VOLUME II, NUMBER 2 “- | _ Wooten {| |WHETHER YOU PLANE FOR PAY OR PLAY, Tes: should be a big difference between power tools you use for high-skill projects or tools you make a living with and the tools a weekend novice needs to build a living room shelf. But too often, what you find are tools made to do all things for all people. All people, that is, except professionals and serious craftsmen. That's where Ryobi is different. Our 3:4” planer, for example, offers features only a true cralts man can appreciate. A cog-belt pO sa drive system provides non-slip transmission of power for smooth, quiet operation with better shock absorption. A carefully positioned handle and balanced weight dis- tribution give you control and stability. And an extra-long rear shoe assures you of easy cutting starts. ‘The bottom line? Quality you won't find every day in just any power tool and performance you use every day. Look for Ryobi planers and get the tools made for more than weekend: , Made for more than weekends. Bee) 1158 Tower Lane Bensenville, 1the merical ene Fadworker vol aC— LETTERS — Dear American Woodworker, ‘ead wih great interest Chris Bocksvoor's anicle THE BASICS OF [STEAM BENDING Volume 1, Number 4), The aisle wes concise and ‘gave 2 very good Induction into bending wood. I restore wood and ‘Canvas carious and mus, rom time ime, steam bend South American ‘mahogany and sia spruce n order to form new inwales and outwales. ‘Through rial and error | now employ most ofthe techniques recor ‘mended by Mr. Becksvoor. “The aniele did romind me ofa question that have had for along time The bending limits Table B) show sitka spruce with a limit of @ 960) radius when supported wit a tansion strap and a smaller radius of 92.0" ‘when bant without a tension strap. All other woods mentioned have ust {he verse relationship. Why is thi the case? | have also seen siilar| labios which show mahogany wih tne exact sre its ‘When I bend these typos of wood | am usualy working witha 34°-1" thickness and bond on a 30” radus. Te obtain this relatvely ight curve Tuse only a eried wood (ln dreds too brite), presoakad for 24 hour, ae prestared arto hour (allowing the wood icon the sta box for 2¢ nour). end with the use ofa tonsion sap made of" ‘ash. This might bo a ite overkl but the resuls speak for themselves. Talmost never break a piece of wood. George Brown, Fairfield, PA Chile Backevoort Repos: Frat, to say ta be fous in bath idles A & Bao guide, ogee ay te ais ad fre publaod evr ar avs nga (ile ore Eon Counerpt Ine Priore spor ers Prod file 0 par fenorough Fost {Gt La ble. Meso elngs ae somebes Desed on very ral samples. Personally | have never steam bent mahogany (altough i laminates wel), and nave used stk spruce only for soundboards. You are coroct ‘in thatthe gures for mahogany are Identical to ska spruce, opposte (of whats expected. Assuming that the gues of 36" supported by @ sap, ‘2nd.22" unsupported are corect, the conclusion is thal these woods do ‘ot compress wel or perhaps stretch very wel Most woods compress. ‘much beter than thoy satch. Tho reason for @ supporting strap is pre- ‘nt excess tension (atretch) on the outside of the curv, white creating ‘Compression onthe wood Noes on the inside ofthe cura. Te seers tet Sita spruce and South American mahogany do not it his general rule. Dear Eattor: “As & newcomer fo woodworking, | have not been able to contribute through helpful hints or otherwise: as an “old timer” professional ‘engineer (electrical), | would like fo urge an addtional word of caution ‘be issued' your readers who might build a fishing room as described ‘on page 52.53 of Vo. I No. 1. In my thityve years in the electrical ‘business (have had occasion to rebuild two plants which were destroyed by hazardous vapors. Voail frishes are extremely dangerous, “Atinishing rooms great, {uit mine with intake fiers, pat arrestor eds anda non-sparking aluminum bladed tubeaxia fan and explosion. roo! motor to meet al FNPA and NEC requirements. The cost was about '$1,00000 but I'spray knowing I wll walk away—not My finish room Is only 7” wide by 8 high by 5° deep and required a fan delivery 7000 cfm of foe arto do th job (2np 24"). Please advise your readers fo gel some good design advice before they bull a bomb Inthe basement BAR. Middleton, LETTERS TO ERNIE CONOVER Dear Mc. Conover: Titked your answer to Mr. Calabro's question on the Rockwell hard- ness test (Vol. |, No.) ‘However, eed te know more about the metals used in tools; carbon steel, high spoe0 see (HSS), 100 stl, M2 tool soo, chrome vanadium, te. The lis is dizzying! ‘infact, believe t would be beneficial to all woodworkers If the prop ‘ori and charactors ol the various molals were known before money |s spent on expensive tools. Bud Ellenberger, Oden, MI + Virginia Beach, VA Dear Mr Elenberger: "appreciate your leer i regards to tool steels, You indeed raise an Intorosting opie and one which Iplan fo cover detail n a future colun, ‘As wo draw tothe end ofthe Hist of power tots fora smal shop, your ‘question is logical and timely. | thank you for suggesting Doar Mt. Conover: ih beeaae "ido wocdworking as a hobby. | am intrested in trying volute, or rovers, turning on the lathe. Do you have, or know of, any information on this procedure? 'leo, do you know of any produ! that wil ha@p or reduce such woods as purpe heart, padauk, ee. from darkening wih age? Ralph 8. Easley, Cincinnat, OH Dear Mr. Easley: “Inreferance fo your question on volute or reverse turning onthe ath, {'m arid you wil have to give us more specics on what you ar ying 1 Go. you could explain what you aro uyng 0 achieve, maybe we could Unprevetable, however, will keep the wood Tooking the most ike it was when freshly machined would be lacquer Doar Mr, Conover: "The discussion of planers was very timely for me, | have some questions: “._Ona SH. motor diving the planer, what the amperage draw? (eingle phase, 20 volt with a 3/16" noavy cut on softwood) itis is around 25 amps, will no. 10 wire carry the load? 3 Do tnese Big motor (igo ma) come wih a rubber cable all wired we? Willam 8. Gallagher, Baton Rouge, LA Dear Mc Gallagher: in reference fo your question about elects on large planers. A ho ‘motor wil Indeed draw about 25 amps at start. However thsi for 10, Vt service and switching to 220 vol service would half his draw. This Is the reason why efficiency increases dramatical forthe increase in, ‘voltage. Forthisreason [would highly recommend wiring your basement 10 be able fo run your machine on 220 vos. A #70 wiro would be more than ae a infact wou probate espe when ‘unaing on 220, ‘Motors do not come wited and hooking up isthe responsibilty ofthe _purchasec On a ig motor Ike the 5 HP be sure and gata starting switch Sino fseoeauat or the fbn fact | recommend buying a magne ‘lectric switch. The advantage ofthe magnetic sult i that is drops ‘ut when thors a power intrrption which can be a good safety factor. ‘his means that when the power comes back on the machine 2086 Nt restart by sof but must be manualy restarted. Dear Mir. Conover: ‘Thave a smal jointer made by Wallace, Are they sil in business? sett Prath, Elvia, OH Dear ht Prat: ‘Wo rogrot 0 nform you that your Wallce joiners no longer made ans that pars ae probably not avaliable at your normal sources. | wou't ‘et Cat worry you al that mach, however fhe machines sin reasonable working order Bearings can always be replaced though focal channels ‘and most parts can be mado by ob machine shops. Even you spend $150 to make such @ machine serviceable you's ll money ahoad than Buying & now one. Dear Mr, Conover: ‘Recently, a nonwoodworking friend asked about a source of replace ‘ment tchen cabinet door and drawer rons. | was sure | had seen ads for such toms. However when | wert to locate an address forthe eplace- ‘ment doore ane drawer fronts coulant fing @ source. Can you advise fan address of a supplier for my friend? ‘James W. Bright, Medtiold, MA Dear Mr. Bright: "ou are indeed right that there are sources for stock kitchen cabinet tts The ast way aur in your ra yl eo gl 2207 Te mre Desi anc he Inthe adverisoments in those magazines you wil find sources for your eadThe Answer by Emie Conover In our previous columns we have discussed the pur- chase of most of the major machinery needed in a small, self-sufficient shop. This month we will lean up the series with some of the smaller, and in some cases, “nice to have’ machinery. BANDSAW A bandsaw is definitely one of the most useful pieces of machinery in the shop. I have two and use them for everything from cutting firewood (much quieter than a chain saw) t0 blanking out bowls for turning and roughing dovetails. In principle, the bandsaw is a simple tool, but to work well, it must be well made. Because itis a popular tool there are a good many in the matket place at a variety ‘of prices and quality. Bandsaws have a greater range in quality than just about any other tool ‘The most popular sized bandsaw is 14°, probably because this is the size of the ubiguitous Delta design. In fact, I think that at the word “*bandsaw’’ most people mentally see this machine. It has a table about 14° square and 42" high. The blade nuns on two wheels yielding a 14” throat (the distance from the blade to the frame) and a 6" depth of cut. It has «cast iron frame and is mounted on a stamped steel stand of varying degrees of enclosure and is powered, on average, by a %4 HIP motor, Sound familiar? Well, it is @ good, time honored design which has been the basis of many other fine machines and "slavishly"” copied in the orient. If this isthe type of machine you cover, then look at the Delta frst, before ‘any copycat machines, The copycats can be a very good buy, but as stated above, quality varies greatly. The important thing is to insure that the seller will be there next year and is not operating out of the back of a rented five ton truck, Recent years have seen a number of saws using three wheels. The main advantage of this type of design is that much greater throat can be obtained in proportion to the frame and wheel size. The disadvantage is that the blade flexes more and blade life can suffer. With modern metallurgy, blades run longer than ever; so, life doesn't suffer all that much if the saw is reasonably well built. High quality blades ate, of course, more important than ever and will give ‘rue value for money spent The basic building blocks of any bandsaw are the frame, the wheels, and the guides so, tis is where the buyer should give his attention. The traditional material for frames is time proven cast iron, On some of the recent copycat machines, the casting is pretty abysmal, so don’t let the words ‘cast iron’ charm you without some inspection. In the last ten years, welded (or fabricated) steel and cast aluminum frames CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 NEED A GOOD CARBIDE SHARPENING SERVICE? Carbide Tipped Saw Blades Tip Replacement (0 12" dia, any tooth style) First Tip $400 #oftecth Price Each Add. $150 toss $1000 38-48 “12.00 Standard Router Bits 50 70 18.00, (any profile) $4.00 oa, 72-86 19.00 85.100 2200 Solid Carbide 102128 2400 Flush & Bevel Trimmers (14 10 20" dia. blades add $3.50 08 5 to above prices) Carbide Tipped Dado Sets Blade Price +$9/filor Quick- set Dad Carbide "$15.00 ea. HSS. $11.50 02, Fast Turnaround Satisfaction Guaranteed Prices Include Retum Shipping (anywhere in 48 states) Pout packing material between tools. We recommend UPS, WI residents aad 5% sales tax. Minimum order $20 ‘Send your fino woodworking tools with confidence to: Precision Saw & Tool Grinding CHARGE IT! 4515 W. Laverna Ave., Dopt. A-1 =2 Mequon, Wisconsin 53092 MC 0 VISA © Check Enclosed ©) 000. doulas As ep. Dat ‘Migieg 2S ee ae iy SNE Ben 3 Waa ier 2p, was BE" gon oer wi a 2A Hi Sas So. fom ie is ES. (Protons i He Edw. _lbr Bait wi ee OH SEER 7 paw san ome se Essar eta Sev B8 aie 15 ach in ‘is arama 3S tig Si! Se DEWALT Dy BLAgK «DECKER See Peat cesta san sso 10 Tae 1g Geese fm Saw so ss Fes: $e Semana om ee Tm: We Seeawm at % Sap ng Saat ranat ta oe 34-621— Contractors saw wio motor 9°. 51 2s] Sime: Spurr oa Bf itor: PF dom rs Ss Teen: 1 Beets ss 2 ioe: Sean warns io 3 Ba: Rest ne 2.8 tela: lars oles wo ur "e's Sis: Senor’ tee 3 3 Same: Sm Re a Base: Eas See ie! 22 Bis: Ree nntiteane sd. ‘nt 6 Bis: {chou Savetson son asim” Sl Se Bis: {esis SaStartng anand Sy 5 FREE FREIGHT To TEs STATES — Day SHPPWG eg A Peer erieThe New 1986 Edition At last, a single source for the woodworker, homeowner, and builder to become well in- formed about the selection of all types of stationary and hand held power equipment. Our 1986 Buyer’s Guide Contains: ‘Thousands of photos, facts, charts, prices, and product descriptions of all types of woodworking. equip Information on all stationary power tools such as table saws, planers, jointers, etc Information on hand held power tools such as sanders, routers, jig sav, etc Information on miscellaneous specialty equipment’ such as dust systems, spray equipment, moisture meters, ete Expert indepth commentary and advice on each tool. This alone is worth more than the price of the book Recommended to anyone who uses power tools, both amateur and professional, whether you are building family heirlooms or doing home repairs + A special section on electrical motor, starters, phases, et Now you have a chance to LOOK BEFORE YOU BUY. There are over 35 CATEGORIES of machines from the common to the unusual. This is the best source of information available anywhere. An absolute must for anyone who expects to make even the smallest purchase. It will allow you to make intelligent, informed decisions about your woodworking purchases, whatever the equipment ‘Conair hia If you took the time to locate all the manufacturers and ‘importers of woodworking equipment and mailed « letter to each | - ‘A$25,0 value, Order now at the low introduetory price of only $13.50 plus Send check or money order, Vise or MasterCard number JM Publications, Inc. “3 Walton Mall, Box 1408, Dot. AWNE86 Hendorsonvile, TN 37077-1408 (15) 822.0857 Getlone, SECs me cpio The Woodters tyes Gide Pes oedage Ted anding Tenant tet my Tourn tin 16 doef Wl ard nat oa 1D PAYMENT ENCLOSED ‘Osa 1 asteRcato ‘Account HO. eee Tan PLEASE PT)THE ANSWER... hhave come into use. Fabricated frames can be excellent; just check on the rigid: ity. Cast aluminum ranges from really bad to excellent, Sears and Inca being corresponding examples. ‘Wheels are made from cast iron, cast aluminum and die cast alloy. All pro- duce quite serviceable wheels, and the thing to look foris strength and trueness. ‘The wheel should be round and not run ‘out when spun by hand. Any saw of reasonable quality today uses ball bear ings in the hubs, Guides serve the purpose of holding the blade stright and true on either side of the cut. The bottom guide is located below the table and is fixed. The top guide usually moves up and down on a fod so that it can be kept in proximity to the material being cut. A blade guard is usually attached to the same arm. The main thing to look for in guides is that they indeed “guide” the blade and that they are easy to adjust. Cheaper guides use ball bearings to support the back of the blade and fiber or wood blocks to support the sides, Better guides use ball bearings all around. Fiber guides have the advantage that they eannor harm the blade if they go out of adjustment. The best adjustment system is the micrometer type. Finally, I would like to mention the several Japanese saws that have come on the marker in the last five years. Serange looking things, they have tables that are low by western standards and really healthy throats and depths of cut. Although they are usually purveyed as bandsaws, they are in matter of fact resaws. They were designed for the pur- pose of resawing lumber (sawing large timbers into planks), and only second- arly as bandsaws. Surprise, surprise, the table height, throat size, and depth of cut turn out to be perfect for resawing tasks, In fact, theic high speed (usually 5000 feet pet minute) and guidance system designed for wide blades can ‘make them a bit dangerous when used as a bandsaw. Even when refitted with after matket guides, blades less than 3/8” width should not be run on these saws, ot run only with extreme caution. Older_models without rubber tires should not be used for narrow blades under any circumstances CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 MUCH MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER PIN ROUTER! On the Onsrud Inverted Router the cutter and Quide pin have changed places. This gives us: + Sater working conditions — operator is Not exposed to cutter or dust. Cutter Crops below table when not engaged in a curacy for one part or hundreds, Easier operation — 0} template openings, Fastor feed rates — Due to our unique method of chip removal MADE IN AMERICA BY TAXPAYING AMERICANS CR. Sy 04) 528-4528 é - 0, Box 416, Highway 21 South WHC Troutman, MiG 20160” SERB S neao sor Sepebetcarenmgasem Staring at 2 Eo eens CET eol= “Low Cost Cutters” oe Three Wing, Carbide Tipped { MADE. 2 Shaper Cutters with 3/4” bores. (Bushings available to reduce bore to 1/2") 0, Carbide Tipped f Raised Panel Shaper Cutters (Wood Samples Shown - Not Actual Size) vo SS) = = >} = — Letoer Ball Bearing Rub Collar For Raised Panel Cutters (#1884) - $16.20. | 6 Piece Carbide Tipped Stile & Rail Shaper Cutters (Wood Samples Shown - Not Actual Size) a & BE AAT Ball Beating Rub Collar For Raised Panel Cutters (#1-884) - $16.20. Carbide Tipped Door Lip Shaper Cutters Samples shown - PFs Carbide Tipped Detail Shaper Cutters 7od Samples Shown - Not Actual Siz6) Sey rte SN 3/4" to 1/2" Bushings For Stile & Rail Cutters - $12,00 Per Set. 3/4” to 1/2" Bushings For ALL Cutters EXCEPT Stile & Rail Cutters - $9.00 Per Set. ‘ORDER FORM Simply Submit A Note Describing The Item(s) Desirod. SI ee GUARANTEED Cnn end ei Dole ‘Mako Payment Payable To Nome a LR. Hubert Saw B Address. = 0. Box 64 ant Reseda, California 94335 ily Pe NS. =< 3hhe) _tp 818 / 782-0225, Crodit Cara Signature ea 8THE ANSWER... DRILL PRESS Although one can live a long time without one, a drill press is certainly a useful tool. Taiwan now dominates this market with Mainland China starting to center the scene. Most of the old-line domestic manufacturers now confine themselves to the industrial “high end”” market. Since a drill press is a simple, casy to build tool, 2 Taiwan press can be ‘a good value for the money. They build them along tradicional lines with plenty cof metal and no fills. Features to explore are the capacity (the distance from the chuck center to the column), the size of the motor, the number of speeds, the length of stroke of the quill (the tube which houses the beatings and the spin: dle), the type of table and how it is raised and lowered Capacity power and speeds are self ex planatory, but quill stroke should be a ‘minimum of 4° for wood. A table which raises and lowers via a rack and pinion mechanism is nice to have as is angler adjustment. A. production table (one with a well at the edge to catch coolant used in metalworking) is unnecessary for wood. One thing that bears mentioning here is hollow mortsing chisels. This is an accessory that literally allows drilling a square hole and the applications for mortises are obvious. Very few Taiwan presses can be retrofitted with hollow Chisels; so, if you want to use them, check before you buy: LATHE Since out company manufactures lathes, [am a bit biased: a Conover Lathe is che best. Now that I have that off my chest, let's look at features. Capacity is the size of work that can be swung over the bed and this is ewice the center tA lot of lathes have a gap in the bed so that a bigger piece can be swung. coma face plate (say 2 bowl) chan between, centets. Another factor to look at in swing is the height of the tool rest sup: port. The real capacity isthe size of piece that can be turned berween centers over the tool rest support, and this is usually minimum of 2%” less than the stated capacity Most lathes have unlimited swing by turing outboard off the back of the spindle, Most buyers spend a lot of time worrying about outboard ability and end up turing one thing outboard in their entite lifetime. Also outboard turning requites some kind of floor stand rest. Floor stand rests are a bit dangerous and only scraping should be attempted ‘with one as there is not enough rigidity for high angle technique. Both headstock and tal stock should be robust in construction with cast iton being the preferable material. The headstock should have a spindle of not Jess than 1%4" running in deep groove ball beatings or rollet bearings—the latter being better. Solid spindle lathes can be alright for spindle turning, but a spindle fitted with a Morse taper is CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Catalog dure 84.0, Fetundad with Plan Order ast Service BO FT NOMI ASHLAND BARNS 2.555% ‘TIRED OF THE ROMAN OGEE ? ? 