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TAU N T O N ’ S

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Arts & Crafts

coffee table
Build in the
right order
Game plans for
4 types of furniture
The first and last
lathe you’ll need
Design tips
for drawer pulls
18th-century
corner chair

Dec. 2010 No. 215

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W contents
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 ISSUE 215
■

features
14 POWER LIFT FOR
DRILL PRESS
28 Make a Limbert-Style Coffee Table
COVER Learn to cut perfect ellipses and tight bridle joints
STORY
B Y G R E G O RY PAO L I N I

36 Heavy-Duty Benchtop Lathes

TOOL With more muscle and mass than ever, one of these midsize
TEST

up front
models could be the first and last lathe you’ll need
BY TIM ALBERS

6 On the Web 42 Build in the Right Order

8 Contributors How expert furniture makers get flawless results and avoid
headaches
10 Letters BY PHILIP C. LOWE

14 Methods of Work
■ Power lift for drill-press table 48 Shellac’s Amazing Journey
■ Center-finder for chair stretchers Follow this finish from the tree to your shop, and learn why
it is still unmatched
■ Straight-line guide for the router
B Y V I J AY V E L J I

18 Tools & Materials

■ Skew block plane is hard to beat 54 Comfortable Seat for Two
■ Sliding miter saw saves space Smart bandsawing creates beautiful curves and saves wood
BY JUDITH AMES
22 Handwork
12 tools every furniture maker needs
56 Dress Up Your Work With Creative Stringing
If you can imagine a shape, you can inlay it
B Y S T E V E L AT TA

62 Build a Classic Corner Chair

This 18th-century beauty is all curves, but the joinery is
straightforward
B Y W. M I C K E Y C A L L A H A N

70 Get a Handle on Your Pulls

Drawer pulls make a strong statement, so be careful where
you put them
B Y M AT T K E N N E Y

22 NEW DEPARTMENT:
HANDWORK
Pp Cover photo: Keith Wright
 36 BENCHTOP
LATHES

56 CREATIVE
STRINGING

in the back
74 Readers Gallery

78 Fundamentals
Why finish wood?

86 Q & A
■ Dos and don’ts of fence alignment
■ Use wide boards best-side up
■ Climb cut gives great results

90 Master Class
Traditional upholstery

98 How They Did It

The back cover explained

Back Cover
Dream Rocker

62 CLASSIC
CORNER CHAIR

42 BUILD IN THE
RIGHT ORDER
on the web
THIS MONTH ON FineWoodworking.com/extras
Visit our Web site to access free Web tie-ins, available September 30. While you’re there, don’t miss our
collection of free content, including tool reviews, an extensive project gallery, and must-read blogs.

New Blog: Editor Asa Christiana

Handwork
Art Director Michael Pekovich
Get the latest
on the hand- Managing Editor Mark Schofield
tool world with
techniques, Senior Editor Thomas McKenna
reviews, and
more. Associate Editors Steve Scott
Anissa Kapsales
Matthew Kenney
Patrick McCombe

Senior Copy/ Elizabeth Healy

Production Editor

Associate Art Directors Kelly J. Dunton

John Tetreault

Administrative Assistant Betsy Engel

Shop Manager William Peck

Contributing Editors Christian Becksvoort

Garrett Hack
Roland Johnson
Free Woodworking Plans Steve Latta
Find your next project in our new online index of free and
member-only plans. Click on the “Plans & Projects” tab at Consulting Editor Jonathan Binzen
FineWoodworking.com.
Methods of Work Jim Richey

Great Work Wins Prizes

FineWoodworking.com
Chad Hill of Fredericksburg, Va., won a
complete spray system with this Senior Web Producer Gina Eide
Baptismal Table. Isn’t it time Free eLetter Web Producer Ed Pirnik
you entered one of our Get free plans and more by
at
signing up for our eLetter
gallery challenges? etter.
Woodworking.com/newsl
Fine Fine Woodworking: (ISSN: 0361-3453) is published
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Coming Oct. 1: Follow along with Fine Woodworking’s John Tetreault as he builds Postmaster: Send address changes to Fine Woodworking,
this modern twist on a traditional design. It features tail and twin-screw vises from The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 S. Main St., PO Box 5506,
Newtown, CT 06470-5506.
Lie-Nielsen, and a timber-frame base.
The full-length video Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses
series includes lessons on to Fine Woodworking, c/o Worldwide Mailers, Inc.,
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 Three types of tenons Printed in the USA
 A flat and sturdy top
 A sliding deadman
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READER SERVICE NO. 36
contributors
As the founder and president
of the Society of American
Period Furniture Makers, Advertising Senior Stephen Giannetti
Vice President 203-304-3569
W. Mickey Callahan sgiannetti@taunton.com
(“Build a Classic Corner Advertising Director Peter Badeau
Chair” and Master Class) 203-304-3572
pbadeau@taunton.com
aims to stimulate interest
Senior National Linda Abbett
in American period furniture Account Manager 203-304-3538
design and construction. labbett@taunton.com
The society now has 11 Associate Account Kimberly Parrilla
regional chapters, a glossy Manager 203-304-3590
kparrilla@taunton.com
publication, and both a
Advertising Heather Sims
winter conference and a Sales Assistant
summer class. You can Director of Kristen Lacey
learn more and become a Advertising Marketing

member at sapfm.org. Senior Marketing Karen Lutjen

Manager, Advertising
Marketing Associate Megan Kolakowski
An interest in architecture and a love of art led Judith Ames Member Audit
(“Comfortable Bench for Two”) to a career making furniture. Her Bureau of Circulation
designs show her love of flowing curves, marquetry, and clever Senior Consumer Beth Reynolds, ProCirc
joinery: “Bodies move in curves and fit best into curved shapes,” Marketing Director
she says. Ames and her husband, Hank Holzer, work at Northwest Senior Consumer Melissa Robinson
Fine Woodworking, a Seattle gallery and woodworkers’ cooperative. Marketing Manager
Senior Manager Robert Harlow
For more, visit holzerames.com and nwfinewoodworking.com.
Web Marketing
Senior Online Michael Stoltz
Vijay Velji (“Shellac’s Amazing Journey”) grew tired of buying Product Manager
slow-drying, stale shellac. So in 1996, he started Shellac
Finishes (shellacfinishes.biz) by importing flakes from India. With
encouragement from Fine Woodworking, Velji (center) traveled to
India and took photographs of rural shellac production with the
help of a guide (left) and a village headman (right). If you have Independent publishers since 1975
questions, you can email him at sales@shellacfinishes.biz. Founders, Paul & Jan Roman

President Suzanne Roman

Steve Latta (“Dress Up Your Work With Creative Stringing”) EVP & CFO Timothy Rahr
has written more than two dozen articles for FWW since he first SVP & Chief Paul Spring
appeared in our magazine nearly 17 years ago. Now a contributing Content Officer
editor, he builds period reproduction and contemporary furniture SVP, Creative Susan Edelman
on commission and teaches cabinetmaking at Thaddeus Stevens SVP, Advertising Stephen Giannetti

College of Technology in Lancaster, Pa. SVP, Technology Jay Hartley

SVP, Operations Thomas Luxeder
SVP, Taunton Interactive Jason Revzon

Gregory Paolini (“Make a Limbert-Style Coffee Table”) lives in the VP, Digital Content Anatole Burkin
VP, Editorial Development Maria Taylor
mountains of western North Carolina, where he is a professional
VP, Single Copy Sales Jay Annis
furniture and cabinet maker. He is a frequent contributor to FWW
VP & Controller Wayne Reynolds
and also teaches woodworking classes. For more information and
VP, Finance Kathy Worth
to see his portfolio, go to gregorypaolini.com.
VP, Human Resources Carol Marotti
VP, Fulfillment Patricia Williamson
VP, Digital Marketing Nick Rozdilsky
We are a reader-written magazine. To
For more information on our contributors, Publishers of magazines, books, videos, and online
learn how to propose an article, go to Fine Woodworking • Fine Homebuilding
go to FineWoodworking.com/authors.
FineWoodworking.com/submissions. Threads • Fine Gardening • Fine Cooking
www.taunton.com

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 9

letters
Modern glues are not repairable
The title of a recent Q&A, “Modern glues

F rom the E ditors

are strong enough for future antiques”
(FWW #212), left out an important part of
the story. Most antiques have survived by
virtue of the reversible qualities of animal-
based glue. Otherwise, broken furniture
HAND TOOLS IN THE SPOTLIGHT would have been junked and lost forever,
I understand why power tools are popular. They’re efficient and accurate. But or at best cannibalized by repair. By using
sometimes a hand tool is the smarter choice. Nothing preps a surface for finishing today’s non-reversible adhesives, we are
creating a situation where fine pieces
like a smoothing plane and no joint is as beautiful as a hand-cut dovetail. Simply
won’t be able to be repaired.
put, to do your best work, hand tools should have a place in your shop. It is reasonable to assume a chair will
I was lucky. I was exposed to hand tools early on. I learned how to sharpen get damaged at some stage, either by
them properly, and therefore I was able to use them to full effect. And my racking the frame, the attentions of a
new puppy, or some other circumstance
learning curve was shorter because companies like Lie-Nielsen were turning out
or abuse.
top-notch tools that work right out of the box. That’s probably why a lot of you Our cars don’t have the engine welded
have caught the hand-tool bug too. to the gearbox or the whole assembly
I’m happy to announce that starting in this issue you’ll find Handwork, a welded to the chassis; they are removable
for reasonable repair, just as our furniture
new section of Fine Woodworking devoted to hand-tool use. Don’t worry, we’ll
parts should be.
still cover hand tools elsewhere in the magazine, but Handwork gives us a — K ARL MAD D E N ,
chance to cover techniques and tools that might not make it in otherwise. In Dunshaughlin, County Meath, Ireland
keeping with our overall take on woodworking, we’ll keep Handwork practical.
Melt wax sticks to fill defects
We’ll focus on helping you make better furniture by showing you the hand tools
I would like to add a tip to Michael
and techniques that make sense in a modern shop. And there is quite a bit to Miller’s excellent article on finishing fixes
cover, even if we pass by pit saws, adzes, and other favorites of collectors and (Finish Line, FWW #214). As a customer-
historical re-enactors. service rep for a cabinetry company, I
used the same Mohawk brand putty sticks
Make sure to look for my new blog, also called Handwork (FineWoodworking
as Miller. But for larger holes, instead of
.com/extras), where I’ll bring you an even broader approach—looking at new kneading the wax and pressing it in, I
tools, interviewing hand-tool users and makers, providing quick tips, and heated the stick with a small lighter and
answering questions. let the wax drip into the recess or crack.

handwork
Then I just let it cool and harden and
In this issue (p. 22), Michael
scraped away the excess. Last, I sprayed
Pekovich calls upon his years of on little Deft lacquer (it sticks to the wax)
experience making furniture to put and off I went.
— HARO L D S TE WART, Oxnard, Calif.
together an overview of the 12 hand
tools he considers necessary for fine
woodworking. In future issues, Alf Sharp
Assistant/Associate
Editor wanted
will use a pair of molding planes to
Fine Woodworking magazine seeks a
make custom moldings, and Garrett journalist with a passion for woodworking.
Hack will turn an ordinary bench chisel You’ll be based in our Connecticut
headquarters, but you’ll travel monthly to
into an indispensable skew chisel. visit talented furniture makers around the
And that’s just some of what we country. Photography and video skills are
a plus. Go to http://careers.taunton.com
have in store! to apply. Attach a cover letter, resume, and
—Matt Kenney, associate editor pictures of your woodworking projects and
shop space, if possible.

10 FINE WOODWORKING
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Visit: great information. VERY HAPPY... please
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READER SERVICE NO. 50
Visit www.finewoodworking.com/products
To get help with online member services:

The Horizontal Mortiser

Visit www.finewoodworking.com/customerservice
To find answers to frequently asked questions:
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... perfection in woodworking
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Mailing list:
We make a portion of our mailing list available Optional: 4 pattern bars with Optional: The dual-sided adjust-
hole distances 16 mm, 22 mm, able longitudinal stops are advan- FELDER
to reputable firms. If you would prefer that 25 mm and 32 mm are delivered tageous for repetitive drilling or Quality and Precision
we not include your name, please visit: with the dowel drilling equipment. mortising work. made in AUSTRIA
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For employment information:
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The Taunton guarantee:
If at any time you’re not completely satisfied
with Fine Woodworking, you can cancel your Optional: The miter fence can Optional: Chisel mortise device Look for Christmas
be clamped to the machine table for square and right angle chisels.
subscription and receive a full and immediate within seconds via the single When slotting and tenoning the Specials online!
refund of the entire subscription price. No
www.felderusa.com
hand lever clamp, without tools. tennon does not have to be rounded
questions asked. off as the slot is chiseled square.

Copyright 2010 by The Taunton Press, Inc. No

FELDER-GROUP USA East: Tel. 866-792-5288 salesinfo@felderusa.com
West: Tel. 800-572-0061 west@felderusa.com
reproduction without permission of The Taunton www.feldergroupusa.com S. CA: Tel. 866-714-6005 s.ca@felderusa.com
Press, Inc.
READER SERVICE NO. 30

November/December 2010 11
letters continued

Get more from your air filter CREATE A RACETRACK Kudos to North Bennet Street School
I was happy to see that your recent I was excited to see the article about
test of air filters (FWW #213) was done the North Bennet Street School (“Stellar
with good protocol. The best part of the Training in Craftsmanship, Period,”
results was that all of the units remove the FWW #213). After attending an NBSS
contaminants, especially those that can be open house several years ago, I took
inhaled deep into the lungs. the 10-week Fundamentals of Fine
I would add that the placement of the Woodworking workshop and haven’t
air filter can influence the collection of been the same since. The workshop was
particles. Correct placement of the unit is the best-organized class I’ve ever had in
along a wall, near the middle, so that the any subject. I’ve been a seat-of-the-pants
air blows in a racetrack pattern around woodworker since childhood, but this
the room, collecting particles and carrying raised significantly my standards for my
them back to the intake. Also, hang own work and gave me greater freedom
these units no higher than 8 feet, so the in designing projects. And just learning the
collected particles are removed from the right way to sharpen tools was liberating.
breathing zone of the user. Place the air filter One should go to an NBSS open house
—ALAN C. VEECK, certified air filter specialist, midway along a wall. cautiously: It could change your life!
Airflow catches
National Air Filtration Association, Virginia Beach, Va. particles and returns — E L L E N C H A S E , Alstead, N.H.
them to the unit.

About your safety

Working wood is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools (or elsewhere) until you’re certain they are safe for you. If something
improperly or ignoring standard safety practices can lead to permanent about an operation doesn’t feel right, find another way. We want you
injury or even death. Don’t perform operations you learn about here to enjoy the craft, so please keep safety foremost in your mind.

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 13

methods of work E D I T E D A N D D R AW N B Y J I M R I C H E Y

Setscrew

½-in. mechanic’s socket

Socket driver

Drill-press
crank handle

Variable speed, Drill raises and

reversible drill lowers drill-press
table.

Best Tip Power lift for

drill-press table
I am getting on in years and I need to
find ways to make woodworking less
physical. Here is the way I make adjusting
the height of my drill press table much
easier.
Micheal Jones, My drill press employs a crank handle
a self-taught to raise and lower the table. But I found
woodworker, has the handle to be awkward and hard to
been building turn. So I rigged up a method that does
furniture and the job using an old hand drill. The drill
cabinetry for more I use has variable speed, is reversible,
than 30 years. and has plenty of torque.
Always in search of I removed the factory hand crank from
a way to make a job the drill press. The shaft was 7⁄16-in. dia.
easier, Jones says with a flat side for the setscrew. I found
he has been known that a 1⁄ 2-in. mechanic’s socket would
to spend more time fit over the shaft. I drilled and tapped
building a nifty jig the socket near the end for a setscrew
for a project than to hold it on the shaft with no sloppy
he’s spent making movement, and then I chucked a 1⁄ 2-in. A Reward for the Best Tip
the project itself. socket driver into my drill, which fits Send your original tips to Methods of Work, Fine Woodworking,
the square drive hole in the socket. PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470, or email
Now I can run the drill slowly forward fwmow@taunton.com. We pay for every tip
or reverse it to raise or lower the table. we publish; the best tip also wins a
12v driver kit from Bosch
To save time, I just leave the drill set (model No.
up nearby. CLPK21-120).
—MICHEAL L. JONES, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

14 FINE WOODWORKING
THEY’RE BACK NO. 4
SMOOTHING PLANE

NO. 62
LOW ANGLE JACK PLANE

NO. 9 -1/2
BLOCK PLANE

NO. 60 -1/2
LOW ANGLE BLOCK PLANE

NO. 92
SHOULDER / CHISEL PLANE

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READER SERVICE NO. 34
methods of work continued

½-in.-dia. rare-earth magnet

Hole for
Magnetic parts keeper hanging
Cup for magnet
To keep from losing small parts when I’m (Amazon.com),
working on a project or disassembling a tool, I recessed into MDF
built this inexpensive parts keeper from a scrap
piece of MDF and several 1⁄ 2-in.-dia. rare-earth
magnets. I used a Forstner bit to counterbore for
the magnet cups. Simply place your nuts, bolts,
and small parts on the keeper and they will stay
there until you need them again. To hold more
parts, add more magnets. A chamfered hole lets
me store my keeper on a nail.
—SERGE DUCLOS, Delson, Que., Canada
¾-in.-thick MDF

Center-finding head

Center finder for chair stretchers

Rules from combination squares Finding the perfect center to drill mortises for stretchers between
two round chair legs can be quite a juggling act and a time
Clamp box consumer if you make a lot of chairs like I do. I came up with a
simple solution using two center-finding heads and two grooved
metal rules from combination squares. The
rules are held together with a homemade
clamp box, which allows the rules
to slide between the legs and be
locked precisely in place.
The top piece of the clamp box
has a dado for the rules, a recessed
T-nut, and a 1⁄4-in. brass screw for
locking the rules. A piece of hardwood
glued at the bottom holds the whole
thing together.
As you tighten the knurled screw, it pushes
on a copper penny, which acts as a pressure
DETAIL OF CLAMP BOX plate to lock the two rules in place.
I cut both rules short (about 9 in.) to give a measuring
range of 12 in. to 16 in.—the distance between most chair
legs. You can customize the length of the rules to suit
¼-in. knurled brass screw your needs.
Hardwood
The device is easy to use. First I locate the height of the
T-nut stretchers on the legs. Then I align the device with those
marks and extend it until both legs of the center finders are
rubbing the perimeter of each leg. Finally, I advance the rule
Penny
tips to touch the legs, lock down the clamp, and mark the
center point of the legs. The jig ensures that I drill aligning
mortises, and it also helps me determine the length of the
Two rules stretcher with precision.
—RICHARD CIUPKA, Montreal, Que., Canada
Hardwood

16 FINE WOODWORKING
Straight-line guide for the router
This router guide, when used with a top-bearing-guided
pattern-maker’s bit, turns your router into a jointer and a
precise trimmer. An embedded aluminum bar makes this
jig more accurate and durable than others like it. Clamp guide to
workpiece (not
To make it, cut a piece of 1⁄ 2-in. birch plywood about shown for clarity).
4 in. wide (half the diameter of the router’s base plus Lower hardboard edge
1 in.) by 4 ft. long. Rip a piece of 1⁄ 8-in. hardboard 1⁄ 8 in. and bar are 1 ⁄16 in. proud
of top assembly.
wider than the plywood for the guide’s base. Now cut
a 4-ft.-long piece of 1-in.-wide, 1⁄ 8-in.-thick aluminum 1/2-in. birch
bar (grainger.com). Clamp the bar about 1⁄16 in. proud plywood
of the plywood’s edge and then rip a piece of 1⁄ 8-in.
hardboard to fill the space behind the aluminum. Glue ⁄ -in.
18
this filler to the plywood. Now assemble the guide with hardboard
3⁄4-in. screws. Finally, with the router bit’s bearing on the

aluminum, make one full pass to establish the reference

edge on the exposed hardboard. Your guide is complete.
To use, just clamp the guide to the workpiece with Bearing
the lower edge aligned with your layout marks. Set the ⁄ -in.
18
⁄ -in. aluminum
18 rides along
router depth so the bit’s bearing is on the aluminum hardboard bar stock aluminum bar.
edge and trim away. Be sure the guide is clamped
securely at two points at all times. Also, don’t let
the router tip.
—BoB Wey, Westford, Mass.

