Dec. 2022 No.

299

TAU N T O N ’ S
•Handheld routing

•Benchtop vise

•Folding tabletop

•Off-center turning

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

Shaker chest, p. 26
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 Te a c h • I n s p i r e • C o n n e c t

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 ■ ISSUE 299

SHOPMADE
VISE 44

34 HANDHELD
ROUTING TIPS

FOLDING
TABLETOP 58
features
26 Shaker Chest with a Side Drawer 44 Get a Grip with a Moxon Vise
COVER
STORY Manageable size and smart technique Elevate your workholding with this traditional
make this a fun and rewarding project twin-screw feature
BY CHRISTIAN BECKSVOORT B Y M I K E FA R R I N G T O N

34 Safe, Accurate Handheld Routing 52 Learn Offset Turning

Tips for getting the most from this essential Mount the workpiece off-center to create
power tool elliptical and triangular parts on the lathe
B Y B O B VA N DY K E BY BETH IRELAND

58 Folding Tabletop
An uncommon way to maximize your table area
Tablet editions free to subscribers
Magazine content, plus searchability and interactive B Y S T E V E L AT TA
extras. Download the app at FineWoodworking.com/
apps. Access is free with your print subscription or
FineWoodworking.com online membership.

Cover photo: Anissa Kapsales

in every issue
6 On the Web

8 Contributors

10 Letters

12 Workshop Tips
■ Refresh the zero-clearance
surfaces on your crosscut sled
■ Wood hangers make great
push sticks

16 Tools & Materials

■ Miter gauge and fence team up
■ Trio of stones and strops

20 Designer’s Notebook
Extracting the past
GALLERY:
DRESSING TABLE 72
66 Gallery

74 Master Class 14 DRAFTING-

SQUARE TIP

Add a leather surface to a table

82 From the Bench

My mentor, Mr. Scriven

Back Cover
A sideboard
cloaked in
Osgood oak 20
EGYPTIAN
STOOL

17
CYCLONE
SEPARATOR

TOPPING A TABLE
WITH LEATHER 74
 Our Unlimited membership provides
exclusive access to a dynamic menu of
woodworking talent, techniques, and
Online extras
projects—combining our print subscription Visit finewoodworking.com/299

UNLIMITED with our online membership—all for $99

a year. For details on all the benefits, go to
finewoodworking.com/members.

Making it
in the market
Looking to start selling
your wares at a local
market? You might want
to listen to the sage
advice of Adam Godet,
who sells thousands of
small goods every year. VIDEO
Hammer it home
Steve Latta veneers his folding-top table (p. 58)
using a vacuum pump. In the pre-industrial age, the
task was likely done by hammer veneering, and in
this video Steve will show you how.

VIDEO
Hand-routed
letters
Larissa Huff doesn’t
let the lack of a CNC
machine get in her
way. All it takes is
a good router, the
right bit, and lots of
practice.

VIDEO
Offset turning
Additional perks of Unlimited Beth Ireland (p. 52) shows how to make turned
parts like legs or boxes with an elliptical cross-
ONLINE ARCHIVES FREE PROJECT PLANS section, or even a triangular one.
Get on-demand access to the As a member, you can search
complete Fine Woodworking our entire digital plan library
magazine archive. That’s more to find just the project you’re VIDEO
than 1,900 in-depth articles! looking for. What exactly is a climb cut?
Climb cutting when routing can be confusing. In this
VIDEO WORKSHOP video we try to clear up the confusion and show
some tips for identifying a climb cut and avoiding it.
Shaker candle stand
He’s built dozens of round Shaker stands over four
decades, so there is no one more qualified than Christian
Becksvoort to demonstrate making this classic. In this
seven-part video series, you’ll learn how to:
SHOP TALK L VE
● Turn the wine-bottle post LISTEN UP, LISTEN IN
● Shape the legs, softening the edges with Tune in to our biweekly podcast for lively
a lathe-mounted sanding drum conversations about the craft with our staff
● Hand-cut dovetails to attach the legs to the post
and other experts. Listen on iTunes, or watch
it on YouTube or at FineWoodworking.com/
● Add a beautiful hand-rubbed finish with oil and varnish shop-talk-live.

6 FINE WOODWORKING
contributors
It’s pretty much established fact
that among Fine Woodworking’s
staff, John Tetreault (deputy art Editor and Michael Pekovich
Creative Director
director and illustrator) is, hands
down, the nicest. And that’s saying Deputy Editor Jonathan Binzen
a lot, really, because we think
Deputy Art Director John Tetreault
we are all pretty nice. An artist
and woodworker who grew up in Senior Editor Anissa Kapsales
Granby, Mass., John spends a lot of Associate Editor Barry NM Dima
time working with unconventional
Managing Editor/ Elizabeth Knapp
and reclaimed woods, and
Production
upgrading the farmhouse he shares
with his wife, Meyesa, and children Eloise (8), Jude (5), Petros (2), and Phoebe Administrative Assistant Betsy Engel

(1). When asked what he’s working on right now, he said, “Patience. Oh, and an Editor, Ben Strano
addition to our little farmhouse.” FineWoodworking.com fw-web@taunton.com
Assistant Digital Editor KT Kaminski
Social Media Coordinator Kara Demos
Manager, Video Studio Jeff Roos
Beth Ireland (“Learn Offset Turning”) turns wood, builds
furniture and stringed instruments, and makes sculpture in St.
Petersburg, Fla. After graduating with a degree in illustration, Contributing Editors:
she took a job in Boston as a carpenter and soon became Christian Becksvoort, Garrett Hack,
a cabinetmaker, furniture maker, and architectural turner. Roland Johnson, Steve Latta, Michael Fortune,
She still turns professionally and teaches turning widely. Chris Gochnour, Bob Van Dyke

Working with her hands, she says, “saved my life. It’s like my
FWW Ambassadors:
meditation; it’s allowed me to maneuver in the world.” Michael Cullen, Mike Farrington,
Megan Fitzpatrick, Aspen Golann, Nancy Hiller,
Matt Monaco, Philip Morley
KT Kaminski, assistant digital editor for Finewoodworking
.com, lives in New Haven, Conn., and helps facilitate blog
posts, online extras, and video content. As a lifelong artist and Fine Woodworking: (ISSN: 0361-3453) is published
writer, branching out into new mediums comes as second bimonthly, with a special seventh issue in the winter, by
nature to KT, and their venture into the world of woodworking The Taunton Press, Inc., Newtown, CT 06470-5506.
Telephone 203-426-8171. Periodicals postage paid at
is no different. Coupled with a penchant for art history, KT Newtown, CT 06470 and at additional mailing offices.
finds a particular fascination in sculpture, marquetry, hand GST paid registration #123210981.
carving, inlay techniques and patterns, and the philosophy Subscription Rates: U.S., $34.95 for one year, $59.95
behind green woodworking. for two years, $83.95 for three years. Canada, $36.95
for one year, $63.95 for two years, $89.95 for three
years (GST included, payable in U.S. funds). Outside the
U.S./Canada: $48 for one year, $84 for two years, $120
for three years (payable in U.S. funds). Single copy U.S.,
Paul Bouchard (Designer’s Notebook: “Extracting the past”)
$12.99. Single copy Canada, $14.99.
grew up in Southern Ontario with a love for drawing that
Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5);
eventually led to a career in animation. Several years ago, the NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address
examination of a friend’s antique dresser sparked an interest in corrections to Fine Woodworking, PO Box 37610, Boone, IA,
hand-tool work and the construction/design choices that follow 50037-0610.

from it. Like a lot of hobbyists, he enjoys making furniture in Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian addresses
to Fine Woodworking, c/o Worldwide Mailers, Inc.,
Shaker and other period styles. Finding comparatively little 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON N8T 3B7.
detailed documentation of Egyptian furniture construction, he’s
Printed in the USA
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8 FINE WOODWORKING
 Shaper Studio
simplifies
CNC design
INTUITIVE PROGRAM
IS TAILOR-MADE FOR
TRADITIONAL WOODWORKERS

W
hile most woodworkers can appreciate the
power and potential of Shaper Origin, the
world’s first handheld CNC router, some may
doubt their ability to create the precise shapes
and cutting paths they need on a separate
computer. While basic shapes can be drawn
directly on Origin, more complex designs have required separate
CAD or drawing programs in the past, fueling anxiety for some
potential customers.
While these third-party programs can be very powerful and
effective, most are not designed for woodworking specifically,
nor Origin for that matter.
Shaper Studio is a simple, intuitive 2D design tool that focuses
on the features woodworkers need most. Basic shapes and
cutting offsets can be created in minutes, and a powerful new
tool called ShapeShifter makes it easy to combine those shapes
into more complex cutting paths. Studio also includes a massive
library of fonts and icons. Powerful team. Combined with the Shaper Origin router and Shaper
Workstation, Studio brings boundless digital capability to woodworkers of
Once a design is created in Studio, it’s transmitted instantly to
all backgrounds.
Origin via Wi-Fi. By the way, that ability to sync instantly with

Origin is the same for the thousands of projects and hundreds

Digital design
of Shaper-vetted hardware templates in Shaper’s online resource
made easy. Studio
is a simple design library, called ShaperHub.
tool that works on Because Studio is a web-based tool, woodworkers can use it
any device, and on any device, from a smart phone to a desktop computer.
syncs instantly with While there will always be a place for more complex
the Origin router. designs, Studio can quickly produce the vast majority of cuts a
With Studio, a woodworker will need. “A lot of us work on computers all day,”
woodworker can
says Adi Rao, Shaper’s product manager. “The point of Shaper
quickly design the
joinery, profiles, and Studio is to spend less time fussing with a computer and more
parts they need, time making things.”
upload them directly Access to the full version of Studio is $99 a year. A 14-day
to the Origin, and free trial lets users take it for a spin, and a “Lite” version
get to work. of the product is available for free. To learn more, visit
shapertools.com/studio.

@SHAPERTOOLS SHARE YOUR SHAPER PROJECTS #SHAPERMADE

SPONSORED CONTENT SHAPERTOOLS.COM
letters
From the Editor
Remembering Nancy R. Hiller: woodworker, designer, writer, friend

As I sit here striking these keys, it’s been a mere 24 hours creatively, managing one obstacle at a time, learning, teaching
since I learned my dear friend Nancy Hiller died. It is hard, and advocating, exuding grace through it all.
right now, to find the words to pay tribute to her, though given I was intimidated by Nancy when I started out as an editor
weeks or even months, it wouldn’t be easier. As word of Nancy’s in 2006. I was assigned to work with her on the article “Arts &
passing spreads, social media has been full of posts about her. Crafts Wall Shelf.” It would be my first (mostly) solo assignment,
The outpouring of remembrances, anecdotes, love, and words and I would be traveling to Nancy’s shop. On the phone with
of admiration is not a surprise. The sheer volume of it, though, her it was clear I was out of my intellectual league and every
overwhelms me. I hope it gives Nancy’s family and friends other league I cared about. She was talented, educated, and
much comfort to know how many people she has impacted articulate, and she could woodwork circles around most other
in such profound ways. I’m also grateful and struck by the pros. She could write quite well, had ridiculous design skills,
kindness of our woodworking community, the genuine love and and was clearly going to be on top of her deadlines. I was a
support being offered from so many directions. nervous newbie editor/photographer. When I arrived for the
Some of what I say now I will borrow from shoot, Nancy was all I expected and more. She
what I wrote in a Lost Art Press blog, published was kind, thoughtful, very well prepared, humble,
in May 2022. If you are reading this, you likely professional, accommodating, hilarious, and had an
already know of Nancy. For decades she ease about her that started things off on the right
plugged away in a calling where it is difficult foot. We began a long path of friendship that has
to succeed professionally. She wrote countless grown steadily deeper since. We made our way
articles showing how to make gorgeous pieces through that shoot and article and today, almost 16
of furniture, wrote books about designing and years later, we’ve done about a dozen more. I often
woodworking and life, and was a woodworking wonder if I had been paired with a different author
social media icon. She taught, lectured around on that first shoot whether I would have made it
the country, and blogged about the realities, joys, trials, and past the first year in a job with quite a steep learning curve.
every other aspect of the woodworking life you can imagine. Nancy was known for her smile and that fantastic laugh of
Through her blogs on FineWoodworking.com and on Lost Art hers, and it was my pleasure to capture both every time we
Press, Nancy introduced us all to each other. Naturally curious, worked together! She was never stingy with either, even in the
interested, and sincere, she had a remarkable knack for midst of doing the hard work of staying alive. My heart is heavy
seeking out the fascinating aspects of people’s lives and writing with the loss, but I am honored to have had Nancy Hiller in my
eloquently about them, bringing us together. life. I will always love and be in awe of her.
Nancy paved the way for aspiring woodworkers, authors, I’m going to go out on a limb that muddles the lines between
women in woodworking, and designers. But these last three science, the mystical, and religion. I don’t claim to know what
years, in addition to doing all that, she illuminated a dark path happens next. I do know that energy can be neither created nor
for anybody who struggles—so, all of us. In the same strong, destroyed—only transformed. Wherever Nancy’s limitless energy
determined, and steady way that she moved through her career, is, I hope she is feeling all the love pouring toward her.
Nancy confronted her pancreatic cancer diagnosis, thinking —Anissa Kapsales, senior editor