2 1mm = ail ver IN KANSAS 1318 260.805 bse ‘TRY THE NEW CLASSICAL ROUTER BIT 111 114 Shank © all Gearing Gute ® Carbide Tipped BLACK & DECKER PROFESSIONAL QUALITY Spoked Mi 923 €. Gilbert - Wichita, KS 67211 MASTER CARD am rm By BLACK & DECKER © ew & Unusual Cut © Two Sisto Chose Fam S/S ras ~ $4300 ea prepaid ir rads S00 pga Wooden he er ener Be ean sis Wheels ia cso eae | CHOOSE FROM 40 SPECIES j ASH BASSWOOD BIRCH BUTTERNUT CHERRY ‘ tb MAPLE -OAK POPLAR: ROSEWOOD: wasur | inact ji i 1 rush and Board cur | ja ash and Boar wolttion |)Easy oinstall, easy o use. Just aise the jaw land ess your workpiece agaist the toe Etpoctal usetl wren posttoned oppose a shulder vise with bull "og" #300-0008 Maintains the proper angle fr accurately honing any chiselor pane blade up to 3" wide. Complete Inctuctions included. #103-0140 Chamfering JOINTER PLANE Buit-in angles on ether side ofthe 34" sol wil ppula'30" or 60" angle on any edge, acouratoly foint'@° boards Uses ready avaiable, Foplaceable breakaway biades (10 extras Inetuded). #108-1410 umireo, quantiry 25 Reciprocating ‘SAW BLADES 25 assorted blades wth 12" shanks forcuting ‘woods plastica, metal ade by tani oft al Feelpra saw makes except WEN. Save SO" to 80% of regular al. LESS THAN 40¢ A BLADE! #117-1960 HINGE & BUTT DRILLS For pertecty centered holes fr hinges. 1 shanks. Setof2,for #6, #6, #9 and #10 +#200-2601 HALF ROUND WOOD RASPS + each Smooth, Medium and Coarse cut, An ‘xaorsinary valve rom China, # 106-0124 Ueki ed Wt Has ahoavy straightblade orconinuous use Comfortable maple handles wih stel ca fanderules, Our regular $14.95. #105 ‘Companions tothe 4 piace set. 8" and 10” | overa #7, #2, #3 Philips. #102-0085 1/4" SHANK SABRE SAW BLADI For cutting wood, meta, plastic. 60 assorid fret qualty blades, madain Swizeriand and tte U.S. Fall popular sabre and ja saus, ESS THAW Tbe EACH ati BRAD DRIVING PLIERS ‘Sat brads into picture trames and movdings tog wide, 18« deep. Cushioned she Prevents marting, # 106-0010 fj {// Set of 2 SCREW HOLDING ~ Sy SCREWDRIVE! v Fesch where your hand cai. 74 alumina shalthas a magnet on one ond, a pring oad Sorew holder on the or For all Pips an Siti sorews. #300-0018 rz) ei Teg BI Dh si Thebadeanghande easier, 2 smooth, oval shaped harowood grip Wet tbensh se athenende tor comist Soa Yeoucan hammor thom to coll chisel, Sa 226810 and 12" ong overall #1020046FREE! 7 Stop Collars 14-PIECE DRILL AND COLLAR SET Youget7 dis, 7 stop coltars forthe price othe Grills slone. Brac point bt for straight, Accurate hoes in wood with no skipping, no Skating, no dancing. 1/8 116: 1/4" 516: 31 7/16" ana 12" sizes, #200-0060 22 Piece PILOT DRILL SET 2 iso ekerank, counter sors seetiot Acopsops neudotsoyeucan vet crceraing peers bt — fe gree Los han 7oe ab Yul i TORY OVERRUN! #48#5screws 1/2 S/B! 3/4" 1" long FACTORY OVE sebstiames da Sa ieee feasoasors 381 ing Gowen #128 #14scrows 1! 2 : Set of 3 CAT'S PAW = CUTTS RTI | 6-Piece FILE SET 4 \ SF | acne etree, caw cs 1dgos, 7" X-Sim Taper, 8°36 Fine Cut i Parallel Round File and aan 10” Shoe Rasp = (Combination fle and rasp). #117-1160 “Two thin, sharp laws on he end wi withdraw smal finishing nals The rounded base rainimizes marring. Erccptnd val 5 — FA Hen o | MINIMUM ORDER: TWO ITEMS rere 4” LOCKJAW | i 3 7 Mecho a wtialy inbrechatle rece ege Ul Shops The Fine Tool Shops, Inc., Dept. AWJ6 20 Backus Avenue, PO. Box 1262, Danbury, CT 06813. Ship to. Adress, sy wih paerted tartar hang P Frapresonjowa pan oun setotsboe | CALL TOLL FREE. iy sate 2. me 8 Te awry | T-BOO-2ASAO3T ve eres toe ormare toms ncude my FREE Stes Sto! Incon Feael se | ae Fillin names, quantities and product numbers of items you are ordering. [aty.| Rem Prod.# | Pricees. | Total] 1 | stainiess Steet Pocket Knife FREI when you order Set of 6 DENTAL ee rccere has rag Subir aly sass steal tr Ei Gherge my Es Amer Exoress Se ene (Oona CRUEL Ace [Semetinas aa ican Fe a auch err sae FREE! xp. Date TAL ENCLOSED rr)THE ANSWER. necessary for the serious turner. Most tal stocks today have a spindle travel which is too short. A minimum of 2%" of travel is necessary, with 4” to 5° nice to have. The tool rest should be casy to move but rigid once set. Many tool rests have knobs which are in the way during high angle cutting techniques A bench top lathe can be a good buy, because one usually pays a lot for the average sheet metal base. The two best bed materials are cast iron and wood because they absorb vibration. There are alot of lathes today with fabricated steel beds and these are to be avoided. This is one place in machine design where fabrication is just not as good as the time honored methods. Steel transmits vibration and does nothing to dampen it Smaller lathes will run well with % HP while most re- quire % or 1 HP. Big lathes use anywhere ftom 1% to 3 HP, especially older machines with babbitt or brass bear ings. The serious tumer needs a good range of speeds. Many lathes today have rather high top speeds while not going slow enough for large work. For large bowl work, a low speed of about 350 rpms is needed, buta speed higher than about 2500 rpms is just not necessary. Look carefully at how speed change is accomplished. The most convenient method is variable speed. If it is by switching belts, be sure that itis quick and easy Finally, look at the accessories available for the machine ‘Turning is @ gadget business, and a machine that does not accept any of the exciting appliances available today is no machine at all. As an afterthought I would like to say that almost any machine can benefit by weighting it down with sand, This can be done by either filling the base or by sand bags set in plac. SCROLL SAW The traditional name for this tool is a jigsaw, probably because the old Delta company marketed their machine under this name, The more modern nomenclature is scroll saw, and this may really be the original name. is interesting to note that the jigsaw is based on a hand powered machine called a scroll saw’” Patented in 1923, itis credited by many ‘with starting the jigsaw puzzle craze of the depression years. Many earned extra money by literally cranking out puzzles in their spare time. During those years thousands of puzzles ‘were made in the basements of America. Jigsaw, sroll saw, who cares? There are both good descriptive titles. For the life of me, I can’t figure out where al the scroll saws on the market today are sold. There must be a volcano somewhere into which a government agency is pouring them. I guess I don’t see them as all that useful and rather a special purpose machine. Most woodworkers can do everything they rnced to do with a bandsaw and a hand jigsaw (or saber saw). One only needs a stationary jigsaw if he is doing puzzles, marquetry, instrument roses, or the like. ‘The main things to look for in a scroll saw are capacity, construction, and features. Since most scroll work is on thin stock, any of the machines have enough depth of cut. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 The American Woodworker magazine: An important tool no workshop should be without! The American Woodworker magazine is filled with all types of project, ideas on beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. Everything from simple, overnight projects to advanced Chippendale pieces. Each issue also features all types of instructional articles. It ex- plores the different techniques used by expert craftsmen. In addition, there are articles on jigs and fixtures, woodwork- ing techniques, questions and answers, supply sources, show dates and much more. So subscribe today and get the information to keep your shop covered with sawdust. ' SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM ‘ ‘ACCT. NO. EXP. DATE. ' " G new suascarnion RENEWAL ns 1 10 YEAR sign Foun issues i (Sato OUTSIDE US) US FuNOS —— a 1 0 2 YEARS $2200 EIGHT ISSUES ' ($2600 OUTSIDE US) US. FUNDS. a he ey ee eas tig " GPRYMENT ENCLOSED VISA 0 MASTERCARD 1 USE OHECK, a. OR OREDT CARDS a ae ! sie A carer On a em NETEI FS RET EK Fe KT Ie ‘YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! ae Aeon 10% OFFS ase MILWAUKEE TOOLS MRS RUBEERE EES waRGREREas Ee DRYWALL SHOOTERS woos FPOM RYO MILWAUKEE ADELTA BENCH TOP TOOLS eee EST eT ry Rae ea te ON PAGE 17 * PLUS — FREE FREIGHT « sand MIRA SPECS + srvte sy 2 Thon Me MAKITA CORDLESS “SUPER CORDLESS SPECS Wha Tak The Sa Tako FESTIVAL OF VALUES yom BLACK & DECKER tt acros The Bowe? a et coms ura | axaci occReh acum? "Door Openers am MAKTA ‘ist 198 — SAL 1885 Uist on sue 86 B*: SANDPAPER °* BELTS: GRITS ASSORTED SHEETS: (9 x 11) PRICE UNLESS OTHERWISE ON REQUEST FOR GRITS NOT SHOWN SPECIFIED CABINET PAPER WET/DRY PAPER 1x30 $ 69ea 50/pk 100/pk 100/pk 1x 42 69 ea 40-D $16/pk $30/pk 220-A $23/pk 1x44 69 ea 50-D 15/pk 27/pk 320-A 23/pk 2% x 16 73 ea 60-D 14/pk 25/pk 400-A, 23/pk 3x 18 74 ea 80-D 13/pk 23/pk 600-A 23/pk 3x21 Tea 100-C 12/pk —21/pk 800-A 23/pk 3x 23% 80 ea 120-C 12/pk 21/pk 3x24 80 ea 150-6 12/pk —-21/pk 3x 27 83 ea 4x 21% 91 ea NO LOAD PAPER % OTHER ITEMS * 4x24 94 ea 180-A $10/pk $18/pk + WIDE BELTS ‘ as be a ea 220-A 10/pk —18/pk 2 ROLLS a = 280-A 10/pk 18/pk OTHER SIZES ON goon Tork qeipk~ FLAP WHEELS REQUEST 400A 10/pk 18/pk~—=** FIBER DISCS + ABRASIVE CORD PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE DISCS! ** PREMIUM WOOD GLUE PACKAGED PER 10, GRITS ASSORTED UNLESS 28 GRINDING WHEELS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED (MATERIAL-A/O-RESIN) 3" $ 350ea e Bae + BELT CLEANING STICKS 06 ea 8 To6iss $6.50 ea 9 2.46 ea 10 3.05 ea 2 4.45 ea ECON-ABRASIVES 15 707 ea e dese PO. BOX 865021 OTHER SIZES ON PLANO, TX 75086 REQUEST TELEPHONE (214) 422-2147 SHIPPING CHARGES ADD $4.25 MINIMUM ORDER $25.00 + NO COD’S SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER NAME, ADDRESS _ CITY, STATE, ZIP __ + NO GIMMICKS JUST BETTER PRICES *% ALL BELT MATERIAL WILL BE INDUSTRIAL QUALITY A/O + :: NO BUMP SPLICESTHE ANSWER... distance from the blade to the frame is the capacity that should be checked carefully. The length of stroke should be another important consideration as it dictates how fast cut- ting takes place and to some extent, blade wear. Variable speed is a very nice feature as it allows great flexibility in cutting. Other nice-to-have features are a dust blower and a light; however, both can be rigged up after the fact. Jigsaws requite very little power, and I have not realy seen an under-powered one. Most machines use cast construction, and there ate some good cast aluminum ones. Budget machines often use stamped stec! extensively. One thing to consider is that a jigsaw tends to be a very safe machine and an excellent starting point for a young, aspiring woodworker. BELT AND DISC SANDERS ‘These very usefull machines can be purchased separately ‘or asa combination machine. A disc sander is not very handy for finish sanding because it is very seldom that sanding marks can be kept parallel to the grain. A disc sander is great for sanding end grain and complicated angles and miters, This is why pattemn makers favor disc sanders. Disc sndes range in sie fom 10° othe 18" to 20" range, The main thing to look for is trueness of the disc and the table An easy ay 1 check the disc to touch a piece of eT OC rato national Machinery ‘presents the firstin a series FOUND FOR YOU!” eT NENT z 18 Com DOMGRAW = Tallsasse, FL 32316, ‘ pci MsABUSTERCAED CVSROOT “T was convinced that no other machine could match its quality or versatility.” quality, unsurpassed perform 49” HEGNER Woodturning Lathe. ance, ease of use, reliability = quality and precision are combined inthis woodturn give you the results you expect from HEGNER tools. Duplicating Auachment shown with the HEGNER Lathe s without match in terms of precision, quality, and ease of ‘operation, Its mounted on the back ofthe lathe and allows you to duplicate from an original om a template Send for complete information today. AMI, Ltd. AMI Lid. is your source for HEGNER Saws, Lathes and Duplicators; FELDER Woodworking Systems; FLOTT. Jointer’ Planers and Table Saws: and Lachappelle Workbenches. | 1 Please 1 Please ‘Denclose $5.00, Send me the 10 in HEGNER saws. jeon HEGNER lathes, port Auto pattern, ienregr e__cve lice OE i ot FSS A es no Seal + Address: City Phot State Zip. No. = = | 6(800) 345-3103 NO MINIMUM ORDER: EXOTIC AND DOMESTIC HARDWOODS BUBINGA ROSEWOODS CHERRY WENGE 16.14.12 ea SOMES MAHOGANIES WALNUT ZEBRA 4 64.64 ls see PADAUK KINGWOOD” MAPLE BOCOTE Sire ovbadionyenreturer SHEDUA ZMIGOTE” © MORADO & MORE. or oush stfu anne ‘CUSTOM CUTTING, RESAWING, & ABRASIVE PLANING ‘ WHOLESALE & RETAIL INQUIRIES WELCOME asxron “TELEWOODS" pa nescexrs ont i598 A DIVISION OF THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY, NAZARETH. PA 8004 Sleeveless DRUM SANDER eu 'NO PRE-MADE SLEEVES TO BUY Moti Nise) yen MACHINE nes with ie) Zs ne Pelton Dares peepee pee Dares ee Penn com r ism contetose, SINGLEY SPECIALTY CO. INC. Tete INTRODUCING — NEW BRIDGEWOOD’ MACHINES FOR 1986 PVT nae Un a com iad PIN ROUTER SPINDLE SANDER = SHAPER sup 1p WIDE-BELT SANDERS TRACER TYPE 2HP 1PH OSCILLATING - tHP 1PH 1W2"-14"-4" SPINDLE 28" & 37" WIDTHS. ah ae TOHPNSHP 3PH_ i $1195 FOB YORK, PA $1195 FOB YORK, PA $1195 FOB YORK, PA $5650 (25") FOB YORK, PA MODEL PR-120 MODEL YL-2000, MODEL BW3S $8750 (37") FOB YORK, PA BRIDGEWOOD* WOODWORKING MACHINERY IS CAREFULLY CHOSEN BY OUR STAFF OF PROFESSIONALS. EXTENSIVE FAMILY EXPERIENCE IN WOODWORKING FROM THE “OLD COUNTRY” IS PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION ASSURING YOU, OUR VALUED CUSTOMER, THE BENEFIT OF THIS PRICELESS ACCUMULATED TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE. SEND $1.00 FOR FULL LINE CATALOG OF BRIDGEWOOD* WOODWORKING MACHINERY AND © METALWORKING MACHINERY. YOU CAN BUY WITH CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU BUY FROM WILKE. INSIST ON AUTHENTIC, GENUINE BRIDGEWOOD® MACHINES — ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES! AAA 8 CS Directs: ceonn Mies porate {E MACHINERY CO. . NOT A POST OFFICE BOX OR #00 NUMBER - YOU CAN TRUST WILKE. usa Pic acct na a ncaaRe ree Ne eed MODEL 34-410. This machine offers industrial quality and precision at an affordable price. Large 40" x 27" table with two extensions, 25° rip capacity to the right, 15 1/2" to left. ‘Self aligning, double locking, micro ‘set rip fence, 10" blade gives 3 1/8" depth of cut at 90°, 2 1/8" at 45°. Blade tilts to the right, away from hands on most miter cuts. Com- plete with stand, blade guard, rip fence, guide bar, miter gauge, 10° saw blade, table insert, arbor pul- ley, belt and pulley guard, pulley, V belt, two extension wings and stand. 1 1/2 H.P motor included. ‘ONE-TIME SPECIAL, 679.00 LESS FACTORY REBATE......._ 100.00 579.00 Delivered FREE to the 48 States HOT TOOL! Bros. Truck Pls Catalog $10.00 10 Spoke Whore Pus Catalog $250 TOY DESIGNS ee a Pa Le) chalk to it while it is running. Make sure the disc is clean, however, so that you are not being run out from glue and sandpaper. If the chalk prints out all the way around, then the disc is true, The table should be large, rigid, and slotted for a miter gage. The best table material is cast iron. Look closely at how the table is adjusted. Large pattern makers’ disc sanders have micrometer adjustment, while average machines have scales and stops at the principle angles. A dise sander doesn’t need much powet. A belt sander is mostly a finishing tool since sanding can be kept parallel to the grain, but ie does not hold exact angles well. The most popular size is a machine running 6" x 48" belts, although they come in a variety of other sizes. A machine running the 6" x 48” belt isa good home workshop choice because of the availability and price of belts, both are good. Things to check on any belt sander are the platen, the rollers, the tracking mechanism, and the table. The platen is the plate in back of the belt but berween the rollers ‘On better machines itis adjustable. On a new machine the town in the rollers should be about 1/16" higher than the platen. The platen can be cast iron or stamped steel. The rollers should be true and run in ball bearings. The track- ing mechanism is most imporcant. A micrometer adjustment at both sides of the belt is best but only available on top of the line machines, Make sure a system is quick and easy to use, because itis something you will do frequently. The same criteria for the disc table applies to a bele table ‘Do you havea question you would like to ask? Addees itt: The Anawer, The American Woodworker, PO. Box 1408, Hendersonville, TN 37077-1408, MORE THAN AN ARMOIRE An Armoire Style Stereo Cabinet An Armoire Style Home Entertainment Center An Armoire Style Bookshelf Or Just A Closet ‘A beautiful two piece walnut cabinet designed for extra storage to conceal your TV and stereo gear and designed to hold the weight. Original built with walnut interior and exterior with oak drawers but any wood can be substituted, Complete detailed plans, step-by-step instructions and ‘material list, just $1400 plus $1.00 handling and postage. | DENNY HALL, WOODWORKER 3716 Prestwick * McHenry, IL 60050Ta) Sra, 613-756-3657 267-0033 SO TEST YOUR IMAGINATION Create Any Follow Cylindrical Shape upto 12" dia, Cut fat wood into straight or angle rings, stacking, glue, sand, & finish, dion your Ring Master Were er End, ‘THE NEW, EFFICIENT WET GRINDER. Tatitonaly, wet stones have been used 10 sharpen fools without destroying thet temper and ably to Nol’ an edge. This modern versions aneavy duty, high quality tool. The special fine gained wheel runs forward or reverse ina waterbath, and the sturdy tool Festadusts to any angle. Safe and clean ar warranty and money back quaaniee Scangind 150 ~ 6° Scangrind 200 — 8° Prigeinciues shipping and handling ios 7Mp sales tax.) Send or tee F & H MACHINERY CO. 2439 Hamilton a Brtington Heras TL 60005, (312) 4977110 Dealer inquiies invited EDLCO Stay In The Woods With Us Appalachian Hardwood Specialists Now Serving Craftsmen 21 Species Alo Imported Hardwoods Soltwoods, “Turnings, Veneers, Squares Kiln Dried Delivered Prices New Catalogue $2.00 The Wood People EDLCO. PO. Box 5373 AW Asheville, N.C. 28813 Call For Faster Service (104) 255-8765 Imported European F Hardware 2820 Sent Deve aa gee ova 68103 (702) 871-0722 WOODWORKING | PATTERNS Timbers, Lake Tahoe Dep, AWS, Camelan Bay, CA 9571-0850THE CARBIDE TIPPED ROUTER BIT SYSTEM WITH THE RELIABLE CARBIDE TIPPED ROUTER BIT SYSTEM YOU CAN NOW DO MANY OF THE JOBS THAT IN THE PAST COULD ONLY BE DONE WITH A WOOD SHAPER, ‘THE PANEL CRAFTER, TRUE STILE & RAIL WITH RAISED PANEL CONSTRUCTION, SINGLE ROUTER BIT, SINGLE PASS SYSTEM, NO MULTIPLE SET-UPS USING FLIP FLOP CUTTERS. [A TRUE RAISED PANEL WITH 1 1/2" REVEAL ON THE FACE OF YOUR CABINET DOOR. {FINGER PULL CUTTER FOR THE OUTER EDGE OF THE DOOR, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR EXTERIOR KNOBS OR DRAWER PULLS. AN OPTIONAL BIT THAT TRANSFORMS YOUR PANEL CRAFTER INTO A GLASS DOOR STILE & RAIL SET. CORNER LOCK-MITRE BITS, ONE FOR 2/8" TO 1/2" AND ONE FOR 3/4" THRU THESE AND MANY MORE AND ALL MADE IN THE USA —ALL PANEL RAISERS AND STILE & RAILSETS ARE TEST CUT PRIOR TO SHIPMENT. 