-
ly lasts about twice as long and under nearly all conditions is the more economical.
When the writer was first confronted with the problem of reducing the item of sand-
ing expense in a woodworking factory, sandpaper was about as familiar as an
aeroplane is to him today. That is, he had seen sandpaper and had seen it work-
ing, but that was all.
Now, after a period of study and testing, he has learned many things, a few of
which he is making an attempt to pass on for the benefit of any interested. He
found out that the various combinations of sandpaper were, apparently, as numer-
ous as the sands of the sea.
These combinations are caused by the different ways of making paper and the
various materials that go into it. the innumerable substances used in glue, and the
various methods of manufacturing.

17
 What Makes a Paper Good
Experiments generally show that the lowest-priced product does not cost the least
in the end. It has neither the wearing qualities nor the grit necessary for good work.
In testing always hear in mind that the numbers used by one manufacturer may not
coincide with the numbers of another. For instance, one manufacturer makes a No.
1 that is as coarse as a No. 1 1/2 made by someone else. So, you must make the
grits identical in order to get fair tests.
The testing of this material has become such a fixture where the writer is employed
that the operators have learned to realize that the best is none too good and they
are ever on the lookout for a lot that is not up to the standard.
All paper not in use here is kept in a special storeroom having a perfectly dry at-
mosphere and a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees. Thus, the glue is not given a
chance to absorb any moisture and the paper is kept in excellent condition. Un-
opened rolls are stored on end rather than piled on each other horizontally. Spare
belts are made up in advance and hung on pegs to be exchanged for old ones as
fast as is necessary.
When it comes to actual tests. The strength and quality of the paper itself are first
determined by tearing the paper from each edge. If it tears fairly straight in one
direction it is of the kind known as cylinder and has the strength all in one direction,
which is not an especially good quality.
The best in paper for sanding products is what is known as ‘Fourdrinier.” This will
not’ tear straight. from any direction since it has no grain, because the fibres are
distributed in such a way that the strength is equal in each direction.
Storage of the Paper
Next, a quantity of each of the kinds to be tested is taken from each roll or pack-
age. These pieces are kept in the storeroom for several days until it is reasonably
sure that all are in the same condition. They are then given the bending test. When
bent, the paper should give a snapping sound, and when bent sharply the parti-
cles should not loosen and drop off.
Some of each of the pieces are put in a moisture box which has been made espe-
cially for this purpose. While these pieces are in the dampness the work of trying
out the dry ones goes on. Several blocks of the same quality of wood, which have
been thoroughly dried in the kiln and planed, are fastened to a bench pitched at a
sharp angle. The pieces of paper are fastened to small heads at the ends of rods
operated from the same crank. These heads drop over the pieces of wood and the
machine is started. The incline of the bench allows the sand dust to drop off and
the pressure of each of the heads is the same. Thus, it will be seen that the pa-
per gets uniform work. An examination is made at various intervals, and the time
that it takes to wear down to the paper itself is noted. Then a test is made on the
same machine by rubbing two pieces of different makes together. The same brand
shows the most favourable under both these rubbing tests. The same process is
gone over with the pieces that have been in the moisture box, but in addition an

18
examination is made to see how the glue has withstood the dampness. ‘As before
stated, the operators are watching for any falling off in quality, and if a complaint
is made that a lot is not up to the standard, expert tests are immediately made.
Since records are kept of all tests, it can be readily seen that these examinations
result in the selection of the best kind of paper for the special requirements. These
same tests apply to cloth. The writer realizes that he may not have been especially
clear on some points and will be pleased to answer any queries that may be made
through this publication. He will also be glad to hear of other experiences in this
line.
Education in Industrial Risks
It should not be forgotten that more than half of our industrial workers are in the
smaller plants and that the biggest field for improvement is here. because in general
the least has been done. It is pointed out by Norman F. Hesseltine, manager of
the Contractors Mutual Liability Insurance Co., Boston, Mass, that this subject of
accident prevention is of immensely greater importance than the mere distribution
of monetary compensation.
The excess burden upon the small plant is one of the economic features incident
to the operation of small units. The large plant employing hundreds or thousands
of operatives can afford technical and scientific assistance in studying those prob-
lems, such as would be totally out of the question in the plant of smaller capital.
It is quite possible for the owner of the small plant, however, to make use of the
lessons furnished by the large plant and thus get practically the same sort of re-
sults in accident prevention, although they would necessarily be somewhat slower
in producing these results. Intelligent study and co-operation will work wonders
where the money is not at hand to carry out careful investigations.
A catalogue of the Mathews gravity lumber conveyers manufactured by the
Mathews Gravity Carrier Co., Ellwood City, Penn. comes to hand and shows many
installations. The conveyers consist of sections eight feet long and 90-degree re-
versible curves. Each section is provided with instantaneous coupling mechanism.
Rollers are made of cold-drawn seamless steel tubing and set in steel frames held
rigid by steel bars. Securely fastened to rails. Each roller, with its full-length axle,
acts as an additional brace to the frame.

19
Fig. 1. A Saddle seat Mission Dining Chair
1, Back. 2, Back posts. 3, Front posts. 4, Sluts or banisters. 5, Lower slat. 6, Front
casing. 7. Side casing. 8, Stretchers. 9, Flat spindle. 10, Saddle seat.

20
 Glue up Correctly for a Long Lasting Joint
BY SALKO SAFIC

For a long-lasting joint that won’t come The practice of edge gluing two or more
apart one needs to know how to correct- boards to form a panel or a table top has
ly apply glue. Glue is strong, irrespective been in practice for several thousand
of whether it is hide glue, white, yellow years. Sprung joints aren’t new either
or fish glue they’re all stronger than the and is still widely practiced. The idea of
wood itself. While yellow is commonly a sprung joint is to form a slight hollow
known for its gap filling properties, it’s in the middle of the board’s edge to ap-
not entirely true. No glue is a gap filler, ply pressure on the ends to keep them
for a successful join each joint must be tightly closed during seasonal chang-
a friction fit with no gaps. es. That’s the idea, and it works, but
Edge joint I’ve also edge glued without a sprung

21
joint and if the two edges are perfectly
straight making perfect gap free contact
works just as well. For the sake of time
and efficiency sprung joints are a better
alternative.

Best glue up methods

Exaggerated Sprung Joint

The best form of glue up is bonding long

grain to long grain, end grain absorbs
too much glue starving the joints creat-
Friction fit joinery ing a weaker bond. Many modern-day
furniture and kitchens are made from
Mortise and tenons including dovetails MDF and Chipboard, applying glue to
should be a friction fit requiring only either end grain or its edges is like not
moderate hand pressure. To ensure ev- applying any glue at all as the wood (lets
erything comes together perfectly pri- humour the mass manufacturers and
or glue up a quick rehearsal is recom- call it wood) absorbs all the glue so they
mended. Some woodworkers like Rob rely on dowels to keep them together.
Cosman is confident enough that he This too isn’t a good practice either as
never does a test fit of his dovetails as your relying on tiny little sticks stuck in
he believes with each fit your loosening tiny little holes to hold everything togeth-
the joint which is true, but it is better to er. For mitre joints you must apply glue
side with caution than to find out later to end grain and there is a little trick that
you’re not so good after all. No pun in- works very well. You allow the end grain
tended. to absorb the glue, then you apply some
Clamps should only be used to hold more and allow it to dry enough to form
a joint together while the glue is dry- a film then apply some more, clamp it,
ing. If you find that you’re using a lot and leave it to set over night. I’ve done
of clamping pressure to force the joints this using hide glue as a test and I gave
to close, then you need to reexam- up trying to break it apart so it works.
ine your joinery as to why this is hap- Don’t be overly concerned with what
pening prior to glue up. During glue, type of glue works the best, they all
up sometimes you get what is known work equally well as they’re all stronger
as glue freeze and usually a light tap than the wood itself. Usually the com-
with a mallet will remedy this problem. pany that spends the most on advertis-
ing gets the biggest exposure but that’s