10 FINE WOODWORKING
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workshop tips Pocket for fence insert, 1⁄4 in. deep
by roughly 3 in. wide by 31⁄4 in. tall,
positioned to accommodate blade
angles between 90° and 45°
Fence insert, hardwood
or MDF, held in with
brass screws (which
won’t damage blade)

Refresh the zero-clearance

surfaces on your Zero-clearance
crosscut sled insert strip for
base

When you make the first cut with a new

crosscut sled, you create zero-clearance Slot for base
strip, 3⁄16 in.
support around the blade, preventing deep by roughly
chipping on the bottom and back edge 11⁄8 in. wide.
of the workpiece. As time goes on, those
slots tend to get expanded by wider blades, Make slot and
bevel cuts, and so on. You can refresh the strip wider to
accommodate
zero-clearance support on the base and a dado set.
front fence by attaching sacrificial layers of
plywood or MDF using double-sided tape, but
that reduces the effective cutting height of the blade.
I built this crosscut sled a couple years back, and it addresses Double-sided tape
this problem. The sled construction is standard; where it differs
is that both the base and the front fence have replaceable Bottom of slot is soaked
with thin CA glue and
inserts. You can add these features to an existing sled.
sanded smooth, to grip
The sacrificial strip in the baseplate is held in with double- double-sided tape.
sided tape. I saturated the rabbets in the sled base (mine is
MDF) with thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue and sanded them
smooth so they’d grip the tape. To add this slot to an existing Cut a number of base
strips and fence inserts
sled, take it apart, cut rabbets along the inside edges of the to fit sled, so new ones
base, and reassemble the sled carefully. are always ready to go.
I made my insert strip wide enough to accommodate a variety
of single-blade cuts. If you want yours to accommodate a full Replace strip to refresh zero-
clearance blade slot.
dado set, you’ll need to widen it accordingly.
I make a stack of strips ahead of time, from hard maple,
Size and position
planing them to fit the slot with a little allowance for double- base strip and
sided tape, so the strip ends up flush with the top surface. fence insert to
The hardwood or MDF fence insert plate is held in a 1⁄4-in.- accommodate
cuts at both 90°
deep pocket with brass screws. To size and position the fence and 45°.
insert properly, you’ll need to make some test cuts to see
where the blade cuts at full height on your saw, both at 90° and
Mill hardwood
45°. (If you do get the positioning wrong, brass screws won’t strips to sit flush
damage the blade.) Like the base strips, I make a bunch of in slot, leaving a
fence plates ahead of time so they’re handy when I need them. little extra room
for tape.
— L EO L IT T O, Au sti n , Te x a s

Best Tip A Reward for the Best Tip

After studying industrial design and working in that
field for a few years, Leo Litto bought a small hardwood Send your original tips to fwtips@taunton.com.
lumberyard in southwest Florida and turned it into a highly We pay $100 for a published tip with illustration;
$50 for one without. The prize for this issue’s
successful architectural millwork company. When he got best tip was
tired of watching beautiful woods roll in and beautiful a Lie-Nielsen
wood products roll out, he moved to Texas to set up a Tapered
Dovetail Saw.
2,000-sq.-ft. industrial woodshop of his own, where he
builds furniture on commission.

12 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Dan Thornton

Turn any chisel into a dovetail chisel
A dovetail chisel has angled sides, letting it nestle nicely into
the corner of a dovetail socket. Standard bench chisels have
flat areas at the sides, called “lands,” which prevent them from
working all the way into the corners, and can make obvious
dents there. To turn a bench chisel into a dovetail chisel, many
folks use a bench grinder, which requires a steady hand to
produce a smooth, even result. A stationary belt sander makes
the job a lot easier. Start by creating an angled bed as shown,
using a piece of plywood. The angle of the bed should match
or exceed your favored dovetail angle. Slide the chisel forward
and back against the belt, with a light touch, and stop just as
the angled side reaches the bottom of the chisel. You’ll love
the results. For Japanese chisels, you can use a black-oxide
coating or other patina solution to turn the freshly ground
metal black.
— DER EK C OHEN, R os s moyne, Wes t er n Au stra l i a

Standard chisels have

flat sides, preventing
them from entering the
corners of dovetails.

Add an angled table

to a stationary belt
sander.

Slide a standard bench

chisel forward and back,
using a light touch, to bevel
the sides down to a point.

Newly ground chisel fits

nicely into dovetail sockets.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 13
workshop tips continued
Headboard panel,
solid wood Upper and lower mortises
are elongated, as are
peg holes in tenons, and
The breadboard headboard tenons are not glued.

I decided to build a Shaker-style bed with a

traditional headboard. This presents a cross-grain
joinery challenge where the panel attaches
to the posts, and opinions differ on how to
solve it. It occurred to me that I could attach
the posts the same way breadboard ends are
Elongate holes
attached: using multiple mortise-and-tenon without making
joints, with pegs passing through elongated them wider.
holes, drawing the parts tightly together but
allowing the panel to expand and contract
with changes in humidity. In this case, the center
tenon is glued and pegged through standard holes
to lock it in place. The upper and lower peg holes are
Center tenon is
elongated, as are the mortises for those tenons, and the tenons glued and pegged
are not glued, letting them shift slightly inside the legs. The peg into its mortise.
Legs
holes can be offset to help draw the parts together, or not. My
breadboard headboard is as solid now as when I built it.
— P HIL GA UDIO, Wes t S im sb u r y, C o n n .

Break or cut
apart a wood
coat hanger. Wood coat hangers make great push sticks
To make long, comfortable push
sticks in minutes, break apart a wood
coat hanger and cut notches in the
parts. The curved end fits the hand
beautifully. This type of push stick
works well on several machines, but the
shark-fin type with a long lower edge is
Notch the tips of These fit the hand better for the tablesaw.
the arms to create nicely, and work well —G E R A R D G I L B O E , Ro ya l O a k, Mi ch .
push sticks. on the bandsaw.

Framing buttons make drafting square

more versatile Standard drafting square

A drafting square is designed to slide along the

parallel bar on a drafting table, and it does that job
well. Try to use it for layout on real workpieces,
however, and you might find it hard to line up
the square with the edge of the board. The simple
solution is a pair of stair-gauge buttons, designed for
framing squares. They attach nicely to your plastic
drafting squares, turning them into excellent layout
tools for woodworking.
— ROB HA R E, Uls t er Par k , N.Y. Square registers accurately
Attach stair-
on the edge of workpieces,
gauge buttons
letting you draw long, precise
to the edge.
lines at common angles.

14 FINE WOODWORKING
Use your rip fence to assemble boxes
It’s hard to manage large cabinet parts while joining them with
glues, screws, nails, or biscuits. To control the parts of any
box and hold them square, try using your tablesaw and two
clamping squares as shown. Clamp one square to the rip fence
and the other to the saw table, using a straightedge to align
them with each other. Slide the rip fence to draw the parts
together, and then add nails, screws, or biscuits to complete the
assembly. There’s plenty of room to attach additional clamps.
To keep glue off the table, I don’t apply any to the bottom
1⁄2 in. of the joints. I plan to make taller clamping squares from

plywood, but my current setup works great.

— L IN DR A K E, C l ov i s, N . M.

Clamp one square to the rip fence,

and the other to the saw table, with
Plastic or metal the two parallel to each other.
clamping squares

Slide the rip fence

to hold large panels
square and stable
Attach additional for nailing, screwing,
clamps as needed. or biscuiting.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 15

tools & materials
■ACCESSORIES

Miter gauge and fence team up

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY recently to try The fence is a nice, simple idea, but
out Rockler’s new Precision Miter Gauge I should note that the telescoping arm,
and Miter Gauge Fence. The setup is when tightened, extends forward of the
simple and effective, and the gauge main fence by 0.010 in. This pushes the Easily adjustable. A spring-loaded pin
engages detents to lock the head at common
in particular works well. I used the workpiece slightly out of square. angles. For in-between angles, the pin can
miter gauge and fence in the shop for —Contributing editor Chris Gochnour be withdrawn so the knob can lock the head
several weeks, and they both performed stands behind a tablesaw anywhere within 70° left and right. The handles
dependably, whether making square cuts, in Salt Lake City. and knobs are easy to grip.
45° cuts, or miters for an octagonal frame.
All in all, the Rockler miter gauge makes
a beneficial addition to a tablesaw. The Miter gauge
fence is nice too, but with some caveats. by Rockler
$120
The guide bar was easy to tune for a
precise fit in the miter slots via four nylon Miter gauge fence
set screws. Once set, the bar tracked by Rockler
smoothly and precisely. The front face of $70
the gauge was accurately plumb.
The protractor head has detents for
accuracy. In addition to one at 90°,
there are detents at five common angles
on each side of the head. There’s also
a detent that positions the guide bar
parallel to the fence for ease of storing.
The bar even has a large hole for
hanging, making storage a snap. The
detents are not microadjustable to the
bar, but my gauge came square out of the
box anyway.
The gauge has a high-contrast
protractor scale that is easy to read and
align with the gauge’s hairline indicator.
A tall handle locks the head in various
positions. Additionally, there are knobs
for securing a sacrificial fence, meaning
all adjustments on the gauge can be
made without additional tools. An added
plus is that all the knobs and adjusters
are easy to grip.
The fence is made of lightweight
anodized aluminum. At the end of
the main fence is a short section that
telescopes out. A flip stop for setting
repeat cuts slides along the top of the
Flip stop is a convenient timesaver. With a Telescoping arm is a stretch. The fence
fence, though there is no measurement flip stop, you can alternate between squaring worked well, but not with the arm. When the
scale. Included with the fence is a the ends of boards and cutting them to equal arm was extended, it was slightly forward of
removeable melamine face for zero- length without the stop getting in the way or the main fence, interfering with square cuts.
clearance cuts. you losing your setting.

16 FINE WOODWORKING Photos, except where noted: Barry NM Dima

■SHARPENING

Trio of stones and strops

M.POWER’S SIDE BY SIDE (SBS)
diamond stones and leather
strops are a reliable
sharpening setup. The
SBS’s aluminum base
solidly holds six sharpening
Sharpening kit
surfaces, three diamond stones
by M.POWER
and three strops, and allows for
$225
efficient movement from coarse to
fine. Everything, including the strop
compounds and stone lubricant, fits into
a heavy-duty storage case.
The stones and strops measure gouges with the addition of a slipstone for me to take the stones to the tool as
3 in. wide by 8 in. long. The diamond for the inner flute. The strops and I do when I sharpen adzes, axes, and
stones’ grits are 300, 600, and 1200. compounds worked surprisingly well. drawknives.
The polishing compounds’ are 1800, The first two strops are particularly firm —Hand-tool woodworker Dave Fisher
2500, and 5000. The strops are leather to minimize rounding of the cutting gets a mirror polish in Greenville, Pa.
attached to plastic covers that slip over edge. As the finest diamond stone breaks
the diamond stones and use magnets to in and becomes finer, even less follow
stay in place. up on the strops should be required. The
I was able to quickly reshape a bevel final strop left a mirror polished surface.
on the coarsest stone, then proceed For sharpening sloyd knives, the
through the finer stages to get very good SBS does not allow good access to the
results with plane irons and chisels. The middle stone. Also, since the stones are
system also worked well for carving attached to the base, it was not possible

■DUST COLLECTION Oneida Dust

Deputy 2.5
Improved Dust Deputy $199.95

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, I have used unwieldy to empty. The kit’s six 11⁄2-in.
Oneida’s first-generation Dust Deputy casters let the unit roll easily over mats
mounted to the top of a 5-gal. plastic and cords.
bucket. It did exactly what you would The kit comes with a high-quality,
expect—separated the dust, leaving it in 51⁄2-ft.-long, crush-resistant hose to run
the bucket instead of in my expensive from the separator to your dust extractor,
dust-extractor bag. The system worked as well as a strip of foil tape to mount
great, but the unit was top heavy and to the separator if you’re worried about
therefore prone to tipping over. Even static buildup in the separator.
though I devised workarounds, I still One downside to the metal barrel is
sometimes avoided using it to spare that there is no visual indicator that the
myself the hassle. barrel is full.
In contrast, Oneida’s new Dust Deputy Oneida also sells the Dust Deputy 2.5
2.5 Deluxe 10 Gal. Cyclone Separator in packages with just the cyclone itself
Kit is a pleasure to use and works well. or with a 5-gal. plastic bucket. But, if you
The cyclone still separates dust nicely, can swing it, the Dust Deputy 2.5 Deluxe
but the tippiness is gone thanks to the 10 Gal. kit, with its heavy metal drum, is
added weight from the metal barrel and fantastic.
the unit’s wide stance. The 10-gal. bucket —Web editor Ben Strano keeps the dust
holds ample dust but isn’t so large it’s down in Southbury, Conn.

