-

outlines of the original work-

piece. The shape of the stylus
matches the profile of the router
bit (refer to the article on page 29
for making a stylus). The router
and stylus are counterbalanced
tomake thestylus easy tomove.
U you have a creative bent,
you're sure to find unlimited
possibilities for your projects.
replica of an original carving. By
using special bits as small as ~2"
in diameter, you can carve the
finest details. A tight sanding is
allit takes toclean up most carv-
ings. Or, to mimic ahand-carved
look, you can usecarving tools to
refine the details.
The router bit follows the path
of a stylus you use to trace the
18
Everyone knows the router is
a versatile tool. But our project
designer, Chris Fitch, took the
possibilities even further with
this shop-built duplicator. Itlets
you recreate an object or pattern
in wood with amazing detail.
As you can see in the photo, it
uses acompact router on a float-
ing carriage assembly to make a

Recreating almost any pattern or carving with your

router is easy with this shop-built fixture .
icator carving

A Base(I) 34x 42 - % Ply. 0Stylus Clamp (I) %xl%-3Y 2 (6) %" x 36" - Y I6"-thickAluminumfor Clamps
B Work Platforms (2) 12x 18- % Ply. P StylusArm (I) I "-dia.x 20" EMT Conduit (2) 3"-dia. Hose Clamps
C Feet (4) % x3-3Y2 Q Router Arm (I) I "-dia. x 28" EMT Conduit (I) Y 2"-dia.x 8" Alum. Rod for each Stylus Body
D Risers (4) I Y2 x 2% - 7Y4 R Counterweight Shell (I) 3"-dia.x 7" PVC (I) Y 4"-dia.x 12" Steel Rod for Stylus Points
E Side Rails(2) I "-dia.x 32" EMT Conduit S Counterweight Core (I) I Y 4"-dia. x 7" PVC (8) #8 x I Y4" FhWoodscrews
F Short Carriage Beds (2) I%x 3 - 10 T Counterweight Ends (2) % x 3Y a"-dia. (6) #8 x %" FhWoodscrews
G Short Carriage Sides (4) % x 2% - 5% (2) Yt-20 Threaded Inserts
H Wheel Retainers (6) I YI6 x I - 5 (8) #8 x 2" FhWoodscrews (2) Y4"-20 Knobs wI I Y4" Stud
I MainRail (I) I "-dia.x 37" EMT Conduit (IS) 115/16"-dia.Wheels (2) 5/16"-18x 2" Carriage Bolts
J
Long Carriage Bed (I) 1% x 3 - 20 (32) \ tA " x I Y4" LagScrews (2) 5/16"Washers
\._
K Long Carriage Sides (2) % x 2% - 15% (12) \ tA " x 2" LagScrews (2) 5/16"-18Hex Nuts
L Tool Support Core (I) IY ax4-ISY 2 (44) \ tA " Washers (I) 5/16"-18Knob wI I Y2" Stud
M Tool Support Top/Bot. (2) 4 x I 5Y2 - '/4 Ply. (16) 51t6"x 2" LagScrews (4) #6 x %" FhWoodscrews
N Clamp Blocks (2) '12x2-3'/2 (I) 5/16"x 12" Steel Rod for Axles
19
Materials & Hardware
~ LARGE BASE CAN
'---- BE CLAMPED TOANY
WORKSURFACE OVERSIZE HOLES IN RISER
FEET ALLOWADJ USTMENT FOR
SMOOTH CARRIAGE TRAVEL
PAIROF SHORT
CARRIAGE ASSEMBLIES
PROVIDEFRONT-TO-
BACKTRAVEL
RAILS ARE MADE FROM
l"-DIA. EMT CONDUIT
RISERS ALLOW
CARRIAGE
ASSEMBLY TOBE
RAISED OR LOWERED
DEPENDING ON
HEIGHT OF CARVING
STYLUS POINT
MATCHES SHAPE
OF ROUTERBIT FOR
ACCURATECARVINGS
SHOP-MADE CLAMPS ARE
MADE FROMALUMINUM
(REFER TOSHOP SHORT
CUTS ON PAGE 28) a
INEXPENSIVECONVEYOR aI)
WHEELS MAKE FOR EASY _-/
CARRIAGE MOVEMENT
PVC PIPE
COUNTERWEIGHT
BALANCES THE
ROUTERFOR EASE
OF USE WITH
LESS FATIGUE
LONG CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY
LOCKS ROUTERAND STYLUS
ARMS PARALLEL FOR SIDE-
TO-SIDE TRAVEL
BOTTOMROLLER
KEEPS CARRIAGE
SECURE ON RAILS
Exploded View Details
OVERALLDIMENSIONS: 52D)( 31"W)( 14H(MINIMUM AREA REQUIRED)
-
notches and then rip the blank
down themiddle.