22
as far as it goes. Irrespective of what type of glue you
I’m a big advocate for hide glue and use the work needs to be warm, yes
have recently become equally enthusi- you read that right, even if your using
astic about fish glue. I’m a traditionalist PVA. In the past, their labels read room
in one respect I like to practice ancient temperature above 32f and others have
methods but I also have a slightly dif- read above 65F for a strong bond. I ha-
ferent outlook on these matters to other ven’t seen this labeled for a long time on
people. I build by hand while others use bottles but none the less whether they
machinery; I am of the opinion due to choose to label or omit it nothing has
the current rise of automation that in 50 changed. Glues usually takes 12 hours
years’ time there will only be a handful of to set but in colder conditions you need
people building anything by hand, and to allow 24 hours to pass before you do
in 100 years’ time there will be nothing any work with it. With hide glue, I will
built by hand. So, my work will be far always allow 24 hours to pass and the
more valuable after I’m long gone than same applies to Fish glue. I guess the
a piece made by anyone using machin- only real issue I have with fish glue is
ery. If for any reason my work needs to that the glue line reactivates immediate-
be repaired I know that the glue I used ly if your hands are damp. I’ve noticed
which is hide glue or fish glue can be this the other day after using my Water-
reversed, repaired and re glued, while stones. As my hands were damp from
others cannot and most probably no being in contact with water I felt immedi-
one will ever bother. So, I feel it’s an ate tackiness on the glue line. This isn’t
obligation upon me to owe it to conser- a problem as the water didn’t penetrate
vationists to continue with this practice to break the bond, but I wouldn’t glue
of using animal protein glues in all my up a tabletop with it. Spills and general
builds. cleaning will leave a tacky surface and
Glue is readily available in all stores and that isn’t a good thing.
is inexpensive other than hide glue. PVA When applying glue to joinery apply a
glue has a shelf life of up to 12 months thin amount and spread it over both sur-
while liquid hide is two years, the gran- faces. On edge gluing apply an even
ules if kept out of direct sunlight are in- thinner coat and use either your finger to
definite and fish glue is advertised as a spread it, roller, or brush even a stick will
two-year shelf life but if kept out of di- do the job. Don’t apply so little to where
rect sunlight in a cool dark spot can run you will starve the joint but enough to
into many years. No matter what type of end up with a small bead of squeeze out
glue you use make sure it’s fresh, there’s when you clamp it.
no point in using glue that’s gone off and If you apply too much glue not only will it
ruining your hard work. I always make be messy and drip all over your clamps
a fresh batch of hide glue if I’m going to and bench top but it will be too slippery
use it that day and if there’s anything left and you will have alignment issues. All
over I throw it away. This may sound like ow an hour to pass before cleaning up,
wastage but comparing to the price of some manufacturers state 30 mins min-
timber it’s a small price to pay. imum but I always allow an hour. Use a

23
chisel if your using PVA and a damp cloth if using hide glue, with hide glue you can
wait the full 24 hrs. Unlike PVA glue if left will not affect your finishes but water will
clean it all off not so with PVA.

Wood Bungs Polishing Stained Wood

Oil the wood if you wish to darken or
enrich the colour. Use ordinary French
polish, and, of course, before applying
this, fill the grain with whiting mixed
with a suitable brown colouring. Body
up with the polish, and afterwards spirit
off to get the gloss. To darken pine to
walnut colour, use a stain composed of
Vandyke brown, mixed first with liquid
ammonia and then diluted with water.
J.H.Crewe

This is a machine for making either the

wood bungs or chives, and the spile
pegs vent pegs used for beer casks.
It is the only machine I know of, and
made by eminent firm of Ransome &
Co. whose cask machinery is superior
to any others.

24
 Milk Paint
BY GREG MERRITT
Milk paint, or more precisely, casein (milk protein) based paint is once again en-
joying a surge in popularity. Some are drawn to its “historic” nature, some its ease
of use, others still to its “cool” factor and some because of its non-toxic nature.
Before we go any further I want to clarify what is and what is not casein based
paint. There are several companies marketing “milk paint” these days. Some are
true milk paint; others however, are not. That does not mean they are inferior prod-
ucts. They just are not true milk paint. True milk paint will be sold in powder form
only. If the paint comes pre-mixed in a can, it is not a casein based paint and is
most likely acrylic based. While these pre-mixed paints may imitate the look of
true milk paint, they do not behave the same or offer the non-toxic advantages of
true milk paint.
Now that we are clear as to what milk paint is not, let’s look a little deeper into
what it is. In its powdered form milk paint will keep indefinitely. making it conve-
nient to have on hand and quickly mixed for a project. Once mixed with water
(equal parts powder and water) milk paint will only last days at best. Apply that
mixture to wood however, and you have a hard, durable colorfast coating that will
last for a hundred years, thousands in some cases.
I was first drawn to milk paint due to its non-toxic nature. When I began wood-
working in earnest several years ago I made a conscious decision to use only
non-toxic finishes. Unlike some users of milk paint, I had no interest in creating a
“rustic” or “historic” finish. I simply wanted a safe way to create a deep, rich paint-
ed surface on some of my projects. I was able to obtain that goal, but not without
a good bit of trial and error.
A smooth and deeply colored milk paint finish must be nurtured. Straight from the
brush, milk paint is dead flat in appearance and rough in texture. In fact, the first
coat of paint is down right atrocious and you have a fear that you have ruined your
project. Don’t panic; you’re on the right track.
Typically milk paint requires two or more coats to cover adequately a surface.
There are several factors that can influence this. Tight-grained woods such as
pine, poplar and maple will cover more easily than open-grained wood such as
red oak. The consistency of your paint mixture will influence the number of coats
needed as well. I generally mix my paint so that it is slightly thicker than typical
latex or acrylic paint.
Here are a few additional points to note about applying milk paint. Use the cheap-
est brush you can find. While it is possible to clean a brush after use, its a 50/50
shot at best. Just throw it away.
Second, work quickly. Milk paint dries quickly since the drying begins almost as
soon as the paint contacts the wood. Third, even though you are working quickly,
be neat about it. Don’t leave runs or drips and your final strokes should be with
the grain. Almost all errors such as these are fixable, but it is a lot less work not to
create them in the first place. Lastly, do not spend too much time working any one
25
area or try to re-work an area during a session. Milk paint dries too quickly and
you risk creating more problems that will need to be fixed later. Simply keep mov-
ing. It is far easier to allow the current coat to dry and add one more coat later.
That’s it for the painting portion of the process. Rinse out your brush as best as
you can. Don’t throw it out just yet. You may find or create an area that needs to
be touched up later.
Seal the container with any remaining paint and put that in the refrigerator. Now
some may choose to leave the finish “as is.” Dead flat and rough texture. I, for
one, do not like this look and begin the nurturing process to obtain a deeper col-
or and smooth surface.
The nurturing begins with 0000 steel wool. Yes, it must be actual steel wool. I
have tried several of the synthetic options and they simply do not create the
same surface and color quality that can be obtained with actual steel wool. Using
the steel wool, I rub out the surface of the paint to obtain a smooth, lightly bur-
nished surface. This operation also deepens the color.
There are a couple of points to keep in mind during this operation. First, while
milk paint is quite tough, it is possible to abrade all the paint away, especially on
the corners. If this happens, simply repaint those areas and begin again with the
steel wool. The second point is to use your sense of touch, your ears and your
eyes while rubbing out and burnishing the painted surface. Doing so will make
the process much quicker and lessen the likelihood of rubbing through to bare
wood. I would love to tell you how to do this, but it must be experienced to be
fully understood. Don’t worry though, you will catch on quickly.
Now that the surface is smooth and color deepened, the final step in the nurtur-
ing process can begin. Milk paint is a porous coating and is susceptible to water
damage and staining if left unsealed. Multiple products can be used to seal a
milk painted surface. The two that I have experience with are shellac with paste
wax and linseed oil with beeswax. Both options work equally well, but they too
must be nurtured.
Opting for shellac requires two or three coats of shellac with the final coat being
rubbed out with 0000 steel wool. Then a top coat or two of either clear or tinted
wax. The darker shades of milk paint benefit from the use of a tinted paste wax
which generates yet another layer of depth to the finish.
Linseed oil and beeswax also requires multiple coats. With each coat being
buffed with a soft cloth. The one caveat is that the first coat should be linseed oil
or thinned linseed oil only. The resulting finish is buttery smooth with a low luster.
As you now know, a milk paint finish can be time consuming, but the reward is a
durable, deeply colored and smooth finish that could quite possibly last for cen-
turies.
I recently built a small Shaker-style footstool and will walk you through the above
process from raw wood to completed finish.

26
1. The stool in its bare wood state. All surfaces 2. The first coat of salmon milk paint. Note that
were sanded through to 220 grit. The first coat of the coverage is thin.
salmon milk paint. Note that the coverage is thin.

3. After three coats of milk paint, waiting about an 4. Smoothed and burnished with 0000 steel wool.
hour between coats, I have full coverage. The surface is now buttery smooth. Also, note
the slightly darker color tone.

27
5. The first coat of oil. In this case Tried & True
brand “Danish Oil” (polymerized linseed oil).

