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WOODamagazine October2002,lssue144
10 flush-trimmingrouterfence
12 safestoragefor chisels
14 turnedsalt and peppershakers
I kid-friendlybunUtwinbeds
58 matchingchild'soak drcsser
U storagecarouselfor tools and bits
68 contemporarypicturc frames
72 mobilelumberstorage
82 flag case
BONUS:pushsticks(seepatterninsert) '
Seematchrngdres-err,'ptgq':
42 raised-paneldoors madeeasy
set can helpyou
Seehow a three-router-bit
elevateyourcabinetmaking
and savetime.
70 workingwith plastics
Learnhowto cut,drill,andfinishacrylic,
polycabonate,
and phenoliclaminate.
80 bandsawtune-up
programto keepyour
Followthis 1O-step
bandsawin tip{op shape.
n bird's-mouthrouterbits
Createmultisidedcylindersandcurvedlids
with this newbreedof cutters.
74 mid-pricedbandsaws
Wecompared sevenpopularniodelsunder
$900,focusingon powerandperformance.
92 shop-provenproducts
Check out the hot new woodworkingtools.
Considered grass,thiswood-likeplanthas
becomeall the ragein the flooringindustry.
86 whole-shopheatingsystems
Decidewhichof the fiveapproaches
makes
the mostsensefor yourworkshop.
97 bidhouse/bid feedercontest
6 editor'sangle
8 soundingboard
re short cuts
30 shoptips
38 askWOOD
n at your service
112 what'saheadin our next issue
Visit our Web site at rnnnnnr.rnroodonline.corn for free rryoodrruorking plans, tips, shop tours, and more.
0ctober 2002. vol.19,No.6 0 lssue No.144
editOrtsanste Editor-in-Chief
Executive
Managing
Editor
Editor
Bltt KRIER
JIMHARR0LD
MARLEN KEMMET
Features
EditorDAVID STONE
ProductsEditorDAVE CAMPBEIL
Projects
EditorJANHALE SVEC
Senior
Editor0WEN
TechniouesEditor
Design
DUVATL
JIMP0IL0CK
Editor KEVIN B0YLE
Assistant
Photographer
MERIZ
l. HEDLUND
MARGARET
SHERYT
CI0SNER
MUNYON
MARTY BALDWIN
Intoday'sbusiness
worldof Illustrators
L0R1{A J0H1'|S0N,
R0XANNE LeM0ll{E,
TIMCAHILL, MIKE MITTERMEIER
multi-national
conglomerates TechnicalConsultants
RICH BRIGHT, JEFF HAtt,
PHILLIPGO(|DWIII, GARRY SMITH
andventurepartnerships,it's Contributing
CraftsmanJIMHEAVEY
Proofreaders
JIMSANDERS. BARBARA KLEIN
gettingharderto knowjust ArtDirectorKARL EHLERS
Assistant
ArtDirectorCHERYI A. CIBUIA
whostandsbehindthe prod- Publisher
MARK HAGEII
Advertising0ffice:333N.MichiganAve., 1500,
Suite
uctsyou buy everyday.But Chicago, lL60601Phone:312853-2890 Fax312580-7906
SalesandMarketingAssistantIARAKALTAL
there'sno mysteryaboutthe MailResponse Manager CAR0LYN DAI(IS
AccountExecutiveR(lNGOLMINAS
publisherof WOODmagazine: AccountExecutiveNEIIKIRBY
AccountExecutiveJOHN TH0RNBURGH
MeredithCorporation. lt'sa big Detroit,Phone:2481356-1149 Fax: 248/356-8930
AccountExecutivePATT0MLINSON
Northeast,Phone:212/551-7043Fax:2121551 -7192
company for sure,but onewith Southeast: Lagomarsino,Dempsey & Dennis,Inc.
2951Piedmont Rd.,NE,Suite100,Atlanta,GA30305
a woodworker as chairmanof Phone: -5400Fax4041261
404/261 -5404
Group MarketingDirectorCATHY E.SMITH
its executive
committee. Senior
Marketing Services
Manager ALEXAI{DER D.CIARKS0N
During a recent visit to Ted Meredith's work- Phone: -7090Fax:
212/551 2121551-7192
shop, I had a chance to look over a large platter SeniorPromotionDesionerSARAH DIBEILA
ave vou wonderedwhy the Ted fashioned from a box elder burl.
II GroupPublisher STEPHEN B.IEVINS0N
Il Beuer Homesand Garderzsbrand AssociateBusiness
DirectorCRAIG FEAR
appearsabove WOOD on our SeniorProductManager RICK GR0W
cover?Or how our parentcom- of Fruit, Gardenand Home Advertising
OperationsManagerPATHEN DERSH0fi
Consumer Marketing
DirectorJULIE MARTlil
pany, MeredithCorporation,got (which becameBetterHomes Consumer MarketingManager DAVE HONOLD
its start? and Gardensin 1924). VicePresidenUPublishing
DirectorWlLtlAMR.REED
We include the BH&G brdrnd Today,E.T.'s grandson,Ted MEREDITHPUBLISHII{GGROUP
abovethe WOOD logo because Meredith, who I am happy to President
STEPHE]'|
M.LACY
Magazine
Group
President
JERBYKAPLAI{
of the recognitionand trust it tell you is a dedicatedwood- Grouo
SalesMICHAELBR0WNSTEIN
carriesfor new readerswho may worker, servesthe companyas Creative
Services
ELLENDELATHOUDER
not be as familiar with us as Business
Development
TlllAGE0RGE0U
Chairmanof the Executive Manufacturing
BRUCE HEST0N
long-timesubscribers.BF1&Gis Committee.Ted hasbuilt some ConsumerMarketing
KARLA JEFFRIES
the largestof many otherpublications ambitiousprojectsin his gara;ge workshop Finance
andAdministration
MAXRUNCIMAI{
aboutfamily life and improving homes over the years,including a biplaneand /Uleredfth
I coaeoaerron
producedby Meredith Corporation,a two boats.His currentprojectis the WltLlAMT. KERR, Chairman
andChiefExecutiveOfticer
E.T.MEREDITHlll, Chairman
of theExecutive
Committee
mediacompanythat alsoowns TV stations. restorationof a l930s-vintageplane,a oCopyrightMeredithCorporation2002
So why am I telling you this?I thought task with no shortageof woodworking All rights reserved.Printedin the U.S.A.
Better Homes and Gardensa WOODa magazine (ISSN-0743-
you might be curious,but alsoI want to challenges,judging by the curvedand 894X) is publishedseventimes a year in March, May, June/July,
let you in on an importantanniversarythat veneeredinstrumentpanelson Ted's September,October, November, and December by Meredith
Corporation, 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309-3023.
we're celebrating. workbench. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, Iowa, and additional
mailing offices. Better Homes and Gardenstrademarkregistered
It was 100yearsago when E.T. As we mark this anniversary,it is my in Canadaand Australia. Marca Registradaen M6xico. ONE-
YEAR SUBSCRIPTION pnlCeS: U.S. and its possessions,
Meredithfoundedhis publishingcompany sincerewish that we continueto serve $28; Canada, $41; other countries, $49. Canada Post
with the first issueof SuccessfulFarming your needsfor many yearsto come. Publications Mail Sales Product Asreement No. 40069223.
canadian BN 12348 2887 RT. ennnnnN RETURN
magazine(which is still publishedtoday). ADDRESS: Better Homes and Gardens WOOD magazine,
2744 Edna Street, Windsor, Ontario, N8Y lV2. POSTMAS-
The next magazinein the Meredith stable TER: Send address changes to Better Homes and Gardens
camealongin 1922with the publication WOOD magazine,P.O. Box37439, Boone, IA 50037-0439.
$ ^lp^t
\IIOOD rnagazine October 2002
soundin
0urbulletin
boardforletters,
comments,
andtimelyupdates
board
f|ag cases torrc,fr
recipients and
fruifders
I am a subscriberto your magazine,
and havebuiltmanyof your featured
projects.Littledid I knowwhat was in
storefor me when I receivedthe April
2002 issue.My rollercoasterof emotions
beganwhenthe magazinearrived. Reader Ed Sallee (back /efi) was honored to build flag cases in memory of Gaptain Victor
In that issue,you featuredan article Saracini, and proud to present them to Ellen Saracini and daughters Kirsten and Brielle.
(page 14) on WoodworkersUnitedFor A plaque in the upper left portion of each case bears a memorial and pilot's wings.
America(WUFA).This groupformed family of Captain Victor Saracini: his . I delivered the cases to Mrs. Saracini
with the purposeof providingflag cases wife, Ellen;two daughters,Kirstenand i this past spring(see the photo,above).
to any familymemberof those who per- Brielle;and his mother,Anne. Captain i She and her daughterswere wonderful.
ished as a result of terroristactivitieson Saraciniwas the pilotof UnitedAirlines I'd liketo thankeveryonewho helped
i
Se pt em ber11,2001 . Flight175, the secondplaneto hit the i me with the cases.And thanksto my
I contactedMr. GeorgeDubois,the WorldTrade Center. employer, McOollister's
Transportation
NationalDirectorof WUFA and I can'tbeginto tellyouhowhonoredI i Systems, Inc.of Burlington,New
expressedmy desireto builda couple wasto sharemy loveof woodworking in , Jersey,fortransportingcasesto New
of flag cases.Georgeassignedme the sucha manner. Thankyoufor bringing i YorkfromvariousWUFAchapters.
privilegeof makingflag casesfor the thiswonderful program to my attention. -Edward Sallee,Burlington,
N.J.
flrrsh-
ferilce
A simple router-table setup
for putting a finished edge
on plywood panels.
1f,|H*;i1tlffii?i:i::'"".
had to do a lot of flush trimming on the
ing, and clamp the fence down. Hold the
edgedplywood firrnly againstthe fence as
you make eachpass,and the edging
solid-woodedgingthat dressesup the ply- comesout perfectly flush every time. al
wood panels.He neededa foolproof way
Written by David Stone
to get the job done. A handheldrouter Projectdesign:Charles l. Hedlund
with a flush-trim bit works, but it's easyto lllustrations:Roxanne LeMoine
Photograph:Mafi Baldwin
accidentallytip the router and gougethe
edgingand plywood. Chuck solvedthe
problem with the router-table-mounted * All stock 7+"plywood
fenceshownin the photo,aboveright.
Made of 3/q"plywood, the fencesits per-
I
pendicularto the table,as shownat right.
The lower edgeof the fenceis mountedl"
abovethe router-tablesurface,so it accom-
modatesedgingtp to 3/+"thick.
To build the project,cut its identically 11e/q"
I
sizedfenceand baseto ll3/q" wide.
Measureyour router table to determinethe lnsidewidth
matcheslong leg
length. Then cut matching notchesin the of triangularbrace.
baseand fence,positionedto align with
the bit hole in your table.Two triangular
braceshold the baseand fence together.
The cleatsat eachend help positionthe
assemblyon your routertable.
Chuck also addeda supportpanelto the
bracesthat stiffensthe entire assembly.A
hole cut into the supportacceptsa shop-
#8 x 11/z'F.H. 1 x 1" notches,
vacuumhoseto collect chips. wood screws centered
To usethe fence,install a flush-trim bit V+x 1/z x 16" Cleat sits flushwith front
in your table-mountedrouter.Align the edge of base.
safie stonge
for cfrisels
Create a custom insert Keep your chisels
safe from damage,
to protect sharp edges. well organized,and
looking good with
a simple series of
felt-lined dadoes.
W;irt :h;'"..
the drawerbottomswith felt. Here's how
femrle (we useda 32" Forstner),drill a
hole at eachline on the femrle support
stock.To do this, clamp a fenceon your
down, and trim the felt along the edges
and the endswith a knife.