7 eee Dealer Inquiries Welcomed RELIABLE GRINDING For complete catalog of more than 400 wood cutting shaper cutters, 145 Hillorest Ave. routers and specialty tools contact your dealer or call: San Bernardino, CA 92408 (800) 424-9184, within CA call (800) 521-8521 or (714) 864-7258 19“Mitchells” ABRASIVE CORDS and TAPES %, “%, © traci S MICHELL CO Abrasive Cords and Tapes A complete line of round abrasive cords and flat tapes for a variety of woodworking and furniture refinishing applications are ideal for getting into deep grooves when finishing new spindles or stripping old furniture. Unlike sandpaper which has to be folded and is awkward for this kind of work, these cords and tapes come in a handy adhesive tape-like dispenser. Packaged in 25 yd. spools in 18 different sizes, E. C. Mitchell Abrasive Cords and Tapes are impregnated with aluminum oxide or silicone carbide. Cords come in .012” to .150” diameters and tapes in widths from 1/16” to 1/4”. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DISTRIBUTOR Write or Telephone for Samples E. C. MITCHELL CO. INC. P. O. Drawer 607, Dept. AW36 Middleton, MA 01949-0907 Telephone (617) 774-1191Introducing COBALTTIPPED TURNING TOOLS High Performance . . Exceptional Wear Resistance. iG ag re Ginscred H peolestaty arlcsion) ies comet te we opened SESE Snes eget ining tbe ground and honed on conventional “The wo meena fe hae wit 2 ‘rete (13 fn for the F318" sat) Jovi! spe Sey mid cone for phn cu Sura honk ay frie an 77" 00 X12" 1D 4310" 00 x 78" 1D pw Cheney woo T0808 ASHMAN TECHNICAL LTD, Machinery © Tools ® Shop Equipment 351 Nash Ra. N, Hamilton, Ont, Can. LBH 7P4 (416) 560-2400 Super Sale Prices Rockwell 4DELTA 3H.P. 10” UNISAW $1250. Unifence Model $1395. ‘3H. Single Phase — 230 V wlth Magnetle Starter 19° Dota Ploner #RCSS watand «2 HP......... $1175, 20" Delta Planer #ACSI = 5 HP... - $3325. GENERAL 12° Wood Lathe with Stand. $ 720. 10" Ting Arbor Sew - 3 HP . $1295. 15" Woodeutting Bandsaw with Stand $ 620. 8° Jonter wth Stand . $1080. Limied Quantities Araiatie ALL PRICES US FUNDS SMMENTS FREIGHT COLLECT — NO OTHER CHARGES reas ee ee FLL rmaeoor nas meee ee. | 80 a eee pbs a oe Seder jaca tt ice cm ‘or send check to: MICS, P.O, Box S3A, Rydal, PA 19046] 21Cascade Preciatan T ‘Box 848, MeroerIsfand, PIECE CABINET SETS 2“ MAGNUM LINE =) ieee nat 9 4" SPINDLE GUARANTEED DPR asy State____ 2. Mastercara/ Viea # Expiration Date__ Joint-Matic 4200 The Joint-Matic will help you produce woodworking pieces of elegance, pre cision and beauty more quickly and expertly than you ever thought possible Now, in minutes make. Mortise, Tenon, Sliding and Through Dovetail, Box Finger Joint and much much more ee ensan eee 2 Ge te a ete tee] fede 18) Ps ere ‘One and two week workshops for PTO Ree Anis] fee ees ole dere en tae oe Rude Osolnil Plea saz co) Te er) Peers eee eee Resa Came aa eur aOR)A Woodworker’s Vacation by Dr. Lee Bates There is a lot to do in the beau- tiful Colorado mountains in the summer time, You can fish for trout, raft down a river, climb the Rocky Mountains, ride the old trains, or just enjoy the beautiful scenery; but for us woodworkers, there is the Anderson Ranch. If working with wood is your type of relaxation, then spending a week of two up in Snowmass, Colorado could be one of the best vacations you have ever had in your life. Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snow- mass Village, Colorado, is a place where you can rub shoulders with other woodworkers while leaming more about woodworking from experts. Last summer the Ranch sponsored twelve different one and two week woodworking workshops which were led by outstanding leaders from all over the country. In addition to the ‘workshops offered this last summer, the Ranch offered a one week sympo- sium to study and discuss the revival of fine woodworking in our country. The symposium featured Art Carpenter, Wendell Caste, George Frank, Rosalind Freer, Tage Frid, Bruce Hoardley, Ian Kirby, Sam Maloof, Wendy Maruyama, Martha Rising, and Jonathan Fairbanks. Most of these leaders have offered their own workshops at the Ranch in the past. ‘This last summer I had the great fortune to attend a two week wood- working seminar taught by Tage Frid. It is difficult for me to communicate ‘age Frid is demonstrating unique techniques for the use of the table sate, "The wed lebeyhes Tasted gw dhe outside Dal Ut weaver em Da Ragen TE far end of the building bouses the ceramic labs. in words all that I gained from the workshop. ‘To me, it was like going to sum- mer camp when I was younger and devoting my total attention to one goal All the summer workshops have a limit on the number of students who may attend; this limit provides individual attention to the student. In Tage’s workshop there were 2 total of sixteen fellow woodworkers enrolled. About half of the students were professional woodworkers and the other half were those who enjoyed woodworking as a hobby. Tot only learned a lot from Tage Frid’s demonstations, but individual interaction with Tage and the other students increased my woodworking skill and knowledge. Tage’s workshop was on furniture techniques; however, othet workshops covered such topics as turning, veneering, carving, bent lami- nations, designing, and finishing. ‘The Anderson Ranch is a non-profie organization under the direction of a board. Since profit is not the motive for the workshops, I found the tuition and fees to be very reasonable. The Ranch is not only committed to the art of woodworking, but also to the other arts of clay, photography, printmaking, drawing and painting. Interaction between the different arts is encouraged by the Ranch staff and a community potluck is held each ‘Tuesday night with a slide presentation by two of the visiting artisans following the meal ‘You can obtain housing through the Ranch; or if you are like me and enjoy camping out, there is no place better than the Colorado mountains, I camped at the bottom of Independence Pass at a National Forest camp- ground which is only fourteen miles from the Ranch. I hope to see some of you at one of the workshops next summer; so start planning for one of the most enriching weeks you have ever experienced. Next summer's schedule will include workshops directed by Tage Frid, John Nyquist, Art Carpenter and other well known woodworkers. If you would like information concerning next summer's workshops, write to Anderson Ranch Arts Center Box 5598 Snowmass Village, CO 81615 About The Author Dr Lee Bates isan Assistant Professor of Industrial Education at Northeast Missouri State University 2BWoodworking Techniques by Jennifer Chiles Woodworking Techniques would like to thank Jay Wallace of Ashland, Oregon for the tips in this issue. WHATEVER HOLDERS | ) Do you ever wonder what to do with that growing pile of short lumber that is too Jong to throw away, but t00 shor 10 do anything with? Dr. Piteman drills a large hole in the middle of square and round stock and uses them for pencils and whatever he likes to keep close at hand, but not all over his desk. They sure look better than a coffee can, ‘TAPERING JIG SQUARE LEG ‘NOTCHES This jig is used for tapering a square leg. Place any side of the square stock in notch (1) ofthe jig. Push both the jig and the stock through the blade. Place an adjacent side of stock in the jig in notch (1) and repeat the opera- tion. The two remaining sides should be cut in notch (2) in the same manner. It is important that the notches be exactly the same size. “ TABLE SAW SANDER Y4"28NF FLAT HEAD SCREW This tool works well for sanding the end grain on dowels. Lines are seribed on the table top for 90° and 45° positions. ‘The block is moved back and forth in the grooves and the dowel held stationary therefore keeping the end of the dowel more accurate. ‘This tool is handy for finding the exact center of a piece of round stock. To use, rotate the round object and draw lines ‘Where the lines intersect is the center point of the stock. The front is plexiglass and the back is plexiglass or hard wood. The two are fused together with solvent if using plexiglass or flat- head wood screws if using a wood backing. Ic is important to make sure that all corners are exactly 90°, This center locatet ‘ean be made any sizeBANDSAW FENCE use my bandsaw for very accurate ripping. This fence adjusts easily by pushing in che tapered peg which locks the fence securely against the front edge of the b: tap on the bor peg teleases it NON-SLIP TOOLS ‘Tools for striping, drawing, and measur ing ate often difficult to hold with one hand. To prevent slipping and increase ease of handling, take an old car innertube and make punchings with a paper punch. These punchings may be located co suit your needs, Secure to drafting instruments with a drop of super glue. Tim off the excess the tool at an angle. These tools can now be since they are now raised. a" x Ys" x 3°" DIVIDERS (RANDOM SPACING) SEE-THROUGH TOOL HOLDER This tool holder is just great for screwdrivers, awl, files, chisels, ete. Because of the clear plexiglass, the tools can be seen with ease. Glue dividers to masonite back: ing with white glue, 4" MASONITE BACKING 5/16" BOLT CATCHES BOTTOM EDGE OF ‘TABLE ALLEN WRENCH EPOXIED INTO ALLEN SCREW HANDY TOOL WELD a t (CAN BE BENT) EXISTING NUT ’A""X 4/4" GRS ROD have a power tool with a table that had an underside nut, which required adjusting for different operations, each time necessitating using a wrench. Welding a tod to the nut which needed frequent adjustment. made the task so much easier. No longer did I need to search for the right wrench. Tighten the nut and matk to determine che best location of handle. MOUNTING HOLE 1/8” PLEXIGLASS (ANY LENGTH) 25In this issue we have featured the work of some of the members of The Kansas City Wood- workers Guild. It’s easy to see that there is a lot of talent among its membership. Anyone in- terested in joining the Guild should contact Ray Lawler at 6607 Ralston, Raytown, MO 64133. 816-358-1227. Jn eee Sticks Tall, Kocobolo Wood with white corian spacers Made on The ‘Lawler Ormamental Turning Lathe’ John Noel Designs Credenza - Corner Detail 28” X 18 X60" Honduras mahogany Clarence A. Teed 22 x 22 x 11 Table. Oiled walnut = 6 \o) 3 nc o) oe) a an a ae © S John Kriegshauser, Naney Dining Chair. Northern cherry aw 22D x 36HLawrence Okrend THREE BOWLS - Left To Right: 1) Mahogany bottom, walnut 8’" diameter 2) Walnut bowl-9" diameter _3) Cherry bot- tom, paduak top—5’” diameter. Gary Derziwski Chippendale Tassle-back side chair. Mahogany Michael Bauermeister Chest of drawers. Maple, spalted oak 40” x 32” x 14”Making Windsor Chairs by Curtis Buchanan motivator was not just my love for wood, but my own stubbornness to make a living at home, working for myself. I built a shop out of scrap; purchased a table saw, 2 4” jointer, and some hand tools; and hung out a sign, I built and sold a few nice pieces, but it was becoming apparent to me and my wife that I wasn't making any money. By the time a job was finished, Towed most of the money to the lumber yard and tool store, and, with no prior woodworking experience, my profit was spread over an ineredible amount of time. With a one-year-old daughter and plans for another baby, it was evident something E ive years ago I decided to attempt fine woodworking as a profession, The PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Daw Robinson & Tam Raymond had to be done. It looked like a “real” job was headed my way. In November of 1982, I received a copy of Roy Underhill’s first book, The Wooduright's Shop, and was fascinated with the idea of working green wood straight from the log with a drawknife. A perfect low overhead job, if [could only think of what to make, Ihad no desire to make eight pitchforks a day, and I didn’t think T could get enough money for a split and shaved ladder back, In the spring of 1983, I was introduced to the Windsor chair. For a while, I had trouble sleeping at night, going ove in my mind how this chair fit every criteria I had laid out, With the ex: ception of the seat, the Windsor chair is constructed entirely from green wood and worked with hand tools resulting in a low ovethead. The Windsor is in almost every home magazine, so I couldn't help but believe the market and price were good. Finally, and just as importantly, itwas a piece that would continually challenge my abilities and reward me with satisfaction and pride. ‘There was still one major obstacle: Thad no idea how to make a Wind: sor chair and didn’t know anyone who had ever tried. Forcunately, late that summer, I chanced to meet Dave Sawyer, « Windsor and ladder back chairmaker from Vermont. He invited me up to Drew Langsnet’s farm to watch them assemble a chair. I didn't learn much that day, but Dave put across such a positive ‘'sure you can build a Windsor chair" attitude that I dropped everything, borrowed $2,000.00 and locked myself in my shop. Two and a half years later, have a longer backlog than my second daughter has age. hhe Windsor is actually a very simple uiitarian chaie with minor ornamentation. Ie’s this “form follows function’ that gives the chair its real beauty. Spindles shaved thin and ‘turnings with deep cuts make it lightand airy looking, as if the chair could start dancing at any moment, but this aso gives ita resilient quality not unlike the tree it came from. I begin by shaping the bent parts so they can be drying while T work on the rest of the chair. I go to my woodpile, covered with plastic to hold in moisture, where I have some hice straight oak logs. These are splic with wedges and gluts When the stock is small enough, itis tived to close dimen sion with a ftoe. When using a froe, the stock should always be split in half, turning the weak side up and applying pressure to the lower side if needed, to insure a straight run and two equal pieces. Work proceeds to the shaving horse where backs and spindles ae roughed out with a drawknife. ‘The knife follows the wood fibers, creating a not so straight, but very strong spindle, and a back that is easy to bend Backs go into the steamer where they cook for about one hour before being bent around a form. Spindles are left ovet- sized, dried in the oven at 100 degrees overnight, then fitted to test holes. good turning wood is used. I prefer sugar or hard maple for its incomparable ability to give fine detail. Choosing a large log, 20230" in diameter, [first buck it into 2’ lengths then split out 2 %” billets with a wedge of foe. After the bark is hewed off to save ‘wear on lathe tools, [turn the arm stumps and legs. Stretchers, will be tumed later when I know their lengths. Since green wood cannot be sanded, a fiendishly sharp skew must clean the work. Turning green wood is a pleasure; there is, no dust to breathe, and the waste comes off in long sib bons resembling ticker tape. E gs are also split from green stock, only here, a ‘The seat, the central construction and focal point, is carved from one solid piece of white pine. Poplar, sugar pine, and ‘other woods soft enough to carve deeply can also be used. I start the seat by hand planing then sawing out the blank with a 25° European bow saw. After the hole positions are ‘marked, I drill all spindle and arm stump sockets with a brace and auger bit, utilizing a bevel square to approximate the angle. Since the arm stumps must mirror one another, a taper is tutned on the tenon matching a reamer that is used to taper the socket. Shaping of the saddle is performed next. Some chait makers rough-out their seats with a gutter adze. Since I've never purchased one, I start out with an inshave followed by a curved spokeshave, a scraper, and finally sandpaper. The carving is finished when the bottom is beveled with a drawknife, Leg holes now can be drilled from the top and socketed into tapered holes in the same manner as the arm stumps. One mistake many beginners fall into is attempt ing to make the chair out of one wood. This usually means aan oak seat which adds undesirable weight to the chair and creates an unnecessary laborious seat carving chore. erStretchers are measured, when all four legs can be placed, then tuned. All tenons are dried for three hours at 200 degrees in sand on the stove. Due to wood shrinking more perpendicular to the growth rings, an oval is created. When the grain is aligned properly, pressure will be exerted on the end grain of the mortise with relief on the sides, otherwise the post will split. I use a 5/8” spoon bit for these holes because at such steep angles, an auger sometimes pulls a chip out. A three peg holding system on a low bench is perfect for securing the odd shaped turnings. Angles are once again sighted with the help of a bevel square. The under- cartiage is then assembled and secured to the seat with ‘wedges driven down into the tops of the protruding legs.LuuseaTON ay oven crs Chopping off these protrusions and a final sanding finishes this portion of the chai. The arm stump is attached to the seat using the same kerf and wedge method. A corresponding hole is drilled in the arm bow and tapered with a metal reamer matching the taper on the top of the arm stump. After placing the atm bow on the arm stumps and a spacer in the center spindle hole, 1am able to drill all the holes for the spindles to pass through by just sighting the spindle socket in the seat. Pat- tial asembly is done, the ctest rail attached, and holes drilled in the same manner. Following a complete dry run, I saw kerfs in every spindle end, apply glue to al joints, and drive wedges into the kerf until I detect a sound change. Protruding ends ate sawn flush then finished with a chisel ed to make the chairs, I found it difficult to paint wood. I suppose because of all the chrome and plastic found in today’s furnivure, I, like many other persons, revered wood, or the look of wood, to an ex- treme. Once I educated myself to the fact that the beauty of the chair lies in lines wich which wood grain competes, I started appreciating the wood for its inherent abilities to bend, carve, and urn, Somewhere, this type of reverence has been lost, and people, even woodworkers, tend to use the appearance of wood as the only factor in determining What its uses should be. Anyone who attempts to steam bend becomes abruptly aware of this. F ora finish, I prefer milk paint. When I first decid- “s..Windsor isa very simple chair.his form follows function’ gives the chair its real beauty.” Three woods were used during the eighteenth century in producing the Windsor chair: 2 wood with high tensile strength that was bendable, a wood that was light and carvable, and a wood with tight grain for sharp, crisp turn- ings. The same holds true for the twentieth century Wind- sor chat. About The Author: Curtis Buchanan is a professional woodworker living in Jonesborough, Tennessee.CANNON BALL BEDSTEAD by Carlyle Lynch Photographs by Rey Early, Ubustrations by Jennifer Chiler Visitors to Fort Harrison, a Dayton, Virginia house museum, admire the crisp turnings on the maple posts of this eighteenth century bedstead thought to be from the area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The balls ate so perfect that a template would have to be used to reproduce them. Perhaps the thought has occurred to you, ast has to me, that the cannon ball on bedposts was an expression of pattiotism like that of the American bald eagle carved and gilded on the top of mirror frames. The posts were turned in one piece on a long bed lathe more commonly found in furniture shops two hundred years ago than now. The turning shows evidence of a man thoroughly familiar with deep cove cuts. Those of us les skilled can approximate that work by taking light cuts with really sharp, round nose turning chisels, and patient sanding. The post design is such that we can turn them on our 36” long lathes in three sections, as suggested by broken lines showin large dowels turned on the top and middle (octagonal) sections to fit holes drilled in the sections beneath them, (See drill press set up for drill: ing central holes in columns.) Remember to cut sections at least 2” longer to make the 1° to 1%" diam. dowels. Turn the dowels a bit oversize and leave centers on for fitting snug to the holes when those have been diilled, This will mean tuming a plug from scrap for the hole in the top of the octagonal section. Make the posts in sections, cut the pieces for each from the same length of 4” stock and match mark them to preserve the Brain pattern, Remember that flats of the octagons must line up with the square sides of the bottom sections Before gluing sections together, carve three tiny lateral v-grooves in the dowels (120° apart) to allow trapped air to escape. Have clamps ready. Cut rail and headboard mortises after posts have been turned. All of these joints are dry, the parts held securely by cight bed bolts engaging nuts inserted in the rails and held there by wood plugs whose grain runs with that of the tails. Side rails of the original are slightly above the end rails, perhaps an oddity of the long ago builder that we need not follow. Two ‘more things about the rails: First make short tenons—5/8” is shown but %* is not too short. Long ones tend ro snap off when setting up or taking down bolted beds. Make the mortises 1/8” deeper than tenons are long to be sure bolts can pull tail shoulders tight to posts. Second, the rails of corded beds must be heavy (wide and thick) to withstand the inward pull of the cords when the bed is occupied. Notice also that the tenons on the headboard are full chickness of that member. The bolts on this bed have large flat slotted heads without washets so that a large screw driver, rather than a special wrench, can be used. The heads fit into shallow sockets to be flush with post surfaces. One must therefore bore the shallow hole for the bolt head before boring for the bolt, and this is true for any style bolt whose head you want flush or below the surface. 