28
 6. The completed stool with an additional three
coats of an emulsion of linseed oil and beeswax.

Hopefully the above example demon- wax should be applied. To add anoth-
strates how simple a milk paint finish er layer of depth to the finish a tinted
can be. While I used an oil top coat in paste wax can be used with good re-
this example, shellac can be just as eas- sults. The table base below received
ily used. The additional steps when just such a treatment. The Depending
using shellac are that the cured shellac on the size of your project your actual
should also be rubbed out with 0000 time on task will only be a few minutes
steel wool and a final top coat of paste for each of those days though. How-
ever, the advantages of milk paint are
29
more than worth the extra investment of your time. Milk paint yields a durable,
deep color that will last for years and years. Milk paint is also non toxic. Making
it a better choice for your health and safe for any shop helpers that may come
along.
I hope that this introduction to milk paint and its application will entice you to give
it a try on your next painted project. There are many possibilities beyond this ba-
sic application as well.
You can combine colors to create an infinite number of shades and colors. You
can also layer different colors to great effect. Who knows? Milk paint may just
become you new “go-to” finish.

30
 Music Cabinets, Their Design and Construction
BY JOH BOVINGTON

Development of this particular type of furniture apace during the past few years.
There are now many various kinds produced which effectively combine two essen-
tial features, namely usefulness and attractiveness.
Many devices have been adopted to deal with the storage of music, among which
may be mentioned the fitted music stool which has a divided box attached to the
door. The latter is quite a good arrangement where space is limited, but in these
days of cheap music production, many households have quite a stock of music
which cannot be properly arranged in the small space which a fitted stool provides.
An Orderly Method of Storage
Hence the necessity for music cabinet which have the advantage of providing an
increased number of spaces, in which various kinds of music can be accommo-
dated, such as operatic, humorous, sacred, vocal and instrumental.
Where a fair stock of assorted music has to be dealt with, some orderly system of
storage must be practiced in order to facilitate finding any desired piece.
Neat ivory or ivorine labels attached to the front edges of the shelves or divisions
are useful, and can usually be obtained ready made in large or small quantities
from label and plate manufacturers. In the case of really first-class work, these
labels are likely to appear rather too official. A “quieter” and more refined treat-
ment is to procure labels consisting of gold letters on a background, such as are
frequently used to number pictures and artistic objects in exhibitions. These are
made of paper and simply gummed on where required.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective sketch which illustrates the general arrangement of a

31
useful music cabinet. It is capable of accommodating quite a quantity of music,
any of which is readily accessible for use.
Storage of sheet music, various features of a very useful addition to furniture of
a musical home, indexing of contents, materials for construction of cabinets, the
carcase, and finishing of the work
The decorative possibilities of the piece have not been overlooked, but modifi-
cations could easily be made in order to match a piano or cabinet with which it
should of course harmonize. It would not be necessary to depart from the general
arrangement or proportion; the introduction of some inlaying or carving similar to
the piano panels for instance could be effected in the doors and drawers. The
trays afford good accommodation for the usual paper pieces, while the drawers
provide for full scores of operas, bound volumes, and surplus music infrequently
referred to.
It will be seen that the insides of the doors are treated decoratively, which disposes
of an otherwise unsightly feature. It is a good plan to use a light-coloured wood for
veneering the insides of the doors. If a mahogany exterior is decided upon, pol-
ished a dark colour, the inside can very well be polished a natural colour. Another
suitable treatment would be to polish the trays and interior natural colour and to
introduce satinwood for the insides of the doors.
If a coromandel or ebony exterior is decided upon, satinwood is again a suitable
colour combination, while a walnut exterior with boxwood for insides of doors gives
a pleasing effect. For a rosewood exterior, a walnut interior is satisfactory. For the
purpose of this article it is assumed that the exterior is to be of mahogany with sat-
inwood inside the doors.
Constructions of the Carcase
Reference to diagram A, Fig. 1, shows that the ends are framed together, a thick
pilaster being used at the front for decorative reasons. This really acts as a stile
with a thinner one at the back equal to the thickness of the rails. This should be
framed up as for an ordinary door frame, and the panels after being veneered and
cleaned up have the edges barefaced tongued, and are put in the frame previous
to gluing up.
Work of this description should have the holdings and panels properly polished
before it is glued up, otherwise unsightly muddy corners are almost inevitable; and
if shrinkage should take place in the panel, part of the unpolished panel comes out
of the groove and looks very bad.
Rails, Bottom and Drawers
The method of connecting the two top rails is shown in diagram B, Fig. 1. It will be
seen that the rails are dovetailed into the end grain of the stiles, and cut into the
straight grain of the rails, afterwards being screwed as shown for additional secu-
rity.
The carcase bottom would also be dovetailed at front and back into the end grain
of the stiles, and the rail should be rebated all through to receive the bottom which
is screwed up in a similar fashion to the rails. A solid bottom is essential for the
32
cupboard part, and this can be securely attached to the end frames by tenoning
into the stiles, the frame being trenched across to hold the middle part of the cup-
board bottom. The drawer rails should also be tenoned between the pilasters or
stiles.

Diagram A, Fig. 2, illustrates the panelled back and shows it rebated into the
framed-up ends. Sectional view in the same illustration shows the bead and butt
jointed panels which yield a flush surface on the inside of the cupboard. Diagram
C, Fig. 1, shows the necessary constructive detail of the drawers and also indi-
cates alternate methods of “slipping” the sides in order to obtain a better running
surface on the bottom. After the drawers have been made and properly fitted into
the carcase the fronts should be planed down quite level with the front edges of
the carcase. They can then be withdrawn and the quartered veneering proceeded
with. In this instance, the veneering can best be dealt with by gluing the pieces
down to damp-stretched paper, which when dry can be veneered as one sheet
with the paper uppermost.
Some simple carved detail can then be executed in the centre of each drawer front
such as is suggested in the drawings, after which the veneered surfaces are finally
cleaned up. Cocked beads should then be made and fitted round the edges. A
good plan is to make the top bead the full width of the top edge of drawer front,
the side and bottom beads being made about 3/8” inch wide and rebated into the
front. It should be understood that a semi-circular projection of the bead only is
required. When the drawers are finally fitted and stopped the fronts should be in
the same line as the carcase edges and the projecting bead thus breaks the joint
and gives a refined appearance to the work.

33
 The Doors and Decoration
The doors are clamped and veneered, and the carved decoration shown should
be executed by first tracing the outline of the carving and then gluing the tracing
down to a piece of ¼ inch Cuba mahogany. This outline should be cut with fret or
bandsaw and then the resultant shape can be glued down to the veneered doors.
When quite dry carving can be proceeded with, and it should be noted that a low
relief only is required which is more in harmony with the general treatment of the
work than would be a high relief. The veneers for the inside of the doors would also
be built upon paper and laid at the same time as the fronts. It will no doubt be ob-
vious to the reader that a door treated in this way is really laminated, and if properly
done there is but little danger of the doors casting or twisting.
Cocked beads are also introduced round the edges with a double one at the cen-
tre in place of the usual astragal moulding which conceals the meeting joints of the
two doors. The hinges should be cut into the doors, and care should be taken to
select hinges which will exactly coincide with the cocked bead, both being exactly
flush and level one with the other when finished.
False ends must be fitted in the cupboard part in order to allow the trays to pass
the doors when they are withdrawn. The construction of one false end is shown
in diagram A, Fig. l. A 5/3-inch piece is tongued into a thicker front piece, and
slips are put across the back part to act as beaming pieces when the false end is
screwed to the framing. A dotted line indicates the position of the door when open,
and it will be seen that when the tray is withdrawn it will easily clear the hinged
edge of the door. The stand part of the job is made quite separate from the rest
and the legs are cut from 272-inch stuff. After the rails have been tenoned into
the square legs, all the legs can be cut to the shape shown and then carved or
recessed about 1/8-inch deep, as is indicated in the drawings. Shaping the rails
should be proceeded with after they have been glued between the legs, otherwise
they will be weakened considerably and not be able to stand the pressure exerted
when cramping up.
The moulding is mitred round, as shown in the sectional view, which stiffens the
shaped rails, and a few blocks should be then glued in the inside angle, which also
adds to the general strength of the stand.
Mouldings, and Metal Finish
The pediment is fairly straightforward; the mouldings would of course be cut from
solid material in the first instance and the moulded prior to being mitred and glued
in to the face of the pediment. This is a much more economical method than that
of cutting the mouldings out of thick material and then gluing them down to the top
edges of the pediment. An enlarged detail of the ornament for this part is shown
in Fig.1 Part of this is cut out or pierced after veneering has been done, and then
the front part is carved up as indicated in the enlarged detail.
Finally, it should be said that oxidised silver finish in the fittings is admirable and
that the polishing of this piece would present a fine effect to the whole when fin-
ished properly in the first instance and then slightly filled with pumice powder to
take away the glossy effect.