If your drawerbottom is unlined,cut a
to add extra protectionfor a setof chisels. drill-presstableto keepthe holeslined up, pieceof posterboard %" smallerin length
and locatethe fenceso that the holeswill and width than the insidedimensionsof
Plan the layorrt hold the femrlesat the desiredheight.(In the drawer.Apply double-facedtapeto
Add up the handlediametersof the chisels our case.we centeredthe holes Vz"from the bottom of the posterboardaroundits
you want to store,and subtractthe total the edgeto leave Vs"of wood undereach perimeter.Cut felt 2" largerin length and
from the insidewidth of the drawer. femrle.) After drilling the holes,sandboth width than the posterboard.Centerthe
Divide that numberby the spacesthat faces.Rip the stockthroughthe centerof posterboard,top down, on the felt, trim
you'll needto get an approximatespacing the holesto leavea seriesof notches. off the cornersof the felt, and fold it onto
distance.Our setincludesl0 chisels,so the tape.Flip the posterboardover, and
we neededto accountfor l1 spaces.You Add finish and felt pressit into the drawer.
can vary the spacingby making the end Apply a stainor clearfinish to matchthe Placestripsof cloth-backed,double-
spacesbigger or smallerthan the others. tool chestor storageunit. Coat the top and facedtapeon the bladesupportbottom,
sidesof the femrle support,but only the and pressit into the drawer.Finally, apply
Make the srrpporils front edgeof the bladesupport. double-facedtapeto the bottom of the fer-
Placeyour longestchiselwith the handle Cut an oversizedpieceof felt from the rule support,and pressit into place.Q
flat on your workbench,and measurethe fabric store.Mask the edgesof the blade
gapsbeneaththe femrle and the blade. supportwith tape,then sprayadhesiveon Lengthof
Also measurethe lengthof the blade. the top and ends.Removethe tape,and ;llongest
chiselblade
Now, makebladeand femrle supportsto apply the felt, fitting it tightly into the
matchthosedimensions. dadoesand aroundthe ends.After the
For the bladesupport,planea boardto Bladesupport
7s" thickness,rip itto 43/4",then cut it to a Lengthof longest
length t/r0"lessthan the width of the chiselblade
drawer. For the femrle support,rip a strip Ferrule
Widthof I support
l" wide.Planeitto t/z"thickness,andcut drawer
1/z'
it to the width of the drawer.Mark the
handlecenterpoints on the edgeof each Center
diameters
support.Extendthe points acrossthe fer- with center
rule support. of dadoes
Dado=widthof
Make a customizedrecessfor eachchisel chiselbfade+ V.ra"'lK
j/+" deep_------
by marking on the edgeof the bladesup- \
port the width of eachbladeplus %e", Distancetrom/
chiselbladeto
centeredon the previouslymarkedpoints. ferrule
At your tablesaw,seta dadobladeto cut
V+"deep,and cut a dadobetweeneachset
of marks.Use the appropriatechisel and a
scrapof felt to testfor a snugfit. Photograph:Mafi Baldwin
lllustration:Roxanne LeMoine
A guick tr:rn-aror-rnd
project...
sdt ,-pepper
]AI3EJS
Dust off your lathe, choose any wood-ordinary to exotic-and
you'll have this set finished in an afternoon.
_'!'
:
clclsonre spice to rlcaltinres witlt
Ambrosia-bounty to woodtur ners t h i s p l e a s i n u l v p l L r n t l - rt r , r l n c c l
'' t't - W e m a d e t h e s e s h a k e r sf r o m a m b r o s i am a p l e . s h a k c r : , c t . A l l r o u n e e c li s u
',;* '" l:.." N o t h i n gm o r e t h a n s o f t m a p l e ,t h i s w o o d d e r i v e si t s l a t h c .a c o u p l co 1 ' F o r s t n cbr i t s .l n c l l r a s i e
c o l o r a n d n a m e f r o m t h e a m b r o s i ab e e t l e ,a w o o d - t u r n i n s s k i l l s t r i t i r l n t t h e s e a t t l ' a c t ic\
l-::r
b o r i n g i n s e c t .T h e b e e t l e i n t u r n t a k e s i t s n a m e f r o m clining acccssoriesin a claslr.Wc tLrrrrccl
i t s f a v o r i t ef o o d : a m b r o s i a f u n o u s . this set llonr an LrnLrsual tv1-lcof' nraplc
T h e a m b r o s i ab e e t l e ,o n l y a b o u t 1 / 4 l"o n g , b o r e s p i n - h o l et u n n e l si n t o d y i n g (scc tlrc srclcbar.ft,/i). but an1, s1-rccics
trees and freshlycut logs and lumber.lt does not consume the wood. lnstead,
rvill ckr.
i t i n t r o d u c e st w o t y p e s o f f u n g u s .O n e , t h e a m b r o s i af u n g u s ,g r o w s i n t h e t u n -
n e l s a n d i s e a t e n b y t h e b e e t l e .T h e o t h e r ,a s t a i n i n gf u n g u s ,g i v e s t h e w o o d F o r t h e i t e m s n e e d e dt o b u i l d t h i s
i t s d i s t i n c t i v eg r e e n i s h - g r a tyo b l u i s h - b l a c ks w i r l i n gb a n d s . p r o j e c t ,s e e T o o l s a n d A c c e s s o r i e s
B e c a u s e i t n e e d s t h e m o i s t u r e i n g r e e n w o o d t o s u r v i v e ,y o u w o n ' t h a v e t o a n d t h e B u y i n gG u i d e o n p a g e 1 8 .
w o r r y a b o u t b e e t l e sl i v i n gi n y o u r d r i e d t u r n i n gs q u a r e .
( . r t r t t i r t t t c t tl t r t 1 t u , q cl ( t
Tools:Drillpress,
1" and1sle"Forstner
bits
Speed:500rpmforthe 1"
bit,250rpmforthe 1-3le"
bit Tailstockcenter
HOLELAYOUTS
ii \=zi
_ 't _ _ _ _ _ { _ _ _ _ _ _ _j_:____-___________ _
f
n_ \@ rormthesideprofile.
O crt 1"r chuck.
"*"y
Roll the
beads
Roll the beads with your
parting tool. Switch to
yout 3/+"skew chisel, and D Apply the finish
form the domed top, cutting Cr Remount the shaker on the jam chuck. Sand the
as close to the tailstock shakerwith a progressionof 120- 220- 320-grit sandpa-
center as possible. Dis- pers. Apply a clear finish. We used Mylands Friction
engage the tailstock, and Polish, following the directionson the bottle. When the
finish the top of the dome. finish dries, clear the shaker holes by twisting a Vrs"
Form a slight V-groove at drill bit through them. Repeatthe turning and finishing
the baseof the lower bead, stepswith the other shakerblank. For quick recognition,
as shownin the photo,left. stain the peppershakerbefore applying the clear finish.
Check your profile with We usedZAR no. 113 Fruitwood stain.To absorbthe
the template. latentmoisturein the wood and keep the salt and pepper
dry, add a teaspoonof dry rice grains to the shakers
Tools:Partingtool, when filling them. Push the rubber bungs into the bot-
skewchisel toms of the chambers.See the Buying Guide for our
Tool rest: Slightlyabove sourcefor the finish, bungs,and turning blank. lF
center
Speed:800-1,200rpm
ToolsandAccessories:
3"faceplate,
%"bowlgouge,
parting
tool,
%"spin-
dlegouge,3/"
skew outside
chisel, and1"and17s"
calipers, Forstnerbits.
ftirdrs-rnou
frits
Making cones, columns, or cylinders is a
barrel of fun and requires little monkeying
around when you use one of these unique cutters.
wd"Hl+5#::,#lv
The bird's-mouthjoint tops a miter can use thinner stock to constructthe
joint for a numberof reasons:First, intro- blank. On the other hand, if you want the
ducing the cutaway "mouth" createsmore cylinder to have an angular,facetedlook,
booms.We landlubberscan take advan- gluing surface.Secondly,the mouth cra- usefewer sides.
joint,
tageof this sffongedge-to-edge dles the mating workpiece, making it For a simplecolumn, settingup to use
shownattop right, when making cylindri- nearly impossiblefor the joint to slip out the bit is as simpleas thejoint is sffong.In
cal objects,suchas columns,archedchest of alignment during a glue-up. Finally, your router table, install the proper bit for
lids. or turnedvessels. you cut only one sideof thejoint, so you the numberof sides(or staves)in your
reduceyour machining time-and cylinder. Set the bit's cutting height to
chancefor error-by half. leavea small (say, Vzz"),flat bearingsur-
face on the workpiece,as shownin the
A rorrter bit rnakes photo at left.
the ioint foolproof After routing all the stavesfor the cylin-
Boatbuildersmakethe bird's- der, apply glue to the routededges,stand
mouth joint on very long pieces the staveson end, and clamp them togeth-
using a tablesaw.As with any er with bandclamps.If you havea lot of
multi-faceted project, though, a sidesto assemble,a pair of scrapwood
tiny error in the cutting angle can discs that fit inside the cylinder will help
becomehuge when compoundedat keepit round.
eachjoint. You'll reduceyour error
rate to near nil, however, when you Think orrtside
machineyour workpieceswith a the cylinder
bird's-mouthrouterbit (Ire Valley Want to be a little more creative?You can
Tools, www.leevalley.com,or use the joint to decorateand "break" the
800/871-8158). By foing the cut- edgesof a caseor chest,as shownin the
ting angle at the factory, thesebits photo on page 22. Or, if you're up for a
virtually guaranteeyour success challenge,usebird's-mouthbits to create
when making 6-, 8-, I2-, ot 16- taperedcylinders or cones,like the ones
sidedcylinders. illusfratedonpage 22.
So, how many sidesdo you Things start to get a little tricky here,
need?That dependsultimately on though, as the number of stavesin the
the natureof the project. The more conedoesn'tnecessarilymatchthe num-
Leave a small, flat bearing surface above (or sidesin your cylinder, the smoother ber of the cutter. (For example,the
below) the cutter for the workpiece to ride the curve. If you plan to turn the l2-side cuttercan be usedto cut cones
against the outfeed fence. This "rib" can be
sanded or hand-planed away after assembly, or cylinder blank round, more sides with 3-12 staves.)The fewer the staves,
left intact for a decorative effect. alsomeanlesswaste,becauseyou Continuedonpage22
WOODFLOORS- I t k c i t s r l L u r s h cpt lr n r n r i t l .r i h i l c l r n I I -
s i t l c t le o n c i s n c i r r l i l e r i i n t l - ' r '\.' o L r u i l l
COURTESYOF n c c c lt o r l o : o r r r c l ' i r L r r i r i rt o r l c t c l n t i n ct l t c
c L r t t i n tl n S l c s l i r r t l r c s t r r \c \ . I ) c t l u l c r l
VARATHANE.'' i n s t r u c t i o n sl r r t t l. i n t l r l c l i r l n r L r l r rl .i ,r r n l r l . -
i n g t l t c e l L l c i r l l r t i ( )r r' (\ ) n r -u i t l r t l t c h i t s
I J c l i r r cr r i t t l r t t r . \ \ c c n c ( ) u r i r ! a\ ( ) u l ( )
r i c u t l r c i r r s t l t rtei o n n t t r r r r r l(r)l n I . e c
Now y ou c an ac hie v e b e a u ti fu l l y V l l l c r ' s \ \ c b s i t c . . \ t \ l ( r c r r el t . t l r c s c
re fi n i shed wood f loo rs b y y o u rs e l f t h r c c b r t s ( o r . t cl o r l i . o n c l i r r l 6 - . l r n t l o r r e
w i th V ar at hane@ Di a mo n d W o o d l i r r '( r - l n r l I l - s i t l c c l e r l i n t l c r ' r) l r c n ' t h r r t l
Fi n i sh pr em ium polyu re th a n e sW . i th t c t l r t ' c l r l ' , c t 'hst.t t r o r r ' I l \ \ ; . r i r t1 ( )l n t r l \ c \ u l ' c
Varathanethe result is a professional r o u g c t t h c r i g l r l l r i t l i r r r o L r r ' p r t r j c cltF.
And noq Varathaneis giving you the W r i t t e n b y D a v e C a m p b e l l r , L ' t l J. e f f M e r t z Use a bird's-mouth bit to soften (or high-
opportunity to see your favorite pro Photographs:Marty Baldwin light) the corner joints of a large project,
l l u s t r a t i o n :T i m C a h i l l such as an entertainment center"
basket ball play er s i n a c ti o n . T h e
America's Most Flawed Floor Contest
w i fl awar d one Gra n d Pri z e f,-tr-*;,.: B I R D ' S - M O U TBHI T SC A N M A K E
w i n ner wit h ev er y t h i n g n e e d e d to T H E S ES H A P E SA N D M O R E
re fi n i sh t heir wood f l o o rs , i n c l u d i n g
Vara thane Diam ond Wo o d F i n i s h
pro duc t s , as well as tw o fl o o r s e a t
ti cke ts t o t he m os t s ta r-p a c k e d
professional basketball game of the 8 sides
12-side cutter
ye ar (tr av elandhot el in c l u d e d ).
Chest lid
16-sidecutter
6 sides
6-side cutter
':ri:
+-€,$,.$$tn-,
:
, ::-..'
Floons rHrsBEAUTTFUL
H A V E N E V E RB E E N S O E A S Y .
c,frifd-safie
frdbeds
Bunk beds save
space-a welcome
feature for a youngf,
growing family.
Equally important
is that they are
designed with
safety in mind.
Here's what you
need to know
before you plan
your own bunk
beds or modify
existing plans.
afety standardsfor
bunk bedswereadopt-
edby theU.S.