Dust Deputy photo courtesy of the manufacturer NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 17

tools & materials continued

■NEW TO MARKET

Tools to look out for

Chip carving book
FWW author Daniel Clay has released the book Chip Carving: Techniques
For Carving Beautiful Patterns By Hand with Blue Hills Press. Clay
aims the book at all skill levels of chip carving, offering step-by-step
photos and text instruction over its 208 pages. The book includes both
traditional geometric motifs and modern, flowing designs.

Small SawStop
SawStop’s flesh-sensing technology is now available in a new,
small package. The SawStop CTS accepts 10-in. blades, which
can be raised to 31⁄8 in. It has a rack-and-pinion fence and
weighs 68 lb. The table measures 23 in. by 221⁄2 in. An optional
folding stand for the saw is also available.

Domino accessory
Compatible with Festool’s Domino DF 500, the Veritas Domino Joinery
Table is designed for accurate, repeatable mortises on parts that may
be tricky to work with freehand. The top is Baltic-birch plywood with
slots and overhangs for included stops, fences, and hold-downs. A DF
500 mounts directly to the table and aligns with a fixed fence.

18 FINE WOODWORKING Photos courtesy of the manufacturers

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designer’s notebook
Extracting the past
B Y P A U L B O U C H A R D

My deepest admiration goes out to the Eg yptian craftspeople who

developed and executed this beautiful design so incredibly long ago.

20 FINE WOODWORKING Photos and drawings, except where noted: Paul Bouchard
I
found this ancient Egyptian stool on the British Museum’s
website in early 2020 and fell in love with it. A couple
of things pushed me to make a copy: its graceful beauty,
curiosity about the execution of its joinery, and a desire to
own it, sit on it, and see how it holds up over time.
I’d planned to visit and photograph the museum
display, but COVID canceled my London vacation. Thankfully,
the museum page has excellent pictures and measurements,
and the image viewer allows you to zoom in quite close.
This isn’t a full build article, but it does shed light on some
of the history and what I think are the two focal points of
the piece, the seat and the lattice, and how the design and
construction play off each other.

Stools in ancient Egypt

Turns out the most common pieces of furniture in ancient Egypt
were stools, three- or four-legged with curved wooden seats or
woven seats. Stools were made from materials such as reeds,
rush, and wood. They are depicted being used by laborers
and nobles alike, though stools in wealthier homes were more
Theban lattice stool. This stool (catalog #EA2476 at the British
elaborate and made of more expensive materials. One of the
Museum), dates from the 18th dynasty (1550--1292 BCE). Its double-
reasons these pieces survive is because of the dry and stable coved seat and lattice bracing were often seen in stools of the time.
conditions in the tombs where they were discovered. While lightly built, this design stood up to daily use well enough that it
A big takeaway from my study has been how “human” a lot endured, with only minor variations, for hundreds of years.
of the workmanship is. X-rays show the internal joinery can
be primitive (hogged-out mortises, packed with gesso to fill with handplanes because I didn’t want to lose any fingers. The
the gaps). I was curious about what types of tools were used Egyptians also would have sanded with flat or curved stones. I
in building back then, so I did some research. In his book work in my apartment and for health reasons try to minimize
Egyptian Woodworking and Furniture (2008, Shire), Geoffrey my use of sandpaper, so I used coarse rasps for rough work on
Killen covers Egyptian tools extensively. The 18th-dynasty the seat underside and cabinet scrapers for the final shaping.
woodworker’s handsaw is functionally the same as a modern
one, so I used a panel saw and a backsaw. As far as I know Making the seat slats and side rails
they didn’t have bow saws or coping saws, so I made all my I used cherry scraps for the seat’s roughly 3-in. by 2-in.-thick side
inside curves by sawing multiple straight kerfs, splitting off the rails. Their top and inside faces were most critical to keep flat and
segments, and paring with a gouge close to the final surface. square, but I made the outside a reference face as well because
I was more concerned with staying close to the procedures I’d be marking the leg sockets on it. I cut the side rails to overall
than exactly replicating techniques or textures. Adzes would length, then made myself a radius template from 1⁄8-in. plywood
have been used to straighten all the flat surfaces, but I stuck and used it to draw a curve on the outside face connecting the

From tomb to museum

to computer to paper.
Bouchard took the side
view from the museum
site, overlaying a scale
grid on his computer.
He then made full-size
drawings on paper. He was
able to lift and transfer
many measurements and
angles directly from the
full-size drawings with
dividers and bevel squares.
Just as importantly, the
process helped flesh out
his understanding of the
construction.

Photos, top right and bottom left: © The Trustees of the British Museum NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 21
designer’s notebook continued

THE SEAT CONTOUR top corners of the rough block. Then I set
At first glance, the seat shape looks
dividers for the seat thickness, pricked a
like part of a sphere, but it is actually few marks to line up the template, and
a double cove spanning the side rails repeated the curved line about 1⁄2 in.
and seat slats. It’s unclear how the lower. For the slats, I started with blanks
Egyptians made the seat, whether wide enough to encompass the shoulder
by steam-bending or sculpting, but contact outline and thick enough to allow
Bouchard believes it was by sculpting. for the belly of the curve. Three different
widths were needed for the six slats.
Side-rail mortises. After shaping I marked the tenon shoulders from a
the bottom face of the side rails reference piece to make sure all the slats
and marking out the slat mortises, were exactly the same length.
Bouchard drilled them using a guide
block to help set the correct angle and
Adding lattice and paint
as a depth stop (a bit over 1 in. deep).
He then used a chisel to remove the The mortises for the stretchers are offset
waste and clean up the mortises. vertically to preserve strength in the leg.

Shape the bottom. After glue-up, the bottom

side of the seat is ready to be shaped with a
Testing the layout. During the shaping process, Bouchard dry-fit the parts to double check the rasp, scraper, and block plane. All the curved
accuracy of the joinery markings and to see that the forms were working together. Here, you can lines that were scribed around the seat and slats
see the slats dry-fitted and at various stages of completion. are still visible and guide the final shaping.

Kerf cuts are key. To make all the inside curves, Bouchard cut multiple straight kerfs,
knocked off the segments between them, and then pared with a gouge close to the
final surface. He left four sections of the top surface intact so that during the glue-
up it would lie flat on the table and he could easily check for twist. The top side was
smoothed with a tiny plane with a convex sole and a curved cabinet scraper.

22 FINE WOODWORKING
designer’s notebook continued

Struts add support

Angled struts provide support

against racking.

The angled struts are

attached after the rest
of the stool is glued up.
An angled stub tenon
holds them in place.

Glued, pinned, and braced. Once everything else is glued up, you can take some time to measure
and cut the diagonal struts for a good press fit. The fit is important because the diagonals work in
compression, and in opposition to each other. Bouchard set them in with gesso. With a subsequent
layer of gesso and paint overall, they are secure.

Additionally, the side stretcher is flush to he meant by “wedged” in this instance,

the outside of the leg; the end stretcher but it got me thinking.
is flush to the inside. I’ve seen photos of cabinets on
The vertical struts can be measured legs with doweled latticework, and it
and cut while the stool is dry-fit. If their appears the bottoms of the diagonal
length is a tiny bit off, it’s only cosmetic. struts are just pressed into notches.
The diagonal struts are another story. Many of the ancient lattice stools have
They’re trickier to fit, and if their length their diagonal struts connecting to
is off by the tiniest amount, it will throw the stretcher at a peculiarly uniform
the stool slightly out of square. With distance from the leg. I think the gap
eight diagonal struts, there’s a danger might be there so a stub tenon can be
that tiny errors could compound, only slid into an angled mortise. I adopted
becoming apparent during glue-up as the this technique, and fit the angled struts
pins are being driven home. after the rest of the stool was glued
Realizing this, I was feeling stumped, up. In use, there’s a tendency to bump
so I turned again to Killen, who made your heels against the stool’s sides, and
The space between the angled strut
a very useful observation in his book: I think this tiny tenon will do a lot to
and the leg allows the strut to pivot “Some of these [lattice braces] are keep the diagonals in place. ☐
into place. tenoned into mortises in the horizontal
elements while others are simply wedged Paul Bouchard is a woodworker and story artist
into position.” I’m not sure exactly what in Toronto, Canada.

24 FINE WOODWORKING
Precision woodworking
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in minutes woodworkers

See videos and get more project ideas at

www.PantoRouter.com or call (877) 333-7150
Shaker Chest
with a Side Drawer
Photos: Anissa Kapsales
Not your typical
dovetailed case
On one end of this chest, the dovetail layout must
accommodate the side drawer, stopping short to
create a drawer pocket below.

Stop the tails short.

Start by cutting the
tails on the front
and back boards. On
the right end of both
boards, the tails stop
where the drawer
opening starts. On the
other end, the tails
span the full width of
the board. Becksvoort
cuts to the line with a
handsaw and chisels
the tails clean.

Manageable size and

smart techniques
make this a fun and
rewarding project
B Y C H R I S T I A N
B E C K S V O O R T

T his small pine chest with a drawer can

be used for storing all kinds of trea-
sures. The size and craftsmanship make
this a fun project. It offers plenty of chances to
practice your dovetails, and the fact that it is Pin boards are
made of pine means it won’t break the bank. different widths.
The full-length drawer is useful for jewelry, The board on the
left end of the chest
photos, and other collectibles. You can follow
is the same width
the original faithfully for a perfect reproduc- as the front and
tion or make minor changes to suit your needs. back boards, but
the right end board
Dovetails first, then the false bottom (above the drawer) is
While this chest would look handsome in any narrower. Transfer the
species, I prefer clear white pine (like the truncated tails from
the front and back
original) with quartersawn pine for the two
boards to the two
bottoms (there’s a false bottom separating the ends of the narrower
drawer from the main part of the chest). The side board. Cut the
original piece is likely from the Mt Lebanon, pins, clean them up,
N.Y., community, and made in the early 1800s. and dry-fit the case.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 27
Top and bottom boards SHAKER CHEST
LID EDGE DETAIL
1
⁄4 in.
While both the lid and the bottom get a subtle molding WITH SIDE DRAWER
profile, the profiles are different for each.

SOURCES OF
S U P P LY
Knob: Horton Brasses H-42 (1⁄2 in.)
Hinges: Rockler 29234 Side, 9⁄16 in. thick
Hooks: Rockler 47683 by 101⁄4 in. wide by
Chain: Lee Valley 00G44.01 107⁄8 in. long
Chain ends: Lee Valley 00G45.15
Brass eyes: Lee Valley 00S56.41

Front, 9⁄16 in. thick

Bottoms up. The top corner of the bottom board gets by 101⁄4 in. wide by
a roundover, but the bottom corner is left square. 183⁄8 in. long
Becksvoort cuts the profile at the router table, doing both Groove, 1⁄4 in. wide
by 1⁄4 in. deep,
end-grain ends first, then the long-grain ends, ensuring
located 33⁄8 in. up
any end-grain blowout that could occur gets cut off with from bottom edge
the long-grain cut. Hook

False bottom,
3
⁄8 in. thick

Top it off. The lid gets a bullnose profile, cut with a 3⁄8-in.
roundover bit. While the profile can easily be shaped with
a block plane, Becksvoort cuts it on the router table. Again,
he makes the end-grain passes first and then follows up
with the long grain.

Bottom, 11⁄16 in.

thick by 113⁄8 in.
wide by 187⁄8 in.
Drawer long
opening,
115⁄8 in. 31⁄8 in.

To purchase expanded
plans and a complete
parts list for this chest
and other projects, go to
187⁄8 in. 113⁄8 in. FineWoodworking.com/
PlanStore.
FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW

28 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Christopher Mills

 HINGE MODIFICATION

Lid, 11⁄16 in. thick

by 113⁄8 in. wide
by 187⁄8 in. long

Side above drawer, Because the profiled lid overhangs the back of
9
⁄16 in. thick by 71⁄8 in. the chest, hinging it is a little finicky. Becksvoort
wide by 107⁄8 in. long
swaged the hinge in the jaws of a vise, crimping
one side into the other. He recessed that crimped
side into the edge of the case back and let the flat
side into the lid. Without swaging, you would have
Back, 9⁄16 in. thick to gouge out for half the barrel into the lid.
by 101⁄4 in. wide by
183⁄8 in. long

Drawer back, 1⁄2 in.

thick by 31⁄16 in. wide
by 93⁄4 in. long

Drawer front, 3⁄4 in.

thick by 31⁄16 in. wide
Rabbet, 5⁄16 in. by 93⁄4 in. long
wide by 1⁄8 in. deep

Brass knob
BOTTOM EDGE DETAIL
1
⁄4 in.