34
In Fig.3 is shown a perspective view and various diagrams illustrating the decora-
tion and construction of a music cabinet of inlaid mahogany. It will be seen that the
arrangement of this piece differs considerably from the one previously dealt with,
but the general proportions remain almost the same.
A drawer is placed underneath the top which is particularly useful for programmes
and small papers which are desired for occasional reference. Instead of trays be-
ing put in the cupboard part, shelves are substituted and the cupboard is finished
off with a glazed barred door which is more suitable for some schemes of decora-
tion than the veneered door arrangement of the earlier example. The design shown
is based upon eighteenth century work and would harmonize suitably with either
an “Adam” or a “Sheraton” decorative scheme. The construction of this piece is
rather different from the first example, the legs running right through with rails ten-
oned between at top, middle and bottom.
Details of a Decorative Design

An enlarged part (sectional detail A, in Fig. 3) shows the relative thicknesses of the
rails and legs. A square tapered detail is worked on the bottom of the legs, and
then grooves are cut all around in order to carry the small leg mouldings. Where
the end frames have been completed and levelled off, the cupboard bottom can
be tenoned between the ends, also the drawer rail and carcase bottom, then the
top rails are dovetailed down.
Diagram B in Fig. 3 shows the front edge of the cupboard bottom rebated in order
to receive the barred door. This is a useful detail, as it will be seen that it effective-
ly stops the door from entering too far and it also acts as a dust check; the latter

35
being an important item.
Diagram A in Fig. 3 shows the carcase bottom rebated into the bottom rails, into
which it is screwed after the tenons at back and front have been glued into the
legs. All span rails are fitted and glued in after the end frames have been connect-
ed with horizontal pieces and glued.
Diagram C in Fig. 3 shows a working detail of the barred door. The frame of the door
is first mortised and tenoned together with a mitred “ovolo” moulding as shown.
The rebate line of the stile does not line up with the square of the ovolo moulding
as is usually the ease with a panelled door. Instead of this the rebate is made
1/8-inch-deep only, and when the bead is finally fitted the inside line of the bead
necessarily coincides with the right size of the door.
Briefly it may be said that the front shoulder is 1/2 inch longer than the back one,
which represents the difference between the space occupied by moulding and
that occupied by the rebate when both are measured from the inside line of the rail
or stile.
In diagram C is also shown a section of one bar; this is made up with a slat about
1/8-inch-thick with a grooved astragal moulding glued on to this. The position of
the glass is also shown, and the beads lightly glued each side of the slat which
brings the astragal in line with the finished beads. With a door of this type the slats
should be prepared first, a straight length being obtained rather longer than the
net length of the straight pieces.
Bars and Stub Mortises
Four curved bars or slats must then be made of gluing five pieces of knife-cut or
three pieces of saw-cut veneer between two blocks shaped to the inside and out-
side line of each curved slat. The latter are glued together, as curves will remain so
when drying has been completed and they are taken out of the curved blocks. A
block is then band sawn to coincide with the inside line of the bar, which is really.
comprised of four quadrant or quarter circles, then the ends of the curves are fit-
ted by cutting away the end parts until the ends merge into a straight bar. A good
plan is to pin the first bar to the block and then to fit the second one, pinning the
latter down also when fitted and so on until the four pieces are completed, when
the joints can be glued and keyed with saw-cut veneers. This pan can then be laid
aside and the corner pieces made by dovetailing up pin angles. Stub mortises
must be made in the stiles and rails to receive the slats, and then the frame should
be cramped up dry to allow the curved centre part to be shouldered correctly.
When the latter is done, the frame can be taken apart and glued up with the centre
part in position. It is necessary to leave the block in the centre part during this
process as otherwise the shape may get somewhat distorted.
Corner Parts and Diagonal Bars
The corner parts can then be glued in, and after the cramps have been removed
the diagonal bars can be V’d over the corners and halved into the quadrants. Care
must be taken to get the slats perfectly in line and frequent testing with a straight-
edge is necessary, the \/”d joints of the diagonals should be strengthened by glu-
ing thin linen or silk in the angles which stiffens the joint considerably.
36
 Mitring Mouldings and Finishing
Mitring the mouldings is the next detail, which is best effected by means of wooden
templets which fit over the astragal moulding and enable the ends to be chiselled
to the desired angles. The ovolo moulding of the door frame should be cut with a
V shape to receive the mitred ends of the bar astragals. If the grooves are made to
exactly fit the slats it is usually sufficient to put a little glue in the groove and then
press the mouldings down on to the slats. After the polishing is finished, and the
brass work fitted and tested, the rebates should be blacked and also the edges of
the glass. Then the beads are mitred round the slats and touched with glue here
and there to secure them. While drying small clips should be attached at intervals
until the glue is dry. The perspective sketch in Fig. 3 shows the action of the mu-
sic box which swings on the hinged bottom rail of the door. The sectional view in
Fig. 4 shows the shape of the box which should be made separately from the door
itself. The grain of the wood runs across the box and the angles are dovetailed.
Shaped divisions about 1/4-inch-thick are grooved between the sides as shown
and entered from the bottom of the box; a slip is then attached at the bottom of
each division.

Door Design and Inlaying

A sectional view in Fig. 4 shows a block with the dotted side stopping against the
leg. One of these is fixed at each side of the box in the position shown, and when
the door is lowered the blocks act as stops. The music should of course be placed
vertically in the spaces with the

37
headings at the tops. The door panel of this example would best be executed by
a marquetry cutter, but good results can be obtained by inlaying each husk, etc.,
separately, although this cannot be recommended as an economical or commer-
cial process.
The elevation on the right in Fig. 4 shows a suitable treatment for a Chippendale
room. The constructional features do not vary much, the pediment and stand con-
taining most variation. The door to box part is made flush and veneered to the
pattern shown.
All the mouldings are prepared separately, and carved before being glued down.
The practice involved in the door is similar to that for the drawer front both parts
being made with veneering of contrasting figure with applied moulding and carved
decoration.

Spacing of Resaw Teeth

What space is best for resaw teeth is a question that may be answered in many
ways, each one seemingly being the right one.
Here is an instance of how an apparently assured position was shown to be
wrong. After a good deal of experimenting a certain factory using cottonwood,
all of it resawn, decided that one and three-quarter inches was just right and all
the saws were brought to that spacing.
One day a 5-inch saw struck iron in the end of a board and was badly done up.
More than half of the teeth were so badly broken that it appeared as if there was
nothing to do but to have it sheared and recut. It was discovered that every other
tooth was broken, and the filer decided that he would just break them off and use
the others. By a little change in the grinder he got the saw gummed out in good
shape and when fitted up there was much interest in the outcome. With teeth
having three and a half inch spaces things looked as if it was sure of the failure
so freely predicted.
But there was a surprise in store for all of them. That saw went right on cutting
cottonwood up to 24 inches wide at just as good feed as it had ever done and
the work was as good. It run that way until worn down to 3 inches and was then
recut and used on a small machine. There is no telling how far down the line it
might have gone had a fire not stopped its useful career. With too many teeth
you have to carry more feed than the blade can support and the fewer teeth
seemed to do the work as fast, but they do not stay sharp as long. Each kind of
timber must have a fitting best suited to it as regards the spacing of the teeth, but
where the timber is mixed, of all sorts, experiments like the one here related have
to decide. Even at that one is never quite sure, as was the case with this saw,
where an accident revealed capabilities that were not thought possible.
H. C. HANER.

38
 Shaker Stools 240 Mod
BY GREG MERRITT

My exploration of seating continues with a couple of Shaker inspired stools.

Many, many moons ago, long before GPS, we made a trip to Nashville for a
friend’s wedding. We had very little money at the time and knew this would
be the only trip for that year. Unfortunately, our time in Nashville was less than
pleasant, other than the wedding. Anyway, on the trip home we began looking
for any stop that would salvage the trip. My wife scanned over the road atlas and
stumbled on the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill just outside of Lexington, KY. So,
on a whim, we routed ourselves to the village.

We arrived late afternoon on a Saturday and were pleasantly surprised that they
had overnight rooms. As luck would have it there was a room available. Not only
that, they had a dining hall that served family style meals. So, we moved into our
room and walked to the dining hall and had a very pleasant dinner by candle-
light.