ConsumerProductsSafety
Commission in 1999.These flwith themattress removed,any
standards applyto any bed V-/op.ning in theseareason both side
havingthe undersideof its andboth end structures of the upperbunk
foundationmorethan30" mustbe smallenoughto preventthe
abovethe floor. For the completetext of passage of a 3t/2"-diameter rigid sphere.
the standards,includingmethodsof testing the mattress removed,any
f$wirn
for compliance,go to the CPSCWeb site Vopening in thisareaof theend
at www.cpsc.gov. Click on search,and structuresof the lower bunk mustbe
type in "bunk bed standards."Click on
"SafetyStandardfor Bunk Beds."
You'll needAdobeAcrobatto view
@;rul:rT
one suardrail is allowed for ladder access.
smallenoughto preventthe passage
3t/2"-diameter rigid sphereor large
enoughto allow the passage of a
of a
As a member of the M-WTCA, not only can you research antique tools, such as these,
you develop friendships with like-minded collectors that can last a lifetime.
t0Ht855.Bdoo
The "wood" that comes from grass
i:i
ew Westerners think
of bambooasany-
thing but a houseplant,
gardenaccent,or snackfor a
panda.But throughoutmuch of
the world, bambooprovides
YOUCANgivegouroutdoor metal
durablebuildingmaterial.Soon, ,
furniture
andarressories atrulg more of us in the United States
distinilive
lookwithFust-0leum may find bambooright underour
Stops'Fust aerosol paints.
Therhip feet, literally, as bambooflooring ,
resistanreandcolorretention gou've is a hot new trend.
tometoexpert fromFust-0leum are Surprisingly,bambooisn't even ,;
Natural
nowavailable inexciting
finishes surh wood-it's grass,and an amazing l Bamboo'snaturalcolor
asMetallir, Hammered,Satin and grassat that. Theseprolific, tree- is lighttan. Heatingthe
like plants(hundredsof varietiesexist) stalks"carbonizes" and darkensthem.
Textured.0on'tneed torepaintthe Theflooringcross-sections, top,show
furniture?
Trgit onoutdoorlightfixtures. grow incredibly fast. Plantsreachharvest- "vertical"planks(left)and "horizontal"
ing size(around20') in 3-5 years,then (right).Planksmeasure37ex36".
Infart,Bust-0leum workswonders
regrowaftercutting.
onwood,ronrrete ormasonrg. And
Bambooflooring,above,consistsof wide are laminatedin two-or threelayers.
remember, Fust-0leum paints are
stalks(calledculms)cut into strips,planed In "vertical" planks,the stripsare face-
alwags athome proieils,
oninterior too. to about3Ad"thick,andgluedinto planks. glued,which exposesthe culms' edges.
In the "horizontal" Planksjoin usingtonguesand grooves.
.+
style,stripsabout1" The result is a beautiful,even-toned
floor without knots or wild grain.Instead,
HOW T0 paintpreviouslg
painted just thin, straightlines remain,intemrpted
metaland/orpartiallg rustedsurfares: only by subtlemarkingsat the
1. Sand orwirebrush toremove all culmjoints.
looserustand/or rhippingpaint. More surprisingthanbamboo'slooksis
2. Finseanddrgthoroughlg. A rlean, its strength.A bamboofloor provides50
drgsurface isessential. percentmore dimensionalstability than
3. Prime rusted areas with red oak, and rivals maplein hardness.
Rust-0leum' FustgMetalPrimer. Bamboohasa lieht hue.but takeson a
Forallotherareas, primewith carameltone when the stalksare heat-
Hust-0leum' fleanMetalPrimer. ed and "carbonized."The color runs
Forlightlgrusted areas,gouran throughout,eliminatingthe needfor stain.
useFust-[Jleum FustReformer' Not all flooring retailersstockbamboo,
whichneutralizes rustandcreates but it is gettingmore common.Pricing
asurfacethatcanbetopcoated. comparesto maple,at $5-$7 per square
4. Paint,andtakeprideingour foot, uninstalled.
improvement! As bamboogainspopularity,look for
After harvest,
bamboo plants more productsmadefrom theseversatile
Visitwww.rustoleum.rom for information
onthe regeneratefrom plants,suchasdoor panels,veneered ply-
entireportfolio
of Fust-0leum paints
top-qualitg the existing wood, andevenlaminated"boards"for
andsurfareroatings. stalks. This
accelerates new furniture.JF
growth and
nusr*terEux
BRANDS
eliminatesthe
need for
Written by David Stone with
Peter J. Stephano
replanting. Photographs:Marty Baldwin
s t o p p i n gr u s t i s i u s t t h e s t a r t l "
WOOD magazine October 2002
sho youworkfaster,
Helping andsafer
smarter,
ti \ nnner
Foolproof hanging
rnlith keyhole slots
Keyholeslotsare a greatway to affix
woodenhangings,suchas a shelfor
picture,to a wall.But if the mounting
screwsaren'tperfectlylevel,or spaced
exactlythe same as the slots,the job
can becomea nightmare. Here'sa solu-
tion that worksgreat.
I attachshortpiecesof maskingtape
to the top of my leveland, usingthe
keyholeslotsthemselves,I markthe
locationsof the slotson the tape,as
shownin Step 1. lf I wantto centerthe
wall hangingbetweentwo objects,I also
r'i;;:l:,::;:l
p.ll
makea third mark.centeredbetween
the two marks.
Afterfindingthe mountinglocationfor
the shelf,I markthe centerof the shelf
at the correctheight.I placethe level's
centermarkon that mark,makecertain
it's level,then markthe screwlocations
usingthe othertwo marks,as shownin
Step2. Finally,I drivethe mounting
screwson thosemarks.My hangings
are alwaysrighton the moneyand level.
-Bill Vanderhoot
Hanover,
Pa.
SmallArchDoorSet.ltem# 800.524.11
Continued on page j4
WOOD magazine October 2002
Your Hands. Your Tools. Your Fcmily's Comforl.
shop tips
You con put it oll togetherwith o
RodiontFloorComponyunderfloor
heotingsystem. Pine plrrgs solve
parilicleboard prr-zlet
We giveyou oll the informotionond
I recently wasfacedwithinstalling
our technicionswork WITH you to
designo system to suityour needs. hingeson the lidof a toy boxmadeof
particleboard-amaterialnotorious for
Our instollotionmonuolis pocked notholdingscrewswell.Afterpuzzling
with dozensof loborsovingtips. overit for awhile,I finallydecidedto
givethescrewssomething moresub-
Forusewith q domestic woterheoter stantialto biteinto.
or boiler. Coll for o freequote. Aftermarking thehingelocations, I
useda Forstner bitto bore7e"holesat
We tokethe mysteryout of eachscrewlocation, justdeepenough
RodiqntHeot. pine
to accept%" flat-top, tapered,
plugsat eachlocation. (Plugsworkbet-
Visitourwebsiteondseehowsimple
ond offordobleit con be. terthandowelsbecause, withdowels,
you'rescrewing intoendgrain.)
www. rod io ntcompq ny.com I gluedtheplugsin placeandtapped
Toll Frce |.865-WAR h-TOES themflush,thenimmediately marked
r-86-927-6863 . r -802-525-1132
anddrilledpilotholesforthescrews,
andinstalled the hinges,As I drovethe
screws, theyspreadtheplugsjust
enoughto forma tightbondwiththe
GAS, PROPANE,SOIAR, OIL, WOOD, EIECTRIC,GEOTHER'iAAI
particleboard. I expectthesejointswill
outlastthe toy boxitself!
Toll free customerossistonce. Free Design Service . Free Brochure' Low Prices
-Jon Murphy,Auburn, Wash.,
viaW00DONLINE@
IlIFORMATIOil
WORTH WRITITIG
FOR
A fflomentat Yaepr
Tirnefsr a Wealthof
{fiterffiatian'
Top-qualitycatalogsandbrochures
from the nation'sleadingwood-
workingcompanies; the easyway
for thosewho enioywoodworhing
to exploreproductsand services
that will enhancethe entire
experience. Beforeyou start your
nextproiect,turnto thebackof this
magazine, complete theordercard
andreceive a wealthof.,.
ilFonmAn0il
w0HrH
WRMilGFOR
100s8
l0nont0lncrl$stom
tuHgPtlw (ompony,
Tool
Journeymon [L(r Horiton,
Wl
Made r llSHIHIStm7,033
infteUSA Allll6,1
| 6,S26 34 WOOD magazine October 2002
Gard trick prevents harnrnef dents
WheneverI get an unsolicited plastic
card in the mail,I saveit, sometimes
usi ngit as a s pr ead efo r r g l u eo r s p a c k -
l i n g.B ut m y f av or iteu s e i s a s a n a i l i n g
sh ieldt o or ev entha m m e d r e n tso n
woodsurfaces.
Preparing a cardfor useis easy:Simply
drillor punchholeslargerthanthefinish-
ingnailsor bradsyou'lldrive.Afterdriving
thefastener flushwiththe card,usea nail
setto slightlyburythe head.
A securitynote:Old phonecardsand
membership cardsare goodcandidates
for thisapplication, but creditcards
shouldbe completely destroyed,
-Joe Carlino,Plainfield, lll.
7+" plywood,
10"wide
11/z"hanging hole
@
G
-@
-N
\\r
\\
vvwur.woodonline. com 35
shop tips
BulldaPlctule
Frene upholrtor
ac[alr
@
+
Ere
M M
lnstalllnsulation ryn"ffflP
& 5,/8'Dred
lalls,bo.
There
ares0many
iobstheuersatile
ARROW
TsO'PBil
Staple+Nail
Guncando.
It shoob6 differentsizestaplesandalsodrives And,becauseof itsall-steel
construction
with
a 5/8"bradnail.Thanks to its"EasySqueeze carbonhardened steelworkingparts,the
Double leverage Mechanism" andcushioned ruggedT5O'PBN willbea reliable
member of
grip,thistool isa breeze
to use. yourtoolboxfor manyyearsto come.
Ann(Mfuqlsanil sapplies
areavailable
at hone centers,
Iunberyards
andfiardwarestores.
U.S.A.:
Arrow FastenerCompany,Inc.,27t MayhillStreet,Saddle Brook,N.J.07663
United Kingdom: Arrow Fastener tU.K.lLtd., t4 BarclayRoad,Croydon,SurreyCRotJN *For 1%" vacuum hose
Canada:JardelDistributoF,lnc.,6505Metropolitan Blvd.East,Montreal,
euebecH1plX9
O 2OO1ARROWFASTENER
CO,. INC.
www.woodonline.com 37
The BestPlaceto
B*y Over 700
DeltaTools askwood
t0 yourquestions
Answers fromletters,
Online andW00D
e-mails, ONL|NEo
at the loutestprices
guaranteei
Mate.lring aged cfrerty
I
Istxsr ! l*':ligr!J'
\rwdr
Woodworker'sSupply carriesa
t/tz" brad-point bit with a hex
shank,Steve.Call 800/645-9292and
order item number 824-192for $7.99.
They also have Vs"and rAa"brad-points.
In most cases,however,you shouldbe
able to keep almostany drill bit where
you want it by marking the hole location
Keepyour routercolletscleanso that with a sharpawl beforeyou drill. When
they'llkeepa firm grip on your bits.We using a straight-shank bit, placeit deep
wentto a gun shop to find a bristle
brushthat fits this t/c"collet. into the chuck to keep it from wobbling.
-1ff00Dmagazine
Reinstallthe collet and do somerouting.
If the slippagecontinues,you might need
a new collet. Checkwith your dealeror Got a qrrestion?
call Tools On Sale.a divisionof Seven lf you're
lookingforananswertoa woodworking
question,writetoAskW00D,1716 Locust St.,
CornersHardware,at 800/328-0457. They
GA-310, DesMoines, lA50309-3(I|3
orsendus
carry colletsfor most brandsand models. ane-mailat askwood@mdp.com. Forimmedi-
A final tip: Get in the habit of removing atefeedback fromyourfellowwoodworkers,post
the bit after completingeachrouteropera- yourquestion 0noneofourwoodworking forums
tion. That helpsto keepthe collet flexible. atwww.woodonline.com.