READER SERVICE NO. 61

FW-FH-FC-IHREADER
1/12 ad 14p3NO.
SERVICE x 13p6
69 READER SERVICE NO. 53 READER SERVICE NO. 83

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NovemBeR/DeCemBeR 2010 17

tools & materials
■ hand tools

Skew block plane

is hard to beat

Zero tearout. The skew block plane is available in left- and right-
handed models. Although it matters less with joinery where any
tearout will be hidden, owning both versions means you’ll always
be able to plane with the grain.

A nicker for clean cuts. The

scoring blade (nicker) sev-
ers the wood fibers for clean
cross-grain cuts. Adjust the
Best tool for tenons. With a wide, low-angle blade that stretches to one cutting depth by loosening
side of the body, the skew block plane excels at fitting tenons. The angled a setscrew and rotating the
blade minimizes tearout and produces superfine shavings across the grain. cam-shaped mounting post.

a
Skew block plane is the latest addition to the high- almost no backlash. I also really like the setscrews in the side
quality line of Veritas handplanes. Because its blade is of the body that allow perfect and repeatable alignment of the
angled 15°, it planes with less resistance and produces blade, which is critical on this type of plane. Also, the mouth is
cleaner cuts than regular block planes, especially across adjustable for light and heavy cuts.
the grain. Better yet, the blade reaches all the way to one side The plane arrived for review at an opportune time. I was
of the body, and it has a fence and a nicker blade, making it working on a commissioned dresser with curved drawer fronts.
extremely versatile. It comes in left- and right-handed versions, In order to prep the front for dovetails, I needed to cut cross-
and if you opt for both, you’ll always be able to plane with the grain rabbets. The plane worked perfectly for this task, as its
grain. But since these planes are commonly used for joinery low profile gave excellent control. Its fence referenced off the
where tearout is hidden, you can get by with one that matches board ends, yielding accurate and nearly effortless right-angle
your dominant hand (left-handed plane for lefties). rabbets on the curved fronts.
The quality of these planes is outstanding, and they were For fitting joints and light to medium rabbets, this pair of planes
ready to go right out of the box. For starters, the blades were is hard to beat. In fact, I give them a hearty thumbs-up. The Veri-
lapped dead flat and their bevels were sharp and perfectly tas Skew Block Planes are available from Lee Valley Tools for
formed. The Norris-style adjuster, which controls both verti- $209 each, or you can buy the pair for $389 (leevalley.com).
cal and lateral blade movement with surprising precision, had —Chris Gochnour is a woodworker in Murray, Utah.

18 FINE woodworkINg Photos: staff

 STRONG
BOND
WITH LESS CLAMP TIME.

READER SERVICE NO. 79

READER SERVICE NO. 75

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READER SERVICE NO. 64 READER SERVICE NO. 7

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READER SERVICE NO. 23

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 19

tools & materials continued

Up-front bevel controls.

Rather than a knob or
lever at the back of the
■ MACHINES saw, Bosch puts its bevel
lock at the front of the saw
Innovative sliding miter saw for convenience. The saw
tilts 47° in both directions

saves space, adds accuracy and miters 60° right and

52° left.

S
LIDING MITER SAWS are a mainstay sliding mechanism introduces some flex common miter settings. Although we’ve
of many home woodshops. The and inaccuracy. seen it on past Bosch miter saws, I really
reason: their 12- to 14-in. crosscut Bosch has solved these problems with like the up-front bevel control that elimi-
capacity. This is most commonly its newest 12-in. slider. The saw uses nates reaching around the back of the
achieved by one or more sliding tubes a pair of hinged arms, each with three saw for bevel adjustments. After replacing
that provide the travel for the blade, knuckles, to provide the travel for its the stock 60-tooth blade with a 90-tooth
transmission, and motor assembly. It’s a 131⁄ 2-in. crosscut capacity. The big ben- version from CMT because it had less
time-tested design, but there are a couple efit is that you can put the saw right up runout, I tested the saw with a number of
of problems. One is that the tubes stick to the wall. In addition, it’s very accurate cuts and materials and it performed ex-
out about 12 in. beyond the rear of the because of the tight tolerances in the ceptionally well right out of the box. The
saw, requiring that the saw be positioned hinged arms. And you can adjust the cuts were furniture-quality.
that distance from the wall. As a result, tightness of the mechanism to your per- Bosch’s new saw (No. GCM12SD;
you end up with 2 or 3 sq. ft. of wasted sonal preference. boschtools.com) is accurate, the controls
space behind the saw—and most wood- The saw bevels to 47° in both directions are precise and intuitive, and the space-
workers would rather put and miters to 60° right and 52° left. There saving design is icing on the cake.
that space to better use. are nine detents for At $800, the only downside is
The other is that the the price.
—Patrick McCombe is an
associate editor.

20 FINE WOODWORKING
■ H A R DWA R E

A new spin
on shelf pins
SHELF PINS ARE AN EASY and inexpensive way to
support adjustable shelving for books, cabinets,
and case pieces. You can easily move the shelves
and the pins to different heights when your storage
needs change.
Unfortunately, if your pin drilling is off (even a
little) or if your stock warps, you’ll end up with
rocking shelves and rattling objects. But there is an
easy fix. Spiral Supports (spiralsupports.com) are
5-mm, cam-shaped shelf pins that can accommodate
up to 5⁄ 32 in. of warp or out-of-level. You simply turn
them with a straight screwdriver. They’re available
in black, white, brown, tan, and clear; a pack of 12
sells for about $4. Quick cure for rattling shelves. A screwdriver and cam-shaped Spiral Supports
—P.M. make it easy to stabilize a wonky shelf. The 5-mm shelf pins are available in black,
white, brown, tan, and clear and provide up to 5 ⁄ 32 in. of adjustment.

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READER SERVICE NO. 4 READER SERVICE NO. 19
FW-FH-FC 1/12 ad 14p3 x 13p6
www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 21
handwork
12 tools every furniture maker needs
B Y M I C H A E L P E K O V I C H

THE BIG 12
•Coping saw
•Smoothing plane
•Combination square
•Bevel gauge
•Marking knife
•Dovetail saw
•Card scraper
•Marking gauge
•Spokeshave
•Shoulder plane
•Block plane
•Chisel set

I
started out as a power-tool guy, but I’ve learned that even of them, and the rest you can pick up over time. And it’s well
if you have every conceivable machine, you still need worth the effort, because using them will help you to make
hand tools to produce your best work. better furniture, period.
So now I use machines for the heavy lifting of milling In addition to these tools, you’ll also need a sturdy
and dimensioning lumber, and for joints that are never workbench, but you don’t need to spend a fortune on
seen, like rabbets, dadoes, mortises, and tenons. a massive bench or spend months making one. Go to
I save my hand tools for where they really make a difference: FineWoodworking.com/extras for an easy-to-make bench
layout, cutting dovetails and fitting joints, that will get you up and running in no time
and surface prep. As a result, I don’t Online Extra and give you a chance to put your hand tools
need every hand tool ever made. In fact, For more hand-tool news and to work.
there are only about a dozen essential tips, visit the Handwork blog at
FineWoodworking.com/extras.
ones. You probably already have some Michael Pekovich is Fine Woodworking’s art director.

22 FINE WOODWORKING
Tools for layout
Accurate layout is an essential part of making fine furniture, and it’s just as important for power-tool work as it is for handwork. That’s because
regardless of the tools you’re using, you need precisely located and square joints. If you’re just starting out in woodworking, these should be the
first hand tools you buy.

MARKING GAUGE MARKING KNIFE

Marking gauges excel at cut- You also need a

ting a line parallel to the edge sharp marking knife.
of a board, which is vital for I’ve owned and used
laying out accurate tenons, many different types,
mortises, and the baseline for but the one I reach
dovetails. A cut line is better for time and again is
than a pencil line because it a chip-carving knife.
provides a precise location I like the blade’s dou-
and line for starting a chisel ble bevel, which lets
or handsaw. Gauges with a me mark on either
knife or cutting wheel cut side of the blade. And
cleaner lines than pin gauges, the bevels extend the
but wheel gauges are easier entire height of the blade (the cross-section is triangular) so I can
to find. I recommend one like rest the blade against the side of the workpiece and strike a line
the Veritas standard wheel exactly adjacent to it. The blade also is long, thin, and stiff, so it fits
gauge for your first. in tight places without flexing.

COMBINATION SQUARE BEVEL GAUGE

A combination square is indispensable for penciling or knifing a line Because it has a pivoting blade that can be locked into any angle,
at 45° and 90°. It’s important to get a good one, like those made a bevel gauge is useful for transferring angles from plans to work-
by Starrett, because it will be accurate out of the box and it will stay pieces and setting tablesaw blade angles. However, you’ll probably
that way. The 12-in. use it first to lay out dovetails, a task it is perfect for. When buying
model is a workhorse, a bevel gauge, look for two things: First, the blade should lock down
long enough to mark tightly, so it doesn’t move accidentally. Second, the nut used to lock
wide boards or across it down shouldn’t get in the way of using the gauge (a frequent prob-
multiple pieces at lem with the wing nut used on some gauges).
once. It’s a good one
to get first, but I’ve
found a second, 6-in.
version is just as
handy. Because of
its small size, it fits
better in your hand
and is easier to use
when laying out joints
in tight places and
across end grain.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 23
handwork
Tools for joinery
continued

Dovetails are the hallmark of craftsmanship, and the effort to cut them by hand is well worth it. However, even if you use power tools to cut all
of your joinery, hand tools are still the best way to fine-tune the fit. For hand-cut dovetails and tight-fitting tenons, I recommend a dovetail saw, a
coping saw, a set of chisels, and a shoulder plane.

dovetail Saw Coping Saw

You have two options for a dovetail saw: a Western backsaw or a There is no need to be precious about getting rid of the waste
Japanese pullsaw (dozuki). Japanese saws are a good place to start, between pins and tails, so I use a coping saw to do it before paring
because even the inexpensive ones are very sharp straight from to the baseline with a chisel. You will save a huge amount of
the box. However, after 25 years of making furniture and using both time compared to chopping away all of the waste with a chisel.
types of saw, I can tell In addition to
you that the pistol grip of cutting fast, coping
Western backsaws posi- saws also turn on
tions your hand and arm a dime—perfect
for straighter cuts, so you for maneuvering
will get more consistent between pins or
and accurate results tails—and the cheap,
than from a dozuki. But replaceable blades
don’t feel bad about buy- mean you can always
ing the dozuki first. You’ll have a sharp one
find plenty of uses for it, ready.
like cutting small parts
and flush-trimming pegs.

ChiSelS Shoulder plane

Start with at least four: 1/4 in., 3 ⁄8 in., 1/2 in. and 3/4 in. The six-chisel Regardless of how you cut joinery, you should have a shoulder plane,
Irwin Blue Chip set is a great value, with a 5 ⁄8-in. and a 1-in. chisel because nothing is better for fine-tuning joints for a perfect fit. What
in addition to the other four. Steer away from chisels sized in makes this plane unique is that the blade extends the full width of
millimeters; the first set I bought was metric and that was a the sole, so you can plane right into a corner. If you try to plane a
mistake. Although tenon cheek with a block plane, you’ll end up with a tapered tenon.
their widths Shoulder planes come in a range of widths from 1/2 in. to 11/4 in.
approximated their wide, but I find a wid-
U.S. equivalents, they er plane is more ver-
were far enough off satile, handling broad
to prove frustrating tenon cheeks as well
when squaring up as narrow shoulders.
mortises or cleaning It also has a ton of
out grooves made mass, which helps it
with fractional bits. stay flat on its sole
After you have the and move with force
basic set, add a wide when making cross-
chisel (11/2 in. to grain cuts.
2 in.) for paring and
chamfering in tight
spots.

24 FINE woodworkINg
 ®
the WoodRat
leads the fielding
Forrest sets the standard for excellence WoodRat PlungeBar
with these new top-quality blades:
• Woodworker II 48-Tooth Blade for
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• “Signature Line” Chop Master for
quiet, precise cutting and less splintering.
Features 90 teeth, a -5º hook to control 2” Straight bit
the feed rate, and re-designed angles
with 10” or 12” diameters and 5/8” or 1”
center holes.
• 2-Piece & 4-Piece Finger Joint
Sets with reversible, interlocking 8” 2 Clamps
Our blades are U.S.A-manufactured and Batten
blades. Ideal for rabbets and grooves. have a 30-day, money-back guarantee.
Blades have 24 teeth and standard 5/8” Custom sizes available. Order from
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Forrest dealers or retailers, by going
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An angled batten,
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www.ForrestBlades.com 1-800-733-7111 (In NJ, call 973-473-5236)
© 2010 Forrest Manufacturing Code FW
go see the movie - www.woodrat.com
READER SERVICE NO. 24 READER SERVICE NO. 72

READER SERVICE NO.70 New

READER SERVICE NO. 1 READER SERVICE NO. 32

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 25

handwork continued
Tools for shaping and smoothing
A good finish starts with good surface preparation, and hand tools are the fastest way to remove machine marks and tearout. The flat surfaces
and crisp chamfers that handplanes create are impossible to replicate with a sander. A smoother and a block plane are the two planes to have.
Add a card scraper to work really difficult grain, and a spokeshave for cleaning up curved surfaces.

BloCk plane Smoothing plane

For chamfering edges, level- At last we come to that most iconic hand tool, the bench plane. I
ing joints, and smoothing end fared well for many years using only sanders to smooth surfaces,
grain, the block plane is indis- though today I couldn’t imagine being without a plane. You can
pensable. It also is perfect for go from machine marks to a glass-smooth surface in just a few
paring the end grain on dove- swipes. It’s that rare instance in woodworking where the most
tails. Block planes are avail- enjoyable path is also the most efficient, and the results are su-
able in standard and low-angle perior to sanding. The size to start with is a No. 4. If you mill all
models. I recommend a low- your lumber with machines, you don’t really need the flattening
angle plane with an adjustable ability of a longer plane. The easiest path to making shavings is to
throat. This allows you to take buy a good-quality new plane—Lie-Nielsen and Veritas are proven
a fine cut with a small mouth, products. An old plane, like a venerable Stanley Bailey, offers good
which helps to prevent tearout. quality at an initial savings, but requires some tune-up work and
probably a new replacement blade. Regardless of the plane you
buy, it has to be razor sharp. Even the most expensive plane is
Card SCraper
nothing but a paperweight if it’s dull.
On woods with tricky grain,
like tiger maple, or when
you’ve got a small bit of
tearout on an otherwise clean
board, there’s no tool like a
card scraper. Unlike a hand-
plane, a scraper has no risk
of tearout. Even when I hand-
plane a surface, I’ll often fol-
low up with a card scraper to
remove any imperfections.

SpokeShave

The spokeshave is probably

the most overlooked tool in
the shop. This odd-looking
tool is actually a short-soled
handplane with handles on the
side, rather than in front of and
behind the blade. Nothing is
faster at smoothing bandsawn
curves. The tool is available
with a flat or curved sole, but
I recommend the flat sole, as
it works well even on concave
surfaces.

26 FINE woodworkINg Photos: Michael Pekovich

 READER SERVICE NO. 3

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Go to FineWoodworking.com/drawers

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 27

Make a Limbert-Style Coffee

Learn to cut perfect ellipses and tight bridle joints

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW 3 in.
¾ in.
¾ in. 36¾ in. 27 ⁄ in.
58

2 in.
1½ in. 2 in. ⁄ in.
58
2 in.
19¾ in.
3 in.

2 in. 7 in.
9 in.

4 in.
2 in.
20¾ in. 12¾ in.
28¾ in. 20¾ in.

28 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Matt Kenney; this page: Keith Wright
Table B Y
G R E G O R Y
PA O L I N I
STRENGTH AND BEAUTY
An elliptical top, arched legs, and decorative piercings add grace and beauty.
Slip tenons and bridle joints ensure decades of service.

Top, ¾ in. thick by 275 ⁄ 8 in. wide

by 36¾ in. long
Apron, 5 ⁄ 8 in. thick by 2¼ in.