You'll use the drill press to
drill the pilot holes for the lag
screws that secure the rails, as
inFigure 3. Then, theband saw
makes quick work of removing
thewastetocompletetheshape.
Each riser is attached to a
square foot with screws. Over-
sizeholesused toattach theriser
assemblies tothebasearedrilled
ineachfoot.Theseholesallowfor
slight adjustments to ensure the
side railsareparallel for smooth
front-to-backcarriagetravel.
b.
RISER
SIDE
T 0/,6"
VIEW
~
PILOT
HOLE
SIDE
-0
I
RAIL
"I
_J w.
~
NOTE: DRILL10/,6"
THROUGH HOLES
IN FEETFORLAG
SCREWS
NOTE: DRILL
HOLES THEN
RIP ALONG
CENTERLINE
OF SLANK
more than a large rectangular
pieceof plywood.
The two work platforms are
meant to be replaceable. I've
found that the %" thickness is
suitable for most work, but you
can use other thicknesses as
needed to position the work-
pieces at the right height. A few
screws hold the platforms in
placeonthebase.
Risers. The four risers are
notched to hold the side rails.
There are two sets of notches
to position the rails at differ-
ent heights as needed. Figure 2
shows aneasyway tomakeeach
pair of risers fromarectangular
blank. After laying out the pro-
file, drill theholes that formthe
FRONrVIEW
FOOT
#8)(2" Fh
WOOD5CREW a.
SIDE RAIL
(1"DIA. )(32" EMTCONDUID
E
(~4")(3"3Yz")
20
Toaccommodate the amount of
travel required for therouter and
stylus, the duplicator requires
a large base. Sacrificial work
platforms hold the original and
duplicateworkpieces. Andapair
of siderails areattached to four
dual-position risers.
Therisers, rails, and platforms
work together to position the
router and stylus for carving.
Thegoal is tokeeptherouter and
stylusperpendicular tothework-
piecesfor thebest results.
Base&Platforms.Togetstarted,
you'll make the base and two
work platforms, as illustrated
in Figure 1. Thebase is nothing
base &
Risers
FRONrVIEW
~SASE
21
!Smooth.
Inexpensive
conveyor wheels
make ideal rollers
for the carriages
(refer to Sources,
page 51).
c.
theprocess I used toassemble the
carriage bed and sides.
Each carriage rides on four
wheels (right margin). A fifth
wheel underneath serves to keep
the carriage from lifting off the
rails. A pair of wheel retainers
and an axle secure the bottom
wheel to the carriage and rail
(Figures 4band 4c).
After cutting the retainers to
shape (you'll need a total of six),
drill the mounting holes at each
end. A hole through the sides
secures the steel rod used as the
axlefor the wheel.
Assembly. To assemble the
carriage onto the rails, install
the four upper wheels with lag
screws. Assemble the lower
wheel between a pair of wheel
retainers using asteel rod with a
little epoxy. Use the holes inthe
retainers as adrill guide to fasten
thebottom wheel to the carriage.
Now you can cut and attach
the main rail. Turn to page 28 to
make the clamps. Use the holes
intheclamps tolocatethescrews.
a .
SHORT
CARRIAGE
BED
SECOND;
GLUE AND
CLAMP
SIDES TO
BED
FIRST:
CLAMP
BLOCKS TO
SIDES OF
CARRIAGE
BED
lagscrews. Thesescrews formthe
axles for the wheels. A quick trip
to the table saw forms a V-notch
on the upper face for attaching
the main rail. You'll drillthe pilot
holes for the clamps later when
attaching the main rail.
The pairs of carriage sides are
also beveled to mate with the
bed. The drawing below shows
b .
MAIN RAIL
(l"-DIA. )(37" EMf CONDUIT)
I
Clamping Tip
Side Rails. All of the rails are
made from l"-dia. EMT conduit.
After cutting them tolength with
ahack saw, I used the weld line
as a guide for drilling the over-
sizeholes for the lagscrews (Fig-
ure lb, opposite page).
I attached the rails to the risers
before loosely attaching the ris-
ers to the base. You'll make final
adjustments after the carriages
are assembled and installed.
