ShopNotes

a Turned Tool Handles Roll- Around Shop Cart

Small-Piece Miter Box Adjustable Set-Up Gauge
 EDITOR S NOTE

Issue 5 September 1 992

Donald B. Peschke

H
EDITOR
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Douglas L. Hicks ardwood, softwood, ply- hardware. Speaking of hard-
MANAGING EDITOR Terry J. Strohman wood, pegboard, and ware, starting with this issue we
ASSISTANT EDITORS Richard S. Peters
Masonite. Just a few of are including a hardware list with
Tim Robertson the materials we used to make each project.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek the projects in this issue. Often Whenever possible, the pro-
ART DIRECTOR Cary Christensen we take the material we use for jects in ShopNotes are designed
ILLUSTRATORS Kurt Schultz granted. But selecting and using to use hardware that is readily
Will Niskanen
the right material is the basis for available. Or can be easily substi-
Roger Reiland
Mark Higdon quality in a project. tuted for something similar.
DESIGN DIRECTOR Ken Munkel NEW FEATURE. In this issue, But, occasionally a hard to find
DESIGNERS Jan Hale Svec we're introducing a new feature piece of hardware works better
Kent Welsh called Lumberyard. Over time than anything else. In this case
PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England we'll look at the standards used it's the magnet we used for the

SHOP MANAGER Steve Curtis for lumber. How it's graded. New Set-Up Gauge.
products and materials. And tips It's called a rare earth magnet
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Liz Bredeson on selecting the best product. and ismuch stronger than any of
SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Phyllis Jessen This feature is a result of all the the other magnets we tried. The
CIRCULATION ANALYST Jim Woodson questions we receive about wood. only problem is this type of mag-
NEWSSTAND SALES Kent A. Buckton This time we're taking a look at net is not readily available, so
some of the grading standards for we're offering these magnets on
CONTROLLER Paul E. Gray hardwood lumber. the Sources page.
ACCOUNTING Linda O’Rourke To get a better understanding BRASS. I've always admired
BOOKKEEPING Julianne Spears of these standards we sent Rick the look of brass and wood tools.
NETWORK ADMIN. Douglas M. Lidster Peters to a National Hardwood Two of the projects in this issue
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSTS. Cheryl Scott Lumber Association Seminar. (Tool Handles and the Set-up
Julia Fish
Rick came back from the semi- Gauge) have brass parts.
RECEPTIONIST Jeanne Johnson
nar muttering about a sore back But brass parts are used for
BUILDING MAINTENANCE Ken Griffith
and lots of work. (Actually, I more than decoration. For exam-
think he had a great time hanging ple on the tool handles shown on
MARKETING DIRECTOR Robert Murry
around the saw mill.) page 10, I used a brass ferrule.
PROJ. SUPPLIES ART DIR. Cindy Jackson
But in the end, it was worth it. The ferrule is installed on the end
CUSTOMER SERVICE MGR. Laura McNelly
Rick gathered a mountain of in- of the handle and prevents it from
PROJECT SUPPLIES Leslie Ann Gearhart
Linda Jones formation and some new insights splitting.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT Jonathan Garbison on lumber standards. For the Set-Up Gauge shown
SYSTEMS OPERATOR Linda Morrow CATALOG. Another change you on page 24, I used brass for dif-
RECEPTIONIST Keri Lee may notice is there's not a Shop ferent reasons. To protect the

CUSTOMER SERVICE Supplies catalog with your issue. base of the gauge from wear, I
Jennie Enos (Supr.), Jeff Janes, Joy
This is not an oversight. The added a wide brass strip. An-
Johnson, Sara Johnson, Ami Blanshan Shop Supplies catalog is being other brass strip keeps the 6"
SHIPPING DEPARTMENT completely redesigned. metal rule vertically aligned.
Jerry Carson (Supr.), Gloria Sheehan, The people involved with the ADDITIONS. Since the last is-
Ronald Long, Don McVey, Chuck Carlson catalog are looking at new ideas sue of ShopNotes we’ve added a
ShopNotes (ISSN 1062-9696) is published bimonthly
and products. And new ways of few new faces. Mark Higdon is
(January, March, May, July, September, November) by presenting these ideas to you. helping produce the art work.
Woodsmith Corporation, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines,
IA 50312. Printed in U.S.A. In the mean time we will con- Kent Welsh has joined our design
ShopNotes is a trademark of Woodsmith Corporation.
©Copyright 1992 by Woodsmith Corporation. All tinue to offer kits and hard to find staff. And Jeanne Johnson is our
rights reserved.
Subscriptions: Single Copy, $4.95. One year subscrip- hardware on the Sources page. new receptionist.
tion (6 issues), $19.95. Two years (12 issues), $35.95.
Canada/Foreign, add $4.00 per year.
Second Class Postage Paid at Des Moines, IA and
at additional offices.
Postmaster: Send change of address to ShopNotes,
Box 11204, Des Moines, IA 50340-1204
Subscription Questions? Call 1-800-333-5854, 8am
to 5pm, Central Time, weekdays.

2 ShopNotes No. 5
 ISSUE NUMBER FIVE

• Contents
Small-Piece Miter Sox 4
Cut tight-fitting miters on small pieces of trim with this
shop-made miter box.
Small-Piece Miter Box page U

Small Shop Tipe 8

Five space-saving tips to make your woodworking shop
more comfortable and efficient.

Tool Handles 10
Manufactured handles are designed so "one size fits

"A custom-turned handle looks and feels better.

all.

Turning Jig 14
You don’t have to own a lathe to turn wood. This simple
jig lets you turn small projects on your drill press.
Tool Handles page 10
Roll-Around Shop Cart 16
Pegboard panels and pull-out trays combine to create
much-needed storage space. Adding casters converts
the cart into a mobile work surface.

Stub Tenon & Groove 22

The secret to this strong and simple joint is to glue a
man-made panel into the grooves of a frame.

Adjustable Set-Up Gauge 24

This shop-built precision gauge ensures accurate
height, depth, and distance measurements.
Shop Cart page 1

Shop Solutions 28
Five shop-tested tips: Drilling Tip, Scroll Saw Blade
Organizer, A Tip for Turning, Squaring a Miter Gauge,
and Pads for C-clamps.

Lumber Thickness 30
Find out why saw mills, lumber yards, and retail outlets
often use different terms to designate lumber thickness.

• Sources 31
Hardware, project supplies, and mail order sources for
the projects in this issue. Set-Up Gauge page 2U

No. 5 ShopNotes 3
 )

JIGS & ACCESSORIES

Small-Piece
Miter Box
5Ae" x 4-!/2"

HEX BOLT
Hardware
3/&" I.D.xl" O.D.
"
(&) IV2 Fh Brews x W-LONG
" NYLON SPACER
(10) IV4 Fh Screws
s/l6" Hex Nuts
(&)
(4) 5/(6" Washers
s
(4) /i6" x 4V2" Hex
Head Bolts
s
(1) /i6" Thrd. Insert
(1 )
5/w"x 1 " Thrd. Knob

(1) V4 " x 2" Hex Bolt

(2) V4 Washers
"

(1) V4 Lock Nut

"
C utting accurate miters on
small pieces of trim can be a
challenge. A table saw has a ten-
miter box.
saw and is
It uses a 10 "-long back
designed with
features of a full-size miter box.
all the

(12 %" Nylon Spcrs. dency to chip out or even “ex- FEATURES. The miter box is de-
%" 10. x 1" O.D. plode” small pieces. Another signed so the saw can adjust to
(4) 9/i6" x2V2" Com-
option is to use a hand miter box. angles up to 45° in each direction.
pression Springs
But sometimes they’re too large And there’s a “stop” that lets you
to be effective with small pieces. “fine tune” the 45° cuts. Finally,
So I decided to build a scaled there’s a unique guidesystem that
down version of a professional keeps the saw cutting straight.
THREE PARTS. The miter box
has three main parts: a base as-
5/16 "
sembly, a fence, and a pivot arm,
THREADED see Exploded View. (I used 3/4"-
INSERT
thick maple for all wood parts.)