T
wide by 35½ in. long
here are many
well-known de-
signers of Arts
and Crafts furniture,
like the Stickleys and the
Slot, 5 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 11⁄ 8 in. tall
Greenes. But a lesser-known
designer, Charles Limbert, has
always held a special appeal for
me. I’m especially fond of his oval
library table. That’s why I jumped at the
chance to design and make a scaled-down Slot,
5⁄ 8 in. wide by
version, to be used as a coffee table. Apron, ⁄ in. thick
58

by 2¼ in. wide by Notch, 11⁄ 8 in. 21⁄ 4 in. deep

I’ve preserved the elliptical top and shelf, 263 ⁄ 8 in. long wide by 1⁄ 2 in.
the gently curved legs, the decorative deep
piercings in the stretchers, and Limbert’s
choice of wood—quartersawn white oak.
I kept the overall proportions as well, so
the parts come together just as harmoni-
ously as they do in the original table.
A variety of joints are used. Bridle Shelf, 5 ⁄ 8 in. thick
joints hold the legs and aprons togeth- by 14¾ in. wide by
22¾ in. long
er, and a half-lap joint is used where Shallow dado,
the stretchers and aprons intersect. The 1⁄ 16 in. deep

legs and shelf are notched where they

meet, and slip tenons join the
stretchers to the legs.
Some of those joints
can be tricky, but I’ll Slot, 5 ⁄ 8 in. wide
show you some tech- by 3½ in. tall
niques to help you Stretcher, 5 ⁄ 8 in.
get flawless results. thick by 7 in. wide
by 12¾ in. long
I’ll also show you

Slot, 1⁄ 2 in. wide

by 3½ in. tall

Slip tenon, ¼ in.

thick by 3 in. wide
by 1½ in. long Stretcher, 5 ⁄ 8 in.
thick by 7 in. wide by
Leg, 11 ⁄ 8 in. thick 20¾ in. long
by 4 in. wide by
19 in. tall
Slip tenon, ¼ in. thick
by 1¾ in. wide by To purchase digital plans and
a complete cutlist for this
1½ in. long
table and other projects, go to
FineWoodworking.com/PlanStore.

Drawings: John Hartman NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 29

HOW TO M A KE A P E RFE CT E LLI PSE
Both the top and shelf are elliptical. You can use a
simple nail-and-string technique to make patterns
for these. Each pattern does double duty. First, it lays
out a line to follow at the bandsaw. And after the
shape has been roughed out, the pattern serves as a
template for a bushing-guided router.
Nails and
string. Driven
into the focal
points, nails
guide the string
loop, which in
turn guides the
pencil along the
perimeter of an
ellipse.

KEY DIMENSIONS
Here’s how to lay out the nails and size the string
for each ellipse:
Top: x = 1313 ⁄16, y = 24¼ Shelf: x = 73 ⁄ 8, y = 175 ⁄16

Simple, accurate ellipses. Size the string so the pencil reaches the x dimension (see dia-
gram at left). Then keep the string taut as you trace an ellipse.

how to draw an accurate ellipse to take the mystery out of the

top and shelf.

Pattern-rout the top and shelf

Begin by gluing up panels for the top and shelf and milling all of
the parts. Then make full-size patterns for them. You’ll need to
draw two ellipses, which is easy to do with string, a pencil, and
two small nails. To begin, draw the ellipse’s axes on a piece of
plywood 1 in. longer and wider than the ellipse and mark its length
and width. Next, locate the foci, drive a nail into both foci, and tie
a loop of string around them. When you stretch out the loop, it
should just reach the side of the ellipse (see drawing, above left).
Put a pencil inside the loop and draw, keeping the string taut.
With both ellipses drawn, cut them out at the bandsaw. Use
100-grit (CAMI) sandpaper, glued to a thin strip of wood, to remove
the saw marks and fair the curves. Then trace the patterns on the
panels for the top and shelf. Before cutting out the top and shelf,
Cut the pattern at the bandsaw. Cut just outside the line, so there is cut the notches in the shelf that join it to the legs. This is far easier
less waste to remove when smoothing the curves. to do now, when the sides and ends are square, than after cutting

30 FINE WOODWORKING
Notch the shelf before cutting Cut the top and shelf at the bandsaw. Use the patterns to trace the shapes. When bandsawing, leave about
the ellipse. Because its width is ⁄ in. of waste for the next step: routing the edges flush to your template.
18

critical, cut each side of the notch

first and then remove the middle. Always rout downhill. If you try to rout the whole circle in one pass, you’ll
Use stop blocks on your crosscut tear out the grain in some areas. So you’ll need to flip the workpiece. Use
sled to ensure that notches on a double-bearing, flush-trimming bit so there’s no need to change bits or
opposite sides will line up. re-attach the template on the other side. Just adjust the bit height to use
the other bearing.

the shelf into an ellipse. Lay out 1. ROUT TWO QUARTERS WITH TEMPLATE UP
the notches by placing the legs Rout downhill to eliminate tearout.
on the shelf and transferring To avoid climb cuts, which can be
their thickness onto it. Then Template dangerous, you’ll only be able to trim
two of the ellipse’s quarters.
cut them at the tablesaw, us-
ing a crosscut sled. The width
of the notches is critical, so cut
the notch sides first and then
nibble away the inside. Cut the Top bearing
notches a bit tight and fit them guides router.
with a chisel later.
After all four notches have Workpiece
been cut, head to the band-
saw and cut out the elliptical 2. THEN FLIP THE WORKPIECE
top and shelf. The top is heavy
and unwieldy, so cut away the
bulk of each corner first. Then Workpiece
make a second pass close to
the line. I use a flush-trimming
bit to rout the top and shelf
flush to their patterns (right).
Bottom bearing
guides router.
Join legs and aprons
With the top and shelf done, With template and workpiece flipped,
the two remaining quarters can now
you can get started on the join- Template be trimmed cleanly.
ery. The stretchers are joined to
the legs with slip tenons. Be-
cause the stretchers are 7 in. wide and could expand as much as holds the shelf in place and prevents the base from twisting or
1 ⁄16 in., break the mortise into two. The tenon will fit tight in the racking. Cut them just as you did the notches in the shelf. While
upper mortise but loose in the lower one, forcing the stretcher’s you’re at the tablesaw, go ahead and cut the slot for the bridle
movement downward and away from the shelf. I make the slip joint into the top of each leg. I use a tenoning jig, starting at the
tenons by milling some white oak to the correct thickness and center of the slot and working outward. As you get close to the
width, rounding over the edges at the router table, and then sides of the slot, use the apron to test the fit.
crosscutting the tenons to length. Now cut a notch in each leg. A half-lap joint is used to connect the aprons where they inter-
Paired with the notches in the shelf, they form a strong joint that sect. For this joint, I cut a slot halfway through each apron. Unlike

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 31

 A LESS ON I N BRI DLE J OI NT S AND S L I P T EN O N S
Other than the mortises
and slip tenons holding
the stretchers to the
legs, every joint in
this table is some
TIP FENCE AND GUIDE
BLOCK KEEP THE
MORTISE ON LINE
type of bridle joint or
half-lap joint. A router
makes quick work of
the mortises, and a
tablesaw, equipped with
a standard combination
blade, is the right tool
for the bridle joints and
half-laps.

No wiggle room. It will be straight

and parallel to the sides because the
fence and guide block prevent the
router from wandering.

the notches in the legs and

shelf, which were cut from the
sides in, cut this joint from the
Rout mortises in the legs. Use a spiral bit that matches the mortise’s width, and use a fence on both sides of center out. That will keep the
the router: Set up the router’s edge guide and then clamp on a simple shopmade fence. The mating mortises in joint centered on the aprons.
the stretchers are done the same way. To complete the legs, cut the
curve on the outside edge. I made a pattern out of 1⁄4-in.-thick
plywood and traced it on the legs. Save the offcuts to use as cauls
during glue-up.

Slot and rout the stretchers

As with the aprons, a half-lap joint is used where the stretchers
intersect. However, cut a shallow dado on both sides of the shorter
stretcher to conceal the joint and reinforce it against racking.

LEGS

Bridle joints must

be centered.
Using a tenoning
jig for the slot, cut
in the middle of
the leg first. Then
flip the leg side to
side to make the
subsequent cuts. As
you work out to the
sides of the joint, it
remains centered
on the leg.

Cut the curve last. After tracing the shape onto the leg, cut away the
waste on the bandsaw, and then clean up the saw marks with a hand-
plane or sander.

32 FINE WOODWORKING
 APRONS

Slot the aprons and test the fit. After marking the joint, cut each side
first and then nibble away the waste one pass at a time (above). Cut the
slots a bit tight at first, and then sneak up on a tight joint, checking the fit
(right) after each trimming cut.

After cutting the dadoes, raise the blade and cut a slot on the count. Head to the router table and cut out the opening. Attach
bottom edge of the stretcher. You won’t be able to get the full a fence to the bottom side, lay out the location of the piercings
depth with a 10-in. sawblade, so cut as deep as you can and finish on the stretchers, and you’re ready to rout the openings (see “A
up the slot with a handsaw and chisel. With the short stretcher Guide to Guide Bushings,” FWW #207, p. 67).
done, cut the slot in the longer stretcher. Hog out most of the waste with a Forstner bit at the drill press.
Now it’s time to rout mortises in the ends of the stretchers to ac- With most of the waste removed, clamp the template to the
cept the slip tenons that join them to the legs. Do this the same way stretcher and the stretcher to the bench. Make a clockwise pass
you routed the mortises in the legs, with a router and spiral bit. around the opening, increase the bit’s depth, and make a second
After routing the mortises, use a template, plunge router, guide pass. Make a third pass to complete the piercing.
bushing, and spiral bit to rout the decorative piercings in the
stretchers. Make the template Dry-fit, stain, and glue up
from a piece of plywood and This little table is kind of like a
lay out the piercing on it, tak- puzzle, in that there are piec-
ing the bushing’s offset into ac- es that interlock and must be

STRETCHERS

Cut the dado with a standard- Go deeper with a handsaw. Fol-

kerf blade. That way you can low the sides of the slot with the
sneak up on the final width, test- saw and then remove the rest of
ing how well the long stretcher fits Start the slot at the tablesaw. With the blade as high as possible, cut the waste with a chisel.
into it as you go. the sides to line up with the dado, and nibble away the waste in between.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 33

 assembled in a particular order
for the table to come together.
USE A ROUTER TE M P LATE FOR CL EA N C U TO U T S Dry-fitting the table will help
There are six you not only learn and get
rectangular comfortable with that puzzle,
piercings. Use a but also find any joints that
router and template
need to be tweaked.
to make them
Begin by putting the stretch-
all the same. A
spiral bit is best
ers together and adding one
because its shearing leg. Fit the shelf into that leg
action will cut the and add the opposite leg. Then
end grain areas add the last two legs. Now add
smoothly. the aprons and put the top in
place. Before you take the table
Make the template
apart, use a pencil to mark the
at the router table. joint where the aprons intersect
Paolini routs one and where they pass through
side of the opening the legs. The marks will remind
at a time, lowering you not to sand those areas,
the template onto a which would cause the joints
¼-in.-dia. spiral bit.
to become loose. Also, as you
He stops the last cut
about ½ in. before
take off the legs, number the
the end and finishes inside of the notches—I use a
it with a handsaw felt-tipped marker—and num-
and sandpaper. ber the corresponding legs to
match. Numbering the aprons
TEMPLATE FOR CUTOUTS on the top edge also is a good idea.
Plywood base, ¼ in. thick After disassembling the table, break the edges with a block plane
Plywood fence, ½ in. by 10 in. wide by 8 in. long
thick by 11 ⁄ 8 in. wide and then use a random-orbit sander to sand all of the parts up to
by 13 in. long P180 grit. Do not sand the areas you marked earlier: the half-lap
joint where the aprons intersect and the area where the aprons
pass through the bridle joint in the legs. Next, wipe all of the parts
with a damp rag to raise the grain, then use a sanding block
and P220-grit paper to remove the raised grain.
I finish the table before the glue-up. The advantage of
finishing first is that any glue squeeze-out will not soak
into the grain and become a problem when you try to finish
over it. And squeeze-out doesn’t stick to the finish, so it just peels
113 ⁄16 in.
away without fuss. To stain the table, I used the same finishing
recipe that I used on my bow-arm Morris chair (“Build a Bow-
Arm Morris Chair,” FWW #205). Tape off any area where glue will
Opening, 3 ⁄ 8 in. wide by 2 ⁄ 8 in. long,
3 3

includes offset for guide bushing

Workpiece ⁄ -in. o.d.

58

guide
Template bushing

Clamp the template in place. Remove most of Trim flush in three passes. Set the bit depth to
the waste in the cutout using a Forstner bit. Then ¼ in. for the first pass, ½ in. for the second, and
clamp the template to the stretcher. Place scrap 5 ⁄ 8 in. on the last one. ⁄ -in. offset
3 16
¼-in.-dia.
beneath the stretcher to protect your bench. spiral upcut bit

34 FINE WOODWORKING
A DRY RUN S ORTS OU T S U RP RI SES
The table’s base is a three-
dimensional puzzle, and you
don’t want to be figuring it out
with glue on the joints. So do a
dry run to get comfortable with
the steps.

Start with the stretchers. As Fit the slip tenons. The top should be a The shelf is next. Lock it in place with opposing legs, then add
the core of the table, these should close fit, but leave the bottom tenon a bit the last two. If you assemble the legs first, you won’t be able to
fit snugly and squarely. narrow to allow for wood movement. get the shelf in place.

be applied, like the bridle and

half-lap joints on the aprons,
and use caution when staining
around them and the slots.
Now you’re ready for the
glue. You can do it in stages
or, if you’re feeling lucky, all
at once. Repeat the assembly
order from the dry-fitting and
use the leg cutoffs as cauls for
the clamps. After the glue is
dry, peel away any squeeze-
out. Then rub out the fin-
ish with 0000 steel wool and
paste wax, and buff the wax
with a shoe-shine cloth or
brush. Finally, attach the top
with four screws, driving
through the aprons and into
the top. Slot the holes on the
short apron to allow for wood
movement. •

Gregory Paolini makes Arts-and-

Crafts-style furniture in Waynesville,
N.C.

Aprons are the last

piece to the puzzle. They
hold the legs in place and
make the base rigid.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com

 Tool TesT

Heavy-Duty

These lathes
can do it all
With bolt-on bed exten-
sions increasing the
center-to-center distance,
these benchtop machines
can turn out long chair
legs and table posts
(above). They also have
the swing, mass, torque,
and variable speed to
handle big blanks (near
right). Small turnings are
easy, too, such as custom
knobs and pulls (far right).

36 FINE wooDworkINg Photos: Asa Christiana

Benchtop Lathes
With more muscle and
mass than ever, one of
these midsize models
could be the first and last
lathe you’ll need
B Y T I M A L B E R S

T urning is a growing hobby, and newcomers need af-

fordable lathes to get started on. So a few years back,
manufacturers started stretching mini-lathes—originally
designed for small projects like pens and salt shakers—in an
effort to create an entry-level lathe for more ambitious turn-
ers. They added bed extensions for longer spindle work and
increased the capacity over the bed for bigger bowls and plat-
ters. These souped-up minis (called “midis” by at least one
manufacturer) sold by the tens of thousands, but user feedback
was mixed: When furniture makers tried to turn big posts, or
when turners threw a big, chunky blank onto a faceplate, these
lightweight lathes didn’t have the mass or torque to handle the
job. So manufacturers responded with a new breed of midsize

L OW-END TORQUE IS WHAT M ATTERS

Model Starting RPM RPM w/resistance Speed loss

Delta 46-460 510 409 20%

Penn State Turncrafter 502 366 27%

General 25-200M1 502 332 34%

General 25-114M1 509 303 40%

Jet JWL-1220 501 205 59%

Tough test. Albers screwed a big wooden disk to each lathe’s face-
plate, and used a simple lever to put roughly 12 lb. of pressure on
the disk. With the belt set on the lowest speed range, Albers set each
lathe as close to 500 rpm as he could get it and put weight on the
lever. Then he used a laser photo tachometer to measure how much
speed each lathe lost. The Delta proved to be the most powerful.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 37
The little things add up quickly
C o n tro l s Be lt Changes
Good controls Belt changes
are a big plus. should be easy,
With top-mounted too. Although
electronics and a these lathes are
large off switch, touted as vari-
the Delta (right) able speed, they
makes it easy still require belt
to stop the lathe changes to ac-
quickly or change cess the highest
speeds without and lowest speed
having to hunt. ranges. Delta (left)
The small buttons makes it easy,
on the General with up-front ac-
25-114’s side- cess to the belts
mounted control and a one-handed
box (below) are motor release.
hard to find in a Speed changes
pinch. are fussier on the
Jet (below).

benchtop lathes, and that’s good news for ing’s sake, they have the low-end torque the variable-speed model. Each lathe has
woodworkers of all stripes. and vibration-dampening mass to turn odd- a 1-in. by 8-tpi spindle and a No. 2 Morse
These new models offer beefed-up cast- shaped burls and heavy logs into beautiful taper headstock and tailstock. Also, each
ings, larger motors, and even more swing bowls, platters, and hollow vessels. And comes standard with a drive center, live tail
over the bed than the old midis. What’s most come with the variable speed, reverse center, knockout bar, and faceplate. You
more, at $500 to $1,000 including a bed rotation, and precise indexing found on might need to buy an additional tail center,
extension, their prices have not increased lathes that cost twice as much. as the standard ones are a bit large for thin
as much as their versatility has. I couldn’t wait to compare these new spindles, such as the end of a table leg.
For furniture makers, whose needs range models head to head. I limited my test to
from bed posts to drawer pulls, one of these benchtop lathes with bed extensions, at least Each lathe got a real-world workout
lathes will be a friend for life. Better yet for 12 in. of swing over the bed, and motors of Lathes are simple machines, but the prima-
people like me, who enjoy turning for turn- 3⁄4 hp or more. Where possible, I ordered ry parts must all work well. The headstock

38 FINE WoodWorkINg
 General offers
a unique headstock
tool rests
Limited benefit. The
You want a sliding, pivoting head-
wide, solid tool stock on the General
rest. Penn State 25-200M1 does al-
leads the way low outboard turn-
with a 12-in. rest ing, but that doesn’t
(right), meaning mean vessels much
you can do more bigger than 12 in.
turning before dia. are possible: The
unlocking and small outboard bed
shifting it. The limits the effective
Jet’s rest (below) reach of the tool
pivoted under rest (left). The slid-
moderate use, no ing headstock does
matter how tight- come in handy when
ly Albers locked you move it to the
it down. far end of the lathe
(below), where a long
tool handle won’t
bump the bed.

