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Y
RKER
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ODWO

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1990 - Issues 7-12
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Volume 2, Number 1
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Volume 2, Number 2
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Volume 2, Number 3
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Volume 2, Number 5
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Volume 2, Number 6
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January/February 1990 $3.50
R
TIPS

WOODWORKER'
PROJECTS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
8 A Woodworker's Workbench 2 Today's Wood
By Bruce Kieffer When it's hardness you're after,
The most important tool in a maple is the right choice.
shop will really put your
3 On the Level
woodworking skills to the test. Our policy on those
occasional corrections.
Stamp Holders
4 Tricks of the Trade
By T Martin Daughenbaugh
Quick fixes and safety tips.
5 Shop Stumpers
Here's a quick and easy project
Some answers on compound
for all you turners out there.
miters and saw sharpening.
Valentines' Day Bandsaw Box
6 Hardware Hints
16
Equipping your workbench.
By Randy Johnson
21 Finishing Thoughts
Just four cuts on the bandsaw and
The truth about wax.
you're well on the way to the
22 Today's Shop
perfect Valentines' Day gift.
Working safely with dado heads.
23 What's in Store
Breakfast In Bed The surprising Routermaster.
By Rick Hayden
24 Reader's Gallery
Wile away Sunday mornings in
Windsor style and ladderback
bed with this well designed
chairs from the Country
breakfast tray. Workshop.
(Photography by Scott Jacobson)
. r WOOD
. Hard Maple (Acer Saccharum)
If you've ever danced across the sweeping floor of a
grand old ballroom, chances are you've already devel-
oped an appreciation for today's wood. That's because
most of those glistening wooden dance floors were
made from hard maple.
Its resistance to wear makes hard maple a superior
choice for workbench tops, too. Nicks and dents are
inevitable on any wooden surface, but maple's unique
character keeps these marks to a minimum, making it a
highly desirable furniture wood as well.
Specialty woodworkers are intrigued by the many fig-
ures that can appear in maple, including burls (favored
by turners), leaf and fIddleback (a musical instrument
maker's maple of choice) and bird's-eye (selectively
used for its decorative appeal).
Hard maple lumber is
typically produced by
the tree called sugar
maple, the species
famous for its delicious syrup.
Most of the other maple species pro-
duce much softer wood. Hard maple
offers excellent bending characteristics,
shock resistance arid strength, but forget
about using it for outside projects since it has
little.resistance to decay.
Maple is a light cream color with a very dense grain.
The texture of hard maple works wonderfully for clear
finishing, but not so well for staining because of its ten-
dency to develop a splotchy appearance.
January/February 1"990
Volume 2, Number 1

LARRYN. STOIAKEN
Editor
JOHN KELLIHER
Art Director
CHRIS INMAN
issociate Editor
STEVE HINDERAKER
Associate Art Director
NANCY EGGERT
Productio//. Manager .
JEFF JACOBSON
Tecllll ical Illustrator
GORDON HANSON
Copy Editor
ANN JACKSON
Publisher
JIM EBNER .
Director of Marketing
VAL E. GER.STING
'Circulatioll Director
. NORTON ROCKLER
RlCKWHITE
Editorial A(ivisors -
ROGER W. CLIFFE .
SPENCER H. CONE II
JOHN GOFF
BRUCE KIEFFER
.-JERRY T. TERHARK
COI!tributing Editors '

Today's Woodworker, (ISSN: 1041-8113)
is published bimonthly (January, March,
May, July, Septef1)ber, November) for
$13.95 per year by Rockier Press, 21801
Industrial Blvd., Rogers, MN 55374-0044.
App.lication to mqilai. second class
postage rates is pending at Rogers, MN
55374. "
POSTMASTE;R: Send address changes to
Today's Woodworker, P.O Box 6782, Syra-
cuse NY 13217-9916. ' ..
One vear subscription price, $13 .. 95 (U.S.
and po,ssessions); $20.95 (U.S. currency
countries). ' Single copy price,
$3.50; (other countries, $5.00, U.S. curren-
cy). Send new subscriptions to Circulation
Dept., Today's Woodworker, PO B.ox 6782,
Syracuse NY 13217-9916. ,Subscribers are
welcome to submit project proposals, tips
and techniques to the editor, Today's
Woodworker, Box 4'1, Rogers, MN 55374.
For purposes of clarity, illustrations and
phpto"s are sometimes shown without prop-
er guards in place. Today's Woodworker
recommends following ALL safety precau-
tions wl")ile in the shop.
Today's ' Woodworker is a trademark of
Rockier Press.
Copyright 1990, by Rockier Press.
Air rights
.. _____ ON THE LEVEL
Making Things Right
Corrections! They're the scourge of all
magazine staffs, but let's face it, they're
bound to happen. Our policy is to provide
inserts for all affected back issues and to
notify subscribers below, in our letters
column. Carefully update your back
issues immediately, right on the page.
That way, if you start a project several
months down the road, the correction will
be right there waiting for you. Please be
While building the blanket chest in the
July/August 1989 issue (See photo
above), I found two mistakes. On page
17, Figure 2, your drawing shows 12" of
material below the dado. That 12"
should actually be above the dado. And
in the material list, pieces 5, 6 and 7
(the front) add up to 20 1/2", which is one
inch more than the width of piece 4, the
back. To remedy this problem, piece 6
should measure 1 3/4 " wide instead of
2
3
)''' wide.
C.w. Wegemer
Hershey, Pennsylvania
We've had several resp01lses to "Saw Cut
Basics", A Trick of the Trade in the
Sept./Oct. issue. This letter summarizes
the others and provides a good tip.
I disagree with the recommendation that
the finished side should always be
placed down when using a radial arm
saw. The guiding principle is that, on the
cutting stroke, the teeth of the blade
should enter the wood on the finished
side. In a cross-cutting operation, the
radial arm saw blade enters the wood
from the top and the finished side
should be up. In a ripping operation, the
radial arm saw blade enters the wood
from the bottom, so the finished side
should be down. Incidentally, Japanese
handsaws cut on the pull stroke, so the
finished side should be down. To further
reduce chipping I recommend placing
masking tape over the region through
which the saw exits.
One other comment. I made the fold-
ing footrest on page 14 of the Sept/Oct.
1989 issue and recommend that fellow

sure to read through all projects before
you start cutting material and let us know
if something seems askance.
We're happy to see "Shop Stumpers"
coming in. Please feel free to send in any
questions or suggestions you may have
-we'll get someone right on it.

woodworkers glue together the support
assembly prior to putting together the
leg assembly. This way you can mea-
sure piece 2 (the rotator) to make sure
your legs are exactly the right distance
apart. The rotator should actually be
about 9
7
;' 6" instead of 9 15/16 ".
Arnold Benson
Houston, Texas
David jansen, a subscriber from Som-
merville, Massachusetts, recently complet-
ed work on the Adirondack Chair featured
in ou/' May/june 1989 issue (See photo
above) . David used Honduras Mahogany
with foul' coats of marine va1'1lish and
found a couple of mistakes that he wanted
other subscribers to be aware of.
___ ----21'''----_
14
Piece 11: The dimensions shown in
the material list (page 19) are correct,
however on page 18, the dimensions
are incorrect.
Piece 14: The scale drawing on page
18 didn't show the position for the coun-
tersunk holes on the arms. Please see
drawing (above).
Piece 20: A drop of epoxy should be
applied to the inside of the joint connec-
tor caps (pieces 21) used for the axles.
TODAY'S WOODWOR1<ER JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990
-
-
F====== TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Quick Fixes and Safety Tips
Woodcarver's Bench Clamp
As a woodcarver I need a bench-top
clamp that is flush with the piece it's
holding, otherwise it interferes with
the sweep of my tools and my hands.
My answer is a variation on a com-
monly used homemade clamp. From
a piece of scrap plywood, a corner
brace, and a long stove bolt and a
washer, I get a clamp that really does
the job. Constructing the clamp is
straightforward, as the illustration at
right clearly shows, but be sure to
countersink the top of your bench
where the bolt hole is so that the
washer and the head of the bolt can
sit below the benchtop surface when
the clamp is removed. I hope other
woodworkers are able to use this idea
to make their shop a little safer.
Tom French
Fairfax, Virginia
Tape to
protect war/(.
hold a copy of Today's Woodworker diameter circles. Before I get to the
open to the plans I'm working on. It's jig I layout my circle with a compass
adjustable for easy reading whether and cut it slightly oversized on the
I'm sitting or standing, takes up no bandsaw. Then, in the exact center of
space on my bench, and keeps my the circle I drill a 1/2" diameter hole
Today's Woodworker out of harm's 3/8" deep.
way. It even folds for easy storage My jig consists of a long arm with a
when I'm not using it. If your readers 1/2" dowel projecting 5/16" down-
Brass Set Up Blocks don't happen to have one of these ward at one end. The arm is held
Are there times when you want to things in a closet somewhere, it can between two stabilizing guide blocks,
quickly set up your table saw or be purchased at a very reasonable which are secured to the table and
router for a 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2" cut? price in most music stores. allow the arm to slide back and forth.
Measured it three times and it's still I never mastered the guitar, but To use the jig, insert the dowel into
not accurate? Here is my solution. with the help of the music stand, the previously drilled center hole and
Since wood changes dimension due Today's Woodworker and I "make set the arm between the blocks'. Slide
to humidity, I use pieces of brass stock beautiful music together." the arm toward the router, until the
about 4" long and sized to various Gary D. Wargo circle contacts the cutter. Clamp the
widths. Mark each one for width and Fostoria, Michigan arm in place, turn on the router and
carry a set of these accurate set up spin the circle to take a
blocks in your shop apron pocket. -+--------------- -----+- light pass. Continue taking
John R Swanson light cuts until you reach
Renton, Washington the desired dimension.
Don Beal
Beautiful Music In The Shop Randolph, Massachusetts
Over the years I've had many hob-
bies, none of which held my inter- Rejuvenating Sander Belts
est for very long, until I began I have experienced severe
woodworking several years ago. wood resin buildup on my
Each hobby left behind a variety of power sander belts -to
equipment, stored away because the degree that they would
"it might come in handy some Cut piece slightly no longer sand properly: I
oversized on bandsaw
day." One of those items was a found that a rag soaked in
and use this jig to
folding aluminum music stand, finish the circle. paint thinner and rubbed
intended to hold sheet music while on the belt (while it was
I learned to play the guitar. I'm still on the sander)
glad I took those guitar lessons, -t------ -------------_+_ removed most of the resin.
because that stand has become like Circl e Cutting Jig The sander worked like new.
an extra pair of hands in my shop! I My router table is equipped with a jig James Bloom
place it near my work and use it to that allows me to make perfect, large Locust Grove, Virginia
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990 TO DAY'S WOODWORKER
Table Saw Safety Feature
In my shop I have added a safety fea-
ture to my table saw and a few other
power tools. I am always interested in
ways to make my shop safer.
The on/off switch on my saw is on
the lower right side, just below the
table. The on button is on top and the
off has a larger red button. I have
added a small piece of wood that goes
from a hinge on the floor to a position
in front of the off button. With a kick
of my foot I am able to stop my saw.
This is real handy when I'm cutting
large pieces and need an extra hand
to turn things off in an emergency.
For each tool on which I use this set-
up, I have to experiment to get every-
thing to fit properly.
Quick Trick
Dallas Johnson
Everett, Washington
Here's a trick to keep the chuck key
handy. Weld a nut on the end of the
chuck key, run some plastic wire
through it and attach to the drill cord.
Heather Dull
Huntertown, Indiana