_{IVOODomagazine
www.woodonline.corn 39
at your S@FViCe
Help in a h
for your woodworking or
WOOD' magazine-related guestions.
o Woodvvorking advice by callin-e8001346-9663. For article
available 24/,7 reprints,send$5 per article(no
Postyour mostpelplexin-equestions tophoneorders),includin-s issueand
thousands of woodworkers nameof article.to WOODArticle
eagerto help
you in oneof the20+ onlineforumsat ReprintService,P.O.Box 349,Kalona,IA o Proiect rrpdates
talk.woodmasazine.com/forums. 52241,checkor moneyordermadepayable For a list of changes to previouslypub-
to WOODrnagazine. lishedWOOD magazine articles,go to
o Help finding woodmagazine.com/updates.
past articles o Srrbscription assistarrce
SearchWOOD magazine's onlineindex For address changes or othersubscrip- o Send corrrrrrents to
at woodmagazine.com/index. tion services.visit us onlineat the editors
woodma-eazine.com/service, calI 800/ Sende-mailto woodmail@mdp.corl,
o Need a back issrre 374-9663and pressoption I , or write to call 800/374-9663 and pressoption2, or
or article? WOOD ma-eazine. P.O.Box 31439, write: Editor-in-Chief , WOOD magazine,
Limitedsuppliesof somebackissuesare Boone.lA 50037-0439. Pleaseenclose t t . ,G A - 3 1 0 D
l 7 l 6 L o c u sS , e sM o i n e s ,
availableat woodstore.woodmall.com
or your address labelfrom a recentissue. rA 50309-3023.+
Morepowffir.
M3 ;""
l-{
l-l
l-{
C)
_c)
l- $
::
-t
-,
CircleNo. 1953
&'p,*14
.*9j +.
1/t,
f;
1::#-*-"a$/*1
'fl aised-paneldoors are a hallmark think they're worth the investment.Of you to raisea panelwith a curvededge,as
K of quality cabinetsand furniture, course,you could chooseto cut raised the horizontalcutterdoes.
I Land thev're not difficult to make. panelson the tablesawinstead,but we've In this article, we'll guide you through
If you have a variable-speed,l Vz-hpor found that routerbits savelots of time and the processof making a door for a typical
bigger router and a router table,you need add quality with their smoothcutting and cabinet. The same techniquesapply to
only buy a setof threerouterbits designed well-designed profiles. building a door or panelfor a pieceof fur-
for the task. We used a horizontalpanel-raisingbit niture, or traditional wall panels.Along
The bits couldcostwell over$100.Still, that cuts with the workpiecelying flat on the way, we'll point out a few detailsthat
if you plan to make or remodel several the routertable.You alsocanbuy vertical have nothing to do with router bits, but
cabinets,or constructa specialpiece of router bits, which cost less and demand everything to do with getting the most
furniture featuringraised-paneldoors,we less power. However, they don't allow striking results.
Align the pilot bearing and the fence before beginning to rout. For the rail-end cuts, set the height of the coping bit by eye.
This step ensures a smooth cut with no dips. Place the top of its slotting cutter just proud of the workpiece.
www.woodonline.com 45
raised-panel doors made easy
Tirne to raise tlre panel tr
For the final step in the milling process,
we useda panel-raisingbit that measures
3Vz" in diameter. The large diameter Panel
meansthat it cuts more wood per revolu- Routertable fface oide down).
tion than the averagebit, its outer edge auxiliary fence
travels faster than most, and it demands with zero-
extraclearancein the table and fence. clgarance
opening
For safetyand efficiency,usea variable-
speedrouter with at least lV, hp.That's
enoughpower to do thejob, andrunningit
at a low speedmakesthe operationsafer.
Even if you havea split fencethat opens
wide enoughto accommodate the bit, it's
saferto shapea smalleropeningin an aux-
iliary fence.A wide gapcausesproblemsif
the workpieceslipsinto it. Rememberthat the test pieces for this cut must be the same thickness as the panel.
To add an auxiliary wood fence, cut a The tongue should fit snugly into the rail and stile grooves.
piece of straight wood to size, and mark
the shapeof the bit on it. Cut the opening on the first pass.Then realign the bearing When you find the right fit, rout the pro-
on the bandsaw,and smoothit with sand- and fence,and shapethe completeprofile file on the panel.Rout both endsfirst, then
paper. Attach the auxiliary fence to the in anotherpass. do the long sides;the long-graincutswill
existingfence,andcheckthe bit clearance. Test the fit of the panel tongue in the shave off any minor chip-out from the
Align the bearingand fence,and make a grooveof a rail or stile.It shouldslide in end-graincuts. Pressdownward on the
testcut. asshownin PhotoN. If the router easily. If you have to force it into the workpiece as you rout, making sure that
bogs down, adjustthe fenceso that the bit groove,raisethe bit. If it rattlesinsidethe the shoulderaroundthe panel field main-
cuts lessthan the full width of the profile groove,lower the bit. tainsa consistentdepth.
ftlitlt rf
Ghrc your router a break as you raise a panel
Here'show readerRobertReed of RoamingShores, tablesawwith the slidingbevel,and run each side and
Ohio,minimizesthe amountof wood removedby his end of the panelthroughas shown.Now you have much
panel-raisingbit. Take a piece of scrapwood,and trace less wood to rout.
the profileof your panel'raisingbit on it. Use a sliding Note that you'll set the rip fence away from the tilt of the
bevel gauge to find an angle that cuts away most of the blade.You can add a tall fence to the rip fence to support
waste,withouttouchingthe desiredprofile.Set up your the workpiecewhileyou machineit on edge.
No-rattle panels
Solid-woodpanelsmust have roomto move,
as they absob moisturein humidweather,
and loseit in dry times.But if you simply
leavea gap, you wind up with a door that rat-
tles and soundspoorlymade.You can use
variouskindsof plasticfoam to fill that gap,
but we like "SpaceBalls."Thesefirm
rubberspheres,about t/+"in diameter,do the
job quicklyand neatly.Woodcraftsellsa
packageof 100for $4.99;call8OOl225-1153
to order item number142284.Use two
SpaceBallson each side and each end of a
smalldoor,or threepersideon a biggerone.
They'llcompresswhenthe panelexpands,
and returnto full sizeas the panelshrinks,
holdingit tightlyin its groovesallthe while.
Pushthe SpaceBalls into the groovesas far as you can with your finger.
The panelwlll seatthem during assembly.
www.wood.magazine. corn 47
kid-friendry
Build them as bunks or twins.
F
#+-:
Y
{
{,
a"
48
Don't miss the matching
dresser and desk.
&*$le
F
hildrenwill enjoy sweetslumber Note: This bed design accommodatesa For the items needed to build this
for years to come with this ver- 39x75" twin mattress. You'll need to project, see the Cutting Diagram and
satile design. In this article, adjust bed dimensionsaccordinglyfor a Materials List on page 55.
you'll learn how to make a singlebed- dffirent-size mattress.If you make
to build bunk beds, just make two of other modifications,be sure to see the Il uc ASSEMBLTES
'l,/ta"
thesebeds, stack them one atop another article about designingsafe bunk beds 2a/a"inilially,ltim off edges after
with bed-joiningdowels,andaddthe lad- on page24. laminatinglor Zt/q"finishedwidth
der and guardrails as described.If the Trimto finished *t \
kids grow out of bunk bedsat somepoint, l-
simply slip out the unglueddowels and,
voild, you havea pair of twin beds.
4" notch
1glro"deep
Staril rlrlith the legs initially,
tA"-thick stock, cut six head-
I From 4" notch
1t/2"deep
I boardleg parts(A) to 23/sx42"andsix aftertrimming
1sl0"deep
footboard leg parts (B) to 2t/ex33".The initially,
legs are initially oversizedVa"rn width 1t/2"deep
aftertrimming
and2" in length.The edgesarejointed or
ripped and the endsare trimmed after the FOOTBOARD HEADBOARD
legs are laminated, where shown on LEG LEG.
Drawing1.
(A) 33"
)Cutthe notchesin two leg parts ( 3 1 "f i n i s h e d
Eand two leg parts (B), where length)
dimensioned,using a bandsaw or a 42', I 1e/ta"
No-mortise
t/e"chamfers, bedrail
'-.,-
both ends #8 x 11/+"
F.H. fitting
wood screw
81/2"
-!t-
21/+"-
I I
I
R= 551/2"
Nert up: the headboard Round-over
20" BOTTOM RAIL
stops2"
and footboard
RATLS
ANDFoorBoARD fromeachend.
I Cut the top rails (C) and bottom rails @ nenoeoARD
I (D) for the headboardand footboard
to the size listed in the Materials List. Dl-uy out the arch on the top rails, shown on Drawings 2 and 4. For an
Then, cutaVz" groove Vz"deep,centered Awhere shown on Drawing 4. To do easy way to do this, first refer to the
in the rails, to receivethe footboardpanel this, first clamp two 3/qxlx2" stopblocks Shop Tip, below, to make a round-over
assemblies(E/G) and headboardpanel to a rail. one at eachend of the intended stopblockjig. Then, with the applicable
assemblies (F/H), where shown on arch, with the stopblocks'bottoms posi- stopblock positioned on an end of a
Drawing 2. To easeinsertionof the rails tioned 4" from the bottom of the rail and rail, as shown, easethe /+" round-over
into the legs and provide room for glue their inside edgespositioned2" from the bit into an edge at the center of a rail
squeeze-out,rout %" chamfers on the ends. Rip a %"-thick wood fairing strip and rout to the stopblock.Repeaton the
endsof the rails.whereshown. 42" long. Placethe strip againstthe stop- opposite edge. Reposition the stop-
blocks. and flex it so its bottom is flush block at the other end of the rail and
with the top edgeof the rail at its center. repeat the process to complete the
Mark the arch. Then, using a compass, round-overs.
mark the3Vz"radiusat the top of the rail, f From /2" o*.plywood, cut the foot-
where dimensioned. lJboard panels (E) and the headboard
Q Bandsaw the top of the rail to panels(F) to size.From Vq"-thickoak,rip
tl shape. Use a fence for the 2" four %xllVz" blanks for the footboard
straight cuts into the ends of the rail to edging (G) and four s/sx20%"blanks for
ensurethe tenonsmake a good fit in the the headboardedging (H). Glue the edg-
legs. Sandthe cut edgessmooth.Then, ing to the panelswith a t/to" overhangon
use this rail as a template to mark the each face. After the glue dries, trim the
contour on the other top rail. Now, cut edging flush to the panels.(For an easy
and sandit to shape. way to do this, make the flush-trimming
,/l Using the same processas for the fence,shownon page 10.)
tf r]f Cut four spacers(I) and eight spacers
top rails, lay out the arch on the
bottom rails, where shown. Cut and I tll to size. Mark the center of the
Position the hole-drilling jig with the
sandto shape. spacers(I) acrossthe grain on one of their
handle opposite the mortised side of the
leg. Use the holes in the handle as f Rout the /c" stopped round-overs faces.Also, mark a centerlineacrossthe
guides for drilling. tf on the top and bottom rails, where grain on one face of eachrail. Now, glue
;(l
51
(lFrom scrap, make two Ilaslrion the post caps
|lJ 37"-long spacers.Referring From Vq"-thrckoak, cut the postcap
I
to Drawing 2, dry-assemble I bases(L) to size.To form the caps
(no glue) the headboardmem- (M), first laminate three t/q"-thrck
bers (A, ClI, DlI, F/H, J) with piecesto form a2%x2%x18" blankthe
the spacers, as shown in same way you made the legs. Then,
Photo C. After verifying the form the capsfrom the blank as shown
fit of the assembly,glue and in the sidebar,"How to cut post capsin
clamp the members together, four quick steps," below left. Make a
checking for square. few extra cap blanks in case any get
Following the same process, damagedduring machining.
assemblethe footboard mem- !) Sand the edgesof the caps and the
Assemble the headboard and footboard with
37"-long spacers to ensure exact leg positioning bers (B, Cll,Dll, E/G, J). Et transitions from the V4" to t/2"
for bed alignment. (lCut the cleats(K) to size. round-overssmooth. Then, glue and
r/Drill countersunkshank clamp a base(L), centered,on the bot-
a spacerinto the grcove in eachtop and holes in each cleat, where shown. tom of eachcap,
bottom rail with the centerlines aligned, Position a cleat on the inside face of the jig
QClamp a cap in the hole-drilling
and clamp. footboard and headboard bottom rails, tfwith the base against the jig handle.
Note: For bunk bed"s,make four addi- 3" from the top and centered end to Drill t/+"and %" holes %" deepin the cap
tional spacers (I) and eight additional end, where shown. Using the holes in to receive an alignment pin (N) and acap
spacers(J), and set asidefor assembling the cleats as guides, drill pilot holes in dowel (O), where shown on Drawing 2a.
the guardrails later- the rails; then screw the cleats in place. Repeatfor all caps.
illFrom oak dowels,cut the Vq"-diame-
tfter
alignmentpins and Vz"-diameter
cap dowels to the lengthslisted. Glue a
How to cut post caps in 4 quick steps pin in eachcap, using a vise or clamp to
squeezethe pin into the hole. Then, glue
a cap dowel in eachcap.