Drawer side, 1⁄2 in. Drawer bottom,

5
thick by 31⁄16 in. wide ⁄16 in. thick
by 1711⁄16 in. long

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 29
False bottom divides the chest
Lift the lid and you’ll see that the chest interior isn’t full depth. It stops at
a false bottom, which serves as the top of the drawer pocket.

Groove all four

sides of the
chest. Set up stops
on the router table
and pivot onto and
off the bit to create
stopped grooves for
the false bottom.

STOP THE GROOVES

Hand-screw clamps act Start by milling the four sides and cutting
as start and stop blocks
at the router table. them to length. Lay out, saw, and chop the tails
on the front and back boards. Then transfer the
tails onto the end pieces, and saw and chop
the pins. Dry-fit the case.
The 3⁄8-in.-thick false bottom above the
drawer sits in grooves. The original chest has
through-grooves (and small filler plugs to cov-
er the ends) which can be cut on the table-
saw or by hand. Typically, I like to go with
the original, but stopped cuts look so much
cleaner that in this case I decided to veer from
the past. You can use a 1⁄4-in. dado set on the

Rabbet the false

bottom. On the
tablesaw, create a
rabbet around the
false bottom with
two cuts on each
side (right). Check
the fit in the groove
(far right).

First cut Second cut

30 FINE WOODWORKING
Glue up
the case
Becksvoort’s clever
technique for gluing
a dovetailed case
reduces stress and
the likelihood of error.

Set the stage. Prior to adding glue, Becksvoort gathers all the parts and sets one long side and the two ends together so
the dovetails are just engaged. He slots the false bottom into the groove, and adds the final long side, again with the dovetails
just engaged enough to keep it in place.

Glue it up. Using a small strip of wood to apply the

glue, Becksvoort coats the cheeks of the dovetail
pins and all the dovetail sockets. He taps the parts
together and adds clamping pressure to completely
seat the dovetails.

tablesaw, but I think that method requires too

much chisel work at both ends of the stopped
cut. I prefer to use a router with a 1⁄4-in. bit.
Clamp a start and stop block to the router-table
fence where you want the cuts to begin and
end, about 1⁄4 in. from the ends.
Since the false bottom must be supported on
all four sides, I located the groove for it 1⁄8 in.
above the drawer opening. The false bottom
is 3⁄8 in. thick, and I ran a 1⁄8-in. by 1⁄4-in. rab-
bet all the way around the underside. So the
false bottom fits into the 1⁄4-in. groove and its
underside is flush with the drawer opening.
Because it floats in the grooves, the false bot-
tom can be made from flatsawn or riftsawn
material as long as you allow a little space for
potential movement.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 31

Hinge Assemble the chest
Once the interior faces of all the parts have
the lid been sanded or planed, and the false bottom
has been cut to size and rabbeted, the carcase
can be glued. Dry-fit all the pieces together
Mark the hinge to make sure everything works as it should
placement. After before adding any glue.
using the hinge to While the glue dries, mill the lid and the bottom
mark its location board and cut them to size. The bottom must be
on the edge of the quartersawn because it gets glued directly to the
case back, follow
chest without allowance for wood movement.
up with a marking
gauge. With Eastern white pine, this works fine.
The lid has a half-round molding profile,
while the bottom has a slight arc. You can
shape the profiles with a block plane or router.
I attached the lid to the chest with a pair of
13⁄4-in.-long butt hinges. They need to be inset

Cut the hinge

mortise. Use a
trim router to waste
away close to the
lines, and then
clean up to the
lines with a chisel.

Transfer to the
lid. Once you’ve from the back edge of the lid to allow for the
screwed the hinges molded overhang.
onto the case, The full-length drawer is made and fitted last.
set the lid upside I cut half-blind dovetails, and once it’s glued
down with the
together I sneak up on the fit in the chest, us-
case upside down
on top of it. Dial
ing a belt sander until the fit and reveal around
in the placement the drawer are both perfect. Then I add a 1⁄2-in.
of the case on the brass knob as the drawer pull.
lid, then transfer The original case is unfinished. If you go that
the hinge location route, aim for all heartwood because it will
to the lid. Cut the darken up nicely. You also can choose to use
mortise, and screw
oil, shellac, or even milk paint. ☐
the hinge to the lid.

Contributing editor Christian Becksvoort makes

furniture in New Gloucester, Maine.

32 FINE WOODWORKING
The home
stretch
The final touches
on the chest include
installing the bottom
board, fitting the
drawer, and adding the
hardware.

Glue the bottom to the case. Center the case on the Fit the drawer. Becksvoort uses a belt sander to fine-tune the
quartersawn bottom, and glue and clamp it in place. fit of the drawer.

Finishing touches. Add a stay to keep

the lid from falling too far back. In
keeping with the brass knob and brass
catch, Becksvoort chose a brass chain
for the job.
A master
of many tasks
The router’s versatility is one of
its biggest selling points. It can
profile many different edges,
duplicate patterns, cut rabbets
and dadoes, and cut mortises.

PROFILES

JOINERY

PATTERN ROUTING
 Safe, Accurate
Handheld Routing
Tips for getting the most from this essential power tool
B Y B O B V A N D Y K E

H onestly, the router is my least

favorite tool. It is loud, whiny,
tiring, and messy—like some
people I know. But it also is the most use-
ful, versatile, and, when used correctly, the
fundamentals at FineWoodworking.com
and Fundamentals, “Getting started with
router tables,” in FWW #270.

Fixed based vs. plunge routers

knew what he was doing, so that was the
router I bought and I did everything with
it. However, the higher center of gravity
of the plunge router does make it tippy
when working along an edge. This makes
most accurate among any of the handheld A plunge router can do everything that a the lower-profile fixed-base router a bet-
power tools. It is capable of making ac- fixed-base router can do, but it can also ter choice for tasks like rabbets and edge
curate dadoes, grooves, rabbets, precise make stopped cuts. This makes it ideally details.
joinery including mortise-and-tenons, and suited for cutting deep and accurate mor-
edge details and moldings. It can also fol- tises and stopped dadoes and grooves. So, Basic router safety
low nearly any well-made pattern to create the obvious question is why bother with a The plunge router can be turned on with
an almost infinite variety of shapes. fixed-base router at all? You can get along the router resting on top of the workpiece
Routers can be used handheld or mount- without one. My first and only router for as long as the bit is retracted. You can
ed (inverted) in a router table. This article over 10 years was a 3-hp plunge router. then plunge into the work, make the cut,
concentrates on handheld router tech- It was the same router Tage Frid used and fully retract the bit when finished. The
niques. For information on router tables, in all his articles in the early days of this plunge router should never be turned on
check out my video series on router-table magazine and it was clear to me that he or off with the bit extended.

Installing the bit

Keep it clean. Any dirt, grit, or rust can Hold and tighten. All collets are tapered, Insert the bit. Place the bit so that at least
3
interfere with the solid grip the collet has on and as the locking nut is tightened it ⁄4 of the shank is seated in the collet. If the bit
the bit’s shank. It is critical to clean the spindle compresses the collet “fingers,” which exert bottoms out, pull it back out about 1⁄8 in. or it
and collet periodically with 4/0 steel wool or a equal, consistent pressure around the shank could loosen while it is in the cut.
synthetic abrasive pad. of the bit.

Photos: Anissa Kapsales NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 35

Edge work The lower profile fixed-base router is generally better for tasks where the
router is running along an edge, such as edge profiles and rabbets.

ROUTING A SIMPLE RABBET

Setting the depth on
Add stability to a fixed-base router.
the base. Van Dyke Simply adjust the motor
retrofits all his fixed- until the bit extends
base routers with an past the baseplate the
offset base, making desired amount and
holding the router lock it. Holding a small
while routing an edge ruler or scale vertical
easier. One hand is on the router base is a
always resting on the challenge; a scale with
base while the other graduations on the end
is holding the handle, makes the task easier.
which gives a very You can also set the
secure grip. depth with spacer blocks
or keyway keys. Always
test the cut on a scrap.

Rout in the right direction. Feed

the router so the wood is going
into the rotation of the bit. With a
handheld router this usually means
feeding it left to right and you will
feel the bit pulling itself into the
workpiece. You should always feel
the resistance of the router bit going
into the wood when you begin a
cut. The easiest way to keep feed
direction straight when using a
AN EASY REMINDER
handheld router is to use the thumb
With your right thumb
and forefinger trick shown in the
pointing toward the
stock, your forefinger drawing at left.
shows the direction
to rout.

Cut the rabbet.

Taking a very deep
cut in one pass can
be dangerous and
will usually yield
a rough surface. A
better alternative is
to take a shallow cut
first and readjust to
the final depth for
the second pass.

36
FOUR PROFILES FROM ONE BIT

ROUNDOVER
With the larger bearing installed,
set the bit flush to the base to
get as much curve as possible
without creating a fillet.

FILLET AT THE TOP

One bit, two bearings, multiple
profiles. By varying the depth Again, with the larger bearing,
of the cut and changing the size set the height of the bit so its
of the bearing, you can create corner extends past the router’s
different profiles with the same bit. baseplate. This cut will create a
roundover with a fillet on top.

Smaller bearing

FILLETS BOTTOM AND TOP

Switch to the smaller bearing,
and you can cut a fillet at the
bottom (above). Lower the bit
to create fillets top and bottom
(below).

Change out the bearing. Use an Allen key to loosen

the bearing, take off the 1⁄2-in. bearing, and put on a
smaller, 3⁄8-in. bearing.

Drawings: Dan Thornton NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 37

Using a fence If you aren’t using a bearing-guided bit, a handheld router should always be used with an
attached guide of some sort. You can add a fence to the router or to the workpiece.

ADD A FENCE TO THE ROUTER

A fence on the router. A simple and effective method for

cutting dadoes and grooves parallel and near to an edge is to
attach a commercial or shopmade fence directly to the router.

TWO WAYS TO SET THE DEPTH ON A PLUNGE ROUTER

Strike a depth line. A simple way to set the Insert a spacer. With the router turned off, plunge down so the bit just touches the
depth is to make a mark on the edge of the work- surface of the wood (left), and tighten the plunge lock. Insert a spacer that matches the
piece, plunge the router to hit that mark, lock the desired depth of cut between the turret stop and the depth-stop bar (right). Lock the
plunge lock, and tighten the depth-control bar. depth bar and retract the router. Plunge depth will be the thickness of the spacer.

38 FINE WOODWORKING
CLAMP A STRAIGHTEDGE TO THE WORKPIECE

Locating a straightedge.
When using a straightedge
as a fence you need to
account for the offset
between the bit and the
edge of the router base.
To ease the task Van Dyke
routed a groove in a scrap
of MDF to act as an offset
guide. Line up the groove
in the guide with the layout
line and make a mark at the
edge of the guide. Then align
the fence to the mark and
square it before clamping it
in place.

Consistent routing. Make a clear, easy-to-read

registration mark on the outer edge of the base.
Always keep that mark against the fence to be sure
of consistent results when making your offset guide
and routing.

The depth of cut on the fixed-base router is fully established other hand, extremely small routers like laminate or “trim” routers,
before you turn it on. When turning it on, make sure you have while incredibly valuable and useful tools, are often too small for
a secure grip, and that the router is resting on the surface of the many everyday routing tasks.
wood with the bit well out of contact with the workpiece. Medium-sized routers, 11⁄2 to 13⁄4 hp, will handle all but the
heaviest jobs and this is what I recommend as a first router. The
Router sizes good news is that most manufacturers offer their mid-size routers
A variety of motor sizes are available, from under 1 hp up to as a “kit” which includes a single motor with both a plunge and a
31⁄4 hp. But because most routing tasks are not demanding enough fixed base, giving you the best of both worlds for a lot less money
to require the power of a 3-hp router, the bigger routers are way than buying two individual routers.
more power, weight, noise, and vibration than you typically need. Router bit size, and consequently, router collet size, is a factor
When that much power is needed you will usually have more that also should be considered. Most bits are available with either
success using a large router in a well-fitted router table. On the a 1⁄4-in. or 1⁄2-in. shank. Some large bits are only available with a

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 39

Zero-clearance fence For repetitive cuts with the same bit, it’s worth the extra time to make this fence.
Setup is easy because the edge of the base shows you exactly where the bit will cut.

Make the fence. Use pin

nails or screws to fasten
a straight piece of wood
parallel to the edge of a
piece of 1⁄4-in. plywood.
Keep it about 31⁄2 in. from
the edge of the plywood.
Clamp the assembly to
the edge of the bench,
making sure it hangs over
enough that the router
bit cannot cut into the
bench. Run the router left
to right against the fence
to cut off the excess
plywood. This fence is
now the exact offset for
that router with that bit,
so label it as such and
keep it for future use.

Anti-tilt spacer. To keep the router from tipping while

running against the fence, Van Dyke uses double-sided
tape to attach a 1⁄4-in. spacer to the bottom of the router
base. To use the zero-clearance fence, clamp it to your
workpiece with its edge on the layout line. This jig is
especially useful for situations where the cut is not parallel
to any edge.