BASE ASSEMBLY
To make the miter box, the first
step is to build the base assembly.
It consists of a base, a material
rest,and a pair of feet.
BASE. The base (A) is made up
of two pieces, see Fig. 1. To allow
clearance for the pivot arm to
swing, the front edge is curved.
An easy way to make this curve
is to dry-clamp the pieces and
then draw a 6" radius, see Fig. 1.
Then simply remove the clamp,
cut the curve on the front piece,
and glue the base together.
PIVOT HOLE. To complete the
EXPLODED VIEW base, drill a W-dia. hole at the cen-
ter of the radius. This is used later
to attach the pivot arm to the base.

ShopNotes No. 5
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES

MATERIAL REST. The next step

isto make the material rest (B).
The purpose of the rest is to raise
a workpiece off the base. This cre-
ates a space that allows the pivot
arm to swing back and forth.
The material rest is made of two
pieces — each with a 45° miter on
one end, see Fig. 2. Holes are drilled
in the mitered ends for adjustment
screws. These screws act as “stops”
for the pivot arm and are used to
fine tune the 45° angles of the saw.
ATTACH REST. After the mate-
rial rest is cut, the next step is to
attach it to the base. Note: To
create a lip for the fence to rest
on, the back edge of the rest is
located 3/4" in from the back edge
of the base.
The trick is to position the two
pieces so the back edges are in
line with each other, see Fig. 2.
This ensures that the fence
(which is screwed to the material
rest later) will also be straight. I
checked the alignment with a
straightedge, and then glued and
screwed the rest (B) to the base.
feet. To complete the base as-
sembly, screw a foot ( C) to each
end of the base, see Fig. 3.

FENCE
The fence (D) provides a straight,
even surface to hold a workpiece
against. Like the material rest, it’s fence is screwed to the back edge ends are mitered for clearance.
made of two pieces, see Fig. 4. of the material rest, see Fig. 4a. Then the face is glued to the
Each of the pieces is mitered on FACE. After installing the fence, fence. To provide dust relief, I left
one end to provide clearance for I added a face (E) made of V4 "- an W gap between the material
the pivot arm to swing. Then the thick Masonite. Here again, the rest and the face, see Fig. 4a.

No. 5 ShopNotes 5
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES
Pivot Arm

The heart of the miter box is the NYLON SPACERS. The key to these “guide bolts” are mounted
pivot arm. This arm does a couple the guide system is a dozen nylon in pairs on the pivot arm.
of things. First of all,
it serves as spacers I picked up at the hard- When you slide the saw be-
a platform for the system that ware store, see Fig. 5. (There's also tween the bolts, the spacers
guides the saw, see Fig. 5. And it a source of hardware for the miter press against the side of the blade
pivots to position the saw at the box on page 31.) Three of these and eliminate any “play”.
desired angle. spacers and a spring slip loosely drill holes. To make this all
The pivot arm starts out as a over each of four hex bolts. Then work, it's important to locate the
simple 2" x 10" blank, see Fig. 6.
Then notches are cut on the bot-
tom of the blank to provide
clearance for the nuts that se-
cure the guide system to the
arm, see Figs. 5b and 6.
To attach the arm to the base,
counterbore a pivot hole near the
notched end. The other end of the
arm is chamfered to relieve the

sharp corner.

GUIDE SYSTEM
After cutting the arm to shape,
the next step is to install the guide
system. This system supports the
saw and “tracks” the blade in a
straight line.

6 ShopNotes No. 5
 JIGS & ACCESSORIES

holes for each pair of bolts so the

spacers touch, see Fig. 5a. (I

drilled the holes so the center-

points are !5/i6" apart, see Fig. 6.)
Why doesn’t this side pressure
cause the blade to bind? Because
of the holes in the spacers.
They’re larger than the diameter
of the bolts. So with each stroke
of the saw, the spacers spin easily.
In addition to guiding the
blade, the spacers support the
metal “back” of the saw, see Fig.
5. When you make a cut, the spac-
ers travel down the bolts with the
blade. When the cut is finished,
the springs return the spacers
(and saw) to the starting position.

CLAMP
After installing the hardware for
the guide system, I made a clamp

(G) to lock the arm in place, see

Fig. 7. The clamp is just a wood You’ll need to sand the dowel so 8. To do this, I used a 2" hex bolt
block with a hole drilled through it slides easily in the hole. as a pivot pin. (This is longer than
it to house a threaded insert and Next, to prevent the arm from I needed, but the smooth shaft

dowel, see Fig. 7a. lifting when the

knob is tightened prevents the threads from
Tightening a knob (or thumb- down, I glued a piece of Ma- W “chewing up” the pivot hole.)
screw) in the insert pushes the sonite to the bottom of the clamp. Finally, after tightening a lock
end of the dowel against the attacharm.AH that’s left to nut snug on the end of the bolt,
curved edge of the base. This complete the miter box is to at- the excess threads can be cut off,
locks the arm in place. Note: tach thearm to the base, see Fig. see Fig. 8a.

Adjusting the Miter Box

Step 1 : Place the 45° lace of a combi- Step 2: Next, cut a test piece to check Step 3: To position the pivot arm for
nation square against fence. Then pivot the accuracy. To fine tune the 45° an- 90° cuts, repeat the process of rough
the arm so guide bolts touch the edge gle, move the adjustment screw in or positioning the arm and making trial
of the blade and lock arm in place. out until the angle is perfect. cuts. Then scribe a line on the base.

No. 5 ShopNotes 7
 .

IN THE SHOP

Small Shop
Tips
These five space-saving tips
will help you get the most out of
your small workshop

COMBINING TOOLS
One space-saving tip is to com-
bine two stationary tools into
one. An example of this would be
to turn the extension wing of
your table saw into a router table,
see drawing.
Besides saving floor space,
there’s another advantage to this
set-up. You can use your rip fence
to guide a workpiece on both the
table saw and the router.
Note: When you’re not using
the router, just lower the bit so it

doesn’t protrude through the top

of the extension.

SNARING BENCH SPACE

There never seems to be enough ROTATE TURNTABLE TO USE EACH TOOL
bench-top space in the shop. A
simple turntable can help you get
the most out of the space avail-
able, see drawing.
Mounting tools to a turntable
keeps them grouped tightly to-
gether, but still accessible. This
lets you turn wasted space (such
as a comer of a bench) into a
handy work station.
The turntable is just a plywood
disk that’s bolted through its cen-
ter to a bench. To reduce friction,
FURNITURE GLIDE
furniture glides are nailed to the
bottom of the plywood. To “lock”
30 LX PLYWOOD TURNTABLE ,

the turntable in position, drill TO WORKBENCH ’

holes through the turntable into

the bench top and insert a dowel.

8 ShopNotes No. 5
 IN THE SHOP

EXTRA WORK SPACE

If space is limited in your shop,
you can convert your table saw
into a light-duty assembly or fin-
ishing area.
This is easy to do. Just slip a
shop-made cover over the top of
the saw, see drawing.
The cover is a piece of plywood
that's cut to fit the overall dimen-
sions of your saw table. To keep it
from shifting in use, glue wood
trim around the edges.
Note: This cover is not de-
signed for heavy weights or ham-
mer blows.

SUPPORTING WORK
It's surprising how well two tools
can work together if you position
them next to each other.
For example, locate a drill
press next to a radial arm saw,
see drawing.
Positioning the drill press like
this allows you to support and
safely cut long boards on the ra-
dial arm saw.
To do this, position the drill

press to the left of your radial arm

saw. Then raise or lower the drill
press table until the workpiece
lays flat on the saw table. When
it's level, make the cut.

TOOL GROUPS
Many woodworkers position their
tools around the perimeter of the
shop. But grouping tools together
can save a lot of space, see drawing.
The trick is positioning the tools so
they don't interfere with each
other in use.
For example, if your router ta-
ble is thesame height (or slightly
lower) as your table saw, you can
position it behind the saw. This
way it saves space and acts as an
outfeed table.
Or if the top of your jointer
fence is lower than the top of your
table saw, you can slide it right up
next to the table saw.