Short Carriages. The threecar-
riage assemblies share the same
construction techniques. You'll
make two short ones now and a
long one later. Figure 4provides
all the details you need.
The carriage beds are bevel-
ripped to form mounting sur-
faces for the wheels. Use the cut-
offstoposition thebed at thedrill
press for drilling pilot holes for
(lYle" x 1"- 5")
G
SHORT CARRIAGE
SIDE
(0/..")( 2~6"- ~4")
IFIGURE s;ft
, 14" x IV ." LAG
SCREW
WIWASHER

the final shape. Figures 6c and

6d show how the recess for the
router and the long notch along
thefront edge are shaped. I used
a band saw to rough out the
shapes. A sanding drum is per-
fectfor smoothing out theshape.
Tosecure the router, Idecided
to use hose clamps. A clamp
block at the topand bottom of the
router recess provides a bearing
surface for thehose clamps. After
cutting these crescent-shaped
pieces at the band saw, you can
glue them in pLace.A little sand-
ing is all that's needed to make
themflush with the router recess.
Stylus Clamp. You'll notice
in Figure 6that the stylus is held
in place with a wood clamp
attached with studded knobs
and threaded inserts. I made the
stylus clamp first, clamped it to
the tool support, and then drilled
the holes for the pair of studded
knobs. After removing the stylus
clamp, it's aneasy task toenlarge
theholes in thecore for installing
the threaded inserts (Figure 6).
Toensure thestylus isdamped
securely, I used the trick shown
therail, you can focus your atten-
tion on the tool support.
Multi-Layered Design. You
can see in Figure 6 how the tool
support is made up of three pri-
mary layers - a top, core, and
bottom. The support is notched
to form pockets for the router
and stylus arms.
The thickness of the core is
sized to match the outside diam-
eter of the EMTconduit used for
the arms. To make the core, I
started with ablank cut to width
and length. Size the width of the
two notches for a snug fit with
theconduit, asshown inFigure 7.
Sandwiched Assembly. The
top and bottom of the tool sup-
port are made from1/4" plywood.
I cut them to rough sizeand then
glued them to the core, making
sure theedges of thetop and bot-
tomwereflush along thenotched
edge of the core. A router table
outfitted with a flush-trim bit
makes quick work of trimming
the remaining threesides.
Layout &Shaping. Now that
you've got a straight, squared-
up assembly, you can layout
b.
1Io/l6"-DIA.
WHEEL
LONG
CARRIAGE SIDE
22
With the short carriages and
main rail attached, you'U add the
long carriage and the two rails
that connect the tool support.
The tool support isthe "business
end" of the duplicator. It holds
the router motor and stylus.
Long Carriage. After building
the two short carriages, the pro-
cess of making the long carriage
should seem pretty familiar. Fig-
ure 5 provides all of the details.
The only real differences from
the short carriages are the loca-
tions for the rail notches and the
lengths of the bed and sides.
Iwaited to cut the notches
for the rails until after the sides
were glued to the bed. Using the
miter gauge at the tablesaw with
the blade tilted to 450
ensures the notches
will align to keep the
router and stylus arms
parallel toeach other.
The final assem-
bly of the wheels and
clamps to the long
carriage are the same
as before. Once you
attach the carriage to
, Filling. Add
hardware and
then sand to fiff
the counterweight.
finishing up the
Details
SIDE VIEW
a.
LONG CARRIAGE 6ED
HOrE: NorCHES FOR RAILS
CUTWITH 6LADE TILTED45"
AFTER A5SEM6LY
fIGURE
23
as shown inFigure 6a. Youcan
slide the weight along the arm
tofine-tune thebalance. Thegoal
is for the router to rise slightly
when thestylus isreleased. It's a
trial-and-error process.
Withtheduplicator assembled,
it's time to learn how to use it.
For that, turntopage 24. 4
NOTE: TURN TO
PAGE 29 TO MAKE STYLUS
d.
Thecounterweight ismade up
of aPVC pipe coreand shell with
two wood end caps. The space
between the core and shell is
filledwith sand and some hard-
wareout of myjunk drawer.
To fasten the counterweight
to the router arm, Idrilled and
tapped aholefor astudded knob,
in Figure 8. Insert a thin spacer
(about Ys") between the clamp
and tool holder before drilling
the %" hole. (For more on mak-
ing astylus, refer to Shop Short
Cuts onpage29.)