143/a'
r/- Hfu
It**In ( 1 3 s / af"i n i s h e d s i z e )
--- "<-1ffi"
:ffi
T <-*1
/t
//
2tla"notches
1sl0"deep
#8 x 7s"F.H. # 8 x 1 1 / z " F . H . initially,11/2"deeq
wood screw wood screw aftertrimming
,
trim
2Te"initially,
Smallend of LEG
slot down E cunnDRAtL 1Aa"otl edges after
laminatingfor 2t/a"
finishedwidth
FtrlNGS
E eeonAL Trim 3/q"off bottomend after laminating.
wrrwv.woodonline.com 53
llCut the long rails (V) and the short
'trails
guides, drill pilot holes in the stepsto screw the catch to the spacer.Rout /a"
(W) to size. Cut a Vz" groove the depth shown. Now, glue and screw round-overson the edgesof the spacer
Vz"deep,centeredin the rails, to receive the stepsin place. and catch,where shown.
the long and short panels(X, Y), where f From a scrappiece that matchesthe
shown. Now. rout %" chamferson the tJcolor and srain of the side mem- Finishing and
endsof the rails, where shown.Using a bers, cut sixteeln3/s"-diameterplugs r/+" final assernlely
stopblock with a 2Vz"-longnotch, rout long using a plug cutter.Glue the plugs I Remove the mattress platform and
the V4" stopped round-overs on the into the counterbores in the sides, I bedrails. Finish-sand all parts, and
edgesof the rails, where shown. aligning the grain of the plugs with the removethe dust.
t/2" oak plywood, cut the long
fFrom laddersides;then sandflush. D Appty a stain. (We used ZAR
tJpanels (X) andthe shortpanels(Y) to fiCut the spacer (CC) and catch El Provincial stain.) Then, apply two
size. From Vq"-thick oak, rip eight ll| (DD) to size. Referring to coatsof a clear finish, sandingbetween
s/tx6Vc"blanks for the edging (Z). Glue Drawings8 and 8a, position the spacer coats to 320-grit. (We brushed on
the edging to the endsof the panelswith on the back of the side members with polyurethane.) With the finish dry,
a t/rc"overhangon eachface; then flush- the top edges flush. Drill pilot and reassemblethe bed, and add a mattress.
trim the edging. countersunk shank holes through the
(I,
ftUsing the spacers J) that you set spacer and into the sides, where Setting up burrlr beds
lf asideearlier, glue and assemblethe shown.Then, glue and screwthe spac- I Assemble the lower bed using
rails, panels, and legs to complete the er in place.Now, position the catch on I both headboard assemblies.and
long and short guardrails. Assemble the spacer with the top edges flush. assemble the upper bed using both
these as you did the headboard and Drill holes,where shown,and glue and footboardassemblies.
footboard,using a 68V+"-long spacerfor
the long guardrail and a 53V+"-long E uoorn Round-overstopped
7+"from ends
spacerfor the short guardrail to set the Tse"shank hole, #8 x 114'F.H.
countersunkon wood screw
leg spacings. |.'--15
back face
LF,u"
To reach the upper
brrnk, rnaLe a ladder
I Cut the ladder sides (AA) to size;
I
No round-over
J
5"
L bases 15/s' 0 4
3/qx 71/+x 96" Oak M caps 1 " 21/q' 21/q' L0 4
.Plane or resawto the thicknesslistedin the Materia
pins
N alignment t/a"diam. 1s/a' 0D 4
@le 0 capdowels t/z"diam. 23/q' 0D 4
P bedrails vi 6" IJ 02
1/zx !8 x 48" Oak plywood l/a x 31/zx 48" Oak Q cleats 3/qu 3u 70' 02
platform3/t'
R mattress 381/z' 743/a' 0P 1
1/qx 36" Oak dowel
3/qx 31/zx 96" Oak Bunkbedpads
-Partsinitially
cutoversize.Seetheinstructions,
brrmle lred cu*firrg diagramr make (l)and24
tForbunkbeds, a totalof 12spacers
spacers(J).Thisisenough forbothbedsandincludes
3/q X 51/z X fourspacers(l)andeightspacers (J)fortheguardrails.
MaterialsKey.O-oak, OP-oak plywood,
LO-laminated oak,OD-oak dowel.
3 / q x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " O a k
$upplies:#Bx%", #Bx3/q",
#8x11/r",
and#8x1t/2" flathead
wood screws; glue;
white % hardboard.
Slades andBrts:Dado blade,chamfer
bit,flush-
trimbit,t/" round-over
bit,%"round-over
bit,
% plugcutter.
3/qx 71/qx 96" Oak
Suying $uide
1/zx 48 x 48" Oak plywood 3 / + x 5 1 / zx 9 6 " O a k Na-mortise Setoffour(2setsneeded
fittings"
bedrail
forbunkbeds),
no.142496,$9.99(perset)plusship-
ping.
OrderfromWoodcraft, orgoto
call800/225-1153
l/q x 31/zx 24" Qak 1/zx 36" Oak dowel www.woodcraft.com.
www.woodonline.corn 55
7 4 : 'p i l o t h o l e
1" d e e p
?l:."i3Y'
Forthe itemsneededto build - l-1 slor DETATL
l[ oesrroPFASTENER
thisproject,seethe Cutting
Diagramand MaterialsListon
+tl
-] -
page 63. -
21/4r- +)
Trim to finishedlengthafter
laminating and trimmingbottom.
Start rrlith the legs Ta" holes 21/c'
t/2", 5" notch1sl0"deepinitially,
I From/+"-thickstock,planedto 1t/q"deepaftertrimming
I cut eisht l1Ax50s/s" blanks for the 5"
outside l*s (A). From /+"-thick stock, J
cut four blanks of the same size for the
inside legs (B). All of the blanks are 1/2"groove
t/2"deep,centered
oversized t/s" in width and 2" in length.
The edges are jointed or ripped and the
ends are trimmed after the legs are lami-
nated, where shown on Drawing 1. 1'/ta"-
j)Cut the two notches in the inside
Alegs, where dimensioned, using a
bandsaw or a tablesaw fitted with a 7+" E sroePANEL
dado blade. The notches form mortises
in the finished laminated legs.
2fo assemblethe legs, first refer to the
tJShop Tip in the Bunk Beds project,
5gs7s"(49/8"
page 50, for an easy way to keep the leg
finished length)
pieces aligned during lamination. Then,
apply glue and assemblethe legs (A, B)
in the configuration shown on Drawing 1,
keeping the ends and edges flush. (We
used white glue, which has a longer 5" notch
1slro"
deepinitially,
working time, to assemble the legs.) 1t/a"deep
Clamp the four legs together, as shown aftertrimming
in Photo A in the Bunk Beds project,
page 50. Remove excess glue from the
edges and inside the moftises. 1 z l e "i n i t i a l l y ,
1f Jornt or rip /ro" from two sides of trim %0" off
edges after
Teach les. where shown. for a l7+"- 1/z"}roova laminating
square lami'nation. Then, trim the bottom t/z" deep, Rrl tor 13/q"
centered I finishedwidth.
of each leg 2" below the lower mortise. I
Now, trim the top of each leg to the fin-
ished length of 48s/s". Finally. rout /+"
round-overs on all edges except the top.
Trimbottomendafterlaminating.
Gornplete the side-panel 191/q'
l/'
parts, and assernJtle
I Cut thetop rails(C) andthebottom of the top rails (C) for the desktopfasten-
I rails (D) to the size listedin the t/a"chamfers ers, where dimensionedon Drawings1
Materials List. Then, cut a t/2" groove t/2" and 1a. Chisel out the cornersto allow
deep, centered in the rails. to receive the /+" round-overs
the top (R) to move.Then, at the center-
panel assemblies(E/F), where shown on points of the -7+"holes, drill the pilot
Drawing 1. To ease insertion of the rails l3/+" from the ends. Rip a t/s"-thick wood holesfor the mountingscrews.
into the legs and provide room for glue fairing strip 20" long. Place the fairing t/:" oak plywood, cut the pan-
tflllFrom(E)
squeeze-out, rout %" chamfers on the strip against the stopblocks, and flex it so efs to the size listed.From t/q"-
ends of the rails, where shown. that the center is lt/+" from the rail's bot- thick oak, rip four s/sx37sA"blanks for
Dl-oy out the arch on the bottom rails, tom. Mark the arch; then bandsaw and the edging (F). Glue the edging to the
A where shown. To do this, first clamp sand smooth. Using this rail as a tem- panelswith a t/ro"overhangon eachface.
two 3/+xlx2" stopblocks to a rail, one at plate, mark the arch on the other bottom After the glue dries,trim the edgingflush
each end of the intended arch, with the rail. Now, cut and sand it to shape. to the panels.(For an easyway to do this,
stopblocks' bottoms flush with the rail's QUsing a 3/r" Forstner bit, drill two make the flush-trimming fence, shown
bottom and their inside edges positioned tJholes /s" deep in the top edge of each onpage I0 .)
urwur.woodonline. com 59
t/a"round-overs
|--l-re,'
/4" round-over
t/e"round-over 7sz"shankhole,countersunk
on bottomface
Desktoofastener
t,/q"leg reveal
/+" grooves
Te"deep
7ge"shankhole, 1/q"fromback edge
countersunkon
bottomface
'1
#8 x 1/q"F.H.
wooo screw
18" full-extension
slide
p exeloDED
vrEW 485/a
1/q" groove
Te" deep
1/q"Itom
II
% a "p i l o t h o l b
back edge
1t/q" deep 19,/o"
r
|
)
I
8"
)
I (
\
+dge x11/2"machinescrew
#8 x 1" P.H.screw
18" full-extension
slide
rA" rabbel/+" deep
7gz"shank hole with mating 7/ac"pilol hole t/2" deep
7ge"holes
El onnwER
JorNT @ onnwERJorNT
1tl+"-diam.
knob DADODETAIL RABBET
DETAIL
Auxiliary
fence
Using the setup shown on Drawing 3b, spacer to your
ffi
cut a Vq"rabbet /+" deepalong the ends measured
of the fronts and backs (O) on their out- lengthplus %0". Inside
side faces.Finally, cut a V+" groove /+" Also. make two face
deepand V+"from the bottom edgeof the lx2" spacers t,
sidesand the fronts and backsto receive %0" thick from O--:v;"'*=--;
the bottoms (P). Cut the bottoms to size. cardstock or
Now, glue, assemble, and clamp the
drawers,and check for square.
plasticlaminate,
and set one
ffil5#:""'."
)'o"ooffi.
insert blade
QPosition the fulI-extension slides on spacer aside.
tfthe drawer sides, where shown in Position a slide in the carcase,where Edge-join enough 3/+"-thick stock
Photo D, and attach with the supplied shown in Photo E. and drive in the for the drawer faces (Q). Then, cut
screws.Then, disconnectthe larger cabi- screws.(Note that the phdto showsinstal- the parts to size. Apply double-faced
net-memberpart of the slides from the lation of a slide near the.bottomwith the tape to the drawer fronts (O). Center
drawer member. wood spacer trimmed accordingly.) each face in a carcase opening, and
,llllnstall the cabinet-memberpart of Repeatto install a slide on the opposite
Ethe slides in the carcase, working side. Then, repeatthe process,trimming
from top to bottom. To do this, first mea- the spacer as necessaryto install the
sure from the top surfaceof the carcase remaining slides except for the bottom
bottom (I) to the top of the upper divider pair. For these,set them on the two r/re"-
(M). From 3/q"-thickscrap,cut a 2"-wide thick spacers.Now, install the drawers.
To1l it off
3/4"-
I Edge-join enough
I thick stock for the top
(R), and cut to size.Rout a
/+" round-over on the top
edgesand a %" round-over
on the bottom edges,where
shownon Drawing2.
(S)
)Cut the crest to size.
A Mark the arch on the
crest, where shown. (Use
the techniquethat you used
to mark the arch in the bottom rails, l)Finally, apply two coats of a clear
except you'll need a 4O"-longfairing Cr finish on all stainedareas,sanding
strip.) Using a compass,mark the curve between coats. (We brushed on t/qx48x48" plywood
in the centerof the crest,where dimen- polyurethane.)Then, install the drawer
Written by Owen Duvall
sioned.Bandsawthe top of the crest to knobs with 1t/2"machinescrews.I Prolectdesign: Kevin Boyle
shape,and sand to remove saw marks. Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
lllustrations:
Now, rovt Vq"round-oversalong the top Photographs:Marty Baldwin
edgesandends,whereshown. rraaterials tist
Q Positionthe crest on the top, where
tJshown. Drill pilot and countersunk
shank holes through the top into the legs
A-outside 1/2' 13/q' 48Ve' 0 R- top Tq' 22Vq'38' E0
crest,and drive in the screws. legs
B"inside Vqu 13/q' 485/a' 0 S crest Vt' 3u 36' 0
Note: Wefound it easiestto stain the top 3/q' -Parlsinitially
cutoversize.Seetheinstructions.