No. 5 ShopNotes 9
 ,

You can make

Tool
your own
finely crafted
tool handles de-
Handles
signed to fit FITTING. No matter what wood you
your hand like use, the important thing is the fit of

a glove. the handle on the tool. For tools with

a tang (files and most chisels), you
have to drill a hole in the end of the
f you have an old handle for the tang, see box below. Then the handle
file laying around is driven down over the tang until it wedges tight.
the shop, or a chisel with a It’s not easy to drill a hole straight down the

broken handle (maybe one that center of the handle, after it's turned. Instead, I drill a
belonged to your grandfather), you small pilot hole in the block before I start turning.
can make it into something special by Once the handle is complete, I use the pilot hole
adding a custom handle. There's nothing as a guide to drill the hole for the tang. (For step-
tricky about turning a tool handle. In fact, you by-step instructions, see the box below.)
don't even need a lathe or turning tools to make any FERRULES. To prevent the tang from splitting
of the handles shown on these pages. (For more on the handle, a ferrule (metal collar) is mounted over
turning handles, see page 14.) the end of the handle.
WOOD. One of the first things to consider for a Fve tried making ferrules from small pieces of
handle is the material. A chisel handle that's going to brass tubing. But the tubing stretches out of shape,
be hit with a mallet requires a tough, springy wood and then rattles around or falls off. The ferrules
like oak. While a handle for a file or a paring chisel is shown on the handles here are made from brass hex
a good place to try out different kinds of hardwood. nuts. (See page 13 for more on this.)

Drilling a Hole for the Tang

FIRST: FIRST: NOTE: TO DETERMINE
SQUARE SIDES TURN HANDLE DRILLHOLE SLIGHTLY SIZE OF HOLE
OF SLOCK AND TO FINAL SHAPE DEEPER THAN LENGTH SEE BOXES
MARK CENTER OF TANG ON TOOL ON PAGES
ON TOP AND 11 AND 12

BOTTOM TWIST SIT

SECOND: SECOND: PILOT HOLE GUIDES

DRILL SMALL TRIM WASTE TWIST BIT DOWN
PILOT HOLE AT TOP CENTER OF HOLE
CENTERED ON //
TOP END

LEAVE WASTE AT WASTE SUPPORTS

BOTTOM TO SUPPORT HANDLE ON DRILL
HANDLE ON DRILL PRESS TABLE
PRESS TABLE

Step 1: Drill a pilot hole Step 2: Now turn the han- Step 3: Using a twist bit Step 4: To complete the
centered on the top end of dle to shape and trim the to "follow” the pilot hole tool handle trim off the
,

the block. This isused to waste off the top. The bot- drill a hole that’s slightly waste at the bottom end of
guide the bit when drilling tom is left on to provide sup- deeper than the length of the handle. Then sand the
the larger hole for the tang. port when drilling the hole. the tang on the tool. end smooth.

10 ShopNotes No. 5
 SHOP PROJECT

• File Handle
One with top qual-
of the ironies A rounded end
ity filesand rasps is that they that tapers gently
don’t come with a handle. You’re to a finger stop . . .

expected to make your own. that’s the secret to

That’s actually a blessing in the comfortable
disguise. The handles that come grip on this large
on cheaper files are usually too file handle made
small for comfort and control. of cherry.
A good handle on a file can kinds of wood. I used cherry be- hand comfortably, I turned the
make a big difference in the fa- cause it’s tight-grained, turns handle 5" long with the rounded
tigue on your hand and the ease well, and the color contrasts end at a l 1/^" diameter.
of applying pressure where you nicely with the brass fittings. This is slightly larger than
want it — especially on a project HANDLE SHAPE. The handle is most manufactured handles be-
that requires a lot of shaping. shaped with a large rounded end. cause I have a tendency to
For large files and particularly Then it tapers to a neck, and in- squeeze small handles with a
wood rasps, I prefer a large handle creases again to create a stop for “white knuckle” grip.
like the one shown above. your thumb. FERRULE. To prevent the end
MATERIALS. Making a file han- Basically, the length and thick- from splitting, I turned it to accept
dle like this offers a good opportu- ness of the handle is a matter of a brass nut as a ferrule. (For
nity to experiment with different individual preference. To fit my more on ferrules, see page 13.)

Palm Handle
Smaller files require a lighter /A round palm han-
touch — and a different handle. A dle to cushion your
palm handle (like the one shown hand . . . and a
at right) makes filing a lot easier small size for
and provides protection so the exact control.
end of the file doesn’t poke into
your hand.
ROUND KNOB. The idea of the
palm file handle is simple. A file. (The
the taper to guide the
round knob about the size of a tapered neck on this handle is Fitting a File
golf ball provides a cushion for only %" long.)
the palm of your hand. TOOL END. Like the large file
This type of handle is designed handle, a hole is drilled inthe end
to work with your fingers extend- of the handle to accept the tang.
ing over the tool itself. The round The tool end of the handle is
end really just serves as a “stop” turned to accept a brass nut that
against the palm of your hand. serves as a ferrule. Because of the
I turned the knob to a diameter smaller tangs on these files, I
of 1VS". Try this size and then used a 1/S" brass nut. (For more on
modify the size depending on the fitting the tang in the handle, see
size of your hand. box at right and page 10.)
TAPER. The neck of the handle MATERIALS. As for the mate- The hole for the file is sized to fit the width of
is turned to a short taper just— rial for this handle, I used a piece the tang halfway from the end of the tool, and
long enough to rest your knuckle of spalted maple to create a highly is slightly deeper than the length of the tang.
and extend your index finger past figured design.

No. 5 ShopNotes 11
 SHOP PROJECT

Traditional Handle
The handle for a ion the heel of your hand.
paring chisel Although it's not intended to be
must have a hit with a mallet, the domed end
barrel that fits can withstand light pounding with-
thepalm of your out splitting. (I would use a wood
hand, and the mallet with a leather face.)
neck should be FERRULE. The tool end of the
shaped to handle is sized for a 5/&" brass hex
fit your thumb. The form of a chisel handle is de- neck should be sized and shaped nut that serves as a ferrule. (For
termined by its function. For a to fit your thumb so you feel com- more on this, refer to page 13.)
paring chisel (that is meant to be fortable pushing the blade into Like file handles, a hole is drilled
pushed rather than struck), I the wood without fear of slipping. in the tool end to accept the tang on
chose a rather traditional handle. Compare this to the chisel han- a chisel, see box below.
This style is especially suited dle below that is designed to be MATERIALS. Since this handle
for handwork because the barrel struck with a mallet. is not intened to be struck with a

of the handle tapers to a small domed end. Another feature mallet you can use just about any
neck, which then flares to a of this handle is the rounded or kind of wood. I turned a piece of
thumb stop. “domed” end. When using two maple which created a unique
The barrel should be sized to fit hands to push the chisel through swirling pattern on the handle
your hand comfortably. And the a workpiece, the dome helps cush- shown above.

Barrel Handle
Straight-grained NOTE: END IS SIZEP FOR tional features added to this han-
oak, a hoop, and 7/&"
3/4" BRASS PLUMBING PIPE
dle to help it withstand the shock
a leather washer
combine to help 9/l6"
T from a mallet.
HOOP. First, I added a hoop on
NOTE: : JL
thishandle with- TOOL ENP JL the end of the handle to protect it
stand blows IS SIZEP
FOR 1/2" 1/2” from splitting or deforming.
from a mallet. HEX NUT -
5" - The hoop is made from a sec-
tion of brass pipe. Since it doesn't
If you're going to use a chisel screw on (like the brass nut I used
Fitting a Chisel primarily for chopping, the han- for the ferrule), it's fitted to the
dle shouldbe designed to with- end of the handle and sized so the
PIAMETER OF HOLE stand repeated blows. wood mushrooms over the hoop
EQUALS PIAMETER WOOD. To take the shock from to hold it in place. (For more on
OF TANG
a mallet, the wood for the handle making a hoop, refer to page 13).
needs to be tough and springy. (I LEATHER WASHER. At the
chose oak for the handle shown other end of the handle, I used a
above.) Also, the wood should be 5/8"brass hex nut for a ferrule, as
straight-grained and free of knots on the other handles.
to reduce the chance of breakage. But before attaching the han-
HANDLE SHAPE. The shape of dle, I added a leather washer to
the handle is not as critical as that fit between the tool and the fer-

To fit the chisel in the handle the hole is sized of a paring chisel. I chose a simple rule. The washer acts as a “shock
,

to match the diameter of the tang and drilled barrel-shaped handle that's easy absorber'' to help cushion the
slightly deeper than the length of the tang .
to grip with my hand. blows of a mallet. (I made this
However, there are two addi- wTasher from an old belt.)