Final Details. At this point,
youcancut therouter and stylus
arms to length and fasten them
to the long carriage and tool
support (Figures 6and 6b). The
proper distance between thetool
support and carriage is shown
inFigure 6above. Then you can
tighten theclamps onthearms.
Thecounterweight at theback
end of the router arm serves an
important function. Itoffsetsthe
weight of the router and tool
support to reduce fatigue when
moving thestylusover thework-
pieceyou're duplicating.
b.
ShopNotes No. 129
Y t6", and 113 2 " in diameter. This
range allows you to remove the
bulk of thewaste with thelarger
bits. Then, you can refine the
details of your carving by using
progressively smaller bits.
Matching Stylus. The key
to making the duplicator work
well is the stylus. Y ou'll need a
different stylus shaped to match
theprofile of eachrouter bit you
use (left photo). For instructions
onhow to makeastylus, turn to
ShopShort Cuts onpage29.
For a large-diameter stylus, I
simply grind a %"-dia. alumi-
numrodtoshape, asyoucansee
inthe photo at left. For the finer
points, I use steel for strength
and durability. Adabof two-part
epoxysecures thesteel points ina
..
~ Matched Pairs. For each
router bit profile, you'll need a
stylus shaped to match.
router bits to do thejob. Y oucan
useany router bit (up to%"-dia.)
as long as it can make plunge
cuts. Bythis, I mean that theend
of thebitmust havecuttingedges
to remove material as you lower
it into thecarvingblank.
For finer detail work, I found
bits designed for carving work
best (left photo). They're solid
carbide and tapered to remove
material quickly and efficiently.
Y oucan find out where to buy
theminSourcesonpageS1.
Thebits I typically useinclude
a 114"straight bit, a ~" bullnose
bit, and tapered bits with tips ~",
6ULLN05E CARVING
61T 61T5
Usingthecarving duplicator isa
lot easier than it might appear at
rust. Somebasicsetup guidelines
and simple carving techniques
will set youon theright path.
The Right Bits. The process
starts by purchasing the right
A few basic techniques are all you need to
duplicate carved or shaped objects in wood.
upli
25
!Irregular Shape. For bulky or irregular objects, use
temporary fences as well as the bit and stylus to help
position them. Fasten each in place with hot-melt glue.
FASTEN I;REGUCAR - - , - _
WORKPIECESWITH
HOT MELTGLUE
BLANK PATTERN
%~2J 1ell
AND
SrYLU6
PATTERN
STYLUS AND BIT AT
SAME HEIGHT TO
COMPLETE STOCK
REMOVAL
Veil ell
AND
6rYLU6
~J lell
AND
6rYLU6
!Flat Workpieces. Use guidelines marked on the
platforms to position the workpieces. Double-check their
location using the stylus and router bit.
pattern placement
Setup
original piece and carving
blank. The box below shows
you how toset up and locate
a simple, rectangular carv-
ing and an irregularly shaped
objectonthework platforms.
To help with alignment, I
install a1;2"-dia. bitandmatch-
ing stylus. These serve as
"pointers" to ensure that the
original and blank are in the
same position relative to each
other beforeyou start carving.
Thedrawings belowshowyou
howthisisdone.
Aftercheckingthealignment
of the original and carving
blank using therouter bit and
stylus, you can switch to the
larger bitandstylusbeforeyou
start thecarvingprocess.
Workpiece Attachment. For
objects and blanks with aflat
surface, afewstrips of double-
sided tape are all you need
to secure them to the work
platforms. Irregularly shaped
objects can be held securely
with hot-melt glue, as illus-
trated in the right drawing in
theboxbelow.It'simportant to
make sure the objects remain
securely attached during the
carvingprocess.
centeredholedrilledintheendof
thealuminumrod.
An Overview. The drawings
at right show how the router
bit and stylus work together to
duplicate ashape. As you guide
thestylus over theworkpiece to
becopied, the router is carving
away thewasteontheblank.
I start withalarge-diameter bit
toremovemost of thewaste. To
ensure I don't carve too deep, I
set thepoint of thestylus alittle
lower than theend of therouter
bit. This leaves a thin layer of
material for the smaller bits to
cleanupasyoudefinethedetails.
After you removemost of the
material withthelargebit, you'll
switchtothenextsmaller bit. For
thesefinal detail operations, the
stylusandrouter bitaresetatthe
same height. Depending on the
level of detail desired, you'll end
withthesmallest bit (%2").
