August 2024 No.

311

•Best hard-wax oils

•Shaker side chest

•Turn a pepper grinder

•Dovetailing tips

•Readers’ gallery
Te a c h • I n s p i r e • C o n n e c t

Irish stick chair, p. 56

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 Te a c h • I n s p i r e • C o n n e c t

JULY/AUGUST 2024 ■ ISSUE 311

CUTTING
DOVETAILS 48
HARD-WAX
OIL TEST 34

SHAKER
SIDE CHEST 26
features
26 Shaker Side Chest 42 Turned Pepper Grinder
Bottom shelf adds interest and utility A weekend of woodworking can provide
to a classic design years of daily pleasure
BY CHRISTIAN BECKSVOORT B Y M AT T M O N A C O

34 Hard-Wax Oil Finishes 48 More Than One Way

TOOL
TEST The best of them offer foolproof application to Cut a Dovetail
and beautiful results
Learn a variety of approaches to handle
BY ADAM GODET every situation
B Y B O B VA N DY K E

Tablet editions free to subscribers 56 Irish Stick Chair

Magazine content, plus searchability and interactive COVER
extras. Download the app at FineWoodworking.com/ STORY Basic tools and smart strategies make
apps. Access is free with your print subscription or chairmaking approachable
FineWoodworking.com online membership. BY CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ

Cover photo: Anissa Kapsales

in every issue
6 On the Web

8 Contributors

10 Letters

14 Workshop Tips 66
GALLERY:
■ Smart jig for bandsawn dovetails PILLAR AND
SCROLL CLOCK
■ Chain stay for box lids
■ Hot-rod Domino tenons
for easier use

18 Tools & Materials

■ Excellent new planes from Australia
■ Entry-level workbench might be
the last one you need
■ SawStop miter gauge is a winner

66 Gallery

72 A Closer Look XXXXX

How wood gets dried:
Air, kiln, thermal modification

82 From the Bench

16 ROUTING
FLUTES
The Leviathan Lathe

Back Cover
Passion Project

NEW
PLANES 18

72 DRYING
LUMBER
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Visit finewoodworking.com/311

VIDEO
Skewed reality
When making a pepper grinder, Matt
Monaco (p. 42) reaches for his skew
more than any other tool. In this
excerpt from our eLearning class, he
demonstrates how he sharpens it.

VIDEO
Stick it to ’em
Chris Schwarz (p. 56) shows how he
has taken many of the more tedious
processes of stick-chair making and
refined them to pure simplicity. Scan
for links
VIDEO
Roasted and toasted
Fine Woodworking editor Michael
Pekovich tried some thermally
modified wood (p. 72) recently. Find Cut to the line
out what he thought of it (other than
Bob Van Dyke (p. 48) is
it smells like a campfire).
truly an encyclopedia of
dovetailing knowledge
VIDEO and techniques. One
See the future thread that ties his
Amanda Russell demonstrates a techniques together is
technique from the Bruce Hoadley his ever-important cutting
classic Understanding Wood that gauge. Learn the finer
provides a way to anticipate wood points of its use.
movement while resawing.

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6 FINE WOODWORKING
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contributors
EDITOR AND Michael Pekovich
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Adam Godet (“Tool Test: Hard-Wax Oil Finishes”) DEPUTY EDITOR Jonathan Binzen
grew up in central New York state, surrounded by DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR John Tetreault
tradespeople, including his dad, a mechanic. Later SENIOR EDITOR Anissa Kapsales
EDITOR-AT-LARGE Asa Christiana
he built furniture and cabinets for his first few MANAGING EDITOR/ Elizabeth Knapp
apartments. After earning a master’s in International PRODUCTION
Relations, he took a job at the Pentagon, working as ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Betsy Engel
an analyst for the U.S. Defense Department. A few EDITOR, Ben Strano
FINEWOODWORKING.COM
years into that career, however, he began feeling like
ASSOCIATE EDITOR, Amanda Russell
he needed to generate something “more tangible FINEWOODWORKING.COM
than a meeting, a report, or an email.” So he took
an adult-ed class on fine furniture building and CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Christian Becksvoort, Garrett Hack,
never looked back. Today he shares a large, well- Roland Johnson, Steve Latta, Michael Fortune, Chris
Gochnour, Bob Van Dyke
equipped, co-op shop in Washington, D.C., where he
builds custom furniture and teaches woodworking ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, Alex Robertson
to people who are as eager as he was to get their ADVERTISING & MARKETING 203-304-3590
DIRECTOR arobertson@aimmedia.com
hands off a keyboard.

When they aren’t building furniture or editing woodworking

books, Christopher Schwarz (“Irish Stick Chair”) and Megan SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT Rob Yagid
DIRECTOR, SALES OPERATIONS Heather Glynn Gniazdowski
Fitzpatrick of Lost Art Press are breathing new life into an old
woodworking tooling factory in downtown Covington, Ky. The
Anthe Machine Works churned out specialty shaper cutters for
more than 100 years. After it closed in 2019, Lost Art Press
bought the building and is transforming it into its fulfillment CHAIRMAN & CEO Andrew W. Clurman
center and offices. It’s a huge project. Says Chris: “It seems we CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Efrem Zimbalist III
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Brian Van Heuverswyn
specialize in making books and burning money.” CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Adam Smith
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Gary DeSanctis
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Erica Moynihan
Professional wood turner Matt Monaco (“Turned Pepper VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Amanda Phillips
Grinder”) likes a long drive. Which is lucky, since his teaching VICE PRESIDENT, CIRCULATION Paige Nordmeyer
VICE PRESIDENT, SALES OPERATIONS Christine Nilsen
schedule has him constantly crisscrossing the country (almost VICE PRESIDENT, EVENTS Julie Zub
always by car), taking him to craft schools, turning clubs, and VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Ashley MacDonald
guilds from Florida to Washington and Arizona to Maine. Home VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY & RESEARCH Kristina Swindell
DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES Scott Roeder
is in Kansas City, Mo., and while there he enjoys cooking and DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION Phil Graham
reading as well as exploring the Arkansas Ozarks—on foot, that DIRECTOR, RETAIL SALES Susan A. Rose
DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Andrew Shattuck
is, and often with a fishing rod in hand. He sells his turnings in
Fine Woodworking: (ISSN: 0361-3453) is published bimonthly,
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8 FINE WOODWORKING
letters
From the Editor Clarity on grain at last
Peter Galbert, oh boy! I bought his
The things we take with us book, ordered some tools, and made a
couple of Windsors but hey, be careful
It was 2005, and Fine Woodworking was looking for a copy editor. Having spent most when you sit in them. That unwanted
of my career as a newspaper editor, I was looking for a job with more stability, normal crack you just heard signaled wayward
grain because I hadn’t built with
hours, more time to pursue my own passions, less controversy. I figured it would be
split green wood. His current exposé
easy. (“Understanding Grain,” FWW #309),
That was almost 20 years ago. It has not been easy. But it has been good. I’ve another of your magazine’s seminal
works, has me better understanding
worked with some of the best people I will ever know. I’ve come to realize how deep
those cracks, reflecting on failed steam-
the love is for this craft. I’ve learned to see our words and photos through the eyes of bends and working out the steps for
readers who are so dedicated they can spot an error at 50 yards and so passionate good looking grain on the curved
they will call and tell you about every error, every single time. I’ve edited at least 5 backrests I’ll be cutting this week. Great
insights—thanks so much!
million articles about how to cut dovetails, while somehow avoiding ever cutting them
—BILL AND ERSON , Qu e e n sl an d, Au s t r a l ia
myself. I’ve met people who make furniture so beautiful it will break your heart. And
I’ve learned how a small group of hard-working people, dedicated to excellence, can
change lives.
It’s not easy being an editor at Fine Woodworking. Our editors take their own photos,
spending days far from home in a woodworker’s shop as they build a piece of furniture
step by step. They shape the author’s words into articles, captions, illustrations. They
take videos, and deal with egos. Some editors are extremely good at this work. Others
have come and gone quickly, having never quite mastered the delicate, difficult dance.
My job has been to take their articles and make them better. To help polish out the
rough spots just like the furniture maker scrapes and planes and sands the wood to
remove flaws. To see the magazine through production and to ensure it gets to print Even better belt sanding
on time, in as flawless a condition as possible. It’s a sacred trust, to take something In the June 2024 issue, FWW #310, Jeff
that people have worked so hard to produce, and guide it over the finish line. I have Colla offered an excellent suggestion
for an auxiliary table for a stationary
tried to be mindful of that over the years.
belt sander. I think it can be modified
These days, I work with the happy/sad knowledge that my last deadline is just to be even better. Rather than initially
around the corner. At the end of June, I will retire. Someone else will comb through fastening all the layers together, stop
after completing the base platform.
the articles in search of perfection. Someone else will nag the staff about deadlines.
Make each subsequent layer a certain
Someone else will make up trivia games to ease the weird isolation that working from amount longer than the preceding one,
home has imposed on us since 2020. Someone else will plan the lunches and get- say 11⁄2 in. for example, to facilitate the
togethers. Someone else will pester Mike about details, large and small. addition of a 3⁄4-in. cleat at each end to
fit just snugly over the one before it. That
I hope whoever it is realizes what a privilege they’ve been given. There are not many way you could add them as necessary,
places you can work where everyone cares about the product as much as these leaving more or less fresh sanding belt
people do. I certainly didn’t realize when I started here what a deep impact it would exposed for smoothing stock of different
thicknesses. I use a similar setup to
have on my life.
maximize the use of all 9 in. of the
I do now. —Elizabeth Knapp, managing editor drums on my oscillating spindle sander.
—B IFF CRO S SLE Y, A l lo w a y, N .J .

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workshop tips Dovetail jig, MDF, 3⁄4 in.
thick by 24 in. long, 2 in.
wide at narrow end, and
5 in. wide at fat end

Smart jig for bandsawn dovetails

This jig enables woodworkers of line up the blade with the first cut. Dovetail angle
all skill levels to cut the tail board is 1:8
Be sure to make all corresponding
for a set of dovetails quickly cuts on both ends of every tail board
and accurately at the bandsaw. before moving the bandsaw fence.
It’s a piece of MDF, cut to your To complete the tails, I remove the
preferred dovetail slope, with a waste between them with a fretsaw
stop block centered along one and pare to the baseline with a
edge. Finger holes make the jig chisel. I then transfer the layout to Stop block, 13⁄16 in. long,
easier to slide back and forth the pins board, and cut those with glued at center of angled
edge, produces 3⁄16-in.-
with the workpiece. hand tools. wide pin recesses.
Centering the stop block lets —JI M KIG ER, P ittsbu rg h , Pa .
you flip the jig and workpiece
to make cuts on both sides of a
pin socket, without moving the Flip workpiece to Flip board to
bandsaw fence. After setting the make same cut make same cut
on other side of on opposite side
fence to line up one cut, leave centerline, then flip it of centerline, and
it there to cut four symmetrical end-for-end to make same cuts on
pin sockets—two at each end corresponding cuts at opposite end of
far end of workpiece. workpiece.
of a workpiece. Then move the
fence to the next pin position
and repeat the process, until you
have a symmetrical array of tails
at any spacing you like. To vary
the pin spacing, try using the jig
in just one direction and moving
the fence as needed.
I like a 1:8 slope for my
dovetails, so that’s how I angled
the long edge of the jig. And I
like my pins 3⁄16 in. wide at their
narrow end, so the length of my
stop block is 13⁄16 in. For thinner
or thicker pins, change the length
of the block.
To use the jig, start by scribing FIRST SETUP SECOND SETUP FINAL SETUP
the baseline of your dovetails. Narrow end of jig faces forward. Without moving the fence, After cutting all full pin
Hold workpiece tight against flip the jig so the wide end is sockets, make last cuts near
Then move the bandsaw fence to jig and and slide both along forward. This cut completes edge to form half-pin sockets.
bandsaw fence. the first pin socket.

Best Tip A Reward for

or the Best Tip
Longtime woodworker Jim Kiger has become increasingly Send your original tips to
devoted to furniture making over the past five years, taking fwtips@taunton.com. m. We pay
much of his inspiration from this magazine. He came up $100 for a publisheded tip
with illustration; $50
50 for
with this tip while building Chris Gochnour’s sideboard, rize
one without. The prize
featured in FWW #277. By day Kiger is a doctor in the for this issue’s bestt
neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the University of tip was a Veritas
Apron Plane.
Pittsburgh Medical Center.

14 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Dan Thornton

 Line up edge of guide with Keep Japanese-style saw
layout line for tenon cheek. pressed against guide to
Simple guide for straight handsaw cuts make perfectly straight cut.

This simple trick was a game-changer for me.

When I hand-cut joinery like tenons and lap
joints, my sawing isn’t always consistent. To
get square, accurate cuts every time, I clamp
a piece of straight hardwood to the back side of Guide, hardwood,
2 in. by 2 in.
the workpiece, lining it up with my layout lines.
Then the workpiece gets clamped in the vise. As
I make the cut I keep my ryoba saw pressed flat
against the guide.
—ST EV E HA RR IS, A mh er st, M a ss.

Smaller hole lets

chain pass through.
Use arrowhead adhesive to keep chisel handles
firmly attached
Brass ball-chain Most of us have some tool handles that tend to loosen over
time, like those on socket chisels. To keep the wood handle
Larger hole captures fixed permanently in place, use hot-melt adhesive designed
coupling, which is held
in place with CA glue. for attaching steel tips to wood arrows. The product I use is
Drill holes straight called Ferr-L-Tite and made by Bohning, and it’s available on
through one block, Amazon for $6. It is applied to the inside of the ferrule by
and at an angle in heating up the steel. The burner of a gas stove works fine,
the other.
or a torch of course. Heat the steel just enough to melt the
glue—but not enough to take the temper out of the steel. Rub
the glue stick inside the socket and insert the handle. The
bond will stand up to the hardest mallet blows, but
it’s easily reversed by re-heating the socket.
Chain couplings are
hidden in blocks. —BRAND ON KRA M ER, Wa l l ac e , Idah o

Blocks are glued

to box and lid. Heat socket with
torch or stovetop
flame.