40 FINE WOODWORKING
T-square fence Used to rout dadoes square across the width of cabinet
sides, this jig is easily made and incredibly useful.

Criss cross and

add some screws.
To make the jig,
screw two pieces of
approximately 6-in.-
wide plywood together
at exactly 90°. To
create an alignment
mark, make a shallow,
short cut into the
straightedge with the
router registering
against the fence. This
makes locating the
jig on your workpiece
a simple matter of
matching the routed
mark to a layout line.

Clamp and go. Clamp

the workpiece to the
bench and the jig to
the workpiece (above),
making sure the
straightedge is pressed
firmly against the work.
Note: The alignment
mark you routed is
specific to the router
and bit you made it
with, but by rotating
the jig and/or turning
it over, you can expose
seven new edges
that can be used for
different routers and
bits. Make sure to mark
which bit and router
you use where.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 41

Pattern routing An almost infinite variety of shapes can be made
with a handheld router and a well-made pattern.

Shaping to a pattern.
Van Dyke uses patterns
made of plywood,
Masonite, or solid wood
to replicate shapes of
any kind. First, he uses
a jigsaw to cut out most
of the waste (right),
then clamps a routing
pattern beneath the
workpiece (far right),
and makes sure both
are securely clamped to
his bench.

Bearing at
the shank

Pattern
Workpiece

Workpiece
Pattern

Bearing at the end

FLUSH-TRIM BIT PATTERN BIT

Bit options. When using a flush-trimming bit (as in the

photos here), place the pattern below the workpiece; when
using a pattern bit, the pattern goes above the workpiece.
Both bits have a bearing the same diameter as the cutter
and trim the workpiece flush to the pattern. Take extra
care when using the pattern bit. If the router tips, the bit
will usually tip into the workpiece, ruining your work.

42 FINE WOODWORKING
 Guide bushings Another effective way to follow a fence
or template is with guide bushings.

Guide bushing
set. Made to
be attached to
a router’s sub
base, guide
bushings are run
against a fence
or template. Van
Dyke cuts the
bearing cylinder
short so it can
be used with thin
templates.

The bushing and

the template. Guide
bushing
Guide bushings
don’t automatically
cut flush, because
Bit
of the offset
between the
outside diameter
of the bushing and
the diameter of Offset
the router bit. The
router template Template
must be sized to
account for this
offset. Workpiece

1⁄2-in. shank, so if you want flexibility, make sure

that your first (or only) router can accept both
1⁄4-in.- and 1⁄2-in.-shank bits. Smaller routers that

only take 1⁄4-in.-shank bits are great, but I would

have one only as my light-duty router.
Plunge with a
Feed rate bushing. This is
an effective way
How fast you move the router as you rout is
to make large
dependent on a number of variables, but the mortises. The
goal is to get the best quality cut with little to routing will be
no burning. Too fast a cut will usually result in a easier and more
rougher surface, while too slow a cut may pro- accurate if the
duce burning. Routing end grain is more prone majority of waste
to burning, so you may need to speed things up is first removed on
the drill press.
in that situation. Making a test cut is always a
good way to decide on the feed rate. Using a dull
router bit will always give you an inferior cut and
since bits usually cost less than $8 to sharpen, I
send my bits out regularly to a good professional
sharpener. ☐

Contributing editor Bob Van Dyke runs

the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 43

 Get a Grip with a
Moxon Vise

Elevate your workholding M oxon vises, sometimes called twin screws, are great to have around
the shop. They’re super for holding work, especially for joinery,
gripping narrow rails for tenoning and full case sides for dovetail-
ing equally well. The one featured in this article has an awesomely generous
with this traditional 24 in. between centers. And, unlike some other vises with that span, a Moxon
vise doesn’t require complicated or expensive hardware. For the version
here, you can buy everything at a home center. Even if you change the span,
twin-screw fixture the construction remains the same. Moxon vises also raise the work several
inches from your bench, which can be a great help for detail work or aching
B Y M I K E F A R R I N G T O N backs. Lastly, since they clamp to your bench, you don’t need to commit to a
vise location. I move mine around depending on what I’m doing, then stow
it out of the way when I’m done.

44 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Barry NM Dima

 AN UPDATE D TA K E
Fixed jaw, 21⁄4 in. Shelf, 3⁄4 in. thick by 21⁄4 in. ON A HISTO RIC V IS E
thick by 51⁄2 in. wide wide by 341⁄2 in. long, with
by 341⁄2 in. long angled ends A fixture for centuries, this benchtop
Front jaw vise is ready when you need it and
beveled 30° stores out of the way when you
for clearance don’t.
when sawing. Biscuits for
alignment

Nut epoxied onto

rod and mortised
into fixed jaw.
21⁄2 in.

Threaded rod,
3
⁄4 in. dia. by
9 in. long

Front jaw, 21⁄4 in.

thick by 65⁄8 in.
wide by 341⁄2 in.
long Cleat, 3⁄4 in. thick
by 31⁄8 in. wide by
Handle 381⁄2 in. long

4 in.
Leather
lining on
Steel bushing, front jaw
3
⁄4 in. ID by 1 in.
OD by 2 in. long

Counterbore for
bushing, 1 in. dia.
by 2 in. long Each jaw is a
1
2 ⁄4 in. 1
2 ⁄4 in. lamination. This
lets you create
thick, stable jaws
from thin, readily
available stock.
Recess Once the glue dries,
for nut cut them to final
width and length.
51⁄2 in.
65⁄8 in. Pad the front
Hole for jaw with leather.
threaded rod, Attach with spray
3
⁄4 in. dia. adhesive and
trim to size. The
leather reduces the
chance of marring
workpieces and
improves the grip.
31⁄8 in.
21⁄4 in.

Drawings: Dan Thornton NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 45

DRILL THE JAW S
I’ve made a number of these—in differ-
ent sizes, in softwood and hardwood, with
higher- and lower-end hardware. They all
work well, and they all follow this design.

Thick, laminated jaws

This build starts with the jaws. I laminate
three pieces of 4/4 stock for each jaw. To
help with stability, I mill the boards in two
stages. First, I do the minimum to get the
six boards parallel and glue them up while
they’re a little wide and long. After they sit
for a few days, I lightly joint the face, then
plane just enough to bring the opposite
face parallel.
After that, I cut to width and length. I rec-
ommend making the movable jaw wider
than the fixed one. With the vise cinched
Before drilling, shut, the overhanging jaw registers against
temporarily attach the workbench, leaving the fixed jaw’s face
the jaws’ inside faces
coplanar with the front edge of the bench,
together. Use double-
sided tape, making
adding bearing surface between the jaws.
sure the top edges are
flush. The holes must Carefully drilled holes
be perfectly in line for With the jaws complete, you can drill for
the vise to work. The the bushings and screws. The bushings
tape acts as an out-of- prevent the jaws from racking much, going
the-way clamp, letting
a long way toward ensuring even clamping
you keep the pieces
together while not
pressure across workpieces. They also let
interfering with drilling. the movable jaw travel more easily and
extend its life, since there’s no wood run-
ning on metal.

Clamp the jaws to the

drill-press table. With the
movable jaw on top, drill a
3
⁄4-in. hole through it and
partway into the fixed jaw.
This allows you to accurately
drill through the fixed jaw
separately.

1. Drill through the front

jaw and as far into the rear
jaw as your bit will go.

2. Later, you’ll use the

drilled portion to align the
bit for completing the hole.

46 FINE WOODWORKING
Without unclamping the parts, drill for the
bushing using a larger bit. This hole allows
for a tight fit to the bushing. Farrington uses
the bushing itself to set the drill’s depth stop.
This larger hole should go only into the fixed
jaw, not the movable one. Leaving the jaws
clamped while changing bits will ensure the
holes are concentric.

Drilling these holes is the most important

step in the project because their accuracy
has a direct impact on how well your vise
works. Fortunately, I have a pretty neat
way to ensure that the holes line up.
To start, secure the two jaws together Epoxy in the
using double-sided tape, making sure the bushings. After
tops are flush. Mark the hole locations and separating the two
jaws, use a pea-
clamp the taped jaws to your drill-press ta-
size dab of epoxy
ble. The movable jaw should face up. First and spread it
drill the 3⁄4-in.-dia. hole for the screw as thoroughly around
deep as possible. If you can drill through the bushing. You
both jaws, great; that’s the best-case sce- want to avoid any
nario. If not, just be certain the bit goes squeeze-out here.
through the movable jaw and imprints the
inside face of the fixed jaw, allowing you
to drill through it accurately later.
Now drill the movable jaw for the bush-
ing. Without unclamping the jaws or ad-
justing the table, chuck a Forstner bit that

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 47

ASSEMB LE TH E VI SE
matches the outside diameter of the bush-
ing and drill. Make test holes to verify that
your bit allows for a press fit. Depending
on the length of the bushing, this can be
Epoxy a nut to the a stepped hole, or it can go through the
threaded rod. This movable jaw. Leaving the jaws clamped
nut prevents the while changing drill bits will ensure that
rod from spinning the two holes are concentric.
freely in the jaw. Finish at the drill press by prying the
Again, use only a two jaws apart and drilling the 3⁄4-in. hole
minimal amount of
through the fixed jaw. From there, head to
epoxy.
the tablesaw to bevel the front of the mov-
able jaw. Clipping off this corner lets you
angle your handsaw without obstruction
when you’re cutting half-blind dovetails.

Mortise the nut

into the back of
the fixed jaw.
With the rod in the
hole, Farrington
uses a flat-back
marking knife to
mark around the
nut (left). He then
chops and pares
to his lines, aiming
for a friction fit.
Mortise only as
deep as the nut’s
width.

TIP
Lightly file and
wax the rough
threaded rod.
Filing knocks off
burrs on the threads
that can hang up
the knobs in use.
The paste wax
makes for even
smoother spinning.

48 FINE WOODWORKING
 Add a cleat and
Add the hardware shelf to the fixed
I used off-the-shelf hardware for this vise. jaw. Attach one at
It works fine, and it’s inexpensive and a time starting with
readily available. I’ve used Acme-threaded the shelf to simplify
stuff in the past, which is a nice upgrade the glue-ups. Biscuits
help when aligning
if you can afford it. Either way, the steps
the parts. Flush the
are pretty similar. fixed jaw’s inside face
Installing the bushing is easy. Since it (left). Any protruding or
should fit tightly into the hole anyway, I uneven surfaces here
spread just a pea-size dab of epoxy around will become unwanted
the bushing before hammering it into pressure points when
place, paying attention to squeeze-out. you clamp boards in
the vise, and may affect
I also epoxy a nut onto the end of each
how well it works.
threaded rod after cutting them to length.
To trap the screw in the jaw, I mortise the
nut into the back of the fixed jaw. I mark
the nut’s thickness on the back of my mor-
tise chisel for a rough depth gauge.

Install the movable jaw and handles before jointing the top surface.
Tighten the handles to cinch the movable jaw to the fixed jaw, and use
a long plane to smooth the top surface of the vise. You’ll use this as a
reference surface for joinery, so it must be straight and true.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 49

 SETUP I S SI M P LE
Overhanging jaw If you get your hardware from the home
and cleat add to center, lightly file the threaded rod smooth
quality of life. The and wax it. Otherwise the handles are like-
overwide movable jaw ly to hang up on the threads in use.
ensures the inside
of the fixed jaw sits Finishing touches
flush with the bench’s
Don’t skip the shelf, clamping cleat, or
edge, extending the
clamping surface. The leather lining. They’re all small additions
cleat below the fixed with outsize returns.
jaw is a low-profile I consider the shelf in particular a neces-
surface for clamping sity. I clamp workpieces to it when mark-
the vise to the bench. ing joinery so nothing shifts, like when
transferring dovetails to a pin board. The
shelf is also a nice spot for a task light.

1 2
Set clamping
pressure. When
clamping a narrow
workpiece, tighten one
side of the vise to a
slip fit (1), then move
the workpiece to the
other side and repeat
(2). Finally, bring the
narrow workpiece to
the middle and finish
tightening the handles
(3). This yields even
clamping pressure
across the workpiece.
For wider stock, just do
your best to get an even
pressure from both
screws.