must be solid and vibration-free, the tail- or leg; larger spindles such as table legs appear. The Delta, Penn State, and General
stock and banjo (which supports the tool and newel posts; small intricate items like 25-200M1 bolted together with minimal
rest) must slide on the bed easily but lock knobs, finials, and handles; and finally, big, work, but the Jet and the General 14-in.
firmly, the tailstock quill must be solid, and heavy green-wood bowl blanks. All of the model required me to file the beds so the
the lathe should have power and speed lathes performed reasonably well, and I was tailstock would slide freely. The Jet also
options in keeping with its capacity. able to create high-quality work from each had rough castings, sharp enough to cut
To put each lathe on the same footing, I one. Still, a few stood out from the rest. my finger when I picked it up. The Delta
built a universal stand from MDF. Then, to had the smoothest machining, and the best
test their high- and low-end capabilities, I Fit and finish varied fit between the beds and access doors.
spent a fair amount of time on each lathe None of the lathes took more than 10 min- By the way, the Delta and the General
turning real-world projects. I turned small utes to assemble, but once I began bolting 25-200M1 can accept multiple bed exten-
spindles that you might use as a chair rung on the bed extensions, differences began to sions. Want to turn 60-in. spindles? Buy

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NoveMBer/DeceMBer 2010 39

Head to head

PENN STATE TURNCRAFTER

COMMANDER

DELTA 46-460

STREET BETWEEN
MODEL MOTOR WEIGHT** SWING SPEED (RANGES) REVERSIBLE?
PRICE* CENTERS***

Variable (250–750,
Delta 46-460
$750 1 hp 97 lb. 12 in. 41½ in. 600–1,800, Yes
deltaportercable.com
1,350–4,000)

Variable (250–800,
General 25-114M1
$760 ¾ hp 93 lb. 14 in. 40 in. 550–1,700, Yes
general.ca
1,200–3,600)

Variable (300–900,
General 25-200M1
$930 ¾ hp 146 lb. 12 in. 49 in. 600–1,800, No
general.ca
1,200–3,600)

Penn State
Variable (150–1,900,
Turncrafter Commander $480 1 hp 106 lb. 12 in. 42 in. No
300–4,100)
pennstateind.com

Jet JWL-1220 6 speeds

$570 ¾ hp 98 lb. 12 in. 48 in. No
jettools.com (500–3,900)

* including one bed extension **without bed extension *** with one bed extension installed

another extension and bolt it on. And the wanted to see if they could produce the couldn’t purposely stall these lathes with
General 25-200M1 offers another unique low-speed torque required for serious an aggressive cut, but with a sharp tool
feature: a sliding and pivoting headstock. faceplate turning. I used a variation of and a moderate cut they had no problems.
This doesn’t deliver the big outboard turn- the power test Andy Barnum developed The lower-powered lathes performed well
ing capacity you might expect (see photos, for big floor models in FWW #191 (“Tool enough on spindles, but were frustrating
p. 39), but it does have its advantages. Test: Heavy-Duty Lathes”). The Delta and when I turned the largest bowl blanks.
the Penn State, with larger motors, were
Torque test was tough for some the big winners (see chart, p. 37), and Ease of use matters most
All of these midi-lathes offer more power had plenty of power when I turned full- While these lathes seem similar at first
than yesterday’s minis and midis, but I size bowl blanks. That’s not to say that I glance, ergonomics varies quite a bit, and

40 FINE WOODWORKING
 two speed ranges (for fewer belt changes),
offers a large, removable plastic cover on
the outboard side that allows good access
to the belts and pulleys. The other models
offer the same two-handed belt-tensioning
and small, hard-to-access doors I’ve seen
on mini-lathes for years.
You’ll need to lock the spindle when
you change chucks or faceplates, or
use the indexing function. The Penn
State’s locking pin, mounted directly on
GENERAL 25-114M1 top of the headstock, is the easiest to use.
The Delta’s pin works well but gets in
the way when you crank the headstock
by hand. All of the lathes offer 24 index-
ing positions, except the General 25-
200M1, which has 36. However, when
not in use, the pin is kept in a threaded
storage position, and must be unscrewed
and screwed into one of several holes for
indexing, which is a hassle.
The digital speed readouts on the Penn
State and both General models are neat
features, but I’m not sure how much value
they add. Most woodworkers will quickly
GENERAL 25-200M1 get a sense of the appropriate speed for
the task at hand. Basically, I’ve learned to
turn as fast as the lathe will allow without
vibrating or shuddering.
Tool rests are not all created equal—
The Delta, Jet, and Penn State each come
standard with a 6-in. tool rest and a longer
10-in. (Delta and Jet) or 12-in. rest (Penn
State). The General models include only
the shorter size, which must be relocated
constantly when turning long spindles.
More importantly, not all of the tool rests
stayed put. The one on the Jet moved un-
der moderate use no matter how hard I
tightened the handle, while the rest on the
General 25-200M1 moved occasionally un-
JET JWL-1220 der heavy use.

Two standouts
In the end, the Best Overall and Best Value
awards were easy decisions. The Delta’s
details that seem small at first can turn into General 25-114M1’s controls forced me to power and features stand out from the
big frustrations as you use a lathe more actually look and concentrate as opposed crowd. And the Penn State is a real bar-
and more. to just reaching. gain at $480 including the bed extension.
For example, you’ll use the controls Although all but one of the lathes of- Either of these models is plenty of lathe
constantly, and the large on-off switch fers variable speed, the dials only work for a furniture maker, and will satisfy many
and variable-speed dial on the Delta are in a given range. To get to a higher or turners, too. •
easy to reach and manipulate. The dials lower range, you’ll need to move a belt.
and switches on the Penn State and Gen- The Delta has a large access door up front, Tim Albers is a woodworker and wood turner, and
eral 25-200M1 also worked well. But the with a one-handed motor tension lever, a a frequent tool tester for Fine Woodworking. He
small buttons and poor location of the real plus. The Penn State, which has only lives in Ventura, Calif.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 41

D rawings are important in any fur-
niture project, but they don’t tell
you where to start building.
The choice is an important one. Build-
ing in the right order helps ensure that
parts fit properly, and it gives you the
flexibility to work around the small varia-
tions that are bound to occur. Choose
poorly and the project can get a lot more
complicated.
This approach goes hand in hand with
another important idea, which is to avoid
precutting all of your parts to final dimen-
sion. Instead, leave them slightly oversize.

Build in the
Right Order How expert furniture makers
That way, you can cut them to fit the
piece perfectly as it comes together. get flawless results
So how do you choose where to start?
The clearest general rule is to build the
case first. Doing so lets you start with a
and avoid headaches
single assembly that will control the di-
mensions of just about every other part in B Y P H I L I P C . L O W E
the project. Even in pieces that aren’t case
pieces, this underlying idea still applies:
Look for the assembly with the most con-
trol over other parts, and start there.
Practice this and you’ll find that for any
piece of furniture, there’s a sequence that 4 GAME PLANS
will make the task simpler. COVER MOST
Here are four basic furniture types, with PIECES
time-tested advice on what to build first,
Read on for
next, and last. If you understand these, illustrated guides
you should be able to handle almost to four of the most
everything else. common pieces.

Philip C. Lowe owns and operates

The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts
(furnituremakingclasses.com) in Beverly, Mass.

1 CABINETS 2 TABLES

42 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Steve Scott; drawings: John Hartman
 Work from the outside in...

and fit parts...

...as you go

3 CASE PIECES 4 CHAIRS

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 43
 game plan
Cabinet with face frame and door
this small wall cabinet is a good example of a piece with a solid-wood face frame. the rest of the piece
is solid wood, too, but it could just as easily be plywood or have more complex joinery.

1 2
step step
Build the Box add the shelf and size the face frame

As with any case With the case

piece, the basic glued up, measure
box comes first. the inside width
You need to see just below the
the exact size of top and add the
the case before dado depths for
you can measure a perfect-fitting
for the shelf and shelf. Build the
size the face face frame slightly
frame. Don’t oversize—1 ⁄ 32 in.
forget to cut the on each side—so
shelf dadoes and it can be planed
rabbet the case flush. The
parts for the back, frame should be
if need be, before attached before
gluing up the any other work
case. is done, as it
will define the
opening for the
door and could
even pull the case
slightly out of
square when it is
attached.

3 4
step step
fit the door add the Back and the top

Size the door to The back and the

fit the opening top go on last.
in the face Leaving the back
frame. Dry-fit the off until the end
door frame and makes it easier
measure from to fit the door
groove bottom because you can
to groove bottom see the gaps when
to size the panel. the door is backlit.
Then glue up the Rip and crosscut
door. Fit the door the boards or back
by planing the panel to size, cut
top, bottom, and the rabbets for
one edge to fit shiplaps if called
with the correct for, and install the
clearance, Now back. An exception
install the hinges to this approach
and mark the would be a larger
door’s overlap. piece, where it’s a
Remove the door, good idea to install
cut and plane it the back after the
to size, and re- face frame but
install. before the door, to
add rigidity. Finally,
fit and attach the
top moldings.

44 FINE woodworkINg
 GAME PLAN
Table with drawer
This project has legs and aprons joined with mortises and tenons, but the same basic rules apply.

1 2
STEP STEP
BUILD THE BASE SIZE THE TOP

Start with the base First, check

because it controls the finished
the size of the dimensions of the
drawer opening and base. After gluing
the top. Mill the up and flattening
legs and aprons to the panel for the
finished dimension top, cut it to size
and mark out for and shape the
the mortise-and- edge. Then, go On this top,
tenon joinery. ahead and fasten the beveled
Mortise and taper it to the base. If underside must
the legs, then tenon any bow exists be cut to meet
the aprons and in the top front the existing
the lower front rail. rail, attaching the base precisely.
Dovetail the top rail top will change
and (with the base the shape of the
dry-fitted) mark out drawer opening.
its sockets in the That’s why this
front legs. Cut the needs to be done
sockets, then glue before fitting the
up the front and drawer.
back assemblies
separately before
joining them with
the side aprons.
The drawer kickers
and runners go in
last.

3
STEP
FIT THE DRAWER
Building from plans
The drawer comes Avoid the temptation to mill all your pieces to the
last for the best fit.
Plane the edges and dimensions specified in the cutlist before you start the
ends of the drawer project. On a case piece, for example, the box you build
front and sides to fit will vary slightly from your plan. It may be a little larger or
the opening before smaller; it may even be slightly out of square. When that
cutting the joinery.
happens, you’ll have
to make adjustments
to the parts and
pieces that follow.
Leaving them slightly
oversize gives you the
flexibility to do this.

Fit the front and sides

to the opening before
cutting the joinery.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 45

 game plan
Chest of drawers
You’ll often hear woodworkers say that it’s much easier to build a drawer to fit an opening than it is to build an opening to fit a
drawer. This is even more true when multiple drawers are involved.

1 2
STep STep
Build The caSe add The dividerS

The case is first, After gluing

because its final up the basic
size and shape box, install the
will determine the horizontal drawer
dimensions of dividers, along
just about every with the interior
other component components, all
in the piece, and of which define
you can tailor the opening
the rest of the for each
components for a drawer. The
precise fit. In this runners are
piece, the case is tenoned into
solid wood, with the dividers with a
dovetail joinery. relieved shoulder
But the concept to accommodate
would be the same wood movement,
for post-and-panel and held fast with
construction. a single screw at
the back.

3 4
STep STep
aTTach The Top, BaSe, and moldingS FiT The drawerS and add The Back

Wait until the case Again, fit the

is assembled so drawer front and
you can measure its sides before
bottom for the base. cutting the joinery.
This lets you fit the Install the back
base accurately and last: Without the
accommodate any back in the way, it
imperfections, like will be easier to
corners that might see what you’re
not be precisely doing when fitting
90°. This will affect drawers and
the fit of the base installing stop
molding as well. blocks.
Install the top and
attach the base
before fitting the
drawers. As with
a table, if there’s
any bow in the top
stretchers, or twist
in the base frame,
attaching the base
will alter the shape
of the drawer
openings.

46 FINE woodworkINg
 GAME PLAN Side chair
With compound angles in all directions, chairs strike fear in the hearts of many woodworkers. But if you realize that the back
is the foundation and start there, you’ll find you can use the fit-as-you-go principle to divide and conquer almost any chair.

1 2 3
STEP STEP STEP
THE BACK ASSEMBLY THE SPLAT THE FRONT LEG ASSEMBLY

Start with the Together, the back The front leg assembly—
posts: Shape assembly and the legs and front seat rail—
them, cut the seat- crest rail create establishes the width
rail and stretcher the opening for of the chair at the front.
mortises, and form Don’t glue the back splat. Building this assembly
the tenons at the the crest rail Install the splat separately in advance
tops. Then size the yet. Dry-fit now because you also simplifies the final
rear seat rail and the piece don’t want other glue-up. Otherwise, the
cut its tenons as to keep the parts in the way clamp needed for the
well as the rabbet assembly when clamping front rail would interfere
for the seat frame square during it. Mortise the with the side-rail clamps.
and mortise for the glue-up. bottom of the crest
splat. Dry-fit the rail for the splat.
assembly, mark Then, fit the splat’s
the crest rail for an bottom tenon into
exact fit, and lay its mortise and,
out the crest-rail with the crest rail
mortises against removed, use a
the tops of the straightedge across
posts. To help the tops of the
keep the assembly posts to mark out
straight and for the top tenon.
parallel while you When the joinery
glue it up, dry-fit is fitted, glue the
the crest rail during splat and crest rail
the process. in place.

4
STEP
SIDE RAILS FIRST AND STRETCHERS LAST

Wait until the back and front assemblies are Styles vary, but
complete before laying out the tenons on the
side rails and stretchers. If the two assemblies the approach
vary from your original drawing, the angles
for the joinery will change, and you’ll need to is the same
adjust them. With the joinery for the side rails
done, the front and back assembly can be The concept of building in a
dry-clamped together to mark out the joinery particular order and fitting
for the side stretchers. Last, with the entire parts as you go isn’t confined
assembly dry-fit, mark out for the dovetails on
the center stretcher.
to one particular style of
furniture making. The logic
illustrated in these game plans can be applied to any
piece, whether it’s a Queen Anne lowboy, a Shaker
chest of drawers, or a
contemporary chest on
stand.

Photos, this page: Michael Pekovich (Shaker chest); Seth Janofsky (chest on stand) NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 47
Shellac’s Amazing Journey
Follow this finish from the tree to your shop,
and learn why it is still unmatched
B y V i j a y V e l j i

48 FINE woodworkINg Photos taken in India: Vijay Velji; remaining photos: staff
 Female
Larvae
Male

Laccifer lacca
Broodlac

One harvest spawns

the next. Saved from
the previous harvest,
short sections of branch
encrusted with shellac-
producing insects and
their eggs, known as
broodlac, are tied to
suitable host trees
showing new growth.

Making flakes. Two workers pull a cooling film of

shellac across the floor while a third hits it with a stick
to begin the process of turning it into shellac flakes.

Shellac on a stick. The larvae emerge from the

broodlac and settle on the new growth. They form

F
a hard, protective shell around the twigs. This is
or over two centuries, Western woodworkers
known as sticklac, which is the basis of shellac.
have appreciated shellac’s unique qualities. It can The fuzzy white substance on the outside is wax.
be used as a sealer on bare wood, as a tinted
finish to warm up or age wood’s appearance, or as a
topcoat—including the incomparable French polish.
However, shellac’s story goes back much further
than 200 years and is not confined to wood: In its na-
tive India, medicinal uses for shellac were described
several thousand years ago, while a book published
there in 1590 mentions polishing with shellac. Since
then, it has also been used for everything from pho-
nograph records to the coating for time-release pills.
Having recently returned from India, I’ll show you the

Drawings: Sara Krause NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 49

The people and the process
BUTTONLAC
Raw material
needs refining

Crushed and sieved. After the sticklac

is harvested and crushed, it is sieved to
remove pieces of the host tree.
One at a time. Workers pass a canvas tube filled with dry
seedlac in front of an oven. As the seedlac melts, they twist
the tube, forcing molten shellac through the canvas, where
it is scraped off and deposited onto a galvanized sheet
of metal to form buttonlac. While the buttons are
still soft, they are stamped with the manufacturer’s
seal (left).

fasci- mature insects in about eight weeks. The

nating way shellac is males crawl out of their shells to fertilize
grown, harvested, and several females and then die. Their direct
refined. Then I’ll describe contribution to shellac is insignificant.
the grades of shellac and how to get the However, the females, growing in size to
most from each one. The best part of the accommodate their many eggs, increase
story is that despite man’s efforts, no other production of lac resin and wax. In 14
finish can match shellac’s versatility, beau- weeks, the new larvae hatch and emerge
ty, or environmental friendliness. to begin a new life cycle. Thus the insect
completes two life cycles in a year, yielding
Shellac really does grow on trees two lac crops; the primary one in April-
Shellac is derived from the resinous secre- June and the secondary one in October-
tion of a tiny insect—tinier than the period November, which generally has lower
at the end of this sentence—known as Lac- quality. It takes about 300,000 insects to
cifer lacca. Twice a year, in India and Thai- produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 lb. of shellac.
land, millions of red larvae about 1⁄ 64 in. How it is harvested—Shellac is often
long hatch and settle on the tender, fresh described with the terms baisacky, kusumi,
twigs of certain trees. Each larva inserts its or rangini. Baisacky is the spring harvest
proboscis into the tree and then secretes a season. Kusumi is the lac obtained from
Seedlac is the result. Sticklac is placed
protective coating consisting of a dark red the Kusum tree. It is the most expensive
in a container with water and trodden on to scale and a yellow-to-reddish substance since it contains very little red dye, giving
break open the insect bodies and remove called lac resin. The larvae mature inside it a golden yellow color. The rangini (“col-
the red dye. The result is called seedlac. their protective shells and become sexually orful”) strain comes from the two other

50 FINE WOODWORKING
Fl akes b y hand

Spread and stretched. Instead of creating individual buttons, a worker places the molten shellac
on the outside of a ceramic cylinder filled with hot water (above). The worker then spreads it into a
thin layer using the stem of a palm frond. The worker removes the shellac from the cylinder, then
uses his hands, feet, and mouth to stretch the shellac into a thin sheet (right). Once it has cooled,
he lays it down on the ground to be broken into shellac flakes.