Today's Woodworker pays $30.00
for all Tricks of the Trade published.
Send yours to Today's Woodworker,
Dept. Tn; Rogers, MN 55374-0044.
TODAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990
r SHOP STUMPERS
COMPOUND MITERS AND SAW SETS
You asked to send in my stumper. so
here goes! How do you cut a shadow
box picture frame on a table saw? On
my Sears model saw the blade tilts to
the left 45and the miter tilts 6(f' either
way. So far I have been unable to
make the right cuts.
I enjoy your magazine and have
made a few of the projects that have
been published.
Carl E. Stolberg
Georgetown Indiana
r'\- ~
=?T
II
Compound miters
can transform
\!
an otherwise
"
simple frame
!
into a beautiful
shadow box.
"
/ ",I
~ ~ ~ ~ ..
Today's Woodworker responds: Cutting
shadow box compound miters on your
table saw will have to be a two step opera-
tion. You should adjust your miter gauge
and blade angles according to the chart
below. The cuts will all be made with your
miter gauge placed on the left side of the
table. Cut one end of each frame piece
with the miter gauge set at a left to right
downward slope.
Now reverse your miter gauge exactly
90. Place the frame piece into position
for cutting the other end, making sure
that the piece is oriented with the toe of
the miter ahead of the heel.
DESIRED BLADE MITER GAUGE
INCLINE ANGLE ANGLE
5 44
3
/4 85
10 44
1
/4 80
'
/4
15 43
1
/4 751/2
20 413/4 71
'
/4
25 40 67
30 37
3
/4 63
1
/2
35 35
1
/4 60
1
/4
40 32
1
/2 57
1
/4
45 30 54
3
/4
50 27 52
1
/2
55 24 50
3
/4
60 21" 49
Here the desired incline of the piece was
35, so the blade angle was set at 35
1
/4and
the miter gauge angle was set at 60
1
/4.
For a humber of years now I've been
unable to have my handsaws sharp-
ened to my satisfaction, even though
I've gone to several so-called profes-
sional sharpening services. In each
case the saw, when it comes back,
functions less satisfactorily than when
I took it in.
Recently I saw a reference to a
Japanese sawset that was supposedly
capable of setting 24 point saws. An
attempt to purchase one of these
brought the reply that the tool was not
available. Any suggestions?
William Schallert
Accokeek, Maryland
Today's Woodworker responds: A sawset
that works for blades with up to 24 teeth
per inch is a rare thing. And whether
such a fine set will work on a western
saw is questionable. A source for a
Japanese sawset that adjusts to an
extremely fine 26 TPI is: HIDA Japanese
Tool, 1333 San Pablo Ave., Berkley Cali-
fornia 04702.

Do you have a shop stumper you'd
like us to take a shot at? If we don't
know the answer, we'll find some-
one who does. Send your questions
to Today's Woodworker, Dept.
Stumpers, Rogers, MN 55374-0044.

.------HARDWARE HINTS
Equipping Your Workbench
IN the words of Graham Salt, "a work-
bench is an extension of a craftper-
son's hands, contributing to the quali-
ty of their work."
Salt, who owns the Cambridge Tool
Company (131 Sheldon Drive, Unit
12, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N1R
6S2), manufactures a complete line of
bench hardware and workbenches. If
you're designing a workbench, he has
a few important tips to pass along.
First, don't feel too compelled to fol-
low traditional vice placement, espe-
cially if you're left-handed. A rigid and
heavy bench, he adds, is much easier
to work on than one that flexes or
moves as you bear weight against it.
This, of course, is one of the main
problems with many of of the com-
mercially available benches -they're
simply too light.
Make sure to choose a height for
your workbench that is comfortable.
There is no greater annoyance than
spending the day at a short bench
with your back slightly bent. Bench
heights can vary from 30" to 36", but
Salt says a good method to determine
the optimal height is to measure from
your elbow to the floor and subtract
six inches.
Start With the Vise
Th e key component of the well
designed workbench is the vise. It's
an indispensible tool, and you should
carefully consider th e options and
Vise
your personal requirements before
purchasing one. Whatever you
decide, stick with high quality equip-
ment that will last for many years.
Two broad categories of vise mech-
anisms are currently on the market.
The less expensive alternative is a
steel screw, which can be augmented
with guide rods, a cast iron chassis
and a quick release mechanism. The
steel screw is the backbone of any
vise, and by buying only this part you
can build the-rest of your vise around
it. This offers design flexibility, but
requires careful attention to align-
ment details and a fair amount of
work to make the jaws and dog slots.
For many purists, wooden jaws are
much easier on the eyes and maintain
the flavor of a beautiful handmade
bench top.
Completely manufactured vises are
durable, heavy duty tools. The cast
iron jaws and steel rods and screw
are pre-aligned and ready to be
installed as a unit, reducing the prob-
lem of drilling the perfectly parallel
holes that homemade vises require.
The jaws are toed-in slightly to
securely grip the stock and many
models include a retractable bench
~ .
Round ~
Dog ~
Square Dog
Flip Up
Stop
dog built into the front jaw. Since the
jaw castings have tapped and counter-
sunk holes, fastening different wood-
en faces is a quick and easy opera-
tion. Many woodworkers have sets of
interchangeable faces for specific
jobs, such as leather covered faces
for delicate work or contoured faces
for holding irregularly shaped stock.
The Right Dog For the Job
Once you've selected your shoulder
vise (sometimes called the front vise)
and the tail vise, it's time to turn to
your bench dogs -the next most
important accessory on the work-
bench. The three main styles now
available are the round dog, square
dog and flip up stop. Today's Wood-
worker chose to use wooden square
dogs on our bench (see page 8)
because they offer some important
advantages. Granted, cutting the
angled slots was a tedious business,
but once this was done the wooden
dogs seemed to be the most versatile.
They are completely adjustable in
height as the spring keeps the dog
suspended in position until the work-
piece is in place, and they can easily
be set below the work level or
recessed completely into the bench
top.
The slight angle of the slot in the
bench top gives very good pressure
and holding power on the workpiece,
and if a plane blade or router bit
strikes the dog, no damage results.
JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990 TODAY"S WOODWORl<ER
Workbench
Accessories
Graham Salt feels quite differently
about the topic. His company sells a
pair of capped, brass round dogs for a
very reasonable $7.00, and if you
want variable height adjustment, he
provides a small a-ring that slips over
the dog. A 4 bevel is milled on one
side of the cap to create downward
pressure on the workpiece. If you're
building a workbench and are a little
intimidated by the prospect of dado-
ing and laminating your bench top for
square dog holes (or the more diffi-
cult job of drilling and mortising them
with a chisel), Graham's preference
Carver's Screw
starts to make some sense. The
round dogs sit in 3/4" diameter holes
that can be quickly drilled into the
completed bench top at 6" intervals,
being sure to avoid glue lines.
Flip up stops are handy items
installed flush with the bench top and
lifted into position as needed. They
work well when your force bears
against the stop, as in planing a
board, but are limited in other uses
because of their fixed position. They
also have a tendency to collect saw-
dust and chips.
Homemade Aids
Once you've got your vises and dogs
selected, the fun begins. There are
many homemade jigs designed to be
used with the workbench, but if
Hold Down
Clamp
you're just getting started, consider
making a bench jack and bench hook
first. The bench jack makes it easy to
handle long stock or odd shaped
pieces, as illustrated. This clever
device, which has been used for cen-
turies, can make planing, routing,
crosscutting or any number of opera-
tions more manageabJe.
The other homemade shop aid that
makes crosscutting easier is a bench
hook, which consists of a simple ply-
wood rectangle with 1" x 2" strips
secured at each end on opposite
faces. A western style saw, which cuts
on the push stroke, will put pressure
on the stock and against the back
strip as you cut.
There are also many manufactured
items available for the workbench,
including carver's screws, hoM down
clamps, universal clamps that tilt and
twist in several directions, and quick
action toggle clamps for jig set-ups.
THE FINAL WORD ON BUILDING YOUR WORKBENCH
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990
If you're even thinking about building
yourself a workbench, lay your plans
aside for a while and buy "The Work-
bench Book" by Scott Landis (published
in 1987 by The Taunton Press, New-
town, Connecticut).
From the first paragraph it's clear that
Landis has more than a passing interest
in his topic. The publication of this book
was obviously a labor of love, a fact that
is evident on every page. He brings an
enthusiasm and curiosity to his topic
that is downright infectious. Whether
he's discussing the history and evolu-
tion of the workbench, or interviewing
some of the top woodworkers in the
world, the writing is crisp and the style
is engaging. There's plenty of illustra-
tions (including elevation drawings) and
beautiful color photography throughout.
Detailed design ideas and descriptions
of personalized approaches should pro-
vide everyone who reads the book with
a slightly different idea of jus! what the
perfect bench should include.
Today's Woodworker gives this book
our highest rating and recommends it to
anyone interested in building a work-
bench. (It's also very suitable for those
who prefer to relax in the recliner with a
good book and just dream about build-
ing one.)
-
-
BUILDING A WORKBENCH
THAT WILL lAST
This fine woodworking tool is both beautiful and functional. It combines hard maple and
padauk for contrast, strength and stability.
By Bruce Kieffer
I
began this project with many
questions, and to answer them I
did lots of research. Consider-
able time was spent discussing
bench options with the Today's Wood-
worker staff and with professional
woodworkers, and in consulting
books like Scott Landis' The Work-
bench Book (See Hardware Hints) .
When it was finally time to design
the bench, we had reached a consen-
sus on the most important features.
Our bench, first and foremost, had to
be solid and heavy, for we didn't want
it scooting around the floor or giving
way at the joints. Our next demand
was for longevity, and to fulfill this we
used rock hard maple and large scale
lumber to stand up to the abuse that a
bench will suffer. From here, our cri-
teria became more broadly defined.
We wanted a large work surface that
was very versatile, with heavy duty
vises that could accommodate a wide
range of woodworking tasks. Finally,
we all wanted it to be good looking
and to exude a sense of fine crafts-
manship, which prompted the use of
padauk accents and keyed tenons.
The design was set.
Building this bench is not a simple
task -I spent almost 60 hours on
mine. Every aspect of the construc-
tion req-uires precise layout and
machining, therefore I don't suggest
this project for a beginning wood-
worker. Installation of the tail vise
requires great accuracy to insure that
it operates properly, and you should
test all your machining setups with
scrap wood. Building this bench will
require the use of a joiner, planer,
radial arm saw, table saw, drill press,
band saw, and router.
I realized early on that mortising all
this thick lumber was going to be dif-
ficult and time consuming. To get
around this I decided that for each
thick timber I would lise two thinner