12 ShopNotes No. 5
Turning the handle to shape is TANG. However, the problem FERRULE. I made a ferrule by Ferrules made
just the first step. To mount the here is the tang acts as a wedge grinding the “corners” off a brass from brass hex
chisel blade to it you need to drill and can easily split the handle. To hex nut. (I chose brass because nuts prevent
a hole for the tang. Then you can prevent this, a ferrule is mounted it’s easy to grind to shape and the handle
drive the handle onto the blade. to surround the hole for the tang. polishes up nicely.) from splitting
Installing the ferrule is simple. when driving it

Just tighten the nut in a vise and onto the tang .

screw the handle into the nut like

a wooden bolt, see Fig. 1.

FINISH. When the nut “bot-

toms out” on the handle, back it
off and grind the corners smooth,
see Fig. 2. To polish the ferrule,
sand it with progressively finer
grits (120 to 600) of silicon car-
bide sandpaper.
LEATHER WASHER. As an op-
tion, you may want to add a leather
washer as a “shock absorber” be-
tween the blade and the ferrule,
see Fig. 3.
SEAT HANDLE. After retighten-
ing the ferrule, the last step is to
seat the chisel blade in the handle.
To do this, place the cutting end of
the blade against a wood block and
drive the handle onto the tang, see

Hoops
It doesn’t take much pounding on BRASS PIPE. The hoop is cut To prevent gouging the wood A metal hoop
a handle before the end starts to from a short length of 3/4" brass when fitting the hoop over the made from a
split and deform. To prevent this, pipe. (I picked the pipe up in the end, file a slight bevel on the in- piece of brass
I install a metal hoop on the end plumbing department at the side edge of the hoop, see Fig. la. pipe reinforces
of the handle, see Fig. 1. hardware store.) Unlike the ferrules, there are no the end of a
threads to hold the hoop in place. chisel handle.
So how do you keep the hoop from
slipping off as the handle shrinks
with changes in humidity?
The hoop cut to length so it
is

below the end of the

sits slightly
handle, see Fig. la. Then, after
striking the handle a few times
with a mallet, the exposed end
grain bends over the hoop. This
creates a ‘‘mushroom” that locks
the hoop in place.

No. 5 ShopNotes 13
 JIGS AND ACCESSORIES

All it takes to The guys in the shop were just a bit skeptical when
I first showed them this turning jig. After all, using
convert your
a drill press as a vertical lathe is a bit unorthodox,
drill press into
see photo. Not to mention the fact that I used an
a lathe are a ordinary flat-bladed screwdriver as a turning tool.
few scraps of (For more on this, refer to box on page 15.)
wood, a couple After turning a few tool handles, everyone was
of bolts, and an amazed at how much this jig functioned like a stand- Here again, the head and threads are cut off. To fit

ordinary ard lathe. That’s because has the same basic com-
it the center of the workpiece, grind one end to a point,
ponents as a lathe: a drive center, a tailstock, and a see box below. Then drill a hole in the block to
screwdriver.
tool rest, see drawing below. support and position the bolt on the drill press table.
DRIVE CENTER. To turn a block of wood, you TOOL REST ASSEMBLY. The last part of the turn-
have to prepare one end of the block by cutting a ing jig is a tool rest assembly. The purpose of this
diagonal kerf, and drilling a hole for the drive cen- assembly is to support and guide the scraper. It
ter, refer to Step 2 on next page. consists of three parts: a tool rest a support block
, ,

The drive center transfers the rotation of the drill and a base see Exploded View. Note: The tool rest
,

press chuck to the workpiece. It’s made from a bolt is made from hardwood, while the support block and
with the head and threads cut off, and has a 6d nail base are made from plywood.
mounted at one end of the bolt. (For a tip on drilling So that you can hold the scraper at an angle to the
the hole to mount the nail, see page 28.) workpiece, cut a 45° chamfer on one edge of the tool
TAILSTOCK. The other end of the workpiece rest, leaving a 3/L6"-wide edge to support the flat
spins on a tailstock. This is just a side of the screwdriver blade.

EXPLODED VIEW ,
bolt or rod that fits in a block To complete the turning jig, screw the tool rest
#3x11/2" Fh
of 3/4"- thick hardwood. and support block to one comer of the base.
W00D5CREW3
NOTE: CUT OFF
HEAD OF NAIL
Grinding Tip

bolt or rod, clamp a block with a notch the

A
NOTE: 12 same diameter as the bolt to the tool rest. Then
SUPPORT SLOCK AND BASE grind the point as you rotate the bolt by hand.
ARE MADE FROM %" PLYWOOD

ShopNotes No. 5
 JIGS AND ACCESSORIES

Ueitig the Turning Jig

Step 1: To locate the top and Step 2: Next, drill a hole to ac- Step 3: After mounting the block
bottom centers of the block, draw cept the end of the drive center. between the drive center and the
diagonals across the corners, Then cut a kerf across one of the tailstock, square up the block
and mark the centers with an awl. diagonal lines to engage the nail. and clamp tailstock to the table.

Like a lathe
standing on
end, the drill
press chuck
turns a block
between two
centers:a drive
center and a
tailstock.

Step 4: Next, position the base Step 5: Now damp the base so Step 6: Holding the flat part of
on the drill press table so the edge of rest is Vs" from the corners the blade against the edge of the
edge of the tool rest is slightly to of the block. To check for clear- tool rest, gently push the cutting
the left of the middle of the block. ance, rotate the block by hand. tip into the spinning workpiece.

Making a Scraper
All that's required to make a
scraping tool is a screwdriver and
a few minutes to grind a slight
bevel on the end of the blade.
I made two different scrapers.
On one, the comers are rounded
to prevent the blade from “catch-
ing” when scraping a curve, see
Fig. The other has the original
1.

square comers for straight-

shouldered cuts, see Fig. 2.

No. 5 ShopNotes 15
 Roll-Around
Shop Cart
Wheels, pegboard panels, and pull-out
trays combine to make this roll-around
cart a versatile addition to your shop.

power tools and

S and
bench space.
There never seems to be
torage tion inside the cart holds
And an open area under the top is the perfect place
to keep clamps handy.
supplies.

enough in the shop. Power tools PEGBOARD PANELS. Pegboard side and back
and accessories end up buried under panels provide an easy way to hang often used items
sawdust. And when a project gets started, on the outside of the cart. This keeps tools and other
the bench gets hidden under a pile of lumber. accessories right at hand.
What I needed was storage space that could OPTIONAL TRAYS. Trays on the inside of the cart
double as a bench or work surface. And it had to be pull out on full extension slides. And this makes it

mobile. This way I could move it easily around the easy to find those tools and parts that always seem
shop where it was needed. The solution to this to hide way in the back.
problem is the shop cart shown above. JOINERY. Another feature of this cart is it's easy
STORAGE SPACE. First of all, there's plenty of to build. I used a simple stub tenon and groove joint
storage space, both inside and out. A divided sec- throughout. (For more on this joint, see page 22.)

Cutting Diagram
X 5V2" - 72"

A A
J
-y. / / // // // // J
/ / / / / ////// / // // // // // /
3/4 " x 7" - 72 (TWO BOARDS)

7 y-wr/y s? ///ZL
7^
<

"
3/4" x 6V 2 - 72 (TWO BOARDS)

Pegboard panels are a convenient

36" ALSO MEED:
way to keep tools and accessories 1" x 31/2" -
/2 " x 40" - 96" FIR PLYWOOD
1

handy. And an open shelf under the top W* x 40” - 40" MASONITE
/4 " x 40" - 40" PEGBOARD
1

is the perfect place for storing clamps.