The next day we toured the village and I poured over the furniture and buildings

39
as far as they would let me. This was long before I had any tools or even a shop
space, but the desire, the desire to build was there. The last stop before leaving
the village was the gift shop and there I bought three little books of scaled draw-
ings of Shaker furniture.

That’s a bit of back story, but I thumb thru these books every now and again for
inspiration. This time around the stools caught my eye. Actually, the rocker has
my interest, but I figure the stools will be a good way to get my head around the
process. These are simple stools and should nestle nicely with the kitchen island
that I converted my old workbench into.
I like most things Shaker, there is an elegant simplicity in all that they built. The
one thing I have never been a fan of though is the woven tape seats. Seats wo-
ven with muted earth tones are OK, but the brighter colours just look out of place
to me. So, my stools will have seats woven with fibre rush. It looks simple to
accomplish and I personally like the look.

After playing around with the proportions and a little time at the drafting board,
here is what I came up with.

Not too different from the original Shaker design, just tweaked slightly. I’m

40
 building these stools with what I have on hand. The legs will be red oak
and the stretchers will be white oak. The seats will be woven from fibre
(paper) rush. I’ve gotten off to start turning the eight required legs. The
goal is to crank out one leg after work every evening. So far, so good. I’m
three for three. I’m actually getting pretty quick at it. Quick being a rel-
ative term. The story stick is a handy thing for this repetitive work too.

I deviated from the Shaker simplicity and added a single bead to the leg as well

41
as a little wood burning. You know I can’t not add some wood burning. Just one
more reason I would have made a lousy Shaker.

Progress continues on the stools.  Mostly one hour at a time after work each
day.  This has become my basic workflow as of late.  Come home, check in and
then out to the shop until dinner time.  Then grab as much time over the weekend
as I can.  Anyway…
I managed to finish turning all eight of the legs (posts).  These are close to final
shape, but I’ll most likely chuck them back into the lathe and change the shape
of the taper to the foot.  I also completed the initial turning of all of the required
rungs.

When I design a project, I tend to focus on the overall proportions and keep
the details to a minimum.  I do this so as not to overly influence the final prod-
uct.  I know this seems counter to the whole idea of design, but it’s what works
for me.  My goal is not to crank out identical, production style pieces.  If I make
a piece again, I want the proportions to be right, but I also want each piece, or
series of pieces, to be unique.  So, part of my process is to work each element in
stages.  Essentially designing on the fly through a process of gradual reduction.

42
43
Working this way would drive some folks absolutely crazy.  A lot of people like to
have everything mapped out ahead of time.  For me though, I like having the de-
tails sort of evolve along with the project itself.  Sometimes I have an idea about
the details from the start, but often I don’t have clue what will develop.  I find this
to be particularly true with my wood turning.  A contributing factor is that I’m not
all that confident in my developing wood turning skills, but I’m beginning to find
my way.

The point of all that rambling is that my pieces tend to change as a project pro-
gresses.  The first change to the project at hand was to add a bead to the legs.

44
The rungs were next to fall victim to change.  I first turned all of the rungs to a
simple cylinder and added the tenons.  I then set eight of them aside to become
the top rungs around which I’ll weave the fibre rush seat.  The remaining rungs
went back on the lather and received a taper on each end.

The final bit of modification was to the foot end of the legs (post).  During the

45
initial turning I established the transition point of the taper to the foot, but left this
area “fat”.  I felt they needed a little more grace and took cues from some Shaker
examples to added a bit of life to the taper.

So now I have all of my wood bits ready to go.  Next up will be the drilling of
holes and assembly of the frames.

With all of the parts complete, it was time to bore some holes.  There are (24)
rungs which left me facing (48) holes that needed to be drilled plumb and
square.  It’s not that difficult of task really, but one errant hole can mess up the
whole works.  Actually, a little variance can be beneficial by way of adding ten-
sion into the frame.  Too much variance though will either split a post or make it

46
impossible to assemble the frame.
So, I cautiously began marking out and drilling each mortise holes.  To add a little
extra stress, I had to be diligent with my depth.  These are blind holes and need
to be as deep as possible to form a strong joint.  I used a standard auger bit and
had to pay careful attention to the lead screw.  Half a turn too far and the lead
screw would come through the opposite side.  To control the depth of bore you
can count turns, strap on a vintage depth stop contraption or, as I did, wrap a bit
of painter’s tape around the bit.

The process was to mark out the centres by sighting across the post at the top
and bottom locations and connect those with a straight edge to establish the
intermediate location.

47
The best way I have found to hold an individual leg is to place it in joiner’s sad-
dles and clamp it to the bench with a holdfast.

48
The drilling is straight forward, but I checked my progress with a square.

49
No matter how careful you are, sometimes the point of the auger makes it through
to the other side.

50
Sometimes though, it validates your skill with the brace and bit.

51
And so, I progressed, first with individual frames and then the entire frame.

52
53
The glue up was a bit stressful.  It was a lot of parts to assemble and hot hide
glue doesn’t wait.  I was given a few extra seconds though, due to the high temp
(88F) in my shop.  So, no pics of the glue up.  All of my concentration was on the
task at hand.

The glued frames with a second coat of Tried & True Original.  The first coat was
applied while the pieces were on the lathe.  That first coat of the individual pieces
saved me a good bit of work when cleaning up the glue squeeze out.

54
A note about the grain orientation of the pieces.  I set the rungs so that their grain
was perpendicular to that of the posts.  I also set the posts so that none of the
rungs inserted directly through the long grain of the post.

55
Now all I need to do is figure out how to weave the seats.

Now that the stools were assembled, it was time to tackle the seat weaving.

The material that I chose to use is fibre rush.  This is a paper product that imi-
tates the look of natural rush and has been in use since the early 1900’s.  I had
planned on researching and writing a thorough post on fibre rush, but Cathryn
Peters (wickerwoman.com) has a “history of” article on here site that covers
it.  Jump over there and have a read and then come back.  I’ll wait…
…to understand the weaving process I read through the articles on Ms. Peters’
site, bought a small booklet on the subject and watched a bunch on YouTube vid-
eos.  The most helpful video, by far, was Ed Hammond’s (peerlessrattan.com)
video.
Having prepared as much as I could, there was nothing left to do but jump in and
do it.  So, I gathered my supplies and tools and settled in for a long afternoon.

56
The pattern is a simple over-under and progresses counter-clockwise around the
stool.

57
While the pattern is simple, the nuances that are the hallmarks of skill and profi-
ciency are not.  As with most hinges handwork, these must be earned with time
on task.  Where to push and where to pull?  How hard?  How large a coil of mate-
rial can I work with?  On and on.  The thing that I struggled with the most is how
to handle and turn the coil as I weaved.  The loose coil of rush must be continual-
ly rotated, in the correct direction, else the strand will untwist and leave you with
a string of flat paper.  I fought this all afternoon!  Constantly having to stop and
re-twist the strand.

There is a rhythm that began to reveal itself as the afternoon wore on and I be-
came more and more comfortable with the process.  Over the rail, up through the
middle…over the rail up through the middle.  Even so, my progress was clumsy
at best, but I managed to get the first seat completed.

58
This first seat is presentable and I’m confident that the next one will improve in
both execution and speed.  This first round of weaving took me six hours!  I also
woefully underestimated how hard this process would be on my fingers.  My
thumbs and index fingers are raw and sore.  So, either tape or gloves will be
needed for the weaving of the next seat.

I spent my evenings after work weaving the seat for the second stool.  I was a
little more comfortable with the process this time and actually enjoyed applying
the rush.

I’m happy to report that I gained a little speed and the weave looked much neat-
er.  So much so that I dismantled several courses on the first stool and re-worked
it so that there wasn’t such a marked difference between the two.  Not a dramatic

59
difference, but it would have driven me crazy if I hadn’t fixed it.

Before

60
After

61
Just about everything I have read or watched says that the fibre rush should be
sealed with a couple of coats of clear shellac or something similar.  This adds
a bit of durability and stain resistance to the seat.  So, I dutifully complied with
shellac.

The first coat took a good bit of shellac and I was a little worried that the uneven
appearance wouldn’t subside once everything was dry.

The first coat did indeed dry to an even, albeit, darker colour and the second
coat went on quickly.  I also took the time to add one more coat of Tried & True

62
original to the frames of the stools.

With that, I’m calling these stools done.

Either hubris or taking the blame.  Not sure which.