Don't even think about trying to move this workbench by
yourself. The slab alone requires two woodworkers with strong backs.
pieces, and in each piece I cut dadoes
half the depth of my mortise require-
ments. When I glue the two thinner
pieces together, lining up all the
dadoes, the resulting board is the
right thickness and all of my mortises
are in place. This lamination tech-
nique saved me from drilling and
chiseling out each mortise and
reduced the whole operation to steps
that are easily done on machines.
Getting Started
Purchase the lumber first. Hopefully
your lumberyard will allow you to go
into their bins to make your selec-
tions. Look for straight, unchecked
boards that will yield finished pieces
with a minimum of waste. You'll need
to buy approximately 75 board feet
(bi) of 8/4 maple, 20 bf of 6/4 maple,
20 bf of 4/4 maple, and 8 bf of 8/4
Padauk was used for the vise jaws because
of its reputation for stability and
-
hardness. The tenon keys and
bench dogs provide a
-

nice contrast to
the maple .
padauk. (Note: 8/4 padauk is difficult
to locate. If all you can manage to get
is 4/4, then laminate four pieces
together for each vise jaw.)
Order, receive and inspect the vises,
and familiarize yourself with their
mounting and operation. The lumber,
vises, and hardware for the entire
bench will cost about $500.
Build the Base First
Every maple piece of the base is
made with my lamination technique.
Half of each mortise is cut with a
dado setup, and then the pieces are
laminated together to create the
through mortises. Work with pieces
1/4" oversized in width and 1" in
length. Doing this allows you to cut
away any unsightly edges that may
occur from slippage while laminating.
Cut the oversized pieces that will be
laminated for the cross supports,
legs, feet and the top beams (pieces 5,
6, 7 and 8). Layout all the dado cuts
that will become the through mortis-
es when the two pieces are laminated.
The fini shed dimensions of the mor-
tises on the feet and top beams, which
accept the legs tenons, are 11/2" wide
x 21/2" long. The finished dimensions
TODAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990
Elevation Drawing
lag bolt positions
----LJ----o+
Tail vise end

1
34"

of the leg mortises, cut to accept the
cross support tenons are 11/2" wide x
3
1
/2" long (please refer to the eleva-
tion drawing above for layout dimen-
sions and positions.)
The 1/2" wide x 1
1
/4" long mortises
in the cross supports (pieces 5) for
the through tenon keys are cut on the
radial arm saw with a dado blade at a
4 angle, and set 1/8" back from
aligning with the leg so that the
wedges, or tenon keys (pieces 12) ,
will be unhindered when drawing the
joint together. Cut these dadoes 1/4"
deep, and r emember, the mating
dadoes mus t be mirror images of
each other at a 4 angle (adjust the
5" 10"
L
radial arm saw to 86 for half the cuts
and to 94 for the other half). Once
you've cut the dadoes, the cross sup-
port pieces are ready for laminating.
Put a 3/8" dado blade in the radial
arm saw to cut a 3/8" wide by 3/4"
deep swath into the pi eces that will
be laminated for the legs, feet and top
beams, (pieces 6, 7 and 8). Proceed to
make a seri es of cuts to clear the total
width of the laid out dadoes.
Laminate the Base Pieces
Before you begin gluing the pieces
together, make scrapwood keys to
temporarily fit into each of the dadoes
as the boards are clamped. This will
-
Alignment key
Clamping pad
Use scrap strips and place alignment keys in the mortises to keep each
piece lined up during the lamination process.
A stop block is used on the radial arm saw for the repetitive tenon cuts. Cut
the wedge slots on a bandsaw and drill a l/B" relief hole to prevent splitting.
1
9
/ ,6" before
scraping and
sanding
Keyed tenons are cut oversized, then scraped
and sanded for a more presentable appearance.
Clamp a straight edge across the slab, make sure
it's square, and rout the top to finished length.
help align the mating pieces. Cut
some wood strips to clamp against
the edges of the boards being lami-
nated to keep the boards from sliding
across each other, and cut some more
strips to protect the faces from being
dented by the clamps (See Figure
1). Glue and clamp the pieces togeth-
er, but be sure to remove the scrap-
wood alignment keys and edge align-
ment strips before the glue sets.
When all the base pieces are lami-
nated, cut them to their finished
dimensions given in the materials list.
Make sure to layout and cut the
lengths of these pieces relative to the
positions of the through mortises so
everything aligns properly when
assembled. Now you're ready to cut
all the through tenons.
Cut the Leg's Through Tenons
Once again set up a 3/8" wide dado
blade in the radial arm saw. On each
end of the legs cut away material to
leave a centered tenon measuring
1
1
/2" x 21/2" x . 3
1
/2". Use a stop
attached to the radial arm saw fence
to make these repetitive cuts (See
Figure 2).
Now layout the slots for the tenon
wedges, making sure to set them
near enough to the leg tenon sides so
that when the wedges are inserted,
the edges of the tenons will bend
slightly to secure the joint. Cut the
slots on a band saw, as shown in fig-
ure 2, and make maple wedges to fit.
Cut the Cross Support Through Tenons
The thickness of the cross support
through tenons is cut oversized to
allow for scraping and sanding the
visible portion of the tenons. Set the
dado depth of cut so the thickness of
the tenons will be 1
9
/16". Set the fence
stop to cut the length of the tenons at
7". The resulting tenon thickness
should now be 1/16" larger than the
mortise size, which allows you to
scrape and belt sand the tenon to a
perfect fit and making the exposed
areas of the tenon more presentable.
Cut the side shoulders of the tenons
with a handsaw. Layout and cut the
chamfers on the tenon ends (See
Figure 3). Test fit these tenons in
their mortises and make any neces-
sary adjustments.
Assemble the Base
The mortises and tenons are now
complete and you're ready to start
assembling the base. Start by laying
out and drilling the elongated holes
in the top beams (pieces 8) to house
the lag bolts (pieces 17 and 18) that
will secure the base to the top. Drill
holes in the feet (pieces 7) for the leg
equalizers (pieces 19). Layout and
cut the chamfers on the ends of the
feet and top beams (pieces 7 and 8),
and shape the cut outs on the bot-
toms of the feet. Finish sand any sur-
face of the legs, feet or top beams
that will be difficult to sand once
these pieces are assembled.
Glue and clamp the legs, feet and
top beams, together, then glue and
hammer the tenon wedges into their
slots. When the glue has cured, trim
the tenon ends flush with their
respective surfaces. Finish sand any
unsanded surfaces on the assembled
base ends and cross supports, and
ease all the sharp edges. The base is
now complete except for making the
padauk through tenon keys (pieces
12) which will be cut later from vise
jaw waste material.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
Make the Slab
The slab is the main work surface of
the top, and one of the most critical
pieces of this project. Get started by
cutting the boards (pieces 1) that
make up the slab and the splines
(pieces 13 and 14). Let the slab boards
run long and leave the two outside
slab boards a little wide so that the
slab can be cut to its finished dimen-
sions of 22" wide x 65
1
/2" after it's
been glued together. Rout the six
spline grooves for the three interior
splines. Glue and clamp the splines
(pieces 13) and slab boards together
and, when the glue has cured, cut the
slab to its finished width. Cut the slab
to its finished length by trimming the
ends square with a router and a
clamped on straight edge guide (See
Figure 4). Set the slab aside for now
and go to work on the dog tracks.
Make and Attach the Dog Tracks
The top has two identical bench dog
tracks, each made from three 3/4"
thick pieces laminated together
(pieces 4). Cut the six dog track
pieces 1/4" wider and 1" longer than
their finished dimensions. Laminate
two pieces of each track together and
layout the 4
0
angled dog slot dadoes
(See Figure 5).
Set up a dado blade on a radial arm
saw for a 3/8" wide cut. Set the saw
arm to cut 4
0
relative to the fence and
lower the blade to cut 11/16" into the
laminated dog track pieces. Make a
series of cuts to open the width of the
laid out dadoes. Npw make a router
jig like the one shown in figure .Q to
guide you in routing the head portion
of the dog slots. Rout the dog head
holes 11/16" deep and 11/4" long.
Glue the third 3/4" piece in place to
complete the thickness of each dog
track, and when it's cured, cut 1/8"
off two sides of the track to finish the
width. Square the tail vise ends, mak-
ing sure the dog holes of both tracks
are aligned. Cut the other dog track
ends equal to the length of the slab.
Rout the spline grooves that join the
slab and the dog tracks together. Cut
open the notch for the shoulder vise
carriage (piece 22), (See Figure 6).
Glue and clamp the splines (pieces
13), dog tracks and slab together,
making sure the ends of the dog track
and slab are flush. Before you cut and
attach the aprons (pieces 2 and 3)
you'll need to make the pad auk vise
jaws (pieces 10 and 11).
TODAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990
II 11/4'
M
Cut the 4angled dog slots on a radial arm
saw, following the dimensions shown above.
The router jig shown at right is then used to
clean away the dog head areas.