C toprails 5u 191/a' 0
assembly(MS) beforeinstallingit. D bottomrails Vq' 5" 191/q' 0 MaterialsKey Goak,OP-oak plywood,
Screw the large end of the desktop E panels 1/zu 101/t' 37s/s' 0P EO-edge-joined oak,
'f/ 2
fastenersto the top rails (C) with F-edging 1/q, 1/z' 375/e' 0 $upplies: #8x7e",#8x1", #8x1t/2",
#8x1t/n", and#8x2"
#8x1" flatheadwood screws.Centerthe flatheadwoodscrews; #8x1"panhead screws;white
G-spacers 1/2, 1/2, 41/q' 0 glue;easy-release painters'
tape.
top assembly(R/S) on the dresser,and
drive the #8x%" flathead wood screws Blades andBits:Dado chamfer
blade, bit,%"Forstner
bit,flush-trim bit,t/a"round-over
bit,t/+"round-over bit'
through the small end of the fasteners H sides Vq' 191/q' 451/a' 0P 2
into the bottom sideof the top. From the Brrying Grricle
I topandbottom Vru 191/q"31' 0P 2
Desktop
Hardurare. no.KV1547
fasteners, (4);
bottom of the carcasetop (I), drill a pilot t/+u 3/t'
J- sideedging 45YB' O solidbrassknobs
1tlc"-diam. withsatinchromefinish,
and countersunkshank hole, where no.A01950 G10(10)with #8'32x1t/z"
machine screws;
K-topandbottom
shown, and drive the #8x1Vc" flathead e0glng 1/+' 3/cu 31', 0 no.KV8400
slides,
18"full-extension BIB(5pr.)with
wood screwthroughthe carcasetop and 1 screws.Orderkitno,K|T1002,
$76.95 ppd.,from
L back Vqu 313/q'44Ve' OP
into the top assembly. Woodworke/s Hardware. Call800/383-0130orgoto
M dividers 3/+u 11/z' 31' 0 www.wwhardware.com.
Final torrches
I Finish-sand any partsnot previously N-sides 1/2u 8u 19" E 0 10
I sandedto 220 grit. Removeall dust. O-frontsandbacks l/zn B" 29t/z' E0 10
Then, apply stain to theseparts and to P bottoms 1/qu 171/2,291/2',0P 5
the unfinished surfaces of the side- 3/qu 8' 307/s' E0 5
Q-faces
panelassemblies.
wunn woodonline.com 63
TT,?ffH:::gWF*
ffi
We packed all these tools and bits-135 pieces total-into
an instant-accessstorageunit that takes up just 2x2' of
walt space.Think of how it will help orltardze your shop!
I
fuE'ec-
\ I Proiects Editor
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itt .,,/-*****
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Spin the entire carouselto access ... and rotate each wing to access both
each of its six tool-holdingwings ... of its sides and the center column.
64 WOOD magazine October 200,
E cnnousEL
BorroM
flroe AND
181/2" '"'i'""'\
Tsz"shank hole, # 8 x 1 1 / z 'F . H .
I
wood screw
a- 63/41+ 7gz"shankhole.countersunk
4s/a"_j on,topof @ and bottomof@
f
8r" , {
Ii\t"
i/
,( @,@ r
16"
z/ea"
pilot hole
1" deep
I
II l' 7/ac"
pilot hole, centered
N l Locatibnof parts@
_l I 147/a"
7ge"shank hole in
parts@and@, For the items needed
redrill 17%q"
hole to buildthis project,
in parl@ see the MaterialsList
and CuttingDiagram
on pages 66 and 67. t/q"hole
Ta"deep
his handy shop helper is the brainchild of readerJim centered
on part @
Maw of Kleinburg, Ontario. His ingenious design
earnedthe prize for "Best StorageSolutionor Organizer
for Power Tool Accessories" in our Great American #8x11/2"F.H.
Workshops Contest. (See issue 140, pages 72J7 for all the wood screw t/+" dowgl
winners and prizes.)We liked Jim's organizerso much that we z/a" long
obtainedthe designrights from him, then built one ourselvesso tA" llal washer
that we can presentthe planshere.
rvrvrv.woodonline. com 65
#8x3/+"F.H.woodscrew--\
f
7sz"shankhole,countersunk
Attach an auxiliary
extension to your 1" dowel
miter gauge,clamp 17s/+"long
on a stopblock, and
cut the notches in
the back (F), making
several passes.
E explooeo
t/
1 "h o l e
Add rotating panels
I From V+"temperedhardboard,cut the six panels(D) to
I the sizelisted. z/o+"pilot hole 1 "h o l e
)Cut the panel cleats(E) to the size listed.Mark, bandsaw t/2" deee
Eand sand the t/2" radli on their ends, where shown on
Drawing2. For the six uppercleats,dnll1kq"holes,centeredon
the length and the Vz" thickness,where shown. For the six 7/6a"
lower cleats,drill centeredVq"holest/s" deep.Cut six t/q"dow- pilothole
els1,/s"
long and glue them in the holesin the lower cleats. 11/q" t/+"lag scr€
and clamp the cleats(E) panels (D), deep 3t/2"long
QGlue to the where
9shown. Setthe panelsaside.
QCut the lower arm (H) and upperarm (I) to size.Using a 1" hole t/2" deep
lJForstner bit, drill the 1" hole Vz"deepin the lower arm, and
the 1" hole in the upperarm,whereshownon Drawing3. The #8x11/z"F.H.
holesare centeredon the widths of partsH and L wood screw
and clamp the brackets(G) to the back (F). Drill pilot
'l/lGtue
and countersunkshank holes, and drive in the screws. / 1 1/2"
quick
slick
':i
*,+si,:lMi.SC
Note:ForinJbrmation
on;;ffi
edging, and drilling acrylic sheet,
see the article on page 70.
hese great-lookingphoto frames sionsof your photo plus 2" in lengthand bracket full-size pattern on the WOOD
are so easy to make, you'll be width. Allow 1" betweenmultiplephotos PATTERNSainsert. Adhere the patterns
turning them out for everyoneon in the same frame. Then, make the cap side-by-side to the blank with spray
your gift list. We've designedframesto and base(A) 1t/2"longer than the width adhesive.Align all four bottom edges.
fit single 5x7" photos, shown below rn of the panes.All the other dimensions With your drill press,drill the r3lo+"
holes,
cherry, and the increasingly popular remainas shownon the MaterialsList. whereshownon the patterns.
4xlltA" panoramicphotos,shownabove fFirst testingyour cuts in a piece of
in bird's-eyemaple and wenge;but it's Make a cap and a base tJscrap the samethicknessasthebrack-
easyto custom-builda frameof any size. I Cut the caplbase'(A) to the size et blank, cut a 3/to"groove 3/+"deepcen-
Cut the acrylic panes(C) to the dimen- I shownon the MaterialsList. Install a tered in the blank, as shown in Photo A.
chamfering bit in your table-mounted The two acrylic paneswith their protec-
router,and adjustit to cut a /s" chamfer. tive covering in place should make a
Set the fence flush with the bit's pilot snug fit in the groove.(The photograph
bearing.Using your miter gauge fitted will compensatefor the thicknessof the
with an auxiliary extensionto back the coveringwhen it is removed.)
cuts,rout the endchamfers.Thenremove QBandsaw the brackets(D) from the
the miter gaugeand chamferthe edges. lJblank, cutting close to the pattern
lines;then,sandto the lines.Removethe
&f stock to 3/e"thick for a blank for the patterns,and finish-sandto 220 gnt.
feet (B). Cut the feet to size. Glue and
clamp them to the base,where shown. tr
Sandthe edgesof the baseand feet flush.
Finish-sandthe cap and baseto 220 git.
QAcrylic sheetcomeswith a protective
9covering. Leavingit in place,cut two
piecesof 3/tz"-thick(.093") clear acrylic
Vta"larger in length and width than the
sizelistedfor the panes(C). Joint Vtz"off
all four edgesof both pieces.Use a sand-
ing block and 320-grit sandpaperto
To cut the centered groove, make two
removethe sharpedges. passes over your regular blade, turning
illCut a t/+xIx|}t/2" blank for the
'tbrackets the opposite face of the blank to the
(D). Make four copiesof the fence on the second pass.
13le+"
hole clearacrylic
@
3/szx7x9"
clearacrylic
trAF{{}fiA,fvitL-
E;xe*tooeo tsfJ*-i*
s/e'F_E
. ll
t_-Li
1%"
#}-gzthreaded ,od
1"long
7e"chamfer 17.' l-r..-
#8-32capnut
Nour finish
and asserrrltle %o"groove ,/-l
lff;-rs,r: parts where necessary,
apply a clear finish. An aerosol
spray satin lacquer makes a good choice
7a"deep,centered.t_.619l
D*brackets
s/qx3y2x 36" Bird's-eye
maple(Panoramic
frame)
cap/base {tu
fllastic may not possessthe char- Tablesaw: An 80-tooth, triple-chip blade, wear a dust mask, and provide
p acter and beauty of wood, but blade does an excellent job of cutting good ventilation, becausethe dust irri-
- you'll never find a species of acrylic and polycarboriateon your table- tates the lungs. The coarse blades also
wood that's 100 percent waterproof; saw,as shown in Photo A. When you cut cut acrylic and polycarbonate,but leave
splinter-resistant;stable;a,nd,depending phenolic laminate, however, avoid fine a rougher edge and can chip the surface.
on the type of plastic, ftansparent.When particles by using a 40-tooth or coarser If you have to use a coarse blade on
you need some or all of those character-
istics for a jig or project, let this material
seeyou through.
Here we'll focus on threetypesof plas-
tic-acrylic, polycarbonate,and pheno-
lic laminate-and how to machine.
bond, and finish them. Acrylic is crystal-
clear and rigid; polycarbonatelooks like
acrylic, but offers much greater resis-
tanceto impact; and phenolic laminateis
opaque,has more strengththan the other
two, and won't melt as you machine it.
When you need plastic, choosethe best
type with the help of the chart at right.
Then adjust your cutting and shaping
operationsaccordingly.
70
Any tablesaw blade will slice through plastic. However,a blade with many fine teeth,
such as this 80-tooth,triple-chip model, gives you a much smoother result.
those plastics, cut the workpiece over- Driil clean holes Plastic can shatter
size and trim it on the jointer. Or, use a Slightly modify any twist bits that you or climb the bit
straightrouter bit and router table; setthe want to use with plastic by carefully when you use a
fencefor a t/r0"cut. reshapingthe cutting edgesat the tip of standard twist bit.
Bandsaw: Use a skip-toothblade,and the bit. Work both sidesof the bit equal- Grind your bit to
turn it into a rotary
match the coarsenessto the thicknessof ly on the sideof a fine grinding wheel, as scraper, and you
the plastic.A bladewith 10-14 teethper shown in Photo G, to form a vertical can put clean holes
inch (tpi) works great with %" stock, scraping surface,as shown in Photo D. right near the edge
while Vq"mateial calls for only 6-8 tpi. Now the bit will bore without chipping of a piece.
If the plastic melts as you cut, you need the edgesof the hole.
a sharperblade or one with fewer teeth. Lubricate the bit with a light oil, such When joining an edge to a face, make
Scrollsaw: Melting can be a problem as WD-40, and run your drill at a low the edge smooth and sraight. As shown
here,becauseyou're always cutting with speed.To drill a Vc" hole. for example, in the photo opposite,rest one piece on
the same portion of the blade, and the usea speedof about 1,800rpm;for aVz" the other, with a backer board behind
friction heatsit rapidly. Scrollsawexpert hole, set the speed at 900 rpm. These each,and clamp in place. Keep the verti-
Rick Hutchesonrecommendsa speedof stepspreventheat build-up that can melt cal backer board separatedfrom the joint
1,000strokesper minute or slower, a #5 the plastic. line so it doesn't contactthe solvent.
double-skip-tooth blade, and two or Use a solvent applicator,like the long-
three layers of masking tape or clear Bond with solvent needled model shown, or a syringe to
packing tape to absorbheat. Check at hardwarestores,home centers, place a small amountof solventall along
Router: You can shape plastic parts or specialized plastics outlets (look thejoint. It will flow betweenthe pieces,
quickly with templates and a handheld under"Plastics" in the Yellow Pages)for dissolvingplasticas it goes.
router, as shown in Photo B, where methelyne-chloridesolvent, labled as a You can handle the assembly after it
we're using an old router table insert cement for acrylics. It bonds acrylic to hashardenedfor severalminutes,but the
plate to shapea new one. Use bushings itself or polycarbonateto itself by dis- bond continuesto get strongerfor about
and straight bits or bits equipped with solving a thin layer of plastic on the a week. We left a small tongue protrud-
pilot bearings. Carbide bits spinning at adjoining surfaces. The plastic flows ing, as you can see in the photo, then
high speedsgive the smoothestresults. togetherand hardensto make a joint. shavedit off later with a bearing-piloted
flush-trim bit in a router table.
wrvw.woodonline.corn 71
. t
ust likeclamps,you never Note: Our unit measures 99" long and 2x4frarnes. Check eachfor square.Sand
restson four castersfor mobility.Size or rout slight round-overs to break the
seemto haveenoughstor- the unit to suit your needsand omit the sharp edges along the top edges of the
castersif mobilityis not a requirement. Vz" plywood shelves.
age.Andthiseasilybuilt
if Glue and screw the fouruprights @)
'fto
projectwillserueyourneedsin I Cut the2x4, plywood,andperfor4t- what will be the boftom shelf
t ed hardboardpartsA,B,C,D,E,Fto assembly (A, B, C). Use a framing
spades.Useit for lumberstoragein the sizeslistedin the MaterialsList. square to ensure squarenessand plumb
theshopor as a catchallin the DO" a flat surfacedrill countersunk of the uprights to the shelf assembly.
flmounting holes,andscrelvthe shelf f Screw the bottom four vertical sup-
garageor basement.