Chain stay for box lids

I’m not the first to use a ball-chain to create a lid stay for Rub glue
a box, but I think my overall approach is unique. While stick inside
some folks use toilet chains for this purpose, I think a brass socket to melt
and apply
chain looks better. They are available online, with couplings adhesive.
included. More importantly, to hide the attachment points,
so only the chain shows, I trap the couplings inside small
wood blocks. Drill a hole through each block to let the chain
pass through, and then a slightly larger hole to capture the
coupling. I use cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to lock the couplings Push handle
into place
in place. The wooden blocks are then glued to the box and and hold it
lid, hiding the couplings. Note how the chain is free to drop there while
into the space ahead of the lower block. That space also glue cools.
makes it easier to lift trays out of the box.
— STE PH EN ZER WA S, S umm erf i el d, N .C.

JULY/AUGUST 2024 15
workshop tips continued Router table Align main fence so
center of workpiece
is aligned with bit.
Clamp secondary fence
tight to primary fence.

Hot-rod Domino tenons for easier use

The little wings (small raised ridges) on the edges of Domino
tenons make the tenons hard to insert and remove and
assemblies difficult to dry-fit. But if you trim off the wings
with a block plane, the problem is solved. On the larger
tenons, between 10 and 50 mm, it also helps to add a shallow
groove on the face to let glue escape, making it easier to
close joints fully.
— KEN PAGE , R oc hester, N .Y. Rout center flute. Round-nosed fluting bit

Leave secondary fence in Spacer width equals center-to-

place and add spacers to center distance between flutes.
bump main fence forward.

Domino tenons
have raised
ridges on edges.

Rout flutes on both

sides of center flute. Add spacers to create as many
flutes as needed.

Use a block plane to remove

these ridges, making dry-
fitting easier.

Easy fluting on the router table

Cut a groove in larger
tenons, giving excess I recently made some solid-wood cabinet doors that have
glue an escape route
so joints can close fully. vertical flutes across their entire faces, and came up with a
good method for fluting on the router table. To make the
wide doors, I fluted a series of boards, and then edge-glued
them. But the following technique will work just as well
for single boards with any fluting pattern. Start by cutting
small spacers that are equal to the center-to-center distance
Quick Tip between the flutes. Then cut a straight board to act as a
secondary fence. Place this fence right behind the main one,
Handy applicator for wipe-on finishes and position them to cut the center flute in the array. To
To make an easy and effective applicator for wipe-on position the main fence for the next two flutes—one on each
finishes of all kinds, fold up a piece of cotton cloth and side of the center one—leave the secondary fence where it
hold it in a binder clip. For safe disposal, lay the cloth is, and insert spacers between it and the main fence. Then
out flat to let it dry fully before discarding it, and save the run the board in both directions to cut the two new flutes.
binder clip. Keep adding spacers for each new pair of flutes. You can
—DA N SILV ER M AN, Wel lf lee t, Mass. leave your workpiece a little wide to accommodate any
misalignment, trimming it later to center the fluted area.
—ALE X ABE L, Lin c ol n s h i r e , Il l .

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available. Unlike most other router planes, its fingers low for
irons are straight rather than L-shaped, which excellent control.
not only makes them more straightforward to
sharpen, but also allows them to fit into tighter
spaces. The iron beds into the body precisely,
preventing any sideways movement, and its
depth of cut is easy to adjust.
The unusual shape of the body keeps your
fingers low, which makes the plane very easy
to control—with both pushing and pulling
actions—and the throat allows a clear view of
the cutting action.
The block plane is equally good. It has a very
solid feeling, and the high-speed-steel iron
required only a light honing, which produced a
fine edge that held up well. I worked with the
plane on many types of wood, and it handled
them all with ease. The three adjustments—
mouth, lateral, and depth—are precise and
intuitive. Taking advantage of the bevel-up
design, I swapped out the 25° iron for a 50° iron
(also available from MTC) to tackle some tough,
figured woods. Combined with a tight mouth,
it left the surface smooth and clean with no
tearout.
—Dave Fisher is a woodworker and carver
in Greenville, Pa.

Block plane is just as good. The sole needed a bit of flattening, but after that, the high-
speed-steel blade produced beautiful surfaces in a wide variety of woods.

18 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Dave Fisher

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tools & materials continued

■WORKSHOP

Entry-level workbench might

be the last one you need
WHEN I STARTED WOODWORKING, I wasn’t ready for the
challenge of building my own bench. So I bought one much Ramia Finish-It-Yourself
like this model from Ramia, and it jump-started my journey. DIY 1500
I wasn’t surprised to learn that this is Woodcraft’s best-selling Woodcraft.com
$500
bench, as it would be tough to buy the raw materials and vise
hardware alone for the same price. I really like that there are Solid and versatile. The two vises can be attached in a number of
two vises included, which can be mounted in four places on positions, and they team up well with the benchdogs provided.
the 20-in. by 54-in. top, with dog holes to support those vise
positions (four steel benchdogs are also included).
The parts are made of nicely milled and laminated European
beech, with precise holes ready for the dowels, screws, and
bolts provided. After I assembled the parts, softened the sharp
edges with a sanding block, and applied a few coats of Danish
oil, it was ready for a test drive. The bench was stable and solid
for a variety of tasks, and the vises and dogs are well-suited for
work-holding. At 33 in., the top is at a good height for hand-
planing but may be a bit low for general use if you are tall. But
it would be easy to bolt on wood blocks to raise the height.
If you’re a beginner looking for your first real workbench, or Assembly is easy. The parts are precisely made from European beech,
an experienced maker looking for a second one, this very solid and everything fits together perfectly. Break the edges with a sanding
but affordable bench might be just the ticket. block, apply a couple coats of any oil finish, and the bench is ready to go.
—Doug Drake is a professional woodworker in Portland, Ore.
Mullet Boom Arm Kit
MulletTools.com
$150 (arm only)
■DUST COLLECTION Grabs dust from
tricky tools.

Boom arm lets your shop The rolling base

attaches to your

vac go anywhere shop vacuum, and

the articulating
arm can place the
small dust hood
EVEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE dust-collection system will have right where it’s
problems collecting debris from problematic tools like the drill needed.
press and lathe. A versatile new boom-arm system from Mullet
Tools will solve these problems and others, like managing a
vacuum hose when using handheld power tools.
The two articulating arm sections pivot 360°, locking in place
easily with nicely sized T-knobs. Workbench base
I tried the $200 kit that comes with a workbench-mounted manages a hose.
receiver, and also the optional StabilQuad rolling base that Mount the base to
can go anywhere in the shop, and I found both to be very your bench, attach
convenient and effective. The base attaches to any shop a standard vacuum
hose, and you’re
vacuum, and rolls smoothly on high-quality casters.
ready for dust-free
A small rectangular dust hood is included with the kit, and sanding. Optional
a hose can be connected to the arm for use with handheld clips manage the
sanders, with optional clips that secure the power cord to the power cord, too.
arm. Mullet also sells a fitting that lets you connect the arm
directly to a shop vacuum or a central-vacuum system, and the
arm folds relatively flat for easy storage.
—Roland Johnson is a contributing editor.

20 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Asa Christiana (top); Roland Johnson (bottom)

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■ACCESSORIES Excellent
capacity and
SawStop miter gauge is a winner a clever stop
system. The fence
extension allows
stopped crosscuts
LIKE MOST TABLE SAWS, SawStop models come with serviceable but relatively
up to 31 in. long.
basic miter gauges. Rather than leave customers to upgrade their miter The dual flip-stop
gauges on the open market, SawStop recently debuted two high-end models system has zero
of their own. I tested a pile of aftermarket miter gauges in a recent issue wiggle and a micro-
(FWW #306), so I was excited to try these two new models. adjuster, and the
stop bracket can
be moved outward
to accommodate a
sacrificial fence.

SawStop’s Scale Miter Gauge is as good as any of the gauges I tested

in the previous article. In fact, this SawStop model is very similar to the
Incra Miter 1000HD, which took one of our Best Value awards. It has
a toothed angle-setting rack that is extremely solid, accurate, and easy
to use, and it offers all of the features I love in a miter gauge, including
the ability to add an auxiliary wood fence, and a flip-stop that will
accommodate it.
I had high hopes for SawStop’s even more ambitious model, Revolution, SawStop Scale
Miter gauge
which boasts a unique dial for setting angles up to 60° in both directions, SawStop.com
in increments as small as 1⁄10°, with a series of positive clicks. Unfortunately, $250
I found too much play in the detent system, which can lead to slight
differences in the fence angle for any given setting.
—Asa Christiana is editor-at-large.

Toothed rack is rock-solid. The SawStop Scale’s rack system returns Smart miter feature. The flip-stop arms have teeth that fit into the
the fence to the exact same angle every time, and also allows micro- fence, which will stop sharp miter points from slipping behind them.
adjustment in 1⁄10° increments.

22 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Asa Christiana

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tools & materials continued

■NEW TO MARKET

Three innovative
products to look out for

New Laguna bandsaw fence

does it all
While the Laguna DriftMaster DXIII isn’t cheap at $350, it
promises unmatched accuracy and versatility, and attaches
to almost any bandsaw, old or new, from 14 in. to 24 in. The
DXIII is a very robust piece of equipment, with a rigid 71⁄4-in.
fence, tall enough for the largest resaw cuts. The fence also
attaches in a low-profile position. A rack-and-pinion wheel
system makes fine adjustments easy, and the wheel can be
disengaged for larger moves. There are also stops for common
fence positions. And when your blade starts to dull, the DXIII
offers toolless angle adjustment for drift. Learn more at
LagunaTools.com.

Better casters for

workbenches and more
JessEm’s new Multi-Purpose Caster Set ($162) arrives
with the casters pre-assembled. They attach easily
to workbenches, tool stands, and more, mobilizing
them for better use of your shop space. What makes
these bolt-on casters stand out from the competition
is a two-point pivot system that makes them easier
to engage. A set comes with two larger fixed casters,
and two swiveling casters with slightly smaller
wheels. Go to JessEm.com to see them in action.

ive hook
Smart push pads with a positive
On my jointer, table saw, and router table, I often team
m up one
push pad with a shopmade push stick, which has a hook ook on
one end to help me give the workpiece a positive push. sh.
The DuBois 51049 Easy Grab Push Block has a drop-down down
hook at both ends, which can be engaged as needed to
grab the end of a workpiece. At just $26 each, one off
these handy blocks is a good addition to any shop. Go o to
PowertecProducts.com.
—Asa Christiana

24 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Asa Christiana

 A New Brand of
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T he original version of this pine side
chest was made in the Mt. Leba-
non Shaker community, probably in
the mid to late 19th century. It’s a small,
Shaker Side Chest
easy-to-build piece, just right for next to
the couch, next to the bed, or in the hall.
Looking at the photo, the construction Bottom shelf adds interest and utility
seems fairly straightforward: nails, dadoes,
and dovetailed drawers. However, as with to a classic design
any piece re-created only from a photo, it’s
a guessing game choosing between what
is known, what is visible, and current best B Y C H R I S T I A N B E C K S V O O R T

26 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales; drawings: Christopher Mills

SHAKER SIDE CHEST Subtop, 3⁄4 in. thick by 16 in.
wide by 251⁄2 in. long
Top, 3⁄4 in. thick by 18 in.
wide by 29 in. long
Web frame back rail,
3
Case side, 3⁄4 in. thick by ⁄4 in. thick by 13⁄4 in.
163⁄4 in. wide by 29 in. tall wide by 247⁄8 in. long

Runner, 3⁄4 in. thick

by 11⁄2 in. wide by
141⁄2 in. long 1
⁄4 in. gap
allows for
Tenon, 1⁄4 in. movement.
thick by 3⁄4 in.
wide by 1 in. long
1
⁄2 in.

3
⁄8 in.
Web frame front rail,
3 3
⁄4 in. thick by 13⁄4 in. ⁄4 in.
wide by 251⁄2 in. long

TONGUE AND
Dado, 3⁄16 in. deep GROOVE DETAIL

Drawer front, Backboard, 3⁄4 in.

3
⁄4 in. thick by thick by 101⁄4 in. wide
243⁄8 in. long by 251⁄8 in. long

Drawer bottom,
1
⁄4 in. thick

Drawer back,
1
⁄2 in. thick by 3
⁄16 in. 5
⁄16 in.
243⁄8 in. long

Shelf, 3⁄4 in. thick

3
by 16 in. wide by ⁄4 in.
251⁄2 in. long

1
Drawer side, 1⁄2 in. thick ⁄16 in.
Knob, 2 in. dia. by 153⁄4 in. long 3
⁄4 in.

18 in. 29 in

DOVETAIL SOCKET DETAIL

5 in.
Top drawer front,
415⁄16 in. tall

6 in.
Bottom drawer
front, 57⁄8 in. tall
3
29 ⁄4 in.

11 in.

Digital plans for

this side chest are
free for Unlimited
4 in. members, or can
3 in. be purchased at
FineWoodworking
15° 15° 13⁄4 in. .com/PlanStore.
13⁄4 in.
163⁄4 in. 26 in.

SIDE VIEW FRONT VIEW

JULY/AUGUST 2024 27
Prepare the sides practices. I made this version out of cherry,
using my usual construction techniques.
Though it’s not in keeping with the origi-
This solid-wood case piece lies somewhere between a table and a chest of drawers. The two sides nal Shaker design, I decided to make the
house the joinery for the drawer dividers, shelf, back, and subtop. Once that has all been cut, glue piece even more useful by adding a shelf
the subtop to the sides, and you are well on your way.
under the drawers. Perfect for that stack of
books in your reading queue.
Wide sides. The
sides are almost a
Side panels
foot and a half, so
more than likely
The side panels are where the action is in
you’ll have to edge- this piece. They have integral legs cut into
glue your stock to the bottoms, they hold all the joinery for
get that width. Set the case, and they are nice wide panels
up on a flat surface, that show off the grain you choose.
use a thin layer of The top, sub-top, shelf, and side pan-
glue, and clamp
els are each edge-glued from two boards.
the boards together
tightly. Use clamps
After gluing them up—matching grain as
at the ends of the best I could—I cut them to size. To cut the
boards to keep the rabbets in the sides for the back, I made
boards flush with a vertical and a horizontal pass over the
one another. table saw. A router, dado blade, or even a
rabbet plane will also work. Then I made
the cutout at the bottom of the side to
create the legs, laying out the angles with

First Second cut

cut

Rabbets for the back. Two cuts on the table saw are all it takes to
create the rabbet on the back edge of the sides to accept the tongue-
and-groove backboards.