63
Installed into the kitchen.

64
 Common mistakes made by woodworkers
By Salko Safic

Whether you’re a beginner, amateur or professional we’ve all made mistakes, it’s
inevitable. Many factors may be the cause of your blunder, you may be tired or
you’re rushing to meet a deadline or you may be executing a new technique you
haven’t done before. Whatever the reasons are we all make mistakes, but most
mistakes can be avoided.
Making mistakes should be viewed as something positive and not negative.
The positive aspect of it is that your learning, you’re seeing firsthand the outcome
or the result of performing a procedure incorrectly. Sometimes when you make
a mistake you recall having read about it in some book, but you couldn’t under-
stand nor visualise what the author was trying to say. So, it’s a visual clarification
and understanding of the theoretical, procedural side of the “why not.” I think
a great example would be planing against the grain. As an instructor or author,
I could use the analogy of stroking a cat with and against the fur, but if you’ve
never stroked a cat, how are you ever supposed to visualise to understand the
process of stroking a cat? I know it’s a lame example, but you get the gist.
I would like to focus on some common mistakes people tend to overlook or disre-
gard as unimportant as it’s the little things that cause the biggest errors.

Fatigue
If you’re out partying the night before and you’ve come home at 3 o’clock in the
morning and you know you’ve got to get up at 5 am, you’re not going to be very
productive. Fatigue is one of the biggest contributor to human error alongside
alcohol, it contributes to fatal accidents on the roads and when working with ma-
chinery both at work and in the home workshop. The body needs seven hours
rest, your mind needs to rest, your eyes need to rest, when you’re sleeping your
body is rejuvenating itself to function properly. So, the old motto of going to bed
early to wake up is healthy and productive. Remember even your body has
rights over you. I say this to you as I say it to myself because I too am guilty of
this as I sit until late at night writing these articles.

Rushing your work

I think the second most common mistakes are made when you rush to get it
done once again both amateurs and professionals mostly fall into that catego-
ry. If you’re an amateur, you only have the weekend to complete your project or
you’re a professional and you’ve set unrealistic deadline either to land that job or
to maximise your hourly rate. Either way your rushing and you’re guaranteed to
make a mistake. I can understand if your livelihood depends on it, but if you’re
an amateur your supposed to enjoy the process, time is of no consequence to
65
you.

Measure twice, cut once

This category can fall into the above two quite nicely, but sometimes and I’ve
done it more times than I care to remember. I’ll measure a piece and my eyes
read one figure yet I’m really off by an eighth. Sometimes you’re not really fo-
cused on your work, but your mind is preoccupied with other things so your eyes
play tricks on you. You may be distracted by your kids, wife or a phone call
and you lose your train of thought. That’s one big drawback when working from
home. Stay focused and check and recheck your measurements before you
commit to the cut.

Your square is not so square

Money is tight in most households and quality squares don’t come out of a ce-
real box so, you convince yourself to buy a cheaper copy from a big box hard-
ware store. Bang, it bites you in the backside. Or you maybe do have a quality
square, modern or antique and it worked fine for you for a long while but out of
nowhere nothing is square. You scratch your head and blame your chute board
when the problem really lies with the square. Maybe you’ve been handling it
roughly, maybe you’ve dropped it once or twice. Always check your squares
regularly for accuracy. It’s easy to do. You place your square against a board
and draw a line, then you flip the square and draw another line. If two lines
are perfectly parallel to each other than your square. If not, you will see a “V”
formed and depending on how much out of square it is will determine the exag-
geration of the “V” line.

Are your edges square

Your edges don’t need to be square for every project, but we care for our work
and therefore it becomes a habit to be accurate always. One very common mis-
take I regularly see in woodworking videos is that they never check for square
against a light source, rather just have a quick look at bench height while it’s still
in the vice. I’ve tried this method several times and have found it to be deceiv-
ing. It appears to be square alas no light appears below the square, but when
brought up at eye level to a light source it shows indeed that it is out square.
Some also look at one end of the edge and judge by eye if it’s in or out of square,
this too is wrong in my opinion. God said “let there be light” and He found it to
be good, so the Bible says. Combine that with a square and the truth will be
revealed.
I think over confidence is the culprit, with so many repeated operations carried

66
out daily we tend to delude ourselves into thinking we’re that bloody good. May-
be your iron isn’t absolutely parallel with the sole or perhaps your leaning your
plane to one side without realising you are in the rush to get it done, whatever
the reason it’s always better to check your edge work permitting against a light
source.

Use the right tool for the right job

Each tool serves a specific purpose and to use it for anything else other than
what it’s designed to do is just asking for trouble. I’ve seen people use a chisel
to peel away beads of dried glue on a panel and then curse when they’ve taken
a chunk of wood with the glue. Glue is stronger than wood once set, if you use a
chisel to remove beads of glue, the glue has a tendency to take with it tiny frag-
ments of the wood it’s bonded too. Instead, use a scraper or wait an hour for the
glue to harden a little and then with a sharp chisel peel it away.
If you’re screwing a T slotted screw use the correct size screw driver for it, if you
use a smaller screw driver you run the risk of stripping the slot, if you use a larger
screw driver than the screws head you’ll Marr and dig into your work.
Mortising with a bench chisel works, but only if it’s been modified. I don’t think
an explanation has ever been given other than it “works. “You need to round the
bevel for this to work so the chisel with every blow is pushed back so it doesn’t
lodge or wedge itself into the timber. If you don’t round the bevel you run the risk
of snapping the tip or the chisel in half.
Tools are not Swiss Army knives, treat them with respect and use them as they’re
intended to be used. Always remember safety first, if it doesn’t feel right then it’s
not. Safety always begins and ends with you.

67
 Common Handplane Myths
BY SALKO SAFIC
The bevel angle must be 25 - 30 degrees.
This is a common misconception. On bevel down planes the angle of the bevel
makes no difference to the cut because the presentation angle of the iron to the
wood doesn’t change. Tool makers grind their bevels to around 23 degrees, for
no other reason other than speed production as their tool setup.
On bevel up planes the bevels angle does make a difference, the angle present-
ed to the wood changes as you change the angle. So, honing an angle of 50
degrees on a bevel up plane will reduce or eliminate tear out in some woods, but
honing the same angle on a bevel down plane wouldn’t, which is why Lie Nielsen
offers a high angle frog. The common primary bevel on all plane irons is at 25
degrees, on bevel up and bevel down planes with A2 irons it is recommended to
hone a secondary bevel of 30 degrees or higher for better performance. Honing
a secondary bevel will significantly reduce your sharpening time but will greatly
increase when you need to re-establish the primary bevel.

Placing the plane on its side to protect the irons edge.

This idea was stressed upon heavily in woodworking schools in the past, but
mostly abandoned today. Some schools continue to teach this even though it’s
baseless. This method was once common practice with construction workers i.e.
carpenters. To protect their irons from concrete floors, nails on timber and gener-
al debris they would place their hand planes on their side. This practice flowed
onto cabinet makers surprisingly though which eventually became the golden
rule in schools. Having a hand plane resting on its side on the bench poses more
risk of accidental slicing of your hand or knocking the exposed blade with an-
other tool than having it safely rest flat on the bench. Fortunately, someone with
enough courage has spoken up against this practice and the majority has made
the switch.

You must lift the plane off the wood when planing
The claim is when you’re pulling back the plane without lifting it off the wood your
dulling, the
iron. I personally don’t believe that to be the case if anything you’re slightly strop-
ping the back of the iron every time you pull back. Tilting the plane when pulling
back in some cases of softwoods will Marr the work. Until there is definitive proof
of the blade dulling I will reserve judgement on this.

68
Thin irons chatter while thicker ones don’t.
The claim is that due to the pressure of the wood springing back, would cause
thin irons to flex back and forth causing the iron to vibrate. Paul Sellers is ada-
mantly against this belief and I am of the same the opinion, yet neither of us have
any actual evidence to disprove this claim. I have experienced chatter with thick-
er irons and the manufacturer’s claim is, thicker irons will reduce chatter. Notice
the word reduce is used and not eliminate, because I as well as they do not be-
lieve that the thickness of the iron has anything to do with chatter.
I think chatter is caused by applying too much pressure on the tote at the begin-
ning of the cut and also the wood itself can be a contributor to this unexplained
phenomenon. Either way it’s a myth until proven otherwise.

New and improved chip breakers.