8"
I"
13/16' 1
1
/4 '
H
The notch for the shoulder vise carriage must be cut into the dog track assembly
very carefully. Follow the dimensions shown above for positioning.
The Padauk Vise Jaws
Cut the pieces for the vise jaws
(pieces 10 and 11) 11 Izil thick, and
1/ 4" wider and 1" longer than the
dimensions given in the material list.
Layout the dog slot dado cuts in the
two halves of the tail vise so they're
lined up with the dog tracks. Using a
couple of tricks will help you cut
these angled dadoes easily. First, cut
a 5/16" x 1/2" x 31" strip of scrap
wood and tape it along the edge on
the outside face of one tail vise half.
This strip will lift the piece being
dadoed and create the 4
0
angled cuts.
Now set up an 11/16" wide dado
blade in a radial arm saw. Starting
with a shallow cut, slowly remove
material to form the dog slot until the
deeper end of the trough is a full
III
l1li
BENCH DOGS
W ith the scraps left over from the
bench you'll want to put together a set
of four bench dogs. Begin by making
a template. On a piece of 1/4" ply-
wood layout the dimensions, design-
ing the dogs longer than the thickness
of your bench so that you can easily
push them up from underneath. Be
sure to figure in the spring thickness
when sizing the dog body, so that the
combined width fits the dog slots.
From the template, trace the dog
outline on to your stock after it's been
milled to the proper thickness. Cut the
dogs on the bandsaw and then clean
up the saw marks. Go to your table-
saw and rip a 1/8" thick strip which will
become the dog spring. Sand the
spring, then glue and screw it to the
angled portion of the dog body. Apply
an oil finish and you're ready to go to
work.
1/2" x 5/16" Strip
Glue or tape a thin piece of scrap wood to the vise
jaws to cut the 4angled vise jaw dog slots. You'll
have to chisel out the area for the dog heads.
9/16" deep (See Figure 7). Proceed
to cut the second dog slot. Now move
the strip to the other vise jaw half and
repeat this cutting procedure to form
the second half,of the dog slots.
When the boards are combined, two
angled mortises, each 13/16" wide,
should be centered across the thiclc-
ness of the vise jaws.
Chisel open the dog head holes in
the dadoes on the inside half of the
vise jaw. Laminate the shoulder vise
halves together, and then the tail vise
halves together. When the glue has
cured, cut the vise jaws to their fin-
Each square = 1/4"
Double-sided
length of the top. Rout the spline
grooves that connect the side aprons
to the dog tracks. Glue, spline and
clamp one side apron to the dog traclc
without the shoulder vise notch. Once
the glue has cured, flip the top over
and dry clamp the other side apron to
the dog track with the notch. Position
the vise carriage (piece 22) in its
notch, but don't screw it down yet.
Mark the hole locations for the vise
rods and screw (See Figure 8).
Remove the side apron and position
the shoulder vise jaw, temporarily
attaching it to the side apron with
double stick tape. When positioned
correctly the vise jaw should protrude
13/4" past the end of the side apron to
allow for its overlap of the end apron.
Using a drill press, drill 7/8" diame-
ter holes for the rods and a 11/4"
diameter hole for the screw. Remove
the vise jaw from the apron, flip the
top over and glue, spline and clamp
the side apron to its dog track.
Cut the lengths of the end aprons to
equal the width of the assembled top.
Layout and drill the holes for the lag
bolts (pieces 16 and 18) that connect
the end aprons to the top (See Fig-
ure 9). Note that the positions of the
elongated holes on each apron are
slightly different (see exploded view).
Rout the blind spline grooves (stop
i-----+--r-h---i--i-r---j 1" from each end) that align the end
aprons and top. Spline and lag bolt
r--....L...----L-t-I-+---.::::::....-+-Hi--r-'. the end aprons- to the slab, making
Offset the shoulder vise jaw by 13/4" and use the
drill press to bore the holes through the apron and
vise jaw for the shoulder vise assembly.
ished dimensions. Make sure to cut
the tail vise so the dog hole positions
will align with the dog hole tracks.
Make and Attach the Aprons
The side aprons (pieces 2) are
splined and glued to the dog tracks.
The end aprons (pieces 3) are splined
without glue and lag bolted in elon-
gated holes to the ends of the top.
This allows the top to expand and
contract with humidity changes.
Cut the aprons to their thicknesses,
widths and 1" oversize in length. Cut
the length of the side aprons to fit the
sure the lag bolts are centered in the
elongated holes to allow for ['Jove-
ment of the top. Unbolt the end
aprons and cut the single chamfer on
the outside corner of the end apron
that mounts on the shoulder vise end
of the bench.
Tail Vise
Make sure your drilling setups are
precise before you drill any holes for
the tail vise. Layout the positions of
the holes for the tail vise's screw and
rods on the bac.k side of its end
apron. Align and temporarily join the
tail vise jaw (piece 11), with hot glue
or double stick tape.
Using a drill press, drill a 11/2"
diameter hole for the vise screw com-
pletely through the apron and vise
The' iQ' this prQ'ject .are 'avallable "
from: Cambridge Tool Co. ;' Dept. TW; 131
Sheld'on Drive,' Unit 12, Cambridge, '.' ,
OntariO, Canada N1 R 6S2; and The ..
WoodwQrkers' Store, TW,
, Industrial Blvd., .. Rogers; MN 55374.
" . \ . . .
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
HARDWOOD T x W xL
Slab (4) 13/4" X 5
1
/2" X 65
1
i2 " (Maple)
2 Side Aprons (2) 13/4" X 4
1
/2" X 65
1
/2" (Maple)
3 End Aprons (2) 1314" X 4
1
/2" X 30" (Maple)
4 DOg Tracks (2) 21/4" X 4
1
/2" X 65
1
/2" (Maple)
Laminate (3) 3/4" pieces per track
5 Cross Supports (2) 2
1
/2" X 5" X 61" (Maple)
Laminate (2) 11/4" pieces per support
6 Legs (4) 3
1
/2" X 3
1
/2" X 29
1
/2" (Maple)
Laminate (2) 13/4" pieces per leg
7 Feet (2) 3
1
/2" X 3
1
/2" X 26" (Maple)
Laminate (2) 13/4" pieces. per foot
8 Top Beams (2) 3
1
/2" X 3
1
/2" X 29" (Maple)
Laminate (2) 13/4" pieces per top beam
9 Cleat (1) 13/4" X 23/4" X 10" (Maple)
10 Shoulder Vise Jaw (1) 3" X 4
1
/2" X 18" (Padauk)
Laminate (2) 1
1
/2" pieces
TODAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990
11 Tail Vise Jaw (1)
12 Tenon Keys (4)
13 Splines (7)
14 End Splines (2)
15 Tenon Wedges (16)
HARDWARE
16 Lag Bolts (12)
17 Lag Bolts (4)
18 Washers (16)
19 Leg Equalizers (4J"
20 Vise Mnt. Screws (23)
21 Tail Vise Stop Bolts (2)
22 Shoulder Vise (1)
23 Guided Tail Vise (1)
J
d
3" X 4
1
/2" X 30" (Padauk)
Laminate (2) 1
1
/2" pieces
1/2" X 1114" X 7" (Padauk)
1/4" X 1/2" X 65
1
/2". (Maple) .
1/4" X 1/2" X 26" (Maple)
Cut to fit (Maple)
1/4" X 3
1
/ 2"
114" X 5"
1/4"
1
1
/2" X #12 (Flathead)
3/8"-#16 X 2"
(Hexhead with Flat & Lock Washers)
#87V0301 (Cambridge Tool Co.)
#87V0305 (Cambridge Tool Co.)
III
III
See exploded view for
lag bolt positions on
shoulder vise apron.
13/16"
Be very accurate laying out the hole locations on
the tail vise apron. Then, three stepped holes must
be drilled in the tail vise jaw for the vise rods.
jaw. Drill 11/2" holes through the
apron for the vise rod bushings (see
figure 9), and continue to drill just
slightly into the vise jaw to mark the
hole locations for the rod ends. Now
separate the vise jaw and apron, drill
the 11 N x 1
1
/4" deep holes, followed
by the 3/4" x 13/16" deep holes, and
finally the 3/8" holes for the rod ends
in the vise jaw (See Figure 9).
Set the rod bushings in their apron
holes and trace around the flanges.
Remove the bushings, and rout the
flange recesses so the flanges rest
1/16" in from the surface of the
apron. Screw the flanges and the vise
screw rear plate to the apron using
the vise mounting screws (pieces 20),
and then lag bolt (pieces 16 and 18)
the end apron to the top.
Apply a small amount of white
grease to each vise rod and insert the
rods into their bushings. Slide the
rods in and out to distribute the
grease. Using the tail vise stop bolts
(pieces 21) and the large brass wash-
ers, bolt the vise jaw to the rods. Slide
the assembled vise jaw in and out to
make sure it operates properly. Any
slight bind will cause the vise to rack.
Insert the vise screw through its
hole in the vise jaw and screw the vise
to a completely closed position. Align
and secure the vise screw plate to the
vise jaw. Insert the wood vise handle
and screw the vise in and out a few
times. If the vise racks then some-
thing is binding. Once you're sure the
vise is working right, trace around
the brass washers, disassemble the
3/32" x 1/2" Strip
Vise jaw
To achieve the toe-in on the vises, attach a strip
of scrap wood to the backside of each jaw. A pass
through a planer will provide the angled cut.
entire tail vise, leave the end apron
bolted to the top, and rout the washer
recesses so the washers rest flush
with the surface of the vise jaw.
The Shoulder Vise
Mounting the shoulder vise (piece
22) is quite a bit easier than mounting
the tail vise. Start out by installing the
spline and securing the unattached
end apron to the top with the lag
bolts, then flip the top over. Rest the
vise carriage in its notch, insert the
wood vise handle into the shoulder
vise and slide the shoulder vise jaw
(piece 10) over its rods and screw.
Place the vise screw and rods
through their holes in the side apron
and into the carriage. Screw the vise
closed and align the vise jaw to the
top. Screw in the remaining vise
mounting screws (pieces 20), and be
sure to notice that a couple of the car-
riage screws are hidden under the
vise rods. Test the vise and make any
necessary adjustments.
Cut the base support cleat (piece 9)
that mounts behind the closed shoul-
der vise. Drill the two holes for the
lag bolts (pieces 16 and 18), then
align this piece to accept the longer
lag bolt (piece 17) which will connect
the top and base on final assembly.
Glue and bolt the cleat to the top. Dis-
assemble and remove the entire
shoulder vise.
The inside faces of the shoulder
and tail vise jaws need to be toed in,
or beveled slightly, so they grab the
clamped work at the top of the jaws
first. The technique to bevel the vise
jaw faces is similar to the technique
that was used to cut the angled
dadoes in the tail vise jaw.
Temporarily attach a 3/32" thick x
1/2" wide strip along the top back
edge of each vise jaw. Cut the faces
by running the jaws through a planer,
which will bevel the surface as the
strip holds the vise jaw at an angle
(See Figure 10). Remove the scrap
wood strips, layout and cut the vise
jaw chamfers, and then finish sand
both vise jaws and ease any sharp
edges. Now you're ready to sand the
top and apply the finish.
The Finishing Touches
Cut the padauk tenon keys (pieces
12) from scrap left over after making
the vise jaws and make yourself a set
of bench dogs from this scrap as well
(See box, page 12).
Use a belt sander to flatten the slab,
then finish sand the top and all other
unsanded surfaces with an orbital
sander. Ease any sharp edges. Unbolt
and remove the end aprons so you
can apply finish to all end grain areas.
I used tung oil on the bench to give
it a deep penetrating finish with
minor surface film build up. Apply
three coats of tung oil to every
exposed wood surface to seal the
entire bench. When the finishing is
complete, reassemble the top and
remount the vises. Don't forget to
bolt the tail vise stop bolts (pieces 21)
through the holes in the back ends of
the tail vise rods. Join the base ends
with the cross supports ,and tap in the
tenon keys. Align the top on the base
and bolt them together with the lag
bolts (pieces 17 and 18). Apply a coat
of paste wax to the top for protection.
Keep in mind that the vises are sen-
sitive to racking. Always apply your
clamping pressure directly over the
vise screws and develop accessories
to help hold unusual objects that
might not work well within normal
vise capabilities. A few of these acces-
sories are described in this issue
under Hardware Hints.
Now you know what I meant when I
said that building this bench is not a
simple task. I assure you, however,
that in a few years, after you've used
your bench to assist you in building
many projects, you'll be thankful for
spending the time and money on this
fine tool.