Integral legs. After

laying out the legs
on the bottoms of
the sides, carefully
cut them out on the
bandsaw.

Triple dadoes. At the table saw, with a dado blade, cut the three dadoes
on each side. One dado for the web frame between the drawers, another
for the divider beneath the two drawers, and a third for the shelf. Shallow
dovetail sockets will be cut later at the front of each dado.

28 FINE WOODWORKING
 Clamping block
does double duty.
With spring clamps,
attach a block
across the dovetails
at the top of the
sides. This protects
the surface of the
work while acting
as a clamping caul.

Side to subtop
connection. Apply
glue to the pins
and tails and set
the subtop onto
the sides. Hand-
screw clamps on
the floor hold the
sides upright during
assembly.

www.f inewoodworking.com
Dovetailed stretchers add strength
For structural integrity at the front of the case, Becksvoort adds narrow dovetailed stretchers to the shelf and the dividers. To simplify making them he
dovetails one wide stretcher and rips it into three narrower ones. Two get glued to solid panels, the third becomes the front rail of the web frame.

Measure off the

carcase. To make
the dovetailed
stretchers, start by
putting a dovetail
layout line on the
case sides, just
outside the dado.
Set the stock (wide
enough for three
stretchers plus the
sawkerfs to cut
them apart) on the
carcase. Rest one
end at the dovetail
layout line and
mark the distance
at the dovetail line
on the opposite
side. Also transfer
the marks where
the dadoes end.

Cut the dovetail. Separate the

At the router table, stretchers. With
with the stretcher the dovetails cut
stock held upright, you can rip the
cut dovetails on stock into three
both ends. separate pieces.

1
⁄16 in.

5
⁄16 in.

Cut the notches.

Still at the table
saw, notch back
the dovetails. Cut
the shoulders of
these notches on
the dado layout
line.

30 FINE WOODWORKING
Sockets are next

Mark in place. Place the stretchers into the dadoes. The shoulder-to-shoulder distance
of the stretchers should fit nicely between the dadoes, and the dovetails should overlap the
front edge of the case sides. Knife around the dovetails to transfer their location to the sides.

a bevel gauge and cutting on the band-

saw. Next, I routed the three dadoes across
each case side for the drawer dividers and
the shelf.
I used half-blind dovetails to connect the
sides to the subtop and give the case maxi-
mum strength and stability.

Drawers and case

The upper and lower drawer dividers and
the shelf are set in dadoes, and at the front
edge all three have shallow dovetails that Clean out the
lock them to the case sides. I made the socket. Waste
away most of the
dovetailed portions of them by dovetailing
socket with a trim
the ends of a wide blank, which I ripped router, by eye.
apart into three narrow strips, adding one Clamp a block
to the front of each member. to the case side
The divider beneath the lower drawer to create more
is a solid panel like the shelf. For both of support for the
them, I made a solid panel and glued a router. Chisel to the
line to clean out
dovetailed strip to the front. After sliding
the dovetail socket.
the panel into the dadoes I traced around
the dovetails. Then I removed the panel
and cut the sockets to house the dovetails.
The divider between the two drawers is
an open web frame; its front rail is one of
the dovetailed strips. The frame is mortised
and tenoned on all four corners but I used
glue in the front only. This allows for wood
movement on the sides of the case, as the
non-glued tenons are able to telescope in
and out, depending on the seasons.
Assemble the case from the top down.
The half-blind subtop gets glued to the

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 31

Divide and conquer
With the half-blind dovetails connecting the subtop and sides glued up and cured, assembly proceeds with the two drawer dividers: first the open web
frame, then the solid panel. And last comes the shelf.

W E B FR AME

Chop the mortises. The front rail of the web frame is dovetailed at the
ends. Before you glue it to the sides you must cut the mortises for the
side pieces of the web frame. Waste away most of the mortise on the
drill press, and then clean up with a chisel. Once that’s done, glue the
stretcher in place in the front of the case.

Tap the web frame together. After gluing the web frame’s dovetailed front rail to the sides, turn the case face
down and tap the rest of the web frame together, but don’t glue it. This allows for wood movement. With the
back in place the web frame won’t go anywhere. A spacer at the bottom keeps the sides from tipping inward.

32 FINE WOODWORKING
Stretcher
meets PA N E LS
panel. Glue
the dovetailed
stretcher to
the front of sides first, fol-
the divider. Use lowed by the web
green tape to apply frame, the solid divid-
pressure. A spring clamp er beneath the drawers,
at the joint keeps the two and the shelf. I made sure
pieces flush with each other. the case was square, and then
sanded the sides.

Add the lower Add the back and top it off

divider. From the I used horizontal tongue-and-grooved boards for
front of the case put
glue in the dovetail
the back, like the original. The bottom board was cut out
sockets and slide to match the sides. The top board was glued to the subtop, while
the solid divider the other boards were nailed into the back rabbets.
into place. Apply I cut the case top to size, eased its edges, and attached it with
clamping pressure screws through the subtop. Both drawers were dovetailed and
to the front where set flush with the face. My version has walnut knobs, like the
the dovetails are
original, for just a hint of authenticity. I finished the piece in oil,
glued in.
my usual. ☐

Christian Becksvoort is a furniture maker in New Gloucester, Maine.

Add the shelf.

Apply glue to the
dovetails, then use
a block to tap the
shelf into place
until it’s flush with
the sides. Apply
clamp pressure
across the sides
over the dovetail
joint.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 33

 TOOL TEST

Hard-Wax
Oil Finishes
The best of them offer foolproof application
and beautiful results
B Y A D A M G O D E T

“Hard-wax oils are

easier to apply than
any other finish I’ve
T he further along you are on a project, the more painful
mistakes become. That’s partly why so many woodworkers
dread finishing. With traditional film finishes like polyure-
thane, shellac, and lacquer, problems like drips, runs, streaks,
haze, brush marks, or fisheye might force you to sand away some
or all of the finish and start again. On the other end of the spec-
used, with no sanding trum are traditional oil finishes, which greatly reduce the risks but
needed between don’t provide the same durability and depth of sheen.
Enter hard-wax oils. Borrowed from the flooring industry, these
coats, no danger of finishes have made major inroads into fine woodworking, thanks
to a unique combination of attributes. Products in this category
streaks or drips, and promise all of the benefits of an oil finish—foolproof wipe-on/
no buffing required wipe-off application, a beautiful glow, and easy repair—while
promising better results, no sanding between coats, and improved
afterward. They are durability and water resistance. Many also highlight “natural” in-
gredients, citing improved safety and low environmental impact.
easy to repair and With the category growing so rapidly, there’s a fair amount
provide enhanced of confusion surrounding these finishes. Of the products calling
themselves “hard-wax oils,” some consist of a single component
protection against and call for two coats, while others have two parts that must be
mixed together but promise top-notch results with just one coat.
water damage and And some don’t call themselves hard-wax oils at all, but have
stains.” similar ingredients and attributes.

12 F I N I S HE S P U T T O T H E T E S T
Many of these finishes originated
in the flooring industry, with
instructions that recommend
sanding up to 220-grit at most.
Based on his own past experience,
Godet sanded one set of samples to
a higher grit, significantly improving
the look and feel of the final
surface.

34 FINE WOODWORKING
Photos, except where noted: Asa Christiana; product photos: Adam Godet JULY/AUGUST 2024 35
E A S Y APP L I C AT I O N
This relatively new class of finishes promises foolproof application and a
rich look after just one or two coats. Most delivered on those promises.

120 GRIT

Sand to a
fine grit.
Manufacturers’
recommendations
vary here, but 1,000 GRIT
our tests showed
that sanding to
finer grits had a
significant effect
on look and feel.

The finer the sandpaper, the higher the sheen. The board on the left
was sanded to 120 grit, as recommended by the manufacturer. The result
is a matte look, without much depth. The board on the right was sanded
to 1,000 grit, which greatly improved the depth, sheen, and feel of the
finished surface.

Apply with brush,

pad, or rag. These
finishes can be
applied effectively
with a wide variety
of tools, but the
author prefers
synthetic pads (far
right). They apply
an even coat of
finish, and have a
mild buffing effect
as you use them.

Adding to the confusion, manufacturers’ instructions vary widely

for these finishes, with many still reflecting a focus on flooring use.
For example, more than one instructs users to prep surfaces only
up to 120 grit. This has led to an explosion of YouTube videos
Wipe off the with varying advice for best results on furniture and cabinetry.
excess. Clean To see if these finishes deliver on their promises, how they stack
cotton rags
up against each other, and how to best apply them, Fine Wood-
work great here,
though Odie’s
working signed me up to give the category a comprehensive test.
oil recommends I’ve used a number of these products in my work as a professional
terrycloth. furniture maker, so I also welcomed the chance to challenge my
own understanding and practice.

Which finishes fit the category?

Due to the proprietary nature of some ingredients, it’s tough to
tell exactly what these finishes contain. From what I was able to
gather from labeling, websites, and company reps, however, most

36 FINE WOODWORKING
 One more coat
and done. Only
one finish, Tried &
True, recommends
sanding or buffing
between coats (far
left), in this case,
a quick rub with
0000 steel wool.
We tried a third
coat on all of these
finishes (near left),
but it did not have a
significant effect on
the look or feel.

“hard-wax oils” contain some combination of plant-based oils

(typically tung and/or linseed oil but also sunflower, safflower,
soybean, thistle, and others) and one or more waxes (carnauba,
candelia, and beeswax among them).
The concept is that the oil penetrates and beautifies the wood,
and the wax adds more depth and protection—without peeling,
flaking, or cracking over time as a film finish might.
However, some products in the category include hardeners and
other chemicals, meant to add durability and protection and de-
crease drying time, with corresponding health and safety implica-
tions. See “The health equation” on p. 39 for more on this. 1 COAT 2 COATS
To be sure we were including the right products in this test,
beyond those that explicitly call themselves “hard-wax oils,” I read
ingredients labels closely. When in doubt, I spoke to manufactur-
ers to be sure they agreed to have their products included in this
category. Twelve finishes made the cut.
The one-part products are Briwax Hard Wax Oil, Bumblechutes
Bee’Nooba Wax, Fiddes Hard Wax Oil, Odie’s Oil, Interbuild Hard-
wax Oil, Osmo Polyx-Oil, and Tried & True Original Wood Finish.
The two-part products are General Finishes Hard Wax Oil, Natura
Onecoat Wood Oil 2K, Osmo 2K Wood Oil, Rubio Monocoat, and
Rustic Lumber Furniture Oil. Don’t stop at one coat. The author found that applying a second coat
While several of these products offer colored versions to help (right) improved the depth and sheen of the finish. This held true for the
you change the tone of the wood, we went with the clear, natural products marketed as one-coat finishes as well.
versions for our tests. These work well for most species and ap-
plications. When sheen was specified, we went with satin.
Finally, as a control of sorts, I applied a few coats of Minwax recommendations on my main set of samples, and took a different
Wipe-On Polyurethane to a sample of each of the woods used in approach on another set.
the test. It’s another oil-based finish that can be wiped on easily, For the main set of samples I used ash, walnut, and curly maple,
and looks good after two or three coats. However, like a number which allowed me to compare performance on both open- and
of popular wiping varnishes and oil-varnish mixes, it contains a closed-pore woods, as well as one figured wood and one very
resin that forms a protective film. light-colored wood. I cut the samples of each species from a single
board (or, in the case of ash, from two single boards glued side
We tested manufacturers’ instructions by side) to avoid significant variations in color or grain.
Because manufacturers’ instructions vary widely, and my own I followed manufacturers’ directions to the letter on these sam-
experience with these finishes generally conflicts with their ad- ples, from surface prep to application tools and techniques to the
vice, I tested every finish in two ways: I followed manufacturers’ number of coats recommended.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 37

PRO T E C T IO N WA S S U R P RI SI N G LY G O O D
As with any oil finish, you probably don’t want to use a hard-wax oil
on a high-traffic surface. But they provide plenty of protection if water
and food substances are wiped away within an hour or two.

Tough test. Godet

dripped water
onto three areas
on each sample
surface, placing a
steel nut in each
puddle. He removed
the water and steel
after 90 minutes,
3 hours, and 12
hours, respectively,
to check for
haziness and
staining.

OSMO POLYX-OIL ODIE’S

90 MIN 12 HRS 90 MIN 12 HRS

Results varied. Like most of the products, Osmo Polyx-Oil (left) was fine after 90 minutes, but showed some issues after that. Bear in mind that
the steel nut kept the puddle from evaporating as quickly as it might otherwise have. Odie’s oil (right) was a standout, showing only the slightest
haze and no staining after 12 hours.