3| x | | Carkide Lynch. vewog FOX atthe Measured & Drawn Virginia Dayton, CANNON BALL BEDSTEAD Fort Haryison Museum Coftection MapleAfter boring the posts so the bolts wll cross over each other, insert each marked rail tenon into its mortise and use a pointed bolt to spot where to drill the ral. Set up to drill the posts on a drill pres. Then the holes through the posts an acts guides for dling the rails. Bedstead builders often Use a cold chisel ro stamp posts and mating rail ends with Roman numerals to aid identifying pars. ch reg) ae | Unless you can find bed bolts at reasonable prices, you may choose to make them, using regular 3/8” x6” or 7” hex-head bolts and flat washers. These should be tured, filed, ot ground vo about 260° point to aid finding the hole in the auts. Better nuts than regular hex nuts are ones made from short piece of mild steel flat, bar to obtain a rectangular nut. For a 3/8” bolt, the nut should bbe made from a piece of steel 3/8 x 5/8 x 3/4. Drill a 5/16" diam, hhole and use a 3/8-16 tap available from hardware stores. OF course, the nut sockets are cut in the ails after the bolt holes are made. Sockets out of sight are made from inside or from the bottoms of rails. The bed has some from the top and others from the front sides, but each is covered by a neatly made plug. ‘be correct, bedding should be as wide as the rails, so that covers hang straight down. The size of this bed as shown is almost our standard, double bed size of 54” wide x 75° long rails. If you choose to cord the bed, with a slight increase in width and length, (see materials list), a standard innerspring mattress will rest on the side rails and allow the covers to hang straight. Cord pegs (which are driven in dry holes) have rounded tops and stick up just enough to hold the cord and so do not interfere with a mat- tess resting on them. If you have room for a queen size bed, in- crease ral sizes 10 allow a 54° box spring to rest on angle irons and come flush with rail tops. Get a custom made mactress cut cout around the front posts to rest on the front rail. The bed would then be 61%" x 79 5/8”. Angle itons should be set flush into rails about 14° from posts and secured with 1° x 12° flat head screws ‘The tich color of the maple appears to come from aging rather than stain, Naturally finished woods darken noticeably in «few years, so my choice for finish is one of the antique oil finishes, which are penetrating, protective, clear, and very easy to apply. 35STANDARD BED SIZES Single - 39" wide x 75" long rails Double - §4” wide x 75” long rails Queen - 60" wide x 80" long rails King - 76” wide x 80" long rails ‘SUGGESTION Use a standard 54” box spring and 62” wide custom innerspring mat- {ess cut out around the foot posts. MATTRESS MADE TO FIT AROUND FOOT POSTS MATTRESS COVERS STRAIGHT ‘Supply Source 1 Bed bolts wih nuts and special wench, 3/8" x 6" or 7”, Avalbl rom Ball ‘and Ball, 463 W. Lincoln Hwy., Exton, Pa. 18941 or Horton Brasses, Box 95, Cromwol, CT. 06418, "{50Teot Gotton sach cord, 8/16" clam, braided; available as window weight ‘cord from hardware stores ‘Super quality bedaing made to ordor can be had from Sunset Mattress Co. ox 35-L, Gesipee, NH 08884, 603.590.6256. This is an unsolicited recommen sation ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carlyle lynch ix a retired teacher and cabinetmaker. He is a frequent contributor to The American Woodworker. 36 Drill through the center of a piece of 3/8” tod or dowel and thread four or five feet of fish line through it. Tie one end to a plumb bob. Chuck as shown and use to align plumb bob with pointed piece in drill able center hole. Clamp table in that position. Replace plumb bob with 1", 1%" or 17" spade bit. Support column to be drilled by placing its lathe center point on aligned point. Start drill and engage bit point with the top lathe center point and drill the column for the dowel.CLOTHES CADDY by Bill Marsella a welcome addition to the bedroom, bura simple and useful project for the home woodworker. The unit illustrated was constructed entirely from American walnut—the only exceptions were a short length of 1/8” diameter aluminum rod, a brass coat hook, 2 small piece of 1/8” ply thac was covered with felt, and a short length of vinyl *T"" edge. The original stock came from an Arkansas sawmill as 4/4KD and was planed to 3/4 in my shop. Trouser Board Fig. 1 (See Detail “‘A'main drawing) This was constructed from solid walnut and after the segments were matched for figure and internal stress, they were glued and dowelled together to make the required width. The top edge was slotted with a back saw (one with a narrow kerf) to receive the vinyl ‘*T” edge. This operation was done on the bench. The thought that this slor could easily be done on the bench saw is tempting but inadvisable. It is not only dangerous, but the thickness of a mitre blade is to0 wide for this slr. If you have the right fittings for the router, this method would be to your advamtage. Back Frame Fig. 2 Once the trouser board has been set into the clamps the back frame is con- structed next. It is a simple frame, dowelled together at the joints, but it must be machined accurately and clamped squarely. Hand scrape and sand the inside edges of the frame before gluing to avoid the tedious job of trying to clean the comers after the frame is assembled Support Rods Fig. 3 Since the trouser board must be at an angle and the only support of this partis at the very bottom (as it joins the back frame), some support is needed, not only for the finished unit, 37CLOTHES CADDY a Batwa lh fra Sof ou a an Rad i ag! Swe Sofa Bill Marselle, [gnbrookW)but also while handling and finishing the unit; so these stays should be made now. Once the stock is cut ro length, they are secured in a machinists vise (protected from the jaws with cardboard) and bent to shape. This method will permit less ofa radius at the bends than could be obtained ina wooden jig. The angles of the bends are 90°, and each of the legs must align with the centerline of the rod. If you remove the burrs from the cut ends, the rods will be easier to set into the holes of the back frame and trouser board later on. FEET...This notch must be cut to form a tight joint Feet Fig. 4 Two feet will be required (see drawing), and the wood for them must be selected with strength and stability in mind. They must be sound because a notch will be cut into them to receive the superstructure. This notch must be cut to form a tight joint. Spacer Fig. 5 This isthe part that will determine the angle of the trouser board. It was ripped on the bench saw from a piece of 3/4” walnut. While you have the arbor set for this cut, leave it in position, change the blade, and cross cut the bottom edge of Locate the postion of the aluminum rod stays and drill 1/8” holes, 1” deep in the outer edge of the frame and the trowser board. the trouser board. Along with this piece, you will need two walnut end caps (Part I) which will be joined to this spacer at final assembly. Since these pieces are so small, it is much safer to cut them by hand rather than on the machine. Key/Change Tray Fig. 6 This too was made of walnut the material was dressed to 1/2” in the planer. Even though it may seem feasible, and is possible, planing 3/4” stock to 1/2" on the joiner can leave the work inac- curate, and it can be a hazardous operation, ‘The tray bottom edges are rab- beted so that they will set into the ‘grooves that are machined into the edges. This edge stock is then mitered, and all che parts are first hand cleaned and then assembled Ie will be easier to do it this way instead of having to get the scraper and sanding block into corners ‘The mitering of the edges, though easily done by hand, is best cut on the bench saw in the jig made for that purpose. 39Final Assembly With all the parts completed and hand cleaned, assembly of the unit can be started. The spacer (Fig. 5) is face glued to the bottom edge of the frame, using two small brads for alignment, and this assembly is then face glued to the bottom edge of the trouser board (Fig. 1) Four No. 6 FHWS are used to secure the three parts together and the entire sub-assembly is set in the clamps. Be certain to use pads (1/4" ply) where the clamps con- tact the walnut since their rock maple faces are harder than the walnut. This precaution will avoid the task of removing the burnish marks off the finished walnut sur- faces. Once this assembly is taken from the clamps, align the feet in their final position and bore four 3/8° diameter holes for the dowels. Using glue and the dowels as fasteners, make up the joint. Neat locate the position ofthe aluminum rod stays (Fig. 3)and drill 1/8” holes, 1" deep both in the outer edge of the frame and the trouser board. It is not necessary to find a bit that is a few thousandths larger than the diameter of the rod because the wood will give when the rods are tapped into the holes, Remember not to set these stays permanently now since they will have to be removed in the final stage to be polished and cleaned. ‘The key/change tray is now joined to the top edge of the back frame with four 3/8" dowels. Note that these dowels protrude up from the frame 3/8", and be certain that when the holes are drilled in the tray bottom, the spur of the drill does not pierce through. With the unit assembled, now is the time to add your trademark. I use a branding iron with my own logo for this purpose, and this operation must be done prior to the beginning of the finishing process. Finishing the Unit Iki all too common to sce projects described in minute detail with no mention of how to finish it. The ex- petienced woodworker, though, is well aware that an ‘expert job of craftmanship is entitled to an equally expert job of finishing. ‘Wipe all the surfaces with a damp sponge first, let completely dry, and then finish sand these surfaces to remove the minute wood fibers that will soon reveal themselves. 0 ‘Then, using a tac rag, wipe these surfaces clean. I usually mix the natural filler with the stain that I prepare, so this liminates one step in the finishing process. It is probably a matter of training, but I prefer oil stains over penetrating Cones; there seems to be more room for blending with the former, particularly when a rag is used as an applicator. ‘The stain/filler is rubbed into the surface, wiped clean, and then allowed to dry. This material is then set with ‘a coat of white shellac (one pound cut). This step is critical. Since I ordinarily use a flat alkyd brushing varnish, which is softer than lacquer, I repeat the process with two ‘more coats of shellac over the seal coat, sanding and tac tag wiping between each coat. The last coat of shellac is allowed to dry for two days, and after this time, any burning-in with stick shellac can be done. The final sur- face is then sanded and wiped clean with the tac rag; now the varnishing can begin. ‘Varnishing must be done in an area that is constantly heated (70°), dust free, and well ventilated. The ventila- tion is for your own protection. Of course, itis worth saying that the varnish must be the same temperature asthe sur- face to which it is to be applied. Nothing is more frustrating than to find blushing, crazing, or uneven dry- ing because of humidity or sub-standard temperatures. ‘Two coats of varnish are applied, and again, the first coat is sanded and tac rag wiped before the second is applied The final coat is allowed to dry for two days The rubbing process involves the use of wet/dry sand- paper, soaked in lemon oil, followed by a rubbing with steel wood (000), also using lemon oil as lubricant. Note that this is the first time that steel wool is used in the finishing process; steel fibers are almost impossible to remove from the sutface, and if they are trapped under the "'skin’’, they can destroy the appearance of the finishing job. The process described here should produce a surface that has a delicate sheen, while at the same time, amplifies the color and figure of the wood. The unit shown here was finished in this manner. ‘The almunium stays (Fig.3), left in place all this time, now can be removed, cleaned and polished, then set per- manently in place. After the unit has been wiped dry, the felt insert for the tray is installed, a brass hanger set at the back of the frame, and the vinyl “'T"’ edging is pressed into the saw cut at the top edge of the trouser board (Fig. 1). The unit is now complete.Key/Change Tiay..showing fabric covered insert & coat hook at back of fame. MATERIALS LIST oi sae arena r A *% Walnut 8 1m 6% Walnut c SM OW? Walnut D Se 13am" Lon Ply (fet -: = Covered) E2 42 96" Walnut Fa M30 Walrut a4 2 10" Walnut Ht Spacer 1 Walnut 12 EndCape wt Wain J 2 Fost 3 Walnut 1 Touserea 4 13M" Walnut Lt Trouser Vinyl pose 2 OE eee M2 Suppor we Bw" Aum. ods Rod About The Author: Bill Marcella is an industrial designer and woodworker living in lynbrook, New York. iCONTEMPORARY CHAIR by W. Curtis Johnson This contemporary chair is styled after the conventional German chairs for a (particularly sturdy design, but avoids cross grain construction. Photographs by the Author a have always liked the way in which traditional German chairs combine a simple style with an ex- tuemely sturdy design. However, their weak point is the cross-grain construction at the seat, which invariably leads to cracking. Recently, | realized thar these chairs could be made using the prin- ciples in my "’Bench-Coffee Table” (The American Woodworker, Vol. 1, No. 3) to avoid the design flaw of cross-grain construction. The result is the chair presented here. Following the methods used in the construction of the Bench-Coffee Table, the legs ate made in ppaits from a single board and attached to the seat with through mortise and tenon joints. To avoid ‘ross-grain construction, the grain runs across the seat rather than front to back, as is conventional The seat is strengthened across the grain by the wood joining the two legs. The back goes through the scat to become one of the stretchers strengthen. ing the legs. With this design, the back i attached at two points over five inches apart, so itis par ticulatly sturdy. The legs are angled 5° to the side, and the back continues this line. The legs are angled 7° to the front and back. All in all, 1 was pleased with the sculptural effect. I chose fairly standard dimensions for maximiz- ing the comfort of aside chair, as discussed in Fine Woodworking Magazine, Nos. 14, 16, and 32. Thus the seatis 17% inches from the floor at the front and tilts back at 3°. The seat itself is 15 inches deep and 17% inches wide at the front. This chair was designed for our small kitchen table, so for in. creased comfort I'd suggest enlarging the width of the seat and the back one inch over the dimen. sions given here. The angle between the seat and the back is 100° Regardless of the wood you choose for your chai, the wide boards will undoubtedly have to be glued Up from two narrow ones. I used 8/4 lumber and resawed it on my band saw so thatthe wide boards are book-matched when glued together. However, you can certainly use standard 4/4 lumber and ‘match the grain at the joints. The Bill of Materials assumes that you will use 4/4 lumber with one- half the wideh of the wide boards, and pair the pieces for the legs and back to minimize waste. If you use 8/4 lumber and resaw it, the board for the back need be only 26% inches long, and the waste can be used for stretchers ‘Trim and smooth the edges of your lumber, making sure that the edges are square to the faces. Then enlarge al che shapes in the drawing to full size and transctibe them to your boards. Cut the curves with a band saw or a saber saw. However, don’t cut the 2 inch radius on the back, since you will nced that corner when clamping. Furthermore,— the blank for the seat should be rectangular rather than trapezoidal to facie accurate messing f you plan to cut the mortises by hhand, Use a variable jg for cutting tapers, as described in The American Woodworker, Vol.1, No, 2,10 cut the slants at the center of the back and legs. The stretchers should be alittle long so they can be adjusted later. Begin assembly with the back because the finished dimensions of this piece will determine the exact ppositions of the legs. Plane the 5° slant at the center of the back and the ends which will join the suetcher. Clamp the back together at the top and check this joint. If everything looks good, mark the final length of the stretcher from the assembled back and cut off the excess. The stretcher can’t be glued directly to the main part of the back because glue has no strength on end grain. You should use two dowels or floating tenon at each of these joints. Clamp all three pieces together as final test before finally gluing up the back, It is a fairly simple matter to plane the 