Plus,using supports(A, B) togetherto form four rJports (E) to the inside faces of the
rectangular2x4 frames.Note that the uprights (D).
1/2"plywoodand 2x4sfor its bottom frame uses four Bs and the QPosition the next shelf assembly on
otherframesusejust two. lJtop of the shelf supports,as shown in
you'llfindthis
construction, QGlue and screw the four Photo A.
tJplywood shelves(C) to the lf Repeat Steps5 and 6 to secureall
projectveryaffordable.
I the supportsand shelf assemblies
'"r-L='-
1 / i I Note: Attach@to end supports@
with#12 x 1" panheadscrews.
"'r?---
tI 207/a"
OptionaltZ" perforated
185/e" hardboardfor hangingtools
.,,,1
"r-Lto
3v,>-
1
185/a"
,/r',,1= I
3'/r>,-
I
I
185/a"
a
I
'u.Lz
"rr(<
1 t/z'
I exeloDED
vrEW
1 / e z "p i l o t h o l e
# Bx 3 " F . H . 4" heavy-
wood screw duty swivel
lock caster
# B x 2 1 / 2 "F . H .
wood screw
nnwvnwoodonline.com 73
Honrmuch machine can
you buy for $500to $900?
Quiteabit, according
to our tests.
tf
I
il
# READERS'TOP 5
We surveyedwoodworkersat
www.woodonline.com to find out
what mattersmost in a bandsaw.
Theytold us:
l. Power
2. Resawing capacity
3. Blade-guide system
4. Blade-changing ease
S.Table adjustntents
We'll take a close look at each area
in thisarticle. s",f;
- dirh
w'
he bandsawsin this test meet the
requirements of most home
woodworkers: Their throat (rip-
ping) capacitiesrange from I3V4" to
l6Vz"; all have enoughpower to handle
most resawingtasks;and all but one of
the models can be wired to a I l0- or
220-voltpower supply.
Our first testing step was to assemble
andalign the tools,accordingto the tune-
up proceduredescribedon page 80, and
make note of any problems out of the
box. Using new 3-teeth-per-inch(tpi)
Lenox carbon-steelbladesin each saw,
tensionedidentically, we resawed 6"-
wide red oak,pushingeachsawhard,but
not to the point of stalling.We averaged
the resultsof threetests,as describedat
left and shown in the Plowing Power
chartbelow.
Next, we resawedthe widest piece of ":4q@Gai_
75
FOURTYPESOFGUIDES
PROVIDE
VARYINGBLADE
SUPPORT
Laguna
ceramrc
guides
Round Jet
Euro-style
guides
Va"l3/e"
3/q"
1/2" Laguna'sceramic blade guides (lett photo) havetwo contact points that provide more effec-
tive support than solid blocks, but have less surfacearea so they run cooler. Disc-shaped
BladeWidth
Euro-styleguides (right photo) keep the blade on the straight and narrow on the Jet JWBS-16.
it from bendingback while you cut. (See guide-to provide excellent support relaxesblade tension instantly. It's not
photo,below.)Both must be setprecisely acrossall blade widths. The Jet JWBS- enoughto removethe blade,but it elimi-
for optimal performance, and micro- 16's Euro-style guides, shown above nates much of the cranking required by
adjustmentknobs simplify the process. right, are next best, excepton Vs"blades the othersaws.
We gave high marks to those saws that where squareguidesmake bettercontact. We preferto useas few tools as possi-
havesuchadjusters.If the lower adjusters Graphite-impregnated guide blocks actu- ble when swappingblades,and the Jet
underthe tablearelocatedin a tight spot, ally touch the blade when properly set, JWBS-14CSand Ridgid sawsrank high
we downgradedthe rating slightly. but self-lubricateto keep the blade cool here,requiringonly a Phillips screwdriv-
As for the guideblocksthemselves,the and preventwear. er. Someneedhexheadwrenchesand/or
drawing and photo above, show how Blade-changing ease. Here, open-endwrenchesto move, or remove,
Laguna's ceramic guide blocks contact we ratedall aspectsof bladechang- guidesor guards.
the blade at eight points-four on the ing: releasing the tension, and - Table adjustments. All of the
upper guide and four on the lower removing, reinstalling,and retensioning \ tables on the tested saws pivot
theblade.Noneof thesawsin ly smoothly on a pair of sturdy trun-
our testhaveknuckle-busting nions.All of them alsotilt 45" to the right
tensioningknobs:all clearthe and at least10oto the left (a must-havefor
top wheelhousingeasily.The bandsawndovetails).However, only two
ShopFox W1673 hasa nifty saws-the Gizzly andLaguna-let you tilt
lever, shownon page 79, that thetableleft withoutresettingthe0o stop.
RISERBLOCK
76
nreet the bandsavvsin our test
Highpoints Highpoints
.j Vifiually
tiedassecond fastest-cutting t Viftually
tiedassecond fastest-cutting
bandsaw in thetest. bandsaw inthetest.
t Lowerbladeguides arecloseto underside o Thelargetabletiltsleftwithoutresetting
oftableforoutstanding supportandreduced 0" stop.
bladedeflection, t a good-quality
Priceincludes ripfence
f Micro-adjustment knobs forlowerblade andmitergauge.
guidesaccess easilyfromthefrontof
thetable. Lowpoints
O Toremove theripfence, youmust
Lowpoints disassembleoneendofthefrontfencerail.
$ GuiOepostcandropwhenloosened unless offthepulleys
i: fne thindrivebeltslipped
supported. twiceduringourtesting,
O Thumbscrewto adjust is smalland
tracking O Rubber feethelped dampen vibration,
butset
to use.
uncomfortable themachine swaying duringheavy
cuts.
Morepoints
\ need
Sfi,f,8lt'rtyou wrench
ahexhead to + At408pounds, it'sheavy!You'll
needa
(shown with optional secure guideblocks,thesetscrews provide friend(ortwo)to helpyoumount
strong the
riser-blockkit)
anunobstructed viewof blade. (Seephoto sawto its base,
at left.) + 0pen-stand (Gl073)
version sellsfor$625.
r) InlateJune,Deltaintroduced the28-241, ') Thismachine hasthreebladespeeds, but
anupdated versionofthe28-293wetested. wefoundnoadvantage to thelowerspeeds.
According they've
to a Deltaofficial, boosted
thepower hpandfixedtheguide-
lo 11/z
postproblem. Thenewmodel willsellfor .!
about$700,andalsocomes in anopen-
standversion (model 28-231) costing
$625, New bandsavvs
due in October
iust as this issuewentto press,
With no thumb- officialsfrom Delta and Grizzlytold us
screws for the of new mid-pricedbandsawsthey're
blade guides,the ' bringingto the market.Delta
Delta 28-293pro- . announceda new lineof Asian-made
vides a clear view
to the cut line. saws modeledafterthe USA-made
...t saws,describedal left,that also
includea quick-release bladetension-
er and a 4" dust-collectionport.The
open-stand,s/q-hp28-276sellsfor
Highpoints -hp
around$400;the closed-stand,1
C. Notoolsrequired forfrequentadjustments;
28-2OGruns about$600.
changingblades requiresonlya Phillips oor,1u
Meanwhile,Grizzlyintroducedtwo
to remove
screwdriver rearbladeguard (@
new mid-pricedsaws,the 14" G0555
and the 17" G0513(shownat right). : *-
Lowpoints I
the1-hpmotorstruggled
to Bothofferball-bearing bladeguides,
$ Whenresawing,
maintain speed
constant we backed
unless extrudedaluminumfences,and miter
offthefeedpressure. gaugesas standardequipment.Like
Delta'snew models,they too sport
Morepoints quick-releasebladetensionersand
$ TheJWBS-I40Sisidentical,
except it hasa 4" dust ports.
lt sellsfor$530,
motorandopenstand.
7+-hp The riser-block-ready,1-hpG0555
will sellfor $375,and the 2-hp,dual-
voltage,G0513will go for $750.
(shown with optional (Pricesdo not includeshipping
riser-block kit)
whereapplicable.)
rvurw.woodonline.com 77
iI Highpoints Highpoints
m l_l f tts10"resawing isthelargest
capacity in t nt adjustmentknobsandscrews havea
Fl^ going
thetestwithout toa riser-block comfortable
soft-grip
coating.
t' e- equrppeomooer' t Up-frontscaleeasessetting
tableangle.
r
i1 *l ol*'.:1x;11;ru:i;.liiTffili''ascae anda goodvalue.
tested,
sawwe
t At$500,it'stheleast-expensive
j aJ Offers dustcollection,
excellent including
the
I
I the (0thers
test range Lowpoints
W il'illrlli:3'#:l O Wecouldn't pushthissawveryhardand
I L' Euro-style provide
bladeguides goodsupport getgoodresults.
lt tookseveral
cub before
, forblades
7+"orwider. wefoundtherightfeedpressureforthe
fastestresawing.
it
Lowpoints
O Upper bladeguides havemicro-adjustknobs, Morepoints
butlowerguides don't. ri lt comeswitha narrowsanding
beltand
$ Access to lowerblade-guide
assembly is platento turnyourbandsaw
intoa
rathertight, ',] stripsander.
O Wraparound bladeguardlimitsline-of-sight
to thebladeandcutline. (shown with optional
riser-block kit)
Morepoints
') Tension adjustment is easyto reach,
owing
to itslocation
belowthetopwheelhousing,
butwe needed twohandsto turnit because
ofthesizeoftheadjustment wheel.
ri Themodel wetested wasa pre-production CAPACITY
(rNcHES)
sample; Jetofficialsexpectthesawwillbe
availablelaterthisfall.
/=q
Highpoints
,ffi
/f/t,
/s
dtffi
f fne LT14cut50 percent fasterthanthenext
fastesttestedsaws. u
C fne largethroatplatehasleveling screws
<,
F
(similarto sometablesaws)
throatplateto thetabletop,
f labtetilts15' leftwithout
forflushing
having
the
to reset
9t FeY
-""-l
0' stop.
2,275
f Four-point ceramic bladeguides (seephoto 2,720
onpage76) olferexcellent support forall 3,625
blade widths.
Lowpoints
O Adjustingbladeguides requires
andbearings
threedifferent
sizesof hexhead
wrenches.
slowingbladechanges.
Morepoints
-) Themotorrequires 220-volt
electrical
service. NOTES:
* A high-qualityfencecomes withthissaw,
butremoving it requirespartial
disassembly 1. Dual-voltage machines pre-wired 4. (.) 0" tablestopmust
for 110voltsunlessotherwise noted. be resetto tilt tableleft.
of frontfencerail. * Comespre-wired for 220volts.
r) Afterwe madeanadapter fortheunusually 5. (c) Ceramic
2. Distancebetweenbladeandframe. (E) Euro-style
sizedporl(3y8"),thedustcollection (GP) Graphite-impregnated
effectiveness
wasexcel lent. 3. Distancebetweentableand plastic
bladeguard.
fully-raised (RS) Roundsteel
t lf you'rebuying a bandsaw forresawing,
(SS) Squaresteel
theLT14is byfarthebestofthebunch.
ACCESSORIES
REPORTCARD(7)
PERFORMANCE (e)
f/s
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NOTES:
vacuumhose.
6. 21lq'portfits standard2112" e. (B) Mobilebase 10. (LIFE) Lifetime
warrantyagainst
(BG)Ball-bearing guides factorydefects.
jig
(c) Circle-cutting
z.lExcellent (F) Fence 11. (B) Belgium
(C) China
(FG)Fiberguides
@ oooo (L) Light
(T)
(U)
Taiwan
UnitedStates
EffiRverase (M) Mitergauge
kit
(R) Riser-block
(SB) Sandingbeltandplaten 12. Pricescurrentat timeof article's
is sawunderno load.