If the directions didn’t specify a sanding grit or a specific number Since penetrating finishes don’t form a film, adding extra polish
of coats, I went with the directions given most commonly, stop- to the bare wood has a significant effect on the finished surface,
ping at 220-grit and applying the finish twice. helping it to reflect light and giving it a more satiny feel. My pre-
When a specific tool for applying and/or wiping off a product ferred method is to sand up to 320 or 400 grit (360 in this case)
was not indicated, I went with my favorites for oil finishes: white, before jumping up to 1,000. I’ve tried intermediate grits between
non-woven, nylon pads, which apply thin, even coats. Norton the 300s and 1,000 but haven’t found them to be necessary. For
Bear-Tex is a common brand. These pads are roughly equivalent large surfaces, I used a random-orbit sander; for narrower ones,
to 0000 steel wool, so they have a mild buffing effect as they apply sandpaper backed by a block. I did not sand the surfaces between
finish. To wipe off the excess, I used cotton rags. coats. To apply the finishes I used the white, nylon pads men-
tioned above, wiping off the excess with cotton rags.
We also tested an enhanced approach The enhanced approach worked best—For every product but
For a second set of samples, I used cherry and followed a more one, the enhanced surface prep improved the look and feel of the
universal approach to preparation and application—one based surface. The one exception was Tried & True, where the manu-
on my own sense of best practices for hard-wax oils and other facturer suggests buffing with 0000 steel wool between coats. I
oil finishes, which I covered in FWW #269. followed this advice on the standard samples, and those looked

38 FINE WOODWORKING
 Repairs are easy.
Like all oil finishes,
hard-wax oils make
damage easy to
repair. To hide a
scratch, sand it up
to the same grit
as the surrounding
surface, and apply
more finish.

and felt slightly better than my “enhanced” samples (which had no surface. Be sure to read manufacturers’ instructions on how long
buffing between coats). to wait before wiping off the excess, as some can get sticky and
I also tried additional coats—To see if the number of coats streaky with too much elapsed time.
makes a difference, I divided these same sample boards into halves. Cotton rags work well for this step, with pressure similar to
For the two-part finishes that promise top performance with one hand-sanding. The two exceptions are Odie’s and Bumblechutes,
coat, I applied a single coat to one half and two to the other. For which require firmer pressure, similar to buffing a paste wax. This
the one-part finishes, which generally recommend two coats, I ap- might be why Odie’s recommends terry-cloth rags.
plied two and three coats to the respective halves. Fiddes is an outlier—Unlike the other products tested, Fiddes
The results were revelatory. Almost all of the products—includ- Hard Wax Oil applies, looks, and feels like a thin film-forming fin-
ing the finishes that promise one-coat coverage—looked and felt ish—very similar to our control: Minwax Wipe-On Poly. Tellingly,
their best after two coats. The one minor exception was Tried & neither product directs users to wipe off the excess, and both allow
True: great after two coats, but subtly improved by a third. airborne dust to settle into this thicker, wetter coat, requiring light
sanding or buffing afterward to remove the toothy feel.
Most hard-wax oils are very easy to use Fiddes also called for brushing, making it easy to leave streaks
As a category these finishes live up to their user-friendly promise. on the surface and drips at the edges. Even on my enhanced
Whether you follow manufacturers’ instructions or my own sug- samples, where I applied the finish with a pad, there were streaks.
gested approach, you can simply wipe them on and off, with no Two-part products not worth the trouble—The two-part fin-
sanding between coats and no buffing afterward. ishes—Rubio Monocoat, Osmo 2K, Natura One Coat, Rustic Lum-
Advice for wiping off—These finishes are meant to penetrate, ber Furniture Oil, and General Finishes Hardwax Oil—promise
not build, so they don’t work well if you leave extra finish on the one-coat protection. However, the look and feel of each of these

The health equation

Quite a few woodworkers have been drawn to hard-wax oils for their precautions, including the need for gloves or respirators.
lower purported VOCs. So I looked at the cans and the material On the other end of the spectrum are products with multiple
safety data sheets to determine whether users should wear gloves health warnings, including General Finishes and Briwax. Like
and/or a respirator while applying the finish. I also looked for overt Minwax Wipe-On Poly, these products require gloves and a well
health warnings. ventilated area and/or respirator.
Based on this examination, some products are clearly less The rest of the products offer general notices to avoid skin
concerning than others. Odie’s, Tried and True Original, Interbuild, contact and inhalation. So I would wear gloves when using these,
and Bumblechutes do not come with any significant health and add a respirator if the area is not well-ventilated. —A.G

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 39

Hard-wax oils, head to head
In almost all cases, our enhanced surface
prep delivered samples that looked, felt, and PRICE ONE OR EASE WAITING TIME
NAME
performed better than those prepared according PER PINT* TWO PARTS OF USE BETWEEN COATS
to manufacturers’ instructions. The same
went for two coats over just one. When that
wasn’t the case, we based our ratings on the Briwax $24 1 Good 4 to 6 hours
manufacturer’s recommended approach. See
the main article for more details.
Bumblechutes $75 1 Very good 12 hours

Fiddes $57 1 Fair 4 to 6 hours

Interbuild $43 1 Good Not specified

General Finishes $64 2 Very good 24 hours

Natura $47 2 Good Not specified**

Odie’s $76 1 Very good 24 hours

Osmo 2K $80 2 Good Not specified**

Color varies on lighter woods. Some hard-

Osmo Polyx-Oil $33 1 Excellent 8 to 10 hours
wax oils impart a strong amber cast to blond
woods like maple and ash; others don’t. The
curly maple sample (top) was finished with
Tried & True Original Wood Finish; the one at Rubio $80 2 Good Not specified**
bottom with Rustic Lumber Furniture Oil.

Rustic Lumber $29 2 Very good 24 hours

Tried & True $35 1 Very good 24 hours

*Not all available in pint size; price per ** Marketed as one-coat finishes
pint estimated for sake of comparison. *** Higher ratings reflect less yellowing.

was significantly improved with the addi- use the excess for a second coat (or fu-
tion of a second coat, just like the one-part ture use). And there’s always a fair amount
finishes were. left over, because you have to make sure
Therefore, it’s hard to justify the extra you’ve mixed enough for each coat.
trouble required by the two-part products.
Aside from the hassle of measuring and Look and feel
Two-part products require careful planning.
mixing them, there’s also significant waste In terms of sheen, or the quality of reflected
You’ll need to mix up a separate batch of finish
for each application, so make just what you generated. That’s because the combined light on the finished surface, as well as clar-
need for the project at hand because any extra mixture has a short shelf life—roughly four ity and depth, all of my enhanced samples
will go to waste. to six hours—which means you can’t re- met the standard for fine furniture.

40 FINE WOODWORKING
 NON- WATER/STAIN
Some are too yellow for light woods—
CURE TIME SHEEN APPEARANCE To get a clearer picture of the yellowing
YELLOWING*** RESISTANCE†
effect, particularly on the whitest woods, I
referred to the ash samples. On those Gen-
Not specified Excellent Very good Very good Good eral Finishes, Interbuild, Natura, Osmo 2K,
Rubio, and Rustic imparted more yellow
than I would like to see.
2 to 3 days Very good Very good Very good Excellent Surprising level of protection—Based
on their performance promises for flooring,
I expected hard-wax oils to deliver better
7 days Excellent Very good Very good Excellent durability and protection than basic oil fin-
ishes. And they delivered on that promise,
with two coats of each product protecting
3 days Excellent Very good Fair Very good at least as well as two coats of our control—
Minwax Wipe-On Polyurethane, which
builds a thin film.
Not specified Excellent Excellent Fair Very good
The standouts were Fiddes and Odie’s
Oil. Fiddes was not a surprise, given its
very likely inclusion of varnish resin, but
Odie’s was, leaving only the slightest haze
7 days Excellent Very good Fair Excellent
after 12 hours of my water test (p. 38).

The bottom line

3 to 5 days Excellent Very good Very good Excellent
If you need a bombproof finish for a table-
top, or a perfectly smooth surface with a
deep sheen, reach for a finish that builds
24 hours Very good Very good Fair Excellent
a film. For everything else, it’s hard to beat
hard-wax oils. In fact, the way these finish-
es beautify the wood while still allowing
10 to 14 days Excellent Excellent Very good Good you to see and feel the grain gives pieces
a distinctly handmade quality.
The best hard-wax oils are easier to ap-
5 days Excellent Very good Fair Excellent ply than any other finish I’ve used, with no
sanding needed between coats, no danger
of streaks or drips, and no buffing required
7 days Excellent Very good Fair Good afterward. They are as easy to repair as any
oil finish, while providing enhanced pro-
tection against water damage and stains.
5 days Excellent Excellent Very good Good If I had to choose one of these hard-wax
oils to keep on hand, it would be Osmo
†Comparisons made to other products in test; no hard-
Polyx-Oil. It’s relatively affordable and very
wax oils will protect as well as a thick film finish. easy to apply. For the ultimate warmth, glow,
and clarity, I would go with Tried & True
Original. To get there, however, you’ll need
At the tip top, there was a tie between or “pop the curl” in the case of our curly to buff it between coats. For the highest level
Tried & True and Osmo Polyx-Oil. While maple boards. All of the finishes did a good of protection, consider Odie’s Oil or Bum-
the best Tried & True samples—with the job here, but some stood out. blechutes Bee’Nooba Wax. All four of these
manufacturer’s suggested steel-wool scuff- Interbuild, Natura, Osmo 2K, Rubio, and finishes are one-part products, and all are
ing between coats—had a slightly warmer, Rustic added a distinctly amber color to the least likely to add a yellow cast to white
softer glow, with unmatched clarity, Osmo the maple, which helped to accentuate woods. Osmo also makes a UV-resistant ver-
was a very close second, with no polish- the figure. Tried & True, Osmo Polyx-Oil, sion of its product for outdoor items. ☐
ing required. and General Finishes also accentuated the
“Popping the curl”—Depth is also re- curl without adding as much yellow to the Adam Godet is a professional woodworker
lated to a finish’s ability to highlight figure, wood. in Washington, D.C.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 41

Turned Pepper Grinder
A weekend of
woodworking
I enjoy cooking delectable meals nearly
as much as I love turning lustrous, fig-
ured wood, and this project happily
brings those two passions together. We’re
calling it a pepper mill, but it can grind
can provide salt and spices just as well. I designed it
to accept the CrushGrind mill mechanism,
which I like because it doesn’t require drill-
years of daily ing through the top of the mill’s cap and

pleasure
PEPPER MILL,
INSIDE AND OUT
B Y M A T T M O N A C O
Cap, 25⁄8 in. dia. by 27⁄8 in. tall, friction-
fit onto shaft of grinder mechanism,
is removed to fill pepper cavity.

1
3
⁄2 in. dia.
⁄4 in. 3
⁄8 in. dia.
7
⁄8 in. dia.

27⁄8 in.
15
⁄16 in. dia.
25⁄8 in.
11⁄4 in. dia.

17⁄8 in. dia.

Pepper
cavity 15⁄8 in. dia.

3 in. 11⁄16 in. dia.

23⁄4 in.
dia.

1
⁄2 in. 211⁄16 in.
dia.
3
⁄4 in. 27⁄8 in.
dia.

21⁄4 in. 21⁄2 in.

dia.
21⁄8 in. 19⁄16 in.
dia.

3
⁄4 in. 13⁄4 in.
dia.

Stepped interior cavities for grind mechanism

are drilled on the lathe with Forstner bits.

Photo, this page: Matt Monaco; drawings: John Tetreault

START W IT H A CYL I N D E R

Rounding the blank. After turning his blank to a cylinder Tenons top and bottom. With the blank still between centers, Monaco uses a skew
with a roughing gouge, Monaco here uses a 1-in. skew to do to cut 1⁄4-in.-wide tenons at each end of the workpiece. These will let him mount the
the final planing. work in a four-jaw chuck.

Stick figures. Monaco transfers key transitions from his drawing of the Layout on the spin. While the cylinder spins, Monaco makes pencil
mill onto a story stick. marks on the blank at each transition point on the story stick.

SP LIT T HE M I L L

Separate the body from the cap. Using a parting tool, Monaco cuts a 3⁄8-in.-wide
recess where the mill body meets the cap. Then he parts nearly all the way through the
work on the cap side of the recess. That leaves a 1⁄4-in.-wide tenon at the top of the body
for mounting in the four-jaw chuck. He uses a hand saw with the lathe turned off to
finish the parting cut.

JULY/AUGUST 2024 43
HOL L OW T H E B O DY having hardware exposed on top. Instead,
the cap is a friction fit onto the mecha-
Make way for nism’s stem. This allows the outer contours
the mechanism. of the mill to flow together and appear as
The body blank a single, uninterrupted form all the way
has tenons at both from the table to the top of the cap. While
ends; mount the on mills with exposed hardware the grind
bottom tenon first. is often adjusted by loosening or tighten-
Mark the body and
ing the cap nut, the CrushGrind mecha-
the cap to avoid
confusion over nism has a small, circular knob accessible
which end is which. on the underside that lets you adjust for
coarse or finely ground spices.
You can turn your mill using my design,
but you don’t need to. As long as you provide
adequate space inside for the mechanism,

Deep drilling. Using a 11⁄16-in.-dia. Forstner bit, drill to the halfway point Boring from the bottom. After turning the body end for end, part off the
in the body or just beyond. Before turning on the lathe to do the drilling, bottom tenon and drill a three-step hole. First, as shown above, drill 3⁄4 in.
engage only the point of the bit at the centerpoint of the blank; then deep with a 13⁄4-in.-dia. Forstner bit. Then drill 21⁄4 in. deep with a 19⁄16-in.-
start the lathe and advance the tailstock to do the drilling. dia. Forstner. And last, use the 11⁄16-in. Forstner to finish the hole.

Smoother still.
Monaco uses a
3
⁄4-in.-square end
scraper to refine
the drilled walls of
the outer recess at
the bottom of the
body.
SH A P E T H E B O DY

New chuck for the bottom. Make a jam chuck to fit the Base notes. Transfer the transition points from the story stick onto the mill body. Use
13⁄4-in. hole at the bottom end of the body. a revolving cone center to steady the tailstock end of the workpiece.

Groove and grade. After cutting V-grooves at all of the penciled transition points, Beadwork. Using the 1-in. skew again, Monaco rolls the
Monaco uses a 1-in. skew to shape the straight lower section of the body. beads at the waist of the mill body.

The wide cove. Monaco uses a 3⁄4-in. skew with a convex Sand and finish. With the shaping complete, Monaco dry-sands the body with
sweep to create the wide cove at the top of the mill body. 180-grit paper, then wet-sands with oil. Before applying a carnauba and paste wax
mixture with steel wool, he cuts a chamfer at the top end of the body.

Photos, except where noted: Jonathan Binzen JULY/AUGUST 2024 45

C R E AT E T H E C A P

Drill it. After truing up the cap, use a 15⁄16-in.- Remount and begin shaping. After making a Sculpting with the skew. Monaco uses rolling
dia. Forstner bit to drill a hole 11⁄4 in. deep to jam chuck to fit the hole, mount the cap, snug sweeps of his skew to shape the convex curves
receive the top part of the grinder mechanism. up the tail stock, and turn the rough shape. of the cap.