50 FINE WOODWORKING
 GETTING TO WORK
The cleat provides an out-of-the way sur-
face for clamping the vise to the bench. Vise holds your
parts at working
Size yours to suit your clamps.
height. Moxon
I use biscuits to align the shelf and cleat vises raise the
during glue-up. Other alignment methods, work up several
like Dominoes, screws, or splines, work inches from your
too. Regardless, plane these surfaces flush benchtop while
to the jaws after the glue dries. You don’t still keeping it
want anything interfering with the vise’s secure. This can be
a great help when
grip or reference surfaces.
doing close-up
Finally, the tool-grade leather offers two detail work, or a
advantages. It helps to reduce damage to dovetailed case.
the workpiece while improving grip, al-
lowing the piece to be held in place with

The shelf is a helping hand. When transferring joinery, like tails to a pin
board, Farrington clamps one board to the shelf, letting him focus on the task
at hand instead of worrying about shifting one of the workpieces and ruining
his layout.

very little clamping force. In fact the leath- An outrigger is

er holds so strongly that with a pin board a longer helping
in the vise, I can tap the tail board onto hand. This
the pin board, and the pin board doesn’t movable T-shaped
fixture supports
slide down. I don’t add leather to the fixed
long boards that
jaw because I want that face to sit firmly need more than
in plane with the bench, and the leather’s the shelf alone. Its
too squishy for that. total height should
Wood glue works great for adhering the match that of the
leather, but it makes an extremely secure vise.
bond. I opt for spray adhesive because it
lets me remove and replace the leather
when needed.
When the glue sets, trim the leather flush
to the jaws, clamp the vise to your bench,
and cut some dovetails. ☐

Mike Farrington is a FWW ambassador

in Aurora, Colo.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 51

 Learn Offset Turning

ELLIPTICAL TRIANGULAR
Mount the workpiece off-
By mounting a center three times and you can
workpiece off- generate a triangular part.
center on the
lathe you can
turn a partially
rounded piece;
mount it off-center
a second time to
shape a mating
arc and give it an
elliptical cross-
section.

52 FINE WOODWORKING Stool designed, built, and photographed by Jim Millay

 Mount the workpiece off-
center to create elliptical and I began exploring offset turning 25 years ago when I was asked
to make some cabriole legs. As a turner, I figured there had
to be a way to make them on a lathe. Sure enough, in an old
woodworking manual I learned about offset turning, mounting
a workpiece off-center so only a portion is cut on each rotation.
triangular parts on the lathe Since then, I’ve experimented extensively with this powerful tech-
nique, which lets you shape parts in almost any geometry you
can draw. The stool in the photo opposite, made by a student of
B Y B E T H I R E L A N D mine, has off-center-turned front legs that are elliptical in cross-
section, and a back leg that is triangular. This article shows how

LAY OUT THE ELLIPSE

Start with the square. After Circle in the square. Find the
carefully milling the blank square, centerpoint by drawing diagonal
Ireland traces it onto paper. lines from the square’s corners,
then draw the largest circle that
will fit in the square.

A pair of arcs. Mark two offset points along the same diagonal line, Transfer time. Transfer your layout to both ends of the workpiece: Draw
placing them equidistant from the center. Then set the compass and the diagonals, then use dividers to transfer the offset points, and deepen
draw a pair of mating arcs. those points with an awl. Draw the arcs with a compass.

Photos, except where noted: Jonathan Binzen NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 53

Turn the ellipse
1. START WITH A CYLINDER
Blank mounted
on centerpoints to
turn a cylinder.

END VIEW
Turn the part round. Mount the blank on its centerpoints and turn a cylinder. You can offset-turn an ellipse directly from a
square blank, but turning the part round first lets you do some helpful layout and makes the offset turning easier.

2. REMOUNT ON FIRST SET OF OFFSET POINTS AND TURN AN ARC

Cylinder mounted
on first set of
offset points.

END VIEW
Mark and remount. Using the tool rest as a straightedge, run two Helpful hashmarks. With the lathe still off, rotate the
lines the length of the cylinder to connect the diagonal without offset workpiece by hand and draw vertical guidelines on the
points on one end of the blank to the same diagonal on the other half of the cylinder closest to the tool rest. Stretching
end. Then remount the workpiece to one set of offset points. from one horizontal line to the other, these lines will
disappear as you turn, letting you gauge your progress.

First half of
ellipse is cut.

END VIEW
Turn an arc. Using a roughing gouge and a wide,
comfortable stance, sway side to side while
feeding the tool forward gradually until chips
begin to fly. Keep cutting until the vertical lines
are gone and just the horizontal lines remain.

54 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: John Tetreault

3. REMOUNT ON SECOND SET OF OFFSET POINTS TO COMPLETE THE ELLIPSE

Cylinder mounted Second half of

on second set of ellipse is cut.
offset points.

END VIEW END VIEW

Remount and remark. Move the blank to Two arcs meet. After you have cut with the centers
pinch the other set of offset points between the in the second set of offset points, the two opposing
headstock and tailstock centers. Then draw a series arcs will meet.
of vertical guidelines on the side you’ll cut next.

to turn elliptical and triangular parts and also tapered versions of blank on its centerpoints and turn it to a cylinder. Then stop the
them. With this technique, there’s no telling what you can make; lathe and rotate the piece by hand until the diagonal layout line
another student of mine carved an Inuit bear using offset turning! that doesn’t have the offset points on it aligns with the top edge
of the tool rest. Now use the tool rest as a straightedge and draw
Layout is foundational in offset turning a line from one end of the cylinder to the other. Draw another
Start an ellipse by laying it out on paper. You won’t be making line on the opposite side of the cylinder.
a true ellipse, rather two mating arcs. After tracing your square Remount the workpiece using one of the pairs of offset points.
workpiece, draw lines from corner to corner of the square and Turn the cylinder by hand (it will now rotate eccentrically) and
draw a circle within the square. Place both offset points along adjust the tool rest so there is never less than a 1⁄8-in. gap between
one of the diagonal lines, equidistant from the center. The closer it and the work. On the side of the cylinder that comes closest
to the center you place the offset points, the rounder the result- to the tool rest, draw a series of vertical pencil lines from one
ing ellipse; the farther from the center, the skinnier the ellipse. horizontal line to the other. These will show as the piece is spin-
With the layout finished, transfer it to both ends of the workpiece. ning. When they disappear and you reach the horizontal lines,
the first arc is finished. Remount the workpiece on the second
An ellipse on the lathe pair of offset points and repeat the process.
You could mount your square blank off-center and begin cutting What I’ve described here is the simplest type of offset arrange-
the ellipse right away, but it simplifies things to first mount the ment. There’s much more to explore. Leaving one end centered

Tapering an ellipse
To make an elliptical part that tapers
from end to end, begin by laying out
the large ellipse on one end of the
blank and the smaller one on the
other end. Mount the part on center
and turn a cylinder. Then taper the
cylinder. (For details on tapering a
cylinder, see “Mastering the Cylinder,”
FWW #296.) Next, remount the
workpiece to the first set of offset
points and, with the tool rest still
angled, cut the first arc of the ellipse.
Then remount to the second set of
offset points and cut the second arc.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 55
Turn a triangle
TRIANGULAR LAYOUT
Crisscross. After
doing her layout
on paper, Ireland
transfers it to one
end of the blank.
Start by making
short marks where
the diagonals cross,
and use them as a
centerpoint to draw
the largest possible Radius trick. With the compass still set to the circle’s radius, walk it
circle. around the perimeter making six equally spaced marks. Then connect
every other mark to the centerpoint.

1. TURN A CYLINDER AND MARK THE OFFSET POINTS

Mark the offsets.
Using dividers,
mark the offset
points along each
of the three radial
lines. Do the same
on the other end of
the workpiece.

Offset points,
equidistant
from the center,
marked on each
of the three
radial lines.

A cylinder to start. Turn the workpiece to a cylinder, stopping at the

circle you drew on the end. Then carry the three radial lines down the
cylinder and reproduce them on the other end.

while the other end is offset, you can create a piece that transi-
tions from round at one end to elliptical at the other. I use offset END VIEW
turning to create necks for guitars, legs for furniture, and a wide
range of vessels and boxes. The possibilities are endless.

Turning a triangle
Offset turning a triangle is actually easier than turning an ellipse,
though the layout is a little more complex. On paper, draw a
circle that represents the biggest cylinder you can get from the
blank. Divide the circle into three equal sections. You can do
this by keeping the compass set to the circle’s radius. Stick the
point of the compass anywhere on the circle and make a short
pencil mark across it; move the compass point to the cross-
mark and continue on around the circle. This will give you six
almost perfect divisions. From every other point draw a line to
the center. Use dividers to mark your offset points along those
three lines. As before, swing the arcs from those offset points.

56 FINE WOODWORKING
2,3,4. REMOUNT ON EACH SET OF OFFSET POINTS AND TURN THE ARCS
More marking. First set of
After mounting the offset points
workpiece using creates first arc.
one of the pairs of
offset points, draw
vertical guidelines
on the side of the
part nearest the
tool rest.

Second set
of offset
Side one. As you did with the ellipse, extend the points creates
roughing gouge gradually until chips appear. Keep second arc.
your forefinger in the hollow of the tool rest to
control depth of cut. Use the vertical guidelines to
gauge your progress.

Then transfer the layout to one end of the workpiece.

Mount the workpiece at its centerpoints and turn it to a cylinder.
Then, using the tool rest as a straightedge, carry all three axis
lines to the opposite end of the workpiece. Take the piece off
the lathe and complete the layout on the second end, using the
Third set of
three axis lines to orient it. offset points
Now mount the workpiece using one pair of the offset points, creates third arc.
turn the piece by hand, and put a series of vertical pencil lines
in the section that comes closest to the tool rest. With a rough-
ing gouge, turn until the vertical lines disappear and you hit the
horizontal lines. Repeat this on all three sides.
Here, too, the possible variations are amazing. Mount one end
at the centerpoint and the other end at the offset points to create
a part that goes from round to triangular. Mismatch the offset
The completed part. After remounting the part
points at the two ends and you can turn a spiral. The beauty of off-center twice more and cutting the second and
this technique is how quickly you can achieve a sophisticated look third arcs, the triangle is complete. With the lathe
with no setup and no jigs. Grab your scraps and have fun! ☐ off you can use sandpaper on a hard block to
straighten or sharpen the arrises between the arcs.
Beth Ireland turns in St. Petersburg, Fla., and teaches around the country.

How to taper a triangle

Making a part that is both triangular in cross-section and
tapers end-to-end is much like making a tapered elliptical
part. Draw two layouts on paper and transfer the large one to
one end of the blank. Turn the blank to a cylinder. Draw three
horizontal lines along the length of the cylinder corresponding
to the three radial lines of the layout. Remove the cylinder
from the lathe and use the three horizontal lines to orient
the small layout on the other end of the part. Remount the
cylinder on its centerpoints and turn it to a taper. Then, with
the tool rest still angled, remount the part to each of the three
pairs of offset points in turn to create the tapered triangle.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 57

Folding Tabletop
An uncommon way
to maximize your table area
B Y S T E V E L A T T A

D uring the Federal period, some card

tables and even dining tables had a
unique design that allowed the top to
pivot 90° and then fold open, doubling its sur-
face area. Building a table this way eliminated
the need for fly rails or other elaborate support
mechanisms. The design is pure simplicity, and
I thought it appropriate for a certificate table
that I made for my Quaker meeting. In the
Quaker faith, the wedding couple signs their
names to a marriage certificate that states their
commitment to each other. All members in
attendance sign the certificate as well in sup-
port of the union. I made a second version of
the table for my home, and it has proven to
be one of the most versatile pieces I live with.
Near the front door, in the smaller position,
it serves as an entryway table, holding keys
and mail. Opened larger, it offers drinks and
hors d’oeuvres. I can easily see changing the
dimensions to make coffee tables or end tables
with the same technique.

The base and top are basic in design

The base for the table is nothing more than
four splayed legs connected to tenoned aprons.
When closed, the top measures 15 in. by 24 in.,
has a 1-in. overhang on all sides, and displays
a veneered surface. When rotated and opened,
the top doubles in size to 24 in. by 30 in.,
overhanging the sides by 5-1⁄2 in. and the ends
by 4 in., and is covered in leather, providing a
great surface for signing the certificate.
The folding top is made of two plywood
leaves. I veneer one side of each leaf, and
then, in a separate step, I glue a single piece
of leather across the other side of both leaves.
Then I frame the top with solid lipping and

58 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales

 TOP UNFOLDS AND PIVOTS
Two 5⁄8-in.-thick flip tops

Tabletop in closed position

Card table hinge

Leather interior

Once open, top

rotates 90°.

Pivot, 21⁄2-in. disc of 5⁄8-in.-thick

Baltic-birch plywood, screwed to
underside of one leaf 1-in. solid wood
border

3
⁄8-in. dowel, or
hex-head bolt, Felt
acts as stop

Dovetailed cross-
stretcher, 5⁄8-in. Baltic-
birch plywood, 5 in. wide

33⁄8-in. disc, secured

from bottom, locks
assembly together Base
but allows it to pivot.

STRAIGHTFORWARD BASE

24 in. 15 in.

22 in. 13 in.

93°
Legs, 13⁄8 in.
square

351⁄4 in. 34 in.

Taper to 3⁄4 in.

CLOSED POSITION FRONT VIEW CLOSED POSITION SIDE VIEW

Drawings: John Hartman NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 59

Hinge the tabletop
Mounting these hinges takes a little practice, and Latta
recommends doing a mock-up first to work out the nuances.
The hinges’ L-shaped leaves are joined with a steel link.