8. Firstmeasurement anddo notinclude
production,
Secondmeasurement redoak.
is whileresawing (SK) Three-speedkit
shippingwhereaPPlicable.
lO-st tool tune-up:
IUne-upi
:,'{'":
furt as with your car.a few minutesof
J regularmaintenance on your bandsau'
can save you time and money over the
long haul. The next time you change
bladeson your saw (or right afteryou'\'e
assembled your new saw),taketen min-
utesto ensureyour tool's in tip-topshape
andrunningtrue.Here'show.
I Unplug the saw, then removethe
I blade as you normally would:
I Releasebladetension,backout the
blade guides and thrust bearings,and
removeguardsif necessary. Removethe
guideblocks,and cleanand squaretheir
contactsurfaces.if necessarry.
Clean the wheels. No matter horv
effective the machine's dust col-
lection. some debris always sets
mashed between the blade and tire. Hold
100-grit sandpaperagainst the surface of
the tire and rotate the wheel by hand
until the tire is residue-free. Brush or
vacuum accumulated dust from inside
the wheel housinss.
Installandtensionthe blade.If the
blade is brand new, first wipe it
with a paper towel or cloth to
remove any oil. Although rnost bandsar,vs
have a tension indicator, we've always
had better luck tensionin-uby hand (or by
ear-more on that in a moment). With
the upper guard 6" above the tabletop and
the guide blocks reinstalled.push on the
side of the blade with your pinky finger
about 3" above the table. If the blade
deflects more than I/+" under moderate
pressure,add more tension.
Some woodworkers pluck the bandsaw
blade like a guitar string to set the ten-
sion. To do this. increase tension and
keep plucking until the tone tums from a
dull buzz into a clear tone. If the tone
begins to deaden again, you've oveften-
sioned the blade: Back it off until the
blade sings again.
Once satisfied rn'ith the tension, make
an index mark somewhere on the blade-
tensioning mechanism. You want to be
able to return to the same tension while
you continue with your tune-Llp.
(By the way, any time you don't plan to
use the saw for a few days. relax the
blade tension. That will help extend the
lif-eof the wheels and wheel bearin-ss.)
I Nign the wheels. It's not enou-uh
t . for the wheels to be parallel: they
= must also be on the same plane, a
condition called "coplaner." To make
them so, be-sin by removin_e the table
from your saw (or at least tilting it as far
#ir::,,:r
ffi
Top wheel
Straightedge
llt
llffii
tL/ll \ \
I ll Remove
stickto it. Replaceor closeandsecurethe
wheelcovers.
f) Got a dollar?It's the cheapestfeel-
gaugeyou'll find. Fold the bill,
)(5"r
lpll -ii:;:'"",","
il*#:1"r"i";'"
lUplace it betweenthe upper thrust
bearingandthebackedgeof theblade,as
shown in the Photo A, and adjust the
bearinglocationuntil it just holdsthe bill
Bottom wheel
Nffi. $assembly so that the front edgeof
lV the blocks are just a whisker
behind the blade's gullets (the valleys
betweenthe teeth).Repeatfor the lower
WHEELS NOT COPLANER WHEELS PARALLEL, WHEELS COPLANER guide-blockassembly.
OR PARALLEL BUT NOT COPLANER
Placeone thicknessof your dollar-bill
right as it will go.) Open or remove the If the straightedgeisn't touching feeler gaugebetweenthe upperleft guide
wheel coversand lay a long straightedge all four rims at this point, you'll block and the blade,and adjustthe block
againstthe rims of the wheels,as shown needto move one wheel in or out so that it pinchesthe bill betweenblock
aboveor in the photo opposite,stayingas the distanceof the gap.Again, follow the and blade without deflectingthe blade.
close to the hubs as you can. If the manufacturer's instructions for this Securethe left block.With the bill still in
straightedgetouchesall four edgesof the adjustment. Some bandsaws require place on the left, thread the other end
wheel rims, skip to Step 7. If not, you'll adding or removing shims behind the between the right block and the blade,
needto align the wheels,as describedin wheel to make them coplaner.Ordinary snug the right block up againstthe bill
Steps5{. washers work fine for these shims, or and blade (as shown in Photo B), and
F Start by making the wheels paral- make your own from sheetmetal. If you lock it into place. Now, repeat this
Illel. With the straightedgeagainst had to remove the blade to shim the processfor the lower guideblocks.
Vbottr wheels as in Step 4, tilt the wheels,reinstalland retensionit. I tl Reinstall the table. Raise the
top wheel until the straightedgecontacts llf Now it's time to check the blade I I lupper blade-guideassemblyas
both rims of either wheel. (Follow the f tracking.If you've doneeverything lVhigh as it will go, and use a
manufacturer's instructions for this - properly so far,'little adjustment drafting triangleor combinationsquareto
adjustment.)Maintaining contact with should be needed.Rotate the top wheel ensurethe table is perpendicularto the
that wheel, keep tilting tlle top wheel by hand,watchingtheblade'spositionon blade,as shownin Photo C. If not, adjust
until the gap between the straightedge the tire surface.If the bladeworks its way the table's 0" stop (usually a bolt under
and the other wheel is parallel. to one edgeor the other.tweak the wheel- the table)in or out until it is. 'F
&
81
************
case
fi,tterctsmial
esigned for a 5x9r/z' American flag,
this case preserves the carefully-
folded symbol of our nation and
honors the memory of a loved one.You c;ln
set this case on a tabletop or shelf, or
hang it on a wall courtesy of a clever
pair of bevel-edge cleats.
Making a flag case usually requires
cutting long, narrow 22r/2" miters
where the sides meet the base.
By fitting the base between the
sides, our design eliminates
these difficutt cuts, leaving
you with easy 45o miters
all around.
1814"
2413/sz"
www.woodonline.com
flag case * a hero's memorial
p clenrs
23114a
#4 x 1" brass
F.H.wood screw
161/2"
7o+"shank hole,countersunk
\ on backside
t-"( r--
_?31/.ra"
glass
Single-strength
2413/sz"
E sroesEcroNvrEW #4 x 1" brass
F.H.woodscrew
Mitered
ends
Wall
Mitered
ends E exploDED
vtEW #8 x 1/2"F.H.
wood screw
Drivethe screw
and drill pilot and countersunkshankholes,where shown on into a stud or
Drawing3. Set the back trim aside. use a wall anchor.
(E), placethe frame'sbacktop 90ocor- )
?fo lay out the back I
lJner on the 90o cornerof a piece of W" hardboard.Trace a
line onto the hardboardalong the insideedgeof the base(B).
#8 x 11/z'F.H.
Bandsawandjoint to the line. Have a pieceof single-strength wood screw
glasscut to fit insidethe frame,leavinga Vre"spaceall around.
(You also can use clear acrylic sheet,and cut it with an 80-
tooth carbide-tippedblade.),
ResawazAx3Vqx36"boardin half, andplaneit to r/+"thick
'l,,[
for the side liners (F) and baseliner (G). Cut theseparts
about %" wider and t/2" longer than the dimensionslisted.
Miter-cut the parts to fit inside the frame. The fit should be
snug,but not tight. To determinethe exactwidth for the liners,
place the frame facedown on your bench,and lay in the glass
and back. Slide the liners into the frame, and mark their fin-
ishedwidth by striking a line even with the back edgesof the
frame.Removethe liners,and trim them to width.
f Planeat/qx2xl}" boardto3/s"thick to makea blank for the
rJback cleat (H) and wall cleat (I). Make a 45" bevel rip
along one edge,whereshownon Drawing4. Cut partsH and I
from the blank wheredimentioned.Drill a countersunkhole in
the wall cleat (I) for attachmentto the wall later.
ftAssemble the glass, liners (F, G), and back (E) in the
lJframe. Screw the back side trim (C) in place. Glue and
clamp the back cleat(H) to the back with its 90' cornernested
in the corner formed by the trim, and the bevel oriented as
shownon Drawing2. With the glue dry, removethe back,drill
a pilot and countersunkshank hole in the back and cleat, and
The mating cleat bevels provide concealed attachment. Level
drive in the screw. the wall cleat during installationto ensure a level-hangingcase.
Step 3
Foldthe closedcorner
towardthe open edge,
A'sides 1/z' 33/a' 18V4' C forminga triangle.
B-base 1/z' 37e' 241Vsz" C
C*sidetrim Ve' Vc' 181A' C
D'base
trim Vau Vc' 2311/te" C
E back V4u 167Aa"167Aa" H
1/cu 31Aa" 161/2' c
Step 4
F*sideliners Foldthe pointof the
G*base
liner th, 31/rc', 2211Aa,' C triangletowardthe .
H-backcleat Va' 2u 4u C b l u efi el d.
l- wallcleat Vau 2u 71/cu C
-Parts
initially
cutoversize,
Seetheinstructions,
Materials
Key:C<herry, H-hardboard,
t/e"hardboard,
Supplies: #4x1"brass
flathead
wood Steps 5-t I
(12),#8xr/2"
screws flathead
woodscrew,#8x1t/2"
flat- Continuefoldinguntil
headwoodscrew,wallanchor, glass.
single-strength you have one squareof
the field left.
crrtting diagfinrnr
Steps l2-f3
Foldthe open cornerof
the squaretowardthe
closededge.Tuck the
resultingtriangleintothe
rest of the flag.
3/qx 5y2x 96" Cherry *Planeor resawto the thicknesslistedin the MaterialsList.
85
*
\41 t
.t
www.woodonline.com 87
whole-shop heating systems
Radiant tube heaters, such as this Just like the sun, radiant heaters warm the objects in the room, such as the floor or
Re-Verber-Rayunit, are available in sever- any pieces of equipment,which in turn radiate heat back out, warming the air.
al sizes, and can be configured in straight,
"U" and "L" shapes to fit the space concrete floor. Hot water pumped are you won't needanything more to run
through the tubing heats the concrete, an electric heater.Units that run on 220
Trrrn on the trrbe which actsas a giant radiator and warms volts generallyproducemore heat.
If you haveaccessto gas,but don't want everything aboveit. Electric heaters come in many sizes
forced-air heating, check out a ceiling- You can power a hydronic systemfor a and styles, and it's easy to add more
mounted radiant tube heater, shown in two-car-garage-sized shop with a small based on need. Portablesdon't require
the photo and illustration, above. water heater.(If it's a gas unit, you still special insurance, and even permanent
Tube heatersburn LP or natural gas, need to isolate the flame from shop air, units seldomrequire a permit.
which warms the air inside a long metal of course.)You canbuild a "closed" sys- Radiantpanels,suchas the onesshown
pipe. Heat radiatesdownward, warming tem filled with antifreeze,or run a water below, from RadiantElectric Heat, Inc.,
objects it strikes. The system has no supply to the shop and let the heating pass electricity over a large metal plate
externalfan to stir up dust in the shop. systemprovide hot water, as well. to produce warmth. These heaters are
fairly immune to dust and fume dangers.
Heat rrnder feet Electric options According to the manufacturer,heat-
When building a new shop (oh yeah, it's Electricity has traditionally been an ing with radiant electric panels costs
a "gatage," we won't tell), you might expensiveheat source.Even so,the setup about the sameas using a natural gas or
considerhydronic, in-floor radiant heat- r costs with other systems may make it LP forced-air system. Electricity costs
ing. These systemsare becoming more worth considering, especially if your more per BTU but, becauseradiant heat-
affordable and increasingly popular in BTU needsare low or you spendlimited ing warms objects and not just the air,
homes,shops,and buildingsof all types. time in the shop during cool seasons. electricpanelsheatusing fewer BTUs
As shown in the photo, bottom left, the Unlessyou're dedicatedto very tradi- Other electric options include in-floor,
heart of a hydronic systemis a network tional woodworking, you already have ceiling-mounted,and simple "plug-and-
of plastic tubes, usually imbedded in a electric serviceto your shop, so chances play" baseboardunits.
Contined on page 90
"t*k, tf
fu D _.
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Bits
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Continuedon page 110
100 WOOD magazine October 2002
shop-proven products
Protnctor angles for You can usethe G9900Dial Protractor The G9900Dial Protractor'slargeface
position rryith precision to measurean unknown angleby match- is markedin 5-minute(t/n") gradua-
I was skepticalwhen I saw Gizzly adver- ing the beamand bladeto the workpiece tions-plenty accuratefor any woodwork-
tising a dial protractorfor only $40. That's and locking them in. Or, if you're brying ing task.For measuringanglessmaller
why I was pleasantlysurprisedto find the to setup a machinefence,table,or blade than 11o,an acuteangleattachment(not
angle-settinggaugedead-onaccurateat to a specificangle,first lock in the angle shown)attachesto the beam.al
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