7° slant on the legs and glue them together in pairs. All che curves can now be smoothed, and if you have a drum sander, this process is trivial. ‘When the seat blank is ready, you can cut the mortises. My method for making wedged mor- tise and tenon joints by hand was detailed in The American Wood- worker, Vol. 1, No, 3, although it isa litle trickier here because the legs slant out at 5°. However, if your seat blank is carefully squared, you can use an adjustable square to accurately mark out the ‘motises. The slant means that they must be about 1/16 of an inch closer to the side ofthe seat on the bottom. Size the width of the mor- tises about 1/32 of an inch less than the thickness of the leg sec- tions so you can fit the tenon to the mortise. The distance across the top of the seat between the in- sides of the mortises should be the same as the distance actoss your finished back at 20% inches from the top. Clamp a scrap of wood, ‘cut at 85° at the mortise to help you maintain the correct angle with the chisel, and eut from both sides. Of course, the mortises can always be cut with a router fitted “4 The 5° slant of the Logs is continued in the back for a sculptural effect. with a bushing using an ap- propriate template that tts the router 5°. Mark the tenons ftom the mortises. Saw the tenons slightly ‘oversize remembering that the shoulders must be cut at 85°. I used a band saw with a fence for this and nibbled out the wood be- tween the tenons in a numberof passes. However, you can use a saber saw if the blade has some set and you saw slowly to avoid bblade wander. Clamp a straight board to the leg section to serve as a fence and adjust the tilt of the blade to 85°. Thim the tenons to a perfect fic using a rabbet plane, a chisel, your saw, ora scraper. Isaw a diagonal kerf actoss eachtenon to accept a wedge after assembly. Check the fit with the legs in place, but don’t glue them in quite yet Customers often ask me how I gor the back through the seat, and I've thought of a number of clever answers, but woodworkers will realize atonce that the seat was simply cut and reglued. ‘Thac is your nexe task. Fitst trim the seat to shape and round the edges to a % inch radius on the bottom and a % inch radius on the top. This is also a good time to do any trimming com the legs and back and round over the edges oon these sections. The legs and the rear of the back sport a % inch radius, while the front of the back has a % inch radius. Be careful not to round the back where it will go through the seat. Now rip the seat ro accommodate the back ‘The cut should be 10° from vertical to give a total angle of 100° between the seat and the back, Plane these edges smooth and check the joint. Sand all of the pieces except the top of the seat through 220 grit in. preparation for assembly. Secure the leg sections by gluing the tenons into their mortises and driving in the wedges along with a little glue. When the glue is dry, trim the protruding ends of the tenons flush to the seat with a plane. Now is the time to hollow out the seat to a depth of about 3/8 inch at the center. Use other comfortable chairs asa model for the hollow. You can rough this ‘out with a gouge, but since I was doing four chairs Tmade a template for use with a router. ‘The template has four rings to provide five ever larger guides for the outside of the router. With The legs are santed 7° font andl back, and rhe wood between the legs strengtbens the seat across the grain. The ‘eat is tilted back 3" and the back angled 100° othe seat reer tes Leg Pottern Begin assembly with the back because the finished dimensions of this piece will determine the exact positions of the legs. Back Pottern pein) Seat Detail 4sall che rings in place I rout to 5/32 of an inch. As each rin is removed [raise the bit 1/32 of an inch, but I don't rout near the back on the fifth pass so that this part of the hollow will be steeper. A flexible disk sander on a drill is excellent for shaping and smoothing. Now. position the back and drill through the back into the seat for a 2-inch no. 10 wood screw on each side. Glue the back to the seat and the leg sections, holding it in place with the screws and clamp- ing the legs snug against the edges at the bottom of the back. Next, ‘mark the mortises in the remaining seat piece from the back and saw the mortises to fit. Glue the seat together. Mark the length of the front stretcher from the legs and glue this in place Exposed dowels secure the front stretcher and strengthen the joint berween the back and the legs. You can use commercial round dowels, but I prefer to make my own so they have square tops. I rip % inch squate lengths of material and cut the blanks about % inch longer than needed. Then I drive the square pegs through a % inch round hole diilled in a piece of steel, stopping to leave a square top about 3/8 in long. The dowels are cleaned up and the round end chamfered. ‘These dowels will be used in 1/4 inch holes that have plenty of depth and are squared at the top with 2 chisel. This chair uses two such dowels at either end of the front and rear stretchers. ‘tim the ends ‘of the dowels flush with the legs after they are glued in place. Sanding before the chair is assembled and care in using the right amount of glue will mean that very little must be done before apply- ing the finish. Raise any dents with a damp cloth and an iron, and sand where necessary. The finish is your choice. W'Squares Stretcher Patterns fe Bill of Materials A. 1 Back 3/4" x 6" x 39” B. 2 Leg sections ‘g/4" x 7" x 24" ©. 1 Seat aya" x 17" x 17 112" D. 1 Front stretcher aia” x 2 9/8" x 13 1/2" E._1 Rear stretcher 3/4” x 2" x 6 3/4" This je guides the outside of ¢ router when roughing out the hollow in the seat. Four tings provide {five guides for depths of 5/32, 1/8, 3/32, 1/16, and 1/32 of an inch. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: VW. Curtis Johnson isa contributing editor to The American Woodworker. 6 wr Wadged through mortite and tenon joints secure the leg se: tions to the seat. The mortises are cut at a 3° angle. The back goes through the seat and serves at a stretcher This foature also makes the back particularly sturdy.Period Furniture by Franklin H. Gottshall having identifiable characteris ties representing a particular historical time period. During the length ofthis time span, few radical changes occurred. As time wore on, however, changes began to manifest themselves, ‘gradually at first, but with in- ‘creasing frequency as these changes gained favor and acceptance. We can safely assume that certain basic furniture items, such as tables, beds, chests, and seats of one kind or another, were to be found in homes from very eatly times, It was not un: til the beginning of the 17th century, quite recently from a historical perspective, that period styles began to emerge. ‘What brought it about was the similarity or exact duplication of enough design elements in 2 fig. 1 Photographs by Bruce H. Gottsball except where noted. style to make identification and Seah tive furniture styles. These began with the Jaco- oe bean style, in England, at the beginning of the Prior to the 17th century 17th century (See the Jacobean cupboard, Fig. 2, there were periods of develop- showing typical early Jacobean construction and ment in architecture, art, and ornament.) The Jacobean style underwent three hhome furnishings, such as the stages: the firs of these during the reigns of King Classical era, when Greck and James I and Charles |; the second, a very austere Roman cultures prevailed. A stage, under Cromwell; and the third, a flamboyant Gothic era followed which stage, during the restoration of the monarchy lasted from the middle of the under Charles II and James Il. Oak, heavy and 412th century to the beginning coarse-grained, was the principal wood used. Con- of the 16th century. An exam- struction was rugged with pinned mortise-and- ple is the chest carved with tenon joints, and ornaments consisted of moldings, Gothic tracery shown in Fig. 1. wood turnings, and carving, Still another was the Renais sance era which had its begin. Early American furniture, now somewhat loosely rings in the 1th century and _referted to as the “*Colonial Style”, was patterned lasted into the 17th century. All after Jacobean furniture, using native American three time periods overlapped. timber, such as oak, maple, and pine. In the early Designers and creators of period American colonies, furniture-making was mostly furniture styles adapted ot a spare time cottage industry, carried on in set- copied motifs from all three. _tlets’ homes as need for such items arose, This and Construction and other ele- other factors such as lack of training and skill, scar- ments of furniture design were city of essential tools, and lack of sufficient time not sufficiently formalized or (much of which had to be devoted to the more standardized during these ex- pressing needs of providing food and shelter) tended time periods so as to. resulted in the evolvement ofa simpler, less preten- become recognized as distinc- tious American Colonial style than the Englishmodels from which it sprang. In many instances this simplification improved the furnieure's appearance and usefulness, Near the end of the 17th century, with the accession of Queen Mary and her consort, William of Orange from Holland, to the English throne, English furniture under- went significant changes structurally and decoratively. The William and Mary style, developed over the short period of fourteen years, and the Queen Anne style which followed, brought about simplification of shape and surface adorn- ‘ment, reduction in weight, and brighter colors, Walnut, a finer grained moze beautiful wood, replaced oak, the predominant wood found on Jacobean furniture. (See the Queen Anne chair in Fig. 3). William and Mary furniture sported hooded tops on cabinets and cupboards, turned legs with cup and trumpet shapes, and shaped stretchers near the floor, which were used con chaits, cables, and other pieces of furniture. Seating fur- niture was upholstered co make it more comfortable. (Sce the William and Mary dressing table, Fig. 4). These desi clements were of such a nature that they became readily iden- tifiable as belonging to the William and Mary style and no other. Walnut trees, whose wood was most often used to build both William and Mary and Queen Anne furniture, sometimes grow with a hard hemispherical outgrowth on a tree. This can be sliced into thin sheets of veneer, which has beautifully figured grain due to its growth pattern. It is possible to arrange sheets of this veneer on a surface in ways to form a wide variety of pattems, and this became a featured way of enriching drawer fronts, table aprons, and other large flat areas on William and Mary furniture ‘As these changes were taking place in England, impor- tant changes in furniture design were also taking place on the continent, especially in France. From the middle of the Fig. 3. Woodwork-Furmiture. American, Philadelphia. XVII, 17251750, Arm Chait. Walnut, upbolstered in yellow silk damask The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1925 Fig. 5. Secretary, upright. French XVIII 1775-1780, Oak, tulip-wood, purple wood, gilt bronze, marble and porcelain, H, 47, W. 31%, D. 16 3/8": The Metropolitan Muses of Art, Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foun dation, 198.17th century to the end of the 18th century, three great French styles named after reign- ing monarchs of the period emerged. The Touis 14th, Louis 15th, and Louis 16th styles greatly influenced the development of con- temporary English styles starting with ‘arolean furnitute ofthe Jacobean period and ‘ending with the Sheraton style. (Fig. 5 & 6). Gas TL, living in exile in France dur- ing the years Cromwell ruled England, restored conditions which again encouraged and welcomed greater artistic achievements. This trend continued and later manifested itself in the designs of Chippendale, The Brothers Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton, up to the end of the 18th century. French influence on English furniture design was 2 powerful factor all through the 18th century and even beyond that time. In 1661, Louis 14th appointed Charles LeBrun, a French artist of some reknown, to be director of the Gobelins Manufactory in the Louvre. While holding this position, he hhad charge ofthe decoration and furnishing of the palace of Versailles and other impor- tant buildings. Being an administrator as well as an artist of established merit, he for- mulated rules and standards which gave French art and craftsmanship a degree of unity and uniformity never before achieved. Colbert, the finance minister's scheme of quartering artists and craftsmen in the Louvre and giving them constant occupation, worked well. The furniture they designed and built was sumptuous, and this trend con tinued to the end of the 18th century. It was not surprising, therefore, with this model of achievements ever before them that English designers emulated French precepts to be the world’s greatest furniture designer, ‘was in reality an adapter of motifs taken from other styles rather than an originator of new designs. His, however, was the first furniture maker's name to be given to a style of fur- niture, All eatlier period styles had been, and still are, idemtified or associated with the names of ruling monarchs during the period when the styles were being developed. The furniture produced in Chippendale's shops assumed a distinctive individuality of is own for several reasons. He was the first cabinet maker to publish a book of furniture designs, The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Direc: Jor, advertising his designs. He was an astute, well-liked businessman and he managed to project so great an element of personality in to his work that it unmistakably left its mark to the present day. (See the Chippendale Lowboy in Fig. 7.) Fig. 6. American XVIM. 1795-1800. Sideboard: with tambour front knife boxes Mabogany with baxwood, ebony, satimweood inlay, silver and glass panel, 1H, 630s; L, 89, D. 31". The Metropolitan Mascum of Art, Gift of Mitebell Tiradach and Pulitzer Fund, 194. Fig. 7.Fig. & Side chair: Hepplewbite style. American, New England. XVII The Metropolitan Museu of Art, Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1909. Chippendale was a superb wood carver, and certain features of this skill were embodied in oft-repeated motifs closely associated wih his d ike richly carved cabriole legs, and ball-and-claw feet on chaits, tables, cabinets, and ‘cupboards. His chair backs were generous in size and gracefully shaped with legs flaring outward at the top. Seats were lage enough to be comfortable. Ladder-back chairs and interlaced banding on splat-back chairs were tastefully and beautifully carved. Motifs adapted from French, Gothic, Chinese and Classical periods were used on chaits, tables, mirror frames, and other furniture made in Chippendale’s ‘workshop. Mahogany, a wood of superb quality, is the wood most closely associated with Chippendale furniture. When prop- erly seasoned, it is 2 reasonably stable wood with a wide variety of beautifully figured grain patterns whose beauty is enhanced when furniture finishes ate applied. It is readily shaped with a saw, plane, chisel, and other woodworking tools. No other wood has so many desirable qualities needed by a cabinet maker to build fine furniture. Several other designers and builders of furniture achieved sufficient recognition for their work and their innovations to have their names indelibly associated with important 18th ‘century period styles. An important aspect in the develop- ment of 18th century furniture design was the number of changes that took place, with features different enough to separate one style from another. Observing the benefits Chip- pendale derived from his successful and profitable publishing 50 venture, others, whose names are now closely associated with 18th century period funiture styles, wrote and published design books of their own, A book featuring furniture designed by George Hep- plewhite and built in his shops, Tae Cabinet Maker and Upboliterer's Guide, was published two yeats after his death by his widow, who for atime carried on his business under the title of “A, Hepplewhite & Company". His work and this book established him as an outstanding 18th century designer and furniture builder. Distinguishing features of the Hepplewhite style are the shield-shaped and the interlac- ing heart shaped chair backs, and the square tapered legs, often ending at the floor with spade shaped feet. (See Fig. 8), Straight horizontal and vertical lines on cabinet furniture, ‘when viewed from the front, were relieved by curves on fur- niture sides and tops. The wood used was mahogany, decorated with inlays and marquetry made from other woods of contrasting colors. furniture designer and cabinet maker to haye a furniture style named after him. A cabinet maker and wood carver by trade, his name is more closely associated with the direc- tions and designs found in his book, The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book, than from the amount of furniture actually produced in his workshop. In America, Duncan Phyfe created furniture style, swrongly influenced by Sheraton, and to some extent, Hep- plewhite designs. The furniture produced in his New York shop from 1790 to 1830 ranks among the best produced dur- ing that period in Ametica. Other lesser known styles such as Biedetmeicr, Belter, and Mission furniture appeared and wwere accepted for a while before fading out of fashion. Dun- can Phyfe furniture achieved wider acclaim because his work attracted wealthy patrons, and the quality and craftsman- ship was excellent. Other i9th century styles which followed developed more along middle class lines resulting in deterioration of taste and refinement. Two other English designers of furniture who made enough significant and noteworthy contributions to have a style of furniture named after them were Robert and James ‘Adam, They were two in a family of four architects. First Robert, then James (after Robert resigned to the post ro enter Parliament) was appointed Architect to the King by King George III and began a series of important building opera- tions which brought them both wealth and fame. They published engravings of theit architectural work which was not limited to the design of buildings, but included fur- niture they designed so it would conform in taste, sale, and style co the architeceure of their classically designed buildings. (Gee Fig. 9). Furniture built ftom their designs was made in the workshops of contemporary cabinet makers, among whom were Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and others Although Chippendale adapted motifs from the Brothers ‘Adam designs, he never altered nor modified his own pat tems to the extent chat many others did who made Furniture from the Brothers Adam designs, Asa matter of fact, many ‘Adams designs had to be redrawn and alterations made to assure adherence to sound principles of construction.Fig. 9. English Woodwork, Architectural, 1th c. (1765-1768). Adam, Robert (1728-1792). Provenance: Lansdown House, Berkeley Square, Lon don. Dining Room. Painted gray 472" x 246" The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, ‘The accomplishments of these 18th century craftsmen were success stories of great significance. Proof of this lies in the fabulous prices sometimes paid for rare items at auctions. Significant factors contributing to high prices paid for such items are: 1) good design; 2) proof that the piece of fur- niture was built in the