Workpiece Placement. Now
that you understand the basic
concepts of how the router bit
and stylus work together, you
canset up thepattern and carv-
ing blank. (J 'll talk more about
theactual carvingprocesslater.)
The key to accurate duplica-
tion is careful alignment of the
!Detail. Final refinement and
detail work can be done using
the smallest bits.
original object.At thesametime,
your eyesarewatching therouter
toensure it's not taking toobiga
bite. You'll want totakeiteasyto
reduce chipping and tearout.
For shallow relief carvings,
like the ones shown in the two
right photos below, youcanusu-
ally skip thelargest bit and start
with asmaller bit. Regardless of
thetypeof carving, theideaisto
remove as much waste as possi-
blebeforegetting too concerned
about refiningthedetails.
..
!Refinement. Flat carvings
benefit from a straight bit to
relieve the pattern .
want to start on a lower speed
when removing alot of material.
Then as you progress through
finer details, you can bump up
thespeed forasmoother finish.
Coarse to Fine. I've already
talked about how thestylus and
bit work together to create a
duplicate carving. Theboxbelow
shows howtoput itintopractice.
As I mentioned, you'll start
with the largest bit and stylus
toremove thebulk of thewaste.
You'll find that your right hand
instinctively guides the stylus
to follow the contours of the
!Freeform Shape.
defining the external shape
(inset photo), flip the workpiece
to complete the interior (above).
26
!Bulk Material Removal. Start with a larger bit
and stylus set low to remove the bulk of the waste
before refining the details.
simple steps for
Carving
There are three basic types of
carvings you can create with
theduplicator. Youseeasimple
relief carving in the main photo
onpage 24.A related type isthe
repeating pattern shown at the
top of theopposite page. A free-
form shape, like the bowl
ontheright, isthethird
type. Theonly real
limitations are
your imagina-
tion and the
, cutting depth
of the router
bit. Regardless
of thetypeof carv-
ing, thebasicprocess isthesame.
A Balanced Touch. Thecarv-
ingprocess takestimeand alittle
patience. Itdoesn't pay to be in
a hurry. The goal is to maintain
control without trying toremove
toomuchmaterial all at once.
Thebalance of the router and
stylusarekeytoavoiding fatigue.
Itshould require little effort to
lower the stylus and guide it
over theoriginal piece. Youcan
adjust thecounterweight tofine-
tunethebalancebeforestarting.
Router Speed. Ifyou're using
a variable-speed router, you'll
!A Duplicate.
Creating free-form
shapes is easy
to do with a few
simple steps.
carving
Techniques
27
.. Indexing. Index marks along the edge of the
workpiece can help you accurately loca{e and
space each repeating pattern.
.. An Original.
Scroll-sawn
pieces glued to
a blank create an
original pattern to
be carved.
process for each sub-
sequent section.
Finishing Touches.
After carving, you
have a couple of options. To
remove the "fuzzies" left from
routing, I find that a detail flap
sander on a rotary tool does a
great job, as in the left photo
below. It cleans up the carving
without rounding over crisp
edges. Tocreatemoreof ahand-
carved look, you can use your
carving tools to refine details
(right photo below).
Endless Variety. AsI said, the
projects you can create are lim-
ited only by your imagination.
And the process is easy. Inno
timeat all, you'll becreatingfan-
tasticcarvings. 4
.. Hand Work. You can use
carving tools to add detail and
create crisp edges.
long carving blank, you'll need
to make and install afence that
includes apair of toggleclamps.
Thephotoaboveandthedraw-
ingbelowshow thefenceI made
to hold and guide along blank.
It'sattached tothework platform
and featuresclamps tosecurethe
blank during thecarvingprocess.
You'll want to draw index
marks on the long workpiece to
help space the carving consis-
tently along theblank. Thespace
between theindex marks should
equal thelength of your pattern
plus any space you desire to
leavebetween eachsection.
After carving one section,
movetheblank tothenext index
mark and secure the workpiece
with the clamps. Repeat the
Repeating Patterns. By instalfing a fence with hold-
down clamps, you can create repeating patterns on a
long workpiece. Use index marks to locate each section.
.. Sanding. A detail sander
on a rotary tool removes any
remaining fuzz.
l
.:
Creating arepeating pattern, like
theoneshown at right, onalong
workpiece is agreat way to add
interest over a doorway, just to
nameoneexample.