Bruce Kieffer, a professional furniture
builder, is a contributing editor with
Today's Woodworker.
JANUAHY 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
STAMP HOLDERS
If you are a wood collector and enjoy finding ways to show
your best material, give these delicate turnings a try.
By T. Martin Daughenbaugh
,/
J
Maple
Maple and walnut A local hedge
Y
ears ago, just before a good
friend's birthday, I was shop-
ping in a department store
not knowing what to get for a
gift. I had looked at everything in
sight without a clue as to what he
needed. Suddenly, an idea came to
mind. He had a beautiful walnut desk
with walnut accessories, but he kept
his postage stamps in a cheap plastic
dispenser. I set out to make him a
walnut stamp holder that would look
as elegant as any of his other desk
accessories. What I came up with is a
perfect blend of creativity and func-
tion, and it's easy to make too.
What's great about this project is
that you can use up all those interest-
ing scraps that have been saved
because they were too pretty to throw
away. Any hardwood wiII do, although
my favorites are exotics and figured
domestics such as cherry and walnut.
These woods turn well since they are
very hard and dense. I also collect
small branches from various trees I
find in the woods, which sometimes
result in unusual grain or color pat-
terns. Laminating strips of wood or
veneer to make up the turning block
creates still more design possibilities.
Mount a piece of stock 2" x 2" x 3
1/2" long between centers on your
lathe. I use a four prong drive center
on the head stock and a ball bearing
center in the tail stock. Use a 1/2"
spindle gouge to rough the piece
down to a 2" diameter cylinder. With
a skew chisel I cut a 1/4" dovetail
groove at one end of the blank to fit
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990
into a spigot chuck. A couple of alter-
natives to the spigot chuck are to
glue the blank to a faceplate or to use
a screw center. If you use either of
these alternatives, be sure to add
extra length to the stock to accommo-
date the cut-off that results from
these techniques.
Shift the wood blank into the spigot
chuck and sculpt it to the desired
shape, but don't reduce the cylinder
beyond 1
3
/4" in diameter at its nar-
rowest point. Square the end of the
cylinder with a diamond parting tool.
Now make a 1/4" deep parting cut
1/2" from the end to form the lid's
tenon. Move your parting tool to the
left side of this cut and completely
part off the lid. Sculpt the cylinder to
the desired shape.
To hollow the cylinder I set up a
Jacobs chuck with a 1" Forstner bit in
the lathe's tailstock. Drill out a 11/4"
deep hole. You will need to use a 1/4"
spindle gouge ground to a ladyfinger
edge to hollow the stamp holder if
you don't have a Jacobs chuck. Con-
tinue to refine the hole with a 1/2"
skew, taking light shearing cuts down
the inside wall. Enlarge the cavity
until the lid fits very tightly -check
this fit often during the hollowing
process. Sand the inside with 120 grit
sandpaper once the cutting is done,
but don't over sand or your lid won't
fit properly. Sand the outside smooth
through the 320 grit stage.
I prefer to finish the stamp holder
while it's running on the lathe. I use
Bri wax as my finish, applying two
Cocobolo
coats for a rich, lustrous sheen. After
waxing I cut a slot down one side of
the holder with a thin kerf Japanese
saw. When I first made these holders
I cut the kerf with a hack saw blade,
but this was too wide, so I switched to
the Japanese saws. One thing to note
is that the saw kerf will ease the grip
of the stamp holder on a tightly fitting
lid. The kerf becomes the exit slot for
the stamps to pass through.
The last operation is to part the
stamp holder from the chuck. Make
sure you angle the cut toward the
holder so that you create a nice flat
rim on the bottom. Remove the nub,
sand the bottom and apply wax.
The simple elegance of these stamp
holders will charm any setting, and
once you've mastered the lathe tech-
niques involved, you wiII have the
ability to create an inexpensive, per,
sonalized gift on the spur of the
moment.

T. Martin Daughenbaugh is a profes-
sional woodworker in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
VALENTINE'S DAY
BANDSAWBOX
Surpri se someone special in your life with thi s
one piece treasure chest.
By Randy Johnson
T
his heart shaped bandsaw
box is a fun way to spend a
few hours and use up some of
those small chunks of wood
you have around the shop. It's a
straightforward design that requires
only four major saw cuts; slicing off
the top and bottom, cutting the
outside shape and then removing the
inside waste. Construction of the box
is completed by gluing the bottom
back on and installing a little pivot
hinge for the top. The dimensions and
shape for this bandsaw box aren't crit-
ical, although I often use small bowl
turning blanks because they are a
convenient size and thickness. I also
like to incorporate a little sapwood for
character and interest.
The process for making this box
does require some careful work in the
way of resawing, jointing and drilling.
It's a good chance to practice some
precision woodworking without plac-
ing a lot of time or materials at stake.
Bandsawing the Pieces
The top, shell, and bottom (pieces 1,
2, 3) are all cut from a blank measur-
ing 41/4" x 4" x 13/4". If your blank is
rough or uneven, belt sand the faces
until they are smooth and the blank is
of uniform thickness. Set up a fence
on your bandsaw for cutting a slice
5/16" thick. The V-block fence shown
in Figure 1 works very well as the
blank can be pivoted on the tip of the
"V" to accommodate any amount of
blade wandering. Make sure the
fence and blade are parallel to each
other and that the tip of the "V" is
lined up with the tip of the blade's
teeth. Mark your blank with cutting
lines for the top and bottom of the
box. For the top cut, position the
blank so the grain runs perpendicu-
larly to the blade, which reduces the
tendency of the blade to
follow the grain and
results in a flatter cut. This
is important for a good fit
between the top and the
shell of the box. For
the bottom cut,
reverse strategies and
position the blank so
the face grain is parallel
to the blade. The reason
for this is that the inside of
the bottom is difficult to sand and
parallel saw marks are not as
noticeable when they're left
unsanded. Saw the top and
bottom off, making sure to
keep the blank flush against the
fence to insure even cuts.
Reassemble the three pieces with
masking tape, draw the outside pat-
tern on top and sawall three pieces at
once. When this cut is completed,
remove the top and the bottom. What
is left will become the shell of the box
(piece 2). The inside of the shell is
removed by the cutting sequence
shown in Figure 2. Be sure to stop
the bandsaw and clear the waste from
cuts 1 and 2 before proceeding with
cuts 3 and 4.
Putting the Pieces Back Together
Just as there is a logical way to cut
the box into parts, there is also a defi-
nite sequence for reassembly. Start
by gluing and clamping the entrance
kerf of the shell back together. When
this joint is dry, drum sand the inside
of the shell and hand sand into the
point. The bottom can be glued on at
this point if the saw marks on the
inside of the bottom do not bother
you. Just give it a light sanding later
to remove any fuzz. If you do want
this surface smooth, trace the inside
of the shell onto the bottom and sand
The author used walnut
for this bandsaw box
but cherry or maple
would make suitable
choices as well.
up to this line before gluing.
Sand the underside of the top and
the top edge of the shell until they
are smooth and mate well against
each other. A belt sander tends to be
too aggressive so use a sheet of sand
paper on a flat surface instead. The
outside of the box will be sanded
after the pivot hinge is installed.
Making and Installing the Hinge
Making the little pivoting hinge for
this box is delicate work, but once
installed it is totally concealed, works
smoothly and keeps the top attached
to the box (See Exploded View).
Start by cutting a 1" length of 1/8"
diameter dowel for the hinge pin
(piece 4). Next cut two 3/4" lengths
of 1/4" dowel from which the upper
and lower hinge tubes (pieces 5 and
6) will be made. Clamp a piece of
scrap board to your driII press table
and driII a 3/8" deep hole into it with
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
a 1/4" bit. Press a section of 1/4"
dowel into this hole, and mount a
9/64" bit in the chuck. Hold the sec-
tion of 1/4" dowel with a pliers to
keep it from spinning and, with a fair-
ly fast action, bore a hole down the
center of the 1/4" dowel. If you drill
too slowly the bit will have a greater
tendency to follow the grain, so it may
take a couple of tries to get a perfectly
centered hole.
Saw the length of 1/4" dowel in half
to produce the upper and lower hinge
tubes. Glue the lower hinge tube onto
one end of the hinge pin. While the
glue sets, drill the 1/4" by 7/8" deep
hinge hole in the shell at the location
shown in figure 2. For a test fit, slide
the upper hinge tube onto the glued
up unit and press this three-piece
assembly into the hole you just drilled
in the shell. Hold onto the end of the
hinge pin and check to see that it
rotates freely. If it doesn't rotate then
sand the lower hinge tube until it
does. Remove the hinge and set it
aside. Now put a 1/4" dowel center in
the hinge hole, align the top and
press it against the dowel center to
mark the location for the 1/8" by 1/8"
hole in the top. Drill this hole next,
being very careful not to go deeper
than 1/8". Glue the upper end of the
three piece hinge assembly into this
hole and let it sit until it's completely
dry. Complete the assembly by apply-
ing glue to the outside of the upper
hinge tube (piece 5), and installing
the hinge and top assembly into
place. Make sure the top is flush
against the shell, and rotate it-after a
few seconds to break the bond of any
glue squeeze out.
Final Touches
To flush sand the outside of the box,
align the top and secure it with mask-
ing tape, sanding one side at a time.
After the sides are sanded flush, con-
tinue sanding with the grain to
remove cross grain marks. Finally,
strip sand the bevel on the top and
finish up with any necessary hand
sanding. An oil finish is a good choice
for this box because it's quick to
apply and won't gum up the hinge.