Fl akes b y machine

Still labor-intensive. To make shellac flakes by machine, molten More handwork follows. After the film of shellac has cooled, it is
seedlac is poured across a steel drum heated by steam. A weighted bar beaten with a stick to form the flakes familiar to woodworkers.
spreads the shellac into a thin sheet and two workers further stretch the
material after it comes out of the machine.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 51

The finished products, and how to use them
Shellac is available in cans, where it is already dissolved in alcohol (see opposite page),
or in dry forms that you dissolve yourself when needed. Shellac in dry form must gener-
popular host trees, the palas and the plum.
ally be mail-ordered but comes in a much wider variety of types. The main grades are
It contains more red dye, and also more
seedlac, buttonlac, handmade waxy flakes, and machine-made dewaxed flakes, which
wax, making it cheaper than kusumi.
are the most useful by far. When dry, all shellac is non-toxic,
The cultivation of lac is fairly simple:
so it’s safe for children’s toys and also is widely used in
The host trees are pruned and when the
the food and drug industries as a coating.
new shoots emerge, two or three branches
containing female insects and their eggs,
known as broodlac, are tied near the new
SEEDLAC: A UNIQUE COLOR shoots. The larvae emerge, settle on the
Despite the large amount of wax and residue that have to shoots, and start producing lac. At harvest
be removed by filtering or decanting after seedlac has been time the twigs are cut, and after a portion
dissolved in alcohol, many makers and restorers of period
furniture swear by the color seedlac gives to cherry and
is set aside to serve as broodlac, the rest
mahogany in particular. As with all waxy shellacs, seedlac is scraped off and sold as sticklac. This
can’t be applied directly before or after another type of consists of chunks of lac, often with a hole
finish because of adhesion problems.
through the middle where the twig was.
The color of this raw material varies from
year to year as climate variations alter the
tree’s sap, on which the insects feed.
Turning raw sticklac into seedlac—In
a mainly cottage industry carried out by
hand, sticklac is crushed and then sieved to
remove tree debris and other contaminants.
It is then washed several times in large vats
and at the same time rubbed against the
sides of the vat to break open the insect
bodies. This dissolves a red dye that can be
BUTTONLAC: GOOD FOR ANTIQUES used as a substitute for cochineal.
Although the manufacturing process removes most After repeated cleaning, the lac is left to
impurities, restorers value the color and cloudy dry and then sieved once more to produce
appearance of buttonlac (caused by wax) when
matching the color and finish on an antique piece. seedlac. Apart from lac resin, sticklac con-
Don’t use buttonlac if you are in a tains wax, lac dye, and other impurities.
hurry, as it takes longer to
dissolve than flakes.
Shellac is made by hand or machine
The rest of the process also was once done
entirely by hand. These days, machine pro-
duction predominates, but a niche market
in handmade shellac survives.
To make solid shellac by hand, a worker
fills a long, narrow canvas bag with seed-
DEWAXED FLAKES: FOR ALL FINE FINISHES lac. One end is held in front of an oven
Dewaxed shellac is by far the best for finishing. It contains and the other is attached to a crank. Heat
no impurities and has negligible amounts of residual from the oven melts the seedlac and the
wax. While French polishing can be done with any shellac,
dewaxed varieties give the best results. It makes an crank forces the molten shellac through
excellent sealer on bare wood (controlling blotches and the bag while the impurities remain inside.
preventing sap bleed-through) as well as a barrier coat The molten shellac is scraped off and dol-
between finishes that are either incompatible (waterborne
finish over oil) or have a common solvent and might blotch lops placed onto a galvanized iron sheet,
(waterborne clear finish over a waterborne dye). It forming small disks called buttonlac.
is also less susceptible to water damage To make shellac flakes, the worker uses
than waxy shellac. The colors include
garnet, orange, beige, and super a palm frond to spread the molten shellac
blonde. These can be used over a porcelain cylinder filled with hot wa-
to add color to the wood, or ter. Using considerable skill, he pulls the hot,
super blonde shellac can
be tinted with concentrated pliable shellac off the cylinder and stretches
dyes or alcohol-soluble dye it into a very thin sheet using his hands, feet,
powders already dissolved in and even teeth. Once this translucent sheet
alcohol.
is cool, it is broken into flakes.

52 FINE WOODWORKING
CANS ARE CONVENIENT
If you want the benefits of shellac without the bother of flakes,
premixed shellac, made by Zinsser, is available in hardware stores
and home centers. The company sells dewaxed
SealCoat and waxy Bulls Eye.
The latter come in “amber”
and “clear” but they have
the same drawbacks that
waxy flakes have, such as
a cloudy appearance and
incompatibility with some
other finishes. A better all-
round choice is SealCoat,
which has the advantages
of dewaxed flakes plus
a longer shelf life than
dissolved flakes. However,
the preservatives make it
less suitable than flakes
for French polishing. WAXED DEWAXED

Machine-made shellac is produced in two W HAT IS A SHELLAC CUT?

different ways. One uses the same principle The cut is the ratio of dry shellac dissolved in 1 gal. of
as in handmade shellac: Seedlac is melted, denatured alcohol. A 1-lb. cut means 1 lb. of shellac
poured across a steam-heated metal drum, dissolved in 1 gallon of alcohol. A 2-lb. cut is used
and then forced into a thin sheet using a for most applications whether brushing, spraying, or
weighted bar pressing against the drum. padding, but for a final coat with no brush marks,
The thin, rapidly cooling sheet is further a 1-lb. cut is better. For canned shellac, Zinsser’s
waxy grades come as a 3-lb.
stretched by hand as workers pull it across
cut; SealCoat is a 2-lb.
the floor. Once it has stretched about 25 ft.
cut. To turn a 2-lb.
from the machine, it is cool enough to be cut into a 1-lb. cut,
broken up with sticks into shellac flakes. combine 3 parts
The second machine method uses sol- shellac with 2 parts
vent to extract pure shellac from seedlac. alcohol. 1 lb. dry shellac + 1 gallon of alcohol = A 1-lb. cut
All dewaxed shellac, whether canned or
flakes, is made using the solvent method.
HOW TO MAKE SHELLAC FROM FLAKES
What is the shelf life of shellac? You probably won’t need a gallon of shellac, so
Shellac flakes have a shelf life. After about a useful ratio is as follows: 1 oz. of shellac by
two years, dewaxed shellac that has been volume in a cup of alcohol yields a 1-lb.
stored in a cool, dark, dry place will dis- cut. If you need a 2-lb. cut, simply
solve in alcohol more slowly, and some of increase the shellac flakes
it will not dissolve completely, forming a to 2 oz.
gelatinous mass at the bottom of the bottle.
If this shellac is used for French polishing,
it will require more than the usual amount
of oil for lubrication and will take longer to
dry. Because they are less processed, waxy
grades last about three years.
Once dissolved in alcohol, shellac does
not last more than about six months. Store
the mixture in a dark, dry area, ideally
between 65° and 70°F. However, canned
shellac has a shelf life of three years from
Just mix and wait. Place the shellac
the date stamped on the can. •
flakes and alcohol in a clean glass
jar with a tight-fitting lid. Give it an
Vijay Velji is the owner of Shellac Finishes occasional shake and it should
(ShellacFinishes.biz) and lives in San Diego. dissolve in a few hours.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 53

Comfortable Seat for Two
BA N D S AW T H E S E AT P RO FILE Tablesaw kerf simplifies
resawing. When the
Board for one half bandsaw blade enters the
of seat, 2 in. thick Tablesawn kerf,
by 9 in. wide by 3 ⁄16 in. deep
kerf, the offcut comes free.
Bandsawn Without it, you’d either cut
40 in. long scooped cuts,
1¼ in. deep into—and ruin—the second
offcut, or stop the blade and
back out of the cut.

GLUE OFFCUTS Sand the offcuts before glue-up. They come

together at too steep an angle to sand after-
TO THE BOTTOM ward. Ames sands across the grain with a shop-
made, curved platen inserted in a belt sander.

Don’t flip or rotate the

offcut. Glue it to the
underside in the same Platen is concave
orientation that it came across its width for
off the top. sanding underside of seat.

Smart bandsawing GLUE TWO HALVES

TOG ETH ER
creates beautiful curves
and saves wood
The full width of the seat
is made by gluing two boards
B Y J U D I T H A M E S together. For the best grain and
color match, both halves should
come from a single longer board.

T he design for this bench kicked around in

my head for several years as I worked out
the details. The wait was worth it. Clients
love the curvaceous seat and legs, with their subtle
but noticeable Asian influence. And being a native
technique. The seat is made from two planks of
wood. All it takes is two cuts at the bandsaw to ATTACH
of New England, where frugality is prized, I take rough out the scoops. I then move the offcuts to THE LEGS
pleasure in knowing that very little wood is wast- the underside and glue them in the same orien-
ed when I make the seat. The offcuts from shaping tation. After the two halves are glued together, I Each leg is cut from
a single plank. The
the top are glued to the underside so that the top shape the legs at the bandsaw, and join them to
tenon is cut while the
and bottom curves run parallel, a technique I first the seat with mortise-and-tenon joints. blank is square, and
developed when making rocking-chair seats. In all, I find this a satisfying piece to make. Not fitted into an angled
mortise (8°). Next,
The curves of the seat aren’t just for show. Each only do my clients find the design pleasing, but
Ames bandsaws the
one scoops out a comfortable place to sit. And they find comfort in it, too. And it pleases my inside and outside
I add a gentle curve to the edges—I call them frugal Yankee soul that I’m helping to conserve a faces, then the
edges. The
“pillowed” edges—to further soften the look of precious resource by getting the most out of the
edges are also
the bench. wood I use to make the bench. • rounded slightly.
I also am pleased that the simple elegance of
the bench is the result of a refreshingly simple Judith Ames designs and makes furniture in Seattle.

54 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Matt Kenney; drawings: Vince Babak

Get help to hold the board upright. Ames clamps the board
to an L-shaped plywood support to keep it parallel to the blade,
which minimizes the amount of sanding needed afterward.

Got clamps?
You’ll need
them now.
Ames spaces
them 3 in.
apart and uses
shaped cauls
to get pressure
into the val-
ley where the
offcuts meet.

And smooth the seat. When gluing, Ames aligns the

two halves simply by sight and feel. Afterward, she
again sands across the grain (right). The platen for
the top side needs only a slight curve. After sanding,
Ames uses a card scraper.

Platen is convex
across its width
for sanding top
of seat.

1 in. 4¼ in.

Mortises
angled 8˚

3 ⁄16-in. ⁄ -in.
9 16

shoulders shoulders
Shoulders
are straight. Tenon,
1 in. thick by 1513 ⁄16 in. ⁄ in.
58

1 in. long

23⁄4 in.

21 ⁄16 in. 7½ in.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 55
 Dress Up Your Work With
Creative Stringing
If you can imagine a shape, you can inlay it
B Y S T E V E L A T T A

T here’s no better way to personalize

a piece of woodworking than with
inlay. It’s a decorative technique
that’s highly flexible and uses common
woodworking tools.
One of the most basic challenges in inlay
work involves cutting the narrow grooves
in which the inlay is set. If the line is
straight and near the edge of the panel,
you can use a router with an edge guide,
or other inlay tools. But things get more
complicated when you’re working away
from a reference edge or cutting grooves
with complex curves or irregular shapes.
The solution is to use a pattern. This ap-
proach works very much like larger-scale
pattern routing for shaping furniture parts.
First, you create a pattern by cutting the
design into a piece of MDF. Then you posi-
tion the pattern on the workpiece and use
PL AY WI T H GE OM E T RY OR DR AW A PIC T U R E
it as a guide for the router. It’s possible to
Two simple shapes—a circle and Pattern routing makes it simple use a trim router for this work, with a collet
a curve—cut into a single piece of to cut grooves for pictorial inlays adapter for small-shank bits, but I strongly
MDF are all that’s needed to cut of all kinds, such as this stylized recommend a high-speed rotary tool (such
the grooves for this lotus flower. songbird.
as a Dremel), equipped with a router base
from stewmac.com. The bits I use are two-
flute, spiral upcutting end mills (1⁄ 32 in.
from drilltechnology.com).
As for the stringing, you’ll need to cut your
own (see “Line and berry inlay,” FWW #196)
using 0.9-mm or 1⁄28-in. veneer in holly, syc-
amore, or dyed black anigre (try
wood-veneers.com, rose-
budveneer.com, or
berkshireveneer
.com). To show
the possibilities, I’ll
demonstrate two of
my favorite designs.

Steve Latta is a
contributing editor.

56 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page, and drawings: John Tetreault

A pictorial design: The songbird
T his design was adapted from a decoration on early Pennsyl-
vania German furniture. It can be sized for a variety of uses
including blanket chests, door panels, and box lids.
The pattern is made in two parts—the body and the wing. Start
with a piece of 1/2-in. MDF that is large enough to allow plenty of
room to accommodate clamps in areas that won’t obstruct the
router’s path. The stringing is dyed black anigre.
If you want the inlaid design to exactly match the size of the
drawing, be sure to enlarge the drawing slightly on a photocopier
before using it to cut out the pattern. This step accounts for the
offset between the bit’s shank, which rides the pattern, and its
cutting edge. For my 1 ⁄ 32-in. bit, that offset is about 3 ⁄64 in.
I make inlay patterns from 1/2-in. MDF because it wears well.
The spinning shank can burn a recess into the pattern and put a
ripple or wide spot in your groove. But as long as you keep the bit
moving while you are routing the grooves, the pattern should
last a long time. Keep the tool moving—even after
you’ve cut power—until the bit stops.
The grooves for the bird design can essen-
tially be cut all at once, without stopping to
insert any inlay until the entire design is cut.
The pattern has a couple of tight inside corners,
which can be prone to burning. To avoid this,
be sure to rout all the way in and then quickly
come out. The outside corners need special
care as well, as shown in the photos.

A templAte guides the wAy

Make a pattern to guide the router. Glue the drawing to a piece of

MDF and cut out the interior and wing with a scrollsaw (above). Smooth
the curves with sandpaper or small files, keeping the edges square to the
face. When routing the grooves (right), angle the router and pivot down to
start the cut, keeping the bit shank against the template.

November/DeCember 2010 57
The songbird (continued)
tIp for ou tsIde corners
Stop short and
finish by hand.
Routing all the way
around an outside
corner yields a
rounded arc in-
stead of a sharp
apex. To avoid this,
run the router close
to the point, cut the
power, and back up
(top). Repeat from
the other direction.
To join the two
grooves, Latta uses
a narrow #2 or #3
gouge (bottom). An
X-Acto knife with
a blunted tip helps
remove the chips.

Rout the wing. With the perimeter of the body cut, put the wing
back in, hold it in place with tape, and rout around it. Avoid thick
tape—you don’t want the router base hanging up on it. Transparent
household tape is fine.

Insert th e Inlay and tr Im It flush

Shape the stringing. Latta coaxes a curve Apply glue like a surgeon. Latta uses a Give the bird a perch. Latta uses a
into the stringing by bending the pieces over syringe with a narrow, curved tip ($2.60 at separate pattern (top) to rout the simple
a heated burn-in knife. He uses an automotive leevalley.com) to lay a fine bead of yellow arcs that anchor the bird design. Leaving the
feeler gauge as a bending strap to stop the glue into the groove (top). Press the inlay into stringing above the surface lets you level it
stringing from catching. the groove with your fingers, leaving it just with a smoothing plane iron, used bevel
proud of the surface. Trim each end at an down (above).
angle (above) so the pieces mate cleanly.

58 FINE woodworkINg Photos, except where noted: Steve Scott

A geometric design: The lotus
T he lotus design, with its repeating complex curves, is tailor-
made for pattern-routed grooves. The pattern that creates the
flower’s center is simply a hole drilled with a Forstner bit. The leaf
pattern, which creates one half of a single leaf, is sawn into the
edge of the same MDF template. To make the pattern, it helps to
have a full-scale drawing of the design from which to trace. You
can either copy the one shown here or draw your own.
To draw, start with two concentric circles for the flower’s inner
and outer diameters. Experiment with their relative sizes to find
a proportion that pleases your eye, then divide the circles into 10
equal segments. Use the circles and rays to guide your drawing of
the leaves—leaf tips at the outer circle, bases at the inner circle.
I use a French curve to refine the leaf shape, then cut it out and
use it to create a card-stock template for drawing the final design.
Finally, a third concentric circle marks the intersection of back-
ground and foreground leaves.
Cut a practice flower or two in MDF or scrap before taking
the router to your workpiece. Doing so lets you refine your layout
while getting used to the tool.

Draw the design. Latta uses a card-stock template to create a finished drawing of the full design
(left). He then creates a tracing from which the MDF pattern will be cut (right). To account for the
offset between the bit’s shank and cutter, the tracing must be 3 ⁄64 in. larger than the original draw-
ing. Latta marks the offset with a series of dots, then connects them to create the traced line. He
also draws the arcs beyond the centerline to allow minor adjustments when aligning the pattern on
the work. Finally, he marks the tracing to indicate where the leaf’s base meets the central circle.

Cut the pattern

on the scrollsaw.
Glue the tracing to
the MDF and score
the centerline with
a knife. After cut-
ting the pattern
and smoothing
it with files and
sandpaper, carry
the layout lines
down the edges to
the bottom of the
pattern.

59
Lotus (continued)
L AY OU T TH E WORKPIECE

Key landmarks. To guide placement of the MDF

pattern, draw the circles and rays on the work-
piece (above). To complete the layout for each
background leaf, position the pattern for the ad-
jacent full leaf and draw an arc where the pattern
TIP PENCIL CREATES THE OFFSET
Latta uses a mechanical pencil with
crosses the middle circle. The resulting X (right) a 2-mm lead, sharpened on a slant,
indicates where the two leaves meet. to approximate the offset between
the bit’s shank and cutter.
A SEAMLESS INLAY, STEP BY S TEP
To join the many lines of stringing cleanly, it’s important to cut and fill each set of corresponding grooves in a specific order, filling
and leveling them before cutting the next ones. Start in the background and work forward. This way, you can trim the ends of the first
pieces as you cut subsequent grooves. This leaves nearly invisible joints.

1 BACKGROUND FIRST
Start with the background
leaves, cutting the left-
hand edge of each leaf. Lay
the leaf pattern down on
the workpiece and align its
centerline with one of the
rays. Place the point of the
leaf at the outermost refer-
ence circle and clamp the
pattern in place.

2 FILL AS YOU GO
Once the left-hand edges
are done, fill the grooves
with stringing and then cut
the right-hand edges, filling
them as well. Keep an eye
on the bit. You don’t want
to run too far into the ad-
joining line; you don’t want
to stop short of it, either.

3 START THE LONG LEAVES

Position the pattern to rout
the first half of the long
leaves, being sure to just
clip the end of the back-
ground leaves as shown.

60 FINE WOODWORKING
 TIP
MAKE
A TEST RUN
To rout the
grooves in Step 4,
the pattern must
be positioned
to cut three At the leaf’s base (left), check to see that the bit starts on the central circle and completely overlaps the exist-
intersections ing line of stringing. Where it meets the background leaf (center), the bit should rest on the reference arc and
cleanly. clip the end of the existing stringing. At the petal’s tip (right), it should clip the existing line but not go beyond it.

4 COMPLETE THE LEAVES

After cutting the last leaf
grooves, use an X-Acto
knife to clean them up
and to refine the point on
the leaf tips if necessary.
Then set the stringing,
trimming the ends with
a chisel.