16 ShopNotes No. 5
 FEATURE PROJECT

EXPLODED
VIEW

^H8>
SIDE
TRIM

END
STILE
g) ifljSSS] RAIL

4
Materials & Hardware List
Back Top
A Top/3tm. Rails (2) 2/. 4X3 - 34Vz 0 Top Pieces (2) 19V2 x 42 - V2 ply
3 End Stiles (2) 2/4x2/4-17 P Top Cover (1) 19V2 x 42 - V4 Masonite
C Center Stile (1) 2/4x3-17 Q Side Trim (2) 2/4 x IV4 -191/2

D Panels (2) 14x17 -V4 Pegboard R Front/3k. Trim (2) 2/4 X V/4 - 431/2

Sides Doors
E Stiles (4) 2/4x3- 2&V2 S Stiles (4) 2/4x3-22
F Rails (4) $4x3 -14 T Rails (4) 2/4x3- 121/2

G Panels (2 ) 14x17 -V4 Pegboard U Panels (2 ) 12V2 x 1 6Vz - 1/4

Masonite
H Filler Strips (4) V4 xV4- 6 Pull-Out Trays
Shelves V Front/Sacks (4) 2/4x22/4-16
1 Shelves (2) 1&/4 x 34Vz - Vz ply W Sides (4) 2/4x22/4-171/2
J Shelf Edging (2) 2/4 x IV2 - 34V2 X 3otto ms (2) 15V4 x 171/2 - 1/4
Masonite
K Side Supports (4) #4x1-13 Hardware
L Sack Supports (2) 2/4x1-33 • (4) 3" Casters w/Lag Screws • (36) V/4 " Fh Woodscrews
M Center Divider (1) 20 - V2 ply
132/4 X • (2) IV4 " Poor Pulls w/Screws • (2) Pair 13" Drawer Slides
N Caster Slocks (2) 1x3-1W4 • (4) %"x IV2 " Hinges w/Screws • (2) Magnetic Door Catches

No. 5 ShopNotes 17
 FEATURE PROJECT

Back and Sides

The roll-around shop cart is basi-
cally a simple cabinet. It's made
up of a back and two sides, refer
toExploded View.

BACK
I started work on the cart by

making the back. The back is just

a frame and two pegboard panels.
The frame consists of a top and
bottom rail (A ), two end stiles
( B), and a center stile (C), see
Fig. 1. The between the
stiles fit
rails and support the two peg-
board panels (D).
joinery. After I cut the frame
and panel pieces to size, I use a
stub tenon and groove joint to
join the frame and the panels to-
gether, see Details in Fig. 1. (For
step-by-step instructions on how
to cut this joint, see the article on
page 22.)

SIDES
The sides are made just like the
back. Except this time the rails
fitbetween the stiles, see Fig. 2.
Each side is made up of two
stiles (E), two rails (F), and a
pegboard panel (G), see Fig. 2.
Note: To simplify construction
of the cart, I used identical peg-
board panels for both the back
and the sides.
To create the open space under
the top of the cart (for clamps and
other tools), I positioned one of
the rails (F) 6" down from the top
of the stile (E), see Figs. 2 and 2a.
FILLER STRIPS. But there’s a
problem with positioning the
rails like this. It leaves an open
groove on the inside edge of each
stile. To fill these grooves, I used

filler strips (H), see Fig. 2a.

ASSEMBLY. After the filler
strips are glued into the grooves,
the last step is to assemble the
basic cabinet.
To do this, glue and clamp the
back between the sides so the
bottom edges are flush, see Figs.
3 and 3a.

18 ShopNotes No. 5
 FEATURE PROJECT

Shelves and Divider

The shelves of the shop cart pro-
vide storage space and help
strengthen the cabinet, refer to
Exploded View. The two shelves
are identical and easy to build.
SHELVES. Each shelf (I) is
made from a piece of VS" plywood.
Then to prevent the shelf from
bowing and to cover the plywood
edge, I added a piece of shelf edg-
ing (J), see Fig. 4.
This edging is joined to the
shelf with an offset tongue and
groove joint, see Fig. 4a. After
the joints are cut, the edging is

glued to the shelf.

SUPPORTS. To attach the
shelves to the cabinet, I used shelf
supports. They’re pre-drilled to
make it easy to screw the shelves
to the cabinet, see Fig. 4.
The side supports (K) are
glued to the shelf first. Then a
back support (L) is cut to fit be-
tween them, see Fig. 4.
ATTACH SHELVES. To attach
the shelves, screw the lower shelf
inside the cabinet so the bottom
of the edging (J) is flush with the
bottom of the cabinet, see Fig. 5.
Then to create a lip around the
upper shelf (so tools won’t roll
off), position the shelf VS" below
the top rails (A and F) and screw
it in place, see Fig. 5a.
CENTER DIVIDER. Next, a
center divider (M) is screwed be- shelf edging (J) and back support These l"-thick blocks provide ex-
tween the shelves, see Fig. 6. The (L), see Fig. 6a. tra holding power for the screws
center divider is just a piece of CASTERS. Finally, a set of that hold the locking swivel cast-
VS" plywood with the top two cor- caster blocks (N) are glued under ers in place, see Fig. 7. (For
ners notched to fit around the the bottom shelf, see Fig. 7. sources of casters, see page 31.)

CASTER SLOCK
FITS BETWEEN
SHELF EDGING
AND SACK
SUPPORT

No. 5 ShopNotes 19
 FEATURE PROJECT

With the center divider screwed

in place, the next step is to make
the top of the shop cart.
TWO PIECES.. The top is made
by gluing up two plywood top
pieces ( 0). These pieces are cut to
match the overall width of the
sides (19^) and to a length of
42". Note: The 42" length allows
for a 3" overhang on each end.
To “lock” the top in place, I cut
dadoes on the underside of the
plywood to fit over the side stiles
(E), see Fig. 8a. Once they're cut,
the top pieces are screwed to the
cart, see Fig. 9. FIRST: SCREW TOP PIECES TO SIDE STILES
TOP COVER. Since I wanted a SECOND: CLUE ON TOP COVER
hard, smooth surface for the top THIRD: (SLUE AND CLAMP
TRIM PIECES TO TOP
of the cart, glued a Masonite top
I

cover (P) on top of the plywood

pieces (0), see Fig. 9.
Note: You can cut the top cover
the same size as the top pieces
A flush trim bit and use a
(0), or cut it oversize

in a hand-held margin tip.

flush trim bit, see
trim. The edges of the top are
router makes it
covered with side trim (Q) and
easy to get a front/back trim (R), see Fig. 9.
flush edge. Before I glued the front and
back trim (R) to the top, I r~ CHAMFER CORNERS OF^\
FRONT/SK. TRIM \
knocked off the sharp comers by
z?\. l

cutting a chamfer on the ends, see

FR0NT/3K. TRIM
Fig. 9a. H
After all of the trim is glued in TOP I

place, I routed a W chamfer

COVER SIDE
TRIM
along the top edge, see Fig. 9b. V LJ

Doors
To reduce dust inside the cart, I
added a pair of doors. The doors
1 o
are made just like the rest of the NOTE:
cabinet — a simple frame and
ALL FRAME
STOCK IS
panel, see Fig. 10. W-THICK <Q>

FRAMES. To make the frames, PANEL

(121/2" X 161/2"
first cut the stiles (S) to match - 1/4"

the distance between the bottom MASONITE)

of the lower shelf and the top of STILE

(3" x 22")
the upper shelf (22 " long), refer to
Exploded View.
The rails (T) are a little trick-
The idea here is to cut them
ier.

to length so the doors are tight (3" x 121/2")

20 ShopNotes No. 5
 FEATURE PROJECT

against each other and flush with

the sides of the cabinet, see photo
on page 16.
To do this you'll have to con-
sider the width of the stiles (3"),
and the length of the stub tenons
(1/4"). In my case, the rails (T)
measure 12l/>" long.
PANELS. Since I wouldn't be
hanging anything on the doors,
the panels (U) are cut from solid
Masonite. Here again, they're cut
to fit the frames, see Fig. 10.
After the doors are glued up,
you'll need to plane the stiles to cre-
6
ate a 1/1
"
gap between the doors.
MOUNT DOORS. The next step
is to mount the doors to the cabi-
net with butt hinges, see Fig.
11. The easiest way to do this is HARDWARE. After the doors Next, I drilled centered holes
to cut mortises in the front edge are screwed to the cart, I in- in the door stiles and screwed on
of the side stiles (E) to match stalled a pair of magnetic catches, a pair of door pulls, see Fig. 11.
the thickness of the hinge, see see Fig. lib. They keep the doors To complete the cart, brush on
Fig. 11a. closed when the cart is moved. two coats of satin polyurethane.