Randy Johnson is a third generation
woodworker experienced in traditional
construction techniques and cabinet-
making. He presently directs the Mas-
ter Wright Center woodworking school
in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER JANUAHY / FEI3RUARY 1990
II
A Vblock fence should be lined up with the
bandsaw blade's teeth to reduce the blade's
tendency to wander.
'. t '., , ,I '" .'
, Thematerials' in this project are '
:, fronl: Berea Hardwoods
'co':', Dept'. TW, ,125 Jacqueline
,Drive DH ,44,017;
:' or. The Woodworkers' ;Sfore;'
, Dept., TW; Blvd.,
, Rogers, MN 55374. '
Follow the cutting sequence shown here to clean
out the interior. Be sure to clear the waste from
the first two cuts before making the last two.
MATERIAL LIST TxWx L
Top (1) 1/4" x 41/4" x 4"
2 Shell (1) 11/8" x 4
1
/4" X 4"
3 Bottom (1) 1/4" x 4
1
/4" x 4"
4 Hinge Pin (1) 1/8"dia,x1"
5 Upper Hinge Tube (1) 1/4" dia. x 3/8"
6 Lower Hinge Tube (1) 1/4" dia. x 3/8"
BREAKFAST IN BED
Aspiring to a life of luxury? Style dictates that taking your meals in
bed must be an everyday affair.
By Rick Hayden
S
everal years back I bought a
tray for eating breakfast in
bed. It was an impulsive pur-
chase, but I enjoy this luxury
occasionally, and the tray doubles as a
reading table, which I find to be a
valuable feature.
Recently, when I was asked to build
a tray for someone else, I decided to
base this project on the one I had pur-
chased. In thinking through the
design, however, I realized there were
"ll number of changes I wanted to
make. The most obvious problem was
that the legs were too short, allowing
the tray to rest directly on my thighs.
The construction was a bit too flimsy
and because of its light weight the
tray did not press the bed covers
down for a stable eating surface.
Looking back, I think the original tray
provided an example of how not to
make the new one.
To build this project you'll need a
tablesaw, a bandsaw or jigsaw, a drill
press and a router. The size of the
shopping list should put a smile on
your face. You will need twenty 1/4" x
36
11
maple dowels, 2.5 board feet of
3/4" maple and two board feet of 1/2"
maple and a small piece of 1/4" and
1/2" appleply. If you can fit 10 to 15
hours into your weekend schedule
you should be able to complete the
tray.
Building the Frame
Begin by constructing the frame that
holds the reading table. On your
tablesaw, rip four pieces of 3/4"
maple into 1" x 35" strips. Out of two
of these strips cut the table inner
sides (pieces 5) and outer sides
(pieces 4). The remaining two strips
will yield the table front and back
(pieces 6). Pieces 4 and 6 are mitered
at each end, whereas pieces 5 are
square ended.
The mitered corners will be joined
using splines (pieces 21) that are the
same thickness as your saw blade
kerf. To cut the grooves for the
splines, angle the table saw blade to
Indulge in the romance of eating or
reading in bed with this maple stand and tray.
45 and set the blade so that the tip is
a 1/2" vertical drop above the table
surface (See Figure 1). Adjust the
fence so it's 5/8" from the far side of
the blade's cutting tip. Test this cut
on a piece of scrap that's been
mitered and, once your satisfied, cut
your grooves into pieces 4 and 6 with
the toe of the miter bearing against
the fence set up block. Rip the splines
so that they fit comfortably into the
grooves.
The table inner sides (pieces 5) will
be doweled to the front and back
(pieces 6) at a point 3
3
/8" in from the
toe of each corner (See Elevation
Drawing). Drill a 3/8" diameter x
1/2" deep hole centered at this mark,
also drill a 3/8" x 11/8" hole in the
ends of each inner side.
A jig for repeatedly cutting spline grooves will
increase the accuracy and alignment of the joints.
Two more things have to be done
before the table top can be glued
together. First, drill 1/8" diameter
holes 1/2" deep into the sides of the
table inner sides (see elevation).
These holes are positioned 1/2" from
the ends that will join the table front
(piece 6). The next step is to rout
1/ 4" x 1/4" rabbets on the inner sides
and back to house the reading platter
rests (pieces 3) as shown in the eleva-
tion drawing. Once this is 'done and
everything fits, glue up the frame.
Support Baskets
The table top is supported by two
baskets made from 1/4" dowels. You
need to cut 66 of these dowels to a
length of 8
3
/4'1, and ten dowels 5
1
/2"
long. Set up a stop block on your
tablesaw to make these repetitive
cuts.
Cut the two basket bases (pieces 7)
out of 3/4" maple to a dimension of
3
3
/4'1 x 16
3
/4".
Now comes the time to drill lots of
holes. On the basket bases mark a
line 3/8" from the edge around the
perimeter on the top face. Starting at
any of your marked corners, layout
hole centers in one inch increments.
Repeat this process so that the holes
correspond on the underside of the
table top frame. Note that the five
holes in the table outer sides should
be omitted, as this is the handle loca-
tion. Drill all the holes 5/16" deep.
JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990 TO DAY'S WOODWORKER
When all of the holes have been
drilled in the bases, round the bottom
edges of each piece using a 1/2"
roundover bit and a router table. This
would be a good time to do some
sanding. In order to preserve a prop-
er fit don't sand the last 5/16" of each
dowel end. You may also want to con-
sider putting a finish on the tops of
each base now.
Glue the dowels to one base at a
time. You will need 33 table support
dowels (pieces 15) and five handle
support dowels (pieces 16) for each
base. The five short dowels should be
glued into the five holes centered on
the outside edge of the base. The
remaining holes are for the longer
dowels. Put a dab of glue in each hole
and insert the dowels. Use a square
to insure that the dowels are all stand-
ing straight.
The handles must be glued in place
before the baskets can be glued to the
table top. To cut 1/2" thick maple, set
your table saw fence to 1/2" and rip a
piece at least 141/21
'
long. Crosscut
this piece into two 7" handles (pieces
8). Center a line along the bottom
face of each piece, then measure '1/2"
in from each end. Space out seven
hole locations in one inch increments
+ + + +
1/2'1.
1?
+
+ +
+ +
+ +
'1 '
+
+
+
beginning at the 1/2" mark. The two
outer marks are the centers of 1/4"
diameter holes that go completely
through the stock, and the center five
holes should be 1/4" diameter and
5/16" deep. Sand and finish the two
handles, then dab some glue in the
center five holes. Now slip the two
through holes over the dowels on
either side and bring your handle into
place.
With both baskets ready to be
glued to the table top, now is a good
time to rout all of the top edges of the
table using a 1/4" roundover bit.
When gluing the baskets to the
table you'll work with just one basket
at a time. Turn the table top over so
that the holes are facing up, and dab
a little glue into each hole. Use pads
to protect the surfaces of your work,
and begin guiding the dowels into
their respective holes. As each dowel
is seated, slowly tighten the bar
clamps, keeping the pressure as even
as possible. When all of the dowels
have been seated, measure the dis-
tance between the base and the table
to be sure that it is the same all the
way around. Do the same to the other
basket, and this time when you check
the measurements make sure that
they are the same height as the other
foot.
Now, using 1/4" appleply, cut the
two platter rests (pieces 3) to fit snug-
ly into their rabbets. After they have
been glued in place you can put the
entire table aside for a few minutes.
The Reading Table
In order to have an adjustable read-
ing table, hinges will be necessary.
Since the reading platter will be cut
from 1/4" appleply, hinges could be
awkward and would detract from the
overall softness of the piece. My solu-
tion was to glue a brace (piece 12)
onto the reading platter into which
pivoting pins (pieces 20) can be
inserted.
To make the brace (piece 12) rout a
1/4" x 1/4" rabbet along the length of
a piece of 1/2" thick maple that is at
least 23" long. Now, set the tablesaw
fence to rip the rabbeted piece 5/8"
wide. Be sure the cut off strip is on
the outboard side of the blade. Drill a
1/8" hole 3/8" deep into the center of
each end of the brace.
For the hinge pivots I used 1/8"
diameter brass rod that I bought at a
local hobby store. Cut two pieces
3/4" long (piece 20) and epoxy them
3/4"1
Cl....--------' U