A quick, critical
assessment.
Before committing
to the final
contours of the
cap’s finial, Monaco
removes the cap
from the lathe and
places it on the
body to assess the
overall form.

Finally, the finial. To make the last defining cuts on the finial, including
this V-groove that establishes its bottom edge, Monaco backs off the
tailstock and, using very light pressure, relies on the jam chuck alone to
hold the workpiece steady.

46 FINE WOODWORKING
F ITT TH E M E C H A N I SM
FI

SOURCE
O F S U P P LY
CRUSHGRIND MECHANISM
CERAMIC SHAFT
Model #146928
woodcraft.com

Trim the stem. With the bottom of the hardware dry-fitted in

the body, mark the metal shaft 11⁄8 in. above the top of the
body. Then cut to your line with a hacksaw. Follow that by filing
or sanding the sawn edges of the shaft.

Glue it in. Apply

epoxy or CA glue
to the lower part
of the mechanism,
then press it into
place.

there is nearly limitless latitude for exper-

imenting with the form. Your choice of
material is also wide open. I turned this
To the top. Glue
mill from a chunk of pomelle sapele, a
the top part of the
strong and stable fine-grained hardwood mechanism into
from West Africa. It’s a pleasure to turn the cap. When the
and exudes a wonderful, bright, natural glue dries, press-fit
iridescence. But of course just about any the top mechanism
chunk of wood you have rattling around in onto the shaft, and
your shop that fits the rough dimensions— get grinding.
about 3 in. square and 1 ft. long—could
be an excellent candidate as well. ☐

Matt Monaco occasionally alights at home

briefly in Kansas City, Mo., before heading back
out on the road to teach turning.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 47

 More Than Learn a variety of
approaches for

One Way to every situation

B Y B O B V A N D Y K E

Cut a Dovetail
F lexibility in furniture-making tech-
niques is not a common trait among
most woodworkers. We tend to find
a way that works and stick with it. That
makes sense; habits are comfortable and
the more you repeat something the more
proficient you become. However, the best
woodworkers are comfortable with mul-
tiple techniques for each task because they
accept that situations vary. Recognizing
that, here are the reasons why I would
choose one technique over another for a
given dovetail situation.

Tails first or pins first?

It really depends. The deciding factor for
me comes down to which will make for an
easier transfer of the first half of the joint
to the second half.
Tails first—One advantage to cutting tails
first is the ability to gang tail boards together
and cut two or four sets of tails at once.
Pins first—On a normal-size project
where the transfer is simple, the question of

Baseline placement
Where you strike
the baseline
determines
whether the pins
will be proud or
recessed. There
are aesthetic
and technical
reasons why you
would choose one
method vs. the
other.

Proud pins. Dovetails are traditionally planed flush after assembly, but Shy pins. To make traditional dovetailed drawers, first fit the drawer
leaving them intentionally proud is an aesthetic choice that showcases front to the opening. Then set the cutting gauge just shy of the tail board’s
the joinery, rather than downplaying it as was done in 18th-century thickness, which will result in the surface of the tail board being slightly
furniture. To do this, set the cutting gauge 1⁄32 in. to 1⁄16 in. thicker than the proud of the pins. After assembly, plane the surface of the tail board flush
tail board. Slightly chamfer the protruding corners before assembling. with the pins.

48 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales; drawings: Dan Thornton

 The big debate Pins first... or tails first?
It doesn’t have to be always one or
the other. Both have upsides.

Pins first for easier transfer. When you’re dealing with larger workpieces, it’s Tails first for multiples. If you’re cutting tails first, you can
much easier to transfer the pins to the tails than the other way around. After you tape the parts together, mark them all out at the same time,
cut the pins, make a quick grooved clamping block, lay the tail board on your bench, and make your sawcuts to the whole batch at once. When
and put the block over the pins you’re not transferring. Use a hand-screw clamp cutting tails by hand, taping two tail boards together makes it
to stabilize the pin board and a bar clamp to hold it to the tail board. With the bar easier to cut the tails square to the face.
clamp lightly tightened, tap the pins in place, then tighten the clamp.

Complete the pins first vs. tails first is personal preference.

transfer. With the In a large case project, however, scribing
boards clamped, tails to pins with the tail board held hori-
use a mechanical zontally atop a long pin board can be very
pencil or a sharp awkward and unwieldy. Instead, cut the
pencil with a flat on
pins first and then hold the pin board ver-
one side to trace
the pins onto the tically on top of the horizontal tail board.
tail board. While I work with hand tools all the
time, I am also a great believer in ma-
chine-assisted techniques when it is to my
advantage. If I am cutting the tails first, I
usually use the table saw because it excels
at cutting straight and square, the basic

JULY/AUGUST 2024 49
Cutting tails By hand...
Whether you are cutting
dovetails by hand, by machine,
or a combination of the two,
apply the technique that is
best in any given situation.
Your approach to dovetailing
a drawer could be completely
different from your approach to
dovetailing a carcase.

Angled board, straight cut. Accurate vertical

cuts are easier to make than accurate angled
ones. To avoid angled cutting, shift the tail
board in the vise until the layout lines are
Laying out. Layout lines on the first half of the joint can almost be thought of as “suggestions,” vertical, not the wood. A squared scrap helps
even freehanded in. Precise spacing or angles are not important as long as the pins are perfectly get the tail lines vertical.
vertical and the tails are perfectly square to the face.

TH ROU G H - D OV E TA I L S H A L F- BL I N D D OV E TA I LS
Half-blind pins.
Position the board
flat on the bench,
with the end of
the pin board even
with and square to
the front edge of
the bench. Make
the vertical cut
on the end grain,
just leaving your
layout line, before
transitioning the
saw to finish the
horizontal overcut.

Sawing past the baseline

Pins for through-dovetails. Pins must be perfectly vertical, so before Stopping at the removes more waste. On the
cutting, use a squared scrap to align the pin board vertically in the vise. baseline leaves a large inside of a drawer front, the
This makes it easier to cut the pins accurately. triangle of waste. overcut is never seen.

50 FINE WOODWORKING
 or by machine
TA BL ES AW
Table-saw
technique. Van
Dyke tilts the
sawblade 10°, the
same angle the
top of the blade
was ground to.
That keeps the
top of the blade
parallel to the table
surface. Then he
cuts the tails using
a simple sled that
supports the board
on end.

requirement for successful tails. Once you BANDSAW

are set up with the correct blade and sled,
it takes less than 5 minutes to set up the Wedge and cut.
cut. You can buy blades pre-ground to an A wedge, cut to
angle, but it is much cheaper to send an the angle of your
extra sawblade out to be ground to the dovetails, guides
the workpiece.
angle you want. I use 10°.
With the wedge
against the fence,
Pencil or knife cut to the baseline,
Whether you cut pins or tails first, preci- and then back out
sion is essential when transferring the first of the cut. Flip the
half of the joint to the second half. Many board to cut the
people use a knife to scribe, but just as other side of the
tails.
many use a sharp pencil. The knife line is
crisp, but shows in the finished surface. If
you pare all the way up to the knife line
to remove it, the joint can end up loose;
conversely, if you leave the knife line, the
bevel of the knife will have created a small
gap. A pencil line—even from a sharp,
hard lead—may not be as crisp but it is
easily removed when cleaning up the joint.

A rabbet can make scribing easier

I usually cut a shallow rabbet on the inside
face of the tails before the transfer. I cut
this rabbet exactly on the gauge line, a
technique I learned from Steve Latta. The
small shoulder this creates makes it easy to
position the tails and hold them securely
against the pin board during the transfer.
Alternatively, a piece of 1⁄4-in. MDF can
be clamped exactly on the tail board base-
line to serve as a temporary rabbet.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 51

 Accurate
transfer
Creating a shoulder on
the tail board allows
you to securely hold it
against the pin board
when making the
transfer. You can cut
a rabbet directly into
the stock or make a
temporary rabbet by
applying a piece of MDF.

Integral rabbet
Easy-peasy rabbet. A quick skim cut on the table saw gives
you a solid registration point to transfer tails to the pin board.

A new baseline. After cutting the rabbet, the cutting gauge

must be reset to the new tail thickness, otherwise the pins
will protrude much more than you intended.

TIP SIDE-TO-SIDE ALIGNMENT

While a rabbet helps with the front-to-back

alignment, a simple, flat scrap of wood ensures the
side-to-side alignment of the tail and pin boards.

52 FINE WOODWORKING
 Add a rabbet. To simulate what an integral rabbet does to locate the
parts, simply clamp on a straightedge with a lip. It registers off the edge

Temporary rabbet of the board and creates a shoulder across the face of the tail board. The
edge guide on the jig protrudes beyond the baseline, which also provides
side-to-side registration.

Many ways to remove the waste

After the joint has been cut, the waste must
TIP BLUE TAPE AND A KNIFE MAKE A CRISP LAYOUT LINE
A great technique
be removed right up to the baseline. You made popular by Mike
can chop it out with a chisel and mallet, Pekovich is to use
saw it out with a coping saw, or use a blue tape on the end
scrollsaw or trim router. grain of the pin board.
Scribe along the tails
The traditional method is to chop out
with a knife, cutting
the waste with chisel and mallet. Done
only deep enough to
well, no further paring should be required. cut the tape. Remove
Coping saws or scrollsaws are also good the tape from the
methods of removing the waste, but the waste sections. Your
little bit of wood left behind still needs to layout line is now crisp
be pared up to the baseline. and distinct. When
When it comes to the waste between you cut the pins you
pins, a trim router removes it quickly and can feel the saw riding
accurately. Roughly saw away the waste against the edge of
with a coping saw, scrollsaw, or bandsaw, the tape.
taking care not to cut into the pins. Don’t
bother cutting all the way to the baseline;
the trim router will do that. Hold the work-
piece vertically in a simple jig that allows
the trim router to reference off the end of
the workpiece. Set the depth to cut right
up to the baseline. Holding the router on
the jig, cut away the waste between pins. A
bearing-guided pattern bit is best because
the bearing registers off the top face of the
pins and prevents you from cutting into
them. The same method can be used for
half-blind pins but these require a straight
bit, greatly increasing the risk of cutting
into a pin and ruining it, so be careful.

Establish the baseline

There are choices to be made about how
to set the cutting gauge for the baseline.
The most common practice is to set the

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 53

 Removing waste
There are multiple ways to remove the
waste— from a chisel and mallet to
coping saw, bandsaw, scrollsaw, trim gauge to just a hair more than the thick-
router or a combination of all of them! ness of the stock. This will result in slight-
ly protruding pins and tails that can be
planed flush. Setting it less than the thick-
ness will mean the ends won’t quite reach
through the stock, a common technique in
drawer making.

Sawing pins for half-blind dovetails

Most contemporary woodworkers find
sawing half-blind pins a little irritating
because the saw must stop between the
baseline and the lap line, leaving a large
triangle of wood to be pared away.
However, almost all drawers in period
furniture have overcuts. 18th-century cabi-
netmakers, recognizing that stopping the
saw at the baseline caused extra paring,
typically extended the sawcut a full 1 in. to
2 in. past the baseline, thus leaving a very
small triangle of wood in the pin socket
to be removed with the chisel. Because
the overcuts are on the inside face of the
drawer front, no one ever sees them.
Holding the work horizontally—The
usual practice among contemporary cabi-
netmakers is to hold the pin board verti-
cally in a vise with the end of the board
Chopping high enough that the vise doesn’t get in
the way of the sawcut. This is an uncom-
Incremental steps. Chopping out the waste is fast and direct. No fussy paring should be fortable height at which to saw. And when
necessary. After marking a deep baseline, make a chip cut, which creates a wall for the chisel to cutting a long pin board—say for the side
register against when chopping. Two to three chip cuts should get you more than halfway through of a tall chest of drawers—the surface to
the stock.

Flip and repeat. When you’re about halfway through, flip the board and The flat supports
repeat the process. Use vertical and horizontal chops to clear the waste. the waste.

54 FINE WOODWORKING
 Coping
Coping with
be cut is now significantly higher than the waste. After
vise and is not supported solidly. I firmly sawing the pins
or tails, many
believe that most period cabinet makers
woodworkers use
cut the pins with the pin board clamped a coping saw to
horizontally on the bench. Not only is the remove the waste.
length of the pin board not a consider- Saw close to your
ation, but the cut is also supported right baseline and
up to the edge of the bench. It felt odd then use a chisel
when I first tried it, but now I always cut to pare to the
baseline.
half-blind dovetails in this manner. ☐

Contributing editor Bob Van Dyke runs the

Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking.

Scrollsawing and bandsawing

Leave the triangles. The majority of waste can also be quickly removed with a scrollsaw or Clean up the triangles. A coping saw or
bandsaw. Make sure the inside face of the pin board is up or you will cut into your pins! chisel makes quick work of the little triangle of
wood left by the scrollsaw or bandsaw.

Routing

Rout to the baseline. Holding the work in a Through-dovetails. Once you’ve cleared out Half-blind dovetails. A bearing-guided bit
shopmade jig and routing to the baseline after most of the waste, use a trim router with a won’t work with half-blinds. Use a spiral upcut
most of the waste has been removed is the fast- bearing-guided bit to cut to the baseline. The bit or a straight bit. Clamp your pin board to the
est, most accurate path to perfect baselines. bearing rides on the upper half of the pins router box and rout by eye to your saw lines,
It works for through-dovetails and half-blinds, without letting the bit cut into the pins. clearing all the sockets to the same depth and
though the bits and techniques differ slightly. leaving little to clean out by hand.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 55

Irish Stick Chair
Basic tools and
smart strategies make
chairmaking approachable
B Y C H R I S T O P H E R S C H W A R Z

M any woodworkers avoid chairmaking because it re-

quires so many specialty tools and exotic techniques
that it seems to be an entirely separate craft, such as
leatherworking. To make a Windsor chair you might need a
lathe, steambox, shaving horse, drawknife, adze, scorp, trav-
There is a simpler way. For the last 20 years I have stud-
ied and built vernacular stick chairs. These robust, angular,
and comfortable chairs were historically made by part-time
woodworkers in Wales, Scotland, and the Scandinavian
countries who needed chairs to go by the hearth. The
isher, and froe—plus a bunch of specialty boring tools. And makers used common woodworking tools and whatever
you need to learn to split and season green wood. wood was on hand—sometimes even a branch from the

56 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales

STICK CHAIR Backrest, 4 in. tall
25°
You can buy full-
by 22 in. long scale drawings
and patterns
Tenon, 5⁄8 in. dia. for this stick chair
by 21⁄4 in. long from Lost Art Press.
For a link, go to
FineWoodworking.
com/311.
8 in. 143⁄4 in.