Optional Pull-Out Trays

After completing the shop cart, I make rabbet joint, see Fig. 1.

added a couple of pull-out trays. Next, a groove is cut in the

These trays slide all the way out frame pieces to accept a Masonite
on a set of full-extension drawer bottom (X).
slides, see photo. DRAWER SLIDES. The pull-out
TRAYS. Each tray consists of a trays are mounted on a set of full-
front/back (V) and a pair of sides extension slides. (For sources of
(W). Note: Since the drawer drawer slides, see page 31.)
slides require of clearance on The lower tray is mounted so it
each side, the overall width of the sits about Vi6" above the bottom

trays is 16". shelf. And the upper tray is

The ends of the tray are then mounted 9 1/^" up from the bot-
joined together with an easy to tom shelf, see Fig. 2.

TRAY
NOTE:
MOUNT UPPER
MOUNT LOWER TRAY TRAY 91/2" ABOVE
Vie" ABOVE BOTTOM SHELF BOTTOM SHELF

No. 5 ShopNotes 21
 TECHNIQUE

Stub Tenon
& Groove
trength and simplicity. Two

Simple joinery
S reasons why I often use stub
tenon and groove joinery when a
the panel like “edging”
and actually become part
of the joint. This allows
project calls for frame and panel you to cut a short (stub)
and a man-
construction. tenon that fits in the
made panel Actually, type of joint
this same groove as the panel
create a strong should only be used with one type instead of cutting a deeper mor- takes is a simple set-up and a cou-
frame and of panel —
a manufactured panel tise and a full-length tenon. ple passes on the table saw. (Re-
panel assembly. (such as plywood, Masonite, or I use a two-step process to make fer to Figs. 2 and 3.)
pegboard). a stub tenon and groove joint. STUB TENONS. The next step
These panels are dimension- THE GROOVES. The first step is to cut short stub tenons on the
ally stable (they won't “move” is to cut grooves in the inside ends of the rails to fit the grooves,
with changes in humidity). This edges of all the frame pieces, see refer to Fig. lb. Just like the
allows you to glue the frame di- Figs. 1 and la. The grooves are grooves, the tenons are cut in
rectly on the edge of the panel, sized to hold the panel in place several passes.
see Fig. 1. with a friction fit. The secret to getting a good fit

Note: Solid wood panels should Cutting the grooves (and later is to cut the tenons slightly over-
never be glued inside a frame. cutting the stub tenons) goes a lot size. Then “sneak up” on the final
They must be able to “move.” easier if the grooves are centered thickness until the tenon just
With a stub tenon and groove on the thickness of the stock. For- slips into the groove with a fric-
joint, the frame pieces surround tunately, this is easy to do. All it tion fit.
 TECHNIQUE

Cutting the Grooves

The grooves are cut in the rails
and stiles for two purposes. First, WORKPIECE £).

they hold the panels in the frame.

And second, they serve as open
“mortises” for the stub tenons.
CENTERED GROOVE. The im-
portant thing is to cut a groove so FIR5T CUT
FORMS HALF
it’s centered on the edge of the OF GROOVE
frame piece. To do this, start by
setting the blade height to the
desired depth for the groove.
The trick to getting the groove
perfectly centered is to start with
the blade roughly centered on the
workpiece, and make a pass, see WORKPIECE

Fig. 2. WORKPIECE
FENCE /
Then without moving the rip
>
fence, flip the pieceend for end
SECOND
and take another pass, see Fig. 3. CUT
TEST THE FIT. Now check the COMPLETES
THE GROOVE
fiton the panel. If the groove isn’t
wide enough for the panel, move
the fence and repeat the process.
FLIPWORKPIECE
When you get a snug fit, cut a END-FOR-END
groove in all your frame pieces. AFTER FIRST CUT

Cutting the Stub Tenons

After the grooves are cut, the
next step is to cut stub tenons to
fit the grooves. To do this, I use

the same type of procedure as

above, flipping the piece, and
“sneaking up” on the final cut.
SET UP SAW. Start by setting
the height of the blade by using
one of the grooved pieces as a
gauge, see Fig. 4.

Next, set the rip fence so the

distance between it and the out-
side of the blade is just slightly
less than the depth of the groove,
see Fig. 5.
CUT THE TENONS. To cut the
tenon, make the first pass at the
shoulder of the tenon, see Fig. 6a.
Then slide the workpiece over to
complete the tenon at the end.
Then flip the workpiece over to
cut the other side. If necessary,
raise the blade or move the fence
and repeat the procedure until
the tenon fits snug in the groove.

No. 5 ShopNotes 23
 FINE TOOLS

Adjustable
Set-Up Gauge

This adjustable set-up gauge This means you can “pop” the
solves both problems — it's pre- rule off and use it elsewhere. It
cise and easy to read. also allows you to slide the rule
TWO PARTS. There are two ba- and use it as a depth gauge, see
sic parts to the gauge: a body, and center photo below.
a sliding arm, see drawing at left. EASY TO READ. The key to
A groove in the body accepts a making the set-up gauge easy to

S etting a
bit
saw blade or router
to an exact height (or
depth) can be a challenge. The
tongue that’s cut in the arm. This
allows the arm to slide up and
down the body without twisting.
read is the sliding arm. It’s sup-
ported by the body and extends
out over the bit or blade, see bot-
tricky part is getting an accurate Then the arm can be locked in tom left photo.
reading off a rule or tape measure. place to take accurate readings. In use, the arm is adjusted so
The curved profiles on many PRECISION. What makes this the bottom just touches the high
router bits make it almost impossi- gauge precise is an accurate rule. point of the bit or blade. Then the
ble to get a precisemeasurement. (For sources, see page 31.) The brass strip on the sliding arm in-
And likewise, the angled teeth of a rule is held in place with a small dicates the exact height of the bit
saw blade make it difficult to read. magnet, see Exploded View. or blade on the rule.

A Height: Accurate height readings A Depth: The rule of the gauge is held A Distance: The gauge can also be
are easy with gauge. That’s be-
this in place with a magnet. This lets you used a fence a precise distance
to set
cause the arm extends over the blade. slide it to check the depth of a mortise. away from a router bit or saw blade.

24 ShopNotes No. 5
 FINE TOOLS

The Body
The set-up gauge consists of two
main parts: a body, and a sliding
arm, refer to Exploded View on
the opposite page.
I started work on the L-shaped

body by cutting a 3" wide by

M
5 15/i6 long blank, refer to Fig. 2.
GROOVE. Next, a shallow (W-
deep) groove is cut in one edge of
the body. This groove is one-half
of a tongue and groove joint that
allows the arm to slide up and
down the body without twisting.
The other half (the tongue) is cut
on the sliding arm later.
It’s easiest to rout the groove
2
in theblank before the body is cut
to shape. I did this on the router FIRST:
LAY OUT 5HAPE V/2" —
table, see Fig. 1. k ELI A Kll/
uuniNrv

Tw
1
\*s i

To make sure the V&"-wide ^

SECOND:
groove is centered on the stock, HOLE FOR
DRILL
use a straight bit and take two SMOOTH RADIUS L WASTE

passes, flipping the workpiece

end for end between passes, see
THIRD:
CUT OUT BODY
y ^
SHAPE 1"-DIA. HOLE
Fig. la. / 1/0"-DEEP. t/2 "-WIDE 1,
X CENTERED GROOVE
body shape. After the groove 1
r

1
is cut, lay out the shape of the
body on the blank (note the loca- NOTE:
BODY IS CUT FROM W-thick stock
tion of the groove), see Fig. 2.
Then drill a l"-dia. hole and cut
out the body with a sabre saw or router table, see Fig. 3a. dia. hole for the magnet that holds
band saw. ShopTip: To ensure a perfectly the metal rule in place, see Fig. 4.