5 FULL CIRCLE
The groove for the cen-
tral circle should evenly
clip the stringing at the
base of each petal. Close
the circle with a scarf
joint, marking the angle
on the workpiece for ref-
erence when cutting the
mating ends.

One pattern, many designs

Other lotus variations (below) can be cut with the same
template. Creative placement (left) is part of the fun.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 61

Build a Classic Corner
This 18th-century beauty
is all curves, but
the joinery is
straightforward
B y W . M i c k e y
c a l l a h a n

T he corner chair, sometimes called a

roundabout chair, became fash-
ionable in England and America
in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
Supposedly created for a gentleman to
sit on while wearing his broad coat and
sword, it may owe its name simply to the
fact that it sits nicely in the corner of a
room. Regardless, it provides today’s sit-
ter with an optimal amount of back and
arm support, especially when writing at
a table or a desk.
Though the chair has lots of curves,
the construction is simple mortise-and-
tenon joinery without the compound
angles found on many chairs. If you
aren’t a confident carver, eliminate the
shell, replace the ball-and-claw foot with a
pad foot, and you’ll still have a very hand-
some chair.

Shapely legs for a shapely chair

The two side legs and the back leg transi-
tion into the arm supports, while the front
leg terminates at the seat. Pay close atten-
tion to the end-grain orientation when
you lay out the stock: The front leg
should be oriented for a bull’s-eye grain
pattern on the exposed knee. The other
legs should have straight, vertical grain.
Transfer your patterns onto 16/4 stock
machined to 3 in. square, but leave enough
length for two knee blocks per leg. The
knee blocks serve primarily as a transition
between the legs and the seat rails.

62 FINE woodwoRkINg Photos: Mark Schofield

Chair
Machines and hand tools
Legs first work as a teaM
Chair construction begins with the legs. Lay out the pattern, cut the joinery, and then shape
the curvaceous legs starting at the bandsaw and moving on to a variety of hand tools.

While the leg blanks are square, lay out

and cut all the mortises, then create the ten-
ons that enter the arm rail. All the tenon
shoulders must be at the same elevation
for the arm to fit flush. Cut around
the perimeter of the blank
using a dado blade. The
tenon is not centered, so
set the elevation of the
blade carefully for each
cut. Drill a 7⁄ 8-in.-dia. hole
in a piece of scrap to use as a gauge Cut the leg tenons using a dado set. While the leg Round the tenons. Guided by a
blanks are still square, cut the tenons on the tops of the drilled template, round the square ten-
when rounding the tenons.
side and back legs that connect them to the arm rails. ons using chisels and carving gouges.
Cut away the knee-block stock and
then rough out the cabriole legs
on the bandsaw. Cut the square Cabrioles, back to
sections housing the mortises back. The back and
proud of the pattern, as you will side legs are really two
cabriole legs in one
flush them to the fronts of the separated by a square
glued-in seat rails later. This is post in the middle.
particularly important for the Careful bandsawing
front leg because you will re- now (left) will reduce
move a large amount of stock, hand shaping later
and leaving it square also aids (below). Chisels, rasps,
clamping the leg to the rails. files, and spokeshaves
can all be employed to
Shape the legs and carve ball- bring the cabriole legs
and-claw feet (see Master Class, to their final shape.
FWW #186), but hold off on the
knee shell until the post of the
front leg is rounded into the
adjoining seat rails.

Curved rails, square joinery

Try to get all the rails from
one board for grain and color
consistency. This is particularly
important for the two front rails,
which should be laid out end to
end or book-matched for a pleas-
ing pattern on the curved faces.
Starting with the front rails, lay out
and cut the tenons, and then trace the
front and back profiles on the top of
each rail. Bandsaw close to the lines,
then clean up the surfaces with
a curved-sole spokeshave and
cabinet scrapers. Leave extra
material on the front at each
end so you can fair the rail-to-
leg joints after they are glued.
The slip-seat frame is supported
in the back by cleats, but it rests on a
 AN ATOMY OF AN HEIRLOOM Arm rail,
7⁄ 8 in. thick

This chair is loosely based on one that

was made in New York around 1765. Tenon,
The cabriole legs, relief-shell carving, ⁄ in.
78
Back leg/
and curved front rails reflect the earlier back arm post, dia. by
Queen Anne period, while the ball-and- 3 in. square by 13 ⁄ 8 in.
Crest rail,
claw feet and intricate splats reflect the later 30¼ in. overall long
17⁄ 8 in. thick
Chippendale style. by 21 ⁄16 in. length
wide
Shoe

⁄ in.
58

Tenon, 7⁄ 8 in. dia.

11 ⁄ 8 in. dia. Side leg/

side arm post,
3 in. square by
29½ in. overall
length

1013 ⁄16 in.

Glue block

Cleat

Front rail, 35 ⁄ 8 in.

Tenon, 1 ⁄ 8 in. thick thick by 31⁄ 8 in. wide
by 25 ⁄ 8 in. wide by by 15¼ in. overall
1 in. long length Tenon, 3 ⁄ 8 in. thick
by 21 ⁄ 8 in. wide by
15 ⁄16 in. long
Front rail

Front leg,
3 in. square by
43 ⁄ 8 in. 1613 ⁄16 in. overall
length

Tenon, ¼ in.
thick by
51 ⁄ 8 in. wide by Knee
½ in. long shell

16° Ball-and-
Knee block, claw foot
3 in. sq. by
23 ⁄ 8 in. long

1311 ⁄16 in.

Tenon, ¼ in. thick
by 45⁄ 8 in. wide by
½ in. long

SPLAT AND
SHOE
SIDE LEG/
SIDE ARM

64 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Bob La Pointe

 Crest rail

ARM AND
CREST RAIL

Splat, ½ in. thick Tenon

by 6¾ in. wide by
1111 ⁄16 in. long

Back rails, 17⁄ 8 in. Mortise, 7⁄ 8 in. dia.

thick by 4¾ in. wide by 13 ⁄ 8 in. long
by 171 ⁄16 in. long

Arm rail
Rabbet, ½ in.
deep

Back leg/
back arm
Tenon, ⁄ in. thick
38

by 25 ⁄ 8 in. wide by
1 in. long
Knee Knee block
block

Back rail

41 ⁄ 8 in.

Knee
block

Glue block

Front rail, 35 ⁄ 8 in.

thick by 31⁄ 8 in. wide
by 15¼ in. long

Front leg
A set of full-size
plans created
for this article by
Society of American
Period Furniture
Knee block Makers members
Knee Robert Whitley and
block Craig Bentzley is
BACK AND SIDE available for $175 by
RAILS Side leg/ contacting cbentzley@
side arm verizon.net.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 65
Shapely rails But Straightforward joinery
joined and held together by the crest rail.
The chair’s front rails are S-shaped and include a rabbet to support the upholstered seat. The arc of the arm is not a constant radius,
Each back rail begins life attached to a shoe that receives the carved back splats. so use care when laying out the parts.
To ensure matching profiles, nest the two
arm blanks together using double-stick tape
FRONT RAILS
and rough-cut them on the bandsaw. Clean
Rough-cut the them up on the router table using a tem-
rabbet. Re- plate and a bearing-guided bit. Bandsaw
move the bulk the crest rail to rough shape. Using the arms
of the waste
as a template, clean up the crest rail on the
using a dado
blade. Cut to the router table, using a flush-trimming bit. Now
lowest point of cut the ogee-shaped ends on the bandsaw.
the rabbet with Glue and screw the three parts together but
one pass, then leave any further shaping until later.
clamp a stop Once the glue dries, locate the mortises
block to the in the arm rail for the leg tenons. First, use
tablesaw and
the drawing to locate the mortise for the
raise the blade
into the station- back-leg tenon and drill it on the drill press.
ary front rail as Place the tenon gauge you used earlier
shown to make over the end of each side-leg tenon, and
the deeper cuts. then use a Forstner bit to mark the center
of each tenon. Use a clipped nail to drill
rabbet cut into the inside top faces of the round bead on the front face and top edge a small hole in the center of each tenon.
front rails. To cut the rabbet, first lightly of each shoe. Now cut the tenons on each Inserting another clipped nail in each hole,
scribe a parallel line 1⁄ 2 in. from the front of end and cut the shoes’ side profiles on place the dry-assembled chair base upside
each rail to establish its edge. Remove most the bandsaw. Finish shaping them with a down on the arm rail. Align the two sec-
of the waste with a dado blade, then trim chisel and scraper. Excavate the mortise tions, push the nails into the rail, and drill
to the scribe line using a gouge and chisel. in the top of each shoe and then carefully mortises centered on the nail holes. You
Again, leave a little extra to be removed carve the bead returns at each end of the can now finish shaping the arm rail.
adjacent to the front leg after glue-up. mortise. When both shoes are profiled,
The two rear rails also incorporate a shoe saw them from the rear rails. The back splats complete the chair
that will house the bottom of the back splat. Dry-fit the four legs to the seat rails to To make the back splats, first dry-fit the
The shoe starts out as part of the back ensure that all joinery is correct and that all arm rail to the base to establish the dis-
rail but is cut away. This ensures a perfect four legs land firmly on the floor. tance between the top of the shoe and
grain match and provides a bigger section the arm rail. On a piece of scrap the same
to handle when shaping the shoe. One long arm made from three parts thickness as the back splats but an inch or
Before cutting the tenons, use a router The construction of the arm rail is simplic- two longer, cut an angled tenon that fits
table to shape the cove and the quarter- ity itself: The bottom two parts are butt- into the shoe. Rip off a 1⁄4-in.-thick piece

BACK RAILS

Shape the shoes. Use a bullnose bit in a Bandsaw the ends. With the front profile cut, Take off your shoes. When you’ve finished
router table to cut the shoe’s cove. Cut the bead draw the side profiles on the back of the shoe shaping the shoes, cut them away from the
with a corner round bit. and cut them on the bandsaw. back rails. Remove the small tab at each end.

66 FINE WOODWORkING
 Arm rail
curve i t
and
carve i t
The armrest
flows around the
back and sides
of the chair. You
need to locate
the mortises
accurately for the
arm posts and the
splats.

Two parts shape the third. After shaping the two sections of the arm, A tricky cut made easy. A hand screw provides
screw them to the crest rail to act as a template for shaping it to match. a stable platform for bandsawing the ogee-
Use a flush-trimming bit in the router table. shaped ends of the crest rail.

Trick for marking mortises. Use a clipped brad nail to

drill a hole in the center of the side-leg tenons. Then place
another clipped nail in the hole (above). Place the back leg
tenon into its mortise in the arm rail. Set the side leg tenons
an equal distance from the inside edge of the arm rail (right).
Push down on the legs so that the nails mark the arm rail.

and crosscut it in two. Clamp these two

parts so they overlap and use them as a
measuring stick to determine the distance.
Crosscut the scrap piece to this size and
use it to mark the location of the mortises
for the splats on the underside of the crest
rail, including the center points.
Resaw the splats from one board, but
leave them about 1 in. extralong. Because
the mortises for both ends of the splats are
perpendicular to the floor but the splats
lean outward from the seat, you must an-
gle the tenons accordingly. Finish shaping the crest rail. Use a flat
chisel to rough out the front curve and then
With the same measuring stick used earli-
refine it using a spokeshave and scrapers
er, determine the total length of each splat, (left). On the back side at both ends of the
locate the tenon shoulders, and tweak the crest rail, use carving gouges to create the
tenon angles. Transfer this information to small, tapering recesses that are purely for
the side of the splats and cut them to final ornamentation (above).

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NovemBeR/DeCemBeR 2010 67

Back splats HOW TO GET A P ERFECT FIT

Scraps help. Use a scrap of wood to find Chop the mortise. Carefully clamp the Angle the tenons with accuracy. Use a tenon jig and
the height of the splat and the angle and arm rail so that you can chop the splat narrow dado set to form the tenons at each end of the
location of the joinery. mortises. back splats.

Carving tips. To give a three-dimensional look

to the back splat, carve away material where the
pattern intersects. After making the initial chop
cuts at each intersection (above), remove the
paper pattern and complete the carving (right).

length with the ends at an angle of ap- feel for the final look. Complete the splats shape the front post to form a continuous
proximately 16°. Use an angled tenon jig by smoothing all the saw cuts and lightly curve. Then you can carve the knee shell
to cut the tenons. Trim them to width with chamfering all the exposed edges on the (see Master Class, FWW #210) and then cut
a handsaw and a bench chisel. rear faces with curved and flat files. away the rabbet in the back of the front
Once you are satisfied with the joints, leg post for the seat frame.
spray-mount the pattern to the front of Carve and shape as you assemble I prefer to glue up the remainder of the
each splat. Bandsaw the outer profile and Add the front knee blocks, which should base in two stages, as it is less frantic and
use a scrollsaw or fretsaw to cut the inner fit flush to the bottom of the rail and the there is enough flex in the base to allow
pattern. This design has an interlaced ef- face of the adjacent leg post. Once fitted, this. Because you can’t use the front leg
fect created by carving away material at simply rub-glue them into position. Some- post for clamping when gluing on the
the points of intersection. Make the initial times a bed-spring clamp helps hold them side legs, you’ll need to attach clamping
cuts with the pattern attached, but remove in place until the glue sets up. Now glue blocks to the front rails. These are simply
it to complete the carving to get a better the front rails to the front post, and then sandpaper-backed blocks attached with a

68 FINE wOOdwOrkINg
 Assembly CLAMP, THEN S HA PE
Keep the front leg post square to provide a flat surface for Finish shaping
clamping the front rails to it. After glue-up, you can also the front post.
extend the seat-frame rabbet onto the back of the front post. After you have
clamped on
the front rails,
you can extend
After glue-up, their curve and
front of post is rabbet onto the
carved to match post.
front-rail curve.

Rabbet for
seat frame

Glue block

Back part of post

is cut away to Front rail
form rabbet.

separate clamp. Once this assembly is dry,

add the back leg and the back rails.
Now assemble the top half of the chair.
Dry-fit all the parts. If necessary, plane
off some of the base of the shoes to get
the shoes and splats to fit. Glue the shoes
to the back rails, glue the splats into the
shoes, and then glue the arm rail to the leg
tenons and the top of the splats. You may
require several bar clamps to ensure that
the arm rail is firmly attached and flush to
the shoulders of the two side and rear legs
as well as the top shoulder of each splat.
Once the glue is dry, you can finish shap-
ing the base starting with the leg-to-rail
joints. Now that you no longer need the
flat surface for clamping, you can attach
the knee blocks to the back and side legs.
Last, create the thumbnail edge on the
front rails and intersecting front leg using
a chisel and rasp, but be careful not to go
beyond the pattern lines.
Glue and screw the seat-frame supports
inside the back rails, and add a small an-
gled glue block inside the front leg and
front rail intersection for added strength.
Make the slip-seat frame for upholstering
the chair (see Master Class, p. 90). Give the
chair a final hand-sanding and then apply
your choice of finish. I brushed on several
washcoats of garnet shellac and then sev-
eral coats of an oil/varnish mixture. •
Final assembly. Clamping the arm/crest rail to the rest of the chair can be tricky given the chair’s
Mickey Callahan is a period furniture maker numerous curves. Do a dry-fit first. The easiest way to fine-tune the fit is to plane a bit off the shoes
in Bellingham, Mass. at the base of each back splat.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 69

Get a Handle on Your Pulls
Drawer pulls make a strong statement,
so be careful where you put them
B Y M A T T K E N N E Y

D rawers are made to be opened and closed, and

that means every drawer needs a pull. And al-
though attaching pulls is one of the last things
you do when making a drawer, you can’t wait until then to
think about the style of pull you’ll use and where on the
drawer it will go. Because they are attached to the drawer
fronts, pulls are highly visible and can have a dramatic
effect on the beauty of a piece of furniture.
There’s plenty to say about which types of pulls go with
which pieces, but this article will focus on where to put
them. Placing a pull on a drawer front is not as simple as
“put it in the center.” After all, it’s not exactly clear how
you center something like a pendant pull. And of course
some drawers need two pulls, which should be spaced so
that they are comfortable to use. Then there is the visual
pattern created by the overall array of pulls, and that is
determined mostly by how you size and orient the draw-
ers themselves.
When I started to think about everything it takes to place
pulls just right, I was overwhelmed. That’s why I asked
several successful furniture designers and makers for help. I
not only learned some great basic guidelines, but also that
there are situations you’ll have to take one at a time.

Matt Kenney is an associate editor. Christian Becksvoort, Gerald

Curry, Garrett Hack, and Michael Fortune contributed to this article.

DON’T ALWAYS CENTER THE SCREWS

Typically, pulls are centered vertically. How that
is done depends on the pull’s style. Because
their height is balanced above and below the
point of attachment, place knobs and handles
by centering their screw holes or tenons.
However, a pendant or bail pull would appear
low on the drawer if centered this way. Instead,
balance its overall outline above and below
the drawer’s centerline. It’s the same for every
other pull type: Think about the overall height,
not just where the screw or tenon goes in.

70 FINE WOODWORKING Photo (left): Jeff Wolfram

O N E PU LL, OR TWO?
SIMPLE ANSWER: DRAWER WIDTH DECIDES MAKE TWO PULLS
COMFORTABLE TO USE
Drawers less Space pulls
than 14 in. wide between
need only one pull 18 in. and 22 in.
because they are apart, roughly
small enough to the distance
open and close by between a pair
pulling or pushing of outstretched
on the center. Less than 14 in.
hands. If the
drawer is too
narrow to space
the pulls 18 in.
apart, they should
be separated by
at least one-half
of the drawer’s
width.

Wider than 18 in.

Drawers wider than 18 in. definitely need two pulls. A single, centered
pull would be stressed by the weight of the drawer, eventually causing it
to break or break free of the drawer front. 18 in. to 22 in.

ON MEDIUM-SIZE DRAWERS, CONSIDER THE WHOLE ARRAY

Between 14 in. and 18 in. is a gray area. The choice between one pull or two comes down to aesthetics.

BLAH 14 in. BETTER

1. With two knobs on each of the small top drawers, this array looks top-heavy. Centering a single knob on each small drawer balances the pattern. It
also brings the knobs on the top drawers closer together, creating two inward slanting diagonals, which suggests a solid base and upward movement.

BLAH BETTER

2. A single, centered knob on the bottom drawer

creates an inverted triangle and a top-heavy
pattern. However, placing two knobs on the bottom
drawer—and aligning them under the knobs on the
top drawers—gives the array a more solid feel.

16 in.