Arms, 1 in. thick

Back sticks,
by 20 in. long
11⁄8 in. thick by
11⁄8 in. wide by
19 in. long 3
⁄4-in.-dia. by
21⁄4-in.-long 143⁄4 in. 14 in.
tenon on both
ends 25° 28°

Tenon, 3⁄4 in. dia.

by 21⁄4 in. long Short sticks, 11⁄8 in. SIDE VIEW
thick by 11⁄8 in. wide 3 in.
by 121⁄2 in. long
31⁄2 in.
Front leg

Seat, 13⁄4 in. thick 55°

by 16 in. deep by 81⁄2 in.
20 in. wide 65°

Back leg
1-in.-dia. by 21⁄4-in.-
long tenon on top end
BOTTOM VIEW

Backrest overlong;
Leg, 15⁄8 in. thick recommended trim 13⁄8 in. 20-in. radius
by 15⁄8 in. wide by
19 in. long

35⁄8 in.
41⁄2 in.

SOURCES
24 in.
O F S U P P LY
BACKREST TOP VIEW
TENON AND PLUG CUTTER, 11⁄4 in.
17⁄8 in.
1 IN. DIA.
41⁄2 in. 41⁄4 in.
zoro.com, amazon.com, $40
POWER TENON CUTTER 21⁄2 in.
BY VERITAS 93⁄16 in. 11⁄4 in.
leevalley.com, $102
TRAVISHER
thewindsorworkshop.co.uk,
20 in.
$210
GODRILLA
lostartpress.com, $58
131⁄2 in.
DRILL BIT EXTENDER
amazon.com, zoro.com, $6 713⁄16 in.
53⁄4 in.
SPOKE POINTER
Vintage ones are easy to
find and inexpensive,
or get the small model at
lehmans.com, $73
5 in. 11⁄16 in. 20 in. 11⁄4 in.

ARM PATTERN SEAT TOP VIEW

Drawings: John Hartman JULY/AUGUST 2024 57

 No-measure octagon layout
One diagonal line will give you everything you need to lay out the octagon on the legs.

Corner to corner. First, draw a diagonal line between two opposing Plane off the corners. Set the leg blank
corners. Then set a ruler from one of the remaining corners to that in a simple holding jig, and hand plane the
line. Use that setting to draw two lines on each face of the leg. corners, stopping when the facet meets
both lines on either side of the corner.

Clever tapering
If you are doing a run of chairs and
have a lot of legs to taper, consider
the jointer. Woodworker Troy Sexton
showed this trick to the author 20 years
ago, and it has saved him hundreds of
hours of planing.

Stop short. Set the jointer to cut 3⁄16 in. deep. Clamp a stop to the Flip and joint. Remove the stop block and turn the leg end for end. With
outfeed table, 10 in. from the center of the cutterhead. Joint each facet a push stick pressing down on the narrow end, the lead end will be lifted
of the octagon; when it hits the stop block, lift the back end. off the table a bit as you make passes. Joint each facet until you have a
continuous, tapered octagonal leg. It should take you two cuts per facet.
Octagon straight
leg stock
Stop
Cutter height, 3⁄16 in.
hedge, which is one of the reasons they are called stick chairs
10 in. and the parts are referred to as sticks. And though the joinery was
simple, the chairs have survived for hundreds of years and today
are prized by collectors.
Here are some ways these long-forgotten woodworkers built
chairs without special tools.

Wood selection
I usually use kiln-dried wood from the lumberyard for my stick
chairs. You need straight-grain stuff for the legs and sticks.
Once you find a board with straight grain, split or saw out your
parts so the grain runs continuously from one end of the part
Octagon tapered leg
to the other.

58 FINE WOODWORKING
 Joinery that lasts
While most Windsor chairs use a tapered tenon
and mortise to join the legs and seat, vernacular
stick-chair makers used cylindrical mortises and
tenons. These chairs with cylindrical joints survive
for centuries just fine. Schwarz has two methods
for cutting the tenons—-with a power tenon cutter
or with a spoke pointer plus a plug cutter.

W a spoke pointer,
Spoke pointer first. With
cut a chamfer on the end of the leg to prepare it
for the tenon cutter. Smooth it
i out with a block plane.
You can buy spoke pointers new, but
b vintage ones are
significantly less expensive. Another alternative
a is to create the
taper using a chisel or a rasp.

Follow up with a
plug cutter. Score
the shoulder of the
tenon with a marking
gauge (far left). Create
the tenon with the
plug cutter, making
adjustments to center
the tenon. A laser level
on a tripod helps you to
level the leg in a vise. If
the laser line is splitting
a facet in two, you are
Online Extra in good shape.
For videos on how to make the chair
tenons, drill the mortises, and taper the
legs, go to FineWoodworking.com/311.

Ring-porous species, such as oak, ash, and hickory, are easy to

split. Avoid boards with pronounced cathedral grain patterns. The
grain in those boards is never straight.
After studying and building hundreds of stick chairs, I have
learned to set my expectations. Small inaccuracies in angles are
found on all handmade chairs. In fact, ones that have been made
with jigs look lifeless to me. I never try to make mistakes or drill
off-angle. But when it happens, I am more forgiving with myself
and allow the chair to express itself. And that is one of the most
important lessons these chairs have taught me.

Legs, no stretchers
Instead of turning the legs, stick-chair makers would plane or Power tenon cutter. If you want to buy a high tech, modern tool you
shave them to a hexagon or octagon. If they wanted a round leg, can also use a Veritas power tenon cutter and do the whole tenoning
they would continue planing the octagon until it looked turned. operation in one fell swoop. The cutter has a built in level and eliminates
I make legs and sticks by shaping them to octagons either at the the need to chamfer, plane, and mark as you must with a plug cutter.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 59

 Seat logistics For a successful seat you must lay
out mortise locations, drill the angled
mortises, and shape the seat.

Layout with a
template. Lay out
the locations of the
mortises for the legs
and armrest sticks and
the sightlines that guide
your drilling. Keeping
all this information on
a template speeds the
process. Transfer and
mark through the holes
in the template onto
the seat.

Drill angled mortises.

Set a sliding bevel
to the drilling angle
(sometimes called the
resultant angle) and
center the bevel on
the sightline. To drill
the mortises, line up
the bit with the sliding
bevel. You can put a
construction laser on
your sightline to help
guide you.

Saddle the seat. Use

a scorp and travisher.
If you want to own only
one of these tools, a
travisher from Windsor
Workshops, developed
by chairmaker and
teacher James Morsell,
can handle the jobs
of both the scorp and
travisher by setting the
blade coarse or fine.
Most woodworkers
take to the tool quickly
because it is pushed
like a hand plane.

bench with a hand plane, at the bandsaw with a jig, or at a table On one facet after another, make each pass until the leg hits
saw. Half of the antique stick chairs I’ve encountered over the the stop block, then lift the back end of the leg. Remove the stop
years have no stretchers. And they have survived centuries just block and turn the leg end for end. For the next passes, use a
fine. push block to “pop a wheelie” with the leg—creating the taper.
The mortises in the chair seat are made with an auger bit. I make
Tapered legs and simpler tenons the tenons with an inexpensive tenon/plug cutter. This tooling is
You can taper the legs with a jack plane at the bench. If you have designed for the drill press, but I have found it works well in a
a lot of legs to do, the jointer is a fast alternative. The goal is to handheld drill. The only trick you need is to first taper the tip of
taper one end down to a 1-in. octagon. Clamp a stop block to the the leg so it enters the mouth of the tenon/plug cutter.
jointer fence 10 in. from the center of the cutterhead. If you have a chair with stretchers, you can use these same

60 FINE WOODWORKING
 Leg-to-seat assembly
The chair gets assembled in stages, the first of which
is gluing the legs to the seat. Once you do that you
must level the seat and cut the legs to length.

Legs to seat connection. Schwarz uses liquid hide glue (which has a 40-minute
open time) to attach the legs to the seat. Then he wedges the tenons.

Level up. Level the chair side to side on a true The right height. The measurement at the front of the seat, from the top of the seat to the bottom
surface using wedges under the feet. Prop the of the leg, should be 143⁄4 in. Schwarz drops a tape measure from the top of the seat and sets a
front legs up on blocks and wedges until your pencil in a scribing tool to the correct height. Then he takes the scribing tool and draws around
bubble level is true when its back edge is 3⁄4 in. each leg. With the partial chair in a vise he uses a handsaw to cut the legs to each scribe mark.
above the rear of the seat.

methods to make the tenons for them. Most stick chairs use 3⁄4-in. Many vernacular chairs use a flat seat and sit just fine. If the chair
or 5⁄8-in.-diameter tenons for the stretchers and sticks. was saddled, it typically had a shallow saddle. I saddle all my
seats because my customers like it. But you can skip the saddle
The seat and put a sheepskin on the seat, which is traditional.
You can use any wood for the seat and can glue up two or three If you want to saddle your seats, I recommend purchasing just
boards to get to the desired width. The grain in the seat typically one specialty tool: a travisher from Windsor Workshops. With
runs from right to left (instead of front to back). This allows you their travisher, you can get the seat to shape and then finish the
to use narrower stock. It’s easier to find a 16-in.-wide board than job with an orbital sander and a scraper.
a 20-in.-wide board. And if you want to glue up the seat, it’s easier Once the seat is shaped and sanded it is time to glue the legs
to find two 8-in.-wide boards than two 10-in.-wide boards. into the chair seat. This is the first part of the chair assembly.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 61

 Armrests and sticks are the next phase After you shape the armrests and the
sticks that attach the arms to the seat,
you can assemble them to each other.

Armrests add curves to the mix. Trace the shape of the armrests, ideally onto Refine the arms. The arms will receive a lot of attention
one wide piece of stock. Cut out the shape on the bandsaw. from the sitter, so use a spokeshave to shape and soften the
arms, particularly where the user’s hand might wrap around
the front or where an elbow might rest.

Arm-drilling jig
helps with locating ARMREST DRILLING JIG
arms to seat. A
simple jig holds the 26 in.
seat assembly to the
armrests while you
drill the mortises 6 in.
8 in.
through the armrest 11⁄4 in.
into the seat. A laser Stick work. Schwarz mills the stock, cuts the octagons,
level helps keep the uses a tenon cutter to cut the tenons, and then shapes the
hand drill at the right sticks with a hand plane.
20 in.
angle.

62 FINE WOODWORKING
Glue and wedge the legs into the seat. After the glue cures, trim
the tenons flush, then trim the legs so the seat tilts about 3⁄4 in. One arm, three sticks. Each arm gets two short sticks and one long
from front to back. back stick. The back stick goes from the seat through the arm to the
backrest. First, glue the short sticks to the arm with the back stick
Easy arms in place. Then glue that assembly into the seat. Do the same with the
Stick-chair makers didn’t do much steam-bending. Instead they second arm assembly.
would either look in the woods for a branch that was the right
curvature or they would create a “pieced” arm bow made up of
three or four laminated pieces of wood to create a curved arm.
The pieces could be simply stacked and glued. Or they could
be joined with a dowel or fancy joinery, such as a keyed miter or
a half-lap. But the simplest arms on stick chairs like this one are
straight boards, or boards cut with a slight curve for a little style.

Laser-like accuracy to locate arms to seat

I use spade bits to drill the mortises in the arm and seat, and a
construction laser to guide me. First clamp the arm above the seat
using some wooden blocks; 8 in. is typical. Line up the spade
bit with the mortise location in both the arm and seat. The laser
shows me how far back to tilt the bit.
Before I owned a laser, I would sometimes use a human spotter
instead. They would hold up a straight stick to visually line up
the mortises and then tell me how far back to tilt.
I use inexpensive spade bits for most mortises. They can be eas-
ily resharpened. Also, you can grind the edges to make a slightly Wedge work. Kerf the tenons of the short sticks and glue in wedges.
undersize bit, improving the fit of your mortises and tenons. When the glue dries, cut the tenons flush to the arm.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 63

 Backing it up
When making the curved, laminated backrest, Schwarz employs
a template as he lays out the curves and locates the stick
mortises; the same template also serves as a drilling jig.

Layered look.
Schwarz laminates
two curved pieces
to create the blank
for the backrest.
On two wide pieces
of 8/4 stock, trace
the template and
bandsaw out the
shapes, leaving
extra room to cut to
exact size later. After
laminating, carefully
bandsaw to the line,
then sand and shape. Take advantage
Use the template of the back
again to lay out the sticks. Temporarily
holes in the bottom of attach the backrest
the backrest for the template to the
back stick mortises. two outside back
sticks, where
it will become
your drilling jig.
Drill through the
template into the
seat to cut the
mortises for the
final three back
sticks. Schwarz
uses a 16-in.
spade bit plus a bit
extender that Lost
Art Press makes
called the GoDrilla.
Another option is
the Bosch extender.

Store-bought or shopmade sticks

The sticks that connect the seat, arm, and comb have to have
straight grain so they don’t snap. I make mine from lumberyard
wood that I have split and sawn straight. Then I shave them to
shape and size with a block plane. Clamp a small block of wood
in a vise, brace the tip of the stick against the block, and shave.
Dowels look and work great as a finished stick, but are more
expensive than making sticks from flat stock, so I make my own.
But straight-grain dowels do work. I use red oak dowels, but the
bin at the home center typically contains two or three different
species of oak. So choose dowels that have the same hue of red.

Second assembly, arms to seat

Drill mortises in the backrest. Use a hand drill to drill the five I assemble the arms and their sticks, one side at a time. Glue the
mortises into the backrest, being careful to hold your drill at 90°. short sticks into one arm, with the longer, back stick in place in

64 FINE WOODWORKING
Attach the backrest assembly to the seat. After gluing the three back
sticks into their mortises in the backrest, glue that assembly to the rest
of the chair. Blue tape on the outside sticks serves as a depth guide.

the arm. Glue the short sticks and the back stick into their mortises
in the seat. Wedge the through-tenons in the arms. Then assemble
the other side of the chair.