shop of a cabinet maker who had achieved fame because of the quality and originality of his ‘work; 3) good condition of the item; 4) its association with the name of a famous person or family who once owned itor who had ordered it made; and 5) its age. I have listed the factors which, in my estimation, determine the value of old masterpieces sequentially in what I consider to be their order of importance. The fact that the piece of fur- niture was owned by a famous person does litte to conttibure 10 its worth if itis poorly designed, in poor condition, ot if important original atributes contributing to its value have been altered. Soon after the close of the 18th century, furniture design rapidly deteriorated in quality. Much of this was due to the Industrial Revolution which began late in the 18th century, ushering in radical changes in the economy due to the in- ‘troduction of power driven machinery. Fortunately, condi- tions such as these often run in cycles and when deteriora- tion in quality becomes so bad, it fosters a desire for im- provement. Only a favored few can afford to buy choice an- 9 with white ornament, marble fireplace, mabogany doors. Bult for Ear of Shelburne, later Marquis of Lansdowne. tiques at the high prices they often demand. The rest of us have two choices: either we do without, or we build good furniture for our own use. ‘Today, more opportunities to develop the skills needed to build good furniture exist, enabling many to embark on projects of this kind. Public schools and institutions of higher learning offer courses in woodworking and other crafts. A ‘great deal of published literature, both informative and technical, is available. Good tools and machines small ‘enough to equip small home workshops at affordable prices are also on the matket. ‘Thus, itis possible for many who have acquired some skill with woodworking tools to build good furniture for themselves, and I would encourage them to do so. I have never found it financially expedient to buy much antique furniture because I cannot afford the high prices and even if I could afford them, I'd never get as much satisfaction from owning antique furniture as I do from the fine pieces Thave built for myself. This satisfaction can also be enjoyed by others who have a modicum of skill, patience, and persistence. About the Author: Franklin H. Gottsball ix a contributing editor to The American Woodworker. stCLAVICHORD BUILDING by Hendrik Broekman The piano in your parlor is a direct descendent of the first piano invented in Italy around the year 1709 by Bartolomeo Cristofori. sichord in all ways save one: the manner in which the strings were made to sound. Musically, though, the Gifference was striking. Where the harpsichord plucks, the piano strikes; while the harpischord is doomed to produce but one intensity of sound, each note on the piano can range, at the whim of the player's finger, from very soft to very loud. In fact, of all the many musical instruments mankind has devised, the harpsichord and the organ stand alone in their lack of capacity to play loud and soft at the immediate command of their players. Just as we whisper sweet nothings softly in the ear of our beloved or bellow our orders to the surrounding throng, music becomes mote expressive if we are able to modulate the loudness of each note at will. While it may seem that people who played keyboard instruments hhad to wait until 1709 or so to be able to play music like everybody else, such was not the case. Keyboard players did have an instrument which could play louder ot softer de- pending on how much effort was expended; the clavichord. p= CCistofor’s instrument was more like a harp. ‘The first clavichord, like the first organ, the first harp- sichord, the first violin or the first flute, is lost to us now. Scholars of the matter know from books, paintings and statuary that the clavichord was in use in the fifteenth cen- tury. These instruments would probably have seemed very crude to us, small instruments of very limited range, ex pressive more of ingenuity and novelty than art. Indeed, most ‘woodworking not connected to religious use surviving from that age gives the impression of fluency of technique rather than refinement. But while some instruments such as the lute or shawm (the ancestor of the oboe) had come into Europe from Arabia during the Crusades, the clavichord, harpsichord and organ seem to be pretty much homegrown. ‘They were expressions of the same mechanical genius that built cathedrals, clocks, mills, forges and all the other struc tures and devices which, by theit very complexity and in- tuitive grasp of non-evident means of force transfer, pro: gressively set European culture off from the rest of the world. If the clavichord had a drawback, it was that it didn’t pro- duce quite enough sound to be heard easily when some other instruments were in use, Musical instruments were expected to be either loud or soft, much as we style ourselves Democrats or Republicans, and softness of tone did not matter. But during the seventeenth century, music became much more ‘a matter of public performance so that soft instruments began to fall out of use. The clavichord, since its production of musical sound was so intimately tied to the being of the player, lasted the longest of the soft instruments in general use, especially in Germany. But, while some were made in the middle of the nineteenth century, it was, for all 32 practical purposes, universally surpassed by the piano in the Tate 1780's, he basis for the unique regard in which musicians hold I the clavichord is simply its primitive action. A broad- ened brass nail (called a tangent) is embedded upright in the back of each key. This nail strikes a wire ot pair of wites when the keyfront is depressed. The tangent can strike energetically or softly or at any intermediate force. While in contact with the wire, the tangent defines one end of the sounding length of the string much as the frets on a guitar do. The moment the tangent leaves the wire, the sound stops due to a strip of cloth woven between the strings to the left of the line of tangents. In addition, by pressing harder or softer once the wire has been set vibrating, the pitch pro- duced can be adjusted slightly higher or lower. If this is done repeatedly, in fact, itis possible to produce quite a decent vibrato on any key desired, an effect of which no other keyboard instrument is capable. (Clavichords are generally rectangular in shape: each a long, shallow box with a keyboatd recess slightly left of center and its soundboard recessed at the right end. When closed, the smallest examples look like slightly overlengeh lap desks while the largest give the impression of good sized writing tables, Ic is common for the smallest examples to be without legs and to be set upon tables when played. In very few instances are the cases elaborately decorated; they tend to be left with the grain showing. What decoration there is usually comes in the form of the carving of the key levers themselves, and sometimes, a small parchment rosette in a soundhole. On such a simple field, the detailing of each joint and piece takes on a decorative aspect of its own; in fact, it is not unusual to see workmanship of high quality lavished on a relatively humble instrument. ‘As with most cabinetry, aclavichord is built from the out- side in. The visible sides of the box, called delicately, not the carcase, but che rim, are fitted and assembled, the bracing filled in second and the bottom, soundboard and lid added last. If the clavichord were to be used simply as a desk or a bureau, chis would be relatively straightforward, but, in fact, stuffing a musical instrument into a shallow rectangular box calls for orderliness and creativity beyond mere intuition Unfortunately, the laws of physics demand we increase or decrease the length of wite geometrically for each octave leap, down or up while merely setting an upper limit on the number of sweaters we can hope to shove in a drawer. Unless ‘one thinks very subtly, the upper limit of sweaters should be the same forall arrangements of the same set of sweatersCee ea in the same drawer, whereas with a musical instrument one ‘must use and play with both man's and nacure’s senses of orderliness to effectively cram as much function as possible {nto an otherwise inappropriate form. Also, whereas a bureau is simply man's answer to too many Christmas gifts, a clavichord must be built against its natural inclination to self-destruct; while the bracing in a bureau will be arranged to maximize space left after completion, each joint in a clavichord must be arranged to resis the pull of the strings. his is not a “how-to” article—the instruction manuals ‘we develop for our kits ran to around 100 pages—but I thought it might be interesting for the average ‘woodworker to get a taste for some of the out-of the-ordinary processes an instrument maker must master ‘The fits clavichord I made had a curious history. I drew the plan on my kitchen table on wide white poster paper T had cadged from a butcher. Since I was planning somewhat nomadic summer, I decided I would travel light. Consequently, the clavichord’s keyboard existed long before Thad purchased the wood with which I planned to construct the case, The case was fashioned in my kitchen (different kitchen—same table) and each handeut dovetailed joint con- sumed four hours of my life. When ie finally came time to unite keyboard and clavichord, the two were so slightly but ctitically out of whack, both in dimensions and workman- ship, that had to produce a new keyboard. Ir took me eight hours to make the replacement, about a thitd of the time my first effort had cost: I was learning. Time passed, I set up a shop of my own, and many harp sichords later, had one clavichord order and what seemed to be enough inquiries to justify making mote than onc in- strument as [filled the order in hand. I intended to keep cone for myself as well. Now, making harpsichords can become an exercise in the extravagant use of time, especially when dealing with the case joints. But forall the decades and even centuries of stress against which I set my workmanshj sichord case joints do not take four hours a shot. Now let's see, sixteen corner joints at four hours each and eight kkeyboard recess walls at about two houts each, all with a ‘mitted moulding at top...hmmm. The conclusion was in- ‘escapable; LIFE'S TOO SHORT, there must be a better way. The Dovetails: Since I did not care to go to the expense of a router cut- ter manufactured to the antique angles, the dovetails and pins were both cut on the table saw, each with different methods but always with the case sides passed on end over the saw blade, The dovetails were cut first. After very carefully marking out and scribing one case end, I cut it and used itasa template to set pins in the table saw mitre gauge both 33for the position of the initial cut and the subsequent spac- ing of the dovetails. By simply reversing the case side, the dovetail spacing and positioning were made symmetrical. ‘Much of the waste material was cleaned out frechand with repeated passes over the saw. The saw blade was elevated so that it only cut up to, but not through, the scribe line. (lt must be apparent that the success of this method in alleviating a great deal of the tedium of cutting dovetails depends on the accuracy with which the ends are cut square and equally overlength.) The balance of the work on the dovetails was done by hand, chiseling the end grain waste up to the scribe line, the chiseled surface left slightly con- cave. Done carefully, the quality and accuracy of the saw cuts make any touch up of the sides of the dovetails un- necessary. The top ends of each case side were mitted slightly overlength pending fitting. the pins were cut next, each marked out individually I ‘from its mating dovetails. (I find pencils, awls and especially those romantically picturesque and expen- sive marking out tools one sees in beautifully illustrated color catalogues to be utterly useless in this process. A dressmaker's needle or, better yet, an X-acto knife is the sort of tool 1 rely on in such tight quarters. I use the knife backwards, that is, with its point in the wood and its unsharpened top facing the direction of travel. In this way the very sharpness of the knife does not lead it into confusion and error, while the rigidity of the blade ensures a good, clear strike line.) I marked the sides of the pins with knife and square, set the mitre gauge and sawed the waste carefully away up to the scribe lines, setting the mitre gauge twice, once for each side of each pin. The top pins and moulding mitres, however, cach had to be worked by hand. The Soundboard: I selected soundboard wood from fist rate, clear spruce. Experience, however, has taught me not o be as choosy as intuition might suggest. Sturdy wood, very dense and stiff 54 with a high number of rings per inch, does not necessarily, sound best. One wants to use wood with a moderate number, (20-14) of rings per inch, nicely stiff along, but somewhat flabby actoss, the grain. This will result in a soundboard that will vibrate mote freely and better resist the buckling and warping associated with humid weather than one made ‘of sterner stuff. For ease of planing, the runout of each plank has to be matched when planning the orientation of the soundboard. The planks should not cup ot warp appreciably, cither along or across their lengths or widths. A moderate amount of cupping along the grain can be tolerated if the amount is equal and similarly oriented in each plank. Since clavichord soundboards average an eighth of an inch in thickness, with many areas substantially thinner, such care is justified and imperative. use a table top as a reference surface when gluing up soundboards. I generally nail and clamp a jointed length ‘of wood along one edge of the table and nail blocks ‘of wood a sufficient distance away to accommodate the soundboard blank betwen them. Stuffing wedges between, these blocks and the soundboard blank will develop suffi- cient force to close up the joints. After a dry run to confirm that the setup works and the joints close under pressure, [ spread waxed paper on the table and glue the soundboard, blank together, using weights or go-bars to help keep the soundboard flat on the work surface. After the blank is, removed from clamps I set it aside for a day or so. Planing a plate of wood to a thickness of 1/8th of an inch (3.2 mm) of so requires the same finesse that one must display when dancing on thin ice. No matter how the clamps, are arranged the danger always lurks either of buckling the soundboard or tearing it apart if the force used is too great. Thave found that a regime of three well-sharpened planes— scallop, wide smooth, and block—serve my soundboard panel planing needs quite nicely. ! use the scallop plane in a criss- cross fashion until most of the glue lines disappear. After having scalloped both sides I proceed with the smooth planeto finish the top surface to its final smoothness, give ot take a sanding or two, Lam then free to reduce the thickness of the soundboard by paying attention solely to the underside. use the block plane to taper the thickness of the board in specific areas. If leave some minor defects out of sight after tapering, not only am I in the good company of the ‘ancients, but I smile when I imagine some twenty-fitst cen- tury maker opening up my handiwork and feeling relieved that the same sort of thing he won't be able to avoid hap- pened to me, He will fel a bond of kinship then that I can only enjoy vicariously now. made the bridges (only one to a customer) from beech and sawed each from a tapered master blank. Each was hand finished with spokeshaves, scrapers, files and sandpaper. The flourish at the bass end I added with a fine coping saw, chisels and files. | made the soundbar from the same material as the soundboard. Both the bridges and soundbars were glued to the soundboard using go-bars, which method was used to glue the soundboard inco the instrument, as wel. ‘The tuning pin positions were easily marked out from the plan. Drilling them was not so easy. At the Hubbard shop fifteen years ago we had a drill press conveniently hung from. the ceiling and could drill into the middle of just about anything we could fit into the shop which, at that time, was a three-bay carriage house. I had no such fixture for my four clavichords, but I have kept a lightweight Rockwell radial drill press to get into the middle of keyboards and other largish but light objects. Now a clavichord not only qualifies as a large object but as a heavy one as well, not at all the sort of thing one wants to balance on an already undersized drill press table, Clearly some creativity was called for. My solution was to bolt the drill press base upside down to the underside of one of my Sears metal leg-chipboard top tables. I ran the post chrough a hole positioned in the table top such that the base just nudges the metal stretcher at the back ofthe table. With this serup, I could pull the horizon- tal arm out to its full 164” extension and still have a firm and true surface supporting my work underneath the chuck, Diilling the tuning pin holes suddenly became duck soup. The Keyboart ‘The keylevers are made from basswood. After gluing-up panels, I planed chem to thickness, and scribed and marked BALANCE PIN & ‘MORTISE. ‘SHARP-STAINED BEECH KEYFRONT-EBONY KEYLEVER-BASSWOOD BALANCE RAIL, them out, I then milled ebony to 1/8" thickness and glued it to the fronts and tops of the key panels, leaving spaces for the sharps. had cut out and sculpted my famous first keyboard totally by hand and had learned a lot about wood and myself. This time, consequently, I cut apart the natural fronts on the table saw using a fine (.045” kerf) blade and finished cutting the rest of the panel on the bandsaw using 44" blade which had had its kerf largely stoned away. (Life IS too short.) The carving of the keys I did on the table saw, as well. Drawing the keys sideways across a setup over the rotating saw blade cleared out most of the waste, after which the rough surfaces were easily cleaned with files and a very sharp chisel. I dded the small scallops last, freehand. The ebony maturals were rounded at front by a router, lightly sanded, oiled and lightly buffed. I did not give the basswood levers any finish. Obviously, there is more to making a clavichord than the processes I have detailed here. All the normal woodwork- ing problems must be addressed as well as the exotic, and the time required to produce a clavichord exceeds the reading time of this article by a factor of several hundred, Ultimately, the difference between a bureau and a clavichord isthe dif- ference between a piece of furniture and a contraption. ‘Nowhere is the nature of the clavichord as a mechanicel con- trivance more evident than in a discussion of the keys, for, having accomplished the woodworking necessary to make the keys, ad to turn around and make each of those pieces of wood work. But that’s another story. CLOTH WOVEN BETWEEN STRINGS TO CLAMP THE SOUND AFTER RELEASE ,/” OF KEY __ STRINGS, CLAVICHORD KEY DETAILS ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hendrik Broekman is currently Technical Director of Hubbard Harpsichords, Inc., 144 Moody St., Waltham MA, 02154. He has been involved with the manufacture, care and playing of barpsichords and clavichords since 1965. 