Photo (bottom): Michael Pekovich; drawings: John Tetreault NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 71

N OW CONSI DER THE WHOL E P IECE
On a piece with multiple drawers, the number, size, and arrangement of
the drawers affects how the pulls are arrayed. You’ll have a better chance
of integrating the array into the overall design if you begin to think about
drawers and pulls as soon as you start to sketch out a piece.

LEARN FROM THE CLASSICS

Gerald Curry’s reproduction of a Chippendale block-front chest of drawers is a
perfect example of how the arrangement of drawers affects the array formed by
their pulls. The brasses on each drawer form an arc. Because the drawers are
graduated, the most dramatic arc is at the bottom and the most gentle at the
top. The tighter arc on the bottom drawer complements the arc suggested by the
bracket base, and the more relaxed arc on the top drawer transitions nicely to the
straight line of the top. Moreover, the series of arcs reinforces the strong, stable
stance while drawing the eye upward at the same time.

WHAT WORKS ON ONE HIGHBOY DOESN’T ON ANOTHER

On Jeffrey Greene’s bonnet-top highboy (left), the pulls on the lower drawers are
farther apart than the pulls on the two drawers in the top row. The pattern they
create mirrors the lines of the piece created by the sides and the bonnet top. The
same drawer arrangement doesn’t work on a flat-top highboy (below). Adding a
third drawer to the top row makes for a more successful pull array. The outer pulls
on the top row are moved out, pulling the eye up and out toward the cornice, and
the top two rows create an angle that mirrors the angled corner joint of the cornice.
The top row also emphasizes the thinness of the piece’s waist, making the pulls
on the lower drawers appear closer together and balancing the three pulls on the
bottom row of drawers. Note that the pulls on the lower half are directly in line with
the knees, giving the base a wonderful grounded stance while drawing the eye up
and into the waist. From there the eye is pulled up to the cornice.

BLAH BETTER

72 FINE WOODWORKING Photo: Jeffrey Greene

STEPPED DRAWERS CREATE
CONVERGING LINES
The stepped drawers on Hank Gilpin’s sideboard
(above)—narrower at the bottom than at the
top—mirror the arc of the middle legs. By
centering a single pull on the drawers in the two
lower rows and placing two pulls on the center
drawer in the top row, Gilpin uses the pulls to
echo the arc as well. Garrett Hack used centered
knobs to emphasize the stepped rise of the two
outer columns of drawers on his sideboard (right).

RULES ARE MADE

TO BE BROKEN
Michael Fortune knew the usual rules
wouldn’t work on this seven-drawer
cabinet. If he had centered the pulls
vertically (see drawing below), the TWO WAYS
lowest one would be too close to the TO SPICE UP
floor and awkward to use. Also, while SHAKER
the pulls are nicely proportioned, on Christian Becksvoort
the large drawers they would appear and Gerald Curry
lonely if centered vertically. So he used drawer
positioned all of the pulls the same design and pull
distance from the top of the drawer. arrangement to
BETTER put a spin on
Shaker design. By
alternating rows of
one and two drawers
(above), Becksvoort
BLAH
created a pattern
of diamonds.
Centered, but off-target. When Curry’s take (left)
centered vertically on the lower is more aggressive.
three drawer fronts, the delicate The small second
pulls get lost. Also, the column
drawers on the third
of pulls no longer enhances the
and fifth rows create
graduation of the drawer fronts.
an asymmetric
diamond pattern.

Photos, clockwise from top left: Jon Binzen, Dennis Griggs, Dean Powell,
Michael Fortune; center photo: Jeff Wolfram NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 73
readers gallery
J EF F R EY T EEP L E
Amherst, N.H.

Teeple designed this cupboard over chest

(19 in. deep by 34 in. wide by 74 in. tall) to
reflect Shaker influence but not to be a straight
reproduction. He included his favorite Shaker
design features, such as a turned swell taper
for the legs, frame-and-panel construction,
recessed-panel doors, a large cove for the
cornice, and small bead details. The tiger
maple is finished with aniline dye, shellac,
gel stain, and wax. PHOTO: ABBY LOGAN

JO E D O H ER T Y
New Orleans, La.

This coffee table (18 in. wide by 60 in. long by 24 in. tall) was
designed and built for the New Orleans-based Green Project,
a not-for-profit organization that resells high-quality, salvaged
building materials at low cost. Its annual fund-raiser, Salvations,
is a furniture competition of work built from 90% reclaimed
materials. Doherty made his cypress table from an old painted
door. He finished it with lacquer and won Best in Show in 2010.

Submissions
Readers Gallery
provides design
inspiration by
showcasing the
work of our readers.
For submission
instructions and an
entry form, go to
FineWoodworking
.com.

74 FINE WOODWORKING
 DESIGN SPOTLIGHT

S AM N O R R I S
Burlington, Vt.

Norris built this desk for the annual

New Hampshire Furniture Masters
auction. He set out to build a
contemporary piece that reflected
ancient Chinese design, also borrowing
from contemporary furniture maker
Greg Smith. However, a lot of the
construction methods were dictated
by his design choices. The table looks
simple enough at first glance, but the
three-way miter, curved stretchers, and
curved legs weren’t easy to execute.
PHOTO: JEF F C LA R K E Square
tenon Miter
Square
mortise
Glue block
Clamp across
miters.

SPARE DESIGN Mortise

CALLS FOR A 3-WAY MITER
To glue the joint, Norris uses 45° glue Slip Paper between
blocks, which allow him to draw the tenon blocks and
joint together tightly without specialized workpiece makes
clamps. Gorilla Glue gives him the open it easy to knock
blocks away after
time to manage all three corners and
the joint is dry.
tenons in one glue-up.

BENOIT CHASSÉ
Quebec, Canada

Inspired by an old Victorian building in Montreal, Chassé

originally built this piece (9¾ in. deep by 523⁄8 in. wide
by 43 in. tall) to store 450 cassette tapes. The accordian-
style doors opened just under the balconies and exposed
sliding storage. When technology made the tape storage
unnecessary,
Chassé cut the
depth in half (not
an easy feat) and
turned the piece
into sculpture.
The woods are
mahogany, white
pine, and cherry,
and the finish is
stain and acrylic
paint.

Drawings: Kelly J. Dunton NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 75

readers gallery continued

CHARLES MAXWELL
Pittsford, N.Y.

On Maxwell’s Cape Cod honeymoon 27 years ago,

he and his wife saw a skeleton clock, and he vowed
to make her one. In 2007 after retiring from the U.S.
Navy, Maxwell made good on that promise and hasn’t
stopped making clocks since. His building process is
as unique as the clocks. After drawing the design, he
starts building with scrapwood and only switches to
the final wood when all the dimensions and shapes
are perfect. This maple, ebony, poplar, and holly
clock (16 in. deep by 20 in. wide by 70 in. tall) was a
commission, and the finish is black lacquer or tung oil
and wax.

M AR K G OWER
Arcata, Calif.

Gower, a recipient of the annual John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship, built

this English brown oak bowl for the Mineck foundation’s fund-raising auction.
He roughed out the shape on the
bandsaw and refined it
with hand tools. This bowl,
4½ in. wide by 12 in. long
by 2½ in. tall, is designed
around irregular arcs. The
finish is tung oil.

M I C HA E L S E WA RD
New Park, Pa.

Inspired by the work of Sam Maloof

and George Nakashima, Seward
designed and built this walnut table
with bird’s-eye maple butterfly joints
to reflect both influences yet remain
distinctly his own. The table, finished
with hand-rubbed oil, is 50 in. wide by
96½ in. long by 30½ in. tall.
 OLD WOOD, NEW WOODWORK
A recent exhibition in New York City paired prominent contemporary
woodworkers with historical wood. “National Treasures: History in the Making,”
which was on view at the Architectural Digest Home Show, featured new work
by 20 makers. All the pieces were made from wood with a past—horse chestnut
from Mount Vernon, elm from Monticello, osage orange from Patrick Henry’s Red
Hill Plantation. The show was curated by Jacques Vesery, a carver and turner,
and William Jewell, whose company, Historical Woods of America, specializes in
lumber with a pedigree.

JAN EL JAC O B S O N
Sunrise, Minn.

MICHAEL CULLEN
Petaluma, Calif.

Cullen’s chest on stand, made with walnut from two

Jacobson, who specializes in small carvings of natural objects, carved seed trees at Mount Vernon, is carved with stylized stripes—
pods and leaves from trees native to Virginia. The horse chestnut seed pod reminiscent of a flag flapping in the wind—and circles to
with the tiny frog perched on it is carved in boxwood from Patrick Henry’s represent the circle of stars on the nation’s first flag. The
property. The dogwood blossom is boxwood from James Madison’s estate. lid is embellished with 13 stars and the bottom of the
The container she carved out for them, which is 27⁄8 in. deep by 145⁄8 in. chest is composed of 13 planks. The chest is 11 in. deep
wide by 5¼ in. tall, is from horse chestnut that grew at Mount Vernon. by 27 in. wide by 30 in. tall. PHOTO : DON RUSSEL

S I L A S KO P F
TH O M A S H U C K ER Easthampton, Mass.
Hoboken, N.J.
Marquetry master Silas Kopf built a contemporary
Hucker’s training as a furniture maker included stints with period writing table with legs and aprons made with walnut
furniture maker Leonard Hilgner and contemporary master Jere from a tree that grew at Mt. Vernon. The tromp l’oeil
Osgood. For his end tables, Hucker took inspiration from the 18th-century scene on the top surface, which includes
traditional pie-crust tea tables that were in vogue at the time the a quill pen and a just-started first draft of the Declaration of
nation was founded and gave them a decidedly modern twist. These Independence complete with cross-outs, includes 15 species of
end tables, built with wood from a walnut tree that grew on the site veneer, including horse chestnut planted by George Washington
of George Washington’s whiskey distillery, are 16 in. deep by 24 in. and tulip poplar from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The desk is
wide by 24 in. tall. PHOTO: VIRGINIA KAMENITZER 22 in. deep by 52 in. wide by 30 in. tall. PHOTO : DAVID RYAN

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 77

fundamentals
Why finish wood?
IT MAY BE A CHORE, BUT THERE ARE
GOOD REASONS TO APPLY A FINISH

B Y M A R K S C H O F I E L D

F
inishing experts tell you how to apply a finish but
they never explain why you should finish wood.
Why not leave a piece in its just-planed state
showing the wood’s natural beauty? Is it really
necessary to go to all that trouble coating your piece
with some combination of oil, resin, or plastic?
In fact, there are many important reasons for applying a
finish—some aesthetic and some practical. A finish can reduce
seasonal movement and the resulting stresses on joinery. It
also makes a surface more impact-resistant and protects wood
from everyday use, whether the piece is a rarely handled
picture frame, a kitchen table, or an outside chair. Also, the
right combination of dyes, stains, and clear finishes can turn
humdrum wood into an eye-catching piece.
And finally, there are some occasions when no finish really
is a valid option.

Some finishes slow wood movement

When it comes to protecting a piece of furniture from the
damage that can be caused by wood movement, applying a
finish is no substitute for careful construction.
Still, certain finishes will reduce wood’s tendency to absorb
and release moisture. This in turn will slow seasonal expansion
and contraction, reducing stresses that can eventually damage
joinery and helping to minimize problems like door panels that
rattle in winter or drawers that stick in summer.
Some finishes are better at this than others (see chart,
p. 80). No clear finish can match paint at controlling
moisture, even over a couple of weeks. Pure oil

78 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page: Kelly J. Dunton

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 79

fundamentals continued

Protect
the
surface
An oil finish is
easily renewed.
Penetrating fin-
ishes like linseed
oil or tung oil don’t
protect as well as
film finishes, but
they can be sanded
away to repair
damage, and then
renewed.

finishes in particular are ineffective. Spar varnish gives some The need for protection varies by the intended location and
protection, but the standouts among clear finishes are shellac use of the piece. If you want the look of natural wood, a rarely
and polyurethane. handled piece such as a picture frame or an ornamental turning
If you do apply an effective moisture-excluding finish, be sure probably only needs a single coat of finish followed by a coat
to treat all surfaces equally. Otherwise, each side of the surface of wax. That’s enough to allow dust to be wiped off and not
will absorb and release moisture at a different rate, causing the into the grain.
boards to cup. Tabletops likely to come into contact with food and drink
need a finish that can protect the wood. Unfinished, scrubbed-
Finished wood stays cleaner pine tables were fine for the nobles who employed scullery
No piece stays looking like the day it was made. The surface gets maids, but if you’re cleaning up after yourself, you’ll find that
a slightly rough feeling, sunlight oxidizes the surface cells, and traces of red wine and ketchup are removed far more easily
hands leave oil and dirt. A clear finish can give wood varying from a durable film finish such as varnish or polyurethane.
degrees of protection against environmental damage as well as Penetrating finishes offer less protection, but minor damage
everyday wear and tear. can be repaired more easily by sanding and then wiping on

No finish is waterproof
If you live where there are wide humid-
PERCENTAGE OF MOISTURE REPELLED
ity swings between winter and summer,
you should weigh moisture control more FINISH 1 DAY 7 DAYS 14 DAYS
heavily in choosing a finish. Use this
Paste wax 17 0 0
chart to compare the moisture-repelling
properties of common finishes. Each Linseed oil 18 2 0
finish was applied in three coats on sam- Tung oil 52 6 2
ples of clear Ponderosa pine. The test
pieces—along with unfinished control Nitrocellulose lacquer 79 37 19

samples—were then kept in a controlled Spar varnish 87 53 30

environment of 80°F and 90% humidity
Shellac 91 64 42
to simulate real-world humidity changes.
Afterward, each was weighed and com- Oil-based polyurethane 90 64 44
pared against its unfinished control Oil-based paint 97 86 80
piece to gauge relative water gain.

Source: Forest Products Laboratory, U.S. Forest Service

Excerpted from Understanding Wood by R. Bruce Hoadley (The Taunton Press, 2000)

80 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Steve Scott

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fundamentals continued

Reveal depth
and beauty

Tiger maple,
in living color.
Dyes can give
your work
a full color
palette while
also enhancing
figure.

What they mean by “the finishing touch.” A clear finish transforms the wood by
enhancing contrast in the figure and emphasizing the surface luster.

another coat of finish. This easily repairable finish is suitable for highly figured wood—burls, crotches, blister, and ribbon stripe.
surfaces that won’t be subject to frequent damage by liquids. Finish increases the light/dark contrast and exaggerates the
The “easily” is relative when compared to repairing a film shimmer, or chatoyance.
finish: It is still quite a lot of work to sand out the damage and Applying a finish also increases the contrast between light
apply new finish to the damaged area and possibly the whole and dark woods, whether it is walnut drawer pulls, wenge trim,
immediate surface, so you don’t want to do this once a month or the mahogany background to holly stringing.
to a kitchen table. Almost any other piece, including the tops of Don’t confine yourself to clear coats: Dyes can really put the
occasional tables (especially in an adults-only house), will be tiger in tiger maple, while bright dyes help blister and quilt-
fine with a penetrating finish. figured maple to jump out.

Enhance wood’s beauty Finishing outdoor furniture

Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but even those who Whether to finish an outside piece is rather like deciding whether
hate finishing must have had that moment of pleasure when the to dye your hair. You can either accept going gray, or you can
first coat of finish lights up the wood. The impact is greatest with apply dye/finish on a regular basis. In both cases, make the

Outdoors:
To finish
or not?
Two ways to survive
the great outdoors.
To finish his outdoor
furniture, Sean
Clarke applies mul-
tiple layers of epoxy
sealer and marine
varnish. Or you could
take Hank Gilpin’s
approach and apply
no finish at all.

82 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, this page (top and bottom left): Mark Schofield
 READER SERVICE NO. 35 READER SERVICE NO. 37

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 83

fundamentals continued

Some woods finish themselves choice and then stick with it; neither gray roots nor an outdoor
piece with peeling finish are attractive.
A finished outdoor piece is much easier to keep clean and dry.
After a day of rain, you can wipe it with a cloth or a towel and
you have a surface ready for those white trousers or dresses. An
unfinished piece will stay damp for hours or even days after a
good soaking and will grow lichen, moss, etc.
Outdoor finishes not only need to withstand the elements
but also must allow for far more wood movement than interior
finishes. The answer is to use a durable yet flexible finish. Apply
many layers of a marine varnish, particularly on end grain.
Immediately repair any damage before water can get under the
finish, and when the surface loses its shine, apply another coat.
If you wait until the finish has begun to crack and peel, the only
solution is to go back to bare wood and begin again.
For those determined not to apply a finish, a durable outdoor
wood such as teak, white oak, or cedar will give you years of
good service before weathering starts to weaken it. You can
also avoid finishing some dense, oily tropical hardwoods such
as cocobolo or rosewood. Sand them to a high grit and then
buff them (on a buffing wheel for small objects) and they’ll
retain a medium luster. •

Mark Schofield is the managing editor (and has accepted going gray).
Easy option for tropical woods. Dense, oily woods like cocobolo absorb
less moisture and can be sanded and buffed to a high polish.

Timely, shop-tested advice on new projects,

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84 FINE wOOdwOrkINg
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Q&A
Dos and don’ts
of fence alignment
Q: Should a tablesaw fence be set
parallel to the blade or angled slightly
away from the back of the blade?
— B r a D a n D r e w S , Independence, Mo.

A: I don’t thInk It matters; just don’t toe Align the fence to the blade. It should be parallel to prevent burning and to keep chips and
it in toward the blade. I recently checked dust from being thrown up toward you.
the four saws in our shop, and found that
two had fences parallel and two had fences Stay clean Fence should be skewed away no more
toed out. All four work just fine. However, and get than 1 ⁄ 32 in., measured from the miter
the fence should not be skewed more better cutS track at the back edge of the table.

than 1 ⁄32 in. away from the blade. If it’s When the fence
skewed more than that, the blade, rather is parallel to the
than the fence, will guide the workpiece, blade (or angled
slightly outward),
pulling it away from the fence, and that’s
the back of the
a dangerous situation you want to avoid. blade doesn’t cut
Also, to prevent the blade from throwing the workpiece,
up chips, burning the stock, and lifting so chips won’t
the workpiece off the table or jamming be thrown up
dangerously against the splitter, the fence toward you and
the board is less
should never be angled toward the blade.
likely to burn.
—Contributing editor Steve Latta teaches
woodworking at Thaddeus Stevens College
in Lancaster, Pa.