Final assembly, backrest to seat

The backrest of a stick chair typically has a shallow curve. So most
stick-chair makers would saw the comb out of a piece of solid
stock. No steam-bending required. This backrest is glued up from
two layers of 8/4 stock and then bandsawn to shape.
The thin plywood pattern for the backrest is also the drilling
template for boring the mortises in the seat at the proper angle. To
do the drilling, temporarily screw the pattern to the chair’s back
posts. Then use the holes in the pattern to guide your spade bit.
If the fit is a little loose, the backrest is easier to drive onto the
sticks. Glue the sticks into the backrest, and peg the backrest and
sticks with bamboo skewers, or wooden pegs. Then glue this back
assembly to the seat and the tall arm sticks.
This chair was painted with a green acrylic. Historical examples
were painted, oiled, or left bare to darken from the wood smoke
in the cottages. ☐
Peg for extra assurance. Drill and tap in bamboo skewers to
Christopher Schwarz is a furniture maker and writer in Covington, Ky. strengthen the connection between the back sticks and the backrest.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 65

gallery
Inspiration for our readers, from our readers

■ AU S TI N S CH UL ER
■ Arcata, Calif.
The impetus for this cabinet was the undulating curve of the front. Harmoniously pairing
the S-curves with the stepped top was a challenge when it came to doweling the case
and establishing a hierarchy of reveals. And it was an aesthetic challenge to ensure
visual continuity between the convex and concave features.
WESTERN MAPLE, CURLY SILVER MAPLE, MAHOGANY, NARRA, 10 1⁄ 4D X 15 1⁄ 2W X 48H
Photo: Todd Sorenson

ROB ER T G .
S T EVEN SO N J R .
Chula Vista, Calif.

This reproduction of an 1800 Eli Terry Pillar

and Scroll Clock was inspired by a visit to the
National Clock Museum. Accurate measured
drawings provided Robert with the initial tools
to build the piece. Additional inspiration came
from Rick Coleman, a friend who restored the
original works, an 1823 wooden movement,
and a hand-painted dial and glass panel.

CUBAN MAHOGANY, SATINWOOD, POPLAR,

4D X 18W X 31H
Photo: Andy Patterson

■IAN HERDELL
■ Durham, N.C.
While preparing for a recent show at the Hillsborough
Gallery of Arts in North Carolina, Ian came across a
beautiful piece of maple and decided the time had come
to make a piece he had been thinking about for some
time. He had made similar tables in the past, but never
one with drawers. It was a fun project for him, and the
drawers with curved fronts presented a nice challenge.
AMBROSIA MAPLE, 16D X 71W X 33 1⁄ 2H
Photo: Alec Himwich

Show your best work

For submission instructions and an entry
form, go to FineWoodworking.com/rg.

66 FINE WOODWORKING
 ■ AUS T IN WA L DO
■ Austin, Texas
These modern nesting side tables are built using offcuts
from the Austin School of Furniture. Austin joined strips of
cherry to form circular tops in two different sizes. The legs
are joined to the feet with an angled bridle joint. Each foot
lifts upward at a subtle 3° and intersects the other feet as
a focal point below the top.
CHERRY, 20D X 20W X 22H
Photo: Mike Roberts

■ M AR C SP R IN G E R
■ Woodland Hills, Calif.
When asked about his inspiration for this bookcase, Marc said, “I like drawers,
for one. I also like working with California woods.” The piece was milled, joined,
and crafted using traditional hand tools. The case assembly uses through-
mortises, doweled rabbets, and shiplapped boards for the back. All the drawers
are hand dovetailed. The finish is four coats of hand-rubbed soap. The back is
finished with flat black paint with a flat clear topcoat.
WESTERN RED CEDAR, 14D X 30W X 72H

■CRAIG BURFIELD
■ Milford, Del.
It all started with some veneer and
the desire to make a convex door.
The project was built around that.
Craig’s stepdaughter submitted
this piece for the Gallery without
his knowledge. She said, “When my
stepdad retired and moved from New
Jersey to Delaware, he began teaching
himself woodworking. I am so grateful
he found this passion. It makes him
happy.”
MAPLE, MAHOGANY, POPLAR, BALTIC-
BIRCH PLYWOOD, BIRCH, SPANISH
CEDAR, 12D X 13 3⁄ 4W X 25H

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 67

gallery continued

■ C H R I ST O P H E R J OYC E
■ Stonington, Maine

These boxes were inspired by sgraffito patterns.

Christopher created the decorative patterns on a
Lindow rose engine using a straight-line chuck as the
primary setup. He did the finials and the major body
work by hand on a traditional lathe. To create the
finish, he first applied a washcoat of shellac, and then
a few coats of India ink. Finally, he cut the patterns and
then applied a topcoat of Watco oil.
BOXWOOD AND AFRICAN BLACKWOOD, 3 DIA. X 4H

■ DOMINI C FAV IA
■ Richmond, Calif.
Dominic spends his days building harpsichords in
Berkeley. He also enjoys woodworking at home to
make functional pieces of his own. This bench was
inspired by a boot bench made by Kieran Binnie.
Dominic adjusted the proportions and added a
drawer. He kept simple, clean lines and focused
on keeping the design open-ended so it can be a
functional, flexible piece of furniture that his family
can enjoy for years to come.
WHITE OAK AND EBONY, 13 1⁄ 2D X 40 1⁄ 2W X 28 1⁄ 2H

■ MAT T BRENN
■ Wake Forest, N.C.
Matt’s clients asked him to come up with a
design for a sideboard that would complement
their traditional, somewhat Colonial palette
while incorporating a darker wood species
other than walnut. They landed on sapele with
a stain, accented by antique brass ring pulls
and hand-cut brass molding on the doors and
drawer faces. He hung the drawers using Chris
Gochnour’s side-hung drawer technique from
FWW #277.
SAPELE, 18D X 84W X 42H

68 FINE WOODWORKING
 • Live Edge Slabs
• Domestic & Exotic Wood
• Thermally-Modified Lumber
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Since 1928 KEMPTON, PA | 610-756-6827
gallery continued

■ F RA N K EA S TM A N
■ Dallas, Texas
Given a quick, freehand sketch of a table a
designer wanted made, Eastman completed these
tables for the Mormon Temple in Dallas. They are
finished with white lacquer and gold leaf.
MAPLE, 18D X 24W X 32H

■ J AC K SO N SHARP
■ Lewisville, Texas
Jackson built this cabinet as a gift for his dad. The glass display section is used to
store his smaller model airplanes. This was Jackson’s first time using shopsawn
veneer in a carcase. The inspiration for this cabinet stems from a previous wall
cabinet he made out of European pear. He had always felt that the design would work
much better on a stand, and this piece was his chance to test that theory.
ELM, WHITE OAK, BASSWOOD, DOUGLAS FIR, WALNUT,
11D X 24W X 59H
Photo: Duke Morse

■ MI CH A EL B U RT
■ Muncie, Ind.
This rocker was Michael’s first attempt at building a rocking chair and
was inspired by David Haig’s signature rocker. The build presented
many challenges, from the joinery of a bent-laminated piece at a
compound angle into a curved seat edge, to finding the lumbar support
that was just right. His goal was to come up with a chair that he could
sit in comfortably for an extended time. After four years, hundreds
of sketches, multiple jigs, lots of trial and error, and great input from
others, this is the chair he built.
INDIANA WALNUT, 35D X 21W X 44H

70 FINE WOODWORKING
© The Taunton Press
a closer look

A
ll wood contains moisture in its cellular structure, and indoor use, the MC target is closer to 6% to 8%. Here I’ll describe
much of that moisture needs to be removed before the two primary methods for drying wood to these moisture
the wood is ready for use. The wood’s application levels—air-drying and kiln-drying.
will determine the amount of moisture that needs I run a wood business that’s been in my family for four
to be removed from the cells. The goal is to reach generations. We saw logs into planks and then air-dry and/or
a level of moisture in the cells equal to the relative kiln-dry the lumber. In recent years we’ve also begun selling
humidity where the wood will be used. When a tree is felled and wood that, after being kiln-dried, gets thermally modified. This
the green log is cut into planks, the wood’s moisture content (MC) brief, high-heat process, which involves no chemicals, makes
can range from roughly 40% to 160% depending on the species. wood far more rot resistant and also less hygroscopic—greatly
For use in framing a house or building outdoor furniture, the MC reducing its tendency to expand and contract. I’ll discuss
needs to be lowered to 20% or below. For furniture and other thermal modification as well.

72 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Jonathan Binzen

 Air-drying

How wood The first method of removing moisture from the wood is simply
to stack the lumber on drying sticks—stickers—so air can pass
over and around the surface of each board. Nearly all lumber

gets dried: drying starts with some air-drying. This allows “free water”
contained inside the wood’s cells to migrate to the surface
of the lumber and evaporate. It will occur naturally, and will

Air, kiln, stop when the lumber’s MC is equal to the relative humidity of
its surroundings. In the northeastern U.S., where I live, most
air-dried lumber will eventually reach a moisture content of
thermal somewhere between 12% and 16%.
Depending on the species of wood, and the thickness of the

modification planks, this process can take several months to several years.
The thicker the lumber, the longer it takes for the moisture in
the center of the wood to be removed. The rule of thumb is
to expect the drying to take a year per inch of thickness. Even
B Y J E F F R E Y S C H U C K E R lumber that will be kiln-dried is generally air-dried first for a
while to begin the drying process.
Air-drying doesn’t cost a lot to do, and given time, good
results can be achieved. If the wood is going to be used for an
exterior application, once it has reached equilibrium with the
environment, it is ready for use.

Kiln-drying
For indoor use, however, wood needs to be dried to a lower
moisture content than can be achieved by air-drying alone
(unless the air is extremely arid, as in the desert Southwest). In
order to do that, the wood needs to be subjected to heat, and a
dry kiln is the vehicle that makes that happen. There are many
types of kilns (see “A diversity of dry kilns” on p. 78), including
solar, dehumidification, microwave, vacuum, and conventional.
The kilns I use are the conventional type, which are the most
widely used for commercial seasoning of lumber.

Air-drying

It all starts
outside. Air-drying
is a reliable, if slow,
method for reducing
the moisture in wood
so it can be worked.
Even lumber that will
later be dried in a
kiln will often first be Check the content. Given enough time, air-drying stick- Air-drying suits thick stock. The author often dries
air-dried for a time. ered lumber outdoors can bring wood’s moisture content very thick planks and cookies outdoors. Conventional
(MC) to about 15%—dry enough for outdoor woodwork. kilns, like those he uses, struggle to dry very thick stock
Bringing the MC down into the 6% to 8% range suitable without causing cracks and other drying defects.
for furniture making usually requires kiln-drying.

JULY/AUGUST 2024 73
a closer look continued

Stoking the

Kiln-drying steamer. A sawyer

of logs and a
millworker as
well as a drier of
lumber, the author
uses sawmill and
Rolling load of shop waste to feed
lumber. Schucker the boiler that
pushes a stickered produces the hot
stack of planks into water that heats
one of his conventional his kilns.
kilns. The walnut in
this load, previously
air-dried outside under
cover for several
weeks, goes in at
about 30% MC and
will emerge two weeks
later at 6% to 8% MC.

74 FINE WOODWORKING
 In a conventional kiln the lumber is stacked and stickered
in an enclosed chamber where fans circulate heated air across
and through the load of wood, and excess moisture is vented
out of the chamber. The MC of the wood and the relative
humidity of the air in the kiln are carefully monitored and
adjusted to keep the wood drying evenly, steadily, and not too
quickly. Depending on the species of wood being dried, in a
conventional kiln the process takes roughly several weeks.
Through kiln-drying, the wood fibers will reach equilibrium
with the relative humidity in your home. In the Northeast that
moisture content is 6% to 8%, depending on the season. Winter
is when the relative humidity is at its lowest, because the air, in
colder temperatures, isn’t able to carry as much moisture.
Near the end of the conventional kiln-drying cycle, an
important process called conditioning takes place. As the wood
dries in these kilns, the moisture content of the fibers in the
center of a plank is always a few percentage points higher than
those on the surface where evaporation occurs. Conditioning
introduces steam to the kiln to regulate the final stage of drying.
When the fibers in the center have reached the 6% to 8% range,
the steam is introduced, raising the moisture content of the
surface fibers. When conditioning is done correctly, the MC of
the wood will be the same from the center to the surface.
If you have sawn up improperly conditioned wood, you’ll
know it—the workpiece will either bind on the sawblade or
split apart as the blade cuts through. The severity of these
reactions relates directly to the amount of drying stress that
remained in the wood, which could have been relieved with
proper conditioning.
Even when lumber has been properly kiln-dried and
conditioned, it is important to bring the material into the shop
for several days or even a week before beginning to work on it.
This allows the wood to adjust to its new environment. During
the winter, if wood is stored at a colder temperature, it is even
more important to allow it to acclimate to your shop.

Stacked right. Conventional kilns, which rely It’s windy inside. In conventional Moisture metering. The author uses wet bulb
on surface evaporation to extract moisture kilns like this one, fans circulate and dry bulb readings to track the relative
from wood, require green planks to be stacked the heated air, driving it around and humidity in his kilns and adjusts the temperature
on stickers, creating airways between layers of through the lumber stack. and venting schedule accordingly. He follows
lumber. Schucker mills specially shaped stickers tables that prescribe humidity and temperature
that reduce the chance of sticker stain. levels for a wide range of wood species.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 75

a closer look continued

Into the chamber.

Thermal Bingaman Lumber,

in Kreamer, Pa., is
one of a number

modification of companies now

producing thermally
modified lumber. After
their modification
chambers are loaded
and sealed, a vacuum
is drawn, and the heat
within rises to 420°F.

After the treatment.