The space between. Latta clamps a thin ruler between the two
halves of the top when he does the hinge layout, ensuring there
will be a small gap between them when the hinges are installed.
Without the space, the leaves of the top can pinch in back and
spring open in the front.

attach it to the base of the table. For details on adding the

veneer and leather to the top, see Master Class on p. 74.

Add a frame and hinges

Once the two leaves are surfaced, you can apply the edg-
ing. The three exposed sides of each leaf get covered
with a 1-in. strip of cherry mitered at the outer corners.
Adding biscuits along the joint helps with alignment and
slippage. The edging can be flushed on the veneered side
of the leaf but I do my best to avoid taking that risk with
the leather, since there is no easy touch-up to a gouge in
the leather surface.
So the joint

Lay out and mark. Pencil around the hinge itself

to begin the layout. Then use a marking gauge
to score the location. Do the layout so the end
of the L with the steel link sits just a hair
proud of the top’s surface. The rear edge of
the knuckle should extend a hair past the
folding edge of the top.
STEPPED HINGE MORTISE
These hinge mortises are a three-step affair. A little practice and
careful work will yield a nicely fitting mortise that doesn’t bind.

HINGE LAYOUT Layout dependent upon hinge

manufacturer. Latta uses
Horton Brasses H-53.
1
⁄16-in. gap

5
The initial
⁄8 in.
mortise. With the
two leaves clamped
together, use a trim
router to remove
between the leather and the border must be dead-on after most of the waste,
the glue-up. then clean up to
With the edging mounted and flushed, install the card- your marking gauge
table hinges. Mounting the hinges takes a little practice lines with a chisel.
and I always recommend doing a mock-up first to work
out the nuances. These hinges are basically two L-shaped
leaves joined with a steel link. Position the hinge so the
end of the L that joins the link is just slightly proud of the
table surface; this will allow for the top to fold without

Secondary
mortise and a
little excavation.
Hold the hinge
against the initial
mortise to mark
the location of the
knuckle (far left).
Then rout a deeper
section to accept
the knuckle. Chisel
out the section
where the leaves of
the hinge will meet.

Final fit. Slide

the edges binding. If the hinge is mounted too far from the hinge in
the face, the edges will rub and, if extreme, tear the leaves place, make any
from their mounting. I also set the hinges so the rear edge adjustments
of the knuckle extends past the rear edge of the tabletop a necessary to the
hair, noticeable if you run your finger along the back edge. fit, and set just the
center screws to
Once again, this allows the top to fold without binding.
make sure it all
With layout for the first hinge complete, use a trim router works as planned.
set to the hinge leaf depth to rough out the main recess. Then you can set
Then cut to your layout lines with a chisel. Reset the router the rest of the
to the knuckle depth, and rout that section. Drive just the screws.
center screws and make sure the hinge works properly. If
it does, set all the screws making sure it still works. If all
is good and the heavens have aligned, repeat the process
with the second hinge.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 61

Mount the tabletop
PIVOT-POINT LOCATION IS CRUCIAL
Latta uses a simple method to calculate where to create a swivel point for the top.

It’s all about division. On the underside of the bottom leaf, draw a centerline across the short A place for the pivot disc. With a compass you
dimension. Divide that line into quarters with dividers and mark the point one quarter from the can use that point as the center to draw a 21⁄2-in.
hinged edge. Set a compass to that same one-quarter distance, put its tip in the marked point, and circle where you’ll mount the pivot disc.
swing an arc to one side of the centerline. With a combination square, make a cross mark.

BOTTOM VIEW OF ONE LEAF

Centerline
1. Divide into quarters.

Pivot
point

3. Mark 1⁄4 from

Hinged edge hinged edge.
2. Mark 1⁄4 from centerline.

Transfer the disc placement. Use the

leaf itself, carefully centered in both
directions, to mark the location on the
cross-stretcher where you’ll drill a
mating hole for the pivot disc.
INSTALLING THE PIVOT

A little felt goes a long way. Before screwing the disc in place, Latta adds
felt to the underside (above). It gives a soft thin gap between the leaf and the
disc. Predrill with a countersink and then screw the disc to the leaf (right).

A SIMPLE STOP TOP VIEW STOP LOCATION 11⁄16-in. radius

A dowel or a hex-head bolt limits the pivot when it 3
⁄8-in. dowel or
bumps against the apron or cross-stretcher. hex-head bolt

Top in closed
position

Stop hits back

stretcher in
closed position.

Base

Stop hits cross-stretcher

in open position. Top shown pivoted 90°,
before folded open.

Finding and mounting the pivot

I spent many an hour trying to find the magic formula
for calculating the tabletop’s pivot point. I never knew
the direct method of finding it, but I always got there.
Well, with writing this article as an incentive, I dug a little Drill for the
deeper and realized the answer was always in plain sight. pivot disc. Once
I was just twisting the simple into something complicated. you’ve marked the
On the underside of the bottom leaf, draw a centerline location, use the
drill press to cut
across the short dimension. Divide that line into quarters
the hole for the
with a pair of dividers. The rotation point will be one disc.
quarter of the way from the leaf’s folding edge to its outer
edge. And that same distance—one step of the dividers—
away from the centerline. Bingo! That is it. I’ll leave it to
the mathematicians and engineers to figure out the why,
but it works every time!

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 63

The finishing touches
Add felt to the
base. Latta uses
spray adhesive to
glue down strips of
felt to the top edge
of the aprons. This
makes sure the
leaves are running
smoothly and not
getting scratched
as they swivel.

Wax the disc. A

layer of paste wax Next, on the bottom of the pivoting leaf, attach a 21⁄2-in.
on the moving disc of 5⁄8-in.-thick Baltic-birch plywood centered on the
parts of the joint
pivot point. Dovetail a 5-in.-wide cross-stretcher of the
goes a long way
to keep the pivot same 5⁄8-in. Baltic-birch between the aprons of the base,
action smooth. making sure the disc will fall well within its borders. Bore
a 21⁄2-in. hole in the cross stretcher to receive the disc.
Once the pieces are fit together, a 33⁄8-in. disc will be
secured from the bottom, locking the assembly together
but allowing it to pivot.
Before that magical moment, however, I adhere strips
of blended wool felt to the top of the aprons and legs to
make the pivot motion work easily and prevent scratching.
My local fabric store offers a 35% wool, 65% rayon that is
stronger and more durable than the standard craft felt at
the hobby store.
Mount the top to the cross rail and make sure it piv-
ots easily. The larger disc screws into the pivot disc and
a little trial-and-error is required here to get the proper
level of resistance. If the top is hard to turn, take a manila

64 FINE WOODWORKING
folder and cut several
23⁄8-in. discs to serve
as shims. Veneer also
works but often splits
when you are try-
ing to secure it. Add
shims until the top
rotates smoothly but
takes some effort to
move—not just sliding
at the slightest touch.
Then you should be
good to go.
To limit the top’s rota-
tion, add a hex-head bolt,
or a dowel, as a stop. Open
the top and make sure the
overhang is even all the way
around. Mount the stop to the
bottom of the pivoting leaf right
up against the cross stretcher. When
the top is closed and pivoted back, the
stop will contact the long apron. See the
drawing on p. 63 to help determine the stop’s
specific location. ☐

Contributing editor Steve Latta teaches woodworking

at Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster, Pa.

Final placement.
Lining up the
pivot disc with the
hole in the cross-
stretcher, place the
top on the base
(above). Then, with
the table upside
down, screw a
slightly bigger disc
over the pivot disc.
This will lock the
top to the base
while still letting it
pivot.

www.f inewoodworking.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 65

gallery
Inspiration for our readers,
from our readers

■ VA L M . D ZI AG WA
■ Arvada, Colo.
Val built this Krenov-style cabinet
on stand for his wife. The ebony
and koa he used had been in
his family for decades. The
whole building process, with its
many woodworking lessons and
tribulations, took several years of
stopping and starting to complete.
CURLY KOA, GABON EBONY, AND
MAPLE, 12D X 24W X 56H
Photo: Steve King

■ M E E G AN M C C A F F R EY
■ Cambridge, Mass.
Meegan was inspired by old sea chests
when she set out to build this piece. She
admits, “The shape is more beautiful
than practical, a bit mysterious.” It took
nearly as long to make the handles out of
black string—her first attempt at handle
making—as it did to make the box.
MAPLE, 15D X 15W X 17H

■ S TE PH E N BODNER
■ Chapel Hill, N.C.
Stephen was inspired by an 18th-century John Goddard
tea table with shaped aprons that sold at a 2005
Sotheby’s auction. He didn’t need a tea table, so he
converted it to a writing desk. And he made various
other changes. He designed aprons that are joined to
the legs with mortise-and-tenon joints but appear to
thin down as they bend in a sweeping curve to embrace
the legs. He chose the aprons’ grain direction carefully
to emphasize the curves. To modernize the Chippendale
legs, he gave them a simple curve.
WALNUT, 18D X 43W X 29H

66 FINE WOODWORKING
SAFETY UNLEASHED

NEW

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gallery continued

■ PAT R I C K M C G I NL E Y
■ Nahant, Mass.
This clock was a commission piece.
Patrick’s clients saw it in the movie
You’ve Got Mail in 1998 and had been
trying to find it ever since. When they
learned Patrick was a student at North
Bennet Street School, they showed him
a photograph that they had taken off
■ERIC DAY MO R R IS of the TV screen. Patrick says he was
■ Chandler, Ariz. confident he could replicate the clock
because “I was studying under Lance
This is the fifth heirloom cradle Eric has made for family members.
Patterson, the clock-making master.”
He discovered a love of sculpting wood some years back, while
building a Maloof-style rocking chair. Along the way he also came WALNUT, 6D X 25W X 80H
across the extraordinary work of Wharton Esherick. The work of Photo: Lance Patterson
these two artists, together with the mentoring and encouragement of
Raul Ramirez, Michael Fortune, and Kelly Parker, led to the creation
of his cradles.
CLARO WALNUT, 23D X 38W X 32H
Photo: Doug Forsha

■ SC O T T BECK
■ Novelty, Ohio
Scott has designed and made a few
of these chairs, patterned after Mid-
Century lounge chairs. While he has
made versions with Danish cord seats,
the seat on this one is made with
leather strips, cut with a sharp knife
and an aluminum straightedge. He
says the strips, approximately 1⁄4 in.
thick by 2 in. wide, are perfect for
weaving; they are strong and attractive
and they stay flat. And he says the
leather work takes about one-third the
time of Danish cord.
WALNUT, 40D X 26W X 28H

68 FINE WOODWORKING
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www.f i newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 69

gallery continued

■ TED S M AL L
■ Poland, Maine
Following in his grandfather’s footsteps as
a maker of office furniture, Ted looked to
James Krenov’s work as inspiration for the
legs of this desk. The rest of the piece was
modeled after Boston architecture.
QUARTERSAWN ASH AND CURLY WALNUT,
30D X 60W X 30H
Photo: Rene Roy

Show your best work

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

■ S PEN C E R R AF F
■ San Francisco, Calif.
This piece, a gift for his daughter, is the first box Spencer
made. He was inspired by boxes he’d seen on the web, in
particular those with secret compartments or locks. The
bottom drawer is secret, and he made a hidden magnetic ■GEOFF M C KO N LY
latch to lock and release it.
■ Northampton, Mass.
MAHOGANY, EBONY, SPALTED MAPLE, CURLY MAPLE This lamp is the result of Geoff’s time taking a lighting design class at the Center
9D X 14W X 8H for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. It merged his desire to build a lighting
fixture with learning bent-lamination work.
ASH AND WALNUT, 9D X 24W X 17H

70 FINE WOODWORKING
 MORTISE & TENON
magazine

144 pages, published twice per year.

Subscriptions, back issues, books,

and online educational resources
available at our website.

Timeless craftsmanship
is worth celebrating.
www.mortiseandtenonmag.com

www.f i newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 71

gallery continued

■ M I KE FA R R IN G T O N
■ Aurora, Colo.
A client gave Mike a photo of a living room side table from
a design magazine. The client wanted a similar piece, and
this is the design he executed, based loosely on the image.
RED OAK, 26D X 18W X 28H

■ DAN A S AL I H I
■ Lighthouse Point, Fla.
The inspiration for “Corset Chair” came from the
pattern on the mahogany crotch slab that Dana
salvaged in South Florida. He built the back of
the chair so you can see through the crack. He
■ M AT T H E W K . B ROW N
made barbell-shaped walnut butterflies, scaled to
match the flare of the back, to span the crack. The
■ Reading, Pa.
remainder of the crack was filled with clear resin Matthew modeled this table after Steve Latta’s
before shaping. version of a Federal-style dressing table in the
MAHOGANY AND WALNUT, 23D X 18 1⁄ 2 W X 34H Winterthur collection.
WALNUT, SOFT MAPLE, AND HOLLY
19D X 36W X 33H
Photo: Jesi Yost

72 FINE WOODWORKING
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master class

Add a leather surface to a table

B Y S T E V E L A T T A

Leather Solid-wood edging, 5⁄8 in.

thick by 1 in. wide
Plywood,
5
⁄8 in. thick

Spline

Solid-wood strip, 5⁄8 in.

thick by 1⁄2 in. wide

Card-table hinge Veneer

74 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Anissa Kapsales; drawings: John Hartman

 Veneer

A
leather top adds pizzazz to
a piece, a certain formality
typically associated with
first
large executive desks. When Before you get to
leather is touched, its slight the leather, you’ll
springback projects durability, apply veneer to
comfort, and almost a sense of kinship. one face of each
leaf of the top.
That might sound odd but as humans, we
have an ancient relationship with leather
that existed millennia before our use of

Edge and veneer.