55How To Inlay by Allan E. Fitchett An inlay may be used to decorate the surface of an ob- ject, such asa piece of furniture, by inserting a design, often referred to as an inlay or marquetry assembly, into a grooved or recessed area. Inlay is an ancient art/eraft which can be traced back to the early Egyptians. The pharoahs and kings of that era ‘would compete to obtain the finest craftsman to design and construct their furniture and rooms, embellishing them with intricate inlay designs ‘The materials used for inlay can be wood, copper, brass, gold, silver, aluminum, tortoise shell, ivory, horn, bone, pearl, plastic, ete. The tools used for inlaying a design can range from a hammer and chisel to the small hand router plane, large hand router plane, electtic router, electric laminate trimmer, drill press ‘and the most modern technique—the laser beam. The use of the router plane and the electric router are the techniques discussed in this article. Modern commercially-made inlays are made up of various types of veneer to form the design. This design is usually surrounded by a piece of veneer referred to as a waster (Fig. 1), which is used to keep all of the small pieces of veneer which make up the design in place. One side ofthis assembly is usually covered with paper or gummed tape which also assists in keeping the design in place. The paper or gummed taped side of the assembly is the final or face side of the assembly and this paper of tape should remain in place un- til the assembly has been inlaid and glued into place and the adhesive used is allowed to dry properly. ‘Once you have selected your inlay, it now becomes necessary to provide a recessed area in the sutface into which you wil insert your ils. The following steps may assist you in your endeavors ‘No.I—If your selected inlay is surrounded in a waster, it is now time to cut away the waste veneer from the inlay design. Use a craft knife with a #11 blade and carefully cut away the waste material (Fig. 2). Cut on a sctap piece of ‘wood with the paper or taped side of the assembly down. Make many light passes with the knife, rather than trying ‘to cut through in one or two passes of the knife, which is apt to ctack the veneer or give you 2 rough edge. ‘No.2—Use a shatp pencil (no ink) and outline the posi- tion of your inlay on the surface where you are going to in- sett the inlay, remember the paper or taped side of the assembly is the face side, so keep this side of the assembly up (Fig. 3). Now check your penciled outline to be sure the position is comect. If not, erase the peneil mark and re-outline until the position is satisfactory to you. ‘No.3—When you have established the exact po the inlay, use a few small pieces of masking tape and hold the inlay onto the surface. Again using the point of your craft knife with the #11 blade, scribe a light line into the surface, tracing carefully around the edge of the inlay (Fig. 4). As you cut through the small pieces of holding tape, replace them with new or additional pieces of tape so that the inlay does not move until you have completed the scribed outline onto the surface to be inlayed. ‘No.4—Remove the tape and inlay. With the craft knife, retrace the scribed outline on the sutface, cutting down to 56 Waster Fig. 1 a depth equal to the thickness of the inlay (Fig. 5). Again, many light passes of the knife will produce a more accurate cut than one o two heavy passes. ‘No.5—If you elect to use an electric router or laminate trimmer to route out the inside area of your scribed outline, first use a 1/16" straight fluted bie for your router. Set the bit to cut the depth or thickness of the inlay assembly. Carefully guide the router freehand to cut about 1/16” in- side the sctibed outline. When this routed outline is com- plete, put in a %* or larger router bit into the router or trimmer, set to cut the thickness of the inlay and proceed to remove the wood remaining inside the previous routed outline. ‘No.6—The 1/16” strip remaining between the scribed ‘outline and the routed-out area can now easily be removed by holding your eraft knife on its side and carefully cutting along the bottom of the routed-out surface towards the original scribed outline. When this is complete, your inlay should fit perfectly into the routed recessed area. No.7—The use of hand-held router planes may be slower than using an electric router, but excellent results can be obtained with this tool if you exercise patience and care. The use of the small Stanley #271 router plane is ideal for routing small areas (Fig. 6). Your hands can rest upon the surface and you can push or pull the tool using only your fingers, which provide superior control over the movement of the tool. If you use a hand router, it is suggested that you make several passes of the cutter, lowering the cutter cach time until you have reached the final required depth. Move the router from the center of the area to be routed toward the scribed outline. After all of the area has been routed out, set the inlay in place to check for final fit.‘No.8—To bond the inlay in place, do NOT use a contact type of adhesive. The use of Titebond or a similar type of adhesive recommended, Apply alight coat ofthe adhesive to the side of the inlay assembly to be bonded plus a light, tat of glu to the recesed area that you routed out Inger the inlay assembly into the recessed area; press firmly using a veneer roller. Immediately wipe off any excess glue using a cloth dampened, not soaked, with water. Place a sheet of waxed paper or thin plastic over the inlaid area followed by six ot eight sheets of newspaper. Place a board over the assembly and clamp the entire assembly and leave overnight. ‘The next day, remove the clamps, paper, and plastic. Use a damp cloth and dampen the paper or gummed tape on the face side of the inlay. Use a blunt edged rool such as 1 putty knife and scrape away the paper or gummed tape. Be careful not to gouge the inlay or surrounding area. ‘No.9—Erase any pencil matks, then lightly sand the en- tite surface and prepare it for your favorite finish, varnish, lacquer of polyurethane. Your finished piece will be a unique masterpiece and will be a source of many compliments and much conversation, About The Author: Allan E. Fitchett is a professional restorer of antiques, «lecturer and an experienced marquetarian. He isa con sultant to Albert Constemtine and Son, Inc. of New York ‘and bas served as president of the Marquetry Society of America. He is co-author of Modern Marquetry Handbook. Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Ulustrations by Jennifer Chiles 7Child’s Cradle An Heirloom For Generations To Come by R. B. Rennaker A child's cradle isa piece of household furnicure that could easily become a family heirloom. Except for the spindles, it is not difficult to make. You may choose to turn them on your own lathe, as I did, or you might want to purchase them, They are available at most woodworking outlets. 1 chose black walnut as the material, but the cradle would look good using any number of species. I made all pieces so they could be easily disassembled, using wood inserts and stove bolts. If you do not sce the possibility of having to take the cradle apart some day, you may wish ro use wood screws and glue. The plans for this cradle are 2 ‘second 38 generation” design and differ slightly from the photograph. If you are going to turn your own spindles, they should be constructed first. Twenty-two spindles are required for the two sides at 11%" long and ten for the ends at 144" long. Note that ¥4” is inserted into the rails on each end, leaving 10%" and 13%" respectively, between the top and bottom rails. You may use any pattern you wish in turning down the spindles. I used a very simple pattern. I first cut the stock %” square and one inch longer than required, tum. ing each down to %4" diameter before turning the pattern, This will make for a more uniform pattem whenCHILD'S CRADLE ‘Scole Front 8 Side tg rE Drawings by Frank PittmanCRADLE SUPPORT i Pron bor lal sir finished. 1 marked the locations on the tool rest and turned each to size using a caliper. Each end must be tapered to a 3/8” diameter to insert in 3/8” holes in the bottom and top rails The holes for the spindles are 3” apart on centets. Find the center of the rail and mark for the center spindle, then, every 3° out to the end. Due to the end posts, the last space will not be exactly 3”. This is the reason for starting in the center. Be sure the holes arc in the center of the %" rail. Use a self centering device to mark cor drill the holes. Drill 4° deep in the bottom rail and %4* deep in the top rail. I shall explain why later. I used %" X 20 wood inserts at all removable joints. This requires « 7/16” hole in each end of each tail. Drill %” deep and be sute the holes are in the exact ceater of the ends. Screw the wood inserts in flush with the end of the sails. ‘Along the lower inside edge of each side rail, nail and glue a %s* X %* sttip (Part ) flush with the bottom edge. These strips will retain the bottom of the ctadle when finished. Note that the bottom rail is 2" wide while the top rail is 1%" wide. Both are %” thick, Using glue, assemble the spindles in the bottom rail first, driving to the depth of the hole. Now drive the top tail down on to the spindles. Cut three pieces of scrap 10%" long. Place these pieces between the top and bottom rail when oo ‘pluing the spindles to the rails. Use fone at each end and one in the center. They will insure that the in- side distance berween the top and bottom nis is eactly 10%" An ex tra %" has been allowed at the top for proper alignment in case some spindles are slightly longer than ‘others. Clamp securely using pipe ‘lamps. Use your square to be sure the assembly comes out true. If it is not, use a diagonal clamp to pull in to square. ENDS ‘The bottom rail for the end is exactly like the bottom rail on the sides except that it is only 174” long. Instead of wood inserts, dril two 3/8" holes %* deep in each end for dowels. The top rails are 14" X 13%" long with a single dowel hole in each end. Cut two pieces 2" X 3" X 14" thick (Part 8), Be sure the wood grain runs lengthwise, i., the 3° dimension. Dail a dowel hole %” from the top con one side and %” from the bot- tom on the opposite side. Be sure these holes ate centered in the 1%" thick edge. Dowel and glue these pieces to each end of both top rails. Drill two holes through the top rails to take #10 flathead wood screws 2%" long. Countersink from the bottom side. ‘The next step is to construct the cend posts. Finished, they must be 1%” square and 18” long, Be sure you leave them square at both ends where the rails join. We are ready now to assemble the end sections. Mark the center of both rails and every 3” each side of the center. Drill 3/8" holes %* deep in the bottom and %" deep in the top. Diill two dowel holes in each end of the bottom rail Cut two pieces of scrap exactly 13% long for spaces just as we did oon the side assemblies. Glue and drive the spindles into the bottom tail, then glue and drive the top rail down on to the spindles with the scrap spacers at each end. ‘Clamp uniil set, but be sure they are square before the glue sets. ‘Using dowel pin markers, mark the two dowel holes in the bottom of the comer post Leave 1° below the bottom rail. Mark the single dowel hole in the top of the end post (which has not yer been cut off) Drill the dowel holes in the end posts. Apply glue to the dowels and clamp the end posts to thecenter assembly. When the glue has set, saw off the top cor- ner in a rounded fashion. This is the finished end section, You will need two pieces 5° wide and 6° long to make the cradle hangers (Part F). Cut to desired shape leaving a 1%" partial circle at the top. Glue and screw to the top of the rail as shown, When the end sections are completed, ‘saw off the top comers as indicated in the detail drawing. I left these comers square to make it easy to clamp during the gluing process. a ‘The end support posts are 1%" square and 36” in length. Extend the two outside pieces 4” below the center piece t0 accept the leg pieces later. Cut to the desited pattern leav- ing the same amount of material on each side of the center piece. You may turn of saw any pattern you wish on these posts, but be sure and leave about 12" at the bottom. The “foot” sections are made as shown, 26° long and 8" fom top to bottom of the foot. Four inches is about right for the feet. A “*knob’” (Part M) 1%" in diameter is turned to round and glued to the end post 4° from the top. When the glue is set, drill a 5/16” hole through both the end post and the knob ‘The cross brace (Part Q) and the brackets (Part P) are made next. When finished, the cross brace must be 40° long, but leave ita little longer so that the ends can be squared later. ‘The brackets are 5” X 514” with two dowel holes in the 5° ‘edge and one in the 5%” edge. Glue and dowel to Part Q flush with the end. When the glue has set, cut to the shape shown. Trim the ends square until the total length is 40°. Ie is most important that these ends be square as they are the only support for the support posts, and they should be exactly vertical. ‘Assemble the feet into the end posts and glue and clamp, being sure the post is exactly at right angles to the feet. Use ‘wood inserts again to attach the posts to the cross brace. Drill %" holes where marked on Part N and counterbore a About the Author: RB. Rennaker is a woodworker living in Kokomo, Indiana, 14” hole 3/8” deep on the outside. This is to accept the wood “buttons” to hide the screw holes. This must be done at all holes forthe insert bolts. If you use wood screws and glue, you will also need to use the wood buttons to hide the screw heads. Before the cradle is assembled drill a 5/16" pivot screw hole through the top of Part N as shown. On a flat surface lay the end assembly and one side assembly together so that the bottom rails match. Then matk for the holes in the cor- ner posts. Do this for all four corners. Drill %” holes through all end posts as marked, then countersink 3/8” by "4" deep to accept the tim "buttons" ‘Assemble the sides and ends with %” stove bolts 1%" Jong. Measure for the bottom and use any kind of mat for this. The corners will have to be “snipped” a tiny bit so that it will fit around the end posts and lay flat along the %" strip nailed to the bottom rail. Use 5/16” machine bolts 4” long to hang the cradle be- ‘tween the support posts. If you use wood inserts in the end ‘posts, you will want to countersink for the trim buttons as ‘we did on the cradle corner posts. Draw up these bolts just tight enough so the cradle will swing easily. ‘fa locked position is required for the cradle, 3/8” holes ‘may be drilled through the end post and into the center of the end section bottom rail. A length of 3/8” dowel stock ‘may be inserted through both holes for locking the cradle in a stationary position, If your cradle is assembled with wood screws and glue, then the wood trim buttons may also be glued in place. If ‘you have used the wood inserts and you think you may some- ‘day want co disassemble your cradle, then the buttons should not be glued in place. | fashioned a “'beating’” for the hole in the hangar (Part F) out of a scrap piece of metal tubing of the correct size to accept the 5/16” machine bolts. This is not actual necessary as the ctadle swings wel without any such bearing. Afier a thorough sanding with 220 grit sandpaper, the cradle can be finished with your favorite finish. 1 ‘used two coats of satin polyurethane, ‘I chose black walnut as the material, but the cradle would look good using any number of species."" HARDWARE: Y%-20 Wood Inserts ........12 ¥%-20 Flathead Stove Bolts. . 12 #10 X 2%" Flat Head Wood Screws 4 5/16" X 4" Machine Bolts ...2 Buttons Ye" X 3/B" =. .14 Dowel Pins 9/8” X 1¥2" ....12 aoHAND PLANES by W. Curtis Johnson 1 find planing with a well tuned hand plane the most exquisite joy in ‘woodworking. Last summer I shared this joy with the people of Corvallis, Oregon at our annual Imagination Celebration. I invited everyone who passed the workbench, set up on a downtown sidewalk, to try hand plan ing. Children and adults alike were delighted to shave a thin slice of wood from the edge of a board. Most peo- ple took a treasured, curly shaving with them. In this series of four at- ticles, Thope to convince readers, who are wedded to theit machines, to try hand planes. Performing many tasks more easily and better than machines, hand planes are not difficult to use if they are frst tuned and sharpened, In chis article, { will discuss the planes I find particularly useful. In future ar- ticks, Iwill cover tuning hand planes, sharpening plane blades and similar edged tools, and finally, the use of hand planes, Thave quite a collection of hand planes, but when I think about ic, there are really only four that get a lot of use. My workhorse isthe Record No. 05 jack plane. The Stanley No. (60% is low-angle block plane which is useful for trimming with one hand. ‘The Record No. 073 isa rabbet plane, which removes thin shavings from the face of tenons and smooths their shoulders fora perfect fit. The finger plane gives good control when trim- ming small projections, such as ex posed splines in a miter joint. ‘My jack plane has a 2 inch wide blade and is 14 inches in lengeh. With it, I can quickly flatten rough cut lumber, true the faces, and smooth iby removing thin, translucent shav- ings. I can plane edges so that the joint between two boards will hve an invisible glue line. If you are a begin- ning woodworker with only a table saw, this isthe tool that will allow you to progress beyond plywood and use solid wood for your furniture. If the jack plane is tuned and sharpened as described in the accompanying ar- ticles, it is really quite easy to use. Before mechanical planers were available, four different “*bench” planes were generally used for prepar. ing lumber. A scrub plane of moderate length has a flat bottom a Photographs by the author. A band plane will flatien and smooth a wooden surface quickly, yielding delightful, curly shavings. but a somewhat convex blade. It quickly removes large amounts of stock when used diagonally across the board. Today even rough cut lumber is reasonably flat, and if yout do nochave a planer, you are probably buying lumber that has its faces surfaced anyway, In the rare citcumstance that you need to remove large amounts of material set the blade of your jack plane for a deep cut and plane diagonally across the board It will make short work of the task. The jack plane is used to make the faces fairly flat. Actually, the modern jack plane is fairly long, and I find that it produces a face that is tue enough so that a long jointer plane is unnecessary. A short smoothing. plane is meant to remove extremely thin shavings and put the final surface on a board. Tfind that my jack plane will do this just fine if the blade is sharp and set for a minimum cut ‘Some professionals recommend a smoothing plane (like the 10 inch No. 04) and a jointer plane (like the 22 inch No. 07) over the jack plane. That's probably good advice, but it almost ples the investment to get started. I have been able to plane short boards with my jack plane, but I did finally buy the smoothing plane because ic is less cumbersome. ‘Wood or metal planes present another choice. I prefer the metal planes, shown here, to the wooden planes I own. True, the metal planes are heavier to move, but that weight helps keep them on the board. Your hands are closer to the surface of Exceedingly thin shavings can be pro duced by a well >| tuned hand plane with a sharp blade.Sette es? Pictured here are my four favorite band planes. From top to bottom, and lef right, they are: 1 Record No, 05 jack plame, a Record No. 073 rabbet plane, a Stanley finger plane, and a Stanley No. 