Two days after going
in, a load of oak rolls
The difference is day and night. After out of the chamber. The
treatment in a thermal modification chamber, vacuum drawn in the
during which the sugars in its cells are chamber, by removing
“carmelized,” kiln-dried lumber radically oxygen, prevents the
changes character—becoming resistant to rot, wood from igniting at
less prone to movement, and darker in color. high temperatures.

76 FINE WOODWORKING
 Thermally modified
In the last decade or so, thermally modified wood—also known
as toasted, torrified, or carmelized—has entered the market.
Thermally modified wood takes kiln-dried wood one step
further. After being briefly air-dried, then properly kiln-dried,
the wood is put in a special vacuum chamber and subjected
to high temperatures. In a conventional kiln, the air is typically
heated to 140°F to 160°F. In a thermal modification chamber,
the temperature is raised to between 300°F and 460°F. Before
the chamber is heated, a vacuum is pulled, removing oxygen
and preventing the wood from igniting at high temperatures.
The treatment typically lasts from one to two days.
Thermal modification makes wood rot-resistant without
applying any chemical treatment. Wood, like other plants,
contains sugars and starches in the cellular makeup of its fibers.
And wood decays when mold and fungus consume the sugars
and starches. Thermal modification, by virtue of the high level
of heat, carmelizes the sugars and starches, modifying them into
a substance that mold and fungus can no longer break down.
Hence the term thermal modification.
Another boon for the woodworker is that the wood’s cellular
walls are crystallized in the process, making the wood fibers
far less able to absorb moisture. As a result, there is roughly
85% less seasonal movement in thermally modified wood than
in air-dried wood. Modification also alters the color of wood.
Depending on time and temperature in the chamber, the
wood can be turned anywhere from caramel to a deep, rich
chocolate brown. The color change, like the other benefits of
the modification treatment, affects every fiber in the wood.
Because of its rot-resistance, thermally modified wood is
frequently chosen for decking, siding, and other outdoor uses.
And because of its rich colors and reduced seasonal movement,
it is also seeing use in furniture and other indoor woodwork.
This process may be relatively new to the market on a
commercial scale, but it isn’t a new idea. Vikings were fire
charring the hulls of ships hundreds of years ago to prevent
barnacles from growing and causing rot. Native Americans used
fire to harden and cure arrows and other tools. And Japanese
woodworkers have long been scorching wood to preserve it.
One downside of thermally modified wood is that the heating
process makes it more brittle. The wood fibers become more
rigid and a lot less willing to bend as compared to kiln-dried
wood, and even more so compared to air-dried wood. Also,
as thermal modification crystallizes the wood’s cell walls,
they become less able to absorb moisture. If you are coating
thermally modified wood, use an oil-based primer, and avoid
use of any waterborne finishes, because they will not bond
properly. Additionally, when gluing thermally modified wood,
Color shift. Bingaman thermally modifies mostly it is recommended that you increase the clamp time over kiln-
oak and poplar. Both species turn a rich dark dried wood, particularly with water-based glues.
brown from the treatment. A lighter brown can be
achieved with moderated time and temperatures Jeffrey Schucker cuts, dries, mills, and sells wood at Bailey Wood Products
in the kiln.
in Kempton, Pa.

www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 77

a closer look
What happens when wood dries?
continued

Once a tree is cut and begins to dry, moisture in the wood’s

cell cavities, known as free water, evaporates first. When that
kilns
A diversity of dry kilns
All wood kilns generate heat to evaporate moisture from the
wood, but they differ widely in the ways they produce the heat
water is gone the cells are empty, but the cell walls are still fully and in how they deliver it. In a field with a long history, there
saturated, and the wood has reached “fiber saturation point,” or has been a fair amount of recent innovation; here’s a brief
FSP. The moisture that remains, known as bound water, is what taxonomy of the major types of wood kilns. —Jonathan Binzen
air-drying and kiln-drying are designed to remove. The cell walls
are at their weakest when they are saturated; the strength of the
wood increases as the bound water is removed. And it is only after CONVENTIONAL KILNS
the bound water has begun to evaporate that wood will swell and
shrink with changes in relative humidity.

WHERE THE Free water is contained

within the fiber cells.
WATER IS
Wood has “free
water” within its
cells but also “bound
water” in its cell
walls. As wood dries,
first the free water
evaporates, then the Long the standard of the lumber industry, conventional kilns
bound water.
Bound water is found typically use steam or hot water in pipes to radiate heat in the
in the cell walls. kiln chamber. Fans blow the heated air around and through
the pile of lumber, inducing surface evaporation of the water in
TRACKING MOISTURE CONTENT AS WOOD DRIES the wood. Each layer of planks is laid on stickers, separating
Bound water Free water it from the layers above and below so the air flows across
all surfaces. Moisture drawn from the wood exits the kiln
Moisture content
as humid air via vents. The steam or hot water is typically
0% 15% 30% 45% 60%
generated by burning wood, oil, or gas, or using electricity.

Fiber saturation point (FSP),

Kiln-dried Air-dried MC—
a bit under 30%; free water is
gone, but bound water remains
SOLAR KILNS
MC—6% to 8% 14% to 16%
Green wood
Wood is hygroscopic— Dimensions unchanging;
shrinks and swells wood is fully swollen

THE PRONG TEST FOR HARDENING

R CASE HA
H RDENING
In kiln-drying, failure to
even out wood’s MC creates
stresses that are exposed
when the wood is worked. If
a dried plank’s core is wetter
These operate just like conventional kilns, but using heat from
than its outer shell, it is “case
hardened.” The fibers in the the sun in place of steam or hot water. Hot air is circulated by
center want to expand but are fans through a stickered stack of planks to produce surface
constrained by shell fibers that evaporation, and the resultant moist air is vented from the
want to contract. Kiln operators kiln. If the fans are powered by batteries or solar panels, the
use a prong test—cutting a
solar kiln can be operated completely off the grid. Placement
slice of wood from near the end
of a solar kiln is key to capture the amount of sunlight
of a plank, then sawing a notch
Not case Slightly Cas
C
Casee required to dry wood; these kilns tend to operate more slowly,
in it—to assess how evenly a hardened
h d d case h
hardened
d d
load of wood has dried. hardened if at all, in winter months.

78 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Dan Thornton

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a closer look continued

kilns
A diversity of dry kilns continued

DEHUMIDIFICATION KILNS HEATING PLATE KILNS

Like conventional kilns, dehumidification kilns work by surface A recent innovation,
evaporation. The wood is stacked on stickers and hot air is these kilns work by
circulated by fans. In these kilns, however, the moist air is inserting thin, hot-
not vented from the chamber; instead, the air passes over the water-filled metal
dehumidification unit’s cold pipes and moisture condenses and platens between
exits the chamber as water through a drain hose. Because the DH layers of lumber. The
kiln doesn’t vent hot air, it conserves energy, requiring less heat drying is done in a
to maintain a particular temperature. vacuum, lowering
the temperature
needed and exerting
RADIO FREQUENCY KILNS pressure to keep
the boards flat.
This technology is
used in large-scale
kilns and in smaller
ones that resemble
freezer chests, like
the one above right,
which can be used
to dry pre-milled
blocks and blanks.

VACUUM KILNS
Radio frequency (RF) kilns, also known as high frequency (HF)
or microwave kilns, unlike nearly all other types of kilns, don’t
withdraw water from the wood through surface evaporation.
Instead, RF kilns send electromagnetic waves through the wood
that polarize the water molecules within. The water molecules
begin oscillating rapidly, producing friction that heats the wood
from the center outward, vaporizing the water. Since RF kilns
don’t rely on airflow for evaporation, the lumber can be dead
stacked. And as a result, RF drying can be combined with a press
system—often a hydraulic plate or a bladder mounted on the
ceiling of the drying chamber—that exerts powerful downward
pressure on the lumber stack during drying, producing very flat
planks. RF kilns also typically include vacuum technology so the The term “vacuum kiln” is a bit of a misnomer. It doesn’t
evaporation temperature (and electricity costs) are reduced. describe a standalone category of kilns. Instead, vacuum
Because RF technology can penetrate deeply and dries the technology—which reduces the temperature at which water
wood from the center out, it can dry thick boards as easily as will vaporize—is incorporated in a variety of disparate heating
thin ones. Drying processes that rely on surface evaporation systems. However you heat the kiln, if you pull a vacuum first,
struggle to dry planks much more than 3 in. thick without you can dry the wood at a far lower temperature, reducing
significant cracks and other defects. RF kilns are well suited heating costs and making for a shorter and gentler drying
to drying thick planks and cookies, and are capable of drying process. In addition to a compressor, creating a vacuum
timbers up to 9 in. thick. requires an airtight and very stout drying chamber.

80 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, clockwise from top right: courtesy of WDE Maspell (top two);
courtesy of Traditional Timber; courtesy of Legacy Lumber
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www.f inewoodworking.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 81

from the bench
The leviathan lathe
B Y F R E D S C H A T T A U E R

S
ome machines we acquire quickly, like a trout caught
on the first cast. Others take a little more effort. And a
little more time ...
When I was a patrolman in the Oil City, Pa., Police
Department during the 1980s and 1990s, Pennzoil, For nearly a decade, I was too busy to do much with the
Quaker State, Wolf’s Head Oil, and many other lathe. And then my wife and I decided to move to Virginia. Not
manufacturers shut down or moved away. US Steel’s Oilwell wanting to part with my treasure, I loaded it up on a U-Haul
Division plant was one of them, and as its buildings were truck using jacks, cribbing, and pipe rollers and dragged the
being razed, I was tasked with patrolling the grounds. Driving monster to our new home. We had space for it in the barn.
through the plant, I laid eyes on an old piece of machinery, It sat there pretty much undisturbed for the next three years.
which I believe was used to drill centers in billets of steel to Then we decided to move back to Oil City, occasioning another
be mounted on metal lathes. Measuring approximately 17 ft. in U-Haul trip. Soon my big baby was back in my brother’s place.
length and with two mammoth headstocks and two pneumatic At some point I decided the ways were long enough to
clamps for holding stock, this thing was a monster. The plant accommodate two lathes. Inspired idea, right? But it took 10
was demolished around it day by day, and eventually the years of scouting around before I came across the headstocks
machine was left standing alone. and tailstocks from two century-old, belt-driven Porter
I was fascinated by the sight of it. Years before, I had patternmaker’s lathes that were perfect for the project. Featuring
purchased a book with articles on heavyweight lathes and Babbitt bearings and headstock spindles with four step pulleys,
shopmade lathes, and I had read it so often that I wore it out they were in great shape, needing only a good cleaning and a
and had to buy another copy. I really wanted a big lathe. fresh coat of paint. I devised transitional bases to mount them
Not having the income to buy one, I entertained the idea of on the ways, and with help from my machinist friend Doug I
making one from old car parts—transmission, axle, etc.—but outfitted the beast with custom tapers and tool rests.
never settled on a scheme to build it. What if I could use parts Then I designed and built a drive system. My brother had
of this machine? scavenged some beautiful old three-phase motors from our
When the person overseeing the assets of the plant heard dad’s dry-cleaning machines, and I used two of those for the
that someone was interested in the machine, he said, “If they lathe, converting the single-phase incoming power to three-
can move it, they can have it.” Faced with the decision to take phase using variable-frequency drives. The VFDs also provided
this monstrosity or leave it, I threw caution to the wind. I knew my vintage behemoth with infinite speed control, reverse,
if I didn’t take it, it would haunt me. But how to move it? An variable startup and stop timing, and they negated the need for
arborist friend with a crane truck agreed to help. Trying to lift step-pulley speed control.
the lathe, he found it was so heavy it nearly pulled the crane I improvised a system of belts and pulleys to connect the
truck over on its side; he had to maneuver right up beside the motors to the headstocks, and when I ran through my small
beast. Once it was in the truck, where to put it? I had no space. supply of leather belting, I used an old truck load strap,
But my brother, Rich, who had inherited our father’s former trimming it to length and joining the ends by employing
dry-cleaning building, said I could park the lathe in there. tailoring skills also inherited from my father.
After I had cleaned off many decades of grease, crud, metal Now that it runs, what can you turn on this thing? Just about
shavings, and old tool bits, I began assessing what I had. I anything. The larger of the two lathes is 12 ft. between centers
decided the specialized heads, which probably weighed 200 lb. and has 32 in. of faceplate capacity inboard and 8 ft. outboard.
each, couldn’t be adapted to wood turning. I parted with My wife and I have always wanted to build a Victorian gazebo,
them, along with the huge pneumatic clamps. There was much with our own designs for turned columns, balusters, and
to do—I had a base and ways, but the lathe was without a brackets. That should be no problem. It’s just a matter of time.
headstock, tailstock, motor, wiring, pulleys, and belts, and all
would need to be suited to its size. Fred Schattauer does his turning in Oil City, Pa.

82 FINE WOODWORKING Photo: Jonathan BInzen

Passion Project B
eginning in hiss early teens,
Daniel Wester devoted
o photography:
himself fully to
first experimenting, then en studying the
craft in art school, then n working as a
commercial photographer pher and design
director for 22 years. “II thought I would
love taking photos for the rest of my
life,” he says. But in a painful turn, his
passion for taking picturesures eventually
faded, and he found himself lacking a
nermost creativity
way to express his innermost
and curiosity. At that point he hadn’t
given a thought to working rking wood since
doing a little whittling at age 7, but one
day while trying to developvelop a new, more
rustic look for a client hotel’s breakfast
service, and failing to find the sort of
bowl he had in mind, he decided to try
making one. “The moment ment I felt the chisel
on that wood,” he says, s, “I thought, ‘this
us guy, but it was a
is it.’ I’m not a religious
hallelujah moment.” That hat was eight years
ago, and Wester now spends most of his
work time making spoons oons and bowls
with windfall woods like ike birch, cherry,
ash, and hazelnut, from m nearby
eden.
farms in his native Sweden.
He carves the wood green, reen,
starting with an axe,
then shifts to a carving g
knife and spoon
knife, works until
the piece is nearly
finished, then lets
it dry a few days
before carving to
final shape. Having
found a second
passion, this father of
two very young children en
says that “woodwork iss like my
third baby, or something. ng. It’s even a little
bit strange to talk about ut it because it’s so
important to me.”
—Jonathan Binzen

Photos: Daniel Wester