Make a Pattern. Tocreate an
original pattern tocopy, I turned
to my scroll saw. First, J glued a
printed pattern to%" Balticbirch
plywood. (Youcandownload the
patternwe used by going online
toShopNotes.com.)
After cutting out the shapes
of the design at the scroll saw, I
cut ablank thesame size as the
overall pattern. Using the origi-
nal design as aguide, glue your
cut-outs to the blank. The inset
photo at right illustrates thistask.
Nowisthetimetoadd anydetail
with carving tools or by sanding
beforesetting up thepattern on
theduplicator.
Install a Fence. Youcan use
double-sided tapeto fastenyour
original pattern tothework plat-
form. However, to secure the
R E P E A T I N G P A n E R N S
You'll find that as you switch
to thesmaller bits, it takes more
time to get a smooth surface. I
don't get toohung up onaiming
for apristine, glass-smooth sur-
face. Youcando alot of cleanup
withsandpaper later on. Thefine
details are where you should
concentrate your efforts. These
can make your carving really
attract alot of attention.
Fitting afileinto a turned wood handle involves
drilling ahole theright size and applying heat to
thefile'stapered tang. Tofigurethesizeof thehole,
I measure thewidth of thetangat it'smidpoint. The
depth of theholematches thetang's length.
Thenext step involvesapropane torch. Thegoal
is toheat thetang hot enough toburn itsway into
thehandle. This will produce aperfect, secure fit.
Oncethetang ishot (it doesn't have tobered hot),
simply press and tap thehandle home.
Wood File Handle
ACTUAL
SIZE
CLAMP
(3/4" X :3lI/e" -
V,6"-THICK
ALUMINUM)
Making the clamps for the con-
duit rails on the carving dupli-
cator (page 18) iseasy todo. All
it takes isasimple jigand afew
aluminum strips. The drawings
atright illustrate theprocess.
I started by cutting %"-wide
aluminum bar stock to length
(left drawing). ] used a center
punch to locate thehole at each
end beforedrilling them.
Next, mark aline%" fromeach
end. You'll use these lines as
guides to bend tabs at each end
of thestrips. Amachinist's viseis
perfect for this task.
The bending jig used to form
the curve of the damp is made

Aluminum Clamps
fromascrap pieceof T'-dia. con-
duit and ahardwood block with
aV-notchcut into it. After drill-
ingpilot holes intheblock, usea
socketwrench todrivelagscrews
and help bend thedamp around
thecurveof theconduit.
Shop
Short
Cuts
KNOCKOFF
CORNERS
WITH FILE
u
Our Shop
29
Stylus. Shape
the stylus point to
match the profile
of the router bit.
TOP
VIEW
TAPEJ
BACKER
BOARD
a .
SECOND:
FILE RODTO MATCH
PROFILEOF ROUTERBIT
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
BACKER BOARD
(91\6" x :3%" - 5314")
WIDE BACKER BOARD
KEEPS YOUR HAND
AWAY FROMTHE
SAW BLADE
Tocreatean accurate copy of an
object, the carving duplicator
(page18)reliesonastyluswhose
shape matches that of the router
bit. For alarger- diameter stylus,
you canshape theend of analu-
minumrodat thedrill press.
Forsmaller, morefragilestylus
points, I shape a length of steel
rodtofitintothealuminumshaft.
The steel is more durable than
thealuminum anddoesn't flexas
easily. Filethestylus toshape at
thedrill press and secure it into
acentered holeinthealuminum
shaftwith adab of epoxy.
shop-made
Stylus
While there isn't anything com-
plicated about making the try
squares on page 30, one task
presents a bit of a challenge.
That'scutting theslotinthehead
tohold theblade of thesquare.
The problem is that the head
pieces are fairly small. So I
needed away tohold eachpiece
square tothetablewhilekeeping
my fingers out of harm's way.
Thesolution I cameup with isa
two- piece pushblock. The draw-
ings at right show how it works
for cuttingeachsizeof trysquare.
A widebacker board serves as
ahandle toguide theworkpiece
across theblade safely.Thelead-
ingend holds thehead square to
theblade. As you can seein the
lower right drawing, the backer
is sized to match the thickness
of thehead of thesquare ( 9 1i6 "). I
alsorelievedthebackcomer fora
morecomfortablegrip.
Theother part of thepushblock
is ahardboard face. Its purpose
is to hold the workpiece firmly
against the rip fence. I applied
a strip of double- sided tape to
thebacker tokeep thepart from
shiftingduring thecut. (1
Push Block