604s block plane with a low angle bude the board with a metal plane, and 1 smooths end grain just fine. The hefty No. 073 is an expensive plane but one well worth the price. For your money, you get a precisely ‘machined tool that needs no tuning caepilallcanen ei blde OBIE width of the body. Of course, the blade should be polished on the flat side and sharpened. This rabbet plane is useful whenever you need the edge of the blade to be flush with the side. ‘AS expected, it nicely smooths rab- bets, but I use it regularly to cut the last thousandth off an oversized ‘The little finger plane was a Christmas gift from my young son, tyho was ented thee bd a plane Tp his pice range, [se ill de ime for trimming where even the block lane is unwieldy. The plane is too Calan agigea oes cane ta again, the blade must be polished on the flat side and sharpened. "These are my favor plates, and Idoa't know what I would do witout them. They allowed me to make a lot of furniture before I owned many find this less cumbersome. It is also ‘true that the wooden planes slide bet ter, but the metal planes will slide equally well if you periodically rub a litte paraffin (an old candle stub will do) on the bottom. Furthermore, the sole of a metal plane stands up bet- ter against abuse, like planing the slue line when some glue sil remains oon the surface Japanese planes are popular now. ‘These laminated blades are meant to be pulled and are valued for the thin shavings they produce. I have no ex- perience with Japanese planes, but any choice is 2 trade-off. Japanese planes also have a wooden body and ‘must be adjusted by tapping with a hammer. Certainly when the blade in my well-taned plane is sharp, I can produce exceedingly thin shavings which I suspect are as thin as those roduced by any Japanese plane, Also eee eae les is now available for The perts of a metal bench plane. From fop to bottom, left right, they are: lever cap ‘western planes, including laminated or chip breaker with the screw that bolds it tothe plane blade; cutting iron or plane blade; frog ones. ‘The compact block plane fits nice into One hand leving the ote fee swith the screw for securing the lever eap; the mechanism for adjusting the depth of the blade; ‘the lever for straightening the blade, and the sees that bold it to the body: the plane body with the handles; the adjusting screw for the frog; and the mouth through which the sharp edge of to hold the work. Icis very convenient “Se blade protrudes: forall trimming as well as rounding edges. The low angle of che blade sheers end grain nicely, but again there is a trade- ‘off, This sheering, combined with the lack of a chip breaker in block planes, is likely tp que tear-out when planing withthe grin. Thus, if were buying a block plane, Yd buy the standard angle No. 914. The 20° angle that the blade on this plane makes with the sole, plus the 25 to 30° from the up-turned bevel, gives a net angle of 45 to 50, This is comparable to the 45° angle that the blade makes with the sole in most bench planes where the bevel is down. The larger angle gives more of a scrap- ing action that is less likely to cause tear-out. Use the adjustable mouth to narrow the opening. This will help to prevent tear-out and partially make up for the lack of achip breaker. How about planing end grain with the larger angle? My jack plane power tools, and today I use them ‘with superior results, to finish what my power tools only started. In the next issue, we will examine in detail how to fine tune the hand plane. About the Author: W. Curtis Johnson is a contributing editor 10 The American Woodworker. 6P. RODUCT News ®) New Toy Wheels Need 4 dlasic spoked wheel for your teproducion automobile or other craft and hbby project? Now you can get ches nique bardwood spoked wheels besutiflly crafted ad finely sanded ~in diamerers anging fom 204s Wheels come complete with tapered tle pin fran exy secure For mote ar ‘mation and 3 color eatalogsubsripton,sead $100 tc: Chery Tee Ts, Bow 369-48, Bel mont, OH B78 New Bridgewood Machines for 1986 Wilke Machinery Co, announces fous new machines for 1986. Chosen by «salt of pr fesional, che new lie includes a pin router spindle sander shaper and wide ble sanders Fer information on thee and other products send $1.00 fr the ful line catalog fo: Ihe Machinery Ca, tne, 120 Deny Cours, Yor, PA (k Oviling, P11 j wipe secr sanDexs | — SHAPER 3H 19H Ms Sine inal Deft Clear Wood Finish Gloss In Glos To, Def lent Wood Finish say coco dene Sem loan new Clon The new Glo has the same qualities that have made Deft Sem: Glo eng cleat fin fermore than 25 yeas Indies ds fee in 30 mic on be ened ewe hows 'F treecou,barsop inh con be applied in fourtoure And Deh Clear Wood Brnsh de crys, i nongelowing, and wont hme Def CleaeWood Fini als nd Gish scr wood et; and mason esse ee ing 0 Jom bahing i ede ad cy to'appy snd. and rou op Bob thees ae arable at bee baa, pint, pit. quant, 4d gallon ca. New Plane This ematkably inexpesine Chafing and Joimet Plane from Japan will pat a 30° of 0" angle on any edge and acutely joine rare And ic pever needs sharpening, because {uses eplaceable break-away blade (old in ‘re stationery and hardware sore). Ten ex Blades ar inched 8° bod Onder Cham. ingiJoimer Plane 09-0410 for $2.95 phe $200 shipping and handling from Fine Shop, Ines Dept. AWS, PO Box 1262, Den bury CT 068s ‘The Abrasive Cord That Does Ie All Abrasive coeds and apes eliminate the wher of eying ofl and fit abrasive cloth into deep grooes, They ae ideal or ishing new and old spindles They ae also wed fot etre tales pelagic calle groves, widening sos, ceaing sins, ron ing roe, smoothing edjes and undogging oles Us on meta plastic, mod, gas and Ceramics, We foc fee sample card whi valle, EC. Mitcall Cle Glueing Clamp WM Products of Barabo announces the New Ege Ging Clamp. ideal for gluing bourds ce to edge fr small projets such a read boards, smal tabletops plaques ex Handles wilths up t 18" Can be wid in muliple or longer lengths. Wood jaws can be stewed on for clamping odd shaped pars; unite bar clamps ao damp rack s needed. Clamps are Saclable fr drying All tel consrction with ‘eme stew fr lon ie, Made ia USA. $2295 plus $500 per order shipping and handling WAM Products, BO. Bax $43, Baraboo, 1 = Items shat appear in the Product News Section were obtained from pros releases ‘upplied by the manufacturer or their advertng representatives The American Woodworker bas not tested cach tem and does not guarantee the sajety or performance of the items The products are listed asa convenience t0 both supplier and consumer When writing the manufacturer please seution that you saw ibe items 9 The American Woodworker.Mail Order MARKETPLACE Sean. "THE WOODIE WAGON Elect oy make ia Sigh bol Pinte ok teen nd aig 858 Eng HARDWOODS—1/22° 10 1/4" thick, cherry, walnut, butlernst, ash, “ook moplo, poplar, mobogany, basswood $2.50. $420 per sq. f. pockage, Turing Squares. 1g, SASE for prices, Shaker Mintotores, Dopt. AW, 2913 Hunting Rd, Cleveland, OH 48120, (216) 751-5969, CUSTOM BRANDING | IRONS. DRILL PRESS of HANDHELD 250 to 800 watts ‘ato nsiaie sang stars For Custom Lagos or Antwork ENGRAVING ARTS « (707) 984-8203 (jonnite CA 95454 ‘You can build this Stacking Bookcase in your shop] Sanat iene intra ae Send check or money order (US. to About Time Plans, Dept, AW 6.6 THOT Aurora N. / Seat, WA 98103 Pans och $1.00 — relunded wit ore [narrate NS eereretet °Tedonne toee Toot sénvice Adirondack Chair Simple 1o DUIS - AMatICaN Classe! af Plan No 101 $e Precision Cut Chair kit $98 Precision Cut Footrest Kit $25 Shipping & Hancting included! SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: art made of x's! A unetonal pene patio table. Everyone seated isin visual and voice contact. Octagon seals 8 adults Lazy susan, umbrella holder. 71" aoross Fully ilustrated for cutting assembling ‘plus a material ist. Patented. 81000 check ‘Fr money order USA S's. Money Back Guarantee. THOM'S, INC. Dept. 10 2012 Wilkins Laurel, Montana 59044 Pine 16 Models $505.00 — $695,00- BALL Deluxe "$750.00 — $1200.00 BEARING Sand 38° 6 a8 § Sidatrote Siig Sender Aol: Ris S45 10 $370 Post Office Box Bronze doors: Heo, Ne. 28750. Now 3 $10.00 + $1,00 shipping each. Kits from $22.00, Banks from $36.00, S&H $2.50 cach SASE. HUBBERT WOODCRAFTS 2.0, Bow 1413, Hetcher, NC 38752 Antique Woodworking Tools Quality molding and specialized wooden planes, half-sets of hollows & rounds, framing chisels and saws. Send §1.00 for complete lst. Tried & True, W. 1421 16th, ‘Spokane, WA 99208 (508) 624-9354 MAIL ORDER MARKET. Mal ore eusomers may use the mal ner section providing that alla request these 1 product, cao, or brochure by direct msl All adh are 2 wide, Availabe are snes 1,2" and 3 dep. Rats are $2510 for 1"; $4000 for 2”; and $8000 for 3MY Wooowonken’s alenoen FOR FUTURE ISSUES: We will be happy to list any future shows, demonstrations, club or guild meetings. Listings will be free of charge. They must pertain to woodworkers and be open to the public. The Fall issue will include September through November. The closing date is July 1. Closing date for the Winter issue is October 1. “HOLZFEST" (Woodtest) Aug. 16-7. A complete wooderators show Ex. hibtor, demonsiatos, colecors, suppliers welcome. Amana Colonies, Ext 225 on Interstate 60” in lowa.” Music, dance, entertainment, German Tatteshmenis and "hol" fiendships. No admission charge to pubic. Ap- Pleatonssvalable fom Motstest, Box 1, Amana, IA 52208 (31) 622-9100. “The Woodworking Show For Gratsmen & H “Tho 1986 show schocul i as follows: Sopt 26-28, Mchigan Stale Fevgrouncs, Der, (Ga 10", Minneapolis Corn, Corto: Minneapols, HN; Oc. Sov. 2. Satie enter, Sette, Wa: Nov. 21.28, Sen Jose Convention Cora, San Jose, CA Fcmore ntrmation wit 1516 So. Pontius Averua, Los Angeles, CA 80025, (eta) arreszn "The American Precision Museum. Raro tools and machines, ongoing xh. Windsor VT, (02) 614573, Zito, Woodworking for women, beginners and advanced, radon furniture maxing focus on Rana Tools. Contact Dabey Zit, 108 Weel St, San Francisca, GA 84710 (415) 648-666, "The Woodworker's Store. Conducis workshops and ominas, Wie 2154, ‘Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, (617) 4973135. ‘Ariseape ‘86. July 1820, uted outdoor exhibtion, SASE to Cras, Art. scape Be 80 MACAG, 21 § Evian St, Balimore, MD 21201, (907) 306-4575 ‘Arrowmont School of Aris and Crafts, Following isthe schedule of 1986 Spring Workshop programs. June 61a, Bob Lockhart, Woodcari lune 36-20, Dal Nish, Woosturing: June 2827, Ruce Osoink, Wood ing; une 30 July 1, Jere Oxgood, Furniture Construction; duly 418, L20 oy Most ig avd Ekanoth, otra, Ag. 15 Hap ‘Saka, Woodring. Classes maybe akan for gradual er undergraduate {ra ana are chr in other media nudge abr clay raving. Bitog. etl pring, pracgapy, ard ics ue nico co mont Sool Ars and Crt, PO. Box 57, Gling TN 778, (ei soe “The Penland Schools accesting sppicaios for summer envilmert. They ‘oftora vary ef subject mater mary craft areas Including woad. The su ‘mor fe divided inlo eight sessions of wo week classes. College cred ‘vaiale. Contact Penland Schoo), Penlana, NC 257650037 (7) 765-2058. Stud For Wondera hn Sanu fs alee ase nwa working ath studio. woodturing, advanced woodtuing, ‘gonoral” ‘Sirol and a eres couse Soignd people wih ints space Nor ‘ral duration forthe classes le two days, but courses canbe tallore io meet, Individual needs fr time and Contant For further ntrmation contact John ‘Sannburg, t Lceld Drive, Brianan, Denon, England TOS aL. ‘Cedarhurst Craft Fair eid the weekend folowing Labor Day, the Craft Farr wil olebat i Tth year In 7988 ftwas begun in 177 to provide an ‘ibtion ana seling ara fe ratspercons, Open the pubic: ne gat fo: ‘exhibitions by professional crafts peopl. Fr further information contact ‘Codarhurst Craft Fat, PO. Box 923, MI. Vern, I 62864, 886 Major International Art and Graf ion = New York An open ‘crmpatiton, inuding woodworking, tobe hold New York Gy June 24suy ‘El Located a 12 Greene Stvo0t Gallo, ocatod in Soho in New York Ch. ‘Saskatchewan Craft Counell. Ince 6A conference that wil aon you to advonture beyond your own media, tough a variety of so‘ and educa {onal events, August 9 and 10, Mota! Casung Bll Epp, Stone carving ‘Masa Yuki Nagase; Tetom Carving - Kath Matheson; Maka a Char fom ‘Too. John D Alvander, Fore Lynn Carer, Cay -Angolo dt Puta, Leather Bring Allen Murcocn Fting Pat Aaame: Seupture- Prato Sopures ‘Association; Blacksmithing, Cortact Sastatchewan Craft Counc Box 7408, ‘Sactatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7K 43 Regsaton Feo $16000.Loce- tion = Ruddel, Sasatenowan. “Arrowmont Schoo! of Arts and Crate May 20g, 15. "Arowmot Su ‘mor Faculty and Stat Exton” wil be on deplay inthe man galery st the Acrowmont Schoo. This moved mesa exhibition wi feature the Work the ftynine distinguished visting faculty for he summer workshop progam land werk fhe szhoo's pormanent sta. Medla included wit be ibe fbr Wood, clay, handmace paper, paling, awing, photography, meal owely, Blackomithing, glass, bashoty. and pring. Gallery houts are Monday ‘Saturday, 890-490. Box Ser, Gatlnburg, TN 37738, (618) 496-5860. “The Woodworking Association of North America announces ts Wood: vwotote and Woodcarvere Yur of Srtzarana with Wayne Barton of The Alpe ‘School of Hoodearving and Gotti Branch of Tho Swisa Cabinet, Sop. ‘30.01. 1. For further formation contact WANA, PO. Box 708, Pout Ni osae, ‘Virgina Mountain Crafts Gulla Aug. 30-Sopt. 1. Sponsoring the th Ar. ‘ual Clayor Lake Arts and Craft Show, 60 exhibitors, Cleyor Lake Stale Park. Dubin, Vgina. Nov. 78 Sponsoring the 3a Annual Holiday Inthe Valoy ‘Arts and Crat Show, 66 exhibitor, Salem Civic Center, Salem, VA. Fo fur {her information contact Veginia Mourn Cras Gus, Box 100, Salem, ‘WA 24188 (709) 75-2076, 6 “The Anderson Ranch Arts Center announces is summer woodworting schodua sno 10:7, Pater Form, Furniture Design Relzato: ne 3. 1, Ant Carport, Fury Consiucton: Ju cetacean _aPersoral Sie duly ug. 8 aor an ‘and Conerustion: July 2627, Sam Malsol Purnture: Aug 8 Si ‘neon, Marquty an ny, Aug, 1122 Tago Fra are Toons {and Construction. For hr {GO eret5 or call (008) 9233 it lomaton wie Box 5556, Sowness Vlog Classitied: ‘$75 per word payable with order; minimum 15 words. Count ‘words, numbers and infials. PO. Boxes count as three words. Clos- ies are July, Cicber and January i fo iesues pried ptember, Devernber, and March, respecte cy Sad ype shoe yt choc The Aorcan osawortesCiasibog PO Soe 1408, Hendersonvile, TN 37077-1406. \WANTEDII Professional Woodworking tools, precision made qual- ty & guarantee. Tobe cold by us as your exclusive distributor in Kan- ‘sas. Call Tollfree 1-800-341-0082. In Kanas call 1-316-262-8485 BRUSH & BOARD - HARDWOODS 923 E. Gilbert - Wichita, Kan- sas 67211, WANAGER MOULDING KNIVES. Wiood moulding knives made for ‘bolsaw type planer molders. WANAGER CUSTOM KNIVES. 836 East B+ Kingman, Kansas 67068 + 316-592-5381 [BUILD OR REPAIR GUITARS? Send fer ou fee €D}page catalog packed with tls and hard-to-find parts for guitars, banjos and mandolins. ‘STEWARTMacDONALD, Box 900K, Athens, OH 48701 (614) 692-3021,IMPORTS, INC. presents Four Aces! 15” PLANER CALL FOR COMBINATION SANDER 12” Disc. 6 x 48” Belt Low FREIGHT RATES! This high quality planer isthe most sought after machine in the country today. This fs the machine that your neighbors (on both Sides) probably already own! Powerful 2 HP. single phase motor, arge 18 x6" capacity, all ballbearing 3 blade cutterhead, precision ground castiron bed and al around heavy duty construction — weighs 00 Ibs Model G1021 Planer — Only $795.00 (se.{itcuaw) Model G1197 Stand Only $49.95 Send for our super color catalog (See bottom of ad) {or more Information on this beauty 8”x65” LONG-BED JOINTERS ‘This superheavy duty sander isthe best quality sander we carry ‘and is sultable for continuous use in a cabinet shop. Tables are precision ground solid castiron and the quick change belt tension lever makes changing belts the fastest in, the Industry. Powerful motor is 1 HP, single phase and runs at 3450 F.P.M. ‘Although this machine is a benchstop type it weighs a hefty 160, Ibs. Belt section flips down for either Rorizontal or vertical use Model G1183 — Only $330.00 (seincias) DUST COLLECTION SYSTEMS € You can't finda better machine than this even twice our price! Check + 8° x65" Hoavy Duty Cast iron Bed. * Beds are stress relioved and precision ground forthe ultimate inaccuracy. Exclusive Quick levers for raising and towering the tables. owerful 1% H.P. Single Phase Motor Qe place stand has chip-chute for quick disposal * Large 3 blade cutterhead has lubricated-for-lie ball bearings, * Weigns close to 800 Ibs. — certainly not a toy! Model G1018 — Only $575.00 (scu!incuau) Thi isan old price and wil be going up soon. Cal fr fw freight rates! WE USE PAST CUSTOMERS AS REFERENCES, CALL US TO FIND OUT IF SOMEONE IN YOUR AREA HAS BOUGHT THESE (MACHINES. Model G1029 Pictured. ‘These powerful yet lightweight dust collections are the answer to your messy shop. Chips get sucked In, whirl around the top 'bags and fal through @ funnel into the bottom bags which can, ‘be removed for easy dumping, Bags are 19" in diameter and 35 high each, {3 superb models and all are single phase power. All units come. ‘with casters making these very portable! Model G1028 — 2 Bags/1 H.P. — $295.00 Model G1029 — 2 Bags/2 H.P. — $355.00 Model G1030 — 4 Bags/3 H.P. — $455.00 ‘Our merchandise is fully quaranteed with local parts and service back up right in our warehouse. We also sell fable-saws, band-saws, shapers, wood and metal lathes, dillpresses, wood , Carbide-tipped router-bits, shaper cutter, hie ‘and much, much are — Ail at super low prices. Send $300 for fully loaded 1986 color catalog of quality tools priced reasonably! pea GRIZZLY IMPORTS, INC. P.O. BOX 2068, BELLINGHAM, WA 98227 PHONE (206) 647-0801 (soveral lines)Every summer since 1929, the Penland School of Crafts has offered workshops to Students ranging from 18 to 80 who, have come for unique, intensive study in the flelds of weaving, ceramics, rmetalsmithing, glassblowing, and woodworking. Occasionally they have had choices of work: shops in photography, printmaking, land other special subjects. Penland's Wood Program was completely renovated and revitalized in 1985 with the completion of a 2500 square {oot facility built specifically for precision woodworking The new building offers industrial machinery as well as a com: plete assortment of fine hand tools and equipment. Every session, a visting faculty member comes from a major tuniversity program or from their own studio to offer students a specific course tailored to their needs, Some of the classes are for- ‘mal or technical in nature while others may challenge assumptions about wood as a material and work to free the imagination, Penland offers a ‘non-competitive atmosphere of ‘warmth and encouragement, allowing students the opportunity to focus in on their work in a way that is not possible at home or in a conventional university program, The Wood studio, open 24 hours 2 dey, can accommodate as many as ten students during a typical session. In addi- tion to the instructor, a class monitor, chosen. from several talented applicants, offers technical assistance to students and maintains the studi tools and equipment [YAMIEY AND STOOL—ORK. by Hester Rather, pas lsractor and evry anltat diet of Penland Sent A complete inventory of hardwood lumber, Anishing materia, and all nccessary supplies are socked fn the stadia For more information about Penland's programs, write to Penland Schoo! of Crafts, Penland, North Carolina 28765. nor so matt rans, ‘Bleached wood femla? Sp Joka Clark