ROUND OVER EDGES. With the smooth round-over, first sand the Note: To make sure the rule
body cut out and sanded, the next sawn edges of the body, then rout doesn’t slip, I use a high-strength

step is to soften the outside the edge. magnet. (See page 31 for sources.)
edges, see Fig. 3. To do this, I MAGNET. After the edges are Finally, to complete the body,
used a 14" round-over bit in the rounded, lay out and drill a !£"- epoxy the magnet in the hole.

Hardware
• (1 ) Brass Strip
1
/4 " x 064
. - 6"

• (1) Brass Strip

Wx.064-5"
• (1) Rare Earth
u
Magnet Vz -d\a.

• (1) 10-32 x m u

Bn Machine Screw
• (1) 10-32 Brass
Knurled Nut
• (1) No 10 Brass
.

Washer
• (9) No. 4 x J/2"
Brass Screws

No. 5 ShopNotes 25
 FINE TOOLS

The Sliding Arm

After completing the body of the
set-up gauge, I started work on the
sliding arm Here again, I used an
.

oversized blank, see Fig. 5.

CUT THE TONGUE. The first
step is to cut a tongue (the other
half of the tongue and groove
joint) to fit the groove in the body.
The important thing is to get a
tight fit that still allows the arm
to slide smoothly.
Just like the groove, I cut the
tongue with a straight on the bit
router table. But this time I
moved the fence over the bit leav-
ing W exposed, see Fig. 5a.
To do this, start with a test
piece (the same thickness as the
sliding arm).To form the tongue,
take light passes on each edge
until the tongue just fits in the
groove. When the fit is snug, cut
the tongue on the blank.
THE SHAPE. After the tongue is
cut, lay out the shape of the sliding
arm on the blank, see Fig. 5.
To make it safer to rout the
sliding arm, I left a “handle” on
both ends, refer to Figs. 6 and 7.
To make the handles, drill a 1"-
dia. hole and cut the blank to
shape, refer to Fig. 5.
ROUND OVER EDGES. The next
step is to round over the outside

edges of the arm. (Note: Don’t

forget to sand the edges first.) To
do this safely, hold the blank by
the “handles” and rout a V4
"

round-over, see Fig. 6.

CUT THE SLOT. To lock the set-
up gauge in position after you’ve
taken a reading, a slot is cut in the
sliding arm, see Fig. 7 Cutting the .

slot is a two-step process.

First, drill a pair of W-dia.
holes to define the limits of the
slot. Then rout out the waste.

This can be done in a couple of

passes with a V4 " straight bit on
the router table, see Fig. 7. (Here
again, use the handles for safety.)
Finally, trim the sliding arm to
its finished width and length, re-
fer to Fig. 7 a.

26 ShopNotes No. 5
 FINE TOOLS

Aa&embty
The sliding arm is attached to the
body with a brass machine screw,
washer, and knurled nut, see Fig. 8.
BRASS SCREW. To locate a per-
fectly centered hole for the screw,
I use a V4
brad point drill bit.
"

To do this, hold the arm and

body together with the ends
flush. Then insert the bit in the
end of the slot and mark the cen-
ter, see Fig. 8a.
Now drill a hole slightly less
than the diameter of your screw.
ASSEMBLY. Assembly of the
gauge is simple. First, the brass
screw is screwed into the body.
Then the head of the screw is cut off.
Next, slip the arm over the
screw and add the washer. Now
just thread on the knurled nut and
file the screw flush, see Fig. 8b.
BRASS STRIPS. There are three
brass strips on the gauge: two
3/4"-wide strips act as wear plates
on the bottom, and a V4"-wide
strip on the sliding arm to keep
the rule aligned, see Fig. 9. (For
sources of brass, see page 31.)
Since the W-wide strip is filed
flush with the wear plate on the
bottom, it acts as a pointer for the
rule, see Fig. 9a. (For more on
attaching brass, see box below.)
FINISH. After the brass is at-

tached, wipe on a couple coats of

tung oil. Finally, attach the rule
to the gauge and it’s ready to use.

Attaching Brass to Wood

To attach brass to wood, I use
“instant” glue and brass screws.
1 2 FILE HEAD OF
sbKtw t-Lu:?r
The “instant” glue holds the WITH BRASS STIRIP

brass temporarily in place for drill-

ing. Pilot and shank holes are — *»|
— iMtmmmm
drilled through the brass and then
countersunk, see Fig.
The screws keep the brass
1.

V
f=
strips attached over time. After A simple system for

the screws are in place, the heads countersinking and filing

are filed off flush and sanded a brass screw results in a

smooth, see Fig. 2. fit that’s almost invisible.

No. 5 ShopNotes 27
 TIPS & TECHNIQUES

Shop Solutions
Drilling Tip

I Occasionally
I need to drill a
hole for a cross-pin in
a dowel, bolt, or steel rod,
see photo above. The problem is

the bit has a tendency to wander

off the curved surface, so it’s
tough to center the hole exactly.
To pinpoint the hole and to pre-
vent the tip of the bit from sliding
off, I use a simple drilling jig.

(Editor's Note: This jig is espe-

cially handy when drilling the
hole needed on the drive center of the block against a fence clamped Now drill the second hole the
the Turning Jig see page
,
1J>.) to the drill press table. The first same size as the desired cross-pin
The jig is just a block of wood hole is drilled with a bit the same hole in the bolt. The bit doesn’t
with a square end. The idea is to diameter as the bolt (or dowel), slip off. And the bolt is held se-
drill two holes in the block that see Fig. 1. Next, rotate the block curely by the block.
are at 90° to each other. so it rests on its adjacent side, and Darren Souier
To do this, position the end of insert the bolt, see Fig. 2. Pride Louisiana
,

Scroll Saw Slade Organizer

There’s quite a variety in the
width, thickness, and number of
teeth per inch on saw scroll
blades. But when you take them
out of the package, the blades
look remarkably alike.
To keep them separated, I built
a scroll saw blade organizer, see
drawing. It’s made by gluing
short pieces of CP VC pipe
into holes drilled in a couple of
scrap pieces of wood.
The only trick is getting the
holes to align. I taped the pieces

together with double-sided tape

before drilling the holes. To keep
the blades from falling through,
stop the holes halfway through
the bottom piece, see Detail a.

Anthony Balkun
Wakefield Rhode Island
,

28 ShopNotes No. 5
 TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Turning Tip
Here's an old turner's trick I against the spinning workpiece.
use before applying a finish to a This burnishes the wood and brings
project on a lathe. out a nice sheen in the turning.
When I'm done sanding, I Alan Miller
press a handful of shavings up Sacramento, California

Squaring a Miter Gauge

I read your tip on setting the
miter gauge on a table saw 90° to
the blade. (Editor's Note: This tip
appeared in Issue No 1.) .

I use a slightly different tech-

nique that doesn't waste as much

wood. This technique requires
taking a thin slice off two pieces
at the same time, see Fig. 1.

First, stack one piece on top of

the other. Then place the edges
against the miter gauge and trim
the ends, see Fig. la. Next, unfold
the pieces like you would turn the
pages of a book, see Fig. 2.
Now, set the pieces on edge
(the edges that were against the
miter gauge are down on the ta-
ble), and slide the cut ends to-
gether, see Fig. 3.
If agap appears at the bottom,
the miter gauge needs to be ad-
justed clockwise, see Fig. 3a. If
the opening is at the top, adjust
the gauge counter-clockwise.
Note: The amount of error in-
dicated by the gap is double the
actual error.
John Plank
Waupun, Wisconsin

damp Fads Send

>= v
in Your Solutions
TAPE SNAP-ON
To keep from marring the sur- \ , ..