II II II
Elevation Drawing
1/2' 1/2"
I 1-=1 r-
+
-L-_-'/T- These five hole
+
3/8"
+ +
1/4" x 1/ 4" rabbet
+ +
+
It-
+
I
I
It- +
+ + +
locations only drilled
in base (piec;; es 7)
and handle bottoms
(pieces 8),
9/ 16"
L I '
I
3/ 4"
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990
3/8" X I lia' hole for spiral 7
1
/4'
dowel (piece 19),
Drill a series of 1/8' holes
and clean out the channel
with an 1/8' chisel
o
-
into the holes in the ends of the
brace. Cut an angled slot from the
bottom edge on the left inner side
that leads to the pivot hinge hole (see
elevation drawing). To install the
reading platter, insert one side of the
brace into the side without the slot.
Then, through some minor adjust-
ments, insert the other side into the
angled slot and center the brace in
the frame. Cut the platter (piece 1) to
size, remove the brace and glue and
clamp these two pieces together.
To hold the platter upright I devised
an adjustable support system made
from wood. This system consists of a
support arm (piece 9), a support arm
bracket (piece 10), two support arm
tracks with three positions (pieces
11), a support arm dowel (piece 17)
and a support arm pivot dowel (piece
18) (see elevation drawing).
The Serving Tray
The very reason for all of this work is
to support the tray, which is the easi-
est portion of this project to build.
Set the tablesaw fence to 2
3
/4" and,
using 1/2" thick maple, rip two serv-
ing tray sides (pieces 13) . Now set
the fence to 13/4" and rip two pieces
for the serving tray front/back
(pieces 14). Cut a 1/2" x 1/4" deep
dado 3/16" up from the bottom into
all four pieces. This dado will hold the
1/2" apple ply tray bottom.
I wanted something other than the
typical handle, so I opened the loop
on one end to give it a more contem-
porary look. However you decide to
make the handles, use double sided
tape to join the two pieces together so
that you can cut them out simultane-
ously. Before you cut,out the handles,
MATERIAL LIST
, I
miter the sides, front and back to
length. I used splines in the tray as
well as in the table top.
After your handles are cut out you'll
need to do some router work before
the final assembly. I used a 1/4"
roundover bit on all inside and out-
side top edges of the tray (be careful
not to follow the miter contours). On
the bottom edges I used an 1/8"
roundover bit.
Finishing this project with a spray
lacquer was the logical choice
because of all the narrow openings
and places my hands wouldn't fit. I
applied three coats, sanding lightly
between each and using 0000 steel
wool after the third coat.
Time for Breakfast!
I can only think of one way to put the
finished product to the test. When
was the last time that you served that
special person in your life breakfast
in bed? The smile you receive will
make all the work worthwhile.

Rick Hayden has been a woodworker
for twelve years. Six years ago he start-
ed his own business after deciding to
get serious about his work on a profes-
sionallevel.
TxWx L 12 Reading Platter Brace (1) 1/2" x 5/8" x 221/4" (Maple)
1 Reading Platter (1) 1/4" x 141f2" x 221/4" (Apple ply) 13 Serving Tray Sides (2) 1/2" x 23/4" x 15
1
/8" (Maple)
2 Serving Tray Bottom (1) 1/2" x 14
5
/8" x 21
15
M' (Appleply) 14 Serving Tray Front/Back (2) 1/2': x 13/4" x 227M' (Maple)
3 Reading Platter Rests (2) 1/4" x 31/4" x 31/4" (Apple ply) 15 Table Support Dowels (66) 1/4" x 8
3
/4" (Maple Dowel)
4 Table Outer Sides (2) 3/4" x 1" X 16
3
/4" (Maple) 16 Handle Supeort Dowels (10) 1/4" x 5
1
/2" (Maple Dowel)
5 Table Inner Sides (2) 3/4" x 1" x 151/4" (Maele) 17 Support Arm Dowel (1) 1 1/4" X 3
1
/2" (Maple Dowel) ,
6 Table Front/Back (2) 3/4" x 1" x 30" (Maple) 18 Support Arm Piyot Dowel (1) 1/4" X 1
5
/8" (Maple Dowel)
7 Base (2) 3/4" x 3
3
/4" X 16
3
/4" (Maple) 19 Spiral Dowels (4) 3/8" x 1
1
/2" (Maple Dowel)
8 Handles (2) 1 /2" x 1/2" x 7" (Maele) 20 Pivoting Pins (2) 1/8" x 3/4" (Brass Dowel)
9 Support Arm (1) 1/2" x 1/2" x 71/4" (Maele) 21 Splines (8) 1/2" x 2" (Maele)
10 Sueport Arm Bracket (1 ) 3/4" x 7/8" x 2" (Maple) 22 Wood Plugs 3/8" (Birch)
11 Support Arm Track (2) 3/4" x 3/4" x 16
3
/4" (Maple) 23 Wood Screws #6 x 1" Flat Head
'., :rn this project, are from:Const'aniines, ,Dept TW: :2050 Ea'st"chester Rd. ,10461;' or'The Woodworkers'
' Store, ,Dept 21801 Industrial Bllld:, Rogers;' 55374.. J, '" '.' , , '." ,\ ' '", "', \ ",
,_ \ \ . , I' ,\ ". \
JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990 TO DAY'S WOODWORKER
.. _____ FINISHING THOUGHTS
Protecting Your Furniture
By Jerry TerHark
When I was learning the wood finish-
ing trade I did a lot of reading, and
tended to believe just about every-
thing. I still do a lot of reading, but
now I always try a technique before I
recommend it. For years I went
around telling people they should
apply lemon oil to their furniture to
replenish the oils in the wood, and
that wax was not to be used on furni-
ture because" it plugs the pores and
doesn't allow the wood to breath. I
have since found that these state-
ments are untrue.
The main question I am asked when
I discuss furniture care is, "what is
the best furniture polish to use?" My
answer is wax. There are many types
of waxes on the market, but the hard-
est is Carnauba. Candelilla wax, from
a desert plant found in the south, is
cheap and often used in blends with
other waxes. Beeswax comes from
the honey comb of the honey bee,
and historically has been very popu-
lar. Commercial products are usually
a combination of many types of waxes
and oils, and pigmented waxes are
very helpful in covering up fine
scratches. Currently, my favorite
waxes include Beute satin creme wax,
Butcher's Wax-Bowling Alley Paste
and Butcher's wax.
The benefits of using a blended wax
and oil polish is that it is easier to
apply than a paste wax and develops a
harder shell than an oil. Products
with this combination make for a kind
of middle ground. The wax content is
left in a thin coat and vigorous rub-
bing is not required, although you
must be careful not to let the liquid sit
on the surface and become tacky,
which can contribute to a build-up
problem on the finish. Waxes and pol-
ishes with an oil content do not dry
quickly, and if not thoroughly wiped
down after the initial application they
will leave a residue. This is a minor
problem unless continued applica-
tions are made over time and the pol-
ish accumulates, especially in corners
TODAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/ fEBRUARY 1990
or grooves. The key to avoiding this
is to completely remove the polish
after every three or four applications.
Oil products such as lemon oil, nut
oil or mineral oil are easy to apply
and give a satiny appearance to the
finish, but they also have several
drawbacks. They do not dry well and
if applied too heavily will become
gummy. They do not add any mea-
sure of protection to the finish, as a
hard wax coating will do, and finally,
oil polishes attract and bind dust to
the furniture surface.
Wax removal is accomplished by
rubbing the surface of your furniture
with mineral spirits and a mildly abra-
sive rag, such as wool. Don't drench
the piece, but get it wet and be sure
to work into the corners and crevices
where wax is most likely to build up.
This procedure not only removes the
wax but also cleans the furniture and
creates a sound surface for the next
coat of wax.
The principal advantage of wax is
its hardness, which protects the fin-
ish from minor damage due to mois-
ture or physical abuse. However,
paste wax takes a fair amount of
elbow grease to apply and buff, espe-
cially carnauba wax.
There are many ways to apply paste
wax, but my recommended approach
is to saturate a soft rag with mineral
spirits, which allows me to apply the
wax smoothly and evenly. I let this
dry for just a short time and then
wipe it off. I lmow that by not letting
it dry completely I'll be removing
some of the wax, but that's alright,
since what I'm really after is just a
light film.
How often to apply wax is the sec-
ond most frequently asked question.
If the furniture shows some dullness
and worn spots, then it likely needs
rewaxing. Don't feel that every time
your furniture gets dusty you have to
recoat it, for the dust is only superfi-
cial and the wax shell is still intact. I
remember watching old movies and
often seeing maids walking around
feather dusting all the furniture . I
thought this was simply a way to
keep the maid busy. I came to find
out that simply whisking the dust
away once a week is really the right
idea! All these years I thought you
had to soak the pieces with some liq-
uid that makes you feel and smell like
you're in a lemon orchard.
Wax is not a very 'durable finish,
but when used in conjunction with a
film-building finish such as lacquer or
varnish it provided the furniture with
a hard shell of protection.
At the price of furniture, or the
work involved in making fine furni-
ture, it is important that we take care
of it. After all, we can't take the furni-
ture with us when our time comes, so
you might say we are just borrowing
it from our children. Let's take care of
it so that when it becomes theirs,
they can enjoy the true beauty of
wood furniture.

Jerry TerHark, who lectures nation-
wide on wood finishing, studied under
master finisher George Frank. Jerry is
the head of Dakota County Technical
College's wood finishing program in
Rosem.ount, Minnesota.