The purpose of the cap iron i.e. chip breaker is to deflect shavings. Leonard
Bailey introduced the curved cap iron to his thin irons to eliminate the vibrations
which caused chatter. This may sound contradictory to what I said earlier about
thin irons, but read on and all shall be clarified.
Leonard Bailey introduced a hump to the cap iron as the thin iron did vibrate ex-
cessively which thus caused chatter, with the addition of the hump this eliminated
all chatter. With the Bailey/Stanley versioned cap irons you can modify them to
completely eliminate tear out altogether by slightly honing a small bevel on the
front edge.
The mouth opening no longer plays a part and you can safely even plane against
the grain with no tear out, which eliminates the need for a scraper. Derek Cohen
demonstrated this in a lengthy forum discussion, sorry I don’t have the link for
this.
With the modern so called improved version you can’t do that. I have tried and
ruined the cap iron. The reason why toolmakers refuse to reproduce the Stanley/
Bailey cap irons is due to the high costs involved in creating a hump in the steel.
They need to renew their advertised claim of “new and improved chip breakers”
to “new and not so costly to us chipbreaker” if you have an old Stanley plane do
not replace it with a thicker iron nor the chip breaker with the modern one.

A2 is better than O1
Your edge will last longer in A2 but O1 you will get a keener edge but will not
last as long as A2. The thicker irons in A2 we have today takes much longer to
sharpen than you would normally get with the standard thin irons of Record and
Stanley. Sharpening an A2 on an oil stone is almost next to impossible but not so
with water stones. Waterstones wear faster, as they wear new fresh grits are al-

69
ways exposed which cuts through the metal fast, but none the less it takes more
strokes to sharpen A2 irons than it does a thin iron. An equivalent thick O1 iron
would take equally as long so, realistically speaking it all boils down to the thick-
ness of the iron on how fast or slow the sharpening process will go. A2 steel will
plane better on certain tough end grains of particularly hardwoods, resulting in a
much more pleasing result than a standard thin O1 iron. Different horses for dif-
ferent courses neither myth nor true.

Skin and Stains The Handy Man

Experiments with stains have often the Where the tables tip to starboard and the
annoyance of a temporary unsightly bookracks lean to port,
discolouring of the hands. Numerous Where crude, homemade things are har-
methods of overcoming the evil have boured,
been suggested. One of the latest of Does the handy man disport;
these comes from a German source. With his hammer, saw and brace
Kamera Kunst, by way of H’ork. Making things his home to grace.
He will make a tabouret
A jar is placed in boiling water, and 1
Or a kitchen cabinet
ounce of white wax, cut up into shreds
With the lumber in an empty packing-case.
to facilitate melting is placed in it. Padded seats for hall or bedroom
When the wax has melted, about 50 He’ll construct with all dispatch.
grams weight of olive oil is added, and He will paint a. green or red room
after thorough mixing, the mixture is And will paper it to match.
allowed to cool. The fingers should be Oh, the wabbly chairs he makes,
dipped into the mixture when it is near- And the tables with the shakes,
ly cold, and they are then protected by And the mission desks of pine
a thin layer of wax, which prevents the Stained and varnished till they shine,
chemicals getting to the skin. And with putty trying hard to hide mistakes!
Though his hands are bruised and battered
The coating of wax does not interfere
And his thumbs are wrapped in rags,
with the freedom of the fingers, as rub- Still he works ‘mid sawdust scattered,
ber coverings do, and the wax may And his ardour never flags;
easily be cleaned off with hot water and And his plea for each offense
soap, after it has served its purpose. Is the saving of expense,
So he pounds and saws away
He will labour half a day
Making something he could buy for fifteen
cents.

70
 Making a Japanese Dai
By Brian Holcombe

I will detail the process of making a Japanese plane body, known as a dai, to
compete in the annual NYC Kez, hosted by Mokuchi in Brooklyn, NY.   Kez is
short for Kezurou-Kai, which translates to ‘Let’s plane’, a competition in which
participants compete to create the thinnest wood shaving.

In competition, the shaving must not only be thin but completely intact, it must
also be the full width of the board (usually around 2”) and the full length of the
competition board which is typically 8”.  World record holders have pulled shav-
ings as thin as 2 microns, which is almost impossibly thin, being far thinner than
a human blood cell at 8 microns.

In Japan, it’s my understanding that competitors use Hinoki cypress, while in the
US we will be competing by using yellow cedar, which is actually a cypress and
very similar in quality to good Hinoki cypress.  The yellow cedar we use is very
old and tightly grained.

Competitors often cut their own dai, some choosing exotic materials or laminating
their dai in hopes of creating a dai that will wear well, hold their tune for a good
length of time and hold the blade with good support.  I’ve chosen to use beech,
which is not entirely ideal, especially by comparison to Japanese white oak,
but shares some commonalities.  Beech is the traditional western plane making
wood, it can grip and release the blade repeatedly without losing its ability to
do so.  Beech is fairly stable and very much available.  In my case I’ve chosen
beech because of those positive traits and the fact that I can access it locally.

The cut-out process starts by prepping dai blanks, choosing material that is rift
sawn and with grain running straight on all faces to reduce or eliminate runout.  I
resaw the blanks to the required thickness of 35mm and down to a width of
80mm and 85mm.   I’ve cut multiple blanks, some I will set aside to age and two I
will cut out.  One will be used, the other discarded.

71
I’ve chosen a blade by Shoichiro Tanaka of VAR white 1, Tanaka is one of few
makers using VAR white 1.  This would be an ideal blade for competition with ex-
ception that it is 65mm and so less ideal than the typical 70mm, but it was made

72
available and so I have chosen to put it to the test.

Next in prepping the dai block, I plane all four sides square, starting first with the
sole which I adjust using winding sticks.  The sole of a plane is the ‘bark side’ of
the wood block, this is done so that any tendency for the board to cup results in
two ‘skates’ on the outside edges of the sole, which are easy to flatten down with-
out enlarging the plane’s mouth and so that blade is not clenched by that same
cupping effect.

73
Once the block is squared I can begin my layout, starting first by marking the
mouth line with a knife, then transferring that mark to the side of the dai where I
can layout my blade, wear, escapement and bedding angles.

74
This dai is specifically made for a single blade, meaning it will be used without a
cap iron, chip breaker, sub blade, or secondary blade (however you like to call
it).  When cutting shavings this thin and on such fine stock, a single blade is ide-
al.  Few competitors will want to complicate matters by adding a chip breaker, if
they do it will be simply so that their normal planes can be used to compete with.

If you inspect closely you’ll note that the wear angle, which refers to angle be-
tween the top blade and the mouth opening, is extremely tight.  I’ve shown it be-
ing a single line in fact.  The reason for this is that my goal in cutting the dai will
be to set the wear angle so tightly that only a fine shaving can pass through.

The escapement angle is transferred back to the sole and used to set the width
of the mouth opening.  This is not to be confused with the distance between the
blade and mouth which will be next to nothing.

75
The lines are next transferred to the top of the dai and knife marks are then ap-
plied.

76
I begin chopping out the dai, first cutting the mouth area, then flipping the dai
onto its top side to begin cutting the bed and escapement.

The mortise is now formed in its rough shape, and it looks just that.  I’ve re-
mained inside the lines and have nearly come through the bottom of the plane to
meet the work I’ve done at the mouth.

77
Finally, I break through, then close in on my final fit by chopping the bed until it is
fairly thin.  Next, I true up the escapement and the wear until a clean surface is
achieved and finally I pare the sides cleanly.

78
Now I can cut the side grooves, this is a fairly critical bit of work.  I use a flush
cut saw to form the top of the groove, which is the critical cut, then again on the
lower part of the groove.

79
After which I clear the grooves with an 3mm chisel.

Now I have something to work with, but still much effort remains.  At this point

80
I finish trimming the bed down to my knife lines, leaving the area nearest the
mouth quite heavy.

81
Finally, I can bed the blade, I do so carefully to ensure that I can create a nice
fit between the bed and blade nearest the mouth.  If done correctly a ‘smile’ is
formed.

At last I detail the dai, rounding over the back, chamfering all corners (except of
the front and back of the sole) and finish planing the exterior faces.  I’m ready to
begin tuning.

82
83
I’ve carefully tuned the sole, as detailed in my previous posts on the sub-
ject.  Happily, I was able to keep the mouth exceptionally tight, in this case from
the sole it appears to be closed.

84
However, when we sight down the blade we can see that a shaving will be able
to fit through.

85
The proof is in the pudding as they say, however this pudding would suggest I
have a great deal of tuning ahead of me.  The shaving is thin and full length, but
not nearly thin enough, a real winner would be revealing a cheese cloth appear-

86
ance, suggesting that it can barely hold itself together.