C-CLAMP If you’d like to share original- solu-

LIDS FROM 35mm face of a workpiece when using
FILM CONTAINER tions to problems you’ve faced, send
TO JAWS WITH C-clamps, I attach “pads” to the
DOUBLE them to: ShopNotes, Attn: Shop So-
jaws of my clamps, see drawing.
SIDED lutions, 2200 Grand Ave., Des
TAPE The pads are snap-on lids from
Moines, IA 50312.
35mm film containers that are
We’ll pay up to $200 depending on
taped to the jaws with carpet
the published length. Send an expla-
tape. To fit the fixed jaw, you'll
NOTE: nation along with a photo or sketch..
TRIM LID need to trim the rim of the lid.
TO FIT
Include a daytime phone number so
George Peterson
FIXED we can call you if we have questions..
JAW Englewood, Colorado

No. 5 ShopNotes 29
 LUMBERYAR

Lumber Thickness •
I’ve often heard other ards for surfaced thick-
woodworkers talk about ness. Some stores sur-

The terms used 1*1U, 5/i, and 8/1* stock. face hardwood down to
What do these designa- 3/4 "
because that’s what’s
to describe lum-
tions mean used with softwood.
ber thickness
can be confus- First of all, these “quar- I’ve seen lumber sold
ing. But once ter” designations stand as S2S and SJ*S. What
you break the for the thickness of do these letters and
“code” it’s easy hardwood lumber as it’s numbers mean?
cut into rough boards.
to understand.
QUARTERS. Tradition- These letters and num-
ally, hardwood lumber is bers designate how
referred to by its rough many surfaces of the
M
thickness, in incre- 1/4 board have been planed
ments. So a l"-thick A Lumber mills and distributors use large planers or cut square. The “S”
rough board is called 4/4 to surface rough stock before it’s sold. This removes means surfaced. The
(four-quarter), and a the saw marks and leaves it uniform in thickness. numbers 1,2,3, and 4 —
1 14 "-thick rough-sawn refer to the number of
board is called 5/4 (five-quarter). sociation has established a set of surfaces cut or planed.
However, this designation is not guidelines for the thickness of For example, a board marked
the actual thickness of the lumber surfaced lumber, see chart below. S4S means that it has been sur-
when it's surfaced (planed) and However, these specifications faced on both faces and jointed or
sold to the customer. This is where are guidelines not the law. — straight-line ripped on both
the confusion begins. Lumberyards or retail outlets edges. Almost every piece of soft-
After the lumber is surfaced, it may not follow these guidelines. wood lumber sold at home cen-
still retains the “quarter” termi- Some 4/4 stock is surfaced to ters has been surfaced on all four
nology even though the actual 13/L6" according to the guidelines. (S4S), like a 1x4.
thickness has changed. But some mills have settled on Occasionally, you’ll find hard-
GUIDELINES. In order to as- 25/§2" because they’ve found that wood lumber that’s been surfaced
sure the customer that he’s actu- it yields more saleable lumber. on just two sides (S2S). This
ally comparing “apples to apples” OTHER STANDARDS. To add to doesn’t mean it’s inferior just —
from one yard to the other, the the confusion, hardwoods and milled less. And less milling usu-
National Hardwood Lumber As- softwoods have different stand- ally means a lower price.

Standards for Hardwood Lumber Lumber Questions?

Identifying, selecting, and
Rough Quarter Surfaced
Thickness Designation Thickness buying materials for your
workshop projects can be a
bit confusing.
5/8" 5/8" * 7/16"
If you have any questions
3/4
" " * 9/l6"
3/4 about lumber or other pro-
1" 4/4 13/16" ject materials, send them
to:, ShopNotes, Attn: Lum-
11/4"

w 2"
5/4
6/4
8/4
1V16"
15/16"

13/4"
beryard, 2200 Grand Ave.,
Des Moines, I A 50312.
Please include a daytime
phone number so we can
* Rough lumber 1 " is expressed inches call, you if necessary;
less than in

30 ShopNotes No. 5

i
 PROJECT SUPPLIES

Sources
ShopNotes Project Supplies is of- Cart are available separately. called a rare earth magnet. If you
fering some of the hardware and The drawer slides are 18” full want to purchase the magnet
supplies needed for the projects extension slides and are rated at only, it is available through Shop-
in this issue. a 75 lb. capacity. One pair is Notes Project Supplies and
We've also put together a list of needed for each drawer or tray. through the source listed below.
other mail order sources that S1006-211 One Pair 18" S1001-250 Rare Earth
have the same or similar hard- Drawer Slides $5.95 Magnet $10.95
ware and supplies. We used two pairs of 3" locking
6" RULE
casters on the Shop Cart.
MITER BOX S747-211 One Pair 3" The Set-up Gauge shown on page
There is a hardware kit available Locking Casters $19.95 24 is designed to work with any

for the shop-built Miter Box 6" metal (not aluminum) rule. The
shown on page 4. The kit includes SET-UP GAUGE rule we used is one we had manu-
all of the hardware necessary to If you would like to purchase all factured to our own specifica-
build the Miter Box. It does not of the hardware needed to make tions. One side is graduated in
M
include the hand saw, the wood, the Adjustable Set-Up Gauge Vi6 increments the other side
or the Masonite. shown on page 24, there is a kit has W increments.
S6805-100 Miter Box Hard- available. The kit includes all of S701-116 Woodworker's Rule
ware Kit $9.95 the brass parts, screws, and high- No. 601 $9.95
strength magnet. (Brass strips Note: Similar rules are avail-
ROLL-AROUND SHOP CART likethe ones we used can also be able from some of the mail order
ShopNotes Project Supplies is of- found at local hobby shops.) sources listed below.
fering a kit that contains all of the need to supply your own
You'll
hardware needed to build the metal rule and wood. Note: If you GLUE
Shop Cart shown on page 16. don't have a metal rule, one is We used a special glue to tempo-
Similar hardware can be found available separately. rarily hold the brass onto the Set-
locally or from the mail order S6805-300 Set-up Gauge Up Gauge. The glue we used has
sources listed below. Hardware Kit $14.95 a slower setting time than most
S6805-200 Shop Cart Hard- instant glues. This type of glue is
ware Kit $69.95 MAGNET also available from some of the
The only unusual piece of hard- mail order sources listed below.
DRAWER SLIDES & CASTERS ware used in making the Set-Up S4010-210 Special-T Instant
The drawer slides and locking Gauge is the magnet. We used a Glue (2 oz.) $9.95
casters that we used on the Shop small, but very strong, magnet S4010-220 Solvent $4.95

MAIL ORDER SOURCES ORDER INFORMATION

Similar hardware and supplies may be found in the
following catalogs. Please call each company for a catalog BY MAIL BY PHONE
or for ordering information. To order by mail, use the For fastest service use our
Edmund Scientific Trend-Lines Woodworker’s Supply form enclosed with a current TollFree order line. Open
609 -573-6250 800 -767-9999 800 -645-9292 issue. The order form in- Monday through Friday, 7:00
Rare Earth Magnets Drawer Slides Drawer Slides, Locking
Casters, Instant Glue
cludes information on han- AM to 7:00 PM Central Time.
Constantine’s Woodcraft dling and shipping charges, Before calling, have your
800 -223-8087 800 -225-1153 Shopsmith/Wood-
Drawer Slides, Locking Drawer Slides, Instant working Unlimited
and sales tax. Send your mail VISA, MasterCard, or Dis-
Casters, Instant Glue Glue, Metal Rule 800 -543-7586 order to: cover Card ready.
Garrett Wade The Woodworkers’ Drawer Slides, Instant
800 -221-2942 Store Glue, Metal Rule ShopNotes 1 - 800 -444-7527
Instant Glue, Metal 612 -428-2199 Project Supplies
Rule Drawer Slides, Locking
Casters, Metal Ride, In-
P.O. Box 842 Note: Prices subject to change
after Nov. 1,1992.
stant Glue Des Moines, IA 50304

No. 5 ShopNotes 31
 Scenes From the Shop
Weighing in at over IpO pounds this cast iron miter
,
rear jaw. Then the hand wheel is turned to lock it in
machine was used by cabinetmakers to cut perfect 1*5° place. The miter saw rides in a set of guides that guar-
miters. The workpiece is first positioned against the antees both precision and a smooth chatter-free cut.