Prior to veneering,
Latta glues a 1⁄2-in.-
wide strip of solid-
wood edging to one
long edge of each
leaf. These edges
will be where the
top folds when the
leaves are hinged.
Then with yellow
glue, he applies the
oversize veneer.

fabric. In my mind, leather’s imperfections Vacuum bag it.

make it perfect, with its natural defects Use a vacuum
and wrinkles breaking up the monotony bag or press or
clamping pressure
of a static flat plane.
to set the veneer
In addition to its good looks, leather on the substrate.
is a very pragmatic choice. As a writing
surface, it has no equal. Upholstery
leather, which I use, requires minimal
upkeep. It holds its own against life’s
daily assaults and I have never had to
replace a damaged piece. I wish the
same could be said for the countless
wooden tops that have left my shop over
the years.
With a little experience, leather is easy
to work and requires no special tooling. Remove the
Here’s how I added a leather top to the excess. Once the
expanding table on pp. 58–65. glue is dry, use a
single-bevel knife,
guided by the
Veneer one side of both leaves substrate, to trim
To begin, I took two pieces of 5⁄8-in.- away the excess
veneer.
thick by 15-in.-wide by 24-in.-long Baltic-
birch plywood and glued a 1⁄2-in. strip of
cherry to one long edge on each of the
leaves. Once the top is completed, these
will be the edges at the fold.
After cutting two pieces of cherry
veneer a bit oversize, I laminated a piece
to one side of each leaf using yellow

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 75
master class continued

Get ready for the leather Prior to gluing a piece of leather to the two leaves, add a spacer between them. And
secure the leaves with two tacked strips to ensure they don’t shift during the glue-up.

Anti-stick tricks. Use clear tape, trimmed

to fit, to cover the edging on the inside of the
leaves (top). Additionally, wax the thin spacer
that will sit between the leaves during the
glue-up (above). This way the spacer doesn’t Thin spacer. This removable strip will create a narrow gap between the leaves during the glue-up,
become a permanent part of the construction. which will allow them to fold after the glue has dried and the leaves are hinged together.

glue and a vacuum bag. When the glue

had thoroughly dried, I cut each leaf to
14 in. by 22 in., leaving the cherry strips
untouched.

Add leather to the tops

With the veneering complete, cut a piece
of upholstery leather large enough to
cover both leaves of the top with a 1⁄2-in.
overhang all the way around.
Align the cherry edges with each other
and place a strip of veneer between the
two. To keep parts from sticking during
the glue-up, cover the cherry edges with
clear packing tape and wax the strip of Immobilization measures. It’s vital that the leaves not shift during the leather glue-up. Latta
veneer. To keep the leaves from shifting clamps the two leaves to a flat surface and to each other, with the spacer in place, and tacks a
in the vacuum press, tack a temporary temporary cleat to the edge, straddling the two leaves. He tacks another cleat to the opposite edge.

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master class continued

Apply the leather

Gluing the leather in place is similar to
gluing veneer.

Glue and press.

Spread glue on
the substrate, just
as you would with
veneer. But rather
than putting the
veneer on top of
the substrate,
spread the leather
(good face down)
on a clean, flat
surface. Turn the
substrate glue-side
down and set it on
top of the leather.

cleat to the edge, straddling the leaves.

Do this on both ends. Roll a nice film of
white glue onto the unveneered faces
of the leaves. Lay the leather on a flat
surface, and set the leaves on top. With
the leather side down, put the assembly
on a platen in the vacuum bag and let
the glue do its thing.
Once the glue has fully cured, pull out
the top and remove the cleats, and the
spacer between the leaves. The leaves
should easily fold onto each other at this
point. Take a sharp single-bevel knife
and, with the top face down, trim the
leather to the edge of the leaves.

Edge the perimeter

The three exposed sides of each leaf Flip and flatten.
After applying hand
now get edged with a 1-in.-wide strip
pressure to keep
of cherry mitered at the outer corners. the leather and
Adding biscuits or splines along the joint substrate together,
will help with alignment and slippage. flip the assembly
Take the time to make your biscuit or and use your hands
spline joints extremely accurate, because to smooth out any
after the edging is glued it must be wrinkles, moving
from the center
perfectly flush with the surface of the
outward. Then set
leather. The edging can be flushed on the whole thing
the veneered side of the leaf but I don’t in the vacuum
take that risk on the leather side. bag, leather side
down, to dry under
Contributing editor Steve Latta teaches pressure.
woodworking at Thaddeus Stevens College
in Lancaster, Pa.

78 FINE WOODWORKING
 PRETTYGOODHOUSE PA RETTYGOODHOUSE
G U ID E TO C R E AT IN
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CHRISTOPHER BRILEY, DANIEL KOLBERT, MICHAEL MAINES, AND EMILY MOTTRAM

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ADVERTISER WEB ADDRESS PAGE ADVERTISER WEB ADDRESS PAGE

Bessey Tools besseytools.com p. 69 MicroFence microfence.com p. 81

Blue Spruce Toolworks bluesprucetoolworks.com p. 25 Mortise & Tenon Magazine mortiseandtenonmag.com p. 71
Briwax briwax.com p. 7 Oneida Air Systems oneida-air.com p. 13
CabinetParts cabinetparts.com p. 81 Oneida Air Systems oneida-air.com p. 15
Center for Furniture PantoRouter pantorouter.com p. 25
Craftsmanship woodschool.org p. 77
Pretty Good House tauntonstore.com p. 79
Clapham’s Beeswax Products claphams.com p. 77
Rikon Power Tools rikontools.com p. 5
Connecticut Valley School
Ripeeze ripeeze.com p. 81
of Woodworking schoolofwoodworking.com p. 11
Rockler rockler.com p. 77
Eheat eheat.com p. 71
SawStop sawstop.com/cts p. 67
Felder Group USA feldergroupusa.com p. 11
Shaper Tools shapertools.com p. 9
Fine Woodworking Newsletter finewoodworking.com/newsletter p. 77
The Society of American
Freud Tools freudtools.com p. 25
Period Furnituremakers sapfm.org p. 73
Groff & Groff Lumber groffslumber.com p. 77
South Bend Tools southbendtools.com p. 2
Hearne Hardwoods hearnehardwoods.com p. 73
Titebond titebond.com p. 19
Highland Woodworking highlandwoodworking.com p. 73
Vacuum Pressing Systems vacupress.com p. 11
Infinity Cutting Tools infinitytools.com p. 73
Woodcraft Supply woodcraft.com p. 69
Keller Dovetail Systems bestdovetails.com p. 81
Woodpeckers woodpeck.com p. 71
Klingspor’s Sanding Catalog sandingcatalog.com p. 23
Woodpeckers woodpeck.com p. 83
Lignomat lignomat.com p. 73

www.f i newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 79

master class continued

Post glue-up Once the glue is dry on the leather, it’s

time to think about edging the outside.

Out of the press. When the glue has cured, remove the spacer from
between the leaves and peel off the clear tape from the edges. Then use a
single-bevel knife to trim the leather to the substrate.

Grooves for biscuits or a spline. It’s difficult to flush the edging on the leather side without damaging the leather. So the mitered edging that
goes around the perimeter of the top should get biscuits or a spline to keep it from shifting during the glue-up. Latta runs grooves for splines using a
handheld router on the substrate and the router table for the edging.

One piece at a time. Working around the perimeter of the table, miter,
measure, cut, and glue each piece in place.

80 FINE WOODWORKING
 WOODWORKERS MART

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www.f i newoodwor k i n g.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 81

from the bench
My mentor, Mr. Scriven
B Y R I C H A R D M C C O R M I C K

A
spark of creativity is an amazing thing, as is the the experience, knowing that you are about to embark on
circuitous route that sometimes unfolds when a beautiful journey of learning and discovery. You begin by
something new is ignited within us. My path into beginning.” He then told me he had every confidence I could
woodworking began in Fort Collins, Colo., when accomplish it if I adhered to one small bit of advice: “Take the
I was 25. With just a few tools I built some small time to do it right.” All these years later, whenever I’m hurried
objects and my first crude piece of furniture. Then, or anxious, I still hear him saying, “If you can’t take the time to
the unexpected gift of a new friend caused the spark to ignite do something right, you will never find the time to fix it.”
into a flame, and a lifelong passion. My unlikely friend would His smile slowly returned as he stood and answered the last
inspire me toward unimagined creativity. of my questions: “Things that matter always take just as long as
I found my way to his house after a man at the hardware they take.” For him, there were no clocks or calendars when it
store, who couldn’t answer one of my woodworking questions, came to doing something that mattered.
suggested that I look up a longtime customer, Ed Scriven. I As I began the project, working evenings and weekends,
knocked on the door and met a man in his late 70s with a I spent months at the library reading everything possible
calm, gentle spirit, and a smile on his wrinkled face. He invited relating to Chippendale furniture. After I began building, I
me in, and we became instant friends. I soon learned that he would often wake up in the night wondering how to do a
had built houses, boats, furniture, and certain aspect of the piece. The long
cabinets. His own house was tiny, journey of learning and discovery
and lacked a working bathroom; his continued. It was time to return to the
modest, disheveled shop was out back. library to study styles of carving, and
Despite having little, as defined by a techniques used by the masters from
society bent on success and material previous centuries.
gain (things my young mind thought A sense of trepidation crept into
important), Mr. Scriven always struck my mind when I realized that the
me as fulfilled. He was never in a fundamentals necessary to complete
hurry and approached each task with the project could take years of full
persistence and a desire for perfection. immersion in the world of making fine
Not long after meeting him, I set furniture. Mr. Scriven had not told me
up my first real workshop in a one- how long traveling this path would
car garage with a few more tools and take; it would take as long as it would
some small machines. And suddenly a take. But at this point there could be
woodworking project far beyond my skill level came into view. no turning back. Mr. Scriven would have been too disappointed
I was naively inspired by a picture of a 1700s Chippendale if I folded up.
lowboy dressing table. This piece of furniture possessed me. It took me three years to build that Chippendale lowboy,
When I enthusiastically showed Mr. Scriven the picture, he which still sits proudly in the entryway of our home, tangible
must have thought there was no chance this task could be evidence of Mr. Scriven’s influence on me. Every time I
accomplished considering my lack of experience. walk past it, I think of him and his confidence that I could
I asked him how I should begin making this huge project accomplish my dream if only I would stay the course and invest
that so captivated me. I asked if he thought I could accomplish the time, energy, and passion necessary to do it right.
it with my limited experience, tools, and knowledge. I asked Ed Scriven passed away nearly 40 years ago. His now-faded
how long it might take, because I was in a hurry to get it done. picture has hung on the wall of every shop I’ve had in my
After the avalanche of questions, Mr. Scriven asked me to sit 50-year woodworking journey. He never knew the impact he
down. As he began to answer, his smile diminished. Had my had on me. A true mentor, he taught me as much about life as
enthusiastic questioning made him serious? about woodworking. ☐
He became calm and stared into my eyes. In his slow-talking
manner he said, “Begin by being excited that you don’t have Richard McCormick works wood in Durango, Colo.

82 FINE WOODWORKING Photos: Richard McCormick

A Sideboard Cloaked in Osgood Oak

W
hen Jere Osgood
was closing his New
Hampshire workshop
several years back and selling off his
extraordinary trove of wood, John
Cameron wandered into a small
shed and found a stack of badly
warped boards sawn 1⁄4 in. thick
and coated with years of grime.
Brushing off a board, he saw it was
quartersawn English brown oak.
Usable? He wasn’t at all sure. But he
was inspired, and back at his shop
in Gloucester, Mass., he got to work
designing a sideboard. He cleaned
the boards, then repeatedly soaked
them with a mixture of glycerin,
alcohol, and water and stacked and
weighted them. After a week of
coaxing, the wood was just pliable
enough that with a bandsaw jig he
devised, he could press the planks
temporarily flat and resaw them
in two. He thickness-sanded them
at a friend’s shop, and when they
were about 1⁄16 in. thick, he says,
“this cantankerous wood magically
stopped fighting and became
beautifully behaved and perfectly
flat.” With a little more magic in the
making, Osgood’s old boards soon
cloaked Cameron’s new sideboard.
The cabinet’s interior is ash, its
drawers are holly, and its base is
toasted ash. Cameron engraved
acanthus leaves on the nickel-silver
escutcheon.
—Jonathan Binzen

Photos: Bill Truslow