.. ______ TODAY'S SHOP
Working With Dado Heads
By Roger Cliffe
A dado head, used to cut square chan-
neled grooves in wood or plywood, is
one of the most common accessories
used on a table saw or radial arm saw.
While some woodworkers use a
router bit for this operation, the dado
head is generally quicker, cleaner and
more versatile. Using a router, the
operation may take more than one
pass to get the right depth or width of
cut, whereas dado heads can be
adjusted infinitely for cuts greater
than 1/4" and up to 13/16" wide. This
popular accessory is used to make
dadoes, rabbets, lap joints and tongue
and groove joints. Some woodwork-
ers also use the dado head to cut box
or finger joints.
There are actually three different
types of dado heads on the market;
the stack dado, the wobble dado, and
the "V" wobble dado.
AMANA
quality
1_""'-'''''- " J lad
FOR SAFETY
WEAR EYE PROTECTION
Each of
these dado heads has some unique
characteristics that make it appropri-
ate for certain operations.
The Stack Dado
The stack dado is made up of two cut-
ters and four to eight chippers. The
cutters look like circular saw blades,
and are usually 6-8 inches in diame-
ter. While these cutters look like a
saw blade, they are intended for cut-
ting dadoes and have a special tooth
profile. In fact, some cutters can only
be used on one side of the dado head.
Look them over carefully before
mounting -they may have the mes-
sage "this side out" etched on them.
The chippers usually have two cut-
ting edges on them and are designed
to go between the cutters. The cut-
ters are usually designed to make a
1/8" kerf. If you were to cut a 1/411
dado with a stack dado head, for
instance, you would simply use two
cutters with no chippers between
them. A 5/16" dado would require
two 1/8" cutters and a 1/16" chip-
per. By adding chippers
between the two cutters, any
dado size may be easily
achieved. Chippers, how-
ever, should never be
used alone or with a
single cutter. If the
dado is an odd size,
shims can be
placed between
the chippers to
enlarge the cut.
This is possible
because the cut-
ting edge on each
cutter and chip-
per is wide
enough to compen-
sate for the shims.
Wobble Dadoes
The wobble dado
resembles a 6-7
inch standard saw
blade with a fat
hub. The hub,
which is actually
two separate pieces in a triangular
shape, also has a number of incre-
ments stamped into it to make width
adjustments easier. As these pieces
turn around, they cause the saw
blade to tilt, which causes the blade
to wobble. As the blade turns and
wobbles, it removes any wood in its
path to form a dado. Up to 13/16" can
be cut by adjusting the amount of
wobble in the blade. This adjustment
usually takes some trial and error,
but the increments in the side of the
dado head will make it easier.
The New "V" Wobble
The third type of dado head is rela-
tively new on the market. The "V"
wobble dado gets its name from the
fact that it opens like a "V" when the
hub is turned. The "V" wobble head
is 8 inches in diameter and has two
24 tooth carbide tipped blades side by
side. When the head is completely
closed, it cuts a 1/4" groove. As the
hub is turned, the two blades spread
to increase the width of the dado.
Take Your Pick
Stack dado heads can be either car-
bide tipped or tool steel, while wobble
and "V" type dado heads are always
carbide tipped. If you cut any sheet
stock at all, a carbide tipped dado is
advisable. One of the most common
complaints made about the wobble or
"V" wobble dadoes is that they do not
cut perfectly square bottomed chan-
nels. They actually cut a slight arc on
the bottom of the dado because of
their wobbling orbit. This complaint
is sometimes made about stack dado
heads as well, but today's better stack
dado heads will cut a square bottom
dado. The problem lies with inexpen-
sive heads that have a larger cutter
diameter, which causes the shoulders
of the dado to cut deeper than the
actual dado. You can compensate for
this probl em by cutting the dado
depth based on the cutters rather
than the chippers. This means that
some sort of hand work is needed to
adjust the dado depth.
JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 1990 TODAY'S WOODWORKER
Another common complaint about
dado heads is that they cause tear-
out. This is unsightly and spoils the
quality of the work. The most likely
causes of this are a cut that is too
deep or a head that is too dull. Tear-
out is most likely to occur when using
a wobble dado head because the
blade tends to bang against the shoul-
ders of the dado as the cut is made. If
the first cut with a wobble dado is
shallow, then a shoulder is formed
that will minimize tear-out. A smaller
diameter dado head will also create
more tear-out since 6 inch dado head
has more downward thrust than an 8
inch dado head when both are cutting
the same depth.
The next most likely cause of tear-
out is poor saw alignment. If the miter
slot is not parallel to the dado head,
then the back of the dado head is
always cutting the dadoes' shoulders.
It may be so small that all it does is
tear the face grain away from the
work, or in other cases, it actually
makes the dado wider. If the fence is
not aligned with the miter slot, then
there could be some pinching on the
outfeed side of the dado head, caus-
ing tear-out and possible kickbacks.
Dado heads tend to climb during
the cut, especially on radial arm saws.
The blade will bury itself in the wood
and lurch toward the operator. This
isn't a problem on the tablesaw, but
there is a chance that the dado head
will kick the work back toward the
operator. This can be eliminated by
using a control cut or chip limiting
dado head. A control cut dado head is
a stack dado head that has shoulders
behind each tooth on the two cutters
and chip limiters in front of the teeth
on the chippers. The shoulders and
chip limiters control the amount of
wood each tooth can remove. Lighter
cuts can also mean reduced tear-out.
You Get What You Pay For
A dado head will cost anywhere from
$35.00 to $300.00. This spread seems
great, but you get what you pay for.
TO DAY'S WOODWORKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990
At the low end, you will find the wob-
ble dado heads. They will go up in
price, and quality of cut, according to
the number of teeth on the blade. At
the $75.00 range you will find a "V"
wobble dado head, and the low end
stack dado heads. Some of the stack
dadoes at this price will not be car-
bide tipped, which are more expen-
sive. A control cut stack dado head
will cost about $140.00. If you are a
weekend woodworker on a limited
budget, I would recommend the 'V'
wobble dado, which is moderately
priced and does a good job. If you are
more serious about your woodwork-
ing, then I would recommend a good
stack dado head with carbide tips.
On the other hand, if you are work-
ing with No.2 pine and other dimen-
sional softwood, a high quality stack
dado may not be as good as a wobble
dado. Softwoods have a much higher
moisture content, which means that
the wood chips will be heavier and
harder to throw. A coarse wobble
dado head will throw the chips effi-
ciently and will be less likely to bind
in softwood. If you work with sensi-
tive materials such as hardwood ply-
wood and melamine faced particle
board, then a stack dado head with
carbide tips is required to get high
quality results. It should be noted,
however, that no matter how good
the dado head is, it will not cut cor-
rectly if the saw is misaligned.
If you plan to take heavy dado cuts
you might want to consider the con-
trol cut stack dado head because it
will reduce climbing and the chance
of kickback. It is a sheer joy to use
this dado head on the table saw, and I
wouldn't be without it on the radial
arm saw. The next best approach for
this situation is the 'V' wobble head.
Wobble dado heads have a very
thick hub due to the wobbling mecha-
nism they contain. This may be a
problem when you try to mount them
on a table or radial saw with a short
arbor. The entire arbor nut must be
engaged with the arbor to use the
r WHAT'S IN STORE
Routermaster
By Hugh Foster
This amazing urethane pad can eliminate the
clamps and fasteners that always get in the
way of routing or sanding small work pieces.
The ads for it sound like so much
'hype' . This product, they claim, will
enable you to run your router all the
way around a piece of wood without
nailing or clamping it to the bench.
Well, the manufacturer has not been
kidding us. It works, and far better
than one might have suspected.
I have used the Routermaster many
times while sanding with belt and pad
sanders. It performed very well, hold-
ing the work still and protecting the
wood from the bench. I also used it
during an assembly of a project, where
it absorbed some of the force of my
mallet blows while I was driving joints
together.
It was with some apprehension that I
applied a router cutter to a piece .of
undamped work held in place only .by
the Routermaster pad. When I did, I
was truly amazed. Using the largest bit
I have for my 1/4" router. I took as full
a cut as possible without bottoming
the bearing in the pad. The routing in
that piece of walnut was perfect. And
there are plenty of other uses for this
pad. I'm completely sold.
dado head safely, although it is not
necessary to have the arbor washer
under the nut. Many European table
saws have a short arbor and will not
accommodate much of a dado head.
Always be sure that the dado head
will fit your saw before you try it.

Dr. Roger Cliffe is the author of "Table
Saw Techniques}) and "Radial Arm
Saw Techniques}), published by Sterling
Publishing Co. of New York, New York.
.-------READER'S GALLERY
Country Workshops
The continuous arm chair shown above,
and the sack back on the right, are
reproductions of classic Windsor styles
developed during the 1 Bth century.
Each chair is made from three or four
different woods. The seats are sculpted
with an adze, inshave and drawknife
from eastern white pine. For the
back rail Langsner uses white oak, red
oak, or ash. The splindles are rived hickory
or oak, and the turnings are hard maple.
According to Langsner, most Windsors
made in the 1 Bth century were painted,
first with an 011 based primer coat,
and then with a mixture of lead
based oils and varnish. Using a
prepared mixture of two parts oil
based satin enamel with one
part satin or dull urethane
varnish, Langsner is able
to closely reproduce this
old finish. The addition of
varnish makes the paint transparent
which, after applying a few coats, results
in a finish that has a sense of depth, instead of
the flatness associated with enamel paints.
Windsor chairmakers typically used colors such
as deep green, dark blue-grey, and maroon-red.
S ince 1978 over 500 students have
been trained in Ladderback and Wind-
sor chair construction by Drew
Langsner at his Country Workshop
seminars (90 Mill Creek Rd., Marshall,
North Carolina 28753) . Langsner has
authored numerous articles and several
books, including Green Woodworking.
Shown here are some samples of his
own work.
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III
NEXT ISSUE
Now that we've outfitted the workshop,
it's time to organize the kitchen with an
exciting new project. We'll also
reproduce a shaker classic, the
candlestand table shown at right.
Coopered buckets are made with white
oak hooping and white pine staves, both
materials being rived, or split from logs using
a froe and mallet.
Crafting apple wood serving spoons requires the
use of a number of hand tools, including carving
gouges and drawings.
These Ladderback chairs are made
from split red oak with hickory inner bark
seating. On the left is a dining chair, the other
is a youth chair made with splayed legs to
prevent tipping.