87
 HONING GUIDES
to sharpen with or without
By Salko Safic

Love them or hate them they’re bloody useful, but it’s somewhat frowned upon to
use a honing guide of some sort to sharpen plane irons and chisels. There are
many woodworking videos and written articles where woodworkers take pride
with their freehand sharpening abilities. Some make you feel less of a woodwork-
er if you use a honing guide. This is somewhat a delusion of grandeur by those
who do it intentionally. Using a honing guide is nothing you should be ashamed
of because many prominent woodworkers worldwide use them and do you want
to know why? They’re consistent while your hands are not. If you want to rees-
tablish a primary bevel there’s no better and faster way to do it than with a honing
guide. A honing guide will eliminate all errors and inconsistencies that can occur
when sharpening by hand.
With freehand sharpening, you must feel for the bevel and then lock your wrist
to maintain that bevel angle. Each time you lift from the stone you must find that
bevel angle again. That’s a consumption of time I feel is unnecessary. Once you
find the bevel then you must maintain it by locking your wrist, and I don’t know of
anyone who can lock their wrist for any lengthy period before your hand begins
to drop, not unless you have a robotic arm. Another reason for the use of honing
guides is the elimination of error. Even the best of us on a bad day will round
over an edge and even dig into our stone; it doesn’t take much to dig into a wa-
terstone. While there are many honing guides on the market I use the Veritas
MKII which can be purchased from Lee Valley. I found this guide to be the most

88
versatile as it will fit as narrow a chisel as 1/8”, and will fit all my thick mortising
chisels as well. What it won’t do are carving chisels but neither will any other
honing guide on the market. A MKII honing guide you take out the guess work.
It’s simple to create a 50-degree bevel. Loosen the brass knurled knob and shift
the guide from the two positions to the number three, then set the bevel angle
to 50 degrees and lock it in. To create a secondary bevel, move the small brass
knurled knob that’s located on the lower right-hand side from the twelve o’clock
position to the six o’clock position.

Many people have problems sharpening out of square with the MKII and so did
I at first until I flipped it around backwards pushing it away from me. I apply
light even pressure on the centre of the iron with my thumbs. If I want to create
a camber I apply more pressure on one side of the iron counting the strokes and
then repeat it on the other side using the same number of strokes.
There are limitations to using a honing guide. First the bevel cannot be made
convex using a honing guide. When chopping a mortise with a chisel it can be
helpful to have a convex bevel.
The honing guide can’t sharpen your carving knives, carving chisels or your spin-
dle gouges etc., For these types of tools, freehand sharpening is an important
skill to master.
As you can see, sharpening is made easy with a honing guide in most cases,
regardless of what type you use. A honing guide will help maintain a consis-
tent bevel angle and eliminate any potential errors, and get you back to work as
quickly as possible. For me that’s a no brainer.

89
90
 Coin cabinet
Designed by
Charles Percier (French, Paris 1764–1838 Paris)
Maker:
Probably by François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter (French, 1770–1841)
Maker:
Silver mounts by Martin-Guillaume Biennais (French, 1764–1843, active ca.
1796–1819)
Decorator:
Decoration after drawings by
Baron Dominique Vivant Denon (French, Givry 1747–1825 Paris)
Date:
ca. 1809–19
Culture:
French, Paris
Materials:
Mahogany (probably Swietenia mahagoni), applied and inlaid silver
Dimensions:
35 1/2 x 19 3/4 x 14 3/4 in. (90.2 x 50.2 x 37.5 cm.)

The design, medium, and execution of this extravagant medal cabinet are as
impressive and eccentric as the man who probably commissioned it, Napoleon,
Emperor of the French (1769–1821), who at the time of its making was a step
away from abdication and exile. The first significant contemporary reference to
it has been published by Antony Griffiths: "The most interesting record, however,
is an account submitted in February 1814 by [the goldsmith] Biennais for 3600
francs, for what is described as the 'médailler du Roi.'" In Biennais's account,
Griffiths continues, this medal cabinet for the king is described as "in the form of
an Egyptian pedestal, containing 44 mahogany drawers with silver mounts, and
meant to serve as a stand for the emperor's old medal cabinet."

Napoleon was interested in medals. While campaigning in Egypt in the 1790s,

he found a medal of the Roman general Julius Caesar, and in 1803 when he was
considering an invasion of England, some coins of William the Conqueror were
uncovered at Ambleteuse. Both discoveries were considered extremely propi-
tious. He developed the practice of distributing medals on state occasions to
commemorate the high points of his career, and he also had special editions
struck in precious metals and sent to foreign allies. The first fully documented
owner of this cabinet, Napoleon's Director General of Museums, Baron Domi-
nique-Vivant Denon, was no less an enthusiast. When his estate was sold after
his death, three thousand contemporary medals alone were listed in the invento-
ry. Denon had accompanied Napoleon on his Egyptian campaign in 1798–99 as

91
a recording draftsman. The book he wrote based on his experiences and obser-
vations along the Nile, Voyage dans la Basse et la Haute Égypte (1802), brought
ancient Egypt to life for his readers and whipped up to a frenzy the European
craze known as Egyptomania. Napoleon later appointed Denon director of the
Musée Napoléon (now the Musée du Louvre). He was also for a time in charge of
the medals mint (Monnaie des Médailles) and designed the ceremonial necklace
of the Legion of Honor, a special badge with a chain, made by the French firm of
Biennais, which Napoleon gave to distinguished members of his immediate en-
tourage.

Denon may have instructed the designer Charles Percier regarding the details of
this splendid cabinet. The pylon (gateway) at Apollonopolis Parva (now Ghoos) in
Upper Egypt, which Denon recorded in his book, served as the inspiration for the
top section. The piece was made by the Parisian firm of François-Honoré-Georg-
es Jacob-Desmalter, who in 1807 employed as many as 350 specialist crafts-
men. His furniture is characterized by superb quality, classical severity, and func-
tional perfection. Whether or not the cabinet was commissioned by Napoleon, it
would have appealed to him. The emperor once compared his own perfectly or-
derly mind to "a chest of drawers, which he could open or close at will, forgetting
any subject when its drawer was closed, and finding it ready with all necessary
detail when its drawer was opened."

Like other grand furniture of the Empire period, the cabinet is decorated with
applied and inlaid metal, but here the patron demanded something out of the
ordinary: the fittings are of the finest silver (having a purity of 950/1,000) rather
than the usual gilded bronze. The famous goldsmith's shop of Martin-Guillaume
Biennais was selected to make them. Beneath the cornice at the top there are
inlaid silver bands surmounted by an Egyptianizing winged disk and two uraei,
the sacred cobra symbol of ancient Egyptian kings. Inlaid on the front and the
back panel of the cabinet is a winged scarab between uraei astride lotus stalks.
The eye of each uraeus is a catch; when a silver stick that accompanies the keys
to the cabinet is inserted in the pupil, the body of the snake falls forward to reveal
the keyhole that opens one of the two side doors. Then the function of the cabinet
is revealed. Each cupboard contains twenty-two drawers of graduated size, for-
merly fitted to hold medals and coins (the number of each drawer is engraved on
an octagonal silver plaque affixed to the top edge). In the centre of each drawer
front is inlaid a silver scarablike insect, whose right wing is hinged to provide a
pull. In addition to his maker's mark on one wing of each winged disk, Biennais
had his name engraved above each keyhole so that no one opening the cup-
boards could miss it.

As Jean-Marcel Humbert has observed, "The originality and variety of its decora-
tion make this piece an excellent illustration of the taste for things Egyptian at the

92
beginning of the nineteenth century. At the same time, it is the very essence of
Egyptomania: the adaptation of antique forms and decorations, in dimensions as
well as materials, to a type of object and function completely different from those
associated with these symbols in Antiquity."

93
94
95
 Desk Organiser

Designed by
Salko Safic(Australian, Gold Coast, Qld 2016)
Maker:
Salko Safic
Dimensions
5/16” x 6 3/4” x 8 5/8”
Timber
Red Cedar
Finish
Orange Shellac

This is my design with a Chippendale theme to it. This is an improved version

of what I made which is what I always end up doing. I build something then I
change it and improve on it. The feet were finicky because they’re so small but I
ended up turning just right.

Next time I make I’ll make joinery changes, the pencil holder is a straight 45 an-
gle. It was difficult to keep it from moving when glueing up. So next time I will do
a tongue and groove.

96
I made on request from a friend of mine who is also a woodworker; he finished
making all the props and sets including all the internals of the ship for the latest
movie Pirates of the Caribbean. It still hasn’t been released geez I wonder if it
will. Anyway, he’s a fantastic woodworker who is very much talented in hand tool
work but prefers machinery. I think I’ll die first before I ever convince him to saw
by hand.

97
98