Use wide boards best-side up

Q: I’d like to make A: there’s no need to rIp the boards
a tabletop from narrower, and there’s no need to
some wide boards. alternate the direction of the growth
I’ve heard that wider rings. I’ve routinely glued up 12-in.-
boards are more wide boards for tabletops for 40
prone to cupping. years without any problems. And I
Should I rip the always face the best side of every
wide boards down board out, where it will be seen,
and reglue them, regardless of whether the growth
alternating the rings turn up or down. However,
direction of their a wide top definitely needs to
growth rings up and be attached to aprons, cleats, or
then down? breadboard ends to help keep it flat. The beauty of big boards. Put their best sides up, even if that means
—Jim StaSkal, —Christian Becksvoort is a the directions of the growth rings don’t alternate. Aprons, cleats, and
Waunakee, Wis. contributing editor. breadboard ends provide enough stability to keep the top flat.

86 FINE woodworkINg Photos, except where noted: staff; this page (bottom): dennis griggs
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Q&A continued

STANDARD ROUTER CUT CLIMB CUT

Climb cut is challenging,

but gives great results
Q: I’m routing A: THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THE TEAROUT
rabbets for a is that the bit is cutting against the
cabinet that I’m grain. To get around that problem,
building, but I keep use a climb cut.
getting severe Standard practice is to rout against a
tearout. What can I bit’s direction of rotation. A climb cut is
do to avoid it? the opposite, routing in the same direc-
—JOHN M C COMBE, tion as the rotation. The benefit of climb
Pittsburgh, Pa. cuts is that they leave a very clean cut,
even on woods prone to tearout. That’s
the only reason I use them.
Because the bit’s rotation can increase
how quickly the router moves through
the cut, climb cuts should be made only
with a handheld router, small-diameter
bits, and shallow cuts (the problem be-
comes more severe as the diameter of
the bit and depth of cut increase). If the
router isn’t carefully controlled, you can A standard cut works best Climb cut eliminates tearout.
lose control of it very quickly. Also, the for waste removal. For safety Clamp the workpiece to a bench
workpiece should be clamped to a stable and speed, remove most of the and feed the router carefully so
surface, like a workbench. waste when cutting a rabbet in it doesn’t get away from you.
—Gregory Paolini is a professional woods prone to tearout. Feed Take a shallow pass, feeding
the router in the opposite direc- the router in the direction of the
furniture maker in Waynesville, N.C.
tion to the bit’s rotation. bit’s rotation.

Tips for finding the best lumber

Q: I’ve noticed that A: YOU WON’T ALWAYS FIND GREAT BOARDS in
the projects in Fine the regular stacks at a local lumberyard,
Woodworking are so it pays to explain to a lumberyard
made from beautiful employee the types of boards you’re
boards. What’s the after. They might direct you to where
secret to finding wide boards are kept separately, or tell
them? you when the next delivery is arriving so
—CARL D. WILLIAMS, you’ll get first pick of the boards.
Centerville, Ohio If they don’t have exactly what you
want, there’s a good chance they know
where to get it. They may know of saw-
mills that sell locally harvested woods.
Local mills are a great place to find
unique lumber, like an entire tree
sequentially cut into boards.
Finally, buy from lumberyards in a
tree’s native area. When I wanted
some madrone, I called lumber deal-
ers in the Pacific Northwest, because
that’s where it grows. It wasn’t long un- Ask and ye shall receive. The brown oak and cherry boards at left (top,
til I found boards that made me happy. middle) were found by asking for a second stack to scour. The madrone
—Matt Kenney is an associate editor. (bottom board) was bought from a dealer in Oregon, where it grows.

88 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Kelly J. Dunton

Recipe for a homemade stain
Q: I can’t find a A: Artist’s oil pigments come
ready-made stain in A huge rAnge of colors, but
the exact color you also can customize your
I want, so I’ve exact color by blending two Add artist’s oil pigments to half of the Mix the oil and pigments. Mash
decided to make or more. First, mix two parts Danish oil. Because the pigments are oil- the pigments with a cheap brush to
one. Do you have Danish oil with one part pig- based, they mix evenly with the Danish oil. break them down and dissolve them
any advice on how ment. Then add another two in the oil.
to do that? parts of Danish oil and mix.
—Max GurneManz , Test on a scrap board and
Kensington, Md. adjust as needed until you get
the color you’re after. When
you’re satisfied, strain the
mixture through a fine mesh
paint filter to remove any
leftover lumps of pigment. As
with any stain, apply this one
over a washcoat of shellac if
the wood is prone to blotch-
Test stain on a scrap. After adding the
ing, like cherry or pine.
remaining oil, wipe some of the stain on an
—Finishing expert Peter offcut from the project to see how it looks.
Gedrys is a frequent Filter to remove undissolved pigments and
contributor. stray bristles.

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November/December 2010 89
master class
Traditional
upholstery
TIME-TESTED TOOLS AND MATERIALS STILL GIVE
THE BEST RESULTS, AND ANYONE CAN DO IT

B Y W . M I C K E Y C A L L A H A N

M
any woodworkers hesitate to
build a chair, particularly a
period version, because of the
upholstered seat. They think the
options are either shopmade
with foam rubber, which won’t
look correct, or an expensive professional job.
But you can do the job yourself using traditional
materials in a time-tested way. Basic upholstery
tools cost around $60, the materials can be bought
online, and the techniques are easily learned. The
result will look and feel authentic and last a lifetime.

The frame is the foundation

The seat frame anchors all the upholstery.
While it can be constructed from any
medium-density hardwood, ash works AN UPHOLSTERED SEAT, UNCOVERED
best because it is strong and holds Cotton muslin is stretched
upholstery tacks firmly. You can use tightly over the batting.
The finish fabric
mortise-and-tenon joinery or, as in this should be hard-
case, bridle joints. The frame is 21⁄ 2 in. wearing and
wide; the outer dimensions depend on designed for
upholstery.
the thickness of the outer fabric. A 3⁄ 32-in.
clearance between the frame and the
chair rails is fine for most fabrics, but
Multiple layers
leather will require a larger gap. of cotton batting
The frame should extend 1⁄4 in. above determine the height
the chair rail, but put an 8° to 10° bevel or loft of the seat.
on the top outside edge. Starting even
with the chair rail, the bevel creates
a transition from the upholstered seat Rubberized horsehair
provides a dense bottom
to the chair frame and helps reduce layer of padding.
wear on the upholstery fabric, as does
Interwoven jute
rounding over the frame’s outside edges. webbing stretched
tightly across the Ash makes for a
Black cambric fabric
seat frame provides strong seat frame
Mickey Callahan is a period furniture maker finishes the underside
and holds tacks well.
some give. of the seat.
in Bellingham, Mass.

90 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Mark Schofield

Step 1: Weave a web

Tack and fold. Cut off a strip of webbing about 6 in. longer than the width Stretch and tack. Stretch the webbing across the frame using a web-
of the frame. Tack down one end just inside the bevel using five #6 tacks, bing stretcher. The webbing should be tight but not enough to distort
staggering the tacks slightly to avoid splitting the wood. Fold the webbing the frame. Anchor this end of the webbing in a similar way with another
over the tacked end to create a double layer, and tack this down as well, double row of tacks. The magnetic-tipped hammer allows you to pick up
interspacing the tacks with the first set. the tacks while one hand holds the stretcher.

Step 2: Add horsehair

Tack and trim. Apply a layer of rubberized

Over and under. When attaching the side-to- horsehair padding following the outline of the
side webbing, go over and under the front-to- seat. Secure the horsehair with two #3 tacks
back webbing to create a weave. per side and then use scissors to slightly round
over the top edges.

Step 3: Lay on the batting

Start in the middle. Peel apart some 1-in.-thick Move outward. Add progressively larger squares Cover the edging. The third or fourth piece of
cotton batting and place a ½-in.-thick piece in of ½-in.-thick batting. Pull the edges to feather batting should reach the contoured edges of the
the center. Stop 2 in. from the edge. them down onto the rubberized horsehair. rubberized horsehair.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 91
master class continued

Step 4: Stretch and fit the muslin

Tack lightly. Cut the muslin so it extends 6 in. Check the fit and finish. Look at the seat, and If it looks good, you can move on. Once
beyond the frame on all sides. Lightly stretch it sit on it to determine if cotton batting needs to satisfied, place the seat facedown. With the
over the padding and secure it with one #3 tack be added or removed. muslin held tightly, remove one of the tacks
centered on the bottom of each frame piece. using a tack lifter.

Stretch and tack lightly. Stretch the muslin, making sure there are no wrinkles along the edge of Pound them in. Drive the tacks home once you
the frame. Apply three tacks, working out from the center. Don’t drive them home. Go around the are satisfied that the muslin fits tight without
frame, working evenly out from the center of each side, keeping the muslin evenly stretched and wrinkles. Then place a tack on either side of an
wrinkle-free. imaginary diagonal line from each corner.

Finish with the corners. Pull the flap of muslin Tack it. Holding the flap tight, secure it with two Then trim it. Cut away the excess fabric inside
out and away from a corner. or three more tacks. the line of tacks.

92 FINE woodworkINg
 How to fit a seat frame
Step 5: Cover with the finish fabric to a curved chair
On a seat whose rails are not straight,
such as the corner chair featured on
pp. 62-69, you’ll need to transfer the
chair’s shape to the seat frame. Place
the frame on top of the front rails with
the back sides about 3 ⁄ 32 in. away from
the back rails. Trace the profile of the
front rails onto the underside of the
frame and cut this out on the bandsaw.
Now use a marking gauge to draw a line
½ in. inside this curve and head back
over to the bandsaw. Test the fit until
there is an even gap between the frame
The top layer. Don’t stretch the finish fabric as tightly Pull to remove wrinkles. Ensure that
and the chair rails. Ease all the edges
as the muslin. Use longer #4 tacks, and make sure the wrinkles are eliminated, particularly
weave and any pattern are oriented correctly. at the corners. and chamfer the top front edges.

Matching curves. Transfer the curve of the

chair rails to the underside of the slip-seat
frame.

Trim the excess. Cut away surplus fabric to leave the underside of the frame as flat as possible.

SOURCES
O F S U P P LY
The upholstery tools and
materials can be found at
upholsterysupplies.com
For one seat frame, you will need
2 to 3 yds. of 3½-in.-wide jute
webbing, several feet of rubberized
horsehair padding, 1 to 2 yds.
of 1-in.-thick cotton batting, and
2 to 3 ft. of cotton muslin, black
cambric, and your choice of finish
fabric. Upholstery or blue tacks
work better than staples because
you can partially sink them and Cut twice, scribe once. After bandsawing
then remove them if the upholstery the line you just drew, scribe a parallel line
material needs moving. You’ll need Hide your work. To finish, tack or staple down black ½ in. to the inside and saw it, too.
#3, #4, and #6 sizes.
fabric to hide and protect the webbing and padding.

www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 93

WOODWORKERS MART See ad index on page 96 for reader service number.

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94 FINE woodworkINg
WOODWORKERS MART See ad index on page 96 for reader service number.

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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com November/December 2010 95
 Keep your Fine Woodworking Go online for product information
back issues looking brand new.
Store your treasured copies of Fine Woodworking Find our advertisers’ web sites
in slipcases for easy reference again and again!
Bound in dark blue and embossed in gold, each case
quickly and easily on our online
holds more than a year’s worth of Fine Woodworking. Advertiser Index at
Only $8.95 ($24.95 for 3, $49.95 for 6).
Plus shipping and handling. Payable in U.S. funds.
www.finewoodworking.com
To place an order using your credit card,
call 1-800-888-8286.
Outside the U.S. and Canada call 1-203-426-8171. w
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Use reader service card - inside back cover.
For quick access to their websites, go to ADVERTISER INDEX at www.finewoodworking.com
Reader Reader Reader Reader
Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page # Service No. ADVERTISER, page #

12 Adria Toolworks, Inc., p. 95 16 Cook Woods, p. 94 3 JDS Company, p. 27 RadarCarve.net, p. 21

4 Affinity Tool Works, p. 21 50 Corradi Gold, p. 11 7 Red Hill Corporation, p. 19

Akeda Jig, p. 27 78 Kay Industries, p. 13 65 Rockler Woodworking and

47 Allred & Associates, Inc., p. 95 39 Eagle Woodworking, p. 94 27 Keller & Company, p. 94 Hardware, p. 9
9 Anderson Ranch Arts Center, p. 95 21 Epilog Laser, p. 79 25 Kreg Tool Company, p. 3 66 Rockler Woodworking and

8 Apollo Sprayers, p. 13 Exotic Wood Veneer Plus, p. 94 Hardware, p. 99

44 Laguna Tools, p. 3 70 Rosewood Studio, p. 25

48 Banner Hill School of 30 Felder Group USA, p. 11 82 Laguna Tools, p. 85 Router Bits Online, p. 95
Woodworking, p. 94 Fine Woodworking Online Leigh Industries, p. 12 53 RouterBits.com, p. 17

74 The Beall Tool Co., p. 95 Store, p. 87 Leigh Industries, p. 85

Berea Hardwoods Co., p. 3 Fine Woodworking Survey, p. 89 79 Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, p. 19 57 SawStop, p. 9

52 Berkshire Products, p. 95 FineWoodworking.com, p. 84 10 Lignomat, p. 13 14 Scherr’s Cabinet & Doors,

46 Bowclamp, p. 95 24 Forrest Manufacturing, p. 25 31 Luthiers Mercantile Intl. Inc., p. 79

Building Drawers, p. 27 45 The Furniture Institute of Co., p. 94 Scott Horsburgh Fine
Massachusetts, p. 94 Furniture, p. 11
55 CMT USA, Inc., p. 13 Furnituremaking 29 M.L. Condon Company, p. 94 6 Screw Products, p. 94

58 C.R. Muterspaw Lumber, p. 94 Workshops, p. 95 Makers-Marks, p. 94 34 Stanley Works, p. 15

67 Cabinetparts.com, p. 94

Center For Furniture 61 Gary M. Katz, p. 17 22 Northwest Woodworking 37 Titebond Wood Glue, p. 83

Craftsmanship, p. 21 11 Goby Walnut Products, p. 95 Studio, p. 95

15 Certainly Wood, p. 95 23 Gorilla Wood Glue, p. 19 49 Vacuum Pressing Systems, p. 9

80 Chidwick School of Fine 51 Groff & Groff Lumber, p. 94 26 Oneida Air Systems, p. 79

Woodworking, p. 94 81 Guillemot Kayaks, p. 94 32 Osborne Wood Products, p. 25 38 Whitechapel, Ltd., p. 9

68 Classic Designs by Matthew 13 Woodcraft Supply, p. 2

Burak, p. 9 35 Hearne Hardwoods, Inc., p. 83 63 Peck Tool Company, p. 95 19 Woodmaster Tools, p. 21

73 College of the Redwoods, p. 95 75 Highland Woodworking, p. 19 69 Phase-A-Matic, Inc., p. 17 28 Wood-Mizer, p. 95

The Complete Illustrated Guides 1 Highland Woodworking, p. 25 42 Philadelphia Furniture 72 Woodrat, p. 25

on CD, p. 81 Workshop, p. 94 43 Woodworkers Source, p. 95

83 Connecticut Valley School of Infinity Cutting Tools, p. 9 36 Powermatic, p. 7 60 Woodworker’s Supply, p. 11

Woodworking, p. 17 64 Inside Passage School of Fine 59 Woodworker’s Supply, p. 21

5 Contempo Living, p. 95 Woodworking, p. 19 Quality Vakuum Products, p. 17

96 FINE woodworkINg
CLASSIFIED
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min. Orders must be accompanied by pay- WOOD AND TOOL EXCHANGE
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www.finewoodworking.com/classified Deadline for C. Lowe. Catalog $3. (978) 922-0615. 116 Water Street, Summer-76, 14-200, 6 missing issues in this series. $325
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www.fi newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 97

how they did it
Joinery for the ages B Y A N I S S A K A P S A L E S

D
avid Haig has been making
his sinuous rocker (see the
GUSSETED
back cover) for 20 years. And Rather than putting
just as he seamlessly blends the back leg directly
into the arm, Haig
the use of machines and hand
reinforces the joint
tools, he also balances delicate, by creating a gusset
graceful lines with remarkable strength and that sits in a mortise
in the arm.
durability. He sweeps one perfect curve
into the next as he merges the design
with joinery that has proven itself
over decades.

SCREWED AND PLUGGED

The back-leg-to-seat joint
NOTCHED is reinforced with a #12
Before the seat is shaped, a router dome-head screw and then
with a ½-in. straight cutter and a plugged. Haig does the final
simple jig are used to create the shaping with a Japanese
curved notches in the seat that whittling knife after the joint
accept the back legs. is cut and fit.

MORTISED
The rocker-to-seat joint
is like a cantilevered
spring. An angled
mortise houses the
rocker part. Haig says
he can put his full BISCUITED
weight on just the seat The rocker and back
and rockers when they legs meet in a point
are fitted and glued. and are joined with a
single biscuit. Haig
uses a V-chisel to
add a fine cross-
hatching on the
mating surfaces
and epoxies it all in

Online Extra place.

To see a video of David

Haig bending the wood
and cutting the joinery
for this chair in his LAMINATED
New Zealand shop, go Where the rocker curls under the seat and sits
to FineWoodworking in the housing, the curve is too tight to create
.com/extras. from a single steam-bent piece. Instead, three
pieces cut from the steam-bent rocker stock are
laminated and epoxied to the rocker.

Drawings: John Tetreault;

98 FINE WOODWORKING photo: Daniel Allen
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READER SERVICE NO. 66
 Dream Rocker
David Haig had been restoring antiques and making furniture for about
a decade when he took a year off in 1990 to help a friend build a house.
Away from his furniture shop and tools, he felt a “creative itch” and began
sketching a new rocking chair full of swooping and coiling curves. But he
couldn’t resolve the design. “It kept eluding me like a half-remembered
dream,” he says. Then one day, with one quick stroke, he drew a line
that swept from the tail end of the rocker to the underside of the arm. He
had found his signature chair. When he got back home, he spent three
months teaching himself to steam-bend wood and then began building
the prototype.
Born in Malaysia, schooled in England, and now settled beside a bay
near the city of Nelson, New Zealand, Haig has traced quite a path across
the globe. But he can hardly compete with his rockers: They’ve gone to
15 countries on four continents. Haig still relishes building the challeng-
ing chair. “After you make a few hundred,” he says, “you get pretty good
at it.” The rocker on this page is air-dried English sycamore, but Haig also
makes them in English ash, English walnut, and European beech.

—Jonathan Binzen

Photos: Daniel Allen

How They Did It Turn to p. 98 for details on how Haig shapes Pro Portfolio To see and hear more about Haig and his work, watch
the parts of this chair and joins them together. an audio slide show at FineWoodworking.com/extras.